Time flew by, and two months passed in the blink of an eye. The passing of Mentor Malchio was indeed regrettable, whether for those who had lived with him—Kira, the Yamato Couple, Lenore Zala, Flay—or those who had frequent interactions with him, such as Lacus and Siegel Clyne.
But there was nothing to be done. Mentor Malchio's life had already reached its natural end, and the disaster that would have ensued if left unchecked was something no one could have accepted.
That said, it gave the tsundere Flay yet another excuse to dislike Yang Hui.
Now, the orphanage had been relocated to the city center, surrounded by schools, shopping districts, and convenient transportation—a much better environment for the orphans to grow up in.
On the political and diplomatic front, major factions had sent delegations hoping to gain information on GN Particles and Quasi-GN Drives. Initially, Yang Hui had planned to negotiate with relatively friendly powers like the East Asian Republic and the South American Union. However, considering that the Atlantic Federation's dominance within the Earth Federation hadn't weakened much, he feared their spies might obtain research data on Quasi-GN Drives and GN Particles through other factions. Thus, Yang Hui temporarily shelved the idea.
Until the second phase of the mission was completed and the festum were completely eradicated, he wouldn't take any action that might strengthen hostile forces.
Orb had already been fortified into an impenetrable stronghold under Yang Hui's leadership. Any Atlantic Federation spy attempting to steal research on Quasi-GN Drives and GN Particles would be chasing a pipe dream.
Militarily, the primary focus remained the widespread adoption of Quasi-GN Drives and environmental adaptation of GN Particles. Despite in-depth research, the cost of Quasi-GN Drives couldn't be reduced enough for mass production. As a compromise, priority was given to outfitting elite pilots across all units first, followed by all warships of the First Fleet in space, then the main carriers of other fleets—the Qilin-class and White Tiger-class vessels. The Unicorn-Class frigates had to wait, as the Qilin-class carriers and White Tiger-class battleships were far more suited for atmospheric operations, both in firepower and MS deployment capacity.
For ships and MS units yet to be equipped with Quasi-GN Drives, GN Particle Storage Containers had to suffice for the time being. After all, the anti-gravity and electromagnetic interference properties of GN Particles were far too crucial in warfare.
...
"What the hell is Durandal up to? If he's ready, he should just notify us to move. Why drag me all the way up to space for this?"
Yang Hui's flagship, the Sword of the Heavens, had arrived at PLANT's capital, Aprilius. Since he had already made his presence known, Yang Hui wasn't worried about exposure. However, the only MS accompanying him were his Dawn Gundam, Athrun's Justice Gundam—or rather, the Quasi-GN Drive and nuclear-engine hybrid version of the Infinite Justice Gundam—Mu's Quasi-GN Drive-equipped Strike Gundam, and Morgan Chevalier's Strike Gundam - Night Walker with a Quasi-GN Drive.
As for Setsuna, Lyle, and Tieria, they remained on standby on Earth, while Creuset also stayed behind to make final preparations for the eradication of LOGOS and the festum in Scandinavia.
"..."
"Athrun, what do you think?"
"..." Athrun rolled his eyes. What was he supposed to say? He was just a bodyguard—was this really a topic he should be weighing in on? "Probably showing off? I heard Chairman Durandal has formed his own elite unit equipped with the newest warships and MS."
Well, apparently he could weigh in.
"How boring. What's the point of showing off to me? Can they even beat us?"
"Uh... no." Though slightly embarrassed, Athrun gave the honest answer. There was no way around it—no matter how advanced ZAFT's new warships and MS were, they paled in comparison to Quasi-GN Drives. GN Particles were practically a dimensional leap beyond conventional technology!
And even the best warships and MS needed skilled pilots to operate them. Athrun had to admit—when it came to MS piloting, he didn't think anyone could surpass Yang Hui. Not even Setsuna, Lyle, or Tieria came close.
After learning about Prometheus Fortress, Athrun also became familiar with the ranking system for pilots and Mobile Suits.
He compared Orb's current elite pilots: Yang Hui stood at the very top of the pyramid, already at the peak of B+ and on the verge of breaking through to A-rank.
Next were Setsuna, Lyle, and Tieria—all B-rank pilots who claimed they were nearing another breakthrough. To be more precise, they could be considered borderline B+.
Below them were himself, Kira, and Creuset—also B-rank, but slightly weaker than the previous three, though still among the best in that tier.
Further down were Orb Military's top aces like Mu, Barry Ho, Jiang Kerry, Edward Harrelson, and Rena Imelia, who had reached B- through combat and training.
Others, such as Canard Pars, Jane Houston, and Asagi, were C+ or C-rank pilots.
This wasn't just speculation—it was backed by actual simulation records. Why was Athrun so certain no pilot in the world could surpass Yang Hui? Because even when he and Kira teamed up, they couldn't defeat him. Their best result was a mutual kill.
As for their matchups against Setsuna, Lyle, and Tieria—one-on-one, wins and losses were mixed, though they lost slightly more often. But in team battles... better not to dwell on it. Frustrating.
"This is why I don't like politicians. Always obsessed with vanity projects. Wouldn't it be better to keep elite units hidden and unleash them to shock the enemy when war breaks out? Why make such a public spectacle?"
"..." Athrun stayed silent. This was one topic he couldn't engage with. While he agreed with Yang Hui's point, Yang Hui's high status and familiarity with Durandal allowed him to make such remarks as jokes. If Athrun voiced agreement... it might spark international disputes.
At the very least, it could stir discontent among PLANT and ZAFT members.
"Hmm?" Yang Hui's brow arched as he spotted three familiar figures in the waiting lounge.
"What is it?"
"Nothing." Yang Hui smirked, noticing but not bothering to intervene. After all, their target was ZAFT, which had little to do with him. And even if they managed to steal the Mobile Suit... could they really get away with it?
Even if they escaped Armory One, did they forget the Sword of the Heavens and two Strike Gundams standing guard outside? With just one Gady Ru, if they managed to flee, Yang Hui would write his name backward from then on!
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