Chapter 8: Getting stronger

Aika, Rai, and Kaien were all ready to take on their next three opponents.

Three pilots. Three Zypsers. The battlefield was tense, each side staring down the other.

The Zypsers were the first to act. With furious roars, they ripped massive buildings out of the ground and gripped them tightly in their hands. Their rage was almost tangible as they hurled the towering structures toward the mechs like deadly projectiles.

Aika quickly pulled his planted scythe from the ground, its blade gleaming, and dodged the incoming barrage with swift precision. Rai and Kaien moved in sync, sidestepping the deadly rain of debris—though Rai wasn't as lucky. One of the buildings smashed into his mech, sending him staggering and rattling his systems. It wasn't fatal damage, but his mech's status indicators flashed with warnings.

Kaien's voice came through the comms.

Kaien: "Listen, guys. I'm going for the one on the left. Rai, you take the one on the right, and Aika—you're on the middle."

Rai and Aika: "Got it!"

Without wasting a second, Aika charged straight toward the middle Zypser. This one was different—it swung chains crackling with lightning energy. With a sudden lash, the chains wrapped around Aika's mech, binding it tightly. Bolts of electricity surged through the cables, striking Aika's mech over and over with brutal force. Sparks burst across his armor as the systems groaned under the overload.

But Aika didn't panic. His scythe's blade blazed with energy as he sliced through the chains in a single, clean motion. Freed from their grip, he launched forward, his scythe aimed directly at the Zypser's torso. The blade connected in a head-on slash, leaving a deep, jagged scar across the alien's body.

The Zypser roared in fury. It wasn't going down so easily. With terrifying speed, it lunged forward, grabbing Aika's mech in its bare hands and hurling him across the battlefield. The impact sent him crashing through the side of a skyscraper, tearing chunks of steel and concrete apart before the mech skidded to a halt.

Meanwhile, Kaien was holding his ground against his own opponent. His mech darted between the Zypser's blows, striking back with rapid counters.

Kaien: "Alright then—taste this!"

He unleashed a barrage of energy shots from his rifle, hammering the Zypser relentlessly. The alien staggered under the assault, but it wasn't enough to kill it. In retaliation, the Zypser launched a storm of missiles and energy blasts. Several connected, shaking Kaien's mech violently and cutting his energy reserves in half.

Kaien: "Not good… I'd better not use my gun too much, or I'll drain the rest of my energy. I'll have to rely on close combat."

He tossed the rifle aside and sprinted toward the Zypser, switching to pure melee combat.

Back on Aika's side, the fight raged on.

He was smashing through multiple buildings as the Zypser relentlessly pushed him back. But Aika wasn't done. He braced himself, then suddenly charged forward, his mech accelerating with explosive force.

With a massive leap, Aika launched himself into the air—rocketing 500 meters upward. The wind howled around him as he descended toward the Zypser, scythe drawn back and blazing with raw power. Lightning and fire erupted from the blade, and his entire mech was glowing with electrical energy.

Aika: "Hyah! Oblivion Scythefall!"

His voice roared across the battlefield, his mech letting out a mechanical bellow to match.

In the headquarters, all eyes were on the live feed.

The moment Aika's scythe connected with the Zypser below, the impact unleashed a massive explosion, a 100-meter-wide shockwave tearing through the ground. The force of the strike left a gigantic crater, lightning sparking violently around its edges. The Zypser was blasted apart in the explosion—at least, that's what Aika thought.

Aika: "Finally… that thing's destroyed completely."

But the smoke cleared in an instant. The Zypser still stood—barely. Half its body was gone, its systems failing, but its core was intact. Blood-like fluid leaked from its wounds, and its eyes still burned with rage.

Aika: "Y-you…"

Planting his scythe back into the ground, Aika charged forward at blinding speed. He slammed into the Zypser, grabbing its head and flinging it into the side of a massive skyscraper. Before it could recover, Aika was on it again, delivering a flurry of energy-powered punches. Each strike landed with earth-shaking force, denting armor and tearing circuits apart.

The Zypser reeled, but Aika didn't stop. He hurled it back toward the crater, yanked his scythe free, and drove the blade straight into its core. The Zypser convulsed violently before collapsing into silence. This time, it was truly destroyed.

Aika's breathing was heavy inside the cockpit. His rage hadn't completely settled, but he pulled himself together.

Aika: "Finally… it's over."

Back in the HQ, two officers watched in awe.

Kaito: "He's getting stronger, isn't he, Shido?"

Shido: "He is. That was… impressive. He took that Zypser apart like it was nothing."

Kaien's fight wasn't over yet.

The battle had devolved into a brutal hand-to-hand struggle. Kaien's agility and experience gave him the edge—until the Zypser drew its energy blades. The weapons sliced across Kaien's mech, leaving deep gashes and sparking wounds across its armor.

Kaien: "That's not good… I'll need my rifle for this. I'll go for a final core shot."

He broke away from the Zypser's strikes, weaving through its blade swings with expert dodges. His rifle lay on the ground behind him, and he made a dash for it. The moment he picked it up, he began charging the weapon's most powerful shot—a process that left him vulnerable.

The Zypser pressed the attack, launching a fresh volley of missiles and closing in with those deadly blades. Kaien rolled out of the path of each missile, narrowly sidestepping blade swings that could have cleaved his mech in half. Sparks flew as the blades scraped against his mech's arm plating.

Finally, the rifle's shot was ready.

Kaien: "Now… goodbye, alien."

He fired. The charged blast punched straight through the Zypser's core, ripping a massive hole in its chest. The alien let out one last, guttural roar before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.

Kaien: "Another one down."

Only one Zypser remained—the one Rai was fighting.

Chapter 8 Ends

To be continued…