Gundam: Changing the World Even with a Mass-Produced Unit

Chapter 85

"Boom——"

As Char was distracted, pondering when exactly he himself had seemingly awakened Newtype traits, the warship on the screen—one that he found somewhat pleasing to the eye—attempted a desperate charge against the White Base while under siege from two Gundams.

However, halfway through its charge, its bridge was destroyed, and its reactor was subsequently detonated, turning the entire warship into a futile burst of fireworks.

And as for that Musai-class cruiser… do you still remember the missile Bright launched earlier?

After two rounds of main cannon fire from the White Base, the relative position of the Musai coincided with the trajectory of the missile warhead.

"Although it's just a pawn to stall the opponent...force them to stop!"

Sitting steadily in the captain's chair, Bright tapped his fingers on the armrest and, after calculating the timing, ordered a full barrage from all the White Base's gunports!

The Musai managed to evade most of the fire by lowering its bow and taking advantage of its relatively thin profile. But in the next moment, a missile barrage from another direction struck!

This unfortunate Musai took a direct hit to its bridge and was likewise reduced to cosmic dust.

The power of the Gundams was growing stronger and stronger...

Char thought to himself.

To be fair, he didn't seem to have a machine capable of contending with such power.

Faced with either of these two Gundams individually, Char was confident in his ability to win.

But only if his own mobile suit was on the same level as theirs.

He had originally thought that Zeon's warriors had already reached a standard that could rival the Gundams. But the enemy quickly switched to brand-new mobile suits as well.

Actually, this was to be expected. Would only Zeon keep advancing while the Federation remained stagnant?

At that moment, Char felt a deep sense of helplessness.

Even if it wasn't Deikun's Zeon, seeing his homeland engage in a war destined for defeat was still a bittersweet experience.

While Char brooded over these thoughts, outside, Amuro was looking with some disdain at the destroyed wreckage of the Gyan-class before him.

Wasn't Zeon supposed to be a place full of individuality? Why did so many of them favor red?

Isn't this just mimicking Char?

Amuro had no idea how rude his thoughts were just now, as the White Base had already issued the order to return.

"This stifled soul, I'll just claim it~"

Hearing Death's commentary on the enemy fleet commander through his earpiece, Eli chose to ignore it.

Although that guy was indeed somewhat stifling, attempting to take on three Gundams with a modified Rick Dom was still a bit naive.

Watching the NT-1, Guntank, and Guncannon return to dock one by one in the White Base's hangar, Eli, seated in his EZ-SR, turned his gaze to the Gundam piloted by Sayla.

"Just follow the training. Don't worry."

On old-era aircraft carriers, taking off was relatively easy, but landing was something every pilot had to approach with utmost care.

Timing was crucial.

However, times had changed.

The learning computer equipped on the Gundam made the landing process significantly easier for Sayla to handle.

Nevertheless, Sayla couldn't avoid feeling nervous.

Sensing her unease, Eli piloted his EZ-SR to move behind the Gundam, matching its relative speed.

"Eli?"

"Just like this. Move forward. If you lose control, I'll stabilize your suit."

The two mobile suits, almost as if embracing, moved toward the White Base for docking.

Sayla, however, wasn't one to stubbornly show off and cause trouble.

Although she wobbled slightly upon landing, she quickly stabilized and guided the Gundam, clad in Chobham armor, back to its maintenance rack.

When Eli similarly docked his suit and disembarked to the hangar floor, he saw Christina enthusiastically holding Sayla's hands, showering her with praise.

"Miss Sayla, you were amazing!"

Successfully shooting down a Rick Dom in her first sortie, Sayla not only proved her own ability but also reassured Christina, whose confidence had been shaken, that her design was sound.

The real problem lay with Amuro, an unpredictable anomaly!

Regaining her confidence, Christina hugged Sayla mid-air and spun her around several times before striding off to find Amuro with her team.

This was the NT-1's first battle, after all. There was no way she'd let him off without writing a report.

"Ugh, I'm not good with such enthusiastic women," said Sayla, feeling dizzy—not from piloting the Gundam, but from being spun around by Christina. She directed her complaint to Eli, who floated over to her.

Eli patted Sayla on her back, trying to make her feel better.

"Massaging the temples or the back of the neck would work better," Sayla quipped after being tapped a few times, drifting slightly until Eli grabbed her hand to steady her.

She weakly complained about Eli's actions.

Couldn't he exhibit the same extraordinary understanding he had for Amuro at this moment?

Flustered, Eli reached out to massage her as suggested, only to realize he was still wearing his standard suit. The bulky gloves were not suitable for such tasks.

"Haha, maybe next time," Sayla remarked, flashing a gentle smile and brushing her hair aside before heading to the locker room.

This left Eli standing there amidst the argument between Christina and Amuro that filled the hangar.

No, I'm definitely going to start piloting MS without a standard suit like Char!

Eli thought to himself, feeling slightly indignant.

"Eli-san! Christina wants me to write a 4,000-word report!"

"What are you, a child, tattling like that?"

When Eli snapped out of his thoughts, he found himself caught in the middle of the quarrel.

Amuro, who had never written a report before, was naturally unwilling to write one so lengthy. Yet Christina's quip of "Are you a child?" brought a smile to his lips.

This guy is so easy to read, Eli thought as he noticed Fraw, who had coincidentally appeared nearby to watch the commotion.

"Eli, come on! Writing this is a necessary part of growing up," Christina said smugly, grabbing Amuro's hand.

"Since even your guardian said so, you've got no choice, Amuro-kun~"

The day's victor was Christina, while Eli and Fraw faced defeat.

…

The White Base's orders were to rendezvous with the Haken fleet at the Texas Colony.

Texas was a pastoral and sightseeing-focused colony, but due to the war, it had been mostly abandoned.

Its exterior was in ruins, with even the three solar mirrors damaged and no longer rotating.

Incidentally, the colony had been constructed by the Eight Continents Group.

"Texas…"

Sayla gazed at the derelict colony with a sorrowful expression.

As children, she and her brother had sought refuge here, far from Zeon.

Back then, she thought she could live an ordinary life.

Now that she had returned, everything had changed.

On the bridge, Eli took Sayla's hand.

It was the first time Eli had been so bold in public.

Of course, to everyone else, the relationship between Eli and Sayla screamed, "Just start dating already!"

Feeling the warmth of Eli's hand, Sayla gently squeezed back.

Even though everything had changed, she now had someone she could rely on—someone who wouldn't take advantage of her.