In the blink of an eye, the Divine Might rifle had fired ten bullets. The 'Tanuki Power's' head was a mess of blood and flesh. Another bullet shot forth, piercing through the shattered skull and obliterating its brain. Ethan saw the vitality that had been over a thousand plummet to zero in an instant. One down!
He checked his remaining ammunition—twelve bullets left. While Ethan had been focusing on the 'Tanuki Power,' the buffalo-like Behemoth had already risen to its feet. Its left side was riddled with gaping holes from the missiles, blood gushing forth. But this only seemed to enrage it further. As Ethan was occupied, it charged at him with all its might.
From the all-encompassing view within the cockpit, Ethan saw the 'Si' approach. Its vitality was still over five thousand, though steadily dropping due to the bleeding wounds. But it wasn't going to reach zero anytime soon. Ethan had no intention of engaging the Behemoth head-on. He remembered Marshal's advice: to whittle down the Behemoth's vitality with ranged attacks before moving in for the kill.
As the 'Si' charged, 'Black Thunder' rolled out of the way, causing the Behemoth to miss its target. But the 'Si' pivoted and stamped the ground, sending out a shockwave. The earth shook violently, cracking beneath the force. Inside the cockpit, Ethan was jostled uncomfortably. If not for the safety harness, he would have been thrown out.
Taking advantage of the moment, the 'Si' charged again, aiming its horn viciously at the mech's abdomen. 'Black Thunder's' armor was pierced, and through the Sympathy System, Ethan felt as if a spike had been driven into his own stomach. Pain distorted his face, and a bead of blood dripped from his nose.
The Sympathy System, which connected the pilot to the mech, allowed them to become 'giants' but also meant sharing the mech's damage. The pilot's pain was mainly a sensory and neural shock, which could be deadly if severe enough. That's why pilots wore combat suits, not only as an interface for the Sympathy System but also to buffer neural shocks, reduce pain, and monitor vital signs. In case of shock, an automatic defibrillator could be a lifesaver.
But Ethan had no combat suit, and the pain he was enduring was immense. Gritting his teeth against the agony in his abdomen, Ethan controlled 'Black Thunder' to thrust the rifle into the 'Si's' open wound and fired.
Bang, bang, bang! The loud gunfire echoed as bullets tore through the Behemoth's organs, exiting the other side and creating more bloody holes. The Behemoth's vitality dropped rapidly. Its eyes turned blood-red with fury, and with a powerful upward thrust, it lifted the heavy 'Black Thunder' off the ground and sent it crashing away.
Boom! The dark mech hit the ground hard, rolling uncontrollably. Inside the cockpit, thanks to the omni-directional gyroscope, the cockpit remained balanced within the mech. Yet, under the influence of the Sympathy System, Ethan still felt dizzy. The violent collision caused circuits to spark, sending a shower of sparks across the cockpit.
On the ground, Eliot and the others were pale with fear, for they were directly in the path of the tumbling 'Black Thunder.' "Run!" "Stop!" The students screamed.
Coming to his senses, Eliot hurried to lift He Hao from the ground. Cedricl, instead of fleeing, helped lift He Hao's legs. Together, they carried the third-year student, desperately running to the side of the rolling path. But it was too late.
In the cockpit, Ethan regained his composure and saw Eliot and the others behind him. He quickly discarded the rifle, freeing up his hands to claw at the ground, creating furrows that finally brought 'Black Thunder' to a halt just before crushing them.
Cedricl looked up to see the mech's enormous heel just above his head, with a clear view of the underfoot structure and the mud and debris stuck to it. Had Ethan not stopped in time, Cedricl was sure he would have been plastered onto the mech's foot armor in a very different way.
'Black Thunder' then surged forward, its steps causing the ground to sway. Cedricl finally exhaled in relief, collapsing to the ground, utterly drained.
Back in the cockpit, Ethan, through the panoramic view, saw the 'Si' charging towards him, bloodied and shedding flesh and blood with every step. The Behemoth's vitality was now just over two thousand. Ethan had no bullets left. It was time for close combat!
'Black Thunder' charged forward, quickly meeting the Behemoth. The 'Si's' horn glowed with a dark cyan light, looking like a flame of demonic fire from afar. It was clear the Behemoth was giving it everything it had, and Ethan was no exception. He roared within the cockpit, activating all of 'Black Thunder's' 'Super Torque' systems.
Before the collision, 'Black Thunder' leaped into the air, bent its arm, and clenched its fist. "Elbow jet system, activate!" Boom! The hidden jet system at the elbow ignited, blasting a thick blue flame and propelling 'Black Thunder's' iron fist towards its target.
Simultaneously, Ethan unleashed the Fist Technique 'Bone Shatter' through the Sympathy System. His Yuan Force surged, amplified by the mech, creating a glow around 'Black Thunder's' fist. In the next instant, the mech's fist collided with the 'Si's' horn. Ethan felt a sharp pain in his right hand as the outer armor on 'Black Thunder's' fist shattered under the impact of the Behemoth's horn.
But at the same time, the 'Si's' horn also shattered. The exposed metal skeleton and damaged synthetic muscle fibers of the steel fist slammed into the 'Si's' head. The Behemoth shuddered, a ripple spreading from the point of impact, passing through its entire body. Its long hair fluttered backward, and the parasites hidden within burst one after another.
With a mournful cry, the 'Si' was repelled by 'Black Thunder's' punch, sliding back before staggering a few steps. Blood and organs spewed from its eyes, mouth, and wounds. Suddenly, the Behemoth collapsed in a grotesque heap, as if all its bones had vanished.
If one were to dissect the Behemoth at that moment, they would find every bone in its body shattered, not a single one intact.
In the cockpit, Ethan gasped for breath, watching the Behemoth's vitality finally drop to zero and the red glow of life fade away. Only then did he relax and realize a warm sensation at his nose. Touching it, he found his palm covered in blood.