I stared at the words Elite Unit 02 on the card.
I didn't feel as happy as I thought I would.
Seeing 02 instead of 01 nagged at . I knew the chances were low—extrely low—but a part of had still hoped.
The Rank on the card likely referred to my standing within Unit 02, though I wasn't sure how they calculated it.
But damn, I made it into 02. That was way better than my parents, they had both been part of 07, so yeah, I had one-upped them.
"02?"
I recognized Steve's voice from behind .
I turned and grinned.
"02."
He raised his hand, and we high-fived.
Throwing an arm over his shoulder, I pulled him along.
"Let's go see what this 02 is about."
***
Soon, we stood in front of a door with a huge glowing sign above it that read 02.
Steve and I exchanged glances. He shrugged, so I clicked the door open, and we stepped inside.
The room was a large hall with a center stage in one corner—again, no chairs.
Around 30 to 40 people were already inside, all dressed in military uniforms: black pants, black shoes, and tight-fitting black shirts. A thunderbolt emblem was imprinted on their left chest, and a bold 02 marked their right.
The mont we entered, every head turned toward us.
I could feel their eyes sizing us up, judging us in one way or another. The tension in the air was almost electric. And why wouldn't it be? When you throw a bunch of top-ranking students into the sa room, egos clash, and a new competition begins.
I forced the sweetest smile I could manage.
Steve scoffed beside .
Soone suddenly called out, "To your left."
I turned and saw a door labeled 'Changing Room.'
"Let's go," I said to Steve, and we headed inside.
The room was stocked with uniforms in various sizes. We picked out what fit us, changed, and returned to the hall.
We stood in the corner for a few minutes, and I was already getting bored.
Turning to Steve, I said.
"Hey, let's go introduce ourselves. See what kind of comrades we're going to have."
Steve blinked at , then shoved his hands into his pockets and stared off into the distance.
"Not interested."
"Co on, it'll be interesting." I urged.
"It won't be," he said flatly. "We'll get to know them later anyway."
He shrugged, still looking at nothing in particular.
"So what am I supposed to do until everyone gathers?" I asked.
"Look around. See what others are doing. Then follow the sa."
I sighed and glanced around the room.
Most people were just standing in small groups of one or two. So stood alone, aimlessly looking around. Every ti soone new walked in, there was a brief mont of tension, a small buzz, as if everyone had been jolted by a mild shock, before they went back to staring into space.
"Hmm, is that so?" I said, rolling my shoulder and cracking my neck.
"You know, Steve, I think you've forgotten sothing about ."
He finally turned to look at , brows furrowing. Then, as if sothing clicked, his eyes widened slightly.
"Dude, no. Please don't. Just let there be peace for once."
I grinned.
"No, Steve. I don't follow others—I make others follow ."
Without another word, I started walking toward the stage.
I could already feel eyes on , the room stirring as I passed. By the ti I stood at the center of the stage, the whole hall was buzzing.
I looked down at Steve from the stage and saw him mouthing, "I will kill you."
Ignoring him, I scanned the crowd. Most of them were glaring at , their stares practically burning holes through . But who cared? I certainly didn't.
I smirked, letting the tension in the room settle before I spoke.
My voice echoed in the hall.
"My na is Billion Ironhart. And since we're all going to be part of this unit together, let make one thing clear—" I raised my hand and pointed at the crowd, slowly sweeping my finger across them.
"I don't care which academy you ca from, what rank you held, or what fancy class you think you're getting. And I sure as hell don't care how strong you think you are."
I let my words hang for a mont, then smirked.
"What I do care about is that by the ti this probation is over, you all will know one thing for certain.
That no one here outworks . No one here outlasts . And by the ti this is over, whether you like it or not… you will be chasing ."
The mont I finished, the room erupted. So scoffed, others exchanged glances, and a few stepped forward as if they wanted to say sothing. A low murmur filled the hall.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Steve sigh, rubbing his temples.
I stood on the stage, arms crossed, my grin unwavering as the crowd murmured in response to my words. The air in the room was tense, but I could feel the spark of excitent, like a storm about to break. Then, a voice rang out from the crowd.
"Looks like you practiced that speech in the mirror."
A few chuckles followed. I didn't miss a beat.
"Oh no, dude, I'm just naturally this good. You, on the other hand, should definitely try the mirror, it might help."
More laughter rippled through the room. But I knew, they won't allow to take the spotlight and I was right.
Soon another voice spoke up.
"Big words for soone I've never even heard of."
I turned my head slightly, locking eyes with the speaker.
"Maybe you were sleeping the entire ti… or just too slow to keep up. Should I speak slower for you?"
A chorus of "Ooooh" followed, the kind that usually ca before a fight or a challenge.
Soone else, feeling bold, took their turn.
"You act like you're the leader here. Did they forget to tell you this isn't your academy anymore?"
I let out a mock gasp.
"Oh damn, really? And here I was thinking they gave this stage to make sure you all paid attention."
That one landed. The laughter grew louder, a mix of genuine amusent and disbelief.
Then, another voice, louder this ti as if to overpower the crowd.
"Talk all you want, but we'll see if your fists are as fast as your mouth when the real fight starts."
I tilted my head, pretending to consider his words before flashing a smirk.
"Oh, don't worry, I'll even give you a head start. You'll still end up on the floor."
I noticed the mood had shifted. So looked amused, others irritated, but one thing was clear, I had their attention.
Then, cutting through the back-and-forth, a calm yet sharp voice spoke up.
"Childish."
For the first ti, I turned my head fully, spotting the girl who had spoken. She stood with her arms folded, eyes unimpressed, as if she had better things to do than waste ti on this.
I gasped dramatically.
"Oh, sorry, Grandma. We kids were just having fun. Didn't an to disturb your afternoon nap."
For a mont, silence. Then, the room exploded. Laughter, loud and unrestrained, filled the hall. Even those who had been glaring at before couldn't help but smirk. A few shook their heads, so whispering among themselves.
I winked at the girl with a smirk and she glared at . I stood there, taking in the reaction, my grin never fading.
And I thought.
'This is going to be fun. Show what you got 02.'
I jumped down from the stage and walked toward Steve. A few guys stepped forward to introduce themselves, and before long, everyone was moving around, talking and laughing and turning to stare at the door whenever soone entered. I even dragged a couple of them over to et lazy Steve, couldn't let him rest too much.
The door opened once again, and everyone turned toward it.
Suddenly, the room fell silent.
And then, I saw the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. My green eyes narrowed instinctively, as if trying to imprint her image in my mind.
She stood by the door, scanning the crowd with a sharp gaze.
Tall—almost six feet. Large expressive brown eyes, a cute oval face, and long black hair tied back in a ponytail.
She wore a fitted black blazer over a sleek brown V-neck top, paired with matching black pants that gave her a sharp yet effortless elegance. A delicate necklace rested against her collarbone, catching the light just enough to add to her presence. Few bracelets jingled on her left wrist and high heels completed the look.
For a mont, everything else faded for .
But suddenly thinking sothing I leaned toward Steve and whispered, "Mine."
He let out a lazy yawn and muttered back.
"Sure, man. I'm too lazy for this shit anyway. Just don't start simping too hard."
I smiled and answered.
"Simping? Nah, man. That is not in my blood."
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