Inside the dormitory of the Nahel Argama.
Having changed into a T-shirt and shorts, Roz was in his "home mode," operating the computer in front of him. He was scanning through news regarding the Taklamakan Desert and the Tokyo sector.
Since they had dispersed Minovsky particles on a large scale twice now, Roz felt the need to monitor their dissipation rate. If he accidentally sent Earth's communications back to the wired era permanently, it would be a bit of a sin.
While there was little news on the internet regarding the Taklamakan Desert, the impact of the Penelope's raid on the terrorists in Tokyo was still lingering on social media like a dissipating storm.
Firefighters who arrived later to extinguish the flames had discovered weapon fragments on the burning floors, and investigation teams, following leads provided by Celestial Being, had uncovered a massive stockpile of explosives in the underground garage.
However, the dispersal of Minovsky particles had forced a massive overhaul of electronic equipment in the Tokyo area.
Signal strength hadn't quite returned to its original state; only after service providers boosted the output power of their signal towers did communication strength finally recover.
This resulted in a mixed reputation for the Penelope in Tokyo, but unfortunately for his critics, Roz didn't care much for public opinion.
"It seems the Minovsky particles dispersed by the Penelope are fading the fastest..."
Roz looked at the information on the screen, falling into thought.
"To put it simply, the way the Penelope disperses Minovsky particles is like misting an area and gradually increasing the humidity. Meanwhile, the effect of Minovsky dispersal missiles is more like using a giant bucket to pour water over a region until everything is soaked."
At that moment, the bathroom door opened. Murrue Ramius, wearing a bathrobe and drying her hair with a towel, walked over to Roz's side.
"Mist dissipates much more easily than water on the ground."
Although Roz had only briefly explained the principles of Minovsky particles and the related weapon configurations when the team first began equipping them, Murrue—having a background as a technical officer—quickly understood the principles of dispersal in her own way.
Roz naturally set down the mouse, took a hairdryer out of a drawer, and began drying Murrue's hair.
"Where's Natarle? I remember she went in with you."
Just as Murrue's hair was getting dry and she was beginning to squint her eyes drowsily, Roz noticed something and asked.
"Her? She's currently frustrated because her 'oppai' have grown a bit, and her clothes don't fit right anymore."
Hearing Roz's question, Murrue patted her cheeks with both hands to wake herself up. "If I hadn't changed my clothing size ahead of time, I'd be in the same predicament she is."
"...Does just massaging them really make them grow?"
"Does it? Am I not a living example right here?"
At that moment, Natarle also walked out of the bathroom, a white towel draped over her beautiful short hair. Unlike Murrue, she hadn't tied the sash of her bathrobe; the robe hung loosely on her body. However, it was indeed visible that the hem of the robe sat a bit higher than usual.
"Since we're back in the dorms anyway, there's no need to be so formal. It avoids restricted breathing."
Roz could even see the thin layer of abdominal muscles Natarle had formed through her daily disciplined training.
"Speaking of which, Shinn has already departed, hasn't he?"
With her hair now dry, Murrue began looking for a topic of conversation. "I looked at the psychological test reports for Mayu Asuka and Stellar Loussier. Their recovery is very stable."
"Yeah, they left a while ago. I gave him a bit of extra money so he could buy some souvenirs and things."
Roz didn't stop his hands; he turned and began drying Natarle's hair.
"Even if it's just in this world, being able to make friends is a good thing."
"Let them play for a bit. Those hidden rats won't resurface that quickly. Our current forces are more than enough to handle the daily patrol duties."
Natarle also relaxed slightly, leaning back against the chair.
However, hearing Natarle's words, both Roz and Murrue froze instinctively.
"Why are you looking at me like that? I'm not some cold, unfeeling machine."
Natarle clearly knew what Roz and Murrue were thinking and let out a somewhat helpless sigh. "When it's time to fight, one should fight seriously; when it's time to rest, one should try to relax as much as possible."
"Back to the point, I've looked at the reports on those high-activity Trinity units and analyzed their combat style a bit..."
As she spoke, Natarle reached out and operated the computer Roz had just been using. "To be honest, they seem a bit like the results of the Earth Alliance's old Extended Human project. My biggest concern is actually Shinn falling into an out-of-control state."
Judging from the combat reports provided by Celestial Being and the subsequent footage captured by the media, the areas attacked by Trinity—extending ten kilometers out from the target points—had all been turned into scorched earth.
"To put it a bit grandiosely... Shinn's subsequent growth trajectory has been almost entirely influenced by me. I like to think my values aren't too far off the mark."
Roz glanced at the data on the screen and set the hairdryer aside. "Besides, even though he's still young, he's actually quite mature."
"Like you were back then?"
Hearing this, Murrue shook her head. "He's a green fruit, prematurely ripened by a cruel reality."
"I believe he will make the right choice."
Listening to Murrue, Roz flashed a smile. He knew Shinn's character well and had felt that fiery heart through brainwaves. He placed his hands on both their shoulders, his tone turning firm.
"Even if he is a prematurely ripened green fruit, filled with these emotions and convictions, he will surely turn out sweet."
Seeing the smile on Roz's face, the previously heavy atmosphere was swept away. Even Murrue and Natarle were infected by Roz's mood, their lips curling up involuntarily.
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In contrast to the "stormy" intensity back at Roz's place, Shinn's side had entered a state of sheer torment.
Although Louise Halevy had said that young people their age didn't need to dress too formally for such an occasion, Shinn had still bought new clothes for everyone.
It had to be said that the foundation of a Coordinator essentially made them natural clothes-hangers. With just a simple light red dress, Lunamaria Hawke managed to use her looks to support the outfit, giving it the feel of high-end haute couture.
As for Mayu Asuka and Stellar Loussier, their bodies had undergone significant prosthetic modifications. While they couldn't quite pull off the same effect as Lunamaria, their light purple and light blue dresses still looked quite good.
Shinn's outfit was very simple: he bought a pair of jeans that wouldn't hinder his ability to run or jump, topped with a decent-looking dark red plaid shirt over a light blue crew-neck T-shirt.
In front of three young and beautiful girls, Shinn—despite having the good looks of a Coordinator—somehow gave off the distinct illusion of being a "programmer."
Was it because of the plaid shirt and jeans? Shinn wasn't quite sure.
When four teenagers capable of raising the average beauty of an entire area gathered together, even the mall salesclerks couldn't help but look in their direction.
Under the gaze of the onlookers, the four of them returned to their rented sedan.
"Alright, let's get moving."
Holding a car's steering wheel for the first time in a while, Shinn Asuka instinctively put on a pair of sunglasses.
"What did you prepare for the gifts?"
Lunamaria Hawke leaned forward from the back seat to ask Shinn. "Surely you aren't going empty-handed?"
While Stellar Loussier's recovery had shown some results, she was still in a bit of a "wooden" state, and as for Mayu Asuka, there was no telling what strange ideas she might come up with. That left only the relatively normal Lunamaria to offer Shinn advice.
"I didn't know what to buy either."
Shinn started the car smoothly and gestured toward the trunk. "After thinking it over, I sat down before we came here and painted two pictures. I just picked them up from the framer's."
"Rather than a generic gift, this shows we value Louise's invitation, and it won't be so cheap that it causes her embarrassment."
"After all, this isn't her home turf; it's her cousin's."
"Shinn... can paint?"
Hearing Shinn's words, even the daydreaming Stellar instinctively turned her head.
"Brother, how come I didn't know you had that skill?"
Mayu was also quite curious.
Faced with their stares, Shinn couldn't help but recall that night. He had borrowed brushes, paints, and canvases from a crew member who enjoyed art. While playing open-course painting videos from the internet on his communicator, he began sketching and coloring—a classic case of "cramming at the last minute."
However, thanks to the learning capabilities of a Coordinator, Shinn didn't need much time to complete the two paintings. At the very least, his "initial mastery of painting" didn't take long at all.
"Yeah, I basically learned it in one night," Shinn said, taking a shallow breath as he steered the car toward the address Louise had sent. "Since those images keep replaying in my head anyway, it saved me a lot of trouble with the sketching phase."
"The aurora?"
Having known Shinn since their time at the ZAFT military academy, Lunamaria naturally knew what "images" Shinn was referring to. After all, Shinn had possessed a near-fanatical obsession with the brilliance emitted by the Narrative Gundam back then.
"Exactly. The aurora emitted by the Psycho-Frame. But I edited out things like the MS or GENESIS from the picture."
Shinn made no secret of his subject matter. "Looking back, that was a truly heart-pounding time."
"But it was also fraught with danger. We could have died at any moment," Lunamaria added, recalling the details of the "Gryps Conflict." "Is the Banshee Norn hidden properly?"
"Of course, it's been hidden for a long time."
As for the Banshee Norn, Shinn had stashed it in a location where he could quickly board and launch for combat immediately after evacuating the banquet area.
"Because for some reason... right now, I'm feeling a slight stinging in my brain and a sense of unease."
Just then, Shinn spotted Louise in the distance. She was standing in front of a magnificent, large-scale building, contacting Saji Crossroad on her communicator while waiting for their arrival.
'I hope this banquet Louise invited us to ends quietly. Please, no more surprises.'
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