Chapter 51: Cosmic Radiance

Vyran

I took a deep breath and held out my hand. Light flashed out of my hand in a burst of rays. This light was still formless, unlike the sword I had made the other day.

"Trying to perfect that 'Cosmic Resonance' of yours?" Sis asked, walking over.

I nodded. "It's our key to victory against Titanos, I'm sure of it."

She glanced at Valkyrie. "Maybe try integrating it with your mech. I know she can't do much right now, but I could power her for a short while."

I blinked. "You can?"

"Yeah, remember, I can gather energy from the stars. My chip isn't at full power, so I can't draw too much, but I can pull enough from Orginal's main star to power Valkyrie for an hour or two."

"That would be incredibly helpful, Sis," I said, smiling. I glanced over at Valkyrie. The dented, yet formidable mecha stood tall in our makeshift outdoor 'lab'.

Sis walked to Valkyrie, her hands tracing over the cold metal of the machinery. "Okay, let's do this. But remember, we only have a limited amount of time," she reminded me.

I nodded.

Sis closed her eyes, her hands resting lightly on Valkyrie. I could see the faint glow of energy surrounding her, the telltale sign that she was drawing power from the stars.

The mech began to hum as it powered up, lights flickering on one by one. With a shuddering lurch, Valkyrie came to life, towering over us in all its mechanical glory.

Using my brain chip, I opened the now fixed cockpit. Once inside, I put my hands on the twin orbs on the chair. They were called lagrima, tears. Ancient explorers of other realms got these babies from the realm of magic, Xeleria. The people of that realm used them to gauge their magical strength. More powerful mages used them to see others or to communicate with one another. More recent explorers said the latter was becoming a lost art, with the rise of 'modern' phones. Which in our eyes were ancient.

Seriously, why did they abandon the lagrima for bricks?

I closed my eyes. My hands warmed up as a gentle light radiated off of them.

I took a deep breath, feeling the Cosmic Resonance pulsate within me, filling every fiber of my being with pure energy. I focused on the light in my hands, the swirling, radiant energy that held the potential to change the course of our fight against Titanos.

Slowly, I guided the light from my hands into the lagrimas. The twin orbs began to glow, a soft, ethereal radiance that was both calming and invigorating. I could feel Valkyrie responding, the mecha vibrating with the influx of cosmic energy.

Suddenly, the entire mech flared brilliantly as the Cosmic Resonance flowed from the lagrimas into Valkyrie. The glow enveloped the mech, making its dents and scars disappear beneath the radiant light. Valkyrie stood tall and resolute, an embodiment of our determination.

A gasp escaped Sis's lips as she watched the spectacle before her. "Vyran, it's... it's beautiful," she murmured, her voice filled with awe.

I could only nod in response, my heart pounding with a mix of exhilaration and relief. The integration had worked. I could feel the connection between Valkyrie and me, stronger than ever before.

I opened my eyes, my vision filled with the radiant glow of the Cosmic Resonance. I was still seated in the cockpit of Valkyrie, but it felt different. I felt different. Empowered, stronger. It reminded me of my dream, when I sat on the planetary size-mecha. Except, this was current reality.

"Let's put this to the test," I said, my voice filled with determination. Sis nodded, stepping back to give Valkyrie room.

I flexed Valkyrie's mechanical fingers with my thoughts. The mech responded instantly, even faster than I could think. As if it were being powered by the me a split second into the future.

"Try to focus the energy into her Beam sword," Sis yelled.

I nodded and brandished the green beam sword. I focused the energy cloaking Valkyrie's metallic body into the blade. The once green blade turned a light lime-color.

The brilliance of the lime-colored beam sword was almost blinding, a testament to the raw energy pulsating within it. I could feel its power thrumming in harmony with my own heartbeat, resonating with the cosmic energy that now intertwined my existence with Valkyrie.

Sis's voice echoed in my mind, guiding me to concentrate the energy further. I gritted my teeth, focusing all my thoughts on the beam sword. The light grew brighter, the lime color intensifying until it was near white.

"Sis," I called out, my voice echoing within the cockpit, "I'm going to test out the beam sword."

She nodded, stepping further back, her eyes wide but filled with trust. I raised the beam sword, taking a moment to appreciate the surreal beauty of the moment.

With a deep breath, I swung the sword. The air around it shimmered, vibrating under the raw power of the cosmic energy. The ground where the sword struck exploded in a shower of dirt, leaving a deep, smoking crater. 

The silence that followed was deafening. I stared at the crater, my heart pounding with exhilaration. The sheer force of the beam sword had not only carved an impressive crater into the ground, but the residual energy had also scorched the surrounding area, leaving a clear ring of blackened earth around the impact zone.

Even the sea beyond had been split into two. The waters didn't come back together as they showed the scar extended well into the ocean floor.

The echo of the sword's strike still reverberated in the air, a chilling reminder of the incredible power now at my disposal. I turned to Sis, her eyes wide and mouth agape as she took in the destruction.

"We did it, Sis," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper in the aftermath of the power display. "We've made a weapon that can stand against Titanos."

She nodded, a slow grin spreading across her face. "And not just stand against them, Vyran," she said, her voice filled with a fierce pride. "We can fight back. We can win."

The realization hit me then, a wave of relief and determination washing over me. We had a chance. We could protect Deros's world still, take it back, free his people. We could defy the might of Titanos and emerge victorious.

Emboldened by our success, I spent the rest of the day testing Valkyrie's limits, pushing the mech and myself to new heights. The Cosmic Resonance responded beautifully, the energy flowing seamlessly between Valkyrie and myself.

I didn't even need sis to pour energy into it as Cosmic Radiance itself could power Valkyrie.

By the time Sis signaled the end of our testing session, I felt more connected to Valkyrie than ever before. We were not just a pilot and a mech anymore. We were a single entity, a harmonious fusion of cosmic energy and raw power.

As I powered down Valkyrie and stepped out of the cockpit, I felt a sense of peace settle over me. I felt hope. Hope for our future, hope for victory.

I turned to Sis, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. "Seems we might not need the missing parts after all."

Sis held her hand and caught me as I fell. "Dummy. You alone can't power Valkyrie for the duration of the war. Cosmic Radiance is strong, but it is only one tool in a box full of them. Over reliance on it will be your downfall. Let's wait for Deros to return."

I nodded weakly and closed my eyes as fatigue won out.