What comes to mind first when people think of deserts?
Is the first impression that enters your mind one of endless yellow sand, barren and extremely arid?
Indeed, this is the consistent impression deserts give people.
But what if I told you that beneath the desert lie hidden rivers and even incredibly abundant water resources?
Isn't that surprising?
Yet this truly exists in reality. Although desert regions receive very little rainfall,
in some areas, groundwater is remarkably abundant. This groundwater is typically formed from rainwater or melted snow from nearby mountains.
There are also trace amounts of dew formed due to temperature differences between day and night, which gradually seep into desert basins over time.
The final source is the existence of underground aquifers—deep layers of rock or soil that can store vast amounts of water.
Thus, while surface water is rare in desert regions, at depths of 100 to 200 meters underground, that's a different story.
And at this moment, the Baku Legion led by Balthلد had unfortunately fallen right into Wang Hu's real trap!
You must understand that after prolonged development in North Africa, with increasing population, the mother river of this land had long been overburdened.
So how would humans obtain the water resources necessary for survival?
Naturally, through insatiable and endless extraction from deep within the earth. Thus, after prolonged drilling and well-digging,
the water resources beneath this land gradually dried up, leaving only countless hidden cavities.
After connecting with the East Asian Alliance's underground organization here, Wang Hu obtained all the topographic maps of the nearby area.
That's when he conceived how to deal with Balthلد—by utilizing the underground river channels beneath this factory building.
He artificially created gushing water vents, releasing pressure to connect those hidden cavities, resulting in the ground collapse and quicksand now before their eyes.
"Save me!"
"What's happening?"
"Damn it! Why is this happening?"
Pleas for help rose one after another in the public channel shared by the numerous GOUF pilots.
These fellows had been smugly anticipating earning merits and returning with honors just moments before.
The next instant, they found themselves in an extremely perilous situation that threatened their lives almost immediately.
The stark contrast was enough to make anyone's eyes pop in astonishment.
The dramatic turn of events made the Coordinator soldiers in the rear tanks, as well as Balthلد in the Lag...
Almost believe they were trapped in an incredibly realistic nightmare!
"Andy!"
Faced with the sudden deterioration of the situation, Aisha in the Lag immediately sought the opinion of the man she believed could do anything.
"We were careless!" With a grave expression, Balthلد had initially thought Wang Hu had left, but seeing this scene unfold before him,
how could he possibly maintain such a notion?
"Stay alert, Aisha! Wang Hu is about to appear!"
Temporarily unable to concern himself with his trapped subordinates—not that Balthلد didn't want to save them,
but reality wouldn't permit it!
"BOOM~"
A piercing explosive roar echoed from high above as a mobile suit broke through the air, creating thunderous shockwaves.
"Wang Hu! He's here!"
Wang Hu snapped his head up toward the source of the sound, squinting against the blinding sun hanging in the sky.
He had assumed Wang Hu would sortie from the Archangel, but it turned out the enemy had long been perched high in the heavens, like a regal eagle soaring among the blue skies and white clouds, gazing down upon the beasts below!
"Captain Balthلد, long time no see!"
Wang Hu's voice transmitted through the public channel into Balthلد's Lag.
Simultaneously with the voice, the Zeta Gundam in its MA Mode, assuming a diving posture, began precision firing at the Lag on the ground.
"You've certainly given me quite the surprise!"
Maneuvering the Lag to dodge left and right across the sand under the aerial assault, Balthلد wore a bitter smile.
Whether it was the GOUF or the Lag, both were designed for ground combat.
Thus, whether it was the Beam Cannon on the Lag's back or the Electromagnetic Railgun and missile launchers on the GOUF...
Unfortunately, limited by their firing angles, they were simply out of reach against the Zeta Gundam soaring through the skies!
"Your defeat stems from not belonging here—this land rejects your presence."
After several shots were deftly dodged by Balthلد, Wang Hu was astonished by his opponent's skill.
After all, Wang Hu had great confidence in his marksmanship, especially from such an advantageous, elevated position.
Yet Mister Tiger managed to evade every shot...
Wang Hu, who would never relinquish his aerial superiority to engage in ground combat, found his interest in Mister Tiger growing stronger.
"The land, you say?"
Focused entirely on controlling the Lag, Balthلد chatted with Wang Hu while attempting to position the Lag for a counterattack.
Suddenly, he spun the Lag around and launched it high into the air, like a lion sprouting wings to embrace the boundless freedom of the blue sky.
Kicking up a massive cloud of sand from the ground, the Lag's rear Beam Cannon aimed skyward!
"Well done, Andy!"
Praising her beloved, Aisha seized the moment to try and retaliate against Wang Hu, who drifted through the skies.
But alas, even with Balthلد's exceptional piloting skills, the pull of gravity would not easily release any ground beast from its grasp.
Before Aisha could even align Wang Hu's Zeta Gundam in her crosshairs, his figure vanished from her sight in an instant.
"It's no use, Andy." Struggling to swivel the cannon, she couldn't even catch a glimpse of Wang Hu's tail lights.
Pushing the targeting scope away, this mature, Coordinator beauty couldn't help but wear an expression of anxiety, frustrated at missing such a golden opportunity.
"Boom!"
Ultimately unable to escape Mother Earth's gravitational embrace, the Lag, which had attempted to break free into the sky, crashed heavily back onto the sand.
Another towering plume of dust erupted, and Balthلد had no time to respond to Aisha.
Instead, he swiftly took advantage of the billowing sand to provide cover for the Lag.
Without a moment's delay, not daring to linger, the Lag shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."
Just as the Lag vacated its spot, countless beams rained down from above.
It was foreseeable that if Balthfeld's control had been even slightly slower, numerous skylights would have opened on Lag's body by now.
"Truly impressive, Kirin Wang Hu of the East Asian Alliance."
Facing an undeniable disadvantage, Balthfeld praised sincerely.
"Your East Asian Alliance is the same. You just said this land doesn't belong to us, but since ancient times, it hasn't belonged to you either."
"Yet when your feet tread upon this land, it seems the marks you leave can never be erased."
"You discovered the existence of the underground river when constructing these factory buildings, didn't you?"
"Thoroughly investigating every place you've set foot, compiling all intelligence - that's what created today's opportunity for victory."
As he spoke, Balthfeld glanced at the Baku Legion, now trapped between the collapsing quicksand and the Archangel, undoubtedly doomed to perish here.
Heartache - it was an indescribably painful feeling.
Those fine young men piloting the GOUFs were all elites he had trained personally!
In Balthfeld's plan, measuring Wang Hu's capabilities hadn't included sacrificing their lives.
"Correct guess, though with some discrepancies from reality, Mr. Balthfeld."
Through continuous diving and climbing maneuvers, Wang Hu fully utilized the aerial advantage of the Zeta Gundam.
Wang Hu wasn't toying with his prey like a cat with a mouse; it was only because Balthfeld was exceptionally good at evasion that it created such an illusion.
Having let Mister Tiger dodge his shots once again, Wang Hu answered while looking toward the land combat vehicle rumbling in from the distance - clearly attempting to rescue their captain who had fallen into disadvantage.
"Mr. Balthfeld, do you know? No people in this world love the land more than we do."
"Whenever we arrive at a new place, we always try to grow vegetables around our settlements."
"Grow vegetables?" Dodging and weaving, Balthfeld attempted several counterattacks but failed each time. Even with his composure, he couldn't help feeling somewhat discouraged now.
Watching Wang Hu above him, who perfectly utilized his aerial advantage - firing one shot before changing position, leaving no openings to exploit - Balthfeld felt certain that the famous Creuset hadn't lost unjustly.
"Yes, farming."
Abruptly switching the Zeta Gundam from MA Mode to MS Mode mid-air.
Hovering stationary in the sky, as if presenting himself as a target for Balthfeld's ground vehicle anti-air fire.
Wang Hu smiled faintly. "We come, we build, turning deserts into oases, creating habitable paradises in barren lands."
"This is our pursuit, this is the legacy in our blood. If you hadn't come, soon there would have been another oasis in this desert."
"What a pity. Because you brought war, the water meant to give life to humanity has become raging torrents that swallow you."
"The bitter fruits humanity planted in the past have now borne poisonous results."
"Martin, don't come closer!Seeing Wang Hu suddenly hovering motionless in the air, Balthfeld didn't control Lag to jump up and seize this rare opportunity to attack the Zeta Gundam.
Instinctively, Balthfeld's sixth sense was warning him.
All the enemies' unusual movements indicated that they had set up new traps!
"Captain?" Charging forward, attempting to use the anti-aircraft firepower on the combat vehicle to assist Balthلد.
On the combat vehicle's bridge, Martin heard the captain's shout and immediately felt a chilling sensation creeping over him.
"Focus!"
But by this time, it was already too late to make any changes. A crimson beam pierced through the endless sandstorm from a distant dune.
Where the beam swept across, the sand crystallized.
The long trail of the cannon fire extended, with colorful fragmented mirrors refracting a beautiful halo.
"Boom!"
In the original timeline, this battleship was sunk by Mu using the Skygrasper, equipped with the Strike's assault pack.
This time, it was struck by a beam cannon fired from the Strike Gundam hidden within the dunes.
"Screech—"
A grating sound echoed as the massive, grand ground combat vehicle came to a halt.
At the site of the cannon strike, towering flames began to boil. The only silver lining was that it seemed the land battleship wouldn't explode outright anytime soon.
"We've fallen into their trap."
Martin was filled with regret, lamenting his earlier impulsiveness. Seeing the Qilin of East Asia hovering overhead had made him charge forward recklessly.
"Alert the battleship behind us to avoid being hit by the enemy again."
Despite his regrets, as the adjutant to the renowned Desert Tiger, Martin hadn't forgotten his duties.
His own battleship was done for, but the one behind them still held hope.
Moreover,
Martin then directed his blessings toward the Aegis Gundam and Blitz Gundam, which had now appeared on the battleship's deck.
Disliking the Cruze team was one thing, but they were still allies after all!
If they could turn the tide with their help, it would be far better than having the entire Balthلد team wiped out here!
"Kira!"
As soon as Athrun appeared on the battleship's deck, he immediately fired several beams at the Strike Gundam in the distance, which was preparing to attack another land battleship.
He showed no mercy in his assault.
"Stay alert, Athrun. Don't let your guard down."
"That treacherous Wang Hu is definitely not so simple! There might be other ambushes!"
Piloting the Blitz Gundam as he leaped off the battleship, Nicol—who was considerably smarter than the white-haired and blond-haired pilots—had adjusted his mobile suit's parameters before arriving.
Adapting it to the desert's unique terrain, he charged toward the Strike Gundam while still finding the presence of mind to warn his friend.
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