Chapter 324: Speed king?

The crystalline surface of Nebular’s landing pad looked like a war zone. Craters dotted the area where Harbinger pods had impacted, their edges still smoking from the intense heat of atmospheric entry. EDF medics moved between the scattered debris, tending to wounded soldiers while engineers began the careful process of cataloguing alien technology for analysis.

Noah watched from his position near the largest crater, where the Two-Horn’s body lay in pieces around that perfect sphere of nothingness his Null Strike had created. The void energy was slowly dissipating, but the hole in reality would remain for hours—a reminder of just how close they’d come to catastrophe.

“Pathfinder Seven, status report,” Lieutenant Beaumont’s voice crackled through the comms.

“All hostiles neutralized,” Noah replied, his voice hoarse from exertion. “Team intact, minimal casualties among EDF personnel.”

“Outstanding work. Extraction teams are en route to your position. Maintain security perimeter until arrival.”

Around them, the post-battle routine was already in motion. Sergeant Mills was coordinating with his remaining soldiers to establish a secure perimeter while the engineering corps moved in to begin salvage operations. The efficiency was impressive—within minutes of the last Harbinger falling, the EDF had shifted from combat operations to recovery and analysis.

“Eclipse!” one of the soldiers called out, jogging toward Noah with something approaching awe in his expression. “Sir, that was… I mean, we’ve heard the stories, but seeing it firsthand…”

“Just doing the job,” Noah replied diplomatically, though he couldn’t deny the surge of satisfaction at the recognition. Six months ago, he’d been a nobody. Now EDF soldiers were looking at him like he was some kind of legend.

A gentle touch on his arm made him turn. One of the Xytherian civilians—a young woman with the characteristic pointed ears and luminescent skin of her people—stood nearby, her large eyes filled with gratitude.

“Honored warrior,” she said in accented Standard, her voice soft but clear. “My name is Munachi. I wanted to thank you for protecting our home.”

“Just glad we could help,” Noah said, offering her a respectful nod. The Xytherians had a complex social structure built around honor and debt, and he didn’t want to accidentally cause offense.

Her gaze drifted upward, where Nyx was still circling the airspace above them, the Red Death Dragon’s massive form cutting through Nebular’s atmosphere with predatory grace. “The magnificent creature in the sky—is he yours to command?”

Noah followed her gaze to his draconic companion, who was performing another sweep of the surrounding area. Even in victory, Nyx remained vigilant, his instincts keeping him in full battle mode.

“Nyx isn’t commanded,” Noah said with a slight smile. “He’s my friend. My partner.”

Munachi’s eyes widened with wonder. “A dragon… I’ve only read of them in the ancient earth stories gifted to me by some of your people. Might I… would it be possible to meet him? To offer my gratitude directly?”

Noah’s expression softened with regret. “I appreciate the gesture, but he’s still feeling anxious from the battle. Dragons need time to cool down after combat—he might not react well to strangers right now.”

The Xytherian woman nodded with understanding, though Noah could see the disappointment in her eyes. “Of course. Perhaps another time, when peace has returned to his spirit.”

“Perhaps,” Noah agreed.

As Munachi rejoined her people, Lucas approached with his usual electric grin, though Noah could see the exhaustion in his teammate’s eyes. The lightning wielder’s soul form had dissipated, leaving him looking more human but significantly drained.

“So,” Lucas said, settling down beside Noah on a chunk of crystalline debris. “When exactly did you get all the sick upgrades? That armor, those boots—definitely not standard EDF issue.”

Before Noah could formulate a response that would involve explaining his system, a familiar voice cut through the air.

“Noah!”

Sophie appeared around the edge of a damaged structure, with a medical kit slung over one shoulder and concern written across her features. Apparently, she’d been helping with injuries as well as some people unfortunately suffered collateral damage and the army meds were understaffed before local medical teams were brave enough to come for rescue.

“Hey,” Noah said, standing to meet her. “Everything okay on your end?”

“A few minor injuries among the Xytherians, nothing serious,” she reported, but her hands were already moving over his armor, checking for damage. “What about you? This thing looks like it went through a meat grinder.”

“Oh, nothing crazy. The knight Grace held up better than I expected,” Noah said, allowing himself to relax slightly as her familiar presence washed over him. “Few cracked ribs, but nothing that won’t heal.”

Sophie’s expression suggested she wasn’t entirely convinced, but before she could press the issue, the distinctive whine of EDF transport engines filled the air. Three heavy-lift shuttles were descending toward the landing pad, their escort fighters maintaining protective formations.

“Looks like our ride’s here,” Lucas observed.

The extraction went smoothly, with EDF personnel efficiently loading both the team and their escorting officers aboard the lead transport. As Nebular fell away beneath them, Noah could see Nyx finally descending toward the surface, the Red Death Dragon’s patrol complete.

Through their bond, Noah felt his companion’s satisfaction at a job well done, mixed with the anticipation of returning to his domain. With a thought, Noah opened a portal, and Nyx disappeared into the swirling void with a final, resonant roar that echoed across the crystalline landscape.

—

The debriefing room at Vanguard Base felt almost surreal after the chaos of combat. Lieutenant Cassandra Beaumont sat across from them, her expression cycling between pride and something approaching disbelief as she reviewed the after-action reports.

“Two major Harbinger incursions in your first two deployments,” she said finally, setting down her tablet. “I’m starting to wonder if you’re incredibly skilled or just cursed.”

“Why not both?” Kelvin quipped from his position near the back of the room.”Ma’am” he added very late.

Beaumont’s lips twitched in what might have been a smile. “Either way, Pathfinder Seven is making quite the name for itself. The other recruit teams are starting to take notice.”

Sergeant Mills, who’d accompanied them back for the full debrief, nodded enthusiastically. “Ma’am, I’ve been in this struggle for fifteen years, and I’ve never seen coordination like that. When Eclipse summoned that dragon…” He shook his head in amazement. “Game changer doesn’t begin to cover it.”

“Yes, the dragon,” She took a moment to sort of reconcile with the information even though she’s read reports the young recruit could do a couple of strange things in their strange world.

“The tactical assessment supports that conclusion,” Beaumont finally agreed. “A Two-Horn Harbinger should have been a catastrophic threat. Instead, you neutralized it with minimal collateral damage and zero friendly casualties.”

Diana, who’d been quietly reviewing her own performance notes, looked up. “What’s the status on the Harbinger technology recovery?”

“Engineering corps is still cataloguing everything,” Beaumont replied. “That cybernetic arm from the Two-Horn is particularly interesting. Not the first time but it’s rare to see. We don’t really see them incorporating mechanical augmentation at that level.”

The conversation continued for another hour, covering everything from tactical improvements to resource allocation for future deployments. By the time they were dismissed, the sun was setting over Vanguard Base, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple.

They found themselves in the recreation area, a comfortable space designed to help soldiers decompress after missions. Lucas had claimed one of the larger couches, while Sophie was curled up beside Noah in a nearby chair. Lyra was reviewing mission footage on her tablet, occasionally making notes for her reports.

“You know,” Lucas said, breaking the comfortable silence, “I keep coming back to that armor you were wearing. And those boots—the speed you hit during that final attack was insane.”

Noah shrugged, not quite meeting his teammate’s eyes. “Just some gear I’ve been working on. Nothing too fancy.”

“Nothing too fancy?” Lucas leaned forward, his expression incredulous. “Dude, you moved like you had rocket boosters. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Kelvin looked up from his tablet, where he’d been analyzing the mission data. “Actually, according to the sensor readings, Noah hit Mach 1.8 during that final approach.” His tone was matter-of-fact, but there was unmistakable pride in his voice. “That’s faster than most atmospheric fighters.”

“Mach 1.8?” Lyra raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Lucas with a knowing look. “That’s impressive, but I’ve been watching tournament footage since I joined this team. Lucas hit Mach 2.3 in his final Academy match. I believed he pulled that feat against …” She pulled up a video on her tablet, the familiar sight of Lucas in his lightning form streaking across the arena in a second to well…put Diana to bed.

“Multiple times, actually,” Lyra added, not seeming to care if the video being played was the one that involved Diana getting slept in less than a second into the match.

Kelvin’s competitive spirit sparked immediately. “Tournament conditions are different than live combat. Noah maintained that speed for a sustained period while executing complex maneuvers and maintaining tactical awareness.” He turned to Noah with the enthusiasm of someone defending their favorite athlete. “Plus, that was without his soul form active. Lucas needs his transformation to hit those speeds.”

“Hey now,” Lucas interjected with a grin, “my soul form is part of who I am. That’s like saying Noah doesn’t count because he’s using equipment.”

“Exactly my point,” Kelvin shot back, warming to the argument. “Different approaches, different advantages. But raw performance in actual combat conditions? Noah just proved himself.”

Diana watched the exchange with carefully neutral amusement, though Noah caught the slight upward twitch of her lips. “Are we seriously having a technical debate about who’s faster?” she asked, her tone suggesting she found the whole thing ridiculous but not entirely uninteresting.

“It’s not just technical,” Lyra said, scrolling through more tournament footage. “Speed is one of our primary tactical assets. Lucas has been the acknowledged speed specialist since the Academy.”

“Was,” Kelvin corrected pointedly. “Past tense.”

Lucas laughed, clearly enjoying the debate. “There’s an easy way to settle this, you know.”

The room went quiet as everyone turned to look at him.

“A race,” Kelvin said immediately, his eyes lighting up with anticipation.

“Exactly,” Lucas said, sitting up straighter. “Noah versus me. Straight speed test. Find out once and for all who’s really faster.”