To be frank, I was fairly anxious about the first match, but my worries were for nothing as I won it with a good performance. However, victory is not everything, and there is a reason why there are judges watching matches. They inspect you and give you a score based on factors like wits, abilities limits, growth potential, etc.

 

And I am confident I will be taking high notes, and with that confidence, I exited the building after leaving my exosuit for inspection. 

 

Right outside the building, a middle-aged man wearing a suit was smoking next to his car. That man is my father and the person who led the assault at that facility. He is both my hero and a mentor that I deeply respect.

 

[Name: Jake Clock

 

Allies(es): Agent Clock, Father.

 

Nationality: American

 

Affiliations: United Defence Council Special Forces (UCSF) Hades-1ψ

 

Height: 5 feet 11 inches

 

Age: 44

 

Ability: Future sight, enhanced reflexes.]

 

When he saw me exit the building, he threw his cigarette away and stomped on it to extinguish it. "What took you so long." White stripes caused by stress in his black hair shine under the sunlight.

 

I rolled my eyes. "Well, that was fast as I could with what I had in my hands."

 

He patted my head as if I was a child. "Just take the joke. However, let's have a serious review of the battle. You made the right move by eliminating that pyromancer in the first opening, but tanking that last attack was unnecessary. That girl had some serious destructive power but didn't have the self-control to utilize it efficiently."

 

"I trust in the capabilities of my equipment because I know their exact limits. I tanked those attacks because I knew my armor would hold."

 

"That front plate." He sighed. "You were one failure or miscalculation away from being burned alive. Did you ever think what would happen if an attack like that hit you? Because when I last saw you, endurance wasn't one of your abilities."

 

He has some truth in his words, that's for sure. But he is only worrying because he can't see what I see. I have millions and billions of zeroes and ones surging into my brain and being processed into data, unlike him, who only watches from far. But he is still my father and worries about me. "I promise I will try taking less risks in the future."

 

Father looked at the sky. "You know I never doubt the quality of the machines you create. I know your potential more than anyone, but I want you to understand that while you can replace or repair machines endlessly, you can't do the same with your soft human flesh. Now, please try keeping that promise. Now, shall we go eat something because I am hungry?"

 

***

 

After finishing our meal, we drove to where I will get my equipment for the next match. To the city-sized military industrial district of the North Atlantic Weapon Development and Production Center, or NADPC for short. This place is an artifact of the cold war, an answer to Factory 402, where the Soviets began mass producing their size 3* mechas against giant Crimsons hidden deep inside the Siberian tundra.

 

After passing through several giant constructs, and checkpoints, father parked his now out-of-fashion, gas-powered SUV in front of an abandoned-looking plane hangar's entrance. This place is mine. I store most of my stuff here, work on my projects, and sometimes even produce equipment for sale.

 

Father got out of the car first and fixed his jacket, then pulled a cigarette from his front pocket and put it in his mouth but didn't lit it yet.

 

"I see you didn't lit your cigarette yet. Did you lose your lighter? I think I have something that might help you with that." I said while getting out of the vehicle.

 

"No, it's just that I don't want to enter that place with anything burning."

 

I patted him on the shoulder and moved to the entrance at the side. I tried to open the door, but it got stuck. "A little help would be appreciated." 

 

"Alright, step away." Father kicked the door open, and some dust got out, but right after, tens of red dots appeared on fathers forehead and chest. He looks surprised.

 

I stepped forward. "It's me. Put guns away." All dots turned green, and turrets closed themselves. "I put them for extra security." I entered the hangar.

 

"You should have told me that." He followed me from behind.

 

"My bad." Ah, this place smells like home. Parts for giant robots, heavily armed combat droids, ground defense systems, and a dozen armored vehicles all waiting inside. I wish I had more time and freedom to keep working on them. "I don't know my next opponent. I will go with an allrounder."

 

Father is inspecting the turrets. "So, what about the weight limit? Did they increase it?"

 

"Yeah, the standard book for rules states that I can bring equipment up to five tons after the first match." I already have something on my mind, a battlearmor. Almost twice the size of my exosuit, armed with lots more weapons, and even has electric jet thrusters for extra mobility.

 

Though it currently surpasses five tone limit, I can make it fit the weight limit. I will keep thrusters and armor plates, then throw all weapons and extras away. A three-meter tall robot suit's punches will offer sufficient striking power after I add some weight to its fists.

 

*** A week later.

 

The second match is going to start any minute. We both are standing at our designated points, waiting for the ring.

 

My current opponent is a Starmetal weapon user. I should be careful.

 

Starmetal is a living metal. They are weird between forms that we can't consider either animate or inanimate. Their source is unknown. We only know they have high anti-oxygen in their structures, so it's theorized that they are from Crimson planets.

 

Starmetal works like this. They look like a stone clump that emits a weak light in their raw form, but when they choose someone as their master, they shape themselves into what their master desires them to be and will amplify their powers.

 

Starmetals can be used by anyone, regardless of their abilities. That's why I am extra careful, because of the surprise factor.

 

[Ten seconds until the match starts]

 

"Good luck."

 

"Good luck."

 

And the bell rang.

 

"Let me show you something good." My opponent pulled out his weapon, a katana with a black blade and a dark purple aura.

 

Battlearmors AI automatically scanned the weapon and gave me a 3D model to inspect. I love military-grade technology when you can borrow it for free. But back to our topic, the katana itself has a weird design. I will ignore that the sword is made solely from black or dark purple colored material, but that amount of decoration is just stupid. Almost every piece, except the blade's edge, is covered in decorative engravements, again, in dark colors. Why this guy hates colors so much?

 

He smiled and directed his weapon toward me. "Behold! And fear the mighty Kurotama."

 

Ah, so he is in that phase. "Alright, let's end this." I activated my thrusters and dashed forward. My opponent is more agile, but I have the explosive speed advantage thanks to thrusters.

 

"Hah! Just the way I like to fight. Prepare yourself!" He raised his katana above his head, and the aura around the weapon grew. "Time to have fun."

 

Alright, he is either an idiot or can cut through my armor. I must test it.

 

I let him land his attack. His sword bounced back from the armor but left a mark on it. "Oh, it wasn't enough. Well then." The aura around his sword grew. "Let's start the onslaught."

 

My opponent jumped away from me and began running in a circle around me. He is getting faster every second, and the aura around his weapon gets darker. He grows stronger every second. I should finish this battle at the first opportunity.

 

I activated thrusters and charged at him to tackle him down, but he swiftly maneuvered to the side, narrowly avoiding me.

 

While I decelerated, he began attacking. He began delivering strike after strike, each getting more precise. He is learning, and this is dangerous.

 

"And I just promised my father." I overclocked the thrusters and unleashed my onslaught with a never-ending series of punches, kicks, stomps, and tackles. I am using the machine's destructive power to its maximum extent. 

 

He is avoiding the attacks, but let's not forget that in an endurance battle, I have enough power to keep this machine running for a week straight, but does he have the stamina to last that long?

 

"Hey, we can talk if you want." He called for peace after almost getting hit by a punch. 

 

He kept dodging for a little longer until finally, he stumbled on himself. "Alright, all in." He planted his legs on the ground and raised his sword. "Come at me!"

 

"You wanted it." I give all my momentum to a single punch.

 

His katana and my punch clashed in the air, and for a second, his auro stood and cut through the armor, but just inches away from my arm, it shattered away.

 

"Fuck. I shouldn't have done that." My steel fist collided with his chest, shattering the aura covering his body before sending him down. The ground trembled as his body hit the floor. The sheer power of the strike was enough to leave him unconscious, but a second impact from the floor made sure he wouldn't be getting up.

 

[Victor is Leonard Clock! Medical teams rush in!]

 

I got out of my armor and bowed towards the judges, then began moving towards the exit while a medical squad rushed towards my opponent.

 

"He is breathing! No signs of internal bleeding." A guy from the medical squad shouted.

 

Good. That kid had some potential. It would be a loss for humanity if he died or got a permanent injury here.

 

As I turned toward the exit gate, preparing to leave the arena victorious, my path got blocked by an imposing figure. Standing before me was a man with a height reaching two and a half meters. His intense gaze locked onto mine, calling trouble. "Mister Leonard, what a lucky encounter."

 

"High Chancellor. What an honor to see you here. I am pretty sure you, one of the earth's busiest people, were only randomly visiting test arenas for no reason and encountered me through luck." Ah, I wonder what kind of trouble awaits me today.

 

"Your words still hurt the same, your father is busy with work, so I come to pick you up since I have some business with you. Is that fine with you, my sudden visit?"

 

I put on a fake smile. "Of course it is. Who could deny such high honor."

 

And he responded with his. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get moving."

 

Glossary for extra information*