No! I don't want to be a Super Necromancer!

A 6th generation heavyweight monster, armed with shock-pile drivers, gravity-torque gauntlets, and a gravity core that let it shift its mass mid-combat. It was not fast. It didn't need to be. Every step it took cratered the ground. Every motion promised obliteration.

Its frame was thick, plated with iridescent alloy armor and reinforced stabilizers. There were no sleek aesthetics here. Just raw, military pragmatism wrapped in crushing force.

The announcers were practically vibrating.

"Oblivion Hammer's magnetic field anchors allow it to plant itself like a mountain," Grumpy Bear yelled. "And her punch is so strong that when she hits you, she doesn't just hit you. She also hits your ancestors!"

"She's famous for ending battles with one move," Sleepy Smile said softly. "There's no flash. No dance. Just one strike. And you're done."

In the skybox, Grand Marshal Li Qingshan's gaze sharpened. His tea sat untouched.

The commentators fell silent for a breath.

And then the second gate opened.

"Now… entering the field…"

The matte-black mecha stepped into the arena with no fanfare, no smoke, no energy flares. Just quiet steps and an oddly oppressive silence that followed him in like a shadow.

"The unseeded." Sleepy Smile said, voice reverent. "The underdog. The anomaly. The man with no past, no academy, and a kill count that made the simulation server crash twice."

"HUNGRY MONSTER!" Grumpy Bear shouted, fists in the air.

A wall of cheers slammed into the arena like a crashing wave. Every section, every row, every seat was caught in the frenzy.

Flags flew. Mana flares lit the air. Dozens of academy uniforms blurred together as students leapt to their feet, shouting, chanting, screaming his name.

"He's back!"

"Make her feel it, Hungry Monster!"

"BRO I BET EVERYTHING ON HIM!"

"DESTROY HER WITH STYLE!"

"THIS IS WHY I DON'T DO MY HOMEWORK!"

On one balcony, a group of martial cadets waved a huge black banner with crude white lettering:

EAT. SLASH. WIN. HUNGRY MONSTER.

A military officer from the Southern Army roared, pumping both fists. "I don't care if he's not ours, as long as he defeats the damn Northern Army Corps!"

Near the front rows, a teenage girl in a mecha-themed hoodie was crying and laughing at the same time. "HE'S SO COOL I'M GOING TO DIE."

Even the other VIP balconies stirred.

Mistresses, young masters, nobles, heirs, merchants, they all leaned forward.

Zhao Xianyu of the Titanium Cross sipped his wine. "At last. A real match."

Lian Yue smirked behind her fan. "I'd ask for his hand, but I hear his fists are busier."

Even Mr. Crow, up in the shadows, gave a single, slow clap.

The entire stadium pulsed with electricity.

Inside the military skybox, Colonel Yin Lu frowned. "That's the same mech?"

"No upgrades. Still stock," Commander Gao Jian said, tone unreadable.

Captain Lian Fang folded her arms. "He's too cocky."

Grand Marshal Li Qingshan said nothing.

He just watched.

Because whatever happened next… the entire nation would be watching.

And Damien Bloodbane, the low-ranked boy with a borrowed account and borrowed time, was about to face his most powerful enemy yet.

Colonel Xue Lingtian.

The Hammer of the North.

And at the center of it all, standing alone in a matte-black mech, silent and still…

Damien Bloodbane stood tall.

And disappointed.

"What the hell? I'm fighting this weakling again?!"

The arena froze.

Not literally, but the reaction was close.

Every cheering voice, every fluttering flag, every screaming cadet fell into stunned silence as Damien's voice echoed over the open channel.

Gasps burst across the stadium like fireworks.

Again?

He said again.

Wait, what?

Did that mean… he fought Colonel Xue before?

And called her a weakling?

In the VIP balconies, noble sons choked on wine. Aristocratic daughters leaned over railings with wide eyes. Military officers nearly dropped their data slates. Even the foreign observers sat up straight.

"Did he just call the Northern Corps' champion a weakling?" someone whispered.

"He's bluffing," someone else hissed. "Right?"

But the murmurs rose like a tide.

"He beat her before?"

"When? Where?!"

In the skybox, Grand Marshal Li Qingshan tilted his head slightly. His expression didn't change, but one silver brow arched just enough to make the air grow colder.

He turned.

His gaze slid sideways to his trembling aide.

The message was clear: Why am I hearing about this now?

The aide's face drained of color. He began tapping furiously on his tablet. Beads of sweat flew from his forehead like sparks.

Within seconds, footage bloomed on the Grand Marshal's private screen.

It showed Damien, no, Hungry Monster, destroying the strongest pilots of the Northern Army Corps like a ghost with a vendetta. And at the very end, Colonel Xue Lingtian herself was seen kneeling in a crater, her mech battered and her reactor sparking. Her face twisted in pain and disbelief.

The aide didn't even get to speak.

He simply held the screen up.

Grand Marshal Li Qingshan watched.

Once.

Then again.

Then he nodded once and spoke in a quiet voice that carried weight like thunder wrapped in silk.

"Change this final battle to Darkness Protocol 01."

The room gasped.

His entire entourage stiffened.

Captain Lian Fang actually dropped her mana cup, shattering it across the floor.

Colonel Yin Lu went pale. "That's not… are you serious, Grand Marshal?!"

Commander Gao Jian whispered, "He's serious…"

The aide's hands shook. His tablet slipped from his fingers and hit the floor with a sharp crack.

"Y-Yes, sir!" he squeaked, spun on his heel, and bolted out of the room like a demon was chasing him, leaving his cracked device behind.

And within seconds, the entire stadium lit up with pulsing red light.

The announcers were the first to react.

Grumpy Bear stood, eyes wide, a massive grin stretching across his face. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WE HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT!"

Sleepy Smile blinked. "...They're changing the format?"

"Oh-ho-ho not just the format! We are officially activating the ultra-rare, ultra-secret BGA emergency final mode: DARKNESS PROTOCOL 01!"

The crowd screamed in shock.

"What does that mean?!"

"Is this allowed?!"

"It's real! It's really real!"