After returning from the foundation I set my newly acquired box at the foot of my bed, right where a footlocker belongs. I'm happy with the stuff I got and place the unloaded pistol back into the footlocker. I'm glad I was allowed to bring everything back with me rather than having to just pick my favorites. It's not late, but I decide to buy some frames for a few of the pictures as my barren room probably needs some framed memories. I just have to cover the dates of when they were taken for anyone who comes into my room.

I sit down on my bed and check my tablet and find I have a new email. The words are not important but it's the announcement for the underclassmen portion of the ranking tournament. I am merely being invited to box seats at the order of Seraphina. I am happy I get some good seats to watch big robots fighting. I close the email and memorize the date and which box I'll be sitting in and head over to the sporting goods store in an attempt to buy some 9mm ammo for my pistol. Even if it's not likely I will not be caught lacking if there is another terrorist attack.

Searching the store I can't find a firearm section, the closest I get is archery. I ask the guy at the counter and he looks confused and asks me,

"Where have you been? Civilian firearm ownership has been banned for over a decade now."

I am surprised but I sigh before leaning on the counter and decide to see if I can throw some weight around,

"Well... thing is I ain't a civilian, I'm an imperial knight. You wouldn't happen to have anything in the back I might be able to use?"

He gives me a broad smile and motions for me to follow.

He takes me to a back room with ammo stocks and I get my 9mm ammo, I manage to get the good stuff too. I pay the man for the cost, and for his troubles and return back to my room and load the two empty magazines. I put the gun back into the box and close it when I hear my handheld buzz.

I pick up the handheld and open it to see the new message. To my surprise, it's the school announcing the freshman tournament dates and times. I check and see that they will begin tomorrow! This is surprising to me, but it makes sense why I didn't see others from my class. They are most likely doing some last-minute training. I make a note to find a nice place to watch the tournament. Suddenly there is knocking on my door.

I get up and answer the door opening it wide and getting slugged in the chest. It's clear they were aiming for my gut to knock the wind from me, but they missed and aimed a little high. I manage to grab the wrist of my assailant and pull them through the door and sweep their legs from under them as I do. I let go of their wrist as they tumble forward and hit the floor with a loud thud. I then put my knee on their butt to hold their hips down and then get a good look. It's Genevieve.

I get off of her shaking my head and say,

"You could have gotten hurt for doing that."

She groans in pain from face-planting and slowly sits up. She doesn't look angry and says to me,

"My bad... I was getting you for being a pervert towards the empress..."

I shake my head and say,

"It's not being perverted if you are invited in and have no idea that they are nude... or undressed. If anything she is the pervert."

I give a small laugh which I stop as Genevieve shoots a glare in my direction. I just shake my head and offer my hand. She takes it and I yank her to her feet. She dusts herself off and clears her throat as she fixes her hair that went a little wild due to her sudden acceleration. She then says to me,

"I was coming over to give you an invitation to the main box seats for the upcoming tournament. It's Seraphinas normal spot, but since she is a participant, you'll be keeping the seats warm. You are allowed to invite one person, but considering how... anti-social you are. That most likely won't happen. Just try to dress semi-nice to it. You are the empress's personal knight... or at least her head knight."

I nod and thank her and ask,

"I haven't seen your AMS do any fighting. What class do you use?"

She pauses and then replies,

"I use swords. I'm more of an up-close fighter, due to this mine has less armor and is faster than the usual."

I nod and say,

"Well, I hope to see you win. Good luck."

She turns her head quickly away from me and says,

"Thank you. I'll do my best to bring glory to the empress."

I just barely notice a smile on her face. It's quite cute. I don't say anything about it and she quickly leaves without saying goodbye. As soon as my door closes I can't help but laugh just by thinking about how she landed on the ground. It was hilarious.

I guess there really isn't anything left for me to do today so I head over to the hangar. I want to see how Wendigo is doing. Plus I want to further mess around with the more recent features and get acquainted with them for the next time I need to do anything... extreme.

I walk casually to the hangar in regular clothes. If I'm going to do this alone I can just take my shirt off and pull my pants down an inch so I can connect.

The walk is uneventful and kinda nasty as it is still winter. Although it is in the mid-forties the overcast sky is ugly and there is no sun to keep me warm. I make it to the huge building and find it incredibly busy. I should've expected this. I manage to dodge and slide through the crowd of pilots getting ready and mechanics rushing around doing final checks and work.

I make it to Wendigo and climb up my ladder and hop on his back. The entry hatch is closed. I kick it a few times and it opens with a mechanical whir and a hiss. I slide inside and find to my extreme surprise, Seraphina. She is sitting in the pilots' chair side saddled and is running her hands across the walls and saying,

"System activate... On!.... Turn on!... Please?"

She looks to be trying to figure out how to turn us on.

I shake my head and she jumps in surprise at my appearance. I thank the lord she didn't notice the pedal on the floor as it would've killed her if she had pressed it. She looks at me and asks,

"How do you activate this thing? How do you pilot? There are no controls!"

I shake my head and ask,

"First, why are you in here?"

She goes quiet and says meekly,

"I was feeling... nervous about the upcoming tournament as I had lost to you. I have gotten upgrades on my AMS, but I want to know how yours worked to see if it gave any insight on my shortcomings."

I shake my head while exhaling loudly and reply,

"Well... it's complicated to say the least on how this fat fuck works."

I try to think of a way to fake piloting, but I can't. There is no way to see inside the cockpit as there are no screens or windows. You're meant to only see through the eyes of the AMS. There also are no controls for obvious reasons. There is literally no way I can fake this, but an idea comes to mind,

"Well... I'd show you how to activate him... but currently, the control interface and everything has been removed to be reworked. As of the moment, Wendigo is completely useless. I came here to take a nap as the seat is super comfortable and morphs to my body as I sleep."

I hope my explanation is enough. She thinks on it for a moment and feels around the cockpit for a few more moments before sighing and saying,

"Well, that's unfortunate... I guess it can't be helped, I just wanted to learn. Sorry for intruding."

I shake my head and say,

"No worries. I was just surprised."

She nods and begins climbing out. She pauses as she is halfway out of the AMS her backside still inside and almost in my face. She then asks,

"Are you going to watch the tournament?"

I reply,

"Yes. Good luck."

She pauses once more but then leaves after deciding something. After she is gone I remove my shirt and lower my pants. I sit in my chair and with an exhale press the pedal. Pain shoots through my entire body as my nervous system is hijacked and I go into blackness.

My vision returns as systems come online. I keep most systems off and only keep vision on and computing. I close my hatch and lock it.

[Welcome back retard]

(How was death-lite?)

[Oh ya know, better than living with no memory]

(Ooh, spicy today)

[Yeah, aside from that, I'm glad Kassandra gave you that locker. It has some sentimental items in it. Sadly the really important stuff is still missing. I think that stuff was in our home, but most likely it has been seized by the state and all that stuff thrown out.]

(Yeah. Sucks, but it is what it is. Well... I was gonna go over the new features, but I wanna ask.)

[Go ahead.]

(I've been having nightmares with some odd characters. There are the normal fragmented nightmares of combat, but it's the odd modern depicted wendigo that appears. You know the deer skull with razor fangs and hairy body, the fake kind.)

[Yeah, I see what you're talking about now. I have no idea... we were never a psychologist. My best guess is that it's a subconscious self-image. I can't say much about the past and memory, because I have a literal killswitch built into me, but let's just say... we hate ourselves. At least we eventually began hating the thing we became. I'm normal... -ish, because I am a computer program and don't have emotions, sorta, so I don't share these feelings. You still have all your human emotions for better or worse. I think because all your memories are gone, fragmented, or repressed that thing has manifested in your subconscious to represent your past, complete self. Let's just say if I had the capability of emotions or a conscience I would be a far worse AI, definitely one of those kill-all humans types, out of anger and self-loathing because I was once...well human, even if that human is us.]

(That's...unsettling...)

[Yeah. I can't really go further into this rabbit hole but I'm sure it's fine and we don't have to worry. All I can say is we need to find a way to make us...whole...shit that's not a good thing to say... makes me sound like some sci-fi hivemind. What I mean is, we need to get our shit back together. Especially you. Our efficiency would go up by almost one hundred percent, but whatever. That and you'd be a little less lost, how you would react to all that information? I don't know. I'm sure you can handle it as you are now, but that is not happening any time soon. I'm sorry...]

(It's not your fault. We both seem to have similar goals. For now... let's just go over the new features and get comfortable.)

[Yeah, I'd rather do that than get robot depression.]

We spend a few hours working and going over all the new features to grow more comfortable. We even run simulations for damage and how to deal with certain threats with our new loadout and armor package. I eventually grow tired and say my goodbye before disconnecting. I feel my nerves rip from my body as I am released. I sit there for a moment sucking wind as I right myself before exiting Wendigo.

I climb down the ladder and see that it is now night. I shake my head with a long sigh and begin walking home. I don't feel hungry really and just go all the way back to my room. As I near my room I see someone standing by my door with everything covered including their face. I begin approaching at a regular pace, but I control my breathing and prepare myself for something stupid. I make it to my room and the figure doesn't move. I open my door and there still is no movement. I step inside never putting my back to them and as I close the door a boot is placed between the door and the frame.

I sigh and open the door fully arms-length away hoping to avoid conflict. The figure darts inside quickly before shoving me back and closing the door. As the door closes all light goes away as I hadn't made it to the light switch. I wasn't knocked off balance, just a step back. Even in the dark, I am able to perceive the figure and grab their right arm.

When I do I get kicked in the shin leading to a metallic clang as the steel-toe boots hit metal. I laugh and then pull them close and into a bear-hug. I keep my grip low around their forearms to stop them from using any weapon. I slam them against the wall and hit the lights with my head. As the light comes on I yank the hood from the figure with my mouth.

I don't get a look as they headbutt me in the jaw. It hurts but I return the favor and slam my head into the top of their sull. I feel their legs buckle and drop them to the ground where they remain on their knees holding their head. I keep on the attack and shover them to the floor and put one of their arms behind their back. I pull the wrist upwards hard putting strain on the shoulder and they let out a pained groan confirming it's a female.

I say to them,

"Who are you and what is your purpose?"

They struggle for a bit before replying through sobs,

"Please don't hurt me... I didn't mean to startle you."

I shake my head and say,

"I won't hurt you if you comply. Just explain why you are here and I'll let you up. "

I hear them sniffle a few times and say quietly,

"I was sent here as a gift... a noble bought my services and wanted me to deliver a letter as well as...comfort you. I kept myself hidden as not to start rumors about you per my orders."

I take a long breath and let the girl up. She stands up and looks over at me teary-eyed and scared. I say to her,

"I'm sorry... I just wasn't prepared or expecting this. I...I don't partake in this kind of action... ever."

The girl slowly calms down and when she seems to no longer be about to cry I explain,

"I'm sorry I hurt you... I have been attacked in a manner similar to this before... I just kinda reacted. Now tell me everything you can about this arrangement."

She sniffs a couple of times still rubbing her head and says,

"My name is Martha... I am from a lower noble house...Imperial... Due to some current financial issues in my family... other nobles have taken to leveraging favors from my family, of any kind. Someone offered me lots of money so long as I comforted you, I don't know who as I did not read the letter. I kept my identity hidden because I don't want rumors to spread about you. I'm sorry I startled you."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

I shake my head and hold out my hand for the letter. She hands it to me and I open the envelop and begin reading. It's not very long and gives me no better insight, just simply,

"Dear Lord Richardson,

I am giving you your first taste of imperial treasure. If you happen to listen to what I say when I come to you, this and much more, anything you want can be yours... maybe even the empress if you play your cards right.

Sincerely,

Unknown"

I shake my head and grunt with frustration. Martha looks spooked and curious so I tell her,

"I think you are here to convince me of someone else's political maneuvering. I really don't understand and don't want to."

I stand up from my seat and say to her,

"Well... You have two choices. You can stay the night and hopefully get that commission, but we won't sleep together, or I'll walk you back to your room to keep ya safe. Your choice."

She shakes her head and replies,

"I did this out of necessity in the first place, I never wanted this... I want to go home...please m'lord, take me back home."

I sigh and begin walking her back home. Thankfully the walk is uneventful, but it is awkward and neither of us talks. I feel bad for the girl. It must be embarrassing as hell to have to pretty much whore yourself out like this, not only that but you get your ass kicked in the process. I feel bad about that still. Eventually, she makes it back to her room and I apologize once more and return back to bed. I lie down and can't help but feel as if some other shitstorm is about to begin.

I wake up in the morning feeling pretty good. I do my usual routine of making myself presentable and brushing my teeth. I go and do my morning workout lifting pretty heavy today as I feel right enough to do so. Afterward, I go wash up before heading to get some breakfast. The campus is surprisingly empty even for the morning. I eat my breakfast and head to the stadium. I am allowed entry to the empty building and am escorted to the box seat that is reserved for Seraphina if she were able to watch. I take a seat in the comfortable armchair I spot and recline it back and kick my feet up onto the table. I set my handheld alarm to noon and fall asleep in the comfy chair.

I am woken up by movement in the interior of the box and I sit up and turn around. I see multiple workers setting up tables with food and drink. I apparently startle one lady and she drops a dish of what looks to be queso dip. I swear and stand up and approach the space.

She immediately begins apologizing and saying that she'll get me more. This causes me to sigh and my gut to drop. I say,

"Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong. I startled you. Hand me some towels and get a mop. I'll help you clean this up"

She nods and quickly I am given a roll of paper towels and someone brings in a mop bucket. The lady helps me out and together we get the floor clean. Another worker brings in a new dish of the same stuff. While on the floor cleaning someone in heels enters and a very snobby female voice says,

"So... this is how lowly the earth-born knight is? I should really question my daughter's judgment from here on out."

I look up to see a very elegantly dressed woman with shimmering blonde hair. She has clearly had some form of surgery on her face in an attempt to hide her true age. She looks fake especially with all that makeup, but I do recognize her. I remember her from newsreels from back in the day. The widowed consort to the first divine emperor.

I wad up the towels and put them in a trash bag before standing and giving a short bow to the lady and say very informally,

"Well... I caused the mess so I'll clean it up. That's just how I roll."

She grimaces at my informality but replies,

"I see... That doesn't matter. You are nobility, even if they aren't of the empire they are beneath you, and exist to serve you. Don't burden yourself with kindness... they hardly deserve it."

I shake my head as I feel my blood boil slightly but I keep myself calm enough to reply,

"I see your point, but I will continue to ignore it. I was raised from a very young age to treat everyone with respect until they no longer deserve it. If I make a mess, I'll clean it up... as I said before, and will always say."

She scowls at me before saying,

"So you speak to me so informally? I thought you treat everyone with respect?"

I shake my head with a smile and say,

"I respect you as a person therefore I won't mistreat you. What you are expecting is earned respect, and so far... you have been undeserving of it."

Her face sours further and one of the two black-suited bodyguards behind her steps forward aggressively and shouts,

"You will respect the empress!"

I shake my head and my smile grows and I reply,

"Last I checked she is not the empress, but instead the head consort to the last emperor. I checked how it works a few months back, how ranking works. You have only the same rank as you had prior to your marriage after Seraphina succeeded the late emperor. Isn't that right baroness? From what I've gathered, I'm pretty much the highest degree of duke. By your logic... you all are beneath me.

I highly recommend you cool your jets. I'm not here to cause trouble. I just don't like people who throw their rank around in order to mistreat people. All I know is that if I didn't confront you here, you lot would eventually mistreat one of these good folk who are bringing us food and drink."

I watch the consorts face reddens but all I said was correct. After my new title, I did some research on how ranking in the empire worked. I hardly care, but I was curious to see what I technically was. That sent me down a rabbit hole of weird traditions and rules. I only bowed to the lady because I was being polite, it's apparently a way of saying hello in a respectful manner. I guess I won't do it again.

The bodyguard deflates quickly and backs up. He is taller than me, but the muscle mass is very different. While I am no hulk, my shoulders are almost two inches wider, and my exploits have most likely made it to his ears. The whole time I have kept a pleasant smile on my face and then say,

"Well then, I'll let you take your pick on seats. I would feel horrible letting an old lady sit somewhere uncomfortable."

This almost takes her over the edge, but she exhales deeply and walks to a seat without a word. The two guards pass by me with nervous looks on their faces. I honestly hope she doesn't take out her anger on them. They honestly are just doing their job, no bad blood between them, but them calling her the empress bothers me. It felt as if she refers herself as such on the regular. Either I'm looking into it too deeply, or she is going to be a major problem, not just an annoyance, but a legit problem

I shake my head before getting myself a plate of snacks and a soda before sitting down in the same chair as before. I kick back once more and enjoy the tasty food as I watch people slowly enter the arena as workers scramble around getting everything set up.

After a few minutes I get up to throw out my trash and Seraphina comes storming into the box with Genevive behind her without expression. They are both in their piloting uniforms. At first I think her anger is at me but she faces me and in a stern voice says,

"Everyone except my mother...please exit for a few moments."

I nod and head out looking at Genevieve for an answer. She gives zero indication of anything. The guards follow me out and I hold the door for Genevieve. I close it behind me as the shouting starts. I don't catch any words but it's really heated.

We stand around awkwardly for a few moments before I say,

"You all excited for the competition?"

The older of the two guards exhales and seems to relax some before saying,

"Yeah, I may be working but AMS fights are always fun to watch. I remember how it used to feel when piloting those things. It was awesome. Nowadays I am too busy and getting too old to pilot."

I smile and nod along before the younger, hot-headed one says excitedly,

"Oh yeah. I got money on a few matches. I cant wait to see all the cool new weapons being applied. Most freshmen this year have completely new models and weaponry. It's going to be carnage out there. I wonder how many full knockouts there are going to be? I'm going to be honest... your fights were badass... I just wish your last match hadn't been interrupted."

I nod and say,

"Thanks, I also wish it hadn't been interrupted..."

Both guards nod and the older one says,

"Don't take anything our charge says too seriously. Sorry about that... she can sometimes be difficult to get along with. I may be overstepping by saying this, but you may not know, the empress and her mother have been having a power struggle ever since the empress ascended to the throne. Our lady has been... well claiming the power for herself and honestly being a brat about it. Somehow that young girl is more mature and wise than her own mother... but I didn't say that last part."

I laugh and nod and say,

"I think I noticed that."

We all give a hearty laugh, except Genevieve who has been silent and emotionless. I face her and ask,

"Whats wrong? Why the long face?"

She shakes her head and replies,

"It's nothing. I'm just mentally preparing."

I nod and leave her to it.

We spend a few minutes standing around and shooting the shit until Seraphina leaves the box in a huff and Genevieve follows. We return back inside to find the baroness sitting in her spot calmly. We all go back to our positions as before, just in time for the tournament to start.

The first two fighters are nothing special. Both seem to be in stock model AMS units both with more masculine figures. They also both have huge swords which create cool sparks when they clash. It's fun to watch but they rarely hit one another and do very superficial damage. Each clash leads to the crowd exploding. It's cool but ten minutes of this gets boring to me fast. Eventually, time is called and the winner is named. The next match will be interesting.

One corner is Seraphina in her golden AMS, the wings on full display, she also seems to have a cool sword made of light too. The other poor contestant is in a stock model with a sword as well. The battle begins and Seraphina leaps into action. The golden form bounds across the arena and instantly cleaves the blocking sword in half. I let out a whoop as she cuts the opposing AMS's legs off and the battle is called. Absolute victory for Seraphina. I guess her AMS is actually terrifying, I think I kinda just got lucky. Each movement she made was blindingly fast, but still, there was a slight input lag making each action have a slight delay before it happens in a blinding flash.

The next fight is Genevieve in her AMS. Its bicolored split down the middle of white and black with a fancy-looking sword in each hand. Both are different from one another. Her AMS is smaller as she described. On its blank face is VI. Her opponent is also in a stock model, but it has large energy weapons mounted on each wrist. The battle begins and the opponent fires two blinding bolts of light. Genevive moves at terrifying speed and manages to dodge the shots and in a swift motion turns the opponent into a nugget. Both arms and legs are taken off so fast I hardly saw the motion. Two quick slashes with each arm.

The next fight is Eloise. Her light blue AMS strides out with its weapons ready, each long-barreled laser ready. From what I learned her AMS uses an interesting laser type that apparently cools things down rather than heating them up. They call it a cryolaser. This paired with blade-like hands results in an easy victory. Her foe ahs its major joints lock up and the metal becomes brittle. A single swipe with the long skinny arms removes whole portions of the opposing AMS.

I cheer for all those that I know and feel almost proud of how well they are fighting. They understand the weaknesses of their foes, closing in on ranged AMS and keeping distance on the meele kind, and waiting for openings. The other matches also begin to get interesting, I find myself leaning forward getting into the fights, and overall enjoying myself. This is cool as hell, no wonder this became a sport.

The fights go on for a while, the freshman class seems to be huge with tons of fighters, most fights come down to decisions by judges, but every time Seraphina, Genevieve, or Eloise fight it's always a knockout. It's impressive to watch but I feel almost bad for the opposition because their AMS is just outright better than the stock versions, I honestly can't tell if they would win these fights if it wasn't for their vastly superior AMS.

Eventually, the tournament begins to grow smaller and the announcer calls for a couple of hour break in order to set things up for the semi-finals and eventual finals match. During this time I take a bathroom break and go get myself some more food, loading up on lots of salty foods.

I sit down in my chair and begin snacking watching the workers set up the arena when I catch the Baroness moving out of the corner of my eye. I turn and face her and she is approaching me. I stay quiet watching her come close to me, her face unreadable. I swallow my food and say politely,

"How may I help you, ma'am?"

She gives a fake half-smile and catches me off guard by asking,

"Sir Richardson... do you happen to be single?"

I nearly choke on my own spit in reaction to the question and I see the guards behind her nearly do the same. The older one looks as if he is about to come unglued laughing. The youngers face is turning bright red, I feel my own face flush and reply with a question,

"Before I answer that, may I please ask why you are asking me this?"

My reaction seems to make her smile and she then says back in a voice dripping with poisoned honey,

"Well... I don't expect you to fully understand, but a noble needs to have an heir. It's kinda a cultural thing where as soon as someone becomes the head of a household they have a child as soon as possible. Since you created a new household, and as undeveloped it is, you at the moment are its first and last member.

I am merely asking because I believe we can make a deal... or at least work together."

I sigh calming myself down from my initial shock. Her words make sense but I don't want to hear them or understand them. I get having an heir is probably important, but considering I never planned to become a noble I don't care if my house continues. I mean if I find someone I love and they love me back I could eventually marry them and have kids, but I kinda don't want a loveless marriage for reasons other than love. I reply to her,

"A deal with the devil is one I'd rather not make... I'm not accusing you of anything, but will you please tell me why you would have an interest in this for me? You on the surface have no motives, and no, I apologize but I'd rather be with someone around my age."

She takes great amusement in my last statement, after she stops laughing she replies,

"Oh my, I think you understood me wrong and I apologize for being cryptic. I have already been married once and I will never wed again. I'm sure that is a sentiment you can understand and respect. I guess you caught me, I do have a motive and it is a political play. It is nothing extreme, just a simple way to move up my family's standings. The future head of my household, a niece of mine, is single and probably won't be married anytime soon. When her father who is ailing dies, she will inherit the house, and if she marries you, and you have a child that child would merge the houses and move our nobility ranking up to your level.

Of course, there would be some form of compensation for doing this, and if she is not to your liking you can always take mistresses, or we could even find one of her cousins or sisters instead. It's rather simple to change around inheritance in order to secure higher positions."

I shake my head at her plan, it's not the worst idea I've ever heard, but I can't accept it. Although I can respect her faithfulness to her late husband, which is impressive, she doesn't seem like the type. As for the last part, I don't know how I feel. I'm not yanked around by my urges almost at all. I mean I get them, but ignoring them isn't hard so I'm rarely motivated by lust or anything like that. I mean if I like the girl even if she isn't the most gorgeous woman around I'd still be happy.

The baroness awaits my answer so I give it to her with a long breath.,

"I would honestly feel very awkward if I married someone I barely know. I mean if you bring them somewhere and we meet a few times or more I will think about it, but other than that I really can't say I'd marry them. I'm not saying no, just saying maybe not right now. Aside from that I really have a lot of crap to deal with before I go to deep into things like marriage."

She thinks on my response for a bit before answering in a neutral tone,

"I see, that's a good response, although not the one I was hoping for. I will see what I can do about your request. I hope we can eventually come to an agreement... or something similar, as we both have my daughter's best intentions in mind."

The way she says the last part sets off nearly every danger warning in my mind. I don't know what it is but I have a hunch she does not have her daughter's best intentions in mind. As she finishes her statement she leaves the box and her guards follow. As they leave the two wave at me and I wave back. When the door closes I mutter,

"One ambitious bitch right there..."

She may be Seraphina's mother, but just from the way she acts, she will cause trouble for me, and I am not looking forward to what I might have to do. I'd hate to take another parent away from the girl, even if it is justified.

I lean back further in my chair with a long sigh and after a few more minutes the announcer does his job and gets the crowd riled up for the final two rounds of fighting. I lean back forward in anticipation excited to see the fights. The first fight is Seraphina versus Eloise. Extreme heat versus extreme cold. This will be very interesting.

Both of their AMS are built in a similar manner except Seraphina's has the large golden wings made of what I guess is plasma, not sure, and Eloise's AMS is light blue with the long-barreled lasers attached to each arm. My best guess is that both their AMS are produced by the same people who are making all the ones with the numbered faceplates. They salute one another and the fight begins.

Eloise opens with two precise shots which are ineffective due to the extreme heat given off by Seraphina. Seraphina stays at the range too unleashing a hellish volley of what looks like smaller versions of those plasma shots she fired at me a while back. Instead of being direct fire, they shoot straight up and then race towards their target. How this works is beyond me but Eloise is barely able to dodge the full force and takes glancing blows that leave massive scars in her armor.

Eloise recovers quickly and tries to close the distance and potentially get behind. Seraphina's abilities put her at an extreme advantage, as her heat completely negates Eloise's attacks at range. Her only option is to use her blade-like hands and use the strength of her AMS to do the work. The only problem is that Seraphina has a very powerful sword to her advantage.

Eloise manages to dodge a few more of those smaller attacks and even a few much heavier shots too. She gets close enough fast enough to force Seraphina to leap away and dodge any follow-up attacks. This dance continues for a bit as Seraphina is too close to use her sword correctly. Eloise made the right decision, but I can also see her AMS having a poor reaction to the extreme heat near Seraphinas AMS. While the heat isn't enough to melt anything like steel or iron, it's enough to cause circuits and other electrical components to blow or melt. This is a design flaw if you ask me. I see a few sparks fly from some joints in Eliose's AMS meaning something really bad is happening inside.

Eventually, Seraphina gets some distance and just barely misses a slash. This forces Eloise to backpedal away and return to dodging the golden blasts. Eloise then begins firing sustained beams hoping over time the cold will overpower, unfortunately for her, this is not the case.

One of the heavier blasts removes the arm from Eloise then another and another. Her AMS is ripped apart by the powerful attacks until the battle is called and she is rescued from her pile of slag metal. I cheer for the fight, not for either combatant, but for the really good fight.

The next fight is one where I do have a dog. It's Genevieve versus, that cocksucker Claus. I see Genevieve's black and white AMS enter the field as does Claus. His is absolutely massive but of the same masculine shape these AMS tend to be. On its faceplate is IV. It is also a golden color like Seraphina's but has lots of red trim. It is bristling with all kinds of weapons that I can see. It is a ranged class. He seems to do some kind of motion to the crowd which goes wild as I boo at him. Then the fight begins.

No less than ten lasers lash out from Claus as Genevive does her best to dodge but lasers are lasers and she gets hit causing the metal to disintegrate under the extreme heat. Due to her speed, the follow-up shots do not hit at all. Once close Genevive begins shredding his legs and other parts, I start getting excited as Genevive might give that bastard what he deserves, then his massive hand comes down and grabs Genevives AMS. I watch in disbelief as he crushes the head of her AMS and rips its arms off with his oversized AMS's strength. I begin shouting and cussing as Genevive loses the match in a stupid way. While His AMS is nearly busted, if it wasn't for its sheer bulk he would have lost. This is outright bullshit of the highest degree.

The match is called and another break is called so that the final match can begin, and the competitors can have their AMS repaired. I just get some more food and eat and drink angry at the outcome of the last fight. that was stupid, and I will be salty for a while, but now it is up to Seraphina to whoop his ass and give him what he deserves.