Chapter 9 - Metal Scraps

Kael continued to "play" with his two opponents, the ultrasonic sword vibrating with each clash.

He flung one of the Mechanibbits into the other as it leapt toward him. With a loud crash of metal against metal, the two robotic rabbits collided mid-air before tumbling to the ground.

Mechanical parts scattered across the battlefield as the Mechanibbits struggled to recover.

Unlike before, Kael didn't dash toward them immediately. Instead, he stood calmly, a faint smile playing on his lips as he observed the situation. Despite his experience and precision, the current White Prime couldn't unleash the full potential of the ultrasonic sword. His weakened strength left him unable to slice through their tough, metallic bodies, making a quick victory impossible.

Still, Kael remained composed, watching as the two Mechanibbits rose to their feet once again. Their glowing red eyes locked onto him, and they began to hop forward, menacing and relentless.

Kael's smile didn't waver. He gave the sword a quick flourish, then pressed a button on the hilt. The blade retracted smoothly into the sleek, white handle.

By now, Trey had reached his side, breathless but filled with awe. "Dude, you're incredible. You've been holding your own against two Mechanibbits! But seriously, like I told you, their bodies are way too tough for regular people like us. Let's get out of here while we can."

Trey couldn't help but marvel at Kael's abilities. He couldn't imagine anyone else pulling off such a feat. But his admiration was tempered by the sobering reality of their situation. As the Mechanibbits closed in once more, Trey knew this was a losing battle.

If he wanted to take down even one of these monsters, it would require meticulous planning and most of the gadgets in his backpack. Defeating two at once? Impossible. The only logical move was to retreat.

He wasn't disappointed that Kael hadn't managed to kill them—it was an outcome he fully expected.

"No need," Kael said calmly, his voice steady despite the two Mechanibbits now mere meters away.

"What do you mean, no need?!" Trey shouted, his panic rising as the mechanical rabbits advanced. "Okay, I get it! You're amazing, but you need to understand—we're just regular humans! There's no way we can possibly kill these things—"

His frantic words were cut off by a sudden cacophony of clanking sounds. Trey froze, his eyes snapping toward the source of the noise.

"What…" His voice faltered as another metallic clatter echoed through the air. "H-how… is this even possible?"

The two Mechanibbits, once advancing with lethal intent, had crumbled into heaps of scrap metal. Their glowing red eyes flickered weakly before going dark.

Only now did Trey notice the sheer number of mechanical fragments scattered around them. His mouth hung open as he turned to Kael, who stood beside him with an air of calm detachment.

"You… you killed them?" Trey stammered, his voice a mixture of disbelief and amazement.

"Looks like it," Kael said with a casual shrug, smirking at the younger man. "Wanna know how I did it?"

"Yes, yes!" Trey nodded eagerly, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"It's all about vibration," Kael explained as he walked toward the remains of the two destroyed Mechanibbits. "If you truly understand your weapon, you can overcome any obstacle—even without overwhelming strength."

"That sword vibrates at a high frequency, and yeah, the blade's durable enough… but I still don't get it," Trey replied, trailing after Kael. His awe was replaced by deep thought as he replayed the battle in his mind. "With a rank-two body or higher, you could probably cut them clean in half using that weapon. But clearly, you can't. So how did you manage this?"

Kael knelt beside the pile of metallic scraps and began rummaging through the debris. "Their bodies are tough—way too tough for me to cut through with my current strength, even with a high-frequency blade. But there's another way."

"What way?" Trey asked eagerly.

"Why don't you find out yourself," Kael said, taking two objects from the shattered rabbits. He stood up and handed the white hilt back to Trey. "Here."

Trey stared at the sword for a moment before glancing at Kael. "You… you want me to fight them?"

"You wanted to know the answer, right?" Kael smiled. "It's better if you figure it out on your own. If you want to become a successful Primer, you can't always think of escaping. You need to learn how to face the adversaries in front of you."

"For a second there, you sounded like an experienced Primer," Trey said, glancing at the sword again before shaking his head. "I think I'll pass. I'm not as good as you. I'd just end up as rabbit food."

"Oh? We won't know until you try," Kael smirked, forcing the sword into Trey's hands before picking up a piece of metal and hurling it at a Mechanibbit already advancing toward them. The projectile struck the rabbit, further aggravating it. It let out a horrifying cry of rage.

Kael vanished behind Trey.

"W-wait! Where are you going?!" Trey called out, glancing behind him in a panic.

"Don't worry, I'm not going far. I'll just watch from here," Kael said, raising his hand to reveal the two objects he had taken. He idly played with them, completely unconcerned.

"Why are you doing this?!" Trey shouted, fear welling up as tears began to form in his eyes.

"It's for you to discover how I defeated them," Kael replied with a smirk. Of course, that wasn't the real reason—he just needed Trey to buy him some time.

"There's no way I can do what you did!" Trey protested, his voice shaking as much as his hands. "You're insane! Completely insane!"

"You should be grateful. The great Kael Draven is personally teaching you," Kael said with a sly glance at the monster, now only a meter away from Trey. "Oh, watch out—you don't want to be torn apart by those teeth."

"Sh*t!" Trey cursed as he sensed the danger. Without looking, he leapt to the side just in time, narrowly dodging the Mechanibbit as it lunged at his previous spot, its mouth open wide. "F*ck! What did I do to deserve this?! I was just asking out of curiosity!"

Kael didn't answer, merely watching as Trey struggled against the rabbit. Seeing that the young man wasn't dying anytime soon, he nodded in satisfaction.

He needed Trey to hold the monster's attention because his body was in agony. On the outside, he appeared calm, but his muscles, bones, and internal organs were screaming in pain—especially his hands and feet.

To Kael, defeating the two Mechanibbits had been easy, but his weak body had paid the price. He had absorbed the full force of their attacks repeatedly just to dislodge their mechanical parts during each clash with the high-frequency sword.

Kael had relied primarily on the sword's vibration properties. Knowing his strength wasn't enough to slash through their mechanical bodies, he focused on 'disassembling' them. Every clash sent vibrations rippling through their frames, loosening parts until he slammed them to the ground to finish the job.

It had taken several minutes to bring them down.

Shaking his head, Kael began a breathing technique he'd learned from a former teammate, easing the pain that radiated throughout his body.

He then raised the two objects in front of him, inspecting them as Trey continued to shout and stumble around in the background.

"Help me! Hey!"

"Help! Argh! It hurts!" Trey cried out as the Mechanibbit slammed into him with a headbutt, sending him crashing to the ground.

Kael ignored Trey's words, his attention fixed on the objects. "Growth Orbs…"