“Whoosh!”
“Whoosh!!”
Beams of light continuously shot from behind, grazing past both sides of the Archangel.
One of the particle beams even skimmed directly over the ship’s bridge.
The lingering afterglow caused the crew on the bridge to tense up slightly.
“They’re chasing us relentlessly!
Leon Vance.
It’s your time to shine now.”
Lying beside Murrue, the mechanical cat Bao Bao, connected to the Archangel’s main program, flicked its tail slightly and watched with great interest as the particle beams swept past the ship and vanished into the void.
“But, come to think of it, aren’t the gunners on the ZAFT warships a bit lacking?
The Archangel isn’t even retaliating, yet they still can’t land a hit?”
“Do you really want the Archangel to get hit?”
Waiting for the moment to launch, Leon Vance responded irritably in his mind to this somewhat mischievous mechanical cat Bao Bao.
“Of course!
Because that would make you spend your points!
Honestly, I don’t understand why you’ve been hoarding points for so long.
What’s the point?”
“When the time comes, you’ll know!”
As the man and the cat communicated through their mental link, Natarle Badgiruel, seated firmly in the combat command chair, narrowed her eyes, sensing that the moment had arrived.
“Anti-Beam Explosives!
Target, bearing 180, triple volley!!
Fire!!”
At Natarle Badgiruel’s command, three anti-beam explosives were launched in quick succession.
Seconds later, they detonated behind the Archangel, creating a large cloud of anti-beam smoke.
“Sky Raider Gundam!
Moebius Zero and Strike Gundam!
Launch in sequence!!”
“Understood!!
Sky Raider Gundam, Leon Vance, launching!”
The moment Natarle Badgiruel created an opportunity for the Mobile Suits to launch, the Sky Raider Gundam piloted by Leon Vance, propelled by the powerful force of the catapult, shot out from the Archangel’s runway into space.
Then, the Sky Raider Gundam executed a tight, agile half-turn in front of the Archangel before accelerating past the left side of the bridge and charging straight toward the pursuing ZAFT fleet.
Watching the Sky Raider Gundam disappear beyond the viewport, Murrue took a slow, deep breath.
“Lieutenant Mu, be ready to support the Sky Raider Gundam at any moment!”
“Understood!”
The Moebius Zero, launched afterward under the control of Mu La Flaga, successfully hooked onto the subsequently launched backpack equipment. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
It then took a wide detour, quietly approaching the ZAFT fleet from the edge of the battlefield, awaiting Leon Vance’s signal.
“This thing is really heavy!
Kira, I leave the Archangel to you!”
After the Moebius Zero piloted by Mu La Flaga disappeared from Kira’s sight, towing the backpack equipment, Kira slowly let out a breath.
“Just a mission to cover the Archangel!
Nothing will go wrong!”
Kira understood that the reason he could stand on the Archangel’s deck piloting the Strike Gundam, carrying out this covering mission, was entirely thanks to the care of Leon Vance and Mu.
With such an imbalance in combat strength, neither of them suggested that Kira pilot the Strike Gundam to join them on the battlefield.
Instead, they proposed that Kira simply stand on the deck of the Archangel as a decoy.
How could Kira not understand the intention behind this?
But still…
Was this really okay?
Was it really okay for Leon Vance to face the pursuit of the ZAFT fleet alone?
When the Archangel launched the Anti-Beam Explosive, temporarily disabling the main cannons of the ZAFT warships, including the Vesalius, Rau Le Creuset, who had already led the MS unit into battle, faintly sensed something amiss.
“Captain Le Creuset.
The Aegis Gundam is faster.
I’ll go ahead to assess the situation.”
Athrun Zala, seeing the anti-beam barrage blocking their warships’ main cannons, immediately made the request.
“Alright!
Athrun, be careful!
If anything seems off, retreat immediately!
We’ll be there soon.”
Le Creuset did not refuse the request.
No matter what, he had to figure out the source of his unease.
It was just a matter of who would personally carry out the task.
The Aegis Gundam transformed into MA Mode, accelerating away from the formation.
In an instant, it left the main force far behind.
As Athrun had said, the speed of the Aegis Gundam after transformation far surpassed that of the GINN and the GINN.
“So fast!”
The other ZAFT pilots piloting GINNs exclaimed in amazement.
With such speed, they were certain they could intercept the Archangel.
However, fantasies were plump, but reality was starkly lean!
The Aegis Gundam had barely advanced any distance when it encountered a “roadblock.” Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
A genuine roadblock!
The light of the Leaf-Wheel Blades slicing through the void wove a deadly net, forcing the Aegis Gundam to dodge left and right repeatedly, with danger lurking at every turn.
Suddenly, Athrun, who had felt he had evaded the Leaf-Wheel Blades’ attack, was struck by an unexpected impact, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.
“Was I hit?!”
If not for Athrun’s quick reflexes, forcing the Aegis Gundam’s thrusters into an instant overload to burst forth with even greater speed and escape the peril, he might have met the same fate as Miguel.
“He got away?
As expected of Athrun Zala.”
Failing to land a decisive blow, Leon Vance had no intention of pursuing the Aegis Gundam further.
Instead, he recalled the two Leaf-Wheel Blades, which hovered and circled around the Sky Raider Gundam.
The reason was simple.
The MS unit led by Le Creuset had just arrived.
“Captain Le Creuset, my apologies!
I was intercepted.”
Seeing Le Creuset and his teammates arrive one after another, Athrun piloted the Aegis Gundam to circle back from the other side.
“No, this isn’t your fault.
The enemy’s attack was too unpredictable.
Let’s coordinate our assault!”
Le Creuset had no intention of blaming Athrun.
Because the pressure emanating from the Sky Raider Gundam was overwhelming.
Watching the two luminous rings slowly circling the Sky Raider Gundam, Le Creuset couldn’t help but feel a sense of gravity.
At his command, the two GINNs following the GINN immediately split up, moving at top speed to flank the Sky Raider Gundam from the left and right wings, attempting to encircle it and leave it vulnerable from both front and rear, forcing it into a frantic struggle.
This is the basic formation for a Mobile Suit squad launching an attack, and also the standard tactic of using numbers to overwhelm a smaller force.
However, Leon Vance felt not the slightest bit of concern.
“Trying to test the Sky Raider Gundam?
Then, as you wish!
Rau Le Creuset.”
“Leaf-Wheel Blades, go!”
The moment Leon Vance focused his mind, the luminous rings hovering around the Sky Raider Gundam suddenly transformed into two streaks of light, shooting toward the two GINNs at incredible speed.
“An opportunity!”
A gleam flashed in Rau Le Creuset’s eyes.
Without hesitation, he controlled his GINN to launch an attack on the Sky Raider Gundam itself.
If his guess was correct, as long as he pinned down the Sky Raider Gundam, those two bizarre luminous rings would inevitably lose control.