With the Nahel Argama breaking into the airspace above the venue, the Joint Command Center had devolved into utter chaos.
"What is this new Sazabi variant? And what is that battleship?!"
Watching the screen as the ship crossed his jurisdiction of the Americas at incredible speeds, Mick felt his scalp go numb. "Kenneth! That ship charged in from the Pacific—why didn't your people detect it?!"
"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?!"
Kenneth Sleg couldn't take it anymore and snapped back. "The Circe Unit didn't scan this battleship at all!"
"Is now really the time for finger-pointing and shifting blame?"
George cut in, stopping the confrontation between Mick and Kenneth. "That size, that performance... it's a flagship-class vessel. They even have MS models unknown to us."
"Those are minor details!"
Kenneth slammed the table. "You all saw it just now, didn't you? Two nukes were launched from the California region and were intercepted by that battleship and the ν Gundam!"
"Mick, what on earth were you thinking?!"
"I didn't know!"
Facing Kenneth's interrogation, Mick had no way to defend himself. A sense of powerlessness washed over him; he truly hadn't received any word regarding a nuclear launch.
Everything had spiraled out of control. The Federation's desperation and madness surprised even Mick, their staunchest ally. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't fathom the logic behind a nuclear strike on New York.
Furthermore, with that battleship and a massive force of MS entering the fray, his own troops were vanishing like melting snow.
The veterans who had once participated in the Axis Shock certainly wouldn't fight the ν Gundam.
The Federation still hadn't issued a retreat order, and Kenneth's Circe Unit was staying out of it.
George talked a big game, but his troops were dragging their feet. Right now, every suit being shot down belonged to Mick's own division!
At this thought, Mick felt as if a hole had been torn in his heart, and it was bleeding out.
At that moment, the sound of Char's speech, amplified by the Nightingale's external speakers, echoed through the broadcast.
"…Everyone, the Federation's shameless actions have once again validated my judgment of them."
On the screen, although the Nightingale did not strike the cockpits directly, its Large Mega Beam Rifle accurately destroyed the head monitors of the Jegans and Gustav Karls. "Just moments ago, Amuro and his battleship intercepted two ballistic missiles equipped with nuclear warheads. The target of these missiles was New York—this very land beneath our feet, the home where you have lived for generations."
"The Federation government has never valued your lives. Their arrogance has made them blind to the preciousness of life…"
As Char's speech continued, the Federation troops who were still launching attacks froze. A sudden cold sweat broke out across their backs.
"Sir, it looks like a new battleship is descending to Earth! Based on orbital calculations… it's headed for the New York airspace?!"
It was one crisis after another. A radar operator cried out at the results appearing before him. "Signal identification confirmed… it's the 13th Independent Fleet's Ra Cailum!"
Upon hearing this news, Kenneth, who had been fuming with rage, inexplicably recalled a conversation between Bright Noa and himself.
"…What if Amuro stood in opposition to the Federation?"
"Then please, lead us in one more charge."
Thinking of this, Kenneth suddenly slammed the table covered in documents with all his might. He turned and stormed toward the door, cursing under his breath.
"…Damn it! The Federation is wasting my goddamn youth!"
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Outside the venue, beams and shells flew in every direction. The once-beautiful landscape was riddled with craters, and the buildings were torn open with gaping holes.
The crowds that had been lingering had long since evacuated, while the Federation high officials and reporters remaining inside the hall trembled amidst the continuous tremors.
However, the two photographers who had captured the exclusive footage of the GN particle flood did not go far. Instead, they found a building at a relatively safe distance to film the battle from afar.
Char, controlling the Nightingale, raised the shield on his left arm to block a shot from a Gustav Karl. Suddenly, a pinkish-purple beam streaked over the Nightingale and accurately struck the Gustav Karl's cockpit.
"Hey, don't interfere."
Seeing his "prey" snatched away by the ν Gundam piloted by Roz, Char—who had just turned off his external speakers—voiced his slight dissatisfaction. "I could have handled him myself!"
"I was just passing by. After all, you haven't moved much since you boarded the Nightingale," Roz's voice crackled over the comms. "Besides, if you only destroy their head monitors, it won't be long before they show up in front of you again in a new machine."
"So that's your reason for aiming directly at the cockpits?"
"I have to protect my comrades and be responsible for them. Regardless of the enemy's circumstances, an enemy is an enemy." Facing Char's inquiry, Roz's tone was like stating a mathematical formula—absolute and undeniable. "I am doing what is right for me."
"Heh, what a reassuring statement."
Char watched as Roz deployed the I-Field from within his reinforced chest armor to block a pinkish-purple beam fired by a Gustav Karl, before once again destroying that Gustav Karl's cockpit with a single shot.
Likely due to the intelligence Char had just broadcasted regarding the nuclear interception, a small portion of the Federation MS newly joining the battlefield had adopted a "slacking off" mentality.
After all, no one wanted to risk their life for Federation orders only to have their head washed by a nuke the next second.
"Well then, it's about time you issued the retreat order, Federation."
At that moment, Char glanced at the Nightingale's radar. Seeing a battleship signal—separate from the Nahel Argama—rapidly approaching, he smiled. "Or do I need to add a little more fuel to the fire?"
Saying this, Char stepped down on the pedals. The Nightingale, which until now had stood in place with its feet seemingly glued to the ground while only moving its arms and torso, saw its thruster nozzles erupt with blue flames.
Sparse green light particles also began to pour out from the engines.
"I see, so this is the simulated space environment..."
Feeling the persistent tug of gravity on his body juxtaposed with the jarring sensation of the machine flying as freely as if it were in space, Char narrowed his eyes with interest. "Then—Funnels!"
The red, canister-like funnels detached from the Nightingale's massive binders under the terrified gaze of the Federation forces, hovering in the sky while trailing specks of green light particles.
Immediately, as Char's spirit locked onto his targets, the once-dormant funnels began to fly toward the Federation MS at erratic speeds and angles.
A second later, in everyone's eyes, green beams erupted from the muzzles of these "relics"—which had long been phased out within the Federation—precisely piercing the head monitors of ten Federation machines of various models.
With their head monitors exploding, the Federation MS, having lost all visual feed, collapsed onto the ground.
Unfortunately, because the GN particle tanks installed on the funnels were not large, they had to return to the Nightingale for recharging after completing a single round of attacks in Earth's environment.
As the Federation troops watched the Nightingale hovering in mid-air and the funnels returning one by one to those gargantuan shoulder binders, they instinctively halted their advance.
As if receiving a message, after recovering some of the wreckage of their allies, the Federation forces began to retreat without looking back under the gaze of all present.
Simultaneously, the shadow of a new battleship appeared in the sky.
Watching the retreating Federation forces and the battleship appearing above, Char breathed a sigh of relief and spoke into the comms.
"Roz..."
"What is it?"
Roz, controlling the ν Gundam, lowered the Hyper Mega Beam Rifle in his hand and frowned slightly.
For some reason, Roz felt a sense of amusement in Char's tone.
"Get ready," Char said, maneuvering the Nightingale to descend slowly back to the ground. "Because Amuro's romantic debts are coming for you."
Hearing Char's words, Roz instinctively looked at the battleship in the sky and froze.
"Char! You bastard, did you plan for this all along?!"
At this moment, having realized the situation he was about to face, Roz shouted instinctively into the communication channel.
-----------------------------------
At this moment, in the sky, a battleship was descending toward Earth in a systematic manner, protected by its heat-resistant cooling umbrellas.
"Atmospheric entry confirmed. Disconnecting cooling umbrellas."
The Ra Cailum's helmsman adjusted the battleship's heading while the co-pilot directly released the connection to the umbrellas.
The cooling umbrellas, charred and distorted by atmospheric friction, were cast off behind the Ra Cailum.
"Radar observation, can you still lock onto the target's position?" Bright asked, finally removing his helmet.
"Visual is clear, radar scan is functioning perfectly. I've been tracking them since the start of the descent." The radar operator gave Bright a thumbs-up. "After setting sail, that battleship began chasing those two ballistic missiles at a speed at least three times the normal rate."
"At least three times the cruising speed?"
Hearing the radar operator's data analysis, Bright couldn't help but pause. That description reminded him of the man currently piloting the Nightingale.
"Captain, the Federation has issued orders; the troops fighting outside the New York venue have all been withdrawn," the comms officer reported just as Bright was lost in thought. "The command is: 'Retreat'."
Hearing the comms officer, Bright snapped back to attention.
"Alright, that's enough small talk. Send a request for a parley to that battleship. Next, I'm going to have a talk with Amuro... Truthfully, I don't know if I'll succeed."
After thinking for a moment, Bright decided to make direct contact with Roz.
"But regardless, Ms. Beltorchika, Ms. Sayla, and even Ms. Fraw... so many people have questions they want to ask Amuro."
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