After dealing with the Gundam MK-II, Reid immediately took Noin back to the main Neo Zeon forces.
The Zeta Gundam was still circling the battlefield with the Immortal Aegis in tow. Given the speed of these two Mobile Suits, the Mystic Lightning couldn't catch up. The Wing Gundam might have been able to, but Reid feared that if Kamille suddenly went berserk, she might casually finish off Noin with a single strike.
Thus, Reid decided to first deal with Paptimus Scirocco, who was mixed in with the Titans forces. This time, he brought Haman along—the Qubeley was an absolute expert at clearing out grunts in this era. Ordinary Titans pilots stood no chance against Funnels; they didn't even know how to defend against them.
However, as soon as Reid regrouped with Haman, he received bad news.
When Haman saw Reid return, she didn't bother asking about Char's condition—after all, Reid had come back completely unscathed. That guy wouldn't be showing up again anytime soon even if he wasn't dead.
So the first thing Haman said to Reid was:
"Reid, bad news. After we retook the Colony Laser, we found it was already overloaded and charging. If we try to stop it now, the accumulated energy will dissipate, and we won't be able to fire another shot anytime soon.
If we wait for the next charge cycle, the Titans' reinforcements will have arrived by then.
As for firing it now—the AEUG installed a self-destruct sequence after firing. And even without that, the overloaded Nuclear Pulse Engine would explode anyway. If that happens, our forces near the Colony Satellite will be in extreme danger."
Hearing this, Reid could only admit that Bright Noa had played a masterstroke—he was using an open scheme now.
The current situation was this: if Neo Zeon retreated to avoid the Colony Laser's blast radius, the Titans could simply adjust the angle slightly to save their reinforcement fleet. Given Paptimus Scirocco's complete disregard for human life, he certainly wouldn't care about the fate of the Titans' MS forces still fighting here.
But if they held their ground, Neo Zeon's forces would have to face the explosion after the Colony Laser fired. How many would survive was anyone's guess, but heavy losses were guaranteed.
Faced with this dilemma, Reid thought for a moment before turning to Noin and saying:
"Noin, go find the Aries. Have them eject a fully charged Buster Beam Rifle for you. Once the Colony Laser fires, immediately use the Buster Beam Rifle to destroy its firing mechanism from the outside—that'll prevent a large-scale self-destruct."
Then, Reid cut off communications with Haman and privately instructed Noin:
"Stay at maximum range when destroying the Colony Satellite. Don't let yourself get caught in the blast. As long as Haman survives, that's all that matters."
After that, he immediately reconnected with Haman. She didn't notice the brief interruption—with the current Minovsky Particle density on the battlefield, momentary comms blackouts were normal.
Once reconnected, Reid said directly:
"Haman, leave the Colony Laser to Noin. The two of us have a final reckoning to settle with Paptimus Scirocco."
Hearing this, Haman's interest was piqued. If Reid planned to use that new weapon that had wiped out Bask Om's fleet earlier, then there was indeed no need to worry about the Colony Laser.
The weapon was smaller in size than the FHA-03M1 Mega Particle Cannon of the Hyaku Shiki, yet more powerful and flexible. Even if one shot wasn't enough to destroy the Colony Laser, a second would surely suffice.
The difference in explosive force between a voluntary self-detonation and being shot down was significant, and by then, Neo Zeon's forces wouldn't suffer major losses.
More importantly, Haman felt it was finally her turn to fight alongside Reid. She was determined to perform well, to make Reid feel that being with her was far more comfortable than with that monstrously strong girl Ange.
So Haman immediately agreed to Reid's proposal, leading a squad of High Zacks like a spearhead straight toward Paptimus Scirocco, who was hiding in the center of the Titans' Mobile Suit formation.
Reid and Haman's surprise attack proceeded relatively smoothly. Though the Titans forces resisted fiercely, the Qubeley's Funnels were exceptionally efficient at clearing out the grunts.
High Zacks, Marasais, Bawoos, even Hamburabis—they were all the same in the Qubeley's eyes. A single Funnel shot was enough to melt through their armor and cripple their Mobile Suits. If the enemy was lucky enough to avoid a critical hit, a second shot would finish the job.
After all, the Qubeley had a full twelve Funnels, and with Neo Zeon's High Zacks providing backup fire during the Funnels' recharge period, the Titans' grunt units stood no chance of closing in.
Reid didn't fire a single shot this entire time—no Mobile Suit could even get close. Since they were all just grunt units, Reid couldn't be bothered to compete with the Neo Zeon soldiers for kill counts.
Truthfully, Reid had expected Paptimus Scirocco to flee upon seeing their assault. But instead, he remained, directing his troops to continue charging toward the Colony Laser.
Thus, in this "mutual charge," Reid and Haman soon encountered Paptimus Scirocco.
At this point, both sides' escort teams instinctively cleared a space in the battlefield, leaving the main stage to their respective leaders while they clashed among themselves.
Reid, however, didn't immediately attack. Mainly because the moment Paptimus Scirocco saw Reid and Kaman, he raised his gun with his right hand—like Yang Guo incarnate—and broadcasted on all channels:
"Reid Isaac, I must say I admire you. You change women so quickly. And you even dare to touch this viper, Haman.
Oh, my apologies. I forgot you also have that woman whose violence rivals a dragon's. I suppose Haman's poison isn't enough to kill you."
Paptimus Scirocco was clearly trying to provoke Reid. If no one else were around, Reid wouldn't have bothered responding—he'd just attack directly.
But with so many listening now, Reid couldn't afford to tarnish his reputation—or Haman's, for that matter. And he certainly hadn't planned to "claim" Haman.
Still, Reid wasn't about to fall into the trap of self-defense. He replied bluntly:
"Don't worry. When you get to hell, you can ask your two female followers if they still want you. Even if they don't, it's fine—your Newtype ability is all about seducing emotionally scarred women, right? You can always find a few female ghosts there.
Ah, I've said too much. Your happy afterlife in hell is right before you. Let me send you there now."
With that, Reid charged straight at Paptimus Scirocco once more.
At the same time, seeing Reid charge out, Haman—who had just been mocked as a "vicious woman" and was seething with anger—also maneuvered her Qubeley to deploy its Funnels, coordinating with Reid's attack.
Paptimus Scirocco had personally witnessed how Reccoa Londe died, so he didn't fire his The-O's Beam Rifle at the Mystic Lightning.
Instead, he first ascended to gain an angle and took a shot at the Qubeley.
The Qubeley couldn't withstand the high-powered Beam Rifle of The-O head-on and had no choice but to evade. However, the Funnels' beams rained down, striking The-O multiple times.
By now, The-O's already battered outer armor had turned into something resembling the surface of the moon. Reid estimated that at most, it could endure two more volleys from the Funnels before its armor would be completely destroyed.
But Paptimus Scirocco wouldn't let The-O take another round of Funnel fire. Blocking the Mystic Lightning's upward thrust from below with the Beam Sabers wielded by the small manipulators on its skirt armor, Paptimus Scirocco seized the fleeting opportunity and dashed straight toward the barrel of the Colony Laser.
At this point, The-O was little more than a target in Reid's eyes. He unleashed a continuous barrage from the Twin Beam Cannons at its back.
However, Paptimus Scirocco's escort units, now desperate, rushed forward to physically intercept Reid's shots with their Mobile Suits, sacrificing themselves behind Paptimus Scirocco.
Reid could only click his tongue in frustration before immediately giving chase. The Mystic Lightning might not outrun the Zeta Gundam, but it could certainly outpace The-O's hulking frame. Even if The-O's thrusters had been enhanced, its sheer mass was a limiting factor.
Thus, the distance between the Mystic Lightning and The-O was steadily closing. But Paptimus Scirocco was now fighting with the mindset of mutual destruction.
By charging into the Colony Laser's interior, he was essentially taunting Reid: "Want to chase me? Come on, if you dare."
After all, if he slowed down even slightly, the moment the Colony Laser fired, any Mobile Suit inside the barrel would be instantly vaporized.
But Reid wasn't intimidated by Paptimus Scirocco. His Mobile Suit had a countdown timer for the Colony Laser's firing sequence—if it came to fleeing, he could definitely escape faster and more efficiently than Paptimus Scirocco.
So he followed Paptimus Scirocco straight into the Colony Laser.
Meanwhile, the Zeta Gundam, which had been locked in combat with Ange, spotted The-O and joined the fray. Reid could sense that Kamille's mind was in utter chaos, her fury toward Paptimus Scirocco overwhelming her rationality. Ignoring Ange still pursuing her, she charged straight at Paptimus Scirocco.
And once again, the Zeta Gundam began glowing red. Reid could almost visualize the battlefield's countless ashen souls converging onto the Zeta Gundam.
Kamille's psychic energy at this point was beyond terrifying—Reid felt as though he were an ant standing before a monstrous giant. The only silver lining was that this giant's target wasn't him.
But Reid dismissed that thought the next second. He had underestimated just how deranged Kamille had become—and the sheer destructive power her Mobile Suit could unleash in this state of soul-fueled frenzy. Under her control, an ordinary Beam Saber somehow concentrated an immense amount of Minovsky Particles, transforming into a genuine 40-meter-long Beam Greatsword that came crashing down on Paptimus Scirocco.
Moreover, the massive beam sword also brought Reid, who was chasing Paptimus Scirocco, into its attack range.
At this point, Reid abandoned his pursuit of Scirocco. Merging his twin blades into a greatsword, he pushed the Lambda Driver to its limits while focusing his mind, channeling both Mirage Colloid and Minovsky Particles into the weapon to forcibly block Kamille's 40-meter blade.
The good news was that Reid successfully parried the strike at full power, with his mobile suit sustaining only minor damage.
The bad news was that Mystic Lightning was sent flying by an incomprehensible force, embedding itself into the inner wall of the Colony Laser. His superheated greatsword was now riddled with cracks—were it not for the Lambda Driver maintaining its form, it would have shattered completely.
Left with no choice, Reid discarded the now-useless greatsword and shouted at Ange and Haman, who were futilely attacking Zeta Gundam's protective red barrier:
"Ange, Haman! Both of you withdraw from this battlefield immediately! The current Zeta Gundam is beyond your capabilities—get out now!!"
After Reid's command, Haman hesitated briefly before turning to leave. She understood she'd only be a hindrance to Reid here, and the area was far too dangerous—one misstep meant certain death.
Ange, however, didn't retreat immediately. "What can you possibly accomplish staying here? We should all evacuate together! This Zeta Gundam is cheating—I even amplified my beam sniper rifle with the Lambda Driver, but the attacks did nothing!!"
Reid glanced at the battlefield where countless souls continued converging around Kamille, amplifying his power. Of course the attacks were ineffective.
Even without a Psychoframe, Newtypes could perform miracles by channeling their spirits (souls)—they'd pushed Axis away from Earth's gravity despite its massive mass. Two mobile suits had once blocked a full-power Colony Laser with just their shields.
And Kamille was the strongest Newtype—his ability to perform miracles without a Psychoframe proved that.
But Reid couldn't leave. If Paptimus Scirocco and Kamille continued fighting here, he might earn zero Merit Points. The invasion campaign's minimum requirement was shooting down at least one protagonist unit.
After working tirelessly for a month on this campaign, failing because he didn't destroy a protagonist unit would mean all rewards being confiscated by the system—all his efforts wasted with no recourse.
So Reid told Ange firmly: "I can't leave. Don't forget I have a mission—I must shoot down either The-O or Zeta Gundam!"
Hearing this, Ange didn't hesitate. She piloted Immortal Aegis to Reid's side and whispered: "Fine, then I'll stay with you. Let's take down The-O quickly and escape together."
Feeling the warmth of Ange's concern, Reid thought: With such a wife, what more could one ask for? He stopped insisting she leave and smiled. "Alright, but we must hurry. We've only got three minutes before the safe extraction window closes—we destroy The-O and flee immediately."
With that, Reid charged his mobile suit straight toward The-O.
Ange didn't respond, instead directly setting up her Beam Sniper Rifle from the elevated position. Below, the crystalline columns of the Colony Laser made it difficult for Immortal Aegis's weapons to be effective, so sniping from above was the better option.
Meanwhile, Reid used his Newtype senses to pinpoint The-O's location. Currently being chased like a dog by Zeta Gundam, The-O was desperately evading while Zeta Gundam continued its widespread destruction of the Colony Laser's crystalline columns.
Risking friendly fire from Zeta Gundam, Reid dodged its indiscriminate 40-meter Beam Saber sweep and closed in on the battered The-O.
Paptimus Scirocco, seeing Reid still charging toward him, roared in anguish:
"Reid Isaac!! Why are you still coming after me now? Can't you see how terrifying Zeta Gundam has become? You'll die here too!!"
Reid wasted no words on Paptimus Scirocco. He immediately manipulated Mystic Lightning to draw two Beam Daggers from its waist, hurling the left one toward The-O.
Never having encountered Beam Dagger attacks before, Paptimus Scirocco shouted "What the hell?!" as he maneuvered The-O to dodge the relatively slow and traceable projectile.
Like most Mobile Suit pilots facing Beam Daggers, after avoiding the initial attack, Paptimus Scirocco refocused his attention on Reid while simultaneously keeping watch for Zeta Gundam's next assault.
By the time he noticed the returning Beam Dagger, it was too late. The strike successfully severed The-O's remaining right arm.
At the same moment, Ange's sniper shot from above hit The-O's rear thrusters, completely eliminating Paptimus Scirocco's means of attack or escape.
Reid then used the right Beam Dagger as a close-range weapon while firing Mystic Lightning's grappling claw from its left arm, firmly locking onto The-O's skirt armor to prevent counterattacks from its mechanical arms, before driving the Beam Dagger into The-O's cockpit.
This entire exchange took less than ten seconds. Zeta Gundam's next massive Beam Saber strike had just finished charging and was descending upon The-O.
In his final moments, unwilling to accept defeat, Paptimus Scirocco used his last Newtype abilities to latch onto Reid and Kamille's consciousness:
"Heh... if I'm going down, I'm taking you with me."
The-O's cockpit then exploded, destroying Paptimus Scirocco's physical form.
His spirit passed through the wreckage, splitting into two entities that charged at Reid and Kamille.
Reid realized he was truly being assaulted by a vengeful spirit this time. Previous Newtype psychic clashes had merely involved memory interweaving, but Paptimus Scirocco's consciousness was clearly trying to tear his mind apart.
Unexpectedly, Reid's Lambda Driver activated defensively just as he was unsure how to counter or defend against the spectral Paptimus Scirocco.
Reid watched as the vengeful spirit smashed against the Lambda Driver's psychic barrier, splattering against the temporary shield. Though the barrier shattered upon impact, the actual damage to Reid was significantly reduced.
In reality, Reid felt as if someone had struck the back of his head hard—dizzy, with symptoms resembling a mild concussion. Yet his consciousness remained intact, and the dizziness gradually subsided.
If Reid, protected by the Lambda Driver, was in such a state, Kamille had it even worse. Though Reid had shouldered half of Paptimus Scirocco's attack this time, Kamille was already in a state of gathering souls. Thus, the demonic Paptimus Scirocco most likely invaded her mind unimpeded.
However, Kamille's psyche was in complete chaos, bolstered by the souls of countless people on the battlefield. So, the demonic Paptimus Scirocco likely couldn't seize her consciousness—it was simply too overwhelming to drag away.
As a result, the Zeta Gundam's massive sword halted mid-swing, its eyes dimming entirely as the Mobile Suit floated motionless in the air, clearly deactivated.
From Reid's perspective, he could sense that Kamille was still alive, but her spirit was critically weakened—likely devastated by the demonic Paptimus Scirocco. The question remained whether she would end up like in the original story, reduced to a state of helplessness, needing to relearn basic life skills from scratch.