1264 1264 Faceoff


    The two groups stood across an open field from each other, tensely waiting for the stalemate to be broken. Barely two hundred of the Greater Energy Beings were left, out of the thousand or more that had started this battle, against Max and Nico, in their Mecha.


    Gloriana, Nico had named his new Mecha Gloriana, a fitting title for the defence of the known universe, and an ironic nod to the Mecha of Max''s past life. For her own, she had chosen ''Death of Hope'', and for a change, it was not red and bone white, this one was polished ck with gold trim, a stark contrast against the shining gold with a few ck fittings on Gloriana.


    The Great Enemy understood that there would be no running this time, no turning incorporeal to try to escape, as it would only cause them to burn through energy faster. Their only hope was to hold their shapes and fight it out with these two Mecha, so that the rest of the forces would have a chance to finish their work and eliminate humanity once and for all.


    [Are we nning to fight them or stare at them?] Nico asked.


    [Both. The longer they dy, the more of their power they are losing. Can you feel it being pulled away from them?] Max replied.


    [I get it. Let them exhaust themselves first, then kill them all. Hey, do you think these are thest of them? If we finish a species, that''s worth bonus points, isn''t it?]


    Maxughed at Nico''s attempt at humour.


    [Indeed, it is worth bonus points. But I''m not certain that this is thest, and when we break their God, there are likely to be more of them.] Even Nico wasn''t sure if she should be happy about that news, but as they stared down the Great Enemy, Max could sense that they were far more terrified to be inbat at all than he was to fight a hundred to one odds.


    They were not thebat - minded sorts, they were simply forced into the role for the sake of the battle, and thanks to their immense power. That would be an advantage for Max and Nico, who would have no qualms about eliminating them, and who had far more experience in the matter than these enemies had killing humans.


    The enemy tensed, preparing tounch an assault, and both Mecha unleashed their fury. At the exact moment that the Mass Drivers'' brutal bark sounded, Ion Bombard Arrays shed with power, coated in the stolen energy from their opponents that the two Pilots had integrated into their bodies. Disintegrator energy pulsed a split secondter, avoiding interference with the first round of attacks, and then Fusion Fire spread from the two Mecha toward the enemy.


    In return, Laser beams of energy sizzled in the atmosphere, and des were formed in massive hands, prepared to charge.


    The ground shook with the force of the attacks, and the stabilizers on Gloriana struggled to keep up, even with Max''s Targeting Assistance from the System. This that the God had made was not well suited to such a battle, and the power of thebatants was tearing the maic field apart after the first volley.


    [Forward.] The leader of the Great Enemy mentally shouted, urging his troops into closebat.


    Nico and Max set aside their Ion Bombard Arrays, locking them to the back of their Mecha, and drew dual des.


    Warp bubbles formed around the two Mecha distorting space as Max raced toward his targets and then destabilized the field, creating a massive shockwave that threw the enemy to the ground. Glowing golden des sliced through simted flesh, and Max surged with stolen power as his opponent was drained dry.


    Beside him, Nico kicked a corpse out of the way, then sliced it in half for good measure. The sight panicked the enemy forces. There were too many of them to fight in this form, the Mecha would be surrounded by only a few of them, and none wanted to be the next to die.


    "Cowardly, through and through." Max decided.


    "But they sure do die well." Nico agreed.


    But in its rage, the Divine One had forgotten why it could not enter this ce, and the flow of energy did not stop. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    19:56


    Light shed to his left, and Max raised a de to parry a downward chop, then slid backward with his thrusters to avoid a thrust. A quick st from the Mass Drivers obliterated both opponents, and left a flickering afterimage on the sensors from the nuclear radiation.


    They would have to deal with thatter, he decided.


    The Great Enemy moved behind a low hill to regroup and formte a n, forgetting that Max could hear their every thought. This fight was too lopsided after the massacre by the other two mortal races, and none of their reinforcements had arrived.


    [You will fight. Any traitor that retreats is an enemy of the Divine One.] A booming mental voice echoed through the Rae 5 system.


    Even the regr humans on the''s surface heard it, and the mental force caused many to copse, screaming in pain.


    [Did you just call yourself the Divine One? Seriously, talk about a big Ego.] Max taunted as he bombarded the hapless Greater Energy Beings that were trapped here with him.


    That was likely a terrible idea, but if he waited until the so-called Divine One got the enemy moving and organized, they might just win.


    The rage of the God was immediate and intense, sending out a wave of energy that tore apart the and disintegrated thest of the Greater Energy Beings, while hurling Max and Nico through space as their Mecha struggled to keep ayer of shielding up against the attack.


    But in its rage, the Divine One had forgotten why it could not enter this ce, and the flow of energy did not stop.


    [Sylvie, are you still online? Help me get the breakers reset and the main power back online. I need a shield and I need thrusters, the rest can wait.] Max requested of the AI whose avatar projector he always kept with him.


    [I am here. I''m cut off from the rest of my processing power, but I can do enough. My other avatar is with Nico, their Mecha is also intact, but disabled.] Sylvie exined as she worked.


    Max opened the hatch below the cockpit and ducked down into the space, floating slightly as the Gravity ting became discharged, and began using the repair tool to rece blown out circuit boards and wires.


    [We''ve got shields. I''m working on thrusters and general mobility now. Can you reach CX4-A?] Sylvie requested.


    "I''m on it. Yeah, it''s totally fried, give me a second to rebuild the traces, and we will be working again."


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