Chapter 116 – Battle Bots

*(mood song: "Kanye West - Stronger")

Rose examined Erik and Amanda's combat bot and smirked *isn't that just too primitive? you are using gears while I'm using nano muscle humanoid joints*

Amanda: /*both are made of the same metal and your nanobots won't be able to regenerate, so even if faster it will be delicate*/

Rose smirked *well, let's see if you can even touch me first, ready?*

Amanda nodded and Erik gave the signal "start!" as everyone stepped back.

Rose calmly walked forward as Amanda observed with her guard up, Rose suddenly advanced and kicked horizontally, but Amanda stopped it, she wasn't fast enough to grab it and retaliate though, so Rose started going around her and throwing kicks as Amanda struggled to keep up with her speed, only blocking some while other kicks connected denting her armor.

The hits kept accumulating as Rose kicked Amanda behind the knee, almost making her buckle as Rose followed it with a punch to the side of Amanda's head, making her stumble.

Rose: *is that the best you can do? you are just a punching bag, boring~*

Amanda then punched with her left fist changing in the last second as Rose was already bending backwards and advanced with her left feet at the same time and kicked Rose in the chest with her right one, sending her flying 2 meters back /*you were saying? heh, your hits barely do damage also*/

Rose rolled back and got on her feet in one fluid motion *seems like i should get more serious then...* she then advanced and deviated Amanda's fist inwards with her left palm as Rose's right fist sneaked inside Amanda's guard and delivered a full power uppercut into Amanda's jaw that sent her flying. Amanda slowly got up again as Rose didn't let her rest and kicker her on the jaw, sending her back again and leaving a crack on her neck, all while taunting Amanta *come on little one, you are boring me*

Amanda got up again, but Rose jumped forward and punched the side of her head, sending her back to the ground, only for Amanda to stand back up with her guard up, so Rose kicked her knee side, but Amanda slightly pivoted and blocked with her shin, so Rose started raining punches on Amanda's upper guard and managed to connect another uppercut after kicking open her defense, making Amanda disoriented as Rose then connected another straight punch and sent her again to the ground, and this time it seemed that for good but...

Erik: "come on Amanda! show her what earthlings can do!"

Amanda: /*captain...*/ she got up slowly on wobbly legs as she got her guard up again, multiple dents on her metallic skull and arms by now.

Rose was relentless though and started punching her guard and penetrating her guard, changing to Amanda's belly when she got a chance, thinking 'she won't hold much long-' but as she was thinking that a right uppercut from Amanda connected to Rose's jaw, sending her back and stunning her, then Amanda used the moment to hug Rose close with her left arm as she headbutted her, stunning her further as she connected punches to Rose's chest and head, but Rose recovered after some hits and punched Amanda back, throwing a series of quick punches to her belly.

Amanda: /*...you might be older and more advanced but... I HAVE MY OWN PRIDE!!!*/

launching an uppercut and knocking Rose 2 steps back /*fighting protocol system, all out attack!*/ her fists raining on Rose's raised fist defense as her right feet kicked the side of Rose's right knee, making her lose balance and receive one full power punch from Amanda's left fist on her unprotected head, and then Amanda rotated on her right foot and gave a spinning kick to Rose's head with her left foot.

She then advanced with her left foot ready to give a right hook, but Rose recovered and advanced too, deviating Amanda's fist with her left forearm as her right fist heavily impacted Amanda's jaw, sending her flying 3 meters back and fall on her back once again *you are not the only one who has studied human culture little one*.

Amanda stumbled up as her body was still sturdier and avoided to one side as Rose punched returning a punch of her own to Rose's head, throwing two right cross punches as Rose was stunned and hitting Rose both times, Rose threw a backhand punch but Amanda avoided under it and punched Rose in the stomach, Rose pivoted and hit Amanda's head, sending her back into the ground.

Amanda could sense that her head was getting too damaged so she advanced for a heavy tackle planning to grab Rose and bending her knees forward with her arms to make her fall, as this would also use Amanda's higher weight in her favorite.

Rose saw it coming though and sidestepped while blocking Amanda's left arm and grabbed her by her shoulders, and then pivoted on her right foot using Amanda's impulse against her and launched her, heavily impacting a wall, twisting her right arm with the impact.

Rose: /*never try to tackle an aware enemy even if you know how, it's just stupid*/

Amanda stood up again, and bent her sparking right arm into place even if didn't work anymore, 'shit! I needed the arm to attack... well if it's already lost I can try a straight punch and when she grabs it to dislodge it and throw her off balance...' finishing with her plan she charged again and threw a straight punch with her damaged right arm.

Rose: *heh~ that won't- argh!* as Rose deviated Amanda's attack and grabbed it to throw her, it dislodged, throwing her off balance as Amanda used her left hand like a spear, penetrating Rose ribcage and damaging her batteries making her energy levels severely drop. Rose quickly reacted and kicked Amanda away and said with a somber tone *that... that was a good move... but it won't happen again* going for the offensive herself, she sidestepped Amanda's retaliation punch and twisted it to her back, using the weight of her entire body to rip it off, and continuing the rotation she used Amanda's arm like a club, hitting Amanda's head and cracking it open.

As Amanda fell startled to the ground, Rose dropped her arm to the floor and proudly declared *I won, do you concede?*

There was a moment of silence as Amanda considered her choices but without arms, she didn't stand much of a chance, so she finally nodded /*...I... I lost...*/

The surrounding octopeople cheered as the exciting battle ended, too absorbed in it to do so during the fight.

Rose then deactivated her restrictions and transferred Amanda back to her power armor, telling her *you have still a lot to learn little one, but... that was a good fight, as I showed you, being sturdy isn't that important when the enemy can end you with some hits, go for effective shielding, speed and strength, it's way better to avoid an attack than to endure it*

Amanda stretched now installed on the power armor and replied /* thank you Rose, I will keep that in mind/* she looked at her broken fight body one last time and turned around, going back to the base.

Erik followed her as he put an arm over her shoulders "well, you looked cool at some points, so it wasn't that bad right?"

Amanda: /*...your ability to cheer other's up is lacking captain*/

Erik: "alright, then see it this way, you a small human made IA has fought a super advanced entity and managed to fight back for some time, and that... is amazing"

Amanda: /* you are right, thanks Er- captain, thanks captain*/

Erik tapped her shoulder "call me Erik or captain it's fine either way, what makes you comfortable"

Amanda: /* captain then, so what do I do now?*/

Erik: "oh well, focus on integrating the technology in the base, learning from Rose and securing the perimeter as best as you can, this is a hostile planet and we are relatively safe due to winter keeping the monster's in the bottom but, I fear what summer might bring, so we need to be ready"

Amanda nodded /* I understand captain, I will do my best*/

Erik then walked back to Rose "I assume you heard?"

Rose: *well, we are connected after all~ ¯\_( ◉ 3 ◉ )_/¯*

Erik sighed "we need to reactivate the forge, recruit any useful crab people and investigate the secret facility for any gear or equipment and then search the octopeople city ruins for anything useful... sigh... It's still a lot of work"

Rose: *well, there's still enough time, don't worry too much*

Erik: "...is the shadow claw army ready?"

Rose: *well, almost now they are hunting and readying the supplies, you should start going back*

Erik: "any problems?"

Rose: *nothing really important, just lots of people asking for advice, I've become something of a sage scholar at the alchemy school, they saw me researching decided to ask me questions, I answered easily and now all troubled sages, engineers and alchemists come to ask me questions*

Erik: "ugh... sounds annoying"

Rose: *haha~ not at all, I love being able to talk to people, and those worshiping looks they give me just due to knowing such basic things... It's enjoyable*

Erik: "make a place like that in the octopeople city too then, I'm sure it would be easy, there are lots of new octopeople being born and they will need more and more classrooms as we keep expanding, and once they grow they will need their own workshops and labs".

Rose paused as she excitedly turned to him *you are certainly right! I will get to it right away, it's so exciting to actively help in their development, when I just watched in the past they just died and that was it, I didn't even get to talk to them or help them, but this is really satisfying* and her combat body and power armors run back to base as the octopeople dispersed to go back to their tasks.

Being left alone Erik sighed and picked up the broken combat body, he had helped design it so he didn't wanna see it rot, he would repair it for another occasion.