"Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!"
Once Shiro Amada steadied his Mobile Suit, three streams of gunfire lit up the battlefield.
In the distance, Sanders kept firing, quickly emptying a magazine from his 180mm Cannon.
"The 06 insignia... It's that demon!"
The last Zaku pilot could only shout in terror before Eli's 100mm shell punched through the chest armor and pierced the cockpit.
The Zaku squad had managed to cross the defensive line, but lasted only ten minutes against this special operations team before being wiped out.
Eli's side had suffered only one loss: a gear in the leg of the Gundam Ground Type Shiro Amada was piloting had been put under too much pressure and needed to be repaired or replaced.
That could be taken care of at the temporary outpost on the front line.
When Eli and the others escorted Shiro's Mobile Suit, which could not run for the time being, to the forward outpost under the guidance of Eledore's Type 74 Hover Truck, they found members of the 07th Team already stationed there.
Three battle-scarred GM Ground Types were undergoing maintenance.
"Hey, Eli! How was your first time fighting them?"
The 07th Team's squad leader, who was eating a bowl of mush, wiped his mouth and called out to Eli, who had just parked his Mobile Suit.
At the same time, one of the squad members, quick to pick up on the situation, fetched a serving of food and handed it to Eli as he walked over.
"Same as usual. Just took out a Zaku squad."
Eli accepted the food and lowered his head to eat.
The battle itself had lasted less than ten minutes, but the trip from the base to the battle and then to this outpost had taken quite a while.
Piloting a Mobile Suit for a long time was hard work, and he was already starving.
"How's the situation now?"
Eli asked the 07th Team's squad leader in front of him. Since they had arrived to relieve the previous unit ahead of time, they were sure to know more.
"Zeon launched an all-out attack for some reason, like they're trying to expand their territory. We've had a rough day. We've been attacked by three Zaku squads in succession, not to mention helicopters and the like. Most of the infantry units fighting alongside us have taken heavy losses."
The squad leader shrugged, showing how helpless he felt about the situation.
The GM Ground Type had been developed on the same production line as the Gundam Ground Type because there were so few Gundam Ground Types.
Although it could use all the same equipment as the Gundam Ground Type, its output was still slightly lower.
Fortunately, it had the same Lunar Titanium Alloy armor. Though it was a little thinner, it still offered excellent protection.
So this model was usually used to hold the line, while the Gundam types were used to push it forward. The two complemented each other.
With two-thirds of the land already lost, this was the best strategy they could manage.
"I see. Looks like Zeon's planning something big."
Eli looked toward the medical tent nearby, where wartime surgery was probably underway.
He could also see Karen outside the tent, bandaging the wounds of soldiers who had only suffered minor injuries and hadn't yet received treatment.
Nearby, Shiro Amada had just climbed out of his Mobile Suit. His relatively clean G-suit looked completely out of place in this environment.
He had wanted to help treat the wounded, but when he tried, he realized his gloves were getting in the way.
After Karen sent him away, he awkwardly loosened his collar, trying to let the heat trapped inside escape.
"That guy really is an idiot."
The 07th Team's squad leader didn't hold back.
"Everyone starts out like that."
Eli said nothing more, scooping the mush into his mouth.
This field ration had nothing to recommend it in either taste or texture. Its only redeeming quality was that it was hot.
"We were the same at first. We could barely manage Mobile Suit maintenance."
Like the squad leader, Eli had been among the first pilots deployed there.
Back then, they had only received the most basic Mobile Suit training before being sent out because the front line was under pressure.
The 07th Team's squad leader didn't really have anything against Shiro Amada. It was just that with so little to entertain them during the war, they naturally paid attention to the new face—Shiro Amada—and, by extension, Sanders, the "Grim Reaper."
Eli knew that perfectly well.
"How much longer do you think this war will go on?"
The 07th Team's squad leader had finished eating. He set his mess tin aside and leaned against his squad's Hover Truck, looking as though he might just fall asleep there.
"Who knows? Maybe it'll be over in another six months."
Eli smiled and answered as if it were just a casual remark.
Eli went to get another serving of food, then carried it over to Shiro Amada, who was still standing there in a daze.
"Have something to eat."
Eli held the food out in front of him.
Shiro Amada paused for a moment, then immediately took it.
"Thanks... I did pretty badly today, didn't I?"
After taking the mess tin, Shiro Amada didn't start eating right away. Instead, he asked Eli.
Shiro Amada wasn't the sort to ignore his own failings; he was willing to admit when he'd made a mistake.
Still, for his very first battle to end like this was hard for him to accept.
After all, he had come to this land with lofty ambitions, hoping to make a name for himself.
"It's fine. This was probably your first time fighting on Earth, right? It's normal to struggle when you're not used to the gravity."
Shiro Amada had only just come down to the surface from space. How could Eli possibly hold that against him?
"I wanted to accomplish something that would make Sergeant Joshua look at me with new respect."
Reassured by Eli, Shiro Amada stood there and began eating, one spoonful at a time.
"Karen?"
"Yeah. I get the feeling she looks down on me."
Shiro Amada put the spoon back in the tray and unzipped his G-suit, revealing the T-shirt underneath.
Eli could see that most of Shiro Amada's short-sleeved shirt was soaked with sweat, and his skin showed through the fabric.
"Karen isn't like that. She just shows her concern for you in that way."
Eli turned his gaze toward Karen, who was still bandaging the wounded nearby.
"You said you don't want anyone in the squad to die. She feels the same way. She doesn't want you to get yourself killed by pushing too hard, so she's a little strict with you."
Shiro Amada turned to look as well. Karen's expression was calm as she bandaged a man with an injured thigh.
Watching this woman, so active on the battlefield and so protective of everyone, Shiro Amada felt his resentment and stubbornness slowly fade.
"Yeah... You're right."
Shiro Amada lifted another spoonful of food to his mouth.
"I guess I was being narrow-minded."
Chewing the unappetizing food, Shiro Amada silently encouraged himself.
It was only gravity. He just had to work hard to overcome it!
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