Colossus class

Lieutenant X pressed a button on his console, isolating the screen for Team 19 and magnifying it to fill his private monitor. His curiosity grew as he fished through the participant's information, questions piling up in his mind.

What happened to his teammate? What is his Biocore? Why is he using a pulse gun with no visible piercing power when he could wield something deadlier? Why rely so heavily on a knife? And why is he struggling this much against F-rank units?

He leaned forward, muttering to himself as the boy's movements unfolded on the screen. "Good reaction time… good reflexes… good discipline… good strategy…" He blinked, realizing he was doling out compliments to an outer city participant. That was unheard of.

A doubt gnawed at him, prompting him to pull up the boy's file. His eyes scanned the document quickly, taking in the bare-bones data.

"Name: Nioh. No last name. Age fourteen. Orphan. Survivor of the Titan-3 attack ten years ago." Lieutenant X's voice faltered as he read the details. "Deaf and paralyzed as a child… rebuilt through Biocore augmentation. Mental force: S-rank. Physical stats: C-rank. Specialty: Biomechanical engineering…"

He paused, looking back at the screen. "So, he's a bookworm with a shitty physique. But what is his Biocore? Telekinesis? No, it's not the same. Those vibrations are too fast, too precise to be purely mental force. He's fast, though—faster than he should be."

His gaze shifted back to the action on screen, where Nioh was carving through the Mechanical Jaws like a relentless machine. Despite the efficient kills, Lieutenant X shook his head grimly.

"Unfortunately, his partner's a complete idiot," he muttered. "He's not going to last. That's over a hundred Mechanical Jaws closing in. With a busted right arm and a body stat that low, this kid's toast."

The screen showed Nioh cutting down the fifteenth feral beast, his movements growing sluggish. Exhaustion was taking its toll, compounded by the relentless pain radiating from his injured shoulder.

"You won't last long at this rhythm," Ekoh's calm voice echoed in his mind.

"I know," Nioh replied through gritted teeth, taking three shaky steps back. He fired his pulse gun into the horde, the shots creating temporary gaps in the onslaught.

His retreat brought him closer to Aksel, who was still sprawled unconscious against the rock wall. The dried blood on Aksel's face and uniform gave the illusion of critical injury, but his steady breathing betrayed his actual condition—deep, undisturbed sleep.

A flare of frustration ignited in Nioh. Every aching muscle in his body screamed for rest, yet his so-called partner had the audacity to remain comatose during their fight for survival.

Without hesitation, Nioh channeled every ounce of pent-up frustration into a single, devastating kick. His foot slammed into Aksel's abdomen with bone-rattling force, sending the sleeping boy airborne.

"How much longer are you planning to sleep?!" Nioh roared, his voice cracking with anger.

The kick launched Aksel deep into the horde of Mechanical Jaws, where he tumbled like a ragdoll.

Lieutenant X, who had been sipping his drink, choked violently as the scene unfolded. He slammed his cup onto the console, coughing and wheezing. "Did he just—?! Did he just kick his own teammate into the enemy?!"

Back on the ground, Aksel awoke mid-flight, his groggy eyes widening in horror as he realized his predicament.

"Wha—?!" he yelped, flailing his arms as he plummeted into the writhing mass of metallic beasts.

The horde hesitated momentarily, their attention split between Nioh and the unexpected intruder now in their midst.

Lieutenant X leaned closer to the screen, his expression a mix of astonishment and begrudging amusement. "This kid might actually be insane."

Aksel's massive frame crashed into the horde of Mechanical Jaws, the impact scattering a handful of them like pebbles. Before the feral creatures could swarm him, his towering form expanded further, transforming into a 10-meter colossus of red and white alloy, with bulky armor plating and a rugged design that screamed raw power.

In a swift motion, Aksel activated his Magnetic Attraction Net, a spherical device humming with amplifying magnets that unleashed an irresistible field. The field pulled every metallic creature in the vicinity toward him, their jagged jaws snapping futilely as they lunged en masse.

The scene became chaotic. Hundreds of the feral Mechanical Jaws were drawn in like moths to a flame, their movements erratic as they fought against the overwhelming magnetic force. Aksel took advantage of their clustered state, gripping his Plasma Heavy Battle Axe with both hands. The axe's blade ignited, glowing with a molten plasma edge that pulsed with destructive energy.

With a primal roar, Aksel swung the axe downward. The blade descended like a cleaver, its plasma edge slicing clean through the metallic creatures. Each swing vaporized multiple Mechanical Jaws at a time, the plasma leaving glowing scars in the air. The beasts that bit into Aksel's armor found themselves biting futility—any damaged sections of his mech suit regenerated almost instantaneously, metal reforming with an eerie, fluid precision. This only fueled Aksel's fury, allowing him to deliver even more vicious attacks.

The air filled with the sound of grinding metal, plasma burns, and the screeches of the feral biocores being obliterated. Within moments, Aksel stood amidst a field of shattered mechanical limbs and smoldering fragments, his plasma axe dripping molten residue.

Nioh, leaning against the rocky wall of the cul-de-sac, took the opportunity to catch his breath, his chest rising and falling heavily. He muttered under his breath, "So he can be useful… when he's not dead weight."

Meanwhile, Lieutenant X, watching the scene from his private feed, went through an array of emotions. First, disbelief at Nioh's apparent ruthlessness in kicking his partner into danger. Then astonishment as Aksel revealed himself to be a Colossus-Type Core Binder. And finally, sheer entertainment as the carnage unfolded.

"Regeneration, magnetic traps, and a plasma axe? What kind of chaotic combination is that?" he murmured, choking on his drink in surprise. "This outer-city evaluation is turning out to be far more entertaining than I expected."

Lieutenant X's curiosity deepened as he analyzed the footage. The mechanical axe cleaved through the Mechanical Jaws with brutal efficiency, while the regeneration ability of the colossus mech absorbed the relentless barrage of bites and claw strikes.

"This level of coordination… it wouldn't be possible without a weapon designer," he muttered. His eyes flicked between the modified battle axe and the attraction net, noting their enhanced capabilities. "The question is, is he the designer? If so, this kid's a genius."

The pulse handgun and vibrating dagger, however, remained enigmas. Without further context, it was impossible to assess their origins or modifications.

As Nioh's team began to rack up an alarming number of points, the activity on screen 19 started to catch the attention of other recruiters in the observation deck.

"This colossus mech is perfect for frontal assaults!" one recruiter remarked, his voice filled with admiration. "With that regeneration ability, it's practically invincible. Look at the pilot—using the axe to perfection!"

"No, no," another recruiter argued, leaning forward with intense focus. "The mech is clearly built for defense. See how it absorbs damage? The pilot's creating opportunities for counterattacks by deliberately drawing aggro."

"It's raking in points fast," a third recruiter chimed in, eyes wide with intrigue. "Even if they're just F-rank Mechanical Jaws, a horde that size can overwhelm a B-rank Biocore with ease. The pilot must be exceptionally skilled to manage this so effectively."

Lieutenant X remained silent as he replayed snippets of the battle, watching how Nioh had adapted to the situation. From precise use of his pulse handgun to the deft throws of his vibrating dagger, every move was deliberate, calculated. The mech's pilot—a presumably oblivious Aksel—was far less skilled, but the colossus' overwhelming durability and firepower compensated for the deficiency.