Three enemy crafts.
One shot down!
The changing situation displayed on the tactical projection screen made Hayase Misa's eyes widen, and Global couldn't help but stand up.
What just happened?
Since the situation demonstration was based on data detected and analyzed by radar, it couldn't display the battle in real time. Therefore, when Global and Hayase Misa saw the results on the tactical projection screen, they exchanged glances.
This kind of maneuver is not something an ordinary pilot can perform.
No,
This kind of maneuver is quite popular among VF-1 pilots, but only a minority of pilots can integrate it into actual combat.
"Do you have He Ming's data?"
Global said in a deep voice.
Now, he urgently wanted to know He Ming's personal information.
He wanted to see everything available on the SDF-1's central computer.
"Yes, Captain."
But Hayase Misa did not personally retrieve the data; instead, she had the CIC next to her do it, then looked at Global again.
"Captain, I believe SV52, no, He Ming's performance has met the average standard of active pilots. So, should we have him retreat immediately and try to rendezvous with reinforcements earlier?"
"Do it!"
Global no longer insisted.
In an "unarmed" state, under the encirclement of three enemy crafts, shooting down one enemy craft—this strength was enough to prove He Ming's value.
Especially with the SDF-1's combat power stretched thin, discovering such an excellent seed was undoubtedly good news.
In the pitch-black void, beams of thermonuclear energy constantly swept across, attempting to shoot down the highly maneuverable transforming craft ahead.
But no matter how the two standard Battle Pods chased from behind, they could never capture an opportunity to shoot down SV52 in one go.
"Hmm? The action has changed?"
He Ming, who was becoming increasingly proficient at piloting SV52, felt a slight abnormality and couldn't help but look up at the rearview mirror on the side.
Sure enough.
The alternating shots of thermonuclear energy beams had quietly slowed down at some point.
Or rather, they had changed from two to one. Although there was only a slight difference in firing frequency, it couldn't hide one fact.
That was, the opponent had lost patience in this chase and had changed their pursuit strategy.
"An ambush?"
In this empty space, there wasn't much that could conceal a craft.
Far away was the massive Jupiter, then came the location of the SDF-1, and finally, Area 326 where He Ming was located.
So, there was only one way to set an ambush.
He Ming concentrated, focusing on the thermonuclear energy beams coming from behind.
One,
Two,
Three...
Bright beams filled with the aura of death swept past above the right side of SV52, and the energy impact they contained caused SV52's flight posture to slightly wobble.
And amidst this wobble, He Ming showed no panic; instead, he saw through the opponent's intention.
"Right there!"
He Ming's concentration was extreme.
At a certain moment, a ripple was detected by He Ming.
It was the enemy's presence!
It was the surge of killing intent!
The enemy was right there!
Killing intent surged in He Ming's eyes, and SV52 responded to He Ming's intention.
After dodging the attacks of the standard Battle Pods from behind with several barrel rolls and then performing a maneuver similar to a broken S maneuver, it rapidly flew downwards.
Upon seeing SV52 perform this extremely familiar move again, a pair of eyes in the cockpit of the standard Battle Pod following behind it instantly widened.
How could this not be familiar!
This was clearly the feint that had killed their teammate just now.
However,
Even if this Gerati saw through SV52's maneuver, what could he do?
The ambush position was already nearby.
If SV52 escaped using this feint, their ambush would not only fail, but even their teammate's sacrifice would be in vain.
After a burst of alien language sounded in the cockpit of the standard Battle Pod, it immediately performed a maneuver and turned, chasing after SV52.
"Oh? Are they chasing?"
He Ming felt the increasingly obvious killing intent from behind and couldn't help but curl his lips.
Just as SV52 was locked on by the standard Battle Pod again, SV52 performed the same maneuver, similar to a broken S maneuver, once more, escaping from the standard Battle Pod's lock-on.
The repeated loss of target, again and again, caused the Gerati Mechanic chasing SV52 to feel a strange, unfamiliar sensation.
But this hint of strangeness vanished in an instant.
Because, in the next second, he discovered that SV52's direction of travel was actually towards their ambush location.
Upon realizing this fact, he immediately notified his teammates to prepare to ambush SV52.
In front of the high-speed SV52 was an area on the edge of Jupiter's shadow.
Here, the light scattered by the sun could not illuminate the void ahead for He Ming.
Logically speaking, as long as He Ming entered this area, he should be able to use SV52's high maneuverability to shake off the pursuers behind him.
He Ming could think of this, and he also believed that the Gerati, who lived in space and roamed the galaxy, could also think of it.
In fact, the methods they could think of and employ were far more numerous and skilled than He Ming, a human who had just left a gravity environment and was able to traverse this void battlefield only by certain special means.
"Right here."
The killing intent was still incredibly clear.
In the pitch-black shadow of the planet, there was endless darkness, ominous darkness.
Even so, He Ming calmly piloted SV52 straight into it.
Behind him, the light of thermonuclear energy beams rushed in, tearing apart the darkness cast by the planet's shadow.
Amidst the bursts of particle light, SV52's figure flickered in and out of view.
Closer!
Closer!
The ambush location was right in front of them!
The Gerati believed that in the next moment, what he would see would be the explosive fire of SV52 being destroyed by his teammates.
"Buzz!"
Suddenly, a familiar beam erupted from the depths of the darkness, tearing apart the darkness and, at the same instant, striking the unsuspecting standard Battle Pod.
The terrifying thermonuclear energy beam instantly destroyed the standard Battle Pod's legs, and its residual energy spread wantonly along the Battle Pod's body, extending all the way to its torso.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
The rampant energy not only destroyed the electronic instruments inside the standard Battle Pod but also ignited an explosion.
The scattered electronic instrument debris, like Blades, cut and pierced into the Gerati's body.
Crimson liquid surged out from the wounds, rolling in all directions, eventually colliding with floating debris or the inner wall, splashing like red flowers.
It seemed this Gerati, if not dead, was at least crippled.
In contrast, when SV52 reappeared from the darkness, it was in its humanoid form, with its left hand dragging the upper half of another standard Battle Pod, which was the part containing the thermonuclear energy beam cannon.
Looking at the standard Battle Pod, which was sparking with electric fire, He Ming slowly exhaled.
Being in the darkness of the planet's shadow just now, it was false to say he wasn't afraid.
And it was precisely this fear that allowed He Ming to calmly deal with the enemy lurking in the darkness—the craft ambushed in the darkness.
Darkness provides protection for humans, and it can also protect others.
In the darkness of the planet's shadow, a standard Battle Pod, with most unnecessary systems shut down, retaining only its weapon system and basic power system, was quietly waiting for SV52 to arrive.
As soon as its teammate gave the signal, this standard Battle Pod, hidden in the darkness like a lifeless piece of space debris, would unleash a deadly strike to kill SV52.
However, even with his teammate's guidance, watching SV52 rush into this darkness from a seemingly God's-eye view, he never expected that He Ming, the prey, could also detect and lock onto him from a similar perspective!
The light of the thermonuclear energy beam was fleeting.
Each time it swept past SV52, illuminating it, the next second was SV52's opportunity for rapid maneuvering.
But He Ming did not use this opportunity early.
Because he knew that the Battle Pod lurking in the darkness had not immediately launched an attack.
Presumably, the opponent was also waiting for SV52 to enter the thermonuclear energy beam cannon's maximum kill range, thereby delivering a fatal blow to SV52.
Unexpectedly, He Ming was also doing the same.
To use the enemy's own methods against them.
Another thermonuclear energy beam tore through the darkness, sweeping past above SV52, completely exposing SV52's whereabouts to the ambusher.
"Opportunity!"
The same thought,
Different languages,
At this moment, they sounded simultaneously.
The light of the thermonuclear energy beam cannon condensing energy lit up like starlight.
SV52's body, as it was momentarily swallowed by darkness in the fleeting light, suddenly transformed.
The thermonuclear engine's output instantly increased to maximum, and the surging power forced the SV52, which had transformed into G Form, to ascend nearly a hundred meters from its original altitude.
"Buzz!!"
SV52's instantaneous upward maneuver made the ambusher's eyes widen, and beneath his look of surprise was an instinctive, subconscious action to compensate for the attack.
As the ambusher's standard Battle Pod's engine started, its medium-caliber thermonuclear energy beam cannon also raised its muzzle.
In a flash of lightning, the thermonuclear energy beam fired with a roar, but it failed to hit SV52, which had already ascended to a higher position.
Coincidentally, although this thermonuclear energy beam did not hit SV52, it miraculously struck the teammate who had guided him to ambush SV52.
Having missed one strike, the ambusher wanted to accelerate his retreat, hoping to engage SV52 in combat or escape the area.
However, He Ming would absolutely not allow such a thing to happen a second time.
The surging energy unleashed by the thermonuclear engine caused SV52's speed to suddenly increase by several points.
From G Form, SV52 rapidly reverted to its fighter form, sweeping past the right side of the standard Battle Pod in the blink of an eye.
Was it too fast to miss?
No!
It wasn't!
In fact, the moment SV52 swept past the standard Battle Pod, He Ming had already completed the operation to transform SV52 into its humanoid form.
In the darkness, the Blade of death suddenly appeared, like the Grim Reaper's scythe, slashing down towards the already locked-on target.
The hunter, who prided himself on being able to kill his prey, was now killed by the prey.
In this empty space, one more piece of lifeless space debris was added.
When the sun's scattered light once again enveloped SV52, He Ming, who was about to contact the SDF-1 to report the situation, noticed a slight abnormality.
"Still alive?"
SV52 dropped the remains of the thermonuclear energy beam cannon in its hand and slowly approached the standard Battle Pod, which had been accidentally struck by its teammate's thermonuclear energy beam cannon, subsequently paralyzed, and was on the verge of destruction.
After observing it for a while, He Ming ultimately decided to contact the SDF-1 for further instructions, as SV52 was not equipped with emergency rescue equipment.
Little did he know, the SDF-1's Bridge was already in a near-chaotic state.
"What? Three enemy crafts shot down by an 'unarmed' craft?!"
"Quick, quick, let me see who is that powerful?!"
"No way? How can anyone be that powerful?!"
In the past, due to the intensity of the battle, the Bridge personnel, whose nerves were constantly stretched and whose pressure had almost reached its limit, even if they didn't participate in the discussion, were secretly looking towards Hayase Misa's side.
"Cough! What are you all doing? Get back to your posts and be alert to the surrounding situation!"
Just as this atmosphere was about to spread throughout the Bridge, Global finally spoke, stopping the atmosphere from spiraling out of control.
When the Captain spoke, who dared to disobey.
However, even after returning to their posts, glances from around still secretly fell on this side.
Global secretly exhaled.
When he looked at Hayase Misa again, his expression was serious.
"Order: All flight squadrons on rotation are to cancel their rotation immediately. Enter Level 2 alert status immediately! The entire ship is to enter combat readiness for anti-air and anti-ship operations!"
"Yes, Captain."
Hayase Misa immediately issued the order.
Afterward, Hayase Misa looked at Global with some confusion.
Global put down his pipe and raised a hand to slightly adjust his military cap.
"This is necessary. After all, our new teammate has probably brought us a new gift."
With that, Global's gaze fell upon the tactical projection screen.
There, SV52's signal converged with the signals of the remaining enemy crafts.
Seeing this scene, Global's eyes were as deep as the sea.