Chapter 244: He Kui Dominates the Battlefield

Launching from the catapult, He Kui was greeted by the vast, majestic galaxy.

But more troublesome than the stars before him were the pirates tangled in combat nearby.

"Why did this have to happen now? Are there usually pirates around?"

He Kui asked.

"I don't know."

Serena bit her lip, then continued.

"Do you want me to monitor the radar for you?"

"Sure."

He didn't really need it, but to give Serena a sense of involvement, He Kui nodded.

Having become accustomed to high-latency controls, piloting the GINN now felt incredibly smooth for him, as if he could fully unleash 120% of his skills.

The chaotic battlefield soon appeared on He Kui's screen. Ten GINNs and three CGUEs were confronting DSSD's five GINNs and ten Moebius units, all centered around the prototype Radiant Thruster.

The prototype wasn't built like a Gundam; it resembled a cosmic sailboat with a large thruster on the back, which was currently spewing black smoke.

"Serena, don't go too far forward!"

A gruff voice came through the comms from one of the Moebius units, urgently warning them.

"Scared?"

He Kui didn't open the comms but instead used Haro to look at Serena, whose usually lively face was now pale.

"If you don't keep your eyes on the screen, then I'll start getting scared."

"My main screen is directly linked to the GINN's monitor."

He Kui chuckled.

The remote connection was convenient, allowing him to arrange the screens however he wanted, unlike the constraints of a cockpit.

And, most importantly, there was no life-threatening danger.

"Sector 29, Orange Zone."

Without answering his question, Serena's face shifted as she reported the position.

"Got it."

He Kui replied, already moving faster than her call-out.

Without looking back, he aimed the machine gun mounted on his arm and fired a burst at a GINN attempting to ambush him, taking it down.

"What's going on?"

"He seems to be an elite pilot! At least an elite red-uniform…"

The precision required to hit without direct visual aiming, relying solely on a deep familiarity with the machine's controls and targeting instincts, was astounding.

No one understood this better than the battle-hardened pirates.

"Captain, should we retreat?"

The chaotic chatter filled the comms in the leader's CGUE unit.

"It's just one GINN."

"Focus fire on the prototype!"

The pirate leader gritted his teeth.

No matter what, they had to complete their employer's mission.

Otherwise, they'd lose both their reputation and their pay.

And that would be worse than death for him.

With orders given, the pirates shifted their focus away from He Kui's GINN and directed their full assault toward the prototype unit.

Seeing this, Serena grew anxious but continued to relay positions to He Kui methodically.

He Kui, though thrilled by the long-awaited chance to fight at full power, kept a cool head.

He pushed the GINN's engine to maximum output, each shot precisely targeting enemy cockpits.

Singlehandedly, He Kui bore the brunt of the pirates' attacks, allowing DSSD's security team to steadily hold the line against the invading pirates.

"Captain…"

After several more enemy GINNs were destroyed, the remaining pirates hesitated, unwilling to advance further.

Their machine guns weren't capable of facing such formidable firepower.

Though they were desperate men, even desperate men feared death. They might risk their lives for a 50% chance of survival and wealth, but when the chance was zero, fear inevitably crept in.

"…Retreat."

Seeing that his team's morale had crumbled and their assault was futile, the leader gave up.

At least he had gathered some combat data on the elite red-uniform.

The fault lay in their employer's poor background check, not on them.

They'd still get a partial payment.

Though they lost many GINNs, the deposit still counted for something.

The leader cursed under his breath inside his helmet.

There were only so many elite red-uniforms in PLANT, scattered across the battlefield, and he had the bad luck to run into one.

As the pirates retreated, He Kui and the others held their positions, watching as the pirate ships disappeared from radar before lowering their alert level. Two GINNs moved in to bring the prototype back to the space station.

"Serena, when did you get so skilled?"

"Just now. I feel like something awakened inside me."

Avoiding He Kui's gaze, Serena replied with a slight blush.

As He Kui expected, revealing his abilities to Serena was harmless.

Her interests lay in exploring planets beyond Mars, not in political power.

She was a natural ally.

"Is that so?"

The older man, experienced and worldly, simply nodded, recognizing such occurrences as not entirely unheard of.

"But this level of piloting may strain your body. Have it checked when you return."

"No problem."

"Anyway, it's a relief that your parents are safe."

"Yes, thank you."

For the first time that day, Serena smiled at He Kui.

Though he could have kept his abilities hidden, he chose to step forward.

That alone made it impossible for Serena to feel any resentment toward him.

"Who is he?"

"The head of security. Why, jealous?"

Having saved her parents, Serena finally relaxed.

"No."

She rolled her eyes, then suddenly remembered something.

"You could always see, couldn't you?"

"Uh… yes."

He Kui's lips twitched slightly.

"And you could hear, too."

"Haro?"

"Playing dumb is a bit late, don't you think?"

"Just joking~ Lightening the mood a bit."

Serena's annoyance melted after He Kui's playful comment.

Although he had seen everything, he had also saved her parents.

"Anyway, thank you."

Serena patted Haro's head.

"No need for thanks. But, Serena, the data you gave me didn't mention that the Radiant Thruster was ready for testing."

"It was just to collect data."

"Is that so~ Well, thank you for covering for me."

As long as DSSD was the only organization aware, it was fine.

As an absolutely neutral organization, they held countless secrets.

And since he already had a partnership with Serena, revealing himself to her posed no issues.

But it remained a potential risk.

Nevertheless, Serena did keep it confidential.

And his heroic action had increased her affection level to 95.

With the main team returning to the port, He Kui reverted to his ordinary Haro form.

The team worked together to separate the cockpit from the prototype.

Before long, Serena's parents were finally freed.

Watching Serena rush forward and hug them in relief, He Kui disengaged from his controls.

This mission had been rewarding—not only did he advance Aegis's AI capa

bilities, but he also managed to save Serena's parents.

His next visit to the DSSD might hold entirely new possibilities.

Thinking of his next encounter with Serena, He Kui couldn't help but smile.

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