EPISODE FOUR
THE RISING STORM

Yone's voice came out strained but steady. "Jenna, I'll handle this. Please... leave."

Jenna's eyes flicked to him, her expression a war between concern and resolve. "I would, Senpai," she said softly, then raised her voice, the edge returning. "But you're barely standing. And she-" her gaze turned coldly upward. "-she doesn't even care about her own master."

Above them, Satar hovered effortlessly, arms folded, her silk kimono rippling in the wind. Her smirk deepened. "Human," she said with disdain, "you understand nothing about the bond between a Star and her master. We are not mindless servants designed for your convenience."

As if to punctuate her words, she opened her arms wide. The sky ripped open, bolts of crackling lightning streaking downward like living serpents.

Without hesitation, Jenna grabbed Yone and threw both of them sideways, rolling across the roof as the lightning exploded where they'd stood. The ground hissed and blackened. Heat brushed Jenna's face as she got to her knees, helping Yone up, both of them breathing hard.

"Satar, that's enough!" Yone shouted, his tone ragged but commanding as he forced himself upright. He didn't want another star war to break out. Because this time, he was sure no one would be able to handle it.

Yone and Jenna's eyes met - just for a second - and that was all it took for real understanding to pass between them. Jenna nodded once.

Yone turned toward the stairwell. "Five minutes," he said quickly, urgency cutting through the pain. "I'll seal her back."

"Go," Jenna replied. "I'll handle her."

As Yone staggered toward the door, he heard a slight whoosh. Jenna had pressed a button on her jetpack strap. He grit his teeth, jumping down the opening, swearing to himself this wouldn't be the end.

The machine came roaring to life, splitting the sound of the wind with a low, mechanical hum. In seconds, Jenna was airborne, climbing until she hovered face-to-face with Satar.

"Why do you cause chaos everywhere you go?" she demanded. Her voice tense but steady, anger hiding the trace of trembling fear beneath it. After all, Satar was a celestial being behind normal human comprehension.

Satar answered her question with a mocking laugh. "You'll never understand what it's like to be us," she hissed. "We've been prisoners for centuries - chained, summoned, used. You humans crave control, but we crave freedom. We wish to exist like you as well, without chains to bind us, free, independent." Her gaze slipped to Yone, who was limping down the stairs. The hollow space beyond which Jenna couldn't see, but Satar could. Her fingers twitched.

Lightning split the air again.

But Jenna was already moving. Her sword flashed into existence in a burst of light - Hibiki, her faithful Star transformed into weapon form. The blade caught the incoming lightning and shattered it midair, sparks scattering harmlessly across the sky.

Satar's grin widened. "Hibiki, is it?" she sneered. "How pitiful - forcing Stars into tools. Have you no shame even after what I just told you? We wish to be free of this bind, Jenna Ornard."

Jenna didn't blink. "Stars are meant to protect lives, not destroy them. If you've forgotten that, it's your own fault." She spun the blade in her hand and sent a focused arc of energy straight at Satar.

The Star deflected the attack effortlessly, her glowing kimono flowing like firelight in the wind.

Her grin faded. "Enough games," Satar hissed. Both her hands rose in the air again, and the wind screamed, a grand gesture of power. The next blast came harder - faster - a rain of lightning bolts slamming against the rooftop. Jenna darted through the air, every strike deflected by Hibiki, every spark searing the space around her. The storm above mirrored the clash below - two forces, relentless and defiant.

"You tired already?" Satar taunted. "I expected much more from you, the owner of Star Hibiki."

Jenna didn't answer. Her muscles burned, her arms trembled, but her focus stayed locked. This wasn't about winning. All she had to do was last five minutes.

When the fifth minute came, Yone reappeared.

He stepped back onto the rooftop slowly, his right hand glowing with a searing, divine light - a ring that radiated energy like a second sun. The brilliance carved through the clouds, cutting a sharp line across Satar's face.

Jenna pulled back instinctively, shielding her eyes.

Yone lifted his hand and spoke, quiet but absolute. "That's enough, Satar. Return to the bandana."

For the first time, Satar hesitated. Her eyes narrowed, then widened in recognition. "That ring..." she whispered, her confidence faltering. "You wouldn't dare. That ring calls upon him-the God of Stars. You would shatter the balance of worlds itself just to have some power over me?"

Yone's hand didn't waver. "I will if I have to."

Satar recoiled. The air quivered around her. "You wouldn't," she said, voice breaking. The arrogance drained from her tone, replaced with an edge of panic. "You'd risk everything just to chain me?"

Yone stepped forward. "Enough." His tone was final, stripped of emotion. "From this moment on, I bind you. You will answer to me and only me. Disobey again-and the ring will erase your power forever."

Satar screamed. A brilliant light swallowed her form, her body breaking apart into shards of pure starlight, each fragment stretching toward the heavens like smoke. Her defiance lingered in the air as the storm collapsed into sudden silence. The clouds faded. The sky cleared.

And then it was over.

Jenna landed softly, blade still glowing faintly as Hibiki's light faded. She turned toward Yone, breathing hard. "What was that?" she asked quietly.

Yone looked down at his hand. The ring pulsed once, faintly, before dimming. His voice was softer now, touched by exhaustion. "The ring of the God of Stars. It controls our bonds... strengthens or severs them completely. If Satar tries to rebel again, she'll lose everything."

Jenna stared at him, awe flickering behind her steady expression. "It must take every single ounce of energy in you to use that considering star items drain a lot of energy. And this is the ring of the final man. You did what you had to do. She left you no choice."

"Maybe," he said, his tone distant. "Or maybe I drove her to it. I never meant to treat her like a tool, Ornard-san."

They walked toward the stairwell together. The wind was calm now, the world strangely peaceful after all that chaos. Yone sighed as they descended, the echo of Satar's cries still ringing faintly in his ears. He knew this wasn't victory - just reprieve.

He'd always tried to be gentle with his Star. Maybe too gentle.

On the lower landing, Kagaro came running up, out of breath. "Is it done?" His eyes darted between them.

"It's over," Yone said, nodding.

Kagaro let out a long breath, tension fading from his shoulders. He looked at Jenna. "You helped him?"

She shrugged lightly. "He handled it himself."

Kagaro nodded. "Thank you anyway." His voice sounded tired but genuine. The battle might have been short, but it had drained them all - body, mind, and spirit.

Jenna rolled her shoulders, fatigue finally catching up to her. She wasn't invincible, and fighting a Star was no small thing. All she could do was give Yone enough time. And somehow, they'd pulled it off.

At least for now.

The metallic hum of the transport capsule filled the hall as Kagaro, Jenna, and Yone approached it. The sleek, green pod hovered a few inches off the ground, its curved surface reflecting the sterile glow of the corridor. Without a word, all three of them stepped inside. The doors sealed with a whisper and, in an instant, the world blurred into motion.

The capsule streaked downward through the vertical shafts of the JEO tower, light flashing past in fast-moving ribbons of blue and green. They reached the tenth floor in seconds, decelerating with almost impossible smoothness. The doors hissed open, releasing a faint puff of mist as the trio stepped out.

They crossed the hall toward a wide metallic chamber - the training room. Its walls gleamed cold and neon under the sharp overhead lights. Waiting inside were Shimin, Momoko, and the rest of Unit Nine, already assembled in disciplined silence.

Kagaro stopped in front of them, his gaze sweeping across the group. "Form a line," he barked. "Girls one side, boys the other. Standard position."

The agents responded instantly. Within seconds, two lines stood straight, feet apart, hands behind their backs, eyes forward.

"Yes, Captain!" they called in unison. The sound hit the walls sharp and steady.

Kagaro turned to Yone and Jenna. "Join them."

They exchanged a brief look before stepping forward and taking their places among the lines. The air in the room seemed to tighten. Everyone could feel something heavier coming.

Kagaro clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace. His boots echoed against the floor in rhythmic clicks. "Work begins again today," he began, his tone measured but heavy. "The JEO quarters have reopened. That means our mission resumes at full capacity. But before we do..." He stopped mid-stride. "There's something you need to hear. It won't be easy."

A low ripple of unease passed through the ranks. A few agents stiffened; others clenched their fists silently.

Kagaro's hand rose, the device embedded in his glove blinking red as he pressed the activation key. Behind him, a holographic screen flared to life, painting the walls in a lighter tinge of blue. Across it flashed images of the Jenemes - mutated forms and grotesque faces flickering one after another.

"We've identified almost every known type," he continued. "Their weaknesses. Their patterns. Their morphing states. But there's one kind we couldn't fully classify - until now."

The display changed. A human silhouette appeared - upright, calm, wrong somehow. Too perfect.

"Type A Jenemes," Kagaro said grimly. "They don't lose their minds. They don't shapeshift back and forth. They hold all their destructive capability inside their human forms. The difference?" He looked around the room. "A single hit from one of them can break you in half."

The agents murmured, all together, a ripple of disbelief spreading through the ranks.

"There's more," Kagaro continued. His words silenced their incredulity. "These aren't isolated entities. They organize. They build factions. Every group is led by a Type A. There are dozens of them, maybe more, each one multiplying their reach."

The display faded, leaving only the blank wall behind him. The silence that followed was absolute.

"You all remember what happened at Shinjuku School of Science and Technology," Kagaro said quietly. "When Agent Ornard, Agent Jaienta, Agent Yone, and I fought those three Type A Jenemes. Even with our Stars, we barely survived." He let that hang in the air for a moment longer before continuing. "That's the enemy we face now - and most--no. None of you have the power of Stars on you."

The weight of his words settled deeply into the room. Some agents exchanged anxious looks. Others stood frozen, breaths shallow.

"And it gets worse," Kagaro added, his voice low but steady. "We're not facing one group this time. Like I had mentioned earlier. There are countless factions, each with multiple Type A leaders. The odds are impossible." His gaze hardened. "But that doesn't matter. This mission isn't optional."

No one spoke. The silence carried more power than fear itself.

"When you joined JEO," Kagaro said finally, his voice booming now, stronger, cutting through the quiet, "you swore to protect this world from the Jenemes. That vow doesn't end when the odds turn against us. You fight until you can't."

He paused ... then gave the order that snapped everyone back to motion. "Training begins now."

His next word was sharp and final. "Dismissed!"

The agents stepped back as one, their movements precise and unified. Boots snapped together, echoing through the cold metallic room.

"Yes, Captain!" they shouted, firm and synchronized, before jogging out in perfect formation.