Several weeks had passed since the introductory week for the gang, as time went on and the weather got colder, they were working diligently to be on top of their studies. Every day was the usual, not too different from the last; they'd go through all their class periods and partake in the labor operation and maintenance class. Every other day after school they'd get together at the cafe owned by Hiromi, originally intended as a study location which turned into a leisurely spot they'd frequent. Regardless, Hiromi appreciated the company they gave him, and it gave the cafe a sense of "culture." However, now with midterms approaching, more time would be allocated into getting some proper studying done. Today would be no different, as the group would be finishing up their studying for the evening.

"Alright, one last time." Satomi held up her science textbook, "From the beginning, starting with you Mochizuki, what happens before mitosis?"

"Interphase, each chromosome makes a duplicate of itself." He answered.

"Okay then you." She pointed at Akio using the textbook, "First step of mitosis?"

"Prophase, at first the centrioles make asters as they separate... And then they move to the opposite poles of the cell..." He responded in an unsure tone, making Satomi push the book further in his face.

"Are you asking me or telling me?" She said.

"Telling you, telling you." He said, avoiding eye contact.

She then directed her attention at Sakamoto, "Next, Sakamoto, what's next?"

"Metaphase! It's when the chromosomes attach to the fibers and line up in the middle of the cell and stuff!"

"Well, you sound like you understand what you're talking about. Kobayashi, you're next." She pointed at Taira with the book.

"Anaphase, the centromeres split and each half of the chromosomes move to each side of the poles. That's when the cell itself begins to pinch at the center."

"Good answer, back to you Mochizuki."

"Telophase, the constriction is finished and a membrane starts to form around the chromosomes."

"And finally to finish this off Shinohara, what happens at the end?"

"Two daughter cells are made, and they are basically the same as each other."

Satomi placed the book back down on the table, "It sounds like we've got science down, I guess that'll be all for today."

"So, I guess we can call it here, unless you guys wanna stay and talk and stuff." Mochizuki said.

"I'm down to chit chat for a bit." Akio said, resting his elbows on the table. "So, think these midterms are going to be all they're cracked up to be?"

"They shouldn't be too difficult, a lot of the time it just comes down to if you've been paying attention or not." Satomi crossed her arms while side eyeing Akio, "Have you been paying attention?"

"Course I have, I answered both those questions you asked right so there's no need to suss me alright?"

Satomi turned away from him, "Just making sure."

"Studying is important, though if you at least pay attention in class, you can still pass through educated guesses since subconsciously you'd know the answer." said Taira.

"Hate to say it but I bet my guesses are pretty uneducated." Mochizuki replied.

"Come on, you still make good grades right? I'm sure you'll be fine!"

"If I don't know the answer then I let fate guide my hand." Mochizuki said bluntly.

Mochizuki's response sullied Taira's expression, "I guess with that kind of mindset the weight on your shoulders won't be too much..."

"Well, now that we've got the study group we should be more than prepared." Satomi added.

Just then, the door of the cafe opened and the bell rang. At first they all assumed it was just some random patron, but it turned out to be none other than Yamamoto once more. "Greetings all my pupils, I hope you are all having a pleasant evening! I hope you don't mind my intrusion, as I am here to relay some information that might interest you!"

Satomi had a disappointed look on her face, "Oh, hello Yamamoto..."

"Hi Yamamoto!" Sakamoto said cheerfully.

"Hello Sakamoto! Always glad to see a fellow brother in arms!"

"You bet!" Sakamoto and Yamamoto performed a complex handshake, then ending in a fist bump.

"Welcome!" Hiromi said from behind the counter, "I'm happy to have you back."

"Oh! Mr. Yamazaki! Would it be alright if you could... Prepare me some cheesecake perchance...?"

"Yes, right away!" Hiromi bowed before disappearing into the back of the cafe. Yamamoto crossed his legs and began tapping on the table with his finger while looking around. Everyone else would be staring at him as he sat in silence.

"So, what are you guys up to?" He asked.

Satomi shot up from her seat, "Don't you have something you need to be telling us!?"

"Ooohhh...! My apologies! My memory has indeed failed me on this occasion... I am here to tell you all about a rumor going around about the labor class' midterms!"

"Well, we have been studying it, at least under the assumption it's going to be on paper." Mochizuki replied.

"It will be on paper though! But that will not be all!" Yamamoto pointed in the air.

"Do you act like this all the time...?" Akio asked.

"You see, word is going around saying that our two groups will be competing against each other very soon, and that date may lie around midterms!"

Taira clasped his chin, "Competing? I guess that's one way to test our progress. How come we weren't told about this?

"We were not informed either, both groups left in the dark about the schemes of our own teachers...! I was fortunate enough to overhear a top secret conversation between Ms. Soratani and Mr. Hayashi."

"So what will we be doing anyway?" Akio asked.

"That I am not sure, I quickly fled the scene before I could be noticed by Ms. Soratani. I could not guarantee my survival had I lingered any longer..."

"I don't think it's that deep..."

Satomi rested her arms on the table, holding up her head in her hands. "He's probably going to have us running around carrying wood again."

"You never know, he's always got some silly little thing he wants us to do on a whim." Taira responded.

"Imagine if we ended up having to do combat." said Mochizuki.

"I don't even think the Anchor is combat capable."

Hiromi walked up to the table, placing down a slice of cheesecake in front of Yamamoto. "Enjoy." He said.

"Ah! Thank you!" Yamamoto immediately began to dig into the cheesecake. Even though he upheld the image of a hero from an action show, he ate just like a kid.

"Okay listen, what I want to know is what's making you tell us this? You could've left us completely unprepared." Satomi asked.

Yamamoto spoke with his mouth full of cake, "Because Sakamoto is my sworn brother, and it'd only be fair if I told his team what would be happening!"

"I guess that fair and noble thing you have isn't just an act after all..."

"It wouldn't be right! I don't know how I'd live with myself if I were to do battle with Sakamoto on uneven terms... I would be no hero..."

"Yeah well congratulations, at this point you may as well be one."

Yamamoto leaned in, "Am I your hero?"

She pushed his face back, "Don't get it twisted cheesecake boy!"

"Well, in that case, I guess we better keep that in mind for now." Mochizuki got up from his seat, "I'm gonna head home for now, see ya tomorrow."

"Me too!" Sakamoto quickly got up from his seat and followed Mochizuki out.

Akio and Taira got up as well, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Guess we should break off too, be seeing ya Satomi. You too Yamamoto."

Satomi looked at Yamamoto, then looked at Akio and Taira leaving out the door. "...Wait for me! I'm going with you guys too!"

"Hmph, more cheesecake for me." Yamamoto said.

Akio, Taira, and Satomi went down the sidewalk at a leisurely pace. "So, we'll finally get a grasp at how great Ms. Soratani's group is soon huh...?" Akio said.

"Yeah, they don't seem to be slouches when it comes to operating a labor." Taira added.

"I'm not worried." Satomi interjected. "It doesn't matter what they can do, we have something that they don't. That being someone with firsthand knowledge on labors and how they work."

"You talking about me?" Akio asked.

"Who else would I be talking about?! Your track record may be rough but it sure is reliable, don't undersell your abilities cause I sure as heck won't."

Taira began to think out loud, "That Kawamura guy is the only thing that worries me, he's pretty good."

"Okay and? I bet it's all just flashiness. Shinohara is related to the best labor pilots out there, you think some random student can beat that out?"

Akio stared off into the distance, his eyes narrowing. "I sure hope not..."

Akio returned home, kicked off his shoes and went to the living room. Once again he'd be greeted by his mother, "Welcome home Akio, how was your day?"

"It was fine, I was at Hiromi's to study with the others again and stuff."

"You're definitely putting in effort to pass! Thinking about becoming some kind of scholar?"

"Course not, no wa- Er- I mean, not really no..."

"Hey! It's okay, It isn't like I tried to further my education. Feel free to do what your heart wants and I'll support you all the way." She rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Uh, Mom...?"

"Yes?"

"I have a favor to ask you..."

"Sure, what do you need?"

"I want to use that labor simulator again."

"Huh? What suddenly made you want to do that?"

"I just... y'know, was curious."

"I guess you're already used to using it, so why not I suppose?"

Noa would take Akio to the training camp she normally works at, the ride would take a while as it was located pretty far from their home. They cut through the neighborhood and through the more urban areas of Tokyo, then the buildings would start becoming less and less frequent as they'd pass by. When they'd finally arrived at the location, Akio would realize that it was a lot more empty than he expected. Noa used her key to unlock the front door and would lead Akio through the hallways of the building. "Where is everyone?" Akio asked.

"Today's an off day for everyone, all the cadets are either at their dorm or at home with family. This means we get the entire place to ourselves." Noa would make a turn down the hallway and then open up a door revealing the simulator room. Several stalls would be lined up in the shape of cockpits, all made specifically for the use of simulating combat and a variety of environments. "I'll watch you from the control panel, you can go ahead and start one up one of the simulators."

"Alright!" Akio went down to one of the simulators, opening up the door and stepping inside. The general layout of the cockpit was reminiscent of any basic labor cockpit, the monitors displayed the OS logo as the simulator booted up. He put on the headgear and looked at the different settings he'd be able to calibrate, though there were some presets that'd make the process less time consuming. They were all under the names of existing labors, and they could all be applied to either the machine the user is trying to pilot or the machine the user is trying to do combat with.

"What settings will you be using?" Noa asked.

"Let me see." Akio went down the preset calibrations, there were many different labors he could choose to pilot. As a family tradition, he would pick the Ingram as a baseline for the labor he'd be simulating.

"Good choice!"

Akio configured the simulator to be combat focused, a singular opponent making the fight one on one. He looked at all the available labors on the list, however there was one specific one that'd catch his eye. "Mom... This thing is capable of simulating the Griffon?"

Noa quickly became concerned, "Uh... Akio, I really think you shouldn't-"

"I want to try—just out of curiosity."

She sighed, "The data used for the Griffon come from when I fought it over ten years ago, I can verify that it's mostly accurate. But, if you insist, go ahead..."

Akio had the Griffon selected, and the environment around him began to generate as he was placed in the middle of it. The location looked like a cold and dreary urban environment, it was dark and rainy with the city lights illuminating the area around Akio. He had the Ingram look around, trying to see where exactly the Griffon was. It was slightly unnerving as, aside from the rain, everything was completely silent. Civilians were not included in the simulation, so he'd be alone with just the Griffon. He walked down the road, looking back and forth trying to see if he could at least catch a glimpse of the machine. The rain slowly came to a stop and the air grew still, and it grew ever quieter in the city he was traversing. The only comfort he'd have would be the sounds of the actuators and motors as the Ingram walked the streets, it still felt as if nothing was there.

"Mom... Are you sure if the Griffon spawned...?" He asked.

"It's there."

"Oh."

Akio turned around quickly, nothing, he turned back, still nothing. The Griffon assuredly was in the location, he did not know where it was, all he knew was that it was coming after him. Just as a safety precaution, he decided to equip the revolver cannon. The second he had retrieved it from the leg of the Ingram, holding it close to his person, a black streak struck him on the side making him drop the cannon immediately. He was able to regain his balance, but noticed that he had just dropped the revolver cannon. He looked back up and saw the Griffon, holding up the cannon towards him, then firing immediately into the right shoulder of the Ingram. The siren shattered as the entire right arm would be blown off in seconds, then the Griffon would throw the cannon at him. Akio was able to successfully block the cannon using the shield, however the attack was only a feint as the Griffon charged at Akio. He tried to retrieve the stun baton, forgetting that the Ingram's right arm was missing. The Griffon swiped it's arm at the Ingram's head, clotheslining it to make it fall on it's back. The Griffon then grabbed the Ingram, holding it up by the neck. It used it's claw-like manipulator to strike the neck of the Ingram allowing it to rip it's head clean off.

"GAME OVER."

"I didn't even last ten seconds..."

"I won't blame you for going down so quickly, even pilots with more experience than you can't beat it."

"Maybe I should just try something more modern—the AV-5."

"Okay..."

The simulation started up, it was the same setting as last time; a dreary rainy city without any civilians present. This time he would be piloting the AV-5 Magnum, a much more advanced machine in comparison to the Ingram. He trekked through the streets again, looking to find and take down the Griffon. The moment he eased up, he'd catch a glimpse of a black streak in the corner of his eye. He turned to his right, equipping the cannon in the Magnum's forearm and pointing it in the direction. He thought about checking the radar, but any second he spent not looking at the actual surroundings of the machine to know it's next move meant defeat. The Griffon reappeared behind him, grappling the labor and restraining it's movement. It then grabbed the right manipulator of the Magnum, raising it up and having it point the cannon at it's own head before squeezing it. This caused the cannon to discharge and completely destroy it's head, the Griffon simply pushing the Magnum over amidst the confusion.

"W- I can still fight can't I!?" Akio tried to have the Magnum lift itself up, though the entire cockpit shook as all the screens went dark.

"GAME OVER."

"What happened?!"

"While you were still turned over, it destroyed the mid section of the Magnum. At that point you couldn't do anything."

"I don't understand how you were able to fight that thing... It's just so fast... These settings are correct right?"

"From experience I can tell you that they're accurate... Like I said, that machine isn't like any labor you'd ever see. I don't blame you for not doing well, I barely even survived when I first fought it."

"Man..."

"...I wouldn't stress it, you're not going to fight anything like that. In fact, I'd never let you fight anything like that." She leaned over some of the nearby railing, resting her arms over it. "I do my best to train the cadets here to the best of my ability, so they're ready for challenges like it."

"What if I became a labor pilot in the police force and had to fight it?"

"I'd go all the way up to the scene of the crime, drag you out of the cockpit, and fight it myself."

"Hah, nice one."

"I'm not kidding! I'd hate to see you get hurt!"

"...So, has anyone ever actually beaten the Griffon simulation?"

"No one has. Ohta attempts it every once and a while, sometimes he'll make progress, but he's never actually beaten it."

"I guess I really shouldn't worry about it then, maybe I should try and fight something that's a lot more my speed..."

"The ASV-99 Boxer is the closest in configuration to the Anchors at your school, so I recommend using those calibrations instead."

"Got it, gonna start the simulation now."

"Wait!"

"Yeah?"

"You're still on the Magnum calibration! you might want to downgrade to be on equal footing."

"Oh, that's right! Ah, okay I got this..." Akio changed the labor he'd be piloting to equal the calibration of the Boxer. "Much better."

"Okay, you're good to go!"

"Target, lock on...!"