Zack strolled into the basement of Mansion No. 6, his expression calm as if the moal project around him was nothing out of the ordinary. The high-energy particle accelerator, a massive ring-shaped device akin to a particle collider, occupied most of the underground space. “Besides, I’ll heir help with a little task ter,” Zack said casually, his voice eg in the vast, sterile room.

  “Sir, are you aware that you’re dealing with a hostile anization?” Ego, his AI panion, interjected with a note of exasperation. It couldn’t fathom what sort of favor Zack expected from an enemy group.

  “oing,” Zack replied nontly. “Those space-based satellites I spent ages deploying? I’m not letting them sit around colleg dust.”

  His tone was light, almost dismissive, but the i behind his words was chilling. Zack had a destructive pn in mind: using Neon try’s Vanguard anization Base as a live target to test his space-based on stationed iationary orbit. Fiveness? Turning the other cheek? Fet it. For Zack, the only fitting respoo provocation was absolute retaliation. “Enough chatter. Let’s get to work on the new elements,” Zack said, turning his attention to the particle accelerator. For now, the Vanguard anization would enjoy a brief reprieve—time to savor their remaining days. In respohe holographic proje system lit up, filling the basement with a faint hum. A plex structure of shimmering elemental patterns appeared before him, projected in vivid detail.

  Meanwhile, in Japan, cha the Vanguard anization Base. A group of senior officials was locked in a heated argument during an emergency meeting.“The interception failure falls squarely on you!” one official bellowed.“You cimed six missiles would be enough!” another snapped.“Don’t talk nonsehe enemy obviously knew about our interception pn in advahe man shot back.“And how would they know unless someone leaked the details? Murakami, I’m looking at you!” accused another, his finger jabbing the air acgly.

  The room desded into an uproar as the officials hurled accusations bad forth, their voices overpping in a cacophony of bme. “Enough!” The anding voice of an elderly man cut through the din. The room fell silent as all eyes turoward the figure at the head of the table: Hiro, the current leader on this branch. His sharp, calg gaze revealed none of the frailty expected of a man his age. “Arguing won’t ge what’s already happened,” Hiro said firmly. “The real question is: how did our enemies know about the pn? Hikawa might have a point.”

  His words silenced further dissent. Hiro sed the room, his stern demeanor brooking nument. “I’ll get to the bottom of this. But first, we o salvage this disaster before headquarters es down on us.” “But... headquarters ordered us not to send ao NYC City anymore,” one official reminded him hesitantly.

  “That was before,” Hiro replied, his tone ice-cold. “If we fail now, month’s serum supply will be cut. Do you want that?”

  Murmurs of agreement rippled through the room. One by ohe officials nodded. “Then it’s settled. Send an a team to elimihe target,” Hiro cluded.

  None of them realized that far away, Zack was already preparing for his move. “Installed already?” Zack murmured, surprised by the notification from Ego. He immediately stopped what he was doing and activated the holographic proje s. Adjusting the LSI satellite’s orbit, he zoomed in on Japan and locked the view onto the Vanguard anization Base. With a quick tap, he started rec. “All right, let’s light it up,” he said, a gleam of excitement in his eyes.

  Over 35,000 kilometers above Earth, iationary orbit, a massive satellite resembling a meical jellyfish began to stir. Its intricate structure glowed faintly as tless meisms whirred to life. Etched along the side of the satellite was a simple yet personal inscription: "Annie, Zack’s Shining Pearl."

  Ihe satellite, preparations were underway. A tungsten rod, measuring 30 timeters in diameter and 6.1 meters ih, slid into position on aromagic rail. Charging initiated. The massive rod, weighing 8.3 tons, accelerated down the rail with a thunderous boom, reag a staggering speed of Mach 16. Designed for maximum peion, the tungsten rod’s sharpened shape minimized atmospheric drag, ensuring it maintais deadly velocity as it hurtled toward Earth.

  Uhe bined pull of Eart’s gravity and the propulsion ehe tungsten rod unched from the satellite didn’t just maintain its terrifying muzzle velocity of Mach 16—it accelerated further.

  Mach 19.Mach 23.Mach 27.

  The numbers climbed higher and higher, the speed reag unimaginable levels. Even as it hit the atmosphere and began to burn like a fiery et, the tungsten rod didn’t slow down much.

  Mach 28.Mach 29.

  The rate of acceleration lessened, but the speed was already mind-boggling. And don’t fet—the rod had been unched from geostationary orbit, 35 kilometers above the ground. Even at Mach 30, it would take nearly an hour to reach the surface. But this wasn’t just any projectile. Its speed skyrocketed past Mach 30 in no time.

  Mach 40.

  The tungsten rod, now resembling a fmieor, streaked toward the p with speed far exceeding any natural phenomenon. The impact force it carried was terrifying, growing more devastating with every passing sed. After a few mihe tungsten rod entered low-Earth orbit, reag its maximum speed.

  Mach 61.

  By this point, the rod’s surface temperature had pushed tungsteal to its absolute limit. inally weighing 8.3 tons, it had lost nearly a third of its mass to atmospheric fri, now reduced to just under 6 tons. But what it lost in mass, it made up for iructive potential—its power had multiplied dozens, even hundreds of times. “tdown to impact: 20 seds.” “The total strike duration: 21 minutes and 7 seds.”

  Ego’s calm voice echoed as the LSI satellite’s sensors locked onto the tungsten rod’s dest. From this point, the tungsten rod, hurtling at Mach 61, would need just 20 seds to plete its devastating journey, c more than 20,000 meters per sed. “It’s happening! It’s really happening!” Zack’s excitement alpable as he watched the glowing ‘meteor’ streak past the satellite’s cameras.

  On the s, the LSI satellite refocused its lens on Neon try’s Vanguard anization Base. Several peculiar-looking aircraft were just lifting off from the base. Iwo squads of enhanced soldiers and superpowered operatives were gearing up.“Akimoto-san, the target is extremely dangerous. Be cautious!” a voice came over the s.“Rex, Hikawa Okita-san,” came the fident reply. “With our team’s strength—”

  Before he could finish, a shrill air-raid siren pierced the air. The sound was brief—barely a sed—before a blinding white light engulfed the se. The radar had barely registered the tungsten rod’s dest before it was too te. The world seemed to freeze. The tungsten rod tore through everything in its path like a bullet through paper.

  BOOM!!!

  The deafening sound of the impact came a moment ter, rippling across the ndscape in waves of destru. The Vanguard anization Base, just moments ago bustling with activity, was obliterated. In its pce, a massive crater over a kilometer in diameter gaped like a wound on the Earth’s surfao one had time to react.