Chapter 243: Gundam Clash
"Boom!"
A hemisphere of searing light erupted as the nuclear reactor was deliberately triggered to explode.
Whether it was fortune or misfortune, Kamille had taken off with the GM II and flown a considerable distance toward the edge of the base.
As a result, the explosion only engulfed a small section of the Titans' base. Most of the threatened areas were merely storage facilities—none of the functional buildings were affected.
Even so, it felt like history repeating itself.
Once again, a Gundam had triggered a nuclear explosion that tore through the outer wall of a space colony.
But unlike last time, where such an explosion led to tragedy, this time it brought Kamille a glimmer of hope for survival.
"I'm going to break through from there!"
Kamille shouted—not as a suggestion to Beltorchika, but as a declaration.
He had already slammed down the throttle, shooting straight toward the breach created by the explosion.
The rupture was now venting atmosphere into space, generating violent turbulence strong enough to jolt a mobile suit.
Kamille gripped the controls tightly, struggling to keep his MS stable.
Behind the MK-II, two GM IIs were still in relentless pursuit!
Without any long-range weapons equipped, Kamille could only push the pedals harder, accelerating the MK-II past the colony's outer wall!
To his slight relief, there were no Titans units lying in wait beyond the wall.
Then again, who could have foreseen things escalating to this point?
Even the instigators themselves stood frozen, staring blankly at the vastness of space.
"This isn't the time to space out!"
Beltorchika's voice snapped Kamille out of his daze.
He quickly turned the MK-II around—only to find that the two GM IIs hadn't followed him out. Instead, they were retreating from the breach.
The unexpected behavior caught both Kamille and Beltorchika off guard.
But this wasn't the time to dwell on enemy strategy. Kamille turned the MK-II again and surged ahead.
Where was he headed? He didn't know.
The truth was, everything Kamille had done up to now had been driven by emotion. He hadn't considered what to do if he failed the rescue, nor had he planned where to go after escaping.
But one thing was certain—staying here was no longer an option.
As long as he kept moving, the road ahead would continue to unfold...
"Vmm!"
A sudden beam grazed past the MK-II, making Kamille's heart leap.
There was no killing intent behind it, so Kamille hadn't reacted in time to dodge.
Which meant—it was just a warning shot. If the attacker had wanted to, the next shot could have been a direct hit.
Kamille immediately switched his rear monitor to the front screen, but all he saw was a single distant light.
Then, two more beams shot past on either side of the MK-II.
It was clearly a show of force, and Kamille tensed, holding back any sudden movements.
He already had a good idea who the attacker was.
It had to be that Titans officer—the Gundam pilot—from the time he'd met with Amuro.
The distant light suddenly flickered—and then its true form came into view on Kamille's display.
It was the GP01—reclaimed by the Titans after the Delaz Conflict.
As for the pilot, it could only be one man—the Titans ace, Monsha.
"Well, kid. You sure stirred up a hell of a mess."
Monsha's trademark cocky voice came through the comms.
Since both machines belonged to Titans' inventory, the communication link connected automatically.
"Captain Monsha! The higher-ups said we didn't need to take him ali—"
The command Kamille overheard was abruptly cut off.
The visual feed activated, and Monsha's face—wearing a standard pilot suit—appeared on the MK-II's screen.
"You heard that, didn't you, Kamille?"
Clearly, Monsha still remembered the teenage boy who once punched Jerid in the harbor.
"The higher-ups don't care whether you live. But if I can help it, I'd rather not go that far."
Looking at the still-youthful face on the screen, Monsha spoke plainly.
Even a loose cannon like him had his limits.
He might be a slacker—but he wasn't a monster.
Still, as a soldier, talking Kamille down was the most he could do.
The distance between the two Gundams—linked by a shared development lineage—quickly closed.
To Kamille's surprise, the GP01 holstered its beam rifle on its lower back.
"Come back with me. I promise you won't be treated unfairly."
Monsha had enough confidence to make that promise.
"No, Kamille—we can't trust the Titans."
Beltorchika leaned in and whispered into Kamille's ear.
"I know… I know, Beltorchika. But it feels like we don't have any way out left."
"Kamille, we can't fall back into the Titans' hands."
Beltorchika even stepped in front of him, blocking his view of Monsha.
But to her surprise, Kamille's eyes held no hesitation—only bitter defiance.
Defiance against surrendering now.
"I know, Beltorchika. I won't live like my father did—clinging to life at any cost."
Kamille gently pushed her aside, placing his hands on her shoulders.
"A rebellious son, huh… Sorry, Kamille."
The GP01 didn't draw its beam rifle—but instead pulled out its beam saber.
Monsha wasn't aiming for a fair duel. He still hoped to capture Kamille alive—by disabling the MK-II's limbs and dragging it back.
Kamille didn't back down either. He drew his own beam saber and charged at Monsha.
But from the very first exchange, Kamille was at a disadvantage.
The GP Project had been the Federation's flagship initiative for rebuilding its MS force, as well as a battleground for corporate competition. The materials packed into the GP-series units were top-grade across the board.
Even after three years, the GP01's specs were on par with the state-of-the-art MK-II.
In fact, its full Luna Titanium armor gave it a slight edge over the MK-II's titanium/ceramic composite plating.
Lacking any hardware advantage, Kamille's piloting skills alone couldn't close the gap in Monsha's eyes.
Monsha batted away Kamille's saber and the two Gundams broke apart.
He quickly regained formation ahead of the MK-II and launched another charge.
But then—a thick beam shot across his path, completely obscuring the MK-II from sight!