Chapter 28 You will surrender every points

Chapter 28 You will surrender every points
∆§∆ LUNARA'S POV ∆§∆

Bea insisted on changing my bandages before either of us went to bed.

She complained the entire time that I was impossible to take care of while somehow managing to be surprisingly gentle.

By the time she finished, she looked more satisfied than I did. I won't lie, I slept better than I expected.

The next morning, the academy's announcement robot echoed through the speakers just as the dining hall settled into its usual breakfast chattering.

"All Triad Trial teams are required to report to their assigned training halls by nine a.m. Personal trainers have been assigned to each team for the duration of the competition. Attendance is mandatory."

Bea looked up from her porridge, her spoon frozen halfway to her mouth.

"Personal trainers?"

"So it seems."

Her eyes lit up with curiosity.

"Do you think ours is any good?"

I shrugged. "We're about to find out."

When we arrived at Training Hall Seven, that was assigned to our team, the rest of our team was already gathered outside.

That gave alarm and warning bells in my head especially with such proud classists psychos in the school.

Reason being that, everyone had shown up, but no one had gone inside yet.

Which meant no one wanted to be the first to walk through the door.

They were all looking more nervous than they wanted to admit, including Agnes, who stood with her arms crossed, glaring at the door like it had personally offended her.

Roman and Blaze were the only ones who looked completely unbothered, which, at this point, I had accepted was simply the natural state of existence for them.

The door opened from the inside and Mr. Kaf stood in the doorway.

I recognized him immediately. He was the one who had watched over me during my punishment.

He was also the one who gave me the whistle.

Does he know about the phoenix?

I believed he did. If he didn't, he wouldn't have given it to me and told me to blow it whenever I was in trouble.

I watched him from beneath my lashes, careful not to make it obvious.

His eyes swept over all ten of us with the expression of a man who looked like he had been handed the worst team in the academy, which technically in my opinion, he has.

"Inside," he ordered.

For the first time, I watched my teammates obey without arguing.

We all walked in. The training hall was much larger than it looked from the corridor.

The floor was padded, weapons lined one wall, and every piece of training equipment imaginable was arranged with purpose. Whoever set this place up clearly knew exactly what they were doing.

Looks like Mr. Kaf means business.

Sweet! I felt so excited. It's been a long time since I had a proper fight, well, that didn't involve me nearly dying.

Mr. Kaf stood in the center of the hall and waited until everyone stopped shuffling around before speaking.

"My name is Kody Kevin, but in here, and everywhere else, you will address me as Mr. Kaf. Am I understood?"

Everyone exchanged uncertain glances, unsure how to answer.

His brows rose.

"When I ask a question, I expect an answer."

He folded his arms.

"Now, let's try that again."

"Am I understood?"

"Yes, Mr. Kaf!" we answered in unison.

A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Good."

"I've been assigned as your team trainer for the Triad Trials."

His voice was calm and steady.

"Every competing team has been assigned a trainer. Some of those trainers will teach basic survival techniques and call that preparation."

He paused.

"I won't."

Blaze, who had already made himself comfortable against the wall, raised an eyebrow.

"So what exactly will you be doing?"

Mr. Kaf looked at him.

"I'm going to make sure none of you die in an embarrassing way."

A grin spread across Blaze's face.

"I like you already."

"I wasn't trying to be likable."

The reply came so quickly that Blaze actually laughed.

"What I need is your attention, not your comedy."

Mr. Kaf slowly walked around the room, studying each of us as though we were puzzles he needed to solve.

"The Triad Trials will test three things."

He held up a finger.

"Physical ability."

A second finger.

"Good decision-making under pressure."

Then a third.

"And how well you function as a team when everything is going wrong."

He let those words hang in the room before continuing.

"Right now, after looking at this group..."

His gaze swept across every one of us.

"...the third concerns me the most."

Agnes let out a quiet scoff, Mr. Kaf stopped walking and looked directly at her.

"You have something to add, Miss Whitmore?"

"I just think," Agnes said, lifting her chin, "that the concern about team unity should be directed at certain members of this team who were given positions they aren't qualified for."

The room went silent, no one needed to ask who she was talking about because everyone's gaze was on me now.

Mr. Kaf looked at her calmly, then his gaze shifted to me and back to Agnes.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

The moment I saw it, I knew something was about to happen.

"I see."

His smile never wavered.

"In that case..."

He pointed to the center of the training floor.

"Smith."

"Yes, Mr. Kaf."

I stepped forward until I stood in the center of the room.

Then he pointed at Agnes.

"Whitmore."

"Y-yes..."

For the first time since I had met her, Agnes sounded unsure.

She glanced toward the rest of the team as though expecting someone to speak up for her.

No one did.

"Step forward."

Her frown deepened.

"What?"

"You questioned your teammate's qualifications."

His voice remained calm, but something about it made the room feel scary.

"If you believe she doesn't deserve her position..."

He looked her straight in the eye.

"...prove it."

He didn't give her time to object as he clapped his hands once. "You have three minutes."

"No weapons."

"Close contact only."

"B-but…"

"No buts."

His voice cut off her protest. "If you win, we'll reconsider the team positions."

He turned to me with a faint smile.

"But if Lunara wins..."

His eyes settled on Agnes again.

"You will surrender every point you've earned to her."

He paused just long enough for the impact of his words to sink in.

"And this matter will be closed."