The Battle Royale

The final test was only two days away.

Unlike the other candidates, who looked utterly dejected, the three of them wore confident expressions.

There was no helping it. They had all trained together over the past two days, and the others simply couldn't keep up with them.

What was more, the three had become increasingly adept at working together.

There were three spots, and they were as good as secured.

The others could fight all they wanted over the remaining two.

Of course, the three weren't arrogant despite their confidence. As usual, they got up early and gathered together.

"So, what did you want to say? Hurry up so I can go back and catch some sleep before the test."

Moody, whom Draco had pulled aside, yawned.

It wasn't that he was lazy.

They only had twenty-four hours to train, and to make the most of that time, someone had to stay up all night.

In plain terms, they didn't know when ZAFT might attack, so they had to be ready to fight at any moment, twenty-four hours a day.

Draco didn't answer. He just rolled his eyes at Moody and said coolly,

"I asked around. They've finalized the content of the final test."

"It's a battle royale."

"...Isn't that obvious?"

Moody looked at him as if he were an idiot.

"A battle royale! The last person standing wins!"

Draco glared at Moody again as he clarified.

Xu De wasn't particularly surprised by the news. His expression remained calm as he said,

"We'd already guessed as much."

"If the brass insists on having us fight it out, that's only natural."

Teamwork, individual combat ability, and tactical thinking—all were essential.

It wasn't strange that they'd chosen this.

If anything, it had been within their expectations. Now it was simply confirmed.

The three of them would have to fight each other in the end anyway.

"That's not all. I also heard that whoever places first this time gets a five-hundred-thousand bonus, a private room at the academy, and priority access to the simulators, plus unlimited gym time."

"And they'll probably be given priority when they appoint future squad leaders, too."

Draco said in a low voice.

"Damn..."

Moody drew a sharp breath at those terms.

Five hundred thousand was a lot, and simulator access made the prize even more tempting.

It wasn't that the brass would be stingy with simulator time.

It was just that at the academy, simulator use would be scheduled in shifts. They wouldn't open the place in the middle of the night just for one person, either.

That made priority access extremely valuable. It was practically a privilege that put you ahead of everyone else from the starting line.

And then there was the squad leader position.

A squad leader would certainly get better treatment than an ordinary member.

The role was valuable in its own right, too.

It would make it easier to meet more people.

It was impossible for the three of them not to be tempted.

After another stretch of silence, Moody looked from one of them to the other.

"What?"

Draco asked coldly.

"If I win, you two will have to listen to me from now on, right?"

Moody grinned.

"I never said that. But are you trying to make a wager?"

For the first time, Draco's icy expression showed a hint of interest.

"Of course. Whoever wins gets to call the shots."

Moody had thought this through. Competition would only grow fiercer in the future, so they needed to stick together.

For now, the three of them were working together only because they shared a common goal.

But with a leader, their group would be much more tightly bound.

Besides... the other two were elite among elites. If he could add their strength to his own, he'd be unstoppable.

Then what would there be to worry about? His future would be bright.

"What do you say?"

At Moody's words, Xu De lifted his eyes to look at him.

Moody's suggestion had hit upon exactly what he wanted, too.

To survive here, and even fight back, he needed strength.

The facts had proved that a team of three was stronger than one person alone.

With them, Heliopolis would have a better chance in the future, too.

Of course, that was only if they won.

Thinking of how the two had trained, Xu De had already begun calculating their odds.

Draco, who also didn't answer right away, was doing much the same.

"You two sure do overthink things."

Moody teased the two across from him.

"Fine."

Xu De ignored Moody. After a brief silence, he answered.

If he wanted to win, the strength of all three of them mattered.

And when they reached the unfamiliar California Military Academy, it would be even more important to have each other's backs.

After all, they weren't the only five candidates selected from their group.

In short, becoming a Gundam pilot wouldn't be easy.

The important thing was to build up their strength as early as possible.

Whether it was the five hundred thousand, priority access, or the advantages that came with a leadership position, Xu De wanted to seize them all.

He was greedy, but in a world where he didn't know whom he could trust, greed was the greatest motivation to keep moving forward.

"I'm in, too."

Right after Xu De, Draco gave the same answer.

"Then it's settled!"

Moody's sleepiness vanished as soon as he heard them agree. He was clearly fired up.

"I'm going to win! You two can get ready to be my underlings."

Moody grinned brightly, as if he could already picture his future with a dragon on each side and Mickey Mouse in the middle.

"Hmph. Just make sure you know when to admit defeat."

Draco gave a cold laugh, too.

Xu De said nothing. He simply lowered his eyes and continued analyzing the two men's combat styles from their training over the past two days.

Both of them had flaws in their personalities. If he analyzed them thoroughly, his odds of winning would be quite high.

He had experience on his side.

Meanwhile, in another room, Bella anxiously blocked her uncle, who was heading toward the training area.

"Uncle! Do you think Xu De has a chance!?!"

"...How would I know?"

Cook replied, exasperated.

"You watch him every day! How could you not know?"

Bella pouted unhappily.

"...Overall, I'd say he probably has a chance."

Cook answered helplessly.

"But if the others team up during the battle royale, that could make things difficult for Xu De."

"Hasn't he teamed up with someone?"

Bella asked.

"He has, but they'll still have to fight in the end. And most likely, it'll be two against one."

Cook shook his head.

Moody had the instincts of a beast, while Draco's coolheadedness complemented him perfectly.

Xu De had the strengths of both, but from what Cook could see, he hadn't yet managed to pull far ahead of either of them.

It was hard to say who would come out on top.

"That's so underhanded!"

At Bella's complaint, Cook's mouth twitched.

But he held back from arguing with the young lady.

"I want to go watch, too!"

Bella said.

"Fine. But stay in the corner and don't make a fuss."

Cook said, having already anticipated this.