Mechagodzilla: Shiryu

-36-

"Please...take care of them for me..."

Akane's eyes shot open as she began to breathe again, feeling that her body was still covered in the red substance but gaining strength instead of being consumed. This new strength felt odd yet natural...enough for her to start moving once more. Some of the red tendrils that have ensnared her body began to loosen and fall, allowing Akane to move her limbs more freely. She grunted as she moved her arms once again, and then reached to take the things off her face before moving to other parts of her body. When the red tendrils were ripped off, some began to blacken and disintegrate into grey flakes. The more Akane did so, the more her body felt free, until every last bit was off. She gave a sigh of relief, and then stopped when she looked at her hands and arms. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the surface of her skin was glowing golden with some particles. Then she remembered what those were: the "blessing" that Mothra had given her. The particles glowed warmly in her skin, protecting her from the burns that the tendrils have given her and even healing the wound marks. The more Akane felt the warmth, the more she felt herself renewed with energy...and the will to fight again. Now that she was free to move her limbs around, she looked up and around the cockpit. In front, she saw that the tendrils have also latched on to the controls and the screen panels...basically all around the cockpit space. The screens were halfway covered, the panel showing that the system was at the verge of being taken over while the message [FULL SYSTEM COMPROMISE IMMINENT] flashed in it.

Wasting no time as she knew what to do now, Akane unbuckled her seatbelts and reached to grab the tendrils and tare them off. One by one, the red tendrils that were trying to overtake Shiryu's system were pulled off and turned to grey flakes as Akane removed them. "Come on...you better not have been taken over completely like Kai did...please. Shiryu...I need you to stay with me...and to fight with me." Akane said to herself before the final tendril was removed, her hands ceasing from glowing with the golden particles. The computer system halted glitching, gradually resuming normal work although somewhat corrupted. [INITIATING REBOOT...] the screen read, but immediately it began to brighten to the point that it turned fully blue. The other panels began to light up too, more brighter than ever. The lights began to pulse with, as strange as Akane was now able to sense it, a strong amount of energy. The screens began to run wild, Akane catching a glimpse that all the systems were now being energized and charged to high levels, far beyond anyone's expectations. Finally, Akane felt a warm feeling in her chest and mind when she heard the mechagodzilla give a rumbling growl.

The vibrations passed through Akane's body, giving her a sense that the sentient titan machine was now ready to continue the fight with her. And, seeing with her eyes and heart, Akane could now see the soul of the machine stare right back at her own. It was just like Godzilla himself, filled with great power and ferocity, yet also with great compassion and understanding...more than any other human could grasp. This made Akane slightly scared and nervous due to the fact that now both of them felt each other's feelings, making her feel unworthy to handle what was about to happen. Despite this, a new feeling washed over Akane's whole self. The new feeling was similar to that of approval, from Shiryu itself, as it told her so many things. That there was a chance that she herself might not survive, and yet, now that it saw and felt her will to fight, Shiryu gave a rumble of acceptance, and was determined to win while keeping her safe. This gesture warmed Akane's heart, making her smile proudly and set her mind to accomplish the common objective both of them had. Upon sensing Akane's decision, Shiryu's soul roared loudly as the whole cockpit lit up with a great amount of flowing power. Slowly and gradually, Akane could see what looked like veins of energy spread all over the cockpit, as if preparing for something, before stopping midway. Even so, the feeling of strength and fearlessness did not cease as Shiryu began to charge up. Akane felt this and prepared herself by strapping her seatbelts on again, before grabbing the controls one more time. "Let's finish this fight...SHIRYU!!!" Akane shouted loudly as Shiryu finished charging up, the mechagodzilla giving a loud interior snarl in response.