The two mechs faced each other. Whether it was the greatsword in Basak's mech or the outstretched palm of Chitose's mech, neither needed even the time of a blink to unleash an attack upon the other.
One strike from Basak's blood-soaked greatsword could shatter Chitose's armor and cleave her mech in two. Chitose's attack, meanwhile, possessed the power of space-time. At such close range, once it was unleashed, Basak would have had no chance of escaping.
But at that moment—or rather, from the moment before—Chitose Kisaragi's lack of combat experience, low level, limited knowledge, and inadequate ability to handle sudden developments had been completely exposed. This attack had merely been a reflexive action born of panic. While that alone showed that Chitose Kisaragi absolutely possessed the potential to become a super ace, she was, after all, not yet one.
In Xiao Ran's eyes, Soji Okita might have shared the same protagonist template as Chitose Kisaragi, but even Soji, who had fought alongside the Victory Fleet all the way to this point, could not yet be considered a true super ace. He was still some distance away from genuine super aces like Amuro, Kira, and Athrun. Chitose Kisaragi, who was far inferior even to Soji, naturally possessed no such capability.
And the opponent Chitose Kisaragi now faced was Basak in a state of complete berserk frenzy—a Basak who had lost more than seventy percent of his reason, leaving behind only the desire to fight, Bloodlust, murderous intent, instincts more terrifying than those of a beast, and a nature wholly transformed into the purest combat instinct.
At this moment, Basak's perception of danger was undoubtedly beyond anything anyone in the Victory Fleet could match. The instant Chitose Kisaragi extended her mech's arm, Basak's more direct, agile, and practically unbelievable all-direction integrated control