Kaelan was enjoying his coffee, looking unusually relaxed.
> "Ahh… same day, same routine… For most people, this would be boring. But after everything I've been through, this feels like pure happiness. Honestly, I wish it could stay like this until I retire."
He grinned to himself.
Just as he was about to take another sip, a loud announcement blasted from the academy's advanced megaphone system.
"Attention! The Inter-Academy Friendship Tournament will be held in two weeks!!"
Kaelan froze mid-sip—then immediately spat his coffee everywhere. His stomach tightened.
A public tournament. One that anyone could watch.
The announcement shook the entire academy. Two weeks from now, every student would be thrown into the spotlight. For Aethelgard, it was the perfect chance to prove their reforms under Dr. Aris.
Dr. Aris stood before the students in the main hall.
> "We'll send three teams," he explained. "Each one made up of three pilots and one support technician."
Kaelan, still wiping coffee off his uniform, rushed to find where the voice had come from—and, of course, his team.
Riko's eyes sparkled with excitement.
> "This is it! We're totally gonna get picked!"
Sofia crossed her arms, unimpressed.
> "Don't get ahead of yourself. Our coordination's still a mess."
Marcus nodded in agreement.
> "She's right. We need serious training."
Kaelan stayed quiet, watching how everyone reacted. He could feel the stares, whispers slipping through the crowd—about him. About the "male pilot" with "that strange power."
Marcus broke the silence, pumping his fist.
> "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go train!"
They were just about to head out when the megaphone blared again.
"Reminder! Any team can register for the selection trials to decide who'll represent the academy in the tournament. Trials will be standard training exercises—but much more intense!"
Riko, Sofia, and Marcus immediately started planning extra practice. Kaelan… didn't make it. Because Kaelan need Answer the call of nature.... By the time he was done, the others had already trained, and he had no choice but to jump straight into the trials with them.
The selection was nothing like they expected. Sure, the format looked like normal drills—but Dr. Aris had designed the simulator to push them to their limits. In one session, they were forced to face off against three enemy Artifacts at once.
"Marcus, set up the defense!" Sofia shouted. "Kaelan, flank them!"
But Rustbucket didn't listen. Instead, it launched straight up, then dove right into the center of the enemy formation.
"What are you doing?!" Marcus yelled. "You're breaking formation!"
But the gamble worked. The sudden assault threw the enemies into chaos, and Sofia swiftly picked them off.
Afterwards, Riko ran over with his tablet, practically buzzing.
> "Fascinating! Your combat style's unpredictable, but it works. I can rework our team strategy to use this."
Sofia scowled.
> "That was luck. In a real match, it could get us killed."
Kaelan's reply was cold.
> "But it worked, didn't it?"
Marcus stepped in before the argument could explode.
> "We need balance. Discipline and improvisation."
That night, Kaelan found himself in the hangar, checking over Rustbucket. His scar burned faintly, like it always did after a fight.
"You look tense, kid," Scrap Queen's voice startled him. She carried a box of tools and spare parts.
"I'm not used to all this attention," Kaelan admitted. "It used to just be me, Rustbucket, and the enemy."
Scrap Queen crouched down by Rustbucket's leg.
> "The world's changing. You can't hide forever."
She revealed her newest upgrade: an integrated comms system.
> "This should help you sync with your team."
The next day, Dr. Aris announced the chosen teams. As expected, Kaelan's group—now officially "Team Grit"—was selected.
But Aris's face turned serious.
> "There's a problem. Tournament rules forbid 'unconventional abilities' unless they're cleared beforehand."
Every eye turned toward Kaelan. Everyone knew what that meant: his Grit.
"So I can't use my power?" Kaelan asked.
"Not exactly," Aris replied. "But you'll have to prove it's safe and under control. Otherwise, you'll be limited to Rustbucket's basic functions."
His voice softened, almost disappointed.
> "This rule was added at the last minute by the organizers. But I still believe in you, Kaelan. There's more potential in you than you realize."
The weight of it crushed Kaelan. Without Grit, he was just another pilot with an old machine.
Riko's eyes gleamed with determination.
> "Then let's train even harder!"
But training without Grit went poorly. Rustbucket moved stiffly, clumsy without its connection to Kaelan.
"This isn't working," Sofia muttered after yet another failed drill. "Without your ability, we can't even beat the backup squads."
Riko swiped through his data.
> "Combat efficiency drops by 68% when Kaelan holds back."
Later, Marcus found Kaelan sitting alone in the hangar.
> "You don't need to be ashamed of what you are."
"That's not it," Kaelan admitted quietly. "I'm… scared."
Marcus frowned.
> "Scared of what?"
"That if they see my power, they'll call me a monster. Just like before."
Unknowingly, Dr. Aris had overheard. He stepped closer.
> "Your power's a part of you, Kaelan. But the key is to control it—not let it control you."
That thought stayed with Kaelan. Rustbucket's reckless battle instincts weren't accidents—they were choices. Rustbucket had always been a solo fighter, not a team player. Kaelan realized he'd never truly been in charge—it had been Rustbucket's call every time.
The night before the tournament, Kaelan couldn't sleep. He climbed into Rustbucket's cockpit, running his hands over the controls.
"We'll figure out a way," he whispered. "To show them who we really are—without making them afraid."
Rustbucket pulsed faintly in response, red spirals glowing across its frame.
The next morning, as the team gathered to depart, Kaelan made his decision.
> "I'll use my Grit. Not just to control it—
No. To work with Rustbucket."
Sofia smirked faintly.
> "Good. I don't want to lose just because you're holding back."
On the transport plane, Kaelan stared out the window. It was his first time leaving the academy since coming back. The world looked so wide.
"Other academies are strong," Riko said, scrolling through his tablet. "One from the East has this super unique fighting style."
Marcus crossed his arms.
> "And I've heard rumors… one academy's training pilots with special abilities too."
Everyone glanced at Kaelan. Could there be others like him?
When they landed, a massive crowd awaited them. Media, officials, curious spectators—all hungry to see the infamous "male pilot" of Aethelgard.
Kaelan drew a long breath. This was more than just a tournament. It was his first real test—of himself, his team, and the new academy under Dr. Aris.
The real fight was only beginning.