Dark clouds cloaked the sky, rain began to descend, as Lika tightly chased the floating warplane ahead, piloting the massive mecha. His hands gripped the control stick of the mecha tightly, continually maneuvering the colossal machine through the buildings. Shadows flowed in the darkness across the screen in front of him, which were from the floating warplane he had locked onto. He reached out, touching the externally mounted device flashing with light that was plugged into the mecha. The person who gave him this device told him it could help him bypass the mecha’s internal authority locks, allowing him to leave the restricted area without permission, thus controlling the mecha to leave South City. He knew the device functioned beyond just this, that those cunning people definitely had left many fallbacks, but he didn’t care anymore. When he steered the mecha away from the vicinity of the South City wall, it meant he no longer had other choices. He had to kill the "Mayor" before the mecha dispatched by Corvey arrived, then enter North City. North City was the area controlled by General Scott; with the Mayor dead, Corvey who was solidifying the coup wouldn’t want to send troops directly into North City and conflict with General Scott there, drawing a greater enemy upon himself. By then, Corvey would mostly negotiate with General Scott, and during that negotiating period, he could take advantage of the Consortium’s bought channels and leave North City directly. If Corvey settled all the troubles, he would certainly issue a warrant for him, but that didn’t matter anymore. The Consortium had already prepared a new identity for him, and he would start a new life in a small city in the western part of the Federation with a fortune he couldn’t spend in a lifetime. Indeed, this venture carried significant risks, and Lika was well aware that failure would mean certain death. But profit and risk always coexisted; the Mayor was already severely wounded and nearing death, and there were no counterattack weapons on the floating warplane. Just one hit on that warplane would send Mr. Lin En "to Heaven." Even the one piloting the floating warplane, regarded by the Mayor as his confidant, was in fact his "helper." Had it not been for this information, he wouldn’t have followed the Consortium’s suggestion to seize this opportunity and come out. Although the risks were high, as long as it was well-managed, the advantages and odds of success were still on his side. The cockpit’s screen fetched up the bright red crosshair lines, a cue from the auto-aiming system locking onto the floating warplane ahead. Lika slowly placed his finger on the launch button. Just one press was needed. At this moment, they were navigating between tall buildings, approaching the bustling district of Yilan City. The dense skyscrapers of the city were not favorable for aerial combat; if the opponent used the gaps between buildings wisely, there was even a chance to shake him off. As they moved towards the bustling area, the large size of the mecha would turn from an advantage into a relative disadvantage, and the gap in strength between him and his opponent would be reduced by the complex terrain. Therefore, he had to eliminate the opponent before they fully entered the bustling area. The swiftly flying mecha carved through the rain-filled air with a shuttle-shaped airstream canopy, the colossal war machine drawing ever closer to the floating warplane ahead. Just a bit closer, a little bit more. His finger on the launch button, Lika felt as if his breathing halted bit by bit, fine beads of sweat seeping from his forehead. As one of the best mechanical drivers in all Yilan, it had been a long time since he felt this kind of tension, almost akin to being near death. He knew that the Mecha Squad sent by Corvey was rapidly approaching behind him. His opportunities were not many, so he needed to make this shot successful in one go. Watching the floating warplane on the screen getting closer and closer, struggling with all its might yet unable to escape, Lika’s mouth gradually curled into a ferocious smile. In truth, he had no particular grievances against Mayor Lin En. As an officer who came from humble beginnings, he even had quite a liking for Lin En. He could genuinely feel that this Mayor had truly seen the lower levels, and many of his reform policies were indeed intended to change the lives at the bottom. He could feel that this Mayor truly wanted to change the city. But what did that matter? The world was still a Consortium’s world. Yilan’s Mayor was a big shot in Yilan, but in the grand scheme of the whole Federation, he was merely a slightly larger hopping bug. Any attempts at change were nothing more than futile kicks, pitching oneself against the inevitable. Mayor Lin En was indeed a good man, but he was also a fool who couldn’t see the situation clearly. Lika took a deep breath, gripped the control stick tightly, and stared at the hover warplane in the center of the screen, along with a series of auxiliary parameters automatically generated by the system. Everything should end right now. He held his breath and fiercely pressed the launch button. Accompanied by a dazzling light streaking across the night sky, a misty vapor evaporated. At this moment, he finally took a long breath of relief. The Plasma Main Cannon of the Blazing Angel Mech could easily shatter the tiny police hover warplane and char the already dying mayor. Lika turned the control stick, ready to leave, but the red cross that appeared again on the screen made him pause. The hover warplane still hung in the drizzling night sky, standing before him, locked by the targeting system. He immediately accessed the mech’s side cameras to review what had just happened. He saw again the burst of light from the main cannon and the ’move’ of the hover warplane. At the instant the main cannon’s light burst, the hover warplane, almost without any warning, lifted laterally in an extremely extreme maneuver, dodging the bright column of light. How was that possible? Lika felt a myriad of questions flashing through his mind, as he was also a genius mech pilot who had once flown similar hover warplanes. He knew very well how difficult it was to perform such an extreme maneuver with a hover warplane flying at high speed. He himself couldn’t possibly perform such a maneuver in this situation, so when he fired the main cannon, he had determined the opponent was doomed. But reality seemed to have taken a completely different course from his estimation. Was the opposing mech pilot not one of their own? Or had he feared being killed and betrayed them again? Was that Transcendent pilot also a genius flyer? Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but he no longer had any more time to think. Having come to this point, he no longer had any other choices. He pulled the control stick further, closing the distance to the hover warplane. They were already very close to the busy city area. If the opponent really entered the busy city, combined with superb piloting skills, even if the hover warplane had no weapons, it could still wear him down. At this moment, he felt a slight hesitation in his heart. It seemed he could still manage to escape if he gave up now. However, just then, he saw the hover warplane suddenly turn, flying in a large arc toward another direction. Leaving the busy city? Afraid of harming civilians? He couldn’t be giving up pursuit, offering a sliver of hope, could he? But what could he do out in the open? Fight back? With such a tiny hover warplane and no weapons loaded, what kind of retaliation could it offer? Stab with a dagger? It really was like the staff department discussed—a hesitant leader. That genius pilot following such a leader was a pity. Lika violently pulled the control stick, propelling the mech through the rain curtain, following closely. If that was the case, then I would fulfill your compassion. The fully charged main cannon fired again, the dazzling light once again cut through the rain, carrying the instantly evaporated water vapor, attacking the hover warplane in the sky. The Floating Warplane flying in the air once again pulled up with a tricky maneuver, dodging the incoming main cannon fire and, during that opening while the cannon fired, even managed to slightly increase the distance between itself and Lika. Lika clenched his teeth as the thrusters on the back of the mecha emitted a fierce glow, propelling the massive machine forward swiftly, passing through the curtain of rain and chasing after the path of the Floating Warplane. This time, Lika didn’t fire his cannon rashly, but instead relied on the power advantage of the mecha to continuously decrease the distance between him and the Floating Warplane. Under the night sky, the two machines raced across the city skyline, bringing a roaring howl and splashing up a curtain of mist. Below the curtain of rain, people looked up, watching the chase unfold in the sky. The howling wind seemed like the peal of a bell that scattered the night, jostling the puddles on the road and also the dilapidated tin roof eaves. Accompanied by the sharp sound of an alarm, several dots appeared on the radar in the mecha’s cockpit, indicating other mechas rapidly approaching from behind. "Lika, can you hear me? Surrender immediately..." At the same time, a voice laced with static came through the comm device, a message from a teammate on the same frequency. Lika reached out, turned off the communicator, and looked ahead at the mecha, further increasing the output power of the engines. Alongside the ’overheat warning’ popping up on the display, he finally clearly saw the rear of the Floating Warplane magnifying in his field of view. The auxiliary aiming frame indicated that the distance to the Floating Warplane was now less than a hundred meters, a negligible distance for a mecha. He quickly manipulated the control sticks with his left hand, several barrels extended from the body of the mecha, spitting tongues of fire as shells surged out from the barrels, igniting a rain of fire paralleling the flying path in the wet rain curtain, hurtling towards the Floating Warplane. Just as the overwhelming rain of fire was about to envelop the entire warplane, the previously stable flying warplane abruptly pulled up, rushing nearly vertically upwards towards the source of the stormy rain and the dark oppressive sky. The dense barrage of fire from below passed underneath the Floating Warplane, resembling a swarm of flames following their queen, crawling at the feet of the king. At this moment, the Blazing Angel Mech below had already raised its main cannon. Lika knew well that these shells could not trouble a highly skilled genius pilot; his purpose in firing them was precisely to force the Floating Warplane to ascend. Now, the opponent had entered his firing range. At such close range, under these circumstances, there was no room left for the opponent to maneuver. Lika’s hand once again rested on the firing button. This was truly the end. The mechas from behind on the radar were rapidly closing in, but clearly, they were too late. He looked up, gazing at the Floating Warplane in the sky, the radiant light already gathering at the main cannon of the mecha. Just then, Lika suddenly noticed that the door of the Floating Warplane ahead was still open, with a figure standing at the edge. It was an elderly man in a gray suit, his hair a mix of black and white, firmly inserting a brass cane decorated with exquisite patterns into the floor of the Floating Warplane, stabilizing his stance. Despite the floor of the Floating Warplane being almost vertical to the ground, and the old man’s body almost horizontal, he stood firmly ’upright’ as if standing on the ground. As Lika looked up, the old man also looked down, gazing at the mecha below. At this moment, Lika noticed that in the old man’s other hand, he held a dagger flickering with a cold light. Raindrops permeated the air, landing on the icy dagger, converging along its silvery blade. Endless fear gathered in Lika’s heart; he wanted to immediately press the firing button, but everything was already too late. The thunder roared in the sky, a dazzling lightning flash illuminating the rainy night for an instant. A cold silvery glow shot out from the palm of the old man, like thunder descending from the sky, instantly piercing through the chest of the enormous Blazing Angel Mech, through the heart of the tall officer piloting it, and through the high-performance battery of the massive mech. The roaring sound of explosions echoed through the sky once again as the massive object, towering tens of meters high, suddenly exploded in the sky, unfolding into a curtain of flaming flames. The brilliance illuminated the filthy streets, the large and small puddles on the streets, and the pairs of eyes looking up to the sky next to the puddles. The intense whistling sound came to an abrupt stop not far away; eight Blazing Angel Mechs stopped in front of the fierce flames, watching the Floating Warplane that still hovered in the air. "What was that just now?" "Was it Divine Punishment?" "Or some supernatural ability?" "Is our mayor really that strong?" "Is he really critically injured and dying as reported? Why do I feel like he could still take on eight of us?" "Who is controlling the Floating Warplane? The mayor’s guard captain? Isn’t he a strength-type Transcendent? Could he really be a genius?" The fierce flames burned in the sky as noisy voices fluctuated on the internal communication channel. "Stop talking, I am now connecting to the communication line of the Floating Warplane to see if Mr. Lin En is injured." Eventually, accompanied by a light exclamation, the whole channel fell silent. Following that, the light sound of the line connecting echoed in the night. "Mr. Lin En, we are sent by General Corvey..." The source of that slight exclamation, seemingly the squad leader, slowly started speaking. However, before he could finish, a raspy and aged voice came through the communication channel, "From left to right, the first one north by east 27 degrees, elevation 30 degrees, the second north by east 25 degrees and 18 minutes, elevation 45 degrees, the third..." Upon hearing this voice, everyone on the line was slightly startled. Then, a loud shout resonated through the internal line, "Data received from the Floating Warplane, there are... there are guided missiles rapidly approaching." At the same time, a series of alarms followed. "Guided missiles? How could there be guided missiles here? Launching missiles within the city? Are these guys madmen? Is it possible to detect the origin and launch site?" "These missiles have been stealthily disguised; it’s impossible to determine the origin or the launch site; the missiles are approaching fast, there’s no time left, we need to quickly carry out air defense interception." "Can the automatic air defense systems intercept these missiles? I don’t know, the opponent’s stealth disguise is causing too much radar interference, the probability of interception is less than 50%, we need to make a decision immediately." Accompanied by a series of responses, what seemed to be the captain’s voice quickly reacted, "Activate the automatic air defense system, then immediately adjust the muzzle following Mr. Lin En’s instructions and get ready to intercept the missiles." There was a brief silence on the communication channel before rapidly acknowledging. Listening to the sounds over the communicator, He Ao looked up at the sky. Deep within the dark clouds, there seemed to be several fiery trails sprawling. The radar on the Floating Warplane’s control panel continually displayed the approaching red dots. In fact, the radar hardware on the Floating Warplane was far inferior to the Mecha; relying solely on the original radar system, it was impossible to detect these stealth missiles. However, Eve, upon reading the radar data, identified anomalies in the data and realized that the Mecha that had been tracking them was continually sending out radio waves. Hence, with He Ao’s approval, Eve improved the algorithm, and by the time He Ao had dealt with the Mecha, she identified the approaching missiles through a more refined, advanced algorithm and calculated the suitable air defense positions. If it had been any later, they too would have discovered these missiles too late. These powerful missiles were enough to destroy everything nearby. From the beginning, the person who arranged all this never intended for anyone to survive.