Haman VS Flay: The Red-Haired Young Lady's Showdown

Following the intense battle with the Rau Le Creuset team, Luther observed his own mobile weapon units returning one after another as he made his way back to the Gwameir. The hangar was a hive of activity, with mobile weapons, small shuttles, and work pods busy with search-and-rescue operations and cargo transport.

Furthermore, at the extreme edge of the Time Observer's sensor range, several non-armed vessels appeared, seemingly devoid of any hostile intent.

By the time Luther piloted the Time Observer back into the Gwameir's mobile weapon hangar, he was greeted by an exceptionally lively scene.

Beyond his own mobile weapons, which had returned without a single loss and were undergoing standard docking and maintenance, the scene was chaotic.

Maintenance crews were busy securing the red and blue Astray Gundams, both of which remained largely intact, into their docking bays.

The Gold Astray, however, had a gaping hole in its cockpit—its pilot having undoubtedly been vaporized—and was currently piled in a corner of the hangar alongside various parts from other Astray series units in two other colors, waiting to be dismantled for spare parts or reassembled at a later time.

Haman's Newtype-use Bigro Custom, Claw Under, had several rescue pods from the Heliopolis shelters lined up in front of it. Most of the Orb civilians from Heliopolis were being guided out of the hangar toward the residential quarters by soldiers in Principality of Zeon uniforms, though a few remained, crowding around Haman's machine to watch the spectacle.

As for the source of the "spectacle," Haman was poking her head out of her cockpit, engaged in a heated exchange with someone below, her expression already on the verge of an explosion.

Yet, the moment she noticed Luther piloting his machine into the hangar, Haman abandoned the "spectacle" without hesitation and drifted over toward him, looking delighted.

Once he confirmed his unit was hoisted and secured, Luther opened the cockpit of the Time Observer and caught Haman firmly as she lunged at him.

Holding the pouting Haman, Luther gently stroked her hair, soothing her with words while maintaining a subtle mental resonance.

"You've worked hard, Haman. You did well. Now, what's the situation over there?"

Before Haman could even lodge her complaint, Luther understood the situation himself; after all, the voice of the girl causing the "spectacle" was loud and clear enough for anyone to hear.

"My father is George Allster, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Atlantic Federation! Get the person in charge out here!"

Luther had ordered Haman to conduct search-and-rescue missions precisely because, in the original timeline, Kira had rescued a life pod carrying Flay Allster that had ended up in the wrong place.

After all, if one pod had gone astray, there were bound to be others; to Luther, saving even one was a net gain.

He just hadn't expected Heliopolis to collapse, nor that the life pod containing Flay would fail to be picked up by the Archangel.

Still, this dampened the frustration of failing to kill Rau Le Creuset, as he had witnessed a tangible change in the timeline.

Lost in these stray thoughts, Luther continued to hold Haman, stroking her reddish-pink hair, when he suddenly noticed some interesting details.

In a sense, Flay and Haman shared certain "attributes"—both were red-haired young ladies of high status with somewhat similar temperaments. Perhaps this scene, which had drawn such a crowd, was a classic case of "like repels like"?

As his thoughts began to wander, Luther felt a sharp pain in his cheek. He snapped back to reality to find Haman pinching him; it seemed his wandering mind had been detected by his girlfriend. He could only hope she hadn't sensed the full extent of his thoughts—having a Newtype girlfriend and her direct mental verification was truly terrifying.

Faced with Luther's lack of repentance, Haman applied more pressure, forcing Luther to beg for mercy and use his words, tongue, and hands to soothe and reassure her.

"I'll go handle the problem with that red-haired young lady now, my Lady Haman."

After calming Haman until her face was flushed and her gaze softened, Luther decided to shift his focus, seeing that Flay was still busy making a scene and realizing it wasn't the right time to take things further with Haman.

As Luther drifted out of the Time Observer's cockpit and toward Flay, Haman's voice echoed in his mind.

I hate that girl. If you dare add her to your harem, I won't let you off lightly!

In truth, Luther had no such intentions; he had likely just been habitually considering Flay's "role" in the story.

Sensing Haman's displeasure rising again behind him, Luther decided to stop overthinking and resolve the trouble Flay was causing as quickly as possible.

On the other side, seeing the soldiers in unfamiliar uniforms maintaining order and saluting Luther, Flay realized the person in charge had arrived.

Facing Luther, who was clearly a person of importance, Flay displayed the refined upbringing befitting her "setting."

"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Flay Allster.

My father, George Allster, is the current Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Atlantic Federation, serving under the President.

I thank your ship for rescuing us. May I ask which unit you belong to, and if you could escort us to a safe zone?

Once I contact my father, I will ensure he rewards your ship for its service."

It was clear that Flay had been making such a fuss because she wanted to "order" the Gwameir to grant her VIP treatment and escort her to safety. However, the Gwameir, currently operating as an "unregistered" entity, was clearly in no position to go to what Flay considered a "safe zone."

Luther glanced at his own people and the onlookers, then made a joke that wasn't quite a joke, fueled by his own dark sense of humor.

"A reward won't be necessary, Miss Flay.

After all, if you insist on knowing our status, we are a non-governmental, independent military organization.

I am sure your father, the Deputy Minister, will do everything in his power for you. Everyone, do your best to stay alive."

After responding to Flay's request, Luther turned to the squad leader and issued an order.

"Take them down, and remember to be gentle!"

"Yes, Lord Luther! Long live Deikun!"

Hearing Luther's euphemistic description of a "non-governmental, independent military organization," Flay, who wasn't foolish enough to miss the implication, turned pale.

By the time Luther added his dark, suggestive remark, the onlookers had fallen into a dead silence.

As the soldiers, who knew Luther was joking, burst into laughter and shouted the newly adopted slogan while gripping their rifles, the previously chaotic order was restored in an instant—if one ignored the many people whose legs were shaking with fear, or those who screamed when soldiers reached out to help them.