After that day, the squad's rhythm quietly shifted direction.
Although the captain was always smiling, he was all business during tactical meetings. He unrolled the map and summed up the new strategy in one clean sentence:
"Simply put—our tactics will revolve around Miguel from now on. All of you are responsible for making sure he fights at his best."
The scout would open vision and plot routes ahead of time; the comms officer would feed Miguel real-time updates from HQ and on-the-ground changes; the firepower specialist learned to provide suppressing fire instead of charging alone; even the medic adjusted the medicine kits and carry layout to suit Miguel's habits. Everyone stacked their seemingly minor skills onto him.
"Sounds like I'm being used as a tool." Miguel muttered before their first mission under the new strategy.
The captain just smiled:
"You're the tip of the spear, we're the shaft. If either end breaks, it's not a proper weapon."
Changes in battle were far more intuitive than anything on paper.
The first mission was a sweep operation in a narrow urban area. Gone were the chaotic formations of the past—the scout marked likely enemy positions in advance, the comms officer recorded and relayed coordinates, the firepower specialist suppressed the flanks, and Miguel advanced along a cleared path.
He rarely had to look back. For the first time, the people behind him weren't just dragging their feet—they actually blocked several shots that would've hit him.
The second mission involved escorting a supply convoy. Previously, such missions were nightmares for the squad: disorganized formations, scrambled pace, no one knowing who to prioritize. But now, the captain broke the route into "firepower nodes" and "transition points," stationing Miguel at the most attack-prone section, with the others supporting that zone.
"Isn't that a bit biased?" someone asked quietly.
"It's supposed to be." the captain replied."Your job isn't to steal the spotlight—it's to make sure this bullet hits where it needs to."
Mission after mission, even with occasional mistakes or disruptions, the squad held steady. Their mission reports no longer just read "Completed," but began to include notes like "Quick response," "Good coordination," "High assault efficiency."
When HQ publicly praised them for the first time, the officer reading the bulletin paused, checking the squad number again.
"'( )' Squad has shown outstanding recent performance, completing multiple missions under high pressure. We recommend upgrading them to a Tier-One combat unit, to be included in the elite rapid deployment sequence."
For a moment, the rec room was unusually silent.
"...Us?" the medic blinked, wide-eyed."They didn't read that wrong?""It was broadcast. How could it be fake?" the comms officer's voice trembled.
Someone chuckled, hesitant, half disbelieving. The captain leaned back in his chair, exhaling like telling a long-overdue joke:
"Looks like this 'set of parentheses' is finally getting something to fill it."
The formal change came faster than expected.
On an overcast afternoon, the whole squad was summoned to the command hall. Usually banished to corners without enough seats, they were now placed in the front row.
"Nervous?" the captain asked softly."Yeah." the scout admitted."Then be nervous a little longer. Won't be for much longer." The captain grinned.
On stage, a military officer read a long string of orders and commendations, in the usual dry format. But when it came to them, he paused slightly.
"Former Reserve Unit '( )' Squad of the XX Combat Zone," the officer looked up from his file toward their section,"—has passed evaluation and will, effective immediately, be upgraded to an Elite Combat Squad and formally included in the Blitz Force. In recognition of their consistent coordination and stable firepower in multiple missions, I hereby, on behalf of Command, confer upon them their official designation—"
He paused again, like weighing the name.
"—Radiance."
Applause broke out in the hall.
Applause wasn't new to Miguel. He had seen bigger, flashier scenes. But this time, sitting among people with "Is this real?" written across their faces, he felt the applause wasn't just background noise.
"'Radiance Squad.'" the medic repeated softly, as if afraid the words might shatter.
"Why that name?" someone asked.
"Because it's light that moves through darkness, without being consumed by it." the captain replied."Can't exactly call ourselves 'Slightly Less Useless Squad,' right?"
He still joked like usual, but his grip on the new badge was noticeably tighter.
Miguel looked at that hand and felt a strange sensation pass through him—for the first time, he wasn't just the "lone ace" of this squad. He was truly part of something.
He thought back to that night in the hallway, eavesdropping on the captain comforting each team member.
"...Radiance, huh." he whispered to himself.For the first time, the name didn't make him feel alone.
But not everyone was thrilled.
"Did you hear? That squad that used to be '( )' actually became elite.""You mean the one always dead last?""Yeah. Rumor is they built a strategy around one guy—and it works better than those 'team-based' squads."
The gossip spread fast throughout the camp.
Some treated it as idle chatter. Others scoffed:
"If even squads like that can rise up, what's 'elite' even mean anymore?"
And some… said nothing.
In the barracks of Blood Blade Squad, the captain was flipping through recent mission reports, tapping his finger on the name "Radiance" again and again.
"Radiance…" he murmured, barely smiling,"Beautiful name."
A nearby squadmate ventured,
"Sir, their performance really is solid lately. HQ's decision is… understandable."
"Understandable?" the captain closed the file calmly, almost kindly,"Of course it is. In the army, results are everything."
He stood, walking to the window, watching a group of rookies training across the field. Their drill commands were chaotic, but they moved with force.
"It's just that sometimes," he spoke as if casually,"those who climb too fast might not know what they're stepping on."
No one replied.
The incident happened on what seemed like an ordinary day.
It was a city just behind the front lines, supposed to be safe. A lab there handled "mutated energy" tech recovered from the battlefield—rumored to be remnants of enemy bio-weapons with wildly unstable effects.
"Relax," the briefing officer had once said."All protocols are airtight. The odds of a leak are less than one in ten thousand."
And then… the one-in-ten-thousand happened.
Human error. Aging equipment. Slow alerts. A pile of small issues turned into a disaster.
The mutated energy leaked from containment, spreading through the city's underground systems. The nearest residential area was hit first. Civilians began showing bizarre symptoms: mania, aggression, partial bodily transformations. Entire blocks turned dangerous.
The emergency alert sounded. Every elite squad on standby received orders:
"—All elite combat units, proceed to Level 2 readiness. Deploy to City XX for rescue and containment. Objectives: evacuate unaffected civilians, neutralize mutated targets, and protect critical infrastructure."
Radiance Squad was among them.
"Doesn't sound like an easy mission." the medic nervously tightened his medical tape.
"We're finally included in the 'all elite units' broadcast." the comms officer forced a smile,"Used to be something we'd just hear others talk about."
The captain read the order, set the file down, and for once sounded solemn:
"This one's different. For HQ, it's a failure. For the people in that city, it's life or death. We can't treat it like a routine sweep."
"What happens if we're exposed to mutated energy?" the scout asked.
"Unknown. The lab reports only say 'highly unstable effects on organisms.'"If Feis—now Radiance's comms advisor—were here, he'd have added more, but all they had were a few incomplete pages.
"In short: avoid direct contact, protect the innocent, follow orders. We'll get more instructions once we reach the front."
Before departure, Radiance received a quick regroup order—several elite squads gathered around the frontline command vehicle for final briefings.
Oddly, the officer handling logistics was from Blood Blade's zone. Nearby, Miguel spotted a familiar silhouette—Blood Blade's captain, deep in discussion with command staff.
"He's here too." the medic murmured."Of course," the captain replied."At this level of crisis, all cards are on the table."
After the briefing, squads lined up to receive assignments. When Radiance stepped forward, the officer gave them a nod:
"Radiance Squad, designated Priority Mobile Unit One."
"Sir." The captain saluted.
Then, from a nearby table, Blood Blade's captain spoke quietly:
"—That edge zone just got flagged for mutant activity, right?"
"Yes, but we're not sure how many. Originally planned for heavy squads—""Unnecessary." he interrupted smoothly."Complex terrain, low population—it needs mobility and adaptability, not brute force. Radiance is a perfect fit."
The officer hesitated:
"But they were only just promoted—"
"Still elite," the captain replied, looking over with a faint smile,"If you're going to wear the 'Radiance' title, you'd better learn how to shine on the margins."
It sounded reasonable—even generous.
After a pause, the officer nodded and noted the change.
He turned to Radiance's captain, tone clipped and formal:
"Radiance Squad, your zone has been updated. Proceed to Sector XX, XX, and XX to establish barricades and prevent mutant spread. Internal rescue will be handled by others."
The captain blinked:
"We're not helping evacuate civilians in the center?"
"Not at this stage," the officer handed over a map,"Your job is to make sure the contamination doesn't escape. That's just as critical."
Blood Blade's captain watched, calm and distant, as if waiting for something.
Radiance's captain glanced at the directive, then looked up and gave a crisp salute:
"Radiance Squad, mission accepted."