One hundred ambushers were assigned to me.

Three hundred were assigned to the Lin-Wang coalition and the Longs.

The remaining two hundred or so ambushers struck at the remaining participants.

The way they divided themselves spoke volumes of how they perceived our threat levels were, and for the most part, their analysis were spot on.

Mostly.

The only mistake they made was assigning two hundred to deal with the other mechas.

Although the other mechas numbered an impressive two thousand or so, they were mostly leaderless, and therefore, not a major threat.

They should have gone all in and sent all five hundred mechas to wipe out the Lins, Wangs and Longs first!

And because of that slight underestimation, their whole battle plan, which was going rather excellently apart from the three hundred fiasco, went straight to hell.

The five future stars skillfully pressured the two hundred mechas towards Sheera Lin like five ferocious wolves coraling two hundred sheep.

Slash!! Bam!!

Sherry Lin sliced off the head of an enemy mecha and kicked it violently towards its buddy.

As both enemy mechas tumbled down in a messy heap of metal, a third mecha appeared suddenly from her blindspot and launched a blisteringly quick spear thrust!

She tilted her head slightly and dodged it by the barest of margins before exploding sideways towards it.

She slammed her right sword into the third mecha's belly and immediately "killed" it.

However, her momentum was so powerful that she reached another enemy mecha before she could even fling the one impaled on her sword away!

Slash!!

Her left sword slashed down with incredible speed and took out the fourth mecha's right arm.

Then, with a flourish that many of the audience would never forget, she swung both her swords outwards to her sides.

Her left sword beheaded the fourth mecha while the third mecha which was still impaled on her sword was sent crashing to the ground.

Boom! Boom!

"Show off." Hailey Long grumbled as she dispatched her own enemy, but with far less flourish and style.

"Get to my level, and find out for yourself if I am showing off or not." Sherry Lin replied coldly before speeding off to take on another enemy.

"Grrrrr." Hailey Long growled in frustration and kicked an enemy mecha's leg from under him. She smashed her hammer down on its head viciously and crushed it to smithereens.

"Calm down. Your anger is making you inefficient. We're in a coraling mission. Just exchanging blows with them and disabling them is enough. Kill them only if it doesn't slow your advance. Stay focused." Victor Long reprimanded his cousin.

"Fine." Hailey Long sighed deeply and did as she was told.

The five of them pierced through the entire formation of the two hundred light mechas and left a trail of destruction behind them.

A well trained army of mechas would probably ignore them and focus on their mission objective which was to retreat and regroup.

But alas, they were only eleven year olds.

Second years in the National Mecha Pilot Academy.

Most of them reacted to the five mechas instinctively and ganged up on them, to devastating consequences.

Sherry Lin.

Elise Wang.

Eliana Wang.

Victor Long.

Hailey Long.

The mere mention of any of these five names would be enough to send thousands of ex-enemies shaking in their boots as their horrible memories resurfaced and their traumas triggered.

And even as ten year olds, their skills were utterly in a class of their own.

The second years who piloted the ambushing mechas did not have a shred of chance against them.

And against the Undying General, Sheera Lin?

Two hundred light mechas against her thirty was unfairness at its maximum.

Unfair to who?

Unfair for the poor second years, of course!

Two hundred mechas against her was unfair.

Any less than two hundred mechas would just be a joke.

A cruel joke.

631historical

The clean up of the two hundred mechas took exactly five minutes.

After that, another ten minutes to deal with the other two hundred mechas.

By that time, I had finished with the hundred mechas on my side too.

Whether unfortunately or by foolish purpose on the part of the hundred mechas, Tes, Olivia and the poor little boy had been "killed" once more. Free from the burden of having to protect three defenseless mechas, I had instantly went on a rampage and took down the hundred mechas near effortlessly.

Barely an hour after the end of the Grand Melee, Bruce Pang's first lesson of the academic year ended.

And for many, it was extremely memorable.

For others, it would forever be seared into our minds like a flaming hot brand upon the backs of cows.

"Gather around." Bruce Pang ordered.

We obeyed.

As best we could, of course. Our conditions were worse than before, and many had lost the ability to move.

Those of us still able to move gathered together, and opened up our cockpits to listen to our Principal's first lecture.

"All you first years, listen up. By the merits.. or I should say, by the failures of a few, you have defeated the ambush, but lost the battle." Bruce Pang said as he began his lesson.

I glanced at Sheera Lin and Sherry Lin quickly. As expected, Sheera Lin's face was emotionless, and Sherry Lin was scowling deeply.

"Lesson number one." He said as he maneuvered Chronos towards us.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

"In any battle, there must be a leader to command the soldiers." He raised Chronos's right hand and pointed at us. "Having the power and strength to lead, but failing to rise to the challenge, all of you Elites, Royals and Divine pilots have failed as leaders."

The entire arena fell silent at his words.

Even the crowd held their breath as they allowed the analysis of the most powerful mecha pilot to wash through their minds and sink into their hearts.

Bruce Pang may be teaching the first graders specifically at that moment, but the entire crowd and every single person watching the broadcast were his students.

His words were spoken softly, but they thundered down into the souls of his students.

His finger shifted to point at me.