Gundam, Gravity Elegy

“We should leave here, Simon. We don’t belong here.”

"But I'm afraid it's no longer possible."

But Simon's response to this summons can only be described as horrified.

"What……"

Gao Ren wanted to say something more, but Simon simply saluted:

"Thank you so much for saving others."

As the loud announcement was made, the sound of the waves grew even deeper.

As if breaking through the water, Gao Ren could clearly feel his body being pulled.

"Wait, Simon!!!"

He reached out to the young soldier with all his might, but what he saw was a glint in the soldier's eyes.

"Thank you so much for entrusting me with such an important task and for trusting me until the very last moment!"

He clearly had more attachment to reality and more enthusiasm for life, but in the end, he only said one sentence:

"Special Forces Soldier Simon has successfully completed the entire mission!"

Finally, a towering wave crashed in, sweeping away Gao Ren's consciousness completely.

When the fire of that conversation was completely extinguished, only that call echoed in my ears:

"Xiao Gao?"

"Well--"

"Aren!!"

"second lieutenant!!"

Finally, after the sound completely exploded, Gao Ren finally came to his senses.

A faint commotion echoed in my ears, and what appeared before my eyes were clearly makeshift military tents, with markings on them that...

"Zeon—"

Upon seeing the emblem, Gao Ren immediately tensed up.

But just before these thoughts could surface, a fragrant breeze wafted by.

"Ok?"

A flash of silver light, and he was pulled into an embrace.

"It's alright...it's all alright now!!"

"...Sister Shirley?"

Looking at the woman whose face was tense but who seemed to have lost the ability to speak, Gao Ren could only sigh.

"I'm fine—"

Then, his gaze swept over the other people in the tent.

Corporal Ellen, Ms. Lutz, and then...

"team leader."

Captain Cuvatro.

"I...I need to know the current situation."

Chapter 96: Zeon's 'Outsiders'

6: 00 AM

Although the sun had not yet risen, perhaps because the aftershocks of the explosion had not yet dissipated, the No. 3 underground airport, which had been completely shut down due to the explosion, still emitted an eerie light.

Beneath the slightly crimson white light, there was a bustling crowd, and those gathered here included not only Federation soldiers but also a considerable number of Zeon soldiers.

The Type 74 tank and the Majera tank stand side by side, and the GM and Zaku stand back to back. In today's world, with war raging and intensifying, it's hard to imagine that this scene actually happened in reality.

"It feels like a dream."

Gazing at the momentary tranquility, the woman in the Zeon uniform couldn't help but sigh.

Yuki Nakazato – As a communications officer for the MS unit of the 5th Ground Division, she is not a Zeon native, but comes from Side 2. She joined the Zeon army only because she was forcibly conscripted.

As a pitiful person forced to drift with the tide and with nowhere to go, she didn't even have the courage to avenge her family and compatriots who died in nuclear explosions or poison gas attacks. She could only silently pray for world peace.

Fortunately, the team she joined wasn't bad.

"Indeed, I also have a feeling that it's not real."

Before Nakazato Yuki's voice had completely faded, the less-than-perfect Zeon accent also rang out.

Then, a man walked towards us:

"team leader."

Ken Biedstant, captain of the Red Team, an MS unit belonging to the 5th Division.

As the captain of a team, he couldn't help but sigh:

"Whether it's to save my own life or for my family still stranded in Side 3, I did kill many Federation soldiers on the battlefield. I never imagined I'd be resting with Federation troops in a place like this—"

"Get out of the way, don't block Lord Leonard's path!!"

"...Of course, this situation does happen."

Ignoring the Federation pilot who seemed to look down on everyone, Ken simply escorted Yuki Nakazato aside and quietly brought her back to his team.

"Ah, Captain, and Miss Yuki—"

“May, you take good care of Corporal Nakazato, and Jack, you protect the others. I’m going to Kaski to meet that ‘Federal Hero’.”

"Huh? Should we just go and confront that 'lion' face to face?"

"Of course, after all, he did save us."

Ken spoke, meeting Jack Gance's astonished gaze.

"Whether it's the evacuation signal itself or the act of preventing a nuclear explosion, we owe him a life."

"However, I heard that the 'unicorn lion' is not easy to talk to, and even the 'lioness' who was talking to us seemed quite fierce..."

"That's just parroting what others say."

Meeting Jack's clearly worried gaze, Ken softly retorted:

"I don't think someone who can issue such orders at a critical moment, or even go alone to stop a nuclear explosion, would be a cruel guy."

At least, that Gundam pilot should be more normal than many people in the Principality.

…………

Of course, Gao Ren is still unaware that he has been targeted by some Zeon people.

Of course, it didn't matter even if he knew this, because there were more important things in front of him.

"So, almost everyone has gathered here now?"

"Yes, because the previous explosion dispersed the particles, the communication function was partially restored, which is why we were able to get here so quickly."

In response to Gao Ren's question, Corporal Ellen nodded repeatedly, like a chicken pecking at rice:

"In addition, Lieutenant Aiga of the Mudrock Squad is in charge of the other Federation forces, while Lieutenant Sherry is in charge of gathering the remaining Zeon troops..."

Hearing this, Gao Ren couldn't help but glance at his guardian, who seemed to have come from frozen soil, and could only sigh:

"After all, I can't get to your side immediately, nor can I share your burden in time... At most, I can only do these small things."

Of course, that's what Shirley said, but in reality, it's not a simple matter at all.

The Federation and Zeon are still at war. Even though Gao Ren's team issued a evacuation notice, there is no guarantee what those guys will do after they are safely settled.

"Fortunately, the vast majority of those stationed at this base are 'outsider troops' who don't even have the most basic support and compensation, which is why they are so afraid of losing their lives on the battlefield."

"Zeon wouldn't even give us something like that?"

"Not only that, but they also divide citizens into different classes within Side 3, and it is said that there is a distinction between 'citizen' and 'national'."

Gao Ren was speechless.

What to say?

After saying something a hundred times, even wanting to hurl insults or mockery feels incredibly tiring.

"As expected of a 'principality'—"

After letting out a soft sigh, Gao Ren finally banished this digression from his mind.

After all, he had other things to confirm:

"Ms. Lutz, Gundam—"

"Most of the body parts have been damaged by the high temperature, and it can no longer be repaired by replacing a few parts."

"……sorry."

“There’s no need to apologize; the child has learned a lot.”

This must be referring to educational computers, right?

However, Ms. Lutz's speech always had a slightly eccentric tone, and he couldn't quite keep up with the way a researcher thought.

"What feedback has Corporal Ellen received from General Gao Yun and his team?"

There seem to be no further instructions regarding this.

"Then we probably have one more thing to do. According to the information here, Zeon's most important elite force has been sent to attack the Federation's main force."

Europe or Africa?

“Africa – it’s geographically closer to the Arab world. If Zeon can wipe out the African army, then even if the Federation forces can take Turkey, the occupied Arab world will still feel like a thorn in their side. Of course, more importantly, the African army is easier to fight.”

A slight broadening of perspective reveals that for Zeon today, simply holding Türkiye is not enough.

For these 'alien beings', they need a major victory to prove they can adapt to fighting under gravity, and they also need a win to salvage morale.

And that's precisely why...

We can't let them succeed—

"Huh?! Lieutenant, do you still want to launch an attack...?"

"Because we can't let them act freely, otherwise all our efforts will be in vain..."

"But the Gundam is no longer usable."

Just then, Cuvatro spoke up:

"You don't have MS anymore—"

“Then steel tanks are also an option, we can discuss that later. The important thing is that we must stop those people—hmm.”

Just as he stood up, a sudden wave of dizziness made him unsteady on his feet.

At that moment, Dr. Jon Snow, the Lions' doctor, almost came to his side, but he quickly stopped him.

"I'm fine, so I hope everyone can do their jobs. The next destination of the Journey Bird is Syria. At full speed, it'll only take about 20 minutes. Let's take a break."

Although that's what he said, the boy's body unconsciously moved towards the outside of the tent:

"Ah Ren, where are you going?"

“I have one last thing to confirm with those people… with the dirge.”

Unconsciously, the boy's voice trembled slightly:

"I need to get an answer."

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