Cobra's Aggression

"Um, hi," Mivangeline mumbled to Shien. "Th, thank you, very much."

"Mivangeline!" Shien zoomed up in front of her with a small piece of paper.

"Eep!" She flinched.

"May I have your autograph?"

"Eh?"

She turned to Chloridium, hoping he would tell her what to do.

"Hoho! It looks like you got a fan!" Chloridium chuckled. "I think you can handle yourself for a bit."

"No, wait!"

Chloridium left to talk to Ampyria.

"Ah, well, um, sure, I guess," Mivangeline took Shien's paper.

"I am such a big fan! I love your performances!"

"Oh?" Mivangeline signed the paper. "Eh, thanks. And, thank you for uh, helping."

"Of course!" Shien jumped with the paper. "My name is Shien. Nice to meet you!"

"Shien? Um, wait. Shien, Shien Niang?"

"Yah! How did you know?"

"My, my parents tell stories about your family. I'm Mivangeline. Um, a pleasure to meet you too."

The two shook hands.

"So," Mivangeline felt her cheeks being hot red. "You interested in… uh, the invitation?"

"Yes!" Shien swiped a tab in front of him.

He tapped the accept button. Mivangeline's notification tab rang.

"Hoho!" Chloridium walked towards the two. "Seems like we got our first acceptance of the campaign!"

"Heyo, Mivangeline!" Naivern landed on top of Shien.

"Ow! Oh my god!" Shien felt Naivern's feet on his back.

"Our goon squad is joining!" Naivern chuckled. "Ey, shortie! Did you get an autograph before me? No fair!"

"Grrr! Stop it! I am not short!" Shien flailed his arms and legs on the ground. "Get off me, loud girl!"

The two wrestled with each other. Mivangeline and Chloridium checked their campaign status. Only Shien and his group had joined so far.

"It may take time, Mivangeline," Chloridium patted Mivangeline's shoulder.

"Y… yeah, I guess," She mumbled, looking at the crowd rambling with confusion.

Suddenly, the entire arena shook.

"Whoa! What's going on?" Naivern stopped pulling at Shien's face.

The people panicked, running about in different directions.

"Cubic Regime," Chloridium signaled to the Syanic Police droids. "We gotta stop them!"

"Please remain calm!" Ampyria soared up. "The Syanic Police Force will fend off the attack. Any help is welcome. Those who don't wish to fight, please follow me and my squad. We will escort you away from the battlefield!"

She flew to the auditorium's entrance to meet with her squad.

"Commander," A Syanic Police droid ran to Mivangeline.

"Uh! Y, yes?" Mivangeline asked.

"The Cubic Regime has deployed a rocketeer cobra along with a battalion of scrounger drones!"

"Oh no. Um, how's the Syanic Police?"

"Ampyria has already taken a squad to lead the other players away. The rest of our forces are facing high casualties!"

"Did any players offer a hand by any chance?" Chloridium asked.

The droid shook his head.

"Then, we will fight them ourselves," Mivangeline said. "I, I will come to help."

"Can we help?" Shien and Naivern asked.

"Um, would you two mind?"

"Course we don't mind!" Naivern grinned. "Dang it, man! Where's Ritom and the others?"

"Ritom!" Shien shouted at his contacts tab. "Where's the mechanic when you need him?"

"Oh, guys!" Ritom replied to the contact. "Sorry! Ouch, this crowd is aggressive!"

"We are going to help Mivangeline!"

"Oof! Chillax girl, stop yelling at me!"

"You stepped on my tail!" Elysia yelled through the contact. "You wanna die?"

"Gracious me! Settle down, my dear Vulpi companion!" Enshiron said.

"Do not worry, Shien," Phoenicia's voice sounded. "We will unite with you outside to repel the enemy until the crowd disperses."

***

The group ran outside of the arena to enter an exploding battlefield. The police droids and the Saberdome turrets struggled to keep the cubic forces at bay.

Mivangeline jumped in front of the Syanic Police droids, slicing the cubic warriors down with her daggers. Chloridium hopped in, blasted the cubic soldiers with his arm cannons. Shien and his friends nodded at each other, pouncing into the fight alongside the two.

"Scrounger drones!" Chloridium warned.

A swarm of wasps made of squares darted towards the police droids, draining their life away with their stingers.

Cubic Scrounger Drone

Level 42

HP: [12,300/12,300]

"The scroungers are weak, but there's too many of them!" Chloridium slashed a scrounger away with his wrist blades.

"Ugh, what now?" Mivangeline protected a police droid from a cubic warrior.

"Don't worry!" Shien slammed his clarinet on a scrounger. "Naivern can help! Hey, loud girl! Do your thing!"

"Oh yeah! Thought you'd never ask, shortie! Let's kick things up a forte!" Naivern activated her DJ wings.

She perched on top of a fountain behind the police droids. Naivern slammed her hand on the guitar, launching synth waves at the swarm of drones. The sky exploded with flames as the buggy drones fell like rain. She jammed on her guitar to grant the team fiery shields. Naivern played a melody to activate her two traits, boosting the stats of the group with her Hyper DJ while dropping the cubic forces' stats with her Symphonic Jammer.

"Hoho, that was cool!" Chloridium blasted a cubic warrior with an arm cannon.

A screeching howl sounded. Rockets exploded at the Saberdome Arena.

"There!" Mivangeline pointed.

The group saw an enormous snake made of cubes slithering towards the arena It arched its long neck, towering over the buildings. The cobra howled as its hood fired a massive payload of rockets at the Saberdome Arena. The arena's turrets were shot down one by one. Its fangs fired liquid lasers, vaporizing all within its range.

Cubic Rocketeer Cobra

Level 80

HP: [95,990/95,990]

Trait 1: Infrared Scent

Trait 2: Hysteric Resort

"Not good," Shien turned to Mivangeline. "You got a plan?"

"Uh," Mivangeline hesitated. "Um, okay. Well, last time I remembered fighting one, the cobra's armor was tough. But, the back of the head covering the core system is the weakest part."

"Hoho, that's music to my ears!" Chloridium said.

"We, uh, just need some people to attack the cobra from behind," Mivangeline looked at Shien. "Shien. Um, maybe your friends can do that?"

"Sure thing!" Shien looked at Ritom and the others. "You guys good with that?"

"Sounds good!" Ritom grinned, swiveling his blade.

"You heard the little one!" Enshiron blasted a cyclone arrow at a scrounger drone.

Shien frowned as the others jumped away. Phoenicia pounced back to give Shien a quick pat on the head before leaving.

"Grrr!" Shien flailed his arms hysterically.

The three and the police squad soon encountered the enemy face to face. They looked up to see each of the rectangular segments looming over them. The segments arched up to its square-shaped head. Its red diamond eyes flashed at their faces.

"Whoa!" Chloridium shook his spiky hair. "My vision is all red!"

"Oh no!" Mivangeline blinked. "I forgot! Not this! We're blind!"

"Crap!" Shien exclaimed. "What happened?"

He saw a tab within the redness.

Shien Niang

Level 99

HP: [33,899/78,750]

👓Superorbital Inferno👓

The cobra roared, spitting liquid laser. The group fell, feeling the singe of the lasers brazing their bodies. Most of the droids were destroyed.

"Yo, ugly!" Naivern whistled at the cobra from the sky. "Ever felt the power of music? Why don't you feel my fiery forte!"

Naivern jammed on her guitar. Her DJ wings released a salvo of flaming missiles. The cobra groaned as the projectiles exploded on its large head. It slithered towards Naivern's direction.

"I… I am so sorry guys," Mivangeline stood up. "I, uh, should have remembered that as a commander."

"Ugh, dang it," Chloridium shook his head. "Seriously, I told you about the cubic technology as your android guide! You didn't remember?"

"Okay, okay, slow down, Chloridium," Shien went up to Mivangeline.

"I will never be able to lead," Mivangeline murmured.

"Hey, look at me," Shien held her close. "You can do this, okay? Yes, you screwed up, but don't let that get you down. You keep on learning and fixing your mistakes, alright?"

Mivangeline looked at Shien, uncertain of what to say.

"Come on, Mivangeline! No time to overthink!" Chloridium blasted his arm cannon on the cobra's back. "We need you!"

The plasma ball darted at the machine. The cubic creature wailed in pain, angrily slithering to Chloridium. It swiped its tail at the firing droids, sending them flying.

"Mivangeline," Shien continued. "We will do all we can to help. But things happen, you can't change that. It won't help to keep thinking about it. You have to keep getting back on your feet when you fall, okay?"

She made a tiny nod.

"C'mon, let's do this," Shien smiled.

"Alright, what now, commander?" Chloridium asked.

"Okay," Mivangeline looked at the roaring cobra. "Aim for the eyes."

"Got it!" Shien's clarinet transformed into its shotgun form.

He shot one of the diamond-shaped eyes. The cobra roared as the eye exploded. It flailed its head across the air.

"Ow!" Shien felt a tight tug on his leg.

An injured cubic warrior dragged him onto the floor, about to stab him with its gun sword.

Cubic Warrior

Level 45

HP:[1,523/45,000]

The cobra's fangs fired liquid lasers at Shien.

"Shien!" Without thinking, Mivangeline darted in front of Shien.

She blocked the laser trajectory with her knives as Chloridium ran to help Shien.

"Get off me!" Shien kicked the gun sword away.

Chloridium jumped onto the cubic warrior, finishing it off with a machine gun. He then picked Shien up.

"Hey, thanks," Shien said. "But how did Mivangeline block that?"

"One of her traits is Paladin's Aegis," Chloridium noted. "She can activate it once per 30 minutes to taunt all enemies towards her for a full minute. Mivangeline's defense spikes by 60% along with her other stats temporarily boosting by 30% plus immunity to all negative status effects."

"Whoa, that's cool," Shien then noticed his health increased dramatically. "Huh? How did I get healed?"

"Her other trait, Martyr's Altruism. She can transfer her health to allies."

Mivangeline Shuruuko

Level 88

HP:[173/72,990]

Trait 1: Paladin's Aegis

Trait 2: Martyr's Altruism

"I got the other eye!" Naivern slashed a synth-wave at the cobra's other eye.

It thrashed its long body around, crushing nearby buildings. Mivangeline took a deep breath. Her hands felt the intense heat from her knives, which were reddened by the lasers.

Cubic Rocketeer Cobra

Level 95

HP:[51,842/95,990]

"That thing's got a lot of defense and HP!" Chloridium fired another arm cannon at the cobra.

"Mivangeline," Shien ran to her, giving her one of his Eonspace Brews. "Here, you need this. You saved me there. Thanks."

"Of, course," Mivangeline blushed, consuming the item.

"Whoa!" Naivern frantically flew through the clouds to dodge the cobra's lasers.

The laser brazed her wings.

Naivern Misshia

Level 88

HP: [36,269/71,800]

"Aw, man!" Naivern quickly landed on a building near the group. "I hate it when that happens! So not cool!"

She unequipped her smoking wings in a tab. Naivern jumped to Shien.

"How could that thing fire at me?" Naivern complained. "I thought we took its eyes out!"

"The cobra has the trait, infrared scent," Chloridium explained. "It doesn't need eyes to find its enemies."

"We have to be careful now. I think it used its hysteric resort trait," Mivangeline mumbled. "I remember the cobra grants itself cyber frenzy and nuclear rejuvenation status when its health is close to half."

"What?" Naivern gasped.

The group looked at the cobra. It thrashed around with rage, blasting the ground with its lasers. The police droids disintegrated into black dust.

Cubic Rocketeer Cobra

Level 95

HP:[71,347/95,990]

💢 Cyber Frenzy 💢

🩹 Nuclear Rejuvenation 🩹

"With nuclear rejuvenation," Chloridium fired at the enormous snake. "It will keep on healing itself!"

"Don't worry! I got this!" Shien dashed at the cubic cobra.

"Wait!" Mivangeline gasped. "You will get killed!"

"Nah, he won't!" Naivern grinned. "He may be a shortie, but that sassy dude has a trick up his sleeve!"

Shien slammed his clarinet at the cobra's belly. The cubic monstrosity roared, flailing its head across the air. Shien then swiped his clarinet away in a tab, giving the cobra a ruthless chain of punches.

Cubic Rocketeer Cobra

Level 95

HP:[55,575/95,990]

🕱 Antijuvenoid Prozosis 🕱

"Hoho! Nice anti heal!" Chloridium jumped. "I never knew that Shien was capable of inflicting such a status effect!"

Shien continued to pummel the cobra's belly until its long tail slapped him away.

"Shien!" The others yelled.

Shien was sent flying onto a building. His health lowered by half as he lay unconscious. The cobra slammed his head on the ground, creating a damaging shockwave that paralyzed the others on the ground, including Shien. It then lowered its head to Shien. Liquid laser drooled from its fangs as it flicked its tongue.

"No, no!" Naivern struggled for her guitar. "Where are you, Ritom? We need you now!"

Chloridium writhed on the ground as the electrical attack disrupted his circuits.

"Shien," Mivangeline squirmed from the paralysis sparks. "No! This can't be!"

The cobra opened its large mouth, darting its head at Shien.

"Shien!" The girls screamed, closing their eyes.

The cobra screamed. Mivangeline and Naivern saw someone punching the cobra's fangs off. The large snake recoiled back with nasty gray liquid oozing out of its mouth. Phoenicia stood in front of Shien.

"It would be wise to watch what you consume!" Phoenicia cocked her gauntlets.

"Why don't you taste the mechanic's pyro slash!" Ritom slashed his huge flaming blade across the cobra's back.

The cobra screeched as Elysia and Phoenicia jumped on its head, pounding their knuckles to crush the weakened armor covering the core.

"This would be the optimal time, Enshiron!" Phoenicia said.

"Indeed! For the grand finale has come!" Enshiron drew his violin string, launching the bow at the core.

Elysia and Phoenicia pounced off the cobra's back as the cyclone bow exploded onto the core. The cobra shrieked, as its health dropped to zero. It disintegrated into a horde of blue hexagons. The rest of the gang tended to Shien and the others.

"Loud girl," Ritom gave Naivern a Kyberium Antidote.

"Ugh, thanks," Naivern replied, relieved to be able to move again.

"Shien," Mivangeline worried as Elysia helped her up.

"He's temporarily unconscious," Phoenicia held Shien. "But do not worry, I restored his health using an Eonspace Brew."

Ritom got some tools out to repair Chloridium.

"I say, that was way too close!" Enshiron said. "We were lucky to have heroically come before our favorite shortie became that thing's lunch!"

"Yeah, but thankfully, we all are still alive," Elysia smiled, twitching her Vulpi ears.

"True, we would have been fried if it weren't for you guys," Naivern chuckled. "You guys saved us there."

"Who? What? Where?" Chloridium woke up, accidentally punching Ritom.

"Ow! That's how you thank me for repairing you?" Ritom pointed his wrench at him.

The gang laughed. They warmly hugged each other, relieved to have survived the cubic onslaught.