Boom!!!!
Another rocket slammed into the center of the street.
The shockwave spread violently.
Fragments of stone and twisted rebar blasted outward in all directions.
For the first time, the escort unit's formation truly fell into disorder.
Because no one had expected this—
Cobra was hiding a unit like this inside.
Heavy plated armor.
High-mobility close combat.
Combined with old-model rocket launchers providing coverage.
The entire rhythm of the battlefield was forcibly altered.
The advantage of firearms was rapidly declining.
And the heavy armored unit kept pushing forward.
One escort member had just finished reloading.
A heavy armored soldier was already in front of him.
No hesitation.
The shield slammed down.
Boom!!!
The man was sent flying,
crashing hard into a wall.
On the other side—
two members opened fire simultaneously.
Bullets hammered against the chest armor.
Sparks exploded nonstop.
But the target didn't retreat.
Instead, it pushed forward through the fire.
The next second—
a heavy war hammer swept across.
The air itself groaned under the force.
One of them instinctively raised his rifle to block.
Boom!!!!
The rifle twisted instantly.
His body was thrown off balance, crashing to the ground.
His chest heaved violently.
Even though the combat suit absorbed the impact,
the internal shock still churned his blood.
"Don't fall back!"
Someone shouted.
But the chaos only grew worse.
Because this kind of combat was unfamiliar.
In the past, the escort unit mostly faced:
gunfights,
ability users,
ambushes,
explosions.
Not—
a squad of heavily armored troops charging straight into melee.
Especially in tight alleyways.
Fire lanes were constantly cut off.
Some members instinctively kept retreating.
Others kept firing,
but couldn't stop the advance at all.
And the rockets kept falling.
Boom!!!
A building on the flank exploded.
Dust surged into the street.
Visibility worsened even further.
But the armored soldiers moved like they were fully adapted to it.
Emerging from the smoke.
Closing distance.
Impact.
Melee.
Then disengaging rapidly.
The entire sequence was extremely refined.
Clearly the result of long-term training.
"Right side!"
A member had just turned his head—
a heavy shield smashed straight toward him.
Boom!!!
His helmet slammed into the wall.
His consciousness blurred instantly.
Beside him, another member drew a tactical knife and lunged.
The blade slashed through a joint gap—
finally drawing blood.
But the next second—
an elbow smashed down.
The reinforced metal guard struck his shoulder.
A faint crack echoed from bone.
The battle had fully descended into chaos.
Scope kept correcting positions over comms.
"Left-side rocket operator."
"Upper window."
"Watch your rear!"
Even so,
the tempo kept collapsing.
Because the armored unit was too close.
And at that moment—
Bear finally exploded into action.
Boom!!!
He smashed through a fractured wall
and charged straight into the front line.
A heavy armored soldier had just raised his hammer—
Bear was already in front of him.
No dodge.
No retreat.
His right hand grabbed the shaft of the hammer directly.
The opponent froze for a split second.
No one fought like that.
But the next moment—
Bear's entire arm's mechanical structure surged.
Boom!!!
The armored soldier was hurled away,
his massive body smashing through a wall behind him.
Rubble collapsed in a cascade.
Bear seized the war hammer in one motion,
lifting it with one hand—
and slammed it into another armored unit.
Boom!!!!
The impact exploded outward.
The shield warped instantly.
The soldier dropped to one knee.
Cracks spread across the ground.
And Bear finally roared:
"What are you panicking for?!"
His voice cut across the battlefield.
Several members turned at once.
Bear swung the hammer again,
forcing two armored soldiers back.
Then he barked:
"Close combat happens all the time!"
"Why are you blocking with guns?!"
The next second—
Bear charged straight into the armored formation.
Boom!!!
The hammer swept across.
One soldier's chest plate caved in instantly.
He was sent flying,
crashing into a rocket operator behind him.
Another slashed from the side.
Bear raised his arm to block.
Sparks exploded wildly.
Then he kicked forward.
Enhanced by the mechanical frame,
the force blasted the opponent straight into the ruins.
The escort unit finally began stabilizing.
Because Bear was right.
They weren't unfamiliar with close combat.
Their training already included extensive melee.
They had simply been forced into this rhythm too suddenly—
combined with rocket suppression—
which caused the temporary collapse.
But now—
someone had dragged the tempo back.
"Group Three, switch to close-range formation!"
"Don't widen distance!"
"Lock their movement routes!"
Comms regained order.
Several close-combat members immediately slung their rifles
and drew modular batons from their backs.
Click.
Clack.
Metal locking into place.
Some combined them into near two-meter staffs.
Others kept them short—
dual-wielded in both hands.
Their fighting style shifted instantly.
A heavy armored soldier burst through the smoke—
A long staff thrust forward first.
Not the chest—
the knee.
Boom!
The impact landed.
His movement faltered.
The next second—
a short baton smashed into the wrist joint.
Sparks burst instantly.
From behind—
gunfire synchronized.
Armor-piercing rounds struck the knee joint.
The armor finally shattered.
Blood sprayed.
The soldier lost balance.
Before he could recover—
another long staff slammed into his helmet.
Boom!!!
He was knocked flat.
"Hold him!"
Several members rushed in,
pinning him completely.
Elsewhere—
two melee members moved in tandem.
One controlled from the front,
using the long staff to manage distance.
The other circled rapidly—
targeting joint gaps.
They didn't compete in raw strength.
They dismantled.
Continuously dismantled the armored unit's movement.
A war axe came down—
a staff hooked the trajectory,
forcing it off course.
Another baton smashed into the ankle.
Boom!
The center of gravity shifted.
Next second—
focused fire from the rear.
Armor-piercing rounds tore into the lower body.
Sparks and blood erupted together.
The armored unit finally began to fall in clusters.
Scope stabilized command again.
"Don't hit the chest."
"Prioritize mobility points."
"Lock joints."
"Disable weapon arms."
Sniper fire from above shifted to precision disruption.
Not kills—
control.
A soldier prepared to charge—
his knee sparked instantly.
His motion froze.
Melee units rushed in.
Staffs struck repeatedly—
locking him in place.
Gunfire finished the job.
The battlefield shifted again.
The previously suppressed tempo
was gradually reclaimed.
And for the first time—
the armored soldiers realized:
These opponents in mechanized combat suits
did not rely solely on firearms.
They were just as proficient in close combat.
Perhaps even more—
At coordinated melee.
Boom!!!
Another rocket struck.
An entire building detonated.
Concrete collapsed in torrents.
Dust swallowed the street again.
But this time—
The escort unit did not fall into chaos.
Instead, they advanced with it.
Melee units pushed forward first,
using staffs to restrict movement.
Rear fire precisely targeted weak points.
The entire unit reformed into a complete system again.
And in the distance—
That taller figure
still stood there quietly.
Not moving.
Just watching the battlefield.
As if observing—
or confirming something.