When the Old Guard Acknowledged Him
After several minutes of thinking about Leon's words, Mike finally laughed.
"Haha…"
The sound was quiet at first.
Then it grew warmer.
His laughter carried across the ruined Academy premises, breaking through the heavy silence that had settled after the battle.
Mike slowly shook his head.
He had spent far too many years worrying about these things.
Maybe Leon was right.
Maybe he really didn't need to think so deeply about everything.
Mike let out another quiet laugh before waving his hand dismissively.
"Forget it."
He didn't care anymore.
For years, they had fought.
Sometimes openly.
Sometimes behind closed doors.
They had looked down on one another and competed at every opportunity.
The various Divisions fought for recognition.
Their students fought for rankings and glory.
Even the Division Heads had clashed from time to time.
Resources.
Reputation.
Inheritance.
Nothing had been too small to become a reason for competition.
