Chapter 406: Joining Angel (2)
After Fon broke out of the encirclement of asteroids, Tolle immediately opened fire with his beam rifle in a sweeping barrage.
"Oh, not bad."
Fon accelerated and evaded smoothly, easily dodging the beam shots.
Then he raised his twin GN beam machine guns and fired back at the white Astraea Gundam piloted by Tolle.
Tolle likewise dodged with ease. After quickly closing the distance, he slashed at the opposing MS with his Proto GN Sword.
Fon countered with his own Proto GN Sword. The two exchanged blows back and forth, probing each other's strength.
In the training room, Wang Liu Mei and Sherilyn watched the battle footage in astonishment. Neither had expected Tolle's piloting skills to match Fon's, an official Gundam Meister, so evenly.
However, as time passed, Tolle gradually began to be suppressed by Fon's completely unpredictable fighting style.
Tolle muttered helplessly, "As expected of Madman Fon—the strongest Gundam pilot at this stage. Looks like my piloting skills still need improvement. But I'm not going to lose that easily."
Refusing to accept defeat, Tolle immediately activated the Focus Command, the NT active skill, and the Burst Mode skill all at once.
With those abilities activated, the white Astraea Gundam on the screen instantly moved with far greater speed.
Charging forward, Tolle brought his Proto GN Sword down in a single strike, destroying Fon's twin GN beam machine guns.
Fon refused to back down, swiftly retaliating with the head-mounted GN vulcan guns.
Tolle pulled the control stick sharply, flipped backward, and executed a full 360-degree spinning kick, sending Fon's MS flying.
He then quickly used the beam rifle to unleash continuous suppressive fire.
Sent flying by the kick, Fon struggled to regain control, pulling back on the stick and retreating behind a nearby asteroid to evade the beam barrage.
Surveying the surrounding asteroid field, Tolle decided to secure victory quickly while he still had time left. He slung the beam rifle onto his back and switched his left hand to a GN beam saber.
He then rushed toward Fon at full speed.
After several exchanges using their Proto GN Swords and GN beam sabers, Fon, now at a disadvantage, quickly widened the distance, intending to use the asteroid field to block Tolle's advance.
But this time, he failed. The moment the red Astraea Gundam turned around, the white Astraea Gundam severed one of its legs with a GN beam saber.
Tolle pressed the advantage, executing a swift cross slash that reduced Fon's red Astraea Gundam to a limbless MS pole.
Finally, he destroyed the cockpit, ending the battle.
Tolle quickly deactivated his skills and mental commands.
"Lost, lost."
Fon stepped out of the cockpit with a nonchalant expression and said to Tolle, who had also emerged, "No wonder VEDA has its eye on you as an ace pilot. Not bad."
Sherilyn and Wang Liu Mei hurried over to the training machines, both looking nervous as they stared at Tolle, who was drenched in sweat and slightly weak.
"Are you okay?" they asked in unison.
"I'm fine. I just concentrated too hard earlier. Now that I've relaxed, I feel a bit weak." Tolle reassured them before adding, "Though it would help if you two could support me. My legs are a little shaky."
The two exchanged an awkward glance, then each helped him on one side and slowly guided him to a nearby chair.
Meanwhile, Fon, who looked completely unaffected, saw through Tolle's feigned unsteadiness and curled his lips. "Tch, that playboy really knows how to have fun," he muttered.
After resting for a while, Sherilyn introduced Tolle to everyone at the base, officially welcoming him into the team.
Following some conversation, she handed Tolle a quantum computer connected to VEDA and granted him retina-activated access along with Level 4 clearance.
Only when Tolle alone looked at the screen would it connect to VEDA and display his personal data. The moment he looked away or someone else came near, it would automatically switch and conceal the information.
This allowed him to stay in contact with them even when he was away from the base, as well as work on projects such as designing alternative energy sources for MS units.
On the way out of Celestial Being's base, Tolle looked at the lively and charming Wang Liu Mei beside him. He truly did not want her to become the unhinged woman she would later turn into. Unable to hold back, he advised her, "Liu Mei, Celestial Being might be fine, but don't become too obsessed with it. And don't expose your identity in front of too many people."
"Why?" Wang Liu Mei looked at him suspiciously. She had always wanted to use Celestial Being to change her situation, so his words immediately made her unhappy.
Thinking about what would happen later—and how Wang Liu Mei would go mad after Celestial Being was destroyed—Tolle answered gravely, "Celestial Being's ideal of 'eradicating all conflict in the world' is too idealistic.
Human nature is selfish. There's no guarantee that some people at the top won't exploit it for their own purposes.
And if the world truly eliminates conflict, it will need a sacrifice.
Celestial Being just happens to be the most suitable sacrifice for the establishment of a new government. If you get too deeply involved, you'll be dragged down with it."
"That's way too alarmist," Wang Liu Mei said, though she had already calmed down somewhat from the sudden fear his words stirred.
Tolle continued as he watched her shifting expression, "Of course, a new government established by those with ulterior motives might not be reliable either.
If they do something that enrages the world, Celestial Being might rise from the ashes and be reborn. And at that time, the new government could become the true sacrifice for world peace.
So don't ever burn all your bridges. Always leave yourself a way out, just in case."
"That completely contradicts itself! First Celestial Being is destroyed, then it rises from the ashes? If you don't give me a reasonable explanation, I won't let this go," Wang Liu Mei said, crossing her arms and glaring at him.
"With someone as intelligent as Aeolia Schenberg, do you really think he wouldn't have calculated the darkness of human nature and the conflicts of interest among those in power when he created a plan to eradicate conflict?"
Tolle met her gaze and continued, "He definitely considered it. Even as a hypothesis, he would have factored it in.
For example, that someone might eventually locate VEDA and seize control of it for their own purposes."
"That can't be…"
Seeing her growing fearful, Tolle reassured her, "You don't need to worry too much. If something like that really happens, Aeolia must have anticipated it long ago.
Perhaps the moment they find and take control of VEDA, it will automatically delete the entire list of Celestial Being's members from its system.
Otherwise, his plan wouldn't deserve the name 'eradicating all conflict in the world.'"
---
[I'm begging for support, everyone. Please help! Support me at patreøn.com/craxx_real.]