The group quickly returned to their mechs and rushed to Captain Han Le's side, raising their heavy burst rifles to unleash a storm of firepower.
Boom, boom, boom!
A hail of bullets tore through the charging enemy. Each round exploded like a small grenade, sending flesh and blackened blood flying through the air.
Despite the carnage, an endless tide of Chirami surged forward, heedless of the destruction.
Lin Chuyu and the others were stunned. They had never seen anything like this before. Even the students who had briefly hoped for salvation now wore expressions of terror.
"This is it. We're done for," someone muttered in despair.
Su Ming wiped his forehead, his thoughts racing. The situation had spiraled out of control. With so many juvenile Chirami and infected swarming the school, if they broke through the firepower perimeter, survival would be a slim hope for anyone.
Just then, Su Ming noticed the ground near a breach in the wall bulging slightly. His heart skipped a beat.
Before he could warn anyone, the ground erupted with a deafening crash. A massive, pulsating black mass of cellular matter shot up like a geyser of crude oil.
The black substance writhed in mid-air, extending countless tendrils that rapidly hardened and speared downward, covering the area indiscriminately.
"Everyone be careful! It's a Type-II Elite-Class Chirami!" Han Le's voice carried a grave urgency over the comms.
The mechs piloted by his squad immediately leaped back or raised their reinforced blades to block the attack.
Crack!
Five mechs failed to evade and were instantly pierced through their cockpits by the hardened tendrils.
"Ahhh!"
Agonizing screams echoed as the impaled mechs were flung away like discarded toys.
Boom!
The mangled mechs crashed heavily to the ground, their thick armor crumpled, internal wiring exposed and sparking, with their weapons scattered.
Meanwhile, the central body of the Type-II Elite-Class Chirami began to coalesce. Its writhing black mass gradually formed a hardened biological shell.
"Damn it!"
Han Le roared, lowering the cannon on his mech's shoulder and firing relentlessly at the monstrous form.
Boom, boom!
Explosions rocked the area, sending black chunks flying like sludge. The creature's body rippled under the assault, but it wasn't enough.
Han Le's squad followed his lead, focusing their fire on the Type-II Chirami. The sustained barrage significantly reduced its regenerative capabilities, with its fragmented body struggling to heal.
Enraged, the Chirami's massive form pulsed like a grotesque heartbeat, emitting an invisible sonic wave.
The wave summoned a swarm of juvenile Chirami and infected, which threw themselves at the Elite-Class Chirami, merging into its body.
Tang Yan's voice crackled over the comms, filled with alarm.
"It's absorbing the juveniles it split off earlier! Stop it now, or it'll become even harder to kill!"
Han Le knew the gravity of the situation. He commanded his squad to focus fire on the creature, but their firepower was insufficient to stop it.
Seeing this, Su Ming's gaze fell on the abandoned XS-01 Heavy Burst Rifles scattered around the battlefield. Gritting his teeth, he rushed forward.
Lin Chuyu noticed Su Ming's bold move and immediately followed suit.
Ming Ke and Chen Tong quickly realized what was happening and joined in.
The four of them successfully retrieved the XS-01 rifles and regrouped near Han Le's squad.
"We're here to help!" Su Ming shouted over the comms.
Sima, one of Han Le's subordinates, glanced at the newcomers and hesitated for a moment. The mechs looked different—smaller and less armored. Then he realized they were training mechs.
Still, in the heat of battle, any additional support was welcome. "Fine! Focus your fire!" he barked.
"Got it! Wait... why isn't this gun working?" Ming Ke fumbled with his weapon, pulling the trigger repeatedly to no effect.
Chen Tong was equally confused, unable to activate his rifle.
Su Ming frowned, trying to recall the simulation training. They must have missed a critical step.
Sima nearly choked with frustration. "You don't even know how to unlock the safety?!"
Before he could explain, Lin Chuyu had already opened fire. The rapid bursts from her rifle tore into the Chirami. Calmly, she explained, "These are modified XS-01 Heavy Burst Rifles. There's a concealed safety mechanism at the bottom of the weapon. Once disarmed, you follow the steps from Simulation Training Module 7."
Hearing this, Su Ming and the others quickly unlocked the safeties and joined the assault.
Even with their added firepower, the situation didn't improve. The endless swarm of juvenile Chirami continued merging into the Elite-Class Chirami, causing it to swell grotesquely. Its black cellular body began to morph into a humanoid shape, solidifying into a reinforced biological exoskeleton.
"Damn it!" Han Le cursed, pulling out his alloy blade and charging at the fully forming creature.
Sensing the threat, the Chirami lashed out with its tendrils.
Han Le's mech darted nimbly, slicing through the attacking tendrils with precision. Closing the distance, he drove his blade into the creature's hardened shell.
Crack!
The blade sank halfway into the Chirami's torso, but before Han Le could follow up, a black tendril shot toward his cockpit from the left.
"Captain, watch your left!" Sima shouted, reloading his weapon.
Han Le turned just in time to see the tendril barreling toward him. His heart sank.
Bang, bang!
A pair of precise shots shattered the tendril mid-air.
"Nice shot!" Sima praised Su Ming, whose mech still had its rifle aimed.
Han Le exhaled in relief but barely had time to recover before a massive black claw swept at him from the right.
Reacting quickly, he raised his blade to block the strike.
Boom!
The impact sent Han Le's mech flying, crashing to the ground and skidding several meters.
"Captain!"
Furious, the squad unleashed a torrent of fire at the now fully formed Elite-Class Chirami.
At that moment, reinforcements from outside the school arrived. The troops immediately focused their firepower on the monstrosit
y, unleashing a barrage of bullets, rockets, and artillery.
Boom, boom, boom!
The battlefield was engulfed in chaos.
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