The Raptor Squadron surrounded the Zeris One. Without giving a warning, they changed their weapon to rifles and pointed the muzzles at the lone mech.

Before they could fire, each of them was facing with the rocket barrage from the shoulders of Zeris.

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

Rockets exploded upon the impact.

Raptor captain managed to parry the rockets with his metal s.h.i.+eld while the other four members of the squad suffered critical damages from the direct hit. In an instant, all four wingmen were disabled.

"d.a.m.n you!"

*TATATA*

Behind his s.h.i.+eld, Raptor captain shot back. AP bullets from his rifle sprayed across the wasteland.

Zeris had already jumped to midair and escaped the bullet path.

*BANG*

With the a.s.sistance of five handy tentacles, Zeris returned the favor with a clear shot from above. The AP bullet penetrated through the defense frame, destroying the head of Raptor One along with the vision of the mech.

Without the head and the sensors inside the helmet, Raptor One had become blind.

The captain took a risky action. Because his monitors inside the c.o.c.kpit had become useless, he opened the front hatch to view the battlefield.

Though it was harder to pilot his battle suit this way, it was better than fighting blind.

Flicking his fingers on his flight stick b.u.t.tons, the captain switched the rifle to grenade launcher mode to use High-Explosive grenades. He fired seven shots on the path that Zeris was going to land.

*BOOM*

*BANG*

As his mech was shooting the grenade launcher rifle, another bullet went through his c.o.c.kpit and turned the pilot into meat paste.

Zeris one did not come out unharmed either as the external frame of the mech's legs were on fire, and several outer skeletons of the structure had been destroyed. Although Thorn and Kai used the front booster to fly backward in midair, they were still hit by the explosion.

Thorn spat out the joint in his mouth and bellow to the external intercom.

"Screw you, hamsters! This is what you get for messing with me! Now the rest of you, surrender or die like that moron!"

.

Meanwhile, Misha watched the robot fight in a daze. Unlike in anime, movies, or manga, the battle ended in less than a minute.

There was no flashy melee fight, nor beams, nor supernatural newtype mode. No energy barrier s.h.i.+eld or AT field that could save them from regular bullets.

Instead, it was quick and decisive. One bullet was enough to decide the battle outcome.

"Should I expect this? It's still the 23rd-century after all."

The technology in this world had not advanced to the point of developing sophisticated esper robots that could manipulate energies. In this era, the local government primarily used the AHMU against giant size monsters instead of using it against other robots.

Against such giant target like mech units, fast units like jets or light tanks with long range arterially cannons performed better.

It would take this world another 300 to 400 years after World War 3 to develop a more advanced mech. For now, they got stuck with the current technology because of the resource shortage.

As Misha was still gawking at the scenes, the surviving pilots of Raptor Squad got out of their broken mechs with their hands behind their head. They were surrendering.

However,

*BANG*

*BANG*

Zeris did not follow after the Geneva Treaty of ancient times. He killed all prisoners on the spot, which made Misha held her mouth in shock.

Thorn got out of his mech after confirming that everyone was dead. He walked to Misha and handed her a small wrap of a foil sheet.

"Hey, missy. Are you hungry? Want some jellies?"

Thorn had not retrieved his partner's tentacles yet. They were extending behind his back and straightened in the air as if they were stretching after a long period of a stressful job.

Misha did not know if joining the yellow-eye rebels would be the right choice as she did not like how Thorn killed the surrendered men.

"Is that necessary?"

She pointed at the corpses of the surrendered pilot.

Thorn shrugged, "Can't help it. If I don't kill them, they will bring more of their friends to hunt us down. I can't take them back as prisoners either because we don't have enough food supplies. Killing them now is a better way out for them since we're not into torturing like those guys in the army."

He shoved the green jellies to Misha, "You have seen what they did. On the surface, they're using excuses that they're trying to research for a cure of the virus. In reality, they want our blood and heart for their immortality elixir recipe."

"Immortal elixir …"

"Yes. At first, we're living peacefully with the others, but those guys from otherworld showed up and messed up everything. Now, they're hunting for every yellow-eye mutants, us!"

"B-But, you were the ambulance driver, right? You were with them."

"No. It was a part of my mission to locate the hidden facility. I succeeded in finding the general location, but I can't find the entrance. Well, you appeared, and I found it because of those paramedics. Let's change the subject. For now, come with us. Similar people like us are living in our base. We don't discriminate against the infected."

The face of Misha twitched. He did not discriminate against the infected, but he did with ordinary humans.

This might be the cause of the future World War 3.

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Another tough decision awaited for Misha, again.

.

While Misha and Thorn were talking, the eggcats inside their body also meowing back and forth.

*M-Mew?*

*Meow* *Ong*

*Mew?*

*Ong!*

*Nom-Nom Mew?*

*Ong! Nom-Nom!* *Meow*

*Mew!*

.

Misha took a deep breath, taking her time to think. In reality, she did not want to join them since it canceled her precious quest. However, grandmother Min wanted her to infiltrate the yellow-eye rebel faction.

Before she could even make up her mind, Tama flung its tentacle at the game menu.

It hit the b.u.t.ton, [Yes].

>

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"…"

*Meh-Heh Mew!*

"Tama!"

*Nom-Nom Mew?*

Misha facepalmed. She was speechless by Tama's easy going att.i.tude.

"Hmm?"