"Boom, boom, boom."
A giant human-made colossus, towering like a small mountain, crushed through the forest trees.
Raising an enormous curved blade, it carved a beautiful arc through the air.
The Forbidden Gundam, resembling a creature carrying a crab-head backpack with its dark green frame blending into the surroundings, surged forward.
Perhaps due to its camouflage coloring combined with the pilot's exceptional skills inside,
Or maybe because its two companions had made such flamboyant entrances, capturing the attention of all the soldiers on the battlefield.
Regardless, by the time it charged up to the Buster Gundam, everyone finally noticed the arrival of this uninvited guest.
"Damn it!"
Inside the Buster Gundam, Dearka was scared out of his wits.
"Dearka!"
Yzak was so terrified he screamed hoarsely through the public channel.
"Heh heh heh."
Witnessing their reactions, the three newly arrived Atlantic Federation aces smirked triumphantly inside their mobile suits. To take down an enemy ace right after entering the battlefield—
Even if those despicable bastards didn't reward them afterwards, just getting more medical supplies to suffer less would be good enough.
Just as they were fantasizing about enjoying a few peaceful days ahead,
Everything turned out to be fake!
What Dearka and the others had created was merely the prelude to a trap!
"Clang!"
A tremendous crash echoed—but not in the way Olga and Clotho had anticipated, where the Forbidden Gundam would sever the Buster Gundam's head.
Instead, the Forbidden Gundam was nearly sliced in half at the waist by a black mobile suit that materialized out of nowhere.
Had they not undergone rigorous training as enhanced humans forged from life-and-death situations,
This single strike might have been enough—if Shani hadn't urgently retracted his blade to block the enemy's attack—
To reduce the three aces to two today.
"You bastard!"
Shani in the Forbidden Gundam broke out in a cold sweat, watching his scythe locked in a struggle with the Blitz Gundam's beam claws.
He hated this—hated it to the bone!
"Mirage Colloid!"
Now he understood how the enemy had appeared—because they were piloting the Blitz Gundam equipped with the Mirage Colloid System.
Using the Duel and Buster Gundams as bait, these despicable Coordinators had set a trap just like his team, waiting for fish to take the hook through coordination!
"Heine, move aside!"
Before Shani could parry the Blitz Gundam, Dearka seized the moment and roared.
As Heine—who had replaced the original Nicol and was also a Red Uniform elite of the ZAFT Forces, though he originally appeared in the protagonist team during the second war—maneuvered the Blitz Gundam away,
The Buster Gundam fired a direct shot at the bizarre green Forbidden Gundam.
"Die already!"
Dearka, wielding the beam cannon, showed no trace of his earlier panic—only the thrill of impending vengeance.
Especially when he saw the targeted Forbidden Gundam make no move to evade.
"Frozen in terror, aren't you?"
Feeling regretful that Heine missed his shot, yet happy for his friend about to claim the ace enemy's record.
Yzak, who had landed on the ground and was charging toward the Calamity Gundam, laughed as he spoke over the internal comms.
"Wait, something's wrong."
Heine in the Blitz Gundam, who had dodged to the side, sensed something unusual. More composed than both Dearka and Yzak, he thought that logically, the three enemy units should have been able to execute coordinated tactics seamlessly.
So why hadn't the other two units taken any action to rescue their comrade in danger?
Moreover, the Forbidden Gundam hadn't even dodged. Instead, it simply raised its crab shell-like backpack shield and continued charging toward Dearka with its scythe held high?
"What?"
Alerted by their new teammate Heine, Yzak hastily slammed on the brakes, halting his forward charge.
"Damn it!"
However, Dearka had already realized the reason behind the enemy's strange reaction.
Right before his eyes, the beam cannon he had fired was eerily blocked by a transparent barrier in front of the enemy.
"Boom!"
The deflected beam struck the ground nearby, and the Forbidden Gundam's crab-like helmet vented massive amounts of steam.
Then, the Forbidden Gundam charged at the Buster Gundam once more, with Shani inside the cockpit wearing a triumphant grin.
"Die!"
He swung his scythe with ruthless determination and unstoppable momentum!
"No way I'm dying here!"
The dark-skinned, blond Dearka reacted swiftly, opening the missile pods on his shoulders and firing all the missiles in one go.
Simultaneously, using the time bought by the missiles, he raised his energy cannon like a club and swung it at the enemy.
Also, let's not forget that Dearka had several MS units acting as escorts around him. Those Qilin units weren't just standing by idly.
When Dearka was in danger, they stepped up promptly.
Some fired their guns, others swung their swords.
Under this multi-layered cover, the Forbidden Gundam's assault this round only managed to sever one energy beam cannon.
And left a scar on the Buster Gundam's armor as a bonus.
"Tch."
Shani in the Forbidden Gundam was thoroughly displeased, but facing multiple converging attacks, he had no choice but to retreat temporarily.
"Damn it."
Yzak, piloting the Duel Gundam, tried to fall back to assist. It might not sound very honorable, but to him, Dearka's survival was what mattered most.
"Hey, did you forget about me?"
Just as Yzak attempted to retreat, a spiked flail came flying from the sky.
The Raider Gundam switched from MA Mode to MS Mode, using its momentum from the descent to charge at Yzak.
"Boom!"
The heavy hammer, carrying immense force, slammed into the ground, sending clumps of dirt flying everywhere.
"Get out of my way!"
Dodging the enemy's attack with a leap, Yzak faced the enemy Raider Gundam right in front of him and drew his beam saber in response.
He was about to run it through.
"Hehehe, Clotho, you missed."
At the critical moment, Clotho had a partner too, you know. Olga in the Calamity Gundam raised his cannon and fired.
A voice and four or five energy torrents arrived almost simultaneously, blasting the Duel Gundam away.
Had it not been for the PS Armor's resilience and Yzak's timely shield block, he would have suffered a major setback!
The scene shifted as the Calamity Gundam advanced forward, unleashing a barrage of firepower while moving.
Simultaneously, the Forbidden Gundam retreated, forming a pincer formation with its two comrades to encircle the overextended Yzak.
"Heine."
Dearka called out to his comrade piloting the Blitz Gundam.
A three-versus-three standoff took shape—the Atlantic Federation's three aces against ZAFT Forces' elite trio in Red Uniforms.
Each side had their own reasons, and for the victory of their respective factions, a fierce battle unfolded here.
"Hmm."
Azrael, observing from the rear, was in a foul mood. Watching the live feed, he suddenly turned his head and asked, "What about the situation on the East Asian front? What's their status now?"
He had initially assumed that with the massive resources he'd poured into the Panama Spaceport, a resounding victory would be a foregone conclusion—a triumph that would cement the Atlantic Federation's prestige.
But what was happening now?
The defensive line had been breached, and even with the deployment of three new Gundams, they had only managed to stalemate the situation, preventing it from worsening further.
This was far from what he had envisioned.
If the East Asian Alliance's performance remained as stable as ever, and their situation looked much better than his own, what would become of his reputation?
Those detestable representatives from other corporate factions would surely start making sarcastic remarks behind his back!
"Ah, Chairman Azrael, regarding the East Asian front..."
Hearing the question from this difficult-to-please superior, the Atlantic Federation Army officer—who had also been monitoring the allied forces' progress—hesitated, unsure how to respond.
"What's going on?!"
Azrael's heart skipped a beat, and his temples throbbed with tension. Crossing his arms, his fingers tapping anxiously on his sleeves, he roared sharply.
"Yes, well, it's like this..."
Under Azrael's oppressive presence, the Atlantic Federation officer finally spoke tremulously, "According to reports from our observers there, the East Asian Army's defensive line is holding strong."
"Although... although..." At this point, the officer dared not continue.
"Although what?!"
Azrael swiftly turned his head, glaring sternly at the officer behind him. His anger was steadily accumulating and skyrocketing.
"Although the enemy ZAFT Forces deployed two new advanced mobile suits, demonstrating extraordinary combat capabilities..."
"But... but the East Asian Army's defensive line remains impregnable!"
Steeling himself under Azrael's intense gaze, the officer dryly relayed the intelligence about their allies.
"What?!"
Azrael's voice shot up an octave, his eyes glaring as if he wanted to devour someone.
"Is there a live video feed?"
Clenching his hand tightly on his arm, he suppressed the rising fury, wanting to see the truth for himself.
Merely hearing about it was too abstract—who knew if the East Asian Army was falsifying their military reports?
The Atlantic Federation was all too familiar with such tactics!
It was common for forces to pretend everything was fine even when they were on the verge of collapse.
Besides, hadn't he already schemed to divert part of the East Asian Army's forces to Orb?
Where did they get so many elite troops?!
"Yes."
Not daring to defy Azrael's command, his subordinates quickly synced the live footage from the East Asian front to the large screen in front of everyone.
Azrael narrowed his eyes and realized his subordinate hadn't been exaggerating—if anything, they'd understated the situation.
The East Asian Army's defensive line wasn't just impregnable; it was actively inflicting massive casualties on the ZAFT Forces.
"That is!"
Just as Azrael was about to erupt in anger, he noticed a subtle detail—two new mobile suits deployed by the enemy ZAFT Forces had caught his attention.
"Them?"
Squinting, Azrael—being in the weapons manufacturing industry—was no stranger to technical specifications. One of the Coordinators' new mobile suits, a red unit, particularly stood out.
How many times had it already unleashed that rainbow-colored full barrage attack?
The East Asian Army's overwhelming missile volleys were largely being neutralized by this single machine.
The other black unit with a large disc on its back was equally remarkable.
It boasted more gun ports than their own Calamity Gundam, and its beam suppression network was equally formidable.
"What kind of power source could sustain such output?"
Having been alerted by the Justice Gundam and Destiny Gundam incidents, Azrael's attention instantly shifted to the battlefield at the Panama Spaceport.
He hadn't paid close attention before, but the Buster Gundam's attacks also seemed abnormal.
After all, it was developed using their own technology, so Azrael was more familiar with the Buster Gundam.
According to initial design specifications, the heavy-firepower Buster Gundam did have higher energy storage capacity.
But maintaining such high-power, high-tempo combat was utterly abnormal!
"Could it be...?"
A sudden realization struck Azrael.
"Hey." Picking up the command post intercom, he contacted the three frontline operatives.
"Capture the Buster Gundam. I want the mobile suit largely intact. Even if your own units get destroyed in the process, it doesn't matter."
"Huh?" Clotho was stunned.
"Tch!" Olga gaped in disbelief.
"Bam!" Shani slammed his fist against the cockpit console.
Naturally, Azrael couldn't care less about their reactions.
To ensure the Buster Gundam's capture, he ordered the authentic Daggers—the backbone across all battle lines—to converge on its position.
He dismissed protests from other officers who warned about the potential collapse of defensive fronts.
Azrael wanted the Buster Gundam, no matter the cost!
Meanwhile, as Azrael redirected forces toward the Buster Gundam, numerous drop pods descended from orbit—targeting both the East Asian Spaceport and Panama Spaceport.
The ZAFT Forces had deployed substantial reinforcements from space.
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