The first match

"Remember, don't give them a chance. Give them what they deserve. Use your anger to become your strength."

Those were the words that the noble merchant left to his fighters before he left to join the headmaster on the VIP podium of the spectator's stage.

Fueled by anger, huh? It wasn't my style, but that wasn't a bad idea either, thought the youth with orange hair. His name is Aleks.

Aleks and his companion looked at each other. "Let's teach these ingrates how to show gratitude to someone who helps them in the war," said Aleks with his eyes flashing a cold gleam.

Hearing what he said, the person beside him grinned from ear to ear. He was a young man with a muscular build and maroon hair in the Man Bun hairstyle. While grappling his fingers until crackling noises were produced, he chuckled and said, "Hehe. We can cripple them if you like if you know what I mean. What do you think?" He said as he looked at Aleks.

Aleks's lips curled upward. "I don't dislike it, Isaak. How about you, Katya?" Aleks said as he passed the question to the only girl in their group.

The blonde girl with hair in a pair of drill twintails stopped licking the red lollipop. She looked at Aleks and said. "Whatever," Katya said then continued licking the lollipop.

Aleks, Isaak, and Katya were wearing tight suits of maroon color under their black vest. It could also be seen that each of them was holding a helmet of the same color as their suits.

Nearby, three mechs with different designs were on standby. They were in a crouching position, probably so that climbing the cockpit would be easier for them.

As they were talking, *BRR!* A buzzer suddenly rang.

Hearing that, "Alright, I'll go first." After saying that, Isaak wore his helmet and then jumped into the cockpit.

In the arena, upon hearing the buzzer, the spectators hollered in the air as their excited spirits reached the sky. Their exclamation became more intense when a silhouette came out from one of the entrances. It was Isaak's mech. All the onlookers gasped in amazement when they saw it.

"Woah! Look!"

"Unbelievable…"

"Damn! Cool!"

Inside a station, a man wearing a black sleeveless shirt under his dark green overall coat, though he didn't wear the top of the overall coat and just let it hang on his waist, was looking at the monitor with his arms across his broad torso. It could be seen that he has slick hair and a pair of dark eyes.

Seeing the mech who was approaching the middle of the arena, the person next to him suddenly said, "As expected of their mech, Commander Guren. It is truly a new variant. Do we have a chance to win against that? Just looking at it, you will immediately know that it has high specs."

Guren frowned slightly. He could not deny what his colleague told him. However, "We can't be sure about winning or losing. But I have faith in our fighters."

Besides, he knew that specs were not the only basis for the outcome of the match. The pilot's skills also play a big role in it, though he also couldn't deny the fact that the mech's specs play a greater role.

His colleague just nodded, hoping deep inside that a miracle might happen. As the two of them were admiring the mech of the merchant, someone suddenly came to them and reported.

"Commander Guren, there's a little problem, sir! The M1 Warlord won't start up."

Hearing that, Commander Guren frowned. "A system failure?" He asked.

"The technicians said it's an engine failure, sir. They were asking to use the Lennix Engine as a replacement."

An engine failure, huh. Well, given that they were using the old engine for so many years now, an engine failure wasn't a surprise, honestly.

"Okay, attach them quickly and tell Gerard to prepare!"

"Yes, sir!

"Good thing that we prepared a replacement beforehand," said his colleague.

"Yeah," Guren nodded.

In the arena, the onlookers were admiring the first mech to arrive in the middle.

"That smooth frame and sharp edges are already the best definitions of being a warrior mech. But that one took it to another level. The craftsmanship was very high-class."

"You're right."

"Regardless, what kind of mech is that?"

Glancing at Merchant Bernard who was trying to hide his grin, Headmaster Lalaine opened her mouth and asked, "Is that your new creation?"

"Hehe. That's our masterpiece. That one is a Brawler type of the Lizardman Series. It has the strength to push 500 tons."

"Oh, that is indeed strong," although she sounded calm but deep inside she was screaming.

What?! 500 tons?! Really?!

None of their current mechs were capable of that feat.

In Scarlet's group, her companions were also amazed when they saw the mech.

"That one is a banger," Vaan exclaimed.

"R...right," Agnes agreed.

Both of them were fascinated by it.

On the contrary, Dereck looked disappointed as he glanced at the other side. "Where is our fighter?" he asked when he noticed that the other side had yet to come out from the entrance.

Hearing him, Scarlet looked at that side as well. However, as Dereck said, their fighter didn't come out.

"Could there be a problem?" She asked in a mutter.

"Perhaps the seniors got scared and decided to run away. Fufu," Vaan laughed.

"Let's just hope that isn't true," Sherry said worriedly.

Isaak, who was waiting in the middle of the arena, wondered if his opponent got scared.

In the middle of the arena, the Lizardman Series Mech looked around. Probably looking for his opponent. When it could not find its opponent, it suddenly shouted.

"Hey! Where is my opponent!?" He asked in a shout.

Upon hearing that, the others finally noticed that the other fighter had yet to enter the arena.

"Damn. Where is our fighter?" A student asked.

"Who is the first to fight, by the way?"

"Isn't it Senior Gerard?"

"Oh, where is he?"

No one could answer their questions because all of them had no idea as well.

At that moment, "Bwahaha! This academy is full of scared cats! Pwe!"

"Did your mama spoil you that much?"

Isaak started lashing out with insulting words. They came out rapidly from his mouth. Suddenly, the audience became dead silent. But, Isaak's taunts did not stop.

"Come here and face me!"

"Don't be a loser!"

"Are you afraid to be beaten up?!"

Everyone's brow was twitching at this arrogant foreigner.

When they could not finally remain silent, one of them exclaimed.

"Dammit! Where is our fighter?! Please, anyone, beat that bastard!"

Hearing that, not only Isaak but also Aleks and Katya were chuckling at this moment.

"Hahaha! Oh boy, ask your mama to send someone else! It looks to me like your fighters are all cowards!"

Isaak continued taunting.

Even Scarlet's friends were gritting their teeth at this foreigner.

Kuryue, who was standing beside the merchant could not help but chuckle secretly. That boy Isaak is truly a bastard. But that is what makes him very fascinating, Kuryue thought.

On the other hand, Merchant Bernard looked at the headmaster. "Sorry about him, he has a bratty personality. Haha."

Although he said sorry, the headmaster could not find sincerity in his words.

She sighed with her fists clasped tightly. "Well, we are partly at fault here." The headmaster was wondering why their fighter had yet to enter the arena.

What are Commander Guren and the others doing? Why haven't they sent our fighters yet? The headmaster was asking anxiously in her mind.

Thump thump!

Suddenly, everyone went silent when they heard heavy steps coming from the entrance where their fighters were lobbying.

It didn't take long for a figure to come out of it.

As everyone expected, it was a mech! Their academy's very own mech!

Inside the cockpit, a person was knitting his thick brows under his dark green helmet.

Finally! Finally, their fighter had shown up! Most of the students exclaimed in relief.

"Beat that arrogant kid, Senior Gerard!"

"Yeah! Show em' how to show respect when you are in a foreign land!"

Seeing the dark green mech with a plain design and humanoid form, Merchant Bernard glanced at the person on the opposite side. "You are still using those old Warlord Series, huh? Has this academy failed to create a new variant of it?" He asked the headmaster, who at the moment was sighing in relief.

Merchant Bernard wasn't even hiding his disappointment when he saw the opponent's mech.

"Our mech was tested and proven. It can perform advanced movements as long as the person who was piloting it was capable," the headmaster replied without a noticeable change in her expression.

The headmaster turned towards her assistant, who was standing beside her. "By the way, Ann, who is our first fighter?" She asked.

Hearing the Headmaster's question, Assistant Ann answered, "It was Gerard, a senior student and core member of the Mech Soldier Department. Although he wasn't a member of Elite rank, his experience in mech piloting could be ranked higher than his peers."

"I see," the headmaster nodded.

Hearing the headmaster's assistant reply, Merchant Bernard secretly snorted.

—Heh.

He wasn't even an elite? What a joke! Are they looking down on our fighters? Merchant Bernard thought in disappointment.

Arriving in front of his opponent, "You bastard, I'll make sure you'll be begging later on," Gerard bellowed.

Hehe.

Inside the cockpit, Isaak chuckled. The eyes of his mech suddenly glinted in yellowish color.

"Yeah… Bring it on…" he muttered.