63: Lunar attack and defense and fragmentation struggle

Outside the lunar orbit, space distorted and oscillated violently like a lake with a giant boulder thrown into it! A blinding purple energy vortex appeared out of thin air and expanded rapidly! Immediately after, three massive and hideous scrin capital ships emerged like vicious beasts crawling out of the abyss, tearing through space and appearing boldly!

Their bows pointed directly at the ancient ruins on the far side of the moon! Their objective was clear, with no hesitation!

The alarms at the Guanghan Palace base rang out to the heavens! All defensive units instantly entered their highest state of combat readiness!

"All units, attention! Enemy main fleet raid! Target: ruins area! prism tower at full power! patriot missile ready for interception!" Colonel A001's roar echoed through the communication channel.

Inside the ruins, the spherical space shook violently, and rubble fell from the dome!

"Shadow! Quick!" Sun Zheng roared, pulling out his pistol and rushing toward the passage entrance with two soldiers to establish a defensive line, preparing to intercept the Scrin ground forces about to charge in.

Shadow didn't hesitate and leapt toward the geometric structure in the center of the space. He reached out, his fingertips touching the violently vibrating keystone fragment. At the moment of contact, a surge of Order Energy, purer and more massive than before, flooded into his body! He gave a muffled groan as blue light erupted from his armor, forcibly suppressing the fragment's energy riot and gripping it firmly in his hand!

"Fragment acquired!" Shadow shouted.

"Retreat! Return the way we came!" Sun Zheng ordered while firing. From outside the passage came the dense sound of Phase Beam fire and the characteristic screeching of Reaper minions! The Scrin landing force had arrived!

"Boom! Boom!"

Combat had already broken out outside the ruins! The secondary cannons of the three scrin capital ships fired fiercely at the Guanghan Palace base's defensive positions, with purple Phase Beams falling like rain! The base's prism tower retaliated with all their might, white prism beams and purple phase energy colliding violently in the air, erupting with deafening roars and blinding light!

The lunar surface was illuminated as if it were broad daylight!

Several Scrin landing pods slammed onto the lunar surface near the ruins like purple meteors, breaking through the anti-air fire net! The hatches opened, and a tide of Reapers and Crusher walking mechas—newly equipped with Heavy Phase Cannons—poured out, charging frantically toward the rift in the ruins!

"Hold them back! Don't let them enter the ruins!" Colonel A001 personally commanded the ground forces, resisting desperately while relying on pre-positioned machine gun bunkers and tank covers.

Inside the ruins passage, Sun Zheng and the other two fought as they retreated. Phase Barrages raged within the narrow space; one soldier's shield overloaded, and he was hit in the shoulder, blood staining the moon dust red. Sun Zheng and the other soldier covered them desperately, taking down the first few Reapers with precise shots.

"Shadow! Keep up!"

Shadow followed closely, holding the keystone fragment. The fragment remained restless in his hand, emitting strong energy fluctuations like a bright beacon, attracting all Scrin units.

"Commander! The fragment's energy is too strong; I'm being continuously tracked!" Shadow shouted.

"We can't discard it! Hold on!" Sun Zheng knew this fragment was crucial; they absolutely couldn't let the Scrin get it!

Just as they were about to rush out of the rift's exit, a massive Shadow loomed over the opening! A huge Crusher mecha blocked the path with its heavy metal feet, the Heavy Phase Cannon on its chest beginning to charge, its blinding purple light aimed at everyone in the passage!

"It's over!" a soldier shouted in despair.

At the critical moment!

"Hum—!"

A thick white prism beam accurately struck the side armor of the Crusher from the flank! The mecha stumbled, and its charging was interrupted!

It was reinforcements!

Several prism tanks, covered by a few Rocket Troopers, broke through the Scrin blockade and rushed to the vicinity of the ruins! It was the support unit sent by A001!

"Commander! Get out, quickly!" the prism tank Commander shouted.

Sun Zheng and the others seized the opportunity and rushed out of the rift! Shadow took the chance to place the keystone fragment into a specially-made Shielding Box, temporarily isolating the energy fluctuations.

"Get in!"

They quickly boarded the prism tank. The tank's engine roared as it crushed the lunar soil, speeding toward the Guanghan Palace base. Rocket Troopers provided cover from the air, using missiles to intercept pursuing Scrin units.

However, the scrin capital ships clearly wouldn't let them escape so easily. One of the capital ships adjusted its cannon, and a thick main battery beam tore through the sky, firing directly at the retreating prism tank!

"Watch out!" Shadow sensed the lethal threat and, ignoring his physical weakness, once again forcibly channeled Order Energy to condense a thin blue energy shield behind the tank!

"Boom—!!!"

The main battery beam slammed into the shield! The shield flickered violently and shattered with a bang after only supporting for a second! But that second of delay allowed the prism tank to narrowly avoid the core area of the beam! Even so, the blast's shockwave still flipped the tank over!

Sun Zheng and the others were dazed by the shock, struggling to crawl out of the overturned tank.

"Shadow!" Sun Zheng saw Shadow collapsed on the ground, his armor scorched black; he had clearly overexerted himself to block the main battery attack.

Scrin ground forces were closing in. In the sky, the scrin capital ship's main battery began to charge once more.

At this moment of despair—

"Hope Fortress reinforcements have arrived! Chronosphere Teleportation initiated!" Lieutenant Colonel Falcon's voice came through the communicator!

A ripple appeared in the space above the lunar orbit, and three prism tanks and a squad of American Soldier were instantly teleported to the battlefield! It was the reserve force Sun Zheng had left on Mars!

The arrival of fresh troops instantly turned the tide of battle! The newly arrived prism tanks focused their fire, suppressing the approaching Scrin ground forces!

"seagull one is approaching! Prepare for extraction!" Falcon's voice came again.

The giant seagull one transport ship broke through the Scrin interception fire, lowered its altitude, and hovered above Sun Zheng and the others, casting down a Tractor Beam.

"Quick! Board the ship!"

Sun Zheng and the soldiers helped the unconscious Shadow up and quickly boarded the Tractor Beam with the Shielding Box.

"seagull one" climbed rapidly, breaking away from the combat airspace under the cover of the reinforcements' fire and retreating toward Mars.

On the lunar surface, the defenders of the Guanghan Palace base were still fighting a bloody battle. But the Scrin Fleet's objective seemed to be the keystone fragment; seeing that the fragment had been taken away, they did not linger. After destroying some surface facilities, the three scrin capital ships once again activated their Hyperspace Engines, tore through space, and disappeared into the vast universe!