"Phew~" Yang Hui and Yurin breathed a sigh of relief as they confirmed that one Sidd's signal had completely vanished from the enemy detection system. After all, the Sidd utilized a vast array of unknown high-level technologies, and no one could be sure if the Sidd still had any hidden trump cards up its sleeve.
"One left…"
Only one Sidd remained, but just as Dawn Gundam and Luna Gundam were about to turn and head to support Flag Gundam and Gundam AGE-2, Yang Hui's pupils constricted, and even Yurin's X-Rounder ability warned her of extreme danger.
"Yang Hui! Yurin! Watch out! It's coming for you!"
Graham's warning came through, but it was a bit too late.
Because at that moment, the other Sidd had already closed in on Dawn Gundam and Luna Gundam, its sharp wings raised and sweeping horizontally.
Caught off guard, Dawn Gundam and Luna Gundam were sent flying.
"Ah~!"
"Ugh~!"
"Yang Hui! Yurin!"
"Uncle! Auntie!"
Flag Gundam and Gundam AGE-2 quickly caught the two machines and shielded them behind, preventing the Sidd from continuing its attack.
"I'm fine… but the damage to the machine is significant."
"I'm okay too."
Though not on par with the Sidd, the armor and frame materials used in Dawn Gundam and Luna Gundam were still of decent quality. The massive impact only caused the fragile joints to yellow, not reaching the point of complete collapse.
However, continuing high-intensity combat was out of the question.
Fortunately, the Sidd had no intention of continuing the fight either. Instead, it moved to the location where the other Sidd had been destroyed, its wings folding to collect the wreckage.
"Graham! Asemu! Keep it busy! Don't let it escape!"
Yang Hui suddenly recalled a detail from the battle at the Second Moon, where a Sidd that had been heavily damaged by Jehart and Asemu reappeared unscathed and merged with the [VEGAN Mobile Suit].
At that time, Jehart and Asemu had already destroyed the EXA-DB.
So how did the Sidd repair itself? Could there be a hidden automated factory besides the main body of the EXA-DB?
If that were the case, they absolutely could not let the Sidd escape, or all their efforts would be in vain. Worse, the Sidd might even enhance its threat level, and when it returned, it could very well bring an entire army of Sidd.
Facing an army of Sidd, even the combined forces of the Earth Federation and VEGAN would stand no chance.
Graham and Asemu, upon receiving the order, acted without hesitation, but…
The Sidd did something utterly baffling. Its wings and weapons detached from its main body, and it used its short, sharp legs to clutch the wreckage as it rapidly retreated, its form gradually fading.
"Don't let it escape!"
Just as Flag Gundam and Gundam AGE-2 were about to chase and stop the Sidd from escaping, Yang Hui immediately shouted to halt them.
"Graham, Asemu, fall back and defend!"
The two hesitated for a moment but immediately reversed thrust, shielding themselves with their arms and shields. Even the Funnels of Dawn Gundam and Luna Gundam were enveloped in energy, forming a protective barrier around the four Gundams.
"Boom~!"
The scattered wings and weapons quickly turned red and then exploded violently. The tremendous force shattered the Funnel barrier, sending the four machines flying.
"Ugh~!!!"
The four quickly regained control of their mobile suits, but by the time they tried to locate Sidd, he had already vanished without a trace.
"Captain! Lieutenant General! Are you both alright?"
"We're fine, but he got away. Damn it!"
"Lieutenant General!" At this moment, Gerard sent a communication, "We've found it!"
"Stay alert. One heavily damaged Sidd has escaped. We're coming over immediately."
"Understood!"
Gerard hadn't personally experienced how terrifying Sidd could be, but he had watched the combat records of the Celestial Being squadron.
Moreover, even the rookies in the Celestial Being squadron were absolute elites. The fact that Sidd could cripple the Celestial Being squadron in such a short time made it impossible for Gerard to take him lightly.
Fortunately, knowing that Yang Hui and the others had arrived without being attacked by Sidd, Gerard breathed a sigh of relief.
But Yang Hui couldn't relax. Instead, he felt a sense of urgency. Since Sidd hadn't returned to EXA-DB with the wreckage and had abandoned his guard post, it confirmed their earlier suspicions. Perhaps there really was a secret factory hidden somewhere in the universe.
"Lieutenant General."
"Have all the data from EXA-DB been copied?" Yang Hui asked Gerard.
"72% has been completed."
"Continue copying the data. The rest of you, set up the bombs."
"Set up bombs? This..."
"We only need the data inside. What's the point of leaving this thing here? Waiting for VEGAN to take it?"
"...Understood." XN
Although they were all his admirers, they weren't soldiers he had personally trained, and the difference was immediately apparent. If it had been the old Celestial Being squadron, no one would have hesitated for even a second to carry out Yang Hui's orders.
Yang Hui had never intended to hand over EXA-DB to the Federation—or at least, not in its entirety.
Based on his understanding of the Federation, if these technologies were handed over, even if they could quickly defeat VEGAN and end the war, it would only be the beginning of another conflict. The connection between the Gundam AGE world and Prometheus Fortress was inevitable. What he needed was a stable rear base, not a chaotic warzone.
But the biggest problem now was that not only had he found EXA-DB, but many others had as well. How to silence everyone was the real issue.
"It seems I need to have a good talk with Argreus," Yang Hui thought.
A few minutes later, all the data from EXA-DB had been copied, and the explosives were set.
"Mission complete. Let's retreat."
"Yes." XN
Everyone left the asteroid where EXA-DB was hidden. As the countdown to the explosion reached its end, under everyone's watchful eyes, the asteroid exploded from within, its fragments scattering into cosmic dust.
From this point on, apart from the copied data and the whereabouts of Sidd, the traces of the old era were erased. The "Cursed Treasure" became a part of history.
"Let's head back. We still need to go to the Colony for repairs."
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"Understood."
When everyone returned, Rena had already directed the cleanup of the battlefield, collected the remains of their fallen comrades, rescued survivors, and gathered the debris left behind by Sidd. Even the smallest fragments held significant research value.
"Lieutenant General, Captain."
"Well done. Let's set sail with the Baize. Our destination is Tordia."
"Yes."
As the Baize set sail, Yang Hui and the others needed to rest. The battle hadn't been long, but it was intense. Moreover, they had to maintain the appearance of elderly individuals, so even if it was just acting, they had to look thoroughly exhausted.
"Whew, one of our mission objectives is complete," Yang Hui said, fiddling with the data storage device in his hand.
"That's half the burden off our shoulders, but Yang Hui..." Graham looked at Yang Hui with a serious expression, "...you were careless this time."
"Yeah, not just me, but you and Yurin too. We all let our guard down," Yang Hui chuckled self-deprecatingly.
Since arriving in the Gundam AGE world, they hadn't faced any truly dangerous battles. The only somewhat perilous situation had been decades ago when they were betrayed and ambushed near the Second Moon.
But even that hadn't been a life-or-death crisis.
Compared to the Gundam 00 world, where they had faced battles teetering on the edge of survival—be it the Three-Nation Military Exercise or the final showdown—this world seemed almost tame.
The prolonged ease of combat had loosened the tension in their minds, which was why Graham had been outmaneuvered by Sidd, and Yang Hui had been caught off guard by Sidd's sneak attack.
The future was uncertain, but from what Yang Hui knew, the Gundam AGE world was one of the least dangerous among all the worlds they had encountered. Whether in terms of the scale of battles, the strength of enemies, or the political intrigue, most other worlds were far more perilous.
Slap slap~ Yang Hui patted his cheeks to perk himself up.
"Let's remember this lesson. We can't afford to be too relaxed," Yang Hui said.
"Easier said than done. Where are we going to find suitable opponents?" Graham lamented.
Battles on the brink of life and death, clashes between the strong—such encounters were hard to come by in this world. While the lack of life-threatening danger was a good thing, maintaining their edge and accelerating their progress required some level of peril.
"If I'm not mistaken, we'll face a significant challenge in the final stages," Yang Hui said.
"Oh? Interesting. Do tell."
"Sidd."
"Sidd? But they've already..." Graham and Yurin were puzzled. Sidd had indeed been formidable opponents, but hadn't they already been dealt with? One had been completely destroyed, and the other was left as a disarmed torso. What threat could they possibly pose now?
"I suspect there's a hidden factory somewhere in space. Otherwise, Sidd's final actions don't make sense."
"What!"
The two were startled but quickly calmed down to analyze the situation. They realized Yang Hui was right.
Sidd's final behavior was completely illogical. Their goal was to protect the EXA-DB, so they should have fought to the death to stop them.
Yet, after evading Yang Hui and the others, Sidd hadn't gone to attack the EXA-DB's main body. Instead, they had disappeared with the core remnants of another, seemingly insignificant Sidd unit.
"Heh, Yang Hui, are you saying... we might have to face an army composed of Sidds?" Graham said, starting to sweat as he spoke.
He wasn't afraid of challenges; in fact, he thrived on intense battles. But... he wasn't a fool.
If he encountered an army of Sidds, his first instinct would probably be to run as fast as he could. That wouldn't be a battle; it would be a suicide mission!
"An army is unlikely. Otherwise, there wouldn't only be two Sidds guarding the EXA-DB, especially after our first encounter with them."
"So you mean..."
"There must be some limitations. We should prepare for the possibility of at least two Sidds ambushing us, but it probably won't exceed five," Yang Hui explained.
"That's manageable," Graham said, feeling somewhat relieved.
Facing five Sidds would undoubtedly be extremely challenging, but it wasn't impossible. As long as it wasn't a suicide mission, Graham would face it bravely.
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