Then the next second his grin was gone.
His heart pounded his instincts screamed.
April wasn't just fighting him anymore.
She was hunting him.
Every attack, every counter—it was like she was reading his soul.
The sheer precision of her movements left no room for error. Every time he tried to gain distance, she was already there.
Too fast and too sharp.
Jax's breath came out ragged as slowly rose up and already had to dodge to right, barely avoiding a palm strike that would have crushed his ribs.
His body moved on reflex, but his mind…
His mind flashed back.
He remembered the last time he had felt this kind of pressure.
That suffocating feeling.
That raw instinctual fear.
It was the same sensation he felt when he first fought him
…Ragnarök's leader.
Jax's pupils contracted.
'She's forcing me into a corner?' He questioned himself.
April struck again—
Jax barely managed to twist, his back slamming against the training room wall.
His fingers twitched—
His body wanted to shift.
TakeOver was clawing at him, urging him to transform.
To survive.
A low growl built in his throat.
Kai's eyes widened. "Jax—"
Jax exhaled sharply, his body tensing.
Saya's eyes widened. "No Jax! Not here! Not against her!"
April's metallic silver eyes pierced into him.
She moved—
But before she could land another strike—
"Enough!"
Kai, Dante, and Saya stepped in. All instantly disappeared from where they were and all appeared infront of the two.
Kai grabbed April's wrist. Dante placed a hand on Jax's shoulder. Saya positioned herself between them.
The room crackled with leftover tension.
April's body was still in U.i Mode, her orange hair glowing, her metallic silver eyes sharp.
Jax's hands clenched into fists. His TakeOver form had been seconds from activating.
He let out a slow breath.
Dante smirked. "Damn, Jax. You actually looked scared for a second."
Jax didn't respond. He looked at April.
She stood frozen, her body still ready to fight.
Then—
Her metallic glowing silver eyes flickered.
Her now long orange hair began to shorten back to her previous normal length. And her now orange colored hair reverted to her beautiful blonde and vibrant violet hair.
Ultima's instincts Mode running out untill it completely disappeared.
April staggered, sweat dripping from her forehead.
Kai kept his grip on her wrist, steadying her. "Hey, you good?"
April took a deep breath, then nodded.
"…Yeah."
Jax finally relaxed, rolling his shoulders. He let out a short laugh. "Alright. I get it now."
April looked at him. "Get what?"
Jax smirked. "You? You're terrifying."
April tried to blink—only to realize something was wrong. Her eyelids, which had been open just moments ago, were now back to the way they'd been before… sealed shut once more.
The stitches had somehow reformed, neat and unbroken, as if they had never loosened at all.
A cold shiver ran down her spine. She wanted to question it, to understand what was happening—but there was no time.
Then, slowly, a small grin tugged at her lips.
"Good."
—
The dining hall was filled with the quiet clatter of utensils and the occasional murmur of conversation.
The pack sat around a long metal table, plates stacked with whatever Juno had managed to cook up—mostly grilled meat, rice, and vegetables.
April sat at the end, her head resting on her palm as she absentmindedly poked at her food.
Her mind was still reeling from the fight, from how close Jax had been to using his TakeOver.
But more than that—
She had a question.
A question she had been dying to ask since she joined the team.
She finally set her fork down. "Hey."
Everyone turned to her.
April leaned forward, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Why is the leader called 'Leader?'"
There was a brief silence.
Then—
Dante snorted. "Of course, you'd be the one to ask that."
Kai smirked. "It's weird, huh? He doesn't go by an alias, doesn't use a codename. Just 'Leader.'"
April's fingers drummed against the table.
"Yeah, but why?" She looked at Jax. "You've been with him the longest. You gotta know."
Jax chewed thoughtfully, then swallowed.
"It's not complicated."
One of April's eyebrows rose.
Jax set his fork down. "The Leader doesn't want his name to be known. Simple as that."
April's eyebrows frowned. "That's it?"
Saya nodded. "He only gives his name to those who've earned his respect."
April leaned back, considering that. "Has anyone here earned it?"
Silence.
Kai shrugged. "If anyone has, it's probably Jax."
Jax didn't confirm or deny it. He just kept eating.
April exhaled, rubbing her temple.
"Alright… Then what about the leader of Ragnarök?"
The mood shifted.
The air became heavier.
Saya was the one who finally spoke.
"From what we do know, our Leader and Ragnarök's leader knew each other."
April stiffened. "What?"
Dante nodded. "Yeah. But we don't know the full story. Leader doesn't talk about it, and we don't ask."
Kai crossed his arms. "All we do know is that whatever happened between them—it's personal."
April sat back, her mind racing.
Their Leader and Ragnarök's Leader had history.
But what kind of history?
And more importantly…
What would happen when they finally met again?