Mechagodzilla: Shiryu

-10-

Shiryu charged at Anguirus, the mechanical titan letting out a roar as both headed for a clash at full speed.

Akane activated Shiryu's weapons, ready to stun the titan as she was getting close to range. However, instead of lunging at Shiryu, Anguirus suddenly curled up into a spiky ball and rolled at high speed. Akane had only time to raise up Shiryu's arms to block as the titan barreled in, both clashing into one another. The impact from Anguirus's rolling slam caused Shiryu to be sent backwards and to the side, crashing into the ground. Akane grunted as she braced for impact, Shiryu crashing down and skidding to a stop as the ground trembled underneath because of their fight. Anguirus landed safely to the side and uncurled, now on all fours again as he bellowed and went for another attack. For a titan to be half the size of Shiryu, it did pack a serious blow. "Damn it!" Akane grunted as she struggled to get up, only to realize that Anguirus was closing in on Shiryu quickly. Akane pulled on the controls quickly to make Shiryu get up but the noticed something happen. Shiryu's tail automatically began to move on its own before swinging around and swatting Anguirus in the snout. The hit sent the armored titan away from Shiryu and slamming into a boulder, making him screech in pain. "What?" Akane asked herself, not knowing how she did that with Shiryu's tail. Then the monitor display showed a message from the AI: [I'LL HELP YOU, LT AKANE]. "Thanks" she said in response as she piloted Shiryu to stand up to its feel once more, facing Anguirus once again. This time, Akane was ready to fight the armored titan for real.

Anguirus recovered from the attack and gave an angry bellow, now more furious than ever as it has been knocked down. Akane tapped on some buttons and made Shiryu give a mechanized roar in response, letting the armored titan know she was ready to fight him. Anguirus roared again and charged towards Shiryu again, rolling up into a ball to do the same attack. Akane made Shiryu prepare for this once Anguirus was just close, before making the mechagodzilla kick the rolling ball of spikes like a soccer ball. The armored titan roared in surprise as it was thrown off again, uncurling and flaying around in the air before slamming into the ground. Anguirus shook itself from the dirt and stones as he growled, glaring at the mechanized titan. Shiryu and Akane got prepared for what will come next from the attacks. Anguirus snorted and then roared as he charged at them once again. This time the titan didn't curl up in a ball to attack, but rather continued on all fours before launching himself at Shiryu. Akane readied Shiryu's fists and gave Anguirus a punch on the face, sending him sideways. But not before the armored titan swiped its claws at the mechagodzilla's shoulder and made scratch marks. Some alarms blared as the cockpit shook due to the impact, and Akane gritted her teeth as she piloted Shiryu to face the titan again.

The damage inflicted to Shiryu's right shoulder was concerning, though the systems told Akane that the arm was still functioning. "Fine. Bring it on!" Akane shouted as she made Shiryu give its mechanized roar again, having enough from being pushed back by the titan. Anguirus gave another bellowing roar as it ran at Shiryu, again rearing up to its hind legs to tackle the mechanical titan. However, Akane, with the early warning system given to her by Shiryu's AI, moved both of the mechagodzilla's hands to catch Anguirus's talons from slashing at the frame. The armored titan gave a furious roar as it struggled and thrashed around to break free. He even rammed his head into Shiryu's chest, making Akane grunt and almost loose her hold on the titan. She let go of Anguirus before bringing up Shiryu's feet and kicking him away from them. The armored titan roared as it was hit in the face and head, crashing down a few meters away from Shiryu. Anguirus gave another roar before it began to dig down into the ground, disappearing from sight. Akane narrowed her eyes and stepped back, seeing that it has burrowed underground and was definitely going to change attack patterns. The AI from Shiryu used the machine's detection systems to determine the approximate location of Anguirus and alert Akane of any incoming attacks. Then the alarms blared as the cursor pointed at Anguirus heading towards Shiryu from the left flank, Akane facing that direction and preparing to evade. However, Akane evaded a bit too late when she made Shiryu jump when Anguirus burst from the ground, right beneath the mechagodzilla's feet and making it trip again.

Recovering quickly from the fall, Akane made Shiryu get up fast and face Anguirus again. Only to see that the armored titan has buried itself back into the ground and the proximity alert blaring once again. Akane yelped as Shiryu was hit in the underside by something large, making her and Shiryu fly into the air and crash down into the ground. Anguirus went at it again and rammed up into Shiryu from beneath the ground, not letting Akane recover properly to counterattack. Having enough from the titan attacking her, Akane piloted Shiryu to stand up quickly and move around, avoiding the underground attacks from the armored titan. Once Akane and the AI calculated where Anguirus would burst out, Akane made Shiryu use its arms and grab Anguirus by its spiked hide. The armored titan burst from the ground in front, and Shiryu grabbed the titan by the hide before lifting the armored titan off the ground as it roared and flayed around. Once she made Shiryu lift Anguirus some meters with the mechanical titan's strength...before slamming the armored titan down. Anguirus bellowed in pain as it was slammed down hand onto the ground, trying to recover.

However, Akane didn't let the titan get a chance to do so as she made Shiryu pick Anguirus up again and slam him down into the ground hard. Akane grunted and yelled as she struggled to slam down Anguirus again and again. ["Akane! What are you doing!? He's already having enough! Let him go!"] Rick was heard saying on the radio, worried about the beatdown that Akane was giving Anguirus with Shiryu. ["Akane-san! Stop it already!"] Chen shouted in japanese on the radio, but Akane didn't listen. After several slammings, and seeing that Anguirus was weakened, Akane piloted Shiryu to pick up Anguirus by the tail and start to pull. The armored titan have a confused bellow as Shiryu began to turn around and use most of its strength to swing him around. Akane gritted her teeth as she groaned and made sure not to let go of the titan yet...before eventually letting go and flinging Anguirus across the air. The titan crashed into a large boulder, the impact making it break apart as Anguirus plowed right through it. Akane piloted Shiryu to rush towards the crash site of the titan, seeing that the creature was laid there sprawled and too weak to move. She glared down at the armored titan with eyes that expressed frustration and annoyance, looming over before raising Shiryu's arm and deploying the wrist blade. ["What are you doing?"] Rick asked as he saw what Akane was about to do. "I'll make sure he doesn't mess with us again" Akane said, Shiryu's wrist blade crackling with electricity. [AKANE!!! DON'T DO IT!!!"] Chen shouted in horror, Rick starting to make Shiryu Kai run towards them, but it was too late. Akane raised the wrist blade high in the air before slamming it down...

...and missing Anguirus's head completely as the blade dove into the ground.

Everything and everyone seemed quiet, even Anguirus as it saw that the blade was just inches in front of his snout. Then Akane removed the wrist blade from the ground, but not before making Shiryu open its mouth and roar down upon Anguirus at full volume for a long moment. Anguirus flinched form the aloud mechanized roar from the mechagodzilla, making it give out a scared whine and back away in fright once Shiryu stopped roaring. Akane watched the armored titan retreat and bury into the ground away from them, before turning around with Shiryu and heading back to the base. "That's right. Enough is enough." Akane said with a sigh as she put away Shiryu's weapons and also deactivated them. She passed by Shiryu Kai, not looking at them or at any other place. She was ready to face questioning from the command center, knowing that in some way she must have disobeyed orders, but instead she was directly contacted by the Colonel. ["Lieutenant Akane. Why didn't you kill Anguirus?"] Togashi asked on the radio, sounding more curious than demanding as Akane made Shiryu stop in its tracks. "I...didn't want to make the same mistake that we did in the past." Akane replied after a moment of silence. Her thoughts began to reshape again as she began to reflect on her actions. Something else told her to hold back at that moment, preventing her from finishing off the titan and missing in purpose. She felt disappointed at first, and then grateful as she remembered something that she had carefully hidden in the back of her head.

Afterwards, when they have confirmed that Anguirus had truly gone off, Akane was ordered to head back with Rick and their Shiryu units to the Hollow Earth outpost.