After parting with Kira, the Black Tortoise set sail again. With no need to rush, it leisurely made its way toward the Mendel Satellite at a reduced speed. Without Athrun and Kira, the spaceship felt noticeably quieter, and both Ray and Lacus appeared taciturn and rather lonely.
Zhou Tianming noticed this but said nothing. The pain of parting with friends was an inevitable dish one had to taste in life.
In the blink of an eye, over ten hours passed. It was now late at night, and they were scheduled to arrive at Mendel around 3 a.m.
However, Zhou Tianming saw little point in rushing those few hours. He decided to halt the Black Tortoise in place, allowing everyone to rest properly. No matter how smoothly it flew, a moving spaceship always had some vibrations and strange noises.
Late at night, in Lacus's bedroom.
She tossed and turned in bed.
This period had been the happiest time she had ever experienced. No longer a princess confined to lofty heights, she felt like an ordinary person.
The presence of Kira, Athrun, and Ray had filled the monotony of her childhood.
And then there was Zhou Tianming...
Lacus buried her face in the soft pillow, her heart pounding rapidly, her ears burning, and her cheeks flushed. To say she didn't like him would be a lie, but she couldn't tell whether her feelings were sisterly affection or romantic love.
For a 13-year-old girl, this was a bit overwhelming.
Yet, she could clearly sense that Zhou Tianming held no special feelings for her.
This left her somewhat disheartened and sad, but she also admired him for not being promiscuous.
The conflicting emotions of a young girl churned within her, making it impossible to sleep as the moment of parting drew near.
Whenever she closed her eyes, Zhou Tianming's face would involuntarily surface in her mind.
"Lacus! You're such a fool!"
Clenching her fists, she pounded the mattress fiercely, writhing under the covers like a caterpillar.
She threw off the blanket, her pink short hair messy against her face, puffing her cheeks in frustration.
After a while, she lay back down in defeat.
Letting out a long sigh, she pushed Zhou Tianming's face out of her mind and softly hummed the lullaby her mother, Ogsha, used to sing to her as a child. The melody echoed through the bedroom.
At 2 a.m., Zhou Tianming, having completed his night watch duty, stood up and stretched.
"Though it's a good habit, if I'm the only one doing this, won't I just drop dead from lack of sleep?"
"I wonder if the Ultimate Coordinator has any optimizations in this regard."
Chuckling to himself, Zhou Tianming walked to the cabin door.
As the door opened, a faint, elusive song drifted in.
"Huh?"
He paused. "Is that little Lacus not asleep at this hour?"
"She hums quite beautifully, but the melody feels so familiar... it gives me chills."
His heart skipped a beat, and Zhou Tianming halted mid-step, a cold dread creeping up his spine.
"That song!"
That's the singing from that tape!
How was it triggered?
Could the enemy be nearby?
Zhou Tianming sprinted toward the vault where the tape was stored, shouting: "White Rabbit! Level one combat readiness! Report any abnormalities immediately! Disengage simulated gravity and have the Black Tortoise depart for deep space immediately!"
"Understood!"
The ship's gravity vanished, followed by a sudden acceleration forward.
Loosely secured objects throughout the ship were flung from shelves, floating and careening wildly through the air.
Ray, who had been sleeping, was thrown from his bed and sent drifting. Sensing something amiss, he opened his eyes and gazed around in confusion.
Zhou Tianming used auxiliary handles that popped out from the walls to propel himself forward, soon arriving near the vault.
From a distance, he could see the vault door was already open.
They got in without me noticing!
His expression grim, Zhou Tianming crept closer.
As he approached, the singing grew clearer, but there were no other sounds.
No rustling noises—so the target really is the tape. But if they've already obtained it, why activate it instead of leaving?
Trying to summon the enemy?
Does the singing from this tape have that effect?
And this voice...
Puzzled and slightly worried, Zhou Tianming reached the entrance and peered inside, his deep brown eyes taking in the scene.
His fears were confirmed.
The tape floated high in the air, streaming with song. Below it, Lacus hovered with eyes closed, wearing a pink long-sleeved nightgown, humming along with the melody.
As if sensing his gaze, Lacus opened her eyes, her pale gray pupils dilated and unfocused.
Zhou Tianming started.
Is this SEED Mode?
Suddenly, White Rabbit's voice rang out: "Warning! Mental reserves rapidly declining. Alert threshold reached."
"What!"
At the same moment, a white light enveloped Lacus's entire body, connecting her to the tape as they flickered in resonance.
Zhou Tianming immediately recalled the data recovered from the satellite wreckage—his Mental Power was being drained!
He hastily averted his gaze and lowered his head.
"Mental Power depletion rate reduced by 80%, but still continuously draining!"
Not just eye contact—even proximity causes drainage!
Is this the kind of monster they were facing?
If not for his connection to the Mental Storage Device, he would have been drained unconscious the moment their eyes met.
"Brother!"
Ray flew straight toward him from afar.
"Ray!" Zhou Tianming waved a hand. "Stay back! Keep your distance!"
Ray grabbed a wall handle to stop himself, watching with a worried expression.
"Don't worry, I'll handle this."
Zhou Tianming gave him a reassuring look, and Ray relaxed slightly.
As more Mental Power was absorbed, the resonant flickering between the tape and Lacus stabilized, both encircled by white light as their harmonized singing grew louder.
Spotting the Mental Blocking Helmet stored in the vault from the corner of his eye, Zhou Tianming kicked off the floor and shot toward it.
Lacus showed no reaction as Zhou Tianming slipped past her and easily retrieved the helmet.
While putting it on, he activated Iron Wall using his maximum Mental Power to protect his body, simultaneously drawing an antique East Asian sword he'd collected during his travels from the wall and thrusting it at the tape.
Clink—
The sword tip struck the tape's surface with a light sound but left it completely undamaged.
This decorative sword couldn't even pierce the tape's metal casing.
Zhou Tianming's gaze lowered to rest on Lacus's expressionless face.
He pressed his lips tightly together.
Even a decorative sword could still take a life if it pierced through a human body.
Lacus...
His grip on the ancient sword tightened.
Recalling his own encounters with the enemy, humanity wasn't ready to confront them yet!
Zhou Tianming's eyes hardened with resolve as he raised the sword.
I'm sorry, Lacus...
The tip of the sword trembled slightly as it pointed at her slender neck.
When it came down to it, Zhou Tianming still couldn't bring himself to do it.
He let out a self-mocking laugh.
If it were a stranger, I wouldn't hesitate, but Lacus...
It seems I'm not cut out to be some great savior after all.
Zhou Tianming tossed the ancient sword aside, his gaze falling on the tape as he bent his knees slightly.
I need to find a way to separate them!
Suddenly, White Rabbit's voice rang out: "Mental Power reserves at 3%! Dropping rapidly!"
What! Has the helmet failed?
Abruptly, Ray appeared outside the vault door. Zhou Tianming understood instantly, his eyebrows furrowing as he prepared to vent his anger.
But then he saw Ray throw something toward him: "Brother! A weapon!"
Looking closely, it was a handgun.
Zhou Tianming felt a wave of relief, leaping up to catch the gun mid-air. He twisted his body, hanging upside down as he took aim at the tape and fired.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He emptied the entire magazine in one go, the bullets striking three different points on the tape in quick succession, piercing straight through.
The white glow of Mental Power instantly dissipated, and the singing gradually faded.
Lacus slowly closed her eyes and lowered her head, her body floating motionless in the air.
Seeing this, Zhou Tianming let out a long sigh. Suddenly, the effects of [Iron Wall] vanished, and a sharp pain shot through his entire body as cold sweat broke out.
With trembling hands, he quickly removed the [Mental Blocking Helmet] from his head.
Once his body was enveloped again by the force field of the [Mental Resistance Device], the pain gradually subsided.
Ray flew over to support Zhou Tianming, his face full of concern: "Bro..."
He glanced toward Lacus, his light blue eyes reflecting complex emotions: "Is Lacus... an enemy—"
"Ray!" Zhou Tianming shook his head. "This isn't her fault."
"Go to the Bridge and keep watch. Don't overlook any abnormalities. We're not in the clear yet."
"Understood." Ray took one last deep look at Lacus before turning to leave.
Zhou Tianming stood up, his muscles trembling with the soreness and numbness that follows intense exertion: "I didn't expect things to escalate this badly, and in such a short time..."
He looked toward Lacus: "Now we've become natural enemies..."