This time, Reid made his entrance by having the Gran Chaos preemptively launch a missile barrage, while its Shipboard Buster Beam Cannon charged, ready to fire at any moment.
The operation in the Kingdom of Azadistan had already exposed the Gran Chaos. Reid figured there was no longer any need to hide, so he might as well reveal himself and provide fire support.
After all, if Reid didn't draw the attention of this massive CE army, the Celestial Beings' Gundams were about to be dismantled into spare parts. The elite forces of the Human Reform League, the Union, and the AEU were also on the verge of annihilation.
There was no helping it; even moving as fast as he could, Reid still had to fly from the edge of the Taklamakan Desert to enter the battlefield.
Meanwhile, the forces of the Human Reform League, the Union, and the AEU, along with Celestial Beings, were completely mixed in with the CE army.
So when the strange phenomenon ended, the Freedom and Justice in the sky were the first to react.
A berserk Kira obviously didn't need Reid to tell him that disarming soldiers on the battlefield was cruel. This guy went all out from the start, and his Rainbow Cannon began to display its true power in the AD Universe.
The first unlucky victims among the three blocs' forces were the Union's Union Real Combat Type units. It was their misfortune to be flying right in front of the Freedom Gundam.
The Freedom's Rainbow Cannon was like shooting clay pigeons. A single volley sent dozens of Union Real Combat Types exploding in a chain of fireballs across the sky.
The only good news was that this Kira didn't know the cockpit of the Union Real Combat Type was in the Mobile Suit's crotch. All his shots were aimed at the "cockpit" in the chest, so some Union pilots weren't killed instantly and managed to eject.
However, none of these pilots ultimately survived. Athrun's reaction was no slower than Kira's. While the Justice lacked the Freedom's crowd-control capabilities, it was more than enough for cleanup.
Thus, without exception, all the ejected Union pilots were picked off by the Justice's "Fortissimo" Beam Cannon and "Sirius" Beam Rifle.
The moment these two opened fire, everyone else on the battlefield snapped to attention.
The Human Reform League, the Union, and the AEU had anticipated that an Otherworld Entanglement would occur, but they never expected the enemy to be transported right on top of them, face-to-face.
So, both sides immediately engaged in close-quarters combat.
The first round of ground combat resulted in wins and losses for both sides.
Although the BuCUE, as a desert-specialized Mobile Suit, should have had the advantage, both sides were currently in a static firefight, where the faster reaction time won.
Naturally, the BuCUEs, all piloted by berserk Coordinators, were a bit faster.
With their Mouth-Mounted Bidirectional Beam Sabers deployed, they could slice through the three blocs' Mobile Suits with a single whip of their heads. Even for those without nearby enemies, the Back-Mounted Twin 450mm Electromagnetic Cannon and Back-Mounted 13-Tube 400mm Missile Launcher could engage foes at a moment's notice.
However, the elite pilots of the Human Reform League, Union, and AEU were only a fraction slower than these Coordinators. The armor of a standard BuCUE certainly couldn't withstand a 200mm x 50 caliber smoothbore cannon or a 200mm linear cannon at point-blank range.
So, the pilots on both sides basically traded blows: you slash me, I shoot or slash you back.
Between the two attacking parties, the BuCUEs definitely had a higher survival rate. After all, the soldiers of the three blocs were unfamiliar with their specific construction, and many attacks hit non-vital areas.
Moreover, many of the three blocs' soldiers made a fatal misjudgment.
Seeing the Beam Saber attacks, many assumed they could parry them with their Plasma Vibration Blades, just like they would against Celestial Beings' Beam Sabers.
The result was predictable. The CE Universe's lighter-like Beam Sabers could not be parried at all. The Mobile Suits that attempted to block were naturally cut in half at the waist.
The good news, however, was that in terms of numbers, the three blocs' forces had far more Mobile Suits (the CE ground forces consisted only of BuCUEs; most of their troops were airborne). So, the Mobile Suits that survived the first round of ground combat were immediately finished off by other units from the three blocs.
Having experienced so many Otherworld Entanglements, the three blocs knew that Mobile Suits from other worlds would disappear upon destruction. As long as they hadn't vanished, it meant they could still fight back.
Therefore, as long as a BuCUE's main body remained, the fire directed at it would not cease. The exchange was so intense that it carved out a "vacuum zone" on the ground, littered only with the wreckage of the three blocs' Mobile Suits.
However, in the second round of engagement, the three blocs' forces suffered a devastating loss.
Since this was a Gundam-capturing operation, none of the frontline troops were equipped with those insane anti-air backpacks.
As the Union forces in the sky were being slaughtered by the numerous ZAFT nuclear-powered Mobile Suits led by the Freedom, the ground troops, facing a multitude of CE Mobile Suits riding on GOUF Flight Types, had zero air superiority and could only take a beating.
The primary armament of ZAFT's grunt Mobile Suits was the 76mm Heavy Assault Machine Gun. While useless against Gundams, it was certainly sufficient for bullying the more lightly armored High Mobility Iron Man and Union Flag Hover Tank Type.
Even against the more heavily armored standard Iron Man and Land Battle Heavy Armor Type Union Flag, a single burst would leave the enemy Mobile Suit with missing limbs.
As for the Beam Weapons of the various Dagger Series, Strike Daggers, and GuAIZ, that goes without saying. Against the three blocs' regular Mobile Suits, it was one shot, one kill.
Of course, the greatest threat to the three blocs' forces was the numerous CE Gundams.
The Strike Gundam's 350mm Anti-Armor Shotgun Launcher and the Gundam Calamity's Full Burst Mode were rapidly reaping the three blocs' Mobile Suits.
The other Gundams were also beyond what regular troops could handle. It was important to remember that the main long-range weapons of the three blocs were all physical projectiles, which were harmless against Phase Shift Armor. They were being unilaterally pummeled.
Furthermore, the large-scale GN Particle dispersal by the three Throne Angels earlier had prevented the three blocs' ultra-long-range missiles from locking on. Now, unable to provide long-range support, the deteriorating situation became even worse.
At this point, only the elite units of each nation could effectively counter the CE grunt units. Most other troops were essentially firing blind, unsure of who to target among the countless enemies in the sky. Downing an enemy was mostly a matter of luck, and the loss ratio once reached a staggering 1:5—the same ratio the Moebius had faced against the GINNs despite the technological gap.
If not for the timely arrival of the Gran Chaos's first wave of missile bombardment support, the three blocs' forces might have lost over half their numbers in a single blow.
However, with the Gran Chaos's support, the ground forces of the three blocs finally found their footing. At this point, no one cared about nationality anymore. All troops gathered and formed a defensive formation, using their smoothbore and linear cannons to create a wall of anti-air fire.
In the hands of elites, these two weapons could still be used to target Mobile Suit-sized targets, especially since the Mobile Suits flying on GOUF Flight Types weren't moving excessively fast.
As for Celestial Beings, the four Gundam Meisters were still in a weakened state, only able to barely pilot their Mobile Suits back into the fight. Dynames had lost its sniper rifle and pistol and could now only use its GN Shield as a shield. Virtue had also lost its GN Rocket Cannon, but while acting as a shield, its two twin GN Cannons could still return fire.
Exia had lost its shield and GN Sword Rifle, but it had plenty of blades, with a GN Beam Saber and GN Daggers still on hand, allowing it to serve as a makeshift guard.
The only long-range firepower Celestial Beings had left was from the three Throne Angels and Kyrios's GN Beam Submachine Gun.
However, after the previous bombardment and repeated use of their high-power GN Launchers, not to mention Throne Angel Drei's massive GN Particle dispersal, the three Throne Angels were already running low on energy. On top of that, the Celestial Beings' pilots' hands were still shaking.
Therefore, Celestial Beings could be said to be okay at clearing grunts, but they soon attracted the attention of Calamity, Forbidden, and Raider.
This was not good news for Celestial Beings. Although they weren't the five ZAFT nuclear-powered Mobile Suits wreaking havoc in the sky, Forbidden's massive scythe and Raider's flail were more effective against GN Shields than Beam Sabers.
An exhausted Setsuna forced Exia to block the Stolen Gundam but was smashed back to the ground by its flail. If Throne Angel Drei hadn't used its GN Shield to block the subsequent 100mm "Wrath" energy cannon shot, Exia would have been destroyed instantly.
But with Throne Angel Drei's current GN Particle levels, blocking the "Wrath" energy cannon was a struggle. The crimson beam ultimately pierced the shield, but thankfully, the Throne Angel Drei's GN Shield absorbed the aftershock.
However, at the same moment, Throne Angel Zwei's fight against the Forbidden Gundam went south.
Facing the giant scythe, Throne Angel Zwei blocked it with its GN Buster Sword and then tried to finish its opponent with its GN Fangs.
However, unaware of the existence of Phase Shift Armor, Michael Trinity chose to use the GN Fangs for a physical attack, attempting to pierce the enemy's hull.
The result, naturally, was that all the GN Fangs were deflected. At the same time, the berserk Shani seized the opportunity and used his 88mm "Fang" Railgun to blast Throne Angel Zwei back, immediately following up with a "Vulture" Guided Plasma Cannon shot.
Throne Angel Zwei's pilot, Michael Trinity, reacted quickly. After being blown back, he saw the enemy's cannon muzzle glow red and immediately tried to maneuver his Mobile Suit to the side to dodge.
But he never in his wildest dreams imagined that the beam would curve. After dodging, his right arm was struck by the curving "Vulture" Guided Plasma Cannon, melting it along with the GN Buster Sword in its hand.
At this moment, the other Gundams, including Throne Angel Eins, were pinned down by Calamity and various other enemies that had arrived, suppressed by a hail of beams and missiles, completely unable to support him.
Thus, Michael Trinity could only watch as the giant scythe fell towards him, looking as if it would slice him in half in the next instant (in reality, it probably couldn't; GN Composite Armor was quite tough, and a scythe made of graveyard's special metal, without high-frequency vibration or high heat, likely couldn't cut through it).
It was at this moment that Reid and the others finally arrived on the battlefield.
Piloting the Gundam Artemis, Reid saw that Celestial Beings was about to be wiped out by the berserk first-generation three young aces and quickly used the Lambda Driver to amplify his Magnum Rifle, firing a shot at the Forbidden Gundam.
The berserk Shani's reaction was swift. Sensing the threat from above, he immediately retracted his scythe and raised his Energy Deflection Armor to defend.
However, the berserk Shani was unaware that the Lambda Driver could penetrate the reflective field of Mirage Colloid, so he ended up taking the Gundam Artemis's Magnum Rifle shot head-on with his Mobile Suit.
Without any suspense, the Forbidden Gundam's upper torso was instantly melted into slag by the ultra-compressed Magnum Beam, leaving only the lower half of the Mobile Suit to dissipate into red code.
Simultaneously, the Immortal Aegis, which was slightly faster than the Gundam Artemis, used its Beam Machine Gun to force back the Raider. The forces besieging Celestial Beings were also repelled by a volley of fire from the Z Plus Gundam, three Kyubey EXs, and the Gundam Eclipse further back.
Reid maneuvered his Mobile Suit to hover above Celestial Beings and spoke quickly.
"You're out of combat strength. Retrieve your weapons and find a place to hold your ground. Stop running around."
After saying that, Reid charged directly towards the Freedom and Justice, who were running rampant in the sky.
He had no choice. If he didn't go, those two Mobile Suits, in coordination with the other three nuclear-powered units, would wipe out the Union forces in the sky. Even now, Reid could only see a few members of the Overflag Team barely dancing through the web of firepower.
Reid's words were blunt, but the Celestial Beings Gundam Meisters below couldn't really refute them.
In fact, the three pilots of the Trinity's Throne Angels had long since wanted to stop fighting.
The eldest brother and pilot of Throne Angel Eins, Johann Trinity, directly cut into the four Celestial Beings' team channel and said decisively, "Our mission was to rescue you four. There's no need to intervene in the Otherworld Entanglement. The four of you will leave with us now."
The four Celestial Beings members also knew they would be a burden if they stayed, but they were all unwilling to accept it. Tieria gritted his teeth and asked, "You want us to leave? Who are you people?"
At this, Michael Trinity, who was in an extremely foul mood after losing an arm on his Mobile Suit, retorted, "We are also Celestial Beings Gundam Meisters. We're here to clean up the mess for you lot who were getting beaten senseless by old-era MS."
As soon as Michael Trinity said this, Setsuna delivered a precise comeback.
"You were just getting suppressed too. We're all the same."
Setsuna's remark plunged the team channel into silence. In the end, it was Lockon who played the peacemaker.
"Let's not discuss this for now. Let's retrieve our weapons and find a place to defend. The battlefield is too chaotic to escape anyway. Getting shot in the back by a beam is no joke."
No one could argue with Lockon's point. The four Celestial Beings Gundams very consciously formed up to retrieve their weapons from the battlefield.
The three Throne Angel pilots said no more and dutifully provided escort.
These seven Mobile Suits faced little risk dealing with the CE army's grunts. As for the forces of the Human Reform League, Union, and AEU, they certainly had no time to bother with Celestial Beings now; the Mobile Suits that had appeared through the Otherworld Entanglement were the real enemy.
At this moment, although the reserve forces of the three blocs outside the edge of the Taklamakan Desert had lost battlefield communications, when such a massive sphere of light crashed down, even a fool would know it was the characteristic phenomenon of an Otherworld Entanglement.
In fact, the three blocs had already come to believe the SDP's backing organization's claim that all legends originated from their entanglements with other worlds.
If they themselves had encountered an Otherworld Entanglement in the Middle Ages or even the earlier Dark Ages, they would surely have regarded the strange sight as a divine miracle. If they survived, they would spread the tale far and wide.
Moreover, many myths described the gods of a previous era as having bodies of giant metal statues. Wasn't that a reference to Mobile Suits?
As for whether the otherworldly visitors of the past were like the current ones, causing destruction wherever they went, in the view of the three blocs' governments, only the organization behind the SDP would know.
In any case, the three blocs' attitude towards these world-destroying entities was clear: since communication was impossible, they had no choice but to fight.
The Human Reform League's deputy commander (with Commander Sergei Smirnov leading the sortie and out of communication, the deputy had to take over), the AEU's Kati Mannequin, and the Union's commander all simultaneously ordered their reserve forces to enter the battlefield and provide support.
At the same time, the three commanders also ordered all resting ultra-long-range artillery Mobile Suits to reassemble and enter the periphery of the battlefield to provide support through visual targeting.
Of course, it was also announced to the entire army that during the battle with the otherworldly Mobile Suits, SDP forces were to be considered friendly.
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