Chapter 109

Titanfall

A cold snow drizzled morning gave way to an afternoon of fire and metal. Huge plumes of burning smoke enclosed the battlefield like black walls of vaporous steel. Gray clad rebels and black hulled Sentinels blended into the void, collectively concealed and intermixed amongst the smoke and drifts of falling snow. Bolts of red light, and streaks of yellow fire burst out of the forming cloud of gray menace that hovered like vultures over the field of war.

Sonic could hardly see more than a few feet in front of him, his senses suffocated by the mass of bodies, machines, smoke and snow. Caliburn weighed heavily in his hand. The soft glint of yellow that distinguished the blade was Sonic's only source of light and clarity. Again and again, he swung the blade, destroying entire waves of Sentinels in the process. Yet the hoards never relented. Every machine that fell was replaced by a dozen more, it was like fighting a battle against a hydra of hydras.

Scorch marks and burns covered Sonic's face and arms. The sheer weight of the destroyed machines threatened to swallow him. Piles and piles of broken parts created barriers between the once flat field. Every breath he took singed his lungs as he inhaled mouthfuls of tainted and burning air. Blaster fire echoed all around him, mingled with the screams of pain and the raised shouts of orders.

Sonic had lost all sense of direction. He no longer knew where he had started, nor where he was going. Everywhere he turned he saw a black armada of Sentinels closing in on him, occasionally reinforced by red armored imperials. The first surge had been the easiest. Blaze had broken the front line and allowed the rebels to press forward. For a moment, it seemed as though they might win the battle in a rout, but their initial surge had been interrupted by a loud siren. Sonic looked up and saw a mass of black descending over the walls of Castle Town. The rebels had tried to regroup, but it was too late. Their front line had overextended and the empire had closed its jaws around them.

All sense of order and strategy had broken. Everyone spread out in other directions trying to break the perimeter. Sonic had been fighting beside Rayne, but the two of them had gotten separated. Now Sonic was trying to battle his way out of the trap. He was so tightly pressed that he could not even find a second to use Chaos Control.

Caliburn sang as Sonic dispatched a trio of charging Sentinels. The machines exploded on impact and Sonic rolled himself into a ball to shield himself against the shrapnel. When he unfurled he had only half a second to brace himself against an imperial charge. Five imperials wielding long spears came pressing at him. Sonic ducked, twisted, and slipped past the pointed shafts. A simple swing of Caliburn was enough to break the spears and Sonic followed up with a string of homing attacks that left the imperials knocked out.

Sonic landed and for the first time, he had a second to breathe. He immediately drew out the red Chaos Emerald and prepared to warp. That is when he noticed the gray shroud on the floor beside him. Sonic looked down and saw the face of the young hedgehog he had met in the camp the night before. A blaster bolt had struck him in the chest just below the neck. No...Sonic was losing perspective on the battle. He needed to regroup. "CHAOS CONTROL!"

Sonic vanished and reappeared near the bank of the stream a few hundred yards away from the battle. From his new vantage point, he could see how the battle had devolved. The rebel army had been completely lost amongst a sea of enemies. Only one segment of the line remained, preventing the enemy from fully encircling them. Sonic saw a spark of flame and he knew at once that it must be Blaze. This won't last much longer if I don't do something.

Exhausted though he was, desperation allowed him to ignore his fatigue. Sonic zipped towards the western edge of the battlefield, where there was the most room for him to run. Once he had space, Sonic started to run in a rapid cycle. Cold wind whipped against his face as he sped around and around. The snow drifts started to spin with him and, within a few seconds, a cyclone of wind and snow was spiraling. The Knight of the Wind indeed. Sonic thought dryly as he used his momentum to bring the cyclone towards the outer edge of the imperial line.

He heard a cry of dismay as the imperial soldiers turned back and tried to escape the pull of the tornado. The Sentinels tried in vain to fire at Sonic, missing him and then being sucked up into his wake. Hundreds of machines were caught up and the western line of the battlefield was broken. Gale-like winds pulled at the grass, and combined with snow, created a blizzard like atmosphere.

Once Sonic's speed was at his maximum he left his feet and allowed himself to be carried by his own gusts. He was brought up high into the air, until he broke out of the low hanging clouds and hung suspended in the upper sky. For a second, Sonic felt frozen in time, captivated by the beauty that was veiled by the clouds and mist. Whatever was happening below, it did not affect the pristine grandeur of the sky. The reflection gave Sonic a surge of determination. He flipped around and plummeted back towards the surface. Pop! Pop! Pop!

The sound barrier shattered around him as Sonic descended at incredible speed. He rolled tightly into a ball and smashed into the ground like a falling star. BOOM! The force of his impact created a massive crater and sent shockwaves in every direction. There was a loud crunching sound as the nearby walls of Castle Town collapsed.

Sonic bounced back onto his feet just as a loud cheer roared behind him. A swarm of rebels came rushing forward, prompting the imperials to retreat through the gap in the wall. Before he could follow, Sonic was grabbed by the shoulder. Rayne had found him. The echidna was cut badly across the face, but otherwise he seemed ready to continue fighting. "Hell of an entrance," He growled. "I'll take it from here, you go back and ensure our rearline."

Rayne rushed forward, leading a group of heavy infantry into the breach. Sonic used the Chaos Emerald to warp to the back of the battlefield. There he found Blaze and her squadron defeating what remained of the imperial army that had yet to retreat. Blaze stood atop a pile of broken Sentinels and looked over the battlefield. Sonic hurried over to her. "You've knocked on the door," She said. "Let us see if Mesto will answer."

"And if he doesn't?"

"We take the town." Blaze said. "It was better fortified than I thought, but we won't be defeated by mere soldiers."

"What about the people inside?" Sonic asked.

Blaze turned to him, her expression suddenly severe. "They will have a chance to return to their master should they wish for it. But for now I-" BOOOOM! A flash of pink light blasted in Sonic's eyes, causing him to stagger backward. When his sight returned he saw that the explosion had come from within Castle Town. "That was a Sol Gem," Blaze snapped. "They must be-" BOOOOM! A second explosion sent a huge plume of pink light and flames up into the air.

"Sonic go and-" Before she could finish, a huge shadow fell over them. They both looked up to see the point of a huge battleship pierce the clouds above. Titan had come. A light sparkled from beneath its hull and Sonic watched as hundreds of Sentinels descended. For every two dozen black drones, there was a larger, more imposing Sentinel that had a pink light emitting from it. These halted above the town and Sonic heard a screech that made his teeth ache. Beams of pink energy zapped towards the ground, causing immediate explosions and fires.

"He's outfitted his drones with Sol Gems," Blaze hissed. She removed her crown and pried the Sol Gem free of its resting place. "I'll need time to gather energy. Sonic, I need you to destroy those Sentinels before they destroy the entire town." The Sol Gem hovered between Blaze's hands. Faint sparks of pink lighting richouted back and forth from the gem and Blaze's palms. The ground trembled faintly as the energy around Blaze started to swell. Blaze closed her eyes and bowed her head. A circle of yellow fire appeared around her feet and started to draw in some of the power coming off the Sol Gem. "Go, Sonic! I must draw out all of the gem's power."

"I'm on it!" Sonic didn't waste another second. He warped into the sky above the Sol Gem powered Sentienels. He crashed down on one, plunging Caliburn deep into its metal husk, but his victory didn't last. He heard a low buzzing sound and then felt a rush of heat. BOOM! The robot self-destructed, expelling the energy of the Sol Gem into one terrific blast. Sonic was launched backwards, flung helplessly into the air.

"Got ya!" There was a rush of wings and Sonic felt himself caught in the air. Gawain held Sonic with one wing while gliding towards the surface with the other. Got ya, did not quite fit Sonic's expectation. They were quickly hurtling towards the middle of the now totally inflamed Castle Town. All semblance of an organized battle had been completely abandoned. Rebel and imperial alike fled from the onslaught of the new Sentinels.

Knowing that Gawain could not hold him forever, Sonic wiggled out of his grasp and dropped onto the stone tower, the largest building in Castle Town. Not so long ago, Sonic had come there and received his imperial persona. For a moment, Sonic was left temporarily stunned. Sentinels from above were still firing onto the town, but he could not attack them without signaling their self-destruct sequence.

Sonic could only watch in mounting horror as the battle turned into a desperate bid for survival. "These new models are quite tricky." Gawain landed beside Sonic, accompanied by three of his fellow snipers. The Knight of the Sky pressed his rifle into his shoulder and held the scope up to his eye. His scouter buzzed as he took aim. "Now!" Simultaneous shots echoed as the snipers fired. Sonic watched as their bolts struck the Sentinels directly through a gap in their plating, hitting the Sol Gem beneath. There was a loud crack as the gems were knocked loose from their casing. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! One by one, the Sentinels exploded.

The barrage of laser fire came to a sudden halt. Sonic exhaled slowly, waiting for the next phase of the battle to begin. It was not long before they heard a loud grinding sound. Guns were being repositioned from above. Titan was readying its cannons, preparing to destroy both armies in one heavy bombardment.

"We have to get up there!" Sonic urged.

At that moment, a huge geyser of fire exploded into the air. It twisted and shaped itself into a great Phoenix before clamping its talons around Titan. A pink light, nearly as bright as the sun itself shone into Sonic's eyes. He covered his face and listened as the maw of fire roared. "Blaze did it!" Gawain shouted. Sonic squinted into the dazzling light and saw that Titan was now immobilized by a huge ball of fire. "Let's go!" Gawain leapt into the air and soared towards Titan, his sniper corp right behind him.

"Chaos Control!" Sonic warped into the sky just above Titan's bridge. He saw a host of imperial engineers and soldiers running amok, not understanding what had happened to their ship. Sonic flipped in the air and landed casually in the midst of them. The imperials stopped, but they made no attempt to attack him. Instead, they fled on sight, retreating into Titan.

Gawain landed beside Sonic a second later. "Let's take the bridge. If Mesto isn't here personally then we should at least try and take his ship."

The team hurried forward, but stopped short when a red glow materialized in front of them. Pulsing pink cubes exploded out of the mist. Sonic just managed to tackle Gawain out of the way, but the others weren't so lucky. They barely had time to scream before the cubes vaporized them with a single touch.

The red light transformed into a black mist which in turn gave way to a masked figure. It was the phantom from Sonic's dream. "So close," It whispered. The voice was as dark as pitch and full of venomous contempt. It extended its spider-like hands out wide as if in greeting. The red and black ruby upon its chest flashed with grim light.

"Who are you?" Sonic shouted.

The phantom shook its head. "I am power itself. I am the absolute, the void. I am Infinite."

"Die!" Gawain rolled to his feet and opened fire. Each blast would have struck the Infinite right in the mask, but an invisible barrier seemed to be protecting him. "Hit the ruby!" Sonic shouted. "It's on his chest, that's what's powering him."

Infinite snapped and a host of cubes appeared over his head and launched themselves at Sonica and Gawain. They rushed forward like heat seeking missiles, forcing Sonic to rush backward to avoid, and making Gawain take to the skies.

Sonic started to run in a wide circle, maximining every inch of space the bridge of Titan provided him. With every rotation, he tried to get a little bit closer to Infinite. Gawain did the same in the sky above. Their opponent stood stationary, content to keep them at bay with his array of cubic weapons. This will show him. "Chaos Control!" Sonic warped directly behind Infinite and reared back to stab. An aura of dread struck him so intensely, Sonic's hand faltered.

Infinite turned around with super speed and snatched Caliburn by the blade. He used the sword to lift Sonic into the air like a rag doll. Sonic felt himself drawn to Infinite's uncovered eye, and the burned flesh that encircled it. His strength seemed to fail, leaving Sonic unable to even attempt to escape.

"Do you recognize me, hedgehog?" Infinite seized Sonic's face and pulled him close. The pattern of the mask seemed to pull Sonic into a trance. He seemed to fall into the spiraling pattern, losing all sense of self and of the situation.

Bang! Bang! Unable to hit Infinite, Gawain fired at Caliburn. The bolt reflected off the steel and exploded between Sonic and his captor, knocking Sonic away. As soon as he was away, Sonic got control of himself and leapt to the far side of the bridge.

"What happened?" Gawain shouted from above. "Why didn't you strike him?"

Sonic stared at his hands. Even from this distance, Infinite's spell still hovered over him. "I…I don't know. Whenever I get close, I seize up."

"Then keep your distance."

"It's going to be hard to use a sword that way," Sonic thought dryly.

Infinite laughed. "There is no escape. You may as well face me straight on."

"Fine!" Sonic curled up and revved into a spin dash, launching himself forward at incredible speed. Infinite answered with another round of cosmic cubes. Sonic weaved past before uncurling and leaping into the air. Gawain fired his rifle, but not at Infinite. The bolts came screaming towards Sonic, and Sonic knocked them back with Caliburn, sending them at Infinite at double the speed.

Infinite raised two huge cubes to shield himself, which gave Sonic his opportunity. "Chaos Control!" He warped mid-motion to counter Infinite's paralysis. Somehow, Infinite was able to dodge the sword, but Sonic countered with a vicious kick. His foot made contact with Infinite's head, sending him spinning like a top. Sonic tried to follow up with Caliburn, but Infinite vanished in a puff of reddish smoke.

He rematerialized on the far side of the bridge, one huge hand covering his exposed face. Sonic's attack had knocked off his mask. Infinite's breath came in low wheezes, and his entire body seemed to seize up as he slowly withdrew his hand. Sonic let out a gasp. Infinite's face was completely covered in burns. Open gashes of exposed skin were still red and raw. Most disturbingly, Sonic felt he recognized the silhouette. "Zero?"

Infinite held out his hand and his mask was pulled towards him. He placed it back over his face. "Zero is dead. Now you will share the same fate!" Infinite clapped his hands together and suddenly there were four Infinite's standing side by side. Two sprang towards Sonic, while the other two went after Gawain.

Sonic just managed to put up a defense as the clone Infinite's slashed at him with long claws. The exchange carried Sonic across the bridge and kept him from assisting Gawain. Out of the corner of his eyes, Sonic saw Gawain being smacked between the two Infinite clones, before being blasted by a black energy ball. He fell out of the sky and out of Sonic's sight.

"No!" Sonic tried to rush forward, but he was encircled by all four Infinite's. They tried to close in on him, but Sonic escaped with Chaos Control. He appeared at the other end of the bridge, his hand on his side. Sonic was breathing hard. The battle below had already exhausted him, and the repeated use of Chaos Control was starting to take its toll.

Infinite let out a roar of frustration and the four clones merged back into one. "You will not elude me forever!" All of Titan trembled as Infinite's hands became encased in a black aura. He drove them onto the ground, splitting the floor apart. Sonic staggered as he tried to retain his balance. There was a colossal CRACK! As Titan split into two halves. Sonic was thrown into the air and he fell helplessly along with the ruined battleship. Something snagged his foot and Sonic was borne away from the falling wreckage. Gawain had returned. He flew them both out of the danger zone and they looked back to see as the entire mass of steel crashed down, completely destroying the southern section of Castle Town along with a huge swath of the fields beside it. Upon impact, a cloud of dust and fire expanded over the sky above them.

"Argh!" Gawain let out a cry of pain as a bolt of black energy pierced his wing. He rolled in the air before plummeting towards the surface.

"Chaos Control!" Sonic held Gawain and warped them safely onto the ground. For a moment, they were safe behind a thick curtain of black smoke. Neither could see more than a few feet in front of them. Sonic heard the sound of screaming and the distant roar of fire. Gawain bent over his injured wing and gasped for breath.

"We have to get out of-"

Whoosh! A huge gust of energy blew the smoke aside, clearing a lane between them and the fallen battleship. Infinite floated carelessly out of the wreckage, a dozen pink blocks spiraling around him. Sonic helped lift Gawain to his feet. "I'm sorry Sonic," Gawain managed.

There was nothing more to say. Infinite was too strong and Sonic was out of ideas. Despite this, Sonic resolved to keep fighting to the end. Eager to draw Infinite away from Gawain, Sonic tried to use Chaos Control. He held up the Chaos Emerald and said the words, but he didn't move. Sonic felt his entire body shudder as the energy required to warp failed him.

No…Infinite was drawing nearer. There was no other choice. Sonic raised Caliburn and charged forward. Infinite made no effort to defend himself. Sonic put both hands around his sword hilt and braced himself for the wave of darkness that encircled Infinite. He felt the uncomfortable wash of dread fall over him like a bucket of cold water. Sonic managed to shake it off and keep himself moving. He raised Caliburn into the air and brought it down with all the strength he had left.

Infinite caught the blade with contemptible ease. He held Sonic still and, quicker than a blink, reached out with his other hand and wrested the Chaos Emerald out of Sonic's grip. Infinite shoved Sonic to the floor and held the emerald up to his uncovered eye. He turned the gem to its side as he examined it. "A mere fabrication of power, is this how you keep escaping me?" Infinite closed his fist and the Chaos Emerald shattered!

"NO!" Sonic's outstretched arm fell limply by his side.

A fine red powder, all that remained of the Chaos Emerald, spilled between the cracks in Infinite's fingers. "You are weak," Infinite mocked. "Let that thought consume you, let it be your last."

Sonic rose defiantly to his feet. Despite the smoke and ruin all around him, Caliburn's blade still shone with a resistant light. "I'm not like you," Sonic threw back. "I don't care about being weak." He crouched into a ready stance, his legs wobbling weakly beneath him. "All that matters is that I can't let you win."

Infinite laughed. "Has your lack of power made you insane? You cannot even touch me. You will die alone, and all your resistance will be made as nothing."

A dry smile spread across Sonic's face. "At least I don't hide who I am behind a mask. What do you have to show for all that power? What's the point if you can't be free?"

Infinite flashed red with rage and Sonic knew he only had a second to move. He raced forward just as Infinite lashed out with a blast of black energy. Sonic reacted instantly, contorting his body to keep himself safe and ducking beneath the blast. He slashed with all his might, and Infinite caught the blade a third time. But this time, Sonic was ready. As soon as Infinite's grip tightened, Sonic slid the sword back, slicing Caliburn's peerless edge against Infinite's palm. "Argh!" Infinite let out a roar of pain and a burst of energy launched Sonic backward.

"Vermin!" Infinite clutched his hand as a small line of thin red blood dripped onto the ground.

"I guess I can touch you," Sonic quipped. The joke was in vain. That burst of energy had been his last. He could barely stand as is, and he doubted Infinite would give him another chance to get close. If this is the end, at least I got in one good shot.

Infinite raised his hand palm first. The air around it began to steam and swirl as though he was preparing for one great output of energy. Sonic winced and readied himself to counter, but suddenly Infinite lowered his hand and stepped backward. "So you've come."

Sonic felt her warmth before he saw her. The fur on his back stood on end as Blaze walked up beside him. "I'll take it from here," She said, placing a hand on Sonic's shoulder.

Infinite waved and a portal opened on his right side. Lord Mesto stepped out of it. He smirked at Blaze and gave her a fake bow. "Princess, it has been far too long."

"Mesto," Blaze replied coolly.

"It was not easy to arrange this little meeting." The scar above the fox's eye expanded as he smiled.

"You'd kill thousands of your own people just to get to me?"

Mesto shrugged. "They served their purpose to the empire. As do I. As do all."

"I take this to mean that this is your puppet?" Blaze said, indicating Infinite.

Mesto flashed a toothy grin. "We all have our top generals, don't we? Your blue hedgehog has become quite the nuisance, I needed insurance."

"For him or for the emperor?"

Mesto's smile faded. "I am a loyal servant of the empire. Everything I have, and all of my talents are at the service of the emperor."

"Why are we speaking?" Blaze demanded.

"I have come to make an offer." Mesto folded his hands together. "You and your followers represent an archaic age. You no longer fit in our enlightened world. You prattle on about Solaris and honor, and royal lineages, but these concepts no longer have any meaning. Power is all now, it no longer needs to veil itself behind monarchy or religion. The curtain has been torn down, and the truth has been laid bare for all to I recognize that there were some advantages of the old way. The purity of mortal combat and the honor of the individual warrior, though ultimately meaningless, still has a unique appeal. What say you to a challenge? A one on one battle between your greatest champion and mine? The winner takes Sol and possession of the precious Thirteens who reside there. The loser forfeits their army."

Blaze paused. She glared at Mesto with such intense dislike, that her entire face changed. She no longer appeared beautiful or ethereal, but fell, dangerous and slightly alien. "Power is fire," She whispered, her anger making it difficult for her to speak. "There is no way to wield it without being burned. Has your wisdom devolved so much that you think you can have power without paying the price?"

Mesto didn't flinch. His deep amber eyes shimmered with triumph and greed. "And what price have you paid? Forgive me if I ignore the lectures of the princess born into royalty and status. The power that you wield is yours by nature, mine has been earned, and carefully preserved. Power is not a fire dear princess, nor is it the sun, or your precious god, power simply is. It is unconscious, unfeeling, uncaring, it belongs to those that seize it. That is the truth you and your priests wanted to so desperately conceal. The Flames of Disaster?"

Mesto laughed, it was a cruel, heartless laugh filled with cynicism and mean spirit. "That is the lie that was weaved above us all, a warning to stop us from reaching out and grasping for the truth. If we became too powerful, if we became gods, then Solaris would throw us down? Fear, that is your only weapon, the gift you wish to return to your people. I ask you princess, which of us truly offers freedom to Soleanna?"

A spark of fire erupted out of Blaze's eyes. "Your words are meaningless. They are full of vanity and whispers. You are smoke and mist, good for concealment and lies, but you have no substance. I accept your challenge. Though I wonder how I can trust that you will uphold your side of the bargain?"

You will have to take it on faith I suppose."

"Then why should she accept?" Sonic interjected.

Mesto did not so much as look at Sonic. "Because it is her best hope. If she does not fight him, Infinite will destroy her army. So what say you princess? Will you fight for your kingdom or will you send another to die in your place?"

"I will fight him." Gawain came limping over to them. Blood still streaked down the wound in his wing. "Give me the command princess, and I-"

"No! It should be me." Rayne came jogging out of the smoke. He had added a bad wound across his chest to go along with the one on his face. All his armor had been broken off and his sword was missing."These bastards have killed too many. Let me avenge our fallen."

Blaze said nothing. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be deep in thought. Sonic felt that it was his turn to offer to fight, but he remained quiet. He could not defeat Infinite, and he couldn't see what was to be gained by fighting in a futile battle. After a long pause, Blaze opened her eyes. She turned and smiled at her knights. "Your bravery is a testament to you both. You bring honor to all of Soleanna. Yet in this, I see that it must be me." She turned back to Mesto. "I accept your challenge, but only on the condition that you swear to uphold your vow upon the name of Solaris."

Mesto's eyes sparkled maliciously. "I swear by Solaris."

Everyone drew back to give the two fighters room. Their arena was a destroyed battlefield encompassed within a ring of black smoke. On one side, Infinite floated above the ground encased in red and black aura. His good eye was fixed upon Blaze who stood upon the other side, the one source of color amongst a gray backdrop.

The ground trembled in anticipation. Sonic felt he could see visible lines of heat passing between the two combatants. He felt a strange mix of excitement and dread. The falling snow seemed to stop in midair, a frozen portrait of a moment of time preserved, as if nature itself was stopping to observe the spectacle. Sonic's hand twitched as the still silence was broken in an instant.

Infinite sparked forward in a surge of black energy. An armada of pink cubes spiraled around him like a giant shield. Blaze made a series of complicated gestures with her hands and launched a barrage of fireballs. They smote against the cubes causing huge shockwaves that pushed Sonic and the others backward.

The battlefield exploded in a stunning display of color and power that was so vibrant, Sonic had to shield his eyes. Lighting crackled and the ground started to shake violently. Sonic bit down to stop his teeth from chattering. The force of the shockwaves was so intense, only Sonic could remain standing so close to the battle.

He could not see what was happening. Both Blaze and Infinite were lost behind a cocoon of fire and black shadows. Pink jets of lighting flashed out suddenly from the cocoon, striking against the ground causing small fissures. Sonic felt as if he were watching a battle between two primordial gods. He was struck with awe and terror, but a small part of him felt a pang of yearning. Sonic's feet fidgeted, with the desire to spring into the action and test his own power.

WHOOSH! There was a sudden roar of fire and Infinite was tossed backward. He caught himself in the air and quickly reshielded himself with his cubes. Blaze lowered her hands and the fires around her dimmed. She was breathing heavily while Infinite did not seem to be fatigued. Sonic understood that this first bout had only been a warmup, a mere gauging of the others power. The next would see the end of all restraint.

The darkness around Infinite swelled as he amassed his full power. Blaze's fires rose in challenge. The heat rushing from them was too great, Sonic had to retreat. "Kill her!" Mesto screamed suddenly. "End this now!"

Infinite turned slightly and in answer to his master's command, an even greater energy seemed to release from him. Now, Sonic could clearly see black line emitting from the gem upon Infinite's chest. It was slowly draining in color, indicating that Infinite was attempting to draw out every ounce of its power, into one final assault.

Blaze had no answer to this second surge. She stood defiant, but clearly at the edge of her stamina. Her eyes glinted with a yellow intensity that hinted that she too, was about to use everything she had left.

Then, everything went black. Sonic felt the sky tremble as the light above faded. There was a moment of confusion until everyone looked up. A battleship, one so large it made Titan look like a toy, floated above the battlefield. The Imperial Persona was painted on the hull, the face of doctor Eggman gloated above them. Mesto let out a cry and Infinite vanished in a swirl of pink light. A second later, a green light came down from the ship. Sonic looked up and saw that someone was coming down.

He felt his heart skip a beat as he recognized the unmistakable silhouette of his greatest rival. Five badniks shaped in a similar fashion to Mecha Sonic served as the royal entourage. Their exteriors were made of gold, platinum, ruby, emerald and onyx. Sol Gems were visible inside their foreheads, their chests, and both arms. In the midst of this display of power, now riding in an Egg Mobile made of solid gold, was Doctor Eggman. At last, the emperor had come.