Sable finally pulled his arms back, feeling no resistance at all even though Mako was gripping his arm with his full strength, leaving Mako completely stunned that he could still feeling the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He took a step back, trying to regain his composure while keeping a cautious eye on the seasoned soldier.
Commander Anderson stepped forward, addressing Mako and Iris. "Cadets, this is ELITE power ranked Commander Sable...."
"Retired!" Commander Sable said interrupting Main Commander Anderson in order to correct him.
"Yes... Retired ELITE power ranked Commander Sable Thorne, an elite operative and one of our most skilled combat specialists. He will be overseeing your training as your combat instructor in the special task force." Main Commander Anderson stated with a defeated expression after witnessing Commander Sable's behaviour.
Mako's confusion turned into a mix of surprise and disbelief. He had no idea that he would have such a unique and interesting first meeting with his new teacher who is going to help him train. To have the opportunity to train under an ELITE power ranked individual was both thrilling and intimidating.
Mako didn't imagine something like this would happen to him, but it seemed like he done something really wonderful that the main commander was giving them such high treatment.
Mako had just finished his train of thought when suddenly he started feeling the pressure building on his body again. He turned toward the table to see if the officials had begun releasing their aura again, but the pressure didn't originate from their direction, but from the direction of Commander Sable.
"So... you're going to train under me, huh?" Commander Sable said with a grin as slowly kept increasing the pressure as he released more aura.
Iris was affected first as her started to tremble from that pressure; however, seeing that Mako was okay with the current pressure, Iris gritted her teeth and stood up straight determined to outlast Mako and prove her strength to her teacher.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtSweat started to drip down both of their faces as they gritted their teeth and withstood the ever increasing pressure being exerted by Commander Sable, all the while Main Commander Anderson was facepalming, tired from his friend's over the top methods of testing new students.
The pressure was increasing more and more and was becoming too much for Iris and Mako to handle which forced them to release their own auras to combat the incoming pressure even though it was a great offence to release ones aura in front of a superior, but neither one wanted to give up and show their weaknesses in front of their new teacher.
Mako released his strongest aura which was not his Energy Manipulation aura anymore as his level 5 Fire and Lightning abilities had greater outward pressure than the Level 1 Energy Manipulation ability.
Mako decided to choose his favorite ability which was the Lightning ability and instantly he felt all the pressure on him disappear as his body crackled with electricity.
Iris' strongest ability was her healing ability which had now evolved to a Level 4, but it still didn't fully alleviate all the pressure from her body as she could feel her legs beginning to tremble a bit.
It did look like Iris would soon fall as even after activating her healing aura, she was struggling more than Mako to stand straight as the Commander Sable hadn't slowed down his rate of releasing aura by even a tiny bit.
However, determination still burned bright in Iris heart as she didn't want to make the first impression in front of such high ranked military personnel a weak one.
She summoned every last ounce of willpower she had and then suddenly she felt the pressure completely gone from her body. She at first thought that maybe commander Sable had finally decided to show them mercy, but Mako who was to her left was still struggling to stand, but she was able to stand straight with no issues.
It took a moment for her to realize what she had done, but she had actually tapped into her mutant gene again as her eyes were glowing blue right now.
Iris had almost completely used up all the mutant genes power during the requitement test and even though Commander Malik refrained from providing any information to her regarding it, he advised her to stop using it for the next 6 months so that it could fully regenerate, which didn't really help since Iris hadn't mastered the trigger for activating it yet.
She was current operating on the small amount of mutant gene power that has recovered in the few days she was admitted inside the clinic.
The tables had turned as now Iris was able to stand upright with no problem while Mako was struggling as this time it was his legs that were trembling.
But still, Mako also had an abundance of willpower and determination and he would also refuse to give up and show his weakness in front of everyone.
Mako had no special trick up his sleeve as he hadn't activated his mutant gene yet and he had to rely on his own body to counter the incoming pressure.
Mako's entire body crackled with electricity and sparks as he grunted and held his body up against all that pressure.
Commander Sable didn't stop as he kept on increasing the pressure to the point that Iris started feeling the pressure again, but Mako was close to falling out.
Mako pushed with everything he had, he had no suppression or boosting skills that could help him and had to rely on his own bodies strength.
*CRACK!*
The pressure had increased so much that the marble flooring beneath Mako's feet had cracked and yet Mako still stood.
"Sable!" The Main Commander shouted with a hint of annoyance as this finally made Commander Sable stop and remove all his aura.
Both Mako and Iris collapsed on the floor as they felt this sudden change in force and started breathing heavily showing their exhaustion just by merely withstanding a percentage of Commander's sable's aura.
Iris couldn't believe how much authority the main commander had over someone as strong and powerful as Commander Sable as just a single word was enough for him to stop.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThere were many ranks within the military that didn't reflect ones power as someone could be lower ranked than another but still might be stronger, although it is a rare case. These ranks are determined and based on the achievements a person has made while serving the military.
The ranks start from cadet and then move on to Private, Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Brigadier, Colonel, General, Commander, Main Commander, Elite Commander, and finally the Supreme Commander who serves directly below the World Leader.
"I believe this is proof enough that they are capable students, you may test them more once they are in military school, but it is enough for now." The Main Commander said in authoritative tone.
Commander Sable gave a defeated nod at the Main Commander which was followed after by a dramatic sigh. He looked down at Mako and Iris who were still panting, and gave small smile acknowledging their presence.
His intense gaze shifted from Mako to Iris, assessing them both. "If you wish to survive in this line of work, you'll need to toughen up considerably," he said, his voice firm and commanding. "Your potential means nothing if you can't handle the pressure and adapt to unpredictable situations."
Mako felt a surge of admiration welling up inside him as he realized this whole thing was actually Commander Sable's first lesson to both of them.
Filled with newfound determination, Mako was ready to prove himself and show Commander Sable that he was more capable than his initial assessment indicated. "We're here to learn, Commander Sable," Mako replied, his voice steady. "We'll do whatever it takes to become competent soldiers."
Iris, who had also regained her composure, nodded in agreement. "We understand the importance of always being prepared and training hard, Commander Sable. We'll give it our all."
Commander Sable nodded and finally cracked a complete smile, satisfied with their response. "Good. Your journey begins now. Follow me," he commanded, turning to lead the way out of the room.
Mako and Iris exchanged glances, their hearts pounding with a mix of excitement and nervousness.
They looked over to Commander Anderson who had already moved back to the small table he was leaning on and was working on a holographic screen.
He looked over to Mako and Iris and gave them a polite nod as he said, " Go with him. He will meet with the remaining cadets and then he will explain to you why you guys are selected for this. Go on, and show us what you are made of."
Mako and Iris smiled at the Commander's words and proceeded to salute him before quickly running after Commander Sable who was already leaving Main Commander Anderson's office.
As they left, they shared a silent understanding that they were about to embark on a rigorous and demanding training regimen under the guidance of a formidable mentor.