Ultima's Bite!

April twirled her fork between her fingers, processing everything.

So their Leader and Ragnarök's Leader knew each other, but no one knew how or why.

That didn't sit right with her.

"You're telling me no one has ever asked him?" she pressed, eyes scanning the team.

Kai smirked. "Oh, people have asked. Just not twice."

April frowned. "What, he just ignores you?"

Dante chuckled. "Nah. It's worse. He looks at you."

April raised a brow.

Dante leaned forward, lowering his voice. 

"Have you ever had a guy stare straight through you like he already knows your soul? Like he's already decided you're not worth answering?"

April went silent.

She could imagine it.

A man so sure of himself, so above explanations, that the weight of his gaze alone made you drop the subject.

Jax finally spoke. "Leader doesn't waste words. If he hasn't told us, it's because he doesn't want us to know." He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Maybe it's to protect us. Maybe it's because it doesn't matter to the mission. Either way, if you want answers, you'll have to earn them."

April exhaled slowly.

So that was it.

If she wanted to know, she had to prove herself.

She tapped her fingers against the table, then smirked. "Fine by me."

Kai grinned. "Figures you'd say that."

Dante stretched. "Alright, enough talk about the mysterious past. Let's focus on the terrifying present." He pointed his fork at April. "Namely, you."

April raised an eyebrow. "Me?"

Saya nodded. "You unlocked your U.I. Mode—and with it, your G-Force. That means you're one step closer to breaking your next barrier."

April leaned forward, intrigued. "Yeah… Ultima told me that would only happen during a battle of life and death."

Then her mind caught up with what Saya had said.

"Wait—what? I unlocked my G-Force? When did that happen?" she exclaimed.

The team exchanged knowing looks before Saya spoke again.

"During your fight with Jax. The energy you were releasing then? That was G-Force."

April furrowed her brows. "Okay, you gave me a basic idea of what G-Force is before, but I still don't fully understand it. If my Gear is powered by stamina, then what exactly is G-Force? And what's it actually used for?"

Saya let out a sigh. "If you want a full explanation, you'll have to hear it from the Leader himself. Like we said before, to get that kind of information, you need to earn his respect first. So… any more questions?"

April paused, taking in Saya's words. She turned her attention to Jax, who responded with a subtle gesture—zipping his lips shut.

Understanding the message, April lowered her head with a sigh of defeat.

Jax broke the silence. "Alright, moving on. A life-or-death battle, huh? That means we need to start preparing you. Because your next real fight… it might be the one that decides everything."

April smirked. "Then what are we waiting for?"

Kai laughed. "Damn. You're always ready to throw hands."

Dante grinned. "No complaints here."

Jax stood up. "Finish eating. After that—training starts now."

April exhaled.

This was it.

If she wanted to earn her answers—if she wanted to be ready for whatever was coming—she had to push further than she ever had before.

And she would.