Chapter 21: WINNING

They all went home tired both physically and mentally. They even forgot to grab something for dinner.

Each reflecting on their battle. Savouring the bitter taste of defeat.

.......

After two days of straight defeat . On a fresh morning, they all went for their daily routine, lecture, cafeteria and gathered in their hostel.

"Those robots are really hard to deal with" Sam started

"They are not hard, we just don't have what it takes to defeat them" Vondrel continued

"Which is teamwork" James concluded

"How can we achieve that?" Sam asked

"It's not as if we have fought together before."

"Did you guys noticed how our last battle before our defeat went?" Noah questioned

They all reviewed their last battle and decided to work on their weak points and improve where necessary.

"We have to cover up for each other, more than we did yesterday" Vondrel stated and they all set to go to the AUTA .

'Why didn't you help me? ' Vondrel asked through his thought

"I can't possibly help you to do everything, else you'll be useless. Moreover you are beginning to draw out my energy on your own without my help. Isn't that suppose to tell you that you can be better without me." the blade answered lengthily.

"I see..." Vondrel nodded.

He was busy conversing with the kyokai while not paying attention to the people walking with him while they all think he is thinking about the trial ahead.

They entered the big door as usual and moved in, but this time before they got to the centre of the room. The ground immediately sinked, they all fell downward into the underground.

'Blergh '

As usual they puked their gut except for one person who didn't puke his gut which was Vondrel , he was able to hold himself. Apart from him, there was someone else who didn't puke much this time.

"When will I get the hang of this thing" James complained before leaving the rest to clean up.

They all followed after James and cleaned themselves up and the floor. By the time they came back they couldn't find Vondrel, they went into the arena and found him standing opposite their opponents.

"This time...we are winning this" Vondrel stated firmly and that same sharp and domineering aura seeped out of him. The blade could sense it but it kept quiet.

"Don't get too cocky, you failed once, you can fail again." Stelio said.

The heavy metal door groaned as it slid open, revealing a dimly lit room where five combat robots awaited in the shadows. , Sam, James, Timmy, and Noah cautiously stepped inside to meet Vondrel, their eyes quickly adjusting to the low light. Each member of the team tensed, knowing that a fierce battle was about to unfold.

The first robot stepped forward, its sleek, humanoid frame catching the dim light. In its hands, it wielded two crimson blades, their edges glowing faintly with a deadly energy. It moved with a fluid grace that belied its mechanical nature, the blades spinning and slicing through the air as if hungry for blood.Vondrel, the swordsman of the group, met the robot's gaze. His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, a simple yet sturdy weapon that had served him well in the contest. He knew that this would be his test—a duel of skill against an opponent that was likely faster, stronger, and completely unfeeling. But Vondrel had faced such odds before. He stepped forward, his sword raised in a guard position, his eyes never leaving the robot's glowing blades.

"Stay back," Vondrel said to his companions, his voice calm but commanding. "This one's mine."Without waiting for a reply, Vondrel charged at the robot.

The machine responded instantly, its twin blades cutting through the air in a blur of crimson light. Vondrel parried the first strike, his sword ringing out as it clashed against the robot's blade. The force of the blow sent vibrations up Vondrel's arm, but he held his ground, spinning his sword to deflect the second strike.The robot was relentless, its blades a whirlwind of deadly precision. Vondrel was forced to give ground, his feet dancing across the floor as he blocked and dodged the machine's attacks.

Sweat beaded on his forehead as he realized just how fast the robot was, each strike coming closer and closer to breaking through his defenses.

'This feeling again' he thought, trying to focus on the feeling coarsing his body.

Vondrel stood his ground , and he knew that he couldn't win this fight by merely defending. As the robot's blades descended in a powerful overhead strike, Vondrel sidestepped at the last second, letting the blades cut through empty air.

Seizing the opening, he brought his sword up in a swift arc, aiming for the robot's exposed side.The kyokai bit into metal, sparks flying as Vondrel's sword cut through the robot's armor. The machine staggered, its movements jerky as it tried to compensate for the damage.

But Vondrel didn't give it a chance to recover. He pressed the attack, his sword a blur as he struck again and again, each blow aimed at the robot's weak points.

As he continue pressing on, the feeling rising subtly within him shot through his head, making him feel a slight jolt. Instantly, his vision changed. He could see different white lines appearing on several places on the robot, depicting it's weak points.

As soon as a large white colour appeared around the chest area of the robot. Seeing it as a chance.

Finally, with a powerful thrust, Vondrel drove his sword into the robot's chest, piercing its core. The machine shuddered, its glowing blades flickering and dying as it collapsed to the ground, defeated.Vondrel stepped back, breathing heavily as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

His victory was short-lived, however, as the other robots began to move. The next to advance was the massive robot with the hammer, its footsteps echoing through the room like the tolling of a bell.

Sam, with his wind ability stepped forward to face it. Unlike Vondrel, Sam didn't carry a weapon. He didn't need one. The air around him began to swirl, picking up speed as he focused his power. His eyes glowed with a soft, pale light as the wind answered his call, wrapping around him like a protective cloak.

The hammer-wielding robot raised its weapon, the head of which crackled with electricity. It brought the hammer down with a force that could shatter stone, but Sam was already moving.

With a burst of wind, he shot to the side, the hammer smashing into the floor where he had just been standing. The ground shook from the impact, but Sam was untouched, his movements as fluid as the wind he commanded.He circled the robot, the air around him growing more turbulent as he prepared his next move.

The robot turned to follow him, its hammer raised again, but Sam was too fast. He thrust his hands forward, and a powerful gust of wind slammed into the robot, throwing it off balance. The machine staggered, struggling to keep its footing as Sam unleashed a barrage of wind attacks, each gust like a hammer blow to the robot's armored frame.

The robot swung its hammer wildly, trying to catch Sam in its arc, but the wind elemental was always a step ahead. He danced around the machine, his movements graceful and unpredictable, the wind obeying his every command. With a final build up of powerful gust, Sam sent the robot crashing into the wall.

The impact was devastating, the machine's armor denting and cracking as it slumped to the ground, its systems failing. As Sam caught his breath, the third robot—a heavily armored machine wielding a large shield—stepped forward. James, with his golden flame, knew this one was his. He stepped up, his hand already glowing with a golden light as he summoned his power. The flames that James wielded were no ordinary fire. They were imbued with a magical energy, each flame burning with a golden hue that was as beautiful as it was deadly.The shield-bearing robot raised its shield, bracing itself for the oncoming attack.

James didn't hesitate. He thrust his hand forward, and a stream of golden fire shot out, engulfing the robot's shield in flames. The heat was intense, the flames burning hotter and brighter as James fed them with his power.The robot tried to advance, pushing through the flames, but James wasn't about to let it close the distance.

He intensified the flames, the golden fire swirling around the robot like a living thing. The machine's shield began to glow red-hot, the metal warping and melting under the relentless heat. But the robot was determined, its programming driving it to complete its mission no matter the cost.

James gritted his teeth, pushing his power to the limit. The flames roared, the golden light filling the room as the robot's shield finally gave way. The metal crumpled, the flames consuming it completely. The robot's armor, too, began to melt under the intense heat, its systems overheating as it struggled to keep functioning.

Finally, with a roar of fire, James unleashed his full power. The golden flames exploded outward, engulfing the robot completely. The machine was consumed in an inferno, its metal body melting into slag as the fire burned brighter and hotter.

When the flames finally died down, nothing remained of the robot but a smoldering heap of molten metal.James stepped back, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. The effort had drained him, but he knew there was no time to rest. The fourth robot, the one wielding the whip, was already advancing.

Timmy, the water ability user, stepped forward to face it. Unlike the others, Timmy's power was more defensive in nature, but he knew how to use it to deadly effect, it seems.

He raised his hands, and water began to flow from the air around him, coalescing into a swirling vortex at his command.The whip-wielding robot cracked its weapon, the sound echoing through the room like a gunshot. The whip lashed out, aiming for Timmy, but he was ready. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a wall of water, the liquid barrier absorbing the impact of the whip. The robot pulled back for another strike, but Timmy was already countering. He sent the water forward, the liquid forming into a powerful jet that slammed into the robot.The machine staggered, but it quickly recovered, its whip snapping through the air as it tried to strike Timmy from a different angle.

But Timmy was always one step ahead, his control over the liquid absolute. He created tendrils of water that wrapped around the robot's limbs, holding it in place as he prepared his next move.With a flick of his wrist, Timmy sent the water crashing down on the robot, the force of the liquid like a tidal wave.

The robot was thrown to the ground, its systems struggling to keep up with the relentless assault. But Timmy wasn't finished. He gathered the water around him, the liquid forming into a massive sphere above his head. With a final, powerful gesture, he sent the sphere crashing down on the robot, the impact shattering its armor and crushing its internal systems.The robot twitched and spasmed, its movements erratic as it tried to recover, but Timmy didn't give it a chance.

He summoned a final wave of water, sending it crashing down on the robot and finishing it off for good.The fifth and final robot stepped forward, its fists glowing with a faint, ominous light. Unlike the others, this robot carried no weapons. It didn't need any.

Its fists were its weapons, each strike capable of pulverizing anything in its path.Noah, the fire ability user, knew that this was his fight. He stepped forward, his hands already alight with flames.

Unlike James, whose fire was golden and magical, Noah's flames were raw and intense, burning with a fierce, red-orange light.The robot wasted no time. It charged at Noah, its fists swinging with deadly force. But Noah was ready. He unleashed a torrent of fire, the flames roaring to life as they engulfed the robot. But this machine was different from the others.

It pushed through the flames, its fists swinging at Noah with relentless determination.Noah dodged the first strike, the robot's fist smashing into the ground where he had been standing. The impact was powerful, the ground cracking under the force of the blow.

Noah retaliated with a blast of fire, but the robot shrugged it off, its armored frame resistant to the intense heat. This robot was designed for close combat, and its creators had equipped it with defenses against elemental attacks. Noah could feel the temperature in the room rising as his fire clashed against the robot's unyielding form. He needed to adapt his strategy—raw power alone wouldn't be enough.The robot pressed its attack, its fists glowing brighter as it closed the distance.

Noah ducked and rolled to avoid a crushing blow, the air whooshing past his ears as the robot's fist missed him by inches. It was fast, and each punch carried enough force to shatter bone. But Noah wasn't just a fire elemental—he was a strategist, and he wasn't going to let brute force be his undoing.As the robot came at him again, Noah suddenly redirected his fire.

Instead of aiming directly at the machine, he targeted the floor beneath it. The flames licked at the metal surface, heating it rapidly. Within moments, the ground beneath the robot began to glow red-hot, the metal warping and bending from the intense heat.

The robot faltered, its footing compromised as the floor melted beneath its weight. Seizing the opportunity, Noah sent a concentrated stream of fire at the robot's joints—the one part of its body that couldn't be fully armored without sacrificing mobility.

The flames focused like a cutting torch, slipping into the tiny gaps and melting the delicate mechanisms within. The robot's movements became jerky, its punches slower and less coordinated as its joints began to seize up.But the machine was still dangerous. With a desperate lunge, it threw its weight forward, swinging both fists at Noah in a wide arc.

Noah barely had time to react, throwing up a wall of fire in a last-ditch attempt to deflect the blow. The impact sent him sprawling, his wall of fire dissipating as he hit the ground hard. Pain shot through his side, but he forced himself to roll to his feet, flames reigniting in his hands.

The robot was relentless, advancing despite the damage it had taken. Noah knew he couldn't keep dodging forever—the room was only so big, and the robot was cornering him. But as it approached, Noah noticed something—its right leg, the one that had taken the brunt of his fire attack, was dragging slightly. The damage was worse than the robot was letting on.With a grim smile, Noah decided to exploit that weakness.

He waited until the robot was almost on top of him, then doused his flames, momentarily letting the room fall into darkness. The robot, expecting another blast of fire, hesitated just long enough for Noah to act. He lunged forward, his hands flaring to life again as he grabbed the robot's damaged leg. Pouring every ounce of his power into that one point, Noah melted through the metal entirely.

The robot staggered, its balance thrown off as it tried to compensate for the loss of its limb. Noah didn't give it a chance to recover. He stepped back, summoning every bit of strength he had left. The flames in his hands roared to life, hotter and brighter than before, as he prepared to deliver the final blow. With a shout, he unleashed a torrent of fire that engulfed the robot's head and chest.

The intense heat melted through its armor, liquefying the circuits within and finally shutting down the machine for good.The robot swayed for a moment, its glowing fists flickering out before it collapsed to the ground with a heavy crash. Smoke and the smell of burning metal filled the room as Noah stood over the fallen machine, his flames slowly dying down as exhaustion took hold.

He'd won, but the fight had taken everything out of him.Noah turned to look at his teammates, all of whom were catching their breath after their respective battles. Vondrel was leaning on his sword, his chest rising and falling as he tried to recover from the intense duel. Sam's hair was still stirred by the residual wind around him, though it had begun to calm as the fight ended. James was breathing heavily, his hands still glowing faintly with the remnants of his golden flames, while Timmy's clothes were soaked from the water he'd summoned.They all knew the battle had been hard-fought, and each one of them had been pushed to their limits.

The room was filled with the sounds of their heavy breathing and the occasional crackle of cooling metal as the defeated robots lay in ruin.

Vondrel was the first to speak, his voice low and steady despite his exhaustion. "We did it," he said, more to himself than anyone else. He sheathed the kyokai, his hand trembling slightly from the exertion. "