"Blitz and Aegis!"
Kira cursed inwardly—these two Gundams weren't part of Wang Hu's plan!
Faced with beams fired by his friend Athrun, Kira had no choice but to abandon his lock on the second enemy land battleship.
He executed a clumsy sideways jump to evade, then watched as the Blitz Gundam closed in rapidly. Gripping his beam cannon, Kira prepared to engage.
Unbeknownst to Kira, who assumed Wang Hu hadn't anticipated Athrun and the other's appearance, this was actually a test Wang Hu had devised for him.
Wang Hu felt that due to his and Li Chengzhi's presence, the crew of the Archangel had faced too few setbacks in this timeline.
Having sailed smoothly all the way to this point, could they truly rely on their own strength to complete the remaining journey after he and Li Chengzhi departed?
"Seize this final opportunity to temper yourself, Kira, and everyone aboard the Archangel."
Piloting the Zeta Gundam, Wang Hu observed Kira—using cannon strike equipment ill-suited for close combat—repeatedly facing peril under the assault of the enemy Blitz Gundam.
While calmly offering his blessings,
Wang Hu, far more composed than the slightly flustered Kira after the sudden attack, smoothly switched the Zeta Gundam from MS Mode to MA Mode mid-air. Accelerating vertically into the sky, he left Lag—who had leaped up to attack him—helplessly watching.
Wang Hu even had time to tease the regretful Mister Tiger:
"Ooh, that was close, Captain Balthfeld!"
"Just a bit off, really just a tiny bit."
Having failed again, Balthfeld's mood settled. Facing Wang Hu, who held absolute aerial superiority, he recognized this was a chasm Lag's power couldn't bridge.
Scanning the battlefield, Balthfeld began considering how to ensure the safe retreat of his remaining team members.
He was willing to stake his life to test Wang Hu's caliber, but there was no need for his beloved subordinates to pay the price for his decisions!
This was his duty and responsibility as captain!
"Aisha, we're turning back to cover the land battleship's retreat."
Without hesitation, Balthfeld informed Aisha and immediately swung Lag around to charge toward the Strike Gundam.
This move held another layer of meaning: So you're content to hover in the sky, Wang Hu, unwilling to engage me directly?
Fine—with my skills, your long-range attacks from above can't finish me, and I admittedly can't do anything to you either.
But our stalemate doesn't mean I can't influence the battle when I join the fray around the Strike Gundam.
One-on-one, I can't touch you.
But what about three against two?
You might ensure your own invincibility, but can you guarantee the same for that boy named Kira?
With one glance at Balthfeld's movements on the desert below, Wang Hu deduced his opponent's intent.
Truly, ginger is spicier when old—experience prevails. Yet Wang Hu had long prepared countermeasures for Mister Tiger's attempt to force him into direct combat.
"Boom, boom, boom."
Balthfeld's second land battleship had come to a halt, preparing to unleash a barrage of firepower upon the Strike Gundam.
Just as it redirected its anti-aircraft guns toward Wang Hu, who was attempting to aid his captain, a sudden series of shells abruptly rained down upon the vessel.
"What's happening? Where is this artillery fire coming from?"
On the half-crippled land battleship, Martin's face turned pale as he swiftly rushed to the display screen.
His initial thought was that the Archangel had already annihilated the GOUF units trapped in the quicksand and had subsequently moved in to finish them off.
However, after a quick assessment, he was astonished to discover that while the Archangel had indeed wiped out the GOUF forces, it showed no intention of attacking their two ill-fated battleships.
"What is that?" Martin urgently ordered the bridge crew to scan the surrounding area.
To his frustration, he soon realized that the desert resistance groups and remnants of the Allied Forces' guerrilla units—whom they had previously dismissed as insignificant—were now, emboldened by Wang Hu's presence, daring to bare their fangs at the renowned Desert Tiger Balthfeld's team.
These hyenas, who in the past would only bark from a distance, were now attempting to take a bite out of them while the Desert Tiger's team was down on its luck.
Gnashing his teeth in anger, Martin scanned the heavily armored linear cannon tanks of the Allied Forces' guerrillas emerging from the sand dunes, along with the desert natives in jeeps armed with RPGs.
"Thud." He slammed his fist heavily onto the battleship's console, a wave of desolation swelling in his chest.
Truly, a tiger fallen on hard times is bullied by dogs!
"Boom." Another violent explosion echoed as a shell struck the battleship Martin was on.
Mu, who had been waiting for this moment, seized the opportunity to join the fray, aligning with the desert underground resistance members preparing to swarm the city.
The Zero Ginn, shouldering the MS rocket launcher supplied by the Eighth Fleet along with living provisions during their time in space, gleefully unleashed round after round upon the two ZAFT Forces' land battleships.
"Damn it!" Forced off the land battleship by Mu's rocket launcher, Athrun experienced a sense of déjà vu.
Was another renowned ZAFT captain, following in Captain Creuset's footsteps, about to meet the same fate?
"I won't allow it!"
A seed-like object shattered in his mind, and Athrun's eyes glazed over with emptiness.
The unique Seed Mode of this world granted him accelerated mental processing and physical reflexes!
"Athrun!"
Both Kira and Nicol, locked in combat, exclaimed in surprise.
Instead of charging toward them or the resistance and guerrilla forces led by Mu, Athrun in his Aegis Gundam surged toward Balthfeld—and toward Wang Hu, who was hot on Mister Tiger's heels.
"Captain Balthfeld, leave this to me! You must regroup and reorganize the battle lines!"
"ZAFT! ZAFT cannot afford to lose another captain like you!"
Passing by Lag, Athrun shouted these words to Balthfeld.
"Athrun?"
"This young man?"
Balthلد and Aisha in the Lag exclaimed simultaneously.
They never expected the young master from their supreme commander's family would take such action.
Did this boy named Athrun not realize that facing Wang Hu alone, who held aerial superiority, could likely cost him his life here?
"It seems we have quite an extraordinary child here too."
A smile appeared on Aisha's face as she laughed toward her beloved behind her.
"Ah, yes." Unable to suppress a grin that eventually turned into hearty laughter.
Clearly witnessing Athrun's choice, Balthلد greatly admired the boy's resolute determination.
This appreciation transcended factional boundaries!
"But this is the responsibility of adults, not something a mere youth should bear."
Although Athrun already wore the Red Uniform within ZAFT Forces and had endured numerous battles.
In Balthلد's eyes, Athrun was fundamentally still a teenager.
He should be spending his youth on school campuses instead.
"Wang Hu! Come on, come at me! I'm not afraid of you!"
Passing Balthلد's Lag, Athrun screamed hoarsely from the Aegis Gundam's cockpit, veins bulging on his neck.
Facing Wang Hu who had killed his respected Captain Creuset and overwhelmed Captain Balthلد completely.
Athrun mentally prepared himself for death on the battlefield, raising his Beam Rifle to fire furious shots at Wang Hu in the sky.
Here Athrun had one advantage over Balthلد - unlike the Lag limited by attack angles against aerial targets.
The humanoid weapon MS Aegis had relatively wider firing arcs, enabling it to pose legitimate threatening attacks against Wang Hu's Zeta Gundam.
"Really..."
Wang Hu instantly switched to MS Mode while drawing his Beam Saber, sighing helplessly.
"How did I inexplicably become the villain here?"
With casual sword swings, he transformed Athrun's beam attacks into spectacular displays resembling traditional East Asian molten iron fireworks.
Descending leisurely from the sky as if strolling through a garden, the Zeta Gundam's overwhelming presence.
Truly resembled a great demon king!
"Die!"
Swallowing nervously produced saliva, Athrun shouted again as beam sabers extended from his arms.
If ranged attacks were useless, he'd defeat him in close combat!
I have faith in my swordsmanship! He encouraged himself internally.
Eyes wide with confusion yet relying on Seed Mode's unparalleled senses, Athrun courageously charged forward.
"Die, Wang Hu!"
Golden beam sabers on both arms gleaming dazzlingly, the Aegis Gundam lowered its posture and slid across the sand, left sword swinging first.
A feint - the real killing blow came from the right arm's beam saber utilizing centrifugal force from the spinning crouch.
"A bit green."
Effortlessly hopping backward on the sand, Wang Hu calmly watched the beam saber sweep past his chest.
Offering this evaluation to Athrun, Wang Hu immediately leaped skyward again.
It turned out that Athrun saw his move had been exhausted, his attack failing to achieve the expected effect. Gritting his teeth, he pushed off the sandy ground with both hands and launched another flying kick.
A beam saber once again extended from his calf, hoping such an attack would catch Wang Hu off guard.
"My turn now?" Wang Hu patiently allowed Athrun to unleash a full set of combo attacks.
He exceptionally humored Athrun by giving Balthfeld time to reorganize the battle line.
Then
"That's about enough. Hey, Athrun, why not come join me? Staying with ZAFT is such a waste."
With one hand pressing down on the Aegis Gundam's head, the Zeta Gundam forcefully shoved Athrun deep into the thick sand.
"Boom!" Innumerable sand particles shot skyward due to Wang Hu's action.
"Splash..." The massive amount of sand, having flown into the air, succumbed to gravity and rained down toward the ground like a downpour.
An astonishing quantity of sand pattered noisily against the Zeta Gundam's body. Through the dust, the Zeta Gundam's crimson eyes and its posture of suppressing the Aegis Gundam with one hand exuded an endless murderous aura!
"Bastard, bastard!"
Athrun struggled desperately inside the Aegis Gundam, trying to make the mobile suit move!
"Creak, creak..." The Aegis Gundam resisted against the Zeta Gundam, causing the entire frame to emit grating noises.
"Move, move!"
Inside the Aegis Gundam, Athrun's cockpit screen showed nothing but sand, still more sand.
"Please, move, Aegis Gundam!"Shouting with passionate fervor, Athrun firmly believed he could create a miracle!"
"Young man, you've worked hard. Leave the rest to us!"
A voice sounded in the cockpit, and light suddenly appeared on the screen.
"What's this?" Athrun watched as images reappeared on the screen.
It turned out Captain Balthfeld had taken control of Lag, replacing him to engage Wang Hu in battle.
"Captain Balthfeld?"
A bewildered Athrun murmured while watching the fighting Mister Tiger, instinctively recalling the former Captain Creuset from space.
(End of Chapter)