[Selection complete. You are about to enter the Real Battlefield…]
[Battlefield Map: Human Reform League, Shenzhou, Jibei Plains]
…And just by looking at these two lines of text, one could understand what Yu Xiao’s choice was.
In the end, he had still chosen the stage where he would face the Beta.
As for the reason… because Yu Xiao knew that “SRW VS,” when it came to faithfully reproducing details from the original works, had always been fond of striving for perfection.
For instance, in Simulation Battle, Amuro Ray’s AI would show a preference for using a bazooka.
And Char, whom Yu Xiao had also traded blows with previously, would mix flying kicks into his attacks during combat…
This was exactly the same as their signature combat styles in the original works.
So Yu Xiao guessed that, following the conventions of the “SRW VS” development team.
The mind-reading ability unique to the race known as the Festum would also be honestly reproduced.
Though he didn’t know exactly how it would be reflected in the game, what kind of mechanic it would become… perhaps some kind of excessive command-reading?
But in any case, it would be better to wait until he had a unit capable of countering the opponent’s ability before choosing to sortie.
Like the Synergetic Suit Fafner in the original “Fafner in the Azure,” which could evade mind-reading by granting the pilot an altered consciousness, or the Zero System that could predict the future, and the like.
And compared to the Festum, those Beta, which had no special species abilities and merely held an absolute advantage in numbers, should be relatively easier to deal with.
Such was Yu Xiao’s consideration.
After all, since the Real Battlefield mode had RPG elements…
Then in the early game, it would indeed be better to focus relatively on strengthening oneself.
Although, due to that mysterious restriction on sortieing into stages, he naturally could not become a “Sword God of Shilipo” grinding repeatedly in the beginner stage until maxed out…
But gradually starting by dealing with monsters he was familiar with, and steadily raising his own combat power.
That much, he could still do.
Thinking this, Yu Xiao returned his gaze to reality.
On the monitor, as before, the customary mission briefing was proceeding.
[Allies: Human Reform League Army] [Enemies: Beta]
First was the introduction of both sides’ forces.
And next, what was displayed on the screen was a brief explanation concerning the mission. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
[Battlefield Background: The HRL has achieved victory in the operation to defend the capital! Now their army is advancing northward, with the aim of recapturing the lost territory that fell to the Beta. With the full support of the navy and air force, this battle should proceed smoothly… However, the Beta have dispatched their most powerful special combat force: the Laser-class. Under the powerful interception capabilities of the Laser-class swarm, no form of support can arrive. In that case, the isolated army mechanized units will likely be destroyed as a result… Carry out a decapitation operation, kill the Laser-class in the enemy’s rear, and turn the tide of the battlefield!]
[Victory Condition: Destroy all Laser-class (0/287)]
After roughly skimming through these somewhat lengthy mission briefings, Yu Xiao had more or less grasped their contents.
And it seemed there was still a sequential order connecting these battlefields.
He thought silently.
Yu Xiao still remembered that yesterday’s battlefield had been “Defend Tianjing City.” And in today’s stage, the briefing mentioned that “the operation to defend the capital achieved victory.”
Mm…
Seen this way, if he kept fighting on, there should come a day when he defeated all the monsters and reached the game’s ending, right?
Though that would be something for a long, long time in the future.
Yu Xiao felt that a full playthrough of the Real Battlefield mode would, at any rate, take over a hundred hours.
That could already be considered quite lengthy.
So clearing the game and such was not something he needed to consider at present.
And what he paid more attention to at the moment was undoubtedly the question of “how to clear this stage.”
…According to the victory conditions, the main opponents this time should be the group of Laser-class that hadn’t appeared before.
Although the required number of over two hundred was a bit frightening at first glance.
In reality, Yu Xiao knew that those Laser-class in the original work were actually not all that strong in close-quarters combat.
Even more, their small size of around 2m made them easy prey for a mecha’s large-caliber firearms.
They could be said to be targets that crumbled at a single touch.
Then, the only problem is…
“The only problem is how to break through the guard of that horde of monsters… huh. Mm…”
As his thoughts flowed naturally to their conclusion, the words also murmured out from Yu Xiao’s mouth.
That’s right.
As crucial anti-air units, those Laser-class were, in the Beta’s strategy, always placed in the heavily guarded far rear.
Not to mention that the front and both flanks were guarded by medium-sized Beta such as the Grappler-class and Tank-class.
In the rear, the Beta would generally also deploy a defensive line formed by several Fortress-class.
On top of that, while breaking through the defenses, those Laser-class might also launch attacks from a certain distance…
Combining all these factors, it formed what could be called an impenetrable Wall of Sighs composed of monster after monster.
…How should he put it, the current situation had subtly become a version of the previous battle with the roles reversed.
Yu Xiao thought. This story is hosted at g.com.
In the previous battlefield, Yu Xiao had played the role of the side defending the line.
But in this stage, he was instead made to consider how to tear open the enemy’s line.
The problem that once needed to be solved, now he needed to try to pose it.
“In that case…”
But actually, the solution to this problem was not a very difficult matter.
“Just leave it to our own people.”
And this was the final answer.
…After all, Yu Xiao was not fighting alone either.
Judging from the battlefield description, he did have some HRL allied forces on his side.
As long as they launched an attack, everything would turn out fine.
Leave the assault battlefield to them, while he would take advantage of the opening and sweep the enemy’s rear…
Yu Xiao concluded that this approach was precisely the most efficient.
…Though in other words, this was essentially wanting the allied NPCs who wanted to take the vanguard to serve as cannon fodder.
But since they were merely strings of data, they shouldn’t blame him, right?
Yu Xiao thought this with a relaxed mindset.
And so, in this manner, the battle plan was fully formed in his mind.
Well then, it was time to truly sortie.
Yu Xiao pressed the confirm button on the controller, and the mission briefing screen faded out just like that.
Immediately following, the Leo-S, adorned in knightly style with a vivid crimson color scheme, stood majestically, with a gallant posture, upon the battlefield.
And seeing the detail of the ochre cape fluttering in the wind behind it, Yu Xiao could not help but once again marvel in his heart at the superb visual expressiveness of “SRW VS.”
Of course, while admiring, he did not forget to get down to business.
First the radar screen in the upper right, then directly observing what was before him with his naked eyes.
Yu Xiao carefully searched for the positions of the allied forces, intending to coordinate his attack with their pace.
…However, in the end, he was not without surprise to discover—
The friendly MS on the battlefield were, aside from himself…
There was no longer any other unit present at all…?