C27 Onesided

In addition to Chen Zhuya and Yeh Ranyi, the Security Department dispatched exactly two teams, comprising twenty-four members.

The second team was initially assigned the mission, but Yeh Ranyi insisted on joining them.

George's first team had the duty of ensuring Yeh Ranyi's safety. Without direct orders from the director, George was required to shadow Yeh Ranyi constantly.

George was particularly concerned about Gu Xian, so Yeh Ranyi's presence aligned with his wishes.

The team arrived with a strong presence, inadvertently stumbling upon the assault.

Had it not been for the first team's presence, the second team's twelve mechas would have stood no chance against the Angel Mechas.

The Two-winged Angel mechas, belonging to the Bronze Level of the Federation of Earth, benefited from the Angel Civilization's early inception, boasting more advanced technology. Performance-wise, they far surpassed the Bronze Level mechas.

Chen Zhuya had taken charge of the Security Department's latest mechas, which were still in the design phase, far from being ready for assembly.

The outdated police mechas couldn't compete with the Aegis, let alone the Angel Mechas.

Eighteen Angel Mechas had launched the surprise attack, outnumbered by the Security Department's mechas by six, yet they still managed to overpower them with ease.

Milky-white laser beams rained down from above, leaving the buildings and ground pockmarked with holes, some pierced through, others bearing deep charred scars.

The Security Department was desperately trying to draw the fight into the higher altitudes, but the Angel Mechas remained unfazed.

The most cost-effective gunpowder weapons showered down like candy, with "boom" and "bang" of explosions and blinding bursts of fire everywhere, as buildings collapsed in succession.

The police mechas' red laser beams were effortlessly repelled by the energy barriers shielding the Angel Mechas, causing mere ripples as if water were merging back into water.

On the ground, the Bloodsaw Mercenary group was safeguarding Chen Zhuya and Yeh Ranyi as they made a dash for the factory's basement.

"Move it, move it!"

"Stay strong! With all this noise, backup will arrive any minute now!"

"Support? What a joke! Yeh Ranyi's team has already made it to B-183 today. The chief and the others are out there trying to keep the peace, rolling out the red carpet for them. There's no one left to back us up."

"Damn it, isn't Yeh Ranyi supposed to be right here?"

"Tell that to the public, why don't you! They've been told the team would arrive today and even hold a fan meet. What are we supposed to do about that?"

"If I make it out of this alive, I swear I'm going to wipe out all those damn fan clubs. This is like playing with fire – they're practically asking for my head!"

"Easy, don't rush the attack. Just hold the line, hold it!" George, as the leader of the first squad, didn't hesitate to take command.

"Form a defensive circle, crank the energy barrier up to max power, and converge around the factory. Tom, you and your squad handle the fire support – keep them at bay. Everyone else, stick with me on the front lines!"

Twenty-four police mechas might seem like a lot, but in the vast sky, they appeared so insignificant.

They were steadily losing ground.

The outdated laser rifles on the police mechas couldn't penetrate the Angel Mechas' energy barriers.

Every assault from the Angel Mechas required at least two of our mechas to absorb the impact, especially the one leading the charge with its electromagnetic rail rifle causing us major headaches.

George could see the trouble brewing and felt the urgency.

Every thunderous shot from that colossal electromagnetic rail rifle sent out a streak of blue light, each one tearing a massive gash into our mechas.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

The energy barrier was practically useless against those solid bullets, and our mechas' armor couldn't stand up to the firepower.

The sound was like the grim reaper tolling a bell, claiming a soul with each resonating strike.

"Old A, fall back, fall back! Do you have a death wish?! Tom, are your guys running on empty? Can't you see that damn rail rifle? Suppress it, for God's sake, suppress it!"

George's voice was hoarse with desperation.

"Damn it, I'm trying to suppress it, but it's no good!" Tom, the second squad's leader, was just as frustrated.

"Why the hell are Angel Mechas showing up here?!"

"High Explosive Mines, get all the High Explosive Mines out there!"

"What about the electromagnetic bombs? Did nobody bring the damn electromagnetic bombs?"

"Bang! Bang!"

Gunshots echoed in rapid succession.

"Boom!"

Explosions sent up fierce bursts of fire.

"We can't hold out much longer, boss!"

"The mechas are taking heavy damage, and the neural interface is sounding alarms!"

"Hang in there!" George was gripped by a profound despair.

But his cries were futile. Everyone was giving their all, yet the disparity in their gear couldn't be bridged by sheer willpower alone.

The eighteen Angel Mechas resembled celestial beings, each one a Two-winged Angel bathed in white light, advancing with an air of sanctity and nobility.

Down in the basement, the Bloodsaw Mercenaries were the first to recognize the futility of the fight, their faces ashen.

Yeh Ranyi clung to a thread of hope. "Is there a chance we can escape?"

She turned to Chen Zhuya for answers.

Unaccustomed to such combat, she instinctively drew close to Chen Zhuya, curling up beside her like a small, vulnerable creature.

"It's too late. There's no escape now." The color drained from Chen Zhuya's face, her elegant fingers like finely sculpted white jade. As she adjusted her glasses, her fingers brushed her cheek, cold as ice.

"If Gu Xian had been here from the start, maybe there'd be a chance. But now, it's too late."

"But those are eighteen Angel Mechas. Even if he's strong, what good would it do?" came a dissenting voice.

"He's incredibly strong."

"Strong or not, he doesn't have a mecha," the burly man grumbled in frustration.

The Bloodsaw Mercenaries were all feeling the sting of helplessness.

If they had mechas, they wouldn't be cowering like rats, taking a beating. With their support on the battlefield, those Angel Mechas would surely be facing defeat.

But reality is often unyielding to our desires.

"If he had a mecha, things could be very different," Zeng Nian said with a wry smile. "But the battle came on too quickly. Who could have anticipated this?"

"Now there's no time to even offer him a mecha," the burly man lamented as the basement door was blown ajar, peering at the aerial conflict. "We won't have time to get him into a mecha. Looks like we might meet our end right here."

"Damn it, this is just unbearable!"

Yeh Ranyi's complexion paled as the cries echoed around her, her veins standing out starkly against her skin.

It was as though she felt compelled to confess before meeting her end. She drew near to Chen Zhuya and murmured, "Leaving you and Grandpa... I had my reasons."

"Shut up!" Chen Zhuya cut her off with a disgusted snarl.

The word "death" seemed to wield a fearsome magic, silencing everyone in the basement. Even the hardened Bloodsaw Mercenaries, no strangers to mortality, fell quiet.

They were facing their end.

The battle raging outside was lopsided, leaving them with no glimmer of hope for victory.

"Hold the line, hold it! Those who are wounded, fall back!" George's eyes blazed with urgency.

Bang! Another gunshot, followed by the thunderous explosion of a police mecha.

Their ranks were in tatters, pilots falling, mechas bursting into flames one after another.

With the last of the High Explosive Mines depleted, the Angel Mechas advanced without restraint.

George's heart bled as he watched his comrades fall, but all he could do was fight, keep fighting!

Defeat was imminent.

Bitterness surged within him as he peered through the cockpit, his gaze fixing on the lead Angel Mecha a hundred meters away. He sensed a momentary hesitation in its movements, as if it had detected his stare.

Then, with resolve, he hoisted his electromagnetic railgun, taking aim at George.

"Damn it, Team Two, concentrate fire on that Angel Mecha!" George bellowed, his main engine roaring to life as he broke from formation.

"George, what the hell are you doing?!" Tom's voice crackled through the communicator.

"When I'm gone, command is yours. You better hold the damn line!" George spat out the words, "I'm going to breach its energy barrier. Team Two, you hear me? Focus fire! If a single shot goes astray, you're all dead to me!"

The police mecha soared, its alloy knife drawn, tracing a 'Z' across the sky in its antiquated red and blue livery.

The Angel Mecha, caught off guard by George's audacity, quickly regained composure. Its gun barrel lifted, taking aim, and fired a shot straight at George.

George was soaked in sweat, frantically piloting his mech to narrowly evade the incoming strike. With a swift motion, he hoisted the long alloy knife in his hand and brought it crashing down onto the energy barrier.

The barrier proved futile against the alloy blade. The Angel Mecha, recognizing the threat, responded in kind. Its two wings folded forward, enveloping the mech in a protective embrace before thrusting outward.

A tremendous force sent George hurtling backward, tumbling through the air like a leaf caught in the wind. Yet, a glimmer of triumph sparked in his eyes. Unbeknownst to his adversary, he had already hurled his alloy knife, striking the Angel Mecha's main engine squarely in the chest.

The engine's casing emitted a resonant "clang" as it split, the vibrations disrupting the energy supply to the barrier, causing it to flicker momentarily.

"Now! Fire!" George bellowed.

Laser beams rained down on the lead Angel Mecha, engulfing it in light as George watched, his eyes wide with anticipation.

The battle seemed to freeze for an instant, everyone's gaze locked in awe.

The storm of crimson beams faded, yet the expected explosion did not come. The Angel Mecha re-emerged, its armor marred by cracks and scorch marks, evidence of the barrage it had endured.

"Is that all?" a voice emanated from the mech, tinged with fervor and devotion, "The divine light shall forever illuminate my path. Those who stray from God, I shall deliver you to paradise!"

The pilot raised his railgun, targeting George.

Despair gripped George as he witnessed the unfolding scene.

Boom!

The sky erupted with a deafening roar.

George shut his eyes, resigning himself to his fate.

But wait... Why can I still think? Why can I still hear?

His eyes snapped open to the sight of the Angel Mecha bursting into a spectacular firework.

What just happened?

George's jaw dropped in disbelief.

A robust, brilliant white beam streaked across the sky, striking another Angel Mecha with the force of a siege hammer.

Boom! It detonated in a fiery blast.

George traced the beam's path back to its source, his neck nearly seizing up in shock.

There stood a young man on the ground, shouldering a laser gun that, at 1.5 meters, was colossal compared to his frame. He fired again.

Boom!