The distortion field pulsed.
Space bent unnaturally around them, warping distance, delaying perception, twisting reaction time just enough to kill anyone who relied on instinct alone.
But now—
There were two who didn't.
---
Leon steadied his breathing.
Across from him, Variable Two hovered—its frame sharper, movements twitching with restrained aggression.
Beside it, the new unit loomed.
**Variable Three.**
Heavier armor.
Broader frame.
Energy output nearly double.
Where Variable Two was speed—
Variable Three was force.
---
Flit's voice cut in calmly.
"I'll take the larger one."
Leon didn't argue.
"Figures."
A beat.
Then—
"Don't fall behind," Flit added.
Leon smirked.
"Worry about yourself."
---
They moved at the same time.
---
Flit shot forward, AGE Gundam transforming mid-flight into its high-speed mode. It cut straight toward Variable Three, beam rifle firing in controlled bursts.
The shots landed clean—
But barely scratched the armor.
Variable Three didn't dodge.
It advanced.
Through the fire.
Unaffected.
---
Meanwhile—
Leon engaged Variable Two again.
This time—
He didn't chase.
He watched.
Variable Two lunged—
Leon moved before the attack fully formed.
Their blades collided in a precise flash.
Variable Two paused mid-motion.
"…Adaptation confirmed."
Leon pushed back.
"Yeah. I learn fast."
---
The battlefield split into two duels.
---
Flit circled Variable Three, analyzing.
"Armor density… energy absorption properties…"
He fired again—targeting joints.
The shots landed.
Minimal effect.
Variable Three raised its arm.
A massive energy blade formed—
And swung.
Flit transformed instantly, barely escaping the strike as it tore through empty space, leaving a distortion ripple behind.
"Power type," Flit concluded. "But not slow."
The unit turned faster than expected.
Too fast.
Flit's eyes narrowed.
"Adjusted mobility…"
Helix wasn't just scaling power.
They were removing weaknesses.
---
Leon and Variable Two clashed again.
Faster now.
Cleaner.
More dangerous.
"You have changed," Variable Two observed.
Leon sidestepped a strike, countering with a precise slash that scraped across the Helix unit's side.
"So have you."
Variable Two's remote weapons deployed.
More than before.
Eight units.
They spread instantly, forming a kill zone.
Leon's eyes sharpened.
"Not happening."
He shifted position—
Predicting their firing pattern.
The beams came—
And missed.
For the first time—
Completely.
---
Variable Two stilled.
"…You are no longer reacting."
Leon smirked.
"Took me a minute."
---
Across the battlefield—
Flit was being pushed back.
Variable Three advanced relentlessly, every movement calculated despite its overwhelming size.
Flit fired again—targeting the head sensor.
A direct hit.
The unit didn't stop.
"Redundant systems…" Flit muttered.
Variable Three closed distance.
Too fast.
Flit barely transformed in time—
The energy blade grazed his armor, tearing through part of the shoulder.
Warning alarms flared.
---
Leon saw it.
"Flit!"
"I'm fine," Flit snapped. "Focus on your target."
Leon hesitated—
Half a second.
Variable Two capitalized instantly.
A beam sliced across Aegis' torso, sparks erupting as armor scorched.
Leon gritted his teeth.
"Right."
---
They couldn't fight separately.
Not like this.
Helix had designed this perfectly.
Divide them.
Overwhelm them.
Break them.
---
Flit came to the same conclusion.
"Leon."
Leon didn't look away from Variable Two.
"Yeah?"
"We switch."
Leon blinked.
"What?"
"I'll handle Variable Two. You take the larger one."
Leon frowned.
"That doesn't make—"
"Trust me."
A beat.
Then—
Leon exhaled.
"Fine."
---
They broke formation.
Mid-battle.
High speed.
Perfect timing.
---
Variable Two lunged—
And met Flit instead.
Variable Three swung—
And faced Leon.
---
Everything shifted.
---
Flit engaged Variable Two.
Immediately, the difference showed.
Where Leon had met aggression with instinct—
Flit met it with precision.
Every movement calculated.
Every counter exact.
Variable Two attacked—
Flit was already gone.
"You rely on momentum," Flit said calmly. "Predictable."
Variable Two adjusted.
"…Interesting."
---
Leon faced Variable Three.
And immediately realized—
Flit had been right.
This wasn't about overpowering it.
It was about controlling it.
Variable Three swung—
Leon didn't dodge wide.
He moved just enough.
Minimal movement.
Energy conserved.
He circled.
Redirected.
Drew it away from the center.
"Big guy, huh?" Leon muttered.
Variable Three advanced again.
Leon led it.
Step by step.
Out of position.
---
Flit pressed Variable Two harder.
Beam rifle shots forced it into defensive movement.
Then—
Transformation.
Close range.
Beam saber strike.
Variable Two blocked—
But was pushed back.
"You've lost initiative," Flit said.
---
Leon saw the opening.
"Flit!"
"I see it."
---
In perfect sync—
They moved.
---
Flit drove Variable Two downward—
Into Leon's path.
Leon surged upward—
Directly into Variable Three's blind angle.
---
For a split second—
All four units aligned.
---
Leon's beam saber ignited at full output.
Flit's rifle charged simultaneously.
---
"Now!" Leon shouted.
---
Flit fired.
The shot struck Variable Three's exposed joint—right where Leon had been guiding it.
The armor cracked.
---
Leon struck.
Full power.
The beam saber drove through the weakened point—
Straight into the core.
---
Variable Three froze.
Energy spiked—
Then collapsed.
The massive unit detonated in a controlled implosion.
---
Variable Two pulled back instantly.
Silence.
For the first time—
Helix had lost an elite unit.
---
Variable Two hovered in place.
"…Unit Three destroyed."
Leon steadied Aegis.
"Yeah."
Flit remained silent.
---
Variable Two looked between them.
"Conclusion: individual superiority insufficient."
A pause.
"…Combined variables exceed threshold."
Leon smirked.
"Now you're catching on."
---
The distortion field began to collapse.
Without Variable Three—
The structure destabilized.
Helix units began immediate withdrawal.
---
Variable Two turned.
"This engagement is incomplete."
Leon raised his weapon.
"Next time."
Variable Two paused briefly.
"…Next time."
And vanished.
---
The battlefield fell silent.
The distortion field faded completely.
Space returned to normal.
---
Leon exhaled.
"That was… something."
Flit hovered nearby.
"You adapted faster than expected."
Leon glanced over.
"Don't sound so impressed."
A pause.
Then—
"…But you were right," Leon admitted. "Switching targets worked."
Flit nodded slightly.
"You think differently. It creates unpredictability."
Leon smirked.
"And you overthink everything."
"…It works."
"Yeah," Leon admitted.
---
For a moment—
They just floated there.
Not enemies.
Not quite allies.
Something in between.
---
Mira's voice burst into the comms.
"Leon! You're alive!"
"Still here," he replied.
Rika followed.
"That was incredible—both of you!"
Flit remained silent.
Leon glanced at him.
"You always disappear after fights?"
Flit didn't answer right away.
Then—
"Yes."
---
The AGE Gundam turned.
Leon watched it go.
"…Guess we'll talk next time."
---
Far away—
The Helix commander observed the outcome.
One elite unit destroyed.
Variable Two survived.
Data complete.
"Phase escalation confirmed," the commander said.
Behind him—
The next weapon activated.
Larger.
More complex.
Designed not to separate variables—
But to force them together.
---
Back in open space—
Two Gundams drifted apart once more.
But now—
They both knew.
The next time they met—
It wouldn't be coincidence.