Humans have a peculiar way of finding enjoyment, often thriving most when there's an underlying risk or consequence looming. Students savor movies the night before an exam, and workers indulge in social media during office hours. It’s as if the risk of something going wrong heightens the pleasure of the moment. In the same vein, the citizens of the empire, despite the immense pressure and high stakes of the situation, were experiencing an unparalleled mix of stress and excitement, making this fight the most exhilarating spectacle they'd ever witnessed.But within the vast sea of viewers, there was a small subsection that could be said to be experiencing double the enjoyment of everyone else—the anime enthusiasts. To them, what they were witnessing was nothing short of a live-action anime, complete with dramatic showdowns, intense power-ups, and awe-inspiring moves. Except, this time, the stakes were real. It was as if they had been transported into their favorite show, watching an ove
After twenty minutes of Aron sitting quietly, giving the impression of recollecting himself, his rest was finally interrupted by the referee AI’s announcement: {May the next contender enter.} The shield was lifted once again, signaling the start of the next battle.This time, however, it wasn't a ship that entered but a massive humanoid mecha, plummeting from the sky without any sign of propulsion to soften its descent.BOOOOOOM!!The mecha slammed into the ground with full force, relying solely on its two legs to absorb the impact. The harshness of the landing sent up a massive cloud of dust, completely shrouding it from the view of the watching audience.Shortly after, mechanical sounds echoed from within the dust cloud, which was now dispersing thanks to the air currents created by the machine. The figure of the massive mecha was slowly revealed, rising from the crouched position it had taken to absorb the force of its fall.It was the Yrral Coalition’s contender: Mecha 765, contro
As Aron closed in on the mecha, his rapid advance didn’t go unnoticed. The mecha raised its left hand, palm open, and aimed directly at him. In an instant, it unleashed a rapid barrage of energy bullets, each one packed with concentrated power. The Yrral Coalition had specifically chosen energy-based weaponry for this battle due to its compact design and limitless output potential compared to conventional weapons. Energy rounds allowed for sustained, high-intensity firing without the need for cumbersome ammunition—a perfect fit for a short, high-stakes duel like this.The mecha's palm unleashed such a rapid stream of energy bullets that it nearly formed a continuous, blazing line, weaving in a zigzag as the mecha adjusted its aim to follow Aron’s swift, evasive movements. Aron skillfully parried and dodged each round, making it look almost effortless despite the barrage. Once he closed half the distance without taking a single hit, the mecha abruptly ceased its assault, calculating t
“So, those were for replacement parts,” Aron observed, nodding as he assessed the now fully repaired mecha, which regarded him with an air of confidence, as if to say his previous efforts were futile. While he was slightly taken aback by the swift recovery, he had anticipated some form of countermeasure, knowing that, per the regulations, high-altitude drone attacks were prohibited. Thus, the components that had scattered at the start of the fight were likely either for surveillance or spare parts—though he considered the latter to be a low probability.“Nova, I need your help or I’ll have to completely dismantle it to win this fight,” Aron called out, keeping his eyes locked on the mecha that had just glowed ominously before it slowly started hovering.{Whenever you are ready, sir,} Nova responded eagerly, her excitement palpable.“Okay, time for you to get to work.” He shifted into a spear-throwing stance, facing the mecha as it began to gain altitude rapidly. With a powerful motion
Amidst the viewers' shock, disbelief, and rising anger, the feed shifted from the glowing cannon on the great sword—now slowly dimming—to a full view of the mecha. The great swords in its hands, separated at the center, began closing, concealing the cannons within. The left-hand sword was put on the mecha's back being held magnetically, while the one on the right remained firmly in its grip.It then began a slow descent, carefully maneuvering to land near Aron. As it approached the ground, just a few meters away, it deactivated its hovering ability. BAM! The mecha landed heavily, kneeling down while driving the sword still clutched in its right hand into the ground. Its head bowed, creating the striking image of a knight kneeling before an emperor.The feed shifted once more, this time capturing the rear of Mecha 765 with Aron visible over its shoulder. His gaze, fixed on the mecha's movements, hinted at amusement, as though entertained by its display. The scene, framed from a cinemat
After a few moments of silent calculation, the referee AI finally spoke. {The current situation is indeed unique. Given that you acquire ownership of everything belonging to the individuals you defeat, the mecha and its pilot are now legally considered your property. Thus, as long as they fit the weapon criteria, they should be eligible for participation. However, despite being your property, they are still classified as individual fighters, as they previously acted as one entity. Allowing them to fight alongside you would constitute an unfair two-versus-one scenario, which is against the rules, and therefore, cannot be permitted.}She continued, her tone as steady as ever, {It would have been possible for the mecha to fight on your behalf had it been registered as the Empire’s official contender. However, since the registration window closed before the matches began, updating the registration now is not an option.}With this detailed explanation, she clarified her reasoning and the f
As soon as the referee’s announcement echoed across the field, Aron raised his gun, preparing to aim and fire. However, before he could pull the trigger, a spear-like projectile came hurtling toward him at an incredible speed. It tore through the air with such velocity that it nearly reached him the instant the sound of the announcement did, indicating it had been launched with uncanny precision the moment the fight began forcing him to react swiftly, sidestepping to narrowly evade the projectileAs Aron sidestepped the spear-like projectile, his gaze locked onto its trajectory, analyzing its design to determine if it was just a sharpened fragment or perhaps concealed something lethal—an explosive or hidden ability. It zipped past, centimeters from his head, revealing enough detail for him to see it was not a spear at all but a fragment deceptively shaped like one. Just as he grasped this, the shard stopped abruptly in mid-air, defying expectation before dropping squarely onto his sho
"Unfortunately, no!" Aron responded calmly.The Galvinith fighter’s expression betrayed a flash of surprise. To it, the emperor was already caged, with no means of escape—meaning Aron would rather face death than accept defeat.“Looks like you have the Valthorin disease,” the Galvinith said, its tone laced with disdain. Despite its grotesque form, the viewers could sense its disgust at what it perceived as Aron’s misplaced pride.“You made your choice,” the Galvinith continued, then immediately began to tighten the telekinetic field around Aron. As the field’s radius shrank, its pressure intensified, closing in with the intent to crush Aron and bring a swift end to the fight.……………“Is everything about this only telekinesis?” Aron asked Nova, as the feedback from his shield indicated that the Galvinith fighter was increasing the pressure, pushing his mana expenditure no matter how minute higher with each second.{No, he’s using two abilities at once, and you need to end this fast, sir