Chapter 22: Shakedown

Altor swung his sword down to the beast repeatedly and it immediately dodged along the way. But the Fakadi is groaning in pain due to its injuries, but Altor won't let his chance slip. The Fakadi might look like it's gonna topple and Altor didn't waste his chance.

"Now!"

He flail his sword to deliver the final blow. But something unexpected happened. The Fakadi disappeared in a flash.

"What? No!" He exclaimed while looking in every direction to find it.

But he felt something behind his back. Something sinister. Before he had time to react, a slash came over his back, followed by a pounce. He fell over as ambrosia leaked in his back. He can't believe what was happening.

"No. It can't be. It should've spent it's energy. It should've used that attack again." He groaned as the Fakadi stood up in his back.

The Fakadi really looked like it spent it's last energy on that last attack as it prepared it's maw to grind over his back. Then something pounced the Fakadi yet again. Altor looked on what happened and saw it. It was the panther beast from before, attacking the Fakadi. They pounced on each other, slashing each other. Altor saw this unfold.

'That beast. It saved us again. No, it's not. It probably has a beef with the Fakadi. That could be the explanation.' But Makino was still unsure of his conclusion as he tried to stood up again.

The two beasts fought each other and both are in their last legs. But the Fakadi managed to gain advantage, even at it's exhausted state. The panther beast tumbled and the Fakadi is ready to pounce once again. It ready it's maw but then Altor came in with his sword.

"Haaaa!!"

He slashed the beast deep and the Fakadi unleashed a metallic yelp of pain but he wasn't done yet. He unleashed a barrage of slash and they slash true to the Fakadi before it falls down to its injuries with ambrosia pooling on the metal pavement. Altor saw this and unleashed his final stab at the creature.

"This is for all the ones that have fallen to you!"

He stab the beast, killing it in earnest, it's life draining from it's eyes. It's over. It was over. Altor stood over its lifeless husk in ponder, pondering on what happened leading up to this point.

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'Its over. The first part of my mission is over. At last. At last.... Why do I feel that this hasn't gone according to what I wanted. I wanted this, but I do admit, it didn't match to their ferocity back then. But that was expected, right?'

His pondering is deep there, but it was cut off when he sees the panther beast. His other teammates started to stood up from their injuries when they see the corpse of the Fakadi, eliciting joy among them.

"It's over. It's all over." Havati happily exclaimed.

"Yes. Take that, you monster!" Akadagi cheerfully sneered.

Kofalu stood up from his injuries and saw that the ordeal is over.

"Great job, Sir Altor." He said

"You did it, Altor." Arlandy happily exclaimed as he see Altor standing next to an another spot.

There they saw another beast lying on the ground and Altor was staring at it intently. They came over to him to see what he was looking.

"Is that another beast? Let's kill it before it maul us over!" Akadagi said as he glances at the beast.

"Wait." Kofalu interjected.

"It saves us from the Fakadi's attack. It could be a different beast than the rest." He said in defense.

"What!? You've must be joking, right?" Havati exclaimed.

"Yeah. Those beasts almost mangled all of us and you wanted to spare them? You've must be an ambrosia short on your head!" Akadagi furiously said.

"Wait. You've said that this beast saved you two on your fight, right? Maybe there's a reason for it." Arlandy said also in defense.

While they were arguing, Altor lifted up his sword and preparing to stab the beast. But something is holding him back, a distant memory from his past.

"Sir Altor, I implore to you to think about it." Kofalu said.

While he said it, Makino is brought back to a memory from his past. Something that he cherished, among many things. He has a pet cat before the invasion and he loved it thoroughly. His companion in times of distress. And he can't stop remembering it when he sees that beast.

'Why? Why I remembering it now when I see this beast? I can't let it live. It will kill everyone in the future if I didn't. But maybe...'

A thought crossed his mind amidst his hesitations. A clever idea.

"Stop!!!"

A scream is heard from a distance, cutting them off on their argument. They see the golden figure of Aparido running off to them along with his guards.

"Don't hurt him!!" He implored to them.

"What- Sir Aparido!?" Arlandy said in shock and confusion.

"I will not let you to lay your hands onto him. Guards. Seize them!" He signalled to his guards as they lifted up their hands to perform magic. Until...

"Madto Yunti!"

Suddenly, streams of golden lassos appeared and tangled the guards along with Aparido down.

"What!? What is this!?" Aparido exclaimed in confusion.

"You've been a naughty Armanben, Aparido." Said the figure that approaches them.

"You- Atugalo!" He said in anger as he saw Atugalo was the one that performed the magic on them.

Atugalo then looked upon Altor, like seeing a favoured guest in a meeting.

"So you're Altor, huh? Nice meeting you. I'm Atugalo." He introduced himself politely.

Makino has no idea the gravity of this meeting right now.

((Kofalu's description: a quite stout gray and black mech with hard armor in his arms, shoulders and legs and feet. He has squarish blocky head with a battle mask covering part of his face and cerulean eyes.))