What defines war?
Throughout history, countless brilliant minds have offered their interpretations.
Yet, just as every eye beholds a different Hamlet, General Zheng in the Nova Resource Satellite command center holds his own perspective.
To him, war is fought with spirit.
While victory or defeat is undeniably tied to the national strength behind each army and the superiority of their weapons,
the outcome cannot be so simplistically predetermined.
Otherwise, before any battle began, one could merely compare the strength and background of the opposing sides—would there even be a need for real combat?
"In the previous major battle, we encircled and annihilated the enemy's left-wing fleet."
"In recent engagements, our successive victories have bolstered our soldiers' confidence."
"They have come to realize that the fear propagated by the enemy is nothing but a paper tiger, easily torn apart."
"Now, after arduous combat, even without Wang Hu's support, we have not only withstood the enemy's assaults but also counterattacked."
"This has not only shattered the enemy's morale but also instilled in our soldiers an unshakable belief in victory."
"It has forced the enemy to understand that we are different—they must not judge us by the standards of the other two factions within the Allied Forces."
As he left the resource satellite command center with his Chief of Staff, General Zheng shared these thoughts on the way to his flagship, the Zhenhai.
"Indeed."
Chief of Staff Jiang agreed, his mind still filled with images of their soldiers charging forward without hesitation.
Thinking of those brave souls who disregarded their own lives, his eyes glistened with unshed tears.
In that moment, when the comms echoed with officers leading and soldiers following, shouting, "Charge! Charge!"
history itself seemed to flow backward.
The soldiers before him transformed into the heroes of the past—those who, in the torrent of history, reforged the soul of their nation with flesh and blood.
"Do you resent me?"
Standing on the flagship's bridge, General Zheng abruptly asked.
"Resent?" Chief of Staff Jiang was momentarily taken aback but quickly grasped his meaning.
The general was referring to forcing their soldiers into brutal close-quarters combat, pushing them into desperate straits.
In the earlier situation, General Zheng could have ordered a retreat or dispatched reinforcements for a full-scale battle.
"No." Shaking his head, Chief of Staff Jiang regarded the general's upright posture.
"I still remember the first lesson my teacher gave us in military academy."
"Regional battles must prioritize the overall strategy, and when facing the enemy, one must have the resolve to draw their sword."
"If we rely on allied reinforcements at every setback, defeat becomes inevitable."
"The defeats of the other two factions in the Allied Forces have burnished the reputation of the ZAFT Forces, and to some extent, we too have been affected."
"Though we've won several battles here at Nova, we know our own limitations."
"Under the weight of overwhelming numbers, the enemy refuses to admit defeat—and how can we claim to have grown stronger?"
"After all, ZAFT is just an organization that transitioned from something even less than a militia. Facing such opponents, if we can't secure several indisputable victories—"
"The very spirit of our army would be meaningless."
"Winning in field battles, especially against evenly matched foes, is the best way to forge a military's soul!"
"Indeed." General Zheng nodded, his eyes gleaming.
"This battle will completely turn the tide of war. From this moment onward, the myth of the Coordinators' invincibility will be shattered."
"Our soldiers will never again fear the enemy in future battles."
"As for the infamy that may come, I will shoulder it alone!"
"That won't happen." Chief of Staff Jiang shook his head with a light laugh.
"Everyone will understand you. Your noble intentions won't be overlooked by history."
"Look, aren't our troops already prepared to march?"
As Chief of Staff Jiang's words fell, the bridge of the flagship Zhenhai echoed with the reports of fleet commanders.
"First Assault Fleet fully prepared. Expected: 3 Agamemnon-class Carriers, 15 Nelson-class Battleships, 28 Drake-class Frigates."
"Present: 3 Agamemnon-class Carriers, 15 Nelson-class Battleships, 28 Drake-class Frigates!"
"Nova Resource Satellite Garrison, 5th Army Group. Expected: 5 Agamemnon-class Carriers, 23 Nelson-class Battleships, 46 Drake-class Frigates."
"Present: 5 Agamemnon-class Carriers, 23 Nelson-class Battleships, 46 Drake-class Frigates."
"33rd Reinforcement Army Group. Expected: 11 Agamemnon-class Carriers, 41 Nelson-class Battleships, 67 Drake-class Frigates."
"Present: 11 Agamemnon-class Carriers, 41 Nelson-class Battleships, 67 Drake-class Frigates."
"See?" Chief of Staff Jiang listened to the soldiers' vigorous voices, brimming with the desire to fight.
He turned slightly toward General Zheng, whose head was held high, and said:
"Give the order. Let us use an indisputable victory to make the world hear the dragon's roar once more."
"To all forces, this is Zheng Yong, commander of the Nova Resource Satellite Defense Line. Operation 'Hear the Dragon's Roar' begins now."
"After this battle, I will make the Coordinators dare not even look East Asia in the eye again."
"East Asian Army, mighty!"
Clenching his fist and raising his voice, General Zheng roared on behalf of millions:
"East Asian Army, ever victorious!"
"East Asian Army, mighty!"
"East Asian Army, ever victorious!"
"East Asian Army, mighty!"
"East Asian Army, ever victorious!"
After the three cheers, General Zheng took another deep breath, clasped his fists together with a sharp clap, and declared:
"May you all triumph at first strike. Advance!"
With that command, the three armies surged into action, following the orderly arrangements of the Nova Resource Satellite Command Center.
Ships that had long been ignited and ready for battle left their positions. In an instant, they shed their harmless guise and bared their bloody fangs at the enemy before them.
Signal lights flashed on the warships as blue flames from their thrusters illuminated the cosmos.
Countless Moebius units swarmed out from the fleet, darkening every inch of visible space.
"Alert! Alert!"
The warning blared across every bridge of the ZAFT Coordinator warships.
The shrill, piercing, and bone-chilling wail of air raid sirens rose and fell incessantly.
"Enemy forces detected in large numbers from the Nova Resource Satellite! Numbers—"
Clutching their headsets, every radar operator wore an expression of utter despair.
Staring at the crimson sea on their screens, they couldn't even begin to count—even the computers couldn't provide an accurate tally.
"Numbers uncountable, repeat, numbers uncountable!"
Helpless, they could only report to their captains with voices choked by tears, as if mourning their own mothers' deaths.
"Are they insane?" In truth, the captains didn't even need the radar operators' reports.
The moment the distant reaches of space lit up, the captains had already rushed to the main screens.
A sharp intake of breath—their hearts plummeted as their eyes struggled to take in the sight.
From one end of their vision to the other, stretching across unfathomable distances of space, the void was packed to the brim with East Asian Army warships!
Immaculately arrayed, their formations so dense and disciplined it was unbearable to behold—the warships of the East Asian Army!
"It's over, it's over."
A few captains with weaker mental fortitude staggered backward in shock, collapsing against bridge equipment without even realizing it.
Their very souls had been seized by the awe-inspiring might of the East Asian Army.
If even they were like this, what hope was there for the ordinary soldiers who had already been battered time and again by the East Asian Army?
The apocalypse had arrived!
For them, this was nothing short of doomsday.
"No way, hahaha, it's fake, it's fake! How could the enemy have so many forces?!"
Some Coordinators, refusing to accept reality even now, babbled mindlessly, drool dripping from their gaping mouths.
But no matter how desperately they resisted the truth before them—
The East Asian Army's advance wouldn't slow for even a single second.
"The East Asian Army?"
Having piloted the GINN back to his ship, Creuset clenched his jaw tightly as he watched everything unfold on his cockpit screen.
"The East Asian Army!"
Wang Hu, seated in the Qilin's cockpit, felt his heart pound like a war drum as he gazed upon the main force about to enter the battlefield.
"This is the invincible East Asian Army!"
A quick note to our dear readers: Could you please avoid stockpiling chapters these days? Even just moving your little fingers daily to check the latest updates would mean the world. Writing is hard—your humble author bows in gratitude!
(End of chapter)