Why would I join the army if I can’t drive a Gundam!

Chapter 168 The Correct Way to Use Flight Pedals

"Is an unidentified MA attacking a bridge erected by engineers?"

How could the combat-ready Apsaras model have been put into use so quickly?
Marcarius could only sigh and say that when people are pushed to the limit, they will do anything. Apsaras, who should have only been testing the flight system, had already taken up arms and gone into battle.

"Halt the troops!"

"Andrew, set up an interception route for me!"

"But, Lieutenant Colonel, isn't our mission to advance?"

"The mission has changed; I'm going to meet that big guy!"

Makarius then replied.

Subsequently, a refined-looking captain wearing glasses could only begin map work on the electronic map in the command vehicle. He had been added to the combat group as a combat group staff officer after the Red Dragon was expanded, and was obviously not very familiar with his leader's style. Fortunately, Markarius was not a difficult leader to get along with, so everyone got along fairly well.

Soon, after combining Apsaras's combat data, Andrew gave Macarius a concise ambush route, and then the G3 Gundam soared into the sky atop the fully fueled Dedai.

However, halfway there, Makarius received bad news.

"That MA aircraft seems to have malfunctioned? Did it withdraw from the battlefield prematurely?"

He wasn't the only one feeling worse. After learning that Apsaras had achieved considerable success in its attack, Lieutenant General Yuri was eager for Apsaras to continue its offensive. The Federation's river crossing operation had only been interrupted for less than half a day, and then three battalions of Steelbely delivered the engineers' much-needed equipment.

So, in the early hours of the next day, the destroyed pontoon bridge was rebuilt across the Volga River. Watching the reconnaissance video showing tanks and mobile suits being transported across the river, Lieutenant General Yuri wished he could transform into Apsaras and fly over to blow up all the Federation troops one by one.

He could only urge Kinias to repair Apsaras as soon as possible before continuing his sabotage mission.

Kinias wanted to refuse, but Yuri offered too many benefits, even promising to hand over his other two MS-07H experimental flying tigers to Kinias.

So, without completely solving the reactor problem, and after only modifying the counterweight, Apsaras once again set off from the base with a full load of sensors. Looking at the test data that kept coming in, Kinias couldn't help but feel relieved. As long as Aina didn't have any problems, and this continued for a few more times, he would be able to collect all the data completely, and then he could use it for the development of the next model.

However, Kinias soon realized that he had been too happy!

After the last attack, the Federation forces strengthened airspace control and vigilance in the river crossing area, and ground-based air defense firepower was also adequately replenished. As a result, Apsaras was caught red-handed by the high-flying reconnaissance aircraft before it even got close.

Then, an entire squadron of Swordfish fighters charged toward Aina.

The piercing alarm kept echoing in Aina's ears, which also exposed Apsaras's problem: apart from that cannon, it had no other offensive equipment.

Meanwhile, the mobile suits guarding Apsaras were still behind, so Aina could only let her armor withstand the missile attacks head-on. Fortunately, this thing was a mobile armor, so the air-to-air missiles could only scratch the armor, but forget about any subsequent surprise attacks.

The Federation forces are now like bees whose hive has been blown up, with countless mobile suits, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, and even attack helicopters all mobilized and surging towards them like a tsunami.

"Damn it, Miss Aina, we have to retreat!"

Even an elite pilot like Norris felt a chill run down his spine when he saw the dense cluster of red dots on the radar.

"I understand!"

Apsaras immediately made an emergency maneuver at low altitude, and a dense hail of bullets was already flying towards it. The guards following Apsaras did not even dare to get close, and could only use various weapons to organize interception fire as much as possible.

Norris then quickly covered Apsaras's retreat. After retreating nearly 100 kilometers, he was relieved to find that the Swordfish fighters that were pursuing him most closely had already returned to base.

"Alright, it seems we're safe now..."

Before the word "all" could be finished, a Zeon reconnaissance plane maintaining vigilance on the perimeter issued a warning.

"Escort team, an unidentified target is rapidly approaching at an altitude of 1200 meters on course 220!"

"Only one objective?"

"Only one!"

"Is that guy crazy? He dares to chase us all by himself?"

Norris, riding on Dede, immediately frowned.

Can you identify what it is?

"This appears to be a German-made stepper, but the IFF isn't responding. Wait, what's this signal...?"

The reconnaissance plane paused for a moment, then let out a loud shout.

"Holy crap, it's a Gundam! The guard squad has been confirmed to be a Federation Gundam!"

"Aina, leave immediately!"

Norris's expression changed drastically, and he immediately steered the vehicle, preparing to intercept the incoming Federation Gundam.

Soon, he saw the red figure riding on the pedals.

"Red Gundam, Red Dragon?"

Norris felt a bitter taste in his mouth. If it were any other Federation ace, he might have a chance of winning, but against Red Dragon, the Federation pilot who had ruthlessly shot down one Zeon ace after another, Norris didn't think he had any chance of winning.

"But so what? Come on, Gundam!"

Norris's special-equipped tiger raised its rapid-fire machine gun and thermal blade, and like an ancient knight, launched a tragic charge towards the red dragon.

The two scooters sped towards each other, but Markarius easily left Norris's barrage behind. Seeing that the machine gun attacks posed little threat to the opponent, Norris gripped his sword tightly, preparing to inflict heavy damage when the two machines clashed.

But to Norris's surprise, just as they were about to collide, Makarius suddenly executed a barrel roll maneuver that grazed past him, causing his longsword attack to miss.

As the two machines passed each other, Macarius swung his gun and fired a 75mm sniper bullet at the foot pedal of the opponent. Norris could only watch helplessly as Macarius flashed past like a gust of wind, while his machine could only glide along the foot pedal with its power destroyed and drift shakily toward the ground.

And in that instant, he also heard Makarius's communication.

"Sorry, old man, I still prefer pretty girls!"

Did he know Aina's identity?

Norris's eyes were wide open, but all he could do at that moment was frantically punching the air while simultaneously sending warnings to Aina over the comms.

"Aina, run! Run!"

Norris?

"That guy's coming for you, run!"

Aina, sitting in the cockpit, wanted to turn around to help. Its main gun hadn't been used yet, so there was no need to worry about overheating. But just as Apsaras turned around, Macarius, riding on the footrest, raised his sniper rifle.

"It shouldn't explode, right?"

With these thoughts in mind, Markarius then pulled the trigger on the main gun.

Four shells flew out in succession. Two of them missed Apsaras's gun barrels because both sides were floating in the air, but the next two high-explosive shells hit the barrels.

Then, a small burst of fire erupted from the main gun position of Apsaras, followed by billowing black smoke.

"The main gun has been damaged!"

"You go quickly, guards, stop him!"

Norris's voice even trembled. He couldn't imagine what would happen if Aina were to be harmed. At this moment, the heart of this steadfast and reliable family guard was consumed by immense regret, helplessness, and pain. He hated his own powerlessness at this moment, being able to watch helplessly as the red dragon attacked Apsaras, and he was powerless to do anything about it.

"Norris!"

Aina Saharin could only control the machine to turn around and accelerate, while Macarius, riding on the footrest, glanced at the map at a leisurely pace, then raised the rifle that had just been reloaded and deliberately aimed at Apsaras's right side to start firing.

The high-speed armor-piercing projectile grazed Apsaras's armor and flew into the distance, making a crisp sound upon impact, forcing Aina to turn around.

"This is the right direction!"

Makarius recalled the detailed structural diagram of Apsaras from his memory, then raised his rifle again and pulled the trigger. He had deliberately brought a 75mm sniper rifle. Apsaras's armor was quite resistant to live bullets and could even withstand direct fire from a 180mm cannon, but it was not very resistant to beam weapons. If he switched to a beam rifle, Makarius was confident that he could finish the fight within six shots.

However, his goal is to capture the machine, not destroy it, so a 75mm live ammunition sniper rifle would be a good choice.

As the crisp sound of cannon fire rang out again, a round bullet hole appeared on the rear armor of Apsaras, and Aina also saw the machine's alarm. The machine's output power was decreasing and Apsaras's speed was slowing down.

Meanwhile, Makarius was also intercepted by a Zaku squad. Three Zakus, riding on their flight pedals, desperately blocked his way, and this time, Makarius showed no mercy.

He raised his sniper rifle and, while moving at high speed, gradually predicted the enemy's movement route. The moment he sensed the point of overlap, he pulled the trigger.

The two gunshots rang out less than a second apart. Then, two high-speed armor-piercing rounds flew out one after the other, hitting the front of a Zaku and the cockpit of the flight platform beneath its feet in turn.

Then, the headless Zaku could only spiral downwards toward the ground, accompanied by the pilot's screams, as the out-of-control flight pedals spun out of control.

Then, Macarius flicked out his left-hand lightsaber and slashed down without even looking. The second Dede that passed by him was cut in half by the beam saber. The Zaku pilot on the Dede reacted quickly and tried to jump onto Macarius's platform, but as soon as the machine took off, a sniper rifle was pressed against his chest.

Makarius then reversed the pedals, turning his machine around and aiming at the third Dedai that passed by. As the last round in the magazine was fired, the Zaku on the Dedai lost control and slid off the pedals. After eliminating this blocking squad, Makarius accelerated again and chased after Apsaras.

"Amuro, I'm almost done here. How's the situation on your end?"

"We have rendezvoused with Squad 08, and their captain is already preparing to intercept them as ordered!"

"Okay, that's good. Tell him he's not allowed to use beam weapons!"

"understand!"

Makarius didn't come to intercept Apsaras on a whim. After the previous interception failed, he had a plan and had the entire battle group begin deployment. Naturally, this plan also needed a protagonist. The Southeast Asian Mixed Brigade, under the leadership of its commander, was eager to take credit and rush to the forefront of the entire army. So, Makarius immediately conscripted men from its subordinate 08 squad.

At this moment, Makarius is driving the gradually slowing Apsalas into the trap as planned.

After confirming that they were not far from the target area, Marcarius, who was hanging behind Apsaras, calmly fired another shell at the machine in front of him. This shell was still aimed at the power lines inside Apsaras's machine, relying on the broken shrapnel to damage it.

Apsaras's speed and altitude also decreased again. Seeing that the machine had begun to sound the alarm, Aina Saharin knew that she had to find a way to save herself. Just then, a rift appeared in front of her. If she entered the rift, she could shake off the Gundams chasing her from behind.

So she immediately lowered her altitude and flew toward the rift valley.

Just as they were about to enter the rift, suddenly, a barrier net used to prevent mobile suits from landing on warships sprang up from the ground and covered Apsaras. Aina instinctively tried to increase the power to climb, and then a ground combat Gundam emerged from the height of the rift.

"Don't try to escape!"

Lieutenant Shiro Amada heard the Gundam pilot's words echo in his ears: if he wanted to be happy for the rest of his life, he must never let go.

After leaping from the height, the Ground Gundam landed on top of Apsaras with its cockpit door open. The impact caused Apsaras, which was already lacking power due to engine failure, to fall towards the ground. At this moment, Aina in the cockpit suddenly saw the Ground Gundam with its cockpit door wide open, and Amada Shirou, who was tightly restrained in the cockpit by the seat belt.

"Shirou, how could it be you?"

Meanwhile, Shirou Amada was completely unaware that the pilot of the other party was the very person he had been longing for day and night. He was still punching Apsaras frantically, making the outer shell rattle loudly.

Then, the two machines plummeted down into the rift valley, leaving a long skid mark on the ground.

At this moment, Makarius had already returned to the air on the pedals, because behind him, there was a tail following him, which was Norris, who had changed pedals, and another squad of Zaku.

"Sir, we've spotted Apsaras! There's a Federation Gundam!"

"Not the Red Dragon?"

Although Norris was extremely anxious, he did not rush to launch an attack. Instead, he searched around for traces of the enemy until he noticed something moving above his head.

"That guy is right above us!"

Marcarius piloted the scooter at high speed, plunging down over the heads of the Zeon. When he was not far from them, he suddenly leaped off the scooter and launched it like a javelin at the flying Zeon squad.

The moment the pedal flew into the enemy formation, Makarius raised his weapon in mid-air and fired repeatedly at the pedal.

The next second, he blasted the platform to pieces, and the Zeonzaku squad around the platform and the flight platform under his feet were also swept up in the explosion. Now, the only survivor is Norris's special tiger.

Then, Makarius maneuvered his machine onto the other's platform. The quick-reacting Zeon ace drew his sword to attack, but after landing, Makarius pointed his gun downwards and pulled the trigger. The platform carrying the two men then began to fall to the ground, emitting black smoke.

"Norris!"

Aina, covered in smoky makeup, climbed out of the cockpit and cried out in grief. Shirou Amada was startled when he heard her voice, and then jumped out of the cockpit without regard for his own life, landing on Apsaras and looking at Aina kneeling on the ground.

"how come?"

However, what Aina was worried about did not happen. The platform fell at a slow speed, so the Special Tiger and G3 Gundam were both unharmed and landed safely on the ground.

"Did you plan all of this? What are you planning?"

Norris saw Aina crying and immediately realized that everything she had done was clearly premeditated and planned long ago.

“Give the Sakhalin family a chance to live, Norris. You don’t want to see the Sakhalin family wiped out, do you?”

The specially equipped tiger did not answer, but the lit battle blade still conveyed its meaning.

“I’m serious. The Sakhalin family is doomed to die if they follow the current Zeon. I can help you revive your family!”

Who are you referring to?

"Referring to myself and the people behind me. You should know my name, shouldn't you?"

"That's not up to me!"

"That's why I specially invited you all here!"

"Look, your young lady is already hugging her sweetheart!"

Seeing Aina being held in Shirou Amada's arms, Norris was instantly enraged. How the hell is a wild boar rooting up his own cabbage?!

If it weren't for Macarius standing in front of him, Norris would have already been preparing to use his heat blade to give Shirou Amada a back stomp!

Despite confirming that the person in front of him had no obvious malicious intent, Norris did not surrender. Instead, he coldly replied.

"Then beat me first!"

"Sigh, you retainers, why are you all so stubborn! If you want to fight, go find that guy!"

Markarius looked at the specially made tiger in front of him and sighed helplessly.

"I'll beat you up first, then I'll go find him!"

"In this case!"

Marcarius dropped his rifle and then flicked out his beam saber.

"G3 Gundam, Makarius Skriny, please guide me!"

"Tiger B3, Norris Baccard!"

Then, G3 Gundam stepped forward first, its beam saber flashing brilliantly before stabbing at the special-armored tiger.

Norris quickly parried with his sword, forcefully deflecting Macarius's saber. The two machines then engaged in a fierce battle. After exchanging blows more than ten times, Norris, who was being pressured, suddenly swung out his electric whip with his left hand, attempting to catch Macarius off guard.

"This is what you've been waiting for!"

Marcarius gripped the saber with his left hand and cleanly sliced the returning electric whip into three pieces. Then, the machine delivered a powerful spinning kick, striking the special-armored tiger in the chest.

Norris was knocked off balance by the kick, and after turning around, Markarius delivered another powerful kick, sending the special-armored tiger sprawling to the ground. The longsword in his hand flew out of his grasp and then dimmed.

Seeing the beam saber extended towards his cockpit, Norris simply gave up resisting and prepared to be stabbed. But the next second, Macarius turned off the switch.

"You won't kill me?"

"If I kill you, someone will cry. I'm sorry, but I don't want to see anyone shed tears. So, come out. Aren't you hungry after fighting for so long?"

"What a strange guy!"

Norris lay in the cockpit with a smile on his lips. He then dropped his weapons and climbed out of the Special Tiger. He then saw that the rift, which had been empty just moments before, was now filled with a large number of Federation mobile suits, with Steel Beli transport planes flying overhead.

However, that was no longer relevant to Norris. Escorted by the Ground Gundam of Squad 08, Norris had already gone to reunite with Aina.

"Are you alright, miss?"

"It's alright, Norris, it's so good that you're still alive!"

Aina breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the person who had accompanied her like a father during her childhood was unharmed.

"Yes, the Red Dragon spared me!"

Norris replied gently with a slight smile.

However, he then saw Shirou Amada standing to the side, looking bewildered.

"Who is this guy?"

"Hello, my name is Shirou Amada, and I am a second lieutenant in the Federation Army!"

Faced with Norris's scrutiny, Amada Shirou was at a loss for words and hurriedly replied.

Then, a solid, powerful punch landed on his face, sending him flying.

"Then you'd better stay away from my young lady!"