Endless Evolution: Last Star

"Sure, but, I'm not talking about the technical stuff they teach at the academy. You know that without me, after all, you're here because you always wanted to be an Operator and not a Phantom." Tron said calmly, but his voice was serious and oppressive.

Then, Tron waved his hand.

"Riska, slice my pancakes."

She didn't even hesitate to proceed to do Tron's order with a genuine smile on her face.

"Narata, you must realize that you are a failure." Tron said harshly, looking down at her from above.

Narata shuddered. She knew Tron was stern, but she was not prepared for this at all.

"You're weak, you've completed very few missions while failing quite a lot and consistently showing mediocre results. However... All of that only applies to Narata-Phantom." Tron put his fingertips together.

He sighed and said:

"I don't have much to say about the Narata-Operator, but as you realize I'm a fairly experienced Phantom and know what a good Operator should be like. I want to find out if your Phantom pride will keep you from being a good Operator. It's critically important, to all of us." Tron said and looked at Riska for a few seconds, as if setting an example for her.

At this time, Riska was still slicing his pancakes.

"Adam, do you mind to help me?" Tron asked in a calm tone.

"Sure." Adam nodded, "But, what am I supposed to do?"

Tron smirked.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Just be a Phantom while in the same room with the Operator."

Before Adam could realize anything, Tron pointed at him, looking intently at Narata.

"Narata, pretend I'm your Phantom for this period."

Narata quickly nodded several times.

"Fine, in that case - give Adam a massage."

"Agh...?" Narata's eyes went wide in confusion. She didn't understand at all why she had to do this.

"NOW!" Tron shouted menacingly, causing Narata to stand up abruptly and quickly walk over to Adam.

Though she wasn't entirely sure if her actions were right, she decided one thing then - it was better to obey and do as Tron said.

At first, Narata acted clumsily, but soon enough she realized the force she needed to apply and the pace she had to keep.

Adam was puzzled, but soon he felt relief, and a slight smile formed on his face. Even though his wounds were already healed and almost all the scars were gone, the fatigue in his muscles remained, and Narata was actually making him feel better.

"Here... Press a little harder here..." Adam muttered, pointing to his shoulder.

"Ughum." Narata nodded, following his instructions.

She felt strange. A few days ago, she had thought she was capable of defeating Adam in the F-Zone, and now she was serving him, and the most unusual thing was that it was essentially her desire and, to some extent - her goal.

Tron waved his hand.

"Riska, get behind me."

Naturally, she did so without hesitation.

Then, Tron picked up his fork and began eating the pancakes.

"Adam, join me. This cafe may not be in the most favorable location, but they sure know how to make breakfast, I can guarantee that." Tron said mundanely, waving his fork with a piece of pancake on it.

Adam glanced at Narata, who continued to make him massages, sighed heavily, and started eating.

With each second, with each pancake, Narata was getting more and more strange feelings. She simultaneously realized that she was doing what she was supposed to do - obeying her Operator's orders - but something inside her was still trying to shake her out of this position.

'Is this really the pride Tron was talking about... Damn, I didn't think I'd have a problem with this...' Narata inwardly muttered as she frowned slightly.

Narata looked up and met Riska's bright eyes. Unlike her, Riska only had a smile on her face, her hands folded in front of her. She looked like the very embodiment of innocence, ready to do whatever Tron ordered.

'How... Judging from those pictures in Dead Lands, she fought even more aggressively than I did. It may not be Adam's level, much less Tron's, but she was also a Phantom...' Narata pondered with a deep gaze.

Then, Riska, lightly pointed at Narata's wrist, where still was NEP.

"Hm? Is something wrong?" Adam turned around as Narata suddenly stopped, even though she had maintained an excellent pace before.

Narata shook her head.

"Sorry, I just finally realized that it's not easy to stop being a Phantom, but... I'm ready for it. If I want to achieve what I've always dreamed of, I have to act more confidently and give my all to my chosen profession." Narata uttered before crushing her NEP.

Strangely enough, even the always cold and serious Tron smiled at that moment.

He seemed to be waiting for her to do it, and that was a pretty important part of his test.

"Hah, not bad. Fine, both of you, take your seats, it's not good to leave food untouched - it's disrespectful to the cook." Tron waved his hand.

Narata's eyes shone brightly, but not because she was allowed to eat, no, after all, she was an Operator, not a slave at the mercy of a tyrant.

She realized that such a reaction from Tron meant only one thing - she had passed the test or, at least, was on her way to doing so.

"Narata, there's something you need to understand." Tron spoke up, "I had no intention of humiliating you or anything like that. The Operator's tasks are much broader and more important than slicing pancakes or giving massages. Everyone understands that."

Narata nodded, listening to him intently. Riska was enjoying her meal in the meantime, genuinely happy for Narata. They were in the same position, it was just that one of them had already traveled this thorny path.

"However, the most basic thing is the ability to obey your Phantom, whether your Phantom asks you to gather information about his mission or cook him dinner. Those are your responsibilities - that's the way our world works, and if you want to be an Operator, you have to be ready for it." Tron said calmly.

Narata got a serious look.

"Yes, I'm grateful to you. There was still some doubt inside me before we met, but now I remembered why and wherefore I wanted to become an Operator. I want to obey and be useful to my Phantom and the entire Citadel." Narata said confidently, placing her palm on her chest.

Tron nodded.

"Good, very good. In that case, we'll do it this way - Riska will quickly help you recover as an Operator, given your graduation from the academy and your willingness to do so, it won't take long. Then, we will accept you into the Dark Order and find you a suitable Phantom."

Riska smiled, waving her hand.

Tron continued:

"But, you must realize that we demand results. I have one candidate for your Phantom - he's not as tough as me, that's for sure, but he's also a member of the Dark Order, obviously. We value strength and results more than anything else, so be prepared."

"Sure. I'll do my best! I'm the Operator!" Narata exclaimed belligerently.

Adam stared at her intently, strangely seeing the same confidence in Narata's eyes as earlier in Silvana's gaze.

'Hah... It's amazing how a person can change when they are in their place...'