[Short Fantasy] Elemental Royale #11

Chapter 10: A Flash of Awakening, A Steel Alliance

A brief silence had descended upon the ruins of the old chemical plant. The organizers' assassins, Molybdenum and Antimony, had retreated, leaving behind only the severely wounded Lithium Knight (Li) and the Platinum Knight (Pt) who was supporting him. Lithium's Li-frame was half-destroyed by his reaction with water and an energy runaway, and he could no longer rely on his self-repair functions.

"...Are you still conscious, Lithium?" Platinum asked calmly, while carefully bringing the catalytic field of her own Pt-armor into contact with Lithium's damaged areas. Her goal was not healing. It was to suppress the runaway reaction of the lithium element, neutralize and decompose the harmful byproducts generated (such as lithium hydroxide), and stabilize the leaking energy.

"Guh... ugh... I'm... managing..." Lithium kept his consciousness, even as his face twisted in pain. As Platinum's field touched him, he felt a strange sensation where the torrent of energy within his body gradually subsided, accompanied by intense pain. It was as if a skilled technician were working on a broken engine.

Sweat beaded on Platinum's forehead. Controlling the reactions of unstable, high-energy elements from the outside was an extremely delicate and difficult task, even for her catalytic abilities. But she continued, in order to respond to the self-sacrificing brilliance Lithium had shown.

How much time had passed? The moment Lithium's body (the core system of his Li-frame) was violently shaken between a state on the verge of complete shutdown and the external stabilization energy provided by Platinum, something unusual happened.

He felt as if something had snapped inside him. Had the interaction between the near-death load and the unique catalytic energy of Platinum released an unknown limiter built into the Li-frame, or had the synchronization rate of Lithium's own element transformed into a new dimension under extreme conditions?

Lithium's half-destroyed frame flickered strongly once, then began to emit a blue-white light that was stronger, yet more stable, than before. It was not the light of a runaway reaction. It was the brilliance of a honed, controlled power.

"...This is..." Lithium opened his eyes wide at the new sensation welling up from within him. The flow of energy was incomparably smoother and more precisely controllable than before. His rejection reaction to water, while not completely gone, was no longer fatal as it had been; he felt a self-repairing insulation process activate instantly. "My power... has it changed...?"

Platinum also sensed Lithium's change. "...It is not a recovery. But it seems you have stabilized. My catalytic action may have ultimately prompted the re-adaptation of your system. Interactions between elements sometimes produce unpredictable results."

Lithium stood up slowly. His armor was tattered, but there was a stability in his movements that hadn't been there before. "Platinum... thanks to you. I won't let this power go to waste."

The two looked at each other again. Indium and Cobalt, the Neodymium brothers, Tantalum, Niobium... comrades disappearing one after another. And the cold words "resource optimization" and "purification protocol" put forth by the organizers, "Element Solutions."

"Let's go, Platinum. To expose their true colors and end this insane game. And... if possible, I want to make contact with the other survivors."
"I agree. It will be difficult to break through this situation alone. There may be other Knights who do not side with the organizers."

Lithium and Platinum left the ruins of the research facility, remaining vigilant to cover each other. They were searching for survivors who could become allies, and to solve the mystery of Arena X.
The next place they headed was the area of a massive geothermal power facility, believed to exist deep underground in the arena. It was a dangerous zone filled with high heat, high pressure, and complex pipelines, but they gambled on the possibility that other Knights were avoiding it, and that important facilities of the organizers were located there.

As they approached the entrance to the geothermal facility, the sounds of intense combat echoed out. The roar of heavy metal colliding and the high-energy radiation sounds that seemed to tear through the air.

"...Combat. There are survivors," Lithium muttered.
"...This impact sound... there is no mistake, it is the Tungsten Knight. But, who is the opponent...?" Platinum focused her sensors.

Guided by the sounds, the two arrived at a place that looked like a massive turbine hall. There, they witnessed the sight of the Tungsten Knight (W), who should have boasted overwhelming defensive power, struggling against a single unknown Knight.

The W-armor of the Tungsten Knight was etched with numerous marks that looked like they had been melted by high heat, or gouged by something sharp. His opponent wore silver-shining, streamlined armor, dancing freely in the air with what looked like small jets or plasma thrusters on its back, unleashing ultra-high-temperature plasma lances from both arms.

"It's useless, Tungsten! Your absolute defense is an obsolete relic in the face of my Rhenium plasma!" the new Knight shouted while circling in the air. The voice was tinged with the elitism and arrogance peculiar to the organizers' side. Rhenium Knight (Re). A knight bearing the name of an extremely rare and expensive metal with the second-highest melting point after Tungsten.

Tungsten was being toyed with by the Rhenium Knight's high-speed maneuvers and was unable to land a precise counterattack. Even his prized W-Armor was being eroded, slowly but surely, by the continuous attacks of superheated plasma.

"You dog of the organizer...!" Tungsten growled low.
"That's right. We are the future chosen by 'Element Solutions'! You old-generation relics should just disappear here!" The moment the Rhenium Knight prepared to fire his maximum-output plasma lance at Tungsten.

"--Wait!"
Lithium and Platinum intervened in the battle.

"What are you? New targets for 'purification'?" The Rhenium Knight looked at the two with suspicion.

"Shut up, you puppet of the organizer!" Lithium shouted. A stable, pale blue aura, different from before, rose from his body. "Tungsten! I'll explain later, for now, let's fight together!"

Tungsten remained silent, but seeing that the hostility was directed solely at the Rhenium Knight, he did not refuse the intervention of Lithium and Platinum.

"Interesting... licking each other's wounds, are you, old-timers! I'll turn you all into charcoal!" The Rhenium Knight sneered and aimed his plasma lance at the three.

Platinum immediately stepped forward and deployed a catalyst field, blocking Rhenium's plasma attack. However, even Platinum's field could not completely neutralize that superheated energy.

"Lithium! Kill his mobility! Focus on one point!" Platinum shouted.

Lithium nodded. The awakened power. It was not a runaway state, but control and efficiency raised to the absolute limit. He concentrated the energy of his Li-frame into a single point and kicked off the floor.
A pale blue flash.
To the Rhenium Knight's eyes, it must have looked as if Lithium had teleported. The next moment, a fist wreathed in Lithium's energy slammed into the joint of his back propulsion unit—the very spot slightly damaged during the fight with Tungsten—at a speed exceeding the speed of sound!
A breakthrough at a single point. The power of the awakened Lithium had reached a level incomparable to before in terms of speed, energy efficiency, and precise control.

"Wha...t...!?"
The Rhenium Knight's propulsion unit exploded and scattered, and he lost his balance and crashed. The plasma lance also lost control, misfired, burned his own armor, and ceased operation.

Lithium dropped to one knee as he landed. His energy was depleted, but there were no signs of self-destruction like before. He was certain of his own change.

"No. 75, Rhenium Knight, function cessation confirmed. Commencing removal." A cold announcement echoed, and the remains of Rhenium were collected beneath the floor.

Left behind were Lithium, Platinum, and the Tungsten Knight, who watched the two in silence.

"...Thanks," Tungsten said, offering a brief word of gratitude for the first time. "Who are you two?"
"For now, just survivors," Platinum replied. "And those who intend to end this insane Royale. It seems you don't intend to follow the organizer either, do you?"
After a moment of silence, Tungsten nodded slowly. "...I don't like their methods."
"Then, we have something to discuss."

Lithium and Platinum quietly faced their new, and potentially most formidable, ally.

[Chapter 10 Production Notes]

Original Element: Rhenium (Re). A transition metal with atomic number 75.
Characteristics: It has the second-highest melting point after tungsten (approx. 3186°C) and one of the highest densities among all elements. It is extremely rare and expensive. Its primary use is as an additive to nickel-based superalloys, improving performance (heat resistance, creep resistance) in extreme high-temperature and high-pressure environments such as jet engines and gas turbine blades. It is also important as a catalyst for petroleum refining (especially Pt-Re catalysts).
Application in the story: Superheated plasma weapons and thrusters with high mobility. It possesses heat resistance and attack power capable of rivaling Tungsten, but was defeated when the awakened Lithium's precise high-speed attack struck its weak point (the propulsion unit).
Real-world challenges: It is extremely scarce on Earth and is mainly obtained as a byproduct of copper and molybdenum refining. Because supply is low and it is expensive, its use is limited to specialized fields that require high performance. Chile, Kazakhstan, and the United States are major producers.

Following a stabilization process catalyzed by platinum, he has 'awakened' from an extreme state. His resistance to water, previously a weakness, has improved (though not perfectly), and the efficiency and precision of his energy control have increased significantly. This allows him to precisely focus high-output, high-speed attacks that previously carried the risk of self-destruction onto a single point. His awakening suggests an unexpected interaction between elements and evolution (adaptation) through adversity.

Applied his catalytic abilities to Lithium's recovery and awakening. In battle, he demonstrates stability and defensive/neutralizing capabilities through his catalytic field. He discovers the potential for synergy with Lithium.

Struggling against the organizer's Rhenium Knight. Although he endured using his inherent super-durability, he was unable to land a decisive blow. With the intervention of Lithium and Platinum, he escaped a desperate situation, creating the possibility of a relationship (at least, not hostile) with them. His overwhelming defensive power may become a crucial element in future battles.