Xia Ya's Assault

Inside the Blaze Gundam's cockpit, Xia Ya's body was pinned hard against the seatback by a force that seemed intent on crushing him to pulp.

The sudden, astonishing acceleration and the fierce speed that followed threw his entire body violently backward beyond his control.

The immense G-forces were like invisible hands, pressing down brutally upon his casually dressed body, which lacked the protection of a standard pilot suit.

"Ugh..."

A stifled groan squeezed through his clenched teeth.

Xia Ya felt as though the blood throughout his body had been crushed into some corner before being violently pulled back the other way. An indescribable soreness and numbness spread through his limbs and bones, as if every muscle fiber were crying out under unbearable strain.

He could not help gritting his teeth until he tasted blood from his gums. Both hands clutched the icy control sticks tightly, trying to resist the crushing force of pure physics with nothing but flesh and blood.

Darkness began creeping around the edges of his vision, but he forced himself to remain conscious and focused on adapting to the savage acceleration.

The speed readings on the instrument panel kept climbing, nearly surpassing everything he knew about the mobility of conventional MS units.

"This speed... I see!" After the brief dizziness and discomfort passed, realization flashed through Xia Ya's mind like lightning. "Such a simple armament layout, and such a straightforward frame... no wonder!"

He swiftly constructed the combat logic of this scarlet machine in his mind.

Clearly, the Blaze Gundam's design philosophy was extreme and pure—it abandoned complicated weaponry and heavy armor, pouring all resources into its propulsion system and mobile frame in exchange for unrivaled speed and explosive power.

Its battlefield role was to use that absolute speed advantage like a red-hot blade, instantly tear through enemy lines, charge into close range, and then—kill!

It carried two high-output Beam Sabers as its primary close-combat weapons, while its long-range firepower consisted of only a standard Beam Rifle.

This seemingly unbalanced loadout was precisely the strongest proof of its core tactic: hit-and-run strikes, or high-speed close-quarters assaults.

"Hmph. At least it's straightforward." A cold curve rose at the corner of Xia Ya's mouth.

Completely unlike the Blitz Gundam described in the intelligence reports, which excelled in covert operations and carried a rich array of weapons, the Blaze Gundam was more like a berserker who believed in power and speed—simple-minded and physically gifted. Yet that very purity could sometimes unleash astonishing destructive power.

It required no complicated tactical maneuvers or firepower probes, nor did it need to worry about concealing its movements.

Its creed was simple: find the enemy, rush in at maximum speed, and settle everything with the blade in its hand.

That was the combat philosophy the Blaze Gundam bestowed upon its pilot—simple, brutal, direct, and effective.

"Then let me see what surprises this speed can bring! ZAFT grunts, enjoy the hell that's about to begin!"

Deep in Xia Ya's eyes, the flames of fighting spirit blazed fiercely.

His gaze remained fixed on the all-around sensor display on the main monitor.

Four flashing points representing enemy units were clearly visible on the screen—three standard mass-produced MS units marked as GINNs, and one Aegis Gundam.

This formation was almost exactly the same as the plot of the "original work" he remembered. Athrun Zala really was there.

A trace of solemnity passed through his heart, yet he felt neither hesitation nor doubt.

Xia Ya drew a deep breath, his hands dancing like phantoms across the control sticks and console.

He instantly pushed the Blaze Gundam's thruster output to its limit—full power!

In an instant, the scarlet machine became like a meteor launched from hell, trailing a long plume of particles as it charged along an unimaginable vector toward the ZAFT force gathering to launch a further assault on the Heliopolis colony satellite.

"W-What?! That red thing... it's so fast!!"

Over the communications channel, ZAFT's pilots cried out in disbelief. Their voices carried shock, panic, and even a trace of irrepressible fear.

The ghostlike charge of the Blaze Gundam produced an intimidating effect even Xia Ya had not fully anticipated.

From the ZAFT squad's perspective, the speed displayed by that unidentified red MS, which had suddenly burst forth, on their radar and optical sensors had reached an abnormal, almost terrifying level.

The constantly refreshing distance readings felt like a nightmare from another dimension, far beyond anything they could comprehend based on their understanding of current MS technology.

In only a few breaths, the red machine that had just been an insignificant speck at the edge of their sensors rapidly closed the distance at a speed so astounding it sent chills down their spines.

It came closer and closer, growing larger and larger. Its expanding metal silhouette cast a heavy shadow across their vision, like Death's scythe swinging down upon them.

"Stay calm! All of you, calm down!" The captain's voice belonged to Miguel Aiman.

His anxious yet stern command rang over the open channel, carrying unquestionable authority and the urgency of the sudden crisis. "All units, scatter immediately! Do not cluster together, or that thing will wipe us out in one go!"

The order was given, and the well-trained ZAFT soldiers reacted at once.

The three GINNs and the Aegis Gundam piloted by Athrun scattered in different directions like a startled flock of birds. Their engines shifted angle as they violently broke from their original formation.

By opening the distance and creating a chaotic formation, they tried to evade the Blaze Gundam's ghostlike, swift, and deadly attack.

"Good. They scattered."

Xia Ya watched the scene with the absolute calm and focus of an experienced hunter observing his prey's reaction.

He swiftly turned the controls and adjusted the machine's posture in tandem, making the Blaze Gundam's head sensors lock onto one of the departing GINNs with the precision of a hawk's eyes.

It was a GINN carrying bulky D-Type Equipment.

At that moment, he understood perfectly that there was only one thing to do: push the Blaze Gundam's speed advantage to its utmost, ignore the obstacle of distance, force his way into the enemy's embrace, draw the Beam Saber, and fight with the most primitive yet deadly blade at point-blank range.

That was the only option.

But for Xia Ya at that moment, it was not necessarily a bad thing.

Because that meant he could focus all his energy, all his calculations, and all his will without reservation on one thing: closing in and killing.

He could let his boiling battle instincts completely dominate his thoughts, immerse himself in the rhythm of high-speed maneuvers, and shut out all unnecessary distractions that might interfere with his judgment—such as fear of the unknown, confusion over the future, or... worry for his brother and Jiliang aboard the Archangel.

For now, all he needed to do was face the enemy before him as a warrior, without distraction.

"I-I've got him in my sights! He's coming at me!"

The pilot of the GINN targeted by the Blaze Gundam, Orol Kuroto, spoke with undisguised trembling and fear in his voice.

Through his cockpit screen, he could clearly see that scarlet bolt of death rushing straight toward him. It was so fast that even finding time for an effective evasive maneuver seemed an impossible luxury. He knew that he was about to face a life-or-death trial with an overwhelming disparity in strength and almost no chance of victory.

"Damn it! You bastard! Stay away from me!"

Orol cursed as he instinctively yanked the controls, forcing his somewhat bloated GINN, equipped with heavy D Equipment, into a desperate evasive maneuver toward the rear flank. He tried to widen the distance from the Blaze Gundam before it caught him, even if only to gain the slightest chance to fire his weapons and grasp at that slim thread of survival.

"Orol! Hold on!" Miguel saw the Blaze Gundam unhesitatingly pursue his wingman, and his heart tightened. He immediately abandoned his original harassment plan and accelerated after it in his own GINN, trying to interfere or provide assistance from the flank.

However, ideals were full, while reality was painfully thin.

The difference in their speeds was like an impassable chasm stretching before them, obvious at a glance.

No matter how desperately Miguel drove his engines, the distance between his GINN and the Blaze Gundam did not shrink. Instead, it gradually widened.

He could only watch helplessly as the scarlet phantom closed in with unstoppable force upon his wingman, who had already been driven into a desperate corner.

"Take this! Die!... No, it's too fast!? I can't hit it at all!"

At the critical moment between life and death, Orol forcibly twisted his machine around again, facing his GINN directly toward the rapidly approaching Blaze Gundam.

He almost shut his eyes as, in utter panic, he frantically pressed the missile launch button.

Heavy missiles mounted in the pods on both sides of the D-Type Equipment streaked forth with long orange-red exhaust trails, howling toward the Blaze Gundam like an enraged swarm of bees.

But it was all futile.

Before the Blaze Gundam's extraordinary, almost monstrous mobility, these heavy missiles—which lacked precise guidance and relied chiefly on trajectory and area coverage—were like dull birds that had lost all sense of direction. They could not possibly catch that target as nimble as lightning.

The Blaze Gundam merely made several tiny yet precise side-slips and climbs, each accurate to the millisecond, and effortlessly weaved through the gaps in the barrage.

In the end, the missiles either crashed into the colony's distant outer walls or struck the ground areas of the Heliopolis satellite directly, setting off one huge explosion after another.

Amid the thunderous blasts, the sturdy alloy ground was pocked with blackened craters. Dust and smoke billowed into the sky, dragging this space colony—once a symbol of neutrality and peace—deeper into the mire of war.

Ironically, the D-Type Equipment specially fitted to the GINNs piloted by Miguel and the others had originally been designed for demolition missions against enemy bases or large warships. It was a typical heavy-firepower assault configuration.

But in a situation demanding high-mobility close combat, against an "assassin-type" machine like the Blaze Gundam that pushed speed and flexibility to their limits, this heavy equipment not only failed to provide effective fire support but instead became an enormous burden that severely hindered mobility.

"Hit it! Hit it already! Hit ittttttt!!"

Orol's will seemed to be on the brink of collapse as he slipped into a half-mad state.

His bloodshot eyes were filled with wildness as he kept pulling the trigger without regard for anything else, trying to compensate for his lack of accuracy with the numerical advantage of saturated barrage fire.

Missile after missile launched, yet they still vanished like stones sinking into the sea, unable to so much as touch the Blaze Gundam's shadow.

They merely continued carving huge new craters into Heliopolis's fragile ground, leaving the colony's interior increasingly devastated and its structural integrity hanging by a thread.

"Orol! Orol!! Calm down! There's no point continuing to fire! Hurry! Ditch the D-Type Equipment right now—"

Miguel shouted anxiously through the communications channel, trying to pull his wingman—already consumed by fear and despair—out of his frenzy. He wanted Orol to calm down and adopt a wiser response, or at least one that might keep him alive.

But Miguel's command came one step too late.

Before he had even finished speaking, that scarlet bolt had already surged into the Aurora Unit's embrace like a hunting cheetah—silently, yet with peerless speed. It was the most dangerous absolute close range for MS combat!

Xia Ya's gaze was cold as ice, without the slightest hesitation.

He controlled the Blaze Gundam's right arm as it lifted, and the Beam Saber snapped out at once.

"Sshh—!"

The first slash was precise and efficient.

A flash of light passed by, and the missile pod on the right side of the Aurora Unit's D Equipment, together with its mounting arm, was cleanly severed by the sharp blade. The broken metal structure tumbled silently through the vacuum, scattering in all directions.

Xia Ya did not pause for even a moment. With a slight flick of his wrist, the Beam Saber turned and swung downward.

Another sharp flash cut through the air. "Sshhk!" The pod on the left side of the D Equipment was cleanly severed as well. Stripped of both heavy weapon mounts, the GINN instantly looked much slimmer, but it had also completely lost its ability to fight back at range.

Immediately afterward, Xia Ya's assault flowed on without interruption. He swept the Beam Saber sideways in one smooth motion, and a third flash ignited!

This time, it was aimed directly at the GINN's mono-eye main camera.

With a crisp cutting sound, the GINN's "eye," its means of sight, was cleanly cut away. A burst of electrical sparks erupted from the sensor.

Having lost its primary visual sensor system, the Aurora Unit's cockpit screen instantly plunged into darkness, leaving only chaotic static and shrill alarms. It was utterly consumed by darkness and confusion.

Mercy toward the enemy was cruelty toward oneself.

Xia Ya understood the laws of the battlefield well and gave his opponent no chance to catch his breath.

He controlled the Blaze Gundam, sharply lifted its right leg, and drove its sturdy toe into the area near the Aurora Unit's cockpit with a vicious kick!

"Bang—!"

Even in the vacuum, the tremendous force contained in that heavy metallic impact seemed almost palpable.

Orol's GINN flew away like a torn sack struck head-on by a battering ram, completely powerless to resist the savage kick.

The machine traced an arc through the air before smashing into the colony ground like a cannonball. It kicked up an even larger cloud of dust and smoke, embedded itself in the earth, and completely lost the ability to move.

From first contact to total incapacitation, the entire process took only a few seconds.

"Urgh...! Orol!" Miguel watched his wingman get defeated so cleanly and decisively, and his heart shook violently. Yet he forced down the shock of not knowing whether his comrade lived or died and struggled to pull himself together as the captain.

He knew that if fear and rage clouded his mind now, if he could not swiftly adjust their tactics, this squad would face the catastrophic outcome of total annihilation.

"Matthew! Listen to my command! Abandon the D Equipment immediately! Against that freakish mobility, this thing will only get in the way! Move!"

He urgently issued an order over the squad channel to Matthew, another member piloting a GINN, demanding that he remove the heavy equipment that was nothing but dead weight in close combat.

Then, just as he prepared to issue the next order for coordinated action to Athrun, who was piloting the Aegis Gundam, he suddenly realized that, at some point, the Aegis Gundam had already broken away from the initial formation. Far ahead in his field of view, it was rapidly locked in fierce combat with another machine that had launched in an emergency sortie from Heliopolis—the Strike Gundam. Trails of beam fire interwove in the air as the battle raged intensely.