The five Skybreakers surged into the night sky with their GM Drives creating deafening noise as their massive bodies passed through the darkness.
Compared to the human-sized flying zombies, the mechs were titans... They were twelve meters tall, armored in mana-infused alloy, and also carried bladed weapons.
Well, since the ammunition was expensive, they would mostly use their blades in this situation. Even if they have to use their firearms, they would only use the Spirit Cannons or those that require Mana or Spirit Energy instead of live ammo.
Soon, the swarm screeched as they closed in... Their wings were beating furiously, but the difference in scale was overwhelming.
A single swing of a Skybreakerâs arm could scatter dozens of zombies when they were clustered.
Sheena Asuka led the charge with her Skybreakerâ01 moving forward.
"I donât see any Zombie King or Zombie Lord... Letâs clear the skies!"
Her mechâs arm cannon was fired and sliced through the swarm!
In an instant, dozens of zombies disintegrated in its line of path with their bodies tumbling lifelessly toward the ground below.
Kenjiâs Skybreakerâ02 followed with more energy bullets from his rifles...
"Fire support incoming!" A hail of energy bullets streaked outward... Of course, they werenât just simple bullets.
They were similar to the bullets used by the Mk.V!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, they detonated in the midst of the swarm.
Explosions lit the night, shredding wings and scattering corpses around...
Riku, who was a bit reckless as ever, pushed his GM Drive to maximum thrust.
"Skybreakerâ03, cutting through!" He dove straight into the thickest cluster with his mechâs rotary blades spinning as he cleaved through zombies like paper.
"Ha! Too easy!"
Ayakaâs Skybreakerâ04 also moved as she followed Riku behind, ensuring that she could support him when needed.
"Hey... Maintain spacing. Donât let them swarm the flanks." Her mechâs rifles then fired in controlled energy bursts... She wasnât trying too hard and simply kept the line tight, ensuring no gaps opened in their defense.
She wasnât here to steal the spotlight after all.
Hiroshiâs Skybreakerâ05, on the other hand, stayed at the rear. His veteran instincts steadied the formation.
"Stay disciplined. Donât get carried away." His mechâs heavy cannons were also ta, each shot vaporizing clusters of enemies. He moved silently, covering the others whenever their reckless maneuvers left openings.
He was such a perfect team player, and this was the reason why Sheena liked teaming up with him.
The battle was brutally one-sided. The zombies clawed and bit, but their attacks barely scratched the Skybreakersâ armor.
On the other hand, every strike from the mechs was devastating, scattering corpses across the sky.
***
On the observation deck, the division leaders watched the clash unfold. The night sky was lit with explosions, beams, and the screeches of dying zombies.
Brion leaned against the railing, grinning. "Look at them! Itâs like swatting flies. Those mechs are monsters."
Elandor smirked, his staff glowing faintly.
"Impressive, yes. But donât forget... this is only a swarm. The Overlord Clanâs elites will be far more dangerous."
Sylas, halfâhidden in the shadows, chuckled.
"Still... Itâs satisfying to watch. The Skybreakers make even the impossible look trivial."
Taylor then imagined having a flying horse.... "If only I could join them. But this is their fight. Let them prove themselves."
Serenya, on the other hand, stood near the edge... Right now, her vines were stretching outward into the night.
As corpses of flying zombies fell from the sky, she tried to catch them before they hit the ground. Each vine lashed out, wrapping around a body and pulling it back toward the fortress.
"Got one... and another..." she muttered, sweat forming on her brow.
But the swarm was too vast, and her reach was limited. Many corpses slipped past, as they all dropped to the ground into meat paste...
Brion laughed. "Youâre going to wear yourself out, Serenya. You canât catch them all!"
Serenya was also aware of it, so she nodded... Still, she was determined to get as much as she could... "I know... But even if I canât take them all, Iâll take as many as I can. Their bodies are resources... Who knows what loot theyâll give to us? We canât waste them."
Shinja also nodded since he knew how important they were to the Foreign Survivors.
"Sheâs right. Every corpse matters. But donât push too far, Serenya. Save your strength."
Serenya smiled faintly, vines retracting as she caught another zombie that was falling...
"Iâll do my best. Thatâs all I can promise."
***
Back in the sky, Sheenaâs voice rang over the comms. "Status check. Howâs everyone holding?"
Kenji laughed. "Ammoâs burning fast, but the kills are worth it. Skybreakerâ02 is still solid."
Riku shouted over the comms, ecstatic at this combat experience... Although this was a one-sided battle since the Zombies couldnât even bite through their armor, they still learned a lot.
"Skybreakerâ03, no problems! These things are nothing!"
Ayakaâs calm reply followed. "Skybreakerâ04, stable. Formation intact."
Hiroshi also reported. "Skybreakerâ05, covering rear. Keep pressing forward."
Together, the five mechs tore through the swarm. They had now switched to their cold weapons with their GM Drives humming with power.
Just like that, the flying zombies shrieked in desperation, but against the towering Skybreakers, they were hopelessly outmatched.
From the fortress, the leaders watched with pride, awe, and anticipation for the upcoming battle against the Overlord Clan!
Even if the battle was one-sided, it was also a reminder of the strength they carried into the coming war.
***
In the meantime, while they were all battling in the sky, Shane moved steadily through the snow.
His boots crunched against the thick layer that covered the ground.
The snowfall had stopped hours ago, but the accumulation was still nearly two feet deep.
His bike was useless in this terrain since the wheels would sink and stall almost immediately.
He had considered forcing it through, but wasting energy on a machine that couldnât handle the conditions wasnât worth it.
Walking was slower, but reliable.
Of course, now that his mission to deal with the Zombie King and the new fishing ground was finally obtained, Shane decided to continue moving forward instead of returning to Blue Haven Shelter.
After all, the new fishing ground was previously owned by the Overlord Clan. They wouldnât stop sending people unless he dealt a huge blow to them...
"Letâs see..."
As he was moving, he checked his Clan Chat...
Soon, reports from the Floating Fortress came...
He had sent a few Foreign Survivors there to give him constant reports about these Legendary Recruits and Legendary Elves after all.
"So they met a Flying Zombie swarm, huh..." Shane mused as he read that the Skybreakers were deployed to cut down the swarm of flying zombies...
As expected, it was done without issue.
That was reassuring. It meant the fortress would steadily advance toward the Overlord Clanâs shelter and their plan to siege would not be delayed.
After all, Asad should arrive there early and complete his scouting first...
If he stayed there for too long, his whereabouts might be discovered. After all, his wraiths and other mystical abilities might still get noticed by the enemies.
"I should move faster..." Shane muttered as he moved as fast as he could.
There was no need to use Survivor Skills with his current Agility Points, but he would still activate his jump skill, kick skill, and other movement skill, especially Veiled Steps, if there were obstacles.
Every step brought him closer to the revenge he had promised himself.
The destruction of the Silver Mine Camp and the Spirit Vein wasnât something he could forgive.
The Overlord Clan had to pay, and he would make sure they understood why he was ranked Number One.
Then, as he crossed another cliff, Shane slowed...
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Haa!" "Haa!"
"Charge!" "Kill!"
The sound of shouting carried across the frozen plain.
Indeed... It was not the deep cries of zombies, but human voices! They were angry, desperate, and clashing with their weapons...
Shane crouched slightly as he scanned the area ahead.
Down in the valley, two groups of survivors were fighting each other.
Steel rang against steel, and the snow was already stained with blood.
One group looked ragged with their armor pieced together from scavenged scraps. The other was better equipped, their weapons glowing faintly, probably due to the rarity of their weapons!
Shane stayed where he was, watching from a distance.
He didnât move to intervene. These werenât his enemies after all...
âIs it another Clan fighting against Scavengers? What is going on here?â Shane mused as he assessed the situation.
Soon, a scavenger fighter screamed as he was cut down with his body collapsing into the snow. The better-equipped group pressed forward, cutting down their opponents with ruthlessness...
The scavengers fought back with desperation, but their lack of combat tactics and difference in weapons were too massive...
Initially, Shane wanted to just leave them be since he didnât know these people...
However, as he was about to leave, something unexpected happened.