Su Li furrowed his brow.
The lolita dress embroidered with gold thread was adorned with vintage lace, exuding extravagance. At the tips of her slender fingers, sharp black nails revealed a deep intensity.
The arrogant girl before him had an air of superiority in her eyes and brows, though he didn't know her identity. But that look, treating him like an ant, instinctively made him feel repulsed.
Not to mention, her first words were a mockery of Lightning. He could feel Lightning's hand tremble slightly after the word 'trash' left her mouth. He had helped Lightning regain confidence time and again; it wasn't for someone to shatter.
He grasped Lightning's somewhat cold hand and gently stroked it twice. Only then did he look up at Hong Ying standing behind the girl: "Is this your family's chuunibyo? If she can't talk properly, take her home and teach her well!"
And grant him glory at her discretion? This brat should just go home and mess with her own mud; that's more fitting. Always coveting others', she clearly lacks a beating from society.
Black Feather watched him gently stroke Lightning's hand, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes. She raised an eyebrow and looked up at Su Li before her: "Are you serious? I, Black Feather, am an S-Class Mecha Girl! I doubt you've ever seen an S-Class Mecha Girl before! Kneel before me! I'll make an exception and allow you to pledge allegiance to me! You should know, ordinary people aren't worthy of my favor."
As she spoke, she extended her left hand towards Su Li once more. Hong Ying, meanwhile, stepped forward and respectfully handed Su Li a business card.
He took it and glanced at it; on the black hot-stamped business card, the four golden characters 'Aka Industries' shone brightly under the setting sun.
"Heh!" Su Li felt like he was about to laugh from anger!
He knew Aka Industries; it was a pillar industry of Nan City, possessing the largest Mecha module kit production line in the province. It was also an influential enterprise within the province. It had twenty-three module stores in Nan City alone.
He hadn't expected that the arrogant girl before him was a Machine Girl affiliated with Aka Industries.
So what?
Just because she's a Machine Girl from Aka Industries, she can make him abandon Lightning?
What makes her think that if he abandons Lightning, he'll definitely contract with her? Is it because of her round face? Or her large chest?
Black Feather tilted her chin up, quietly observing Su Li's expression, waiting for him to bow down to her and surrender his dignity. She had seen too many arrogant Pilots. But without exception, they all eventually succumbed to this business card.
There had never been an exception.
Su Li didn't spare the girl another glance; he had already checked her attributes the moment he saw her.
Black Feather X70.
S-Class Mecha.
Speed: 80
Acceleration: 90
Mobility: 100
Stability: 80
Defense: 80
Braking: 79
Such attributes would be highly sought after in the eyes of most Pilots. Aside from high mobility, the relatively balanced values proved she had no weaknesses. A Mecha like this would certainly be popular on the market.
However, in Su Li's eyes, she merely had no weaknesses.
He even took a moment to glance at Hong Ying standing behind her.
S-Class Mecha, Hong Ying D3.
Speed: 90
Acceleration: 90
Mobility: 101
Stability: 60
Defense: 65
Braking: 70
To be honest, Hong Ying's stats panel was more appealing to Su Li than Black Feather's. A high-attack, high-speed fighter, even with some weaknesses, could be compensated for with his own skills.
As for beginner Mecha models, they could just stay wherever it was cool. Balanced attributes across the board held no appeal for him.
"She must be crazy!"
He ignored Black Feather's outstretched hand, returned the business card to Hong Ying, and pulled Lightning around them, walking towards the mess hall.
They didn't even know each other, yet they came up and started insulting someone's Machine Girl, and even wanted to force a contract with him. And they called it being interested in him? Many people in this world were interested in him! What? Didn't they want their kidneys anymore!
Each of them talking to themselves, really thinking they were someone important. So what if she was an S-Class Mecha Girl? So what if it was Aka Industries?
If he couldn't afford to provoke them, couldn't he at least avoid them?
Besides, just an S-Class Mecha Girl; he believed that as long as he took Lightning into a few matches, those top-tier Machine Girls would be within his reach.
Although high attributes meant higher operations could be achieved. But a Machine Girl was not a Mecha from his previous life after all. A Machine Girl with her own thoughts, if her personality wasn't compatible with his, no matter how high her level, it would be useless.
With Black Feather's arrogant personality that looked down on everyone, who would she actually listen to on the battlefield?
There were many Machine Girls in this world; he still wanted to keep his life and see more.
"Whoosh!"
A sound that shouldn't have appeared on the training ground suddenly rang out. Su Li instinctively pulled Lightning down with him, crouching low.
A long sword was stuck in the ground not far away, blocking the path they were about to take, and Su Li's scalp instantly tingled.
Drawing a sword at the slightest disagreement! And right behind him!
He turned back in disbelief, only to see that the girl had completed her deployment; the black Mecha was sharply angled, exuding a strong sense of oppression.
The person and the Mecha were less than five meters apart; at this distance, Su Li had to tilt his head back to see her full appearance.
The sword stuck in the ground was a blatant warning.
"Take one more step forward, just try it!"
Su Li coldly looked at the girl before him, anger involuntarily surging in his chest. What had he done?
Just because of a few words, or ignoring her, she stuck a sword in the ground to threaten him??
Su Li had been threatened with swords many times in his previous life. But those people were all dead now!
How dare she? A Machine Girl, arbitrarily deploying and using a Mecha weapon to threaten a human? Was that the confidence Aka Industries gave her? He was practically laughing with anger! A mere so-called enterprise, in this world, counted as a powerful force?
Even a powerful force should have some semblance of reason, right?
Machine Girl Code, First Edition, Article 2: Machine Girls shall not arbitrarily harm or intimidate humans.
Perhaps, laws and regulations were like fleeting clouds in her eyes.
Su Li narrowed his eyes and walked straight to the side of the giant sword. The small him was not as tall as that sword. His eyes gradually turned red, and he roared at the black Mecha: "Come on! Hit me! Hit here! Didn't you want me to try? Now I'm trying!"
A hint of panic flashed in the girl's eyes. She had never seen such a terrifying gaze. It was as if she wasn't facing a naive Pilot from campus, but a mass murderer from the battlefield.
She shivered instinctively, feeling somewhat helpless.
Looking at those gradually crimson eyes, she felt her legs tremble slightly. In those scarlet pupils, it seemed as if an boundless sea of blood was hidden.
Was he trying to kill her?
Hong Ying immediately sensed Su Li's killing intent, her gaze sharpened, and she flashed forward to shield the Mecha.
"What's so great, you... do you dare to compete with me in a match!"
The girl's fierce voice came from behind Hong Ying; having lost her imposing aura, her shouting was like that of a little chick.
"Let's bet our lives! Hong Ying will be my Pilot! We'll have a match! If I win, you abandon that trash and come with me! From then on, your life will be mine!"
"What if I win!"
Su Li straightened up, calmly meeting the Mecha's gaze. Only his eyes grew increasingly red.
"You, if you win, I'll... I'll spare that trash beside you! I won't target her anymore!"
Su Li was directly amused by the anger.
This was the third time she had called Lightning trash, useless!
He turned around, gently grasped Lightning's slightly trembling arms, and softly asked: "Are you okay?"
Lightning nodded hesitantly. She buried her head in her chest, as if doing so would block out that extremely sharp shouting.
Su Li raised his hand and gently rubbed Lightning's head, then lightly licked his own lips; a taste of fresh blood came. It turned out he had bitten his lip without realizing it.
Looking at the red-haired Lightning huddled together before him, he felt a pang of inexplicable heartache.
"Don't worry! Just leave it to me in a moment! I'll help you teach her a lesson. Trust me, I've never piloted a Mecha as good as you. You're not useless! With me as your Pilot, you are destined to shine brightly before everyone!"
He gently stroked her cheek, wiping away her tears.
Behind him, the black-haired girl had completed her deployment.
The black Mecha gleamed with a bright sheen, its sharp shoulder pads looking as if they could pierce the sky.