When Uzumi arrived, Cagalli somehow found the strength to spring up, quickly wiping away her tears and hiding the PAD behind her back.
"Hahaha, tell me, how exactly did that boy bully you?"
"F-Father!"
"Let's watch it together. Though I can't pilot an MS, having an observer provides more accurate insights when reviewing battles."
"Father! You knew?"
"Yes, I already knew."
Uzumi nodded. In truth, none of Cagalli's actions had escaped his notice—her frequent visits to Dawn Company, how she would curse both herself and Yang Hui whenever she saw the M1 Astray, and even the entire process of her being schooled by Yang Hui.
To be honest, if not for Uzumi's request, Yang Hui might not have bothered with a troublemaker like Cagalli. Normally, he would have just tossed her out for disrupting training—why waste time breaking her down?
Cagalli turned her head away, fidgeting awkwardly. She had always been proud and tsundere, never wanting others to see her humiliated, so she wasn't keen on accepting Uzumi's suggestion.
But a father knows his child best. Uzumi could tell she was being stubborn, so without waiting for her consent, his aged hand moved with surprising speed, snatching the PAD she had hidden behind her back.
"Father! Don't look!!"
Waving off Cagalli's attempt to reclaim it, he operated the PAD one-handed and began watching the full recording of her lesson.
"Enough. Watch carefully."
Hearing the seriousness in Uzumi's tone, Cagalli stopped resisting and obediently sat beside him to review her embarrassing performance.
At first, her face burned with shame, but with each segment of the recording, her embarrassment faded slightly, replaced by growing solemnity and shock.
By the end of the one-sided beatdown, seeing how every one of her counterattacks had been effortlessly dismantled by Yang Hui, Cagalli realized just how terrifying he was. His Mobile Suit dodged with minimal adjustments—so precise that, upon closer inspection, his movements were frighteningly exact.
"H-How…? How did he do that!?"
"Basic training."
"What!?" Cagalli gaped at Uzumi, his answer sounding like nonsense.
"When the simulation program was completed, Yang Hui demonstrated it to me. Basic training is divided into levels 1 through 10, all focusing on fundamental operations. The difference… is frequency."
"Frequency?"
"Correct. You tried Level 1 today, right? Found it boring?"
"Y-Yeah! It was like teaching a toddler—completely pointless!"
"Then what if I told you… Level 10 shortens the interval between each command by ten times?"
"Eh?"
"Not only are the intervals shorter, but movements are restricted to precise distances, and jumps must land with pinpoint accuracy. Would you still call it boring?"
"This…"
Under Cagalli's stunned gaze, Uzumi pulled out his own PAD, connected to his personal database, and opened a classified file for her to see.
"What is this?"
"Level 10 basic training. The only person who has ever passed it."
Before Cagalli could react, she saw the M1 Astray in the PAD perform a dazzling series of movements, each with an error margin of less than 10 centimeters. From jumping to landing, its feet precisely touched down within the narrow indicated range.
The process didn't last long, ending in just about five minutes.
"That's it?"
"Well, more accurately, it was forced to end."
"Forced? What do you mean?"
"Since we were simulating M1 Astray data, the system calculated that under such high-intensity movements, the M1 Astray would disintegrate in less than five minutes."
"What!?"
"In other words, the M1 Astray alone can't withstand Level 10 basic training—and that's just basic training, not including combat."
"This... is this something a human can even do?" Cagalli gasped, her jaw nearly dropping in shock.
"Honestly, when I first saw this record, my reaction wasn't much better than yours. But this was indeed performed by a real person."
"Who?"
"Didn't you just get lectured by him?"
"Yang Hui!? No way!?"
"Take a look at another record." With that, Uzumi pulled up another classified file and opened it for Cagalli to watch.
"This is... Daybreak!"
"Yes, Yang Hui's personal unit, Daybreak. His opponents were a mixed force of 50 GINNs and 20 CGUEs—though, of course, it was just a data simulation."
The simulated battle began. Cagalli watched intently, only to gape in disbelief as Daybreak streaked across the battlefield like a golden meteor, leaving trails of light in its wake. Wherever it passed, explosions bloomed like fireworks.
From start to finish—three minutes.
"Th-three minutes... 50 GINNs, 20 CGUEs... all destroyed!?"
"So, Cagalli, losing to Yang Hui is nothing to be ashamed of," Uzumi reassured her.
"This... this..."
"If you want to learn MS piloting, I can't stop you even if I oppose it. So I hope you'll study seriously under Yang Hui. Even if you only grasp the basics, it'll increase your chances of survival in battle."
"Father... Yang Hui... how is this possible? He's..."
"There are some people in this world... who are simply different from the rest. And Yang Hui... is a true genius. No, he's beyond genius—he's a true powerhouse."
"..."
Cagalli was lost in thought. She knew Yang Hui had always been mature and exceptional since childhood, the kind of person parents held up as an example. But she had never accepted it, confident that if she worked hard, she wouldn't lose to him. Yet time and again, her pride had been shattered.
"Where are you going?"
Uzumi watched as Cagalli closed the PAD and stood up, heading for the door, but didn't stop her.
"I'm going to train!"
Yes, Cagalli admitted it—Yang Hui was far superior to her. To put it bluntly, one was a celestial being, the other an earthbound mortal. But she refused to accept defeat! She would make Yang Hui acknowledge her! No longer would she tolerate his indifferent, dismissive attitude!
Seeing this, Uzumi's lips curled slightly. Yang Hui was right about one thing—Cagalli had been spoiled by him since childhood. She lacked the reserve expected of a girl, nor did she possess the generosity and steadiness befitting a boy. Her awkward, thick-skinned personality needed someone to properly teach her a lesson.
The princess of Orb, raised in luxury, needed her pride completely shattered if she were to grow. And the only person suitable for this task was Yang Hui.
"Ah, what a pity. These two children just weren't meant to be."
...
"Gulp, gulp, gulp—ah—"
During break time, Kira wearily dragged himself out of the Strike's cockpit. Upon reaching the cafeteria, he didn't immediately grab food but instead chugged an entire bottle of water, finally feeling the relief of being alive.
"Kira?"
"Tolle? What are you doing here? And your clothes..."
Hearing a familiar voice, Kira turned to see Tolle standing behind him, dressed in Orb's pilot suit and holding a lunch tray.
"Heh, didn't Yang Hui promise us? He's teaching us how to pilot an MS. But are you okay, Kira? You look exhausted," Tolle asked with concern.
"I'm fine, just a bit tired. I'll be better after some rest," Kira replied with a forced smile.
"Is your training that tough?" Tolle pressed.
"A little..." Kira's smile grew even more strained and stiff. Tough? Of course it was!
Kira didn't know much about other MS pilots, but he had been through plenty of battles. If nothing else, Setsuna, Lyle, and Tieria were definitely more skilled than Athrun. Being bombarded by those three in succession—even an Iron Man would break!
"You're amazing as always. Sai and I are still stuck on basic training, and it's just simulations..." Tolle sighed regretfully. He knew training followed a set progression, but who wouldn't want to experience the sheer weight of an MS firsthand?
"Sai..."
At the mention of Sai, Kira fell silent. He still didn't know how to face Sai—or even Tolle, Miriallia, and Katz. If not for Tolle and Miriallia occasionally initiating conversations, they might have already become strangers.
Even so, Kira never took the initiative to speak to them, often avoiding them altogether.
"Kira..."
Tolle didn't know how to address the complicated relationship between Kira, Sai, and Flay. There was no denying that Kira had acted unfairly, painting Sai's head green. But upon reflection, Flay had lost her father and sought a safer refuge—it wasn't entirely unreasonable.
"I should go. I have work to do this afternoon."
"...Alright."
Kira's retreating figure looked lonely and desolate. Tolle opened his mouth, wanting to call out to him, but no words came.
"Tolle? Why are you..." Sai approached with his tray, spotting Kira's departing back. He gritted his teeth and lowered his head.
"Sai, you and Kira—"
"Don't, Tolle."
"Fine."
The two had initially been excited earlier—even if it was just simulation training, even if their performance wasn't great, they had at least touched the basics of MS piloting. But because of Kira, their enthusiasm vanished, leaving them to eat their lunch in silence.
On the other side, Kira packed two lunches and returned to the Archangel, where Flay had been waiting for him in the room.
"Kira, you're back?"
"Yeah, are you hungry?"
"Mhm, I'm starving. Thank you, Kira."
Kira handed the lunch to Flay but declined to eat with her. Wiping his sweat, he sat down in front of the terminal, pulled up the files, and began working.
Seeing this, Flay's expression darkened considerably. Ever since leaving North Africa, she had noticed Kira slipping from her control. Though he still acted affectionate and caring toward her, she could sense him gradually distancing himself.
"Kira, aren't you going to see your parents?" For some reason, Flay suddenly brought up this question.
"..." At her words, Kira's hands paused briefly before resuming his work. He answered Flay, "This thing is more complicated than I thought. I need to finish it before the Archangel sets sail."
His reply seemed to dodge the question rather than ans
wer it. Kira deliberately avoided the topic of his parents because he now harbored doubts and estrangement toward them. He feared pressing them for answers—and feared the truth he might uncover.
"You're lying! You're lying!"
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