The Prince (1)

"Coolant systems damaged," Cerviel reported as I managed to find my footing. "Compensating!"

"Vega!" Command yelled.

"I'm fine!" I felt a brief bump against my arm as the semi-transparent blue shield expanded outward to protect my chest.

Seir merely sneered as he readied his stance. His appearance caught me off guard. Most demons resembled mythological beings or anthropomorphic animals. Seir was different. He appeared almost human, albeit significantly larger and in dire need of sunlight. The shadows covering his body emphasized his pale face. Equally pale hands wielded a black sword.

"To think you would leave such openings," Seir spoke.

"You only caught me by surprise." My voice sounded unnatural through Cerviel's external speakers. I felt several unusual vibrations in my chest as I unsheathed my sword. Seir's blow must have damaged something other than the cooling systems.

"Yet do you humans not strive for the element of surprise? To strike when you're enemy least expect. It is the essence of warfare."

"I don't like this guy," Nova said under his breath. "You go from the left."

"I think not," said Seir as we moved to attack. "You humans have a saying: `divide and conquer'. I aim to do just as much." He looked up as four stars flew past his head.

"Oh no..."

"Imminent threat detected!" Command said. "Muthufa and Cheis domes are under attack!"

"Make your decision," sneered the demon.

"Nova, I can't handle that many."

"You'd rather face off against him alone?"

"It's easier to protect against one than four."

"Hurry up, guys," Command pleaded.

"I'm on it." A jet of fire burst from Valoel's back as he took to the skies. "Don't do anything reckless."

"Valiant of yourself to sacrifice yourself," said Seir.

"It's only a sacrifice if I end up dying."

"Which you will do shortly."

I dived to the side when he disappeared, yet this strike still grazed my shoulder. I ignored the sting on my own as I swung to my side. A tilt of his blade deflected the attack over his head before he retaliated. I felt a dull thud as the energy shield blocked the blow. I aimed the next strike at his legs, but he stepped backward and disappeared again.

"Cerviel, where is--" A blow against my back knocked me forward. I used the momentum to spin around. It wasn't the right decision, and I winced in pain as Seir's sword sliced across Cerviel's hips. "C'mon!" I struck forward as Seir dodged to the side. I realized my mistake as he swung his sword from over his head and knocked Cerviel's sword from her hands.

"Pitiful." Seir laughed.

"Dammit. Cerviel, dodge when you see him disappear."

"In which direction?" She asked.

"Any! Activate right gauntlet blade." My right arm briefly itched as the blade extended itself.

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" Seir stepped forward.

I answered by reading my stance and pulling the shield in closer. It almost seemed like the demon was shaking its head before it disappeared. Cerviel reacted immediately. Seir's blow flew harmlessly past her chest as Cerviel dodged to the left. It gave me an opening, which I used to swing my right arm in a wide arc. I felt some resistance before Seir bellowed in pain.

"Excellent!"

"One target down!" Nova exclaimed through my earpiece.

Cerviel lunged backward. Seir's blade was already swinging toward my head when he appeared to my left. I met the blow with my gauntlet blade, safely deflecting it before stepping forward. My shield connected with his body. The force behind the blow slammed the demon two steps backward. Not wanting to let an opportunity go, I took another step and stabbed my gauntlet blade into his shoulder. He disappeared soon after. Several drops of black blood remained on the blade.

"To hell with this!" Seir roared and struck when he reappeared. The force behind his strike surprised me. Only a desperate step backward when my defense failed prevented another groove.

"Cerviel, where is my sword?!" A second blow against my shield forced me another two steps back.

"Marking." The indicator appeared inside my visor. Its destination was too far for a quick pick-up, so I moved its priority down the list. Seir switched his attacks to a flurry of strikes. It took several steps backward to ensure my safety. I tried another slash with my gauntlet blade but Seir knocked my blow away with his free hand before striking. A pain shot across the edge of my hip.

"Prepare to break off... now!" I spun around after dodging another strike. I would have struggled to see the weapon against the natural gray of the planetoid had Cerviel's marker not guided me.

"Another one down!" Nova sounded out of breath. "Two remaining!"

"Still alive myself," I yelled as I picked up the sword without losing momentum. The red dot on the radar was on my tail. A sword through the chest would be my future if I were to slow down now. "Cerviel... prepare to spin... around... whoa!" I don't know where the shadow came from, but it leaped directly at the cockpit. A desperate dive sent the shadow flying over my head and saved me from Seir's attack. A glance to the side showed Seir giving me an evil look as he pulled his sword from the ground.

"Vega? What was that?" Command asked.

"Something leaped at me. I had to dodge."

"Come here, human!"

Cerviel dodged to the front when Seir disappeared. I swung Cerviel's sword, but Seir blocked it before stepping forward. Warning lights flashed through the cockpit when his blow landed. My heart almost sank as I felt something shatter in my chest.

"Vega, you can't take another hit like that!" Command yelled at me.

"I'm trying." The shield absorbed another blow before I struck forward. Seir avoided it by dodging to the side. I pulled the sword back in fear of him knocking it out of my hands again, but his strike headed to my chest. I blocked it with the shield before stepping forward and bashing the shield against him. He stumbled backward when the blow connected before disappearing. Cerviel dodged immediately, opting for a step sideways but I cried in surprise when another shadow leapt at me from the right. The shadow disappeared with a slice, but the attack left me on precarious footing. Seir took advantage of the opening when he reappeared. I screamed in pain as his sword slammed through my left shoulder.

"System damaged." My left arm dropped limply to my side. "Lost control of the left arm. Attempting to compensate."

"Vega, what is going on there?!" Command asked.

"Why, what is she doing this time?" Nova asked.

"I think it's Seir." I stepped backward while keeping my gaze on the grinning demon. "He's sending things to jump at me. It surprises me every time."

"Vega... there's nothing there..."

"What?"

"There's nothing else! It's just you and Seir."

"Then what..."

"I'll think of you once I start tripping."

"Oh no..."

"What?"

"It's the pills! I think they're making me see things."

"Are you kidding me?" Nova wailed.

"I told you they have side effects!" I deflected Seir's attack with my shield.

"Then you should have stayed back at base!"

...You should have stayed at the base... A shadow hissed as it stepped past Seir before pretending to throw something at me. The flinch was inevitable, which earned me another punch from Seir.

"And leave you to fight all of this alone?!"

"This isn't the time for that!" Command interrupted the brewing fight.

"I'm open to suggestions!"

Seir launched a flurry of attacks. The neural implants itched as Cerviel dodged to the side before retreating several steps. I managed to deflect one strike that came too close for comfort, but there was no room to counterattack.

"Command, I need some help-- wah!" A third shadow forced another step backward. They're not real, Vega. They're not real.

"Can you fight at all?"

...No, she can't...

"Not well enough, as you've seen." I said. The shadow disappeared with a shake of my head.

"Nova?" Command asked. "How far are you?"

"Getting there." His voice was raspy. "Sniper jammed. I'm engaging the demons close range. It isn't easy fighting two-on-one."

"Shit. Vega, you'll have to hold out until he gets there."

...You're not going to make it...

"I'll do my best." I blew out a breath. Help was coming, but I needed to ensure I was there when it arrived. My goal could be summarized in one word: survive. "Cerviel, are your missiles reloaded?"

"Inventory counts twenty-five missiles."

"Make sure they're ready." I bent my knees as I entered my defensive stance. I flinched when a shadow jumped from the side, but my eyes didn't leave my enemy.

"I should applaud your bravery." Seir spun his sword around his hand. "But it matters not in the end."

...You don't matter... A shadow cackled somewhere. ...You never have...

Cerviel dodged to the left when Seir disappeared. What neither Cerviel nor I anticipated was Seir disappearing a second time before he re-materialized in front of me. An instinctive twist from Cerviel prevented the sword from piercing her personality core. Her twist didn't prevent a punch from his free hand that sent us stumbling. Cerviel's quick thinking kept us upright. I was too focused on the stinging pain in my chest.

"Damaged received. Oxygen scrubbers are running at half capacity."

"How much do I have left?"

...None...

"Estimates are forty-five minutes."

If Seir doesn't get me, the oxygen will. I resisted the urge to rub my chest.

"Vega!" Command spoke. "Are you okay?"

"This isn't working."

"Nova is still struggling with the others."

...He won't make it...

"I know. I have an idea. Just don't hold it against me."

Command replied with an expletive before asking what my intentions were, but I didn't respond. Seir had started another volley of attacks, and I had difficulty keeping up with him. I could only pray the shadows didn't jump at me right now.

"Cerviel? Can you give my left arm one more push?"

"I can try."

"Then raise it to grab onto my right hip. Ready missiles and wait for my signal."

"Preparing"

I felt my shoulders vibrate between my parries. "Ready."

"No..." Command must have figured out my plan. "No, no, no. Don't do it, Vega!"

"I told you not to hold it against me!" It would have been impossible for Seir not to notice the tubes emerge from my shoulders, but his attacks didn't relent. In truth, I was hoping that would be the case.

"Vega, you'll die!"

...You're going to die... A shadow chuckled from the edge of my vision.

It took longer than I would have liked, but my left hand grabbing hold of my right hip was me the signal I waited for.

Lord, please let this work.

"Hold on tight, Cerviel!" A quick step forward surprised my enemy. Seir instinctively retreated and created the opening I was looking for. A flick backward gave my sword arm the momentum I needed. At that moment, I discarded thousands of years of conventional wisdom and threw my sword as hard as possible. I pressed the button inside my hand at the same time. The boosters came to life almost immediately. Cerviel shot off behind the sword. While Seir could knock the sword away without much trouble, there was little he could do against Cerviel crashing into him at full force.

"Cerviel, activate arm shield!" Several red lights appeared inside my visor as the shield cut into Cerviel's armor. The demon's screeching suggested he was suffering the same pain. I didn't think about that.

"Vega, fire missiles!"

"Cerviel, fire missiles! Now!"