Chapter 75: Upgrade

Sarudei

[Meanwhile]

Retas and I would have been shot by the pink ki blasts, if not for a pair of orange ki barriers deflecting the attacks.

I looked over my shoulder and saw Aiden smiling, his hands glowing with residual energy.

"Nice cover," Retas said before rushing out of the room.

I followed after him, my heart pounding in my chest. The urgency to complete our mission and escape was palpable.

A pink-haired girl, Tira, rushed at Retas with a fierce kick, but Retas blocked it with a swift movement, his expression cold and resolute.

"Stand down, Tira," Retas said, his voice icy and calm.

Tira snickered, her eyes glinting with malice. "Under what authority? You might be a commander back home, but here, you are nothing but a dirty traitor. It sure was awfully nice of you to come out of hiding. It saved us the trouble of finding you!" She leapt back and launched another salvo of pink ki blasts at us.

Ret and I both jumped out of the way and hid for covered, not that the concrete pillars offered much protection if any from her blasts

. "We need to buy Aiden more time," I said, my voice steady even as I rolled out of harms way.

Retas nodded, his gaze locked on Tira. "Agreed. Sarudei, let's keep her occupied."

With a determined nod, I readied myself for the fight. Tira's attacks were relentless, but we couldn't let her disrupt Aiden's work.

Tira laughed, a cruel sound that echoed through the corridor. "Do you really think you can stop me? You're nothing but a bunch of fools playing hero."

"We'll see about that," Retas replied, his voice unwavering.

With a sudden burst of speed, Tira lunged at us, her fists glowing with pink energy. Retas met her head-on, their ki clashing in a dazzling display of power. I circled around, looking for an opening to strike.

Retas was a formidable fighter, his movements precise and controlled. But Tira was no slouch either, her attacks fast and unpredictable. They traded blows, the corridor shaking with the force of their combat.

I saw my chance and darted in, aiming a swift kick at Tira's side. She blocked it at the last second, her eyes narrowing in anger.

"You're going to regret that," she hissed, her ki flaring even brighter.

Before she could retaliate, Retas seized the opportunity and landed a powerful punch to her midsection, sending her staggering back.

"Nice one," I said, breathing heavily as I moved to stand beside Retas.

"We can't let up," he replied, his eyes never leaving Tira.

Tira recovered quickly, her expression twisted with fury. "You're only delaying the inevitable. I'll tear you apart!"

She unleashed a flurry of ki blasts, forcing us to dodge and weave through the narrow corridor. The walls shook, and debris rained down around us, but we held our ground.

"We need to keep her focused on us," Retas said, his voice tense. "Aiden's almost done. Just a little longer."

I nodded, determination flooding through me. "Got it."

My hands clenched my sword. I poured my ki into it and slammed it against the ground, causing rocks to fling out from the ground.

Tira chuckled like a madwoman and threw her guns into the air. "Mechanize!"

Retas's eyes widened as the metal parts of Tira's outfit as well as her guns expanded, enveloping her in a sleek, armored exoskeleton.

"This is... New," Retas said, a hint of fear in his voice. He shot multiple beams from his gun, but they all bounced off Tira's armor.

Tira snickered. "That mecha you use is obsolete. With the help of the Retra strike group, we got some of their tech secrets. Although, this is just the prototype."

Retra? Wasn't that the universe Vyran, Varia, and Deros were from? Their tech was ahead of even Titanos. If Titanos got their hands on that kind of stuff, then we were in a lot of trouble...

Tira's newly mechanized form moved with terrifying speed and precision. She launched herself at Retas, her armored fists glowing with enhanced ki. Retas barely managed to dodge, her punch shattering the concrete pillar behind him.

"Keep moving!" I shouted, my mind racing for a strategy.

Retas nodded, his face set with determination. "We need to find a weak spot. There's always a weak spot."

Tira's laughter echoed through the corridor. "Weak spot? You're welcome to try!"

She raised her arm, and a compartment opened, revealing a series of mini-rocket launchers. The rockets shot out, homing in on our positions with deadly accuracy.

I swung my sword, deflecting a few rockets, but the explosions rocked the corridor, sending debris flying everywhere. Retas fired his ki gun, trying to find a chink in Tira's armor, but the blasts seemed to have no effect.

"We're not getting through like this," I said, frustration seeping into my voice.

Ret gritted his teeth, his mind racing. "We need to outthink her. Use the environment to our advantage." He glanced around, his eyes narrowing as he spotted something. "Those support beams. If we can bring them down, we might be able to trap her."

I followed his gaze. The support beams holding up the ceiling were within range, but it was a risky move. They could bury Aiden and the computer before the extraction was done."

"Are you sure?"

"It's our best shot," Retas replied, his voice resolute.

"Alright," I said, steeling myself. "On my mark."

We moved in unison, dodging Tira's relentless attacks as we positioned ourselves near the support beams. Tira's laughter grew louder, her confidence apparent. "What are you planning, little insects?"

"Now!" I shouted.

Retas and I unleashed our combined ki blasts at the support beams. The energy beams struck true, and the beams began to crack and splinter. The ceiling groaned under the strain, and a shower of debris rained down.

Tira's eyes widened as she realized what was happening. "You think this will stop me?"

The ceiling began to collapse, the debris falling around Tira. She tried to dodge, but the confined space worked against her. Large chunks of concrete and metal rained down, trapping her in the rubble.

"We did it," Retas said, breathing heavily as he surveyed the scene.

But laughter rang out from beneath the debris. "You fools!" Pink flames melted the rock into lava, and Tira seemed unaffected by it.

Chills ran down my spine. It reminded me of the horror of when I first laid eyes on the mecha... Something dangerous and unstoppable stood before me. And all I could do was shake in sheer horror.