Across the vast training grounds, a row of steel mecha stood at attention, each over dozens of meters tall, their imposing presence awe-inspiring.
"To become an outstanding Mecha Master, you have to undergo actual combat and rack up piloting hours!"
A one-eyed Instructor addressed the students with a stern expression. "Other schools train with outdated models, some even using antique first-generation units. But here, we use standard-issue K9999s across the board! You're lucky! When you join the military, you'll be able to transition seamlessly without any additional training. You..."
He pointed at a student. "State the K9999's specifications!"
"Yes, sir!"
A male student clasped his hands behind his back and shouted, "Gundam-K9999, height: 24.5 meters! Weight: 177 tons! Main armor: Norman Alloy. Power source: Third-generation Psionic Reaction Furnace. Primary weapon: shoulder-mounted Laser Cannon. Compatible weapons: Photon Clutch Sword, Nuclear Heavy Hammer, Alloy War Saber..."
"Good. Return to your place!"
One-eyed Dragon Yago seemed satisfied with his answer. His gaze flicked to Fang Yuan. "Discipline and obedience are the principles of my class. Whatever order I give, no matter how unreasonable, you'll do everything in your power to carry it out. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
All the students shouted together.
"Now, get into your mecha. Be careful not to step on the wrong pedal. If anyone makes such a rookie mistake, I'll have him clean the training grounds and the toilets for a month!"
Yago roared, then climbed into his Instructor mecha.
Unlike the standard-issue steel Gundams, his mecha was only a dozen or so meters tall, entirely black, and possessed an elegant, streamlined form with a hint of savage, violent beauty.
Clearly, this was an elite General-class Mecha, and its price was extraordinary.
The K9999 series the students piloted was the military's optimal compromise between cost and performance. Even then, the