Chapter 1550

With these extra weapons stripped off, this Phoenix-Guard mecha had now entered its strongest close-combat fighting state.

It was also Song Keke staking everything on one throw; if she made a single mistake in the fight, she would not even get the chance to regret it.

Any other interstellar combat mecha pilot would probably never have had such frightening nerve!

And now, here, the red-spear mecha was about to put on a killing show!

……

The Dragon Emperor Interstellar Command Ship · the bridge

"Report: the two Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts deep among the enemy are locked in fierce battle with the target, the Drought-Fiend Ghost-King-class Heavy Strategic Interstellar Multirole Destroyer, at very close range. The two sides' close-in guns can even hit each other's hulls directly. This is live footage of the fighting." A subordinate put several combat videos before Zhao Chen.

The three super-starships caught in the combat videos all looked very "battered" by now.

With no star shields left to protect them, they were nearly all taking the attacks on their hull armor directly.

Hull armor was very hard, true, but against attacks this heavy and this frequent, even the hardest hull armor could not stay whole.

So the surfaces of these three interstellar warships' hull armor were now mostly pitted and dented,

all their earlier proud bearing gone.

Even so, the two Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts paid no heed at all to being ringed by the enemy's massed fire.

They had their teeth sunk in the target, the Drought-Fiend Ghost-King-class Heavy Strategic Interstellar Multirole Destroyer, as if sworn not to stop until it was destroyed.

"Besides that, the Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts No. 2 and No. 5 have both sent out their heavy interstellar marines, and dispatched great numbers of interstellar combat mecha to board the enemy interstellar warship and wreck it from the inside, mainly using the T6-grade Phoenix-Guard-class Medium Multirole Interstellar Combat Mecha. And according to the combat reports so far, it's been very effective. Several heavy interstellar marine forces have already got inside the hull of the Drought-Fiend Ghost-King-class Heavy Strategic Interstellar Multirole Destroyer and are doing damage there. That can greatly speed up the destruction of this Drought-Fiend Ghost-King-class Heavy Strategic Interstellar Multirole Destroyer," the subordinate reported carefully.

The Phoenix-Guard mecha.

Thinking back on this T6-grade interstellar combat mecha, Zhao Chen was a little lost for a moment.

In the Owl Dragon interstellar legion fleets of today, fights that called for interstellar combat mecha against enemy interstellar warships had become rare.

After all, the Owl Dragon legion fleets now had the Owl Dragon-line interstellar warships, the most advanced and most capable in the known universe.

Many battles were often over once the interstellar warships opened fire.

There was hardly ever a moment that needed interstellar combat mecha on the frontal field; more often they took on the final work of clearing the battlefield.

So this T6 Phoenix-Guard mecha had been in service a long time, but Zhao Chen did not remember much about it.

Zhao Chen brought up the brief file on this interstellar combat mecha.

It must be said that this Phoenix-Guard mecha's capabilities were very strong in every respect.

That was why the two Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought captains had not hesitated to close the distance to the enemy ship, so that these heavy interstellar marines could carry out their boarding action.

As a multirole mecha, this one interstellar combat mecha alone had five regular combat modes, and besides those it could take some bold custom settings to suit its pilot's taste.

Of course, the great majority of interstellar combat mecha never used custom settings, for the six regular combat modes it already had were enough for them.^[1]

And these six different combat modes each had their own strengths.

First, the most common, naturally, was the "Phoenix-Guard machine-gunner mode". A machine-gunner, as the name says, was an interstellar combat mecha armed with machine guns, or rather autocannons, the commonest weapon on interstellar combat mecha and the best value for the price.

And the Phoenix-Guard mecha carried a full six 89-barreled Gatling-type medium beam autocannons; the numbers alone showed how terribly strong its machine-gunner mode was.

Six 89-barreled Gatling-type medium beam autocannons, and firing energy shells besides, which meant they could keep fighting a long time.

Solid shells might have been somewhat more powerful, but would have cut into staying power, usually needing reserve magazines, or some other way of delivering magazines.

The second regular mode was the "Phoenix-Guard shield-trooper mode", which, as the name says, carried a Phoenix-Scale alloy shield; this shield's defense was astonishing, its materials and technology a good deal stronger than even the hardest hull armor on an interstellar battleship.

The third regular mode was the "Phoenix-Guard heavy-artillery mode", armed with two shoulder-mounted Twin-Headed-Phoenix-class particle heavy cannon; these were two heavy guns hidden inside the frame, which extended when this mode was switched on.

As for why they were hidden: when these two heavy guns were in use, the energy they needed took up over ninety percent of the frame's energy.

And while they fired, the mecha could not move.

That was one of its few weaknesses.

The fourth regular mode was the "Phoenix-Guard spearman mode", one of this Phoenix-Guard mecha's only two close-combat modes, armed with a Nine-Heavens Phoenix-Dance Spear.

And the fifth regular mode, the "Phoenix-Guard swordsman mode", was the other close-combat mode, armed with two Flame Chain-Swords.

These two close-combat modes each suited a different fighting setting.

The spear, naturally, suited the middle and longer reaches of close combat, and could even be thrown when need be.

The twin swords suited fighting at close quarters, very handy and quick.

The sixth regular mode was a rather special one, the "Phoenix-Guard soaring mode". This Phoenix-Guard mecha was in fact built with the ability to fly, but flying used a great deal of energy and could not be kept up for very long.

So, unless it was needed, the "Phoenix-Guard soaring mode" was best not used.

But in the setting of interstellar combat, the ability of an interstellar combat mecha to fly was something it could not do without.

In other words, a mecha pilot might never use this ability, but could not be without it!

With so many combat modes, the Phoenix-Guard mecha

could suit the great majority of battlefield settings, and had considerable firepower too.

In a short burst, its firepower was no weaker than an interstellar warship's.

It could be called a very fine interstellar combat mecha indeed!

"It seems these two captains of ours really are unstoppable. They won't be willing to pull back until they've taken the enemy's Drought-Fiend Ghost-King-class Heavy Strategic Interstellar Multirole Destroyer," Zhao Chen muttered helplessly.

"But our fleets are equipped with the T6 Phoenix-Guard mecha. In a boarding action like this, they should win us a great advantage," Lilith said from beside him.

Zhao Chen said, "There's no denying the T6 Phoenix-Guard mecha's edge in combat. But their two Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts are fighting surrounded by the enemy, with their line of retreat already cut. The risk is great."

"But you didn't stop them, which shows that at heart you still trust them," Lilith said with a smile beside him.

Zhao Chen shrugged helplessly. "They're captains we picked ourselves; how could I not trust them?"

Suddenly!

Just then, an alarm sounded on the bridge.

"Warning! Warning! Warning! Abnormal spatial fluctuation detected!"

"Warning! Warning! Warning! Abnormal spatial fluctuation detected!"

"Warning! Warning! Warning! Abnormal spatial fluctuation detected!"

At this sudden alarm, Zhao Chen and Lilith showed no great stir of feeling.

Each went about her or his own work.

Zhao Chen looked at the spatial fluctuations marked on the starship radar; they were roughly on the battlefield's flank, and not very many.

"Probably the reinforcement fleet of the Troll Monarch's legion fleet, being sent in from the other side. According to the earlier intelligence from the Phantom Scouts, there should be about forty thousand of them," Lilith said, going by the intelligence they already had.

"Forty thousand interstellar warships, and from an elite fleet like the Troll Monarch's legion fleet." Zhao Chen knit his brows slightly.

To tell the truth, this put a certain amount of pressure on the fighting here.

But Zhao Chen had in truth known all this beforehand. He was here to serve as bait, and plainly he was doing the job of bait very well.

He had indeed drawn in some big fish:

these forty thousand interstellar warships of the Troll Monarch's legion fleet.

"Start the contingency plan we prepared earlier. Hold these forty thousand interstellar warships here as long as we can," Zhao Chen said in a low voice.

Lilith nodded and gave the order to start the battle plan Grand Marshal Charlotte had prepared for them long before.

There were forty thousand elite interstellar warships opposite, but the Owl Dragon legion fleets here could still give battle, and what was more, there were three Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts here to steady the line,

as well as the T6 Dragon Emperor Interstellar Command Ship Zhao Chen was on.

With these elite interstellar warships on the field, holding the forty thousand interstellar warships opposite for a while was more than possible.

And even if something special really did happen, Zhao Chen still had some cards here he had not yet played.

"With us drawing off forty thousand of the enemy's interstellar warships here, the battle plan on the other battlefield will go a good deal more smoothly," Zhao Chen said, and he was actually smiling now,

caring not at all about the forty thousand interstellar warships coming for him.

Lilith, beside him, rolled her eyes at Zhao Chen and said crossly, "What emperor behaves like you? In every battle you lead from the front, and every time you put yourself in the most conspicuous place, as if you're afraid the enemy won't know the Owl Dragon Emperor is here. All that's missing is a sign on your head saying 'Kill me if you can.'"

There was some reproach in Lilith's voice.

Zhao Chen knew very well why. Lilith had agreed to these battle plans and what was in them, but she still worried about Zhao Chen's safety.

Anything that put Zhao Chen, the Owl Dragon Emperor, at risk, Lilith in truth deeply disliked at heart; every time she agreed only because there was nothing else for it.

Zhao Chen had even known for a long time that Lilith had made several emergency plans behind his back.

Even now on the bridge, among the officers working around him, were people there for those emergency plans.

What they came down to was this: when Lilith judged the Owl Dragon Emperor's life to be in danger, she would set the emergency plan in motion,

take the Owl Dragon Emperor away at once, and bring him somewhere safe.

During that time, whatever the Owl Dragon Emperor thought or felt about it would not matter.

Everything would put the Owl Dragon Emperor's life first, and it would not matter how many people had to be sacrificed for it.

Zhao Chen in truth knew all this perfectly well.

But he did not stop it, for he knew that if he did not let Lilith do these things, she would never be easy letting him take risks.

Zhao Chen knew very well that it is better to channel water than to dam it.

So he paid no mind to these little moves of Lilith's.

"When you were a lord, you were like this; when you were the fleet's supreme commander, you were like this too. Now you're the Owl Dragon Emperor and it's still the same old story. I really don't know when you'll ever put your own safety first. Don't forget, you're the father of three children now," Lilith said plaintively.

"I know. Next time… next time I definitely won't do this again." Zhao Chen patted Lilith on the shoulder, comforting her.

"Every time you say you won't do it again next time. Not one honest word ever comes out of your mouth." Lilith rolled her eyes again.

But Lilith soon changed the subject, and did not dwell on the matter any longer.

——————

A wrecked compartment

Three interstellar combat mecha lay wrecked on the floor, all bearing the marks of having been run through by a spear.

The Phoenix-Guard mecha stood not far off, holding a broken spear; there were some wounds on its frame too, but luckily none of the places that had been hit did much harm to the frame's performance.

"Heh, heh, heh. Your mecha's pretty strong, I'll grant you. But your spear's broken now, and you stripped off your long-range weapons before. Let's see how you fight us now." The two enemy mecha left had taken up positions to come at Song Keke from both sides.

Song Keke glanced at the broken spear in her hand. However hard the alloy, after crossing blades with the enemy several times it had in the end been unable to stand up to such hard fighting, and had given way a moment ago.

Listening to the other side's open taunt,

Song Keke smiled coldly and said, also on open broadcast, "It's far too early to be saying that. Even without my spear, I can still finish off the two of you."

"Hmph, hmph. Let's see how you finish us off!" The two enemy interstellar combat mecha closed in at once.

The next moment, Song Keke flung the broken spear in her hand at one of the interstellar combat mecha, then drove her Phoenix-Guard mecha straight at the other enemy interstellar combat mecha.

"Bare-handed, and you still want to fight me?" The enemy interstellar combat mecha's close-combat weapon was a long blade; seeing the crimson mecha coming at him,

he swung the long blade and brought it down at the crimson mecha.

Had this stroke landed on the crimson mecha's frame, it would certainly have crippled the crimson mecha!

But the next second, something no one expected happened.

From both sides of the Phoenix-Guard mecha's arms, two crimson chain-swords sprang out.

Song Keke crossed the Flame Chain-Swords in the mecha's hands to catch the enemy mecha's long blade, and in a flash of sparks as they met,

Song Keke's Phoenix-Guard mecha did not slow down at all; its frame sank low,

and then it charged straight up into the enemy's long blade.

The long blade drove into the top of Song Keke's Phoenix-Guard mecha's left shoulder, and even went clean through.

But because the long blade was held up below by the two Flame Chain-Swords crossed against it, it could not cut any further down and do more harm.

Instead, as the two mecha came together, Song Keke turned the Flame Chain-Swords in her hands, and the blades drove straight into the cockpit in the enemy mecha's chest.

Back when she destroyed the first three enemy interstellar combat mecha, Song Keke had found where this enemy interstellar combat mecha's cockpit was.

This blow was fatal at a single stroke.

Blood came flowing out where the Flame Chain-Sword had pierced the enemy interstellar combat mecha's chest, and the enemy interstellar combat mecha stopped moving at all.

But Song Keke did not let her guard down in the least, for one more enemy was waiting for her.

Song Keke pulled out her Flame Chain-Swords, then drew out the enemy's long blade.

As the long blade came out, electric current could be seen crackling at the Phoenix-Guard mecha's left shoulder.

"Warning! Warning! Warning! Left shoulder frame armor pierced; left shoulder partly disabled; some frame circuits affected. Left arm mobility down 36%."

The mecha's artificial intelligence sounded its alert, and Song Keke listened.

On the diagram showing this Phoenix-Guard mecha, at the shoulder of the figure shaped like the character 人, a patch of red appeared, ringed with yellow.

It showed the damage to this Phoenix-Guard mecha.

Luckily it did not much affect the Phoenix-Guard mecha in a fight.

This time Song Keke had traded wound for wound only to end the fight as fast as she could.

From behind her came the sound of a blade cutting the air.

Song Keke did not turn around; instead she dropped her Phoenix-Guard mecha straight to one knee, the Flame Chain-Swords held crosswise above her head.

The next second, the long blade of the enemy interstellar combat mecha behind her came down on the Flame Chain-Swords,

and the Phoenix-Guard mecha caught it steadily.

Even through the frame, Song Keke could almost see the terror in the enemy interstellar combat mecha pilot's eyes.

This had been his last chance, and he had not managed to seize even this one.

In the fight to come, one against one, could he win?

Naturally, not at all.

Very soon Song Keke drove her Phoenix-Guard mecha back to the compartment where they had been fighting before.

The fighting here was over too.

"Captain." Someone heard footsteps behind and turned around at once, and saw the captain's Phoenix-Guard mecha.

Song Keke looked all around.

On the floor she could see some of their comrades' bodies, and some wounded comrades.

There was also a Phoenix-Guard mecha slumped helplessly against the wall nearby, with a clear dent in its chest, and black traces where heavy guns had hit it.

"How did the fighting go here?" Song Keke asked straight out.

The pilot of Unit One, whom Song Keke had put in charge before, reported at once on the command channel, "What we ran into here was three squads of enemy interstellar marines, nearly three hundred of them. Among those three hundred were three heavy-weapons teams, armed with personal laser cannons, personal rapid-fire guns, personal railguns and other heavy personal weapons; that's why we couldn't move a step before. After a stretch of standoff with the enemy's fire, with Unit Three's brave charge, we broke through the enemy's blocking fire. Then we tore open the enemy's net of fire and wiped them all out. We lost some people along the way. Unit Three took the brunt of the enemy's attacks too, and in the end went down."

Heard this way, the report sounded very simple, lightly told.

But Song Keke knew that behind it there must have been great pressure; one slip, and everyone here might have died here.

"I see. Now take a count of what fighting strength we have left," Song Keke said, and while there was a moment she opened the star map.

It was the outline of this interstellar warship's interior drawn by their heavy interstellar marines who had got onto this Drought-Fiend Ghost-King-class Heavy Strategic Interstellar Multirole Destroyer.

On this interstellar warship now were many routes like threads of blood, spread over every part of the interstellar warship, and in some places they even formed a spider's web.

These red threads stood for places that had been fully explored.

And because their part had run into the enemy's heaviest ambush, their progress had not been as fast as they had hoped.

They had not even reached the basic goal of meeting up with the other groups.

Her Hammerstone Squad had split into ten combat detachments when it moved out; hers was one of them, and on one of the main lines of attack.

In truth, the reason they had come under the heaviest attack was that the direction they were attacking in was very near the prow.

That was likely where the enemy's bridge was, and the enemy would naturally not let them get near the bridge easily.

Hence the battle that had taken place here.