The Front Porch (Real-World Time: 60 Seconds):
The Silver-Haired Enforcer is still pinned by his own shadow. He's struggling, his mercury eyes darting around in panic. "You... you're obstructing a High Council investigation! The penalty is—"
The basement door creaks open. Serina and Evelyn step out.
To the Enforcer, it's only been a minute. But the way they carry themselves has shifted. Their footsteps don't make a sound. Their eyes are calm—too calm.
Serina: (She looks at her hands, then at the Enforcer) "Only a minute, huh? My mind still feels like it's vibrating from the silence in that place."
Evelyn: (Touching her pendant) "A hundred years of training... and only sixty seconds of life. It's a strange feeling."
The Test:
Alex: "Alright, Serina. This guy is a 'Council Elite.' Probably equivalent to a Level 6 threat. Why don't you show him what you learned in the first decade of your 'vacation'?"
Enforcer: "Level 6?! How dare you! I am a—"
He doesn't finish. Serina moves. It isn't a dash; she simply exists in a different space. In the blink of an eye, she is standing behind the Enforcer, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder.
Serina: (Whispering in his ear) "Your mercury blade is slow. I watched it for twenty years in my head. Want to see what I found?"
A surge of Void Mana erupts. Not a massive explosion, but a concentrated, needle-like pressure. The Enforcer's mercury armor shatters into dust. He falls forward, gasping, his "Absolute Authority" completely bypassed.
The "Message":
Evelyn: (Summoning a bow made of solid light—no longer flickering, but stable) "Go back. Tell your Council that Serina and Evelyn are no longer under their jurisdiction. We belong to... well..."
She looks at Alex and Allen, who are currently arguing over whether the metal origami cranes look more like ducks or chickens.
Evelyn: "...We belong to ourselves now."
Alex: (Waving his hand) "Yeah, what she said. Also, tell them if they send more drones, I'm going to start sending them back as scrap metal delivered directly to their bedroom windows."
The Enforcer scrambles away, his pride completely demolished by two girls who were "average" just yesterday.
The Aftermath (Inside the House):
The house is quiet again. The girls are sitting on the couch, looking at their hands. The "hundred years" didn't change their bodies, but their souls are exhausted.
Allen: (Suddenly appearing with four bowls of instant ramen) "Eat up. Your brains need to sync back to the current timeline. You're going to have a 'time-lag' headache soon."
Serina: "Allen... why did you help us? You're... whatever you are. Why care about two human girls?"
Allen: (Slurping his noodles, looking at the TV) "Because the show I'm watching is getting a second season, and I need the world to stay intact so I can finish it. Also, Alex likes having a sister around to bully. It's good for his ego."
Alex: (Grinning from the kitchen) "True. Now, get some sleep. Tomorrow, you're going back to the Academy. I want to see the Principal's face when he realizes his 'star students' are now stronger than his professors."
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