The entire battlefield was painted with green aurora. Even as far away as Earth and the PLANTs, the scene could be witnessed without the need for astronomical telescopes. There was even a faint sense that this green aurora had a momentum that was gradually expanding toward Earth and the PLANTs.
For a time, the battlefield fell into silence once again.
The appearance of Junius 7 formed by the aurora, and its subsequent shattering, brought a massive shock to everyone—especially those in the PLANTs.
Yet, for some reason, the ZAFT soldiers who should have been driven into a blood-fury by this sight felt a wave of calm instead; some even found tears subconsciously trickling from their eyes.
Was it the glare of the aurora affecting their vision? They didn't know.
"I see now. So this is the miracle you wanted to show us..."
Looking at the aurora that had bypassed physical barriers to permeate the command room, drifting right before his eyes, Durandal fell into silence.
Beep-beep... beep-beep... beep-beep...
A sharp, rapid sound rang out—the radar warning for a high-speed target approaching. Durandal glanced at the radar image on the screen. It was a very familiar MA... or rather, one of the two machines that had performed exceptionally well during the previous operation to intercept the nuclear strike.
At that moment, Athrun was piloting the Infinite Justice, closing in on GENESIS with the METEOR unit. He was tasked with destroying GENESIS, but to be honest, he wasn't confident in the task.
Although the Gryps had previously blasted a hole in GENESIS, even self-destructing the METEOR at that breach wouldn't be enough to destroy it.
The best method would be to fly the METEOR inside GENESIS and use the METEOR's reactor for the demolition. However, for some unknown reason, GENESIS was continuously approaching Earth... if he didn't find an entrance to perform the demolition soon, GENESIS might fall directly into Earth's atmosphere.
Thinking of this, Athrun grew anxious, constantly scanning GENESIS in an attempt to find a direct entrance to the interior.
Just as Athrun began to feel a sense of bewildered lostness, a phantom—both familiar and strange—appeared beside him. Athrun turned his head; it was a woman with blue hair, looking at him with an expression of relief.
"Mo... Mother?"
Looking at the phantom, Athrun's eyes widened instinctively, and he froze for a moment. That phantom looked exactly like the photos his mother had left behind; one could even say she hadn't changed at all.
But Athrun quickly snapped back to his senses, gritted his teeth, and gripped the control sticks firmly.
"Is it because of the aurora? No, I can't be distracted now..."
He looked at GENESIS before him, his expression turning solemn.
"If GENESIS isn't destroyed... everything will be over."
As if understanding Athrun's thoughts, the blue-haired woman simply reached out, passing through his helmet to stroke Athrun's head and face. Then, she transformed into a bright star, passing through the cockpit and appearing in front of the Infinite Justice.
Remaining stationary relative to the Infinite Justice, she flew toward GENESIS like a guiding spirit. Along the way, Athrun chased this star trailing its exhaust flame until he finally saw a tightly closed armored gate.
Without hesitation, Athrun drew the beam cannons of the METEOR and blasted open the sealed armored gate, flying all the way through the massive corridor.
The "little meteor" that had been leading the way just now returned to Athrun's cockpit, floating near him.
-----------------------------------
Feeling the vibrations beneath his feet as the armored gate was breached, Durandal knew that the countdown for GENESIS had begun.
But it didn't matter. It had already reached the predetermined area; he no longer required the assistance of these soldiers.
"The Justice has flown inside with the METEOR," Durandal said with total composure. "We cannot stop him. All personnel, abandon ship."
Durandal stated his intent calmly. The soldiers and officers in the command room didn't quite understand his motives and looked toward him instinctively.
"The METEOR is equipment from the special flagship Eternal. Without a doubt, it is powered by a nuclear reactor," Durandal said, looking calmly at the men before him. "Everyone knows the consequences of detonating a nuclear reactor, right?"
With that, Durandal waved his hand.
"Before he detonates it, I am issuing an order in my capacity as a ZAFT Councilor: abandon ship immediately and get out of here."
Under Durandal's command, the ZAFT soldiers gave him a silent salute and quickly filed out of the command room. As they left, the room gradually grew quiet, leaving only the white noise of operating instruments.
Durandal walked to a console where the screen displayed a pre-set flight path and the current trajectory of GENESIS. The explosions and tremors continued, sounding like a clock ticking down the destruction of GENESIS.
Durandal calmly reached out and gripped the lever responsible for the thruster output power.
Although he hadn't become the "final boss" as originally planned, after all the twists and turns, it seemed he was still about to do something similar.
However, Amuro... since you have already displayed two miracles, then let me see. Let me see if these two miracles can move the hearts of these people and make them change.
Despite being utterly despondent over this godforsaken world, looking at the aurora drifting through the command room, Durandal couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.
Two sets of footsteps echoed behind him. Familiar figures appeared.
"Why haven't you left?" Durandal asked without turning around, his eyes fixed on the console.
"...The Minerva is no longer able to set sail." Talia looked at the man before her. She felt that the gloom of worry he once carried had vanished, replaced by a sense of expectation. "Besides, I don't feel right leaving you."
"I will not leave the two of you and go alone."
Compared to Talia's somewhat indirect expression, Rey was much more straightforward. "I will stay here until you evacuate as well."
Though he often spoke of "survival" and similar concepts, and knew staying here meant certain death, he had subconsciously voiced his desire to remain.
"...This is a journey to certain death. It's not too late to get off now."
Durandal instinctively tightened his grip on the control lever. The two behind him remained silent. Durandal let out a sigh.
"I hope you don't regret it."
Durandal sighed again and pulled a hard drive from his pocket. "Rey, help me broadcast the contents of this drive over the public channel."
Watching the display screen showing the Infinite Justice nearing the core of GENESIS, Durandal pushed the lever forward.
While the Infinite Justice was causing explosions throughout the interior, the massive thrusters of GENESIS roared to life, accelerating along the pre-set route.
The destination of this route was not the Gryps, nor the Moon base.
It was descending toward Earth.
-----------------------------------
At this moment, inside the hangar of the Gryps, Lord was clutching his tablet, staring at the images displayed within.
When that crystal-clear Unicorn appeared, he nearly smashed the tablet on the floor.
"Dammit... how can it have no effect?!" Lord screamed in terror. "Do we need MS... Yes, we still have MS! Send... Chaos? Send the Chaos Gundam to destroy him!"
Even though he had already issued the command, Lord felt a wave of fear rising from the depths of his heart.
"No, I have to go. I need to set sail and get back to Earth immediately!"
He turned to look outside the ship. The escort fleet had finished gathering and was methodically starting their engines to depart.
Just as a Drake-class ship flew near the exit of the Gryps dock, preparing to head out for sentry duty—with its bow already protruding significantly—the situation changed.
Without waiting for the Drake-class to move further, the heavy armored gates suddenly slammed shut at extreme speed, slicing the ship in half like a pair of blades.
The Drake exploded violently within the spaceport; massive shards of metal flew in all directions, even shattering the bridge glass of a nearby Rodney-class battleship.
Watching the chaotic scene before him, Lord's eyes widened in shock.
"...You damned bastards, as if I'd ever let you escape!"
Inside the Narrative Gundam, Marvin spoke through gritted teeth as he watched the progress bar finally reach its end. Most of the operational authority for the Gryps was now in his hands; he had even overwritten the highest administrative privileges.
In other words, this superweapon was now essentially under Marvin's control.
His first act was to manipulate the spaceport's armored gates to close. Regardless of whether those inside the Gryps were real people or merely Wets, he intended to lock every living thing inside.
Next, he maneuvered the Gryps to turn. The colossal structure began to shift its orientation, its muzzle pointing toward the Moon base as it began to advance toward the Moon at high speed.
Such a massive movement naturally drew the attention of every soldier present. Just as several Daggers spotted the Narrative gripping the Gryps with its mechanical claws and instinctively raised their rifles, purple-red beams flashed.
The head monitors and right hands of the Daggers were easily destroyed. Three Jestas—their paint schemes enough to make one's eyes go dark—weaved through the battlefield on their flight sub-units, systematically disabling the limbs and sensors of any MS that dared to point a weapon at the Narrative.
After all, under the impact of the previous aurora, a vast number of Blue Cosmos units had their engines dismantled, turning them into floating coffins. Under these circumstances, the Jesta pilots could afford to show mercy to these Daggers piloted by ordinary soldiers.
However, after witnessing the next scene, the Jestas no longer had the heart to continue stripping the remaining MS of their combat capabilities.
The Gryps had just been pushed away from this sector of space, but in their field of vision, the battered GENESIS was now charging toward Earth at a speed visible to the naked eye.
-----------------------------------
At this time, piloting the Chaos Gundam, the last surviving Extended Human, Sting, raised his shield to block a kick from the Duel.
As the battle raged on, he felt himself reaching his limit. Despite the Chaos being a newer model, which by all logic should be superior to an old machine like the Duel, he was being completely suppressed. He had no room to counterattack and was forced into a desperate series of evasive maneuvers.
Just moments ago, he had even received orders from headquarters to take down the Unicorn.
Huh? Take down the Unicorn? Me?
Even for someone as relatively level-headed as Sting, he could only let out a helpless sigh upon hearing such an command.
From the moment the Gryps fired upon the PLANT homeland, followed by its subsequent attack on the Unicorn—which stood in the path of the beam—Yzak's "blood fury" had been stacking continuously. At this moment, Yzak wanted nothing more than to tear the Chaos apart with his bare hands.
"You bastards..."
Yzak roared over the communication channel. He seemed to want to say more, but in the end, it devolved into a primal scream of rage: "Ugh, AHHHH!"
As Yzak pulled the trigger, the electromagnetic cannon on the Duel's shoulder began firing shells relentlessly at the Chaos. However, after only two rounds, the cannon ran dry.
"Now's my chance!"
Seeing the Duel's movement stutter, Sting gritted his teeth and forced his machine to pivot, preparing to break away from the engagement.
But in the next second, two thick yellow beams accurately struck the pods behind the Chaos—pods that had already exhausted their ammunition and were serving only as thrusters.
"What was that?!"
Seeing his thruster components go offline, Sting's eyes widened instinctively as he threw his shield up by reflex.
The heavily modified Verde Buster suddenly dropped from above the Chaos. Wielding two massive firearms modified from shotgun barrels and equipped with bayonets, it slashed down at the Chaos's shield. The sheer output of the strike sent the Chaos reeling backward.
Then, the Buster casually tossed the left-hand shotgun-blade behind the Chaos while leveling the right-hand weapon at the shielded enemy.
A dense, powerful spread of buckshot erupted from the muzzle, hammering against the Chaos's shield. The massive impact caused the Chaos's posture to buckle.
Sting hadn't even processed this rapid-fire sequence of interference when, in the next heartbeat, a fully enraged Yzak maneuvered the ammunition-depleted Duel to snatch the shotgun-blade the Buster had just thrown.
After completing the weapon interface sync via the universal connector, Yzak pressed the muzzle directly against the Chaos's thrusters and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Under the continuous bombardment, the Chaos's thrusters were annihilated, followed by its engine and cockpit, until Sting was struck by the buckshot and vanished from this world.
"Huff... huff..."
Yzak panted, finally finding the breath to look at the Buster before him. Compared to its previously simple appearance, this Buster had changed significantly, yet Yzak recognized it instantly.
"Dearka?"
"Yeah, it's me." Dearka's tone carried a hint of awkwardness. "I've been a prisoner this whole time; they only let me out recently."
"Then why didn't you come back?" Yzak's brow furrowed instinctively.
"Ah, well, that's a long story..."
"If it's a long story, then let's save it for later, you two."
At that moment, Nicol, who had been providing cover fire for Yzak, maneuvered the Blitz alongside the Duel and the Buster and pointed in a specific direction.
"GENESIS is crashing into Earth... we have a problem."
-----------------------------------
After a period of ramming and explosions, the Infinite Justice, carrying the METEOR, finally arrived at the core area of GENESIS.
Along the way, Athrun had seen many ZAFT soldiers evacuating. However, after watching them bypass him, he didn't bother with them. At this moment, destroying GENESIS was the only thing that mattered.
Staring at the core of GENESIS before him, Athrun entered a string of codes into the METEOR without hesitation.
As Athrun was inputting the codes, a document regarding Blue Cosmos and LOGOS began to circulate throughout the public channel.
..........
For advance chapters: [email protected]/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)