Drake believed that during this live combat assessment, he had still held back somewhat and had not displayed his full strength. Even so, being pushed down to third place was something he found hard to believe.
"Hey—are you kidding me?! Drake is third?!"
"Did you read it wrong?!"
The recruits immediately erupted into commotion. To them, Drake was practically acknowledged as the strongest—not just the strongest in Fifth Squad, but the strongest across all ten squads of the regular camp combined.
And now, Drake was only ranked third?!
This was simply ridiculous.
Among the crowd, only one person was not surprised. Her eyes flickered slightly as she took a deep breath—this person was, of course, Hina.
Only she could guess the reason behind this outcome.
"Quiet down!"
Seeing the situation starting to spiral out of control, the rear admiral frowned and barked out a sharp command.
His voice boomed like thunder, instantly silencing the plaza. Yet the recruits' eyes were still filled with doubt and disbelief.
Facing so many questioning stares, the rear admiral could not help but smile bitterly inwardly. Though his expression remained stern, when he himself had first seen this ranking, his heart had been anything but calm.
"Second place: Hina!"
The moment the name was announced, the recruits once again showed strange expressions and couldn't help speaking up.
"Hina actually beat Drake?!"
"Hina is strong, sure, but… surpassing Drake? That's a bit of a joke, isn't it?"
Shock was written across many faces.
Still, within Fifth Squad, aside from Drake, Hina was the strongest. It wasn't entirely impossible that she could outperform Drake in this assessment.
But then… who was first?!
Every recruit's mind flashed through name after name, yet each was quickly dismissed. All of those names had already appeared on the list or been announced earlier.
"Silence!"
The rear admiral shouted again, finally restoring a fragile calm.
Then he took a deep breath, put down the list in his hand, raised his head, and looked straight at all the recruits as he spoke in a deep voice.
"First place… Roya!"
Silence.
Utter silence.
It was so quiet that even the sound of a pin dropping could have been heard.
Almost all the recruits stared wide-eyed, unable to believe their ears, wondering if they had misheard.
Then, in the next instant—
Boom!
The entire plaza exploded into uproar, completely beyond control.
"What kind of joke is this?!"
"What kind of ranking is this? First place is Roya? That weakest rookie?!"
"Just because he's Vice Admiral Garp's nephew, you can't just tamper with the results like this—this is way too much!"
The recruits' faces were filled with the anger of people who felt deceived.
If Roya had used connections to get third or fourth place—or even second—that would have been tolerable.
But first place? That was going way too far.
Did they really think everyone here was an idiot?
Roya was always last in the most basic weighted endurance runs. For someone like that to rank first in a live combat assessment was the height of absurdity.
"Quiet! All of you, quiet! There is nothing wrong with these rankings!"
"Silence!"
Although the rear admiral had anticipated this reaction, the sheer chaos still gave him a headache. He could only keep shouting sternly.
This time, however, some recruits were so angry that they openly talked back.
"Rear Admiral Kars, have you lost your mind too?! How could that Roya possibly rank first? Or is it that Roya is relying on Vice Admiral Garp's influence, so even you have no choice but to turn a blind eye?!"
"Shut up!!"
At those words, Rear Admiral Kars' expression finally changed. He roared furiously, his voice shaking the entire plaza. Many people's ears rang before the scene was finally suppressed somewhat.
"Are those words something you're qualified to say?! Who was that just now—step forward!"
Kars glared angrily at the recruits. Yet no one responded. They all looked at one another, and no one stepped out.
They were furious, yes—but even a fool knew that what had just been said crossed a line. Admitting it openly would bring serious consequences.
Seeing that no one came forward, Kars snorted coldly and threw the list to the ground.
"So—you all doubt the authenticity of these rankings, do you?!"
Once again, no one spoke, but their gazes answered for them.
"Very well!"
"Then I'll inform you now: due to certain unexpected circumstances, the results of this live combat assessment will not serve as the final evaluation for promotion to the elite camp."
"Instead, they will serve as a reference for the all-camp combat assessment to be held one month from now!"
"The final selection for promotion to the elite camp will be decided by next month's all-camp combat assessment. This is a direct combat evaluation—there is absolutely no possibility of favoritism or manipulation."
"So—all of you who are dissatisfied, save your doubts and your anger for next month. Save them for the combat assessment!"
Kars' roar echoed across the plaza. The recruits finally calmed down, exchanging looks with one another. No one continued to make a scene.
Even Drake, who had been frowning the entire time, finally relaxed his brow and returned to a calm expression.
An all-camp combat assessment?
Since it would be a direct, one-on-one combat evaluation held in full public view, there would naturally be no chance for behind-the-scenes manipulation.
Who was truly strong and who was weak would be made completely clear.
"Did you all hear that? Then get lost and go rest. Training resumes tomorrow!"
Seeing that no one spoke anymore, Rear Admiral Kars snorted and turned to leave.
As he departed, the recruits remained quiet for a moment longer. After exchanging glances, they finally relaxed, various lights flickering in their eyes.
"I didn't expect there to be another all-camp combat assessment in a month."
"It's probably because this time someone tampered with the results too outrageously, so they had to add this assessment."
"If it's a combat assessment, there's no way favoritism can exist. I don't believe that guy can still manipulate rankings that absurd in front of everyone!"
The recruits discussed among themselves, sneering as they left.
Hina listened to their words within the crowd. She did not argue or explain anything. Instead, the corners of her lips lifted slightly, a strange gleam flashing in her beautiful eyes.
"A combat assessment… now that's interesting. What will happen that day—Hina is actually looking forward to it."
An image surfaced in her mind: Roya bathed in blazing flames, a vast sea of fire raging behind him.
The curve of her smile rose just a little higher.