"I announce again!!!"
"Jude Without Armor is the strongest dark horse in this Mech Bounty War!!!"
The host's roar echoed across the battle arena behind him.
Gu Ya didn't return to the contestant lounge. Instead, he walked directly out of the arena and back to the scrap yard.
They both knew that the Black Hound's performance was very strong. If they could dismantle it and install it onto the Unyielding Resister, it would lead to a qualitative leap for the mech.
But they had to be fast. At this rate of combat, the quarterfinals would begin in two hours.
Gu Ya and Wu Xuan waited at the scrap yard for an hour, but the discarded Black Hound still hadn't arrived.
Wu Xuan kept checking the time, while Gu Ya appeared calm, but his heart was uneasy.
After the battle with the Axis Tiger, his custom-built mech had suffered multiple malfunctions.
Worse still, the upcoming battles would require true skill.
The remaining three contestants, in terms of both piloting skill and mech performance, completely overshadowed Gu Ya.
Wu Xuan glanced at Gu Ya worriedly and said, "Jude, there's no more time."
Gu Ya nodded; indeed, there was no time left.
Even starting the assembly now would take a considerable amount of time. If they missed the match, Youyou's hands would be chopped off.
"We're not waiting anymore," Gu Ya declared, activating his mech and returning to the contestant lounge with Wu Xuan.
The contestant lounge was even more desolate.
The remaining four contestants were spaced far apart, and even speaking loudly, they couldn't truly hear each other.
The current match on the arena was the final preliminary bout, and it had been going on for nearly half an hour with no clear winner.
It was Chang Lang of the Hecheng Society versus Bi Tian of the Jiying Group's Shangcheng Society.
These two were sworn rivals from the previous session, and their final battle had lasted a day and a night, with Chang Lang ultimately winning by a narrow margin.
Gu Ya watched their fight, their back-and-forth exchanges, the clash of cold weapons, and the rapid fire of beam guns and missiles.
A smile gradually formed in his heart.
It wasn't a happy smile, but a bitter smile of despair born from witnessing the opponent's overwhelming strength.
This was the true mech battle!
The previous three matches Gu Ya had fought were like child's play.
Wu Xuan sighed worriedly, placing a hand on Gu Ya's shoulder, trying to offer some comfort.
But Wu Xuan also knew it was in vain.
From their interactions over the past few days, he could feel Gu Ya's desperate yearning for victory to save his sister.
Every one of his battles felt like juggling on the edge of a cliff.
A single misstep wouldn't only fail to save his sister's life but would also cost him his own.
Thinking of this, Wu Xuan consoled him, "Don't give up!"
Gu Ya sighed and nodded.
...
A hovercar sped through the sky, leaving other vehicles behind as it headed towards Light Industrial Zone 36.
In the car, Gu Youyou's hands were bound, her mouth gagged, and she sat by the window.
Across from her sat a woman.
Last night, this was the woman who had snatched her from Wang Panpan.
Wang Panpan, unable to defeat the crowd, had been knocked unconscious by a rifle butt from her subordinates.
Gu Youyou didn't know her intentions or where she was taking her.
Since getting into the car, the woman had been silent, as if lost in thought.
At this moment, the hovercar's system announced, "Arrived at Light Industrial Zone 36."
As the voice faded, the hovercar began to decelerate, finally coming to a smooth stop on the ground.
The woman stood up and said faintly to Gu Youyou, "Let's go, to watch your brother's final battle."
Gu Youyou's eyes widened instantly.
...
At the arena, Chang Lang and Bi Tian had finally determined the victor.
Chang Lang had won with an even greater advantage this year, finally defeating Bi Tian.
Bi Tian emerged from his destroyed mech, bowed deeply towards Chang Lang's mech, and then left the arena.
The host's voice boomed again: "A spectacular and unparalleled battle!"
"Chang Lang maintains his championship demeanor this year!"
"We look forward to his next match, which will be even more exciting! Hahaha!"
"So, without further ado, let's see who the destined enemies of the contestants will be in the quarterfinals, hahaha!"
The battle schedule rapidly changed and finally settled.
"Jude Without Armor, versus Zhao Zhan of the Yeteng Group, 'Thorn Buster'!"
"Chang Lang of the Hecheng Society, 'Pure White Knight'! Versus Wan Chong of the Huangtian Merchant Association, 'Desert Despot'!"
"Hahaha! All Mech Knights, are you ready! Let's begin the first match!"
"The battle arena, the City of Thousand Islands!"
As the host's voice fell, the battle arena quickly transformed its layout.
Deep blue water covered the ground, with jagged small islands scattered across the "ocean."
Each island could only accommodate one mech, and the closest adjacent islands were three hundred meters apart.
Upon seeing the arena, Gu Ya's heart sank.
An absolute disadvantage!
The Unyielding Resister's rear thruster was from a medium-sized transport mech, with moderate power.
To enhance its defensive capabilities, thick armor had been added.
This significantly reduced its flight capability and also slowed down its movement.
Such a mech could still fight on flat ground by relying on its powerful defense.
But how could it fight on these narrow "islands"!
In the air, it was like a plump duck; standing still, it was like a training dummy!
The word "What do I do!" echoed in Gu Ya's mind.
The host shouted again, "Alright, esteemed Mech Masters, since the Pure White Knight just finished a battle and requires repairs, we will have a one-hour pause to allow all contestants to adjust their condition!"
"We'll see you in an hour!"
An hour’s time, this was practically a death sentence.
The remaining three opponents would be extremely cautious and wouldn't easily allow Gu Ya to get close to their mechs.
Gu Ya looked at his custom-built mech, his mind racing.
Calm down... there must be a way, open up the possibilities!
The shortcut to escape a dead end is to break through the dead end!
Like a high wall in a cul-de-sac, the most direct way to get through is to tear it down.
Wait, tear it down?
Gu Ya looked up at the mech and suddenly his heart leaped with joy: "Wu Xuan, let's remove the armor!"
"Why remove the armor?" Wu Xuan asked, confused.
Gu Ya excitedly replied, "I can't explain it to you, just do as I say!"
Wu Xuan furrowed his brow and asked, "Remove from where?"
"Remove everything except the shoulder armor! Quickly!"
"Even the armor outside the cockpit!?"
"Yes!"
...
An hour later, Zhao Zhan of the Yeteng Group was already waiting in the arena.
Gu Ya and Wu Xuan entered the arena at the designated time.
When their mechs were revealed to the public, the host exclaimed in surprise, "My heavens, what new trick is Jude Without Armor pulling now?"
"He actually voluntarily removed his armor during the semi-finals!"
"Is he trying to show off to death, hahaha!"
Even Zhao Zhan couldn't help but quip, "Jude Without Armor, truly lives up to his name!"
Gu Ya calmly smiled and said, "Haha! Isn't that so."
The host shouted, "Alright, audiences, we've waited long enough! The first match of the semi-finals is about to begin!"
"The arena is the City of Thousand Islands! I believe the contestants have already guessed that the azure ocean is a deadly abyss!"
"No more words! Battle, commence!!!"
As soon as the host finished speaking, Zhao Zhan proactively activated his burst thruster and charged directly forward.
To him, Jude Without Armor was a joke, someone who only sought to sensationalize.
"This battle really lacks any anticipation!" Zhao Zhan chuckled.
On Gu Ya's side, he was staring at the approaching opponent.
"Are you ready! Do as I say!" Gu Ya said.
"Yes!" Wu Xuan responded seriously.
In a flash, Zhao Zhan's Thorn Buster had already flown before Gu Ya, its arm extending a beam sword and thrusting directly at him!
"Now, charge!"