Chapter Fifty-One: Sharp Is a Lolicon

Archangel, Main Sleeping Quarters!

"I refuse! Please stop dragging us into your war!" Kira spoke to Murrue with resolute conviction, firmly declining to pilot the Strike Gundam once more.

"Kira..." Murrue's expression was complex—a mixture of reluctance and helplessness, perhaps.

A crowd had gathered, with Hao Ren among them. After being caught red-handed and desperate to escape Saya's lecture, Hao Ren had double-checked her skill list and, confirming there was no "Adultery Detection Specialist," decisively fled "Hawaii" and swapped places with his crystal double.

"I have this feeling that if this keeps up, I'll end up with ED." That was Hao Ren's most sincere thought at the moment.

At least last time, Saeko and Shiki's nocturnal ambush had given him a chance to vent; this time, he had to hold back and run, leaving him so uncomfortable he had to walk hunched over.

Watching Kira argue his case, Hao Ren felt at loose ends. After pondering for a moment, he took out the now-restored Sharp.

"Miss, are you wearing Senma-colored panties today?" Sharp quickly delivered a sexual harassment declaration to Miriallia.

"Hey, Kuroen, be honest—did you design this AI yourself?" Miriallia, blushing and clutching her skirt, asked Hao Ren earnestly.

"Sharp, cut it out. We have serious business to attend to." Hao Ren put on a stern face, silencing Miriallia, then... quietly prepared to slip away.

"Stop right there!" Miriallia stamped her foot in frustration as she saw Hao Ren dart off.

"Tolle! Get him!"

With a wave as if commanding a pet, she sent Tolle lunging after Hao Ren, tackling him to the ground.

"To think you can still goof off even in such serious circumstances... truly the Blackflame Dragon," Sai remarked, the corners of his mouth twitching as if suppressing laughter.

The tense atmosphere between Murrue and Kira was completely shattered.

"Colonel Ramius! Colonel Ramius! Please report to the bridge immediately!" The Archangel's announcement echoed through the ship.

"What's going on?" Murrue pressed the video link button on the corridor wall.

"MS incoming! Hurry to the bridge—you’re the captain now!" Mu's voice was urgent.

"Me?" Murrue was bewildered by this appointment.

"My years of service might be longer, but I know nothing about this ship!" Mu explained, though it came off as dodging responsibility.

"I understand. Archangel preparing to launch, all hands to first battle stations! How's the Colonel's MA?" That would be the "Mobius Zero," now with all five limbs destroyed—repairs would take a while.

"Completely out of commission! Can't launch!" Hao Ren could well imagine Mu tugging at his hair in frustration.

"So right now, the only combat power we have aboard the Archangel is that MS?" Hao Ren asked from his prone position, sneaking a glance under Murrue's short skirt and Miriallia's long one.

This is art! Hao Ren was convinced of that.

"So, I’m the only one who can pilot the MS?" Kira was calm, not as agitated as in the original story.

"Kira..." Murrue still felt guilty—after all, this was dragging a civilian into war.

"I understand. I’ll do my best to protect everyone." Kira's resolve was swift—soon enough, he'd evolve into the legendary Kira the Limber.

Seizing the moment, Hao Ren fed Sharp 10 LP, unlocking a new skill.

Item: Sharp SH005 Skill: "Scan," consumes 1 LP, performs a comprehensive scan of an individual and reads all attributes.

Skill: "Chauffeur," consumes 1 LP, allows the AI to pilot mechanical vehicles in place of the owner.

Hmm... Chauffeur sounds pretty useless. Wait—does a Gundam count as a vehicle? Let’s try it.

"Kira, don’t worry. I’ve got a surprise for you," Hao Ren said mysteriously, wearing a sly smile.

Question marks popped up above everyone’s heads.

Archangel, Maintenance Bay.

"Open Container No. 3! Equip the Sword Strike backpack!"

"Sword Strike backpack? Swords?" Kira hurried to adjust the mobile suit.

"What is this surprise Blackflame promised?" Hao Ren pulled out the figure-sized LoliCon, placed Sharp onto its body, and activated the "Chauffeur" skill.

The gentleman’s cellphone seemed to dissolve, fusing into the LoliCon’s frame. Instantly, the entire machine ballooned out like an inflating balloon.

Kojiro and the other mechanics stared in shock at the sudden appearance of LoliCon, but rather than fear, their surprise suggested this was normal in their world—saving Hao Ren a lot of explanation.

"Hey kid, what’s this?" Uncle Kojiro nudged the equally surprised Hao Ren.

"My machine. I call it Unicorn," Hao Ren replied proudly.

LoliCon raised a hand to touch its single horn.

"Huh? I have a body now?" LoliCon—or rather, Sharp—mimicked a human’s startled, head-clutching pose, causing the maintenance bay to rumble with noise.

Speaking of which—did LoliCon have speakers? "Is it an AI? Can it fight?" Uncle Kojiro was excited.

"Of course! Sharp, you’ll be fighting alongside the Strike. Protect this ship—if it goes down, I’m done for, and so are you. But if you do well, I’ll show you my prized collection of 'Dragon Panther.'"

Hao Ren wielded both carrot and stick, motivating Sharp.

"Understood!" Thoroughly encouraged, Sharp saluted Hao Ren, grabbed its built-in "Beam Megacannon Rifle" and "Super Rocket Launcher," and strode onto the catapult.

Sitting in the Strike, Kira watched in astonishment as LoliCon launched from the Archangel. Wasn’t there supposed to be just one MS? Could this be the surprise Blackflame mentioned?

"Hey, kid, the boss sent me to help—don’t wimp out!" As soon as Sharp spoke, Kira felt this pilot had absolutely no decorum.

Orb’s outer wall was breached again, and four ZAFT mobile suits stormed in—three Ginns and one Aegis.

Athrun, piloting the Aegis, calmly locked onto the Strike.

"Wait—what’s that? There’s another suit? There’s no record of that MS in any of our data!" Mikhail Ayman, in one of the Ginns (the same guy who’d been pummeled by the Strike’s fists), stared in shock at the enlarged image of LoliCon.

"Impossible! The original mission was to infiltrate Orb and steal five prototype MS! Was our intel wrong?" Athrun was stunned by LoliCon too—surely Captain Creuset’s information couldn’t be mistaken.

"And something about that MS feels... different." What struck Mikhail wasn’t LoliCon’s appearance, but its distinctly human gestures—wiping down its shield, caressing the gun barrel.