Chapter 168: Lifting a Stone Only to Drop It on One's Own Foot

The moment the Dawn Gundam and the Flag Gundam reached the breach, they made a sharp right-angle turn, charging into the enemy forces on either side. The Funnels and Funnel Swords deployed, baring their fangs at the enemy.

While one side unleashed a barrage of beams, the other slashed through like meteors. The Dawn Gundam and the Flag Gundam were like tigers entering a flock of sheep, wreaking havoc wherever they went, leaving a trail of explosions in their wake.

"..." Ezelcant gritted his teeth, trembling with rage. Even his virtual image shook violently, as if it might flicker out at any moment.

At this moment, Ezelcant realized he had been tricked by Yang Hui. Just moments ago, he had thought Yang Hui would truly surrender, and a surge of excitement had washed over him.

If Yang Hui joined VEGAN, it wouldn't just mean adding a few formidable fighters to their ranks. Yang Hui's intellect combined with VEGAN's technology could elevate VEGAN's military strength by several levels. Yang Corporation could provide VEGAN with endless rare resources. If Yang Hui returned to the Federation as a mole, no one would suspect him, nor dare to…

The benefits were endless, too many to even count.

At the very least, announcing the rebellion of the Celestial Being unit would deal a devastating blow to the Earth Federation's morale, allowing VEGAN to seize the opportunity to conquer Earth and complete their plan.

But now…

He had been played by Yang Hui!

"Since you've rejected your only path to survival, it's a pity. At all costs, kill them here!" Ezelcant roared in anger, his fury affecting his judgment for the first time in his life. He contacted a high-level collaborator within the Federation to broadcast this battle across Earth and the Federation.

He wanted the people of the Federation to witness how their heroes would die!

...

"I love you… zzz…"

"Today's report concludes… zzz…"

"Please take a closer look at our product… zzz…"

On Earth, in space, and even within various Federal Army bases, hackers launched attacks. Whether it was TV shows, movies, advertisements, news, or military reports and meetings…

Every screen with a display turned to static.

"What's going on? Is the TV broken?"

"You too? Is the signal tower down?"

"We're under a hacker attack, defending now! The picture should be restored in three minutes…"

It didn't take three minutes. The next second, all screens lit up again, but with the same image.

"That's… a battle!"

"Where is this? In space?"

"Look! So many enemies! It seems like the Federal soldiers are surrounded!"

"This is… the Celestial Being unit!"

"How can this be!? Is this the enemy's plot?"

"That's Lieutenant General Yang Hui's Dawn Gundam! And Major General Graham's Flag Gundam, Colonel Yurin's Luna Gundam! It's them!"

"The Lieutenant General is in a tough fight! How can there be so many enemies?"

"Is this fake? A prank?"

"I don't care! Go, Lieutenant General! Go, Major General! Go, Colonel!"

"Crush VEGAN!"

At first, most people thought it was just a prank, not believing the footage was real. But after the first person started cheering for Yang Hui and his team, others quickly followed. Like a plague, the cheers, support, and prayers spread across Earth and the Colonies.

While civilians cheered, the military was in chaos.

Flit had followed the Diva to Soren City, leaving the Big Ring base under Argreus's command.

"Where did this attack come from?" Argreus demanded. This was the Federal Army's headquarters, yet there had been no warning or trace of the intrusion. It was as if they had been stripped naked, exposed for all to see.

"Tracking the signal… found it! It's… it's…"

"Where? Report directly!"

"It's inside the base!"

"What!? Specific location!"

"The central data repository!"

"Send someone to capture the spy immediately!"

"Yes!"

Argreus bit his finger, filled with rage but unsure how to vent it. He had always known there were spies within, at least collaborators with the traitors. But after Flit and he had secretly purged the Big Ring base multiple times, he hadn't expected there to still be leaks.

This meant that all their actions had been under the enemy's watch. And their intelligence personnel…

"No wonder every time our intelligence officers sent out information, they lost contact. It was them… damn it!" Argreus slammed his fist on the command console, startling everyone in the busy command room.

"Keep working! Check the system again. I don't want this to happen a second time!"

"Yes!"

"And, change the central data repository's encryption key immediately. Temporarily restrict all permissions except for mine and Commander Asuno's!"

"Yes!"

"Chief of Staff Argreus! We can disconnect all connections now!"

"No need."

"Huh?"

"This is an opportunity." Argreus stared intently at the battle on the screen, savoring it. He realized the enemy might have just lifted a stone only to drop it on their own foot.

"Chief of Staff?"

"Keep the broadcast running! Contact the relevant departments to issue an official statement confirming the authenticity of this battle. I want everyone to know that our Federation's heroes are invincible!"

"But Chief of Staff…"

"Don't panic! Believe in the Lieutenant General, believe in the Celestial Being unit! They will break through safely!" Argreus shouted.

Everyone fell silent, then quietly carried out Argreus's orders, watching the battle on the screen.

Some clenched their fists, more nervous than Yang Hui and the others in the fight. Some clasped their hands in prayer, bowing their heads and murmuring. Others' eyes were bloodshot, wishing they were the ones in the footage…

"Lieutenant General, Major General, Colonel, I believe in you, just as Commander Asuno believes in you. You must succeed!" Argreus had always prided himself on his calm composure, but he didn't realize that now, he was so tense his fists were clenched, and his undershirt was soaked with sweat.

...

Far from Earth, on the battlefield, Yang Hui and the others were unaware that their battle was being broadcast live. Even if they had known, they wouldn't have had the energy to care. With their full firepower unleashed, they had to focus every ounce of their attention on the enemy.

The Dawn Gundam weaved through the dense rain of gunfire, maneuvering behind an enemy ship, locking onto its engines, and firing the electromagnetic cannon before darting away to find the next target.

"Boom~!"

The high-output electromagnetic cannon pierced the engine, the armor between the engine and the energy source, and the energy source itself, causing the ship to explode in a chain reaction.

"Third one… ugh!"

A strong tremor made Yang Hui glance at the status display. His right calf was gone, and seven Funnels were offline.

"Tch, this number is really troublesome!"

With a low growl, Yang Hui pushed the control stick and pedals to the limit, the energy output reaching its threshold. The speed, which had dropped after being hit, surged back to maximum, turning him into a meteor as he darted back and forth through the enemy formation.

On the other side, Graham wasn't faring much better. Unskilled in precise control of the Funnel Swords, all eight of them had been taken out by stray bullets during the second charge. Even the high vibration blade in his left hand had been destroyed.

Having lost most of his long-range weapons, Graham could only wield a beam saber in his left hand, continuously firing his beam submachine gun with his right, closing in on enemies to decapitate them with a single slash.

"Boom boom~"

The beam claws at his waist destroyed two more enemy units, but their lifespan ended during the retrieval process. Graham didn't linger, quickly moving to the next target while sparing a moment to contact the Baize.

"Angola Zuo, is the charging not done yet?"

"Estimated three more minutes…"

"Boom~"

"Ah~…"

At that moment, an explosion rocked the Baize's rear right armor, a cannon shot from an enemy ship blasting a large hole.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine… Section 39 was hit, but it didn't damage the engines. The extreme propulsion engine's charge will be complete in three minutes. Please hold on for three more minutes, Captain and Vice-Captain!"

"Tch, three minutes… I don't want to die here! Haa~!"

With a roar, the Flag Gundam transformed into a lion, pouncing on the enemies chasing them.

The Luna Gundam's shooting never ceased. By now, Yurin was mechanically pulling the trigger. She couldn't count how many enemy units she had shot down, only knowing she had to protect the Dawn Gundam and the Flag Gundam's backs while also guarding the Baize.

Now the Baize had broken through the encirclement, but the enemy was hot on their heels, relentless in their pursuit.

Their only hope was the Baize's hidden extreme propulsion system, which could overload the engines and energy source in a short time, tripling their performance and giving them a chance to shake off the endless pursuers.

"Faster, faster!" For the first time in battle, Yurin, usually as calm as still water, showed signs of nervousness. Her energy was nearly spent, but she bit her lip so hard it started to bleed. She didn't care; she needed the pain to stay focused, to maintain her shooting accuracy. It was a small lapse in concentration that had cost the Dawn Gundam its right leg. Yang Hui and Graham trusted her with their backs, and she couldn't afford another mistake.

...

Three minutes—normally a blink of an eye—now felt like an eternity for everyone in the Celestial Being unit. They had never wished for time to pass faster, watching the charging progress crawl like a snail, each of them inwardly screaming for it to hurry.

"Charging at 95%! Captain! Vice-Captain! Return now!"

The Dawn Gundam and the Flag Gundam received Angola Zuo's report and immediately abandoned their current targets, racing back to the Baize at top speed. They didn't return to the hangar but clung tightly to the Baize's hull alongside the Luna Gundam, hiding behind the raised shields.

VEGAN noticed the Celestial Being unit's strange actions and saw the unusually bright light emanating from the Baize's thrusters, guessing they might have some ace up their sleeve. They issued a final order: stop them at all costs.

At this moment, neither Yang Hui, Graham, nor Yurin could leave the Baize's hull to engage the enemy. To block the relentless pursuit, they could only use their remaining Funnels as shields, gathering them at the Baize's rear. Though fragile, the Funnels could block a few shots.

"97%… 98%… 99%… Charging complete!"

"Activate the extreme propulsion system! Get us out of this hellhole!"

"Yes! Extreme propulsion system activated!"

At that moment, the massive energy gathered in the engines was released instant

ly. The energy source and engines overloaded, the thrusters blazing like two grand torches in the cosmos.

With the tremendous thrust, the Baize rapidly distanced itself from the pursuers, eventually shrinking to a dot and disappearing from VEGAN's detection range.

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