Chapter 47

　　Kal climbed into the VR terminal, the pod enclosing him in darkness momentarily before his vision lightened again.

　　As Merit, he returned to Beluth and the temporary encampment the Insurrectionists had established. They had made significant progress in the northern hemisphere over the last few weeks, pushing Clan Toth further back.

　　Merit looked at the time hovering in the bottom right corner and silently cursed. He was fifteen minutes late for a rendezvous with his teammates, his return from Luna City had pushed him off schedule slightly.

　　Hurrying his pace, he left the bustling encampment behind until he reached a shaded area on the outskirts where the team had their meetings. He found them all gathered, their Mechs waiting in an open clearing behind them.

　　"Finally!" Ty called impatiently. He had been pacing impatiently while the entire camp broiled in preparation for the upcoming assault.

　　"We`ve been waiting for you, Merit. The mission was just released. We`re assaulting Connacht immediately. Another five minutes, and we would have been forced to leave you behind." John stated, his deep voice rumbling as he came forward and shook Merit`s hand in a friendly manner.

　　"Apologies, I was delayed," Merit replied, not giving details for his lateness, and neither did they ask. Privacy in the VR world about your real life was to be respected.

　　"No matter, but we must hurry," John stated, already leading the way to where their Mechs were prepped and waiting. Before Merit could join him, Mare stepped forward, blocking his path.

　　"We need to talk." The beautiful woman said, her face serious. Her attitude took Merit aback for a second. Their interactions had been polite and formal in the past, but this was a strange intimacy he didn`t expect.

　　"LATER!" Ty shouted, pushing Merit away from Mare and towards the Mechs.

　　She looked incredibly frustrated by the interruption but followed along after composing herself. Cid stared at her curiously, wondering what had caused her usually distant and cold companion to act strangely.

　　Could she be interested in Merit?` Cid thought, inwardly grinning at the juicy tidbit of gossip. She couldn`t wait to discuss it with Ty later.

　　Merit walked to his Blade, the tall Mech kneeling with one knee on the ground. He had gradually grown accustomed to the Mobile Suit, its movements turning more fluid and responsive.

　　Merit had improved the weapons on the unit, adding a powerful Laspistol in holsters on each hip, allowing him to combine melee and short-range attacks if needed. He couldn`t rely on Mare to protect him in every situation. He needed to diversify his tactics.

　　Climbing the retractable ladder to the cockpit, it enclosed him in its metallic surroundings, the darkness lighting as the Mech`s sensors came online. A notification appeared in his HUD, the words crimson and vibrant.

　　The Push to Connacht!

　　Connacht City is the Hub of Beluth`s Northern Hemisphere. Move forward and seize it from Clan Toth!This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

　　"Everyone ready?" Ty asked, his voice coming through clearly on the team`s communication channel. Merit maneuvered the blade to the vanguard, just in front of Mare. In the distance, hundreds of other Players were already in formation in an assortment of different Mechs.

　　At the forefront, a massive Colossus` Heavy Class began to walk forward, its movement shaking the ground around it as its four legs dug deeply into the soft soil. A thick, shimmering blue shield surrounded it, protecting the Mech and those directly behind it.

　　In addition, dozens of Medium classes were sprinkled between them, boosting the group`s overall power.

　　"Ready." Merit sounded off with the others as they took their place on the left wing. Pushing ahead, he fell into an easy rhythm, the ground a blur beneath him.

　　Overhead, a flight of assault carriers secured the skies, their heavy weapons trained on the horizon for the first sight of the enemy. Merit could see a few Seraphs` trailing behind, their flying speed lacking in comparison, but their agility in combat unmatched by the bulky assault ships.

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　　The battlefield was pure chaos.

　　Unlike when the Insurrectionists had taken Schad, Clan Toth prepared for the offensive against Connacht. The sky filled with smoke from burning Mechs and Assault Ships, and the sun was obscured behind a thick haze that dyed the sky a reddish-orange.

　　Merit and the others were in the second wave, watching in horror as hundreds of Mechs fell to bluish-white Lasgun fire and crimson-red PPC energy. Outnumbered and out positioned, the Insurrectionist forces only stood a chance because the Heavy class Mech absorbed the brunt of the enemy`s hostility.

　　The Colossus` shields had pushed past their regular blue and into white as they were slowly overwhelmed by the near-constant bombardment. In retaliation, it launched waves of missiles, deadly vaporizing crimson energy from its multiple PPCs and destructive Autocannons.

　　Generally, no Mech of a lower class can destroy an enemy higher class than itself unless through sheer, overwhelming numbers. Merit witnessed that today as the Colossus tore through dozens of Light and Medium Class Mechs.

　　That was until Clan Toth revealed their trump card.

　　From a distance, a streak of crimson light shot across the city. Larger and more powerful than a PPC, it slammed into the beleaguered Colossus` overtaxed shields, holding for a long second before puncturing them and burning a hole straight through the centaur-like Mech`s left arm.

　　"Holy shit! It`s a Tyrant!" Ty`s voice shouted through the comms so loudly that it crackled. Following the line of red fire, a Mech was situated deep behind enemy lines.

　　Painted a brilliant red, the Mech stood over sixty feet tall. Its appearance was fierce and almost demonic, with sharp points jutting from its shoulders and knees. Humanoid, it floated in the air above Connacht, large wing-like thrusters keeping it aloft.

　　A long barrel rifle was gripped tightly in both hands, lines of heat still radiating from its body.

　　The Enemy Mech kept its weapon trained on the Colossus as the temperature dissipated. With another deafening crack, it shot again, striking the Heavy Mech directly in the cockpit. The Colossus immediately imploded, its reactor causing a catastrophic failure.

　　A shockwave erupted as the Heavy Class collapsed in a fireball, knocking over the nearby Mechs and flattening the surrounding terrain.

　　Merit hadn`t expected to see a Tyrant` Heavy Class Mech in Beluth. If the Colossus was a walking fortress, then a Tyrant was a weapon of mass destruction. It took a skilled Pilot to direct its devastating attacks accurately.

　　"We`re finished!" Ty said, his voice laced with despair. He had wanted to stay in the World Event for a short time longer, but it was apparent this was a lost cause.

　　"I wouldn`t count on that. The Tyrant will take a few minutes to recover after an attack like that." Mare replied, directing their attention to a flight of Medium Class Mechs flying directly toward the Tyrant, already striking at its shields with a barrage of Lasgun fire.

　　"We need to end this quickly," John stated, pushing his Mech forward. All along the Insurrection line of Mechs, groups came to the same conclusion, hurling themselves against the enemy.

　　"Are you all insane?" Ty asked weakly.

　　"Come on, Ty. It`s just a game!" Cid yelled, taunting him as she sprinted forward, her Lasgun firing at the entrenched defenders. With a put-upon sigh, Ty followed along.