"He has already discovered it..." Zong Ting, who had been focused on controlling the mecha, suddenly spoke, his expression slightly stern. His sharp gaze was fixed on the battlefield, full of coldness.
Richard, who was behind him, also heard it but was not surprised at all. He couldn't help but sigh, saying, "You mimicked it well. Normally, hiding from an enemy I've never truly faced should not be a problem. But his strength is far beyond mine. He probably figured it out a long time ago."
Even though he wasn't the one in control of the mecha at the moment, he was still in the cockpit, and he could clearly see the situation of the battle. Richard asked himself, if he were in the main control seat... not to mention fighting this well, he wasn't even sure he could have made it through the opening phase.
Moreover, the opponent must have researched him before inviting him, studying his public match records. With the opponent's superior strength, he might have already analyzed him thoroughly to the core. How could they not notice that someone else was controlling this mecha? They probably figured it out long ago.
It’s just unclear where his information has reached.
To say that the opponent has guessed that someone from the military has infiltrated would be hard to justify. He couldn't possibly not know what would happen if the military found him… It can't be "knowing there’s a tiger on the mountain but still heading toward it," right? That would be illogical, impossible.
But if he didn’t know anything, how should we explain the provocation during the battle just now? The many spectators watching the match didn't know, but they saw clearly — that guy directly sent a signal of provocation.
Seeing this, Zong Ting simply stopped wasting energy on pretense and dropped the disguise, engaging with full force.
Richard had to admit... the new generation is pushing forward, and he's the one who got pushed to death on the beach. The previous performance by this Zong lieutenant colonel had already been impressive, but he hadn't expected that the other person had been holding back, or rather, it was his own mecha that was limiting the other’s movements.
Now that the opponent didn’t need to mimic his style, and was confronting him head-on, the opponent naturally used their own style.
Compared to the cautious and restrained tactics earlier, after releasing the limitations, the opponent’s movements immediately became fluid and natural.
Under his control, the mecha moved with the agility of anything but a heavy-duty mecha. He was maneuvering this normally slow and heavy mecha with more fluidity than a standard class mecha, launching multiple devastating attacks in a matter of moments.
Even Angel's mecha, known for its agility and balance, almost couldn’t withstand the force a few times, being forced to retreat repeatedly.
This Zong lieutenant colonel’s mecha handling style was as unstoppable as his presence. Unfortunately, the opponent was currently piloting a heavy-duty mecha with limited agility, yet he still managed to match the speed and maneuverability of a standard class mecha.
But it was still too forced... Richard Fisher quietly sighed and subtly glanced at the opponent's straight yet relaxed shoulders.
— His own mecha was, of course, good. The pilot was also an exceptional expert, and Richard admitted that in terms of technique, the opponent was slightly better than him.
The problem, however, was that the opponent didn’t match this type of mecha at all, and their habitual operating style didn’t suit this mecha either.
Damn it, how could such a person, clearly someone who preferred quick strikes and taking the initiative, be using the heaviest and most cumbersome type of weapon? Even though this weapon had a power boost, it was useless and would actually become a restriction for the opponent.
This was exactly the situation with Lieutenant Colonel Zong Ting. It was clear that he was trying hard to adapt to the characteristics of this mecha and was doing his best to balance his style. However, old habits die hard, and his style inevitably showed during his operation. Now, with Angel’s side pressing hard, Zong Ting was disregarding the mismatch and trying to end the battle as quickly as possible.
Since entering this mecha, Zong Ting had never let his guard down against the target, and he hadn’t really considered this as a mere competition. His purpose was not to simply win against the opponent on the field.
Moreover, in this intricate and complex battle, Zong Ting had seen the depth and unpredictability of his enemy.
General Angel, during his service, was a hero willing to dedicate his life for the safety of the Empire and its citizens. However, the rebel Angel was a different story. He had created chaos for personal gain, eventually stealing the Empire’s encrypted data with plans to send it to the rebel headquarters in another star system, which made it uncertain whether he would use the opportunity to harm the many civilians present in order to escape.
Some might ask, knowing Angel’s dangerous nature, why take action at such a critical moment? Wouldn’t it be the military’s fault for indirectly causing casualties during this incident?
But the higher-ups in the military had made their decision—they simply could not let the suspect continue to roam free. Especially with the encrypted data, which was critical to the lives of billions of people in the Empire, potentially falling into the wrong hands. The only option left was to take a risky move, lure the enemy in, and arrest him, doing everything possible to minimize the chance of the data leaking. Even if that meant sacrificing the civilians present, they had no other choice.
But in an urgent situation, the situation must take priority. Both the military and the governing council need to consider the safety of ordinary citizens; this is their mission and their unavoidable responsibility.
Therefore, Zong Ting still assigned some personnel to be responsible for evacuating and protecting the civilians. Additionally, with the personnel sent by Marshal Zhou, they should be able to ensure the safety of everyone at the scene and help them leave safely.
As for the final battle… it just needed one opportunity.
Very well, since the enemy had already guessed the military's movements, there was no need to keep hiding and playing guessing games. It was time to start the battle.
Fight quickly and heavily. If they could directly suppress the enemy violently, that would be ideal. It would save the effort of evacuation and also eliminate the possibility of civilian casualties.
Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned.
Plans can’t keep up with changes. No matter how much you think ahead, sometimes you can’t predict sudden changes.
——————————————
"Strange, why haven’t we heard any commentary from the smart robot? It’s been quiet for quite a while, hasn’t it?" Xierman asked, puzzled.
The others were all frowning and staring at the two sides that were entangled not far away.
They couldn’t focus on the smart robot anymore because, since the second half began, the atmosphere of the fight had become increasingly off. It felt like… they were slipping into a deadly battle?
No, this isn’t a competition anymore, is it? Why does it look like both sides are determined to beat each other to a pulp, flip over the enemy’s mecha, and pull out the pilots to smash them? Is this how interstellar mecha competitions are typically held? Why go this far?
Hey, they’ve already ripped off three mixed cannons, and the mecha's core chest compartment has also suffered serious damage. It seems like the pilot inside is also in a bad situation… Is this the level a public competition can reach? When she read the “Public Competition Rules Handbook” provided by the organizers earlier, it didn’t say anything like this. The top line clearly said, “Competition second, safety first.”
Could this be what Huan Xian and Zhou Xiuwen were talking about?