Zionus hovers outside the Resistance Headquarters, glowing with divine power.
"You who hope to resist me...prepare to be judged!"
Labyrinth, Keiko and Leah are standing outside the cafeteria, as alarms begin to sound. A massive shockwave rocks the base, throwing the trio around. Keiko falls to the floor, as Leah is barely caught by Lab.
"What was that?"
"Zionus is attacking. We must go. I don't think we can hold him off that long, but we must try. There are wounded, children and non-combatants here." Labyrinth says, heading towards the sound of the alarms.
Keiko and Leah run to catch the rapidly-moving android.
"We're with you, Lab." Leah says, a determined look on her face.
"Yeah!" Keiko says, drawing her katana. Troops can be seen in the distance, as the Resistance's on-duty guards head out to face Zionus. As the trio runs, JiEin and Elly round a corner.
"Lab! What's going on?" Elly asks, breathlessly.
"It's Zionus. He's here." Lab replies, his forward momentum not slowing in the least.
"Oh no...what are we going to do?" Elly asks, as JiEin falls into step behind the group.
"Elly, go get X, Ayame and the Dreamchasers. Get them out of here, if you can. They are too wounded to fight." Lab snaps, increasing his speed.
"Ok. Please, be careful." Elly replies, as she begins to run towards the back of the base.
The three are in the front portion of the base, seeing a recovered Lucca brandishing a Red Scorpio and issuing orders.
"Lucca, good to see you again." Leah says, as the group approaches the swirling chaos of the troops.
"Yeah. Too bad this is probably the last time." The Ramarl says, checking the charge on her weapon.
"What's the situation?" Lab asks, as a bright flash of light is seen about fifty feet away.
"The first squad has engaged him. He's put up a barrier. Nothing can get in or out. He's...toying with them. He's so cruel." Lucca says, a look of horror on his face.
Keiko turns, watching as a soldier in a Resistance uniform rushes towards the faintly glowing white barrier outside the gaping hole in the wall. He runs straight into it, impacting it and being stopped cold as a jolt of white energy leaps from the barrier, coursing through his body. The man screams in agony as his smoking form is flung backwards about twenty feet. He slams into a pile of rubble and lays still.
"Impenetrable barrier, eh?" JiEin remarks stoically, as two medics rush to attend to the injured man.
"Yes. He brought it up, I expect he will drop it when he's done playing." Lucca states.
"Ok. How are we on weapons?" Labyrinth asks, training his sensors on the interior of the barrier.
"Nyreal's group was able to stea- ahem, acquire a large amount of weapons and armor from several bases loyal to Zionus. Not the highest quality, but considering that they had a small amount to work with, they did very well. They are going around now rounding up the auxilliary troops." Lucca reports, turning her gaze to the barrier.
Inside, five troops stand in brave defiance of Zionus. Two clutch Wals rifles, firing away at the approaching deity. The other three hold replicas of the famous DB's Saber model used by the military. The bodies of their comrades litter the ground, most horribly charred or otherwise mangled.
Of the group of twenty that headed out to face Zionus when he attacked, five were cut down by his first attack, an energy sphere that detonated at the feet of the charging riflemen, incinerating them instantaneously.
The next to die were a mixed group of swordsmen and riflemen. These three were smarter, spreading out to make a smaller target as they blasted away. The two swordsmen charged, swinging viciously, only to be cut in half by a swipe from Zionus' energy sword. The three riflemen died to searing beams of light that swept across them. One died gurgling with a hole in his chest, the other screamed as the beam cleaved his torso in half, and the third tried to duck, the beam piercing his skull.
"Pathetic fools...is this the best you have to offer?" Zionus says, raising both hands and firing a swarm of homing energy orbs. They impact with the remaining soldiers, exploding into searing domes of energy. Their deaths are mercifully quick. Zionus dispels his barrier, then rises slightly.
Motioning to Labyrinth and the others, he beckons them to him. "Cease your cowering, and face me. You wish to oppose my might? Then be judged." Zionus says, firing off a massive beam of energy at Labyrinth.
Labyrinth's shield kicks in, barely able to block the attack as JiEin shoves Leah and Keiko out of the way. As they recover, JiEin draws his Ji Sword and hurtles at Zionus in a mad rush.
"Your reign of terror ends here!" JiEin says, stepping across the faintly glowing white circle. As he crosses it, a slight motion of Zionus' hand causes the dome of energy to spring up again, trapping JiEin inside.
"JiEin, no! You can't face him alone..." Leah says, as Lucca fires a Red Scorpio blast at the barrier. It strikes, fizzling out in a spray of red sparks.
Inside the circle, JiEin faces the mad deity, raising his Ji Sword above his head. Zionus simply laughs, lowering slightly as he crosses his arms in contempt.
JiEin braces himself, then leaps at the mad god with a vicious two-handed swing.
Elsewhere, on the Landale...
Sage and Brom are flying the shuttle, as the world around Sage suddenly spins.
"Brom...please take over. Something is very, very wrong on Ragol." Sage says, unstrapping from his copilot's seat and heading back towards the passenger area.
"Sure, fleshbag. I'll be sure to pilot us into a comet or something."
Sage staggers back to the passenger area, his head on fire.
Lutz...what's wrong?
Zionus is using his full power. He's found the Resistance's base. X, Ayame and the others are all there.
Oh no...
Lissandra may be able to assist you in sending a message that far. You are not at full capacity right now, and I am drained as well. You must tell them to retreat. They do not stand a chance against him at this point.
Lissandra meets Sage in the corridor, alerted by the turmoil in his mind.
"Sage, what is it?"
"Zionus has found the Resistance's headquarters. He's attacking."
"Not now. We are so close..." Lissandra says, as Yokote and Lorna emerge from the galley.
"What's wrong?" Yokote asks.
"Zionus is on Pioneer 2, and on a rampage. Liss and I are going to try and contact the Resistance. Yokote, could you please go help Brom?
Yokote heads to the cockpit as Lissandra and Sage go into the sleeping area. Lorna follows, a curious look on her face.
"Is this a private party, or can I join...?" she asks, sitting down beside Sage.
"We're going to try to boost a message to Pioneer 2, telepathically." Sage replies, slumping against the wall as a wave of pain stabs through his skull.
"Why can't we just use the communicators on this rust bucket?" Lorna asks.
"We're out of range. We are at the outer edge of the solar system at the moment." Lissandra replies.
"Oh, that's convenient. What should I do?"
"Sit back, and if we start turning any funny colors, use your healing powers please." Sage says, settling into a meditative stance that Lissandra quickly mirrors.
"Alright. Have fun..."
"Lissandra, have you ever linked mind-to-mind before?"
"A few times. Mainly with the elders. I know how to send my energy to you, but I can't find anyone on Ragol. At this distance...it would have to be someone I know well."
"That's alright. Just...link with me, and keep me from turning my skull inside out. I know who to contact."
The two reach out with their powers, Lissandra stretching out a tendril of thought as Sage drops most of his barriers. Their minds synchronize, a sudden wave of disorientation washing over them. When they recover, Sage uses Lissandra's power to boost his telepathic range, reaching for the familiar presence of Nova.
Inside Zionus' barrier, JiEin leaps at the mad god with a vicious two-handed swing. Zionus simply hovers in mid-air, motionless, as the Ji Sword impacts an invisible energy barrier around his body. The photon blade of the weapon sends off a shower of sparks as it is deflected, the violent rebound of the blade nearly ripping it from JiEin's grasp. A spark of power shoots from the barrier, hitting JiEin and causing a bright flash as he is pushed back. He hits the ground, momentarily stunned, as Zionus begins to laugh.
"You fool. You honestly think to challenge me? I will end your pathetic farce of an existence now!" Zionus extends one hand outwards, gathering power into a coalescing orb of glowing energy. With a flick of his wrist, the destructive orb is sent towards the recovering JiEin. When it touches him, it explodes, inundating him with a geyser of rippling energy. His circuits nearly overload his processor with damage reports. As he slumps to the ground, his body plating is faintly glowing with the destructive force it has endured. Tiny wisps of smoke rise from his body. His joints creak and strain as he gets to his feet.
"I'm not going to let you win. There is too much at stake. No one should be able to arbitrarily decide the fates of others. Not even one who thinks he is a god." JiEin staggers to his feet, raising the Ji Sword. This is it. If I don't use my full power, I'm going to die. If I fall...there are many others that will follow. The shield he has up will shield Resistance Headquarters from the blast. Time to show him what the Ji Sword can really do...
JiEin braces himself, taking a wide-legged stance as he holds the Ji Sword out from him at arm's length. His chest plating opens, and the generator for the Transcending Heat Blazer begins to glow a bright red. The Ji Sword flashes, reflecting the glow. JiEin's frame begins to spark with red lightning as the generator puts off more and more power. A wave of heat rushes off of JiEin as the Ji Sword flares with a searing red light. Red energy streams off the blade, growing into a massive red blade of pure energy, triple the size of the normal Ji Sword. It solidifies, the flaring energy settling down to a seething aura of power around the Ji Sword's true form.
He twists his wrists, bringing the weapon to rest over his left shoulder as he rushes at Zionus. Zionus stands, bracing himself as JiEin leaps into the air. This fool thinks he can harm me. I'm not going to even bother putting up a barrier this time. He's not worth the energy.
JiEin swings the Ji Sword at the apex of his jump, sending off a crescent of red energy that collides with Zionus, resulting in a bright flash of released heat. Zionus, who neglected to put up his barrier, is momentarily blinded by the flash, and when his vision clears he is hit with a brutal two-handed vertical swing from the full-power Ji Sword. The gleaming red blade impacts the shield he hastily throws up, singing his skin lightly as it is pushed away. The barrier kept it from cleaving the mad god in half, but the force of the blow sends him plummeting towards the ground.
JiEin descends from his leap, going into a powerful series of two-handed swings. They impact Zionus' barrier, taking a bit more energy to block each time. Zionus reels under the powerful attacks as JiEin continues his assault, caught off-guard by the furious strikes. He begins to feel pain as the energy required to hold off the attacks grows with each swing. The heat flowing off the weapon seeps through the weakening barrier more and more easily with each attack, draining Zionus and adding to the strain he is under.
How...can he be giving off this much power? He's actually damaging me slightly. I'm a god. I will not allow this mortal to continue this insolence! Zionus thinks, as he raises his arms in an attempt to fend off the blows. He sends power to his shield, but the shock it gives off is absorbed by the Ji Sword, adding to its destructive force. JiEin kicks him in the chin, his leg piercing a weak point in the barrier and striking Zionus in the face as he leaps into the air. At the top of his leap, he feeds all the power from his internal systems into the Ji Sword, rigging all of his traps to go off at the second of impact.
This is it. The ultimate attack of the Kaiser Style. Giving off this much power is going to shut me down. I hope it's enough. Hmm. I might try screaming like an anime fanboy, like X. It seems to work for him...
"Blazing Fury!" JiEin cries as his energy pours into the Ji Sword, forming an orb of heat energy at the tip as he delivers a powerful swing to Zionus. As he contacts the barrier, the blade surges with power as Zionus holds up an arm to block it. Every servomotor in JiEin's body is strained to the utmost as he presses his attack, and for a split-second he pierces the barrier, the Ji Sword touching Zionus' arm and burning it.
At the instant contact occurs, JiEin releases the power, letting it build to a near-cataclysmic explosion. A red dome of energy appears inside Zionus' arcane circle, tearing up the street and forming a large crater as the bodies of the Resistance soldiers that had fallen are incinerated. A shockwave comes off the sword as JiEin's generator is overloaded. The last thing he manages to do is release all of his damage traps at once, the multiple explosions strengthened by the blast wave of the Blazing Fury attack.
The blade of the Ji Sword melts, crumpling inward upon itself as it is burned out. The command JiEin had inputted to go off at system shutdown is activated, and the locks on the Transcending Heat Blazer are released. A gigantic red beam of pure heat shoots from JiEin's frame, impacting the rapidly expanding explosion from the Blazing Fury and causing a chain-reaction. The combined destructive force of the two attacks creates an even larger blast, obscuring all inside Zionus' barrier from view.
Outside the barrier, Lab and the other Resistance members look on in shock as JiEin's final attack fades.
On board the Landale, Lorna watches as Sage and Lissandra both seem to tremble slightly. She reaches over to shake them, then thinks better of it. As she leans back, crossing her arms over her chest, Brom calls from the cockpit.
"We should arrive at Rykros within the next thirty minutes or so. Is that lazy fleshbag dead, or am I doomed to be disappointed?"
"He and Lissandra are doing some funny telepathic thing. He wanted me to not join, and instead watch out for them, so I think it might be rather important. I can't get through the barrier they have set up."
"Alright. Just let us know if anything changes, please." Yokote calls from the copilot's seat.
Inside the telepathic link Sage and Lissandra have created, they see visions of Zionus' battle with JiEin.
"He's very brave, but...I don't think it will be enough." Lissandra says.
"I think you're right. But at the very least it will tarnish Zionus' feelings of invincibility. I'm glad we were able to distract him. He's not able to defend fully against both a psychic and a physical attack. He hasn't tapped into enough power yet." Sage replies.
"What should we do now?"
"We've already warned them. All we can do now is wait for another opening to attack, and hope he doesn't wise up to what we are doing."
"Alright, Sage. I hope this works..."
"Me too."
Outside Resistance Headquarters, the glow fades inside Zionus' barrier. The barrier seems to flicker, showing transparent spots of total weakness. Labyrinth engages his shield and rushes past, followed by Leah, Keiko, Lucca and a few soldiers.
Zionus gets to his feet, flaring with white energy as a few drops of blood flow from his nose. He reaches up absentmindedly and wipes them away, then gazes down as his burnt clothing. He glares at the crumpled, smoking form of JiEin, then turns to look at the new arrivals as he reestablishes his barrier.
"Your companion did well, considering his weakness. I will grant him a mercifully quick death for that. You will not be so fortunate."
Labyrinth and Lucca raise their weapons and begin blasting away at Zionus, whose barrier absorbs their shots easily. NUG bazooka shells and Red Scorpio blasts slam into the barrier, dissipating on contact with a mere flash of energy. Zionus laughs, firing off a beam of energy at Lucca. Lab steps in the path of the beam, activating his shielding units to absorb the destructive force. His body rocks with the force of impact, the shields glowing a bright green as the power from the blast is shunted away.
"Brave, android. But as foolish as you ever were. I tire of these games." Zionus lowers to the ground, then begins charging energy with his outstretched hands. The soldiers grab JiEin's frame and dash to the edge of the barrier, as per Lab's orders. Keiko and Leah draw their weapons and rush towards Zionus as Lucca fires away with her Red Scorpio. Labyrinth activates the boot-up sequence for his Omega Cannon as Leah and Keiko unleash a coordinated attack on Zionus.
Leah dashes low to the ground, striking with her sword at Zionus' side. The blow is deflected by his barrier, and a jolt of energy makes her arm go completely numb as she is sent flying by the force of the shock. Keiko leaps at Zionus in a two-handed strike, but is caught by surprise as he turns the beam he was charging on her. He raises his hands, grinning sadistically as he blasts her from the sky. The searing beam pushes her up to the top of the barrier, then sends her groaning, scorched form to the ground. She moans in pain, then lies still.
Leah grips her sword in the other hand, but her second attack on Zionus is caught by the mad deity, grabbing the blade with one bare hand. He fires an orb of white energy at Leah, who flies back into a pile of debris and gets knocked unconscious as the orb explodes.
On the Landale, Sage and Lissandra are beginning to show signs of strain.
"Sage...how long do you think we'll be able to keep him from killing them?"
"I'm not sure. We aren't actually stopping him now. He's too strong to control, or even directly effect. All we can do is puff up his feelings of arrogance and try to get him to think they are 'beneath' him."
"I suppose you are right. Hopefully we'll get an opening soon to do more."
On Pioneer, Labyrinth finishes charging his Omega Cannon and opens fire on the stationary Zionus. The bright blue beam streaks from his center of mass, but is calmly deflected by a bored-looking Zionus with one hand. He stands there as the killing energy cascades away from his hand, deflected by an unseen shield.
"Fool, I am a god! How do you possibly hope to harm me...?"
"The same way I'm going to try and kill you. With this!" Labyrinth says, as he pours all of the energy from his systems into the Omega Cannon. The beam strobes for a moment, then triples in size. A white flare of energy comes off Zionus' hand as he negligently blocks the beam. Labyrinth's legs begin to buckle as his generator is overtaxed.
Lucca replaces her Red Scorpio in its capsule, then dashes to Leah's side, Moon Atomizer at the ready. She is intercepted halfway there by an energy blast from Zionus that detonates at her feet, sending her flying. She lies still as she hits the ground.
Labyrinth's Omega Cannon dissipates a few seconds later, as his main generator is completely drained. He slumps to the ground, his chest-plate closing as his automatic overrides shut him down for a recharge.
"Fools! Weaklings! Is there none who can challenge me here...?" Zionus says as he takes to the air. He forms a massive sphere of white energy in his palm, raising it over his head as a sorcerous wind crackles and swirls around him. He dispells the barrier, allowing the frightened soldiers to clear out with JiEin's frame seconds before his attack hits. In the wake of the explosion, he senses a familiar presence nearby.
X, I have you. You cannot escape me... he thinks, as he flies into Resistance Headquarters through the gaping hole he blew in the front wall earlier.
Inside the base, soldiers and the few remaining non-combatants scatter as Zionus flies through, firing off energy blasts. He blasts a hole through the back wall, emerging from a cloud of debris on the other side of the base. Elly, X, Neifirst, Ayame and the Dreamchasers are headed towards the nearby transporter. They stop cold as Zionus obliterates the warp pad with an overhand energy blast.
X, Ayame, Neifirst and the Dreamchasers spread out as Zionus hovers near them. Neifirst rushes at the mad god as Ayame casts Resta on the assembled group, healing them of the wounds they sustained in battle with Sigma. One level 50 Shifta and Deband combo later, and X is almost feeling like his normal self again.
"Let's go, everyone!" Ayame says, firing off a Foie at Zionus' face. Neifirst leaps at Zionus, brandishing her Meteor Cudgel. The weapon strikes his barrier, resounding off with a spark of energy as Ayame's Foie impacts the spot where it hit, causing it to pulse brightly.
"Die, pathetic insects!" Zionus says, firing a beam of energy at the assembled group. Nova dives to the side, drawing his Yasminkovs and rattling off shots. Axios blocks with his Rokujou as an explosion ensues. Kiara leaps into the air, vanishing in a cloud of smoke. She reappears above Zionus, diving towards him with her Kamuis out as Neifirst continues her assault.
The two Newmen's weapons hit his barrier, bringing a flash of energy as they strike. They are repelled, but a burst of gunfire sparks in Zionus' face as he prepares another attack. The glare caused by his own barrier throws off his aim, and the killing beam he had aimed at X was deflected into a nearby building.
Axios and Ayame begin chain-casting techniques at the mad god, as Nova, Kiara and Neifirst coordinate their attacks. None of the hits do more than scratch his barrier, but the glare thrown off by the sparkling shield keeps him in a near-permanent state of blindness. He flies around, firing off energy blasts that are easily dodged as his anger grows.
X braces himself, drawing on the power of his depleted conduit. Black lightning begins to spark around him as he struggles to fight past the pervasive weakness. If they can keep him busy for a little bit, I might be able to manifest my conduit. I'm not sure how much damage it'll do, but a Demon Roar is one of the strongest attacks we have at this point.
Ayame feels an unfamiliar energy field emanating from somewhere near her, and something deep within her soul pulses with a responding power. Why...does that feel so familiar? She redoubles her efforts, seeing X attempting to manifest his conduit. Uncle X is doing that wing thing again. I have to give him time to pull it off.
Ayame casts a Rafoie at Zionus' face, as Axios fires off a Gibarta. The ice shards are vaporized as the hit Zionus by Ayame's spell, but the resulting steam obscures him from view. Nova, Kiara and Neifirst continue their assault, keeping Zionus busy. The ground begins to shake as the black lightning around X grows in intensity.
He's drawing on his conduit power. These fools think they can distract me. Their pathetic ruse is over!
Zionus gathers energy in a sinuous field around him, then sends out a massive shockwave that hurls Neifirst and Kiara into the surrounding buildings with incredible force. He hurls an energy bomb at Nova which detonates at his feet, launching the Ranger into the air. When he lands, he is still and unmoving. With the glare from his shield diminished, Zionus fires off a beam of white energy at Axios, knocking him backwards with a burnt hole in his robes. He slumps to the ground as he loses consciousness, the searing pain in his chest precluding any attempt at a Resta.
Ayame rushes over to heal her teammates, but is stopped by a white orb of energy that detonates at her feet.
"I'm going to enjoy killing you, little girl. You've been too much of a nuisance to me. But first..." Zionus gathers power, manifesting his gleaming white energy blade. He laughs evilly as he swoops towards X, raising his weapon for a killing strike.
On the Landale, Sage and Lissandra link their powers fully, struggling to break through the new barrier that Zionus has put up.
"Sage...he's on to us."
"Yes, I know. We need to combine our efforts, and try to punch through it completely. X is about to unleash his conduit. That can keep Zionus occupied."
"What are we going to do?"
"Try to disable him, somehow. Simply distracting him obviously isn't enough anymore."
"Alright, Sage. Lead on."
Zionus plunges towards X, who is fairly pulsing with dark power at the moment. The mad god raises his gleaming sword, ready to strike down his foe. At the last second, a single black wing pops from X's back. He screams in agony as he pushes his body to the limit of what it can handle, but the wave of energy that flows off him hits Zionus, stunning him briefly and stopping his headlong charge.
"Well Zio...it's been a while. Last time we met like this, you died. That must be why you are so afraid of me now." X says as sparks of black lightning leap from his body at random intervals. He takes to the air, charging a Demon Roar as Zionus stands, stunned.
"I drained your power! You shouldn't be able to use your conduit! Why won't you just die...!" Zionus says, a note of something very near panic in his voice.
"Aww, what's the matter? Is the big bad 'god' afraid of me? This power is your bane, huh? Abusing the power of the Great Light, with a soul that's dark and twisted. Let's show you what true darkness is..." X says, bringing his palms together and charging a Demon Roar. He fires, the black halo screaming towards Zionus. With a look of panic on his face, Zionus brings his hands up to block the attack. His hands glow with a bright flare of energy as he intercepts the attack, and he is pushed back slightly.
X smiles and begins to charge another attack. As Zionus is distracted, Ayame casts her Dark Curse technique, the arcane symbol forming around Zionus. He feels his barrier weaken, and looks in shock at Ayame.
"Girl...die!" Zionus says, diving towards Ayame. At the last second, his gleaming sword is interrupted by X's crossed arms. X flares with dark power, his hands burning with a black flame as he deflects Zionus' attack.
"You can beat me up all you like. But lay one hand on my niece and I will kill you." X says, a look of rage steeling his face.
Zionus smirks and fires a massive beam of energy at X, who at the point blank range is unable to block it. He struggles to hold back the attack, intercepting it from hitting Ayame. His conduit gives out as his power wanes, leaving him unprotected. His body is consumed with a white light, and when it fades his wing is gone.
He slumps to the ground, his conduit unable to sustain itself any longer. Breathing heavily, he gets to his feet, wobbling a bit from exhaustion. He stands in front of Ayame protectively, guarding her with his body.
Zionus moves to attack, but his sword thrust is intercepted by X. The shining blade penetrates X's guard easily, coming out his back. X staggers, gasping as a sizzling hole appears in his torso.
"Uncle X, no!" Ayame screams, frantically casting a Resta technique.
Zionus begins to laugh as Ayame lunges forward, catching her uncle as he is unable to hold himself up any longer. She supports him in her arms, the weight of his body pushing them to the ground. She kneels beside him as he begins to cough up blood.
"Ayame...I'm sorry. I couldn't stop him. My conduit gave out all of a sudden. You have to get away."
"Uncle, I'm not going to leave you. Please, hang on..." Ayame says, tears streaming down her face as her healing technique seems to have no effect.
X's head lolls back, his body going limp as his breathing becomes more and more shallow. Ayame gently lowers him to the ground, standing with a look of pure rage on her face. When a Reverser attempt and two more Resta seem to have no effect, she appears to give up.
"Hahahaha. You little fool. He is so suffused with the power of Darkness that your feeble healing will have no effect on him. Watch your Uncle die, girl."
Ayame shudders with rage, and when she speaks, her voice is infused with a dark anger.
"I'm...going to kill you. You don't deserve to live. You've hurt everyone you've ever met, and I'm going to put a stop to it." Ayame says, a purple aura glowing around her. She shimmers with light as something locked within her soul is released.
"Hmm...the kid gave up control. But the mediator took over this time. Weird." Danielle thinks. She feels Ayame's half of the conduit open up for the first time, and is taken aback at the power it holds. "Wow, kid. When you get mad, you get really mad. This should be fun to watch."
Danielle is surprised by the appearance of the older Ayame. She speaks, quaking with rage.
"I need your power. Please help me."
"Alright! About time kiddo. Let's kick this guy's ass." Danielle says, feeling a savage joy at the rage her other half is finally releasing.
Ayame's hair begins to be tossed around wildly, as a searing wind blows through the space between the buildings. Debris from the battle begins to shake, and sparks of power come off of her body every few seconds.
Purple lightning crackles around her as she gives in to her rage, feeling a delightful power surge through her. A bright flash of energy ensues, and she screams as her power is loosed. A massive storm of dark energy rushes through the alley, blowing debris here and there.
Zionus stands, gaping in amazement as Ayame glows with power. A single wing juts from her back, ethereal purple feathers falling from it. She takes to the air and begins chanting as an arcane black circle appears around the dying X.
"Darkness, heed my call. Return your warrior to the battlefield. I offer you my power. Feed upon it, and break the bonds between this world and the next." Ayame says, in a voice as ageless as the cosmos.
A shadow appears in the center of the circle surrounding X, spreading quickly. It seems to suck in all the available light, and wisps of power are drawn from Zionus' shield. The glowing orbs are pulled to the spreading shadow, then redirected towards X's prone body.
"No, what are you doing...? Stop!" Zionus says, as he begins to fire off energy blasts at Ayame. They are drawn in by the shadow in the center of the circle around X, and are converted into a glow that spreads to the fallen hero's body.
"I'm using your power to fuel my Reverser. You tried to kill him, now you get to provide the power to heal him. Then, you get to die. Hope you enjoy it." Ayame says, her hands moving in a complex pattern as she weaves the powerful spell.
A dull black glow sparkles around him, and the familiar energy signal of a Reverser technique appears above his body. He gasps, sucking in air as his body is healed, the sizzling wound in his chest rapidly closing. A pulse of black energy surges from beneath him, and his body is raised into the air, his back arching as a single black wing shoots from his back.
He is flipped in mid-air, and lands easily on the ground, kneeling with one hand bracing himself. His hair falls over his face as his body glows with power. The arcane circle slowly dissipates, shattering into black shards that disappear before they hit the ground.
X slowly gets to his feet, his eyes burning with rage. He throws his head back, brushing his hair out of his eyes with one hand.
"Well, Ayame. Looks like you figured out how to use your power. I'm very proud of you." X says, hovering over to float beside his niece, his single black wing holding him aloft.
"Thank you, Uncle. Now let's end his rampage."
"Sounds good by me. Whatever you did...I can use my conduit again."
"Thank him. I stole his power to do it." Ayame says, grinning evilly. The single purple wing on the right side of her back flutters slightly as she lines up with X. When they approach each other, the swirling auras around them double in size, their conduits feeding off of each other.
Zionus hovers, seething with rage. "How many times do I have to kill you!" he cries, firing an enormous energy blast at the pair. Ayame raises her right hand as X raises his left, and a purple and black shield appears around them, easily deflecting the blast.
"Uncle...if I kill him before you do, will you buy the ice cream?"
"You're on. Race ya to it, kiddo." X replies, a smirk on his face.
The two rush towards their divine enemy, firing off a flurry of Demon Roars. The assault of black energy halos produces a massive explosion, and Zionus screams in pain for the first time as the dark energy easily pierces his barrier.
He counter-attacks, firing a two-handed beam of white light at them. It hits their shield and stops, cascading off the barrier in a waterfall of destructive force.
The two fly upwards, spiraling around each other like two fireflies, dark energy swirling around them. When they reach the apex of their flight, they split off, warping towards Zionus in identical flashes of energy.
X appears behind him, pointing two fingers between his shoulder blades as he fires a tightly coiled 'beam' of compressed Demon Roars. "Shinkuu Majinken!" The beam hits Zionus, and manages to pierce his body before it is stopped by a redoubled barrier.
Ayame warps in front of the mad god, raising both hands and forming an aura of purple energy around her. Purple Demon Roars appear, floating up to gather in a loose cloud in front of her. When about fifty or sixty of them have appeared, she looses them on her target, directing them as a conducter manages an orchestra. "Demonic Symphony!"
The flurry of Demon Roars slams into Zionus, pummeling him over and over again. He reels as his defenses are nearly destroyed, and is consumed within a cloud of smoke and released energy.
The two conduits for Darkness press their attack, their combined powers doing exponentially more damage than one could do alone. Zionus screams as his body is wracked with agony.
On the Astral Plane, Sage and Lissandra's mental selves appear, watching the battle between Zionus and the two conduits.
"Sage...if he uses a powerful attack, we'll probably be fried if he directs it at us."
"Yes, but the desperation he's going through is going to push him to use a higher level of power. They are hurting him, but it's nothing he won't be able to shrug off. We have to help them."
Zionus reels under the combined attacks of X and Ayame, caught by surprise as they pour their full power into the fight. In his arrogance, he neglected to put up a full shield. He is pummelled with continuous Demon Roars, and falls to the ground, a cloud of smoke beginning to billow off of his body as the combined explosions create a large screen of smoke.
I am a god. How can these pathetic fools be doing this? I will not allow it! Drawing on the divine essence of the Great Light, he warps reality around himself, instantly transporting away from the spot where they are attacking him. He regroups as they continue to blast the ground, his movement too fast for them to detect. He draws more power, healing the minor wounds he had sustained and setting up a stronger barrier. He resolves to not underestimate them again.
He takes to the air, forming an enormous ball of light in front of him as they fire off volley after volley of Demon Roar at the spot he had recently vacated.
"Imbeciles. You have created a fine display of dust, but if you wish to harm me you may want to start with actually aiming at me." He says, smirking as he prepares to blast them to atoms.
"Uncle...how did he get away so quickly?" Ayame asks, whirling as she fires a Demon Roar at Zionus.
"I'm not sure. Let's make sure it doesn't happen again." X says, firing off his own attack. The two energy halos scream towards the mad god, impacting his renewed shield with no effect.
"Hahahahaha! Bow to me, and accept the punishment for your insolence." Zionus says, sending the massive orb of white light hurtling towards the hovering conduits. They scatter as the deadly attack flies towards them, peeling off in opposite directions as it obliterates a nearby building. With distance, the energizing effect each has on the other is diminished.
Zionus targets where they are going, moving faster than their still-human reactions can see. He tracks and fires, sending a searing beam of energy from each outstretched hand, striking them in mid-flight. They cry out in agony almost simultaneously, the deadly beam knocking each of them from the sky.
X lands on a building, bruised and battered. The beam hit him in his wing, leaving a smoking, steaming hole. The feathers seem faded around the wound, and he is unable to take flight again. Before he can even get to his feet, he is surprised by the enraged Zionus, who warps over to him and begins battering him with vicious punches and kicks.
The mad god hits him with an elbow to the chest, then uppercuts him into the air, flying lightly up and hitting him with a two-kick combo before grabbing him by the leg and slamming him into the top of the building. As X lies there, stunned, Zionus flies up and fires a volley of small white energy orbs, which impact and explode, building to a chain reaction that sends X falling through the caved-in ceiling of the building. One more energy blast collapses the building nearly on top of him, but his unconscious body is saved from being crushed by two walls that fall together, sheltering him in a "V".
Ayame slowly gets to her feet, her new wing throbbing with pain. She looks over in time to see Zionus nearly collapse the building on X. Before she can react, she is clotheslined by Zionus, who hits her hard across the chest with an outstretched arm as he flies over to her. She staggers backwards, but is hit with a kick to the temple that knocks her to the ground.
He's so fast...where's he getting all this power from? she thinks, as she is hit with several power-packed punches. She reels as the world around her begins to swim, unable to defend herself from his furious assault.
On the Landale, Sage and Lissandra watch with growing concern.
"He's using more of the power available to him. They had a brief window when they had him on the ropes, when he wasn't quite sure what he was capable of. But now...he's beginning to realize what 'god-like' power really means."
"What can we do? He seems to have redoubled his shield." Lissandra says, a worried tone in her mental voice.
"He has. But...he seems to have configured it more towards conventional physical attack. If we had a distraction, our combined psychic powers could do some damage." Sage replies.
"Only two problems with that. One...our distraction is being beaten to a bloody pulp. Two...if he gets angry enough to take notice of us, we're dead. He's much stronger than even the two of us working together. He could fry our minds like an egg if he noticed us and decided to actually try."
"That's just a chance we have to take. Getting the Rings of Stars will do no good if we have no one that can use them." Sage says, calming himself as he begins to gather power.
"I suppose you're right. Let's get this over with..." Lissandra states, synchronizing with Sage and beginning to focus her thoughts. "Are we just going to try and blindside him with a spike of power, or are we going to try to manipulate him?"
"Spike. With some judicious manipulation, assuming we get past his shields."
Nyreal is leading a group of soldiers through Resistance Headquarters, dashing around piles of debris. His men ready their weapons as they struggle to keep up with their rapidly moving commander.
"Keep moving! Zionus went this way. We need to take him down once and for all."
They come to the hole that Zionus blew in the back wall of the building, and quickly pass through it.
Sage and Lissandra watch, refraining from making contact with Zionus' mind again, as his entire attention could be on them.
"We...may have another distraction coming. A group of soldiers is being rallied to go after Zionus. The poor fools... I hope they can stay alive."
"Zionus seems to have gotten a major power boost. Or he's tapping into more of his available power."
"I think it's the second one. Regardless...I still don't think he's capable of holding off two different attacks at once. Not if one's a psychic attack. His connection to the Great Light is based in large part on his mind. If confronted with something that can hit him there, he will overreact trying to protect it. Leaving him fairly open to be physically hurt, which will make him angry and distract him. That's our chance." Sage says to Lissandra, as he sends a minuscule tendril of thought out to test Zionus' shields.
"This group seems to be better armed." Liss states.
"Let's hope it's enough." They brace themselves for the attack, as they sense Nyreal's group encountering Zionus.
"More fodder? You aren't worth my time." Zionus says, as he unleashes a blast of energy at the first group of Nyreal's troopers to approach him. The white energy beam strikes the ground, sending a cloud of smoke upwards. When it clears, the soldiers are still alive.
"Looks like that shielding the hacker guy came up with works pretty well," one of the front troopers says as he dives behind a pile of debris. A companion follows him, as they set up their NUG Bazooka.
"Yeah, but he was barely even straining, and it fried the shield." His fellow soldier states, as she withdraws the shells from her pack.
The scattered soldiers are soon joined by the remainder of their troop, as their commander strides confidently through the gaping hole in the building.
"Well, you must be Zionus. Is the funky light show compensation for something, or are you just trying to hide your ugly face?" Nyreal says, brushing purple hair away from his headband. He grins, then draws a shining sword.
"Impudent mortal. How dare you question a god?" Zionus says, as he fires a two-handed blast at Nyreal. Or rather, the spot where Nyreal used to be. The black-robed Fomar leaped aside, covering his escape with a miniature Rafoie blast as he jumps to the top of a low building nearby.
"Same way I ask anyone else I'm about to beat down." Nyreal says, pointing his sword at Zionus. With a slight flick of his wrist, his troops are given the signal to open fire. A furious cacophony of NUG Bazooka and Guilty Light shots ensues, the alternating physical and photon shells streaking towards their target.
As the showy blast of NUG explosions and Guilty Light flares rains on Zionus, ten specially picked sharpshooters from Nyreal's squad raise their weapons and take careful aim. When they had been presented with the specially modified Geist Rifles by the man known as Athrun, they had been skeptical. But Nyreal had simply smiled and confirmed his wish.
When he had debuted the ten pairs of heavily modified Spirit Mechguns, they had questioned him even more. The strange backpack that the weapons were affixed to was even more puzzling, but their commander had earned their trust. As their comrades provided covering fire, they began to drain the mad god of his energy, one shot at a time. With all the interference on his shielding, he likely wouldn't notice until it was too late.
"The kid has the right idea. Even those special guns his squad is using won't be enough, but he's on the right track." Sage thinks, the telepathic equivalent of mumbling to himself.
"Hmm? Did you say something, Sage?" Lissandra asks.
"Nyreal's group is planning to drain Zionus of his energy with Technique-energy draining weapons. It's a good plan, and it will weaken him slightly. The main thing is that it will unnerve him. Then, we strike. Get ready, Liss."
"Alright. Frontal attack, then?"
"Yes." Sage replies, making contact with Zionus' mind. As the mad god is distracted, it is easy to penetrate his defenses. He forms his power into a spike of pure mental energy, and waits for the chance to strike. Through her link with Sage, Liss begins to feed his attack her power.
Nyreal is leaping around, doing a good job of annoying Zionus, who is consistently unable to hit him with a crippling blast. The few hits Nyreal does sustain are minor enough to be healed as he continues to dodge.
Wow...if I take even one of those blasts head on, it'd kill me. Luckily the shots are throwing off his targeting. Just then, Nyreal hears confirmation of his plan through the earpiece he's wearing.
"Commander...TP-Drain is complete. Initiating TP-Release at your orders." The leader of the task force says, as his group hides behind piles of debris.
"Get ready...now!" Nyreal says into his comlink, as he stops leaping from side to side and lunges for the hovering Zionus, diving from a building towards him.
Down below, the special Mechguns flare with a bright white light, then begin to pour absorbed technique power back at Zionus as the troopers open fire. The flurry of supercharged shots impacts on his shield, punching through it easily, as it's the same frequency as the energy he gives off. He howls in suprise and brief pain, then is struck in the face by the diving Nyreal. He is knocked backwards, nearly losing his balance.
As he begins to recover, Sage and Liss press their attack, assaulting him with all of their combined telepathic force. He screams as a spike of white-hot pain seems to be driven through his skull. The trooper's weapons switch phase, and they begin to penetrate his shield again.
How did they? I can't absorb enough power... These insects are actually harming me. I must...yes. That's it! First to take out the annoying pests sniping from afar.
Zionus opens his mind up, allowing the full power of the Great Light to flow through him. For the first time, he lets go and gives himself up to the power. Twisted to his ends, it begins to collect within him, fueling his strength. As he straightens, he feels the invaders within his mind attempt to withdraw.
Hmm...I'll let them stay linked up, so they can see what I'm really capable of. All along, I was doing this wrong. I was drawing off the power, instead of letting it fuel me. Now...I truly am a god!
Zionus opens a channel, and a wave of pure white energy streams off of him, disintegrating the closest troopers. They don't even have time for a scream as the pulse of light obliterates them.
He raises a hand, and hurls Nyreal into the air with a burst of telekinetic power. He holds him there as he turns to Nyreal's troopers, and begins to incinerate them with a white flame that consumes their bodies from the inside out. Nyreal watches, helpless, as half his force is decimated before his eyes. He is unable to move a muscle.
"You have a choice, mortal. Join me, and they live. I am impressed with your ingenuity. You almost harmed me..."
"No way. I'm not big into psychotic televangelists, thanks."
"Then, prepare to face my divine judgment." Zionus says, pointing one hand at the immobilized Nyreal.
"Liss...we have to stop him. This kid...he's important. I can feel it. "
"How do you plan to do that, exactly?"
"Not sure. But we have to do something..."
Suddenly, they hear Lutz' voice, as an image of the Esper appears on the mental plane.
"I shall aid you. He has tapped into the full power of the Great Light. As such, I am honor bound to stop him. Sage, there are some ancient magics I have been meaning to impart knowledge of to you. This is one of them. Link yourselves together completely. You will need all of your power to shield against what Zionus is about to do."
Lutz begins chanting, as an arcane blue ring with faintly glowing runes appears around him. He rises off the perceived 'ground' as his chanting intensifies.
On more tangible planes of existence, Nyreal is staring at the rapidly growing orb of energy appearing on Zionus' hand. He thinks back, and calms himself.
Well, it's been a good run. I just hope one of the squad gets information about that tactic to Lab. I don't want to die, necessarily, but this guy seems like he's giving me no choice. I can only hope I remember how to pull of Warla before he crispy fries me...
Lutz finishes chanting as Zionus prepares to fire. The air shimmers with blue energy as his spell unfolds.
The white orb of energy expands into a beam, as a small orange disk appears in front of Nyreal. The beam hits, but at the same time a transparent shield appears around him, shunting the force of the blast off his body. Blue pinpoints of light dance around Zionus, converging into a massive explosion. His body is consumed in a flare of blue light, and and the very air around him seems charged with power. When the light fades, air rushes in with a loud whoosh, filling the space where the very air molecules themselves were transformed into energy. As the glow fades, Zionus is laughing loudly.
"Ah, Lutz. You thought Legeon could even scratch me? Pitiful. This is not worth my time." With not another word, he drops Nyreal and disappears in a flash, teleporting back to his base.
On the mental plane, Lutz, Lissandra and Sage are slumped, drained utterly.
"Guarding against that took everything I had. It was like trying to stop a waterfall with a drink umbrella." Lissandra says, turning to Sage. She feels a slight rush of exhilaration, and realizes that the two of them are still linked together. She is even more suprised when Sage responds in kind.
"I can't believe we blocked that. Good timing with the attack, Lutz." Sage says wearily.
"When you regain consciousness, I will teach you how to perform that spell. As of now, get some rest. The second you break the link between you and Lissandra, the two of you will likely fall into a near-coma. You went far beyond the limits your bodies could take."
"So that's why it feels like I've been run over." Lissandra says, moving to stand. As she does, the landscape of the mental construct around her bends and tilts. She falls into Sage as he slowly attempts to stand. The mental avatars of the two end up on the 'ground', as Lutz gives them a slight nod.
"You two did well. I'm proud of you." He says, as he dissipates into the far reaches of Sage's mind.
"Liss, as soon as we break this link, we're gonna be out cold." Sage says, too tired to move as the exhausted Liss lays over him, her head and shoulders resting on his stomach. She looks up at the projection of the 'sky', and flashes an exhausted smile.
"Yeah..." she says, her mind voice thick with fatigue. "Oh, well. There are...worse places...to...fall...aslee..p." She manages, as the expenditure of energy becomes too much for her. Her mental projection closes her eyes as her body slips into total unconsciousness.
Sage looks at her, and smiles wryly. He lays one hand on her head, and lightly strokes her hair once. "See you when we wake up. Whenever that will be..." He gives into the demands of his body, and slips into a sleep born of mental exhaustion. The mental 'world' they had created with their link fades into nothingness as their minds return fully to their sleeping bodies.
Two days later, Sage is awakened by a shaft of oddly colored sunlight hitting his closed eyelids.
Inside the Resistance Headquarters, repairs are being over-seen by Cranberry, Elly, Black Raiden and Striker. The victims of Zionus' attack are in the medical center, recovering. In the 24 hours since Zionus' attack, his minions had been broadcasting messages of his superiority and majesty over all available channels. With the recent display of his power, many people had flocked to join him, hoping for 'salvation' or simply fearing his wrath.
Striker assists three troopers in lifting a replacement beam, as Black Raiden welds it into place with a small torch.
"Cran, I can't believe we missed out on the entire fight." Black Raiden said, stepping back to examine her handiwork.
"Well, at least we aren't part of the injured ones. We couldn't just leave those soldiers to die after Zionus went chasing after X. And if we weren't there, there would have been no one to stop that contingent of Zionus' troops that showed up as he left." Cranberry says.
"And we did get to beat them down. So it wasn't a total loss." Striker replies, stepping back and releasing the replacement support beam that Raiden had just welded into place.