Cardias had originally intended to find someone else to test the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam. He had only assumed Xiao Ran wanted to pilot it for a bit of fun, but the final result far exceeded his expectations—far beyond anything he had ever imagined for the RX-0.
No matter what, Cardias had somewhat dazedly accepted the final test results. From what Xiao Ran had displayed before him, Cardias had only come away with one conclusion: basic operations, nothing fancy. Even Cardias found that difficult to accept, but the facts were right in front of him.
At that moment, Cardias finally understood somewhat what Xiao Ran had meant by those words. What exactly did strength represent? This was strength. What Xiao Ran had demonstrated while piloting the RX-0 was strength—a power that surpassed everything else. Judging by the data, it was even more terrifying than Amuro and Char. Of course, that excluded their final battle, because the inconceivable abilities Amuro and Char had displayed then had already exceeded the limits of what Anaheim could quantify with data.
After Xiao Ran left the hangar, a large group of Technicians poured in and began the most meticulous inspection of the Unicorn Gundam. From head to toe, inside and out, everything was subject to inspection. They wanted to understand why the Unicorn Gundam could display such unbelievable abilities in Xiao Ran's hands.
As for asking Xiao Ran to stay and explain why the machine had erupted with such power, neither Cardias nor anyone else dared make such a request of him.
After leaving behind the commotion of the secret factory, Cardias brought Xiao Ran back to his estate. Seated once again in the living room, Cardias looked at Xiao Ran, then at the four people behind him, each occupied with their own business. He wanted