Unit E-27 stood before a line of open simulation pods, each large enough to swallow a person whole. Their skin-tight jumpsuits gleamed under the sterile lights of the testing bay, faint data-lines pulsing across their limbs.
Dr. Viridessa Kaelthorn stood in front of them, tablet in hand and her voice precise as ever.
"These pods," she explained, "will generate a full neural-sync simulation the virtual equivalent of entering your Mobile Suits. Every sensory feedback is set to one hundred percent realism. You will feel everything your suit feels. This will help your body and mind adapt to the interface and synchronize with your AI cores."
She looked up, eyes sharp behind her glasses. "Once you get in, I strongly recommend closing your eyes. Initial calibration may cause sensory overload."
They all nodded in unison.
◇◇◇
Aric climbed into his pod, the interior softly humming around him. As the lid sealed shut, darkness consumed everything. He lay back, closing his eyes. A soft hiss came from the rear of the pod then a click something cool and metallic attached to the base of his neck.
For a few seconds, it felt like floating in a sensory-deprivation tank. No sound. No movement. Only the faint rhythm of his heartbeat.
Then came the light.
A surge of blinding white flooded through his closed eyelids and in that instant, he heard Dr. Viridessa's voice echo, slightly distorted by comm interference:
"Hello, Unit E-27… open your eyes."
Aric's eyes snapped open.
He was inside his Mobile Suit.
The cockpit of the Infinity Nova RMD Lizard surrounded him luminous panels flickering to life, holographic readouts aligning with his vision. Through the panoramic glass, he saw the others standing in a massive digital hangar: the Asgard, Sky Defender, RT-002 Nemesis, and RT-001 Genesis towering like sleeping titans.
"THIS IS SO FREAKING COOL! LET'S GO!" Joren Klief's voice blared through the comms.
Aric turned left the Asgard's eyes glowed cerulean then right, where Sky Defender's armor gleamed silver-blue beside the darker Nemesis and pristine Genesis.
Then Dr. Viridessa's voice returned:
"Alright, Unit E-27, we're initiating neural interface with your Mobile Suit AIs. Brace yourselves. In three… two… one…"
Agony.
A sharp, splitting migraine tore through Aric's mind the kind that made him grit his teeth until he almost drew blood. His vision flickered with static, data streams flooding across his HUD like living veins of light. Then—
Another presence entered his mind.
[System Online.]
"Greetings, Pilot Aric Tanner," a calm, measured voice echoed inside his thoughts. "I am Verryn, your tactical intelligence construct. I will assist you in synchronization, monitor system integrity, and handle all auxiliary weapon interfaces."
Before Aric could respond, he felt the cockpit shift dozens of metallic filaments coiled from the armrests and floor, wrapping lightly around his wrists and ankles. His pulse spiked.
"Whoa—what the hell is—"
"Do not be alarmed," Verryn's voice soothed, its tone almost serene. "These are the motion-link tendrils. They translate your muscle impulses into direct movement commands. You are familiar with Jaeger-link control systems, yes? This is a similar method but far more refined."
Aric exhaled slowly, forcing himself to relax as the cables pulsed faintly with golden light.
"Alright… Verryn, was it? Guess we're partners now."
"Affirmative," the AI replied. "Let us make this partnership efficient… and victorious."
The hangar trembled as warning klaxons blared overhead. Crimson lights bathed the metallic walls while hydraulic locks hissed and released. One by one, the restraints holding the Mobile Suits disengaged with heavy thuds that reverberated through the air like war drums.
[SYSTEM ALERT: Neural Link Stable. Mobility Systems Released.]
Aric felt the shift instantly the sensation of gravity pressing differently, heavier, deeper. His body wasn't his body anymore it was colossal. Every step of the Infinity Nova RMD Lizard sent a shudder through the steel floor, the sound echoing like thunder inside his cockpit.
"Whoa…" he muttered, flexing his new hands each finger plated, hydraulic joints whirring. It felt both alien and natural at once, like he'd been born into this machine.
"Motor coordination at ninety-eight percent," Verryn said inside his mind. "You adapt quickly, Pilot Tanner."
"Guess I had a good teacher," Aric replied with a grin, his voice steadying now that the dizziness had faded.
Ahead, the Sky Defender powered up Selene's voice came through comms, brimming with excitement.
"Systems online! Damn, this feels amazing!"
"Hey, Sky Defender," Aric said, taking a heavy step forward. The ground trembled beneath the Lizard's feet as he began to walk across the hangar toward her. Each step was accompanied by the faint hum of reactors spooling within his suit's frame. "How's the view from over there?"
Selene laughed. "Crystal clear and higher than yours, short stack!"
"Short stack?!" Aric barked, mock-offended. "I'm literally in a walking fortress!"
Joren's voice burst through the comms, laughing uncontrollably. "Fortress or not, you're still slower than my Asgard! Watch this!"
The EDDAS Asgard roared to life, thrusters igniting in blue flame as it surged forward, performing a full spin before landing with a seismic thud beside them.
Dr. Viridessa's voice cut through their laughter, professional but amused.
"Alright, Unit E-27. Warm-up's over. Move to formation grid delta and prepare for simulation deployment."
Aric rolled his shoulders or rather, the Lizard's the motion sending out mechanical creaks that sounded like a beast stretching before a hunt.
"Pilot Tanner," Verryn murmured, tone calm but edged with anticipation. "Your vitals are steady. Shall we start combat functions next?"
Aric smirked, his HUD flaring to life with targeting grids and movement lines.
"Oh, we're just getting started."
The world around them shimmered like glass breaking underwater. The sterile metal of the hangar bled away into streets of Evolto City, reconstructed in perfect, silent detail. Towering skyscrapers loomed in the distance, neon signs flickering faintly in the simulated dusk. There were no people, no sound only the hum of reactors and the low growl of mechanized giants.
[SIMULATION ENVIRONMENT: URBAN—EVOLTO CITY]
[ENGAGEMENT MODE: TEAM DEATHMATCH E-27 vs. E-28]
Far ahead, Unit E-28 stood in formation, already moving with sharp coordination. At the center hovered Taryn Holt, her EMP-01 Yuan Ling Huangdi gliding effortlessly through the air with its companion dragon Yinglong coiling around it like a serpent of metal and light. The dragon's body rippled with arcs of blue plasma, its eyes glowing like twin stars.
Selene groaned through comms.
"That is still so not fair she gets a damn dragon!"
Despite her words, she sounded energized, the Sky Defender's wings extending as plasma vents flared open.
"Alright, E-27, formation Gamma! Lizard and Nemesis you're our front line. Genesis and Asgard, backline support. I'll keep Taryn busy."
"Roger that," Aric replied, locking his hands on the Infinity Nova RMD Lizard's control grips. His HUD pulsed as targeting systems synced to his neural feed. To his right, Silas Vorne's RT-002 Nemesis gave a silent nod, its red-lit visor flaring briefly as acknowledgment.
Then the air shifted the calm before war.
Aric's thrusters ignited in a controlled roar as the Infinity Lizard crouched low, deploying its massive axe from its back. As the weapon locked into place, the haft split, expanding into an artillery configuration. The twin miniguns mounted to each of his forearms spun up with a metallic whine, the barrels glowing from frictional heat.
"Verryn," Aric said, his tone sharp, "target-lock E-28's front formation."
"Acknowledged," replied the AI smoothly. "Predictive firing path calculated. Releasing safety seals."
Silas stepped forward, the Nemesis's backpack shifting. Two large wing-like modules detached and rotated into autonomous firing drones, locking into formation on either side of him. The Nemesis itself drew a large blade, its movements precise, surgical almost too human.
Behind them, Lyra's Genesis raised both arms, generating a thin field of restorative nanolight between the team, while Joren's Asgard deployed twin shoulder cannons, calibrating with a playful whistle through the comms.
"All systems hot let's give 'em a fireworks show!"
Selene's voice came through firm and focused:
"E-27, move out!"
The ground cracked as the Lizard and Nemesis surged forward, massive strides shaking the simulated street. Overhead, the Sky Defender rocketed skyward, contrails burning blue as she streaked toward Taryn's hovering form.
Taryn laughed over the external speakers, her voice confident and teasing.
"Let's see if you can keep up, Selene!"
Aric's sensors pulsed with crimson outlines targets acquired. The system registered multiple signatures moving at high velocity through the ruined avenues of virtual Evolto City.
Then his HUD flashed:
[MNP-XH05 ZHAO YUN – Kael Rorric]
Through the smoke and flickering streetlights, Aric caught only a blur a sleek mobile suit astride a gleaming horse-frame, its segmented armor glinting silver and gold. Zhao Yun and its mount charged down the empty boulevard like a phantom, the kinetic energy from its movement tearing through shattered pavement.
"Target moving fast," Verryn said, her calm voice cutting through the noise.
"Predictive path calculated. Shall I lock artillery?"
Aric grinned beneath his helmet. "Do it."
The Infinity Lizard planted its feet into the broken concrete with a thunderous crack. Its spinal thrusters flared, stabilizing the frame as the massive artillery axe on its back reconfigured the blade folding down to reveal twin heavy barrels glowing from internal heat buildup.
"Artillery mode: online," Verryn confirmed.
Aric's fingers tightened around the controls. "Firing solution set. Let's see you dodge this, horseman."
A deafening roar followed. Six consecutive high-density plasma shells tore through the city street, each leaving behind a trail of molten debris as they detonated midair. The explosions lit the skyline like miniature suns, the shockwave toppling simulated signs and glass fronts.
Without pausing, Aric shifted grip the dual miniguns on his arms spun to life, the barrels glowing orange as they unleashed a storm of tungsten slugs. Thousands of rounds per second traced glowing arcs through the smoke, turning the street into a blinding corridor of tracers.
"Suppressive fire keep him locked down!" Aric barked.
Verryn responded instantly. "Adjusting ballistic stream. Predictive ricochet grid engaged."
Through the smoke, Zhao Yun weaved between impacts the horse leaping over explosions, it's silhouette perfectly balanced atop the mount. But even so, the Lizard's relentless barrage forced him to veer off, kicking up sparks as the plasma detonations carved deep craters into the asphalt.
Over comms, Joren's voice came through, half-laughing, half-yelling:
"Hah! Tanner's already redecorating the city!"
Selene cut in sharply, her tone commanding but amused.
"Focus, E-27! Lizard, keep Zhao Yun busy Nemesis, flank right! Asgard, cover Genesis!"
"Roger that," Aric said, sighting down the burning street. The Lizard's optics narrowed as Verryn pinged new movement on the left flank.
The Lizard took a heavy step forward, smoke and plasma heat swirling around it like a storm.
Then asharp warning tone screamed through Aric's cockpit.
[ALERT: ELECTRICAL SIGNATURE SPIKE – FRONT VECTOR!]
Before Verryn could finish her analysis, the air ahead cracked a bolt of golden lightning ripped through the smoke, coalescing around Zhao Yun's spear. The horse reared back, its hooves striking the ground like thunder, and Kael hurled the weapon forward with terrifying speed.
"Incoming—!" Verryn shouted.
Aric didn't hesitate. He slammed the throttle, the Infinity Lizard's thrusters igniting in a blinding blue surge. The suit jerked sideways, plasma streams tearing through the air as the electrified spear shot past, skimming his shoulder armor and detonating against a nearby building in a flash of yellow lightning.
BOOM!
Concrete rained down, dust billowing through the street. Before Aric could reorient, Zhao Yun was already there charging through the debris cloud, riding the momentum of his own attack. The horse dissolved into streaks of light, reforming behind him as Kael leapt off mid-stride, fist cocked back.
The punch landed like a meteor.
CRASH!
The Infinity Lizard staggered backward, pavement cracking under its feet. Alarms blared as kinetic dampeners overloaded for a split second.
"Direct impact non-critical damage," Verryn reported, her voice still eerily calm.
Aric gritted his teeth. "Fuckign hell he's fast."
Kael didn't wait. With a fluid motion, he drew a gleaming blade from Zhao Yun's hip. The sword crackled with arcs of static as he brought it down in a powerful diagonal slash, aiming for the Lizard's neck.
Reflex overrode thought.
The Infinity Lizard's back mounts disengaged with a metallic clang. The enormous artillery module split apart mid-air, mechanical plates rotating and locking into the shape of a massive double-sided axe. Aric caught the handle with both hands, bracing just as the blade met Kael's sword.
KRANG!
The impact sent a shockwave that shattered every window within a hundred meters. Sparks cascaded between the two mobile suits as their weapons locked, pressure hissing through the joints of their frames.
"Your reflexes are impressive," Verryn noted, a hint of pride in her tone.
"Thanks," Aric grunted.
He kicked the Lizard's boosters again, pushing forward and shoving Zhao Yun back. Their weapons ground against each other, sparks raining like falling stars.
Above them, the Sky Defender streaked across the skyline, trading plasma shots with Taryn's dragon, and the city simulation thundered with overlapping chaos.
◇◇◇
Sky Defender's drones swarmed across the skyline like a silver storm, their synchronized movement forming a shimmering dome of suppressive fire around EMP-01 Yuanling Huangdi and MC-01 Yinglong. Each drone darted and fired in rhythmic bursts, guided by Selene's neural link data streams pulsing through her vision like rivers of light.
But Taryn wasn't passive. Her dragon-unit, Yinglong, curved through the air behind her, metallic scales glinting with reactive lightning. As Sky Defender's drones closed in, the dragon's tail lashed out a fluid arc of charged energy cracking through the air and sending several drones spiraling down in smoking trails.
Selene gritted her teeth, eyes darting across the HUD.
Taryn's voice came through the speaker, laced with confidence.
"Try to keep up, Selene."
The two mechs collided midair Sky Defender's arm-mounted blades meeting Taryn's sword in a burst of sparks and refracted light. Below them, the city simulation trembled as shockwaves tore through the empty streets.
Meanwhile, the dragon swung back around, positioning itself behind Sky Defender for a pincer strike its mouth glowing as plasma began to charge. But Selene anticipated it; she deployed her remaining drones into a reflective barrier formation, redirecting the plasma blast into a nearby skyscraper. The explosion rippled upward, bathing the combatants in a brilliant yellow glow.
Below, Lizard and Zhao Yun clashed in brutal melee, while Nemesis provided cover fire every round flashing like thunder in the deserted streets.
◇◇◇
Silas was piloting Nemesis he was assisting lizard when the air around him warped and shimmered. Two figures emerged from the distortion Red Ghost Demon Kiyomori and White Snow Demon Kiyomori their armor etched with burning sigils. One burned with violet flame, the other with crimson fire, both radiating malicious heat that rippled the air itself.
"Two of them… perfect," Silas muttered, tightening his neural link.
The demons struck first flashes of red and purple arcing through the haze. Nemesis swung up his twin greatswords, detached from the magnetic clamps on his back, intercepting both flaming katanas in a shower of sparks. The impact sent shockwaves down the avenue, cracking digital concrete.
The Kiyomoris pressed forward, each strike faster than the last. Nemesis' systems flared warnings as his AI unit, KAL a calm, clinical voice amidst the chaos—reported:
"Armor integrity dropping left shoulder plating compromised. Drones 3 through 7 destroyed. Recalibrating balance thrusters."
Silas grimaced. "Yeah, I can see that, Kal. Launch the remaining drones for suppression fire."
Tiny projectiles shot from Nemesis' back six surviving drones forming a semi-circle and unleashing streams of micro-plasma. It slowed the Kiyomoris, but not enough. Their flames began to corrode the drones' casings mid-flight, melting them into slag.
Silas hissed through his teeth and opened the comms.
"Genesis, Asgard I need cover, now!"
From several blocks away, Asgard, the towering cannon-type unit, turned. Its pilot, Joren Vass, locked onto the Kiyomoris' heat signatures. His own AI SERA spoke, her voice soft but precise.
"Targeting parameters acquired. Note: These entities are not using conventional cores. Energy readings indicate a fusion of Qi and Magic."
Joren frowned. "So… magic reactors."
"Affirmative. Designation: Aetheric Singularity Reactors. Recommend counter with anti-magic protocol."
"Do it."
Asgard's plasma rifle reconfigured, vents opening along the barrel as the anti-magic chamber began to glow white-hot.
"Charging Anti-Magic Shot: Type-1."
The weapon screamed as it fired a beam of energy cutting across the battlefield.
But before it could strike the White Snow Demon Kiyomori, a sword flew through the air glowing with a blue aura, and impossibly fast. It intercepted the beam mid-flight, and the collision triggered an explosion that tore through the simulation.
The blast wave consumed the street, vaporizing debris and flinging everyone back Nemesis, both Kiyomoris, and several of Asgard's support drones.
Silas felt the force hammer through his cockpit, alarms blaring red as KAL's voice crackled.
"Warning: Reactor casing stress at forty-two percent. Recommend retreat."
Nemesis used the chaos to his advantage, thrusters igniting blue as he blasted backward toward Genesis' position.
"Yeah, I'm pulling out! Joren, cover me!"
As the smoke cleared, the Kiyomoris reappeared one kneeling, the other standing, their flames flickering angrily.
Nemesis landed hard beside RT-001 Genesis, the shockwave shattering what remained of the simulated pavement. Steam hissed from ruptured armor joints, and warning lights flared crimson inside Silas's cockpit.
"Genesis, the damage is critical shoulder actuators fried, dorsal plating half gone!"
Genesis turned its sleek, ivory frame toward him. Its pilot, Lyra Hemmings, kept her breathing steady as her hands danced across the HUD.
"Don't move, Silas. I've got you."
Her unit's chest compartment opened, releasing a soft hum. A cloud of shimmering dust poured out trillions of nano-reconstruction bots, glimmering like silver fireflies in the neon ruins of Evolto City's simulation.
The AI of Genesis, a calm, analytical voice named VION, spoke with mechanical serenity.
"Deploying nanobot swarm protocol REGENESIS. Adapting to environment. Scanning for compatible matter."
The nanocloud drifted outward, absorbing fragments of destroyed road, shards of digital rebar, and even particles of plasma residue. Within seconds, they restructured the scavenged data-matter into functional armor plating and microfilament wires.
Silas watched in awe through his HUD as the broken shoulder of Nemesis began to reform molten metal sealing over cracks, wiring reconnecting like veins stitching themselves closed.
"Reconstruction at sixty percent. External plating complete. Rebinding neural conduits."
As the nanobots continued their work, the battlefield roared in the distance Sky Defender's drones engaging the hovering Huangdi unit, the thunderous echo of Lizard's fight with Zhao Yun.
Then, through the haze of data and dust, Genesis's sensors pinged an unidentified reading. Something was moving fast, cutting across the destroyed streets toward them.
VION interrupted the repair log:
"Alert: Incoming signature. Unknown classification. Residual magic radiation detected possibly the controller of the sword."
Elara's eyes narrowed. "Silas repairs are at eighty percent. Get ready. Whoever that was, they're coming straight for us."
◇◇◇
Static crackled over the comms as Nia Trevane adjusted her targeting sensors, her White Snow Demon Kiyomori still shimmering from residual plasma burns.
Nia: "Rex, you good over there?"
Rex: "Still breathing. Armor integrity at fifty-seven percent. Whoever fired that anti-magic shot is getting punched in the face after this."
Before either could continue, a third voice cut through the channel, calm but edged with a hint of giddy joy.
Varek Nelson: "Pay attention to your surroundings, you two. I already lost one sword because of your fireworks show."
Both pilots instinctively turned their cameras to the east and what they saw made their breath hitch.
Standing atop a broken skyscraper like a meditating warrior monk was Varek's Mobile Suit, Xiaoyaozi. The machine's silhouette was unlike anything else on the battlefield sleek armor etched with glowing runes that pulsed like veins of jade energy.
One pair of its arms was folded neatly across its chest, the second pair pressed together middle and index fingers pointed upward in a traditional cultivator's stance.
Around him, three spiritual blades spun lazily in orbit, leaving trails of blue light that carved calligraphy into the air lines of ancient code written in floating sigils.
Nia: "What… the hell is he doing?"
Behind Xiaoyaozi, the faint glow of a massive gourd shimmered, pulsing with sealed energy. At his waist, four more swords rested in immaculate symmetry their hilts wrapped in threads of blue and gold.
Inside the cockpit, Varek's eyes were closed. His breathing was even. His AI, a calm, ethereal voice named ZHEN, spoke softly.
ZHEN: "Qi Generation is reaching optimal flow. The Blades are now synchronized. Awaiting target designation."
Varek opened his eyes. His pupils glowed with digital runes.
Varek: "Target Nemesis and Genesis. Let's remind them why they call Xiaoyaozi the Wandering Immortal."
The orbiting blades stopped spinning then launched in all directions, screaming like falling stars.
Down below, alarms flared inside Nemesis's and Genesis's cockpits.
VION: "Warning spatial anomalies detected! Multiple energy signatures inbound!"
Lyra: "What the hell is that?!"
The first blade slammed into the street beside them, carving a glowing seal into the virtual ground. Then another. And another. The air began to hum Xiaoyaozi's cultivation field expanding outward like ripples in water.
Varek's voice echoed through the speakers, steady and almost serene:
"The path to ascension… begins with balance."
The runes erupted in light turning the entire block into a area forged of qi.
Nia Trevane watched from her vantage point, her White Snow Demon Kiyomori crouched atop a shattered tower, the blade on its shoulder glowing faintly from channelled energy. Below, the cultivation field blazed like a mandala every rune pulsing in rhythm to Xiaoyaozi's movements.
On the speakers, Varek's serene voice echoed:
"Flow with the rhythm of your spirit. Resist, and you'll drown."
Nia groaned and pressed her comm button.
"Hey Rex… since when was Xiaoyaozi called the Wandering Immortal?"
Through the haze of static, Rex Madrin's quiet chuckle.
"Hell if I know. Probably since five minutes ago. Let him have his enlightenment moment with Nemesis he's having the time of his life."
On her HUD, she saw Nemesis staggering back, his frame sparking as glowing seals crawled up his armor Varek's qi blades dancing around him like orbiting predators.
Nia: "Yeah, he's definitely enjoying it a little too much."
But then Rex's red Ghost Demon Kiyomori moved. The air behind it rippled from sheer speed as red-purple flames erupted from its boosters.
Rex: "Enough sightseeing. He can meditate later Genesis is exposed!"
Before Nia could protest, he blitzed straight into the cultivation field, the spiritual barrier rippling like disturbed water as the Red Ghost Demon Kiyomori broke through.
ZHEN: "Warning allie breach detected."
Varek: "Hmph. So much for serenity."
Rex's suit was already upon Genesis, his katana igniting into violet infernos as he swung down hard.
Lyra's Genesis barely managed to raise a energy shield, the impact sending shockwaves that shattered glass from nearby skyscrapers. Sparks flew; metal screamed.
Lyra: "Genesis shield systems at seventy percent integrity! Silas, I could use that cover fire now!"
Silas: "Already on it!"
The RT-002 Nemesis, half-wreathed in qi light and half-burning from battle damage, raised its arm. The massive rifles deployed from its shoulders rotated forward, barrels glowing.
VION: "Weapons synced. Target lock—Red Ghost Demon Kiyomori."
Dozens of rounds erupted, each leaving tracer light through the glowing cultivation runes.
Above them, Varek closed his eyes once more, whispering calmly as his remaining orbiting blades began to spin again.
"Balance through conflict. Harmony through chaos."
ZHEN: "Qi generation rising to 140%. You're overclocking."
Varek: "Exactly."
The cultivation field ignited brighter, swallowing the skyline in light.
Xiaoyaozi hovered far from the cultivation field, its eyes burning blue, qi streams spiraling around him like storm currents. The seven orbiting blades aligned in a perfect lotus formation above him.
Varek: "Sword formation — Heaven's Descent."
The blades rotated faster, the hum rising into a shriek that could be felt through metal and bone. Then, one by one, they plunged into the ground around Nemesis, Genesis, and the Red Ghost Demon Kiyomori, locking them in a blazing sigil that spanned an entire city block.
Silas shouted through the comms,
"Genesis, move! MOVE!"
But before they could react
A pillar of blue qi erupted from the center, a colossal laser tearing downward from the heavens. It wasn't light it was pure essence, vibrating, roaring, shaking the entire simulated Evolto City.
VION: "WARNING! Suit integrity dropping—seventy percent - fifty - forty—"
GENA:"Energy shields collapsing! Hull temperature exceeding tolerance!"
RAIJU:"Core containment critical. Recommend evasive protocol—!"
The world turned white.
The impact hit like divine judgment, a tsunami of energy vaporizing debris and warping the simulation grid itself. All three Mobile Suits were flung outward Genesis smashing through a skyscraper, Nemesis tumbling in smoke and fire, Red Ghost Demon crashing and carving a molten trail through the streets.
For a moment, only static filled the comms.
Then
Silas: "Nemesis still functioning… barely."
Lyra: "Genesis alive repairs starting…"
Above the smoldering crater, Varek's Xiaoyaozi floated with arms crossed, blue smoke trailing off his blades.
Varek: "Lesson one never let a cultivator finish his chant."
The channel crackled as Selene's voice cut in sharply.
"Nemesis, status report! I just saw a hammer of dawn hit the map what the hell happened down there!?"
Varek's laughter echoed through the ruined streets as blue qi still shimmered off his blades.
Varek: "Now that's what I call divine—"
A sharp crack split the air. A plasma bolt slammed into the back of his Xiaoyaozi, hitting the gourd mounted behind him.
Varek: "...wait, what—"
The gourd detonated violently, golden liquid energy bursting like a ruptured sun. His sensors flared red across the HUD.
Zhen: "WARNING—rear reactor breach detected—core stability at two percent—"
Before he could react, another charge built up in the distance.
Behind the skeletal remains of a skyscraper, Asgard crouched low, both plasma cannons humming like twin thunderheads.
Joren Klief: "Gotcha, wandering immortal."
He squeezed the triggers.
The short-charge shot hit first, making Varek twist his Mobile Suit in reflex only to face the full wrath of the long-charge beam that followed. It lanced through the chest of Xiaoyaozi, straight through the cockpit.
The entire frame locked up. The energy core shattered into particles, and the once-blue qi aura flickered out like dying embers.
◇◇◇
With a mechanical hiss, Varek Nelson's pod opened. Steam poured out as he stumbled forward, disoriented. His body was still twitching from the neural feedback of the "death". Two medical assistants caught him before he fell.
Varek: "Oh come on… I just had my moment…"
One of the nurses chuckled, adjusting the neuro-feedback monitor on his neck.
"Yeah, well, dramatic speeches get you killed out there, hero."
From across the control room, Dr. Odel Varxen, Unit E-28's head scientist a broad-shouldered man with silver cybernetic arms and a calm, deep voice walked over, data pad in hand.
Dr. Varxen: "Varek, your sword formations were impressive. Excellent control of qi parameters and group synchronization."
He paused, looking him straight in the eye.
Dr. Varxen: "But you get distracted too easily. You celebrated before the battle was finished and it cost your mobile suit."
Varek rubbed his neck.
Varek: "Noted, Doc… maybe next time, I'll wait until after I vaporize them."
Dr. Varxen (smirking): "Do that. And maybe your 'wandering immortal' will live to wander a bit longer."
◇◇◇
The Genesis stood amid scorched terrain, armor cracked, its integrity reading barely 10%. Auto-repair subroutines whirred, sealing ruptures with molten nanite streams. Inside the cockpit, Lyra Hemmings' breath came shallow and uneven.
Her gaze locked on Nemesis, crumpled in the distance. The Red Ghost Demon Kiyomori staggered, being pulled to his feet by the White Snow Demon Kiyomori its ghostly armor glinting under fractured digital light.
Through the comm-link, Lyra could hear faint voices, static-laced, distorted by system damage. Then, the White Snow Demon raised what looked like an advanced flintlock, its muzzle aimed squarely at the cockpit of the unconscious Silas Vorne.
Lyra's heart began to pound.
Her HUD flickered.
Her vision tunneled.
Thump. Thump.
Her breathing became sharp, ragged.
Silas's face on the screen blurred then shifted.
The unconscious pilot's features melted into another face a man lying in blood, eyes open, mouth twisted into a mocking smirk. A gun was aimed down at him. He said something indistinct but the smirk never faded.
The hand on the trigger tightened.
Bang.
The sound snapped her back.
Her scream tore through the comms as White Snow Demon Kiyomori fired, the flintlock's shot ripping through Nemesis's cockpit. Silas's vitals flatlined.
Before anyone could process, Asgard burst from cover twin plasma cannons glowing.
Two short-charge shots
Then a long one.
The first barrage shredded Rex's unit. The second crippled White Snow Demon Kiyomori, blowing off its leg. Nia Trevane, piloting the white demon, barely managed to eject before the frame crumbled.
Lyra's hands shook violently on the Genesis's controls.
Her AI warned:
"Integrity at 6%. Recommend retreat."
But she refused.
"NO! No, no, no it's not too late!" she shouted, overriding safety locks, forcing Genesis's repair nanites to surge into Nemesis's shattered frame.
"Nia stop right now!" came Joren's voice through the comms. "It's a simulation! He's gone for now but he's alive outside. Do you hear me? Alive!"
Lyra's breathing came in gasps.
"He's not dead… he's not dead…" she whispered, her eyes wide.
Thenvthrough the noise—
"He's alive."
Her trembling stopped.
Her pupils refocused.
Reality rushed back.
"Let me out," she whispered. Then louder screaming, "LET ME OUT! I FORFEIT!"
Her suit went dark. The simulation ended.
◇◇◇
Steam hissed as Genesis's pod opened. Lyra bolted upright ripping off her neural connectors stumbling out past the nurses.
"Lyra! Wait—!"
She didn't listen.
She sprinted across the chamber, almost tripping, until she collided into Silas's arms, trembling and sobbing.
"You're not dead… you're not dea—"
Before she could finish, the nurses reached her, sedating her gently. Her body went limp as they placed her on a stretcher.
Dr. Viridessa stood nearby, her expression unreadable but her hair floated and twisted, alive with restrained fury. She silently jotted a note on her datapad, then looked toward the simulation pods.
◇◇◇
The battlefield echoed with the sound of clashing metal and surging qi. The Lizard reeled backward, its massive form straining against the relentless assault of Zhao Yun and his celestial warhorse. Every strike from the hero's spear sent shockwaves rippling across the simulation field, forcing the Lizard into a desperate defense.
"Damn it—come on!" Aric hissed through gritted teeth, pulling the controls to stabilize. Sparks flared as Zhao Yun lunged again, the horse's hooves glowing with radiant energy as it crashed into the Lizard's side, sending it skidding through the dirt.
Pushed to his limit, Aric made a desperate move. He roared, swinging the Lizard's axe in a wide arc that cleaved through the horse's armor, shattering its plating. Before the stallion could recover, he swung again the blade split it in half, scattering fragments of starlight and essence.
But Zhao Yun was already in motion.
With lightning speed, he charged forward, the tip of his spear crackling with celestial thunder. The blade pierced straight through the Lizard's chestplate and into the cockpit.
"NO—!"
Electricity surged through the mech's frame. For a brief second, the cockpit lit up like a storm trapped in glass, and then silence. The control monitors turned to static as Aric was vaporized, his neural link severed in an instant.
The Lizard's body convulsed once, then fell lifelessly to the ground, smoke rising from the gaping hole in its core. Zhao Yun stood over the fallen mech, spear still humming with residual lightning, his expression calm respectful, even.
◇◇◇
The battlefield flickered with collapsing light—RT-002 Nemesis, RT-001 Genesis, and the two Kiyomori units disintegrated into fractal code, dissolving into streams of blue particles.
Inside the Asgard, Joren stood silent, his cockpit bathed in red warning lights. The smoke of virtual data faded, but in his mind, Lyra's voice still echoed her desperate, cracking sobs over the comms.
"He's not dead… he's not dead…"
He clenched his jaw. For a brief moment, the battlefield was gone only her voice remained.
Then—
"Hey Asgard! Need a little help here!"
Selene's voice, sharp through the comms.
He blinked, grounding himself. "...Copy that, Selene."
The Asgard unit's twin plasma cannons detached from his shoulders, locking together into a single long sniper configuration. He toggled the ammo system.
[Ammunition switch: Plasma → Anti-Magic Rounds Type-1]
"Target acquired," he muttered, sighting EMP-01 Yuanling Huangdi and MC-01 Yinglong across the ruined virtual cityscape.
Just as his finger tightened on the trigger
A golden spear streaked toward his head.
"Shit—!"
He ducked, thrusters flaring, the spear grazing his shoulder guard and melting through one of his drone ports. A blur followed Zhao Yun's mobile suit, blazing with lightning, closing fast.
Joren barely had time to deploy his plasma longsword, intercepting the incoming strike. Sparks exploded as the blades clashed, their power fields distorting the air between them.
Through the external speakers came a familiar, taunting voice.
"Gotta hand it to ya, Asgard you're a hell of a shot!"
Joren exhaled slowly, his expression hardening beneath the helmet.
"Thank you," he said flatly.
Then his tone changed cold, focused.
"SERA, activate Assist Melee Combat Mode."
"Acknowledged," replied the calm voice of his onboard AI. "Transferring power to servos and neural feedback sync."
The Asgard's armor panels shifted, locking into a sleeker configuration. Energy arcs crawled across its limbs as new thruster nodes powered up.
Zhao Yun's spear lit with lightning again.
Joren steadied his stance, plasma blade humming to life.
The sky above Evolto City's virtual skyline was torn open by streaks of lightning.
Zhao Yun's mobile suit charged, spear spinning in arcs of gold and white, each swing trailing thunder.
Joren met him head-on.
Their weapons collided in a storm of sparks, raw energy snarling between them. The shockwave shattered nearby holographic buildings, scattering shards of light like glass.
SERA: "Warning arm actuator stress at 72%. Adjusting counterforce ratio."
Joren: "Do it. Redirect spare energy from thrusters."
SERA: "Confirmed. Balancing output... now."
Asgard's joints realigned mid-swing, the plasma blade locking perfectly with Zhao Yun's spear. Joren pushed forward, using controlled bursts from his leg thrusters to shift momentum.
Zhao Yun grunted through the speakers,
"Fast reflexes, Asgard. Guess the snipers do know how to brawl!"
Joren: "I don't brawl."
The plasma blade flared brighter.
He twisted his wrist, cutting the power flow just as Zhao Yun swung causing the spear to slip past harmlessly then reignited it in an instant, slicing through the enemy's shoulder plate.
Sparks and liquid energy sprayed into the air.
SERA: "Target armor breached. Minimal internal damage detected. He's compensating."
Zhao Yun laughed, ignoring the system warnings flashing in his cockpit.
"That's more like it! You snipers always play safe let's see what happens when you stop thinking!"
He slammed his spear into the ground a wave of golden lightning erupted outward.
Joren braced.
Buildings vaporized around them. Systems screamed in warning.
SERA: "EMP spike detected. I'm losing sensory sync—"
Joren: "Override. Hard link to neural relay."
Pain lanced through his skull as the simulation's feedback kicked in real heat, real pressure, simulated agony.
He gritted his teeth and forced Asgard to move through the electric storm.
Through the haze, Zhao Yun charged again spear poised for a killing blow.
Joren whispered,
"SERA engage predictive strike pattern Theta-Seven."
SERA: "Engaging."
The world slowed.
Lines of red data streaked across Joren's HUD trajectories, force curves, weak points.
He sidestepped at the exact microsecond the spear passed, swung his plasma sword low, and severed Zhao Yun's weapon in half.
Before Kael could react, Asgard's left arm unfolded, revealing the integrated plasma rifle.
"Good fight."
The shot fired point-blank, piercing through Zhao Yun's cockpit. His mobile suit froze mid-step, systems sparking and then shattered into cascading virtual fragments.
Joren's breathing slowed. His HUD dimmed as the adrenaline faded.
Only Selene's voice crackled through the comms.
"Nice one, Joren. That's one thunder god down."
Joren: "Copy that. Status report?"
Selene: "Down to just me, you, and Taryn. Looks like it's our final round."
Joren raised his plasma rifle, eyes fixed on the distant light of Yuanling Huangdi and her dragon YINGLONG circling in the skies like twin comets.
SERA: "Combat energy at 43%. Recommend caution."
Joren: "Caution's overrated."
He took aim
and fired.
◇◇◇
The sky boiled with smoke and burning clouds.
Taryn's EMP-01 Yuanling Huangdi dove through the haze, her dragon companion MC-01 Yinglong roaring alongside its wings wreathed in digital lightning. Selene's Sky Defender met them mid-air, blades flashing like meteors.
The clash shook the virtual city. Every strike of sword and claw carved lines of code across the skyline.
Selene: "You really had to bring a dragon to a sword fight?"
Taryn: "Jealousy doesn't suit you, Selene!"
Yinglong whipped its tail, slamming Selene's unit through a tower of holographic steel. Warning alarms flared across her HUD as she stabilized mid-spin.
Then a beam of blue-white light streaked across the sky.
The shot pierced Yinglong's skull clean through. The dragon froze then erupted into cascading explosions, light tearing through its joints.
Taryn: "YINGLONG! No—!"
The dragon detonated, disintegrating into showers of molten code. Its wings, half-intact, spiraled downward then attached themselves to the EMP-01's back, morphing into a new thruster array.
Taryn's mech caught itself mid-fall, fire burning in its eyes.
Taryn: "You'll pay for that!"
Selene smirked, voice steady despite her shaking hands.
Selene: "You can try."
They clashed again.
The city's surface cracked beneath their blows plasma against energy-steel, every hit sending shockwaves down the empty streets.
Far off, Asgard took aim once more. His plasma cannon hummed as he spoke quietly:
Joren: "SERA priority target lock. EMP-01's core systems."
SERA: "Lock acquired."
He fired.
The first shot tore through the air striking Yuanling Huangdi's thruster array. Taryn lost altitude.
The second shot overcharged hit the mech's back, rupturing the core stabilizer.
The EMP-01 spiraled uncontrollably. Selene dove after it, boosters screaming.
Selene: "Don't you dare eject yet."
She caught up, cutting through the flames, sword drawn.
At the last moment
both Mobile Suits hit the ground, shattering the virtual pavement. Selene's blade plunged through the EMP-01's cockpit, the explosion engulfing both in light.
When the glow faded, only Sky Defender stood armor cracked, systems sparking, sword buried deep in the fallen Yuanling Huangdi.
System Message: Simulation Complete Team E-27 Victory.
Inside her pod, Selene's heartbeat thundered in her ears. She felt the phantom tremor of impact even as the simulation disengaged. Her pod hissed open, releasing mist.
Dr. Viridessa watched from the control booth her expression unreadable, one hand gripping her datapad so tightly it cracked.
Nurses and engineers hurried to check the pods as Selene slowly sat up, drenched in sweat, her hands trembling.
From across the room, Joren emerged from his pod eyes locked on her.
Joren: "Nice stab."
Selene: "You stole my kill."
Joren: "How you were the one who delivered the final blow."
Despite herself, Selene laughed, voice hoarse but relieved.
◇◇◇
The room was silent except for the faint hum of data screens.
Dr. Viridessa Kaelthorn stood rigid before the High Marshal's desk, her vine-like hair twitching and curling with barely restrained anger. In her hands, she gripped a cracked datapad before slamming it down onto the polished surface.
Dr. Viridessa: "You said the Logistics Division and your team reviewed every service record! Then why was I assigned someone so obviously has problems?"
High Marshal Kaldren Voss looked up from the holographic display, exhaling slowly through his nose. His expression was one of practiced calm, but his eyes were sharp.
Kaldren: "Because despite her… difficulties, Lyra Hemmings is one of the finest Exo-Guards we've ever produced. She's loyal. She's disciplined. And she's the one pilot I would trust with your entire unit's lives."
Viridessa's jaw clenched. Her hair writhed, tightening into coils of irritation.
Dr. Viridessa: "That's not the point, sir! She—"
Thump.
Kaldren placed a small metal device on the desk a dark, polished core with faint blue veins pulsing like a heartbeat.
Kaldren: "Do you know what this is?"
Viridessa hesitated, picking it up carefully. The energy in it pulsed faintly against her fingers.
Dr. Viridessa: "A miniature replica psychic transmitter… modeled after the one in the Traversal Pylon. But… why—"
> Kaldren: "It's not a replica."
He leaned forward, voice low and heavy.
"Do you know why the original was placed there?"
She frowned, shaking her head.
Dr. Viridessa: "No, sir."
Kaldren: "When the Traversal Pylons first appeared, the creator Mr. Mikhail met a man trying to destroy one sobbing, furious, lost. Rather than kill him, the creator embedded this transmitter to pacify those driven unstable by the Pylon's field. It calms them… steadies them."
He took the device from her hands, turning it so the light caught its surface.
Kaldren: "This one will be installed in the RT-001 Genesis. It will help Lyra stabilize during neural synchronization."
Viridessa's eyes widened.
Dr. Viridessa: "That's a temporary fix! What happens when it stops working? You're gambling the lives of Unit E-27 on a band-aid!"
She jabbed a finger toward the device.
Dr. Viridessa: "My fath—"
Kaldren's hand came down hard, the sound echoing like a gunshot. The device rattled but didn't break.
Kaldren: "If your father were here, he'd have done the same damn thing or worse!"
The silence that followed was cold and heavy.
Kaldren: "High Marshal Darian Kaelthorn was a brilliant man… but obsessed. His hunger for Zalthorion's approval nearly burned the entire High Council from within. There's a reason he was demoted, Viridessa."
She froze, unable to speak.
Kaldren's voice softened, but there was no warmth in it.
Kaldren: "Tell me have you ever been inside your father's old study? No? Then go. See for yourself what madness a good leader becomes when admiration replaces reason. Then come back… and tell me I'm wrong."
He picked up the psychic transmitter, pressed it into her hand, and turned away toward the window overlooking the city.
Kaldren: "We save who we can, Doctor. Even if it means saving them from themselves."
Viridessa stood there for a long moment hand trembling around the device, eyes burning with something between rage and grief.
Then she turned and left, the vines in her hair curling protectively around her face as the door sealed shut behind her.