Draconic King of Shadows

The silver Mech stopped after 10 minutes had gone by. Though Damion might have carried the least amount of crates, he was the best amongst all the students nonetheless.

No one had words to say when Damion hopped out of the Mech, a nonchalant expression plastered on his face as he looked back at the silver machine, taking in its details.

The Mech stood at a height of 10 meters, with a bulky and imposing body.

The torso was the central hub of the Mech, housing the cockpit and various engine systems.

Its arms were long and powerful, having multiple weapons attached to it. The legs were even stronger, designed for stoic stability and swift mobility. They had wheels attached to their sides, making for faster movement on a clear path.

The head was shaped like a helmet, with a distinctive crest on the forehead, and it featured glowing blue eyes acting as sensors.

It was covered in tough, flexible and durable metal platings with visible seams. Glowing blue lines could be seen between those seams, indicating energy flow. And at the center of the abdominal region, a fierce blue glow could be seen, revealing the position of the energy core.

Damion looked away, shifting his gaze to Raymond who still looked somewhat distressed.

'He knows,' Raymond thought. 'But how?... Are the rumors true… that he had awakened his Ability?'

A few seconds went by, and Raymond was still staring at Damion deeply. Then as if suddenly remembering the students, he let out a sigh and faced them.

"This last task is the most important," Raymond boomed, his voice reverberating in the hall. "Failure will not be tolerated."

He said nothing more after that and walked away, closing the door behind him and locking it.

There was silence for a moment, before Raymond's voice came in from a speaker in the walls.

"This would be a Battle Royale because there isn't much time, so the last five students standing would be declared the best performers in the test. Begin!"

The words had barely come from the speakers before the students were already moving, rushing towards their Mechs at their fastest speed.

Damion spared Lyra a glance, before turning back and walking towards the Mech. He seemed to mouth the words sorry in Lyra's perspective, and truthfully she felt hurt that the Mech she felt was hers was about to be taken.

However, she didn't look worried as one believed. The hidden joy in her eyes became evident, and those who noticed it felt bad for whoever she was targeting.

They followed her stare to see who it was, and their remorse instantly vanished with the wind when they saw Damion.

"He can die for all I care," these were their thoughts as they got into their Mechs.

Damion was the closest to the Mech he used out of everyone there, and when he got close to it, Dragon's Authority washing over it, he felt a subtle change, and he stopped.

Damion furrowed his brows, confusion painting his face. The System's next message seemed to enlighten him, and he jumped back, performing a flip in the air and landing on his feets.

[Error! Unable to communicate with Mech 329]

[Control has been overridden]

"Tech Manipulation?" Damion questioned. "That makes sense. That's why she's the best student in this class."

Damion stood straight, watching the Mech move a bit rigidly, swaying like it was going to fall over soon. It seemed like with her being far away from it, her control over the Mech wasn't as great. It struggled to detach the two short, hollow, metal sticks to its back, holding them in its front and taking a stance.

Damion cocked his head to the side, puzzled by what the Mech was going to do with the hollow sticks.

It sauntered forward, taking one step at a time. Suddenly it burst forth with speed, running across the ground and causing it to rumble.

Damion felt a small amount of fear as the ground quaked, the blue of the Mech transitioning from its soft blue glow to an ominous red.

Dragon's Authority thwarted the fear that had almost overcame him, and he moved, running towards the Mech bravely.

Those who saw him paused and stared, to see if their eyes weren't playing tricks on them… He was actually running towards the Mech! Did he have a death wish?

"Fool," someone scoffed, watching intensely to know Damion's fate.

Damion took each calculated step at the right time, and when he felt close enough, he rolled to the side, dodging the Mech's surprise attack.

The sticks it held turned out to be laser weapons, and the holes in it the exit for the blades. They went through the ground, creating a long black line and almost setting it on fire.

Damion rolled to his feet, and immediately, he jumped, landing on the Mechs back.

Damion wasn't expecting it, but the moment he landed, the Mech fell over, skewering itself on its laser blades.

His eyes gleamed, and a notification popped up in his view.

[Proceed to absorb the Orb?]

[Yes/No]

Damion's gaze dropped, and he saw his hand resting on a glowing blue Orb. His eyes widened in realization, and he immediately chose No, causing the screen to flicker out of view.

He sighed in relief, and his gaze lifted, a fierce purple glow in his eyes. Lyra subconsciously took a step back from where she was, feeling her hair stand on their ends.

Had she pissed him off?

Before anyone could react to the scene of Damion bringing a Mech to its knees, he jumped off and dashed for the nearest Mech.

A sense of urgency filled the student who owned it, and he agilely found his way into the cockpit. He hurriedly closed the hatch, and began starting the Mech.

In that same instant, Damion reached the hatch, and Dragon's Authority flared, the purple in his eyes glowing brighter.

No one understood what happened next, not even Damion, but the Mech suddenly malfunctioned, and the hatch opened, revealing a stunned female student.