Having made her decision, Flandre Scarlet could not wait to take to the air, soaring toward the rocky flats with Hong Meiling following closely behind, trailed by Remilia Scarlet and Sakuya Izayoi.
Down below, the Rhodes Island Operators moved at a considerably slower pace on foot. As they navigated the terrain, they maintained constant communication with reinforcement units at the rear to coordinate a pincer maneuver against the Originium Slugs.
While Pincerbugs could not be domesticated, Originium Slugs were a completely different story—they could actually be farmed. Despite their unappealing appearance, Originium Slugs were relatively docile creatures; had the Pincerbug swarm not launched an unprovoked assault on their doorstep, the slugs would never have been drawn into a violent territorial war.
Furthermore, Originium Slugs served numerous practical applications in bio-resource research, and many Operators aboard Rhodes Island had long harbored the idea of establishing a controlled breeding program. Capturing a live batch today would fulfill the wishes of quite a few personnel.
Meanwhile, high above the rocky flats, Flandre's group circled the sky. They spent the first few moments locking onto the targets below, taking time to allow the ground team from Rhodes Island to position themselves around the perimeter.
The moment the ground squad was in place, the group from the Scarlet Devil Mansion unloosed their powers from the sky.
A blinding deluge of Danmaku cascaded down from three directions like an overwhelming tidal wave. The rain of dense, luminous projectiles instantly threw the Pincerbug hive into utter chaos. Terrified, the swarm bolted toward the only open path devoid of incoming fire—unaware that a fully prepared Rhodes Island squad was waiting for them in formation.
Watching the sky rain down an apocalyptic storm of energy, the Operators on the front line felt their scalps go numb. It was the tactical equivalent of standing directly ahead of a low-flying gunship unloading its heavy autocannons into the ground right in front of your face. The fact that these Operators held their ground without turning and running proved they were seasoned elites.
Fortunately, the creeping carpet of Danmaku halted precisely fifty meters out from the Rhodes Island battle line. By the time the panicked Pincerbugs reached the choke point, the Operators stepped forward to engage them cleanly.
Of course, Flandre's team had no intention of leaving Rhodes Island to face the swarm alone. While Remilia, Flandre, and Hong Meiling maintained heavy suppressive fire from above, Sakuya Izayoi positioned herself directly alongside the ground troops.
As the wave of Pincerbugs charged, Sakuya's fingers flicked, holding several silver knives between each hand before she darted forward into the oncoming horde.
To the astonished Operators, Sakuya seemed to vanish into thin air. In the next breath, the lead Pincerbugs suddenly collapsed, sharp silver blades buried deep into their vital joints. Though not instantly fatal, the impact halted their forward momentum completely. The trailing bugs crashed into the lead row, breaking their organized charge and granting the Rhodes Island squad ample time to execute coordinated strikes.
By then, Flandre had ceased her Danmaku barrage, swooping down while swinging a massive, fiery sword over ten meters long. Beside her, Hong Meiling fought bare-handed, her fists unleashing radiant, multi-colored Qi blasts. Every Pincerbug struck by her Qi collapsed instantly, its vital signs extinguished on the spot.
Above them all, Remilia hovered gracefully with her spear in hand, overseeing the entire battlefield. Whenever an errant Pincerbug attempted to break through the perimeter, her spear would streak downward like a red comet, pinning the creature firmly to the earth.
The hive contained roughly a hundred Pincerbugs, yet the entire force was wiped out in less than five minutes. The Pincerbugs fighting down by the pool hadn't even realized their home base was being annihilated.
Moving with seamless coordination, Flandre's team swept along the supply trail, systematically picking off the logistical Pincerbugs that were dragging "food" back toward the nest.
Throughout the five-minute engagement, the Rhodes Island squad didn't suffer a single casualty. However, because their ground movement was far too slow in Flandre's eyes, the Operators stayed behind to assist Sakuya in harvesting the Pincerbug limbs.
After all, the only edible portion of these aggressive creatures lay within their legs. Removing them, however, required immense caution—the blood of a Pincerbug contained a potent neurotoxin. Though present in small doses, the toxin was highly persistent. Harvesting the legs demanded swift, razor-sharp precision to ensure the meat wasn't contaminated, followed by immediate cold storage.
While it looked simple on the surface, the procedure was exceedingly tedious. Nevertheless, the Rhodes Island Operators went about the task with genuine enthusiasm. It wasn't that they had never tasted Pincerbug meat before, but opportunities to harvest it were exceedingly rare. Pincerbugs were social, highly territorial pack hunters; spotting one meant an entire swarm was lurking nearby. In most field encounters, squads chose to bypass them entirely, and even if they were forced to eliminate a few, no one stayed behind to process the heavy carcasses.
Although today's harvest yielded a respectable stack of limbs, it wasn't a massive quantity when divided among the ship's population. Served as a primary course, it wouldn't feed a hundred people; even as a side dish stir-fried with other vegetables, it wouldn't be enough for everyone on Rhodes Island to get a bite. At best, a select few would get a taste.
The core reason was the sheer risk involved—taking on a hundred-strong Pincerbug swarm usually required a deployment of forty to fifty heavily armed Operators maintaining a strict two-on-one tactical advantage to guarantee safety. Committing so many personnel for a handful of delicacy meat while risking field injuries simply wasn't a logical trade-off for Rhodes Island.
It was precisely why the landship rarely sought out these swarms. It simply wasn't worth the operational overhead.
Sweeping back along the path they came, Flandre and her team caught the remaining Pincerbugs by the pool completely off guard. Even as mindless beasts, they had never anticipated an ambush from their own rear flank, and were quickly encircled and eliminated.
With the Pincerbugs wiped out, all that remained were the Originium Slugs—a far less aggressive, albeit slightly hazardous, species.
Dealing with the slugs was vastly easier. Though both were classified as wild pests, Originium Slugs primarily fed on vegetation and organic soil matter. Even when acting as scavengers, they consumed fully decayed matter, standing in stark contrast to the violently carnivorous Pincerbugs.
Once the Pincerbug threat vanished, the Originium Slug colony quickly settled back into a peaceful state.
Several Rhodes Island Operators specializing in biological research stepped forward with capture equipment, eagerly collecting live specimens for study and long-term breeding programs.
"I'll whip up some fantastic dishes for you when we get back. Charcoal-grilled Originium Slug legs are a top-tier delicacy!"
Ace, who had accompanied the security team to oversee perimeter safety in the canyon, walked over to Flandre with a broad smile as she touched down.
"Really?!" Flandre's eyes sparkled as she looked at the thin legs of the Originium Slugs. Compared to the thick, crab-like limbs of the Pincerbugs, the slug legs resembled small shrimp. She found it hard to imagine how much meat could possibly be packed inside such tiny shells.
"I give you my personal guarantee," Ace chuckled warmly, watching the Operators haul cages of live slugs back toward the landship. "We aren't brave enough to go picking fights with Pincerbug swarms like you girls, so whenever we camp out in the wilderness on long patrols, we usually roast a few Originium Slugs over the campfire."
He added, "Just like the Pincerbugs, the only edible portion is that little bit of leg meat, but the flavor is every bit as rich and savory. It's just that the yield is a bit smaller!"