Just as Draco had said.
This "study material" had dealt them a tremendous blow.
"How was it?"
Draco asked coldly, watching the two of them remain stunned even after the footage ended.
"I have to admit, he could probably take on ten of us..."
Even Moody, who was usually confident, could only offer a wry smile as he continued.
"My instincts tell me that if we ran into that man, we probably wouldn't make it out alive."
"But how does he do it?"
"They're both Ginn, so how can he be that much faster?"
As elites, whether to know their enemy or to prepare to pilot the machines, they had thoroughly studied the Ginn's manual.
No matter how they looked at it, Le Creuset's speed exceeded the limits of an ordinary Ginn.
Even the flames from his thrusters were several times larger than everyone else's.
"He must have removed the limiter."
As Xu De spoke, the confidence he had felt after grasping Dual-Handed Combat sank back down.
If he really had to face Le Creuset...
Even if he used both hands at once, it would only be a question of whether he died sooner or later.
The gap between them was still too great.
"Then how does he control it?"
Moody said it without thinking, then realized he'd asked a pointless question.
"Coordinator superhumans, huh..."
Moody's desire for revenge quietly faded.
With the other man at that level, going after him wouldn't be revenge. It would be a death wish.
"Another year..."
Xu De's thoughts, however, weren't quite the same as Moody's.
Unless he gave up on piloting a Gundam, he might still end up facing Le Creuset.
He would certainly try to avoid a direct confrontation when the time came.
But who could say for sure?
Xu De didn't fight battles he wasn't prepared to win.
Taking the worst-case scenario into account and preparing a contingency plan was the safest course of action.
Being a Gundam pilot let him enjoy the privileges of an elite, but it came with risks like this.
He already knew roughly when the enemy would invade. All he had to do now was gain an advantage in timing and get his hands on a Gundam early.
With specialized training and the difference in machine performance, it wasn't impossible.
Even if Le Creuset was a red-clad elite, even if he was the boss, his combat ability would certainly be greatly reduced while piloting a Ginn or a CGUE.
"Well, let's call it a day. My girlfriend's waiting for me."
After they'd spent another half day analyzing things, Moody glanced at his watch and waved.
"Girlfriend?"
Still lost in his own thoughts, Xu De repeated the word without thinking when he heard it.
"Yeah, didn't I tell you~?"
"I have a girlfriend, you know~ She's a cute communications officer. Beautiful, with a sweet voice."
Moody grinned, his smile utterly punchable.
"No one asked."
Draco gave his usual cold snort.
Moody didn't mind Draco's attitude in the slightest. He simply smiled at Xu De again.
"So, what do you say? Want me to introduce you to a few girls?"
"Phoenix isn't someone you want to mess with."
Xu De continued, clearly aware that Moody had heard the news too.
"No, thanks."
"Fine, but you don't last very long. I'll give you some special training sometime."
"?"
As Xu De glared at him, looking ready to hit someone, Moody grinned and ushered the two of them out.
Meanwhile, Draco walked out alongside Xu De. His expression was as cold as ever as he said,
"Moody has a point. You'll have to figure it out for yourself."
"Duration?"
Xu De shot back.
"Phoenix..."
At Xu De's crude remark, Draco's aristocratic composure cracked for a brief moment.
Then he strode off as well.
Xu De watched Draco leave, then quickly looked away.
He had to keep getting stronger.
He needed both information and his own power base.
He couldn't give up on Phoenix.
He didn't have a cheat or a system.
If he followed the normal path, it would take a long time to climb to the top.
So he needed power, money, and strength. He couldn't afford to lack any of them.
Thinking of this, Xu De looked again at his copy of Le Creuset's footage, which he'd duplicated for everyone.
If he could get Le Creuset to train him specifically, then he'd have a much better chance of facing him in the future.
Even with his brains, it was difficult to simulate Le Creuset's moves.
After all, if he could already anticipate Le Creuset's actions in his head, why would he still be afraid of him?
"Where can I find a sparring partner who's close to Le Creuset's level?"
Xu De began to ponder.
Mu was the first possibility, but even if Mu piloted a Ginn now, he probably wouldn't be all that impressive. Rather than a Ginn he was only half-familiar with, the Zero would let him display his full potential.
At least, that was what the data said.
Besides, Mu was an elite from the upper ranks. It was basically impossible to ask him to be a sparring partner.
Could Xu De only watch videos?
Xu De kept turning it over in his mind.
"The simulation system's AI is still too..."
At that thought, Xu De's train of thought suddenly came to a halt.
Come to think of it, the simulator's AI wasn't bad.
At the very least, it felt like an ordinary Coordinator grunt.
Its various judgment functions were also quite sophisticated.
It even avoided using the same move twice in a single battle.
In other words, it had a basic ability to learn.
Even if it wasn't AI, it was close enough. In any case, it was much more flexible than an ordinary computer.
"Can it simulate Le Creuset's fighting style?"
Xu De murmured.
He wanted to give it a try, but he wasn't any sort of expert. Looking at the simulator before him, he had no idea where to start.
"Call someone in? But who?"
Xu De thought it over, then quickly pulled up Revil's contact information.
If he didn't know something, someone else probably would.
He'd already asked Bella for help too many times, and she seemed busy talking things over with her family lately. His two teammates also seemed to have things keeping them occupied.
Revil had just gone to the Eighth Fleet, and Xu De hadn't spoken with him yet. Now that he had money, he should repay Revil for the favor he'd done him before.
Having made up his mind, Xu De dialed Revil's number.
This communication channel was only available to officers on the Moon Base, a small privilege for junior officers.
"Xu, what made you call me all of a sudden?"
Revil's voice soon came through the communicator.
"I'd like to invite you to dinner."
Xu De replied with a smile.
"You've got money now, huh?"
Revil laughed and chided him, then said,
"I'm free tonight. You pick the place."
"All right."
And just like that, they'd arranged a simple dinner.
"I didn't know you had such expensive tastes."
Looking at the private dining room, decorated in a Chinese style, Revil remarked, then reminded him,
"But even if you have money now, you can't go spending it recklessly."
"Otherwise, when you retire..."
This was the same place where Bella had treated Xu De to a meal before.
A single meal here would cost tens of thousands at the very least. Even with Revil's salary, he wouldn't come unless there was a special occasion.
Revil didn't finish what he was saying, but his words were clearly a veiled jab at the Atlantic's retirement benefits.
Still, judging from Revil's smile, he was quite pleased.
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