Bang! Bang! Bang!
Standing upon the chest of the Barbatos, Mikazuki raised his pistol and fired at the water tank. Once he emptied the magazine, he slapped in another and continued.
The tank had long since shattered. Ein's body was riddled with bullet holes, his blood mixing with the machine oil of the Graze. It looked as though he had been subjected to some horrific, inhuman torture.
It wasn't until Mikazuki had emptied three full magazines that he finally lowered his gun. He gazed down at the gruesome scene below with an indifferent stare.
"It's quiet now..."
Holstering his pistol, he closed the cockpit and maneuvered the Barbatos back to the front of the Archangel. He disconnected from the Alaya-Vijnana System and leaped from the cockpit, landing in front of Murrue and the others as they ran toward him.
"Mika!"
Mikazuki steadied himself on the ground and looked up to see a group rushing his way, led by Murrue and Cagalli.
"Are you all alright?" he asked.
"We're fine. But you... are you okay?"
Mikazuki's current appearance was somewhat terrifying. His right eye was completely bloodshot, and the right side of his face was drenched in the blood streaming from it.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
He really was alright. Although he had pushed past his limits again, it wasn't as severe as the last time. After all, the Barbatos was several times more powerful now than it had been just a few months ago.
Dealing with the Graze Ein had taken some effort, but he hadn't truly paid a heavy price. His right eye was still blind, and while the bleeding looked horrific, it was nothing more than that.
Mikazuki gave his face a casual wipe, but only succeeded in smearing the blood further as it began to clot. He started walking toward the ocean. Everyone along the path instinctively moved aside to make way for him; they were all shaken by the sheer ferocity he had displayed in the battle.
Dearka, the pilot of the Buster Gundam, and Athrun watched the small, slight boy with looks of utter bewilderment.
"Is that really the pilot of the Wolf?"
Reaching the shore, Mikazuki cupped the seawater in his hands and took a sip. After fighting for so long, his throat was parched.
"Mika!"
Murrue cried out in a panic. She scanned the surroundings and spotted a few crates of water and food nearby. she hurried over to grab a couple of bottles and some rations.
"So salty..." Mikazuki muttered expressionlessly. He used the seawater to wash his face, scrubbing away the dried blood, though his right eye remained a frightening shade of red.
Murrue ran to his side, clutching the food and water. "You dummy, you can't drink seawater! There's fresh water right here, look."
"Oh. There is? I didn't notice."
Mikazuki twisted open a bottle and gulped it down. Orga's voice crackled in his ear.
"Mika, is your body okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little hungry."
"Phew, that's good then."
"Mm."
With that, Mikazuki took a large bite of bread. Murrue sat down beside him, seemingly unbothered by the dirt or blood, and used the white sleeve of her military uniform to wipe the remaining stains from the boy's face. As she looked at his bloodshot right eye, her expression filled with pity.
Cagalli stared blankly for a long time at the boy sitting on the ground, eating bread while staring at the sea. Finally, she exhaled a heavy sigh and turned to the Orb soldiers.
"Tend to the wounded immediately! All Mobile Suit units are to rest for half an hour before piloting their machines back to the factory for repairs!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Cagalli then looked up at the grime-covered Barbatos. After such an intense battle, the machine was merely dirty. Had she not witnessed it with her own eyes, she would have found it impossible to believe.
"Is there more?" Mikazuki asked Murrue after finishing two rolls of bread.
Murrue smiled. "There is, but it's almost time for dinner. Bread isn't very nutritious on its own. Can you wait an hour? We'll go to the factory canteen together; the food should be ready by then."
"Okay," Mikazuki agreed readily.
Murrue gazed at the boy's profile and asked softly, "Mika..."
"Yeah?"
"Are you tired?"
"I'm okay."
"What that machine said... about you having your head cut off..."
Cagalli and the others, who were just approaching, froze in their tracks. Their expressions turned solemn as they looked at Mikazuki's back.
"Ah, that," Mikazuki said casually. "How should I put it... Tekkadan's last job back then was simply to stay alive. Gjallarhorn was hunting us down, and we had to cover the retreat of our family."
"Me, Akihiro, Hush, and all the Mobile Suits we could deploy stayed on the front lines to block the enemy. Well, the details are a bit of a hassle to explain."
"Anyway, everyone else managed to retreat. We died. As for the head being cut off... well, I was definitely dead by then. I'd lost consciousness, so I'm not really sure about that part."
After hearing Mikazuki's detached explanation, Orga's voice cut in before Murrue could respond.
"Hey, Mika! You never mentioned this to me! You were a man who could take on a hundred alone. Combined with Akihiro and the others, how could those Gjallarhorn small fries possibly be a match for you?"
"They used that," Mikazuki replied.
"That?"
On the bridge screen of the Sassari, Orga's pupils constricted. He said in a low voice, "The Dainsleif?"
"Mm. And they really did have a lot of Mobile Suits. We only had a few left."
Murrue knew Mikazuki was talking to Orga, but she was curious about what this "thing" was.
"I see. That thing again," Orga growled. "Heaven knows they only got into power because of it. Those bastards! They talk big about forbidden weapons, but they sure love using them. Damn it!"
"So, did everyone from Tekkadan escape safely?"
"Yeah. Kudelia... she'll take good care of everyone."
Mikazuki looked up at the star-studded night sky as he spoke.
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