DS Extra 14

The Youth Lit Up the Lamp in the Sky (2)

The second Jiang Jianming arrived at the place, he knew he’d been wrong. This was clearly not a problem that could be solved through ordinary mediation.

High-hanging floodlights illuminated the mecha arena as bright as day. Ten-meter-high gray iron walls surrounded the center, and the open-air arena had already been soaked by the cold rain that had been falling for hours.

In the arena, two humanoid mechas were locked in fierce combat, their rain-drenched outer shells painted in garishly bright colors.

“Beep beep——beep beep——!”

The arena’s referee robot emitted alerts, its panel displaying red electronic numbers as both sides’ scores rapidly climbed.

In the blink of an eye, surface water splashed everywhere. The purple “S-Rapid Stream X” and the red “S-Magmafire 08” collided body-to-body. Their joints emitted ear-piercing screeching noises as two pairs of mechanical arms locked together in a contest of strength.

The armor plates in front of both mechas’ cockpits hadn’t been lowered, so the expressions of both pilots were clearly visible from outside.

Inside the purple mecha sat a blond youth with his sharp, thin chin raised. As soon as he opened his mouth, his tone dripped with mockery. “Young Master Tang, let me give you some friendly advice—stop mixing with the disabled. Don’t you still want to inherit your father’s position?”

“Indulging in vulgar pleasures is not the behavior of the strong. After staying in the Sixth College for so long, I see your skills have declined significantly. Has your crystal bone gone soft? Hahahaha…”

“Bah!” Tang Zhen’s temple veins bulged as the crimson mecha suddenly swung an iron fist. “The Sixth College’s affairs aren’t for a sissy like you to comment on. Say one more word and I’ll tear your mouth apart!!”

The fight in the arena was fierce, while in the distant spectator seats, thirty or forty figures had gathered. They were all young people dressed in wealth and nobility, whooping and hollering, making bets and whistling in encouragement.

“Oh my, that was close!”

“Amazing, amazing! Did you see that just now? Wow…”

Suddenly, they fell silent. Everyone’s eyes turned toward the main entrance, then widened in surprise.

Someone clicked their tongue. “No way, he actually came?”

At the far entrance of the mecha arena, as the rain gradually ceased, a disabled youth wrapped in a black coat walked in.

“…”

Jiang Jianming rubbed his black hair with a headache, his mood a complex mixture of feelings.

The Kato Free Mecha Arena, Aslan District Three’s largest free mecha arena… he knew this place.

Private fighting between students was strictly prohibited at the Military Academy, but hot-blooded genius youths always needed an outlet. Following the principle that channeling was better than blocking, the Kato Free Mecha Arena had become the officially designated practice location for Kaios students.

Of course, mecha battles required registration. Kato was equipped with a specialized referee system and security robots, with a medical area underground—generally speaking, nothing would go wrong.

So this is where they ended up fighting.

Although from a certain perspective, not hacking at each other with crystal bones was a good thing, and at least a mecha match wouldn’t result in bloodshed, but…

The corner of Jiang Jianming’s lips twitched slightly. Was it too late to go back and continue having dinner with Little Highness Ryann?

Never mind, it was probably too late. The black-haired youth expressionlessly lowered his head to check the time on his wrist device. That busy person had most likely left by now anyway.

Tch… It was rare for His Highness the Crown Prince to have legitimate free time, and he’d even reserved a restaurant in advance…

In the arena, the cockpit of “S-Magmafire 08” suddenly opened.

Tang Zhen wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, dumbstruck. “Xiao Jiang!?”

The next moment he exploded in rage, twisting to roar at the opposing mecha. “Barton Waver! You fucking… despicable villain! Who called him here? This has nothing to do with him!?”

Inside the opposing cockpit, the blond Waver shrugged with a playful smile. “Oh my, I know nothing about this. Perhaps one of my friends, seeing Young Master Tang looking so mighty, wanted to invite your good friend to watch the battle?”

The group of noble scions in the spectator seats burst into raucous laughter. They were clearly all on that blond youth surnamed Waver’s side, and now, emboldened by their numbers, they pointed and gossiped about Jiang Jianming.

“Haha, he actually fell for it.”

“I told you, the difference between new humans and the disabled isn’t just physical—there’s a huge gap in intelligence too!”

Among them was conspicuously the chubby boy with reddish-brown hair who had picked on Jiang Jianming at the Second College during the day. He now shook his head smugly. “And he has no self-awareness, thinking he’s so capable.”

“Though he is quite loyal. Is this the little darling Young Master Tang protects? Come, come, let us see your face…”

The group stood up with a clamor, surrounding the black-haired youth. Dissolute scions of this age were the most unscrupulous. Not daring to openly provoke the young master of the Tang family, they came to harass Jiang Jianming instead.

With roving gazes, with ill-intentioned ambiguous smiles, with expressions and even gestures, they vented a certain filthy malice.

Jiang Jianming retreated two steps to the side, walking to the railing. Tang Zhen roared, “Don’t touch him!!”

“Tang Zhen.” The black-haired youth waved down at him, greeting his friend.

Then he leaned forward over the gray railing, his voice clear and light as he called down. “If you’re going to fight, stay calm. You can’t win if your blood’s rushing to your head like this.”

Instantly, the floodlights enveloped his figure in their glow.

The youth’s features were unclear against the backlight—only his long legs and narrow waist were visible, the arm gripping the railing so pale it was striking, wrapped around what looked like a fragile bone structure, like a willow leaf swaying in the night.

Down below, Waver stared blankly first, then let out a flirtatious whistle, reached up to loosen his tie, and laughed. “Well, well, quite the little beauty. No wonder Young Master Tang… hehe.”

“Fuck——shut up!!”

Tang Zhen’s eyes turned red in an instant, the crystal bone behind his back surging as Mecha Magmafire swung its fist at the opponent.

But Waver smiled sinisterly—he’d been waiting for this. Magmafire’s punch hit empty air, and instead his opening was seized. The purple Mecha Rapid Stream directly grabbed Magmafire’s shoulder joint and twisted it down.

Magmafire immediately lost balance as Tang Zhen lost control. The cockpit spun dizzyingly, and with a “clang,” the crimson mecha’s head had already been smashed into the surface water.

Waver laughed triumphantly. He manipulated his mecha to pin Tang Zhen firmly to the ground, even blowing a kiss at Jiang Jianming above.

Tang Zhen was furious, cursing loudly. Worried that Jiang Jianming would be bullied alone up there by those dissolute scions, the more anxious he became, the less he could break free, instead allowing his mecha to take several more punches.

“Beep beep——beep beep——!“

The arena’s referee robot rushed over in a flurry, the numbers on its panel approaching the decisive point.

But Waver suddenly stopped fighting. He just kept Tang Zhen pinned down like this, as if deliberately humiliating him, using Rapid Stream’s purple-gray mechanical arm to lightly pat the other mecha’s face.

“Young Master Tang,” this blond youth sneered coldly, “I might as well tell you directly—I just can’t stand your daily act of being a self-righteous hypocrite.”

“Everyone knows Kaios Military Academy established the Sixth College just to save face for the weak. I really never imagined someone would actually want to stand up for that garbage Sixth College…”

Waver snorted. “You? A wet-behind-the-ears little master who only relies on family background?”

“…”

Above, the black-haired disabled youth gripping the railing remained silent, looking down at the two mechas in the arena as the cold wind stirred his collar.

Come to think of it, Tang Zhen had looked down on the Sixth College at first too, he thought quietly.

Had he now come to consider the Sixth College as “his own,” wanting to protect the students there, wanting to win some dignity for the disabled as well?

Suddenly, Tang Zhen let out a low roar as the crimson Mecha Magmafire exerted force again, forcibly pushing Mecha Rapid Stream’s body away bit by bit.

Panting roughly, he looked up and shouted, “Xiao Jiang, go back! This has nothing to do with you! These guys are all worthless trash, ignore them and leave now!”

“…Still able to move?”

Waver spat, gritting his teeth as he manipulated his mecha to push back. “Today I’ll make you lose all face in front of that disabled human!”

The red and purple mechas locked in stalemate again.

Just then, a voice came from overhead, “Classmate.”

Waver froze, looking up to see the black-clothed, black-haired disabled youth nodding at him. “Yes, I’m calling you.”

“So you all called me here to provoke Tang Zhen, right?”

In the cold wind and lamplight, Jiang Jianming tilted his head slightly and said softly, “Can’t win against him without such underhanded tactics?”

The next moment, he swung his leg over, half his body already suspended outside the gray railing.

A chorus of gasps rang out from behind as those previously nonchalant dissolute scions turned pale.

The spectator seats were four or five meters above the mecha arena floor—not a problem for new humans with crystal bone protection, but if a disabled person fell, any number of consequences were possible!

“Xiao Jiang!!”

Tang Zhen’s scalp went completely numb as he screamed hoarsely. “What are you doing!! Fuck, don’t scare me, this is just a fucking match, don’t do anything rash——”

Before he could finish, suddenly he felt a strange fluctuation spreading from the arena’s main entrance.

In the clear night air washed by rain, crystal particles trembled and spread like ripples.

A figure walked in, footsteps measured, cold and hard.

The group of dissolute scions gathered at a distance suddenly felt discomfort in their bodies. Several people clutched the crystals condensed on their wrists in pain.

Waver in the mecha turned his head in disbelief, cold sweat immediately breaking out.

This was the pressure of a high-level crystal bone!

These were just a few young nobles having a private night match—how could it alarm a high-level crystal bone holder like this!?

The newcomer walked to the railing, placing a hand on the disabled youth’s shoulder, seeming to speak softly, appearing intimate and considerate.

He must have brought a specialized concealment device, as his face was somewhat blurred. Only the edge of a hat could be seen, vaguely revealing a few strands of pale golden hair.

Tang Zhen was stunned. “Xiao Jiang? Is this your… friend?”

To release crystal particle fluctuations without harming the disabled person required extremely strong control over crystal particles.

He didn’t understand—Jiang Jianming had always kept a low profile, when had he gotten involved with such a powerful person?

Jiang Jianming stared blankly at Ryann before him. He was bewildered too.

Afraid the concealment device would fail if too close, he hurriedly pulled the person to the side, lowering his voice. “Why did you follow me here!?”

Ryann let Jiang Jianming pull him around, asking expressionlessly, “Why would you think I wouldn’t follow?”

Jiang Jianming’s expression changed several times. He actually became anxious, saying with guilt and worry, “But… we’d already ordered…”

The Crown Prince answered immediately, “I had it packed. Nothing was wasted.”

Jiang Jianming: “!”

Little Highness casually pinched the disabled youth’s tender nape, a trace of amusement showing in his eyes. “Satisfied now?”

Packed… very good, Ryann thought darkly. He’d never done anything so frugal in his life—another novel experience.

But if he hadn’t, he was afraid the disabled youth would cry from heartache. Now he was quite glad he’d thought of this in advance, even feeling a little proud.

Ryann pulled Jiang Jianming to sit in the seats, both looking down at the mecha arena.

The two mechas had already separated. Waver was clearly too frightened to continue fighting, awkwardly making small talk with Tang Zhen while constantly glancing upward. He was afraid of having provoked some important figure he shouldn’t have.

The group who had just mocked and harassed Jiang Jianming had long since fled. These people had little real ability, but were first-rate at reading the room.

Fortunately, it was now too dark to see faces clearly—if they didn’t run now, when would they? Wait for the other party to remember who they were and settle accounts later?

…This is what’s called deus ex machina, Jiang Jianming couldn’t help but mentally grumble.

Beside him, Ryann looked at him and said in a low voice, “Waver and the Tang family have never gotten along. This is a private conflict between them and has nothing to do with you.”

Jiang Jianming made a sound of acknowledgment, though it was unclear whether he’d really listened. Ryann continued, “But Waver offended you and should be punished accordingly. Those who ran can all be identified if we want.”

Having Little Highness use the term “offended” so seriously in reference to himself, especially a noble offending a commoner, Jiang Jianming found somewhat amusing.

Besides, Little Highness probably hadn’t heard the truly “obscene” remarks yet… well, if he had heard them, his attitude probably wouldn’t be this calm right now.

Jiang Jianming narrowed his eyes, finding the cool breeze after the rain quite pleasant, so he shook his head mildly and said no need.

Then there was silence. After a few seconds, Ryann asked again, “If I hadn’t come, what were you planning to do just now?”