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

Chapter 252 The Defeated Order
"Fire, fire!"

Despite being diagnosed with a severe concussion, Elder Doni did not choose to lie in the field hospital and wait for treatment. Instead, he jumped onto the last Zaku tank and joined the few remaining monks in the final battle against the Federation forces.

The pincer attack from the Federation forces completely shattered the Monk Corps' deployment. In particular, the assault led by Makarius directly severed the Monk Corps' connection with the main ammunition depot. Although the main ammunition depot was also not captured by the Federation forces, the South Sea Alliance was also unable to obtain ammunition replenishment. This forced many mobile suits to fight against the fully armed Federation forces with only heat axes, and the result was predictable!

Now, the monk soldiers in the base have been completely divided up. Zani is commanding the largest one. They are currently guarding a defensive line built on a natural cave inside the volcano base. Behind them is the oldest temple of the Nanyang Alliance in the volcano base, where the elders who took in Lei Fanhu are sitting cross-legged.

Despite the fierce battle taking place only a few thousand meters away from them, these withered old monks seemed completely unaffected, sitting upright on their prayer mats, still burning incense and chanting sutras.

In fact, the chanting of these elders was quite effective, at least providing the monk soldiers with a lot of spiritual support. Their communication channels, apart from the commander's orders to mobilize personnel, were constantly filled with the obscure and difficult chanting.

For ordinary soldiers, the sound might seem excessively loud, but for the monk soldiers, it was like heavenly music.

Just then, a new commotion came from the rear of the Federation Army's attacking column. Then, under the watchful eyes of the monk soldiers in front, the half-crippled Zaku, which was being used as a shield, was carried to the front by Gundam.

Then, with a simple gesture, Makarius brought the Federation army's gunfire to an abrupt halt.

"Ceasefire!"

Doni looked at the psycho-powered Zaku, and his already dizzy body was in pain again, even vomiting blood.

"I'm giving you one last chance: lay down your weapons, surrender, accept trial under federal law, and hand over Rafan Hu!"

Makarius's voice was then transmitted to Doni's ears via public channels.

The sound made Donnie's vision go black, and his chest felt increasingly heavy, as if he were being choked and unable to breathe.

He wanted to refuse loudly, but his body simply couldn't support him. Donnie could only pat his driver, signaling him to respond.

"We refuse!"

A young novice monk, whose voice had not yet changed, responded in a clear, crisp voice.

"So, you're going to take your brainwashed child soldiers with you even in death, Elder Doni? That's so typical of you Zeon people!"

Marcarius shook Kado again. At this moment, Kado had fallen into a coma. The phantom pain of losing limbs, coupled with the violent shaking of his body, triggered his body's protective mechanisms. However, Kado quickly woke up again.

Because when the monk ignored Macarius's warning and chose to continue fighting, he directly used Kado's psychic Zaku as a projectile and hurled it at the Nanyang Alliance mobile suit that was crouching around the corner.

The NT1 activated all its rear-facing thrusters the instant it launched the Zaku. Propelled by its ferocious power, the Macarius mobile suit charged into the South Pacific Alliance's defensive formation like a bull, its Chobham armor providing high protection against the incoming fire.

Although other parts besides those protected by the Chobham armor also showed signs of impact, even leaving charred bullet holes, the NT1's actions did not slow down in the slightest. As the roaring MG79 swung around, a Magella was destroyed by a top-down attack, and another Zani behind the defensive line also fell with bullet holes all over its body.

After emptying his rifle, Makarius decisively dropped it, drew his beam spear, and with a thrust, pierced through the heart of the Zani he had thrown using the Zaku wreckage as a weapon.

Meanwhile, facing the infantry at his feet, Makarius activated the posture nozzles on his feet. The high-temperature flames from the posture nozzles became flamethrowers to sweep away the infantry, turning each monk soldier into a human torch.

After retracting the beam spear, Macarius slammed on the pedal, causing NT1 to leap into the air again. As he jumped, he didn't forget to pick up the Zaku's remains again to use as a shield.

When NT1 landed again, it landed in front of another Zani. The latter was holding a thermal axe and wanted to attack, but it hesitated when it saw the wreckage of the Zaku. Then, the beam spear pierced through its body again.

"mean!"

Two Zanis were blocking Makarius's way, and the pilots inside immediately started cursing.

"Since you're already using human experimentation and child soldiers, stop pretending to be so pure. If you have something to say, go talk nonsense to Lei Fan!"

Marcarius threw Kado's remains at another machine, then turned and charged at a second machine. His beam spear seemed to be thrusting straight at Zani, but it suddenly changed direction just as Zani was about to block. Then, the blade pierced Zani's right leg from below.

The pilot of the Zani, whose wreckage he had thrown at him, finally felt relieved. He punched away the incoming debris and was about to rush to help his comrades when NT1, as if it had eyes in the back of its head, suddenly retracted the spear that had severed the leg of the second Zani. Then, with a 180-degree turn, the beam spear stabbed at the first Zani. The latter barely managed to block two thrusts with its thermal axe before being knocked away by the third shot. Then, Markarius raised his spear and slashed diagonally, the blade cutting through Zani's chest. Zani immediately spewed out large amounts of electric sparks, like a waterfall, which Markarius then picked up and spun another 180 degrees, piercing the cockpit of the second Zani with the severed leg. When Markarius withdrew his spear, the first Zani, which was still spewing out waterfall-like electric sparks, finally collapsed to its knees, losing its balance and falling heavily to the ground.

Elder Doni now understands why the NT1 Gundam was always only assigned to Macarius to pilot: only in Macarius's hands could this terrifying machine unleash its full potential.

In its armed mode, lacking a long-range rifle and armed only with a 60mm head cannon and a beam spear, NT1 pierced through the desperate defenses of the monks with a single punch. No single unit could withstand NT1, and no one could harm it. Emerging from the smoke and fire, NT1, still bearing the crater of a Zaku with its dazzling heat, appeared before Doni, carrying the mangled remains of a Zaku.

Behind Markarius lay the wreckage of mobile suits scattered across the ground, along with a few monk prisoners of war trying to rescue their wounded comrades from the pile of wreckage. Federation mobile suits were still finishing off the destroyed wreckage piece by piece, ensuring that it was completely destroyed.

"So, where is Lei Fanhu?"

After tossing the wreckage of the Zaku next to Doni's Zaku tank, Macarius tapped the tank's hull with the butt of his spear. The Zaku's only shoulder-fired 105mm recoilless rifle had been destroyed by him, and its two mechanical arms had been severed by the beam spear. The only usable weapon now was the machine gun mounted in front of its body. Despite the presence of numerous Federation infantrymen loitering right in front of them, Doni and his driver dared not fire a shot.

Doni even pulled the terrified novice monk into his arms.

"The monk has his own place to go!"

"Really? So you know where he went, but you don't want to say!"

Marcarius then pointed to a group of cult elders being escorted by infantry not far away.

"If you don't tell, I'll sink them all into the sea one by one, and then tell the entire Southeast Asian Alliance that it was Lei Fanhu who did it!" "You, despicable! Is this the only thing the Federal Army can do?"

"Please, what makes you think I'd give you any special treatment after you first slaughtered civilians as a Zeon and then came here as a monk to continue opposing the Federation? Guess where you and the little brat in your arms will be sent afterward. I think the inhabitants of Loom or Moore's universe will be very happy to welcome you!"

"I didn't do those things, I was just an ordinary armored soldier!"

“Go tell this to the other cosmic inhabitants who have lost loved ones. I’ll ask you one more time: Where is Ray Fanhu?”

"I………"

Looking at the trembling little novice in his arms, and then at the cult elder who had been escorted to the high platform of the volcano base by the Federation soldiers, Donny roared and then cried out in pain.

"The abbot said he wanted to settle old scores! He and some of the Zeon veterans we've taken in left through the base's underground passages!"

"Great! Remember to give my regards to my fellow countrymen in Lum when you see them!"

Then, Makarius maneuvered his machine around and left.

"Command, where is the Spartan now?"

"Preparing to land at our forward operating base, Colonel. What are your orders?"

Soon, Captain Vincent Parker's voice came through the communication channel.

"Raise the battle alarm! Get out of there immediately! Captain Parker, Revan Hu is looking for Lieutenant Commander Monica!"

Marcarius maneuvered his machine and sped along the passage he had come from, managing to contact Long Hexi, who was clearing out the remaining enemies inside the base, and send him a map of the base.

"Colonel, what did you say?"

"Revan Hu is leading a force to attack the Spartan. You are the target. Leave immediately, I am in pursuit!"

Makarius repeated it again.

"Dragon, have your squad go to the control room immediately and open the mountain gate!"

Although he didn't like the look of that kid Jamitov, Makarius couldn't just sit by and watch a dignified Federation Army lieutenant general get taken down. That wouldn't just be a blow to the Federation Army's reputation, it would be a disgrace to him. The Federation Army's top ace couldn't protect his flagship and commander, and if word got out, he would be a laughingstock!

And most importantly, there is a field hospital in the Federation Army's forward base, where Sierra is also located!

At this moment, Macarius was maneuvering his mech at full speed through the volcano base. He didn't even have time to replenish his mech's depleted weapons and equipment. He grabbed a GM MG79 and hurriedly headed towards the hangar gate of the volcano base.

Knowing the urgency of the situation, Long led his Gilai squad at breakneck speed to the base's main control room, which had been occupied by the Federation forces. However, due to the fierce fighting inside the base, various lines were damaged. Seeing that the hangar doors were not responding, Long, in a fit of anxiety, simply called in another squad of Water GMs. Together with his Gilai squad, the eight mobile suits rushed to the hangar doors and managed to break the door's fixing levers with their own strength.

Then, they pulled open the disguised door that opened from top to bottom.

At that moment, Makarius also arrived from the core area of ​​the base.

"Colonel, I have not failed you!"

"Thanks for your hard work!"

Without time for formalities, Makarius grabbed the Deda flight pedals that the Tainan Yang Alliance was equipped with and stepped on them. He then discovered that this thing was the old-fashioned kind, requiring manual piloting, unlike the manually remote-controlled dual-model aircraft currently used by the Federation Army.

"Sir, there might be a problem with these flight pedals. Let me check them!"

As soon as Ryu saw the NT1's posture, he knew that Markarius must be in a very awkward situation, so he immediately ran over and climbed into the cockpit, then started the pedals.

While Makarius was rushing from the volcano base, Sera was also extremely busy at the forward base. Although most of the fighting was being handled by mobile suits, the Federation infantry still undertook some of the combat missions. Therefore, after the battle began, quite a few wounded soldiers were sent to the field hospital.

Fortunately, most of the injuries were not fatal. They could be treated simply and then transported by transport plane to the North Ganbaru base, which is closest to Taal. However, there were also seriously wounded. The resistance from the Nanyang Alliance was still fierce. In close-quarters infantry combat, a moment of carelessness could cost lives.

As Sera wearily walked out of the operating room, escorted by several nurses to the ward of an infantryman who had been barely saved after being shot in the neck, she suddenly felt the earth shake violently.

"Can these space force guys please stop flying around like that? This is a hospital!"

A nurse looked up, cursing, and saw a huge shadow slowly trying to rise from the ground—it was the Spartan, which had received the alarm.

Just as everyone glanced at the Spartan and continued working, suddenly, a dense swarm of missiles flew out from the woods to the left of the forward base, leaving white trails, and bombarded the Spartan's port deck.

"Enemy attack! Retreat!"

Sierra, being a veteran, saw the missile appear and dragged several new recruits along a stretcher towards the bunker. It wasn't until she had run dozens of meters away that the alarm sounded throughout the forward base.

(End of this chapter)