YoRHa could not stand up to the might of the Goliaths: now their extinction is only a matter of time. It seems mankind will never reclaim its former glory.
"Boost!"
Just before the colossal buzzsaw could slam on 2B, 9S shot from the side and slammed into it, pushing it out of harm's way. He spun out of control for a brief second before righting himself. Just as he did, the unit's other arm whacked him from the side, throwing him in the air. "9S!" cried 2B helplessly, as he fell from his flight unit onto the back of the behemoth.
To her surprise, the unit leaned forward as it deactivated. "9S black box signal detected," Pod 042 informed her. "No response to communications." She took the opportunity to run onto the walkway ringing him. As she did, it suddenly reactivated and pulled back. 2B found a ladder and wasted no time in climbing it. There, she found 9S lying amidst the chimneys puffing out smoke.
"Black box signal ceased," Pod 042 declared suddenly. "Unit 9S confirmed dead."
"What?!" 2B ran up to 9S, investigating his body. "Wake up, dammit! Wake up!" she cried, only pulling away to slaughter incoming machines. Still, he didn't stir. 9S's flight unit suddenly flew from behind and landed by her. "HO229 flight unit. Command 677 received," Pod 042 informed her. "Usage rights transferred from 9S to 2B. Requesting acknowledgement."
With a resigned sigh, 2B left 9S and climbed into the unit. She flew right around to the front of the unit and resumed the fight. The unit emitted a deep rumble, one that slowly formed words. "Kill… Kill… Kill… Kill…" 2B was too frustrated and distraught to care, blasting it with every ounce she could muster. Yet, she knew it wasn't enough. The unit wasn't harmed in any significant way. The structure refused to buckle, weaken or surrender.
As a last resort, 2B detached herself from the flight unit and plunged her sword into its eye. "Will you just die already?!" she screamed.
The light died.
The light reactivated. Around her, three other goliath-class units emerged from the sea, all rumbling with the same cry. She stared at them in despair. "9…S…" she mumbled to herself, clinging onto her sword for as long as she could. What followed was nothing but pure pain.
"Black box signal ceased," came the report in the bunker. "Unit 2E confirmed dead."
The commander lowered her head. "This happened too soon," she said to herself. "We've lost both our greatest units. And we don't have enough data to create equally powerful units." She looked at her comrades. "The only choice we have left is a full-scale assault, and that still won't help us collect enough data."
She looked at the rest of YoRHa. "Alright, listen up!" she started. "From here on out, we're dedicating ourselves to protecting all android encampments. No attempt will be made to defeat the enemy. We… we no longer have the means to do so. So, we must do everything we can to prolong mankind's legacy!" She placed her hand to her chest. "Glory to mankind."
Everyone followed, but she could tell their motivation was fading. The fight was pretty much over. Their purpose was moot.