The days following the Vanguard trials were filled with rigorous training and relentless preparation.
The chosen recruits, including Tobi and Morikata, were divided into squads to hone their skills and build trust among teammates.
Each day started before dawn, with exercises designed to push their physical and mental limits.
Tobi found himself growing stronger, but the weight of the impending journey to the surface loomed over him like a shadow.
The Vanguard compound was a hive of activity. Recruits practiced combat techniques, learned to adapt their stone abilities in practical scenarios, and studied maps of the surface fragments of knowledge pieced together from old records and recent reconnaissance missions.
For Tobi, every lesson was a reminder of how little they truly knew about what awaited them above.
One morning, during a session on tactical coordination, Commander Matilda addressed the recruits.
"The surface is unpredictable," she began, her voice sharp and commanding.
"You may face creatures twisted by centuries of radiation, crumbling structures hiding unseen dangers, or even remnants of the old world fighting to survive. Your training here is not just to make you stronger, it's to make you adaptable."
Tobi exchanged a glance with Morikata, who had been unusually focused since the trials.
Morikata's decision to join the Vanguard still puzzled Tobi, but he couldn't deny that his presence brought a sense of reassurance.
Between training sessions, Tobi found moments to reflect with Friend. 'Do you think we're ready for this?' he asked one evening, sitting on the edge of his bunk.
Friend's voice was calm, though tinged with its usual playful skepticism. 'Readiness is a state of mind, Tobi. You'll never feel completely prepared for the unknown. But you've grown more than you realize.'
Despite Friend's encouragement, doubt lingered.
Tobi often thought about Hiki, wondering where she was and why she hadn't joined them.
Morikata's occasional remarks didn't help. 'Maybe she'll meet us in the big city' he had said with a shrug when Tobi questioned him about her absence.
The training also brought unexpected challenges. During a sparring session, Tobi struggled to integrate his blue stone abilities with close combat techniques.
Morikata, watching from the sidelines, eventually stepped in.
"You're overthinking it," he said, demonstrating a fluid sequence of movements.
"Your power's not just about lifting things. It's about control—find the rhythm."
To Tobi's surprise, Morikata's advice worked. By the end of the session, he was coordinating his stone abilities with his physical movements more effectively.
"Not bad," Morikata said with a rare grin. "Maybe you'll survive up there after all."
As the days turned into weeks, the recruits bonded over shared struggles and victories.
Tobi's squad composed of himself, Morikata, a sharp-eyed healer named Hannah, and a tactical genius named Neon, began to feel like a second family. They worked together seamlessly, each complementing the other's strengths.
The final phase of their preparation was a simulation designed to mimic the conditions of the surface.
The recruits were sent into a sprawling, labyrinthine training ground filled with artificial hazards and unpredictable challenges.
For Tobi's squad, it was an opportunity to test their skills under pressure. Navigating collapsing structures, fending off simulated Hound attacks, and solving resource allocation puzzles pushed
them to their limits.
By the end of the simulation, Tobi's squad emerged as one of the top-performing groups.
Commander Matilda commended their efforts but reminded them that the real test was yet to come.
"What you faced here is nothing compared to the surface. Remember that."
Tobi couldn't shake the sense that something monumental awaited them.
Every challenge seemed like a prelude to an even greater trial. When the training sessions ended for the day, he often found himself lost in thought, gazing at the ceiling of the Vanguard compound.
There was a pale white illumination stone imitating the real light of the surface, but for Tobi, it represented the vastness of what lay ahead.
As the training period drew to a close, the recruits were given a brief reprieve.
Tobi used the time to write down his thoughts, reflecting on how far he had come and what lay ahead.
He also found himself wandering the compound, searching for any signs of Hiki or answers to the questions that had been gnawing at him.
Hannah approached him one evening, noticing his preoccupation. "I heard you and Morikata talking, is her name Hiki right? You're thinking about her, aren't you?" she asked gently.
Tobi nodded. "I can't help it. She's the reason I'm here, and now she's… gone."
Hannah placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Hiki's absence doesn't mean she's abandoned you. Sometimes, people have their own paths to follow. Trust that she'll return when the time is right."
Her words offered some comfort, but the ache of uncertainty remained. Tobi resolved to focus on the mission at hand, trusting that answers would come in time.
On the final night before deployment, the recruits gathered around a small fire pit, sharing stories and aspirations.
Hannah spoke of her dream to find untouched land where her healing abilities could thrive.
Neon theorized about ancient technology that might still be functional on the surface.
Morikata, true to form, kept his thoughts to himself, though his quiet determination was evident.
When it was Tobi's turn, he hesitated. "I don't know what I'm hoping to find," he admitted. "But I want to believe there's something up there worth fighting for."
Friend's voice chimed in softly, audible only to Tobi. 'There is, Tobi. And you'll see it when the time is right.'
As the firelight flickered, casting long shadows on the walls, Tobi felt a mixture of fear and anticipation.
The surface was no longer a distant concept, it was their next destination. And while the unknown awaited, he knew he wouldn't face it alone.
The next morning, as dawn broke over the Vanguard compound, the recruits assembled for their final briefing.
Commander Matilda's presence was as commanding as ever, her gaze sweeping over the gathered recruits.
"You've trained hard," she said.
"You've pushed yourselves to the brink. But the real challenge begins now. The surface won't show mercy, and neither can we."
She paused, letting her words sink in.
"You are the first step in reclaiming what we lost. Carry that responsibility with pride, but also with caution. Trust in your squad, trust in your training, and most importantly, trust in yourselves."
Tobi felt a surge of determination.