Takeshi remained in the air, staring in awe at the machine’s pure strength. Doing something that was unheard of. During the many battles across the solar system, it was rare that a human weapon destroyed the Garsalan Vanguard armors or, whatever they called them, Let alone one of their ships. Yet, here this thing was, doing exactly that. Though, he recognized the fact that he was not finished just yet. He began to gaze down at the holographic display once again. Glancing around until his gaze reached the screen that displayed his weapons. And, then he saw it, a close-range weapon, a sickle, marked as the “Deathscythe”. He tapped the display, and, as he saw on his display, it came from the machine’s side, into it’s left hand.
“Nice…”
Soon, he began his advance, making a break for the ship, the scythe in hand, Letting out a war cry as he did so. However, he was not the only thing flying over the city, soon, swarms and swarms of fighters came to meet his advance. Though somewhat resembling a jet, the organic, round shapes clearly showed that it wasn’t human in origin. If not that, then the unfamiliar hum of their engines that followed them as they streaked across the sky. In the very front of the advance, a Garsalan pilot, the one leading the wing pulled a visor down on her face.
"Thair air Jus Laen, Ol Tesrad, fsusaanailr waidh arainailedaiul ull desrad!" - "This is Jus Lead, On Target, proceeding with elimination of target!"
A storm of missiles and purple beams soon rushed toward the approaching machine. However, Takeshi did not run, instead, he simply continued his rush forward, yelling all the while. Undisturbed by the explosions of the missiles on his armor, that remained ineffective on the machine’s armor. The results of the beam fire being no different, the beams simply dissipating as they made contact with the armor. The commander looked upon this with an apparent distaste.
“Kaaf hain ussifaian rulr aluirh llus dha ssiairasr du desrad hain, Ois usnailelsa wul'd fa aluirh!"- ("Keep him occupied long enough for the cruisers to target him, Our ordinance won't be enough!")
It was clear that she was not happy that she was reduced to being a decoy, though her face didn’t show it. Regardless, she moved with her subordinates, and began to swarm the Gaojinizer. Something the pilot within had no issue with, in fact, it only encouraged him to continue his attacks. With swipe after swipe of the scythe, he soon cut fighter after fighter in half, and the pilots within them were no exception. As the pilots saw this, their commander’s outlook soon began to spread to them. What glory was there in this battle? At this point, they couldn’t even damage it, let alone destroy it. For them, this was unacceptable. Yet, they continued their attack regardless… All the while, the remaining cruiser’s targeted the Gaojinizer. Luckily enough, with the support of the fighters, they’d managed to lead it in the right direction, keeping it inside one general area, and the pilot was none the wiser. Something that worked to the Fleet Admiral’s advantage... A garsalan with earthen green chitin, much like that of his homeworld’s forests, sat with his head leaned onto his fist. Another Garsalan stood, turning and saluting to him.
"Zairr Cellulr esa fsaffan, Lusn Fu’zin."- "Zigg Cannons are prepped, Lord Fu'zin."
"Guun... Faisa, Dardsuirr dha Tassel Osfaider Dasainedus!!" - "Good... Fire, Destroy the Terran Orbital Decimator!!"
Soon, a light began to build on the turrets on the ship's surface… Something Takeshi didn’t take notice of until an alarm sounded within the cockpit, something that caused the man to looked around in his confusion.
“What the-- What’s going on here?”
His eyes shot across the display, until he took notice of something on the corner of his eye, to the left of his seat. And, just like that, his seat rotated to the left, and, there he saw it, the red light building on the surface of the ship’s turrets. Though he wasn’t an expert about how Garslaan weapons worked, to him, it was quite clear what was happening. Especially as his gaze went around him, and he took notice of the fighters around him quickly scattering around, unwilling to get hit by a direct attack.
“Tch.’
The Gaojinzier soon began a beeline toward the ship, with its pilot ready to destroy the ship. But, it’s charge was soon interrupted, by a burst of beam fire that came from the ship’s turrets, a direct hit… Though the machine itself was not damaged, it was sent barreling back, throwing it off course, and throwing its pilot back into his seat. At the least, until he pushed his foot down on the pedals under his feet, increasing the thruster output, and stopping the machine. Before he moved out of the way.
“I’m not done just yet…”
Takeshi charged in once again. This time, however, he played it safe, he began to turn mid-air, moving up, and down, weaving around the flashing lights as they came toward him. Something that didn’t go unnoticed by the remaining people below, looking up at the display with admiration. Especially one white-haired woman, who sat hiding within the ruins of a building surrounded by five others.
“If we have something like this on our side...WIll the raids finally stop?”
An older black-haired man sitting beside her shook his head.
“Don’t get your hopes up...One machine can't turn the tide of a war that easily.”
Though they didn’t know who’s machine it was, it was their ally, and it was all they cared about. However, the pilot within was doing less than well. The High G-Turns and Maneuvers seemed to pulverize his body. After all, he was just another punk on the street! It wasn’t as if he’d done any training beforehand. Something that began to become more apparent as the machine began to slow down, leaving it vulnerable to the shots from the cannons, which soon threw the machine back… Even so, Takeshi arched his brows as he began a charge once again, pushing down whatever pain he felt. As he began a charge once again, and the red light from his thrusters grew.
“If that thing’s gonna keep me back, Then all I need to do is get rid of it first!!!”
Soon, the machine began streaking across the sky, causing a boom to fill the ears of all those below. The sound barrier had been broken, and given the statistics on the admiral's screen, it was still increasing, rapidly. The Garsalan stood with his eyes widened.
"Thed rfaan...Id ernurd Medshar dha nanul ull Kafras... Wa nird fa llairhdailr runaula whu cluwr whed ha'r nuailr." - "That speed...It almost Matches the demon of Kepler... We must be fighting someone who knows what he's doing."
However, Contrary to his belief, the pilot within did not, especially, given the blood that came drooping from his mouth as he coughed. Though strong, his body had its limits, and it looked like he’d already reached them.
“How do VA pilots pull this kind of stuff all the time?! It feels like I got hit by a train!”
That would soon be the least of his problems, as the three other cruisers that loomed above, began firing at the Gaojinizer as well. And, unlike last time, he was not able to avoid any shots. Barraged from three different angles, and body already at its limit, the machine was soon pushed back with the force of not one, but three different cannons, and the machine soon crashed into the ground. Which, once again, threw Takeshi around as if he were a ragdoll. The G-force, the Inertia, it was simply too much for him to handle… The man seemed to teeter on the edge of consciousness... Until he gritted his teeth, tightening his grip on the controls, and lifted the machine.
“Like I’m going down THAT easy... That wouldn’t be a good look, now would it.”
He smirked, as he began to ascend once again. And soon, the earlier fighters began to approach him like a swarm of angry wasps. But, unlike last time, they did not make it into the scythe’s swinging range, as soon, rising from the building were bug zappers that rapidly fired off Covalon Beams, the standard armaments of most of the UFE’s weapons. The fighters exploded as the beams smashed into them, and, once again, they were forced to break their formation. Takeshi glanced around as he took note of the beams that raced toward his opponents, it was then that he saw the anti-aircraft guns, on the roofs of “Buildings'' That had strangely remained unmarked, and unentered since he and his friends had arrived in Neo Tokyo.
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“Guess that explains why the military was around so much... Either way, I can use this to my advantage.”
His eyes scanned the display, until he tapped a button, turning on the Machine’s intercom.
“I’m gonna go for those ships up there! Make sure you take down those fighters!”
The rather youthful voice caught the soldiers manning the weapons by surprise. But, nonetheless. They simply continued firing. All the while, the Gaojinizer moved through the field of destroyed debris, as he continued his approach… Jus lead looked upon the approaching machine with distaste as she put her hand on the base of her head as she thought.
“I'n sadislailr du dha Ges’le I heya el ainae”-“I'm returning to the Ges'le... I have an idea”
Just like that, she turned tail and began making her way back to the cruiser that lay overhead. Something that Takeshi did not take notice of, focused upon the opponents that surrounded him. The return bay soon opened in the center of the cruiser, as the fighter made its way back. The light around the thrusters began to fade as the craft slowed, and was soon taken in by the ship’s gravity field. Her hands moved away from the controls as she tapped her leg, waiting for the craft to be brought in. It was a few more moments until she landed in the packed docking bay, filled with craft like her own, as well as the engineers, distinguished by the black clothing tacked onto their exoskeletons. Soon, the canopy of her fighter opened, as she peaked outward. Which was soon swarmed with a team of engineers, one of which, a male with a chipped horn, stepped forward.
"Whed'r dha fsufran? Yui rad haid?"- “What’s the problem? You get hit?”
She shook her head.
"Nu, ludhailr raica dhed.."- "No, nothing like that.."
"Thed'r e risfsaira... Whedayas dhed neshaila air, aidr nelrasuir. Hesn du faraiaya fsainaidaiyar raica dha Tasselr suirn rad dhaais helnr ul dhed.” - "That's a surprise... Whatever that machine is, it's dangerous. Hard to believe primitives like the Terrans could get their hands on that."
He had that right… The display was shocking. But,either way, she wasn’t going to let it shake her. After all, they were a proud race that had conquered hundreds of worlds. This one wouldn’t stop their conquest with just one machine.
“"Eaidhas weirr... Id nuarl'd neddas aill dha fairud nuarl'd cluw whed dhairr'sa nuailr. Thed neshaila'r saesdaiul du dha llussa aid wer haid waidh. Ill ai'n sairhd, dhed werl'd dha rainaid'r ull dha neshaila... Redhas, whuayas'r ail aid. Wa sel errina dha fairud airl'd iran du llaarailr rish ainfesdr, wa sel ira dhed du uis enyeldera”- "Either way... It doesn't matter if the pilot doesn't know what they're doing. That machine's reaction to the force it was hit with. If i'm right, that wasn't the limit's of the machine... Rather, whoever's in it. We can assume the pilot isn't used to feeling such impacts, we can use that to our advantage.
The engineer nodded at her words.
“"Arweirrr dha desdaisaiel...Il dhed sera, I heya shird dha dhailr." - "Always the tactician...In that case, I have just the thing."
…
Elsewhere, the battle continued, as what fighters weren’t shot down made a mad dash in an attempt to, at the least, slow the machine down. Something that was somewhat successful, the swarm pulling Takeshi’s attention away from the task at hand… At the least, until, coming flying out of the Cruiser’s catapult, was Jus lead. Though there was a notable difference with the fighter, a massive, yellow tipped missile went down the center of the fighter. A far cry from it’s previous armaments. At first she went unnoticed, until a blur caught Takeshi’s attention. As his gaze moved up, it was then that he saw the fighter approaching him.
“Ill wa sel’d nardsuirr dhed esnus...Wa’rr Dardsuirr dha fairud!!!, I’rr neca risa irrui feirr llus whed irrui nain du dha fsuin Jir Wailr!” - “If we can’t destroy that armor...We’ll Destroy the pilot!!!, I’ll make sure you pay for what you did to the proud Jus Wing!”
However, Takeshi did not hear the words, and swung his scythe at the fighter. But, even so, as the blade came closer to the display, she suppressed her fear, and lobbed just one more shot off, the final missile, which soon crashed into the Gaojinizer, as her fighter was cut in half, ending her life there. But, at the same time, the Kinetic Distributor, the aptly named Garsalan weapon, shook the Gao’s frame and shook the pilot inside, once again… Who himself was getting tired of being treated like a milkshake. However, regardless, his body had begun to succumb to the stress placed upon it. After all, hot blood and willpower could only bring him so far.
The Machine soon stalled midair, as Takeshi struggled to keep himself from blacking out. But as his eyes fluttered, it seemed to be an even more far-fetched goal, the troops below looked up upon this with expressions of both surprise, and worry... A machine stopping in the middle of combat was never a good thing. One of the troops, with his visor pulled down, and face unseen, tapped a watch on his wrist that served as his communicator.
“Colonel Mori, the black machine has stopped moving! It looks like it got hit with a KD before it stopped…”
On the other end was a man with grayed hair, and an angular jaw. His body was covered in scars, the results of his previous operations against the Garsalan in his younger days. He opened his eyes, revealing his purple orbs as he leaned back into the chair.
“Meaning whoever was in that thing could be red paste right now… If we don't do that thing fast enough, We end up risking the enemy getting their hands on it.”
Another soldier stepped into the room as he heard Mori speak.
“But sir, that thing could be a benefit to the war effort if we figure out how it was made, We can’t allow that to happen!”
Mori sighed
“I’m well aware… Send out the Muramasas, we’ll retrieve that machine long before they do!”
The machine itself stayed in its previous state, floating... At the least, until the cruisers began firing again, and the cannons began crashing into the machine once again, and, just like that, Takeshi was thrown around once again, only this time, his head fell, and so did his eyelids, as he fell out of consciousness. And, the machine began falling. Something that put a smile on the Admiral’s face.
“Guun...Radsaiaya dhed Meshaila.” - “Good...Retrieve that Machine.”
However, within the machine… Many thoughts ran through the unconscious Youth’s mind.
“I can’t lose here… Not after one battle, I said I was going to make them pay… I have to do that, I HAVE TO DO THIS!!!”
As the enraged thoughts began to flow through his head, the machine, the Gaojinizer seemed to respond in tandem… An orange light soon began to cloak the machine, as it began to rise. Strangely enough, independent of the pilot, who remained unconscious within the cockpit… At the least, until his eyes open, and a yellow gleam seemed to shine within them. The machine’s sudden movement was a surprise to the soldiers and their opponents.
“Colonel, The machine’s back up, and… It has some kind of glow around it.”
Mori raised his eyebrow at the soldier’s statement but opted to ignore it. At the least, visibly. Something like that happening with a machine wasn’t exactly normal, but he didn’t dwell on it. After all, he was a high-ranking commander…. If the battle was won, who cared how “Strange” the weapons were. A thought that was reinforced with what happened directly after. The machine soon burst across the sky once again beginning a swift advance toward the fleet of ships.
“HAAAAAA!!!!!’
This time, however, his war cry was not confined to his machine, rather, it spread out, echoing through the streets for all of those around to hear.
"Whed?! Thed'r Infurraifra!! Arr rilr ul dha Tassel Meshaila, Wa sel'd rad aid risyaiya!”- "What?! That's Impossible!! All guns on the Terran Machine, We can't let it survive!”
Soon, the ships began firing once again, but, the Gaojinizer weaved around the beams, and, unlike last time… They couldn’t land not one shot on it. Its speed was simply too much, dipping in and out of enemy and allied sensors alike, painting fear on the Admiral’s face, until, appearing in front of the cruiser’s bow, was the machine, with its scythe overhead. Before the Admiral could speak, the machine began its charge, running the blade along the length of the cruiser, ripping it in two halves within moments…
Soon, The gaojinizer flew away from the exploding cruiser, leaving the debris to cascade onto the ground below. Soon, Takeshi’s hands went to the CPC’s firing buttons, and, as he pressed them, out came yet another shot, ripping apart one of the ships that came with the admiral… However, the youth did not stop there, as he took notice of a fleeing ship.
“You aren’t going anywhere!”
Soon, the Gaojinizer made its way to the ship, as Takeshi drew the machine’s arms back, prepared for a swing. Something that caused panicked chatter to echo through the final ship, until he took a downward swing at the machine’s bridge, taking out the command center. He would soon take another swing at the ship, that would once again prove to rip apart the ship’s armor, and, this time, the thrusters and reactor alike were hit… Just like that, the last ship was destroyed in a rapidly expanding fireball. One that the machine soon began to move away from, remaining suspended in the air once again. All the while, the pilot watched the remains of the ship fall to the ground, a smirk coming onto his bloodied visage.
“I said I’d show you what we were made of, didn-”
However, his eyes widened as his words came to a screeching halt, and soon, so did his mind. The light that was around the Gaojnizier dissipated, as the light from the thrusters and the eye alike began to go dark, with the machine beginning its rapid descent to the ground. Falling 20 or so seconds afterward, as the pilot went unconscious…. Just like that, the battle was over. The last remaining fighters were picked off, no mothership left to return to, nowhere to resupply. And, just like that, cheers began to rush through the streets of Neo Tokyo, as the now outnumbered Garsalan troops began to surrender, concluding that reinforcements were not coming. Just like that, it looked like mankind had its first victory.
Keyword, Looked… Before anyone knew it, something began to fall from the sky, something that bore a resemblance to the bombs of yesteryear. Though, just as they took notice of it, it was over. Within the bomb's chamber, the magnetic field keeping the antimatter from its regular counterpart soon collapsed, with the activation of a switch. And, as the collisions began, a wave of explosive force was soon thrown outward, A violet ball of light began to expand across the city, blinding those in Neo Tokyo’s center. But the damage did not end there, anything swallowed within the light looked to be erased, whether it be Buildings, weapons, or people. The devastation only expanded from there, the windows on the surrounding spires soon shattered, soon followed by the concrete and steel that kept the buildings standing. Something that did not bode well for the remaining inhabitants, who were soon crushed under the remains of the buildings, though, some were lucky enough to escape…
This especially held true for one child who dashed through the falling debris. To say that they were scared was an understatement, mortified was more accurate. Having most of those you knew shot or crushed was not a positive experience. Then, he saw it, in the distance was the black Vanguard Armor, though its name was unknown to him. He rushed to it to seek refuge nonetheless. But he was much too slow, crushed under the rock as well. Just like that,
The ruined city fell silent.
The very next morning, the pilot slowly opened his eyes, beginning to rub his forehead as he sat up.
“Man…. Did I win? Things got real fuzzy after that fighter shot me…”
Takeshi soon grabbed hold of the levers once again, as the display began to come up in front of Takeshi’s face.
“Gen 1 Machina- Aether Generation Machine, Gaojinizer.”
Though, given that he didn’t know English, this was not something he took notice of. What he did take notice of, however, was the camera’s coming on… And the destroyed buildings that surrounded him. Takeshi’s eyes widened.
“What?!”
He began moving the controls, standing his machine up, before the hum of the Gaojnizer’s engine began to echo through the streets, as the machine raised itself, and Takeshi’s seat began to rotate, he soon took notice of the fact, Neo Tokyo was nothing but a ruin... He stayed up for some time until two more people came to mind.
“Natsuo, Tsubasa!!”
Takeshi began to fly over the city, attempting to find his two friends. No, rather, his brothers’ amid the sea of corpses. Eventually, he took notice of something, a familiar face amidst the rubble, where the maglev formerly stood, there they were, Natsuo and Tsubasa… He smiled for a moment, in apparent relief...Until he took a closer look and noticed that everything from the neck down was buried under the rubble. The chances of them surviving, much to his chagrin, was extremely low.
His mind went blank in a moment as he fell to his hands and knees, slamming his fist into the bottom of the cockpit. Tears soon began to stream down his face, as he yelled out in both his grief and his anger... Victory achieved, but at what cost.