Boom! Boom! Boom!
Under Hansen's command, the BARGHEST forces unleashed full fire coverage. Armored vehicles, combat cars, tanks, VTOLs, and armed Drones saturated the area ahead with devastating firepower.
When the missiles hit, even fiercer energy waves erupted. The volley Hansen ordered seemed to trigger a chain reaction—within moments, the entire zone was filled with continuous thunderous explosions.
Several buildings collapsed under the violent blasts, kicking up massive clouds of dust. Flames and smoke spread everywhere. That district had completely turned into a hellscape.
The personnel sent in earlier had almost no chance of survival. Even if someone had managed to endure the initial explosions, they would likely be consumed by fire or suffocate in the smoke.
Hansen watched everything coldly. But the fists clenched at his sides betrayed that he was far less calm than his expression suggested.
"Have to admit, Hansen's got guts. But judging from this… I doubt I'll be able to bring him under my command."
Roland sat back with one leg crossed over the other, watching the devastation. He let out a quiet sigh after the faint note of admiration in his voice.
"Let it play out. Even if we can't win Hansen over, it's no big loss."
"True enough. Move to the next step."
"Understood."
Grieve glanced at the order before him and gave a slight nod. His gaze remained calm as the main BARGHEST force continued advancing.
"Begin the first salvo."
The moment his words fell, countless streaks shot into the sky trailing long plumes of flame. They adjusted midair and locked onto the BARGHEST forces below.
"Deploy aerial interception!"
"Yes!"
Anti-aircraft guns and interceptor turrets snapped into position. With intelligent targeting assistance, they quickly locked onto the incoming missiles.
But in the next second, massive amounts of data flooded into their systems at the worst possible moment.
The firewall hastily organized by BARGHEST crumbled like paper under the assault of Sasha and the PROJECT netrunner squad.
Realizing what was happening, Hansen roared, "Switch to manual control! Shoot every damn thing out of the sky!"
"Yes, sir!!!"
Boom!
Flames erupted skyward. Black smoke rose from the ground. Although Hansen reacted quickly, some missiles still slipped through and detonated, causing considerable damage.
"Advance at full speed!!!"
Hansen slammed his fist against the armored hull beside him and growled the order.
The tanks surged forward, taking the lead as the sharpest spear to break through enemy defenses.
Soon, BARGHEST's netrunner units regained their footing as well. The two sides began clashing fiercely on the virtual battlefield.
Meanwhile, at a nearby stronghold, a figure slowly climbed into a towering humanoid machine.
[ Warhammer Soldier Mecha: Though its bloated frame appears cumbersome, numerous internal thrusters grant it terrifying propulsion. It wields the Encrypted III Power Warhammer. Its overall shape resembles an inverted trapezoid standing on two legs.
If you laugh at its comical appearance, you will soon learn what true overwhelming force feels like. ]
On the front lines, BARGHEST and Night City forces were already fully engaged, with PROJECT mechanical units providing reinforcement.
In terms of overall strength, BARGHEST still held the advantage and temporarily maintained the upper hand.
Until a massive shadow suddenly appeared overhead.
Blue flames tore open the sky like a rift, and the somewhat comical Giant Soldier Mecha crashed down into the heart of the battlefield.
A colossal warhammer followed.
Its impact alone sent a heavy tremor through the ground.
"What the hell is that…?"
The sudden appearance of the Giant Soldier Mecha left many BARGHEST soldiers stunned. In contrast, Night City's troops withdrew in perfect coordination, as if they already knew what was coming.
After a brief exchange of looks, BARGHEST opened fire on the towering machine—its height rivaling several tanks stacked together.
Bullets and shells rained down, explosions flaring and thick smoke rising around it.
Just as they thought they had taken it down, a massive hand tore through the smoke and seized a tank.
Terrifying force followed.
With the screech of twisting metal, the tank was crushed into a warped lump of steel in an instant. As for the crew inside—there was no need to ask.
Buzz—
A deep surge of energy thundered outward. The Giant Hammer glowed blue from head to toe. It tightened its grip on the warhammer and lifted it high.
Hansen's pupils shrank.
"Fall back!!!"
Boom!!!
The warhammer slammed down.
Lightning-like patterns exploded outward from the point of impact. From there, spiderweb-like fissures spread rapidly across the ground, blue light glowing within the cracks.
Then came an overwhelming roar. A blinding white flash swallowed everything in sight.
When the light finally faded, the ground in that area had melted into molten liquid. Blackened stones still glowed red from the heat.
That single strike wiped out the entire BARGHEST unit stationed there.
Bang!
Hansen's eyes nearly split with rage. Just as he was about to order a full retreat, the rumble of engines echoed nearby.
Reinforcements from the New United States had arrived.
In truth, the Giant Warhammer Soldier wasn't in good condition. Operating beyond its limits had burned out multiple components, and its outer armor had undoubtedly suffered under that immense release of power.
That attack had been a brutal trade—heavy damage dealt, heavy cost paid.
Soon, the New United States reinforcements locked onto the massive machine. Shells and armor-piercing rounds concentrated on it, sending ripples across the energy shield surrounding the Giant Warhammer Soldier.
At first glance, it didn't seem to suffer serious damage.
But everyone could see it clearly—the shield's glow was dimming at a visible rate.
And all this time, Arasaka, who had been observing the battlefield, could no longer remain seated.