MHA: Ubiytsa Bogov - Slayer of Gods

The new phase of their lives unfolded with a rigid, unyielding rhythm, one that crushed any sense of individuality while molding the children into tools for the facility's objectives. Each day followed a strict pattern: morning lectures, a lunch break, and afternoons spent undergoing experiments tailored to their unique quirks.

By evening, the children were returned to their rooms, drained in body and spirit. Yet even in their exhaustion, their minds never stopped working, each grappling with the grim reality of their existence.

That evening, as they gathered in the common area after dinner, Yulia sat across from Ivan, her posture tense. She tapped her fingers on the table, a rare flicker of unease breaking through her usual confidence. There had been a quiet tension between her and Ivan since yesterday's lunch, this problem however wasn't the same one as when it occurred with Gervasii. Yulia fully realized she was in fact the wrong one, and she decided to break the silence.

"Ivan," she began, her voice quieter than usual. "Can we talk?"

Ivan looked up, his brow furrowed but curious. "What?"

Yulia hesitated, then let out a sigh. "I want to apologize….for yesterday—during lunch. I was out of line. I shouldn't have dismissed your ideas like that."

Ivan blinked, clearly surprised. ".....I can guess this is the first time for you."

"Don't make me regret it," Yulia shot back, though her tone lacked its usual sharpness. She looked away, folding her arms. "Look, I get it. You're trying to find something to hold onto, something to hope for. I shouldn't have torn that down. We all need something to keep us going in here.

So again, I'm sorry."

Ivan leaned back in his chair, studying her carefully. "Fine, apology accepted. I know how you are—blunt, sharp, and not exactly full of sunshine. But I can guess you mean well, in your own way."

Her gaze snapped back to him, narrowing slightly. "Don't get used to me being nice. I'm just saying…. You're allowed to dream, even if I think it's a little ridiculous."

Ivan smiled faintly, a rare lightness in his expression. "Thanks. I get where you're coming from, and I'm not holding it against you either. We've all got different ways of coping. Yours just involves sarcasm and sharp words."

"Someone's got to keep things interesting," Yulia quipped, her usual edge returning, though it was gentler this time.

*1 month later*

The lead scientist calls the children into the briefing room. With a clipboard in hand and an unsettling smile, he explains the facility's new evaluation protocol. At the end of each month, the children will face two tests:

1. Joint Combat Test: A live combat simulation where they must face increasingly difficult challenges as a team.

2. Knowledge Exam: A grueling paper-based test that assesses their retention and application of the knowledge taught in class.

The Joint Combat test would be undertaken first and then 5 children would be provided with books, notebooks, pens and calculators and be given 3 days to self-study and revision in their cells for the Knowledge Exam.

The scientist emphasized that these tests weren't just evaluations but a precursor to future phases of the operation.

The children learn the pairings for the combat test:

Ivan and Anya are teamed up, their complementary versatile quirks—attack, defense, healing—providing balance.

Yulia and Gervasii are forced to work together, their clashing personalities making this decision feel more like a punishment than a strategy.

Aleksandr, deemed the most capable, will face the test solo to further push his limits by the scientists' orders.

Yulia immediately protested, arguing that pairing her with Gervasii will be a disaster. Gervasii, gave the similar response as well. The scientist silenced their complaints with a cold glare, stating, "Consider this a test of your ability to adapt. In real combat, you won't always get to choose your allies."

The simulation took place in a sprawling, urban-themed battlefield filled with hostile robots. The pairs were deployed to separate zones, each facing unique challenges tailored to their abilities.

______

The two children bolted into a narrow alley between the ruins of a simulated urban battlefield. Behind them, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed as the melee combat robots pursued relentlessly. Yulia gritted her teeth, her glowing hands clenched as she leaned against a crumbling wall to catch her breath. Gervasii, slightly winded but otherwise composed, stood at the edge of the alley, peeking around the corner.

"These things are different," Yulia muttered, her frustration evident. "They're not like the ones we faced last month. Their designs specifically aimed to counter both of us."

Gervasii scoffed, his eyes still scanning their surroundings. "Liquid nitrogen to cool down your magma, the rest of their arsenals are melee weapons. No guns, no rockets, no velocity for me. Those dip shit lab coat pigs really want to play us all."

Yulia sighed, rubbing her temples. "We can't just keep running. We need to figure out how to exploit their weaknesses. If they're designed for close combat, then we can keep our distance and wear them down—"

"Keep our distance with what?" Gervasii interrupted, crossing his arms. "Your magma's useless if they freeze it mid-air, and I can't absorb velocity if they don't have any projectiles. We're out of options."

Yulia's hair twitched, her frustration boiling over. "I know that, okay? But arguing isn't helping either! We're stuck with each other, so we have to figure this out together, whether we like it or not!

Or else, we are both going to get screwed."

For a moment, Gervasii was silent, studying her expression. Finally, he leaned against the wall, his tone softer. "Alright. I'll admit, I messed up on that day…..I'll try to stop acting like I can do everything alone and listen to your opinions."

Yulia blinked in surprise, then nodded slowly. "Okay. Truce?"

He hesitated but eventually agreed. "Truce."

"We can't just face them head-on," she whispered, glancing at Gervasii. "But this terrain... it's full of choke points, obstacles, and environmental hazards. We can use it against them."

Gervasii nodded, his sharp eyes scanning the ruins. "The debris works both ways. It slows them down just as much as it slows us. If we can funnel them into tight spaces, we can control how many we face at once. They can't use those cannons effectively in cramped quarters or else they would just freeze their entire group."

Yulia's eyes flickered with realization. "Right. And another option is that if we lure them into unstable structures, we can bring the environment down on top of them. It'll crush or at least damage them enough to make them easier targets."

Gervasii upon hearing her idea, narrowed his eyes, observing the surroundings.

"That might actually work."

"Wow, finally learned to acknowledge my brilliant strategies huh?", Yulia smirk sarcastically.

"Yes yes." He rolled his eyes and pointed toward a nearby building with precariously hanging steel beams and shattered windows. "I can lure them into that building, you can use magma to weaken the supports . Once they're inside, I will bait them toward the weakest points, and you will finish the job by bringing the structure down."

"Solid one, and if a number of them manage to adapt in time we'll have to retreat to another choke point: the sewer passage. If you lure them successfully into it, the fire from my magma would ignite flammable gases inside the sewer to explode all of them inside. Or if not, the water would get superheated, creating steam to short-circuit their systems."

".....Your backup plan sounds even much more devastatingly effective than my main plan.", Gervasii was shocked at Yulia's quick thinking.

"As I told you speedy boy, I'm better than you.", Yulia sneered mockingly at Gervasii.

"I take it back, all of my reasons to hate you are valid.", Gervasii admitted with a frustrating sigh while Yulia had a small laugh at him, knowing that Gervasii couldn't argue against her. Like an older sister bullying a younger brother.

The sound of heavy footsteps and mechanical whirring grew louder as the robots closed in. Gervasii darted ahead, teleporting in and out of view to draw their attention. The robots' heads swiveled toward him, their sensors locking on as they began their relentless pursuit.

Gervasii teleported in short bursts toward the unstable building. He paused just long enough for the robots to aim their liquid nitrogen cannons, then vanished again, reappearing a few meters ahead.

Meanwhile, Yulia positioned herself by the building's foundation, her glowing hands already emitting waves of intense heat. As the first robots entered, their bulky frames made the steel beams groan under the weight.

"Now!!" Gervasii shouted.

Yulia unleashed a precise stream of molten magma, melting the already-weakened supports. The steel hissed and bubbled, buckling under the pressure as more robots entered. Gervasii teleported among the machines, baiting them toward the weakest points while dodging their slow, clunky melee attacks.

With a deafening crash, the structure collapsed. Steel beams and concrete slabs rained down, crushing the robots beneath. Sparks flew as their systems overloaded, and the air filled with the acrid smell of burning circuits.

Gervasii emerged from the rubble, brushing dust off his jacket.

"Looks like we're not done yet." Yulia said, her eyes narrowing as she spotted movement in the distance. A small group of robots had avoided the trap, their liquid nitrogen cannons gleaming ominously in the sunlight.

The pair retreated toward the sewer passage, Yulia turned off the magma generation on her body and safely pried open the sewage's manhole cover with her razor sharp hair quirk, avoiding from accidentally explode herself first before the robots went inside.

Gervasii teleported ahead, taunting the remaining robots by throwing pebbles to their sensors before vanishing again. He led them toward the sewer opening, his movements precise and calculated.

"Down here, you walking trash cans!!!" Gervasii shouted, jumping into the passage just as the first robot stepped inside.

Yulia waited until most of the group had followed before she unleashed another giant blast of magma from a high ground distance, sending it surging into the sewer. The heat ignited the gases inside with a thunderous explosion, shaking the ground and sending a plume of fire and smoke erupting from the opening.

When the dust settled, the robots were nothing more than charred, steaming husks.

Gervasii teleported out of the sewer in time to escape the explosion, looking at the aftermath in relief.

"Enjoying the fireworks?", Yulia arrived to Gervasii's place.

"As much as I didn't enjoy being a running bait for this plan, I admit it went well than I expected.", Gervasii looked at Yulia.

Yulia stepped up beside him, her hands still faintly glowing from the residual heat of her magma. "Of course it worked. Good plans tend to do that." She shot him a side glance.

He exhaled sharply through his nose, crossing his arms. "Fine, I'll give you this one. Your backup plan wasn't just smart—it was ruthless. You've got a sharp mind for destruction."

Yulia hesitated for a moment before adding, "You did good out there too speedy boy. I might even say I'm impressed."

Gervasii blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected compliment. " I'll take that as the closest thing to praise you're capable of giving."

"Don't get used to it," Yulia quipped, her smirk returning.

They shared a rare, fleeting moment of camaraderie, a silent acknowledgment of their teamwork. As the announcement blared overhead, signaling the end of the test, they began walking back to the observation area side by side.

For the first time, there was no bickering, just the quiet realization that maybe—just maybe—they didn't need to be at odds all the time.