Colonel Lugo Could Not Afford to Break Down

The departure of the Prototype Destiny Gundam and the arrival of the Freedom Gundam did not change the course of the battlefield.

Although the Minerva was being held back by the Main Angel,

under Heine and Asuka's leadership, ZAFT's seven MS units continued to advance toward Orb's carrier fleet.

However, Orb had not suffered a direct hit from the Positron Cannon.

Although part of its forces had been caught in the Positron Cannon's blast, an endless stream of MS units still fought and resisted on the front lines.

The Orb fleet launched a barrage of missiles.

Shin Asuka piloted the Impulse Gundam through the missile swarm.

As the Savior Gundam spun, its Beam Rifle flashed repeatedly.

Crossing beams knocked down the barrage one after another, and countless sparks blossomed in the sky.

Piloting the orange Fire Tiger, Heine charged forward like lightning. As his beam machine gun swept across the field, an M1 Astray tumbled apart.

Rika Sita lashed out with her thermal whip at the unit ahead. With its Murasame wing damaged, it plunged into the deep sea amid its pilot's screams.

Marl Streu swung his Beam Sword and severed a Murasame's cockpit.

As Mihal's unit spun, he swung his blade and cut an M1 Astray in two.

The Savior Gundam stood at the rear and fired its rifle. A Murasame fighter approaching the Minerva had its wings blasted apart and tumbled into the sea.

The Impulse Gundam swung its Beam Saber, instantly tearing apart the M1 Astray that had just approached.

Yet as he watched the shattered machine, Shin Asuka's heart was anything but calm.

The machines before him were so familiar that they nearly stirred homesickness. During the ignorant days of his youth, they had been the objects of longing and admiration for every Orb boy.

But