Welcome to Hell!

Chapter 168: Offshore battleship Assault – New Weapon

The white-armored soldier was undeniably strong, as he was overflowing with confidence. He wielded rare dual-style weapons, using both a gun and a spear. The thrusts of his spear were as sharp as those of Linardo, leaving numerous wounds on my exoskeleton.

Not only was he skilled with the spear, but his marksmanship with the gun was also top-notch. Furthermore, the gun had a feature that allowed him to choose the type of bullets to fire depending on the situation. There were high-velocity rounds with impressive penetration, scatter shots that covered a wide area, and explosive shells that detonated upon impact, among many others. Flames suddenly erupted from the gun’s muzzle, and when it was used as a smokescreen before a thrust with the spear, it sent a shiver down my spine.

He also made use of other weapons concealed within his mechanical armor. Among all the white-armored soldiers I had faced thus far, he could easily be counted among the top three in terms of skill.

[I…im…possible…]

However, despite the tough fight, he didn’t possess the strength to kill me. I used my twin swords, wielded by a body strengthened with fighting spirit, to slice off the spearhead, rendering it powerless. I severed his left arm, which held the gun, using the sand pincers, and then, after destroying the weapon-laden armor to expose his chest, I delivered the final blow by plunging my poisonous stinger into his heart.

Unlike the two who had recklessly charged in, I opted for a tactical approach, focusing solely on destroying the weapons and armor of this white-armored soldier, as he was handling his combat maneuvers diligently. It took a little time, but I managed to defeat the white-armored soldier with almost no injuries.

After pulling the poisonous stinger from his heart, no blood spurted from the wound because, by that time, the white-armored soldier had already breathed his last.

“They should be… alright.”

When I leaped onto the deck, I happened to be in a position where I was flanking the enemy with other demon units. They were allies on the other side of the enemy’s position and seemed to be putting up a good fight against the Republic Army.

This wasn’t surprising since among them was the old unit with the infamous crocodile demon. Having experienced various battlefields, they were sufficiently strong, if not as strong as us. It seems like leaving them alone would not pose any issues…plus, if I try to help, I’m sure there will be resistance.

The initial contact between us had been disastrous, and as a result, our squad and this old unit didn’t get along. Even if I were to reach out, it seemed more likely that they would refuse cooperation, regardless of who was their superior.

Nonetheless, I had no inclination to assist the ones who had used violence against the young Leo and Lappy. While they were technically allies, I wouldn’t lend a hand unless the situation reached the point of imminent annihilation. Conversely, I wouldn’t feel compelled to help if they hadn’t been pushed that far.

“Now then… where are they?”

During the battle with the sea serpents, I drifted far from the location where the submarine had collided with the battleship. Consequently, I boarded from a different place than where my companions had ascended.

This battleship was massive, resembling an island, with a correspondingly large deck. Upon surveying the area, I couldn’t discern where my comrades were, even with my compound eyes that could see in all directions. In times like these, I relied on the sensation of detecting fighting spirit and spiritual power.

Regardless of where they were, I can instantly grasp the fighting spirit and spiritual power of my comrades who have been fighting within my sensory range. Despite the distance, I felt a strong presence by their side, indicating that they were probably already engaged in battle with the enemy.

I knew the strength of my comrades well, and it was Marcellus who was leading them. Although it could be said that the lineup was solid, there was always the possibility of unforeseen events. I needed to join them as quickly as possible.

As I sprinted across the deck, I made it my mission to destroy the weapons within easy reach, as if it were a down payment for my passage. The destruction of these weapons was our top priority. If there was anything else I could break along the way, I did so without hesitation.

Furthermore, my sand spiritual arts were particularly suited for dismantling these weapons. By packing sand into the gun barrels and sealing them or sending sand through the gaps in the weapons, most of them would explode from the inside. After my sprint, the deck behind me was engulfed in flames, with only the wreckage of the gun emplacements remaining.

“Almost there… What’s happening?”

I ran across the deck while detonating several gun emplacements, and just as I was about to meet up with my comrades, the battleship suddenly shook violently. Although I didn’t stumble or fall, an unsettling premonition gripped me, and I stopped in my tracks.

Immediately after, various sections of the deck slid open, revealing mysterious weapons emerging from below. They resembled four-legged self-propelled artillery, but where the gun emplacements should have been, there was something akin to the upper half of an armored soldier.

As a replacement for the gun emplacements, the upper body of the armored soldiers was significantly larger than that of an ordinary person. It was more like steel giants, to say the least. Its right hand featured a massive serrated claw with blades resembling a chainsaw, while its left hand transformed into a cylindrical gun with multiple barrels.

Both shoulders sported cannons slightly smaller than those typically found on self-propelled artillery, and on its back, there was something resembling a square box. While the cannons on the shoulders were strange enough, the purpose of the box on its back remained a mystery.

The weapon had a monocular-like feature at what could be considered its head, and it stared at me intently while making a clicking noise as it moved. Being scrutinized so closely made me extremely uneasy.

“Unregistered life form detected. Commencing elimination.”

“As I suspected, it’s attacking.”

Until then, it had a single-eye-like component that moved minutely, but that eye suddenly emitted an artificial, harsh voice and began to glow red. At the same time, the serrated blades on the inside of its right claw started moving back and forth, and the gun barrels on its left hand were aimed at me.

That was the signal for the battle to begin. I leaped to the side just before the bullets were fired, and the spot where I had been moments ago was riddled with countless shots. I had relied on my intuition honed through previous battles to evade, but it became clear during this exchange that this was a formidable opponent.

“…Is this an unmanned drone?”

An unmanned drone lacked a human pilot and operated as a weapon following predetermined patterns. It would continue to function until completely destroyed and might even self-destruct if it deemed continuing the battle impossible before being destroyed.

While it had the drawback of being limited to pre-programmed movements, it was difficult to discern the timing of its attacks since it had no discernible weak points and emitted no killing intent. Its concealed weaponry and positions were vastly different from the norm, making it a troublesome and dangerous opponent.

Moreover, this was the first time I had ever seen such a massive unmanned drone. It was likely a new weapon. Even though our methods of gathering information were limited, if something like this existed, Marcellus should have informed us before the battle.

“However, I have no intention of being cautious here in order to join the others. Let’s attack.”

I decided to destroy the unmanned drone in front of me to regroup with my comrades quickly. I lowered my posture and moved forward. Then, I swung my twin swords from both sides to cut one of its four legs.

However, the drone moved its leg backward to evade. I didn’t expect it to dodge, but I wasn’t one to stop after a mere miss. I thrust my tail into the ground and used it as a pivot to deliver a powerful kick.

My kick, reinforced by my fighting spirit, could easily shatter weak armor in one blow due to the strength of my exoskeleton. I might not have the same level of power as Gora or Tuhru, but I believe I possess strength on par with them.

My kick collided with the drone’s leg, producing a dull thud and significantly denting its armor. However, there was a sensation that a crack had formed inside the armor, within the steel framework Asumi referred to as the “frame”. Well, it seemed like this was not an unbeatable opponent after all.

The drone attempted to grab me with its right claw, prompting me to leap backward using my tail. Aiming for that landing, the drone fired the gun on its left arm, but I had foreseen this and intercepted the bullets with a shield made of sand just before landing.

“Right front leg, damaged. Threat level, upper adjustment. Output restrictions, fully lifted.”

“…What is this?”

Right after I had defended against the attack, the drone’s red light seemed to intensify, and white smoke started emanating from its various openings. Then, its entire armor began to glow red-hot, emitting a scorching heat that distorted the air.

It seemed like it had rapidly increased its overall temperature. Not only that, but the blades inside its right claw moved even faster, and red streaks appeared on the left arm’s gun and both shoulder cannons. It was safe to say that all of its weapons had been enhanced.

“Eliminate. Eliminate. Eliminate.”

“It suddenly got more agile.”

The drone swung its right arm at a speed that was incomparable to before. When it collided, it shattered the deck and had enough power to melt it slightly. The force of that attack… If I were to get caught in it by any chance, I’d be cut in half while being burned.

Moreover, in between these strikes, it fired shots from its left arm and unleashed light projectiles from both shoulder cannons. It closely resembled the spiritual arts used by the golden-armored soldiers. Did it manage to replicate their techniques?

“It’s fast, packs a punch, immune to poison, and its heat keeps you at bay. Plus, it can self-destruct in case of need. It seems impenetrable, but… maybe not.”

While focusing on evasion, I observed the drone and formulated a plan. Then I noticed something. It appeared that the drone only fired its left arm gun and both shoulder cannons when we were a certain distance apart.

Both the gun and the cannons seemed quite cumbersome to handle due to their length. However, getting too close recklessly would make me vulnerable to the right claw…. It seems that my only option is to move forward. I made up my mind and jumped forward.

“It’s frustrating, but thanks to Georg, I can get closer.”

As a result of the abusive upbringing under Georg’s training, my exoskeleton had become capable of withstanding both extreme heat and cold. I could easily endure temperatures like these.

While it might have surprised a human to employ a strategy of seeking opportunities even in the face of impending death, such emotions were absent in drones. It simply followed attack patterns when approached. Consequently, it swung down its large open right claw, just as expected.

Instead of retreating, I chose to advance further, deliberately slipping through the gap. Right in front of me was one of the front legs I had dented earlier. It seemed the drone would kick when approached this closely.

“Hmph!”

I deflected that leg with the black sword in my left hand and pressed forward. With the white sword in my right hand, I severed the joint of the leg. However, I couldn’t stop here. I had to continue and finish it off.

I leaped toward the drone that had lost one of its legs and slammed my left-hand sword onto its humanoid upper body. The heavy black blade tore through its abdominal region, nearly splitting it in half. As I prepared to thrust my right-hand sword into its chest, the drone’s chest armor suddenly unfolded, revealing a short but thick barrel protruding from within!

“Danger…!”

Before I could pierce it with my sword, the barrel concealed within its chest unleashed a burst of flames. It seemed to be loaded with shotgun bullets designed to take down close-range foes. I was struck head-on and sent flying backward with great force.