The chip data decrypted by Lissandra was quickly delivered into Roland's hands.
"Ah, now this is interesting. So they're planning to step into the ring with us for real?"
Roland raised an eyebrow, casually flicked the intelligence aside, and looked at Lissandra.
"Based on your projections, how many forces can the New United States mobilize?"
"The anti-war faction within Militech holds considerable influence. If the neutral faction hadn't suddenly intervened, the New United States likely wouldn't have taken this action."
"Oh? That sounds like there's a scheme behind it. Found anything?"
"Yes. The leadership of the neutral faction has been taken under control by the Highriders. That individual is now a puppet."
"The Highriders…"
At the mention of that familiar name, Roland's eyes narrowed.
"Go on. What's the situation in the New United States now?"
"Understood. At present, the anti-war faction's upper ranks have chosen to remain stationed within New United States territory to harvest the remaining benefits while keeping the Free States—where unrest could break out at any time—under control. Myers has not responded to their decision, which suggests she has tacitly approved their course of action."
Roland nodded. That choice from Myers wasn't surprising. If she openly fell out with the anti-war faction now, before she had fully secured control of Militech—the ultimate instrument of war—her position would become extremely dangerous.
"So the main forces deployed this time come from the hawkish faction, the neutral faction, and a portion of Myers's own troops. Due to mutual reservations, all three have retained part of their forces within New United States territory, meaning they can't commit to a full-scale offensive."
"Heh. That really is…"
Roland let out a faint laugh after hearing Lissandra's report. As expected of the New United States. With so many competing interests holding each other back, it was hard to say how much combat effectiveness their forces would actually be able to bring to bear.
The reason the Unification War had crushed the Free States Alliance so decisively was largely because the New United States had unified its internal distribution of benefits. Moreover, conquering the Free States Alliance aligned with the interests of all parties, earning broad support.
But now, faced with the conflict between attainable gains and avoidable losses, the weaknesses within the New United States were beginning to show.
"If things start turning against us, deploy the Celestial Dragon. Since its completion, it hasn't made its debut on the world stage. If necessary, mobilize the Sovereign-class Warship from the underground base in Nevada."
"Understood. Additionally, Apocalypse is on the way back to Night City and will arrive no later than tomorrow."
"Good."
Roland nodded in satisfaction. Once Apocalypse reached Night City, the farce stirred up by the New United States would come to an end.
He appreciated Hansen. If the man knew when to stop, Roland would spare his life.
As for the rest of BARGHEST…
To be honest, he felt nothing toward them. Their survival would depend on luck. If any of them managed to live through the assault and chose not to oppose PROJECT again, sparing them would cost him nothing.
...
"They're about to enter the trap zone!"
"All units, get ready. The moment they enter strike range, open fire immediately. Do not wait for my command!"
Seeing BARGHEST advancing toward their position, the commander of the Night City forces immediately issued orders over comms.
"Dispatch the task force together with the mine-clearing squad. Remove any anomalies in that area."
"Understood."
Yuri nodded and relayed Hansen's orders. Soon, several small mechanized units split off from BARGHEST's main force.
Every unit was equipped with exoskeleton combat armor and drones for small-scale individual engagements.
"Send our squad to intercept. Mr. Grieve, the rest is in your hands."
After ordering his own infantry teams forward, the Night City commander turned to the gray-haired man with slicked-back hair wearing a PROJECT Corporation uniform.
Grieve gave a calm nod and issued the command to advance.
In an instant, several small gates opened at the stronghold. Countless beast-type robots from PROJECT Corporation poured out in a frenzy.
There were the familiar Fanged Hounds, the newly developed cheetah-like Longfang units, and the serpentine Snake Swarm robots.
The Snake Swarm wasn't a simple imitation of a snake's form. Its design incorporated additional mechanisms: the scales along its body could flare outward into razor-sharp blades, and its head could split apart to reveal a concealed energy weapon.
Underestimating these small machines would be a grave mistake. One of their primary purposes was to breach armored equipment.
The combination of bladed scales and head-mounted energy weapons allowed them to tear through many defenses. Even some of PROJECT's own technology struggled to withstand their drilling attacks—let alone the war machines of this cyberpunk world.
Before long, the two sides collided.
"Enemy!"
BARGHEST detected the Night City forces first. They immediately took cover and opened fire. Several soldiers were caught off guard and killed on the spot.
But the leading Fanged Hounds and Longfangs turned into streaks of red and black light, charging straight toward BARGHEST.
In the blink of an eye, they covered dozens of meters, weaving along erratic trajectories that allowed them to evade concentrated fire.
"Ahhh!!!"
A red afterimage tore into the formation, and the first scream rang out.
One soldier's face had been swallowed by the Fanged Hound's chainsaw-equipped head. His agonized wails filled the air.
"Open fire!!"
Without hesitation, the squad leader gave the order—and mercifully put the man down himself.
Swish—
Suddenly, everyone felt a sharp pain at their feet. In the next instant, their perspective dropped abruptly.
Agony spread through their bodies a heartbeat later. The scene turned into hell—blood soaking the ground, severed legs scattered everywhere.
As the squad leader forced himself to stay focused and tightened his grip on his weapon, the Snake Swarm slowly emerged from one side. Metal scraped against metal as its scales shifted. Its eyes glowed red.
Then its head slowly split open.
"No, wait—"
Whoosh—Bang—
The watermelon burst apart.
Having finished its work, the beast-type unit immediately moved on to the next target area.
Within the formation, Hansen listened to the screams of his men. His expression darkened, and without realizing it, he clenched his fists.
"Blanket the area ahead with fire!"
An officer turned to him in disbelief.
"But that'll cause massive losses! Our people are still in there! If we haven't cleared their traps—"
"Follow the order!"
"…Yes, sir!"
...
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