Chapter 248: Ninja Century
At this moment, over thirty members of the Ninja Century swarmed toward the advancing Knight suits like ghosts.
Using the complex terrain and buildings as cover, they attempted to avoid the powerful frontal firepower and shields of the mechs, seeking weaknesses on the flanks and rear.
"Sister, high-speed moving stealth targets detected! Large numbers, approaching from the flank!" Maria's voice rang in the encrypted channel, carrying the alertness of spotting prey.
"Do not be confused by their speed." Margaret's voice was calm and decisive, making an instant judgment. "They are elite infantry units.
"Armigers, move forward to intercept. Prioritize securing Maria's firing lines. Maria, cover their advance route with bolter fire. Do not let them mass."
"Understood!" Maria's response was crisp.
"I will suppress the front and continue the advance," Margaret added. Simultaneously, the Ion Gauntlet Shield on the "Lancer's" left arm adjusted its angle slightly, while energy gathered in the Shock Lance in her right hand, pointing steadily toward the area with the densest enemy fortifications ahead.
"Maintain formation. Crush them."
Six Armiger mechs immediately adjusted their formation, raising sensor sensitivity to the maximum and using dense laser and heavy stubber fire to seal off the paths where the ninjas might rush through.
Relying on speed beyond imagination, one ninja instantly rushed to the side of an Armiger. The Thermal Katana in his hand, glowing with dark red light, slashed viciously at the mech's leg joint connection.
CLANG! An ear-piercing sound of metal impact.
A shallow gash was cut into the Armiger's armor, sending sparks flying, but it caused no serious damage.
The mech reacted quickly, immediately turning its gun, but the ninja had already used the recoil to retreat, vanishing into the shadows.
Another ninja threw an EMP Shuriken from high ground, hitting an Armiger's shoulder.
A burst of fine electric arcs flashed, and the Armiger's movements lagged for an instant. However, its internal systems clearly possessed extremely strong anti-jamming capabilities and returned to normal very quickly.
"Their attacks can cause low-intensity damage to the Armigers," Maria reported. Simultaneously, she controlled the "Punisher" to unleash a round of saturation fire with its Punisher Gatling Cannon on the area where the ninjas were gathering. Violent explosions leveled several faux-ancient buildings, forcing several ninjas to dodge in a panic.
Margaret was even more direct. The "Lancer's" ion shield maintained the optimal defensive angle, while her Shock Lance no longer fired at range. Instead, like a true lance, she performed rapid thrusts and sweeps against those ninjas attempting to get close.
The massive strength and energy field caused every attack to bring up a storm of blood and gore. Occasionally, a ninja who failed to dodge in time was instantly vaporized by ion energy or crushed by immense physical force.
However, the Ninja Century lived up to its reputation.
Their individual combat power was extremely high, their coordination seamless, and their ability to utilize the environment was perfected. Ninjas constantly rushed through the hail of bullets, using various methods to attack the relatively fragile parts of the Knight suits and Armigers—joints, sensors, weapon mounts.
Although unable to cause severe damage, they indeed slowed the advance and left more and more scratches on the mechs' outer armor.
The battle entered a more cruel and intense stage.
The steel giants used force to break skill, while the shadow-like ninjas were like maggots attached to bone, looking for any possible opportunity.
The core area of the Arasaka Estate turned into a killing stage where steel, fire, and shadows intertwined.
The fearlessness and exquisite tactics of the Ninja Century did cause some trouble for House Nearl's advance.
But that was all.
In the face of an absolute disparity in power, the advantages brought by skill and speed were extremely limited.
The shield strength and armor thickness of the Knight suits were far from what these ninjas, relying on individual weapons and cyberware enhancements, could easily breakthrough.
Their attacks were more like tickling a giant—occasionally causing some superficial damage but unable to touch the core.
Margaret scanned the battlefield through her sensors. Those ghostly enemies were using the complex terrain to constantly harass them. Although unable to pose a substantive threat, they severely delayed the advance speed. Her eyes hardened, and she decisively issued a new command in the channel.
"We cannot be delayed by them any longer! Switch tactics. Initiate Area Purification Protocol." Her voice was clear and resolute. "Maria, coordinate with me. Sweep all terrain and buildings that might provide cover. Force them out!"
"Understood!" Maria responded immediately.
Margaret acted first.
The "Lancer" no longer attempted to precisely pick off those elusive ninjas. She slammed the massive Shock Lance toward the ground, the tip gathering a blinding blue light far exceeding before.
"Purification start!"
With her declaration, an immensely thick ion energy beam swept across the fan-shaped area ahead like a plow wielded by a god!
Wherever the energy beam passed—be it exquisite faux-ancient buildings, lush garden landscapes, or the ninjas hiding within—everything was instantly ionized, melted, and vaporized by extreme heat!
A complex area that could originally serve as cover was turned into a patch of smoking, glassy scorched earth in an instant.
"My turn!" Maria's "Punisher" followed closely.
The Punisher Gatling Cannon let out an even more furious roar, turning the right flank into a sea of continuous explosions.
Her twin-linked rocket pod also showed its power for the first time. Multiple rockets howled out with tail flames, conducting saturation strikes on several buildings suspected of harboring large numbers of ninjas.
Violent explosions tore the building structures apart completely. Shockwaves and shrapnel swept every corner, forcing out the ninjas who had luckily survived the first round of sweeps, or burying them directly along with their cover.
The six Armigers formed a fire net on the periphery, using precise shooting to clean up the sporadic targets fleeing from the destruction zone.
In the face of absolute power, any skill appeared pale.
The steel giants of House Nearl were using the most direct method to turn the core area of the Arasaka Estate into ruins, inch by inch.
The six Armigers also changed tactics. No longer attempting precise kills, they formed a crossfire net, using continuous lasers and bolter fire to cover all space around the Knight suits, forming a wall of death.
This indiscriminate, blanket fire suppression immediately rendered the Ninja Century's tactics ineffective. Stealth and agility became meaningless before a storm of destruction with nowhere to hide.
A ninja leader, seeing his companions perish one after another under the violent firepower, flashed a trace of resolve in his eyes.
He activated the overload program in his body. His speed instantly boosted to the limit, transforming him into a black blur almost uncapturable by the naked eye. Braving the dense rain of bullets, he pounced straight for the cockpit of Maria's "Punisher"!
The Monowire in his hand shimmered with dangerous light, his target to pierce the cockpit's observation port.
However, just as he was about to succeed, the Tempest Warblade on the "Punisher's" left arm came down with a shriek that tore the air. With a swiftness mismatched to its massive size, it slashed down violently from above!
SHUNK!
The ninja leader, along with the Monowire in his hand, was sliced in half by the Warblade containing immense kinetic energy and an energy field. His remains smashed against the mech's chest plate under inertia, then slid powerlessly to the ground.
This was the Ninja Century's last organized counterattack attempt.
With the continuous disappearance of cover and the rapid reduction of personnel, the remaining ninjas lost their tactical reliance. They began fighting individually and were soon eliminated one by one under the coordinated firepower of the Knight suits and Armigers.
The Ninja Century, the pride of the Arasaka Empire that once made countless factions tremble in fear, was ruthlessly crushed like a mantis trying to stop a chariot before the steel giants from another world.
The final substantial barrier leading to the core building where Saburo Arasaka was located had been thoroughly pulverized.
Margaret and Maria piloted their mechs, stepping over the remains of ninjas and guards, trampling over burning ruins. As if walking in their own courtyard, they marched toward that iconic main residence building which fused traditional Japanese and futurist styles.
The night sky of Tokyo was illuminated as bright as day by the firelight. The air was filled with the mixed smell of gunpowder smoke, ozone, and charred flesh.
(End of Chapter)