The academy courtyard buzzed with rumors.
> "That guy actually survived the Celestial class?"
"He got promoted to Captain immediately?"
"Who the hell is Akira Hoshinari?"
Inside the elite Candidate Arena, Akira stood alone, waiting.
> [CAPTAIN'S TEST – BUILD YOUR SQUAD]
[RECRUIT ELIGIBLE CADETS OR FIGHT FORCIBLY TRANSFERRED ONES]
[INITIATING FIRST CHALLENGER…]
The door across from him hissed open.
From the steam walked a girl in red armor, hair like silver fire, eyes burning with confidence.
> "Yo, Captain Cosmic. Heard you're looking for squadmates."
Akira smirked.
> "You volunteering?"
> "Not exactly."
She drew twin photon sabers.
> "I'm here to test if you're worth following."
Name: Yuki Tachibana.
Class: Crimson Mirage.
Known For: Breaking 12 ribs of an instructor.
Status: Unassigned – Considered too unpredictable.
Akira cracked his neck.
> "Alright then. Try not to fall in love when I win."
> "Tch. You're cocky. I like it."
She vanished.
Light twisted—she reappeared behind him mid-swing. Akira ducked, spinning with a telekinetic wave that flung her back.
> "You can see me?!"
> "You're fast. But I've seen Kaiju blink across dimensions."
They clashed again. Blades and plasma whirled.
She moved like lightning—Akira's aura pulsed with solar veins, his weapon forming mid-air—a cosmic glaive.
> CLANG!
Their weapons locked.
Yuki smirked.
> "You're fun."
> "You're fire."
With a burst of telekinesis, he disarmed her—and caught her midair as she stumbled.
She looked up at him, surprised. Blushing.
> "Show-off."
He helped her stand.
> "So? Still think I'm not worth following?"
Yuki sheathed her blades, eyes sharp and playful.
> "You've got power, style, and sarcasm. That's rare. Count me in."
> "Vice-captain, then?"
> "Only if I get to boss you around when you screw up."
They shook hands, light crackling between their palms.
> [NEW MEMBER ADDED: YUKI TACHIBANA]
[STATUS: VICE-CAPTAIN – NOVA FANGS]