"No need."
Upon hearing Natal's refusal, He Kui narrowed his eyes.
"Talking to a woman who's just been detained for disobeying orders is useless. Why not just let us go?"
"Yeah, big bro—no, big sis, just let us out!"
The crowd around them began to stir again, but Natal's gaze remained unwavering.
At this point, He Kui understood everything.
Natal had been detained for disobeying orders, but within the Atlantic Federation's command structure, she was undoubtedly one of the top talents. Thus, they likely didn't intend to be too harsh on her. A little humility would probably be enough for her to leave.
Naturally, she wouldn't follow him.
But leaving aside what kind of order had made Natal disobey, He Kui didn't have much time to spare.
As he thought this, He Kui fired a series of Plasma Cannons on the frontlines, taking down several Raider units that had tried to ambush him.
While the two in the prisoner camp were talking, the battlefield gradually began to shift.
Creuset quickly realized they couldn't stray too far from the area, and a barrage of attacks from the Dagger series and Raider units behind him rained down like a dense storm.
If it weren't for the shield that could distort beams and the terrain preventing a full encirclement, they would have been riddled like hedgehogs.
This wasn't like the early days when they had ventured deep into enemy territory with physical weapons. Now, they were dealing with beams.
The speed of beam attacks was incomparably faster than physical weapons.
Although the computer could predict the trajectory based on the gun's direction and allow for evasive maneuvers, there were simply too many beams to dodge.
And that wasn't even considering Creuset, who was watching them like a hawk.
"Someone has entered the prisoner area. Send your people over."
While controlling the Raider to suppress the enemy, Creuset coldly issued the order.
"Yes, sir."
Not daring to disobey, the commander frantically began making calls.
"I'm curious, how many people do you have now? I remember you used to be able to control three Dagger units."
"Are you Pallas, or are you part of Pallas?"
"You said it wasn't for peace, so what is Pallas's true purpose?"
Creuset had already grown tired of asking He Kui if he was He Kui. Every time, the answer was either "guess" or "you've got the wrong person."
"To destroy the world. So why don't you let me go, and we'll kill everyone in this base together, reigniting tensions between both sides. How about that?"
"Hahaha... Councilor He, you're still so fond of jokes."
Creuset laughed, but his laughter was icy.
"If you really wanted to destroy the world, you wouldn't have stopped the nuclear bomb back then, our ZAFT hero."
"And killing everyone in this base would be a drop in the bucket. Do you think the Atlantic Federation would care?"
"Oh, never mind then."
He Kui had only been trying to change the subject, and hearing Creuset's response, he felt no sense of defeat.
Meanwhile, in the prisoner camp.
Aegis had already drawn the pistol he had just picked up.
Bargirrle was a danger. If she wouldn't come with him, it was best to eliminate her.
"Have you made up your mind?"
Staring into the dark barrel of the gun, Bargirrle's pupils contracted slightly. Though a hint of fear flickered in her eyes, she neither retreated nor resisted hysterically.
She simply watched him silently.
"What a hassle."
He Kui sighed, then quickly opened Bargirrle's cell door using the Quantum Virus.
"Are you leaving?"
After hearing his words, Bargirrle still showed no intention of leaving. It seemed she had sensed his lack of killing intent, and even the slight fear she had seemed to vanish.
"Then don't regret it."
As the pressure from Creuset grew increasingly intense, and with troops seemingly entering from outside, He Kui could no longer afford to hesitate. He stepped into Bargirrle's cell, covered her eyes, and then quietly lifted his cloak in the shadows, revealing the mischievous wires on his chest.
The smallest current instantly paralyzed Bargirrle, causing her to quickly lose consciousness.
"You're practically kidnapping her, He Kui!"
Seeing the cold beauty being electrocuted by He Kui's actions, Sulei couldn't help but comment, even though the atmosphere was tense.
"You're the one who's kidnapping her."
"Enough arguing, let's go save the others. I hope Murakumo Gai can still move."
Shihe said impatiently.
Carrying one person was already the limit; adding another would force them to make a choice.
Thinking this, Aegis picked up the unconscious Bargirrle and quickly moved deeper into the facility. He didn't have time to open every cell door one by one.
Bulk operations had to be conducted from the main control room, but it was too inefficient. It was better to move quickly.
Despite carrying someone, Aegis moved swiftly and effortlessly, heading deeper into the facility.
The deeper they went, the dimmer the lights became. Passing through one gate after another, He Kui finally arrived at the heavily secured area.
Here, the prisoners were Coordinators with the strength of Elite Red Coats.
If they weren't here, he had no other leads.
Standing at the threshold, He Kui felt the tension rise.
As the Quantum Virus was injected, the airtight steel gate of the only activated cell slowly opened.
"Aegis?"
Still adjusting to the light, Murakumo Gai squinted his unglassesed eyes and, upon seeing the familiar cloak, spoke weakly.
"Yes, can you walk?"
"Barely."
Noticing the woman on Aegis's back, Murakumo Gai didn't ask further questions.
"But have you seen Sosis?"
"They probably haven't left yet. How did you get in?"
"Sosis hasn't left?"
Just as he finished speaking, a beam shot from an unmanned corner on the battlefield outside, nearly blasting the cockpit of his Forbidden Mobile Suit.
Even so, the beam bypassed his shield's defense and destroyed one of Forbidden's arms.
At the same time, another beam shot from another unmanned spot, and Creuset, coordinating with Sosis, took advantage of the opening He Kui had left. The Calamity, which He Kui had been blocking, was exposed, and its Quadruple-Mounted Beam Cannons on its back were sliced off by Creuset.
"Yes, and their Mobile Suit is a pitch-black Blitz."
"I see."
Lacking sufficient intel, He Kui hadn't anticipated the ambush. He gritted his teeth.
In this situation, returning to pilot those two Mobile Suits to escape was simply impossible.
"Uh... do you know any hidden paths?"
"It looks like we won't be able to hold out much longer," He Kui said with a bitter smile towards Murakumo Gai.
Originally, even with Creuset, the two of them were in danger. Although the surrounding Dagger series mechas were hesitant to act, the addition of two more Blitz units meant there was no way they could escape from this base.
"..."
Murakumo Gai's silence in response to He Ku
i's words spoke volumes.
They were underground, in a prisoner area.
No sane person would build a secret passage leading directly to the surface in a prisoner area.
And how could their feet possibly outrun an MS?
(End of Chapter)