Everyone returned to Diva without incident, while Don Boyaji and Ractor Elmelda went back to their respective fleets to prepare for departure. As for Yang Hui... he might be the only one injured, and the injury was caused by his own people.
"You bunch of bastards, you really showed no mercy!" Yang Hui scolded, rubbing his swollen cheek.
"You brought this on yourself!" Woolf shot back. He had wanted to punch Yang Hui for a long time, and this time, taking advantage of Yang Hui's fall from grace, he finally got to fulfill his wish.
As for the Eighth Fleet...
The MS units were missing arms and legs, and the battleship's bridge was being held at gunpoint by the MS from the allied fleet. What else could they do? Were they supposed to be coerced into sending them off with a grand farewell?
The Commander was also shocked by the fleet's dire situation, but he relaxed a bit. He had originally planned to put on a show of capturing Diva and then feign defeat to retreat, but now that was unnecessary. Instead, he could take it easy and return to report back once they left.
But just as Diva was about to pass through the Eighth Fleet, an unexpected turn of events occurred.
"Beep beep beep..."
"Target detected by the enemy detection system! It's UE!"
"What!?"
At that moment, Diva, Zalam, Auba, and the Eighth Fleet all tensed up.
"Battleship 3, MS 40!"
"Such a massive combat force! Could our plan have been exposed?" Grudick immediately thought that there was a traitor within their ranks, trying to eliminate them before they executed the Bat Extermination Operation, or at least deplete their effective combat power.
"Captain!"
"MS units, emergency sortie!" UE was already at their doorstep; the traitor issue could wait. The most important thing now was to repel UE's attack with minimal losses. "Anti-Beam Shotgun, fire! Yang Hui, the command of the MS units is in your hands!"
"Understood!" XN
Yang Hui and the others didn't dare to delay and immediately boarded their respective machines to engage in battle. The UE forces were not a small number, and they were launching a surprise attack, which could lead to heavy losses.
"Flit, Woolf, Lagan, let's regroup with Graham and assault the enemy line!"
"Understood!" X3
The number of UE units changed again, doubling in size. This was a crisis for them; if they suffered too many losses, the Bat Extermination Operation would become a farce.
But this was also an opportunity. If they could keep this force here, the pressure on the Bat Extermination Operation would significantly decrease, especially with the three battleships. Yang Hui believed this was all the UE had deployed at the Anbat Fortress aside from Fah Bausser; otherwise, UE wouldn't be able to hide their whereabouts for so long.
"Uncle Dong, Mr. Ratok, MS units, take up a defensive formation to cover the battleships' advance!"
"Understood." X2
After issuing the orders, Dawn Gundam, along with Gundam AGE-1 Sparrow, G-Onger, and Genoece special type, formed an assault formation and directly crossed the Eighth Fleet, charging into the enemy ranks to join up with Samurai Gundam.
Once they cut into the enemy formation, Yang Hui wasted no time and fired all cannons, creating a gap in the UE formation. Samurai Gundam integrated into the formation, acting as the sharpest blade to widen the gap Yang Hui had opened.
Gundam AGE-1, G-Onger, and Genoece special type followed closely behind, not caring about hit rates, just hoping not to fall behind.
"Yah-hoo! This kind of battle really gets the blood pumping!" Woolf cheered as he shot down an enemy machine.
"Calm down, Mr. Woolf, this is a battle."
"Seriously, next time I'll just stay by Diva's side. This battle rhythm is really deadly!"
Compared to Woolf's excitement, Flit and Lagan were already drenched in sweat. This was their first time fighting alongside Yang Hui and Graham, and once they broke into the enemy formation, they were surrounded by enemies from all sides while also having to watch out for artillery fire. A moment's negligence could lead to being shot down.
If it weren't for Yang Hui and Graham occasionally looking out for the three machines, they might have already sustained damage.
Although they were slower than Yang Hui and Graham's dual assault, they still approached the enemy ships at a rapid pace.
"Flit, Woolf, Lagan, the three-man team will take on enemy ship number one!"
"Understood! X3"
"Graham, the remaining two ships."
"Understood, I'll clear the way for you."
Gundam AGE-1, G-Onger, and Genoece formed a triangular assault formation and broke away, allowing Dawn Gundam and Samurai Gundam to accelerate their assault speed. Samurai Gundam's dual blades flashed like red meteors in the cosmos, cutting down the enemy machines that stood in their way.
Dawn Gundam followed closely behind, its Beam Rifle and Beam Cannon flashing with brilliance, destroying all enemy machines attempting to fill the gaps or flank them. In an instant, before the main force could arrive, the number of UE MS units had already been halved.
...
"What are these machines? Why are they so powerful?" The Eighth Fleet watched in shock as Yang Hui's assault team wreaked havoc, pushing UE back. They stood up in disbelief, questioning the Adjutant.
"Checked against the database... one of the machines is identified as Genoece, others are unknown! However..."
"However what? Report any findings directly, don't beat around the bush!"
"Yes! Comparing with the uncertain intelligence in the database, three of the machines are suspected to be similar to the information provided by the former Commander Bruza of Nora, named Gundam!"
"Gundam?"
"It should be a high-performance MS independently developed by Yang Corporation," the Adjutant reminded.
"I know that! But their performance is just too powerful, right? And what's up with that Genoece? How can these bandit MS also inflict damage on UE's MS?" The Commander was more concerned about Lagan's Genoece special type and the MS from Zalam and Auba than about the few Gundams.
The performance of special machines indeed far exceeded that of mass-produced MS. The Commander didn't care much for a handful of elite forces; after all, he never believed in personal heroism. Victory in war couldn't be achieved solely by a few elite aces. What he truly cared about was the mass-produced MS. If the Federation could obtain this technology, then UE would no longer be a threat.
"The database shows that these MS are equipped with Yang Corporation's latest new type Beam Rifle and mounted backpacks. The military high command has already adopted and is producing them, but they haven't been equipped to our fleet yet."
"Bang—"
The Commander slammed his fist down on the armrest, cursing the military high command for being bastards. They had better equipment but prioritized not equipping the front-line troops while also being excited about the emergence of these new types of equipment, as he saw a glimmer of hope for a counterattack, no longer having to be beaten down by the damned UE.
"Commander, what should we do now?" the Adjutant asked quietly. The MS units that had been coercing the battleship had left, and their own MS units had been recalled. The attention of the allied fleet was no longer on them, which should have been an opportunity.
"Well... all ships turn around, main cannons target the UE fleet!"
"Commander?"
"UE is the enemy of all humanity. Are you asking me to help them deal with our own people?"
"But the orders from the military..."
"The priority for combat against UE is higher right now. We need to assess the situation and determine what is more important, Adjutant."
"Yes!"
After issuing the orders, the Commander looked thoughtfully at the battle ahead.
"It seems they were telling the truth, and... there is a chance of victory! Really, it's frustrating that this kind of operation is being carried out by a bunch of defectors!"
...
Seeing the Eighth Fleet turn around and point their spear at the UE fleet, Grudick smiled knowingly. He knew the Eighth Fleet wouldn't take advantage of the situation and also recognized that the Commander of the Eighth Fleet was a true soldier.
"Report the situation."
"Zalam & Auba joint MS lost 5, battleships intact, UE formation completely collapsed. Dawn Gundam and Samurai Gundam destroyed enemy ship number 2, and ships number 1 and 3 are heavily damaged!"
"Oh~!!"
The battle wasn't over yet, but the people on the bridge had already started cheering. The outcome of the battle was clearly determined; it was an unprecedented great victory!
Grudick struggled to contain his excitement. He could almost see the UE hiding in the Anbat Fortress being completely annihilated, their true identities exposed to the public, and the Federation united in eliminating UE, finally avenging his deceased wife and children.
"Silence! The battle is not over yet! Main forces, advance at full speed! Eliminate the remaining UE forces!"
"Understood!" XN
...
"The last ship!"
The Electromagnetic Cannon and Beam Cannon fired simultaneously, penetrating the ship's hull through the gaps in the engine, directly triggering a reactor explosion, turning the entire battleship into a brilliant firework and cosmic dust.
"How's it going over there with Flit?"
"Engine and armaments have been successfully destroyed, just worried..."
"Not good! All units retreat!"
Graham was also a jinx; whatever he said came true. The two battleships that had lost mobility suddenly spiked in energy levels, even the nearby MS units came to a halt, the reactor flickering with light.
Thanks to everyone's admiration for Yang Hui, upon hearing his warning, everyone hesitated not at all and immediately began to retreat, the battleships also reversing and stopping their advance.
The next second...
"Boom boom boom boom..."
Whether it was the battleships or the remaining MS, all UE units in the combat area self-destructed, creating a spectacle of fireworks in the desolate universe.
"Tch, what a troublesome enemy," Graham cursed. UE truly gave him a headache; not only were they mysterious and unknown, but they were also all suicide soldiers, leaving no opportunity for intelligence gathering.
"You jinx," Yang Hui scolded.
"That's excessive; what does their self-destruction have to do with me?"
"Tch."
Yang Hui was also a bit irritated. The previously captured Genoace had given them a glimpse of UE technology, but it was only in terms of MS. If they could capture a battleship, the Federation's technological level and military strength would leap forward, and the second phase wouldn't be so heavily suppressed.
"However, the objective has been achieved. With so many units lost, UE should feel the pinch now. MS units, return to the ship immediately!"
"Understood!" XN
Having annihilated the attacking forces, the success rate of the Bat Extermination Operation had greatly increased. Now, the most important thing was time. With so many units lost, UE would definitely reassess their combat power, either retreating directly or sending more reinforcements.
If it was the former, Yang Hui's plan would fall through, making it extremely difficult to locate UE's hidden bases again. If it was the latter, it would be even more dangerous, as they had no idea how many reinforcements would be sent, and... due to the differences between reality and anime, how many troops were actually hidden in the Anbat Fortress was also an unknown.
(End of Chapter)