Gundam: Changing the World Even with a Mass-Produced Unit

Chapter 61: Char's Escape

"Artesia, leave the military as soon as possible."

"Brother, saying this now is rather cunning, don't you think?"

Sayla bit her lower lip, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

"The Casval I know wouldn't say such things."

"Ha."

Hearing Sayla's thoughts, the man sitting beside her chuckled.

"People change... If I could, I'd wish our reunion wasn't in a place like this."

This man was Sayla—or rather, Artesia's—brother, Casval Deikun.

Her biological brother.

Or, as the world knows him now, Char.

When Sayla was still a child, she had received the news of his death.

But back then, she refused to believe it.

It wasn't until the White Base set sail that she glimpsed a figure resembling him.

Char, as though just coming out of a strenuous exercise, leaned back casually in the passenger seat, appearing completely relaxed.

He had recently infiltrated a GM manufacturing facility, intending to plant explosives to destroy it.

However, the heavy security there made him abandon the idea.

Besides, without Mobile Suits, such a large facility would be impossible to destroy in a short time.

After evading pursuit, he had grabbed a random jeep to make his getaway, only to unexpectedly run into his sister.

Was it fate?

"Artesia, what Jimba said was probably true."

"I know that too."

Jimba referred to Ramba Ral's father, the man who had rescued and sheltered them after the Zeon coup.

What Jimba had told them concerned the truth about the Deikun family.

Deikun hadn't suddenly died; he was assassinated.

Jimba had said as much.

Artesia had discussed this with Ramba Ral during their brief interaction.

"So, Artesia, I'm now working to avenge myself against the enemy."

The man in the flamboyant military uniform explained his current actions to his sister.

In fact, his entire past could be summarized by this one statement.

"The enemy… Who do you mean?"

"The entire Zabi family."

Char held nothing back in front of his sister.

The car suddenly jolted. Feeling the bump, Char glanced at his sister, who still refused to meet his eyes.

"If that's the case, why join Zeon?"

"Isn't Zeon our country?"

Screech—

The jeep came to an abrupt stop.

"Casval, did you participate in the colony massacre?"

"No… Are you disillusioned with Zeon because of the Zabis?"

Char quickly caught on to Sayla's thoughts.

In her mind, she recalled Elran's shadowed expression when the topic of the colony came up.

"Let's end this conversation here, Artesia. Thank you."

Char knew they were nearing the White Base.

White Base—the place that had once saved his life.

Char didn't want to burden Artesia further.

Calmly, he opened the car door, preparing to leave.

"Casval, I want to see you again."

Artesia finally turned her head, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, her pleading gaze fixed on her brother.

Char raised his hand and touched his mask.

"Sorry, I'm only Char now."

Artesia buried her face in her arms in despair.

"Leave the military."

When she raised her head to say more, he was already gone.

…

"Forgive me, Artesia."

Back in his Mobile Suit, Char seemed indifferent.

Yet who could understand what lay hidden beneath his mask?

"Ah! Colonel Char, I've spotted the Gundam! They're…"

Before his subordinate could finish, the connection was severed—indicating his unit had been destroyed.

"Ha, Gundam, let's meet again."

Char activated his custom Z'Gok, rising from the water.

In his memory, Amuro was still the boy piloting the Gundam for the first time, someone he could fight evenly using a Zaku.

But multiple Gundams?

Intelligence had reported a mass-production Gundam deployed on the White Base.

Char didn't think much of even the original Gundam, let alone a mass-production model.

With that, the Z'Gok headed toward his subordinate's last known location.

From beneath the water, he sensed vibrations onshore.

Confirming an active Mobile Suit, Char immediately revved the Z'Gok's engines, breaking through the water and leaping into the air!

All his attention focused on the Mobile Suit's operations. The moment he leapt, he saw it—Gundam!

No… Something was off.

A tremendous sense of pressure bore down on him.

It wasn't the familiar one. It was—unfamiliar yet familiar—four of them!

"What?!"

Hovering midair, Char saw four Gundams of different designs simultaneously turn toward him!

For the first time in ages, sweat dripped from Char's forehead.

Even during his initial battle against the Gundam in Side 7, when his weapons proved ineffective, he hadn't felt this way.

This wasn't something skill alone could counter.

Char immediately took action.

The Z'Gok's legs bent, directing thrusters toward the shore, releasing scorching blasts.

The Mobile Suit halted its forward momentum, plunging back toward the water to escape the Gundams' line of sight.

Damn it, no one told me there'd be four Gundams!

And judging by their specs, they matched the White one.

While thankful the thrusters on his MS weren't mere decorations, Char worried about escaping from these four Gundams.

"Colonel, I'm here to help!"

At that moment, a subordinate's voice came through.

Soon after, a newly-deployed Zeon aquatic MS, the Zugok (Z'Gok), emerged from the water!

Coincidentally, Char had just re-entered the water.

"Huh?"

Hearing his subordinate's confused voice, Char silently apologized in his heart.

The next moment, he watched as three beams pierced his subordinate's cockpit.

And Char himself failed to escape unscathed—one of the Gundams with twin cannons on its back had already taken aim!

Boom! Boom!

With the cannon fire came towering splashes of water.