I’ll be the Red Ranger
Chapter 90 – My Turn

- Oliver -

"Damian?" Oliver murmured, surprised to see the familiar face projected on the hologram.

The last time he'd seen him, they were desperately fleeing from goblins in the icy caves of GL581. Now, Damian appeared there, marked by scars that told part of the story after being cornered by the goblins. Oliver recalled seeing one of Damian's teammates during the fight against the Orks but hadn't known the boy's whereabouts until now.

'Looks like he didn't come out unscathed,' Oliver thought, observing the marks on Damian's face. 'It doesn't make up for what he did, but it's good to see the goblins managed to pay back somehow.'

The narrator's voice echoed through the loudspeakers: "The sixty competitors have entered the field. Let's start the match!"

Unlike the Trial Tower, there were no giant holograms in the arena, and it wasn't clear who was narrating. However, his comments reverberated throughout the stadium and to those watching from home.

"Alright, we have many talents in this arena. Let's highlight those with the greatest chance of advancing in this phase," the commentator explained.

'He doesn't seem to be an officer from the NEA. They're really turning this into a sporting spectacle,' Oliver reflected as he listened to the description.

"One interesting competitor is Damian Nemo. Besides belonging to one of the Great Houses, he possesses the power of his lineage: he's capable of controlling beings with weaker minds, especially monsters," the commentator explained.

At that moment, the gates at the ends of the arena began to rise.

"Unfortunately, he has a whip as his Ranger Weapon and was from the Second Battalion. Therefore, I don't have high expectations for his performance," the narrator added with a slightly skeptical tone.

In the dim light of the gates, a horde of robots rose. Each exuded a threatening aura, even though they were just training machines. Their silhouettes were designed to simulate real threats: metallic armor marked by scars, eyes glowing like incandescent red dots. Some wielded firearms, while others brandished sharp claws ready to attack.

The robots began to march in unison, advancing against the competitors. The symphony of metal and rhythmic footsteps captured the spectators' attention.

When the machines were less than fifty meters away, they suddenly changed. From a slow advance, they began to run at high speed, charging ferociously at the opponents.

"Let's finally begin the fight," announced the narrator, full of enthusiasm.

Although the competitors should have been aware of the robots' behavior from the provided descriptions, the ferocity of the attack still surprised some. A few showed hesitation, but not Damian. Quickly, he threw two metallic disks on the ground. Oliver watched, intrigued, expecting him to use the whip defensively.

From the disks, a bluish energy began to emanate, forming a field that seemed to intensify as the match progressed. Dozens of robots approached Damian, who skillfully swung the whip against the first two adversaries.

The flexible blade of the whip hissed through the air, wrapping around the first robot. With a swift movement, Damian pulled the weapon, causing the machine to lose balance and collide with the second approaching robot. The collision resulted in a shower of sparks and mechanical components flying in all directions.

"Impressive! Damian shows exceptional skill in handling his weapon!" exclaimed the commentator.

'The first horde will have twenty robots; as long as a person had a good performance in their combat training, they should be able to easily get past the first round,' Oliver thought, watching the competitors.

"Another interesting talent is on the other side of the arena: Mirella Thorne," the commentator announced, his voice echoing throughout the arena. "The girl comes from a lesser House but has an odd boon."

Upon hearing the name, Oliver immediately directed his gaze to her battlefield. The area where Mirella fought had something strange. Thin, almost invisible wires were spread everywhere, reflecting the artificial light in silvery tones. They looked like giant spider webs, stretching out in a complex mesh that covered the terrain around her.

The robots advanced toward her, their metallic armor gleaming under the intense lights. One of them, more agile, ran and leaped in a high arc, aiming to strike Mirella from above. With a subtle movement of her hand, almost as if conducting an invisible symphony, she activated her trap.

The thousands of wires around her came to life in the blink of an eye. They moved with frightening speed and precision, intertwining and forming intricate patterns. The robot was enveloped mid-air as the wires sliced through its metallic carcass like sharp blades. In seconds, the machine was shredded into thousands of pieces, which fell to the ground like a rain of metal.

The commentator held his breath, impressed at the demonstration of power and control.

"No wonder her nickname is Spider," the commentator said excitedly. "She uses wires as her Ranger Weapon, controlling thousands of steel filaments to set traps and eliminate her opponents. Mirella was also among the top scorers during the Ranger Weapon training of this quarter!"

Oliver watched, impressed. The elegance and efficiency with which Mirella manipulated the wires were hypnotic. Each movement was calculated, the wires responding instantly to her commands, forming barriers, traps, and offensive weapons. She transformed the battlefield into her own domain, a deadly web from which no enemy could escape.

Other robots tried to surround her but met the same fate. Wires emerged from the ground and surrounding structures, capturing and destroying the machines with surgical precision. The arena around her became a zone of artistic destruction, a testament to her unparalleled skill.

A sudden shriek echoed through the room, surprising even the commentator.

"Raaakk!"

Oliver turned sharply to the other side of the screen, with his heart racing. The other competitors' reactions indicated that something extraordinary had happened.

"What is that?" questioned the commentator, his voice laden with surprise and excitement.

High-definition cameras quickly focused on Damian's arena. The enlarged image revealed an impressive scene: two Ice Goblins had appeared on the battlefield, strategically positioning themselves to defend different parts of his area. Each creature moved with supernatural agility, tearing apart approaching robots with fierce and precise strikes. They carried steel blades in each of their hands that shone under the arena's intense lights.

Damian, at the center of his zone, maintained a confident pose. His eyes were fixed on the opponents who managed to escape the Goblins, and with fluid movements of his whip, he neutralized any remaining threats.

"Was that a small teleportation device he threw?" the commentator pondered, still trying to understand what happened.

Oliver crossed his arms, thoughtful. 'Smart. He prepared items to complement his combat style,' he reflected. 'He'll be quite difficult.'

The first wave of attacks was coming to an end. Sirens sounded, indicating the start of the next assault.

"First wave over!" announced the commentator enthusiastically. "Get ready for the second wave. This time, we'll have more robots, and they'll be faster. In this stage, we should start seeing the first eliminations—"

Before he could finish, an unexpected event caught everyone's attention.

As the competitors prepared for the new wave, one of the participants took a daring measure. With an agile leap, he crossed the barrier that delimited his area and invaded a nearby competitor's arena. Shots were exchanged from both sides, the tension rising rapidly. The invader advanced toward the opponent's pillar, determined to sabotage their defense.

However, upon touching the pillar, he simply vanished, disintegrating into a shower of particles.

"Looks like we have our first defeat!" exclaimed the commentator, the surprise evident in his voice. "Someone didn't read the instructions provided on their gauntlets. Competitors must remain within their arenas, cannot touch other participants' pillars, and cannot attack their competitors."

Oliver brought his hand to his forehead, incredulous. 'Fuck! Someone really didn't read the extra rules,' he thought, shaking his head in surprise.

But he wouldn't be the last to test the limits of the regulations. As soon as the second wave began, one of the recruits revealed a peculiar Boon. As he swung his arms, the recruit released a dense black smoke that began to spread throughout the arena. The thick fog hindered the vision of the other competitors, creating a chaotic and unpredictable environment.

Spectators awaited an intervention from the organizers, but nothing happened. The competitor remained in his area, hadn't touched others' pillars, and hadn't directly attacked any opponent. He was technically within the rules.

'It was expected that someone would try something like this,' Oliver considered. 'Sooner or later, strategies like this would appear.'

A sudden cry of shock came from nearby.

"My God!" exclaimed Isabela, her eyes fixed on her hologram. "Arena 23 finished their exam. They must be starting to call the next group."

"That quick?" asked Oliver, surprised.

"Yes. There was a technomancer among the competitors. He infiltrated a virus into the robots, boosting their strength to the maximum, wiping out all the other participants in the first round," Isabela explained, still shocked by what she had watched.

"Tricky," murmured Oliver. Determining whether the action was within or outside the rules was quite hard. The technomancer hadn't directly attacked the others but had influenced the adversaries' robots, making them more dangerous.

Before he could ponder more on the matter, his gauntlet vibrated softly. An urgent notification flashed in the air.

| Please proceed to Arena 23

"It's my turn."