With no warning, someone handed Xiao a business card. When the young woman turned to see who it was, the person had long disappeared as though it was a mere specter. She then looked down at the card.
<
North Star Mech Fighting Ring
Inaba Tadahisa, Pilot Recruitment Officer, Human Resource Department
[QR Code]
>
Do they just pick random people to pilot mechs? How does this even work?
Xiao scanned the QR code with her phone, bringing her to an application form. As usual, the first thing required by the form was the individual’s name. Yet, there were notes below the boxes suggesting that the person shouldn’t use his or her actual name. If anything, it was recommended for the individual to come up with a flashy stage name.
No doubt useful for when they advertise the pilot to the gambling crowd.
Few minutes later, Xiao filled out the form and submitted it. She didn’t take it seriously because she was certain her form would get rejected. She truthfully put her mech combat experience as two months which should automatically get her disqualified. As the young woman was about to return her focus on the match, a message was sent to her phone.
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Hello Rising Ant,
Thank you for your application! I’m proud to inform you that your application has been accepted!
Normally, we have an introduction meeting to get you up to date on your responsibilities and the expectations we have for you along with the general rules for pilots participating in the fighting ring. Today is however a lucky day as we have an opening for you. Please come down to the ring’s lowest level and present them the QR code at the bottom of this message. You will then be given assistance to prepare you for your first match in the North Star Mech Fighting Ring.
I sincerely hope you enjoy your time working with us!
Regards,
North Star Mech Fighting Ring
[QR Code]
>
Xiao initially thought this was a joke sent by the fighting ring. When she checked the sender and verified that the message actually came from a reliable source, the young woman debated if she should go ahead with it. In the application, it clearly mentioned that the approved pilots couldn’t reject fights except for a few very specific reasons. Not wanting to fight wasn’t a good enough reason and the penalties for not showing up was steep.
Alright! Let’s see what they have planned.
Seeing Puhi very much preoccupied with the info and stat pages on the gambling website, Xiao easily slipped away and headed to the lower level where she did as instructed. Several minutes later, she, in a pilot suit with a non-descriptive mask, was led to her mech.
This cannot possibly be my mech…
Xiao knew she would be lying if she believed otherwise. There was no reason for a new pilot like her to get a capable mech. She would only get trash mechs until she had proven herself. Until then, she would merely be there for the entertainment of the crowd. That and to fill empty slots for the matches to go ahead smoothly.
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What was the name of this mech again….farmer, no….cattle…Cattlemech!
While a cattlemech belonged on farmland, the young woman knew that its appearance would certainly entertain the crowd. Her mech was showing rust all over the armor while it wielded a pitchfork and a shield. Well, a shield would be a generous term for the flat scrap metal in the mech’s right hand. At a glance, she wondered if the pitchfork could even damage other mechs. The whole mech and its equipment screamed worthless when it came to mech fighting competitions.
There’s always a first for everything.
Xiao made her way into the mech and was pleasantly surprised to see how much the interior differed from the exterior. The fighting ring organization hadn’t been cheap when it came to mech cockpit. The one inside the cattlemech was one of the best she had seen, easily rivaling the one in her hornet. As soon as she powered on the mech, she checked the equipment and, with the exception of the pitchfork and ‘shield,’ there was little else. The mech was designed for melee combat with nothing that needed ammo or produced heat. The extra space was instead used to add additional armor onto the mech. Despite fitting the light mech category, her cattlemech had more armor than some of the medium mechs she knew of.
Yes, this is my cattlemech! We're about to create an upset!
Lacking the usual support from Wattan, the young woman had to do her minor adjustments herself. She was thankful for all the practice because, with the simple mech, she completed the adjustment in a few minutes. After that, she was merely waiting for her match which she was told earlier to take place within ten minutes.
“What mech am I facing?” Xiao asked into her headset.
She knew that none of the pilots in the fighting ring were given operators. There was nothing more simple than combat matches where pilots fought one another until one came out victorious. She was expected to be ignored but the other end said ‘ant mech’ before cutting out.
Time to put all that I learned about ant mechs to practice. I just hope the pitchfork isn’t brittle and can be used more than once.
“You can head into the arena now,” said the person on the other side of the headset. “Proceed to your starting location and I’ll let you know when you can start.”
Receiving the green light, Xiao navigated her cattlemech into the arena. The experience felt incredible because this underground fighting ring could hold a hundred thousand people. None of her matches came close to matching the place in size. Even with the sound insulation built into the mech, she could sense the shouts of the crowd who wanted a good match, preferably one that would win them plenty of money. As soon as her mech stood at the starting location, she looked across at the ant mech.
“The match has begun, rookie! Let’s see what you can do!”
After her matches so far with Zavaso, Xiao had forgotten that she was a newcomer in this fighting ring. She was a nobody that no one in their right minds would bet their odds on. In addition, her opponent wouldn’t take her seriously.
Underestimating me will be your last mistake, my opponent.
Unlike her ant and hornet, Xiao didn’t see any point in dodging attacks. Her cattlemech had so much armor that it could easily withstand whatever the ant mech threw at her. Light machine guns and small lasers could only tickle her mech, allowing her to get close. Even machine guns, with triple the damage output, still needed time to wear down the armor. The fearlessness she experienced allowed her to simply focus on her positioning to land a solid hit with the pitchfork. Her first target was the joint between the ant’s right arm and right torso. During her run towards the ant mech, she noticed most of the weapons were concentrated on the right side.
Here goes nothing!
Her strike went exactly where she wanted it to, though it helped that her opponent just stood still like a practice dummy. The pitchfork easily tore through the joint, effectively separating the ant’s arm from its torso. Xiao then had her mech pull back the weapon before thrusting it at the opening created when the ant arm broke off. The attack resulted in some ammo explosions, sending the ant’s right torso flying. Xiao glanced down at her screen real quick.
I still have so much armor? How does any light mech possess the firepower to defeat it?
With her opponent mostly out of commission, Xiao mercifully aimed her pitchfork at one of the knees to take out the leg. As the ant mech fell backwards, Xiao looked up at the crowd as a hushed silence overtook the arena. She could almost hear the internal cries of those who gambled too much on the ant’s victory. Yet, she felt no pity for those people. Now that she had a closer look at the cattlemech, she wondered why it hadn’t found an owner yet. It was built so tanky that no light mech would be its match without the right equipment. She couldn’t help but wonder why no one had claimed the mech.
“Rookie,” said the person on the headset. “What do you think of the cattlemech? Is it impressive in its own right?”
“I believe it will struggle to find a worthy opponent among the light mechs,” said Xiao honestly. “I just don’t know why it hasn’t made a name for itself yet.”
“That’s simple! All pilots that were given a chance before you quitted the fighting ring before they even set foot inside it. You are the first pilot to take it out for actual combat.”