𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟗: 𝐂𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭 “𝐁𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫” 𝐔𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝
Indeed, he was there, Kaien Yoshitoshi thought as he drove his beloved mecha, Patriot, to the front lines, glancing sideways at the operator.
The operator, who had drawn up a map based on information from the drones deployed by the Conductor, projected a map of the battlefield onto the wall screen. The positions of friendly mechs and identified enemy mechs, the rough differences in elevation, and the forests were all visible at a glance.
He’s doing a good job in this short time.
ㅤ
“The enemy?”
“It’s the Intensive Hunting Club. It seems they are shooting down, using the ridge of Spear Mountain as a shield. The one that shot almost simultaneously with the destruction of Bomber’s head is the Intensive Hunting Club.”
“Did it hit the Renegade Warrior?”
“Unclear. But the Renegade Warrior is still alive.”
“What about Bomber?”
“It has left the battlefield immediately after its head was destroyed. Its current position is unknown, but it’s believed to have lost its combat capability.”
ㅤ
After pondering the operator’s words for a moment, Kaien Yoshitoshi nodded.
An Actanoid can move without its head, but its combat capability is significantly reduced.
Since it is operated by motion capture, the loss of front vision is problematic, even if the sub-camera is still working.
Moreover, an All-Rounder doesn’t have a function to supplement the field of view. Just being able to see left, right, and rear doesn’t allow handling of firearms.
ㅤ
If there’s a concern, it’s the same kind of bombing as before, but this time they can disperse if there’s a sign of bombing since they’re also deploying drones.
Moreover, the main force of Kaien Squad is almost entirely composed of heavy-rounders. Unless it’s a close-range explosion, even with a grenade, it will just dent the armor. It’s not a threat.
ㅤ
“Lower the Shepherd once. Maintain the front line with heavy-rounders, organize the formation, and lure the Renegade Warrior between the Shepherd and the Intensive Hunting Club.”
“Understood.”
ㅤ
Shielding the Patriot with a bulletproof shield, he moves to push the front line up all at once.
They won’t close in on the foot of the mountain range where the Intensive Hunting Club is shooting. It’s enough if they can get them within their range.
The Kaien Squad, with machine guns as the main weapon, is more suited to lay down a barrage than the sniping-focused Intensive Hunting Club. If they can get them within range, they can suppress them from sticking their heads out from the ridge, backed by the abundant financial resources of the corporate force.
Being heavy-rounders, the slope makes movement difficult, but that was another reason.
ㅤ
The heavy-rounder unit, led by Kaien Yoshitoshi’s Patriot, deploys on the front line, aiming machine guns at the ridge.
Immediately, a barrage hit the ridge, causing a snow mist, and interrupted the Intensive Hunting Club’s shooting.
ㅤ
“Take over the barrage with the second unit until the first unit’s machine guns cool down. Shepherd, what’s happening with the Renegade Warrior?”
ㅤ
Having secured the safety of the front, Kaien Yoshitoshi looks at the battlefield overview on the screen while asking for reports.
Then, reports came in one after another, in puzzled voices.
ㅤ
“There are wires set up.”
“Same here, wires are set up. It seems to be spread over a wide area.”
“Wires?”
ㅤ
The Shepherd, supposed to have been sent to the rear, discovered wires it did not recognize. That implied the presence of an enemy in the rear.
However, no enemy shadows were on the battlefield map shown on the screen.
If so, only one person could have done it.
ㅤ
“Bomber?!”
ㅤ
The updated battlefield map indicated a wire zone in the forest to the east of the battlefield, behind the Kaien Squad.
ㅤ
“Even if you get your head blown off, are you still stubbornly lingering?! Or is this just buying time for a retreat?”
“Report, grenades are rigged to the wire. It’s textbook level, but. . . . . .”
ㅤ
Hearing about the grenades, Kaien Yoshitoshi, who saw Bomber’s lingering presence as certain, immediately gives instructions.
ㅤ
“Don’t touch the wire carelessly. I don’t want to lose a Shepherd who can strike in this situation.”
ㅤ
He glances at the screen. The updated map displayed an even further expansion of the wire zone.
Strange. To stretch the wire formation over such a wide area, a few dozen meters of standard weaponry’s wire wouldn’t suffice. To begin with, the grenades that came with the rented mech wouldn’t be enough.
It was a movement clearly prepared in advance.
ㅤ
“The Renegade Warrior’s sniping is coming. We can’t fall back, and there’s no buffer zone. Let me join up!”
ㅤ
Desperate communication came from the Shepherds. With them being of the Lannoid series, a frontal battle with the Renegade Warrior was difficult. The plan was to toy with the Renegade Warrior across the wide battlefield and hunt him down to a predetermined location, but the wire formation has restricted the battlefield, limiting their movements.
ㅤ
The Renegade Warrior’s position was displayed on the screen. He seems to be on the northern side of the battlefield.
With the Intensive Hunting Club firmly in the western mountain range, wire formations to the east, Renegade Warrior to the north, they are surrounded.
ㅤ
“. . . . . .I see. We’ve been had!”
ㅤ
Kaien Yoshitoshi realizes that they are in a death trap. No, it’s not just that they’re there. They were sent into this death trap by Bomber.
The operator also notices the situation and looks frustrated.
ㅤ
“Bomber intentionally damaged the All-Rounder, feigning combat incapacitation to lure us to the front line. Cutting off our retreat with wire and making us clash hard with the Intensive Hunting Club.”
ㅤ
Kaien Yoshitoshi agrees with the operator’s conjecture.
ㅤ
“What a sucker. He predicted that more than two forces would gather here and created a kill zone without getting his hands dirty. We were planning to take advantage, but we were outmaneuvered!”
ㅤ
The team leader of the second squad expresses his opinion to Kaien Yoshitoshi, who insists they have fallen into a complete trap.
ㅤ
“That’s absurd. What if the All-Rounder is heavily damaged and the mission fails?”
“Bomber wouldn’t fear something like heavy damage. I don’t know what’s backing him, but he has the information network to oversee such a battlefield and likely has the financial power as well.”
ㅤ
Without knowing the extreme fear of heavy damage that Chihaya had, Kaien Yoshitoshi makes a painful face, feeling like he’s been completely fooled.
ㅤ
It’s really annoying that there’s a retreat route to the south. They were prepared enough to set up the wire formation. It’s terrifying and not easy to retreat to the unexplored south.
Yet, facing the Renegade Warrior in the north, the Intensive Hunting Club in the west, with the wire formation behind, it could lead to annihilation. If they focus on one side, the other could hit them from the flank.
In the poor radio conditions of the Spear Mountain, if the rear Lannoid type is targeted, their heavy rounder types would become inoperative.
At first glance, the situation seemed to be a dead end.
But it’s strange, he thinks.
ㅤ
“Does Bomber have a plan to outsmart the almost fully functional Intensive Hunting Club?”
ㅤ
Currently, the Kaien Squad and the intensive Hunting Club are only trading suppressing fire without causing any damage. If this continues, the Kaien Squad will run out of ammunition and be wiped out while the Intensive Hunting Club will remain combat-ready to face the Renegade Warrior.
The operator looks puzzled.
ㅤ
“Bomber is part of the Intensive Hunting Club?”
“The Intensive Hunting Club is a private clan. They were affected by indiscriminate bombings in the three-way conflict. Their financial power doesn’t match the situation.”
ㅤ
There’s still something. Something can happen. At least, the circumstantial evidence says so.
ㅤ
“The Intensive Hunting Club has started to move!”
ㅤ
Upon receiving the report from his subordinates, Kaien Yoshitoshi looks at the main monitor.
The Intensive Hunting Club was hastily crossing the ridge, coming down the mountain.
Immediately understanding the situation, Kaien Yoshitoshi sends instructions to his comrades.
ㅤ
“Stop shooting! Cease all attacks on the Intensive Hunting Club!”
ㅤ
Being a well-disciplined corporate clan, the order of Kaien Yoshitoshi, who is also a branch manager, is absolute. Without any doubt, the Kaien Squad abruptly stopped firing.
Watching the ridge behind the Intensive Hunting Club, Kaien Yoshitoshi sees a distinctive Actanoid with black cat ears and a tail appear, realizing his premonition was correct.
ㅤ
“Order Actor, he’s finally here.”
ㅤ
What appeared was the beloved mech Trigger Happy of Order Actor’s representative, Mecha Mecha Guidance Commander.
The operator reports.
ㅤ
“We have identified some of the Intensive Hunting Club’s mechs. There are All-Rounder modified units, and the appearance of Fizū’s specification.”
ㅤ
Fizū, the account name of the Intensive Hunting Club’s representative.
Fizū’s specification, plainly speaking, is a single-mech battlefield stealth specification of an All-Rounder. It’s such a peaky modification that nobody else can operate it.
Descending the mountain, it was confirmed that the strongest team led by the representative of the Intensive Hunting Club was coming.
ㅤ
“The strongest teams of the three forces have gathered. If Bomber was aiming for this, there will be attacks from the rear. Everyone, be on alert.”
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