Quite a distance away from Red Leaf City, the sound of several wings flapping filled the air, drawing the attention of people on the ground and causing them to look up in amazement.
High above, nine majestic eagles soared through the sky, their wings flapping calmly but propelling them forward at incredible speed. If one had good eyesight, they'd notice the silhouettes of individuals seated atop the beasts—members of the renowned "Eagle Squad."
Their formation was tight and disciplined, consisting of the Squad Leader, followed by Dustin, Caleb, Jasmine, Melissa, Linda, Lucy, Lydia, and Layla.
"So, Squad Leader," Dustin called out above the wind, "you're saying this mission is about something strong but unknown coming from space, right?"
"Yes," the squad leader replied plainly.
"And this mission is ranked as either A, S… or even SS?" he asked again, disbelief clear in his tone.
"Yes," she replied, same even voice, as if the gravity of the mission didn't faze her.
"No way," Dustin chuckled. "Like, no freaking way. This is the first time I've ever seen a mission with three potential danger grades."
"Yeah, it's really strange," said Jasmine with an intrigued look in her eyes. "I hope it ends up being just S-rank. If we clear it, we'll be promoted to an A-ranked squad automatically. Isn't that amazing?"
"Hmph, like it's that easy," Caleb scoffed under his breath. "You think clearing an S-rank mission is a piece of cake?"
Jasmine frowned. "Weirdo, if you're scared of an S-rank mission, maybe you should stay home and let the rest of us handle it. Sure, we haven't completed one alone before, but we've assisted higher-ranked squads in S-rank missions. I think we can manage."
"Wow, nice speech, Jasmine!" Dustin cheered.
"Shut up, Dustin! No one asked for your support," Jasmine snapped.
"Ehn," Dustin smirked, then turned his gaze to the silent figure at the front. "Squad Leader, why aren't you saying anything?"
There was a beat of silence before the leader finally let out a slow sigh and spoke, her voice low but steady. "I know this mission may be very dangerous. But danger is often defined by how we approach it. If this really is an S-rank threat, then this will be our first S-rank mission—not as assistants, but as the protagonists."
Her eyes swept over the squad. "But I'm not blinded by the reward. I will not sacrifice your lives for glory. So here's the plan—we approach the threat carefully, assess its level, survey the surroundings. If it's within our capacity, we engage. If not…" she paused briefly, "…then we retreat and call for backup. Agreed?"
A few seconds of silence passed before all members echoed in unison, "Yeah."
"Wow, Squad Leader, you're amazing!" Dustin said with glowing eyes. "You always handle every situation like it's nothing."
"What a hopeless fool," Melissa muttered.
Dustin frowned. "I dare you to say that to my face."
"Hey guys," Jasmine called, "I see it—Red Leaf City up ahead."
All eyes turned forward. A large sign came into view, the words painted boldly:
WELCOME TO RED LEAF CITY
As they began to pass the sign, Dustin grinned and shouted, "Red Leaf City, here we—"
BOOM!!!
A massive, suffocating pressure came crashing down on them like a hammer from the heavens. The eagles' wings stiffened. In an instant, their majestic flight turned into a chaotic freefall, their bodies plummeting like comets.
No one could react.
Everyone's mind went blank, limbs refusing to respond. It was as if their very will had been snatched away.
Suddenly, the squad leader's finger twitched.
Then it twitched again.
With a gasp, her eyes shot open, sweat pouring from her body. Her instincts screamed at her that something was horribly wrong—but now wasn't the time to process it.
Her team was still falling—helpless.
"Snap out of it!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.
Her voice cut through the haze, and slowly, the others began to stir.
"W-What just happened?" Dustin stammered, his face pale as he looked around. The crushing pressure hadn't vanished—it was all around them, like the air itself was rejecting their presence but somehow their lives weren't on the line which made him a bit relieved.
"I don't know," the squad leader said in her usual calm tone, attempting to ground them. "Withdraw your beasts back into your inner space!"
They all nodded and tried to comply, drawing the familiar summoning circle in the air. But as soon as they began, the glowing shapes flickered—and then vanished.
"Squad Leader, it's not working!" Jasmine cried out.
"Then brace for impact," the leader responded.
BOOM!!!
The squad crashed into the ground hard, tearing up the earth and leaving a wide crater where they landed.
When the dust settled, groans could be heard, but thankfully no one had life-threatening injuries—not even the eagles.
"Is everyone okay?" the squad leader's voice rang out as she checked on them one by one. Heads nodded. Bodies ached. But they were alive.
For a moment, there was only silence—until Caleb finally muttered, "Squad Leader… what just happened?"
"I don't have that answer, Caleb," she said honestly. "But whatever is here… it's not something we can handle. This is a job for an S-rank or the SS-rank squad. We're lucky to be alive. We need to leave immediately and report this."
"Lucky?" Caleb echoed, eyes wide. "We almost died."
Before the leader could speak, Dustin stepped in, his tone uncharacteristically serious. "No, Caleb. She's right. We are lucky."
The others went silent, eyes slowly turning toward him.
"Didn't you all feel it?" Dustin asked, voice low. "That aura... that pressure… it wasn't even aimed at us."
The realization hit them all at once.
"It was like… we were caught in the gaze of something massive," Dustin continued, "but it didn't even acknowledge us. If that thing had truly looked at us…"
He trailed off, but everyone knew the end of the sentence and their faces turned pale cause........
They wouldn't be alive.
"Squad Leader, please," Caleb gulped, "call the higher-ups. Let's get out of here."
The squad leader nodded and pulled out a two-way radio from the belt of her battle suit. She spoke into it—only to be met with static.
"The signal's down," she muttered. "Let me try outside the city."
She walked toward the sign board, stepping back the way they came. But as she tried to pass—
BOOM!!
An invisible force hurled her backward.
Frowning, she approached again and slowly reached toward the sign. Her fingers stopped against an invisible barrier—solid and unyielding.
She turned back to her squad.
"Guys… it looks like we're left with only one option."