Like a bird breaking free from its cage, the gray-white mobile suit spread the wings on its backpack and soared freely through the sky.
Its uneven external armor and exposed arm frame created a kind of broken, ruinous beauty.
"Where… is the Archangel?"
Roz looked around. The spherical cockpit displayed dense triangular markers. But the next second—perhaps sensing something—Roz pulled the control stick.
Two beams flashed past below. With a smooth, flowing turn, the Narrative Gundam narrowly slipped past the sudden strike. The one who had fired those beams was the Blitz Gundam, standing on its flight pedal and rapidly closing in.
The Narrative Gundam raised its beam rifle and fired toward Blitz's cockpit.
Blitz quickly lifted its shield and blocked the shot.
"Don't even think about running!"
Just as Nicol lowered the shield to counterattack, he suddenly saw the face of the Narrative Gundam right in front of him.
"So fast?! Uahhhh—!"
Violent sparks burst from the shield. Feeling the intense impact, Nicol cried out in pain.
"Nicol? What happened? Answer me."
From the comm channel came Rau Le Creuset's insincere, feigned concern.
"Captain Creuset… it's a G! A new G!"
Blitz was struck away by the Narrative Gundam, tumbling backward through the air. But the Narrative Gundam didn't pursue—instead it raised the beam rifle in its right hand and continued firing nonstop.
"I won't let you shoot me down!"
Gritting his teeth, Nicol yanked the controls. With help from the flight pedal, Blitz rolled again and again to evade the attacks.
But after dodging one shot, the next two hit the shield with perfect accuracy.
"Shield fatigue level… why is it dropping this fast?!"
Seeing the warning on the status monitor at the shield's location, Nicol was startled.
Although the original Narrative Gundam's beam rifle was a modified Jegan rifle—mainly improving accuracy and rapid-fire performance—Roz had used what little time he had left to further reinforce its output, giving the rifle muzzle a spiral acceleration mechanism.
The particle beams, spiraling like drill-heads, maintained accuracy and rate of fire while greatly increasing destructive power.
Taking advantage of Blitz's evasive maneuvers, Roz guided the Narrative Gundam to leave that area.
Burning rocket debris plummeted from the sky, crashing into the battle-torn sea and sending towering waves upward.
"Copy Forces—D5, D6, D7 squads. Go assist Blitz. Shoot down that unknown G."
Inside the submarine, watching the camera feed showing the two mobile suits exchanging fire in the sky—Blitz completely suppressed—Creuset frowned.
In the sky, countless white DINNs and some white GINNs riding flight pedals fought fiercely against the Earth Forces MAs. Mobile suits from both sides were constantly shot down, exploding mid-air like fireworks.
Nine white DINNs broke away from the main assault group and began ascending, flying toward the Blitz–Narrative combat zone.
"Still not found… Something blocking it?"
Looking at the cockpit's panoramic display full of cluttered markers, Roz frowned.
Even while exchanging fire and mutually suppressing the Blitz Gundam, Roz still had attention to spare to search for the Archangel's position.
The next second, he stepped on the pedal. The Narrative Gundam made a roll, dodging the barrage coming from below.
"DINNs… white ones? They've already noticed me?"
Roz controlled the Narrative Gundam, flying continuously toward the sea surface. Along the way, he lifted his beam rifle and rapidly fired point shots at the approaching white DINNs.
The spiraling particle beams shot from the muzzle, accurately striking the cockpits of the white DINNs, easily melting their armor and triggering several explosions mid-air.
"Don't even think about running!"
Blitz raised the attack shield system on its right arm. Three high-speed armor-piercing missiles launched from the mounts below, and the two five-tube launchers temporarily mounted on its shoulders also began firing all missiles, which Nicol happily unlocked and dumped.
To compensate for Blitz's insufficient firepower, ZAFT specially installed missile launchers on its shoulders and left arm. But since Blitz's original design didn't consider mounting extra weapons, the mounts were unstable and could be thrown off during intense close combat.
And to ensure that even if the temporary launchers were thrown off Blitz would still have enough firepower, the flight pedal also had several missile launchers built in.
Missiles filled the sky as they rushed toward the Narrative Gundam. Roz glanced at the cockpit's panoramic markers and narrowed his eyes.
Then Roz performed a skilled backflip, dodging the first incoming wave. He rapidly descended toward the sea, skimming across the surface.
The high-mobility backpack spread its wings, the thruster flames blasting violently, sending water spraying behind him.
In truth, without the help of flight pedals, MS units on Earth could hardly fly. They could only glide with wings or stay airborne briefly like a "high jump."
The only reason the Narrative Gundam could fly for so long was because Roz had the throttle fully open, with the high-mobility backpack running at full power.
"Beep beep beep…"
At that moment, the Archangel's marker appeared on the panoramic display.
This was exactly what Roz wanted.
But before heading to the Archangel, it was better to first deal with the Blitz behind him.
Blitz activated the missile launchers on its flight pedal, firing a large number of missiles toward the Narrative Gundam. However, thanks to the Narrative Gundam's maneuvering, all of them hit the sea, throwing up sprays of water.
"Click… I'm out of missiles…"
Unknowingly having emptied all missiles, Nicol raised Blitz's attack shield system and, together with the three newly-arrived white DINNs, began continuously firing at the Narrative Gundam.
"…Now!"
Roz turned the Narrative Gundam at high speed, circling toward Blitz's flank.
A special missile launched from inside the shield, exploding mid-air into a balloon vaguely resembling the Narrative Gundam.
A decoy balloon—always effective amid this kind of chaos.
As the balloon was destroyed, the explosives inside detonated, producing sparks and smoke all around.
"It… it was shot down?"
Seeing this, Nicol sighed slightly in relief and moved the Blitz forward to check.
But the next second, the lock-on alarm blared inside Blitz's cockpit.
"What?!!"
Nicol jerked Blitz around and saw a fear-inducing sight.
The Narrative Gundam had somehow circled to Blitz's flank. It kept perfectly parallel, with its two wired remote funnels on its shoulders raised like cannons. It held its shield in both hands, and the Jesta Cannon–type missile launchers mounted on its waist and legs were ready to fire.
With the firing of the funnels, the missiles on the shield, waist, and legs activated as well. The fierce barrage poured onto the three GINNs and the Blitz like buckets of water.
"Uwaaaaaaa—!"
Seeing this scene, Nicol instinctively pulled the trigger. Blitz lifted its shield to protect the cockpit, while the Vulcans on its head fired continuously at the incoming missiles.
The three white DINNs were shredded the instant they entered the barrage.
The funnels' beam fire and the endless missiles rained down on Blitz. Nicol desperately tried to reverse using the flight pedal.
"Boom—!"
The flight pedal beneath Blitz's feet was destroyed by missiles, triggering an intense power warning. But Nicol couldn't care—he kept firing the head Vulcans in a frantic attempt to detonate the missiles.
The first missile broke through the Vulcan fire and exploded on the shield, followed by a chain of explosions across Blitz's body.
Blitz's already low battery was rapidly depleted. The originally black PS armor lost its color, revealing the iron-gray armor beneath.
The head was melted by beam fire, and its legs and left arm were blown off. Blitz had completely lost its attitude control.
"Uaaaahhhhhhh—!"
Screaming, Nicol and the powerless Blitz crashed into the sea with a torn, ruined form, sending up a large splash.
"Hah… finally done… at least for now."
Roz exhaled slightly and guided the Narrative Gundam toward the Archangel.
On the other side, seeing Nicol defeated so quickly, Rau Le Creuset's expression on the ZAFT flagship grew quite unpleasant.
"Have a GOOhN recover the Blitz. We cannot leave Nicol there."
Creuset frowned, watching through the camera feed as the Narrative Gundam steadily approached the Archangel. "A new G… just what is it?"
It wasn't unusual for Creuset not to recognize Roz. The Narrative Gundam was rushed into service and barely painted, and its mental-frame covering blocked the shoulder area, making the unicorn emblem difficult to see.
Meanwhile, Roz reached to the side control panel and entered a communication code he knew by heart.
"Archangel, this is Roz Links. Can you hear me?"
"Roz?!!"
While Roz established contact with the Archangel, no one noticed that a blue-and-white mobile suit had spread its wings in the sky.
-----------------------------------
At this moment aboard the Archangel, everyone was in complete chaos.
Most of the ship's main guns had been destroyed, the hull armor had been damaged after taking heavy fire, several areas had caught fire and were spewing black smoke, and even the armor covering the catapult deck had been blown open with a large hole.
"Archangel, Tolle's Skygrasper can't fight anymore. He has to make an emergency landing on the damaged deck!"
Mu's voice came through the comms, making Murrue feel as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
"Again?! Make the maintenance crew clear out immediately!"
Then she continued directing the ship in combat: "Wombat, launch!"
The Archangel was currently retreating together with two Eurasian Federation ships, but in such a chaotic battlefield—even the Archangel, the strongest Earth Alliance battleship in terms of sheer capability, was finding it hard to hold on, let alone the regular Earth Alliance vessels.
"The Euric has lost power! The Dolov has gone silent!"
"Port rudder twenty! Bypass the ZAFT fleet ahead!"
"ZAFT MS groups appearing at four o'clock and ten o'clock! They're white!"
Enemies in front, pursuers behind. Even Murrue couldn't help but feel despair at the sight.
"Nine o'clock direction! An MS is approaching us! …It's a new G?"
Sai, already sweating heavily, saw the Narrative Gundam rapidly closing in on the Archangel.
As the attack was about to come, everyone instinctively braced for impact.
"Damn it!"
Seeing that the Archangel was about to be struck by those white DINNs carrying anti-ship weapons, Mu inside the Skygrasper was burning with urgency.
But just then, several green particle beams appeared like spiraling drills, striking directly at the cockpits of those white DINNs, detonating their battery packs.
"What?!"
"Zzz—…This is Roz Links, can you hear me?"
Through static interference, Roz's voice came through the comm channel.
"Roz?!"
Murrue exclaimed in shock, unable to understand why Roz had appeared here.
The video feed opened on the comms. Roz was still wearing his familiar pilot suit, and the scenery behind him showed that he was flying at high speed over the ocean.
"We've detected the source signal—it's that new G-type that's approaching the Archangel!"
Sai, soaked in sweat, shouted with excitement.
Hearing this, a wave of relief washed over Murrue, and the frustrations she had been holding down nearly overflowed.
"Roz, we're retreating. Inside the Alaska base—"
"I know. I already received intel from General Halberton. Murrue, keep leading the Archangel's retreat!"
The Narrative Gundam drew closer to the Archangel, circling around it.
"I'll watch over you all. Go!"
"I—I understand. Archangel, full speed!"
Suppressing her frustration and helplessness, Murrue continued commanding the Archangel's breakout.
"Click… there's too many."
Seeing the dense swarm of white DINNs and the white GINNs riding flight pedals, Roz clicked his tongue.
"Incom!"
The wire-guided remote bits deployed from the backpack, their high-output thrusters blasting fiery light as they fired continuously at the ZAFT formation ahead under cable control.
"Just you lot… how could you compare to Amuro!"
Roz squeezed the trigger. The remote bits danced in the air, firing scatter-beam blasts like shotgun sprays into the dense formation of enemy machines.
To ensure the remote bits could operate smoothly on Earth and to give them greater versatility, Roz had enhanced their thruster output and improved their beam firing modes.
The cost of these enhancements, however, was that the remote bits consumed absurd amounts of power under Earth conditions. Even with the high-mobility backpack still carrying plenty of energy after the fight with Blitz, it couldn't sustain their long-term use.
But the result of these upgrades was two fire-support anchors capable of unleashing continuous wide-area scatter-beam attacks.
"A good chance!"
With the Skygrasper and the newly arrived Narrative Gundam tied down by a swarm of white DINNs, a GINN pushed its flight pedal to maximum output, breaking through the Archangel's weakened anti-air fire—crippled due to many turrets being destroyed—and arrived right in front of the Archangel's bridge.
"Die, Longlegs!"
The GINN raised its rifle and was about to pull the trigger.
Two beams suddenly came down from above, striking the GINN's head and rifle with perfect precision, completely destroying both.
A blue-and-white mobile suit descended from the sky, blocking the front of the Archangel's bridge with its blue-and-white wings spread wide.
"This is Kira, reporting for support."
"Kira? You're alive?!"
Hearing the exchange between the Archangel and Kira over the comms, Roz suddenly felt a strong wave of "Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?"
"I don't know when you changed machines, but never mind that for now, Kira."
Roz guided the low-power Narrative Gundam onto the Archangel's deck and retracted the energy-hungry remote bits.
"Blue Cosmos has installed the Cyclops System inside the Alaska base. This place is about to turn into a furnace. We need to get the Archangel out now!"
"…Understood."
After listening to Roz, Kira fell silent for a moment, then the blue-and-white mobile suit unfolded four armaments, as if four cannons had been mounted onto its body.
"I hereby inform ZAFT and the Earth Alliance—stop fighting immediately…"
Hearing Kira's broadcast over the public channel, Mu in the Skygrasper raised an eyebrow.
"Kira's… still pretty much the same as ever."
"…I actually think he's become more decisive."
Watching the blue-and-white mobile suit shouting "Stop fighting!" while violently blasting ZAFT machines into metal sticks, Roz fell silent.
"But in any case, first we—"
Before he could finish, a violent energy surge erupted from inside the Alaska base.
"Archangel! Full-speed withdrawal!"
Murrue's voice came through the comms, tinged with fear.
-----------------------------------
A violent energy wave was rampaging through the Alaska base.
ZAFT soldiers caught within it, along with the corpses on the ground, suddenly exploded into a pile of shredded flesh.
Some mobile suits, along with the damaged warships, inexplicably erupted in violent explosions.
"Faster… a little faster!"
Even Arnold, who prided himself on being a super battleship pilot, wished he truly possessed the superhuman strength to push the Archangel to accelerate.
But unfortunately, under ZAFT's intense assault, the Archangel's speed was less than half of what it had been before.
"There's no time, Incom!"
Seeing the energy wave approaching the Archangel at a slow but steady pace, Roz gritted his teeth, planning to deploy the remote bits to form a shield.
However, the remote bits did not deploy. A warning sound for insufficient power rang in Roz's ears.
"How can it be so fast?! Archangel!"
Mu, aboard the Skygrasper, and Kira, in the blue-and-white mobile suit, were both stunned at the sight.
The energy wave was already hitting the Archangel's thrusters. The flames from the nozzles were weakening, and Roz panicked.
"Move! Incom!"
Roz gripped the controls tightly, desperately trying to deploy the wire-guided remote bits.
As if sensing Roz's anxiety, the Narrative Gundam automatically tilted slightly downward.
The control panel displayed the letters "NTD," and the UI of the panoramic cockpit transformed—the linear pilot seat became more like a recliner.
Before everyone's eyes, the Narrative Gundam's gray psycho-frame began to glow red.
The previously powerless remote bits, under Roz's neural influence, detached from the cables, forming claw shapes and flying toward the rear of the Archangel.
The Narrative Gundam's shield also detached automatically, combining with the two claw-shaped remote bits to form a faint red energy screen, forcibly holding back the energy wave.
"Ugh…"
Roz grunted as if a heavy hammer had struck his head.
"Roz!"
In a slightly dazed state, Roz heard Murrue's anxious and worried voice.
"Keep accelerating! Don't worry about me!"
Roz gritted his teeth, staring at the energy wave tightly pressing against the Archangel. "Just a mere energy wave…"
Taking a deep breath, Roz firmly gripped the cockpit armrests in recliner mode.
"Mere energy wave, watch as I shove you back with a Gundam!"
With Roz's shout, the psycho-frame of the Narrative Gundam brightened further. The particle shield deployed behind it forcibly pushed the energy wave back a bit, away from the Archangel.
Like a bubble being indented from within, the energy wave could not approach the Archangel even slightly.
Finally, the expansion of the energy wave reached its limit, and a violent explosion erupted from its center.
It was as if a god had thrown down a divine fire to annihilate everything.
...................