Make Them Love Me Or They'll End The World-Chapter 134: I Must Get Stronger.

CLANG!

The sound of steel meeting metal echoed through the sterile chamber, each reverberation a sharp reminder of her failures. The room stood as an unyielding white cube, devoid of warmth or character, its only features the thin panel lines that spidered across the walls, those sound-dampening designs that turned the space into a hollow shell, mirroring the isolation she felt within.

"Ngh! I must… Get stronger!" The hoarse cry tore from Velza's throat, her breath ragged with desperation. She lunged forward, her sword arcing brilliantly through the air, each strike against the projected metal shapes fueled by an almost primal rage. With every swing, she could still see them, the flickering images of her last confrontation, the twisted smile of her opponent, the memory of her own crumpling defeat.

It wasn't even a full-strength fight. And still… I lost.

The mocking words echoed incessantly in her mind, a cruel mantra that refused to release its grip on her heart: "It seems you're no fun at all." Those words had been the last she'd heard before darkness engulfed her, drowning her in a wave of shame and despair so suffocating that even now, in the stark solitude of her training, she felt its weight pressing down on her.

She had abandoned the comfort of her hospital bed a full week before she should have. Pain lanced through her body with every movement, her wounds still a vivid tapestry of bruises and scars, but the agony of inaction was far worse. Seething anger and relentless frustration boiled within her, turning her very existence into a battleground. It was unbearable to wait, to be reminded of her frailty by the quiet hum of the hospital machinery; she could not, would not, let this be the end.

"DAMN YOU!" Her battle cry ripped through the silence, raw and uncontained. It surged forth like a tempest, flooding the room with intention and defiance. The Null flooded in, synthetic opponents that moved with unsettling grace and precise choreography. They were strong, undeniably so, but for Velza, they could never be strong enough.

Nothing ever was.

How she longed for more,craved a partner who could test her limits, push her beyond the brink of her endurance. Someone who could sharpen her resolve, break her down only to build her back stronger. She needed a forge of resolve, a crucible that could temper her weaknesses into unparalleled strength. The thought of reliance tugged at her heart, tangled with the fear of defeat that now felt like a relentless ghost, haunting her every effort.

With each strike, she poured herself into the fight, her heart racing and her spirit alight with determination. She was a warrior, not just in body but in essence, fighting against the shadows of her failures. The anger that fueled her actions was a fire, intense and bright, but beneath it simmered the deeper, more profound ache of disappointment, a yearning to reclaim her honor, her pride, her place among the strong.

In that cold, white chamber, with every clang of metal against metal, Velza fought not just against her opponents, but against the crushing weight of her own limitations and the ghosts of her past. She was a phoenix in the making, ready to rise from the ashes of defeat, and she would not rest until she soared.

"Aahhh!"

Her scream cut through the air as she swung her long sword in a brutal arc. Her dark hair whipped around, strands catching the wind from her strike. The Null before her split cleanly in two, its halves sparking before exploding violently. The blast shook the room, dust falling from the corners of the walls.

"Not enough!" Velza shouted, her voice raw.

More Null poured from the walls, filling the room. She tightened her grip on her sword until her knuckles turned bone white.

"I will get stronger!"

She bent her knees, readying herself to leap again. But.

"Ngh!"

Her body betrayed her. Her legs buckled, and she fell to one knee. Pain roared through her like wildfire, pulsing deep in every muscle and vein.

"Shit…" She hissed, blood rushing to her mouth. She spat crimson onto the white floor, glaring up at the Null that closed in with merciless precision. She tried to open her mouth to stop them from shouting the deactivation code, but she couldn't; it felt like her voice stopped working.

"Not here. Not like this…" She said to herself, eyes wide.

Her body convulsed. Her vision blurred. The taste of iron filled her mouth as she gasped.

"I'm… Going to die here. Out of all places… A damn training room…"

Her thoughts slowed. The world dulled. The robotic footsteps of the Null pounded closer, each one echoing like a death knell.

Velza's heart thrashed against her ribs. Her arms trembled. Her sword felt heavy, too heavy.

Her eyes closed.

And she waited for the inevitable.

But instead of steel cutting her down, a sound roared through the chamber, louder, sharper, and more violent than her own blade had ever been. An explosion ripped across the room, the Null scattering like tin toys.

Velza's eyes cracked open.

"Wha-"

There he was.

The man she had let down. The man who had placed all his trust in her, who had expected every mission to be completedwith nothing short of perfection.

Her lips parted, her voice faint.

"…Reiden."

His back faced her, broad and unshakable. With a single kick, he sent a Null flying into the wall. Its body crumpled and sparked like paper in flame.

"Deactivate," he ordered, his tone calm yet commanding.

At once, every Null froze. Their mechanical bodies collapsed, lifeless, to the floor. The clang of metal echoed again, this time in defeat.

Reiden turned, his expression carved with restrained fury. His eyes cut into her like blades. For a moment, Velza thought he would scream. But instead, he sighed heavily, lowering himself down to her level. Their eyes met, his cold steel to her burning crimson.

"Listen, Velza. I didn't think you were this stupid." His words were stern, but quiet.

"Ngh, I'm sorr-" she tried, guilt pouring into her chest, but he cut her off.

"I know your feelings are twisted up. Anyone can see that. But you must understand… Doing this means nothing if your body is still injured."

His tone softened, a faint smile ghosting his lips.

Velza's heart clenched. The guilt sank deeper, drowning her. He was right. She knew he was right. What good was rage when her body was broken? What good was strength if all she did was destroy herself before she could use it?

But she hadn't seen it. She couldn't see it. Her blind anger had consumed everything.

Her throat tightened. She wanted to speak, to promise him, to explain herself, but the words wouldn't come. Her body, wracked with pain, refused to allow it. She had overexerted herself. She had torn open what little healing her wounds had done.

Reiden watched her tremble, his sharp eyes calculating. He didn't want her to collapse further. That would only slow down his greater plans.

He stood. The doors to the training room hissed open, and soldiers entered, their footsteps clicking against the floor. They moved to Velza's side, helping her to her feet.

"Now, I won't repeat this," Reiden's voice rang firm, his smile gone, replaced with iron. "Don't do anything like this until you're medically cleared. If you do, I'll have no choice but to enforce punishment."

Velza didn't look at him. She couldn't. The shame weighed too heavily. To be spoken to like a reckless rookie, when she was supposed to be Spire's most powerful operator, it cut deep. Not at him. But at herself.

Her fists trembled. Her chest ached. Damn it… I'm stronger than this. I have to be stronger than this.

Reiden's gaze lingered as she was escorted away. His eyes burned into her back until the doors closed. He sighed, muttering under his breath.

"Honestly, that woman can be a handful."

He turned and walked down the pristine corridor. Only minutes earlier, he had been on the opposite end of the hospital, observing an experiment, an experiment that would soon become his ace. His weapon for the next time Spire set its sights on an Alberline. His weapon that would shock both Cradle… And Kentaro.

"Just you watch, boy. Soon, everything you love will be mine. Hahahahah!"

His laughter rang out, loud and unrestrained. But when he glanced around, he realised exactly where he was.

The middle of a hospital corridor.

Nurses stopped, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Um… Mr Vale has lost it."

"Mr Vale might need to see a doctor."

"Why is he just laughing like that?"

The whispers spread like wildfire.

Reiden's eyes widened briefly, uncharacteristically caught off guard by embarrassment. Just as quickly, he narrowed them again, reining his composure back into place.

"Ahem. Apologies. Even a man like me… Has dreams." He coughed into his fist, clearing his throat, as if the awkwardness were nothing more than dust in the air.

And with that, he continued down the hall toward the room where his ace slept, an ace that would soon change everything.