[Outer Space – Near the Starius]
The black void was alive with streaks of silver and gray as the Lunaris Gundams, thrusters burning at full, surged past the last line of Prophet Class resistance. Explosions bloomed like dying stars in their wake, scattering debris across the empty expanse.
Nura's voice cut through the squad channel, sharp and determined.
"Target is the T-shaped object dead ahead — we're taking it down before it charges!"
"Acknowledged!" the other pilots replied in unison, their Lunaris Gundams falling into an attack formation.
The Starius loomed larger with every second, the glow in its central core growing brighter, almost… hungry. Every pilot could feel it — the sense that the weapon itself was staring back.
---
The void between Moon and Mercury seethed with streaks of thruster fire, flares of plasma, and the ghostly distortion trails of the Prophet Class mobile suits still darting through the battlefield. Nura's Lunaris Gundam, silver-gray plating flashing under starlight, burned forward alongside the remaining Lunaris units, closing the gap toward the massive T-shaped silhouette of Starius.
Inside Mercury's flagship Judicator, Captain Belthran slammed a gloved fist against the armrest of his command chair. His jaw was tight, eyes narrow as the tactical feed scrolled data across the main display.
> "Enough…" he growled, voice low but dripping venom. "Even with Prophet Class, the Lunaris dogs break through."
The bridge crew exchanged uneasy glances. The feed showed two more Prophet Class wrecks, their once-invisible frames now drifting like shattered glass across the dark.
Belthran rose from his seat.
> "If the prophets cannot hold them back… then it's time for her to wake."
Gasps filled the bridge. One officer hesitated.
> "C-Captain… you mean—?"
Belthran turned his glare on him.
> "Yes. Launch the Valetta Gundam."
Hushed voices followed, but no one dared object. Only Mercury knew the full extent of Valetta's true power — the Malaya System sleeping deep within its core. Not even Moon Kingdom intelligence had the faintest idea.
In the sealed hangar, mechanical clamps released with a thunderous hiss. Gleaming in a deep mercury-gray with streaks of crimson across its armor, Valetta Gundam stepped forward. Its presence seemed to make the entire hangar grow colder, as if the machine itself exhaled malice.
Belthran leaned toward the comm.
> "Valetta… your prey are the Lunaris Gundams. Tear them from the sky before they lay a hand on Starius."
---
Meanwhile, Nura and the others were still pushing through the last Prophet resistance. Static crackled in his ear as Ralvern's voice cut through.
> "Nura, you've got two more ahead. Break them fast — Starius is almost in range!"
> "Working on it!" Nura gritted, shoving Lunaris into a high-G roll, beam saber locking with an invisible enemy's scythe in a shower of sparks.
They didn't know what was coming.
They didn't know that something far worse than the Prophet Class had just been unleashed.
Far away, the Valetta Gundam's mono-eye sensor flared to life — locking onto the Lunaris squadron like a predator tasting blood.
---
The Prophet Class suits fell one after another, their cloaking fields flickering and dying under the relentless counterattacks from the Lunaris squad. Nura's breathing was ragged inside his helmet, sweat stinging his eyes. His sensors were finally showing a clear approach path toward Starius.
> "We've got an opening!" one Lunaris pilot shouted over comms.
"Push through!" Ralvern ordered from the command room.
Nura throttled forward—
—when the stars themselves seemed to bend.
A shape emerged from the black void, unhurried, each footstep across nothingness echoed by the thrum of massive thrusters. It was unlike anything Nura had ever seen — mercury-gray plating catching the faint light, streaks of blood-crimson glowing faintly along its limbs. Its head bore a crown-like sensor array, a single ominous mono-eye glowing with cold intelligence.
The comms filled with static, then a voice — deep, deliberate, and confident.
> "So… you are the ones who dare claw at the gates of Mercury's judgment."
The Valetta Gundam raised its right arm. A long, black-bladed halberd unfolded from its back in a mechanical hiss.
Ralvern's voice cut in, alarmed.
> "What the hell is that…?!"
Before anyone could answer, Valetta lunged. In a single sweeping motion, its halberd cleaved through a Lunaris unit's shield, splitting it apart like paper before a savage kick sent the crippled Gundam spiraling into the darkness.
> "Contact! CONTACT!" another Lunaris pilot yelled as they moved to engage.
Nura charged forward, slamming his beam saber against the halberd in a burst of light. The impact rattled his entire cockpit. This thing wasn't just strong — it felt alive, responding to his every move with surgical precision.
Valetta's pilot — unseen, unknown — spoke again over the open channel.
> "You will not touch Starius. All seeds of witches will be burned away."
The halberd locked with Nura's blade, and in that frozen moment, Nura saw something in Valetta's movements — cold, deliberate control. It was fighting him like it already knew his rhythm.
> "Nura! Break off!" Ralvern shouted.
"Not a chance!" Nura gritted back, straining against the lock.
Behind them, Starius loomed ever closer, the massive T-shaped silhouette drifting into prime firing position.
And Valetta Gundam… was here to make sure they never reached it.
---
The void erupted into chaos.
The Valetta Gundam moved like a predator in a pack of prey — every strike of its halberd was clean, final, merciless. One Lunaris Gundam lunged with a beam lance; Valetta's halberd hooked it mid-thrust, yanking the suit forward before a downward slash split the cockpit. No scream, only static.
> "Damn it! Fall back—!" another Lunaris pilot cried.
The words were cut short as Valetta's shoulder-mounted beam cannon fired point-blank, turning the Gundam into drifting debris.
Nura's heart pounded as each green marker on his radar blinked out.
> "No! No! STOP!"
He dove in, beam saber flaring, smashing into Valetta's guard. Sparks erupted between their weapons, the vibrations rattling his teeth.
Valetta shoved him back effortlessly, then pivoted, driving its halberd through another Lunaris unit trying to flank it.
> "I said… STOP!!" Nura roared, slamming his controls forward. His thrusters screamed, blue light bursting behind him as he rammed straight into Valetta's chest.
The collision sent both mobile suits spinning toward the looming T-shaped shadow of Starius. Alarms wailed inside Nura's cockpit, proximity warnings flashing red.
> "Nura! PULL AWAY!" Ralvern's voice was sharp, panicked.
"I'M NOT LETTING THIS BASTARD KILL ANYONE ELSE!" Nura shouted back, teeth gritted so hard they hurt.
The two Gundams crashed against Starius's massive frame, magnetic clamps on Valetta's feet sparking as they scraped metal. Nura's Lunaris Gundam grappled desperately, trying to pin it against the colossal surface.
From inside Starius, Mercury's crew felt the impact.
> "Captain Belthran! Enemy contact on Starius's hull!"
"Hold fire — I want Valetta to tear him apart first." Belthran's voice was calm, almost amused.
Outside, in the cold vacuum, the two Gundams wrestled in a brutal deadlock — every move was life or death, every strike threatening to send one of them tumbling into the abyss.
---
The grapple dragged on — sparks and thruster flares burning against the dark void. Nura's muscles ached from holding his controls so tight, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.
Inside the Valetta Gundam, Captain Belthran sat in perfect composure, his eyes following every desperate move the Lunaris pilot made.
> "Persistent… loyal… reckless," Belthran muttered, almost admiringly. "You're willing to risk everything for your comrades."
He tilted his head, lips curling into a thin smile.
> "For that… you will be granted a warrior's death."
His gloved hand flipped a cover on his console, revealing a crimson switch.
> "Activate Malaya System."
Deep within Valetta's core, power surged like a heartbeat — the thrusters roared, armor plates shifted, and the Gundam's eyes flared with a savage, almost predatory glow.
Nura's cockpit lit with warnings.
> "What the—?!"
Valetta moved. Not just faster — inhumanly faster. Its motions lost the mechanical stiffness of a mobile suit; instead, it darted like a wild beast, weaving in unpredictable arcs. Every slash of its halberd came with bone-shaking force, every lunge a blur that left afterimages in Nura's eyes.
> "No way…!" Nura hissed, barely bringing up his beam saber to block a strike that came from nowhere. The impact slammed him against Starius's hull, the metal beneath him groaning under the force.
Belthran's voice came through the private comm, low and taunting.
> "You face the legacy of the ancient war, Lunaris pilot. Try not to die too quickly."
Valetta darted again — too close, too fast. Nura swung wildly, his saber grazing only empty space as the enemy circled like a predator playing with its prey.
The Starius loomed behind them, its massive central cannon slowly beginning to hum with gathering power.
---
The black surface of Starius stretched endlessly beneath them, its armored plates shimmering with faint heat as the weapon inside continued to charge. Sparks burst into the void each time Nura's Lunaris Gundam's feet scraped against the hull, pushed back under the unrelenting assault.
The Valetta Gundam was unlike anything he had fought before. It didn't move like a pilot was inside — it moved like an apex predator unleashed. Every twitch of its limbs was precise yet feral, like a hunting animal testing its prey's defenses before going for the kill.
The first blow came from above — a savage overhand strike with its halberd that Nura blocked just in time, his beam saber shrieking against the weapon's energy-coated edge. The second came before he could react, a brutal kick to his Gundam's chest that sent him skidding across Starius's plating, armor screeching against metal.
> "Tch—dammit!" Nura growled, forcing the controls forward. His targeting systems struggled to keep up with Valetta's movements — one moment it was in front of him, the next it was behind, the next it was already attacking from the side.
Belthran's voice carried over private comms, deep and steady.
> "Your reflexes are sharp… but they're human. This—" he slashed again, the halberd grazing Lunaris Gundam's shoulder armor and sending a cascade of molten fragments into space, "—is far beyond human."
Valetta darted low, almost crawling along Starius's hull before leaping upward in a beast-like pounce. Nura tried to sidestep, but Valetta twisted mid-air, smashing its armored knee into his Gundam's torso. The impact jolted him hard against his restraints.
Warning klaxons screamed in his cockpit.
> "Left thruster… failing… shield integrity at forty percent…"
Valetta didn't relent. It swiped at him again — this time, the halberd caught Lunaris Gundam's forearm, severing part of the armor plating clean off. Then it backed away for a split second, pacing in a low, predatory stance, as if enjoying the hunt.
The Starius's massive cannon began to glow brighter beneath them, an ominous reminder that time was running out.
Nura's breathing was ragged, sweat dripping down his temple.
> "Damn it… if I can't stop him now—"
But Valetta was already charging again, each movement an explosion of speed and power, the Malaya System turning the duel into a one-sided massacre.
---
The Starius hull shuddered beneath them as Valetta Gundam slammed Lunaris into the metal plating, sparks flying from both suits. The beast-like machine snarled through its servo joints, forcing Nura's Gundam back step-by-step.
Belthran's voice came through the private Mercury channel, cold and almost amused.
> "You fight well… for prey."
Valetta blurred out of Nura's sight, vanishing into the void before reappearing above, driving a crushing overhead strike. Nura barely caught it with his beam saber — the impact rattled his cockpit, red warning lights flaring.
The enemy didn't stop. Valetta twisted, slammed a knee into Lunaris's midsection, then swung its halberd in a brutal spin, severing one of Nura's auxiliary thrusters.
Nura's breath came hard and ragged. His hands trembled on the controls.
> "Tch—dammit, I can't keep this up…"
Valetta came again — low, fast, aiming for the cockpit. Something in Nura's instincts screamed now or never. He forced Lunaris into a desperate spin, redirecting Valetta's momentum.
For a split second, the beast was off balance.
Nura drove his beam saber up, catching Valetta's shoulder armor and tearing a molten gash through it.
Belthran's growl cut through the comms.
> "You… countered me?"
The Valetta Gundam staggered back, not from damage, but from surprise. Belthran's narrowed eyes studied the Lunaris Gundam's stance. For the first time, his voice carried genuine intrigue.
> "Interesting… You might be worth killing with my full strength."
---
The clash of beam sabers and metal roars echoed through the void, but it was the Starius that felt every blow. The massive T-shaped hull shuddered violently, sending ripples of energy across its surface plating. Segments of the outer armor cracked, venting glowing particles into the black.
Inside the Mercury command bridge, Grand Marshal Theon gripped the railing as the entire ship vibrated from the external impacts. The massive central lens of the Starius's superlaser flickered, energy coils whining louder.
> "Damn it, Belthran…" Theon's voice was a cold growl. "If you want to fight, fine — but don't damage the Starius!"
Out on the hull, Nura slammed the Lunaris Gundam's shoulder into Valetta's midsection, pushing the beast-like machine backward. Belthran countered with a feral slash, their weapons clashing in a blinding flare that lit up the void.
Both Gundams skidded across the Starius's surface, leaving deep molten scars in its armor. The vibration carried through every panel, shaking the colossal weapon's frame.
From the Moon Kingdom's tactical channel, urgent voices cut in.
> "Reading massive energy buildup—Starius charge at 87%!"
"If that thing fires—Moon Capital will be obliterated!"
Nura's teeth clenched.
> "YOUUUU!!!!"
He poured everything into a surge of thrust, slamming Valetta Gundam against the central hull of the Starius. The impact rattled the superweapon's structure, causing one of the charging conduits to spark violently.
On Mercury's bridge, warning klaxons blared.
> "Energy stabilization dropping!"
"Containment field holding—charging sequence continues!"
Theon's eyes narrowed, the shadow of a grim smile forming.
> "Belthran… finish him. We don't have time for games."
Outside, the charging hum of the Starius reached a near-deafening pitch in Nura's cockpit. Every strike now sent shockwaves across the hull — and the giant weapon was nearly ready to fire.
---
The Starius filled the void like a floating executioner's block—its T-shaped silhouette blotting out the stars, the central cannon blazing with a gathering light so fierce it warped the blackness around it. The deep mechanical hum rose into a roar that rattled every bolt in its massive frame.
On its armored hull, Lunaris Gundam and Valetta Gundam were locked in a deadly grapple—steel groaning, thrusters spitting fire, the void around them lit in brief, blinding bursts as metal scraped metal.
Inside Nura's cockpit, alarms screamed in his ears.
> WARNING: Reactor Output Critical!
WARNING: Hull Integrity—Severe Breach Risk!
Belthran's voice, guttural and distorted through the Malaya System, snarled in his comm.
> "You think you can stop me, Moon rat? You can't even comprehend the power you're facing!"
From the Mercury flagship, Grand Marshal Theon barked,
> "Belthran! Pull back! You're right on the cannon housing—don't compromise the Starius!"
But Belthran didn't hear—or didn't care. Valetta's beastlike movements tore into Lunaris Gundam, clawing at its arms, trying to wrench free. The Malaya System's amplified strength was monstrous—hydraulics hissing, fingers digging into Lunaris Gundam's plating with a screech like nails across stone.
Nura's body strained against the g-forces, vision tunneling. His voice cracked as he roared:
> "ARGHHHHHHH!!"
He shoved back with everything Lunaris had, forcing Valetta toward the glowing mouth of the Starius cannon. Valetta's thrusters flared, the machine jerking and twisting like a rabid animal trying to break free, but Nura held.
The Starius charge climbed—98%… 99%…
In the Moon Kingdom's command chamber, officers shouted over one another:
> "Cannon lock on capital—five seconds to discharge!"
"No evasive options—impact imminent!"
Queen Guinevere gripped the railing so tightly her knuckles whitened.
> Please…
Belthran's voice was a roar.
> "You will die with me before I let you win!"
Nura's voice was raw, every muscle in his body screaming in unison.
> "AAAAARGHHHHHH!!!!"
The Starius cannon twitched—just a fraction of a degree, but enough to throw its aim.
Then—
The void became pure light.
The beam erupted, a colossal spear of annihilation that ripped reality apart in its path. It missed the Moon's center by a sliver—grazing its surface instead.
From the Moon's surface, there was no sound—just a sun-bright flash. The ground convulsed, fissures spiderwebbed across districts, towers crumbled. A portion of the Moon—three percent of its mass—was simply gone, reduced to vapor and molten debris.
In the command chamber, the force threw personnel to the floor. Morderia caught Queen Guinevere before she could fall, her voice trembling.
> "Mother… it almost took the capital."
The Queen's lips parted in a whisper, her eyes fixed on the burning crater on the Moon's horizon.
> "We still live… because of him."
In orbit, the two Gundams broke apart, both scarred, drifting in the afterglow of the blast.
On the Mercury bridge, Theon's voice was sharp enough to cut glass.
> "Belthran. You wasted our first shot. Do you realize what you've done?"
Belthran's eyes locked on Nura through the void, his breathing heavy, almost feral.
> "I know exactly what I'm about to do."