Chapter 461: Unwilling - Scholes from the Scouting Group
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The crimson tip of the tail slashed through the void, like a strike of bloody lightning, right onto the waist of a mech. The metallic coating was not able to provide the mech the necessarily robust to take the strike well. A quick flick by the tail and the mech had shattered, with its remnants splashing onto its allies nearby.
That was the 9th mech the beast had destroyed.
And that was not game-changing enough for the beast as one could discern all the bleeding scratches over its shrunken epidermis and dull fleshes. The only recognizable part of its former glory was probably the glowing tail which somehow shone brighter after tasting the demise of the others.
The fight had intensified since then, as people apparently had lost their mind trying to take that beast down. The situation somehow had lost control, that even Ye Chong decided to stay at stealth.
This little group of mechs were all ranged units by default, yes, their unique formation might be capable of providing the versatility in the field but they still were not born to do close-combats. It took them real blood and sweat to corner the beast.
It was literally a life for a life!
Ye Chong could not help but to exclaim at their brutality.
The beast had been driven up the wall in fact, as it no longer took the attacks with dodges but thrashes. Wielding its indestructible tail, at every thrash the beast made, a new scratch would appear over its body while one more mech would blow up immediately.
The fight seemed ever-ending. Scratches were increasing, whereas the foes were decreasing in number. It was no more a fight of offense but pure endurance.
Ugh. The eyes of the red-tailed beast twitched, as it felt a drastic pain sliding over its abdomen. The beast did not back off as it held the mech forcibly with its tail raised and stung the foe. Like a spear, the tail pierced the mech's body and unexpectedly the mech dropped its weapon and clasped the beast promptly. Both of them tumbled and the mechanical hands were grabbing the two hands of the beast. The scene looked odd, as if it seemed to be about love and war between the machine and the beast. But nobody at the scene was amused by it.
Scholes and his teammates were having their eyes peeled, as they backed away from the center of the battle and chained up to form a circle.
The red-tailed beast kept struggling, but it had long lost the strength to fight back with its body, eventually its tail was stinging randomly, piercing the iron threat again and again, which every sting carried a few gears and nuts away. The mech was as if one from Trash Planet, technically a trash itself, yet its mechanical arms remained gripped over the beast tightly.
Ye Chong was impressed by the bravery of the pilot. The cabin had been penetrated by the beast at least thrice and probably the pilot would survive with a likelihood of less than 1% inside. Nevertheless, he fought not for his life but for a greater likelihood of his teammates.
Ye Chong's pupils shrunk as his hands slowly reached the control panel.
Phew...
He started adjusting his respiration. He took a deep breath and he felt ready to jump into action. His eyes gradually opened as he captured every bit of the happening in the projection.
He was anticipating, the chance to make that one deadly kill!
Certainly he had no idea what upcoming plans these suicidal units had but he was pretty sure that these members of the ferocious squad would not forsake the opportunity seized by their dying teammate.
The red-tailed beast started to feel the weight lifting from the grip, as its tail searched the inside of the mech. The beast was very confident that once enough drilling had been made, the metallic threat would be exiled, permanently.
But Scholes did not want that to happen.
"Charge!" shouted Scholes manically, as he was no more the less-talker, the one bound by discipline. Veins were bloating over his body, as he pulled his throat, screaming on top of his lungs, leading his members, charging forward.
The mech flexed, armed with a melee weapon, zooming towards the red-tailed beast.
"Charge!!!" The other members had joined the spiritual scream of their leader in the communication channel.
The remaining mechs fell upon the red-tailed beast one after another like a meteor shower.
The red-tailed beast mustered all its strength to escape the attack, yet the piece of junk had hold it back from moving an inch. The mech had only half of its body left but was managed to clench onto the beast till the end. It was then Scholes's alloy sword passed the abdomen of the beast.
The beast felt the rush of heat surging through its opened abdomen, as blood squirted like the pain. The cut was deeper than the previous, which it would hit the intestines another 5 centimeters deeper.
Somehow, perhaps because of the intensity facing death, the red-tailed beast had unleashed its maximum once again.
Its red eyes had gone bloody while its crimson tail had glowed hotter, as its body ballooned dramatically with its muscles pumped vigorously. The blood capillaries had broadened, the face had been squeezed into something unrecognizable other than agony.
Snap.
Its shoulders withdrew as the remaining body of the mech snapped with a crisp.
The beast twisted its body and dodged the mech speeding towards it, with its tail ready for action again.
Thump! A dent was seen on the passing mech.
The red-tailed beast gently broke the two remaining arms over its body.
The following sequence gave a shock to Ye Chong. The red-tailed beast acted rapidly, other than the first mech that gave its abdomen a slash, the remaining units could not even scratch it.
Oh no...
Ye Chong was going to launch itself, but he did not, upon the change of events.
These mechs could put up with the beast only because of their strange tactics which put the beast within their siege in the first place. With their impeccable formation, the speed and dexterity of the beast could not be seen. And they had discarded their formation a long time ago. A beast in a free space was not something they could handle with mere force, especially when they had lost half of their units.
The situation had changed and surely the outcome was undeterminable.
Ye Chong stayed calm and remained seated as he viewed the wild match. The outcome of the squad was none of his concern, despite the little admiration he had in them. He had seen countless deaths all the years and no doubt dying with glory would be the best bet for most losing fights.
He had his focus on the red-tailed beat, as looking for that opportunity to interrupt the match.
The red-tailed beast might be at an upper hand in this but Ye Chong could see the possibility of this inflated animal rupturing!
The red-tailed beast was not at full health at the beginning of this fight. Ye Chong had been hunting it down for the past few days. It would be solely unnatural if the beast could remain kicking alive.
The beast was fighting with maximum aggression as it broke through the 3x3 triangular formations effortlessly with its speed. And in a second it had penetrated 6 units in the space.
The beast did learn from its mistake as it would make its runaway after every touch on the foe, which failed the suicidal attempt of those pilots.
But was it true that the beast would win?
Maybe not.
Thought Ye Chong, who observed the scene as if the hunter watching the hare hunting the fox.
As expected, the beast was slowing down. Scholes and his team might not discern the change in speed but certainly Ye Chong felt the strength ebbing away from the beast.
Another 6 units, destroyed.
The beast decelerated drastically, with each turn it made becoming more and more lethargic, that Scholes could now see the beast weakening, yet unfortunately he was remained with only the last 3 units.
They were almost there... Just a little bit more and they would win, yet their defense was thin as paper...
After so much sacrifice, so much agony, Scholes clenched his fist, unwilling to accept defeat.