As Leon and the rest of the cadets from the East Sector stepped through the steel door, a heavy silence fell over the wide hall. It wasn’t empty, as dozens of cadets from the other three sectors were already present, each group clustered together by familiarity and origin. But the moment Leon’s group entered, every pair of eyes locked onto them.
Their gazes weren’t just curious, they were inspecting, measuring, and some, challenging.
Leon could feel them.
Faint wisps of killing intent floated through the air, nothing impressive, but definitely deliberate. It was the unspoken dance of dominance. Testing the newcomers. As if daring them to blink first.
Leon clicked his tongue in mild amusement.
"How cute," he thought.
Then, without warning, he released a single wisp of his aura.
It wasn’t visible, nor did it make a sound. But the effect was instantaneous.
The temperature in the room dropped like frostbite. The floor seemed to groan under pressure as a suffocating force washed over every cadet. Many stiffened. Some instinctively clenched their fists. Others immediately broke eye contact, their gazes snapping to the floor or turning away entirely.
The bold few who had been leaking killing intent moments ago now stood frozen, throats tight, bodies heavy.
Adrian, Eleanor, Eden, and the rest of the cadets from the eastern sector, noticed it, of course. But by now, they were used to Leon’s aura games. Or so they claimed.
Leon let the pressure linger for just a second more before letting it dissipate, like a cold wind suddenly vanishing.
"Good. You should all know your place."
With that, he fully stepped inside, hands still in his jacket pockets, eyes as casual as ever. The others from the East Sector followed close behind, claiming a space along the side of the room. Conversations resumed slowly, more cautious now. As none of the cadets dared provoke them again.
But Leon was still focused, not on them, but on something else.
He glanced around, scanning the room. He counted quickly. The math didn’t lie.
"There’s one extra person."
There were supposed to be 12 cadets per sector, 48 in total. But counting everyone, including the yet-to-arrive Elizabeth, there were 49 cadets here.
"A mistake?" Leon wondered, narrowing his eyes.
Before the thought could settle, the metal door behind them hissed open once again.
A wave of military presence entered with it.
Eleven uniformed soldiers marched in with discipline carved into every step. Their uniforms were dark, neatly pressed, and their aura was unmistakably that of seasoned warriors. Not powerful enough to shake Leon, not even close to someone like Vanguard Rebecca, but for the average cadet, their pressure was overwhelming.
Their boots struck the floor in perfect rhythm as they halted a few meters from the assembled cadets. The one at the front, tall with a shaved head and sharp eyes, took a step forward.
"You can call me Combatant Michael."
His voice was steady and practiced, like someone used to command.
"My colleagues and I will be your direct superiors moving forward. Each of us will oversee four cadets, you’ll be assigned to our squads based on your evaluations and compatibility."
He motioned to the soldiers lined up beside him, each standing like iron statues.
"We’re here to pick up those cadets. Once called, step forward."
The room grew quiet again.
The moment had arrived, squad assignment, the first real step into life at the federation border, and for many of them... the beginning of war.
Squad Assignments: Unit Distribution by Combatant Commanders
1. Commander Michael Vance
2. Commander Eleanor Reed
3. Commander Julian Thorne
4. Commander Benjamin Carter
Cadet Sofia Rodriguez
5. Commander Samuel Davis
6. Commander Olivia Stone
7. Commander Noah Evans
Cadet Victoria Ramirez
Cadet Oscar Johansson
8. Commander Isabella White
9. Commander Liam Scott
10. Commander Chloe Hall
11. Commander Daniel Price
Once the last name was called and the final cadet stepped into their assigned squad’s formation, Combatant Michael Vance allowed himself a small exhale of satisfaction.
Standing still at the back of the room were four cadets, not assigned to any squad. Their presence was a glaring anomaly. Especially considering one of them was Leon Kael. The other three were none other than Adrian Peer, Eden, and Eleanor, all top-ranked cadets in the entire Federation’s cadet system.
Michael’s eyes narrowed.
"Did headquarters... forget them?"
He wasn’t the only one confused. One by one, the other combatants followed his gaze, realization dawning in tandem. Every one of them had received only four names. That was protocol. There was no twelfth squad, no unspoken last commander. This was a mistake.
Or... so they thought.
Suddenly, a simultaneous notification pinged in each of their comms.
And as their devices buzzed, the color drained from their faces.
A sharp silence spread like wildfire through the room as all eleven combatants turned their gazes toward Leon at once. It was as if they were no longer looking at a cadet, but at something far more dangerous.
Leon blinked, glancing between them with mild confusion.
Adrian leaned over and muttered, "What’s going on?"
Leon scratched the back of his head. "I’d like to know that too..."
The stares didn’t stop. If anything, they grew more intense.
Leon tilted his head slightly, his voice tinged with annoyance now.
"What... did I grow a second head or something?"
The air was frozen with unsaid knowledge.
And then Leon sighed dramatically and muttered:
"Tch. Don’t you no... it’s rude to stare?"