Meanwhile, in the airspace over another battlefield...
An M9 Arm Slave, callsign Bison-6, had just cut loose its parachute and landed. Before touching down, it had already started firing in midair to draw the enemy's fire.
After landing, it spotted another situation and prepared to provide long-range support to one sector by taking out the AS units there.
Then the captured footage made its pilot fall silent.
"Chief, are you sure we're supposed to support him? Does he even need our support? Feels more like we're the ones who'd need his."
Kurz could not help blurting that out.
The most powerful land weapon of this century, the Arm Slave, had just been effortlessly dismembered by that roughly two-meter-tall humanoid metal figure.
From the moment it attacked to the moment those enemy units were destroyed, it had taken less than ten seconds.
And the instant those two AS units opened fire, it had leaped high into the air with unbelievable speed, so fast that neither of them had even noticed.
Then, after landing, it launched its real attack on the Arm Slaves, destroying both in less than four seconds.
So what exactly was that thing in its hand, that sword-like object that looked like a melee weapon?
The AS armor had been cut apart like tofu.
And after witnessing that, the soldiers and remaining vehicles over there had all broken down and given up resisting.
Kurz could understand that.
The difference in strength between the two sides was simply too great. It was like taking modern weapons back to World War II and fighting that era with them. That kind of massacre would break anyone.
Of course, those two Arm Slaves had been relatively old first-generation models.
Kurz's M9, on the other hand, was the newest third-generation model, still the most advanced type and not yet widely fielded by ordinary armies. Blowing up those older AS units would not have been difficult for him at all.
But after seeing with his own eyes how that silver metal devil had destroyed them, he knew that if he fought it head-on, all that would change was that he would die a little more slowly.
No matter how many generations separated them, the armor protection could not possibly have improved by some absurd multiple.
Compared to those shredded Arm Slaves, his machine was like the difference between freshly made soft tofu and tofu that had been left out for a while and firmed up a little.
Either way, it would still be cut apart without much effort.
Its agility had not improved to some ridiculous degree either. Against the reaction speed of that silver metal devil, at best it might struggle a little before meeting the same fate.
That said, the thing was not truly unbeatable.
You just could not let it get close.
An Arm Slave could make full use of its large frame and mobility. In terms of pure movement speed, an AS looked faster than the target. As long as you could outrun it, keep your distance, and counterattack from range, then with enough luck you might even kill it.
Of course, it would also be best to fight it on an open plain with a broad field of view. The target itself was too small, which made it hard to aim at in cluttered terrain.
All right, he could not just stand here watching.
He had to aim and return fire at the enemy too.
Bang!
Blown up.
Oh?
So one of the major powers' newer AS models had come out too. Now that was more interesting. Otherwise, fighting those slow old machines was too dull.
"Be careful. Watch out for the silver AS."
Mao issued that warning to Kurz, no, to all the AS pilots.
According to what Tessa had told them, this was an even newer AS, something more terrifying than the current most advanced M9.
If that unit equipped with the Lambda Driver system could fully bring out its power, then an M9 fighting it would be like a child fighting an adult.
Earlier, Staff Sergeant Kain had been the one shot down by it.
Looking toward one area, Mao was also searching for two figures.
One was Captain Tessa.
The other was Kaname.
Those two were on their way over now.
There!
If Tessa had not told her their exact location, it would have been hard to identify them at all. They were wearing something that gave off a partial optical camouflage effect.
But Mao could not go directly over and cover them. That would make their importance too obvious and might draw enemy fire toward Tessa's side instead.
The enemy had not been able to spot them in the first place. If Mao acted carelessly, she might expose their position herself.
"Got-"
Before Kurz could even finish saying "Got it," his face changed drastically.
The passenger plane had been hit.
It had been struck by an ultra-long-range sniper shot.
Fortunately, the landing gear had taken the hit.
It did not feel like the enemy had missed.
It felt deliberate.
The forward landing gear was destroyed, and the front of the airliner slammed down hard, throwing the evacuating students into chaos. Some of them were even sent tumbling from the now-misaligned boarding stairs.
Kurz immediately traced the ballistic direction back and locked onto the source.
It was far away. It looked like an Arm Slave.
The heavy rain now falling was also making visibility terrible.
Very quickly, footage was relayed over from an armed helicopter with a better view from the air, and they saw it:
a silver AS.
Like a sniper, it was aiming at them from beyond visual range.
"Everyone from Mithril, please don't interfere in my duel with that tiny silver one. Otherwise, I don't mind destroying the passenger plane directly. Of course, if you insist on interfering, then do try to stop me before I blow it up."
That threat blasted from the loudspeakers around them, making everyone's expression change.
"Bastard!"
Kurz cursed.
At this distance, his rifle could reach the target, but the power drop-off would leave it too weak to damage it.
But the enemy's ultra-long-range sniper weapon had just destroyed the plane's front landing gear, and the shell had also blasted a huge crater into the ground. There was no stopping that kind of firepower. One shot could punch straight through the aircraft.
Damn it, what kind of sniper rifle could still have that kind of power at this distance?
No, wait.
This had to be the power of the Lambda Driver system Tessa had talked about, right? Converting mental force into physical force.
Was it being applied to the projectile, boosting it to that level?
What kind of magic nonsense was that?
...
Codarl.
The third-generation Arm Slave prototype developed by Amalgam, equipped with the Lambda Driver system.
Its current pilot, Gauron, watched the tiny silver mechanical figure with cruel delight in his eyes.
His instincts told him this was the same one he had shot down earlier.
Even then, he had felt the other one would not die so easily.
He had expected they would meet again.
Now he was threatening it with a simple choice: rush over here and try to kill him, or else he would start sniping the passenger plane, or that silver transport aircraft.
The heavy ultra-long-range sniper weapon in his hands was one specially reinforced through a deal between Amalgam and the northern great power.
Hm?
"Good."
He no longer needed to force the other side to come at him like a target, because it was already charging toward him on its own.
It seemed he was not the only one treating the other as prey.
The feeling was mutual.
Hm?
Maybe it was the Lambda Driver sharpening his senses, but for a moment he had the impression that the other was wrapped in death itself, like a silver devil crawling out of hell and roaring as it came for him.
This was wonderful.
They were the same kind of creature.
Now then, let them slaughter each other in earnest.
Let them see who devoured whom.
(End of Chapter)
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