Fifteen minutes later, the wooden cabin had completely vanished, leaving only a charred crater and scattered debris in its wake.
Concerned that bullets alone might not be enough to eliminate "him," Yang Hui had thrown all his grenades before retreating. He then ordered the surrounding Marines to level the cabin—and "him"—with heavy weapons. Only when he confirmed that nothing remained but fragments and powder of green crystal, with no signs of spreading, did Yang Hui finally exhale in relief.
"This is bad..." Yang Hui muttered grimly as he picked up a shard of the green crystal, watching it crumble into dust in his palm and scatter with the wind.
"Bzzzt... bzzzt..."
"Go, use Morse code with flashlights to signal the fleet. The threat's neutralized—communications can resume."
"Yes, sir!" came the unified response.
Soon, the electromagnetic noise in his earpiece faded, replaced by Sumeragi's frantic voice: "Yang Hui! Are you alright!?"
"I'm fine."
"What the hell happened?"
"Just a minor incident. I'll return shortly to debrief."
"...Understood."
Sumeragi didn't buy that it was just a "minor" incident. Before Yang Hui had entered the cabin, perimeter teams had thoroughly scouted the structure using every available method. Apart from Reverend Malchio, there had been no signs of anyone else inside. That meant the "incident" had to involve Malchio himself.
A blind Natural—Sumeragi refused to believe such a man could have forced Yang Hui to deploy heavy weaponry and reduce the cabin to rubble.
Clearly, Yang Hui's words weren't meant for her, but for others listening in. Her thoughts immediately turned to the second-phase mission issued by Prometheus Fortress, and she began piecing things together.
After cutting communications, Yang Hui assembled the soldiers who had entered the cabin. He sternly warned them against disclosing anything they'd witnessed inside, threatening treason charges—not just against any violator, but their entire family, including anyone privy to the information. They'd also be required to sign confidentiality agreements upon returning to Orb.
As Yang Hui headed back to Orb's mainland, intending to brief Sumeragi and the others in a private meeting room, he was intercepted at the Ministry of Defense entrance by Murrue, Natarle Badgiruel, Kira, Athrun, and others.
"What's going on?" Yang Hui frowned, his gaze shifting to Lacus, Setsuna, Lyle, and Tieria standing behind the group. He'd specifically instructed them to keep Kira and Athrun occupied—why were they here blocking him? And why had Murrue and the others gathered like this?
"You went way overboard..." Lyle stepped closer, speaking in a hushed tone. They were just as baffled—what they'd assumed would be a discreet conversation (with enough personnel present to handle a worst-case arrest scenario) had somehow escalated into heavy artillery deployment.
The Marshall Islands were uncomfortably close to Orb's mainland. The thunderous booms of heavy weaponry had been audible even in downtown Orb, let alone on First Island where Murrue and the others were stationed.
Wang Liu Mei had hastily called a press conference, claiming it was a military exercise—a flimsy excuse that might placate civilians but couldn't possibly fool Kira's group. Most of them held significant military positions; they'd have known about any scheduled drills.
Kira and Athrun had already connected the dots from Lacus and the others suddenly seeking them out and bringing everyone back to Orb—it must be related to Mentor Malchio.
"The situation was urgent. We had no choice." Yang Hui sighed helplessly. What lay within Orwell Navia was too terrifying. If not completely eradicated immediately, it could trigger a catastrophe leading to human extinction.
"Yang Hui, what exactly happened? Are there enemies coming?" Murrue asked anxiously.
"No... It's... Never mind. Just come with me." Yang Hui glanced at everyone present—Kira, Athrun, Murrue, Natarle Badgiruel, Mu, and Lacus standing alongside Setsuna and the others. After some thought, he decided it might be time they learned the truth.
Especially Kira. If the matter concerning Mentor Malchio—no, Orwell Navia—wasn't clarified, the rift between them could deepen, possibly even leading to a complete fallout. After all, Orwell Navia had provided Kira with guidance during his moments of confusion and, during their time in seclusion, had given him a new family. In Kira's heart, Orwell Navia held a significant place.
"Is it time?" Lyle scanned the group, shrugged, then adopted a grave expression. They had received a brief message from Sumeragi about the Marshall Islands incident. Though the details were unclear, they knew the situation was serious.
"Hey, if you want to know, follow us." Lyle spoke earnestly to the five of them. "But think carefully. Once you know, your lives will change drastically. If you want to keep living peacefully, don't come."
With that, Setsuna, Lyle, and Tieria followed Yang Hui toward the Ministry of Defense, while Lacus, still smiling, walked alongside them.
"Lacus! You—" Athrun was taken aback by her decisiveness. In his mind, Lacus should have been the last person to willingly disrupt their peaceful lives.
What stunned him even more was Lacus's next words.
"I've made my decision. Wherever Yang Hui goes, I'll follow." Lacus turned to Athrun, her expression as serious as when she had lectured him at the White Rose Theater.
Hearing this, Murrue and Natarle exchanged glances, momentarily ashamed, but nodded and followed.
Mu scratched his head, sighed, and trailed after them.
Only Kira and Athrun hesitated.
After an internal struggle, Kira took the first heavy step forward, quicker than Athrun.
"Kira!"
"Athrun... I don't want to ruin our current lives." Kira's expression was conflicted.
"Then why—"
"But I have a feeling what Yang Hui is about to tell us is extremely important—possibly even more serious than the last war."
"How could that be...?"
"So... I want to protect this life. With my own hands."
After speaking, Kira followed at the end of the line and left. Seeing this, Athrun clenched his fists tightly. He shared the same premonition as Kira, but he didn't want to know. He feared that once he knew, he would be dragged into an endless abyss. In short, Athrun was afraid.
Yet he couldn't bring himself to turn a blind eye, hiding behind everyone else and waiting for others to resolve all dangers while he peacefully enjoyed the tranquility they fought for.
In the end, Athrun still lifted his heavy feet and quickly followed.
(End of Chapter)