Since the previous battle against the Aegis Three Units, Lu Tianming hadn't encountered any further attacks along the way... which made perfect sense.
The ZAFT Laurasia-class battleship had been damaged by the Archangel's Positron Cannon and likely wouldn't be able to pursue them for quite some time.
According to Lu Tianming's assessment, the Nazca-class ship had headed toward Artemis... Even if they weren't going there, based on the original storyline, they seemed to need to return to ZAFT-controlled territory to report the mobile suit data they had collected.
In any case, everyone had their own priorities, so for the time being, they could be considered "at peace."
With no need for sorties, Lu Tianming spent most of his time either practicing with Mu using the Zero's simulation training system or staying in the Strike Suit, maintaining it while chatting with his good friend.
It wasn't that he disliked Kira and the others... but spending too much time with them increased the chances of running into Flay.
He really couldn't be bothered dealing with that princess complex.
He also tried to see if he could handle the Wire-guided Cannon like Mu—after all, every Gundam pilot dreamed of using Funnels. But it turned out that when he actually tried, it was pure chaos. Having to manage both the main unit's controls and the Wire-guided Cannon simultaneously was practically inhuman...
Mu comforted him by saying he had more talent than most people he'd seen... Lu Tianming didn't know whether that was true or not.
But what he did know was that his skills had improved tremendously since first arriving in this world—even without Xia Chuan's assistance now, he felt confident handling some basic maneuvers.
Even Xia Chuan had made progress... Originally, without Lu Tianming, moving an arm would have been his limit. Now, according to him, he could take a couple of steps without Lu Tianming's help.
Though, that was pretty much all he could manage.
"Do you think... the link has enhanced us, or has the range of the link changed, allowing us to maintain a weak connection even when I'm not in the cockpit?"
Inside the Strike Suit's cockpit, Lu Tianming curiously speculated about the changes they had both experienced recently.
Strictly speaking, these changes hadn't just started recently; they had actually begun back at Heliopolis. This was why Lu Tianming and Xia Chuan had been able to fight more smoothly—not only were they becoming more synchronized, but their individual capabilities were also improving.
This time, Xia Chuan didn't respond with his usual "I dunno," but instead pondered seriously before answering:
"Both... seem to be true?"
Lu Tianming sighed helplessly, rolled his eyes, and leaned back in his seat as if giving up on thinking.
Damn, that's no different from saying you don't know!
Well, rationally speaking, there was a difference. At least it confirmed that both factors were indeed at play.
"By the way, where is the Archangel heading recently? Why haven't we reached Artemis yet?"
Unable to move, Xia Chuan spent his days confined to the hangar... with Lu Tianming being one of his few connections to the outside world.
So after briefly discussing their own situation, Xia Chuan began curiously inquiring about what was happening outside.
"We're not going to Artemis anymore... This version of Creuset has gotten smarter. I suspect he's waiting for us there with the Blitz."
Lu Tianming shook his head and explained, "I discussed it with the captain. This time, we're heading directly to the wreckage of Junius 7."
"Oh? Are you starting the Lacus storyline?!" Xia Chuan's eyes lit up at these words. As someone familiar with the original plot, he immediately thought of Lacus.
"Wow, no wonder you haven't made a move on your captain or vice-captain—your heart's set on her, huh?"
Thrown off by Xia Chuan's teasing, Lu Tianming was momentarily confused—what did this have to do with Lacus?
After a moment's thought, Lu Tianming realized... this guy thought he was using Junius 7 as an excuse to lure Lacus onto the ship.
"Cut it out... Don't measure a gentleman's heart with your own petty standards. I'm going to replenish supplies..." Lu Tianming waved a dismissive hand at the mischievous Xia Chuan, then added, "Even if I were after Lacus... what's it to you? Right now, you're just a Gundam..."
This retort left Xia Chuan stunned. Yeah, even if Lacus were brought aboard, what did it have to do with him?
He couldn't touch her, only watch from afar, and might even end up playing wingman for Lu Tianming... The thought of such future scenarios instantly made it all feel unappealing.
"Damn it, cursed fate! Why did you take away my dick?!"
Frustrated, Xia Chuan began to rant wildly in the cockpit, cursing about how crossing over had cost him his manhood while muttering incoherently under his breath.
Lu Tianming just chuckled at Xia Chuan's outburst... after all, it wasn't the first time. He played along, agreeing casually while egging him on to curse the heavens that had "confiscated" his parts.
As they were venting, Mu's voice suddenly came through, likely via communication from the Mobius: "Tianming, big news! Guess what happened?!"
Though Mu's call was for Lu Tianming, it startled Xia Chuan—if his voice accidentally leaked out, things could get messy.
Seeing Xia Chuan go silent, Lu Tianming found it amusing. He cleared his throat, suppressing a laugh, and replied curiously, "What, something good happened?"
After spending a few days with Mu, Lu Tianming had gotten a sense of his temperament... The tone in Mu's earlier message lacked urgency, so it probably wasn't bad news—like the Archangel being suddenly ambushed.
"Here's a hint: it's related to you," Mu teased, still holding back, waiting for Lu Tianming to exit the cockpit while speaking mysteriously.
"Related to me?" Lu Tianming was baffled... He'd been with the Archangel the whole time; what major news could involve him?
But if it's at this moment...
A thought struck Lu Tianming. He pondered for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Could it be that Artemis... was actually destroyed?!"
"Huh? How did you guess? I was planning to keep it a secret a bit longer for fun."
Mu's voice sounded a bit disappointed, but then he coughed lightly, his tone turning serious as he reported gravely.
"Yes... just as you predicted earlier, under the combined assault of Creuset and the Blitz Gundam, Artemis was completely annihilated through a surprise attack!"