Chapter 13
SCHOLA ABSTRACTION
The Dalriadan stands there in front of the enemy. Raven stares down the adversary, waiting for him to make a move, but at the same time he notices something. They seem to be ascending… No, the Earth was directly above them, so they're actually descending into the atmosphere. Loud screaching noises could be heard as the gigantic satellite began to fall. The ground that the ACs stood on began to violently shake as the satellite quickly fell from the heavens and the center of gravity shifted minimally.
"What is the meaning of this?!" asked Raven in a harsh tone.
"Oh, don't tell me you're afraid of heights, warrior. This is merely something to make the fight more interesting… Besides, it's not my fault." With that Gustave charged forward and swung his blade.
Raven barely maneuvered his AC out of the way to avoid it. The red AC stumbled to the left then boosted off and brought it's shotgun up to a firing position, the gun focused all shots into one beam, as energy particles began to gather around it's barrel. "Now!!" screamed Raven as he shot off the large and powerful energy blast.
The black AC quickly turned and evaded by lunging right. The intense blast went past Gustave and crashed into the ground, creating a large shockwave. The black AC raised it's back poles and fired off three shots from the two cylinders.
Raven jumped and boosted upward, and then right. The third shot nicked the right leg, sending sparks flying. "Dammit… That's it!!" Raven said as he activated his overboost, and quickly flew towards his enemy. The Dalriadan brought it's left hand up in front and twisted it's waste right as Raven blasted toward his enemy.
The black AC's pilot opened his mouth and gasped as the crimson AC flew forward, "What!!" shouted Gustave as a neon green beam formed and protruded outward from the source of the turquoise mechanism on the red AC's left arm. The Dalriadan brought his arm around and swung quickly as it passed the right side of the black AC.
Gustave merely starred with an enraged look as a large chunk of his AC's right shoulder was taken off. The black AC's shield extension shattered as Gustave plummeted to the ground.
The red AC landed far behind it's enemy. It stood there leaned forward with it's arm behind him above it's head, still in the after pose of the blade swing. The black AC landed on one knee as sparks flew from it's right arm.
"...How could he have? Raven, you DIE!!" The black AC stood and turned toward the Dalriadan.
"Hmm… he recovered fast…" said Raven as he turned toward his enemy. The red AC brought up it's plasma cannon again and jumped into the air. The black AC leaped upward and activated it's boosters. Raven let off two shots of the gun, both being dodged by the enemy, the enemy AC's right arm weapon being risen to meet the adversary.
Raven noticed this, and flew backward landing on a platform. He wondered about the potential of the other weapons. The right gun was merely a detterant as the black AC let off a small floating weapon from it's core.
The small golden device began to fly towards the red AC quickly. An Exceed Orbit? Raven's eyes widened as he noticed that it was a new type that could travel independently from the AC! The black AC landed in the backdrop atop the second tier deck of the satellite. "Now lets see you dance, Raven..."
The orbit weapon approached Raven and circled around him. "What is it doing…? Damn!!" cried Raven as the orbit weapon launched a powerful explosive onto the platform he was standing on. Raven quickly boosted off of it as it blew up behind him. He turned his AC around and looked for the orbit, he saw nothing. He heard a slight buzzing noise above, he looked up and saw the device fly quickly downward. Raven overboosted left, and the small weapon followed him, keeping up even with the high speed generated by the powerful FLEET boosters of the Dalriadan.
"This is insane…" Raven complained. He stopped, and while still in midair falling backward, in one motion he brought his gun up and let off a direct blast at the floating disk. The blast collided with the orbital weapon as it quickly flew forward in a flare, it's wreckage fell to the ground.
The Dalriadan turned and looked upward at the black AC, which was overseeing all of this. "Gustave!!" Raven screamed, "What games are you playing!? I thought you wanted a duel!" The pilot's laughter could be heard over the communicator.
"Well, I merely wanted to test out a new prototype weapon of mine. Now, for the other…"
Raven narrowed his eyes "Dammit, now what…" The black AC lifted it's damaged right arm, and raised the large laser cannon. The AC's left hand grasped the bar, or rather handle and pointed the long cannon-like object at Raven.
Gustave shouted, "Now feel the true power of my lineage!!"
Raven's eyes widened as he saw this new weapon before his eyes. The black AC's arm started to tremble as sparks of bright blue energy began to crackle on the edge of the barrel of the gun. Raven began to back away as he stared upward at his enemy, wondering what power this strange weapon would unleash.
"FIRE!!" Gustave shouted as he unleashed the power of the weapon. A large and almost lightning-like blue beam of energy went roaring with a loud clash through space toward Raven. The red AC bent it's knees and jumped upward, then boosted backward with all it's power. A loud crash and a large shockwave of energy could be seen as the intense blue blast hit the ground in front of Raven. He landed, then retreated behind an elevated platform away from where the blast had it.
"…Unreal!" Raven gasped as he looked over to the large gaping hole that was left on the surface of the satellite. Geeze, that had to almost be as powerful as the Lucifer Dragon's main gun!
"Hah! How do you like my new invention, Raven!?" gloated Gustave.
The Dalriadan leaned up against the wall. "That thing is powerful, if I slip up just once, It'll be the end…" Raven tilted his head forward and began to think to himself as his enemy continued to stand in silence. Raven narrowed his eyes, "I wonder if all these so called Engelhaft people like destroying things as much as he does…" Raven then turned and jumped up to the top of the small platform he was hidden behind.
Staring up at his enemy he noticed Gustave raise his right arm again. "Well... thanks for giving me time for my gun recharge, Raven." gustave said as the energy flow once again formed into his gun.
Raven grinned as he tilted his head to the side "Poor soul, I'm going to put you out of your misery."
"My misery?! WHAT DO YOU KNOW?!!" The gun's intense blast could be heard once more as he fired it again at Raven.
"Not this time!!" Raven ran forward as bright light gathered behind him. "Now!" The red AC lifted off the ground as the energy on it's back blasted it forward, and the large blue beam passed it's side, just barely missing. Raven thought to himself "That bright light, he can't see in front of him… That is the way!"
Quickly looking over to his right "…and there's the key." Raven cut his overboost just as it was about to totally deplete his energy, and shifted all his AC's weight so as to make it somewhat fall back. Gustave gasped as he saw the silouette of the red AC suddenly appear far to his right.
The Dalriadan continued flying upward riding it's own momentum until at the last moment Crimson maneuvered his AC's feet together. The red AC touched down against the side of a large girder at the side of Gustave's AC. Raven narrowed his eyes and grunted as his AC's legs absorbed the intense shock, but a split second later he quickly sprung off backwards and left pushing himself away and towards his startled enemy. "THIS IS IT!!"
Raven screamed as the black AC turned towards him. Gustave, in shock and the AC's mobility hindered due to it's taken firing position could in no way avoid this kamikaze attack.
"Not so fast!" shouted Gustave.
He brought his blade up at the same instant that Raven was about to connect. The two beams countered each other, but Gustave was being pushed back due to the momentum. "You're good... But if you're going to save your planet, you'll have to kill me."
A shocked expression appeared on Raven's face. Gustave continued, "That's right. You believe that killing takes away a part of your soul each time. Recently, it hasn't bothered you, but my death will etch itself in your mind forever. I will haunt your dreams, and you will never find peace. You must atone for your sins, and I will give it to you."
"You... damn you to hell! I don't care if I'm tormented forever... I must complete my ordained mission, and stop the Great Destruction from reoccurring!" shouted Raven as he flipped himself over Gustave and onto the ground. The momentum given by the parrying of the blades was sufficient enough, and with one fluid motion the red AC spun while falling and brought his blade around. The bright green beam quickly protruded and it's energy particles and sparks filled the air as Raven slashed directly through his enemy's right shoulder down through the center of the AC's core.
The red AC fell to one knee as the black AC stood before him, back turned, sparks of energy and black smoke emitting from the black AC's core.
As it's cockpit caught on fire, Gustave said in a low strained voice, "Damn you . . . I will have the last laugh..."
Raven breathed hard as he slowly stood his AC, the legs moving slowly due to the damage acquired from the move he just pulled off. "Last laugh… What is he talking about?" inquired Raven. Then he saw a man in a space suit fly out of the AC as it began to explode, using suit-mounted boosters to fly back into the satellite.
Raven took the Dalriadan as far as it could go without exiting the suit. When he reached an airlock, Raven managed to dock properly, exit the Dalriadan, and hunt Gustave down.