The rumors and discussions about him gradually ceased.

That year was Wayne Lane’s most glorious year at the academy.

People even began to praise him as the future imperial mecha master.

No one dared to challenge him, risking "death" anymore.

Until the appearance of Hannah...

Perhaps it really was true that there are always people better than you, mountains beyond mountains.

The old principal also spoke with a touch of emotion.

Before Hannah’s emergence, he was very optimistic about Wayne Lane, although he always felt that Wayne lacked something, at the time he truly couldn’t find a student with greater talent.

An S-class spirit power coupled with exceptional mecha piloting talent.

He was born a child of the heavens.

A hundred years later, listening to the old principal recount the past, Jay Brown could still feel the passion and youth.

And the yearning in his heart for the strength of the strong.

"I remember you said Wayne Lane was admitted exceptionally, what about Hannah?"

"Hannah?" the old principal stroked his beard, "She got in on her own."

In fact, when Hannah first joined the school, no one knew her identity.

She never brought it up herself either.

...

On the first day of the new school year, Hannah defeated Wayne Lane driving a junior mecha.

But because the mecha wasn’t networked, and the data wasn’t synchronized, no one else knew about it.

After that, Wayne Lane started to take notice of Hannah.

He recognized her uniqueness and her talent, and so he began to see Hannah as his rival.

He started to engineer chance encounters with Hannah.

Sometimes in the academy’s cafeteria, sometimes in the spectator seats at the training grounds, and sometimes on the academy’s little-known paths.

Very few knew about that path. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Especially the academy’s instructors.

It was said to be the secret woods where upperclassmen from the previous two years went to date.

Quiet and secluded.

Hannah went there to do bad things.

And Wayne Lane went there to wait for Hannah.

Actually, at that time, Wayne Lane simply wanted to compete with Hannah again.

He had reflected countless times on that hurried contest, feeling that he should not have lost.

Teenagers are at their most impulsive.

Proud and self-absorbed, they rarely listen to others.

This isn’t meant in a negative sense.

Youth is invariably crazy.

At least that’s how it seemed to him at the time.

So after hearing enough flattery and adulation from others, even someone as naturally aloof as Wayne Lane could become somewhat arrogant.

He told Sheffield Benedict about it.

Sheffield Benedict said he had too strong a desire to win, almost like a freak, right, and a bit chuunibyou.

He didn’t understand what chuunibyou meant.

But he thought, he definitely needed to have a proper talk with Hannah.

About when they would have their next match.

He didn’t refuse to accept defeat; he just felt he shouldn’t have lost.

It was a sunny day.

The sunlight was blinding, making the leaves glow with a verdant green.

Inside the woods, the lush leaves split the sunlight into many different shapes.

Hannah stood deep within the woods.

At a glance, Wayne Lane could see her.

She leaned against the trunk, looking down and fumbling for something from her pocket.

From a distance, Wayne Lane couldn’t see clearly.

But based on the color and shape, he guessed it was likely a weapon.

Perhaps one handed out by instructors in class for students to study weapon models.

Because the mecha academy rules forbade students from bringing any weapons in.

Any at all.

Not even a dagger was allowed.

So Wayne Lane thought, that must be something Hannah secretly took from class.