"Three melee-combat units, facing a high-speed, high-mobility unit like the Lightning Aegis with its overwhelming burst firepower... Not to mention that even among C-class Pilots, both my mecha and my own abilities surpass yours several times over. All I can say is that you picked the wrong enemy."
Looking at the miserable state of the three units on the screen, Xiao Ran muttered to himself. However, he did not continue attacking them. He could guess that the pilot of that Gold Astray had to be Orb's Shadow God of War, Rondo Mina Sahaku.
Mina might have appeared here for revenge, or perhaps she had come of her own accord to prevent Orb from suffering even greater losses. Although Mina had her own thoughts and motives, her devotion to Orb was no different from Cagalli's. They had merely chosen different paths, but both wanted to make Orb stronger.
Moreover, the evacuated civilians needed Mina and Heaven's Pillar to protect them. The retreating Orb Army needed Mina to receive them. With no Asaha representative left, Orb—having blown up Akatsuki Works and the Mass Accelerator—also needed Mina to take charge. Once the Earth Force occupied Orb, Mina's Heaven's Pillar would become Orb's last territory and its greatest support in reclaiming its homeland.
So whatever the reason, Xiao Ran had no need to keep attacking Mina. He merely watched Mina seize the damaged Sword Battle Type Calamity and dive into the ocean, searching for the other Sword Battle Type Calamity that had been shot down.
In the distance, two units flew in from the main island and blocked the Earth Force MS that had rushed onto Orb's coastline while Graham, Naluo, and Black Hawk were occupied with the three Gundams. The moment the blue-and-white unit appeared, it painted the entire sky in a riot