This is a Beta Test?! - A Literally Broken System

SHIZU

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Shizu had never thought that she would find herself in a life-or-death situation. Granted, she was the one that constantly hunted such situations down like a curious child hoping for their next serving of candy, but the feeling of danger always seemed to get her into a high that she had never felt within the confines of the Kattleynan capital. She loved Kotosa and Yagokoro, of course, but it was stifling...

Too quiet...

"[Yield], Princess."

Another wave of overwhelming calm washed over her as her [Code Watcher] registered the man\'s [Manifest] exerting its power over her. The will to fight was rapidly being sucked away from her, feelings of surrendering to preserve the peace filling her mind despite her rabid urge to fight still screaming at the back of her head. It felt unnatural... Calming...

It felt like she was a kid again.

"Of course..."

Her eyes glazing over, Shizu\'s mind went back to the days of old. Of the days when Mother was still active in the court of Kattleyna. Things were peaceful back then, a new world seemingly open for her to explore as stories of adventuring Somatics filled the discourse of the people. She didn\'t know when it ended, but it all just seemed to change so quickly once the relationship between the three Great Nations broke down and Vestyge declared war on both Marquee and the Empire...

"You will walk yourself to the brig," the man told her. "Understood?"

She couldn\'t help but nod. Somehow, she just knew that doing what she was told would prevent more conflict, preserving the calm that had been firmly established on the bridge. Still, a part of her screamed to fight back, to rebel against the boring order that she had been fighting against for so long.

"Good."

At that, she stood up, the man offering her a hand as he hoisted her up. Like the prim and proper princess that she was, she walked her way out of the bridge, the man still behind her in a way that couldn\'t help but itch at the back of her head.

"Tell me about your companions."

Shizu blinked before she replied, "Moriya and Guidance.... Shade and Maruki.... Shen...."

Something was blocking her mind, her vision filling up with numerous ones and zeroes that seemed to scream at her.

"Tell me more."

Her breath hitched as her feet momentarily stalled. The numbers didn\'t make sense, but the barrier around them.... Barrier?

"Princess."

Shizu felt her eyes clear as the haze clouding her mind cleared itself. Somehow, the numbers were forcing her to turn around, the barrier preventing her from leaving despite not feeling any sort of physical resistance from them. She didn\'t know how or why it worked that way now, but she thanked the Gods that she managed to break free from this man\'s [Manifest].

The only problem she had now was on how to avoid falling for it again.

"Princess!"

"[SHOT PUT]!"

Spinning her body around, her feet glowed with power as she forcibly shoved the man back. It was a [Move] that she didn\'t know she had, but she could question the origins of her knowledge later. For now, she had a heathen to kill for daring to control her.

"You broke free," he calmly stated.

"Your [Manifest] is powerful, but mine makes everything clear," she replied, a hint of her rage starting to return as the effects of his power wore off. "I won\'t make the same mistake again."

"We\'ll see about that," he faintly scoffed. "[Calm]."

Once more, the unnatural urge to keep calm washed over her. This time, however, the rage and anger she was feeling barely managed to even out the [Move], making her even more focused as she lunged ahead.

"What the-"

"[HEAT ACTION]!"

Rapidly closing the gap, Shizu delivered a swift uppercut right at her opponent\'s ribs. It hurt her already injured right arm, but she didn\'t care.

Nobody should be able to control her!

"[STOP PANICKING] [CALM]"

With the fight being back on the bridge, Shizu felt yet another wave of forced calm trying to suppress her anger, her opponent also being engulfed by the same power in what seemed to be an effort for himself to not lose his cool.

Good. She wanted him on his toes anyway.

"No... I\'m angry!"

With a forceful shout, Shizu channeled her anger, something that she had never really done before as she walked forward. Fighting the calm with the reminder that the man in front of her dared to use black fuel as a weapon instead of disposing of it.

"That\'s impossible," he stated. "[CALM]"

Another wave of calm almost threatened to drown her as she winced. Still, she forced her anger out, imagining of a situation wherein the very [Rig] they were currently on was being run on a black fuel engine. Everyone knew that black fuel was highly flammable. Any sort of high heat was liable to make it flare out, and with the Deep being hot enough to warp metal in some places, using engines to power their ships or [Rigs] would make their vessels sailing bombs waiting to explode.

And the mere thought of it almost made her explode in rage.

"You..." the man slowly stepped back, his calm facade starting to show cracks. "How much hatred do you have for the Republic to shrug my [Befehl] off?"

"More than enough," she ground out. "[SHOT PUT]!"

"W-Wha-!"

[*HISS!*]

Jumping straight into his face, his poor composure made his attack miss as she wound up her right leg for a massive kick.

"UGKK!"

Connecting with his stomach, Shizu heaved as she launched right out of the bridge, crashing against the glass and landing with a thud on the deck below.

It was over.

"Finally..."

Letting out a sigh, she blinked her [Code Watcher] out of her vision, the world returning back to its usual color as she stared at the carnage her fight left. And right at that, the injuries she sustained finally caught up to her as her burned hand covered her bleeding stomach.

"Oh... R-Right...."

With a thud, she fell to the floor stained with the blood of her enemies. She knew she wouldn\'t die, but the fear of it still remained.

She could only hope that her companions could find her fast enough.

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