After spending, in Zero's opinion, far too long on physical training and learning the basics of piloting, Zero and his classmates finally get a hands-on test. But first, they have to meet the repairer candidates, the girls who will be responsible for keeping their practice mecha, known as Pro-Ings, in good repair. Zero and his partner, Kizna Towryk, get off to a rocky start when Zero inadvertently hits a soft spot by commenting on Kizna's cat ears.