Chapter 589: Point-Blank Shot
That Ork fortress, modified from the "Charon" heavy underground bunker, was like an ugly steel tumor stubbornly embedded in the scorched earth of Verdant III.
Its surface was covered in crudely welded add-on armor plating, and countless thick gun barrels and rocket launcher pods protruded from all sorts of unimaginable angles, continuously belching tongues of fire outward.
The fortress was surrounded by layers upon layers of makeshift fortifications, minefields, and obstacle belts piled high with abandoned vehicles. Further out was the Ork reinforcements surging forward like a boiling tide.
The entire area radiated a suffocating "WAAAGH!" energy fluctuation, the source pointing directly deep within the fortress.
"Target confirmed. The energy signal source is located in the fortress's underground core area, at a depth of approximately fifty meters." Ryo's calm voice rang out on the encrypted channel, synchronizing the latest sensor analysis data to the cockpits of the three EVA-Titans. "The fortress structure is sturdy, and conventional bombing will struggle to penetrate it quickly. We must close in to effective range and use high-power weapons to strike the core area directly."
"Understood!" Asuka's voice carried a resolute excitement. Red Unit-01's optical sensors were firmly locked onto the distant fortress, and the muzzle of the Nemesis-class Volcano Cannon on its back began faintly emitting dangerous thermal radiation.
"It's not that simple!" Princeps Olaf's voice cut in, carrying a sense of urgency. "That new Gargant and at least three battalions of Ork armored units are closing in on you! The Steel Hound Legion will do our best to hold them off, but time is limited!"
Before he could finish, the earth transmitted heavy vibrations once again.
That second Gargant, approaching seventy meters in height and equipped with a terrifying destruction roller, was striding with earth-shattering steps. Surrounded by countless Ork Boyz, it forcefully squeezed through the chaotic green tide and ferociously charged toward the flank of the assault spearhead where the EVA squad was located.
Its simple combat logic had already judged these three brightly colored, giant humanoid mechs as threats that must be prioritized for elimination.
At the same time, from other directions on the battlefield, a staggering number of Ork armored units—including "Kill-trukks" retrofitted with large amounts of steel plating and artillery, roaring tracked "fortresses," and even several slightly smaller but equally dangerous "Deff Dreads"—were like a school of sharks smelling blood. They broke through the interception of the Steel Hound Legion's Knights with reckless abandon, converging toward this side.
"Purple Unit-02, block that Gargant! Do not let it interfere with the assault under any circumstances!" Ryo immediately ordered, his tone brokering no argument. "Blue Unit-03, provide full cover for Purple Unit-02 and suppress the surrounding Ork armored units attempting to get close. Red Unit-01, seize the opportunity and execute the decapitation strike!"
"Leave it to me!" Shinji took a deep breath, suppressing the fear in his heart.
He knew that if he backed down now, not only would Asuka's assault fall short of success at the last stage, but it would also plunge all his companions into fatal danger.
Purple Unit-02 abruptly turned around. Its massive metallic feet dug deep into the ground as it faced the roaring, charging Gargant, assuming a solid defensive posture.
The A.T. Field was fully deployed, forming a solid, pale purple wall of light. At the same time, the machine's built-in Void Shield generator also operated at full power, forming a second line of defense behind the force field.
Rei Ayanami's Blue Unit-03 rapidly moved atop a relatively high pile of wreckage. The machine half-crouched, and all its ranged weapon systems simultaneously entered a standby state.
Her sensors calmly scanned the entire battlefield, prioritizing locks on the targets posing the greatest threat to Purple Unit-02, as well as the Ork vehicles attempting to flank Red Unit-01.
Asuka didn't hesitate for a moment. The new thruster array on the back of Red Unit-01 erupted with a deafening roar. The machine accelerated abruptly like an arrow leaving the bowstring, charging in a straight line toward the Ork fortress.
She pushed its mobility to the absolute limit, weaving through the dense barrage and explosions like a red lightning bolt tearing across the battlefield.
The battle entered its most brutal stage in an instant.
The purple Unit-02 and the green Gargant violently crashed into each other.
The Gargant's massive, continuously spinning destruction roller smashed against the A.T. Field with the momentum to crush everything, emitting ear-piercingly harsh sounds of grinding metal and tearing energy.
The force field twisted and rippled violently, but it stubbornly held without shattering.
Shinji gritted his teeth, pushing the power core's output to its critical point. He piloted Purple Unit-02, using its shoulder armor and arms to firmly brace against the force field, its feet carving two deep trenches in the ground.
He couldn't retreat; he had to buy time for Asuka.
At the same time, ice-blue beams, like the roll call of the grim reaper, shot out precisely from Blue Unit-03's position.
One beam instantly melted through the engine compartment of a "Kill-trukk" attempting to ram Purple Unit-02's leg from the side, triggering a sympathetic detonation. Another precisely severed the barrel of a secondary cannon on the Gargant's shoulder, temporarily reducing its fire density.
Rei Ayanami's attacks were highly efficient and calm. Like a precise hunter, she continuously eliminated targets threatening the defensive node, sharing the pressure with Shinji.
However, the sheer number of Orks was too great.
Although the Titans and Knights of the Steel Hound Legion fought desperately in the distance, drawing the majority of the firepower, countless Ork Boyz and armored units still broke through the blockade, howling as they surged toward these three EVA-Titans isolated deep behind enemy lines.
Artillery shells, rockets, and thick solid slugs poured down like a torrential rain on Purple Unit-02's force field and the Void Shield surrounding Blue Unit-03, stirring up endless ripples of energy and fiery explosions.
Red Unit-01's path forward was equally fraught with thorns.
Countless Orks attempted to use their bodies, vehicles, and crude fortifications to stop her.
Asuka piloted the machine, bringing its mobility to its absolute peak.
Sometimes, Red Unit-01 executed an unbelievable right-angle turn to evade the dense crossfire; sometimes, it used its massive power claws to bat away Ork vehicles blocking the path as if they were toys; sometimes, it used short bursts from the back-mounted Volcano Cannon to clear obstacles ahead.
Her speed was so fast it left afterimages, but for the final few hundred meters around the fortress, every step felt like dancing on the edge of a blade.
"The fortress's frontal defense is the strongest; breach from the left side! There is a structural weakness there; the sensors have marked it!" Ryo's voice arrived just in time, sending the fortress's detailed structural analysis and marked weak point to Asuka.
"I see it!" Asuka immediately adjusted direction. Red Unit-01 executed a swift sideslip, narrowly dodging a massive laser fired from the fortress's main cannon, and ferociously charged toward the marked area on the left.
That spot was originally the entrance to a large ventilation shaft, now haphazardly sealed by the Orks with crude metal plates. Its structural integrity was far inferior to the surrounding main armor.
"Now! Volcano Cannon, maximum power, point-blank shot!" A fierce glint flashed in Asuka's eyes. The massive gun barrel on the back of Red Unit-01 rapidly adjusted its angle. Blinding white energy frantically gathered at the muzzle, emitting light as dazzling as the sun and a heart-palpitating hum of energy.