CHAPTER 35: THE FUTURE OF MANKIND

Even while not set out on a mission, rest was hardly an optimal usage of time. He found himself in the state-of-the-art gym of Bastian, given new equipment specifically made for himself.

"Woah, what is this thing?" Alexander wondered with a twinkle in his eyes.

A colossal, pearl machine loomed over a platform, extending a twin set of grips that were anchored to countless tons.

"Pretty awesome, isn’t it?" May laughed, leaning her elbow against the side of the platform. "It’s the Atlas! Weight of the world, y’know? I think it goes up to dozens of tons."

"Tons?!" Alexander reacted.

Seven looked up at the colossal, snow-white machine with intrigue, stepping onto the clear platform built specifically for it. There was a hum of machinery as he looked up, staring at the pale contraption.

"How much weight do you want to try first?" May asked, handling the system attached to the platform.

He grabbed onto the handles that descended directly beside him, gripping onto the black material, "Well...Let’s go for two tonnes, I guess?"

"Two tons it is," May said, adjusting the machine.

A hum vibrated through the air as Seven laid his back against the self-moving seat, leaning back as he held his hands above him. The position the changing equipment took opted for a bench press, leaving him pushing upward–

"Ffffuu..." He exhaled, managing to move the descended handles.

From the sidelines, commentary came from his giant friend who was left rather stunned by the performance, "Hah! You’re really moving all that weight!" Alexander laughed.

There was a bit of an audience, as always, for his workout routine, though this time it was a bit more understandable. Simply put, the weight he benched for multiple reps was nothing short of impossible for any other creature on Earth.

"Increasing weight by thirty percent, going up to three tons," May said in advance while adjusting the machine.

As he let his elbow bend, bringing the weight down, it felt like the weight of the world loomed over him.

[Enhancing density of muscle fibers to compensate for necessary strength

. Elevating bone density to accommodate stress to skeletal integrity.]

"Four tons..." May muttered while adjusting the machine.

"Woah there, don’t get carried away—" Alexander warned, glancing down at the console.

Any doubt was cast aside as the superhuman pushed the impossible weight up again, with hardly more struggle.

"Haaah...Now that worked up a sweat," Seven exhaled, sitting up as he rubbed the back of his neck. "You hopping on next, Alexander?"

The towering man laughed before coughing dramatically, "Ahh...Feeling a bit under the weather today, actually!"

"Oh, alright," Seven accepted, hopping off the platform.

May laughed, nudging her elbow against the burly figure’s side, "I think Alexander here is just too scared to try lifting that weight. I mean, totally impossible, right?"

"I think he can," Seven said plainly.

"Such belief...I can’t hide now!" Alexander huffed, stepping onto the pale platform.

What proceeded was an embarrassing showing that was better left forgotten—like a child attempting to lift an adult’s weights.

"Let’s, ahh...forget about this," Alexander caught his breath as he hopped from the machine’s ledge.

There wasn’t a word from any of the spectating members of the academy, who had mostly left in respect for their peer’s performance.

Seven lightly laughed, lending his hand to his friend’s shoulder, "Well, you’re sick, right? Give it a go another day."

"You’re too nice," Alexander sniffled.

—

Lunchtime brought himself along with May, Alexander, and Shin to the rooftops of Bastian. As grand as the academy was, the summit of it brought a look at the cityscape.

The skyscrapers stood like beacons of humanity’s perseverance, only topped by the sky that glimmered like glass beneath the sunlight.

Seven sat near the edge of the roof, resting his arms on his knees, "Just above that sky...Wonder what it looks like."

"Nothing good, I imagine," May answered, sitting beside him with a sandwich in her hand. "Any satellites we send up there get disabled within seconds."

"You’ve got a better idea of it than any of us, Seven," Shin said, hanging his arms over the railings.

Sitting to himself gladly with an entire blanket of sandwiches, sweet bread, a salad, and even a steak, the mountainous man chowed down.

"Ya’ know...I wanna see it myself, someday—the stuff out there," Alexander said with a full mouth, smacking his own chest to swallow. "It’s hard to believe there’s thousands of worlds out there with life."

"Most of which are Fulminare territory, so that’s not really a consideration for the near future," May reminded.

"Well, what did you think about it? You were out there, Seven," Shin asked curiously, looking down at the sat student to his left.

Seven stared off towards the lively scenery, looking down at the flowing river that bisected the city, "Well, it was kind of scary, I’d say–but amazing at the same time."

"Amazing?" May asked, looking at him curiously.

He fiddled with the sandwich made by the prestigious chefs at Bastian Academy—smoked bacon, a hot mustard and greens.

After taking a bite, recalling his brief experience beyond the world, he clarified, "It’s amazing, for sure. I mean, the sort of things our understanding of the universe can’t explain."

"You’re one of those things we can’t explain, y’know that?" Shin remarked with a raised eyebrow.

"Trust me, I’m still getting used to this body of mine," Seven agreed before taking a bite of his carefully-crafted sandwich.

Just sitting there as the wind passed by, with a great view of the lively city, as he ate alongside those he could call friends—it was enough. With lunch finished, the day went on, leading him to another round of physical training, running laps on the track, primarily overlapping his peers.

There was enough time after finishing his run that he sat down, taking in the scenery while minutes later, his peers finished.

"By a hair," Alexander huffed, wiping the sweat from his brow as he glanced back at the one right behind him.

Shin exhaled with a roll of his eyes, "Yeah, yeah. You still got smoked by Seven."

"We all did," Alexander laughed.

Right after cardio exercises came weapons training, leading the grouped set of Bastian’s elite down to the lower sections of the academy grounds.

[Weapons Testing — Level C3]

Vast walls of black steel housed gargantuan tanks built to withstand otherworldly invaders, along with prototypes of assault vehicles.

While May and Lily were in the firing range, gleefully trying out pistols and rifles, he was guided elsewhere.

Ahead of him, a rather tall woman with silver hair and pale skin led the way, adjusting her glasses that sat over her glacial eyes.

[Colonel Vice — Head of Weapons Training]

"The power in standard arms are inherently restricted so not to destroy the one wielding them," the silver-haired instructor explained as her heels echoed against the metal tiles.

He kept his eyes on the flowing, light hair in front of him, nodding his head, "Yeah, that’s why nobody else could use the Mjolnir–"

"The Mjolnir was developed for a unique specimen like Alexander, and subsequently, yourself, Seven," Colonel Vice further said, briefly looking back at the two men.

Alexander walked shoulder-to-shoulder with him, not leaving much room in the corridor between the two of them.

"Seeing the developments in the strength belonging to you two, there have been further weapons developed," Colonel Vice said, reaching a door at the end of the hall.

A screen was attached to the heavy-metal door, managed by the Colonel who swiftly tapped in the assigned passcode before it opened. It was entirely different from the rest of the facility, outfitted with tubes containing colorful liquids and machines that hummed with boundless power.

Contained in fiber glass, prototype weapons were displayed, some completely alien from standard-issued rifled, more-so resembling handheld, square cannons.

"Woah," Alexander reacted, looking around.

Seven held the same awe, stepping forward as he found a snow-white minigun, equipped with a tail of bright-blue bullets that, "All of this..."

The entire facility was occupied by weapons that had never seen the light of day. Lights fluctuated from pillars of metal, granting power to the vast chamber.

"It’s thanks to the recent discoveries you brought back from your time in enemy territory," Colonel Vice explained. "Since then, Earth’s brightest have worked tirelessly to slingshot humanity centuries into the future."

"So, we’re gonna be the guinea pigs, I’m guessing?" Seven asked.

"Of course not," the silver-haired colonel responded, sliding her boots together with her hands behind her back, standing near a case of developmental equipment. "You’re mankind’s greatest assets. For better or worse.

"For better or worse?" Alexander repeated with a raised eyebrow.

The Colonel brushed her white glove over the glass case, looking down at the weapons sat beneath, "I personally believe hinging the entirety of our chances of survival on two highschoolers is a sign that mankind may truly be doomed to end."

"Hey, we–" Seven tried to argue.

"Be that as it may," Colonel Vice continued without interruption. "You two are the strongest humans we’ve ever seen. The only ones capable of directly combating the Fulminare threat."