Heliopolis, the peaceful colony where he had lived for many years, instantly turned into a purgatory the moment the alarm tore through the tranquility.
The ZAFT attack came so suddenly and fiercely, completely shattering his once relatively calm student life.
Explosions, flames, screams, fleeing crowds... Kira Yamato's mind was a mess.
He instinctively wanted to escape, to find a safe place.
However, just as he turned to run, he saw that the professor's guest, the girl, had run off somewhere in the panic.
A strong sense of responsibility surged within him, and he unhesitatingly chased in the direction the girl had disappeared.
After an anxious search, he unexpectedly discovered three MS he had never seen before.
Those huge and unfamiliar mechanical figures exuded a chilling aura amidst the raging war.
Kira's first reaction was still to flee. He dragged the guest, stumbling towards the nearest underground shelter entrance he remembered.
Fortunately, they found the entrance.
But unfortunately, when they arrived, out of breath, the Orb staff managing the shelter apologetically informed them that due to the large influx of people, the shelter's internal space was already full, and the protective door was about to close.
"Get in quickly!" Kira pushed Cagalli, who was still somewhat dazed, into the narrow entrance passage with almost no hesitation.
Under Cagalli's worried and confused gaze, the heavy metal isolation door slowly closed in front of him.
"I'll find a way to another shelter!" he shouted through the door, then turned, looking blankly at the war-torn, apocalyptic scene around him.
Where were the other shelters? He didn't know. Where else could he escape to? He knew even less.
The Earth Alliance Forces, who were in the thick of battle with ZAFT, told him that there was no safe place nearby to escape.
Kira's heart was instantly filled with despair and helplessness. He didn't know what to do or where to go. Was he really going to die here?
Just as he felt utterly lost, in order to find a glimmer of hope, he realized he could only act with the person in front of him. Perhaps only then could he survive on this cruel battlefield.
However, as they moved together, Kira's gaze inadvertently swept over a familiar figure.
In that instant, he seemed to see his close friend from whom he had parted on the moon—his heart jolted violently, and countless thoughts rushed into his mind.
But the battlefield didn't give him time to process this sudden and cruel reunion.
Gunshots and explosions pulled him back to reality.
Before he could fully recover from the immense shock, he and Murrue and the others were already being urged into the Strike Gundam's cockpit.
Everything that followed was like a nightmare. The Strike Gundam launched in a chaotic mess, immediately encountering a fierce attack from the gray GINN.
Captain Murrue tried her best to control it, but the machine's movements were unusually clumsy and slow, like a giant wearing ill-fitting armor, constrained everywhere.
"This, these movements are too..." Kira watched the machine on the screen struggling to evade attacks, listening to the piercing alarms in the cockpit caused by vibrations and impacts. A strong sense of disharmony surged within him.
With such doubts, he quickly pushed the Earth Alliance Forces personnel from the seat and then carefully checked the operating system.
What he saw made him gasp in alarm: the operating system was a complete mess, with various commands and codes illogically intertwined. No wonder the machine's movements were so out of control.
At this critical moment, Kira knew he had no retreat.
To survive this battle, to protect himself and those around him, he had to do something.
"What are you doing?!" Murrue was both surprised and angry.
"This OS has a problem! If we don't fix it, we'll all die!" Kira didn't look back, his hands flying like phantoms across the keyboard and control panel.
"Trust me! Give me some time!"
Murrue was stunned. She looked at this student, who had just been terrified, now displaying an incredible focus and confidence, his fingers typing code with astonishing steadiness.
She gritted her teeth and ultimately chose to trust him.
After that, Kira was completely immersed in the world of code. His brain operated at an unprecedented speed. The external roar of artillery and the violent vibrations of the machine seemed to become distant background noise.
His eyes saw only the constantly scrolling lines of code on the screen, and his heart held only one goal: to survive! To survive, he had to repel the GINN in front of him!
And to repel the GINN, he had to make this Strike Gundam perform as it should!
He desperately controlled the machine, using its PS Armor to withstand attacks that couldn't be avoided, maneuvering through a hail of bullets, while racing against time to modify, optimize, and rewrite the core modules of the operating system.
Every successful dodge was accompanied by immense risk, and every line of code written could be interrupted by external impacts.
Sweat soaked his hair and ran down his cheeks, but he dared not be distracted for a moment.
Just as he was about to complete a crucial part of the modification—
"Huh, it disappeared...?" Kira nervously controlled the machine, his gaze rapidly searching the smoke-filled battlefield, only to find that the gray GINN, which had been not far ahead, had suddenly vanished.
Murrue, who was also on high alert, shouted, "Below!" Her voice carried a hint of urgency and tension.
Before he could react to the warning from behind, the GINN, which had seemingly vanished without a trace, reappeared like a ghost before his eyes.
The thought had barely flashed through his mind when the machine suffered an extremely powerful impact from the side.
Kira screamed in terror: "Aaaahhhhhh!!?"
The sound echoed in the cockpit, full of helplessness and fear.
Murrue also let out a muffled groan: "Guh...!"
Both of them were thrown around in the cockpit by the impact.
The machine shook violently, like a small boat in a storm.
Kira gripped the control stick with all his might, his fingers white from the strain, and with sheer willpower, he barely managed to prevent the machine from falling.
As he endured the dizziness and fear, slowly opening his eyes, which had involuntarily shut due to the impact, he saw through the somewhat blurry screen that the gray GINN had once again closed in, retracting its Anti-ship Sword, seemingly preparing to launch a further pursuit to completely finish them off.
Its menacing cyclops lens was like the gaze of death, and the dark muzzles and gleaming blades portended destruction.
Counterattack... must counterattack... Kira cried out anxiously in his heart, trying to command his body to react.
But he felt his limbs were filled with lead, stiff and numb, completely unresponsive.
His heart pounded as if it would explode, and a cold sense of fear submerged him like a tide.
We'll die... We'll die here...?
This terrifying thought flashed through his mind like lightning, bringing a bone-chilling coldness and despair.
However, just as this desperate premonition was about to become reality—
Bang!!!
A loud bang! It wasn't an explosion, but the sound of some heavy object colliding at high speed!
The gray GINN, which had been aggressive and about to deliver the killing blow, suddenly seemed to be violently struck from the side by an invisible, full-speed train!
Its massive body was violently flung sideways, spinning in the air, crashing uncontrollably into the ruins of a distant building!
At the same time, a crimson, flame-like giant figure, with an unstoppable momentum, appeared in front of the Strike Gundam, standing between them and the GINN that had been knocked away!
That figure was so agile, so full of power!
Kira was completely stunned, his eyes wide, his mouth slightly open, for a moment even forgetting to breathe. He looked at that unfamiliar, fiery crimson back, his mind blank.
"— — — — — — Huh, what...?" he murmured subconsciously, trying to comprehend the dramatic scene unfolding before his eyes.
Murrue was equally bewildered, she mumbled, "This, this is..."
Kira, who didn't know what had happened, and the Earth Alliance Forces personnel, who looked at the situation with slightly clearer eyes than him, were both at a loss due to the sudden change.
"Blazing...!" Murrue murmured.
"...Blazing?" Kira subconsciously repeated the name, his heart filled with doubt.
The red machine in front of them had its back to them, swiftly and smoothly drawing a gun-type weapon. Its dark muzzle unhesitatingly aimed at the GINN that had been sent flying... Was this machine an ally? Was it here to save them?
Kira's heart was full of questions; he really didn't know whether this suddenly appearing machine was friend or foe.
He knew nothing, yet why? An inexplicable feeling surged within him.
He knew nothing about it, didn't know who was in the cockpit, but for some reason, looking at that solid and reliable crimson back, a strange, ineffable feeling quietly surged into Kira's heart like a gentle stream.
(It's... alright now.)
It was as if a gentle yet firm voice resonated directly in the depths of his mind.
It was a sensation that transcended language and matter, an resonance from the depths of his soul.
This sudden warm feeling, like the mildest sunshine in winter, instantly dispelled the fear and coldness in his heart, miraculously allowing his nerves, which had been taut from extreme tension, to slowly relax.
An inexplicable, unfounded sense of security quietly occupied his heart.
"...Will it still attack?" Char Aznable murmured to himself, the crimson Blazing Gundam hovering in mid-air, its Beam Rifle pointing at the gradually settling dust in the distance.
His eyes were sharp, filled with high alert, locking onto the position where the GINN had fallen.
The extraordinary perception brought by the Flada bloodline told him that the battle...was not over yet.
Sure enough, from the ruins of the collapsed building and the pervasive sand, a massive, dark gray figure slowly rose again, accompanied by the harsh screech of metal friction.
The GINN's body was covered in scratches and dents from the impact, but its core structure seemed to have avoided fatal damage.
Its iconic, single eye lens, glowing with an ominous red light, reignited, piercing through the smoke and dust like the eye of a beast made more ferocious by injury, steadily locking onto the Blazing Gundam hovering in front.
The opponent's fighting spirit, far from diminishing due to the violent collision just now, seemed to have been ignited with even greater ferocity.
"...This is only natural," Char Aznable thought, understanding.
For Michel Aiman, the Pilot of the GINN, the Blazing Gundam's surprise attack was indeed astonishingly powerful, displaying mobility and impact far exceeding the GINN's.
But in his perception, this was more like an unexpected sneak attack.
The performance of the enemy's new mobile suit might have the upper hand, but he had also observed the clumsy operation of the Strike Gundam at close range, and this red mobile suit that suddenly appeared, its Pilot's desperate charge just now, though brave, also subtly revealed a sense of...inexperience.
Michel would likely judge that the Pilots of these two mysterious new MS were nothing more than inexperienced rookies lacking in skill.
An advantage in performance might not compensate for the huge gap in experience and technique.
This underestimation might be an opportunity Char Aznable could exploit, but it also meant that the opponent would not give up easily.
"Tsk, this is troublesome. It would be great if I had a small melee knife like the 'Armor Schneider'…" Char Aznable muttered to himself, sighing inwardly as he kept a close eye on the GINN's every move on the screen.
The Blazing Gundam only had the immensely powerful Beam Saber, which had too many limitations in this environment.
His gaze swept quickly over the surroundings through the mobile suit's external cameras.
In the distant street corners and the shadows of buildings, he could still see some terrified civilians who hadn't had time to evacuate.
Those pale faces, illuminated by the flames of war, filled with fear and helplessness, stung his eyes.
He wasn't sure how large the destructive range and energy diffusion of the two Beam Sabers on the Blazing Gundam's back would be once activated, but common sense told him that they were definitely not something to be wielded casually in this environment.
The high temperature and energy shock of beam weapons, even a glancing blow, would be enough to inflict devastating damage on fragile human bodies.
Not to mention if he accidentally struck a building, it could trigger a secondary collapse, causing even greater casualties.
In this situation, the only stable long-range attack method he could use seemed to be the Beam Rifle in his hand.
But—his gaze swept over the fragile inner wall of Heliopolis in the distance—no, the Beam Rifle was equally dangerous!
If this high-energy weapon went out of control or was induced to hit the structural wall of the colony, it could cause catastrophic consequences, even leading to the collapse of the entire colony!
That was definitely a situation he did not want to see.
Therefore, even if he had to use the Beam Rifle, he had to be extremely cautious, minimize the number of shots, ensure that every shot, or at least try to make every shot, accurately hit the target, and in a relatively safe direction.
"...The only way is to lure the GINN to an open area away from civilians and fragile structural zones."
Char Aznable's mind raced, quickly making a decision. "Once we're in an empty, uninhabited place, I can use the Beam Saber without reservation, or engage in freer shooting."
Since that was the case, he could only execute Plan B—lure the enemy!
But how could he successfully lure this experienced old wolf away without the opponent seeing through his intentions?
Michel Aiman, an ace Pilot who even earned the title "Twilight's Magic Bullet" in the original manga "SEED Astray" (though he was ultimately defeated by Lowe Guele and Gai in that work), his combat experience and battlefield instincts were absolutely not to be underestimated.
If he showed a clear intention to escape this area, with Michel's shrewdness, he would likely immediately realize it was a lure, thereby abandoning the pursuit of Char Aznable and prioritizing dealing with the Strike Gundam behind him, which seemed easier to handle and had just posed a threat.
"I must make him believe that I am the more threatening target, and one that he 'has a chance' to defeat..." Char Aznable's eyes sparkled with calculation.
No, it wouldn't work, he couldn't gamble. In the worst-case scenario, even if Michel really turned to attack the Strike, Char Aznable would have to tough it out and absolutely not let the Strike be shot down.
After all, Kira Yamato and the Strike Gundam were an indispensable part of his future plans.
So, the only option now was—to buy time!
He had to at least gain enough time for Kira Yamato to complete the initial rewriting of the Strike Gundam's OS, to make that blue and white Gundam truly combat-ready!
Only then would they have a chance to survive this encounter with vastly disparate strengths!
This was their only chance at survival! He had to give it his all!
Just as Char Aznable made up his mind, the GINN in the distance moved.
It didn't immediately attack, but re-holstered its Heavy Assault Rifle to its waist, seemingly judging that long-range shooting would be ineffective against the PS Armor-equipped Blazing Gundam, and instead drew its Anti-ship Sword again!
Its objective was clear—to continue close-quarters combat using the impact force of its physical weapon!
Seeing this, Char Aznable's heart stirred—the opportunity had arrived! Without hesitation, he immediately piloted the Blazing Gundam, sharply turned, and with boosters firing, flew at high speed in a direction away from the Strike Gundam and the civilian gathering area!
His movements were swift and decisive, without any hesitation, appearing as if...he was afraid of the opponent's close-quarters combat and chose to temporarily avoid the confrontation?
Indeed, Michel, the Pilot of that GINN, seeing that this red MS, which clearly had superior performance, chose to "flee" after he drew his Anti-ship Sword, his red eye light flickered, seemingly confirming his previous judgment—this Pilot was indeed a rookie!
How could he let go of this opportunity to pursue?
Michel didn't hesitate for a moment, immediately activated his boosters, piloting the somewhat cumbersome GINN, tightly chasing after that crimson figure!
He even instinctively fired a few warning shots with his assault rifle in the direction the Blazing Gundam was fleeing, the bullets hitting the ground behind the Blazing Gundam, kicking up dust.
"He took the bait!" Char Aznable saw the relentlessly pursuing GINN through his rear sensors, a slight sigh of relief escaping him, but his nerves remained taut.
He piloted the Blazing Gundam, weaving at high speed through the abandoned industrial zone and damaged streets, constantly changing direction and altitude, always keeping an eye on the GINN's pursuit trajectory behind him.
He repeatedly confirmed with his peripheral vision and sensors, ensuring that no other civilians or Allied Forces/Orb soldiers were caught in this chase route.
As he flew over a relatively open area with heavily damaged surrounding buildings, confirming no life signals, Char Aznable seized a fleeting opportunity.
He suddenly slid sideways, his mobile suit carving a beautiful arc in the air, while slowly raising the high-energy Beam Rifle in his hand.
Sweat trickled down his forehead, dripping onto the control panel.
His right index finger rested on the trigger, trembling slightly. His breathing was somewhat hurried.
This was his—Char Aznable's—first true shot with the intent to kill an enemy in this world! His first battle as an MS Pilot!
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down.
He locked onto the pursuing GINN, predicting its lead.
"Bang—!"
Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger!
A dazzling beam, condensed with destructive energy, like a sharp sword tearing through darkness, instantly shot out from the Blazing Gundam's muzzle, carrying a sharp whistling sound, heading straight for the GINN behind him!
However—
Just as the beam was about to hit, Michel Aiman, the Pilot of that GINN, displayed the astonishing reaction speed and predictive ability of an ace Pilot!
He seemed to have anticipated the opponent's counterattack, and almost simultaneously with Char Aznable's firing, he sharply dodged sideways!
The boosters fired precisely, and the massive gray mobile suit, with an agility belying its appearance, narrowly avoided the beam by its edge!
The scorching beam struck the ground behind and to the side of the GINN, instantly melting concrete and rebar, leaving a deep, molten crater emitting wisps of smoke.
"...Tsk!" Char Aznable clicked his tongue, cursing inwardly. As expected of "Twilight's Magic Bullet," he was indeed not so easy to deal with!
Although the luring plan had successfully begun, the battle ahead would likely be more difficult than he had anticipated.
His first battle had only just begun.
