A figure flipped and jumped down from a height of three stories. The bullets swept past the eaves and then stopped. Standing up, 13 aimed the gun straight at the mech, waiting—waiting for that cold red light to appear again...

A slight breeze blew, dispersing the smoke. It still stood there, blocking its head with one hand, the pale red color over its body deepening, as if warning others of its danger...

"System report: right arm armor slightly damaged. Ballistic analysis: the enemy was aiming at the 'Sky Eye' observer. Estimated enemy threat level: S!"

"Who are you?" The mech spoke, a girl's voice in standard Mandarin.

"You don't need to know my name, because you will die. Die by my hand." 13 said calmly, gun still raised, showing no curiosity toward the enemy.

The soldiers weren't afraid of 13's appearance, probably because they saw 13 always aiming the gun at the mech. As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Right now, 13 should be considered a friend to them.

"My name is 'Angel', assault trooper of the Divine Punishment Mech Squad. You are the first to truly make me feel threatened, so I need to tell you before you die..." The mech's left hand dropped the Gatling gun and pulled out an unfamiliar weapon from its back.

"You're strong..." The mech cocked the gun, and from the sound, it was identified as a shotgun-type close-combat weapon.

"Actually, neither of us should exist in this world. We are unnecessary..." 13 wondered why there were so many words today.

"Is that so? I don't think so, but I know you are unnecessary, so go die!" The mech, still shielding its head, charged toward 13.

Standing still, 13 didn't move, still waiting...

The surrounding soldiers were worried for 13...

The mech was fast, probably covering a hundred meters in just seven seconds. When only ten meters remained between them, 13 gave up waiting, because the mech showed no sign of lowering its hand to confirm position. It was deduced that she had a GPS locking system, and the American satellite overhead was now her "eyes."

"Do you really want to kill me?" 13 asked in confusion.

The mech raised its gun and fired without aiming.

"But I'm still afraid of death..." 13 answered themself.

A sideways dash—over a hundred shotgun pellets whizzed past.

"So I can't let you kill me..." That was 13's decision.

The mech had already rushed up to 13. Dropping the gun, and with 13 also discarding the COOL—FIRE, the two locked hands in a direct contest of strength. It was the first time they truly faced each other. Angel saw the four gleaming "eyes" on 13's helmet, while 13 saw only a single flickering red light from her.

"My mech's maximum grip strength is 3,000 kilograms. Do you think you can beat me with brute force alone?" As she spoke, she increased her grip, producing the unique screech of "Titan" metal grinding.

"Only an idiot would compete in strength with a crane. We kill the ones operating the machines..." From below, with an unimaginable move, 13 kicked her in the chin.

The mech's head jerked back from inertia, and her grip loosened. This was the chance—13 wouldn't let it slip.

Quickly breaking free from the locked hands, 13 picked up the gun from the ground, spun around, and was already behind the mech. The mech recovered just at that moment.

Without hesitation, 13 pulled the trigger. Never before had they fired at such close range. The bullet struck the hard armor, and the recoil forced 13 back a step. There was no time to let the body adjust—13 pulled the trigger again. The COOL—FIRE's excellent rapid-fire system shot out four high-speed armor-piercing rounds in just two seconds. The powerful impact even made the mech, weighing at least a ton, stagger forward a step.

Previous tests showed that as long as the COOL—FIRE fired more than eight rounds at a single point, even 10mm-thick "Titan" metal would shatter. But Angel didn't give 13 another chance to shoot, grabbing the barrel in a swift motion.

"You will pay for your actions!" Angel's tone was furious. With a spin, she flung 13, who was gripping the gun, like a discus.

In midair, 13 tried hard to regain balance, but it was of little use. They still slid five meters across the ground before stopping. A backward somersault—just as the spot they had landed was smashed by the mech's heavy punch.

Winning seemed very difficult...

"So this is Team 7 of Z country's Special Operations?" Watching the live feed transmitted directly by satellite, Annie scrutinized and said, "Semi-protective armor, to better utilize human mobility? Human-centered combat philosophy? What a joke. Old Miller should retire already. See? Mechanical power is absolute power. Humans can't compare!" Annie excitedly picked up the communicator and ordered, "Kill David Clark first, then take out the one in front. I want Old Miller to watch! In the face of their greatest strength, I can still kill whoever I want? I want him to know what true absolute power is!"

13 quietly watched the mech in front, waiting for her next move. There was no longer enough strength to finish Angel, unless SEED was used...

The mech's "eye" flickered, and she raised her right hand toward the distant direction of David Clark's office. For some reason, 13's heart skipped a beat as well...