Among the wreckage of the mobile suits, Roz Links and Yzak Joule faced each other, or rather, because neither could convince the other, they were stuck in a stalemate.
"You… you bastard…"
Yzak stood up, fists clenched. "After everything, you're still spouting empty words? Are you mocking me and my comrades who died because of you?"
Then Yzak took a quick step forward, his right hand—unbound by the chain—swung toward Roz's face.
"Don't look down on me, damn it!"
Roz didn't dodge, taking the punch squarely on his cheek and slightly staggering back.
Perhaps his body's strength was different from before. Even though Yzak punched hard, Roz didn't feel the extreme pain he had imagined.
"Mocking? I'm seriously talking to you, you bastard!"
Roz wobbled slightly to regain his balance, then swung his right arm in a heavy right hook at Yzak's face.
Yzak had just grabbed Roz's collar but he was cleverly thrown to the ground with a shoulder throw.
The two rolled and punched each other on the ground.
Both knew that words alone couldn't make the other understand them. So, without realizing it, they chose the same solution: find a reason to fight.
Whoever's fist was stronger would decide.
"Ughh!"
Yzak shouted, his fists aiming at Roz's face, thinking, "I have to defeat this guy."
"Waaaaaagh!"
After Roz's face took Yzak's punch, he instinctively let out a green-skinned style roar, as if some switch inside him was triggered, and his hands began pounding Yzak's face.
If only he were fighting Char right now, he thought randomly while rolling with Yzak.
As if sensing Roz's thought, whether from a rescue team noticing the commotion or receiving a signal from Roz's makeshift survival beacon, a jeep emerged from the forest and drove toward the two struggling on the ground.
"Roz!"
Cagalli Yula Athha, in the passenger seat, saw Roz fighting Yzak and instinctively stood up.
Driving the jeep was the man who had been alongside Cagalli during the desert period—the "Rambo." Now, he had exchanged his rugged appearance for a proper Orb uniform.
"Ledonir, go faster!"
Cagalli turned to speak his real name.
"Cagalli, hold tight."
The man named Ledonir nodded, pressing the jeep to accelerate.
Roz and Yzak, fiercely exchanging blows, didn't notice Cagalli and Ledonir approaching. They continued roaring and punching, trying to make the other understand.
Finally, Yzak found an opening, kicked Roz away, and shakily stood up.
"Tch… you… you're a monster."
Yzak gasped; his cheek was swollen and stinging from Roz's relentless "Waaaaagh fists."
Even as an Coordinator with excellent physical abilities, under Roz's heavy blows and his own attacks, Yzak's body had reached its limit.
One final punch could decide the outcome.
"Ha… ha… you're not bad yourself."
Roz also got up, wiping blood from his broken lip, his deliberately loaded fist ready.
Though beaten, Roz's state improved as he fought; slightly tired but not exhausted.
He could fight Yzak all day.
"I just don't want to be called that."
For some reason, Yzak suddenly felt like laughing, forcing out an ugly smile despite the pain.
"This time, the winner will be me!"
A surge of power seemed to flow through Yzak as he advanced.
"Hah, that line should be mine!"
Roz smiled and stepped forward toward Yzak.
Two meters… one meter… at optimal striking distance!
Yzak stepped, twisted his waist, and with full strength, threw a heavy straight punch at Roz.
"Ughh!"
Roz, unwilling to lose, swung his right arm in an arc, a heavy hook aimed at Yzak's face.
"Waaaaagh!"
Almost simultaneously, both punches slammed into the other's face, knocking each to the ground.
At that moment, the jeep braked hard not far away.
"Roz!"
Before the jeep fully stopped, impatient Cagalli jumped out and ran toward Roz.
"Ha… ha… ha…"
Yzak, finally catching his breath, unable to lift his arms, lay on the ground, accepting the result, letting the night wind and the warmth of the campfire brush over his swollen face.
"Waaaaagh!"
Suddenly, Roz flipped over, planted both hands on the ground, and stood up.
"Stop screaming! It's annoying!"
Yzak gritted his teeth against the pain.
"Losing to you again is so frustrating!"
But in his state, all he could do was lie there and mutter.
"Ha… after meeting you, have I ever won?"
Roz turned, looking at Yzak's eyes.
"Every time, I pinned you to the ground."
"You win—whatever you say makes sense."
Yzak, abandoning his usual stubbornness, calmly looked at the night stars.
"Even though He is just a mercenary… why do he think about things at least a hundred years in the future?"
"If you wait until things are at their worst, you can do nothing."
Roz shook himself and chose to sit on the ground.
Hands on the ground, leaning back, he looked up at the twinkling stars.
"Besides… I made a promise to someone to change this world for him."
"Hah… don't die, then."
Looking at the sparkling stars, Yzak smiled.
"The stars… I've never watched them so quietly before… they're really beautiful."
"You… your talk of ending the war and a peaceful future… makes me look forward to it a little, too."
-----------------------------------
"Truly… brutal."
Although she had anticipated it in her mind, it wasn't until Erica Simmons set foot on this island ravaged by Shamblo that she could feel the intensity of the battle up close.
Especially after seeing the massive wreckage of Shamblo, she began to wonder whether Orb's M1 Astray could defeat it, and how many mobile suits it would take to destroy it.
"However… normally speaking, with flames of that intensity, there should be severe burn marks here."
Erica turned her gaze to the ground, puzzled.
"What are those red flames? Why aren't they here?"
As a materialist, Erica naturally didn't believe in any supernatural forces. Rather than believing Roz Links had some unknown energy powering the Jesta, she preferred the explanation that the Jesta had activated backup hidden energy and used some new type of propellant.
While Erica was lost in thought, a commotion from nearby interrupted her.
Turning her head, she saw several Orb soldiers performing a rescue operation, carrying two stretchers toward the ship. On the stretchers were two pilots, dressed in red and white flight suits, who were constantly… arguing? Or perhaps just venting their emotions?
Meanwhile, two other Orb soldiers were carrying a machine with a very distinctive design—apparently the beacon that had sent out the distress signal.
"Looks like you two are in pretty good spirits."
Erica walked over, looking at the two youths with bruised and swollen faces, her lips trembling slightly.
Seeing the faces of the two on the stretchers, Erica's mind flashed through all the sad moments of her life in an instant, yet she managed to suppress her lips and offered a polite, albeit awkward, smile.
"Oh, it's Director Erica."
Roz, enduring the pain, pulled at the corners of his mouth and gave a grimace even uglier than crying.
"Too bad—the Jesta self-destructed. You probably can't salvage any parts from my suit."
"It's fine. Even just this MA you destroyed is a considerable gain."
Erica didn't seem particularly concerned with Roz's Jesta. She spoke calmly, "Thanks to your intelligence, Lord Uzumi arranged reinforcements in advance, preventing several assassination attempts on George Allster."
"And… regarding the operation to destroy the large MA, Lord Uzumi intends to commend you—but that will have to wait until you're out of the hospital."
Roz wanted to say something, but Erica waved her hand. The two Orb soldiers carrying him quickly headed toward the ship.
"As for you… although Roz's intelligence confirmed the origin of this massive MA, and your fight was only directed at Roz, the fact that you fought on Orb territory… the terms regarding you and the Duel Gundam will be a matter for Orb and ZAFT to negotiate."
Compared to her relatively gentle and friendly attitude toward Roz, Erica was calmer when speaking to Yzak. There was no malice, but also no friendliness.
"…I understand."
Yzak naturally understood his position. Though he hadn't attacked Orb forces, fighting a mercenary on Orb's home turf—regardless of the reason—would inevitably cause complications.
"Good… then first, please go to the hospital and recover."
Erica waved her hand and turned toward the distant Shamblo wreckage, letting the soldiers take Yzak back to the ship.
"A large MA…"
Recalling the footage she had seen in the operations command room, Erica instinctively rubbed her forehead.
"How much more destruction will this war require before it finally ends?"
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