Gundam, Gravity Elegy

When the fire control radar alarm sounded in the cockpit, Norris had already turned the main monitor directly upwards.

At this moment, what the blue giant—the tiger—was 'witnessing' was the pale figure projected onto the cockpit screen.

Holding a gun in one hand and a shield in the other, the figure leaped into the air, seemingly using the moonlight and fire control beams to assert his presence to everyone.

Of course, there was also hostility.

"Idiot! You actually made a land-based mobile suit jump that high, just like Lieutenant Mei!"

"There's no way to adjust my position like this!"

Amidst the mockery, the two Zaku had already raised their machine guns.

but……

"No, get out of the way!!"

'boom'

Just as Norris shouted his warning, the powerful thrust generated by the rocket engine caused the white aircraft to change course a second time.

"That's Zimad's technology demonstrator!"

"what?!"

At that moment, even Zaku's unchanging 'eyes' seemed to show intense astonishment.

There wasn't even time to give his last words or wail; the blazing saber pierced through the Zaku unexpectedly.

"Such speed—"

Seeing that the cockpit's fire control radar seemed to be barely keeping up with the landing mobile suit, Norris quickly canceled the auxiliary aiming system.

Tiger instantly raised his gun in manual mode, but at that very moment, the roar of another engine echoed back.

"buzz"

At some point, the mobile suit that should have been 'shut down' seemed to 'awaken' again, its crimson single eye and the entire machine hurtling straight toward him.

"They still haven't given up?!"

'boom'

During the collision, the tiger, who had already reacted, showed no intention of retreating. While pushing forward at full speed, he simply raised his shield and shoved the Zaku's remains aside, letting it crash to the ground.

But at the same time, he also seems to have missed the opportunity to provide support.

'Sizzle'

The ultra-high tensile steel, a specialty of the Principality of Zeon, was torn apart by the thermal saber, and the cockpit of the second Zaku, which had been standing upright, was also easily ripped apart.

"Tsk, they're willing to go to such lengths to protect their colleagues."

Witnessing this scene, Norris merely glanced at the overturned machine.

Inside the pre-opened cockpit, he could even clearly see the pilot:

"He's still a child?!"

He didn't know how to describe his feelings.

Perhaps it was admiration, perhaps it was感慨 and helplessness, but these human emotions were ultimately suppressed by the soldier's instincts.

"However, your efforts are ultimately in vain."

Gradually, his gaze turned to the front.

Under the tiger's gaze, the white Vulcan (Ifrit) turned around, their crimson eyes seemingly meeting under the night sky:

"That was nothing more than a defective product that failed even the 'preliminary review'."

"But I think this thing suits me very well."

A laughing voice echoed in what should have been an internal Zeon communication channel:

"The rocket engines in the legs... I absolutely love this thing."

Almost the instant the words were spoken, the engine roared to life again, lifting the white technology demonstrator into the air.

But this time, it avoided Norris altogether and leaped straight to the west:

"You want to abandon your companions and run away?!"

"No, I'm just trying to better fulfill the 'duty' that child gave me."

Pulling the lever, Ifrit raised the machine gun she held but had never used before.

The next moment, as flames poured down on the warehouse building, Norris's eyes widened in fury:

"The tank depot... so that's what they were planning?!"

Chapter 54: Zabi Guard

'Bang bang bang bang'

The MS's machine guns—those things that humans should have long ago classified as 'cannons'—roared wildly.

As the white-painted technology demonstrator sped through the Ruhr base, a barrage of artillery fire rained down on the seemingly intact factories and warehouses.

From top to bottom, the stored ammunition and the parts that should have been used in tanks or mobile suits exploded one after another. The brilliant flames were nothing short of a humiliation for Norris, the veteran.

"This problem wouldn't occur if the ammunition were stored separately from the machine...tsk."

In the end, the 'combat instinct' honed over a long period of time as a soldier prevailed.

Almost faster than his mind could process, Norris had already pushed the attack to its maximum. The blue one-eyed tiger finally changed direction, abandoning the land warship that had lost its mobility, and chased straight after Ifrit.

After all, he could tell which was more important: a warship that had lost its mobility or a mobile suit that was wreaking havoc.

But precisely because of this, he will also miss out on the real trump card that Zeon has not yet obtained specific information about.

"Prepare to open the hatch."

After struggling to climb out of the Zaku's cockpit, Gao Ren said in a low voice.

"Send the Gundam out..."

For no apparent reason, a wave of dizziness surged into his brain, and the shortness of breath made him feel a sense of disorientation and unease.

"what happened?"

"It's nothing, it's just that I seem to have underestimated the impact of the MS 'falling down'. The Zaku's cockpit doesn't have any cushioning seats."

After patting his cheeks, Gao Ren let out a long sigh of relief:

"In short, please get the Gundam deployed as soon as possible. I'll also try to find a way..."

"No, find a relatively safe place."

"Huh?"

Amidst the chaos, Ms. Lutz's clear and distinct voice echoed:

"Gundam will come looking for you."

What does it mean?

Do we have any spare pilots on our side?

'bang bang bang'

But before he could ask any more questions, the sudden gunshot interrupted all his thoughts:

"You saw them?"

"I see them! They're the guys with the lizard armbands; they're the ones causing trouble!"

"Tsk..."

Upon hearing this, Gao Ren couldn't help but glance at the same armband he was wearing.

This thing was originally intended to distinguish friend from foe in the midst of chaos, but once this 'marker' is detected as abnormal, it will quickly become a target for the enemy.

"Found it! There's... a child here?!"

The moment their eyes met, Gao Ren could clearly see the astonishment on the other person's face.

But at the same time, the dark muzzle of the gun almost sent chills down Gao Ren's spine.

"!!"

'boom'

Gunshots rang out almost simultaneously, and the body of the unknown Zeon soldier slumped to the ground.

At this moment, there is no distinction between adults and children; the only thing that can be confirmed is each other's identities.

"enemy."

Looking at the soldier's unseeing eyes, Gao Ren simply reached out and closed them.

"Don't blame me, you fired a shot too."

He couldn't do much, and reality didn't allow him to express too much of a reaction. So he just let that life slip through his fingers and rushed into a nearby house.

He had originally planned to get a car, but since Ms. Lutz had a solution, he had to find a safe place, as she had suggested.

Because it might be impossible to keep track of exactly how many people are there, open spaces should never be visited.

However, at the same time, housing isn't exactly a good option, especially in this kind of place:

"storehouse……"

Moreover, it was a warehouse that had already been destroyed.

There wasn't enough time to figure out the exact location beforehand, so he could only try to find cover first. But once he got inside, Gao Ren realized that he had completely fallen into another 'shit pit'.

"Lieutenant Mei, are you alright?"

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be another warehouse, the very place where the Zaku he had first shot down had crashed.

In fact, other people had already gathered around the Zaku.

"I'm sorry, Captain, I don't think I've fully adapted to combat on Earth yet. My precious Zaku is already..."

"Don't speak. Survival is the most important thing."

"Lieutenant Washitani, is this old Zaku still usable?"

"We need to find a way to fix it. After being hit by the lieutenant's car, the control system seems to have some problems."

The four different voices naturally symbolize the difference in numbers:

"Four against one... no, one of them broke a bone, so it's three against one."

With a firm grip on his pistol, Gao Ren quietly concealed himself.

After briefly reviewing his original plan, Gao Ren felt his brain was on fire:

"If I had known, I should have aimed at the cockpit... No, the Zaku machine gun's accuracy was too low. At that time, I could only try to ensure coverage as much as possible."

machine gun?

tiger?

New weapon?

New type of machine?

Those words heated up the brain like fuel, turning it into a paste along with the unsuppressed strategic plans that kept swirling in the mind.

“Ms. Lutz, if there’s a backup pilot, have him execute the suppression plan immediately. If that’s not possible, have him go find Captain Cuvatro…”

and then?

Where can I hide?

Ammunition box?

Weapon rack?

No, it seems there's simply no time for that.

"Wait, there are more wounded here! I heard the noise!"

"There's a fifth person... wait!"

When the girl's voice came, Gao Ren felt as if his mind had exploded, as if someone had forcibly knocked on a door that should have been sealed.