The training room was massive.
High ceilings. Reinforced walls. Combat rings spread across the floor. Each one marked with glowing boundaries.
Cadets filled the space. Dozens of teams. Voices overlapped. Excitement crackled through the air. This was it. The first step toward the Constellation Cup.
Team PKJ entered through the main doors.
Juli's eyes scanned the room. So many competitors. So much energy. His grin was automatic.
They moved through the crowd. Teams clustered together. Some stretching. Others reviewing strategy.
Then Juli bumped into someone.
Hard. Shoulder to shoulder.
Rikan.
The bully's eyes went wide. His face went pale. Fight or flight kicked in. Every muscle screamed run.
Juli just grinned. Gave him a thumbs up. "Good luck."
Rikan's head snapped around. Looked away fast. His pride wouldn't let him show fear. But his hands shook slightly.
The doors at the far end opened.
Chief Instructor Vela entered. Two instructors flanked her. Their uniforms crisp. Their faces stern. Authority radiated from all three of them.
The room went quiet. Gradually. Conversations died. Attention shifted forward. Everyone knew what this meant.
Vela stood at the center ring. Her shell caught the overhead lights. Her small eyes swept the room. Counted teams. Assessed readiness.
"Welcome." Her voice carried easily. Filled the space. "To the Qualifiers for the One Hundred and Twelfth Biennial Constellation Cup."
A few cheers. Quickly silenced.
"Today you will demonstrate your combat capabilities." She gestured to the rings. "Three versus three format. Team rules apply. One member fails. The entire team fails."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"Your performance will be recorded. Analyzed. Combat data will be collected and sent to the Taurus Squad." Vela paused. Let that sink in. "They will review all submissions. Select the teams that advance to Phase Two."
She stepped aside.
Three shapes materialized behind her. Flickered into existence. Solidified.
Bots. But not the standard humanoid androids. These were different. More mechanical. More obvious in their construction. Metal frames. Exposed joints. Adaptive plating that shifted and moved.
"Adaptive Units." Vela gestured at them. "Sparring bots designed specifically for combat assessment. They can shapeshift parts of their bodies. Create standard weapons. Blades. Shields. Staffs. Whatever the situation requires."
One bot's arm transformed. Became a practice sword. Then shifted back. Demonstration.
"Each unit has difficulty scaling built in." Vela continued. "They react to their opponents. Adapt to combat styles. Match your level. Push you appropriately."
She tapped her data pad. "They also contain durable memory chips. Store all combat data. This data. Combined with instructor appraisal. Gets sent to the organizers."
Vela looked at the assembled teams. "Form your lines. We begin immediately."
The first teams stepped forward. Nervous. Eager. Ready to prove themselves.
Team after team took their turn. Mixed results. Some handled the bots well. Coordinated. Communicated. Others struggled. Panicked. Fell apart under pressure.
The Adaptive Units lived up to their name. They adjusted. Became harder for skilled teams. Easier for struggling ones. Always pushing. Always testing.
Rikan's team was called.
Juli leaned forward. Grinned. "Good luck."
Rikan scoffed. Didn't respond. Walked to the ring with his cronies. Confidence in every step.
Their bout started.
They performed well. Surprisingly well. Coordinated attacks. Defensive formations. The bots pressed them. Hard. But Rikan's team held. Adapted. Pushed back.
Maybe Juli had been an anomaly? A bad matchup? A fluke?
The bout ended. Rikan's team stood victorious. Breathing hard but standing.
Applause rippled through the room.
Rikan walked back toward the waiting area. Spotted Pamela near Juli. His eyes lit up. Different kind of interest now.
He approached. Confidence restored. "Hey there." His voice was smooth. Too smooth. "Wasn't I impressive back there? You're on a team?"
Pamela's expression went flat. Cold. "Yes."
"Maybe we could train together sometime." Rikan stepped closer. "I could show you some techniques. Private session."
Her silver eyes narrowed. "No thank you."
"Come on. Don't be like that." Rikan's grin was sleazy. Wrong. "A girl like you needs someone strong. Someone experienced."
"Back off." Kade's voice was low. Threatening. His fangs showed.
Rikan ignored him. Focused on Pamela. "What do you say? Just you and me."
Juli saw it. Saw Pamela's face. The discomfort. The irritation. The unhappiness.
His grin vanished.
"She said no." Juli's voice was calm. Too calm. Dangerous calm. He stepped forward. Between Rikan and Pamela. "If you don't scram right now, I'll kick your head in."
The threat was simple. Direct. Absolutely serious.
Rikan's face went pale again. Memory flooded back. That kick. That tooth. That blood. He stumbled backward. Fast. "Whatever. Your loss."
He walked away quickly. His cronies followed. Didn't look back.
Juli turned to Pamela. His expression softened. Warmth returned. He put his hand on her shoulder. Gentle. Reassuring.
Smiled. That genuine smile. "Don't worry about that guy, PamPam."
His thumb went up. Classic Juli.
Pamela's face flushed. Red spread across her pale skin. Her heart hammered. Again. Always when he smiled like that.
Kade bit his lip. Hard. Trying not to laugh. Failing. His shoulders shook. This was too good.
"Team PKJ." An instructor called out. "You're up."
The three of them moved to the ring.
The Adaptive Units stood ready. Waiting. Their sensors active. Scanning.
The bout began.
Team PKJ moved like water. Fluid. Coordinated. Natural.
Juli darted in. Kickboxing technique. Fast combinations. But something was off. Subtle. He pulled his punches. Held back. Just slightly. Enough that the bots couldn't quite measure him.
Kade was vicious. His claws extended. Natural weapons. He tore into the bots. Slashed. Ripped. Felinari combat at its finest.
Pamela stayed back. Sniper position. Her rifle materialized. Practice rounds but deadly accurate. Each shot hit critical points. Joints. Sensors. Weak spots.
The bots adapted. Tried to counter. Failed.
Team PKJ was too good. Too fast. Too coordinated.
Thirty seconds. That's all it took.
Three bots down. Deactivated. Defeated.
The room erupted. Cheers. Applause. Shock. Awe.
Even Vela clapped. Her face showed pride. Approval.
Team PKJ walked away from the ring. Job done. No celebration. Just professional.
Juli glanced back. Casual. Just a look.
One bot. The one he'd fought directly. Its optics locked on him.
Stared. Unblinking. Unmoving.
Juli's face stayed neutral. But something passed between them. Recognition. Understanding.
The bot's systems flickered.
[ANALYZING]
[COMBAT DATA REVIEWED]
[DIFFICULTY LEVEL UPDATED]
[MAJOR THREAT DETECTED]
The bot's frame shifted. Grew. Expanded. Metal plates slid into new configurations. Weapons emerged. Blades. Spikes. Artillery attachments. Things that shouldn't be on a training bot.
Cadets screamed. Scattered. Backed away fast.
The bot stood. Larger now. Dangerous. Unstable. Its optics glowed red. Error red.
"What's happening?" A cadet shouted.
"It's malfunctioning!" Another voice.
Vela moved immediately. "Contact the tech officers! Shut it down now!"
The instructors pulled out their communication devices. Barked orders. Urgency in every word.
The bot's sensors swept the room. Locked on one target.
Juli.
It started moving. Slow. Heavy. Purposeful.
Juli stopped walking. Turned around. Faced it directly.
"Don't interfere." His voice was calm. He looked at Kade. At Pamela. "I got this."
"Juli..." Pamela started.
"I said don't." His red eyes stayed locked on the bot. "Trust me."
Kade grabbed Pamela's arm. Held her back. "Let him handle it."
The bot advanced. Weapons active. Threat level critical.
Juli stood his ground. Didn't move. Didn't flinch.
Just waited.