69novels Chapter 9: The Dangerous Pursuit, the Princess in Distress
Chapter 9: The Dangerous Pursuit, the Princess in Distress
The universe is a cold vacuum, incapable of transmitting sound, but fear can.
Yzak, Diego, and Nicol, three elite pilots of ZAFT, are sharing the same deep-seated fear through the piercing alarms and red warning screens in their respective cockpits.
Three people in red and three G-series robots, representing the pinnacle of Earth's technological achievements, were deployed in just a few seconds.
Their fighting capacity was completely annihilated in a humiliating manner by an ordinary Strike Gundam.
Amputation, loss of power, blindness.
The opponent didn't even use a beam rifle; it was just hand-to-hand combat, pure close-quarters fighting, that shattered their proud elite status.
"Monster..." Yzak squeezed out the word through gritted teeth. The vibration from his severed arm was far less than the shock he felt inside.
The white machine hovered silently, yet it exuded a sense of oppression even more terrifying than the main cannon of a warship.
Moreover, the machine's movements gave Yzak a strange sense of familiarity, as if...
"Yzak, don't you feel that the striker pilot's movements are very similar to...?" Diego Elsman opened the communicator.
"You felt it too?" Nicol asked gravely.
"Athrun, have you betrayed us?!" Yzak slammed his fist on the cockpit panel.
"Yzak, don't talk nonsense, this is not funny at all."
"Yes, Aslan just returned home, how could he suddenly appear out of nowhere? And even get inside the assault team?" Yzak chuckled self-deprecatingly.
He preferred to believe it was his imagination.
He would never admit that he was utterly defeated by Aslan.
[Warning: Low energy.]
A encrypted communication flashed by, a direct order from Captain Kruse.
In the communication channel,
A cold, emotionless voice rang out:
"Mission assessment: Failed. All personnel to evacuate. All aircraft to return to base."
ZAFT's flagship fired a retreat signal flare, and several G-series mobile suits dragged each other along with friendly units, quickly disengaging from the battlefield.
Their fleeing posture was as pathetic as a pack of hyenas being driven away by a lion.
[Bridge of the USS Vesalius]
"Has the analysis report come out yet?" Xiao Ran stared at the final still image of the Strike Gundam on the main screen, his glasses reflecting the cold stream of data.
"Sir," a technician replied in a trembling voice, "...the analysis results...are incomprehensible."
Within 3.7 seconds, the target machine performed 17 high-G trajectory changes exceeding its limits, and... and every evasion and attack decision was perfect, like... like a textbook example. No, even more terrifying than a textbook example, as if it had foreseen our actions.
"Predicting the future?" A cold smile crept onto Xiao Ran's lips.
"No, this is not prediction. This is the crushing 'optimal solution' brought about by absolute strength."
A bright red pop-up appeared on the ZAFT Armory System interface in front of him:
[WARNING: "Player" unit detected. Threat level assessment: Extremely high. Based on its combat style and mech load analysis, its cheat ability is presumably of the "personal combat ability enhancement" type. Recommendation: Avoid direct confrontation and prioritize technological suppression.]
"Another 'player'... and a reckless brute who idolizes individual heroism." Xiao Ran pushed up his glasses, his eyes showing no fear, only the excitement and disdain of a chess player discovering an unexpected piece on the board.
"Order the technical department to prioritize the development of 'Zaku Warrior' to the highest level."
I want to make those two arrogant guys understand,
Faced with the overwhelming tide of industrialization, any fancy maneuvering is futile and futile.
He paused, then added.
"Also, check if there's a person named 'Ling Yu' in Heliopolis. I need all his information."
[Assault on the Cockpit]
"Damn! They're already running away? I haven't even started warming up yet!"
Inside the cockpit of the Strike Gundam, Ling Yu smacked his lips, still feeling a bit unsatisfied. His trial period for the Athrun character card wasn't over yet; he felt he could show off for another fifteen minutes.
[System Notification: The trial period for 'Athlan Zala' has expired. Side effect: For the next hour, the pilot will experience an inexplicable affinity for all green, round objects that emit strange noises.]
Ling Yu smirked: "...System, I suspect you're persecuting Haro and subtly criticizing me."
The bridge of the Archangel has become a sea of joy.
When the Strike Gundam landed smoothly in the hangar, Ling Yu was greeted with a hero's cheer.
"Well done, Ling Yu!" Mu was the first to rush up and pat him hard on the shoulder.
"Mr. Ling Yu! You're amazing!" Miria and several female crew members stared at him, practically surrounding him.
Even Natal, who was usually stern and unsmiling, looked at him with an unusually complex gaze, a mixture of admiration, incomprehension, and a deeper level of wariness.
Kira stood there blankly, watching the figure surrounded by the crowd, then glancing at the replay on the screen of his own clumsy and laughable battle. His lips moved, but he ultimately said nothing.
"Basic procedure, no need to be '6', everyone sit down." Ling Yu waved to the crowd with an air of superiority.
"It's mainly because Kira's OS is so well-written that it gave me room to maneuver. This machine feels incredibly smooth to the touch."
This half-true, half-false compliment made Kira's expression soften slightly.
"And Sai, thank you for guiding me. You're truly like a second mother to me." Ling Yu warmly shook Sai's hand.
"Seeing as you..." Frey's eyes lit up even more as she glanced at Frey, who was huddled next to Sey.
"I'll consider you my brother."
"Hey, no, how come I..." Sai felt her scalp tingle under Ling Yu's overly familiar gaze.
Why is Ling Yu's gaze fixed on the top of my head? I washed my hair last night, and my hairstyle isn't messed up.
"By the way," Ling Yu turned to Maru, rubbed his hands together, and revealed a set of white teeth.
"Captain, regarding the appearance fee and mobile suit rental fee for this mission..."
Maru looked at him, both amused and exasperated. This man always managed to steer the atmosphere in strange directions, even in the most serious situations.
"Let's talk after you write an 8,000-word battle report," she replied irritably.
After the turmoil subsided, the Archangel finally managed to shake off its pursuers, at the cost of having its "Artemis Umbrella" destroyed.
In order to resupply, Maru decided to take Ling Yu's advice and head to the ruins of Junius 7, the site of the "Bloody Valentine" incident, along the original route. There was a secret supply point set up by the Allied Forces there.
In the silent gravel belt, Kira pilots the Strike Gundam, carrying out his daily patrol mission.
Ever since witnessing Ling Yu's incredible skills, this kind-hearted boy has been filled with anxiety about his own powerlessness.
He frantically modified the OS and conducted simulated combat training, trying to catch up with that seemingly carefree but unfathomable figure.
He recalled Ling Yu telling him to go out and bring back some local specialties for him, like picking up an MS for him.
This joke left Kira speechless; how could such a remote place have…
Wait, a moving dot of light on the radar caught his attention.
It is a ZAFT reconnaissance model King.
Beside him were engineering vehicles collecting supplies.
"Ah, help!" came his companion's terrified cry through the communicator.
Kira's grip on the joystick was trembling.
Gene, who was on the other side, had obviously spotted him as well and immediately opened fire.
Two beams grazed the Strike's fuselage.
"Stop! Don't come any closer!" Kira shouted instinctively. He only wanted to stop the other party and never thought about opening fire.
However, the opponent's aggressiveness triggered the Strike Gundam's automatic fire control system.
On the screen, a green locking frame tightly encircled the King.
A cold, electronic notification sounded: "Target locked. Fire?"
Kira's finger hovered over the fire button, trembling uncontrollably.
The flames of Heliopolis flashed through his mind, as did the faces of his friends, and Ling Yu's words, "Do you want to see me die, or do you want to see us all die together?"
Finally, he closed his eyes and pressed down.
The beam rifle unleashed a deadly beam, precisely piercing King's cockpit.
In the universe, a silent firework explodes.
The cockpit of the Strike Gundam was deathly silent.
Kira flung open the hatch, slumped onto the cockpit, and began to gag violently. His stomach churned, but only acid rose to the surface.
He killed someone.
To protect everyone, he personally ended the life of a complete stranger.
This heavy sense of guilt, like a boulder, weighed him down, making it hard for him to breathe.
Just as he was on the verge of a mental breakdown, a new signal appeared on the radar.
It was a small, cute, silver-white civilian lifeboat.