Yang Hui and his companions chatted and laughed as they made their way to their private lounge. Although they had been away on long campaigns, it was only fitting that a lieutenant general, a major general, and a colonel had their own rooms at the headquarters.
On the way, they encountered Woolf's team, who had stopped in their tracks.
"What are you looking at?" Yang Hui and the others stopped to ask.
"Lieutenant General! Major General! Colonel!" Albright, Max, and Alisa saluted respectfully. Asemu, who had initially wanted to speak directly, quickly followed suit.
"Relax, it's not wartime. No need to be so formal," Yang Hui said, returning the salute.
"Yes, sir!" the four of them replied in unison.
"What are you looking at? Let me see... [Next Generation Pilot Special Training Program]... Hmm, Flit really came up with something interesting here," Yang Hui praised, stroking his chin.
The [Celestial Being] unit had been the cradle of the Federal Army's ace pilots for over a decade, and that hadn't changed. However, only elites could join the [Celestial Being] unit for further training, and the high barrier to entry left many aspiring pilots feeling discouraged. That's why Flit had created a training program tailored for ordinary pilots.
This program also served as a ticket to the [Celestial Being] unit. Instead of forcing people in or handpicking them from other units, it was better to establish a systematic process. Pilots who performed well in the special training, combined with their actual combat records, could qualify for the [Celestial Being] unit.
"Did you know about this, Lieutenant General?" Alisa asked.
"Sort of. This is Flit's brainchild. It's a ticket to the [Celestial Being] unit. Through various training modules, it assesses a pilot's characteristics and cultivates their overall combat abilities. If someone excels in both training and actual combat, they get a chance to join the [Celestial Being] unit."
"Really? Is that how members of the [Celestial Being] unit are selected?"
Alisa and Max exclaimed in surprise. Joining the [Celestial Being] unit was the dream of every Federal Army pilot, and they were no exception.
"It wasn't like that before, but this makes it more systematic. However, whether someone can join ultimately depends on..."
"Depends on what?" the four of them pressed anxiously.
"On our mood," Yang Hui said with a smirk, giving an absurd answer.
"What? That's not fair..."
"I'm just messing with you."
"Huh?"
"Whether someone can join depends on many factors. Pilot skills and combat records are just one part of it. Attitude, personality, and perseverance also matter. You know the missions of the [Celestial Being] unit are the most dangerous. Being able to maintain a good mindset under heavy pressure is crucial."
"I see. That makes sense. But what do you mean by personality?" Max asked.
"Would you like to be in a team with someone you dislike?" Yang Hui countered.
"No," the four of them shook their heads in unison.
"Exactly."
Seeing Yang Hui shrug, they understood. Although it felt a bit whimsical, it made perfect sense. Who wouldn't want their colleagues to be people they liked?
"Does that mean I don't have a chance?" Alisa suddenly lost her enthusiasm for the special training.
"Don't say that. Setting aside qualifications, this special training is still quite useful. Being stronger on the battlefield increases your chances of survival. Plus, this training can assess X-Rounder abilities. For ordinary pilots, it's still a great opportunity..."
"Uncle Yang Hui, did you say this training can assess X-Rounder abilities?" Asemu, who had initially been uninterested, couldn't stay calm when he heard about X-Rounder abilities.
Having lost to Jehart twice and been spared by him both times, Asemu blamed everything on his lack of X-Rounder abilities. He believed that if he had X-Rounder abilities, he could defeat Jehart. He desperately wanted to awaken his X-Potential Field and defeat Jehart.
X-Rounder abilities were extremely rare, and the military's research on the X-Potential Field was far behind. There was no detailed information available. Asemu, who had been at a loss, now saw this as an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
"Why? Are you interested in X-Rounder abilities?"
"...Yes... If I had X-Rounder abilities..."
Seeing Asemu clench his fists and bite his lip, Yang Hui couldn't help but shake his head. Jehart's talent was indeed superior to Asemu's. Even if Asemu weren't an X-Rounder, catching up to Jehart would require several times the effort. Moreover, Jehart had been groomed as Ezelcant's successor since childhood, receiving the most elite education and training, which Asemu's half-hearted training couldn't compare to.
However, Yang Hui didn't want to discourage Asemu. Some things could only be understood through experience. Even without X-Rounder abilities, the special training would still benefit Asemu.
"Then go for it. Although it's mainly aimed at pilots with over five years of experience, there are no strict restrictions on participants. You can all give it a try," Yang Hui said.
"Yes, sir!" the four of them replied.
Asemu was the most excited. Learning that he could participate in the special training, he felt as if X-Rounder abilities were within his grasp.
Watching the four of them leave with high spirits, Yulin asked Yang Hui with concern, "Why didn't you tell him the truth?"
"About his low X-Rounder adaptability?"
Not only Yang Hui, who was well-versed in the story, but also Graham, Yulin, and Flit knew that Asemu's X-Rounder adaptability was very low. It was likely that he would never awaken his X-Potential Field.
(X-Rounder users could resonate with each other, even if they hadn't fully awakened yet. Yulin could sense even the faintest resonance.)
"Yes. Right now, he's full of hope, but later..."
"Would he believe it if we told him? Or would he accept it?" Yang Hui countered.
Yulin fell silent. Yang Hui was right. Even if they told him the truth, Asemu wouldn't accept it now. Some things could only be understood through experience.
"I'm afraid Asemu might lose heart," Yulin worried.
"That's when I'll step in," Graham said.
"Graham?"
"You're an X-Rounder, and Yang Hui is an Innovator. You're not normal people. So I'll tell Asemu that even a normal person can defeat an X-Rounder," Graham said proudly. He never envied Yang Hui or Yulin, nor did he desire special powers like Innovators or X-Rounders. He took pride in being a natural human.
But...
"Gra~ham~"
"Uh!" Feeling a chill, Graham stiffly turned his head to see Yang Hui and Yulin's "gentle" smiles. "Wh-what's wrong?"
"I think we need to have a serious discussion about what 'normal' means."
"Yes, I agree."
Graham turned to run, but before he could take a step, Yang Hui grabbed him by the collar.
"Let go! Yang Hui! Let go!"
"Not so fast. We just came up with an interesting combat formation and need someone to test it."
"No! I was wrong! I admit it!"
"Heh." X2
"Let go~!!!!"
...
As Asemu prepared to leave for training, he ran into Romary. Realizing it had been a long time since they'd had a proper chat, and with some time before training started, Asemu decided to have a good talk with Romary. After all, there was something between him, Jehart, and Romary...
"It's been a while since we talked like this. There's hardly any chance to speak on the ship."
"Yeah..." Romary felt a pang of sadness. She had joined the military against her parents' wishes to follow Asemu and Jehart, but after all this time, she hadn't been able to have a proper conversation with Asemu, let alone see Jehart.
"Um... Asemu..."
"What is it?" Seeing Romary hesitate, Asemu asked proactively.
"Nothing... nothing..." Romary had many questions she wanted to ask Asemu, but seeing his eyes, she couldn't bring herself to say them. So she changed the subject. "Asemu, what's with this uniform?"
"Oh, I'm participating in a special training program. I want to become stronger."
"Asemu is still so hardworking. It seems you really admire the Lieutenant General and the others."
"Yeah... Not just them, but also Jehart..."
"Jehart..."
At the mention of Jehart, a heavy atmosphere settled over them. The previously cheerful conversation turned somber.
"Is... is it because of your promise?"
"Yeah..."
"Have you... seen Jehart since then?"
"Yeah, during the last battle. He was piloting that red MS."
"I see..." Romary didn't know what to say. Although they hadn't spoken much, she had been paying attention to Asemu and knew that the Gundam AGE-2 had been defeated by the red MS, leaving Asemu deeply discouraged.
Although she knew about their promise, seeing them fight and hurt each other pained her.
"Yeah... To defeat Jehart, I have to become much stronger. Otherwise..." Asemu didn't finish the sentence, but he added the rest in his heart.
"...Otherwise, how can I protect you?"
"Is that so... You two... are still going to fight, aren't you?"
"...Yeah. I'm a Federal soldier, and he's VEGAN..."
"Asemu..."
"What is it?"
"Can you promise me something?"
"What?"
"Just... just... can you promise to protect yourself?" Romary mustered the courage to say what she truly wanted to say, but she only said half of it. Because she wanted not just Asemu, but also Jehart, to protect themselves.
"...Yeah! I promise!"
At that moment, Asemu's resolve to become stronger grew even firmer, and a vague feeling in his heart began to take shape.
Despite his high spirits, reality proved to be cruel. Two days later, the special training came to a temporary end, and Asemu confidently checked his results.
Physical fitness, shooting ability, reaction time... mostly A's and B's. These results were outstanding even within the entire Federal Army.
But Asemu wasn't happy. Instead, he trembled with despair, because...
"X-Rounder adaptability... D..."
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