"Clang."
The metal shield collided with the metal frame, the sound and vibrations from the impact transmitted directly through physical contact into the cockpit of Yzak's Duel Gundam.
And it wasn't just the sound of impact—Yzak could even hear the screeching noise produced by the shield and the enemy Gundam being crushed under his increased thrust.
At that moment, Yzak thought all he needed to do was follow the tactics previously devised by Captain Creuset: draw his Beam Saber and thrust it in to end the battle.
So why was everyone behind him shouting for him to retreat?
"Boom, boom, boom, boom!"
Soon, Yzak didn't need to puzzle over why those behind him were urging him to flee.
Thanks to the PS Armor of the Gundam he was piloting, the Beam Rifle shots attacking from behind, though damaging, weren't enough to destroy the Duel Gundam outright.
But while Yzak was fine, the same couldn't be said for the other CGUEs that had charged to Wang Hu's front alongside him, currently using their shields to press against the Zeta Gundam.
A series of explosions rang out, each one signifying the destruction of a CGUE.
"How is this possible? Where is the attack coming from?"
Without the support of the other CGUEs, Yzak alone certainly couldn't suppress Wang Hu. Compounded by the damage to the Duel Gundam's back...
It should be noted here that, perhaps because Wang Hu had previously piloted the Moebius more often, his habit was to target the enemy's rear thrusters.
Thus, the part of Yzak's Duel Gundam hit from behind was the blue-flamed thrusters.
"Clang!" Wang Hu, controlling the Zeta Gundam, raised its hand, using the enemy's own shield to swat the Duel away.
"Failed?" Having lost the power from its thrusters and facing Wang Hu's humiliating gesture—almost like a hand slapping his face—Yzak lay on his back, muttering in disbelief, reminiscent of Nicol after his defeat.
"Izak!" Dearka, disregarding Creuset's orders, had rushed out earlier when his friend ignored his advice and charged ahead recklessly.
Thus, he managed to rescue Yzak just in time, under the enemy's gunpoint, as Wang Hu prepared to finish off the Duel Gundam with another shot.
"Why?" In his daze, Yzak continued to question the reason for his failure.
"Idiot, is now the time to worry about that?" Dearka, carrying Yzak, frantically dodged Wang Hu's attacks and snapped irritably at his disheartened friend.
"Why?" So thoroughly defeated, Yzak stubbornly wanted to understand why he had lost.
"Sigh." Dearka sighed at the question. Looking at the Duel Gundam slung over his shoulder, he felt Yzak was on the verge of shutting down, but there was no time for a detailed explanation now.
Fortunately, at that moment, their Captain Creuset had no intention of standing by while they faced death. Piloting the Gouf Ignited and leading the main MS force, Creuset intercepted Wang Hu, who was taking potshots at Dearka and Yzak.
Once Dearka confirmed they were temporarily out of danger, he kept an eye on the battle between the Captain and Wang Hu while explaining to the white-haired Yzak.
"The enemy used his own thrown Beam Saber to cause splash damage against you."
"At first, we all thought it was Wang Hu's mistake. Who would have thought the spinning Beam Saber blade could become a reflective surface?"
"Huh?" Yzak expressed confusion, indicating he didn't understand.
"Just watch for yourself!" Dearka probably felt he couldn't explain it clearly in just a few words, so he simply transmitted the recorded footage to his friend.
"This?" Yzak was completely bewildered after watching the footage his friend sent.
"Aren't our Beam Sabers just oversized blowtorches? Why can his Beam Saber be used like this?"
Unable to comprehend and unwilling to believe, Yzak examined the footage frame by frame.
The enemy Wang Hu first threw his Beam Saber, then fired several shots at the spinning Beam Saber blade with his gun.
Immediately after, Wang Hu's beam attacks struck the Beam Saber blade, and those beams actually reflected and scattered like shotgun pellets, killing them all?
This completely defied everything he knew, making it impossible for Yzak to accept.
"Yet that's exactly what happened."
Not having time to chat with his friend, Dearka placed Yzak in a relatively safe location.
"I'm going to support Captain Creuset."
After saying this, Dearka slammed the accelerator pedal. During the time he was explaining to the white-haired pilot, the battle ahead had become terrifying.
Except for Captain Creuset who could still hold his own against Wang Hu, other members facing Wang Hu...
Were no harder to kill than chickens!
The Zeta Gundam's legs were quite distinctive. Whether compared to the stolen Aegis Gundam or Kira's Strike Gundam, their mobile suits all maintained balanced, streamlined designs. In contrast, the Zeta Gundam's two legs appeared slightly bulky.
The reason for this was that the Zeta Gundam's legs contained both energy systems and thrusters!
After all, when transforming into MA Mode, the Zeta Gundam's main thrust during linear flight came from these two legs.
So did these two legs serve any purpose in MS Mode?
The answer was absolutely yes!
Currently, Creuset was having a headache. He felt like his battle with Wang Hu had completely reversed their positions, but the outcome remained unchanged.
Now he was like Wang Hu who used to employ remote-controlled weapons, while Wang Hu had become like himself when he piloted the CGUE.
But back then, Wang Hu in the Qilin had fought so fiercely against him!
Why was it that now, facing Wang Hu in a Gundam, he couldn't do anything against him?
Three Dragoons coordinated with the Gene, attacking from a position Wang Hu normally wouldn't notice.
To say Creuset had abandoned all dignity to kill Wang Hu would be an understatement - he had his controlled Dragoons hide between the Gene's legs.
This position was quite cunning - since the Dragoons were small, the crotch area provided perfect concealment.
People don't normally pay attention to others' lower body areas in daily life, let alone on a battlefield where a moment's distraction could be fatal.
Just as Wang Hu was dealing with the Gene, the Dragoons secretly opened fire from between its legs.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh." Dozens of beams suddenly shot out unexpectedly.
For an ordinary person, facing such an attack would mean certain death or severe injury, as Creuset had chosen a truly vicious attack position.
But who was Wang Hu?
With a hissing burst of flame from its long legs, the Zeta Gundam executed movements as fluid as a boxing champion's butterfly steps, allowing Wang Hu to evade with the ease of walking on flat ground.
Not even a scratch!
But that wasn't all. Creuset's attacks relied on suddenness—a tactic effective against Wang Hu and his subordinates alike.
Imagine this: you're locked in combat when dozens of bullets suddenly shoot out from between your legs. Wouldn't you freeze in stunned disbelief?
Even if you knew bullets might emerge there, wouldn't you worry that a stray shot might "trim your hedges" if you moved?
So when Creuset launched his attack, the Gene pilots above instinctively felt a chilling breeze between their legs.
As if paralyzed by a spell, the Genes froze instantly, not daring to make a single reckless move.
Seizing this golden opportunity after dodging Creuset's assault with butterfly steps, Wang Hu wouldn't let it slip away.
With a few quick strides, the Zeta Gundam closed in on the Genes, blue flames hissing from its legs.
Immense thrust generated tremendous kinetic energy!
Crack! Like kicking down toddlers and heartless brats, each stomp landed with brutal efficiency.
The chest armor of the Genes crumpled under the Zeta Gundam's battering-ram kicks.
Judging by the deep dents, the pilots inside stood no chance of survival.
"Wang Hu!" Creuset roared, maneuvering three Dragoons from beneath the wrecked Genes. With the Zeta Gundam nearly face-to-face with the Genes, he aimed for point-blank shots—certain Wang Hu couldn't evade at such close range.
Moreover, Creuset clearly saw Wang Hu holding a Beam Rifle!
If you had a Beam Saber, you might've impaled my Dragoons. But a Beam Rifle? Impossible!
Creuset's mental calculations were so loud Wang Hu could almost hear the abacus beads clacking. Yet reality, once again, was poised to disappoint him.
With a practiced flick, Wang Hu made the long-barreled Beam Rifle shudder—the simulated rattling echoing through the cockpit. Then, executing bayonet techniques, he stabbed once, twice, thrice—
With dazzling precision, he speared every Dragoon hurtling toward his face.
"I—" Creuset barely swallowed his curse at the sight of the beam-shaped bayonet emerging from Wang Hu's rifle barrel.
Had he failed to restrain himself, everyone on the battlefield would've witnessed the elegant, top-tier idol erupting in a public tantrum.
"A Beam Rifle that doubles as a Beam Saber? Impressive and terrifying!" Dearka, who had flown past Yzak to join the fray, twitched his eyes at the spectacle. This reeks of East Asian Army flair, he mused.
I know bayonet charges are your tradition, but in this era, must you still cling to them? Does the East Asian Army only acknowledge units willing to engage in close-quarters bayonet combat?
Can't you evolve? We just sit in chairs tapping buttons now!
But neither Dearka's thoughts nor Creuset's mattered.
The tan-skinned, blond Coordinator—a military bureaucrat's son—scanned the ravaged battlefield. As the battle wore on, he grimly realized the truth.
Before anyone realized it, the forces their captain had painstakingly rebuilt were now thinning out, a stark contrast to their bustling numbers at the war's outset.
How much longer could these remaining soldiers on the battlefield hold out under such relentless fighting?
Or perhaps the question was whether the opposing Qilin would get to slaughter to its heart's content?
"Dearka, come here." Creuset's voice, carrying an unusual tone, transmitted through the comms.
"Captain Creuset?" Dearka's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.
Throughout this prolonged conflict, their captain and Wang Hu had fought battle after battle, losing repeatedly. While their courage was commendable, it was always others who paid the ultimate price!
Was he next in line?
"Cease fire! All units stand down!"
Just as Creuset was preparing to join forces with Dearka piloting the Gundam for a final desperate struggle against Wang Hu, dozens of Genes and CGUEs swarming around the Archangel arrived on the battlefield.
In a momentary lapse of attention, Wang Hu almost mistook the Archangel for the Minerva from the Second World War.
"Could it be that Flay didn't take Lacus hostage?" Wang Hu wondered, puzzled that the girl whose true nature had been revealed would remain inactive this time.
"Excellent." Creuset was overjoyed. The voice he'd just heard was unmistakably that of his adjutant, Will. Did this mean the Archangel had been captured by his subordinates?
If so...
A new light shone in Creuset's eyes beneath his mask. Feeling he now held a trump card, how could he not completely crush Wang Hu this time?
"What? You think this is enough to finish me?" As if reading his mind, Wang Hu challenged Creuset.
"The Archangel is in my hands now, Wang Hu. You should surrender - you've lost this round."
His expression visibly brightening, Creuset first announced this over the public channel, then immediately switched to their private comms to add:
"You wouldn't want to see the Archangel destroyed, would you?"
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