A Kroot leaped down from the shadows, its hunting rifle striking Skitarii Alpharius. Just as it raised the blade mounted on the rifle to hack Alpharius apart—
Alpharius's wrist twisted with mechanical speed, aiming the arc pistol in his other hand at the attacking Kroot.
A burst of blue-white lightning thundered out, spearing directly into the Kroot's brain and roasting it into a fragrant mass of cooked brains.
The attacking Kroot died in an instant and was blasted into the air by the arc discharge. The electricity flickering across its body rapidly heated its flesh, giving the battlefield a faint scent of charred meat.
Yan Ou seized the opportunity. While Skitarii Alpharius had exhausted all his weapons, he knocked him down with a pulse rifle, shouting as he closed in and emptied an entire magazine into the lone enemy.
"Calm down, Yan Ou! Our attack isn't over yet!"
Another Fireblade commander grabbed Yan Ou and told him not to lose his mind.
Yan Ou looked closely. In the battle just now, they had eliminated the attacking Skitarii, but had also suffered devastating losses themselves. Three battlesuits and over three hundred soldiers from the entire force had been reduced to dust and irradiated plasma.
"I'm sorry, Si Wei..."
"No... I understand. I'm angry and terrified too. This force is completely different from anything we've encountered before."
The Fireblade commander called Si Wei patted Yan Ou on the shoulder, telling him not to be nervous or blame himself.
"Interested in seeing what these things are?"
"This... this should be the Earth caste's job... We..."
"Forget the Earth caste technicians." Si Wei ignored the laws of caste. Drawing the short blade at his waist, he forcefully pried open Skitarii Alpharius's helmet. He wanted to see exactly what kind of thing the enemy commander