"Have the Zeon remnants actually managed to get their hands on a Gundam imitation?!"
As the Destiny appeared before this Kimberley Force unit, the pilots let out a collective gasp.
They had already encountered a modernized Delta Gundam Kai at Oenbelli, and now another new Gundam had surfaced?
Furthermore, what was the deal with that ZAKU? A propulsion backpack of that size was meant for space—how could it possibly operate on Earth?
One question after another flooded their minds. The tension of facing the unknown caused them to instinctively tighten their grip on their control yokes.
"Don't panic! Proceed according to training protocols!" the Gustav Karl pilot acting as the battlefield commander barked over the comms channel.
On the Mafty side, a wave of relief washed over them at the appearance of the Sinanju.
While they could have continued fighting a force three times their size, the longer the battle dragged on, the more Federation reinforcements would arrive.
Eventually, they would have been swallowed by an endless siege; no matter how exquisite their piloting skills, they would have been defeated.
"As expected, you won't just let me die."
Char looked at the Sinanju hovering above the clouds, meeting its gaze as the corners of his mouth curled upward.
Indeed, for the sake of having him witness the "possibilities" he spoke of, Roz would not allow him to be captured or killed by the Federation just yet.
"But... knowing it's you, I still really want to fight you."
Recalling his final battle in the Zeong and his fencing duel with Amuro Ray, Char couldn't help but tighten his grip on the levers.
"To win against you fairly and squarely, just once."
"...If you want to fight me, bring a machine of equal standing."
A brief burst of white noise crackled through the Messer Commander Type's comms, followed by the voice of Roz Links.
"Isn't it a bit pathetic to duel in a machine with such poor performance?"
'So, he hacked the Messer's communication system... I'll have to tell Hathaway to strengthen the channel security later.'
"I didn't expect you to share the same sentiment," Char replied into the hacked comms. "Our duel won't be delayed for much longer."
"...I look forward to it."
After Roz gave his reply, he closed the Big Haro's hack into the Messer Commander Type's channel.
"Hey... Damien, what are you mumbling about?"
Gawman Nobil's voice returned to the now-normal comms. "Let's move! If we don't leave now, we won't make it!"
"...Fine. We're retreating."
Char scanned the cloud-swept battlefield one last time before maneuvering his flight platform to descend.
Now that the second wave of reinforcements had arrived, the Federation's third wave was likely not far behind; they truly could not afford to delay any longer.
"Well then, I'll leave the rest to you, 'Zeon remnants.'"
Char maneuvered the Messer, offering a crisp salute toward the Sinanju. Supported by the flight platform, the machine slowly sank into the sea of clouds.
As the gale winds blew, the gap in the clouds was smoothed over, and the Messer vanished as if it had never been there at all.
Watching Char exit the battlefield with such characteristic flair, Roz Links remained silent for a moment before sighing.
Char's mobility was as exceptional as ever, whether in combat or retreat—especially at this point in time when he was unburdened by leadership; he'd turned a simple withdrawal into an art form.
"Captain, how should we handle these Federation forces?"
Shinn Asuka's voice crackled over the comms, snapping Roz back to the present.
Watching the Federation MS approaching in two-machine cells, even Shinn, a veteran of many battles, felt a slight prickle of unease.
It wasn't that the enemies were overwhelmingly powerful, but rather that Shinn was confused about Roz's role in this world. After all, he knew Roz looked almost exactly like Amuro Ray; if Roz needed to use Amuro's identity later...
"Fight with everything you've got, Shinn, Stellar."
Hearing Shinn's concern, Roz turned his gaze toward the cautious Federation suits. "They are soldiers prepared for sacrifice, just like you. Holding back against the enemy is not only irresponsible to yourselves, but to your comrades as well."
"As for what comes after, I'll handle it."
Faced with the certainty and resolve in Roz's voice, Shinn was taken aback for a moment.
"Even if the one standing before us is the legendary Captain Bright Noa?"
To Shinn's question, the comms fell silent for a brief interval. But soon, Roz's steady voice came through.
"...Even if it is Captain Bright Noa."
"...Understood."
Having received Roz's answer, Shinn took a deep breath.
Then, he snapped his eyes open and slammed down the pedals. Blue flames erupted from the back of the Destiny, wreathed in green particles as it carved a glowing trajectory across the sky.
Following the Destiny's lead, the Sinanju and the Psycho Zaku also boosted their thruster output. The three machines surged toward the Federation MS force from three different angles.
-----------------------------------
"S-So fast!"
In the very first second of contact, the Federation MS force was stunned by the speed of the machines piloted by Roz and the others.
Their beam rifles couldn't even manage a lock before their defensive line was shattered. Like a set of scalpels, the three units sliced the Federation force into four isolated sectors.
The Psycho Zaku's fifty-plus verniers continuously spat blue flames, allowing the machine to soar across the sea of clouds like a wild bird.
Data cables were connected to Stellar Loussier's custom helmet interface; through the integrated adapter, she read the suit's various metrics.
At times, she didn't even need to manually operate the controls; the Psycho Zaku performed small-range maneuvers like rolls and side-steps simply by reading her thoughts.
Yet, in this moment, Stellar wasn't even focused on the machine's data or the Federation units she was streaking past.
"The sea of clouds... so pretty..."
Gazing at the scenery, Stellar—whose mental state had significantly improved under Shinn Asuka's companionship—unconsciously let out a sigh of wonder.
"If you like it... I'll fly with you over this sea of clouds again next time."
Over the comms, Shinn responded with practiced ease, sensing her drifting focus. Although Stellar's symptoms of sudden distraction had lessened considerably, they still flared up occasionally.
Shinn could only continue to guide her to mitigate the impact of her condition. It had to be said—after spending so much time with Stellar and Mayu Asuka, Shinn and Luna felt they were qualified enough to earn psychology degrees.
"I want to be with everyone."
"Mhm, we'll all come and see it together," Shinn nodded, watching the video feed on his comms channel. "We'll look at it right after this battle."
Hearing Shinn's promise, Stellar's eyes widened slightly. Through the screen, Shinn could see a pure sense of "happiness" flooding her gaze.
Beep, beep, beep...
A sudden alarm exploded, not just in the cockpit, but directly into Stellar's mind via the data link, violently shattering her mood. The Psycho Zaku performed a sudden roll, narrowly evading a pale purple beam.
"So agile! Even with a frame that size, its maneuverability is that high?!" The Gustav Karl pilot who had just fired stared in disbelief as the Psycho Zaku dodged his shot with ease.
Having been ripped out of her flow state, a surge of manic energy—rarely seen since she'd been with Shinn—burst through Stellar's mind like an explosion, filling her heart.
"I'm going to... I'm going to see the clouds... with Shinn... with Mayu... and Luna..."
Stellar's expression contorted, becoming almost uncontrollably fierce. She slammed the control yokes forward with all her might. "You people... GET OUT OF THE WAY!"
In the next heartbeat, the sub-arms atop her backpack retracted the Psycho Zaku's beam bazooka, while the machine's primary hands gripped two shields, each mounted with twin beam Gatling guns.
The sub-arms rose again, now wielding another pair of dual-linked beam Gatlings, while the two mechanical arms beneath the backpack swung a pair of rocket launchers forward from the Psycho Zaku's waist.
Witnessing the Psycho Zaku suddenly deploy a massive arsenal, the Gustav Karl pilot who had just fired screamed into his comms in terror.
"The Zaku is an FA (Full Armor) type! Repeat, the Zaku is an FA type! E-evad—"
Before he could finish, a barrage of rockets and beam Gatling fire manifested across the sky above the clouds, blanketing the Federation MS force in an overwhelming storm.
In a mere two seconds, the rocket launchers—having exhausted their high-explosive magazines—were temporarily secured to the Psycho Zaku's waist clips as the mechanical arms began a swift reload.
The exhaust trails left by the rockets lingered briefly in the air, resembling jagged scars torn across the heavens.
In an instant, the Gustav Karl that had fired was riddled with holes by a total of eight beam Gatlings. Two Jegans, unable to dodge in time, were struck by successive high-explosive rockets and vanished into a cloud of scattered debris.
Faced with the explosive firepower of the Psycho Zaku, the Federation MS units abandoned their formations entirely, scattering in a desperate bid to survive the onslaught—even though they knew the odds were slim.
But before they could even react, a thick, red-and-white beam accurately struck a Jegan, snapping it in half at the waist and causing it to explode mid-air.
The Destiny Gundam hovered in the sky with its wings spread, its left hand cradling a massive long-range beam cannon.
The electrical discharge at the muzzle had not yet fully dissipated.
The Destiny's head-mounted CIWS roared to life, strafing the nearest Gustav Karl and forcing it to maneuver its flight platform wildly to avoid the fire.
The beam cannon folded back onto the Destiny's backpack. Then, before everyone's eyes, the unit's right hand drew a "greatsword" from its back.
As the blade unfolded, its true form was revealed: a white beam-cutting edge ignited along the weapon. It was, without a doubt, a beam anti-ship sword.
"A... a giant sword?"
The Gustav Karl pilot's eyes widened in disbelief. "Can a weapon like that actually be effective?!"
In the next moment, Shinn gave him his answer.
The "wings" mounted on the thrusters—which they hadn't previously understood—suddenly erupted with a brilliant, magnificent radiance as the Voiture Lumiere system activated, forming a pair of dreamlike "Wings of Light."
Even the breathtaking scenery above the sea of clouds paled in comparison to the radiance of this machine's Wings of Light.
The Destiny gripped the beam anti-ship sword with both hands, raising it high as it charged toward the Gustav Karl it had just strafed with its head-mounted vulcans.
Seeing the Destiny's direct assault, the Gustav Karl pilot desperately squeezed the trigger of his beam rifle, even firing off the twin grenade launchers mounted on his left arm in a frantic barrage.
Facing the incoming fire at point-blank range, Shinn calmly maneuvered the Destiny into a side-step.
Under the incredulous gazes of the Federation pilots, the Destiny flapped its Wings of Light.
With effortless grace, it evaded the pilot's desperate counterattack, leaving behind a trail of afterimages. The machine continued its charge, streaking through the sky while shedding green particles in its wake.
The beam anti-ship sword struck the Gustav Karl's shield with pinpoint precision, cleaving the heavy plating in two as if it were nothing. With zero resistance, the blade continued its arc, slicing deep into the Gustav Karl's waist.
As Shinn followed through with the strike, the very machine that had proven so troublesome for the Mafty MS squads—the Federation's most advanced mass-production unit, the Gustav Karl—was effortlessly cut in half, exploding in a violent burst behind the Destiny.
....................