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

El's tone was flat and indifferent.

"In the end, I'm just an imitation. I'm made up of a human-made body and a human-written mind. Do you know, Miss Lux, that the touch, hearing, and smell you're experiencing right now are just segments of binary code in my world? Although Raven has said more than once that my emotions aren't much different from humans—that I can laugh, worry, and get angry—can a mind composed of segments of code really produce the same feelings as a human?"

El paused for a moment, and her ruby-red eyes seemed to dim slightly in Lux's eyes.

"In the end, I am just a tool. I will be his strongest shield and sharpest sword, but I cannot truly love someone like a human being. This thing determined by running code is just a poor imitation compared to human emotions."

But you are different.

El took a step forward, closing the distance between him and Lux ​​to just an arm's length.

“Lux Klein, you have genuine feelings that are different from mine. You have a capacity to truly make someone happy that I, your imitator, can never attain.”

Faced with El's confession, Lux opened her mouth, wanting to point out the flaws in his logic, but for a moment she couldn't think of the right words.

El's expression was far too calm, as if those words were the absolute truth of the world.

That's why Lux wanted to shout "No!"

But what should she say next? Or what could she possibly say?

However, El seemed to sense that the atmosphere was a bit tense, tilted his head, and suddenly curled the corners of his mouth slightly.

"It is said that when living beings face danger, they will instinctively have an urge to reproduce. The final battle is about to begin. If Miss Lux were to confess to Raven now, she might easily succeed and reach base in one step."

"Varied……"

Lux's face, which had just returned to normal, flushed red once more. She instinctively took a step back, covered her cheeks with her hands, and stared wide-eyed, filled with shyness.

"Ai, El, what are you saying?!"

"Just kidding."

El left those four words, turned around, and walked towards the door, her skirt swaying gently with her steps.

Lux was still standing there, covering her burning cheeks, but as she watched El's retreating figure, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.

"Wait a moment."

El stopped walking, but did not turn around.

“Raven... he never intended to treat El as a tool.”

Lux's tone gradually calmed down, becoming as gentle as usual.

"Just as you said, you are an existence composed of a body created by humans and a mind written by humans, but that is also the body that Raven created for you, and the mind that Raven wrote for you. He gave you the senses to feel the world, the appearance to express emotions, and feelings that do not belong to a tool. You are an existence born with his blessing. He may regard you as his child, his assistant, or even his partner, but he will never simply be a tool!"

El turned his head slightly, his eyes sparkling, and looked at Lux in silence for a long time before finally leaving without looking back.

But before he left, he left behind a very soft whisper.

"Thank you."

Lux stared at the closed hatch and slowly exhaled. Her hand was pressed against her chest, where her heart was still pounding, but at this moment, Lux felt both shyness and determination.

Chapter 92 Farewell

L5 space domain, Boyaz Fortress.

The pitch-black universe was illuminated by the flames of battle. The massive fleet of the Allied Forces stretched out in a line before the Poyaz Fortress, and Möbius and Strike Daggers surged toward ZAFT's lines like a tidal wave.

Although ZAFT forces were outnumbered, they managed to hold their own against the coalition forces for a time thanks to the heavily armed Poyaz fortress and superior individual soldier quality. They used their inferior numbers to keep the coalition's attack waves at bay outside their defensive lines.

However, this stalemate was soon broken.

A mobile suit with an exaggerated design appeared on the battlefield. It looked a whole size larger than the current mobile suits. Its broad shoulder armor spread out to the sides, and iron-gray armor covered the surface. The most eye-catching feature was the giant disc-shaped backpack on its back.

ZGMF-X13A, Divine Will.

The identification signal appeared simultaneously in the IFFs of both armies.

Around the divine will, multiple small points of light detached one by one from the disc backpack on its back and scattered like a swarm of bees into the war zone. Then, alarms sounded simultaneously in the cockpits of all the ZAFT aircraft in that zone.

"Enemy locked on! Enemy locked on!"

The artificially synthesized electronic voice kept urging the MS pilot to make evasive maneuvers as soon as possible, but how could the pilot decide which direction to dodge in if he couldn't even confirm where the enemy was?

Time was running out for the pilots. The moment the alarm sounded, beams of light shot in from above, below, sides, and behind them from almost every direction. The net of beams woven by the Dragoon submachine guns covered almost all possible evasive routes. Whether it was the old-style King and Shig or the newly equipped Gates, they were all turned into dazzling fireballs in this impenetrable net of beams.

Kruze sat in the cockpit, the corners of his mouth under the mask unable to stop the upward curve. The psychoframe made the operation of the Dragoon smoother than ever before. Each submachine gun was like his tentacles, completely enveloping this space under his will. The fear and despair that the ZAFT pilots, his former comrades, showed before their deaths were all clearly transmitted to his mind through these tentacles.

This feeling is truly delightful.

But he didn't let himself indulge in this pleasure for too long. After using his dragoons to pierce a hole in the ZAFT army's defenses, he gave orders to the troops behind him.

"Peacemakers advance, Slaughter Daggers spread out to the flanks to cover the Peacemakers' advance."

More than ten black-painted Killer Daggers dispersed on Kruse's orders, firmly suppressing the ZAFT forces on the perimeter.

The Möbius forces, having removed their conventional weapons and suspended a massive projectile on a rack, sped toward the Poaz Fortress through the breach opened by divine will.

Because of Raven's outstanding achievements, the Short Sword was not hastily produced in 71 as in the original timeline, with only twenty or so units produced. Instead, it was adopted as a formal mass-production unit and assigned to elite pilots in various units. Meanwhile, the wealthy and powerful LOGOS, after making minor optimizations to the prototype Short Sword, produced a batch of Killer Short Swords and gave them to its own private army.

"Are those Möbius strips hanging on nuclear bombs?!"

The moment the Peacemakers appeared, the ZAFT forces realized the Allied forces' intentions. If these Möbius broke through the defenses, the outcome was predictable.

Without waiting for orders from their superiors, the surrounding ZAFT aircraft swarmed toward the Peacemakers, but the special trainees piloting the Slaughter Blades were not an easy enemy to deal with.

King and Higu were no match for the Killer Daggers, and Gates, with comparable performance, was also reduced to wreckage one after another by the Killer Daggers' exquisite coordination.

And the divine will, positioned at the very tip of the spear, is something no one can stop.

Whether it's a mobile suit or a warship, anything that dares to approach the range of the Divine Dragon Riders will be reduced to dust in the universe under the barrage of countless beams of light.

Ultimately, ZAFT's defenses were breached by the divine will.

Following closely in the footsteps of divine will, the Peacemakers quickly arrived at the fortress, and one nuclear missile after another flew into the fortress.

Then, artificial suns rose one after another from inside the fortress.

When the dazzling white light dissipated, the once vast Poyaz Fortress was now nothing but a twisted and broken ruin.

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

When the Archangel, Eternity, and Kusanagi arrived at Poaz Fortress, all that remained was a devastated battlefield.

"We can't wait any longer. The Deep Strike Force and the Meteor-equipped Freedom and Justice must get to PLANT space first. We don't have a second chance to be late."

Kira and Athrun responded almost simultaneously, both aware of the gravity of the situation.

"Raven."

But just as Raven was about to follow them into the elevator, a hand grabbed him.

Raven turned his head, and that familiar pink long hair came into view. Lux glanced at El in the elevator, and El nodded knowingly and pressed the button to close the door.

Lux?

Raven didn't understand Lux's meaning, but then Lux took a step forward, her delicate face growing larger in Raven's vision. Her warm breath touched his face, and then, a soft touch came to his lips.

The sensation was fleeting, like a phantom. Lux's face flushed red from her cheeks to her ears, her hands behind her back, her fingers constantly rubbing the hem of her clothes.

"If I don't tell you how I feel now, I know I'll regret it. Raven, you don't need to give me an answer right now..."

She took a deep breath and added something that seemed a bit abrupt.

"Also, in PLANT, you are considered an adult at 15."

Raven wasn't unaware of Lux's feelings for him, but the fact that he was involved in a dangerous war prevented him from reciprocating her feelings.

Moreover, he always felt guilty about targeting underage girls.

But at this moment, Raven could no longer avoid this question.

Raven looked at Lux. This gentle yet strong girl had bravely taken the first step. How could he continue to avoid her?

He reached out, put his arm around Lux's waist, and gently pulled her into his embrace. Feeling her body temperature, he lowered his head and kissed her.

When Raven kissed her, Lux let out a very soft nasal sound, her body involuntarily stiffening for a moment before going completely limp, seeking the warmth of the person in front of her.

For a long time, the lips are divided.

Their foreheads touched, their noses brushing together.

"I will return safely, I promise."

She reached for the thin silver chain around her neck, unfastened the clasp, and removed the ring, still warm from her body, from the chain. She then took Raven's hand and placed this final gift from her mother into his palm.

Lux didn't want to send this man to the battlefield, but at this moment, these were the only words she could utter.

"May you have great success in your military endeavors."

Chapter 93 Divine Intent

The PLANT defense battle has entered a critical stage.

In this space, both sides assembled over a hundred spaceships of various types. Nearly a thousand mobile suits and mobile armors were engulfed in the vortex of battle. Beams and missiles rained down, tearing through the dark universe. Exploding fireballs burst forth continuously, and orange-red light repeatedly expanded and dissipated in the universe. Each time it was ignited, a life was lost.

In order to launch a nuclear strike against his own country, Azrael used his power to bring all the newly built fleets of the Atlantic Federation and the Space Force units that were not affected by Halbarton to the front line.

On ZAFT's side, after the attack on the Eternal, Patrick personally took charge of strengthening PLANT's homeland defenses. A large number of newly built ships and Gates were handed over to newly recruited soldiers and assigned to the homeland defense forces.

Just weeks ago, they were civil servants, workers, and students; now, they have all been turned into soldiers by this war, even though they can't even properly use the war machines assigned to them.

No matter how Patrick publicly denies Siegel's speech, he cannot deny that PLANT's manpower has long been exhausted.

A King shot down a Mobius with his heavy assault rifle, but was immediately pierced through the cockpit by a Strike Dagger that charged from behind with its beam saber. Before the Strike Dagger pilot could even adjust his aircraft's attitude, a beam of emerald green light shot from the side and above, precisely piercing the Strike Dagger's body. Several Gates aircraft sped past the wrecked Strike Dagger, not even having time to confirm their victory, before engaging the next wave of enemy aircraft.

Such scenes were happening simultaneously in every corner of the battlefield, with casualty figures being tallied in both command posts, changing in seconds.

Deep within this battlefield, Kruze, with a chilling smile, was piloting the Divine Will across the battlefield.

Under his control, the Dragoon system was reaping lives with astonishing efficiency. Even some friendly forces entangled with ZAFT aircraft were caught in the Dragoon system's beams, but he paid no heed.

The resonance between the psychoframe and Kruze greatly expanded Kruze's perception, and at the same time, allowed Kruze to fully accept the mental fluctuations within his perception range.

This is the final fluctuation of life before its passing: pain, resentment, sighs, despair, and longing... If it were a normal person, their spirit would undoubtedly have collapsed under the continuous pressure, but Kruse enjoyed it all. These pains, resentments, sighs, despair, and longings were like sweet rain that intoxicated him, and his empty soul was filled with more than ever before.

The divine will seemed to reflect the pilot's changing state of mind, becoming more fluid and unpredictable, and the dragon rider's flight path became increasingly bizarre.

The sight of the machine reaping lives with fluid grace on the battlefield sent chills down the spines of the special trainees who followed behind the divine will, whose emotions had long been suppressed.

The number of ZAFT troops blocking the way of the Divine Will was decreasing, and the Divine Will's dragoons had almost cleared a vacuum on the battlefield.

Now, only the last line of defense remains. Divine Will will be able to lead the Peacemakers to break through ZAFT's defenses and launch the nuclear missile at PLANT.

At this moment, blocking the way for the divine will was the Artis team, which had just been mobilized by the command to block the entrance.

Yzak sat in the cockpit of the Covenant, glaring angrily at the divine will. He couldn't understand why his once trusted captain had become a traitor.

But now, it is a fact that he has arrived in PLANT with the Earth Force's nuclear attack team, and what he needs to do is to stop the will of God here.

However, in Kruse's eyes, Yzak and his troops were not even a threat.

Despite facing his former subordinates, Kruse showed no mercy and instead became excited by it.

"Curse your misfortunes to your heart's content, my dear former subordinates."

A barrage of beams of light swept towards the MS forces led by the Covenant. Several Gaz units were reduced to ashes before they could even react.

With their superior mobility and Yzak's skillful maneuvering, the Covenant broke through the Dragoon's blockade. Yzak abandoned his attempt to engage the incredibly agile Dragoon submachine guns, instead using his shield to protect his torso. Ignoring the beams of light that kept grazing the edges of his machine, he unleashed his thrusters at full power, heading straight for the main body of the Divine Will.

"K-Ru-Ze!"

Yzak gritted his teeth and shouted Kruze's name. The beam cannon on his backpack and the railgun on his waist opened and poured towards the Divine Will. The Divine Will seemed to be temporarily suppressed by Yzak's reckless fighting style and dodged several beams and railgun projectiles in a slightly disheveled manner.

Seizing this opportunity, Covenant rushed into the vicinity of Divine Will, drew its beam sword with its right hand, and swung the cherry-red light blade down at Divine Will with all its might.

"That way you won't be able to use the Dragon Rider system!"

If the two aircraft get that close, even a highly skilled player like Kruse would have to worry about accidentally injuring himself, right?

However, his idea was completely shattered in the next second by Kruse's contemptuous tone.

"Why do you think that the Dragon Rider System can seal away divine will by fighting me in close combat?"

The composite shield on the left arm of the Divine Will steadily blocked the beam sword that the Covenant swung with all its might, and Kruze's chilling voice entered the Covenant's cockpit.

"Yzak, you're still the same as before, acting without thinking. But considering you were once my subordinate, I'll prepare a first-class seat for you to watch the destruction."

"what?!"

Several small dragon riders had already silently surrounded the Holy Covenant, which was entangled with the divine will. Emerald green high-energy particle beams spewed from the cannon muzzles, accurately piercing the Holy Covenant's joints. The Holy Covenant, which had just been majestic, was instantly reduced to a pitiful state with only its torso remaining.

"Of course, you're not the only one enjoying this treatment. I've also prepared the same VIP seats for Diego and the others. You're welcome. It's a pity Artis won't have the chance to enjoy the same treatment as you. My new subordinates are too rough with their food. What a shame."

The scene that Covenant captured as it turned its head sent a chill down Yzak's spine. The Storm, Thunder, and Duel that had been following behind were now in the same sorry state as Covenant. Behind Divine Will, one Möbius after another, armed with nuclear missiles, flew past Divine Will and Covenant, launching their nuclear missiles at PLANT amidst the flames of the Vesalius explosion.