"Pfft."
Both Flay and Athrun laughed upon hearing Yzak's words.
"What are you laughing at!?"
Already quite familiar with the two, Yzak furrowed his brows in displeasure at their laughter.
Based on his months of interaction with them, their smiles clearly indicated mischievous intentions.
"Nothing, I just remembered something funny."
Athrun said while suppressing his laughter, looking rather punchable.
"Me too..."
Flay similarly couldn't help covering her mouth.
"Um... please don't fight, my brother might see."
Nicol watched the three of them heating up as if about to come to blows and quickly stepped in to mediate.
"None of your business!"
But Yzak showed no courtesy, directly rebuking Nicol.
"Why are you picking on Nicol?"
Athrun adopted a protective stance.
"I'll pick on him if I want! If you don't like it, let's fight!"
Amid their usual bickering, the group soon arrived at the Central Hub one after another.
From here, they could see the situation around the Central Hub,
and of course, they could also clearly observe Andrew and Fred's battle.
As for Fred and Andrew, they had already arrived early at the hangar to prepare.
The hangar was a restricted area. Aside from Fred, Andrew, and Alec, only the security personnel on standby were present.
"Captain Andrew, please use my Mobile Suit."
Seeing Andrew arrive, the security personnel in charge enthusiastically approached.
There were quite a few people around, likely most of the security personnel stationed here had gathered.
Clearly, many had hurried over to watch after hearing about the impending fight between the two.
Some hadn't even properly put on their uniforms.
After all, these were highly confidential security personnel, all undoubtedly Coordinators and Aces.
They had greater access to information than ordinary Coordinators and naturally knew Andrew's identity and capabilities.
As for the crew member who spoke with Andrew, it was evident from the greeting that he was probably one of Andrew's former subordinates.
"Then I'll trouble you."
Andrew cheerfully nodded without refusing.
"How about you, young man?"
Andrew turned and asked.
"I'll use my own."
Fred shrugged.
Having worked here for two or three months, he naturally had his own dedicated MA.
Though called an MA, it was actually just a Work Pod.
Of course, he hadn't been idle during this past week either, having performed some Customization on his MA.
"Oh~"
Andrew narrowed his eyes curiously, then revealed a playful smile.
"Alright then, call me when you're ready."
With that, Andrew effortlessly floated into the Cockpit and closed the hatch.
With sound isolated inside the Cockpit, Andrew simply smiled and waved at Fred.
It seemed both provocative and like a warm greeting.
Seeing this, Fred responded with a modest smile before heading towards his own Mobile Suit's docking area.
"Who do you think will win?"
Watching the two begin their preparations, some crew members on site couldn't help but ask.
"No question, it must be Captain Andrew. He's one of our Coordinator Aces."
The pilot who voluntarily gave up his Mobile Suit now spoke with a proud expression.
"I agree. Although Freed is quite skilled, being good at repairs doesn't necessarily mean he's strong in combat."
Hearing this, others chimed in agreement.
"But if we're being honest, Andrew is practically bullying him here."
Someone glanced in Andrew's direction with clear dissatisfaction.
One was an experienced maintenance technician while the other was an Elite combat pilot. For the Elite to challenge the maintenance staff seemed like pure bullying.
Several people didn't argue against this point.
After months of working together, they had developed considerable respect for Fred.
Not only was he brilliant in research, but his piloting skills were also exceptional.
Compared to the unfamiliar Andrew whom they only knew from reports, they naturally leaned toward supporting Fred.
"Captain Andrew isn't that kind of person!"
The combat pilot who had given up his unit retorted.
"The Captain must have his reasons."
"Hmm..."
The group exchanged glances but didn't dispute this statement either.
After all, the Andrew they had just seen appeared quite steady and reliable, with numerous combat achievements to his name.
He really didn't seem like someone who would pick on a researcher just for fun.
Simply put, they were caught between two capable people, and since it didn't affect their own interests, they were just here to watch the show.
Amid the heated discussions, the group of children led by Athrun in the observation area were equally animated.
"I don't think Fred stands much chance of winning."
Remembering their previous sparring sessions, Athrun sighed, his gaze unconsciously drifting toward Flay with some embarrassment.
"Brother..."
Flay wanted to argue but ultimately pursed her lips without speaking.
This wasn't her first encounter with Andrew either. Though she hadn't witnessed them fight, anyone who could earn Alec's respect and serious treatment must be formidable.
She had privately asked Alec before, and even he admitted... her brother had little hope of victory.
More than winning or losing, she was concerned about her brother's safety.
Even with paintballs, accidents could still happen.
Meanwhile, Yzak snorted upon hearing the conversation.
"Perfect. If that guy defeats Fred, I'll just have to defeat him myself."
"Always thinking about fighting. Is your brain made of muscles?"
Athrun retorted irritably.
"What did you say!?"
As the two were about to argue again, Nicol stepped between them with a resigned expression.
"Enough! Their battle is about to begin! They're preparing to sortie!"
Under Nicol's intervention, the two exchanged cold snorts before turning their attention back to the screen.
...
"One round decides it all. We'll fight around this Central Nexus - any objections?"
Andrew's voice came through Fred's Mobile Suit comm system.
"Agreed."
The two were currently preparing at ports on opposite sides of the Central Nexus.
These port positions faced opposite directions, perfectly facilitating their duel.
It was like those classic Western duels where both parties walk away from each other, then suddenly turn around to shoot. What they were competing in was exactly the same:
Reaction speed, hand speed, and execution.
Both of them possessed these three qualities in abundance.
But having them was one thing; in terms of raw skill, Fred was still significantly outmatched by his opponent.
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "TLGod" on Patreon!"
Thanks!