The moment Illya uttered that word, he knew exactly what she was referring to.

The Fia lineage had recently developed a serum capable of temporarily boosting one's physical capability, stamina, mental fortitude, and cognitive vitality. Intended for pilots, it was on the verge of deployment after extensive trials.

This serum could push a person to, or even beyond, their limits in a short time, but it carried a terrifying aftereffect: a single misstep could plunge the user into absolute madness.

A cold sweat broke out on Pezhe’s back. “Has it really come to this?”

Illya slowly crouched by the window, covering her face, her voice thick with tears. “Too many from the Sky Pillar team are incapacitated. If we don't do this, I have no confidence at all.” Tears slipped through her slender, onion-like fingers as she finally broke down, sobbing. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked this of you.”

Pezhe knelt down, meeting her height, and pulled her into an embrace, murmuring comfortingly, “There, there, stop crying. It pains me to see you like this.”

Illya clutched desperately at his uniform, weeping, “Zhezhe, what am I supposed to do? Tell me, what should I do? I have to win the championship. Waaah…”

Pezhe let his eyes drift shut for a moment, then snapped them open, determination hardening his gaze. “Don’t worry. I’ll inject it.”

Illya shook her head violently. “No, I don’t want that. I absolutely refuse.”

Seeing her cry so heartbreakingly, tears streaming down her face, the softest chord in Pezhe’s heart was struck again. He pulled out a tissue and gently wiped away each falling tear, his voice tender. “Sweetheart, don’t cry anymore. I’ll take the injection, and I’ll defeat them.”

Illya lifted her head, staring at him blankly.

He softly pinched her cheek. “Good girl, stop crying.”

Illya nodded, using his shoulder to steady herself as she stood. “I won’t cry. I’m going to the washroom for a moment.”

Pezhe nodded, watching her enter the washroom.

The moment Illya stepped inside, her entire expression froze. Her eyes held only a dark, ominous glare, utterly devoid of the sorrow and pain she had just displayed.

She was fond of Pezhe, yes, but she would never surrender her championship throne for him.

Pezhe was destined to be sacrificed.

She briefly closed her eyes, touched up her makeup in the mirror, and then turned to leave the room.

Meanwhile, Pezhe was grappling with the issue of the clone.

Up to this point, he had never created a clone.

The cloning technology was so advanced that the success rate was 99.999%; there was no concern that a clone wouldn't activate upon his death. But it was precisely this perfection that made him resist it so fiercely.

No matter how realistic or identical the clone was, it wasn't him. He could not bear the thought of someone else, wearing his likeness and habits, inheriting everything that was his.

Human nature is inherently possessive, and Pezhe was particularly severe in this regard.

However, if he refused to create a clone, and the injection went wrong, destroying him, there would be no turning back.

Pezhe wrestled with the dilemma, unable to reach a conclusion.

Perhaps he should first inquire about the specific physical harms of the serum?

He looked up just as Illya emerged from the washroom. Their eyes met, and Pezhe immediately buried the thought of inquiring about the injection deep within his mind.

The serum was a closely guarded secret of the Fia lineage; an outsider like him could not obtain detailed information, relying only on Illya. But he could sense that Illya’s emotions had only just stabilized. If he immediately pressed her, she might sense his reluctance to take the dose, and her hard-won calm could plunge back into despair…

Illya walked up to him, affectionately linking her arm through his. Traces of tears remained on her face, but she was no longer crying. “Come on, let’s go eat.”

The semi-finals finally arrived.

The first match: Team Feifei versus Team Sky Pillar.

Illya had prepared a two-pronged strategy. First, she had “accidentally” injured several members of the Sky Pillar team whose backgrounds were not particularly powerful. Pilots absolutely could not have injuries before entering a mech, as the immense G-forces during piloting could cause wounds to burst blood vessels.

Consequently, only seven members of the Sky Pillar team could deploy this time.

Among them, only one pilot remained: Li Wei.

Illya hadn't paid much attention to Li Wei before. Although he was Ling Si’s ace pilot, he was just an ordinary student with no powerful backing.

But she had underestimated Li Wei’s agility.

She had made three separate attempts against him. The first, a supposed spaceship accident, failed to harm Li Wei. The second, an incident during training, saw Li Wei coincidentally stepping out to take an urgent communication. The third, an assassination attempt orchestrated by her people, was also narrowly evaded.

By now, Illya loathed Li Wei to the bone!

On the other hand, Illya had the injection prepared for Pezhe.

The serum in her hand was the single most successful enhancement injection the Fia lineage had ever produced, bar none. This batch was small; the majority had been hijacked by the red-haired old dog during the Star Gate conflict and now rested at the bottom of an ocean on some distant planet. The remaining fraction had been split, half injected into pilots fighting northward, proving unstoppable.

She was confident that using it on Pezhe this time would also yield perfect results.

With only half an hour left until the match, the competing mechs had to be sent to the inspection lab for testing, along with mandatory pilot physicals. Before he went in, Illya squeezed his hand, secretly placing the injection into his palm. Pezhe opened his hand, gave her a brief hug, and whispered near her ear, “Don’t worry, I will win!”

Illya nodded, watching him enter.

She had arranged everything—all facilities were prepared to ensure the injection would not be detected during the physicals. It was designed for use once on the battlefield, taking effect within ten minutes to maximize strength for a duration of thirty minutes.

As long as he could defeat his opponent within forty-five minutes, victory was assured!

The match began!

Li Wei versus Pezhe!

Pezhe was a decent pilot from the Academy for Non-Commissioned Officers, but nowhere near ace level. Furthermore, the NCO Academy specialized in training various commanders; mechanical combat was not their primary focus.

As the mech battle commenced, the announcer introduced: “For this match, Sky Pillar’s Li Wei is Ling Si’s ace, renowned for his exquisite technique and flashy skills. Meanwhile, Feifei’s Pezhe has established an undefeated myth since entering the finals. Who will prevail this time—Ling Si’s ace or Feifei’s unbroken legend?”

As he spoke, Pezhe launched his first wave of fierce attacks.

It was a completely desperate fighting style.

Li Wei was secretly shocked.

Yesterday, although the ambush hadn’t bruised his skin, he had accidentally fractured a finger when knocked to the ground. He had immediately undergone cellular repair surgery at the hospital, and his pinky finger was still not fully agile. Fortunately, as Ling Si’s ace, he possessed abundant combat experience, allowing him to quickly stabilize his position and begin his counterattack.

He thought to himself: Even with one clumsy finger, he absolutely would not lose to Pezhe!

-RS