NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 22: Chapter 23: The Might of the Gundam
Chapter 23: The Might of the Gundam
"Can you hear me, Gundam pilot?"
As Eli ignited the retro-thrusters on the rear-mounted parachute pack to decelerate for landing, he sent a communication to the Gundam.
"This is Eli Lee, Captain of Squad 86 from the Kojima Battalion of the Far East Independent Mechanized Corps. I've been ordered to provide support!"
The cargo pack's system detached from the parachute pack, dropping it directly onto the deck.
---
"Uh… I'm…"
Sitting in the cockpit of the Gundam, Amuro, a young man on the verge of becoming a legendary pilot, stared blankly at the four descending "Gundams" in front of him. Hearing the other side's introduction, Amuro opened his mouth but hesitated, unsure of how to introduce himself.
He wasn't a soldier. Was he supposed to announce his school name to them?
"This is the White Base crew, led by Ensign Bright Noa. We deeply appreciate your assistance!"
From the White Base bridge, Bright responded on Amuro's behalf.
---
"An Ensign? For a ship this size?"
Karen, who was firing a 100mm machine gun at the sea, turned her head in surprise. A warship this large would typically require at least a field-grade officer as its captain. Moreover, Bright's voice sounded far too young, lacking the calm demeanor expected of a captain.
"I'd heard rumors that the White Base was cobbled together at the last minute. Seems those rumors were true," Sanders remarked without surprise, firing salvos with his six-barrel missile launcher at the sea.
"I heard the same thing before we landed. They say the Gundam pilot is just a kid," Amada Shiro added, coordinating with Sanders and Karen using a rocket launcher to suppress a Z'Gok's advance. Unfortunately, the Z'Gok managed to escape by diving underwater.
---
"I'm not a kid!"
At this point, an indignant voice came from the Gundam.
---
"Ah, isn't that…"
"Enough chatter. Focus on the battle. Amuro, how about you? Can you fight?"
Amada Shiro was about to say something when Eli cut him off immediately.
---
"How do you know my name?"
Amuro's voice came through as he saw Eli's ground-type Gundam firing its cannon at another Z'Gok on the other side of the deck.
Oops, slip of the tongue.
Eli glanced briefly at the iconic "Original Gundam" with its unforgettable design. It was hard to contain his excitement at just seeing that face. However, he quickly recovered and replied calmly.
"Of course, I know. The Federation's 'White Shooting Star'—I've heard a thing or two. Your beam rifle is probably out of energy, isn't it? There's a weapon container over there with spare beam rifles we use. Your unit should be compatible."
Amuro blushed slightly at the mention of "White Shooting Star" and then noticed the weapon container Eli mentioned. He realized he was in the middle of a battlefield, with a useless weapon in hand.
---
Turning the Gundam, Amuro spotted a rectangular container dropped with the fifth parachute—a standard-issue ground-type Gundam armament crate.
Approaching the container, Amuro waited as Eli remotely activated its release mechanism, revealing various ammunition and parts inside. His attention quickly focused on a beam rifle within, which appeared to be a simplified version of his current one.
"A mass-production model… of the Gundam."
It finally dawned on Amuro that what he was seeing was indeed a mass-production version of the Gundam. A complex mix of emotions welled up within him, but he set them aside and reached out to pick up the rifle.
The Gundam's hand integrated its data chip with the rifle's handle, instantly updating the unit with the weapon's specifications.
"Reduced particle output and energy storage…"
Amuro immediately deduced these modifications from the display data. Standing up, he raised the beam rifle and moved to stand beside Eli's ground-type Gundam.
With a simple motion, Amuro fired.
"Zzzz!"
The pink beam struck the water, sending a massive plume into the air. However, it missed its target.
"Damn it…"
Eli's eye twitched as he witnessed the Gundam in action. It wasn't because Amuro missed, but because of the Gundam's astounding performance.
Even though the ground-type Gundam was built with non-standard parts, its capabilities were already impressive. Yet, the Gundam's seamless movements highlighted the stark contrast between them. It was akin to comparing regular soldiers with special forces—while outwardly similar, their precision and control were worlds apart.
And Amuro's skill in piloting such a high-performance unit left no doubt about his talents.
"So this is… a Newtype," Eli murmured to himself.
---
"Damn it, missed again!"
Amuro shouted in frustration over the comms, having fired three or four more shots, all of which missed. This puzzled him greatly. In his past battles, Amuro rarely missed his targets.
It wasn't the enemy's speed—Amuro was certain of that. His instincts were rarely wrong, and he had fired based on what they told him. So why was he missing?
"You're aiming at the wrong spot. Shoot below where you see the image," Eli advised, having reassessed Amuro's talent after observing his attack patterns.
"Below?"
Amuro was momentarily puzzled but quickly understood the reasoning as a science-minded individual. The water's refraction of light meant the target's apparent position wasn't accurate.
Realizing this, Amuro wasted no time and fired three consecutive shots. The first two missed, skimming past the Z'Gok's sides. But the third shot struck its leg directly.
---
"Bang!"
While the Z'Gok reeled from the leg shot, a 180mm shell suddenly pierced through its cockpit, leaving no chance for survival.