Fury surged within his soul, and the activity of his brainwaves spiked continuously. Scenes from the past seemed to materialize before Shinn's eyes.
A peaceful life torn to shreds by the flames of war; parents killed by the "boredom" of the enemy; a younger sister reduced to a bloody mess; a homeland ripped apart by greed... these were memories Shinn could never forget, even in death.
To take the lives of others simply because it was "boring" or "fun"—such a thing...
"Stop wasting breath on him!"
Seeing the Banshee Norn standing motionless as if it had crashed, Michael was the first to lose his patience. He clicked his tongue. "We're busy. We don't have time to waste on this guy!"
Red particles propelled the Throne Zwei forward, trailing a crimson streak of light. It swung its massive Buster Sword, cleaving toward the Banshee Norn.
"I've been sick of you since the last time, acting all high and mighty just because it was two-on-one!"
Michael roared, his face splitting into a maniacal grin. "Die!"
CLANG!
A deafening sound rang out, and the Throne Zwei's movement was brought to a dead stop.
The Banshee Norn's "gauntlet" had split open into a hideous, giant claw, revealing the dazzling, yellow-glowing Psycho-Frame within. The hand embedded inside the claw firmly gripped the blade of the Throne Zwei. No matter how Michael manipulated his controls to retract the sword, it wouldn't budge an inch.
Even with the high-frequency vibration mode activated, the Buster Sword remained held fast in the Banshee Norn's iron grip, unable to move forward or back.
"What?!"
Michael froze, seemingly completely blindsided by this development.
"That's right... yeah. You people definitely aren't Celestial Being..."
Shinn's low, muffled voice came through the speakers, but anyone present could feel the atmosphere turning oppressive.
"How can this be?!"
Feeling the pressure crushing her mind, Nena forgot even her fake sobbing. Her expression went blank. "The high wall... has turned into a storm?!"
"At the end of the day... you're nothing more than terrorists using the name of Celestial Being!"
Shinn looked up, glaring daggers at the Throne Zwei in front of him. "I, and every one of my comrades in the Ravens, will never associate with a bunch of damned terrorists like you!"
The intensity of his brainwaves reached its peak. If Roz Links' brainwaves at maximum activity were a black hole from which even light could not escape, then Shinn's brainwaves at this moment were a storm-driven gale laced with lightning.
The letters "NT-D" appeared on the touch screen in front of Shinn. As the screen flipped and lowered, the cockpit seat began to transform, and the UI was flooded with a dark yellow hue.
The Psycho-Frame was activated by his brainwaves. From the cockpit to the limbs and weapons, the signal radiated outward.
The grey frame ignited with the same yellow glow that had once appeared on Roz's Psycho-Frame.
First the legs, then the arms, the torso, and the shoulder armor... Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the Banshee Norn's seemingly fractured armor began to shift and expand, revealing the dazzling golden Psycho-Frame hidden beneath.
The Armed Armor XC on its back flipped open, resembling the golden mane of a lion.
The knight-like faceplate slid upward, revealing a distinct face to everyone present.
The armor plates on either side of the head flipped and reassembled, and the golden single horn split open from the center, transforming into a magnificent crown.
The sleeping lion opened eyes as crimson as blood. Its fury had become a suit of golden armor, letting out a roar at the enemies before it.
"A G-Gundam?!"
Nena screamed in terror as she watched the machine suddenly change its form, its entire body now radiating a yellow light.
The reason was simple: that classic Gundam face was far too recognizable. In fact, it looked more like a "Gundam" than the Gundams of Celestial Being did.
The Psycho-Frame within the already deployed Armed Armor VN entered a state of high-frequency vibration. Like the fangs of a lion, the Armed Armor VN suddenly clamped shut.
Even though the Buster Sword was still in its own high-frequency vibration mode, the moment it made contact with the Armed Armor VN, massive cracks spread across the E-Carbon steel blade.
"How is this possible...?"
Michael's eyes widened instinctively as he saw the primary weapon of the Throne Zwei suddenly register as "Offline."
As the Armed Armor VN closed completely, the Buster Sword shattered like a bone being crushed in a predator's jaws. Fragments and debris sprayed in all directions, raining down into the forest below.
"You've probably already killed so many ordinary people..."
Shinn glared daggers at the three machines. "It's because of people like you that the innocent die! If you didn't exist..."
"Bastards like you are nothing but absolute scum!"
The Banshee Norn raised the Armed Armor VN high. As the claws opened again, bits of pulverized E-Carbon steel fell away. "I can't let you stay alive for another second!!!"
It was as if the string of his sanity had snapped, or perhaps something new had been unlocked. Shinn's pupils suddenly contracted, and his focus sharpened to an extreme degree.
This was a power that belonged to him long ago, just like the newly awakened "NT" ability—the power known as the "SEED."
Like a lion pouncing on its prey, the Armed Armor VN struck the Throne Zwei's front chest armor.
The E-Carbon steel, even reinforced by GN particles, offered little resistance. A massive chunk was ripped away like flesh from a carcass. Even the hydraulic systems for the head's main camera were damaged, forcing the head to slump to one side.
"Wuaah..."
Michael let out a cry from the violent shock, but he scrambled to regain control. He raised the GN Handgun on his left arm, firing continuously at the Banshee Norn while using the momentum of the attack to retreat.
"GN Fangs!"
Eight cone-shaped remote weapons launched from the Throne Zwei's skirt armor, deploying their small forward-swept wings as they prepared to swarm the Banshee Norn.
Watching the Throne Zwei drift away, Shinn's instincts took over. He deployed the Armed Armor BS on his right arm, blue beams swirling between the plates.
As the blue energy erupted from the weapon, the irregular beams spiraled through the air like a tornado of light, enveloping the Throne Zwei's legs and the newly released GN Fangs.
"What the hell is that?!"
Michael had never seen an attack pattern like the Armed Armor BS. Before he could even attempt to evade, the blue beam tornado swept through the Throne Zwei's lower half.
The instant the irregular blue beams vanished into the plates of the Armed Armor BS, the unit suddenly deployed into a claw-like form with four sharp prongs. From within, an undercharged shot from the Beam Magnum erupted.
Before the Throne Zwei could react, the GN Fangs that had been swarming it were engulfed and dissolved by this weakened version of the Magnum beam.
Direct hits from the Beam Magnum caused the Throne Zwei's entire lower half to explode and melt within the light. Furthermore, the purple lightning wrapping the Magnum beam lanced through the machine.
Boom...
With a roar of an explosion, the outer armor—already mangled by the Armed Armor—was further devastated. A crack split across the now-visible cockpit, leading directly to a secondary localized explosion.
The cockpit, grazed by the weakened lightning, was torn wide open. A hailstorm of shrapnel from the explosion rained down on Michael, forcing him to shield himself instinctively with his hands.
Sharp fragments sliced into him, creating numerous small wounds, while a larger chunk smashed into his body with enough force to fracture his right arm.
His helmet's visor was shattered as well; the resulting glass shards inflicted secondary trauma, embedding themselves in his face and head. He was soon drenched in blood as if it had been poured over him.
Despite the violent shock of the explosion, he didn't dare cry out in pain, fearing that glass or metal shards might fly into his mouth—getting stuck there or piercing through the back of his neck would be fatal. He could only struggle futilely with his remaining left hand to protect his vitals from the incoming debris.
In the next second, a twisted, irregular strip of metal—once a support frame for the cockpit's exterior—pierced straight through Michael's right arm, pinning him to his pilot's seat. The agony was so intense that Michael blacked out instantly.
As the Magnum beam faded, the out-of-control wreckage of the Throne Zwei began to plummet toward the forest below.
The Armed Armor DE and the machine's thrusters flared, trailing a blue exhaust flame. As he closed in on the wreckage, Shinn instinctively reached out with the Armed Armor VN, intending to crush the barely-clinging-to-life Michael within.
But in that moment, the needle-like prick of intuition struck again. Shinn yanked the control lever, and the Banshee Norn performed a sharp right-angle turn, soaring back into the sky.
It was the Throne Eins. Johann, seeing the Throne Zwei reduced to such a state in less than a minute, felt a surge of anxiety, his brow furrowing instinctively.
Though communication was impossible, a glance through the gash in the cockpit told him Michael was in critical condition. There was no time for indecision; Johann moved to intercept and shove the Throne Zwei toward the Throne Drei.
Whether there would be any collateral damage from the catch was a problem for later; he had faith in his brother Michael's physical constitution.
"Ugh..."
The massive G-forces pinned Shinn firmly against his seat. He gritted his teeth hard, fighting against this unprecedented sensation.
'So, this is what it feels like to pilot a Unicorn... Was Brother Roz fighting these kinds of G-forces all that time?'
The Banshee Norn performed several more angular maneuvers in the sky, hurtling toward the Throne Eins that had just attacked.
The Throne Eins raised the GN Launcher on its right shoulder and its hand-held GN Beam Rifle, firing continuously at the approaching Banshee Norn. Red beams and dark-red particle jets formed a dense barrage.
Faced with this, Shinn remained remarkably calm. His legs moved constantly, adjusting the machine's attitude thrusters. Every time Johann's barrage locked onto him, Shinn skirted the edge of the fire and continued his advance. Johann's attacks were having almost no effect.
The black lion swept past the hovering Throne Eins. The Armed Armor VN tore through the connection between the Throne Eins' left shoulder and its torso, ripping away a massive chunk of shoulder armor.
Two deep gouges were left on the Throne Eins' torso, deep enough to expose the internal structure.
"Ugh...!"
Feeling the violent tremor, even Johann couldn't help but let out a cry of pain.
Staring at the Banshee Norn at point-blank range, Johann ignored the status display panel—which was already flashing red with error messages—and maneuvered the Throne Eins' right-shoulder GN Launcher, attempting to fire a point-blank shot at the Banshee Norn.
But in the next split second, the Banshee Norn suddenly flipped its body. The Armed Armor VN on its left arm carved a graceful arc, slamming directly into the Throne Eins' chest armor.
As the machine exerted its full force, not only was the chest armor shredded, but the head monitor of the Throne Eins was torn clean off. It was smashed against the GN Launcher, knocking the cannon completely out of alignment.
The GN Launcher, already fully charged, suddenly exploded. GN particles, flames, and shockwaves instantly shattered the Throne Eins' right shoulder armor. The right arm, previously showing as damaged (red), turned pitch black on the display—completely offline and unoperable.
Just as Shinn was preparing to follow up the attack, that needle-prick sensation returned. Several red beams lanced toward the Banshee Norn, and Shinn instinctively maneuvered the suit to evade.
"Brother Johann!"
The Throne Drei, its left arm cradling the mangled wreckage of the Throne Zwei, used its right-hand GN Handgun to force the Banshee Norn back before hurling the wreckage toward the equally battered Throne Eins. "Take Brother Michael and go! I'll hold him off!"
The wreckage of the Throne Zwei tumbled through the air toward the Throne Eins.
"Now's my chance!"
Seeing this, Shinn gritted his teeth and slammed down on the pedals.
The Banshee Norn tilted its head back, and every thruster on its body erupted in massive plumes of fire.
The machine's speed surged past its previous limits, trailing a long streak of blue exhaust as it charged toward the drifting Throne Zwei wreckage between the Throne Eins and Drei.
"There's no way I'm letting you people walk away from this!"
Shinn roared, "If you live, only more people will die!"
"Just die already!!!"
This was the first time Shinn had radiated such clear, focused murderous intent toward another being.
Fueled by his surging emotions, his brainwave activity spiked further, causing the Banshee Norn's Psycho-Frame to glow with blinding intensity.
To the horror of Johann and Nena, the Banshee Norn delivered a flying kick squarely into the tumbling wreckage of the Throne Zwei.
The thrusters propelled the Banshee Norn, pinning the Throne Zwei's remains against a mountainside.
It ground the wreckage against the earth, sending sand, rocks, and splintered wood flying in every direction. Under the massive impact, the structural integrity of the Throne Zwei finally collapsed—the cockpit was crushed flat.
Blood, mixed with bone fragments and unidentifiable viscera, sprayed from the gaps, leaving a gruesome crimson trail.
"BROTHER MICHAEL!!!"
Nena let out a terrified shriek before spiraling into a total mental breakdown.
"Die, die, die, DIE!!!"
She pulled the trigger repeatedly, firing wildly at the Banshee Norn as it stood atop the crushed remains of the Throne Zwei. She had clearly descended into madness.
"Why... why?! Brother Michael!"
"It's too late, Nena! Retreat, now!"
Seeing Nena's state, Johann gritted his teeth, forcing down the grief of losing his brother. As the leader of Trinity, he had to remain calm.
"He didn't get away, and neither will you! You scum!"
Shinn bellowed. He maneuvered the Banshee Norn into a low-altitude hover-retreat to evade the Throne Drei's fire.
He raised the Armed Armor BS—already in Beam Magnum mode—and fired a single Magnum shot into the flattened remains of the Throne Zwei.
To ensure that this piece of scum couldn't survive through some miracle, Shinn performed this act of "desecrating the corpse," vaporizing Michael's remains along with the Throne Zwei's GN Drive.
After finishing the deed, Shinn felt a sudden, metallic tang of blood in the back of his throat.
My body is reaching its limit... is it because I didn't have time to put on the pilot suit?!
"Brother Michael!"
Seeing the wreckage of the Throne Zwei vanish within the Magnum beam, Nena let out a pained howl.
Glaring death at the Banshee Norn on the ground, she drew her red beam saber with her left hand and charged.
"Nena, fall back!"
Johann was desperate. His machine was in terrible condition and he had lost his means of attack; he could only watch helplessly as his sister lunged at the Banshee Norn.
"Just in time! You scum!"
Shinn saw her coming. Forcing down the metallic tang in his mouth, he slammed the pedals. The Banshee Norn trailed its exhaust flames once more and soared into the sky.
"Die! Give my Brother Michael back!"
Nena screamed, swinging the beam saber at the Banshee Norn, the red blade carving a streak of light through the air.
"Then how about you give back the lives of the innocent people who died at your hands!"
Shinn pulled the control lever. Even though his body had reached its limit, he felt his mind becoming sharper, his movements growing faster.
It was the power of "adrenaline"—that force originating from the body's organs, capable of pushing a human beyond their limits. Driven by Shinn's will, it supported his every action.
The thrusters on the Banshee Norn flared with sudden intensity. The machine evaded the Throne Drei's slash at a bizarre angle and moved to its left side.
The Armed Armor VN tore through the Throne Drei's left arm—the one holding the beam saber—as easily as a hot knife through butter.
"You bastard!"
Nena exerted every ounce of strength to twist her machine, trying to bring the muzzle of the GN Handgun on her right arm to bear.
But in the next instant, Shinn maneuvered the Banshee Norn to swing the Armed Armor VN back along the same path.
The newly turned right forearm carrying the GN Handgun, along with the Throne Drei's front chest armor, were effortlessly shredded.
Clang...
The Armed Armor BS, still in Beam Magnum mode, thrust through the gash in the Throne Drei and into the machine's interior.
Violent energy, compressed by the force field into a high-energy sphere of the Magnum beam, nearly brushed against the Throne Drei's cockpit.
The Banshee Norn hoisted the Throne Drei up by the Armed Armor BS, aiming it toward the cloudy sky.
"Hah... hah... Brother Johann, run..."
Looking at the high-energy sphere that occupied her entire field of vision through the cockpit view, the broken Nena wept. With a trembling voice, she spoke into the barely functioning communicator.
"Brother Johann... it's so cold..."
The next second, the violent energy jet transformed into a Magnum beam, engulfing the cockpit and Nena along with it.
The thick red beam of energy shot straight into the heavens. Even the clouds were shattered by this long-charged Magnum shot, revealing the azure sky to the people below.
Purple high-energy electricity crackled through the wreckage of the Throne Drei still impaled on the Armed Armor BS. Bursts of explosions and white-hot metal shards rained down onto the hillside beneath the Banshee Norn.
Finally, the Magnum beam dissipated, and the wreckage of the Throne Drei that had been impaled on the Armed Armor BS disintegrated into useless fragments scattered across the ground.
"Michael... Nena..."
Witnessing the deaths of his younger brother and sister, Johann Trinity forced back the overwhelming grief in his heart. He had no choice but to maneuver his machine to turn and retreat.
"Don't even think about running! You scum!"
Shinn spotted the escaping Throne Eins. He pivoted the muzzle of the Armed Armor BS and pulled the trigger.
An emergency shot—a red energy jet, not yet fully charged but still carrying purple lightning—streaked toward the Throne Eins.
Watching the Magnum beam approach from a distance, Johann exerted every ounce of strength to pull the machine upward.
Though he avoided a direct hit, the purple current lashed out and destroyed the Throne Eins' legs, leaving the machine to wobble unsteadily as it made its escape.
At this point, Shinn could no longer keep up the pursuit.
"Gugh..."
Shinn clutched his mouth. Due to the high-intensity maneuvers performed without the protection of a pilot suit, his body had sustained significant internal trauma. A mouthful of blood was coughed out into his hand.
"Hah... hah... Dammit, one got away."
Panting, Shinn pulled out a rag to wipe the blood from his palm.
As Shinn's emotions began to stabilize, the Banshee Norn exited NT-D mode, hovering silently in the air before the eyes of everyone below.
'My body won't allow a pursuit... but the Advanced European Union forces will likely arrive soon. I have to hide the machine.'
Shinn paused for a moment to recover, licking the blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
He scanned the battlefield one last time to ensure no vital secrets were left exposed before maneuvering the machine toward a hiding spot.
The scene was left with nothing but the burning forest and the mangled remains of the Throne Zwei and Throne Drei scattered across the earth.
...................