Morning light spilled across the halls of STF Headquarters as Ian and Blade walked side by side, reviewing reports from the night before.
Optimus approached them, tightening the straps on his armor.
"How was the night-ambush phase?" Optimus asked.
Ian exhaled.
"About as good as you could expect."
Blade added,
"We already made one major change. All cadets in boot camp will now go through a mandatory demon-simulation battle to graduate at the end of their training year."
Ian nodded.
"And we'll assess where each person fits best. After graduation, they'll be ranked from one to ten based on combat skill, leadership, adaptability, and survival instincts."
Optimus smiled faintly.
"That'll shape a stronger military."
None of them realized how soon that strength would be tested.
Thirty miles outside the capital, a remote combat outpost stood alone against a vast desert. Behind it loomed the colossal capital house, immense, ancient, and towering so high its upper reaches vanished into the sky.
A soldier raised his binoculars, scanning the dunes.
"Hey… I see three people walking toward us."
The sergeant stepped beside him, peering through the glass.
"Call the STF. They have a rapid-response team for this."
"Yes, sir."
At STF Headquarters, an operator in the Intelligence Wing received the call.
"Send the response team. And get Ian down here, now."
Minutes later, Blue Blaze, Shadow, and White Flash sprinted into the hangar.
A Swiftwind Tactical Transport, a sleek jet built for speed and precision, sat ready on the launch rail.
The three boarded without hesitation.
Engines ignited.
The jet vanished into the sky.
The Swiftwind touched down at the outpost, sand whipping violently around it. The response team stepped out, weapons ready.
Across the desert stood three figures.
Vyroz Strael, the weapon master, is calm and lethal.
Bron Krakos, the martial artist, is immovable as stone.
Seirath Vorn, Kia energy pulsing faintly around his body.
The air tightened.
They began walking forward.
Blue Blaze spun his staff once.
Shadow melted into the shifting light.
White Flash lowered her stance.
The clash was inevitable.
Back at STF Headquarters,
ALARMS BLARED.
Red lights flooded the halls.
Soldiers rushed from quarters, snapping armor into place. Officers shouted orders. Transports powered up.
Ian moved fast, calling in every STF member and Great he could reach.
Optimus ran up beside him, still buckling his armor.
"Good news, most of the Greats are already in the building. STF units are staged and ready in a transport ship."
Ian nodded sharply.
"Good. Let's roll out."
Ian, Optimus, and Blade entered the hangar as controlled chaos unfolded around them. Mechanics sprinted. Pilots climbed into cockpits. Soldiers lined up, fully geared.
A Swiftwind Tactical Transport waited with engines humming.
They boarded.
The ramp is sealed.
The ship launched.
As the transport streaked toward the desert outpost, one truth became undeniable:
The Ascendants weren't testing anymore.
They had come together.