An emergency council of the Sky Squad convened. All twenty-one officially inducted members were gathered in the main briefing hall, with no outside personnel present.

Through grueling conditioning sessions under Warrior Jiro and rotating shifts across every continent, they had forged themselves into an elite force. Over the weekend, the entire squad reassembled at headquarters for a critical strategy meeting, presided over by Barsha in her capacity as Sky Squad Leader.

The members sat around a large oak table in the central war room of their headquarters.

"We need to execute a comprehensive verification of the Mondu intelligence extracted from Nasura," Barsha opened, her voice firm and authoritative.

Everyone present knew of the master ledger, though the specific details had been kept classified. Only the Sky Squad held access to the transcribed data—a list recorded by Gayatri detailing the individuals who had commissioned mass-produced armaments through Nasura, along with their specified weapon types.

Barsha signaled Gayatri to present the findings to the assembly.

Unfurling the transcript, Gayatri began reading off the names one by one. Heavy silence fell over the room as the members digested the identities. If these prominent figures were indeed Mondu traitors, exposing them would send shockwaves across the entire world. Yet, if the charges held true, action had to be taken—the righteous martial community had been deceived for far too long.

One name on the list left everyone in utter disbelief: Advisor Alex of the Emerald Continent. Alex was a renowned master spellsword—and the elder brother of Commander Yarko himself.

That's impossible! The data must be flawed!

How could the Sky Squad investigate a senior continental advisor? Launching a covert inquiry into a figure of Alex's stature risked inciting widespread hostility across the entire Emerald Continent.

In his youth, Alex had been celebrated as one of the most formidable spellswords of his generation, dedicating years of his life to battling the dark forces and aiding those in need.

He was a recognized successor to the legacy of the Three Legends, currently serving as a primary advisor for the Emerald Continent. How could his name appear on an order form for weapons destined for the Demon Lord's army?

"This can't be right!" Nora interjected, abruptly rising from her seat. "Forgive me, but I know Advisor Alex personally. He is an honorable man who has spent his entire life fighting for justice and preserving peace across the realm!"

Nora refused to accept the allegation; Alex had personally rescued her when she was a child. Back then, her family lived in dire poverty, struggling just to put food on the table. Though Nora dreamed of becoming a swordswoman, her parents could never afford the tuition for a proper martial academy.

During that impoverished childhood, Nora had accidentally crossed paths with Alex while he was on an official procession. Lines of citizens had gathered along the streets, flanked by heavy military escorts. Driven by desperate resolve, young Nora slipped past the guard perimeter and ran toward his carriage.

As soldiers rushed to detain her, the young girl found herself standing directly before Alex. The advisor raised his hand, signaling his guards to stand down.

Alex knelt and asked her gently why she had breached the perimeter. Young Nora confessed her family's poverty, explaining that while they lacked food, her ultimate dream was to master the blade, uphold justice, and find a mentor to guide her.

Impressed by the child's fierce determination, Alex summoned her parents and personally escorted the family to the elite sword academy where he had trained in his youth.

He sponsored Nora's education in full, covering all expenses. Advisor Alex asked for only one thing in return: that she train with relentless dedication so that one day, she might stand beside him on the battlefield against the forces of darkness.

Nora had given her word. She trained relentlessly at the academy, driven entirely by the promise to fight alongside Advisor Alex against the Demon Lord.

"Assign the investigation of Advisor Alex to me," Nora pleaded, her tall, muscular frame and massive broadsword giving her an imposing presence among her peers. "I haven't seen him since I graduated. I will investigate this lead personally."

Barsha carefully weighed the request.

"Squad Leader," Aji interrupted, looking directly at Barsha. "I propose a three-person team for the investigation into Advisor Alex: Nora, myself, and you, Barsha."

A three-person team. Aji's proposal entailed dividing the Sky Squad into specialized strike teams to cross-reference the various high-profile targets identified in Nasura's subconscious memory. The list was extensive, but prioritizing key leadership figures was their most strategic course of action.

Barsha was taken aback by Aji's suggestion. "Why me? Wouldn't Alicia, Aria, or Gayatri be a better fit?"

She hesitated, wondering why Aji had specifically selected her for the same assignment. Moreover, she recalled seeing Aji conversing intimately with Alicia on the roof earlier, leading her to suspect a romantic connection between them.

Was that suspicion baseless? Wait... am I jealous? Flustered by her own internal monologue, Barsha felt her cheeks warm, realizing her response had sounded uncharacteristically hesitant. She prepared to retract her words, but Gayatri spoke up first.

"The Leader and Aji are the ideal choices to accompany Nora," Gayatri reasoned smoothly. "As top leadership of the Sky Squad, your presence grants official authority. You can frame the journey as a formal escort for Nora to reunite with her benefactor. A diplomatic reunion serves as a flawless cover story, allowing you to conduct the inquiry without raising alarm."

Gayatri's logic was sound. Having two high-ranking Sky Squad leaders accompany an operative to visit her childhood mentor would arouse zero suspicion. Furthermore, it would strengthen diplomatic ties between the Sky Squad and the leadership of the Emerald Continent.

Unable to object further, Barsha accepted the proposal, utilizing Gayatri's rationale to mask her momentary lapse in composure as the meeting transitioned to the next agenda item.

Still, a quiet question lingered in Barsha's mind: Was I truly jealous of Aji's closeness with Alicia? Is my feminine side starting to surface?

Shaking off the thought, she refocused on her duty. She was here as Leader of the Sky Squad, determined to bring honor to her lineage and her home continent. She was Barsha—the most formidable assassin across the realm—and she would carry that title with pride.

Suppressing her confusing feelings toward Aji, she returned her full attention to the war room.

The briefing continued as specialized teams were formed for various intelligence assignments. Each unit was assigned specific targets from the Mondu roster extracted by Aria.

When the name Toda was read from the list—implicated as a major weapon buyer and suspected Mondu operative—Nagada immediately volunteered for the assignment.

Toda was Nagada's paternal uncle. A bitter rivalry existed between them, as both sat in line for the throne of the Hanusan Kingdom. Nagada's father, the reigning king, lay bedridden and unconscious from a mysterious illness—an affliction Nagada strongly suspected was a slow-acting poison administered by Toda.

Barsha approved Nagada's request, assigning Sanjo and Yara to reinforce him on the Hanusan Kingdom mission.

The remaining Sky Squad members were deployed on parallel investigative tracks, working in tandem with continental intelligence agencies. To streamline operations, Aji connected the teams directly with Aaman's covert intelligence network.

With their assignments finalized, the Sky Squad prepared to depart. Their mission was clear: locate and dismantle the Mondu networks embedded across the continents, crippling the Demon Lord Shura's power structure from within.