"What? They actually want us to retreat!?"
Upon hearing Char's order, Valerio, the black-haired member of Argus Squad positioned behind Char's mecha, said in astonishment, "Shouldn't this be the time to throw all our forces into the fight?"
"It seems you need a pair of glasses, Valerio." Stella mocked him in a gentle voice. "Haven't you noticed that the situation we're facing now is completely different from every situation we've encountered before, every scenario that appeared in the exercises? Before deciding on the next move, having those of us who might hold them back retreat is the appropriate course of action."
"We're not deadweight!" the little girl Talisha shouted unhappily. "We can fight too!"
Inge's calm voice suddenly sounded over Argus Squad's communications. "Follow orders. Retreat."
The moment he finished speaking, Inge decisively turned his mecha around and began withdrawing. Although BETA's altered attack pattern posed a tremendous danger to the entire defensive line—with Beam Types watching from afar and Jumper Bugs setting off mines ahead—once the Assault Types, no longer impeded by mines, got their horns up to full speed, most Tactical Fighters and the tank units behind them would be plunged into absolute danger. From a tactical perspective, having the noncombat-capable units withdraw first while the combat units fought as they retreated was indeed the most suitable choice.
But Inge also knew very well that while the situation looked critical, it was only critical on the surface. He had clearly seen the four fighters that had swept through the sky earlier: two Variable Fighters and two R-1s. He also knew they were piloted by Ingram, Amuro, Johnny, and Shin Matsunaga. Breaking through to eliminate the lurking Beam Types would not be a problem at all.
And with Char, who had also boarded a new mecha, five A-Class Pilots