Reid's actions and words left everyone on the Archangel's bridge dumbfounded. For a moment, no one could tell whether he was being serious or just joking. This was far too casual—he could at least pretend to put on an act.
But it was clear Reid meant every word. Seeing everyone frozen in shock, he spoke directly:
"What are you all standing around for? CIC, order the fleet to change course for Jachin Due Fortress. If we still have any nukes left, hold your fire—we won't be needing them later.
"And don't worry about facing a court-martial. I already said it—this ship has been seized by me. You're all my prisoners now. Any issues that come up will be between the New Miserly Kingdom and the Atlantic Federation. Unless you'd rather sit back and watch Earth get hit by Genesis?"
Reid's meaning was unmistakable—he was framing the Archangel's situation as a matter between two nations, effectively shielding the crew from blame.
This way, the Archangel's crew "surrendering" and following the New Miserly Kingdom's orders wouldn't violate military regulations.
After all, the ship had been outright hijacked. In space, this fully met the conditions for surrender under military law—complete mission failure, no means of escape, depleted ammunition with no resupply, and no access to food or water.
Moreover, the crew wasn't defecting to attack their allies—they were still fighting against the Coordinators. There was no way this could be labeled as treason.
Still, despite being swayed, the bridge crew hesitated. Instead of acting, they all turned their pleading eyes toward Bargiruel, silently asking, "Captain, what do you think?"
Bargiruel's face was flushed—not from embarrassment, but from sheer frustration.
The moment Reid embraced her, she immediately tried to break free. In private, there might have been room for negotiation, but in a professional setting, Bargiruel's personality demanded full resistance.
However, Reid's physical strength far surpassed that of an ordinary man—after all, keeping up with Ange's demands required an ironclad physique.
To Bargiruel, it felt like being bound by steel chains. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't break free. Kicking Reid's shin was like striking an iron plate—her foot ached from the impact. (She really had kicked metal—Reid's protective suit concealed full-body Luna Titanium Scale Armor.)
But to an outside observer, Bargiruel looked like a bashful young woman, putting up token resistance while secretly enjoying the playful banter.
When she noticed the entire bridge crew staring at her, she had no choice but to stop struggling and speak up:
"Reid! Let me go this instant! Do you have any idea what you're doing? Hijacking the Archangel is practically a declaration of war against the Atlantic Federation! You're the leader of a nation—don't act so recklessly!"
Reid's response was unwavering, delivered with righteous conviction:
"If the Atlantic Federation wants to declare war, they'll have to wait until after I've destroyed Genesis. If Genesis hits Earth, the Atlantic Federation would be lucky to have even 30% of its population survive.
"By then, if their government still wants to declare war, they'll have to do it from hell. So tell me, Bargiruel—what exactly do I have to fear?"
When Reid said this, Bargiruel was left speechless. Indeed, if Genesis wasn't destroyed and fired upon Earth, there would essentially be no future for humanity. So Bargiruel had already mentally prepared to compromise.
Muruta Azrael, witnessing this scene, flew into a rage and shouted:
"What kind of joke is this! Reid Isaac! Do you think I'd allow you to do this?"
As he spoke, Muruta Azrael reached into his clothes, preparing to draw his gun.
However, attempting to draw a weapon in front of Xia Yufang was pure wishful thinking on Muruta Azrael's part.
The moment his hand entered his clothing, Yufang—who had been closely monitoring him—delivered a spinning kick to his stomach. Muruta Azrael crumpled like a shrimp before crashing heavily against the wall.
But Yufang didn't stop there. Before he could even slide down the wall, she grabbed him by his suit collar and slammed him violently to the ground.
In the next instant, she snatched his gun and disassembled it into parts within a second.
Just as Yufang was about to deliver the final lethal blow, Reid stopped her. There were many ways to ensure Muruta Azrael's death without leaving evidence of their direct involvement. He said:
"Yufang, spare his life for now."
Hearing Reid's order, Yufang aborted her motion to snap Muruta Azrael's neck and instead planted her foot on his chest, pinning him to the ground like a dead dog.
The entire sequence flowed seamlessly, taking less than ten seconds. By the time Muruta Azrael found himself beneath Yufang's foot, he was still dazed—until excruciating pain throughout his body reminded him of what had just happened.
He immediately began wailing in agony:
"Reid Isaac! How dare you treat me like this! I'll—"
Seeing that Muruta Azrael still had the stamina to curse after taking such a beating from Yufang—enough to nearly vomit stomach acid—Reid added:
"Yufang, dislocate his jaw. He's too noisy."
At this, Yufang lifted her foot and delivered a kick that dislocated Muruta Azrael's jaw. All his threats and insults became trapped in his throat, reduced to incoherent mumbling.
With the sole dissenting voice in the room now silenced, Reid looked down at Bargiruel and said:
"Bargiruel, you should now acknowledge that you're my prisoner."
What could Bargiruel say? Reid clearly didn't care about provoking war with the Atlantic Federation, and with Muruta Azrael beaten to this state, there was no turning back.
Helpless, Bargiruel replied:
"Understood. Reid, release me now."
Through his Newtype senses, Reid confirmed Bargiruel's genuine compliance and released her, then said:
"Good. After destroying Genesis, remember to pilot the Archangel alone into the New Miserly Kingdom's fleet. For the sake of everyone else on this ship, we must maintain appearances completely."
Bargiruel had no objections. She had intended to take full responsibility after everything was over, but if they returned like this, she might not even get the chance—the others would be imprisoned immediately.
Thus, Bargiruel returned to the captain's seat and began issuing commands.
"Relay the order: recall all forces attacking PLANT territory. All ships are to redirect towards Jachin Due Fortress to support the fleets of the East Asian Republic and New Miserly Kingdom."
Everyone on the Archangel's bridge breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Bargiruel compromise. They realized they wouldn't face court-martial now and could fight to protect Earth rather than being mindless killers of Coordinators.
Reid could already sense Bargiruel's resolve to face death with valor. He guessed she probably intended to surrender herself to the Atlantic Federation military afterward—that was just how stubborn she was.
But Reid thought to himself: Did she really think she could escape once she was in his hands? He planned to detain Bargiruel in his country under the pretext of her debts. By the time post-war negotiations with the Atlantic Federation concluded, she wouldn't be able to return even if she wanted to.
For now, Reid pretended to know nothing and said to Xia Yufang,
"Yufang, put Azrael to sleep. He looks exhausted and in pain."
Xia Yufang complied immediately, delivering a punch that sent Muruta Azrael into a "deep slumber."
Seeing this, Reid dragged the "sleeping" Muruta Azrael away and said,
"Bargiruel, transfer all of Chairman Azrael's subordinates and associates to the hangar. The frontlines are too dangerous for non-military personnel. I'll arrange an escape pod to send them to the rear."
Bargiruel had no objections. She had long despised Muruta Azrael and would gladly support kicking him off the ship.
Under her orders, several die-hard Blue Cosmos supporters and the medical staff responsible for Olga Sabnak and Emilio Broderick were summoned to the hangar.
When Reid dragged Muruta Azrael into the hangar like a dead dog, the group nearly revolted on the spot.
But after the Mystic Lightning nearby knocked them all down with a single strike, they wisely surrendered their weapons. They boarded the escape pod with Muruta Azrael and were ejected from the Archangel.
Meanwhile, Reid and the Xia sisters naturally departed the Archangel in their Mobile Suits—there was still a battle ahead.
Reid didn't personally pursue and shoot down Muruta Azrael's escape pod. Instead, he opened a comms channel to the Strike Gundam and said,
"Dearka, here's a chance to ensure you won't face repercussions—maybe even get a promotion—when you return to PLANT. See that escape pod the Archangel just launched? It's carrying Blue Cosmos' leader, Muruta Azrael."
Dearka wasn't a fool; he knew Reid was using him to eliminate Muruta Azrael.
But without a second's hesitation, Dearka assembled his Hyper Impulse Long-Range Sniper Rifle and fired at the escape pod, vaporizing it completely.
Afterward, he replied to Reid,
"Thanks for that. Now I don't have to worry about what happens when I go back. Hah! Taking out Blue Cosmos' leader Muruta Azrael might even put Yzak under my command!"
Reid nodded in satisfaction as Dearka proved so cooperative—this was a win-win situation. As long as Muruta Azrael didn't die by his hand, it was fine. After all, Azrael's hatred for Coordinators ran deep, so being killed by one would be perfectly justifiable, both logically and emotionally.
However, for every cooperative one, there was always an uncooperative one.
The Archangel issued its orders, and all Mobile Suits from the Atlantic Federation and Eurasian Federation forces immediately turned back to their ships—except for the Hyperion Gundam. Canard Pars was still chasing Freedom Meteor.
And Kira, facing Canard Pars, did nothing but evade. With Freedom Meteor's mobility, outmaneuvering the Hyperion Gundam was child's play, so he didn't even bother counterattacking.
Athrun was also aware of the situation between Kira and Canard Pars, especially since the two had come to Mendel together this time, so he stayed out of it entirely.
But now that everyone else had aligned their objectives, Canard Pars' actions seemed rather ill-timed.
Reid had initially planned to deal with him personally, but upon seeing Flay's Psycommu Gundam MKⅢ arrive on the battlefield, he mischievously contacted her instead.
"Flay, you're late. The combined forces of the Atlantic Federation and Eurasian Federation have already been persuaded. But there's still one stubborn fool here. Why don't you go cool him off?"
Flay didn't think much of it—taking down a single Mobile Suit shouldn't be hard. So, she greeted the Hyperion Gundam with a full barrage.
Though most of Canard Pars' attention was fixed on Kira's Freedom Meteor, the moment the lock-on alarm blared, he reacted swiftly.
The Hyperion Gundam's Mono-Phase Lightwave Shield System activated at full power, barely enduring the Psycommu Gundam MKⅢ's full barrage.
Flay was intrigued to see an opponent with defensive capabilities comparable to hers. After the barrage, the Psycommu Gundam MKⅢ raised its arm and swung its massive Beam Saber down at the Hyperion Gundam.
Canard Pars broke out in a cold sweat. Though the Monophasic Lightwave Shielding System [Scutum Lumiere], combined with the nuclear engine, was touted as absolute defense, he knew better—its limits were defined by the engine's output and the system's energy capacity.
After enduring the Psycommu Gundam MKⅢ's full barrage, the Hyperion Gundam was already blaring overload warnings, its systems temporarily paralyzed. All he could do was watch as the enormous Beam Saber came crashing down.
The Hyperion Gundam couldn't hold out any longer. [Scutum Lumiere] barely managed to block the Psycommu Gundam MKⅢ's slash, but the lightwave shield generator overloaded and exploded, causing the Mobile Suit's systems to shut down completely.
Flay was about to finish the fight with a final shot when Kira suddenly opened a comms channel. Freedom Meteor moved to shield the Hyperion Gundam as he shouted,
"Please, hold your fire!"
Seeing this, Flay stopped and connected to the comms, asking,
"Kira, what's going on? Isn't this your enemy?"
Kira never expected the pilot of this massive Mobile Suit to be Flay. Stunned, he replied,
"Flay? You're the pilot of this Mobile Suit? How did you even become an MS Pilot?"
Flay immediately felt extremely displeased upon hearing Kira's words. Was this guy looking down on her? What did he mean by "how did you become an MS pilot?" She retorted angrily:
"What's that supposed to mean? Looking down on me? You can just hop into the Strike Gundam and fight, but I can't become an MS pilot through proper training?"
Hearing this, Kira seemed to revert to his school days when he never dared initiate conversations with Flay, quickly explaining:
"Misunderstanding! That's not what I meant. It's just... you've changed so much, Flay. I'm having trouble adjusting."
Flay rolled her eyes at him, thinking to herself that she didn't need his adjustment anyway.
However, since they were still in combat, Flay didn't engage further. She directly contacted Reid on comms and asked:
"Chairman, what should we do now? Kira's blocking that MS and preventing me from attacking."
Seeing the situation, Reid naturally gave Kira face—the Hyperion Gundam's eye cameras had already powered down, indicating it was likely no longer a threat.
So Reid addressed Kira directly:
"Kira, since you want to protect him, have the Hyperion Gundam returned to Archangel. We'll detain the pilot for now—that acceptable?"
Kira had no objections. Saving Canard Pars' life was enough. However, since Freedom was currently equipped with the Meteor pack and couldn't transport another Mobile Suit, he contacted the Buster Gundam:
"Mr. Dearka, could you help bring the Hyperion Gundam back to Archangel?"
Dearka initially didn't want to help. His relationship with Kira wasn't exactly good—while he no longer spoke of it, he still remembered Nicol's death.
Dearka considered himself far less forgiving than Athrun. Even though they were on the same team now, whenever they met, Dearka would just give Kira a perfunctory nod without saying a word.
This was partly because Miriallia had become overly concerned about Kira lately—the two had grown closer after Tolle's death.
But now, Miriallia—equally shocked by Flay's transformation—intervened in the comms:
"The Buster Gundam must be running low on missiles. You should return to the ship for resupply."
This was basically telling Buster to bring Hyperion back. Dearka couldn't refuse Miriallia and reluctantly powered down the Mobile Suit, transporting the raging Canard Pars—who was screaming "Kira Yamato, I don't need your pity!" unheard in his cockpit—back to Archangel for detention.
Meanwhile, aboard the Archangel, they could only watch silently—after all, Canard Pars had attacked allies against orders.
Moreover, with Muruta Azrael gone, Bargiruel wasn't even sure if the three pilots he brought would still follow commands.
Thus, the surviving Raider Gundam and Calamity Gundam weren't recalled to the ship but instead deployed as escorts for other vessels.
With this, PLANT's homeland security was secured, allowing everyone to focus fully on destroying Genesis.
When Reid returned to the frontlines before Jachin Due Fortress, he found its forces had been pushed back to defensive positions against the fortress walls.
However, the distant reflection mirrors of Genesis seemed to be nearly replaced, and the cooling period after Genesis' firing was almost over.
Without any hesitation, Reid immediately led the entire army forward, preparing to take Yakin Due Fortress in one decisive push.
Right now, Reid wasn't worried about Genesis targeting the New Miserly Kingdom's fleet. Brian Eno had cunningly positioned the New Miserly Kingdom's fleet between Genesis and PLANT's homeland.
If Genesis dared to fire at the New Miserly Kingdom's fleet now, at least half of PLANT would be destroyed along with it.
Therefore, the only concern Reid had now was Genesis firing its second shot directly at Earth. They had to break into Yakin Due Fortress as quickly as possible to destroy Genesis' control system.
(End of Chapter)