Onboard the Atlantic Federation fleet, Muruta Azrael watched the intense battlefield with growing impatience.
"What's going on? Why haven't we broken through Orb's defenses yet?" Muruta Azrael demanded angrily.
"Orb's defensive line is extremely solid. The only gap we found turned out to be a trap—our landing forces were wiped out almost as soon as they set foot on land. The airborne troops were also detected early and suffered heavy losses before even touching down. Their on-site command is flawless, and their defenses are airtight. The enemy commander… is formidable."
Though all the Atlantic Federation officers present were members of Blue Cosmos—essentially Muruta Azrael's lackeys—some among them were genuinely capable. Orb's preparations had been too thorough, countering their every move. If not for the fact that everyone involved in planning this operation was a core member of Blue Cosmos, they might have suspected a leak.
Of course, the possibility of a spy couldn't be ruled out, but no one dared to voice it. The most recent internal purge had been orchestrated by the very man standing before them. Knowing Muruta Azrael, anyone who contradicted or embarrassed him wouldn't just lose their position—they might simply vanish.
"I sent those three, didn't I? Why haven't they broken through yet?" Muruta Azrael had full confidence in the operatives he had deployed.
"They've been stalled by three unknown MS units from Celestial Being," an officer reported, downplaying the situation. In reality, the latest reports indicated that all three were being suppressed.
"Celestial Being…" Just hearing the name made Muruta Azrael gnash his teeth. At first, he had genuinely believed Celestial Being were mere mercenaries and had tried every means to recruit them. Yet they had rejected him time and again, refusing even a single meeting. To Muruta Azrael, this was an unforgivable insult. He was the leader of Blue Cosmos, with the entire Atlantic Federation as his playground. How dare they spurn his sincere invitations? If they wouldn't cooperate, then they would be destroyed!
Yet… he had failed. Every secret unit he sent to eliminate Celestial Being either returned empty-handed or disappeared entirely, fueling his hatred even further.
So, from the moment Celestial Being officially revealed themselves in Orb, Muruta Azrael had been plotting against the nation—not just for its technology, but also for personal vengeance.
"Wait… only three units?" Muruta Azrael suddenly asked. If he recalled correctly, Celestial Being had four MS units, and the pilot of one of them was Yang Hui—the very man he had been demanding.
"Correct. The unit you requested hasn't appeared yet."
"...Hah… Hahahaha! So that's it! That's it!" Muruta Azrael's expression twisted into something manic. He guessed that the reason Yang Hui hadn't appeared was because he was commanding the military forces.
Yang Hui's capabilities were well-known to him. As a Natural, he had once sought to recruit Yang Hui into Blue Cosmos, but just like with Celestial Being, he was rejected. After that, he had tried every means to eliminate Yang Hui—he couldn't allow any Natural to surpass him in excellence.
Within Orb, the only commander capable of holding off their assault for so long had to be Yang Hui!
At this realization, Muruta Azrael felt a weight lift from his chest. If Yang Hui was commanding, he couldn't take to the battlefield, meaning one less formidable enemy to face. Though Orb's resistance was fierce, it was only a matter of time. Right now, they were only dealing with the vanguard fleet—the main force was still en route. If they pressed on, Orb wouldn't last. In Muruta Azrael's mind, Yang Hui posed a greater threat as an individual combatant.
"What should we do now?" an officer asked meekly.
"Keep attacking! Orb is just putting up a desperate fight. If we can't break through with force, we'll overwhelm them with numbers!"
"...Understood."
"By the way, didn't we prepare ten of those? Deploy them."
"But... they're not yet complete..."
"I know. Consider this a test. Tools are meant to be used, after all."
"I understand..."
"Raider, Forbidden, Calamity—return to base."
"What?"
"Tch! Useless!"
...
The Earth Forces' three new Gundams—Raider Gundam, Forbidden Gundam, and Calamity Gundam—were being held at bay by Gundam Exia, Gundam Cherudim, and Gundam Virtue. Unlike in the original timeline, they hadn't inflicted massive damage on Orb's defenses. Kira, too, hadn't been tied down by them, allowing him to act as a firefighter, rushing to wherever the front lines wavered.
Even so, the situation remained grim. Fatigue was setting in. Facing wave after wave of Earth Forces' relentless assaults, the defenders' energy and stamina were rapidly depleting, affecting their combat effectiveness. After three hours of nonstop fighting without food or water, many were now sustained only by sheer willpower.
Whether by design or coincidence, Gundam Exia, Gundam Cherudim, and Gundam Virtue, initially spread across three battlefields, had now converged. The three Gundams clashed fiercely with Raider Gundam, Forbidden Gundam, and Calamity Gundam in a chaotic six-way melee.
"Clang—"
"Damn nuisance!" Gundam Cherudim crossed its twin pistols, blocking Forbidden Gundam's Wicked Dragon Guillotine. The blade loomed ominously close to the camera, as if pressed against the pilot's face, but the pistols held firm against the weapon's shaft, locking it in place—neither advancing nor retreating. "Setsuna!"
"Roger—ugh!"
With Forbidden Gundam immobilized, Gundam Exia seized the opportunity, darting in from the side, its Beam Saber gleaming coldly. The strike aimed to bisect Forbidden Gundam—or at the very least, sever its energy-deflecting shield.
But before the blade could rise, alarms blared. Gundam Exia hastily raised its shield just as Thor's Hammer wrecking ball slammed into it, sparks flying. The sheer force sent Gundam Exia reeling.
"Hahaha! Serves you right! Take this!"
With that hammer strike, Clotho repaid the earlier kick. Retracting Thor's Hammer, he immediately transformed into MA mode, the claws on both arms gleaming menacingly. Simultaneously, Beam Sabers flicked out, poised to finish off Gundam Exia in one decisive strike.
At that moment, a thick beam shot forth, forcing the Raider Gundam to ascend sharply to evade.
"Damn it!" Clotho glared hatefully at the Gundam Virtue that had thwarted his hunt. The energy cannon in its mouth, [Scorn], charged up before unleashing a blue-white-red energy blast toward the Gundam Virtue.
Meanwhile, the Calamity Gundam seized the opportunity on the other side, locking onto the Gundam Virtue and firing all weapons to block every possible escape route.
"Haha! Die already!"
"Hmph, I'm not alone!"
Despite facing certain death, Tieria's expression remained unchanged, as if frozen in shock.
But just then, the Gundam Exia suddenly appeared, raising its shield to block the Raider Gundam's energy blast. Simultaneously, the Forbidden Gundam inserted itself between the barrage and the Gundam Virtue in an unnatural maneuver. Shani reacted swiftly enough to adjust his stance before the attack landed, positioning his energy-deflecting shield in front.
"Boom! Boom! Boom…"
The beams were deflected, and solid rounds exploded against the shield. When the smoke cleared, the Forbidden Gundam remained unharmed, though its energy-deflecting shield was now warped and unusable.
"Shani! Stay out of my way!"
"You're the one in the way! Were you trying to kill me?!"
"You're both in my way! Get lost! Final strike—ugh! Aah!"
"Guh—ahhh…!"
"Kuh… ugh…"
The Raider Gundam, Forbidden Gundam, and Calamity Gundam, which had been on the verge of clashing, suddenly ceased all movement, allowing their Mobile Suits to plummet downward.
"What's this? Now's our chance!"
Initially hesitant to act as the three enemy units underwent this abrupt change, Setsuna, Lyle, and Tieria held back. But Lyle suddenly recalled a crucial piece of intel and immediately alerted the other two.
Understanding instantly, Setsuna and Tieria sprang into action. The Gundam Exia drew its beam dagger from its waist and hurled it at the Raider Gundam. The Gundam Cherudim took aim and fired at the Forbidden Gundam, while the Gundam Virtue unleashed a relentless barrage from its shoulders, intent on reducing the Calamity Gundam to scrap.
Yet…
Whether by divine intervention or sheer luck, their attacks all missed. At the very moment the strikes were about to land, the three enemy units regained mobility. Though they couldn't evade completely, they avoided fatal damage. The Raider Gundam took hits to its left arm's [Thor's Hammer] spiked wrecking ball and right arm's ultra-high-velocity shield cannon. The Forbidden Gundam lost both arms along with its [Wicked Dragon] heavy guillotine scythe. The Calamity Gundam shielded its cockpit with the [Beetle Type-II] twin ram horn cannon offense-shield system, leaving it riddled with holes, while its shoulder-mounted [Ram Horn] beam cannons were also destroyed.
"Damn it… time's up? Clotho!"
"Damn you!!!"
The Raider Gundam immediately transformed into its MA form, its claws grabbing the falling Calamity Gundam as it retreated toward its fleet's defensive line, with the armless Calamity Gundam following closely behind.
"Tch, what a wasted opportunity!" Lyle cursed inwardly. If only he had remembered that intel sooner, they could have shot down those three unknown Gundams.
"…"
"Pathetic."
Setsuna's face remained impassive, but the tension in his jaw was evident. Tieria openly berated himself, frustration lacing his words.
The intel on the Enhanced Humans—the Bio-CPUs! They had failed to recall it in time!
Moreover, Gundam Exia, Gundam Cherudim, and Gundam Virtue currently lacked the capability to fly within the atmosphere, making it impossible to pursue the three fleeing mobile suits.
At that moment, Sumeragi relayed new orders to the entire force: "Enemy forces have begun retreating. All units are prohibited from pursuit! I repeat, enemy forces are withdrawing. No pursuit is permitted!"
"Phew~ It's over for now."
Setsuna, Lyle, and Tieria relaxed, exhausted but unharmed. Compared to the sieges they'd endured before, this battle had been child's play.
However, upon their return, they spotted three unfamiliar mobile suits standing opposite Freedom.
"Huh? What's that?"
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