Chapter 206: Tango Down
Chapter 206: Tango Down
Valeria's transformation had turned the battlefield into a nightmare. Her monstrous form loomed over the soldiers, who scrambled to stay clear of her extended reach. Every swipe of her dark claws left smoldering craters, and each beat of her massive wings sent shockwaves that knocked men off their feet. She was relentless, her energy a twisted vortex of darkness that repelled every attempt to damage her.
Vincent's voice crackled over the radio, firm despite the chaos. "All units, keep your distance! We need to exhaust her before she tears us apart!"
As the soldiers fell back, Princess Elara summoned her vines once more, this time thicker and thornier, to restrain Valeria. The vines shot from the earth, weaving around her legs and arms, tightening with a force that cracked the ground beneath her.
But Valeria tore through them with ease, dark energy pulsing from her body and incinerating the vines before they could fully entangle her. Elara's face was etched with frustration as she conjured more vines, but it was becoming clear that her magic alone wouldn't hold Valeria back.
Queen Velara joined the assault, wielding Stormbreaker with all her might. She charged forward, her hammer aglow with divine energy, leaping into the air and bringing it down onto Valeria's shoulder.
The impact sent out a shockwave, but Valeria barely flinched. With a furious snarl, she swatted Velara away, sending the queen crashing into the ground several meters back. Velara gritted her teeth, struggling to rise, the force of Valeria's blow evident in the dented armor on her shoulder.
"Fall back!" Vincent shouted, signaling his forces to retreat further. He could see the desperation on his soldiers' faces as Valeria continued to advance. "All airborne units, coordinate your fire on her left flank. Tanks, keep a steady barrage from a distance!"
The Apache helicopters circled back, unleashing another wave of Hydra rockets, aiming for Valeria's exposed side. The rockets spiraled toward her, their trails a streak of light in the darkened sky. Valeria raised one massive wing, deflecting the rockets with ease, their explosions scattering harmlessly against the dark aura surrounding her. She laughed, the sound hollow and chilling.
"You think you can kill me with your pathetic toys?" she taunted, her voice resonating with a power that vibrated through the ground. "I will end every one of you before I fall!"
Undeterred, Vincent ordered the AC-130 gunship overhead to deploy its heavier artillery. The powerful 105mm howitzer cannon boomed, its shell racing toward Valeria with deadly accuracy. The ground exploded beneath her, the force of the blast momentarily shrouding her in smoke. But as the dust settled, Valeria emerged, barely injured, her dark form unscathed by the assault.
Her eyes locked onto the gunship above, and with a single, powerful swipe of her clawed hand, she sent a blast of dark energy hurtling upward. It hit the gunship, causing it to spiral, flames trailing from its engines as the pilot struggled to regain control.
"Command, Spectre One has taken heavy damage! We're attempting to stabilize!" the pilot's voice came over the radio, strained and crackling with static.
"Do what you can, Spectre One," Vincent replied, gripping his radio tightly. "We need all the firepower we can get."
On the ground, the Abrams tanks repositioned, their turrets locking onto Valeria's towering form. With synchronized precision, they fired, each shell hurtling toward her with a resounding roar. The explosions landed one after another, surrounding Valeria in a relentless barrage. Yet even as the shells struck her, she pressed forward, her dark energy consuming the impacts, her movements unstoppable.
Princess Elara, desperate to contribute, summoned her vines again, this time imbuing them with a blinding light. She directed them to strike at Valeria's back, hoping to pierce her aura with the divine energy. The vines wrapped around Valeria, pressing into her form, searing her with light. Valeria roared in pain, her movements faltering for the briefest moment as the light managed to penetrate her aura. But in seconds, she flared her dark energy, burning through the vines, scattering Elara's magic in all directions.
Elara's face was lined with exhaustion as she stepped back, breathing heavily. "Vincent, her power is consuming everything. I can't hold her much longer!"
"Neither can I," Velara added, bracing herself, Stormbreaker's glow dimming from the repeated strikes.
Vincent's gaze hardened as he assessed the battlefield. "We'll keep hitting her until there's nothing left to hit." He raised his radio once more. "All artillery units, concentrate your fire on her right side. Create an opening!"
The ground forces moved quickly, artillery guns repositioning, their barrels aimed directly at Valeria's flank. In unison, they fired, the shells whistling through the air before exploding against her, their combined force enough to send shockwaves across the field. For a moment, Valeria staggered, her aura flickering.
Vincent took advantage of the opening, grabbing his Javelin launcher and aiming carefully. He knew this shot had to count. Locking onto Valeria's torso, he fired, the missile streaking through the air with deadly accuracy. This time, Valeria saw it coming, but her dark aura was already weakened by the artillery barrage. The missile struck her, the explosion engulfing her in flames. She let out a scream of fury and pain, her form wavering as her dark energy struggled to reconstitute itself.
But even as her form seemed to destabilize, Valeria's twisted smile returned.
"You're only making it worse for yourselves!" she spat, her voice a guttural growl.
With renewed fury, she unleashed her power, her claws swiping through the air, slicing down anyone within range. Soldiers were sent sprawling, their armor torn, her attacks breaking through their defenses as she stormed forward. Her gaze turned to Vincent, and with a single, violent beat of her wings, she launched herself toward him.
Vincent barely had time to dive out of the way as Valeria's claws crashed into the ground where he'd stood moments before. The impact sent a shockwave rippling outward, knocking him back. He rolled, quickly raising his rifle, firing into her face in a desperate attempt to force her back. Each shot landed, but her dark energy absorbed the bullets, dissipating them before they could reach her flesh.
Velara and Elara, seeing Vincent's peril, rushed to his aid. Velara charged, swinging Stormbreaker with all her might, aiming for Valeria's head. Valeria blocked the hammer with one arm, grinning at Velara's efforts before swatting her aside with a brutal backhand. Elara followed up, launching a barrage of vine spears toward Valeria, each one tipped with thorns that gleamed with divine energy. The spears struck her torso, piercing her dark aura momentarily. Valeria hissed in pain, but with a wave of her claws, she severed the vines, her twisted smile unwavering.
"You can't win," Valeria sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. "I will tear you all
apart!"
But even as her taunts filled the air, her form flickered, her energy beginning to fade. Vincent noticed it—her time limit was closing in, the Last Stand form pushing her to her physical and magical limits. If they could keep her occupied just a little longer, her own power would bring about her end.
He raised his radio, rallying his troops. "This is it, everyone! Keep up the assault! Don't let her
rest!"
The soldiers, despite their fear and exhaustion, regrouped and poured everything they had into the attack. The Abrams tanks fired in quick succession, their shells striking Valeria's weakened form with thunderous blasts. The Browning machine gunners peppered her with relentless rounds, and the snipers resumed their precision shots, aiming for any weak spots in her aura.
Valeria roared, her attacks becoming more erratic as her energy dwindled. She lashed out, her claws ripping through the air, but each swing grew weaker, slower. The ground forces pressed on, inching closer as her movements slowed.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
"Now, Elara! Velara!" Vincent shouted, signaling for the final strike.
Elara summoned the last of her strength, conjuring a massive spear of thorns infused with divine light. With a determined shout, she hurled it toward Valeria, the spear streaking through the air and striking her squarely in the chest. The impact drove her back, pinning her against a jagged rock outcropping, the divine energy searing through her dark aura.
Velara charged in, her eyes blazing with resolve. She raised Stormbreaker, focusing all her strength into a final, decisive blow. With a mighty swing, she brought the hammer down onto Valeria's head, the impact sending a shockwave through the battlefield.
Valeria's twisted form shattered, her body dissipating into fragments of dark energy that faded into the air, her final scream echoing as she disintegrated.
Silence fell over the battlefield as the soldiers took in the sight of Valeria's end, her once- menacing presence now reduced to nothing.
Vincent lowered his weapon, taking a shaky breath as he surveyed the aftermath. His forces were battered, weary, but victorious. Turning to Elara and Velara, he offered a nod of respect. "It's over," he said, the weight of relief and exhaustion clear in his voice.
Elara nodded, her shoulders slumping as she let her vines recede, and Velara, despite her exhaustion, managed a faint smile.
"Yes," Velara replied. "For now... we've won. There is still one left to go."
They turned their eyes on Garruk.