The trajectory of events, while slightly deviating from Xia Ya's memory of the "original work"—mainly due to his own intervention and changes in his role—the core outcome seemed unchanged: Kira Yamato and her friends ultimately joined Murrue Ramius, boarding the battleship that was about to become legendary.
"The next development..." Xia Ya closed his eyes slightly, withdrawing his attention from the ongoing negotiations and focusing his senses outward.
His perception, far exceeding that of ordinary people, like an invisible radar, detected two presences rapidly approaching the location.
These two presences became clearer and clearer in his perception, and their intensity and characteristics allowed him to make an immediate judgment.
"One of them is Mu... the other, I'm afraid, is 'that guy.'"
He frowned slightly, a complex emotion quietly spreading in his heart.
There was both an instinctive worry for the safety of his brother, Mu La Flaga, and a premonition of the inevitable confrontation that was about to come.
The second presence was powerful, cold, and carried a familiar, unsettling sense of oppression.
As he continued to carefully sense the direction and speed of the two approaching presences, he subconsciously slowly raised his head, looking beyond the factory's blown-out dome to the artificial sky of the colony, stained with the colors of war.
Against the vast backdrop, a drama concerning fate seemed to be drawing back its curtain.
Immersed in his thoughts and perceptions, he didn't immediately notice that not far from him, Kira Yamato's eyes, as clear and deep as amethyst, were fixed on him without blinking.
Her gaze was filled with an unspeakable curiosity, scrutiny, and a peculiar sense of connection that Kira herself had not even noticed.
Who exactly was this mysterious man who had suddenly appeared and calmly resolved the crisis? He seemed to hide many secrets.
After a brief rest and arrangements, they officially began to "act together."
As per custom, and also to establish basic trust and communication, Captain Ramius suggested that everyone introduce themselves.
When it was Xia Ya's turn to announce the name "Xia Ya Flada," he keenly caught a trace of surprise and contemplation flashing across Captain Ramius's face.
Indeed, the surname "Flada" in this world, especially in circles related to the high echelons of the Earth Alliance Forces, carried a special meaning.
However, Xia Ya did not show too much concern about this; there were more important matters to focus on at hand.
Mu's presence was getting closer, and that unsettling presence was like a shadow.
Captain Ramius quickly gave Xia Ya his first specific instruction: "Flada, please Pilot that unit and try to establish contact with our wingman or mothership. Use a standard encrypted channel."
She was referring to the red-painted Gundam—X106 Blazing Gundam—that Xia Ya had previously piloted.
"Understood." Xia Ya said no more, turning and walking towards the Blazing Gundam.
Sitting in the familiar cockpit, the hum of the internal systems starting up and the sequential illumination of the indicator lights brought him a sense of calm.
He called up the communication interface and began to hail, using the frequency and encryption code provided by Ramius.
"This is X106 Blazing Gundam, calling friendly units, please respond if you hear me. Repeat, this is Blazing Gundam, calling Earth Alliance Forces friendly units."
However, the only response he received was the irritating "shush" sound from the loudspeaker.
Strong Minovsky particles, or what is called "Neutron Jammer" technology in this world, severely hindered radio communication.
"...Is it interference?" he muttered to himself. Logically, the Earth Alliance Forces' new battleship, the Archangel, should be nearby, but clearly, conventional communication methods had failed. He tried switching to several backup channels, but the result was still the same.
Sighing helplessly, Xia Ya temporarily gave up trying. Rather than calling in vain, it was better to focus on the more pressing threat.
Since just now, the two continuously approaching presences were already very close, especially the one carrying strong hostility.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sai Argyle and several technicians unloading parts from a large trailer outside the cockpit. Xia Ya recognized it as one of the Strike Gundam's interchangeable equipment—the Launcher Striker Pack.
It seemed Kira and the others were also preparing for a possible battle.
Indeed, not far away, Kira's Strike Gundam was slowly crouching, approaching the trailer, ready to change equipment.
Heavy firepower support might come in handy in the upcoming battle.
His gaze briefly lingered on the Strike Gundam's figure, a complex emotion stirring in his heart.
This girl, who should have been living a peaceful life, now had to Pilot a weapon of war.
Just then—
—!"
A sudden, bone-chilling coldness surged through his entire body!
Xia Ya's expression instantly changed slightly. This feeling... he was too familiar with it.
This was not physiological coldness, but a spiritual, almost instinctive, warning of danger.
More specifically, it was the perception of extremely strong, undisguised killing intent and hostility!
This hostility was not directly aimed at him, but its sheer intensity and malice, like a tangible cold current, made him shiver from the depths of his soul.
His heart pounded uncontrollably, as if it wanted to leap out of his chest, and an invisible, extremely dangerous atmosphere instantly enveloped him.
Almost at the same time, a deafening roar erupted near the colony dome above their heads!
Boom—!!!
The shockwave and flames of the explosion, like a raging beast, tore through the fragile structure, spraying fragments and fire in all directions.
Xia Ya suddenly looked up, peering through the Blazing Gundam's external monitors.
In his vision, a swirling mass of orange-red explosion flames violently expanded, from which two figures rapidly burst out—one was a white, sharply lined, aggressive Mobile Suit, and the other was an orange-painted, clearly damaged Mobile Armor.
No mistake! Xia Ya's eyes instantly became incredibly sharp.
That was Rau Le Creuset piloting the ZAFT Forces' new commander-type unit—the Cigu—and... his brother Mu La Flaga piloting the Moebius Zero!
The situation was extremely critical!
Without even waiting for Captain Ramius to issue any commands, Xia Ya, relying on instinct and decisive judgment, began to act.
"Click!" The cockpit hatch quickly closed and locked behind him, leaving only his own breathing and the low hum of the machine in the confined space.
As the unit started, the Blazing Gundam's entire armor instantly changed from the standby gray to a vivid crimson, and the humming sound of energy flow echoed within the unit.
His hands danced rapidly across the control panel and joysticks, and the Blazing Gundam's head sensors accurately locked onto the two units engaged in combat overhead.
After confirming the Cigu's position, the thrusters on its back instantly erupted with powerful thrust!
"Mu!" he silently roared in his heart, intense worry filling his consciousness.
Just as the Blazing Gundam shot up, the screen showed the Cigu's gleaming heavy beam saber slashing through the air with lightning speed, precisely striking the Moebius Zero's last remaining main weapon—the long-barreled railgun!
Sparks flew, and the severed barrel fell limply.
Xia Ya's heart sank. In previous battles, Mu's Moebius Zero had already lost its iconic and most powerful weapon—the wired guided mobile cannons.
Now even the last railgun was destroyed, meaning Mu's machine had completely lost all its armaments, becoming a defenseless target!
Kruze's attack was ruthless and precise, without the slightest hesitation, every movement filled with deadly efficiency.
After a successful strike, he piloted the white Cigu, like a hunting raptor, smoothly making a turn and raising his heavy beam saber again, relentlessly pursuing the orange MA attempting to evade, preparing to deliver the final blow to this fangless prey!
He must not succeed!
Xia Ya's eyes were incredibly firm, his hands a blur, pushing the Blazing Gundam's performance to its limit.
He calculated the lead, attempting to forcefully insert his unit between the Cigu and the Moebius Zero, using the Blazing Gundam's sturdy PS Armor to block Kruze's fatal blow, buying Mu a sliver of hope.
The crimson Gundam, like a meteor, streaked directly towards the core of the high-altitude battlefield.
However, just as the Blazing Gundam was about to reach its intended interception position, only a hair's breadth from the deadly blade—
An unexpected change occurred!
The white Cigu, which had been in hot pursuit with aggressive momentum, its cold-gleaming mono-eye main sensor, turned towards the rapidly approaching crimson Gundam—the Blazing Gundam—below.
Accompanying the rotation of the sensor, the Cigu's massive and intimidating body also smoothly, with a chilling elegance, turned its torso.
The entire movement was seamless, without the slightest pause, yet it exuded an even more terrifying sense of oppression than when it was chasing Mu just now.
— — — — — —"
Inside the Blazing Gundam's cockpit, Xia Ya Flada felt an unprecedented chill, like a Siberian blizzard, instantly sweeping up from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making all the blood in his body feel as if it were about to freeze.
So cold. Truly so cold.
His body began to tremble uncontrollably, his teeth subconsciously chattering softly.
He knew very well that the ambient temperature inside the colony was carefully controlled, and such a drastic temperature difference was impossible.
This coldness did not come from the external environment but originated from the depths of his soul; it was an instinctive reaction to the immense spiritual pressure and malice, almost solidified into substance, emanating from the presence before him!
Fear, like a lurking venomous snake, bit his heart unexpectedly.
"This is... Raww Le Klueze...!"
Xia Ya uttered the name with difficulty in his heart, his voice unconsciously tinged with an uncontrollable tension and... awe.
This was the first time since he came to this world that he had a direct, head-on confrontation with this terrifying existence, who was the final boss in the original "SEED."
Not only was he the fated rival in the original work, but in terms of bloodline in this world, he was also a special individual, like him and Mu, a genetic continuation of "Dr. Hibiki" or "Al Da Flaga." The threads of fate, at this moment, intertwined them in an extremely dramatic way.
Fine cold sweat seeped from his temples, but his hands gripping the control stick tightened even more, his knuckles slightly white from the excessive force.
He seemed to want to draw courage and strength from this cold mechanical construct.
Despite his heart being shrouded in the shadow of fear, Xia Ya's eyes did not flinch; instead, they burned with an even fiercer flame, like a drawn sword, staring intently, without blinking, through the monitor screen at the Cigu, which hovered in the air like a white god of death, aimed at him.
He knew that a battle far earlier and more brutal than anticipated was now unavoidable.
At the same time, in the cockpit of the white Cigu, which was in a standoff with the Blazing Gundam, the masked man—Raww Le Klueze—was also seized by a sudden, unprecedented, peculiar feeling.
"Hmm...? What is this feeling...?"
Under the mask, Kruze's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, and a deep surprise and intense interest flashed in his eyes, hidden in the shadows.
A feeling, like a surging tide, churned in his heart, clearly pointing to the strikingly conspicuous crimson Gundam below.
This was not merely a sense of threat, but a deeper resonance, as if from the genetic or soul level, and... repulsion?
His killing intent, originally directed at Mu La Flaga, was completely overshadowed by this sudden, unusual feeling. All his attention was instantly focused on the crimson "blaze" and its Pilot.
The gears of fate, at this moment, emitted a heavy and clear turning sound.