"Hangar 3 has been destroyed!"
"Launch Catapults 1, 2, 3, and 6 are compromised!"
"Checking vital signs… We've lost thirty-four Tactical Surface Fighters!"
The meteor that fell from the sky had caused immense destruction. Neither conventional radar nor Honkai energy detection systems had managed to spot the massive object rapidly approaching.
With this single blow.
The TSF base's capacity to deploy forces to the frontline was reduced by over forty percent. Without the assistance of the acceleration catapults, the base would struggle to send TSFs to distant battlefields in time.
Moreover.
The strike just now had also inflicted enormous losses. If Hangar 3 hadn't already been empty, those losses would likely have been several times greater.
"Send out scouts!"
"See what on earth that was…"
"…"
"Holy Shit!"
————
Two Temple-class Honkai Beasts slowly emerged from the dense smoke of the crater.
The arrivals were none other than War and Famine, who, after detecting the quantum energy signature of the VF-3s moving away from the base, had come specifically to take out the enemy's nest.
The quantum energy "VF" fighters posed a significant threat to the legion. The eight VF-3 "Raiden" units deployed to the southern continent were all the "VF" fighters the Mu Continent could currently muster. It was clear that, facing the legion's aggressive advance, the Mu Continent had no intention of holding back. They planned to use their strongest assets to completely eradicate the threat in the south and then quickly reinforce other fronts.
However!
That approach was flawed.
The 'Crimson Cherry' Legion, responsible for the southern continent theater, had made its offensive posture a feint. The purpose was to give the Mu Continent the illusion that "we are attacking from here," thereby pinning down their high-end combat power (quantum energy weapons) in this location.
The "Composite Honkai Beasts" formed by the Temple-class were not fundamentally an attack formation. Instead, they were a means to concentrate the energy of a large number of Honkai Beasts, to overcome the vast disparity in "energy level" with sheer "quantity."
Now.
The prerequisite conditions had been met.
The Mu Continent, having lost three TSF battalions, had indeed committed its main combat forces to deal with the 'Crimson Cherry' Legion.
What War and Famine needed to do next was to ensure the enemy became completely bogged down here… this was the reason for their two-pronged cavalry charge.
"This is…"
"A Temple-class Honkai Beast?"
Amidst the shattered ruins, Jack's S-27X TSF pushed aside a heavy concrete wall. The optical radar immediately transmitted the scanned image.
These were entirely different from any Temple-class beasts seen in the military academy's teachings.
The two figures before him—
Although both were predominantly red, it was a far cry from the common "red and white" of Flame-attribute Temple-class beasts. The Temple-class before him, nearly as tall as a TSF (due to authority/attribute augmentation, its base height was around 3 meters), could only be described with one word: magnificent.
"Crimson-gold."
That was the most fitting adjective Jack could think of.
And beside this "crimson-gold" Honkai Beast, the other was entirely "black-gold." The only common feature between them was likely the "crystals" embedded at their various joints.
Intertwined red and blue, coalescing cyan and violet.
There was no doubt.
The War Temple and Famine Temple appearing here had both been bestowed with new authorities by the Emperor:
Flame-Ice!
Wind-Thunder!
No other fancy abilities.
The two Temples were simply augmented with extreme destructive attributes!
Shing!
Shields rose high, lances were brandished, and sharp giant blades hummed fiercely as they cut through the air.
CLANG!!
Twin lances, twin swords.
When the four weapons converged, they would once again display the Emperor's might!
The meteor earlier was but a simple facet of [Heavenly Firmament Rupture]. Now, the two Temples were about to unleash all the authority and power bestowed upon them!
The power the Emperor could unleash with a single fist, they would replicate here with lance and sword—
"Annihilation Iron Fist!!"
BOOOOM!!!
————
The shockwave blew away everything on the surface!
An explosion of this magnitude wasn't a fatal blow to the entire base, but all surface structures suffered varying degrees of damage. Even with the most efficient damage control, it would take several hours to restore them to full operational status.
If not for the fact that over seventy percent of the TSF hangars were built deep underground, this wave alone would have caused colossal losses.
And the above premise…
Depended on the two Temples having no intention of continuing their assault.
"Continue?"
Famine's thought echoed in War's spiritual world.
Although the individual strength of the Four War Temples wasn't as great as Cheche's or Sheshe's, they were, after all, Lu Xing's first true subordinates and had also served under the old Emperor. Their combat experience and tactical acumen had become part of their strength after awakening as Variants.
They appeared somewhat taciturn.
In reality…
They were all top-tier, ruthless Honkai.
"Continue."
The Emperor's will must be executed.
Since the Emperor required "suppression," then even if it meant expending the entire 'Crimson Cherry' Legion, not a single human aircraft would be allowed to leave the southern warzone.
That being said.
A direct frontal assault was a very unwise choice.
The strength of an entire continent certainly couldn't be pinned down by the 'Crimson Cherry' Legion alone; they had to employ certain tactics.
An army marches on its stomach.
The Mu Continent lacked Honkai energy rifts, making energy replenishment for the legion an absolute difficulty.
This problem also applied to human forces—if enough damage was inflicted on the base, then as the battle progressed, even if TSFs retreated from the front line, they would struggle to get resupplied.
The "VFs" were the same.
When the main base was short on fuel and supplies.
Humans could only mobilize resources from elsewhere. The reason the Temple-class battle line was spread so wide was precisely to find an opportunity to "disassemble and ambush" at the right moment, locate other human supply points, and destroy them.
Similarly.
If the opportunity allowed.
It wasn't impossible to snatch a few energy-depleted "VFs" out of the sky.
But these were considerations for later.
Zzzt—
Amidst a burst of electricity, War's lance directly parried a Type 77 Heavy Cleaver slashing fiercely at it. Then, with a simple step back to create distance, the lance, like a dragon emerging from water, instantly tore a massive gash in its opponent!
BOOM!!
"Energy, ammunition, husks (undamaged, unpiloted TSFs)."
"Even if those things (VFs) return immediately, they'll need at least 120 seconds. Factoring in retreat time…"
CLANG!
The greatshield deflected an incoming missile.
War Temple charged, directly impaling the "broad-chested" F-22X, and then hurled it forcefully at another TSF in the distance—
BANG!!
"We have 90 seconds to act."
Screeech—BOOM!!!