Now picture this, Maelstrom, a creature more colossal than the typical London double-decker, fixed his sights on Barkcode, a runt in comparison. His muscles oscillated, echoing a yearning for a good old fight, moreover, his surroundings were thrumming with the raw essence of his battle intent. The onlookers went silent, holding their breath, every soul bracing for the imminent clash of titanic forces. But, lo and behold, an unexpected twist to the plot!

Like a shot out of the blue, Symphy, nimble as a hare, swam into the fray. Known for her elegance and speed, she looped her grasper around Maelstrom in a shocking display of solidarity.

Without wasting a moment, Symphy yanked the massive Maelstrom away from the looming face-off, making a beeline for the exit. Maelstrom roared his disapproval, resisting her pull, but Symphy stood her ground, persisting with a firm gentleness that was clearly the result of Mentos's prior coaching.

Meanwhile, Yoad and Barkcode, now free from Maelstrom's looming threat, exhaled a sigh of relief. Yoad's face lost its tightness, and Barkcode’s posture slackened, appearing almost relieved. They had been teetering on the edge of a dangerous standoff.

In the eye of this storm, Kiera's face transitioned from shock to utter rage. Her grip tightened around her weapon's hilt as she spat at Mentos, "What devious tricks did you use to charm Maelstrom?" Her question ricocheted across the distribution lot, drawing the attention of more spectators.

With a spark of merriment flickering in his eyes, Mentos merely smirked and said, “It's a shame, isn't it? Your beast, now my chum," he jibed while pushing Kiera further to create a gap between them. Next, he stepped back with his posture mirroring hers - a combatant ready for the duel of Crossblades.

And what a duel it was between Kiera and Mentos! Their bodies were primed for mortal combat. Their swords which were extensions of their very beings resonated with their pride. The distribution lot transformed into their battlefield. Standing as witnesses were the silent audience of workers

“Let’s get this over with!” Mentos initiated the dance of death, his Shark Skimmer began to cut towards his target with incredible speed.

“Fhm.” Kiera acted as if she expected this strike. She adroitly flipped over him while issuing a counter. Serpent’s Lash extended in a slithering motion to bite at Mentos’s neck! But the brute’s quick reflex allowed him an extension to his life.

Clang!

The metallic ring of blade hitting blade echoed across the lot as Mentos blocked her swift retort.

“That isn’t all I’ve got for you!” Just after she landed, Kiera released a twisting storm of multiple whip strikes.

Slash! Slash!

The fight morphed into a deadly disco. Mentos's familiarity with Shark Skimmer was evident in his control of the jagged, shark-toothed blade. His swings were wide and powerful, especially when he released the metallic tether of his sword. It knew how to swim through the air to give its opponent’s weapon a hard time. Coupled with his footwork, Mentos created a complex manoeuvre designed to throw Kiera off her rhythm. And you know what, it worked, but only for a short time.

In contrast, Kiera brought a unique flair to the fight. Her movements were mirroring the slithering nature of her Serpent's Lash. She weaved around Mentos's wide and heavy attacks while trying to breach his defences with carefully executed strikes. Both combatants were of paramount calibre.

Boom! Boom!

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The distribution lot descended into pandemonium. Heavy machinery was crushed or sliced apart as the two warriors clashed, and their weapons were consistently leaving trails of destruction. Metal fragments flew as their swords crossed, marking the ferocity of their duel. The workers, once busy with their tasks, were retreating to a safer distance while calling for security.

At one point, Kiera used a heap of discarded materials as a springboard to launch herself into the air in a display of impressive agility. She descended towards Mentos with Serpent's Lash trailing behind her in a deadly sweep. However, Mentos, with a quick roll to the side, evaded the aerial assault, leaving the spot he'd occupied moments before marred by the blade of the Serpent's Lash.

The violent conflict went on that held everyone spellbound. Each attack was met with a counter, each dodge followed by a swift retaliation. It was a brutal exchange; neither side showed any signs of yielding.

"Let me help," Yoad had seen his share of battles back at the Hallows, but this was on another level, yet he offered to assist Mentos.

"I'm grateful you survived the crash, little lad, but this is my fight.” Mentos’s vision was trained on Kiera as he continued to say, “This biddy is going down by my blade."

"Biddy?" Hearing this blatant insult made Kiera’s face awash with fresh outrage. “How dare you insult my gorgeous looks!?” With a swift flick of her entire arm, she sent her Serpent's Lash whistling towards Mentos’s head. He rolled to the side again which caused the Blade Edge to split apart a conveyor belt.

“Fine, I’ll stay out of it. But I’m right here if you need my help.” Respecting Mentos's words, Yoad climbed onto Barkcode and kept a safe distance from the raging battle. The sight before him was too overwhelming for him to step in.

***

Back up top in the smoking corridor of Sphero's Inc, Hao found himself on the receiving end of the Pursuer’s rage. He had to be constantly flicking around the narrow space, dodging mini-missiles one after the other. The rhythm of the fight was playing against Hao’s favour, each beat had him skipping on his toes. However, just when he had found his rhythm, a colossal metallic fist seemed to materialise out of thin air. With a force that mirrored a falling comet, it smacked Hao fiercely in the face, catapulting him away from the combat scene.

Boom!

The impact was significant, causing Hao's grip on Judgment Day to falter. The coveted X-Class sword slipped from his hand, now spinning in the air while it descended. Hao's crashed into the embrace of a second droid. Its restrictive grasp was akin to steel clamps, allowing no room for escape.

Simultaneously, an augmented arm moved with swift agility to catch Judgment Day mid-fall. The smoke emanating from it was a clear indication of its recent clash. It withdrew slowly, revealing the man behind the powerful attack - Colgate, the imposing Imperial Hound. His tall, muscular figure was further accentuated by the billowing smoke oozing from his arm that he lost to his past encounter with Judgement Day, now replaced with a mechanical one; it held Hao's most precious asset.

Accompanying Colgate in the corridor was Diana, the red-haired Imperial Hound, and Snuzzle, the tall OSD operative with those piercing eyes. A few other droids completed the intimidating ensemble.

A smug smile played on Colgate's lips as he addressed Hao. "It's over Vee. You're going to be put away for a very long time, even the connections that your mother has will do you no good, not with the atrocities you’ve committed. Prepare for a long stay at Xellnot."

“Xellnot?” Upon hearing the name of the high-tech prison facility, a wave of dread washed over Hao who still had the taste of metal in his mouth. The prison was infamous for its harsh conditions and ruthless treatment of prisoners. Albeit blind, he had heard enough tales of its forbidding structure and torturous cells to paint a picture in his mind. It was not a place he wished to experience first-hand.

“Hold onto this will you.” Colgate swiftly passed the coveted Judgment Day to Diana, who handled the sword with caution, careful not to touch the hilt because she didn’t want to lose an arm like her colleague. She then instructed Snuzzle to apprehend Hao.

As Snuzzle stepped forward, his eyes fell on the sword in Diana's grip. A frown creased his forehead, ‘This is what the fuss is about, a common sword?’ He scrutinised Judgment Day. The sword did not take lightly to his dismissive attitude. Suddenly, an aura reached out from it that attempted to strangle him.

“Huh!” Snuzzle stepped back abruptly. A sheen of sweat coated his pale face, leaving him breathless. ‘What was that just now? It appears that I’m the only one who saw it…’

Noticing his sudden discomfort, Diana looked at him puzzled. "You ok, man?" Her inquiry was brief. After confirming that Snuzzle was ok, she gestured to Hao saying, "Go cuff him."

“Affirmative.” Snuzzle switched his attention back to Hao to complete his objective.