Chapter 682

Chapter 682: The Rabbit Kicks the Hawk

A country without its own military aviation industry is destined for tragedy, much like some countries in the Middle East that rely entirely on imported military equipment to maintain their military strength. This reliance essentially places their necks in the noose of other nations.

Once war breaks out, the immediate losses and consumption severely impact the military’s combat effectiveness.

Lacking essential spare parts, fighter jets cannot take off, and missiles without maintenance become worthless. The brief moment of prosperity is quickly lost forever.

Having a moment of glory means never flipping the situation back; once one tries to catch up again, it’s uncertain how much effort and cost will be needed.

Raccoon’s answer is bound to leave Balor with nothing but humiliation. Not only will he fail to demoralize Raccoon, but he has also ignited an even more determined fighting spirit in him.

Unless forced into a corner, pilots from all but the smallest countries have a strong sense of identity with their nation, making it very difficult to recruit or capture them.

"Since you want to die, then so be it!"

Seeing his threats fail, Balor immediately became lethal. The aerodynamic control surfaces of the MiG 1.44 fighter jet quickly moved, executing an aggressive scissor maneuver instead of the cautious high-altitude tactic.

The MiG 1.44 tilted to the side and, using vector thrust technology, detonated the missile again.

Activating the most advanced infrared imaging guided close-range combat missiles, Balor lost patience with the continued engagement; he was resolved to end it decisively.

“Complete omnidirectional lock!”

“Launch!”

Boom!

Two fireballs exploded almost directly in front of the MiG 1.44, and the cockpit canopy vibrated violently, clearly hit by the shockwaves.

What was happening? Balor jumped in shock, instinctively pulling the control stick to maneuver the tail and vector thrust, causing the MiG 1.44 to swiftly pass between the two fireballs.

What on earth was going on?

Balor nervously glanced back; if he had been two seconds faster, he might have been sandwiched between the two fireballs.

The MiG 1.44 could not withstand the explosion from two sides and the shrapnel onslaught.

It was terrifying.

But Balor quickly realized something was wrong. The missiles he launched had vanished from the radar screen?

Could it be?!

A chill ran down Balor’s spine as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

Were the missiles provided by the organizers of “Abyss Nirvana” faulty, or had someone tampered with them? No, that was impossible; every pilot would carry their most loyal and reliable mechanics, making such a scenario nearly zero.

Instead of tampering with the missiles, it would be far better to simply plant a bomb inside the aircraft, and that would be a better and more secretive idea.

He recalled instantaneously that just a moment ago, he seemed to see small lights zipping by in front of the nose, perfectly enveloping the missiles he had fired.

What was that?!

Looking left and right, Balor’s pupils reflected a new fighter jet, causing his heart to race with dread.

No! How could this be?

The Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet appearing here could only mean…

At that moment, Balor also spotted a mass of drifting black clouds far in the distance, and despair welled up in his heart.

Only one step away from advancing to the high tier, Belong had failed, and there were no parachutes floating in the sky as if both the pilot and the aircraft had been exterminated.

"Number 13"! Leave this to me; I will take care of him!"

Raccoon’s Little Cutie suddenly intercepted in front of the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet, blocking Lin Mo’s impending attack.

Just a bit more, and Lin Mo could have struck the unprepared MiG 1.44 from the sky in this duel zone.

"You!?"

Lin Mo suddenly lifted the nose of his aircraft to an 80-degree angle, reducing engine output to its lowest, performing a deceleration tail check mid-air, then the dual engines erupted with hot airflow, propelling the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet to climb over Raccoon.

This close call almost left the spectators gasping in suspense.

Raccoon knew how reckless his action was and apologetically said over the radio to Lin Mo, "Sorry, Number 13, I needed this chance!"

"Alright, fine! It’s all yours."

Lin Mo did not blame him; he was just surprised that Raccoon would make such a decision.

Did it really have to be a fair knightly duel?

Perhaps for other Chinese pilots, such behavior seemed incredibly foolish, and they might even shoot down Balor without hesitation.

However, as a Dragon Knight at the pinnacle of the knightly pyramid, he admired the Canadian pilot’s idea and courage.

As a well-known saying in China goes, "Raccoon is a real man."

Even if the combat power of the MiG 1.44 surpassed that of the Canadian testing aircraft, it’s important to remember that while the eagle is the enemy of the rabbit, the rabbit also has the power to fight back.

"Thank you!"

Raccoon felt warmth from Number 13’s trust, making him feel even closer to Lin Mo, even more than to Yuri.

"Balor, you’re going to pay for your earlier words!"

Raccoon maneuvered his fighter jet into a large radius barrel roll to confront the MiG 1.44, which was trying to escape from two enemy fighters.

Balor’s previous comment deeply hurt Raccoon’s heart.

Due to the shortsightedness of the Canadian government, the air force’s fighter jets entirely depended on America. Even though Canada is part of the North American Air Defense Command and collaborates with America on territorial defense tasks, Canada is not a state of America.

Despite a close relationship, they remain distinct countries; it’s impossible for one to hold power over the other.

Moreover, without support from cutting-edge military technology, their aviation industry would gradually fade away, falling far behind other nations.

"Hmph! Then come on; Balor will take your life!"

Balor glared at the Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet with caution and announced over the public radio channel: "Number 13! This is a duel between knights; you cannot interfere!"

He still felt some confidence against Raccoon, but if faced with Number 13, his first thought would likely not be to escape but to eject.

If the two enemy fighters joined forces, God help him, he would only regret not buying more life insurance.

"I will keep my promise!"

The X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet flew in a wide circle, making way for the two aerial knights ready to duel.

If Raccoon defeated Balor, that would be one thing, but if Balor shot down Raccoon, then the next moment, Balor’s MiG 1.44 would face the X-1’s fierce attack.

So Balor clearly understood that he had no chance of safely escaping; anyone who could defeat Belong would not be an easy opponent.

Suddenly, Raccoon’s fighter jet accelerated. In close-range combat between aerial knights, speed is key to rapidly closing distance and unleashing firepower before the opponent can respond.

This wasn’t a game; it was a life-and-death battle.

Although Lin Mo agreed not to intervene, Balor remained anxious.

Such verbal promises were worthless; even agreements between countries could be easily torn apart.

If Lin Mo suddenly interfered, it could cost him his life.

The worry subtly weighed down Balor’s focus, making him occasionally glance at the Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet, significantly impacting the combat effectiveness of the MiG 1.44.

On the other hand, Raccoon, once under pressure, grew even braver, and the disadvantage in aerodynamic properties became less apparent.

Little Cutie’s high-altitude, high-speed performance and supersonic afterburner inherited some bloodlines from the CF-105, yet its distinctly different aerodynamic layout gave it outstanding super-maneuverability and dogfighting capabilities.

The fighter jet configured for Raccoon had impressive internal ammunition supply, rivaling the MiG 1.44 with its 12 external hardpoints.

Both sides exchanged air-to-air missiles, skillfully detonating each other’s missiles in what seemed like a classic dogfighting tutorial that left the spectators in awe.

The X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet kept its distance outside the effective range while using the Light Mirror Technique to observe the battle.

Heroes born of sorrow will win!

As if it were free, Raccoon rapidly unleashed fighting missiles from his ammunition bay.

One missile, then another!

His only goal was to shoot down his opponent; when the missiles were exhausted, he would use the cannon, and when the cannon was empty, he would ram the aircraft. He was determined to bring that detestable Russian pilot down from the sky.

A fight to the end!

With a focused mind, Raccoon poured his entire being into this battle, crucial to his nation’s fate and personal honor, and finally seized the opportunity.

"No…"

Taken completely by surprise, Balor paid the price for his words and actions as he and the MiG 1.44 perished in the massive fireball that erupted in the sky.

"Well done!"

Lin Mo recognized that the Canadian pilot had given it his all and sincerely congratulated him over the radio channel.

At the air force base of the anti-government forces in Aleppo, people from the MiG company showed pale faces; they had been completely eliminated.

The MiG 1.44 and MiG 35 fighter jets had fallen in number and been captured unexpectedly by such a formidable opponent, uncertain of what the future held for MiG.