The villa was steeped in the quiet calm of late night. Kenji stared at his phone, the Headmaster's words echoing in his mind. The end is drawing near. A Demon Lord. Ultra SS-rank. He looked at the peaceful, sleeping villa around him. His team. His new family. He couldn't keep this from them any longer.
At exactly eleven o'clock at night, a system-wide alert blared through the villa's intercom. "Team Dawn Breakers, report to the living room immediately. Urgent team meeting."
Groans and grumbles filled the air as the team slowly trickled in, rubbing sleep from their eyes. Akari yawned, stretching. "Kenji, what's so important it couldn't wait until morning?"
Renji slumped onto a sofa, "Better be good, boss. I was having a great dream about a mountain of spiritual gold."
Kenji looked at their tired, questioning faces. He took a deep breath. "This isn't easy to say. And this information… it's top secret. You cannot share it with anyone, no matter what. Not with other Academy members, not with other S-ranks, and especially not with the public."
His serious tone immediately silenced them. Their expressions shifted from sleepy annoyance to genuine concern. Aoi, who had come in last, her blue hair slightly disheveled, sensed the gravity in his voice.
"Alright," Kenji began, his voice low but firm, the newly acquired Solar Flare Manifestation subtly active, lending him an aura of quiet power. "The Dungeons are not just random outbreaks. They're part of something much, much bigger. The S-Rank Global Council has confirmed it. We're facing a catastrophe. A full-scale, multi-dimensional invasion."
He watched their faces pale, eyes widening in horror.
"There's an ancient Demon Lord on its way," Kenji continued, forcing himself to be blunt. "These Dungeons, these scattered demons… they're softening up our world for its arrival. Every S-rank in the world knows, and they're preparing for what's coming. That's why Kaito Kazama has been pushing me so hard. He's training me for the Ultra SS-rank breakthrough." He clenched his fists, the red aura of his Inner Sun flaring subtly. "And I'm almost there."
Saki gasped, his face ashen. Hiroki's usual bravado completely vanished, replaced by a look of sheer terror. Goro's jaw tightened, his eyes grim with the weight of Kenji's words. Akari looked like she'd been struck, her vibrant energy draining from her face.
"A Demon Lord?" Renji whispered, his voice hoarse. "But… how can we fight something like that?"
"That's what we need to figure out," Kenji stated, his voice ringing with a new resolve. "I've been summoned to an S-rank meeting with the Global Council. I'll learn more there, about the Demon Lord, about our strategy, everything. But for now, here's what we do: we must gather as much resources as we can, from every available mission. And we train as hard as humanly possible. Push past every limit. Every single day. Because when those portals open, when the real invasion begins..."
He paused, looking at each of them, his gaze unwavering, a profound promise in his eyes. "...I promise you, I will protect you. Even if the portals open, even if the world falls apart around us, I will ensure every single one of you survives."
A deep silence fell. Kenji moved amongst them, offering a steady hand to Akari, a comforting touch to Saki's shoulder. He met Goro's hardened gaze with his own unwavering resolve. He saw the fear, but also a dawning determination, fueled by his promise.
"Get some rest," Kenji said softly, his voice full of empathy as he looked at their wide, frightened eyes. "We start training harder tomorrow." He wished them a heartfelt "Goodnight," knowing sleep would be a struggle for them all.
The next morning, the villa's atmosphere was markedly different. A grim determination had replaced the easygoing camaraderie. Breakfast was a quiet affair, punctuated by the clinking of cutlery and the occasional strained sigh. Everyone ate with a renewed sense of purpose, pushing through their fear with grim resolve.
Suddenly, the villa's doorbell chimed. Kenji rose to answer it, his new senses immediately picking up three distinct A-rank spiritual signatures outside.
As he opened the door, three stunning women, all in their early twenties, stood on the porch. Each was dressed in a sleek, form-fitting Academy uniform, radiating an aura of strength and confidence.
"Good morning, S-rank Kenji Tanaka," the central woman, with a cascade of fiery red hair and a confident smirk, greeted him. Her eyes sparkled with open admiration. "I am Commander Elise Dubois. These are Agents Lena and Sophia. We've been sent by the S-Rank Global Council to escort you to the meeting."
Lena, a tall woman with striking emerald eyes, offered a playful wink. "We've been very eager to meet the legendary 13th S-rank. The one who single-handedly dispatched an S-rank boss and made the Number Three actually train someone."
Sophia, with a more demure smile, added, "It's an honor to be in your presence, Kenji-sama."
Their words, their gazes, were laced with an unmistakable flirtation. Kenji, still somewhat unaccustomed to such overt attention, felt a slight flush creep up his neck.
From the dining room, a clatter of cutlery broke the silence. Aoi, who had been listening from the doorway, had clearly just dropped her fork. Her jaw was tight, her blue eyes narrowed slightly as she took in the three beautiful, A-ranked women openly fawning over Kenji. A subtle, green flicker in her aura, barely perceptible, betrayed a surge of jealousy.
"The meeting is scheduled to begin shortly," Elise continued, her gaze lingering on Kenji. "Shall we depart, S-rank Tanaka?"
Kenji nodded, casting a quick glance back at his team, who were now observing the scene with a mixture of amusement and concern for Aoi's visible reaction. He then looked at Aoi, a silent apology in his eyes for the awkward situation.
"Yes," Kenji said, turning to the three escorts, a renewed sense of responsibility settling upon him. "Let's go. I need to know what we're up against."