The stage was soon set.
Right there in the hangar, everyone formed a circle around the center.
It looked rather primitive.
"Zero-Gravity okay?" Fred asked.
"Of course!"
Zero-gravity combat was something Dearka had trained in.
Hearing this, Athrun and the others felt a flicker of curiosity rise from within.
"How many moves do you think it'll take Dearka to lose?" Athrun asked the other two curiously.
"If it were a year ago, maybe fifteen moves?" Nicol said.
That was the root of their curiosity.
Though they held respect for Fred, they were even more curious about his current skill level.
If Dearka hadn't jumped in first, they would have been the ones challenging him.
"Impossible." Yzak shot Nicol a look.
During their lessons with him, Fred had been improving constantly—there was no way he'd stagnate the moment they left.
"Even if his progress slowed, it couldn't have stopped entirely. Ten moves to beat Dearka shouldn't be a problem at all."
Nearby, Mickey listened to the three of them talk, his expression growing stranger with each word.
"You know Captain Freed?"
"Yeah, he was our combat instructor before we entered the military academy." Athrun nodded.
He wasn't trying to name-drop, nor did he need to.
He was simply stating the facts.
Hearing Athrun say this, Mickey and the others around couldn't help but look at them with renewed curiosity.
They never would have imagined their captain had that kind of history.
The people he used to teach were now all Red Uniforms.
Surely that was partly due to their own talent—but it definitely also spoke to the captain's own skill, right?
With that thought, their respect for Fred grew even further.
"Though there's one thing you've got wrong—our captain could probably flip that Dearka guy over in about three moves now." Mickey's tone had softened a bit, but the pride in his voice was unmistakable.
Hearing Mickey's words, the three exchanged glances.
They couldn't tell whether he was underestimating Dearka or overestimating Fred.
Neither answer was one they particularly wanted, so they chose to stay silent.
And in that silence, at the center of the circle, the fight officially began.
Dearka made the first move.
Under zero gravity, he pushed off the floor and shot forward at speed.
At the same time, the young man's right fist swung out.
Seeing this, Fred controlled his body to sidestep in the zero-gravity environment.
Combat in zero gravity was simpler than under gravity.
After all, any slight movement of the body could trigger a chain of inertial effects.
It was like piloting an MS—you had to constantly adjust your body.
For Red Uniforms like Dearka, it was a required course. For Fred, it came even more easily.
With his powerful body control, Fred dodged the attack and swung a leg toward Dearka's abdomen.
"Don't underestimate me!" Dearka, a bit irritated by the strike, caught the seemingly swift kick with his left hand.
At the same time, he pulled his other hand back, ready to use the momentum for a counterattack.
"I'm not underestimating you." Fred's reaction was no slower than his, his voice calm as ever.
"It's just that your movements are too telegraphed—easy to read."
As he spoke, Fred pivoted on his left leg, channeling the twisting force of his waist into his leg as he rotated his body.
His right leg exploded outward in an instant, striking the young man's shoulder and sending him flying.
Although Fred hadn't used his full strength, the blow still left Dearka momentarily stunned.
Then, a sharp pain shot through his right shoulder.
The dark-skinned man's face even seemed to pale slightly.
"Hiss..."
The other three watching all drew in sharp breaths.
They had thought their brother might have improved, but they never imagined it would be exactly as the Magic Bullet senior had said.
It took only three moves to send someone flying.
If it were them, they probably wouldn't fare much better.
"Still want to continue?"
Fred looked at Dearka, who had barely managed to steady himself, his smile still gentle as ever.
Though they couldn't see any other expression on the Captain's face, everyone couldn't help but feel a hint of fear creep in.
"N-No... that's enough."
"As expected of the Captain!"
After taking that hit and fully calming down, the anger that had been on Dearka's face instantly receded.
He showed no sign of embarrassment or anything else, and soon a hearty smile climbed onto his face.
"It's an honor to join your team!"
Just as he said, the stronger the Captain, the better.
"Mm."
Fred nodded, then turned his gaze to Athrun and the others.
"You all come over too."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Hearing Fred's words, the others snapped out of their shock that Fred had truly knocked out their teammate in three moves. They dared not be slow and responded in succession.
"Bro... Captain Freed! You're amazing!"
Looking at his brother before him, Yzak spoke with even more excitement than when they had first met.
Fred's strength hadn't discouraged them in the slightest—instead, it made them even more convinced of his capability.
"I know. Come over."
Fred nodded, not pleased by the praise but maintaining a serious expression.
And so, a lively sparring session began.
In the end, Fred naturally knocked all of them to the ground.
Just as before.
Those who already knew Fred's strength weren't overly surprised, but they still wore expressions of deep respect.
As for Athrun and the others, watching Fred remain as powerful as ever, their hearts burned with fervor.
They didn't linger there for long. Fred, who still had many things to attend to, departed.
Watching the metal door close once again, Dearka spoke slowly.
"Truly impressive."
"Yeah."
Lasty nodded as well, letting out the same sigh of admiration.
"I told you he was amazing."
Though he had just been knocked down, Yzak still held his head high with pride.
"You were clearly shocked when you got sent flying just now."
Athrun didn't spare his feelings at all.
"I wasn't!"
"Hmph, I saw it clearly."
"Alright, time to train."
Mickey, watching the lively exchange, interrupted them with a helpless look.
But a slight smile still tugged at the corners of his mouth.
This kind of liveliness was rare in their group.
Still, these newcomers were highly capable—even just joining, they were stronger than him.
If the seniors got left behind, that would be a real embarrassment.
"Got it."
Upon hearing Mickey's words, the others nodded in succession and agreed.
While the newly joined members gradually integrated into the team through various training sessions,
they were also making preparations for the incursion into Heliopolis.
As for Fred, he was continuously refining his invasion plan.
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "TLGod" on Patreon!"
Thanks!