Even with the pilot's quick reflexes, a brief ascent couldn't make such a massive body dodge the beam.
Still, it gave Aina, the test pilot, a sliver of hope amid the danger.
The Minovsky Particle Flight Unit worked by releasing large amounts of Minovsky particles beneath the craft. Their lattice formation created an I-Field that produced a hovering effect similar to an air-cushion vehicle.
The Federation's new Pegasus-class warships used the same principle.
But now, the sudden surge of the thick I-Field happened to intercept the beam Eli had fired!
However, the Minovsky Particle Flight Unit on the Apsalus seemed to be malfunctioning. At this size, its Minovsky flight system should have been able to disperse the beam completely, leaving it no longer capable of threatening the Apsalus.
The beam was indeed scattered, but its forward momentum carried it onward, spreading into a hail of beams that engulfed the Apsalus's lower left side.
Several red spots appeared where the metal had been scorched by the heat, making the Apsalus look as though it had marker lights.
That also gave the others a target to aim at.
"Stay clear of the underside and attack freely!"
Sanders's mobile suit, carrying a 180mm Cannon, didn't hesitate to fire several shots in rapid succession. Shell after shell struck the side of the Apsalus, kicking up thick clouds of smoke!
Each hit made the Apsalus drop a little lower.
"Fall, you Grim Reaper!"
Sanders roared and fired again!
But several rockets landed at the feet of Sanders's mobile suit.
The Dopp Fighters had launched the attack.
They soon had problems of their own, though, as Karen immediately unleashed a barrage with her 100mm Machine Gun and shot down one of the Dopps!
The other Dopp had no choice but to turn tail, but Karen relentlessly pursued it.
"Vmm!"
The sound of the beam firing finally brought Eli a taste of the sci-fi action he'd been missing amid the relentless jungle combat.
But the angle was unfavorable, and Aina, already on her guard, blocked the beam with the Minovsky Particle Flight Unit on the underside of her craft.
"Shiro, stay close!"
Seeing his attack thwarted, Eli didn't persist with that angle. He lowered his mobile suit into a half-crouch, and the thruster nozzles on its backpack lit up.
Amid the bright blue flames, the two Gundam Ground Types shot up from the ground and rose to the same height as the Apsalus!
Eli gripped the side handle with his left hand and steadied the Beam Rifle with both hands. While the thrusters kept him rising at a steady pace, he brought the Apsalus into his sights.
Pink particles immediately began to gather at the muzzle.
Beside him, Shiro Amada's mobile suit held a 100mm Machine Gun in its left hand and a Rocket Launcher in its right, firing nonstop.
His attacks might not inflict any real damage, but the explosions raised clouds of black smoke that engulfed the Apsalus's rather comical Zaku-shaped control center, temporarily blinding its occupants.
But the next moment, a pink beam pierced the smoke!
It punched straight through the armor on the Apsalus's left side, setting off a terrifying explosion.
Already struggling to maintain altitude due to an anomaly during its test flight, the Apsalus dropped another level after the blast. Its underside was now close to the treetops.
"Get on top of it!"
Eli made his decision at once.
The thrusters on his back flared again, propelling his mobile suit toward the top of the Apsalus.
The Gundam Ground Type stretched out both legs, and hooks sprang from the soles of its feet with a click. Using the downward momentum, it punched through the Apsalus's armor and latched itself onto the craft.
Then Eli straightened up from his crouch, having absorbed the force of the landing.
Beside him, Shiro Amada did the same, landing on top of the Apsalus.
Neither of them said a word. They immediately opened fire with everything they had, even using the Vulcan Cannons mounted on their suits.
Each shot from Eli's Beam Rifle triggered a fearsome explosion on the Apsalus.
"Good! Keep hitting it and bring it down!"
Seeing how well it was going, Eli pressed harder on the trigger.
"Can you hear me, Federation pilots? If you don't leave now, I'll self-destruct!"
Just as they were about to claim victory, the Apsalus's pilot contacted them over the comms.
"Do you not care that the explosion from this machine will wipe out everything nearby?"
Even as she threatened them, the woman's clear voice sounded pleasant.
But no amount of beauty could stop the fighting on a battlefield.
Still, Eli and Shiro Amada stopped firing.
More precisely, Eli immediately raised his Beam Rifle and aimed it at the chest of the Zaku-like craft.
"Before you can do that, I'll put a beam through your cockpit. For the safety of both sides, you should surrender at once."
Relying on his vague Newtype senses, Eli kept the pilot firmly in his sights.
It seemed to be the girl trapped inside the Apsalus, Aina, bound by what people called fate.
Eli hadn't shot her right away because he feared that if the Apsalus exploded, the blast might rival that of a tactical nuclear weapon.
And they were close to the front lines. If the Apsalus exploded here, it might completely change the situation in the Southeast Asia theater.
"How could this be..."
When Aina spoke again, the forced bravado had vanished from her voice, leaving only a woman's vulnerability.
Aina had rarely experienced combat firsthand. As she stared at the Gundam's dark gun muzzle on the screen, fear rose within her.
What should she do? This was her brother's life's work. She absolutely couldn't let it fall into Federation hands...
"Aina—is that you, Aina?!"
While her thoughts were in turmoil, Aina suddenly heard her name over the comms.
She listened carefully and realized the voice was coming from another mobile suit.
She'd heard that voice not long ago.
Out in space.
"That voice... is that you, Shiro?"
For a moment, Aina's chaotic thoughts settled, and her heart grew calmer.
"It is! It's me! Aina, I can't believe it's you... Please, surrender..."
The unexpected reunion made Shiro Amada lower the weapon in his mobile suit's hand.
Then, almost pleading, he urged Aina to surrender.
It was true that Shiro Amada had spent only a few hours with Aina, but those moments had stirred feelings in him that he couldn't quite explain.
They weren't love, but he treasured them all the same.
He also knew how Eli felt about Zeon. If Aina refused to surrender, the only outcome would be a fight to the death.
"Please... Aina!"
Beneath that sky, Shiro Amada let out a grief-stricken cry.
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