"For Orb... huh? When did I become such a good actor?"
Upon arriving at the hangar, the seriousness on Yang Hui's face completely vanished, replaced by a self-mocking bitter smile.
Was all of this really for Orb?
Half true, half false. It was indeed for Orb, but not merely to free Orb from the shackles of the Earth Alliance and PLANT, nor to simply elevate it as a third major power on equal footing with them.
Yang Hui's ambitions were far greater. He wanted to develop Orb into the most powerful force in this world, to make both the Earth Alliance and PLANT bow before it.
Because he wanted to connect this world with the Prometheus Fortress, the strength he controlled must be capable of suppressing the entire world.
As for PLANT, he had always adopted a strategy of befriending them. After all, PLANT was a nation of Coordinators, and objectively speaking, Coordinators were indeed superior to Naturals. And what the Prometheus Fortress needed... was precisely more exceptional individuals. Moreover, compared to the intricate web of the Earth Alliance, the internal factions within PLANT were easier to untangle and control. If Patrick Zala, the radical faction leader, couldn't let go of his extremist mindset, then he could simply be removed. Leaving the moderate faction leader, Siegel Clyne, in charge would make controlling PLANT not too difficult.
As for the old fox Durandal, who might appear in the future due to emotional wounds...
Well, that could be dealt with later. It wasn't even certain if he would show up at all.
Next was the Earth Alliance.
In truth, the Earth Alliance was easier to handle. Just take out the head wolf, and the pack would fall apart.
The Earth Federation was now nothing more than a ragtag group held together by the Atlantic Federation's oppressive policies.
Don't be fooled by the Eurasian Federation's constant attempts to vie for the position of Earth's top dog. In reality, they were just bullies who preyed on the weak. They only dared to make small moves behind the scenes. When the Atlantic Federation truly spoke up, the Eurasian Federation immediately turned into the most obedient lackey.
Looking at the main storyline of SEED, it's clear that every time the Atlantic Federation pulled off some shady operation, wasn't it always the Eurasian Federation that got sold out? The Alaska self-destruction operation was the most typical example.
What? Were there other factions?
That wasn't clear. Maybe there were, but they never made an appearance. In any case, it was always the Eurasian Federation that got called out.
So, as long as the Atlantic Federation was taken down, the Earth Alliance would be considered dealt with.
But... the problem lay precisely here.
If it were just about defeating the surface-level Atlantic Federation, it wouldn't be too difficult. The real challenge was the shadowy mastermind pulling the strings behind the scenes.
[Blue Cosmos], also known as the [Blue Cosmos Alliance], was a radical organization composed of Naturals who harbored resentment toward Coordinators. Based on the ideology of the Blue Cosmos, they believed that genetic modification was a violation of the natural order and thus dedicated themselves to eradicating all Coordinators to "protect the pure, blue world." They used this ideology to manipulate the masses, inciting hatred toward Coordinators and aiming to rally all Naturals to rise up against them, eliminating anyone who attempted to break free from their control.
Although the political views of the Earth Alliance's top leadership generally differed, the upper echelons of the Atlantic Federation's space forces were primarily dominated by members of Blue Cosmos. By the later stages of the first Earth-PLANT war, it could be said that Blue Cosmos had nearly taken control of the entire Earth Alliance military, transforming the war with PLANT into a genocidal conflict.
Blue Cosmos was neither a party-state where the party and the nation were highly integrated to align national and party interests and actions, nor was it like capitalist countries where the military was nationalized and political parties had no authority to command the armed forces. Instead, without controlling the state, they issued orders to Blue Cosmos members within the military under the organization's name, orders that contradicted national directives. The purpose of such actions was to force the state to acknowledge the fait accompli and to compel the nation to dance to the organization's tune.
This made them a troublesome organization, as they had essentially become a quasi-religious group, with their advocated ideologies and beliefs influencing the entire Atlantic Federation.
Eliminating an organization is not difficult.
But eradicating a belief... that is far more challenging.
What's even more troubling is that Blue Cosmos was not the true mastermind behind the scenes. Behind it lay an even more troublesome organization.
The Merchants of Death—Logos—a weapons trafficking syndicate that manipulated international affairs by inciting wars and selling arms.
Ordinary arms dealers could be dealt with if they crossed the line, but arms dealers capable of manipulating international affairs were not so easy to handle.
First, it was unclear how many members their organization had, and how many of these members were high-ranking officials in various countries.
Second, the true core members could not be identified. Apart from the alliance leader, Lord Djibril, who foolishly stepped into the spotlight and even boarded a ship to the front lines, no one else had surfaced.
The so-called alliance leader was merely a title. Couldn't a new leader be elected if the current one died? As long as the core layer wasn't completely wiped out, even if the Atlantic Federation was defeated and Blue Cosmos was eliminated, organizations like the Great Northern Federation and Green Cosmos would emerge.
And finally, the mission issued by Prometheus Fortress, combined with Mephis's hints, made Yang Hui certain that there was a deeper secret hidden behind Logos, and this secret could very well bring him immense danger.
Therefore... in this world, Yang Hui had to fully take control of the nation of Orb and develop it into a force strong enough to suppress the entire world and handle any potential crisis.
Orb also needed to serve as a stabilizing force, ensuring that after the connection between the Gundam SEED+D world and Prometheus Fortress was established, no one would dare to cause trouble.
So, acting for Orb was the right thing to do, but the purpose of acting for Orb was for Prometheus Fortress.
Upon arriving at the hangar, Yang Hui immediately began adjusting the Strike Gundam, but all the adjustments were based on Kira's combat data. He didn't even touch the OS, because he believed that Kira would come, that he would walk the path Yang Hui had arranged for him.
Sure enough, after just ten minutes, footsteps echoed from behind.
"This isn't the answer you wanted," Yang Hui said without turning around, addressing Kira.
"That's right, it's not the answer I wanted, but..."
"Do you know what your greatest weakness is?"
"...No."
"Kindness." As he spoke, Yang Hui stopped what he was doing and turned to face Kira, his expression serious and devoid of any casualness or jest.
"..."
"Your kindness is your greatest strength, surpassing all your abilities as a Coordinator. But... it's also your fatal flaw. It's so easily exploited by me, and even when you know I'm using you, you can't help but comply."
"...I... I didn't think that far. I just..."
"...Because of your kindness, when push comes to shove, you'll do everything in your power to protect Tolle and the others. Because of your kindness, you can't abandon the friendship we once had, you can't just stand by and do nothing. But you need to understand that it's precisely this kindness that could drag you into an endless abyss, where you'll be utterly consumed. Have you... thought about that?"
"I... I don't know. I've never thought about these things." As he spoke, Kira walked over to Yang Hui and looked up at the Strike Gundam. "Maybe... I'll never fully understand these things, Yang Hui. Even though you're using me, I know you wouldn't harm me."
"Maybe. What if you're just a pawn in my game?" Yang Hui also turned and looked up at the Strike Gundam.
"You wouldn't do that. I know you."
"We've only known each other for a year. You think you understand me..."
"It's been hard for you, hasn't it?"
"..." Yang Hui was momentarily stunned, then shook his head with a bitter smile.
"First, you pretended everything was for our sake, making us board the Archangel, and then used Tolle and the others to keep me in check. Then you expressed your determination, hinting at the burdens you carry, making me feel guilty. Now you're acting like the villain, trying to make me think you're a bad person." Kira paused mid-sentence, then turned to face Yang Hui. "But I know you, Yang Hui. You haven't changed. You're still the same person who, as a Natural, protected Athrun and me, two Coordinators, from being bullied by other kids. You're still the person who would go to great lengths to help us, the person who... values friends and comrades above all else."
"...Let's just finish preparing the Strike Gundam. We don't know when the next battle will start."
Yang Hui didn't want to dwell on this topic any longer. Perhaps it was the changes that came with entering this world. From a young age, he had been immersed in politics, subtly influenced by the murky waters, becoming more calculating, more ruthless, and even... more arrogant.
At the very least, for the sake of the situation and development, Yang Hui would never do something like sacrificing Heliopolis. He would do everything in his power to protect Heliopolis, stabilize all of Orb's defenses, and still manage to board the Archangel.
No wonder, in the first world, Yang Hui had started from scratch, and as the leader of an underground organization, every step he took was precarious, carefully avoiding the abyss. In the second world, he had a perfect start, everything went smoothly, and he achieved his goals without much effort.
With the success of the previous two instances, Yang Hui unconsciously let his guard down. He no longer controlled himself or maintained his true self. No, perhaps it was more accurate to say that he had grown accustomed to wearing a mask in front of others. Over time, the mask had been on for so long that it had become difficult to take off.
Now, he finally understood why Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei had hesitated to speak on several occasions.
If Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei had noticed it long ago, it was understandable, as they were the ones who knew him best. But Kira...
Yang Hui truly hadn't expected Kira to see through the layers of masks and perceive his true self. What was this? An additional ability of the Ultimate Coordinator?
However... this also served as a wake-up call for Yang Hui. From the perspective of an outsider, Kira had given the most objective evaluation.
"...Alright," Kira nodded and joined in the maintenance work for the Strike Gundam.
"I'll protect you."
"I know, and I'll protect you too. But... I'm a Coordinator, and I don't know how to fight."
"Want to learn? I'll teach you."
"I don't want to learn! Once we reach the Junk Guild, I'm getting off this ship."
"Is that so? I'm looking forward to it."
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