Melantha was especially glad she had escaped lunch when she did.
That man—Revy—who had casually taken her usual seat in the cafeteria, might've seemed like just another stranger, but the way he joked and chatted so casually with two of Rhodes Island's elite Operators made it clear: this man was no ordinary figure.
To avoid trouble, Melantha had already resolved to steer as far away from him as possible.
So when she saw Revy again at the afternoon training field, she nearly collapsed on the spot.
"Let me introduce you all—this is Mr. Revy. Although he only recently joined Rhodes Island, he already holds the rank of elite Operator. We're lucky to have him here to lead today's training. I hope everyone makes good use of this rare opportunity."
The speaker, Dobermann, was well-known for her strictness, but even she couldn't hide the faint smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she introduced Revy—leaving the rest of Team A4 stunned.
This training session had, of course, been arranged by Kal'tsit.
She knew better than anyone that Revy's strength wasn't limited to combat. Once considered one of Kazdel's greatest strategic minds—second only to the Doctor—Revy had commanded more battles than nearly anyone, and his win rate had even surpassed the Doctor's.
But perhaps more valuable than his tactics was his ability to train soldiers. The elite troops he had personally drilled during the Kazdel conflict were still regarded as legends… including one unit that continued to haunt Theresis's nightmares.
So if Revy was to serve Rhodes Island to his full potential, putting him in charge of training new recruits was a no-brainer.
Surprisingly, when Kal'tsit brought this idea to Dobermann and Nearl, both had agreed without resistance—a rare occurrence.
They may not have known about Revy's past as a drillmaster, but they did know what he'd done during the Chernobog operation—and anyone who had seen Revy fight would understand why he commanded such respect.
"Kal'tsit dumped this assignment on me, so here I am."
Revy stepped forward to face the full lineup of Team A4.
"But honestly, I don't know your skills—combat capability, teamwork, tactics, all that stuff. Evaluating that takes time, so let's just do things the simple way."
(What simple way?) The entire team was thinking the same thing.
"Fight me."
Melantha's instincts screamed.
Even if Revy's exact role was unclear, all elite Operators were monsters, regardless of their specialization. Ace, a heavy defender, could go toe-to-toe with front-line guards. Revy might not look like much, but the title of elite Operator meant he was a threat.
Clearly, everyone on Team A4 felt the same unease.
"Um, Revy-sensei, sir… with all due respect, I'm not sure we'd even get a chance to show what we can do if we fought you…"
That was Andréana, trying her best to voice concern diplomatically—though it was obvious what she meant was, "We'd lose horribly."
"I'm not asking you to beat me. I won't be going all out, and I won't punish you. This is just to test your abilities as a squad. Remember, you're a Reserve Combat Unit. Once training is complete, you'll be expected to head into real battle."
"I need a proper assessment to design your training plan. On a real battlefield, you don't get to bargain."
With that, there was nowhere left to run. The team got into position:
Cutter raised her shield.
Melantha drew her blade.
Steward gathered energy in his staff.
Andréana readied her crossbow.
Ansel, the team's medic, stood back—his role was to stay protected.
"Hmm. Not bad, your stance is solid. Looks like Dobermann's been training you well."
Revy nodded and reached for the long case on his back. From it, he drew two pistols and tossed the case aside.
The guns looked like modified M1911s, not standard Columbian military issue—probably a knockoff Rhodes Island had procured.
He raised both pistols to shoulder height.
"Those guns…?"
Dobermann was the one who asked—she clearly remembered that Revy's usual weapons were a pair of black and white handguns. He'd used them during the Chernobog mission to blast through an enemy barrage aimed at Amiya.
"They were damaged in Chernobog. Vulcan is working on repairs. These are just stand-ins."
Revy gave the pistols a little twirl.
"Don't worry, they're loaded with rubber bullets. Your students won't die today."
Dobermann chuckled.
"Alright then… since you're ready—"
"Training match—begin!"