Yun Xingze’s mecha used its weight advantage to firmly pin down Kalibo.
Under normal circumstances, Yun Xingze wouldn’t resort to such a move; a finishing blow with a weapon or limbs would suffice.
But now, waves of heat surged through his body, his stamina draining rapidly. He couldn’t continue fighting any longer and had no choice but to resort to this last-ditch tactic.
The audience, seeing Kalibo’s mecha being ridden, didn’t know whether to feel sympathy or cheer.
“Damn, the madman Kalibo met another madman.”
“Yun Xingze did brilliantly! Back when Kalibo dismantled me into pieces, the whole crowd laughed at me. Now it’s his turn!”
“Karma’s a bitch. Kalibo finally got what was coming to him.”
Kalibo struggled furiously, but the countdown had already ended.
The referee announced Yun Xingze as the winner of the match.
The crowd erupted in uproar.
After watching this match, the audience was deeply impressed. They had never expected the infamous Kalibo to lose to a first-year Omega. Moreover, Yun Xingze’s exceptional control over the Twin-Star mecha left everyone in awe.
Applause thundered through the arena as everyone cheered for the spectacular match.
“Yun Xingze is amazing—he actually won!”
“The latter half of the match was completely under his control. No way he was going to lose.”
“Calling him an A+ level Twin-Star mecha warrior wouldn’t even be an exaggeration, right?”
“He won… He actually won.” Chi Yu stared blankly at the arena. “Yun Xingze defeated Kalibo!”
After a moment, Chi Yu turned to Su Zinan, his voice filled with surprise and joy. “Su Zinan, did you see that? Yun Xingze is actually this strong…”
Su Zinan also smiled, though it seemed slightly forced. “Who would’ve thought Junior Xingze was so skilled? He really kept it hidden.”
Chi Yu was elated for a while before his emotions grew complicated. He had originally come to see Yun Xingze humiliated, to relish the moment when his mecha was torn apart and he had to beg for help.
Yet, against all expectations, he found himself thrilled by Yun Xingze’s victory.
There was a time when Chi Yu longed for a partner who could stand beside him on the battlefield. But after Su Zinan became his teammate, he grew dissatisfied with his fiancé, Yun Xingze.
He often told Yun Xingze: “Why can’t you learn from Su Zinan?”
But in this match, Yun Xingze had faced a formidable opponent without backing down, fighting until his stamina was exhausted and ultimately winning.
Chi Yu had never imagined this side of Yun Xingze.
He had assumed Yun Xingze’s first-place finish in the qualifiers was just luck.
On the field, the two competitors retracted their mechas. Yun Xingze’s hair was damp with sweat, his fair cheeks slightly flushed on the big screen, yet brimming with vitality, his eyes shining like stars.
Chi Yu couldn’t tear his gaze away for even a second.
A strange question suddenly surfaced in his mind. Had Yun Xingze always been this good-looking??
Su Zinan noticed Chi Yu’s gaze, and an unprecedented sense of crisis rose within him.
From the moment he met Chi Yu, he had always regarded Yun Xingze with pity and disdain.
After all, Su Zinan prided himself on being a new-age independent Omega capable of piloting mechas, excelling in competitions, and achieving top grades. Yun Xingze could never compare to him.
Su Zinan had always believed he held an irreplaceable position in Chi Yu’s heart.
But now, as he watched Yun Xingze defeat Kalibo, he seemed to sense his position was under threat.
On the field, Yun Xingze’s breathing was slightly labored. After exiting his mech, the heat surging within him subsided a little, but his limbs still felt weak.
He guessed he might be sick.
Having pulled all-nighters modifying his mech the past few days while also training his physical and mental strength daily, falling ill wasn’t out of the question.
Yun Xingze took a deep breath, suppressing the discomfort in his body, and walked up to Kalibo. He had expected to be scolded, but Kalibo only stared at him with a dark expression.
After a moment, Kalibo gritted his teeth and said word by word, “That ugly cat of yours is pretty nimble.” Clearly, he was still fuming over Yun Xingze’s maneuvers.
“Is it a cat or a loach? How could it be so fast?” Kalibo grumbled irritably. “And were you deliberately sitting on my mech just to humiliate me?!”
Yun Xingze cleared his throat and replied, “Don’t be mad. I just didn’t have any strength left.”
Kalibo was also drenched in sweat. This was the most exhausting match he’d ever fought, more so than even against S-rank opponents!
He glared at Yun Xingze, still annoyed, but eventually extended a hand.
Yun Xingze blinked in surprise at the red-haired youth, whose frown still carried traces of hostility, though noticeably subdued.
When their eyes met, Kalibo awkwardly turned his head away, feigning composure. “I’m not mad. What’s there to be mad about? Wins and losses are part of the game.”
Yun Xingze hadn’t expected Kalibo to be more good-natured than he’d imagined. He shook the offered hand. “Glad you’re not angry. I thought someone with your style might try to dismantle me in person after the match.”
Kalibo narrowed his eyes, lips pressed together in disdain. “What style? Comet Mechs are born to dismantle opponents. I tear them apart until they surrender; what’s wrong with that?”
Yun Xingze paused.
“I just want to make the school team,” Kalibo said, withdrawing his hand. Beneath his red hair, his gaze was resolute.
Truthfully, Kalibo knew his aggressive style would inevitably draw criticism.
But he didn’t care.
Only then did Yun Xingze realize that Kalibo was a competitor who took matches seriously he felt no guilt for destroying opponents’ mechs, nor would he lose his temper over being humiliated on the field.
“Hope to see you on the school team,” Yun Xingze said with a faint smile. “Good luck.”
Kalibo was taken aback, then scoffed. “You’re pretty confident. But if I get another chance to fight you, I’ll tear that crippled cat of yours to pieces.”
Despite his words, it was clear Kalibo had already marked Yun Xingze as a rival, an acknowledgment of his skill.
This was the first time Kalibo had ever felt such a strong competitive drive toward an Omega.
With that, Kalibo turned and walked away, his retreating figure unburdened.
Yun Xingze also left the arena, but the moment he stepped off the field, the heat in his body surged again, making him falter mid-step.
He needed to get to the infirmary fast.
With that thought, Yun Xingze quickened his pace and headed backstage.
Chi Yu watched Yun Xingze leave and couldn’t help but stand up, intending to go after him.
“Chi Yu!” Su Zinan looked at him in surprise. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to find Yun Xingze,” Chi Yu paused in his steps.
Su Zinan frowned. “Junior Xingze blocked you before, so he’s probably still upset. Last time he was angry, he even yelled at you. Since you’ve already made him that mad, maybe you should just let him cool off alone.”
But Chi Yu replied without hesitation, “He’s worked so hard to improve himself for me not only learning to pilot a mech but also defeating Kalibo. With such a huge change, as long as I explain things clearly, he won’t be angry anymore. Besides, I should congratulate him on winning the match, shouldn’t I?”
Su Zinan stood up and walked over to Chi Yu, sighing. “Yu, you know how Junior Xingze is. He just finished such an exhausting match. Even if you go to congratulate him, he definitely won’t be in a good mood with you.”
Hearing this, Chi Yu frowned. “Is that so? Then I’ll just walk him back to his dorm to rest.” With that, he left the spectator stands.
Su Zinan’s expression shifted slightly, his fingers tightening unconsciously before he said, “I’ll go with you. I’d also like to properly congratulate Junior Xingze.” Then he followed Chi Yu.
On the other side.
After watching the match, Ke Lei was stunned for a long while before belatedly turning to Luo Wenchuan. Seeing his calm expression, Ke Lei couldn’t help but feel agitated. “How can you be so composed? Kalibo was a top contender for this year’s school team, and he actually lost to Yun Xingze! Aren’t you surprised at all?!”
“Hm,” Luo Wenchuan responded indifferently, standing up to leave.
Ke Lei couldn’t tell whether that “hm” meant surprise or not.
He caught up to Luo Wenchuan and continued, “Not just the match itself surprised me. What shocked me even more was that Yun Xingze’s modifications to the Twin Star mech not only succeeded but surpassed most Twin Star mechs out there! Don’t you think his modification skills are unbelievable? I almost wondered if he got a big manufacturer to do it.”
“Big manufacturers don’t make parts that ugly,” Luo Wenchuan said flatly.
“…Fair point,” Ke Lei blinked. “But that’s not the issue! The point is, with skills like his, shouldn’t you ask him to be your personal mech engineer?”
Luo Wenchuan stopped walking.
By now, the two had left the stands and were in a deserted hallway.
Luo Wenchuan’s tall, slender figure stood straight, his voice cool and slightly low in the narrow space. “I’ve already answered that question.”
Ke Lei stepped closer to him and said earnestly, “Last time, when Yun Xingze modified your mech’s elbow joint, you called it a coincidence. But now you’ve seen his skills firsthand. Even if he’s not genius-level, he’s definitely the best I’ve ever seen.”
Luo Wenchuan remained silent.
Noticing this, Ke Lei pressed on, “Besides, I had many mech engineers check your mech’s elbow joint before. They all said there was no issue, only Yun Xingze could modify it. That alone proves his ability.”
Luo Wenchuan looked at Ke Lei, then after a moment, asked slowly, “Have you forgotten about that match in the national tournament?”
Ke Lei froze.
