What Awakened in My Heart

At this moment, the corners of Draco's cold lips curled upward.

After all, while his combat power could be considered elite, it was derived more from mental exertion and absolute calmness.

Even he had to admit that, based on his observations over the past few days, Xu De was calmer than him, possessed even more imaginative tactics, and displayed piloting skills that surpassed even Moody's.

If he had to put it into words, Xu De was like a midpoint between himself and Moody, but with that midpoint elevated to a higher level.

In a one-on-one duel, there would certainly be little chance of victory.

But right now, Xu De's machine integrity was extremely low, and although he had switched to Moody's machine, his own performance had further declined.

The opportunity for him was massive!

"Go to hell!!"

Unlike his usual reserved demeanor, Draco roared with excitement as he entered the zone. He saw Xu De block the bullets he had fired toward the already damaged right chest of his machine.

He didn't block it in a conventional way; he used the corpse of Moody's Ginn as a shield.

The moment the attack was blocked, Xu De threw the Heavy Cleaver embedded in Moody's cockpit toward Draco's position.

The flying blade carried immense momentum, and under the moon's weak gravity, it possessed the force of a thunderbolt, forcing Draco to change course to dodge.

It was at this very moment that Xu De grabbed the machine gun at Moody's side to fire at his opponent, while his other arm picked up the machine gun he had previously dropped on the ground.

"Ambidextrous Combat!"

Xu De declared.

He knew his chances were slim, but he had to give it a shot.

Hadn't he trained so hard precisely for a day like this?!

Although he had made that line up on the spot, his movements were indeed living up to the claim.

Xu De fired wildly at his opponent as if he were precisely controlling two machine guns simultaneously.

For a human, this would be a move that severely split one's focus, but for Xu De, after his recent calculations, it felt as if something in his brain had broken out of its cocoon, leaving him feeling incredibly refreshed.

Even controlling two sights at the same time felt remarkably smooth.

"...Damn it."

Watching Xu De's state, Draco cursed aloud before the screen in front of him went black.

Is he even human? To be able to maintain accuracy while firing from both sides, with one hand providing suppressive fire while the other focused on the main attack.

He was already unfamiliar with piloting the Ginn, and now, he had been easily defeated.

As the dust settled on this selection and the eager gazes of the crowd fell upon him, Xu De stepped out of his simulator and looked toward the group led by Moody and Draco.

"Impressive, I can't believe you actually won like that."

Moody gave a sincere thumbs-up in praise.

In reality, aside from the initial unwillingness that comes with losing, from a big-picture perspective, this was beneficial for all three of them.

After all, Xu De's ability was stronger than his, and his schemes were more cunning than Draco's.

That was enough for him to become their leader, increasing their survival rate on future battlefields and allowing them to earn more merit.

It was advantageous for his future.

"Hmph."

On the other side, Draco let out a soft snort, though he still bowed slightly toward him.

"A bet is a bet."

Xu De smiled.

Although he was drenched in sweat, it did not diminish the youth's charm; instead, it made him appear to be radiating masculine energy.

"Of course, what kind of people do you take us for?"

Moody rolled his eyes at Xu De and said.

Among the three, Xu De was the boss.

On the battlefield and during their future journey at the military academy, both of them would be reliable partners.

Lost in thought, Xu De added.

"I believe in you both."

"So, if you can beat me in the future, this captain's position will be yours."

If the captaincy were decided by a single victory, the two of them likely wouldn't respect it for long.

Rather than letting a single match decide the leadership, it was better to let them continue to compete with him.

Only by winning consistently could he make them truly convinced and solidify his leadership position among the three.

Furthermore, he could continue to hone himself through this competition.

For the three of them, they were each other's whetstones.

Most importantly, Xu De did not feel that he would lose.

During his previous battle against Moody and Draco, it felt as though something had awakened within him.

If his intuition was correct, an ability akin to ambidexterity had emerged; after all, he was two people in one, and when pushed to the brink, it was entirely possible he had unleashed a hidden potential.

Although he had previously stated that it was impossible for an ordinary grunt to unleash such power, the fact that there were two souls within his body was something no ordinary soldier had ever experienced.

Furthermore, the volume and scientific rigor of his daily training far exceeded that of an average person.

The accumulation of his daily efforts leading to a sudden breakthrough was something achievable even for ordinary people, let alone a transmigrator like himself.

Still, he needed to test exactly where he had grown stronger as soon as possible.

Who wouldn't be happy about their own progress?

Especially progress made at such a critical juncture; every step was worth Xu De celebrating with joy.

On the other side, hearing these words from Xu De, the gazes of the two men shifted slightly.

It could be said that both were now truly convinced of Xu De's strength.

Yet, hearing Xu De state it so openly and honestly only increased their admiration for him.

"Good! You said it yourself!"

Moody stepped forward and gave Xu De a friendly punch on the shoulder.

Even the usually aloof Draco walked up at this moment.

"Mm, I said it."

"Challenges are welcome at any time."

Xu De laughed.

Hearing the three of them finish, the others also hurried forward to offer their congratulations.

Although they were only reserve MS pilots and would likely have to compete with others once they reached Earth, Xu De was undoubtedly the most likely among them to become an official MS pilot.

Building a good relationship was crucial.

Moreover, they had all traveled together from the World Tree to the Moon.

This meant their relationship was inherently a bit closer.

Sucking up to him now might ensure that if Xu De struck it rich in the future, he would remember them and they might reap some benefits.

As for Xu De, he did not reject the others approaching him.

These were all second lieutenants, the elite.

Even if they were only approaching him out of self-interest, they still possessed value.

In the future, they could discuss mutual interests and achieve win-win cooperation.

As long as he wasn't being swindled or set up, it was fine.

A lone wolf, no matter how strong, could not go far.

Only a pack could truly thrive and prosper.

"Xu, let's go out for a drink together before you head down to Earth."

"That's right, consider it a farewell party for you."

"We might not be able to beat you in a Ginn, but we won't lose at the drinking table."

"No problem."

Listening to the officers around him, Xu De readily agreed with a hearty laugh.