"What about you?" Mei actually did want to join the fray.
She harbored a deep-seated obsession with growing stronger—she never wanted to experience that helpless despair of 'I can't do anything' ever again... She knew it was a difficult path, but she had to try.
Now that there was a controlled live-combat environment—one that safely bridged the gap between rigid drills and life-or-death battles—she refused to pass up the opportunity.
But what about Shu?
Was she just supposed to leave him up here alone? Wouldn't he feel entirely out of place? Her worry was written all over her face, and Shu immediately caught onto her hesitation.
He simply offered a calm smile and waved her off.
"I'll just watch you guys train from up here... Since I'm around, I can keep an eye on things and provide some backup. Go all out. You'll get more out of it that way."
Over on the sidelines, Joachim arched an eyebrow, glancing up from his data readouts at the utterly unfazed Shu.
Hadn't Theresa mentioned that Shu was somewhat resistant to these sorts of activities? He certainly didn't look like he minded. Come to think of it, this was Joachim's first time interacting with Shu up close. He knew of him, of course—Otto had fed him plenty of intel on the guy.
But looking at him now...
That bastard Otto had lied to him again.
Neurasthenia? Crippling inferiority complex? Bullshit.
While Shu didn't exude the arrogant, reckless bravado of a typical youth, the quiet confidence in his voice when he promised to watch their backs was impossible to hide.
To Joachim, Shu felt like a genuinely dependable adult. Just his presence alone radiated an endless sense of reliability.
Fun fact: Joachim had never actually witnessed Shu's true strength firsthand. The battle against his mirrored reflection took place either high in the sky or out in the polar regions, and the clash with Abzu happened all the way up in low-Earth orbit. Joachim had literally never seen Shu throw a punch.
So, this aura he was giving off right now was forming Joachim's first real impression.
Something's off about this vibe... yet it feels inexplicably familiar.
Back in Future City, Joachim had sensed this exact same disposition from certain individuals—a transcendent, detached aura that seemed to look down upon the very world itself.
Of course, this detached gaze didn't mean they were blind to reality, but rather... rather...
Joachim couldn't quite put it into words. He only knew that he had yet to reach that realm of understanding himself.
Whatever. It's a good thing, anyway.
Retracting his gaze, Joachim analyzed the current state of the arena. Once he confirmed the data, he reached out and cranked up the simulation parameters another notch.
This training facility came with a slew of restrictions.
The constructs formed by the nanomachines could only operate strictly within the arena's boundaries, every single nanobot cost the equivalent of several hundred contribution points, and the environment required extensive prep time...
It was riddled with flaws and lacked versatility. Much like the Orbital Dragon-Slayer Cannon in Homu World, it was basically a massive flex with zero practical benefits.
But the moment that hyper-charged bolt actually struck a stationary target? All those flaws instantly ceased to matter.
THUD—!!
High on her literal game of dodgeball, Kiana hurled another full-force punch at a fresh target. But this time, the kinetic feedback sent a jolt up her arm, freezing the grin on her face.
A massive, looming shadow fell over her. It felt... alarmingly familiar.
Stiffly, Kiana craned her neck upward, watching as the simulated Honkai Beast that had just tanked her punch slowly levitated off the ground.
Gulp.
Kiana swallowed hard, a drop of cold sweat sliding down her cheek. Pulling her fist back, she hurriedly retreated a few steps and shot a panicked glance toward the stands.
To her surprise, Mei seemed to have come to a decision, vaulting gracefully over the railing and dropping into the arena.
Huh? Mei's joining the training, too? Wait, no—
"Since when did they upgrade to Emperor-class Honkai Beasts?!" Kiana shrieked, fists raised in a guard as she rapidly backed away.
Rising from the floorboards were five metallic, faded-color Emperor-class beasts. The scattered fodder from earlier had already dissolved back into the arena, replaced entirely by these five newly manifested juggernauts.
Five Emperor-class Honkai Beasts. And this still wasn't the simulation room's upper limit.
"Everyone! Regroup around the Principal!" Theresa—who was supposed to be acting as an instructor and observing from the sidelines alongside Joachim—slammed the Oath of Judah heavily into the ground beside her and barked out orders.
"The enemies are still loading. Everyone, group up. Do not let them pick us off one by one."
Backed by Theresa's authority, Bronya instantly slipped back into her true role within the team. She was the tactical commander of Noah's Ark, after all!
The scattered girls immediately converged on Theresa's position. Seizing the momentary breathing room, Theresa slapped her hand against Judah.
The massive golden cross unfolded its side panels, revealing an arsenal of diverse weaponry. With a flick of her wrist, a golden spear ejected from Judah, landing perfectly in Theresa's grip.
From the opposite side, a length of golden chain shot out, which she snatched from the air with her free hand.
The next second, Theresa lightly tapped the butt of the spear against the floor. Two more streaks of golden light launched from Judah's expanding weapon racks. A golden tachi fell neatly into Mei's hands, while a golden lance soared straight toward Bianka.
The regrouped squad swiftly fell into a tight defensive perimeter. Bianka, Theresa, and Li Sushang formed a vanguard triangle, while Bronya stood squarely in the center to issue commands. Sirin and Frélle had finally managed to link up, joining the core formation.
As did Azhar.
"W-what... what should I do?" Azhar gasped for air. Out of everyone present, she had arguably run for her life the most pathetically.
The three members of the Arc City Bunny Squad were also ordinary humans lacking major physical enhancements, but even as they were chased around the arena, they at least had the sense to stick together in a three-man cell.
Honestly, in that regard, their performance outshined even Sirin and Frélle.
"Link up," Bronya ordered concisely. "Aside from the Principal, only Senior Kallen and you have administrative control over Judah. Since we don't have Noah's Ark's network right now, our internal comms are entirely dependent on you operating Judah."
"M-me?!" Azhar gasped. She couldn't help but glance at Theresa, who was already heading toward the perimeter wielding her spear and chains. Gritting her teeth, Azhar gave a firm nod. "I'll try!!"
Taking a deep breath to steady her hammering heart, Azhar locked her eyes on the Oath of Judah.
She stared at the giant cross for a solid two seconds. Then, she stiffly turned her head toward Bronya, who was looking at her with high expectations.
"How... how exactly do I operate this thing?"
Bronya: "..."
She silently turned her gaze toward Theresa. Almost as if by telepathy, Theresa glanced over her shoulder at the exact same moment, locking onto the two girls who were utterly clueless about how to use Judah.
As their six eyes met in a deadpan stare, Theresa slapped a hand against her forehead.
"Oh, for crying out loud! Just feel it with your heart! Judah is a very good listener!"