Vyran PoV
I opened my eyes and found myself floating in space, still inside Valkyrie. There was no sign of the purple mecha, though. Had Valkyrie defeated it while on autopilot? Or had it gotten away from me?
Well, at least I was still alive. Although, it would be nice to know what happened. I gasped as I recalled my mecha's cameras. With a swipe of my hand, Valkyrie showed me a recording of what happened around the time I had passed out.
The footage showed me slumped in the cockpit, unconscious. The purple mecha had continued its assault, but Valkyrie's autopilot had engaged, expertly dodging and countering the attacks. The purple mecha had taken significant damage from Valkyrie's photon blasts and eventually retreated, its pilot choosing to flee rather than face destruction.
I exhaled a sigh of relief, grateful for Valkyrie's advanced systems. But the lack of Sarai gnawed at me. Had I imagined her after all? Although, maybe it was her spirit that I saw. Valkyrie wasn't exactly equipped with ghost detecting cameras and stuff.
I crossed my arms and sighed. Was it because I had been missing her lately? That had to be it, right?
Sighing, I ruffled my hair. Now wasn't the time to think about that. I had to reunite with Day and the others. Hopefully things were going well on the surface.
I gritted my teeth as I felt something zoom toward me.
It was the purple mecha! Had it come back for more?
The mecha held a railgun and shot at me.
I flew behind some nearby space junk and fired back up my barrier.
The fusion reactor within Valkyrie worked in overtime. While it theoretically provided unlimited energy, it didn't generate it all at once. That wasn't usually an issue, but I had used so much that it had become one.
Thankfully, I had updated her heat sink with the parts that Deros got me.
Gritting my teeth again, I flew to the side, avoiding the railgun. I launched several energy missiles at the mecha.
The purple mecha formed a forcefield and flew at me rapidly. It struck my shield and was hit by a surge of energy. The enemy mecha held on, determined to break through.
My heart pounded as I maneuvered Valkyrie, trying to shake the attacker off. Whoever was inside must've been an elite. It might even have been Yusan himself.
"Alright, let's see how you handle this," I mumbled under my breath.
I activated Valkyrie's thrusters, propelling us both into a rapid spin. The purple mecha struggled to maintain its hold, its railgun sparking with the effort as it functioned as a hook.
With a swift maneuver, I disengaged the spin and fired Valkyrie's energy cannons point-blank. The blasts struck the purple mecha's forcefield, causing it to flicker and weaken. The enemy pilot, realizing the danger, released its grip and backed off, recalibrating its weapons for another assault.
I took the opportunity to put some distance between us, flying behind a nearby asteroid for cover. Valkyrie's systems whirred, the fusion reactor humming.
"Come on, girl, hold on just a little more," I urged as Valkyrie's heat levels rose.
The purple mecha rounded the asteroid, its railgun charging for another shot. I knew I couldn't afford to take a direct hit, not with Valkyrie at risk or overheating. I had to outmaneuver and outthink my opponent.
"Let's give them a taste of their own medicine," I said, a plan forming in my mind.
I activated Valkyrie's stealth systems, cloaking us in a field of electromagnetic interference. The purple mecha hesitated, its sensors momentarily confused by the sudden disappearance. Using the element of surprise, I circled around and emerged from behind the asteroid, unleashing a barrage of photon blasts.
The purple mecha's forcefield flared as it absorbed the hits, but I didn't let up. I continued my assault, pushing Valkyrie's weapon systems to their limits. The enemy mecha's forcefield finally buckled under the relentless onslaught, and I saw my opportunity.
With a burst of speed, I closed the distance and activated Valkyrie's energy blade. The glowing blade extended from Valkyrie's arm, humming with lethal energy. I swung the blade in a wide arc, aiming for the purple mecha's vulnerable joints.
The blade connected, slicing through the enemy mecha's arm and severing its railgun. Sparks flew as the weapon was rendered useless, and the purple mecha staggered back, its systems struggling to compensate for the damage.
"Not so tough now, are you?" I taunted, pressing the advantage.
I gasped as the mecha's chest opened up and fired physical missiles at me.
Thankfully, my drone bits kicked it, zooming in front of me and firing mini beams at the missiles.
The purple mecha's broken pieces relinked. It must've had magnets in the joints. Whoever made it must've been prepared for such an outcome.
I glared at the purple mecha. I imagined its pilot grinning at me.
"Time for round three!" I shouted, rushing toward the crimson planet.
A smile dotted my face as the purple mecha pursued. As we entered the upper layers of Sotes-3's atmosphere, the resistance slowed us both down. The purple mecha's pilot seemed to realize the change in dynamics but continued the pursuit, confident in their ability to outmatch me.
"Let's see how you handle this," I muttered.
I unleashed a barrage of photon blasts, the energy beams cutting through the dense atmosphere with precision. The purple mecha's forcefield flared, but it was weaker now, struggling to maintain its integrity under the combined strain of the atmosphere and my relentless assault.
The enemy pilot fired back, but their shots were less accurate, the projectiles losing momentum in the thicker air. The user was still in space battle mode. He couldn't alternate as quickly or as efficiently as me.
I looked down at the surface below. But now wasn't the time to get cocky. The pilot of the mecha had managed to keep up thus far, adjusting to everything I'd thrown at him.