Then, just before the strike, a figure appeared in front of them.
The piercing sound of metal clashing reverberated through the air as a female AI suit clad in red and black intercepted the attack.
Her sword deflected the incoming projectile with a burst of energy. Sparks flew, and the metal rod melted on contact, dripping uselessly to the floor.
Tomi's breath caught in his throat, his wide eyes locking onto the armored figure. The voice that followed, calm yet powerful, filled him with both relief and awe.
"Are you okay?" the voice of Arande asked, her stance unwavering as she held her ground against Kingsley's assault.
Tomi blinked in shock, his mind reeling as he watched Arande's AI suit block the attack with such effortless precision.
Meanwhile, Ace blinked in disbelief as Layla appeared in front of him, her AI suit a sleek, black-and-white marvel of elegant precision.
Her sword cut through the incoming projectile with a swift, effortless motion, splitting the long metal rod cleanly in two.
As the halves spun toward her, Layla's other arm extended gracefully, emitting a radiant heat from the back of her hand.
The intense heat warped the sliced metal, curving it away from Ace as it veered past her elbow and embedded itself into the adjacent wall, leaving a smoldering hole in its wake.
Ace's eyes narrowed behind his visor, watching in surprise as Layla handled the situation with flawless efficiency.
The way she moved—the controlled power in each motion—was a stark reminder of how much she had grown while he had been bedridden, sidelined for nearly a week.
"You two need to get along, you know," Layla's voice came through the comms, calm yet tinged with a quiet exhaustion.
Ace clenched his fists.
"Like I need your damn advice," he snapped, rising unsteadily to his feet, frustration boiling beneath the surface.
He could feel the fatigue in his muscles, his body still recovering from the relentless battle, but the sight of Layla's effortless skill only stoked the fire in his chest.
Layla glanced at him briefly, the amusement barely visible behind her visor.
"Then we're going to be here longer than necessary," she replied coolly, her tone laced with a hint of warning.
Without another word, she surged forward, her form blurring as she dashed toward Kingsley in the center of the arena, her sword raised and ready.
Ace watched, biting back his pride as she closed in on their shared enemy. She was right—if they didn't work together, this fight could drag on, and Kingsley was getting stronger with every moment.
Then Ace glared at Tomi, the tension between them thick in the air as they faced each other.
Both were on their feet, bloodied but standing strong, their silent rivalry nearly as intense as the battle surrounding them.
"Alright, fine. I'll work with you this time," Ace muttered through the comms, his tone begrudging. "But let's be clear, you three are not my ideal team."
Tomi's eyes narrowed, cold and sharp. "Well, that makes two of us," he shot back, his disdain palpable as he locked eyes with Ace.
Ace gritted his teeth, unwilling to back down. "Let's go," he barked, summoning Lake back to his side with a quick mental command.
Without waiting for a response, he dashed forward, his sword raised, his focus laser-sharp. In the distance, Kingsley was caught in a flurry of fast-paced sword strikes from both Layla and Arande.
Their relentless attacks seemed to be driving him back, sparks flying from the clashing steel.
Behind him, Tomi rolled his eyes, frustration evident as he watched Ace rush ahead.
"Don't order me around. We're both fifteen, in case you forgot," he muttered under his breath, annoyed by Ace's domineering attitude.
Reluctantly, Tomi called forth Liyah, the AI entity he despised using, a reminder of what Eclipse had done to him.
Her presence always felt like a shadow he couldn't shake, but he needed her now.
"Activate vision enhancement," Tomi commanded silently.
His scarlet pupils began to shift, glowing orange as the dark iris turned a deep, ominous red.
The world around him sharpened, every detail crystal clear in his augmented vision.
"Activating, master," Liyah's voice echoed in his mind, a sly smile curling into her words.
"Finally letting me out, huh?" she teased, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Tomi clenched his fists. "Shut it," he thought back bitterly, determined to ignore her usual taunts. He had no time for distractions, especially not from her.
With a burst of speed, he charged toward the battlefield where Ace, Layla, and Arande were pushing Kingsley to his limits.
As the enhanced vision kicked in, Tomi could see every movement in precise detail—the subtle shifts in Kingsley's stance, the slight tremor in his armor as he strained to defend against the two-pronged assault.
Tomi's eyes widened as he saw Arande hurtling toward him, kicked by Kingsley with blinding speed.
Her black-and-red suit armor gleamed as she struggled to regain control mid-air, but it was clear she wouldn't land on her feet. Without hesitating, Tomi lunged forward, grabbing her armored arm with a firm grip, his muscles straining as he steadied her before she could crash into the ground.
He pulled her upright effortlessly, his face expressionless.
"That's my repayment," he muttered, his tone cold and indifferent.
It was his way of acknowledging the fact that she had saved him earlier from Kingsley's devastating attack, but there was no warmth in his voice.
Arande glanced at him, surprised but grateful. She smiled softly, watching as Tomi released her, and immediately turned to rejoin Ace and Layla in the fierce battle against Kingsley.
Her heart skipped a beat as she watched him move, precise and determined. He's improved, she thought, admiration flickering in her chest as she readied herself to land another strike on Kingsley.
And now he's repaying me? she mused with a quiet grin, her fingers lightly brushing the spot on her suit where Tomi had grabbed her, his touch lingering in her mind.
"If that's how it's going to be…" Arande whispered to herself, eyes gleaming with newfound determination, "I'll keep saving him. Let's see how many times he can pay me back."
Her plan began to form in the back of her mind as she dashed forward again, her sword at the ready. "Maybe I'll be the one to crack that cold exterior."
Meanwhile, Tomi locked his gaze on Kingsley's core, charging alongside Ace and Layla. His mind was sharp and determined.
"Activate Wind Flare," he commanded.
Liyah's voice echoed in his head as the response was instantaneous. Tomi's sword ignited with a violent vortex of wind swirling around the gleaming silver blade, the force of it howling through the air.
"Layla, flank!" Ace ordered, barely managing to stand as blood trickled from his eyes, a result of overextending Lake's power.
Layla darted behind Kingsley, her armor gleaming as she prepared to strike. Her eyes narrowed, focused on Kingsley's movements.
But before she could attack, Kingsley turned sharply, glaring at her with a menacing intensity. Layla froze, shocked by how fast it had read her intentions.
"That's all I need!" she smirked, knowing she'd served as the perfect decoy. Her job wasn't to land the hit but to bait Kingsley.
Just as she felt its sword-swinging toward her helmet, Ace yanked her backward, pulling her into him and narrowly saving her from the fatal blow.
The two locked eyes briefly, a silent acknowledgment of how close the call had been.
As Layla was pulled to safety, her gaze shifted to Tomi. With fierce precision, he drove his wind-imbued blade into Kingsley's back.
The force of the slicing wind was immense, the blade cutting through Kingsley's armor like it was paper, drilling straight through the core. The wind roared, sending shockwaves across the arena.
Kingsley's body began to shudder violently, the armor cracking and splintering apart as the core shattered into fragments. The wind gusted outward from the break, swirling debris as Kingsley's massive form crumbled.
Layla smiled, opening her suit armor helmet, her eyes glistening with satisfaction. Tomi stood tall, catching his breath as the remnants of Kingsley dispersed into the air.
Ace, still gripping Layla's waist, released her, feeling an odd sense of distance wash over him. He wasn't the one who delivered the final blow—and that stung.
"Good job, F2," the simulator's system voice echoed through the arena.
"Level four cleared," it continued, as the simulation deactivated, leaving them in the dim glow of the virtual training room.