Fourth floor, Argus Directorate Post, 7th District. The training room rang with the sharp crack of wood on wood. Again, and again, and again.
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Mori grunted, wiping sweat from his brow. "Ngh...! This is getting hard!"
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Kotone squeaked, "Hey, that's cheating!"
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Yuhuan shot back, "Oh, so now you care about the rules?"
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Mori, Yuhuan, Saoirse, and a handful of other recruits tangled in a chaotic free-for-all. The rules? Last one standing wins—absolutely nothing. They'd been at this all week, chasing glory that evaporated the moment someone got smacked.
Day One: Saoirse won by capitalizing on everyone's initial hesitation and striking first.
Day Two: Kotone won after hiding for most of the contest and then sneakily striking Yuhuan.
Day Three: Yuhuan made a comeback, winning by eliminating Kotone first.
Day Four: Roby won by convincing everyone to switch to a tournament-style format with duels instead of a free-for-all, making it easier to avoid being hit or ganged up on.
Day Five: Mori feigned being out for most of the game, then swiftly attacked the remaining contestants in quick succession to win.
Day Six: Qiang, who had previously been disqualifying himself on purpose, struck everyone in the room with a single, clean blow. Antollio didn't believe it because he wasn't there to witness it.
Day Seven (Today): ...
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M̶o̶r̶i̶ ̶R̶y̶u̶n̶o̶s̶u̶k̶e̶
Yuhuan Lau
S̶a̶o̶i̶r̶s̶e̶ ̶F̶a̶r̶r̶e̶l̶l̶y̶
Kotone Furue
Q̶i̶a̶n̶g̶ ̶N̶g̶
Roby "R." Reichelt
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Roby swung a wild kick at Kotone. Missed by a hair. Kotone squeaked and scrambled back, clutching her stick like it was a holy relic.
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"I-I t-t-told you, th-that's ch-ch-cheating!" Kotone stammered.
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Roby cackled, "I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I don't care!"
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Roby poked Kotone with the tip of his training sword. She froze, eyes wide, then toppled over in slow motion.
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With a dramatic flourish, Roby declared, "See that? This is the work of the legendary Roby 'R.' Reichelt!!"
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Roby's voice thundered through the tiled room, bouncing off every wall like he was auditioning for Most Annoying Echo.
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Saoirse groaned, "How many times are we gonna let him introduce himself?! Stuffy's gettin' angry..."
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Mori let out a sigh and turned to Saoirse.
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Mori nudged Saoirse and whispered, "It's Yuhuan versus Roby now. Who do you think will win?"
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Haddler emerged beside Pallas in a blur, hair flicked back with the precision of a shampoo commercial. He brandished a wallet stuffed with Nanum.
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Haddler flashed a grin. "Are we betting?"
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Pallas interjected.
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Pallas interjected, "I know we're supposed to be good role models, but the economy's pretty rough down here, so we've gotta make do with what we've got!"
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Haddler pushed Pallas aside.
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"So? How much? 500? 700? All right, all right, I give in... 10,000!" Haddler brandished his wallet triumphantly.
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Mori interrupted, "How about no thousand? Let's watch the duel!"
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Yuhuan tightened his grip on his training sword, steadying himself defensively. Roby, having already revealed all his tricks, prepared to rush as usual.
"You're tough to beat. Even on the day I won, our duel lasted a long time. If you back out now, we might make it downstairs in time for lunch," Yuhuan called out to Roby.
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Roby puffed out his chest. "A Reichelt never quits! My family has the blood of perseverance coursing through our veins!"
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Yuhuan eyed him seriously. "Then your heart is true? You're sure you want to continue?"
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Roby flashed a toothy grin. "If it means I get to hit that dumb face of yours as hard as I can, yeah, sure!"
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"..."
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Roby reeled his arm back, his rolled-up sleeves revealing his powerful muscles. Roby clearly had years of dedication to fighting. Could Yuhuan even keep up this time? He didn't have time to ponder, as Roby charged forward with an intense, bellowing war cry that shook Yuhuan to his core.
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"—!"
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"GYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAARRRHHH!!!" Roby roared out.
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As Roby drew closer, Yuhuan's expression showed increasing doubt in his defense. He needed to switch to offense, as he'd been trained. No, too risky, he thought. Should he just parry? No, that would give Roby a free hit. He had one trick up his sleeve that could make or break his chances...
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He dropped flat on the ground just as Roby was about to charge him with his fist. Haddler's face soured.
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"What was that? I totally had my money on Roby! Who did you bet, Pallas?!"
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"I bet on the only true winner. No one. How can you lose if you don't win?"
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"That's not even how that works!"
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As Roby's charge passed right over Yuhuan, he leaped up from the ground and readied a slash against Roby's back.
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Haddler shouted, "LOOK OUT, ROBYYYY!!"
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Haddler warned Roby of the incoming attack, all for the ₦10,000...
Roby looked back just in time to duck beneath Yuhuan's slice, leaving him open for a jab.
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"What was that, Haddler? Stop interfering!"
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"Sorry!~ Can't help it when Nanum's on the line! Plus, it makes the contest a little more fun, don't cha think, Paulie?"
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Pallas considered correcting Haddler about his name, but sighed and decided against it. Roby felt time slow, giving him a perfect chance to strike Yuhuan. However, he underestimated Yuhuan's agility, as he backflipped out of Roby's reach.
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Roby taunted, "All you can do is run, huh? It suits you!"
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Yuhuan replied, "I won't lose to someone like you."
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Kotone shyly whispered from the bench.
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"Wh-Why are they taking this so s-s-seriously? Th-There i-isn't even a reward," Kotone whispered.
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Qiang smiled.
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Qiang smiled and said, "I guess they're just having fun. Once you get as strong as them, that's all you really can do."
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Kotone fired back. "Wh-Wh-What do you know?! Y-You're just a 9th Division F-Fixer like us!"
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"Doesn't take a 1st Div to recognize someone like them having talent," Qiang replied.
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"W-Weirdo..." Kotone muttered under her breath.
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Kotone curled up on the bench as Qiang continued to watch with an empty stare, which was all he ever did when he wasn't participating. A rumor circulated at the Post that he'd made a deal with an ARCH to gain the abilities of others by intently observing them, but it was quickly disproven when Haddler used Judgment to perform a secret lie-detector test on him. Yuhuan dropped his training sword to the ground and kicked it towards the bench.
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"I'm not as good in hand-to-hand combat, but this way I can get a lot more mobility without a sword in my hands. I'm prepared when you are."
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"All right then... Would you rather get punched in your left shoulder or your left knee?"
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"Hm. How about my left shoulder? That is, if you can even hit me."
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"Don't get so cocky... 'Cuz it might come back to bite ya!" Roby warned, a glint in his eye.
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Out of nowhere, a thunderous thump echoed throughout the room. Yuhuan fell to his knees.
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Roby jeered, "How'd that one feel?"
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Yuhuan looked up at Roby while grimacing in pain.
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Yuhuan breathed, "How did you...?"
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"Oh, that punch? Wasn't me," Roby replied, feigning innocence.
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Mori and Saoirse's jaws dropped to the floor.
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"How did he do that?!"
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Saoirse raised Stuffy.
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Saoirse muttered, "This guy's... a real cheater..."
...
Arny saw it! Arny saw it!~" Arnold cried out.
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"What did you see, Arny?"
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Saoirse raised Arnold to Mori.
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"It was a huuuuggeee ARCH! It was floating right over Yuhuan after Roby asked his question!~ ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ✩‧˚"
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"In English, please, Arny," Mori pleaded, rubbing his temples.
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"Siiiigggghhhhhh... (¬､¬) ... Roby's probably got some kind of ARCH helping him like how Arny and Stuffy help Saoirse!! But Saoirse's never used Arny or Stuffy to help her fight, so he's a plain-cut cheater! I say kill 'em!!! (◣_◢)"
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Mori shouted, "What?! Hey, Yuhuan! He's cheating with an ARCH!!"
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Hearing Mori, something in Yuhuan broke. A feeling of betrayal came over him, so much so that Yuhuan had deliberately and passionately executed a technique designed to punish this betrayal: a slap across Roby's face.
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SMACK!
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SMACK...
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smack...
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...
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"—?!"
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"...What?"
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"...!"
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"I-I-Idiots..."
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"..."
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The slap was so loud it echoed a few times before silence fell. No one spoke more than a few words before Roby fell with a thud.
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"...Do you feel no shame?"
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Yuhuan stepped before Roby, who fell on his back, staring up at Yuhuan with a blank expression.
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"This competition was a test of our character."
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Yuhuan's voice was steady, but his eyes flashed with a calm intensity that didn't match the game's triviality.
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"Not our strength. Not our speed. Not even our skill with a blade."
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He placed a hand over his chest, gripping the Argus Directorates Fixer uniform.
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"It served as a test of what kind of people we choose to be when no one is watching… when there is no reward… when there is nothing to gain but the fulfillment of standing by your own word."
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He took a slow breath.
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"A man's promise is not something you make when it is convenient. It is not something you discard when the odds turn against you. A promise is a reflection of your soul... of the weight you carry as a human being."
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Kotone sniffled quietly on the bench.
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"I-I think h-he's crying…"
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"Keep listening, and you'll understand why."
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Qiang replied flatly. Yuhuan continued, undeterred.
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"When you said you would fight me… when you said you would win through your own strength… I believed you."
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He looked down at Roby.
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"I trusted you."
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Silence.
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"…And you threw that trust away."
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More silence.
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"…For what? Was it for victory?"
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Yuhuan slowly shook his head.
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"A hollow victory built on deception is no victory at all. It is a stain. A blemish. A crack in the foundation of one's honor that will only spread with time."
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Haddler leaned toward Pallas.
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"…Is he still going?"
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Pallas nodded.
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"…He's still going."
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Yuhuan raised a finger, as if delivering the final, decisive point.
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"A true man does not seek to win at any cost. He seeks to win rightly. And if he cannot win rightly, then he accepts defeat with dignity, and grows stronger from it."
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He closed his eyes.
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"For what is a man… without his honor?"
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A long, heavy silence followed. No one answered.
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"…A fraud."
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Another pause.
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"…A coward."
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Another.
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"…A—"
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Mori threw his hands up.
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"OKAY WE GET IT!!"
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Saoirse nodded aggressively, shaking both Stuffy and Arnold.
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"Yeah! Even Arny fell asleep halfway through! Look at him!!"
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Arnold dangled limply.
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"...Zzz... (_ _ )"
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Qiang clapped once.
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"Good speech."
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Kotone wiped tears from her eyes.
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"I-It was… really inspiring…"
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Haddler groaned, stuffing the wallet back into his coat.
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"I just lost ₦10,000 listening to that…"
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Pallas tilted his head.
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"You didn't even place the bet."
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"…That's not the point."
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Yuhuan finally opened his eyes again, looking back down at Roby.
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"…Do you understand now?"
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Silence.
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No response.
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"…Roby?"
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By now, everyone had crowded around Roby. Mori crouched down and poked him.
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"…I think he's been unconscious since the slap."
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ARCH: Faust's Arbiter
Threat Level: NA (나)
Associated Individual: Roby "R." Reichelt
Ability: Remains undetectable to the human eye. Activates when the associated individual issues a verbal prompt beginning with "Would you rather…" directed at a target within auditory range. The prompt must present exactly two distinct options. When the target selects one of the provided choices, the ARCH enforces the chosen outcome immediately and unavoidably. Manifestations include forced bodily movement, object materialization, or direct physical harm corresponding to the selected choice. Targets retain consciousness but lose all motor autonomy until the action is completed. Responses such as "neither," "both," or any form of refusal are invalid and treated as non-compliance. Continued non-compliance induces escalating physiological pressure, such as restricted movement and acute pain. After sufficient resistance, the ARCH will forcibly assign one of the first options and execute it without the target's consent. Effectiveness depends on the clarity, immediacy, and feasibility of the presented options.
Weight: Unknown
Height: Unknown