Xia Ya's Decision

Although... although his opponent—that seasoned ZAFT ace Miguel Aiman—had indeed underestimated him from the start due to insufficient intelligence and the sudden appearance of a new mobile suit, and might not have fought at his full strength.

Furthermore, compared to the mass-produced ZGMF-1017 Ginn, the GAT-X106 Blaze Gundam possessed overwhelming advantages in armor—PS Armor's absolute superiority against physical ammunition—mobility, and weapon power—beam weapons versus solid weapons. There was no doubt that these had been key factors in his victory.

But...

It was his first time piloting an MS. Before this, all his experience had come solely from theoretical study, simulator training, and... memorizing that Ginn manual he had acquired through "whatever means necessary."

With no combat experience, no instructor's guidance, relying entirely on his own understanding and instincts—or perhaps that damned Flada Bloodline bonus—under the pressure of life and death, he had not only successfully started up and modified the OS, but survived a fierce battle and ultimately defeated a named elite pilot who ranked among the best in the world of SEED.

This... this was practically the kind of treatment reserved for a novel's protagonist.

Even though he himself was that "protagonist," he still felt incomparably astonished and shaken.

"I... I actually did it?"

Recalling every detail of the battle just now—the racing heartbeat as he dodged the barrage, the careful steps as he lured the enemy in, the resolve when he drew the Beam Saber, the precision of severing the enemy's arm, and the sheer exhilaration of that final kick... he could not help but marvel sincerely that he was truly capable of controlling such a complex, precise, and powerful steel behemoth—and making it dance across the battlefield.

Only he knew how perilous it had been. Any mistake, any moment of hesitation, could have led to an entirely different outcome.

His success had certainly been due in part to overwhelming machine performance and an overconfident opponent, but it also could not have happened without the knowledge he had accumulated since transmigrating—under duress—the combat instinct rooted deep in his soul, and his ability to remain calm under extreme pressure and strike decisively.

And that Ginn manual he had acquired through "whatever means necessary" had truly helped enormously, now that he thought about it.

He had put quite a bit of effort into getting it.

At the time, he had only just confirmed the era and environment he was in, and urgently needed to understand the technical details of this world's mainstream MS.

He had made use of some of the La Flaga Family's remaining connections and influence—mainly through his nominal guardian, or rather, the person assigned by the family to keep an eye on him—to indirectly gather information. He learned that the Atlantic Federation had captured several Ginns on the front lines and possessed related technical analysis reports.

And as it happened, an Earth Alliance officer responsible for those matters had once received a "great favor" from the La Flaga Family. Xia Ya had not looked into what exactly that favor had been, but it was probably nothing honorable.

So, he took the initiative to visit the man. Naturally, the process had not been friendly.

First, he used certain methods to thoroughly investigate the officer's office at the Orb branch and some of his "gray" records. Like a patient hunter, he searched for flaws and leverage amid mountains of seemingly useless information.

Effort did not betray the determined.

In the end, he found some "dirt" that was enough to ruin the officer's reputation and even send him to prison.

Then, carrying that material, he "visited" the officer with a polite yet unquestioningly forceful attitude.

What followed came naturally. Rather than a request, it had been an unspoken extortion and transaction.

He successfully persuaded the officer, whose face had turned livid but who dared not protest, to "voluntarily" lend him a copy of a highly classified Ginn operations and structural manual, translated and annotated, for this "junior who was fascinated by MS."

Thinking back now, that manual had played a crucial role in helping him understand the basic operational logic, energy systems, sensor characteristics, and weapon specifications of Cosmic Era MS. He had originally assumed that since they were all MS, the core principles of their controls should be largely similar.

And during theoretical study and simulator training, that universality had indeed been confirmed.

But there was ultimately a vast gulf between theory and practice. Even so, he had never imagined that his first real battle, his first confrontation with an actual enemy, would go so... smoothly.

"No, I can't get careless. This was only luck." He swiftly extinguished the trace of pride born from victory.

"Next time, the enemy will be stronger and more vigilant. I won't have such good luck again..."

The road ahead would only become more difficult and more brutal. He had to become stronger and gain more power if he wanted to weather the coming storm.

Just as his emotions churned and he felt somewhat stunned and fearful in the aftermath, a communication request crackling with static interrupted his thoughts.

"...GAT-X106 Blaze! Respond if you can hear me! I repeat, X106 Blaze Gundam, respond immediately!"

That voice belonged to Ensign Murrue Ramius. Her tone was filled with barely concealed tension and urgency, along with a faint trace of... suspicion and wariness.

The voice echoed through the silent cockpit like a cold electric current, instantly pulling Xia Ya from his post-battle emotions back into harsh reality.

"..." He took a deep breath, quickly adjusted his breathing and state of mind, and reached out to press the reply button.

In a deliberately steady, calm voice, he replied, "...This is the X106 Blaze Gundam. The Ginn has been driven off. The situation is resolved. I will immediately return to your position and rendezvous with you."

He did not say "destroyed," only "driven off," leaving himself some room.

There was silence on the other end for several seconds, as though she were processing the information.

Then Murrue's voice sounded again, this time sharper, carrying obvious dissatisfaction and a suppressed demand for answers:

"You...! ...No, understood. We'll discuss the details after we rendezvous. Over."

With that, she unilaterally cut off the communication without wasting another word.

Xia Ya set down the communicator, the corners of his mouth lifting in a helpless bitter smile. "So it is like that..."

From Murrue's hurried tone and her final "understood," he could clearly sense her intense suspicion and vigilance.

Well, trouble had arrived.

The situation just now had indeed been urgent, and he had acted to save the Strike Gundam, but regardless, he was a civilian who had trespassed into a military restricted zone, seen the military's highest secrets, then brazenly seized and piloted an unrevealed state-of-the-art MS that was obviously from the same series as the Strike Gundam just from its model number—and had displayed considerable piloting skill, at least enough to defeat a Ginn...

No matter how one looked at it, that entire sequence of actions perfectly matched the standard behavior of a "terrorist" or "enemy spy."

Though he had absolutely no intention of revealing the true motives behind all this—seizing an MS, intervening in the war, fulfilling his ambitions. If he let slip even a single word, what awaited him would likely not be arrest, but immediate execution—he also knew perfectly well that he would soon face an extremely harsh interrogation and review.

"How should I negotiate this...?" Frowning, he controlled the Blaze Gundam as it slowly rose into the air, turned around, and flew toward the coordinates where the Strike Gundam had been, while rapidly calculating his options.

Forcing his way through or resisting was definitely impossible. That would only confirm his identity as an "enemy."

The best strategy now might be to go with the flow and make use of the "value" he had just demonstrated—his ability to pilot a Gundam and fight—as well as whatever influence the La Flaga Family might still possess, to secure a chance at survival. Or even... turn the situation to his advantage and request to join them voluntarily?

Yes, perhaps this was the only way out. He would recommend himself as the Blaze Gundam's pilot and join the Earth Alliance.

This had already been part of his plan. He simply had not expected it to begin in such a dramatic and passive manner.