AEU troops began appearing throughout the city as it entered a state of martial law. A swarm of Hellions took off from the base, effectively imposing a blockade over the entire urban area.
The officer who had authorized the Agents' induction into the Anti-Gundam Unit now stood in the administration building with a grim face, surveying the scene.
A military camp had been infiltrated without a sound; guards had been neutralized without resistance; a massive amount of data had been ransacked... and most importantly, two members of the newly appointed special unit were heavily wounded, while one had been killed.
Each piece of news felt like a stinging slap to his face, fueling his rising fury.
Who launched this attack? Was it Celestial Being?
"This is a direct provocation against the AEU! Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, find those bastards!" he barked through gritted teeth, thinking of the two heavily injured Agents currently lying in the infirmary.
Although the security cameras had been sabotaged by the intruders, composite sketches had already been drawn based on eyewitness reports. A carpet-style manhunt was now underway across the entire city.
Furthermore, those cybernetic limbs with metal components... if they used metal detectors...
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Meanwhile, inside the hotel room previously rented by Inoue Takina.
A red-haired girl with a high ponytail, dressed in well-fitting jeans and a blouse, looked at the soldiers currently inspecting the room with a look of pure confusion.
"You guys..."
A soldier poked his head through the doorway, taking in the scene. "What are you all doing here?"
On one of the beds, a board game was laid out, appearing as though it had been in play for quite some time. A pile of snacks sat on the nearby table alongside several empty wrappers, and a few suitcases were tucked into the corner of the room.
Two other girls—one with short black hair and another with long brown hair—were shaking dice while sipping coffee. They were busily discussing the resolution of a game rule, occasionally flipping through a rulebook and glancing toward the door.
No matter how one looked at it, it appeared to be three girls on vacation. Still, out of duty, the soldier proceeded with his questions.
"We just arrived yesterday. We're planning to take a sightseeing tour on the AEU Orbital Elevator," the red-haired girl explained, pulling three tickets from a small crossbody bag. "See? We already bought the tickets."
"Hmm, everything seems in order..." The soldier checked the tickets. After confirming they were valid, he pulled out a handheld metal detector. "However, for security reasons, please hold out your hands."
"Did something happen?" The girl asked with an air of innocent ignorance, extending her hands for the scan.
The detector remained silent, allowing the soldier to let out a breath of relief.
"Things aren't very peaceful around here lately. The Orbital Elevator won't be opening anytime soon; you should probably go refund those tickets." After checking the other two and confirming the detector didn't go off, the soldier relaxed slightly. "You're a bit unlucky, running into this right after arriving... Anyway, you should leave as soon as you can."
Once the soldiers were seen off and the door was locked, the red-haired girl scanned the room one more time. Confirming it was safe, she reached up and removed the hair tie holding her ponytail.
The red hue faded away, returning to her original long black hair, while her facial features and pupils shifted and reshaped. The girl who had just looked like a ditzy college student transformed back into Inoue Takina.
The two girls on the bed also flickered and distorted, reverting to Nagisa Shiota and Chisato Nishikigi.
Variable-color hair and disguise masks were incredibly practical cybernetics for them, allowing them to impersonate anyone. They had rented this room using the identities they had just displayed.
"Truly... a masterpiece," Takina remarked, admiring her arm.
This was another sub-function Roz Links had developed after the initial cybernetic integration of the Mirage System.
By dispersing Mirage Colloid particles within the body and re-weaving them, the system could disguise their internal structure to be indistinguishable from a normal human.
They could pass through metal detectors—even a deep scan would only show the anatomy of an ordinary person.
"Since the ports and airports are blockaded... should we stay for a few days?" A stream of data flashed through Nagisa's cyber-eye as he browsed the day's news.
Although they had been forced to beat a somewhat undignified retreat from the AEU base under heavy fire to prevent damage to their cybernetics or synthetic skin, Nagisa was in a great mood. They had eliminated one Agent and secured their list of names.
"But that list isn't very useful, is it? They're all codenames with no other info," Chisato said, picking up a game piece and rolling it between her fingers. "At most, we know they were there, and after this, they'll definitely move their base..."
"But the clues are enough. If we just keep going..." Nagisa murmured.
"For now, we just need to act like normal tourists. The blockade won't last long; the local economy can't take the pressure," Takina decided after checking the online news. "We'll leave in a few days."
"Hooray!" Chisato cheered, jumping up from the bed.
"In that case... let's take this chance to pick up some souvenirs for the others. We are 'tourists,' after all," Nagisa added with a smile.
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Far away on the bridge of the Nahel Argama, Roz Links watched Sumeragi Lee Noriega on the communication monitor, his brow furrowed slightly.
"What do you mean a module of the Human Reform League's orbital elevator is about to fall?"
Hearing this news, Roz scratched his head in bewilderment.
"Yes. For reasons unknown, a custom machine of the Human Reform League suddenly went berserk and launched an attack on the orbital elevator modules," Sumeragi explained with a sigh. "Furthermore, Allelujah Haptism is currently on that elevator, and there's been no response to our recent contact attempts."
An image appeared before Roz—a simulation provided by VEDA showing the trajectory of several modules plummeting toward Earth.
"In other words, if left alone, these modules will crash into the planet with all the survivors on board?" Roz stood up, already making his way toward the locker room.
"Correct. And according to VEDA's calculations... if they are allowed to fall, the survival probability for those on board is zero," Sumeragi's expression turned solemn.
"I see. You're hoping we'll lend a hand... We accept."
Roz nodded, prepared to pilot the Penelope. His directness caught Sumeragi off guard for a moment.
It was simply his nature; though Roz could be ruthless when striking down enemies, he could never turn away when he saw innocent people caught in the crossfire. He always felt the urge to reach out and protect them.
"Please, let me handle this, Captain Roz."
The voice of Shinn Asuka rang in Roz's ears. Roz turned to see Shinn—who had been training relentlessly and had only just begun a hard-earned break—staring at the trajectory map displayed by Sumeragi. His expression was deadly serious.
Roz could sense the emotion burning within Shinn. It was a sentiment identical to his own.
"Please let me pilot the Banshee Norn and lead the ReZEL squad!" Shinn looked at Roz with absolute conviction. "I have power now... I can save more people. Just like that 'Aurora'—just like when you saved me back then."
Inadvertently, Sumeragi overheard these snippets of history between Roz and Shinn—details that sounded like they could fill five or six episodes of a story.
Though she was intensely curious, she suppressed the thought. Prying into an ally's privacy was detrimental to any partnership; after all, both the Nahel Argama and Celestial Being had their own secrets.
"...I was thinking the same thing."
Looking at Shinn, Roz smiled. Shinn was so much like him, yet so different. He had stepped onto the same path and held similar ideals, but he possessed his own unique understanding of them.
"Very well. You are cleared for sortie. Ensure you return safely."
"Yes, sir!"
Under Sumeragi's watchful gaze, Shinn and Roz exchanged a salute.
-----------------------------------
The Nahel Argama, sailing across the ocean's surface, gradually began to rise from the water, deploying the four positron cannons at its bow.
The ship's attitude shifted, aligning the muzzles of the positron cannons with the predetermined coordinates in the sky.
"I never expected the first time we used the positron cannons here would be for something like this," Natarle Badgiruel remarked with a sigh, glancing at the three ReZELs already prepared for sortie on the deck.
Mounted atop one of the ReZELs was the black-and-gold Banshee Norn.
"It's a meaningful cause, nonetheless. Otherwise, the people trapped in those modules would plummet to Earth without even a body to bury," Murrue Ramius said, shaking her head.
"Target calibration complete!"
Hearing Natarle's voice, Murrue took a deep breath.
"Fire!"
Four red-and-white positron beams roared toward the sky, reaching the edge of the atmosphere and forming a low-drag interference corridor shimmering with green light.
"Interference corridor status stable. Sortie cleared."
"Louise, Romeo 1, launching with the Banshee Norn!"
Seating in her ReZEL Type-C, Louise expertly crunched a hard candy in her mouth and pushed the control sticks forward.
The ReZEL Type-C in WR mode detached from the runway. Its electromagnetic propulsion system worked at maximum capacity, and the thruster nozzles erupted with massive pillars of flame, brute-forcing the machine—and the Banshee Norn on its back—toward space.
"Romeo 2, Romeo 3, we're moving out too."
As Evelyn's voice faded, the other ReZEL Type-C units stationed on the alternative catapult decks detached from the Nahel Argama one after another, flying toward the lead unit carrying the Banshee Norn.
The three machines transformed into three "stars," following the interference corridor higher and higher until they leaped into the void of space.
...................