Unlike the shuttle-shaped Dragoons of Creuset's Red Mantis and Nicol's Destiny Gundam, the Dragoons launched from Wang Hu's Nu Gundam's left shoulder were exceptionally rare U-shaped ones, and their size appeared somewhat larger.
This design and volume would undoubtedly increase their radar cross-section, or make them more easily detectable by optical sensors, thus losing the stealth characteristic conventionally associated with Dragoons.
At first glance of such Dragoons, Creuset's heart skipped a beat.
He wouldn't naively assume like some that the East Asian Army's technology was inadequate, leading to the creation of these unconventional Dragoons.
As the saying goes, unusual occurrences often harbor sinister designs.
Sure enough, in a bid to save himself and eliminate Wang Hu, the Dragoons Creuset urgently recalled fired beams, but all these beams vanished without a trace.
Right before the Red Mantis's beams, centered around Wang Hu's U-shaped Dragoons, stood an impenetrable shield composed of light screens.
"++++"
Creuset cursed vehemently, his gaze fixed on those U-shaped Dragoons that were used not for attack but for defense.
While cursing, he accelerated his actions, disregarding the power limitations of the two Beam Shield Generators on the Red Mantis's chest.
He increased energy input once more, for Creuset hadn't forgotten that Wang Hu was already upon him.
Ever since Wang Hu appeared piloting this new advanced mobile suit and demonstrated some unfathomable mysteries, Creuset had realized that he was in for trouble again; the only question was how long he could hold out this time.
Meanwhile, standing right in front of the Red Mantis, after deploying his U-shaped Dragoons to form a Beam Shield protecting his rear, Wang Hu no longer paid any attention to Creuset's Dragoons behind him.
The GRASS System was painstakingly developed by the East Asian Army's Technical Institute as a means to touch miracles, a cornerstone for East Asia's ascent to higher dimensions.
Moreover, after capturing Orb, they had acquired numerous physical artifacts and technologies—some still on paper—from Dawn Company.
For instance, the U-shaped Dragoons not only benefited from the GRASS System but also incorporated technology from the 'Shiranui' pack of Orb's national guardian machine from the Second War—the Akatsuki Gundam.
If even this couldn't fully block the attacks of the Red Mantis's Dragoons created by the Library Organization, wouldn't that be a joke?
"I can break through this Beam Shield before me."
In the Nu Gundam's cockpit, Wang Hu's eyes were fixed on the Beam Shield in front of him, which Creuset had repeatedly thickened and reinforced.
He muttered this to himself, even though this Beam Shield had previously demonstrated impenetrable defense capabilities equivalent to the Eurasian Federation's Artemis Fortress under the Dendrobium's assault.
Raising his fist, Wang Hu chose not to use the Nu Gundam's high-powered Beam Rifle.
Although the beam rifle mounted on it possessed firepower comparable to a battleship's main cannon, the impact of shattering Creuset's beam shield through gunfire could never match the sheer visceral shock of using one's own fist to smash through a defense that had been proven nigh-impenetrable to the world.
Humanity admires strength, and fists were the earliest weapons humans used to demonstrate their power. The word "fist" connects to "authority" - our ancestors had already laid bare this truth in ancient times.
First punch!
The beam defense shield before Red Mantis visibly trembled.
Second punch!
The beam shield generators on Red Mantis showed clear signs of damage.
Third punch!
Red Mantis's beam defense shield shattered like broken glass, exploding into countless fragments that then dissolved into starlight, ethereal and dreamlike, resembling ripples on water.
"BOOM."
Simple, brutal, and utterly unadorned - just as in ancient times when humans had yet to master weapons, using only their fists to prove their worth.
Wang Hu, leveraging the marvels of the GRASS System and the metallic fists of Nu Gundam, had physically punched through Red Mantis's beam shield. His follow-up strike embedded itself deep into Red Mantis's chest.
Fortunately, the Library's technicians weren't obsessed with placing the cockpit dead center in the mobile suit. Thankfully, the Library's technology remained exquisite, maintaining their reputation for innovating with any weapon they handled from their original timeline.
"Wang Hu!Creuset glared at the screen showing Nu Gundam pressed so close against him they seemed almost fused together. Even unwilling to accept reality at this critical juncture, the man who kept fighting after repeated defeats - now reduced to just a brain still seeking revenge against Wang Hu - had been acquired by the Library. Pitifully destined to spawn countless Imitators in the days to come, how could Creuset possibly cherish this body now, especially when he didn't even know if it was his original?
As if playing a game with infinite respawns, he controlled the mechanical claws extending from beneath Red Mantis's shoulders, each armed with a beam saber. Creuset wore that uniquely charming mad grin of his as he thrust them toward Nu Gundam still lodged in his Red Mantis.
Under normal circumstances, these beam sabers would pierce through Nu Gundam only to impale Red Mantis itself. But to Creuset, this was irrelevant - so long as he could kill Wang Hu, everything was worth it.
"Dragoons."
With his hand still buried in Red Mantis's body, Wang Hu glanced at Creuset's approaching blades. Unhurried, his thoughts converted through the GRASS System and transmitted via Mirage Particle quantum communication achieved far greater speed than conventional transmission, reaching near-instantaneous response.
The U-shaped Dragoons scattered instantly upon Wang Hu's command, their beam shield formation dissolving. Some swung their barrels toward Red Mantis's still-attacking Dragoons to provide cover, while others moved like lightning to intercept the arms Creuset was using to stab at Nu Gundam, dancing around those limbs in fluid arcs.
Creuset's arm gripping the Beam Saber fractured in multiple places, and those limbs immediately drifted away along their trajectory in the weightlessness of space.
"Wang Hu! Wang Hu!"
Furious beyond measure, nearly losing the ability to form coherent words, he watched his attack fail. Creuset roared the name of his old rival, his voice dripping with resentment and unwillingness. Even if he were to become a male ghost haunting the cosmos, this hatred would never dissipate.
Seeing one plan fail, he instantly conceived another. This time, he had no intention of attacking Wang Hu by any conventional means. Inside the cockpit, Creuset's gaze fell upon a special red control box on the panel. Outside, two massive Beam Claws—primary weapons of the Red Mantis—lifted into position.
Don't misunderstand—Creuset had no intention of using these Beam Claws to strike Wang Hu. Instead, they moved with the tenderness of lovers in the throes of passion, giving the pure impression that the Red Mantis simply wanted to embrace the Nu Gundam.
"Descend into hell with me!"
His plan was to completely lock down the Nu Gundam's escape routes. No longer valuing his own life, Creuset didn't mind serving as a giant human bomb. He refused to believe that Wang Hu could survive the self-destruction of the Red Mantis—not with its mass and the Energy Core installed within. Basic laws of physics still had to be obeyed!
"What is Captain Creuset doing?" Dearka muttered, his mouth dry as he piloted his Qilin rushing toward the Red Mantis, watching the arms gradually obscure the Nu Gundam's form.
"Captain Creuset!" Yzak, who had once entertained similar thoughts to Creuset's current desperation, immediately understood his commander's choice and cried out in dismay. Hearing this, Dearka glanced at his friend and quickly grasped their captain's decision as well.
"This isn't necessary, really not necessary," Dearka murmured distractedly, slumping in his cockpit with disordered thoughts. In his view, most of the Red Mantis's armaments remained intact. So what if its chest had been pierced? Where there's life, there's hope—they could always regroup and fight Wang Hu again. They could even recall the missing Athrun, bring back Nicol and Heine!
But Creuset was destined to disregard Dearka's perspective. Having completely lost confidence after being outmaneuvered by the Nu Gundam, Creuset resolutely chose self-destruction as his path—determined to drag Wang Hu down to hell with him.
Even if this method failed, the Creuset inside the Red Mantis firmly believed his attempt held value. It could provide insights for another Creuset who might appear in the future. Strike one down, and thousands more will rise! This was the most direct thought in Creuset's mind.
"BOOM."
Soon, under the watchful eyes of Yzak and Dearka—and all other attentive observers in the vicinity—Creuset, having lost all will to fight and single-mindedly focused on taking Wang Hu with him, pressed the Red Mantis's self-destruct button.
Instantly, an explosion comparable to the Light of Peace in brilliance illuminated the cosmos, generated by the Red Mantis's mass and stored energy. Had this detonation occurred within the Earth Sphere, it would have produced the iconic mushroom cloud symbolizing destructive power. Though no such cloud formed in space, this did nothing to diminish the explosion's devastating force.
"He must be dead now, right?"
One moment he appeared to be concerned about Creuset, the next he witnessed the massive explosion.
Quickly wiping the worry from his face, Dearka craned his neck eagerly, hoping their former leader—Captain Creuset—would successfully take the demon Wang Hu away this time.
"He definitely can."
Clenching his fists, Yzak affirmed confidently. Though strapped into his seat by the safety harness, he strained his neck and stood on tiptoe, eagerly staring at the aftermath of the explosion.
As for Creuset's survival, just like his friend Dearka, it seemed true that birds of a feather flock together—Yzak wasn't particularly concerned about it either.
"GRASS System test completed. The self-enhancement fully meets, even exceeds, the Science Academy's projections."
At the epicenter of the blast, Wang Hu, his senses heightened by the GRASS System, exchanged a few glances with Creuset, who had turned into a ghost of space. Then, seated in the cockpit, Wang Hu activated the recorder to document the data from the GRASS System's first combat deployment.
Whether it was his boldness born of skill or his full trust in the Science Academy's efforts, Wang Hu's faith was thoroughly rewarded. Strengthened by the GRASS System amid such an explosion, the Nu Gundam remained completely unscathed!
Except—
Feeling an itch on his head, Wang Hu's heart suddenly jolted. He hurriedly removed his helmet.
A few strands of hair drifted inside the cockpit, followed by a wave of dizziness.
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