Chapter 240: Barbatos Gundam II
Mikazuki's tone was light, indifferent—as though life and death meant little to him. "Doesn't matter. I hardly use my brain anyway. All the thinking stuff's Orga's job."
Nadi looked at the fearless boy and sighed helplessly. "You… really are something else."
Kudelia, who had been holding her tongue this whole time, finally couldn't bear it anymore. She raised her voice. "Why? Why would you so casually do something so dangerous? Don't you value your life at all?"
Mikazuki's expression didn't waver. His voice was calm but resolute. "Of course I value it—my life, and everyone else's too. That's exactly why I have to fight."
Kudelia was at a loss for words. As much as she wanted to argue, she couldn't refute what he said—it was the truth.
At that moment, Nadi finished installing the Alaya-Vijnana system into Barbatos and turned to Mikazuki. "All right, it's ready. Try it out."
Mikazuki nodded silently and climbed into the cockpit, connecting himself to the system without hesitation.
"How is it?" Nadi asked anxiously.
"Mm. It's fine," Mikazuki replied flatly.
"Good. Then try standing it up."
"Got it." Mikazuki looked at the unfamiliar text appearing on the startup display and frowned. "Hey, what's this thing called?"
"Huh?" Nadi blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question. He stared at the screen for a few seconds before mumbling, "It says… Gundam Frame… uh, Bara… Bary… something like that."
Just as Barbatos came online, Mikazuki suddenly convulsed in his seat.
"Mikazuki?!" Nadi rushed forward in panic. "What's wrong—"
Before he could finish, Biscuit burst into the room. "Old man! Are you done yet? The line's about to collapse!"
"But something's wrong with Mikazuki—"
Before Nadi could finish, Mikazuki's body twitched again—but this time his nose began bleeding.
Nadi's heart seized. "No… this can't be happening—"
But then, Mikazuki's breathing steadied. His eyes opened, clear and focused again. "Barbatos," he muttered quietly. "That word just now—that's its name."
Nadi exhaled in relief, though his brow remained furrowed. "Mikazuki? You sure you're okay?"
"Yeah. So let's get moving," Mikazuki said simply, closing the cockpit hatch.
Nadi sighed and turned to Takaki. "We've got no choice. Mikazuki says he's ready. Takaki, prep the lift—get him topside."
"Roger!"
Inside the cockpit, Mikazuki's voice came through the comm. "Takaki, I'll exit through Lift 3."
"Eh? But that route's blocked—you can't get out that way!"
"It's the closest to the battlefield."
Without another word, Mikazuki ordered calmly, "Activate retinal projection."
In an instant, Barbatos's eyes lit up—two piercing beams of blue light.
Through the neural link, the same vision appeared before Mikazuki's eyes—Barbatos's perspective fused seamlessly with his own.
Kudelia watched anxiously. "Can he… really win?"
Biscuit rubbed the back of his neck uneasily. "No idea. All we can do is fight so we don't lose—that's all we've got left."
Hearing his answer, Kudelia could only clasp her hands together and pray silently—for Mikazuki's victory, and for her own safe journey to Earth.
Meanwhile, Third Squad's mobile workers charged forward, opening fire on Orlis's Graze.
But the bullets and shells merely sparked harmlessly against its Ahab-nanocomposite armor, doing absolutely nothing.
Even so, the boys refused to retreat. They circled the Graze, peppering it with constant suppressive fire.
Their courage didn't last long. One unlucky pilot was caught by a single kick—his mobile worker shattered to pieces in an instant.
Watching another comrade die, Orga and the others burned with anger, but there was no time to mourn. They had to keep attacking.
Orlis soon noticed Orga's mobile worker among the chaos. With a wicked grin, he closed the distance in a few giant strides.
Eugene, terrified, began weaving wildly to avoid him—zigzagging, swerving, anything to stay alive.
High above Mars, a heavy-fire Gundam Bael floated silently in orbit, its Mirage Colloid system activated. Tolle watched the battle from within, unmoving.
It wasn't his time to intervene yet. Mikazuki had only just taken the controls of Barbatos, and Tekkadan hadn't even been formed. He couldn't disrupt such a pivotal moment.
Down below, Orlis was enjoying the chase far too much. Opening a wide-band comm, he taunted, "Oh? So you're the one leading this swarm of cockroaches?
Hahaha! Run! Run as fast as you can—let's see how long you last!"
He fired his assault rifle all around Orga's mobile worker—close enough to scare, but never hitting.
Like a cat toying with a trapped mouse, he wanted to wear them down before delivering the killing blow.
Then, just as Orlis gunned his thrusters and lunged forward to finish it—
The ground erupted.
The soil exploded upward in a shower of dust and debris, scattering into the sky.
In that instant, Barbatos Gundam burst from underground—
Mikazuki swung the massive mace-spear in one fluid motion and struck head-on.
The blow caved in the Graze's faceplate, the force twisting its cockpit like tin foil.
The machine crumpled, collapsing under the sheer impact—Orlis crushed instantly into a bloody smear.
Ein stood frozen, stunned beyond words. He had never imagined his captain could be killed so easily—felled in a single strike.
Crank, realizing Ein's shock, clenched his teeth and stepped forward to shield him. "Stay back!"
He had no choice but to confront Barbatos head-on.
Mikazuki, not about to fight both at once, shifted tactics. He dodged Crank's charge and moved toward the Gjallarhorn mobile workers instead—using them as shields to block any long-range rifle fire from the two remaining Grazes.