Athena
Inside Felix's room
Lost in thought, Felix suddenly opened his eyes, the amulet in his hand glowing once again. Gazing at the amulet, Felix's mind suddenly cleared, all confusion and uncertainty dissipating from his heart.
A faint smile appeared on his face as Felix spoke with unwavering determination.
"Liking someone is liking someone—why overthink it!"
With that, Felix's eyes fell on the communicator button. Without hesitation, he pressed it, initiating a call to the Eternal.
Meanwhile, on the Eternal's Bridge
Under Aisha's comfort, Lacus's inner turmoil and anxiety had gradually faded. However, the ringing of the communicator revived some of her unease.
Glancing down at the communicator on her seat, Lacus instinctively reached out and pressed the answer button. As the call connected, Lacus was momentarily stunned before quickly looking up at the screen ahead.
The screen lit up, revealing Felix's face, which now reflected in Lacus's eyes.
"Felix, is something wrong?"
Suppressing her inner anxiety, Lacus maintained a calm demeanor and asked gently.
Seeing the composure on Lacus's face, Felix took a deep breath and spoke directly.
"Lacus, I like you!"
His straightforward confession echoed across the Eternal's Bridge.
Everyone on the bridge turned their eyes to Lacus. Feeling the weight of their gazes, Lacus couldn't help but blush.
"Felix, when are you treating us to a meal?"
Just as Lacus was feeling embarrassed, Andrew chimed in with a teasing tone, his face full of warmth.
Hearing Andrew's words, Felix laughed heartily, without a trace of hesitation, and replied,
"Once everything is settled, just tell me what you want to eat—money's no object!"
"In that case, I won't hold back when the time comes."
Andrew glanced at Lacus and smiled at Felix through the screen. After hearing the exchange between Felix and Andrew, Lacus's embarrassment faded, and she admonished Felix,
"When treating others to a meal, you should act within your means. Extravagance is not advisable."
"Mm." Felix nodded, his smile gentle and doting. "I'll do as you say."
Just as Felix was about to continue chatting with Lacus, another call came through. Seeing the incoming call on his communicator, Felix apologized,
"Lacus, something's come up on my end. Let's talk again later."
"It's fine, go ahead with your work."
Nodding slightly, Lacus replied with an understanding smile.
Hearing her response, Felix smiled at Lacus before ending the call.
After the call ended, Lacus stared at the now-dark screen, lost in thought. An irrepressible look of happiness spread across her face.
Aisha watched Lacus's lovestruck expression with a gentle smile, then slowly walked over to her side.
Before leaving, she casually took Lacus's Haro with her.
"Your master is currently savoring her happiness, so don't disturb her," Aisha murmured softly while holding the Haro.
Upon hearing Aisha's words, the Haro's small eyes blinked twice—whether due to programming or some other reason, it remained unusually quiet at that moment, silently allowing Aisha to carry it away.
...
Athena
In Felix's Room
"Is something the matter?" Felix asked, his expression shifting from the one he'd worn with Lacus to one of seriousness and focus as he looked at Aric on the screen.
Aric reported through the communication channel, "Captain, we've detected a large vessel and ongoing combat approximately six hundred kilometers to our left."
Hearing this, Felix's expression grew even more stern. "Can you identify the ship's model?" he inquired.
Aric continued his report, "After continuous scanning and cross-referencing with our database, the large vessel has been identified as belonging to the Earth Alliance Forces."
At the mention of the Earth Alliance Forces, Felix paused thoughtfully, then something seemed to click in his mind. A slight smile touched his lips as he issued orders to Aric: "Proceed toward the vessel and the combat zone. Order Teams One, Two, and Three to prepare for battle."
"Yes, sir!" Aric saluted sharply, his voice resounding clearly.
With Aric's response, Felix reached out and ended the communication. Leaning back in his chair, he gazed up at the ceiling and smiled inwardly, thinking, 'Canard Pars, I'm looking forward to meeting you!'
...
"How is this guy so strong?"
Red Frame Cockpit
With the assistance of the AI Hachi, Ro dodged the Hyperion Gundam's Beam attack, muttering under his breath with a grim expression.
No sooner had he spoken than he saw the Hyperion Gundam charging toward him. Without a second thought, his finger squeezed the trigger.
The Beam Rifle in the Red Frame's hands fired at the Hyperion Gundam.
Hyperion Gundam Cockpit
Inside, a young man wearing the special forces pilot suit of the Eurasian Federation flashed a disdainful smile. With deft control, he maneuvered the Hyperion Gundam to the left, evading the beam.
Aiming the Hyperion Gundam's Beam Rifle forward, he pulled the trigger, and a beam shot out from the barrel.
The beam cut through the dark, silent void of space, heading straight for the Red Frame.
Guided by Ro and the AI Hachi, the Red Frame dodged to the right, narrowly avoiding the beam.
Just as Ro prepared to fire again, the Hyperion Gundam closed in.
Reacting quickly, Ro maneuvered the Red Frame backward, dodging the thrust of the Hyperion Gundam's Beam Saber.
After holstering the Beam Rifle at his waist, Ro drew the Kiku-Ichimonji from the Red Frame's side and executed a downward slash toward the Hyperion Gundam.
Hyperion Gundam Cockpit
The young pilot observed the incoming slash and, controlling the Hyperion Gundam, raised its shield to block while simultaneously moving backward.
The slash of the Kiku-Ichimonji struck the shield, instantly leaving an extremely visible gash. The cut was so deep that it seemed with just a bit more force, the shield could have been split in two.
Inside the cockpit,
Ro assessed the situation and immediately maneuvered the Red Frame to launch a second attack at the Hyperion Gundam.
The Hyperion Gundam retreated to avoid close combat, instead aiming its Beam Rifle at the Red Frame and opening fire.
As the Beam attack approached, Ro had no choice but to abandon pursuit and pull the Red Frame back.
Gripping the Kiku-Ichimonji with one hand and raising the Beam Rifle with the other, Ro fired at the Hyperion Gundam using the rifle.