Soul Drive: Ignition

Masato Tanaka's footsteps echoed in the dimly lit hallway as he approached Nori's prison cell. If he was going to lose everything then he was taking Mach 1, with him. Masato knew the risks - Noboru's plan would never work, but adding Nori into the mix would ensure Mach 1's destruction.

He stopped outside the cell door, his hand hovering over the security panel. Taking a deep breath to calm his racing thoughts, Masato swiped his access card and entered. A lone guard stood watch inside, his eyes narrowing at the unexpected visitor.

"Leave us," Masato commanded as he flashed his ID card, his voice firm and authoritative. The guard hesitated before nodding and making a swift exit. Masato turned to face Nori, who sat on the edge of his cot, his intense gaze never leaving Masato.

"Listen closely," Masato began, his voice low and urgent. "Chances are, by the end of this, we'll both be in prison or dead. But we can take control of our fates, and still get what we want in the process."

Nori's eyes gleamed, his muscular form leaning forward ever so slightly. "What I want is to kill you and every other person trying to control me, how does that sound to you?"

"What if I gave you a chance to destroy Mach 1 instead? Your vitals have never been affected by the use of the Mach, you can kill him," Masato explained, watching Nori's expression carefully. "You have a unique resilience that sets you apart. He caught you off guard last time, this time you will be the one surprising him."

A predatory smile crept onto Nori's face. "So I get my rematch to get rid of the Mach that caused me to wind up here, what do you get?"

"Does it really matter? I will even let you keep your Mach." With a flourish, Masato produced an old VR headset - Mach 2. "Eliminate Mach 1, and after that, you can do what you please." He handed it to Nori, who took it reverently.

"I am starting to like you," Nori said. He slipped on the headset, and in an instant, the Mach 2 armor enveloped him. A surge of power coursed through his veins, and he felt invincible. With a roar, he blasted a hole in the wall and took flight, leaving destruction in his wake.

The prison alarms began to blare, but Masato was already on the move, slipping back into the shadows of the facility. As he made his way through the chaos, he prepared himself for phase two of his plan, now that all the pieces were in play.

-----

Hiro touched down in front of the warehouse with the welcome Mach 1 painted on the roof, his teal cybernetic suit gleaming under the harsh glow of streetlights. The wind whipped through the area as he surveyed the area, anxiety bubbling in his chest. He knew Kimiko must be close by, held captive by Noboru.

"AI, establish communication with Mach 3," Hiro ordered, his voice steady despite his racing heart.

"Establishing a connection," the AI responded, and within seconds, Hiro heard the familiar voice of Noboru, amplified through the speakers of their respective suits.

"Trying to negotiate, are you?" Noboru taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. "Pathetic."

"Listen, Kimiko has nothing to do with this," Hiro implored, tension tightening his voice. "Just let her go, this fight is between you and me. You don't need to hurt anyone else."

"My family had nothing to do with the arrests I made either and yet they were the ones who paid the price," Noboru scoffed, his tone icy. "All our actions have consequences and the consequence of being friends with a war criminal is death."

"She is innocent!" Hiro insisted, desperation creeping into his voice. "If you do this then you are no better than the people who killed your family!"

"How dare you compare me to that filth," Noboru retorted, his voice dark and cold. "I am vengeance, I am the one delivering true justice."

Suddenly a blast of pure orange energy ripped through a nearby warehouse. Hiro barely had time to summon his soul blades before he was forced to block the blast. The air crackled with electricity as the two powerful weapons collided, each strike sending shockwaves throughout the warehouse district.

Noboru emerged from the warehouse, his Soul Canon smoking. His movements were jerky and unpredictable, his laughter wild and unhinged. It seemed as though the Mach 3 suit was taking its toll on him, warping his already fragile state of mind. He raised the canon again taking aim at Hiro, Hiro knew he couldn't take another blast like that.

"Come on, think," Hiro muttered to himself, sweat trickling down his brow. He knew he needed a plan to save Kimiko but he still had no clue where she was being kept. He had to take out Noboru before he could search for her.

"AI, is there any weakness in the Mach 3 armor," Hiro asked urgently, desperation clawing at his insides. He dodged the blast from the canon but he could still feel the heat from the blast.

"Analyzing," the AI replied, its voice steady and emotionless. "Weakness detected: the use of the Soul Canon causes an unstable energy output from his suit resulting in fluctuations in his shielding system."

"Got it," Hiro breathed, formulating a plan in his racing mind. But Noboru took advantage of Hiro's delay while thinking and propelled himself forward slamming into him.

Hiro's heart raced in his chest, as Noboru dragged him across the ground before throwing him up into the air. Noboru unleashed another blast from the Soul canon, Hiro defected the blast with his shields, depleting them in the process.

Nori arrived on the scene, his crimson-red Mach suit that seemed to swallow the light around it. Hiro's gut clenched at the sight of him, his mind filling with the memories of their last confrontation.

"Having fun without me?" Nori called out, a smirk evident in his voice as he surveyed the destruction around them. News crews began to arrive, their cameras capturing Machs as they hovered in the air.

"Get back!" Hiro barked at the reporters, but his words fell on deaf ears. He could only watch in frustration as they insisted on getting closer to the action.

"Ah, reinforcements," Noboru said, mistaking Nori's arrival for an ally joining the fight. "Together, we destroy this rogue."

"Reinforcements? More like a replacement," Nori taunted, his eyes never leaving Hiro. "You weak, it's sad really but your services are no longer required."

Noboru growled in response, his pride wounded by Nori's jab. "you're just a smug little brat, you don't know anything!"

"Let me show what true power is," Nori said, activating his soul Scythe. The wicked blade hummed with energy, casting an eerie glow on Nori's face. He rocketed towards Hiro.

Hiro's breath hitched in his throat as he braced himself for the impact, his hands gripping his soul blades tightly in a defensive position. At the same time, Noboru charged his soul cannon, preparing to unleash its devastating power upon Hiro.

But just as Hiro steeled himself for the end, Nori changed course, slicing through Noboru instead of him. The powerful scythe cleaved the man and his Mach suit clean in half, leaving a stunned silence in its wake.

"Wh-what?" Noboru sputtered, shock and disbelief etched on his face as his Mach suit – and himself – began to explode.

"Pathetic, you don't deserve the chance to kill Mach 1," Nori said smoothly, watching the destruction with a detached curiosity. Hiro, meanwhile, struggled to process the sudden turn of events, his mind reeling from the implications of Mach 2's actions.

"Why would you do that!" Hiro shouted, his voice strained but resolute. He couldn't help but replay Noboru's death in his mind. "He was on your side!"

"Ha!" Nori scoffed, his eyes glinting with a dangerous fire. "You really don't get it, do you? He wasn't like you and I, he couldn't even use his Soul Canon to its full potential. A Mach in the hands of someone like that is better off destroyed, along with the useless pilot."

As Nori lunged at Hiro, the AI within Hiro's suit activated its defense systems, barely moving him out of range of the deadly soul Scythe. Sparks flew as the blade grazed Hiro's armor, leaving a shallow gash.

"What makes you think you have the right to decide who is weak and who is strong?" Hiro asked, his mind racing for a way to defeat Mach 2. "You didn't even know him?"

"Are you actually trying to defend the man that was just trying to kill you,?" Nori spat back, his fingers tightening around the scythe's handle. "You really have no idea what it takes to win in war, but I am happy to show you,"

The two Mach-suited combatants clashed, their weapons clashing with an intensity that shook the very air around them. Hiro used his soul blades to parry Nori's relentless attacks, the teal and red energy blades creating a dazzling display amidst the chaos.

Meanwhile, the Japanese government had no choice but to mobilize their military forces in a desperate attempt to stop the explosive display of their secret weapons. Tanks rolled through the streets, and fighter jets screamed through the sky, ready to intervene in the battle between Hiro and Nori.

"Look around you, Nori!" Hiro shouted, trying one last time to reach him as they continued to exchange blows. "How does all this destruction prove anything?"

For a moment, Nori hesitated, there was something familiar in Mach 1's voice. But then he shook his head, the memory it brought back couldn't be right.

-----

Jets roared overhead, slicing through the smoke-filled sky as Hiro and Nori continued their relentless battle. The metallic clang of their suits echoed through the air, punctuated by the occasional explosion from a weapon's discharge. Below them, the city cowered in fear, its once-bustling streets now deserted as their battle was broadcast across the globe.

"AI, give me a status update on the military forces!" Hiro called out, his voice strained as he narrowly dodged another strike from Nori's soul scythe.

"Multiple aircraft are approaching our location," the AI replied. "They have their weapon systems locked on you and Mach 2."

"Great, just what we need," Hiro muttered under his breath, gritting his teeth as he parried another blow from Nori.

"Having trouble keeping up?" Nori taunted, a twisted smile crossing his face as he launched into another attack. "You'll never defeat me if you can't even handle a few missiles!"

"Maybe I won't have to," Hiro retorted, his eyes narrowing with determination. "Once those missiles hit, neither of us will be left standing!"

As if on cue, the air filled with the sound of whistling projectiles, zeroing in on their targets. Hiro's AI worked overtime, calculating the trajectories of the incoming missiles and adjusting his movements accordingly. With expert precision, he managed to avoid the majority of them, each one exploding harmlessly in his wake.

But Nori, too consumed by his rage and desire for power, failed to notice the missile hurtling straight toward him. His focus remained solely on attacking Hiro, oblivious to the imminent danger.

"Damn it!" Hiro thought, his heart pounding in his chest. "Can't you see what's happening?!"

At that moment, Hiro made a split-second decision. Despite the risk to himself, he surged forward, pushing Nori out of the missile's path just as it was about to hit. The resulting explosion sent them both hurtling through the air, their suits battered but still functional.

"Wha- What did you just do?!" Nori sputtered, disbelief etched on his face as he stared at Hiro.

"Saved your life," Hiro replied simply, his eyes locked on Nori's. "I may not agree with you, but no one else has to die."

A myriad of emotions flickered across Nori's face – confusion, anger, and finally, something akin to appreciation. He hesitated for a moment, his grip on his soul scythe wavering.

"We have to get out of here," Hiro urged, his voice soft but firm. "I know you want your rematch and prove you are strongest, but if we don't leave they will just kill us both."

Nori stared at him for a long moment, the weight of Hiro's actions sinking in. "You better not die until we meet again!" he disengaged from the battle and took off into the sky, vanishing from sight.

"Scan for Kimiko," Hiro thought, his body aching from the intense fight. Her location appeared on his screen and he blasted off, dodging more missiles as he went, he prayed she was ok.