The Great Ice Battle

The Terrifying Trap of the New Kong   ZAC 2037


 Zabriskie Point, the northernmost point of the Central Continent. Beyond the peninsula where the Central Mountain Range flows into the Gorgodas Strait was the snow-and-ice covered Arctic Zone of Planet Zoid. If the border between the two countries was secured in this area, where the border disappeared into the never-melting sea of ice, it would be a key location that'd enable an invasion operation from the north. However, the harsh nature of the frigid cold stopped any Zoid from going there.


 This was the place that Echo had chosen for the decisive battle.

 The operation began with an SOS radio signal. A distress signal using the Republic's code was sent from deep within the Arctic Zone. Many Republican forces headed for the rescue, but not a single Zoid returned.

 Finally, the Republican Army banned all troops from entering the Arctic Zone and ordered the Ultrasaurus, which could operate independently for long periods without receiving supplies to investigate the situation.

 The Ultrasaurus began to move towards Echo's meticulously planned trap.

 



 A fierce snowstorm had begun and temperatures dropped to minus 50 degrees. The investigation was extremely difficult. Just as the disappearance of the rescue team was beginning to seem to be due to their being lost in the snowstorm, the frozen remains of a Republican Zoids were discovered. There were clear signs of an attack. Someone was hiding in this ice field. The soldiers looked anxiously into the depths of the snowstorm.

 As the Ultra continued to advance, a particularly huge pile of debris appeared in front of them. The mysterious SOS signal was coming from there.

 "Main engine, slow down."

 Ultra stopped moving forward.




At that moment, the pile of debris collapsed, and a Kong painted bright red leapt out of the flying ice. It was the Iron Kong MK-II, controlled by Echo himself, who'd endured the freezing cold just for this one moment.




Echo got behind the panicked Ultra and shot through the cold weather energy tank that was exposed on its back. The Ultra's output gauge was dropping rapidly. Within a few minutes its entire body would freeze over. A distress signal was hastily transmitted.

 "THIS_IS_THE_ULTRA__PLEASE_SEND_THE_ZOID_GOJULAS_FOR_REINFORCEMENTS..."



Clash! MK-II

Zoid Gojulas Vs. Iron Kong


 Lure the Ultrasaurus out there alone and destroy it. To do so, he had to choose a battlefield where only the Ultra could attack them. That was the reason why Echo developed a Kong for cold regions and continued to hide in the ice fields of the far north.

 If he secretly shot down an Ultra, a second Ultrasaurus investigation team would be dispatched. He'd stand by and shoot it down again. Thus, he'd continue to fight the Ultras alone until the Republican Army Command realized his terrifying trap. The cold of the Arctic was nothing compared to Echo's superhuman determination, and what supported his confidence was the outstanding fighting ability of the Iron Kong MK-II that he'd developed himself.

 However, there was a fact that even Echo couldn't predict. In the past, the Zoid Gojulas MK-II, a modified mecha developed by the Republic's Ogita Laboratory, was carried by four Salamanders and constantly patrolled the skies in shifts to protect the Ultra.

 The Republican Command's enthusiasm for this operation was no less than that of Echo's, and went beyond common sense.




The Zoid Gojulas MK-II broke through the blizzard and jumped down onto the ice field. The two high-speed cannons mounted on its back roared as they aimed at the Kong.




The exploding shells lit up the ice field in a red glow during the arctic night. However, the Kong dodged them by simply sliding sideways. It had amazing maneuverability. In the next moment, he was behind the Zoid Gojulas and pointing the missile launcher on his right arm at it.




But at that moment, Echo didn't realize that the Kong, whom he controlled, was in the line of fire of the Ultra's gun.

 "Fire!"

 Ultra's small missiles immediately fired at the Kong.



The Great Ice Battle

 


 Was there even a sliver of doubt in Echo's mind, when he'd been 99% convinced of his victory? The Kong was caught off guard and hit by the Ultra's missiles, being knocked back. At the same time, the Zoid Gojulas's cannon spun at high speed and fired at the Kong behind it. The cockpit of the Kong, which had been blasted out of the armor and slammed onto the ice, was destroyed beyond recognition.

 The genius commander Echo finally fell without ever having revealed his true face to the Republic Army.

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Translator Notes

 Zabriskie Point seems to be named after the famous location in Death Valley National Park in California.