"Beheaded... his head was cut off..."
Murrue covered her mouth, her face pale with horror. She remembered Mikazuki and Orga mentioning once before that they were people who had already died once.
Graze Ein continued his frantic, arrogant tirade.
"This is your retribution! Your Tekkadan no longer exists! How does it feel? Do you regret it now, you pieces of trash? From the moment you dared to rebel against us, your end was already written! Your sins"
BOOM!
Graze Ein was sent flying by a massive impact, his right arm shattered.
Barbatos maintained its posture, the swing of its weapon complete. In the eyes of everyone watching, the Mobile Suit's eyes had turned a deep, predatory crimson.
"Barbatos's eyes... they changed."
"You're so damn noisy. Shut up. Our end..." Mikazuki's voice crackled through the public communication channel, heard by everyone in the vicinity. "It isn't your place to say a damn thing about it!"
"Bastard, bastard, bastard! Just die already!"
Without another word, Mikazuki hurled his Mace. The enemy managed to catch it with his remaining left arm, using a pile driver spike to smash the weapon to pieces.
But Mikazuki wasn't finished. Barbatos drew the Wrench Mace from its back and lunged forward, catching Graze Ein in a sweeping strike that dragged the enemy machine away from the immediate area.
Because the ships couldn't risk firing into the melee for fear of friendly fire, Cagalli turned to the M1 Astray pilots.
"Everyone, get to your units! Help Barbatos"
"That won't be necessary."
Orga's voice rang out again.
"This is a grudge between Tekkadan and that guy. It has nothing to do with you. Don't interfere, or Mikazuki will just complain that you're in his way."
"Urgh... who are you?" Cagalli shouted toward the sky, unsure of who was speaking.
Orga's voice returned immediately.
"Orga Itsuka, assistant to the leader of Tekkadan, Mikazuki Augus. Stop looking for me; I'm on the Sastry."
Cagalli instinctively looked toward the Sastry. That battleship had started up and joined the fight despite apparently having no crew. So, there was someone controlling it.
"If you're Mikazuki's partner, why won't you let us help him?" Cagalli asked, her gaze returning to the two Mobile Suits locked in a fierce struggle.
"I told you, this is a blood feud between Tekkadan and Gjallarhorn. It's none of your business. Don't step in, or... Mika might actually turn on you."
Orga's words caused all the pilots who were about to board their machines to freeze. Mu let out a forced, bitter smile.
"No way... is your Tekkadan really that stubborn?"
"Heh... something like that."
"But, Mr. Orga, is it really going to be okay?" Kira watched the distant, violent clash with worry. Seeing that level of intensity made Kira realize just how wide the gap between himself and Mikazuki truly was.
Orga closed one eye and said calmly, "Don't worry. A guy like that, who doesn't even know how many times he's been killed already, is no match for Mika."
Beside Kira, Athrun watched Barbatos with a heavy, solemn expression.
"A wolf..."
The Wrench Mace was knocked from Barbatos's grip and tumbled into the ocean. Mikazuki, reacting with lightning speed to dodge an incoming strike, glanced at his display panel.
Smoothbore gun ammo: Zero. Mace: Destroyed. Wrench Mace: Lost at sea. Thruster fuel was also reaching the bottom of the tank. He was down to his bare fists, yet his face remained unnervingly calm. He still had spare weapons on the Archangel and the Sastry.
"Orga! The Longsword! Launch it!"
"Got it! Catch!"
A Longsword was catapulted from the Sastry's deck. Barbatos reached out and snatched the blade mid-air. Dodging another swing from Graze Ein's axe, Mikazuki spun and delivered a calculated slash.
A chunk of the Graze Ein's head was shorn off, revealing Ein's physical body encased in a liquid-filled vat.
"What... what is that?"
Cagalli's jaw dropped at the sight of the man in the tank. She wasn't the only one; everyone spectating was paralyzed by the sight.
Ein lay in the vat with his eyes closed, motionless. Countless tubes and wires connected his body to the machine. It was clearthe man had been fully integrated into the Mobile Suit, his very thoughts transplanted into the frame. He had become a monster.
Murrue murmured to herself, dazed, "Is that... the Alaya-Vijnana System?"
"Damn you! Why are you still alive? You ghost! I won't lose again! I will avenge Lieutenant Crank Zent with my own hands!"
Mikazuki's expression turned to one of pure impatience. Blood was still flowing from his right eye; both his bloodshot right eye and his left were filled with a soul-piercing killing intent.
"Seriously... you are so annoying."
BANG!
The armor plates on Barbatos suddenly blew outward. Its speed doubled instantly, appearing at Graze Ein's side in a flash.
A single downward swing sent an arm falling to the ground, followed immediately by a leg from the same side. The strike had hit the most vulnerable points of the shoulder and hip joints.
Losing its balance, the Graze Ein collapsed. Barbatos slammed a foot down onto the chassis, pinning it to the earth to prevent any hope of escape.
Squelch!
The Longsword plunged into the Graze Ein's Ahab Reactor. Mikazuki stabbed again and again. Machine oil sprayed out like geysers of blood. The onlookers felt an inexplicable dread watching Barbatos's cold brutality.
Only after a dozen stabs, once he confirmed the Ahab Reactor showed no signs of life, did Mikazuki finally stop.
Mikazuki opened his cockpit and looked down from above at the Graze beneath Barbatos's feet.
Inside the water tank, the integrated body of Ein finally opened his eyes. He looked as if he wanted to devour Barbatos whole.
"Mikazuki Augus... this isn't over between us. I am still alive... there are countless versions of me. I will keep coming back, over and over, until I personally take your head! Until then, you'd better cherish"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Gunshots rang out...
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