Chapter 170: The Direction of Happiness (Part 1)
At that moment, Duo immediately piloted the Heavyarms Gundam to pick up Heero, who was lying in a pool of blood. He then opened his communicator and spoke to Quatre and Duo.
"Before the OZ forces react, we have no choice but to retreat."
Hearing the sudden voice, Quatre asked sorrowfully, "Duo, is that you speaking?"
Expressionless, Duo replied, "Once you step onto the battlefield, you must be ready to die. That kid… he self-destructed without even a moment's hesitation."
Seeing OZ's shameless tactics, Duo Maxwell clenched his fists and said bitterly, "Despicable. They actually used the colony satellite as a shield."
Quatre could only sigh helplessly. "There's no way to keep fighting like this. Let's retreat."
Nearby, Zechs could no longer bear watching either. Unwilling to sink further into corruption alongside Lady Une, he spoke to the Heavyarms Gundam before him, which was holding Heero.
"Go on, then. What, you think there's still any way to continue this battle?"
Seeing that Zechs' Tallgeese made no move to stop him, Duo immediately turned and piloted the Heavyarms away without looking back.
Elsewhere, Duo Maxwell and Quatre quickly withdrew from the combat zone as well.
Lady Une watched the retreating Gundams, shouting furiously,
"Damn those Gundams! And you too, Lieutenant Noin—do you think this is the end of it?!"
Just then, Noin, wearing her headset, turned to Lady Une and said,
"Colonel Lady Une, Lord Treize wishes to deliver a message to you."
Lady Une immediately tried to snatch the headset away, but Noin blocked her with one arm and, wearing a mocking smile, said,
"His Excellency says you should act with more grace and poise, Colonel Lady Une.
Be graceful and poised, my lady!"
Infuriated by Noin's taunting, Lady Une could do nothing to retaliate. She vented her anger on the communications officer beside her instead.
"Transmit my orders immediately! Find the whereabouts of the other Gundam units! Conduct a global search—don't leave a single place unchecked!"
…
On the battlefield, Zechs decided to recover the wreckage of the ruined Wing Gundam. His obsession with fighting Heero made him certain that Heero couldn't have died so easily.
He resolved to repair the Wing Gundam and wait for Heero's return—for the chance to face him again in a fair duel.
After the recovery operation, Noin looked at the mangled remains of the Wing Gundam and said to Zechs,
"We've collected as much as we can, but most of the critical parts were completely destroyed."
"Yeah… that's exactly why he self-destructed. Once a Gundam reaches that point, it's nothing but scrap metal. No—more like a pile of Gundanium alloy.
This is the successor to the Tallgeese. It should be repairable using Tallgeese technology.
Noin, I'd like to ask a favor—can you help transport this Gundam to the Lake Victoria base?"
"Zechs, you plan to repair it? Why?"
"Maybe because… I care about that pilot."
Noin looked at Zechs in confusion. The Gundam's pilot had clearly self-destructed before their eyes—why was he still so obsessed?
"That Gundam pilot… isn't he already dead?"
Zechs picked up the Wing Gundam's self-destruct trigger from the ground, staring intently at it as he replied,
"I don't have that feeling. It's true, surviving that explosion is impossible…
But still, I want him to be alive. As a Mobile Suit pilot, he's the rival I must settle things with. I want our next battle to be a fair, decisive one."
…
Lady Une returned to Treize's office, bowing deeply in fear and remorse.
"I sincerely apologize, Lord Treize. I acted on my own and ordered a direct attack on the colony satellite."
Standing by the window, Treize gazed calmly outside and replied,
"Let's not dwell on that. What we've learned is that these Gundams are the rebellion of a few individuals with extraordinary power.
Our true target is the Gundams—but the movements of their supporters are concerning as well."
"You mean… the space colonies?"
"I'd prefer to prevent any further expansion of their local forces. I trust I can leave that to you, Lady Une?"
Realizing Treize still valued her and was entrusting her with another mission, Lady Une raised her head with joy and saluted.
"Yes, I'll completely crush them."
Treize stepped forward, gently grasping her hand before she could fully lower it from her salute. Gazing at her softly, he said,
"The people in the colonies who yearn for peace probably despise anything military.
So from now on, there's no need for such formal gestures. You're about to head to Moscow to announce your journey to space, aren't you?
That city is home to many noble people who understand OZ. They will support you.
And take our leader along—let him stretch his legs a bit. He'll also be there to ensure your safety."
Meanwhile, Quatre and Duo arrived in the desert, at an underground base belonging to the Maganac Corps—the homeland of Quatre's allies, outside both the Earth Sphere Unified Nation and OZ's control.
There, they repaired and resupplied the Deathscythe and Sandrock Gundams.
After hearing about Heero's fate, Relena resolved to take revenge on Lady Une. She decided to assassinate her directly.
She tried to infiltrate the banquet being held to welcome Treize, but lacking an invitation, she was stopped at the entrance. Fortunately, she was recognized by Marquis Weridge, who brought her inside.
At the banquet, Relena learned from the marquis the truth about her identity—she was Relena Peacecraft, princess of the long-destroyed Sanc Kingdom.
She also learned that her homeland had been annihilated because it championed absolute pacifism, which had obstructed the Earth Sphere Unified Nation's ambitions.
Just as Relena and Marquis Weridge were conversing pleasantly, Lady Une arrived late. The moment she entered, the room fell silent—the guests froze, even the band stopped playing.
Lady Une surveyed the hall and said coolly,
"What's wrong? No need to be nervous. I'm just another guest at this banquet."
She approached one of the staff members and asked,
"Excuse me, where is Marquis Weridge? I'm acting as Lord Treize's representative and need to greet him."
Following the staff's directions, Lady Une soon reached the marquis. But before she could speak, Marquis Weridge remarked,
"Roses don't really suit military uniforms. Roses are flowers meant for gentle souls like Relena."