Chapter 71: Amuro is a Scumbag (Controversial Statement)

Chapter 71: Amuro is a Scumbag (Controversial Statement)

Things were not looking good.

Char began regretting not wearing his standard uniform at this moment.

Even though his mobile suit had undergone special adjustments and boasted superior performance compared to a standard Zaku, facing off against two Gundams left Char with no choice but to focus on survival. He had to rely on the Zanzibar-class anti-air firepower for cover to barely hold his ground.

This feeling was as frustrating as the time he encountered four Gundams simultaneously at Jaburo.

Was he being held back by his mobile suit's performance?

Char glanced unhappily at the screen, specifically at the Zaku machine gun in his mobile suit's right hand.

If he had an equivalent beam weapon, Char believed he could at least engage in a drawn-out fight rather than being forced to evade with sheer mobility.

The oppressive feeling from the opposing side was growing heavier.

Char loosened his collar once again, his gaze fixed on the newly arrived gray Gundam.

The main source of this pressure was undoubtedly it.

Could it be… a Newtype?

As the term coined by his father came to mind, Char's expression grew complicated as he studied the opponent.

Fortunately, he had already encountered "his" own Newtype.

Thinking of the brown-skinned girl who exuded warmth and a serene, ethereal aura, Char felt a faint sense of comfort in his heart.

After all, if the Newtype theory, proposed by his own father, only bore fruit in the Federation, Char could not deny he would have felt some degree of confusion.

Of course, Char deliberately ignored the fact that this girl was also from Earth, a stark contrast to his father's assertion that Newtypes would emerge among space inhabitants.

If only he were a Newtype himself!

Char fired the Zaku machine gun continuously, venting his emotions through the barrage of bullets.

With such thoughts, Char managed to dodge another beam rifle shot, though a foreboding sense of defeat began to loom in his heart.

Even with the fire support from the Zanzibar-class ship, if the enemy destroyed the last two Musais…

"Bang!"

A violent shudder suddenly rocked Char's mobile suit.

The Zaku's left leg had been struck directly by a beam!

"You subconsciously dodged… are you awakening too?"

Eli moved his targeting system aside.

Earlier, he had already made the best prediction he could manage, yet Char's sudden upward maneuver avoided a critical hit.

This could only be explained by assuming Char was on the path to becoming a Newtype.

"Buzz!"

Another beam shot out—this time from Amuro.

"Char!"

Compared to Eli, Amuro seemed much more irritated by this persistent pursuer.

"Amuro, we need to retreat! The missiles are incoming!"

Indeed, even though Eli and Amuro held the upper hand, they had to retreat.

Using just the Guncannon to eliminate the two Musais was proving difficult. Moreover, the mission entrusted to the White Base demanded they didn't linger.

Not long ago, Bright had transmitted a new operational plan.

The White Base would use a missile barrage to pin down the Zanzibar-class ship, while Amuro and Eli were to quickly return and eliminate the remaining Musais.

The White Base was now tasked with diverting Zeon's attention to cover the main forces.

"...Consider yourself lucky this time, Char."

Amuro spoke begrudgingly.

The only reason Amuro had boarded the White Base was due to this man's attack on Side 7.

The two Gundams immediately climbed higher.

Seeing this, Char finally let out a breath of relief.

But soon, dense missiles were flying toward the Zanzibar-class ship.

The two Gundams kept ascending before charging toward the Musais.

During this moment, Amuro glanced at Eli, who was speeding alongside him, a budding excitement stirring in his heart.

All this time, there had been no one who could keep pace with Amuro.

The older, gentle, and dependable Eli being by his side brought a sense of reassurance.

However, Amuro noticed that Eli's mobile suit gradually overtook his, taking the lead in the charge toward the Musais.

Despite this, Eli still referred to his mobile suit as a "mass-production unit"... How peculiar.

Looking back at the Gundam's control panel, Amuro's mindset had already shifted.

When he first boarded this mobile suit, it was undeniably the most advanced.

But now, even with enhancements like magnetic coating, it was starting to feel outdated...

"I want a new mobile suit too."

In that moment, Amuro displayed the universal pilot trait—an insatiable desire for newer equipment.

With the Gundam's high thrust power, the two soon arrived above the Musais.

"Amuro, take the one on the left."

Eli glanced briefly and quickly assigned the targets.

Due to the limitations of the Musai-class design, its front and sides might boast decent firepower, but its rear and top defenses were woefully lacking.

With two shots, Eli destroyed the gun turrets and approached the bridge, raising his beam rifle.

After waiting briefly and seeing no sign of surrender, he pulled the trigger, obliterating it.

On the other side, Amuro did not go through the formalities of a Federation officer like Eli. Without advancing to the bridge, he fired his beam rifle from above, instantly destroying his target.

"You're getting the hang of it, Amuro!"

Ryu, piloting the Core Fighter, teased with a laugh.

"At least now we don't have to worry about you dying on the battlefield."

"Hey, Dragon, shouldn't you be more worried about me?"

Kai, piloting the Guncannon, chimed in over the comms.

To be fair, Kai's piloting skills had improved significantly.

Being able to singlehandedly breach a warship's defenses made him an elite pilot in his own right.

However, the brilliance of Amuro and Eli overshadowed him, leaving Kai relatively unnoticed.

That said, Kai didn't mind; in fact, he appreciated being able to stay in the background.

Still, he hadn't expected Bright to assign him such a critical role, and the weight of responsibility made him a bit uneasy.

"All right, enough chatter. Let's head back to the ship."

Eli was thoroughly satisfied with the near-flawless debut of the EZ-SR but was keenly aware of the gravity of the White Base's mission. Without waiting for Bright's instructions, he led the MS team back toward the White Base.

At that moment, the White Base had already adjusted its course, with missile launchers periodically firing at the Zanzibar-class.

"This trajectory… isn't heading to the moon, is it?"

Amuro quickly ran calculations on his mobile suit and realized the White Base was not heading toward their previously planned lunar destination.

"Don't ask too many questions, Amuro."

Eli's tone became noticeably cautious.

Their next destination was Side 6, where Amuro was about to experience a reunion.