Who is Playing the Love Development Game in Gundam

After docking on a small island off the coast of Ecuador, everyone gathered their gear and reconvened.

The island was lush, its dense tropical vegetation covering almost the entire area. The humid, tropical climate was uncomfortable for most—everyone except He Kui.

After all, he was operating as Aegis. His real body was still comfortably in his air-conditioned radar room.

He stretched out his gloved hand, brushing it through the air.

The isolated tranquility of this small island, even amidst such looming threats, had an undeniably refreshing quality.

"First time here?" Gai Murakumo asked, after securing his belongings.

"Sort of," He Kui replied. He'd been to Carpentaria on the other side of the Pacific, with a similar climate.

Gai continued, "From here, we'll enter the United South American Government's territory. Officially, they're under Earth Alliance control, so we'll be leaving this ship behind."

"Just leaving it here?" He Kui asked, a bit surprised. Weren't they worried about theft?

"Reid and Feng Hua will stay with it. And besides, it's just on loan," Gai explained.

Famous as they were, mercenaries couldn't afford an aircraft carrier.

So, this was why they only had three MS units: the GINN and the two Astrays with their GUs. The rest would stay behind to guard the ship.

"Got it."

Satisfied, He Kui refrained from asking further questions.

Gai continued, "The radar at Ecuador's port is outdated, and their defense forces are limited. As long as we keep our altitude low, we'll pass undetected."

"Once we're past the port, the inland forces are minimal and won't be able to engage us. Based on our planned speed, we should reach Mitú by six in the evening."

"Any issues?"

Though Gai directed his question to everyone, he looked squarely at He Kui.

"All set."

With that, He Kui got into action, deploying his Assault configuration from the carrier's hangar.

"Is your MS optimized for aerial combat?" Gai asked via laser communication.

"Yes."

"What about energy? We're out of spare GUs."

"It's fine."

The wings were designed to conserve fuel and extend flight time. Though the GINN and Astrays required GUs, Aegis didn't.

"Alright."

With that, He Kui's Assault took its place on the carrier's deck.

The pristine deck was unblemished, with markings for fighter jet landings.

"If only it had a catapult system," He Kui mused.

Though his Assault could take off vertically, a catapult launch in flight mode would be more efficient, saving precious energy.

Resigned, he watched as the engine warmed up, a blaze of blue flame scorching the deck below. Bending his knees, he launched into the sky like a rocket, leaving the aircraft carrier and the waves below.

To conserve power, he quickly transformed Aegis mid-air, switching to its biplane configuration.

"…It can transform too," Elijah murmured through the comms, clearly impressed.

Initially, they'd expected to have to keep pace with Aegis, but it turned out Aegis was matching their slower speed.

"Let's go," Gai replied, barely glancing at the sight.

Maybe he'd ask Lowe if his aerial mode could be improved.

He Kui acknowledged, powering up his engine as he swiftly caught up with the others.

It didn't take long for them to spot the distant coastline of Ecuador.

"Increase altitude to 16. Watch out; there's some turbulence," Gai warned.

He Kui had no problem, though. Despite the delay, his system's turbulence predictions kept him steady.

Following the plan, the trio rose above the clouds. With N-Jammer interference, the United South American Government's radars couldn't detect them accurately.

"According to intel, this airspace is supposed to be clear of patrols—"

Before he could finish, He Kui's radar blipped.

"We've got incoming."

"What?"

Moments later, the others' radars picked it up as well. Three black dots in the distance were quickly closing in.

"A patrol. They must've changed their schedule," Gai muttered.

"No time to evade. Prepare for combat," he ordered.

"Do we leave survivors?"

"No. These guards are probably Atlantic Federation troops—they've committed plenty of atrocities," Gai added, possibly to preempt any hesitation.

"Understood."

Without hesitation, He Kui surged ahead, his Assault blazing a path of light in the dim sky.

Perhaps due to his usual restraint, whenever he piloted Aegis, he found himself taking a more aggressive approach.

This habit had started back when he encountered the Archangel at Julius Seven. Once you got the taste for charging forward, it was hard to stop.

Even with the delay, his Red Coat-level abilities were far beyond what ordinary soldiers could match.

Calculating firing angles, he executed a sharp maneuver, dodging between two fighter jets and aligning his 76mm machine gun. A quick burst and one fighter disintegrated mid-air. The remaining two split off, attempting another pincer attack.

But He Kui had already anticipated their strategy. He rolled to avoid their missiles, transformed mid-air to human form, and brandished his beam saber.

The lead fighter couldn't evade in time, getting sliced in two. The last fighter, sensing danger, tried to flee, only to be obliterated by a shot from Gai's Blue Astray.

In moments, all three patrol jets were reduced to scrap.

"All clear," He Kui said curtly.

"Understood," Gai replied, stowing his beam rifle.

"Who is this pilot? They're as skilled as a Red Coat," Elijah muttered in a private channel with Gai.

"If you hadn't acted, that last fighter wouldn't have escaped either."

"Looks like a Coordinator. You don't recognize her?"

"I retired long ago; I wouldn't know."

"Still, this one's mysterious and seems like a combat maniac. Be careful."

"Got it."

Combat maniacs were the hardest to deal with. They charged in like berserkers, heedless of strategy.

Most such fighters didn't survive the early stages of war. The ones who made it this far were either unbelievably destructive or impossible to control.

It only took

seconds for him to down three fighters. Even with a new MS, the speed was alarming, forcing both Gai and Elijah to proceed with caution.

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