KID vs. YDS
KID's sniper cannon fired too quickly, and people in the live broadcast room were still analyzing whether KID and YDS would start a fight. Trace's sniper cannon had already rushed ahead, aiming to take the flag point that YDS was heading for.
When this shot was fired, Ji Qingfeng immediately recognized the mecha in front and shouted, "Brother!!! It's YDS!"
You Su glanced up slightly, "Too late."
The two teams met in the narrow underwater passage, and KID took the initiative to bombard the opponent.
The 100% sniper cannon penetrated through the calm underwater currents. YDS's gun mecha, Hu Luobu, reacted quickly. When Trace's sniper cannon attacked, he retaliated with an energy cannon.
"Cao!" Hu Luobu from YDS exclaimed, "Damn, it's KID again! Do they always start a fight whenever they meet?"
Ke Lin's pupils contracted, noticing the subtle changes caused by the fired projectile, "No, stabilize the mecha!"
As the two projectiles collide, Trace's sniper cannon compressed the storm and exploded at the bottom of the sea. Although the storm weakened by the seawater still stirred up the nearby water flow, it pushed back several mechas behind YDS.
Ying Chenlin, unable to stop it in time, immediately said, "Qingfeng, go for the point."
With all the bombardment, the point hadn't been captured yet. Whoever arrived first would claim it.
Before Ji Qingfeng could speak, Lin Yao directly kicked him in the direction of the flag point. "Da Feng, go!"
This battle came too suddenly. Both sides skipped the basic probing and directly entered the melee phase, exchanging heavy blows. The live broadcast clearly saw the power of Trace's weapon this time, witnessing the sniper cannon exploding and causing a delayed burst of wind blades.
The mecha base outside the venue also saw the situation with this weapon. Zhang, surprised, said, "Delayed burst of wind blades!? Such a large range, what kind of crystal ability is that!?"
Coach Gale observed the situation inside, his gaze shifting back and forth between KID and YDS. "This weapon is something."
"Trace's sniper cannon is a wind-based sniper cannon. After the explosion, it triggers water flow and pushes YDS's mecha backward!" The commentator quickly explained, "Qingfeng is on the move; he uses the grappling hook to teleport through the exploding water currents, heading straight to the flag point!"
In the instant of Trace's sniper cannon explosion, KID seized the opportunity. Ji Qingfeng stealthily moved through the exploding water currents using the grappling hook. The movement of the mecha in water was affected by the propulsion system, but for the high-dimensional grappling hook, it could almost ignore the influence of water flow and swiftly traverse through it.
Ying Chenlin immediately noticed the mecha moving through the water flow. She let go of her weapon, and the chain of the thunder-conducting ball scattered in the water, rapidly expanding and locking onto Ji Qingfeng from all directions. A sizzling sound echoed as a widespread thunder attack paralyzed him.
Not only that, as soon as Ying Chenlin lost control, on the other side, Hu Luobu's tracking cannon instantly locked onto Ji Qingfeng, firing a shot directly.
[KID's Qingfeng is locked by Ke Lin's chain ball, Luobo is making a move!]
[KID is too reckless; that's YDS!]
While Ji Qingfeng was halfway through, he was hit by Ke Lin's chain ball, instantly getting stuck in place. He was about to use the grappling hook to break free when he looked up and saw the tracking cannon coming towards him. When Hu Luobu's tracking cannon hit him, it instantly split into two projectiles, flanking and striking in his direction. Ji Qingfeng almost cursed out the profanity at the tip of his tongue. In the next moment, he utilized the extreme teleportation escape between the two tracking cannons, "Yao Bao! You almost sent me away! Ke Lin brings thunder! Hu Luobu's weapon can split into two!"
Seeing the situation, Lin Yao said, "You scout, and we'll figure it out."
While Ji Qingfeng was under siege, You Su and Lu Xi didn't stop. You Su once again fired the sniper cannon towards the main force of YDS. At this moment, YDS's medic mecha moved forward a step. He opened the spherical weapon in his hand, and the next moment, all YDS mechas stabilized under his protection, not being swept away by the chaotic water flow.
You Su said, "Their medic weapon can stabilize the mecha."
"Hu Luobu's tracking cannon split into two shots, possibly due to anomaly effects. Ke Lin carries the thunder-conducting ball, and its range is too wide. It's challenging to approach in close combat." Ying Chenlin instantly judged the opponent's weapons, "Huo Yan covers Lin Yao to go in, and long-range mechas provide cover."
YDS, the third-ranked strong team in the Dawn Alliance.
Their strength might not necessarily be inferior to Black Crow and Gale. The team was led by Ke Lin, and the entire squad excelled in coordinated warfare. Ying Chenlin's mind recalled information about YDS, and in the previous round of probing, YDS didn't use the weapons from the elimination and advancement matches. Besides Ke Lin's thunder-conducting ball, a close-range thunder control weapon seen in Qiu Jin, the other mechas carried weapons that they hadn't seen before.
Firstly, YDS's front-line mechas, the tank carrying a protective shield and enhanced blade, and the stealth mecha carrying high-intensity railgun and water-type quick-attack blade.
These two mechas maintained their front-line attack capabilities. The tank with the stealth ability had strong anti-ambush capabilities. In addition to Ke Lin's thunder-conducting ball, YDS's front-line defense and attack were comprehensive and challenging to break through.
Initially, Ying Chenlin planned for You Su to use the sniper cannon to disperse YDS's team. However, it was evident that they were prepared for their medic defense, carrying a spherical weapon capable of controlling water flow to stabilize mechas amidst the chaotic water flow.
This front line, which was virtually impenetrable, indicated that YDS had made sufficient preparations to deal with the Agaman Sea Star pollution zone.
Huo Yan said, "It's YDS's consistent style. They are best at this kind of close and long-range coordination."
Both teams were engaged in the first round of confrontation, mutually probing each other. However, the attention of the live broadcast audience was all focused on the sudden fight between the two teams. The commentator continued, "Qingfeng hasn't been interrupted upon entering. His grappling hook can achieve a surprise attack without being affected. However, Ke Lin's chain ball has too wide a range, especially underwater, where the paralyzing effect of the chain ball becomes more pronounced."
The live broadcast viewers inside and outside were unaware, but everyone outside the venue was familiar with YDS's weapons.
As early as when the three major teams clashed in the central sea area, YDS's weapons had already been tested by the other two teams.
YDS did not explicitly state which type of weapon they excelled in using. What was remarkable was the coordination ability of their entire team, adjusting their weapons to specialize in underwater combat, either water-based or thunder-based weapons. The four front-line mechas were like an impregnable fortress, and the two rear mechas were equally formidable.
"KID is having a bit of trouble against YDS. This is an underwater environment, and KID's weakness in insufficient control becomes more apparent here." The commentator continued, "From the currently known data, the only control in KID's front line is Yao and Yan."
Huo Yan's Sonic Blade could cause vibrations in the underwater section, dispersing the opponent's formation.
Lin Yao's Space Rod opened a space that either sealed the enemy or only preserved the area with their teammates.
These two control weapons, when facing YDS's thunder-conducting ball and stable water flow ball, were effectively neutralized, rendering control useless.
[KID is too reckless, starting with a headstrong bombardment.]
[They acted too impulsively, having never clashed with YDS before and uncertain about YDS's weapon reserves.]
[The stabilizing ball carried by YDS's medic mecha has basically shielded the majority of YDS forces from the impact of water-based control.]
In this case, the water-based impact is fatal to KID. Lucy, the mecha controlled by KID, carries an enhanced cannon that can only increase the effect of the projectiles or cause underwater vortices. Similarly, the accompanying effect of the storm caused by Trace's sniper cannon, compressed by the storm, neutralizes the stabilizing ball.
If KID carried a thunder-based weapon, it would be fine. Thunder-based weapons have stronger control and conduction abilities underwater, making YDS's stabilizing ball ineffective. However, based on the weapons KID has exposed so far, they do not carry thunder-based control weapons, putting them at a disadvantage in battle preparation.
Inside the arena, the confrontation between KID and YDS continued. Ji Qingfeng maneuvered through Ke Lin's chain ball several times, barely escaping the ball's range. Ke Lin immediately followed, "The stealth tank is entangling Yan and Yao. Qingfeng is my responsibility, and Huo, focus on Trace."
Upon receiving the command, all of YDS's members quickly split into three opposing battlegrounds.
This division placed the stealth tank at the front, the medic mecha in the middle coordinating with mobile units, and Ke Lin's guard mecha using the chain ball to restrict Ji Qingfeng's movement, effectively blocking the close-combat path.
The flag point on the seabed is located at a certain position 300 meters below, directly beneath both teams. From the audience's god's-eye view, the flag point does not have any coral reefs or seabed rock layers, with a moderate level of pollution. Any team diving in could quickly capture the flag point.
However, the key issue is that neither team is giving way. The front lines are mutually restraining each other, and in the rear, YDS is using gun mechas and control mechas to hold back KID's three long-range mechas. Hu Luobu carries a unique split-tracking cannon that, upon locking onto a target, splits after firing, and all split projectiles maintain equal tracking effects, essentially firing multiple tracking projectiles simultaneously.
For KID, who usually only needs to block one projectile when dealing with tracking cannons, they now have to block multiple projectiles simultaneously, significantly increasing the difficulty.
Moreover, another weapon carried by Hu Luobu is a high-powered water-type sniper cannon. He can easily switch to the sniper cannon for an attack after using the tracking cannon to block the opponent's path. The synergy between these two weapons far surpasses that of Trace, who uses wind-based weapons.
"It's a bit difficult." Lu Xi has been assisting You Su. She noticed the control mecha closely following Hu Luobu, YDS controls two weapons, one assisting Hu Luobu in rapid underwater movement, and the other is a long-range water-type immobilizing weapon. When hitting a mecha, it creates a water film, hindering the mecha's propulsion system, effectively immobilizing the mecha.
With one mecha controlling the opponent and the other using a split-tracking cannon to attack, it has become a fixed-point shooting scenario.
Seeing this situation, You Su looked at Ying Chenlin, "It's challenging to fight them underwater; we're restricted."
Lin Yao said, "The main issue is that they're all gathered together. The range of their medic mecha's stabilizing ball seems quite large. We can't completely disperse them for now."
"No." Ying Chenlin's gaze slightly darkened, "We can't fight underwater, but we can force them to the surface. Can you do it, Xi Mei? We'll buy you time, and Qingfeng will cooperate with you."
Upon hearing Ying Chenlin's words, Ji Qingfeng stopped, "Are you talking about Xi Mei's other weapon? Can that work?"
"We first need to push them down a certain distance." Ying Chenlin looked at the surrounding seabed environment, "It's early morning now, and if we want to succeed, we need to create chaos in the underwater environment."
Lin Yao added, "The key is to force them out of the water. Xi Mei, can you do it? We'll give you time; Qingfeng will coordinate with you."
Ji Qingfeng said, "Understood."
In the live broadcast room, all viewers saw KID being constantly restricted, making them nervous. Especially KID's fans, although excited to see KID boldly charge in, it was evident that KID was in a situation where the lineup was restrained. Shouldn't KID choose to retreat?
However, not only did both sides not retreat, but the battle became more intense.
YDS also found the situation unexpected. Hu Luobu even had a bad premonition, "It's only the third day, why is KID insisting on clashing with us at this point? Clearly, their weapons can't match ours."
"Not necessarily. A distinctive feature of KID is that they won't let themselves suffer losses."
Ke Lin's gaze never left Ying Chenlin, or rather, he was watching the weapon Ying Chenlin carried. The weapon, which appeared to be similar to the energy cannon she carried before, didn't seem different, but Ke Lin felt that something was off about it. And not just Ying Chenlin, KID's three mechas had been using the same weapon since the beginning, and they hadn't fully revealed their cards yet. "Their command thinks they can beat us, that's why they're persisting."
Hu Luobu asked, "Are you talking about Sink's weapon?"
"That weapon doesn't seem simple to me, but until now, every shot he's fired has caught my attention. It's not much different from an ordinary energy cannon." Ke Lin's voice was slightly heavy, "It's like a slightly more powerful weapon."
Another YDS mecha pilot suggested, "Captain, could it be that they intentionally changed the appearance of the weapons to deceive us into thinking they have new weapons?"
Hu Luobu remained silent.
This situation could indeed occur.
Just as YDS was speculating about KID's movements, the three long-range mechas on KID's side suddenly moved. The trend of their movements was very obvious. Initially, KID was attacking them from a certain direction, but from this moment, the three long-range mechas suddenly moved in different directions, especially Trace and Sink. The flight speed of the two mechas increased.
The increased flight speed was a definite alert for YDS. Ke Lin immediately ordered his teammates to retreat a few steps, and sure enough, the two long-range mechas flew to a higher position. Trace's sniper cannon pointed downward, firing a shot, and the accompanying wind blades caused a surge in the underwater currents.
YDS's medic mecha, having stabilized their teammates, now faced the energy cannon from Sink aimed at them. Seeing that most of the mechas were within the stabilizing ball range of YDS's medic mecha, Sink immediately used the scattered energy cannon to bombard the group of mechas.
The pace has accelerated! Ke Lin noticed, "They might be using a quick attack, targeting our medic mecha."
In their research against KID, Trace and Sink's quick attack is exceptionally fast, especially when Sink takes on attacking the medic mecha. The coordinated quick attack can achieve the goal of eliminating a specific mecha in a short period. The reason they restrained Trace is that YDS has a tank and medic mecha. Once there's a problem with the medic mecha on their side, Trace's weapons will truly be unleashed.
Hu Luobu said, "I'll handle Trace; control, focus on Sink, and be wary of Lucy."
Ying Chenlin noticed the change in YDS's formation. Her eyes fell on the radar, "Yu Ge, we need to speed up."
Now, on the third day in the early morning, the entire seabed was already dark, and the battle between the two sides became fierce. The light from the mechas' propulsion systems and the brightness of the searchlights swayed underwater, providing a significant visual obstacle for the mechas in battle. However, the mecha pilots on both sides were seasoned veterans. In this chaotic environment, they relied on radars and light sources to determine the positions of the opponent's mechas.
Hu Luobu's tracking cannon had been following Trace. The quickly split tracking projectiles were quickly dealt with by Trace's other two mechas. Trace and Sink, experienced mecha pilots, had been in control since the beginning of the melee. Their tracking cannons and immobilizing projectiles had rarely hit, and even when they did, they were swiftly resolved by the opponent.
But Hu Luobu didn't mind. Even if they could escape and fight, such efficient and rapid movement would only lead to a significant reduction in stamina. Sink's stamina was not strong, and such high consumption couldn't be sustained for too long. As long as they stably obstruct the actions of these two mechas attacking the medic mecha, it would be enough.
At this moment, YDS's control mecha noticed that Lucy had switched weapons, "Captain Ke Lin, Lucy has switched weapons."
Ke Lin asked, "What weapon?"
YDS's control mecha replied, "It looks like her usual water flow projectiles."
Ke Lin said, "It might not be water flow projectiles; pay attention to her movements and be careful when she fires."
On KID's side, the high-speed battle continued.
Ji Qingfeng was completely numbed by Ke Lin's entanglement. Ke Lin's electric ball was originally wide, and with water, he would be shocked every time he teleported out. He wanted to use surprise attacks to get close to Ke Lin, but Ke Lin's overall view and predictive ability were better than his. "Damn, YDS's command is really good. I can't get close to him with this predictive ability."
Huo Yan explained, "He's very skilled; it's a disadvantage to fight someone who plays tactics."
Ji Qingfeng said, "Aren't you guys done yet? Xi Mei?"
Lu Xi was still moving. Her field of view had been fixed on the radar, monitoring the movements of her teammates and the enemies, moving silently on the outer periphery, irregularly moving, and continuously illuminating the 'water flow cannon.'
"For now, KID is at a disadvantage." Commentator A observed the match and explained, "KID clearly wants to suppress YDS with a quick attack, trying to hinder their medic mecha to create an opportunity for their control. However, YDS's medic mecha, originally the control mecha of YDS, has excellent cooperation with Ke Lin, strong overall vision, and is challenging to break through."
Commentator B said, "Yes, if KID were against another team or had broken through them with a quick attack, but YDS's front and rear connection control is famous for being stable. Ke Lin and YDS's medic mecha have three years of league experience in coordinating, once they stabilize the medic mecha, it's equivalent to breaking YDS's front and rear coordinated tactics."
YDS's front and rear coordinated tactics, that was YDS's signature.
In the old competition format, YDS's coordination between the guardian and control mechas, and in the new format, it became a three-tier coordination of YDS's guardianian, control, and medic mechas. Breaking through with a quick attack was challenging.
[If KID also carried thunder-type weapons, it would be great. YDS is resistant to water-based control, but thunder-based control might still break through.]
[How can thunder-type weapons break through? Haven't you seen that YDS has two shields?]
[Tanks and medic mechas both have shields, and the control mecha carries speed-boosting items. YDS's tactics are thorough; their set of weapons defends against two types of control.]
[But this is not certain; hasn't KID kept some weapons hidden?]
[These thunder-type weapons might not work. The stabilizing ball is resistant to water flow, but are the shields effective against thunder-type attacks?]
Ke Lin used the transmission chain ball to continuously control Ji Qingfeng, who was attempting to sneak around. He probably knew the situation of Ji Qingfeng's hooked weapon, similar to Chi Lizi's, but dealing with him required a few extra steps of anticipation. He looked slightly surprised at the signals on the radar, and Pollution noticed Lucy's position, "Is Lucy's weapon water flow projectiles?"
YDS's control said, "It should be. The situation is too chaotic; she seems to have fired the cannon."
Ke Lin heard this and frowned slightly, "What do you mean seems? Be more accurate."
YDS's control had been keeping an eye on Lucy and Sink. Sink's movements were difficult to predict, making it hard to pin down. On the other hand, Lucy's side remained relatively calm. Her weapon had been continuously glowing, and she had aimed the barrel at their side several times, but hadn't caused any substantial damage. "Her cannon has been in a charged state, but it hasn't caused any damage to us. The chaos caused by Trace and Sink's water flow is too much. If she fired the cannon, it should also be water flow projectiles."
Chaos in the water flow...?
Ke Lin suddenly realized something when he heard this. "Something's wrong!"
At this moment, Ying Chenlin noticed Ke Lin's movements. Her slightly cold gaze fell on another energy radar in the cockpit, set to capture a specific energy substance. The captured signals formed concentric circles on the energy radar, resembling a giant spider web.
At the end of this web, each blue dot signal was still moving.
Ying Chenlin said, "Lu Xi!"
Lu Xi immediately halted her mecha. The charging of the 'water flow cannon' in her hand was still visible. She responded, "I'm ready!"
Ying Chenlin heard Lu Xi's answer and glanced at the YDS team gathered on the radar. She stepped back several steps, "Everyone else retreat; Qingfeng, advance."
The audience in the live broadcast room couldn't understand the situation at all. The commentator said, "KID is retreating; it's unclear what's happening. Are they giving up the competition with YDS?"
[Retreat is the right move; the consumption is too high.]
[Change the approach; KID's configuration is really hard to beat YDS.]
[Wait! Look at Qingfeng and Lucy; it seems like they haven't retreated.]
Inside the arena, all of KID's members were retreating, and YDS immediately caught on.
"Captain Ke Lin, KID has retreated!"
Ji Qingfeng had been waiting for this moment. As soon as he heard Ying Chenlin's command, without a second thought, he changed direction and launched an attack, suddenly appearing near the YDS main force. Seeing this situation, Ke Lin, without saying a word, completely dispersed the transmission chain ball, blocking Ji Qingfeng's direction.
As soon as Ji Qingfeng was hit, he immediately crashed into the scattered chain balls around him. "Here it comes! Let them experience what it's like to be attacked by their own teammates!"
In the moment he collided with the chain ball, the electromagnetic effect on the chain ball passed through him, seemingly transmitted to invisible threads, and in an instant, rapidly spread to other areas of the entire sea. At this moment, the YDS front line, which was maintaining formation, suddenly seemed to suffer some attack, and all mechas' movements instantly stagnated.