There were few enemies inside the spire.
The electronic eye marked two guards at the door, with enemies stationed every three steps on the staircase winding up to the top.
Amidst the explosion of yet another military facility, Grey's arms burst through the door, crushing the two guards flanking the entrance. He swiftly grabbed the daggers from their legs and charged up the stairs.
Racing up the spiral steps, Grey was bound to be spotted, but he always managed to slit the throats of his enemies before they could utter a cry.
Though not in bullet time, Grey still felt these men moved too slowly. He killed them effortlessly, even finding the time to collect their daggers, which now hovered around him, controlled by his telekinetic power.
By the time Grey reached the spire's peak, leaving only corpses rolling down the stairs behind him, he was met with the astonished gaze of an officer holding a cup of water, and his subordinates stationed near the missile nest.
"Wh-"
Before the officer could finish his word, Grey had already thrown a dagger, piercing his throat. The next one followed, and soon all the scavenged blades were embedded in bodies sprawled across the platform. The electronic eye quickly marked each one.
Twenty-eight bodies.
Killing twenty-eight men with flying daggers in the blink of an eye seemed an impossible feat, yet for Grey, it had only taken three seconds.
"Pity I didn't wear my Guardian armor," Grey muttered to himself, regretting that he hadn't anticipated the presence of the Koi Wall and the spire, or he would've forgone subtlety and donned the power suit.
Returning to the task at hand, Grey raised his prosthetic arm, using the integrated psychic device to telekinetically eject all the missiles from the nest and crush the launch bays.
As the missile nests twisted under pressure, Grey stepped to the platform's edge and gazed down at the distant Koi Wall.
His electronic eye zoomed in, magnifying the view until it was as though he were standing within the wall itself.
The electronic eye scanned the area within his field of vision.
Every enemy within buildings or hidden locations was marked. While Grey couldn't see their faces or uniforms, he could discern their movements through their silhouettes.
Dozens of men bustled in and out of the largest steel fortress inside the Koi Wall, where a group had gathered around a table, seemingly in discussion.
Grey focused on one particular figure, tracking him until he left the fortress and came into full view without the aid of enhanced sight.
As Grey's mind processed the purpose behind his surveillance, the electronic eye zoomed in on the man, analyzing him.
A line extended from the man's shoulder, highlighting an enlarged image of his military rank insignia.
Another line tracked his gait, which was analyzed as he walked.
A third extended to the document in his hand, zooming in for a closer examination.
The bio-processor began analyzing all this data, eventually displaying a conclusion in the center of Grey's vision.
**"Strides with head held high. Rank: Planetary Defense Corps Commander (Uncertain: Tyran II's rank hierarchy may differ from the current world.) Document: 13th Corps Upperside Defense Plan."**
**Conclusion: Corps Commander (Probability: 99%)**
"You're not quite up to our commander's standards," Grey chuckled, now certain that the Koi Wall's fortress was the enemy's command center.
Having made his judgment, Grey frowned in thought, hesitating briefly.
But then he saw the people inside the fortress packing up documents, while vehicles were being prepared. Evidently, the commotion outside had forced them to relocate their command operations.
Resolute, Grey opened the communication channel. "Brothers, focus on me. I need you all to prepare for transport. I've found the enemy's command center."
Upon hearing this, all the Guardians halted whatever tasks they were performing, standing firm even under enemy fire, or abandoning their attacks on nearby foes. They prepared for immediate transport.
Leaping from the spire, Grey plummeted to the ground, landing amidst the dust and debris, then sprinted toward the fortress.
He chose the most direct path.
Though soldiers manned the walls in great numbers, leaving no blind spots, and Grey was soon discovered, the alarm blaring through the Koi Wall's interior.
Troops stationed below the wall rushed to the ramparts, either mounting their weapons or operating the wall's heavy artillery.
Before firing, they witnessed Grey's astonishing speed, scrambling to react as they opened fire.
By then, Grey had already deployed the teleportation drones given to him by Qin Mo.
A barrage of logging gunfire tore at Grey's body, shredding the skin over his metallic frame, but it did nothing to halt his advance.
The drones moved alongside him, maintaining a hundred-meter lead.
Soon, the first Guardian was teleported in, swiftly assessing the situation and joining the charge.
Then came the second, the third... until Yao En and Andreda appeared last.
All five Guardians had abandoned their tasks, converging here and quickly adapting to the battle. They rushed forward, leading the assault ahead of Grey.
Under the night sky, their power suits reflected the beams of searchlights, their jetpacks blazing with fierce flames.
Amid the overwhelming firepower raining down, their gravity shields held firm, allowing them to press on unscathed. Even the lasers that breached the shields were converted into energy for the roaring engines of their suits.
So many lasers filled the air that the energy reserves, nearly depleted, were now fully restored.
"Guys, I've got a plan," Grey called from behind.
His thoughts were immediately shared across the neural link, and without words, the Guardians understood the strategy.
At the front, Andreda raised his arms, targeting the enemies on the ramparts, while his shoulder cannons locked onto the wall itself.
As a storm of scattershot lasers tore through the soldiers atop the wall, Andreda's cannons fired three beams.
The beams melted through the thick wall, creating a breach.
Grey's tactical inspiration had come from long ago, during the battle to capture the rebel psion. Just like before, it was time to let the shoulder cannons clear the path.