Aedhira pulled himself free from the wall, his vision swimming from the impact. His body ached, every nerve aflame with pain. The Arstra was intact, but it felt like a cage, amplifying every sensation. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus. The Guardian had shifted into a martial stance, its eyes burning with a fierce, icy light.
"Come."
The word echoed through the chamber, a challenge, a command. Aedhira's heart pounded in his chest. He activated his thrusters, launching himself towards the Guardian. The room blurred around him, but before he could close the distance, the Guardian was upon him.
A massive hand grabbed him mid-air, squeezing with a grip like iron. Aedhira struggled, thrusters flaring in a desperate attempt to break free. The Guardian's other hand swung down, smashing him into the ground with bone-crushing force. The impact sent shockwaves through his body, the stone floor cracking beneath him.
He gasped for breath, his vision darkening at the edges. The Guardian lifted him again, tossing him across the chamber like a ragdoll. He crashed into the wall, the force of the impact driving the air from his lungs. Pain wracked his body, but he forced himself to stand, to keep fighting.
The Guardian moved with a speed that belied its massive size. It was on him in an instant, its fist crashing into his side. He was thrown across the room, slamming into the ground with a sickening thud. He tried to rise, but the Guardian's foot came down, pinning him to the floor.
He screamed, the sound echoing through the chamber. The Guardian lifted him again, hurling him into the wall with unrelenting force. He hit the stone, the impact reverberating through his entire body. He slid to the ground, gasping for breath, his vision blurring.
The Guardian approached, its eyes burning with an eerie light. It lifted him once more, its grip crushing. He struggled, his mind racing. He couldn't match its speed, its strength. He was outmatched, outclassed. The pain was unbearable, every nerve screaming in agony.
The Guardian's hand tightened around his throat, and he gasped for air. It lifted him high, its eyes boring into his visor. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Aedhira's mind raced, searching for any way to fight back, any way to survive.
Then, with a roar, the Guardian slammed him into the ground. The impact shattered the floor, sending debris flying in all directions. Aedhira lay there, gasping for breath, his body screaming in pain. The Guardian stepped back, its eyes never leaving him.
"Come," it repeated, its voice like ice against steel.
Aedhira forced himself to stand, his body trembling. The pain was overwhelming, but he couldn't give up. He couldn't let this ancient relic defeat him. He activated his thrusters, launching himself towards the Guardian once more.
The battle was far from over, and he knew it would be a fight to the bitter end. But he was determined to see it through, to face the Guardian and emerge victorious. He had to.
As he flew towards the Guardian, he felt a surge of determination. This was his fight, his battle to win. He would not back down. He would not surrender.
"Let's go again," he muttered, his voice a low growl. "I'm not done yet."
*BOOM*BOOM*BOOM*
Thunder echoed throughout chamber as the Guardian approached with blinding speed. As he saw the wall of ice and metal approaching him like a sitting duck--only one thought ran through his mind.
'RUN'
The thrusters flared as Aedhira zipped out of the way, before the Guardian grappled onto him again. He circled around it, keeping as much of a distance as possible, buying time.
Time for him to figure out the thing ahead of him.
'Argos, Any ideas, I could really use some rigHT NO-'
Before, he could even finish the thought, the Guardian was upon him again, the air around him warbling as it seemingly came out of nowhere. Aedhira's eyes widened in surprise, as his thrusters flared again, his body jerked backwards, while the Guardian attempted to grab him into another not-so-friendly hug.
He backpedaled while keeping the thing in his sights. He wasn't going to risk it catching him by surprise...again.
'Argo-'
[Scanning]
'Thanks'
[Complete]
Aedhira's HUD flickered to life, the data streaming in with critical information. He kept his eyes on the Guardian, his thrusters holding him at a safe distance as he processed Argos' analysis.
[Guardian Analysis: Current state - Structural integrity compromised, significant damage to outer armor. Internal framework reinforced with mana-infused metallic sinews and frost-binding elements. Primary weak points: exposed joints and damaged armor segments. Fighting Style: Pankration. Employs grappling techniques, joint locks, chokes, and ground control. Utilizes massive size and speed for destabilizing the environment.]
Aedhira grimaced. Pankration. The ancient, brutal martial art that combined wrestling and striking. He had faced opponents skilled in similar styles before, but nothing with the raw power and speed of this Guardian. The challenge was immense, but he couldn't afford to hesitate.
The Guardian lunged again, its massive form closing the distance in an instant. Aedhira's thrusters flared, propelling him sideways just as the Guardian's hand crashed into the ground where he had been. The impact shattered the stone, sending debris flying.
He landed, his feet skidding across the cracked floor. His mind raced. He had to stay mobile, had to keep dodging and weaving, using his thrusters to maintain distance. But the pain in his body was growing more intense with each passing second. He could feel his muscles spasming, the result of the constant impacts and the strain of his maneuvers.
The Guardian was relentless. It stomped the ground, sending shockwaves through the floor that threatened to knock Aedhira off balance. He jumped, his thrusters lifting him clear of the ground as the stone split and cracked beneath him. He landed again, his heart pounding.
He needed to exploit the Guardian's weak points, to strike at the exposed joints and damaged armor. But getting close enough was a perilous endeavor. The Guardian's reach was immense, and its speed made closing the distance incredibly dangerous.
"Argos, I need a plan," he muttered, his voice strained.
[Recommend targeting exposed joints with precision strikes. Utilize thruster speed to maneuver around and create openings. Engage in hit-and-run tactics to avoid prolonged grappling.]
Aedhira nodded, his mind focused. He activated his thrusters, zipping around the Guardian in a wide arc. The Guardian turned to follow, its eyes burning with icy fury. Aedhira darted in, aiming for the exposed joint at the elbow. His gauntleted fist struck true, the impact sending a shiver through the Guardian's arm.
But the Guardian reacted instantly, its other hand sweeping towards him. He ducked, the massive fist passing over his head by mere inches. He jumped back, thrusters flaring to put distance between them again.
The Guardian roared, the sound reverberating through the chamber. It charged, its steps shaking the ground. Aedhira leaped to the side, his thrusters propelling him clear of the Guardian's path. He landed, spinning to face the massive entity.
His breath came in ragged gasps, the pain in his body growing more intense. But he couldn't give up. He had to keep fighting, had to find a way to defeat this relentless foe.
He darted in again, his fists striking at the exposed joints. The Guardian's reactions were faster now, its movements more calculated. It caught him by the arm, its grip crushing. Aedhira gasped, his thrusters flaring in a desperate attempt to break free.
The Guardian swung him around, slamming him into the ground. Pain exploded through his body, his vision darkening. But he forced himself to focus, to stay conscious. He had to keep fighting.
He activated his thrusters again, twisting his body to slip free of the Guardian's grip. He rolled to his feet, his legs trembling. The Guardian loomed over him, its eyes burning with cold fire.
Aedhira's mind raced. He needed a new strategy, a way to outmaneuver the Guardian and exploit its weaknesses. He couldn't afford to make any mistakes.
"Argos, any other insights?" he gasped.
[Guardian's movements are slightly slower when performing complex grappling techniques. Use this momentary lag to your advantage. Target its joints and exposed armor when it commits to a grapple.]
Aedhira nodded, his resolve hardening. He had to be faster, more precise. He activated his thrusters, launching himself towards the Guardian again. The battle was far from over, but he was determined to see it through to the end-
*PAWM*
A white figure blurred across the chamber, for the 3rd(?) time, burrowing deeper into the crater in the wall he'd inadvertently made mere minutes ago.
Aedhira got socked in the face, or more accurately, his helm, but the pain didn't seem to appreciate the difference.
He barely managed to squirmed his way out of the hole in the wall when-
[Sire, ma-]
-Argos pinged him-
[Sire, ma-]
[Sire, ma-]
[Sire, ma-]
[Sire, ma-]
-repeatedly. He looked at the notification, a bit more thoroughly, when he'd felt a rumble through the chamber's walls. Then he turned his eyes to center of the chamber, where Guardian stood, eerily still. Icy mist enveloped the space around it, while a cold blue light coalesced around it's chest.
'What-'
[Sire, mana levels rising at the center of the chamber. Scans put it at 400% of it's previous concentration. Rising still]
Aedhira's didn't know what any of that meant, so he blurted out without thinking "What do I do?"
[Evade]
Aedhira didn't wait for further explanation. He launched himself off the wall, thrusters flaring to life, propelling him away from the Guardian and the gathering blue light. The cold mist intensified, swirling around the Guardian as the light at its chest grew brighter and more concentrated.
The Guardian's head snapped up, its icy eyes locking onto Aedhira. Then, with a sound like a thousand glaciers grinding together, it unleashed a beam of pure, concentrated ice.
The beam cut through the air with terrifying speed, freezing everything in its path. Aedhira zigzagged across the chamber, barely staying ahead of the beam as it chased him. Ice formed instantly on the ground and walls, the temperature plummeting around him.
He could feel the cold seeping into his armor, his movements becoming sluggish. The beam was relentless, and the Guardian's aim, though not perfect, was improving with each passing second. Aedhira's thrusters sputtered as the frost crept over them, but he pushed harder, weaving and darting to avoid the deadly beam.
He darted to the left, then to the right, his movements erratic and unpredictable. The beam narrowly missed him, its icy edge grazing the armored skirt of his Arstra, leaving a trail of frost in its wake. He winced at the sudden cold, but kept moving, his mind racing for a solution.
"Argos, status!" he shouted, his voice strained.
[Guardian's beam power diminishing. Estimate 10 seconds until depletion. Prepare for counterattack.]
Aedhira's heart pounded in his chest. He had to hold on, just a little longer. He continued to evade, using every ounce of his agility and speed to stay ahead of the beam. The chamber echoed with the sound of cracking ice and the hum of his thrusters.
Finally, the beam began to wane, its intensity dropping. Aedhira seized the moment, darting to the side and preparing for his counterattack. The Guardian's chest dimmed, the icy mist dissipating as it prepared to recharge.
"Now!" he yelled, launching himself towards the Guardian. He aimed for the exposed joints and damaged armor segments, his gauntleted fist striking with precision and force. The impact sent a shiver through the Guardian's frame, the damaged armor cracking further.
The Guardian stumbled, its movements sluggish as it struggled to recover from the beam's expenditure. Aedhira didn't relent, pressing his advantage. He struck again and again, targeting the weak points with calculated blows. Each hit weakened the Guardian further, the icy sinews fraying and the metallic sinews snapping under the assault.
But the Guardian was not defeated yet. It lashed out with a massive fist, its movements slower but still powerful. Aedhira dodged, his thrusters flaring to propel him out of harm's way. He landed a few feet away, his body aching from the relentless fight.
The Guardian straightened, its eyes burning with renewed fury. It began to charge the beam again, the light at its chest growing brighter. Aedhira knew he had to act quickly, before the beam was ready to fire once more.
He launched himself forward, aiming for the exposed joints again. His gauntleted fist struck with all the force he could muster, the impact sending a shockwave through the Guardian's frame. The light at its chest flickered, its charging process interrupted.
The Guardian roared, the sound reverberating through the chamber. It swung its massive arm, but Aedhira was ready. He ducked under the blow, his thrusters flaring to propel him upwards. He aimed for the exposed neck joint, his fist striking true.
The Guardian staggered, the light at its chest dimming further. Aedhira didn't let up, striking again and again, each blow weakening the Guardian's defenses. The icy sinews frayed, the metallic sinews snapped, and the armor crumbled under the relentless assault.
Despite his best efforts, the light didn't dim completely, no.
In fact, just before his last strike, a pair of hands grabbed him. The Guardian embraced Aedhira, in a crushing bear-hug, and the light in it's chest, as if with renewed life, glowed brighter and brighter by the second.
Aedhira wriggled ans squirmed, as he realized what it was doing.
'This piece of *BLEEP*'s about to BLOW!'
He wriggled harder. The sinews snapped, and the armor crumbled, but the Guardian didn't give. Spite and anger burned in it's eyes. Why?
Aedhira didn't know. And he didn't care. Realizing the futility of trying of trying to get away, his thrusters flared once more, jets of intense flame bellowing out behind him.
Metal groaned and screeched.
The both of them skid across the chamber's icy-metal floor as they rammed into the wall. The same part that Aedhira had cratered into over and over. With their combined weight, and the wall's already compromised structure, it gave away.
It gave away into another dark, shaft, that went down.
Straight down.
They tumbled along the walls of the shaft. Pain racked his body.
Yet the blue light of the Guardian was the last thing Aedhira remembered before the darkness claimed him.