'Why did they start fighting without another word?!' Li Xuan glanced at the crater in front of him and the cracks on the ground, his throat feeling inexplicably dry. He couldn't help but swallow.
"Li Xuan-kun, I'll protect you~" Although it was Yae Sakura's first time seeing these iron monsters, she still bravely stepped forward.
"It's fine, I can…" Before Li Xuan could finish, Yae Sakura charged out. Her sharp tachi, glinting with a bewitching light, slashed directly at the body of the 'Berserk Titan' that had just stood up.
The 'Spirit Blade-Sakurafubuki', which could normally tear through the tough hide of a Honkai Beast with ease, this time only left a few shallow cuts on the massive mecha's body.
Unlike the skin of a Honkai Beast, the shell of a Titan Mecha was made from a special alloy developed by Anti-Entropy, which was inherently hard. Moreover, the one before them was a rare 'Berserk Titan'. The red mist of Honkai energy surrounding its body had already negated a significant portion of the attack.
BOOM! Unlike ordinary Titan Mechas, which would be momentarily stunned by the impact of a hit, the 'Berserk Titan' acted as if nothing had happened. It raised its fist high and brought it crashing down…
"Hah!" Yae Sakura leaped up quickly, dodging the 'Berserk Titan's' hammer-like blow. She then descended from mid-air, her small feet landing on the fist of the 'Berserk Titan' that was still in its striking pose, using it to jump back to Li Xuan's side.
"Are you okay, Sakura?!" Li Xuan asked, looking at the slightly breathless Yae Sakura. That white mecha was terrifying. Even Sakura's Spirit Blade-Sakurafubuki couldn't cut through it… its shell was just too thick to break…
If only I had swordsmanship as masterful as Mei's… Li Xuan thought, gritting his teeth. He had once seen Mei's seemingly divine swordsmanship, where a single slash could generate enough heat from air friction to slice through steel!
…I'm so useless… Li Xuan thought with a sense of helplessness.
"Let me handle this…" Li Xuan flipped his right hand, and a silver-grey rocket launcher appeared. The entire weapon shimmered with specks of golden light. This was a six-star weapon, "Tyr's Wrist," which Li Xuan had fully leveled up with Crystals!
The golden protrusions on the silver-grey and slightly greenish launcher had become more rugged, and the scope had been upgraded to a more precise one that covered the entire frame. Even two energy tubes had appeared on the sides of the launcher, capable of giving 'Tyr's Wrist' even greater propulsion and explosive power…
Pssh! The weapon named 'Tyr's Wrist' made a sound of rushing air as a rocket instantly tore through the atmosphere, its faint trail of flame striking the dark blue mecha beside the white one.
BANG! BOOM BOOM! The rocket exploded on contact with the dark blue mecha, erupting in a blinding flash of fire and a deafening roar. The shockwave directly knocked over the mechas nearby.
"…How was that?!" Li Xuan lowered 'Tyr's Wrist' from his shoulder, shaking his slightly numb hands as he looked toward the center of the explosion, now shrouded in thick smoke.
"…Vmmm…" From within the black smoke, a white mecha still stood proudly, the red mist still swirling around it. It was this mist generated by Honkai energy.
Klak-klak… The dark blue Titan Mecha that had been knocked down by Li Xuan's shot struggled to its feet. Although its chest was now scorched black and covered in cracks, revealing the blue energy light and still-intact parts beneath the armor, it stood up.
"How is that possible?!" Li Xuan almost screamed. This was the six-star Divine Weapon 'Tyr's Wrist'! And it still barely managed to penetrate the enemy's armor…
"Naive!" Cocolia, standing in the command room, sneered as she watched the image on the hanging screen. The mechas sent out this time were Titan Mechas, but they had been reinforced…
They had used a top-tier material left over from the civilization of the Previous Era—'Soul Steel'! By incorporating it into the armor parts of the Titan Mechas, even a piece smaller than a fist directly increased the mecha's toughness by more than a level! How could it be so easily pierced… One had to know the rarity of 'Soul Steel'; even Schicksal used it sparingly. After all, modern humans were still incapable of manufacturing this gift from the civilization of the Previous Era!
"Isn't there anything that can penetrate that damn mecha's armor?!" Sweat beaded on Li Xuan's forehead. Even 'Tyr's Wrist' couldn't get through in one shot.
"Alright, one more time, and I can definitely destroy one of them!" Li Xuan once again shouldered 'Tyr's Wrist' and aimed at the mecha that had already been hit once.
Thump! Thump!
With a sound like the rumbling of spring thunder, the white 'Berserk Mecha' stomped heavily on the ground and charged towards Li Xuan and the others as they prepared to fire.
"Get out of the way, Li Xuan-kun!" Yae Sakura pushed Li Xuan, forcing him to put away 'Tyr's Wrist' and roll away.
BANG! It was the same move as before. The ground where they had just stood was instantly pulverized by the 'Berserk Titan', sending gravel and dust flying…
It uses the same hammer strike every time, yet there's no way to counter it! Li Xuan thought helplessly, biting his lip. He glanced at Yae Sakura, who was now covered in dust. They had been forced to roll on the ground several times, no different from being pinned and beaten.
"If only I had a stronger long-range attack, or better close-combat abilities…" Li Xuan muttered to himself. That kind of armor… could anything other than the high-temperature flames used to forge it melt it?!
"Huh!…" Li Xuan suddenly raised his head.
Flames?!
He silently lifted his right hand. Even under the morning sun, he could feel a flame-like heat… It was the power of the Stigmata! The Honkai energy within him began to flow like a river.
The golden, flame-like eye in Li Xuan's right eye lit up…