Rai stood in the middle of the battlefield, locked in brutal combat with a towering zypser. Unlike Kaien and Aika, who had already defeated their opponents, Rai was still engaged in a relentless struggle. The clash had escalated into hand-to-hand combat, their massive machines colliding with the weight of titans. Each strike shook the ground and lit the horizon with sparks of fire.
Rai's voice thundered through the comms, filled with fury and determination.
Rai: "Now face this, you monster!"
His mech roared as its systems surged with power. The right claw of his machine glowed white-hot, heat waves distorting the air around it.
Rai: "Plasma Rend!"
The claw slashed with merciless speed, the strike so violent that the zypser's armored body split open. Half its form melted instantly, sizzling away under the unbearable heat. The creature howled in agony, its voice rattling the battlefield like thunder.
But then the impossible happened.
Before their very eyes, the zypser regenerated. Its torn flesh knitted back together with terrifying speed. The pilots looked on in disbelief as the body began to disintegrate, but not in the way of decay. Rather, its flesh and armor evaporated into nothingness, as if pulled away by some invisible force. The battlefield grew eerily silent, and the tension was suffocating.
Rai staggered back inside his cockpit as the force tugged even at his mech.
Within moments, the creature was gone. In its place, towering over the battlefield, stood an advanced mech bristling with heavy weapons. Its design was unlike anything they had faced before: sleek but menacing, plated in obsidian alloy, its arms humming with suppressed power.
From its speakers came a calm but mocking voice.
Unknown Pilot: "Well, well, well… it looks like I have tested you enough. That attack of yours, Rai, was incredible. And you, Kaien, your precision is commendable. As for you, Aika—you've shown remarkable capability."
Rai's eyes narrowed as he tightened his grip on the controls.
Rai: "What the hell are you, you bastard?"
Aika: "Right. You're no zypser. Who the hell are you?"
Kaien: "And what's with that mech?"
The mysterious pilot's tone was steady, almost amused.
Unknown Pilot: "My name is Daigo Hayashi, member of Captain Taiko's Elite Team Six. There are seven teams in total, and I am among the strongest. I infiltrated this battle inside a false zypser body for one purpose—to test you. Especially you, Aika. And this…"
The mech's shadow loomed, casting fear across the battlefield.
Daigo: "…is my machine, Dreadspire."
At that moment, the HQ monitoring system erupted into chaos. Every officer and technician knew the reputation of the Elite Teams. Their mechs weren't just weapons; they were nightmares built with cutting-edge, classified technology. Against them, regular machines stood little chance.
Kaito slammed his fist against the control panel. "This is bad… I need to inform command immediately."
But suddenly, every connection to the battlefield severed. The comm links fizzled, the radar went dark, and all signals from HQ died in an instant.
Daigo: "Now, there will be no disturbances. Show me what you can do against me."
Aika snarled inside his cockpit.
Aika: "You bastard! Let's go, guys—we take him down together!"
The three mechs launched forward in unison, unleashing a coordinated strike. Rifle shots burst across the air, Rai's claws slashed with violent arcs, and Aika's scythe cut forward in a charged assault. Missiles streaked toward their target in a storm of fire.
But Daigo's mech moved with inhuman precision. Dreadspire slipped between the attacks as if the battlefield itself bent around him. He dodged with ease, not a single strike landing. The trio gasped in disbelief.
Kaien: "How the hell… did he just dodge all of that?"
Undeterred, they launched another assault. Aika swung his scythe again, this time charging it with pulsing energy. The blade cracked the air behind Daigo. Kaien's mech fired a rapid barrage of shots while Rai hurled his claw strikes like burning lances. Their missiles roared again in overwhelming numbers.
This time, Daigo shifted just slightly too late. Aika's energy-charged scythe grazed Dreadspire's armor, leaving the faintest scar across its plating. It was the first damage dealt to him.
Daigo chuckled.
Daigo: "Oh, come on. That's all you've got? I expected more. I am truly disappointed."
His arms began to glow, pulsing with an ominous red light. The aura of power around Dreadspire surged. Before they could react, the mech blurred forward with terrifying speed.
Kaien was the first target. Daigo's punch ripped into Kaien's mech like a cannonball, tearing a gaping hole through its side. He grabbed the broken frame, hurling it across the battlefield with brutal force. The machine crashed into the outskirts of HQ, shaking the entire facility.
Next was Rai. Daigo launched a missile directly into his mech. The instant it touched Rai's armor, it detonated in a massive explosion. Fire engulfed his cockpit as alarms blared—his mech was devastated.
Finally, Daigo turned toward Aika.
The red glow around his mech intensified, building into a roaring charge of destructive energy.
Daigo: "Now, face this!"
He unleashed a beam of searing red light. Aika raised his scythe in defense, the weapon glowing as it absorbed the beam's energy. The clash lit the battlefield like a second sun. But Daigo's voice boomed again as he poured even more power into the attack.
The beam doubled in intensity. Aika's scythe vibrated violently, its frame cracking under the pressure. With a final surge, the energy overwhelmed him. A massive explosion consumed the battlefield.
When the dust settled, all three mechs lay broken. Smoke rose from their shattered frames.
Daigo's voice echoed through the silence.
Daigo: "That is enough. I have tested your strength thoroughly. You have potential—but against us, you are still nothing. My work here is done."
With that, Dreadspire vanished, disappearing from sight as if it had never been there.
The sun rose slowly over the horizon, casting light on the wreckage. Aika forced open the cockpit of his ruined mech, staggering onto the broken armor. Pain shot through his body, but he endured, sitting atop the machine as the world slowly came back into focus.
Back at HQ, systems flickered alive again. Radars lit up, comms returned, and the chaos began to settle. Recovery teams were immediately dispatched. The three mechs were hauled back for repair, and the pilots were rushed into medical care. Fortunately, their injuries were minor—painful, but treatable. Within hours, they were cleared.
Later, in the repair bay, Kaito spoke to Aika as the scorched frames of their machines were worked on by engineers.
Kaito: "Your mech will be ready in about a week. The damage is extensive. That beam you took wasn't ordinary—it was the Helios Cannon. One of the signature weapons of the Elite Team's mechs."
Aika leaned back against the wall, still sore but burning with curiosity.
Aika: "And what about my scythe? Is it intact?"
Kaito allowed himself the faintest smile.
Kaito: "Yes, it's in surprisingly good condition. But listen carefully. Your scythe absorbed more of that Helios Cannon's energy than any of us expected. Right now, it's unstable. But with time, it could grow even stronger than before—empowered by the very energy it survived."
Aika's eyes widened, a spark of excitement overcoming the pain.
Aika: "Stronger? That would be… better. Cooler, even."
Kaito turned back to the repair bay, watching sparks fly from the damaged machines.
The battle had left them shaken, but one thing was clear: they had only glimpsed the true power of the Elite Teams.
The path ahead would not be easy.
Chapter 9 Ends
To be continued…