"THUMP!"
Where once two ‘henchn’ stood, now both lay on the ground. Monts earlier, they had been using their hands and feet to try and get up, but now even breathing was difficult. Their own body weight was too much to bear, their blood struggled to move through their veins, and even drawing breath caused pain as the oxygen passed through their lungs.
Alan wasn't cruel; he had set his Boon to deactivate as soon as both of them lost consciousness. In the anti, he kept them pinned in place, hoping to help Oliver.
But it might have been too late. As Alan approached to check on the other fight, Oliver still used every bit of his agility to dodge Kyle's punches and kicks.
"Looks like your friend took down my 'colleagues.' I guess I'll have to take on both of you soon," Kyle said as he stepped back, not far enough to exit the fight but enough to avoid being an easy target for Oliver. In the anti, he reached for his mask and pressed a few buttons.
Oliver didn’t fully understand what was happening, but he had figured out that Kyle’s increased strength was sohow linked to the gases and the mask he was wearing. After Kyle pressed more buttons, the amount of gas released by the mask significantly increased.
"I reckon I can only maintain this amount for a few seconds, so shall we?" Kyle said, moving his arms, beckoning Oliver to continue the fight.
‘Seriously? It's not enough that he's already stronger than normal. Now he has to amp it up?’ Oliver thought, unsure of what his next move should be.
But he didn’t have long to think. Before he could blink, Kyle had already closed the distance. His speed had increased dramatically.
Oliver tried to raise his arms to protect his face, but there wasn’t enough ti.
“BOOM!”
He didn’t fully understand what had happened. One second, Kyle was in front of him, and the next, sothing hit him hard in the face, and he was on the ground. He tried to say sothing, but the words wouldn’t co out. His tongue tasted blood, and it felt like his jaw was out of place.
“BOOM!”
Before he could get up, another blow hit him, a kick that sent him flying back. This ti, the air was forced out of his lungs, and a piercing pain shot through his chest.
“BOOM!”
“BOOM!”
“BOOM!”
With each hit, Oliver fought to stay conscious. The pain was spreading through his body, numbing everything. The sound of the blows now seed distant and muffled. The crowd, which had been chattering monts before, had gone silent. Only one thing reached Oliver’s ears.
"I think our fight ends here. Until next ti," Kyle said. Oliver could hear his voice, but with his eyes swollen shut, he couldn’t see the figure standing before him.
Kyle was satisfied with his demonstration. There would be no more doubts about his power or the mask's effect. The Patriarch could do whatever he wanted with this display.
Before Alan could reach Oliver, Kyle had already blended into the crowd and disappeared. The other two boys from House Astor would have to fend for themselves; Kyle had no intention of helping them, especially after they tried to tarnish his reputation with the Patriarch.
"Oliver?!" Alan rushed over after defeating the other two, but the fight was already over by the ti he reached Oliver. What alard him most was Oliver’s condition. His face was swollen, his jaw clearly fractured and out of place, and his uniform was torn in several places.
“Damn it! Soone get a captain!” Alan shouted to the crowd, who seed frozen by the brutal scene.
Alan thought about using the chat to call for help, but a few soldiers in white uniforms approached before he could.
“Step back, we’ll take him to the infirmary,” one of the soldiers said.
Near the two soldiers was a captain, his uniform different from the others. Alan didn’t know who he was, but the symbols on his outfit made it easy to guess. The captain bore the insignia of the First Battalion and the Senate, which ant he was likely the instructor responsible for the First Battalion.
Alan clenched his fists in anger. If their captain had been there, he could have stopped the fight. But it was clear that the Academy wouldn’t interfere with students’ chances to evolve, especially when there was no risk of a diplomatic conflict.
Both boys cursed internally. They had learned yet another valuable lesson at the Academy. Strength wasn’t just about physical power in battle. Alan had managed to win, but he still lacked the power to protect his companions—especially political power. Although nearly unconscious, Oliver saw more clearly now that his journey was far from over. There were still many steps ahead before he could avoid becoming an easy target for others.
“How the hell is this acceptable?!” Caine roared.
“THUMP!”
Everyone in the room flinched as Captain Caine slamd his fist on Major Five’s desk. Caine was one of the few captains who always maintained his composure, but seeing one of his students beco a target because of the Academy’s inaction was unacceptable.
“Captain!” The Major's hoarse voice was enough to grab the attention of the other captains. Even so, it was clear how furious Caine was. “A fight between cadets, especially where there are no casualties, isn’t a significant matter that needs to be raised in a commanders eting.”
“Not important? We have a cadet hospitalized because of the Academy’s failure to act,” Caine interrupted before the Major could continue. “The investigation was already concluded, and it was obvious that the cadet wasn’t responsible for the incident. But it wasn’t disclosed out of fear of reprisals from a House.”
“Captain, you need to look beyond your students. The Academy's position is essential for all of humanity. Stirring up political conflict over a minor incident involving a cadet without a House is not sothing we can afford to focus on,” the Major explained, not just to Caine but to the other captains as well.
“Then if the goal was to avoid conflict, why did we have a captain present who did nothing to prevent it? It seems more like a student was chosen as a scapegoat to cover for the team's inefficiency,” Caine retorted, raising an arm to point at Captain Scipio.
Caine understood the political gas within the Empire well, partly because of his own choices. Having neither beco a Ranger nor joined a House, he lacked significant influence. But that didn’t an he was powerless within the New Earth Army. His position allowed him to make demands and expose the organization’s flaws without fear of retaliation.
Still, the atmosphere was tense. The other captains waited to see how the Major would respond.
“Captain, I will emphasize this one final ti. This matter is not up for discussion. Both cadets will receive a week of suspension for fighting within the Academy. End of discussion,” the Major replied, leaving no room for further questioning.
Five knew this would likely be the last straw for Caine, whose chances of staying as an instructor for another year were slim to none. However, avoiding a conflict with House York was perhaps more valuable than keeping the captain around.
The infirmary was isolated from the rest of the buildings and located near the teleportation station. A few soldiers were responsible for caring for cadets and officers there. Not many soldiers chose to beco field dics, but it was often seen as a safer lifestyle within the New Earth Army.
Caine looked at the building. It wasn’t his first ti coming here. He had never needed its services himself, but other students had run into trouble during his years at the Academy. The captain was still reflecting on why he had been so enraged. If Caine was being honest, he had seen worse things before, but perhaps he had finally reached his limit. He could no longer tolerate how the Academy and the New Earth Army operated.
Caine was grateful they had changed his life and could repel the Orks, but the peak of the war had passed, yet so people were still living as if they were in the first or second Wave. Caine scratched his head, trying to relieve the stress and stop thinking about these problems.
‘Room 318… 318…’ The captain recited the room number where Oliver stayed as he walked down the long hallway. Each room looked the sa as the next, with white walls and the distinct sterile sll of a hospital.
‘318!’ He was startled when he finally found it.
Caine opened the door and approached the bed. Oliver's classmates had not yet co to visit, nor would they have access. With all the conflict and his suspension, Oliver would only be allowed in the hospital for a short ti before being forced to leave the Academy for a week. For many cadets, this might feel like a vacation, but for soone trying to achieve sothing, a week without training would quickly put them behind the rest of the class.
The captain pulled up a chair and sat beside the student’s bed.
Slowly, Oliver’s eyes started to open. After receiving VAT treatnt, his bones and skin had healed quickly, though he was still in the hospital for monitoring.
“Have they explained what’s going to happen to you?” Caine asked.
Oliver’s eyes gradually focused on the figure before him, finally recognizing the voice.
Without speaking, Oliver nodded. They both sat in silence for a few monts, Caine still searching for the right words to express what he wanted to say.
“I was wrong,” the captain said, staring at the ceiling of the room. “I think I’ve been at the Academy too long. I didn’t expect soone to co after you on purpose.” He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. Oliver couldn’t see through the ocular equipnt that concealed the professor’s eyes, but his face expressed all his exhaustion.
“But my biggest failure wasn’t not predicting this. It was teaching you wrong.” The professor turned to face his student. “In any strategy, being passive and waiting for your opponent’s moves can be fatal, especially if you’re not in a position to respond. That’s why it’s always better to be active and move the board to your advantage,” Caine explained with the sa authoritative tone he used in class.
Oliver listened quietly, nodding. He didn’t bla the captain. He had made the choice to fight, and if he was lying there, it was his responsibility. But deep inside, Oliver was still grappling with the taste of defeat, unsure of his next steps.
“How will you move the board to your advantage, kid?” Caine asked.
“I have no clue. Yet.” Oliver replied in a hoarse voice.
“Then listen to . If you follow what I’m about to tell you, you won’t fall behind the rest of your class… You might even get ahead.” Caine looked at Oliver, seeking approval. Oliver didn’t say anything more, focused on paying attention to his captain.
“But the outco will depend entirely on you,” Caine added.
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