Just as the three Gundams separated, dozens of purple-red beams struck the positions they had previously occupied, and the beams even curved, chasing after them.
"The beams are bending!"
Even though the three were prepared, they were still startled. Yang Hui and Yurin could also achieve beam refraction in their shots, but that was only possible with the assistance of mirror reflection systems and Funnels.
But now, the beams were bending without the aid of anything, defying the laws of physics.
"Something's wrong!"
While dodging, Yang Hui noticed an issue. Sidd's firepower wasn't this strong. Could it have evolved without his knowledge?
When Yang Hui looked, his pupils constricted.
"Two of them!"
His guess was overturned by the facts. It wasn't that Sidd had evolved; there were two Sidds glaring at them.
"This is trouble." Sweat dripped down Yang Hui's forehead.
He was confident he could take down one Sidd and secure the EXA-DB, but two...
"Yang Hui, what do we do?" Graham asked. Even though there were only two Sidds, the firepower was overwhelming, preventing them from getting close.
"Graham, Yurin, hold off one. I'll take the other!"
"Understood." X2
At that moment, two thick pink beams cut through the darkness, targeting the two Sidds.
"Captain!"
"Commander!"
Seeing that Yang Hui and the others were in danger, [Baize] and Asemu quickly moved up to support them.
"Fall back! Don't come up!" Yang Hui immediately shouted to stop their advance. The situation with the Sidds had changed, and it was beyond his control. It was too dangerous for them to come up now.
"Yang Hui!"
Graham's shout brought Yang Hui's attention back to the Sidds, but...
"Everyone, be on alert!"
The two Sidds had disappeared. Yang Hui didn't believe they had retreated because they were outnumbered. The VEGAN's Parasol System was derived from the EXA-DB, and the Sidds born from the EXA-DB naturally possessed it as well.
Although they had obtained some of VEGAN's technical data and salvaged many VEGAN ships and MS, the Parasol System had yet to be deciphered.
So...
As soon as Yang Hui finished speaking, the Sidds reappeared. One blocked their path, while the other appeared in front of the [Celestial Being] squadron.
The moment they appeared, six Beam Cannons aligned in a row, their fire forming a whip-like sweep that cut four [Adele II] units in half.
"Nadia! Conrad! Li Min! Haisiji!" Asemu shouted in anguish, his eyes turning red. Anger and hatred threatened to overwhelm his reason.
"Everyone, fall back! Cover [Baize] and retreat!" The Sidd blocking the three Gundams was held back by the Flag Gundam and Luna Gundam, creating an opportunity for the Dawn Gundam to break through the blockade and position itself in front of the Gundam AGE-2.
"But..." The Dawn Gundam arrived just in time to stop Asemu from acting impulsively, but Asemu's reason hadn't fully returned.
"No buts! Follow orders!"
The Dawn Gundam's Funnels fully deployed, and pink beams rained down, intercepting all the missiles launched by the Sidd, causing a fireworks display in space.
At the same time, flames erupted from the Dawn Gundam's back, and it weaved through the purple-red beams like a fish, colliding with the Sidd and pulling it away from the [Celestial Being] squadron.
"Commander!"
"Angola! Take everyone to coordinates Y19. We'll meet you there!" Yang Hui commanded.
"...Understood! Everyone, retreat!"
"Yes!" XN
[Baize] quickly retreated towards the coordinates under the protection of the MS units.
The unknown is always the most terrifying. The enemy displayed several characteristics similar to VEGAN, but Angola Zuo and others, who had fought VEGAN for decades, could tell that this was not VEGAN but something even more terrifying.
Faced with an unknown and dangerous enemy, Angola Zuo and the others felt a fear greater than when they encountered the Second Moon.
The [Celestial Being] squadron left the combat zone, and Yang Hui and the others breathed a sigh of relief, dealing with the Sidds more easily now.
"Yang Hui, should we go in?" Graham asked after slicing through two Beam Cannons.
Diverting the [Celestial Being] squadron was partly due to concern for their safety, but it was also to keep them from learning the secret of the EXA-DB.
"Graham, how long can you hold off the Sidd alone?" Yang Hui asked, firing several shots at the Sidd. He was baffled by the material and technology of the Sidd's armor, as even the increased output of the Vangs Rifle failed to penetrate it.
"I can't hold it for long!"
Although Graham was reluctant to admit it, he couldn't hold off the Sidd for too long.
If it were a fight to the death, he was confident he could take down the Sidd. But according to Yang Hui's intel, the Sidd possessed considerable intelligence, was tasked with guarding the EXA-DB, and had the Parasol System.
Graham was certain that if Yurin went off alone to find the EXA-DB, the Sidd would break away from him and attack her relentlessly.
Yurin, who excelled in long-range sniping, would face a disaster if she were alone with the Sidd.
Graham would rather fight the Sidd to the death himself than let anything happen to Yurin.
First, Yurin, though new, had fought alongside them in countless battles and was a comrade through life and death. Second, if anything happened to Yurin, Yang Hui would lose his mind.
Yang Hui carried too much on his shoulders; he couldn't afford to lose it.
"..." Yang Hui remained silent. Years of camaraderie let him immediately understand Graham's meaning, and he made a decision. "Tactical formation E10!"
"Understood." X2
The Dawn Gundam pulled the Sidd towards the Flag Gundam and Luna Gundam, merging the two battlefields into one. The three Gundams formed a diagonal triangle, with the Flag Gundam holding off the two Sidds up close, the Dawn Gundam providing mid-range firepower to disrupt the Sidds' coordination, and Yurin positioned safely in the rear, intercepting the Sidds' missiles to suppress their fire.
For a while, the two sides were at a stalemate.
Yang Hui and the others prepared to retreat, but the Sidds pursued them, preventing their escape. In turn, Yang Hui and the others pushed back, and the Sidds began to circle the three Gundams strangely, preventing them from advancing.
Suddenly, for reasons unknown, the two Sidds activated the Parasol System and vanished from Yang Hui's sight.
"A01!"
The three Gundams quickly regrouped, alert to their surroundings.
Several minutes passed, and the two Sidds neither attacked nor reappeared.
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"Did they leave?" Graham asked Yang Hui.
"I don't know. Maintain formation and retreat. Yurin..."
"Understood."
The three Gundams stayed together, maintaining high vigilance as they retreated towards the target location. Only when the [Celestial Being] squadron's signal appeared on their radar did they finally relax.
The EXA-DB drifted aimlessly in the first graveyard, but they were now far enough away that they wouldn't be attacked by the Sidds again.
"I knew you'd be fine." After returning to the ship, Angola Zuo gave Yang Hui a hug.
Perhaps it was because he was getting older, but he had become more emotional and prone to worry. Whenever they undertook dangerous missions, he couldn't help but wonder if this would be their last.
"Your expression says otherwise." Yang Hui patted Angola Zuo's shoulder.
"Alright, I guess I really am getting old." Angola Zuo shook his head self-deprecatingly. "It's time to make way for the younger generation."
Not just Angola Zuo, but many others felt the same way. They were all getting old, but they had held onto a stubborn streak, refusing to admit defeat or step down.
But deep down, they all knew they were getting too old to keep up.
"Yes, you're old." Yang Hui patted Angola Zuo's shoulder again.
He had always been aware of their situation but had never brought it up. These old comrades had fought alongside him through life and death, and since they had made their resolution, he wouldn't dishonor it.
All he could do was ensure their safety and bring them back alive from dangerous missions.
Now that Angola Zuo had brought it up himself, Yang Hui would happily see them retire and enjoy their remaining years in peace.
"Alright, let's not get so sentimental. It's not like this is goodbye. We still have a mission to complete." Yang Hui comforted them.
"Ha." Angola Zuo and the others wiped their tears. "It's kind of embarrassing to end our last mission in failure, Commander. What exactly was that monster?"
"Just remnants of the old era." Yang Hui said.
Hearing this, Angola Zuo didn't ask further. He knew Yang Hui and the others had their secrets, but he trusted Yang Hui more than the Federation.
After leaving the bridge, Asemu found Yang Hui and asked what the Sidds were.
"Uncle, was that VEGAN?"
Seeing the flames of hatred in Asemu's eyes, Yang Hui sighed.
"No." Yang Hui shook his head.
"But..."
"Asemu, don't let hatred consume your reason." Yang Hui spoke seriously to Asemu. His expression now was the same as Flit's when he had looked at Achtory in the Ambat Fortress.
"But! But... Nadia, Jonathan, Li Min, Haisiji, they..."
"Don't worry, Asemu." Yang Hui placed a hand on Asemu's shoulder. "We'll meet again, and that will be the time for revenge."
"...I understand, Uncle."
Asemu turned and left. The flames of hatred in his eyes had dimmed, but Yang Hui knew it wasn't that the hatred had lessened. Instead, it had transformed into a sense of responsibility, buried deep within his heart. At the same time, a promise could no longer be fulfilled.
"Sigh, these two are so alike." Yang Hui chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"Don't worry. Flit was even more stubborn back then, but he turned out fine." Yurin gently consoled him.
"Right, I know. Go talk to him too."
"Alright."
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