"No facial matches found in the database. Bring him in first."
Andrew calmly examined the rows of facial recognition data comparing the masked individual on his computer screen.
"Team Two, continue pursuit."
"Yes, sir!"
Team Two responded in unison without hesitation, their faces beneath tactical masks intensely focused.
A covert battle unfolded quietly beneath the surface of public festivities, tension mounting unseen by the masses.
Meanwhile, in the still peaceful Sector Seven of Junius Seven, Fred had just finished reading. As he punched Alec back in the courtyard, he asked:
"Speaking of which, if you weren't here, Alec, you'd probably be on missions with them, right?"
Half a day had passed since Athrun and the others had departed.
Fred wondered how Athrun and the team would react to his planned retirement in six years.
This question served as a subtle probe.
After all, his departure was inevitable.
If Patrick reacted too strongly—perhaps even showing signs of wanting to detain him—Fred would need to consider alternative strategies.
If they chose not to inform his parents... that might indicate he could place greater trust in them.
Whether they told his parents or not, both outcomes fit within his plans.
"Probably... yes."
Alec replied while struggling to defend against Fred's attacks.
Three months had passed since Fred's last breakthrough in combat skills, and his martial prowess had become increasingly refined.
Where they once fought evenly, Alec now found himself consistently overpowered.
"Do you miss it?"
Fred threw another punch as he asked.
"...Serving here is also serving our nation."
Alec blocked Fred's strike while responding with a tone of respect.
"True enough."
Fred continued his relentless offensive.
He still cherished these peaceful moments, but knew such tranquility couldn't last forever.
Everyone had their role to play and position to fill.
He couldn't control everything, but at minimum, he needed to fulfill his own responsibilities.
For now, that meant growing stronger—continuously strengthening himself.
...
"Captain Wang, Fran has returned and appears to be out of immediate danger."
"PLANT hasn't detected anything unusual."
In the captain's quarters of the East Asian Agamemnon-class vessel stationed near February City's outer orbital zone, the adjutant reported to the burly officer.
"Hmm."
Captain Wang's deeply furrowed brow relaxed slightly at the news. He closed the file before him and sighed.
"Those Atlantic fools—always thinking about fighting and killing."
"They covet what we have too."
The adjutant murmured in agreement.
PLANT had been funded by the Council Nations to maximize Coordinator benefits while maintaining better management.
Ironically, the Atlantic Federation had originally proposed the concept.
They'd warned from the beginning that placing people in space—so far from Earth's authority—would make proper governance impossible.
Yet these were the same people who'd been colonizing for two-three centuries, having broken away from Britain themselves. They never seemed to learn this lesson.
It would be fine if both sides coexisted peacefully, but now their interests are also involved. The Atlantic pushing Eurasia to pressure PLANT step by step is nothing but an attempt to redistribute the pie.
"Perhaps that was their plan all along."
Captain Wang let out a meaningful chuckle.
Get them to invest, then find a way to reap the rewards.
Both sides are old rivals, and thinking about it now, it's entirely possible.
Hearing this, the adjutant furrowed his brows tightly, like iron chains, and continued.
"We can't just keep watching like this..."
"Blue Cosmos is growing too fast. We need to wait for the right moment."
If possible, maintaining the current peace would be best.
But they also need time to build their own strength.
With that thought, Captain Wang waved his hand to dismiss the adjutant before turning his gaze back to the document he had previously covered.
"Julius, no unusual movements..."
"Biding his time? Or truly inactive?"
He wouldn't believe that PLANT isn't planning something.
Blue Cosmos' pressure on PLANT will eventually push Coordinators to their limits.
After all, Blue Cosmos' goal is simply to enslave Coordinators.
No sane person would willingly accept enslavement.
Let alone those who consider themselves Newtypes.
In short, balancing both sides is becoming increasingly difficult.
...
After the Fran incident, the world's turbulence seemed to temporarily pause, and a week passed peacefully.
[Martial Arts +0.04]
[Martial Arts (Proficient) 8.82/100]
Looking at the progress before him, Fred turned under the gazes of Yzak, Athrun, and Nicol to extend his hand toward Flay who was sitting on the ground.
"Your speed is good, but your power still needs work."
Today was martial arts training. After over a year of practice, everyone's abilities had progressed smoothly, with even Flay gaining some self-defense capability.
The others were even more impressive - all destined to be top three in military academy rankings, with strength rankings of Athrun, Yzak, and Nicol being more than enough to handle ordinary Coordinators.
Now at eleven years old, Athrun and the others were already showing glimpses of their future selves.
If nothing changed, in five years they would officially join the battlefield.
Of course, everything remained uncertain for now.
Even their personalities had undergone significant changes under Fred's deliberate guidance.
While Athrun and Nicol were already quite stable and didn't need much guidance, Yzak had become calmer and more accepting of failure.
Meanwhile, watching them grow, Fred felt as if an alarm bell was ringing in his mind.
When they truly matured, perhaps war would be ready to begin.
"I'm not some muscle-bound guy, you know."
Unaware of Fred's complex thoughts, Flay took her brother's hand and stood up, muttering quietly.
Over this period, the girl had grown slightly taller, becoming even more beautiful and adorable.
A year younger than Athrun and the others, the girl was their acknowledged little sister.
As for Flay's abilities, she was naturally no match for the others who could single-handedly take on ordinary Coordinators at ten years old, but she was at least above average among regular people.
Although his sister was an important figure in the storyline, Fred was still quite pleasantly surprised by this outcome.
Regardless, she was his sister after all.
Knowing she had the ability to protect herself gave him greater peace of mind.
At the very least, if he, Athrun, and the others were no longer around, she wouldn't be easily abducted by others.
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