Lure the Enemy Away

Heliopolis, the peaceful colony satellite where he had lived for many years, instantly became a living hell the moment the alarms tore through its tranquility.

ZAFT's attack came so suddenly and so fiercely that it utterly crushed his once relatively peaceful student life.

Explosions, firelight, screams, fleeing crowds... Kira Yamato's mind was a complete mess.

His instinct was to flee and find somewhere safe.

Yet just as he turned to run, he saw that the professor's guest, that girl, had vanished somewhere in the chaos.

A powerful sense of responsibility rose within him, and without hesitation, he chased after the direction in which the girl had disappeared.

After an anxious search, he unexpectedly discovered three MS he had never seen before.

Those huge, unfamiliar mechanical figures radiated a chilling presence amid the raging battle.

Kira's first reaction was still to run. He grabbed the guest and staggered toward the nearest underground shelter entrance he could remember.

Fortunately, they found it.

But unfortunately, when they arrived, gasping for breath, the Orb staff member in charge of the shelter apologetically told them that too many people had flooded in. The shelter was already full, and the blast doors were about to close.

"Get inside!" Kira did not hesitate for even a moment as he shoved the still-dazed Cagalli into the narrow entrance passage.

Before Cagalli's worried, bewildered eyes, the heavy metal isolation door slowly closed in front of him.

"I'll find another shelter!" he shouted through the door, then turned around and stared blankly at the battlefield around him, a scene straight out of the apocalypse.

Where was another shelter? He did not know. Where else could he run? He knew even less.

The Earth Forces soldiers locked in fierce combat with ZAFT told him there was nowhere nearby that was safe to escape to.

Kira's heart immediately filled with despair and helplessness. He had no idea where to go. Was he really going to die here?

Just as he felt utterly lost, his desire for even the faintest chance of survival made him realize that he could only act together with the person before him. Perhaps only then could they survive this brutal battlefield.

Yet while they moved together, Kira's gaze happened to sweep over a familiar figure.

In that instant, it was as though he saw the dear friend from whom he had parted on the Moon—his heart jolted, and countless thoughts surged through his mind.

But the battlefield gave him no time to process this sudden, cruel reunion.

Gunfire and explosions dragged him back to reality.

Before he could fully recover from the enormous shock, he and Murrue's group were already being urged into the Strike Gundam's cockpit.

Everything that followed was like a nightmare. The Strike Gundam started up amid the chaos, only to immediately come under fierce attack from that gray Ginn.

Captain Murrue controlled it with all her might, but the machine's movements were extraordinarily clumsy and sluggish, like a giant wearing ill-fitting armor, constrained at every turn.

"Th-this movement is way too..." Kira watched the machine struggle to dodge attacks on the screen, listening to the piercing alarms blaring in the cockpit from the vibrations and impacts. A powerful sense that something was wrong rose within him.

With that doubt in mind, he swiftly pushed the Earth Forces personnel away from their seat and carefully examined the operating system.

One look left him aghast. The operating system was a complete mess, with all manner of commands and code tangled together without any logic. No wonder the machine was moving so wildly out of control.

At this critical moment, Kira knew he had no way back.

To survive this battle, to protect himself and the people beside him, he had to do something.

"What are you doing?!" Murrue was shocked and furious.

"This OS is broken! If I don't fix it, we'll all die!" Kira did not look back. His hands flew over the keyboard and control panel like afterimages.

"Trust me! Give me some time!"

Murrue froze. She looked at this student, who had been terrified just moments ago but now displayed an unbelievable focus and confidence. His fingers striking the code at high speed were astonishingly steady.

She gritted her teeth and ultimately chose to trust him.

After that, Kira completely immersed himself in the world of code. His mind ran faster than ever before, while the roaring artillery outside and the violent shaking of the machine seemed to become distant background noise.

All he could see were the lines of code constantly scrolling across the screen, and the one goal in his heart: survive! To survive, he had to defeat the Ginn in front of him!

And to defeat the Ginn, he had to make this Strike Gundam perform as it was meant to!

While desperately controlling the machine, using its PS Armor to withstand attacks he could not evade for the moment and weaving through the barrage, he raced against time to modify, optimize, and rewrite the operating system's core modules.

Every successful dodge came with enormous risk, and every line of code could be interrupted by an outside impact.

Sweat soaked his bangs and ran down his cheeks, but he did not dare let his attention wander for even a second.

Just as he was about to finish modifying the crucial section—

"Huh, it disappeared...?" Kira tensely controlled the machine, his gaze rapidly searching the smoke-filled battlefield. Yet the gray Ginn that had been nearby only moments ago had suddenly vanished.

Murrue remained alert beside him and shouted, "Below!" Her voice carried a note of urgency and tension.

Before he could react to the warning behind him, the Ginn that had seemed to vanish without a trace suddenly appeared before them like a phantom.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when the machine suffered an extremely powerful impact from the side.

Kira screamed in terror, "Aaaaaaaah!!?"

His voice echoed through the cockpit, filled with helplessness and fear.

Murrue could not help but let out a muffled groan as well. "Guh...!"

The two of them were thrown about inside the cockpit.

The machine shook violently, like a lone boat caught in a raging storm.

Kira clenched the control stick with all his strength, his fingers turning white from the strain. Only through sheer will did he barely stop the machine from falling.

When he forced himself to endure the dizziness and fear and slowly opened the eyes that had instinctively shut tight from the impact, he saw through the blurred screen that the gray Ginn had already closed in again. It had withdrawn its Heavy Cleaver and appeared ready to press the attack, to finish them off completely.

That savage mono-eye camera seemed like death's gaze. Its black gun barrel and the cold gleam of its blade foretold the arrival of destruction.

Counterattack... I have to counterattack...

Kira cried out anxiously in his heart, trying to command his body to respond.

But his limbs felt filled with lead, rigid and numb, completely refusing to obey him.

His heart pounded so fast it felt ready to burst, while icy fear washed over him like a tide.

We'll die... We'll die here...?

That terrifying thought flashed through his mind like lightning, bringing bone-deep cold and despair.

Yet just as that premonition of despair was about to become reality—

Bang!!!

A thunderous crash rang out! It was not an explosion, but the sound of some heavy object colliding at high speed!

The gray Ginn, which had been advancing menacingly and was just about to strike the killing blow, suddenly looked as though it had been violently rammed from the side by an invisible train moving at full speed!

Its massive body was hurled sideways, spinning through the air before crashing uncontrollably into the ruins of distant buildings!

At the same time, a gigantic crimson figure, blazing like a burning flame and carrying an irresistible force, appeared before the Strike Gundam, standing between them and the Ginn that had been sent flying!

That figure was so agile, so brimming with power!

Kira was completely stunned. His eyes went wide, his mouth hung slightly open, and for a moment, he even forgot to breathe. He stared at that unfamiliar crimson back radiating scorching heat, his mind utterly blank.

"W-what...?" he murmured instinctively, trying to understand the dramatic scene unfolding before his eyes.

Murrue looked equally bewildered. She muttered, "Th-this is..."

Kira, who had no idea what had happened, and the Earth Forces personnel, who were observing the situation with slightly clearer heads than his, were both left at a loss by the sudden development.

"Blaze..." Murrue murmured.

"...Blaze?" Kira repeated the name instinctively, his heart full of confusion.

The red machine before them had its back to them. In one swift, fluid motion, it drew a rifle-shaped weapon and pointed its dark muzzle at the Ginn that had been knocked away without hesitation.

...Was this machine an ally? Had it come to save them?

Kira's heart was full of questions. He truly did not know whether this suddenly appearing machine was friend or foe.

He knew nothing about it, yet why? An inexplicable feeling rose inside him.

He knew nothing about it, did not know who sat in its cockpit, but for some reason, as he looked at that solid, dependable crimson back, a strange, indescribable feeling quietly welled up in Kira's heart like a gentle stream.

It's... all right now.

It was as though a gentle yet resolute voice had spoken directly in the depths of his mind.

It was a connection that transcended language and matter, a resonance born from the depths of the soul.

This sudden warmth was like the mildest winter sunlight, instantly driving away the fear and cold in his heart. The nerves that had been stretched taut by extreme tension miraculously began to relax.

An inexplicable, utterly baseless sense of security quietly filled his heart.

"...Will it come at us again?" Xia Ya muttered softly. The crimson Blaze Gundam hovered in midair, its Beam Rifle pointed at the settling dust in the distance.

His eyes were sharp and highly vigilant, fixed on the spot where the Ginn had fallen.

The extraordinary perception granted by the Flada Bloodline told him that the battle... was not over yet.

Sure enough, amid the wreckage of the collapsed building and the swirling dust, a massive dark-gray figure slowly rose again with the piercing screech of grinding metal.

The Ginn's surface was covered in scratches and dents from the collision, but its core structure did not appear to have suffered fatal damage.

Its iconic mono-eye camera, glowing with ominous red light, lit up once more. Piercing through the smoke and dust like the eye of a wounded beast made even fiercer, it steadily locked onto the Blaze Gundam hovering before it.

The opponent's fighting spirit had not waned from that fierce collision. If anything, it seemed to have stirred an even greater ferocity within him.

...That's only natural. Xia Ya understood.

For the Ginn's pilot, Miguel Aiman, Blaze Gundam's surprise attack had indeed been astonishingly powerful, displaying mobility and impact far beyond that of a Ginn.

But in his eyes, it was more like an unexpected ambush.

The enemy's new machine might hold an advantage in performance, but he had just observed Strike Gundam's awkward handling up close. As for this red machine that had suddenly charged in, its pilot's all-or-nothing ram had been brave, but it had also faintly revealed a sense of... inexperience.

Miguel would likely judge that the pilots of these two mysterious new MS were nothing more than rookies fresh out of the gate, lacking in skill.

An advantage in performance might not make up for the vast gap in experience and technique.

That contempt might be an opportunity he could use, but it also meant the enemy would never give up easily.

"Tch, troublesome. If only I had a small combat knife like the Armor Breaker..." Xia Ya could not help sighing inwardly as he watched every movement of the Ginn on his screen.

The Blaze Gundam only had powerful Beam Sabers, and there were far too many restrictions on using them in an environment like this.

Through the machine's external cameras, his eyes swiftly swept across the surrounding area.

In the corners of distant streets and the shadows of buildings, he could still see civilians who had failed to evacuate in time, their figures gripped by terror.

Those pale faces, lit by the fires of war and filled with fear and helplessness, hurt his eyes.

He did not know the destructive range or energy spread of the two Beam Sabers mounted on Blaze Gundam's back once activated, but common sense told him they were absolutely not weapons he could casually swing around in this environment.

The heat and energy shock of beam weapons, even if they merely grazed someone, would be enough to inflict devastating harm on a fragile human body.

Not to mention that if he accidentally struck a building, it could trigger another collapse and cause even greater casualties.

Under these circumstances, the only long-range attack he could use reliably seemed to be the Beam Rifle in his hand.

But—his eyes passed over the fragile inner wall of Heliopolis in the distance—no, the Beam Rifle was dangerous too!

If a high-energy weapon like this went out of control or was lured into striking the colony's structural walls, it could cause catastrophic consequences, perhaps even bring down the entire colony satellite!

That was absolutely not something he wanted to see.

So even if he used the Beam Rifle, he had to be extremely cautious, minimize the number of shots, and make sure every shot—or at least as many shots as possible—hit the target accurately and in a relatively safe direction.

"...The only way is to lure the Ginn into an open area far from the civilians and fragile structures."

Xia Ya's mind raced as he swiftly made his decision. "Once we reach an empty area with no one around, I can use the Beam Sabers without restraint, or fire more freely."

If that was the case, then he could only carry out Plan B—lure the enemy away!

But how could he successfully lead this experienced old wolf away without letting him see through his intentions?

Miguel Aiman, an ace pilot who had even earned the title Twilight's Magic Bullet in the original manga SEED Astray—though he was ultimately defeated in that work by Lowe Guele and Gai—was absolutely not someone whose combat experience and battlefield instincts could be underestimated.

If Xia Ya showed any obvious intention to flee this area, Miguel's sharpness would likely make him realize at once that it was a lure. He would then abandon pursuit and instead prioritize taking out the Strike Gundam behind him, which looked easier to deal with and had just threatened him.

"I have to make him believe that I'm the more dangerous target—and one he has a chance to defeat..." Calculation flashed in Xia Ya's eyes.

No, that would not do. He could not gamble. In the worst-case scenario, even if Miguel really turned around to attack Strike Gundam, Xia Ya would have to force himself to step in. He absolutely could not let Strike Gundam be shot down.

After all, Kira Yamato and the Strike Gundam were indispensable parts of his future plans.

Then the only choice now was—buy time!

At the very least, he had to buy enough time for Kira to complete Strike Gundam's initial OS rewrite and make that blue-and-white Gundam truly combat-capable!

Only then would they have a chance of surviving this encounter against a far stronger opponent!

This was their only chance at life! He had to give it everything he had!

The instant Xia Ya made up his mind, the Ginn in the distance moved.

It did not attack immediately. Instead, it slung the Heavy Assault Rifle in its hand back onto its waist, apparently judging that long-range fire would be ineffective against Blaze Gundam's PS Armor, then drew the Heavy Cleaver again!

Its goal was clear—continue using the impact of a physical weapon for close combat!

At the sight of this, Xia Ya's heart stirred. The opportunity had come! Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately controlled Blaze Gundam, spun around sharply, fired its thrusters, and flew at high speed away from Strike Gundam and the gathered civilians!

His movement was swift and decisive, without the slightest wasted motion. It looked as though... he feared the enemy's close combat ability and had chosen to avoid its edge for now?

Sure enough, when Miguel, the Ginn's pilot, saw this red MS with clearly superior performance choose to "run" after he drew his Anti-Ship Sword, the red light in his eye flickered. It seemed to confirm his earlier judgment—this pilot really was a rookie!

How could he possibly let such a pursuit opportunity go?

Miguel did not hesitate in the slightest. He immediately activated his thrusters and piloted the somewhat cumbersome Ginn in hot pursuit of that crimson figure!

He even habitually fired several threatening shots from his assault rifle in the direction Blaze Gundam was fleeing, the bullets striking the ground behind Blaze Gundam and kicking up clouds of dust.

"He took the bait!" Xia Ya saw the Ginn chasing relentlessly through his rear sensors. He relaxed slightly inwardly, but his nerves remained taut.

He piloted Blaze Gundam at high speed through the abandoned industrial district and over ruined streets, constantly changing direction and altitude while keeping close track of the Ginn's pursuit route behind him.

Using both the corner of his eye and the sensors, he repeatedly confirmed that no civilians or Earth Alliance/Orb soldiers would be caught up in this pursuit route.

As they passed through a relatively open area where the surrounding buildings had been heavily damaged and no life signs could be detected, Xia Ya seized the fleeting opportunity.

He made a sharp sideways slide, the machine carving a beautiful arc through the air as he slowly raised the High-Energy Beam Rifle in his hand.

Sweat ran down his temple and dripped onto the control panel.

His right index finger rested on the trigger, trembling slightly. His breathing was a little ragged.

This was Xia Ya La Flaga's first shot in this world in the truest sense—a shot fired with the intent to kill an enemy! His first battle as an MS pilot!

He drew a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

Lock onto the pursuing Ginn. Predict its lead.

"Bang—!"

Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger!

A dazzling beam condensed with destructive energy shot from Blaze Gundam's muzzle like a sword tearing through darkness, carrying a piercing shriek as it raced straight for the Ginn behind him!

However—

At the instant the beam was about to hit, Miguel Aiman, the Ginn's pilot, displayed the astonishing reflexes and predictive ability of an ace pilot!

He seemed to have anticipated the counterattack long ago. Almost at the very moment Xia Ya fired, he sharply evaded to the side!

The thrusters fired with precision, and the massive gray machine moved with agility entirely at odds with its appearance, narrowly grazing past the edge of the beam!

The scorching beam hit the ground behind and to the side of the Ginn, instantly melting concrete and steel reinforcement and leaving behind a bottomless molten crater trailing wisps of smoke.

"...Tch!" Xia Ya clicked his tongue and cursed inwardly. As expected of Twilight's Magic Bullet. He really would not be easy to handle!

Though the plan to lure the enemy had successfully begun, the battle ahead would likely be even harder than Xia Ya had anticipated.

His first battle had only just begun.