Unlike a regular launch, electromagnetic catapults were nothing new to Xu De—he had experienced them aboard an aircraft carrier in his previous life. But this was his first time being launched in a humanoid machine. He felt even more excited than nervous.
He liked fighter jets, of course, but what boy hadn't dreamed of piloting a robot?
This machine wasn't a Zaku, just a Ginn, and this wasn't a real battle, only a simulator. Still, Xu De couldn't help feeling even more thrilled.
Now he felt like a little bird taking to the sky for the first time after hatching.
It was a novel experience.
But even in the midst of his excitement, Xu De didn't forget why he was here.
At that moment, Hal had just finished getting briefly accustomed to the Ginn. He immediately charged toward Xu De without stopping.
Of course, his posture looked a little off. The verniers on his arms and legs weren't firing.
He was using only the main thruster, barreling toward Xu De as if he meant to headbutt him.
Clearly, Hal was no fool.
It was his first time piloting a machine, but if he treated the Ginn like a fighter jet, he wouldn't have to worry about anything else, would he?
As long as he kept his limbs still, he could keep the Mobile Suit in a relatively easy-to-control state.
After all, in that state, he didn't have to worry about the inertia caused by moving his limbs throwing the machine out of control.
It was arrogant, but not stupid.
Of course, this approach had its pros and cons. It reduced the amount of calculation required, but Xu De's analysis suggested that Hal was trading a 15% increase in controllability for a nearly 60% decrease in tactical flexibility.
There were too many verniers on the legs. The lower leg alone had three, and the sole of the foot had two—and that was just one leg.
In other words, if he gave up on using both legs entirely, he'd lose access to ten attitude-control verniers.
Even the Zeong had built-in thrusters in its skirt armor to help with propulsion. This machine didn't.
So yes, legs were useful.
For the Ginn, they were especially important.
Besides, although this was a duel, the main purpose was to test how well Natural pilots could control the machines.
Hal might as well have cut off both his legs and had the two of them fight in Moebius units instead.
Xu De had experience from his previous life, and was good at guessing what the people in charge were looking for—and what he needed to show to improve his chances of being selected.
He'd made it through the selection process for space pilots and fighter pilots that way.
And the competition here was nowhere near as fierce as it had been back then.
His previous opponents had all been genuine elites.
They were the sort of driven competitors who pushed themselves relentlessly, each one fueled by an ironclad conviction.
Most people here had been through the crucible of war, but apart from Moody, they were still too green.
Of course, the other spectators were watching Hal's performance in amazement.
"Didn't know you could do that. Hal's incredible."
"Right? Losing his legs hurts his combat ability, but it makes him easier to control. Sometimes, being a skilled pilot comes down to the tiniest details."
Hearing them discuss it, Draco, who had initially egged Hal on to take down Xu De, curled his lips in displeasure.
He'd overestimated Hal. Hal had actually chosen such an unsporting and completely useless fighting style.
But making a move without thinking did fit the other man's arrogant nature.
As he thought this, Xu De, still on the battlefield, didn't reach for his weapon. Instead, he quickly ducked into the wreckage behind him, disappearing from Hal's radar.
Of course, he wasn't moving as fast as he had in a Moebius.
And in space, just calculating inertia was enough to make Xu De's head throb.
Keeping his legs meant he'd be more agile, but the Coordinators hadn't simplified the operating system either.
The joints in a human leg alone had eight degrees of freedom.
That made sixteen between both legs. Even the slightest change in any one degree of freedom, combined with the force generated by the leg thrusters, could send the machine out of control.
Right now, simply using the auxiliary thrusters on his legs to move made him feel as if he were slogging through mud.
In short, he wasn't going to think about tactics just yet. First, he'd hide, get used to the machine, and wear down his opponent's patience until he made a mistake.
With that in mind, Xu De managed to land on a large piece of wreckage.
He managed not to eat dirt, but still stumbled and nearly twisted his ankle.
"Damn it! Come out and fight me one-on-one if you've got the guts!"
On the other side, Hal had lost sight of Xu De. He shouted taunts as he continued to spray his machine gun while flying.
His fire sent the wreckage tumbling through space.
Of course, none of it posed a threat to Xu De. He had more freedom of movement than Hal, who had crippled himself by abandoning his legs. Although he moved awkwardly, Hal's attack angle was just like a fighter jet's: limited to the area in front of him.
And since the Ginn hadn't been designed as a fighter jet in the first place, it was difficult to turn.
Of course, Xu De also found it difficult to aim at Hal.
There was too much wreckage, and his legs weren't very stable.
Xu De shifted around on the wreckage again, scanning the area with the monitor on his head. Before long, he spotted what he was looking for.
A derelict warship, an Agamemnon-class.
I'm used to the machine now.
With a plan in mind, Xu De didn't hesitate any longer.
He picked his moment, swung around half a circle, and opened fire on Hal as he came back around.
The muzzle flash from the 76mm Machine Gun barely managed to score a few hits on the outer armor of Hal's Ginn as he sped past. A few sparks scattered across the armor, but the shots didn't cause any real damage.
"You pesky rat! Die!!!"
Having finally pinpointed Xu De's location, Hal roared and charged at him.
Watching the scene unfold, everyone held their breath.
"Xu De's getting impatient. It would've been better to let Hal get flustered and wait for an opening."
"Exactly. He can barely control the Ginn, and he's clearly still clumsy."
"Is he asking to get himself killed?"
They huddled together, discussing the fight.
Their words still betrayed a certain contempt for Xu De.
Moody didn't join them. He simply watched the battle overhead, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
Then he quietly walked over to Draco, who was watching with a stern expression.
"Draco, what do you think?"
"What do you mean?" Draco asked coldly.
"Xu De's going to win."
Moody didn't take offense at his attitude. He simply continued with a good-natured smile.
"Let's work together. There are five spots here. If the three of us team up, we're practically guaranteed to make it."
Moody was sure Draco had looked into the relevant information as well.
That meant that besides Xu De, Draco was the biggest threat here. So if the three of them joined forces, they really would be secure.
All three were cautious, and they'd thoroughly investigated the others.
They'd have an overwhelming advantage over those idiots still cheering on Hal without a thought, waving their arms around and yelling.
Besides, there were five spots, not just one. They didn't need to fight each other to the death.
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