Inside the "Library," loud noises continuously erupted, some being the sound of connection components unlocking, others the sound of connection components being destroyed.
However, the majority of the noise was the constant, dense sound of gunfire.
"Damn it, that Durandal guy!"
A figure in a pilot suit cursed as he walked toward the hangar.
"Did he seriously abandon us?!"
Just moments ago, the Library had attempted to reinforce the connection device locks and lock the passage gates to stop the intruders.
But due to Durandal's pre-installed backdoor operation, the Library personnel lost control access, making them unable to block Roz Links and Lowe Guele's movements.
Moreover, the fierce firefight on Roz Links' side had attracted almost all of the Library's attention, leaving them no time to deal with the infiltrating Lowe Guele.
The person in the pilot suit entered the hangar, where a massive mobile suit, like a waiting flower bud, rested quietly.
"Things don't look right, do they... Prokos?"
At this moment, two figures in pilot suits were already waiting in front of the bud-like mobile suit.
"Hmph... that ruthless Durandal used us up and tossed us aside." The man named Prokos sneered. "If Prayer Reverie hadn't died, this mobile suit wouldn't even be ours to pilot."
"Let's hope your real-world combat is as good as your simulation training, LK1, LK2!"
"Oh dear... can't guarantee that, after all, many aspects of real combat differ from simulation training. Who knows what might happen." The man referred to as LK1 shrugged. "Anyway, LK2 and I are only responsible for the DRAGOON operations. The rest is up to you, current leader."
"Hmph... hurry up and enter the Kshatriya and launch!" The man named Prokos narrowed his eyes and put on his helmet.
The Kshatriya, unlike modified mobile suits like the Gale Strike, was a mobile suit that the Library independently manufactured based on collected data.
After ZAFT completed the initial testing of the DRAGOONs, they applied the first-generation DRAGOON technology to the Kshatriya. A total of 24 first-generation DRAGOONs were distributed across the Kshatriya's four massive "wings." However, to operate these DRAGOONs, the Library had to assign two more replicants with strong spatial awareness to handle the controls.
For this reason, the Kshatriya's cockpit was modified into a triple-seat configuration: one main pilot to steer the mobile suit, and two co-pilots dedicated to operating the DRAGOONs.
To power this behemoth and use the beam weapons installed on it, they utilized nuclear battery technology stolen from the Clyne Faction. Boasting fierce firepower and powerful mobility provided by the nuclear battery, it was safe to say that, at least on the surface, no existing mobile suit could contend with it.
Unfortunately, the design for handheld weaponry was not yet complete, so the Library considered this Kshatriya only a half-finished product.
"Boom..."
Accompanied by a massive sound, the Library detached from the agricultural colony.
"Tsk, fast movers... they should still be here!" Prokos, who had finished booting up inside the Kshatriya, frowned.
Without waiting for the MS to be moved out of the hangar, Prokos activated the Kshatriya's Phase Shift (PS) Armor. A noticeable green color appeared on the armor, and the four massive wings on the mobile suit unfolded like a blooming flower bud, crushing the hangar bay that held the mobile suit and revealing the giant MS, similar in size to a ZAKU Warrior.
"Where, where..."
The mobile suit began to move. Nuclear battery energy was transferred to the electric propulsion, and the thrusters emitted a pale blue light, driving the machine to move within the hangar.
Emergency evacuation had begun, and many members were already preparing to launch in their MS, amidst the chaos, the Kshatriya arrived at a passageway.
"There you are!"
Prokos saw the unique figure in the white pilot suit and maneuvered the Kshatriya to raise its hand and smash the passageway ahead of that figure.
"Die!"
The Kshatriya raised its right hand, forming a fist, and slammed it toward the white figure.
In the next moment, an incomparable, colossal impact came from the side. A pure white figure, with faintly visible red light coiling around its arm, punched the Kshatriya—which was about twice its size—sending it flying.
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Watching the Kshatriya get hammered away by the Unicorn, Roz Links' eyes widened. He sprinted a few steps and leaped toward the Unicorn's cockpit.
There was no time for sentimentality; they had to get out of here first.
Sensing Roz Links' movement, the Unicorn retracted its fist. Its right hand gently positioned itself behind Roz Links as it opened the cockpit hatch.
The unit's attitude control thrusters engaged, making the Unicorn perform a 360-degree rotation to shield Roz Links from any potential stray bullets or flying debris.
With the Unicorn's assistance, Roz Links entered the cockpit with ease. As the hatch sealed shut, the pilot seat initiated and the control yokes deployed.
By then, the Unicorn had completed its defensive rotation and stood facing the Kshatriya—which differed significantly from the one in Roz Links' memories.
Due to the violent clash between the two machines, the self-rotation speed of the "Library" had slowed, causing a noticeable shift in the "gravity" generated by centrifugal force.
"Damn it... Unicorn..."
Recovering from the fierce impact, Prokos, piloting the Kshatriya, gritted his teeth. "I'll defeat you with this Kshatriya and seize your technology!"
A beam saber ignited from the Kshatriya's right wrist. Its thrusters roared with thick flames as it charged at the Unicorn.
While the Kshatriya couldn't reach its full potential inside the Library's hangar, Prokos believed that with its nuclear battery output, defeating a Unicorn that hadn't exposed its internal red armor would be no problem—at least, that was his conclusion after reviewing the Unicorn's battle records.
"Unicorn, let's go!"
Seeing the Kshatriya charging with its beam saber drawn, Roz Links gritted his teeth and stomped on the pedals.
The Unicorn tilted its head slightly, and the backpack thrusters erupted with flames even thicker than the Kshatriya's, initiating a head-on collision.
In the next second, just as the Kshatriya prepared to slash—its beam saber already melting several structural components—the Unicorn grabbed both of the Kshatriya's hands.
The two units remained locked for less than two seconds before the Kshatriya was forced backward, its thrusters unable to match the Unicorn's power.
"What?!"
Seeing this, Prokos stomped futilely on his pedals, attempting to push the Unicorn back.
It was true that the nuclear-powered Kshatriya possessed formidable strength, but the Unicorn's power source was a miniaturized version of the Archangel's laser nuclear reactor, and its thrusters were miniaturized battleship-class engines. It completely overmatched the Kshatriya in power output.
"It's just a Kshatriya... Watch me push you out!"
Staring at the Kshatriya close at hand, Roz Links narrowed his eyes and pushed the pedals even lower.
The Unicorn's thruster power surged to another level. The Kshatriya began to crash backward at extreme speed.
"Crackle..."
Accompanied by the sound of twisting metal, the Kshatriya's right hand—along with the beam saber—was crushed by the Unicorn's grip.
Evidently, Prokos was in no state to worry about the machine's status. Enduring the violent shock, he glanced at the area behind the Kshatriya.
The two rear wings of the Kshatriya folded into a shield-like defensive state. The beam generators on the wings fired a volley behind the unit, striking the walls to melt through the hangar's hull.
But just as the beams touched the wall, the Kshatriya suffered a massive impact. Pushed by the Unicorn, it smashed a giant hole in the "Library" and was rammed outside into space.
"Agh..."
The violent g-force made Prokos let out an instinctive cry of pain.
"Adjust ourselves quickly, or we're all going to die here!"
Though LK1 was also reeling, he knew that the most urgent task to escape this disadvantage was to drive the Unicorn away from the Kshatriya.
The two wings remaining in an open state deployed six units each, a total of twelve shortened, first-generation DRAGOONs. They quickly found their angles in space, and each DRAGOON fired four green beams toward the Unicorn.
Sensing the murderous intent pricking his back like needles, Roz Links gritted his teeth. The Unicorn rapidly swapped positions with the Kshatriya, using the enemy unit as a meat shield to block the incoming beams from the DRAGOONs.
The DRAGOON beams scorched melting scars into the Kshatriya's armor—and this was only because LK1 and LK2 had quickly lowered the firing power upon seeing the Unicorn use their own machine as a shield.
By this time, the Library had drifted quite a distance from the agricultural colony. The Red Astray and Blue Astray were engaged in battle with a group of modified Library machines.
Seeing the beams adjusting their angles to strike the Unicorn again, Roz Links gritted his teeth and hurled the Kshatriya toward the swarm of DRAGOONs.
Simultaneously, the Unicorn's head-mounted vulcan cannons fired continuously. Two DRAGOONs, lacking Phase Shift armor, were easily shredded by the fire.
"Lost two DRAGOONs... Truly a troublesome opponent..."
Looking at the grayed-out icons in the operation sequence indicating "lost connection," LK2 gritted his teeth.
"Re-evaluating. The opponent is extremely dangerous."
Prokos maneuvered the Kshatriya to regain its posture from the spin, glancing at the grayed-out, inoperable status of the right hand.
"If we don't go all out, we'll die here! Get serious!"
In contrast to the grim tension on Prokos' side, Roz Links was feeling a bit annoyed. Because the battlefield was still too close to ZAFT's agricultural colony, using the Beam Magnum would likely cause friendly fire.
"I definitely need to make a weapon that can fire regular beams as well as Beam Magnums..."
Roz Links frowned. He maneuvered the Unicorn to draw the beam sabers from its back and charged toward the Kshatriya.
The second round had begun.
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"Councilman Durandal, there are many unknown Mobile Suits fighting outside the colony right now, and the Unicorn is among them. Please allow us to sortie."
While the battle raged near the Library, Durandal was observing the situation using the external cameras of the colony.
"No. Your primary objective is to protect the agricultural colony. The seeds on it are vital; this concerns the food production of PLANT." Durandal's attention was clearly not on the words of the garrison forces on the comms.
"In short, you are to remain on standby."
"...Yes, sir."
Although they didn't understand what Durandal was thinking, this agricultural colony was, after all, a project under his responsibility, and the garrison forces on the colony could only accept the order.
Durandal ended the communication and watched the Kshatriya engaging the Unicorn.
"I see, a mobile suit designed by the Library itself... a machine relying entirely on DRAGOONs and its own internal firepower..." Durandal analyzed the Kshatriya's design philosophy as he watched the unit.
"So then... faced with so many DRAGOONs, what can you do with the Unicorn, Amuro?"
Recalling the dazzling light emissions documented in the files, Durandal narrowed his eyes. "Show me your power."
...........
(T/N: Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!)