Chapter 25: High Stakes, High Rewards

Varia

While my brother went to get his and Deros's mech, I activated my nanobot power armor, but the energy output of my chip wasn't enough to conjure up the entire suit at once.

But I could pick and choose which parts of the suit I had

I had the electro levitation and my arm cannon activated and fired at the boy cracking the barrier. My eyes widened as I he drew closer to him. He had the same blond hair as Deros, but it was slightly longer, partially tied back in a ponytail. His eyes were also greenish, not a pure sky blue.

This city's mayor earlier had brought up multiverse tree theory. Another part of that theory claimed there were people in other worlds that looked and sometimes even acted just like us. This boy must've been the Titanos' Deros...

His green-blue eyes widened as he saw my face. I probably reminded him of someone from his world too. I chuckled to myself. Maybe it was proof Deros and I were soulmates or something.

The Titanos-Deros turned his attention towards me, his eyes narrowing. He raised his hand, countering my attack with one of his own. The force was so powerful, it sent me flying back, skidding across the ground. I grimaced, pushing myself back up.

"Who are you? Why do you look like commander Wilneth?" demanded, his gaze cold and hard.

Wilneth? Was that my counterpart's name? Ugh. Poor lady. I would probably join an evil space empire too if my parents had named me that.

"Varia," I replied, standing tall. "And I won't let you hurt these people."

He scoffed. "My intent isn't to hurt them." He pointed his glowing fist at me. "Surrender to the Great Empire of Titanos and we will spare you and everyone else in this city. Resist and I cannot promise you will live to tell the tale."

"Ha. The me from your universe must be a wimp if you think I would just surrender without a fight!"

The Titanos-Deros smirked a little. "No, Wilneth would've said the same thing as you. Guess it isn't just the pretty face you share."

My cheeks warmed up. Dang, Deros with an edge was still a charmer. Although, while charming, he was still my enemy.

We clashed again, our powers colliding with a loud crash. The ground beneath us shook, and I could hear the terrified screams of the people around us. If they hadn't looked out to see, they probably thought it was a giant quake. Gritting my teeth, I pushed harder, pouring all my energy into my attack.

But the Titanos-Deros was just as strong, if not stronger. He managed to break through my defense, his ki powered fist hitting me square in the chest. I cried out, the force of the blow sending me flying back once again.

I hit the ground hard, pain shooting through my body. If not for the nanobots imitating graphite to absorb the blow, I would've died.

Gritting my teeth, I stood up and wiped the blood from my lips. I refused to stay down. I had to keep fighting. He wasn't the only commander here. I had to represent Quudra, no, all of Retra.

Looking up, I saw the Titanos-Deros approaching me, smirking. I braced myself, ready to block and 'counterpunch' his next attack. But before he could reach me, a loud roar filled the air. I looked up to see a pair of mechas flying towards us. Relief washed over me as I recognized them.

"Vyran!" I cried, a small smile playing on my lips. Although, he could've made a better entrance. He basically wasted the element of surprise. Also, he had yet to get Aegisa to Deros.

He fired at the Titanos mechs in the sky. 

I gasped as the commander's palm slammed against my stomach, sending me flying into the town hall. This is what I got for not paying attention to my enemy.

My body slammed against the wall of the town hall, knocking the wind out of me. I struggled to push myself up, my vision blurring. Pain shot through my body, each movement a struggle. I could taste blood in my mouth, the metallic tang reminding me of the severity of my situation.

But I didn't have time to wallow in pain. The fight was still ongoing. I had to get back out there.

With a grunt, I forced myself to stand. My body protested, but I pushed through the pain. I could rest later. Right now, I had a city to protect. The nanobots quickly got to work in repairing my body.

Outside, the battle raged on. Vyran was doing his best to hold off the enemy mechs, but he was outnumbered. Deros was doing his best to assist, but without a mech of his own, he was at a disadvantage.

I activated my arm cannon again, shooting at the Titanos-Deros. He easily blocked my attack, his smirk never leaving his face.

"You're being quite stubborn, Varia," he remarked, his voice filled with amusement.

"Call it what you want," I shot back, charging at him. "I won't let you win!"

He smiled slightly and nodded. "You are a commendable warrior. Resolute and strong, but can you truly hope to join? Sure, on this planet you currently got the numbers, but the people of this world aren't fighters. In contrast to certain other worlds in certain other realms."

I wiped away the blood and activated my arm cannon. "If you're trying to get me to give up, you are mistaken! I won't surrender to you!"

The blue aura of his fist intensified. "Oh, I never did. I know someone just like you, so I expected you be as stubborn as her. Thus far, you sure have been. But, it is always worth a try. Like my grandfather always said, life is full of chances. High stakes come with high rewards!"

His words rang in my ears, a stark reminder of the immense challenge I was up against. But instead of spurring fear, it ignited a fierce determination within me. 

"High stakes, huh?" I muttered under my breath, a smirk playing on my lips. "Well, I hope you're prepared to lose big."

With that, I launched myself at Titanos-Deros, my arm cannon blazing. He met my attack head on, his blue aura clashing against my red energy. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the area, causing the ground beneath us to tremble.

I could feel my energy depleting with each attack, my body screaming in protest. But I pushed on, refusing to back down. I couldn't afford to lose. Not now. Not when so much was at stake.

But despite my best efforts, Titanos-Deros was just too strong. Each of his attacks were more powerful than the last, his energy seemingly limitless. I was pushed back, my body slamming against the rubble of a destroyed building.

Pain shot through my body, my vision blurring. But I shook it off, pushing myself back up. I could hear the sounds of the ongoing battle around me, the screams and cries of the terrified citizens. The enemy was getting through the broken defenses. The Titanos commander made the right move. He risked his life to break through, forsaking his mecha. Like he said, high stakes came with great rewards. His gamble, it was paying off.

But had to keep fighting. I had to protect them. If this guy wanted to win, he would have to beat me!

Gritting my teeth, I charged at Titanos-Deros again, my arm cannon blazing. I put everything I had into this attack, my determination burning brighter than ever.

But just as I was about to land my attack, a sudden force slammed into me from the side. I was thrown off course, my attack missing its target. I crashed into the ground, the impact knocking the wind out of me.

I groaned, struggling to push myself up. My body felt heavy, my energy nearly depleted. I looked up, my eyes widening in shock as I saw the source of the attack.

It was a mech, one I didn't recognize. It was massive, its body armored and equipped with an array of deadly weapons. Its eyes glowed a sinister green, its gaze fixed on me.

"Varia!" Vyran's voice rang in my ears, his tone frantic. "You need to get out of there!"

But it was too late. The enemy mech was already charging towards me, its weapon raised. I could only form a barrier as it swung its arm. The force of the attack shattered the barrier and sent me flying.

I crashed back into the town hall building, the impact causing chunks of stone and metal to fall around me. Pain shot through my body, my vision fading. The last thing I remember was the sound of Vyran's voice, calling out my name, before everything went black.