"Let's start with your name and powers."
Mahoraga's voice rang through the chamber as his gaze swept across the three members of the squad, lingering on each of them in turn. The intensity of his stare made the soldiers instinctively straighten, as though standing before a commanding officer.
The first of the three — a sharp-featured woman with raven-black hair cut short around her jaw — answered without hesitation.
"Sanyma. My Aspect allows me to exert control over anything I make physical contact with. Once marked, I can also perceive the world through its senses as though I were seeing through my own eyes."
Mahoraga nodded slowly, committing the information to memory. "A scout and infiltrator," he muttered. "Useful."
His gaze shifted away from Sanyma and settled on the second member of the squad.
The man was broad-shouldered and tall, with weathered skin and several pale scars running across his forearms. Unlike Sanyma, his voice was more boisterous.
"Rath. My Aspect allows me to store force inside my body. Blows, impacts, momentum... I can absorb them and release them later and I can also consume the energy to strengthen myself."
Mahoraga's eyes flickered.
That actually sounded rather powerful.
Rath continued.
"The more I store, the stronger the release. Though there are limits to how much my body can withstand."
Mahoraga nodded again.
"A living battering ram."
Rath looked strangely pleased by the description.
The Sleeper ignored him and turned to the final member of the squad. Unlike the others, the third soldier looked indifferent beneath Mahoraga's attention.
She was young.
Far younger than what Mahoraga had expected for a war veteran.
The girl was small in stature, with blonde hair pulled neatly into a ponytail. Her uniform was worn exactly as regulations demanded, immaculate and untouched by any personal alterations. Deep blue eyes regarded him steadily, carrying a sense of discipline that matched her pristine appearance.
Guess she's the type who follows the rules to the letter… I think I can't expect much leeway from her.
Mahoraga silently remarked.
As if waiting for him to finish judging her, the girl drew herself a little straighter before speaking in a calm, measured voice.
"My name is Tanya."
There was no pride in her tone, nor any nervousness.
She simply stated it as a fact.
Then, after a brief pause, she continued.
"My Aspect grants me the ability to fly and weave spells. The spells themselves depend on the formulas I've learned."
Mahoraga blinked and curiously asked, "What do you mean by formulas you've learned?"
"My Aspect doesn't grant me spells directly," she explained. "It grants me a framework for creating them."
Tanya remained silent for a moment, seemingly organizing her thoughts before answering.
Mahoraga's interest sharpened.
Tanya continued in the same calm tone.
"Everything is built upon formulas. Ratios. Numerical relationships. Geometric structures. If I discover a valid arrangement and supply it with essence, the formula manifests as a spell.
"For example, a specific ratio between essence, molecules, and energy produces a heat formula, allowing me to generate a fireball. Altering those values creates different effects."
She paused briefly.
"A different arrangement can generate water. Another can create barriers. Others influence motion, force, or light."
The chamber fell quiet after Tanya finished her explanation.
Mahoraga studied her for several moments, his expression becoming increasingly strange the longer he thought about what she had just described. At first, he had assumed she possessed some variation of elemental sorcery. A useful ability, certainly, but nothing unheard of. However, the more he listened, the more he realized that wasn't what she was describing at all.
"What you're saying is that your Aspect doesn't actually provide the spells," he said slowly. "It provides the method to create a multitude of them."
"Correct," Tanya affirmed with a nod.
Mahoraga slowly crossed his arms.
"So if somebody spent enough time researching… They could theoretically continue expanding their arsenal indefinitely."
Tanya gave another small nod, her expression remaining as composed as ever.
Mahoraga fell silent for a moment. The more he thought about her Aspect, the more absurd it seemed.
Now he understood why she had been sent to the front lines despite being far younger than the others.
She was a monster waiting to bloom.
Even now, he doubted there were many Awakened of the same rank capable of matching her potential. In fact, he was willing to bet that if he pitted Tanya against Sunny, she would be the one walking away.
Given enough time, Mahoraga was convinced that Tanya would eventually blossom into an existence capable of rivaling even the King.
Heck, Tanya's Aspect possessed such terrifying potential that he could almost imagine her ending the war by herself. Shut her away in a secluded tower for a few decades, and she might emerge carrying a formula capable of bringing Gods and Daemons to their knees.
"So we have a scout, a shock trooper and…" Mahoraga trailed off, his gaze lingering on Tanya for a moment longer.
For once, he found himself struggling to categorize someone.
Most Aspects naturally settled into a role. Even stranger abilities usually fit somewhere once you look closely enough.
Tanya didn't.
The longer he thought about it, the more her Aspect resembled a toolbox with no obvious limit. Given enough knowledge, enough experimentation, and enough time, there was no telling what she might eventually be capable of.
His expression grew increasingly peculiar.
"...whatever the hell you are."
Rath barked out a laugh.
Sanyma merely rolled her eyes.
Tanya, however, remained completely unfazed.
"I am a combat support specialist."
Mahoraga nodded his head sarcastically.
"Wasn't there supposed to be another commander assigned to us?" Sanyma asked cautiously.
"There was," Mahoraga admitted. "However, I've assigned him elsewhere. He's currently handling another matter under my direction."
Sanyma seemed satisfied with the explanation and gave a weak nod.
Rath, however, did not.
The large man studied Mahoraga for several moments, his weathered face unreadable. Eventually, he folded his arms across his chest and shifted his weight slightly, fixing the Sleeper with a steady gaze.
"This reminds me," Rath said with a pause. "Why should we follow you?" he asked, his voice carrying a blunt honesty that made the air awkward.
"It's a question that's been bothering me ever since we arrived. Why would the King assign us to someone who hasn't even Awakened yet? Meanwhile, all three of us have spent weeks fighting on the front lines. We've survived battles, watched people die, and earned our place here."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"You seem intelligent enough, I'll give you that. But strategy and leadership aren't the same thing. So tell me... why should I trust my life to someone weaker than me?"
Neither Sanyma nor Tanya interrupted him.
If anything, their silence told Mahoraga something he had suspected:
They had been wondering the exact same thing.
For a few moments, Mahoraga simply looked at them.
Then he nodded.
"That's a fair question."
The answer seemed to catch them off guard.
Rather than becoming offended or defensive, Mahoraga appeared almost amused by their defiance.
In fact, he looked as though he had been expecting it.
"Honestly?" Mahoraga said with a shrug. "I wouldn't follow someone like that either."
A brief look of confusion crossed Rath's face.
He spread his hands helplessly.
"If some random dormant human showed up tomorrow and started barking orders at me, I'd probably tell him to fuck off before he finished his first sentence."
A short laugh escaped Sanyma before she could stop herself.
Mahoraga ignored her.
"Strength matters. Experience matters. Rank matters. Those aren't unreasonable standards." His gaze swept across the three soldiers. "And from your perspective, I don't possess any of them."
Rath's expression eased slightly.
Mahoraga slowly clasped his hands behind his back. "The problem is that your conclusion is wrong." A faint smile touched his lips. "You assume I'm weaker than you."
Rath's brows rose.
Mahoraga chuckled softly.
"I can already tell what you're thinking. A Dormant human commanding three Awakened veterans. It sounds ridiculous."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"And maybe it is… But, because of that, you won't truly respect my orders until you believe I've earned the right to give them."
Mahoraga sighed dramatically.
"Trust takes time. Respect takes even longer."
Then his smile turned sharp.
"Unfortunately, I don't have time."
Sanyma's eyes narrowed as she studied him more carefully. Whatever casual indifference she had displayed earlier seemed to vanish.
Even Tanya appeared more attentive now, her calm blue eyes lingering on Mahoraga as though attempting to understand where his confidence came from.
Paying neither of them much attention, Mahoraga simply rolled his shoulders and let out a small sigh while yellow strings emerged from his fingers once more, weaving through the air in slow, deliberate arcs.
"So we'll do this the simple way." His gaze swept across the three soldiers before settling on each of them in turn. A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Demonstrations tend to be much faster than speeches."
Silence settled over the chamber.
The challenge lingered in the air unanswered while the three soldiers stared at him, as though trying to determine whether he was serious. Mahoraga merely raised a hand and crooked a finger toward them, making it abundantly clear that the challenge was very real.
"Come at me. All of you."
For a brief moment, nobody moved.
Then, a slow grin spread across Rath's face as a low chuckle escaped him. him. He rolled his neck, cracked his knuckles, and stepped forward, the excitement in his eyes impossible to miss.
"Now we're finally speaking the same language."