People often say that the combat effectiveness of Titans is somewhat "regrettable," but this is also a relative statement. These machines can become the backbone of combat sequences within Anti-Entropy, so there must be a reason for it.
Facing the surging waves of Honkai beasts, the clustered Titans can play a huge role in combat, and unlike Valkyries, they don't need rest. As long as they have sufficient energy and ammunition supply, they can continue fighting.
Furthermore, although Titans are expensive, they can indeed be created as combat units within a certain period of time with money.
Turning to look at the Valkyries of Schicksal, they are all eligible candidates with a certain resistance to Honkai. It can't be said that such people are one in a million, but rather one in a hundred thousand or even one in a million.
Look at how many branches Schicksal has established worldwide, cooperating with local governments, conducting physical examinations on eligible children, and selecting suitable candidates from among them...
And what about Anti-Entropy? Do they have the capability to establish such a global network of bases?
Indeed, they do.
But Schicksa had already started cooperating with various national governments, and even went to great lengths to obstruct Anti-Entropy's expansion...
So Anti-Entropy chose the combat units that best suited them—Titans, all kinds of Titans.
With the money in place, raw materials available, and production lines running smoothly, robots are mass-produced and ready for deployment.
In contrast, Schicksal takes years to train a Valkyries, and even then, the person trained may not necessarily be able to go into battle. They may only be relegated to logistics or intelligence work.
Furthermore, Valkyries currently engaged in frontline combat need to have artificial Stigmata implanted (natural Stigmata carriers are few in number), greatly reducing their lifespans. Every now and then, a Valkyrie has to retire from the frontline due to Honkai erosion...
Of course, many Valkyries don't even live to retirement age. They would rather die in battle against the Honkai.
This is also why Fu Hua, Rita, and even Otto attach so much importance to the Moon Rings—Moon Rings can slow down, suppress, or even assist in healing Honkai erosion. Their effect is simply enormous.
It can directly double the lifespan of Valkyries, pulling out a batch of elite veterans from the sanatorium, allowing ordinary people to work in Honkai environments with Moon Rings, and freeing up more Valkyries to join the combat sequence...
Ahem, I've digressed. Let's get back to the comparison between Titans and Valkyries.
Without anti-armor or electronic warfare equipment, C-rank Valkyries would be crushed in a one-on-one fight with Titans, while B-rank Valkyries might have some room to maneuver under the same circumstances.
Of course, even with such equipment, it's difficult for C-rank Valkyries to take on armored units like Titans on their own. After all, lower-ranking Valkyries can be considered as enhanced versions of special forces with Honkai resistance. Taking a hit from a Titan's cannon or fist would be fatal...
At such times, it's a matter of which side detects the other first and then pulls the trigger—modern warfare, "detect and destroy".
But obviously, the sensory abilities of lower-ranking Valkyries can hardly compete with the multi-spectrum radars and various sensors equipped on Titans...
By the time they reach B-rank, things start to get interesting. Honkai greatly enhances the physical fitness of Valkyries, allowing them to easily surpass human limits and engage in direct confrontation with Honkai beasts...
At this point, if B-rank Valkyries carry specialized equipment, they can relatively easily deal with Titans in one-on-one combat—though the problem lies in the fact that Titans usually operate in clusters, and situations where several B-rank Valkyries form a team are rare.
In most cases, it's B-rank Valkyries leading a group of C-rank Valkyries. They would carry equipment according to the mission requirements and, if necessary, use armored vehicles, tanks, or helicopters as well as cooperate with Schicksal's mechanical combat units—yes, Schicksal also has mechanical combat units, although not as many as Anti-Entropy.
The place where a group of B-rank Valkyries gather is called the "Valkyrie Assault Team," an elite formation aimed at dealing with particularly troublesome Honkai events on a global scale...
There are some voices within Schicksal that consider this elite formation to be a great waste of resources, but Archbishop Otto can't be bothered to entertain such opinions.
B-rank and C-rank Valkyries are the backbone of Schicksal's vast forces, while for A-rank Valkyries standing at the top of the pyramid, Titans are just... well, mediocre.
After all, these top-tier Valkyries are all masters of their craft. Even without specialized weapons, they can easily handle a small squad of Titans. With anti-armor weapons and electronic warfare equipment, coupled with Valkyrie armor, it's simply a slaughter.
As for S-rank...
Oh dear, let's just take a look at the Herrscher in the distance. Look at that Herrscher of the Void, effortlessly taking down who knows how many Titans, almost bankrupting Anti-Entropy!
And then she got hit by Fu Hua who came running, of course, and also got hit by Kiana, and previously by Cecilia, and it seems even Siegfried can hit her... If these powerhouses are treated like this, what chance do ordinary Titans have against them?
So, it's normal for Hida Ren who was in the stronghold to look like he's about to suffocate.
Because there's a quasi-A-rank and an S-rank Valkyrie teaming up to launch a sneak attack!
However, Hida Ren is unaware of this.
The man looked at the monitor in front of him, and the faint signals were gradually spreading. It seems that the attackers brought a lot of smoke bombs and signal jamming devices (thrown by the Key of Revelation), causing chaos on the battlefield.
Even the hidden cameras were discovered and dealt with by the attackers, hardly transmitting any useful footage.
On the map, the signals representing the combat Titans were rapidly decreasing in number, and he, with a pale face, leaned on the table. Beads of sweat as big as beans rolling down his forehead.
"How... how could this happen... Raiden Ryoma actually has such a trick up his sleeve..."
He was obviously a bit confused by what was happening in front of him, and his mind was even a bit muddled.
"Chuckle..."
A disdainful laugh came from beside him, and Hida Ren suddenly woke up, turning around with a pleading look at the World Serpent agent who wore a black hood with a beak-shaped decoration.
"Ah, Miss Raven, you must help me... If they're attacking the warehouse where Raiden Mei is, if anything goes wrong, we won't be able to explain to Lady Jackal..."
Faced with the panicked man, Raven rubbed her palms and calmly commanded, "Bring out all the trial versions of the poisonous gas that Lady Jackal gave you. It should be able to delay the attackers for a while..."
"D-delay...?"
Raven looked at the monitor again, and this experienced tactic made it hard for her not to think of certain old friends.
After all, as a mercenary under the World Serpent, she had seen and experienced a lot.
"This isn't Raiden Ryoma's trick, it's Schicksal's Valkyries."
"What?! Schicksal too..."
"Conservatively estimated to be B-rank, A-rank is not impossible either. Prepare yourself to abandon this place."
Although she said so, Natasha didn't think Schicksal would send A-rank Valkyries to interfere.
Who would bury such a strategic weapon as a spy in Anti-Entropy's headquarters?
Raven shook her cloak and walked out.
Hida Ren was right. If something went wrong here, Jackal would indeed go berserk, and Raven couldn't be bothered to listen to that neurotic woman's ramblings.
In any case, the mercenaries had to start working.