While technology had advanced beyond mankind's wildest dreams, the style of architecture this institute employed was firmly rooted in the past. With a lot more space to work with after the collapse, it was founded on the very outskirts of Yoake. While a regular part of the city mirrored old sci-fi movies of a time long before the great calamity, this institute prided itself on not forgetting mankind's roots. While it appeared much more fragile than the steel-laden bunkers modern humans called housing, this complex was built with just as many modern techniques. Most notably, it employed a magic circuit that allowed it to eject a barrier. This barrier would prevent any major damage hurled its way by outside force.

For someone used to the city-life, Geiru having so much green around it must've made for a jarring contrast to what they were used to. Considering it was situated on what amounted to its own private property, several kilometers of uninhabited wilderness between it and the rest of the nearest civilisation, this wasn't surprising. The only thing linking the location to the rest of society was the long road leading into the institute, continually guarded and maintained by staff. Students needed to be cut off from their previous surroundings in order to grasp the nature of their future mission.

During the day, the courtyards and arenas of Geiru had a near-constant stream of battling happening. Students tested their mettle against one-another, using the vast space awarded to them to try out the limits of both themselves and their construct. It was no surprise, considering the institute encouraged this behaviour with a scoreboard. Two separate kinds: Global and relative. Depending on how a student fared in their practical exam, they were given a set rating. This would be compared to both their own year as well as every other student in the complex. Battling another students would automatically register it through a wristband each of them wore, which calculated a new rating based on who had won. Not battling would cause the rating to deteriorate over time. Falling too low for consecutive periods would mean expulsion.

About a week or two had passed since the new applicants strolled into that kind of establishment.

For those that had schooling before this, it wasn't like anything they were used to. Every lesson was completely optional, without being separated into classes. Students could choose to follow whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. At least, as long as it was being given on that day. The week's schedule was gifted to them ahead of time. Because of this structure, while some made quick friends with their new year-mates, most of them were still largely unknown to each-other. For the non-socialites: A bunch of strangers, even still.

Of course, there were some that immediately caught the eye of many-a-student. The strange Emi and her Viscera, a pair so detached from common reality that weird rumors about them spread like wildfire. Ayesha and Adamas, drawing eyes because of the hulking golem's size and the girl's obliviousness to common etiquette. Yuuto and Fubuki, for causing even more collateral than one of the more infamous last-year students... though that last one came mostly from certain instructors. These three newbie pairs had spotlights thrown on them for these reasons and more, though the extent of their fame still paled in comparison to some of the tales told of the last years.

Not Hugo, though. Despite never really failing, he and Hume had faded into some kind of obscurity. Be it a lack of battles that threw spectators or their mutual passiveness, the fact remained neither of them had any particular reputation surrounding them. But looking back at the lower grade, as far as the second years went, Chidori stood surprisingly high in the relative rankings. It came as a double-edged sword, though. Her and Nehle were often challenged to fights by those looking to boost their own rank. While the duo did win a majority of their skirmishes, it often felt like people only recognized them because they had such a target painted on them. It was still better than poor Renzo, though. People often forgot he existed. His construct, Lun, stood out like a sore thumb. That made it so the construct completely overshadowed the contractor. It got bad enough to the point where people failed to recognize him as a student in the first place.

All of them, however, no matter how recognized, played some part in the tale to come. For now, each of them had something or the other to worry about. After all, two unusual events worthy of their attention were occurring.

---

The first anomaly went as followed: A ferocious construct had been rampaging through the courtyard, chasing an unfortunate student fleeing alongside their partner. Said student looked hopelessly outmatched, if you consider how the dual-wielding construct covering their retreat was getting bitten and tossed around like a ragdoll. The beast's superior size, speed and strength made it an unfair match. The now-rampaging construct usually wasn't this violent; it roamed campus freely and was more akin to the local pet to most students. Seeing it attack one like this was unusual, especially as the construct belonged to one of the instructors, who wasn't present at the scene of the crime for the moment.

"Goddamn-! Someone, help me already!"

Most students ignored the commotion, either too caught up in their own fights or simply apathetic to the scene for one reason or another. Surprisingly little of them were around on campus, so it wasn't much of a surprise. Still, the poor soul on the receiving end was going to need some aid in dealing with the threat.

---

The second exciting thing that day was a small, improvised event organised by two of the most infamous second years: Fujiwara Ren and Kizakura Yusuke. These two jokers have been fighting each-other every single day ever since they were enrolled at Geiru. They almost never fought never anybody else and the whole institute knew it, instructor and student alike. Their current shenanigans entailed an impromptu tournament with no prize. Ren and Yusuke had, somehow, managed to rope about 10-odd students from varying years into this mess, to be divided in teams between the two of them. They would be having one-on-one matches between the teams to see who's got the superior fighters. There was no incentive to participate other than having some matches to spice up the rankings with and also just generally goofing off. The location was set a small ways from the main building, but still within the complex. There was a clearing in the wilderness, just outside the dormitories, popular among students looking for a scrapping spot you didn't need to ask permission for. It being safe to visit was just a bonus.

In the moment, though, the two were feuding over who got what player.

"No way dude, Fumi's on my team," Ren said.

"What the hell, man? I was first pick!" Yusuke fired back.

"No, you made yourself first pick! You just flipped a coin and-" Ren angrily tried to rebuke, but was interrupted by a certain someone in the audience.

"Shut up!" she yelled. "Do the teams even matter?! Fighting over me is stupid... actually, never mind. This whole thing's stupid. Let's go, Rose."

Fumi turned around and stomped off in a huff. Her partner chuckled, pacing backwards and away from the crowd. "D'aww, boys... don't be sad about it. Mistress is just-"

"Can it!"

"Yes yes, mistress~!" he obediently replied, winking at Yusuke and Ren before turning on his heel and following suit.

"Harsh," the construct behind Yusuke flatly commented with a hushed echo. Its partner was grinding his teeth in frustration.

"Reave, I swear I'm going to-"

"Ahh, well this is a problem..." the ghost floating next to Ren said, chiming into the conversation with a whispery voice. Said ghost followed the statement up with: "With Fumi out of this, that leaves us with 9 pairs, counting us... someone's going to have to sit back."

The construct's partner rolled his eyes. He said: "Ah, who cares! We can make it like... a trio-tourney... thing. Hey- Hey! That's it! Yo, one of you guys want to captain a team? Three guys in a fight, every fight!" Having stumbled on the revelation, Ren bounced around excitedly, a fire in his eyes. "I'm gunna win it anyway, even if you throw two or three guys at me!"

As exuberant chaos unfolded around him, Hugo remained a little way off, watching the two archrivals bicker. The younger students sure liked to strut their stuff, didn't they? Yusuke and Ren made a boisterous pair, their eternal war so much larger than life that it never failed to snap up random passers-by, and today that included two of Geiru's more obscure faces. Of course, Hugo never attributed his ephemeral reputation to others' dislike or distance, as might the oddball first-years who unconsciously rubbed others the wrong way and found themselves ignored. As eye-catching as Hume was, being a great white sphere with floppy ears and bulbous limbs, the two never attempted to stand out. Plus, Hugo's height and stark look made him seem unapproachable, which sat fine with him, since less contact meant less pressure. This time, though, he'd found himself approached, and as much as he liked his peace and quiet, everyone needed a little variety now and then.

That said, he'd already been considering just leaving the clearing until Fumi opted to storm off, which for some reason hardened Hugo's resolve in the opposite direction. While picking fights just wasn't his thing, the idea of raining on their parade admittedly sounded fun, and he needed the points anyway. Besides, who among them would recognize him as a fourth-year? An opportunity arose when Ren asked if anyone else would volunteer as a captain, so as to bring about a three-for-all. As he considered what to say, however, Hugo's chest tightened. Nothing popped into his head, and the moment was about to pass. After swallowing his spit the wrong way and choking just a touch, Hugo cleared his throat and raised a hand. “I'll do it.”

The declaration elicited a wide-eyed look from Hume. “Are you certain? I thought it odd you'd accept an invitation like this, but to throw down in a frenetic brawl with these folk...” He cast a glance over everyone assembled, energetic fighters all.

A cold feeling, suggesting terrible judgment, threatened to grip Hugo, but he waved off his construct's concern. “What, y-you don't think we can handle it?” Leaning over, he whispered, “Besides, our score's low. We must earn our keep. Just do your thing.” He composed himself and gave the rivals an affirming nod.

Hume, meanwhile, seemed satisfied. Any worry he felt came not at all for his own sake, or even his partner's, physically. If anyone could handle something like this, albeit most likely in an unsatisfactory manner, it would be them. “Good point.” As best as the huge construct could, he bowed to his soon-to-be opponents. “I will refrain from crushing any of you. Good luck,” he wished, in a polite yet subtly menacing tone.

Saying nothing, Hugo instead began to consider strategy. Just as Hume couldn't do any pulverizing, he couldn't use his hook in a student battle. Lashes, however, would work well enough. A quick look around confirmed that trees surrounding the clearing might provide for some engaging gambits. Since his selection of teammates didn't matter so much for his plan, he told the other captains, “You pick.” and accepted the two who remained afterward with a stern smile.

Ayesha's early days at the academy were... bewildering, to say at the very least.

First, she had to arrive at the city nearby first. And the sight nearly made her think that she had stepped into a different world entirely.

All the futuristic technology and construction there were something she had never seen or even imagined before. It was as if she had arrived in an alien world, detached entirely from the human world she had been a part with.

She had many, many troubles traversing the city and utilizing the technologies within. She didn't know how to get her train tickets, as there were none of the usual booths she could purchase them from. Instead, she had to purchase them from these weird machines put on the train station. It was certainly an embarrassing experience, as she had to ask a nearby officer for his help on the matter. Not to mention that she had to ask the same officer on how she had to go through the doors to the platform later on. She couldn't even use the cards she had purchased properly.

There was no doubt whatsoever in her mind that he must have known she had come from the boonies.

And that was still not counting the attention she garnered with Adamas on her side. With how big the golem was, even at its smallest size, it certainly caught the attention, and wariness, of bystanders. And with how the city was built, with not many space to move around, the poor thing had to always be careful where it stepped, lest it could cause damage, something Ayesha certainly did not want.

"It's okay, we'll soon leave this place, Adamas, so just bear with it, okay?" she comforted the gloomy construct.

Thankfully, when she arrived at the academy grounds proper, the environment returned to a familiar one, as the place was surrounded by nature and it was nowhere near as futuristic as the city. She immediately felt relaxed as a result. She even had the urge of constructing her own tree house on the wilderness around the academy that she experienced on her bus ride to the location, forgoing the comfort of her own dorm room.

But of course, she realized such a thing would most likely not be allowed by the academy. Not to mention the fact that it would make going to classes difficult, even with the lax attitude of the academy towards scheduling.

Unfortunately however, that familiarity and comfort did not last long in the slightest. She soon discovered how the students there had to frequently fight against each other using their constructs, lest they would be expelled. It was a difficult revelation for her, as she was never fond of fighting, especially against other people. And with Adamas following her around, she certainly attracted the eyes of many of the other students. It didn't take long until she received challenges for a fight. However, she rejected all of them, not really desiring in participating in any fights, if she could help it. She knew eventually she would have to enter some, if she wanted to keep her spot here, but she just entered. No need to rush, or so she told herself.

However, one day, she got into her first scrape with another construct.

The construct had decided to rampage all over the academy grounds, chasing one particular student. He had his own construct, but that construct was hopelessly outmatched against the rampaging construct.

It was pure happenstance that Ayesha walked into the scene. She was just finished with one class and was about to walk to another.

I can't just let him be like that! I have to help him!, she thought in her mind.

"Adamas, subdue that rampaging construct!" she ordered with confidence, pointing towards the big wolf-like creature.

Time had passed, and never had it felt more apparent than for the golem to stride into civilization and feel utterly out of place. Its brethren had gone far in the years it had been sleeping, outlandish shapes incorporating grand technology, accessorized and optimized by techniques that did not exist during its own era. Fragile, beautiful flesh belied titanic strength that once only the Monstrous could possess, but, at the very least, the inconvenience of its size remained; travelling through the city had been like walking on eggshells.

It was a nostalgic feeling while it lasted. Like the first time the doctor allowed it inside the workshop. The first time the guard allowed it to stay in town. The first time the herbologist allowed it to touch that orphaned child. So many years. So many firsts. And there were many more to come, first blessings and first sufferings.

It had been a first too, being inducted into the academy, though it was not a first, seeing the awe and the suspicion, the fear and the wonder, in the eyes of students when it strode through campus. So too was it a first, to see constructs battle each other as a test of skill rather than a trial of survival. Had a peaceful world allowed them to fight without fear that one would take it too far? Or had a violent world allowed them to find joy in the throes of battle? Ayesha, at least, was not drawn into that same atmosphere of brutal promotion. It had observed her through each of her refusals, not out of interest, but out of posterity.

Children were products of their society. As Ayesha acclimated to the wanton nature of her peers, even as she simply aged, the Ayesha who would refuse an opportunity to bolster her reputation would disappear, a flower wilting to feed the next bloom.

It would accommodate her even when she became a warmonger. And if it would do so then, the golem had no reason not to do so now, for a reason as noble as wishing to save someone in dire straits.

A low rumble of assent, as ancient as the mountains themselves, resounded between the jagged slit that made up Adamas’s mouth. The golem, in its smallest form of two meters, charged soon after, hands grabbing and pushing against the ground to propel itself faster and faster. Within moments, the construct was upon the fanged beast, and it launched itself right at them, intending to tackle, before transitioning into a grapple.
@Hammerman@Ammokkx

@Lugubrious@Ammokkx

---

"You couldn't crush anyone with that marshmallow body of yours." Nehla spoke a cold, biting voice as she made her presence known, holding her wings in front of her forming a makeshift dress and covering most of her body.

"N-nehla don't..."

"You'd make for a poor leader too, you know." The avian construct clicked her tongue. "But I suppose to your credit, you have some competency to be the first to speak up. Chidori, you could learn a lesson or two from him." Among those eager for a fight that had gathered, there was one who was distinctly seeming trying to avoid being seen.

"U-uhm, yes, sorry. Of course." The human in question was doing her best to not be in the spotlight, using her construct as a shield from prying eyes. Urgh, how did she get into this mess? Nehla said it'd be a good idea to further their own abilities here, but she wasn't so sure. It was nothing but fighting! Well, she could do that, but it wasn't exactly her favorite thing in the world. Urgh, she kind of just wanted to run in the opposite direction but if she did that Nehla would probably sign them up for increasingly difficult fights over the course of the next week.

As she was doing her best impression of puppy hiding behind its owner, Chidori didn't realize Nehla had moved one of her wings behind her.

"Yeeep?!" Nehla gave her a sharp shove out of her shadow so she was standing in front of everyone.

"Whoever has us will most certainly be assured victory."

"That's saying too much..." Chidori internally lamented, before doing her best attempt at looking confident. Well, she was here now and she probably couldn't escape, so there was little to do other than try her best. "U-uhm, right, w-well..." She cast a glance over to Hume. He was so big and actually kind of fluffy looking. She wasn't too aware about who he was or what he could do, but for whatever reason being around him put her slightly at ease. But since the others were getting first pick.

...and with her reputation she was pretty sure she was gonna be expected to excel here.

"Kaji Chidori, u-uhm...h-hello? Please be kind to me?"

"...we'll work on selling your skills later." Nehla huffed.

When there was a fight on campus, that was always were Emi could be found. Battles were her life blood; they were the only thing that held her interest. When there was word of a tournament, it was a foregone conclusion that Emi was going to be there. Really, someone could just say the words "want to fight?" and Emi would erupt from a trash can, ready to beat the ever loving crap out of something. When two second years were about to start a tournament, Emi was there before they roped a single person in. It was as though she could smell a possible fight brewing. It was honestly kind of scary how fast she appeared the second they said the word 'fight'.

Though, the reality of the situation was considerably less cool and much more sad. She had been sleeping in a tree in that popular fight spot because she wanted to watch a few scraps here and there. When the possibility of her joining popped up, she was so excited that she fell out and alerted the two boys.

During their recruitment of random students and their arguments about teams, Emi had been chanting her favourite word until it lost all meaning. She must have said "fight" a few hundred times. It was like, the only thing she ever wanted ever.

After Fumi stormed off (Emi didn't care; that only meant less time between fights), it was finally time to star the actual prep to fight. Some random no-name decided to brave it all to nominate himself as a captain.

To which Emi instantly thought of him as a garbage can. What leader nominates themselves? Leaders had to be either democratically elected or kill all of the other candidates in a brutal contest of might! How could you even call yourself a leader if you don't kill at least twelve democratically elected officials?

No matter, being a leader didn't suit Emi. He could have it for all she could care. All she wanted to do was beat some nerds up!

Emi ignored the anxious and halfhearted introduction of the second girl. Not out of being rude or not caring, though. No, Emi was much too stupid to have any sort of distaste for people. She was just trying her absolute best to hold in her sheer amount of energy. Restrain yourself, Viscera would always say.

Viscera had been teaching Emi restraint. It was a Sisyphean task, but ordinary human behaviour was something that Viscera believed to be incredibly important. If he could even change Emi's personality by 0.1%, he would consider all of the hours he spent trying to pick at Emi's brain to be worth it. If she became even 0.01% of a better person, it would be all worth it. Well... 0.001% was a more reasonable goal for Viscera. Something about that girl just wasn't right.

By the time Emi was absolutely red in the face from holding everything (including her breath) in, Viscera knew that his restraint teachings had the opposite effect. Rather than learning to keep her impulses to herself, Viscera had unknowingly turned Emi's passion into a bomb. A horrible, horrible bomb that was embarrassing for everyone in audible range. Suddenly, Emi's leg began to speak.

"Oh Emi, please don't do this agai-"

"Oh! Oh! Pick Emi! Emi's good!" She exploded in a burst of energy!

"Oh lord..." All of the eyes that littered Emi's leg closed. He knew what was coming and he didn't like it.

"Emi will give 'em the ol' dick twist!"

Even if Hugo wasn't the target, he still froze in his tracks when the icy voice of Nehla offered up some scorn. Then, when she turned her attention to him, claws of ice clamped tight about his heart. Hume, already on the case, nudged up against his partner with a cheery expression. “Looking forward to working with you, madam,” he said, before leaning in to whisper to Hugo, “Don't worry, she doesn't know a thing about you. Just a mean spirit. She'll be singing a different tune once the action starts.”

After his words sunk in for a moment, Hugo found himself relaxing. His construct always knew just what to say. With zero idea who he was, Nehla could only be acting out of malice, and such a person had no right to sit in judgment of him. She existed as just another obstacle for him to meet and overcome. At least the birdbrain's partner seemed to be a bit nicer, although from what little he'd seen of her so far Hugo already felt she was probably too extreme in the other direction. Her stuttering introduction left him taken aback. Just what was the right thing to say to a very shy, unsure girl three years younger than him?

Hume knew. While there existed no confirmation that Chidori would be joining them, he greeted her as though she would be. “A pleasure!” he said warmly, looking thoroughly chuffed. “Allow me to assure you: you're in good hands.” A strange sentiment, maybe, from someone who at first glance appeared to have zero hands, but they would see soon enough.

Next, a lurking presence made herself known. Until now she'd remained the sort of noisy and annoying that could be tuned out, but now Emi had set about bothering Hugo in earnest, even if doing so was far from her intent. Her agitation threatened to set him off, but this time he kept a hold of himself without Hume's reassurance. Whoever his friends and foes would be in the coming moments didn't matter one ounce. Only triumph, and earning enough points to give him some peace and quiet until next time. The other captains could take Emi up on her offer if they liked, but if they did not, he didn't mind accepting her.

Reaching into his pockets, Hugo began to warm up in secret by conjuring coils of cord, then letting them disappear. If his opponents turned out to be quick enough on the uptake that they didn't succumb to his strategy immediately, he'd need to apply a little pressure, and for that he needed a quick lash and precise aim. Of course, the thought of him having to intervene personally to ensure victory meant the possibility of him messing up, and therefore bringing about a loss, and with that notion came anxiety. Saying nothing, Hugo worked to keep it under control. All this time, and he still got nervous earning his keep? He felt almost as frustrated as he did uneasy. Yet, all the while, his face scarcely changed.

Yuuto at this point was infamous due to one little duel that went just a small bit awry. It wasn't his fault that the crowd gathered, after all. But even though he'd WON that duel, his ranking had already plummeted the same amount of points on account of the colateral caused. As such, he was now prohibited to fight with Fubuki around buildings, mostly having to take bouts to wide open spaces. At least, until Fubuki could figure out how to limit the initial size of her Ice Age. Having spent the entirety of the morning trying and failing to find an opponent to face off against, Yuuto's efforts bore no fruit whatsoever. Now, he was simply sitting beside his Construct, mulling over the state of affairs in his head.

"...I'm sorry." Fubuki would say, looking to her feet. She felt responsible for Yuuto's current lack of any significant rank increase, due to her inability to "shrink" her power, only capable of having it grow over time, rather than starting small. About 35 meters was a lot of space to have to clear out, meaning that anybody challenging Yuuto would have to deal with fighting VERY specific places on the school grounds.

Smiling slightly, Yuuto would put his hand on Fubuki's shoulder. "You only did what I asked you to. The fault is mine...though I really hadn't expected rumors to spread so quickly. But, no matter. We'll prove ourselves to be above the rest in due time," he would say, his usual overconfidence making Fubuki a bit nervous, but she was at least relieved that he wasn't mad with her. Even if he was a handful, Yuuto was comforting in his own unique, full-of-himself way. Just as Yuuto rose, ready to seek out more opponents, he would hear someone cry out for help. Smiling, Yuuto would look at his watch, saying: "Well, that took less time than I expected. If we want to prove that we're worth fighting, subduing that mutt should do nicely. Fubuki, get within twenty meters of it and begin using Ice Age." he ordered, beginning to run over himself.

Fubuki had been slower to rise from her seat, but her physical superiority as a Construct allowed her to overtake Yuuto quickly. As the girl entered the specified range, the very air around her gained a deathly chill, human breath becoming easily visible amidst the chill. Rough concrete was crushed smooth by ice creeping over the surface, the intricately laid out tiling rising up as the thin cold swept throughout. Now within her territory, Fubuki's speed and maneuverability suddenly rose, her rush of footsteps becoming a graceful glide as her legs gaining absurd power upon her icy playground. The previously-gargantuan stone golem was already upon the beast in a bid to grapple it, but if the bestial construct attempted to retreat, she would already be moving to intercept it. Adamas was probably barely affected by the cold, if at all.

"I won't lose...!" Fubuki reassured herself, competitive nature manifesting as she started speeding up.

@Ammokkx@Hammerman@ERode@The Irish Tree

"Ren, what do you want to do?"

Ren looked to Lun, the construct that had been by his side for almost a year and a half now, anxiety clear on his face.

"I-... I don't know..."

In response, Lun tilted his head slightly, turning back away from the nervous boy to look at the wolf-like construct that was currently being held back from it's victim by the golem-like one, who he recognized as belonging to one of the first years. They were soon joined by another construct who, if he recalled correctly, belonged to the student who had destroyed one of the schools fountains in a battle.

"I think we should help."

"I... Yeah, yeah you're right, but can we even?" He asked. "There are already two more teams keeping it busy. Even with you, I'm not sure I can do much at the moment that they aren't already taking care of."

"Yeah, but that other construct is the one that destroyed the fountain right?" Lun asked, a small, almost undetectable hint of panic to his voice.

Now it was Ren's turn to tilt his head in confusion.

"Yeah, wh-"

And all of a sudden, he realised exactly what Lun was thinking. True, he didn't know the exact range of the constructs freezing abilities, but if the battle in question was anything to go by, it was supposed to be pretty big. And the student it had been attacking was maybe just a few metres away.

"Lun, get me over there and then help the first year constructs! Use bands to catch it's legs and pull them out from under it if you can, I'll help those two escape!"

"Right!" Lun said, lifting up into the air and hanging his staff down so Ren could step on.

And then they were off, flying towards the battle faster than many would think possible thanks to the combination of Lun's natural flight and Ren's wind magic. They reached the battle in mere moments, Ren leaping off the staff and using his wind to make a less than graceful landing right beside where the poor dual wielder construct had landed while trying to defend it's master.

"H-hey, are you ok?" He asked, his regular social skills kicking in now that he wasn't just talking to Lun anymore. "Come on, we've gotta get you and your partner out of here!"

Grabbing the constructs hand and doing his best to get it back on it's feet, he used his wind once more to dash towards the constructs master with it in tow.

"Uh, hi." He said, even less confident around the actual human than he was around constructs. Hell, he was only just managing to keep looking the guy in the eye, and he was pretty sure he knew it too. "D-don't worry, I'm gonna get you out of here, just grab my hand so I can use my magic on you better!"

Meanwhile, Lun had floated from around the construct, now just a little way behind it. Part of him hoped that it would be too distracted by the other construct grappling it to notice him, but with that many eyes, he was probably all but impossible to miss. Still, he would fulfill his end of the plan, summoning several bands of odd red-black light that sprouted from the air around him. As he had no specific object to base them off of, they would stay that colour rather than taking that of the original like most of his replications did, but that didn't mean they were any less strong!

They quickly wound their way to the bestial construct, wrapping around it's legs and quickly retracting. If all went well, the creatures legs would be yanked out from under it, giving the golem a better chance to pin it down. He really hoped that would be the case at least, because if not, he would have to improvise, and he didn't want to accidentally hurt the poor creature...

The student's construct remained silent as Renzo landed in front of it. They pushed themself off the stones they had crashed into, sheathing one of their blades on the hip so they could grab onto the boy's hand. As they weren't quite used to his magic, however, the construct soon tumbled onto the floor again after the mad dash, rolling a meter or so away. They were much lighter than they appeared to be.

"O-Oi, Yakko! Quit screwing around," the construct's partner yelled in their direction. They responded by turning their head, pulling up the shoulders for a shrug and climbing to their feet. The student turned back to Renzo. "Get out of here? To where? That thing's been chasing me halfway across the complex!" he yelled.

Meanwhile, the assault on the berserk construct kicked off in spectacular fashion. Three pairs, having arrived almost at the same time, was quite the disadvantage for it. While it managed to dodge Adamas' initial tackle with a quick jump, the landing wasn't quite so simple. Fubuki's Ice Age had already taken effect as the area was starting to become a frozen wasteland, including the spot it tried to land on. The beast slid across the floor, unable to gain solid footing, which let Lun set up his little trap with ease. The construct barely had any time to react before being hurled onto its side. Adamas was already coming in for a second attack, but every hair on the berserk construct's body began to stand up. Suddenly, it let out a window-shattering howl. It was loud enough to stop the others dead in their tracks, even forcing Yakko back to its knees. The ice underneath the construct as well as Lun's hard light shattered in an instant.

It didn't take long for the beast to be back on all four of its paws. A black mist started to rise from in between its fur. The mist then sank to the floor, spreading across and corroding a part of Fubuki's frozen kingdom. Though the temperature remained just as cold, the ice was being eroded like an acid bit through it.

"W-What the hell is it doing?!" the student, who had been running from it, shouted. The beast turned toward Lun, tracing them up in the air, before leaping at them. The mist followed it, wrapping around like a pincer so the only direction Lun could dodge in without touching it being backwards- and he wasn't getting away fast enough to easily escape the beast's jaws. Additionally, some of the mist crept up towards Lun's partner as well, but Yakko dove in front of Renzo and attempted to slash at it with the one sword it still held. Surprisingly, it worked. While it didn't outright destroy the substance, the force from the swing did cause it to go in the other direction- Adamas' direction.

---

"Wait, for real?!"

Ren's exasperated voice could be heard all the way back into the city with how loud he yelled, which only served for his construct to grab him and use one of their ethereal hands to cover his mouth. "My apologies, he's a little... immature," they told Hugo's newly-formed team. The boy clearly had something to say as he was struggling beneath his construct's hold, with Yusuke laughing at the sight.

"Ahaha! Damn, Wraith, that's brutal." Yusuke turned to his own construct. "Well, Reave... what do you say? Favoring the odds already?" he asked them. They simply shook their head. Only a single word escaped from their mouth.

"No."

Yusuke fell over on the spot, before scrambling back onto his feet. He said "H-Hey, what the heck?! We can totally kick Chidori's-!" and was then cut-off.

"I-I'm still here, you know!" Ren shouted from where he stood, having managed to push down his construct's hand. He pointed towards the remaining crowd. "Hey, you four! Pick a side already, I want to get to the scrapping," he shouted. All of them migrated to Yusuke's side, making the boy in question burst out in laughter again. "Hey, come on! I need a team too!"

"Yeah, you need the help alright! Hey, someone else can take over this team, I'm defecting to Ren!" Yusuke said, hopping over to his side.

"How unusual..." Reave whispered as they followed suit.

"Yeah, what the hell?! Mind your own business!" Ren yelled back at the guy.

"C'mon, buddy... without me, there's no way you're gonna beat them. Just accept the help and-"

"Umm... you needed a third person?" a girl interrupted, riding on top of her spider construct. A green ichor oozed from the fangs sticking out in front of its jaw. It strut over to both Ren and Yusuke with her on top of it. She looked young enough to be a first-year. "If you'd like, I could-"

"Alright, that settles it then! We're first up," Ren immediately declared, racing over to get some distance from Hugo's team. The other three students in the area scattered, wanting to get some distance from the free-for-all that would ensue. It didn't take long for the trio of Ren, Yusuke and...

"...uh. What was your name again?"

"Hiyori."

...Hiyori to stand on the opposite end of the field. A few silent moments passed. Yusuke spoke up.

"Hey, uh, Hiyori... are you gonna... stay on top of your construct like that?" he questioned, having set himself behind Reave. The girl just gave a cheerful nod in response, which made both boys look at each-other nervously. "Well, alright then..." he mumbled, dropping the subject. Ren shook it off a bit faster and grinned.

"Ready? ...GO!"

As soon as he gave the go-ahead, Hiyori and her construct rode full-speed into the battlefield, in front of both Ren and Yusuke's constructs. The two of them panicked and ran in opposite directions, followed by their partners. Ren brought up his hand, the mark on the back of it clearly visible for anyone watching. It glowed for a bit before both him and his construct suddenly vanished in thin air.

On the other side, Yusuke's Reave was joining Hiyori in the middle of the battlefield. Her construct suddenly slid to a halt and began to spit out some of the ichor that had been dripping from its fangs. As it launched, it suddenly stopped mid-air while Hiyori's own mark, situated on the side of her neck, began to shine. Four blobs of venom hovered in the air. She concentrated on them before launching two at both Hume and Nehla each, still having some distance to cover across the plain.

"Bide your time, Reave... wait for Ren and Wraith," Yusuke muttered to his partner. Reave nodded, hovering around Hiyori's construct as if it was a fortress they needed to hold.

Two more of its brethren came to assist, but the fanged construct proved its worth as a professor's contracted; it had evaded all attempts at capture, and was even retaliating. Adamas turned its gaze briefly towards the snow fairy, a silent warning in its featureless face, before the golem surged into action once more, its methodical movements as deceptively swift as ever.

As the beast leapt up in the air, it was suddenly met by a wall of rock. Nay, no wall, but the hand of a massive construct instead. Stone seemed to spontaneously expand from the golem's already impressive form, Adamas gaining greater mass as the monstrosity rose in height and power. Standing at an impressive ten meters now, it made another grab at the many-eyed monster, disregarding the black substance swung unto it. Acid corroded earthen flesh, but Adamas was not designed to feel anything, and even if it could feel parts of its body turn into dust, it mattered not.

As time passed, the ice would reach its master. As time passed, the mist would reach its master. And as long as she remained its master, Adamas could not allow that.

A second hand swung up to meet the first, prepared to clap the many-eyed beast that stood inbetween.

What happened afterwards was, to put it mildly, entirely beyond her expectations.

Ayesha didn't notice Fubuki who was also gunning for the wolf-like construct until it was already too late. If she had known, she would've not ordered Adamas to go for sure, especially when the other construct had the capability of creating a freezing field all around her.

"Adamas!" she shouted. She didn't know how he would handle the cold. It wasn't like they ever fought off against an opponent with the capability for cold manipulation after all, being how the wilderness they frequented was mostly warm and humid.

She too had to be careful of the cold as she would even be more vulnerable to it. So she had to keep her distance. Not to mention that the cold would be horrible for her plants. This meant she had no choice but to leave everything to her construct for now.

She watched as yet another student/construct pair joined in on the "fun". She was glad for the reinforcements of course, but she just hoped that this one wouldn't have a different area of effect ability that could be detrimental to her own construct.

Suddenly, the hostile beast-construct let out a loud, nearly ear-shattering roar. Even from that distance, Ayesha's body froze the moment she heard it. Her face had gone pale. It was clear that the construct still had more in it before it could be tamed.

And then, it started to generate a black, mist-like cloud all around it. Ayesha immediately took notice how it seemed to corrode the ice that it came contact with.

"Adamas, don't stand in the black mist!" she quickly shouted. However, the golem seemed to have decided not to heed his mistress' order. It only grew larger and larger, even as the mist was turning part of his body into dust.

I see. So you're betting on your regenerative ability to outheal the decay the mist is producing. I understand what you're doing but it still too reckless!

"Adamas, retreat at once if it's starting to get too much for you! That's an order!" she shouted. The look on her face told everything. That she was seriously getting worried of her construct's well-being.

@ERode@Ammokkx

@Lugubrious@Ammokkx

---

"O-ooh...uhm, thanks?" Chidori stuttered out. Nehla was right - Hume did kind of look like a giant marshmallow, but that wasn't a bad thing. She honestly kind of just wanted to use him as a big giant pillow. "I'll try not to hold all of you back." Nehla for the most part, was quiet as the others went about introducing themselves, preening her feathers like the show bird she thought of herself as, but it wasn't long before teams had been decided and it was time to act.

"Just like you've practiced, Chidori." Nehla confidently said.

"R-right!" She did her best to appear confident. Right, their general strategy should work here. Focus on defense and hindering opponents, while Nehla was the offense. Focusing her magic, Chidori created a small gravity well near the two blobs heading for Nehla sending them off course.

"I'll handle the offense. Don't get in my way, Marshmallow." Nehla leaped into the air, quickly darting to the side as she focused her sights on the spider that was directly challenging them. She bolted across the plain intending on engaging in close quarters with the others, aiming a powerful kick right towards the Hiyori and her spider.

Fubuki was intending to charge at the canine once again, halted by the ear-breaking howl, and encroaching miasma of acid that was eating away at her icy terrain. Whatever that substance was, it had a freezing temperature that was far below zero. Even if she kept the zone going long enough to freeze it over, the enemy by that time could either have run away, or Yuuto would just keel over from exhaustion. She faltered, losing her nerve for a moment as Lun was lunged at. Suddenly, Yuuto shouted out: "What are you hesitating for, Fubuki? Your Ice Age is unbeatable, especially by some dumb mutt!" An exaggeration to be sure, but it did wonders to boost her confidence. Adamas giving her the death stare didn't help, but she couldn't let herself just back down after entering the fight.

The stone construct was powerful to be certain, but if his arms rotted off then that was it. Fubuki would lower her stance, placing one hand upon the frozen ground before she dashed forward. The icy construct would take a leap to align itself with the wolf's back, the entire area instantaneously returning to its former temperature, before it sharply shot back to cold. Ice crept along the ground once more at her new position, still close to the group, but now only Adamas was within the radius, with Lun being just outside of it. Taking a deep breath, Fubuki would thrust her palms to the ground and channel her control over the zone into it, before a myriad of jagged spikes formed across the surface of the ice in a straight line towards Adamas, but stopping just beneath him. Her intention was clear: If he missed, the Construct would be trapped by the spikes and offer another chance to strike.

She didn't intend to simply support however, as her hands dug into the ground. Finding purchase against the seam of something, she would heft the heavy object up to reveal one of the tiled pieces of flooring that made up the floor of the area. With that in hand, she would begin stockpiling projectiles to use, tile after tile being yanked free of its proper place. She wasn't armored, nor was she innately ranged, so improvisation was the best she could come up with. Yuuto however seemed pleased at his Construct's independent thinking...but he had to wonder: Where was the Professor that was in control of the construct? It was unlikely it was attacking without their orders.

Taking the initiative, Yuuto would begin running around, attempting to find the Professor, while maintaining sufficient distance to power Fubuki. She and the others had this under control for the time being.

The rest of the mooks got into their teams, Emi was already ready to start some shit. In a swift kick, she swung her left leg, Viscera, into the air. At the peak of its arc, her leg popped off with an odd squelching noise alongside a startled yelp from the newly created projectile. Into the fray he went, splashing on the grass with goo splattering on practically everyone around. Emi, meanwhile, swung a little too high and lost her balance. Her ass was on the grass and her massive mop of hair was blocking her vision, but that didn't dissuade the gremlin of a girl.

"Go, number 37!" Her command exploded in the middle of their battleground.

Viscera sighed and began to transform. Quickly, the false skin split into strips reminiscent of tendrils. From a peachy white to a deep red, muscle began to grow, stretch, and expand. Ichor sprayed on those adjacent; harmless, but slippery. Form began to take shape as the Cronenberg horror turned into a more coherent form. While mid-transformation was horrific and made those witnessing want to avert their eyes (sans Emi and those were had the mental fortitude), the end result was much more suitable for combat. At a hunched over 7 feet tall, an unstable figure emerged. With 6 arms and flesh that constantly bubbled and warped on a thin, skeletonized and wire-like figure, it was apparent that this form was built for speed and not power. Save for the torso, every single bit of the speci

Magic began to form as Emi began to chant.

"B-b bb-bbb-b bb-b..." Actually, was it even a chant, or was she just making random noises again. Was it even magic that was forming? It wasn't apparent in the slightest. Her chanting stopped for a brief moment. "Get the spider lady bbb bb-b b b b bbb b..."

And with that, Viscera launched at her at an incredible speed. After all, he was pure muscle.

Wait, what team was she again?

As the others went about pulling together their teams, Hugo watched stone-faced, ready for the action to begin. A giant spider-construct he did not expect, but it made little difference. He'd just need to be aware of its size and speed, particularly if that Hiyori girl showed herself to be the rushdown type. If she put her partner's legs to work carrying its size straight at him, things could get rough, but how would she know to target him? He eyed Emi as she unveiled Viscera, contorting the disturbing thing into a combat-ready form. Nobody would be rushing him down until those two, the more active and obvious threats, were dealt with—at least, if the other teams had any tactical bones in their body.

They wouldn't realize the true threat until it was too late.

A few seconds later the three-for-all began. Hiyori's spider thundered forward, making Hugo agitated for a moment, before stopping in the center of the clearing. Were he not so focused, Hugo might have nodded in approval. Not only did her move -making herself into a centralized hazard- shine of intelligence, but it also ironically meant her downfall. No defensive stratagem could stand up against his trump card. Chidori's Nehla and Emi's Viscera went to work, their energy no doubt meant to secure victory in an impressive display of skill and strength. While they seized his enemies' attention, Hugo had other plans.

He clenched his jaw and deftly swerved to the right to avoid the incoming venom blob. While its arc and composition left him a manageable amount of time to avoid it, he nevertheless felt his pulse begin to pound, and wrestled down the urge to retreat. Calmly, he tapped Hume's body, signaling the time to begin. “Ten-second dose,” he murmured. “Usual plan. For whoever's last, do the thing.” Instead of confirming his instructions via words, Hume simply opened his mouth. His spherical body split in jagged half, revealing a gigantic maw in his belly, and from its lips issued a great fog. In a matter of moments it filled the whole clearing like a smokescreen, but despite appearances it was far more than just a cover.

It took just one breath to begin feeling the symptoms, for enemy and ally alike. Adrenaline and excitement would begin to drift away, like a lost dream. Muscles slackened, joints loosened, and concentration lapsed. Those with the presence of mind, self-awareness, and lack of distraction might catch on after just a few seconds, clamping a hand or arm or garment over their noses and mouths to stop the haze from flooding their minds, but those who did not found their strength leaving them. Each second of exposure made it harder to maintain composure. After ten seconds, those who'd taken enough of Hume's mist would find it impossible to stand, let alone fight. Through the fog came Hugo's icy tone, tempting them to sink deeper and deeper. “It's too late for you. There's no point in continuing to struggle. Just relax. One loss isn't a big deal. You'll win your next fight, so don't worry about this one. Stuff like this just happens. No hard feelings, just let it go...” A bright white cord arced through the mist, cracking like a whip. Hugo, immune to his partner's sedative, targeted any opponents trying to cover their noses and mouths, aiming to sting them until they were forced to let go and let Hume's mist seep in. This was the rare but terrifying tactic Hugo employed to secure his continued presence at Geiru: Whiteout.

@Ammokkx@The Irish Tree@Hammerman@ERode

"W-well, yeah, true, but now everyone's keeping it distracted. I don't know if we'll be able to beat it, because, you know, we're dumb students a-and it's an instructors construct, but we can at least keep it off your back, right?"

He turned back to the battle, and looked on with a smile that actually even had a little bit of confidence to it. Maybe this would actually work out without a mess.

"Yeah, see? Everyone's got this under control at the moment, so just grab my hand and we can get ou-"

And then he was blown backwards, his tiny frame barely able to remain on his feet as the creature let loose a roar so powerful he was surprised he could still hear when it stopped. After taking a moment to steady himself, he saw Yakko standing between him and the acidic mist that had eaten away at the ice, his position making it clear what had happened. However, before he could thank the construct, he watched in horror as Lun was caught in the wolfs trap.

"Lun!" He shouted, only to watch as the giant golem grew even larger, grabbing the wolf and giving Lun the time he needed to fly back from the mist and loop around to the other side.

As soon as he was in position, Lun decided to take a page from Adamas's book and created an oversized pair of arms from the end of his staff, which while nowhere near as large as the golems, were still large enough to promptly wrap around the wolf's mouth. Hopefully, Lun thought, doing this would keep it from roaring again.

Still, the mist was too much of a problem to ignore, and if the golem went down, it would only be a matter of time before the rest of them followed.

"I... Aahhh... Ok. OK." Ren struggled with himself, before turning back to the student. "Alright, I need to go back to them, because I might be able to help clear the mist with my magic. You two should go in case it gets away again. And thanks for saving me just then Yakko."

And then he used his magic to dash back over to where the mist was gathering around the golem. True, his control over the wind might not be powerful enough to be used as an attack, but it should have been enough to push the acidic mist away, considering it's already air...

Right?

"Ooh, I really hope this works..." He said, before whipping his hands upwards and pushing the air carrying the mist upwards.