Chapter 191: Different Styles
Eastern Front. Facing the "Amaterasu" directed-energy cannon array Arasaka had established on relatively open high ground, the Barghest forces commanded by Colonel Hansen adopted typical regular army coordinated advance tactics.
The temporarily upgraded power armors were not used as spearheads to charge deep alone, but were integrated into the overall offensive echelon.
Three power armors acted as mobile fire support points, deployed on the flanks and rear of the offensive front. Their massive frames half-crouched or used the terrain for cover, providing continuous heavy fire support for the advancing infantry.
"All units, deploy in Alpha-3 formation! Power Armor teams, prioritize neutralizing enemy exposed heavy machine gun positions and rocket launcher operators! Infantry squads, alternate cover and advance using craters and undulating terrain!" Hansen's commands were clearly transmitted to every squad and platoon via the tactical data link.
Arasaka's defensive positions reacted immediately.
Security forces deployed on the perimeter relied on hasty foxholes and bunkers built from engineering crates, spraying the charging Barghest soldiers with dense automatic weapon fire.
Several pre-set firing points unleashed lethal tongues of flame from mounted heavy machine guns, attempting to suppress the assault.
PEW! PEW!
Within the Barghest formation, soldiers equipped with new laser rifles began precise single-shot firing.
Crimson high-energy beams almost ignored wind speed, hitting targets hundreds of meters away instantly.
Even if the hit Arasaka soldiers hid behind cover, the lasers could easily burn through weak cover materials or their armor, leaving charred puncture wounds.
Simultaneously, the power armors in the rear opened fire.
The auto-cannons on their shoulders emitted short, muffled roars. 20mm armor-piercing high-explosive rounds landed precisely on Arasaka heavy machine gun positions, tearing apart bunkers, weapons, and gunners instantly.
Light laser cannons mounted on their arms continuously picked off individual targets attempting to move or peek out to shoot. This efficient killing significantly reduced the pressure on the frontal infantry assault.
The Arasaka line commander clearly hadn't expected the enemy's fire to be so precise and lethal.
"Power armor! Where are our power armors? Push forward! Stop them!" A furious roar came through the comms channel.
Several standard Arasaka power armors activated from the rear of the position, their heavy footsteps shaking the ground.
They attempted to launch a counter-charge, using their armor advantage to break the Barghest offensive formation.
"Attention! Hostile power armor detected, count four, frontal direction!" The forward observer warned immediately.
"Power Armor teams, intercepting fire! Infantry, fire anti-armor rockets!" Hansen ordered calmly.
Two rockets launched from infantry squads dragged trails of white smoke as they pounced on the Arasaka power armors.
One power armor reacted quickly, deflecting a rocket with its arm armor. The explosion only made it stumble. However, the other rocket successfully hit its leg joint, instantly limiting its mobility.
At that very moment, the firepower of the three Barghest power armors concentrated simultaneously.
Auto-cannon AP rounds, continuous laser burns, and specially equipped small-caliber HEAT rockets smashed into those few Arasaka power armors like rain.
The Arasaka pilots discovered in horror that the opponent's firepower far exceeded expectations. Their armor degraded rapidly under sustained hits, with joint areas being particularly vulnerable. Most fatally, the Barghest power armors seemed to possess some kind of extra protection—incoming attacks were often deflected or had their kinetic energy partially weakened by a faint, rippling blue halo just before impact.
"They have shields! Our attacks are ineffective!" An Arasaka pilot shouted desperately in the comms channel.
This was the technological gap.
Although the hastily installed simple kinetic shields couldn't completely block direct hits from heavy weapons, their defensive effect against small-caliber autocannons and rifle rounds was excellent, greatly enhancing the survivability of the Barghest power armors.
One Arasaka power armor had its leg blown off under focused fire, crashing to the ground before being thoroughly destroyed by follow-up fire.
Another tried to charge but had its head sensor array continuously irradiated by precise laser fire. Blinded and flailing like a headless fly, it was soon destroyed as well. Seeing the situation turn grim, the remaining two attempted to retreat but were pierced from behind by pursuing fire.
Having dealt with the enemy power armor counterattack, Barghest's advance became even more determined.
Under the cover of power armors and precise laser fire, infantry squads quickly cleared residual infantry resistance, using grenades and assault rifles to eliminate enemies behind cover one by one.
"Push forward! Target: 'Amaterasu' array energy core and control system!" Hansen's order came through.
The troops surged up the high ground like a tide.
Combat engineers, under power armor cover, rapidly approached the "Amaterasu" cannon components, which were accumulating energy and emitting ear-piercing hums.
They placed high-explosive charges on key nodes and then evacuated quickly.
"Detonation prep! Three, two, one, mark!"
A series of loud explosions came from the high ground. Blinding fireballs engulfed the massive directed-energy cannon components.
Huge metal structures twisted and disintegrated in the explosion. Burning debris flew in all directions with whistling sounds.
Arasaka's high-hoped "Amaterasu" array was utterly destroyed by Barghest using standard infantry-tank coordination and echelon advance tactics before it could even display its full power.
Colonel Hansen watched the burning position through his binoculars. His single eye showed no joy, only the hardness of a mission accomplished: "Clean up the battlefield. Tally casualties. Report to command: Eastern target eliminated."
Western Front, Coastal High Ground. The Lazarus mercenary squad's operational style was completely different from Barghest.
Five "Commando-VII" power armors with varying liveries did not form a tight formation.
Instead, upon receiving the order, they scattered like cheetahs smelling blood. Utilizing the power armors' powerful mobility, they launched assaults on the "Takemikazuchi" railgun position from different directions along the steepest, most impassable routes.
Their commander, codenamed "Butcher," gave only concise instructions in the comms channel: "Free hunt. Prioritize destroying gun groups and energy supply. Wrap it up in thirty minutes."
One Lazarus power armor chose the most direct frontal route.
The auxiliary thrusters on its back activated at full power, propelling the three-ton steel body at astonishing speed toward the razor wire and obstacles on the perimeter of the Arasaka position.
Terrified Arasaka soldiers poured bullets at him, but the rounds only stirred ripples on the kinetic shield in front of him, unable to stop him in the slightest.
"Anvil" didn't even use his shoulder cannon. Instead, relying on momentum, he smashed through the concrete roadblocks directly with his ram-equipped shoulder armor, then raised the multi-barrel rotary machine gun on his right arm to strafe the Arasaka soldiers behind cover.
The rain of 12.7mm bullets acted like the grim reaper's scythe, instantly turning that area into a sea of blood.
(End of Chapter)