The next day, Asemu returned to campus, lost in thought. Perhaps it was a sense of confusion about the future that disturbed his mind, making it difficult for him to concentrate in class or while preparing his favorite MS.
"Asemu... Hey! Asemu!"
"Wh-what's wrong?"
"You're daydreaming again. What's going on with you?"
"Are you sick? Do you want to take a day off to rest?"
Although they were just unnamed bystanders, their relationship with Asemu was strong. They weren't angry at him for being distracted or making mistakes; instead, they were worried about his health.
"I'm fine, I just..." Asemu reassured them that he wasn't sick and that they shouldn't worry.
"Why don't we call it a day and continue tomorrow?"
"But there's only a week left until the competition."
"Given your current state, I think the problems will only increase."
"Uh…"
Asemu had no words to respond. His condition was indeed poor; he had made many mistakes already. Continuing like this would not only waste time but could also lead to worse outcomes.
"Then let's leave it at that for today, Asemu. You should go home and rest well. Tomorrow we'll work hard to catch up on today's tasks."
"Okay…"
"Wah~ wah~ wah~…"
At that moment, the sudden sound of an emergency evacuation alarm interrupted the three who were preparing to head home.
"Is this an emergency evacuation alarm? Could it be!?"
The three hurried outside the storage room and happened to see three VEGAN MS flying overhead.
"That's VEGAN!"
"Is that for real!? Mom clearly said that Tordia is heavily guarded and nothing would happen!"
"This is bad!" Asemu, who hadn't been as panicked as his classmates, felt a surge of anxiety when he realized the direction the VEGAN was heading. "That's towards the residential area! If this continues, everyone will be in danger!"
Immediately, Asemu tried to contact his family, but he couldn't get through at all. He decided to ride his electric bike home.
On the way, Asemu realized the severity of the situation. Not only were the residential areas along the route devastated, with burning ruins everywhere, but even the city center had been attacked.
"Romary! What are you doing here?" On the road, Asemu found Romary lying by the side and quickly stopped to check on her.
"Asemu! I twisted my ankle…"
"Get on, it's too dangerous to stay here."
"Okay."
Asemu took Romary directly back home. Fortunately, he learned from Vargas that his mother and sister had already gone to the underground shelter, which relieved him.
As Asemu helped Romary into the stable, he saw that a pile of hay had been moved aside, revealing an MS lying within.
"Is this!?"
"Exactly, this is the Gundam your father built."
"The Gundam my father made is here in such a place…"
"Yes, Flit hid it here to protect this Colony."
"Use this... to fight?"
"It's up to you, Asemu."
Asemu's gaze fell on the Gundam. Remembering the teachings from his childhood, he suddenly understood some things; they must have anticipated this day long ago.
"Vargas, I want to fight!"
"Good! Follow me!"
Seeing Asemu make a decision, Vargas led him into the Gundam.
"The AGE Device is the key to start it. You've learned the basic operations since you were little, just follow the simulated battles you've practiced!"
"Okay!"
...
"Is it starting?"
The infiltration by VEGAN had actually been detected long ago, which was why the evacuation alarm was issued the moment the MS appeared. This was also the reason Asemu saw only the destroyed ruins on his way home without encountering any casualties.
"Four Dorados, so there are at least two motherships and over ten MS on standby outside. Heh, for the Gundam, VEGAN is really going all out," Graham said.
"Still, it's strange. We're not exactly a secret here in Tordia. Do they really dare to attack with just this little force?" Yurin wondered. She was no longer naive and had a high level of military knowledge, quickly seeing the problem.
The three of them had equal reputations within the Federal Army and VEGAN. They were as popular in the Federal Army as they were feared in VEGAN.
Given their current combat capabilities, they had already made VEGAN retreat. Unless they took advantage of the three being alone to deploy a fully organized fleet, it would be impossible to capture them; otherwise, any number of attackers would just be walking to their deaths.
"Their objectives are different. This time, their target is Gundam AGE-1. The reason they sent MS to attack Tordia is likely to draw out Gundam AGE-1 and confirm its location. VEGAN, which has been scared off by us, now firmly believes that only Gundam can defeat Gundam, and only by capturing Gundam can they deal us a fatal blow," Yang Hui analyzed.
"So these people are just pawns?" Yurin asked, pointing at the MS on the screen. From the movements of the MS, it was clear they were not drones.
"Yeah, Izercanda is indeed skilled in brainwashing."
If there was anything that made Yang Hui wary of VEGAN, it was Izercanda's brainwashing ability. VEGAN was able to maintain a firm grip over the Federal Army, which had far greater resources, not only due to their advanced technology but also because of their fanatical soldiers.
On the battlefield, what kind of soldiers are the most terrifying?
Yang Hui believed that countless worlds and outstanding military strategists would give the same answer—soldiers with faith.
Because such soldiers fear nothing!
"Asemu is also in the Gundam now."
At that moment, the three saw Gundam AGE-1 standing on the ground, charging towards the two nearest Dorados, realizing that the situation had already reached a conclusion.
"Graham, you take care of the two Dorados in the city. Asemu is in his first battle; no matter how talented he is or how much training he's had, he's still a novice. Two Dorados are enough for him to practice on."
"Understood."
After Graham left, Yang Hui and Yurin focused solely on Asemu's battle.
"Hmm? Dual-wielding?" Watching the screen, Gundam AGE-1 charged in with dual Beam Sabers, stumbling a couple of times along the way. Yang Hui couldn't help but curse, "This brat, has he forgotten everything I taught him? What's the point of being reckless like this?"
"Well, well, it's Asemu's first battle; it's natural to be a bit nervous," Yurin comforted.
"I wasn't nervous the first time I piloted an MS in battle, and Graham was even more excited," Yang Hui said.
"That's you and Graham; can Asemu be compared to that?" Yurin couldn't help but roll her eyes, knowing that neither of them had truly been children in their first battle. She understood that they had both piloted MS in combat without feeling nervous or scared, but was it really fair to compare an ordinary 17-year-old like Asemu to two oddballs like them?
However, Asemu's fighting style was quite interesting; his dual-wielding combined with some unexpected movements posed a threat to VEGAN.
"This fighting style... it seems Graham has a disciple now," Yang Hui remarked.
"Dual-wielding combat assault, I really wonder who this kid learned it from," Yurin shook her head. To be honest, from her current perspective, Asemu's fighting could be aptly described as "reckless." While it resembled Graham's piloting style, it was merely a shadow of it, lacking in other aspects.
"Hey? This guy isn't bad. Let me see... Igor Simmons..." Yang Hui noticed the mass-produced machine that had fallen earlier moving at a critical moment, grabbing hold of a Dorados' leg and creating a perfect opportunity for Asemu to strike, causing him to brighten up, "...worth nurturing."
"Yeah." Yurin also noticed this detail. Although the previous battle could be described as a bloodbath, this spirit of not giving up was commendable, and the timing was quite excellent.
"Beep~ beep~"
"This is the command center."
"The two Dorados in the city have been eliminated."
"Let Graham return. The battle here is also over."
"Understood."
"The battle is over; let's start the cleanup."
"Flit's objective has been achieved. Should we capture the infiltrating VEGAN?" Yurin asked.
"No need. There won't be any fighting in the short term, and..." As he spoke, Yang Hui pulled up a certain surveillance feed, just in time to see a silver-haired boy standing on a branch, observing Gundam AGE-1 with binoculars, "...let me have a chat with this spy first. My instincts tell me he'll be quite interesting."
"Oh..." Yurin couldn't help but roll her eyes. She knew Yang Hui's secret and understood that the world she was in was merely a work of anime from Yang Hui's past life. Anyone who could pique Yang Hui's interest was certainly not just an ordinary spy.
...
Days passed since VEGAN's attack. Due to the lack of casualties, the infiltration of Tordia by VEGAN didn't cause much of a stir. Flit strengthened Tordia's defenses while keeping the information under wraps, allowing the somewhat anxious populace to settle down and return to their normal lives.
Jehart, an important member of VEGAN, infiltrated Tordia as a spy to find and steal Gundam AGE-1.
Now that it was confirmed that Gundam AGE-1 was in the Asuno Family's residence, to infiltrate the heavily guarded Asuno Family, he needed to get close to Asemu, which is why he joined the MS club Asemu was part of.
While procuring spare parts, Jehart noticed Daz Roden waiting nearby, snapping him out of his daily life reverie, and he quietly followed.
"You seem a bit tired."
"It's nothing. Rather than worrying about me, how's the investigation going?"
"Yes, we've searched the entire area except for one place, and the results are exactly the same as before."
"One place?"
"Asuno Family."
"It seems Gundam is indeed hidden in the Asuno Family... I understand. I'll handle that side. You should be careful too; the Archangel of Celestial Being hasn't left Tordia yet. Don't initiate any attacks before they leave."
"Understood... uh~"
At that moment, a hard object suddenly pressed against Daz Roden's waist, and a hand covered his mouth.
"Wh-uh~"
Jehart sensed something was off and was about to get up when another person pressed down on his shoulder, forcing him to sit back down. This person sat beside him, intimately wrapping an arm around his shoulder, like a close elder with a younger relative.
"Don't rush off; let's chat?"
--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/TLGod
Thanks!