[E Rank combat room]
While Alice was in the locker room, Lia with the tablet—activating one of the TB-1 on the screen of the tablet. 'And done!'
'I wonder how Alice doing?'
As it turning on—footstep was heard behind her. As she looked at her back, she saw Alice—coming back for the locker room with her dress, used by Alice.
'Speak of the devil, she's here but mad?'
Even though she was smiling on the outside, Lia could see the inside. The mana around Alice was red in which represent anger. However, the thought of the reason of her to be mad is a bit difficult until she realised something.
'Oh, I get it! She survives the test!'
Indeed, Lia has cast a spell inside the locker room as a test. However, the spell she used was deadly for someone new. Alice with the lack of experience and skill luckily has the IQ to escape the madness she has made.
And so, Alice ran toward Lia before punching her several time. Nonetheless, Lia was unfazed and has expected it — and sigh before dodging the punch, a slow punch.
"Why! Did! You! Cast! The spell!!" Alice shout at her. However, she was curious of Alice knowing the fact that she was the one that cast the spell inside the locker room. 'How did she manage to find out?' As she dodges several punches.
'Hm... Usually, a D rank hero could sense the spell. However, she's lacking many mandatories. Since her punch is slow, terribly slow for an E rank...'
And so, she dodges one last punch before using her right arm to punch her stomach.
'Perhaps her mana was the reason for her to sense it!'
However, as she looked down. She saw Alice with her arm on the stomach growling in pain. 'She's... in pain? Did the light punch really did hit her hard?' As she looked at her hand.
Even so, she shrugs it off and tell Alice that is slowly standing straight forward. "Alice, can you get two spears from the weapon room?"
"Ugh... alright. But can you just tell me why you cast a spell inside the locker room?"
"It's just some test. You don't need to worry about it!" As she put a thumb up.
Alice was silent a bit before muttered to herself. 'A test!? I almost died for the test you've made!!'
But before she could go ahead, she stood there as she gaze at Lia. Both stare at each other before Lia said to her. "Don't worry I didn't cast any spell this time!"
'That spell cost me a lot of mana...'
"Okay..."
As she walked away, Lia muttered to herself. 'She probably didn't trust me.'
***
"Are you sure this bot won't kill me?" Considering that the bot could somehow producing a menacing aura.
"Don't worry~ Besides, we're E rank. The bot only does a light attack. Even if it did a heavy attack, you won't be heavily harm by the attack".
'Unless it malfunctions, then it would a problem.'
With both the bot and Alice is in the pitch. Lia said the rule.
"Alright than, before we start the training. I will tell you the rule".
First: You can't leave the pitch, If the person or the bot left the pitch, then the will automatically failed.
Second: surrender if must. Do not fight if you are heavily harm. 'Which is rare'.
And lastly, third rule: If you saw the bot malfunction, always shout. So, I can easily turn it off.
"That will be the rule!" As she smiles happily.
'What do you mean by malfunction!?'
***
And so, the match started. Alice, lacking the experience and skill looked at the bot that Lia has said before. "Very skill"
The bot starts to rotate the spear — likely to flex it skill on her. 'Is it, flexing?'
With the lack of skill, I stood there clenching my weapon — anxious to move since TB-1 can predict every move. However, my own mind keeps telling me this. Your life is just worthless... Do you think you can hide forever? Aren't you ashamed of yourself?
Indeed, it was something to be ashamed of. Even if it meant to survive...
Then I would gladly try my best until one day, I won't have to tell a lied or worse becoming a puppet.
And so, the thought of it slowly disappears. However, no one has moved an inch. Although, as I looked at TB-1 standing there — could be predicting and searching. It began to walk slowly...
As it slowly walks, it slowly turns to running. It grabs his weapon before slashing it at me. My reaction was terribly slow — as the time slow down, my reaction began to realise, the slash was close to my neck.
My face slowly turns to shock with the slash closing bit by bit to my neck. 'Am I going to die!?' Knowing this, the sense adrenaline and instinct in my body desperately move the body.
As the body move by itself to the ground to dodge the slash. Alice though to herself that she would lose and died, since she didn't have the reaction to fully known the reason of how her body just moved by itself.
As the slash miss and only hit some hair, her body ran behind TB-1 and move her hand as fast as it could to slash horizontally. However, TB-1 manage to block her attack and push her back to the middle of the pitch. As she pants, she wonders. How did I manage to survive? How can my body move by itself?
The thought of it was full of curiosity, indeed it felt as if a plot was given to her. No matter how she thought of it, that slash is deadly for new hero like her to block and dodge and survive.
As it turns around, Alice tried her best to find it weakness even though it would be useless. 'Come on! It must have a weakness!'
TB-1 slowly turn around before making another move. With it closed to me, TB-1 start to attack me with several stab. Thankfully enough, I've somehow managed to dodge the several stab.
However, the line of the pitch is getting closer. Even if my body manage to turn around — It will be impossible to attack it if there weren't any weakness found.
And so, I block every stab for TB-1. 'Urgh! Shouldn't E rank training be easy!? Why is the bot this fast!?'
However, as I closed my eyes — it stops attacking. I looked at it and saw the opportunity since the smoke came out through it shoulder and stomach. 'This is the change!'
And so, with the strength I have. I stab it will all the strength on the stomach. Somehow, and miraculously. I've made a small impact and destroyed it armour, to show the inside as it pushes back.
With the bot standing, as it clenches it spear for stability. It looked at it stomach buzzing with wired and rusted gear. It clenches his hand with smoked coming through his head.
With the time I have, I rest as I pant a bit for the exhaustion. 'What... just happen...?' As I looked TB-1 with surprised.
Nevertheless, as it slowly walked. Lia, sense something bad about to Happen. Something that always cause the accident...
'No... not now!' She quickly took out the tablet before forcefully turning it off.
'Come on! Turn off!' As she keeps tapping the screen of the tablet only for it to turn off.
'No... not again...' she gazes at Alice before shouting.
"Alice!"
"Ye-yeah?"
"The bot is malfunction! You may need to survive a little bit longer as I cast a spell!"
"Malfunction!? How am I going to survive for this bloodthirsty bot!?"
"J- Just survive! I surely have hope that you will eventually survive!"
Alice sigh before muttered in a deep voice. "Ah fuck..."
Since they are no other choice, she said her companion's name.
"Ava!"
[I am here! What kind of danger did you've been into this time? :D]
Alice points her finger on her back.
[? (:D]
[...oh, this just outrages! >:#]
[We just survive the spell! How did you get into this situation in a single day!?]
'How should I know!? The bot is an outdated! She didn't even tell me it could malfunction until she said the rule!'
[Well, I suppose you've learnt something while where inside her spell!]
Eventually, the time to rest has ran out. TB-1 has now broken the spear. With it, it clenches the spear like a dagger.
'Great, Ava helps me find a way to survive!'
[Survive!? There is no survive! This just pray and hope you will survive!]
'Just use any spell or something you have dammit!'
Nonetheless, she sighs as she tried to act brave again before defending her life for this madness of a machine.
And so, the bot ran. Alice too does the same. Both weapon clash with each other, Alice even though weak tried her best to push TB-1 back. However, TB-1 move his other hand before punching Alice at her face.
Alice looks at her demise and the muttered to herself. 'Ava!'
Thankfully, Ava shields her for it punch in the right timing. [Thank goodness I came in the right timing!]
'Thanks!'
However, it isn't the time for to joy...
she remembers they was another weakness which is the shoulder. And so, she wonders. How can I cut through his shoulder? Will it work? And how long do I have to wait!?
And so, she asks Ava to paralyze TB-1 for a minute before asking Lia. 'Ava, do you have any ability or skill that could paralyze it?'
[Yes, but I need permission for the reader!]
'Do you even need a permission for the reader in situation like this!?'
[I- you know what. I've made up my mind!]
[Mana overload has been activated]
And so, before it could made another attack. Mana inside TB-1 has been overload that combust within the inside while successfully paralyze it for 5 minutes.
Seen as TB-1 has been deactivated for a moment Lia with her spell hasn't yet ready said to her.
"Nice job! But be aware TB-1 will eventually activate itself again".
'No shit sherlock!'
"How long will the spell be ready?"
"Like. 5 more minute"
Where both stand there quiet as I and Ava looked at Lia with the disappointed looked. We stood there with the exact same sentences.
'You got to be kidding me…'
[Are you kidding me!?]
However, 5 minutes has past — TB-1 has awoken. But with the Mana core been overload, TB-1 has become more dangerous, faster, and unstable. Seen as TB-1 is getting for round 2, Ava looked at me as she said.
[We should attack it left arm]
'Right!'
And so, begin round 2.
Both ran and as each other weapon with each other. However, this time TB-1 has the advantages. As Alice was pushing back, TB-1 grab her weapon and throw her to the left side of the pitch. Thankfully, Ava was there to save her as she put her back to the ground.
"2 more minutes left!"
[Right!]
And so, they both ran once more, but this time TB-1 start to slash her with the dagger only for her to dodge it before cutting his arm off with the help of Ava.
'1 more minute!'
Since his arm were off, TB-1 clench his dagger and quickly stab her head. However, Alice reaction was fast enough to block his weapon.
Although, she did block it with her weapon. But her arm... 'Urgh! Fuck, it hurt!'
The dagger has stab and cuts through her forearm. But with the help of Ava, she used her skill to relieve the pain.
[Painkiller has been activated]
[Don't worry about the pain! We still have 1 minute left to go!]
And so, Alice shouts her name.
"Lia!!"
"Done! [Machine disable]!"
At last, TB-1 was hit by the spell and finally deactivate itself. Alice looked at TB-1 with shocked in her eyes could finally lay down a bit and rest.
Finally, the match has ended...
As she pants, she looked at the dagger on her forearm. Blood, spilling for her forearm as she said. 'I... survive...'
As her view becoming blurry by the blood lost, Lia came to her before helping her using her spell. "Don't worry! I have the spell. But you may need to hold the pain."
And so, she grabs my arm before pulling the broker spear that been used as a dagger for my forearm. However, ... I didn't feel the pain.
'Ava...?'
[Don't worry... I am still using it. No matter how long I must use it, I must aid my companion. (:D]
'This going to be a long reasoning... O.O'
Subsequently, Lia has used her spell. As the spell glow around the forearm, it began slowly regenerate. Moreover, as it regenerates. A small green particle flew on the air while regenerating.
After a while, her forearm has finally recovered fully. "Try move your arm" she said.
And so, I try move it. It worked nicely... but it doesn't feel right?
"Thanks, but why does my arm felt as if it been stretch?"
"Oh, I use the [Micro Stretch Regeneration]"
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Long story short, it just stretches your original micro muscle while removing the dead one with the new one."
"Okay...?"
'I have no idea what's that supposed to mean...'
"But don't worry about it, you'll just need to wait until tomorrow and it will feel the same as the original."
As she stood, she gave a helping hand as she said. "We should head back to the locker room. I'll tell the agent to make your training suit. And get some sleep tonight".
As they walked to the locker room, Lia looked back. As she looked at the deactivated TB-1 she muttered to herself.
'Perhaps she was a D rank...'
***
"At last! A warm, comfy bed!" Said Alice rolling around the comfy bed.
While resting, she stares the ceiling as she thought to herself. 'I sure hope nothing goes wrong tomorrow...'
Slowly and surely, she closed as she falls asleep with a good dream. However, will it be a good dream?
She opens her eyes to see herself standing in some unknown place. She stares through the white void of emptiness before slowly and quietly though to herself. 'Are, you, kidding, me!?'