Rusty, the little blond, had been listening to Xiao Ran seriously along with everyone else. When he suddenly heard his own name, he froze for a moment. Looking up, he saw Xiao Ran, wearing sunglasses, apparently staring at him, and hurriedly nodded to show that he would not act rashly.
Xiao Ran waved a hand. "Get ready. Katia's team will begin the attack soon."
"Katia!?" Cagalli looked at Xiao Ran in astonishment. Of course she knew Katia. During Xiao Ran's time in Orb, Cagalli had spent every day hanging around with Katia and the other two girls. She had gotten along extremely well with all three of them, especially Tinia, who was just as impulsive and rough around the edges as she was.
So when she heard Katia's name—and learned that Katia was about to launch an attack on Heliopolis—Cagalli was understandably shocked.
Xiao Ran paid no attention to Cagalli's startled reaction. Holding his gun, he calmly watched the disguised and sealed factory doors as he waited.
Meanwhile, outside Heliopolis, Katia's team emerged from the Apocalypse. They activated combat interference and charged directly toward Heliopolis, openly displaying a fighting stance.
This immediately threw the Main Control Room of Heliopolis into confusion. They kept trying to contact the Apocalypse and Katia's team, which had suddenly assumed an offensive posture, but no matter how many messages they sent, they vanished without any response.
In the Main Command Center, Heliopolis's chief defense commander, having received notice of the attack, wore a grim expression. He kept his eyes fixed on the several units of Katia's team drawing closer on the main screen. Finally, he exchanged an inconspicuous glance with his deputy, and both men's eyes flashed with understanding.
The chief commander stepped forward and loudly ordered the people in the command room, "Make defensive