"What was that?"
The team, narrowly escaping death, found themselves circling aimlessly in the air, unable to locate their assailant. Moments ago, they had broken through the clouds, yet the enemy remained unseen.
Meanwhile, within his Blitz Dagger, the dark-skinned, orange-eyed Sams Koza wore a look of mild surprise. This emotion, however, quickly gave way to his usual cold expression. Without hesitation, he abandoned his original target—the red-labeled elite mech—switching his aim to the transport carrying the four Ginn units.
He had only fired once; there was no way they could detect him, he reasoned.
"Those cursed Coordinators," he muttered, locking onto his new target. However, just as he prepared to fire, his cockpit was flooded with urgent warning alarms.
The red elite Strike, piloted by He Kui, was closing in fast, its assault jets roaring in the night sky as it opened fire from its wing-mounted cannons. Streams of bullets tore through the air toward Koza, the rapid-fire shots slicing the darkness.
Reacting instantly, Koza canceled his aim, activated the PS armor, and revealed the entire green-hued MS under the moonlight. Its deep green camouflage blended well with the night, even without mirage particles. However, He Kui's radar had pinpointed it with ease.
It was a stealth machine built specifically for assassinations on the battlefield. Equipped with enhanced radar, the unit was a ghostly stalker capable of tracking targets across vast distances.
"No honor in a sneak attack, is there?"
With communication established, He Kui couldn't help but taunt.
"…"
Koza didn't respond. Instead, he raised his Agni shield, aiming its ion cannon directly at He Kui. However, He Kui quickly ascended, effortlessly dodging the blast thanks to the Strike's excellent maneuverability. He Kui was not alone; another unit had already looped around behind Koza.
Caught off-guard, Koza felt his machine vibrate as the pursuing unit unleashed its machine-gun rounds onto his armor. The metal clanged under the impact, though the PS armor held firm. Ironically, the adherence to "primitive" kinetic weapons, once mocked, had now saved him. Angered by the insult, Koza's glare hardened, though he realized his situation was bleak.
The intelligence report indicated that the Ginn units on that transport could exceed standard Baku speed on the ground, and each pilot was ranked as an elite. He himself only possessed red-elite-level marksmanship and was otherwise an average red-ranked soldier. With this many elite forces converging on him, retreat seemed his only option.
"How did you see me?"
In a last-ditch effort to satisfy his curiosity, Koza inquired.
"Cause and effect, science, logic, astronomy, and physics," He Kui replied in a playful rhyme.
"…"
Koza didn't answer—not out of anger, but sheer confusion. "Sounds like some Republic of East Asia nonsense…"
Muttering under his breath, he saw the two approaching units once again moving in sync, closing in for a coordinated attack. Knowing he couldn't afford any further delay, Koza fired his rocket-claw in He Kui's direction before kicking up a cloud of dust and deploying a fresh burst of mirage particles.
"He's getting away, A!" Elena shouted, her voice tense.
"Let him go. We have a mission to support Edward's squad," He Kui replied, noting that Koza's escape route veered far from the primary objective.
"Understood," Elena responded.
The remainder of their journey proceeded without incident, and they soon arrived at the main combat zone, where the fight was still raging. Two Dagger ground teams and four Dagger air units were engaged in a fierce battle against Edward's forces. Edward himself was locked in combat with a Dagger equipped with a blue saber, fully occupied.
Nearby, Edward's three remaining Daggers were struggling to hold their ground, using the thick forest terrain to outmaneuver their enemies. Wreckage of fallen Daggers lay scattered across the battlefield—only the elite green-ranked soldiers seemed to have survived.
"Special Operations Command, Temporary Strike Team Six, reporting for support," He Kui announced.
"...Thanks," came Edward's exhausted reply, his fatigue apparent.
"A2, you're with me to handle the airborne Daggers. The rest, focus on ground support."
"Yes, sir."
With a crisp acknowledgment, the team sprang into action. Although He Kui could have handled the air squad alone, coordinating with Edward ensured a more secure strategy.
He Kui surged forward, accelerating toward the enemy units in a rapid, direct assault. Following closely behind, Elena's Dagger moved in tandem. As the forces clashed, He Kui performed a sudden, steep climb that defied the ordinary limits of the machine.
"What…that's impossible!"
The Dagger pilot found himself utterly stunned. As a Dagger pilot, he understood the machine's limitations, and such an ascent angle was theoretically impossible without disabling the system limits.
Yet here was an enemy seemingly defying logic. It wasn't just the machine's maneuverability—it was the pilot. Only a rare few Coordinators could pull off such a feat without losing consciousness, let alone make it look effortless.
"It's not human…"
Staring at He Kui's Strike, the veteran pilot felt a surge of fear. The only comparison that came to mind was the "Blue Demon," a notorious moniker associated with He Kui's own feats as Director He. Though he had always dismissed the tales as exaggerations, he now found himself doubting that conviction.
Panic gripped him, and the pilot attempted a retreat, but He Kui was already locked onto his target. With a single well-aimed shot, he struck the cockpit dead-center, turning the Dagger into a fiery streak against the night sky.
In one decisive move, He Kui had taken down an enemy Dagger. Witnessing the display, the remaining rebel forces didn't hesitate, scattering in all directions to retreat.
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