Sky-cracking Rider

Four AIM-290D long-range missiles, and it's not just the unfortunate "Big Stick" Bonatowa who couldn't withstand them, even "Rookie" Chen Fei himself would have succumbed. Four dotted lines of contrails charged at the F-40X "Horned Eagle" improved experimental aircraft which was desperately trying to escape. The three-pulse engines unleashed a powerful and fierce thrust, perfectly suited for long-distance assaults and not too large of a turning radius, fearing least of all the tight turnabouts. The alarm panel's red lights flickered incessantly, and amidst the shrill alarms, "Big Stick" Bonatowa cursed as he yanked at something below. Tired, unloved, let the destruction come quickly! One should live from below the belt. He ascended! The cockpit canopy shattered into pieces by the fixed-shape explosive bolts, and, together with the seat, he was ejected more than ten meters. The booster rockets ignited successfully, and the parachute was about to deploy... A missile whizzed close by. At an altitude of 4000 meters, the man known as "Big Stick" who yearned to reach the sky was dazzling, erupting. It turned out that being infrared, one attracted missiles, not just popularity. A large and small fireball nestled close to each other, reluctant to part. Finally... finally, he successfully ascended to heaven. Congratulations, farewell, and no need to send off. Toss flowers, fire the salute, burn paper money, and take a last look, hoping for a better life in the next incarnation. Host: Can I swear? If not, then I have nothing to say. No combat aircraft in the sky could survive the combined attack of four AIM-290D long-range missiles, none! None of the pilots participating in the "Abyssal Gladiatorial" could have done it. Many people gasped, those who dared to enter the opening fight were all tough cookies, and not just one. Fellow military contractors in the circle were even more agitated, the reputation earned by the "Genuine Fragrance" Combat Flight Squadron in the Xingdu Kush Mountain Area indeed was not unearned. The National Defense Star Aerospace Company gifted the "Genuine Fragrance" Squadron with sixteen AIM-290D long-range missiles, distributed to each combat aircraft, basically four per person. Just one AIM-290D long-range missile remained inside the internal weapon bay of the "Canglong" advanced fighter jet. "All gone? My Xs are all gone!" Laimen Hoffman, the group leader of the Hanuman Airborne Group, was jumping up and down in frustration on the ground. His box of premium cigars lay scattered all over, and once they touched the earth, they just don't taste right anymore. What pained him most was that neither pilot survived, meaning the backbone of his air service group was cut in half. No matter the outcome, it was a bloodbath! All those claims of vastly improved combat capability with the X upgraded model, all bullshit! Barely into the game, both were wiped out. How could this qualify as a main combat aircraft? The manufacturer must have pocketed crappy money! Despicable!!! Executives from Boeing Aerospace, one of Blue Star's top ten combat aircraft manufacturers, participating in the "Abyssal Gladiatorial" could not hide their complex expressions and unsightly faces. F-40 "Horned Eagle" series' producer Lockheed was now part of Boeing Aerospace, and there was no way to shake off this responsibility. Even if the F-46 "Peregrine Falcon," with its more advanced combat performance, had replaced the F-40 "Horned Eagle" to become the new mainstay combat aircraft of the American Federation. Yet, the improved "Horned Eagle" model, not yet in service, was taken down in a one-on-one fight and a joint effort by a support type combat aircraft and an advanced trainer jet, inevitably causing speculation about the combat effectiveness of the F-46 "Peregrine Falcon." It's truly a case of minding one's own business at home and disaster falling from the sky! "'Divine Eye,' 'Big Stick,' damn it! Calling 'Flying Disk'! Never mind, go after that 'Canglong' first!" "Lawnmower" Fischer Tand, who was entangled with "Fragrant Orchid" Carlos, narrowly escaped the AIM-290D that had been hounding him for a while and took the chance to return the favor with two close combat missiles. He didn't hesitate to abandon his opponent and rushed towards "Rookie" Chen Fei and "Devil Pepper" Irinei Rusios, who were about to join forces. "Haha, trying to flee? It won't be that easy!" Where was Chekhov Big Bear willing to let go of his foes after a hard-fought battle for two rounds? With the situation turning from four against two and soon to be four against one, he no longer held back. With a slight lock-on, he launched the remaining three AIM-290D missiles. The artificial intelligence AI "Adam" assisted not only the "Canglong" through the battlefield data link but also three L-22 advanced trainer jets. As long as there was enough computing resources and communication was secured, multitasking parallel processing was a piece of cake. "Ahhh, damn it!" "Flying Disk" Rumteyn desperately wanted to go help his comrade, but facing three missiles whistling towards him all at once, he couldn't break free, and a single misstep might result in the same fate as his fallen comrade in the Cangqiong. Hearing the enemy's roar over the public communication channel, "Peanut Butter" Chekhov chuckled maliciously. "Don't go! Keep playing with Daddy!" He sounded unmistakably like a villain. Indeed, Big Bear was the bad guy. As they say, good people don't live long, but troublemakers live for a thousand years. The pattern for a Tian Ji horse race was set. Even if "Flying Disk" Rumteyn could break away to aid, the final outcome wouldn't change much. Four against two, just by the numbers, it was very hard to overturn the situation. Plus, every pilot from the "Genuine Fragrance" Squadron in this battle was tough as nails, each one having survived numerous dreadful fights. If the combat equipment were the same, the Hanuman pilots might not win even in a one-on-one fight, let alone a team battle. Boom!~ The "Canglong" advanced fighter jet's tail flames blazed brightly, its speed boosted by more than a notch, managing to rendezvous successfully with Irinei Rusios's L-22 advanced trainer before the oncoming F-40 "Horned Eagle" could enter its 30-kilometer attack range, forming a lead and wingman formation. Taking on two opponents single-handedly, Hanuman Airborne Group's "Lawnmower" Fischer Tand was indeed a brave warrior. "'Rookie,' let's send him off together!" The deputy squad leader of "Genuine Fragrance," "Devil Pepper" Irinei Rusios, decisively locked onto the target. When she locked on, it was as good as Chen Fei locking on as well. With the assistance of the artificial intelligence AI "Adam," the "Genuine Fragrance" Squadron, possessing the capabilities of half an early warning aircraft, completely overshadowed the Hanuman Airborne Group in soft power. Even with the added combat power of the retired mainstay fighter F-40 "Horned Eagle," the gap in strength between the two sides could not be bridged. Not to mention that the "Genuine Fragrance" Squadron also had sixteen AIM-290D long-range missiles. Once launched in multiple units, the chance of safely escaping within a 30-kilometer combat distance was extremely slim. Without hesitation, "Devil Pepper" Irinei Rusios fired the remaining two AIM-290D long-range missiles she had, and Chen Fei's "Canglong" advanced fighter jet released its last AIM-290D. Why hold onto them, save them for hanging lanterns during the Lantern Festival or for fireworks? Just let it go; transcend! "All of you, go to hell!" "Lawnmower" Fischer Tand didn't dodge or flinch, as he locked onto both the L-22 advanced trainer piloted by "Devil Pepper" Irinei Rusios and the "Rookie" Chen Fei's "Canglong" advanced fighter jet. Six programmable short-range combat missiles hurriedly detached from the F-40 "Horned Eagle's" internal weapon bay. The swarms of missiles from both sides charged head-on, their trails skyrocketing the adrenaline of the spectators. It was a western cowboy-style showdown, a brutal yet spectacular fight drenched with the scent of blood in the air. The opening battle of the first set was enough to be thoroughly thrilling. "'Devil Pepper,' get back!" Chen Fei pushed the throttle lever forward, the onboard magic array triggering a linkage, and his flying speed surged once more, chasing the missiles he had just fired, and even matching the leading AIM-290D long-range missiles out front in speed. "Hey, hey, what are you doing? Get out of the way!" "Devil Pepper" Irinei Rusios was a beat too slow to react and when she wanted to catch up, it was already too late. The missiles from both sides nearly grazed each other as they crossed paths. The "Canglong" advanced fighter jet once again opened its internal weapon bay. Who said... it only carried AIM-290D long-range missiles? Four programmable short-range combat missiles were pushed from the rotary rack, their tail engines igniting and screaming into action. Countless jamming bullets were released, filling the sky with conspicuous red lights dancing everywhere. The "Canglong" advanced fighter jet was extremely close to the incoming missiles, and its programmable short-range combat missiles, which had just begun to accelerate, collided head-on with those from the opposite side. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!~ A series of fireballs exploded in succession. Under "Adam's" control, the four programmable short-range combat missiles acted as interceptors, accurately drawing their kin into mutual annihilation. Chen Fei, feeling the intense shaking of the cockpit, gripped the joystick tightly, undeterred as he continued to charge forward. A programmable short-range combat missile that failed to collide with its counterpart or the "Canglong," and wasn't drawn into detonation, reached the "Canglong" advanced fighter jet's rear and collided with the still drifting jamming bullets. Boom!~ "This kid!" Seeing Chen Fei's still intact "Canglong" advanced fighter jet emerging unscathed from the flames and smoke, "Devil Pepper" Irinei Rusios finally let go of the heart she had held up in concern. "Eh? Eh eh eh eh..." "Lawnmower" Fischer Tand, doubting his existence, let out his last human sounds, having forgotten to eject and escape. A missile struck the nose of his aircraft, and the violent explosion instantaneously shredded the "Horned Eagle," leaving no trace of the pilot within the cockpit. Seeing comrades fall one after the other, none spared, "Flying Disk" Rumteyn, sensing the dire situation, lost his will to fight, yelling, "Fuck... I, I surrender!" The warning system on the F-40 "Horned Eagle" was on the verge of collapse, with more than three missiles locked onto it. "You're cursing!" Prickly Chekhov clearly had different priorities. "Flying Disk" Rumteyn pulled the ejector, and together with his seat, burst out of the cockpit. Three seconds later, several AIM-290D long-range missiles successively slammed into the out-of-control F-40 "Horned Eagle," with earth-shattering explosions that felt as though they were right next to him. The shockwave and the heat wave that followed left him dizzy and disoriented. The parachute deployed, opening swiftly into a large, white "Big Mushroom," gently carrying the seat downwards. Just then, a flaming fragment skimmed the parachute canopy, and with the sound of tearing, "Flying Disk" Rumteyn felt like his soul was being ripped apart, and he suddenly sunk downward. He desperately reached for the reserve chute, one pull, then a second, the rope came loose, but the chute didn't open! "Fuck ni..." "The guy's still cursing!" Chekhov Big Bear circled in his L-22 advanced trainer in the sky, watching as the other pilot plummeted in a free fall. Below was The Abyss, and here was the gladiatorial arena.