A test shot, maybe? The Beowulfs' Gespenst Mk-III fired its triple machine cannon at me. I dodged right, evading cleanly.
Circling counterclockwise around the Beowulfs, I fired the Gun Rapier for suppression, only for the shots to be blocked by some incomprehensible field.
"…What?"
That's the Beowulfs—Kyosuke Nanbu. It's not a Psychokinesis Field, that's for sure. An AB Field? G-Wall? I thought the Alteisen only had a Beam Coat, but is the Gespenst Mk-III different?
Puzzled, I directed all twenty-eight Phantoms to focus laser fire on the Gespenst Mk-III's torso, combining it with the Gun Rapier's thin beams in a concentrated assault.
"Graaaah!"
The attack worked, piercing the mysterious barrier and striking the torso. Somehow, the Beowulfs'—Kyosuke's—voice echoed in my cockpit. The comms must've connected without me noticing.
"Beowulfs, or rather, Kyosuke Nanbu. Remember me?"
"Enemy… unknown… destroy… eliminate."
No good. He's not Kyosuke anymore—just an Einste.
"Then I'll take you down for Martin."
Even if I defeat the Beowulfs here, it'll probably regenerate. When Martin went down, we hit it with the Nebuland's DOB Cannon, yet here it is, unscathed. Retreating's tough, though—the monitor still shows the ASRS as unavailable. Even if it were, an Einste's bizarre senses might track me. Leading it to Barison's base assault? That'd just unleash chaos, attacking friend and foe alike.
So, the best move is to incapacitate it temporarily and then bolt.
"The question is, can I win?"
No, no weakness. I've fought to survive this long, and I'm not stopping now.
"Let's keep it going!"
I unleashed a torrent of beams from the Beam Gatling Cannon. The rapid-fire barrage naturally concentrated hits on the same spot, breaking through the Gespenst Mk-III's barrier. Denying the Beowulfs any chance to act sounds simple, but pulling it off while moving and aiming against that opponent is grueling.
Luckily, I had an edge. The Gespenst Mk-III's arsenal is built for close to mid-range combat, with only the triple machine cannon for long-range. Its power is negligible—my constant Psychokinesis Field could nullify it. Plus, the Beowulfs dropped its barrier when attacking, giving me another advantage.
In close combat, it'd dominate, but I've got no interest in fighting on its terms. I'd rather keep hammering it from a distance.
"No good."
I noticed the initial damage from my beams had vanished. Unless it's using something like Machine Cells, this is the Einste's doing. I'd need to deal damage faster than it can regenerate, but the only weapon capable of that is a full Phantom salvo. Focusing too much on the Phantoms risks slowing my reactions, though, and against this enemy, I can't afford any vulnerabilities.
"Raaaargh!"
The Beowulfs roared suddenly, snapping my focus. The monitor showed the Gespenst Mk-III lunging, its Revolving Stake aimed at me.
No way—it closed that distance in an instant!?
"Psychokinesis Field, full power!"
I maxed the field, but the stake pierced it effortlessly, hurtling toward my cockpit.
"Tch!"
Whether by luck, the boosted psychokinesis from absorbing Britt, or my subconscious tracking of the Beowulfs' movements, I shifted the unit right just in time. The stake missed the cockpit, but it tore off the Grow Savior's left arm and Linear Railgun.
"Damn it, Accelerate!"
Staying in its range was suicide. I used the Accelerate Spirit Command and boosters to pull back, creating distance.
"This is rough."
Taking on the Federation's strongest unit solo was absurd to begin with.
Grumbling, I checked the unit's condition. Only the left arm and Linear Railgun were lost—no other major damage. For all its glitches, the ASRS being unaffected was a small miracle.
"…Hm?"
Something felt off about the Gespenst Mk-III. The T-LINK System was picking up something, but I couldn't pinpoint it.
"Action over thinking. Eat some Fire Daggers!"
The suppressive Fire Daggers missed, their small missiles grazing the Gespenst Mk-III and exploding harmlessly.
"Wait."
Why did they graze? Couldn't that barrier have blocked them entirely? Testing, I fired another volley, but again, no barrier appeared. Did it stop using it? Why?
It's an Einste—human logic might not apply. The Gespenst Mk-III's barrier wasn't particularly strong; my Psychokinesis Field felt tougher. But on a unit piloted by the Beowulfs, even a weak barrier mattered. Now it was gone, for reasons unknown.
"This I can work with… No, I'll make it work."
Taking a deep breath, I focused on the enemy.
"Accelerate, Focus, Direct Hit, SP Boost! Here I go!"
Roaring to steel myself, I maxed Chronos' boosters, charging the Beowulfs at full speed. It seemed to want close combat, waiting for me.
Then, the Gespenst Mk-III's shoulder covers opened.
"Tch, Square Claymore!?"
Taking that head-on would be bad. The weapon's firing angle made dodging iffy, but I'd let it graze me to land a decisive blow.
"Psychokinesis Field, full power!"
A relentless crackle filled the cockpit as the Square Claymore's titanium alloy rounds battered the field. In a moment of hyper-focused clarity, time seemed to stretch. A few rounds broke through, but their numbers were low, only scratching the Grow Savior's armor.
The Beowulfs anticipated this, though, charging with its signature Heat Horn to impale me. I rolled the unit to dodge, fine-tuning the boosters to slip behind it. Simultaneously, I ordered half the Phantoms to unleash a laser barrage and the other half to charge with laser blades from all directions.
The Grow Savior was in the line of fire—a suicidal move normally—but the Gespenst Mk-III acted as my shield.
"Adaman Halberd, Nine-Tail Mode!"
The Adaman Halberd's nine mercury-like whips struck from close range. Even a regenerating monster couldn't withstand this: staggered by Phantom lasers, pierced in dozens of places by laser blades, and then hit by a nine-point simultaneous attack. Amplified by SP Boost, the whips severed the Gespenst Mk-III's limbs, crushed its head, and sliced its torso, targeting the cockpit.
Now, finish it with the Halberd Launcher—!
A chill ran down my spine as the T-LINK System screamed a dire warning. I backstepped instinctively, just as something shot through where the Grow Savior had been.
"What the—?"
Tendrils were sprouting from the Gespenst Mk-III's scattered parts, pulling nearby debris into itself.
"Einste, huh? With the unit like that, I can't stay here."
Glancing at the monitor, I saw the ASRS was now available.
The Beowulfs was incapacitated for now—time to go.
"ASRS, engage."
With the Gespenst Mk-III's tendrils rebuilding it, I activated the ASRS and fled the scene.
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