Sigma/Star

Chapter 127: Shinigami Rex

Rex ducked to dodge his opponent's swinging mace, rolling to the side to additionally avoid the barrage of missiles that crashed into the ground where he had been just moments before. The young boy carried his momentum into a spring upwards, one that put him back on his feet, and the tip of his sword flicked forwards, slicing through the arm of his enemy. This was dangerous and challenging. This was kind of fun.

"Keep focused, Rex!" Ardwen shouted, landing between the duelling Goliaths. The orbs hovering around Mother Gaia swivelled and spun in the air, two of them firing off lasers at the Artisan Goliath while one tried to do some repairs cleaning up knicks along the Whisper. "We need to maintain the front line for Nami and Riya." Ardwen nodded back at the two girls, partnered up with each other, using their extended range to stay safe.

Much the same tactic was being applied by the enemy forces as well. As soon as both sides collided with each other, they had scattered into similar formations, throwing all ranged units into the backline while the close-combat fighters engaged one another, searching for an opportunity to break through. Rex was no exception. He and Ardwen were the only two who were capable of fighting up close, even if it wasn't Ardwen's strength, and so they were given the daunting task of protecting those behind them. Raul, though talented hand-to-hand, was already gone, diving into the enemy in an effort to slip through to find better targets.

An immense spear of ice shot up from the ground, shooting straight through the chest of an approaching battlesuit, skewering it in place, reminding everyone of Irina's presence. While she lacked any weapons on the Jabberwocky, her incredible manipulation of her chi powers provided more than enough firepower. "War is relentless; those who participate in it must be equally ruthless, or they will fall. Hesitation is the enemy of ruthlessness." Irina's eyes burned a fierce blue inside her cockpit as she spoke, and her words made the rest of the students shudder. The woman had lost any semblance of her heart when General McCormack had died, and now seemed only to seek combat and death. "Do not pause to contemplate your enemy; do not stop to remind each other of what must be done. Only go forward and do." An icy claw formed underneath one of the approaching Goliaths, the fingers shooting up and wrapping around the chases. It began to slowly close, piercing through the metal armour and crushing the mechanical components inside. The chest attempted to open, hydraulics screaming in an effort to move the entrance to the cockpit. There was a very loud grating noise, the machinations fuelling the motion of the chest failing, as the ice drew closer, slowly strangling the life out of the pilot inside.

Rex gulped as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. There had always been combat games with his uncle, lots of fake wrestling and fighting, some boxing matches, and some duelling with holograms in the Whisper. But there was never any risk, never any loss. There was no human toll to every execution he performed. Nobody died when he tussled with his uncle. Seeing the Goliath's cockpit trying to open was a stark reminder of the people inside the machines, and the lives they were trying to preserve.

You'll fight or you'll die.

The boy stumbled forward, narrowly avoiding a lunge from an opposing swordsman. Rex threw out his fist, knocking away the enemy as their attack drifted by. His fingers trembled around his controls though, shakily moving himself through the motions he had practiced so much.

If you aren't winning...

...kill them all bef....

.....then you're losing...

...ore you die....

Rex's grip tightened, and his sword flashed through the air, slicing straight through the Goliath next to him. Fluids shot out in response, spraying across the glassy form of the Whisper, smearing across its armour. The circuits within it glowed and shifted, constantly moving in reaction to the power flowing through them. The youth spun, his blade flying around with him, passing cleanly through the chest of the next Goliath, one attempting to catch him by surprise, severing the entire body into two. Another mixture of liquids burst from the machine, but there was a tiny amount of blood mixed in, dwarfed by the amount of fluid within one of the warmachines. It splashed across Rex's Goliath, mingling with what was already there.