Three Gundams and three top-tier mass-produced mobile suits ganging up on a single mobile suit that wasn't a full generation behind—normally, this would spell a major crisis for the one being surrounded.
But Reid was now so enraged that his mind was a sea of clarity. He was about to show the six pilots who had cornered him what a difference in skill meant, and what a real-life cheat code looked like.
The Exass Aegis now had half its thrusters destroyed and had just plummeted from a high altitude. The fact that the pilot inside hadn't been knocked unconscious was a testament to his exceptional pain tolerance.
The Exass Aegis wouldn't be able to take off again. Reid and Neo Roanoke could pinpoint each other's locations psychically, so even if Neo Roanoke were to bail out now, he couldn't escape.
Besides, it looked like the Exass Aegis had crashed and shut down. It would probably take Neo Roanoke a while to reboot the mobile suit, and even then, success wasn't guaranteed.
So, Reid decided to vent his anger on the six mobile suits currently besieging him first.
Since Reid hadn't deactivated his Red Comet skill, his mobile suit's speed was still like it had some kind of burst system activated.
Reid's first target for his wrath was the Abyss Gundam, whose performance was the most nerfed in ground combat.
At this moment, the Chaos Gundam and three Galactic Tigers in the sky, along with the Gaia and Abyss Gundams on the ground, were all firing various beams at the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) β.
But all their attacks merely struck the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.
Reid's sublimated Newtype abilities had made him even more sensitive to attacks. Right now, the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) β truly seemed to have eyes in the back of its head.
While dodging the attacks from the four mobile suits in the sky, Reid piloted his unit, transforming it into an afterimage as it charged at a low altitude toward the Abyss Gundam.
Even while dashing, he was able to use the High-Energy MEGA Particle Cannon in the mobile suit's hand to fire accurately at the Gaia Gundam.
Stella reacted promptly, raising her shield to block the high-energy MEGA particle beam.
But the Gaia Gundam's Anti-Beam Shield was clearly not built to withstand such a powerful attack. The shield was blown apart on the spot, and the Gaia Gundam was sent flying by the explosion.
Simultaneously, the two Long VSBR Beam Cannons on the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) β's backpack flipped up and fired two VSBR beams directly at the three Galactic Flame Tigers.
Facing Reid, the Coordinators didn't dare to read his mind in detail anymore. Orphee Lam Tao's fate was a cautionary tale, so they didn't know this was just a feint.
The group sent to intercept Reid—Orphee Lam Tao, Shura Serpente, and Griffin Arbalest—saw the two cannons on Reid's mobile suit aiming their way and, without a second thought, immediately maneuvered to evade.
It could only be said that Reid, as a Newtype, could continuously exert mental pressure on the Coordinators without doing anything. Their incomplete psychic senses couldn't be turned off.
Thus, when faced with the feint from Reid's mobile suit, these Coordinators reacted like a human facing a T-Rex's attack, defaulting to the belief that the attack couldn't be blocked and could only be dodged.
So, during the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) β's charge toward the Abyss Gundam, only the Abyss and Chaos Gundams were capable of sustained follow-up attacks.
However, the Chaos Gundam's EQFU-5X Mobile Weapon Pods, controlled by its Dragoon System, had questionable effectiveness in the atmosphere. Their attacks were straightforward and could be dodged with a little maneuvering.
As for the Abyss Gundam's attack, upon seeing the enemy mobile suit charging, Auel opened his unit's shoulder armor and fired the MA-X223E Triple Beam Cannons within, along with the chest-mounted MGX-2235 'Blaze' Multiplex Phase Beam Cannon, at the approaching enemy.
A normal MS, unless it had a large beam shield, would have no choice but to evade a full-power barrage from the Abyss Gundam.
But the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) β had long since activated its Quadruple Round Magnetic Defense Shield System. This thing was even more effective against ranged attacks than a beam shield, with a defensive area that could protect its entire front.
Therefore, the Abyss Gundam's seven beams didn't even force Reid to dodge, let alone slow the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) β down.
The beams hitting the Quadruple Round Magnetic Defense Shield were like a toy water gun squirting a steel plate—there was no reaction at all.
By now, the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) β had raised its High-Energy MEGA Particle Cannon again, which had been switched back to its lance mode, preparing to deliver a devastating blow to the Abyss Gundam.
Under the threat of death, Auel's potential erupted as he piloted the Abyss Gundam to raise its MX-RQB516 Beam Lance to parry.
However, the highly condensed MEGA particles of the High-Energy MEGA Particle Cannon were too much for even the Gaia Gundam's anti-beam coated shield. What made the Abyss Gundam's lance, which had little anti-beam treatment, think it could withstand it?
Thus, the High-Energy MEGA Particle Cannon in its lance mode easily sliced through the Abyss Gundam's lance and carved a gash across its chest, right where the multiplex phase beam cannon was located.
But it wasn't over. The two Long VSBR Beam Cannons folded back down to its waist and fired at the Abyss Gundam.
The Abyss Gundam's shoulders were instantly blown off. Its chest sparked and suffered a small explosion. Then, with smoke billowing from its entire frame and the light in its head camera completely dimming, it fell backward.
Seeing this, Reid paid no more attention to the heavily damaged Abyss Gundam. Even if Auel was alive inside, he was most likely severely injured, and the Abyss Gundam itself had lost all combat capability even if it could get back up.
Next, Reid set his sights on the Chaos Gundam. The Gaia Gundam had extremely poor anti-air firepower and was mostly stuck floundering on the ground on Earth.
As for the three Galactic Flame Tigers, he wasn't in a hurry. Their turn would come after he dealt with the Chaos Gundam.
However, just as Reid confirmed via psychic link that Neo Roanoke was still struggling with his mobile suit inside the Exass Aegis and was about to go after the Chaos Gundam, Shinn's voice suddenly came through the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) β's team comms.
"You bastards! Don't you dare ignore me!"
The next second, Reid saw that Shinn's GP-08 (Phantom Rose) α had already broken free from the Galactic Flame Tiger tying him down and was charging toward the three Galactic Flame Tigers that were still trying to swarm Reid.
Reid could clearly sense that Shinn was in an extremely agitated state, and his movements were different from usual. He had most likely entered SEED mode.
That's right. While he was tied down by Ingrid Tradoll's Galactic Flame Tiger and Reid was being ganged up on by six mobile suits, Shinn had already become extremely anxious and worried.
But the Coordinators' ability to read minds meant that every time Shinn tried to attack or bypass the Galactic Flame Tiger in front of him, he was forced back by various attacks.
The GP-08 (Phantom Rose) α had even been hit a few times by the MA-M757 'Slaughter Whip' Heat Rod, its whole body receiving a round of electrotherapy.
Shinn felt a deep sense of failure in his duty as a bodyguard. What kind of bodyguard lets their leader take on six enemies while they're only in a one-on-one duel?
So, under the triple influence of anger, indignation, and a sense of powerlessness, Shinn awakened, entering SEED mode for the first time in his life.
The moment Shinn entered SEED mode, Ingrid Tradoll suddenly felt that the hot-headed pilot opposite her, who had been so easy to read, had become faster, his movements exceptionally agile.
If that were all, it would have been fine, but Ingrid Tradoll also discovered that her ability to predict his actions seemed to have failed.
This failure wasn't because Shinn's mind could no longer be read, but because the information from the mind-reading was now synchronized with his actions.
In other words, by the time Ingrid Tradoll read that Shinn was about to swing down with his Long-Beam Multifunctional Anti-Ship Sword, the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) α was already swinging down.
Ingrid Tradoll, however, still needed a moment to react and pilot her mobile suit to respond.
This was Shinn's classic fighting style: his body moved faster than his brain.
When Shinn was fighting at his full potential, his brain was a clear liability. The more he thought, the worse his combat effectiveness became.
So, from a third-party perspective, after the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) α sped up, it took only a single exchange to repel the opposing Galactic Flame Tiger.
The GP-08 (Phantom Rose) α charged at high speed toward the Galactic Flame Tiger and swung down.
The Galactic Flame Tiger raised its shield to block as usual.
But Shinn deliberately let the spike on the Galactic Flame Tiger's shield catch the Long-Beam Multifunctional Anti-Ship Sword for a moment, then with a horizontal swing, he flung the Galactic Flame Tiger's shield aside.
Immediately after, the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) α thrust its left-arm shield forward, and the mobile suit charged ahead, slamming the Galactic Flame Tiger with a shield bash.
The violent impact made Ingrid Tradoll let out a scream. Then, as the Galactic Flame Tiger was knocked back, Shinn drew his Shoulder Beam Boomerangs and threw them, severing the Galactic Flame Tiger's right arm and both legs, sending it plummeting down in a cloud of smoke and ending the fight on his side.
Then, Shinn roared and charged toward the remaining three Galactic Flame Tigers, ready to redeem himself.
Faced with a Shinn who could only mindlessly charge forward and attack, Orphee Lam Tao, Shura Serpente, and Griffin Arbalest experienced the same disorientation as Ingrid Tradoll.
All their reactions to the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) α were a beat too slow, causing their attacks to either hit empty air or be easily blocked by Shinn's Beam Shield.
And against Shinn's attacks, the three of them were thrown into a flurry of panicked responses.
It was a good thing Shinn wasn't piloting the Destiny Gundam with its mirage colloid system, or these three Coordinators might have been defeated instantly, just like in the future movie.
Well, Orphee Lam Tao and Shura Serpente were both significantly more skilled at piloting MS than Griffin Arbalest, so an instant defeat was unlikely. They should have been able to fight Shinn on even terms after adapting.
However, Shinn still had the PX System as a trump card he hadn't used yet, and he was already relying on sheer, relentless assault to chase the remaining three Galactic Flame Tigers all over the battlefield.
Seeing Shinn's outburst, Reid nodded in satisfaction. His efforts in training this kid hadn't been in vain. He prepared to focus on dealing with the Chaos Gundam.
However, Sting in the Chaos Gundam had a flash of inspiration. He said to Stella on the ground, "Stella, I'll draw the enemy away. You get Neo and retreat, quickly."
With that, his mobile suit transformed into MA Mode and accelerated at full power, rocketing into the sky.
Sting knew that even in MA Mode, the Chaos Gundam couldn't outrun the enemy mobile suit, but he figured every second he could buy was a second gained. As long as the Gaia could quickly rescue Neo from his mobile suit, the two of them would have a chance to escape back to the city of Bogota.
However, Reid could guess Sting's intention to lure him away just by sensing his fighting spirit.
An escape attempt with a do-or-die mentality was clearly not a real escape, but a lure to draw him away.
So, Reid didn't fall for it at all. He landed directly in front of the Exass Aegis, preparing to drag Neo Roanoke out and take him back for a slow interrogation.
However, just as he landed, the Gaia Gundam pounced at him in its MA Mode like a hungry tiger.
Although Reid knew Stella was inside, he was in no mood for chivalry. He raised his High-Energy MEGA Particle Cannon in lance mode, preparing to run the Gaia Gundam through.
However, just as Stella was about to meet her end, Neo Roanoke suddenly initiated a psychic link with Reid.
"Reid Isaac, spare Stella's life, and I'll tell you everything you want to know."
Hearing this, Reid thought that was great. It wasn't like he absolutely had to kill this Stella anyway.
Thus, the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) β's straight thrust turned into a horizontal sweep. It sliced off the Gaia Gundam's left beam wing and flung it into the nearby woods, where it landed on its back with all four limbs in the air.
Then, Reid also used the psychic link to speak to Neo Roanoke.
"You should know what happens to people who try to fool me."
Neo Roanoke, clearly thinking he was doomed since the Exass Aegis wouldn't restart, was prepared to sacrifice himself for Stella to make his death more meaningful. He said, "Stella, Sting, and Auel were all chosen by me from the Enhanced Person training center. They are pitiful children. If you have the ability, please save them. They are like my own children.
"The lab where I was born is on the Faroe Islands. It was a joint laboratory between the Atlantic Federation and the Eurasian Federation. Since I can remember, I've seen six other identical test subjects, but all six were eventually judged as complete failures and disposed of.
"I am also a failure, but I inherited some of your combat talent, so I was kept as a hired gun.
"By the time I left that lab, it had already been destroyed. The two governments shut it down because they felt it had burned through its budget with almost no success.
"The top brass and leaders of both the Eurasian Federation and the Atlantic Federation's militaries know of my existence.
"However, after you revealed yourself as an evolved Newtype, I heard that most of the research on your previous genetic material was halted.
"It seems the two governments believe that gene sample no longer holds much research value. Sending me to the battlefield is, in a way, just making use of waste."
Reid nodded after listening and replied sincerely, "For the rest of this battle, at least, I will not deliver a killing blow to the three you mentioned and will attempt to capture them. But it will only be an attempt. Time's about up. Go."
With that, Reid piloted his mobile suit to pry open the cockpit of the Exass Aegis.
At this moment, the Gaia Gundam, which had gotten back on its feet, saw the enemy mobile suit preparing to deliver a final blow to the Exass Aegis. It immediately drew its Beam Saber and leaped at the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) β with a jumping slash.
Meanwhile, in the air, Shinn, who was still chasing and hacking at the three Galactic Flame Tigers, saw the Gaia Gundam pouncing toward the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) β's flank, and his sense of responsibility flared.
Shinn instantly activated the PX System. The GP-08 (Phantom Rose) α, glowing with blue light, dove from the sky toward the Gaia Gundam on the ground, roaring, "You st
ay away from the Chairman!" He slammed into it at the apex of its jump, knocking it out of the air.
In the next instant, the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) β threw a punch at Neo Roanoke inside, killing him while preserving his body's genetic material as evidence.
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