Inside the joint base of the three superpowers, several GN-X units were weaving and maneuvering through the sky.
In an incredibly short amount of time, the pilots had already grown accustomed to the operation of these new machines. Although their movements still appeared somewhat stiff, they were, at the very least, combat-ready.
The heavily damaged Sengoku Astray had also undergone extensive repairs. Due to the lack of time to manufacture original parts, the right arm—destroyed by the Penelope—had been replaced with a multi-purpose composite weapon system.
The damaged foam-matrix armor was swapped for standard E-Carbon steel plating used in the three superpowers' mass-produced units, with the armor model leaning heavily toward the Human Reform League's design.
In contrast to the right arm, which retained its Sengoku-era warlord aesthetic, the repair of the left arm was utterly plain.
Its design language shifted away from the AEU's usual sleekness toward the blocky, functional style of the HRL. This massive, brick-like "arm" utilized GN particle transmission belts to power its built-in GN rifle and missiles. It could also deploy three fingers to reveal a high-output beam saber hidden in the "palm."
The GN Drive provided by Alejandro Corner was, naturally, installed into the Sengoku Astray, finally granting the machine the ability to maintain long-term flight without difficulty.
Furthermore, the production lines for the first batch of new GN Drives had been adjusted for trial runs; with the pooled resources of the three superpowers, mass production was expected to scale up rapidly.
A thunderous emergency assembly notification rang out, prompting the GN-X units training in the sky to descend immediately.
"Bzzzt... All hands, this is the Joint Forces Operations Command."
Kati Mannequin's voice crackled through the comms. "While we have yet to locate Celestial Being, we have successfully pinpointed the trail of the Ravens."
"All units, sortie! Earth is not a playground for them to trample at will!"
Inside his Custom Flag—which had been retrofitted with a temporary GN Drive but had not yet undergone full specialized modification—Graham Aker instinctively glanced toward the repaired Sengoku Astray nearby.
For reasons he couldn't quite name, Black Flag felt a deep sense of irritation. Part of it was due to Alejandro taking Four-Eyes away for some "secret mission" after discovering his talent for computing, leaving only himself and Morphine for combat.
Black Flag frowned as he watched some of the GN-X units equipping beam rifles fitted with focusers to serve as sniper rifles. He wondered if he could use this operation as a cover to eliminate the pests who had been constantly prying into his squad's business.
To Black Flag, the fate of the three superpowers meant nothing compared to completing the mission and ensuring his own survival. He viewed the prospect of "killing his allies" with total indifference, bordering on cold contempt.
He narrowed his eyes as he watched Graham's Custom Flag—looking entirely out of place among the swarm of GN-X units—being towed out of the hangar.
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After the formation of the three-nation alliance, the Human Reform League's sighting reports of the Nahel Argama were finally laid out on the table. The superpowers now knew that the "Ravens" possessed an advanced aerospace battleship.
According to Graham Aker's testimony, this ship was also capable of maritime navigation. However, with the alliance's focus primarily on Celestial Being, searching for the Nahel Argama had remained a secondary priority—until the spark that lit the fuse.
During the joint military exercise, the appearance of the Jesta and ReZEL squads to rescue the Gundams changed everything. If it had only been the Banshee or the Psycho Zaku, the superpowers could have comforted themselves with the logic that "mass-produced units losing to custom prototypes is normal." But the Jesta and ReZEL were different.
To their eyes, those squads represented the "ultimate evolution" of current mainstream mass-produced mobile suits.
Sleek, systematic mass-production units and a high-tech battleship were irresistible temptations. After the "defector" provided the GN-X units, this hunger reached its peak.
While it seemed the GN-X would become the new standard, capturing the Raven's tech would provide invaluable insights for future development—not to mention the prize of the battleship itself.
"By analyzing sighting reports and utilizing satellites, submarines, recon ships, and ocean buoys... we have invested immense resources to finally track the 'Ghost Wake,'" Kati Mannequin, the overall commander of the operation, announced over the comms.
A formation of nineteen GN-X units, the repaired Sengoku Astray, and Graham's Custom Flag flew toward the coordinates.
"The mission is to pin down the enemy battleship and its mobile suit complements until the main fleet completes the encirclement," Kati continued. "Of course, if you can crush them before the encirclement is complete, all the better."
"Haha! Don't you worry, Colonel! We'll take 'em down beautifully!" Patrick Colasour's energetic voice rang out, slightly easing the tension within the formation.
"This is the first joint operation between our new units and a 'Gundam.' I look forward to your results."
Faced with such an enthusiastic subordinate, even the stern Kati couldn't help but sigh.
'The first joint operation with a Gundam...'
Piloting his Custom Flag, Graham Aker instinctively glanced at the repaired Sengoku Astray leading the formation. For some reason, he felt a sense of unease, as if a venomous snake were coiled behind him, ready to strike at any moment.
Inside the Sengoku Astray, Black Flag's expression was grim. As someone who had never encountered Gundam lore before this mission, the "Hunter" he was facing had completely diverged from the data provided by the "Lord God."
From the Penelope to the intercepted communications and now this battleship, everything he saw was merely what the enemy wanted him to see.
What frustrated him most was that Four-Eyes, the team's analyst, had been borrowed by Alejandro for some "critical assistance" mission. Now, his only backup for "dirty work" was Morphine.
"Tch, damn you, Amuro!" Black Flag cursed under his breath.
His voice was too low for the comms to pick up, and the formation's channel remained silent as they closed in on their target.
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"Roz's intuition is way too accurate..."
Gazing at the group of mobile suits trailing red particle wakes in the distance—specifically the repaired Sengoku Astray marked as the primary target—Louise bit down on her hard candy, crushing it with a satisfying snap. She sat in the cockpit of her ReZEL Type-C, sliding the visor of her specialized helmet into place.
"And just as expected, the target actually showed up."
"The Nahel Argama has entered Condition 1 battle readiness. All units, prepare to launch."
Evelyn smiled. Though her tone and expression remained as gentle as ever, her eyes were ice-cold.
"ReZEL Squad, sortie. Leave none alive."
The three ReZEL Type-C units, currently circling the sky in Waverider (WR) mode, executed a sharp high-angle bank and streaked toward the GN-X formation.
Among them, Evelyn's ReZEL performed a breathtaking "about-face" maneuver that looked as if she had bypassed the angle-of-attack limiters entirely, before instantly recovering to maximum flight speed.
It was only because their bodies were largely synthetic that they could endure such punishing G-forces.
The ReZEL squad maintained their classic configuration: two Defenser A-Units and one Defenser B-Unit, a loadout capable of handling almost any battlefield scenario.
Meanwhile, the Nahel Argama—which had been fully prepped the moment Roz issued the warning—sprang into action.
Mechanical arms moved the Penelope onto the lift, while the Banshee Norn, its maintenance long completed, occupied the other side. The Jesta units had swapped to the modified High-Mobility packs Roz had used back in the SEED world.
Given that this was a maritime operation, the Jesta squad opted against heavy cannon components in favor of a "lightweight" configuration.
Of course, "light" was relative—with four sub-arms, two holding shields and two wielding high-output rocket launchers, their firepower was hardly diminished.
As for the Psycho Zaku, it followed its usual philosophy: "bring everything." With over fifty electrical thrusters scattered across its frame, the suit had more than enough "brute force" to dominate the skies even within Earth's atmosphere.
The Nahel Argama's bridge had already retracted into its armored combat position. Murrue Ramius sat in the Captain's chair, scanning the GN-X units manually tagged on the display, noting the prominent silhouettes of the Sengoku Astray and the Custom Flag.
"Radar shows the three superpowers' fleets are beginning to close in. They're attempting a full encirclement," the radar operator reported. "Interference detected in the sector occupied by the unknown enemy mobile suits... it seems those red particles have a similar effect to the Celestial Being ones."
Despite the news of the encirclement, there was no sign of tension among the crew.
After all, this was just an encirclement. They had spent the Gryps Conflict in the SEED world breaking through—and subsequently annihilating—entire fleets while surrounded by far more overwhelming firepower.
If things got truly crowded, they could simply activate the thermal ablative armor and ram their way through. A ship in the water was never going to catch something built to fly.
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"Attention, ghost wake detected."
As the first person to discover the existence of the "ghost wake," Graham expertly captured the sight of the somewhat abrupt wake trailing across the ocean surface.
"Begin the att—scatter!"
Almost instinctively, Graham pulled the control stick. His Over Flag jerked sideways, and the high-strung GN-X units, hearing Graham's command, utilized the unique properties of GN particles to complete an emergency stop and turn.
Two purple beams manifested in the air, streaking toward the seemingly defenseless Sengoku Astray.
Spherical components resembling GN capacitors lit up. Red GN particles surged through the particle transmission belts installed on the machine. The Sengoku Astray reached out with its original MS hands, which were rarely used.
"Hah!"
Accompanied by Black Flag's shout, and with the communication camera deactivated, a faint golden flame ignited around him. The Sengoku Astray's hands also caught fire with golden flames, mixing with the red particles. The Sengoku Astray thrust its right palm toward the incoming beams; a stream of energy and red GN particles surged from its palm, forming a particle cloud.
The shifting force field dispersed the Mega Particle beams, blocking the attack launched by a ReZEL Type-C utilizing the Defenser B-Unit.
"So it's equipped with a Solar Furnace of the same type as the Trinity's... but that makes sense. Since it looks so much like a Gundam, the three major powers must treat it like a treasure."
Louise, piloting her ReZEL Type-C, bypassed the particle cloud and arrived at the left side of the Sengoku Astray.
Louise slightly adjusted her parameters. Under everyone's watchful eyes, the two missile pods on the ReZEL Type-C's Defenser A-Unit swung open.
A dense swarm of small missiles erupted from the pods, screaming toward the Sengoku Astray.
"Bring it on!"
Black Flag roared. The unspent energy in the Sengoku Astray's left hand struck out at the incoming missile swarm. Golden flames and red particles formed what looked like a fire tornado, destroying the small missiles in its path. Each missile explosion created a thick shroud of smoke.
"Phew... sure enough, buying the Ripple Breathing Technique back then was the right choice..."
Having expended so much energy in an instant, Black Flag instinctively gasped for air.
While it looked like a Real Robot Gundam fight, Black Flag's personal abilities gave the scene a distinct "Super Robot" feel.
But in the next second, over a dozen small missiles cleared the smoke.
Right before Black Flag's eyes, they detonated one after another. Beams and shrapnel fell like a dense rain, showering the Sengoku Astray.
Black Flag instinctively raised the Sengoku Astray's left hand—a massive arm that could be called a "shield"—blocking most of its body. However, the shrapnel and particle beams still left it pitted and scarred, looking as if it might shatter at any moment.
Before Black Flag could fully recover, Veronica, who had appeared on the right side of the Sengoku Astray in her ReZEL Type-C at some unknown point, was laughing with a somewhat crazed expression. A pale blue beam saber extended from the ReZEL's beam rifle as she swung it toward the Sengoku Astray.
Clang...
The massive arm drew a physical blade, blocking the I-Field-constrained beam saber. The collision caused fragments of beam energy to splash in all directions.
"Such high output..."
Seeing the Sengoku Astray's giant hand locked in a stalemate with the ReZEL, and even appearing to be slowly pushed back, Black Flag couldn't afford to rest and widened his eyes.
Following that, he instinctively prepared to use the Sengoku Astray's particle burst—using "Particle Internal Power" composed of GN particles and his own Ripple Breathing energy—to push Veronica's ReZEL away, or even destroy the ReZEL Type-C.
The eyes of the giant "mask" on the Sengoku Astray's back suddenly lit up. The dispersal device was ready, looking as if it were about to open its ferocious maw.
In the next instant, the "lip" that had just shifted down less than a centimeter was kicked back into place by a blue-violet leg. The impact even caused electrical sparks to fly from the mechanical structure.
"Shut your mouth!!"
Veronica screamed. Clearly, that kick had been delivered by the ReZEL's left leg.
However, remaining in a stalemate was not a good option. The GN-X units that had originally scattered had regained their composure and were regrouping, preparing to launch an attack on the ReZEL squad.
The left leg that had just delivered the roundhouse kick changed direction. Veronica, discarding her "gentle older sister" persona, laughed wildly as she maneuvered the ReZEL Type-C to kick the Sengoku Astray in its undefended right flank.
"Ugh..."
The violent impact made Black Flag instinctively grit his teeth. He felt as if he had just been hit by a hundred-ton truck.
Veronica piloted the ReZEL Type-C to open the two missile pods on the Defenser A-Unit. A large number of small high-explosive missiles curved through the air, heading for the Sengoku Astray.
"Damn it..."
More accustomed to one-on-one combat, Black Flag grew flustered in the face of the coordinated assault from three ReZELs.
He raised his scarred, repaired left arm. A GN rifle popped out from the massive arm, firing red particle beams continuously at the high-explosive missiles in the sky.
The ReZEL squad naturally wasn't going to let this chance slip by. Just as they were about to launch another attack, several red beams flew toward each member of the ReZEL squad, halting their advance.
The GN-X formation had completed its reorganization. Three GN-X units formed a squad, and three such squads were now flying toward the ReZEL team.
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"Graham, we should help that Gundam pilot over there too, right? After all, one of the mission targets is also right there."
Looking at the struggling Sengoku Astray and the nine GN-X units, and considering that Black Flag was still his nominal "colleague," Patrick instinctively wanted to provide support.
"Patrick, he can handle things over there. Our priority right now is to intercept the Ravens before the fleet completes the encirclement."
Graham glanced at Black Flag, who was currently in a bitter fight, but had no intention of getting involved.
While Graham was hot-blooded and idealistic, he was no fool. That squad of Black Flag's was clearly problematic.
Keeping a timely distance was a good idea to avoid being used as a meat shield by someone with such a mountain of psychological issues.
"Have more faith in your comrades, Patrick."
That was a lie. Graham felt so clearly how he had changed because of the dangerous existence that was Black Flag.
"Yes, sir!"
Clearly, Patrick didn't notice the stiffness in Graham's tone; he simply responded with typical enthusiasm.
"Now then, next we initiate the attack on the ghost wake...?"
Seeing the scene before him, Graham's eyes instinctively widened.
Or rather, the pilots of the ten GN-X units following behind him all stared in shock.
Like a painter applying pigment to a canvas, as the Mirage Colloid system deactivated, the cause of the "ghost wake" appeared before everyone.
"So... so big!"
Morphine, piloting a GN-X and wielding a GN rifle clearly fitted with experimental components, instinctively swallowed hard.
"That kind of battleship... is flying?!"
Patrick watched as the massive Nahel Argama rose steadily from the sea.
Once clear of the water, its rear thrusters erupted with massive plumes of flame, propelling the ship into low-altitude flight.
"So fast! Can the encirclement even be completed?"
Or rather, against a battleship like this, would an encirclement even matter?
"Everyone, scatter!"
At that moment, the sharp-eyed Graham saw the anti-air turrets on the Nahel Argama rapidly rotating and instinctively maneuvered his Over Flag to change course.
Because he had maintained high mental focus to guard against the lingering feeling of "being backstabbed," Graham's reaction speed was the fastest among everyone present.
In the next second, a dense barrage wove a giant web in the sky, enveloping the GN-X formation. The concentrated shellfire even caused the captains of the warships forming the outer encirclement to momentarily freeze in shock.
"We're gonna die, we're gonna die, we're gonna die... we didn't bring any anti-ship weaponry!"
Patrick was clearly panicking. "I never encountered a situation like this in my 2,000 simulations!"
He maneuvered his GN-X, twisting and turning while three anti-air turrets zeroed in on him. With a single roll, he managed to weave right through three intersecting lines of tracer fire.
It must be said that despite his streak of "defeat following defeat," as an individual who emerged victorious in 2,000 simulations, Patrick's raw skill was by no means low.
Compared to the other GN-X units that were already pinned down by anti-air fire and caught in life-or-death struggles, he appeared relatively at ease.
As for Morphine, he was consciously using the GN-X units of his "teammates" as meat shields, discreetly hiding behind them.
"Damn it..."
Seeing his comrades being forced back by the anti-air barrage, Patrick instinctively fired several red lasers toward the catapult deck of the Nahel Argama. "Take this!"
The lasers struck the deck, but the expected explosions never came. The laminated armor absorbed the beam attacks, leaving only a few glowing scorch marks. As the heat rapidly dissipated, the runway remained completely intact.
"It... had no effect?!"
Watching this scene, Patrick felt a wave of self-doubt.
His attacks were ineffective, and the enemy's firepower was overwhelming... even though he was piloting a brand-new machine, was he ultimately destined to do nothing but take a beating?
While Patrick was sinking into his state of gloom, Graham's eyes widened slightly.
There it was—the Penelope, the machine he had been obsessed with and dreamed of fighting again—rising from the Hangar of the Nahel Argama onto the catapult deck under the cover of anti-air fire.
On the other side of the deck was the Banshee Norn, which had displayed its awe-inspiring power in Spain not long ago, but Graham instinctively ignored it.
One meal must be eaten at a time, and Gundams must be savored one by one.
The Banshee Norn was indeed stunning, but as a man who considered himself devoted to one at a time, Graham could only rank her third.
Without deploying its flight wings yet, and accompanied by the operation of the catapult mechanism, the Penelope launched from the deck. Its Minovsky Flight system engaged, producing a high-pitched scream that echoed through the heavens.
"I've waited a long time for you! Raven!"
Seeing the Penelope take flight, Graham laughed with excitement and pulled the trigger on his control stick.
"Everyone, the Raven has left the nest! Don't you dare die on me!"
Hearing Graham's words, many of the pilots belonging to the UNION—those who had previously piloted the Over Flag—instinctively looked toward their own throttles and controls, even while entangled in combat with the ReZEL Type-Cs.
Everyone knew very well: people were about to start dying.
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Just as Roz Links launched in the Penelope, he felt a needle-like prick of intuition. He instinctively maneuvered the Penelope into a backflip; several red particle beams grazed the side of the machine, striking the sea and sending up massive plumes of spray.
Roz didn't hesitate. Seeing the Over Flag that had just fired those shots charging toward him, the two massive saber hilts on the Penelope's shoulders pivoted upward.
Two pinkish-purple beams erupted from the shoulder cannons, streaking toward the Over Flag.
Seeing the incoming attack, Graham expertly rolled his Over Flag, completing a mid-air transformation to weave past the Mega Particle Cannon beams, continuing his close-range approach toward the Penelope.
Roz naturally wouldn't sit idly by. Maintaining his inverted position, he charged toward the Over Flag in the sky.
As the two machines closed the distance, Graham used his left hand to draw a GN-style beam saber.
Red GN particles surged through the transmission belts designed and installed by Professor Eifman, and a red blade extended from the saber.
Roz did not draw the large beam sabers from the shoulder cannons; instead, he extended the beam saber from the multi-function shield on his left arm.
The two machines approached at extreme speeds. Finally, the two beam sabers clashed. A massive amount of dispersed beam particles showered down like rain from the point of contact, splashing in all directions.
But since both machines were under full thrust, the sabers only remained locked for a brief moment before sliding past each other. Both units continued flying forward, carried by the momentum of their thrusters.
Roz performed another backflip in the sky, looking down at the Over Flag diving toward the sea, while Graham maneuvered his machine to turn around, facing the Penelope.
Almost simultaneously, both sides charged at each other again, raising their beam sabers.
Roz tapped a few commands on the control stick. The missile bays on the Penelope's multi-function shield deployed, and eight small missiles launched, screaming toward the Over Flag.
Graham was not to be outdone. The missile bays in the Over Flag's legs opened, and eight small air-to-air missiles flew from the calves toward the Penelope above.
Boom, boom, boom...
As the sixteen missiles collided in mid-air, erupting in a series of explosions, the Penelope's beam saber and the Over Flag's beam saber clashed once more.
In a single instant, the immense output of the Penelope caused the warning alarms in the Over Flag's cockpit to shriek.
"Yes... that's it! This is how it should be, GUNDAM!"
Feeling the overwhelming pressure radiating from the Penelope, with the scream of the Minovsky Flight system—the most beautiful song in the world—ringing in his ears, Graham's lips curled into a wide grin. "From the very first day I saw you, I have been utterly captivated by you... by the GUNDAM!"
"Show me more! GUNDAM!"
Graham ignored his machine's warnings. While the Sengoku Astray was busy being pinned down and beaten by the ReZEL Type-Cs, he no longer had the mind to focus on anything else. He only wanted to follow his heart's desire and settle things with the Gundam.
"Ew... how disgusting. He's like a stalker."
Even though she was just an AI within the MS, AllMind instinctively felt as if she were breaking out in goosebumps. She crossed her arms, her expression looking as if she had just witnessed something truly bizarre.
The two machines remained in a brief stalemate in the sky. In a spot where they weren't paying much attention, a GN-X was weaving past the other GN-X units from time to time.
Inside the cockpit of that machine, Morphine was manipulating his controls, placing his targeting reticle directly on the back of the Over Flag.
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