The air inside the European Grand Arena was thick with the scent of ozone and the restless energy of fifty thousand spectators. The roar of the crowd was a physical force, vibrating through the floorboards and into the soles of Xavier's boots. Floating drone cameras buzzed overhead like giant insects, broadcasting every second of the event to every screen on the planet.
In the center of the massive dirt-packed arena, the fifty cadets stood in a perfect line. They were small dots in a sea of anticipation.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed. A spotlight cut through the darkness, landing on a high, elevated platform where five massive, ornate thrones sat.
"Citizens of Earth!" the announcer's voice boomed, amplified by mana-tech speakers. "As you know, our world stands on the edge of a knife, held only by the courage of those who pilot the Titans! Today, we witness the birth of a new generation! Introduce the leaders of our salvation—the Five Great Commanders!"
The crowd went into a frenzy as the figures emerged.
"Leader of the 5th Garrison, the grim watcher of the gates: WillRogers!"
"Leader of the 4th Garrison, the shadow that strikes in silence: Ren Kishimoto!"
"Leader of the 3rd Garrison, the first woman to hold the mantle of Command: Charlotte Hayes!"
"Leader of the 2nd Garrison, the brutal fist of humanity: Luke Grimwalt!"
The noise reached a deafening peak as the final figure stepped forward.
"And finally, the Commander of the 1st Garrison, the Storm Chaser himself: Simon Ross!"
Simon Ross didn't wave. He simply sat, his eyes scanning the cadets below like a hawk looking for prey.
"Cadets! Step forward for Exo-Suit Synchronization!"
Mechanical arms descended from the ceiling, carrying the sleek, skeletal frames of the ESDF Exo-Suits. These weren't the bulky industrial suits seen in factories; these were high-performance combat rigs, designed to bridge the human nervous system with the giant Titans.
The screening began. As each cadet stepped into their suit, a massive holographic display above them flashed their confirmed mana output.
"Far left! 23% confirmed!" A girl in the front row stepped into her suit, her body glowing with a soft blue light as the hydraulics hissed to life
"24% confirmed!" It was Asher. He stood tall, his chest puffed out as the suit locked onto his limbs. He looked toward the cameras with a smug grin. The crowd roared.
"26% confirmed!" Maya stepped into her rig. She looked calm, her output stable and bright
Then, the crowd gasped. "34% confirmed!" A young man with long black hair stood like a statue, the mana radiating from him so intensely that the air around his suit shimmered. Next to him, a girl hit 30%, and a pair of twins both registered at 29%.
"An incredible year!" the announcer shouted. "So many prodigies above the 20% mark!"
Then, it was Xavier's turn.
He stepped into the cold metal frame. As the sensors touched his skin, he felt a violent jolt. The 2% mana in his chest flared, struggling to meet the massive demand of the suit's neural link.
Xavier's knees buckled. He hit the dirt hard, his breath hitching as a warning light flashed red on the monitors.
2.0% CONFIRMED.
The silence that followed was more painful than the insults. Then, the laughter started. It began as a titter in the stands and grew into a wave of mockery.
A two? Is this a joke?"
"He's going to die! Someone get him out of there before he has a mental crash!"
"What an insult to the ESDF! A 2% trying to wear a combat rig?"
In the line, Asher's face turned purple with rage. How dare he? he thought. How dare this trash stand on the same stage as me and humiliate the academy?
Officials rushed toward Xavier, ready to pull him out of the suit for his own safety. But before they could reach him, Xavier's hand gripped the frame. His knuckles turned white. His teeth were gritted so hard they felt like they might shatter.
Slowly, agonizingly, he stood back up.
"Cadet Reyes?" an official asked, stunned. "Are you… functional?"
Xavier looked up. His vision, boosted to a 15 by the System, saw the pity in the man's eyes and the disgust in the Commander's far above. "I'm fine," Xavier rasped. "It's just… a new experience."
The crowd continued to mock him, but a few people in the front rows went quiet, confused as to how a 2% was even standing after a neural link.
"Enough!" the announcer barked. "The suits are linked. Now, the trial begins! Stage 1: Synergy! You will be divided into ten teams of five. The objective: Capture the Flag. The terrain: A simulated urban warzone."
The big screen flickered, names spinning rapidly.
Team1: Asher Williams (24%), Noelle (23%) , and three others.
Team 5: Maya (26%), Jake (34%), Kiko (30%) and two others . (The "Dream Team").
...
Team 10: Four cadets with outputs between 10-14%... and Xavier Reyes (2%).
"I feel bad for Team 10," a voice muttered in the stands. "They were already the weakest team, and now they have to carry a 2% anchor."
Xavier's teammates gathered around him. They didn't look like they wanted to be there. "Listen, Reyes," one of the boys said, a 14% with a nervous twitch. "Don't get in our way. Just stay in the back and try not to get 'killed' in the first five minutes. We're already at a disadvantage."
Xavier stayed quiet. He felt the weight of the exo-suit—it was heavy, yes, but with his 70 Strength and 60 Agility, it didn't feel like the death trap everyone said it was. It felt like a shell he just needed to learn to move in.
The floor of the arena began to shift. Massive hydraulic pillars rose from the ground, covered in synth-concrete and burnt-out car husks. Within seconds, the flat arena had transformed into a ruined city sector, filled with alleyways, crumbling walls, and sniper perches
Xavier gripped the training rifle he had been given. It fired non-lethal mana-bolts that would freeze an exo-suit's joints upon impact, signaling an "elimination."
The countdown appeared in the sky, shimmering in massive red numbers
5...
Xavier felt the mana in his chest circulate.
4...
He checked his HUD. 2.0% Output. Still low. But his Strength and Speed were ready.
3...
Asher, across the field, was already bracing for a sprint, his eyes locked on Team 10's position. He wanted to finish Xavier personally.
2...
Maya and the dream team were already moving into a tactical formation, their movements fluid and fast.
1...
Xavier's heart beat once, hard and steady.
START!
The warzone exploded into movement.
"Follow us, and stay low!" Xavier's team leader shouted, sprinting toward a ruined storefront
Xavier didn't argue. He moved, his exo-suit hissing as he kept pace. He was the "Zero," the "Anchor," the "2% Joke." But as he peered through the ruins with his Level 15 Vision, he saw things his teammates didn't. He saw the shimmer of an ambush in the building to their right.
The game had begun.