"Let's stop, for now, Barbara." Azzy deactivated the robot and stopped the sparring as soon as the robot went into Berserk mode.
"Why? It's fun…" Barbara puffed her cheeks and complained. Meanwhile, Claire wondered whether there's something wrong with the robot's sudden change.
In the next second, he confirmed her suspicions, "It isn't the moment for you to engage in a serious battle and get injured. It will be worse if your soul beast will be killed in the process. It would take a long time for a platinum grade beast to revive and you have a tournament to participate."
"Injured? Killed? You will be underestimating me if you think this machine is strong enough to kill my Neko." Barbara was displeased by Azzy's remark.
Azzy responded by shaking his head, "No, you are the one that was underestimating the robot. Until now, the robot is under sparring mode. So, you only faced the power of low-rank-5. However, there are other modes, you know."
After spending more than half a year with these machines, Azzy found out a lot about their mechanisms.
One should say that he's the most knowledgeable person regarding the robots in the academy, even more than the principal.
He proceeds to explain, "First is the usual defend mode, where the robot will only defend with a shield and counterattack without moving from the spot.
Second is the attack mode, where the robot will interchange its weapons between saber and energy canon.
Third is the Defense mode-level-2, which will be activated when the robot is in defense mode and its divine shield failed to block the attack.
Fourth is the Sparring mode, where the robot will adjust its strength according to its opponent. It will make its own judgments when to attack and when to defend.
Fifth is the Hostile mode. Upon activation, the robot aims to kill the opponent at all costs. It is highly dangerous.
And sixth is a hidden Berserk mode, which is similar to Hostile mode. However, there are differences. Unlike the hostile mode, it will not kill the human but your Arcana spirit won't be spared either.
The first four are practically safe as either you or your Arcana spirit will only be gravely injured, at most.
However, the other two modes are dangerous where the robot's attack and speed will be increased by a level, which means, you will face a full assault of a low-rank-6 platinum grade beast. This is why I can't risk you fighting it further."
Silence filled the room for a while. Both of the girls didn't expect such mechanisms installed in this robot.
Barbara only thought it was a lump of metal. While Claire has a fair idea of what a robot is, she still didn't expect that the world has advanced so much…
They wondered how those scientists even managed to create such a fearsome thing, especially the rank-7 one which will possess the power of rank-8 during the hostile or sparring mode.
*Clap* "Okay, now, let's get you to rank-5, Claire." Azzy then said Barbara to back away while he walked towards another robot with rank-6 strength.
"Am I going to battle a rank-6?" She gulped in fear. She saw the strength of a rank-6 robot just a few days ago. It completely thrashed the national champion, Leo. So, how could she face it when she was only a rank-4 Arcana Master...
Azzy shook his head in response, "not I, but we…"
"We are going to battle together?" She was taken aback.
Azzy nodded and continued, "Just remember not to use the holy ground. It will only restrict my strength. Oh! And don't use soul skills when I use them. Both of ours will try to cancel out each other instead of facing the opponent."
"Yeah, I know." She nodded seriously.
As Barbara sat on the sidelines, Claire summoned her holy sword. Meanwhile, Azzy was alone with neither the wolf nor the weapons.
"You aren't summoning Vajra?" Claire asked him curiously. Barbara also wondered the same.
Azzy shook his head, "Our aim isn't defeating it. So, there's no need."
After answering Claire, he then looked at Barbara and further said, "no matter what, you will not intervene in the situation. Please trust me on this…"
Azzy's warning made Barbara wonder whether he was going to do something dangerous. Nevertheless, she agreed with a nod.
"Get ready, Claire."
As she takes a battle stance, Azzy pressed on Attack mode, instead of sparring mode.
It quickly scanned the both of them and raised its hand. Its left hand turned into cannon while its right hand took out a handle, Soon, an energy saber formed.
"Eh?" Even Azzy was surprised at its action as he never saw the robot battled with two weapons. It was always one or the other.
Thinking that it might be because there are two opponents now, Azzy gave a warning to Claire, "Beware of the cannon. It is in dual weapon mode."
"I know." Claire became serious as tightly gripped her sword before dashing towards it.
The robot which is in attack mode also pushed its leg against the floor and dashed towards Claire.
On the way, it shot an energy bullet from the cannon.
Just as Claire about to block it with her sword, all of a sudden, she found Azzy appeared before her and blocked the attack with his bare body.
"Ugh…" He groaned in pain while falling on the ground. Following his plan, he didn't use soul energy to strengthen his defense. However, he didn't expect it to be weak enough to cause only superficial pain.
Azzy changed his plan.
Claire abruptly hated her movements and looked at him in worry, "are you alright?"
"Look out in the front…" He shouted in response.
"Eh?" Just as she turned her head to the front, she found the robot was already just a couple of feet before her.
She hurriedly blocked it with the sword. However, due to the difference in strength, she flew away backward.
Azzy immediately dashed towards her and caught her at the perfect time.
"Thanks."
He then put her down.
"But, are you alright? Earlier you seemed to get hit badly." She expressed her worry.
The robot which is in the attack mode didn't give them the time to converse further.
As it already reached them, Azzy gave an order while he disappeared, "Dodge and aim for the joint."
Claire then remembered Azzy's comment back when Leo sparred with the same robot.
Dodging the energy saber, she thrusts the heavy sword towards its left elbow.
However, right then, the robot aimed the cannon at her. Just as it about to fire an energy bullet, a solid punch was hit on its left elbow.
A loud creak was heard before the arm suddenly fell on the floor, making it halt its movements for a fraction of a second.
This time, Azzy used his soul energy to punch its weak spot with all of his strength.
"Now…" Getting the perfect chance to act, she made her move and aimed at the right elbow to cut off the other hand too.
At the perfect moment, it managed to move its arm. As a result, the sword struck a part of its metal arm.
Other than a scratch, Claire wasn't able to do any major damage like Azzy did. And the robot didn't give her the chance to do it again, either.
Upon taking the fallen cannon, the robot suddenly leaped high towards the back and landed on the edge of the room, fifteen meters away.
"Injured heavily by the opponent. Activate, Berserk mode."
It hasn't been even one minute, and the hidden Berserk mode was activated.
This time, Azzy didn't stop its function and stared at the robot as it reattached the arm with the help of magnetic force. The nuclear energy burned in its core and flew towards all of its body parts, improving its durability.
Meanwhile, the energy saber turned from blue to red. The energy cannon disappeared and replaced by a red shield.
<strong>"Soul skill: Sky piercing sword."</strong>
The holy aura on the heavy sword in her hands started to thicken while the weapon slowly became bigger. In no time, it enlarged to five meters, almost touching the ceiling.
She dashed towards the robot and swung the sword.
The robot simply raised the red shield and blocked it. "What!" Claire was shocked to see that not only her attack was cleanly blocked but her soul energy filled aura around the sword was also absorbed into the shield.
Its eyes locked onto Claire.
Meanwhile, Azzy clenched his fist.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l