[1-200] THE MECH TOUCH

Chapter 99: Lit Up Your Sword

Despite the long odds, everyone's attention was glued to the tragic battle. They all hoped the underdog mech could pull off a miracle and put a dent into Carter Gauge's invincible halo.

Those affiliated with the Carnegie Group had more reason than many to support Gauge's opponents. Of all the talents from Leemar who faced the dreaded genius, none had high hopes of matching him equally in the field of mech design.

Where would their faces be if they let someone nurtured by a rival partner of the Coalition trample on their talents?

A lot was at stake for this fight. As the Sword Dancer had been matched up against weak opponents, it had a high probability of dropping off the top 25.

As for the Pterodactyl, it had vanquished against a couple of strong opponents so its passage into the top 25 was assured. A fourth victory in this round would cap off Gauge's invincible halo and propel his momentum into an unstoppable tide once he reached the finals.

A few minutes went by as Lovejoy kept dancing with the devil. His pistol glowed with excessive heat to the point of starting to melt its some of its softer furnishings. The Sword Dancer flirted with disaster each time it fired an overcharged laser beam at the gigantic hovering mech.

The Pterodactyl stoically endured the high-powered laser beams. The accuracy of the pistol left something to be desired and the Sword Dancer also had to keep moving which further degraded its aim. Though the heavy mech presented a large target, half of the beams went wide. Those that did hit its surface only melted a couple of widely distributed holes in its heavy armor.

The next shot achieved a different result. By sheer coincidence, the beam impacted near a previously damaged weak point at a spot covered up by flimsier replacement armor. The consecutive hit possessed enough power to melt through the damaged portion and inflict serious damage to the internals underneath.

Just as the Pterodactyl suffered a minor explosion in its underbelly, the Sword Dancer's pistol also succumbed to the abuse. The backup firearm had never been designed to tolerate this much heat, especially when firing at a constant frequency. The weapon exploded, causing heat and shrapnel to engulf the Sword Dancer's outstretched arm.

"No!" Lovejoy yelled as the surface of his mech withstood the rest of the shrapnel. He cared little for his mech's lost arm or the scratches it received. Now that he lost his only weapon, he had no means of damaging the Pterodactyl. The game was as good as lost.

As for the heavy mech, despite the damage it suffered, the mech was built to take a beating. Heavy mechs never collapsed after suffering a single penetrating hit. Even if it lost some power, the Pterodactyl possessed enough redundancies to keep it afloat.

"What is the Pterodactyl doing? It's stopped firing. According to our readings, its weapons should have plenty of juice left."

"It's hovering closer to the Sword Dancer. The pilot wants to gloat over his victory!"

Some of the people in the audience started booing at the unsportsmanlike behavior. Only the most conceited individuals disrespected their opponents this way. The worst thing about the act was that the latter half of the duel had been broadcast to the entire Komodo Star Sector.

On the main projection above, both the pilot and Gauge adopted arrogant expressions. Though joined together through circumstance, they both compliment each other nicely. Gauge wanted to prove his superiority by partnering with a bottom-ranked pilot, while the pilot grew an inflated head due to the excellent mechs he received.

A shadow hung over the motionless Sword Dancer. Lovejoy already gave up on the match and sank down in his simulation pod. He paid little attention to the ongoing match.