Shiro Amada's Obsession

"Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!"

Once Shiro Amada stabilized his Mobile Suit, three lines of gunfire instantly illuminated the battlefield.

In the distance, Sanders kept firing continuously, rapidly emptying a magazine from his 180mm Cannon.

"The 06 emblem... it's that demon!"

The pilot of the final Zaku managed only this terrified cry before a 100mm shell fired by Eli pierced his chest armor and tore through the cockpit.

This Zaku squad, which had struggled so hard to cross the defensive line, lasted only ten minutes against this special operations team before being completely wiped out.

The only loss on Eli's side was a gear under excessive pressure in the leg of the Gundam Ground Type piloted by Shiro Amada, which required maintenance and replacement.

Fortunately, this could be resolved at the temporary outpost on the front line.

When Eli and the others escorted Shiro's machine—which was temporarily unable to run—to the outpost under the guidance of the Type 74 Hover Truck driven by Eledore, members of the 07th Team were already stationed there.

Three battle-scarred GM Ground Types were currently undergoing maintenance.

"Yo! Eli, first time fighting alongside them—what's your take?"

The captain of the 07th Team, who was busy eating a bowl of mush, wiped his mouth and shouted toward the pilot who had just parked his machine.

At the same time, a nearby squad member, showing great initiative, grabbed a ration and handed it to Eli as he walked over.

"It was alright. Just finished off a Zaku squad."

Eli took the food and lowered his head to eat.

Although the actual combat had lasted less than ten minutes, a significant amount of time had been spent traveling from the base to the battlefield and then to this outpost.

Operating an MS for long periods was physically demanding, and he was starving by now.

"How's the situation on the front?"

Eli asked the 07th Team captain; having arrived earlier to rotate in, they certainly knew more intelligence.

"Zeon launched a full-scale offensive for some reason, as if they're trying to expand their occupied territory. We've had a rough day, suffering attacks from three successive Zaku squads, plus helicopters and the like. The infantry units fighting alongside us have taken heavy casualties."

The captain shrugged, expressing his helplessness regarding the current state of affairs.

The GM Ground Type was a machine developed using the same production line as the Gundam Ground Type due to the latter's scarcity.

While it could use all the same equipment as the Gundam Ground Type, its power output was slightly inferior.

Fortunately, its armor was also made of Lunar Titanium Alloy, which, despite being thinner, still provided excellent defensive performance.

Therefore, this model was mostly used on the battlefield to hold the front line, while the Gundam types were used to push and expand it; the two complemented each other.

With two-thirds of the land now fallen, this was the best operational model available.

"I see. It looks like Zeon is planning something big."

Eli looked toward the medical tent not far away, where wartime surgeries were surely underway.

He could see Karen's figure outside the tent, bandaging the wounds of soldiers who had only sustained minor injuries and were still waiting for treatment.

Nearby, Shiro Amada, who had just climbed out of his machine, looked completely out of place in this environment with his still-clean anti-G suit.

He wanted to help with the rescue efforts, but as soon as he tried, he found that the gloves of his suit hindered his movements.

Chased away by Karen, he loosened his collar with an unnatural expression, trying to let the trapped heat escape.

"That guy really is an idiot."

The 07th Team captain commented without mercy.

"Everyone goes through that phase, don't they?"

Eli replied noncommittally, shoveling the mush into his mouth.

This field ration had nothing to brag about in terms of texture or taste; its only benefit was that it was a hot meal.

"We were the same way at the beginning, fumbling around even with basic MS maintenance."

Like this captain, Eli was among the first batch of pilots deployed here.

Back then, they had only received the most basic MS piloting tutorials before being sent out because the front line was stretched thin.

The 07th Team captain didn't actually have a grudge against Shiro Amada; it was just that in this war, starved for entertainment, they naturally focused on a new face like Shiro, with the "Death God" Sanders also drawing plenty of attention.

Eli was well aware of this.

"How much longer do you think this war will last?"

The 07th Team captain had finished his meal, set his tray aside, and leaned back against his team's hover truck, looking as if he might fall asleep right there.

"Who knows? Maybe it'll be over in another six months."

Eli smiled and answered the question as if it were a casual thought.

Eli went to grab another portion of food and carried it toward Shiro Amada, who was still standing there aimlessly.

"Eat something."

Eli held the food out in front of him.

Shiro Amada was slightly taken aback, but he took it immediately.

"Thanks... I performed pretty poorly today, didn't I..."

After taking the mess kit, Shiro Amada didn't start eating right away; instead, he asked Eli.

Shiro Amada was not an oblivious person, and he was willing to admit his own mistakes.

However, ending up with such a result in his very first combat mission was still a reality that was hard for Shiro Amada to accept.

Regardless of anything else, he had come to this land harboring grand ambitions, wanting to achieve some sort of merit.

"It's fine. This was probably your first time fighting on Earth, right? It's normal to be like this when you aren't used to the gravity."

Shiro Amada had only just arrived on the ground from space; how could Eli possibly be harsh on him?

"I just wanted to achieve results that would make Sergeant Joshua look at me with new eyes."

Hearing Eli's consolation, Shiro Amada just stood there, eating his meal spoonful by spoonful.

"Karen?"

"Yeah, I just get the feeling that she really looks down on me."

Shiro Amada placed his spoon back onto the tray and reached up to unzip his G-suit, revealing the T-shirt underneath.

Eli could see that Shiro Amada's short-sleeved shirt was already more than half-soaked with sweat, making the skin beneath the fabric visible.

"Karen isn't that kind of person. It's just that this is her way of showing she cares about you."

Eli cast his gaze toward Karen, who was not far away, still bandaging the wounded.

"You said you didn't want anyone in the squad to die. It's the same for her; she doesn't want you to die because you were pushing yourself too hard, which is why she's a bit harsh on you."

Shiro Amada turned his head to look as well, watching Karen calmly bandage someone with a leg injury.

Watching this woman who was active on the battlefield and cherished every single person, the slight resentment and stubbornness in Shiro Amada's heart slowly dissipated.

"Hah, I suppose you're right."

Shiro Amada shoveled another mouthful of food into his mouth.

"I guess I'm the one who's being narrow-minded."

Chewing the unappetizing food, Shiro Amada silently cheered himself on.

It's just gravity, he thought; I'll just have to work hard to overcome it!