Chapter 50

The pilots from the mecha teach did not think that Ajax would pull off such a stunt while being under so much pressure and under torrents of bullets. They didn't even have a chance to react and a mech had already been obliterated.

Just as Ajax was preparing himself to take another shot, a volley of missiles and bullets came raining down barely missing him as he moved to cover. The dust around him picked up as the building he was using for cover came crashing down.

*Thunk* A piece of concrete hit Ajax on the side of his mech, almost knocking him down. "Fuck! How much ammo do these fuckers have?" Ajax muttered under his breath as he turned and ran.

Each missile cost tens of thousands of eddies, yet the relentless bombardment made it seem as if they had been bought at a surplus store and had an endless supply of funds to expend. As Ajax kept moving he made it to a more urban area of the residential area that was filled with numerous buildings. This made it almost impossible for the mech team to get an accurate shot on him and caused them to fall behind.

Ajax passed by a corpse every few meters with each bearing a different cause of death. Houses were either ablaze or reduced to rubble. All of these innocent people were victims of the Hell's League's rampage. All remaining survivors were scattering in different directions, they had all been caught completely off guard.

Ajax did his best to avoid leading the mech team into crowded areas, randomly changing directions and picking them off one by one whenever they crossed paths on the streets.

****

After separating from Ajax, Rick found herself ignored by the pursuers and quickly returned to the defense building. The mech team and the jets were focused solely on chasing Ajax, leaving only a few mechs sent by the Hell's League and Leonard downstairs. These mechs were of lower levels and their pilots were inexperienced.

They'd engage in a back-and-forth skirmish with the operatives which presented Rick with an opportunity. Equipped with a battered shield and a gleaming lightsaber, she charged into the fray.

The Echo-type mech at the Rakshasa-Level was devastating the ordinary foes. Every swing of Rick's lightsaber claimed at least two lives, limbs, bodies, and mech parts were being sent flying in all directions.

"Stop her! I said to fucking stop her!" Bach shouted his orders as he hid behind cover. Rick heard the orders and cast a glance at Bach before accelerating to his position. Her hatred for this man ran deep and as she ran to him she activated her beam tai with her lightsaber.

The beam tail was a unique weapon of the Sunflower, deploying a ribbon-like injector on the mech's back to enhance its speed. Rick executed precise slashes, cutting down multiple foes in a single fluid motion as she ran.

At least fifty bodies lay in her wake as blood painted her mech an even darker shade of red. Bach was terrified by Rick's relentless advance, dropped his crutches, and scrambled on the ground, seeking refuge amidst the chaos.

Bach was used to giving orders and leading from behind the line, he was unused to battlefield conditions and struggled to comprehend such a dire situation. Fortunately for him, 4 melee mechs sent by the Ashlin Group intervened in time and attempted to surround Rick.

But with the speed and agility granted by the beam tail, Rick feigned an attack, forcing the leading mech to raise its shield in defense. Then in a sudden burst of movement, she leapt onto the shield, using it as a springboard to soar over the encirclement, continuing her rampage through the ranks of the Hell's League.

She single-handedly tore their defensive formation, however, Bach had already escaped. Under the cover of Rick and the remaining mechs, the operatives made their escape and rallied around Rick as she explained Ajax's orders and plans.

They wasted no time and scoured the area for vehicles, while Rick and the remaining mechs held off the enemy. There were still plenty of vehicles near the defense area, including large trucks and sturdy off-road vehicles. Since operatives often embarked on missions or transported goods, vehicles were frequently parked here.

Despite the destruction, they managed to salvage enough trucks and off-road vehicles to transport them all, embarking on a determined march towards the residential area.

***

Ajax continued his frantic escape, darting through the streets, circling back and forth. In a stroke of luck, he seized an opportunity to hijack two of the pursuing mechs and put some distance between him and the mech team.

Although the jets above continued to tail him, they were out of ammunition and could only serve as reconnaissance so he paid them no mind. After rounding another corner, he found himself in a familiar area near his home.

He recalled the numerous belongings stored in his workshop, including the Rakshaslevel mech, which Ajax lamented silently thinking that it was a shame he couldn't retrieve his items now.

"Ajax! Ajax!" Just as he was lost in thought, a figure emerged from a nearby building, catching his attention—it was Monkey. However, he appeared disheveled, and had been shot in his shoulder.

"Monkey, you-you're alive?!" Ajax was relieved to see that Monkey had survived.

"Brother Ajax, come over here..." Monkey beckoned for Ajax to come closer.

As Ajax quickly approached, his concern was evident in his expression. Following Monkey's gesture, Ajax's gaze fell upon a grim scene illuminated in the darkness. Two bodies belonging to the Hell's League lay lifeless, alongside a middle-aged woman. Kneeling beside the woman was Lily...

Tears streamed down her face as she shook her mother's corpse. Her silent sobs were a testament to the horror unfolding around them.

"I did my bes..." Houzi's voice quivered with guilt as he recounted the events that led to this tragedy.

When the Hell's League breached the camp, Monkey hesitated, unsure of how to intervene. He prioritized salvaging Ajax's belongings, nearly losing the Rakshasa-level mech in the process. Aware of its value to Ajax, Monkey acted with their preservation in mind.

However, his plans were disrupted when the Hell's League descended upon the residential area and unleashed chaos and destruction. Faced with the imminent danger, Monkye initially sought refuge, hoping to wait out the violence.

However, when he witnessed two assailants closing in on Lily's home, memories of Ajax's instructions resurfaced. Despite his fears, Monkey was determined to protect Lily. So he armed himself and confronted the intruders head-on.

After a short firefight, Monkey managed to eliminate the assailants and sustained a gunshot wound in the process. However, he was too late to save Lily's mother who had sacrificed her life to shield her daughter from harm.

As Ajax processed the scene before him, he couldn't help but lament. The tranquility of their former lives in the Blauth Empire seemed like a distant memory, shattered by the harsh realities of the frontier.

Heavy footsteps echoed from outside, signaling the approach of the mech team. Ajax braced himself for the challenges that lay ahead. In a world where death lurked around every corner, survival demanded unwavering resolve and sacrifice.