Hark! The Avians Sing

Misuna, Dorian, and Isrina dressed in Reaper Squad uniforms, hiding within the dry meadows before the Samsara Crinoid in Kansas. On acres of steel guarded by barracuda hovertanks, the mechanized anemone opened its tentacles to fire a vibrating laser into the stormy sky. Portals opened from the chaotic pillar, releasing chimaera battlecruisers into America from China. They watched the warships fly away as General Covinski checked on the SHRIKE forces.

"Mr. President. We've located the Samsara Crinoid with Misuna's help. We have a diversion team set up so her team can infiltrate during our siege," Covinski contacted President Forroway with a transceiver. "My men also received the evidence from your investigation unit. Dorian will hack inside to make everything viral."

"That's good to hear," Forroway replied from his secret vault in the White House. "Good work. Thank you and your men for all your help. I just wish there was more I could do. Some President of America I am."

"Don't speak ill of yourself. You're distracting Maika with Project Zeruqkchiyion so she wouldn't expect our counterattack. You're doing what you can."

"The tanks are ready to make our attack convincing," Sergeant Misshia saluted.

"It's time, Mr. President. Permission to commence attack?"

Forroway took a deep breath. "Permission granted, General."

The US President flinched at the buzzing sound of sawing metal roaring from the metal door.

"President Forroway, I'm shocked to learn all you've done behind my back," Colonel Maika echoed. "I trusted you, thinking you had the wisdom to support the Kneapexist vision, but you disappointed me."

"Time to put this to good use," Forroway loaded a heavy machine gun. "Don't worry about me, General. Begin the siege!"

After the loud bang of Maika and the Reaper Squad busting in, Covinski could only hear the booming machine gun of Forroway's last stand.

"Mr. President? Are you there?" The General only heard static as a reply.

Covinski knew it meant Forroway was caught red-handed, but no matter, he knew the mission. He nodded with Misuna's infiltration team and then his army. The M1 Abrams tanks and MLRS artillery faced their cannons at the Samsara Crinoid.

When everything was ready, General Covinski roared. "Alright, men. Fire the artillery! By God almighty, truth is coming to America!"

***

"Shien, use Plasmodium Phalanxes to negate Cybrerdark Helminth!" Mivangeline dodged the tail dragon's dice. "Knavus, use Cosmic Matterslash to negate Spectral Claw!"

"Give Phoenicia back!" Shien pummeled the Empress' belly with his clarinet bo staff, using his trait to stop the boss from siphoning the androids' blood.

"Knavus! Use my HP!" Enshiron prepared his Vampiric Zephyr.

Knavus tipped his glasses and summoned a spell circle below Enshiron to drain his health. He sliced a shadowy rift across Kuroyurei's belly, disabling her cloaking ability.

Empress Kuroyurei Saiba

Level 500

HP: [345,928/500,000]

Trait 1: Cyberdark Helminth

[X]Trait 2: Spectral Claw[X]

-Antijuvenoid Prozosis-

-Contaminated Matter-

Mivangeline realized that Phoenicia's body was still exposed. "No, Enshiron! Hold your-"

It was too late. The blood-red arrow was launched, exploding into the boss' head. Phoenicia lost a hefty amount of HP.

Enshiron felt cold. "No! I didn't mean to hurt Phoenicia!"

"Ceasefire!" Mivangeline had the police droids lower their Tesla rifles.

"It's using Phoenicia as a hostage!" Ritom lowered his flamethrower.

The crab pincers fired lasers at the party, but Naivern played a song to shield everyone. "If we can't use our explosives, how can we deal enough damage?"

Mivangeline pointed at the eyeball pincers below the Empress' arms. "We should prioritize destroying those eyestalks. We only have one Eonspace Brew left, so we can't afford to keep getting our HP halved."

"The pincers look thin. We can cut them off easily," Ritom observed with his goggles. "Elysia and I have the highest attack, so we can sneak on them while you distract the Empress."

"Good thinking, Ritom. You take one side, and Elysia will take the other. Shien, you and I will occupy the Empress. Just watch out for the tail!"

Shien and Mivangeline fought head-on with the boss' martial arts while avoiding the lasers and dice-breathing tail dragon. With Kuroyurei concentrated on Shien and Mivangeline, both Ritom and Elysia jumped for the crab pincers. They sliced the eyestalks off with their blades, making Kuroyurei thrash and squeal in pain.

"Nice one!" Ritom clinked blades with Elysia. "Now we don't have to worry about our HP getting halved."

Mivangeline checked the boss' stats. "She has about half health left. If we keep this up, we'll win in no time."

A large tab appeared in front of the party.

!Warning!

!Phase II Begins!

"Oh, great. This thing has a second phase too?" Shien rolled his eyes.

Ritom recalled their fight with the Cubic boss. "Dosigma had those four walker guys. What does Kuroyurei have?"

The party shuddered when beings arose from the ground like the undead. Tattered police droids with red talismans on their faces dragged their dislocated bodies off the floor.

"Wait! Stop!" Zirconessa begged the brainwashed droids. "You're not yourselves!"

The jiangshi police droids opened their fangs to bite her, but her Tesla droids stunned them. Enshiron and Knavus fired projectiles at the zombified droids, but they wouldn't die. The Empress caught the startled party off guard, copying Phoenicia's skills to knock everyone back with Woodpecker Beak Strikes.

"Oh, no. Look at our weapons!" Shien checked his clarinet staff.

Mivangeline, Elysia, and Ritom observed their blades chipped and worn with every punch they blocked.

"How did this happen?" Elysia scowled at her chipped machete.

"The Empress is copying Phoenicia's trait. Appendicular Oxidation degrades our weapons with martial arts moves. It's what makes Phoenicia special."

"Well, great. How do we fight back if both our weapons are useless?"

Shien retreated from Kuroyurei's Toucan's Mace elbow strike, not wanting his clarinet to break. "Knowing Phoenicia, the only way to fight is with Kung-Fu."

"But Shien, the Empress' hands are blades," Mivangeline kicked a jiangshi droid back. "We will get cut if we do that."

"Here!" Zirconessa swiped a tab to give Mivangeline a pair of blade-proof gloves and shoes. "Good thing I always keep these for extra dirty work."

"But there's only one pair!"

"Sorry, it's all I got."

"You take it, Mivange!" Shien yelled.

"What about you? The blades will cut your hands."

"I'll target the rest of her body instead."

"What if she strikes you?"

"I just need to avoid the fingers. You need it more than I do!"

She equipped the new gear as Kuroyurei launched Woodpecker Beak Strikes at her. Mivangeline repelled with rolling punches, as the rest of the party struggled to stop the jiangshi droids.

"These guys don't stop no matter what we do!" Elysia cut a jiangshi in half to see the body parts stitch itself with wired tentacles.

Zirconessa jumped on a fanged jiangshi, trying to rip off the talisman. "Ugh! These things won't come off! We probably can't free them until the boss is defeated."

"Avian Form: Shoebill Thunderforce!" Mivangeline knocked Kuroyurei back with a powerful fist. "Shien and I will deal with the boss! I need the rest of you to distract the jiangshi droids! We'll save them all once we defeat the Empress!"

"Yes, Commander!" The other members blocked the zombified droids from interfering with Shien and Mivangeline's duel with Kuroyurei.

"Are you with me, Shien?" Mivangeline looked at her boyfriend.

"Always, let's beat this boss together!" Shien smiled.

Shien and Mivangeline stood against Kuroyurei in a face-off, holding their fist and palms in Bao Quan Li.

"Qing!" The couple said in Mandarin to the Empress.

Kuroyurei held one fist back and one palm downward on Huen Sao while Shien and Mivangeline aimed their palms upward at Wu Sao. Shien nodded to Mivangeline, tapping his foot as a signal. The Empress slid toward them with her chain punches powered by Phoenicia's jet-powered gauntlets.

"Avian Form: Peregrine Landing!" Shien stomped fissures into the floor.

Kuroyurei fumbled across the uneven ground, toppling facedown.

"Avian Form: Flamingo's Talon!" Mivangeline kicked both feet into the Empress' skull.

The boss screamed from the massive damage, thrashing its tail to send Mivangeline flying.

"Shien! Go for the head!"

"Avian Form: Kingfisher's Axe!" Shien jumped above to aim a downswing kick at the boss' head.

Kuroyurei stood on her hand, swiping her tail to block with Cardinal's Talon. The Empress landed on her serpentine body with a thud that shook Shien and Mivangeline with Peregrine Landing. The Empress grinned and disappeared into cloaking.

"No! Spectral Claw is active again!" Mivangeline panicked. "Where's Knavus? We need his ability. We need Zirconessa's goggles!"

"Mivange! Don't panic!" Shien held a fist back and a palm up in Tan Sao.

"But the boss will outrun us with her speed!"

"Don't forget, Kung-Fu is all about the reaction! When the boss' hands pop out, we just react. We can do this!"

Two fingers shot out toward Shien in Chickadee's Touch, but Shien ducked in time.

"Think of this as part of your training! You watch my back. I will watch yours."

She took a deep breath, then stood back-to-back with Shien with elbows crossed in Bong Sao.

"Do you think this will work, Shien?"

"Don't think, do!"

Palm strikes struck Mivangeline from the right. The Commander parried with chain punches until the Empress' hands retreated.

"See? We got this!" Shien elbowed her with a wink.

The two relaxed and concentrated, reacting to Kuroyurei's attacks.

"The boss has about a quarter health left," Mivangeline huffed. "Her agility is wearing us out. We need to slow her down with that move."

"Let's do it! Avian Form: Pitohui Stinger Strikes!"

Both lifted their palms and fingers forward in Biu Sao. Each time Kuroyurei attacked, they struck the giant arms, sapping the boss' agility. Soon, the boss reappeared, struggling to move.

"Avian Form: Ostrich Buster!" Shien stood on his hands and rapidly kicked the Empress' body like a machine gun.

"Mivange! Switch!" Shien dodged a dice blast from the tail dragon.

"Avian Form: Cassowary Doomfall!" The Commander bashed her two knuckles into the Empress' body and kicked her legs into the same area.

Kuroyurei screamed as her wired insides burst through her back, splitting her in half. The tail dragon thrashed wildly, vomiting green fuel until it lay limp on the ground.

Empress Kuroyurei Saiba

Level 500

HP: [50,392/500,000]

Kuroyurei stood on half a body, swinging her arms like wings in Riflebird's Wingbeat to blow Shien and Mivangeline in different directions. The Empress used Phoenicia's jet-powered gauntlets to boost herself toward Shien, attacking Shien's palms with Pitohui Stinger Strikes.

She used our strategy against us! Shien accidentally punched Kuroyurei's bladed fingers.

He winced from the stinging pain of his cut fingers as the Empress slashed Shien's chest open. Shien cried as Kuroyurei shredded his face with her claws until his health dropped to 5%.

"Leave him alone!" Mivangeline activated her Paladin's Aegis to lure the Empress away from Shien.

Kuroyurei attacked Mivangeline with Pitohui Stinger Strikes.

I can't fight head-on with those stinger strikes. Mivangeline dodged. As Shien said, redirect the force!

She used her elbow to knock Kuroyurei's arms to the side, exposing the waistline. Mivangeline immediately attacked it with rolling punches. The Empress grabbed her, skewering Mivangeline and plummeting her HP below 10%.

"Avian Form: Harpy's Claw!" Shien clawed his hands deep into the Empress' abdomen to hold the boss in place. "T-take her down."

The Empress dropped Mivangeline, squirming to break free from Shien's clawed grip. Mivangeline chain-punched the boss from the back. Kuroyurei howled, squeezing Shien's head with one hand while trying to swat Mivangeline off with the other.

"H-hurry..." Shien felt the blades sinking into his face. "I-I can't hold her much longer."

"Avian Form: Bowerbird Crusher!" Mivangeline grabbed Kuroyurei's other arm and twisted it. "Avian Form: Crown of Kinglets!"

The Commander bombarded the Empress' head with numbing finger strikes. Kuroyurei's tiara crumbled as her night vision goggles cracked.

14,385... 10,247... 7,381... 5,009...

"Avian Form: Great Titmouse Strike!" Mivangeline smashed a penultimate palm strike into Kuroyurei's skull.

With a final shriek, the Empress' green eyes faded black as her HP dropped to zero. Her crushing grip released Shien.

Empress Kuroyurei Saiba

Level 500

HP: [0/500,000]

!Congratulations!

!The Dynastiotron Dynasty has been destroyed!

Netium Reward: 5,000,000

EXP: 5,000,000

As the Empress disintegrated into blue hexagons, the jiangshi droids' talismans and fangs vaporized. The once-zombified police droids stopped attacking the party, scratching their heads in confusion.

"Look, Shien and Mivangeline did it!" Naivern jumped as Zirconessa tended to the police droids.

Mivangeline checked on Shien, who bravely held the Empress in place for victory. "Ruddigus! Do you still have that one eonspace?"

"Yes, Commander!"

"Give it to Enshiron, now!"

When Enshiron took the last potion, the item healed the party and Shien's injuries.

"H-hey, Mivange," Shien held Mivangeline's hand. "Y-you were awesome."

"You too. I couldn't have done it without you!" Mivangeline kissed her boyfriend. "Thank you, God!"

The two embraced each other in tears as Ritom checked on Phoenicia and Ampyria's bodies.

"Hey. You there, Phoenicia?" Shien ran to her.

"Retrieving lost data," Phoenicia's eyes opened with loading circles. "Hard drive core repaired. RAM unit intact. Five senses restored."

"Visual sensory circuits online," Phoenicia looked at Shien. "Greetings! You all have my sincere gratitude for recovering Ampyria and myself from the Dynastiotron's grasp."

"I missed you, Phoenicia!" Shien hugged her tightly as Ampyria awoke.

The party jumped with joy to see their long-lost android friends.

"Hey, Shien. Can you pray with me?"

"Sure!"

Mivangeline knelt and held hands with her boyfriend. "Lord, thank you for this victory. Thank you for using Shien to teach me so much. Deliver us from the Syanic Earth, and help me lead the people well. In Jesus' name, Amen."

With the Cubic Regime and the Dynastiotron Dynasty conquered, there leaves the most feared faction of them all, the DJ Meteonis, their last step to freedom.

End of Dynastiotron Arc