The Mech Touch

"When I requested a new melee mech that could exercise the mentality of my Avatars and provide enough stimulation for them to polish their combat skills, I did not expect you to deliver… this." Commander Melkor said as he observed the pair of prototype mechs dueling each other with great skill.

The Larkinson Clan owned an expansive private testing ground on Davute VII. Built in a remote area and set up with plenty of security measures, the Design Department regularly tested its latest inventions in this well-equipped complex.

Right now, Ves had chosen to put the latest iteration of an unusual design project to the test by setting up a duel between the prototype and a Second Sword.

The Swordmaidens were known as the best duelists in the Larkinson Army. Even the most average mech pilot of this mech legion was a veritable elite by the standards of every other group!

Enough time had passed since the lowest point of the Swordmaidens to complete the training of its freshest recruits.

By combining high-pressure practice sessions, exobeast hunts, constant indoctrination and the formation of a close sisterhood, every new mech pilot that joined the ranks of this unique mech legion became a powerhouse as soon as they entered a cockpit.

Not many mech pilots from the other branches of the Larkinson Army possessed the confidence to win a mech duel against a new Swordmaiden!

Rookies usually didn't stand a chance because the Swordmaidens not only polished their swordsmanship to an extreme degree, but also possessed the combat acumen of blooded warriors right out of the gate.

Veterans stood a much better chance of beating a Swordmaiden at her own game, but there was little honor or glory to be gained from beating a young woman.

This was why Ves found it challenging to find a volunteer to test pilot the new melee mech that he intended to add to the lineup of the Avatars of Myth.

It wasn't until he coincidentally recognized one of the new recruits of the Avatars that he found the right person.

Under the skillful manipulation of a young but highly talented mech pilot, the prototype Lucid Rage seemed to have grown wings, both literally and figuratively!

As flight-capable mechs, the Lucid Rage and the Second Sword did not keep their feet planted on the ground but regularly leapt into the air in an attempt to gain an advantage over their opponent!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Tonfas and swords regularly collided against each other with great force. Neither mech pilots held back against each other.

Despite the considerable risk of accidents, both mech pilots possessed a lot of faith in their skills and the solid construction of their respective mechs.

No matter how dangerous the live duel unfolded, both pilots were confident that they could stop in time and prevent any calamities from occurring!

So far, the intensive duel not only showcased the threat of the Second Sword and the strength of the Swordmaiden mech pilot, but also the versatility of the Lucid Rage and the dynamic fighting style of the volunteer test pilot!

"I feel as if this test is not just about testing your latest toy anymore." Commander Melkor remarked to cousin as he continued to study the prototype's performance inside the observation tower. "It's quite unusual for you to pay so much attention to a rookie that has joined the ranks of my mech legion. Thousands have joined our armed forces in recent years. Even if most of them end up in the Davute Branch, there are still many new faces in our Avatars."

Ves smiled. "This one is different, as you very well know. She is not only one of the few trueblood Larkinsons that still came from the era prior to the founding of our clan, but her talent is also the highest among her peers. I heard she graduated at the top of her class at the Discentibus Mech Academy."

Formerly known as the Larkinson Mech Academy, the DMA had quickly solidified its place as the main and most desirable mech academy of the Larkinson Clan.

Based on the academy ship that the Larkinsons had poured a lot of money into upgrading, the DMA might not win out in terms of possessing the best and most luxurious facilities, but its instructors were all among the best!

The Larkinson Army attached great importance to the teaching of the next generation of its mech pilots, so it regularly dispatched veteran mech pilots to the classrooms in order to pass on their valuable skills and diverse experiences to the youngsters that would eventually take their place.

This way, not only would the mech cadets get to learn from 'real' soldiers, but also be able to gain a much better expectation of what kind of lives they would lead when they entered active service.

Meanwhile, the temporary mech instructors would also be able to retreat from frontline service and assume lighter duties for a time. Passing on their valuable knowledge and helping the next generation get ready for the battles to come provided a lot of spiritual fulfillment to these older dogs.

Though the pedagogic abilities of these mech pilots were not always consistent, the well-behaved cadets always showed great respect towards their instructors. Everyone was a Larkinson, so few if any incidents occurred.

The young woman that was currently piloting the prototype of the Lucid Rage was one of the best products of that environment!

Despite the fact that she was fresh out of the academy and despite the fact that she never handled tonfas until just a few days ago, she not only learned how to pull off all of the diverse moves of this weapon, but also employ them with great skill and timing in a real mech duel!

"Her learning and adaptation ability is insane." Ves remarked as if he had completely overlooked that this testing session was centered around inspecting the performance of the Lucid Rage design. "You truly lucked out when she decided to sign up with your Avatars."

A smug expression appeared on Commander Melkor's face. "Our clan has many mech legions, but our Avatars have always stuck closest to the core values and customs of our heritage. That is not to say that the other mech legions are bad. Each of them have their own advantages. It is just that groups such as the Eye of Ylvaine, the Swordmaidens and the Penitent Sisters were originally foreign and only integrated into our clan later on. They're still weird in many ways if you think about it, and they have always stuck to their own ways of fighting."

The Larkinson Clan had become a bigger tent as time passed by. The proportion of truebloods had diminished so much that no one even bothered to pay much attention to one's origin anymore.

Every Larkinson came from a different part of human space, and all of them possessed different stories.

Whoever they were in the past and whatever they had done in their old lives hardly mattered anymore.

From the moment any of them pledged an oath and formed a bond with the Golden Cat, they had started a new life under a new identity.

The test pilot of the Lucid Rage was a bit different in that regard. She had been born a Larkinson from the start and grew up at the Larkinson Compound in her earliest years.

Having grown up to maturity during the early years of the clan gave her a unique perspective of what it meant to be a Larkinson.

When it was time to decide how she wished to serve the Larkinson Clan, she opted to go for the Avatars instead of the more exotic choices.

"Her performance at the moment vastly exceeds that of an average Avatar mech pilot." Ves remarked. "Will you groom her into a champion?"

"She already entered our Champion Program from the moment she signed a contract. Giving her the freedom and autonomy to operate independently and choose her own mech was one of the preconditions of joining my Avatars."

"I see."

The Champion Program was one of the more recent initiatives that Commander Melkor came up with to accommodate the increasingly more diverse mech pilots of his mech legion.

Normal elites usually had no problem with serving in a hierarchical structure, but there were certain individuals who would only get held back if they had to operate as part of a greater team.

Expert candidates typically fell into this category. Their skills and other combat parameters had already reached a level that was beyond the reach of normal humans. To continue to serve as a cog in a machine was a waste of their potential!

Though Melkor originally set up the Champion Program as a way to accommodate expert candidates, he soon expanded its eligibility to any prodigies and top performers within his mech legion.

The Avatars were not lacking in heroes who earned a lot of respect and recognition within the Larkinson Army.

As long as they were the real deal and understood the risks involved with assuming total responsibility over themselves, Melkor approved their applications to the latest champions of the Avatars of Myth.

Out of all of the members of the Champion Program so far, the young lady that had only become a full mech pilot for a couple of months had definitely broken the record of becoming the youngest recognized mech champion of the Larkinson Clan!

"Miss Lanie Larkinson has a lot of potential, more than I ever knew she had back when she was still a cute kid back at the old family's compound on Rittersberg." Commander Melkor said with a touch of nostalgia in his tone. "A lot of Avatars objected to her immediate entry into the Champion Program, but she quickly convinced everyone the next day when she beat many of her fellow champions in simulated duels."

"Sounds like she is eager to improve."

"You should have looked at their faces, Ves. Each of them were older and much more experienced than Lanie, but few of them were able to keep up with her in a fight. What was surprising was that she won plenty of duels with both ranged and melee mechs. She's like the second coming of Venerable Joshua."

Those words were much closer to the truth than Melkor knew. As Ves observed the ongoing duel from the observation tower, he could feel and sense the strength of Lanie's spirituality.

Though it hadn't activated yet, Lanie's growth in this regard was absolutely impressive for a mech pilot of her age!

Though there were no guarantees that she could become an expert candidate, her chances were probably the highest among all of the Avatars. She possessed the talent, the diligence, the attitude and the desire to become the latest of a growing group of heroes in the Larkinson Clan.

Of course, she still needed a bit of tempering and additional life experiences in order to figure out her place and find her true conviction. No amount of spiritual development could help her in this regard.

"She's going to have an eventful career ahead of her." Ves stated. "Soon, our clan will end our extended vacation in Davute and go back to exploring the new frontier like the good old days. I expect much from her. The Lucid Rage also seems to be a good compliment to her development. Tonfas might not be common, but they truly seem to give her a better understanding on how to win a fight in melee combat."

The twin glows of Zeigra and Lufa both exerted a powerful influence on Lanie. Though her mental resilience was definitely more developed than usual due to her prior training and due to piloting living mechs for many years, she still took the initiative to embrace and balance out the glows from the design spirits of the Lucid Rage.

Only by embracing the combination of the Lucid Rage would its pilot be able to maximize its strengths!