"Don't take it personally, Kira. Setsuna and Tieria act like that with everyone—it's not about you," Lyle explained with a smile.
"It's alright, Mr. Dylandy. I know Mr. Seiei and Mr. Erde meant no harm."
"Good. You must be exhausted after that. Let Yang Hui take you to rest while I supervise their training here."
"Understood, Mr. Dylandy."
With Yang Hui's support, Kira made his way to a private lounge. After showering and changing clothes, he finally felt some relief.
"Feeling better?"
"Yes, much better." Kira accepted the drink Yang Hui handed him and took a large gulp.
"So, what do you think?"
"About what?"
"Everything."
"...They're incredible. Mr. Seiei, Mr. Dylandy, and Mr. Erde—all of them. I could tell Mr. Dylandy and Mr. Erde were holding back, weren't they?" Kira asked sheepishly.
"Right. You're not at their level yet. What about the training system?"
"Uh..." Kira froze, embarrassed. The mention of it made him want to curse Yang Hui. If not for this so-called "system evaluation," he wouldn't have had to face Setsuna and the others in combat. And during such an intense battle, how could he possibly have focused on finding flaws in the simulation?
"Alright, looks like we'll need another round," Yang Hui shrugged, reading Kira's thoughts.
"Again? Have mercy, Yang Hui."
"Relax, I'm not throwing you back against Setsuna and the others. Just basic training to identify any adjustments needed."
Hearing this, Kira finally eased up. One round of consecutive defeats and utter exhaustion was enough. But soon, another question arose.
"Why not use training MS? Yang Hui, this simulated training can't be very effective, can it?"
"No, it isn't." Yang Hui didn't deny it. Simple program-based training paled in comparison to actual MS operation—ten simulated sessions couldn't match one real one. Current simulations were like playing a video game, unable to replicate the weight of the machine, the impact of collisions, let alone life-or-death stakes. But it was the only option they had. "Orb can't risk exposing its possession of MS yet, so securing adequate space for live training is impossible. This is the best we can do for now."
"That makes sense. But... you seem anxious. Is Orb joining the war?" Kira asked quietly, fists clenched. To him, Orb was the last sanctuary in the world.
"Orb's neutrality will never change."
"Then—"
"Just because we don't engage in war doesn't mean war won't come to us."
"I see."
"Let's call it a day, Kira. Rest well—work starts tomorrow officially. Remember to wear what you have on now. Your Earth Forces uniform isn't appropriate at Dawn Company."
"Got it. I'll head out then."
As Kira was about to leave, Yang Hui stopped him.
"Kira."
"Yes?"
"If you get the chance... visit your parents. They're worried about you."
"..."
Kira didn't answer and simply walked away. To be honest, he was also hesitating about whether to see his parents. It wasn't that he had a bad relationship with them, but... he felt conflicted now and held some resentment toward them. It was because they had turned him into a Coordinator that all these subsequent events had happened.
Kira wanted to ask his parents why they had made him a Coordinator, but he was afraid he wouldn't be able to accept the truth or that he might hurt their feelings, so he didn't dare to see them.
And besides... there was someone on the Archangel who needed his company, at least for now. Even if it was wrong, he still couldn't let go of her.
After Kira left, Yang Hui sighed. The current Kira was indeed still immature and unable to accept the truth. Yet, he also felt deeply moved by Kira's circumstances. If possible, he wished Kira could return to a peaceful life and never have to face the truth.
But that was impossible. Setting aside the mysterious force of correction, Kira was already caught in the whirlpool with no way out.
"Let nature take its course, sigh."
"Beep beep beep..."
Just then, Yang Hui's PAD rang. He took it out and saw it was a call from Wang Liu Mei, so he answered immediately.
"What's up?"
"A few little mice have snuck into the country. You might be interested."
"Oh?" Yang Hui's eyebrows rose as he quickly guessed who Wang Liu Mei was referring to. "Have you locked onto their location?"
"Already done. But they're operating in separate groups. Should we capture them?" Wang Liu Mei asked.
"No need. Just have people keep a close eye on them. I'll go check it out myself."
"Got it."
"Want to come with me to meet some old acquaintances?"
"Sure. I'll call Sumeragi along. You haven't spent time with us in a while."
"Weren't you busy with work? You even turned down my invitations for dates." Yang Hui feigned a pitiful tone, acting like a child.
"Hehehe, this is also work."
"Fine, I can't argue with that."
"Then it's settled. Remember to dress handsomely."
"As you wish, my princess."
...
Meanwhile, in the early morning, at a secluded rocky area in Orb—a paradise for seasoned anglers where one could fish undisturbed and with great success—two fishermen weren't fishing today. Instead, they had "fished up" four frogmen.
"I'm Athrun Zala of Creuset Team."
"Welcome to the Land of Peace."
After a simple welcome ceremony, the three "fishermen" handed four briefcases to Athrun and the others. Two of them stood guard while the remaining one briefed Athrun's group on the basic situation.
"Change into these clothes first. They're Dawn Company staff uniforms. The bags also contain ID cards and identity information—memorize them. With these IDs, you can enter Zone 1 of the factory, but anything beyond that requires personal verification. We couldn't get internal passes on such short notice."
"Thanks for your hard work."
"Keep a low profile. Don't cause any trouble. We don't want to wake the Sleeping Lion."
"Understood."
After changing their clothes, Athrun and the other three left the rocky area and successfully entered the interior of Orb. Standing atop the cliff, they had a perfect view of the entire port of the First Island.
"Remember, our mission is only to confirm the exact location of the Archangel. Do not alert Orb's official forces. We'll regroup here at 8 PM three days from now."
Similar to the original plot, Athrun and the others had infiltrated Orb, but unlike before, they didn't need to confirm the Archangel's presence—its location within Orb was already certain. Their goal was to pinpoint its exact position and assess its condition. This way, when the Archangel departed Orb, they could seize the opportunity to ambush it. Otherwise, if the Archangel slipped past them unnoticed, sinking it would become far more difficult.
Of course, this wasn't a blind search. The Archangel's location could roughly be narrowed down to the Dawn Company. However, the Dawn Company was quite large, with multiple entrances and exits, each corresponding to their predicted routes the Archangel might take to Alaska Base. Their task was to determine which exit the Archangel would most likely use.
"Save the lecture. Just don't get yourselves exposed."
"See you later."
The four split into two teams: Yzak and Dearka in one, Athrun and Nicol in the other.
"The streets are so peaceful here."
"Yeah, especially after the huge commotion in the territorial waters yesterday."
"Maybe because this is a neutral nation."
"A nation of peace, huh?"
Dawn had broken, and the once-deserted streets were now bustling with life. Hardworking office workers hurried about for their livelihoods, while those on holiday strolled leisurely. Witnessing such tranquility, Nicol and Athrun couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
Immersed in the atmosphere of peace, Athrun and Nicol found themselves relaxing despite their mission. Yet, just then, a familiar voice made Athrun's expression darken instantly.
"Well, well, Athrun. What a coincidence running into you here."
"Yang Hui!"
Whirling around, they saw Yang Hui, Wang Liu Mei, and Sumeragi seated at an outdoor café by the roadside, waving at them.
"Quick—"
Nicol didn't recognize Yang Hui, but he knew Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei. Realizing they'd been compromised, he tried to flee, only to find several people had silently surrounded them, pressing guns against their waists through their clothes.
With no choice, they slowly approached Yang Hui's group under the threat of the weapons.
"No need to be so tense. Have a seat."
Athrun and Nicol exchanged glances, both seeing resignation and confusion in each other's eyes, but they sat down opposite Yang Hui and the others.
"Hello, Athrun, Nicol. It's a shame you didn't reach out to me while visiting Orb. I'm a little hurt," Wang Liu Mei said, sipping her coffee with feigned displeasure.
"What's your game here?" Athrun muttered to Yang Hui.
"Acting so bold as prisoners? Is that really wise?" Yang Hui raised an eyebrow.
"Uh..." Athrun faltered, embarrassed. "When did you spot us?"
"From the very beginning."
"Is that so..." Athrun smiled bitterly, realizing he had underestimated Orb's local surveillance capabilities. "So... how do you plan to deal with us?"
"How about giving you a vacation?"
"Eh?" Both men exclaimed in surprise.
Under their puzzled gazes, Yang Hui called over the café attendant.
"Young Master Yang Hui, what else may I get for you?"
"One tiramisu, one assorted mousse, and two signature coffees."
"Very well, Young Master Yang Hui. Please wait a moment."
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