Chapter 46 - Test Preparations

CLANG

The sound of blades clashing echoed through the training room as I locked swords with a humanoid robot.

It was basically a training bot that the academy created for the sake of combat training for the cadets.

Anyway back to the fight.

Its mechanical arms whirred as it pushed against my katana, but I held my ground, my wings flaring slightly to give me extra leverage.

With a grunt, I shoved it back and followed up with a quick slash, cutting through its torso. Sparks flew as the robot crumpled to the ground, its systems shutting down.

"Nathan, behind you!" River's voice rang out, sharp and commanding.

I spun around just in time to see another robot lunging at me.

But before I could react, a vine shot out from the ground, wrapping around the robot's legs and yanking it off balance.

Maria stood a few feet away, her mechanical staff glowing faintly as she manipulated the plants in the room.

She gave me a quick nod before turning her attention to another group of robots.

"Thanks!" I called out, already moving to cover her flank.

"Don't mention it!" she replied, her voice cheerful despite the chaos around us.

The training room was a battlefield, a simulated battlefield, with fifty humanoid robots swarming us from all sides.

River was at the center of it all, her voice cutting through the noise as she barked out orders. "Marcus, take the left flank! Lucas, cover Maria! Nathan, watch the rear!"

We moved as one, our teamwork surprisingly smooth considering how rocky things had been when we first started.

Marcus, despite his usual snobbish attitude, was a beast in combat.

His electrokinesis crackled through the air as he unleashed a barrage of lightning bolts, frying several robots in one go.

Lucas, ever the silent powerhouse, moved with precision, his longsword cutting through the robots like butter.

Maria's plant manipulation kept the robots off balance, while River's geokinesis created barriers and traps to slow them down.

Although they occasionally destroyed the robots with their powers but they focused more on support.

As for me tho, I was everywhere, using my wings to dart around the battlefield.

I'd slash at a robot, then use my wings to block an attack from another, all while keeping an eye on my teammates.

It was a bit exhausting, but also quite fun. For the first time in a while, I felt like we were actually a unit.

"Nathan, incoming!" River shouted, and I turned just in time to see another robot charging at me.

I ducked under its swing and countered with a slash to its legs, sending it crashing to the ground.

And before it could get back up, Marcus finished it off with a well-placed lightning bolt.

"Nice one," I said, giving him a nod.

"Don't get used to it," he replied, though there was a hint of a smirk on his face.

The fight dragged on, but we were holding our own.

River's leadership was on point, and we were covering each other's weaknesses surprisingly well.

It was a far cry from the disjointed mess we'd been a month ago. Our first training session as a unit, that was a disaster.

But it seems all those hangouts and even more training sessions were finally paying off.

And then finally, after what felt like an eternity, the last robot fell. We all stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, before collapsing to the ground in near exhaustion.

"Well... that was fun," Marcus said, his voice strained as he tried to catch his breath.

He opened his mouth to say something else, probably a joke, but all that came out was a wheeze.

I chuckled, leaning back on my hands. "Marcus, don't try to tell a joke. Jokes don't suit you."

The group burst into laughter, the tension of the fight melting away. Even Lucas cracked a small smile, though he tried to hide it.

We sat there for a while, just catching our breath and enjoying the rare moment of camaraderie.

River was the first to break the silence. "The unit test is the day after tomorrow," she reminded us, her tone serious but not unkind.

"So let's take tomorrow as a rest day. We've earned it."

We all nodded in agreement, too tired to argue. After a few more minutes of rest, we slowly got to our feet and headed out of the training room, each of us making our way to our respective buildings.

************

Meanwhile, miles away from the city, a figure cloaked in shadows moved through the dense forest.

The beasts of the forest instinctively avoided the figure, their primal instincts screaming at them to stay away.

Those unfortunate enough to cross the figure's path were cut down before they even realized what was happening, their bodies falling to the ground in pieces.

The figure reached a clearing where two individuals were waiting. One was a massive humanoid, yes humanoid.

His fur-covered body and sharp claws made it quite evident he wasn't human but rather he was a member of one of the six major races in Fantasia, the beastmen race.

A greatsword was slung across his back, and his yellow eyes gleamed with a mix of amusement and impatience.

Beside him stood a another humanoid figure.

Although this one was more human like, but her long ears and dark skin easily set her apart from the humans of both Terra and Fantasia, marking her as a member of another of the six major races. The Elves. More precisely dark elves.

Her expression was calm, but there was a sharpness in her eyes that spoke of danger.

The beastman was the first to speak, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, well, look who decided to show up. What an honor it is to meet you oh wise one."

The dark elf sighed, rolling her eyes. "Ignore him," she said, her voice smooth and measured. "Did you bring the information?"

The figure nodded, pulling a flash drive from their cloak and handing it to the beastman.

"The cadets will be heading there the day after tomorrow," the figure said, their voice low and distorted.

The beastman raised an eyebrow, his tone mocking. "I have to ask tho... why are you doing this? Aren't these the students you're supposed to be taking care of?"

The figure who had turned and was walking away stopped, their entire body tensing.

When they spoke again, their voice was filled with an unnatural anger and hatred.

"I'm doing this to halt Terra's progress. I'm doing this to burn them to the fucking ground. And the best way to start is by killing its future. The cadets."

The beastman shrugged, unfazed by the figure's outburst. "Whatever you say," he said, turning back to his camp. "Just don't get in our way."

The figure stood there for a moment, their cloak billowing in the wind, before disappearing into the shadows of the forest.

The dark elf watched them go, her expression unreadable, before following the beastman back to their camp.

The forest was silent once more, but the tension in the air suggested more. That something was coming, and it wasn't going to be pretty.