There was no need to worry about that useless son of his.
Creuset assessed the battle situation as he made his judgment. Mu, surrounded by multiple Genes, was performing steadily.
The Genes couldn't kill him, but Mu couldn't destroy those Genes either.
Meanwhile, the Buster Gundam was still pursuing the Archangel with Genes in tow. From the looks of it, nothing unexpected would happen for the time being.
After all, the Archangel was moving fast, and it would take some time for the Buster Gundam's group to catch up.
So far, everything was proceeding as expected except for that one part...
Creuset's eyelid twitched, and a cold sweat dripped down his face beneath the mask.
"The power of friendship?" he silently cheered for Athrun.
"Hah." What Creuset could see, how could Wang Hu possibly miss? He too was watching that particular part with great anticipation.
And so, overshadowed by those two, the characters who should have been the spotlighted protagonists of this battlefield had ironically been reduced to supporting roles!
"Athrun!"
Merciless and without holding back, Kira piloted the Strike Gundam in a fierce assault.
Sometimes raising his gun to shoot, other times closing in to slash with his sword - this was different from before. From the moment Kira engaged his childhood friend in battle,
he unusually showed no hesitation, nor did he and Athrun perform their usual sentimental routine.
"Kira!"
Similarly, Athrun showed no mercy either. Shouting, he brought forth all his skills and plunged into intense combat with Kira!
After all, Nicol was fighting desperately inside the Artemis Fortress, forcibly assaulting the enemy with his barely-repaired, damaged Blitz Gundam!
He was in danger, fighting with all his might - what was he doing it for?
Athrun knew - he knew all of this was being done for his sake.
Therefore!
How could he abandon his current friend because of his feelings for Kira?
Several comrades had already died because of him. If he didn't pull himself together now!
Wouldn't Nicol, wouldn't Nicol become a clown then?
Spurred by Nicol's inspiration and manipulated by Creuset's influence...
"Kira!" Gritting his teeth with no hesitation in his eyes, in the moment when the Aegis Gundam and Strike Gundam crossed paths,
Athrun jerked the control stick, his ten fingers nimbly dancing across the buttons on the control column.
With a swift motion, the Aegis Gundam transformed into its MA configuration for artillery assault. Then, inside the cockpit, Athrun stubbornly endured
the tremendous inertia from the forced sharp turn and direction change.
Even though his body was pressed firmly into the seat by the force, in these difficult conditions, he resolutely pulled down the targeting visor above his head.
"Beep beep beep." The targeting system's prompt sounded, casting an eerie green glow onto Athrun's helmet.
Slowly adjusting the crosshairs until they locked onto the Strike Gundam piloted by Kira!
"Kira!" Looking at the crosshairs, still focused on the back of the mobile suit piloted by his childhood friend.
Closing his eyes, visions of Nicol's phantom and the smiling faces of his fallen comrades flashed through his mind.
"AAAAAH!"
In a heart-wrenching scream, Athrun pulled the trigger for the 580mm Scylla Multiple Phase Energy Cannon mounted on his mobile suit's abdomen.
"FIRE!"
A scorching beam shot forth, vaporizing the ancient cosmic dust in its path, while the flickering arcs from ionized particles accompanied Athrun's resolute determination.
"Athrun!" A piercing alarm blared inside the Strike Gundam's cockpit as his best friend aimed at him from behind.
Having learned about the capabilities of all four stolen Gundams from Brother Wang Hu, Kira didn't even need to look back.
Kira was absolutely certain what Athrun intended to do!
Surprisingly, in such a desperate situation, the rookie pilot Kira remained exceptionally calm despite his forehead beaded with sweat.
"Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale."
He took deep breaths, massive oxygen molecules absorbed through his lungs and pumped to his brain by his heart.
180-degree turn. Instead of turning when Athrun first aimed, Kira forcibly suppressed both physical and psychological fear!
He chose to pivot at the precise moment Athrun pulled the trigger, just before the thick energy torrent from the Aegis Gundam could reach him.
Kira narrowly avoided the lethal danger, grazing past the scorching energy flow by a hair's breadth in an extremely risky maneuver.
Moreover, he seized the initiative through this move!
Here! The roles of attacker and defender reversed!
"Kira!" Athrun's move had been anticipated, and in that instant, he lost his initial advantage.
Seeing Kira aiming directly at him, Athrun immediately began transforming the Aegis Gundam from Mobile Armor to Mobile Suit mode without hesitation.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to raise his shield in time, and tactical evasion would be impossible in the current situation!
Because Kira's marksmanship was precise!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
While raising his gun to shoot, numerous memories flashed through his mind - childhood encounters with Athrun, happy times at Heliopolis.
But most of all, his yearning for peace solidified his resolve.
"Athrun!"
Shouting vehemently, Kira continuously adjusted his aim, covering all possible evasion routes Athrun might take!
"Kira!" Neither knew how many times they'd called each other's name, all their emotions poured into these shouts.
The transforming Aegis Gundam took a beam hit from the Strike Gundam.
Fortunately, Athrun's piloting skills were superb, and the damaged part was merely decorative armor on the Gundam's foot.
Then, under Kira's subsequent attacks, Athrun promptly raised his shield.
He blocked several precise shots aimed at his head and critical chest components.
"Athrun!" "Kira!"
Like two bulls in heat with bloodshot eyes, both realized their ranged weapons couldn't overcome the other.
Simultaneously, Kira and Athrun abandoned their shooting contest, raising shields and drawing swords at the same moment!
One thousand meters! Five hundred meters! Three hundred meters!
They charged toward each other!
Watching each other's faces growing larger on their screens, neither was willing to ease pressure on the acceleration pedals.
Closer, closer, almost there!
Each other's cold metallic faces now filled their entire screens.
"Athrun~~"
"Kira~~"
"Clang! Thud!"
The Aegis Gundam's sword struck the Strike Gundam's shield, while the Strike Gundam's blade slammed against the Aegis Gundam's shield.
Two mobile suits born from the same origin, now separated by fate and belonging to opposing sides, pressed their heads against each other.
"Eeeek—"
The ear-piercing screech of grinding metal reverberated through the cockpit via conduction.
Stimulating these two who had once made promises to each other in their childhood!
"I cannot let them down!"
Athrun gritted his teeth, absolutely refusing to allow himself to retreat. Having disappointed Creuset and Nicol multiple times already,
He couldn't bear to see their understanding gazes again!
"To change this world!"
Kira would not yield either. Having witnessed the cruel future, he was determined to alter that destiny.
Even if it meant sacrificing himself, he would not hesitate!
Thus, for their respective beliefs at this moment, Athrun activated the beam claw on the Aegis Gundam's only remaining leg.
Aiming at the Strike Gundam, he kicked in an extremely awkward manner given their current position.
Reacting swiftly to Athrun's move, Kira fired bullets from the Vulcan Cannons on both sides of the Strike Gundam's head with sharp "ping-ping" sounds.
While evading Athrun's attack with a backflip, Kira simultaneously drew his Beam Saber and thrust forward like a venomous snake striking...
(End of Chapter)