The testing session had to be aborted before they had a chance to try out the fun stuff.
It couldn't be helped. The First Sword Mark III's activation of the Decapitation Mode resonating ability proved too much for the observers.
How could Ves know that enhancing the sharpness of the Decapitator to a height never seen before could actually cut people just by looking at the unnaturally sharpened blade?
Ves did not hesitate to pull the plug. From the mont the new ace swordsman ch posed a threat to Larkinsons and other friendlies, it beca irresponsible to continue with the testing session.
An hour had passed since then. Everyone who beca adversely affected by the unexpected attack had all undergone dical examinations. The First Sword Mark III had also returned to the Tarrasque. The Larkinsons subjected the machine to a thorough examination in order to make sure that she had not beco tainted by foreign influences.
Ves proceeded to call a eting in order to discuss the findings that people had gathered from the earlier phenona.
"Alright." He said. "We need information. We are dealing with a ch that is made out of materials that we have never used before. Their qualities are exceptional, but we don't know much about what superdinsional matter can actually do. It is therefore vital that we pull back the curtain and figure it out as best as possible. Gloriana, you first."
The woman looked serious as she presented her own findings.
"The clansn that have beco adversely affected by the First Sword Mark III have not sustained severe injuries. At most, their eyes received different levels of strain. Their psychological tornt is greater than their physical tornt. Most of them will recover after a good night's sleep. Curiously enough, the people who have received the greatest amount of hurt and distress appear to be those whose attainnts in systematic cultivation are weaker relative to others. Those with stronger minds and spirits have been able to withstand the sight much better."
That caused the small gathering to look relieved.
"That is good to hear." Ves smiled. "Could the damage have been greater to those who are vulnerable to the sight of the Decapitator's unnatural sharpness?"
"Perhaps." His wife shrugged. "I cannot say. I imagine that the pain inflicted from staring too closely at the Decapitator under those circumstances would have deterred most people from continuing to stare."
The situation was not as bad as people feared.
"Have you thought of any counterasures to prevent this remote blinding effect from occurring in the future?"
His wife nodded. "We have already conducted a few quick trials with the First Sword Mark III in private. Direct observation with one's own eyeballs remains dangerous, but observation through optical sensors can easily be proofed against this blinding effect by implenting a purpose-built filter that deliberately lowers the resolution of the Decapitator when it is highly concentrated with true resonance."
The simplistic solution prompted Ves to raise his eyebrow.
"That's it? Just making the sword look blurry on the projected footage is enough to make it safe to watch?"
"Yes. Do not ask why this is so. I cannot give you an explanation that fits within our existing theoretical fraworks. I can only tell you that the filter works for those who are weakest in mind and spirit."
The Larkinsons would just have to settle for this solution, then. It would certainly be a nasty surprise against enemies who were unprepared to encounter this kind of issue, but the problem was that it would also affect friendly human forces that had not been warned about it in advance.
Oh well.
The best the Larkinsons could do was to transmit warnings to other groups of humans as early as possible. If they kept watching the First Sword Mark III without activating any filters, then that was their fault. The clan had already done its due diligence by that ti.
"Dise." Ves turned towards the ace pilot who remained quiet and contemplative since the start of the eting. "Was this the first ti you activated this Decapitation Mode?"
The ace pilot whose Saint Kingdom still made them feel as if they were swimming in a pool filled with razors shook her head.
"No. I activated it before, but only in front of Ketis and the Master ch Designers she collaborated with. It was a private showing that did not include anyone weak. My mastery and familiarity with my upgraded ch and sword was also not as great as now. I am able to resonate much better with SuperSunder tal than before."
That tentatively proved that the cause of the blinding effect was activating the Decapitation Mode resonating ability at a high enough intensity.
She had essentially made her superdinsional weapon so sharp that it broke a physical boundary and started to cut at people through a taphysical channel.
Ves could only scratch his head if he wanted to explain how resonating with a superdinsional sword generated such an exaggerated response.
He decided to set this little mystery aside. It was not necessary for the Larkinsons to get to the bottom of this. Implenting the filter should be enough. Almost no one observed space battles with their naked eyes. They would hardly be able to see anything if they tried to spectate a battle taking place across hundreds or thousands of kiloters in the observatory chamber of a starship.
The solution devised by Gloriana should be safe enough. Perhaps the only instance where people truly needed to take special precautions was if the First Sword Mark III ended up in a dueling arena in front of live spectators.
It was impossible for such a scenario to take place. Ace chs were far too destructive. No ch arena could contain their destructive might. Their Saint Kingdoms alone could already penetrate most barriers.
The eting resud.
Now that they addressed the most acute issue, they spoke about other matters.
"I don't see any further point in testing the First Sword Mark III's performance against energy shields or physical obstacles. Her swords will just cut through them no matter what. The only difference is how much force the ch has to exert to push the superdinsional blade through." Ves stated.
Everyone else nodded. The earlier tests had provided more than conclusive results. The First Sword Mark III completely broke the boundaries of what people thought was possible for a junior ace ch.
"Superdinsional tech breaks the balance." Gloriana couldn't help but remark. "As long as there is enough mid to high-grade superdinsional matter, applying it to a ch on a large scale artificially raises its performance at least an entire level as far as I am concerned. A superdinsional standard ch can rival an expert ch in offensive and defensive performance. A superdinsional expert ch can threaten a junior ace ch. A superdinsional junior ace ch already possesses comparable lethality to a senior ace ch. As for a superdinsional senior ace ch…"
Her voice faltered at that point.
Everyone knew why she did not dare to finish her last sentence.
It was too ridiculous to claim without any empirical proof that a superdinsional senior ace ch could actually rival a god ch in any way.
Nobody dared to make any careless claims in this regard. They could not afford to challenge the primacy of god chs and end up getting it wrong.
Fortunately, no one had any interest in pressing the matter. God chs were way beyond their purview.
As the eting continued, Ves eventually turned towards the only guest in the chamber.
"Master Devos." He addressed the Terran Master ch Designer. "Would you like to share any insights on the First Sword Mark III's performance up to this point?"
The older woman smiled. "Your ace swordsman ch is a strong machine, so much so that her very existence is forcing everyone to reevaluate the strength of your clan. The addition of a junior ace ch does not change the equation all that much. What does change our evaluation is the fact that your superdinsional junior ace ch presents a serious threat against so — but not all — senior ace chs."
That did not sound too surprising. Ves already thought this would be the case.
"What does your resident ace pilot think about our latest ace ch?"
"He is… I would not say apprehensive, but certainly more vigilant towards the threat posed by your First Sword." Master Laila Rebecca Devos responded in a serious tone. "The exceptional lethality of this machine at close range necessitates changes to his tactical approach towards a duel. Mind you, the Wind of Destruction still remains confident he can gain the upper hand in a fight with no restrictions. He only believes that he will face an uphill battle if his Dark Lord is forced to engage the First Sword Mark III at close range."
The Black Lord happened to be a fairly suboptimal matchup against the First Sword Mark III.
The forr was a multipurpose ace ch that nonetheless placed a lot of emphasis on swordsmanship.
The latter's superdinsional armants enabled her to punch far above her weight at close range.
This would force the Wind of Destruction to restrain himself from letting his ego dictate his actions. He needed to fight smart and make use of his ace multipurpose ch's ranged armants as much as possible.
It was not an approach that the Terran ace pilot would be comfortable with, but if he valued the mission over his pride, then he should do what was necessary.
"Is the Wind of Destruction still interested in sparring against Saint Dise?" Ves inquired.
The Master ch Designer smiled. "He should. It will take more than a superdinsional junior ace ch to deprive him of his courage. He considers this spar as a necessary challenge. Superdinsional tech will gradually beco more prevalent among high-ranking chs, so it is better if he is able to gain experience with fighting against them sooner rather than later. It is also good practice for fighting against phase lords ard with Saint Piercer arms."
That fell within Ves' expectations. The Wind of Destruction was over 260 years old. While he was not considered talented enough to be regarded as a god pilot candidate, his hard work over so many years still turned him into an extrely solid senior ace pilot. He would never cower from this challenge.
"Dise?"
The ace pilot's willpower and fighting intent quietly surged from the mont they talked about the Wind of Destruction.
She may be new and underdeveloped as a Saint, but she did not fear a confrontation against a well-established senior ace pilot.
Saint Dise could not deny that her willpower and personal strengths were far inferior to that of her older Terran counterpart, but she had complete faith in the power of Ketis' latest masterwork!
The First Sword was one of the first full high-grade superdinsional chs to exist!
The ace pilot took a lot of pride in that. She also felt she assud the obligation to represent the might and prestige of superdinsional chs against any challengers.
Just as the Wind of Destruction could not allow himself to step back against a revolutionary new ace ch, Saint Dise could not afford to admit defeat to her senior before a fight had even begun!
"Let's schedule the sparring session for tomorrow if there are no objections." Ves proposed. "We should make additional preparations to ensure that the two highly lethal ace chs cannot threaten any lives or expensive assets. We should also expand the list of conditions to include additional restrictions for the purpose of avoiding any unfortunate accidents. Both ace pilots must hold back to an extent. We cannot afford to let them puml each other into pieces during a ti of war."
"Agreed." Master Laila Devos simply replied.
The purpose of the upcoming practice duel was to gather more relevant information on the performance of a superdinsional ace ch.
The other goal of this high-level sparring session was to allow both ace pilots to accrue valuable combat experience.
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