Gundam, the Gundam journey of a certain glue guy and his mecha girl.

Al's tone was flat and indifferent.

"In the end, I'm just an imitation. I'm a body made by humans, a mind programmed by humans. You know what? Miss Lux, the touch, hearing, and smell you're experiencing right now are just segments of binary code in my world. Although Raven has said more than once that my emotions aren't much different from humans'—that I can laugh, worry, and get angry—can a mind composed of segments of code truly produce the same feelings as humans?"

El paused for a moment, and her ruby-red eyes seemed to dim slightly in Lux's eyes.

"In the end, I am just a tool. I will be his strongest shield and sharpest sword, but I cannot truly love someone like a human does. This thing determined by the machine is just a poor imitation compared to human emotions."

"But you are different."

Al took a step forward, closing the distance between him and Lux ​​to just an arm's length.

"Lacus Cline, you have genuine feelings that are different from mine. You have a capacity for true happiness that I, your imitator, can never attain."

Faced with Al's confession, Lux opened her mouth, wanting to point out the logical flaws, but couldn't think of the right words for a moment.

El's expression was far too calm, as if what he had just said was the truth of the world.

That's why Lux wanted to shout "No!"

But what should she say after that? Or what could she possibly say?

However, El seemed to sense that the atmosphere was a bit tense, tilted his head, and suddenly curled the corners of his mouth slightly.

"It is said that when living beings face danger, they instinctively have an urge to reproduce. The final battle is about to begin. If Miss Lux were to confess to Raven now, she might succeed easily and get to base in one step."

"Varied……"

Lux's face, which had just returned to normal, flushed red again. She subconsciously took a step back, covered her cheeks with her hands, and stared wide-eyed, filled with shyness.

"Ai, Ai, what are you saying!"

"Just kidding."

El left those four words, turned around, and walked towards the door, her skirt swaying gently with her steps.

Lux was still standing there, her face burning, but as she watched Al's retreating figure, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.

"Wait a moment."

Al stopped walking, but did not turn around.

“Raven... he never intended to treat Al as a tool.”

Lux's tone gradually calmed down, becoming as gentle as usual.

"Just as you said, you are an existence composed of a body created by humans and a mind programmed by humans, but that is also a body that Raven created for you, a mind that Raven programmed for you. He gave you the senses to feel the world, the appearance to express emotions, and feelings that do not belong to a tool. You are an existence born with his blessing. He may see you as his child, his assistant, or even his partner, but he will never simply see you as a tool!"

Al turned his head slightly, his eyes sparkling, and looked at Lux in silence for a long time before finally leaving without looking back.

But before he left, he left behind a very soft sentence.

"Thank you."

Lux stared at the closed cabin door and slowly exhaled. Her hand was pressed against her chest, where her heart was still pounding, but at this moment, besides feeling shy, Lux had also made up her mind.

Chapter 92 Farewell

L5 space domain, Boyaz Fortress.

The pitch-black universe was illuminated by the firelight of battle. The massive Allied fleet stretched out in a line before the Poyaz fortress, and Möbius and Assault Daggers surged toward ZAFT's lines like a tidal wave.

Although the ZAFT forces were outnumbered, they managed to hold their own against the coalition forces for a time thanks to the heavily armed Poyaz fortress and the superior individual skill of their soldiers. With their inferior numbers, they managed to keep the coalition's offensive waves at bay outside their defensive lines.

However, this stalemate was soon broken.

A mobile suit with an exaggerated design appeared on the battlefield. It looked a whole size larger than the current mobile suits. Its wide shoulder armor spread out to both sides, covered with iron-gray armor. The most eye-catching feature was the giant disc-shaped backpack on its back.

ZGMF-X13A, Divine Will.

The identification signal appeared simultaneously in the IFFs of both armies.

Around the divine will, multiple small points of light detached one by one from the disc backpack on its back and scattered like a swarm into the combat zone. Then, alarms sounded simultaneously in the cockpits of all the ZAFT military aircraft in that zone.

"Enemy locked on! Enemy locked on!"

The synthesized electronic voice kept urging the MS pilot to take evasive action as soon as possible, but the pilot had not even confirmed where the enemy was, so how could he decide which direction to dodge?

The pilots didn't have much time. The moment the alarm sounded, beams of light shot in from almost every direction—above, below, to the sides, and behind. The net of beams woven by the Dragon Knights' submachine guns covered almost all possible dodge routes. Whether it was the old-style King and Shig or the newly equipped Gates, they were all turned into dazzling fireballs in this impenetrable net of beams.

Kruze sat in the cockpit, a smile uncontrollably spreading across his face beneath his mask. The telepathic framework made operating the Dragoon smoother than ever before. Each submachine gun was like a tentacle, completely encompassing this space. The fear and despair that his former comrades had shown before their deaths were all clearly transmitted to his mind through these tentacles.

This feeling is truly delightful.

But he didn't let himself indulge in this pleasure for too long. After using his Dragoons to pierce a hole in the ZAFT army's defenses, he gave orders to the troops behind him.

"Peacemakers advance, Slaughter Daggers spread out to the flanks to cover the Peacemakers' advance."

More than ten black-painted daggers spread out on Kruze's orders, firmly pinning down the ZAFT forces on the outer perimeter.

The Möbius unit, having removed its conventional weapons and suspended a massive projectile on a rack, advanced rapidly toward the Poiaz fortress through the breach opened by divine will.

Because of Raven's outstanding achievements, the Dagger didn't have to be hastily produced in just over twenty units in 71 as it did in the original timeline. Instead, it was adopted as a formal mass-production unit and assigned to elite pilots in various units. Meanwhile, the wealthy and powerful LOGOS, after making minor optimizations to the prototype Dagger, produced a batch of Killer Daggers and gave them to their own private army.

"Those Möbius strips, are they nuclear bombs?!"

The moment the Peacemakers appeared, ZAFT realized the Coalition's intentions. If these Möbius broke through the defenses, the outcome was predictable.

Without waiting for orders from their superiors, the surrounding ZAFT aircraft swarmed toward the Peacemakers, but the special trainees piloting the Slaughter Daggers were not easy enemies to deal with.

King and Shig were no match for the Killer Daggers, and Gates, with the same specifications and performance, was also reduced to wreckage one after another by the Killer Daggers' exquisite teamwork.

And the divine will, positioned at the tip of the spear, is something no one can stop.

Whether it's a mobile suit or a warship, anything that dares to approach the range of the Divine Dragon Cavalry will be reduced to dust in the universe under the barrage of countless beams of light.

Ultimately, ZAFT's defenses were breached by Divine Will.

The Peacemakers followed closely in the footsteps of the divine will and quickly arrived at the fortress, where one nuclear bomb after another flew into the interior of the fortress.

Then, artificial suns rose from inside the fortress, one after another.

When the dazzling white light dissipated, the once vast Poyaz fortress was now nothing but a twisted and broken ruin.

-----------------

When the Archangel, Eternity, and Kusanagi arrived at the Poiaz Fortress, all that remained was a devastated battlefield.

"We can't wait any longer. The Deep Strike Force and the Meteor Armored Freedom and Justice must get to PLANT space first. We don't have a second chance to be late."

Kira and Athrun responded almost simultaneously, both aware of the gravity of the situation.

"Raven."

But just as Raven was about to follow them into the elevator, a hand grabbed him.

Raven turned his head, and that familiar pink long hair came into view. Lux glanced at Al in the elevator, and Al nodded knowingly and reached out to press the button to close the door.

"Lacus?"

Raven didn't understand Lux's meaning, but then Lux took a step forward, her exquisite face growing larger in Raven's vision. Her warm breath brushed against his face, and then a soft touch came to his lips.

The sensation was fleeting, like a phantom. Lux's face flushed red from her cheeks to her ears. Her hands were behind her back, and her fingers kept rubbing the hem of her clothes.

"If I don't tell you how I feel now, I know I'll regret it. Raven, you don't need to give me an answer right now..."

She took a deep breath and added something that seemed a bit abrupt.

"Also, at PLANT, you are considered an adult at 15."

Raven wasn't unaware of Lux's feelings for him, but the fact that he was involved in a dangerous war prevented him from reciprocating her feelings.

Moreover, he always felt guilty about targeting underage girls.

But at this moment, Raven could no longer avoid the question.

Raven looked at Lux, this gentle yet strong girl had bravely taken the first step, how could he continue to back down?

He reached out, put his arm around Lux's waist, and gently pulled her into his embrace. Feeling her body temperature, he lowered his head and kissed her.

When Raven kissed her, Lux let out a very soft nasal sound. Her body stiffened involuntarily for a moment before going completely limp, seeking the warmth of the person in front of her.

After a long while, they parted their lips.

Their foreheads touched, their noses brushing together.

"I will come back safely, I promise."

She reached for the thin silver chain around her neck, unfastened the clasp, and took the ring, still warm from her body heat, off the chain. She then took Raven's hand and placed this final gift from his mother into his palm.

Lux didn't want to send this man to the battlefield, but at this moment, this was all she could say.

"May you achieve great success in martial arts!"

Chapter 93 Divine Intent

The PLANT defense battle has entered a critical stage.

In this space, both sides assembled over a hundred space warships of various types. Nearly a thousand mobile suits and mobile armors were engulfed in the vortex of battle. Beams and missiles tore through the dark universe like a rainstorm, and exploding fireballs continued to bloom. Orange-red light repeatedly expanded and dissipated in the universe. Each time it was ignited, a life was lost.

In order to launch a nuclear strike against his own country, Azrael used his power to bring all the Atlantic Federation's newly built fleet and the Space Force units that were not affected by Halbarton to the front line.

On the ZAFT side, after the attack on the USS Infinity, Patrick personally took charge of strengthening PLANT's homeland defenses. A large number of newly built ships and Gates were handed over to newly recruited soldiers and assigned to the homeland defense forces.

Weeks ago, they were civil servants, workers, and students; now, the war has turned them all into soldiers, even though they can't even properly use the war machines assigned to them.

No matter how Patrick publicly denies Sigel's speech, he cannot deny that PLANT's manpower is already exhausted.

A King used its heavy assault rifle to shoot down a Mobius, but it was immediately pierced through the cockpit by a Strike Dagger that rushed up from behind with its beam saber. Before the Strike Dagger pilot could adjust the aircraft's attitude, a bright green beam shot from the side and above accurately pierced through the Strike Dagger's trunk. Several Gates flew past the wrecked Strike Dagger at high speed, without even having time to confirm the results, and began engaging the next wave of enemy aircraft.

Such scenes were happening simultaneously in every corner of the battlefield, with the casualty figures tallied in both command centers changing in seconds.

Deep within this battlefield, Kruze, with a chilling smile, was driving his divine will across the battlefield.

Under his control, the Dragoon system was reaping lives with astonishing efficiency. Even some friendly forces entangled with ZAFT aircraft were caught in the Dragoon system's beams, but he paid no heed.

The resonance between the psychoframe and Kruze greatly expanded Kruze's perception, and at the same time, allowed Kruze to fully accept the mental fluctuations within his perception range.

This is the final ripple of life before its passing: pain, resentment, sighs, despair, and longing... If it were a normal person, their spirit would undoubtedly have collapsed under the continuous pressure long ago, but Kruze enjoyed it all. These pains, resentments, sighs, despair, and longings were like sweet rain that intoxicated him, filling his empty soul with unprecedented fullness.

The divine will's actions seemed to reflect the pilot's changing state of mind, becoming more fluid and unpredictable, and the dragon rider's flight path became increasingly bizarre.

The sight of those machines reaping lives with fluid grace on the battlefield sent chills down the spines of the special trainees who followed behind Shenyi, whose emotions had long been stifled.

The number of ZAFT troops blocking the way of the Divine Will dwindled, and the Divine Will's dragon knights almost cleared a vacuum on the battlefield.

Now, only the last line of defense remains before Divine Will can lead the Peacemakers to break through ZAFT's defenses and launch the nuclear bomb at PLANT.

At this moment, blocking the way for the divine will was the Artis team, which had just been mobilized by the command to block the entrance.

Ytzhak sat in the cockpit of the Covenant, glaring angrily at the divine will. He couldn't understand why his once trusted captain had become a traitor.

But now, it is a fact that he has brought the Earth Force's nuclear strike force to PLANT, and what he needs to do is to stop the will of God here.

However, in Kruze's eyes, Yzak and his troops were not even a threat.

Despite facing his former subordinates, Kruze showed no mercy and instead became excited.

"Curse your misfortunes to the fullest, my dear former subordinates."

A barrage of beams of light swept towards the MS force led by the Covenant. Before several Geiz could even react, they were reduced to ashes by the beams fired by the Dragoons.

With its own mobility and Yzak's skillful maneuvering, Covenant broke through the Dragon Knights' blockade. Yzak abandoned his entanglement with the strangely agile Dragon Knight submachine guns, using his shield to protect his torso, ignoring the beams that kept grazing the edges of his machine, and with his thrusters at full power, he charged straight toward the main body of the Divine Will.

"Kruze!"

Yzak gritted his teeth and shouted Kruze's name. The beam cannon on his backpack and the railgun at his waist opened and poured towards the Divine Will. The Divine Will seemed to be temporarily suppressed by Yzak's reckless fighting style and dodged several beams and railgun projectiles in a somewhat embarrassed manner.

Seizing this opportunity, Covenant rushed into the vicinity of Divine Will, drew his beam sword with his right hand, and swung the cherry-red light blade down at Divine Will with all his might.

"That way you won't be able to use the Dragon Rider system!"

If the two aircraft get that close, even a highly skilled Cruze would have to worry about accidentally injuring himself, right?

However, his idea was utterly shattered by Kruze's contemptuous tone in the next second.

"Why do you think that fighting me in close combat can seal the divine will of the Dragon Knight system?"

The composite shield on the left arm of the Divine Will steadily blocked the full-force beam sword swung by the Covenant, and Kruze's chilling voice entered the Covenant's cockpit.

"Yzak, you're still the same as before, acting without thinking. But considering you were my former subordinate, I'll prepare a special class seat for you to watch the destruction."

"what?!"

Several small dragon knights had already silently surrounded the Holy Covenant, which was entangled with the divine will. Emerald green high-energy particle beams spewed from the muzzle, accurately piercing the joints of the Holy Covenant. The Holy Covenant, which had been majestic just a moment ago, was instantly reduced to a pitiful state with only its torso remaining.

"Of course, you're not the only one enjoying this treatment. I've also prepared the same first-class seats for Diego and the others, so you're welcome. It's a pity that Artis won't have the chance to enjoy the same treatment as you. My new subordinates are too rough with their food, which is a real shame."

The scene that Covenant captured when it turned its head made Yzak feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave. The Storm, Thunder, and Duel that had been following behind were now in the same miserable state as Covenant. Behind Divine Will, one Möbius after another, armed with nuclear missiles, passed Divine Will and Covenant and, amidst the flames of the Vesalius explosion, fired the nuclear missiles at PLANT.