Setsuna's determination, the successful activation of the Trans-Am Burst system, and the explosive dispersal of ultra-high purity GN Particles drew everyone's attention—except for three people.
Activating their Trans-Am systems, the Flag Gundam and the Luna Gundam moved instantly. The GN Super Dragoons dispersed into the surrounding space. The high-output beam sniper rifle fired only once, the shot striking the surface of one GN Super Dragoon and splitting into over a dozen beams. These then struck other GN Super Dragoons, splitting again and reflecting countless times. A dense rain of beams, like a storm of pear blossoms, sprayed outward, striking every enemy unit in the vicinity.
Although the dispersion caused each beam shot to be as thin as a needle with low output, they triumphed through sheer density. A single shot might not penetrate E-Carbon armor, but what about the gaps in the armor? The optical cameras? The circuits and pipes within the crevices?
In an instant, all the surrounding enemy units were turned into pincushions. Small, spot-like explosions erupted one after another as they burned, demonstrating to everyone the truth of the saying: "A thousand-mile dike can collapse from a single ant hole."
The Flag Gundam immediately transformed into its MA mode and broke through the blockade of smoke and fire. All its armaments opened their maws wide, shredding the prey before it with savage fangs and bloodthirsty claws.
"What on earth is this!? The Brain Quantum Waves are all in chaos!"
"GN Particles? This feels disgusting, ugh—"
"Nena! Michael! Retreat, now!"
Johann Trinity felt fortunate that after Throne Gundam Unit 02 had been kicked away, he had pulled it back a significant distance. They were hiding behind the Innovators and the Gag suicide squads, and they weren't in the Flag Gundam's direct path. Otherwise, between the Luna Gundam's indiscriminate fire coverage and the Flag Gundam's assault, they would have become part of the fireworks and debris.
"Johann, let's activate Trans-Am too and fight them to the end!" Michael Trinity shouted. He was the most impulsive of the three siblings, a trait that hadn't changed despite everything they had been through.
"No! Quickly—"
"Do you think you can get away?"
Sring—!
Johann Trinity was the most level-headed. In this unknown environment, facing the power of the Dawn Gundam, the Flag Gundam, and the Luna Gundam, and having lost the support of the Innovators and the Gag suicide units, the three of them combined couldn't defeat even one of their opponents, let alone all three together.
Revenge was important, but staying alive was more important. Johann Trinity made a decisive choice to pull his younger brother and sister away to escape. As long as they survived, there would be plenty of opportunities for revenge in the future.
At that exact moment, just as Throne Gundam Unit 01 had grabbed Unit 02 and Unit 03 and was preparing to leave at full power, Johann felt something touch his body. Gradually, his consciousness drifted further away, and his body temperature dropped lower and lower.
"How... did... this..."
In his final murmur of life, while his younger brother and sister watched in horror, Johann Trinity and Throne Gundam Unit 01 were split neatly and smoothly in two.
Boom—!
"Johann!"
"Nena! Watch out!"
Nena Trinity was still reeling from Johann's death when Throne Gundam Unit 02 suddenly shoved Unit 03 aside. In the next second, several barely visible beam threads flickered, and all of Unit 02's limbs were reduced to scrap. Simultaneously, the Dawn Gundam arrived before Unit 02, trailing afterimages. Without hesitation or mercy, it thrust a sword into the cockpit.
"Michael! No—!!"
With both of her brothers dying brutally before her eyes, Nena Trinity broke down. She had lost the last sanctuary in her heart, her final pillars of support. The fear and despair from her time as a prisoner completely swallowed her sanity. Looking at the Dawn Gundam so close to her, its crimson light felt like a hideous, terrifying monster.
"No! Don't come here! Stay away from me! Someone save me!"
Nena's scream seemed to be heard by the heavens. The Dawn Gundam did not deliver the killing blow to Throne Gundam Unit 03. It paused for a second, then raised its wings and flew toward the Celestial Being, trailing a tail of afterimages.
"I'm... saved?" Nena Trinity watched the receding Dawn Gundam. Her breakdown came to an abrupt halt, replaced only by a blank daze. There was no confusion, only emptiness.
"What is... this light?" With her mind blank, Nena Trinity suddenly saw a holy golden glow shining, enveloping her within it. "It's so warm..."
Boom boom boom boom...
The bits dyed Throne Gundam Unit 03 in gold, bringing warmth and salvation to Nena Trinity, preventing her from turning into a vengeful spirit consumed by madness.
Boom—!
At this moment, Yang Hui's eyes were filled with flowing prismatic light. Inside the large "chat room," the thoughts of all three Trinity siblings reached him—Johann's confusion, Michael's desperate protection, and Nena's breakdown and salvation.
Did he care? He did not. The Trinity siblings were enemies; once they picked up a gun, they had to be prepared to be killed.
As for Nena Trinity—what were her feelings toward Yang Hui? Admiration? Obsession? What had she gone through? Was it cruel? Pitiful? Tragic? Who cared?
All Yang Hui needed to do was kill them here. As for that final salvation? Yang Hui hadn't intended it, and he didn't care.
"Setsuna has finally fully awakened." Half of Yang Hui's attention was on the OO Gundam; it was their hope, providing a glimmer of a chance in a war that was otherwise unwinnable.
The other half of his attention was on the distance between himself and the Celestial Being.
"I'm within range, old man!"
"Mmhmm."
...
"Aeolia... Schenberg!" Ribbons roared in fury as he looked at the phantom appearing before him.
As the authority over VEDA completely slipped from his grasp, combined with Regene Regetta's mockery, Ribbons finally understood who was obstructing his plan and his goals.
"Ribbons Almark, individual designation C-A02, the second Artificial Innovator I created with my own hands..."
"Shut up! I am an Innovator!"
"...You did not disappoint me. You successfully played the role of the leader for the second stage of the plan, concentrating all the conflicts that arose after the unification of the world, and then..."
"I said shut up!" Ribbons interrupted Aeolia Schenberg again, his expression twisted and terrifying. "I wasn't just 'leading' the second stage of the plan! I wasn't just concentrating conflicts! Everything I did was to realize your plan! I could have completely unified the world, achieved true world peace, and then led all of humanity to complete the upcoming dialogue! Why!? Tell me why!? Why obstruct me!? Why would you rather choose those inferior species over me!?"
"...Whether they are ordinary humans or Innovators, all are members of the greater human collective. The path of humanity is the result of the collision of countless possibilities. Even VEDA's calculations and predictions yield countless outcomes, and we choose to advance along the best and easiest shortcuts. But that does not mean the paths with lower probabilities disappear.
"And you, Ribbons Almark, were a gamble of mine. Based on VEDA's calculations, I chose you to be the core of the second stage of the plan, the best candidate to gather the conflicts under the sunlight, with a success rate as high as 98.14%. However, I did not completely abandon other possibilities. For instance... that you, like Tieria Erde, would understand what a human heart is, what emotions are, and what it truly means to be human, and thus lead the world toward a true future.
"Regrettably, I lost that bet. And you... have disappointed me."
"Shut up! That is pure arrogance! What right do you have to decide my fate!? My path is one I carved out myself! No one has the right to decide it! And you have no right to look down on me from your high horse! Aeolia Schenberg!"
With those words, Ribbons left VEDA's main server room, fueled by a rage that threatened to burn everything down. He still had a chance. He still had that mobile suit he had specially prepared, the strongest machine in the world. With it, he still had a chance to kill Yang Hui. Once Yang Hui was dead, he would have no more rivals, and he could still manipulate the Earth Federation to make a comeback.
Watching Ribbons' resentful departure, Aeolia Schenberg sighed.
"Sigh."
"Father, are you feeling regret?" At that moment, the phantom of Regene Regetta appeared behind Aeolia Schenberg, bowing respectfully.
Regene Regetta, individual designation C-A03. Unlike other Artificial Innovators, his genetic embryo was personally created by Aeolia Schenberg. In other words, like Tieria and Ribbons, he belonged to the first generation of Artificial Innovators. However, the difference was that he wasn't personally raised by Aeolia Schenberg, but by Ribbons.
This was a failsafe Aeolia Schenberg had prepared in advance. C-A01 Tieria Erde joined the Celestial Being forces, becoming a loyal executor of the Celestial Being Project and a combatant against conflict. C-A02 Ribbons Almark acted as the usurper of the Celestial Being Project and the leader of the second stage. And C-A03 Regene Regetta was the arbiter, independent of both, existing to witness the outcome of the struggle between the two factions and see who was the true leader for the third stage.
This was why Regene Regetta had always stayed by Ribbons' side yet constantly worked against him. Furthermore... he had a few small ambitions of his own.
"He... originally had a chance."
"It was his own choice, wasn't it?"
"Yes. Just as he said, his fate was never arranged by me; he chose it himself. And so did you, Regene Regetta."
"Father, I acknowledge my mistake." Regene Regetta's apology wasn't entirely sincere. He didn't believe that his desire to usurp the Celestial Being Project and make it his own was wrong. If Tieria and Ribbons were qualified, then naturally, so was he.
It was just that Aeolia Schenberg now held the highest authority over VEDA. Regene, who was integrated with VEDA, did not dare to act out. As long as Aeolia Schenberg lived, he would never be able to rise above him.
"...After this battle, I will arrange a new biological terminal for you."
"Is it to go to Prometheus Fortress?" Information regarding Prometheus Fortress had already been recorded in VEDA's database by Aeolia Schenberg, and Regene Regetta had sufficient clearance to view it.
"Yes. I want you to represent me and bear witness." Aeolia Schenberg certainly intended to take VEDA into Prometheus Fortress, but he didn't plan to follow Yang Hui and the others on their missions. Therefore, he needed to arrange for someone to stay by Yang Hui's side at all times to witness every legend as it unfolded.
"Yes..."
"Is there anything else you want to say?"
"Father, if I am to follow Yang Hui, I think... I would like to adjust the gender of the biological terminal."