Chapter 107: The Two Horns of War

Chapter 107: The Two Horns of War

Did someone just pass through his mobile suit?

Ryan Sim, piloting the highly capable GM Command, was momentarily stunned by what he had just seen.

But he quickly dismissed it as an illusion.

Ironically, despite piloting a machine designated for command, this was already the second time he had lost all of his subordinates.

The last time was during the Battle of Solomon.

At this moment, Ryan suddenly thought of someone.

Back when the Federation had yet to enter its counteroffensive phase, he had been stationed at Luna II, where he heard about a man said to bring misfortune to those around him—"The Reaper," Sanders.

Back then, he and his comrades had ostracized Sanders. But now, after experiencing the loss of his team twice, Ryan finally began to understand what Sanders must have felt.

Such cruel realities should never be taken as a joke.

Ryan fired the GM Command's 90mm machine gun at a Rick Dom, the concentrated bullets piercing through the enemy unit. Without pausing, he immediately charged toward his next target.

He had noticed that, despite their superior speed, the Federation's new GM units were actually easier to deal with than older models like the Dom and Zaku.

Their movements were simpler and more direct—much like many Federation pilots who had just completed MS training.

Raising the GM Command's left arm, Ryan used its newly designed curved shield to block an incoming barrage from a Zaku's machine gun.

But in the end, he was neither the White Comet nor the Silver Meteor. Fighting alone, he found himself quickly surrounded by multiple enemy units while focused on engaging the Zaku in front of him.

Just as the enemy units closed in, several beams streaked past him.

More attacks followed, targeting the mobile suits that had surrounded him, destroying them one by one.

Another GM Command charged in, followed by three GM units in formation.

Checking his IFF system, Ryan quickly identified the lead unit's pilot—Jung!

Tenneth A. Jung, one of the Federation's first-generation MS pilots.

A fellow Luna II veteran, Jung was now the Federation's top ace, holding the highest kill count. Known for his precise marksmanship, he often relied on his subordinates to harass enemies before finishing them off with pinpoint accuracy.

To be honest, Jung didn't have the best reputation back at Luna II.

But right now, Ryan was just grateful.

As Jung's team broke through Zeon's defenses, executing tactical maneuvers, Ryan chose not to follow. Instead, he continued engaging in guerrilla warfare on the front lines.

"Hey, watch out!"

Dodging a yellow beam, Ryan quickly fired off precise shots while sending a communication to a nearby ally, warning him to evade.

Moments later, a rocket launched from that ally's direction, striking a GM Striker in the middle of an evasive zigzag maneuver. A perfect hit!

And it wasn't as if the enemy had remained stationary or moved in a straight line—it had been actively dodging with erratic movements.

It was as if his ally had predicted exactly where the enemy would be.

"Incredible… huh?"

Turning his GM Command's head, Ryan was startled by what he saw.

It wasn't a Federation mobile suit.

Or rather—it was, but it didn't look like one at first glance.

The rounded armor design made him instinctively think it was a Zeon MS.

But fortunately, he also noticed the "EFSF" emblem extending from the right chest down to the right leg.

Along with the shallow V-shaped visor on its head.

Clearly, this was a Zeon MS that had been captured by the Federation.

And its mobility was astonishing, rapidly accelerating and decelerating to evade incoming fire with incredible agility.

"Don't just stand there!"

A familiar voice came through Ryan's cockpit.

It was Arcadia—the same pilot who had stolen the GP-02 from White Base.

Indeed, freezing up on the battlefield was a death sentence.

Arcadia skillfully maneuvered his GP-02, firing two rockets from the Federal rocket launcher in his left hand. Then, using the triple-missile launcher in his right hand, he unleashed the final volley to disrupt the enemy's offensive before throwing the launcher itself at a Zaku.

Ryan instinctively raised his machine gun and shot it mid-air.

The explosion engulfed the area in fire and smoke, and through the flames, Arcadia's GP-02 surged forward with an explosive burst of speed. In one swift motion, he drove his beam saber through the Zaku!

"Well done. Keep up!"

There was no time for long conversations in battle.

With that brief exchange, the two of them continued cutting through the brutal battlefield together.

At the same time, elsewhere—

Eli had just launched from White Base's catapult.

"All gun ports open! Engage the enemy head-on! Main cannon, fire!"

On the battlefield, Bright Noa commanded White Base as it fired alongside the Federation's fleet.

Just like on the front lines, after several rounds of ship-to-ship bombardment, the battle transitioned into mobile suit combat.

And immediately, the two Gundams—Eli and Amuro—became prime targets.

Inside their cockpits, the lock-on alarms blared nonstop, and enemy markers flooded their displays.

"Amuro."

"Yeah."

At this point, Eli no longer needed to remind Amuro of anything.

Amuro might not yet be a fully mature and reliable adult, but he was undoubtedly a skilled and composed pilot now.

Seeing Amuro's NT-1, armed with two rocket launchers on its back and a beam rifle in hand, Eli had complete faith in him.

But now, Eli himself was also someone capable of flying alongside him.

His EZ-SR effortlessly flipped and weaved through incoming bullets and beams, returning precise counterfire even while evading.

He wasn't on Amuro's level, but he could still take down an enemy in two shots.

Side by side, the two of them eliminated over a dozen enemy units in this first exchange alone.

Some Zeon pilots, upon encountering them, instinctively chose to evade rather than engage.

But would Zeon really just let the two of them tear through their defenses unchallenged?

Under General Revil's command, nearly 30% of the Federation's mobile forces were assigned to follow the two Gundams—just like in the Battle of Odessa.

Revil trusted their abilities.

Not because of any belief in Newtypes, but because these two had truly earned that trust through skill and experience.

Zeon, fully aware of this, also made their move.

A squadron of GM Strikers began closing in on the two Gundams.