"This…"
The researchers exchanged glances, at a loss for words.
Plasma weapon theory had existed for ages, but putting it into practice was fraught with technical hurdles. Even these mad scientists, notorious for their wild ideas, hadn't cracked those barriers to bring such weapons into reality.
Then, another researcher raised a question. "By the way, the pilot of that Freedom Gundam—are they human or dragon? I carefully listened to the audio from the Moniah, and there wasn't any unusual sound."
"Hm…"
It was another unanswerable question.
Truth be told, they'd almost prefer if the pilot was a dragon.
Dragons were advanced beings with a history of thriving alchemical technology—losing to them wouldn't be shameful. But if a human had already broken through to create Gundam-level tech, and they were clueless about it, unable to even guess the principles behind it…
That would sting.
"There's an old saying: 'Know shame, then find courage.' I hope you all take this as a lesson and work to bring our Equipment Department's mecha into existence soon!" Director Akadulla concluded the discussion with a fist-pounding speech.
…
From that day on, a "mecha fever" swept through Cassell's Equipment Department.
Mobile Suit Gundam, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Transformers—anime and films featuring mecha were looped endlessly on the lab's big screens. Researchers, most well over forty, were spotted watching these on tablets even during late-night snacks, creating a bizarre scene given their age.
Five separate budget proposals for mecha projects were drafted and sent to Principal Angers' inbox, leaving him speechless.
But compared to the Equipment Department's antics, the "Gundam Incident" itself gave Angers a bigger headache.
Mans' report had reached him almost instantly.
Angers had anticipated the mission might fail, but not in this way. It caught him so off guard he didn't know how to react.
So, he fell back on standard protocol: dispatching more personnel to the Three Gorges to investigate while hurrying back to the Academy to consult his old friend, the alchemical master Night Watchman, before deciding his next move.
"Maybe…" he mused.
It might be worth visiting a certain island nation just across the water.
With so many mecha models out there, why was it specifically a Gundam?
That was a question worth pondering.
Perhaps the answer lay in Japan, the birthplace of the Gundam anime series.
…
Meanwhile, in a coastal city in southern , inside a speeding black sedan…
A scene tied to the "Gundam Incident" was unfolding.
"What's this?"
A woman with strikingly long legs and fiery-red eyes curled up in the back seat, tidying her loose hair. She raised an eyebrow at the file folder handed to her from the front.
"A new task from the boss," the driver, a woman, said, glancing at her through the rearview mirror. "I know you just got back from overseas, but this is urgent and needs a pro. There was an incident at the Bronze City. Cassell Academy didn't manage to retrieve Constantine's bone bottle—it was snatched by a Freedom Gundam-lookalike mecha.
"Without that bottle, Norton's awakening might not go as planned, which could be a real hassle. So, we need to head to Sichuan ASAP, figure out who this mystery player is, and find out where they took Constantine."
"?"
The long-legged woman blinked, stunned. "Wait… Gundam? What's that?"
"'General-purpose Utility Non-Discontinuous Augmentation Maneuver,' or Gundam for short," the driver replied. "It's from a Japanese anime. You're telling me you've never heard of it? The details are in that folder—take a look."
"…"
The long-legged woman hesitated, then opened the folder. As she scanned the contents, her face betrayed growing astonishment. "An unidentified third party piloting a mecha resembling a Gundam, possibly female… You're sure the boss isn't pulling our leg? Could someone like this really exist? Even a Dragon King might not…"
"You'd have to ask the boss. I'm just a grunt like you," the driver said with a shrug and a half-joking tone. Then, in the silence that followed, she added, "There's also a report in there about an incident in Japan's Kanto region six months ago.
"Some netizens caught it on camera, leaving photos and videos. The official story was that it was a leaked still from a new Ultraman series, but in reality, the Sheqi Eight Families were conducting a raid on the Oni Clan…"
As she spoke, the long-legged woman pulled out the relevant file.
The photos weren't very clear, showing a Japanese street with a sign in Japanese at one corner. Through the trees and buildings, a massive dark-red figure loomed in the distant sky, wreathed in fiery aura.
It was unmistakably Uchiha Hikari's first appearance in the Dragon Raja world, facing off against the Oni Clan with her Susanoo activated!
The other photos were similar, showing little variation.
"This thing…" Jiu De Mai squinted, as if piecing something together.
The driver spoke up. "Yup, that's the 'Susanoo' from that ninja manga—what's it called? Right, Naruto.
"That's our second task.
"The boss thinks there might be a connection between these two incidents, and we need to confirm it. If necessary, we might even head to Japan to meet with the Sheqi Eight Families in person."
"…Got it."
Though she still had questions, Jiu De Mai was the diligent, no-complaints type. She reviewed the files again, then leaned back in her seat, arms crossed. "I'm gonna catch a quick nap. Haven't slept since coming back from the Americas. Wake me if something comes up."
"Sure."
…
"Is this the canister Cassell Academy fished out of the Bronze City?"
In a hotel a dozen kilometers from Kui Gate, Xia Mi cautiously tapped the bronze canister Hikari had brought back, her face curious.
"Yup," Hikari nodded lightly. "But it's not quite what you thought. This only contains one Dragon King's egg. The other half of the canister is empty… If I'm right, Norton, the elder of the Fire King twins, isn't here anymore."
"?!"
Xia Mi froze.
She didn't know the full story, but this canister had surfaced about eighty years ago, discovered by the Secret Party. That led to Norton's premature awakening and escape, eventually turning him into "Old Tang" in Brooklyn, New York.
Only a few—Angers, the Vice-Principal, Lu Mingze, and a handful of others—knew the details. In a way, they'd orchestrated this twist, though they kept it quiet.
As for Xia Mi, her intelligence network was decent but not deep enough to uncover such specifics.
Still, hearing Norton wasn't in the canister seemed to ease her slightly.
"Phew… That's kinda a relief. I was a bit scared of that guy. He's the one who forged the Seven Deadly Sins to kill off all his younger siblings."
"…Hm?"
Xia Mi's casual remark sparked something in Hikari.
Right.
Among the four twin Dragon Kings, Norton was the master of alchemy, and the Seven Deadly Sins were his masterpiece.
In the original story, they were stored in the Bronze City until months later, when Lu Mingfei's team lost them during a dragon-slaying mission. Lu Mingze's "nanny squad" retrieved them, passing them to Lu Mingfei—or rather, Chu Zihang—who used them to take down the less-than-brilliant Fenrir.
The Seven Deadly Sins were dragon-slaying weapons, activated only by dragon blood, useless to Hikari. But since she was here, grabbing them wouldn't hurt. Worst case, she could sell them to Cassell for a cool hundred million bucks.
If Lu Mingze can cash in, why can't I, the 'White King'?
However, Kui Gate was likely no longer safe.
Cassell, the Secret Party, even Lu Mingze—they all had reason to send people to investigate or stake out the area after this, maybe even infiltrating the Bronze City ahead of schedule.
So, Hikari shifted her focus to another matter.
"How about it, Xia Mi?" She glanced at the bronze canister, then at Xia Mi. "Can you wake this guy up?"