The arena filled with robots, all of us equipped and waiting for the signal. Suddenly, from the dust kicked up by the machines, a trainer appeared. He walked slowly, hands on his hips, and when he reached us, he raised a hand for everyone to cease movement. His voice was heavy as he began to speak.
"The rules are simple: destroy the robots in your path and try to take the ribbon from my neck. Even a small piece, a thread, anything—that's considered a success. But be warned, the irons here don't joke around. They will tear you to pieces, so take this seriously. Most of you wrote this contract with your own blood and didn't read it. When you signed to get your identity, you accepted that you can die. As always, some of you will make it, and some of you will die."
I looked down at the identity tag on my neck, dazed and terrified, but a grim realization settled in: there was no turning back. "So this is how you want to play," I thought.
He looked at all of us and shouted: "Digest that, you little pigs! What did you think? That you were going to a camp? You see, my head is damaged. I have a mechanical eye. My right hand, half of it is mechanical, and my left leg is completely mechanical. But that's why I'm here—because I didn't give up even at my worst! When you're given missions, no one cares if you live with one hand less. So, my little war pigs, get ready. The moment the siren and drums sound, you won't have much time. Attack me!"
I tried to figure out a plan, but the robots had already raised a cloud of dust. The sirens began to wail. "It's not fair! The robots have thermal cameras!" I yelled, a futile thought as the drums of battle struck.
The first shots found their targets. The person to my right was hit in the head, and because I flinched and pulled back, the blast missed me. Trembling, I looked to my left and saw another kneel down in terror.
Out of nowhere, a robot appeared and impaled him with a sword. It blasted him with its weapon and then turned toward me. I raised my weapon to shoot, but it defended with its sword and aimed its own weapon. I managed to counter it, my heart pounding.
The trainer’s voice roared like a rabid beast. "Little pigs, you're writhing in pain and fear. That's not how you get stronger. Find your mental reserves and fight! All of this is just the beginning. We have a long way to go, my little war pigs!"
His words enraged me. The robot lunged, but as it raised its sword, I countered it with my own. I pushed, preventing it from raising its weapon, but not its leg. Before I knew it, it kneed me in the stomach. The pain was unbearable. It kicked me, and I fell face down, watching the trainer's figure dancing in the dust. "What an arrogant bastard," I muttered.
The robot came to finish me. As it stood over me, raising its sword to impale me, I twisted, and stabbed it between its legs, shouting, "Now that hurts! A hit below the belt! Haha!" It simply froze. It looked down at the sword. "Haha? It didn't feel anything... of course, it's a robot. What could it feel down there?" I grabbed its weaponized hand, hoping to immobilize it, but in vain. It threw me back, pulled out the sword, and turned to take my soul. I remembered my weapons: a launcher and a rifle. As it leaped at me, I closed my eyes in fear and fired a rocket into its chest.
I opened my eyes a few seconds later, breathing a sigh of relief. "Phew. I made it. There aren't many left, but there aren't many of us left, either." I grabbed the robot's sword, looked at its blinking head, lifted it, and threw it at another robot that was overpowering a fellow warrior.
"Come here, little pig, who do you think..." I didn't get to finish my thought. The robot charged energy and made a sudden attack. I managed to step back, avoiding the full force, but it still wounded my chest.
"Gaaah!" I yelled. "What's wrong, little pig? Did I anger you, you piece of trash? You took our jobs, but it's not your fault. It's the fault of those who gave you more value!" it retorted in its metallic voice. It made repeated attacks, but I used my weapon as a shield and the sword for quick strikes, until I took out one of its legs. It fell, and I watched it crash to the ground.
I walked toward it, raising my weapon to its head with a wide smile. "We had a nice chat, didn't we, little pig?" The robot's entire head lit up red, its expression hostile. "No point in shouting now." A burst of energy from my weapon shattered the robot from the waist up.
I looked around. Our numbers were constantly dwindling. But those who were different were enjoying it, as if it were their last day. "Aaah, this is freedom," I thought.
A giant ran past me toward the robots in the center, using a huge shield and a hammer-cannon. He was terrifying, but I decided to take advantage of it. I quickly moved to help two warriors who were trapped. I sliced off their attackers' legs. A nod of the head was all that was needed.
When we were done, we gathered in a defensive circle, instinctively. The giant in front was fighting furiously. "Since we're in a circle formation," I shouted, "let's surround them... or even better, I see the giant is the anvil. What do you say we become the hammer?" A multi-colored-haired man smiled back. "Hmm, why not? Do we have a better place to be?" He started running toward the trainer, and everyone followed him.
But I had other plans. I ran behind the giant as he fought furiously. His defense weakened, and the trainer threw him down with a kick, kicking up dust. The giant raised his weapon, blocking the trainer's second kick. From the dust above the giant's head, I appeared. "Oooooh! Hello, pig!" I shouted, my eyes filled with rage and fire. I unleashed an attack with all my might on his neck.
The air was so charged, so electrified, that I didn't see his faint smile.
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