"Graham! Flit! Asemu!"
"Understood!" X3
The voice filled with fury reached the ears of the three men. Without hesitation, they charged through the intense barrage of fire toward the rampaging [VEGAN Mobile Suit·Sidd], leading it away from the area.
The Dawn Gundam arrived at the side of the Luna Gundam at top speed.
The Luna Gundam had been hit by the barrage, its head and limbs completely gone, and even the armor on its chest had vanished. If not for sheer luck, the shot that struck the torso had narrowly missed the cockpit, exiting just below it. Otherwise, the Luna Gundam would have been completely destroyed.
Yang Hui didn't even bother with communication. He immediately left his cockpit and manually opened the hatch of the Luna Gundam's cockpit from the outside.
"Yurin!"
For the first time, Yang Hui felt the panic and despair of nearly losing someone he loved deeply. The moment he saw the Luna Gundam being hit, his heart felt as if it had been gripped tightly by a giant hand, making it hard to breathe. It was as if the entire world had lost its color.
"Mmm... I... I'm... I'm fine..." Yurin, who had nearly lost consciousness, slowly woke up and weakly reassured Yang Hui. The explosion had been powerful, but fortunately, the cockpit's protection was strong enough. The massive shock and impact had nearly knocked her out, but she hadn't sustained any other injuries.
"Thank goodness... Thank goodness you're alright..." Yang Hui tightly embraced Yurin, tears glistening in his eyes, droplets floating inside his helmet.
"I'm fine... Yang Hui... Don't worry about me... Go back to the fight... End this battle." Yurin gently pushed Yang Hui away and spoke softly.
"But you..."
"The battle is more important, Yang Hui. You're not the type to let personal feelings cloud your judgment. Go, don't worry about me." Yurin knew that Yang Hui's heart was entirely focused on her at that moment, but that wasn't right. Yang Hui was someone who could separate personal feelings from duty. He shouldn't prioritize her over the greater good. Yang Hui bore responsibilities and missions that others could hardly shoulder, and she didn't want him to break his principles because of her.
"...I understand."
Yang Hui's eyes once again shone with the light of rationality. Absolute reason suppressed his impulses, his concern, and his love for Yurin.
"Grandma Yurin! You're okay... Grandpa Yang Hui..."
At that moment, the Gundam AGE-FX arrived beside the Luna Gundam. Kio also opened his cockpit, intending to rescue Yurin just as Yang Hui had, but he was met with Yang Hui's icy glare, which forced him to retreat.
Kio didn't know what kind of look that was—detached, emotionless, cold, yet hiding boundless rage, like a volcano on the verge of eruption, ready to destroy everything in its path.
"Kio..."
"Yes!" The voice devoid of any warmth made Kio shiver.
"Take Yurin to a safe place. If she gets hurt again, I'll kill you."
"I... I'll definitely protect Grandma Yurin."
As family, it was only right for Kio to protect Yurin, especially since she had been injured while saving him. Both emotionally and logically, he should do this, but...
Right now, Kio was filled with nothing but fear. Yang Hui's words weren't a joke or a threat—they were a fact. If he failed to protect Yurin, he had no doubt that Yang Hui would truly kill him, even if his grandfather and father tried to stop him.
Upon hearing Kio's response, Yang Hui didn't look at him again. He was truly afraid that if he saw him, he wouldn't be able to control his killing intent. He simply said to Yurin, "I'm going," and then returned to the cockpit of the Dawn Gundam, speeding off towards the battlefield.
After Yang Hui left, Kio finally let out a sigh of relief, feeling warmth return to his body. He approached the cockpit of the Luna Gundam, intending to help Yurin out.
"I'm sorry, Grandma Yurin, I..."
"Save the apologies for later. The battle isn't over yet."
"...I understand." Kio felt disheartened. Yurin didn't even glance at him, just lay in the cockpit with her eyes closed. Her calm tone made it clear to Kio that she hadn't accepted his apology.
This pained Kio deeply. He was only sticking to his own choices, so why had things turned out this way? He hadn't meant any harm, so why wasn't his apology accepted? Was his choice really wrong?
Bearing all these doubts, Kio returned to the cockpit. The Gundam AGE-FX connected with the remaining body of the Luna Gundam and prepared to retreat to the rear.
But just as they were about to leave, he glanced at the two [VEGAN Mobile Suits] floating in space.
His eyes hardened, and he gritted his teeth.
The Gundam AGE-FX forcibly pried open the cockpit doors of the [VEGAN Mobile Suits] with its bare hands, pulling out the two unconscious clones. Holding them in its hands, it left the area alongside the Luna Gundam.
Unbeknownst to Kio, Yurin had witnessed his actions. Her previously icy expression softened, and a gentle smile curved her lips.
"After enduring such a painful lesson, you still stick to your choices? No matter what difficulties you face, you remain steadfast in your decisions. You truly are of the Asuno Family, Kio. But you're not suited for battle..."
...
The Gundam AGE-1, relying on its heavy armor, charged through the intense barrage of fire. Its thick shield slammed into the wings of the [VEGAN Mobile Suit Sidd], which were shielding its front, while its guns fired continuously, unleashing a barrage of explosive attacks.
Another [VEGAN Mobile Suit Sidd] saw this and prepared to attack the Gundam AGE-1 from behind. But at that moment, the Gundam AGE-2 had already arrived in front of Sidd, its twin swords crossed and slashing down with a thunderous force.
"Boom~!"
Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, the [VEGAN Mobile Suit Sidd] quickly canceled its attack, shielding itself with its wings once more to block the blades. At the same time, its gun barrels tilted up, locking onto the Gundam AGE-2.
"Don't just focus on what's in front of you!"
The Flag Gundam appeared with lightning speed, its cold blade slicing through the steel wings. Transforming its sword into a gun, it pressed against the back of the [VEGAN Mobile Suit Sidd] and fired.
"Die here!"
Yurin's injury had enraged not only Yang Hui but also Graham.
On a professional level, Yang Hui was their core. Graham, who knew Yang Hui well, understood that if anything happened to Yurin, Yang Hui would go berserk. Although no one had explicitly said it, Graham and Sumeragi, who remained at the Prometheus Fortress, had an unspoken understanding: whoever accompanied Yang Hui on a mission must protect him at all costs. If anything happened to Yang Hui, the entire team, including the Prometheus Fortress, would fall apart.
On a personal level, after living and fighting alongside her for so many years, Graham had long regarded this gentle yet strong girl as family. Seeing a family member injured and nearly killed, Graham's rage had reached a boiling point, a fury that had only surfaced when Professor Eifman and Billy Katagiri were almost silenced.
"Boom, boom, boom, boom..."
Even the highly protective electromagnetic armor couldn't withstand the continuous point-blank shooting, and soon a large hole was blasted through it. Graham didn't stop; he directed all his firepower into the hole's interior.
"Got it."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Graham's finger tightened on the trigger, not letting up until the [VEGAN Mobile Suit·Sidd] was completely obliterated into dust, only then did his murderous intent subside.
"Uncle Graham."
"One left, take it down!"
"Yes!"
The two machines prepared to join forces with the Gundam AGE-1 to eliminate the last Sidd, but upon turning around, they realized it was unnecessary.
The Dawn Gundam, trailing a long plume of flame, joined the battle, its funnels deployed and mirror reflection system ready.
"Flit."
"Understood."
Seeing the Dawn Gundam arrive, the Gundam AGE-1 kicked away the approaching [VEGAN Mobile Suit·Sidd] and retreated. Before it could fully withdraw, dozens of beams outlined the Gundam AGE-1 before landing on the [VEGAN Mobile Suit·Sidd]'s body.
"Boom, boom, boom..."
"Graham, Asemu, Flit, Tactical Formation Zero."
The calm voice reached the ears of the three, and the three Gundams moved simultaneously, positioning themselves with the Dawn Gundam at four cardinal points, surrounding the [VEGAN Mobile Suit·Sidd] in the center.
Realizing the dire situation, it attempted to flee again, but as soon as it activated the [Parasol] system, dozens of beams rained down from above, all hitting the gaps in its armor, dismantling its neatly arranged wings into disarray.
In the next moment, the Flag Gundam and the Gundam AGE-2 appeared on its left and right simultaneously, their blades unsheathed, a flash of cold light, and in an instant, its limbs, tail, head, and abdominal cannons were all cleanly severed, leaving only smooth cuts.
The Gundam AGE-1 arrived at its back, its sturdy shield transforming into a heavy fist, tearing through the thrusters and armor on its back, leaving only a bare body floating amidst the debris.
"This time, you won't escape."
As the calm words ended, the funnels surrounded the [VEGAN Mobile Suit·Sidd] in the center, and all four machines fired at the funnels simultaneously. The pink radiance from the dense lines wove into a seamless cloth that enveloped it, then converged onto its body.
"Boom~!"
The sphere composed of pink beams exploded violently, and the original body vanished without a trace, not even a fragment left, dissipating into nothingness amidst the vast energy.
This was Tactical Formation Zero, a formation never used except in special circumstances, a formation that, once employed, sentenced the enemy to death, and the most merciless, cruel slaughter.
"Yang Hui, where's Yurin?" Graham asked urgently.
"She suffered some shock, Kio took her back to the rear."
"Kio..."
When it came to Kio, whether it was Flit, Asemu, or Graham, they all felt a sense of frustration and anger, as if they were disappointed by his lack of maturity.
"Uncle Yang Hui..."
"Kio... it's better if he doesn't appear on the battlefield anymore."
"...I understand."
Asemu was angry, but Kio was his own son, and he was also worried that Yang Hui might lose his temper with Kio over this matter. Due to Kio's naive actions, Yurin had almost lost her life, and this kind of anger was something Kio could never withstand.
But upon hearing this answer, Asemu felt relieved. Yang Hui wouldn't harm Kio anymore, but...
From that moment on, Kio no longer existed in Yang Hui's heart.
This could be considered the best outcome, after all, Kio's naivety truly didn't suit the battlefield.
At this moment, Argreus connected the communication between the four of them.
"Lieutenant General, Commander, the VEGAN commander has sent a message..."
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