VI - Dosigma Strike

After locating the Cubic dungeon, Mivangeline led the four friends and the android NPC gunners to attack. The Cubic golems were pale beings made of geometric cubes. They were the least technologically advanced, wielding maces and javelins. The party entered the dungeon decorated with grid patterns.

"L-listen, I-I want us to get in position," Mivangeline mumbled instructions nobody could hear.

Elysia's fox ears twitched. "Uh, say that again?"

"Mivange, say it with confidence!" Shien jumped. "Talk to your team!"

Mivangeline tried again. "I-I want Shien and Elysia in the front with me! A-all android gunners with Enshiron and Phoenicia! U-understood?"

"Yes, Commander!" The party saluted.

The fight started well. Shien's martial arts, Elysia's poison machete, and Mivangeline's katana held the Cubic golems at bay. Enshiron used his violin as a bow to fire arrows powered by his wind magic. Phoenicia used her palms, releasing green light to her allies to heal them.

"These warriors aren't so tough!" Elysia's blade spread poison droplets to sting the golems.

"Elysia used her temper tantrum. It's super effective!" Shien destroyed the retreating golems with rolling punches.

"What the? How can a tiny boy like you have the nerve to talk back to me?"

"Oh, it's because you don't think!"

"Alright, that's it. You're going down!"

"I'll show you what mud tastes like, little fox!"

Phoenicia chucked a plush cardinal at Shien. "Cease your bickering!"

Mivangeline stared at the commotion, speechless.

"Relax, dear lady," Enshiron grinned as Phoenicia bonked Elysia on the head. "Shien and Elysia have a special dynamic. Happens all the time."

The party advanced further within the grided dungeon, defeating Cubic golems. Soon, the Cubic deployed their armored steampunk giants. These bigger golems wielded fists that could be launched as rocket punches. The party was surrounded by giants that fired explosive fists that hurt the party.

"N-no! I-I didn't expect this!" Mivangeline froze. "D-did I screw up?"

"Mivange! What can we do?" Shien asked as Phoenicia healed the party.

"B-but, I-I can't think," Mivangeline panicked as Elysia and Enshiron struggled to fight the giants.

"Mivange! We need you!"

"A-am I this bad of a commander? I can never lead! I-I'm a failure!"

"Avian Form: Shoebill Thunderforce!" Shien punched a rocket fist away from hitting Mivangeline. "Stop that! Don't overthink! We can beat the giants! Tell us what to do!"

Mivangeline sweated, examining the steampunk giants that fired rocket punches. The mechanized beings had limbs decorated with rotating cogs.

"T-the limbs! The limbs are weak!" Mivangeline sliced a rocket fist down with her katana. "Target them, and they will fall!"

"Yes, Commander!" Everyone saluted.

Enshiron nodded, firing wind arrows into the limb mechanisms. The steampunk giants fell one by one as their limbs fell apart. Elysia sliced her machete to pry the giants' arms off by the joints as the android gunners copied Enshiron.

"Avian Form: Wryneck Scythe!" Shien sliced his palm like a sword to cut the giants' legs off.

Mivangeline jumped onto the giants' necks, slashing her blade to behead them. Soon, the last Cubic forces were destroyed.

"Yeah! We did it!" Shien jumped, fist-bumping Elysia, Enshiron, and then Phoenicia. "Ow! That hurt!"

Mivangeline crossed her arms alone as Phoenicia healed the party.

"Hey, Mivange," Shien lifted a fist for her. "You did great."

The commander blinked. "I-I did? I messed up!"

"Sure, but you're learning," Shien held his crush's hand. "Look, I think you just need to improvise."

"I-improvise?"

"Yes! You're a great strategist, but have difficulty changing plans when something goes wrong. Right?"

Mivangeline nodded, fist-bumping him.

"That's when you adapt!" Shien walked with her as the party approached the Cubic boss room. "But don't panic and freeze while everyone dies, you know. Just think of a new plan, and we'll help you!"

"O-okay, I-I think I understand," Mivangeline sighed. "I'll do better. T-thank you."

"I know you will," Shien grinned at his crush. "Don't worry, we learn from our mistakes!"

"How is Shien over heels for her?" Elysia whispered to Enshiron. "She can't communicate!"

"Ah, come on, dear Elysia. Give the underdog a chance!" Enshiron elbowed her.

"We're all going to die, Enshiron."

"Nah, I think little Shien's helping her progress. I'm sure she'll be great."

"How do you know?"

Enshiron cleared his throat.

"Master Oreic taught me how God uses the foolish things to shame the wise. Perhaps Mivangeline may seem foolish, but why can't God use her to lead us? Come on, dear Elysia, show a little faith!"

"Alright," Elysia huffed.

"Remember, Mivange. Sometimes, the key to adapting is not to think. You know, like Elysia!" Shien pointed at the Vulpi girl.

"Wait, what?" Elysia tackled Shien. "I'm going to crush you!"

Shien yanked Elysia's tail. "Try me, dumb fox!"

"Ow! Not my tail!"

"Cease your bickering!" Phoenicia shoved a plush penguin to Shien. "Enough, Elysia!"

After Phoenicia bonked Elysia's head, the friends and android NPCs awaited Mivangeline before the giant doors of the boss room.

"W-what?" The commander noticed everyone staring at her.

"Are we ready?" Shien asked Mivangeline.

"Uh, well, is everyone healed?"

Phoenicia checked on everyone's HP bars. "All HP restored to maximum, Commander!"

"G-good! Then let's enter."

Mivangeline took a deep breath before opening the giant doors. "God help us."

The party entered the dark room as the doors locked shut behind them. The room was lit with a red light. It was a giant arena room with grid patterns.

"Boss incoming!" Phoenicia warned.

"E-everyone, get into position!" Mivangeline unsheathed her katana.

Shien and Elysia joined the commander in the front. Enshiron, Phoenicia, and the android riflemen took cover behind them. The room shook as a giant cube fell from the ceiling.

It multiplied into smaller cubes, forming the body, legs, arms, and head. The head grew a red cycloptic eye, two horns, and a mouth. The Cubic minotaur roared with fury, pounding its chest like an angry gorilla. The minotaur's HP bar and stats appeared before the party.

"Macrocube Dosigma, Level 200 with 200,000 HP," Phoenicia reported.

"T-that's a lot of HP," Mivangeline shuddered.

Shien tapped her shoulder. "We can do it! Have confidence in yourself. We await your orders."

Mivangeline nodded. "Open fire!"

Enshiron and the android NPCs bombed Dosigma from afar as Mivangeline, Shien, and Elysia attacked head-on. Dosigma breathed fire and held burning fists that inflicted burn status, which sapped HP like poison.

"E-Elysia! Use your poison to damage Dosigma!" Mivangeline cut Dosigma with her sword. "Phoenicia, heal our burns! S-Shien, repel Dosigma's flaming fists!"

"Avian Form: Woodpecker Beak Strikes!" Shien repelled Dosigma's punches with beak-shaped palms.

Elysia slashed her poison machete, smudging the boss with poison droplets that sapped its HP. When Dosigma's fire breath burned the party, Phoenicia would activate her palms to heal.

"Avian Form: Wryneck Scythe!" Shien slashed his palms like blades to cut Dosigma's legs.

The minotaur limped in pain as Elysia's machete kept poisoning him. Dosigma hurled angry, burning fists at Shien, Elysia, and Mivangeline, but Shien's Avian Form defended the two frontline women. With the boss occupied with the front trio, Enshiron and the android riflemen bombed the minotaur to deal heavy damage.

"Dosigma's HP is half now!" Shien pointed at Dosigma's HP bar, which was within the yellow zone.

"We're making good progress!" Mivangeline slashed Dosigma's legs alongside Elysia.

Dosigma shoved a fist into the ground, picking up a cube. The boss breathed fire into it, transforming the cube into a sleek, two-legged walker. The walker jumped off Dosigma's palm, wielding one arm with a grenade launcher and the other with a flamethrower.

"Cubic royalmech, Level 150 with one HP," Phoenicia observed the new enemy.

"One HP? That's it? Let's kill it!" Elysia charged at the royalmech.

The walker took no damage from Elysia. It was the same when everyone else attacked it. Dosigma laughed as the royalmech damaged everyone with its grenade launcher.

"No way! That thing is still alive!" Elysia stammered until Dosigma punched her into Shien.

Mivangeline's breath raced as the royalmech blasted a flamethrower to burn the android gunners. Dosigma picked another cube from the ground, breathing fire into it to deploy another royalmech. Phoenicia struggled to heal everyone as the grenades and flamethrowers overwhelmed the party. Everyone's HP lowered within the yellow zone.

"N-no! W-we're outgunned!" Mivangeline froze as Dosigma pushed Shien and Elysia back with its flaming fists. "H-how can we win?"

"Mivange! Calm yourself! Avian Form: Flamingo's Talon!" Shien kicked a royalmech away with his two feet. "We can win!"

"I-I don't know what to do."

"Hey! Take a deep breath. Remember what I told you? Adjust your plan."

As the androids struggled to suppress the two walkers, Dosigma picked another cube. The boss inhaled, ready to mold the cube into another walker.

"D-don't let him make another one!" Mivangeline pointed. "Enshiron! You're the sniper! Shoot its mouth!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Enshiron shot a wind arrow into Dosigma's mouth.

The boss choked, dropping the cube. It shattered into pieces.

"Good one, Mivange!" Shien commented. "Avian Form: Peregrine Landing!"

His foot smashed the ground, forming a crater that tripped Dosigma and the two royalmechs. Everyone's HP bar was critically low within the red zone, alerting Phoenicia to heal the party.

"I recommend we eliminate the royalmechs as soon as possible!" Phoenicia advised as the two royalmechs tumbled onto Dosigma. "They deal more damage than I can heal!"

"Any bright ideas?" Elysia twitched her fox ears.

"W-we can stop Dosigma from making more royalmechs by interrupting the process," Mivangeline sweated, but took a deep breath. "T-the walkers must have a weakness. W-we just need to find it."