War of steel

Boom!

Almost simultaneously with Kenny's words, a thunderous explosion resounded across the arena, signaling the start of the intense battle. This was a fight for survival, where niceties had no place. As the first shell exploded, the heavy contenders finally revealed their ferocity.

"Get out of my way!" Jet Lee's "Blaster" mech, armed with a massive mounted machine gun, unleashed a torrent of firepower, suppressing any opponent daring enough to approach. His mech, a standard military type, boasted thick armor, substantial weight, and high output power but was relatively cumbersome. In close combat, where maneuverability was crucial, this could become a disadvantage, especially at the start of the battle when everyone's energy levels were at their peak.

The forty-ton steel giant, holding its heavy machine gun, advanced slowly, its fire roaring. Shells over fifty millimeters in diameter scattered and fell to the ground, their sound drowned out by the continuous barrage.

Clang!

Metal clashed against metal, creating a shockwave that rippled outwards like an invisible hurricane.

LCH also engaged with an opponent, and his luck wasn't great. He faced one of the three most challenging mechs, the only racing mech among them, known as the Red Dragon. True to its name, the mech's external armor was bright red. The six-meter-tall humanoid body was sleek and well-proportioned, with various weapons concealed beneath its armor. Blue indicator lights flickered, and it was equipped with a specialized high-tech combat sword.

As LCH's Mammoth clashed with the Red Dragon, it was like a trained professional boxer suppressing an amateur fighter. The difference in agility and finesse was evident, putting LCH at a significant disadvantage.

Under the disparity in tonnage and power levels, even with LCH wielding his alloy combat sword, he was still being relentlessly pushed back.

[The opponent's tonnage and power level exceed our mech. It is advised to disengage as soon as possible.]

Cain's analysis and suggestion came through promptly.

"I know..." LCH's face was completely covered by the helmet's visor, hiding his expression, but his tone revealed his seriousness.

After being pushed back over ten meters, his mech's leg armor collided with a pile of debris behind him. Finally, LCH turned his blade, diverting the Red Dragon's strike and swiftly rolling to the side in his mech.

The thirty-ton body created a ravine in the ground as it rolled. Standing up, LCH's left hand armor flipped open, revealing a black tube – a flamethrower. This was probably one of the standard weapon configurations for entertainment mechs, low in energy consumption, low in danger, but visually impactful. The only drawback was its lack of damage.

The torrent of flames spewed out, engulfing the Red Dragon's body, but it did nothing to stop the mech. With a flash of its blade, the formidable Red Dragon closed in again.

"Damn it!" LCH gritted his teeth, parried with his sword, and used the momentum to retreat again, turning to flee.

The Red Dragon's overall attributes overwhelmingly surpassed Mammoth. Even with LCH's higher mechanical synchronization rate, he was at a disadvantage in a one-on-one fight, left with no choice but to continuously retreat.

"LCH is being suppressed," observed Simon.

"Mhm," Thomas responded, not looking up from his tablet.

"He's up against the Red Dragon."

"Mhm."

"Aren't you going to do something?"

"Nope..."

Simon was perplexed by Thomas's calm demeanor. Watching Thomas engrossed in a game on his tablet, he couldn't help but feel a bit unsettled. To him, Thomas's role as support seemed almost redundant in this situation.

"Don't worry, panicking won't help," Thomas said, still focusing on his game. "The Red Dragon, being a racing mech, is even more expensive than military mechs. In terms of power, tonnage, and agility, Mammoth is at a disadvantage. There's not much room for maneuver. All LCH can do right now is to drag out the fight."

"Drag it out until when?"

"Until a third mech enters the fray or the pilot of the Red Dragon realizes they can't take down LCH quickly enough..." Thomas casually finished his game and set the tablet aside. "The bigwig behind the Red Dragon doesn't have a particular grudge against you, right? So, their primary goal is to win the battle, not to eliminate Mammoth and prevent you from getting out of prison. As long as their target is the flag, they'll eventually give up attacking LCH and go for the flag as time goes on."

Simon watched the broadcast where LCH was continuously forced to retreat and his expression grew more serious. He hoped Thomas's analysis was correct, as LCH's situation seemed increasingly dire.

As it turned out, even a bigwig like him couldn't remain completely composed in the face of the lure of freedom.

Boom!

The battle raged on elsewhere. Over ten mechs, each weighing more than thirty tons, shook the ground as they moved, causing the broadcast cameras to slightly distort.

LCH raised his energy shield to block a barrage of bullets from the Red Dragon. Just as the Red Dragon's pilot, Hu Ke, was about to advance again, a voice from the logistics team came over the radio: "Hu Ke, that's enough. Don't waste too much time on this mech. You've strayed far from the center of the battlefield."

"Understood." Hu Ke nodded in response, glancing once more at Mammoth before turning to leave. After the intense skirmish, he too realized that defeating Mammoth quickly was not feasible.

Watching his opponent retreat, LCH breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at his alloy combat sword, noticing some cracks, faint electrical arcs, and a wisp of thin black smoke.

"Cain, how's the mech doing?"

[Minor misalignment in some components, within correctable range. All systems functioning normally, intelligent core operating stably, remaining energy at 62%.]

[Based on the 40-minute duration of this match, if we continue to engage in intense combat like before, there's a high likelihood our energy won't last. I suggest avoiding close combat to conserve energy and focus on long-range attacks.]

"Damn, this is tough," LCH muttered, finding Cain's report to be a difficult pill to swallow. The strategy shift meant adapting to a new style of combat under high-stakes conditions, adding another layer of complexity to the already intense battle.

Compared to Mammoth, the Red Dragon's configuration was indeed a notch higher. In just seven to eight minutes of close combat, it had depleted two-thirds of Mammoth's energy. Considering the match had just begun and there was still half an hour to go, LCH wisely decided to avoid direct confrontation for the time being.

Glancing around and noticing that no one was paying attention to him, LCH retreated to the edge of the battlefield. He found cover behind a large meteorite and took the energy gun that had been attached to his waist.

For a mech like Mammoth, disadvantaged in several aspects, the key to winning the final victory lay in avoiding combat and waiting for the right moment. The plan was to hold out until the end of the fight, when most mechs would be running low on energy, and then emerge to seize opportunities. This strategy had been the key to his previous two wins.

Now, hidden in the distance, LCH could only hope that his energy gun would be reliable enough to significantly damage one or two opponents.

"It's time to see your firepower," LCH muttered, examining the pseudo-Crimson Python in his hands. He peeked out from behind the meteorite, half-exposing himself, and raised the gun.

At this moment, Thomas also straightened up in his seat, his attention fully focused on the unfolding battle. The upcoming moments were crucial for LCH, as his next actions could significantly alter the course of the match.