"Men honor what lies within the sphere of their knowledge, but do not realize how dependent they are on what lies beyond it."
- Zhuangzi
Chapter XXI: The Battle of Xiaopei
Xiaopei Fortress
Duchy of Jiangsu, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
July 6, 2025
Standing tall within the suite overlooking Xiaopei's command center, Li continued to watch over as the operators continued to work and the status reports continued to flow in. It was now three days since Zero's infiltration into Luoyang; three days since the entire war had changed for the worst. In spite of his dispositions toward the leader of the Black Knights, Li knew better than to do doubt his word that three Knights of the Round were now present in China. To make a horrible situation even worse, among their number was the famed Owl of Britannia himself; a strategist and commander reputed to be second only to Prince Schneizel himself. Taking Zero's warnings to heart, Li had ordered the immediate evacuation of Xiaopei, which was still being carried out, and had placed all CLA cells on high alert. Even so, he could not prevent the inevitable, which was the Britannian assault on Xiaopei itself.
He sighed as he kept his watch, waiting for but one operator to call out incoming Britannian forces. Despite the many times he had gone into battle and just as many times he had brushed with death, it was the waiting that he hated the most; waiting for the appearance of his enemy, anticipating their move to strike or defend, all the while anxiety threatened to overtake his inner composure. In the heat of combat he was at relative peace, as he could act and react instantaneously to any and all occurrences. Before combat, however, he could only ponder and dread when and where the first shots would take place, just as he was doing now. And to make matters worse, it was the pre-battle setting that normally determined the outcome, as it was effectively the last time a general could create a new battle plan or alter an existing one. That in itself could have taken the edge off of his anxiety, as Li would have been doing something relevant with his time, but in his opinion nothing more could be done with the current plans.
As such, all he could do was wait. No matter how much it galled him.
"You know you can't win." the metallic voice of Zero spoke as its owner's masked form entered into the suite, coming up to stand beside Li and overlook the command center.
"So you keep telling me," Li replied with minute derision, adopting a light scowl in the process. At the moment he was too occupied to trade barbs with the object of his hatred, but he still couldn't keep himself from feeling irritated. "And what would the great Zero do in my place?"
Lelouch laughed at that description. "The same thing you're doing now, General," he stated with conviction. "Retreat and live to fight another day."
Li sniffed upon that statement. "Retreat..." he muttered with distaste. "If this were still the Chinese Federation, I would have been arrested and shot over such an act." he said in factual monotone. "We Chinese have never looked upon retreat well."
"So I've heard," Lelouch spoke with similar distaste, but generated toward a different subject. He was well aware of the Chinese practice of shooting 'cowards' and 'traitors' for even bringing up the subject, as well as the internment of all associated friends and family members for up to three generations into the Laogai, a series of labor camps and prison farms exclusively run by the Guoanbu. Even Britannians had found those practices disgustingly excessive. "Fortunately that is no longer an issue, as you no longer have the Party or the Guoanbu to answer to."
Li nodded in acknowledgment. It was one of the few benefits of the Federation's fall, alongside seeing Cao and those twelve other war criminals shot and witnessing the collective shock of the political officer corps (since abolished) at their most beloved Party's betrayal. The latter was especially worthwhile, as neither he nor his soldiers had to listen to their god-awful lectures anymore. "Even so," he answered. "It still leaves a bad taste in my mouth."
"As it should," Lelouch acknowledged, himself recalling his forced retreat at Narita and several other past battles. "Despite that feeling, however, to retreat in the face of a superior force is a far better alternative than to stand and fight hopelessly. After all, destroying an army to win a battle is no victory—"
Li sniffed at that, allowing the barest of smirks to show on his lips. "—and ending a battle to preserve an army is no defeat." he concluded. "I'm impressed, Zero. I did not think an outsider would have heard the words of Sun Li-jen, much less of General Sun himself."
Lelouch smirked in turn. "On the contrary, General Sun's exploits during the Motherland Liberation War are well known in..." He paused for the briefest of moments, as he almost said 'West Point'. "...Japan."
Again Li sniffed, but this time with derision. "Of course they were." he stated. Secretly he noted the pause, as well as Zero's unusual use of the present tense, but dismissed both for the time being. He changed subjects. "Are preparations complete on your end?"
"Nearly." Lelouch answered, knowing what Li was referring to. Part of the evacuation plan was for all non-essential personnel to be taken aboard the Izumo, which would then transport them to the safety of the CLA's Penglai Island base. "Only one remains, and she insists on waiting until the end."
Li let out a breath of air. Of course Tianzi would be difficult in this matter. "I'll talk to her." the general said. "I suppose I should have seen this coming."
"She is a strong leader, General, despite common belief." Lelouch stated, speaking almost admiringly. "It is only natural for her to remain with her followers in their most dire time, even if it strategically unsound."
Though he was tempted, Li resisted the urge to bring up the Black Rebellion and Zero's actions there in response to that statement. The last thing he needed now was a pointless argument. "I acknowledge her strength; I have seen it many times. But there is nothing to be gained in her remaining here."
"Indeed. I reiterate the phrase 'strategically unsound'." Lelouch said. He silently considered things for a moment. "…Still, that strength of character will be essential when the time comes."
Ignoring the dark implications of that, Li couldn't help but look upon the masked man with minute interest. "You really do think we will win this war, don't you?"
Lelouch stared at him, the opaque surface of his mask revealing nothing. "General, I know we will win this war." he answered, directly and completely without doubt. "All the necessary preparations have been made, and the stage has been set. The CLA need only survive long enough to make the call."
"Hmph." Li scoffed, crossing his arms as he thought about it. He could only wish he were that certain.
It was at that point the nearby communications monitor activated, displaying Zhou's image. "General, we've picked up an incoming Britannian ground force in Sector Sì," she began, sounding more than a little disturbed. "One battleship, two cruisers and four destroyers, plus armor and support craft. They will be in striking range within the hour."
At that, Li stopped in his tracks and sighed. So it began. "Activate all defense systems and mobilize all forces." he replied to Zhou, clear resolution in his voice. "We have to hold them until the evacuation is complete. Prepare for incursion."
"Sir!" Zhou saluted before signing off. No more than a second later, alarm klaxons began to howl throughout the base, complimented by the repeating thumps of running boots.
Li then turned to Zero. "It seems the imperialists have finally caught up to us after seven years." he said soberly. "Any last minute thoughts?"
"Just one," Lelouch said, his eyes turning serious behind his mask. "Remember this is a battle for time on both sides. The longer you fight, the more time you will gain for the evacuation. On the other hand, however, the longer you resist the Britannians, the more time they will have in mobilizing reinforcements, which can come from any and all directions."
He then looked toward Li dead center. "Either way, this will likely be the closest battle you and the CLA have faced to this point."
Li considered the many things left unsaid. And if I gather outside reinforcements of my own, I risk exposing the other CLA cells. Damn it. "Well, it was bound to happen sometime." he answered with a shrug. "As you said, the CLA couldn't remain underground forever. If we have to go out into the open, then it might as well be here, where we have the advantage."
For the moment, anyway. Lelouch thought but didn't say aloud. He had little doubt Li knew that his 'home field' advantage would only last so long, especially in the face of the Britannian forces' air superiority. To say nothing of Johann and his compatriots.
Li fully turned to face him. "And so, with respect and gratitude for all you've done, Zero, I suggest you get the hell out of my base."
Lelouch nodded, though he knew that line wasn't entirely out of concern. "Very well. Good luck out there, General." he stated before exiting, his cape disturbing the stale air as he departed.
As soon as he left, Li wasted no time in activating the base intercom, from which he began issuing new orders.
Britannian Formidable-class land battleship Fairfax
Duchy of Fujian, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
For perhaps the first time since coming to Area 22, Calares was in a very good mood. After years and years of serving the Crown as a "paper warrior" and fighting most of his battles with the Imperial Army's insipient bureaucracy, it was very refreshing to enter combat once again; he hadn't done so since his tenure in the Philippines so long ago. And as a bonus, he was finally about to lay waste to an opponent that had eluded him for seven years and rejuvenate his failing career at the same time. As such, how could he not be in a good mood?
Of course, there were additional reasons for Calares' mood; once again, he had the privilege of leading troops into battle. Sitting upon the throne-like command chair of the massive land battleship Fairfax and looking out through the forward viewport with anticipation while the bridge crew worked around him, Calares felt he was in his rightful place in the world. He was a leader, a man who spearheaded the charge and directed the men and women who followed him, not some bureaucrat who spent his days signing papers and interacting with scum like Zhao Hao. To lead again—after what seemed like an eternity of delegating to others while remaining in the rear echelon—made this battle worthwhile all by itself. If he were more prone to emotion, Calares would have wept for the honor.
That being said, however, in spite of his sunny mood, Calares did feel some dark clouds within himself as he continued to look out the viewport. Xiaopei. he thought, feeling his fists tighten on the arm rests of his chair. I should have known. I should have FUCKING known.
It irritated, almost infuriated Calares to no end that the only way he had learned the location of Li's central army was through Johann Ernst. Such an obvious location to hide an army and wage a guerilla war, yet it had taken the Knight of Two's analysis to identify it as such. It helped even less that the Eunuchs had failed to shed light on it, claiming that they had been kept in the dark. Only the late Chairman Jiang Jintao (Tianzi's father) and the CLA General Staff (Li and his ilk, damn them) had known of its existence, or so it was theorized. Calares felt himself glower at the thought. If only they (or more precisely, he) had known at the beginning...
But that didn't matter now. As long as he was the one to present Li's head to the Emperor, he could live with that jumped-up shit of a Round locating the Tiger's den first. On that note, he was technically going against orders, as Sir Johann's original attack—a concentrated assault that would have called forces from all over Area 22 to surround Xiaopei—was still another day away and Calares and the other commanders had specifically been told to wait until then, but that was hardly any concern for Calares. All that mattered was his victory, which he would achieve through a simpler frontal assault and far less resources, thus outshining the Knight of Two even further. He was sure of it.
"Any movement?" he asked to one of the operators, breaking the monotony.
"Nothing yet, sir." the operator replied in turn. "If they're out there, they're really laying low."
"They're out there." Calares stated with great certainty. He then looked towards the man standing across from him. "Otherwise everything we've heard about the great Owl of Britannia is a lie, eh, James?"
Forcing a smile around the calabash tobacco pipe that had seemingly been in his mouth since birth, Major General Sir James MacArthur, Sub-Viceroy of Area 22, replied with barely masked irritation. "Wouldn't surprise me in the least, sir," he answered, almost hissing the last word. "He is, after all, a mixed-breed, and a disgusting one at that."
"Heh," Calares let out, both at his subordinate's discomfort and the reply itself. While he didn't consider himself as overly racist as most Britannians, there was just something that put him off about Sir Johann being half-Kenyan, yet holding a high position of authority within the Empire. Then again, that was nothing compared to Elevens holding similar authority, but Calares preferred not to dwell on that. Instead he found himself dwelling upon his second-in-command.
Sun reflecting off his shades, which like the pipe he had likely never been seen without, MacArthur stood on the Fairfax's bridge like a man blessed with divine purpose. Like Calares, he was a veteran from the Philippines, where he had served with fair distinction in subjugating the locals; in fact, it was said that the Twelves feared his potential return to this day. Also like Calares, he considered his assignment in Area 22 both an insult and organizational damnation; more than anything, the Major General wanted to finish his tenure in the Area so that he could take part in the 'real' war against the EU. And now that the CLA's main hideout had been identified, his wish seemed all the more likely to be granted. Calares couldn't in the least blame him for that desire or his hope.
Of course, that same drive, when coupled with his personality defects, also made MacArthur a threat, one that Calares had been forced to endure for the last seven years. As much of a glory hound as he knew himself to be, the Viceroy also knew he was nothing compared to his Sub-Viceroy, who possessed the ego of a rock star, vanity fit for Hollywood, and a natural rebelliousness to all authority but his own. The man literally believed he was the best military mind Britannia had produced since Arthur Wellesley, that all of Britannia should know of his existence and (imagined) military intellectualism, and that every other commander in His Imperial Majesty's Armed Forces, no matter what branch or rank, was inferior to him. Being Calares' direct subordinate alone was an affront to MacArthur, as well a contributor to Calares' seven-year migraine. While he couldn't challenge his superior directly, MacArthur still used every opportunity to disregard Calares' orders (or any orders from above, for that matter), and make it seem like he was the one running the show in Area 22 (until something bad happened).
All that considered, Calares had little doubt MacArthur would take sole credit for the victory at Xiaopei when all was said and done. Hell, Calares expected him to make the last seven years sound like another Washington's Rebellion, with Xiaopei serving as his Yorktown. The Homeland press would certainly love that, alongside MacArthur's shade-wearing and pipe-smoking personal image. Thus, Calares made a mental note to have his unruly subordinate 'accidented' later on, both to remove a potential rival and to fulfill seven years' worth of karmic reprisal. For the time being, however, he needed MacArthur.
"It won't be long before we hit initial resistance." MacArthur observed, his eyes scanning the various sensor screens from behind his shades. Though his voice was civil, it was pretty obvious that he chafed at Calares' presence; as far as he was concerned, Xiaopei was his operation to lead, and his superior's presence was an obstruction to his command. "Probably a mixture of tadpoles and regular armor, maybe some gunships as well. They'll hold us off while Li gets his main force together."
"My thoughts exactly," Calares concurred, looking at his watch. Since the CLA was taking a while, he decided he would make the first move. "What would you think of showing the vermin what they're up against?"
Hearing that, MacArthur smiled around his pipe, genuinely this time. For the moment, bloodlust overrode derision. "It would only be prudent." he answered. "Maybe an offer to surrender as well? Not that they'll accept it."
Calares regarded the idea with open disgust. "I'm not going that far. Not after all the trouble the bastards have given us." He then settled back into his chair. "Now, General, if you will..." He gestured magnanimously toward the viewport.
Ignoring the burning humiliation from being gestured at like a common servant, MacArthur turned around to face front and focus. "All ships, set target for Sector Epsilon One. Full barrage," he ordered, the gunner immediately punching in the coordinates for the estimated location of the CLA's base. As it was underground, there was no visual point of reference, but there was little doubt it was out there. Assuming it was as big as Sir Johann had estimated.
When the confirmations came in, he smiled with anticipation. "Commence Operation Tiger Trap."
With that, the HV cannons on the Fairfax and her companions bellowed, launching electromagnetically propelled shells into the target area. The battle had officially begun.
Xiaopei Fortress
Duchy of Jiangsu, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
The entire base rumbled as the Britannian shells continued to fall, further encouraging the Chinese pilots to scramble and reach their respective knightmares. Hong Gu, having traded his green CLA uniform for an equally green CLA pilot suit, was among them.
As commander of the Chinese Liberation Army's 2nd Armored Brigade, the general's official role was to organize and command the designated knightmare forces, whether from within the confines of Xiaopei or in the cockpit of his own Yaoguai. In practice, however, that role usually fell to Li himself, having all but adopted the 2nd, or at least the forces that were stationed in Xiaopei, as his personal vanguard, essentially downgrading Hong's role to that of a "mere" sub-commander. Even so, that didn't make Hong any less anxious toward fulfilling the spirit of his position and title, especially when it came to honoring the example set by his ancestors, daring men who risked their personal safety in order to lead and inspire their armies from the front.
In that sense, if there was ever a time his soldiers needed a general to fight alongside them in battle, it was now. Despite how they had been preparing for this event since the beginning of the war, Hong was no fool; he knew that defending Xiaopei from a direct incursion was suicide. Like it or not, Zero's claims about Xiaopei's garrison were all true: outside of Li, the Tianshou, and a few veteran combatants like Hong, most of their soldiers were no match for the average Britannian equivalent, while their weapons and equipment were all outdated by decades. And unlike the Motherland Liberation War, they didn't even have numbers on their side, since the Britannians could easily reinforce their battle group, while the Chinese could not. Thus for all accounts and purposes, it was very unlikely Hong Gu—or anyone else in Xiaopei, for that matter—would return from this battle.
And yet that only made him more anxious to join it. As valuable as he was to the CLA and its cause, Hong Gu was not about to let younger men and women go into battle believing they had been sent to die while their leaders abandoned them. If he was to die, then let it be beside those he commanded, so that they did not pass on alone. That being said, Hong didn't actually want to die; he would have gladly and gratefully lived on to fight the Britannians another day. Unfortunately, the chances of that were about the same as Calares becoming a pacifist or the Eunuchs turning celibate. That feeling wasn't helped when Hong, after making a healthy run down the hangar and reaching his destination, gazed upon his personal Yaoguai with narrowed eyes.
Like all Chinese devicers, Hong hated the Yaoguai. To him, the unbearably ugly machine was the perfect analogue of the former Chinese Federation: it was sluggish, bloated in size and structure, cheaply constructed, and designed with little regard toward human survivability. Its exterior was weak to attack, its internals fragile and prone to breakdowns, and its offensive power was only effective against those who could not adequately defend themselves. Only in large numbers could the Yaoguais be utilized as a powerful weapon, yet even that was being negated through technological advancement; while massed Yaoguais could easily rush their enemies like a raging flood on the ground, the Britannians' superior mobility allowed them to evade that rush altogether. And while the Yaoguais, once again massed together, could establish a defensive screen through grouped machine gun fire, the Sutherlands and Gloucesters could just as easily outmaneuver them and counterattack through the open areas.
The Britannians referred to Yaoguais as "tadpoles", due to the knightmare's vaguely frog-like design combined with its tail stabilizer. The Chinese, naturally, had a different name for them: Guāncai. Coffins.
Hong felt his gaze deepen into a sneer at the thought. If only we had full support from the Indians like the Black Knights. his lips twisted with anger. Goddamn you, Cao. Wherever you are, I hope you're suffering.
Indeed, the Indians had no desire to aid their former oppressors, and the result spoke for itself: the Black Knights were fielding state-of-the-art eighth generation knightmares en masse while the CLA was left with outdated fourth generation leftovers from the Federation. Hell, they couldn't even utilize captured Britannian units, much less refit them into more advanced units like the Japan Liberation Front's Burai, as the CLA was incapable of manufacturing spare parts for them. All because of wanton acts like Mumbai.
Unfortunately, it was what it was, and no matter how much Hong hated it, it would not change; his Yaoguai would not magically transform into a second Shenhu no matter how much he cursed it or prayed to the great Huang Di (that is if he had been religious). Thus forcing back his ire, Hong climbed into the open cockpit and sealed himself in, then wasting no time in inserting the ignition key and going through the startup sequence. Moments later, the Yaoguai's twin camera eyes illuminated in light pink, while the knightmare itself contracted its legs and tail to move into a "standing" position. Inside the cockpit, the main monitor and control panel activated, giving Hong a digitized view of the surrounding hangar.
"This is Daoji One. All units, check in." Hong announced over the comlink. Looking through his monitor, he watched as the Yaoguais around him also activated and rose up. The radio soon became filled with the confirmations of the other CLA knightmare commanders.
"Xiaopei Control to all units," Zhou's voice spoke up after the last confirmation. "Britannian forces have reached Sector Sān and are accelerating their advance. All forces begin deployment."
"Acknowledged, Huxue." Hong replied, before switching back to broadband. "You heard General Zhou. All units proceed to assigned launch gates and standby." he ordered, hoping that he managed to keep the grimness out of his voice. With that, he had his Yaoguai slowly emerge from its pen and glide down the hangar, with several other units following him.
Once again Zero's words continued to echo in his ears as he made his trek to his own launch gate. This time, however, he forced those words to the back of his mind. Yes, as much as Hong still didn't want to admit it, they were outmatched and could not hope to gain victory. However, that didn't mean he and the rest of the Xiaopei garrison wouldn't fight, much less take a large number of Britannians down with him.
That in itself gave Hong some small measure of vindication, as he and his fellow soldiers went to face the tide.
Now clad in his personalized pilot suit, which was tinted red instead of the standard green, Li Xingke entered into his own separate hangar, where his followers and their steeds awaited him. The former stood to the side at full attention, and just like him, the Yu triplets were also now dressed in their own CLA pilot suits, which were colored red themselves. At Li's entrance, they snapped a fully synchronized salute toward their general and master, who in turn returned it. If any of them were possessed by doubt, then it was not present on their faces; only the determination to fight and perform their duty could be seen.
Toward the other end of the hangar, the Four Beasts stood side by side in their individual pens, waiting for their devicers to approach. In terms of basic design they were nearly indistinguishable, as each unit possessed the slim, humanoid frame that was characteristic of Chawla-designed Knightmares. Their only true distinguishing marks were the uniquely Chinese nuo masks on their heads. Beyond that, however, they each held their own unique arrangement of colors, armor, weapons and overall capabilities—not unlike those who commanded them in battle.
Upon the group's approach, the mechanics and technicians that had been working on the knightmares immediately finished their work and began moving out of the way, while the chief mechanic came over and began filling Li in on each unit's condition. Li was pleased to hear that Rakshata had fulfilled his earlier request, albeit in a questionable manner: somewhere down the line, she and her people had visited the hangar with a squad of Black Knight soldiers, chased out the CLA staff with threats of violent reprisal and one machine gun burst in warning, and then spent the next few hours overhauling all four machines. Needless to say the Chinese hadn't liked it a bit, but in spite of his own dispositions, the chief mechanic admitted that the Indians (he nearly said "brown-asses", but stopped when Li shot him a glare) knew what they were doing. All four units now possessed new internals and refitted electronics, boosting their performance levels over twenty-five percent.
Satisfied with that report, as well as that all four units were ready for battle, Li dismissed the chief mechanic with a wave without breaking his stride. Upon closing in, the four pilots broke away and proceeded to their respective unit: Li moved for the Shenhu, Hei toward the Shenwu, Bai to the Shenque, and Yin toward the Shenlong. However, before any of them could so much as put their feet into their knightmare's cockpit tether line, a peal of thunder sounded from the hangar entryway.
"Li Xingke!" the voice of Tianzi called out in clear anger, causing the four pilots to freeze in their tracks. At that, Li tried to recall when she had ever raised her voice at him—or at anyone else, for that matter—but his memory came up empty. She had never shouted at him before.
Well, these are dire times indeed. he thought bitterly, closing his eyes for a moment before turning around to face his oncoming ward and superior as she marched across the hangar. She was flanked by two Black Knight soldiers, both fully dressed in their force's samurai-styled tactical armor and wielding assault rifles, but it was the absolutely furious expression on her face that gave him pause. Li steeled himself for anything.
Right as she came directly in front of the general, Tianzi slapped Li across the face, the force enough to cause an echo across the hangar. His head snapped sharply to the side and his eyes watered, and though the blood thrummed in his ears, he could faintly hear the gasps and hisses of the mechanics and pilots around him.
Tianzi never struck anyone. She was kindness personified, and ruled with smiles and reasonable arguments, only occasionally threatening to unleash the Chinese Tiger to cow an unruly subordinate. Li had spent many years by her side and knew this better than anyone. There was good reason why everyone in the room, from the lowest mechanic to the renowned aces, had recoiled in shock.
The highest-ranking general of the CLA blinked for a moment, composing himself. Li was no stranger to pain. He'd suffered far worse throughout his life, from his early childhood in the streets of Luoyang to the brutal training regimens of the CLA's officer schools. And then there was his illness, which plagued him day and night.
Pain was no stranger to him. But somehow, that single slap, weak as it was, and the glare she was giving him now both hurt worse than anything he'd felt before.
"How dare you have me shipped away to Penglai Island on the eve of battle!" Tianzi hissed into the sudden silence, red eyes blazing with fury. "How dare you, Xingke!"
Li straightened up, locking his arms behind his back in parade rest and staring straight ahead, not meeting her eyes. His cheek stung and was probably already an ugly red, but that was nothing to fear.
"It is precisely because battle is upon us that I would have you taken to safety, Your Excellency." he answered flatly. "And with all due respect, we are not your soldiers, but those of the People and the Revolution."
"Are you, now?" Tianzi retorted mockingly, her voice cutting like a knife. "Strange, Xingke. I don't remember you being a mouthpiece of the Party, not when you've avoided political discussion for so long. I'm just a soldier, you repeated over and over again. It is not my duty to determine policy, only to execute it. No one questioned you then."
Tianzi's eyes narrowed even further, such that Li could nearly feel her gaze boring into his skull. "Well, what brought on this sudden epiphany? What did the last few days do that a lifetime of political indoctrination couldn't?"
Li said nothing, choosing to continue staring straight ahead.
Tianzi bulldozed on, undeterred by his silence. "For the last seven years, you and the CLA have fought not only in the name of the Motherland and the People, but in my name as well. You said so many times, both to me and to your subord—Look at me, General! That's an order!"
The sudden shout made everyone flinch, and Li reluctantly obeyed, weary brown eyes meeting fiery red ones. He held his tongue.
"And now." Tianzi continued venomously. "Now that you are about to engage the enemy in my defense, you would have me shipped away like some storybook princess? All the while you lead thousands of men and women to what may be certain death!?"
Li breathed out a sigh, closing his eyes resignedly. He had hoped that he might be able to avoid this discussion, but that notion had been a pipe dream even then. Tianzi simply cared too much. Even for those doomed to die.
"Your Excellency." he answered quietly. "You are not needed here."
"Ridiculous." Tianzi snapped. "Even if you command them, these are my people! My soldiers, my followers! Am I to just leave them behind and run?!"
"It is only basic strategy, Your Excellency. Your capture or death is as much within the Britannians' objectives as the destruction of this base and its garrison. As such, your presence here is not only strategically unnecessary, but also a large risk the CLA cannot afford."
"…Are you saying I'm a burden, Xingke?" Tianzi's voice was quieter now, but no less strong.
"In this instance, yes." Li said bluntly, opening his eyes and facing Tianzi's wrath with cold resolution. "You are many things, Your Excellency, but you are not a soldier. You cannot provide anything to Xiaopei's tactical defense, and any exposure to combat—a stray shell, a lucky airstrike—would only do you harm. And though your presence may bolster the morale of my command, your being wounded or killed would only diminish it, to say nothing of our nation's future."
It was cold, brutal, rational logic. She had always listened to his advice before, and he fervently, desperately hoped she would again. If only for one last time.
Tianzi opened her mouth to angrily snap at him, but he carried on, raising his own voice to drown out her own. "I will not be able to fight the Britannians if I know that you might be in danger, Your Excellency." The CLA general's eyes narrowed against the former Chairwoman's as her mouth snapped shut. "Thus, it is imperative that you retreat to safety and allow us soldiers to perform our duty. Both for you and for the People."
Though her anger remained, Tianzi suddenly found herself unable to look into Li's eyes, as their focus was absolute. She looked down at the floor between them, her fists clenching at her sides. "Damn you, Xingke." she muttered, deflating. "Am I just supposed to abandon you?"
"Yes, you are."
"That's poor thanks for everything you have done for me."
"Allowing me to fight for you is the greatest gift you could ever give me, Your Excellency."
"A grand gift indeed," Tianzi said bitterly, stealing a look at his weary face and smiling without mirth. "A gift wrapped in blood and death."
Li recognized the song. It was hard not to. Its author, unknown to anyone but the heavens, had been massacred in front of the Gate of Heavenly Peace in Beijing when Britannia's knightmares rolled in, along with thousands of others. It had survived as simple scrawling on the walls wherever Chinese blood was shed, or in the whistles of passersby, or in the quiet singing in the scant safety of their own homes, the words carried onwards by countless others. The words had seared themselves into the minds of all those who resisted loudly or quietly, a constant reminder of the brutality of the regime. And a clarion call for revenge.
He recited the next line of the chorus with a wry smile. "What more can a true patriot ask for?"
"That's what I would like to know, Xingke." Tianzi's voice had grown strong again, but she wasn't angry anymore. Now she looked pale. "What would you ask for? What do you want?"
Li weighed his words. For China to be free at last. For the war to end. To live. They were all true, certainly, but they paled to the real answer. His shoulders slumped slightly, and he sighed.
"I want you to be free." he answered quietly, looking at her wearily. "I want to tear apart the cage that binds you. You wanted to see the world outside the walls of the Forbidden City, remember? I'm fulfilling my promise to you."
Tianzi's expression fell. "Back then, you promised you would come with me."
"Did I?"
Tianzi frowned as she tried to remember that moment from so long ago. She sighed. "…You didn't." She smiled up at him, her red eyes blinking quickly before taking a deep, steadying breath. "You never made promises you couldn't keep."
Li shrugged. "I promised to liberate China."
"And you've done your best." She slowly reached out, touching his still-stinging cheek. It was strangely soothing. "Can you promise me to return alive?"
He refused to meet her eyes. "…I have to fight, Your Excellency."
"So you can't promise." Tianzi said quietly. "I understand. Promise me this, then. If you have to fight, then fight to survive, and to return. China still needs you."
"Your Excellency..."
"That's an order, General." Tianzi said sternly, the steel in her voice returning. Her eyes narrowed and her hand dropped to her hip. "Honestly. Fight and return. I've often heard it said that soldiers like simple orders."
And they are always the most difficult to fulfill, Li neglected to add. He saluted sharply, his pilot suit heels snapping together with a sharp clack that echoed around the silent hangar. His team behind him followed suit. "I will do as you command, Your Excellency."
Tianzi continued to peer into Li's dark brown eyes, as if trying to find any sign of deception. When she apparently found none, she finally spoke. "Good. I will await news of your return at Penglai."
Thus, with a flow of her gown, Tianzi turned and exited without another word, her Black Knight escorts remaining in pace with her. Li watched for a moment, and for the briefest of time, he could have sworn he saw naked fear in the young woman's suddenly ashen expression.
It was only when she disappeared through the entryway that the hangar exploded back into full activity, with the mechanic staff moving about to load up weapons and run through frantic last-minute checks, with the four pilots riding the tethers up to their respective cockpits.
Once inside, away from the prying eyes of others, Li took a moment to close his eyes. Forgive me, Your Excellency. he thought to himself as he inserted his activation key and began the Shenhu's startup sequence. But in spite of your words, my death is assured either way.
Britannian Formidable-class land battleship Fairfax
Duchy of Fujian, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
"Picking up seismic activity in Sector Epsilon Five." one of the sensor operators alerted.
"Put it on the main monitor." MacArthur ordered around his pipe, which he had just lit in anticipation of a quick victory.
A second later, the main monitor flickered to display the tactical grid of Xiaopei from an overhead perspective, accompanied by several "live" vidwindows. The latter displayed a number of doorways—previously hidden by Xiaopei's ruined soil—rising from the earth, each revealing a single passageway underground. The sheer number of them astounded the Fairfax's crew; they had not expected the CLA to have constructed Xiaopei with such efficiency.
It was from those passageways that the first of the opposition revealed itself. Main battle tanks, specifically the CLA's Qilin series, rode out from the tunnels and into the light of day, the red and gold outlined stars on their otherwise green hulls gleaming proudly against the light. Once they had emerged, they immediately set to full engine power and drove across the plain like a thundering herd, firing their main cannons at the Britannian formations once they entered range. It wasn't long before several explosions sounded around the Fairfax, indicating that at least a select number of Chinese shells were striking their targets. Further back, an additional number of underground doorways opened, allowing several Sanzuwu VTOL gunships to rise up and skim across the horizon towards the approaching Britannian vanguard.
From his chair, Calares frowned as he watched the vehicles emerge, peering at the tactical screen. The tanks had already split into formations and were moving to ensnare the Britannians in a long-range pincer movement, firing their cannons into the center all the way, while the Sanzuwus provided them air support both against Britannian ground forces and against airborne units. In response, most of the Britannian units broke into evasive maneuvers, with the majority managing to avoid the barrages and strafing runs, while the unlucky ones were immediately cut down.
Generally, it was a typical CLA strategy in the making. One that Calares had seen in action several times over. This is the best Li can do for an opening move? Calares thought with some amazement, raising an eyebrow.
The Fairfax rumbled as a Chinese shell struck close. Whether it actually struck its target or the ground, Calares didn't know, nor care. "Have platoons one-five and one-seven break off and engage the tanks, and send a few air units to deal with the gunships," he ordered. "All other units remain in formation."
From there, Calares watched as several blue Britannian dots on the tacscreen broke off and moved against the red CLA masses, several disappearing and being marked 'LOST' to the initial onslaught. As he expected, the Britannian losses were few and far between, while the CLA tanks were dying in droves, their antiquated weapon systems unable to match the mobility of the Sutherland and Gloucester. This was only emphasized by the live screens, which showed tanks being blown apart by various machine gun, grenade, and bazooka attacks. Alongside, the airborne units made easy mincemeat out of the CLA gunships, who suffered from the same antiquation and performance issues as the tanks.
And somehow, that bothered Calares. I was expecting more than this. he thought as he continued to watch the images, feeling somewhat taken back, but no less elated, that the CLA were so easy to kill. Perhaps Li is not as skilled in defense as he is on the offense.
"More seismic activity coming from Xiaopei." one of the operators announced.
MacArthur smiled at that, his pipe now shifted to the corner of his mouth. "And here come the tadpoles. Ready to charge down the center, where the tanks have just opened up a path." he stated, then letting out a derisive sniff. "Typical CLA tactics."
"Hah!" Calares scoffed in derision. "Seems like it."
As predicted, it wasn't long before the frog-like Yaoguais emerged onto the battlefield, their designs always looking far more comical than intimidating to him. Just as MacArthur had predicted, they charged down the center, straight against the Britannians at their best attack speed. Then again, communists were never an imaginative breed.
Calares inwardly shrugged as he watched it all play out. All he could do was proceed. "All units enter Formation Broadsword and advance. Full speed." With that, the Britannian forces charged as well, and Calares felt the Fairfax lurch as it began to move forward again.
That's right, you imperialist bastards. Keep swallowing the bait. Hong thought with a smile as he watched the tacscreen window at the corner of his monitor, which displayed the Britannian forces advancing to meet his. He could just see the faces of the Britannians, all laughing and scoffing at how the "pathetic Twenty-Twos" were following textbook (and well known) CLA tactics with no amount of deviation, believing wholeheartedly that they lacked the imagination to do so. Just as he could also see Calares sitting back in his command chair with a huge "I'm too stupid to know what I'm thinking" grin on his obnoxiously mustached face, believing wholeheartedly that he already had this battle won.
And on his end, he could just see General Li, now in the cockpit of the Shenhu, flash the slightest of grins as he saw his plan working perfectly. While the General might not have wholeheartedly believed that this battle could be won, he most certainly believed the CLA would take many Britannian lives before the day was done.
Of course, that still left the part of surviving said day, and as he saw the Britannians draw closer into his monitor, Hong had felt that possibility become less likely. Between the large metal mountains that were the seven landships, the swarm of VTOL craft in the air, and the sea of ground based Sutherlands and Gloucesters, most of which were coming at his side faster than the Yaoguais were moving toward them, Hong did not hold any high hopes. If there was any consolation, the CLA had superior numbers and the Four Beasts going for them, though that meant little to Hong's individual chances of survival.
It was then that Hong noticed something peculiar. Where are the Knights of the Round? he thought as he scanned his monitor, trying to find any sign of seventh generation knightmares amongst the enemy formation. He found none, which disturbed Hong more than not having to face the advanced custom units relieved him. Surely the Knights of Two, Five and Eight had all come this way to face the CLA, as well as the Chinese Tiger. If so, why weren't they taking part in this attack?
Along that train of thought, Hong had a sinking feeling that he'd find out later on, and much to great expense. For the moment, however, his enemies were in front of him, his commander's plan was in place, and Hong was very much in the mood to slaughter imperialists. Thus he switched to the unit frequency. "Daoji One to all units! Engage at will on my mark!" he ordered, pulling back a lever and deploying his Yaoguai's machinegun arms. "Tianchao Wan Sui!"
"Tianchao Wan Sui! Bǎizhàn bǎishèng!" the CLA pilots called back in one voice, deploying their own machine gun arms in singular motion.
Naturally, it was the Britannians who fired first, the bazooka-equipped knightmares having greater firing range than the Chinese units. One after another, Yaoguais fell around Hong, but he continued his charge regardless, the other pilots following right behind him. After that, it wasn't long before he himself entered range, at which he let loose his 'hip'-mounted cannons, taking down three Sutherlands in the initial barrage before they could evade. He switched to his machineguns when he got close enough. Little more than a mobile turret, the Yaoguai could only torso twist and angle its machine gun arms in order to aim properly, but that was enough to strike the Britannian ground units and even knock one or two airborne units out of the sky.
Once more it became clear that the strength of the Chinese Liberation Army's knightmares laid within their numbers. They were a raging river of metal and firepower, moving as a stream of perfect coordination, acting as one force and one will against their enemies. Whereas the CLA during the Motherland Liberation War was little more than a brainless mob that could only rush and overwhelm the enemy, years of command and training under the Chinese Tiger and other likeminded tacticians had long since turned the modern CLA into one force and one will. Each maneuver was made in perfect grace and synchronization, all objectives were met in sequence. No movement nor attack was wasted, and no single unit was ever out of step.
While that in itself didn't make up for the Britannians' more advanced technology and the greater individual skills of their soldiers, it still gave the Chinese pilots greater leverage in accomplishing their mission. Just as it was doing now, as the Britannians were starting to lose more of their own numbers against the Chinese counterattack.
In spite of the dark pleasure he felt as he riddled more Britannian knightmares with machinegun and cannon fire, Hong did not give into his bloodlust—or at least, not to an extent that he forgot his objectives. Though they appeared as such, his Yaoguai forces were not intended to fight the Britannians for long. Rather, they were to dwindle the imperialists within a set amount of time, and then turn around and feign retreat.
That was when the real counterattack would begin.
Their intended prey now having revealed themselves, it wasn't long before the Britannians reorganized and moved in against their Chinese targets, attacking them from the areas that the Yaoguais weren't able to cover. One after another, Sutherlands and Gloucesters dove inn, either raining bullets and explosives across targets of opportunity, or actually charging in with lances in hand, skewing several of the "tadpoles" in a single pass before moving back once more.
The designated Yaoguai units quickly responded by aiming their machine guns and returning fire against their enemies, causing several of them to topple and crash and/or explode in fiery remains, but it was clear from the onset that the Britannian knightmares dominated the fight—not even the air support provided by the Sanzuwus could change that outcome. The mounting death cries of many Chinese pilots, the rumble of exploding knightmare cores and touched-off ammunition, and the stark sight of dark metal frames tumbling into the bright sand, never to move again, only punctuated that fact.
And then, in a singular flash of light, the entire battlefield shifted. Coming from the direction of Xiaopei, a single golden beam shot through the air, obliterating an entire line of Britannian knightmares as it passed. For a brief moment, the Britannians couldn't help but turn and watch as the Four Beasts, propelled by their superior landspinners, streaked onto the battlefield.
Looking on impassively over the multitude of targets—several of which were now attempting to shoot him—Li flicked the Shenhu's right wrist and launched the mounted 'Sheng Biao' slash harken out, which proceeded to latch onto the nearest enemy knightmare. A moment later, Li swung the Sutherland away. A surge of electricity traveled down the harken wire and into the enemy unit, causing its Yggdrasil drive to fluctuate, explode, and take the whole knightmare down with it. The other Tianshou followed their leader, attacking from the onset with their own 'Sheng Biaos' and destroying several more Britannian units in their wake.
"Hehehe, this isn't so bad!" Bai crowed with gleeful vehemence as he ensnared a Gloucester, swung it into another Sutherland and destroyed both through the ensuing electric shock and detonation. He withdrew the harken and flexed the Shenque's arm. "At least we get to kill more Britannian vermin this way. And on top of that, we're finally getting out of that damn cave!"
"Damn right!" Yin called out with equal bloodlust as she had the Shenlong dive into the midst of three Sutherlands. From there, she whipped her right arm out, the 'Sheng Biao' already spinning rapidly around the wrist, and proceeded to flail the Britannian knightmares to pieces. "Any more time underground and I'll turn into the fucking Ma Gu!"
Behind her, a Gloucester came charging at her with a lance, only to be knocked away with a kick from the Shenwu. The force of the kick was enough to crush the Britannian knightmare's head as well as stun the devicer. Hei took advantage of this by lashing out his own 'Sheng Biao', ensnaring the torso, and then sending out a "light" discharge that disabled the whole system. From there, Hei drew the wire back at a certain angle, flinging the Britannian knightmare across the air and toward the ground, where it impacted right into another Sutherland.
"Do not flatter yourself, Yin." Hei replied dryly to Yin's notion as he continued to attack. "By that exclamation alone, you are far from becoming a Xian, much less the Maiden herself."
Bai followed that up with a laugh as he tore into additional enemies. "Though you would drive people to hemp, we'll give you that much!"
Yin sneered at her brothers as she sent one of her harkens into the cockpit pod of another Sutherland and electrocuted everything inside. "Both of you can go to hell!" she shouted as she flung the now pilotless knightmare toward Hei, who effortlessly knocked it away.
"Retain your focus." Li ordered as he cut the Sutherland, which had miraculously ended up flying at him, apart with a flail attack. As the halves fell around him, the three siblings immediately became serious again. "Now is not the time to bicker amongst yourselves."
"Apologies, Shangdi One." Hei answered in the midst of cutting down yet another Sutherland. The other siblings silently assented to their commander, continuing the fight. By now it seemed like the entirety of the Imperial Army was bearing down on them.
Several minutes into the air battle, Bai noticed a certain detail amongst the seemingly endless Sutherland and Gloucester stream. "This is Tianshou Two," he said, as he looked over his main monitor and sensors. "I'm not detecting any Round units amongst the enemy formation. Can anyone verify?"
Hei looked on as well, raising an eyebrow at his lack of reading. "Confirmed, no seventh generation units amongst the Britannian formation."
"I'm not detecting anything either. Just the usual fodder," Yin replied as well, showing visible disturbance. "Are they lying in wait or something?"
For his part, Li, who had noticed long ago and had remained silent just to see if his followers would also, let out a small smile. "No. They would have long revealed themselves by now." he stated, sounding more reassured than before. "Clearly, this attack was launched without their assent."
Bai glowered in response. "Then who the hell leading the imperialists?"
"Who do you think, dumbshit!?" Yin snapped as she zapped and detonated another Gloucester. "Calares!"
Before Bai could give off a barbed reply of his own, Hei spoke up, a smirk now upon his own lips. "It would appear we have some element of fortune, Shangdi One."
"Yes, but I doubt it will last," Li acknowledged. After taking out his latest opponent, he checked the display to his right, which showed the main battle on the ground. The fight was still under way there, with both the Chinese and Britannians taking losses, though obviously the Chinese numbers were dwindling faster. He scowled as he saw several more red dots disappear from the screen.
It's still too early. Li thought, resisting the urge to call up the second phase of his strategy. We pull back now, the Britannians, even Calares, will suspect a deception. He thought furiously. But at the same time, the more the first phase continues, the more losses we take, on top of what Zero said before.
"Second wave incoming!" Yin shouted as she had the Shenlong look toward the Britannian lines. Sure enough, a full formation of knightmares was speeding toward them, weapons at the ready.
At that, Li took his own advice and retained his focus. In the midst of preparing for the onslaught, he again recalled a quote from China's most beloved general. The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon, which enables it to strike and destroy its victim. he quoted reverently, before adding his own words to it. May my swoop be just as well-timed, as well as precise.
"It's time we became serious." Li announced to his disciples. Right after saying that, he had the Shenhu reach to its left side, withdrawing the jian that was stored there. He then shot forward, directly into the Britannian formation. "Advance!"
"Shì, zhǎngguān tóngzhì!" Hei, Bai and Yin shouted their acknowledgement in one voice, each having their respective knightmare draw their singular weapon as they followed their master. The Shenwu reached to its own back waist and withdrew a guan dao, the pole handle extending to full length so that the Chinese knightmare could spin it overhead as it charged. Beside it, the Shenque reached to its left hip and drew its massive dadao, which it slashed across its front as it eagerly followed its sibling. And last but not least, the Shenlong reached down to both hips and pulled up its twin shuang gous, crossing them across its chest and slashing out in the same manner as its sibling, its pilot hurtling his machine forward at full speed.
From there, many more Britannians would fall as the Four Beasts ravaged their way into their enemies' midst.
Black Knights mobile battleship Izumo
Duchy of Jiangsu, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
Its Gefjun Disturber engaged, the Izumo quietly continued its trek away from Xiaopei, the flashes growing more and more distant behind her. They had slipped away just as the CLA forces had launched their counterattack—specifically when it was confirmed Tianzi was safely aboard. The Britannians were ignorant of it all; the fact none of their air units had pursued made that clear enough. Even so, the atmosphere throughout the ship remained tense as the crew remained at battlestations, knowing full well that, as had happened once before, the enemy might suddenly detect them at any time.
That same intensity lingered on the bridge, but for a different reason. That reason was displayed on the main monitor, in multiple vidscreens: footage of the battle in progress, supplied from both Xiaopei and the Izumo's ELINT systems. With the Izumo's helm set to autopilot and all other systems under automation, the entirety of the bridge crew's focus was on that monitor, watching with bated breath as the CLA continued the fight against the superior enemy force.
Sitting upon his own command chair at the rear of the bridge, Lelouch himself watched the battle with attentive eyes. He had to admit, in spite of his multiple warnings and assessments passed along to Li, the Chinese were fighting better than he had expected. Yes, they were practicing standard Chinese massed warfare, but as opposed to fighting like a crazed and disorganized Mongol horde, the CLA formations were more akin to a swarm of ants. All movement was coordinated and all attacks were synchronized for maximum effect, such that instead of the Britannians fighting one Yaoguai or Qilin after another, it seemed like they were fighting hundreds at the same time. Admittedly, the Chinese were still taking great losses, but at least they were inflicting just as much harm on the Britannians, their collective efforts making up for their lacking individual skills.
And then there were the so-called Four Beasts, who had formed into the spear tip of the Chinese counterassault. In fact, the four seventh generation knightmares were outright dominating the land around Xiaopei, to the point that Britannian knightmares were falling in great masses. Lelouch was especially surprised with their performance—it wasn't just Li who was a great fighter, but the other three, the Tianshou, were also displaying considerable skill with their respective machines. They were worthy disciples of the Chinese Tiger.
"Xingke..." Lelouch heard a slight murmur from beside him, as Tianzi kept watch of the battle herself. In the interests of diplomacy, Lelouch had allowed her on the bridge so long as she didn't disrupt operations, which was unlikely to occur. Outside of that singular exclamation, she had been completely silent since boarding the Izumo.
Further back, Lelouch saw Kallen leaning against the side wall of the bridge. She looked toward the former Chairwoman with something akin to concern and pity, and then glanced at Lelouch. Deliberately ignoring her and Tianzi's exclamation, Lelouch looked toward the bridge center. "Colonel Chawla." he spoke to Rakshata, who was as always lounging on her couch. "I believe it was your design team that created the Four Beasts."
Rakshata, who had been twirling her tobacco pipe between her fingers, suddenly stopped the motion and looked over cautiously. It was never a good thing when Zero referred to her formally, even in front of a dignitary. "Yes, after being forced into cooperation." she acknowledged. "What about it?"
"Perhaps now would be a good time to explain their capabilities." Lelouch stated, in a tone that was more an order than a suggestion. He was still fairly cross over finding out the Four Beasts' existence only days ago, and it showed in his tone. Several of the bridge crew fidgeted as a result; even Ohgi and Minami showed some obvious discomfort.
For her part, Rakshata took it in stride, shrugging and getting up from her couch. "As you wish, Zero. Though there's not much to tell." She reached into her labcoat and withdrew a remote. Tapping a switch, she caused a new display to appear on the main monitor, which showed each of the Four Beasts in the current battle. "The Si Shou, or Four Beasts, are a seventh generation knightmare series specifically intended to counter the Britannian Lancelot. They were developed just after I created the Guren Isshikis for the JLF, but before the creation of the Guren Nishiki."
In spite of the circumstances around those machines, Rakshata allowed a certain amount of her usual pride into her voice. "Besides the usual heightened performance and refined mechanics of the seventh generation, these knightmares each utilize advanced baryon technology."
"Baryon tech?" Kallen questioned.
Rakshata nodded. "A predecessor to Britannian hadron weaponry. It had been experimented on in Britannia since the turn of the century, but was never adapted because of certain...instabilities."
Tianzi, who had momentarily stopped watching the battle to listen, clearly didn't like the sound of that. "May I presume you addressed those 'instabilities' before passing those machines over to the CLA, Colonel Chawla?" she inquired, her voice devoid of its usual warmth. Quite the contrary, compared to Zero's earlier directness, the edge in Tianzi's tone was far more unnerving, much to the surprise of those around her.
In the face of the former Chairwoman's ire, the older Indian woman gave off a condescending smirk. "Of course, Madam Chairwoman. I would never dream of handing volatile weapons over to you Chinese," Tianzi's eyes narrowed in response, and Rakshata's smirk only grew wider. "Just as I would never hope you would blow yourselves to Naraka with them."
"Colonel." Lelouch entered in, hoping to head off yet another conflict between China and India.
Rakshata let out an annoyed huff while her oft-ignored conscience nagged her. As much as she despised the Chinese, she knew there was no point in harassing Tianzi—out of everyone, she had the least to do with Mumbai and the Federation's oppression of her people. That and she had a right to take issue, considering her primary supporter and three bodyguards were now piloting those machines.
She adopted a lecturing tone, pointing the end of her pipe at the main screen. "As you can tell, all four units share the same basic frame, performance and weaponry, i.e. those rope dart style slash harkens. However, besides some minor cosmetic differences, each unit is differentiated by its primary melee weapon..." she again smirked. "...and its intended purpose."
She tapped a switch, causing a detailed image of the Shenhu, complete with stat box on the right side, appear on the main monitor. "The first unit is the Shenhu. Of the four, it is meant to be the Ultimate Offensive Unit, providing the main source of firepower among the Beasts."
Another tap on the remote caused the knightmare's center torso to be highlighted. "Besides the slash harkens and jian, its primary weapon is the baryon cannon in its torso. Though functionally similar to a hadron cannon, this weapon has a longer range and greater power per shot, though the cost is a longer recharge rate. One shot would be enough to pierce a shipboard 'Blaze Luminous' shield."
Rakshata then tapped another switch, bringing up the second in the line. This unit was differentiated from the Shenhu by holding two head fins at the sides of its head as opposed to its brother's singular 'mohawk', slightly bulkier armor, and different mask design. "The second unit is the Shenwu. This knightmare is meant to be the Ultimate Defensive Unit, and so essentially acts as a mobile shield."
The arms were then highlighted. "While its own melee weapon is a guan dao, its primary feature is the baryon shield projectors in its arms. As you can probably guess, this is a direct predecessor to the Britannian 'Blaze Luminous'. Through the manipulation of baryons, the Shenwu is capable of creating an elaborate series of shields. In turn, it can use these shields in a myriad of ways, from defending itself and its allies to ensnaring enemy units, to even offensive attacks."
She couldn't help but smugly grin at her handiwork. "Indeed, this little tortoise is faster and far more innovative than any hare." She ignored the eye-rolling around her, raising her remote again.
The third in line quickly followed. This unit possessed three head fins and larger shoulder armor than the other two. It too had its own unique mask design. "The third unit is the Shenque. It's meant to be the Ultimate Support Unit, and thus specializes in electronic warfare." The shoulders were quickly highlighted. "It is armed with a dadao and its unique feature is its baryon field system."
"Baryon Field System?" Ohgi parroted, looking confused.
Rakshata nodded. "Yes. When activated, this system generates baryons, which have been modified to cause an electromagnetic wave effect over a wide area of space, forming an EM field kilometers in size. Any electronics within it or in proximity would be affected, save for any units that are modified to withstand it." Again she couldn't help but smile at her handiwork. "At its lowest setting, the field neutralizes the sensors and communication systems of anything that's vulnerable. At its highest setting, it holds a similar effect to a Gefjun Disturber: all electronics and internal mechanics are effectively disabled."
Lelouch nodded at that. So, that's the unit Li used to get around Argus. he thought as he continued to look over the Shenque's impressive statistics. It all made sense now.
"And last but not least, we have the Shenlong." Rakshata continued, before shifting over to the fourth and final unit. This one was easily the meanest-looking of the four. Its armor was sharp and jagged in different areas, its head possessed four fins, fittingly arranged in a dragon horn style, and just like its brethren, it had its own unique mask design.
"This one is meant to be the Ultimate Power Unit and is emphasized for melee combat, even more than the others. Besides the twin shuang gous, its defining feature is the baryon booster system." The screen highlighted the knightmare's center orb. "Upfront the Shenlong's basic performance is no different from the other three. However, upon activation, the Long Xin will transmit baryon fueled energy throughout the frame, from the Yggdrasil drive to the basic mechanical systems to the exterior armor. The result is the Shenlong's performance being augmented three times over."
In the back, Kallen whistled at that, clearly impressed. Rakshata shot her a smile over her shoulder—she had always appreciated compliments. "Besides this performance boost, the Long Xin holds another effect. As the Shenlong maneuvers, it will shed the excess baryons from its armor. This effectively leaves likenesses—or rather afterimages—of the Shenlong across its path. In turn, these afterimages hold the exact same heat and electronic signature as the Shenlong; as such, they not only confuse the Shenlong's movements to the human eye, but they also fluctuate and confuse sensor systems, making the Shenlong almost impossible to track or lock on."
With that, Rakshata tapped her remote again, creating a new screen, which displayed images of the Four Beasts in battle. "And that, in a nutshell, are the Four Beasts. Any questions?"
"Yes," Minami spoke up. "If these things are so advanced, then why hasn't the CLA used them before the war?"
He peered through his glasses at Tianzi, frowning. "If you had fielded those four at Fukuoka, you would have easily taken out the Lancelot and given us far more difficulty in storming the base. Surely there's a good reason why you didn't."
"There was," Tianzi admitted slowly. "The Four Beasts are the most advanced weapons the CLA has ever obtained. In fact, one could say they are too advanced: for the longest time, none of our pilots were able to understand their control systems, let alone utilize them effectively. We even lost two test pilots during the evaluation period."
She let out a sigh. "As such, we were forced to place them into storage, where they remained until the CLA went rogue. Even then it took General Li and the Tianshou well over a year before they could pilot them at optimum levels."
Lelouch silently pondered this as he continued to watch the battle, where the four knightmares in question continued to lay waste to the Britannians around them while the CLA ground units kept up their own fight. Certainly, the machines were state-of-the-art; there was no question Rakshata had outdone herself for her hosts. However, one question remained in Lelouch's mind: how long would they and their pilots last against what had yet to appear?
Li grit his teeth as more bullets and explosives smashed against his right slash harken, which was now spinning to form an impromptu shield. With responding fury, he twisted the Shenhu and brandished his jian, slashing his way through the line with practiced technique.
As he continued his attack, a lance wielding Gloucester came charging in from behind him. Even amidst the slaughter, Li noticed its approach, and while he could easily have turned around and taken the Gloucester out with a slash harken strike, he refrained from doing so. The reason became apparent only a few moments later when the Shenwu landed from above and, reaching out with its free hand, generated a large, transparently golden-colored shield segmented into a hexagonal grid pattern. No more than a split-second later, the Gloucester slammed against the shield, its lance shattering upon impact, while the force of the Gloucester's own collision caused it to break up as well. The cockpit pod ejected as the remnants rained to the ground.
Smirking minutely at his triumph, Hei had the Shenwu drop its shield before charging at additional targets, using his guan dao to strike while defending with his energy shields. Occasionally he would use his shields as an offensive force in themselves, either sending them flying out to slam against targets or performing elaborate maneuvers to ensnare them. In one such performance, Hei flew in a circle around a set of targets, generating shields in a complete three hundred-sixty degree angle. After that, the shields constricted and minimized, to the point that they effectively crushed the enemy knightmares within.
Then, without even breaking his focus, Hei raised his left hand behind and generated a shield. A short moment later, a Sutherland came crashing in from the back, its chassis shattering upon impact.
At that, the Shenque—having knocked said knightmare away with a great kick— brandished its dadao and flew away to join the Shenlong in dispatching additional foes. As much as he wanted to, Bai knew it was too early for him to unleash his knightmare's special power, so he settled for dealing with the Britannians the old-fashioned way. Twirling the dadao around in a series of dance-like movements, he cut into whatever enemy knightmare was in reach, occasionally falling back on his slash harkens to either detonate targets through an electrical surge or draw them in to be cut down.
Yin roared as she tore apart a Sutherland's head with the crooks of her shuang gous. She was then forced to move away as its partner came charging in with its stun tonfas, but not before lashing out with her slash harken and detonating her target. Both knightmares were obliterated in the resulting explosion.
"He Chu Sheng Zajiao De Zanghuo!" she taunted her attackers as she continued the fight. She wasn't sure if her opponents had digitized Chinese-Britannian translators within their cockpits, but they responded with increased firepower all the same, not to mention the additional numbers flying toward her direction.
She smirked at the oncoming legion before her. Right into my claws. she thought as she tapped a switch on her control panel. A second later, her center display lit up with the hanzi characters for "Longxin" cast against a red background.
All at once, the Shenlong's chassis shifted into a full golden color, while an almost mystical, equally golden glow extended from its armor. Chest orb emanating a light of its own, the Shenlong took off toward its prey in a near blur, a line of afterimages streaming behind it as it did so. The Britannian knightmares all opened fire with their machine guns and bazookas, but it was for naught, as the Chinese unit danced around their shots, letting them pass through its afterimages as if they were smoke.
Laughing loudly at her targets, Yin quickly went back onto the offensive, using her sheng gous to cut down a pair of Sutherlands as she passed. Her third victim was a Gloucester, whose machinegun-wielding right hand she hacked off. She then cut the machine apart at the waist, letting its lower torso fall to the ground and sinking one of her hook swords into its cockpit. However, rather than let go, she swung the dead remnants of the knightmare into another Gloucester, the force of which caved in that knightmare's entire upper torso and caused the Yggdrasil drive to go critical and explode. Additional Sutherlands attempted to fire on her to avenge their comrades, but again their shots fell upon afterimages.
"Běnrén qiángdà rú lóng!" Yin called out as she continued the slaughter on her lonesome, several more Britannian units either exploding or falling in pieces as she moved. From the ground, it appeared as though entire lines of flashes were erupting across the ground, while the metal remnants rained like a torrent. "Bùyào mìng de lái ba!"
"Tianshou Three, don't overdo it!" Hei called out as he himself impaled another Sutherland on his guan dao, freeing the weapon before his enemy exploded. "If you overextend the Long Xin, your knightmare will be too drained to continue fighting!"
"It's alright, Tianshou One! I'm keeping an eye out!" Yin replied as she cut across three Gloucesters in barely a split second. The display in front of her now held two circle energy gauges as well as a timer below. At this strength, she could only keep the Long Xin active for another three minutes and forty-three seconds (the maximum allotment being five minutes), but now Yin would only able to continue for one more minute. Once the timer completely ran out, the Long Xin would be unusable for the rest of the battle.
Li took notice of his subordinate's words and actions, but said nothing. If Yin was foolish enough to spend all her energy in this part of the fight, then she only warranted the consequences. Besides, he had more important things to do.
It's time. he thought, sparing a glance over his ground troops from above. "This is Shangdi One." Li called out over the radio, switching back over to his baryon cannon. "All units, proceed to Stage Two."
As he spoke that command, he turned the Shenhu toward the Britannian lines and fired the Hu Hao. In milliseconds, the golden beam traveled across the air and washed over several Sutherlands and Gloucesters at once, causing them to explode in a stream of flickering lights.
Letting out an almost primal battlecry, Hong continued to firing with his Yaoguai's guns as he and the rest of his force continued the attack. By now the Britannians were effectively hammering the CLA battle lines, their numerous superiorities starting to set in. Off to the right, Hong watched as two Yaoguais were blasted apart by bazooka-toting Sutherlands, while to the left another one was skewered by the thrown lance of a Gloucester. Hong cursed, turning his guns on the offender. Despite his enemy's superior mobility, he managed to avenge his comrade's death in kind, blasting its left leg off with one of his cannons and allowing one of the other knightmares of his personal unit to finish it off.
"You imperialist dogs are going to have to try a lot harder if you want to beat us!" he roared at the top of his voice, continuing to unleash all manner of firepower upon the Britannian ranks. A few more knightmares fell before that onslaught, but several more fired back in kind, they themselves maneuvering on their gyroscopic landspinners to avoid the Chinese rushing attacks. It really was an all-out melee.
More explosions soon sounded out around Hong's knightmare, causing the general to turn his machine's upper torso around—his lower half was still moving along with the Yaoguai swarm—to see three float-equipped knightmares approach. He sneered at them as he angled his machine guns upward and let loose. However, he was only able to strike down one Sutherland of the trio, and that one nearly crashed into his formation. Hong and the other Chinese pilots were only just able to veer around it, moving like a river around a jutted rock.
Above them, the Shenhu once more fired its powerful baryon cannon, the beam of which tore through the atmosphere and vaporized a number of the oncoming Sutherlands. Unfortunately, there were still many opponents left, and the remaining knightmares regrouped and returned fire. Instinctively Hong ordered his unit to go into evasive maneuvers, which constituted to synchronized zig-zagging in order to avoid the meteor-like bullets and shells.
Some in the formation made it, while those that didn't were skirted around by the former. Again Hong wished he had a more advanced knightmare, if only so he could fight the Britannians on equal ground. For now, however, all he and the others could do was return fire with their machineguns, forcing the Sutherlands to scatter in order to avoid Chinese counterattacks. Fortunately, this allowed another Yaoguai formation to strike down two of the Sutherlands with their own machinegun fire, while others were forced into evasion in order to both continue their attack and to avoid the CLA knightmares' barrage.
Naturally, Hong was assertive on the latter. Directing his formation to turn around, once again appearing like a river of green metal, Hong and his subordinates now had a fair vantage point against the Britannians. Hong immediately had his formation divide into two bodies, executing a perfect pincer attack with their machineguns. This time they managed to surprise most of the Britannian units, with those that evaded in time once more getting cut down by separate formations. Moments later, there was nothing left of that Britannian unit but scattered and bullet hole-stricken remnants across the ground.
And yet even that made little difference, as more Britannian units came charging in. Bellowing a roar of pure rage, Hong quickly put his Yaoguai into a combined charge at the new arrivals, the front units letting loose with their machine guns and cannons with abandon. More Britannian knightmares fell, yet even more CLA knightmares fell in front of them. Hong himself was nearly one of the latter when a Sutherland launched a rifle grenade at his position, the explosion nearly obliterating his entire right side had he not jinked in time. Seemingly angered, the Sutherland threw away its machine gun, extended its tonfas, and lunged at Hong's knightmare.
That's when Hong performed a maneuver that was most unexpected by the Britannian pilot. Turning his knightmare's upper torso toward his attacker, Hong deployed the twin manipulator arms that were concealed underneath his Yaoguai's cockpit. Thus, when the Sutherland attempted to drop its tonfa down upon the larger and bulkier Chinese knightmare, the Yaoguai simply grabbed its foe's arms with its own, the claw-like assemblies gripping hard against the Britannian's appendages. Before it could break the deadlock through its superior mobility, Hong had his arms automatically lift the Britannian knightmare off the ground, hanging it in midair as if it were a doll, all the while the enemy pilot struggled to break free.
"Wasn't expecting that, were you?" Hong asked smugly, knowing that this particular feature of the Yaoguai's was not well known by outsiders. He then promptly maneuvered his captive right in front one of his cannon barrels. One blast later, all that remained of the Sutherland were shards of metal that rained against the speeding Yaoguai's chassis like hail on a metal roof.
"This is Shangdi One." Li's voice called out over the radio. "All units proceed to Stage Two."
About time. Hong admonished in thought. "You heard Shangdi One. All units proceed!"
At first, it seemed the Chinese response to that order was to keep up the fight: the Yaoguais continued their charges while the scattered Britannian forces attempted to round them in. Then, as one of the swarms veered in a turn, two Yaoguais suddenly split away from the formation and went into a dead run back toward Xiaopei. A moment later, three more Yaoguais joined in that run, and then four more from another formation, and then seven more from yet another. Minutes into this, it seemed as though more and more Yaoguais were abandoning their comrades and falling back, while apparent cries to retreat and survive in Chinese filled the open airwaves.
Meanwhile, the Shenhu again fired its baryon cannon, this time its target was one of the Britannian land cruisers. All at once, the landship's armor buckled and collapsed, allowing the beam to continue on and burn a large hole through the mobile fortress. The end result was a great explosion not unlike that of a second sun.
Britannian Formidable-class land battleship Fairfax
Duchy of Fujian, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
"The Invictus has been destroyed!" an operator called out as soon as the flash died down.
Well, no shit! Calares wanted to yell in response as he lowered his hand, which he had covered his eyes with against the sudden glare. The landship in question had been on the Fairfax's right side, and thus when it exploded, much of the glare had erupted onto the flagship's bridge. It was only real good luck that the damnable Shenhu, which Li himself was no doubt piloting, hadn't hit the Fairfax itself with that shot. "Increase barrage! I want the Shenhu and its ilk shot down, now!"
"Just a minute sir, something's happening...!" another operator called out, scanning his monitor as if to make sure he were looking at it right. Immediately both Calares and MacArthur took particular interest. "It looks like the CLA forces are retreating, sir!"
All attention turned to the main monitor, where it indeed showed the hostile red dots drawing away from friendly formation of blue dots. However, to the operator's credit at not identifying right away, they weren't doing so in a tactically efficient manner—if anything, it looked like the reds were all but running over each other, the efficient lines and formations they had been fighting in now disintegrating as more and more Yaoguais and tanks drew away from the swarm, moving in the opposite direction as fast as they could manage. So sloppy and disorganized was the retreat that there was but one conclusion left to the bridge crew.
"That's it, then." MacArthur grinned viciously, his shades gleaming. "The chinks have lost their nerve and are running for it! Hell, I'd wager one of their unit commanders was the first to bolt!"
Calares smirked as well. It figured that the lowly Twenty-Two troops would run when the fighting got tough. Or more specifically, it figured Li would make it seem that way. Despite what certain people thought of him, Calares wasn't an idiot; he knew when he was being lured, and the footage he had seen of Shentu and several other battles Li had taken personal part in only reinforced that feeling.
His educated guess was Li was deliberately drawing him closer to Xiaopei, likely to get him into range of the base's powerful artillery, which it was guaranteed to possess. A rather obvious tactic in Calares' opinion, but he had to admit his nemesis concealed it well with his randomized retreat. Good enough to fool lower intellects like MacArthur, but Calares wasn't so easy to trick.
And so, now that he was confronted with the Chinese Tiger's own trap, what was Calares to do? Spring the trap, of course. "Have the forward lines advance immediately!" Calares ordered MacArthur, a dominant smile across his lips. "No way in hell we're wasting this opportunity."
MacArthur matched that smile before turning and repeating those orders to the bridge crew.
Just as expected. Li thought as he saw the Britannian forces begin to move as one, pursuing the retreating Chinese forces with impunity. Calares was so predictable, in both tactics and character, that Li could have scripted the entire battle beforehand. That being said, he still needed to be delicate here—there was always a chance, albeit a slim one, that Calares would catch on to his real plan and pull his forces back accordingly.
And of course, there was always having to stay live to see said plan through. He was brutally reminded of that last part when a Sutherland, both tonfas extended, came flying in to club the Shenhu's cockpit block. Li responded by leaping up and over the Britannian knightmare and flicking out one of his harkens, the result being the Sutherland's detonation not long after. And as if on cue, several more Britannian knightmares came in after, their pilots all wishing to add the Chinese Tiger to their kill numbers.
"Huxue, come in." Li called out to Xiaopei, all the while continuing to fight the Britannians around him. It wasn't too hard, especially when Hei and Bai both moved in to support their superior. For her part, Yin was still butchering Britannians on her own, the Shenlong's baryon booster still active.
"This is Huxue. Go ahead, Shangdi One." Zhou answered from within Xiaopei's control center, her face appearing in a vidscreen on Li's monitor.
"Begin Phase Three on my mark. Set firing coordinates for Sectors Èr and Sān, all designated target zones." Li ordered as he stabbed another Sutherland through the cockpit block, ripping his jian away so he could cut off one of its float wings and letting the stricken knightmare fall with the rest.
Zhou remained silent for a moment, working up the will to speak up again. "Shangdi One, may I suggest utilizing the Shenque's baryon field to neutralize the Britannians up front?" she spoke with certain concern. "If we continue this strategy..."
"We will be revealing our main defenses to the enemy, yes, I know." Li stated tersely, somewhat agitated that Zhou would bring the subject up in the middle of battle. Even so, he knew his subordinate general had a point, and so gave his explanation. "The whole point of this is to narrow down the enemy numbers before deploying the Que Bang. If we deploy it before and the Que Bang somehow is neutralized, then Calares will have retained his troops and we will be back to fighting a superior enemy force."
He then smirked knowingly. "Besides, we're abandoning Xiaopei as it is, so why not give the Britannians their due on our way out?"
Zhou nodded dully. She knew she had broken protocol by bringing the subject up at all, and that Li had essentially favored her by explaining his strategy, but she and those around her had needed to hear it all the same. "I understand, Shangdi One." she said. "Moving onto Phase Three...now."
And thus, further back from the current battlefield, the earth began to move in several areas. All across the land, soil rippled and rose, parting to reveal several disc-shaped objects to the open air. Each of them opened on their sides, revealing a collection of heavy weaponry that ran from simple howitzers to heavy mortars, ground-to-ground missile pods, anti-aircraft guns, and SAM batteries.
Once they had risen from the earth, the turrets each twisted around until their openings and symbiotic gunnery platforms faced toward the battlefield. From there, the firing coordinates were factored in by their attending controllers, angling the large guns and mortars towards predetermined areas and locking the missiles and flak guns onto the heat and radar signatures of certain targets.
Eventually, it only came down to the order to fire, which was immediately given by Zhou.
Britannian Formidable-class land battleship Fairfax
Duchy of Fujian, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
Once more the bridge of the Fairfax shook as explosions slammed into their targets in close proximity. This time, however, Calares was better prepared for it, having expected what had just happened.
Sometimes I hate being right. Calares thought as he gripped the arms of his chair. "What was that!?" he bellowed, momentarily feigning ignorance. After all, historical accounts on battlefield commanders tended to look better if the commanders were caught by surprise at one or two points.
"Incoming fire from Xiaopei! Looks like enemy artillery!" one of the operators called out. By now the entire bridge crew was working feverishly at their respective stations. Unlike Calares, they actually hadn't seen it coming.
"Put it on the main monitor!" MacArthur called out, gripping the nearby support rail for dear life. Judging by his current state—hat and glasses askew on his head, his pipe strewn across the floor—he too hadn't foreseen this. It didn't stop him from picking up his pipe with a blistering curse.
The main monitor quickly flickered, displaying data collected from a nearby ELINT drone and select forward units. The screen quickly became filled with the cylindrical turrets as their host vehicles and installations fired off shells and rockets toward the battlefield. Accompanying that were images of Britannian knightmares and vehicles getting blown to smithereens all over the battlefield, all the while the Chinese Yaoguais, their lower halves driving toward Xiaopei and their upper halves firing back at the Britannians, continued their 'retreat' as well. The Chinese had well and truly lured the Britannians into their trap, or so it seemed.
Needless to say, shock was now paramount across the Fairfax's bridge. "Where in Nelson's Grave did that come from!?" MacArthur quietly exclaimed, just loud enough for only Calares to hear and not the rest of the crew.
Calares couldn't help but inwardly smirk at his subordinate's shock. "Well, they did have seven years to plan their defenses, as well as an abundance of 'obsolete' armor to utilize." he offered with a shrug. He had to admit it was a pretty well thought out defense: each of the turrets had a full three-hundred-sixty degree range of fire, and the flatlands of Xiaopei, which were only broken up by the occasional sand dune or lone mountain, offered a nearly unlimited field of attack. And on top of that, the turrets were well camouflaged and gave very little (if any) sensor signature, thus ensuring the Britannians could not isolate them and counterattack.
If Calares guessed right, Xiaopei was defended by a full ring of those turrets and entrenched batteries, ensuring that even if the Britannians had laid siege the fortress, they would not be able to take it so easily. Unfortunately, by revealing those turrets, they had also revealed their hand prematurely. And Calares was already sitting back with kings and aces. "Tactical." he ordered, which caused the screen to flicker into an overhead gridline of the battle. "Show me the firing zones of that artillery."
Immediately a number of red fields flickered into view, displaying the areas where Chinese artillery was concentrated the most. Again Calares couldn't help but be impressed; the artillery was designed to hit their largest battle lines the most. There was only one strategy to follow there. "Send that data to the second line, and have them advance accordingly." Then on a whim, he then added: "Better yet, have all our ground forces advance accordingly."
"We're sending in the rear lines as well?" MacArthur asked, frowning.
"Why not?" Calares asked, leaning his head against his left fist. "It's not like Li has anything else to throw at us."
He had no idea how those words would come back to haunt him.
Bai had just finished slashing a Sutherland down the middle with his dadao when something on his side monitor caught his eye. At first, he thought it was just the Britannians' forward lines picking up speed as they advanced on the retreating Yaoguais and Xiaopei itself. However, when he deigned to turn and look, he felt his eyes widen. "Wǒ cào!" he exclaimed.
The Britannians were advancing alright, but contrary to his original thought, it wasn't just the forward units. From his view, it looked like the whole Britannian ground force was moving forward, including the rearguard. An entire mass of cobalt blue metal, skimming across the ground at full speed, completely uncaring of what might have laid in front of them.
"Shangdi One, are you seeing this?" he called out to his master and siblings by proxy, disbelief apparent in his voice.
"Indeed I am, Tianshou Two." Li answered just after electrocuting a Gloucester, a predatory smirk on his face. His plan was working far better than even he had anticipated.
"I believe the Britannians have a term for this." Hei commented with a smirk of his own, he himself spearing a pair of Sutherlands at once and then flinging them away before they exploded. "'Leeroy Jenkins', or something to that effect."
"You and your fucking online game addiction, Hei." Yin retorted with distaste, the shockwave of an explosion rippling the air behind her. She had already disengaged the Long Xin, though she could still reengage it for one and a half more minutes.
"Enough." Li preemptively ordered, knowing that it would only cause unnecessary comm chatter. If he was going to pull this off right, he needed to concentrate. "Shangdi One to Huxue, standby for Yǐ Kēng execution on my mark."
"Standing by, Shangdi One." Zhou acknowledged from the other end, holding out her hand toward a certain operator, whose own hand was positioned close to a certain button on his station control panel.
At the same time, Li tapped select buttons on his own control panel, which worked to position a tactical map of Xiaopei on the overhead of his central monitor. Just as he had seen visually, the blue mass that represented the Britannian forward units were moving ahead altogether; only the landships remained behind, as their advance was not required. On the opposite end were the red masses that represented Hong's Yaoguai forces and the remaining armor contingents, plus isolated red dots to represent Xiaopei's artillery sites, which were still firing at their designated zones. And finally, there was a line of dark red circles in the center of the map, which the Britannians were just about to enter—or rather, unknowingly being herded into by the aforementioned artillery. They had no idea what laid in store for them.
Though he continued fighting, dispatching several more knightmares with ease, Li never took his attention away from that map. As patient as his sobriquet before the kill, he waited and watched as more and more Britannian units entered those circles, holding back his command until the time was right. Throughout it all, the anticipation tempted him to give off his command early—if only to see its effect firsthand—but he refused that temptation. Calares had effectively condemned his entire ground force to destruction, and Li would have been a fool if he sprung his trap before they were all within reach.
Only when the last Britannian formation was within the red zone did Li give his command. "Execute."
Several years ago, when the fortress was first being constructed, a group of geographers had discovered and lined out a series of underground rivers within Xiaopei and its flatlands. At the time, this attracted little attention, as the lack of inhabitants within Xiaopei had invalidated them as water sources. As such, the rivers were documented and then promptly forgotten. At least until seven years ago.
When Li first came to Xiaopei, he found that the fortress was very much outdated and lacking in proper defenses, and so spent the first two years of the war in refurbishing his new base. In order to avoid detection, most of the renovations took place underground, which meant a lot of tunneling and remapping the area; it was from this, alongside leftover records from the initial construction, that the underground rivers were rediscovered once more. The other CLA commanders 'merely' saw the rivers as an adequate drinking water reservoir for Xiaopei's garrison, but for Li, the rivers presented something even more: an unconventional means of defense.
Thus the Yǐ Kēng, or Antlion Pits. By placing several explosives in key places around the river, Li had the means of employing the very land of his nation toward obstructing the Britannians. Though he held certain disgust in his knowledge that Zero had utilized similar tactics during the Japanese Insurrection, this did not prevent Li from projecting his plan to the fullest.
And so it was presented here.
Upon the detonation of those explosives, the earth began to shake and shift violently underneath the Britannian forces, halting the advance as the forward units tried to figure out what was going on. They found out soon enough.
In sequence, the ground collapsed with a violent hiss, the soil shifting downward like an avalanche and drawing in the Britannians with them. Entire knightmares and lines of armored vehicles sank into the shifting soil, the efforts of their pilots to escape entirely null even as they screamed into their radios for help. Even slash harkens were ineffective in drawing the knightmares out: even if they reached the stable ground outside the pits, there was nothing solid enough for them to latch on to.
In its entirety, the Britannian ground forces disappeared underneath the earth, with those who were not immediately crushed by the earth's weight either doomed to fall into the sweeping underground rivers or to be forever trapped beneath the surface, their cockpits becoming their tombs.
Britannian Formidable-class land battleship Fairfax
Duchy of Fujian, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
The screams and cries of terror were high and panicked, and the accompanying imagery horrifying to behold. The former filled the bridge's overhead speaker system with a vengeance, while the latter played out on the main monitor for the aghast bridge crew to see firsthand. One after another, knightmares, tanks, troop carriers and all other manner of ground craft sank in the churning earth, their occupants screaming out for aid as they did. Only when the craft was swallowed completely did the screams silence, as the comm. line to that particular unit was cut.
For the first time in the entire battle, Calares had no words to say, nor thoughts to process. Looking up with the same dread that had settled over the Fairfax's crew, he could only watch as his knightmares and vehicles sank into the earth, their pilots and support crew doomed to certain death beneath the surface. He knew they were beyond help; with the Four Beasts still present, he couldn't hope to send units in for rescue. And that assumed they could reach the forward units in time, much less pull them out without getting drawn into the shifting terrain themselves.
No, no, no, no, no! was the only thing running through his head, still unable to grasp that this was happening. On his watch, no less.
Beside him, MacArthur stood stunned, his pipe dropping out of his mouth. This time he didn't move to retrieve it, his eyes completely glued to the forward screens. "That Twenty-Two chink son of a bitch...!" was all he himself could exclaim, his anger slowly overcoming his shock. "He played us! The bastard fucking played us...!"
When he heard it, that very conclusion wormed its way into Calares' mind like the Devil's temptations. All too late he realized Li had completely exploited and manipulated him like a marionette—from the onset of the battle, his nemesis had molded events to build upon Calares' overconfidence and ego. The initial attack and false retreat had been to make Calares believe Li to be as incompetent and unimaginative as any other CLA general, while the artillery salvo both bolstered that image further as well as herded Calares' forces into the kill zones. Several underground detonations later, and Calares' ground forces—and likely his career—were well and truly buried.
That wretch played me! Calares' mind screamed in silence, not even realizing he was echoing his hated subordinates' words. He played me like a goddamn Stradivarius!
And then, at long last, the final unit sank beneath the earth. That unit was a Sutherland that had reached out toward the air as it sank, as if trying to grab hold of some invisible object. The outstretched arm was the last part of it to go down, its entire length traveling down into the sand like that of a drowning man in an ocean. Nothing else remained once its metal fingertips disappeared underneath the ground.
With that realization and final image in mind, Calares felt his rage begin to overtake him. Only Prince Schneizel and Prince Lelouch should have been that skilled in that kind of manipulation, not some Number peasant from one of the most destitute civilizations to ever exist! The mere thought—alongside seeing his troops sink into the ground like something out of Edinburgh Jones—made Calares clench his teeth together and grasp the arms of his chair with great force.
At that point, he no longer cared about his career, his personal image, or even potential reassignment from Area 22. He just wanted blood.
"How many units do we have left?" Calares growled out the question, death cast from his eyes. Even MacArthur unconsciously flinched from Calares' tone.
"Eight knightmare squadrons and four gunship squadrons, sir." an operator hesitantly informed him, voice quivering both from recent events and his general's demeanor.
Calares wasn't sure what good those would do against the Four Beasts, but he didn't care. "Send them all out."
"But sir...!" someone started to protest.
"I SAID SEND THEM OUT!" Calares bellowed, the fury of his tone not to be contested. "Focus them on the Shenhu! I want Li's head on a goddamn platter!"
By the time MacArthur bent down to pick up his pipe once more, those very Sutherlands, Gloucesters and Vipers were launching off from the landships.
"Once more, predictable." Li muttered in distaste as he watched the incoming knightmares and gunships move in to support those already in the fight. Not that he didn't expect anything more from Calares, especially now that his ego has been firmly bruised. "Tianshou Two."
"I'm on it!" Bai called out, the Shenque moving ahead. At long last, he got to use his knightmare's unique power. "Shall I go for full power, Shangdi One? A couple dozen Brits freezing up helplessly would be an awesome sight!"
That did sound like a beautiful sight, Li had to admit, but as much as he wanted to witness it, it would have been just as costly to his side. "Negative, you'll affect us as well." he stated. "Just jam them."
Bai sighed, disappointed. "Very well." he muttered as he had the Shenque take station. "Engaging baryon field system, medium output!" he called out, a special gauge on his side monitor displaying the Que Bang's power output at mid-levels.
Just after saying that, the Shenque's chest orb began to glow. At the same time, plates in his knightmare's shoulder pauldrons opened up, revealing the veins underneath them and causing the first glimmers of golden baryons beginning to disperse. As each second passed, the baryons became more and more numerous, their distribution now taking on a vaguely wing-like shape.
"Shàngshēng Què Bǎng!" Bai called out again, this time merely for drama's sake. Stylishly spinning the Shenque around once, arms now outstretched, he put the Que Bang into maximum dispersion. The once small, unshapely wings now stretched out seemingly across the air, arcing upward as if taking flight and generating multiple 'feathers' across their lengths, inadvertently causing the Shenque to live up to its namesake.
Soon the entire sky became filled with golden baryons, reaching out in tendrils of apparent fire and transience across the whole of Xiaopei. Before those tendrils, the incoming Britannian units came to a complete stop, their pilots suddenly finding their sensors and communication systems being completely jammed. The same occurred in the landships behind them, sowing confusion even further.
Unfortunately for the Britannians, while their units were effectively jammed and isolated, the CLA forces were anything but. All at once Xiaopei's artillery units opened up, launching shells and missiles at the now unmoving Britannians, shooting several down in one salvo. At the same time, Hei and Yin charged into the field, slashing apart their foes with ease.
For his part, Li took a moment to look over the scene, the result of his careful planning and execution. It had all come together so perfectly, with satisfactory results.
And that was exactly why he felt something was amiss.
Britannian Formidable-class land battleship Fairfax
Duchy of Fujian, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
By now, Calares face was firmly in the palms of his hands as the bridge crew continued to chatter aimlessly about the current situation. Everything was falling apart around him, and there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't even watch his troops get slaughtered, as the ECM field from the Shenque had neutralized the Fairfax's sensors and comm. systems as well. The main monitor was nothing but flickering light, all sensor screens were blacked out, and the communications channels were complete static. The bridge crew was now attempting to reestablish everything, but Calares knew they wouldn't get far. This was the system that could knock out his beloved Argus, after all.
His ears kept picking up MacArthur's furious ranting and the exclamations of the rest of the crew, but by now they were little more than background noise; such was the depth of his despair. In one fell swoop he had just sustained one of the greatest defeats in Britannian military history. Only the destruction of Pearl Harbor and Prince Hannes' attempted drive across the Rhine could be considered larger, yet those had the 'advantage' of having equal or superior opposition. For Calares, he had just lost a regiment-sized force against what were supposed to be inferior opponents with equally inferior technology, and he had done so through the enemy commander manipulating him like a puppet. No doubt his contemporaries fighting against the EU would eat up that bit of gossip, while the Crown would likely strip him of his rank and commission. And that was assuming he got to keep his nobility.
It really is the end. Calares thought, hopelessness spreading inside him like a disease. He never thought it possible, but now he was hoping that High Command would take enough pity to allow him to remain as Area 22's Viceroy. Calares honestly didn't think he could feel any lower.
Suddenly, an anonymous operator spoke up. "Incoming hail." he spoke, sounding unsure. "Source unknown."
Calares brought his head up at that. The Shenque's baryon field was still in effect, so there was no way a commline could be established. That was, Calares slowly realized, unless it was through a direct laser line that used one of the nearby ELINT drones as a midway point.
But that would only work if the sender knew the precise location of the drone through the jamming field. How is that possible? Calares felt his insides begin to turn cold again. "Well don't just sit there, put it on!"
With that, the main monitor flickered into a complete picture. And upon seeing that picture, Calares felt his despair give way to rage as one of the very last people he wanted to see looked back at him.
"General Calares," Johann spoke directly, cool grey eyes peering at him. "I see that you have extensively violated my orders with this premature attack."
"Now isn't a good time, Sir Johann." Calares growled back. He might have been down, but he sure as hell wasn't going to take any smugness from that jumped-up kid in a red cloak. "At the moment, I—"
"That will not be necessary, General." Johann replied plainly. "Your role is over."
Something about that last part struck Calares the wrong way. "'My role', Sir Johann?" he inquired unsteadily.
Upon that, Johann adopted a sharp, piercing gaze. One that sent chills down Calares' spine. "Did you really think this attack was made by your will alone?" the Round asked in turn. "Especially after I had made Xiaopei apparent to you?"
It didn't take much for Calares to connect the dots, much to his visible horror. "You used me!" he growled, his rage growing even more intense. "You deliberately revealed Xiaopei to me so that I would launch this attack!"
"Indeed, General." Johann acknowledged. "I knew Li had established elaborate defenses around Xiaopei over the last seven years, and that in order to take the fortress, I would need to expose them. For that purpose, I revealed Xiaopei's status as the central CLA headquarters to you, knowing that you would launch a preemptive assault over personal glory." His eyes narrowed in something that might have been distaste. "Even Michael recognized your rampant ego, and I assure you, he is far from attentive."
"You used us for a probing attack...!" MacArthur gaped, his pipe falling out of his mouth for the third time that day and counting. "All so that we would force Li to play his hand!"
"Expose his hand, General MacArthur." Johann corrected. "Though not the most efficient tactic, it is sometimes necessary to directly trigger a defense, both so that the enemy would use it up and so that one may understand its weaknesses." The Knight shrugged. "As evidenced by the Shenque's deployment, both objectives have been accomplished, and a more proper assault can now be implemented."
That realization washed over the Fairfax crew like an arctic tidal wave, but its greatest effect laid upon Calares. Had Johann been present on the bridge, there was little doubt the general would have assaulted the Knight of Two, special status be damned. "You little bastard! You sacrificed my men for this!?"
Johann's gaze narrowed further. "No, you sacrificed your men, General." he responded coldly. "While I admit to having influenced you, it was still your decision to launch this poorly-devised and utterly inadequate attack. And so its casualties lay squarely on you."
"Damn you!" was all Calares managed to respond with, rancor billowing from his voice like smoke from a furnace.
The Knight of Two ignored him. "Had you chosen to heed my original orders, a more organized and less brazen strategy could have been developed and executed. Granted, we would still have Xiaopei's then unknown defenses to contend with, but such a strategy would still have been more efficient and less costly in men and equipment." At that point, Johann looked as though he were looking down on Calares from a great height. "And on top of that, you would have been saved a grievous humiliation, General."
It was only now, after looking at the vidscreen a bit more, that Calares realized Johann was dressed in a Round-issue pilot suit and was speaking from a knightmare cockpit, a white and red earpiece clasped on his right ear. "But that is a secondary issue." the Knight continued, his face and voice utterly calm and even. "What matters most is that Xiaopei is now firmly exposed, and a more precise attack is now under way. Thus I reiterate my previous statement: your role here is finished."
The Viceroy glowered in response to that, but Johann ignored it. "You and your forces—or what remains of them, rather—are now ordered to stand down and await further instructions. And this time I suggest you follow those orders, lest you incur more repercussions than you already have." Visible warning flashed across Johann's eyes on that, which easily matched up against Calares' ire. "Owl One out."
With that, the monitor became blank again.
Li was still pondering all that was happening when his eyes caught something over the horizon: a glint of sorts, not unlike the sun shining off a metal surface. It was only then that he realized all that had happened and, more importantly, what was about to happen. "Tianshou Two, evade!"
At his master's behest, Bai twisted the Shenque around, moving for a steep bank. Before he could execute the maneuver, however, a single red beam lanced across the air and slammed into the Shenque's left shoulder, obliterating it and the arm it was attached to in a fiery explosion. As the knightmare rocked from the physical shock, the Que Bang system stagnated from its destroyed dispersion unit, causing the entire system to shut down and be rendered neutral. Not long after, the golden, feathery rays of the baryon field also diminished, returning the sky to its normal color.
Before Li could say anything else, his sensors beeped in warning as a swarm of cruise missiles came shooting from the horizon. Instinctively, he, the Tianshou and the other CLA forces put their respective units into evasion, but Li already knew they weren't the intended targets. In a matter of seconds, the cruise missiles rained down upon Xiaopei's artillery silos, blasting into them one at a time in a multitude of explosions. At the end of that single salvo, there was not one functioning artillery unit left, all that remained being the black columns of smoke rising into the clear sky.
"How the fuck!?" Yin shouted in exclamation, highlighting the thoughts of the CLA as a whole. Like everything else, Li already knew. Though the silos were theoretically undetectable, their deployment in the latest battle had nonetheless exposed them visually. Through that and careful analysis of their firing patterns and trajectories, one could easily fix their individual coordinates and launch pinpoint strikes in accordance.
However, Li knew such an action was beyond Calares or his command staff. That only left one other.
Suddenly three new contacts were detected on the Chinese units' sensors. The first, and most prominent, moved ahead of the group, such that it was the first to be picked up on the Chinese knightmares' cameras.
Though relatively slim in structure, the knightmare nonetheless possessed bulky, dark grey armor, denoting that it was meant as an assault unit. Its head, which was of the human-like design of the seventh generation and beyond, possessed two magenta colored eye cameras and a crown-like fin assembly, which consisted of two side-extending fins on the forehead and a single enlarged fin along the 'scalp'. Over its right shoulder, a single cannon - obviously a hadron launcher - was trained upward as residual heat emitted from the barrel, while its right hand held a curiously designed rifle. Upon reaching a certain distance, the knightmare came to face the Four Beasts, a pair of factsphere sensors deploying out from its chest to scan over them.
The other two knightmares, who had only then moved alongside their comrade, were just as despairing to behold. The second unit was also humanoid, possessing bulky orange, white and gold armor and a head with green eye sensors and another crown-like structure, this one consisting of two fins only. A pair of maser vibration broadswords, whose blades were as long as the knightmare itself, were stored on its back, ready to be drawn. Beyond that, the only other noteworthy item was a large maw in the unit's elaborate golden chest, obviously a cannon emplacement of some kind, and the oversized slash harkens and Blaze Luminous shield generators on its arms.
Colored in deep maroon with grey and black highlights, the third and final unit appeared to gleam evilly against the light of the sun. Covered from head to toe in rigid armor that more befit a demon than a mechanical analog of a medieval knight, its entire design seemed to emulate dark terror and unearthly power. Its head, covered over by a maroon helm with a maroon-colored crown of its own, seemed to glare out at the Chinese knightmares with derision. For weapons, it held nothing in hand in the present, but there was a curious bladed construct mounted on its back waist, while its forearms obviously possessed slash harkens. A pair of Blaze Luminous shield generators were also mounted above the harkens.
"Dinadan, Caius and Safir," Li murmured under his breath, recalling the names of the knightmares belonging to the Knights of Two, Five and Eight respectively.
Suddenly a voice called out over the radio. "This is Johann Ernst, Knight of Two. I wish to speak with the enemy commander."
Seeing no reason to deny him, Li switched to broadband. "This is General Li Xingke of the Chinese Liberation Army. Speak."
A second later, the vidwindow image of a dark-skinned man with dark hair, sharp grey eyes, and dressed in a Britannian pilot suit appeared on Li's monitor. "At last, the Chinese Tiger himself. It is an honor to make your acquaintance, General Li." Johann spoke, even sounding earnest. "I must commend you for holding out against Britannia for so long, and with such meager forces to utilize. You are indeed a worthy opponent."
At that, Li adopted a smirk. "The honor is mine, Sir Johann, for being recognized by the Knight of Two himself." he replied amiably, if only to buy time. "I must also commend you for using that imbecile Calares as your probe, so that I would be forced to deploy my main defenses against him and expose them to your counterattack."
The barest traces of a smirk formed on Johann's lips. "I do admit it wasn't my best tactic, but it has the luxury of not being excessive. Unlike those sandpits around us."
Li laughed a little. "As dictated in The Art of War, 'the enlightened ruler lays his plans well ahead, and the good general cultivates his resources.'" He smirked. "I lacked the conventional resources to properly defend Xiaopei, so I cultivated my natural resources."
"And in spectacular fashion, I might add." Johann concurred, his expression calm. "Unfortunately, however, your defense has two weaknesses. First, it can only be used once. And second..." His eyes narrowed. "Once executed, the opposing force may simply move around it."
The Knight of Two's voice then picked up strength. "Which brings me to my point. You have played out your hand, General, and your remaining forces cannot hope to stem the tide. Thus, out of professional courtesy from one commander to another, I will offer this chance, and this chance alone, to surrender and avoid any further bloodshed."
At that, another window appeared, this time displaying another youth with blue hair and the most violent eyes Li had ever seen. "Better take it, Zing-kee, before we pound your face so deep into the sand that you'll have to crap glass for weeks!"
Li sneered—not at the Knight of Five's vulgar exclamation, but at the Knight of Two's even less savory one. What is it about Britannians and ultimatums?
"This is my reply, Sir Johann." he said, before swinging his jian back around, pointing it toward the Dinadan. "By the Voice of Heaven, the Roar of the Land and the Hearts of the People, we will vanquish you from our Motherland with great vengeance!" Li declared. "TIANCHAO WAN SUI!"
"TIANCHAO WAN SUI!" the Tianshou recited, bringing their own respective weapons to bear.
Johann sniffed at that. It was nothing less than he had expected. "Very well. Perish, as we march on to Tomorrow!" Johann declared in turn, aiming his rifle. "ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!"
"ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!" Michael and Nena both roared in response, and they weren't alone. The Chinese KFs' sensors soon beeped in warning as a seemingly infinite wave of Sutherlands and Gloucesters came streaking in at high speed, followed by a line of landships and aircraft from the horizon.
Completely undeterred, the Four Beasts charged with a united battle cry, as did the three Knights of the Round. All around them, the rest of the Britannian line charged forward—toward Xiaopei itself.
"Here they come!" Hong shouted out as the first wave of Sutherlands came streaking in, firing off their machine guns and grenades with precision. Already an entire line of Shanxios went up in smoke, while several individual units ended up getting caught as well. Hong cursed his luck. He should have known Calares' force was just the vanguard, and that the real enemy attack had been withheld for this very moment, when the CLA was weakened. Now he and his forces had an entirely new Britannian contingent to deal with, and it was entirely airborne.
Immediately Hong ordered his forces to assume Huǒyǐ, the "Fire Ant" formation. The Yaoguais scattered over a great distance from another, yet retained their synchronization. Rather than a close and condensed river, the Yaoguai ant swarm was now spread out over a vast field, yet continued to maneuver with practiced timing and precision, such that individual formations could move through each other and not suffer one collision. That formation was specifically designed to counter dual air and ground groups, as it made the Chinese knightmares less vulnerable from air and artillery attack while spreading out their own fire and increasing the likeliness of hitting the opposition. Unfortunately, it still could not make up for the Yaogui's general ineffectiveness. Hong witnessed it when a Gloucester dropped down under the Chinese fire and took out three CLA units with its machine gun.
And those were just the vanguard, Hong soon realized with great foreboding. In the distance, well behind the incoming knightmare swarms, the general saw the telltale shapes of enemy landships. As the Britannian knightmares continued their onslaught, Hong could only watch in near helplessness as the landships opened fired with their HV cannons and missile launchers, sending multiple projectiles towards the Chinese forces from long range. The result came in milliseconds' time: even larger explosions occurred throughout the battlefield, ones that destroyed dozens of Yaoguais upon impact.
Knightmares for pinpoint attacks. Landships for mass barrages. Hong glowered as he continued to fight, firing his machine guns up into the air at the enemy knightmares. Damn, we're really going to get wiped out!
He knew they were now completely outmatched; even if they dealt with the knightmares, there was nothing they could do about the landships. Britannian landships had been a particular thorn in the China's side since the beginning, as well as the primary reason why the CLA rarely operated in open ground. Only their own landships were on par with their firepower, yet could not penetrate their armor effectively. And in the present battle, Xiaopei only had five of them, whereas the Britannians had an entire armada. All that estimated, Hong knew the CLA's time was up.
Even so, Hong also knew he could not order a retreat. Not because he lacked the authority, but because it was pointless at this time—until their own landships deployed, in which case Xiaopei would be completely abandoned, there would be no adamant cover for a retreat. And even then the whole point of this battle was to buy time for Tianzi's flight to Penglai. The longer the battle continued, the more time the Izumo would have to reach the island without detection. That by itself was enough motivation for Hong to continue fighting, and he knew the rest of his force felt the same.
Refocusing on the battle, Hong turned just in time to see one of the Yaoguais close to him get cut down by coordinated machinegun fire from two Sutherlands. He swore loudly and sprayed wildly with his machine guns, but the Sutherlands simply moved back and evaded. He did, however, manage to knock the left leg off another Sutherland, which tumbled across the ground as a result. Before it could reorient itself, Hong finished it off with his cannons.
Then another explosion occurred near him as an HV shell hit home. Hong didn't know how many Yaoguais it obliterated, but he'd be damned if he didn't see bits and pieces of Chinese armor fling up in the air while shrapnel slammed into his own machine. By some miracle his electronics weren't damaged, though they did flicker a bit from the shock. He quickly kicked his machine into high-speed evasion, but he knew he could do very little to avoid HV shots.
Just then another Yaoguai exploded near him, and Hong swung his machine around to see a pair of Gloucesters in the middle of an attack run. Several more Chinese knightmares were destroyed at their hand before Hong managed to hit one of them, blowing off its arm. That angered them enough that they twisted around and shot at him.
Once again wishing he were in a better knightmare, Hong zigzagged across the ground like a drunk, moving at random as to evade the Gloucesters getting a bead on him. Through dumb luck alone he managed to hit one, the same one with the missing arm, which exploded from its Yggdrasil drive detonating. To Hong's initial surprise, the second one responded by stowing its machine gun. That surprise soon gave way to horror as Hong realized why—that unit was equipped with MVS, and had swapped the machine gun out to draw both swords.
"Hun Dan!" Hong exclaimed as he watched both blades turn from grey to red. He then fired at the enemy knightmare like a madman, only to watch as the Gloucester weave around his shots. He should have known from it holding MVS that the Britannian pilot was an ace. As such, Hong switched tactics.
Just as the Britannian knightmare was about to get a slash in, Hong threw his knightmare in full reverse, the blade tip of the sword grazing the 'face' of his knightmare, leaving a diagonal scar across its front. As the pilot had moved in too fast to compensate, he was forced to have his knightmare pass a few more meters before breaking. Hong, however, never gave him the chance to recover: he let loose with both his machine guns and cannons at once, completely obliterating the Gloucester before its pilot realized what was happening.
"And the better man wins, bastard!" Hong shouted in Britannian to the now deceased enemy pilot. He might not have been the greatest knightmare pilot, and he definitely didn't have the most advanced machine, but damn it all, he could kill imperialists with the best of them!
However, his feeling of triumph was cut shot as he noticed several incoming objects from the horizon. They weren't knightmares, as they were moving in from the air. At the same time however, they weren't gunships, as their profiles were much larger.
VTOL Transports! Hong realized with great dread. "All units, focus fire on those VTOLs!" he shouted as he turned his guns over to them. A few others did the same, but not enough; the bulk of the CLA force's attention remained on fighting the Britannian knightmares, evading the landship barrages, or succumbing to either. As such, while a few VTOLs were shot down, far more had made it through the Chinese lines and were proceeding inward.
Cursing, Hong switched comms to Xiaopei. "Daoji One to Huxue! You have Brit transports coming your way!" he shouted as he was forced to go back to shooting knightmares. "Repeat, you have incoming!"
Dodging a slash harken attack from the Dinadan, Li retaliated by launching his own harkens back, only for the grey-tinted knightmare to dodge as well. By now it had drawn a pair of maser vibration daggers, and had been hounding the Shenhu at melee range. Li should have known that the Knight of Two was just as proficient a close-range fighter as he was a long-range one. In a split-second the Dinadan again pressed the attack, slashing out with its daggers and forcing the Shenhu to defend with its single jian. Off and on Li would see an opening and try to execute an attack of his own, but Johann was just as quick to deflect it.
Around the same time, the Tianshou focused their efforts on the other two Rounds, with Hei and Bai engaging Michael while Yin tried her hand against Nena. Maser vibration broadswords raised high, the Caius brought both blades down upon the Shenwu, only for the Chinese knightmare to raise a baryon shield to deflect the strike. It then countered by creating another shield and launching it at the Caius, but the orange knightmare moved around the barrier before it could slam it, then launched a slash harken back at the Shenwu, which it knocked away with its guan dao. Not to be left out, the Shenque, damaged as it was, came at the Caius and brought its dadao down to cleave the cockpit, only for the Caius to knock the blade away with the reverse side of its broadsword and twist around to strike with the opposite. Fortunately for Bai, Hei moved quick enough to deflect the blow with his blade, both Chinese and Britannian knightmares momentarily locked in place as their principal weapons clashed against the other, before breaking away and renewing the melee.
Yin, for her part, was the first to learn that the Safir was not unarmed. Just as she was about to strike it with her shuang gous, the Britannian machine drew its right arm to its back and withdrew the aforementioned blade, which folded out and extended into a menacing maser vibration scythe, immediately shifting from grey to red. As such, Yin's first strike was quickly deflected, and the third Tianshou was forced to go on the defensive as the Safir moved against it, seemingly dancing across the ground with its scythe. Executing a series of complex and intricate spins and maneuvers, the Safir slashed out over and over at the Shenlong, with Yin just managing to evade or deflect each attack with her swords or her own rotating slash harkens.
"Hahahahaha! Is that the best you've got, Twenty-Two!?" Nena laughed as she pressed the attack, all the while aggressively slashing her scythe. She sounded oddly happy. "I fought Cambodians that put up more of a struggle!"
Yin sneered back. "Just keep pushing it, bitch!" the Chinese pilot snarled back, spinning her left arm slash harken in response. "I'll turn you into fucking ròu xiàn!" she then moved in and launched multiple attacks with both her hook swords and her slash harkens, essentially reversing the battle with the Safir on the defensive. This only lasted a moment, however, since Nena easily evaded or deflected each attack with her scythe and then countered with her own.
Having just recharged the Shenhu's baryon cannon, Li twisted around and fired a snapshot that would have caught most knightmare pilots by surprise. Unfortunately, Johann had anticipated the attack through an assortment of telltale signs, and so had the Dinadan bank away, evading the cannon blast completely. He then counterattacked by moving around and launching a burst of hadron shots from its rifle, which Li, unable to evade, deflected by utilizing both his slash harkens in full rotation.
In the midst of this attack, he noticed a certain detail he hadn't before. While he had been playing close attention to both the (losing) battle around him and his subordinates' fights, Li took note of something that hadn't registered before. Laying at the edge of the field, a line of Sutherlands stood by and seemingly watched as the battle between the Rounds, the Tianshou and Chinese Tiger played out, often deploying their factsphere sensors to collect data. Li found this peculiar, as he couldn't think of a reason why the Sutherlands would remain there. Obviously it wasn't in support of the Rounds, and there was no need in keeping a rear line at this point with the CLA on the edge.
However, upon noticing the Sutherlands' stun tonfas, he remembered a distinctive feature about their design. This caused Li's eyes to widen, just as he saw the Caius, having just deflected the Shenque's one-armed attack, kick the damaged knightmare away. "Bai!"
The call unfortunately came too late. As the Shenque was flung through the air, crashing and tumbling into the ground a moment later, three of the Sutherlands shot out toward the wounded knightmare. Bai responded by lashing out with his remaining harken, but the Sutherlands were quick to evade, with one of them moving against the Shenque's left. Upon coming close, it reached out with its right arm and deployed its stun gun, slamming it into the Shenque's torso. Bai cried out as electricity ran through the Shenque's entire frame and disabled his drive systems, causing the cockpit to darken.
"Bai!" Yin called out in horror, just as the other two Sutherlands launched their slash harkens and ensnared the Shenque.
At that, Johann spoke once more. "Though we have adequate data on the Four Beasts, they were still designed by the Black Knights' chief engineer," the Knight of Two explained calmly, essentially voicing what Li had realized. "With these, Camelot just might be able to gain insight on the Black Knights' new models. And I'm sure Colonel Asplund will appreciate the new project."
"Like hell!" Yin called out as she reactivated the Long Xin. "No way we're going down that easily!" she shouted as she kicked the Safir away and went into a dead run for the Sutherlands holding the Shenque.
"Tianshou Three, stop!" Li ordered as he went back into a melee with the Knight of Two. "You're just playing into their hands!"
Sure enough, the Caius ducked away from the Shenwu, allowing the Safir to take its place against Tianshou One while the Knight of Five put his knightmare between the Sutherlands and the Shenlong. Seeing how the Round wanted to die first, Yin instantly raised her shuang gous and moved to strike overhead, her intention being to cut off the orange knightmare's arms then sweep around it and split the cockpit.
Unfortunately for her, Michael anticipated the attack. In the milliseconds that the Shenlong executed its strike, the Caius had brought its chest cannon to bear and fired. However, rather than a beam escaping, the cannon fired off a great flash of light, which held such power that it illuminated the entire surrounding area. The result was the Shenlong missing its target and Yin crying out as she shielded her eyes. Following that, the Caius jetted away as another Sutherland team moved in, striking the cockpit block with a stun gun and neutralizing the entire frame.
"And the Lord said, 'Let there be light!'" Michael jeered as the Sutherlands launched their slash harkens and latched onto the Shenlong. "Two down, two to go!"
At that, both Li and Hei broke away from their respective opponents and took off to save their subordinates/siblings. However, before they could get close, Johann aimed his rifle and fired a sweeping hadron shot across the Chinese knightmares' paths, forcing them to halt long enough for Caius and the Safir to move and engage them. Immediately Hei threw up a shield, deflecting the scythe and broadswords strikes long enough for Li to retaliate with a baryon cannon shot. Unfortunately, the shot was ill-timed, and both Round knightmares had no trouble evading it. By that point the Dinadan moved in to fight as well.
Now outnumbered far more than before, Hei was forced to throw out more and more shields, deflecting each of the Rounds' attacks while he and Li tried to maneuver closer to the disabled Shenque and Shenlong. However, the Rounds kept pressing the attack, just waiting for him to make a mistake.
Sure enough, Hei slipped and left an opening in his defense. Nena was quick to capitalize on it, firing her left slash harken out and entangling them around the Shenwu's guan dao, drawing it away from the Shenhu so that she could launch her right harken and entangle the knightmare entirely. And despite Hei's best efforts to escape, he was unable to keep another Sutherland team from moving in and disabling the Shenwu, with the Safir moving away so that the Sutherlands could lift it up. "That's three!" Nena sang out cheefully as she moved off.
Li snarled as he saw all three Round units move against him. "It appears you're the last one, General Li." Johann stated with some subtle amusement. "Care to surrender now and save us the trouble?"
The CLA General spat in response. "Cào Nǐ bā dài zǔzōng!"
"My, my, such language." Johann spoke sardonically. "That's something I would expect from Michael here—"
"Oi, jackass! I'm not that bad!" Michael protested from the side.
"—but certainly not from a CLA General of great repute." Johann finished.
Li sneered back. "It's an all too fitting response for you, imperialist scum!" he growled. "If you want me, you're going to have to take me like the others!"
Michael's eyes grew wild, and the Caius hefted its broadswords. "Why don't we do just that, slit-eyes!? Capture Team, on me!"
Johann's grey eyes widened in alarm. "Michael, don't—!"
But Michael had already flung his machine forward, both of his blades whistling through the air. Three of the remaining Sutherlands followed closely behind him, brandishing their stun guns. Li gritted his teeth and ignored every single one of his instincts to run, waiting. The world seemed to slow down as the psychotic Knight of the Round approached.
And then he saw his opening. His jian lashed out, diverting Michael's high overhead strike into empty air, and a little twist of the Shenhu's controls reversed the movement so that the flat of the blade caught the tip of Michael's other broadsword aiming to cut his Knightmare from right hip to left shoulder, leaving him wide open.
Li smiled and lunged, aiming a piercing strike as the Caius stumbled back in its pilot's surprise. But Michael had not become a Knight of the Round without reason, and with a vicious curse, he reversed his landspinners and twisted his knightmare's torso aside. The longsword screeched as it drew a long scratch across the Caius's cockpit block, biting into the first layer of armor.
Li let the Shenhu retreat back several meters as the Knight of Five brought his swords to bear again, simultaneously dodging the first Sutherland's attempt at stunning him. Li then allowed his machine to fall back freely, the baryon cannon is the Shenhu's chest glowing. He aimed and fired.
It was a pitiful shot, really; the strength and intensity of the particle stream sacrificed for the sheer speed of the attack. The Caius danced around it, and Michael laughed. "Seriously, little tiger!? Shouldn't you—"
The lead Sutherland that had followed him exploded right behind him as its Yggdrasil Drive was cored from bow to stern by the beam. The shockwave sent the Caius spinning away, and Li fired one of his slash harkens. It latched onto another knightmare of the capture team, and Li watched with relish as the electricity ran down the cable to stun it.
He swung it with all of the Shenhu's power, flailing it into its last comrade. Li frowned. If his calculations were right—
"What the flying fuck—!" Michael roared furiously, lifting his swords to attack.
—then their ballistic course would send them careening right into the Caius as Michael tried to charge at him in a straight line. The two entangled Sutherlands were cut to pieces as the Knight of Five freed himself, the machines' drives exploding as they fell.
Michael fixed a murderous glare on the machine floating in the air before him. "You Twenty-Two bastard son of a dried-up two-penny whore!" he growled over the radio.
Li scoffed. "Some paragon of Britannia you are." he muttered distastefully. "Stupid, arrogant, foul-mouthed and treacherous. The Knights of the Round truly represent the Empire of today, don't they?"
Michael let out an incoherent scream and flew at him, but a stream of light seared through the empty space between them.
"That's quite enough, Michael," Johann said sharply, his hadron rifle gleaming with heat. "Fall back."
"Damn it, Johann!" Michael snarled irritably. "I'm not-!"
"Michael." Johann addressed him, his voice having grown eerily calm. "Fall back, or I guarantee His Majesty will soon be looking for your replacement."
Li heard the Knight of Five grumble and curse into his mouthpiece, but he obeyed nonetheless. Li checked all his monitors and sensors. Johann had used the little altercation to have him completely surrounded.
He narrowed his eyes at the Dinadan. "Well, Sir Johann?" he called out mockingly. "Will you still try to capture me now?"
Johann considered that for a moment. While the Tianshou were simple enough to capture, as good fighters as they were, he knew Li was on an entire different level from them. And as Michael's recklessness had proven, he was well aware that the tactic hinged on the Sutherlands' approach, and that he would be on the lookout for them.
"No, taking you in that manner would be impossible now." Johann replied, sounding almost regretful. "And I have no intention of pointlessly feeding more of my pilots into the Tiger's maw. That said, I suppose Colonel Asplund will have to settle for three Beasts instead of four."
All three Yu siblings looked on in horror. "No...!" Bai gasped as he struggled to get his knightmare moving again.
Ignoring his captives' struggle, the Sutherland commander had his frame look over to the Dinadan. "Shall we return to the Firestorm then, Owl One?"
"Negative." Johann replied, before looking back at Li through the vidwindow. "It's only fitting that those three watch their general fall."
Li let out a loud breath, knowing how the coming fight was going to end. As good as he may have been, he knew he would not last long against three of Britannia's best pilots, all of whom were utilizing seventh generation knightmares with capabilities that matched or exceeded his knightmare. Not to mention that he had been fighting for a long time now, and though he couldn't feel it through the adrenaline, he knew he had pushed his body beyond its limits, whereas the Rounds had only recently arrived and had yet to do the same. At best he would take down at least one, maybe two of their number, but in the end he knew he would be finished.
He sighed, silently resolving himself to his fate. He had known this would be his final battle. The odds were just too high, and in order to achieve his objectives, Li was unable to retreat. At the same time, he would be damned before letting the Britannians capture him just so they could torture him and extract key secrets about the CLA cells. Ironically, that didn't matter so much now: Sir Johann had found Xiaopei easy enough, so it was doubtful he would have difficulty finding the other cells. Even so, if only in principle, he would rather die an honorable death than be captured.
I'm sorry, Your Excellency. Li thought as he remembered his promise to Tianzi. Like everything else, he knew he would be unable to keep it, but that didn't keep him from feeling regret. Strangely, that memory brought up another: the questions Tianzi had asked him before his deployment. What would he ask for? What did he want?
He hadn't answered truthfully then, but once more with everything else, he had known the real answer. He had always known the answer, for as long as he could remember. Amidst all the needs and desires that a born street urchin turned General of the CLA and a Patriot of the Motherland could have hoped and wished for, there was but one thing he had ever wanted. Only one thing that he had prolonged his pained and chaotic life for. Only one thing that he had struggled endlessly against the universe for.
And here and now, it would be the very same thing that he would die for.
Thus, as the Shenhu slashed his jian around and assumed a fighting pose, Li readied himself for the inevitable. "Wèi Lihua." he murmured to himself, just before letting out a battle cry and charging against his three adversaries.
Black Knights mobile battleship Izumo
Duchy of Jiangsu, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
Damn it, I knew this would happen! Lelouch silently raged as he watched the Xiaopei forces continue to be cut down. Unlike Li, he had realized what was really happening at the beginning, when the Rounds had failed to lead the charge. In another vidwindow, the Shenhu was preparing to take on all three Knights of the Round at once. I warned you, Li! I warned you not to underestimate Johann!
"We have to go back...!" Tianzi murmured, her eyes filled with great fear. Though it was in a low tone, her exclamation was loud enough. "We need to help them...!"
"Forgive my bluntness, Your Excellency." Lelouch spoke up, causing everyone in the room to turn. "But you know as well as I do that we cannot save all of them."
"Indeed I do, Zero." Tianzi turned to face the masked man, not even bothering to hide the anxiety from her voice, although she managed to keep most of it back. "But at the same time, if we do nothing, they will all be wiped out!"
"With all due respect, Your Excellency, I don't think you're as concerned about the CLA forces at large as you are about one certain soldier." Tohdoh spoke up as well, surprising everyone by both his action and the directness of his tone.
Tianzi turned to face the Black Knight General, a sneer forming on her face. "On the contrary, General Tohdoh, I care for every man and woman who fights in my name." she retorted, her voice equally harsh. "And I would do everything in my power to save as many of them as possible."
Tohdoh gazed back knowingly. "But again, you're not as concerned with them as you are with him."
The atmosphere of the bridge turned cold as they listened to Tianzi's answer. "So what if I am?" Tianzi exclaimed bluntly. "General Li has been at my side since I was a child, and now he is about to get himself killed for nothing." she stated fervently. "As such, there is but one course of action, for him and the rest."
She turned back to Zero. As he met her eyes through his mask, Lelouch could tell she was barely holding herself together. "I'm begging you, Zero, turn this ship around now! Help them!"
"I must advise against it, Zero!" Tohdoh immediately countered, stepping forward. "To return would put Her Excellency's life in jeopardy and render Xiaopei's sacrifice in vain!"
When Tianzi turned to face Tohdoh again, her face was eclipsed with the same wrath and desperation she had shown to Li before. "Those are my soldiers, General Tohdoh! I will decide when and where they may sacrifice themselves, and it will not be in that wasteland!"
"Once more with respect, Your Excellency, those soldiers and General Li are but a small portion of the CLA at large. Their collective loss will not affect the CLA as a whole." Tohdoh answered, facing down Tianzi's fiery glare with his own ice cold gaze.
"This isn't about manpower, General! This is about human lives that can still be saved!" Tianzi argued back. "And despite your claim, the CLA would suffer grievously from the loss of General Li's leadership, no matter how much he believes himself expendable!"
Tohdoh closed his eyes. How little you understand, child. "It isn't simple expendability General Li believes in. It is his role as a warrior that he emphasizes."
Now Tianzi looked incredulous. "How does being a warrior mean dying a meaningless death!?"
"All things die, Your Excellency, especially warriors." Tohdoh replied in turn, speaking as though he really were addressing a child. "A skilled warrior, however, chooses when and where he may die. And that is what Li has done. As a general, he has ensured that his death will not affect his cause."
He looked around to the rest of the Black Knights on the bridge, addressing them all. "For the last seven years, Li has kept himself alive knowing that if he died, the CLA would lose its core leadership as well as its best strategist."
He turned toward Zero. "Today, however, the CLA has allied itself with an organization with strong leadership, one that is headed by the one man that shook Britannia at its foundations, as Hannibal once did to Rome. In that frame of mind, Li recognizes that he is no longer essential, and that the CLA will not suffer if he were to die."
Behind his mask, Lelouch felt such shock that he couldn't keep it off his face; the mask now more than ever a hidden blessing. Even he had failed to realize what Tohdoh was saying out loud now. In essence, Li had handed military leadership of the CLA to him, in the belief that Lelouch would not only keep the Chinese rebellion alive, but that he would eventually win in the end.
"You really do think we will win this war, don't you?" Lelouch remembered Li asking him that question. At the time he naturally thought Li was just being amused at Lelouch's confidence, just as a realistic man of experience would observe an optimistic Don Quixote that held his head firmly in the clouds. Now, however, he realized that he had meant more with that small, seemingly innocuous question than he had let on.
Li... Lelouch thought, completely astonished. Even with all your disdain, you actually trust me to such an extent? Perhaps not to the greatest extent, as Li had very few other options. Still, it said something.
"All that to say, Your Excellency—" Tohdoh continued as Lelouch rocked from the realization. "—General Li's coming death will not be meaningless, and will in fact serve the purpose of our mission."
In spite of the hellish glare Tianzi was giving him now, Tohdoh went on. "That being said, consider the option you wish us to take. One does not take on an enemy like Britannia over a single life, no matter who it is. Along that line, we must preserve both our military strength and the secrecy of our presence, until the day of Operation Akatsuki's execution."
He looked back to Lelouch again. "Zero, it's your decision." he stated bluntly. "We have come this far and are now fully prepared to liberate this country. If we turn back and reveal ourselves now, we will not only expose our presence to the Britannians, but also put our entire operation at risk."
Lelouch felt a bead of sweat run down his face inside his mask as he realized the full weight of such a decision. Did he continue to Penglai and remain hidden, or did he turn around and come to Li's aid, inevitably revealing himself and the Black Knights to one of the few in existence who had defeated him in the past?
"Though Her Excellency's compassion for her followers is admirable, we must put aside personal feeling." Tohdoh went on. "Just as no plan survives contact with the enemy, no plan can be followed through without sacrifice."
Lelouch suddenly felt the weight of every eye on the bridge, all awaiting his decision. In the past he had been used to the feeling, and had given his answer with little hesitation, but not now. Now he stood at the precipice, with a decision that could not only undo the entirety of his plans, but also lead to the worst defeat the Black Knights had faced since the Black Rebellion. It helped even less that he only had seconds to make it: if he waited too long, not only would it project indecisiveness to his soldiers, but it would also result in Xiaopei's forces being wiped out anyway.
And even then... Lelouch thought as he looked toward Tianzi, whose eyes were no less than pleading and begging. ...Li is dead anyway, even if he does survive the battle. Indeed, his mask's sensors and Kallen's Geass had both verified that much. And there was little point in saving a man who would end up dying anyway.
Even so, Lelouch took the moment, as brief as it would be, to consider…
Xiaopei Fortress
Duchy of Jiangsu, Area 22 (China), Britannian Empire
"Daoji One to Huxue, we've done all that we can do here!" Hong called out over the comm. to Xiaopei's command center, explosions sounding all around him as he talked hurriedly. "We must retreat!"
"Negative, Daoji One. Priority One hasn't reached destination yet." Zhou replied calmly as the operators around her continued to work. Priority One was obviously Tianzi. "Withdraw your forces to Sector Èr and enter Bāguà formation!"
"You know that won't do any good, Huxue!" Hong protested as another explosion sounded close to him, causing his comlink to shudder and crackle for a moment.
"You have your orders, Daoji One!" Zhou shouted back, determined to hold out for as long as possible as Li had instructed. "Carry them—!"
Just then another explosion occurred, this time around Xiaopei itself, causing the whole fortress to shake. The light bulbs and consoles flickered and died, and debris fell in chunks and dust from the ceiling, more than one person crying out in shock. Zhou just managed to cover herself in time, merely out of reflex.
"BRITANNIAN TROOPS HAVE ENTERED THE BASE! BRITANNIAN TROOPS HAVE ENTERED-!" the intercom sounded, before cutting out in static.
"Xianglin!" Hong shouted, both to ensure the safety of his fellow general and technical superior, as well as to reinforce his point.
At that, Zhou closed her eyes in resignation. Now that Xiaopei itself had been breached, there really was nothing left. "Send out the retreat signal." she commanded one of the operators, causing the others to look up in hesitation. "And evacuate to the Mao Zedong!" she followed it up with, before marching toward the doorway.
All at once, the operators abandoned their posts, the last of which had just finished sending out the signal and then purging all files from Xiaopei's database. Moments later, the command center's main monitor displayed the Yaoguais and other vehicles beginning to turn around and speeding away from the battleground, this time for real. However, as the Britannians set upon them, it was quite evident that the Chinese forces would not escape.
Vaulting from the left, the Caius brought both of its broadswords down hard, with the Shenhu just managing to deflect either with well-placed parries, then leaped to the side to lash out with its slash harken. Unfortunately, Li was forced to abandon his attack when the Safir came around and slashed with its scythe, which the CLA pilot was able to evade by ducking just in time. He countered by firing a baryon cannon shot, only to watch in amazement as the Safir spun and systematically deflected the blast with its scythe, dispersing the energy with each rotation.
It was at that point that the Dinadan made itself known again, moving in and firing off another barrage of hadron shots, which Li again deflected with his slash harkens. By doing so, however, he momentarily left himself open to attacks from both the Safir and Caius, which he just managed to evade by speeding away, but not before slashing his swords at either knightmare. Not at all to his surprise, though, both Britannian knightmares revealed that they were equipped with Blaze Luminous projectors on their arms, and so easily blocked Li's sword attacks, while the Dinadan fired one of its arm-mounted slash harkens and struck off the Shenhu's right side. Had Li not jerked in time, it would have struck the center torso.
With a bellow, Li countered by firing off his left slash harken at the Knight of Two's machine, but Johann had foreseen the attack and so evaded by banking away. Cursing, Li pulled back the slash harken and put it into rotation in order to deflect another strike from the Caius, then performed a leap to avoid another slash from the Safir. He moved to attack, but as he tried, Johann swooped around and fired his hadron rifle. Li avoided the shot and fired out a slash harken, but the Dinadan was just too quick.
"Stop it!" Li heard Yin scream in desperation as she kept trying to move the Shenlong, but to no avail. As with her brothers, all she could do was watch as their master was forced to fight a losing battle. Li snarled in response—not at Yin, but at Johann for forcing his subordinates to watch. He knew it was a calculated move on the Knight of Two's part, as Li's death would surely break the Tianshou's spirits and make them more susceptible to Britannian influence. Indeed, Johann Ernst was as methodical as he was cruel.
Even so, Li was not dead yet, and was in fact holding his own quite well, despite his knowing that he wouldn't last. While the Shenhu was at a glaring disadvantage against the three Britannian machines, Li's piloting skill was making up for it. On the other hand, the general was forced to admit it had been quite some time since he had faced opponents with so much skill and experience themselves. Therefore he wasn't faring as well as he would have normally, and it didn't help that he was forced to fight at multiple vectors, the Caius and Safir attacking him at melee level while the Dinadan provided fire support with its hadron weapons.
"What's wrong, Mister Tiger? Got something stuck in your teeth?" Michael sneered as he brought the Caius around again, only for Li to again evade his attack by a hair length. "You're starting to slip!"
"That's what you think, lǎo wài!" grunted Li, performing an elaborate sword attack against the bulkier Britannian machine. This forced the Caius to jump back while the Safir again moved in to support its comrade.
The four machines continued to twist and turn, three trying to overwhelm one and vice-versa. It was then Li managed to gain his second strike against the Rounds, slashing another large gash across the Caius' shoulder. Michael glowered at that and stepped up his assault, executing multiple broadsword attacks while Nena supported him with her scythe. With great precision, Li managed to evade or parry each attack, though the strain on his body and the loss of his right upper wing made doing so difficult. Just as Hei had done before, he knew all too well he would slip up at some point.
That point came just as he managed to deflect dual attacks from either knightmare with his swords. Though he managed to avoid damage, the combined force of the Caius and Safir's strikes were enough to cause the Shenhu to recoil, throwing it back some distance and greatly playing upon Li's physical strain. The result came in him coughing up blood, which sprayed over his instruments and caused him to pause for the briefest of moments to catch his breath.
In the midst of that pause, he saw the Dinadan emerge from the side, hadron rifle lined up for the kill shot. Li's eyes widened. He would not be able to dodge in time.
"Checkmate." Johann exclaimed coldly when he pulled the trigger.
