The next morning began with a similar routine of HR, breakfast, and a shorter session in which Lieutenant Lavender congratulated every cadet on making it to their second day.
At nine o'clock, the homeroom class changed into NCUs and marched in line to the same facility where PT tests were done the day before. After this, the group dispersed to their respective training halls. Melbourne arrived at floor 11 among ten top performers of the PT Test to meet First Sergeant Zach Lioni again.
"Alright, I expect that each of you took your most basic D and C course yesterday afternoon, so you should understand me when I say this!" announced Lioni. "FORM UP!"
The group awkwardly formed up, in two rows of five people in front of Lioni, standing at attention.
"Excellent!" announced Lioni in satisfaction. "Our new Staff Sergeant Zeo is doing something right. Alright, cadets, congratulations on making it to the top tier of the freshman physical classes on your second day! I trust you won't get complacent. Remember, anyone can challenge you in physical exercises after this week to take your place. The other tests will also affect your overall physical scores and could land you a demotion to a higher level if you don't outperform your peers who did not fare as well as you yesterday, so take the rest of Induction Week seriously. Do you understand me, cadets?"
"Yes, First Sergeant!" said the cadets in unison.
Lioni smiled in satisfaction. "Good. Now, we are going to be doing something a little different this morning. We tested your muscles yesterday, but raw strength alone does not decide any battle or altercation. Fighting technique and adaptability to your opponent are going to matter far more to save your life and kill your enemy. It is very common for soldiers on the front lines to experience situations where their guns won't serve them. In these cases, they must rely solely on their melee weapons. Today, we will test your aptitude with a combat knife by having you duel each other. You will not use a real combat knife against your fellow students, of course. I will issue you plastic knives that are designed to have the weight and feel of a real combat knife. They are training tools that will help you prepare for a real combat situation."
Lioni walked to a small crate he had on the floor and pulled out a bag with ten sheathed training knives and passed them out to each cadet in his class.
[Inventory:
Training Knife: +1 Melee Damage]
Melbourne's Aclito accounted for the new object as he received it from the instructor. It was a weak weapon that indeed felt exactly like a standard combat knife but could only knock an opponent out unless one tried extremely hard to kill with it.
"Alright, you will find a convenient pocket on the right side of your Naval Combat Uniform utility belt designed for the attachment of a combat knife. It's designed to allow you to easily reach it in a crisis while keeping you mobile and unrestricted in gymnastics and movement. You should be able to carry it and squat, roll, run and crawl without losing it or being hurt by it. Attach your knives now."
The cadets all found the place to attach it within five seconds.
"Alright, now take a few minutes to practice drawing the knife. Feel free to give it a few swings too. Don't worry too much right now about maintaining your formation. You are still in training."
Melbourne drew and sheathed his weapon about ten times before making a few practice swipes.
After about one minute, Lioni continued.
"Alright, this is the Melee Combat Aptitude test. An automated system will pair you with an opponent and you will each be assigned points that accumulate on top of the points from your PT Test for each battle you win. This test is tournament style. The loser of each duel is ousted from the tournament and given a ranking in Melee Combat and overall physical training. Remember, a low ranking may or may not result in your failure to keep your position here depending on how you performed relative to other students yesterday. Our first match is going to be Jeremy Olan versus Ormil Benta!"
Lioni gestured the two into a red circular painting on the floor about twenty meters in diameter.
"This is the training combat ring!" announced Lioni. "The rules are simple. The winner of the match is the one who either strikes their opponent in a vital organ with my witnessing, fights their opponent out of the ring boundary, knocks their opponent unconscious or causes their opponent to surrender and concede defeat. Understood?"
Jeremy and Ormil nodded.
"Good. The blades are blunt and will not cut skin, so don't be afraid to strike hard. A strike to the heart may knock the wind out of your opponent but it will not kill them. A strike to the temple may knock your opponent unconscious at worst but will not create lasting damage unless you repeatedly bash your opponents skull in after the conditions for victory are met. I, of course, will not allow that. Begin!"
Extreme pressure was on Jeremy to perform well as he had barely made the cut to be in the top class. If he failed any of his early matches, there was a strong chance that someone in the floor above them would take his position and replace him the next day.
Jeremy lunged at Ormil, who parried ruthlessly.
The two traded parries in a relentless flurry of desperation to not fall beneath the cracks.
Finally, after about two minutes, Jeremy struck Ormil in the temple and Lioni raised his hand and shouted like a man behind a microphone.
"Winner, Cadet Jeremy Olan." announced Lioni.
The two stopped fighting and walked off the stage. Ormil was fuming mad. Jeremy bore the relief of someone who had finished an overdue homework assignment just in time after cramming for a particularly important test.
"Next match, Sarah Jenol versus Kyleena Shamata!" announced Lioni.
The two women walked up to the arena and prepared their plastic blades.
"BEGIN!"
The two met in a furious battle and seemed rather evenly matched. After about five minutes, Sarah finally struck at Kyleena's chest where the heart was.
"Winner, Cadet Jenol!" exclaimed Lioni, his voice carrying relief that the battle was finally over. "Next, Melbourne Acliate versus Timothy Faran."
Melbourne and Timothy walked up to the arena.
"Just because we're friends now does not mean I'm going easy on you." said Timothy.
Melbourne nodded and prepared his training knife.
"BEGIN!" announced Lioni.
The match was a sharp contrast to the last drawn out one. There was no parry and no visible sign of resistance. Timothy didn't stand a chance.
Melbourne danced behind Timothy and rubbed the dull blade against his neck as though he were slicing through it.
"WINNER, CADET ACLIATE!" exclaimed Lioni, looking genuinely impressed at the skill and form. "Next matchup, Logan Indri versus Layne Shogoth!" The two walked up to the arena and drew. "BEGIN!"
"I forfeit the match and concede the superiority of Logan Indri!" exclaimed Layne, sheathing his blade.
Logan smiled in approval, looking at Layne like a well-trained dog who had passed some secret test.
"O-okay." said First Sergeant Lioni uncomfortably. "Victory to Cadet Indri! Next matchup, Liana Rayes versus Tony Karesi!"
Liana, the woman who had been coddling up to Logan's arm at supper the night before, walked up with flowing black hair and the arrogance of a superiority complex Melbourne noted to be very similar to that of Logan Indri.
Tony, the dark-skinned one who had placed third in the PT Test yesterday, looked eager to prove himself and was a sharp contrast to the arrogance of the woman.
"BEGIN!"
The two drew blades and Lioni gave the permission to begin. Melbourne secretly rooted for Tony.
After about two minutes, the two were sweating with low stamina when Tony finally landed a hard strike on Liana's shoulder, missing the neck. As this was not considered a fatal organ, Lioni did not call the match. Despite this, Liana became infuriated and lashed out into Tony's chest.
"A NO NAME PLEB LIKE YOU SHOULD KNOW YOUR PLACE AND NEVER STRIKE YOU BETTERS!" exclaimed Liana with venom, striking him in the head through adrenaline-charged fury that caught Tony off guard.
"WINNER, CADET RAYES!" exclaimed Lioni, but Liana did not stop.
She started striking Tony hard again in the head before Lioni finally restrained her in a chokehold.
"Cadet, get off him!" demanded Lioni. "You've already won! I will take disciplinary action if you continue this!"
Liana visibly calmed. "First Sergeant, you and I both know that my father would get your career canceled if you did any such thing. There would be investigations and trials and you could even be court martialed."
Lioni let Liana go. "Cadet, I must maintain order in this academy. You cannot go breaking our rules like that, I don't care whose blood you share." As Lioni defended his pride as a professor and the official rules of the military and the academy, his voice sounded hollow as though something in his mind was afraid of her father actually retaliating.
"Alright, Cadet Karesi, I'm going to get you an ice pack before we continue with the second tier of our aptitude testing tournament!" announced Lioni, picking up Tony by the shoulder. "Cadets, behave while I take him to the nurse! I will be back shortly!"