"Sometimes, you can lose because of a misinterpretation. Other occasions, it can be the unfortunate difference in skill to your enemy..."
Nova remained sat on top of Akira, clearly pissed.
"...But to be distracted by the smell of donuts and trip over your shoelace is just ridiculous!"
"Boss...You're squeezing the air out my lungs..."
"You've got to learn how to resist, it's your biggest weakness." He lifted the boy up, and looked at him while he dusted himself off.
"I've got a bigger flaw that you could never think of..." Akira grumbled, clearly not taking his discipline well.
"Despite that...you have made progress. From being able to fight for your life, to being able to defend yourself decently in a week or so...You've got guts, Akira." Not just Akira though, but Nova himself had definitely grown a lot too. With the help of the system, after all.
Nova handed the bottle to Akira, then he was shot with a question.
"Hey, Boss...Do you think that Two will be alright? I can't stop worrying." It posed Nova to ponder. After having agreed to train Akira, the pair of them agreed to take down Ruthless and save One. Upon that note, Two decided to return to Ruthless and provide her with false information, that way there would be no suspicions on Two being a traitor. However, Akira was completely against this idea; he knew what Ruthless was capable of doing.
"Relax, she'll be fine. She's a strong girl, you know?"
"She's not stronger than Ruthless." He let out a long, hard sigh. Anything that could happen to her, he'd take full blame.
[ Status Window
Name: Akira Emrys
Status: Hungry ]
"You hungry? I think a burger or two'll cheer you up. Might get all of this off your mind."
"Thanks, where to?"
***
"Why am I here...?" A certain grumpy, masked individual
"It's Shawn, right? Shawn Rushton, the guy who-"
"Nova, I thought we made a deal! You've already gone and told someone of my existence!"
"Calm down, Akira won't say a word, ain't that right?"
Akira held out his arm, before slowly taking it back as he realised Shawn wasn't going to shake it. "I don't think we properly met. Well, yeah, I'm Akira."
"Nova, that's your last chance."
"Yeah, I got it."
"So what are we going to ea-"
*/beep-beep/*
Nova and Shawn both received a notice from their phones simultaneously.
Nova raised an eyebrow. "You're a Raider too?"
"You're surprised?"
Whilst making a U-turn, he set the destination for the Glitch that spawned nearby.
"Wait, what do I do? I'm not licenced..." Akira mentioned, not only hungry now, but also intrigued and excited. Maybe he'd be able to slip his way into the Raid.
Shawn was set on leaving him here, but Nova had other plans. "No matter. You will stay here."
"What, no, are you kidding? This is a perfect time to test out how much Akira has grown."
"Under 18s are not permitted to become a Raider."
"Who cares? Not like you abide by rules anyways."
"He's just going to be a nuisance."
"Trust me, in any case, we'll both be there?"
Shawn paused. Was he really going to allow this chaotic duo to annoy him further?
***
"I'm lowkey really kinda hyped up!"
He was.
Nova, refreshed and ready to fight, roughened his apprentice's burgundy hair.
"Don't forget what the real purpose is here."
With a nod of understanding, Akira followed his boss, his heart racing with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. He had trained for this moment, but nothing could prepare him for the reality of facing down machines designed for destruction.
As they approached their destination, the air grew heavy with tension. They were last to arrive, and it seemed like everyone was prepared. Just from a look without EoJ, Nova could tell they were quite strong, presence alone.
As soon as they entered the area, the transparent dome enclosed around them, and the Glitch began to vibrate, relaying a deep hum throughout the arena.
Akira could sense the presence of the robots before he saw them emerging from the Glitch. His palms grew slick with sweat, but he tightened his grip on his
Shawn signalled to listen, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. "Listen carefully," he said in a low voice. "These machines may look formidable, but they have a weakness. Their central processors are vulnerable to a precise strike. We need to disable them before they cause any more damage."
Nova scoffed. "Processors snd whatnot...Just call them cores."
Akira nodded, his throat dry as he readied himself for the coming battle. With a silent nod from his boss, they sprang into action, darting from cover to cover as they closed in on their mechanical adversaries. The first robot lunged forward with surprising speed, its metal fists swinging with deadly precision. Akira ducked and weaved, narrowly avoiding the crushing blows as he searched for an opening. With a quick flick of his wrist, he launched his wrench at the robot's exposed joint, a satisfying clang echoing through the air as it struck true. But their victory was short-lived as more robots descended upon them, their numbers overwhelming. Akira fought with everything he had, his movements fuelled by a primal instinct to survive. Beside him, both Nova and Shane moved with the grace of a seasoned warrior, their blows calculated and precise.
As the battle raged on, Akira felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins. With each strike, more Mechs appeared, his fear fading into hunger.
"I'm...Kahahaha--!!! I'm loving this!!!"
But just as victory seemed within reach, disaster struck. A stray blow sent Akira sprawling to the ground, his weapon clattering from his grasp. Nova's heart pounded in his chest as he watched his apprentice struggle to his feet, his movements slow and unsteady.
With a roar of defiance and a crazy look in his eyes, Akira charged forward, his senses ablaze with fury. He would not let his boss be worried about him, not when they were so close to victory. With a series of well-placed strikes, he felled his opposing robot, it's metal forms collapsing in a heap at his feet.
Akira's orange iris' glowed with thrill, and his pupils fluctuated, jumped, danced; it was as a jolt of electricity had passed through them.
"C'mon is that all you Mechs can do?"
His mind was going through changes.