Gundam: Changing the World Even with a Mass-Produced Unit

Chapter 5: Shiro Bound by Gravity

"Da-da-da-da…"

The dense, muffled sound quickly reached the Special Operations Squad.

Having approached the frontline of the battlefield, they encountered enemy units sooner than expected.

"They're this close already…"

Eli, who had been fighting in this area for nearly three months, immediately recognized the sound as that of a Zaku machine gun firing. This indicated that at least one Zaku had broken through the defensive line.

"Stop advancing. Don't rush ahead; confirm the enemy's position first. Eledore!"

Eli immediately halted his mobile suit and crouched it down, switching off the Ground Gundam's spotlight.

Karen, who had extensive jungle warfare experience, and Sanders, a seasoned soldier, instinctively followed Eli's order and stopped moving forward.

As for Amada Shiro, who was effectively conducting MS ground combat for the first time, he took a few extra steps before also crouching down.

It was nighttime, and with the high-density Minovsky particle interference, all radio communication within the squad was cut off. Only directional laser communication was possible, and contacting forward allies for intel was out of the question.

"Understood."

Eledore, operating the hover truck, skillfully responded and steered the truck sideways, stopping in an open area. The turbine fans, replacing the standard wheels, halted, gently lowering the truck to the ground.

Next, the mechanical arm extended outward. With a burst of internal high-pressure gas, the probe was firmly driven into the soil.

With unparalleled auditory talent, Eledore quickly analyzed the sound patterns and pinpointed the situation.

"Two o'clock direction. Three units. Zaku!"

Eledore relayed the intel in the most concise manner possible.

"That's a relief. It's not the worst-case scenario."

Hearing this, Eli let out a sigh of relief.

If it was just a Zaku squad instead of an entire battalion, their team of four mobile suits could take them down.

"Alright! I'll take the vanguard!"

Before Eli could voice his carefully formulated plan, Amada Shiro had already piloted his suit forward.

"Hey!"

Karen, accustomed to orders from Eli, almost instinctively shouted to object.

"Karen, support me with the captain. Sergeant Sanders, prepare the cannon assembly!"

Eli's tactical command cut off Karen before she could speak further. At this moment, she was reminded that the one with the highest command authority in this special operations squad was Second Lieutenant Amada Shiro.

"Tch, just took command and already rushing to his death."

Eli and Karen's mobile suits began moving as well, quietly advancing on both flanks.

Karen understood that Shiro intended to act as bait to create an opening for their attacks. However, when she saw Shiro boldly switch on his spotlight and head straight for the Zaku squad, she couldn't help but think it was foolish.

Although Amada Shiro had indeed managed to take down a modified Zaku with just a Ball unit before, how much of that skill could he replicate on Earth, bound by gravity, where he was fighting for the first time?

Worried, Karen kept glancing in Shiro's direction.

Sure enough, the three Zaku units quickly noticed Shiro's Ground Gundam.

Without hesitation, the three Zakus opened fire, launching rocket rounds that exploded near the Ground Gundam.

While these rockets couldn't penetrate the Gundam's Luna Titanium alloy armor, the resulting shockwaves impacting the legs significantly increased the difficulty of piloting the suit.

This was the Zeon front line's long-developed countermeasure against the high-performance Ground Gundams.

Amada Shiro, already unaccustomed to combat under gravity, found the situation even more perilous. The control sticks in his hands felt heavier and heavier.

The Ground Gundam staggered a few steps and, unfortunately, hit a small dirt mound, causing the entire mobile suit to crash to the ground!

The dire part was that the closest Zaku was now a mere 30 meters away—a distance that, by MS standards, was practically point-blank range.

As expected, the Zaku ignored the possibility of other mobile suits nearby, drew its heat axe from its back, and lunged forward!

This was a Gundam-type MS. Even for the Zeon forces, the number of Gundam kills was extremely limited. Destroying one would surely earn great merit. The Zaku pilot couldn't help but think of his mother back on Side 6—if he achieved this feat, she might be exempted from her hefty taxes and be able to live in a better home.

Betting everything on this opportunity, the Zaku pilot thrust forward with his heat axe.

Facing the threat, Amada Shiro felt his limbs turn ice-cold. No matter how desperately he tried to operate the Ground Gundam to stand up, he couldn't possibly outpace the Zaku's charge.

"It's over!"

Even as the fear of death surged through him and resignation welled up, Shiro was not the type of man to give up so easily. Despite his unstable posture, he managed to fire the 100mm machine gun in his Gundam's hand on reflex.

Unfortunately, such a hasty attack couldn't possibly stop the Zaku's advance. The concentrated gunfire merely churned up dirt nearby.

However, this was Amada Shiro—the man who took down a Zaku with just a Ball unit.

Immediately, Shiro corrected his aim, shifting the Gundam's right arm slightly leftward.

By sheer luck, one of the bullets struck the Zaku's leg joint, tearing through its power pipe.

The Zaku's right knee joint instantly lost power, causing the lower leg to go limp. The Zaku paused momentarily in place.

Still, the distance between them no longer required further closing in. All the Zaku pilot needed to do was swing his heat axe to kill Shiro on the spot.

"Bang!"

The next instant, the Zaku was hit directly by a 180mm shell. Its chest armor exploded with a massive hole, exposing the cockpit within.

It was best not to look too closely at the inside of that cockpit…

"What…?"

Amada Shiro stared in disbelief at the Zaku that had just collapsed before him.

"Don't just stand there! Get up now!"

Eli's voice came through, snapping Shiro's attention. He turned toward Eli's Gundam and saw that it had somehow already moved into a flanking position alongside Karen, surrounding the remaining two Zakus.

"Stand up! Let's finish them together!"

"Eli…"

Amada Shiro gazed blankly at Eli's Gundam.

Eli didn't show any anger or frustration toward Shiro's reckless behavior.

The 08th MS Team had always been one of his favorite Gundam works, and he had a certain understanding of Amada Shiro's character.

Besides, Shiro wasn't incapable of serving as the vanguard—he was merely shackled by the unfamiliar weight of gravity.

Inside his cockpit, Eli calmly aimed his reticle at an enemy unit, thinking this to himself.