Loner

The Sentinel War Academy had classes five days a week, with the addition of mech duels held on Saturdays at the end of every two weeks.

Zephyr was currently staying after class taking supplementary lessons as usual. He had severely underestimated the difficulty of the material being taught in class. Day after day, aside from three hours of supplementary classes, he had also devoted several hours of his own time to study and complete assignments.

With so many hours being used up, Zephyr never even got the chance to meet with the lead mechanic at the mech hangers. This also meant that it's been nearly a week since he had seen or touched a mech.

To put it simply, he was having withdrawal symptoms.

'Between eight hours of class time and another six hours of self study, that's fourteen hours of my day!' He wanted to scream out loud.

Getting a full eight hours of sleep was necessary to maintain his focus. Unlike his classmates, Zephyr was a baseline human. Those with wealth had genetic enhancements to improve memory, learning speed, or reduce sleep needs—advantages only the privileged had.

To make matters worse, someone had discovered his poor academic scores. The initial cautiousness his classmates felt after his introduction was replaced by scorn and disdain. Zephyr already knew they were going to find out eventually. In fact, the reason why he made such a claim was to direct their animosity towards him.

If that was his only goal, it would be a job well done. The factor he didn't expect was that he was barred from mech piloting class. That sole revelation made his uncharacteristic outburst mute.

Originally, he had thought that if he made everyone dislike him, he would have no lack of challengers during mech duels. This was on the assumption he would be able to analyze everyone's skill level and piloting habits. If he accepted a duel now, it would be near impossible to pull off a victory.

Zephyr was an experienced pilot, not a reckless one.

After typing in a couple more lines to finish up his report, he packed up his laptop and began to make his way back to the dorm.

***

It's been three hours since Zephyr first began on his assignments with no clear end in sight. He glanced at his most recent test results before letting out a long sigh.

'With the exception of mechanical engineering with a score in the 60s, all other subjects averaged a grand score of 15.'

A week had passed and he had only managed to raise his test scores about five percent. His original plans on catching up academically as fast as possible weren't looking too bright. Just as he was improving, new content was being taught. 

It was a struggle to even keep his head above the water.

To maximize efficiency, instead of eating with everyone in the mess hall, he even opted to consume nutrient packs on the daily. They were essentially military rations that provided all the necessary supplements one would need with an optimal diet.

This further isolated Zephyr from those in his year. 

If anyone still planned on interacting with him even after his introduction, they certainly wouldn't anymore. Zephyr had gained the reputation of an arrogant prick who thinks he's too good to eat with everyone, as mistaken as that assumption was.

He closed his eyes slowly while leaning back in his chair.

'Let's stop here. I need all the rest I could get for tomorrow's mech duels.'

He wasn't allowed to participate in mech piloting courses meaning the only time he could analyze the piloting levels of his peers were during the duels itself. If he didn't make the best use of this opportunity, he would have to wait another two weeks for the next duel.

The school year was eight months long divided into two semesters. If one didn't make the cut during a semester, they were on the list of expulsion. 

In theory, if Zephyr could raise his test scores by five percent every week, he would be able to manage a passing test score. However, this method wouldn't work as it doesn't account for all the previous failing scores that accumulate into his final grade. It wasn't possible to pass with academics alone.

Which meant that mech duels were the only way. He only had eight chances to observe and rack up a good win ratio. 

'I'm going to pick apart everyone's piloting skills tomorrow. That's the first step.'

***

The next day…

Several rows of students were lined up in the field adjacent to the mech hangers. The sun was barely peeking above the horizon as Zephyr stood next to his peers, many of whom appeared disgruntled at the early roll call.

Everyone wore a mech piloting uniform—a simple gray jumpsuit that regulated temperature and monitored basic vitals. This was the first time Zephyr had worn one since enrolling, and he couldn't help but smile slightly.

He glanced around at his classmates, most of them yawning and slouching. Only about ten to twenty others seemed as alert as he was. Particularly notable was a girl standing at the very front, perfectly still with her long black hair tied into a ponytail. Although he couldn't see her face, her stoic posture impressed him.

'I should ask for her name later,' he thought.

A middle-aged woman in the same uniform strode to the front of the cohort. Her wheat-blonde hair was tied into a bun, and her stormy gray eyes seemed to pierce through everyone.

His peers immediately straightened up, freezing in place under her gaze.

'I bet that's our instructor,' Zephyr mused quietly.

"I am Instructor Margaret Tucker. You will refer to me as Instructor Margaret," she announced. "I will be in charge of all duels this school year. Although I expect you to know the rules, I will briefly explain them."

Zephyr leaned in, eager to learn what he had missed in class.

"Students may use personal mechs within certain parameters. Does everyone have a personal mech?"

'Uh, that's not exactly correct, ma'am,' Zephyr wanted to say aloud.

"You can challenge others up to three times on duel day. Those challenged are permitted to decline up to five times. You can't challenge the same person twice in one day. The top three students can challenge up to six times. Is that clear?"

So far, it was a straightforward system that gave more incentive to become one of the top three.

"However, it's no fun if you only challenge weaker opponents," Instructor Margaret added with a slight smile. "The challenged can set the duel's terms, from environment to weapon restrictions, to ensure fairness. This applies when higher-ranking pilots challenge lower-ranking ones."

That made sense. It prevented stronger students from easily preying on weaker ones.

"Today, no one is required to participate. You can decline as many duels as you like. Are there any questions?"

The cohort was silent. Maybe because everyone already knew the details, no one raised their hand. 

"No questions? Alright. We will now begin the challenging phase. Everyone, please turn on your comms. In the academy's apps, there is a page dedicated to duel day. Please choose your opponent before making your way to the sky carrier behind the hangers. Because there are no rankings as of yet, all duels will be held in an open field on the outskirts of the city. Get ready and goodluck."

As everyone began to chat with one another, Zephyr left to make his way to the sky carrier. He wasn't going to challenge anyone anyway. 

Sky carriers were essentially flying mech cargo vehicles that transported mechs quickly on planets. It was unbelievable an academy was using them to simply hold duels in different environments.

"A student already? You're quick," A voice called out.

Zephyr turned to see a young woman in a gray military uniform wave at him.

"Confident about today's duels? Impressive."

'I think she's misunderstanding something here.' Zephyr revealed a wry smile.

"I'm not confident. That's why I'm not going to be dueling today."

The officer gave him a blank stare for a few seconds.

"Eh?"

Ignoring her bewilderment, Zephyr went to take his seat on the carrier.

After he sat down, he pulled out his comm and opened the academy app only to find his notifications rapidly increasing.

"You have been challenged by 57 opponents."

'Wishing to pull an easy win off? In your dreams!' 

With a simple swipe of his finger, Zephyr dismissed all of his pending challenges. It would be truly foolish to not make full use of the fact that he was allowed to decline as many challenges as he wanted today.

A few minutes later, he heard footsteps of another person step aboard the carrier. It was the girl he saw earlier. For the first time, Zephyr saw her face.

Her features were delicate, refined, and unbefitting for a girl her age. She had bangs neatly brushed to the side accompanying her ponytail with an athletic figure further accentuated by the simple gray jumpsuit. With her pale skin contrasted by her luscious black hair, her appearance was pleasing to the eye.

He quickly averted his gaze, chiding himself. 'Don't stare, Zephyr.'

The girl took a seat a few rows ahead, seemingly uninterested in him. Zephyr considered whether to approach her.

'Would it be weird to ask her name? Would she think I'm hitting on her?'

Given his reputation among his peers, he hesitated. He was curious that she had already boarded the carrier. Was she that confident, or like him, planning only to observe today?

Ultimately, Zephyr decided against talking to her.

Another twenty minutes later, the rest of the students were finally beginning to board the sky carrier in droves, the doors closing after Instructor Margaret and the female officer from earlier being the last ones to step onboard.

Nearly every seat was filled with the exception of the one beside himself. 

'Am I really that disliked?'

The sky carrier lifted off, his peers chattering away occasionally jeering at him muttering what he assumed were insults.

He ignored them as he focused on the low hum of the carrier's thrusters.

For the first time, Zephyr would see with his own eyes how strong the Republic's elites were. He felt his heart thumping with excitement as his lips curled into a grin.