SG Vol. 1 pt. 29

I’ll finally figure out whether I really have what it takes or not to go up against one of the bastards designed specifically to counter our VSUs.

No better unit to go up against a Titan-class than in an A-10C VSU. If it wants to brawl, it’s going to get one tough fucking unit to brawl against.

I aim my guns and sweep them across the Cutter-class coming out of the water. Their softer bodies are no match for large enough bullets, and mine are more than large enough to tear through their forms.

Hot blood sprays out from their bodies and turns the water around them red.

Returning my attention to the Forager-class trying to swarm the infirmary, their bodies are already piled so high in front of the building that they have to try and dig through the corpses just to get inside.

That gives the shooters positioned in the windows and on the roofs more than enough time to take care of the Forager-class.

Only a few are left in the immediate area, too, which I handle by drawing my blade and cutting them down.

I’m going to need this sword for the Titan-class, anyways.

Opening a direct link to the other nearby pilots, I tell them, “I’ve got the Titan-class. Don’t let a single Forager-class escape here.”

All of my missiles and rocket pods are locked onto the Titan-class as I finally get my first real look at it.

Four heavily-armored legs, three arms sticking out from its right side that are covered in “shields” made out of the same material we’ve been stealing for our VSUs, and three longer and spiked tentacle-arms sticking out from the left side of its disgusting torso.

Fucking demons. The torso isn’t the only mockery of a human body. On the top of its torso is a short neck connected to a “head” with five eyes looking randomly placed on its head, patches of black hair sticking out from an otherwise-bald scalp, and a crooked mouth full of malformed teeth.

No nose, no ears – it’s just a disgusting mockery of what a real human is meant to look like.

As if being treated like roaches by these demons isn’t bad enough, now they want to look like us.

I aim my guns at its head and fire.

The shielded arms move with impossible speed to form a tall shield protecting itself from my attack.

No shield lasts forever.

I fire the missiles on the sides of my cockpit, and they manage to pierce the shields before exploding.

But that’s not enough. The shields are barely even damaged. A few chips of the material making them can be found on the ground, but that’s nothing.

Its three tentacle-arms with the spiked ends lash out toward me.

I’ve heard that they have an unbelievable reach, but now I’m confirming that with my own two eyes as the arms almost reach me at the infirmary while it’s still in the water!

I fly upward to see just how far these arms can really reach, and they continue chasing after me until eventually coming to a jerk of a stop.

Fuck, those have to be dealt with immediately. With how large and fast they are, they could destroy this base without the Titan-class even getting close to any of the buildings.

“Lance!” Zane’s voice shouts into my cockpit. “The Fighting Aces are on en route to assist with the Titan-class! Hold it off for as long as you can and do not try taking it on all by yourself.”

Annoying bastard. I’m not… I can do this myself.

Damn it.

“Copy,” I respond before returning my full attention to the Titan-class.

It doesn’t seem like it has any way of hitting me from down there, but nothing I can do from this range is effective as long as it has those shields.

I have to try and keep it distracted so that its attacking arms don’t destroy the base before backup arrives.

Are those bastards seriously going to save me again?

No. I can kill it on my own before they get here.

Deep breaths, Lance.

Here I go!

The moment I’m within its striking distance, its tentacled arms cut through the air toward me which opens up their lengths to my guns.

Its arms are faster than my unit is, but let’s see it try to catch me after I blow its arms right off.

Hundreds of bullets are pumped into two of its arms in a matter of seconds, and I deflect the blade at the end of the third arm with my own.

Sparks erupt from its blade grinding against mine.

While my right arm keeps its assaulting arm away, my left arm reaches around to pump hundreds of shots right into the fleshy length behind its blade.

The blade Titan-class’s blade falls to the ground.

I knew I could do it on my own! I don’t need saved by those bastards again.

No, what?!

The window on my screen showing what’s behind me shows one of those arms lifting a blade up and aiming it right at my core!

An immediate upward thrust keeps my cockpit safe from getting stabbed by the Titan-class’s blade, but two more blades come from below to chase after me.

How?! I – they’re regenerating! The fucking arms I blew in half are already healed!

Damn it! What kind of fucking mutation is this? I’ve heard of Cutter-class with regenerative mutations, but never a Titan-class!

All three of its blades are flying up toward me now.

I’m not going to give up even if this bastard can regenerate.

Flipping my unit onto its head, I let the weight of my unit bring me down as I parry the blades with my own.

My blade slices through the lengths of their arms as soon as I get past their blades, and they start regenerating the instant that they’re severed.

I won’t be able to keep this up for long. But, while they’re still regenerating, I can fly closer to its body while severing its arm at different points to restart its regeneration.

Its mockery of a human head turns to look at me.

The bases of the arms rot and fall from the body in an instant.

Three fresh, bladed arms fly out from where the previous arms were.

I can’t dodge in time.

One blade goes through my left leg, another through my right arm, and the final pierces straight through my cockpit. The third blade missed me, but it’s right next to me and has sent shrapnel throughout my cockpit.

With the arm stuck inside of my cockpit, it whips me through the air and sends me flying into the front of the infirmary.

My body must be in shock right now because, when I look down, I don’t feel any pain despite a large chunk of metal shrapnel from my cockpit being embedded into my gut.

Smaller pieces of shrapnel have pierced my suit all over.

Left leg, fucked.

Right arm, gone.

Cockpit, pierced and leaving me able to look outside through it.

Other than that… all systems are operational.

A few… a few cuts aren’t going to do shit to the flying tank that is the A-10C VSU.

My vision is going dark.

Not – not yet.

I’m not done yet.

Comms must’ve gotten fucked since I can’t hear Zane yelling at me.

Good.

My unit is slow to get out from the crushed front of the infirmary, but it manages to get out and stay upright with the use of my thrusters.

Until they stop, sending my unit crashing into the ground.

They must have been more damaged than I realized.

But, my left arm is still operational, and that’s all I need to lift it and fire the autocannon built into it at my enemy.

The other two units are firing everything that they have it now, too.

If they’re shooting it, at least that means I shouldn’t have to worry about any Forager-class coming over here and tearing me out of my cockpit.

Shit, it’s getting even harder to keep my eye open.

Not yet. I’m not done yet.

I still have to—

Seven units with blue paint and torsos covered in decals fly up, surround the Titan-class, and unleash a coordinated hail of bullets so impressive that I’ve only ever seen such a sight once before.

The Fighting Aces have arrived in their Hellcats.

In that case, I don’t think I’ll catch any shit for just… taking a little nap.