Bai Xiao took a deep breath.
One of headquarters' ten strongest fighters had actually come to the Northern Border in person?
He looked at Qi Wu.
"What's going on?"
Qi Wu shrugged.
"Headquarters wants us to come to the capital."
He briefly recounted what Asura had just said.
Special Grade Stronghold.
The purge system.
An honors ceremony in the Imperial Capital.
After hearing him out, Bai Xiao fell silent for a while.
Then he looked at Asura.
"So headquarters wants us to go to the Imperial Capital, pick up a title, then come back and keep working?"
Asura nodded.
"More or less."
"But that's not the whole story."
He explained.
"Special Grade Strongholds have the authority to accept Special Grade missions independently."
"In other words, you can choose where to go to purge Awakening-Tier Demons."
"You won't be restricted by region."
"And the pay will be higher, too."
Bai Xiao looked thoughtful.
"Sounds good."
He looked at Qi Wu.
"What do you think?"
Qi Wu smiled.
"I want to go."
"The Imperial Capital. A place of legends."
"Wouldn't hurt to take a look."
Bai Xiao nodded.
"All right."
"Then I'll go too."
Asura raised an eyebrow.
"You've decided just like that?"
Bai Xiao spread his hands.
"What else would I do?"
"It's an order from headquarters. Am I supposed to disobey?"
He paused.
"Besides-"
"Special Grade Stronghold has a pretty nice ring to it."
The corner of Asura's mouth twitched.
These two were each more casual than the other.
But with his mission complete, there was no reason to linger.
"Then it's settled."
"Headquarters will send a private plane to pick you up in three days."
"Just be ready."
With that, he turned and left.
Three days later.
A military airfield on the Northern Border defense line.
A silver-gray