Chapter 200: Speculations

Words : 1347 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

Chapter 200: Speculations The impromptu duel between Instructor Max and Luca rightfully shocked the academy. Not only because it happened but because it ended so fast. And worse—because it looked like Luca was just toying with the instructor. For the next few days, the student forums buzzed with debate. Some were in awe. [How could a freshman dismantle an instructor so cleanly?] [I’m a senior and haven’t even seen someone do such a thing!] [+1 to the Upstairs commenter! Me too! And it is a good thing someone recorded the whole thing!] Some were skeptical. And it really couldn’t be helped with just how unbelievable that match was. [There was no way an instructor lost like that unless it was staged. Right?] [I think so, too! Maybe it was some sort of demonstration? Especially since I also heard that Instructor Max was a strict one!] But of course, some flat-out refused to believe it. Maybe Luca was just rich enough to pay for a good act. [I’m telling you, while that kid’s good, he can’t possibly be that good, right?! So, it’s likely that they want to increase his fame by, you know...] [+1 I’m assuming the same thing, especially considering the status.] But as the rumors spread, so did curiosity. More instructors started taking notice of the unassuming freshman who was consistently making waves. And one such instructor? Instructor Moore, a specialist in Mecha Manufacturing and Engineering. But Instructor Moore wasn’t one for drama, especially after personally witnessing some of Luca’s earlier escapades. So, he thought of using this situation as learning material. Not everyone can be geniuses, but at least his students won’t be idiots who cannot tell left from right. And unlike some of his colleagues (cough Max cough), he focused on technical analysis. And after watching the duel footage, he saw something that most people missed. So the next day, he pulled up the battle for his mecha manufacturing students. "Today, we’re going to analyze why Instructor Starhawk lost so badly." The class snickered at the phrasing. But how else would Moore put it when that thing wasn’t just a loss but a complete beat down? "Now, to those who only watched this duel at face value, it might seem like Cadet Kyros was just ’lucky’ or that Instructor Starhawk ’let’ himself lose." Instructor Moore paused, allowing the students’ murmurs to die down before continuing. "That is incorrect." "!" The students leaned in. And they would be in for a surprise. He brought up frame-by-frame slow-motion footage of Luca’s mecha in action. "Look carefully at these movements. Cadet Kyros isn’t just attacking at random. He’s targeting joint locks, structural vulnerabilities, and stabilizers—and he’s doing it in real-time." "As mecha manufacturing students and aspiring mechanics, you should be able to confirm the truth about that." Another pause. Because by now some students have started gasping and zooming in on their own projections like they were suddenly having an epiphany. "This is not luck. This is precision." He pulled up a heatmap of Luca’s engagement patterns. "Notice how Cadet Kyros never wastes an attack. Every movement is efficient, and every disengagement is calculated. He isn’t overpowering his opponent—he’s removing their ability to fight back one component at a time." The class was silent, processing just how ridiculous this level of control was. Then Instructor Moore dropped the final bomb. "And most importantly—Instructor Starhawk never even realized it was happening." Collective gasps. The realization hit hard. Instructor Starhawk didn’t lose because he was weak. He lost because he had no idea what he was fighting against. And then, as all good scandals do— The explanation hit the school forums. __ Technically, Luca wasn’t planning anything of that sort. And really, he wasn’t even thinking of doing it to that extent; it was just that he couldn’t avoid hitting the right places just because it would look bad. Wouldn’t it be counterproductive for Instructor Max if he didn’t find out about his mecha’s vulnerabilities this early? Thought Luca, as he would personally appreciate it if someone told him about his weaknesses so he could fix them. He figured it was better to respect his opponent and fight properly than undermine someone since, from experience, this was how many people die. And he didn’t want the same fate—thank you very much. So, even he was surprised to hear about the rumors spreading around, not to mention how everybody had started looking oddly at him again. But what could he do when that information from Instructor Moore’s class spread like wildfire? Some students panicked. [Wait. Wait. Does this mean he wasn’t even fighting seriously?!] [Or are pilots supposed to be that good to rank nowadays?!] Some were enlightened. [Bro was speedrunning disassembly mid-fight.] Some felt secondhand embarrassment. [Starhawk was out here fighting while that freshman Luca was just doing maintenance work.] [+1] [+1] [+1] And then— The recordings of Instructor Max’s class lectures leaked to a particular group of people. D-29 very helpfully sent them straight to Ollie, Kyle, Jax, and Xavier. The group watched in growing horror as Instructor Max’s transparent bias unfolded before their eyes. Ollie was fuming. "Are you kidding me? He practically tried to rig it against my brother?!" Jax was grinning but in a way that suggested he would like to revisit Instructor Max in a dark alley. Kyle scoffed. "What an idiot. No wonder he lost. He didn’t even bother researching Luca." And Xavier? Xavier was silent. Which was far more terrifying. It seems like they needed to do a little purging in the military. What a good day to start today. He mused. But D-29 wasn’t done, either. [Would you like me to submit an official complaint?] "YES," Kyle and Ollie immediately said in unison. "NO," Luca’s voice cut in from the background. The group turned, finding Luca calmly filling out his combination mecha piloting exam application. He smiled, completely unbothered. "It’s fine. I got what I needed." Also, how could he report the Instructor when he had the left-out mecha parts with him? What if they started looking for them? Ollie narrowed his eyes. "And that is?" The little chipmunk continued scribbling in concentration before finishing filling out the form and presenting it to everyone like a treasure. "The test permit! Ta-da!" "..." And everyone just looked at each other as Luca gave them a beaming smile. But maybe they should be worrying about the faculty instead. It was finally the day for registration, and Luca could finally approach the exam registration terminal, which he had only seen from afar before. And this was noticed by the attending instructor, who looked up— And immediately paled. "Oh." Luca flashed a wide yet polite smile. "Hello! I’d like to register for the Combination Mecha Piloting Exam." The instructor frantically checked the system. Typically, students had to duel an instructor as part of the testing process. But who wouldn’t know this kid by now?! And obviously, next to Luca’s name was: [Qualified for the Examination] The instructor’s face twitched. Because after the Starhawk Incident, no instructor wanted to duel Luca. Not after watching him turn a professional pilot into a pile of mecha parts. And even those curious to fight against someone strong decided not to when the playing field was different. Just how many Mecha pilots could pass off as mechanics?! Maybe before, people would have the time to study both, but with everyone fighting tough battles, who would have enough energy and brain cells to do both? Well, Luca did. Apparently. "...I see," the instructor said very carefully. "Everything looks good. You’re officially registered." Luca smiled. "Thank you so much! I’ll do my best!" The instructor watched him go and immediately sent a message to the examiner team. [URGENT] [We have a problem.] [Cadet Kyros signed up for the exam.] [Who’s going to fight him?] Radio silence. "..." And then— [Message from Exam Board:] [AUTO-APPROVE HIM.] [DO NOT LET HIM FIGHT ANYONE.] [We can’t afford more instructors going on leave.] The division’s problem (golden) child officially became an institution-wide headache or entertainment. Take your pick.

Chapter 200: Speculations

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