Imon Ingvar and Casella Ingvar had grown apart from each other ever since they took on different roles in the clan.

While they both had something in common by becoming expert candidates at the same time, they rarely trained together.

Imon was just an honored member of the Avatars of Myth while Casella Ingvar had become the leader of the Living Sentinels.

He was happy for her sister's opportunity. Ever since the new Sentinel Commander took office, he mostly heard good stories about her. Despite her greater strength, she showed considerably more care and attention for her subordinates. That was something that the Sentinels rarely experienced from Commander Magdalena back when she was in charge.

That was the extent of his interest in her sister's new job. He was not cut out to be a leader. He got way too excited in battle to spare any attention on commanding his troops or keeping an eye on the bigger picture.

He much preferred to let others do the thinking! Imon merely wanted to be pointed in the right direction so he could do what he did best, which was thrashing other mech pilots!

Unfortunately, he was having a hard time doing that at the moment during a simulation battle!

A powerful spear clanged against the chest armor of a Bright Warrior IB! Imon grimaced as his virtual mech bore another ugly mark.

The two mechs were separated by a short distance in the air. The powerful flight systems of the two identical mechs flared brightly as they kept the simulated machines stable and aloft.

"I'm not a punching bag!" He utter in frustration.

His mech quickly tried to counterattack. The second-class version of the Bright Warrior was an all-round mech regardless which configuration it was in. The swordman mech configuration that Imon piloted at the moment possessed the highest range of motion. This allowed him to rotate the wrists of his mech to such an unnatural degree that it quickly batted aside the spear as it was being retracted!

However, his current opponent anticipated his actions. The spear cleverly jerked out of the way as the opposing Bright Warrior activated all of its boosters, causing the mech and its weapon to throw off Imon's rhythm and calculations.

Clang!

A few more exchange of blows occurred. After Imon found out that it was impossible for him to break the guard of his opponent, he tried to break past it and get close enough for the spear to lose much of its threat.

Yet no matter from which angle he approached, the spear tip was always in the way of his mech. His Bright Warrior incurred more and more holes as he failed to enter a range where his sword could do its work.

Several minutes went by as Imon was being put on the defensive. He had to put all of his concentration on trying to block and parry the relentless spear thrusts.

As several systems of his mech began to falter due to incurring more and more internal damage, his enemy suddenly performed an inexplicable action.

The opposing mech threw away its spear!

Though Imon was befuddled, he knew better than to freeze up in battle. He listened to his instincts and immediately went on the offensive!

"Even if you have another weapon, I won't let you draw it out!"

Yet even as his Bright Warrior charged forth with all of the acceleration it could muster, his opponent was already a step ahead!

The weaponless Bright Warrior tilted its frame so that its back started pointing towards the ground.

Just as Imon's mech chopped down its sword, the opposing machine kicked out its legs and slammed the weapon aside!

"Damn!"

Imon immediately commanded his mech to let go of its sword. He made the right choice as the opposing mech was already closing in after performing a kick.

His opponent's mech attempted to grapple his machine with its leg, but Imon's quick thinking allowed him to kick back the lengthy limbs, causing them to go off course.

An aerial wrestling match ensued. The opposing mech no longer fought with just its legs but instead righted itself in order to utilize all four limbs!

The differences between the two sides lessened now that they had lost their weapons. Yet even so, Imon's mech fell into a disadvantage due to the damage it had already occurred and its mech pilot's inability to read all of his opponent's movements!

The latter's faster responses and more skillful movements caused Imon a lot of grief. His mech attempted to punch, grab, kick and perform many other attacks, yet the opposing Bright Warrior seemed to do a much better job at showcasing the strengths of the model by pushing its capabilities a lot closer to its physical limits!

In the end, the enemy mech attempted to maneuver behind's Imon's machine. There, the enemy wrecked the vulnerable flight system so that the former sword-wielding Bright Warrior no longer possessed enough power to maintain its altitude.

The mech started to fall from the air!

Secondary boosters and antigrav modules desperately tried to arrest the Bright Warrior's fall, but they were only strong enough to make the crash landing softer and more survivable.

It didn't come to that. As Imon was busy trying to make sure his mech survived the impending collision, the enemy mech dove down until its legs impacted the section where one of the crucial antigrav modules tried to make the falling mech lighter.

The impact knocked it out, causing Imon's mech to fall considerably faster than before! The hefty kick had also imparted significant force to the machine, causing it to be pushed faster towards the ground!

THUD!

The Bright Warrior Mark I Version B was a tough mech, but when many tons worth of metal and machine collided against the ground, it was impossible for it to survive!

Imon Ingvar lost.

"Again! I haven't done my best!"

Unfortunately, his opponent declined to go another round. Imon frustratingly disengaged the simulation and pulled his suited body out of the pod.

A short distance away, another pod slid open its front cover. A woman bearing a substantially thicker and more decorated piloting suit emerged out of it. She noticed Imon's smile and responded with a smug grin.

"You can forget about laying a hand on my mech. You're way too far behind to catch up to my level."

Imon looked crushed. This was an absurd response because the skill levels between the two mech pilots were far apart.

While he was stronger than almost every mech pilot in the Larkinson Clan, his last opponent was one of the few who was undeniably superior to him in everything that was related to piloting mechs!

"Tell me the truth, Venerable Orfan. How big is the gap between us?" He softly asked.

The female expert pilot sauntered over and patted Imon's smaller and more slender shoulder. "Don't sweat it, kid. You're much younger than me and you went through much less crap than me, so it's not strange for you to take your time. I spent years grinding as an expert candidate before I got where I am today. In fact, with all of the crazy inventions that Ves keeps putting out, your chance might come sooner than you think."

"The patriarch doesn't pay any attention to expert pilots like me." Imon muttered. "I hear that he and his fellow mech designers are almost ready to dedicate all of their efforts to design expert mechs. It must feel nice to be at the center of attention."

The former Vandal Commander snorted. "Being a demigod isn't all that sunshine and roses. There's something called responsibility that other people expect you to carry. You should ask your sister."

"I already did. I don't want to follow her footsteps. I want to find my own way."

"Good for you."

"I need your help, though."

"Oh?" Rosa raised a curious eyebrow. "What's up, kid?"

"I… heard stories. About you, and Jannzi, and Dise. Is it true that.. you're connected to some kind of giant lizard?"

The expert pilot turned serious. "I don't know where you heard that, but that 'giant lizard' you are talking about deserves to be addressed with respect. She's called Qilanxo. She's the source behind the glow of the Shield of Samar and the Aurora Titan design. She also has something to do with the Ferocious Piranha, though I'm no expert on the matter."

Imon listened with rapt attention. He couldn't believe Venerable Rosa Orfan was willing to divulge so much in a casual conversation!

"Who is Qilanxo, exactly? Is she truly a god like some of the Vandals and Swordmaidens claim?"

Venerable Orfan snorted again. "She's not really a god, though she comes close I guess. It's just a label. Some idiots on the planet she came from thought she was a literal god, but that is only because the dimwitted natives didn't know anything better. Just think of her as a very powerful friend and helper. She assisted us in battle several times, though I doubt any of you have noticed."

"That's fascinating. So is it true that you and some of the other expert pilots possess a special bond?"

"Yeah. It's not as mystical as you think. If Qilanxo likes you, then you can get close to her. It's as simple as that."

"Could you.. could you introduce me to her?" Imon cautiously asked. "I'd like to see if I can gain her help as well."

The expert pilot pressed her lips together as she stared straight into Imon's eyes. Her expressive will retracted a bit as she fell into thought.

"No."

"No?"

"No." She repeated. "Qilanxo is a big girl. If she likes you, she would have reached out to you somehow. The fact that she didn't means that you'll only return with nothing if you approach her. Tell me. Do you have a protective mindset like Jannzi?"

"Uhm, I guess not. I like to go on the attack."

"Do you like piloting space knights like the Aurora Titan?"

"To be honest, no. They're too slow and sluggish for my liking. I don't like to sit back and absorb attacks passively either."

"Then what makes you think you are worthy to attract Qilanxo's notice?"

"Didn't you and Venerable Dise succeed despite your inclinations?"

"You can't draw any conclusions from our experiences. We went through some very weird stuff in the past. We also fight in a way that Qilanxo approves. Do you remember how I talked about responsibility earlier? That's what keeps me in tune with the big girl."

After Venerable Orfan made it clear that Imon had no chance to earn Qilanxo's favor, he became downcast.

Rosa took pity on him and patted him on the shoulder yet again. "Hey, a strong mech pilot doesn't need anyone's help to get ahead. Other expert pilots like Venerable Brutus over at the Glory Seekers are doing well enough on their own. Besides, there are more 'powerful helpers' like Qilanxo hovering around. Just take a close look at the different LMC mechs and try and see what fits you best based on how comfortable you feel around their glows."

Imon thought about the mechs he came in touch with. Sadly, none of them appealed to him in a strong way. Not even the new Bright Warrior made him feel very special.

"I guess I'll keep looking."

Venerable Orfan was about to turn away, but she stopped when a thought entered her mind.

"Hey, if you really want to find a good helper, I have a tip for you. Go seek out the wreck of the Adonis Colossus. I think the remains are being stored somewhere within the cargo holds of the Spirit of Bentheim."

"Why would I do that?" Imon asked with a confused expression.

"I have a feeling that you might just get along with the helper that made it special. If it could turn a useless bastard like Vincent into a hero, then it might be able to give you a hand as well!"

Though Imon looked skeptical, he might as well give it a try.

He needed this. He needed a way to keep up with Casella. Even though his sister was spending much of her time on managing the Sentinels as opposed to polishing her own piloting skill, she was still growing stronger somehow!

While he was happy to see her having the time of her life, he did not wish to be left behind! Wouldn't he be the inferior sibling of the two if he remained stuck as an expert candidate while his sister was flying high?

"I'm a man, damnit! I can't let my sis get ahead of me, especially when I'm putting so much effort in my training!"