Chapter 104: The expedition is over

Even Yorichi’s experienced commanders began relying on Noah’s instructions.

Yet the cost of the battle continued to rise.

Their energy reserves were dwindling, their equipment was becoming damaged, and several members had already suffered serious injuries.

The mechanical enemies, however, continued advancing.

One hour’s worth of effort seemed to accomplish little when another wave of machines replaced those they destroyed.

Still, they refused to surrender.

One by one, the weaponized machines were eliminated. The Epic-grade mechas followed, their coordinated defenses gradually collapsing under the relentless assault.

Finally, the last of the twenty low-grade Epic mechas fell.

BOOM!

Its enormous body crashed into the street, shaking the surrounding buildings.

Silence briefly descended over the battlefield.

Yorichi’s commanders were the first to withdraw from the immediate fighting, having exhausted most of their strength. Several had already fallen back to receive treatment, while others struggled to remain standing.

Noah’s cousins, however, remained beside him.

Yorichi also stayed.

Their clothes were torn, their weapons were damaged, and their breathing had become ragged.

Nevertheless, they had survived.

Victor lowered his weapon and looked across the ruined street.

"We did it."

Noah did not answer immediately.

His gaze remained fixed on the enormous circular gateway.

More precisely, it remained fixed on the white and red mecha standing before it.

Throughout the entire battle, the machine had not moved even once.

Now, however, its optical sensors suddenly illuminated.

Two crimson lights appeared within its damaged head.

A mechanical voice echoed across the district.

[The combat units eliminated.]

[Primary intruders identified.]

[Activating special-unit combat protocol.]

Noah’s expression changed.

"Everyone, move!"

BOOM!

The mecha stepped forward.

Its enormous sword swept through the air with terrifying speed, descending toward the group in a devastating slash.

Everyone scattered.

The blade struck the ground.

A deafening explosion erupted as a massive fissure tore through the street, extending dozens of meters before stopping near the surrounding buildings.

Noah stared at the destruction.

Until now, every Epic-grade mecha they had encountered had been a Level 10 Epic Boss level. Although dangerous, those enemies had remained within their ability to handle through teamwork and the formation’s support.

This guardian was different.

It belonged to a special combat unit, and its power was comparable to that of a Level 20 Epic Boss with exceptionally high combat capabilities.

Even in its damaged condition, the difference was overwhelming.

The mecha slowly raised its sword.

Its crimson eyes burned brighter.

"Scatter!" Victor shouted. "Don’t let it attack everyone at once!"

The guardian charged.

Its massive frame moved with shocking speed, and its sword swept across the battlefield in a series of devastating attacks.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Buildings collapsed.

Crater after crater appeared across the streets, while enormous chunks of metal and stone scattered through the air.

Noah narrowly evaded a horizontal slash, feeling the force of the blade pass close enough to throw him off balance. Jake barely managed to roll away from another strike, while Andrew abandoned his original position just before the ground beneath him shattered.

Even Yorichi struggled to keep up.

The guardian’s movements were far faster than its damaged appearance suggested.

And despite the destruction it caused, none of its attacks managed to hit them directly.

Victor continued calling out its movements, allowing everyone to evade just before each strike landed.

"Three seconds before the next swing!"

"Get behind the collapsed building!"

"Move now!"

They followed his instructions without hesitation.

Every successful dodge bought them another few seconds.

But their situation remained desperate.

Their earlier battle had already consumed most of their strength. Their formation was weakening, Laura was struggling to keep everyone healed, and even Cris could barely maintain the energy required to support the group.

Another direct hit would be enough to end the fight.

"We can’t keep this up!" Jake shouted.

"We should retreat!" one of Yorichi’s commanders called from a distance.

Noah clenched his teeth.

Retreating was the obvious choice.

But he remembered Arthur’s instructions.

Arthur had specifically asked him to retrieve this particular mecha.

He had not explained everything, but Noah understood that the guardian was far more important than the other machines scattered throughout the ruin.

They could not afford to abandon it.

"Listen carefully!" Noah shouted. "We don’t need to defeat it through force. Its energy reserves are already critically low!"

He pointed toward the guardian’s damaged torso.

"Look at its movements! It’s getting slower. We only need to keep dodging until its remaining energy is exhausted!"

Victor immediately understood.

"He’s right! Its attacks are powerful, but its energy consumption must be enormous. Maintain your distance and don’t waste energy counterattacking!"

Yorichi nodded.

"Everyone, focus on survival!"

The battle changed.

Instead of trying to attack the guardian, they concentrated entirely on evasion.

Noah and his cousins moved together, relying on Cris’s formation to maintain coordination. Yorichi and his remaining commanders followed their lead, using the ruined buildings as temporary cover whenever possible.

The mecha continued its relentless assault.

For ten minutes, the central district became a landscape of destruction.

Its sword cleaved through buildings, shattered roads, and carved enormous trenches into the ground. Every strike carried enough force to obliterate anyone caught directly in its path.

Yet the formation continued moving.

Victor predicted the attacks.

Cris maintained their coordination.

Laura healed their injuries whenever an opportunity appeared.

And everyone else fought simply to remain alive.

Gradually, the guardian’s movements began to slow.

Its crimson eyes flickered.

[Energy reserves: 0.8%.]

[Warning: Combat output declining.]

[Energy reserves: 0.3%.]

The mecha raised its sword one final time.

Its damaged arm trembled as its internal mechanisms struggled to complete the movement.

Then it swung.

Everyone scattered in different directions.

BOOM!

The sword struck an already shattered section of the street, producing another enormous explosion.

When the dust settled, the guardian stood motionless.

Its crimson eyes flickered twice.

Then they went dark.

[Energy reserves depleted.]

[Combat systems deactivated.]

The enormous sword slipped from its hand and crashed onto the ground.

CLANG!

The sound echoed throughout the ruined district.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Then Noah finally lowered his dagger.

"We survived."

Jake dropped onto a broken slab of concrete, breathing heavily. Andrew leaned against his spear, while Henry struggled to straighten his damaged armor.

Yorichi looked toward the motionless guardian, his expression filled with disbelief.

They had defeated twenty low-grade Epic Boss mechas and survived the attacks of something comparable to a Level 20 Epic Boss.

And they had accomplished it without landing a single meaningful attack on the final guardian.

They had simply exhausted its remaining energy.

Victor slowly approached the disabled machine, carefully inspecting its damaged body.

"It’s completely inactive," he confirmed. "At least for now."

Noah walked toward the guardian.

Up close, the machine was even more imposing. Despite its ruined armor and damaged limbs, its enormous frame retained an unmistakable aura of ancient power.

He remembered Arthur’s instructions.

This was the machine they had come to retrieve.

Noah looked at its towering body and exhaled.

"Arthur, you had better have a good reason for making us fight this monster."

Behind him, Yorichi stared at the enormous circular gateway.

Noah looked at Yorichi.

"We’re taking this mecha and eight of the twenty mechas. You can take the rest. As for the ruin, Arthur instructed us to hand it over to you on the condition that your government pays us a satisfactory amount of money."