Chapter 22: Unmitigated Mockery of Protocol

The spatial portal spat Squad Outcast out into the Grand Plaza of the Academy of Sentinels with the violent force of a brass cannon.

Phoenix landed in a slick, low crouch, her steel-toed boots scraping against pristine white marble. Toby tumbled out right behind her, screaming at the top of his lungs while clutching the thousand-pound S-rank Wyvern core like a drowning man holding a lifesaver. Killian stepped out last, casually catching Toby by the back of his utility collar before the kid could face-plant into a decorative fountain.

The plaza was packed. Hundreds of high-ranking cadets, guild recruiters, news crews, and senior faculty members stood frozen around the giant holographic leaderboard hovering over the courtyard.

[FINAL GRAND TRIALS RANKINGS] 1. SQUAD OUTCAST — 15,800 PTS 2. CLASS A ELITE — 1,800 PTS

The silence in the plaza was so absolute you could hear a pin drop in the next zip code.

Vice-Headmaster Sterling stood at the top of the grand marble staircase, flanked by two dozen heavily armed campus enforcers. His aristocratic face had turned a shade of purple usually reserved for ripe eggplants, and his jaw was working up and down like a goldfish trying to breathe air.

"This is an outrage!" Sterling shrieked, his voice cracking loud enough to echo off the vaulted glass ceilings. "An absolute, unmitigated mockery of institutional protocol! An F-rank Guide and an E-rank tech-smith cannot legally claim the Grand Trial Championship!"

Phoenix stood up, casually dusting purple beast-blood off her cargo pants. She unslung her star-iron spear, rested it over her shoulders, and strolled toward the staircase with the supreme, arrogant confidence of an apex predator visiting a petting zoo.

"Sterling, sweetie," Phoenix called out, her voice easily carrying across the dead-silent plaza. "If you scream any louder, you're going to pop an aneurysm and ruin that ridiculously overpriced suit. We followed your rules. We went into Sector Zero, we killed every single beast that looked at us funny, and we dragged back the Boss Core. So unless you want me to demonstrate how we got those fifteen thousand points on your front teeth, hand over the Grand Commander seals."

Sterling backed up a step, his eyes darting frantically to Killian, who was standing right behind Phoenix like an eight-foot wall of solid muscle and bad intentions.

"Killian Vance!" Sterling stammered, pointing a shaking finger at the silver-haired S-rank. "You are an elite vanguard of the Vance Noble House! What are you doing standing behind a low-born defect?!"

Killian didn't even blink. He reached up, casually cracked his knuckles with a sound like snapping timber, and glared down at the Vice-Headmaster. "I’m executing my right as an S-rank Sentinel to swear allegiance to the strongest commander on the field. And right now, Sterling... you're looking remarkably punchable."

Toby pushed his grease-stained glasses up his nose, wheeling his smoking, spark-spitting handcart right up to the bottom step. "Also, Vice-Headmaster, according to Article 4, Section 9 of the Academy Charter, the Grand Trial winners get full, unrestricted access to the Imperial Vault's High-Grade Mana Reserve. So if you could sign the clearance form before my handcart detonates and takes out the west wing, that’d be great."

The surrounding crowd burst into an uproar. Guild scouts were already pulling out communications slates, frantically trying to place bids on Squad Outcast, while Class A cadets looked like their entire worldview had just been vaporized.

Sterling’s hands shook as he produced the gold-embossed Grand Commander seals from his coat pocket. He looked like he was being forced to swallow a fistful of broken glass.

"This isn't over, Wraith," Sterling hissed under his breath as Phoenix stepped up to snatch the glowing golden badges from his palm. "The Board of Trustees will hear about this subversion!"

"Tell them whatever you want, old man," Phoenix smirked, leaning in close so only he could hear. "Just make sure you restock the Imperial Vault before tomorrow morning. My squad has a lot of spending to do."

She turned back to the cheering, bewildered crowd, holding the Grand Commander seal high in the air while Toby let out a wild victory screech and Killian crossed his arms, a small, proud smile breaking across his normally stoic face.

The Outcasts hadn't just won the trials—they were about to take the entire academy for everything it was worth.