He slightly increased his flight speed. The advantage of piloting an MS was once again evident; its powerful maneuverability and speed allowed him to quickly cover the distance he had created earlier to lure the enemy.
Not long after, the silhouette of the Strike Gundam reappeared in his sight on the somewhat messy open ground below.
He skillfully piloted the Blazing Gundam, adjusting its posture, decelerating, and descending.
Accompanied by a slight hydraulic cushioning sound and the dust kicked up by the thrusters, the crimson giant landed steadily not far from the Strike Gundam.
His movements were fluid and precise, a stark contrast to the ferocity of his earlier combat.
He slowly rotated the MS's head camera, like the eyes of a giant, looking down at the situation on the ground.
As expected, Lieutenant Murrue Ramius stood at the forefront, arms crossed, her pretty face filled with seriousness and vigilance. Her gaze was as sharp as a hawk, fixed unblinkingly on the Blazing Gundam's cockpit, as if she wanted to see directly through the Pilot inside.
Behind her stood several students in Heliopolis Industrial Academy uniforms—Tolle Koenig, Miriallia Haw, Sai Argyle, and Katz Baskirk.
These important supporting characters from the original work were all gathered here, their faces pale with the aftermath of survival, confused about the future, and filled with curiosity and unease about this suddenly appearing red MS that had saved them.
However, when Xia Ya's gaze swept over these familiar faces and finally settled on the person standing slightly ahead of the crowd, close to Murrue, his movements, his thoughts, and even his breathing, froze for an instant...
That person... that person... Kira Yamato...?
No... that's not right!
Something seemed... very wrong!
"Did I see wrong...? An illusion? A sequela of the battle just now?"
He felt his brain short-circuiting, and subconsciously ordered the MS camera to refocus, even increasing the resolution.
He rubbed his eyes—of course, this was a subconscious action; rubbing his eyes in the cockpit couldn't change the image on the screen—then looked again intently.
The facial features... it was indeed Kira Yamato's delicate face, with faint traces of the original work's shadow. The body proportions... also seemed similar to the somewhat slender youth he remembered.
But... but...!!!
What was with that soft, shiny, dark brown long hair, flowing down like a chocolate waterfall, its length even surpassing her shoulders?!
Kira should have neat short hair!
And that green, uniquely shaped mechanical bird—Tori—was obediently perched on that person's shoulder, tilting its head, preening its mechanical feathers.
That was Athrun's token of affection for Kira... er, no, a symbol of friendship.
How could it be perched there so harmoniously?
Looking closer... the lines of her shoulders seemed softer and more rounded than a male's.
The curve of her chest... although obscured by the school uniform, it was vaguely discernible... that was definitely not the flatness a youth should have!
Those full curves, with distinct feminine characteristics—
No! Stop deceiving yourself! Accept reality! Xia Ya!
In his heart, it was as if ten thousand alpacas galloped past, leaving chaos in their wake.
A horrifying conclusion that almost made him lose control and shout out on the spot exploded in his mind like a bolt from the blue:
This person... this person is not Kira Yamato at all!!!
This is Ji Liang Yamato?! A female version of Kira?!
You're kidding me—!!!
This discovery had an impact that far exceeded the thrill of the life-and-death battle he had just fought in the MS.
It was like a bombshell, instantly shattering the worldview and future plans Xia Ya had built based on the original plot!
His mind completely plunged into a snowy white screen, as if the signal had been interrupted.
Shock, confusion, absurdity, disbelief... all sorts of emotions churned violently in his heart like boiling water in a pot.
He slowly piloted the Blazing Gundam and opened the cockpit hatch.
His movements were somewhat stiff due to the intense shock within.
Fresh air, still smelling of gunpowder, rushed in, somewhat dispelling the stuffiness in the cockpit caused by battle and tension.
He unbuckled his seatbelt, grabbed the rope by the hatch, stepped onto the descending footrest, and carefully, step by step, began to descend as if sleepwalking.
As he descended, he could clearly feel that everyone on the ground was staring at him like searchlights.
Curiosity, vigilance, scrutiny, doubt... various complex gazes intertwined, forming an invisible pressure.
And his gaze, as if drawn by an irresistible magnetic force, had been unable to leave that... that "Ji Liang" who had transformed into a beautiful girl, from the moment he left the cockpit.
Why?
Why did it turn out like this?!
Kira Yamato, the gentle and kind main male protagonist in the original work, known as the strongest Coordinator, who grew through confusion and pain and eventually became one of the saviors, how could he... how could he become a girl?!
This... this plot alteration is too outrageous, isn't it?!
This makes no sense at all! Is the original author playing with me?!
He ranted wildly in his heart, trying to find a shred of logic in this absurd reality, but found nothing.
Generally speaking, this kind of gender-swap setting would only appear in certain fanfiction or parody side stories, right?
Who would have thought that this seemingly "orthodox" SEED world he had transmigrated into had undergone such a subversive change from its very roots?!
This is definitely strange! Very strange!
And... wait! He suddenly realized a problem that made him even more panicked and despairing than the "plot collapse" itself!
A serious problem that could potentially cause many of his future plans to die in the womb!
If Ji Liang is a girl... holy crap! What about her and Lacus's CP?!
The union of Kira and Lacus, that pair hailed as the "strongest couple of the C.E. Century," their love, their ideological fusion, and their ultimate joint guidance of the world towards peace (at least temporarily)—this was the highest priority and most important link in his series of "setting things right" and "saving regrets" plans formulated after his transmigration!
One could say, this was one of the "stabilizing forces" in his heart for maintaining the "correct" trajectory of this world!
But now... Kira has become Ji Liang... a girl with a girl?
This... this... "No... don't panic! There's still hope!" In despair, Xia Ya forcibly activated the emergency procedure called "self-comfort."
"Lacus is also a girl... a girl and a girl... yuri? Yes! Yuri is fine! Absolutely no problem!"
He frantically brainwashed himself in his heart.
It's okay! As long as the ending is good, as long as they can be happily together and continue to guide world peace, does gender matter?
It doesn't matter! Yuri is infinitely good, the great law ensures peace! Hmm, that's it! No problems!
After forcibly convincing himself (or rather, temporarily numbing himself), he finally stood firmly on the soil of Heliopolis.
Just as he took a deep breath, preparing to face the inevitable interrogation—
"Um..."
A clear, pleasant voice, tinged with hesitation and curiosity, rang out.
Xia Ya suddenly looked up. He saw the girl who had just shattered his worldview—Ji Liang Yamato—blinking her large eyes, which were as gentle as Kira's but even more lively, looking at him and taking a small step forward, seemingly wanting to say something to the mysterious Pilot who had just saved them.
It really was a girl's voice! And quite pleasant too... No! This is not the time to think about that!
However, before Ji Liang could finish speaking, Captain Murrue Ramius, who had remained highly vigilant, stepped forward, extended her arm, and gently blocked Ji Liang, preventing her from approaching.
Then, Murrue turned her head and once again locked her hawk-like sharp gaze on Xia Ya.
Her expression was serious, and her eyes were filled with scrutiny and unchallengeable authority.
"I am Earth Alliance Forces, Captain Murrue Ramius." Her voice was clear and forceful, each word seemingly carrying the iron-blooded aura of a soldier, echoing across the somewhat silent open ground that had just endured the baptism of war. "I'll get straight to the point. Who are you? Why are you piloting that MS? This secret GAT-X1... how did you know of its existence, and how did you activate it?"
A barrage of questions, like cannon fire, struck Xia Ya. Each question went straight to the core, filled with an unavoidable sense of pressure.
The surrounding air seemed to grow heavy with her questioning. Tolle, Mili, and the others also watched him nervously, awaiting his answer.
Only Ji Liang, seemingly blocked by Murrue, showed a hint of confusion and... more curiosity in her eyes.
It's here. Xia Ya thought to himself. What must come, will come.
He slightly raised his head, meeting Murrue's intense gaze.
He tried to make his expression appear as natural as possible, with a touch of just the right amount of post-calamity fatigue, helplessness, and a slight reverence when facing a soldier.
"...I'm just an ordinary student. When the ZAFT attack started, I was nearby... like many people, I just wanted to find a place to take shelter. I saw a sign saying there was a shelter in the factory area, so I desperately ran this way... But..."
He began to methodically recount his "experience," following the script he had conceived in his mind.
He described how he fled in the chaos, how he narrowly avoided explosions and stray bullets, how he discovered that the entrance to the designated shelter had been destroyed (which was true), and how he desperately searched for a way out amidst the gunfire... "...I was trapped in the factory area, surrounded by ZAFT soldiers and fighting.
I couldn't escape at all. Just when I thought I was doomed, I saw that... that red MS. It was parked there, and the cockpit seemed to be open... I, I was truly desperate at the time... I know I shouldn't touch military property, I know it's a serious crime... But, Captain, to survive... I really had no other choice. Activating it... I just... randomly tried using some mechanical and programming knowledge I learned in school... I didn't expect... it actually moved..."
He tried to make his voice sound sincere and earnest, tinged with lingering fear and "regret" for his actions.
He portrayed himself as an ordinary student forced to commit an illegal act to survive in a desperate situation, attributing his piloting of the MS to a survival instinct and "luck."
—Of course, this was full of lies and deliberate misleading.
His appearance in the factory area was premeditated, and his choice to board the MS was a carefully considered decision.
As for activating and modifying the OS, that was a "skill" he had long prepared.
But these truths, he could not reveal a single word.
Deceiving this kind-hearted female officer in front of him filled him with a strong sense of guilt.
Murrue Ramius, a woman known in the original work for her resilience, gentleness, and sense of responsibility, was now being deceived by his carefully woven lies.
But... he had no choice. For his own goals, for the "future" he believed in, he could only choose to bear this heavy sense of guilt.
"You're aware that you did something you shouldn't have, right?" Murrue stared intently into his eyes, as if trying to catch a trace of falsehood in his gaze. Her tone was still stern, but seemed to have softened slightly compared to before.
"Yes... yes, Captain." Xia Ya immediately lowered his head obediently, making a repentant gesture. "Whatever decision you make, I am willing to accept it. I will completely follow your instructions." He acted like a child who had made a mistake but was willing to take responsibility.
Murrue watched him in silence for a few seconds, her gaze complex.
Finally, she seemed to temporarily suppress her doubts, nodded, and said, "It's good that you understand... Listen, although I'm sorry, this isn't over yet."
With that, she suddenly turned around, her gaze sweeping over Ji Liang, as well as Tolle, Miriallia, Sai, and Katz.
Her expression became serious again.
"All of you," she announced in an unchallengeable tone, "including you (referring to Xia Ya), and you all (referring to Ji Liang and the others)."
"Eh?" Tolle and the others exclaimed in astonishment. Ji Liang also showed a puzzled expression. Why would it include them?
Murrue looked at their obvious confusion and unease, and continued in a calm but firm voice:
"No matter your reasons, whether voluntary or forced. You have all come into contact with the Earth Alliance Forces' highest military secret—these two Gundams." She pointed to the Strike and Blazing Gundams beside them. "According to regulations, I must temporarily detain all of you as 'military-related personnel.' Until I contact my superior unit and a final decision is made regarding your identities and circumstances, all of you must accompany me and the Archangel, which is about to set sail."
Detain?! Accompany?!
This sudden announcement stunned all the students present. They just wanted to escape, how did they suddenly become "military secret contacts" and get "detained"?
Looking at their shocked and panicked expressions, Xia Ya, however, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Although it was forced, he had successfully "gotten on board" after all.