Chapter 89

　　Merit`s Scout Mech was a blur as it crossed the distance to Alma`s Angel. Its frame was glowing orange-red from the heat its thrusters and reactor generated. It dodged two more tungsten railgun rounds before closing in on its foe.

　　The fragile Scout Mech could barely handle the burden of the aggressive movements, and his cockpit was filled with the screeching sound of strain, the metal twisting and groaning from the velocity.

　　Merit laughed wildly as the Scout slammed into the Angel, sending a spray of metal pieces flying as the armour of both Mechs warped, split and shattered from the force of the impact.

　　The momentum carried both Mobile Suits careening into the grey surface of a large section of debris. A dust geyser exploded from the crater, obscuring the audience`s vision.

　　"I didn`t know a Scout could move like that," Talha whispered to her Grandfather. The large man shook his head, eyes glued to the battle before them. His hands were clenched nervously in his lap, showing his unease over what was happening.

　　"It shouldn`t. Kal`s pushing it too hard. A Light Class won`t last long at this rate." Elric explained.

　　"How is that possible, shouldn`t there be limits on what a Pilot can do in a Mech?" Talha asked.

　　"He`s too powerful for a Light class," Tamara replied, frowning. "It`s what happens when someone who is accustomed to Piloting Heavy or Assault Mechs tries to downgrade. You`ve adapted to a higher Neural Burden, which strains the Neural Link."

　　"I don`t understand." Sylla asked from the side.

　　"Think of a Mech like a cup, and the Neural Burden is the water that fills it," Elric explained, holding up his drink to demonstrate. "The bigger the cup, the more power a Mech has, but the burden on its Pilot strengthens. It takes more on the part of the Pilot to fill the cup. Each time you advance a Mech Class, you need time to adapt to the new size. It takes time to fill the cup, so to speak."

　　"And when you go back down in Class, the cup is too small for the Pilot. The Mech can`t handle the strain the Pilot puts on it, pushing it past its limits." Tamara finished.

　　"There is too much water for a smaller cup to contain. We call it Neural Spillage.`" Elric added.

　　"So what happens then? Does the Mech stop working?" Sylla asked, and Elric looked at Tamara for a moment before replying.

　　"It depends on how hard you`re driving it. It could overload its systems, requiring repairs. Best case, you damage it. Worst&" He let the word linger.

　　"It explodes."

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　　The Scout groaned as Merit slammed its fist into the Angel, shattering a portion of its head. Still laughing, he was interrupted by a mechanical voice in its cockpit.

　　"Warning, severe damage detected. Warning, Reactor overload. Warning, Neural Link unstable. Warning, system instability detected. Warning&."

　　"Tsk." Merit replied, silencing the alarm with disgust. This machine was nothing compared to the Atlas, he just gave it a slight push, and it was already crumbling around him. The cockpit was like a sauna, the environmental systems unable to expel the heat generated from the Reactor.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

　　"Looks like the fun is over. I don`t know what you were so fearful of, Kalen. If you`re too scared to fight, then you should step aside and let me Pilot. I`ll crush everything in our way." Merit said, his green eyes were bright in the dim cockpit as the warning lights flashed red all around him.

　　"See you on the other side." Merit said playfully as the reactor within the Scout exploded, sweeping over his body in a white light.

　　The Scout detonated in an explosion as bright as the sun. Energy from the overloaded reactor scoured the surface of the shattered landscape, obliterating everything in its path. The Angel Mech was vaporized, lying motionless on the ground at the Scout`s feet. In moments, nothing in the arena remained.

　　The crowd was stunned by the development, shocked by the display of power from the Scout and the outcome of the match. Very rarely do Mechs explode from their Pilot`s actions, and it left the winner of the match up in the air.

　　Behind the scenes, the organizers were scrambling to understand what happened. There were only a few facts they were clear on. First, there were no problems with Merit`s VR terminal or connection with the game. If there was a problem, it came from the Pilot and not the system.

　　After consulting with the developers and a few technical experts, it was determined that Merit`s Neural Link was too strong for a simulated Light Class Mech to handle, resulting in a catastrophic failure as it bypassed the built-in safeguards.

　　The crowd began to grow restless. Their shouts demanded the organizers announce the winner. In the live stream, they could see the discourse toward the tournament was souring.

　　"He won. Even before the Reactor exploded, Merit had defeated Alma. He should be declared the winner."

　　"Bullshit! Alma had the upper hand before Merit`s Mech malfunctioned, pausing the match and giving Merit time to respond to the Angel`s railgun. Combined with their performance during the tournament, there can be no doubt that Alma should be crowned champion." Another spokesperson for their group shouted.

　　Not everyone was convinced by their argument. There was an unspoken agreement to support the Clans amongst the developers since it was these players that their most diehard players were a part of. The bias was clear, and many worried that such an announcement would turn the fans against them.

　　"We should declare a technical fault and hold a rematch." Another suggested.

　　After a few minutes of debate, they reached a settlement.

　　"Thank you for your patience. What a match and a stunning conclusion to our tournament! In consultation with our judges and technical experts, we must declare the last match a draw! Merit and Alma will split the title of greatest Light Class Pilot of this season`s tournament."

　　The crowd booed and jeered at the announcement, but the organizers were stuck between a rock and a hard place. One had the backing of a prominent clan, while the other was a Noble. Both Pilots were famous, and when looking at their backgrounds, the developers were unwilling to antagonize either Pilot.

　　With a day ending on a sour note, the tournament ended.

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　　Kal came out of the VR terminal covered in a cold sweat. Kneeling next to the pod, he emptied his stomach. Drawing in a shuddering breath, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and staggered to a nearby chair.

　　"What the hell was that?" Kal whispered, closing his eyes against the throbbing headache.

　　He remembered everything clearly, the visions, the voice, the feeling of self fading away while someone else came forward and took control. It was still him, but different.

　　It wasn`t Atlas, the lifeless Mech wasn`t even on Terra. It was still safely stored in the vault on Caledon, deep beneath the palace. Amelia assured him it had no mind of its own, that it was a powerless machine waiting for a Pilot.

　　Whatever that was during the match that devoured him and took control, it was a part of him

　　He analyzed what happened, looking back on not just his memory of the game but the feelings he associated with it.

　　Kal was okay initially, but uneasiness and dread seeped into him when his Mech entered the battlefield. It was too much like Piloting Atlas against the Corsairs. Did it trigger something inside him?

　　His emotions had drained away after the visions began, leaving him divided. On the one hand, there was a Kal that was calm and in charge, excited by combat and the thought of destroying his enemies. And the other was that scared kid who stood before his father and trembled at his anger.

　　Was he so broken that he would never be whole again?

　　Burying his face in his hands, Kal sat on the cold stone floor of the cabin`s basement and tried to find himself again.