Chapter 297 Shields & Swords
?Similar to before, the faster but weaker robots were the first to reach Mako's group.
These robots were met with a set of four cadets each holding a different power shield essentially forming a wall of defense.
However, the robots didn't care as they rushed in to attack as they were programmed to do so.
As the robots sprinted forward and aimed to smash onto the cadets with their shields, the cadets crouched down and got close to the ground while holding the shields above their heads.
The robots smashed onto the shields with a strong force but it wasn't something that the cadets couldn't handle.
Once their shield had absorbed the blow, the cadets kicked themselves up from the ground using all their strength, in turn launching the robots into the air.
"Do it!" Mako shouted from behind.
As soon as he said that, four more cadets split into two teams and sprinted from either side of the four cadets holding the shields while the robots were still in the air.
Each of them, holding a different kind of bladed weapon, sprinted forward and landed a single decisive blow onto the robots who were defenseless in the air.
The cadets had a look of awe and happiness on their faces as they realized the effectiveness of the strategy that Mako had told them to implement during the time the other cadets were fighting the robots.
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[Moments Earlier]
"Listen, all of our strongest classmates have already run forward to fight. We will use them to our advantage. They will thin out the herd for us and all we have to do is to maintain our ground against the ones that remain." Mako explained.
"But if all those strong people can't defeat all those robots, how can we do it? We are less in numbers." A cadet questioned, still quizzical at the success probability of Mako's plan.
"We have something they don't," Mako responded," Teamwork!"
"We are going to fight together, not individually. If we pick our fights and fight together, supporting each other and watching over each other's backs, I believe that we can defeat them!" Mako explained.
"Break into teams of two. One of you will hold a shield while the other will hold a weapon they are comfortable with. Fight in turns... Let your shield worry about tanking the hit while you focus your strength and energy on landing a single powerful and decisive blow. Don't waste your energy on weak attacks!" Mako commanded.
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The next wave of robots quickly approached the group, ready to cause some damage.
The two cadets consisted of one boy and one girl and they both looked injured with blood and bruises on their body and their uniform torn slightly from a couple of places. They appeared to be exhausted and didn't have much energy to last for too long.
"Come on, we must help the rest of them and defeat all of the robots!" Mako commanded as he began to run over to the duo and help them out.
However, to his surprise, only a couple of cadets followed him while the rest remained in their place.
Mako turned around in confusion and anger as he observed the people who had just followed his every command; were now disobeying them completely.
"What's wrong?! Can't you see they need our help!" Mako shouted in an annoyed tone.
"So what!? They were the ones who were too chicken to stay and fight, it's not my fault that they decided to run and become an easy target for the robots. Why should I help them?" A boy replied.
He had a decent physique with barely defined muscles. His blond hair was slicked back with way too much hair gel that it was reflective and his cold blue eyes reflected his ice-cold heart.
He was part of Mako's group when they were fighting against the horde of robots and was a decently skilled fighter.
A couple of other students who had the same mentality as this boy shook their heads in agreeance with what he was saying.
Mako was left dumbfounded and in such shock by the behavior of the people that he had just fought with shoulder-to-
shoulder that he couldn't utter a single word.
However, not all were as egotistical and self-centered as the blond-haired cadet as a girl who was also part of Mako's group spoke up.
"It doesn't matter whether they ran or not, they are also our classmates, and we should help them out." She spoke with a gentle and kind voice that was filled with confidence.
The girl had fair skin and light brown hair with a short height.
Mako hadn't really paid any attention to his classmates at this point, but as soon as he saw the girl speak with compassion for the safety of her classmates, Mako began to see the image of Iris within the girl in front of him.
"Iris?" Mako asked gently under his breath such that no one heard him.
The same kind and gentle voice and the compassion to always help and protect others. This was the trait that Iris possessed and was the thing that allowed them to become such good friends in such a short period of time.
Mako's eyes slowly began to tear after observing the girl, but before it could become noticeable, he was brought back to reality with Andrew tugging on his shoulder, reminding him that there wasn't much time to spare.
Mako quickly suppressed his emotions and returned to the present as he stopped the girl from wasting any more of her breath and addressed the whole group completely.
"I don't care what ideals you have! My motto is to help any and everybody who is in need of my help and I am going to do just that. Those of you who want to join me can do so while the rest of you can just sit here and look pretty!" Mako said before turning around and running over to the duo with Andrew closely behind him.
The girl alongside a handful of other cadets also began running behind Mako shortly after leaving behind an almost equal-sized group that remained with the blond-haired cadet.