Chapter 63: Xiao An’s Deadly Aura

Let Hao Ren’s farce be set aside for now.

“Wait! That child really is the pilot!” Seeing Sei’s swollen, reddened face, Frey was overcome by righteous fury.

“Frey, you!” Thor looked at Frey with an unfamiliar gaze.

“Are you still intent on spouting nonsense?” Wiping away the saliva that had dripped from his lips, the horned officer was enraged by their protective words.

“We’re not lying! Because that child is a Newtype!” The heavy bombshell exploded from the woman’s mouth.

Uncle Kojero covered his face.

And so, Kira was taken away by four men.

Maya and Nemesis, who had been watching the spectacle, suddenly sensed a murderous intent behind them. Turning around, they found its source: the always silent and reserved Xiao An.

The killing intent pierced straight through to Frey, making even this pampered young lady shudder involuntarily.

“Sister Xiao An, wait.” Maya pressed back the blade Xiao An had conjured.

“Such a person deserves to die!” Xiao An coldly uttered, her anger clearly genuine.

“Let’s go find the master and let him decide. It’s best not to kill at will, lest we bring unnecessary trouble upon him.” Among the three, Nemesis had considerable authority.

“…Yes, I understand.” After a long silence, Xiao An finally agreed.

The three departed the dining hall without a trace.

“Why did you reveal such a thing?” Thor questioned Frey, his sincerity for Kira obvious.

“Because it’s simply the truth.” Frey, oblivious to the fact she had narrowly escaped death, had no awareness of just how foolish a deed she’d committed.

“You! Didn’t you ever consider what might happen to Kira?” Thor’s anger could have crushed her with the hammer of the thunder god.

“What do you mean by that! Kira is your companion, and isn’t this a friendly base? So what’s the problem!” Frey, utterly lacking self-awareness, was now the one shouting furiously at Thor.

Arrogant, willful, stubborn, childish, self-centered—these traits perfectly defined the kind of person Hao Ren despised most.

This woman called Frey couldn’t begin to analyze the current situation, nor realize that her careless words could plunge Kira into dire straits.

She entirely failed to understand the pressure Kira, as a Newtype—or rather, an outcast opposed by Naturals—faced among a group of Naturals. Even if Hao Ren had unintentionally suppressed some hostility, Kira still felt malicious and jealous gazes from others.

And Xiao An most despised those who betrayed their companions, especially those who did so unwittingly.

Fortunately, Xiao An wasn’t present when Frey spoke; otherwise, she would have been a corpse already.

Earth, a secret experimental base under the Earth Alliance.

The ruined base was strewn with corpses in lab coats and Earth military uniforms.

A blue figure darted swiftly; every flash of cold light claimed a life.

A Gundam, wielding a single broken sword, draped in a dark green cloak, with its right eye glowing red, rampaged among armored tanks and buildings, its cockpit occasionally echoing bizarre female laughter.

A figure clad in black martial attire hovered in the air, facing a Zaku II head-on. The Zaku, disdainful, reached out to grab the “ant” before it—but the person lashed out with rapid punches, and with each blow, violent explosions erupted around the Zaku.

From the shattered Zaku, the dying pilot glimpsed an enormous skull in the main camera before sinking into endless darkness.

Now that was truly dismantling a Gundam bare-handed!

The person who had done so couldn’t suppress a smile at the corner of their mouth. Seeing the increasing number of Zaku reinforcements, they swung a whip glowing with violet light.

Earth, ZAFT forces, Desert Tiger—Andrew Bartfeld’s office.

Bartfeld, frowning, sipped the bitter fruit of his own making—a cup of coffee with an exceedingly strange taste. Setting down the documents in his hand, he rubbed his temples.

A black-haired woman, with two yellow antennae atop her head, gently removed his hand and massaged his head. The Tiger’s face relaxed in comfort, and she smiled softly.

Her gaze drifted to the scattered documents on the desk, bearing portraits of several people: a black man and a monk, a cross-dressing youth, a pinkish boy, a scantily clad pervert.

No wonder Andy—her pet name for the Tiger—had a headache.

Her expression grew ever more tender.

Archangel, maintenance bay.

Kira was forcibly escorted all the way to the Strike.

Hmm? Something didn’t seem right. The horned officer opened his mouth but couldn’t find words.

Many Artemis researchers exclaimed in astonishment, frantically recording their observations.

Even without Phase Shift Armor, the Strike should be gray—so why was it black? Kira’s mind was full of questions.

Suddenly, he recalled the senior cloaked in black flames who’d burst through the doors earlier, and the black MS he’d piloted before.

Could it be…

The black Strike, which had been dormant, suddenly lifted its foot and slammed it down forcefully between the commander and Kira.

Staring at the massive metal chunk only centimeters from crushing him, the commander felt the dampness in his trousers.

“It’s you!” The Strike’s hatch opened, and Hao Ren appeared, a cucumber clenched between his teeth.

“How did you get up there? If you know what’s good for you, stand still and don’t move—or you’ll regret it!” Though his pants were wet, the commander still tried to maintain his authority.

“The advantage is mine; you are in no position to bargain.” Cucumber: dicotyledonous plant, gourd order, gourd family, cucumber genus. Clears heat, promotes urination, detoxifies, reduces swelling, quenches thirst. Rich in energy, crisp and crunchy.

The Strike bent down, grabbed Kira, and delivered him to Hao Ren’s side.

Hao Ren wasn’t actually piloting the Strike.

This time, after activating “Knights Never Die Bare-Handed,” he’d successfully turned the Strike black; however, its control mechanism remained unchanged—it hadn’t become responsive to body movements. Intriguingly, the Strike now seemed to possess basic intelligence, able to start up and execute simple commands from Hao Ren.

Such a change could be said to have its gains and losses.

Suddenly, the entire military fortress shook violently.

“Communications room! What’s causing this tremor?” The commander, unable to deal with Kira and the others, pulled out a compact communicator to question the communications room.

“Unknown! No enemy contacts detected nearby!”

“But the explosions! In any case, deploy the ‘Umbrella’ immediately!” The commander issued his order.

It seemed the Thunderbolt had arrived. Who knew what terms Kluzer would offer to ransom Yzak? Hao Ren’s eyes were smiling.