Chapter 667

Chapter 667: The Scalpel Above Syria

"Is this guy practicing Tai Chi? ‘Susanoo’! ‘Susanoo’! I’ll be the bait! You take action!"

"Got it, ‘Yamata-no-Orochi’! Be careful!"

The two "Shinshin" fighters rapidly spread out, yet they wouldn’t give Lin Mo any opportunity to attack individually. Only those of Asian descent would understand the miraculous techniques of using power to gain power. If they didn’t change their strategy soon, they might fall into the trap set by their own tactics.

The three-piece deflection flaps and vector thrust nozzles, once used on the X-31, were enhanced on the "Shinshin" fighter with a serrated design to reduce radar detection. This special vector nozzle design helped the fighter achieve higher super-maneuverability and post-stall performance.

Although the aerodynamic design lacked the inherent advantages of the X-1’s forward-swept wing layout, the combination of various technologies like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ "Agile Skin" meant the "Shinshin" possessed combat capabilities akin to that of America’s quasi-fifth-generation fighters.

With these technological advantages, the two Japanese pilots executed exceedingly bold tactics, fiercely attacking and defending.

Against typical opponents, a dangerous dual-fighter tactic like this would be overwhelming, catching them completely off guard and ensnaring them in the enemy’s attacking rhythm.

Bait?!

In another world, the prolonged war between the Texi Empire and the Su Lan Empire had given Lin Mo a wealth of air combat experience. He quickly saw through the strategy of these two Japanese "Lei Feng" pilots. Did they really think he was a beginner with only a few hundred hours of flight experience?

During wartime, Dragon Knights spent more time in the skies than on the ground. Compared to fighter jets, the dragon kin had astonishing endurance. The F/A-XX’s 50-hour endurance capability paled in comparison.

Come what may, he would break through with sheer force.

The Dragon Knight was a typical aerial knight who relied on strength to overcome skill. Lin Mo mastered this principle deeply. The X-1 forward-swept wing fighter did not take the bait from the "Shinshin" trying to be sly but instead locked onto one of the waiting Japanese pilots, "Yamata-no-Orochi."

"Not good! He didn’t take the bait; he’s focused on me! I’ll be the lure! ‘Susanoo,’ you provide cover!"

"Yamata-no-Orochi" was startled to see the aggressive forward-swept wing fighter charging toward him. He instantly pulled the control stick, pushing the fighter back into supersonic mode.

1 Mach, 1.2 Mach, 1.5 Mach, 1.8 Mach, 2 Mach…

He couldn’t afford to give the enemy any chance to launch missiles—not even a bit.

"Yamata-no-Orochi’s" "Shinshin" fighter sped toward his comrade "Susanoo," executing a hook tactic; only by working together could they stand against the forward-swept wing fighter.

Now they could no longer underestimate each other’s combat capabilities. The unfortunate pilots who had fallen before them had not merely been unlucky.

From the moment the enemy launched their attack, they knew this Chinese pilot was no easy opponent; although they weren’t sure what equipment he wielded, he had managed to spot them first.

During the battle, the two "Shinshin" pilots dared not increase the distance too much. Only at close visual range could they counter the adversary’s advanced detection advantages. No matter how powerful the detection equipment, it could not match the human eye; a pair of keen eyes played a crucial role in aerial combat.

"Well done! Just like that!"

Inside the Tal Shegheib air force base in Aleppo, the Japanese team leader cheered on his players via radio, encouraging them even if they temporarily found themselves at a disadvantage.

As long as they had altitude, the battle had just begun.

This mission in the "Abyss Nirvana" was not only for the practical verification of domestically produced Japanese fighter jets but also aimed at refining technology and tactics for the next-generation "I3" project.

However, their opponents seized the initiative and initiated the attack first, thwarting the tactics of the "Shinshin" squadron. The Japanese Air Force’s F3 (First Look, First Shoot, and First Kill) tactical capabilities were thus shattered, while the adversaries achieved both the first detection and the first strike.

If the two "Shinshin" pilots had not begun their emergency evasion at the first sight of danger, taking advantage of that brief moment before the bullets arrived, they might have faced a devastating loss.

The switching between attack and defense tactics by the two "Shinshin" jets did not affect Lin Mo; the X-1 forward-swept wing fighter disregarded the danger of a collision, moving parallel to the "Shinshin" that had switched to defense.

"What?!" "Yamata-no-Orochi" was suddenly alarmed as the forward-swept wing fighter darted right in.

"Dodge quickly! ‘Yamata-no-Orochi’!"

"Susanoo" yelled urgently while enduring the 9G overload of a tight turn; that forward-swept wing fighter shamelessly closed in on his comrade. The distance between the two planes was less than 50 meters, or even closer, meaning that if he fired, he might hit his own teammate.

"I can’t dodge! Damn it!"

"Yamata-no-Orochi" continuously rolled to evade, but he could not shake off the forward-swept wing fighter of Number 13. The maneuvers of the two fighters were almost identical; the X-1 seemed like a shadow of the "Shinshin."

"Yamata-no-Orochi" did a barrel roll, and Lin Mo followed suit.

"Yamata-no-Orochi" climbed sharply, and Lin Mo mirrored him perfectly.

It was as if they had rehearsed countless times—no matter how maneuverable "Yamata-no-Orochi" was, Lin Mo maintained a remarkably high synchronization rate, following closely as if they were dancing in the sky.

It appeared as if a "Shinshin" and a forward-swept wing fighter formed a dual formation; this terrifying level of synchronization made it seem that Number 13 was indeed the true partner of "Yamata-no-Orochi."

On the ground, all the observers wore strange expressions; this Number 13 was truly uncanny.

Such shameless tactics rendered the other "Shinshin," which was responsible for an ambush, hesitant and in a panic. "Susanoo" was extremely anxious, as he repeatedly attempted to lock onto the forward-swept wing fighter, barely managing to distinguish it through the friend-or-foe identification device.

However, the two sides were too close together, and "Susanoo" could not guarantee that his fire wouldn’t hit his own teammate—there were indeed precedents for the misfortune of friendly fire.

The crowd was in an uproar; no one had expected that the hook tactic could be countered in such a way. It was as if they were stuck to a bone; the Japanese "Shinshin" acting as the bait could not shake off the opponent at all. What kind of skill did that require?

When an expert made their move, it was clear; Lin Mo’s skills stunned many.

Not only did he need to keep a close watch on the other fighter, but he also had to control his own aircraft accurately; such dual-focused skills seemed to only exist in movies.

At that moment, the former employer of "Joan of Arc" gritted his teeth, staring at the televised images, inwardly regretting that the Japanese pilots were so ineffective. Two high-performance fighters were utterly incapable of dealing with just one fighter, and were being toyed with instead.

Close-range combat missiles recognized only radar waves and infrared tracking; at such close distances, the missiles inside could not discern friend from foe.

"Yamata-no-Orochi" could almost see the pilot in his new ally’s cockpit, who was clenching a fist and giving a thumbs down.

Was this a sign of contempt?!

Was this a provocation?! Lin Mo retracted his fist, suddenly pushing the control stick hard towards the "Shinshin," with the X-1 veering sharply into the "Shinshin" on his left.

“‘Yamata-no-Orochi’, be careful!”

The pilot of the other "Shinshin," "Susanoo," reacted quickly. As Lin Mo raised one of his wings, he knew something was wrong and loudly warned his comrade.

The forward-swept wing fighter suddenly sidled up without regard, startling "Yamata-no-Orochi" seated in the cockpit.

An aerial collision had only one outcome: destruction and loss of life.

Almost performing at an exceptional level, the "Shinshin’s" three-piece deflection flaps and vector thrust nozzles moved swiftly, even faster than the wings, allowing it to dodge the opposing fighter just in time.

"That was close! Huh? What’s going on?"

However, just as the "Shinshin" narrowly escaped this deadly collision, it suddenly shook violently. "Yamata-no-Orochi," bewildered, scanned the aircraft, his gaze landing on the tip of the right wing.

Noticing it caused him to nearly lose his mind; his eyes widened in disbelief.

A significant section of the tapered wing was missing compared to the trapezoidal main wing.

The aerodynamic properties had suffered damage; if it weren’t for the vector nozzles and the computer-assisted balance system functioning correctly, he might have stalled and crashed just moments ago.

The helmet-mounted sighting system began to lock onto the enemy aircraft.

This was the display of power overcoming skill, demonstrating both rough and fine tactics; having chosen such a strategy, Lin Mo had no need for overly intricate air combat skills.

Just moments ago, as the "Shinshin" maneuvered to avoid, his front-left forward-swept wing had lightly grazed the opponent’s wing tip, performing a delicate surgical operation like a scalpel.

His wing, enhanced with gold coin properties, was as sharp as a giant sword—once again creating a stunning scene of a fighter jet wielding a scalpel in the sky.

Even without the gold giant dragon, the specially designed materials for forward-swept wings were comparable to the renowned Su-27 that had achieved great fame over the skies of Bajilun.

"‘Yamata-no-Orochi’! You are locked on! Move quickly!"

"Sensing trouble," "Susanoo" urgently called out, realizing the current danger was significant enough that he no longer had the luxury to worry about friendly fire, decisively pressing the launch button for the close-range air-to-air combat missile.

"No, no! My wing is damaged! Damn it!"

In a panic, "Yamata-no-Orochi" scrambled to balance the center of gravity and aerodynamic properties, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as the threat alert system in the cockpit blared, indicating he was locked onto by fire control radar. The "Shinshin" no longer behaved as easily as before, and this threw him off.

Two white smoke trails appeared simultaneously in the sky.