-

The tournament went on, with the dome experiencing a new battle every couple of days. Except for the times where the teacher couldn't end the battle in time. Then the training field got another couple of reminders, of how far the students went for the prize, in various states of disassembly.

Her team got that kind of involuntary vacation more than once, but even a pyrrhic victory was still a victory that pushed them along.

And with every push, she could feel a vexing duality grow within. She wanted to win and study under her role model, but the loss would keep him safe from the script's tragic future. And that emotional swing continued to increase.

-

After another bout of repairs, from stepping on an axe blade to pin it to the ground, Tsune returned to the wolf's command chair with satisfaction. She missed the control over the giant mechanical beast more than she suspected.

Looking out of the window at the other mechs started to leave, she reached down to the bag. Mapo, sensing her presence, floated up to be let out.

'Now stay put.'

-Tsune is kind-

`I'm only letting you out so that nobody gets hurt.`

As much as she was initially opposed to the Assistant Device and then ashamed of it, she slowly warmed up to it. The personality and flight turned a tool, like her phone, into a pet. A solution that was so over the top it felt just like her father.

Looking one last time at Mapo, who hovered near the floor to keep out of her line of sight, she pushed the joystick forward. It was time to combine and get this semi-final match over with.

-

Looking down on the defeated knight-like robot, that launched shockwaves from its claymore, the girl kept a neutral

expression.

"So, we have won again."

-Mapo?-

Tsune absentmindedly put her hand on the floating ball and that was enough to quiet it. She was busy thinking and the device understood that.

Over the last weeks it become typical of her to think about ways to change the unwanted future more and more. But regardless of how much time she spent on it, she saw only three outcomes.

First was aiding Destiny in battle against that mysterious energy rift. But so far, she couldn't find anything in the Orbital Ring that looked like those *Blue Energy* emitters.

Then came the polar opposite, just rejecting the conclusions based on Rhodes's words and a single image from her memory. But given that the script was all but prophetic so far, it meant becoming a bystander that ignored the chance to do good. And it just irritated her at a fundamental level.

Finally she could confess everything to the target of her thoughts, Destiny's pilot, and trust him with it. But the only one who knew enough and could present a material proof, Rhodes, was also the one who would never go along with it.

And if an already suspicious girl said that he was going to lose. To a mysterious rift and in the first mission with the new student, she could already guess his reactions.

In the best case she would be treated with even greater suspicion, affecting her student life or her family. And in the worst case, it would look like a crazy story that she spun because of unrequited relationship.

Reaching the end of options she thought of so far, she forced it away. Just reciting them again, without acting upon either, was pointless.

"Why do I have these obsessions? I sound worse than Aery."

Still absorbed by her own thoughts, she got out of the mech instead of rewatching the past match with others.

It was under pretense of scouting the enemy they might face in the finale, but in reality she was ashamed of making up excuses for her lack of effort in battle.

-

Once she came to the training hall to watch the next fight, the students silently let her through to the first row. Regardless of whether it was because she was a shapely blonde halfway to eighteen or because of all the ill rumors around, she was grateful for it.

In the field, two mechs were already engaged in battle. The terrain looked like a top of a mountain with its top cut off and with several ravines that connected off center.

One mech was Colossus, a seven storey tall Majin clad in flexible armor robe and holding a silver ornate bowl. The other Majin was a head shorter and had a big backpack.

"He looks like Gunner if I went with traps instead."

When the fireball was destroyed by a vertically launched missile, as soon as it appeared over the canyon, she understood what kind of a fight this was. It was the battle of attrition where Rod tried to deplete enemy's ammo. And given the size of the enemy's supply pack, it would take a while.

"I'll just go home."

-

She walked with Mapo freely floating besides her despite still being in a bag. When she walked through the door, it hit the wall and cried for help.

'How can you see me through leather but can't see the walls.'

Grabbing the bag by the handles, she pulled it inside. Once she took off the outer clothing and shoes, she let Mapo out and dropped into her favorite hall chair.

On the nearby table was a plate of mildly sweet fruit rolls. Her mother, who was behemently against sweets before, now regularly left her these treats for her.

Cheering up at the sight of one of her favorite snacks, the girl turned on TV.

It would've been easier if her team just lost in a fair and square way. But regardless of the outcome of tomorrow's last semi-final and the final battles, she had to forget all about it and recharge. And before she noticed it, she cleaned the plate and fell asleep, with the Assistant Device resting on her stomach.

-

She woke up in a dark room from a buzzing sound right under her cheek.

Raising from her bed to see that it was already evening, she shooed Mapo from under the sheets and picked up the phone. On it was a text message, with the largest font it could fit, that led to a video link.

"What is this about."

In the video was Colossus that stood over his still smoking enemy. The training field around them was littered with multiple spent launchers and even an arm, severed by a razor wire. The arm still clutched the silver bowl.

But neither of those things were the point of the video and the blonde understood it as soon as she heard Rod's voice.

-This was a hard fought battle. I would like to thanks everyone who fought with me from the bottom of my heart.-

-I have joined this tournament to see how far would I go if I gave it everything i had. And now its the time to say it. I must rely only on my own effort to get ahead in life. This is my challenge as the hero of justice.-

-Therefore, I cannot accept the final prize and I ask for the fight between the remaining two fighters to choose the winner.-

"He just gave up?"

The video automatically closed but the girl still looked at the screen as if awaiting some kind of punchline.

"Is he really playing his role this diligently? Or maybe."

If he entered the tournament just to increase their chances of winning, then it made sense. It also gave him a motive to steal all those parts from students and never use them. But that left a question of how, as his reasons for not exploiting any meta knowledge was believable.

"Why didn't he resign after our battle yesterday? Was he afraid that he would be accused of rigging?"

"Wait, that means everything will be resolved first thing in the morning. That's way too soon."

Muttering even more complaints, the girl put the phone on the cabinet and climbed under the covers. Even after hours of sleep, she was still tired.

-

The next day, the morning in the academy was full of excitement.

At the entrance alone Tsune passed by a group that discussed the tournament and its future. Mostly summed up by the last group she passed by.

'So, do you think the academy will release the tournament recording?'

'Of course. But I want the entertainment format to see whether I could win or not.'

And then numerous smaller groups that discussed Rod's speech. Like she assumed yesterday, the theme of rigging was going strong through most of them.

With her as the culprit of course. And some of them even suggested imagined details that made the blonde quicken the pace, just to hear less of them.

Once in the hangar, she saw Den distributing cards and badges between other members. And when they noticed her arrival, Aery took an extra pair and went to Tsune.

'Do you have the rest of it?'

She pointed at her bodysuit, reduced to a sleeveless shirt and shorts due to warm weather. When the blonde shook her head, the brunette clipped the logo badge and a name card to her chest.

'Everyone needs to look like official pilots. He said he knows the cover of our first combat video. Us standing together with our victorious mech as background.'

Done with her task, she patted the attached items with a little more force than was needed.

'Now we'll need to wait in the mechs. There's a chance that this battle will record pilot cabins, so we must show diligence.'

-

-Terrain Preparation-

This time the battlefield was several hills and a big flat piece of land in the center. And visible from their side was a short Majin, with a tower shield at its side. It was big enough to cover everything from neck to shins.

"That's the mech of that girl I met during my investigation tour, isn't it."

Tsune recognized the mech, but asked a different question.

'So, why do you think there are so few combiner mechs?'

'Remember the white mech that hid as a pillar? It almost blew up the connector between our parts in one attack.'

Den's voice came over the team screen to interrupt Eider before he finished.

'Don't give anyone ideas, we might be broadcasted.'

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

-Griffin versus Javelin.-

The battle started when both mechs entered the central arena. The enemy brought the shield forward and charged.

Sparks flew from the shield's frame and enveloped the mech as if acceleration blew them back.

-Rocket Claw-

The Griffin dodged and fired its fist into the enemy's open back. But even though the projectile easily caught with the enemy, it rapidly lost speed when it came into contact with the veil of sparks. Eider had to retrieve the weapon.

When the enemy turned around and charged again, Griffin made a shorter step to the side, so the veil's energy pressure would only graze it, and attacked with a downward punch. But even though the slowing veil was overpowered, the enemy already moved away.

-Not bad right?-

The boastful line came from the opponent's mech as it prepared to turn around.

'So, how do we damage it?'

Aery's worried voice came over and, seconds later, Den answered.

'The front is not protected. Maybe we'll able to get through with the main weapon.'

'Are you sure you can handle it, dear?'

'I'm sure I am. But if it blocks the follow up, it'll leave us open. Oh, right, the wall crater.'

"What."

Tsune didn't pay much attention to the chat, so the last part served as a wake up call.

'Tsune, use your tractor anchors to keep the shield on the ground after I stop it.'

'I can do that.'

When their enemy began its next charge, Griffin was ready. Its hands crossed to reach the sheaths behind the arms and took out two pieces of a sword handle. After connecting them, Den pointed the twohander's business end at the enemy.

-Metal Hurricane Mode.-

A cloud of metal particles began to flow out from out of the handle but instead of dissipating, the cloud started to rotate. And after several moments of compression, it shot forward in a continuous twister form.

It hit the shield, sanding off layer upon layer of metal, with splashes even reaching the emitter frame.

Almost immediately, Tsune saw that the charge began to slow down. She turned to her Assistant Device that floated nearby.

'Hey, Mapo, wake up.'

-Mapo-

After a quick trajectory calculation from the sphere, multiple launches flashed outside her window as tractor anchors were fired.

When the anchors embedded into the fake terrain, on both sides of the projected point, Den switched the weapon modes. Now the metal cloud coalesced into a long and sharp blade and was ready for a horizontal strike.

-

'Now!'

On Den's mark, the tractor beams turned on and the shield hit the ground like it was glued to it. Immediately after, Griffin's sword cleaved through the air, aiming to take the enemy's head.

But the enemy compensated for lack of hand strength with its legs. And its knee hit the shield's inner handle, launching it upwards just enough to intercept the sword.

Instead of a clean cut, the blade cut off a big triangle piece off the top of the shield and flew diagonally upwards.

The blade was partially released, to shave off weight for a faster swing, but sensors on the anchor pods told Tsune that it was too late.

Their opponent was smaller and therefore more agile. It let go of the shield, that already hit the ground due to tractor beams, and grabbed the triangle piece. Holding it with one hand like a javelin, it went for a torso stab.

The blonde felt these seconds stretch for over the minute. She still had time to redirect the beams to the makeshift weapon and even targeted it, but she couldn't bring herself to confirm the change. In her mind's eye stood the scene of her role model desperately fighting against an unknown foe.

The outside world didn't wait for her inner turmoil to resolve and actions of others made the decision for her. Griffin was hit straight into the torso, the metal piece went through armor, and the match was cut short.

-Battle end. Javelin is the champion.-

-

After the battle and a brief overview of the last two days, the top three participants were summoned to the teacher's room.

The redhead winner was impatient enough to walk first. And Tsune, as she looked at the team around her, felt her walk become springy as well. At first she thought she would have to tread on the eggshells after that loss, but everyone seemed content with the second place.

In the lounge, they saw the pilot of Destiny, in his usual white pilot suit. And three paper cards over an official looking paper on the table.

'So, the winners are here. Congratulations.'

He stood up and took the cards with him.

'Now, let's get down to business. Here's my contact data, your mech and you might need testing before we leave on a mission. Someone as bright as you should be done with it over the summer.'

He offered the first card to the redhead. Then turned to Den.

'I don't want to give a reward as simple as money, so here's info about a few people you might find interesting.'

Lastly, he went to Rod.

'And here's the chance for you to earn the reward you wanted.'

'Now, dismissed. Except for you, Tsune, I have something to pass on to you.'

-

In the corridor outside of the lounge, Tsune leaned against the wall. She and Rod stayed behind to discuss the events of the past study year.

'You did have a motive, didn't you. Those parts disappeared because they swayed their owner chances too much. And you joined the tournament to reduce the number of our opponents.'

The boy silently watched her speak.

'If you are already interfering this much, why don't you to talk to Destiny? Your full script and knowledge might

be enough to get him to help.'

'I can't trust anyone else. If others learn about this, they will use for their own ends. Even if they believe it like a prophecy, they will look for ways to exploit it. And you are a fine example.'

Tsune raised her hand in objection. She did that because she knew he lied and trying to use her. But the boy was too full of moral superiority to notice.

'You could be leading others to the good ending as the protagonist. And then you all did was save your favorite character. Even though his death is needed to rally the forces. And now he will go unchallenged.'

Hearing him, who had a habit of telling her how she should live her life, tell her who deserved to live, was too much. Her anger was starting to boil.

"You aren't even trying to explain, but expect others to fall in line. Are you really doing it to help others, or just to keep whatever control you have."

'Why are you so selfish. You have a tool to help but all you want is to secretly enforce it on everyone.'

'I am selfish? First you joined that team to spite me, then you must've intentionally failed. Because that's the only way to lose a match you were supposed to win. You are the selfish one.'

The jab about reaching her goal at the expense of her team hurt. But the blonde continued to speak.

'Don't you have your script written on paper? Others could learn about it eventually.'

'They wont. Even if they learned about it, they wouldn't be able to read it'

Noticing her surprise, he continued with a satisfied grin. As if she stepped into a trap that he laid beforehand.

'You didn't notice, did you? This world has its own language that we speak as if it was our own. But I managed to write the script in, the Earth language, unreadable scribbles for this world. You can read them but then it would be a word of an innocent versus yours.'

When he claimed to be innocent despite months of ill rumours about her, the girl's anger grew. Then grew again, he knew about the language difference. Did he plan to use her as a pawn even if she was from this world? A replaceable pawn, if the size of her piece was anything to go by.

"This's just it. I am done."

The anger flashed and burned out, She could win an official arguement if her father supported her. But that would throw Tsune's life into trouble and did Lyle have that right?

'Then, we have nothing to talk about.'

'Telling you about the script was my worst mistake.'

'Eventually, I would've learned, I know this world too well.'

Saying that to his back, Tsune remained alone in the hall. She had another question for the academy's premier guest.

-

Soon, the older pilot finished his work and left the room. The man went to her to offer the document from his table.

"Direction to enter the Central Institute of Health Development?"

But she had no time to theorise as explanation came right after.

'I planned to learn more about you by myself, in order to avoid official channels. But your behaviour in the Red Labs, or during this tournament is unreasonable, so I have to send you to specialists.'

"Ugh, at least I'll return before the live mission year starts."

She gave the list another look.

'I have a question. Were you the one who took away parts of those students?'

'Let's trade honesty for honesty. '

'My answer: Yes I did. I questioned students you had contact with, after the Red Lab accident. One of them showed impressive foresight skill and helped me to form this plan. Studying under me is supposed to be your dream and the key to opening your heart. But it had the opposite effect.'

'Now for my question: What was the motive that overwrote the predicted behaviour?'

"Looks like father was right. But I'm still glad he will live."

'I had a dream about a mysterious glowing rift object using a pure graviton weapon against you if I won. It was silly but the last time was before the Crystal Resort incident last year.'

With that, the girl turned around and walked away so he wouldn't be able to see her expression. She needed some time for reason to overcome the emotions and restore her faith in him.

And she didn't have time to wait around anyway. She needed to explain the news to her team before they made the summer plans that included her. And then show the paper to her parents.

-