After parting ways with Durandal, Yang Hui planned to return directly to the Sword of the Heavens and head back to Ame No Minashira. The three-day journey would likely coincide with his arrival at Ame No Minashira, just in time to rendezvous with Setsuna and the others ascending from Earth. Then, they would launch the operation to eliminate LOGOS and Librarian Works.
"Hmm?" After stepping outside, Yang Hui noticed Athrun was nowhere to be seen. Upon asking, he learned that Lunamaria had dragged him away. "This guy... really has too much luck with women."
Yang Hui found Athrun's romantic entanglements amusing—from Lacus to Cagalli, and now to his current pair of adoring fangirl sisters. It was a tangled mess that never seemed to end.
However... due to Yang Hui's interference, Athrun and Cagalli hadn't interacted as much. Moreover, with Lenore Zala still alive, Cagalli wasn't Athrun's sole salvation. Their relationship had only reached the stage of mutual goodwill, far from actual affection.
"Hmm... should I poach that CIC girl? Her skills aren't quite there yet, but she's got plenty of courage..." Yang Hui mused as he walked, searching for Athrun.
Originally, Yang Hui had only seen two people worth recruiting from the Minerva: the ship's captain, Talia, and the love-struck Meyrin Hawke. But now, there was a third option—Mayu. Admittedly, Mayu's combat performance far surpassed her brother's.
Talia was Durandal's ex-lover. Though they had broken up, the ties between them remained, making her an unlikely recruit. Mayu was also improbable—the Asuka family had settled in PLANT, and the brother-obsessed Shinn was aboard the Minerva with a less-than-friendly attitude toward Yang Hui.
That left only Meyrin... and poaching her would likely be a two-for-one deal.
"Never mind. We're already in the final phase. Durandal shouldn't cause any trouble now—we'll all be allies soon enough." In the end, Yang Hui abandoned the idea of poaching. It was unnecessary since they'd all be on the same side.
Arriving at the shooting range, Yang Hui couldn't help but smirk at the sight of Athrun bullying the rookies. He had thought this scene wouldn't happen again, yet here it was, playing out ahead of schedule.
"Wow... that's amazing!" Lunamaria and Meyrin's eyes sparkled with admiration.
In pistol marksmanship training, they were still at the level of stationary targets, with abysmal accuracy. Meanwhile, Athrun had just demonstrated what a true sharpshooter looked like—hitting bullseyes on the highest-difficulty moving targets, shot after shot.
"Tch..." Shinn turned away in disdain, refusing to admit Athrun's skill.
Mayu was impressed but not awestruck, while Rey remained impassive. In his view, an ace pilot who had survived the last war should naturally possess such abilities.
"Hey, Athrun, congratulations."
Suddenly, Yang Hui stepped forward from behind and slung an arm around Athrun's neck.
"Lord Yang Hui!"
When Yang Hui arrived, everyone gasped again—first because he walked so silently they hadn't noticed, and second out of admiration and excitement. Except for Meyrin in the CIC, they had all witnessed Yang Hui's flawless annihilation of the Gaia Gundam, Abyss Gundam, and Chaos Gundam up close.
His elegant, smooth, effortless combat had been a visual feast.
"Yang Hui! What brings you here?" Athrun exclaimed in surprise.
"Had to come find my missing bodyguard. Quite the headache," Yang Hui joked, rubbing his temples dramatically.
"Ah! Sorry about that..." Athrun flushed, realizing his dereliction of duty. As Yang Hui's protector, he'd abandoned his charge—and now his embarrassment was on full display.
"Haha, still so endearingly earnest, Athrun." Yang Hui's stern expression melted into amusement as he playfully trapped Athrun in a headlock. The predictable overreaction was half the fun.
"Y-Yang Hui! Let go!"
"Pfft—"
Lunamaria, Meyrin, and Mayu burst into giggles at their antics. Initially tense around the legendary figure—his status and terrifying prowess made him seem unapproachable—they now saw him differently. Even Athrun, the war hero and former PLANT prince, seemed more relatable in his flustered state.
Their playful scuffle bridged the distance, revealing Yang Hui wasn't so different from ordinary people after all.
"Lord Yang Hui, I'm Lunamaria Hawke, pilot of the red Zaku Warrior," one sister introduced herself, though she winced remembering her subpar combat performance and his earlier reprimand.
"I'm Meyrin Hawke, Minerva's CIC officer," the younger sister added.
"You're siblings?" Yang Hui asked warmly.
"Yes! Luna's my big sister," Meyrin beamed.
"An ideal pair—the protector and the supporter."
"Absolutely! I'll always keep Meyrin safe!"
"And I'll always have her back!"
A simple encouragement set both sisters alight with enthusiasm.
"Good to hear." Nodding at them, Yang Hui turned to Mayu, then glanced at the sulking Shinn brooding in the corner. "Must be tough having such a tsundere brother, Mayu."
"Huh? Pfft—hahaha!"
"What did you say?!"
Mayu covered her mouth, amused. While she wouldn't fully agree—Shinn might be stubborn, but he cherished her—she couldn't deny his immaturity often required her guidance.
Predictably, Shinn exploded. "Say that again, you bastard!"
"Sigh. Still such a child—can't even acknowledge your flaws." Yang Hui shook his head with exaggerated disappointment.
"I'll pound you into the ground!"
Keeping one's word could be considered one of Shinn's virtues. As he approached Yang Hui, he threw a punch straight at his face, startling Mayu and the others who quickly moved to restrain Shinn—only to be stopped by Athrun.
"Mr. Athrun?" The three women were bewildered. A fight was breaking out—shouldn't they intervene? And as a bodyguard, shouldn't he be the first to step in? Not only was he not acting, but he was also stopping them—what was the meaning of this?
"Don't worry, Yang Hui knows his limits." Knowing Yang Hui well, Athrun understood that his mischievous tendencies had flared up again. If they interfered now, Yang Hui might redirect his attention to them, and that wouldn't be good.
Moreover, Athrun guessed that Yang Hui intended to use this opportunity to teach Shinn a small lesson. Shinn's performance in battle had been truly lacking, and if he continued like this, he really might die young.
As for Shinn harming Yang Hui… Forget it. Athrun's individual combat skills were already top-tier, but Yang Hui could take on ten of him.
(End of Chapter)