The battlefield roared to life once more as the Titan's beam carved through the advancing enemy mechas. The explosion sent shockwaves rippling across the ground, but the enemy wasn't deterred. More of the twisted, organic machines emerged from the shadows, their grotesque forms glinting in the moonlight.
Ace, standing at the forefront with the Riger soldiers, clenched his fists. The half-moon wall of corpses they'd built earlier had bought them time, but against this new wave, it seemed like a feeble defense.
"Hold your positions!" Captain's voice rang out over the comms. "Focus fire! Don't let them breach the perimeter!"
The defenders sprang into action. Wolfe unleashed a volley of precise shots from his rifle, targeting the joints and weak points of the advancing machines. Shadow moved like a specter among the chaos, her daggers slicing through smaller enemies that broke through the line.
Korrak and the Rigers fought with ferocity, their mechas wielding plasma lances with devastating precision. They moved in perfect synchronization, their strikes coordinated to exploit the weaknesses of their foes.
"This is insane," Wolfe muttered, his voice tense over the comms. "These things are stronger than anything we've faced before."
"They're not just stronger," Techie's voice chimed in. "They're organized. It's like they're testing us."
Ace gritted his teeth, firing his cannon at a cluster of enemies attempting to flank the base. "Testing us for what?"
Techie didn't answer.
Inside the Titan's neural interface, Vega's consciousness continued to drift. The presence she'd felt earlier hadn't left. If anything, it had grown stronger, pressing against the edges of her awareness.
"You must remember."
"Remember what?" Vega whispered, her voice barely audible.
The light around her shifted, forming shapes and patterns she couldn't quite comprehend. Memories that weren't hers flickered before her eyes—images of titanic machines battling across vast, desolate landscapes. A colossal hand reaching out, shrouded in shadow.
"You are the link."
The voice was neither comforting nor hostile. It was ancient, filled with a purpose Vega couldn't yet grasp.
Outside, the battle intensified. The twisted mechas were closing the gap, their sheer numbers overwhelming the defenders. The corpse wall slowed them, but it wouldn't hold much longer.
"We're getting overrun!" Wolfe shouted, his voice panicked.
"Where's Techie with that Titan?" Shadow snapped, her daggers glinting as she leapt onto an enemy machine, stabbing at its core.
"I need more time!" Techie replied, frantically typing at his console. "The Titan's systems are... evolving. It's like it's waking up, and I can't control it!"
"Then let it wake up!" Captain ordered. "We don't have a choice!"
Techie hesitated, sweat dripping down his brow. He glanced at the Titan's interface, where Vega's vitals pulsed faintly. "I hope you know what you're doing, Vega," he muttered.
With a final keystroke, he activated the Titan's core.
The Titan mecha roared to life, its transformation far from subtle this time. The ground beneath it trembled as its limbs shifted, folding and collapsing into new shapes. The massive cannon it had formed earlier split into multiple segments, each glowing with a fiery intensity.
"What's it doing now?" Ace demanded, his mecha stepping back as the Titan continued its transformation.
"It's... adapting," Techie said, his voice filled with awe and fear. "The Titan isn't just a weapon. It's learning."
The Titan's form stabilized, revealing a hybrid design—part artillery, part defensive shield. Massive plates extended outward, creating a protective barrier around the base's western flank. At the same time, smaller cannons emerged from its frame, targeting the approaching enemy machines with pinpoint accuracy.
The first volley from the newly transformed Titan was devastating. Energy beams rained down on the enemy forces, vaporizing entire clusters in seconds. The defenders cheered, their spirits lifting as the tide of battle began to turn.
"Keep firing!" Captain commanded. "We can't let up now!"
As the battle raged on, Korrak approached Ace, his golden eyes narrowed. "Your machine is powerful, but power alone will not save you."
Ace glanced at the Riger leader, his expression hard. "What are you getting at?"
Korrak's tail flicked, his gaze shifting to the Titan. "That machine is part of something much larger. If you don't understand it, it will destroy you as surely as your enemies will."
"Do you know what it is?" Ace asked, his tone skeptical.
"I know enough to be wary," Korrak replied. "Machines like that were not meant for mortals."
Before Ace could respond, a deafening roar shook the battlefield. A new figure emerged from the enemy ranks—a massive mecha, twice the size of the Titan. Its grotesque form was covered in jagged armor, and its movements were unnervingly smooth, almost predatory.
"What the hell is that?" Wolfe's voice cracked over the comms.
Techie's voice was grim. "That's their commander. And it's coming straight for the Titan."
The enemy commander moved with terrifying speed, closing the distance to the Titan in seconds. Its massive clawed arms swung downward, aiming to crush the Titan in a single blow.
But the Titan reacted. Its shield plates shifted, absorbing the impact with a resounding clang. The force of the blow sent shockwaves through the base, but the Titan held firm.
Inside the interface, Vega's eyes snapped open. The presence that had been guiding her was gone, but its purpose remained. She felt the Titan's power coursing through her, a connection she couldn't explain but instinctively understood.
"You're not taking this base," she whispered, her voice steady.
The Titan's cannons fired in unison, blasting the enemy commander back. The two titanic machines squared off, their clash lighting up the night sky.
At Base Beta, the defenders watched in awe and terror as the battle unfolded. The Titan's strength was undeniable, but the enemy commander was relentless.
"Can it win?" Shadow asked, her voice uncharacteristically soft.
Techie didn't answer.
As the Titan launched another devastating attack, Vega's voice came through the comms, calm and resolute.
"I'll hold it off. You focus on the swarm."
"Vega, no!" Wolfe shouted, but the connection had already cut out.
The Titan surged forward, meeting the enemy commander head-on. The battlefield erupted in chaos as the two colossal machines clashed, their fight overshadowing everything else.
And as the defenders turned their attention back to the swarm, Ace couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning.