The adjutant, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, now widened his eyes in shock.
However, there was no time left for them to investigate whether the communication had been established. In the distance, the firefly-like glows gradually grew brighter, resembling street lamps.
At the same time, the internal alarms blared once again, the grating sound amplifying the fear in everyone's hearts.
"...What is that?" the leader asked, his face pale.
Though he spoke the words, he already knew the answer in his heart. Yet, he was unwilling to face it.
"That's... a beam cannon..."
As the adjutant's despairing words fell, everyone on the bridge, without exception, wore expressions of terror. It wasn't any other complex emotion but the raw, primal fear of facing life and death.
"How could..."
How could a battleship equipped with a beam cannon appear here?
However, before he could finish his sentence, the beam cannon, now fully charged, surged toward them like a raging waterfall.
Without sufficient power, the Drake-class battleship was effortlessly pierced through the bridge by the ghastly green beam, as if a red-hot poker had easily punctured a paper shell.
On the other side of the battlefield, Wolf, who was commanding from the port, watched as the Drake-class was so easily destroyed, his mouth agape.
Under normal circumstances, they would have needed to engage the enemy for several rounds, relying on their expertise to secure victory. But with the plan Fred had just calculated, it took only two rounds to destroy the enemy's Drake-class flagship and even turn the three other modified transport ships into sitting ducks.
The efficiency was nothing short of astonishing.
Caught up in the heat of battle, the Blue Cosmos forces, with their lack of professionalism, might not have noticed, but Wolf saw it clearly. Those missiles, after Fred's adjustments, seemed to have eyes, precisely targeting the gaps in the enemy's anti-air defenses.
Fred's abilities were truly wasted as a researcher. On the front lines, he would be a glaringly formidable force of destruction. The speed of his calculations was beyond what an ordinary Coordinator could achieve. Even if he himself took the field, he couldn't have defeated the enemy so effortlessly, and he considered himself an ace.
Just how powerful would Fred become in ship-to-ship combat and command in the future?
Of course, Wolf didn't know that Fred's calculations were entirely thanks to several skills that had evolved to a master level, such as aeronautical engineering and dynamics. When these fields of knowledge converged, the resulting energy was both terrifying and deadly.
In truth, it wasn't just Wolf who was stunned. Everyone on the bridge looked at the results achieved by Fred's plan, exchanging silent glances while seeing excitement reflected in each other's eyes.
Having such an overwhelmingly powerful commander in PLANT was the best proof that Coordinators were superior to Naturals.
Moreover, this person is a member of their Clyne Faction.
In the future, he is destined to become a major figure among them, even leading them to victory after victory.
With this thought, even if no one said it aloud, everyone silently felt a sense of reverence for Fred in their hearts.
If the battle weren't still in its final stages, they would have rushed straight to Fred's location just to catch a glimpse of him.
On the other side, in April City, where the news arrived slightly delayed, Siegel fell silent as he watched the results of Fred's single round of attacks.
His expression was complex, unsure of what to say.
It was Lacus who broke the silence, speaking softly.
"Fred's command abilities are also quite impressive."
Her words were gentle, yet tinged with surprise.
"Hmm..."
Hearing this, Siegel sighed, breaking his own silence.
Setting aside Fred's combat skills, that single move just now had already proven his talent for command.
And now, based on his performance, he had demonstrated talent in research, combat, and command.
It was as if he were a superhuman with no weaknesses.
If not for the lack of information about Fred from his wife's side and no records from Dr. Hibiki, he would have suspected Fred was a Newtype.
But could a Natural, not a Newtype, achieve such a level?
"A Newtype..."
Siegel pondered, surprised by his own thoughts.
His mentor's words echoed in his mind.
Could a Natural evolve into a Newtype through natural transformation?
It seemed it was time for his mentor to meet Fred.
Lost in his thoughts, Siegel didn't notice the even brighter gaze Lacus directed toward Fred.
With the main ship destroyed, the remaining three transport ships, only equipped with Vulcan Cannons, stood no chance of resistance, let alone the remaining Mistrals.
In just moments, the remaining fleet was completely wiped out.
"Fred..."
In the operations room, Alec watched the battle, now fully resolved, with a complex mix of emotions.
If they were to oppose someone with Fred's abilities, their fate would likely be no better than that of the Blue Cosmos forces.
At best, they might hold out for a few more rounds.
Moreover, this attack pattern could be adjusted in real time based on the enemy's movements.
It was the hallmark of a genius commander.
With this ability, becoming a Captain or even a fleet commander would be effortless.
It was almost too impressive.
He was gradually beginning to understand how people must have felt when they looked at George, the first Coordinator.
Too extraordinary, completely incomparable.
But there was one difference.
George was the first Coordinator, but Fred was a Natural.
Could he be the first superhuman?
Lost in his own thoughts, Alec watched as Fred, after reviewing the battle results, spoke without hesitation.
"We can't let our guard down yet. Haken's squad has been out of contact for over ten minutes."
"Captain Wolf, any news from them?"
"Not yet."
Wolf, who had just emerged from his shock, felt the flush on his face gradually fade, replaced by deep concern.
This concern stemmed not only from worry for their comrades' safety, but also because those few action teams were currently among the Clyne Faction's scarce ace forces.
If all were lost, their armed strength would likely be severely diminished.
Unless Fred himself stepped in to fill the gap—though word had it he still needed to return to MS research, making it unlikely he could join them.