Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles?

A leak in a space station can be patched with duct tape. A leak in a submarine, especially a deep-sea submersible, is a catastrophic event, often measured in milliseconds.

The difference lies in compressibility. Air is highly compressible, water practically incompressible. This explains why spacecraft hulls are mere millimeters thick, while deep-sea submersibles require thick, reinforced hulls. The crushing pressure of the deep ocean is a devastating force.

Therefore, the initial breach of the barrier, with its immense pressure differential, would turn the inrushing seawater into a destructive weapon, capable of tearing apart both the ruins and the Honkai beasts caught in its path.

But this destructive power would rapidly diminish as the pressure equalized, the window of opportunity measured in mere seconds.

Einstein understood this. Tesla, her longtime partner and fellow scientific genius, understood it as well.

"Come on, you bastards! [CENSORED] come get some!" Having coordinated with Einstein, Tesla didn't waste a millisecond. Abandoning her usual cautious approach, she charged into the swarm of Honkai beasts like a raging bull.

The Arahato, with its massive size, wasn't ideally suited for this tactic, but she had no other choice. She gritted her teeth, praying that Anti-Entropy's most advanced mech would live up to its reputation.

The Arahato didn't disappoint. Like Tesla's unwavering faith in her own engineering, it tore through the Honkai beasts, its massive alloy blade cleaving them apart, scattering the smaller ones like bowling pins.

"Hahaha! Good job, old girl!" Tesla whooped, adrenaline coursing through her veins. It felt like she was fighting alongside a trusted comrade, not piloting a machine.

The Arahato pressed forward, its relentless assault drawing in more and more Honkai beasts, like sharks drawn to blood, eager to surround and devour their prey.

The barrier was a multifaceted structure, and the breach was on a single side. Tesla's task was to lure the Honkai beasts from the other sides, those not naturally drawn to the vortex, towards the breach, maximizing the casualties during those precious few seconds.

She didn't know how many she'd lured in, but it was a significant number.

"Clang!" "Crack!" The Arahato's blade, after cleaving through another Honkai beast, finally snapped, its structural integrity compromised by the relentless assault.

Tesla took a deep breath, knowing she'd reached her limit.

"Come on, you freaks! Any more takers?!" she yelled, then rammed the broken blade into a large Honkai beast, slamming the throttle forward. The Arahato's thrusters roared, using the impaled beast as a shield, charging towards the vortex.

The pursuing Honkai beasts slammed against the mech, its joints groaning in protest, warning lights flashing in the cockpit.

"[CENSORED] annoying!" She angrily silenced the alarms, ignoring the flashing red lights, focused solely on reaching the center of the vortex.

"Thud!" She released the broken blade, and the impaled Honkai beast was swept into the vortex, instantly torn apart. The massive Arahato slammed against the barrier, its bulk plugging the breach.

The vortex vanished.

"Creak… Crack…" The laws of physics were unforgiving. The Arahato's makeshift plug wouldn't hold for long. More Honkai beasts swarmed around it, their attacks further weakening the already damaged mech.

But those few seconds were enough.

The stopped flow bought her precious time.

She pulled the emergency release, and the cockpit ejected, transforming into a small escape pod.

After the Arahato's unexpected trip to the moon during the 2nd Eruption, Anti-Entropy had added an emergency ejection system, designed for use in space. It was now proving equally useful in the opposite environment.

Einstein, monitoring Tesla's progress, saw the escape pod approaching and quickly maneuvered her Titan mech to intercept it, catching the pod gently. Tesla, seeing her approach, deactivated the pod's thrusters and activated its magnetic clamps.

A silent understanding between old partners.

"Goodbye, old girl…" Tesla looked back at the Arahato, a pang of sadness in her heart, then pressed the final, red button.

Einstein closed her eyes.

"Boom!" The Arahato exploded, a brilliant flash of light clearing the surrounding area of both Honkai beasts and water, creating a massive cavity.

But the destructive force was contained within the water, causing minimal damage to the ruins. Water on one side, air on the other.

The already weakened barrier rippled, its remaining lifespan shortened.

The displaced water surged back, roaring through the now-unobstructed breach, the danger momentarily amplified by the explosion.

Hundreds of Honkai beasts were instantly obliterated.

"Our work here is done, Cocolia. The rest is up to you," Tesla said, her voice weak, her consciousness fading. Einstein, cradling the escape pod, relayed the message.

"Understood." Cocolia nodded, assigning two more mechs to escort Einstein, the rest preparing for battle.

Some mechs engaged the remaining Honkai beasts that had survived the initial onslaught, while others waited in reserve.

As the water level rose, more and more Honkai beasts emerged from the depths, and more mechs joined the fray.

Finally, when the water level reached almost 80%, the barrier shattered, unleashing a torrent of water that shook the ruins to their foundations.

The previously damaged sections, and other weaker areas, crumbled, leaving only the reinforced core intact.

The skeletal remains of the underwater city now resembled a strange, beautiful palace.

But no one had time to admire the scenery. They were disoriented by the sudden tremors and the churning water. And the moment they recovered, they were attacked by the remaining Honkai beasts.

"Protect the scientists!" Cocolia ordered, assigning several mechs as escorts. "The rest of you, with me! Engage the enemy!"

It was a brutal battle. Without the barrier, the Honkai beasts could attack from all directions. The bulky mechs could only stand their ground, their movements hampered by the deep-sea environment.

Energy weapons were less effective underwater, and ballistic weapons were useless. They had to resort to close-quarters combat, a brutal, messy brawl.

Fortunately, Tesla and Einstein's plan had significantly reduced the number of Honkai beasts. And Anti-Entropy's Titan mechs, Tesla's masterpieces, were formidable opponents. Coupled with Cocolia's surprisingly competent battlefield command, they had a fighting chance.

At one point, even Cocolia had to join the fray. The mechs assigned to protect the scientists were also engaged multiple times.

Even Einstein, to protect the unconscious Tesla, had to fend off a Honkai beast with a powerful punch, before the escort mechs finished it off.

After what felt like an eternity, the Honkai beasts, seemingly realizing they were gaining nothing, began to disperse, some lingering in the distance, some heading towards the surface, others scattering in all directions.

The battered mech forces, their escort units reduced by half, could only watch them go, unable to pursue. Or perhaps, Cocolia was simply relieved to see them leave.

"All units, maintain vigilance!" she ordered, her voice hoarse.

After a while, when it was clear the Honkai beasts weren't returning, she breathed a sigh of relief and issued new orders. "Some of you, stay here and secure the area. The rest of you, with me. We need to check on the transport ships!"

Without the ships, they were trapped.

Tesla and Einstein couldn't argue with that.

The group split up again.

"I've contacted HQ for support. They'll send ships to retrieve us," Tesla said, her voice weak from exhaustion. "Don't worry, Mophead."

Einstein shook her head. "I'm worried about something else."

"What…?" Tesla's mind was sluggish with fatigue.

Before she could ask, they heard the heavy footsteps of approaching mechs in the murky water.

"Bad news, the transport ships are almost all destroyed," Cocolia sighed, her Titan carrying a large object. "Good news, I found another intact energy engine…" A predatory smile spread across her lips. "Which means we can resume our excavation!"

"What?!" Tesla stared at her, dumbfounded.

Has she lost her mind?

"For safety reasons, I won't require your assistance with this next phase, Doctors," Cocolia said, addressing the escort mechs. "Your priority is to protect the scientists."

"Ensure they are not harmed. Not a single scratch. Understood?"

"Cocolia!" Tesla's anger flared. "You crazy bitch! What are you planning?!"