The classroom dimmed as the simulation pods flickered to life, casting a soft blue glow across the students' focused faces. Holographic visors dropped over their eyes, syncing them into a shared virtual battlefield.
"Pair up," Mr. Shawn instructed from the control panel. "You have sixty seconds before the Type-7 variant enters the zone. Remember its traits: tall, armored, unpredictable. You won't win with brute force. Work smart. Work together."
Zane slipped into position beside Akuma, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips. "Try not to blow us up this time."
Akuma snorted, cracking his knuckles. "Only if you keep up this time."
Akashi, meanwhile, stood quietly, pairing with a quiet student named Ren—one of the newer recruits. His eyes narrowed slightly as the simulation loaded around them: a ruined cityscape, eerily similar to Mandaue, with collapsed buildings and flickering lights.
Simulation Start – Timer: 00:59
The Type-7 alien dropped into view in the distance—a towering beast with dense armor plating and erratic, animalistic movements. It let out a low, guttural growl as it scanned the area for threats.
"Split and flank," Akashi ordered calmly, glancing at Ren. "I'll draw its attention. You hit its weak points from behind—base of the spine and inner joints. Don't freeze."
Ren nodded, swallowing hard.
Meanwhile, Zane and Akuma took cover behind a shattered train car.
"This one's fast," Zane whispered. "We need to bait its charge, then counter."
"Already on it." Akuma sprinted out, firing a stun round at the creature's leg. It turned, let out a roar, and bolted toward him.
Zane moved like clockwork, sliding into a side alley and opening fire on its exposed side. Sparks flew as he clipped a joint.
Back on Akashi's end, he dodged a sweeping tail strike and vaulted onto a low rooftop. Ren followed instructions perfectly, landing a clean shot into one of the creature's knees. The alien staggered slightly—but adapted quickly, spinning with alarming speed.
It lunged toward Ren.
Akashi didn't hesitate—he leapt off the rooftop and tackled Ren out of the way just before the impact. A glowing red alert appeared over both their visors:
[CRITICAL DANGER – 20% INTEGRITY REMAINING]
Mr. Shawn watched silently from the control panel, hands clasped in front of him. He wasn't just observing their combat skills. He was watching how they communicated, how they adapted under pressure—how they looked out for each other.
Because in the real world… hesitation could mean death.
The simulation timer counted down.
00:07… 00:06…
The teams pushed through, coordinating, adjusting.
And then—
Simulation Complete – Threat Neutralized
The environment flickered, fading back into the classroom's dim lighting. Students pulled off their visors, breathing heavily, drenched in sweat.
Some looked relieved. Some frustrated.
Akuma cracked his neck. "That wasn't bad."
Zane smirked. "Better than last time."
Ren looked over at Akashi, eyes wide. "You… you saved me."
Akashi didn't answer right away. Then, quietly, he said, "Next time, I won't need to. You'll already be moving."
Mr. Shawn nodded slowly, arms crossed. "That's enough for today. Review your combat logs. We'll analyze what you did right—and what could've gotten you killed."
As the class slowly filed out, Shawn remained where he stood—watching them go, one by one.
You're learning, he thought.
Let's just hope it's fast enough