PoV Vyran
I gasped for hair at the sight of my sister getting slammed into the town hall. Chills ran up my body. Varia!
With a roar, I began to slash the enemy mechs flying toward me. Using the thrusts, I unleashed a torrent of green flames behind me. I had to reach Varia!
The mechs were relentless, their attacks coming from all directions. But I didn't care. All I could think about was Varia, buried beneath the rubble of the town hall. I had to get to her.
I slashed through one mech, then another. The debris from my attacks rained down on the city below, adding to the already chaotic scene. I winced, but there was no time to worry about that now.
I reached the town hall, my heart pounding in my chest. I landed Aegisa next to the rubble, my hands shaking.
"Varia!" I called, my voice echoing through the empty street. No response. "Varia!"
Just as I was about to jump out of the cockpit to search for her, I saw Deros inside, digging through the debris, his hands scraping against the rough stone. My heart pounded in my chest, each second feeling like an eternity.
Turning around, I glared at the black mech with glowing green eyes.
I raised my energy blade at it. "Whoever you are, prepare to go to the Realm of the Dead!"
"No one is in it," the Titanos-Deros said, calmly walking over. Suddenly, the cockpit opened and he jumped in. I tried to stab him with my sword, but the mecha closed before I could. Even through it was an old fashioned mech by our standards, its armor was tough. A lot more than the other mechs I had been fighting. His had to be a special unit.
"That was yours?"
The mech's eyes lit up, a sinister glow that sent a chill down my spine. But I shook it off. "Yes, Donetelio. Using him was a rather dirty move on my part, but one never wins war simply by playing clean."
I gritted my teeth. This guy! I had to keep him away from Deros until he could pull my sis out of the rubble.
"Let's see how well you fight in that thing," I growled, gripping the controls of Valkyrie tighter.
The black mech jumped back and removed a black rail-gun strapped to its back.
A railgun. That thing was likely not as powerful as the one that had destroyed Orginal's space armada, but it was probably still best to avoid getting hit by its beam or even being near it as soon as it fired.
Laser railguns, they were powerful weapons, but their high energy consumption made them impractical for use in actual combat. But, somehow, Titanos had managed to actually fire one off rapidly. What energy source were they using? We had bit-sized fusion reactors. While the energy capture and heat-sink tech had improved greatly in the past two centuries, sudden bursts of energy would fray our machines.
With a roar, I charged at Titanos-Deros, my energy blade raised. The enemy mech met my attack head on, its rail-gun colliding with my blade. Sparks flew, the impact sending a shockwave through the city.
I pushed harder, my energy blade digging into the rail-gun. But Titanos-Deros was strong.
"That all you got?" he taunted, his voice oozing with smugness.
I gritted my teeth, anger flaring within me. "You haven't seen anything yet!"
With that, I launched myself at him again, my energy blade slashing through the air. But Titanos-Deros was ready. He blocked my attack, his rail-gun slamming into my blade.
The force of the impact sent me flying back, crashing into a nearby building.
I quickly got up and just in time too as the guy slammed his charging weapon against the ground.
Tsk. That miniaturized railgun sure was versatile. It functioned as both a sword and as a hook, in addition to its function as a railgun. It was also tough. My energy blade couldn't cut through its metal, nor damage its interior. It was about to fire at any moment too...
I knew I had to act fast. My heart pounded in my chest as I pushed Valkyrie's engines to their limits, dodging the beam of energy that erupted from the railgun. The force of the blast shook the ground beneath me, debris flying everywhere. Dust covered the once beautiful, colorful city.
For better or worse, I didn't have time to think about the damage. All I could focus on was the enemy in front of me.
With a roar, I charged at Titanos-Deros again, my blade slicing through the air. He was ready for me, the railgun blocking my attack with a loud clash of metal.
Again and again, we clashed, each attack met with a counterattack. Neither of us was willing to back down, the fight turning more desperate with each passing second.
I could feel my energy draining, the continuous attacks taking their toll. My movements became sluggish, my attacks less powerful. But I couldn't afford to stop. Not when Varia and Deros were counting on me.
My eyes widened as his mech appeared behind mine. The tips of his v-shaped railgun jabbed into the back of Valkyrie.
Sweat raced down my face. W-was this it for me too?
"Hands off my friend!" Deros's voice roared, kicking away the railgun, causing Valkyrie's back to get ripped up. He had gotten inside Aegisa. But had he gotten my sister out of the debris?
"Deros, how is Varia?" I asked.
"She's unconscious, but fine. Her nanobots managed to stop most of the internal bleeding."
I sighed in relief.
"That voice," Titanos-Deros said. "Are you this universe's me?"
Deros gasped. "Y-you're..."
"Me?" Titanos-Deros echoed, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Now, that's an interesting thought."
Deros was silent for a moment, his mech hovering in the air. Finally, he spoke. "Yes," he said. "I suppose I am you, in a way. But I won't stand by and let you destroy my city!"
Deros grasped the railgun as it recharged.
With a growl, I pushed Valkyrie's engines to their limits, charging at Titanos-Deros. My energy blade clashed against his rail-gun, a shower of sparks lighting up the dark sky.
"Vyran," Deros called out, his voice echoing in my cockpit. "We need to retreat and get everyone to safety?"
"Huh? You're willing to let them take your hometown. After saying you won't let him destroy it?"
Deros sighed. "We have to. A city is more than just buildings. Its people are the real city. Plus, I know this me is much stronger than either of us. Even at full power, Varia might've still lost."
His counterpart let go of the railgun. "Admirable, but worry not. I will be sure to take care of them. I am not Commander Yusan."
Was this Yusan guy some kind of genocidal tyrant or something?
"Yusan…" Deros muttered, his voice barely audible in the cockpit. "Why does that name sound familiar?"
I racked my brain, trying to recall where I'd heard it before. But my thoughts were interrupted as Titanos-Deros rushed toward his Retran counterpart.
"Look out!" I shouted. But it was too late as the Donetello's fist slammed into Deros's mech, sending him flying back.
"Deros! Varia!" I cried out, panic surging within me. I quickly turned Valkyrie around, charging towards Deros. But as I approached, I realized he was okay. His mech was damaged, but he was still moving.
"We're okay," Deros said, his voice shaking slightly. "That was… stronger than I expected."
I let out a sigh of relief. "Don't scare me like that," I said, my heart pounding in my chest. "We need to get out of here."
He nodded. We both flew away.
The Titanos Deros picked back up his railgun and pointed it at us.
"Let's split!" I yelled.
He nodded and went left while I went right.
I gritted my teeth as I steered Valkyrie to the right, the cityscape blurring past me. Behind me, I could hear the hum of Titanos-Deros's railgun, a sound that sent a shiver down my spine. I knew we were running out of time.
I pushed Valkyrie's engines to their limits, willing the mech to go faster. The buildings and streets became a blur, the wind whipping past me. But it wasn't fast enough.
A sudden, deafening boom echoed behind me. I didn't need to look back to know what it was. The railgun.
I swerved just in time, the beam of energy barely missing Valkyrie. The force of the blast shook the ground beneath me, debris flying everywhere.
"Deros!" I called out, my voice strained. "Status?"
"I'm okay!" Deros's voice echoed in my cockpit, a hint of relief in his tone. "Just a close call."
I let out a sigh of relief, my heart pounding in my chest. We were okay. We had made it.
But we weren't out of the woods yet.
With a roar, I pushed Valkyrie's engines even harder, the mech surging forward. We had to get as far away from Titanos-Deros as possible.
As we flew through the city, I couldn't help but look back at the destruction we were leaving behind. Buildings were reduced to rubble, fires raging uncontrollably. It was a sight that would forever be etched in my mind.
But amidst the chaos, I saw a flicker of hope. People were helping each other, pulling their neighbors from the rubble and putting out fires. They were fighting back, refusing to let their city fall.
A surge of determination filled me. We had to protect them. It was our duty.
With renewed vigor, I steered Valkyrie towards the outskirts of the city. We had to lead Titanos-Deros and his forces away from the civilians.
After what felt like an eternity, we finally made it. We were outside the city, away from the chaos and destruction.
But we weren't safe yet.
With a roar, I turned Valkyrie around, ready to face Titanos-Deros once more. But he wasn't there.
I frowned, scanning the horizon. Where was he?
"Deros," I called out, my voice echoing in the cockpit. "Do you see him?"
There was a pause, then Deros's voice came through. "No," he said, his tone puzzled. "He's not here. Think he decided to let us go for now?"
A chill ran down my spine. His mech was fast. We had made it to the ocean, but he could close the distance quickly if he tried.
"I hope so. Let's retreat to our usual spot."
He nodded.
My eyes widened as Valkyrie began to fall into the water. The lights in the cockpit went out. Buzzing sounds echoed around me. Valkyrie was over heating. The damage from the railgun didn't help either.
"Vyran!" Deros yelled as he grabbed Valkyrie by the arm
I pressed an emergency button, causing the cockpit of my dear Valkyrie to open. My eyes looked up at it. Could we salvage her? Or was the damage too much?