Chapter 5: Firestorm
“Dueling Domes are one of the key technologies that have helped make the Enhanced Combat Tournament the most popular sport by a large margin. The ability for combatants to fight in a randomized, highly realistic virtual environment without the fear of real world implications, all while the audience can see into the fight.”
- Omelia Lado
- Renowned Journalist
I am woken by a gentle buzzing in my ear as the first rays of sunlight stream through the smart glass. I get up and stretch, looking for a way to turn off the buzzing, which is growing annoying.
I jump a foot into the air when I hear a voice speak to me, “Good morning! How do you like your new alarm?"
“Paradox, you scared the stars out of me. Also, please turn off that annoying buzzing.” I reply, cutting across Paradox giggles.
“Sure, give me a moment. You are also expected to be at the main arena within an hour.”
With the Paradox guiding me, I am soon leaving my dorm and heading toward the arena. The stadium is in the same direction as the party from last night, but slightly to the right. It is hidden from the rest of the island thanks to clever landscaping and design.
This enormous structure has more than three levels of seating, with overgrown vegetation covering the fourth tier. Massive holographic screens and enormous rings of neon light adorn the polished, weathered granite structure as a whole.
The stadium's central section is divided into two large dueling fields. There is a little ring of shrubs around the edge of the central section.
Today, however, the dueling fields are concealed beneath a massive platform on which the Major General and other military officials stand. Opposite them is a group of roughly one hundred first-year students. I make my way over to Corvus, Mara, and Alia, who are seated together in one of the back rows.
“Good morning, cadets,” the Major General says, nodding to the line of military officers behind us as I take a seat beside my friends. “Anyone not dressed in the outfit that was sent to them will be escorted on a full lap around the island.”
There is the stomping of boots as the military officers behind us move towards the unlucky few who are not wearing uniforms and guide them out of the stadium.
“Enhanced play an important role in our modern society,” declares the Major General after the last group has vanished from view.
“As the backbone of the international armed forces, it is imperative that enhanced soldiers are quick, decisive, and adaptable. Therefore, enhanced soldiers operate in pairs of two. A squad, the smallest functional group permitted to undertake a mission, is made up of two of these pairs.”
He pauses and looks each one of us in the eyes before continuing, “For the remainder of the year, a partner will be assigned to each of you. Only at the end of the year will you be permitted to switch partners; you will rise and fall together. Fear not; the partners have been assigned based on friendships and whether or not you have been observed to work well together.”
There is a loud bark of silence from a deceptively short man with a bushy handlebar mustache standing behind the major, silencing the whispered conversation that had broken out.
Major takes a moment to give the man an appreciative nod. "Thank you, Captain Cox. Where was I? Ah, you will be divided into three classes. A, B, and C, depending on your performances in EAT. We will not be fair, for neither is life. Consequently, class A shall enjoy the utmost advantages, attention, and precedence. Following them shall be class B, and lastly, class C. Should you demonstrate diligence and competence, promotion will be within your reach. However, be warned that if you become complacent, a long, downhill slide awaits you.”
“I will not waste anymore of your time because it is time for you to enjoy a hot breakfast for half an hour before reporting for Combat class. It will be held in the Combat Center as a common class for all the first-year cadets.”
As the Major General dismisses us, I turn to Corvus, Mara, and Alia. “Looks like we'll be in the same combat class together. Any ideas on how it will be conducted?”
Corvus grins, cracking his knuckles. “Well, I'm definitely looking forward to it! I've been itching to try out some new designs I've been cooking up with Phantom. Hopefully, we'll get to spar against each other again!”
Mara rolls her eyes, feigning annoyance. “You wish, Corvus. Last time, I barely broke a sweat. Besides, I'm more interested in learning strategies and techniques. Perhaps the teachers will help us out if we are in class A.”
Alia snorts. “You and Corvus will get into class A easily. Although your rank may not be as high as the students who received the regular GAI, it's still one of the highest among those who got the new GAI like us.”
─── °:. *₊ ° . ° .･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☾ .* :☆ﾟ. °:. *₊ ° . ° .───
After a heavy breakfast filled with a lot of laughter, we find ourselves in a stream of students heading towards the Combat Center.
The center has undergone a complete transformation overnight. It has been partitioned into four expansive squares, each with an unequal distribution of space. Within these squares, a multitude of dueling rings and obstacles have been strategically arranged. Occupying each square is a military officer clad in a combat suit.
I am guided by Paradox towards the second largest square, in which a young woman who appears to be in her late twenties stands.
As the last stranglers join us, the woman begins to speak: “I am Captain Estella Firestorm, the combat instructor for the Dominion archetype. My rank is A6, if you are curious and think you know more than me.”
She smiles, taking in our dumbstruck expressions. A6 is a very high rank, easily putting her in the top 100 most powerful Enhanced. The highest rank ever shown publicly is A8.
“Now to set expectations.” She declares with a gleam in her eye after the murmurs that had risen die. “If I see you using your powers in any conventional way at any time of the day, be it duels or sparring, I will personally make sure that you have to run five laps around the island.”
She raises her hand to stop the flood of questions. “I have a good reason for this and a personal motivation of my own. How you attempt to use your abilities is the key factor that will determine your future abilities and evolutions.”
"We Dominion have the most flexibility with our powers. I have seen people evolve their abilities to great heights and unique combos that make them a menace on the field.”
A jagged bolt of electricity arcs out of her hand to hit a far wall as she continues to say, “We can throw bolts of lightning by manipulating the magnetic fields around us. Our telekinesis allows us to affect our world in a way never thought possible.”
“Or even telepathy.” I hear Captain Firestorm's voice in my head.
“As for my personal motivation, every time you fight, use your abilities, and I am teaching you. My GAI can use the data you collect for your own GAI to train itself. This is the best way to get to higher ranks at A rank and above. Which is why most A rankers are teachers like me.”
“Now, it is time to test you and evaluate which class you belong to. You each will take part in a duel against me and a couple of runs on the obstacle course. Also, your GAI personal assistant will be disabled for the next few hours.”
The captain steps into a dueling ring next to us and turns towards us. “What are you waiting for? Go run the obstacle course. You won’t be given extra time. Only Aldien will join me in the dueling field.”
The obstacle course consisted of a series of challenges designed to test our agility, speed, and endurance. There were low walls to vault over, balance beams to navigate, and sandpits. The course was not particularly difficult, but it was physically demanding, especially since the scoring was percentile-based.
I think I should save the best run for the last few runs I do. I do not want the rest of them to copy me. If I see someone using a better route, I should definitely copy it.
I run through the obstacle course at a moderate pace, keeping my eyes open for any shortcut I can spy. It went perfectly until I met my arch nemesis, the sand pit.
The sand is weird; it's almost bubbly, and my feet sink into it if I do not keep moving. That would not be too hard, if not for the styrofoam logs that fall from above before sinking into the sand, along with anyone unfortunate enough to be caught with it.
My downfall occurs when I spot a log falling down right in front of me. Instead of charging ahead, I do what any sane person would do and stop. I remain motionless as I sink further into the grainy sand, realizing too late that I have made a mistake.
I touch down on top of massive air vents that shoot jets of air into the sand above, keeping it suspended in midair. The cursed log is chasing me down the slope that leads to the beginning, so I do not have time to admire it any more.
A tiny trench that marks the abrupt end of the slope. I jump across the gap and land gracefully while the log rolls into the trench and is sent to terrorize another student.
Taking deep, ragged breaths, I sit with my head between my knees. When my breathing finally returns to normal, I stand and head towards the starting point, but not before grabbing a cold bottle of water from a small stand setup thoughtfully.
Drinking small sips, I watch the captain in a dueling circle fight a pale skinned girl with long silver braided hair.
The captain glides around the girl’s spear, using her wings to keep her a hair’s width away from the jagged tip. The fight is quite one sided with the girl only having the beginning of a silver gauntlet whose metallic plates are accented by a golden glow. In contrast, the captain has a complete suit of seamless crystalline armor, which is made from a transparent, glossy material that stretches along with her.
The fight ends abruptly when the girl falls over a projected barrier in the dueling ring after being rendered blind by the reflections from Captain Firestorm's armor.
Desummoning her armor, the captain pulls the cadet to her feet and speaks a few words that bring a smile to the girl's face. Then she turns and points to a boy of Mediterranean descent to join her.
I do not stay to watch as time is running out and I have to get a move on. It takes a few tries, but I finally make it to the end.
Pressing the giant red button, I watch a hologram flicker to show the details of my run.
─── °:. *₊ ° . ° .･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☾ .* :☆ﾟ. °:. *₊ ° . ° .───
Name: Elian Rowas Sylvus
Category: Dominion
Time: 8 minutes, 35 seconds
Percentile: 65%
Leaderboard
1. Odile Girard -> 6:02
2. Adia Alad -> 6:10
3. Mitso Cheral -> 6:33
─── °:. *₊ ° . ° .･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☾ .* :☆ﾟ. °:. *₊ ° . ° .───
65 percentile! Damn, I have a long way to go if I want to go to class A. Thank heavens for yesterday's constitution upgrade. I can barely walk back to the start as it is.
I groan internally and drag myself all the way back to the beginning through the exit, walking at the speed of an elderly man, before I collapse, holding a bottle of water.
Captain Firestorm is busy fighting a burly boy with a broadsword, using nothing but her daggers to completely disarm him within a couple of seconds. I wish I could fight that well. Ah well, I still need to finish the obstacle course in a decent time.
Time rushes past, and I manage to inch my percentile to seventy over the course of a couple dozen runs. Before I am called to join the captain in the dueling ring.
Stepping into the ring, I hear a faint callout from Paradox, “Entering Combat Mode.” Shocking me to no end, as I have not heard from her for a couple of hours now.
I do not think about it too much because there is a buzzing sound as my sword and shield materialize in front of me. My shield is slightly different from yesterday's, perhaps more angular? It feels a tad lighter, just not enough to make me think I am not imagining it.
“Are you ready?” The captain asks, oozing boredom. I nod, gripping my shield tighter and setting my feet slightly further apart.
Instantly, there is a popping noise as a holographic dome. It is one of the coolest piece of technology I have ever seen. Allowing me and the captain to be immersed in a virtual environment while the others see a projection of me and the captain fighting without the environment.
I only have a moment to look around at the dusty desert with its rolling sand dunes, and then the captain is attacking my exposed sword arm with a quick thrust of her dagger.
Jumping to the side, I force her into having her back to the sun to stop the reflections, simultaneously dodging the strike. I dart forward, hoping to catch her in a vulnerable position with one of her arms extended. I bash aside one of her daggers with my shield while launching a large overhead strike at her shoulder blade.
The captain moves back a couple of inches, causing my sword to just graze along her armor effectively. I overextend, not expecting this, unlike the captain, who is already using my mistake to draw a thin line of simulated blood along my forearm as I try to dodge.
“Tsk, you need to work on your combat sense.” I hear the captain's voice in my head, startling me into jumping back. “Try that again, but this time, try not to make the same mistake.”
So I do, only to be rewarded with another cut. This time it's along my chest and with her other dagger.
“Try again," comes the captain's bored voice.
This time, I manage not to get cut and even cause a scratch on her armor. I am so proud that I almost miss the captain's counterattack. I am instantly on the backfoot, retreating under a storm of strikes.
A few manage to get through and leave thin cuts along my body. It is like yesterday again. I am once more waiting for my opponent to make a mistake, but I know this one will not.
The next few minutes are some of the most nerve wracking moments of my life as I slowly gain more cuts and get slower and slower. I try to think of something I can do in order to turn this around.
Nothing comes to me, and I am soon standing with my back to a dune. It hits me then, and I send out a torrent of telekinetic force at the ground below us.
The next few moments are a blur. I did it, even though I have a splitting headache, feel like my face is about to burst, and have blood dripping from some part of it. My reward is a massive dust cloud from all the sand particles I have just displaced, along with itchy eyes from all the sand.
On autopilot, I close my eyes and swing my sword heavily towards the last location of my opponent. I even throw my shield to the side, hoping to get lucky enough to hit her. Not like I will be able to fight any longer.
My rapier comes to a sudden stop. Then there is a sharp pressure on the hilt of my sword, causing me to drop it. It is followed by the feel of cool metal on my throat.
When I finally open my eyes, I see the captain's face close to mine and her dagger touching my neck. I squeak out, “I surr-surrender.”
There is a gleam in the captain’s eye as the ring disperses the holograms. Leaving me just as tired but in the same state I entered the ring in. Except for a sticky feeling near my mouth. It's probably my brain playing tricks on me.
I am interrupted from trying to find any trace of the myriad of cuts that were there a moment ago by a cough. I become straight as a rod and face Captain Firestorm, slightly red in the face.
“At ease, cadet. That was an interesting fight. You have no experience fighting and not a lot of talent for it either. But that can be fixed through hard work and practice. What I cannot teach you is to think on your feet.” The captain says, the corners of her mouth twitching as she sees my pleased expression.
Even though it would please me to place you in class A. You have a very low score on the obstacle course. However, I am confident that you can join class A in a few months if you are given a good partner. Particularly considering that you possess the new GAI model."
“You should not worry too much about the fact that the majority of your classmates will be stronger than you by more than fifty percent. You will catch up to and possibly surpass them in due course. Go to the infirmary and have your nose checked as well.”
Just as I am about to leave in a state of shock, the captain calls over her back, “My GAI sent you a recording of this match with all your mistakes on it. Additionally, it has also given you moves that you should master and perform a thousand times or more until they come naturally to you.”
Only after I exit the Combat Center do I realize that I have no idea where the infirmary is.
“What would you do without me? Also, I got the recording.” comes Paradox’s voice.
“Well, then I did have to find a map. But it is good to hear from you again.” I reply, following Paradox’s directions.
“Nice to be able to talk again. It was a good fight, you know? Even if you managed to injure yourself in a simulation. We may get an upgrade once I process all this juicy data,” Paradox comments excitedly, seeing me internally replay the duel.
I chuckle at her enthusiasm before asking something that is gnawing at me, “Do you know how I managed to use my ability like that?”
“If I had to guess, you managed to activate the adaptive routines. Possibly changing your ability forever, considering that your current one is most likely broken. Hence, the nosebleed.”