Victory Traces

Mobile Suits in space are equipped with thrusters of varying sizes across their frames to facilitate rapid rotation and utilize AMBAC maneuvering to counter attacks from any direction.

This functionality is generally absent on ground-type Mobile Suits.

However, the Gouf Flight Type before him, capable of aerial flight, allowed Ramba Ral—an ace who made his name in space—to leverage his combat experience to dodge what Eli was certain would be a hit.

I truly cannot underestimate anyone.

Eli quickly widened the distance between himself and Ramba Ral, and Ramba Ral, showing no intention of pursuing, cautiously gained altitude to prepare for Eli's next potential attack.

Click.

With the sound of mechanical gears, the shield on the Gouf Flight Type's left arm unfolded slightly.

Two parallel Gatling Gun barrels extended from within, immediately aiming at the Gundam Ground Type piloted by Eli.

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

A dense hail of bullets instantly engulfed Eli's position.

"Damn it!"

Eli cursed, using the small shield on his left arm to protect the front of the cockpit.

For the first time, he felt the limitations of this shield that had served him so well in the past.

In open-field engagements, this small shield could only protect critical areas, and the mobility gained by carrying such a compact piece of equipment was rendered useless by an enemy flying in the air.

Hum! Hum!

Eli fired two beam shots in succession, but both were dodged by Ramba Ral.

The situation reached a stalemate.

"Boom!"

Just as Eli began to find the situation troublesome, Sanders and Shiro Amada both finished off the Zaku units blocking them and charged toward the Apsalus.

As they had done before, the two leaped onto the Apsalus, using their own weight to further restrict the Apsalus from taking off while working together to face the threat posed by Norris.

From a strategic perspective, it was now Eli who was holding Ramba Ral back.

"The Apsalus, is it in danger!"

Seeing this, Ramba Ral became anxious.

Although he had indeed intended to use the Apsalus as bait to draw out the White Base, whether out of responsibility to Dozle and Ginias, or for the sake of Aina—the pilot who was his junior—Ramba Ral could not allow the Apsalus to fall.

The mono-eye of his Gouf Flight Type flashed, and he immediately began to dive.

If he were to simply turn and flee, he would allow Eli to bring even more concentrated firepower to bear on him, putting himself in danger as well.

If he could just inflict enough damage on this mass-produced Gundam to slow it down, he would be able to rush to the aid of the Apsalus!

If he could save the Apsalus, it wouldn't matter if it couldn't fly very high; the Mega Particle Cannon it carried had the power to sink the approaching White Base in a single shot, enough to turn the tide of the battle!

"Don't think you'll succeed!"

Eli maneuvered his unit to lean slightly, tilting the upper body forward to brace for impact.

He clearly intended to take the hit head-on!

The Gundam Ground Type did not use its Beam Saber to counter, but instead continued to hold its shield in front.

Just before the two sides collided, the Gundam Ground Type ignited its backpack thrusters once more, using the sudden burst of acceleration to slam headlong into the Gouf Flight Type.

Sparks erupted where the heat blade met the shield, forcing both pilots to squint against the glare.

Yet neither dared to shield their eyes, both remaining vigilant for the other's next move.

However, it was not these two who broke the stalemate, but a missile arriving from above!

The missile struck the Gouf Flight Type's right arm, which held the blade, severing it directly from the shoulder joint.

"Is that... Amuro?"

Seeing what had just occurred, Eli turned his head toward the sky to the upper right.

He saw a classic red and blue aircraft approaching rapidly from that direction, firing another missile from its belly toward the Gouf Flight Type!

"What terrifying combat talent."

Watching the Gouf Flight Type forced to retreat to dodge the missile, Eli marveled at the results Amuro was achieving with nothing more than a Core Fighter.

"Mr. Eli, can you hear me! The White Base will soon have the Apsalus in range; Bright wants us to pin the Apsalus down!"

Amuro's voice came through the comms.

Eli immediately looked behind him and discovered that a massive shadow was indeed slowly approaching on the night horizon.

"Understood. Amuro, you can pull back; it's still too reckless to be in that machine."

After confirming the situation, Eli urged Amuro to retreat.

The battle here was largely under control, and Amuro's assistance was no longer needed.

"You were the one who told me to keep fighting as a pilot, and now you say something like that!"

To Eli's surprise, despite his well-intentioned concern that Amuro might be in danger flying the Core Fighter, Amuro immediately bristled.

Newtypes fresh to the field always struggle to restrain their overflowing emotions.

Two specks of light appeared on the horizon, and the friend-or-foe identification signal popped up on Eli's screen.

It didn't take long for Eli to clearly identify what those two specks actually were.

They were the chest and leg components of a Gundam.

Amuro piloted the Core Fighter, flying directly between the two components.

There was no dazzling transformation sequence; the Core Fighter simply retracted its wings and nose, docked with the components, and became that legendary Mobile Suit: the Gundam!

"Watch my combat closely!"

Standing tall upon the desert, the Gundam's eyes lit up, locking onto the retreating, one-armed Gouf Flight Type.

Immediately after, the thrusters on the Gundam's back erupted with brilliant blue light, propelling it forward at a speed far exceeding that of a Ground Type!

Eli watched everything Amuro did in a daze before continuing his advance.

However, he had no intention of assisting Amuro; instead, he headed toward Shiro Amada to join the attack on Norris's Gouf.

Their goal was to seize control of the Apsalus and then use the threat of the White Base's main cannon to force a surrender.

In this desolate, uninhabited place, the pilot would no longer be able to threaten them with self-destruction.

"Miss Aina, gain altitude immediately! Even if the Apsalus is totaled, you must make it back safely!"

Already struggling to hold his own, Norris felt a pang of despair as he saw another Gundam Ground Type charging from a different direction, and he secretly steeled his resolve.

"I will find a way to drive them off!"

Judging by the determination in his voice, it was clear that Norris had already decided to sacrifice himself to ensure Aina's escape.

But just as Norris was about to put his plan into action, a transmission came through from Ramba Ral.

"Don't be so discouraged; we still have a chance."