"They're here."
Hidden in a Polish grassland, I kept watch over a distant road, my Grow Savior cloaked by the ASRS prototype. Intel from our sympathizers within the Federation government indicated that a Federation unit would pass through here to reinforce the Opole base. Growing restless as the enemy took their time, I'd been checking my status and finally raised Gunfight to the long-awaited Level 9 when their silhouettes appeared.
Two Type-81 PT Carriers, each towing seven containers. Not every container necessarily held a unit, but there were likely over ten machines in total.
Barison's team was currently assaulting the Opole base. This reinforcement wouldn't spell doom for them, but it'd make things messy. Per Vindel's orders, it was my job to crush them here. Ideally, I'd have more units, but this was the only confirmed choke point, and the open terrain offered no cover—no forests, nothing.
That's where the ASRS prototype came in, making this my solo mission. Taking on over ten units alone sounded daunting, but with them still loaded in containers, it'd be manageable.
"ASRS, disengage."
I dropped the cloak, revealing the Grow Savior. The two Type-81 PT Carriers screeched to a halt, their sensors likely picking me up.
"Too late!"
I drew the Gun Rapier from Chronos' rack, aiming… but before I could fire, one carrier exploded, containers and all.
"What the hell?"
The Gun Rapier hadn't fired, and Shadow Mirror hadn't sent anyone else here. An accident? Sabotage? My question was answered by the sight of a Gespenst Mk-III, flanked by four mass-produced Gespenst Mk-IIs like a royal guard.
"Tch, the Beowulfs? Here, of all places."
Vindel's intel confirmed the ATX Team had become the Beowulfs, a unit so ferocious they were despised even by Federation forces for their indiscriminate attacks. Shadow Mirror squads had been warned to treat them as a top-priority threat. The corrupt higher-ups valued their results despite the collateral damage, though.
"Can I make it? ASRS, engage!"
Hoping the enemy hadn't spotted me yet, I tried to reactivate the ASRS, but the monitor flashed: ASRS Unavailable Due to Heat Dissipation. The prototype still had kinks.
Facing the Beowulfs alone was bad enough, but four additional enemies made it worse. Against just the Beowulfs' lead unit, I could hold my own, maybe even win. But five? Escape via the Accelerate Spirit Command was the smart play, but I'd hesitated too long. The Gespenst Mk-III turned toward me, and its four escorts charged as one.
"Damn it!"
No choice now. I'd have to buy time until the ASRS cooled down, then cloak and retreat.
"Phantom!"
Through the T-LINK System, twenty Phantoms took flight.
"Gotta take these guys out before I can even think about the Beowulfs."
Luckily, the Beowulfs' lead unit held back, letting its subordinates attack while it observed. I needed to down as many as possible before it got serious.
Visualizing attack patterns, I relayed them through the T-LINK System to the Phantoms—striking from front, left, right, and above, or mixing it up with two from the front, one left, one above. While controlling the Phantoms, I deployed Chronos' Beam Gatling Cannons and Linear Railgun, then grabbed the Halberd Launcher and took aim.
"Eat this!"
The Phantoms pinned them down as I unleashed the Beam Gatling, following up with the Halberd Launcher. Beams slammed into a mass-produced Gespenst Mk-II, triggering a massive explosion. When the smoke cleared, only a leg fragment remained.
"One down."
Of the remaining three, two lunged at me with Neo Plasma Cutters from both sides, while the third fired a spinning, three-bladed weapon from behind.
"Slash Ripper!?"
Its computer-guided tracking made dodging tricky. I couldn't just evade—wait, what? A strange sensation hit me through the T-LINK System, but with no time to analyze it, the Neo Plasma Cutters swung down.
"Tch, Accelerate!"
Using the Accelerate Spirit Command, I triggered Chronos' auxiliary boosters, narrowly escaping. The Neo Plasma Cutters sliced through the space I'd occupied moments ago. But the Slash Ripper kept coming, chasing me despite Accelerate outpacing its guidance range.
No way—how's it still tracking me!? Instinctively, I activated the Adaman Halberd in scythe mode and swung.
"?!"
The three-bladed weapon dodged the scythe as if it saw it coming, closing in.
"Fire Dagger!"
Reflexively, I launched Fire Daggers from the Grow Savior's chest, barely knocking the weapon down.
"That's no Slash Ripper… T-LINK Ripper!?"
Unlike the computer-guided Slash Ripper, the T-LINK Ripper used psychokinesis for superior tracking. No question which was deadlier. The Slash Ripper was likely a mass-produced version of the T-LINK Ripper for non-psychics.
"So, there's a psychokinetic pilot."
The Beowulfs' psychics? Brooklyn Luckfield or Kusuha Mizuha came to mind. Given the ATX Team connection, it's likely Britt.
"But psychokinesis isn't much of a threat if the unit can't keep up."
Knowing it's a T-LINK Ripper, I could counter it—say, by not letting them use it.
"Accelerate, Direct Hit, SP Boost, Adaman Halberd, activate!"
Using Spirit Commands and SP Boost, I maxed Chronos' boosters and charged the presumed Britt's unit. As I slipped past the two vanguard units, their Neo Plasma Cutters swung down, but I dodged with short bursts of booster movement while the Phantoms kept them busy. As Britt's unit prepared to launch another T-LINK Ripper, a Phantom I'd positioned behind it struck with a laser blade, destroying the weapon mid-launch.
Finally, I had Britt's unit in range.
"Take this, Adaman Halberd!"
In Nine-Tail Mode, I severed its limbs, then activated the Slime's predation function. Normally, absorption takes time, but SP Boost accelerated it. In seconds, Britt and the unit's torso were consumed.
Thump.
The familiar sensation of absorbing a psychic hit me, like with Ryoto or Aya. Normally, I'd wait it out, but there was no time in combat.
I could feel the psychokinetic power flooding my body, confirming it was Britt. But the sensation blurred my vision, making it hard to track enemies. Using the T-LINK System, I roughly sensed their positions: one unit far off—likely the Beowulfs' lead—and two closing in.
"Phantom!"
Roaring with the raw emotion coursing through me, I unleashed all twenty-eight Phantoms, including reserves, to tear into the two incoming units.
"…Phew."
As my vision cleared, I saw the wreckage of two mass-produced Gespenst Mk-IIs, torn to shreds. Turning my unit, I faced the last enemy—the Gespenst Mk-III, advancing toward me.
"Now for the main event, Beowulfs."
Character Stats: Axel Almer
Level: 24
PP: 35
Melee: 202
Ranged: 220
Skill: 212
Defense: 209
Evasion: 237
Accuracy: 259
SP: 334
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consumes SP to enhance Slime performance)
Growth Type: All-Rounder/Special
Terrain Adaptability:
Air: S
Land: S
Sea: B
Space: A
Spirit Commands:
Accelerate (SP 4)
Effort (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Direct Hit (SP 20)
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Skills:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9 & SP Recovery & Focus)
Psychokinesis Lv.10
Attacker
Gunfight Lv.9
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Kill Count: 82