[1-200] THE MECH TOUCH

Chapter 139: Chaotic

As the duel raged on, both sides started to suffer. Vincent's aptitude was quite good. He controlled his mech with enough fluency and precision to outmaneuver his opponent.

Caruthers on the other hand possessed years of experience. His advantage in years polished his moves until they flowed seamlessly despite their deliberate speed.

The contrast between young and old affected their battle in many ways. While Caruthers kept pulling off tricks, Vincent always managed to avoid the damage by taking advantage of his superior reflexes.

The two hybrid knights eschewed all their other weapons in favor of their melee weapons. The beams fired from their wrist lasers splashed ineffectually against a shield while Vincent already expended his missile complement.

The younger combatant carefully noted how his opponent still hadn't launched any missiles. Vincent was wary of anything the captain's mech might disgorge, so he kept his mech on its toes and never fully committed to a single attack.

This caused the battle to drag on in an even matchup where both mechs suffered similar amounts of damage. Vincent gave up on striking his opponent's mech directly and instead worked to bash its damaged shield apart.

"You've built up a lot of pent-up anger I see." Caruthers remarked as his mech accepted the hit but retaliated with a chop that Vincent barely managed to block. "Going pirate isn't doing your stress any favors!"

The Phoenix Cry suddenly changed its pattern by unleashing a bewildering assault. Sword after sword struck the battered rebel's mech, with at least half going through the young man's clumsy guard. The mercenary leader gave Vincent absolutely no reprieve from his furious strikes.

Instead of panicking, Vincent patiently endured the constant attacks. He knew the model intimately and was aware the Marc Antony couldn't sustain such an aggressive pace.

"Haha, how long can you hold on, old man?"

"Long enough to make you cry!"

The seasoned bounty hunter fought like an old but prideful lion while the young rebel held off the attacks like a patient turtle. Though Vincent fared relatively well, he still missed a couple of blocks, allowing his opponent's sword to chip away at his vulnerable joints.

Once the Phoenix Cry ran out of steam, Vincent finally gained the opportunity to dish back the hurt. His mech resumed hammering its mace against the bounty hunter's increasingly wretched shield. All of the damage it absorbed so far had not done its integrity any favors.

Its durability was at the end of its rope and both sides knew it. Despite his seemingly inevitable defeat, Caruthers still made use of the shield while it lasted, trading blows for blows.

Unlike his younger adversary, the bounty hunter ignored his opponent's shield and sought to damage the mech directly. Vincent only exposed his openings briefly, so most of the attacks glanced off his durable shield. Whenever the Phoenix Cry succeeded in landing a blow, it often lacked the force to punch through the model's substantial armor.

A huge crash echoed throughout the cavern as Vincent finally bashed an ugly hole through his opponent's shield. The Phoenix Cry staggered back and fired off a wrist lasers to cover its retreat.

The beams splashed harmlessly against Vincent's shield. The younger pilot ignored the lasers knowing that a hybrid knight like his own could take it. He did his best to pursue the wiley bounty hunter only to find out his opponent clearly his tactical retreats.

"You coward! Get back here!" Vincent yelled as his mech fired off its own laser beams in response.

The situation changed abruptly when additional forces arrived at the cargo hold. Vincent broke off his pursuit once he spotted that the mechs varied wildly in appearance.