A massive blimp descends from the clouds.
Huge. Black. Marked with a crimson rebel sigil a broken chain wrapped around a rising sun.
It hovers over the city.
Then
It opens fire.
Laser rounds tear into Air Force ships. Ground troops scatter. Explosions rock the streets.
Troops drop from the blimp dozens of them. Rebel soldiers. Armed. Ready.
A man steps out from the hatch.
Thin. Wiry. Black hair slicked back.
He looks down at the chaos.
Sees Raiji trapped in the purple shield.
He pulls out a sniper rifle.
No scope.
He aims.
Fires.
*BANG. *
The shield shatters.
Raiji is free.
He grabs his sword
Clashes with Eva.
The man shouts his voice cutting through the noise:
MAN:"Everyone! Stop fighting!"
He looks out at the battlefield.
"Air Force! Army! Church!"
His voice booms.
"STOP!"
Down below
The General looks up.
His eyes burn red.
GENERAL:"HELL NO."
He takes down a few army men.
Then
A dog massive, armored lunges at him.
The General punches it.
Sends it flying backward.
It lands. Shakes its head. Gets back up.
The General looks at the dog.
Then at the thin man above.
GENERAL:"Who might you be, doggy?"
He grins.
"You want a pet?"
The dog man remains calm.
His stance is low. Steady. His eyes never leave the General.
Then he moves
Fast. His size doesn't slow him.
Multi-strike.
First hit.
Second.
Third.
Each one lands sending the General's body jerking backward.
Then hands together
One heavy punch.
DOG MAN (shouting):"Fifth Skill — Burst!"
The General flies backward.
Coughs blood.
He lands hard. Skids. Pushes himself up.
The dog man straightens.
His voice is calm. Professional.
DOG MAN:"Call me Lt. Col. Brandt."
The General rises.
He wipes blood from his lip.
His grin returns.
GENERAL:"Good for you... pet."
He lifts his arm.
Lightning gathers around his fist.
It forms crackling. Hungry.
GENERAL:"Call me....."
A pause.
Lightning surges.
He dashes.
Faster than before.
Punch.
Brandt flies backward.
Through a building.
Walls shatter.
He disappears into rubble.
The General lowers his fist.
Smoke rises from his knuckles.
He looks at the wreckage.
His smile doesn't fade.
MEANWHILE — KIRO VS. ECO
Kiro and ECO clash in the open street.
Punch. Dodge. Counter. ECO moves like a machine perfect. Unfeeling.
Kiro adjusts his stance.
Lower. Wider. Hands open.
KIRO:"This is martial arts."
A pause.
"The Art of the..."
He moves.
Fast.
Lightning coats one arm.
Multiple strikes each one landing.
ECO's eyes flicker red, white, red.
He grabs Kiro's arm.
Hand to his face.
Forces him down.
Throws him.
Kiro catches himself.
Skids.
KIRO:"What just happened?"
He looks at his arm.
"Brute strength? Me? Impossible..."
Kiro dashes.
ECO dashes too.
A blade extends from ECO's arm.
They trade blows
Kiro gets cut.
Kicks ECO away.
Dashes back.
Heals.
Heavy breathing.
ECO puts a shock on his knives.
A flash
*BANG. *
ECO's head opens.
He falls.
Eyes flicker white, red, then black.
Kiro stands over him.
Breathing hard.
His voice is low.
KIRO:"...I had him."
VEYRA :"No."
"He had you."
Kiro looks down at his own wounds.
The cut on his chest. The blood.
A man in a fur coat rises from his seat.
He'd been watching. Waiting.
He looks at the fallen ECO. Then at Kiro.
BOUNTY HUNTER:"He said he would lose this fight. He was right."
A pause.
"Wonder what that robot was planning."
He steps forward. Cracks his neck.
"Now I'm bringing you in. That robot's paying money on top of your bounty."
He spreads his arms.
"So come in... or fight me."
A pause.
"Oh. It's fight."
He dashes.
Punch.
Kiro flies into a wall.
Veyra fires.
*Bang. Bang. *
He dodges
Smoke bomb.
She dodges
He appears behind her.
Back kick.
She flies.
He dashes to Kiro
Kiro reacts.
Lightning to his legs.
He jumps
A voice cold, distant whispers in his mind:
*"You're running out of elemental fuel." *
Kiro notes it. No time to ask.
He charges lightning to his fist
Gets parried.
Kicked in the gut.
Veyra gets up.
Sees a man in a black trench coat.
Her eyes go wide.
VEYRA:"It's you..."
She freezes.
"Why are you here?"
He vanishes.
Kick to her gut.
Chop to her head.
She drops.
Kiro moves
Gets kicked in the back.
His spine cracks.
His eyes turn red.
KIRO (roaring):"DONT YOU TAKE HER!"
A red aura erupts around him.
He dashes too fast
Punch to the bounty hunter's chest, gut, head
Arm into a blade.
Cut.
The bounty hunter drops.
Kiro turns
Kicks the trench coat man into a wall.
But the aura fades.
His body trembles.
The bounty hunter gets up again.
Runs at him.
Hand to Kiro's face.
Slam.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Through walls.
The bounty hunter stands over Kiro.
Heavy breathing.
His knuckles are bloody.
Kiro lies still.