After the clash with the Ironclaw Titan, one of the nation's most formidable security robots, Haruka managed to escape into the night, the acrid scent of smoke clinging to her. What she left behind was a trail of chaos—flames licking at the edges of the shattered platform, the distant hum of alarms, and the faint glow of fiery destruction, a grim reminder of the battle she had narrowly escaped.

  In the wake of this chaos and the shocking betrayal by the Dominion, the government of Japan, the entity that governed the entire nation, swiftly called an emergency meeting. The room filled with the most powerful and influential Dominion leaders, their faces bathed in the cold glow of holographic displays, staring in disbelief at the images flickering before them. The footage replayed over and over—a female Dominion carrying a human on her back, fleeing into the night.

  The sleek, state-of-the-art conference table hummed softly, its transparent screens projecting data streams, heat maps, and combat footage. The blue light illuminated their faces, revealing cracks in their composed expressions.

  In the tense silence that lingered, a slamming sound against the table echoed through the room. "How could this happen?" a man growled, his voice seething with disbelief. "We, Dominions were programmed and monitored, even controlled, by the Highest A.I.— the very entity that created us. THIS IS CLEARLY IMPOSSIBLE!" His fury reverberated in every corner of the room.

  A heavy sigh followed, breaking the tension. A woman, wearing glasses, leaned forward, her expression measured. "You’re right, but the evidence is right in front of us. We can't deny the fact that a mere Dominion has broken free from the chain of control." she said, her tone calm yet resolute. Her words struck like a slap, a truth too bitter for any of them to swallow without unease.

  A sudden, sharp clearing of the throat cut through the murmur of voices, drawing everyone's attention to one of the leaders. Rising to his feet, he let the silence settle before speaking. “With this problem unfolding within our country, I propose we declare this rogue Dominion an SSS-level criminal,” he stated, his tone as sharp as the sound that had silenced the room. “This is no minor issue—it’s a matter of national security.” he stated.

  "Let us not forget," a woman's voice cut through the tension in the room. "The humans who escaped from the prison colony after that massive, unexplained explosion are still missing. There are rumors they’re hiding in the Sosa, but those are just—rumors. Our search teams haven’t uncovered any trace of their whereabouts." She paused, leaning forward with her hands clasped tightly on the table. "But if we don’t act quickly, these escapees could organize a revolution. And I’m certain the consequences of failing to prioritize their capture would be catastrophic." Her words weighed heavily in the room, drawing nods of agreement from many of her fellow leaders.

  The man sitting beside her adjusted his tie, nodding grimly. "She's right," he said, his voice low but steady. "If this escalates, we'll find ourselves in a dangerously vulnerable position. We must act now." he added.

  An uneasy silence fell over the room. The two leaders exchanged a glance—brief but charged with unspoken understanding—before nodding in unison.

  "I agree with all of you," the first man replied, his tone measured but firm. "But what if these two criminals are working with the escaped prisoners?" He paused, gesturing with both hands. "If that's the case, the situation is far more dangerous than we realize. I suggest prioritizing the capture of these two criminals," he proposed, his tone sharp as he looked at his fellow Dominions.

  The woman raised her hand, then stood up. "Why are you so afraid?" she asked, looking at him intensely. "That Dominion is no threat to us. We have the power to control the Aether Sentinels, which are currently the strongest Dominion military in Japan. But here you are, rushing things as if you're anxious."

  The man glared at her, his fist clenched. "Have you watched the video of her destroying the Ironclaw Titan?" he asked, his tone serious as his glare never wavered.

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  She nodded. "Of course, but she's still had no chance against the Aether Sentinels," she smirked, trying to provoke the man.

  He sighed and looked at the screen in front of them. "I believe this Dominion is no ordinary one," he paused, scanning the room.

  Despite how sincere and serious he was, everyone couldn’t stop themselves from laughing, especially the woman who kept arguing with him. "Are you out of your goddamn mind?" she mocked, her tone full of disrespect.

  A sudden slam of a hammer echoed in the room, silencing everyone in surprise. An old man stood, his cold eyes scanning the room, and his presence alone made everyone uneasy. The atmosphere grew even thicker.

  He then addressed the man, his voice heavy and intimidating. "Continue. What makes you say that she's no ordinary Dominion?"

  The man remained calm, standing firm as he looked directly into the old man’s eyes. "In the first minute of the video, we see her being intimidated by the Ironclaw Titan and because of that her body was unexpected shaking for fear. right? he paused, and the old man nodded. "Yes, you're right. But what about it?" he sat and responded.

  "We know ourselves more than anyone. We don't easily get intimidated by a mere security guard like the Ironclaw Titan because we've believed that we are much more superior, due to the fact that we are created by the Highest A.I., with her own image and memories" the man said as he pressed the next key arrow on the transparent screen, switching to another CCTV camera feed and played it. "Yet she felt fear, intimidation—which is rather surprising to witness as if she has her own emotion," he continued.

  The screen footage displayed Haruka's mid-transformation. The air around her began to hum with energy, and a sword materialized in her hand. The video cut just as she leapt into action.

  The man paused the video and once again looked at the old man, noticing his widened eyes filled with disbelief, he continued to speak. "We both have seen something similar to this in the past. I believe you know what I'm trying to say here, General Takashi." His words made the room even more tense.

  A quiet moment lingered in the room for about ten seconds before Takashi, the old man, suddenly burst into loud laughter. The unexpected sound left everyone lost in their thoughts, wondering why he was laughing.

  "I guess you're right, Hiroto. From what I've seen in the video, she acted like a Dominion warrior to me," he said, pausing as his eyes scanned the room. He observed their widened eyes and the sweat dripping from their faces.

  "H-How is that even possible?" the woman spoke, her tone heavy with disbelief. "As of today, Japan only has one Dominion warrior, and that is you, General Takashi. If the Highest A.I. finds out about this, she will defi—"

  Before she could finish, Takashi gestured with his hand, cutting her off mid-sentence.

  "Before the news gets to the Highest A.I., we will do what we must do. Since she has chosen to become our enemy, we will eliminate her," he declared as he flicked his finger. Suddenly, a large transparent screen appeared in the center of the meeting table.

  On the screen, the faces of Haruka and Ai appeared alongside their personal information.

  "But eliminating a Dominion warrior is one heck of an impossible task because of how strong they are in terms of combat abilities. They're even considered the strongest high-tech combat robots in history," Takashi added, his tone grave and commanding. "that's why we should plan this thoroughly."

  "What is your plan, General Takashi?" Hiroto asked, he swallows his saliva.

  "After the incident at the Tokyo-Chiba train station, they boarded a train to Chiba," Takashi said, flicking his finger again. The screen shifted to display a map of Chiba, with a red dot marking the train's path. "They are currently hiding in Chiba. Mobilize the Aether Sentinels in the area immediately and ensure all exit routes from Chiba are blocked."

  He then stood, adjusting his uniform as though preparing to leave. "We must prioritize capturing these two criminals and ensuring they face severe punishment, especially the rogue Dominion."

  Hiroto watched him intently, curiosity flickering across his face. "Where are you going?" he asked.

  Takashi turned to meet his gaze, a wide grin spreading across his face as if the excitement surged through him. "To Chiba, of course," he replied.