The wind blew through the streets, spreading the colder air from the top of the mountain. It carried the smell of smoke and food, predominantly raw fish, making Tsune wring her nose in displeasure. it grew stronger as they went up the main street, until they reached their source.

Taken in by the novelty around her, the girl couldn't help but look around. This residential street had stalls right in front of houses, full of fish, carved stone and other day by day items their owners expected to sell quick. Some sellers plastered their tables with papers, that advertised larger wares, and the shrewder ones bet on a bigger sunroof to attract traffic. It was a simple trick but she even memorized a fair amount of ads.

Halfway through the busy street, the team came across a long staircase carved straight into the mountain. Looking up, through the multiple ornate gates that separated it into separate flights, Den turned to others.

'It's there. How are you holding? Should we rest first?'

'It's tough but I'm fine as long as you are with me.'

Aery lightly squeezed his arm, while other boys just shrugged. Tsune brushed her hair with her hand, trying to absorb the extra heat and voted for getting this over.

-

At first she counted the stairs out of idle curiousity, but at the end, she counted them to keep her legs moving. Somehow she managed to last. They crossed the last gate, with a wooden sign that lost its letters, and stepped onto stone paved plateau with a big tree and a fountain in the center.

A line of familiar box buildings framed the square from the right and a long low hangar did the same from the left. The back of the yard was separated from the wild mountain slope by a wide stone building, with diagonal spiked ornaments on its four corners.

'Rei, the guests arrived.'

The voice was from an old man who washed his upper body in the fountain. He grabbed a shirt, two pieces of cloth laced together at shoulders and sides, and gestured the panting guests to the houses on the right.

'If there's no emergency, please rest and freshen up before dinner . My son will guide you to your rooms.'

'Student, mentor. Please refer to me as a student.'

A boy, around their age, appeared from behind a sliding door on the right. When the man ignored him, Rei rubbed the back of his shaved head, his finger joints white from effort. Then he did what he was asked to.

The single room guest house was even smaller than the one downtown, roughly two steps wide. But in exchange of the bed being replaced with a rolled mat, it had a pleasant surprise behind a plastic curtain in the back. A shower coupled with laundry and a sealed clothing packet.

-

Refreshed, Tsune put on everything but the dress that was still damp with sweat. Throwing it over the laundry shelf, she took the packet outside of the curtain.

She unrolled the bundle slowly enough to drop nothing if it turned out to be a set. But the more she unrolled, the longer the first part became. When the last fold was gone, she held two long pieces of white cloth that looked a lot like the old man's shirt. But long enough to cover her from neck to toe and with the lacing put through the embedded metal rings instead of simple holes.

"Hmm. I don't know about this."

The free form design guaranteed to fit, but... She pressed the top part against her bust to see if it had enough material.

Several minutes later, Tsune joined others in the stone temple. She had to tightly lace the dress over its entire length, making the skirt part tighter than she wanted, otherwise it would show the underwear straps. The dress had several subtle cloth loops, that allowed for more control, but she had time to learn only one. It was under her neck, where she tied the ends of both laces with a butterfly knot.

Looking around the table, she was the only one who took the hosts upon their offer. The boys kept their clothes as is, while Aery's blouse became nearly transparent from washing and she clung to Den's arm to hide.

-

When the last piece of crunchy fish disappeared from the table, the old man spoke.

'Let us use the post meal time to introduce each other. I'm the head of this temple.'

'Mentor.'

'It is simply good manners.'

After giving his father an unpleasant look, Rei followed up.

'I am the student at this temple. I cannot say what gate have I reached, as the monk keeps them open.'

Den cleared his throat with a cough, that masked a quick glance at his team.

'We are a combiner mecha team from the central region. Our profile doesn't have any victories yet, but we did well in the academy tournament organized by a famous pilot.'

'An aspiring team from the central city came here to seek victories. Interesting, isn't it?'

The words weren't directed at anyone, but Rei's expression grew gloomier with every word from his father.

'Mentor. If you are planning for me to join them, I will not.'

'But you have so much to learn from each other.'

'I want to learn our way of piloting, the knowledge I would get from them as friends is useless.'

'How is it...'

Den interrupted the monk's objection by standing up to leave the table.

'Thank you for treating us well. But it is time for us to leave.'

The boy turned around and left. Tsune turned from him, to Rei who looked straight at them, to her dress, then stood up as well. This wasn't the best time to ask for a chance to change clothes.

-

The next morning, an insistent knock on her door pulled her sleep. Soon, Aery's voice added to its effect.

'I'm going to a public bath. Want to come with me?'

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Tsune nodded, then the consequences of that question got through the sleepy haze. To be naked in company of naked women for extended time.

'No, I'll go later.'

A part of her would regret not going. Maybe during hotel morning her emotions went to opposite extreme. It was right after the exam, after all. But it brought questions she would rather not think about.

The steps grew silent and she fell back into bed. Pulling the phone from under her shoulder, she accidentally unlocked the screen.

-As per laws of your region, the violent content was blocked. Please confirm that you are eighteen or more to join this network.-

The girl dropped the gadget before the message could finish. She spent the hours searching for mecha battle videos. But this electronic voice blocked more just local content. Because of the universal account on her device, it extended to other regions and even live from team sites on the Ring. In short, she was stuck without her favorite pastime.

She was tempted to swap with Hem or Eider, but both brought theirs to study.

'Ahh, almost a month! Even the old city wasn't so bad.'

She pulled the pillow away from her face and simply laid there.

The house around her grew quiet while the outside filled with sounds of walking, slow-moving cars and the rare powered glider. It was time to start a new day.

-

The city bustled with activity, working the hardest it could before the sun appeared over the mountain top. People hurried past the cafe, everyone with a purpose.

'Are you staying?'

Tsune nodded without turning to look. Hem left first, saying he was busy online. Den and Aery... was none of her business. Now Eider left as well, to return to pilot training. And she, she watched the Great River continue its endless run far below. Sometimes, the tranquil surface was broken by a glider's water landing. But those splashes of color did little to change her current thoughts.

For the first time in many years, she didn't know what to do with herself. Ever since Lyle joined the arena, life has become a loop of working on the toys he would control and following his favorite games. In this world, the loop only changed its form, dividing the days into academy and improving her skills with the useful battle videos.

But here, the mech remained near the fort and her phone couldn't access what she wanted. The loop broke, leaving her with either continuing to waste time in the city, or watching random shows. But *lesser of the two evils* wasn't a choice at all, it was hidden desperation.

'Ah, why am I even thinking about bad options?'

Hearing other clients mumble, she gave an embarrassed smile and left, Her destination was the temple.

-

She wasn't sure if it was a good fortune or not, but she met the monk in the same place as yesterday. In front of the tree in the center of the yard. But unlike yesterday, there was one big difference. Instead of washing up, he watched the two big metal hands that rose through hangar's open roof. They weren't idle either, the hands constantly moved into complex gestures and finger combinations.

Tsune brought the bundled temple dress to the front as she approached the man. But his attention was on the robot. Or maybe noise from the robot joints blocked the sound of her steps.

'I came to return the dress. Sorry about taking it.'.

'One can not take away the beauty from others. Please accept it as a gift as it fit you well.'

The blonde put away the bundle but remained in place. It seemed awkward to leave without getting anything done. Especially when her legs hurt after all those steps. So, for a while, she watched the mech movements as well.

'Are you are this city's team?'

'We are not a team, we are a dynasty that protects the town. But we will not take your victories.'

He started with pride, his stature straight as an arrow. But then his shoulders slumped and his voice lowered.

'Do you know how pilots used to control their mechs?'

'Um, the crystals, right? My mother used to research safer ways to train pilots.'

'Oh, then you should understand!'

The sudden burst of life made the girl step back. She couldn't but feel a bad case of deja vu as the monk continued.

'Our knowledge is one of the many gears that served a grander purpose. But first it met regulations, then struck out of public eye, now gone from pilot training. And private schools like mine; students used to live on the street below and now I'm renting it to a bazaar. A bazaar!

And today this knowledge is an obstacle in my son's future. A promising pilot might have to live off the land rent because his mech wont be allowed to step outside of the hangar.'

He stopped mid-gesture and his expression changed. But she spoke before he could apologize.

'You didn't scare me. I remembered how I met a pilot I admire, in Crystal Resort. '

'You have met *Monster*? He is still alive?'

'Yes. His son defended the city while I was there. He lost his temper both times we met.'

No need to tell him about living in a basement turned museum of his past deeds.

'So, that eternal battle mantle of his is no more. But how did his successor push through with that machine? Its shapeshifting was scandalous even back then.'

Tsune sighed. She couldn't spare him the details. And life went beyond the piece of script that could take the blame for lying.

'He spent his last active years with an Assistant Device, then gave it to his son. The son s now on the Ring, as a part of team Zodiacs.'

'I see... Then if you or your friends need a room, you are free to stay here.'

With that short, neutral remark, the monk turned around and walked to the building. Leaving Tsune wonder about whether there was a better way to say what she did.