Chapter 138 - 137 - Combat Androids(Part 4)

I sprang back as the android pointed its fingers at me and fired out a barrage of bullets in my direction, narrowly avoiding taking any hits as I put up my barrier. The barrage then ceased as Bytra swung her whip up, which struck its arm and wrapped around it, restraining it. 

The android then abruptly jerked its arm up, causing Bytra to lose her balance and nearly fall over, and the instant she stumbled, the android shot down towards her rapidly, extending out its arm blades as I began to close in on her...before suddenly halting and flying away as Kiran expanded his swatter right between them, putting up a wall. 

Bytra quickly dissipated her manifestation and zipped across, sticking by the edge of the barrier as she kept her distance from the android, which was watching her closely. I then took aim and flung one of my X-Blades at it with a rapid spun, targeting the joint in its neck, in an attempt to take its head off. 

It slid out of the way just in time, my spinning blade grazing the side of its head as it avoided decapitation. Right as the blade whizzed past the android, I teleported myself behind it and grabbed the spinning blade, before driving it straight towards the base of its neck from behind. 

But it reacted just in time, evading the thrust of my blade....just as I thought, the 'eyes' at the front of the androids' heads are just distraction...they have three sixty degree vision, that's how these things can react so well to attacks that are initiated from behind. 

I quickly tilted my head out of the way as it drove its left arm blade towards my head, narrowly evading it. The android then raised its right arm blade, starting to swing the blade down at me-...suddenly, it began to react to something to its right, but it was too slow, as Bytra managed to restrain it again, using her whip. 

Right, just because it can see attacks coming from any direction doesn't mean that it's fast enough to seamlessly respond to every threat that comes its way.

My ears then perked up as I heard footsteps quietly approaching from behind me-...no, it's more like they're using me as a screen to sneak up on the android. Before it could pull its left arm back, I swiftly jammed my X-Blades into its forearm and shoulder joints, its left arm ceasing function, right as Kiran sprang out from behind me. 

He then thrust his swatter into the android's neck joint, before rapidly expanding it...and right before he could tear the mechanical head off, the android got teleported out, avoiding sustaining what would have been more than enough damage to shut it down. 

That probably means that the insides aren't as resistant to XFE as the exterior of the android is...wonder what this exoskeleton is made of, or rather, what it's coated with. Tungsten is highly durable, but XFE can damage it with a bit of force, it's definitely not this resistant. 

Which means that there's something else in the mix, something that blunts any XFE attacks and absorbs a significant amount of the impact...hm, I wonder what it is? Guess I'll ask Director Silva later.

"It's finally over," Kiran let out a sigh of relief, before adding with a frown, "Well...for today, anyway."

"Come on, don't be like that. Plus that was some pretty decent teamwork for a group that's never worked together before," I pointed out, "Assuming that wasn't a fluke, at this rate we should be fine by the time the exam rolls around."

"If every combat session is gonna be like this, then we'd better pass...I don't want to have gone through all this for nothing," Grumbled Kiran, before gulping down some water. 

"We don't have a whole lot of time, so we'll primarily focus on covering each other and avoiding getting in each other's way, instead of trying to pull off any complicated combo moves or whatever. And if we figure out ways to improve efficiency, we build on those gradually, to make sure the new elements don't upset the overall balance," I suggested thoughtfully. 

"Yeah...that's probably the easiest way to go about it. But it's still going to be a lot easier said than done," Sighed Kiran wistfully. 

"U-um...," Began Bytra, before trailing off nervously. 

"Hm? If you've got something to say, then spit it out. Until the exam is over, I'm setting aside my personal grudge in order to ensure that I pass, and if you've got any ideas that can help, I'm willing to listen," I remarked frankly. 

"O-okay, um...I was, uh, I was just thinking that...the exam will consist of us going outside and fighting Mutants, so we'll probably be outnumbered in most encounters. So, um, isn't training where we outnumber the opponent counterproductive?" She replied, averting her gaze as she fidgeted uncomfortably. 

Huh...that's actually...a pretty good point, I have to admit. 

"You might be right about that...hm, alright then, we'll continue as things are for the rest of this week, but by next Monday, if the combat sessions stay the same, we'll have to train outside of Academy hours...if that happens, I'll probably have to scrap my regular training sessions to make time for teamwork training," I surmised with a frown. 

"Wait, so...depending on how the next few Academy combat training sessions go...we might have to have additional training sessions in our spare time?" Groaned Kiran in dismay. 

"You sure complain a lot, huh. And yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying," I replied dryly. 

"Out of curiosity, how much do you train normally, outside of Academy sessions?" He inquired with narrowed eyes. 

"Hm...well, these days, two to three hours on weekdays, depending on where my stamina's at, though on days where I have something to do, I might skip it...I try to avoid doing so more often than once every five days though. As for weekends...a minimum of four and a half hours and I can go upto six hours, sometimes seven if I'm extra motivated," I answered, after thinking about it, "Why do you ask?" 

"...dude. You do this every day?" He asked incredulously, as Bytra looked pretty wide-eyed too. 

"Well, I mean, I do take a day off to relax every two weeks, that's if I don't skip any days in between," I replied with a shrug. 

"Just so you know...I am not training that hard, no matter what," Declared Kiran confidently. 

I won't say anything now, but...we'll see about that... 

... 

... 

A few hours later, at around 6 PM, I was done with classes and on my way to meet Director Silva...she'd wanted to meet with me to discuss the combat androids, since they were all but ready for mass-production, but there was still room for minor tweaks. 

I initially had little interest in that, but now that I've actually fought the prototypes of the androids, I'm a fair bit more invested in the matter. Anyway, I was already in the building and in front of the door to Director Silva's office. I knocked on the door and waited... 

"Come in!" 

I opened the door and walked in, before shutting it behind me and heading into the room. 

"Hey, you wanted to see me?" I greeted her. 

"That's right, I'd like your opinion on the combat androids, especially since you've had the chance to face them in battle," She remarked, getting right down to business. 

"Wait, did you schedule this meeting for today because you knew I'd be fighting those things today?" I inquired with a raised eyebrow. 

"...maybe. Anyway, what did you think of it?" She responded with an impatient, expectant look on her face. 

Well, if nothing else, it's reassuring that she takes the things she's in charge of so seriously, I suppose... 

"Not sure...see, the androids got tougher and tougher as the session progressed, so I don't know whether or not I faced any that were going all out, by the end," I pointed out with a shrug. 

"Oh, the android at the end was executing its combat program at full capacity with no restrictions...in the first three rounds, the combat program was operating at around twenty-five percent, and then fifty percent at the second set of three rounds," She explained. 

So, she knows everything that went down in the training session, huh? Well, since HQ provided the Academy with the android prototypes, I suppose it makes sense that she'd have access to how they were being used, since that's pretty valuable data for new creations like this...

"Oh...well, in that case, I don't think there are any problems. The tungsten exoskeleton should be a decent defense against physical weapons, and whatever the exterior is coated with blunts XFE attacks significantly, the only major defensive weakness are the joints," I concluded the defenses of the androids. 

"Right, we've been working on making the joints as hard to penetrate as possible, but we can only go so far without restricting the flexibility of movement," She sighed in reply. 

"I doubt there's a solution to that, especially not one that doesn't compromise anything," I stated objectively, before continuing, "Now, then, as for the offensive power of the androids..."

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