"There are no gods in this void, only survivors. And now, a challenger."
The Chaos Dragon, Mainu, roared, a sound of cosmic fury. The pain from the Mars strike was a burning ember in its side, a constant, irritating reminder of the audacity of these "insects." Its golden eyes, still blazing with rage, swept across the human fleet. They were scattered, but still firing.
Mainu's vast body began to shimmer. Its psionic shield, instead of expanding to deflect the incoming barrage, compressed. It wrapped tighter around its form, shrinking, becoming denser, almost solid gold. The Dragon itself seemed to shrink slightly, its colossal mass compacting, its power focusing inward. It was a new defensive posture, designed for concentrated attacks rather than wide-area defense.
