The central pit smelled like death. The ether rig was splattered with bloodstains, some of them fresher than others. How many souls had been lost within the dark depths of the mine, never to return to the ether? The thought of this did not haunt Xord. He cared not for the petty rituals of Homs, for he knew the truth of the land on which he stood. With a hunger as bottomless as the central pit itself, Xord was doing his part to advance Egil's plan; and with luck, he would bring back the ultimate prize.

The Monado.

Xord had gotten close enough to feel the blade clash with the metal of his body. It had been unable to pierce his blood-bound armour, but if nothing was done, he wouldn't remain invincible. Shulk couldn't be allowed to unlock the true power of the Monado.

Juju was suspended high above the ether rig, caught in a triangular field of energy supplied by a trio of M32 units. After what had happened with his last two batches of captives, Xord couldn't take any chances. Juju couldn't escape, and he probably wouldn't be eaten. How pathetic he looked, tied up like a damsel in distress. Where were his knights in shining armour?

Xord paced back and forth beneath Juju with several M55 units walking at his heel. Additional Mechon were lurking around the pit, waiting to be summoned into battle.

Fondly, Xord said, "I remember the first time I ate a Homs. He said, Oh, oh! Don't eat me, Mr. Mechon!" The smaller Mechon scattered as Xord stomped and waved his arms about, blubbering in a bad falsetto. "And you know what I said?" He didn't wait for a response. "Nothing! It's rude to talk with your mouth full."

As Xord doubled over with laughter, Juju looked like he was about to cry. Xord couldn't remember if that story was true or not; it might've just been something he'd made up to amuse himself. He had eaten so many Homs that all of their faces blurred together. It wasn't unusual for one not to recall the first time they ever tried their favourite food.

"Hmm…" Xord stroked his chin. "I wonder what Nopon taste like. I never tried one. Seems like they'd stick to your teeth."

He sighed. He was running out of ways to keep himself entertained. Juju wasn't much for conversation; at least, not with a machine that was going to devour his sister and her friends. Xord was on edge, so he couldn't simply settle down and rest. The anticipation was killing him.

He'd had plenty of time to come up with a strategy, but he was having trouble thinking. What could he do differently? He needed to be unpredictable. He could try to fake Shulk out, but Shulk would be able to see that coming, too. What if Xord "tripped" and fell on top of him? Was that still something Shulk would be able to predict? Xord didn't have a good understanding of how Shulk's precognition worked, and it made figuring out a plan seem impossible.

He had been a hair's breadth from hitting him every time. If he had swung just a fraction of a second earlier, he would've sent Shulk flying into the valley below. With every swing, Xord had expected to feel a meaty thwack against his hammer—but it would always slide through the air unopposed. It had been maddening, and even thinking about it made Xord mad. It truly seemed like an unwinnable battle.

But it also seemed like a battle that was impossible to lose. What could Shulk possibly do to him with the Monado? Metal Face said that he'd been knocked over, but Xord couldn't see that happening to him. Although he was a lot smaller than Metal Face, Xord had a wider, stockier build. He had a low centre of gravity, whereas Metal Face stood tall on long, slender legs. Xord was a mountain of a machine; there was simply no way he could fall.

The battle couldn't go on forever. Either Shulk would drop from exhaustion, or Xord would lose his mind to hunger. He had severely underestimated the amount of time it'd take for Shulk and his friends to arrive, s he had gone out a couple times to grab a quick bite. With nothing to keep him occupied, Xord couldn't cope with feeling hungry. Despite what he'd led Juju to believe, he wasn't at all "spoiling his appetite". Four Homs were hardly a feast.

"I'm gonna stand guard again. Don't you go anywhere," Xord said, snickering. He flew over to the freight elevator and stood before it as though he was waiting to be served a meal. He was so fixated on the lift that he almost didn't notice the familiar voices coming from the central pit. He was confused. Had Shulk and his friends gone all the way through the ether mine to get there? No wonder it had taken them so long.

With his arms outstretched like an aeroplane, Xord made his entrance into the pit. "Ah, here at last! I've been getting hungry."

He heard Reyn's voice: "Shulk, isn't that…"

Shulk nodded and said, "It's him all right. He's the one who took Juju."

Sharla aimed her rifle as Xord approached, flocked by his pack of M55 units. She cried, "Juju and the others… tell me where they are!"

Xord burst into hysterics, the panels on his chest bouncing up and down. It was such an over-the-top display that he couldn't contain himself. "You want the brat? Well, he's right here!" Xord rotated his torso and pointed at the triad of M32 units, signalling for their descent.

"Juju!" Sharla wailed.

"He's still alive, but don't think he will be for long," Xord said. "As for the others, well…" He brought his fingers to his chin under the pretence of contemplation. "I just couldn't help myself." With a snap of his pectoral jaws, he hollered, "I ate them all up!"

The Homs gasped in horror. It was the kind of reaction that Xord used to live for; a reaction that embodied the imbalance of power between him and his prey. When he assumed that role, he had no inhibitions. There was nothing to hold him back. He could rant and rave and sink deep into delirium, all while he was more or less lucid. Even when he wasn't hungry, his hunger was what defined him. It was all that he had become.

With a wave of his hammer, Xord said, "Welcome to our banquet hall. Tonight, the main course will be… you! And if I've still got room, the brat will make a tasty dessert." He bent over and held his belly as he convulsed with laughter.

"Murderer," Shulk snarled.

"I'm Xord, your host tonight."

"Xord?" Shulk repeated. "So you have a name?"

"That's what they all say," Xord said, recalling the last time he had heard his name spoken aloud. Only then did it occur to him that Mechon didn't have names, or at least they weren't supposed to. That name he'd been able to hold onto was nothing more than a relic from a time that predated his memory. "Can't say that I remember it myself," he lamented.

Shulk mumbled, "What's he talking about?"

Xord had no intention of elaborating. He'd already said enough. He couldn't let Shulk know what he was, or what he had been before—if he did, Shulk would figure out why the Monado didn't work against him. Xord didn't want to be the reason Shulk sought to release the Monado's true power.

Xord pretended not to hear him. "Oh yes!" he exclaimed, smacking his palm with the head of his hammer. "It's good to see fresh meat on the table." As he lifted the hammer over his head, it began to surge with electricity. "Those colony folk just didn't fill me up," he said, slamming it down on the platform. Xord had a propensity for exaggerating his already monstrous appetite, which was limited by his paltry one kilolitre tank.

Sharla fell to her knees, sobbing. "Gadolt… the others…"

As he laughed and swung his hammer, Xord fired a quick signal at the M55 units. He thrust out his arm as his minions charged. "Come on, boys, dinner's ready!"

Shulk swung the Monado, enveloping his friends in a purple aura.

Sharla was still choking back tears. Suddenly, her head shot up. Her eyes were burning with rage. She screamed, "I swear I won't stop until I've scrapped each and every one of you!" She fired at an M55 unit until it erupted into flames. When the machine fell, she put her foot up on it and shot it again.

Xord signalled to an M67 that was waiting on the sidelines. It came forward, poised to strike her with its stabbing appendage. Reyn threw himself between them, launching the unit across the platform.

"Get behind me," he said.

Shulk dashed in front of them, cleaving three of the remaining M55 units in half with one swipe of the Monado. "Reyn! Sharla!" he exclaimed. "We are Homs, and we won't just stand here waiting to be eaten." He faced Xord, brandishing the Monado.

There he was, still hiding behind his fancy sword. He just didn't learn. All he was doing by holding it out like that was putting it within Xord's reach. For someone who didn't want to be eaten, he sure liked playing with fire. If he wasn't careful, he'd end up as a Homs flambé.

"The Monado?" said Xord. "Do you think that that thing can dent me?"

"How about this?" Shulk yelled as he ran toward Xord. He raised the Monado over his head and sliced at Xord's arm with its blade of blue light. The result was still the same. The sword clanged with Xord's armour, causing Shulk to stagger backwards.

Xord came forward. "I'm not Metal Face," he said, gesturing at his face plate. As he raised his hammer over his head, he shouted, "You'll have to try harder!" He struck the platform with enough force that it sent Shulk flying.

"It's the same as before," Shulk said. "The Monado's useless against this guy!"

Xord heaved his shoulders. "Want some more, Monado moron?" He slammed his foot down on the platform. "If you think anything's changed, you're even dumber than you look!" He flashed a summoning signal, and was soon flanked by a pair of M67 units.

"You're one to talk, with that tiny lil' head n' all," Reyn retorted.

As Reyn made his way across the platform, Shulk swung the Monado in an arc over his head. "Monado… Enchant!" Again, his friends were veiled in a purple aura. "We need to focus on the smaller ones. They're not gonna let us get near him."

Reyn skidded to a halt. "There's no end to those things! Take one out, and he just calls in two more!"

"I know. But it's our only choice."

Xord laughed nervously under his breath. Few Mechon remained on the sidelines—among them were the surviving M42. Even so, the Mechon only served to give him a little bit of time that he didn't even know what to do with. As he watched Shulk and his companions slay the two M67 units and tear their way through the smaller ones, Xord realised he had no choice but to take charge of the battlefield.

They were just Homs, he told himself, surging forward. They were morsels, crumbs. Countless others of their kind had been killed and eaten on the very floor on which they stood. When they tread forward boldly, they were treading on spatters of those people's blood: rich and wonderful stories reduced to inkblots upon a page.

Sharla cocked her rifle. "Thunder Bullet, fire!" she cried, shooting two bolts of ether at Xord. He shielded his eyes, causing the bullets to pummel his wrists.

While Xord was cowering, Shulk dashed behind him. "Back Slash!" Xord felt a weight come down on his tail. He spun around to retaliate, only for Reyn to smash his gunlance into his undercarriage.

Xord was struggling to keep up with the three of them. None of them were doing damage, but he didn't know who to go after first. He wanted to get his hands on the Monado, of course, but it might've been a better idea to focus on taking out one of Shulk's friends. After Sharla fell over the edge in Spiral Valley, Shulk had left himself open to make sure she was all right.

"This guy's a can of lard," Reyn said with a chuckle. "Ain't nothing he can do about us."

Reyn would be the first to go.

Growling, Xord swatted at him with his hammer. Reyn used his gunlance to absorb the impact. Xord kept applying pressure, pushing him toward a gap in the platform until he was teetering on the edge. Reyn glanced over his shoulder and cried out in alarm.

"Reyn!" Before he could fall in, Shulk ran over, leaped into the air, and slashed at Xord's arm. Xord reflexively batted at Shulk with the back of his hand.

Reyn managed to get away. "Thanks, Shulk! That was too close."

"You need to be more careful, Reyn," Sharla chided as she fired another useless round at Xord's shoulder.

Xord spun around. The Homs were standing so close together that he'd be able to bowl all three of them forward if he jetted forward.

Shulk roared, "Move! He's about to tackle us head-on!"

"Run now or I'll turn you to dust!" Xord had already committed to the action. As he folded up and cloaked himself in electricity, the Homs leaped to the side. He shot forward, swerving into his regular stance before he could hit the wall. "Food ain't supposed to jump off the plate!" he spat as he bashed the rig with his sparking hammer.

"All together now!" Shulk exclaimed.

"Metal Blast!" Sharla fired a heavy bullet at Xord's face. As he jerked backwards, the bullet collided with the underside of his chin and snapped his head back. He made a pathetic noise as he staggered, disoriented.

While one of his legs was raised, Reyn slammed into him with his gunlance. "Wild Down!"

Xord yelped as he lost his balance and fell forward. He hit the floor on one knee, causing his chest panels to flap open.

"Hit him where he's weak!" Before Xord could get back up, Shulk shouted, "This will leave a mark! Shaker Edge!" He stabbed Xord's open jaws with a quaking Monado, the vibrations jostling his brain. Xord let out a terrible moan as his head began to spin. He could feel the pressure of Reyn's gunlance smashing against his abdomen. Sharla was firing rapidly at the joints of his arms and legs, making it even harder for him to stand.

"Ugh…" Xord groaned, his fingers twitching. It felt like there would be no end to their onslaught. When his dizziness finally cleared, he was able to get back on his feet—and just like that, he was fighting fit again. He swept his hammer through the air, blowing the Homs back.

"No!" Shulk cried. As Xord lumbered toward them, Shulk said, "We'll never get to Juju at this rate. I've got to think of something."

Just then, a giant machine crashed into Xord and slugged him across the head, knocking him backwards. "Wha—" It took Xord a second to process what had even hit him: a mobile artillery. "Where did you come from?"

From inside the artillery, he heard a familiar voice: "You feeling hungry, eh?"

It was Otharon.

… But wasn't he supposed to be dead? Where had he been all this time? And how had he avoided getting captured?

Xord didn't have time to think about any of it. He dodged another blow and attempted to strike back with his hammer, only for the artillery to catch it in its pincer. It socked him in the face.

"Chew on this, scrap-for-brains!"

The artillery clamped its pincer around Xord's throat and, in a shower of sparks, dragged him to the centre of the rig. Xord kicked and beat down on the machine with his fist, but it wouldn't let go. It knocked him down and pinned him to the floor. Xord bawled as Otharon lashed out at him, pummelling his torso with the artillery's heavy arms.

Xord revved his engine between punches. He thrust himself into the central column of the rig, but before he could escape, Otharon grabbed him again. Xord clawed uselessly at the metal floor as the artillery forced him back into the centre.

"Old man," Xord snarled, fighting to stand up. "You think you can stop me?" He leaned in to look Otharon in the eye, glowering at him through his Face Unit's static expression. Xord saw himself back at the drainage outlet, where he had chosen to let Gadolt and Otharon live—a decision fuelled by arrogance. He thought he'd just been humouring them.

But it would be Otharon who'd get the last laugh.

"No, I don't," he said. "But I can do this!" He rolled back the artillery's arm, its pincer set to collide with Xord's face.

Xord braced himself for the impact—but the pincer tore past his head and pierced the column. As he looked on in confusion, a distinct odour entered his airway. It was the scent of strong ether: the way a Telethia smelled. Xord turned his head, only for his lenses to be clouded with green fumes. The column promptly exploded, launching both Xord and the artillery toward one of the gaps in the floor. Xord's hammer flew out of his hand and into the ether below.

To Xord's horror, part of the platform was folding underneath him. He grabbed onto the edge and held on for dear life, sparks shooting up as he made another vain attempt to dig his fingers into the metal.

"Let's see if that Mechon body of yours can withstand an ether river."

The material universe was comprised of ether. It was the building block of life on both Bionis and Mechonis, and it existed in myriad forms. The ether Xord burned as fuel was a safe compound, whereas the caustic green liquid that sprang from the wounds of the Bionis was ether in its purest form. Much like the Telethia to which it have given rise, the ether from within the Bionis was capable of dissolving any living body.

"Fall, you damn machine!"

Still clinging to the edge of the platform, Xord used his shoulders to wrestle with the artillery while trying to pull his heavy body up. Just when he thought he'd gotten a better grip, the folded part of the platform broke off, taking him with it. He sputtered out a string of unintelligible syllables, pulling himself together just enough to scream, "Damn you!"

As he plummeted, Xord could see the artillery start to tip over the edge as well. It then jerked back as if it had been caught by something. Xord didn't have enough time to fully fire up his jets, but he gave himself enough of a boost that he was able to grab a hold of the artillery.

He let out a strangled howl before uttering, "You… cannot… defeat… me!" His head convulsed as he flashed out a desperate signal: SOS! SOS! SOS!

But it seemed there were no Mechon left to answer his call.

Otharon rose, drawing his rifle. "It won't be long now, my friends," he said in a quiet voice. "But not before…" He took aim. "Gadolt! This is for you. This is for the people of Colony 6!" He shot Xord's hand, causing him to let go.

Xord screamed in agony as his body broke the surface of the ether. He could feel it. He could feel it everywhere. The ether was corroding his armour, burning up his artificial nerves and causing his blood to boil. It was poetic, in a way: after eating so much of the Bionis' fauna and so many of its people, Xord was being eaten by the Bionis itself. His connections to the machine were loosening and his entire being was becoming undone. He was sinking, melting. His body would dissolve and return to the Bionis, causing Zanza to grow stronger.

No.

He was still alive.

Xord paddled fiercely with his arms, trying to fight his way to the surface. He had no buoyancy; he was weighed down by his tank, which had been flooded with ether and was beginning to corrode. His self-preservation system went haywire, unable to properly process the highly concentrated ether. Xord's normal behaviour was punctuated with spasms and brief lapses of control. He was lucid and delirious all at once: a malfunctioning machine beyond repair.

It was impossible for Xord to hold his breath. His regulated respiration remained constant, as did the beat of his heart. There was nothing he could do to stop his lungs from filling with ether. Even if Xord was able to save himself, it'd only be a matter of time before his organs gave out. It was a miracle that his brain managed to stay protected within its dome.

The ether was causing Xord's jet engine to fail, but he was able to give himself a quick boost every couple of seconds. It was the only thing keeping him from sinking like a rock. There was no gravity within the ether, and, having thrashed around, Xord couldn't tell if he was swimming up or down. He had no choice but to go with his gut feeling.

One of Xord's hands emerged from the ether and cut through the air. With renewed determination, he scrambled until he was able to get his head to breach. He grabbed his hammer, which he found bobbing on the surface. Then, he drove himself toward a piece of machinery that descended into the river from the platform of the rig. He put his hammer's handle in his mouth and bit down to free up his hands.

Xord grabbed onto the machinery and pulled with all his strength, but his body was too heavy. He kicked his legs in an attempt to get an additional hold with the toes he didn't have. His engine fired, allowing him to gain a tiny amount of height. He was able to grip the machinery like a vice—but the weight of his body was still dragging him down. His engine fired again. He just needed to climb high enough so that his tail was no longer submerged, but even then, he didn't know if his jet engine would work well enough for him to be able to fly. The only thing he could do was try.

After several minutes of slow progress, Xord hauled his tail out of the ether. It had become dim, and when he tried to flare it, all it did was flicker weakly. Xord groaned and exerted himself, drawing upon the potent fuel that had filled his tank. His tail started to glow blue, the flames increasing in size as he burned more and more energy. At last, it was enough. He burst out of the river and threw himself onto the platform. He lay there, gasping and vomiting ether.

Xord was able to expel some of the fluid from his metal windpipe. He had lost what little feeling he'd had throughout his body, and could no longer sense weight or pressure. Xord didn't feel like he had a body anymore; it was as if he was psychically piloting a vehicle. He could still see, hear, and smell, although his senses were deteriorating. Xord's ocular lenses had melted, warping his vision. All he could smell was the suffocating odour of the ether that clung to his body.

Xord's body was sparking and rippling with electricity. His Face Unit was breaking down around him, but he still mustered the resolve to lift his hammer and rise to his feet. He knew he wouldn't last long, so he wanted to make his final moments count. He was going to kill Shulk and everyone else, and smash the Monado into pieces. Xord's mind was a hurricane of anger and incoherent thoughts. The only thing he was still able to understand was vengeance. It was a hunger of a different breed: a hunger that was at odds with his self-preservation.

Xord surveyed the ether rig through his blurry field of view. The Homs were gone. Xord wagered that they had either exited the mine via the freight elevator, or were on their way there. He needed to hurry before he lost them. Without bothering to switch forms, Xord rocketed off to his destination.

The lift was absent from the bottom of the shaft, just as it had been the last time Xord saw it. Either the Homs had gone a different way, or they'd already called the lift and boarded it. Upon zooming in, he caught sight of the lift travelling up the shaft. Xord punched the emergency stop button, causing it to break. He flew up the shaft and landed on the stopped lift.

Reyn groaned, "Not him again."

"This one doesn't give up!" Sharla exclaimed.

"This is our chance, guys," said Shulk.

Xord raised his arms into the air as he assumed a fighting stance. He twirled his hammer over his head and caught it, assuring himself he was still in control. Then, he brought down his elbows and flexed his metal arms. He was ready. Xord might not have been able to feel his body anymore, but it still belonged to him—and he was going to push it to its absolute limits to get what he wanted.

Otharon stayed back to guard Juju as Shulk, Reyn, and Sharla stepped forward.

"You're a bunch of idiots if you think you can beat me!" Xord hollered as he lashed out at empty air. He swung his hammer up and down, left and right. He didn't put any thought into his actions. He just wanted to hit someone. He wanted someone to die.

But all of it was futile.

"Something's different this time," Shulk said as he cast Monado Enchant. "His body is weak. I might be able to use the Monado."

Xord let out a wheezing laugh as he lowered his hammer. "Go ahead and try, pipsqueak." He was taunting him, beckoning him forward. The moment Shulk's blade bounced off of Xord's armour, Xord would crush him. He'd bash him and smash him until there wasn't even anything left for him to eat.

Reyn shouted, "Get him, Shulk!"

Shulk raised the Monado over his head as he darted forward. He plunged it into Xord's arm, driving it straight through his armour.

Xord blubbered in disbelief. He was in too much shock to retaliate, giving Shulk enough time to pry the Monado out and get away. Xord whined, "But… how? The Monado's not supposed t—"

"Enough!" Sharla exclaimed, holding out her rifle. Xord's wound was joined by a pair of bullet holes, forming something reminiscent of a face.

"Yeah, we got this! Let's finish him off," said Reyn. He bashed Xord's other arm with his gunlance, causing part of it to cave in. Meanwhile, Shulk drove the Monado past Xord's undercarriage and punctured his abdomen. Xord whimpered when he looked down and saw ether pooling beneath him.

After enduring another barrage of attacks, Xord collapsed onto his knees. He tried to stand, but his joints weren't strong enough. He coughed up a puddle of ether as he tumbled forward. Using his arms to prop himself up, he managed to drag his feet across the floor. Again, he fell. It wasn't working. His body was too broken for him to be able to stand.

Making one final effort, Xord reeled his torso back and brought his hammer over his head. He had hauled himself close enough to Shulk for him to be just within his hammer's reach. "Still… hungry!"

Sharla shoved Shulk aside and fired at the joint of Xord's right shoulder. Xord screamed as his arm flew off, and as he was stumbling backwards, Sharla took out the rest of his limbs one by one. Xord's torso hit the edge of the lift and he rolled back on his shell, causing his jaws to spill open.

"Did we get him?" said Reyn.

Xord's laboured breathing—a useless attempt to take control of his lungs—was accompanied by an unconscious signal: SOS… SOS… SOS… He was dying. He knew he was dying, and he hadn't gone into battle expecting any other outcome. He'd still be dying if he had stayed behind on the rig, anyway. Xord couldn't feel any pain, but he could feel himself fading. It wouldn't be long until he was greeted by the nothingness he knew like an old friend.

Xord's tank had been all but drained, yet he was still in his right mind. There was nothing left for his self-preservation system to preserve. "… Got to hand it to ya," he said to Shulk. "You beat me without even releasing the true power of the Monado."

"True power?" Shulk repeated. He pointed his blade at Xord. "What do you know about the Monado?"

Xord was convulsing. He didn't have much time left. He wished he could tell Shulk everything Egil had told him—about Zanza and Bionis, and the nature of the Monado—but there was no way he could condense it all into words he could utter between his last few breaths of life. Xord was powerless to stop him.

"Sorry, boy," he said. "I can't tell you that. You'll have to find out the truth on your own."

Shulk was persistent. "The truth?"

"When I became what you see now, that's when my eyes were opened." In a wistful tone, Xord said, "Was a good ride while it lasted."

"When you became like this?" Shulk demanded, "What do you mean?"

As his ruined husk of a body continued to spasm, Xord decided that he didn't want to let himself wither away. He was going to go out with a bang.

Using what little ether was left in his tank, he set his tail ablaze. "Time's up, pipsqueak," he said, pivoting so that he was facing the edge of the lift. "I'm gone!" Xord accelerated, sending himself hurtling down the shaft. His body bounced down the tracks and collided with the closed door at the bottom, detonating upon impact.