The Funnels swam like agile fish in the vast ocean of space, but these were no small, cute flounders. They were dangerous, deadly great white sharks, spewing pink beam fangs, tearing apart all prey they targeted.
"There really are so many of them, as expected of a fortress..."
"Beep beep beep..."
Yang Hui, who had been handling the situation with ease, suddenly heard the alarm from his MS. His relaxed expression turned serious as the energy was nearly depleted.
"Flit! Hurry up!"
Almost an hour had passed since the battle began. The three Gundams of the Celestial Being squadron alone defended the central front. On the surface, only the Flag Gundam's battle seemed intense, while the Dawn Gundam and Luna Gundam appeared to be sitting back leisurely, just shooting down any of Graham's stragglers.
In reality, the Dawn Gundam and Luna Gundam were consuming much more energy than the Flag Gundam. The Dawn Gundam, holding the center, was particularly strained, as it not only had to eliminate as many of the scattered enemy units as possible but also had to cover the Flag Gundam's rear, ensuring it wouldn't be stabbed in the back while charging forward.
After fighting until now, the Dawn Gundam's energy finally turned red. If the high-intensity, high-efficiency battle continued at this rate, the Dawn Gundam would run out of energy in at most ten minutes, becoming a space drift.
"Done!"
As Flit responded, a massive explosion occurred at the rear of the Fortress Dainsleif. Not only did the glow from the engines dim, but the tremendous impact also caused the entire fortress to tilt.
"Alright! Let's prepare to... What!?"
Just as the three were about to retreat, they saw that the Fortress Dainsleif, which should have been fully exposed to the Photon Ring Array's beam, was actually readjusting its direction. The Giant's Shield system rebooted, aiming directly at the Photon Ring Array's firing direction. This was impossible for the Fortress Dainsleif, which had already lost its propulsion.
The three MS moved to the side of the Fortress Dainsleif and saw a shocking scene.
"They're using MS to push the fortress!" Flit and Yurin were horrified, especially Flit, whose perception of VEGAN as demons hadn't completely changed. Seeing VEGAN MS disregarding their own limits, sacrificing themselves to save the Fortress Dainsleif, deeply impacted his stubbornness.
Although Yang Hui had anticipated this scene, seeing it firsthand still shocked him.
In his memory, only the famous scene of "Just a rock, I'll push it back with the Gundam" could compare to this. Even the two Unicorn Gundams blocking the searchlight paled in comparison.
"Flit, what should we do?" Although impressed, Yang Hui frowned deeply. The Dawn Gundam and Luna Gundam didn't have enough energy left to eliminate all the MS pushing the Fortress Dainsleif in the limited time, and the Gundam AGE-1's armaments weren't efficient enough for the task.
"Dammit!" Flit also felt helpless, unable to find a good solution to this situation.
The situation was about to reach a stalemate. Would they really have to gamble? Bet on whether the Giant's Shield would be pierced by the photon torrent first, or the photon torrent would be depleted before piercing the Giant's Shield.
At that moment, the Luna Gundam suddenly flew toward the front of the Fortress Dainsleif, with the Funnels docking one by one onto the long-range beam rifle, aiming directly at the Giant's Shield's generator.
With Yang Hui and Yurin's默契, they instantly understood her plan. The Dawn Gundam's Funnels fully deployed, transforming into the most loyal knights guarding the princess.
VEGAN also noticed the Luna Gundam's actions. Recalling the scene from the Second Moon battle where the Luna Gundam single-handedly fired the Photon Destroyer Cannon, they swarmed toward the Dawn Gundam and Luna Gundam.
"Flit! Only one chance!"
As soon as he spoke, the Dawn Gundam threw the two Solid Swords at its waist to the Gundam AGE-1. The beam submachine gun, along with the Funnels, fired indiscriminately in all directions, holding a fireworks feast.
"I understand!"
The Gundam AGE-1, now wielding the Solid Swords, became a nimble ranger, weaving through the swarming enemy units, destroying any the Dawn Gundam missed.
Indeed, there was only one chance. The Luna Gundam's energy only supported one shot of the Photon Destroyer Cannon. After firing, the Luna Gundam would be out of energy, losing all ability to fight.
Yang Hui and Flit not only had to protect Yurin, preventing the enemy from interfering with her, but also had to ensure her safe retreat after destroying the Giant's Shield's generator.
"90%... 95%... 98%... 99%... 100%! Photon Destroyer Cannon, fire!"
A bright pink pillar of light pierced through the universe. One of the Giant's Shield's supporting "arms" was scorched, melted, and finally completely shattered under the radiance.
"Now! Retreat!"
After the cannon fire ended and the objective was achieved, the Gundam AGE-1 immediately abandoned the nearby enemies and went to the immobilized Luna Gundam. Together with the Dawn Gundam, they swiftly carried her away.
"Don't let them escape!"
The pursuing forces, led by Daz Roden, chased relentlessly, determined to kill them. However, the output power of the two Gundams was far beyond what VEGAN's ordinary MS could match. They could only watch helplessly as the Gundams escaped amidst a rain of beams.
...
"Chief of Staff! The enemy fortress's interference shield has disappeared!"
"The Commander succeeded! Now! Photon Destroyer Cannon, fire at will!"
The photon torrent reappeared, sweeping across the battlefield. Although the VEGAN forces, having learned their lesson, didn't suffer losses, the Fortress Dainsleif, now without any protective walls, was like a defenseless palace. Under the surging torrent, it gradually melted and exploded.
Just as the Fortress Dainsleif was about to be completely destroyed, a bright red meteor shot out, heading straight for the Photon Ring Array. Yellow beam spheres accurately hit several electromagnetic acceleration devices.
"Don't even think about it!"
"What!?"
Argreus and the crew of the Diva, as well as Yang Hui and the other two who were returning, were stunned. In that moment, they lost the ability to think. No one had expected that Jedra, which had been tied up by the Gundam AGE-2 since the start of the battle, would break through the defenses at this moment, ruining all their efforts.
Seeing Jedra appear, everyone involuntarily wondered where the Gundam AGE-2, which had been engaging it, was. Worried that the Gundam AGE-2 might have been destroyed, they saw a blue-white fighter with a bright tail flame chasing closely behind.
"Damn it! Jehart!"
"It's useless, Asemu! I've already achieved my goal! The Federation has lost its trump card, and the victory is already ours..."
While fending off the Gundam AGE-2's fierce attacks, Jehart began his victory speech, but the last word got stuck in his throat. Even the Gundam AGE-2, which had been relentlessly attacking him, and both armies in the midst of battle, all stopped moving, as if time in this part of the universe had frozen.
But the Fortress Dainsleif, the focal point, told everyone that time hadn't stopped, as it was still moving. However...
"Vice Commander! All systems are offline and cannot be repaired!"
"At most, twenty minutes remain before the fortress falls to Earth!"
"What!? Send someone to repair the propulsion system immediately!"
"The emergency team has arrived. The propulsion system is completely damaged and cannot be repaired!"
"How... how could this happen..."
Medel Sant's face was filled with despair. He longed to return to Earth, to assist Lord Ezelcant in fulfilling his lifelong wish, to lead all their people to Eden. But... definitely not in this way.
The Fortress Dainsleif was as large as a small asteroid. If it were to fall directly to Earth, it would cause irreparable damage to the planet. Would the destroyed Eden still be the Eden of their dreams?
"Vice Commander!"
Snapping back to reality at everyone's calls, Medel Sant saw the look in their eyes, felt their panic, and remembered his responsibility as a commander: "Can the fortress's self-destruct system still operate?"
"Vice Commander!"
"I asked if it can still operate!?" Seeing the hesitation, Medel Sant raised his voice.
"No... it can't. All systems are paralyzed. The energy system is under emergency repair, estimated to take fifteen minutes..."
"We don't have fifteen minutes!" With a shout, Medel Sant's aged brain raced, searching for a way out. Finally, he thought of a solution.
"How many Colony Destroyers are left in the fortress?" Medel Sant asked.
"There are... 50 left..." The person answering Medel Sant's voice trembled, perhaps guessing what was coming, or perhaps...
"I understand. All personnel... evacuate. Notify friendly forces to prepare for rescue..."
"Vice Commander... Yes!"
Everyone on the bridge, and all the surviving personnel of the Fortress Dainsleif, pounded their chests with their fists in salute toward Medel Sant. They knew that this respectable old man was willing to sacrifice himself to save them, to save Eden.
At that moment, Jehart's communication spread throughout the army.
"All units, disengage from battle. I will detonate the fortress's energy core. All units, mix with the fortress's debris and descend to Earth. Lie low until new orders are received!"
"Commander Jehart!"
"Lord Jehart!"
When Medel Sant heard this command, he both sighed in relief and felt deeply worried, mixed with... confusion about Jehart, or perhaps the entire operation's intent.
"Could it be!?" Medel Sant guessed something but didn't voice it, silently following the others to the escape pods.
"Lord Ezelcant, is this your true goal? And Jehart..."
...
Whether it was Flit returning to the Diva or Yang Hui and Yurin returning to the Baize, upon hearing that the Fortress Dainsleif's trajectory would lead it to fall to Earth, they all felt a sense of urgency.
"Maintenance Chief, how long will it take to resupply the Dawn Gundam's energy?" Yang Hui asked.
"Repairs will take..."
"How long just to resupply the energy?"
"...Three minutes!"
"Good! Drop all other tasks and resupply the Dawn Gundam's energy. I need to sortie!"
"But Captain..."
"Follow orders!"
"Yes!"
Everyone quickly began their tense work. Yurin, worried about Yang Hui, came to his side.
"Yang Hui..."
"Don't worry, I'll be fine. But you'll have to come find me on Earth." Yang Hui gently hugged Yurin to comfort her.
"Okay, I believe you. I'll come find you."
Three minutes, though brief, felt more peaceful and warm for the two of them than for anyone else in the world.
--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/TLGod
Thanks!