The Final Desperation

Genji initially wanted to quietly develop Igani's nest as he recovered from his injuries, but the factions had different plans. One day - that was all the time Genji got before they confirmed their suspicions and marched their armies to the nest. It wasn't hard to find since the army's return exposed their location.

The first to attack was the Celestials, a close neighbor of the Zergs. Due to their circumstances, they were unnerved by Genji's proximity and took preemptive actions.

The supreme commander wasn't fond of this decision, but the council ordered it. They didn't want to bet their survival on Genji's graces, especially when he indirectly caused their crisis.

Left with no choice, the commander could only send out an army, ordering them to prioritize their safety over all else. Now was not the time to lose troops over petty conflicts, so he wanted to minimize it. It didn't matter if this was a fruitless attack since it was for show anyway.

Many spaceships docked in the distance, pouring out troops to surround the nest.

Due to the nest's location, they didn't have much advantage in defense. They had given all that up for subtlety, which did nothing for them. Therefore, this besiegement resembled more of an open battle rather than a building defense.

A storm of plasma bullets discharged into the sea of Zergs, melting their hard shells without resistance. Igani pumped out at her nest's limit, refilling this void with rapid speeds.

Still, this did little to change the situation as the Celestials slowly encroached on them. The pace might be gradual, but they haven't stopped moving since the battle began.

One of the main reasons was the barrage of sniper rounds that burst down their strongest units with precise headshots. This left only the weaker units at the front, something the infantry could easily mow down.

Genji had once participated in these sniper operations, but he was now on the receiving end. It was an ironic twist of fate, but he was more occupied by the familiar style of firing.

Genji had once used this style to make a name for himself, attracting the attention of the fortress commander and kickstarting the series of events that spiraled to this point.

As far as he could tell, only one sniper had truly mastered this style, while the others were only imitating it. Their fire rates were on par, but their accuracy was horrendous. They were lucky if even 20% of their shots killed on the first try.

"I get rid of one bad karma and another comes knocking on my door. Just great," Genji sighed with a heavy heart. Nonetheless, he had no intentions of backing down and ordered an aerial bombardment.

The top of the nest peeled away the dirt covering, creating an opening for a cloud of tiny insects to fly through. These units zipped over the Celestials and unleashed their acid rain, greatly hindering their accuracies.

The soldiers below shot down a lot of these units, but their sheer density made this damage irrelevant. This advantage was further augmented by the fungal carpet below, recycling up to 90% of the initial energy cost.

Although this bombardment dealt little damage, their deaths created an ideal environment for Bruce to showcase his powers. Controlling the spilled blood from a distance, the nightbane unleashed a massive hurricane of blood, sowing discord along their front lines.

Many soldiers were caught off guard and sustained major wounds, but they quickly regrouped and adopted a new tactic, avoiding all flowing blood on the ground.

Bruce continued his rampage, providing noteworthy offensive powers and defensive support. With his help, the distance between the two armies disappeared into nothingness and they entered a fierce melee.

This was a disadvantageous shift for the Celestials because it ramped up their casualties. A single graze might not affect their combat powers, but it was a different story when their opponents disregarded their lives for a single nick, causing their injuries to rapidly accumulate.

This forced them to occasionally rotate the melee fighters and stalled the vanguard's march to a grinding halt. However, this difficulty only signified the next phase of the battle since a stalemate was the worst outcome for the Celestials. They simply didn't have the resources or manpower for it.

"Get ready. They're about to send something to break through. Prepare to go into overdrive," Genji reminded Igani, who nodded in response.

In the following minute, the Celestials pushed eight metallic cannons to the front. These cannons flickered with a dull sheen, a common trait among old but well-preserved metal. After the operators secured these metallic artilleries onto the ground, they loaded the back with ample battery cells and opened fire.

Spheres of fierce electricity discharged into the crowd, exploding and chain-zapping all the Zergs in the vicinity. Those who survived were worse off because their nerves stopped operating under this high voltage, becoming obstacles for the units behind them. Left with no choice, Igani could only divert her attention and command their deaths.

Capitalizing on this opportunity, the infantry set their plasma swords into overdrive and charged forward with intimidating vigor. Loud battle cries rumbled through the area, causing the outer layer of the nest to vibrate.

At this moment, a wall of blood appeared in their path, but the soldiers were undeterred by this display and slashed apart the curtain without delay. Another volley of cannon fire sounded in the distance, disintegrating the collapsing Zergs.

The radius of safety rapidly shrank under this push, significantly flustering Igani. Bruce also struggled against this wave of concentrated firepower, with his blood streams being evaporated before he could deal much damage.

The situation was very unfavorable, but Genji remained composed and gave his next order. "Tell Bruce to stop defending and go on the offensive. If possible, get me some of their plasma guns."

After giving this order, Genji stepped out of the underground bunker and made his way up. The fleshly walls parted ways on his approach, making his journey as easy as possible. Despite the chaos outside, Igani paid careful attention to ensure Genji's comfort.

Bruce had voiced his worries over their meals, so it was hard to ignore. Plus, she wanted to stay on Bruce’s good side so he would keep cooking for her. Therefore, for the sake of her future meals, she went all out, making everything as convenient as possible.

When Genji stepped onto the top of the nest, a damaged rifle spun through the air. The cover of aerial units made stealing easy, so Bruce prepared to snatch some more.

Genji reached out and caught the rifle before checking its condition. After confirming it was usable, Genji aimed at the troublesome cannons and opened fire. A plasma barrier suddenly manifested around the target, shielding it from the attack.

Genji determined that his current firearm wasn't strong enough to pierce this defense and swapped targets. Since he couldn't destroy the cannons, he would aim for the operators.

Bringing the rifle up to his eye, Genji used the top as a makeshift scope. Seconds later, a soldier carrying an energy cell peaked into his view. Suddenly, Genji's finger transformed into an indistinguishable blue, pulling the trigger rapidly to form a piercing streak that connected the muzzle to the target's head.

The nearby cannon invoked a barrier, but the concentrated fire broke through the cross-section, killing the target instantly. Then, the volatile energy collided with the energy cell, destabilizing it. Arcs of purple electricity flashed around the surface as the contraption dispersed its stored energy.

This was the safe measure designed to prevent the cells from exploding after being damaged, but it didn't stop Genji from exploiting the massive energy inside. Before the small hole could fully mend, a small incendiary bomb slipped through, detonating and igniting the electricity.

A harsh sizzling sound buzzed in the soldiers' ears, but the energy cell exploded before they could react. A small mushroom cloud formed inside the barrier and caved in on itself, causing the explosive force to bounce back.

Multiple waves of impact coursed through the interior, destroying everything it touched. In the end, when the dust cleared, only burnt scraps of metal remained in a charred crater, absent of any remains.

This massive disturbance caught the snipers' attention and redirected their crosshairs to Genji. Genji remained indifferent to this looming danger and tossed aside his ruined sniper, swapping it for a moderately used one.

Then, he dived back into the nest, finding cover and moving into a new position. The snipers were taken aback by this sight, but they remained locked on. They had seen the damage Genji was capable of, so they couldn't allow him to continue, especially when these cannons required rare materials to manufacture.

Suddenly, a stream of blood interfered with their vision. Fearing the worst, they opened fire in turns, perfectly covering the area to suppress opposing fire.

But what they didn't know was that Genji had already jumped into the Zergs below and avoided the blitz. Using the large bodies of elites as cover, Genji observed the snipers' location and made a mental map.

After confirming their positions, he unleashed his own outburst, surpassing all enemies simultaneously. His wrist flickered through the air at astonishing speeds, covering the area in afterimages. Within moments, he drained his energy cell and swapped to his other hand, continuing the barrage as he reloaded in synchronization.

By the time he emptied one rifle, he had already replaced the other one. This consistency massively pressured his opponents, forcing them to duck under cover and disregard all attempts at peeking.

While the shots weren't absolutely accurate, they were close enough that they could hit their targets. The shots also came at semi-random frequencies, making it difficult to predict an opening. If they tried, they would only be risking their heads.

"Just who is this guy? How can he have such a scary fire rate and accuracy?" One person asked as he peered out from around the corner, only to have his cheek singed by a streak of plasma.

Startled by this sudden wound, he ducked back and gave a certain Celestial a helpless look. "If I didn't know better, I would think you're the one shooting. Why does he seem more deserving of the Barrage Sniper title than you, Hamilton? Isn't this supposed to be your specialty?"

At this question, Hamilton shook his head with a somber expression. "Believe it or not, I didn't create this technique. I only distributed it."

"That's the first time I've heard of that," a friend said as a beam flew over his head. "Then what about the real creator? How come we've never heard of him?"

Hamilton fell silent for a few moments before saying, "Because he's known for something else."

"Which is?" The other snipers pressed on, unaware of Hamilton's complicated mood. To them, Hamilton had always been the quiet type, so they were used to long pauses between responses.

"Enemy spy," Hamilton bluntly said, eliciting a soft gasp from his squadmates.

"No way! Aren't the realms supposed to prevent that? Don't they restrict what the members can do?"

The speaker immediately assumed the subject was a realm member because Celestials wouldn't even consider the act. Plus, the other factions would never believe the intelligence if it came from a celestial since it could be a trap. To be safe, they would only act on information gathered through their own means.

"There's one exception to that rule. The realms can't do anything if the member sneaks in by himself," someone refuted the claim.

"But isn't that still against the rules? The realms might not care, but Eternal Void does. Aren't they afraid of the consequences?"

"Depends on what they have to gain from it. As long as the price is right, there will always be risk-takers."

At this moment, someone cleared his throat. *Ahem ahem* "Don't you think we're straying too far from the main point?"

Curious about his response, the others turned to him and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Think about it. The person who taught Hamilton the technique is considered a fugitive. Where do you think he went?"

"Why do we care about that? The realm members only stay for 40 days before leaving."

"But they do return. Now, what are the chances that someone else has this same skill?"

Hearing this question, the other snipers froze with surprise before realization sunk in. "You're saying we're against that very person?"

"No, we're facing a donkey with a machine gun," the speaker sarcastically retorted.

"This... Is this true?" They turned to Hamilton, seeking confirmation.

"This is a very niche technique. It'll be hard to find another person who knows it."

Although they were expecting this answer, it still made them inhale sharply. This was not what they expected when they joined this mission. To think they would meet Hamilton's teacher and as a foe at that. It was a despairing thought since they knew how skillful Hamilton was, yet they were to believe this opponent was better?

Did they have any chance of fighting back, or would they be restrained for the remainder of the battle, stuck here and unable to help? What was the difference between that and not being here?

As these questions swirled around in their minds, they noticed that the shooting had stopped. They exchanged glances and took off a boot, which they put over a rod and raised for testing. A few seconds passed, but the shoe remained intact.

"Safe, but we don't know if he's faking us out. Anyone feel like peeking their head?"

They exchanged shifty glances again before one person volunteered. He took a deep breath, counted to three, then stood up with closed eyes. One second, two seconds, three seconds, still nothing.

Surprised by his unexpected survival, the soldier opened his eyes and looked around. The battlefield was as grisly as before, but their rival had disappeared. This change baffled them, but it didn't stop him from calling out, "It's clear."

Following his assurance, the others retook their positions and scanned the area. Still nothing. Genji had completely hidden himself during this period.

"Weird, where could he have gone?"

Suddenly, three massive explosions reverberated across the battlefield, with violent airwaves rippling outward. Their heads jerked to the origin, only to see half of their cannons had imploded in the same manner as before. In the time they lost vision of the battlefield, Genji had prepared this attack.

"Snipers, what the hell are you doing? Shoot him!" The general's furious voice resounded in their earpieces, devastated by the loss. 

Hearing this, they immediately locked onto Genji, who sensed this intense stare and ducked behind a wave of Zergs, minimizing their accuracy. 

Still, this did little to stop this squad of snipers from returning fire and clearing the vicinity within seconds. After being suppressed for so long, they finally got the chance to release all their pent-up frustrations. They would be fools to not capitalize on it.

To their dismay, Genji had disappeared again as returning shots soon followed. It wasn't as intense this time, but it still forced them back. 

"How is he so accurate without a scope? Isn't he using our normal rifles?" Someone cursed under their breath, exasperated by their current situation. 

"Sniper's intuition," Hamilton replied, disassembling his weapon. "When you've fired as many shots as him, you'll know where it'll land without looking."

"I call bs. If that's the case, won't we all be master marksmen?"

"I'm not talking about normal shooting, but sensory sniping. No scopes or aid. Just you and the gun. Only that way can you develop this intuition." Hamilton explained, removing all the accessories before pulling back a crank on the rifle's side.

These modifications greatly reduced the rifle's power, but they allowed for greater flexibility and fire rate. Then he held it overhead and fired blindly, using only his judgment to pinpoint Genji's location. To everyone's surprise, the incoming shots decreased in frequency, testifying to Hamilton's accuracy. 

'What a monster. Both of them. We're 1000 meters apart, yet they're firing like it's only 10. How did they train to this point?'

After a few rounds of this, a stray shot destroyed Hamilton's rifle, forcing him to borrow one from a friend. The person readily gave up his weapon, and the group spread out, seeking new cover. But when they peeked out again, they realized the exchange had already ended, with Hamilton reassembling his weapon. 

"What happened?" They asked.

"He stopped trying," Hamilton replied.

"Stopped trying? What do you mean?"

"Literally. He stopped shooting."

"Huh? Why?"

Instead of answering him, Hamilton gestured at the battlefield, where the Zergs slowly pushed back their troops. Due to losing half of the plasma cannons and the snipers being entangled, mini-boss-level units could finally join the fight, turning the tides in their favor. 

"Start packing. The general will call a retreat any minute now," Hamilton said, shutting down his gun. It was always good practice to turn off energy weapons when not in use.

But when the others heard him, they all had unwilling expressions. Hamilton noticed this and asked, "What's wrong? You want to continue?"

"Are we just going to let it end like this?" They asked, unable to accept this outcome. If the battle ended because they got obliterated or they killed the enemy, that would be acceptable, but to end because their enemy lost interest? How could they bear this contempt? It was as if he never considered them as proper opponents. 

"We're lucky to be alive so don't even think about it," Hamilton replied.

"But-"

"Shut it." Hamilton knew what they were thinking and interrupted them before they could embarrass themselves any further. "Do you think he actually wanted to kill us? No, he purposely missed his shots to spare us."

As if supporting that statement, their earpieces suddenly sounded with grim news. "Attention all units. You are to retreat immediately. I repeat, retreat immediately. Our sniper squads have suffered heavy casualties and cannot provide any more support."

Hearing this, all the squad members broke out in a cold sweat, realizing they had escaped a disaster. If all these deaths were caused by one person, then it would be impossible for their squad to remain safe. Yet despite that, they hadn't suffered a single death, especially when there was a perfect opportunity to kill one of them. 

"If anyone asks, say we hid the whole time, okay?" Hamilton said, providing an explanation for their situation.

"But will the higher-ups believe us? We might be the only squad without casualties, so we're very suspicious. They might even think we're controlled by the enemy and execute us." Someone voiced their concerns with a pale face.

"That's why we have this," Hamilton replied, holding up his destroyed sniper. "We're very lucky that the rifle blocked the shot. After that, we never peeked our heads. Understand?"

This was a convincing cover story because snipers typically held their rifles close to their chests while lying down. Given this position, it was nearly impossible to destroy the rifle without endangering the operator's life. All it takes is a small deviation, and this act would end poorly. One would have to be suicidal to agree to it.

"You planned this from the start?" The squad members asked in disbelief, recognizing these points.

"I had my suspicions after the first volley," Hamilton replied. "You have to know, even I can get a few kills from that distance, let alone him."