Moving suddenly from the heat of battle into a calm wait, and then thinking of the dangerous combat that would soon be their turn, they didn't feel nervous; instead, they grew expectant and excited.
"How exactly do you do it?" Char asked Yang Hui. If it were just about boosting morale and heartening the people, the excitement would vanish quickly once the rush wore off. But look at his subordinates. How long had it been? They still had the expressions of wild wolves. Char was astonished at how Yang Hui achieved this. "Is this also a type of NT ability?"
"Haha, after you've fought in various worlds and on all kinds of battlefields for decades or a century, and led all sorts of subordinates and units, you'll have this skill too," Yang Hui laughed.
"..." Char fell silent. As expected, experience shapes a person. Yang Hui's current excellence was inseparable from his experiences. Over a hundred years, moving between worlds to fight—what kind of battlefields had he experienced? What kind of enemies had he met? These were things Char could not imagine.
"Are you looking forward to it?" Yang Hui looked at Char with great interest.
"..." The silent Char's lips suddenly curled into an arc of "anticipation" and "excitement." "Of course!"
Char was also an ambitious man. In the beginning, his ambition was merely revenge—revenge against the Zabi Family.
Under Yang Hui's guidance, his ambition had gained another layer: to inherit his father's will and rebuild the ideal "Zeon Republic."
And now, both of these ambitions were about to be fulfilled.
Once these two ambitions were completed, what would he have left? In what direction would his path forward lie?
He didn't know; he would probably be lost, wouldn't he? And then... become numb in that confusion, eventually falling back into the bottomless abyss.
But now... he had a new ambition, which was to see more of other worlds, experience more of the unknown, and then... become a being that surpassed even God!
Whether it was Char, Revil, or Gopp, no one with ambition could resist such a temptation.
"All personnel, take note. This ship is about to enter the airspace where Side 3 is located. The ship is entering Condition One combat readiness. Repeat, the ship is entering Condition One combat readiness. Everyone to your stations, MS pilots board your units and enter standby status!"
"Let's go." Yang Hui patted Char on the shoulder and walked toward his own Mobile Suit.
"Heh." Watching Yang Hui's graceful back, Char became increasingly convinced that his choice was correct. By following Yang Hui, he would surely reach that dreamt-of realm one day in the future.
...
On the bridge of the Gwadan, the Side 3 Colony cluster was already visible to the naked eye. Murrue and the others were on high alert. With the threat of the Solar Ray System, the Bigros, and various MAs, fleets, and MS, they didn't dare relax for a second.
Especially the Solar Ray System and the Bigros—even the Gwadan, which was a generation ahead of the current era, could not withstand a single hit.
"Radar contact! It's an enemy fleet!"
"This is...! 1 Dolos-class, 4 Gwazine-class, 9 Chibe-class, Musai-class..."
"Gelgoogs, Doms, Zakus, Zakrellos, Bigros, Braw Bros... they're all here!"
"Giant heat source reactions detected behind the enemy MS units, quantity: 7!"
"7 Bigro cannons... MS units, emergency launch! Bridge entering concealed mode, all weapon systems online! Gottfried and Valiant, activate! Missile Launchers 1 through 20, load Hammer Missiles! 21 through 60, load Kangaroo Missiles! Coordinates A01 to B30, deploy minefield! CIWS Array ready, set to semi-automatic anti-air mode!"
"Understood!"
"MS units entering launch sequence, launching in order!"
"Maximum combat speed, keep up with the MS units."
"Understood!"
The Phantom Corps launched. Each pilot looked at the enemy forces that outnumbered them dozens of times over, bloodthirsty smiles like those of wolves hanging on their faces, their eyes locking onto them as prey.
Yang Hui's Gundam Astray Unit 1, Char's Sazabi, and Kira's Freedom (named by Kira himself in memory of his old partner) were at the very front of the formation.
"Are you really going to do this?" Kira asked Yang Hui worriedly over the independent channel used by Yang Hui, Kira, and Char.
"You don't want to see our comrades sacrificed either, do you?" Yang Hui countered.
"...I understand."
"Then it's decided. Char, I'll leave the lead to you. Lead them well."
"Heh, no need for your commentary."
"Then... let's begin!"
As soon as the words fell, ship cannons from the Principality of Zeon fired, aimed directly at the Gwadan and blocking the path of the Phantom Corps.
But who were they? They were all aces. A barrage of this level couldn't stop them. They were as flexible as the wind, scattering like petals, and converging like a stream of water, easily dodging the enemy fleet's bombardment and reforming into a wedge formation to launch their assault.
However, of the three at the tip, only Char remained. Kira's Freedom moved to the rear of the group, while Yang Hui's Gundam Astray Unit 1 followed just above the center of the formation.
"Engaging!"
After dodging the ship cannons, the high-speed Phantom Corps collided with the enemy MS units. The three machines equipped with Psycommu Systems immediately released all their Wing Funnels, launching the first wave of the offensive alongside their teammates.
Boom, boom, boom, boom...
The dense swarm of enemy machines was instantly torn open with a large gap. Then, the tip of the wedge plunged in, expanding the hole along the sharp edges of both sides. The enemy formation was literally sliced open, creating a clean passage.
Entering the passage meant being surrounded by the enemy, but no one was worried because they viewed the enemy machines as prey, and they also had the strongest guardian deity.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh...
The Wing Funnels darted back and forth like ghosts, appearing suddenly to take a life before vanishing again. Whether they were interceptors in front, flankers on the sides, or pursuers from the rear, the souls of all enemy machines were reaped by these messengers of the Death God.
The disappearance of the enemy meant the burning of their own side. The Phantom Corps naturally wouldn't leave all the prey to Yang Hui, Char, and Kira. Beam Rifles fired in succession, and missiles poured out like a violent storm. Only the Zaku Phantoms holding the M1500 "Odysseus" High-Energy Long-Range Beam Cannons didn't fire a single shot. All their energy and the miniature nuclear bombs at their waists had to be saved for the mission objective.
"Target in sight!"
With their high-speed advance, the Side 3 Colony cluster grew larger in their vision, and they soon locked onto their targets.
From a distance, the Solar Ray System looked no different from a Colony, but closer up, it could be distinguished. The cylindrical Colony had been modified into a straight tube with a deep, dark void in the center, surrounded by glittering solar panels used to collect energy.
"Demolition squad, prepare to scatter!"
"Understood!" X N
The tight wedge formation dispersed. The Zaku Phantoms at the front of the wedge fired simultaneously, opening a gap in the defense forces for the demolition squad and tearing that gap wider and wider. Whether it was MS, MA, or warships, there was no outcome other than being crushed.
The Zaku Phantoms at the rear dispersed into three-man cells, hunting freely while maintaining a baseline. Anyone who approached that baseline became a victim under their guns.
"Char, stay calm!"
Seeing the Sazabi about to abandon the baseline to fly toward the Dolos-class carrier, Yang Hui immediately stopped him.
"It must be Gihren Zabi, I can feel it!" Char said through gritted teeth.
"Focus on the mission at hand!"
"...Understood!"
Char returned to his primary duty, but Yang Hui noted the situation. He already had a plan.
Boom, boom, boom, boom...
Soon, violent flames and explosions erupted from one Solar Ray System. As the damage spread, the giant flashlight disintegrated, turning into massive fragments scattered in space.
With the first one destroyed, the second one didn't last long either, soon following the same path and becoming more space junk.
Just as everyone was waiting for the last Solar Ray System to be destroyed, a problem arose.
"Excellency, we're out of nuclear bombs, and the Beam Cannons' energy is depleted." They had overestimated the power of the Beam Cannons and miniature tactical nukes, and underestimated the sturdiness of the Solar Ray System. The ammunition and energy they expected could destroy three Colonies had been exhausted by the time the second one was destroyed.
"Captain Murrue!"
"Understood!" Following Char's shout, the Gwadan unleashed a full salvos of fire, clearing a large area of enemy MS and MA. The most menacing main cannon glowed with a blinding light, condensing terrifying energy.
"Lohengrin fully charged!"
"Target: the final Solar Ray System. Lohengrin, fire!"
Boom! Buzz, buzz, buzz...
A torrent of blue, white, and red energy slammed into the third Solar Ray System like an unstoppable tide. It turned red, melted, was pierced through, exploded, and collapsed, completing a series of processes in an extremely short time.
"Mission accomplished! Everyone, break out in the G10 direction! Murrue!"
"Understood!" X N
All three Solar Ray Systems were destroyed. The Gwadan quickly turned its bow, breaking out in the direction Yang Hui specified at maximum speed. The MS units did not linger; the demolition squad, whose ammunition and energy were exhausted, returned to the ship while moving at high speed, and the other MS guarded the Gwadan's breakout.
Of course, it wasn't just a breakout. In the direction they were heading, there were four more Bigros and... the only remaining Dolos-class giant carrier.
"Char, are you ready?" Yang Hui asked with a smile.
"...I'll remember this favor. Cover me!" Char knew Yang Hui was giving him the chance to complete his revenge and accepted the gesture.
"Understood! Kira!"
"Understood!"
(End of Chapter)