Objective B had fallen.
I Will Carry You didn't even see what happened.
Her vision went dark, the screen instantly filled with searing orange-red flames, followed by the heavy rumbling of tank treads crushing ground, and then... the cold death notification.
[You have been killed by Hellhound Tank]
"Ahh—!!"
She wailed from inside her gaming pod. "How is this even fair?! They just drove a tank straight in?!"
The chat at that moment was absolutely ecstatic, mixed with various exclamations and schadenfreude:
"Hahaha Liora got wiped again!"
"It's Scorchwind! The enemy team is Scorchwind's squad!"
"That tank is so sick! Maximum intimidation factor!"
"Brute force beats skill, individual prowess is nothing against the steel tide!"
"Liora: What did I ever do to deserve this?"
I Will Carry You was on the verge of tears, forced to watch the respawn timer tick down bit by bit, her heart filled with helplessness against that steel monstrosity.
Meanwhile, in the smoke-filled outskirts of objective B where flames hadn't fully extinguished, User114514 lay prone inside a half-collapsed concrete pipe, brow furrowed.
Through gaps in the pipe, he had a clear view of that pitch-black Hellhound tank moving like an unstoppable tyrant across the freshly captured B point plaza, its massive flamethrower nozzle occasionally spitting residual flames to intimidate anyone daring to approach.
Beneath the tank's treads lay shattered fortifications and charred corpses.
Imperial infantry, under the tank's cover, were beginning to clear out B point's remaining resistance and prepare for the final assault on objective C.
"This is bad..." User114514muttered to himself.
That tank's existence had completely shattered the battlefield's balance.
If it pushed successfully to objective C and linked up with Imperial infantry, the rebels' last defensive line in the valley would be torn apart like tissue paper.
His gaze locked onto that slowly moving steel beast.
Suddenly, he keenly noticed a detail, in its eagerness to reposition and support objective C, the Hellhound seemed to have overextended!
Between it and the Imperial infantry mopping up behind, a brief gap had opened!
The tank had separated from its infantry support!
This was the only chance! An extremely brief, fleeting window!
A flash of resolve crossed User114514's eyes.
Without hesitation, he tossed aside the laser rifle that had accompanied him so long, at a time like this, light weapons were meaningless.
He quickly opened his tactical tablet, rapidly scrolling past support options requiring massive point investments, precisely locating the item with a flaming explosive icon that cost 300 points: Promethium Anti-Tank Charge.
[Spend 300 points, obtain Promethium Anti-Tank Charge x1]
[Description: High-energy chemical explosive that adheres to armor surfaces, dealing devastating damage to heavy vehicles. Short throwing range, requires close installation.]
"Guys, looks like I gotta go all in." He spoke as if to nonexistent teammates, or perhaps to himself.
No bold declarations, no moment's hesitation.
User114514 took a deep breath of air thick with gunpowder and burning, then burst from the pipe!
Clutching that heavy bundle of promethium charges, body crouched low, he charged toward the Hellhound tank in an almost manic, completely irregular zigzag pattern in a suicidal rush!
Shhh-shhh-shhh—!
The tank's coaxial heavy bolter immediately spotted him. The searing chain of fire lashed around him like death's whip, kicking up sprays of dirt and rubble!
But he didn't stop, didn't even slow down! His eyes saw only that tank growing closer and closer!
The adrenaline surge made him ignore pain and fear, his mind containing only one thought—get close! Get the charges on it!
"Holy crap! Someone's rushing the tank!"
"It's User114514! That elite player!"
"Is this guy insane? How's that different from suicide?"
Players on both rebel and Imperial sides who noticed this scene couldn't help but hold their breath.
Scorchwind inside the tank also spotted through his observation scope this figure charging with reckless abandon.
"Death wish!"
He snorted coldly, immediately adjusting the turret to try vaporizing this threat completely with the main flamethrower.
But User114514's zigzag running pattern was extremely effective.
Combined with how close he already was, the massive tank turret's rotation speed momentarily couldn't track his agile movements!
Now!
Less than ten meters from the tank's treads, User114514 used every ounce of strength to hurl the heavy bundle of promethium charges toward the junction between the tank's hull and turret, the relatively vulnerable spot!
The charge pack traced a brief arc through the air, landing with a clang and adhering precisely to the thick armor! A red indicator light began flashing frantically!
Almost the same instant the charges left his hands, the Hellhound's deadly flamethrower nozzle finally swung toward him.
FWOOOOSH—!!!
The viscous torrent of flames erupted, instantly engulfing User114514's figure completely.
Extreme agony lasted only a split second before the screen faded to gray.
[You have been killed by Hellhound Tank]
However, in the instant before his "death," he heard a sound far more deafening than the flamethrower's roar, seeming to tear at his very soul—
BOOM!!!!!!
The promethium charges adhered to the tank detonated with a thunderous blast!
A massive fireball mixed with flames and shattered metal erupted violently from inside the Hellhound!
That indestructible steel beast, as if crushed by an invisible giant hand, had its turret blown off.
The hull split apart in four directions with tooth-grinding metallic screeching, transforming into burning wreckage scattered across the ground!
[User114514 has destroyed Hellhound Tank!]
[User114514 has killed Scorchwind!]
[User114514 has killed...]
A string of kill notifications flooded the screen!
The entire battlefield seemed to fall silent for that single moment.
Everyone saw that unstoppable war machine reduced to scrap metal in towering flames.
They also saw that ID, the one who in the most resolute, most heroic way possible, had taken down the Imperial weapon in mutual destruction.
User114514 lay in the cold respawn interface, looking at those glorious results, letting out a long, silent breath.
Worth it.
He felt… completely burned out.