Chapter 6: Their Foes

For the Empire's devastating Flood Demon mechs, even dozens of kilometers was just a short distance when charging with the momentum of an avalanche. The Star Monument Fortress was not an insurmountable barrier, especially not in an age when ancient knights in plate armor could launch charges that seemed to shake the heavens. How much more terrifying were mech warriors of the interstellar era?

Blood and fire, born of steel.

"Open fire at will!" Lu Yuan shouted over the squad's communication line. The bombardment had severely reduced the firing rate of the Misaka railguns, the only effective weapons against the Flood Demon mechs. The Empire's mech forces were even charging towards the impact points of the artillery fire. Through his scope, Lu Yuan could clearly see the colorful scorch marks splashed across the Flood Demon mechs from plasma residue.

The pulse waves continued, and the fleet's air force, already entangled by ground-based fighter jets, found their guided weapons going astray under heavy interference once they descended to low altitude. Orbital defense satellites? Nowhere to be seen. The 37mm anti-tank cannons that easily slaughtered infantry only sparked when they hit the thinnest points of the Blizzard mechs' helmets. Without air dominance, the Titan mechs were unbeatable on the ground!

Lu Yuan didn't have time to wait for his optical camouflage to reset. He switched his sniper cannon to auto-targeting mode, and the explosion waves swept the area around him like ripples in a pond. The Misaka gun crew was similarly exhausted, with the loaders panting heavily. The barrel of the cannon glowed golden, the heat so intense that the snow on the walls evaporated instantly. The communication channels were filled with desperate cries for more shells.

Some genius had the idea to repurpose abandoned 380mm anti-aircraft railgun rounds, strapping them to barely functional drones and manually detonating them. A thunderous explosion sent waves of snow hundreds of meters into the air, but before the defenders could celebrate, the drones sent out from the fortress were all shot down by Imperial snipers, and the falling railgun shells nearly obliterated their own troops.

Out of battery charges, Lu Yuan was forced to retreat. The Empire's bombardment had severely damaged the fortress's power grid. The fixed turrets on the walls were either destroyed or cut off from the network, and even the fortress's protective shields couldn't be activated. The fleet's air force was still held back beyond the Karman line. Without air support, what difference was there between paratroopers and regular infantry?

For a moment, the fortress's meager firepower seemed no more than pebbles thrown into a raging flood. The avalanche breached the final line of defense, forcing Misaka to lower its aim, abandoning area bombardment in favor of targeting the mechs hurtling towards them. More and more Flood Demon mechs reached the base of the walls, beginning their forced climb.

But this was no ordinary stone wall. The fortress wall crackled with arcs of electricity, climbing over the mechs' grappling claws as they slowly ascended. Once the wall was covered in mechs, the arcs surged, and a high-voltage electric current burst out, causing all the nearby lights to explode.

The attached Flood Demon mechs were instantly submerged in blue-green currents. Those that leaped away staggered like drunken giants, and from the few whose cores had been damaged, blackened corpses of Imperial mech pilots were ejected. Each one was among the Empire's most elite drivers.

The Flood Demon mechs hesitated briefly, pausing at the foot of the wall, staring coldly at their comrades who were blasted to pieces by railgun fire. The paratroopers atop the walls breathed a collective sigh of relief, thinking these bastards actually had the nerve to retreat.

Perhaps it was only the time it took for the gun barrels to cool by one degree, but the Flood Demon mechs moved again. The mechs in the front row ejected their pilots, who tried to retreat. But without the protection of their mechs, they were immediately torn to shreds by the defenders. The Imperial forces seemed enraged, marching forward and slamming into the walls!

"Shit, they're insane!" the paratroopers gasped in disbelief.

The leading Flood Demon mechs charged into the electric field and were electrocuted. The ones behind, knowing full well the wall was a death trap, climbed over their fallen comrades' shoulders, only to be electrocuted in turn. First one row, then another, and another... These immensely valuable giant mechs were now nothing more than stepping stones and insulation.

"Goddamn..." Lu Yuan muttered. Every boy dreamed of piloting a mech into battle, and as men, they understood how distant that dream was. He could almost see the Empire's commander, heart-wrenched, as he ordered, "Pile them up!"

The endless wave of mechs resumed their climb, now scaling the "tiled" wall like men trying to climb a waterfall. The sight was even more soul-shaking than the artillery bombardment. It wasn't until the Misaka guns roared again that the soldiers snapped back to reality, working together to load small-caliber plasma shells and detonating enemy hand grenades, tossing them down at the invaders. Even so, the Empire's forces, determined to retake the fortress, pressed on relentlessly. Any momentary lapse allowed their ranks to be filled.

The first Flood Demon mech grasped the battlements.

A nearby paratrooper drew his honor blade and stabbed at the mech's hand. The pure carbon carbide blade pierced one of the mech's fingers, but that was far from enough to move a mech weighing tons. In the next second, the brave paratrooper was crushed, his body reduced to a bloody pulp that fell into the avalanche below.

"All light infantry retreat! Mech units to the front! Defend the cannons! Close combat! Close combat!" Lu Yuan grabbed a shotgun, shoving it into the helmet of the Flood Demon mech clinging to the wall. Boom! Boom! Boom! Shots rang out as rapidly cooling plasma crystallized into green ice, shattering onto the ground. Lu Yuan bellowed, grabbed the half-broken mech, and slashed with his sword!

"Draw your swords!" Lu Yuan roared. Behind him, dozens of paratrooper mechs unsheathed their blades, stepping forward and striking down!

These were not swordsmen's blades, but the heavy sabers of foot soldiers!

The Hellfire mech's engine flared as Lu Yuan released the nuclear restraints, extracting every drop of power. The alloy greatsword hovered overhead, chains within the mech straining to hold back until the engine reached maximum output. Only then did Lu Yuan let go and swing down!

Boom! The sword cut through the air with a sonic boom, the blade tracing a dazzling arc, decapitating the Flood Demon!

The sword embedded itself deeply in the battlements. As Lu Yuan pulled it free, another Flood Demon lunged forward, smashing into his sword. The mech used the sword as leverage to flip its entire frame over, spinning 180 degrees before crashing to the ground.

With a grunt, Lu Yuan yanked the greatsword out, turning without looking and swinging the blade. He was determined to kill this trespassing Flood Demon. The sword had barely completed half its arc before it got stuck. As Lu Yuan turned to see, a flash of cold light zipped by, forcing him to step back. A spear twirled in the air—the Flood Demon had it firmly in its grip!

"Come on!" Lu Yuan charged. Though he knew his Hellfire mech was far inferior to the Flood Demon, he was fearless. The greatsword dragged along the ground as he stepped forward, slashing!

The Flood Demon blocked with the shaft of its spear, the powerful engines pushing Lu Yuan back. The spearhead retracted into a short halberd, and with a single stride, the taller Flood Demon closed the distance. Lu Yuan barely controlled his backward momentum, swung his sword in defense, and rolled to evade. The Hellfire mech, though only about two meters tall, was more agile. In just a few breaths, Lu Yuan slashed several times at the Flood Demon's legs.

The heavily armored Flood Demon was hardly concerned by such attacks. Its halberd extended once more, striking downward repeatedly. Misaka's gun position was nearby, so Lu Yuan had no choice but to block with his sword. As he endured another powerful blow, he twisted his wrist, deflecting the halberd's blade along the back of his sword. Sparks flew in a dazzling display. A champion of the paratrooper swordsmanship tournaments, Lu Yuan knew all about redirecting force. The halberd's blade passed close to his throat, and in the small gap it created, he abandoned his greatsword and lunged at the Flood Demon, hooking onto the gouges he'd cut into its leg.

The Flood Demon began to spin rapidly on the spot, trying to shake Lu Yuan off. Failing that, it turned its halberd against itself, slashing at its own body. Lu Yuan seized the opportunity, grabbing the Flood Demon's arm with one hand while reaching for his shortsword with the other. But before he could draw it, the Flood Demon's free hand swung down, pummeling him with a series of heavy blows that left him coughing blood.

Nearby paratroopers saw Lu Yuan struggling and wanted to help, but they were already overwhelmed by their own enemies. One soldier, however, pulled the honor blade from his belt and shouted, "Captain! Here!" He threw the sword to Lu Yuan.

Catching it, Lu Yuan cursed as he unsheathed it. "You son of a bitch!" He drove the sword into the top of the Flood Demon's head with all his might!