Nine pairs of eyes shifted toward me when I entered.
Most of them paused whatever they were doing. A few kept stretching or checking inventory, but I knew they were still watching.
I didn't bother changing my expression. Face blank. Breathing steady. Nothing to show.
Finally, someone walked forward. Tall. Black messy hair but tied back in a short ponytail. Standard Halo combat gear. A-Rank insignia on the collar. Didn't mean anything to me.
"Well, looks like we finally hit ten again," he said. His tone was casual, not unfriendly. "Welcome to Squad Tengoku-7."
I nodded once. "Nakamura Rei."
"Yeah, we know. The captain already saw your card." He jerked his thumb toward Blair. "She is Captain Kurogane Blair. Try not to piss her off today. She will talk when she feels like talking. Which is not now."
Blair did not react. She simply looked away as if the introduction was unnecessary.
The guy continued.
"I am Hayashi Ren," he said. "Second-in-command. I will introduce the rest before training starts."
He pointed around the room as he spoke.
"That is Ishida Kaito," he said, pointing to a broad-shouldered man polishing a blade that looked too heavy for anyone without A-Rank strength. "He talks like a wall and fights like one."
Kaito grunted once, then went back to his weapon.
"Over there is Satou Minori," Ren said. A girl with short brown hair lifted a hand in a small wave. She seemed the type who smiled often but not today.
"Kurata Shin," Ren continued. Shin barely glanced up from tying his boots.
"Miller Jonas," Ren said, gesturing at a foreigner with blond hair who gave me a tired thumbs-up.
"Kurosawa Emi," Ren added. A woman with a calm expression nodded politely. Her eyes studied me a little too long.
"Takeda Ryu," Ren said. Ryu cracked his neck loudly and smirked at me.
"And finally that is Tsukishima Haru." Haru raised an eyebrow but did not speak.
Nine A-Rank Malforms. All different, all dangerous. I could feel the low pressure in the room, the kind that came from people accustomed to violence.
Ren crossed his arms. "That makes ten of us now. Probation period lasts a week. After that, you are officially part of the squad unless you die first. Not a joke. It happens sometimes."
"Encouraging," I said quietly.
Ren shrugged. "Reality."
Dakavoth's voice returned, slow and amused.
"Look at them. Humans with borrowed power pretending to be predators."
I ignored him.
Ren stepped aside. "Now that introductions are done, find a place to stand. Captain Kurogane will brief us soon."
I walked forward and dropped into an empty spot near an equipment rack.
Blair glanced at me once. Her eyes were sharp, calculating, like she was weighing whether I'd matter. Then she looked away, as if bored.
Haru whispered under his breath, probably assuming I would not hear.
"Another quiet one. Great."
Jonas snorted softly.
Ren clapped his hands. "Alright, settle down. Captain's about to speak."
I sat up straight, eyes forward, letting the room settle around me without giving anything away.
Blair finally moved to the center of the chamber. Her movements were controlled, practiced. She scanned the squad with a cold expression and rested her gaze on me for one second longer than necessary.
Dakavoth whispered in the back of my mind.
"Your new captain watches you like she is waiting for a crack. Interesting."
I exhaled slowly.
Whatever came next, I knew today was only the beginning.
— — —
Her eyes were locked on the holographic map behind the squad, never once looking directly at me as she spoke.
"Training rotations begin at 0500. If you're late, don't bother showing up. Tengoku-7 doesn't babysit."
Her hand tapped the screen, and silhouettes of Malforms flashed up.
"Your standard loadouts are the same as always: anti-Eidolon rounds, reinforced blade composites, and shock-channel gauntlets. If you can't handle the recoil, switch to something lighter, or just get out of the way for someone who can."
I caught the edge in her words, that quiet little bite hidden under all the formal-sounding stuff.
Dakavoth chuckled quietly in my mind. "She doesn't even have to look at you. Everyone knows you're the target."
I ignored him again, focusing on her.
"Our operation range covers all hostile quadrants along the Minagawa perimeter. We encounter C-Ranks regularly. B-Ranks weekly. A-Rank… whenever the universe decides we've been getting too comfortable."
She finally turned her head slightly, just enough to make me feel her gaze.
"And in this unit, if you can't keep up…" She paused, a very intentional pause. "…then it's better you leave before you get someone killed."
Dakavoth's amusement buzzed through my skull again. "Pathetic logic. "
She straightened her gloves, not even pretending to hide her disinterest, and said, "That's all."
Blair walked out of the chamber, not sparing me even a second glance. The silence she left behind felt heavier than anything she actually said.
I stayed where I was, letting the words sink in. Every sentence had been directed at me. Every warning. Every slight. And I knew she had been calculating, assessing, undermining me before I even said a word.
Meanwhile, Dakavoth whispered once more, his voice dry and low. "Interesting. Very interesting. Let's see how long before she tires of this game."
I didn't respond. Didn't matter. None of this fazed me anyway.
Ren tapped my back, smirking. "Cheer up, buddy. She'll warm up to you. Probably."
I exhaled slowly, letting the air drag out. "Probably."
Then the alarms blared. Red lights cut across the walls.
"C-Rank," someone muttered. The monitors lit up, showing the location of the threat.
The A-Rank squad moved like it was nothing. Boots hit the floor, straps tightened, weapons checked. Everything looked effortless, like they were born doing this. I just watched for a second, feeling my own body waiting to catch up, before dragging myself along behind them.
The gear room was something else. Walls full of weapons, none of them normal. Axes with wires running through them, blades that thrummed like they were alive, guns that looked like they could tear a building apart without breaking a sweat.
But I didn't care about the toys. It was the armor, the outfits. Heavy boots, gloves that looked like they could crush bones, jackets with A-Rank symbols stamped on them. Everyone had added their own little twist.
Minori had a cap pulled low and her sigil stitched on the shoulder. Ren threw on a dark vest over his top like it mattered. Everyone looked dangerous just standing there. I just stared.
I moved along the table until I saw a black jacket folded on its own. Clean lines, good weight, nothing flashy. It just looked… right. So I picked it up and shrugged it on.
"I hardly give compliments," Dakavoth said, sounding way too pleased with himself, "but this one looks good on us."
I tugged the sleeves, feeling the fabric settle on my shoulders. The rank sigil didn't inspire anything. No pride. No rush. Just another thing to wear while trying not to die.
I looked at the others gearing up, then caught my own reflection in the metal panel on the wall.
Nothing felt different. Nothing ever did.
But at least this jacket might keep me alive for another day.
Good enough.