Ever since Annie's fleet left Alpha, the Wind Thunder Military Academy seemed to have lost the vibrancy it possessed during enrollment. The numerous officer trainees who had walked out of this military academy were steadily approaching their aspirations. Some headed for the front lines, while others were assigned to various military regions. The nerve-wracking tension within the academy seemed to have relaxed significantly all of a sudden.

Historically, it is always midway through November that the trainees from all major military academies graduate. The Wind Thunder batch of newcomers, who were already a special case due to their exceptional admission period, now found life unprecedentedly peaceful.

Out in the training grounds, tens of thousands of fresh recruits were still busy with their daily tasks. Those who were about to participate in the military confrontation, on the other hand, seemed to have a lighter load. Be it a lone sniper or the commander-in-charge of organizing the entire group, the one thing they repeated daily was maintaining the status quo; overexertion would do nothing but overburden their bodies.

Regardless of their individual positions, they all shared the immense responsibility. Being a sniper might sound like a one-man show, but sometimes, a single correct positioning could turn the tide of an entire localized conflict. A task that even a whole platoon might find impossible could be swiftly accomplished by a well-placed lethal shot from a sniper's rifle, leading to the destruction of a standardized building.

November 26, 2764, was a clear day, at least in the distant Sky City. Located in the Sky Eagle Constellation, it was home to the 3rd Dragon Gate space station, the heart of the federation's central region, teeming with commercial trade and transportation threading through major main star regions.

Every year, the military confrontations of various military academies took place in the neon forest of Sky City. Without exaggeration, military confrontations had become a signature of Sky City, attracting countless military enthusiasts. Some were drawn to this place solely to witness the thrilling mecha fights, or the strategic military tactic deployments.

In this evergreen city, apart from the occasional tourists wandering aimlessly, many others would choose to cool off with friends over a couple of pints at outdoor square stalls, or speculate on Star Wars. However, what people looked forward to the most was the impending day of the military confrontation.

On that day, Sky City welcomed its first batch of guests from afar, from the Sun System's Capital Golden Sword Academy. When a blue-and-white warship unfurled its magnificent wings in the bustling city district, the whole city boiled with excitement. That ship was the famous federal warship, Peace, frequently mentioned in textbooks, and it had been in service for hundreds of years.

Who were they? Undoubtedly, they were the future protectors, the backbone of the nation. Each soldier wearing the trainee title was met with thunderous applause from the entire square as they stood on the deck to salute as if they were the honor guard. Cheers echoed in every corner of the city, and fireworks painted the sky like colorful blossoming flowers.

This scene brought immense pride to every soldier on deck. Standing tall like spears, they symbolized the awe-inspiring military might barely revealed by the Solar System. At the front of Peace ship, the chilling main cannon wielded a heavy oppressive force, which ironically provided the most reliable backbone for the people.

Inside the living quarters, watching the uncountable crowd standing densely beneath, even Apophis felt a ripple in his otherwise calm mind.

His ultimate goal was Kuang Qi, an opponent acknowledged as an unrivaled fighter of their tier within the federation. Aside from that, Apophis didn't fear anyone in single combat or close quarter fights.

Ophelia from Yingland Royal Military Academy was indeed formidable, but after all, her strength lay primarily in mecha combat. While mecha fighting was closely related to martial combat, Ophelia's chances of winning outside of her mecha did not look good. Furthermore, on his side, there was also someone proficient in mecha combat.

Speaking of tactical command, however, Amelia could not be ignored. To date, anyone pitted against her had very low odds of success. Of course, this also took into consideration the overall quality of the soldiers. After all, even a lion leading a flock of sheep could not turn them into a pride of lions.

As for Wind Thunder, that declining military academy couldn't produce any notable talents. Apophis couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Wasn't this a sad predicament? Regardless of the combat personnel or commanders – Zi Mou was at best a half-baked commander, and her tactical layout was heavily suppressed by Amelia.

The one person Apophis was most wary of was Angelina. He didn't know much about this woman with the ability to bewitch minds, but she felt very dangerous. Possessing mental abilities meant that at any time, under any circumstance, facing her could result in mental decay followed by total incapacitation and becoming a sitting duck.

After careful calculations, Apophis believed there was a possibility of gaining victory points in this military confrontation. If he could, just if, take down Kuang Qi in single combat and succeed under conditions where he did not encounter Angelina, then the remaining would only be mecha combat and command confrontation. In mecha combat, his side had a fifty percent chance of winning over Ophelia.

Tactical command has always been the Achilles heel of all academy campuses. No one dared to affirm they could defeat Amelia. It could be said then, that they could basically give up on this area.

The door to the living quarters suddenly opened, and an old man walked in; it was Daniel, the dean of Golden Sword Academy. This white-bearded old man was not as ordinary as he appeared. Thirty years ago, Daniel was a school director, known as the "Devil Principal." With his modified educational reform reports, he quickly rose to the position of vice principal and became the principal of Golden Sword Academy seven years later.

However, people change as they grow old. The one who was once known as the "Devil Principal" could no longer describe the current Daniel. The kind countenance of the old man lit into a smile when he walked in the room, "So there you are. Aren't you planning to go out and take a walk?"

"Principal, it's you. How unexpected." Apophis quickly stood up.

"Surprised, aren't you? There's still some time before the day, and you should relax your nerves well and get acquainted with the local customs."

"As you know, I'm not particularly fond of that sort of thing."

"Heh heh, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Honestly speaking, I, an old man, don't harbor big hopes for our academy. However..." Daniel suddenly revealed a cunning smile as he spoke this.

Seeing Daniel's foxy grin, Apophis felt slightly annoyed, fearing that the principal wanted to say they would not be the worst as long as Wind Thunder was there to fill in the last place. But Daniel could not say that. However, who was he, Apophis? How could he be content with the same lack of ambition as the principal?

Daniel walked out of the room, his face full of satisfaction. There was still no sign of Wind Thunder's arrival. Was it possible that the old Weirbo, knowing full well that they were going to lose miserably, didn't dare to arrive too early? The thought of Weirbo's frustrated chattering like a troubled monkey brought a mischievous pleasure to Daniel.

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