The Strongest Team

The simulation chamber was full of cadets waiting for the tournament to start.

Rows of sim pods lined the walls, clean and humming faintly, their soft glow casting reflections across the polished floor.

Cadets gathered in groups, their voices blending into a murmur of nervous chatter and confident banter. But one group stood apart.

Talon, Kieran, Jason, and Luna stood near the back, close to the entrance. Heads turned toward them, some openly, others with subtle sidelong glances.

A few cadets groaned audibly, their complaints just loud enough to carry.

"It's totally unfair that all the people with busted powers are on one team," someone muttered.

"It's not like today even matters," another whispered. "Together they are just going to wipe the floor with everyone."

It wasn't bitterness, just the acceptance of reality. Talon's team was the strongest on paper, and everyone knew it.

The last few days of training had made it impossible to deny. As the sessions wore on, it became clear that those with stronger powers were pulling ahead, leaving the rest behind.

It wasn't fair, everyone put in the same amount of effort, but that was life.

Talon and Kieran, with Loren's guidance, had finally broken out of their shells. They began fighting like true Supers, leveraging their inherently superior powers to dominate in every scenario.

Jason had always been comfortable with his kinetic absorption, but with focused training, he refined his control. He could now store energy more efficiently and release it in explosive bursts, turning him into a devastating force in close combat.

Luna, though not as naturally gifted as the others, had also grown significantly.

Her uncommon ability to shift her weight: becoming light to scout or heavy to strike, was versatile, but it had limits.

With the team's help, she learned to stretch those limits, refining her technique and control.

By the end of their sessions, she could remain light far longer and chain her transformations in combat without hesitation, using the speed of being light, and at the moment of impact turning heavy.

Even as beginners, the combined strength of Talon's team placed them in a league of their own.

The chatter died as Leon strode into the chamber, his boots echoing across the room. His commanding presence silenced the room in an instant.

"Cadets," Leon said, his sharp tone cutting through the remaining whispers. "The tournament begins today. I hope you're ready."

His gaze swept across the gathered squads, pausing on no one in particular, as though weighing them all equally. "This is your chance to prove yourselves. The format is straightforward: six groups of eight teams. Round-robin. The top two teams in each group, and third place teams I deem strong, advance to the single-elimination knockout stage."

A massive screen flickered to life behind him, displaying the group placements. Talon's eyes scanned the list until he spotted their team at the top of Group A.

- GROUP A -

- TEAM NAME -

:

- WINN-LOSS -

1. Team A : 0-0

2. Swifties : 0-0

3. Team 12 : 0-0

4. Team 3 : 0-0

5. Inferno Squad : 0-0

6. Chempor : 0-0

7. Common Victory : 0-0

8. Team 37 : 0-0

Jason leaned toward Kieran, a smirk playing on his lips. "Heh, ironic."

Leon ignored the side comments and continued. "Matches begin in thirty minutes. They will be held simultaneously in the arenas you've been training in. You've had two weeks to prepare. Use what you've learned. Work as a team. Show me what you've got."

The room buzzed again as squads exchanged glances, murmuring among themselves. A few began moving toward the sim pods, determination etched into their faces.

"Dismissed," Leon said, stepping back as the cadets started to disperse.

As the crowd thinned, Leon's eyes locked onto Talon. "Graves," he called, his voice sharp but low enough to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. "A word."

Talon glanced back at his team, who were already heading toward the pods, before stepping over to Leon. "Sir?"

Leon waited until they were out of earshot. His tone softened slightly, though his words carried an unmistakable weight. "Your team is strong, no question about it. Two rares, an uncommon, and an unknown with a solid power. Your squad outclasses everyone else here. The only reason I'm letting this lineup stay, despite the imbalance, is because of your original promotion requirements, and that this squad can compete at the academy itself. But don't let that strength lead to overconfidence."

Talon gave a small nod, but Leon wasn't finished.

"For now, you're a big fish in a small pond," Leon said, his gaze steady and unyielding. "This tournament? It's just practice, a warm-up. Once you step off this ship and into the academy, you'll be surrounded by talents equal to yours, or better, from every corner of human territory. Out there, raw talent alone won't cut it. You'll need strategy, teamwork, and adaptability. I expect to see you practicing all of that today."

Talon absorbed the words, his expression growing serious. "Understood."

Leon's eyes lingered on Talon a moment longer, his tone calm but firm as he continued. "Oh, and Graves?"

Talon straightened instinctively, he had a feeling that something he would not like to hear was coming. "Yes, sir?"

"I'm adding a special condition for your team. If one of your teammates dies in a match, they're out for the rest of the stage. They'll return during the knockouts if you make it that far. But if they're eliminated during the knockouts, they're done for the entire tournament."

Talon's brow furrowed slightly, but he didn't interrupt. He waited, sensing there was more to Leon's reasoning.

"This shouldn't be an issue if your team performs as expected," Leon added, his tone sharp. "But this condition isn't just about testing your strength. It's about pushing you to think beyond brute force. I don't want to see your team only knowing how to throw their weight into your opponents and winning. I want strategy, planning, and precision. You need to win while preserving your team's strength for the matches ahead. Got it?"

"Yes, sir," Talon replied firmly, his jaw tightening.

Leon was right. His original plan had been to take a swift, overwhelming approach, cripple their opponents quickly and decisively, as Loren had taught him.

Now, though? He couldn't afford to be reckless. He could still aim for decisive victories, but he had to ensure every move counted and everyone on his team stayed in the fight.

Winning at the cost of a teammate wasn't an option anymore.

It wasn't that Talon had been planning to sacrifice anyone. But knowing they'd be back for the next round had been a safety net in his strategy. Leon had just pulled that away.

Leon gave a curt nod, satisfied. "Good. Now go lead your team. Show me your team is more than just strength."

Talon turned and headed toward the pods, his mind racing with Leon's words.