Chapter 274 - 275: Kira—So Cagalli Really Is a Girl! (Bonus - for 50 Power Stones)

Chapter 274: Chapter 275: Kira—So Cagalli Really Is a Girl! (Bonus Chapter for 50 Power Stones)

Though everyone was delighted by Cagalli’s pilot suit, the Stage’s feed now cut over to ZAFT.

Compared to the relatively relaxed atmosphere aboard the Archangel, the mood on the Le Creuset Team’s side was utterly dismal.

"Four GINNs destroyed, all of them losing combat capability almost simultaneously." Le Creuset murmured as he reviewed the footage transmitted by the GINNs’ cameras.

All four GINNs had been disabled in practically the same instant.

That would not have mattered much if they had merely been ordinary GINNs.

After all, the GINN was already a two-year-old model. Against the G weapons, its performance was no longer anything impressive.

But the pilots operating those GINNs were no ordinary pilots either.

"It wasn’t their fault." As someone who had personally faced the Strike, Athrun was the most qualified to describe just how terrifying it was.

"After all, even Miguel—our so-called ’Magic Bullet of Dusk’—had both arms of his GINN severed in an instant." Le Creuset was not entirely devoid of sympathy—at least, that was how he appeared.

"It may not be the most appropriate thing to say, but I’m afraid we’ll need more reinforcements."

After reviewing the Strike’s entire battle, Le Creuset had reached a conclusion.

That machine was definitely not something his team could take down with ease.

"The Legged Ship’s armor and firepower are formidable as well," Miguel said as he reviewed the battle.

Although Kira had twice defeated him with a single slash, he was still one of the elite among ZAFT’s green-uniformed pilots. He even had a custom unit, though it had sustained some damage in the earlier fighting.

Olor was also analyzing the engagement. "However, the Alliance crew aboard the Legged Ship are probably inexperienced. They may also be severely understaffed."

The Legged Ship was the Le Creuset Team’s designation—and derisive nickname—for the Archangel.

After all, the Archangel really did look as though it had a pair of extremely long "legs."

"Should we focus our assault on the Legged Ship?" Le Creuset continued thinking.

—Pin down the enemy MS, then concentrate their forces on the Archangel?

"But that ship has three MS now," Athrun pointed out.

"Those other two must be Coordinators too! They’re all traitors!" Yzak shouted, clenching his fists.

"Three MS and a brand-new carrier..." Dearka recalled the feeling of having the Strike’s sights trained on him.

The atmosphere in the briefing room fell into a deep slump.

"Perhaps we still have another option," Le Creuset said.

"What option?" Athrun raised his head.

"—Retreat."

"Nani?"×n.

Faced with everyone’s agitation, Le Creuset continued unhurriedly. "If we are incapable of dealing with that ship, then retreat is our only remaining option. At the very least, it would prevent us from suffering further losses."

"You must be joking!" Yzak slammed his palm against the table. "If you expect me to retreat like this—this humiliation... I won’t stand for it!"

Turn tail and flee from a battlefield like this?

What a joke!

Le Creuset smiled.

Goading youngsters like these truly was a trick that never failed...

[Ah, youth]

[This Le Creuset guy is obviously scheming as hell]

[I dunno, maybe he’s actually a good boss]

[Calm down. Stop projecting the Char stereotype onto him]

[Feels like an homage to me]

[Honestly, if I were the villain, I wouldn’t even know how to win]

[Winning would be easy. There aren’t many people on that ship—just use fatigue tactics to wear them down]

[Holy crap, we’ve got a pro in the danmaku]

[You can do that?]

"Installing AI aboard the Archangel?"

While the audience continued discussing fatigue tactics, Murrue and Natarle were aboard the Archangel discussing the "AI" that Inori had proposed.

"Retrofitting the Archangel with intelligent systems would indeed reduce our manpower requirements. However, if we encountered electromagnetic interference or electronic warfare, it could instead place us in danger," Natarle said. "Coordinators have faster reaction speeds than Naturals. They would have an advantage over us in that regard."

Automation and AI systems weren’t exactly rare in this world.

But on MS and warships, they were still somewhat uncommon.

"If we were only using the Alliance’s own AI technology, that would be one thing. But that Inori—even assuming she truly possesses such technology, she’s from Orb, isn’t she?"

Natarle knew they could never be too careful when dealing with outsiders.

"With all due respect, our priority right now is survival. If someone can help us return safely, that matters more than anything else."

[Keep the land but lose the people, and both are lost; keep the people but lose the land, and both can be saved]

[Murrue and Natarle argue all the time, but they really do complement each other]

[Come to think of it, it’s pretty strange. Technology in the Gundam worlds is so advanced, but there aren’t many famous AIs, are there? Only ALICE from the Universal Century comes to mind]

[The tech tree got skewed]

[Maybe they exist, but the works never showed them]

[AIs that exist only in the setting materials, huh]

[Oh, oh, oh... Holy crap, that’s Cagalli]

[Whoa, it really is Cagalli]

At first, everyone had still been discussing AI.

But at that moment, the Stage’s feed had switched back to Cagalli once more.

She had changed into a skintight combat suit.

(For reference only; the exposed sections are transparent latex)

In the end, Inori had compromised slightly and modified the equipment.

The innermost layer was a black-and-red skintight latex suit with transparent sections, while external armor covered her back, head, and the outer sides of her feet.

Although it looked quite different from Kira’s suit, both followed the same design philosophy: a completely sealed latex layer underneath, with armor mounted externally.

It also featured a "convertible" design that exposed the navel and chest. However, those sections were not actually open, instead being covered with transparent latex.

"Doesn’t this expose a little too much? And the urinary catheter makes me feel like I’m peeing nonstop." Cagalli moved around to test it. Her mobility was excellent, but some of the suit’s more unusual features felt rather strange.

"The recycling system has been improved. The external armor can store specialized nutrient-solution packs. Filtered recycled water is used for evaporative cooling, heat retention, temperature regulation, and other functions. The transparent layer also helps dissipate heat, so don’t cover it up. Oh, and the recycled water is drinkable in an emergency."

Inori pulled a straw-like tube out of the armor on Cagalli’s back.

"Forget it. I’m never going to use that thing in my life." Cagalli waved her hand. "But my body really does feel... Mm, I can’t quite put it into words, but it feels like my senses have been enhanced!"

Although many aspects of the suit still felt unfamiliar, Cagalli did feel considerably more comfortable.

"Let’s go see that MS!"

With that, Cagalli opened the door and stepped outside.

"Ah, Kira!"

Kira had rested for a while, but apparently could not fall asleep. She was standing by the viewport, staring out into space. When she saw Cagalli, she visibly relaxed and gave her a small smile.

After greeting Kira, Cagalli eagerly headed toward the hangar.

"So Cagalli really is a girl."

"What is it, Kira?" Inori also emerged from the room.

Kira’s cheeks reddened. "Because Cagalli-san really looks just like a boy. Earlier, when Cagalli said I was her little sister... I thought... he had some strange fetish and was trying to take advantage of me. So she really is a girl after all... Thank goodness."

Inori: ???