The UMF-5 ZnO rapidly closed in on the Strike Gundam, launching torpedoes that exploded beneath its feet. A cloud of dust and bubbles instantly obscured its vision.
"Leave this one to me. You deal with Long Legs."
After sending the GOOhN away, the UMF-5 ZnO burst through the smoke, swinging its claws at the Strike Gundam. The Sonic Cannon fired, unleashing invisible high-frequency sound waves that kicked up another wave of dust.
Maintaining high-speed maneuvers, the UMF-5 ZnO arced sharply before charging back toward the Strike Gundam.
"Close-quarters combat underwater is my advantage. Today, I'll tear you apart with this UMF-5 ZnO!"
With a roar, the UMF-5 ZnO reached top speed, its claws slashing viciously at the Strike Gundam.
Kira wasn't about to sit idle. The Strike Gundam's thrusters flared as it surged forward, raising its Anti-ship Sword in a powerful downward strike.
However, Marco Morassim's expert piloting and seasoned instincts allowed him to read the Strike's movements. He eased off the pedal and pulled the control stick slightly, causing the sword to slash through empty water.
The next instant—
Boom!
Dodging the Strike's blade, the UMF-5 ZnO lashed out with its claw, sending the Gundam flying with tremendous force. Torpedoes followed, striking the off-balance Strike before it could recover.
"Ugh—such power!"
The UMF-5 ZnO's appearance had put Kira in a tough spot. Its speed and strength far surpassed the GOOhN's.
But Kira wasn't giving up. The Strike Gundam stabilized itself and fired the Rocket Anchor from its left arm, the cable unspooling as the claw shot forward.
Unfazed, the UMF-5 ZnO swatted the anchor aside and rammed into the Strike at full speed, dragging it through multiple reefs before releasing it—just as another volley of torpedoes launched.
The Strike quickly adjusted, tapping the seabed to leverage buoyancy and create distance, causing the torpedoes to miss.
Just as the UMF-5 ZnO prepared to press its advantage, an explosion rocked its back, forcing it to halt.
"What... what was that?"
That split-second hesitation was all Kira needed. The Strike thrust its Anti-ship Sword forward, piercing the UMF-5 ZnO's armor with a sharp shink!
...
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Several missiles slipped past the CIWS Array's defenses, slamming into the Archangel's underside and throwing the ship off-balance.
"Yang Hui! Aim the Valiant!"
"Can't! The GOOhN is hugging the ship's belly—no firing angle!"
Yang Hui was frustrated. After analyzing the GOOhN's movement patterns, he'd managed to destroy two with the Valiant. But the enemy had wisened up, staying beneath the Archangel to deny the Valiant any clear shots. Even Lyle couldn't find a sniping angle.
"Damn it, if only the upper turrets had a line of fire!"
Hearing this, Murrue had a sudden, risky idea.
"Ensign Neumann—just once, execute a barrel roll with the Archangel."
"Eh?!"
"Captain!"
Everyone was stunned. It must be remembered that this wasn't a zero-gravity environment. Performing a barrel roll maneuver within the atmosphere was extremely dangerous—one wrong move could lead to the ship's destruction and everyone's death.
"Provide a firing angle for the Gottfried. We need to hit them in one shot, Natarle." It wasn't Natarle Badgiruel being addressed, but simply Natarle, indicating that Murrue wasn't giving an order but making a request.
"...Understood." Natarle Badgiruel replied firmly. This opportunity would only come once. If they missed it, their only hope would be for the GOOhN to make a mistake or for the Strike Gundam to come to their rescue.
"Ensign, can you do it?" After receiving Natarle's response, Murrue turned to the legendary helmsman Arnold.
"Yes!" Arnold answered without hesitation. At this point, it wasn't a question of whether he could do it—he had to succeed!
Once the plan was decided, an announcement was made shipwide, warning everyone to prepare.
"All hands, prepare for 360-degree barrel roll maneuver. Brace for impact. Repeat, all hands prepare for—"
"What? What's happening?"
"This is insane!"
...
Throughout the ship, people panicked and scrambled to secure themselves, some even clasping their hands in prayer, begging their parents to keep them safe.
"Two GOOhN units approaching!"
"Gottfried, aim and prepare to fire!"
The enemy was about to reach the optimal firing angle. Everyone on the bridge had tightened their seatbelts to the limit, nervously awaiting the moment of the roll.
"The legendary helmsman's defining battle—this is exciting! Absolutely thrilling!" While everyone else was tense, Yang Hui was exhilarated. This scene had nearly made him jump out of his seat when he first saw it in the anime. Now, experiencing it firsthand was beyond incredible...
"Lyle's mobile suit, launch! Archangel, begin the roll!"
"Roger!"
Amid the curses of the crew and the stunned disbelief of both Lyle's machine and the enemy units, the Archangel tilted sideways and flipped 180 degrees in midair.
"They can actually pull this off!?" Lyle was once again shocked by the Archangel's maneuver. A 360-degree barrel roll in atmosphere? If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed anyone would dare attempt it. Back in the Gundam 00 world, Sumeragi had once given a similar order, but that had been in zero gravity—completely incomparable to this.
This only reinforced his belief that "people in this world are absolutely insane."
As amazed as he was, Lyle didn't dare lose focus. The moment the Archangel's underside faced upward, his GINN touched down briefly before leaping again—he didn't want to miss the timing and plunge into the sea.
However, in that split second of hesitation, the GOOhN units emerged just in time to witness the spectacle. Both pilots were so shocked they froze momentarily. And in that exact instant, the Lohengrin cannons fired, piercing through both Goons and sending their pilots sinking into the ocean with their final gasps of astonishment.
With the Lohengrin's job done, the Archangel completed another 180-degree roll, returning to level flight. Lyle's machine seized the perfect moment and landed smoothly on its feet.
To be honest, Lyle was trembling all over. It wasn't because he was exhausted, but because he was shocked by the Archangel. He was also amazed that such a reckless maneuver had actually succeeded—not only completing a 360-degree barrel roll, but Natarle Badgiruel also seized that fleeting moment to destroy all enemy units.
Yang Hui was trembling just as much.
"Whoever tells me this is exciting again, I swear I'll beat them to death—I'll even write my name backward if I don't!"
The intense rolling motion didn't physically affect Yang Hui, but the mix of thrill, tension, and excitement—especially the overwhelming thrill—suddenly made him feel nauseous, despite being someone who dared to push MS to their limits in any environment.
"D-did we... succeed...?"
"We did. And thank goodness we did—I don't want to do that again."
"Stop talking, I feel sick—ugh~"
Honestly, Yang Hui was still in relatively good shape. At least he could still fight. Many others were covering their mouths, trying to suppress the urge to vomit. Natarle Badgiruel's face was completely drained of color, yet she held on. Arnold repeatedly loosened and tightened his grip on the helm, while Murrue kept dry heaving.
This was the normal reaction. In the anime, everyone remained perfectly composed and combat-ready after such a maneuver—that would have been truly unbelievable.
"Ugh~ What's the status of the Strike? And the Skygrasper? Have we located the enemy mothership?" Murrue forced herself to focus and asked.
"The Strike... is still in a tough fight. The Skygrasper... ugh~ can't be contacted due to interference..."
"Understood. Everyone, hang in there a little longer."
"R-roger..." came the weak, synchronized response—a first for such a unified yet feeble acknowledgment.
...
Kira had no idea what was happening on the Archangel, but he couldn't afford to worry about it now. The battle between the Strike Gundam and the UMF-5 ZnO was far from over.
The Anti-ship Sword had pierced the UMF-5 ZnO's body, but because they were in shallow waters, the pressure wasn't enough to crush it. Instead, the UMF-5 ZnO retained considerable combat capability.
Before the Strike could pull back, the UMF-5 ZnO grabbed its head with one claw. The thrusters on its back erupted with immense force, slamming the Strike into the seabed and pinning it down. The cannon in its palm glowed green with targeting energy.
"At this close range...!"
A point-blank shot—even with Phase Shift Armor, the remaining energy wouldn't hold. Kira acted decisively, making the Strike release the Anti-ship Sword's hilt and drawing the knife stored on its thigh. He stabbed both blades into the UMF-5 ZnO's short neck, sending violent sparks flying even underwater.
"Raaaaaah!!!" Marco Morassim roared with his final resolve. He knew he was finished, but as a soldier's honor and an elite's pride demanded, he wouldn't go down alone. If he had to die, he'd take his enemy with him.
But... Kira didn't give him the chance.
The Strike grabbed the UMF-5 ZnO's air duct, lifted its right leg against its abdomen, and kicked hard—sending the UMF-5 ZnO flying before it exploded upon impact.
"Lieutenant Yamato, respond if you copy!"
"This is Strike, Kira Yamato. I'm unharmed. Enemy unit destroyed."
"Return to the ship immediately."
"What happened?" Kira detected panic in Natarle Badgiruel's voice, which immediately put him on edge. She had never called him with such urgency before.
"Miss Cagalli... has gone missing."
"What!?"
"Return to the ship immediately. The Archangel will conduct search and rescue operations in the nearby area."
"Understood. I'm on my way back."
Worry and anxiety overshadowed the pain and conflict of having to kill again. The Strike Gundam forcefully pushed off the ground, using its thrusters to propel itself out of the water and back toward the Archangel.
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