The physical fitness of Coordinators is indeed better than that of Naturals.
Taking advantage of a momentary lapse in vigilance from the soldiers aboard the Archangel, two Coordinator soldiers charged toward the escape pod, howling fiercely.
However, with so many Natural soldiers in the hangar and their overwhelming numerical advantage, if they couldn't even handle these two Coordinator soldiers...
According to Wang Hu's sarcastic remark, they should all be sent to Siberia to grow potatoes!
"Who exactly is inside?"
Walking over to the Coordinators who had been subdued again by the ship's soldiers, Li Chengzhi asked with a grim expression.
"Spit! Damned Naturals, if you dare lay a finger on her, you'll all die!"
One of the Coordinator soldiers arrogantly raised his head and spat toward Li Chengzhi.
Moving swiftly, Li Chengzhi dodged the sneak attack. Seeing the unusual reaction of the Coordinator soldiers, his mind raced.
"Wang Hu!" Turning his head, Li Chengzhi suppressed his anger and muttered in a low voice.
"Another big trouble. You already anticipated this, didn't you?"
"I'm not a god," Wang Hu replied to his friend as he walked to the main entrance of the escape pod.
He called for the technicians to prepare to forcibly breach the hatch, eager to see with his own eyes the legendary Lady Yumi, who was spoken of in such mythical terms in his memories.
"Captain Wang Hu, please wait a moment."
Natarle Badgiruel quickly intervened, simultaneously ordering soldiers to aim their guns at the hatch.
She also had the two Coordinator soldiers brought over as well.
"What's this about?" Wang Hu glanced back at the grand setup Natarle had arranged and asked curiously.
Natarle had her reasons. "Whoever or whatever is inside must be very important for them to be so protective."
"It might even be dangerous. If necessary..."
A cold glint flashed in her eyes. Though she didn't explicitly say the rest, everyone present understood her meaning.
Nodding in agreement, even Kira seemed to share the sentiment. He even pulled the bolt of his gun, producing a crisp chambering sound.
"You!" Witnessing the actions of the Atlantic Federation Army soldiers, the two Coordinator soldiers were stunned and tried to speak up to dissuade them.
But it was too late to change their minds now.
With two swift kicks, Li Chengzhi, who had nearly been spat on earlier, sent them stumbling. Their heads hit the ground, and when they looked up, their noses and mouths were smeared with blood.
"Open it," Li Chengzhi said without wasting words or time. Seeing that the two Coordinator soldiers were no longer causing trouble, he called out to the ship's technicians.
"Brother Wang Hu, step back a little." Putting on a loyal expression, Kira stepped forward and positioned himself in front of Wang Hu.
"Do you even know how to shoot?" Wang Hu shifted slightly, not entirely confident in Kira's marksmanship.
"Uh..." Embarrassed at being called out in public, Kira's face flushed slightly. It was true—since joining the military, he had no issues piloting the Gundam, but when it came to shooting...
However, having already stepped up in the heat of the moment, there was no way Kira would back down now.
"No problem, Brother Wang Hu!"
Following the examples from television and the simple training on the ship, Kira held a gun with both hands, pointing it straight at the hatch about to open.
"I will definitely protect Brother Wang Hu!"
"Ah, this kid..." Wang Hu sighed softly and shook his head, waiting to witness the debut of the enchanting Lady Lacus.
"Ara, isn't this a ZAFT ship?"
As the hatch opened, her voice was heard before she appeared—pleasant and melodious, making people instinctively feel goodwill.
Truly worthy of being the Super Coordinator, who, after the end of the Second War in his memory, was recognized by a certain minor antagonist as possessing the ability to bewitch hearts.
Lacus's voice drifted through the Archangel's hangar, and she made her appearance in a manner far more soothing than even Murrue could manage.
Her pure white dress wrapped around a figure that invited imagination, while her beautiful, smooth pink hair shimmered under the lights.
And her innocent face struck the masculine hormones of every man present without exception.
"A woman?"
Natarle Badgiruel covered her face with one hand. In a place like the Archangel, where rugged men predominated, this girl before them was undoubtedly a major source of trouble.
"This girl!" Li Chengzhi's pupils trembled violently. While others might not recognize who Lacus was, he knew her without a doubt!
Watching the soldiers unconsciously lower their gun barrels, Li Chengzhi felt a throbbing in his temples, as if his head were about to explode.
"Click!" Just as most people were captivated by Lacus's beauty and heavenly voice.
Kira? Kira!
After a brief daze, he did something astonishing!
Raising his gun, Kira almost pressed it against Lacus's forehead!
"This kid, did he really do it?"
If there was anything in this world that could surprise Wang Hu, it was Kira pointing a gun at Lacus.
Because this was completely out of character for Kira!
Flay watched from behind. Just a few days ago, Brother Wang Hu had said that pretty words from pretty people solved nothing.
Holding the gun, Kira silently thought to himself.
He must not lose face in front of Flay. Since he had to compete, he had to perform well. A beautiful woman of unknown origin, protected by ZAFT Forces soldiers, was far too dangerous!
"This... Allied Forces soldier-san?"
Tilting her head slightly, Lacus blinked her beautiful big eyes, her alluring red lips parting to reveal an innocent charm that made people reluctant to destroy it.
"Why are you acting so angry?"
Impressive. Standing behind Kira, Wang Hu observed Lacus's words and actions. She was clearly feigning ignorance, and she had mastered the art.
Would she not know why?
Could she not see the bloodied Coordinator soldiers on the ground?
With such a scene before her, she could still act so naive—it was simply incredible!
"Me?" Faced with Lacus's charm offensive, Kira, inherently kind-hearted, found it hard to keep up the act.
The gun barrel lowered slightly. Under the gaze of Lacus's blinking eyes, Kira could no longer keep his gun raised.
"Kira, step back." Wang Hu stepped forward directly, not letting Kira face Lacus's charm offensive alone.
"You are?"
Tilting her head to the other side, clasping her hands naturally and letting them hang in front of her pure white dress, Lacus fixed her gaze on Wang Hu as he stepped forward.
"Wang Hu, Captain of the Third Training Squad of the East Asian Nova Resource Satellite Garrison."
Cutting straight to the chase, Wang Hu threw a direct question without any preamble.
"Who are you, to be so heavily protected by these soldiers?"
"Me?" Faced with Wang Hu's directness, Lacus could no longer pretend not to notice the two Coordinator soldiers kneeling on the ground.
In the original timeline, Lacus hadn't revealed her identity immediately.
Instead, she had glossed over the matter by claiming she was there to mourn the compatriots who lost their lives in the Junius Seven tragedy.
Moreover, she specifically pointed out that the reason she was in the escape pod was due to the atrocities committed by the Allied Forces soldiers patrolling the area!
A gentleman can be deceived by principles.
By leveraging two shameful acts committed by the Allied Forces, she successfully silenced Natarle Badgiruel and the others who were questioning her at the time.
Only after gaining a general understanding of Natarle and the others' character did she decisively reveal her specific identity to further ensure her safety!
It could be said that Lacus's debut on the Archangel was a textbook example of a masterful manipulation of human psychology.
But what about now?
Wang Hu gave Lacus no opportunity to gauge people's intentions. Confronted with the murderous aura Natarle was projecting and the two Coordinator soldiers on the ground who were clearly victims of unjust treatment, what choice would Lacus make?
Would she reveal her true identity and take a gamble?
Or would she play dumb and stick to the response from the original timeline?
But with the two Coordinator soldiers kneeling on the ground, her words and actions could lead to unpredictable consequences!
Continuing to feign ignorance would be far too incongruous!
Ignoring the Coordinator soldiers would cost her their trust.
True politicians are the most terrifying creatures in the world—they can openly disregard right and wrong.
And the daughters of politicians are equally formidable, especially when they surpass their mentors through constant exposure.
With a gasp of surprise, Lacus acted as if she had just noticed the two Coordinator soldiers on the ground.
She showed no concern for the blood on their faces or the stains dripping onto their uniforms.
This was the same Lacus who remained composed after being taken hostage and who openly reprimanded Creuset after Kira returned her to Athrun.
She would certainly not be intimidated by the lowered gun barrels of the Atlantic Federation Army soldiers!
Standing in front of the two Coordinator soldiers, Lacus spoke softly, her demeanor evoking pity.
"We only came here to mourn the compatriots who perished in the wreckage of Junius Seven. They are ZAFT Forces soldiers tasked with protecting our memorial ship."
"Members of the Allied Forces, we come with no ill intentions and no desire to provoke a conflict."
"Why were the soldiers from your patrol so enraged earlier?"
"And why do you still seem hostile now? If we have done something wrong, please tell us directly."
"Do not vent the misunderstandings born of mistakes we are unaware of on innocent people."
Crouching on the ground, Lacus slightly raised her head, her slender neck and innocent-yet-alluring face making it hard for anyone to harbor murderous intent.
Her words struck directly at people's conscience.
Well, now Wang Hu clearly noticed the sympathy in the eyes of those around him.
"Wang Hu." Li Chengzhi stepped forward directly and whispered into Wang Hu's ear.
"Caution, she is the daughter of Clyne, the PLANT Council's dovish faction representative and Council Chairman."
"And besides, a girl like her poses little threat."
Impressive. Wang Hu could only silently give him a thumbs-up in his mind—Li Chengzhi actually saying something like that.
While her father's status was certainly important, the harmless appearance she herself projected had also earned her considerable points.
She proactively took on all responsibility, then used the situation to skillfully evade questions about her own identity while subtly continuing to probe people's intentions.
Essentially, before determining the level of danger, she'd talk about everything except what mattered.
All the mistakes were yours—we're the victims here!
"Brother Wang Hu." "Captain Wang Hu."
Kira and Natarle Badgiruel approached one after another, each with their own reasons as they voiced their suggestions.
"Brother Wang Hu, I think we should keep her under temporary restraint for now."
This was Kira. He wasn't swayed by Lacus's beauty—it was simply his inherent reluctance to cause harm.
After all, with his fundamentally kind nature and no descent into darkness, even under Wang Hu's influence and wanting to impress Flay,
he couldn't completely shed the moral foundation built over more than a decade.
"Captain Wang Hu." Natarle Badgiruel's thinking was simpler—morale!
Morale must not be shaken!
(End of Chapter)