With a fierce battle cry, Reed shouted, "Okay, Elite Unit, attack!"
The words were a release, a signal for the chaotic ballet of violence to begin. King, the Rift Walker, started high above, a silhouette against the gray sky, its massive form suspended by its powerful, bat-like wings. Shinji moved with a dancer's grace, his two short swords a blur of steel as he charged toward the airborne creature. King grinned, a vile, cruel expression, and folded its wings, plummeting down at a terrifying speed to meet him halfway. The swords sang a high-pitched metallic tune as they scraped against the creature's hardened hide, leaving nothing more than a faint, dark line.
Cole and Darius opened fire, their guns spitting rounds that impacted the Rift Walker's chest. The bullets, designed to pierce armored vehicles, simply ricocheted off its body with a dull thud, falling to the asphalt like spent marbles. King didn't even flinch, its movements a blur of effortless power as it dodged a volley of shots from Cole, a casual step to the side sending the rounds harmlessly past its head.
Zen stood on the hood of the sleek black car, his hands still in his pockets. He watched the Squad 1 Elite Unit charge, a wide, almost bored grin on his face. Their battle cries echoed against the school walls, full of purpose and grim determination. Beside the car, Rose stood silent, her jaw clenched, her gaze fixed on the unfolding fight. She didn't speak, but the tension in her posture was a physical thing. She watched the raw power of the Rift Walker with a silent, horrified stare.
The fight was a chaotic, beautiful dance of steel and dark energy. Shinji's swords flashed, parrying and weaving, forcing King to dedicate its attention to him while Reed, Cole, and Darius tried to find an opening.
"Darius, left! Cole, right!" Reed roared, his voice a commanding rumble. Darius found an opening, firing a volley of shots into King's exposed side. The bullets connected, a shower of sparks erupting on King's hide, but the creature only laughed. Then, with a chilling speed, King suddenly disappeared, reappearing in a burst of dark energy directly in front of Cole. King's fist slammed into Cole's chest with the force of a battering ram. The air exploded from his lungs, and he was sent flying backward, a human projectile hitting the school wall with a sickening thud.
The concrete cracked, a starburst of gray fissures appearing around the point of impact, and Cole slid to the ground like a broken doll.
A pulse of dark energy, hot and humming like a furnace, shot out from King, wrapping around Darius's leg. He screamed as the bone twisted, a sickening, wet snap echoing over the cacophony of battle, before he crumpled to the asphalt.
King, tired of the humans, roared and brought its fists together, a surge of dark energy crackling around its knuckles. Its smile was a vile, cruel thing. "It ends now."
"Shinji!" Reed shouted, his voice hoarse. "Cover me!"
"Yes, Commander!" Shinji replied, his voice firm, his eyes shining with unyielding determination. He leaped into the air, a whirlwind of spinning steel. His swords left glowing, silver trails as they deflected the dark energy blasts that erupted from King's fists. Meanwhile, Reed charged forward, his battle axes glowing with a fierce red light. He swung them in a devastating arc, and the axes connected with King's stomach, tearing through its hardened skin. A geyser of black, viscous blood, reeking of sulfur, shot from the wound, and King roared in pain, its powerful body shaking.
King took a step back, its eyes burning with a fury that hadn't been there before. It brought its hands together, and a massive spear of pure dark energy coalesced between them. Shinji, seeing this, immediately charged forward, a desperate attempt to stop the monster. But King simply parried his attack with a casual flick of its wrist, and the spear of dark energy shot toward Reed.
Reed, with a grunt of effort, managed to deflect it with his battle axes, but the impact sent him skidding back across the asphalt. He gasped for air, his muscles screaming in protest, but he refused to give up. He gritted his teeth and charged again, a battle cry on his lips. Shinji was right behind him, their movements perfectly synchronized, a fluid and deadly dance.
King, now visibly annoyed, was being driven into a corner. Its movements grew more frantic, its attacks more desperate. It was a beautiful, devastating spectacle of power and skill. King was on the ropes, its dark energy blasts becoming weaker and more erratic, its movements slower.
As Reed and Shinji pressed their advantage, a flicker of something in the distance distracted Shinji. It was only for a split second, a moment of doubt, but it was all King needed. King's bored expression morphed into a wide, malicious grin. It lunged forward, its massive black claws outstretched, aimed directly at Shinji's heart.
"Shinji, no!" Reed roared. He dove in front of Shinji, using his body as a shield. The sharp claws pierced through Reed's back and emerged from his chest, making a hole in the center of his stomach. King smiled, the claws dripping with Reed's blood. King yanked its claws back, and Reed's body crumpled to the ground.
King backed away, its amused expression returning, and watched as Shinji's eyes widened in horror. The world seemed to go silent. Shinji's swords clattered to the ground, forgotten. "Reed..." he whispered, his voice a choked sob. He dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he stared at his fallen commander.
Darius, who was still down, shouted, his voice thick with a mix of pain and grief. "Shinji, what are you doing? Help him!"
But it was already over. Reed's body was covered in a growing pool of his own blood, and his eyes were now rolled back into his head, empty and lifeless. King looked at the sobbing heroes, its wide grin returning. "I did warn you, didn't I?" it said, before charging straight for Shinji. Rose looked at Zen and whispered something, her voice too low to be heard. Zen simply looked at Rose and smiled, a wiser look on his face.
As King's claws were inches away from Shinji's head, Zen suddenly appeared, a blur of motion, directly in front of the creature. His leg connected with King's face in a sickening crunch, sending the massive creature flying backward. King's body became a wrecking ball, slamming through the side of the nearby school, creating a crater of brick, glass, and twisted metal as it went.
Zen's grin was gone, replaced by a cold, deadly serious expression. He grabbed Shinji by the collar of his uniform and threw him near Darius. "Okay, now the two of you leave this to me," he said, his voice flat and commanding.
Shinji, with tears in his eyes, looked at Zen. "What about Reed?"
Zen didn't turn around. He was now facing the direction of the building where King had crashed. "I'm sorry, but your commander is now dead."
Zen slowly walked toward Reed, who was now at death's door. Reed was trying to speak, his words barely above a whisper. "Leave....me.....please...save....my .....man," he said with tears and a happy smile.
Zen stopped and knelt beside him, his gaze dark as he remembered what Rose had whispered, telling him to pass a message to Reed. He leaned in close, his voice a chilling whisper meant only for Reed's ears, devoid of any hint of his usual amusement. "Wipe off those tears, and you call yourself a commander? Whose the disgrace now?"
Then, Zen slowly walked past Reed's dying body, now facing the wreckage of the building. "Okay, Wingy," he said, his voice a low, thrilling growl. "Ready or not, here I come."