Eira adjusted her stance, readying herself. These weren't ordinary attackers. Their speed, precision, and silence marked them as trained professionals.
[Master,] the familiar mechanical voice of the AI echoed in her mind, and Eira had to move to the side to evade an attack she hadn't expected due to her momentary surprise.
[AI? Is that you? Where the hell have you been?!]
[Master, I've been undergoing an upgrade to my full capacity due to your incoming birthday.]
[My eighteenth birthday? You should have told me.]
[Yes, Master, and I'm sorry, but I don't even know when the upgrade will start. I shut down automatically as soon as the upgrade began. Although I'm still halfway through the process, I was able to turn on, and it seems I arrived at the right time. The attackers' speed isn't far beyond your current speed, but your current strength surpasses theirs. If you can hit them with enough force in certain key areas, you can incapacitate them effectively.]
