Chapter 362: The Overclocking Battle
"Damn you!" Shani quickly stabilized his machine, retreating desperately while firing back nonstop with his two rail cannons.
Tolle merely nudged the control stick, and the Flight Armor Strike moved like it was dancing gracefully through the air, easily dodging every one of those attacks.
But Kira and Athrun were starting to struggle. Even in a two-on-two, the fight was becoming difficult.
When no one had activated their special states, they were a little stronger than the three aces. But after the enemy installed the PX system and intelligent auxiliary systems, the two sides were basically evenly matched.
Once the three aces activated PX system overclock mode, Kira and Athrun were completely pushed into the disadvantage. If it had still been the old two-versus-three situation, they would have already lost.
Watching the two of them take a beating, Tolle shook his head helplessly.
But who was to blame—they had both refused to let Tolle check their machines and install the PX system and intelligent auxiliary systems.
Luckily, for normal people, PX overclock time was limited, usually at most three or four minutes. The only question was whether the three enhanced humans, under the effects of suppressants, could hold out longer.
On the battlefield, Athrun, who was stuck on the defensive, skimmed along the sea surface while dodging the Raider and Calamity's attacks and couldn't help talking to Kira. "Kira, I understand what you said earlier. Some things really do need to be protected even at the cost of war."
"Athrun?"
"Kira, split them up!"
"Got it!" Kira then also called out to Tolle. "Tolle, we'll separate them and take them down one by one. You good on your side?"
"OK, no problem at all. Don't worry—I'll keep the Forbidden tied up."
After that brief exchange, they split up, each luring one machine away so the three aces couldn't fight together, reducing the pressure on everyone.
Watching the battle, Azrael saw the three aces activate PX overclock and immediately said to the commander, "Notify all MS units to enter overclock mode as well. Limit it to three minutes.
"If we still haven't taken Orb by then, have them return to the ships to adjust and prepare for the next attack."
The commander was completely baffled and asked in dissatisfaction, "Why do that?"
"There's no choice," Azrael replied. "The enemy's ace pilots are out, and our three biological CPUs have been forced into overclock.
"If they fail or run out of time, what use are those Strike Daggers and Duel Daggers anyway?
"We might as well have them go all out right now, fight to the death before the three biological CPUs finish, and grind down Orb's military strength.
"After a few rounds of that, Orb will completely lose the ability to resist. Then the Morgenröte and the mass drivers will be ours for the taking."
After thinking it over, the commander immediately ordered, "Notify all MS units: set a three-minute retreat countdown and activate overclock mode. All units, charge the enemy!"
With the order given, every Earth Alliance MS activated PX overclock, blue lights flickering over their machines.
Their movements became far more agile. Orb's pilots, caught off guard, were hit hard, and large numbers of M1 Astrays were blown apart.
Seeing this, Tolle urgently broadcast while dodging the Forbidden's attacks, "All MS units, activate PX overclock mode and start your own overclock timers! In the name of Colonel Tolle Koenig of the Independent Special Forces, I issue this order!
"I repeat, all MS activate PX overclock mode—!"
The Orb pilots immediately reacted, activating overclock as well. Their machines lit up with blue points of light.
In an instant, every MS on the battlefield was glowing blue, fighting at blinding speed.
At the same time, the three Bluish Forbidden units of the Earth Alliance rushed onto Orb's coastline, attacking nearby tanks and M1 Astrays.
But they were right in the defensive zone of Jane, Rena, Edward, and John Kelly. Tolle had Nami take control of the three Bluish Forbiddens, and with Edward and the others also in overclock mode, they easily chopped off their arms and legs.
The pilots were left unconscious, waiting for the Huayan to recover them.
On Dearka's side, he was piloting the Buster Gundam together with Asagi, Juri, and Mayura, using their combined weapons to help the Archangel and Huayan intercept Earth Alliance cruise missiles and fighter attacks.
Mu led several M1 Astrays to cover the four of them, attacking any Alliance MS that broke through.
Barry kept racing around the battlefield, piloting the reinforced M1A Astray and sprinting across the field, smashing enemies with his twin fighting gauntlets.
On Kira and Athrun's side, as the fight went on, both of them suddenly entered their SEED states.
The situation flipped instantly, and they began pressing the Raider and Calamity back instead.
"Athrun!"
"Kira, ahead!"
After a brief exchange, the two moved in perfect sync and launched a combined attack on the Raider.
Kira drove the Freedom Gundam forward with his beam saber raised, spreading all ten wing units and entering high-mobility mode. He rushed straight in front of the Raider, forcing Clotho to defend with his beam saber and leaving him no chance to throw the wrecking ball.
Then Kira fired the waist-mounted railgun, blasting him back.
Kira immediately turned away and charged toward the Calamity Gundam, not giving it any chance to attack Athrun.
Athrun kept pressing the Raider, slamming into it with a knee strike and then using his twin-bladed beam spear to slice off its wrecking ball.
As Clotho tried to counterattack with the mouth-mounted energy cannon, Athrun dropped low and followed up with a side-kicking combo, kicking the Raider away again, then chasing it with beam cannon and turret machine-gun fire from the flight pack.
Clotho could only dodge desperately, unable to find any opening to strike back.
Kira, meanwhile, dashed and pivoted at high speed, weaving through the Calamity's attacks as he charged forward with his beam saber.
No matter how wildly Orga fired everything he had, he simply couldn't keep up with Kira's speed and movement. He was forced to keep sliding backward while firing.
Even so, Kira's high-speed slash cut off the Calamity Gundam's right-hand plasma armor-piercing rocket launcher.
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