Chapter 35: The First Round of Battle

"Uncle Garen, I have no more questions. Please make the decision," David said, turning to Garen after receiving the answer he sought. Though not satisfied, he understood now that their hidden enemy had made a move.

He was well aware of his own position; although Garen looked after him, matters concerning the armored fighters were beyond his right to interfere.

"Froman, Kroc, Ed, Fisher!" Garen called out each of the four mercenaries surrounded by his side, then spoke in a deep voice, "A 'National Warrior' cannot be insulted—this is an iron law of the Federation. The Federation needs your blood to serve as a warning to others!"

With those words, Garen swung his arm forcefully through the air.

In an instant, the five suits of Luminous Exoskeleton Armor surged forward, each wielding a warhammer that gleamed with eerie blue light, whistling as they swept toward the four Sirius mercenaries.

David's eyes lit up as he watched from the side. All five armored warriors piloting the Luminous Exoskeletons were employing the Storm Warhammer technique.

The Storm Warhammer technique was both a training method and a combat art, especially effective in group engagements such as this. Five armored warriors coordinating the technique at once produced an effect far more formidable than any one-on-one duel.

"Ed, defend!" Captain Froman shouted, his body swiftly withdrawing behind Ed's shield.

Fisher, wielding a twin-bladed greataxe, took the rear, countering the two armored warriors attacking from behind. Kroc stood behind Fisher, side by side with Captain Froman, ready to support either flank as needed.

With their rich combat experience, they knew full well that matching speed with Luminous Exoskeletons while wearing Black Diamond Exoskeletons was courting disaster. Moreover, they needed to gauge their opponents’ true strength before mounting a suitable response, so their first instinct was to defend.

Five warhammers, spinning and accelerating, crashed toward the mercenaries; two struck Ed's great shield, ringing out with two nearly simultaneous impacts.

Ed felt an immense force through his arms, his exoskeleton groaning under the strain. Using his formidable physique and mastery over the shield, he diverted most of the force into the stone floor beneath his feet.

His boots sank into the stone, and the surface of his shield bore two deep dents.

A second-tier warhammer striking a first-tier great shield—were it not for the exceptional thickness of Ed’s shield, it would have shattered outright. Even so, the shield would not last much longer.

"Captain, they have at least fifteen hundred kilograms of force!" Ed reported urgently, paying no heed to his weapon as he reeled from the impact.

At that moment, Captain Froman was also fending off a Luminous Armored Warrior with twin swords, his blades flashing as he managed to drive his opponent back.

In armored warrior combat, Captain Froman’s twin light weapons gave him an advantage, but because the enemy’s warhammers were trained in a special method, he couldn’t achieve a decisive victory quickly.

At the rear, Fisher’s twin-bladed greataxe was wielded in a desperate, reckless fashion—no feints or blocks, only an all-out assault seeking mutual destruction against the Luminous Armored Warrior before him.

But in such a favorable situation, the Luminous Armored Warrior had no intention of trading his life. At the first clash, he used his warhammer to parry Fisher’s axe and quickly retreated.

The last Luminous Armored Warrior never even got close, his advance checked by Kroc’s spear.

Kroc’s spear darted from behind Fisher like a venomous snake, probing for weak points in the Luminous Armor’s defenses. To approach Kroc, the armored warrior had to attack Fisher first, but attacking Fisher left him vulnerable to the spear.

The two Luminous Armored Warriors at the front had not expected that, even working together, they would fail to break these mercenaries. They ceased their assault and fell back with their companions, preparing for a second wave.

"They still lack combat experience," Garen murmured, shaking his head.

In truth, the five Luminous Armored Warriors could hardly be blamed; their usual foes were the Insectoids, not these mercenaries who sparred with armored warriors every day.

Though the mercenaries’ exoskeletons and weapons were inferior, their battle experience made up much of the gap.

Of course, the outcome was never in doubt. With their overwhelming advantage, the Luminous Armored Warriors would defeat the mercenaries—it was only a matter of time.

David watched the combat intently. Even this brief skirmish left him deeply shaken by the sheer force unleashed.

The stone pavement of Pellan City was built from the hardest blocks found on Rock Planet. That the planet was named for its stone was no accident; these stones could withstand most explosions. Yet the clash of nine armored warriors had left the ground marred and broken.

He saw, too, the deep dents in Ed’s first-tier great shield, a legendary defensive weapon. What kind of power could leave such marks?

He glanced at his own house, recalling what Garen had said earlier. Now he understood—Garen had asked if the house was important because he wished to avoid damaging it with their battle.

A home he’d always thought so secure and unassailable was, in the eyes of these armored warriors, as fragile as paper.

Witnessing the true might of this world, David felt a burning desire rise within him. If he worked hard enough, he, too, could become one of these warriors.

Surrounded still, Captain Froman’s expression was grim. He now knew the strength of the five Luminous Armored Warriors—and knowing it only deepened his despair.

Each possessed fifteen hundred kilograms of force, clearly the product of unified training, identical armor, identical second-tier warhammers, and identical tactics.

Never mind that they had just managed to push the five back; Froman knew it was simply because their opponents didn’t wish to risk their lives.

"Gentlemen, it’s time to stake our lives. Give me a chance—I’ll seize that commander and David!" Captain Froman said quietly.

"Captain, ever since I became a mercenary, I stopped caring for my life. I’ll open a path for you," Ed replied with a grim smile, blood at the corner of his mouth.

As a defensive warrior, Ed was the slowest—escape was impossible for him. In this moment, gambling everything was their only option.

"Let’s do it!" Fisher agreed, gazing at the notch in his beloved greataxe.

Kroc said nothing. He pressed a button on the side of his exoskeleton, injecting a vial of cell activator into his body. His eyes quickly turned red.

Despite its pleasant name, cell activator was a black-market contraband. One injection burned the user’s lifespan, dramatically enhancing strength and speed.

Worst of all, after using it, the user lost all sense of pain, remaining in a state of full-body frenzy—a true killing machine.

Kroc’s action showed he was ready to fight to the death.

Captain Froman glanced at Kroc and sighed inwardly. His old comrade had made this choice so he might escape.

Ed also injected himself, his eyes turning blood-red.

Only Fisher hesitated. Cell activator could boost one’s power, but the price was permanent bodily damage, making future advancement nearly impossible.

But in their straits, he, too, activated the injector on his exoskeleton.

The five Luminous Armored Warriors sensed something was amiss. Exchanging glances, they raised their warhammers again. Like a hurricane, five figures charged at the four mercenaries.

Now, except for Captain Froman, the three mercenaries radiated such heat that it nearly pierced their Black Diamond Exoskeletons. Beast-like roars erupted from their throats.

It wasn’t that Captain Froman lacked resolve; his body, already at its peak, would gain little benefit from the cell activator—there was hardly anything left to improve.