One shall stand. The other shall fall. (Part 3)

Diego's blade glided through space, bisecting a horribly unfortunate fighter before clashing with the Eradicator. The massive blade carved into one of the mech's wings, stopping halfway. Zarkon growled in anger as he pulled one arm back, pure quintessence flowing through its circuitry and supercharging it. To others watching, the arm seemed to blur as it struck forward, impacting Diego's face with the force of an asteroid.

Progression drive at 60% and rising.
Diverting quintessence.

Diego's arms glowed bright white as he dislodged his sword from the Eradicator. Grasping the weapon with both hands, he raised his sword to strike. He was interrupted as a squadron of fighters impacted with his back, exploding on contact. Three carriers hovered behind Diego in formation, weapons pointed forward.

Diego looked back at them before flicking back to the Eradicator, blocking a right hook with his blade. Pushing the dictator back, Diego unleashed the energy charged into his arms, slashing dozens of times in moments. The ships behind Diego fell to pieces as the Eradicator flinched back, covered in scratches.

Quintessence level at 156%. Quintessence level is rising. Recommend tactic; Conservation and attrition.

«Enough of this! Face your end!» Zarkon declared, his wings surging around him as he charged forward. The wings came down like guillotines towards Diego, forcing him to block with his sword.

Activate Quintessence engine.

Diego backed away as the energy ring of his Quintessence engine appeared, gravity bending inward. Nearby ships and debris began to get drawn in, wreckage getting sucked up in moments. Suddenly, the larger ships and the Eradicator became alight with purple energy, no longer getting drawn in.

The enemy has activated shields that disrupt the effect of gravity. The Quintessence engine is no longer viable. Activate Division network.

DIVIDE.

Diego's wing split off, separating into multiple pieces. The fragments flew off, blasting and weaving around enemy ships.

«Don't think that will save you. I know much about your many abilities and I have come prepared.» Zarkon declared as a nearby ship fires a familiar large net, capturing a few segmented pieces of Diego's wing, disabling them.

We must avoid those nets and reclaim our lost pieces.
Voltron thought as Diego fired at the Eradicator with his hand, moving to the net. Zarkon fired on Diego with negative quintessence again, barely phasing him this time. Diego cut away the net, regaining his pieces.

Progression drive at 75%. Adapting.

«It seems that you've overcome my Komar. No matter. I will simply destroy you with my own strength.» Zarkon said, moving towards Diego as his wing reassembled itself.

«Says the tyrant hiding behind his armour.» Diego quipped. Zarkon growled before charging forward. Diego's scimitar disappeared as he dodged the slashing wings. Diego then formed his twin blades, charging forward again.

«Victory or Death!» Zarkon shouted as he met the charge head on. Diego and Zarkon clashed together, their blows shaking the very space around them as they traded blows like nothing before. Diego formed his arm cannon, blasting at Zarkon. He countered with negative quintessence, absorbing the beam. Charging his blade-wings with that quintessence, Zarkon slashed at Diego with frenzy, scoring multiple direct hits.

The Eradicator is too durable and persistent. Continued fighting may cause collateral damage. Advance Progression drive to 100%!

Diego's body glowed like a new star. The wings on his back clipped off, coming together on his arm as his familiar Echo shield before the glow transferred into it, Diego's right hand also glowing brightly. Diego's shield grew larger, now taller and wider than his whole body.

FORM REBELION SHIELD.

The glowing quintessence bursted off of the new shield, revealing the monolith. Mystic markings covered the face of the shield, mirrored on each side. The center of the shield seemed to have a round dial on it with many notches around it, the centerpiece pointing upwards.

Switch to ice conversion.

The dial on the shield spun around, landing on a different notch. Diego's hand continued to glow before the glow stretched outwards, forming into a long shaft before solidifying as well.

FORM RETRIBUTION LANCE.

A long, thick white hexagonal lance with golden markings along the sides materialized in Diego's hand, a sharp triangular arrowhead point with golden markings that glowed brighter than any star at the tip. Diego stood with his shield held in front of him with his shield poised.

SYNCHRONIZE.

The Lances glow changed, now becoming a cold blue. Zarkon stared ahead before charging forward again, clawing at the titanic shield. Zarkon's claws and blade-wings bounced off the shield, now covered in ice. Seeing his opening, Diego thrusted with his Lance, impaling one of the Eradicator's arms. Ice formed from the tip, freezing the limb in place.

«Grah! Don't think you've won yet!» Zarkon exclaimed, charging more negative quintessence. Diego held up his shield, ready to block the attack. Zarkon fired, hitting his own fleet.

What is he doing?

Diego stared as Zarkon continued harvesting quintessence from the ships.

If he continues doing that, he'll hit the Blades ships as well.

Switch to explosion conversion.

SYNCHRONIZE.

The dial on Diego's shield spun again, landing on a different notch. His Lance then changed as well, now glowing a sunny yellow. Diego thrusted at the Eradicator's arm, blowing off a piece of armour. The Eradicator glowed again, moving at immense speed. Moving behind Diego, Zarkon threw dozens of strikes at Diego's exposed back. Using his thrusters, Diego spun around and raised his shield, forcing Zarkon to back off.

«Let's see how you deal with this!» Zarkon shouted. His blade-wings spread out, pointing away from himself before firing in all directions. The wings flew through space, nearly hitting a Blade ship before curving around at Diego's flank.

Channel quintessence into Retribution Lance and arms.

Diego thrusted at each blade-wing in turn, explosions shattering them into pieces.

Switch to acid conversion.

Again, the dial turned, landing on another of the dozens of settings. Diego rushed at Zarkon, bashing forward with his massive shield. The Eradicator blocked with one arm, getting doused in corrosive acid on contact. Zarkon retaliated with a strike, hitting the shield again. More acid covered the Eradicator's hand, the blue sludge not affecting the durable armour.

Acid conversion is ineffective.

Diego thrusted forward with his lance again, an explosion pushing Zarkon back and denting the armour of the Eradicator. The dent glowed with heat.

Explosions and high levels of heat appear to be effective.

Switch to plasma conversion.

SYNCHRONIZE.

Switch to explosion conversion.

Diego's lance glowed blinding white as he bashed forward, barely missing the Eradicator as Zarkon backed away. The Eradicator glowed as Zarkon channeled the quintessence he'd stolen, charging around Diego and attempting to strike at his back again. Diego spun around, swinging his lance in an arc. A stream of white fire flew from the tip, melting some of the Eradicator's armour.

«Rah! Just die already!» Zarkon shouted, blindly charging forward with frenzy, striking at the Rebellion Shield. Each hit caused an explosion to manifest, leaving the Eradicator's arms dented and broken.

«No! NO! I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED BY THE LIKES OF YOU! VICTORY OR DEATH!»

The Eradicator began glowing again, brighter and brighter.

Scanners are detecting a massive spike in quintessence potential. If not stopped, it could cause an explosion that would destroy everything within a parsec of space, including the Galra fleets, the Blades ships and Mystacor! We must stop him!

But how? If we attack him, we shall only set off the explosion immediately!

We can use the Quintessence engine and the Division network to absorb the explosion! Surrounding him in our pieces as a cage!

The explosion would be too powerful! The engine wouldn't be able to absorb it fast enough, even if we did split apart to surround him!

Then… we pour everything in the engine. Suck him up and the explosion!

We can't! If we do that, it could cause a singularity! We'd rip space apart!

We don't have a choice!

ENGAGE QUINTESSENCE ENGINE!

Diego's weapons evaporated, the quintessence returning to him as his Quintessence engine rune appeared in front of him, beginning to absorb the energy of the Eradicator. The Eradicator continued growing brighter, the light washing over the ships and wreckage of the battlefield.

«VICTORY OR DEATH!»

"VICTORY IN LIFE!"

The light started to shrink. Slowly, it shrank back into where it came from, revealing the ships, broken remnants of battle and the heart of the explosion. Diego and the Eradicator, grappling for dominance. With one final push…

The threat ended.

Never expected that to happen.

Author's Note

I am here! And I did NOT almost forget to post this. Nope! Not at all. Come back next time for th-

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