Chapter 33: Industrial Waste

"Hah!"

"Too slow."

 A sharp metallic ring echoed as their dull training blades collided.

"Your strikes are far too honest. It’s partly due to your lack of experience in close-quarters combat, but it's also because your focus is entirely on your weapon."

"Ugh...!"

Scarlet was originally a strategist type of attacker specializing in mid-range combat.  While I  didn’t expect her to be a master of all trades, I needed her trained enough to function as a pivot point if our main force ever went down.

"Hey, don't you dare slack off just because she's a mass-produced model! Do you want to wear that frilly apron again?"

"!?"

...Was that supposed to be a punishment? Her face flushed bright red, even as a wry, involuntary smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"An opening!"

"Gah!?"

Esil  unleashed a precise thrust aimed at her head.  Scarlet  parried the blow while tilting her head back, but she wasn't quite fast enough—the blade grazed her cheek.

"There is no need for hesitation. I possess the experience of surviving an era of total war, as well as the secrets of movement inherited from my sister."

"...Fine, then let's go!!"

Yellow watched their sparring match intently. She was focused so deeply that she seemed to begrudge even the few seconds it took to blink, likely running countless simulations in her mind. Faint flickers of lightning began to race across her skin, the static crackling against the air.

"Ha!"

"Ngh."

Impressive. A calculated lean back followed by a desperate thrust that barely managed to thread the needle through the gap in the attack.

"Now...!"

"Naive."

In that moment, Esil... threw away her weapon!? She grabbed the wrist of the hand holding the incoming knife and redirected the momentum behind her.  In a heartbeat, Scarlet’s  balance was shattered, leaving her wide open for a brutal knee strike—until a voice cut in.

"That’s enough for now!"

"Thank you for the match."

"No problem. Are you hurting anywhere?"

Ever since Esil  joined us, our daily lives had been transformed. Our cluttered, messy room was now perfectly organized, and the kitchen had become almost entirely her domain.

Every morning, I  woke to the savory aroma of breakfast. We had even integrated combat training with her as our instructor into our daily routine.  The Amane Squad was already revolving around her as its central axis.

"...It’s different. It’s frustrating. Esil’s skill isn't even in the same league as mine. I might win in a real fight, but that’s only because my raw specs are higher..."

Yellow  had changed.  It wasn't just because she met Asuna—it was because Asuna  was gone.

"Esil, teach me. I want to learn those martial arts."

"Acknowledged."

"..."

Scarlet and Blues watched the two of them with bitter expressions. They had changed as well—because Yellow had changed.

And then...

"I REQUEST AN AUDIENCE!!!"

"!!?"

A voice so loud it made the training hall shake announced a sudden intruder. Two figures stood there, dressed in ornate, medieval-style ceremonial robes.

"Heroes Estoc... what are you doing here?"

They were a mid-tier A-rank team, currently one of the most talked-about groups in the field.

"We aren't talking to you. Our business is with..."

"Commander, they’re my guests."

Yellow, still in her sparring stance, raised a hand.

"What? We were in the middle of something important."

"Indeed! And I shall say it as many times as it takes—we have come to recruit you!!"

The owner of the booming voice, a man named King, delivered the shocking announcement.

"Shut up. I’ve told you before, I’m getting stronger here. I don't have time to mess around with you people."

"...Is that because of that mass-produced model over there?"

The black-haired individual spoke up. Her name was... Noise.

"Just quit already. What do you gain by wasting your time on a unit like that?"

"Indeed! To put it another way, a party that has to employ a mass-produced model is clearly lacking in resources! Come to us. Top-tier training is waiting for you!!"

"..."

"Yellow..."

It would be easy to try and stop her. But would that truly be in her best interest...?

"Make up your mind! Are you going to choose this industrial waste, or are you coming with us!?"

"...Industrial waste?"

"Yeah. What do you expect from a mass-produced piece of junk that can't even grow? She’s nothing but a meat shield."

"Of course, we are not saying all mass-produced models are weak! However, it is a fact that countless comrades have died because such units became a dead weight!!"

They were... dead serious. They truly believed this was the truth.

"Now, come with us!!"

"Shut. Up. Are you hard of hearing, you old bags?"

Yellow glared at them both with eyes full of rage. For the first time in a long while, twin bolts of lightning flickered in her gaze.