The Pyrrhuloxia has Landed

"Stupid tracking system!" Xneong plucked Kumiciel's tracking device off his motorcycle as he bolted through the busy highway. "Thalamoid? Do you copy?"

There was no reply from his earpiece. His mechanical eye beeped, signaling danger from behind. Xneong's camera implant activated on the back of his head, seeing three sailfish drones chasing him with sirens blaring. Someone was barely hanging onto the wing of a drone, screaming.

"Gosh, is that Dacos?" Xneong rolled his eyes, grabbing his triple-barreled sniper rifle from his back holster.

"Easy does it!" Dacos bellowed from the sky. "Shoot him down, yeah!"

When the drones fired at Xneong, he used one hand to veer his motorcycle through the rushing traffic and dodge the drones' heat rays. With his other hand, the High Envoy aimed his lightweight rifle behind him without looking back and shot a drone down.

"What the heck, man? How can he see me backward? No fair!" Dacos stammered.

The drones flipped in circles to avoid Xneong's electrifying bullets. When Dacos climbed on top of his drone, he launched a sphere of whirling air at Xneong. The High Envoy sped his vehicle in front of a truck, letting it explode and spin across the highway from Dacos' psychic. As Xneong fired at the elusive drones, Hernamidos landed in front. He combined his pistols into a cannon to fire a giant laser. Xneong activated the eagle head of his motorcycle to fire its beak railgun back.

The two particles collided into an explosion as Xneong swerved around the General. Hernamidos aimed his heel to fire a lightning dart that pierced the motorcycle's tire and disabled Xneong's vehicle. The Korean High Envoy jumped onto a wrecked truck and quickly shot down the drones. Dacos wailed as he faceplanted into the street.

"There's nowhere to run, traitor!" Hernamidos jumped onto the vehicle as Kumiciel arrived with his jet shoes.

"So this is the thanks I get for trying to save the world, huh?" Xneong's rifle stock sharpened into a scythe. "I'm sorry it has to be this way, dear comrades."

***

Mivangeline and Cyroid commanded their armies against each other, changing their formations and strategies within the palace.

"Shield us, Naivern. Droids, fire the Tesla rifles!"

"Take cover with your capes. Roll thermal detonators underneath the shield!"

"Ritom, scorch those explosives! Ampyria, bomb the enemy from above!"

"Knock that girl down with an anti-aircraft rifle. Get the mortars ready!"

"Retreat Ampyria! Esarin, smoke rockets for cover. Enshiron, snipe the mortars!"

Meanwhile, Shien and Kyrinna launched their elbows and palms at insane speed while Ruddigus and Azuroid used their muscular fists to attack and defend.

"That all you've got, big boy?" Azuroid punched Ruddigus in the face. "It takes more than some puny six-pack to take Azuroid down!"

"We'll see who's the puny one. It's going to be you!" Ruddigus rammed his body into Azuroid to knock him back.

"Then prepare to get chunked!" Azuroid charged back with an elbow at his face.

"Panthereal Shiva: Bahamut's Breath!" Kyrinna opened her mouth to exhale a frost breath at Shien.

"Avian Form: Riflebird's Wingbeat!" Shien flapped his arms to blow the icy mist away. Her style is not Avian Form. Master Oreic told me a story of two Sanskrit martial arts that feed off your anger. There was fire and ice, so this girl must be using the ice form!

"Panthreal Shiva: Raining Indra!" Kyrinna clapped her hands to summon a deathly rain of icicle shards from above.

"Avian Form: Blackhawk Missile!" Shien whirled into a cyclone to blitz past the rainstorm. "Avian Form: Woodpecker Beak Strikes!"

"Panthereal Shiva: Hands of Asura!"

The Countess struck her palms so fast that Shien saw an illusion of Kyrinna with three faces and six arms. In a stalemate, the two glared as they bombarded rolling punches at each other.

"Give up, you hunky good for nothing!" Azuroid lifted Ruddigus and threw him across the arena. "You don't have what it takes to square off with Azuroid!"

"Oof! Not bad," Ruddigus spat. "But the duel's not over until my life points hit zero. You can't beat the heart of the cards!"

"Your pathetic cards can't save you, big boy!" Azuroid bellowed before Ruddigus tackled him.

Cyroid and Mivangeline's armies attacked and defended, following their commanders. Mivangeline hyperventilated, losing her voice.

"Commander! You require rest!" Phoenicia checked on her.

The party defended Mivangeline as Cyroid ordered the Reaper Squad to target her.

"I-I can't stop..." Mivangeline coughed lactic acid. "God, help us..."

"Mivange!" Shien yelled until Kyrinna kicked him in the stomach.

"Hahaha!" Cyroid grinned at Mivangeline. "In the end, you're just a weak human while I'm a superior machine who doesn't grow weary!"

"Think again, Cyroid!" Someone shouted.

Everyone looked to see Isrina wearing a bright red Vultau robe with the blue embroidery of a desert cardinal, the pyrrhuloxia.

When the secret police fired at her, Isrina rapidly hopped to evade the gunfire. "Avian Form: Sparrow Hop!"

"Avian Form: Avocet Lancer!" With a gnashing of teeth, Isrina lunged her palm like a spear to pierce the commandos to death.

"Mom!" Shien jumped for Isrina in tears.

"My Little Chickadee!"

"Panthereal Shiva: Monsoons of Vritra!" Kyrinna pierced her palm into the floor, making the palace explode with freezing water dragons.

The commotion sent Mivangeline's party flying into the ruined Dynastiotron village as Isrina and Kyrinna had their rematch. As they threw rolling punches, Cyroid listened to his transceiver.

"Intruders in the Samsara Crinoid? Deal with them. I'll be there!" Cyroid growled. "Kyrinna! Azuroid! We must return to protect the superweapon!"

As Cyroid's hologram faded, Azuroid and Kyrinna also logged out with Zeruqkchiyion. Isrina ran toward the tired party for her son until Dorian called.

"Isrina, we need your help now!"

"Bad time, Dorian!"

"I completed the mission, but the White Death is breaking in!"

"No! No! No!" Isrina wailed. "I want to be with Shien!"

"Cyroid's onto us! Please, Isrina. He'll kill us all!" Misuna's voice begged.

"I'm scared, Isrina!" Dorian cried.

"Mom!" Shien scampered up the palace stairs.

Do I choose to stay with Shien? Or do I save Dorian and Misuna?

"We need you!" Misuna screamed as the door exploded. "Isrina! Cyroid will kill you if he finds your pod!"

"Foolish girls! Prepare to be terminated!" Cyroid's voice hollered.

"Panthereal Shiva: Hands of Asura!" Kyrinna's Japanese chanted before the contact buzzed with static.

This isn't fair. I can't have Shien without leaving my team to die. Isrina sobbed and forced her shaking finger to log out with Zeruqkchiyion. "Please forgive me, Shien."

"Mom! Come back!" Shien wailed, finding himself hugging the air instead of his mom. "Don't leave me, Mom!"