Chapter 53 - Unit Test (7)

"That's a pseudo-evolved beast huh," River said, her voice steady. "Get ready, everyone. Time to kill it."

The unit scrambled to their feet, their nano-tech suits activating in an instant.

Nathan's wings unfurled, his katana gleaming in the sunlight.

Marcus's hands crackled with electricity, while Maria's vines sprouted from the ground, ready to strike.

Lucas stood silently, his longsword poised for battle, and River activating her geokinesis already, causing the earth to shift beneath her feet.

The beast roared again, its massive claws slashing through the air as it charged toward them.

Nathan smirked, his exhaustion replaced by adrenaline. "Let's take this thing down."

The pseudo-evolved beast roared, its massive form towering over Nathan's unit as it charged at them.

The fight was all out from the start.

The creature extended it's steel-like claws from its fingers, slashing through the air with terrifying speed and precision.

Nathan darted around the beast, his wings propelling him through the air as he immediately went for its legs with his katana.

The blade cut deep, but the beast's scaly hide was tough, and the wounds weren't enough to bring it down.

River used her geokinesis to create spikes of earth that shot up from the ground, aiming to impale the creature.

ROAR

The beast roared in pain as the spikes pierced its underside, but it retaliated with a swipe of its claws, forcing River to dive out of the way.

BOOM

Marcus unleashed a barrage of lightning bolts, the electricity crackling across the beast's body and causing it to stagger. But even that wasn't enough to stop it.

Maria's vines shot out from the ground, wrapping around the beast's limbs in an attempt to restrain it.

The creature thrashed around violently, straining the vines it's immense strength. "I can't hold it for long!" Maria then shouted, her voice strained as she poured more focus and energy into holding the beast down with her vines.

Nathan saw an opening and took it without hesitation.

He flew high into the air, his wings spreading wide as he prepared to use a new move he created a while back.

Feathers began to float gently from his wings, each one seemingly glowing faintly with energy.

With a flick of his wrist, the feathers shot toward the beast at incredible speeds, piercing through its thick hide and leaving numerous holes in its body.

ROAR

The creature roared in agony, its movements slowing as blood poured from its wounds.

But even after that, it still wasn't done yet. The beast swung its massive claws at Nathan, forcing him to dodge quickly.

Maria, seeing the opportunity, summoned more vines from the ground, this time using the trees around them to her advantage.

The branches shot out, piercing the beast's body and wrapping around its limbs.

The creature struggled, but the combined force of Maria's vines and the tree branches held it in place—at least for now.

Marcus didn't waste the chance. He immediately conjured a massive lightning spear, the electricity crackling and sparking as he launched it at the beast.

BOOM

The spear struck the creature's chest, causing a blinding explosion of light and energy.

When the smoke cleared, the beast was still standing, but barely. Its body was scorched and bleeding, its movements sluggish and uncoordinated.

Nathan and Lucas exchanged a glance before rushing in together.

Nathan's katana and Lucas's longsword gleamed in the sunlight as they slashed at the beast's neck in unison.

The blades cut deep, severing the creature's head from its body.

The pseudo-evolved beast let out one final, guttural roar before it's head was cut off then collapsed to the ground, dead.

The unit stood there for a moment, their chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath.

This fight had been their hardest yet. It had taken almost everything they had, and they were all honestly really tired.

Nathan deactivated his wings, landing on the ground with a groan. "That... was something," he said, his voice hoarse.

Maria flopped onto the ground, her vines retracting as she let out a tired sigh. "I'm never doing that again."

Marcus leaned against a tree, his hands still crackling faintly with electricity. "Speak for yourself. That was awesome."

River chuckled weakly, checking their watch. "We just took down a pseudo-evolved beast. That's gotta be worth a lot of points."

And yet before they could celebrate, the sound of footsteps reached their ears.

Nathan's eyes narrowed as he turned toward the source of the noise.

"Haaa," he sighed, his wings unfurling and his suit encasing him once more as he prepared for another fight. "Can't we get a break?"

He immediately tilted his head to the side, narrowly avoiding an energy blast that whizzed past his ear.

The blast struck a tree behind him, leaving a smoldering hole in its trunk. Nathan smirked, his eyes locking onto the figure emerging from the trees.

"Is that any way to greet your best friend... Natasha?" he said, his tone playful but his body tense.

Natasha stepped into view, her energy rifle slung over her shoulder and a mischievous grin on her face.

Her unit followed close behind, their expressions a mix of amusement and readiness.

"Sorry, Nate," she said, her voice teasing. "But you know how it is. No hard feelings, right?"

Nathan's smirk widened. "None at all. But if you're looking for a fight, you're gonna lose you know."

"Oh really. Let's see about that."

And now units faced each other.