Chapter 44

Military training began. All freshmen were outfitted in the standard olive green training uniforms. Despite the sweltering heat, Noelle had tied her hair up neatly under her cap, her petite frame standing tall and proud. Her unadorned face exuded a sharp, energetic charm that made her seem vibrant and commanding.

During the initial drill, the instructors noticed her immediately. "Take a good look, everyone," Korbin Dalton, their lead instructor, barked. "This is how you stand at attention—steady as a mountain, upright and unwavering. Not like a bunch of crooked trees swaying in the wind."

A wave of murmurs came from the back rows. The praise, however, spurred a wave of...

"Excuse me, Sir! Who exactly are we supposed to look at? We can’t see from here!"

"Yeah, Sir! Bring them to the front so we can get a better view!"

Korbin's eyes narrowed, and he snapped back at the hecklers. "Stop with the nonsense back there!" He pointed at Noelle. "Get up here and show them how it’s done."

"Okay." Noelle stepped forward without hesitation. She marched with precision, every step measured and deliberate. Stopping sharply, she turned with the fluidity of a seasoned soldier. Her movements were so clean and crisp that the students murmured again, but this time in awe.

Korbin's gaze swept over her with admiration. "That was impressive. Have you trained before?"

"Yes, Sir. I have," Noelle replied, her voice ringing clear and confident.

"And what have you learned?" he asked, curious.

Noelle tilted her head slightly, as if pondering how much to reveal. A playful grin spread across her face. "Everything you know, Sir, I know too."

A collective gasp rippled through the students.

"Whoa, she's bold." "Isn't that a bit too cocky?" "She's asking for trouble. Mr. Dalton's not gonna let that slide." "Humph, I hope the instructor will teach her a lesson."

Leia, standing nearby, couldn't suppress a smirk. Noelle had a knack for rubbing people the wrong way, and Leia hoped Korbin would bring her down a peg. That way, Noelle would be even less popular at school.

Hearing the discussion from the ranks, the instructor immediately turned around and scolded, "What are you all talking about down there? Whoever speaks again will stand at attention for two more hours!"

Silence instantly fell over the ranks.

Korbin, however, chuckled darkly. "Well, if you know everything I do, let's put it to the test. If you fail, you'll stand at attention for two extra hours. If you pass, you get to rest immediately."

"Really?" Noelle's eyes sparkled at the mention of rest.

"Really," Korbin said, his lips curving into a sly grin. "Let's start with the basics. Attention!"

Noelle snapped to position instantly.

"Parade, march! In place, march! Forward, march! Halt! Mark time!"

Every command was executed flawlessly, her movements seamless and sharp.

"Not bad," Korbin admitted, turning to the rest of the group. He gestured to Noelle. "This is what you should all strive for—a perfect example."

"Sir, can I rest now?" Noelle asked, her hopeful eyes blinking up at him.

Korbin smirked. "Not so fast. You think being a soldier is just about drills? Can you handle hand-to-hand combat?"

"Of course," Noelle replied without missing a beat.

"Alright then," Korbin said, his smile widening. "If you can last ten moves against me, you can rest. Deal?"

"Deal," Noelle chirped.

Whispers broke out among the students.

"Ten moves! Against Mr. Dalton? No way she lasts." "This is payback for her bragging." "But if she can't do it, she'll have to stand at attention for two more hours." "What? Do you feel sorry for him?"

Standing in the back because of his height, Harley overheard the discussion between the boys next to him. His lips curled into a smirk, amused by the ignorance of these people. Here, even the instructor from the Thunder Unit was sparring with Noelle in a mock fight, but this wasn't a fair match—it was nothing more than a one-sided beatdown.

"Let’s begin. You attack first." Korbin beckoned Noelle with a flick of his finger.

"Well, here I go," Noelle said, wasting no time, eager to start.

"Go ahead, go ahead," Korbin casually dismissed her, not taking her seriously at all.

A crowd had gathered, some watching for the fun of it, others waiting eagerly for Noelle to embarrass herself. Leia, too, was brimming with excitement. In her mind, she was praying that Korbin would utterly crush Noelle. So what if Noelle was good at sports? She acted so smug about it. Compared to a real soldier like Korbin, what was Noelle even worth?

As Noelle charged at Korbin, nearly half of the onlookers, including Korbin himself, were sure she was about to be taken down. Korbin had planned to use a simple flip to throw Noelle to the ground. But as soon as he grabbed her wrist, to his shock, Noelle reversed the grip, locking his arm in place, and with a swift turn, Korbin couldn't react fast enough. Before he knew it, his whole body was in midair, and the next thing he felt was the hard slam of the ground beneath him.

It was a perfect over-the-shoulder throw.

The entire crowd was stunned into silence.

"What the hell! He got taken down in one move!" "No way…" "Did I see that right?" "Damn, Noelle's kinda badass."

"Korbin, you got thrown by a female student!" someone teased him.

Korbin, still dazed from the fall, slowly regained his senses and stared at Noelle, stunned. "You're really a seasoned fighter, huh?"

Noelle grinned, flashing her teeth as she said playfully, "Am I impressive or what?"

"Impressive…" The instructors, now intrigued, couldn't help but want to test themselves against Noelle, partly because they had seen her skill firsthand. And partly because, as instructors, they couldn't let a defeat like this go unaddressed in front of the students.

"Oh," Noelle pouted, slightly annoyed, and said. "But you said I could rest if I beat him."

Another instructor laughed and said. "If you beat me, you won't have to train for the rest of the day."

"Do you mean it?" Noelle's eyes lit up.

"Alright, bring it on!"

Korbin favored the stance again, and Noelle dashed toward him. Before he could react, the same thud sounded as he was sent flying once again by another flawless over-the-shoulder throw.

"Holy crap, that was fast." "Another one-hit wonder."

The students erupted into cheers. Under the hot sun, they had been forced to stand in military posture for what seemed like forever, but seeing the instructors get humiliated was more than enough to make them feel a bit of satisfaction.

The other instructors, hearing the students' cheers, couldn't help but get riled up.

"Let's go again! Let me have a go!" Another instructor stepped forward.

Noelle, with a mischievous grin, raised one finger and said, "One day off."

She meant, if they wanted to spar, they had to give her an extra day of rest.

"Fine!" The instructor agreed without hesitation.

And once more, with no surprise, Noelle threw him with a perfect shoulder throw. The instructors were getting completely wrecked today.

"Alright, again!" Another instructor stepped forward.

The students began to shout, "No more shoulder throws! Give us something new!"

"You little troublemakers." The instructor, clearly annoyed, ignored them and turned to Noelle. "Alright, come on. Let’s duel."

Noelle’s eyes glinted with excitement. And this time, she would indeed bring out something new. In one fluid motion, she kicked her leg up in a spinning kick. The instructor, towering at 6 feet tall, soared through the air in a perfect arc before…