Chapter 3: The Heart of a Thug, Section 9

The pilot of the azure mech—that man named Harry—was unknown. In a once highly civilized world, the variety of weapons far exceeded what existed here. Unluckily, the pilot of this black mech was someone who knew all kinds of weapons as well as the back of his hand.

Indeed, that brat had no defense against missiles, as there were no countermeasures available. But that didn’t mean the black-haired man was at a loss.

“Klack.” The black-haired man abruptly pulled the control lever with his right hand. The engine roared to life, and streams of fiery red energy burst out from the engine vents at the back, forcing the wildly charging brat to stagger. The high-speed impact modules beneath its feet created intense friction with the ground, emitting a piercing screech. Countless sparks flew out from one side, like a waterfall.

Miraculously, at nearlylimit speed, the brat managed to draw a perfect arc, defying the laws of physics entirely, turning its direction by nearly thirty degrees. At the same time, its right arm suddenly reached into the backpack behind it, emerging with a dark-colored gun.

“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!”

As it continued to charge at full speed, the brat suddenly turned sideways and raised its hand. The shotgun emitted loud blasts, firing countless fist-sized projectiles that filled every inch of space within thirty meters in the direction of the approaching missiles.

While missiles were terrifying weapons anywhere, for someone like the black-haired man, whose every cell was accustomed to battle, they weren’t enough of a challenge. This elegant arc movement had a specific name: “Melody of Darkness.”

By using one leg as an axis and cleverly leveraging the engine’s power, it allowed for rapid direction changes even at maximum speed. Such a technique would have amazed the world even on Earth in the past. With this move, the black-haired man could easily align himself with the missile’s trajectory, stretching the time it took to be hit and giving himself more time to react.

Mechs using miniature missiles weren’t like real missiles—due to size constraints, their propulsion systems often sacrificed power to maintain sufficient force, and their speed couldn’t compare to that of larger missiles. This left enough weaknesses for experienced technicians. With advanced targeting equipment and a highly precise arm, it wasn’t impossible to shoot down these “matchstick” missiles flying in the sky.

Unfortunately, with its current configuration, the Little Devil couldn’t even reach the mediocre standard of the mechs Black Hair had seen before, let alone be considered advanced. What it relied on was something else—shotguns.
“Boom… Boom…”
Two consecutive loud explosions created two huge clouds of smoke in the sky. Countless metal fragments mixed with blazing flames spread out like an umbrella, as if a rain of steel was falling. The rapidly moving Little Devil didn’t pause even for a moment; it simply turned on its heel, and “Black Melody” resounded as it drew a swift arc through the air before charging straight toward the manor.
Its near-gale speed and unusual maneuvering skills meant the Little Devil wasn’t slowed in the slightest by the missile attacks. Instead, under the astonished gazes in the manor’s hall, it plunged inside.
“Not good!” The azure mech stood up abruptly, its voice no longer lazy but filled with tension. Its free right hand reached for a weapon rack nearby, grabbing a massive finger tiger. Without even saying a word, it jumped out through the shattered window.
After what had just happened, even an idiot could see that missiles were far too ineffective against that wind-like black mech—they couldn’t even hinder its progress. In that case, it was better to take a risky gamble than wait inside the manor for it to come for them!
Harry truly was a real warrior. He was different from those guards. With just one glance, he clearly understood the situation and made a decision.
A long-range mech remained a long-range mech—even if its weapon was a missile. Allowing a close-range mech to get close was often the beginning of its downfall. Moreover, its heavy missile launchers made it impossible for its engine to handle other gun-based weapons. So, generally, missile mechs were equipped with the lightest combat weapons like finger tigers for self-defense.
But thankfully, the opponent was also a mech that used firearms. In close-quarters combat, who knew—it might not be so powerless?
Sitting in the cockpit on Blue Planet, Harry couldn’t help but think this.
Unfortunately, the facts that followed left him utterly stunned.

Just as he jumped out of the hall window and landed on the open ground outside, that terrifying black mech had already rushed forward not far away. Harry could even see its appearance clearly. But before he could prepare for a fight, the black mech, right in front of him, charged rapidly while throwing away its weapons. With both hands reaching out, there was a soft click—as sharp, alloy-made claws appeared before Harry’s eyes.

What a joke… Harry gasped in shock.

Could that black mech, which had destroyed towers with cannons and eliminated missiles with guns, actually be a close-combat unit skilled in fighting? Harry would rather believe his eyes were deceiving him than accept this fact.

You can’t have your cake and eat it too. On the planet Xek, there had always been an insurmountable gap between long-range mechs and close-combat mechs. No one had ever heard of a magic mech capable of combining these two extremes. Aside from engines not being powerful enough to support the weight of both firing and combat components, technicians skilled in both extremes had never existed either.

But there was no time for him to be astonished. Though it was just a moment’s thought, it was enough for the little demon controlled by the black-haired man. The high-speed impact modules beneath his feet were already scorching hot. Amidst bursts of sparks, it crossed a hundred meters like a black whirlwind. Its rapidly moving body suddenly spun, and the powerful inertia and centrifugal force turned it into a fierce tiger. The alloy claws in its right hand, with a shrill screech, slashed toward Blue Planet!

“CLANG!!!!”