Rebirth: The Universe's Hidden Heiress-Chapter 50: The Guy’s A Monster (1)

Yuka, Ayoi, and Alex were unaware that they were being targeted.

Lately, they hadn’t had time to participate in the underground team matches, so they hadn’t encountered those who were lying in wait for them.

With mid-term exams approaching, their teachers accelerated the pace of lessons.

Ayoi and Alex were often busy preparing for exams, leaving Yuka to compete in a few solo matches. She didn’t encounter any players as skilled as the one with the blue mecha from before.

However, she did face a red mecha with precise shooting skills, but its close combat was weak. Yuka easily defeated it in close quarters.

Meanwhile, the trio was oblivious to the fact that Yuka’s sudden switch to solo matches had caused unrest among four other academies.

Philip, suspicious, asked Lory, "Could it be that someone among us knows ’Lady’ and leaked information to her? Why else would she suddenly start playing solo matches?"

Lory shrugged indifferently, "Guess all you want, I’m off to improve my ranking."

In UUA, during a practical mecha class, Kenji didn’t take Yuka and the others to the usual white classroom.

In the past classes, Yuka was like glued to the grass, ignoring Kenji’s scowls and sarcastic comments, peacefully accepting low grades.

Her attitude, especially in Fred’s eyes, confirmed her as a mere "vase" - someone who gave up trying due to lack of ability. But Yuka was content with this.

Today, Kenji was uncharacteristically pleasant, telling everyone, "After weeks of training, I believe you’ve all mastered the basic methods of piloting a mecha."

He paused subtly while looking at Yuka, then continued, "Today, you’ll leave the virtual training field to pilot real mechas." The students, initially nervous, erupted into cheers, hugging and shouting with their friends.

Someone asked, "Sir, will we have our own mechas now?"

Kenji replied, "No. Those mechas aren’t yours."

The questioning student was confused, "Then where do the mechas we’ll be piloting come from?"

Kenji answered, "They’re transported here by the Alliance Army. These mechas remain the property of the Alliance Army. You can only use them during practice. You’ll only own a mecha once you officially join the Alliance Army."

They stood in the school’s underground parking garage. Kenji pressed a controller, and the transport vehicle’s doors slowly opened, revealing hundreds of mechas inside.

The mechas were all in silver-white color, identical in appearance to those in the virtual training field, but this did nothing to dampen the students’ excitement. Many pushed and shoved to get a closer look, only to shrink back under Kenji’s intimidating gaze, trying to calm themselves down.

"These mechas are partly made of wtype of Pneyon, which reduces the requirement for psychic power but increases the physical demands," Kenji explained. "The rest are made of the traditional Oniyon."

He pointed to the numbers on the mecha’s arms, "Mecha with a 9 at the beginning of their number are Pneyon models, and those starting with 1 are Oniyon models. Choose freely and let me know your selection. Remember the number of the mecha you practice with to avoid confusion. Now, go and take a look, but no crowding."

The students eagerly walked around the mechas, selecting the ones they would temporarily call their own.

Yuka and her friends, having already seen and piloted real mechas at the Grand Coliseum, were less excited. They quietly went to the mechas and chose the Oniyon models, listening as Kenji continued with the instructions.

"Before the mid-term exams, I’ll open the underground garage for you to modify your chosen mechas according to your needs. But if you mess them up, the military won’t provide a second one. If you don’t want to end up just watching others pilot, don’t mess around."

"These mechas will be with you for four years unless something unexpected happens," Kenji said. "At graduation, they will be returned to the Alliance Army for dismantling and reconstruction."

Yuka was about to try out the cockpit when Fred, beside her, said, "That mecha won’t be with you for four years; you’ll be kicked out of the mecha specialization next semester."

Yuka glanced at him and nodded in "agreement," leaving Fred frustrated and turning away, grinding his teeth.

"Don’t enter the cockpit now," Kenji noticed Yuka’s movement and reminded everyone. "The transport will take the mechas to the training field. Once there, you can pilot and start training. After training, leave the mechas in the field; they will be transported back here. You can’t pilot them anywhere but the training field, and you must return them on time, or you’ll fail the course."

"From now on, go directly to the training field; our future classes will be held there," Kenji gestured, "Let’s go."

The students reluctantly removed their hands from the mechas and quickly ran towards the training field.

Yuka and her friends were the last to leave.

Kenji approached Yuka, and Ayoi and Alex consciously moved ahead, giving them some space.

Yuka tilted her head, "What is it?"

Kenji spoke about the recent events on Poseidonia. "After we returned, the Alliance Army sent troops there, but they couldn’t catch the culprit. Now, the planet is under the Alliance Army’s jurisdiction. Criminals, including your sidekick, have been imprisoned in the Alliance’s jail."

Yuka’s expression didn’t change as she listened.

"Okay, I know," she said, "Snakehead does indeed need some reform. Anything else?"

Kenji shifted his gaze, "I had someone check on Kishi. No issues for now. And I stand by my word; I’ll get you into the Alliance Army."

Yuka shrugged. "With my current grades? That might be difficult. You’re not planning to use your connections for me, are you?"

Kenji frowned slightly, "No, it will be on your own merit. I don’t give anyone special care."

Yuka smirked and moved ahead to join Ayoi and Alex at the edge of the training field.

Instructor Yonda, exercising in the training field, stood up and saluted Kenji, "Admiral Kuba!"

Kenji nodded, patting his shoulder.

Yonda, a former soldier under Kenji, had retired due to a physical condition and now taught physical training at UUA. ƒreewebɳovel.com

Kenji instructed the students to enter their mechas and stand separately, getting used to the feel of piloting real mechas.

The infantry, lacking the A-tier psychic power needed for Oniyon mechas, chose Pneyon models, while most in the mecha specialization, without the A-tier physical strength for Pneyon models, chose Oniyon mechas.

Yonda, standing next to Kenji, watched the students. He remarked, "Not many promising cadets this year. In the infantry, only Donny is decent. The big guy there, see? He looks tough but is full of flaws in combat. Any promising ones in the mecha specialization?"

Kenji smiled slightly, "Yes."

He pointed to Yuka, who was sitting in her mecha, lost in thought.

Through the protective shield of the mecha, Yonda couldn’t see clearly who it was. He was about to ask more when Kenji left the shade of the tree and approached the students.

"Are you all warmed up?" Kenji asked.

"Yes!" they responded.

"Good," Kenji said, pointing to the track, "Run fifteen laps."

The students’ mouths dropped open in shock, "What?"

Kenji, unmoved by the students’ reactions, kept a stern eye on the opticomputer for the time, then announced, "Finish within an hour, starting now."

After a few seconds of stunned silence, the students hurried forward, eager not to fall behind.

Yuka lagged at the back, walking at a leisurely pace akin to an elderly man’s stroll.

Kenji’s forehead vein throbbed visibly. Yonda, noticing Kenji’s expression, instinctively moved away. He recognized this as the look Kenji had just before punishing a student severely. According to the usual pattern, the student, in this case Yuka, would have to face a grueling 50-kilometer cross-country punishment.

Kenji approached Yuka and asked in a low voice, "Can’t you run a bit faster?!"

Yuka turned her mecha’s head and began to jog as instructed. Kenji took a few deep breaths to calm his urge to scold Yuka and watched as she maintained a steady pace, finishing the fifteen laps right at the one-hour mark.

Yonda was stunned, thinking, ’Has the Admiral actually gone easy on the student who angered him? That’s unheard of! Has his temper improved?’

On the training field, the students, having completed their run, collapsed on the ground, panting heavily.

Running in a mecha, though different from running on foot, was equally exhausting. Controlling a mecha required intense concentration to prevent falls, taxing the pilots mentally as much as physically.

Kenji asked, "How do you feel?"

"Exhausted!" they replied.

With a hint of strictness, Kenji said, "If you still have the energy to complain about being tired, then you’re not tired enough. Do a set of frog jumps; just to the other end of this straight track and back."

The students looked at him as if he were a monster.

One student gathered the courage to speak up, "Sir, we really can’t jump anymore!"

Yonda, on the side, shook his head in disbelief. These kids were still too green, daring to negotiate with the Admiral.