Human Reform League, near the Orbital Elevator space sector.
Currently, a Space Type Tieren was advancing toward another, pink-colored Space Type Tieren.
"Ugh, aaaaaah..."
A young woman's scream echoed from within the pink Tieren as she raised her machine cannon, firing relentlessly at the Human Reform League's orbital elevator.
"Calm down! Second Lieutenant!"
The standard Space Type Tieren approached the pink unit from behind, attempting to restrain the berserk machine. Its thick, sturdy arms reached out, successfully grappling the out-of-control unit.
"Kill you... I'll kill you!"
Clearly, the pilot of the pink Tieren had fallen into a state of profound mental confusion. The unit's right arm, still clutching its weapon, delivered a sudden, brutal elbow strike. The massive impact sent the Tieren behind it flying backward.
"Urgh... this output, is this the performance of the Tieren Taozi?"
The intense shock and vibration forced the pilot, Sergei Smirnov, to grit his teeth.
The Tieren Taozi might have looked like a simple repaint, but its internals had undergone massive reinforcement. According to the researchers, this machine had the potential to go toe-to-toe with a Gundam.
But now, in a berserk state, that high performance had become a catastrophic obstacle.
Sergei gritted his teeth as he looked at the three gravity blocks—already disconnected from the orbital station and caught in the crossfire of practice shells—and saw the Taozi continuing its fire as if facing some mortal enemy.
"Lt. Colonel Sergei! Behind you! Unknown high-energy reaction detected!"
Before one wave had settled, another rose. Sergei's eyes widened as he instinctively maneuvered his Tieren to shield the Taozi's rear, pivoting the machine so its mono-eye camera could look behind.
A red-and-white beam had erupted from Earth, dissipating at the edge of the atmosphere to form a shimmering, green interference zone.
Was it an attack? Or...
While Sergei was still processing the situation, the Tieren Taozi suddenly spun around. The cannon barrel slammed into his Tieren like a baseball bat, sending him spinning away once more.
"Guh... Second Lieutenant Soma!"
Being batted away by a cannon barrel made Sergei tighten his grip on the control sticks. It seemed the female pilot inside the Taozi, Soma Peries, was spiraling further into madness.
But soon, Soma's voice over the comms made Sergei freeze.
"No... stop..."
Staring at the displays and pop-up alerts within her VR-mask-like interface, Soma's "killing intent" had been replaced by pure "terror."
"Don't come any closer!!"
A powerful, unshielded psychic pressure had flooded her mind, its sheer weight making her almost forget how to breathe.
She gasped for the oxygen provided by her life-support system, frantically pulling the trigger at the interference corridor. Practice shells erupted from her cannon, blooming into sparks near the green zone.
Only then did Sergei see what Soma was actually attacking—and what that dissipating green zone truly was.
Three machines burst from the interference corridor, one of them carrying a black, single-horned mobile suit on its back. Practice shells struck the black machine, kicking up clouds of smoke, but failed to leave a single mark on the black horn.
The black unit detached. A massive propulsion pack on its back erupted with thick blue flames, propelling it forward at extreme speed.
It streaked past Sergei's Tieren and, with a fluid, powerful flying kick, slammed into the Taozi's waist. The impact buckled the Taozi's posture instantly. Sergei could almost hear a phantom scream of stressed steel.
"...Firing toward where civilians are? Do you truly understand what you're doing?"
A relatively young voice came through the public communication channel, leaving Sergei momentarily stunned.
"By taking such actions, are you worthy of the uniform you wear? Are you worthy of the MS you pilot?!"
The young male voice remained aggressive, questioning Soma with a burning fury that even Sergei could clearly feel.
"Shut up! Stay away from me!"
Soma, lost in her confusion, pulled the trigger repeatedly at the machine before her.
Between the "drill-like" psychic resonance coming from the orbital station that was boring into her skull and this new, massive pressure radiating unconsciously from the enemy, Soma had fallen into a bottomless pit of chaos.
"Has she lost control...?"
Practice shells struck the Banshee Norn's armor, kicking up smoke, but the PS armor's output didn't even flicker.
"A person like you... I'm going to set you straight!"
-----------------------------------
In Sergei's sight, the "propulsion pack" on the Banshee Norn's back suddenly shifted angles, and the beam rifle held by the machine was thrust into the pack's center.
Following a series of transformations, the pack turned into a massive, greatsword-like weapon.
Shinn swung the transformed armament, striking the Tieren Taozi. The weapon—a combination of a physical blade and beam-cutting edges—sliced through the Taozi's specialized armor like a hot knife through butter, effortlessly severing both of its thick arms from the torso.
Casually returning the weapon—which Roz jokingly called the "Shield Axe"—to its back, and with no time to wait for the Beam Magnum to reset, Shinn maneuvered the Banshee Norn and reached out with its left hand toward the disarmed Tieren Taozi.
Shinn didn't know Soma's exact condition, and his instincts drove him to react as if the Tieren might still counter-attack. In Sergei's vision, the Banshee Norn raised its right fist high.
"Repent... for what you've done!"
A heavy, powerful punch slammed into the Tieren Taozi, leaving a clear fist-shaped indentation in the armor.
"Uryaaa!"
Between the massive impact and the vibration, the already-confused Soma was knocked unconscious by the blow. The pilotless machine drifted right into the waiting arms of Sergei's Tieren.
"He didn't kill Second Lieutenant Soma... just what is this machine trying to do?"
It had all happened too fast. Before Sergei could act, the berserk Tieren Taozi had been stripped of its arms and now lay peacefully in his Tieren's embrace.
The three ReZELs streaked past the Banshee Norn and the two Tierens, flying toward the gravity modules that were plummeting toward Earth.
Shinn glanced at the Tieren holding the Taozi—currently in a "standoff" with him—and pulled the beam rifle from the "Shield Axe." The weapon shifted back into its original Armed Armor DE form.
Under Sergei's watchful eye, the Banshee Norn turned away. Its Armed Armor DE and backpack erupted with blue flames as it followed the three ReZELs toward the modules.
"These three gravity modules will be captured by Earth's gravity in about 500 seconds... According to the Human Reform League's missing persons list, there are about 200 people still on board."
Evelyn's gentle voice crackled over the comms. The three ReZELs quickly transformed, pressing their hands against the central module as their thrusters erupted with violent flames.
"This looks so familiar..."
Louise watched the scene, forgetting even to reach for her favorite hard candy. She frowned slightly, searching her memory. "Genesis?"
"It does feel a bit similar..." Over the comms, Evelyn clearly understood what Louise was thinking. "Do you want a Gryps War paint job too?"
"Let's not have something like the Gryps War happen in this world," Louise replied, shaking her head like a rattle at Evelyn's teasing. "Let's not end up like us, creating even more victims."
"Alright, enough small talk... The descent speed of this module has slowed, but it's not enough..." Tsubaki Kakyoin interrupted the conversation.
"And someone else is coming... Celestial Being?"
Clang...
A pair of hands appeared as the Kyrios flew in from nowhere, joining the ReZELs in pushing the modules.
"...I'll help too."
Allelujah's voice rang out in the ReZEL's communication channel.
The output of the Kyrios's GN Drive gradually increased, spraying a massive amount of green GN particles as the descent speed of the modules dropped sharply.
The Banshee Norn arrived beside the ReZELs, pressing its hands against the module. The blue flames from its thrusters grew even thicker and more violent.
"It's still not enough... it's still falling..."
Looking at the altitude markers rapidly dropping on the side of his panoramic cockpit, Shinn gritted his teeth. He slammed the throttle forward, his feet pressing so hard on the pedals he felt like he might push them right through the cockpit floor.
"Don't give up! There has to be another way!"
Allelujah, ignoring the psychic pressure unconsciously radiating from Shinn, worked his mind at high speed to find a solution.
At that moment, the Tieren piloted by Sergei also arrived near the gravity modules. Pressing against the outer armor of the blocks, its thrusters erupted with thick pillars of flame.
"Have the gravity modules... already been captured by Earth's gravity? All these machines working together are only barely maintaining balance?"
Sergei, who had accelerated to the scene immediately after leaving the crippled Tieren Taozi near the orbital station, knit his brows in a deep frown as he assessed the situation.
"Are we already too late?"
Sergei watched futilely as the propellant indicators for his Tieren dropped steadily. The gravity-captured modules were about to hit the edge of the terminal escape zone and plummet into Earth's atmosphere.
"...Can you hear me, Gundam and MS pilots?"
A wave of helplessness and sorrow welled up in Sergei's heart. He understood clearly that once the modules were captured by gravity, the two hundred-plus people on board were beyond saving.
But his conscience could not accept that these excellent pilots—who had rushed from all directions without hesitation to save these doomed souls—should be lost here as well, even if they were enemies.
"This sector is about to break past the terminal escape zone..."
He looked at the machines on his screen pushing the gravity modules. Though his eyes were filled with sorrow, he forced himself to remain calm.
"It's over... let go."
"...Are you kidding me?"
In the communication channel, the voice of the young man who had just disabled the Tieren Taozi rang out.
"The people up there... they have families. They have people waiting for them to come home."
Shinn stared fixedly at the gravity module before him. For a split second, he seemed to be back in Orb on the day of the great evacuation—the moment he lost his parents stabbed at his soul like a needle.
That feeling of losing one's kin was something he refused to let anyone else endure.
"How can we just give up!"
Within his quiet mind, a seed seemed to explode. Shinn's pupils constricted, his focus sharpening to a fine point, and his calm psychic energy surged to life.
The thought—I want to push this thing back—became increasingly intense.
As if sensing Shinn's willpower, the Banshee Norn slightly raised its head. Unfortunately, the current intensity of his psychic strength was not yet enough for Shinn to fully activate the Psycho-Frame.
"A Gundam isn't just for show!"
In his state of hyper-concentration, Shinn nearly crushed the foot pedals.
"It's just a few chunks of metal! Watch me push it back!"
The Psycho-Frame of the Banshee Norn flashed with a faint, flickering yellow light before vanishing again.
But as if responding to Shinn's obsession and his will to save others, the thruster output surged again. The blue flames erupting from the back became even thicker and more violent.
"It's useless! Get out of there!"
Hearing Shinn's words, Sergei gritted his teeth and continued to plead.
"Don't waste your fuel pointlessly!"
What an outstanding youth, to possess such a heart... If such a brilliant young man were to die here, Sergei would never be able to forgive himself, even if the boy was an enemy. He knew that while he was the backbone of society, idealistic youths like this were the future.
"Ugh, aaaaaah!"
Shinn was past the point of caring about anything else, letting out a roar of exertion.
Sensing this powerful will, the machine responded to him even though the NT-D system had not activated.
The Armed Armor DE suddenly split open, revealing the faint yellow glow of the internal Psycho-Frame.
The Voiture Lumiere propulsion system—integrated into this specialized Armed Armor DE by Roz—began to operate. From the narrow nozzles, a brilliant light erupted, forming a pair of magnificent wings of light.
The immense thrust brought by the Voiture Lumiere brute-forced against the three gravity modules, lifting their altitude inch by inch.
"It's... it's moving up?!"
Watching the altitude markers on his screen steadily climb, Allelujah, piloting the Kyrios, widened his eyes in disbelief.
"Not enough... still not enough..."
Memories of the Gryps War flashed through Shinn's mind—the "miracle" he had once participated in. He gritted his teeth. "Get back up there!"
The output of the Voiture Lumiere increased again. The wings of light became even brighter and more dazzling, followed by an even more powerful thrust.
As the altitude indicator continued to rise, Sergei watched in awe. With the Banshee Norn's wings of light leading the way, the three gravity modules were forced back toward the vicinity of the orbital elevator by the collective push of the mobile suits.
Finally, three engineering ships carrying several Space Type Tierens arrived at the scene.
"Static... Lt. Colonel, it's the Gundam!"
Seeing the machines pushing the gravity modules alongside the Tieren, the newly arrived Tieren pilots immediately locked onto the highly conspicuous Kyrios.
"Ignore them. Prioritize the rescue mission."
Hearing the voice of the Human Reform League's orbital forces over the comms, Sergei breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"U-Understood..."
The orbital guard pilots, whose nerves were wound tight, had instinctively wanted to open fire, but they pulled their fingers back from their triggers. In this situation, by all rights and reason, neither Sergei nor the soldiers had any desire to attack the Gundam and the other machines. After all...
"Even I know the meaning of gratitude."
Recalling what had just transpired, Sergei sighed.
They are all such excellent young people...
Just as Sergei was thinking this, a sudden anomaly occurred.
-----------------------------------
Watching the Human Reform League forces pass by his machine to take over the rescue operation for the gravity modules, Shinn let out a sigh of relief.
The Banshee Norn and the three ReZELs released their grip on the modules, allowing the three engineering ships to extend their grappling cables and secure them in place.
"The mission was executed perfectly. Good work, everyone," Evelyn's voice rang through the comms. In this moment of exhaustion, her tone carried an indescribable, relaxing power. "Prepare yourselves; we'll be descending to Earth shortly."
The machines pulled back a distance from the orbital station, heading in a different direction.
But at that moment, a sharp, needle-like sensation pierced Shinn's mind. By pure instinct, he detached the Armed Armor DE from his back and raised the shield. A crystal-clear beam shield formed on the Armed Armor DE, blocking a pale green shot.
A slightly crazed laughter erupted over the communication channel.
"Hahaha..."
Allelujah—or rather, his second personality, Hallelujah, who had seized control of the body—was laughing maniacally. Piloting the Kyrios, he launched an attack on the Banshee Norn right in front of Sergei and the others.
"Don't you run!"
"...What kind of madness has gripped you now?!" Shinn, still in his "SEED" state, knit his brows as he watched his ally suddenly turn hostile.
"Shut up and fight me!" Hallelujah seemed to have gone over the edge.
The pain from the resonance with Soma's psychic waves, combined with the crushing pressure and stimulus from Shinn's earlier psychic outburst, had triggered a violent rebellious streak. The desire for battle was burning fiercely in his heart.
"...Why must we continue fighting? We are supposed to be allies!" Shinn tried to reason with him, attempting to de-escalate Hallelujah's emotions.
"Less talk! Because I want to fight, I must defeat you!" Hallelujah continued his wild laughter. "This is a decision made of my own free will!"
Hearing this, Shinn felt a wave of helplessness, but he suddenly remembered something Roz Links had once told him. It was a night during their vacation when Roz had unexpectedly come out to the deck and found Shinn fishing.
"Shinn, in the future, you might meet some guys who just won't listen to reason. When that happens, you can use your fists to beat them into the ground. At that point, they'll suddenly find your reasoning very convincing."
In his memory, Roz had raised his clenched fist. "That's how it was with Yzak; he only started listening after I floored him."
"I see. You need a correction as well!"
Staring at Hallelujah, who fit Roz's description of a "guy who won't listen" to a T, Shinn frowned and slammed his foot down on the pedal.
The Banshee Norn, leading with its Armed Armor DE, charged straight toward the Kyrios.
....................