Free Web NovelChapter 1396: Chapter 1396: Evenly Matched
On the First Army’s arena, two pitch-black mechas, appearing rather clumsy, stood on opposite ends.
Below the stage.
The noisy chatter instantly ceased.
Everyone lifted their heads, staring at the two pitch-black mechas on the arena. The countdown had not yet ended, and the mechas were still motionless, causing a sudden wave of tension to rise in many students’ hearts.
Who will lose?
Who will win?
This question gripped everyone’s attention. Over 95% of those present were students of the First Army, naturally rooting for Shen Sheng.
But!
Although everyone verbally denied it and in both words and actions consistently looked down on Ji You, they all understood she was a very tough opponent.
Ji You, a previously unknown girl.
Now, every student in the Alliance at the same level as Ji You had heard her name and knew of her.
She was strong.
Second only to Shen Sheng.
Haha...
Luckily, so.
This match should be secure.
In the audience, the First Army students thought of this, and their clenched hands quietly relaxed a bit.
[10, 9, 8...]
When the countdown stopped, everyone abruptly looked up; on the arena, Ji You and Shen Sheng had already switched positions.
"Hmm?"
"Huh?"
"When did they move?"
"I was watching the whole time!!!"
"Fast!"
"Too fast!!!"
...
"Hmm?" In the arena management office, the old man who was originally sitting carelessly saw this scene and his expression turned serious. Then he squinted, watched carefully, and snorted, "They have some skills."
Below the stage, the crowd gaped in astonishment; before they could say more, the two had switched positions again, and in the blink of an eye, their mechas were nowhere to be seen on the arena.
Rubbing their eyes, everyone thought they were seeing things, staring wide-eyed!
"Oh my!"
"Can they slow down?"
"Can’t see clearly at all."
...
People complained, but this situation wasn’t too unusual. Some students had already found the right way to watch. When the action was too fast to see on stage, they could use holographic cameras to assist, like now, Ji You and Shen Sheng piloted antique mechas that had become mere afterimages, unable to be visually captured; thus, slowing down the footage with holographic cameras could reveal their movements clearly.
On the arena, the two remained silent.
Below, the audience, seeing the slowed footage, suddenly widened their eyes!
Turns out!
In this short time, the two had switched positions 10 times!
times!
In less than 30 seconds, they switched positions 10 times, with each switch spanning a considerable distance, almost leaping directly from the north of the arena to the south!
What!
Is this really an antique mech?
It’s hard to believe it’s an actual antique mech!
Everyone clicked their tongues in disbelief!
"Are antique mechas really this agile?"
"Impossible!"
"If they were this agile, they wouldn’t be in a history museum!"
"But how can they drive the antique mechas like this? Saying these mechas are Wind Wing or Blade is entirely plausible!"
"Even if antique mechas can reach such speed, their energy boxes are low-level! The energy box absolutely cannot sustain such a high consumption!"
"No! You’re missing the key point, every step they take is calculated. Haven’t you noticed their mechas tread, jump, and fly at optimal points, even leveraging wind power to conserve energy? I bet their energy consumption is under 1%!"
"Wow!"
"Oh my!"
"What kind of micro-control skill is this! Too strong!"
"!!!"
The discussion below couldn’t affect Shen Sheng and Ji You on the arena. After a brief exchange, the two stopped and exchanged glances.
Shen Sheng said, "Ji You, I truly have not underestimated you."
Ji You replied, "I underestimated you."
Shen Sheng: "..."
The audience immediately expressed dissatisfaction: "Did you previously look down on Shen Sheng?"
Fortunately, Shen Sheng is a battle enthusiast, only interested in the fight. Even if she heard the connotation, she’d hardly care.
Then.
Shen Sheng raised her hand, lifting the longsword she held towards Ji You!
Ji You squinted.
Real attack?
Feint?
Without allowing Ji You much time to think, Shen Sheng’s antique mech’s mechanical arm was raised high, zooming swiftly towards Ji You.
Ji You stood at the very center of the arena, motionless.
Shen Sheng’s move was indeed fast, and in an instant, she was upon Ji You. As that sword slashed down, it seemed as if a thunderous sword was devouring the land!
Boom—
Dust flew, and when everyone was able to see clearly, Ji You’s silhouette was no longer on the ground.
At that moment, Shen Sheng’s figure also vanished instantly.
The audience’s gaze suddenly tensed!
When did the two leave?
And!
Shen Sheng’s sword was so imposing; how could Ji You possibly evade it? Clearly, her head should have been chopped off!!!
Everyone was puzzled.
Inside the mechanical cabin, Ji You’s face was calm and composed, continuing to reposition unhurriedly.
As for Shen Sheng’s sword earlier?
The others couldn’t discern, but she knew well it was a feint!
Fake move.
Target?
Simply to disrupt her rhythm.
Ji You was not disturbed. She was quite aware of her current situation; panic was useless, and at this stage, there was no need to confront Shen Sheng directly.
She carefully probed Shen Sheng, constantly moving.
Similarly, Shen Sheng chose the same strategy, probing her thoughts and tactics through movement.
Both were probing.
Then Shen Sheng suddenly drew her sword, attacking first. In the audience’s view, they believed this strike would surely land.
However, from the moment Shen Sheng drew her sword, Ji You was already certain it was merely a feint.
Purpose?
Still probing her.
Ordinary experts surprise attack.
Top experts strategize before acting!
Ji You was the same; she wouldn’t easily strike, but when she did, it was the moment to decide victory.
Crash~
The mechas’ heavy bodies kept running, kicking up gusts of wind on the arena.
In a brief period, the two manipulated their antique mechas to switch positions again; those seemingly cumbersome antique mechas were light as swallows under their control, like agile monkeys leaping across the arena.
The atmosphere on the field grew increasingly tense!
These two, in agility, momentum, speed... are evenly matched!
This!
What to do?
Watching until now, the two on stage were still evenly matched, making the First Army students anxious!
If Shen Sheng were to truly lose!
Defeated by Ji You—
Thinking of this possibility, many students from the First Army couldn’t help but feel dizzy!
