The distribution lot was a veritable reflection of destruction, all crunching metal and panting combatants. Right in the eye of the storm, Kiera and Mentos put on a real show. Their duel was like an extreme choreographed stunt, all deadly pirouettes and slashing blades. Atop the trailer, Kiera's weapon, the Serpent's Lash was chopping through a container like it was made of tissue paper, heading directly for her opponent. But Mentos wasn't going to be her chopping board. Thus He hopped out of the way faster than a rabbit on a hotplate, leaving the trailer to swallow the brunt of her assault. The containers burst open, disgorging their contents and spewing debris like a pinata gone horribly wrong.
"Keep your head down!" Yoad's voice carried across the lot like a warning siren. He was perched atop his Bastian like a cowboy at a rodeo, a safe distance from the bedlam unfolding ahead. His eyes were as round as saucers and his fingers strained from clutching the reins. The Bastian beneath him chuffed and snorted while doing its best to stay clear of the battle.
In the heart of it, Mentos was cool as a cucumber. He faced Kiera and announced, "This is getting about as exciting as watching paint dry. Let's wrap this up shall we!" After saying this, he took a couple of steps backwards before releasing his physical grasp on Shark Skimmer. It was held aloft, hovering in the air like a magic trick, thanks to Mentos' Sword Link. The teeth of the sword fanned out, spinning into a swirl that conjured up an eerily realistic Sharknado. This seething maelstrom barrelled into Kiera with a blow that sent her flying backwards into a hunk of machinery. Parts of her clothes got shredded, she was looking like she had been through a blender.
“Shark Skimmer!” Mentos reclaimed his sword with a valiant shout. The sword pieces snapped back together with a sound like a lock clicking into place, and he sheathed it with a swagger. He hopped off the remains of the trailer, his boots crunching on the wreckage as he ran toward Yoad. "Time to hit the road, lad!"
“Yes!” Yoad, atop Barkcode, stuck close to Mentos' heels like a faithful puppy, he was glad to be reunited. They headed for the lot's exit where Acadian and Symphy were hanging out. But their buddy-buddy moment was cut short when something whipped around Yoad, yanking him off his mount. It was Kiera's Whip Blade, and she apparently had a lot of fight left in her.
"Yoad!" Mentos cried out while twisting around to look at the fallen youth. At the same time, he noticed the incoming presence of the menacing Pursuer droids rolling in from the opposite end, which made him abandon Yoad and book it for the exit.
“Growl!” Barkcode, however, was more loyal, it turned back to aid its master only to be tamed by Kiera.
“Go after him!” After domineering the beast, she scrambled onto it and hauled Yoad along as she kick-started a chase after Mentos. "Get your butt back here!" Kiera’s loud voice reverberated throughout the surroundings.
Mentos was already astride Acadian and spurring Symphy to whisk them away into the bustling streets. “Let’s get it!”
The chase was well and truly on. Kiera wasn't far behind, and the Pursuer droids who were remote-controlled by Wiz's Bubble Bot, were hot on her trail. “Stop where you are in the name of the law!” Their mechanical command was duly ignored.
Crank up the sound!
The chase through the jam-packed streets was another spectacle entirely. Ground transportation swerved to avoid the mad rush, horns blared in warning, and pedestrians scattered like ants.
“Get out of the way!” Mentos and the Bastians were darting through the traffic with the grace of an Olympic figure skater. His eyes were laser-focused on the road ahead while his brain was running routes and contingencies like a supercomputer. Acadian and Symphy, both loyal partners, darted swiftly and surely.
“Maelstrom! Stop where you are and Shake that bastard off!” Kiera, riding Barkcode, was a force of nature. She was carving a path of devastation with her Whip Blade constantly slashing towards Mentos, but he was out of her reach and to top it off, her Bastian wasn’t listening to her.
“Ah-uh! Slow down, lady!” Poor Yoad was getting the rollercoaster ride from hell. He was getting yanked this way and that, swaying like a marionette with each of Kiera's wild movements. It was pandemonium, unfiltered and raw. His hands were gripping Barkcode so tightly they might just meld together. "This is not my day," he grumbled.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Up top, near the peak of Sphero's Inc, Hao found himself backing out onto a balcony. This wasn't just any balcony, mind you. It was a grand structure, adorned with carvings that was nothing short of amazing. The balcony overlooked the sprawling city of Portal Bay, a sight that would have been awe-inspiring if Hao could see it. The wind up here was fierce, bashing against Hao like an angry beast and threatening to throw him off balance.
As Hao moved further from Vibe Edge's proximity, his unique vision lessened. He was practically blind at this point, relying solely on his other senses to navigate. He clung to Judgment Day while his back braced against the supporting rails and he listened to the sounds of a clash coming from inside the workstation where Quory and Snuzzle were locked in an intense battle of visual sharpness.
Their Gaze Cutter technique was creating a storm of energy that was whipping around the room, throwing equipment and debris around like they were toys.
“Damn, that’s intense. I can taste their gaze in my mouth.” Colgate and Diana who were guarding each other’s back were in awe. They were also astounded that Snuzzle could stand so close to Quory's Gaze Cutter and not flinch.
“Is that sweat I see trickling down your brows?” With a smile on her face, Quory taunted Snuzzle’s struggle.
Just outside the horrors playing out in the room, Euphy was stirring. She shook off the pain from Diana's Chasing Cyclone Prowler attack like a dog shaking off water. Rising to her feet, the Sword Fish began moving through the corridor set on finding Hao.
Back in the workstation, a piece of machinery flew through the air, heading straight for Colgate and Diana. They dodged it just in time, the object crashed into the wall behind them. Quory and Snuzzle were still locked in their clash, their gazes were sharpening against each other like two swords grinding together.
“Huh!” Suddenly, Quory's energies dwindled slightly.
Snuzzle noticed this immediately. ‘Her gaze is weakening, maybe I can get a hit through to her now,’ he thought. Moving swiftly, he thrust forth his Silver Chariot, aiming to penetrate the gaze barrier and strike Quory. But it was no match for her indomitable Sword Spirit. She didn't even draw her sword.
Quory's hearing was as sharp as Hao's. She heard the incoming presence of Euphy and lowered her defence. Just then, Euphy swam into the room, blasting past Colgate, Diana, and Snuzzle. She made her way to the balcony where Hao was.
"Huh, Euphy?" Hao sensed the Sword Fish's presence and jumped at the right moment, landing directly on its hide. With Hao on her back, Euphy swam away through the air, leaving the workstation behind.
“He’s getting away!” The Imperial Hounds were not pleased to see Hao escaping. Thus they shouted in frustration.
Diana tried to dash to the balcony, but Quory blocked her with Gaze Cutter. “Damn, you!” Diana didn't let this stop her. “Go, Night Hawk!” She released a deadly slash that escaped Quory's attentive gaze. It soared through the sky until it caught up with Euphy and cut off Hao's left arm partially.
“Ah!” Hao screamed in pain when he felt the severing of flesh. Albeit blood was flying from his wound, Euphy continued swimming away. Hao needed help, and he needed it fast.
"You wench!" Quory shouted at Diana, moreover, locked her eyes on her as she reached for her sword poised at her waist. Her fingers began wrapping around the hilt with a firm grip. The air around her seemed to crackle with energy. This was a clear sign of her rising anger.
"Everyone retreat!" Snuzzle shouted, warning the others. He knew something terrible would happen if Quory unleashed her mighty weapon. Hence, they needed to get out of there quickly.
“You’ve pissed me off.” With these words leaving her glossy lips, so did her Blade Edge escape its scabbard.
BOOM!
A major explosion occurred at the peak of Sphero's Inc. Mentos, who was fleeing on the road, looked back just in time to see a blinding radial slash spreading out from the top of the building. Shattered glass and other debris were flying everywhere, and even though the sun was out, the blasting light was visible.
"What the hell happened there? I hope Vee is okay," he muttered while staring in shock. Then, he noticed Hao and Euphy flying above, away from Sphero's Inc. "They escaped," A smile spread across his face. He didn't notice Hao's injury due to the distance.
"They made it out, we should also lose our pursuers," Mentos glanced back at Kiera who was still coming after him.
“Go faster you damn beast!” SPANK! Kiera had Barkcode hop over a Beast-Carriage and increase its speed, trying to shake off the droids following them.
"Symphy, lift us out of here!" Mentos commanded the Sword Fish who was pulling Arcadian along. But Arcadian was too heavy for Symphy alone to lift. However, she did increase their speed, putting more distance between them and Kiera.
"Dammit!" Kiera cursed when she saw Mentos and the Bastians getting further away.
In the moment of her expletives, one of the Pursuer droids pulled up beside her, trying to get her to pull over, “Stop in the name of the law!”
“Piss off, rust bucket!” She destroyed it with her Whip Blade and then took a different route to lose the rest of the droids. She was upset that Mentos had gotten away with her Bastian-Maelstrom.