“Reality won’t simply disappear because you refuse to acknowledge it!”
Murrue emphasized every word.
She was not trying to frighten them.
This was simply the brutal logic of war.
Even Jonathan could not help nodding slightly as he listened.
War would never avoid someone merely because they did not wish to participate.
Nor could a nation remain safely removed from the conflict simply by hanging up a sign that declared it “neutral.”
In his previous life, Jonathan had witnessed far too many reports, recordings, and atrocities of war through an advanced information network.
Otherwise, he might have been just as naïve as these sheltered children who had spent their lives inside an ivory tower.
Unfortunately, none of them could truly accept Murrue’s words.
In their minds, neutrality meant safety.
A neutral nation should never be dragged into war.
Sai remained unconvinced.
“That’s far too heavy-handed.”
Murrue regarded them with a grave expression.
“Whether you like it or not, this is war.”
“PLANT and Earth, Coordinators and Naturals—the outside world has been at war all along.”
“You’ve simply been deceived by Heliopolis’s false peace for too long.”
Her expression grew especially solemn as she spoke.
She understood better than any of them what the battlefield was truly like.
Blood, flames, ruins, corpses, desperate cries for help, and despair.
These children had never witnessed any of it.
That was why they could never truly understand.
At least, not until they saw it with their own eyes.
Sometimes, growing up required paying such a price.
Although Murrue now knew that the Archangel was safe for the time being, her wariness toward Jonathan had not completely disappeared.
She still kept her guard up around him.
However, the only remaining equipment capable of contacting the Earth Alliance Forces was the radio aboard the Strike Gundam.
“Mr.
Hale, could I trouble you to use the radio aboard the GAT-X105 and help me contact the Archangel?”
Her words were restrained, but her meaning was obvious.
She wanted to confirm the situation personally.
Jonathan could tell that she did not completely believe him.
However, he did not care.
He merely shrugged and climbed directly into the Strike Gundam’s cockpit.
The enclosed space carried the mingled scent of metal and machine oil.
One instrument panel after another lit up, bathing his face in a cold glow.
Jonathan reached out and activated the onboard radio.
Meanwhile, Murrue ordered the five students to locate Transport Trailer No.
5.
It was the dedicated transport vehicle carrying the Strike Gundam’s Launcher Striker Pack.
In addition to supplementary batteries, the pack was equipped with a powerful anti-ship Vulcan cannon.
In the original storyline, the firepower carried by that very pack had blasted straight through Heliopolis.
Sitting inside the cockpit, Jonathan lightly tapped the control panel twice, but he made no serious attempt to establish contact.
He knew perfectly well that no matter how many times he called, no one would respond.
He was merely putting on a show.
Before long, Sai arrived with Transport Trailer No.
5.
Its wheels ground across the debris-strewn ground, producing a piercing metallic screech.
Jonathan raised his head and glanced toward the sky.
He knew that Rau Le Creuset and his GINN would arrive at any moment.
Consequently, he did not wait for Murrue to issue another instruction.
The cockpit hatch sealed shut, and the Strike Gundam immediately stepped forward to equip the Launcher Striker Pack.
She looked up at the Gundam, her voice filled with alarm and urgency.
“Jonathan Hale!
What are you doing?!”
Before her words had even faded, a violent explosion suddenly erupted overhead.
Boom!
Flames blossomed through the sky.
A moment later, a GINN burst through the smoke and appeared before them.
Murrue froze.
A thought abruptly flashed through her mind.
Could Jonathan have predicted that the enemy was coming and activated the Gundam ahead of time?
In addition to Creuset’s GINN, Mu La Flaga’s Moebius Zero emerged from the direction of the explosion.
Both machines noticed the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam on the ground almost simultaneously.
“Oh?
So that’s the one.”
A trace of interest entered Creuset’s voice.
The next moment, he sent his aerial-combat GINN diving toward the Strike Gundam.
Mu La Flaga naturally could not stand by and watch him destroy the Strike.
Without the slightest hesitation, he propelled the Moebius Zero forward to intercept him.
The two machines immediately became locked in a fierce aerial battle.
Muzzle flashes flickered across the sky, blazing exhaust trails streamed from their thrusters, and the distant crash of colliding metal echoed through the colony.
Unfortunately, Creuset was still the superior pilot.
After a single high-speed exchange, the GINN’s heavy sword sliced through the Moebius Zero’s primary weapon.
Having lost its main firepower, the Zero could no longer provide the Strike Gundam with effective cover.
After dealing with the Moebius Zero, Creuset naturally turned his attention toward the ground.
However, before he could switch weapons, a dense storm of gunfire swept toward him.
The Strike Gundam’s shoulder-mounted Vulcan cannon spun at tremendous speed.
A torrent of metal rounds tore through the sky like a violent downpour, accompanied by a deafening roar.