--June 18, 2043, 3:35 a.m.--
Not long after, the five mechs arrived near the ten-kilometer Miracle Line. They spread out and formed an inverted triangular formation.
Huangshan stood in the center, while FL and Dongting were positioned one kilometer ahead to his left and right. When the kaiju attacked, FL and Dongting would pull apart to either side before closing in again.
This formation ensured that the kaiju would always be surrounded by multiple mechs, greatly improving their combat efficiency.
Anshan stood toward the left side of the formation. His opponent was the Generation 7 Kaiju, Goshawk. Once it appeared, Anshan would charge straight at it and do everything he could to hold it back.
Changbai brought up the rear. His job was to serve as the mobile support force. Wherever the situation showed the slightest sign of collapse, he would immediately step in.
"Warriors, your mission is to defend Hong Kong City." Jiang Tianzheng's voice came through the communicators of all five mechs. He added, "It would be best to destroy the kaiju as quickly as possible. We don't have much time left to counterattack the wormhole."
"Received."
The five pilots answered in unison and began deploying their weapons at the same time.
Huangshan's fists transformed. Countless spiked metal protrusions emerged across their surfaces, like knuckle dusters fitted over the mech's hands. Under the glow of the navigation lights, those barbs gave off a cold glint. No one would dare question their power.
Changbai removed the rod-shaped object that had been secured to his back. His enormous hand gripped the handle and gave it a light twist. A sound immediately came from both ends of the rod—
Amid an endless clatter of mechanical locks, the rod suddenly extended. Within one second, it had stretched to a length of two hundred meters. At its tip were an enormous spearhead and a pair of exceptionally sharp hook blades.
This was the twin-hook spear designed specifically for fighting kaiju—Cliff's Edge. Two hundred meters long and weighing a thousand tons, it was especially effective against biological kaiju. All Changbai had to do was hook the spearhead around a kaiju's neck and pull, or give it a light thrust, to deal devastating damage.
The light mech FL and the sixth-generation mech Dongting had no external weapons equipped. They merely clenched their fists symbolically, expressing the resolve in their hearts.
The omnidirectional thrusters all over Anshan's body began taking on fuel. Countless ripples spread outward from beneath his feet across the sea, and the hum before ignition filled the battlefield. He was ready to soar skyward at any moment.
Five against three.
The kaiju had no chance. Everyone believed this would be an overwhelming victory. Even Jiang Tianzheng thought so.
At this moment, the three kaiju were less than twenty kilometers from the Shatterdome. In only a few more minutes, they would reach the ten-kilometer Miracle Line. Jiang Tianzheng stood in the very center of the Command Center, his eyes fixed on the screen, never leaving the three signal markers representing the kaiju.
Three minutes later—
There was no longer any need for radar. Footage transmitted by the mechs' cameras showed that the three kaiju were now visible to the naked eye.
Taking advantage of the darkest hour before dawn, they raced toward Hong Kong City with claws bared and fangs exposed!
But first—they had to cross the obstacle standing before Hong Kong City.
Right now, five mountains stood in their way.
"Now." Jiang Tianzheng's expression darkened. "The battle begins!"
At this very moment, countless people were watching every development on the battlefield: residents of Hong Kong City, Shatterdome employees, and even reporters from Western nations. The eyes of the entire world were focused on Victoria Harbour outside Hong Kong City.
Rosen was no exception.
He and Sun Zheng Tang were staring intently at the screen. Though they were outside the mechs, the tension and suffocation they felt were no less than those of the actual pilots.
"Look, they've appeared!" The kaiju on the screen made Sun Zheng Tang cry out. "Holy crap, why are they so huge?!"
Raptor's size gave Sun Zheng Tang quite a fright. Back when he had piloted a mech, sixth-generation kaiju had been the main force, while seventh-generation ones were still pitifully rare. But when Goshawk appeared afterward, Sun Zheng Tang broke out in a cold sweat!
Goshawk let out a roar, spread its wings, and dove downward. Though it had set off later, it arrived first, plunging straight toward FL on the left side of the formation!
"Watch out!" Sun Zheng Tang couldn't help roaring, but a pure white figure was faster than his voice!
Bang—
With twelve azure flames blasting from behind it, Anshan surged into the air and successfully blocked Goshawk's dive!
The Tathas Impactor on his right hand had already finished charging. The thruster on his right elbow fired, and he drove a savage blow directly into Goshawk's beak!
The moment they made contact, visible blue arcs of electricity burst from Anshan's right fist and flowed across Goshawk's body. It shrieked in pain. Then Anshan adjusted his posture and hammered the kaiju, which weighed three times as much as himself, out of the air, forcibly slamming it into the water!
"Beautiful!" Rosen and Sun Zheng Tang shouted at the same time!
At the same time, Raptor rode the waves, ignoring the Tang Brothers on either side as it charged straight at Huangshan in the center!
Sharp-eyed Rosen happened to notice Huangshan suddenly sink lower.
He must have activated the ground-anchor spikes in his ankles. Rosen had heard that those explosive steel spikes could drive ten meters into the ground, increasing Huangshan's stability exponentially.
Huangshan drew in his abdomen and hunched his back, bracing for the coming impact. Raptor showed no intention of changing direction either.
Three seconds later, amid a thunderous crash filled with the sound of breaking parts and shattering bones, the collision happened—
Raptor's upper body slammed viciously into Huangshan, while its thick tail erupted with terrifying force, shoving him five hundred meters away!
The monstrous waves kicked up by their movement even surged two hundred meters into the sky, nearly striking the helicopters hovering overhead!
Fortunately, the ground-anchor spikes beneath Huangshan's feet provided crucial friction, allowing him to withstand the pressure. The instant the two barely came to a stop, Huangshan began raining fierce punches down on Raptor's head! The knuckle-duster-like barbs pierced the kaiju's skull and tore open wound after wound, dark blue blood splashing over both of them.
In Rosen's memory, Zhang Wenhu was not very tall and did not speak much, but his hand-to-hand combat skills were extraordinarily strong. He was proficient not only in military boxing, Bajiquan, and Xingyiquan, but also well versed in wrestling and throwing techniques.
Just as Rosen was thinking that, Huangshan lifted his leg and tripped Raptor's hind limb on the screen. He was preparing to execute a side throw—Rosen would bet that beast had never experienced what it felt like to be thrown around.
Then Huangshan grabbed Raptor's head, violently twisted his waist, and the twenty-thousand-ton crocodile spun once through the air before crashing brutally into the water!
FL and Dongting seized the opportunity to close in. The three mechs were preparing to deliver a fatal combined strike against Raptor!
The battlefield situation looked extremely promising. Sun Zheng Tang couldn't help clapping in delight, but Rosen had no intention of celebrating.
"What's wrong?" Sun Zheng Tang asked. "Why do you still look so worried? We're about to win!"
"Wait." Rosen's face was filled with unease. "Don't you think something's missing?"
"What's missing?"
"One kaiju is missing." Rosen narrowed his eyes.
"Where did Viper go?"
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