Imon Ingvar and Casella Ingvar had grown apart from each other ever since they took on different roles in the clan.
While they both had sothing in common by becoming expert candidates at the sa ti, they rarely trained together.
Imon was just an honored mber of the Avatars of Myth while Casella Ingvar had beco the leader of the Living Sentinels.
He was happy for her sister’s opportunity. Ever since the new Sentinel Commander took office, he mostly heard good stories about her. Despite her greater strength, she showed considerably more care and attention for her subordinates. That was sothing that the Sentinels rarely experienced from Commander Magdalena back when she was in charge.
That was the extent of his interest in her sister’s new job. He was not cut out to be a leader. He got way too excited in battle to spare any attention on commanding his troops or keeping an eye on the bigger picture.
He much preferred to let others do the thinking! Imon rely wanted to be pointed in the right direction so he could do what he did best, which was thrashing other ch pilots!
Unfortunately, he was having a hard ti doing that at the mont during a simulation battle!
A powerful spear clanged against the c.h.e.s.t armor of a Bright Warrior IB! Imon grimaced as his virtual ch bore another ugly mark.
The two chs were separated by a short distance in the air. The powerful flight systems of the two identical chs flared brightly as they kept the simulated machines stable and aloft.
"I’m not a punching bag!" He utter in frustration.
However, his current opponent anticipated his actions. The spear cleverly jerked out of the way as the opposing Bright Warrior activated all of its boosters, causing the ch and its weapon to throw off Imon’s rhythm and calculations.
Clang!
A few more exchange of blows occurred. After Imon found out that it was impossible for him to break the guard of his opponent, he tried to break past it and get close enough for the spear to lose much of its threat.
Yet no matter from which angle he approached, the spear tip was always in the way of his ch. His Bright Warrior incurred more and more holes as he failed to enter a range where his sword could do its work.
Several minutes went by as Imon was being put on the defensive. He had to put all of his concentration on trying to block and parry the relentless spear thrusts.
As several systems of his ch began to falter due to incurring more and more internal damage, his enemy suddenly perford an inexplicable action.
The opposing ch threw away its spear!
Though Imon was befuddled, he knew better than to freeze up in battle. He listened to his instincts and imdiately went on the offensive!
"Even if you have another weapon, I won’t let you draw it out!"
The weaponless Bright Warrior tilted its fra so that its back started pointing towards the ground.
Just as Imon’s ch chopped down its sword, the opposing machine kicked out its legs and slamd the weapon aside!
"Damn!"
Imon imdiately commanded his ch to let go of its sword. He made the right choice as the opposing ch was already closing in after performing a kick.
His opponent’s ch attempted to grapple his machine with its leg, but Imon’s quick thinking allowed him to kick back the lengthy limbs, causing them to go off course.
An aerial wrestling match ensued. The opposing ch no longer fought with just its legs but instead righted itself in order to utilize all four limbs!
The differences between the two sides lessened now that they had lost their weapons. Yet even so, Imon’s ch fell into a disadvantage due to the damage it had already occurred and its ch pilot’s inability to read all of his opponent’s movents!
The latter’s faster responses and more skillful movents caused Imon a lot of grief. His ch attempted to punch, grab, kick and perform many other attacks, yet the opposing Bright Warrior seed to do a much better job at showcasing the strengths of the model by pushing its capabilities a lot closer to its physical limits!
In the end, the enemy ch attempted to maneuver behind’s Imon’s machine. There, the enemy wrecked the vulnerable flight system so that the forr sword-wielding Bright Warrior no longer possessed enough power to maintain its altitude.
Secondary boosters and antigrav modules desperately tried to arrest the Bright Warrior’s fall, but they were only strong enough to make the crash landing softer and more survivable.
It didn’t co to that. As Imon was busy trying to make sure his ch survived the impending collision, the enemy ch dove down until its legs impacted the section where one of the crucial antigrav modules tried to make the falling ch lighter.
The impact knocked it out, causing Imon’s ch to fall considerably faster than before! The hefty kick had also imparted significant force to the machine, causing it to be pushed faster towards the ground!
THUD!
The Bright Warrior Mark I Version B was a tough ch, but when many tons worth of tal and machine collided against the ground, it was impossible for it to survive!
Imon Ingvar lost.
"Again! I haven’t done my best!"
Unfortunately, his opponent declined to go another round. Imon frustratingly disengaged the simulation and pulled his suited body out of the pod.
A short distance away, another pod slid open its front cover. A woman bearing a substantially thicker and more decorated piloting suit erged out of it. She noticed Imon’s smile and responded with a smug grin.
"You can forget about laying a hand on my ch. You’re way too far behind to catch up to my level."
Imon looked crushed. This was an absurd response because the skill levels between the two ch pilots were far apart.
While he was stronger than almost every ch pilot in the Larkinson Clan, his last opponent was one of the few who was undeniably superior to him in everything that was related to piloting chs!
"Tell the truth, Venerable Orfan. How big is the gap between us?" He softly asked.
The female expert pilot sauntered over and patted Imon’s smaller and more slender shoulder. "Don’t sweat it, kid. You’re much younger than and you went through much less crap than , so it’s not strange for you to take your ti. I spent years grinding as an expert candidate before I got where I am today. In fact, with all of the crazy inventions that Ves keeps putting out, your chance might co sooner than you think."
"The patriarch doesn’t pay any attention to expert pilots like ." Imon muttered. "I hear that he and his fellow ch designers are almost ready to dedicate all of their efforts to design expert chs. It must feel nice to be at the center of attention."
The forr Vandal Commander snorted. "Being a demigod isn’t all that sunshine and roses. There’s sothing called responsibility that other people expect you to carry. You should ask your sister."
"I already did. I don’t want to follow her footsteps. I want to find my own way."
"Good for you."
"I need your help, though."
"Oh?" Rosa raised a curious eyebrow. "What’s up, kid?"
"I... heard stories. About you, and Jannzi, and Dise. Is it true that.. you’re connected to so kind of giant lizard?"
The expert pilot turned serious. "I don’t know where you heard that, but that ’giant lizard’ you are talking about deserves to be addressed with respect. She’s called Qilanxo. She’s the source behind the glow of the Shield of Samar and the Aurora Titan design. She also has sothing to do with the Ferocious Piranha, though I’m no expert on the matter."
Imon listened with rapt attention. He couldn’t believe Venerable Rosa Orfan was willing to divulge so much in a casual conversation!
"Who is Qilanxo, exactly? Is she truly a god like so of the Vandals and Swordmaidens claim?"
Venerable Orfan snorted again. "She’s not really a god, though she cos close I guess. It’s just a label. So idiots on the planet she ca from thought she was a literal god, but that is only because the dimwitted natives didn’t know anything better. Just think of her as a very powerful friend and helper. She assisted us in battle several tis, though I doubt any of you have noticed."
"That’s fascinating. So is it true that you and so of the other expert pilots possess a special bond?"
"Yeah. It’s not as mystical as you think. If Qilanxo likes you, then you can get close to her. It’s as simple as that."
"Could you.. could you introduce to her?" Imon cautiously asked. "I’d like to see if I can gain her help as well."
The expert pilot pressed her lips together as she stared straight into Imon’s eyes. Her expressive will retracted a bit as she fell into thought.
"No."
"No?"
"No." She repeated. "Qilanxo is a big girl. If she likes you, she would have reached out to you sohow. The fact that she didn’t ans that you’ll only return with nothing if you approach her. Tell . Do you have a protective mindset like Jannzi?"
"Uhm, I guess not. I like to go on the attack."
"Do you like piloting space knights like the Aurora Titan?"
"To be honest, no. They’re too slow and sluggish for my liking. I don’t like to sit back and absorb attacks passively either."
"Then what makes you think you are worthy to attract Qilanxo’s notice?"
"Didn’t you and Venerable Dise succeed despite your inclinations?"
"You can’t draw any conclusions from our experiences. We went through so very weird stuff in the past. We also fight in a way that Qilanxo approves. Do you rember how I talked about responsibility earlier? That’s what keeps in tune with the big girl."
After Venerable Orfan made it clear that Imon had no chance to earn Qilanxo’s favor, he beca downcast.
Rosa took pity on him and patted him on the shoulder yet again. "Hey, a strong ch pilot doesn’t need anyone’s help to get ahead. Other expert pilots like Venerable Brutus over at the Glory Seekers are doing well enough on their own. Besides, there are more ’powerful helpers’ like Qilanxo hovering around. Just take a close look at the different LMC chs and try and see what fits you best based on how comfortable you feel around their glows."
Imon thought about the chs he ca in touch with. Sadly, none of them appealed to him in a strong way. Not even the new Bright Warrior made him feel very special.
"I guess I’ll keep looking."
Venerable Orfan was about to turn away, but she stopped when a thought entered her mind.
"Hey, if you really want to find a good helper, I have a tip for you. Go seek out the wreck of the Adonis Colossus. I think the remains are being stored sowhere within the cargo holds of the Spirit of Bentheim."
"Why would I do that?" Imon asked with a confused expression.
"I have a feeling that you might just get along with the helper that made it special. If it could turn a useless bastard like Vincent into a hero, then it might be able to give you a hand as well!"
Though Imon looked skeptical, he might as well give it a try.
He needed this. He needed a way to keep up with Casella. Even though his sister was spending much of her ti on managing the Sentinels as opposed to polishing her own piloting skill, she was still growing stronger sohow!
While he was happy to see her having the ti of her life, he did not wish to be left behind! Wouldn’t he be the inferior sibling of the two if he remained stuck as an expert candidate while his sister was flying high?
"I’m a man, damnit! I can’t let my sis get ahead of , especially when I’m putting so much effort in my training!"
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