"A!"
Elena, also piloting a Strike Dagger in the 1st Regiment, charged forward to assist.
"Stay back!" He Kui shouted a warning.
Judging by the smooth, agile movements of the Forbidden, it was clear the pilot was at least a high-ranking, elite-level combatant. If he faced them in person with a comparable suit, he might end the fight quickly. But right now, his abilities were only at an intermediate elite level. Though he could hold off the Forbidden, he couldn't manage an extended battle.
If Elena joined the fray, she'd be at a severe disadvantage.
". . ."
Elena halted at his command, but the sky above was now swarming with enemy MS units and fighter jets closing in. Streams of tracer rounds fired from Panama's anti-air defenses illuminated the dark night. Unable to rely on radar-assisted targeting, the defense systems were manually aimed, so accuracy was low, but the barrage still managed to down several aircraft.
The Strike Dagger in aerial mode—one of He Kui's familiar adversaries—braved the heavy fire, unleashing air-to-surface missiles from its wing-mounted pods. In the fiery explosions that followed, nearly half of Panama's anti-air systems were wiped out.
In response, the Daggers guarding the gun emplacements retaliated with beam rifles, but the high-mobility aerial units easily evaded their shots. This assault from the Atlantic Federation was intense, with an unusually high number of specialized units, making it clear they intended to seize control at all costs.
If he couldn't hold off this elite pilot, the damage to South America would be catastrophic.
He Kui quickly made his decision. Raising his shield to block the Forbidden's sonic cannon, he aimed his beam rifle at the opponent. However, before he could take the shot, the Forbidden interrupted him with machine-gun fire from a hidden compartment in its shield. Forced to defend himself, he raised his own shield, which clanged loudly under the relentless assault, as if pelted by hail.
"If I had PS armor or Gundanium alloy, I wouldn't be struggling like this," he thought bitterly.
"Where's Edward?"
A crisp, feminine voice came through his comms from the deep blue Forbidden. Taking advantage of the suppression from the machine gun, the Forbidden raised its trident for another thrust.
". . . Could you at least stop attacking before asking questions?"
He Kui grumbled but didn't hesitate. Dropping his beam rifle, he drew his beam saber. Adjusting his shield to deflect the incoming trident, he angled it just right to redirect the force.
The trident was successfully deflected, but before He Kui could counterattack, his beam saber's swing was blocked by the shield mounted on the Forbidden's head. His blade left only a black scorch mark on the shield.
"Two anti-beam-coated shields? Isn't that a bit much?"
Seeing the unscathed enemy machine and his own shield integrity down by 30%, He Kui felt a pang of frustration. The enemy had two shields with anti-beam coating and full TP armor coverage, while he only had one shield, a beam saber, and a 75mm close-range gun—not nearly enough to break through.
"Where is Edward?" the female pilot demanded again.
Seemingly taking his earlier advice, she paused her assault but kept her sonic cannon aimed at him.
"He's not in this base."
"I see…"
"Are you White Whale?"
Recognizing her insistence on Edward and the markings on her shield, He Kui quickly recalled the original timeline, in which the Atlantic Federation sent three specialists to eliminate the defector during the South American War for Independence: Fallen Sakura, White Whale, and Moonlit Hound. He'd forgotten their real names, but he knew that Fallen Sakura and White Whale were both women.
And White Whale, Edward's girlfriend, piloted the Forbidden Blue.
"You know me?"
"Of course. You're Edward's girlfriend," He Kui replied. "I doubt he'd want you killing his comrades."
His words struck a nerve; it was clear White Whale wasn't as committed to this battle. Since the beginning, she'd focused solely on him, and her attacks lacked a certain intensity.
"Why don't you surrender temporarily, and I'll take you to Edward later?"
"Not until you bring him out."
Her cold response felt like an icy wave crashing over him. Though White Whale wasn't sure why a top-level pilot was operating a standard Strike Dagger, it didn't interfere with her mission.
"He's not here. If you're that eager, try looking in Brazil."
"Brazil…"
She muttered softly before abruptly cutting off communication. A moment later, her sonic cannon fired at him.
He Kui took the hit on his shield, activating his thrusters at full power. The sudden burst of light from the propulsion illuminated the surrounding darkness.
A blue flame flared from his thrusters, casting a brilliant glow over the ocean and drowning out the moonlight as it churned up waves. Not holding back any longer, he launched himself directly at White Whale.
This needed to end quickly; he couldn't let this drag on. Who knew how much energy the Forbidden Blue still had, but his Strike Dagger was already pushed to its limits. He decided to take a risk while White Whale was momentarily uncertain.
In a flash, they closed the distance.
The Strike Dagger's arms were skewered by the shield-mounted blades on Forbidden Blue's sides. But He Kui's beam saber found its mark, stabbing into the Forbidden's head-mounted sensor array.
White Whale had raised her trident to protect the cockpit in a last-minute maneuver.
Without hesitation, He Kui released his Dagger's arm restraints, lifting both legs to kick the Forbidden Blue away, using the counter-force to retreat quickly.
Moments later, missiles fired from the four-tube launcher on the Forbidden Blue's shields. But without its radar and other precision systems, the missiles spiraled aimlessly, ultimately veering off into the distant sky.
White Whale said nothing, merely flicking the fin-like parts on her back before retreating into the ocean.
Watching her depart, He Kui was just beginning to relax when another wave of aerial Dagger units rushed toward his battered Strike Dagger.
He didn't panic. Weaving in an S-pattern to dodge, he used his close-range cannons to fire a burst at the incoming Dagger. The 75mm rounds struck true, splattering blood in the cockpit before the unit spiraled down to crash beside him.
"A, are you alright?!"
Elena, who had been defending against the aerial attack, rushed over to his side, raising her shield to protect him from another missile salvo.
"I'm fine, but I need to return for resupply."
"I'll cover you!"
After witnessing the intense battle, Elena looked at him with admiration and respect, and the surrounding Daggers, seeming to sense his strength, instinctively gathered around him in a defensive formation.
In the span of that one encounter, He Kui's prestige had surged among the ranks. His exemplary display of combat skill was impossible to ignore.
"Alright."
Without arms, his options were limited, and his close-range cannon wouldn't last indefinitely. He was running on borrowed time.
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