"The last two, Athrun!"
"Roger!"
The Justice Gundam deployed its [Destiny-00] from its back and charged toward the Crimson Aegis Gundam. As Athrun gazed at this familiar yet unfamiliar Mobile Suit, a flood of emotions surged within him.
"Never thought I'd have to destroy it again."
Using the [Destiny-00] as cover, the Justice Gundam swiftly closed the distance to the Crimson Aegis. Their twin blades clashed, locking the two Mobile Suits in a fierce struggle.
"Damn it… Justice Gundam…!" Emilio Leone pushed the control stick to its limit, forcing the Crimson Aegis to unleash its full power just to avoid being overpowered by the Justice.
At that moment, the Justice suddenly eased its pressure, sidestepping and letting the Crimson Aegis stumble past it. The twin blades separated instantly, slashing through the air with blinding speed—severing the Crimson Aegis' limbs and head in one clean motion, leaving only its torso drifting in space.
But the battle wasn't over yet. The pilot of the Crimson Aegis was someone Yang Hui had explicitly ordered to capture alive. Athrun couldn't risk leaving him floating in the battlefield, where a stray shell might end his life. So, the Justice Gundam grabbed the Crimson Aegis' torso and quickly retreated to the rear.
Meanwhile, the Dark Strike Gundam found itself alone against the Dawn Gundam—the first time since leaving the training camp that Swen had completely lost his composure in battle.
"Damn it…"
The higher-ups weren't exaggerating when they called Yang Hui and the Dawn Gundam monsters. Against this pair, Swen could only frantically dodge the relentless assault of the bits, unable to mount any effective counterattack or even regain his footing. The onslaught was like a shark chasing him down, refusing to let go until it devoured him whole.
In contrast, the Dawn Gundam effortlessly assisted Orb Military's MS units in clearing out the Atlantic Federation's [Massacre Daggers] while pursuing the Dark Strike. Swen had carefully planned his retreat path to avoid friendly combat zones, but it didn't matter. The Dawn didn't follow his route—it would pause to eliminate enemy units before swiftly catching up again.
"Had enough fun yet?" Suddenly, the Dark Strike's comms were hacked, and Yang Hui's voice invaded Swen's cockpit without permission.
"Fun…?" Rage boiled inside Swen. Being hunted down to the brink of despair was just… fun to Yang Hui?
"Guess not…" Perhaps mistaking Swen's desperate evasion as stubborn persistence, Yang Hui sighed. "…But I'm done playing."
The bits' attacks abruptly intensified, becoming sharper and more ruthless. The Dawn Gundam ceased its "stroll," its wings blazing with golden light as it shot straight toward the Dark Strike.
"Wha—?!" Now Swen understood what Yang Hui had meant by "fun." Simple, literal—Yang Hui had truly been toying with him like a cat with a mouse.
Perhaps due to the near-total annihilation of the Massacre Dagger unit, the battle in this sector gradually subsided, allowing the Dawn Gundam to focus entirely. It surged forward at more than twice the speed of the Dark Strike Gundam, while its Bits swarmed like tidal waves from all directions, leaving the Dark Strike Gundam with no room to evade or escape.
"It's over..."
As the screen filled with golden radiance, Swen loosened his grip on the control sticks and closed his eyes, awaiting death.
In that fleeting moment, countless images flashed through his mind—the wretched days at the training facility, the betrayed gaze of a close friend he'd killed, the desperate pleas of innocent people executed with a single bullet...
"Perhaps... this is the best ending." The thought crossed Swen's mind unbidden. Since childhood, his hands had been stained with blood—fellow trainees? Traitors? Enemies? Innocents?
Too many. Swen could no longer remember. But now, in this life-or-death instant, the emotions and humanity dulled by relentless training resurged. For the first time, he felt that dying here might not be so bad. At least... he wouldn't have to kill indiscriminately anymore.
Yet his closed eyes snapped open as violent tremors rocked the cockpit. The screens went dark, systems completely offline. Swen had no idea what state his Mobile Suit was in, but what shocked him most was that he still lived.
"Zzzzt... zzzt... still... alive...?"
"..." Emergency systems flickered to life, the patchy comms crackling with Yang Hui's voice. "...Why?"
"Explain... later... you're... prisoner..."
"..."
Swen remained silent. Seeing the cockpit intact, he removed his helmet, shielding his eyes with an arm. The icy line of his mouth curled into a faint smile.
"Maybe... this isn't so bad."
...
From Yang Hui's perspective, the Dark Strike Gundam now mirrored the Crimson Aegis—reduced to just its torso. In the instant his Bits enveloped the enemy unit, Yang Hui's precise control directed them to destroy only the limbs, head, and Armed Backpack, deliberately sparing the main body.
"Not so bad? Heh, interesting." Yang Hui chuckled as he handed the Dark Strike's remains to allied forces nearby. Then, at full throttle, he pursued the fleeing fleet.
You came all this way—did you really think I'd let you leave?
Yang Hui didn't know how many Phantom Pain operatives remained, but losing both cutting-edge Gundams and an entire fleet—including the flagship Nana Buluku, a Gady Lu-class vessel—would surely sting.
Though the warships retreated swiftly, they were no match for the Dawn Gundam at maximum output. Within moments, Yang Hui closed in on the Space Fleet that had barely escaped the combat zone.
"Radar contact! One MS! Database match... It's the Dawn!"
"A solo pursuit?! All ships turn about! Weapons systems online! Destroy him!" The fleet commander, seeing only a single Gundam chasing them against his remaining ten warships, regained his bravado. Relief twisted into exhilaration and bloodlust—if he could eliminate Yang Hui now, not only would he avoid court-martial, but he'd be rewarded with a promotion.
Yet his fervor lasted merely a second before evaporating completely.
In the optical feed, his own fleet had already begun attacking without awaiting his orders. However, contrary to his commands, they weren't turning to form up against the Dawn Gundam—instead, they were fleeing while desperately firing backward.
Though disorganized, the barrage from around ten warships remained dense. Against ordinary MS units, even an entire squadron would have been annihilated.
Yet the Dawn Gundam moved like a fish through water, weaving effortlessly through the storm of fire. In moments, it closed in on an Agamemnon-class vessel, paused for a second, raised its rifle, and fired—the bridge exploded. Then it moved on to the next target.
Ten warships. In less than a minute, only the Nana Buluku remained, barely clinging to life.
Barely clinging—that was the truth. Without MS units or elite pilots, the ship's firepower alone stood no chance against Yang Hui and the Dawn Gundam. The Nana Buluku had been left for last because Yang Hui intended to capture it.
The ship itself held little value. Though it was the Atlantic Federation's newest warship, it paled in comparison to the White Tiger, let alone the Qilin-class.
The real prize was its crew—or rather, its captain.
The Phantom Pain unit was LOGOS's direct subordinate force. A team equipped with five Gundams wasn't some expendable grunt squad; their commander surely held valuable intel.
This was also an opportunity to gather intelligence on Phantom Pain itself. While the unit posed limited direct threat to Orb, the real danger lay in its unpredictability—like a rat lurking in the shadows, ready to strike when least expected. Best to eliminate such trouble early.
"One minute. Disarm and follow me."
The Dawn Gundam hovered before the Nana Buluku, its rifle pressed against the bridge's viewport. A cold voice reached every crew member inside.
"Y-yes, sir." The captain wiped away cold sweat, trembling as he answered Yang Hui. Surrender was the only choice—resistance meant death. Aside from a few sensitive vertical missile launchers, the Nana Buluku's weapons—six Gottfried cannons and sixteen CIWS arrays—had already been destroyed, leaving it defenseless.
Satisfied, the Dawn Gundam withdrew its rifle and took position beside the Nana Buluku, escorting it toward DSSD.
...
"Productive haul?" Creuset greeted Yang Hui as he disembarked.
"Very." Yang Hui nodded. They had wiped out an elite Phantom Pain unit, eliminated three elite pilots, and captured two others along with the flagship Nana Buluku and its crew.
"That ship is trouble," Creuset remarked tersely, mindful of Athrun's presence.
"Contact the Second Fleet for retrieval. Saves us from detaching an escort for DSSD to Heliopolis."
"Understood."
"Yang Hui, how do you plan to handle those two?" Athrun asked. Swen and Emilio Leone were different from the crew of the Nana Buluku. Athrun knew Yang Hui had other plans for them.
"Send them back to the homeland and hand them over to Sumeragi."
"Sumeragi? You plan to recruit them?" Athrun inquired.
"That's right."
"But... alright, I understand." Athrun didn't press further, though he had many questions. Why was it that despite seeing all five Gundams for the first time, Yang Hui could distinguish who was worth recruiting and who had to be eliminated?
But then Athrun remembered Yang Hui's intelligence capabilities and held his tongue. Perhaps he already had information on them.
(End of Chapter)