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."

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.

"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.