Editing KSGU:Volume 6 Chapter 3 (section)

===09:09===

(Romeo 008, do you hear me? Solton’s squadron is currently approaching you. Secure the unknown Gundam-type. If it has any intention of resisting, use whatever means you want. Secure the Gundam-type mobile suit—)

The voice from the communication channel was filled with noise, and Riddhe’s originally elated body and mind calmed down thoroughly. He cut off the communication screen that only had a voice, and panned the sights of his main camera to the left. The “Delta Plus” that landed on the wastelands of rubble moved its head and stared at the body of the mobile armor that was giving off thick smoke from within. The eyes that were reminiscent of a human were glowing from beyond that veil of smoke, and the V-shaped blade antenna showed its silhouette as the “Unicorn Gundam” slowly revealed itself as it approached Riddhe.

The psycoframe that was revealed from its armor was fading in brightness, and the red reflective-like glow covered its body like tattoos. Riddhe looked back at it again from close range, and he found that the Gundam-type head looked as life-like as a human wearing a helmet—the eyes were showing a calm glow, seemingly expressing the feelings of the pilot within it as well, and his mind was secretly incensed by this.

''This is the mobile suit with the key to the “Box”. As long as this guy doesn’t exist, everything wouldn’t happen. If I can just not understand the fate of my “family”, I won’t have to bear this burden on my shoulders and sit in the cockpit like an ordinary pilot. If this guy didn’t appear in front of me, if Mineva can become an uninteresting woman—regret and anger fought each other within him, expanding, causing him to forget the feeling of the way he managed to link up well with the machine in front of him. The thrill when they were accelerating for each other as they raced caused all his senses to sharpen. ''If only I can remain at that moment of ecstasy.''

(Are you Ensign Riddhe?)

The metals bellowed as they touched each other, and the voice of the pilot rang within the interaction window. The “Unicorn Gundam” was touching the “Delta Plus” on the shoulder as it opened the communication circuit. The excitement had calmed down, and the other side seemed to have calmed down too. Riddhe lifted his head slightly and saw Banagher Link’s face on the communication window.

(I never thought that I would meet you here in such a way…is Audrey alright? Did you make contact with the “Nahel Argama”—)

Banagher intended to lean the body forward as he talked. However, Riddhe did not look at the other party’s face. He held his breath and fulfilled what he had to do at this point.

The “Delta Plus” shook aside the hand resting on its shoulder and pushed the “Unicorn Gundam” aside. The “Gundam” tripped, and by the time it managed to steady itself with the AMBAC, the “Delta Plus” was aiming its beam rifle at the abdomen.

(Mr Riddhe…!?)

“I’ve received an order to capture that “Gundam”. Get off that cockpit, Banagher.”

Luckily, the visuals on the communication window were cut off the moment the interaction channel was removed. (Mr Riddhe, why…!) Riddhe merely let Banaher’s outcry chide his ears as his hand holding onto the control stick was trembling.

“Don’t call me as if we’re close with each other. Without you, things wouldn’t end up like that…!”

(Why’s that so? Mr Riddhe, Audrey—)

“You and the “Gundam” are obstacles preventing this Audrey you speak of—Mineva from living peacefully. Get off!”

''My chest is going to break open. At this rate, I’ll go crazy too—just like this mobile armor that lies dead in front of me.'' Riddhe lowered his eyes and waited for Banagher to answer in a prayer. ''I feel you’re a man of your word. I’ll leave Audrey to you.'' The boy with such strong-willed eyes actually used those words to lay a curse on him and bind him, and though he hoped that the other party would step aside after realizing what was going on—

(I don’t want to.)

The other person rejected RIddhe’s selfish thoughts, and the expected answer rang within his ears. He widened his eyes, gritted his teeth, and pointed the beam rifle.

“Don’t make me burn you alongside the cockpit!”

(I won’t get down. I won’t hand the “Unicorn” to you when you’re talking like this, Ensign Riddhe. Please tell me, tell me the reason!)

The “Unicorn Gundam” took a step back and turned its duel-eye sensors, replicating the eyes of the pilot, at the “Delta Plus”. Having spoke up, the other party turned its defiant stubborn eyes right at Riddhe, whose finger on the trigger was trembling as he turned away from the “Gundam”that had a human-like face.

''Squeeze the trigger,'' Riddhe told himself in his heart. ''The“Box” definitely mustn’t be opened. You should have heard of the truth. You can’t let the “power that can topple the current world” be released. Nobody has that right. Even if you don’t take it back, the secret will be secured if you destroy the “Unicorn Gundam” here. Everything will end like that, and you can return back to your original life. Nobody will blame you. The other side of the scale is the fate of the world, any act is allowed, even if Mineva—''

''No.'' This answer that flashed through caused his hand holding on the control stick to shudder, and he sensed how cold the sweat he was giving off was. ''Mineva won’t forgive me, and I won’t forgive myself, even if I, a part of the 100-year lie, is already tainted beyond hope—'' he looked down and opened his tense hands. The lock-on signal vanished, and the “Delta Plus” arm raising the beam rifle dropped weakly.

“…Go.”

''I’m an idiot.'' He mused in his heart that felt neither regret nor relief as he moved his finger away from the trigger. The “Unicorn Gundam”shuddered, and Banagher let out a troubled voice, (Mr Riddhe…)

“Go! The Federation reinforcements will come over immediately. You must leave Dakar before it gets surrounded. If you drag on, I’ll—”

The words he should continue on were covered by the sharp approaching alarm. He immediately checked the coordinates and looked up and the sky together with the “Unicorn Gundam” that was in a defensive stance.

The smoke was blown aside by the wind, and there was a white plane flying by for a short moment in the blue sky. Something small, the size of a fingertip, was already over their heads, adding wings to the rectangular machine, It appeared under the sunlight, and the humanoid figure shown from there entered Riddhe’s eyes.

The mobile suit that had its limbs spread wide open fell down quickly like it was parachuting down. The bright morning sun lit its streamlined profile, and the golden lone horn on its forehead was radiating. That machine was pitch black, and it was flickering strongly under the bright sunlight, absorbing everything in—

“A black…”Unicorn”?”

The eyes hidden by the facemask let out an attacking flair. Riddhe unconditionally moved and let the “Delta Plus” fall back, while the “Unicorn Gundam” retreated at almost the same instant too. The scorching beam came a moment late as it broke the road surface. That beam caused the surrounding rubble to vaporize, shake the remains of the mobile armor, and the explosive flash and shockwaves expanded right near where the two machines were.

''That’s not an ordinary mega-particle shot. Is that the same type as the “Unicorn Gundam” personalized beam rifle—the beam Magnum?'' Riddhe dodged about in the midst of the scattering rubble, brought his machine to the blind spot of the mobile armor, and aimed at the descending black machine with its beam rifle. The black “Unicorn”-like machine lit its thrusters, spun around in the air, and dodged the bullet path at a speed unfitting a free-falling object. The beam Gatling gun of the “Unicorn Gundam” spewed out a bunch of beams and expanded a line of mega-particle fire at where the black “Unicorn”was landing, but this action did not managed to restrain it. The black “unicorn”opened the shield on its left arm, created an I-field, and parried aside the fire from the Gatling guns without missing one.

There was a golden light radiating from the shield that opened to form an X-frame, and a golden glow appeared from the opposing armor, causing Riddhe to feel a chill. ''It has the same structure as the “Unicorn Gundam”,and its psycoframe glows as well—''the black-based machine with golden patterns ducked into the blind spot of the building, and as Riddhe inadvertently moved there, its roof was crushed. The mega particles that wrecked the two levels pierced the side of the “Delta Plus” feet, while the heat of the asphalt being vaporized and the shockwaves lunged at it at the same time. The “Delta Plus” was knocked aside with the rubble, and its back was slammed into the buildings that were collapsing.

The dust rose, covering the machine that was sunk within the building wall. The black “Unicorn” did not care about the “Delta Plus” that was stuck, landed on an unscathed roof, and turned its dual-eye sensor under the facemask at the “Unicorn Gundam”. Its arm quickly raised the beam rifle and aimed at the “Unicorn Gundam” kneeling on the floor. Riddhe saw this surreal scene of two “Unicorns” facing each other, pulled the control sticks that were not reacting, “RUN AWAY!” and yelled with all his might, 

“IT’S AIMING FOR YOU, FALL BACK!”

The collapsing rubble hit the machine, robbing the sight off Riddhe’s all-view monitor. The veil of dust covered the silhouettes of the two machines, and the last thing he managed to see were the red and golden lights rising out before the deep darkness shut off his sights.