Reborn as a Mechanist with a God-Tier System-Chapter 315: A D Rank Duel [2]
At first glance, the Skirmisher doesn’t look like a frontline war machine.
They looked humanoid but taller than regular humanoids. Both machines were lean, narrow, and deceptively light.
Framed in a black skeletal alloy chassis, they had long and streamlined limbs that were designed for maximum stride and reach, with exposed high-response actuator clusters that faintly glowed under stress.
The head unit is minimalistic with no face, just a slit-like sensor array that pulsed with scanning light.
Colonel Alphonse noticed enhanced pad boosters that were embedded in its calves and lower back.
As for their main weapons, both machines wielded twin blades. One had them mounted along its forearms, while the other held both blades in a skilled reverse grip.
Paying attention to the blades, the Colonel quickly noticed the edges vibrating at a high frequency.
’Vibro-blades,’ his eyes narrowed slightly.
These could damage a NetRunner even in their psionic ghost form.
He also noticed the pistols that were mounted by both machines, and the light energy shield that wrapped tightly around their bodies.
’There’s no wasted mass’. Alphonse thought; this was his main observation. ’This is a machine that’s built with speed over durability in mind, and with precision over brute force’.
’Does he intend to fight me with these?’
’I get the vibro-blades, but still, he’s underestimating me,’ he didn’t know whether to cry or laugh.
’Even if you’re Him, still to underestimate me...’ He snorted. ’Well, I’ll just force you to reveal your hand or lose in a swift and embarrassing manner’.
Colonel Alphonse adjusted his posture, standing straighter even as his eyes turned sharper. "Get ready..." he said, then all hell broke loose.
BZZZZZZ!
Neural Projection!
Colonel Alphonse disappeared, but having predicted the Colonel’s first course of action Leon reacted even faster as...
BAM!
He kicked the ground, launching himself up as he landed on top one of the floating sword drones, then with a low whine the sword drone accelerated rapidly, distancing itself from the 2 mechanical soldiers.
Colonel Alphonse chained his attack perfectly as immediately after hopping into the neural network of one of the 2 Doom Rover v0.2s, he attacked.
Data Lash!
But Leon was already gone.
And in the sky, floating on top one of his sword drones, Leon aimed the Terra Nova 71 at the Skirmisher Class Doom Rover that was already compromised and pulled the trigger.
Enhance!
BOOM!
Even at D Rank, the Terra Nova 71 Rifle was still one of Leon’s most lethal weapons especially when used alongside Enhance with his dense D Rank ADE, and especially when used against NetRunners.
The Electromagnetic Pulse Rifle has only 1 attack, the ability to shoot out an electromagnetic pulse.
But the weapon has a regulator just like Ghostwire’s Rifle with 2 slots.
The first slot can shoot a physical red pulse beam that’s hot enough to deal devastating damage like a plasma beam.
When regulated to the second slot, the Pulse Rifle shoots an electromagnetic pulse that can heavily damage robots and disrupt electronics, which is especially deadly against NetRunners in their psionic state.
From the beginning, Leon already predicted a D Rank NetRunner’s first attack instinct and from the beginning, he already had a plan.
Immediately after he pulled the trigger, a highly dense blueish white electromagnetic pulse shot out of the Rifle’s muzzle, shooting towards the Skirmisher Class Doom Rover with a speed exceeding supersonic speed.
But just before it hit, the surface of the machine shimmered slightly as a transparent, slightly green humanoid ghost stepped out of it like a shadow.
BAM!
Leon attacked his own machine with the electromagnetic pulse bypassing the R9 energy shield easily as instantly, the internal electronics of the Doom Rover became distorted as electric sparks erupted around its mechanical body.
It began jerking in an uncontrollable manner.
Leon expected this though.
In his prediction, he always knew that the Colonel would step out of the mechanical soldier and this was why the moment he stepped out, the other Skirmisher Class Doom Rover finally attacked.
With its vibro-blades, the Skirmisher Class slashed at Colonel Alphonse immediately after he stepped out of the other Skirmisher.
SHWING!
Each vibro-blade of the Skirmish Class Doom Rovers produced ultrasonic waves and violent vibrations that were capable of damaging a NetRunner in the psionic ghost form!
Leon came prepared.
"...!" As the vibro-blade swung at him, for a brief moment, Colonel Alphonse seemed like he was about to suffer the first damage of the duel when his form flickered.
He returned to his normal form, then...
CLANG!
Metallic sparks erupted.
The moment Colonel Alphonse retained his normal form, his specially-constructed short sword also returned to its physical form and with it, he blocked the attack from the Skirmisher Class at point-blank range.
The moment Colonel Alphonse blocked the attack, before the Skirmisher could react, his right leg launched forward in a powerful frontal kick as he slammed his black boot against the chest of the machine.
BAM!
The force of impact caved the Skirmisher’s chest area in as it threw the robot backward. But at the same time that this happened, Alphonse felt his danger instincts tingle.
’What?!’
Without thinking, the Colonel rolled forward just in time as the vibro-blade of the other Skirmisher Class robot slashed past his back.
The attack missed him by mere inches!
If he was a millisecond late, that attack would have cleaved his back open.
But he was not yet safe as at the exact millisecond that he rolled, floating in the sky, Leon aimed and pulled the trigger of the Terra Nova 71 again.
Having slotted the Rifle’s regulator back to the first slot, it was a deadly physical red pulse beam this time!
His accuracy was as clean as a Sharpshooter’s.
Leon timed it perfectly and Colonel Alphonse couldn’t dodge, so he jumped...
Ping Scan!
Neural Projection!
With Ping Scan, within less than a millisecond, he scanned all the gadgets of the Mechanist and confirmed his suspicion that though Leon tried to hide it, the floating sword drones were connected to an A.I, meaning they had a neural interface. Meaning they could be hopped into!
The moment he came to this realization, without hesitation he hopped into the sword drone that Leon was riding.
Bzzz!
The moment he jumped through the psionic network though, Leon also jumped in reality, distancing himself away from the sword drone and as he did, he twisted his body in mid-air and aimed his Rifle at the sword drone.
Click!
He flicked the regulator back to the 2nd slot, then he pulled the trigger.
BAM!
This time, Colonel Alphonse was finally caught off-guard as the electromagnetic pulse shot through the drone, cutting through it like a hot knife through butter, scrambling its electronics and the NetRunner hiding inside it.
Colonel Alphose received damage as he was violently forced out of the drone. Meanwhile, Leon landed on top another sword drone that reacted to his jump, keeping him afloat still.
Despite being violently forced out of the drone though, Colonel Alphonse managed to control himself as he landed gracefully on one knee, then he stood upright and wiped the blood at the corner of his lips.
Leon scored first blood!
Colonel Alphonse looked up and grinned. "I see..."
...
[Special Appreciation to Nevarie89, Robert_Luckau, r03n, Yametekudastop, _Gabe_, and Darks4int for the Golden Tickets, thanks for the support!]
