Seeing the incoming enemies, Yang Hui smirked. He knew Muruta Azrael had completely lost his rationality. The Raider Gundam and Forbidden Gundam had barely returned from their previous damaged state before being deployed again. The Forbidden Gundam clearly hadn't been fully repaired—it dared to sortie without even reinstalling its energy deflection shield. Were they just delivering themselves as free kills?
Putting aside these thoughts, Yang Hui watched as the Daggers launched from the deck one after another. Knowing he couldn't afford to delay, he pushed his mobile suit to full power and charged forward.
The Raider Gundam and Forbidden Gundam were displeased to see the Dawn Gundam greeting them. They had come seeking revenge—not just for their previous humiliation but also for Orga, who was still lying in a hospital bed. Though the three of them weren't exactly close comrades, failure by one meant punishment for all. They had suffered unbearable penalties due to Orga's incompetence, and all of it was because of those three mobile suits!
But soon, their confidence evaporated, because...
The Dawn Gundam's wings were now enveloped in golden light. It spiraled past the wrecking ball of Thor's Hammer, then abruptly ascended, evading the curved plasma fire from Vulture. Before Clotho and Shani could even react, it was already right in front of them.
"Die!" The Wicked Dragon's heavy guillotine scythe swung down, only to be blocked by one of the Dawn's wings. At the same time, the Solid Sword in its left hand slashed upward from below.
"Screech—!" Fortunately, the Forbidden Gundam released the Wicked Dragon's scythe in time. Only the weapon was severed, but a deep gash remained on the mobile suit's chest, exposing the cockpit where the pilot sat.
"Shani!" The Raider Gundam transformed into its MA form and lunged forward, its claws gleaming coldly while the Photonic God plasma cannon between them spat continuous bursts of fire.
The Dawn Gundam distanced itself from the Forbidden Gundam—only to position itself directly in the Raider's path. The Photonic God cannon switched to a small Beam Saber, aiming to pierce two holes through the Dawn.
Yet, in the next instant, Clotho barely registered a blur before realizing his mobile suit had already passed by the Dawn. System diagnostics showed both claws had been severed.
"Damn it! What kind of monster is this!?"
"Tch, too dangerous."
In just their first exchange, both the Raider and Forbidden Gundams had already taken heavy damage. Their enemy seemed completely at ease, sending a chill down the spines of these normally fearless pilots.
"Scared already? Good..." Yang Hui checked the time. The Kusanagi would launch soon—he couldn't afford to play around anymore. The safest course was to eliminate the Raider and Forbidden Gundams outright to ensure the Kusanagi's launch proceeded without interference. "...I'll send you two ahead first. Don't worry, Azrael will join you soon enough."
The Dawn Gundam unleashed its full power. Golden motes of light scattered like blossoms, surrounding the two enemy mobile suits in the blink of an eye.
Panicked, the two pilots tried to flee, but no matter which direction they turned, the tiny golden lights pursued them. Their armor was penetrated, triggering explosions.
"Ahhh—! I don't want to die! AHHH—!!"
"Damn it! I haven't even—"
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—!"
Explosions erupted continuously across the Raider and Forbidden Gundams' bodies. Like broken marionettes, the two mobile suits jerked helplessly in midair under the force of the blasts before finally disintegrating into scrap metal that rained down into the ocean below.
"The first generation of three elites were just so-so." Yang Hui took one last glance at the debris scattered across the ocean, no longer concerned about the Dagger units storming the beach. He flew directly toward Kaguya, boarding the exterior of the Kusanagi as it launched into space, accompanying it on its journey.
...
"The seeds have flown away. This is good." Watching the Kusanagi depart and confirming that the Dawn Gundam had caught the last ride, Uzumi and the others felt relieved.
"Can we issue the surrender order now?" Old Sahaku asked.
"Yes. Relay Sumeragi's final command."
"Understood…"
The order reached every unit. They were unwilling—even the officers who knew the full story didn't want to surrender like this. But there was no choice. Few comrades remained alive beside them. Even if they all fought to the last, how much longer could they hold out?
The Archangel and the Kusanagi had already ascended. As Uzumi put it, the ember had left. Their duty now was to survive and await the day the ember returned, so they could serve as kindling to reignite the flame.
"All forces… withdraw from Kaguya. Prepare to surrender."
"Sniff… Yes, sir!" Men seldom shed tears, let alone hardened soldiers. But they couldn't hold back—frustration, helplessness, rage, and a glimmer of hope for an uncertain future overwhelmed them.
Once the troops had retreated from Kaguya, Uzumi turned the key in his hand and pressed the forbidden red button.
"Neither Orb nor the world will bow to their tyranny!"
"Hummmm—BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM…"
Dawn Company and Kaguya erupted in blinding light. Devastating energy swept through everything. Amid the explosions, Kaguya collapsed in a thunderous roar, while Dawn Company was flattened into ruins. The Sleeping Lion roared its final defiance to this chaotic, broken world.
Amid the raging flames, Uzumi's face showed no pain—only serene satisfaction as he gazed at the sky, toward where the ember had fled. Even as the fire consumed him, his heart envisioned the spark igniting a wildfire, a reborn Orb rising in strength and prosperity, the will of freedom and the belief in peace spreading like the wind across the world.
The future… is yours now. Let this will, this conviction… resound across the world… Pity… I… we… won't live to see it…
...
Aboard his warship, Muruta Azrael muttered impatiently, rambling about how he'd make Orb pay and what he'd do to Yang Hui. But then the report came in, and his composure shattered.
"R-report… Gundam Raider and Forbidden… signals lost…"
"What!? Impossible!?" He'd always called Clotho and Shani useless, but with Orga and the three new Gundams specially assigned to them, they were his pride. How could they lose contact so soon after deployment?
"No way… absolutely no way… Keep trying to reach them! They must—"
"Activity detected at Kaguya! Another ship has launched from Kaguya!"
"Orb Military forces are retreating, moving away from Kaguya!"
"Away? Wait! Could it be—!?"
Muruta Azrael thought of a terrifying possibility, but before he could voice this newly formed suspicion, he witnessed [Kaguya] collapsing amidst flames, with destructive energy spreading from the location of [Dawn Company].
"Bang~!"
His suspicion was confirmed. Muruta Azrael's face twisted in rage as he slammed his fist onto the armrest of his seat.
"Uzumi Nara Athha! You damn old bastard~!!!!!"
They had paid such a heavy price to attack Orb—all for [Dawn Company], the Mass Driver, and Yang Hui himself. Now that [Dawn Company] and the Mass Driver were gone, even if they conquered Orb, what meaning would it hold after all they had sacrificed?
He had made bold promises at the joint conference, promises he could no longer fulfill. The thought of how his opponents would look at him now filled him with bitter resentment.
"Search! Order all forces to land on Orb's territory! Find that bastard Yang Hui! I want him found—alive or dead!"
"The Orb Military has surrendered."
"Don't accept it! Kill them all!"
"But... but..."
"No 'buts'! Have you forgotten how many of our comrades died by their hands? Kill them! Every last one!"
"U-understood..."
Hatred was contagious. Once the order was given, if one soldier began slaughtering prisoners, others would follow—second, third, their eyes bloodshot as they vented their madness on the defenseless Orb soldiers.
But of course, Yang Hui and Sumeragi had anticipated this. The members of [Blue Cosmos] were all madmen, and those who had lost themselves in the heat of battle were no different. Once [Dawn Company] and [Kaguya] were destroyed, Muruta Azrael would inevitably descend into madness, disregarding international laws on the treatment of prisoners.
Thus, among the remaining forces, not a single living soul was left on the frontlines. Everything was controlled by simple automated programs—including the fleet at sea—executing rigid defensive maneuvers as pre-programmed. All personnel had withdrawn to secure shelters in the rear, awaiting rescue.
Such frenzied violence couldn't last forever. After Orb's fall, it wouldn't be solely under the Atlantic Federation's control. For now, no one was watching, allowing the massacre of prisoners. But once other allied nations turned their attention to Orb, Muruta Azrael wouldn't be able to act with such impunity.
"R-report! The Orb Military... they're gone!"
"What do you mean, 'gone'!?"
"There's... no one. The warships, tanks, bases—all empty!"
"How is that possible!? Then who was attacking us!?"
"It... it was automated. All resistance was carried out by pre-set programs."
"Damn it!!"
With his objectives unfulfilled and his rage left unvented, Muruta Azrael's expression grew increasingly monstrous.
"What about Orb's civilians? Kill them! Kill every last one!"
"This..." Even the officers who followed Muruta Azrael's lead couldn't remain silent anymore. Taking out their frustrations on prisoners was one thing, but massacring civilians? They truly couldn't bring themselves to do it. Not because they all had a sense of responsibility, but because if such actions were ever exposed, their lives would be over.
"What are you afraid of!? We can just manipulate public opinion when the time comes! Oh, and we can pin it on that dead old bastard Uzumi too—say the Orb leadership forced their citizens to defend the country for them, killing anyone who refused. Then we—"
"There's no one in Orb!"
"What? What do you mean, no one?"
"Exactly that. The MS units have entered the city, but there's not a single person in sight. The ground troops also checked the emergency shelters—no civilians hiding there either."
"Damn it!"
Muruta Azrael was nearly driven mad with rage! From the moment he arrived in Orb, none of his plans had succeeded. He couldn't even vent his anger—it was as if someone had anticipated...
"Wait! It's Yang Hui! It has to be that bastard!" Suddenly, it hit him. The only person who could foresee his every move and prepare countermeasures was Yang Hui. He couldn't think of anyone else. "Yang Hui... Don't let me catch you. When I do... I'll make you beg on your knees for me to kill you!"
...
The Kusanagi safely reached space and rendezvoused with the Archangel. The Dawn Gundam was also successfully retrieved by the Kusanagi. For now, they remained stationary, waiting for Murrue and the others to arrive so they could discuss their next steps.
Amidst the welcoming cheers of the crew, Yang Hui stepped out of the cockpit. Naturally, he offered them a few words of encouragement—after all, Orb had fallen, and now they were all people without a home.
But...
Slap!
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