25: Chapter 25 The Shining Moment of the Soul Blade 2

105 kilometers northwest of the Northwest Experimental Base.

Wang Yi was throwing a fit in the command center.

"I'm telling you, if an entire division can't handle one robot tomorrow..."

"...you can all look forward to being drilled back at the base. Don't think I'm being harsh right now."

"If we lose, it'll be a miracle if our Army Commander doesn't jump down my throat when we get back!"

"Alright, I won't say much else. Staff Officer Li, does the staff department have a targeted offensive plan yet?"

"Report! For the time being... not yet!"

"I think you've all turned into 'traitors.'"

"Report! That's not it. It's just... everyone feels completely clueless!"

"Since that's the case, Division Commander, I suggest we hold our positions until we understand Soul Blade's true capabilities!"

Staff Officer Li suggested solemnly at this time.

"Around the camp, focus on aerial reconnaissance. Anti-aircraft fire must be dense. Once a target is spotted, we should strive to concentrate all fire and take it out in one wave!"

"Hmm, Staff Officer Li hit the nail on the head. You've all seen how incredibly agile that fellow is!"

"So, try to avoid going solo. Exposing our anti-aircraft positions would be more trouble than it's worth!"

"If we move, we all go out, then concentrate all firepower for a volley!"

"Yes, sir!"

The four anti-aircraft battalion commanders under the division saluted together.

"Also, request permission from superiors to divert the exercise base's synthetic aperture transit reconnaissance radar to monitor all suspicious targets in this area."

"Yes, sir!"

Division Commander Wang's general strategy was to first ensure they were 'keen-eared and sharp-eyed,' waiting for Soul Blade to appear, and then everyone would swarm it together!

"Finally, at midnight tonight, the Army Aviation Brigade will secretly send out a few helicopters for cover."

"The Special Operations Brigade will use the cover of night to send a team up to infiltrate; testing the waters is fine too, haha!"

"Yes, sir!"

The commander of the Special Operations Brigade stood up and saluted.

After Wang Yi issued the specific operational deployments, the combat policy against Soul Blade was settled.

The commanders of the subordinate units went back to conduct pre-battle mobilization; a war without smoke thus began.

April 10th, 00:00:00.

Inside the experimental base workshop.

Soul Blade's glowing red eyes turned blue with a 'shoo' sound. It had awakened!

The workshop doors had long been open, revealing a wide open space. The base was silent in the dead of night.

With a series of mechanical clicks, Soul Blade stepped out of the workshop and stood on the open ground, remaining motionless thereafter.

"What's the situation?"

Beside Chu Ge, Li Gang asked anxiously.

"Shh! It's scouting. Just focus on the background data monitoring on your end!"

"Yes, sir!"

Li Gang replied in a low voice.

Soul Blade's energy core—'Huaxia Sentinel 2' Synthetic Aperture Military Reconnaissance Radar. SCENE_CENTER_TIME=16:04:02, Transit Time 24:04:02.

Five minutes later,

Bright white flames rose from the soles of Soul Blade's feet, and the mecha warrior soared into the air.

With a 'shoo,' it launched into the clouds in the blink of an eye, a streak of bright blue tail flame visible to the naked eye at high altitude.

"Background data is all normal!"

"Mhm."

On the outskirts of the base, two WZK-20 attack helicopters were circling at low altitude.

"Wingman, maintain radar watch!"

"Copy that. I don't know what the Colonel wants us to do out here in the middle of the night. Catch ghosts?"

"Don't complain. We're providing cover. The special ops team is the main character!"

"Understood!"

Just as the transmission ended,

The red collision warning alarm in the cockpit suddenly blared.

"What the hell? This is the collision warning radar. Wingman, wingman, are you receiving this?"

"Report, my warning radar is also lit up."

"Turn on the searchlights!"

"Yes, sir!"

Two powerful beams of light switched on. In front of the light pillars, Soul Blade stood straight in the air like a giant tower.

"Evade! Evade! Wingman, watch your evasion!"

"..."

Only static noise came through the headset. A few seconds later, an automated voice broadcasted in the ears.

"Attention, WZK-20 attack helicopters number 2245 and 2246. Your two-plane formation has been destroyed!"

"Per the exercise directorate's requirements, please exit the battlefield immediately! Over!"

"..."

Lead pilot Liao Jie took off his headset. In the moment he was dazed, Soul Blade had vanished from the light beam.

The wingman's call came through the headset again, and Liao Jie put it back on.

"Liao Jie, did you see that just now?"

"Maintain discipline! I... I saw it! I saw a giant Transformer!"

"Me too! I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. Well, looks like we didn't die for nothing!"

"...Return to camp!"

"Copy that!"

Aviation Regiment station.

As Liao Jie and the other three got off the planes, the wingman pilot Wei Jianhua ran over.

"Liao Jie, it looks like our opponent this time is a bit troublesome!"

"Mhm, not just troublesome. I'm worried tomorrow's exercise will be a massacre!"

"You mean?"

...

Liao Jie stared at the west side of the station's makeshift helipad. His mouth opened and closed before he pointed a finger.

Wei Jianhua turned to look.

To the west, Soul Blade's nearly 60-meter height made it stand out exceptionally.

On its back, the laser weapon was already fully charged. Its pointed head flickered with a dazzling light.

A piercing alarm sounded at this moment.

The station's guard battalion poured out. Upon seeing this scene, they all stopped in their tracks. The two sides stood in a standoff.

Around the camp, four giant searchlights all shone toward Soul Blade.

Soul Blade then retracted its primary weapon and began to move.

It took massive strides, walking toward the camp's main gate step by step. With each landing and lift of its giant mechanical feet,

Liao Jie and the others felt the earth trembling!

The searchlights followed its footsteps, illuminating its path.

"Haha, Academician Chu, this shameless Soul Blade is walking the runway!"

"It... it does look a bit like that."

At the experimental base, Chu Ge's support team was still monitoring everything from the workshop.

Soul Blade walked directly in front of Liao Jie and the others, then turned toward them with a mechanical click.

Soul Blade: "Greetings to all officers and soldiers of the Aviation Regiment, 115th Armored Division, Huaxia A Group Army. For our first meeting, you may call me Soul Blade."

"Holy crap, Liao Jie, this thing can talk???"

"Shut up."

Soul Blade: "By order of Academician Chu Ge, I have come here tonight specifically to meet my future comrades. Also, I must unfortunately inform you that, according to the exercise rules, you have all 'fallen in battle'!"

After speaking, Soul Blade even gave a military salute with a mechanical click.

After a moment of silence,

Liao Jie was the first to return the salute, followed by the nearly 3,000 officers and soldiers of the entire regiment saluting in unison.

"Soul Blade is mighty! Soul Blade is mighty! Soul Blade is mighty!"

The roar of 3,000 people echoed across the land. At this moment, they were no longer preoccupied with their 'deaths' in battle.

They viewed Soul Blade as their own comrade-in-arms.

Amidst the cheers that sounded like a bugle call from the soldiers, Soul Blade ignited its boosters and shot into the sky, gradually disappearing from everyone's sight.

At the division command post, Division Commander Wang Yi slowly put down his headset and looked at the row of commanders below.

"Notification from the directorate: the Aviation Regiment has been routed and is withdrawn from the exercise!"

"What?"

"..."