Within the cockpit, the crimson crisis light continued its incessant flashing. The display gradually regained clarity. Hideaki wiped his eyes with one hand, removing the trickling blood. The impact had, for the first time, indirectly injured his body. Yet, eliminating him proved far less facile than imagined.
His blood-streaked hand re-gripped the control stick as he glared furiously at the motionless figure ahead. Slowly, he reactivated Orochi's systems, rousing it from the fractured ground, presenting a particularly pitiable sight.
Standing supported by its four limbs, Orochi resumed its combat stance.
"Analyze unit performance; notify me upon reaching 'release' criteria..." Hideaki gasped for air, his voice barely a whisper.
He stared intently at the screen, scanning each safety notification as it scrolled past.
His breathing gradually steadied; his resolve solidified.
13 was indeed as the legends described. Hideaki began to believe that any nation possessing him would become an invincible hegemon.
Facing such a paramount entity, Hideaki smiled—a smile originating from the depths of his being. Devoid of any consideration for status or responsibility, it was the primal human instinct to challenge limitations. 13 represented the very apex of combat...
"Perishing matters little..." Hideaki murmured to himself with a smile. "To die alongside you leaves no room for regret..."
The external speakers remained off; 13 could not hear his adversary's commendation.
"Kid!" Serpent sensed something amiss. For the first time, Orochi's internal computer severed all network connections, entering a state of self-imposed isolation. Warning systems, search systems—all ceased function entirely. In ancient Chinese terms, it was "burning one's bridges."
"What is it?" 13 also sensed the abnormality.
"It appears to have embraced the awareness of mortality," Serpent stated, offering a simple deduction. "With the network sealed, I cannot acquire specific data, but do you perceive it?"
"The temperature..." 13 noticed.
"Mm, rising. Abnormally and rapidly. Emanating from Orochi. Only one possibility..." Serpent's deduction was accurate.
"Full-power nuclear core operation?" 13 arrived at the same conclusion.
"It's accumulating energy at high performance. Theoretically, this allows the unit to operate beyond its rated capacity. However, in such a high-energy state, it cannot sustain itself for even half an hour. At that point, intervention will be unnecessary; it will self-immolate." Serpent effectively pronounced Orochi's death sentence.
"Looks like this will be the most arduous half-hour..." 13 smiled, connecting with the three resting comrades. "Are you all well?"
"So, you're still alive?!" 36 retorted. His capacity for sarcasm indicated decent spirits.
Just moments ago, this very youth had been incessantly chugging glucose to replenish energy.
"Evacuate the town immediately. This place might soon transform into hell..." 13 was not jesting.
"Judging by your voice, your condition seems stable. How fares Orochi?" 1 inquired solicitously.
"As for it... it's nearing insanity. Already preparing a suicidal assault. If I endure, victory is mine!" 13 felt the ground tremble—originating from Orochi.
"You'll be alright, won't you?!" 24 asked urgently, seeking only 13's definitive assurance.
"Naturally. It lacks the qualification to claim my life." 13's reply was affirmation itself; he would never deceive his comrades.
"Therefore, to ensure I can fight without reservation, your withdrawal is preferable..."
"Impressive, kid? We've all become your encumbrances?!" 36 disliked 13's tone, but the truth remained the truth.
"Approximately how long will you require to conclude this?" 1 posed the crucial question.
"Uncertain, but definitively within half an hour." 13's response was the most accurate possible.
"Very well. We shall withdraw. If you haven't returned within thirty minutes, regardless of whether you are deceased or alive, we will return to resolve this entity!" 1 clenched his fists, having prepared even for the worst-case scenario.
"Thank you." 13 expressed gratitude for his captain's trust.
"You won't die, correct?" 24 utilized the private communication channel, audible only to 13.
Switching channels, 13 smiled gently. "Of course. I will rendezvous with you all. You must wait for me..."
"Mm!" 24 nodded affirmatively.
"Withdraw!" 1's command was clear and concise.
The rhythmic sound of running feet reached 13 through his headset.
"It's time to conclude this, monstrosity..." 13 stood erect, observing the vibrating machine before him.
The intense heat—Hideaki, within the unit, understood it best.
Despite the efficient air conditioning system, the cockpit temperature exceeded thirty-five degrees Celsius. Sweat mingled with blood from his head wound, coursing down his forehead. Hideaki couldn't even muster the effort to wipe it away. Hands gripping the controls tenaciously, he monitored the energy gauge at the bottom of the screen. Upon reaching one hundred percent, a warning prompt materialized.
"Due to the energy system operating at full capacity, unit combat effectiveness will significantly increase. However, the unit's internal systems will gradually burn out. Does the pilot wish to proceed?"
Ignoring the prompt, Hideaki bypassed the query, directly selecting confirmation.
The unit's vibrations intensified drastically. Arms crossed before its chest, the four legs propelled the torso upwards. The eight colossal serpents roared, mouths agape.
"Ugh..." Suddenly, Orochi bellowed skyward—the machine's own roar. The violent sound shattered every windowpane in the town. Arms extended maximally to the sides, as if something were about to burst forth from its chest.
"So noisy!!!" Serpent, within 13's helmet, covered its head, its expression one of extreme annoyance.
13 paid no heed to the mischievous entity; the main spectacle was about to "commence"...
Orochi's body seemed to fracture; the gaps between armor plates widened. Blinding white light emanated from the fissures, as if concealing a scorching sun within.
"Is it about to collapse?" 13 asked worriedly.
"That's indicative of excessive energy. In Chinese terms, one might say, 'stuffed to bursting'..." Serpent displayed its penchant for humor, but 13 found no amusement.
"Rest assured..." Ryuichi, watching the screen, shed tears. He understood Hideaki's actions better than anyone. "The people of Japan will forever remember you, for you are our hero!"
"Truly astonishing..." Adam observed the Orochi on screen with a smile. "Yet, 13, having acquired Serpent, is also formidable. What course will you choose?" Adam pondered intently.
"Both are potent, and detestable. Best if they eliminate each other..." Annie voiced her true sentiments.
"Ugh..." Orochi's tremendous roar ceased. Arms hung limply; its gaze returned forward, the red eyes now an even deeper crimson. The intense light erupting from its body had subsided, though the interstitial sections remained luminous, like phosphorescent mercury.
Close examination revealed the unit's armor possessed a faint red tinge. Wisps of white smoke rose from the surrounding ground. Taking deliberate steps, Orochi advanced slowly towards 13. Passing a damaged residence, water sprayed from a ruptured pipe onto Orochi's armor, instantly vaporizing.
Merely observing induced a sensation of scalding heat. Orochi's surface temperature had reached a terrifying 279 degrees Celsius. Inside, Hideaki endured 43 degrees, perspiration raining down—no exaggeration. Were he not desperately consuming water, dehydration alone would have claimed him. It felt akin to sitting on a searing iron plate in the desert. Hideaki's endurance was truly commendable...
At a distance of thirty meters, Orochi halted, appearing exhausted, unable to proceed further.
One enormous serpent head slumped wearily to the ground, facing 13's position, its distressed appearance indistinguishable from imminent death.
"Either you perish, or I do!" Even speech demanded considerable exertion from Hideaki.
The serpent head opened its massive maw to its limit; for a moment, one might expect a cry for help.
But 13 harbored no such illusions, for the resplendent jewel within that mouth emitted the most dazzling light.
Tilting his body, he executed an extreme leap sideways, hoping only to reach a safe distance!
A circular, crimson lens materialized before the serpent's mouth, transparent enough to view everything behind it. Suddenly, everything transformed. A colossal beam of red light appeared abruptly, persisted for merely two seconds, then vanished without a trace.
Prone on the street's edge, 13 slowly rose, dusting himself off. Glancing back, he stood speechless, utterly dumbfounded. The original street was gone, replaced by a three-meter-deep trench. Its edge lay precisely where his feet had rested moments earlier. The earth's cross-section was incredibly smooth, identical to the polished cuts left by SEED consumption. Had his reaction been delayed even fractionally, Nie Yun might well have been fitting him with two new Titan alloy legs...
Observing the serpent's state, the jewel in its mouth instantly shattered into crimson powder, dispersed by the wind. The serpent head had completely melted...
Severing the connection between the serpent and the main body, the disabled "weapon" was discarded, crashing heavily onto the ground.
"Hehe..." Hideaki's laugh was strained. "I have seven opportunities remaining. How many can you withstand, I wonder?"
"High energy concentration serves only the sub-ionic laser's overload function, creating an instantaneous destructive weapon. Being light-speed, target lock equates to a death sentence!" For the first time, Serpent felt powerless—a reality it could not alter. Against ionic weaponry, 13 need fear nothing; his cells offered complete immunity. However, the sub-ionic laser was a weapon capable of absolutely killing 13. It seemed Orochi was indeed 13's nemesis...
"Is there any way to avoid it?" Even SEED possessed flaws; 13 refused to believe in the existence of perfect weapons.
"The same old solution: Titan raw material metal should withstand the fatal two seconds. Yet, your body bears only partial armor; defense is fundamentally impossible. Struck by that massive beam, even my hypnotic repair cannot save you. So, have you attained awareness?" Serpent inquired calmly.
"The opponent is staking their life; I have nothing left to be parsimonious about." 13 prepared himself for mortality.
"Charge!" Skirting the street's edge, 13 sprinted rapidly towards the stationary Orochi.
Another serpent head targeted him. He leaped sideways across the trench; the opposite bank had just been utterly consumed by red light, leaving not even dust.
Scorching white vapor vented from its back; another disabled giant serpent fell to the ground.
"Six remain!" The thought simultaneously crossed both Hideaki's and 13's minds. No time for hesitation. Scrambling up, 13 commenced rapid circular movement—a race against mortality.
The world watched intently as events unfolded. This moment would dictate the future trajectory of global affairs. If 13 successfully endured, dawn would mark Japan's final sunrise. If Orochi eliminated 13, after brief recuperation, Japan would launch a new Sino-Japanese war. Leveraging the might of monstrous beasts and poison gas weaponry, China would be plunged into another brutal conflict. The tranquil continent would once more flow with blood. Both outcomes were eagerly anticipated by the world, as either offered potential gains. The rules of interstate games are simple: whoever releases an arrow that fails to slay its target will subsequently be riddled with arrows, then devoured utterly, leaving not even bones...
Thus, everyone maintained a drawn-bow posture, nocked with their most potent arrows, awaiting the emergence of the first fool to shoot. Japan was no such fool, merely excessively confident in its arrow's speed and accuracy, excessively avaricious...
"Serpent! Confirm something for me!" 13's velocity began to decrease. Dodging the fourth laser beam had been extremely marginal; ultimately, he could not outpace light.
"What?" Serpent knew 13 had conceived a life-saving tactic.
"Analyze a black bullet on my person. I need to confirm if it possesses launch preparation similar to SEED." 13 seemed to grasp something.
"Employing unfamiliar weaponry at this juncture? Are you seeking death, kid?" Serpent cursed dubiously.
"It's not unfamiliar..." 13 stated confidently. "I know it can 'penetrate'..."