Counterfeit Hero

Chapter 28 - Revised: Chapter 28 Warrior’s Charge

That fatty is a thoroughly heartless bastard. Meiduo and Nia’s words only made him daydream: ”Damn it, I have to stay alive, I’m still a virgin, a threesome! Just thinking about it makes me itchy.”

Twenty minutes passed quickly, and the Mythical Army’s mechas arrived at the ambush point right on time.

The sky was filled with black clouds, the dusk was approaching, and the light in the jungle was dim and a bit eerie. Ten Mythical Mechas appeared quietly in front of the third squad, like fierce beasts hunting at night.

It was Caleb’s first time commanding in real combat. This top graduate from the Steel Combat Academy’s Command Department had been assigned to the Combat Department of the Army Armored Division after graduation, becoming a combat staff officer drawing war scenarios on paper and plans. However, what he loved most was the art of commanding in war. After the war began, he followed the 22nd Army Armored Division stationed on Miloke Planet. His multiple requests to be assigned to a combat command post were all rejected.

”Who would have thought my first time commanding in real combat would be under such circumstances,” Caleb smirked to himself bitterly. Ten days ago, his ambitions were sky-high, and he was finally assigned to the Aviation Marine Corps 9th Division, stationed in New Rome, to a command post. But, while en route, their transport ship was shot down, and he became an Imperial Army prisoner. Life was, indeed, fragile.

He looked around; the soldiers of the third squad had already taken their positions in the temporary base, waiting for his orders.

Relying on the third squad alone, it was clear they couldn’t withstand the ten Mythical Mechas. Without a base, confronting them head-on in an open field meant the sixty or so warriors in the squad wouldn’t last even a minute.

Caleb’s mind was preoccupied with the five minutes assigned by that chubby lieutenant.

The Mythical Army’s mechas, forming a scattered combat formation, halted in front of the base. Clearly, they had discovered this ambush site. Puzzled, they stopped moving forward. These escaping Federation prisoners lost their minds? Did they really think they could protect their main forces with just a few men?

The Mythical Mechas did not immediately attack. These obviously prepared ambushing Federation prisoners didn’t fire a single shot as they moved into the ambush range, which seemed quite strange.

Their mecha radars were frantically searching the surrounding few kilometers.

”Don’t fire, we surrender.” Caleb poked his head out from behind the temporary structure. Seeing the enemy’s hesitation, he decided to take this chance.

”Stand still, you pathetic worms.” One of the Mythical Mechas spoke, its voice cold and contemptuous through the electronic amplifier.

”Okay, okay.” Caleb shrank back, his face full of fear.

After some time, perhaps confirming there were no hidden soldiers around, the leading mecha shouted to Caleb: ”Major, tell your soldiers to drop whatever pathetic things they’re holding, and walk out one by one. If anyone dares to fire, they will be executed on the spot.”

”Okay, okay,” Caleb replied. He checked the time—three minutes had passed.

Seeing Caleb only responding verbally but not acting, the leading mecha grew impatient and shouted: ”Hurry up!”

”But, damn it, now I don’t want to surrender anymore, you Gazalin bastards.” Caleb laughed heartily from behind the structure, and all the Federation soldiers laughed along.

The laughter was arrogant and mocking, the kind that taunted idiots.

”Fire!” Caleb laughed wildly as he gave the order, catching the enemy off guard.

The combined light and heavy firepower of the Federation soldiers roared all at once. The blazing energy bullets surged out like fire dragons, blazing brightly and intertwining as they flew.

The soil was blown high by the impact of the energy bullets, trees were pierced, and wood splinters flew everywhere. The flying dust, leaves, wood chips, and smoke mixed together, shrouding the entire front line of the base.

”You idiots, give your mothers my warmest regards,” Caleb’s laughing voice rang out amidst the deafening gunfire, filled with wild fervor.

Most of the energy bullets, shots, and laser beams accurately hit the Mythical Mechas, but except for dodging a few anti-armor energy bullets, they remained almost motionless, as if faced with an ant attack.

The Mythical Mechas were waiting, waiting for the leader’s command.

”Kill them all!” The leader’s cold words echoed through the intense gunfire, akin to a cold serpent.

Ten beast-shaped Mechas of the Mythical Army immediately started moving. The legend was true; these Mechas were designed for close combat. Without firing a single shot, they rushed through the smoke and gunfire towards the Federation’s positions. The tens of meters were crossed in an instant, despite the desperate suppressing fire from the Federation’s crossfire points on both sides. The Mythical Army’s ferocious Mechas were too fast, almost appearing as a blur in the dust, disappearing before the Federation soldiers could fully aim.

The resistance fire was so weak. Against the Mecha, soldiers without anti-armor weapons stood no chance of victory.

At the front lines, several beast-shaped Mechas had already spread their bloody claws and fangs. The first to engage them were twelve Federation Army Armor Soldiers stationed at the frontline. The temporary fortifications were breached almost instantly. The Mechas, having pounced into the shallow trenches, turned into bloody executioners. How could flesh compete with steel?

The fighting of the beast-shaped Mechas was savage. A Federation warrior was grabbed by a Mecha—yes, lifted with its front claws. The claws of a beast-shaped Mecha were sharper than blades; the warrior’s head, impaled as if by ten steel knives simultaneously. But the Mecha didn’t let him go. One light swipe from the other claw, and the warrior was disemboweled. Blood gushed out like a spring, dripping from his feet.

From beginning to end, this warrior’s hand remained tightly pressed on the trigger of his energy gun. Even as his body fell, his limp arm curled strangely, and the gun beneath him continued firing, tearing his body into pieces.

The beast-shaped Mecha seemed unfazed by the fire pouring onto it. The energy defense shield on its armor flashed a ghostly blue, blocking all damage. The first Mecha to break into the trench sat down amid the gunfire, idly wiping the blood from its claws onto its head. It looked devilishly ferocious.

It displayed its cruelty, while the soldiers in the same trench displayed a heroism beyond its imagination.

No one was intimidated by the Mecha’s savagery. The remaining eleven Federation soldiers, unwavering, continued to fire calmly and fearlessly. They even grouped together, advancing step by step towards the Mecha that had killed their comrade, paying no heed to other Mythical Army beast-shaped Mechas also breaching the trench.

Though they couldn’t inflict fatal damage, their concentrated fire still forced the Mecha to recoil under the impact of the energy bullets.

Simultaneously, two anti-armor energy bullets from intersecting fire points on the slopes struck this beast-shaped Mecha. Under the concentrated fire, its energy shield turned dangerously red.

The formerly leisurely Mythical Army beast-shaped Mecha, now embarrassed, rolled on the ground to escape the intensive fire. Its comrades had already breached the first line of defense. The eleven Federation soldiers who had embarrassed it were now prey to be used for showcasing their might. Enraged, the Mythical Warrior decided to torture these defiant Federation prisoners more cruelly, making them die in fear.

The eleven Federation soldiers didn’t give them the chance. Unexpectedly, they launched a counterattack—flesh against steel, charging straight at the beast-shaped Mecha that had killed their comrade.

The Mecha, with its energy shield now fluctuating red, was completely caught off guard. It had seen many suicidal charges, but never a charge of humans against a Mecha. This charge was so orderly, so powerful, not even the other beast-shaped Mechas that had broken into the group of soldiers could stop them. The Federation soldiers focused on one target, advancing relentlessly.

Ultimately, only four of the eleven soldiers reached the first beast-shaped Mecha. Seven fell along the way; two were killed by other Mechas, and five by energy cannon fire from the panicked, targeted Mecha. So, these Mechas weren’t limited to close combat. Close combat was just their way of showing off. They also possessed long-range weapons.

Shamed and enraged, the Mythical Mecha Soldier went berserk, fumbling to fire its energy cannon at a charge of Federation soldiers who posed no real threat. How long had it been since it had last used such a trashy weapon like the energy cannon? Too long to remember, yet here it was, a suicidal charge of Federation prisoners making it look so ridiculous.

Four soldiers were enough. The charging Federation soldiers laughed, heartily—almost mockingly, as though they were the cats and the Mecha was the mouse.

Three Federation soldiers clung to the beast-shaped Mecha with its red energy shield. In their grasp was a bomb made up of bundled fusion hand grenades. One bomb could destroy a Mecha with an almost depleted energy shield; they had three.

The fourth soldier, without a bomb, stood in front of the Mecha that the three clung to, laughing heartily.

He laughed and said to the bewildered Mecha, ”I’ll keep you company.”

Of course, he wasn’t planning to keep the enemy company; he was going to accompany his comrades.

He said it so casually, as if attending a drinking party. In the middle of this war-torn battlefield, his nonchalance became a fierce bravery. He would give his life just to play a cruel joke on this desperate Mecha.

A thundering explosion reverberated, the shockwave swept the entire position. The soldiers, fearing the bomb would lack power, had nearly bundled all their grenades together.

This was the first Mecha lost by the Mythical Army squad—a loss in the battle of steel against flesh, rendering the entire squad in disbelief. They didn’t realize that the Imperial Mecha Team, acting as predators, was destined to become sacrifices leading this Federation team from hell to salvation.

They also didn’t know that behind the hills on both sides, a group of Federation Mechas, led by a dilapidated Magic Beast Type III Mecha, were ready to launch a fatal assault.

[Anger] moved up the slope, revealing a fierce smile under the blood-red sunset.