Upon hearing this, the scene fell silent for a moment before erupting into laughter.
"Hahahaha, this kid's got good taste!"
"Commander Yang is terrifyingly strong!"
"That guy's a straight-up monster!"
"But don't count Yurin and the others out yet. With complex terrain, well-prepared traps, and ambushes—plus their own skills—Yang Hui might actually lose this one."
"Hahaha! You have no idea how long we've been waiting for this moment!"
"Exactly! We've been dying to see Yang Hui get taken down!"
...
The members of Tekkadan, Turbines, and the Super Limit Hunter Kaineng World stared at Mikazuki Augus in disbelief. After seeing the traps and ambush points set up by Yurin's team, they were convinced Yang Hui was doomed. If it were them, they'd have been killed by the opening sniper shot alone, let alone the subsequent traps and ambushes.
"Mikazuki, do you really think so?" Biscuit Griffon asked nervously, swallowing hard.
"Yeah," Mikazuki Augus nodded seriously.
"Seriously? Does a monster like that really exist?" The members of Tekkadan and Turbines sighed dramatically. They had grown accustomed to trusting Mikazuki's instincts—he was simple-minded and knew nothing outside of combat, but his intuition in battle was frighteningly accurate.
"That's why you should watch closely. See what true strength looks like here—this is what you should be striving for," Heine Westenfluss told the newcomers.
The rookies fell silent. Even the most arrogant Caruso, the most battle-hungry Torey and Carmen, and the most hotheaded Norba Shino had nothing to say.
They hadn't yet witnessed the full extent of Yang Hui's terrifying power, but they had seen the others in action—Yurin's precise and unpredictable sniping, Asemu and Jehart's seamless teamwork, Kira's multi-layered shooting, Athrun and Zhang Wufei's close-quarters combat, Zechs and Graham's high-speed duels. Every one of them was dazzling, every one of them far beyond their reach.
Slowly, they began to understand what it truly meant to be a monster, what true strength looked like.
"Yang Hui's spotted them!"
With that announcement, the silence shattered, and dozens of eyes turned to the large screen.
...
In the simulated battlefield, after moving swiftly yet cautiously, Yang Hui finally made his discovery.
"Hm? Mobile Mines? Heh, so they've set a trap for me, huh? Well then—"
Beep beep beep—
Alarms blared as the Dawn Gundam spread its wings, golden threads spilling from the gaps like curtains, dancing wildly around the machine, slicing through everything mercilessly.
BOOM BOOM BOOM—
Explosions flared one after another, massive asteroids either being shredded into tiny fragments or pulverized by the blasts.
"Now's our chance!"
Seizing the opening, the G-Titan and the Astray Gundam Blue Frame emerged from either side, hidden by the explosions and flying debris. The Sword-Shield Composite Armament's blade and the Composite Armament's greatsword swung down at the Dawn Gundam simultaneously.
CLANG CLANG—
The arms raised their twin swords, blocking the sneak attacks from both sides. The collision of high-frequency vibration blades sent countless sparks flying, the screeching sound making all three in the cockpit uncomfortable.
"So it's you two, teamed up with Yurin?" Yang Hui gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to pull back on the control stick as the combined force of both opponents pressed against him.
"Heh, against a monster like you, one or two people just aren't enough," Woolf teased.
"Is that so? Then—"
Before he could finish, the Dawn Gundam's arms suddenly surged with power, forcefully repelling both the G-Titan and the Astray Gundam Blue Frame, pushing them back. But instead of pursuing, it flipped backward to retreat.
In the next instant, several beams shot in from afar. The spinning frame barely dodged most of them, while the remaining beams struck the Wings that happened to be in their path—blocked by the bits.
"Hah, as expected of Yurin."
Yang Hui knew Yurin's habits well—her sniping rhythm, likely firing angles, and positions were all within his predictions. So as he retreated, he either dodged or blocked every shot. But...
Beep beep beep—
"What?!" The alarms blared—an attack from a blind spot, hidden among the ordinary sniper fire, leaving the Dawn Gundam no chance to evade. It was aimed straight at the cockpit.
Instinctive survival reflexes made Yang Hui gently tug the control stick and lightly press the pedals. In an instant, the left arm lifted while the body slightly lowered. The beam grazed past the Dawn Gundam's chest—but pierced clean through its left arm.
Beep beep beep—
The Wings spread wide as golden bits erected a thick wall behind it. The next moment, a torrent of pink energy crashed against it. The sturdy barrier lasted only two or three seconds before shattering.
But those few seconds were enough—the Dawn Gundam had already put considerable distance between itself and the encirclement.
"I see... So Lyle and Tieria are here too. Quite the welcoming party."
That unexpected snipe and the sudden burst of compressed particles could only have come from the Gundam Cherudim and Gundam Virtue. To have all five of them ganging up on him—they must really think highly of him.
"Gai, he saw right through us," Woolf said with a nervous laugh. Though their combined assault hadn't been prearranged, their silent coordination had set up a near-perfect kill. Woolf was certain that if he hadn't just witnessed Yang Hui pull off an impossible escape, he wouldn't have believed anyone could dodge that. He knew for a fact he couldn't.
"Mmm. Expected," Gai Murakumo replied. He, too, had thought it was a sure kill. But Yang Hui's survival didn't shock him—if anything, it would've been more surprising if he hadn't escaped. Gai had seen it too many times before—Yang Hui turning the impossible into reality.
"Hah, true enough," Woolf chuckled before charging alongside Gai Murakumo in a pincer attack. Both were feints, yet both were real threats—one suppressing with mid-range fire while the other sought openings for close-quarters strikes, seamlessly switching roles when needed.
Even missing an arm, the Dawn Gundam wasn't heavily pressured. Its true strength lay in its Wings—the wave-like bits could become countless precision-guided lethal projectiles, a surging tide, an impregnable fortress wall, or even coat the Wings themselves as the sharpest sword and sturdiest shield.
There were also the scattered, thin beams of the [Voiture Lumiere]. The beams were so fine that ordinary people wouldn't even notice them before being sliced apart—an invisible, formless killer.
Of course, if it were just the [G-Titan] and the Astray Gundam Blue Unit...
Yang Hui had already entered Innovator Mode at this point, not daring to be the slightest bit careless. Though he appeared to be effortlessly suppressing the [G-Titan] and the Astray Gundam Blue Unit, as if toying with them—deliberately letting slip many opportunities to finish them off—he knew better.
In reality, what seemed like openings were traps. His opponents weren't just the [G-Titan] and the Astray Gundam Blue Unit in his line of sight—there were three more skilled hunters lurking in the shadows.
"This is troublesome," Yang Hui muttered inwardly, far from as calm as he appeared. His mind raced, constructing possible tactics to break the current deadlock.
"Guess I'll have to take a risk."
Unable to devise a flawless plan, Yang Hui decided to gamble. The Dawn Gundam forced back the Astray Gundam Blue Unit, which was pressing the attack, while the thin beams of the [Voiture Lumiere] blocked its path. Simultaneously, he used bits to restrict the [G-Titan]'s movement range.
Woolf sensed the danger immediately and blasted open a gap to break through. But the moment he charged out, he was met with the Dawn Gundam's blade.
"Got you!" Woolf wasn't afraid—instead, his face lit up with excitement. They had won. Yang Hui had finally been provoked into taking the offensive, stepping right into their death trap.
But the next second, Woolf was stunned. Gai Murakumo was stunned. Even Yurin, Lyle, and Tieria, watching from afar, were stunned.
The prey had entered the trap. The Luna Gundam and the Gundam Cherudim's sniper fire arrived as planned, forming a crossfire. Yet, at the very moment the Dawn Gundam's blade pierced the [G-Titan], its body twisted and flipped in an unnatural motion, allowing the two sniper shots to only graze its right leg. Simultaneously, the Dawn Gundam used the rotational force to swing its Solid Sword in a wide arc, slicing the [G-Titan] into a crescent shape.
...
"Tch, still failed." The sensation of death washed over Woolf, but the fear from before was gone—only frustration and resignation remained. Even like this, they hadn't managed to take Yang Hui down.
Exiting the simulated battle, Woolf stepped out of the simulation pod to cheers and applause.
"Woolf, that was amazing!"
"Amazing my ass? We still didn't take him down." Woolf bumped fists with the others nearby, laughing self-deprecatingly.
"You took off one of the Dawn's arms and a leg—what more do you want?"
"To finish him off, of course!" Woolf replied without hesitation. "Weren't you bastards all waiting for that moment?"
"Ha ha ha..."
"Don't tell me I'm the only one who got eliminated?" Woolf took a swig of the drink Lagan handed him and asked.
"Yep, you gave up first blood."
"Ugh... that's so embarrassing." Woolf scratched his head sheepishly. He hadn't expected to be the first one out—especially not in a situation where they had the numbers advantage and had ambushed Yang Hui.
"Don't worry, you just had bad luck. The others should be done soon," Lagan reassured his old friend.
"Over there?" Woolf looked at the large screen just in time to see the Infinite Justice Gundam's Beam Saber pierce through the Double Dragon Gundam EW's abdomen, while the Double Dragon Gundam EW's Beam Trident was simultaneously embedded in the Infinite Justice Gundam's chest.
"A draw?" Zhang Wufei wasn't entirely satisfied with the result, but he wasn't angry either—instead, he felt invigorated.
"Wufei..." Athrun looked at Zhang Wufei with frustration. Wufei had fought with reckless abandon, making the battle unbearably stifling for him.
"Hey, you guys got eliminated too?" Woolf greeted Athrun and Zhang Wufei.
"...Were you the first one out?" Zhang Wufei glanced around and noticed only the three of them remained in the competition. Since Woolf was casually drinking a beverage while greeting them, he must have been the first to be eliminated.
"Pfft—" Woolf's raised hand froze mid-air as the agony of a thousand arrows piercing his heart overwhelmed him.
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