Gundam: A Gundam Enthusiast's Journey with a Mecha Girl

"Julius VII, that is..."

"Yes, the colony satellite that was attacked by the coalition's nuclear missiles."

Kira's eyes widened. He opened his mouth, wanting to comfort his friend, but found that any words would seem utterly inadequate.

"In order to prevent such a tragedy from happening again, I went to the battlefield, but I created the same tragedy with my own hands. Heliopolis was destroyed by the attack of my unit. There should have been a safer way, but I abandoned the idea and just followed orders, and in the end I did something irreversible."

Kira listened quietly until Aslan finished speaking, then he took a step forward and extended his hand to Aslan.

"Aslan, let's go together to find a way to end the war."

As he looked at the hand that Kira was extending towards him, a warm, sour feeling welled up in Aslan's eyes.

He took a deep breath and gripped Kira's outstretched hand tightly.

"Let's go together, so that such a tragedy will never happen again."

“That’s right, absolutely right. We absolutely…we must end this war!”

A voice, tinged with sobs, came out of nowhere from behind them. Cagalli, who had arrived at some unknown time, grabbed Kira and Athrun's shoulders and declared loudly while wiping away her tears.

Athrun looked curiously at the blonde girl who was crying because of them. For some reason, this girl always gave him a feeling similar to Kira.

A feeling of innocence and gentleness.

'There are people like that in Orb too...'

Aslan thought so.

-----------------

Off the coast of Orb, the 4th Naval Fleet of the Atlantic Federation.

Blue Cosmos Alliance Leader Azrael stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the reinforcements that had just arrived.

The 4th Naval Fleet suffered significant losses during the daytime battles.

Not only was the air force almost completely wiped out, but many of the assault daggers in the landing force were also destroyed.

Moreover, the combat power displayed by the enhanced trio and the second-generation G, on whom Azrael had placed high hopes, fell far short of his expectations.

Not only did they achieve no results, but the Calamity was also destroyed by the enemy's unknown new type of aircraft.

Extremely displeased, Azrael ordered the cessation of medication for the surviving Shani and Kurot, forcing them to reflect on their actions while suffering from the forbidden symptoms. At the same time, he used his authority as the leader of the Blue Cosmos Alliance to order an emergency reinforcement to be sent from the rear.

Dozens of brand-new mobile suits were delivered, including not only cheap ones like the Strike Dagger, but also elite troops that he, as the leader of the alliance, could urgently mobilize.

Twelve Killer Daggers equipped with the new generation of empty backpacks, and one newly manufactured Winged Calamity.

They were piloted by twelve specially trained soldiers from the Blue Cosmos Military Breeding Institute, and one Sosis clone.

Although these specially trained soldiers are not as physically enhanced as enhanced humans, combined with the rigorous military training they undergo, they possess strength comparable to elite Coordinator pilots.

The Sosis clone is a combat coordinator specially trained by the Earth Alliance, and its strength is far beyond that of ordinary pilots.

'Just you wait, Archangel, and Orb. Let's see how long you can keep resisting.'

Chapter 77 The Battle of June 15th (Part 6)

Shin Asuka sat on the space shuttle bound for PLANT, his forehead pressed tightly against the window, gazing longingly at Orb as it receded into the distance.

Born and raised here, he had to flee to another country in this small space shuttle when Orb was invaded.

This made him feel like he was a deserter.

However, unlike Zhen, his parents did not share any of the worries Zhen had.

The Asuka couple were not native to Ob, but immigrants from other countries who settled in Ob to escape persecution of Coordinators by the Blue Cosmosists.

Now, Blue Cosmos has set its sights on Orb. The Asuka couple dare not imagine how they, as a family of Coordinators, would be persecuted by the Atlantic Federation's occupying forces if Orb were to fall.

However, before leaving, they still stood their last shift at the Dawn Society for Orb's sake, which can be considered as doing their utmost for the land that took them in.

The small space shuttle broke through the atmosphere, leaving Orb, which was engulfed in flames of war, behind, and flew towards PLANT.

-----------------

Just one night later, the Atlantic Federation's Fourth Naval Fleet received reinforcements far exceeding the losses of the previous day.

Once the fleet command had reorganized the forces that had been delivered overnight, a new offensive was launched.

Unlike the Atlantic Federation, Orb did not receive such reinforcements.

The beachhead defenses had been completely destroyed in the previous day's battle, and the MS forces only had one night for hasty preparations.

The Orb fleet suffered considerable losses in the battle the day before, and was basically unable to launch any offensive operations. The Archangel was also forced to remain in the dock for emergency repairs due to being bombarded by the Calamity Cannon.

The battle on the 14th was indeed a victory for Orb.

But if such victories were to occur a few more times, the nation of Orb might cease to exist.

The Atlantic Federation's tactics remain the same: clear the way with artillery fire, followed by a beach landing by mobile suit forces.

The fortifications that could have delayed the Allied forces on the front line no longer existed. Faced with the Atlantic Federation's obvious numerical superiority, the Orb army could only retreat to the outskirts of the city and continue to resist by relying on buildings and complex terrain.

The battle turned into a war of attrition, and Orb's resources were clearly much weaker than those of the Atlantic Federation.

"Damn it, I feel like there are even more of these guys than yesterday. Are they cockroaches?"

"Cockroaches are disgusting, they won't suddenly jump up and bite you... Asagi, watch out!"

Mayura's voice suddenly rose, and her machine quickly stepped forward, using its shield to protect Asagi's back and take a shot from a beam rifle.

But before Mayura could even catch her breath, Julie's terrified screams filled the entire communication channel.

"do not want!"

Her mech was knocked to the ground by a Strike Dagger that suddenly rushed out, while another Strike Dagger took advantage of the opportunity created by its comrade to close in, draw its beam saber, and aim at the cockpit of Julie's mech.

Asagi and Mayura's faces turned deathly pale in an instant, but it was too late for them to rescue Julie.

However, the next moment, the two Strike Daggers next to Julie's machine were pierced by a beam of light shot from the sky. Then, the S Gundam set up the Spirit Beam Cannon and fired at full power. The red and white beams drew an arc and pierced through the two enemy machines that surrounded Asagi and Mayura.

"So strong..."

Asagi looked up at the S Gundam in the sky. Yesterday's battle made her think that she had shortened the distance between herself and that person a little, but now it seemed that it was still far from enough.

"You guys, step back immediately and hurry up and repair the machine. Leave this to me!"

"Okay! We'll be right back once the repairs are done."

As the war intensified, several Gundams with flight capabilities became the fire brigade. Freedom, Justice, S Gundam, and Phoenix Strike Gundam constantly shuttled back and forth between various fronts, using overwhelming combat power to plug the gaps again. However, this approach also continuously depleted the pilots' physical strength.

Mu, who piloted the Strike Gundam, was in a slightly better position, able to rest for a while during the charging intervals. However, the three nuclear-powered mobile suits, Freedom, Justice, and S Gundam, did not need to be charged and remained on the front lines to continue fighting.

Raven knew very well that this was an open conspiracy by the enemy. They would use a large number of cheap, mass-produced machines to launch continuous, wave-like attacks, forcing Orb's high-end forces to keep up, and then, once their condition began to decline, they would deploy elite forces to shoot them down.

But Raven couldn't refuse the support from his allies. The defenses were leaking everywhere, and if he didn't go to the front, the Orb army's defenses would really collapse.

"Raven, the enemy is here again."

El reported the detected enemy aircraft's location to Raven. The S Gundam quickly flew low over a tall building whose top had been sheared off by artillery fire, then suddenly flipped over, head down and feet up, aiming all four beam cannons on its shoulders and waist at the Strike Dagger squad.

"Get it!"

All four beams pierced the enemy aircraft's cockpit with pinpoint accuracy, but before Raven could even catch his breath, a Strike Dagger from another direction raised its beam rifle at him.

Raven immediately began maneuvering, the S Gundam's nozzles rapidly spraying to the side, allowing the mobile suit to shake off the beams, and the G-force generated by the violent movement pressed him firmly into the cockpit.

The S Gundam used a series of high-speed, irregular dodges to leave all the pursuing beams behind. The Spirit Beam Cannon completed its recharge during the dodge intervals, and the red and white beams once again shot out from the muzzle.

The beam changed direction mid-air, its arc turning the two Strike Daggers into scrap metal. The S Gundam, having shot down the enemy aircraft, did not pause, drew its beam saber, and with its thrusters at full power, charged straight toward the last remaining Strike Dagger.

With a flash of sword light, the enemy plane was cleanly cut in two at the waist.

This series of high-intensity maneuvers put a tremendous strain on Raven's body. After fighting for a long time, Raven ripped off his helmet and gasped for breath.

Are there any enemy planes around?

Al didn't answer immediately, focusing instead on using the onboard sensors to scan the surroundings.

For some reason, the battlefield fell into an eerie silence.

However, this brief silence did not last long. Just a few minutes later, a series of urgent alarms sounded in the cockpit of the S Gundam.

"Enemy aircraft confirmed: 6 Short Swords and 1 Calamity Wing."

-----------------

Not long ago, the flagship of the 4th Naval Fleet.

The fleet commander stared with a worried expression at the constantly updated casualty figures. To him, the lives of ordinary soldiers were just numbers, but the impending loss rate of over 50% was causing him considerable distress.

Such a dismal number of casualties could affect his future promotion.

'Damn it, don't their machines need to be charged?'

The three new-type aircraft on the other side have been fighting since the start of the offensive this morning, and so far most of the damage has been caused by those three new aircraft.

The fleet commander looked at Azrael.

"Director, we've almost achieved our goal of depleting those few mechs. Shouldn't it be time to send out your elite troops?"

Azrael didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly.

Moments later, the Looting, Forbidden, and Winged Calamity were the first to strike, followed closely by 12 Killer Daggers, forming a massive attack formation with Freedom, Justice, and S Gundam as their targets.

Chapter 78 The Battle of June 15th (Part 6)

The battle began with a sniper attack from the Winged Calamity.

The heavy mobile suit with large flight wings had just entered Raven's line of sight when it opened fire first with its composite weaponry in the form of a long-barreled beam rifle.

Using this as a signal, six Killer Daggers, grouped in threes, simultaneously moved from the left and right to flank the S Gundam.

The S Gundam executed a clean and crisp side flip in mid-air, allowing the sniper beam of the Winged Calamity to graze its shoulder armor.

Then, Raven stabilized his mech and, seizing the opportunity before the battle, glanced at the Slaughter Dagger squadron that was forming an encirclement.

The equipment on their backs is similar in appearance to the air-mounted assault backpack, but the output power of the thrusters has been increased, and it seems that movable devices have been added to the two large thrusters at the bottom, which not only improves maneuverability but also gives the air-mounted backpack a real flight capability.

"Those guys came up with an improved backpack in such a short time. No wonder they are from the Atlantic Federation, they have a deep foundation."

"Now is not the time to dwell on that kind of thing, is it?"

Despite being teased by El, Raven's hands moved quickly.

The S Gundam's jetpack unleashed powerful thrust, propelling it backward at a speed comparable to the Killer Dagger equipped with the improved airpack. Simultaneously, the four beam cannons on its shoulders and waist, assisted by El, fired alternately. Their aim was not to shoot down the enemy, but to force the Killer Daggers to constantly change direction and dodge, attempting to exploit a weakness in the Killer Dagger formation.

The opportunity soon arrived. Raven seized the moment when the formation of the six Killer Daggers became scattered and pulled the trigger of the Elf Beam Cannon. A high-energy beam of red and white shot out from the muzzle and rushed straight at the Killer Dagger at the very edge of the formation.

However, these special trainees piloting the Slaughter Blade were not the rookies piloting the Strike Blade. They reacted almost instantly, suddenly increasing the power of one of the thrusters, causing the machine to turn sideways and dodge the S Gundam's shot.

However, due to the effect of the illusion particles, the beam fired by the Elf Beam Cannon bent in mid-air, drawing an arc and heading towards the back of another Slaughter Dagger.

Such a tricky attack would have been impossible for an ordinary pilot to avoid being shot down, but at the critical moment, this Killer Dagger suddenly turned around and used its shield to catch the blow.

Raven raised an eyebrow in surprise.

The fact that it was able to withstand this attack was certainly due to the excellent quality of the Killer Dagger mobile suit, but more importantly, the pilot on the other side was a skilled operator who could bring out the full potential of the Killer Dagger.

"These people are not simple."

Raven could sense the mental fluctuations emanating from them. They were neither as excited and fearful as the new recruits, nor as frantic as the three enhanced humans from yesterday. Instead, they were much calmer.

They are less like people and more like killing machines.

However, these calm killing machines can also reveal their murderous intent when they attack.

The distant Calamity, with its precise sniping, once again forced Raven to maintain his maneuverability. Meanwhile, the six Killer Daggers, after a brief period of chaos, quickly adjusted their formation and dispersed in various directions, simultaneously launching an attack on the S Gundam. Six beams of light shot from different directions at the same time, completely sealing off all of the S Gundam's escape routes.

At that moment, the Winged Calamity, which had been waiting for its chance high in the sky, swooped down, its Siren Beast on its chest fully charged, and spewed a beam of destruction toward the S Gundam.

As the clone of Sosis was about to succeed, his killing intent reached its peak, and Raven accurately captured this killing intent.

Raven pulled the separation lever, and the S Gundam instantly separated from the MS into three fighter jets. The Kraken Beast's full-power fire pierced through the gaps between the three fighter jets, but missed everything.

Even the special trainees and Sosis clones, who maintained near-absolute composure during battle, couldn't help but feel a sense of surprise upon witnessing this scene.

The fact that MS suddenly split into three fighter jets during the battle was still far beyond their imagination.

However, Raven wasn't gentle enough to give them time to react. After the three fighter jets drew three arcs in the air, they circled around to the rear of a Slaughter Dagger and completed their aerial combination.

The beam saber popped out from the knee armor and sliced ​​the machine in two along with its empty backpack before the Killer Dagger could complete its turn.