Gundam, Gravity Elegy

Without its 'obstruction', Zocok's brute force charge left an enormous distance along the harbor edge, nearly plunging into the ocean.

Zeon was able to invest in more powerful generators and larger, more powerful fusion furnaces for aquatic products without any hesitation…

Looking at the opponent's charging state, which resembled a raging bull, Gao Ren couldn't help but narrow his eyes.

That aquatic amphibious one-eyed machine, which was clearly related to the Demon Crab by blood, had a burst speed that was even higher than the Demon Crab's on-paper specifications.

More importantly, the enemy's armed deployment clearly has a certain tendency toward extremism!

"boom"

Suddenly, just as the other person turned around, the blade on their head suddenly flew outward.

When the lockout alarm sounded in the cockpit, Gao Ren could even clearly see the boomerang turning red at an extremely fast speed.

"Thermal weapons?"

He evaded it with high-speed maneuvering, only to see the aquatic creature lunge at him in an almost bouncing manner.

"Tsk, specializing in close combat..."

Not only was it the same type of thermal saber that the opponent held, the same one used by Tiger and Ifrit, but in the brief struggle before, the specialized square giant hand that could even be used as a 'shield' was also not to be underestimated.

'boom'

He was just like a berserk warrior, wielding his broad forearms and saber together. His close combat combination of blunt and sharp weapons made it difficult for others to get close.

More importantly, the opponent's joints are not made of pure metal!

Constantly dodging and evading the opponent's ferocious pursuit, Gao Ren stared intently at the opponent's equally oversized 'elbow'.

If I'm not mistaken, there's a faint luster there that's different from metal; it's made of the same flexible material as the current mass-produced military-grade Crab!

In other words...

"Can it extend or retract?"

'Ding'

When the square fist appeared in front of him, the familiar, almost electric shock-like jolt made him unconsciously tighten his grip on the control lever and take evasive action in advance.

On the other side, Claudia herself was stunned when she saw the obviously unnatural maneuvering.

"Impossible, they actually detected it?!"

She wanted to stop something, but her long-developed fighting and driving instincts made her clench her thumb.

next moment……

'boom'

The sudden explosion sent the massive fist flying forward, its internal impact shaft transforming Zocok's arm into a rapidly advancing giant hammer.

Originally, this melee capability was designed to be enough to destroy any mobile suit, and even the Luna Titanium alloy could not withstand the direct impact on the cockpit!

but……

"It missed..."

She could even clearly see the entire process of the impact forearm grazing past the cockpit, which should never have happened!

"Hey!"

Pulling the control lever, she used the extended impact forearm as a long-handled hammer to collide with the counter-attacking harpoon pump gun. Instinctively, she caused the machine to retreat to a relatively safe distance.

At the same time, an unavoidable sense of anxiety arose within me, a state that should have been completely unmoved at the design level:

"How did this guy do that?"

Of course, even the person involved doesn't quite understand this issue.

At this moment, Gao Ren also gripped the control lever tightly:

"Is this another of Zeon's designers' ingenious ideas...?"

It seems that whether it's the electric heating whip or the impact forearm now, when faced with these new weapons that could cause decision-making errors, his sudden instinctive judgment always saves him from disaster.

Although I don't know how to describe this feeling, it has definitely been a great help for now!

"Anyway, as long as we know we're armed, there's nothing to be afraid of."

Before the other side could react, the black Gundam charged forward.

And so the worst-case scenario unfolded—for Zeon.

The MSM-08 Zocok – in terms of design, even though it lost out to its competitors, it is by no means without merit. Its melee-focused design still has its merits in a time when beam weapons are not yet fully widespread.

However, as a melee-specialized machine, this enhanced version based on the Demon Crab is now being beaten down by a general-purpose machine that is not even fully armed.

The harpoon pump gun and shield were like the most handy weapons, suppressing Zocok's proud shock forearm and thermal saber.

Despite the fact that the new thermal saber design could easily tear through even Luna titanium alloy, this fighting machine unfortunately lacked the most crucial opportunity.

so! !

"Let's activate EXAM, Claudia."

Clear instructions echoed in the cockpit.

"Yes, we still have to activate that system..."

【no!】

Again.

That voice.

At this moment, she was almost certain that this was not a hallucination; it seemed that someone was really pulling her arm, making it difficult for her to touch the final trigger button.

but……

"You don't want us to be homeless, do you?"

"!!"

'Didi Didi'

When the finger finally touched the button, the fusion furnace trembled, shattering all illusions and leaving only a fierce crimson glow on the screen:

"EXAM SYSTEM, StandBy——"

As the particles dispersed in large quantities, Claudia felt her body, and everything about her, was spreading outwards.

The sounds of flames scorching and the sea breeze were all clearly audible.

"I can see it clearly..."

At that moment, the trajectory of the black machine was clearly visible!

Yes, that's it!

"coming!"

Seizing the moment when his opponent swung his weapon, Zocok unleashed a burst of power and slashed down with his heat blade.

"If this continues..."

However, the large, sweeping chopping motions failed to deliver the expected feel; that emptiness meant only one thing:

"Missed the attack?!"

Reality stirred restlessness within the girl, who involuntarily widened her eyes:

"Impossible! The opponent's motor skills couldn't possibly be better than mine!"

But if that's the case, then why?!

Was it a last-minute change, or simply a prediction?

Claudia was unaware of this; all she knew was that she couldn't immediately reset the machine's movements, and directly ahead, the cockpit was already reflecting the crimson eyes behind those 'sunglasses':

"It turned red?"

The Gundam's wide-view camera seemed to encompass the entire mobile suit, and then it swung its crowbar-like pump gun directly at the front:

"Fancy and gaudy."

'boom'

The head-on impact caused Zocok's body to fall backward, and the body design inherited from the Demon Crab ensured that the impact force was fully transmitted into the cockpit.

"Well……"

For her, as a member of the ghoul squad, this was not the worst situation.

To make matters worse, after she forced herself to withstand the direct impact and Zokerk recovered in a near-rolling motion, the Gundam was already hurtling towards her.

And this time...

There's no escaping it.

It bypassed the blind spot of impacting the forearm and thrust the pump gun straight in, like a forked spear.

On the screen, she could even clearly see the sharp blade on the base that should have been supporting the harpoon.

The four bases and the forked spear tips exude endless illusion, like a path leading to the abyss.

If this continues...

Before I knew it, those seemingly long-forgotten words surfaced in my mind:

Am I... going to die?

'boom'

A violent squeezing sensation rushed towards her, causing the amulet inside the cockpit to fall in front of the girl.

Blue eyes aren't exactly considered beautiful, but that's precisely what she kept.

As for why, she probably can't explain it herself:

"happiness--"

"elder sister!!"

Even though she couldn't feel anything, the pain, as if she were being pierced and squeezed, was still radiating through her body, but her thoughts seemed to have already flown far away.

"I hope you and your sister can both find the happiness you want."

"Liar—completely useless, isn't he?"

'boom'

The moment the metal pierced his chest, Gao Ren couldn't help but frown:

"Hmm? Is there any sound?"

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Lament of the Dead

'Crack'

Amidst the sea of ​​fire, arcs of electricity flickered across the surface of the fighting aquatic machine, and Zocok, pierced through the chest, convulsed like a marine creature struck by a fatal wound.

At last……

'Bang'

The giant single eye within the cross finally dimmed, leaving only the constantly dissipating Minovsky particles that sprayed and overflowed onto the 'corpse' like a blood mist, making it clear that it would be unable to stand up.

So……

"ended."

Suppressing the inexplicable tremor deep in his heart, Gao Ren took a deep breath.

He didn't care about the other party's state. The state called 'EXAM' looked fierce, but the surprise attack after it was activated could still be predicted and reacted to.

The real key lies with the enemy's pilots—those ghouls' thought processes cannot be measured by common sense.

"So don't hold back, and be as swift and decisive as possible in combat."

That's what Captain Cuvatro said back then, and Gao Ren made a series of preparations for it.

For him, all the previous entanglements were preparations for a fatal blow, not only to observe the opponent's movements, but more importantly, to observe the opponent's 'machine type' and weaknesses.

Specialized combat capabilities are one aspect, but another crucial aspect is the core component found in every machine – the cockpit!

"If I remember correctly, the area in the middle of the chest is indeed the location of the cockpit common to the Demon Crab type..."