"Imminent danger! We're under attack! Everyone to your combat stations! Danger, danger!" a voice blared inside the base. A soldier in a partially assembled battle suit sprinted toward their leader, carrying the urgent alert. "Sir 'X', we're under attack," he reported breathlessly.
"Thank you, soldier," the leader replied calmly, though his eyes betrayed concern. Without wasting a moment, he issued precise orders: "Gikel, Ludra, move to support." The two exchanged a quick glance before rushing off to the battlefield.
"Karpi, you're with me. Let's see what weapons we can use against the enemy," 'X' instructed.
"Yes, sir!" Karpi responded, following closely as they headed toward the armory.
Outside, chaos had already erupted. Resistance soldiers fired arrows from above, aiming them at Rodelos, who wielded a giant shield to protect his companions. Ron, clad in armor, shielded Alita as she unleashed magical attacks from behind him.
"Didn't you say they'd welcome us with open arms?" Ron asked sarcastically, deflecting another arrow with his armored arm.
"That's what I thought," Chip replied nervously. "But sometimes these guys get carried away... And Rodelos isn't exactly helping."
Moments earlier...
"Intruders, identify yourselves," one of the hooded figures demanded, bows ready to strike, stepping out from behind some rocks.
"Hello, it's me, Chip, the tomato. Don't you remember me? I've come to see my leader 'X,'" Chip said, raising a hand in a peaceful gesture.
"Chip the tomato died on a mission. You must be an impostor," one of the archers retorted, drawing his bowstring even tighter.
"It's really me! Look, can't you see I'm a tomato? Don't you know there aren't many of my kind left?" Chip insisted, trying to convince them.
"You don't look like him. You seem… off. Like a rotten tomato," another soldier replied distrustfully.
"Ugh!" Chip muttered under his breath, frustrated. "They don't recognize me because of these bandages and how I look now… This is so difficult!"
At that moment, an arrow accidentally slipped from one of the bows and flew directly toward Chip. But before it could hit, Rodelos leaped from the back of the group and sliced the arrow in midair with astonishing speed.
"Listen up, fools! We need to speak with your leader. Can't you see this is Chip, the tomato?" the elder avocado bellowed in a voice so loud and authoritative that it echoed through the valley.
However, to the hooded figures, the act was interpreted as a threat. Fearing a surprise attack, they began launching more arrows without mercy.
Rodelos, unfazed, swiftly drew his shield from his back. It was a large, blue V-shaped shield, big enough to protect Chip and the others from every incoming projectile. Then, with an eerie calm, he gestured to those with him to take cover while he prepared to engage in combat.
"It seems these boys don't understand things the easy way," Rodelos remarked, addressing Chip.
"Sir... I mean, Rodelos," Chip began, but upon seeing Rodelos' resolute expression, he swallowed hard and quickly added, "Please, try not to kill them."
"Fine," Rodelos replied with a slight nod. "I didn't plan to anyway."
And so it began. Alita, from her position, blocked arrows coming from other flanks with a wall of fire erupting from her hands. The flames illuminated the battlefield, casting dancing shadows across the terrain.
"Yeah, I know," Ron said as he covered another flank, his armor glinting under the fiery glow. His voice sounded weary but determined. "This wasn't going to be easy."
Rodelos surged forward with surprising speed for his size and struck one of the rocks with his shield, shattering it into pieces. The soldiers hiding behind it were sent flying by the impact, while others unsheathed their swords and charged at him, determined to stop the intruder. But Rodelos was no ordinary opponent. With a single fist, he knocked out several within seconds, leaving the rest stunned and fearful.
"He's a monster!" one of the soldiers shouted, panic-stricken, before fleeing toward the base to report the situation to their leader.
The soldier arrived gasping for air, his face pale and sweat dripping down his brow. He burst into the command center where 'X' and Karpi were reviewing weaponry. "Sir! A huge man is attacking us with incredible strength! He's like a monster!" he reported, struggling to catch his breath.
'X' frowned, visibly concerned. "A monster?" he asked sharply.
The soldier shook his head, still trembling from the shock. "No, sir... I was too scared to ask for more details." This soldier had forgotten to mention that there was someone named Chip.
Meanwhile, outside, the battle raged on fiercely. Rodelos continued advancing, unstoppable. Ludra and Gikel, sent as reinforcements, were making their way to the battlefield. They walked together, discussing the situation.
"How could anyone have found our base?" Ludra asked, looking at Gikel incredulously. "This doesn't make any sense."
"I don't know, but it seems that 'monster' didn't come alone," Gikel replied, eyeing the large group accompanying him.
Rodelos, for his part, didn't seem worried about the arrival of new opponents. Chip glanced at the fallen soldiers around him and turned to Rodelos with a look of exasperation. "I told you to go easy on them, didn't I? Look at these poor guys, you've already roughed them up pretty badly," the young tomato commented.
"I'm sorry, but I haven't killed them—I've only knocked them out," Rodelos responded, though his tone didn't sound entirely remorseful.
At that moment, Rodelos sensed a presence approaching rapidly. Without hesitation, he raised his shield just in time to block a powerful kick aimed directly at him. The force of the impact reverberated through the air, but Rodelos didn't budge an inch.
"Not bad... You're pretty strong," Ludra murmured as she landed agilely after attempting to ambush Paltio's grandfather undetected. Her voice was calm, but her eyes gleamed with determination. "Wow, he's huge," she added, sizing up her opponent.
Behind her, Gikel appeared, walking with steady, deliberate steps. He was nearly as tall as Rodelos, though slightly more robust. His tensed muscles and imposing stance made him look like a true colossus. "I'll handle this from here," Gikel said in a deep voice before throwing a punch straight at Rodelos' shield. The blow left a deep dent in the metal, but Rodelos remained unmoved.
"He's all yours," Ludra responded, recognizing the resolve in Gikel's eyes. She stepped back, allowing her partner to take control of the situation while she turned her attention to the other soldiers still fighting.
"Well now, a strong opponent," Rodelos remarked, eyeing Gikel with admiration. Deciding to anchor his shield firmly to the ground, securing it for any future attacks, he said with a challenging smile, "Come on, let's fight hand-to-hand."
Gikel needed no further invitation. He surged forward with tremendous force, his fists slicing through the air with the power of a charging rhinoceros. Each strike was brutal, but Rodelos dodged them with surprising agility for someone of his size.
"Not bad, lad," Rodelos commented as he evaded another blow. Then, seizing a moment of carelessness from Gikel, he delivered a direct punch to his chest. Gikel barely had time to raise his arms in defense, but the impact was enough to send him stumbling backward several steps.
"That's all you've got," Rodelos said, chuckling under his breath as he watched his opponent regain balance. Despite Gikel's raw strength, it was clear that Rodelos possessed superior experience and skill.
Gikel glared at Rodelos seriously, irritated by the mocking tone in his voice. With a growl, he charged forward, determined to knock the elder avocado off his feet with a powerful tackle. However, Rodelos stopped him with both hands, though not without effort. "Man, this ginger is strong... No doubt about that," Rodelos thought as he felt the pressure of Gikel's muscles pressing against his arms.
"But you're lacking more than brute strength," Rodelos said with a defiant smile. "After all, I wasn't just any king." With a swift and precise turn, he lifted Gikel off the ground and hurled him through the air as if he were a sack of stones. The giant landed heavily several meters away, raising a cloud of dust upon impact.
Meanwhile, Ludra had engaged Ron. Her agility and strength were impressive, and every movement demonstrated years of training. "Hey there, kid," Ludra said with a sly grin as she eyed Ron's armor. "Do you really think that armor can stop this kick?" Without giving him time to respond, she unleashed a devastating kick that struck Ron squarely in the chest.
The blow was so powerful that part of Ron's armor cracked with a metallic crunch. Though he was protected, the impact left him breathless. "She's incredibly strong... If I hadn't been wearing this armor, she would've killed me," Ron thought, feeling fear grip him from within.
"Ron, watch out!" Alita shouted from behind, hurling fireballs toward Ludra. The flames illuminated the battlefield, but Ludra dodged them with surprising agility, moving like a shadow between the attacks. Her expression remained calm, almost amused, as she blocked every attempt Alita made to hit her.
The fight raged on with unrelenting intensity, but just when it seemed the violence would never end, Chip decided to intervene. Taking a deep breath, he screamed at the top of his lungs:
"STOP THIS FIGHT! IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE! CAN'T YOU SEE IT'S ME, CHIP—YOUR FRIEND?!"
His voice echoed through the valley, bringing everyone to an abrupt halt. Gikel and Ludra stepped back, confused, and turned toward Chip, who still stood in his desperate stance. At that moment, 'X' arrived alongside Karpi, followed closely by Paris, Kilibur, Chiki, and Nakia, who had come from another route. They all gathered on the battlefield, forming a divided yet expectant group.
"Paris?" Chip asked, visibly surprised to see her among the newcomers.
Paris nodded, her face a mixture of relief and concern. "Chip, is that really you? We thought you were dead... But it truly is you."