"You're here? What about the mobile suit?" Tieria asked as Yang Hui arrived. In his view, the three of them could handle MS pilot training just fine—Yang Hui's priority should be upgrading the suit's energy system.
"It's already arranged. Director Simmons knows what to do."
"Mm. Is that him?" Tieria nodded before glancing at Kira, who stood behind Yang Hui.
"Yes. Kira Yamato."
Though Setsuna, Lyle, and Tieria all knew of Kira's existence as the "Ultimate Coordinator," Setsuna and Tieria had only heard of him until now. This was their first meeting.
"Hello." Kira didn't recognize Setsuna or Tieria, but seeing them in the same uniform as Lyle and standing together, he guessed they were also skilled MS pilots.
Considering their numbers... with Lyle included, they must be the pilots of Gundam Exia, Gundam Cherudim, and Gundam Virtue.
"You've already met Lyle. These two are Setsuna F Seiei and Tieria Erde," Yang Hui introduced.
The two gave Kira a brief nod—neither was particularly expressive.
"Get in the cockpit."
"The cockpit?" Kira blinked, watching as Setsuna walked toward one of the three empty cockpits at the front.
"Yeah, just for fun. Try out the simulation system I designed."
"Uh... but..."
"Go on."
Kira wanted to refuse, but Yang Hui didn't give him the chance, pushing him into the vacant cockpit and sealing the hatch.
Once inside, Kira found the setup identical to Strike's cockpit. With the hatch closed, he sighed and activated the simulation program.
"This is Yang Hui. Kira, can you hear me?"
"Yes, loud and clear."
"See the MS selection menu? I've input all of Strike's data. You can choose it directly for the simulation."
"Got it."
"Also, the OS. Right now, it's running the Natural-use OS I designed, but switch it to your preferred OS first for a mock battle. Familiarize yourself with the system and see if anything needs tweaking."
"Huh? A mock battle?"
"Exactly. Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth—you know that saying. Instead of hunting for flaws in the program, experience it firsthand. Setsuna will be your opponent."
"...Understood." Kira's expression turned odd. He felt Yang Hui was tricking him, but he couldn't argue.
If he couldn't refuse, he might as well accept.
After selecting Strike with the Aile Striker pack and switching to his usual OS, Kira saw Exia appear on-screen, standing before him.
"It's Exia! Just as I thought..."
Setsuna didn't give Kira time to think. The moment the simulation battle began, Exia moved.
Flames erupted from Exia's back as it charged toward Strike at blinding speed, dodging gunfire while firing its Sword-Gun Composite Weapon.
"So fast!"
The Strike Gundam retreated hastily, but it couldn't match the speed of the Gundam Exia. Seeing Exia closing in, its folded solid blade extended, gleaming with a cold light that stung the skin. In panic, Strike drew its beam saber to counter.
"Boom!"
The massive impact from inertia sent both Exia and Strike skidding backward, leaving long trails on the ground before they stabilized.
"Such incredible strength." Though this was just a simulation without the real sensation of combat, Kira knew Strike inside out. The fact that Exia could push Strike back so far was proof of its formidable power.
But the next second, alarm bells rang loudly in Kira's mind. Instinctively, he pulled the control stick, making Strike lean back slightly—just as a green blur flashed past its visor.
"Dual blades?"
Recognizing the green blur as an identical solid sword, Kira was startled. Had it not been for that subconscious maneuver, Strike would have been bisected.
Setsuna, however, wouldn't let Kira's distraction go to waste. With Strike off-balance from leaning back, the second solid sword surged forward with increased force, knocking Strike's beam saber aside.
"Damn it!"
The thought barely formed when Kira saw a flash of blade light—then the cockpit darkened.
"I... lost?" Kira was still processing it. From start to finish, the simulation had lasted less than three minutes. In a real battle, he'd be dead.
"Kira, respond if you hear me."
Yang Hui's voice came through the comms, snapping Kira back to reality.
"This is Kira Yamato. Go ahead."
"Any issues with the simulation?"
"Uh... well..." Kira hesitated, unsure how to answer. He hadn't even had time to properly experience the simulation before it ended.
"Too fast? Understood. I'll have Lyle take over as your opponent. He knows restraint."
"Huh? We're continuing?"
"Like I said, we need you to identify gaps."
"O-okay."
Kira restarted the simulation. The cockpit lit up again, and a new opponent appeared—this time, not Exia, but the green Gundam Cherudim.
"If it's Mr. Dylandy... I need to watch out for sniping!"
Unlike Setsuna, whom he'd just met, Kira had fought alongside Lyle before and knew his precision sniping was deadly. So Kira immediately equipped the Sword Striker Pack, opting for close-quarters combat against Cherudim.
...
Outside the cockpit, Yang Hui observed Kira's simulation. Setsuna, now replaced by Lyle, joined him.
"I told you to go easy on him," Yang Hui said, exasperated. He'd called Kira over precisely to have him test the simulation system and the Natural-use OS for flaws. The "hands-on experience" was genuine, which was why Yang Hui had instructed Setsuna to hold back and prolong the fight. Yet... Setsuna had wiped Kira out instantly.
"...I thought he was strong," Setsuna replied flatly.
"Yang Hui, this person differs greatly from your description. You misjudged him." Tieria agreed with Setsuna's assessment. After all, Yang Hui had initially told them that Kira was the [Ultimate Coordinator] who would become the world's most powerful pilot. Yet his recent performance left both Setsuna and Tieria deeply disappointed.
"Really? Were you born with your current skills?" Yang Hui rolled his eyes and scoffed coldly.
"Well..."
"From the attack on [Heliopolis] until now, he's had less than two months of MS exposure with no prior formal training. He's fought fewer than ten battles total, plus he's always resisted combat. How strong could he possibly be?"
"...I see."
"Should we train him?" Setsuna asked.
"Let's observe for now. He hasn't overcome his mental barriers yet. Our priority is perfecting this simulation program and the Natural-use OS," Yang Hui replied.
"Can't you handle it alone?" Setsuna and Tieria were surprised. They knew exactly how formidable Yang Hui's research capabilities were. How could a teenager like Kira possibly assist him?
"Worth a try. After all, he's someone who can modify an OS mid-battle."
To be fair, Kira's research skills couldn't match Yang Hui's, but his programming ability was equally impressive. His improvisational skills might even surpass Yang Hui's—Yang certainly couldn't pull off programming during combat, that's for sure.
"..." Setsuna and Tieria fell silent. Though they currently dismissed Kira's piloting skills, if he could truly do what Yang Hui described, he'd indeed deserve their respect.
"Let's watch first. Lyle's finishing up—you're next, Tieria."
"Understood."
...
The battle between Strike and Gundam Cherudim reached a stalemate, with neither side gaining clear advantage as they exchanged blows.
When the simulation began, Strike immediately charged at Cherudim, maintaining relentless close-quarters pressure. Staying in melee range was Strike's best chance for victory.
But Kira clearly didn't understand Lyle well enough. While Lyle excelled at sniping, his melee skills were equally formidable—just unconventional.
Unlike most pilots who relied on swords or blades, Lyle—no, both Dylandy brothers—rarely used beam sabers. Even in close combat, they preferred firearms thanks to their mastery of gun-fu.
This gun-based melee style could overwhelm unfamiliar opponents upon first encounter.
Strike's current predicament proved this. After closing in on Cherudim, it became disoriented under a barrage of beam pistol fire. Had Lyle not been holding back, the simulation would've ended already.
Compared to the cumbersome anti-ship sword, beam pistols offered far greater flexibility while matching the sword's optimal engagement range. To regain advantage, Kira discarded the anti-ship sword entirely, drawing his [Armor Breaker] knife for close-quarters grappling with Cherudim—barely managing to mitigate his disadvantage.
However...it was indeed just a little bit. After about half an hour of combat, Gundam Cherudim seized an opportunity to knock Strike's arms aside and kicked it away, then rapidly fired both guns. The beam drizzle completely covered Strike, riddling it with holes.
At the same time, Kira's cockpit darkened once again.
"Haah...haah...Mr. Dylandy...so strong...such a bizarre fighting style..."
By now Kira was drenched in sweat, looking like he'd been fished out of water. Though it was just a simulation battle where losing wouldn't mean death, the pressure from both Setsuna and Lyle had been overwhelming.
"Kira, how are you? Are you okay?"
"I'm...I'm fine, just a little..."
"Good. Next will be Tieria versus you. Get ready."
"Eh? Wait a minute!"
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