The crowd screamed.
The arena roared.
Ravager and Brawler stood at the center of the metallic platform, lights flashing across their dented but deadly armor. Mecha from two elite squads—Kael and Tyren representing the fallen ashes of Unit 404, and the duo from Nova Prime Battleship, known across the system for their tactical brilliance and merciless precision.
Over a hundred thousand spectators watching live. Billions tuned in from other ships.
This wasn't just a match.
It was war.
It was vengeance.
It was survival wrapped in spectacle.
---
The Bell Rings
The air shimmered. The countdown ended.
Ravager exploded forward like a wrathful shadow. Its boosters flared, claws glowing faint red from residual heat. Tyren's Brawler moved more like a grounded tank—a slow but unstoppable mass of reinforced armor and hydraulic strength.
> "They're moving!"
"Nova Prime's Cyclone is vanishing—wait—Obsidian Claw is underground!"
Nova Prime's strategy was clear: flank and ambush.
> "Left!" Kael shouted.
Just in time, Tyren raised Brawler's left arm, catching Cyclone's plasma scythe with a screech of sparks. The force dented the plating, but Tyren didn't flinch.
> "Was that supposed to hurt?" he muttered.
With a piston punch, Brawler slammed Cyclone back, shattering the invisible cloak. But just as the enemy staggered, Obsidian Claw burst from beneath the arena floor, chainsaw-blade spinning.
Kael activated Ravager's shield module—only 15 seconds of uptime.
> BRRZZT!
Sparks flew. The blade screeched across the shield, melting along the edge but not piercing.
Kael gritted his teeth. "You're two moves behind."
He twisted Ravager's body sideways, launching a brutal side kick that cracked Obsidian Claw's left leg guard. The enemy reeled.
Then came Cyclone again, from above—boosters blaring, raining plasma discs.
> "Split!" Kael barked.
Brawler rolled left, Ravager right.
The discs slammed the ground, melting it into a bubbling mess.
Kael leapt, boosters flaring backward mid-air, Ravager's right forearm blade deploying with a high-pitched screech. He rotated, spinning in a tight arc mid-flight—
SLASH.
He caught Cyclone's thigh. The blue mecha spiraled out of control mid-air.
> "You're bleeding energy!" Tyren called.
"I've got enough for one more dance," Kael replied.
But Obsidian Claw wasn't done. It disappeared underground again.
---
Mind Games
Inside his cockpit, Kael's eyes darted across the HUD. The sensors were scrambled.
> EMP pulses… they're jamming my lower sensors.
They're planning to cut off my legs…
"Tyren," Kael muttered, sweat rolling down his cheek, "root me."
> "Got it."
Tyren jumped backward, then ran forward, grabbing Ravager's back and lifting it off the ground—
—just as Obsidian Claw exploded from beneath, razor-blade arms aimed straight at Ravager's knees.
But Kael was already mid-spin. Gravity Kick.
Ravager came down from Tyren's launch, twisting in the air and driving both legs downward—
BOOM!
Obsidian Claw's shoulders cracked like an eggshell. Its torso hit the ground, shaking the entire arena. For a moment, it didn't move.
---
The Fury of Cyclone
From above, Cyclone descended like a ghost. The plasma blade charged with magnetic current. Kael's shield was gone. Tyren was exposed. And Ravager's legs were mid-recovery.
> "Too slow!" the Nova pilot shouted through external comms.
But Kael smiled.
He wasn't aiming to dodge.
Ravager's arm cannon rose.
> "Eat this."
KZZZKRRRWWWW!!!
Point-blank energy cannon shot.
The pulse collided with Cyclone mid-air—one wing gone, a portion of its chest armor melting away. But Kael wasn't done.
Slice. Slam. Counter.
Ravager twisted mid-landing, grabbing Cyclone by the neck and throwing it across the arena.
It slammed into a wall, sparking wildly.
> "You good?" Kael asked.
Tyren walked through smoke like a monster.
> "Still standing. Let's finish it."
---
Final Push
Obsidian Claw was staggering, joints exposed. Cyclone was trying to reboot.
Kael and Tyren shared a nod.
They charged together.
Ravager led with a downward chop—Cyclone blocked. Brawler came from the side and tackled both, sending all three mechas skidding across the floor.
Tyren used Cyclone's blade against it, snapping it off mid-roll and burying it in the cockpit plate.
Meanwhile, Kael drove Ravager's full body weight onto Obsidian Claw, activating the drill spike under his forearm—something no one had seen him use before.
> VRRRRRMMMM!!!
The spike drilled into the mecha's core until the power source gave out with a bright electric scream.
The arena went silent for half a second.
Then the lights flickered red.
VICTORY: UNIT 404.
---
In the Crowd
Ryssa didn't realize her hand was over her heart.
Ziya's jaw had dropped. "He's… incredible."
Misha leaned over. "You're t
alking about Tyren or Kael?"
Ziya didn't answer.
And up in the control room, senior officers were murmuring.
> "These boys… are no longer shadows."
"They're legends in the making."