The atmosphere at the War Gods Military Academy was tense for squad 5. Thanos lay on his bed, bandages covering his arm and bruises dotting his body. Squad 5 had been given a brief respite, but there was a palpable sense of unease. The mech attack had left everyone on edge, and Thanos couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger was coming.
A sharp knock on the door broke his thoughts. It was Sam, looking unusually serious.
"Thanos, Captain Obinna wants to see us in the main hall. Now," Sam said.
Thanos nodded, gritting his teeth as he got up. The pain was still there, but he wasn't going to let it slow him down. Together, they made their way to the main hall, where the rest of Squad 5 and the other 23 squads was already gathered.
Captain Obinna stood at the front, his expression grave. "I won't beat around the bush. Our recent encounter with the mech has caught the attention of the higher-ups. Thus, your Qi training session will be taken over by a high-ranking commander."
There was a murmur of surprise among the squad. What was wrong with their old teacher, and the presence of a high-ranking commander teaching rookie squads was almost unheard of.
"Who is it, Captain?" Amina asked, curiosity evident in her voice.
Obinna smiled slightly. "You'll find out soon enough. For now, get ready. The session starts in an hour."
---
An hour later, all 24 rookie squads stood in the academy's largest training arena. The anticipation was electric, everyone eager to see who their mysterious instructor would be. The doors at the far end of the arena opened, and a tall, imposing figure walked in. Thanos' eyes widened in recognition.
"Darius," he whispered, disbelief in his voice. After meeting him at the restaurant, Darius left a deep impression on Thanos and after joining the military he found Darius' name and photograph in the wall of fame. It turns out that Darius King is the leader of squad 17 advanced team, and had made a name for himself as the strongest commander in not just the academy, but in the world tournament a year ago, he came out on top after competing against other commanders from various military bases around the world.
Darius approached the squad, his presence commanding respect. "Welcome. I hear you've had an eventful first mission." He said this and directed his gaze to squad 5, which caused other squad members to check them out. By now everyone at the base had heared about how squad 5 took out a rogue mech during their first mission, what they didn't know was that the mech was not from earth. "Today, we'll be focusing on advanced Qi techniques, after training, your captain will present to you manuals and videos for various techniques and who knows you might create a technigue of your own someday."
The squad was stunned. Darius was a legend at the academy, known for his unparalleled skills and numerous victories in battle and world military tournaments. Having him as their instructor was an honor and a challenge.
Darius wasted no time. "Let's start with a demonstration. Thanos, step forward."
Thanos hesitated for a moment but then moved to the front. Darius nodded in approval. "You've got potential, Asemota. Show me what you've got."
They squared off, and the arena fell silent. Thanos felt his Qi surge through him, the energy crackling around his fists. Darius, however, stood calm and collected.
"Attack me," Darius commanded.
Thanos didn't need to be told twice. He launched himself at Darius, fists blazing with Qi. But Darius moved with a speed and precision that was almost supernatural. He deflected Thanos' attacks effortlessly, his movements fluid and controlled. The way he moved it was like the flow of water mixed withthe strength of the earth.
"Good, but not enough," Darius said, his voice steady. "You need to focus your Qi more. Channel it into your attacks, not just your fists. I want you all to watch closely and listen attentively."
Thanos tried again, this time concentrating harder. His strikes were more precise, but Darius still deflected them with ease.
"Better," Darius acknowledged, "but you need to learn to properly concentrate your Qi so much that it'll be as tangible as metal. I want you all to sit in the floor cross-legged, and sit according to your squad."
They all obeyed and sat down. The room has platforms to sit on just like a stadium, so even though they were all seated on the floor, they were able to see Darius without anyone's head hindering their sight. Darius stood in front of them and took a stance.
"The technique I am going to demonstrate is called hand of judgement. And it consists of 129 palm strikes in total." Darius spoke and started moving, he made several consecutive palm strikes causing the air around him to be compressed, his movement was fluid and without breaks. He performed all 128 palm strikes and for the final one, he pulled one hand down to his waist and put the other palm out
BOOM
The sound of his palm strike caused they air around him to break apart and it felt like the temperature dropped several degrees.
"There are a total of 128 palm strikes and each strikeust be fluid and flawless, you must allow your Qi flow from your lower dantian to your middle dantian, then alert the Qi from your upper dantian merge with your lower dantian as you strike." Darius did his best to explain.
"Allow your Qi flow and build up in your palms with each strike. It has to be a continuous process, I your opponent is able to block or counter your palm strikes, the flow of Qi will be disrupted and you will not be able to continue execution of the hand of judgement. Only after 128 consecutive palm strikes can you use the built up Qi in your hands to perform the 129th strike, the hand of judgement."
Now you all should rise up and follow my movement.
"When you have mastered the movement and it has become a part of you, you will be able to perform the 129th strike, the hand of judgement, without performing the first 128 palm strikes."
As the session went on, Thanos felt himself improving. He was pushing his limits, learning to control his Qi with greater precision and power. The rest of Squad 5 was equally challenged, each member striving to meet Darius' high standards.
After hours of grueling training, Darius finally called for a break. The squads were exhausted but exhilarated. .
"Remember," Darius said, addressing the rookies, "Qi is not just about power. It's about control, discipline, and will. Master these, and you'll be ready for whatever comes your way."
As Darius turned to leave, one of the rookies couldn't help but ask, "Sir, why are you training us, is it because of the mech attack?"
Darius paused, then turned back to face the squad. "Because the world is changing, and we fear, that we may not have as much time as we thought we did. We don't even know what our enemies look like, but they have taken the initiative to attack first. You need to be ready. All of you."
With that, he left the arena, leaving the rookies to ponder his words. They knew they had a long road ahead, but with Darius' guidance, they were more determined than ever to rise to the challenge.
---
Elsewhere, in a secluded command center, Commander Layla watched the screen intently. The feeds from the newly arrived scouts had begun transmitting, showing various parts of Earth's solar system. She smiled to herself, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Let's see if they're stronger than we thought," she mused."
As the feeds continued to stream in, Layla began to formulate her next move. The game was just beginning, and she was determined to play it to the end.