Get Out

The five simulators. Everyone except Xu De had been chosen by playing rock-paper-scissors.

As mentioned earlier, they were all people who wanted to improve.

MS pilots—just look at how powerful the Ginn was. If they could become reserve MS pilots, and the plan really succeeded in the future, they would be the first pilots of experimental MS units.

If they bet right, they'd become the best of the best.

If they bet wrong, they'd still be elite MA pilots. Either way, they had nothing to lose.

That was why they had to compete all the harder, and why the rivalry was so fierce.

Just as everyone had decided who would go first, the atmosphere in another group grew tense.

"A corporal—and a yellow-skinned one at that. I'd like to see what he can do."

The gloomy young man named Hal stared at Xu De's back.

"Hal, don't underestimate him. We couldn't do it either—not with two mobile suits."

A young man from Hal's group spoke softly.

But there was an undercurrent of provocation in his tone.

"Give me the chance, and I could do it too."

"Those Garrison Force guys are a bunch of freeloaders, anyway. Maybe the Coordinators they fought before weren't that strong to begin with."

Hal's voice was dark. Clearly, the other man's provocation had made him even more dissatisfied with Xu De.

As far as they were concerned, the Garrison Force might as well not exist.

Those people were all there because of connections. They wouldn't say it out loud, but the combat veterans looked down on them.

As for Xu De, they didn't know why he'd ended up here, but he was just a rear-area man. How could he compare with those who fought at the very front? How could he stand among them?

It was an insult to them.

"Here, the strong rule! You can't just brag because you picked up someone else's victories."

"I'll make him understand that."

"Draco, just watch!"

The young man's expression turned a little ferocious. Paired with his lean, defined muscles, he looked downright intimidating.

"Is that so..."

Seeing that he'd provoked Hal enough, the young man stepped back with a warm, aristocratic smile.

These people were all the same. They thought they were God's chosen, that God was first and they were second.

Normally, he disdained them.

But at a time like this, they were easy to use.

Watching Hal head toward Xu De, who was about to enter a simulator, Draco narrowed his eyes and stared at Xu De like a snake flicking its tongue.

If the two of them got into a fistfight, that would be ideal.

It would make Halberton's opinion of Hal plummet.

He knew Halberton hated that kind of brutish behavior and looked down on racists.

As for Xu De, if he got beaten badly, he'd surely be eliminated too.

And if it came to a fight in the Moebius, Hal was strong.

Though he was one Ginn short of Xu De, his own skill was impressive. Given the chance, he should be able to take down a second Ginn.

In other words, this provocation would let him test both men's true abilities and tactics at once.

Then he could use the results to come up with a plan.

No matter what happened, he had nothing to lose.

They were choosing five out of ten to begin with. If one person was out, he'd have a better chance. If two were out, he'd be all but guaranteed a spot.

At the thought, the young man's expression grew even colder and more sinister.

Meanwhile, before he could get into the simulator, Xu De ran into Hal.

"Is something the matter, sir?" Xu De asked.

His voice was neither servile nor arrogant.

That only made Hal's gaze more hostile.

Seeing this familiar scene, Xu De sighed inwardly. He'd been expecting it.

People like this were everywhere. And with the rise of the Coordinators, there were even more of them.

American-style bullying. The excuses were much the same, and so were the methods.

At least until he climbed higher, he'd have to deal with plenty of people like this.

And his way of handling them was much the same too.

"Corporal Xu De, you—"

Before Hal could finish, Moody, who'd been standing beside Xu De, stepped between them and tried to smooth things over.

"Whatever you have to say, you can say it after the training starts."

"The people upstairs are waiting."

Moody's smile was warm, and his combat record spoke for itself. Few dared to offend him.

Moody was also subtly hinting at the bigwigs watching from the observation room above.

No one knew exactly who was in there, but given how seriously Halberton took this plan, Halberton himself might well be upstairs.

At that, Hal looked up toward the observation room and reined in his hostile expression.

The fighting spirit stirred up by the young man had dimmed a little, though it hadn't gone out.

He'd planned to beat Xu De, teach him his place, and show the people upstairs what he could do.

He wanted to demonstrate his ability and skill.

He'd done this many times before, in all kinds of pilot selection trials.

But as Moody had said, wasting time would only hurt his chances.

Hal looked back at Xu De, who remained calm before him.

"Hey, you've got guts. Fight me one-on-one."

"How about we settle it in the simulators?"

He wasn't stupid.

His tone was blunt, but he hadn't said anything discriminatory. If anything, he sounded more straightforward.

It was a little sudden, but hard to refuse.

They might pride themselves on being civilized, but deep down, they were still as barbaric as pirates.

If Xu De refused, it would look like he was afraid. Even if he was in the right, he'd lose points in the eyes of those watching.

So he couldn't back down. And with Bella's information, he was confident he could beat the other man.

If he wanted to rise, he had to compete.

Facing Hal's challenge, Xu De ignored Moody's look and gave a slight nod.

"Fine."

Hal was certainly strong, but he had the same flaw as many powerful people.

Or rather, as most Atlantic elites.

He was too arrogant.

He thought he was stronger than everyone else, that he was one of the chosen.

That was exactly why he had bigger weaknesses, just like in his training videos.

His fighting style was fierce and domineering. It worked against Coordinators who lacked combat experience and had been blinded by the conflict with Junius.

But against an experienced, calm pilot, it wasn't very effective.

In short, he had plenty of courage but lacked the reactions to match.

"Just fighting wouldn't be much fun. If you lose, get out."

Xu De remained calm. He gave a slight nod and asked softly,

"And if you lose?"

The question was pointed, but his tone was as mild as if he were asking where Hal wanted to have lunch.

"I'll get out too!" Hal glared at him and said.