Murrue and Badgiruel Meet

Rau Le Creuset, the "White Captain" renowned across the space battlefield for his coldness and cunning, had personally piloted a CGUE into the tiger's den of Heliopolis in order to completely destroy the Earth Forces' new MSes—the Blaze Gundam and the Strike Gundam.

His resolve was as firm as steel, his objective clear and unwavering.

Yet Destiny's script was always full of surprises. The sudden arrival of the new warship Archangel was like an unpredictable chess piece thrown onto an otherwise clear board, instantly disrupting Rau Le Creuset's plans.

The fated showdown that had been on the verge of erupting was forcibly interrupted.

After a brief assessment, Rau Le Creuset made the choice most suited to his nature—preserve his strength and retreat at once.

Watching that streak of white light vanish beyond his sight, Xia Ya, inside the Blaze Gundam's cockpit, finally felt his taut nerves ease slightly. He took a deep breath, then slowly let it out, relieved to have survived the ordeal.

Honestly, Rau Le Creuset's retreat had greatly surprised him as well.

Based on what he knew of Rau Le Creuset's personality—his obsession, madness, and absolute confidence in his own abilities—Xia Ya had thought the man would attack without hesitation. Even facing the suddenly appearing Archangel, he would have tried to eliminate Xia Ya, this "unexpected variable," in the shortest possible time.

But in the end, Rau Le Creuset had chosen the most rational course, and the one most in line with battlefield logic: retreat.

"Was he wary of the Archangel's firepower? Or did... my appearance make him need to reassess certain things?"

Xia Ya pondered this inwardly, but no matter what, the battle had temporarily stopped, and the damage inside the colony had not worsened. That was ultimately a good thing.

The string in his heart, drawn tight for so long, finally loosened for a moment, as though he had just awakened from a terrifying nightmare. The future held countless challenges, but at least for now, they had gained a chance to catch their breath.

After confirming that the threat had been eliminated, the massive white warship—the Archangel—slowly descended. It chose to hover above a relatively open stretch of the factory district with less rubble, then landed smoothly.

When its enormous hull fully touched down, clouds of dust rose into the air. The heavy metal structure struck the ground with a dull rumble, displaying its extraordinary tonnage and sturdy construction.

Xia Ya also carefully adjusted the Blaze Gundam's posture and slowly landed not far from the Archangel's touchdown point.

As the slight tremor from the machine touching down traveled through the cockpit, his thoughts completely pulled away from the brief yet incredibly dangerous standoff and returned to the reality before him.

Through the cockpit's external monitor, he saw the enormous hatch beneath the Archangel's bow slowly open. Immediately afterward, more than a dozen soldiers in blue Earth Alliance uniforms poured out with rifles in hand, swiftly spreading into standard combat formation and establishing a temporary perimeter.

Their movements were precise and uniform. Their faces bore the fatigue and tension of battle not yet dispersed, making it clear that they were elite troops who had endured a series of fierce engagements.

Among those soldiers, Xia Ya spotted several familiar faces. At their head was the female officer known for her strict discipline, even bordering on rigidity—Lieutenant Natarle Badgiruel.

Beside her stood Captain Murrue Ramius, whom he had encountered earlier.

Both women wore exceptionally grave expressions, as if they had just endured an extremely brutal battle and suffered major losses.

Captain Murrue seemed to quickly approach Lieutenant Badgiruel, who had arrived from the other side. The two met beside the Blaze Gundam's enormous foot and spoke rapidly in low voices, their brows tightly furrowed.

After exchanging a few words, they almost simultaneously looked up, their sharp gazes turning toward the Blaze Gundam cockpit where Xia Ya was.

Their looks were complicated, mixed with surprise, scrutiny, and a faint, barely perceptible desire to investigate.

Captain Murrue raised her hand and lightly waved toward the Blaze Gundam's cockpit, gesturing for him to come down. Her meaning was obvious.

Xia Ya did not hesitate. He unfastened his safety harness and activated the cockpit opening sequence. With a soft hiss, the hatch sprang upward.

He took a deep breath to steady himself, then climbed down step by step along the simple ladder on the machine's exterior, finally coming to a stop on the ground before the two Earth Forces officers.

When his still-youthful figure was fully exposed before everyone—

"What?! A civilian?! And a child, at that!!"

The instant Lieutenant Natarle Badgiruel saw Xia Ya's face and build clearly, her beautiful brows shot up. Her sharp eyes widened, and her voice was filled with incredulous shock and a trace of anger she could barely restrain.

She even unconsciously took a step forward, as if needing to confirm that she was not seeing things.

In this temporary landing area steeped in tension and grim hostility, her cry sounded especially loud. All the nearby soldiers turned their eyes toward Xia Ya, their faces equally filled with astonishment.

A bitter smile appeared on Captain Murrue's face. She sighed softly, took over the conversation, and revealed an even more startling piece of news. "Natarle, it isn't just the Blaze Gundam... The one who piloted the Strike Gundam earlier, helped us repel the enemy, and helped him was also a civilian. A student."

"What—?!"

If a civilian child piloting a Gundam was already enough to shatter their worldview, then Murrue's words were like a deep-water bomb dropped into a calm lake.

Lieutenant Badgiruel was so stunned that she could no longer speak. Her mouth hung slightly open, as if she wanted to say something, only to find that words were too inadequate to describe the turmoil in her heart.

The soldiers standing behind her froze in place as well. They looked at one another, their eyes filled with the absurd feeling of How is that possible? and Has the world gone mad?, along with deep confusion.

The military's newest weapons, its highest classified secrets, were actually being piloted by two civilian boys?

That overturned everything they knew as soldiers.

"...This truly is... an astonishing situation." Lieutenant Badgiruel took a deep breath and forced herself to regain some composure. Just as she was about to ask Captain Murrue for further details—what exactly had happened, and why such an absurd situation had been allowed to occur—a somewhat weary yet still steady and powerful male voice broke the strange silence.

"Excuse me."

The voice was low and magnetic, carrying the calm and confidence of someone long accustomed to the battlefield.

Almost the instant it rang out, everyone present—except Xia Ya—turned toward its source as if pulled by an invisible force.

Xia Ya did not need to turn around. He knew that voice too well.

Since arriving in this world, the person he had spent the most time with was the owner of that voice.

No matter how the tone changed, no matter what emotions were mixed into it, he could recognize it immediately.

It was the voice of family, a bond engraved deep into his soul. There was no way he could mistake it.

"I am Captain Mu La Flaga of the Earth Alliance's 7th Mobile Fleet." The owner of the voice, Mu La Flaga, dressed in an orange-and-white flight suit, was walking over at an unhurried pace.

He tucked a helmet marked with obvious signs of combat beneath his left arm. A freshly treated cut marked his right arm, yet his posture remained straight and his gaze keen.

He walked up to Murrue and Natarle, stopped, raised his right hand, and gave a crisp, forceful military salute.

"I would like to request temporary docking and supplies aboard this ship. May I ask who is in command of this warship?"

"I am Captain Murrue Ramius of the 5th Special Service Division of the 2nd Sector." Captain Murrue immediately returned the salute. Though traces of shock and exhaustion still lingered on her face, she promptly stated her identity.

"I am Lieutenant Natarle Badgiruel." Natarle also returned the salute. Her expression remained stern as she added, "This ship's original captain and primary officers were all killed in the previous battle. Based on rank, Captain Ramius should currently be acting captain."

Her words were brief, yet they revealed the brutality of the battle and their current predicament.

"Huh—? Me, captain...?" Hearing this "appointment," Murrue's face immediately showed obvious surprise and a touch of panic. This sudden burden had clearly caught her unprepared.

Watching the three of them begin introducing themselves and handing over command the moment they met, Xia Ya felt an indescribably strange sensation rise within him—a dissonance between being an observer and being part of the scene.

Especially as he watched Mu La Flaga and Murrue Ramius—the couple who, in the "original story" he knew, would eventually end up together—making their first formal contact as nothing more than superior and subordinate officers.

The original story's course... seemed to still be stubbornly displaying its inertia.

But because of his existence, because of the Blaze Gundam's appearance, because of Rau Le Creuset's pointed words... would the future truly still unfold as it had in the original story?

He did not know. A faint confusion about the unknown road ahead quietly passed through his heart.

Lieutenant Badgiruel gave Murrue little time to hesitate. Standing straight, she turned directly to the acting captain with unquestionable efficiency. "Captain Ramius, in any case, please approve Captain Flaga's boarding first. As you can see, the mobile armor he was riding in has been shot down and needs immediate arrangements." Her tone was calm and professional. Handling the practical issue took priority.

Captain Murrue was pulled back to reality. Though there was still a trace of uncertainty in her eyes, she quickly made her decision. "Ah... yes, all right. I approve Captain Mu La Flaga's boarding." In such chaotic circumstances, having one more experienced ace pilot was undoubtedly an important reinforcement.

Having received permission, Captain Mu gave a slight nod of thanks. He unconsciously straightened the somewhat disheveled collar of his flight suit, then turned his gaze toward Murrue and Natarle. His tone became more solemn, carrying obvious concern. "Thank you very much. And... before dealing with anything else, there are many things I need to discuss with this kid."

His gaze passed over the two female officers and locked firmly onto Xia Ya in the distance. There was both a brother's deep concern for his younger brother's safety and urgent questions about this entire bizarre incident in his eyes.

"Could you give me a little time and space?"