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As the setting sun approached Matterhorn mountain on the west, its tall and distinct peak easily identifiable amidst the surrounding summits, the course came to a close.
The mood was distinctly split into two poles. There was the sense of defeat and frustration felt by the three battalions who had not completed the course at all, and Enlil who were celebrating like mad!
While a majority of members of the other battalions had completed the course, some of their members had collapsed in the mud, needing rescuing. Such an outcome automatically disqualified the entire battalion!
While the trap laid for them was fairly obvious to all of them, considering the pressure of the moment and the unfamiliarity of the situation, they had overlooked the importance of teamwork - something that had been taught to them repeatedly in school! Had the situation been slightly different, that would not have been the case.
Yet these were all new cadets. They did not know each other yet, and had not formed any rapport amongst each other. Even if, later on, they were reminded to work together by Nero’s instructions to his own battalion, it was too late! A divide between the slowest cadets and the rest had already been created!
That was the very reason Nero had not yelled about teamwork at the very start. If he had reminded his battalion then, the others would have focused on it too, and the slowest of the group would have been taken care of from the very start!
But by completing the course once, and then returning for the slowest cadet himself, he had let enough time pass that the slowest in the other battalions would be left far behind. At the same time, the strongest and most capable in those battalions were far in the front. If they wanted to go back and help the slowest ones like Nero had, they were more than welcome to try. Yet it was easier said than done - something Nero was well aware of.
Still, the others tried. They did not give up so easily. Unfortunately, in terms of cunning, planning, and especially in terms of physical strength and stamina, Nero had demonstrated himself to be far superior than all the others.
Of course, by the end, Nero’s hamstrings were on fire, and he was starving as if he’d never eaten food, but he did not let that show in the slightest. As he carried the last cadet up the slope to a cheering crowd, Nero only revealed a casual smile, as if he were walking through the park.
When he finally crossed the finish line, all the cadets rushed towards him and started tossing him in the air. The chants of Enlil filled the evening air under the conflicted gazes of many of their seniors.
They had not actually been expecting anyone to finish the course. Just as the other three battalions had failed, the seniors expected the last one to fail as well. Who could have predicted that some kind of maniac would appear in the Enlil battalion.
Already, comparisons were being made between Nero and Vilhelm, though Nero had not yet proven himself anywhere near as impressive as Vilhelm. But, at least in terms of initial presence, Nero had him beat.
In truth, Nero did not care too much about the prodigy. Unfortunately for Vilhelm, though, since Nero aimed to be recruited in the legendary Valkan legion, he needed to prove himself to be the best!
"Alright, that’s enough!" a professor said, walking up to Enlil battalion, cutting the celebration short.
"This is a military academy - show some decorum. Since you have earned your reward, then return to the Enlil lines and claim your dinner in the mess. As for the rest of you..."
The professor’s gaze washed over the defeated battalions, his expression just as icy as his tone. Some hoped faintly that the comment about getting no dinner was a joke to scare them. Even the most basic rations would do at this point. Unfortunately, the army was not known for its sense of humour, and neither was the academy.
"I want ten laps of the training yard from each of you before you can return to your barracks to sleep. If the whole battalion doesn’t complete the laps, then you’ll get twenty laps tomorrow. In the morning, I will see if I’m in the mood to let you into the mess."
The failed cadets all felt their hearts drop as they realised that not only would they not be getting food, there was a severe punishment as well!
Watching the horrified expressions of their juniors, the senior cadets were finally mollified to some extent. They all had been through too many similar situations, so seeing a new, young batch of cadets join them in their misery filled their hearts with joy.
There would come a day these cadets would look back on these ten laps and realise that this was heaven compared to what was in store for them. They only chuckled knowingly, and began to lead the cadets away.
Michelle also appeared, ready to take the fresh Enlil cadets back.
"I must say, you all gave me a pleasant surprise," she said, though her sight was fixed on Nero. "Seems like we got a good batch this year. Come on, let me take you back to taste your spoils. It will be a long time before you get the chance to do something like this again."
The Enlil battalion quickly fell into formation, marching behind Michelle as she led them through the now well lit academy. Even with the ever present Monarch’s Dominion, they took no chances, and reduced the shadows as much as possible.
Under the yellow light of the countless street lamps, the academy took on a whole new appearance, seeming almost cosy. Yet amidst the energetic cadets, and the pleasant lights, Nero’s mind was not relaxing. Instead, he was already compiling all he had learned today, and planning for tomorrow.
He was not here to rest. He was here to grow as much as possible, and he would leave no opportunity wasted.
Though his expression was soft, and his lips were curled into a smile, Luna noticed that Nero’s eyes carried the intensity of a hunting tiger.