Yzak and Dearka, Athrun and Nicol—the Creuset Team had always been divided into two factions. One represented radicalism, while the other stood for steadiness. Conflicts between them were frequent, especially with Yzak, who never missed an opportunity to mock Athrun and Nicol. Dearka shared the same attitude as Yzak.
Still, they were comrades. Even before joining the Creuset Team, they had been classmates at the military academy. Yzak and Dearka were close because their parents, though from different factions, were good friends privately, and the two had grown up together. Their rivalry with Athrun stemmed from his consistent top ranking at the academy, overshadowing them. Athrun's excellent performance, coupled with his calm and unhurried demeanor, irritated them endlessly.
But when they saw Athrun severely injured, all that competition, all that frustration—vanished in an instant. What remained was only concern and care.
As for Yzak… well, he was a classic tsundere. Even if he was worried, he would never admit it!
"Cough… Thank you, Yzak," Athrun said sincerely.
"I didn't do it for you! The Aegis is your machine—I just didn't want to lose such a powerful asset!"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it."
"You bastard… Hmph!"
"Hahaha…"
"Speaking of the Aegis, how is it?" Athrun asked. He had no idea about its condition before losing consciousness, but given that he had been out for ten days, he could imagine the state it was in.
"It's been repaired. Honestly, I thought it was a lost cause at first, considering how badly it was wrecked," Dearka teased.
"Really? That's good to hear."
"By the way, Athrun, you'd better prepare yourself," Yzak warned seriously.
"What for?"
"The Supreme Council is planning to hold another inquiry session for you and Captain Creuset regarding that monster machine."
"I see. Understood."
The combat data had already been extracted, but records were just records. To truly understand what had happened, only the two who had experienced it firsthand could provide answers.
"So… was it really that terrifying?" Dearka asked.
"...Yeah. It was," Athrun replied with a grave nod. "At first, Captain Creuset and I were just trying to hold our own against it. Even before things escalated, just its Beam Rifle and Solid Sword alone made it impossible for us to break free. That alone was enough to confirm that the pilot was an ace. And then…"
Silence fell over them. They had all reviewed the combat logs and couldn't refute Athrun's account. None of the three could have done better—they were Redcoat aces, yet the opponent's battlefield dominance surpassed theirs.
Though Athrun left the rest unsaid, the three understood what he meant.
The enemy had held back from the start. Otherwise, Athrun and Creuset would have been defeated the moment they engaged.
"But that state probably can't be sustained indefinitely, right?" Nicol analyzed.
"According to the technical division's analysis, the machine's performance didn't improve significantly, so we can rule out a performance burst. And those light dots—Athrun, you remember them, don't you?" Yzak asked.
"Yes, I remember. Those light dots... were beams, originating from wings. The wings are a very powerful weapon," Athrun replied while recalling.
"Correct. That matches the analysis results from the technical department," Dearka nodded.
"Any other findings?" Athrun asked.
"There's one more, though unconfirmed yet." Nicol pulled out a military PAD, displaying the retrieved combat logs and the technical department's analysis. "Look here."
Athrun took the PAD. The screen showed the data analysis of Aegis being hit by the light dots.
"This is—!"
"Exactly. The armor's temperature spiked rapidly before exploding from within. In other words... these light dots function similarly to HEAT rounds."
"This technology..." Athrun broke into a cold sweat just thinking about it. ZAFT had only just begun research and development on miniaturizing beam weapons using the four reclaimed G Weapons, yet the enemy had already advanced to converting beams into other lethal forms. How could they possibly bridge this gap?
"Intelligence is already investigating. The three major design bureaus—Heinlein, Asimov, and Clarke—are working around the clock. Even if we can't replicate it, we must at least find a countermeasure," Dearka said.
"Tch, it's just Orb, isn't it? Why not just crush them outright?" Yzak growled viciously.
That Celestial Being was likely backed by Orb—Yzak and Dearka had naturally heard this from their parents. Unlike Athrun and Nicol, they cared little for evidence. If there was even a possibility, they'd attack first and confirm later.
"We have no proof it's Orb."
"What more proof do we need? Orb aiding the Earth Forces in MS production is already an undeniable fact!"
"But—"
"Yzak, you shouldn't say such things so carelessly, you know?"
"Huh?" x4
It was a voice all four recognized instantly. Turning, their guess was confirmed—but why was this person here?
"Miss Lacus? Ms. Huang?"
Lacus, in a pink dress, and Huang, wearing a purple blouse and black skirt, walked arm-in-arm into the ward.
"Hello, Yzak, Dearka, Nicol. It's lovely to see you all. And Athrun, I'm glad you're safe."
"Long time no see, Yzak, Dearka, Nicol... and Athrun."
"Wh-why are you here?!"
At the sight of Huang, Yzak's face flushed crimson. He recoiled as if facing a prehistoric beast.
"My, my, Yzak, how forgetful of you. As Orb's official diplomatic envoy, I arrived on PLANT days ago. Athrun is also a friend of mine. Naturally, I'd visit upon hearing he was injured."
"You—! I—! I shouldn't have come today!"
"Oh my? Yzak, are you... blushing?" A best friend was also the best at teasing. Knowing Yzak's embarrassing history, Dearka couldn't resist the opportunity.
"Dearka! You bastard!"
"Now, now, it's just a rejected confession. It's been a year—why still so shy? Unless someone's still... hehe?"
"You bastard! I'll make you pay for this!"
"Huh? Getting angry? I'm outta here! Get well soon, Athrun!" With a mischievous laugh, Dearka bolted from the hospital room, with Yzak—who clearly wanted nothing more to do with this situation—chasing right after him.
"Hahaha, I never expected Yzak to... hahaha..."
"Sumeragi-nee, just look at how charming you are. Yzak still can't get over you," Lacus teased playfully.
"Ah, what can I do? The man I chose just happens to be far more outstanding than him," Sumeragi replied with an exaggerated shrug, feigning helplessness.
A year ago, leveraging the aftermath of Bloody Valentine, Yang Hui had officially established connections with PLANT's upper echelons, initiating various exchange programs. As his right-hand women, Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei naturally had to accompany him for introductions during their initial visits.
It was during their third business trip to PLANT, at a high-society banquet hosted by PLANT officials, that Yzak first laid eyes on Sumeragi—and was instantly captivated by her beauty and grace. He even publicly confessed his feelings to her.
The result? Well... Sumeragi had responded with an awkward yet polite smile, saying, "I'm sorry, but I'm already engaged."
Yzak had frozen on the spot, utterly shattered, nearly fleeing in humiliated tears.
Still, that banquet had allowed Sumeragi to become acquainted with Yzak, Dearka, and Nicol—especially Nicol, whom even Lacus spoke highly of.
Though, of course, only in terms of music. Lacus had once remarked that while she might be PLANT's national idol, had Nicol not enlisted in the military, he would undoubtedly have become PLANT's foremost musician.
"Haha, let's not bring that up. Yzak regrets it deeply," Nicol chuckled.
"Sumeragi, you might want to warn Yang Hui to be careful. Yzak secretly swore he'd take you back by eliminating him," Athrun teased.
"Oh? Poor Yzak."
"Pfft—hahaha!"
Among the four present, only Nicol wasn't particularly familiar with Yang Hui. The other three, however, knew him well—mature, composed, a master strategist, and overwhelmingly capable. Despite being a Natural, he surpassed 99% of Coordinators in every aspect.
For Yzak to think he could take Yang Hui down? What a joke. He'd be lucky not to get swindled into counting money for the man while being sold out.
"Sumeragi, is your work here finished?" Athrun asked.
"Yes, everything's been discussed. I'll be returning to Orb in a couple of days," she replied.
"That's quite demanding—and impressive. Just the other day, my father came home complaining to Mother that Orb now has another formidable young woman besides Wang Liu Mei, someone who left the Supreme Council speechless in debates," Nicol remarked with admiration.
"Well, what can we do? Orb's situation is too unique, and the old guard isn't cutting it. We just have to work harder," Sumeragi joked.
"..." The three knew she was joking, but this wasn't a topic they could easily follow up on.
"By the way, Sumeragi, where is Yang Hui?" Athrun asked, his tone carrying both concern and a desire to discuss many things with him.
"Oh, him? He's busy outside too."
"I... see. That's a shame."
"It's no shame at all, Athrun," Lacus interjected gently. "If you believe, you'll meet again someday."
"...I understand."
"But you need to recover from your injuries first. Whatever you do, don't let him find out, or he'll definitely mock you," Sumeragi reminded.
"Uh…" Athrun's expression froze. Of course he knew that!
But… though there was no evidence, aside from Yang Hui, he couldn't think of anyone else capable of piloting the Dawn Gundam and instantly defeating both him and Creuset. So…
Tell me, how exactly was he supposed to keep his injuries a secret from Yang Hui? Knock him out to make him lose his memory? Or carve out a piece of his brain?
"Athrun, it's time for your check— Oh? Lacus? Sumeragi? You're all here?"
At that moment, Lenore Zala returned. The scans and other examinations were ready, and she had come to take Athrun for his checkup.
"Hello, Mrs. Zala."
"Would you mind waiting a moment? Athrun needs to go for his recovery checkup."
"No need to trouble yourself, Mrs. Zala. We've already chatted with Athrun for a while. It's time for us to leave," Sumeragi said.
"Is that so? What a shame."
After bidding farewell to Athrun, Lenore Zala, and Nicol, Sumeragi and Lacus left the hospital, preparing to return to the Clyne residence. Sumeragi had been staying at Lacus's home during this time.
"I heard Yang Hui went to North Africa?" Lacus suddenly asked in the car.
Hearing this, Sumeragi paused for a moment, then, recalling Lacus's true personality and capabilities, she relaxed.
"It seems you haven't been idle this past year either."
"To take control of my own future, I can't afford to just be an idol," Lacus sighed, her lovely face looking weary.
Sumeragi also sighed and gently embraced Lacus. "Does he know?"
"He sort of knows."
"What do you mean, 'sort of'?"
"He said… not now."
"Not now… huh? Haha, that's just like him. I told you, you'd have to take the initiative."
"We'll see. Right now… it really isn't the right time. For me, or for him."
"Don't worry. It won't be long now. The White Dove Plan has already entered its third phase."
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