Boom!
A deafening explosion thundered across the battlefield as a towering figure slowly rose from the smoke.
"ROAR!!!"
A terrifying shockwave rippled outward, instantly blowing the dust away. Apocalypse's massive form came fully into view, and the Idaho State troops turned pale with fear.
On the battlefields against the New United States, this beast had already carved out a brutal reputation. Facing such a monster without the slightest preparation—everyone knew how that would end.
"No one retreats! Hold the line and push forward!!!"
The Idaho commander roared, his face flushed red.
"Anyone who falls back will be treated as a deserter and executed under military law!!!"
But instead of igniting their fighting spirit, the order only deepened the panic.
The device mounted on Apocalypse's body was amplifying the fear of anyone facing him head-on to an extreme degree.
"ROAR!!!"
With another thunderous howl, Maine drove Apocalypse straight into Idaho's formation, charging like a high-speed tank tearing through infantry.
Soldiers, armored vehicles—anything in his path—meant nothing before Apocalypse's razor-sharp claws.
"Advance. With Apocalypse ripping open their formation, there's no need for complicated tactics."
Marshall watched the battlefield with a blank expression as he gave the order.
"Yes."
The adjutant beside him nodded coolly and relayed the command.
Soon, a long line of steel appeared on the horizon. It stretched farther and farther, until it became a surging torrent of metal. Silver-white mechanical bodies gleamed under the sunlight.
The Idaho forces, already shattered by Apocalypse's breach, had no strength left to deal with the approaching PROJECT mechanical legion.
As the cold machines drew closer, despair filled the soldiers' eyes.
Then the steel tide swallowed them whole.
Wherever it passed, defensive lines collapsed instantly—without even a ripple of resistance.
Just as the command center realized something was wrong and prepared to withdraw, a dark figure descended from the sky.
The unit's commander widened his combat-enhanced eyes, frantically scanning his surroundings, but found nothing.
Suddenly—
An orange blade flashed from his blind spot.
Shhk—
A semicircular arc of orange light exploded outward, cleaving everything around it cleanly in half.
Yasuo extended a hand and caught the commander's severed head with perfect precision. He removed the chip from behind the man's ear, then casually tossed the head aside.
"Decapitation complete. Take over the battlefield."
As his voice fell, shadows leapt from the ranks of PROJECT's forces, landing deep within Idaho's rear lines. Each one was a combat robot with extremely powerful individual combat capabilities.
A single unit was enough to wipe out a well-trained military squad. Tireless. Unafraid of pain. Fighting until total destruction.
Under such pressure, Idaho's forces collapsed. Large-scale routs began almost immediately.
As for the earlier threat of military law…
With the commander already dead, who was left to enforce it?
"Do we pursue?"
Yasuo walked slowly to Marshall's side and asked.
"No need. We secure the city in front of us, convert it as quickly as possible, and use it as a bridgehead to continue advancing into the rest of Idaho."
"Understood."
Yasuo nodded. He had no objections—Marshall was the overall commander of this operation.
"And Apocalypse?"
"He should have calmed down by now. Suppressing the bloodlust takes time. If necessary, activate his Carnage mode—so Maine doesn't get overwhelmed by it."
"Agreed."
Marshall accepted the suggestion and turned his attention back to the battlefield.
...
"What did you say?! Nearly fifty thousand mechanized troops?! And every single one equipped with energy weapons?!"
Myers shot to her feet, staring at the secretary in disbelief.
"Yes, ma'am. Our satellites observed PROJECT forces deploying from Nevada. We suspect this may not even be the full strength of the expedition."
"And… I think you need to see this."
The secretary brought up a photo and handed it over.
Myers took it. As she focused on the image, her pupils slowly contracted.
The photograph showed five cities in Nevada. At their center was a massive opening—like a yawning abyss devouring everything around it.
The image was slightly blurry, but she could still make out metal walls and intricate metallic walkways beneath that enormous maw.
"This… what exactly is this…"
Her eyes grew distant. It was the first time since taking office that she had visibly lost her composure.
After a moment, she drew a deep breath and forced herself to calm down, though her expression turned grim.
"I thought a few months was a short time. I never imagined they could develop to this extent in just a few months."
"What are you planning to do?"
The secretary asked cautiously.
Myers fell silent. After a long pause, she gestured for the secretary to leave. She needed time alone.
Of course she wanted to eliminate PROJECT once and for all.
But the New United States was not hers alone. The presidency was coveted by more than one faction, and even within Militech, unity was far from absolute.
The rest of the country was tired of war.
To put it bluntly—she had no more leverage left.
"Damn it…"