Ollie steps into the elevator and presses the only available button. The hum of machinery fills the small space as the doors slide shut. His phone buzzes in his pocket; he grabs it and answers.
"I'm so proud of you, Oliver!" Lyra exclaims.
"It's just a practice battle," he says, smirking. "You're basically guaranteed to win."
"Still, you handled it like a pro. Hey, I forgot to tell you that each floor is going to be different from what you expect."
"Yeah, I think you actually mentioned something like that. Besides, it's just a tower. What's there to expect?"
The elevator dings and the heavy metal doors slide open.
Ollie's breath catches as a wave of artificial sunlight spills onto the floor of the elevator, revealing an impossibly sprawling crystal world. The landscape stretches endlessly, sculpted from jagged formations that mimic rolling hills, their razor-sharp edges catching the light at unnatural angles.
At first glance, it resembles a grassy plain, but something is off. The flora, while familiar in shape, lacks any organic movement or hint of natural greenery. Everything jitters ever so slightly, refracting light in chaotic bursts, casting endless artificial rainbows across the horizon. The entire world feels frozen in time until Ollie takes a step.
He crouches, running his fingers across the ground. Its surface is almost smooth, like polished glass, yet fractured. His reflection stares back at him, subtly wrong—stretched, warped, a corrupted rendering of his face. He squints, realizing each blade of grass isn't uniform but jagged and angular, as if someone tried to simulate nature but failed to smooth out the details.
A chill runs through him.
"Lyra, I gotta go." He fumbles with his phone, missing his pocket several times, his focus locked on the unsettling landscape before him. "Wow! W–What is this place?" Ollie struggled to get his words out. Nothing at all could have prepared him for this.
"This," speaks a female voice from behind him, "is just what it is."
Ollie spins around and recognizes her face. It was the woman from the holo screen in the lobby, the one with the rebellious markings on her jacket, who battled the streamer. She's leaning against the outside of the elevator shaft, which stretches high into the blue sky above; her short black hair stands out in all directions.
"If you ask me, this peaceful-looking land is sort of an existential hell. A place that shouldn't exist, a place that couldn't possibly exist, but here it is." She pauses and scowls. "We've given CyberMask so much leeway to do whatever he wants."
"It's incredible! I can't wait to have an actual Anima Duel here!" Ollie exclaims.
"Yeah, I didn't see this place in the brochure."
"Brochure?"
"It's a figure of speech," she sighs. "What the hell are they teaching kids in school? Friggin' education system."
"Hey, I saw you battling some streamer or something, right? Did you lose?"
Liz sighs once more, looks down, and tries to kick a patch of dirt, but the ground doesn't respond. "Yup, that dick. He got lucky and had a bunch of people on his livestream helping him out. Tsk. That's cheating if you ask me. He shouldn't have been allowed to do that."
"If this is the first area, then where are everyone else? What about all of the other Pilots?"
"Well," Liz begins, still staring at the floor, her hands now in her jacket pockets, "this is the first floor for you and me. It's an instance, which means we're the only two Pilots here, and everyone else is in their own version of this place. Like I said, it shouldn't exist. And that behind you," she points at the elevator, "is the only way in or out. Gotta win a match to leave."
"That idea kinda hurts my head."
"Yeah, don't think about it too much. What time is it? What day?" asks Liz.
Ollie doesn't understand her questions but relays them to his MIND unit. The symbols --/--/---- | –:-- show up and nothing else.
Ollie, in turn, relays the information in his own way. "There's no date and no time. That's weird, right?"
"Yeah," agrees Liz. "And I bet you can't see the edge of this floor either, right? It's just… impossible."
"Y—You're right! What the? Okay, now that really hurts my head."
She looks up and stares daggers into Ollie's eyes. "Speaking of hurting, I guess you and I are opponents. I learned a lot from the last battle with that cheater, and I'm not gonna lose again! The name's Liz, by the way."
"Ollie," he smiles and rolls up his sleeves while flexing. "And guess what?"
"Hmm?"
"You're gonna lose for the second time in a row." His smile turns into a grin, and he narrows his eyes.
"Cool story, bro, but I don't want to stand around and chit-chat. I'm in a rush, you know."
Ollie rolls his shoulders. "Then let's make this a duel to remember."
Both Pilots activate their MIND units. A shimmering, translucent holographic display of their chosen OverKnights and their battle cards blooms before each of them, inviting them to select their battle loadouts.
Ollie's gaze sharpens as he locks in his choice for Glaive and his battle cards. The moment his selection registers, a blinding circle of electric-blue light erupts on the crystalline battlefield before him.
From its heart, a skeleton of pure data begins to knit itself together from countless Q-Bits, forming the inner frame of a sleek, robotic figure in a default stance. Then, with a series of rapid, dazzling pulses of white and blue energy, individual armor plates and powerful limbs seamlessly clad the wireframe and snap into place like puzzle pieces.
The air crackles as Glaive fully activates, and a concussive shockwave slams outward, rattling Ollie's very bones and making his ears ring. With a final, powerful clench of its fists, Glaive assumes its imposing battle stance, a silent sentinel awaiting Ollie's orders to act upon.
Across from him, Liz's OverKnight, Arc-Wave, bursts into being with an equally mesmerizing, machine-like precision. Its lean, angular body assembles in a flurry of crimson-streaked energy, its thin limbs radiating a dangerous turquoise glow.
The two formidable OverKnights stand poised, the surreal battlefield now set for a clash of robotic gladiators.
Ollie grits his teeth. He remembers Lyra's words: "Arc-Wave is a Gunner and can pick apart Glaive from a distance. You'll need to get in close."
Liz is the first to go. She picks Strike, which Ollie finds odd.
"It's a Strike and only 6 damage. Heh," Ollie murmurs to himself as he flicks two Mega Strike cards into play, negating the incoming attack.
Her OvK dashes forward, swinging a sword-like energy blade. The Glaive raises its arms to block the strike; Q-Bits fly as an electric blade clashes against its arm.
"Dammit!" Liz shouts as her OverKnight springs back towards her, its attack ineffective.
The Arc-Wave now stands motionless, awaiting its next command.
Now, it is Ollie's turn. He taps on Empowered Strike, one of Glaive's abilities, into play, knowing that it is a little too early in the match to deal any real damage to Liz's OvK, but it's the perfect time to start building up a finisher.
"Now!" Ollie lunges forward, commanding Glaive to deliver the blow. Liz plays three cards to reduce the incoming damage.
The attack connects; Arc-wave puts up its arms to directly block the strike. Sparks fly as the two OverKnights lean into each other.
"Well, well, it looks like that hit hard."
Liz wipes her mouth as if she is the one who'd been hit, even though it is just a simulation. "Not bad, kid. But let's see if you can keep up! I'm gonna play Giga Shield."
Ollie notices that Liz isn't using her OvK's strengths and wonders if she doesn't know how to use it properly.
"Ugh, I'm bored now," taunts Ollie. A dangerous glint in his eye, he moves to end the battle. His fingers fly across his battle interface, selecting Glaive's Arm ability, Blade Boost. He sacrifices a card, channeling its Capacity to add three explosive attack points to his next move. The accumulated might from an Empowered Component, and the buff from Blade Boost surges through Glaive, preparing it for a devastating, unforgettable blow.
Ollie slams his hand on his finisher card, screaming the name as Glaive charges up: "Empowered Giga Strike!"
Liz gasps. Her Arc-Wave's only defense is her previously played Giga Shield.
With a roar that echoes Ollie's renewed purpose, Glaive unleashes its finishing blow. The Empowered Giga Strike isn't just an attack; it's a force of nature. It tears through Arc-Wave's defenses and sends the OverKnight exploding backward in a shower of brilliant Q-Bits. The virtual arena trembles as Arc-Wave's form dissolves into pure data, its fragments disintegrating and floating upwards like digital specks, leaving nothing behind.
The word 'Victory!' pops up on Ollie's display. He taps the MIND and disables it.
"Not again!" shouts Liz. "Twice in a row? This is so stupid!" Her MIND recedes as well. "How am I supposed to get to the top of this damn place if I keep losing? Tell me, dammit!"
Ollie looks at her for a moment, turns towards the elevator, and begins to walk.
Liz looks up. "Hey, wait up! I need to know what I'm doing wrong—"
"Your OvK is part of the Gunner class, and you came at me with blunt force like it's a Vanguard. You should have kept your distance. See ya."
The elevator is already waiting to take him to the next area.