Bent initially maintained Ace’s style, occasionally throwing in a signature move of his own, but soon he began fighting in a frenzy, the two styles merging until Fero’s pilot was thrown into utter chaos.

Still, the Fero ace wasn't one to be trifled with; he quickly adjusted his mindset, countering whatever move came, whether it was Ace’s or Bent’s, before looking for an opening to attack.

However, in the short term, defeating Bent now seemed practically impossible for him.

The rest of the Fero University team sat near ChuQiao (Excalibur), watching Ace grind his teeth, as if Ace himself were Bent inside the cockpit.

Ling Yin was perceptive enough to notice immediately and nudged Ace.

Ace paid them no mind, turning his head to flash them a devastatingly charming smile, only to be skewered by their icy glares once more.

After skewering Ace, they turned their glares onto Bent, who was currently engaged in the mech battle.

Bent, however, couldn't feel their killing intent; the railgun turrets were angled with exquisite precision, making them impossible to defend against. Even the talented Fero University pilot couldn't withstand such an assault.

Bent’s movements were swift and graceful, like a swallow darting past. In that fleeting moment, both railgun turrets fired four rapid shots—boom, boom, boom, boom—all striking the opponent’s mech neck.

The neck was a mech’s weak point, but rarely could anyone hit it with such accuracy. Bent’s precision on these two shots was astonishing!

Fero’s mech was already half-destroyed. Struck in the head, it wobbled twice, careening backward uncontrollably. Bent realigned both turrets to the neck area and fired again, tut-tut-tut-tut—

BOOM!

With a deafening explosion, Fero’s mech head snapped off, blasted high into the sky!

Bent wins!

Cheers and roars of applause surged towards the heavens.

ChuQiao versus Fero—ChuQiao victorious!

Bent opened the cockpit and stepped out, flashing a goofy peace sign to the audience with a smile before re-entering the mech and teleporting off the battlefield.

When he appeared, the ChuQiao team barely registered him before they all sprinted toward the pilot exit.

Bent dismounted his mech. Though exhausted, the recent victory left him radiant, while the Fero University pilot who emerged looked ashen-faced. He managed a strained handshake before turning away.

His mood didn't affect Bent in the slightest. Bent cheerfully accepted congratulations from his team and walked toward the gate, only to see the ChuQiao team rushing toward him.

Ace was the first to reach him, embracing his younger brother. “My brother, truly first-rate skill.”

Ziye scoffed, “That hat you’re wearing for yourself looks quite handsome.”

Everyone burst out laughing.

Bent ruffled Ziye’s hair. “Don’t be like that. I prepared several tall hats, they look pretty good too. Want one?”

Just then, the Fero University pilot and his teammates emerged.

When the two groups met, ChuQiao immediately fell silent. The Fero University members were all wearing grim expressions.

The Fero pilot stared intensely at the twins for a long moment, then strode forward suddenly. His teammates started to intercept him but stopped themselves after a moment’s thought.

Seeing the unusual look on his face, Bent walked forward, maintaining a polite smile.

The pilot looked at Bent, then at Ace, and slowly opened his mouth: “Tell me, are you Ace or are you Bent?”

Ace, standing nearby, couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

His younger brother, Bent, smiled faintly: “Ace.”

The pilot’s eyes nearly filled with tears. He wiped his face roughly and marched away. His teammates followed suit.

After they had all gone, Li Chunyu couldn't help but ask, “He clearly wanted an answer. Why did you keep lying to him?”

Bent walked back and shrugged. “Should I tell him I was Bent, making him feel like he lost because of a name swap, and then announce to the whole universe that I tricked the audience with my name?”

Ace chimed in, “The name was never the key. If I had been the one fighting, he would have lost just the same.”

—It was common knowledge that Ace’s and Bent’s combat styles were polar opposites, but those were merely images they had deliberately cultivated. The twins learned mech combat from An Junlie; their foundational knowledge was identical. Later, to facilitate coordination, they each made specific adjustments. It wasn't until the Lings King of Aces competition in university that they fully established their distinct styles.

Therefore, what truly deceived the Fero University pilot wasn't the name, but the widely circulated belief that “the twins’ combat styles were completely opposite.”

With the Top Four completed, ChuQiao earned another temporary rest period.

A week later would be the bronze medal match between Fero University and Qingtian Team, and two weeks after that would be the championship match between Feifei Team and ChuQiao. There was still time.

The ChuQiao group happily celebrated with a grand dinner at Ligong before returning to their respective campuses to rest.

Ziye, however, couldn't quite relax. After all, as long as Illya hadn't lost, she wouldn't feel secure.

Back at the apartment, the Pervert messaged her silver-comms: “Little Stinky, the results are in.”

Ziye’s nerves jumped. “How was it? The XX5 Poison Needle?”

The Pervert confirmed flatly: “Correct, it’s that needle. Its enhancement rating is a massive 30%. After injection, it produces a powerful burst after 10 minutes. The aftereffects are severe; repeated use can lead to nerve necrosis.”

Ziye felt a chill run down her spine. Had Illya truly resolved to be so ruthless? She was already using it in the semi-finals; she would definitely use it in the championship. How could she counter it?

Then she heard the Pervert ask, “Where did you get this?”

Ziye replied, “From a pilot.” She didn't want to elaborate further on that and asked, “If other pilots use this needle, how should we defend against it?”

The Pervert snapped back, “I’m not a pilot, old man. Ask Red Hair.”

Ziye pouted, “Fine. I never asked.”

The Pervert paused, then added one more thing, “It’s not hard to win either: avoid the sharp edge and wait for the drug to wear off before fighting. Or, provoke him. The angrier he gets, the shorter the drug’s duration will be.”

Ziye nodded, acknowledging the advice.

The Pervert chuckled. “Oh, right. Remember that hair and bodily fluid sample you gave me last time?”

Ziye paused. “Which one?”

The Pervert said, “The one named Dodding.”

Ziye was surprised. “There’s a result?”

Compared to Duzai, her surprise was less intense regarding Dodding. Duzai was unique across the entire galaxy, whereas Dodding, while rare and precious, wasn't absolutely singular. She didn't know how Dodding was doing under Chen Yin’s care, but Chen Yin, being such a soft girl, probably treated Dodding well?

The Pervert snickered. “That little thing is excellent. I cloned a few and am keeping them in the Rose Garden. You can come visit when you have time.”

Ziye quickly agreed, “Okay.”

The Pervert sighed dramatically. “I’m getting old. You heartless thing, you haven’t even come to visit me.”

His words made Ziye feel a little guilty. She scratched her head. “I’ll come after my competition.” She had two weeks left; she needed to focus carefully on the matches.

On one hand, the Fero University versus Qingtian match was proceeding rapidly; on the other, Illya had begun targeting the ChuQiao team.

Within a week, the twins’ lives were as eventful as a movie—accidents piled up, schemes emerged one after another, and even with their agility, the constant turmoil was wearing them down.

Ziye suspected Illya would target the twins and wanted to call the Twins for backup, but the Twins were elusive, rarely seen, yet always appearing the moment something happened. Sometimes Ziye really wanted to grab her, treat her to a meal, or slip her a red envelope, but the Twins never cared for such things, vanishing as soon as the issue was resolved.

Even stranger, An Junlie sent a personal message to check in: “Little sister, how are you doing lately?”

Ziye was ecstatic at his proactive inquiry. If she weren't sitting down, she would have leaped up, happily kicking her heels against the sofa, complaining, “Alien, you finally remembered me, wuwu.”

An Junlie laughed. “Not used to the school?”

Ziye shook her head. “I’m used to it.”

An Junlie continued, “A lot of pressure from the competition?”

Ziye thought for a moment. “It’s okay.” It was just that Illya had been worrying her lately. She didn't know how many lackeys Illya had, dispatching new people every day, and each group was different. She also struggled with how to stall the fight until the poison needle wore off. Provoking the pilot into a rage was a viable strategy, but she wasn't certain the twins could handle Peizhe once he went berserk. This decision would ultimately have to be made in consultation with the twins.

An Junlie, seeing his first two questions didn't hit the mark, asked again, “Is the food at the campus cafeteria bad?”

This finally struck a chord with Ziye. She nearly burst into tears. “More than bad, it’s truly disgusting!”

An Junlie said reassuringly, “Good child, if you win the championship, I’ll cook a meal for you.”

Ziye jumped up excitedly, her eyes sparkling like a wolf spotting prey. “Really?”

An Junlie wished he could reach over and pinch her. “You don’t believe me?”

Ziye clenched her fist. “No. For the sake of the food, I must win the championship.”

An Junlie couldn't help but laugh. “Good girl.”

Ziye suddenly remembered something. “Will you come and watch?”

An Junlie nodded. “I must. This is one of the biggest events in the entire galaxy.”

The Big Four Families, the Ten Great Legions, and various major and minor powers across the galaxy primarily scout talent from the universities. Kaga, being the largest university city, concentrated a vast amount of interstellar talent. The mech competition, organized by Kaga, was one of the most authoritative events. Winning the championship meant becoming a famous talent recognized throughout the galaxy, ensuring a secure future wherever one went.

Of course, the main goal of these factions was to make an appearance and get acquainted with these future pillars of society. If they could make an impression now, their chances of joining a legion after graduation would be higher. Secondly, it was about securing favorites early.

The Angel Legion had many personnel in Kaga. An Junlie was there both to check in on and reward these students and staff, and also to recruit talent widely.

Ziye was finally relieved. She used her foot to gently rub Duzai. “I’ll wait for you.”

An Junlie smiled faintly. “Be careful these next few days.”

~RS