The squad wandered through Fort Terra's massive training grounds. The air was clean, the sky a brilliant blue, the ocean stretching endlessly in the distance. Warships sailed on the sea, massive hulls casting shadows over the water, while airborne cruisers hovered above, their engines humming like thunder.
Then a sound tore through the sky.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The ground quaked under a shockwave. Marines nearby turned, cheering.
Jin and his squad spun around, eyes wide. "What the—?!"
⸻
The Duel
Two UNE soldiers in full armor clashed in the center of an open training arena. They moved so fast that their bodies blurred, vanishing and reappearing with each strike. Every punch detonated like a cannon, every block thundered like a quake.
They weren't just trading blows—they were dancing through the air itself. Using Air Step, the two fighters darted skyward, sprinting along invisible stairs, colliding mid-air with bone-rattling sonic booms. Their fists and feet whipped out in brutal martial arts combinations, striking faster than the human eye could track.
One soldier twisted mid-air, slamming a roundhouse kick that sent the other skidding across the ground, carving a trench in the stone floor. The crowd roared, fists pumping.
⸻
The Squad's Reaction
Marco's jaw dropped. "HOLY—these guys look like they're straight-up flying!"
Raul laughed nervously. "That's not flying, that's straight insanity! Look at those combos!"
Jerome's eyes bulged. "Are you telling me this is sparring? This is sparring!?"
Min-seo whispered, trembling, "How do we even... catch up to that level...?"
Jin stood frozen, speechless. Every sonic boom rattled his bones, every blur of movement reminding him of just how far he still had to go.
Asura's sharp eyes narrowed, silently studying every move.
⸻
The Veterans' Calm
Reaper, arms folded, didn't flinch.
Hudson smirked.
Hunter chuckled.
"Relax, kids," Hunter said casually. "This is normal. Just sparring between comrades."
Jerome whipped his head toward him. "NORMAL?! They're shaking the damn sky!"
Reaper tilted his head slightly. "When you've been around long enough... you'll see this every week. Elites sharpen each other. This is just a warm-up."
The rookies stared back in disbelief, as another sonic boom cracked the air like thunder.
⸻
Closing Beat
The two soldiers blurred past each other, fists colliding in mid-air, a sonic boom bursting overhead.
To Jin and his squad, it looked like gods dueling in the heavens.
To Reaper and the captains, it was just another day in the UNE.
-
The duel reached its climax with a deafening CRACK. One of the soldiers feinted mid-air, spun with blinding speed, and unleashed a kick that sent his sparring partner flying like a meteor.
SPLASHHHHHHH!
The unlucky Marine slammed into the ocean just outside Fort Terra's seawalls, waves erupting into the sky.
The crowd exploded. Marines hollered, stomping their boots against the ground.
"YEEEEAAAAAHHHH!"
"ALRIGHT ABDUL!!!"
The victor landed back on the tarmac, armor steaming from exertion. He raised a fist, visor flaring gold as the soldiers chanted his name.
"ABDUL! ABDUL! ABDUL!"
⸻
The Aftermath
Moments later, the seawater hissed and split as the defeated soldier leapt from the waves, dripping wet but grinning wide.
"Man, you cheated bro!" he shouted, pointing at his rival.
Abdul smirked, removing his helmet to reveal a broad grin. "Cheated? Nah. You just blink slower, Garison!"
The crowd howled with laughter.
⸻
Reaper Steps In
As the noise died down, the crowd parted when Reaper strode forward, cloak swaying, visor gleaming twin blue flames. Abdul and Garison both straightened, though still smiling.
Reaper's voice came cool, steady:
"That was one hell of a fight, both of you."
He turned his helmet slightly toward Garison.
"Oh—and next time?" His voice dropped just a notch, almost like advice whispered in battle.
"...Try ducking."
The crowd erupted again, laughter and cheers rolling across the training ground.
Garison groaned but laughed along. "Man, even Reaper's clowning me now!"
⸻
The Squad's Reaction
Jin, Jerome, Raul, Marco, Min-seo — all stood dumbfounded.
Marco's jaw hung open. "Bro... what the hell did we just watch?"
Raul was laughing, clapping his hands. "Legit superhuman street fight with air step tactics and everything! And they're still joking like it's nothing!?"
Jerome shook his head, still in awe. "If that's how elites spar... I don't even wanna imagine what a real fight looks like between higher ranking ones."
Asura's eyes lingered on Abdul, calculating silently.
⸻
Closing Beat
Reaper clapped Abdul on the shoulder, nodding at Garison too. The duel was over, but the energy still vibrated through the base.
To Jin and his squad, it wasn't just entertainment.
It was a glimpse of what awaited them if they ever reached the upper echelons of UNE combat.
And for the first time since setting foot on Earth, they realized—
they weren't just in the cradle of humanity.
They were standing among its titans.
-
The cheers of the crowd were still fading when Jin and his squad stepped forward. Boots hitting the tarmac in sync, they straightened and gave a crisp salute.
Reaper glanced at them, visor gleaming, and with a nod said, "At ease, Marines."
He turned toward Abdul and Garison.
"These kids here aren't just your average recruits. They survived Eryndor Prime. And they stood their ground at Typonis. Two wars—before even reaching their first year in service."
The crowd hushed. Abdul and Garison tilted their heads, their interest piqued.
Reaper stepped aside and rested a hand on Asura's shoulder, his voice firm.
"And this one here... is Asura Khan. Juno's very first prodigy. Eighteen years old. And already carrying the weight of a star system's pride."
⸻
The Shock
Abdul's eyes widened. "Wait—him? He's the prodigy that you were talking about?"
Garison let out a low whistle, his grin spreading. "No wonder the rook's got that stare. Thought he was just a quiet type—turns out he's carrying history on his back."
The soldiers nearby started murmuring, the name Asura Khan rippling through the ranks.
⸻
The Praise
Abdul stepped forward, clapping a heavy hand on Asura's armored shoulder.
"You've got my respect, brother. To hold that title at eighteen, considering the fact that it's rare to have prodigies being born out of all the trillions of star systems we control in the cosmos... that's no joke."
Garison chuckled and added, "And surviving Typonis on top of that? Hell, you the real deal for a newbie beginner hahaha!. You've got steel in you, Khan. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Even the veterans in the crowd nodded, murmuring their approval.
⸻
The Squad's Pride
Raul leaned over to Marco, whispering loudly, "Bro... we're getting praised by the guys who just made sonic booms with their fists!"
Marco smirked. "Man, if my mom hears about this, she's gonna think I'm famous."
Jerome grinned despite his bandages. "This is insane... from rookies to being recognized in Fort Terra."
Min-seo, still shy, gave the faintest smile.
Asura, however, only offered a small nod. His expression didn't change, but for the first time, he allowed himself a hint of pride.
⸻
Closing Beat
Reaper crossed his arms, satisfied.
"These kids have more than luck. They've got heart. And as long as they keep it, they'll go farther than even they realize."
The crowd around them erupted again, but this time not for Abdul or Garison.
It was for Jin's squad.
The rookies who had already survived two wars.
And the prodigy of Juno, standing among titans.
-
Reaper crossed his arms, visor glowing faintly.
"Well then—when's the meeting with the higher officers?"
Abdul adjusted his gauntlets, answering with a nod.
"Later on. A few more hours. Until then, the higher-ups are gathering intel and finalizing plans."
Reaper tilted his head slightly. "And Brouthis? He around?"
Garison chuckled, wiping seawater from his armor.
"Yeah. Should be in his barracks... or more likely at the training station."
Reaper let out a quiet, knowing laugh.
"Huh. Training again? The guy never stops, huh?"
Abdul smirked, nodding firmly.
"Indeed. He's Humanity's Prodigy after all."
⸻
The Squad's Shock
The words hit Jin and his squad like a thunderclap.
Jin's head snapped toward them, eyes wide. "Humanity's... prodigy?"
Jerome's voice cracked in disbelief. "Wait—you mean the Brouthis Ashura? The one from the stories?"
Raul's jaw dropped. "No freaking way! The guy who supposedly soloed a cosmic horror? With no scratch?!"
Marco whistled low. "Bro... I thought that was just propaganda."
Min-seo stayed quiet, but even he couldn't hide the awe in his eyes.
⸻
The Legend
The rookies weren't alone in knowing the tales. Every Marine had heard them whispered like scripture:
• Brouthis Ashura, who once stood against a monster from beyond comprehension—alone—and emerged unscathed.
• The prodigy who embodied not just a star system, but humanity itself.
• The pinnacle soldier, courted by CGS, by EVC, and still choosing UNE.
For Jin and his squad, it had always been a story too large to believe. Until now.
⸻
Closing Beat
Reaper's voice broke the silence, calm but heavy with meaning.
"Get used to hearing his name, kids. Brouthis Ashura isn't just a soldier. He's the bar we all measure ourselves against. The standard of what humanity can be."
Jin clenched his fists, his heart racing.
For the first time, the rookies understood:
they weren't just walking into a war.
They were stepping into the shadow of Humanity's Prodigy.
———————————————
To be continued...