The void before Solomon burned with light.
Dozens of Federation cruisers advanced in steady formation, their hulls gleaming like silver knives against the black. Every ship's reactor pulsed through Minovsky fog, and sensor interference turned the stars into a faint blur.
From the flagship Ananke, General Revil stood motionless before the holographic map. Blue icons blinked—friendly fleets—while red flares marked Zeon's defensive lines. His reflection on the glass looked older than before.
"...Begin approach formation," he ordered quietly.
Across channels, confirmation lights flickered green. The final march had begun.
---
In the Maintenance Bay — Ra Cailum Prototype
The atmosphere was thick with the sound of tools and generators.
Sparks cascaded off an open GM torso as Lieutenant Gary Lin leaned forward, tightening a coolant valve with oil-stained gloves. A loose wire crackled beside him, leaving a faint ozone smell in the air.
"...Reactor balance at sixty-five percent," an engineer reported.
"Not good enough," Gary muttered. "These units will melt if we push full thrust during reentry."
The man grumbled but followed orders.
Gary sat back, resting on a crate, eyes half-closed. His body still remembered Jaburo — the smell of smoke, the screams in the comm, the crimson flash of Zeon's experimental beam cannon that erased half his squad.
"If they had just one more battalion," he whispered, "we'd be the ones hiding in the dirt right now."
He let the thought fade as he reached for his canteen, swallowing the metallic-tasting water that had become all too familiar.
Then — a chime.
Soft, crystalline, and unmistakable.
[System Notification: Daily Missions Completed.]
[Reward: +500 Points. Current Balance: 8,000.]
A faint blue interface shimmered before his eyes, invisible to everyone else. The System — his secret. His curse. His only edge in this war.
He exhaled slowly, resting his head against the cold hull beside him.
"Eight thousand, huh? Enough to get something decent…"
The interface expanded into a floating window labeled:
> System Shop – Special Access Menu
1. Blueprint: Wing Gundam (Zero Frame)
2. Summon: 5 Slice-of-Life Characters + 2 Sci-Fi Characters
Gary frowned. "You've got to be kidding me…"
Building a Wing Gundam meant long-term investment — complex energy routing, nonstandard alloy, and an advanced AI core he could barely replicate with Federation resources. Even if he got the blueprint, it would take months, maybe more.
He didn't have months. The Battle of Solomon was already on the horizon.
He rubbed his temples. "Building takes time... summoning takes chaos."
His last summon sessions had proven that too well — a reckless samurai who challenged tanks with a smile, a tactical AI that wouldn't shut up about tea protocols, a magical girl who once nearly destroyed a comm satellite "for fun."
He sighed. "Slice-of-life, my ass. You're just pulling randoms, aren't you?"
The System pulsed again:
[Decision Required: Choose one reward path.]
[Warning: Time-sensitive operation detected — Solomon battle predicted within 4 hours.]
Gary looked up, watching a group of mechanics cross the bay. The intercom buzzed with Revil's distant voice issuing deployment orders. His heartbeat echoed faintly in his ears.
He clenched his hand. "No time to build. No time to plan. Fine—"
"We gamble again."
The System's font flickered like it was amused.
[Confirmation: Special Summon – Federation Side Only?]
"Do it."
A mechanical hum vibrated through the hangar floor.
Energy readings spiked across the Ra Cailum's deck — unnoticed by the crew, masked by Minovsky distortion.
Panels trembled. Tools rolled off tables. A sharp beam of blue light lanced upward, warping the air.
Gary stood firm, wind whipping at his coat as the System spoke one final time:
[Special Summon Protocol: Engaged.]
[Target Synchronization: Federation Universe Link – ACTIVE.]
[Randomized Selection in Progress...]
The light grew blinding, swallowing his surroundings in a wave of azure brilliance.
Gary's eyes narrowed. "Let's see who answers this time..."
The hum became a roar —
and then, silence.
Gary blinked at the empty space before him. Nothing. No flash, no person, just silence.
> [SYSTEM REPORT]
Summon successful. Entity placed in separate operational zone.
"...You serious?" he muttered. "So I just pulled someone in and they're not even here?"
> [SYSTEM CONFIRMATION]
Affirmative. Entity classified as Strategic Support – Type: Advisor.
Name: Oreki Houtarou.
Skill: "Future Insight."
Gary raised an eyebrow. "Future insight? You mean he can see the future?"
> [SYSTEM RESPONSE]
Negative. Subject possesses hyper-rational deduction and passive pattern awareness approximating precognition. In human terms… instinct approaching the concept of "Haki."
Gary whistled under his breath. "Great. A guy who can predict things without trying. That's either terrifying or useless, depending on who he's talking to."
The console light faded. The hum of engines returned. Gary sat in silence, unaware that far above, on Luna's Federation Command HQ, a confused young man with half-closed eyes was already analyzing a map of Zeon troop movements beside General Revil—his calm voice the first quiet ripple in the storm to come.
> [SYSTEM NOTICE]
First summon integrated successfully.
Gary smiled faintly. "Guess the dice weren't that bad after all."
> [SYSTEM NOTICE]
Federation Summon Cycle: Second Phase Ready.
Summon Points Remaining – Slice of Life: 2 / Sci-Fi: 1
Gary sighed. "All right. Round two. Maybe this one doesn't end up sitting in Luna drinking coffee with Revil."
He flicked open the interface, the faint hum of the console filling the air. "Special summon again, Federation side."
> [SYSTEM QUERY]
Confirm summon? Host current mental state: 72% fatigue, 15% sarcasm.
"Yeah, yeah, confirm before I change my mind."
The lights dimmed slightly as energy data flared again through the console.
A ripple of code formed, then dispersed like dust in zero gravity.
> [SYSTEM SUMMON – ACTIVE]
Designating Entity...
Allocating coordinates: Federation Cadet Corps – Solomon Approach Fleet.
Summon complete.
Gary frowned. "Cadet Corps? Wait—System, what kind of summon did you just—"
> [SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION]
Entity: Isagi Yoichi.
Origin classification: Slice of Life – Subtype: Sports Drama.
Perk – 'Ego Field': When isolated or outnumbered, all physical, cognitive, and reactional stats increase by 500%.
Gary blinked, speechless. "You're telling me… a soccer player?"
> [SYSTEM CONFIRMATION]
Affirmative. Blue Lock Program participant. High ego-based adaptive combat potential. Hostility threshold: Variable.
He stared at the data panel, utterly lost. "How does a sports series even count as slice of life? They're borderline superhuman!"
> [SYSTEM RESPONSE]
Slice of Life qualification determined by non-lethal thematic structure.
Subject did not kill. Only destroyed dreams of peers.
Gary's jaw dropped. "Destroyed dreams…? You're actually counting that?"
> [SYSTEM STATEMENT]
Emotional destruction qualifies as non-fatal conflict. Ergo: slice of life.
He rubbed his face, half laughing, half horrified. "So that's the scale now? Next thing you'll tell me cooking competitions qualify as psychological warfare."
> [SYSTEM NOTE]
Host's sarcasm detected.
Gary leaned back against the wall, shaking his head. "All right, fine. Drop him where he's needed. Maybe he can kick Zeon into submission."
> [SYSTEM RESPONSE]
Entity deployed to Federation Cadet 3rd Division, currently en route to Solomon. Subject motivation: 'Prove ego through battlefield survival.'
Gary stared into the void outside the viewport, where the endless lights of warships lined up for the coming slaughter.
Somewhere among them, a young cadet with dark hair and sharp blue eyes clenched his fists inside a cramped MS hangar, staring at the Federation's outdated GM.
Isagi Yoichi felt his pulse quicken — not from fear, but from the raw, burning ego that defined him.
> This field... this battlefield... I'll score here too.
> [SYSTEM NOTICE]
Second summon integrated successfully.
Gary muttered, "A soccer player, a detective, and an upcoming bloodbath. Great. Just great."
He pushed himself off the railing, muttering, "Next time, I'm summoning a cook or a therapist."