Chapter 693

Chapter 693: The Knight’s Counterattack

The sudden shadow that appeared above the fighter jet did not completely affect the special tier pilot, the "holy knight’s," vision. The powerful onboard computer system controlled multiple surveillance cameras, automatically adjusting contrast and brightness to compensate for the sudden changes in light.

Four speed brakes?

The "holy knight" looked up at the Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet, which blocked the sun and descended with incredible pressure from above.

Four speed brakes were indeed quite extravagant for a fighter jet. Although they provided excellent deceleration, they posed a significant challenge to the aircraft’s structure and strength. If not careful, these four speed brakes could very well become the cause of the fighter jet’s disintegration.

According to his calculations, “Number 13’s” fighter jet should still be in the process of the next attack wave and not suddenly appearing at this angle.

Like a top expert playing a game of chess, the special tier pilot had an astonishing grasp of the combat rhythm, memorizing every opponent’s flight data. He continuously simulated scenarios during the battle, able to accurately estimate the opponent’s general position without even needing to see them.

This skill was incredibly useful in aerial combat; the ability to predict an opponent’s position could prevent falling into a passive defensive situation.

However, this unexpected miscalculation in prediction resulted in a fatal flaw in the "holy knight’s" attack.

In ace-level aerial combat, it was no child’s play. Each of the warring parties possessed the ability to deliver a deadly strike, and even the slightest mistake could lead to irreversible consequences.

The X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet maintained synchronized speed above the "holy knight," with the two aircraft differing in height by only a few meters, and their horizontal position only half the length of a fuselage apart. It was as if the two fighter jets formed a team.

At this moment, neither missiles nor cannons would be effective.

This situation was truly unprecedented; this "Number 13" pilot was not playing by the rules.

What to do? The "holy knight" displayed a look of helplessness, unsure of the next course of action.

To escape this predicament, the "holy knight" could either slow down or move down, left, or right. His fighter jet was naturally constrained in the forward and upward directions.

With no weapons available, it was somewhat disadvantageous for the "holy knight," as the opponent could continuously descend and pressure him to lower his altitude. What would happen next was anyone’s guess.

For a fighter jet, altitude meant energy and advantage. If altitude was reduced to a certain level, it might compress the maneuvering space to a point where a comeback would be nearly impossible, leaving him powerless on the ground.

The options available to the "holy knight" were limited. He might be able to pull the stick for a Cobra maneuver, sharply angling the nose upward at the moment of ascent to fire the cannon at the opponent’s belly. However, this was not without risk. The most likely outcome would be that the two fighter jets collided like they were dancing, and the special tier pilot’s aircraft ended up in disastrous shape.

Or the "holy knight" could choose to risk his life, becoming a living missile like a superhero from "Dinosaur Rescue," using the cockpit as a cannon to launch himself along with the ejection seat and canopy to slam into the belly of the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet, most likely resulting in him becoming a splatter of flesh while the opponent merely experienced some jolt.

This was a dual bait operation plan. Yuri and “Raccoon” acted as the poisoned bait, and with a bit of luck, Lin Mo might not even need to intervene to bring down the "holy knight." Even if luck was not on their side, it could create a slim opportunity for Lin Mo.

Fighter jets in strong attack mode always inevitably exposed their weaknesses.

Fortunately, in that brief moment, Lin Mo seized the opportunity.

Just a second ago, the X-1’s speed suddenly surged to 5.5 Mach, which was an astonishing speed comparable to a sixth-generation fighter, making it impossible for any air-to-air missile to intercept.

At nearly two kilometers per second, it was like space jumping, and the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet successfully suppressed the "holy knight’s" impending attack.

Yuri and “Raccoon” managed to save their "lives" in the nick of time.

“Great job! ‘Number 13’!”

Yuri cheered as he noticed the communication channel had returned to normal. The feeling of being pursued was truly uncomfortable.

Just moments ago, the special tier pilot, the "holy knight," had executed two maneuvers that completely caught him and “Raccoon” off guard, even leaving them no time to react before the opponent had closed in on them.

The two of them suddenly felt like prisoners kneeling before the executioner’s axe, completely unaware of when the blade would fall upon their throats.

Had they delayed by just one more second, the confrontation would have escalated into a one-on-one duel between “Number 13” and the "holy knight." Yuri and “Raccoon” held little hope for the outcome of that subsequent battle. They never imagined “Number 13” could take down a special tier pilot all alone.

Yuri and the Iranian pilot “Raccoon” synchronized perfectly, suddenly executing a Cobra maneuver. By creating a high angle of attack, they quickly slowed down, retreating past the "holy knight" and "Lin Mo" from both sides, switching to a rear pursuit tactic to close in on the "holy knight’s" vulnerable positions at seven and five o’clock.

If he truly locked on, it meant the "holy knight" would have no chance of turning the tables.

But as a special tier pilot, the "holy knight" would never give them that opportunity. Fortune favors the bold; he had no intention of backing down.

The arrow-shaped nose dipped, suddenly performing a 180-degree descending roll, shaking off the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet pressing above him. As his altitude plummeted from 6,500 meters to less than 500 meters above the ground, the "holy knight" pulled back on the control stick during the reverse roll.

At that moment, the intentions of the other two fighter jets to encircle him completely fell apart.

The "holy knight’s" fighter dived vertically towards the ground, leveling off just before reaching the surface, then pulling up again into a high-speed Immelmann maneuver, climbing back to 6,000 meters, right behind Yuri and “Raccoon,” who were seizing the moment to pick up scraps.

In just a few seconds, the "holy knight" transformed an impossible situation into a victory.

The fire control radar swiftly completed the lock! Launch the missiles!

“He’s running away, diving towards the ground! Catch up! He’s turning around and climbing again! Quick, make a sharp turn and aim to fire!”

“‘Number 13,’ spread out! Don’t get too close! ‘Yuri,’ deploy the infrared decoys!”

“He’s behind us! We’re locked on!”

“Quick, use the vector barrel roll! Evade! Evade!”

“Damn it, we got hit! Alright, ‘Number 13’! It’s all up to you now.”

Without even a chance to gloat, Yuri and “Raccoon” finally understood what a special tier pilot truly was. They had no time to react before being locked on and shot down.

This time, the "holy knight" showed no mercy. The knockoff F-22 and the modified F-14 "Panda" withdrew from the combat airspace with their tails between their legs, both of them completely defeated in this battle.

“Next up, ‘Number 13,’ it’s your turn.”

The "holy knight" began searching for Lin Mo’s position in the sky. For him, this round of simulated combat had entered the countdown.

The on-board radar revealed nothing. Indeed, the "holy knight" faced the same frustration; the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet was also a stealth fighter and was not lacking in technology.

Until now, all the radar systems on the fighter jets, no matter how advanced, had become decorative.

“Where is he?! Let me find him!”

In the cockpit, the "holy knight" gazed at the 360-degree wrap-around display. It seemed the Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System had failed to locate the Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet that had just pressured him.

Lin Mo had fully unleashed the X-1’s super-maneuverability. When the "holy knight" suddenly launched his next attack, he realized the special tier pilot had a plan in mind. As his opponent executed various combination maneuvering techniques, he also sprang into action.

“Wait, not here, he’s gone, huh, where did he go?”

Suddenly, the "holy knight" realized that the Chinese pilot seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.

How could that be? Even at escape velocity, it should be impossible to elude human sight.

The "holy knight" accessed the function menu on the cabin wall and began replaying the target changes tracked by the Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System during the earlier maneuvers.

This was the greatest advantage of a supposedly completely sealed cockpit. The "holy knight" quickly spotted the silhouette of the Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet in the playback video; as soon as he launched his attack, “Number 13” moved into action as well.

Upon seeing the replay video, the "holy knight’s" heart sank. He had a very bad feeling; the opponent was right behind him, at the same level, in line with the exhaust nozzle.

When the "holy knight" glanced back, he indeed saw a fighter jet steadily hanging behind him. As expected, the opponent did not miss this opportunity.

“Alright! ‘Number 13’! Well done, you win!”

The "holy knight" was gracious in defeat, quickly choosing to surrender. This situation was genuinely difficult for him to escape, even after several high-overload maneuvers, he couldn’t shake off his opponent.

In this first round, Lin Mo’s fighting style left a lasting impression on the "holy knight," filled with creative and unconventional tactical ideas, fully demonstrating that “Number 13” possessed remarkable tactical imagination. Pilots like him had exceptional battlefield survival skills.

“But don’t get too cocky, ‘Number 13,’ ‘Yuri,’ ‘Raccoon,’ the battle has only just begun. Don’t let your guard down.”

The "holy knight" issued another challenge to Lin Mo and the other three. Just as he said, the fight was only just getting started.