"Initiating atmospheric entry."
The feminine, robotic voice of Helena Kjestein's M.M.U. Sagittarius operating system made the announcement, which was repeated for all The Cathedral units participating in the operation. The blue of the sky and the terrestrial ocean quickly came into view. The landscape, which would have been breathtaking under normal circumstances, was promptly ignored. Helena's squadron's target was clear: deal with the Avalon and the units stationed at Amaterasu base before the attack with the gravitational bombs.
"Initiating delta formation, shields to maximum, and watch for enemy offensive!"
At that distance, it seemed like an exaggerated precaution, but she knew the enemy had a machine and a pilot capable of hitting targets at this altitude. The revanchism and desire for vengeance were blatant in the squadron's three young pilots. Laila Rubio gripped her Sagittarius's controls with force and hatred; the one responsible for the destruction of the colony where a large part of her family lived was just a few kilometers away. She would prove she was a better shot than him and would have her revenge.
The display with images of the targeted base appeared, and as expected, the Avalon was already taking flight. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces' M.M.U.s were already preparing to advance, just as two units Helena knew she had faced on Mars also seemed to be mobilizing.
He was not yet there, the one who would certainly make her team's job more difficult. The range of M.M.U. Arthur would be a problem she would have to ignore for now. With her squadron in delta formation, she gave the final orders before the start.
"Brave comrades, our mission is to destroy what is probably the best M.M.U. squadron on all of Earth. Combined with the Avalon, they are by far the most formidable enemies The Cathedral has ever faced. Focus on the units as much as the starship!"
Helena readied her M.M.U.'s rifle. When the shot was finally energized, she gave the order that initiated the operation, an order repeated across the globe.
"Fire!"
The first barrage of lasers and projectiles from the Sagittarius units and the starship Aldebaran were intercepted by the Avalon's blue energy shield. Helena had expected this, just as she had expected the enemy's counterattack, which came in the form of laser fire from Aegis's main ship and the various Hayabusas surrounding it.
"Two units approaching at high speed, Captain."
Leitz's information coincided with the two points approaching on Sagittarius's radar. Obviously, she had expected this too. Two of Project EX's units came into the squadron's view, impressively breaking through the clouds. Chevallier and Izanagi were now just meters away, and the fierce combat began.
Izanagi, a black similar to that of the Sagittarius units, tore through the skies with its katana wielded, violently attacking Helena, who defended as best she could. She had already dueled against the unit on Mars, but the enemy's movements were more precise than before.
At the same time, the impressive speed of the Chevallier, piloted by Jerome Gagnier, was enough to daze and confuse the rest of the squadron, along with the barrage of fire coming from the ground that they also needed to evade.
Laila distanced herself from the conflict, preparing her precise aim to attack Aegis's M.M.U.s, when her radar detected an enormous amount of energy to the east of their position.
"Attack detected to the east, evasive maneuvers!!"
Thanks to her warning, the starship Aldebaran and her colleagues managed to dodge the concentrated laser blast that tore through the skies and clouds. From the opening it had left, she used her sights to locate the author of the shot. A few kilometers away, M.M.U. Arthur emitted a blue light from its wings; the white of its armor, with its also blue details, shone from the effect of the particles and the sun.
"Captain, your target is here!"
Helena observed the point on the radar shared by Laila and immediately distanced herself from Kiyoko's Izanagi, while her other colleagues took her place in the combat.
"Initiating Phase 2, give me cover!"
The Sagittarius accelerated, and before Kiyoko could close the distance, Elijah Thompson attacked Izanagi. With her Katana, she had to defend against the shots, which gave Helena time to head in Arthur's direction.
Gabriel Sirghi noticed the enemy approach, and after a few seconds, fired with the EX cannon—not Excalibur—once more. He was impressed by the Sagittarius's evasive maneuver, which was now just meters away. Perhaps he should have used Excalibur in the operation, but in the end, he knew it wouldn't have made a difference.
Drawing her two laser sabers, Helena was just meters from her target. Destroying the machine before her might be enough to discourage Earth from continuing its offensive; that was her hope.
Arthur used its cannon as a defense against the laser saber attack, and it was split in half. Helena's surprise was brief, and her disappointment came quickly due to her intuition: that was certainly not Aegis's main weapon, not in the way it had been wasted.
There was no time to lament, however. With its two secondary pistols, Arthur targeted Helena's M.M.U., which defended itself using its shields. This would be an unconventional close-quarters duel, Gabriel thought silently. While he would use two firearms, his adversary would be equipped with swords.
The two colossal machines merely observed each other for a few seconds, with the blue sky as a backdrop, when a communication request from the enemy made Gabriel look at his monitor in surprise. He accepted the request with a click, and Helena Kjestein's cockpit camera appeared on his main screen.
"My name is Helena Kjestein, captain of Assault Squadron 01 from Alpha colony... Could you tell me your name, pilot?"
The "honor" code of some Cathedral pilots was known to the terrestrial forces, who usually made fun of it, but Gabriel had no reason not to answer.
"First Lieutenant Gabriel Sirghi, pilot of the British Royal Air Forces."
"I would ask you to surrender and hand over your unit, First Lieutenant Sirghi, but that's not going to happen, is it?"
Gabriel observed the image of his enemy's cockpit once more. Her white pilot suit, like her helmet, contrasted with the black metal machine floating a few meters from his.
"Unfortunately, I still need this M.M.U. to achieve my objectives, Captain."
"...And what would that objective be, First Lieutenant?"
Gabriel looked at the photo of his family in one of the corners of his own cockpit before answering.
"Peace."
His enemy's features were not visible due to the helmet she wore, but Gabriel's answer left Helena curious. She quickly pushed that emotion aside, however, as she took an attack stance.
"Then we have a paradox, because I'm going to destroy you for the same reason. Good luck, pilot, and may the best one win."
Without a response, the transmission ended. M.M.U. Arthur and M.M.U. Sagittarius, of such distinct colors, floated with Earth's horizon as their landscape. For a few seconds, they seemed motionless, and then Gabriel Sirghi fired the first shots of the duel that had just begun.