Chap 135: The Order is Breaking

Communication spread like wildfire among the Vergants through their helmets. Soon, all knew that sorcery had been approved. The soldier that was held hostage used sorcery to electrocute the female captor—her veins burst, and she rolled off the roof, dead.

Zod and Kie froze in shock, but they quickly snapped out of their stunned state. Colorful lights and loud plows filled the air. Kie could hardly comprehend what he was seeing and stood frozen until forced into the fight.

Inside the center building, Varrak received multiple alerts. Ether energy signatures were appearing outside—it confirmed his suspicion. The Vergants had revealed themselves.

He ordered his troops and drones to join the battle outside but stayed to watch the city’s heart stone, telling himself that the order was breaking. Great change was coming.

Varrak’s troops carried more than laser swords and blasters. They wielded explosive gas bombs and gear that let them see and move through smoke. Spotting their targets, they shot electrocution nets at their feet, careful to capture living Vergants for their master.

Varrak’s metal drones were a double threat. Damaged, they self-destructed, annihilating everything nearby. The Vergant soldiers countered with colorful energy shields that absorbed and redirected blasts.

But the shields were only a start. The Vergants manipulated shadows to trap the drones, crushing them into metal scraps before flinging them at targets. The human troops fared worse. The shadows squeezed them until blood burst from their eyes, filling their helmets.

One Phase-shifter went silent, signaling the tide was turning. Vergants unleashed elemental attacks—forks of lightning that exploded drones, whips of water, frozen water darts flying like bullets, fire from their fists, and wooden shields.

Working together, some Vergants manipulated massive trees and vines, sweeping rooftops clean in one motion. Drones and troops crashed through roofs or fell to the ground. The Vergants enhanced their vision to detect anything hidden by invisibility tech. Soon, the air was alive with glowing symbols and flashes of light.

Kie ordered his team to focus on the main objective—reach the center building where Varrak waited. Tee led ahead with several Vergants, but they could not enter—the vortexes disgorged several mechas, blocking their path.

A Vergant was killed near Tee, and her eye filled black with rage. One of the Vergants turned to her, sensing the surge of dark energy, but she controlled herself to prevent her dark side from altering her body. With her teammates heading toward the same location, she could not risk them seeing her darkness.

The faces of the MG officials she had killed several nights ago flashed in her mind, then the horn. Night allowed her to hide the alterations caused by her dark side, but in bright daylight, she would be too vulnerable. Luckily, she calmed herself, and her eyes returned to pale.

Miko flash-stepped and saved one of Varrak’s troops from being killed. She thought the Vergants had gone mad. Unlike Zod and Kie, she did not witness what they had done to the lady troop.

Miko punched the human troop she saved into a wall, knocking them out. A flashback of Tee telling her to kill the bad guys made her frown. She focused on drones to avoid approaching the building where Varrak waited. She knew what must be done but needed to avoid seeing it.

Tee and her Vergant allies took down several mechas just as Zod and Kie arrived. Using their Ultramana powers, Kie and Zod helped finish off the remaining mechas. The last mecha fell, and they wasted no time dashing into the center building to confront Varrak.

Outside, the Vergants sent forks of lightning into the vortexes. The attacks ceased when fiery explosions erupted from their centers. No more mechas or enforcements emerged. Instead, the vortexes began to shrink.

Saeda arrived, relieved she wasn’t on the other side of the vortexes. She remembered how dangerous vortex teleportation could be, but her thoughts quickly returned to Varrak. She didn’t get to enter the center building when a strange device shot out of the last vortex before it fully shrank.

Mentions of a nuclear bomb gripped her heart. She stayed behind to destroy drones and give the Vergants time to handle the bomb. But for some reason, the Vergants could not teleport it. Why was that possible for them with vortexes, but not the bomb?

As the last vortex shrank, the Vergants acted quickly. They created an energy bubble around the bomb just as it exploded. More Vergants joined, channeling their energy into the bubble. Cracks began forming, and the explosion inside intensified.

Varrak had shut off the device around the heart stone, forcing the vortexes to close. That prevented further damage to his base. He then attempted to remove the heart stone to teleport with it, but was annoyed when he could not.

The Vergants fighting alongside Tee used sorcery to stop Varrak from removing the heart stone. They knew he would try to escape with it, but they would not allow it. Within a minute, Tee, Zod, Kie, and five Vergants had Varrak cornered. Yet none of the three Sentinels had the chance to attack.

The Vergants performed a joint chant, pulling Varrak by his limbs until the resistance of his suit broke. His arms and legs were wrenched apart, separating from his body. Blood sprayed everywhere as his scream echoed. Zod, Tee, and Kie dropped their jaws when Varrak’s severed parts hit the ground lifeless.

“Freck,” Kie blurted.

Outside, a bright light shone through the cracks in the energy bubble surrounding the bomb. The Vergants channeling their energy into the bubble screamed, sensing imminent disaster. In an instant, Saeda’s eyes glowed blue. She stretched her hands out, creating a larger energy bubble just as the smaller one shattered.

Miko arrived as the bomb’s light became blinding. A surge of Ultramana energy burst from Saeda’s palms and traveled up her arms, ripping her sleeves away. Her feet were forced backward, and she screamed in pain.

The Vergants regained their footing and used their remaining energy to support Saeda’s bubble. Soon, the explosion subsided, and they ceased their efforts. Saeda fainted, but a Vergant soldier caught her before she hit the hard ground.

Tee, Zod, and Kie remained silent as they watched the Vergants burn Varrak’s remains. A storm of emotions swept through their minds until all traces of him were obliterated. It was too late to object.

With the heart stone secured, it was time to escape the vultures they knew were coming. But they could not teleport to Primus with the two troops they had kept alive. Miko’s mercy had spared them, but the Vergants could not risk a security breach at Primus. While the Vergants appeared to communicate telepathically, the Sentinels regrouped.

Zod and Miko carried Saeda over their shoulders. She was unconscious, but teleportation was possible. Kie, however, used the moment to bark at his teammates. He wanted to know who had bravely told the Vergant soldiers to use sorcery.

Tee had never seen him act like that toward his own team. The way his voice barked, sharp and unyielding, made the air feel heavy. There was no trace of his usual calm or humor—just raw, unfiltered authority, bordering on something darker. 

She wondered if that was a side of him he had always kept hidden, locked away from prying eyes. Was that his corruption, lying dormant beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to show? A shiver ran down her spine at the thought. If that was who he truly could be, how well did she really know him?

She stayed silent at his question, then finally said, “We should teleport now.”

Her words hit Kie like a jolt—he realized it had been her all along. His heart sank, and he decided to let the Commander deal with her. Yet a question lingered in his mind. Would he actually tell the Commander?

The Vergants nodded to an agreement the Sentinels were clueless on. They could feel the vultures racing inside the village. In no time, most of the Vergants got involved in a chant. 

Instead of colorful glyphs, dark ones began to crowd from the new chant the Vergants performed. Soon a pitch-black dome blocked out all sight of the village to cover everyone inside. A shallow feeling formed inside Tee. The darkness reminded her of the Harbingers, and it felt wrong. 

It took a while before holes of bright light expanded through the darkness to reveal their new surroundings. The towering green trees and blue skies were from somewhere far away from Geovalon. The Vergants who performed the chant fainted one by one and Miko shrieked. 

One of the standing Vergants opened the eye of one of his fallen members to see it filled black. “Are they dead?” Zod asked. 

The standing Vergants offered comfort, saying, “It is a side effect of using dark sorcery. They were nearly out of Ether energy and had to… cheat, as some call it, to teleport quickly. It worked, but now our unconscious comrades need time to recover.”

Concern for the fallen Vergants swapped when smoke began to rise from the two hostages. A Vergant soldier inspected the troops and confirmed they were dead. They swallowed their tongues, activating a brain-fry. It was to prevent others from forcing information out of them. 

Zod thought those troop hostages were too loyal. 

One Vergant created a ball of fire in her hand but did not get to roast the dead hostages. 

Another soldier stopped her, saying “Your choice goes against the Commander’s orders.”

The fire-wielding Vergant rebuked the soldier. “Wherefore dost thou stay mine hand? Wherefore dost thou hold the Commander’s authority in such an hour? We needeth a change. So many of our brethren were slain by men of the modern world during the Cleansing. Verily, it is time to return the fire.”

The disagreeing Vergant stepped back to allow her. She and several soldiers roasted the two Prodigy hostages with their remaining energy. The five Sentinels stood speechless, swearing they had entered a nightmare. 

Tee noted, “The hostages were already dead, so it is not a big deal.” She added with a proud smile, “These Vergants know how to get things done.”

Kie stood speechless. 

Miko asked, “Why didn’t we teleport to avoid witnessing that?” 

Kie felt a gnawing unease over all Tee’s misconducts he had kept from the Commander. Life always had a way of catching up. He swallowed hard.

He folded his arms, stating “Varrak was dead—perhaps a successful mission.” But his relief was short-lived. Fuming, he snapped, “Tee, I cannot believe you allowed those soldiers to use sorcery! If anything bad came of that, it would be your fault!”

Tee stepped back, her heart momentarily shattering. Yet she stood her ground and said, “It was my approval that brought the criminal mastermind to his end.” She walked closer to him, her voice steady. “You’re welcome.”

Kie walked up to her, and Tee stood her ground. They glared at each other, though Tee looked away, annoyed that he was taller. Kie didn’t get a chance to rub her defeat in her face when a hologram appeared with the Commander’s face, sending a spike of tension through him.

The Sentinels teleported with their telecoms, hearing nothing more from the Vergant soldiers. Later that day, Kie went to the Commander’s office to brief him on the mission, treating the meeting as an anxiety battle.

During the meeting, Kie took full responsibility for the Vergants using sorcery. He knew throwing blame would make him appear weak. A leader was responsible for the crap of the team whether he liked it or not.

The Commander replayed footage of Varrak’s death, recorded by the Vergant soldiers’ helmets, and added, “ Prodigy had similar footage from Varrak’s own helmet before he died. The knowledge of the Vergants’ existence is now out.”.

The Commander then asked Kie to predict the future. “What do you think will spring from these events?” 

Silence followed and before Kie could answer, he added, “How is your brother Tie doing?”

Kie’s rage ignited at the mention of the name of one of the people who betrayed him. His anger shifted toward the Commander, wondering how he knew his brother’s name.

Folding his arms, Kie replied, “I don’t have a brother.”

The Commander considered his words before saying, “The mission was a success due to Varrak’s death. That will dampen Prodigy’s operations… for now. This meeting is dismissed.”

Kie left, mulling over the Commander’s last words.

Alone in his office, the Commander replayed Varrak’s death again, acknowledging that his authority was slipping and times were changing. His mind drifted to his unruly cadet Tee, confirming his suspicions.

Kie informed his teammates that the Commander had declared their mission a success, then isolated himself in his room. He pulled out a physical photo of his family and stared at the traitor with blond hair and red eyes. He hated that the Commander reminded him, yet he wondered where his brother was.

Meanwhile, Tee decided there was no better time to ask the Lieutenant about their proposal. Zod and Miko agreed and dressed in the most formal attire they could find. Miko even removed an expensive necklace from its case to use as a black briefcase. Both she and Zod wore full black, and Tee completed their look with black shades. Saeda gave them a cheerful send-off, telling them to “break a leg” for luck.

Tee accompanied Zod and Miko to the mission base. She no longer growled at the Primus soldiers she passed. Instead, she focused on how to find Glowy and Three to chat.

Her teammates were getting boring. It would be refreshing to speak with people who already knew what she was. But doubts rose—there were so many Vergants at Primus, and their helmets did a perfect job of hiding their faces.

The Lieutenant dismissed the holograms and looked at the two Sentinels in full black, with shades and a briefcase. Her brows rose with each sentence they spoke. She pushed her glasses up her nose several times while glancing down at the tab Zod held. 

Afterwards, she told them, “I will bring this case to the Commander.”

The Commander stepped out of his bathroom in full green pajamas and froze. His brows knitted as he saw the Lieutenant staring at the ceiling while lying on his bed. Her augmented reality glasses were off, her deep brown hair fell freely, and her jacket hung over his chair.

He asked, serious, “Elana, is that you?”

“Leon, why is my hand signature still authorized to open your room door?” she replied.

The Commander sighed in relief at the nickname. “Ana, it’s for security reasons. My room is the one place I could be assassinated, and I’ll need you to come save me.”

She looked at him with a serious expression.

The Commander overlooked it and sat on the empty side of the bed. He leaned to face her. “As you can see, I’m not in danger, so you should leave.” His voice lowered. “We cannot have a repeat of what happened the last time you were here.”

The Lieutenant moved closer and made a thoughtful sound. “You’re right. We definitely can’t have that.” She touched the tip of his nose and smiled.

She glanced at his lips and said, “I have a favor to ask.”

“Does that have to do with why you’re here?” he asked, brows furrowed.

The Lieutenant grinned and shuffled closer. “You’re getting hot.”

The Commander noticed her top shirt button was undone and brushed her hair out of her face. With their faces just a lash apart, he asked, “Does Matt know you’re such a naughty girl?”

The mention of her father made the Lieutenant frown—he clearly wasn’t on the same page. She pinched the air with her gloved hand and created a hologram screen.

The Commander squinted at the screen, trying to make out its contents. Clearly, that wasn’t a movie night.

“Lieutenant, what is this?” he asked.

She leaned forward to explain the outing Zod and Miko had proposed. With each word, his brows moved further apart until he wore a lost expression. The Lieutenant explained that the young Sentinels needed something like this and that it was a good idea.

He leaned back on his pillow and let out a puff from a failed chuckle.

“Well?” she asked.

“I’ll think about it,” he replied.

She dismissed the tab and lay down beside him. “I’ll be taking a nap here until your shift. Junior can handle things while I’m gone.” She snapped her fingers, and the lights went out. “Dia called today. She’s hurting.”

He sighed in the darkness. “Tell me something new. When I cross someone off my list, they stay off. I still can’t believe she’s engaged to that… man. She’s a traitor.”

“What Tie did was a joke, and it happened years ago. Just let it go already. I forgave the things you said about my dad—”

He growled deeply.

She inhaled and continued, “The wedding is coming up. We should invite the Sentinels. Since we don’t have a gift, meeting their lost brother and brother-in-law would be perfect. What do you think?”

After a minute with no response, she asked, “Leon…?” His fake snoring met her ears, and she erupted. “Linn Tidale!”