The New Machine's First Battle 3

"Damn it!"

A low growl, thick with barely contained fury, escaped through Djibril's clenched teeth.

He closed his eyes and forced himself to take a deep breath, trying to quell the rage that threatened to burn him to ash.

But it couldn't be helped... He repeated that to himself, desperate to believe it.

After all, to squeeze every last bit of combat potential from these "Biological CPUs," he had used drugs and psychological conditioning to heighten their reflexes and fighting ability. The price was a severe loss of judgment and willingness to follow orders.

And the man who had made that decision was none other than Lord Djibril himself.

Now that risky decision had come back to haunt him.

At the critical moment, these expensive "consumables" had become beasts that fought on instinct, not obedient soldiers.

Besides, he forced himself to assess the situation calmly. The battle might be deadlocked, but it had not yet turned irretrievably against them.

The Earth Alliance still had the advantage in numbers. If they held their ground and organized a fresh offensive, victory could still tip their way.

He opened his eyes and turned to the aide beside him, his voice hoarse from holding back his anger. "Dares! Can't we send more MS units forward? Launch a second assault from the flank! Crush every last one of those small fry!"

But Colonel Dares, immaculate in his standard Earth Alliance officer's uniform, merely dipped his head. His reply was cool and entirely matter-of-fact. "Sir, if I may speak frankly, our vanguard has advanced too far and become separated from the units behind it. If we force the second line forward now, concentrated enemy fire could cut them off and surround them. Then we would lose our numerical advantage entirely. I understand how you feel, but