(Sunday, 5:30 AM – Professor Marvin’s Physical Training Class)
Like every other morning at Rodova Military Academy, Sunday also began with mandatory physical training for all students.
Technically, it was optional.
But that was only on paper.
Professor Marvin had made it painfully clear that missing his class was not an option unless you were on your deathbed—and even then, he might still expect you to crawl onto the track.
So, as expected, every student was present.
But while it seemed like just another day at the academy, something about today’s morning was definitely different.
The air buzzed with an unusual energy that was heavier than the usual morning grogginess.
Eyes constantly flickered toward Leo and Su Yang, as although their presence had always drawn attention, today in particular it seemed like the stares lingered longer, and the whispers carried a sharper edge.
Because today was the day the big fight was supposed to happen.
"Big Brother, I hope you’re ready for the big fight later this morning—" Mu Ryan said, stretching beside Leo, her voice laced with genuine concern, as Leo clenched his fists in response.
"I don’t need reminders," he replied flatly, as he was already aware of what was coming.
The fight against the seniors was looming over him like a storm. And with every passing second, the pressure only grew stronger.
"I hope Professor Marvin doesn’t drain you dry this morning. Your fight’s at 9 AM, after all, and three hours of intense training beforehand won’t exactly leave you in top shape," Mu Ryan pointed out, as Leo’s jaw tightened at her words.
He already knew that.
He did not need her to spell out the obvious.
Ideally he should not be training before a big fight, however, skipping Marvin’s class was not an option, and holding back in training was not one either.
Professor Marvin was a damn demon who did not give a shit about anyone’s schedule, much less their personal struggles, which was why asking him for leniency was akin to organizing a dance performance before an audience of blind monkeys.
So yeah, Leo was well aware that burning himself out before a crucial fight was a terrible idea.
But what pissed him off more was hearing someone else point it out.
Because acknowledging a problem was one thing.
Having someone else rub it in? That was another.
"Mu Ryan…. Please leave me alone and fuck off— I really need some peace and quiet this morning and if you can’t shut up, then please go bother Mu Shen today," Leo said, as Mu Ryan puffed her cheeks in anger at his words.
She was only trying to look out for him from her perspective, however, what she failed to understand was that Leo did not need to hear her concerns before the fight.
He already knew them loud and clear, and was anxious enough as is.
Which was why he did not need her to make him any more nervous than what he already felt.
"Good Morning Cadets," A male voice then cut through the room, as Professor Marvin entered the training hall at 5:30 on the dot.
"Today is Sunday, so today we will go even harder than usual in training, because you don’t have any other lectures to attend after this one—" Marvin said while walking towards the students, as Leo felt his heart sink inside his chest when he heard those words.
Usually, he did not mind training harder than usual.
However, today was really not a good day for him to be participating in such an intense training session.
"Everyone, go put-on a 30Kg vest, and Mu Shen you will put on a 50Kg one.
Skyshard, Yang, the two of you are excused from today’s training.
Yu Shen has requested I don’t exhaust you today because of your big fight coming up later this morning.
And as a show of respect for the circuit’s team captain, I’m excusing you from your morning training, however, both you boys will work extra hard next week to make-up for this lost day!" Marvin declared, as Leo almost couldn’t believe his ears when Marvin excused him from today’s training.
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Marvin was infamous within the academy for having once made a cadet with a broken foot and a big plaster run 20 laps on crutches, which made his behaviour today seem completely uncharacteristic.
However, the fact that he let the two of them off the hook was definitely a good thing, as Leo accepted his mercy with grace.
"Thankyou for your consideration, Professor. I will surely work harder for the coming week—" Leo said, as he stepped out of the file, however, Su Yang did not follow suit.
"Respectfully Professor, I refuse to accept any concessions that have been handed out to me on request of Captain Yu Shen.
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I hate his guts, and my pride refuses to accept any hand-outs from him.
Please allow me to join today’s training session, as I would rather fight at half my strength, than accept mercy from my opponent," Su Yang said, as Leo immediately shot him a dirty glare.
’Fucking noble, and his big fat pride—’ Leo cursed under his breath, as he shook his head in disappointment.
In battle, one took every advantage they could get, regardless of whether it was an advantage offered by a friend or an enemy.
However, clearly Su Yang did not believe the same, as his brain had been rotted by the anger that he felt against Yu Shen.
The prideful idiot voluntarily stepped up to train, which made even Professor Marvin pinch the top of his nose in disbelief.
"That declaration was so incredibly manly, that words fail me.
However, it’s also stupid.
You won’t get any excuses if you lose the fight because of fatigue, Yang.
You could have opted to not train, and while I respect your decision to not accept any hand-outs from your opponent, it’s also on you now if you lose.
You can’t blame circumstances anymore," Marvin said, as Su Yang replied with absolute silence.
He knew the consequences of his actions well, and still chose to stick by it.
"Very well, go take a 10kg vest, I’ll give you that much concession of my own volition. It’s not because of the captain." Marvin said, as Su Yang stomped a salute.
"Sir, thankyou, sir–" he said, as he went on to pick a 10Kg vest, as he joined the rest of the class for this morning’s training session which included drills like squats, duck walk, wire crawling, sprints, crunches, burpees and more.
Overall, it was a session about 20% harder than what they performed on a routine basis, as by the end of it, there was not a single candidate, including Su Yang who could remain standing on both feet.
Everyone was absolutely exhausted beyond reason, with the only respite for Su Yang being that Marvin tossed him a bottle of high quality stamina potion at the end, which helped him quickly recover much of his lost strength.
It was 8:30 am now, and with the fight scheduled to start at 9:00 am, everyone started to slowly move towards the Practical Combat Grounds, eager to see how two first years fared against the much more experienced seniors.