Chapter 16 It's Secret
They rose slowly and surveyed the area, trying to identify the figures approaching. Footsteps crunched against leaves and soil. There were ten, maybe twelve of them, advancing in a loose formation. Among the group, one man stood out immediately. His posture carried the confidence of someone used to being obeyed. He walked as though the ground itself shifted to accommodate him.
Their instincts kicked in. Call, Red, and Kit unconsciously stepped back. Ursula, towering behind them, remained utterly still. She did not vibrate or twitch. She simply waited, like a colossal statue made for war. Red clenched her fists but refused to link with the robot. She didn’t want to act first. For all she knew, these people were not here to fight.
The man’s lips curled as he surveyed them. “Well,” he said, voice booming across the clearing, “what do we have here? A bunch of kids.” His gaze rose to Ursula. “And a robot. A huge robot.”
Someone in the group chuckled. “Isn’t that the one who blew up the ship wall earlier?”
Another nodded. “Yeah. That’s the one. Hard to forget metal that huge.”
The leader approached with confident strides. Red felt the earth tremble beneath each step. The attention of the group fell entirely on Ursula, as though she were a treasure on display.
“What do you want?” Call called out. His voice wavered slightly, but he masked it with volume.
The man ignored the question. “Does the robot belong to you?” His eyes swept over them, analyzing, calculating. It wasn’t curiosity. It was an assessment.
“That’s none of your business,” Call answered, stepping forward. He positioned himself between Red and Kit, blocking their view. The angle of his shoulders, the tension of his jaw, all signaled that he was ready to fight if he had to. He knew violence outside the Cirque and Savage Glory arenas was allowed, and he didn’t want to test how far that allowance went.
The man smirked. “I’ll let you walk away unharmed if you hand over the robot. Simple exchange.”
“Then you can’t take someone else’s gear. I’m sure there are rules about that. After Domini doesn’t let people just—steal.” Kit sounded confident, but Red knew she was bluffing. They didn’t know the rules well enough to argue.
The man scoffed. “It is forbidden to murder other living beings here, true. But the AIs don’t care about humans hurting each other. The Guild doesn’t interfere unless something becomes inconvenient.”
Red moved forward. Her movements were measured and slow. She needed to scan them and confirm what they were armed with. Call reached for her arm, but she slipped free. In that moment, Ursula’s systems activated and sent a stream of data across Red’s vision. Her left eye filled with lines of analysis: weight, heartbeat, weapon type, aim accuracy, reflex range.
Her chest tightened. The man’s heartbeat was calm. Not a flicker of hesitation. He was ready, unafraid, and sure he would win. Red backed away and rejoined the others.
“My offer still stands,” the man said. He pounded his fist lightly against Ursula’s arm, testing her. “Give me the robot, and we’ll end this peacefully.”
No one responded.
Call made the first mistake. In one quick movement, he pulled out both guns. They gleamed silver, the barrels long and squared. The group across from him reacted only with amusement.
Call tried to steady his hands, but his arms trembled. Kit saw the shake and panic flicker through her eyes. Before she could stop him, Call aimed and shouted, “Get down!”
Red and Kit dropped. Call squeezed the trigger. The gunshot cracked through the clearing. The bullet hit a tree several feet away. The men didn’t even flinch.
Kit glared at Call. “Can you even shoot?”
“I’ve never learned how!” Call hissed back, voice strained with embarrassment.
“Then why on earth did you choose the Gunner class?” Kit snapped.
“I don’t know! I panicked!”
The group in front of them burst into laughter. Cruel, mocking laughter. The leader slowly reached behind him and pulled out a rifle. Red felt fear crawl beneath her ribs. She had seen the stats. He wouldn’t miss.
When he cocked the weapon, Red reacted on instinct. “Ghniomhact!” she shouted.
She dropped low and covered her head. Ursula moved with her instantly. The robot crouched and rammed her body into the leader, knocking him onto his back. Before he could recover, Ursula grabbed him and slammed him into the ground. His scream tore across the space.
Red’s fingers snapped. Ursula mirrored her like a reflection, delivering a second blow so powerful that several of the men flew backward. Kit staggered in shock. Call stared, realizing just how overwhelming Ursula’s capabilities were.
“You won’t touch us,” Red warned, voice shaking with fury.
The leader stumbled to his feet, grabbed his rifle, and tried to run. None of them chased him. The remaining men also attempted to flee. They barely made it five steps before collapsing.
Every single one of them fell.
The leader twisted on the ground, horrified and gasping for breath. “I said I wouldn’t bother you! Why did you—why did you kill them?”
A new presence stepped forward. A small dagger slid across the leader’s throat from behind. Blood spilled in a clean arc. His body dropped.
Aamon stood there, wiping the blade with a black cloth.
Call’s face drained of color. “You… why did you murder them?”
Red ran forward, stopping short when she saw the corpses. Pain crawled across her features. The blood on the ground looked impossibly thick. “Why?” she whispered. “They were running. You didn’t have to.”
Aamon met her eyes. “You should be thanking me.”
Her disbelief was sharp enough to taste. “Thanking you?”
“They would have come back with more people,” Aamon said. “You can’t protect a robot like that without consequence. And Ursula is already attached to you.”
“So because of that, you killed them?” Red asked.
Aamon studied her. “With your capabilities, are you sure you can avoid killing? Even once?”
Red’s voice wavered, but her resolve held. “I won’t kill anyone.”
“Then remember,” Aamon said. His voice softened into something dangerous. “In Savage Glory, only one can win.”
She shook her head. “No. I will not let that happen.”
Aamon leaned close and placed a gloved finger against her lips. “Then pretend none of this happened. It stays a secret.” He stepped back. “You don’t want to see the consequences.”
Before anyone could move, he vanished into the trees.