Section Alpha
At last, the Sapphiard crested the brow of the Revive DAMON, sending its underlings scattering for cover as it slammed its feet into the monster's crown.
"Right." Rasped William as he tried to catch his breath, sounding less confident than he wished he were; "Everything is under control."
The engines of the colossal Super Robot roared to life once more as he charged the center mass of the creature. Ahead, swarms of Dart DAMON began to descend, their dagger-like forms slashing and tearing at his armor, beams leaving scores across its once beautiful frame - but salvation arrived from above, as radiant rays of destruction smashed down all around him, disintegrating the swarm in a single wave of total annihilation.
"Lady bless you, Bisen Fortis!" Gasped the Knight as the path cleared before him; his grip closing so tightly about the controls he feared they would shatter. Grand would be the banquet, he thought, that would be hosted in their honor - as soon as the curtain was drawn on this nightmare.
The Sapphiard rocketed forward on its final collision course, closing in on the helm of the Revive DAMON, even as it shifted its mass in a last-ditch effort to deter him-
"
Back to whence you came, abomination! ROMULUS!"
The two powered maces were drawn once more, each one crackling with monstrous energy. With earth-shattering force, it was brought down onto the damaged crystal, causing even further cracks to spread across its surface. The beast gave one final world-shaking shriek of insane hatred-
"
REMUS!"
...But it was the
second overhead strike that finished it for good. The gigantic chunk of Dimensional Energy Crystal that had anchored the creature to the world shattered, and without it... reality began to reassert itself
with a vengeance.
With a shuddering lurch, the beast began to lose altitude, its various jaws chattering and rattling as... bit by bit, piece by piece, it began to implode. Tremendous sheets of carapace armor crumpled like paper, and then were dragged into a vortex - a black hole, a tiny gap between worlds - that had formed at the center of its mass - one which dragged every last inch of its monstrous form into itself with unrelenting force, causing a slow-motion collapse that was tinged with billowing explosions of energy, as the smaller crystal growths across its surface popped and burst under the strain, creating a faint vapor that flowed across the battlefield.
Finally... The beast vanished completely from view, forced back through a pinhole in reality, leaving only the sputtering form of the Sapphiard wobbling haphazardly through the void as it too began to descend like a drunken moth.
ZONE Interior (Residential)
Morta accepted Val's outstretched arm, compliant. She kicked her feet gently as the woman carried her, looking at the surroundings with mild interest as they walked. As the two came upon the wrecked machine, however... she regarded it in dejected silence while Val spoke to her companions in the Bisen Fortis. The Adjunct, in the meantime, was radioing for assistance, attempting to cut through the interference in an attempt to find some way to remove the offending machine from the interior of the ZONE, yet having little in the ways of luck.
The young girl's hand came out to rest on Val's shoulder as she spoke - not quite willing to interrupt, but in that fashion of fidgety children who have something to say without wanting to be rude.
"Sir Kiraly?"
As Val regarded her, she gave her a serious look... Strangely level for someone of that age, leaning in close to the woman's ear as she asked a question:
"My Mama told me that knights aren't scared of anything... Not even
dying. Is that true?"
It was so honeyed, so innocently voiced... yet, there was a curious undercurrent, those watery eyes watching her with curiosity that somehow seemed to be less childlike... and more like a scientist watching an experiment unfold, with none of the emotional attachment that one would otherwise expect.
Zone Interior (Reactor)
The Shark-mouthed man's eyes turned down at the Knight's extended palm... and narrowed his eyes, as though he didn't understand the meaning of the gesture. His movements were slow and relaxed... Yet the overall impression was like the unstoppable advance of magma. His gaze traveled to the rest of the knights... and a low, throaty chuckle, like gravel rattling down a disused chute, issued fort from his gullet.
"
Only the woman among you deigns to ask my name?"
His raised voice caused the lights to flicker threateningly overhead, sending a wave of power pulsing through the room... Yet it seemed to quickly subside, and he gave the assembled men a contemptuous look before turning his stare back on the bubbly woman that so casually addressed him. At length, he reached down... and took her hand, closing about it with almost exaggerated gentleness. Faint pinpricks would have been felt by her through the glove - like little touches of electricity that danced along her palm from his touch.
"It has been some time... since I have been addressed in such a fashion."
Contempt and amusement peppered his words, resulting in a curious kind of joviality - as though he were used to being waited on hand and foot, and was finding the current course of events to be so absurd as to beggar belief.
"
Your kind have called me many names..." He continued, releasing her grip carefully as he did so;
"For now... 'Vynatea' shall suffice."
…Suddenly interrupted, be cocked his head sideways, one ear towards the ceiling, as if... listening for something. In that moment, unbeknownst to the interior crew... the Revive DAMON breathed its last, and crumbled into nothingness. His chest fell as he exhaled, as if out of exasperation - before his gaze fell back on the perky, auburn-haired woman.
"
Cascada of Bisen Fortis." An index finger came up to the side of his head, tapping it as he regarded her unblinkingly.
What kind of emotion did those mad eyes convey? It was almost impossible to tell. Was he amused? Uncaring? Or... simply making a note to follow through on something later on?
"
I'll remember it."
There was a terrible
crash of pulsing energy, and the lights in the room fluttered crazily, a wave of power flashing through it from the reactor, causing the entire structure to shake beneath their feet... and when the light returned, not only was the stranger gone...
But so too was the emergency deactivation handle, leaving only a sparking mess embedded in the floor where the mechanism had once remained.
Section Alpha (Cont.)
Smoke poured from the Sapphirade as it floated down to the surface of the ZONE, sparks fraying from its damaged armor, motors, limbs... Everything, really. Within the cockpit, William remained as high strung as ever, hands darting across the machine's keys in a manic attempt at keeping the D-Extractor from melting down from all the stress he had placed upon it. It dropped into a crouch on the unit, faint green and white vapors trailing its surface as the Super Robot's expression curled into a scowl.
All around the two of them, the DAMON scurried like confused insects. No matter which way they attempted to go, forces from the Kingdom closed in like a steel net, a storm of flashing blades and bolts of emerald energy driving the monsters back from whence they came. The storm was beginning to break at last, as more and more knights joined the fray, reinforcing their comrades across the battlefield.
From his position, William could survey the entire area... and he felt pride swelling within his chest for every abomination that fell before them.
"This is Exeter... We have the enemy on the run. Press the attack, we-"
Yet, it was not to be so simple.
Beneath William's feet, the lense of the ZONE glowed briefly - and he gave a yelp as a bolt of energy lashed out from its surface, smashing into the rift above. For a moment, he simply studied where it had impacted... as waves spread out from it, rippling and changing, the multi-hued Hell now being replaced by... an unfamiliar skyline, as something
else now began its descent.
"
Now what?!" Cursed William as the Sapphiard forced itself back to its feet, the light from above nearly blinding him - but, rise he would, for no son of Exeter would ever meet a foe on his knees.
The new arrival, silhouetted against an otherworldly light... was smaller than the Revive DAMON - considerably so, less than half its height and mass. Biomechanical "wings" spread out from a sharp-mouthed, slit-eyed center, atop which a kind of inverse jaw sat, curled about the familiar crystal of concentrated power that all of its fellows carried... Yet, at the same time, it was wholly different in construction from anything seen thus far.
No, this appeared... more like a
throne.