The sun hadn't yet risen, but the dorm room of Unit 06 was already buzzing with quiet intensity. No one spoke much. The early morning tension sat like weight on their shoulders, thicker than any blanket. Their next match was only a few hours away, and their opponents were no pushovers.
Unit 02.
Inside their strategy room, the lights were dimmed low. Screens floated midair, displaying combat footage of Unit 02 in past simulations. Lexa, their unit leader, moved like lightning with precision spear strikes. Her squad was composed of well-coordinated fighters who executed combo assaults with military grace.
"No weak links," Kayden muttered, arms crossed. "They move like they're synced mentally."
Devin nodded, pulling up the schematic of their last simulation. "We need to split their rhythm. If we can isolate Lexa or bait their support away from formation, we can break their flow."
"I can be bait," Henry offered with a smirk. "I'm good at making people angry."
"We'll consider that," Kira said dryly, her eyes never leaving the footage.
Zane was leaning back against the wall, his eyes half-lidded, but his mind racing. "They rely heavily on Lexa's cue signals. We interrupt that... she loses command."
Kayden stood. The team looked at him naturally now. After Leo named him captain, no one contested it. He had earned it in silence and strength.
"Alright," he said. "We fight them like a storm. Devin and Kira stay on range. Zane and I go full offense. Elliot, you shadow Lexa. Henry... do your thing."
Henry grinned. "That's fancy talk for being unpredictable."
Kayden nodded. "Exactly."
---
Meanwhile, at the Inspector Lounge
The large monitor lit up with clips from the previous day. Travis leaned back in his chair, an amused smirk dancing on his lips.
"Unit 06 survived," he said, mockingly sipping from a ceramic cup. "I'll admit, I thought they'd crack under pressure."
Leo didn't respond. He simply watched.
Travis continued. "But you do realize Unit 02 isn't Unit 08, right? Lexa's been trained under Commander Piers herself. If your little group loses control, it won't end well."
Leo's eyes narrowed, his voice calm. "And if they win?"
Travis chuckled. "Then I might actually be impressed."
Leo turned away from the screen. "Keep watching. They haven't even started burning yet."
---
Later That Night...
The atmosphere in Unit 06's dorm was quieter. Devin was tuning his gear. Kira sat cross-legged, meditating. Zane looked out the window, while Henry threw a pillow in the air repeatedly.
Elliot finally broke the silence. "Michael's Judgment Hale... it burned with real fire."
Kayden nodded. "He's more than a cadet. He's a message."
"To who?"
Zane responded, his tone dark. "To anyone who thinks the top can be challenged."
"Then we better become the reply," Kayden said.
Their soul skills weren't the strongest. Their records weren't the cleanest. But none of that mattered tomorrow.
They were Unit 06. And tomorrow, they'd show the world what that meant.