The Dark Ace's voice was laced with venom as he barked out his command. "Surround him!"
Cyclonian soldiers formed a tightening ring around Aerrow, their weapons gleaming ominously under the harsh lights of the engine room.
The Dark Ace's eyes burned with fury. "You," he hissed, his knuckles white as he gripped his blade, "have been a thorn at my side long enough" He raised his sword, the edge gleaming like death itself. "This ends now. Permanently."
Aerrow's expression didn't waver. Calmly, he drew his twin blades, their edges humming with energy. "You talk too much," he quipped, shifting into a ready stance.
The Dark Ace lunged first, a blur of rage and precision. Their blades clashed, sparks flying as steel met steel in rapid, brutal strikes. Aerrow twisted, deflecting a downward slash and countering with a swift horizontal sweep that forced the Dark Ace to leap back.
They danced through a whirlwind of attacks, each fighter testing the limits of the other. Aerrow's movements were swift and agile, but the Dark Ace had brute force and relentless aggression on his side. A sudden kick from the Dark Ace caught Aerrow in the ribs, sending him stumbling into one of the soldiers.
The soldier grunted but held Aerrow upright before tossing him back toward the center of the fight like a rag doll. Aerrow hit the ground hard, gasping for breath.
The Dark Ace stood over him, blade poised for a killing strike. "Any last words, hero?"
Aerrow grinned through the pain, his fingers clutching something small and metallic. "Yeah, catch." as he quickly rolled away.
Before the Dark Ace could react, Aerrow tossed a grenade he had swiped from the soldier he'd collided with.
The room exploded in chaos.
The blast hurled the Dark Ace backward into a cluster of soldiers. The others were left disoriented, their ears ringing as smoke and fire filled the air.
Aerrow wasted no time. Rolling back onto his feet, he slashed through the control panel with both blades, sparks erupting as circuitry fried and the ship groaned under the strain.
"Hope that did something," Aerrow muttered under his breath as alarms blared louder than ever. He sprinted out of the engine room, navigating through smoke and debris.
Behind him, the Dark Ace staggered to his feet, his ears still ringing from the explosion. His vision swam, but when he saw the ruined control panel, cold realization hit him like a punch to the gut.
"That's bad," he growled under his breath.
Without wasting another second, he activated his communicator and barked into it. "All units, damage report! I'm heading back to the command room. Secure the ship now!"
This fight was far from over. And the Dark Ace swore Aerrow would pay dearly for every second of it.