Mikhail stood in the center of the training grounds, surrounded by ten members of the notorious Los Zetas Gang. His eyes blazed with a mix of determination and fury as he prepared to take them on using all of his different abilities.

*****************

It had been almost two weeks since Mikhail had suffered defeat at the hands of Mako after he challenged him to a duel during the recruitment test.

He was confident in his abilities and had the upper hand on Mako for the majority of the fight, that was until he suddenly utilized a brand new ability that shot out powerful green rays of energy from his hands. 𝑜𝑣𝘭.𝘯𝑡

He was caught off guard by this strange and powerful ability that he had never seen before and this led to his defeat and elimination from the recruitment test.

The next time he woke up, he was laying in a hospital bed along with many other cadets who were also eliminated from the fight.

Mikhail didn’t have any grave injuries, but he was still kept in recovery along with everyone else until the test was over.

He was discharged from the clinic the same day, the recruitment test was over and was informed by an officer that since he was eliminated from the test, he wouldn’t be added to the special class, but still, his performance had impressed the officials, and so he would be placed in the advanced class.

He handed him a letter which was the acceptance letter informing him of his admission into the military school and a card that he would use to access different areas once he was inside the military school.

This was the reality for those who failed the recruitment test. Even if they failed, they could still get into the military school. The entire story about not being able to get into the military school if you were to fail was just a lie so that the cadets would be determined to survive and give it their all.

Most of the cadets that were eliminated were placed into the basic class and those who showed potential were placed in the advanced class. The special class was reserved for the cadets who had rich and powerful backgrounds who took the harder version of the test, and those cadets who managed to survive until the third wave of the horde night in the regular recruitment test.

Mikhail was informed by the officer that the military school will begin in three months’ time when the school year ends and that he should train as much as he could before coming to military school so that he is as strong as possible, so he wouldn’t become a pushover by the stronger kids.

This ticked off Mikhail a bit as a vein popped and became visible on his forehead, but he simply nodded to the officer and moved to collect his things before being teleported back home.

He didn’t have time to be angry at anything as the entire time he was stuck inside the clinic with all the other cadets, only two thoughts were running through Mikhail’s mind, how was he going to face El-Diablo and Revenge?

*****************

Mikhail’s power was impressive as his fire manifested as a deep, vibrant red, dancing around his clenched fists. His muscles tensed, indicating the immense strength he possessed.

The Los Zetas members approached cautiously, aware of the power emanating from Mikhail. However, they were no pushovers; they were skilled fighters with years of experience in the gang’s ranks and even though they didn’t have the talent to become strong ability users, they were no pushovers.

The air crackled with tension as the battle began.

Mikhail’s first move was to unleash a torrent of fiery waves toward the gang members. The red fire roared, causing them to step back in surprise. Taking advantage of their momentary disarray, Mikhail charged forward with incredible speed, his fists engulfed in flames.

He struck with precision and force, sending one gang member after another reeling backward. The heat from his fire scorched the air, creating an intimidating atmosphere. Mikhail’s eyes never wavered, scanning his opponents for the next move.

With each punch and kick, Mikhail’s rage-fueled his fiery abilities, making his attacks even more potent. He moved with fluidity and grace, dancing amidst the chaotic flames he created, leaving his adversaries in awe of his power.

*****************

After Mikhail got teleported back to his one-room apartment, he knew that he had to face El-Diablo as soon as possible because the longer he waited, the worse it would be for him.

He changed into a gang uniform and made his way to one of the secret hideouts where he was supposed to face El Diablo.

The news about the recruitment test’s results had not been announced yet so, nobody knew how many cadets had succeeded.

As the gang members saw Mikhail inside the secret hideout, they congratulated him thinking that he would have easily cleared the test, the thought of him being defeated never even crossing his mind.

Mikhail fake smiled and accepted all of the praise and applause as he made his way through the hideout and toward El Diablo’s office.

El Diablo was a difficult man to track as he was never in place for too long and was practically invisible while moving from one place to another.

Mikhail had received special instructions from El Diablo himself to meet himself here after the test was over which was why he had come here directly.

He opened the door to his office which was completely dark, and without a single light source to illuminate the room.

He took a couple of steps forward into the room and got one knee to show his respect as he faced the ominous and illusive dark wall in front of him.

“You failed… didn’t you?” a low and heavy voice resounded from within the darkness that sent shivers down Mikhail’s spine.

****************

The Los Zetas members, though experienced, struggled to keep up with the relentless onslaught.

They attempted to retaliate, but Mikhail’s fire proved to be too much to handle. But still, they had the advantage in numbers with each of them possessing one or two abilities.

They rushed in all at once hoping to get an attack in as Mikhail would get overwhelmed by the number of fighters all coming at him at once, but as they circled him and closed in, suddenly, Mikhail began to glow blue as his body got covered with blue electricity.

He released a pulse of blue lightning in all directions which attacked all 10 gang members at the exact same time, blasting them back with an insane shock.

The lightning ability managed to but Mikhail sometime. Enough time to use a brand-new fire ability.

His body got covered in red fire from head to toe and he began to shine brighter than ever. Once he was charged, he started wildly swiping his arms in the air continuously in all directions, creating a barrage of red fire blades that extended outwards in all directions.

There was no escape as the flames covered everything and the gang members couldn’t do anything as they each got wiped out by the intense and strong flames, one by one.

In the end, Mikhail stood victorious, panting heavily, but with an unyielding fire still burning in his eyes. El Diablo, who had been observing the entire fight, approached him with a mix of admiration and caution.

“You have shown improvement, Mikhail,” El Diablo said, his voice low and gravelly. “But don’t let this small victory get to your head. You still have much to prove if you wish to regain my trust.”

Mikhail’s fists tightened, and his jaw clenched. “I won’t fail again,” he replied defiantly. “I’ll do whatever it takes to succeed in my mission.”

El Diablo’s eyes narrowed, gauging the sincerity in Mikhail’s words. “Revenge won’t serve you well, boy,” he warned. “But I can understand your desire for redemption. You may have one more chance, but remember, failure will not be tolerated.”

Mikhail nodded, acknowledging the gravity of the situation. “Thank you, El Diablo,” he said, his voice a mix of gratitude and determination. “I won’t disappoint you again.”

“Have you made any progress?” El Diablo asked Mikhail.

Mikhail tensed up and clenched his jaw as he thought back to the conversation he had with El Diablo back in the dark room and how things turned out the way they did.

*****************

“Answer me!” The voice said loudly through the dark room, making Mikhail tremble.

“Yes… yes… It’s true. I failed in the mission you gave me. He was so weak in the beginning and I was having so much fun tormenting him, but he was tenacious, and suddenly he used a brand new ability that I had never seen. He overpowered me with it, and knocked me out.” Mikhail explained.

“So you are not as strong as they now, are you?” The voice snared at Mikhail causing him to tense up in anger and rage that he had to keep control.

“What am I going to do with you now…?” The voice said in a creepy accent which was accompanied by footsteps that got louder and louder.

At this point, Mikhail was shaking in fear as he didn’t know what would become of him. His vision was getting blurry with all the emotions he was feeling at the moment.

Slowly a pair of well-polished shoes came into his view and as he looked up, he saw El Diablo standing over him with an unreadable expression as he gazed at Mikhail trembling body in front of him.