"So, you possess a certain aesthetic appeal! However, I am about to render your visage quite the contrary…" A swift fist, imbued with the same force that had previously shattered concrete, was launched. Had it connected with 13, the encounter would have doubtlessly concluded.
Yet, a remarkable phenomenon transpired. Angel's full-force blow passed entirely through 13's head.
"A visual afterimage!" The girl within the mecha felt a bead of cold perspiration trace its path down her temple. "To the left!"
The mecha's extended fist swept horizontally to the left, met by 13's braced hands. The sheer kinetic force, however, propelled 13 backward, causing him to skid another five meters across the ground.
"Impossible! 'Sky Eye' unequivocally confirmed his presence directly ahead! How could he have instantaneously materialized to the left? Have the velocity readings been processed?" The mecha's pilot, still reeling from the anomaly, was confronted by a cascade of data on her visual display. Bewilderment etched itself upon her features…
At that juncture, 13 regained his footing, the combat dagger still clenched between his teeth. His hands held the 12-gauge shotgun at a diagonal as he surged towards the mecha.
The mecha, propelled by inertia, unleashed another forward punch, only to meet empty air once more. This time, Angel was afforded no opportunity for a counter-strike. 13 materialized abruptly in the air behind the mecha, executing a spinning heel kick that struck the mecha squarely at the back of its head. For the first time, Angel was felled. All those present were struck dumb with astonishment.
"Impossible! The computer must be malfunctioning! How could his instantaneous velocity have reached fifty meters per second?" The mecha lay inert upon the ground. The girl experienced genuine despair for the first time. She fixed her gaze upon 13's eyes, finding no trace of anger or sorrow, only her own reflection within his frigid pupils.
"What in God's name are you?" the mecha roared, leaping to its feet and brandishing a thirty-centimeter combat blade as it charged towards 13. A rapid pirouette, aided by powerful thrusters, audibly cleaved the air. All indications suggested an imminent end, yet it did not come. 13 remained stationary, merely raising his left leg, the armored plating deflecting Angel's blow.
She pressed her assault, continuing to exert force, tracing a one hundred and eighty-degree arc. 13, in a peculiar aerial "splits" posture, was propelled through a corresponding one hundred and eighty-degree arc. She instinctively craned her neck to glance at 13, but instantly regretted the impulse. Her visual display presented only a stern visage and a handgun directly aimed at her.
A muffled report echoed as the mecha dropped its combat blade, its hands clutching its head in agonized groans. The metallic distortion of its voice resembled a demonic lament, sending a chill down the spines of those who heard it.
"Warning! Warning! 'Sky Eye' system under direct close-range assault! Display screen exhibiting fractures! Should further attacks ensue, the mecha will lose all observational capabilities and automatically enter a dormant state!"
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" The girl disregarded the mecha's warnings. Activating "Sky Eye" established a direct link to the pilot's optic nerves, effectively transforming the display into the user's own eyes. While this enhanced battlefield awareness and analytical capabilities, its critical vulnerability lay in the fact that any assault upon "Sky Eye" would be perceived by the pilot as a direct attack upon their own vision.
13 discarded his firearm, his left hand held behind his back as he slowly advanced towards the mecha.
"Elder brother? Is that black-clad soldier one of ours?" a soldier asked, his voice trembling as he addressed a veteran beside him.
"Presumably. He has been engaging the American mecha since the outset," the veteran replied.
"One of ours? Why then do I still feel such trepidation?" the soldier continued, his gaze fixed upon 13.
"Because in the face of their power, we are all but insignificant!" the veteran murmured, a note of awe in his voice.
A left hook landed with brutal force, snapping the mecha upright. This was followed by a side kick, a straight punch, a sweeping blow… The tempo of the assault decelerated, becoming perceptible even to the ordinary soldiers nearby. Yet, each strike propelled the mecha, weighing in excess of one metric ton, backward. The raw power conveyed in each blow resonated deeply within the hearts of all observers. Finally, a high leg kick felled the mecha.
"Kill me…" the girl coughed, blood flecking her lips within the mecha's confines, her eyes suffused with crimson from the excruciating pain. "Kill me…"
"Is that your entreaty?" 13 stood before her, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Kill me…" She attempted to rise, but 13 afforded her no further opportunity. His upright form raised the combat dagger high, executing a swift pirouette that concentrated all his momentum into his hand. Like a solitary leaf caught in a gust of wind, it descended towards the mecha, the blade aimed directly at the only unarmored section – the optical sensor.
Was this the end?
No, not yet. 13's blade halted, his elbow forcibly braced against the mecha's chassis, arresting its descent.
She opened her tightly shut eyes, beholding 13 in his true form for the first time through the fractured display. He, in turn, perceived that the eyes of the erstwhile combat automaton now welled with tears.
"He no longer wishes to terminate you. I know not the reason, but I can no longer permit your demise. The child has 'matured'; he is slowly gaining dominion over his emotions. Therefore, I too shall fade." 13 clambered off her form, sheathing the dagger behind his back.
"You may depart…" 13 uttered, a tearful smile gracing his lips.
"What are you?" the girl asked, perplexed. The one who had relentlessly sought her destruction now offered her freedom.
"I am merely an 'emotion.' He shall awaken momentarily, and he will not comprehend his true feelings at this juncture. Therefore, you must hasten your departure…" 13 turned and retrieved the 12-gauge shotgun from the ground, securing it in its holster. As he approached the COOL-FIRE, he turned back once more. This time, no tears remained, only a gentle smile.
"We shall likely never meet again. Even if we do, it will no longer be I. Therefore, I can only bid you farewell…" With these words, he collapsed onto the ground. The girl extended her hand towards 13. She could not articulate the turmoil within her heart, only a profound sense of having lost something of immense value.
"'Angel'! Retreat!" A male voice crackled through the communicator. She swiftly leaped backward, an energy projectile simultaneously streaking past her and impacting the left-side cover.
The high-explosive cannon round instantly obliterated the one-meter-thick concrete barrier.
"Enemy attack!" Panic gripped the soldiers once more. On the distant peaks, a silver mecha wielding a small cannon exceeding three meters in length unleashed a relentless barrage upon the base.
"'Angel,' we are going home!" Amidst the chaos of evading artillery fire, the soldiers failed to notice the descent of a blue mecha from the heavens.
"'Dove'! What brings you here? Was I not tasked with completing this mission solo?" Angel had yet to process the situation. The mecha designated "Dove" had already lifted Angel and was carrying her towards the base perimeter.
"This has escalated. 'Mother' is displeased and has dispatched us to escort you home. Upon our return, refrain from insubordination!" Dove accelerated, heading back towards the source of the artillery fire.
"A new mecha!" 13 knelt on the ground, reloading the COOL-FIRE with a transparent magazine.
"He has 'awakened.'" Angel's gaze was fixed upon 13.
"Pinpoint assault? You underestimate me!" 13 disregarded the fleeing mecha. The battlefield composure had returned. He would not expend ammunition on non-threatening targets. His focus now solely rested upon the silver mecha atop the distant mountain, indiscriminately unleashing cannon fire.
"Warning! Locked onto by another target! Recommend ceasing artillery fire and assuming defensive posture!"
"Negative. 'Dove's' armor is too vulnerable. Angel is injured; ceasing cover fire endangers them. Display target coordinates; eliminate him first." The pilot of the silver mecha calmly addressed his onboard computer.
"'Titan' alloy boasts exceptional defensive capabilities, yet it remains a metal!" 13 discharged only five rounds in rapid succession, the intense artillery fire forcing him to cease his own.
The mecha that had been unleashing the barrage suddenly registered a jolt in its right shoulder. The entire shoulder plating was encased in frozen liquid nitrogen from the first round. The second round struck the same location, but this time it was a high-temperature incendiary projectile. Panic finally flickered across the pilot's features.
"The limits of metal!"
Subsequent armor-piercing rounds hammered the now-brittle plating, weakened by the extreme temperature fluctuations. The final round tore the entire shoulder guard from the mecha's chassis.
At that moment, Dove and Angel reached his side.
"Satan! You…" Angel exclaimed, observing the silver mecha's bleeding shoulder.
"The one you fought earlier did this!" The mecha, designated Satan, discarded its cannon and clutched its wound with its left hand. "Disregard him; retreat!"
Satan did not spare 13 another glance, turning and retreating towards the mountain's summit.
"Is it usable?" 13 stood motionless, watching their receding forms. There was no longer any means to impede their escape…
"May I finally perish?" 13 extracted a white cartridge from his right arm plating and loaded it into the chamber…
"Let us vanish together!" He raised his weapon, taking aim…
"Warning! Detecting faint ionic accumulation!" An alert sounded simultaneously from all three mecha.
They turned back towards 13.
"An ion cannon? But such a weak fluctuation could scarcely damage 'Titan' alloy armor," Dove stated calmly.
A faint glow coalesced at the muzzle of 13's weapon, even weaker than Angel's earlier ion blast…
"Do you feel it?" the mecha called "Satan" inquired. "Fear. My body is immobilized. What of you?"
"The same. Like a mouse caught in the gaze of a serpent," Angel replied serenely.
"But this is what makes it exhilarating! Such a rush!" the silver mecha suddenly cackled maniacally. "Fire! Let me truly confront terror! Do you possess the capacity to kill me?"
"I will kill you all… and myself…" 13's finger tightened on the trigger.
"No!" 13's line of sight was obstructed by 24.
"24, move aside." 13's icy tone held a trace of concern.
"If you intend to embrace oblivion, then I shall accompany you." Tears streamed down 24's face as she embraced 13. "Do you know? I love you…"
The COOL-FIRE clattered to the ground…
All was not yet concluded; the narrative persisted…
The conference room lights illuminated the space. The image on the screen simultaneously transitioned to monochrome.
"Very well, that concludes the recorded footage of the mecha assault in its entirety. While the absence of audio is a minor imperfection, the comprehensive capture of the events under those circumstances was an arduous feat." Liu Tao drew open the curtains.
"You lapsed into unconsciousness once more after we arrived," 1 stated softly.
"Lad, you owe 24 a debt of gratitude. Had she not prevented your deployment of SEED, you likely would not be present to witness this recording." 36 retrieved a folder from the table and tossed it to 13.
"This is a directive from the Central Political Department. 'Grandfather Nie' will be arriving in three days. He wishes to meet you." 36 regarded 13 with a serious expression.
However, 13 remained unresponsive, his mind a whirlwind of questions. "I lost consciousness when the mecha detonated the office. Why would the subsequent version of myself release the enemy? I recall attacking the rescue mecha after regaining consciousness, but the segment involving Angel's release is entirely absent from my memory. Why would I do that? Unable to analyze. What is happening to me? Wait! I seem to recall 24 saying…"
13 abruptly turned his head towards 24, but her countenance betrayed nothing.
"Perhaps it was all merely a dream," 13 murmured to himself.
Simultaneously, within the subterranean base in Taiwan City…
"'Mother,' 'Assault' and 'Heavy Artillery' have both been fully repaired," a youthful voice stated.
"Excellent." Annie replied, paring an apple. "I possess a keen interest in the individual who harmed your sister and brother. Investigate him for me, and remember to gather detailed information regarding his weapon that emits ionic pulses."
"I require an explanation as to why a mecha utilizing 'Sky Eye' failed to eliminate a mere mortal," Annie continued, crushing the apple in her hand as she spoke.
"'Baby' understands." The voice dissipated into the darkness.
"Old Nie, what manner of entity have you cultivated?" Annie inquired, reaching for a towel to cleanse her hands.