Gundam: From Piece to Player

Another round of unremarkable barrage of bullets swept over the white base.

"Deploy intercepting barrage!"

The interceptor missile was activated on the platform, and the detonated metal jet intercepted the barrage. Unlike ordinary barrages, the flashes of light from this barrage also shrouded the bridge of the white base in intense light.

Flashbang? Thinking it was a flash from a gunshot wound, Brad quickly shouted, "Everyone, prepare for an assault!"

The white base is incapable of large-scale maneuvering, and being hit is probably inevitable.

However, there was no impact. When the bright light faded and vision returned, the window in front of them was shrouded in thick fog. The intercepting beams fired by the warship seemed to hit a wall. Several shells exploded under the white base armor, causing a violent tremor.

"Smoke grenade...no, that's not right." Alarm bells rang in Brad's mind as he recalled a type of ammunition that resembled the one used by Karma Zabi's Gundam.

"Is it a beam-reflecting disruption screen?"

"Captain, infrared thermal imaging has detected 30 mobile suits (MS) rapidly approaching our ship."

CIC reported to Brad, who did not hesitate to commit to the ace.

"Let Lieutenant Sugai pilot the Gundam into battle!"

Chapter 128 Unit 2 VS Unit 3

Gundam Unit 3 crashed into the ground with a resounding thud, drawing the Luna Titanium alloy standard short sword from its waist and attaching it to the grappling hook.

Within the beam disruption screen, beam weapons became ineffective, forcing Unit 3 to resort to melee weapons for attacks, but this did not diminish its efficiency in the slightest.

Its hand is equipped with a Luna titanium alloy standard short sword at the end of a grappling hook modified for decisive battle, which shoots into the enemy's body like a crossbow bolt when fired.

In the blink of an eye, the weapon thrown by Unit 3 had pierced through one of the Great Demon's monitors.

Unit 3 immediately locked the grappling hook length and, with the machine's output power, pulled hard, slicing the Dom from head to belly. Although it didn't explode, the mobile suit was dead along with its pilot.

After killing the Great Demon, Unit 3 immediately chose other targets. With the increasingly accurate sense of distance in Shiko's mind, almost every attack was lethal.

Even if the cockpit cannot be destroyed immediately, the output of Unit 3 can be used during grappling hook recovery to inflict irreversible damage on the enemy's mobile suit like a Tyrannosaurus Rex biting.

In just two minutes, Shiko single-handedly destroyed nine Zeon mobile suits.

They managed to turn the tide against the enemy's tactical advantage of using photon disruption tactics combined with live-fire weapons.

But Shiko's expression did not relax, because while she was wreaking havoc, the identification signals of her eight steel cannons... had all disappeared without her noticing.

There were no explosions or flashes in the direction of the attack, meaning the enemy also struck in close-quarters combat.

—Some of the bloodthirsty Shiko realized that the enemy's 30 MS were there to destroy artillery steel cannons to protect their own artillery positions. Despite heavy losses, the Zeon forces still completed their mission.

As the smoke cleared, Shiko saw that Kutai Jion's one-eyed machine had turned and retreated.

"Still trying to run?"

Shiko floored the throttle of Unit 3, and the powerful thrust propelled Unit 3 out of the photon interference barrier's range within two seconds.

He switched his weapon to a beam rifle, aimed at a Dom, and pulled the trigger.

The attack failed to pierce the giant demon as expected. A green Zaku jumped out from the side, holding a shield to block the attack for its teammate.

Are Zaku's shields really that big?

Putting everything else aside, is this shield somehow treated to protect against beams?

Shizi easily associated it with a certain red Zaku... Isn't this just an ordinary Zaku?

But there still looks like there are pipes, and they're not in the database. Is it some kind of modification that she doesn't know about?

Although he was defending with his shield, the opponent did not give up the counterattack. He lowered his shield slightly, rested his gun on the shield with his other hand, and aimed the main monitor at him, only his forehead visible.

Shiko found it all quite amusing... The distance was too great for a shotgun, and the Zaku machine gun couldn't penetrate the armor at all.

Just as Shiko was about to use her arm to take the hit... a tingling sensation from head to toe made her tense up and instinctively move the control lever.

The beam of light from the enemy's gun grazed his abdomen and waist... a beam rifle?

Realizing that the opponent was a formidable foe, Shiko urged Unit 3 to take out its shield. Under the effect of the magnetic coating, Unit 3's movements also left afterimages. Another beam attack was launched, and the heat melted a small hole in Unit 3's shield, which hit the machine body. Fortunately, it caused no serious damage.

Shiko then attached the Luna Titanium Alloy standard short sword to the special hook-lock mechanism... aimed at the strange Zaku and launched it again, but it was blocked by the opponent's shield.

"It's not over yet."

In mid-air, Unit 3 swung the chain, and the standard short sword, under the action of centrifugal force, slung towards the enemy aircraft, while the steel cable wrapped around and around the strange Zaku.

Unit 3 pulled on the grappling hook with one hand and drew its beam saber with the other, intending to get close and finish off the opponent.

The enemy's armor began to bulge, and the overflowing liquid began to seep into the cables.

She tried to pull the rope back, but found it stuck to the ground and difficult to move.

Unit 3 began to grapple with it, intending to use its thrust advantage to pull the other over, but found that the Zaku's output was ridiculously high.

It wasn't until Shiko used the Vulcan cannon on the Gundam's head to shoot at the single-eyed monitor on its head, dissolving the substances attached to its head, that she was able to see the double-eyed human face beneath it.

"Lei Jun's second unit?"

To Shiko's astonishment, the machine waved its hands, and the liquid from the broken water sphere on the MS surface, which had just been crushed by the rope, solidified into a solid. The brittle residue along with the steel rope was also broken and destroyed.

It left a trail of afterimages as it swiftly charged towards Shiko.

Unit 3 immediately cut the steel cable that had lost its recovery function and rushed towards Unit 2.

"Just because you're piloting a Gundam, does that mean you're an ace?" Shiko cursed as she charged.

Unit 3's beam saber clashed with Unit 2's beam saber. After separating again, Setsuna Shiko activated the head-mounted Vulcan cannon and fired indiscriminately at Unit 2. Unit 2's mobility was on full display at this moment, easily dodging the Vulcan cannon's firing path. Even when hit, the hits were only to the thick armored parts that were not a problem.

Shizi became increasingly impatient.

She also saw that the enemy's binocular monitors had turned "red" at that moment.

Its beam saber slashed out and embedded itself hard into Unit 3's shield. With the help of acceleration, it pulled down and cut the Luna titanium alloy shield in two.

He then lunged forward and, surprisingly, clenched his fist and punched Unit 3 squarely in the face.

Although the damage wasn't significant, it thoroughly enraged Shiko.

In the next instant, a sense of crisis exploded in Shiko's mind like an electric current. She instinctively controlled the control stick to make the machine descend. A grenade flew past the nose of Unit 3 and exploded behind her.

Having dodged the fatal blow, Shiko seized the opportunity to draw her beam saber and stab it into the enemy's cockpit, intending to force them to retreat.

Instead of retreating, the opponent accelerated forward and crashed into Unit 3. Shiko's misjudgment caused the beam saber to miss its mark completely.

Meanwhile, the beam saber on Unit 2's handle swung upwards, severing Unit 3's arm.

Shiko desperately tried to retreat, but the enemy was as swift as death itself.

The beam saber remains poised to strike.

After a misoperation by Unit 3, Unit 2 successfully closed in and slashed Unit 3 in half from the abdomen.

Even Shiko had to marvel at the swiftness of the attack—her opponent had completely anticipated her attack and countered it with deadly precision.

Am I going to die?

Shizi's story flashed by almost two or three times; she silently accepted her fate.

However, its body was not melted by the beam saber, the machine in front of it was not completely cut in half, and its reddened eyes returned to blue.

Just as she was thinking this.

The opponent swung the beam saber at her again, and even Shiko couldn't help but close her eyes.

Can't you just give me a quick death?

When she opened her eyes again, the screen had gone completely black, and a sickeningly loud crashing sound came from the cockpit.

Then Shiko could no longer see any information from outside, because all the sensors on the outside of the cockpit had been cut off. Judging from the various vibrations coming from the machine, she thought that the torso of the machine had been captured.

...She drew her pistol, not to fight back, but to hesitate about whether to give up her life.

She killed so many Zeon pilots, so they probably won't let her go so easily. Even if she survives, she'll likely face all sorts of humiliation and torture.

Damn it... the hatred for my parents.

"Gundam pilot, listen up! You have been captured. Our military will abide by the Antarctic Treaty. Please do not engage in any self-harming behavior, as this will damage our military's reputation."

The voice coming through the communication surprised Shiko... Why was it a little girl?

Chapter 129 The snow here is quiet

The battlefield is a casino where winners can gain military merit and even make a name for themselves in history.

The losers were captured or killed in battle, becoming stepping stones for the enemy in history books.

The enemy's mobile suit forces were repelled, and the mission was basically completed... But Brad wasn't too happy because one of the pilots had been killed in action.

This is Captain Long's first time.

Amuro was the second time... because he was captured, everyone was worried that he would be tortured, but he soon returned to television and was promoted by Zeon as an "anti-war" role model, to the point that Brad felt it was a waste of his feelings.

The third time is this time... Miss Shiko's fate is unknown. Judging from the brutality of the battlefield, Brad believes she has most likely died in battle.

The watch had less than 20 seconds left, and the armored vanguard of the 4th Army had already crossed the pontoon bridge, stepped onto the second line of defense, and begun to pour in.

The overall situation is settled.

"Lieutenant Millais, increase the altitude to 500 meters. We're nearing our limit."

“Yes.” Milley suppressed his emotions as he increased the power of the Minovsky flight levitation system at the white base… Like a submarine, gaining altitude within the atmosphere was relatively simple.

People on the white base were crying, while the Eastern Army Group's 4th Corps command ship, the "Peter the Great," was already celebrating in vodka.

The Eastern Army Group headquarters were drinking and singing at the same time:

"Keqiusha stands on that beautiful bank, her song like the bright spring sunshine~ The girl sings a beautiful song~ She sings of the eagles of the grassland~"

—Kotyusha

Including Bruce, the 4th Army was predominantly composed of Slavs.

Don't get me wrong, these soldiers have no nostalgia for the state that existed when the song was created... they simply think the song is nice.

"This is the impregnable defensive line that Zeon touted, the line that the General Staff claimed would require 130 million men to take down. I crossed it in a mere 30 minutes... I heard that kid started digging it as soon as he came to Earth. This defensive line is much weaker than the Maginot Line."

Even a cautious person like Bruce couldn't help but feel proud of such a victory.

The most difficult hurdle of the second line of defense (landing and establishing a bridgehead) has been overcome. All that is needed is to continuously add strength to the bridgehead and expand the battle line, and then the Zeon army's defensive advantage will eventually be neutralized.