The faint buzz of Bai Sha's wrist-mounted light computer pierced the quiet, rousing her from a fitful slumber. She stirred, her body aching as she lifted herself from the cluttered workbench, tools and metal scraps scattered like the aftermath of a storm. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, a testament to days spent wrestling with antiquated machinery. Blinking blearily, she glanced at the device's glowing alert and jolted upright—the second elite team competition of the joint military exercise was today.
Time was tight, but she could still make it to the venue. The reminder had been set weeks ago, a precaution against her tendency to lose herself in mech crafting. Another notification flickered across the screen, nudging her memory: the Zhou brothers' birthday. Amid the chaos of battling obsolete tools, she'd devised an ingenious workaround—model fusion and molten casting—to craft a pair of mech wings. With their birthday looming and no other gifts prepared, she'd sent the wings to Zhou Wei and Zhou Ying, trusting their discretion. As old friends, they'd respect the unspoken rule: one wing each, a playful gesture, not a complete set to be flaunted on a rival's mech in the competition. To do otherwise would betray years of camaraderie, and Bai Sha had faith in their restraint.
She rolled her stiff shoulders, wincing, and began tidying the workbench's disarray. A soft rustle behind her announced Jiang Gui's arrival, his presence as unobtrusive as a shadow. He placed a saffron-colored meal box before her. "Awake? Eat breakfast."
Bai Sha yawned, her voice languid. "It's ten o'clock, Teacher."
"Then call it lunch. Whatever suits you," Jiang Gui replied, unfazed.
She opened the box to find a cheese-and-ham sandwich, its crust studded with dried blueberry flecks. The bread crunched satisfyingly, its crispness melding with the creamy cheese and savory ham. Three seconds later, the sandwich was gone. "Not enough, Teacher," she said, eyeing the unopened box in his hand with unabashed longing.
"That's all. I made two," Jiang Gui said coolly. "You've passed your test. Now get out—don't loiter here mooching food."
Bai Sha had aced Jiang Gui's grueling challenge. The wings she'd sent to the Zhou brothers had earned his approval, though she'd skipped registering them with the Mech Engineers' Association to avoid complications with Federation-bound gifts. Her task was technically complete, but she'd lingered in the workshop for three more days, coaxing eight arrows from the Queen's claws. Their tips, deceptively subdued at rest, gleamed with a fierce golden light when drawn. She named them "Yi-Shooting Arrows," a nod to their rarity and potency.
"I want to craft a bow next—'Crow's Cry Bow,'" Bai Sha said, her eyes alight. "They'd be perfect together, but materials are scarce."
Jiang Gui studied the arrows, their sleek forms glinting under the lab's harsh lights. "They're consumable. You can retrieve them, but they'll eventually need replacing."
The Red-Feather Sparrow Queen wasn't a once-in-a-century find, but its materials were far from common. Bai Sha shrugged. "That's not my problem yet. Once the bow's done, I'll experiment with substitute arrows. In terms of raw damage, these are top-tier cold weapons."
Jiang Gui knew she'd already envisioned the bow's design. He pulled up her schematic, the holographic model spinning slowly—a crescent moon suspended in void, its lines both delicate and ferocious. The bow's aesthetic was otherworldly, a blend of elegance and raw power, its simulated draw evoking a falcon's poised wings. "Not bad," he said after a long pause. "One step from legendary."
"One step?" Bai Sha echoed, leaning forward.
"Legendary weapons need three master engineers' approval," Jiang Gui explained. "You've passed my test, but others must evaluate it. And first, you need to complete the weapon." He sighed. "If you hadn't gifted those wings, they could've been part of a full mech set, guaranteeing a legendary rating. Now, you'll need extra effort. Why were you so quick to give them away? Not worried they'll malfunction?"
"They won't see combat anytime soon," Bai Sha said, waving off his concern. "They're for collection—a keepsake, not gear."
"Generous to a fault," Jiang Gui muttered, familiar with her Federation ties. "Who're they for?"
"A pair of twins on the Federation team," Bai Sha said. "You'd recognize them from the matches—hard to miss."
Jiang Gui's eyebrow arched. "You gave one pair to two people?"
"One wing each," Bai Sha said, puzzled. "What's wrong with that?"
Jiang Gui inhaled sharply, a flicker of pity crossing his face. "Nothing. It's fine." He patted her shoulder, steering her toward the exit. "Keep it up."
Bai Sha blinked, bewildered. Had she erred? Did Jiang Gui think one wing per person was stingy? They were crafted from a Queen's bones, for stars' sake! Even as he politely ushered her off the planet, she couldn't decipher his cryptic reaction.
At the port, she boarded a private starship, flanked by a small retinue of imperial guards. The royal transit lane bypassed the congested queues of civilian vessels, promising a swift journey to the nearest jump station. In hours, she'd reach her destination.
The second-year team competition wasn't held at the previous venue—the indoor arena, battered by the last match's chaos, was deemed inauspicious, if not outright unusable. Instead, the event unfolded on an imperial planet, within a sprawling military training ground. No live audience was permitted, but the matches were broadcast galaxy-wide. Team members from both the Empire and Federation were granted entry as spectators.
Before entering, Bai Sha messaged her squad via their five-person chat, dubbed "Empire's Most Stunning Squad." You guys really not coming?
Xino and Yu Yan cited family obligations. Ji Ya, ever nonchalant, scoffed that if Kaisin Greiz couldn't win, he was beyond redemption, and her rival's failure would only cheapen her own victories. Cen Yuehuai, meanwhile, wailed about her family's relentless push for her to study medicine alongside her soldier training, bombarding her with theoretical texts during breaks.
"Fine," Bai Sha typed. "I'll keep an eye out and update you if anything happens."
She adjusted her sunglasses and tugged her black cap lower, her temporary hair dye—a short-acting shade of ash—completing her disguise. Dressed in a nondescript black student uniform, she loitered near the arena's entrance, blending into the crowd. A sudden tap on her shoulder startled her.
"Hey!"
Ya Ning's grin was radiant, his red hair tied back, his emerald eyes vibrant as climbing vines. A black mask obscured half his face, but his joy was unmistakable. Bai Sha returned his light hug, warmth spreading through her.
Moments later, Yan Jingyi, her sunglasses glinting, dashed up for her own embrace. She froze mid-hug, squinting at Bai Sha. "Did you grow taller again?"
"Have I?" Bai Sha laughed, comparing their heights with a playful gesture. "I hadn't noticed."
The trio chatted briefly before heading inside. "Where're Zhou Wei and Zhou Ying?" Bai Sha asked.
"They're tied up today," Ya Ning said. "Honestly, all five of us together would've drawn too much attention."
Three disguised students were unremarkable—sunglasses, masks, and hats were standard fare. But five? They'd likely trigger a security check. Splitting up was an option, but the stands were packed, mostly standing-room only. Reuniting inside would be a hassle.
At the identity checkpoint, Jingyi and Ya Ning removed their disguises, presenting their Federation team passes. Scanning drones bathed them in blue light, verifying their credentials in seconds before greenlighting their entry. Bai Sha's process was simpler—she flashed her standard ID card, and the gate parted.
"Let's go," she said, pulling them along, weaving through clusters of spectators. They passed through a dim, rectangular tunnel, its walls echoing with the distant roar of the crowd. Emerging into the arena, they were greeted by a cerulean sky, the noise of the stands crashing over them like a wave.
The bleachers teemed with spectators, a dense mosaic of faces. The trio squeezed into a spot with a clear view, the vast field stretching before them, its grass bowing under a restless wind. Patrol drones circled overhead, conducting final checks. A green holographic barrier floated before the stands, displaying the match schedule and warning spectators to keep their distance.
The crowd wasn't sharply divided between Empire and Federation—most mingled freely, chatting with acquaintances. Federation students wore their team uniforms, while imperial students dressed eclectically, rendering Bai Sha's group inconspicuous.
"What's the gimmick this time?" a nearby voice wondered.
"You haven't heard? They're going old-school—arena-style, a gauntlet challenge! Both sides' mechs have equalized energy reserves, one fighter per round. Winners stay, losers leave. It's a war of attrition—last team standing wins."
Bai Sha's brow furrowed. Equalized energy? She'd seen Kaisin Greiz's beast-form mech, a powerhouse with massive reserves but high consumption. Standardizing energy to a typical mech's capacity could hamstring him, tilting the odds subtly against the Empire.
The rules sparked unease. Energy restrictions favored efficiency over raw power, potentially neutralizing the Empire's strengths. She scanned the field, noting the drones' meticulous sweeps, their sensors glinting like predatory eyes. The arena, though open, felt like a trap, its vastness a stage for calculated gambits.
Ya Ning nudged her. "What's with the frown? Worried about your team?"
"Not worried," Bai Sha said, her voice low. "Just… curious. This setup feels deliberate."
Jingyi tilted her head. "Deliberate how?"
Bai Sha hesitated, her instincts prickling. Jiang Gui's warning echoed in her mind—her "accidents" were no coincidence. The Silver Nexus, or its human proxies, could be pulling strings, rigging the competition to undermine the Empire or target her specifically. She shook off the thought, focusing on the present. "Nothing concrete. Just a hunch."
The stands buzzed with anticipation, bets and predictions rippling through the crowd. Federation students boasted of their team's cunning, while imperial spectators countered with confidence in their raw prowess. Bai Sha, Ya Ning, and Jingyi blended seamlessly, their disguises shielding them from scrutiny.
As the drones completed their checks, a horn blared, signaling the match's imminent start. Holographic screens flared to life above the field, projecting the team rosters. Kaisin Greiz's name topped the Empire's list, his reputation a beacon of assurance. Bai Sha's lips curved slightly—he was their anchor, unyielding even under constraints.
Yet doubts lingered. The energy cap could blunt his mech's ferocity, forcing a tactical shift. She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing as the first competitors stepped onto the field, their mechs gleaming under the artificial sun. The clash was moments away, and with it, answers to the questions gnawing at her.
The arena's wind carried a chill, a whisper of the challenges ahead. Bai Sha adjusted her cap, her resolve hardening. Whatever lay beneath this competition's surface, she'd uncover it—on her terms.