When Murrue was being helped into the cockpit by Lu Tianming's outstretched hand, she still felt as if she were in a dream.
After all, just moments ago, she had been trapped in a seemingly hopeless situation, only for the circumstances to suddenly reverse in an instant. She couldn't shake this... peculiar sense of unreality.
"Private First Class Lu... was that shooting support just now done by you?"
As Murrue made her way from the Strike's palm toward the cockpit, she asked again, as if seeking confirmation.
It was important to note that MS had not yet been widely adopted by the Earth Federation Forces... primarily due to their high operational difficulty.
Even specially trained pilots, equipped with customized operating systems, could only perform the most basic maneuvers and combat actions.
Given that Lu Tianming was essentially an untrained novice, with at most a rudimentary understanding of how to start up a Gundam...
For him to smoothly activate the fire control system, accurately hit the target, and even perform such a delicate operation as lifting her from the ground to the cockpit—given Lu Tianming's capabilities... it seemed almost impossible.
Even trained pilots... might not have been able to operate it so effortlessly, right?
Yet his records clearly stated that, like her, he was a Natural...
"It was nothing, really."
Lu Tianming simply smiled faintly and reached out to steady the unsteady Murrue as she stepped forward.
Murrue placed her hand in Lu Tianming's, following his guidance as she stepped onto the edge of the cockpit hatch. However, just as she intended to use it as a foothold to leap into the cockpit—her body, still recovering from minor injuries, suddenly weakened. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed directly into Lu Tianming.
Caught off guard by her sudden fall, Lu Tianming had no choice but to catch her as she tumbled toward him... and they both fell into the cockpit together.
"Oof..."
Lu Tianming, now sprawled inside the cockpit, gritted his teeth against the pain and tried to adjust his position... only to find his face pressed against something heavy, dense, and surprisingly soft.
"What in the... did the airbag deploy?"
Lu Tianming sighed in exasperation. His vision blocked, he couldn't see the object clearly, so he instinctively reached out to push the "airbag" aside—but when he pressed against it, it didn't budge. Instead, a strange, soft whimper reached his ears.
Just as he was about to apply more force, Murrue's slightly trembling voice, tinged with embarrassment, came from beside him:
"Th-that... Private First Class Lu... that's not the airbag..."
"...Huh?"
Lu Tianming froze for a moment, and then the object pressing against his face suddenly shifted—revealing Murrue squeezed against the side of the cockpit, her face turned away with a hint of blush.
Lu Tianming glanced at the crumpled folds on the chest of her jumpsuit, then matched the position.
He began to realize what that "airbag-like" object had been...
Beside him, Murrue tried to adjust her posture to move to a more open area and change the subject—but due to the cramped cockpit, her lingering weakness from the injury, and her flustered state, she ended up rubbing against Lu Tianming several times without managing to shift positions. Instead, it seemed as if she were deliberately drawing attention to her figure.
Making the current situation... even more awkward.
Watching Lu Tianming fluster like a pure-hearted Xiao Chunan, Xia Chuan, who had been observing from the sidelines, couldn't help but let out a snicker—which manifested as a strange electronic noise, almost like a malfunction.
Hearing this, Lu Tianming rolled his eyes at the display representing Xia Chuan and snorted softly.
If Murrue hadn't been present, he would've likely retorted:
"What's so funny, you pitiful thing who's lost it all…"
Just as Lu Tianming was pondering how to ease the awkward situation, the response from outside provided the answer—the GINN standing outside the factory seemed to have received intel from allies about the failed attempt to seize the Strike and began firing in their direction, attempting to suppress them.
"…Almost forgot about this guy. My apologies, Miss Murrue, there's no time for you to adjust the attitude now."
"Try to hold onto something… I'm going to counterattack!"
Lu Tianming clicked his tongue in annoyance and refocused. No longer concerned about whether he might touch something he shouldn't, he directly grabbed the control stick and shoved it forward violently.
Before Murrue could even react—she only felt a powerful force pushing her back into her seat.
In the midst of the artillery fire, the Strike abruptly crouched down, its legs lightly pushing off to launch into the air as the thrusters on its back erupted with force.
The powerful thrust propelled the Strike forward like a cannonball toward the GINN ahead. Using the momentum from the sprint, Xia Chuan controlled the body, delivering a precise Rising Dragon Punch straight into the GINN's cockpit.
Boom!
A loud crash echoed as the tremendous force dented the steel plating of the GINN's cockpit.
But the assault wasn't over yet. The attitude verniers suddenly shifted, and Xia Chuan executed a spinning kick mid-air, landing a heavy blow on the still-airborne GINN and sending it flying backward.
It was as if Char himself had been reincarnated.
Murrue stared in disbelief at Lu Tianming after witnessing the fluid, seamless series of movements performed by the Strike.
In her eyes… that entire sequence of precise, smooth, almost human-like actions had all been executed by Lu Tianming.
Yet she found it hard to comprehend… could a Natural really perform such fluid maneuvers?
Even among well-trained Coordinators, she had never heard of anyone operating a mobile suit with such human-like grace.
Could it be… that Lu Tianming's talent for piloting an MS… surpassed the known limits of even Coordinators?!
"Tianming, watch out—the enemy MS has switched attack modes!"
Murrue urgently warned as she watched the GINN on the screen draw a physical sword and charge forward, ready to trade injuries—even failing to notice that she had unconsciously used his given name.
"No problem."
Lu Tianming responded with a calm smile, as if he had already anticipated the situation. His hands moved deftly over the console beside him, transmitting his tactics to Xia Chuan.
The Strike, controlled by Xia Chuan, did not initiate another assault. Instead, it skillfully drew a "Armor Breaker" tactical dagger from the container on its waist—
Then, as if throwing a dart, hurled it straight at the oncoming GINN.
Swish!
Under the astonished gazes of Murrue—and likely the GINN's pilot as well—the white tactical dagger shot from the Strike Gundam's hand like a streak of light, striking the GINN's cockpit with pinpoint accuracy.
The GINN, its cockpit pierced, froze in place instantly, like a corpse.
In the blink of an eye, it was reduced to rubble amidst the flames of the explosion.
Having dealt with the GINN, Lu Tianming let out a long sigh of relief... Just as he was about to relax a little, he suddenly realized something seemed amiss.
He instinctively turned his gaze back toward the factory—and discovered the source of his unease.
The Aegis, which in the original should have already flown away by now... was still lying in the factory like a well-behaved child?
Even Kira and his friends... had somehow appeared by the factory's edge at some point.