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

Chapter 56: Simulation Battle

"Welcome aboard the Pureblood Stallion, Captain Bright!"

Major Kirstan Lombardi of the Pureblood Stallion was the first to salute Bright.

However, Kirstan clearly knew that Bright was merely a lieutenant, which is why he specifically addressed him by his position.

When Bright noticed the military insignia on the elderly man's shoulder, he stiffened immediately and saluted back.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Captain Kirstan!"

Bright, understanding proper decorum, reciprocated by addressing the man by his position as well.

Bright was only nineteen, while Kirstan was sixty-two, a recently reinstated captain called back by the Federation.

Judging from appearances alone, anyone would assume Kirstan held a much higher rank.

"Alright, enough with the formalities. I should be the one thanking you for shooting down the Black Tri-Stars and avenging my son."

Kirstan, with his hands clasped behind his back, guided Bright and his team while speaking.

"Your son?"

"He died in the Battle of Loum, aboard a Samillas," Kirstan said in a casual tone, as if recounting a mundane event.

Faced with such words, Bright could only remain silent.

He understood why this elderly man, who had already retired, chose to rejoin the military ranks.

Hoping to break the somber atmosphere, Bright glanced around and noticed Amuro strolling leisurely, head tilted back, admiring the two Gundams stationed aboard the Pureblood Stallion.

These were Gundam Unit 4 and Unit 5, true sibling machines designed from the outset to complement each other in battle, compensating for each other's weaknesses.

(Blue 4, Red 5.)

This design philosophy made Amuro a bit envious. However, upon remembering he had Eli fighting alongside him now, such feelings quickly dissipated.

"Amuro, hurry up!"

Bright called out, not only to spur Amuro but also to lighten the sorrowful mood.

"Let him be, Captain Bright. For pilots like them, they probably prefer to spend time with their MS. Russ, Forte, why don't you show the two Gundam pilots around your machines? Us captains have matters to discuss."

Kirstan gestured to the two men following him, who happened to be the pilots of Gundam Units 4 and 5.

So, I can be considered a Gundam pilot too?

Eli blinked, thinking to himself.

The four exchanged glances before heading toward the feet of the two Gundams.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Lieutenant Russ Kessel, pilot of Gundam Unit 4," said the older of the two first.

"I'm Forte Romfell, pilot of Gundam Unit 5," followed the younger one.

Amuro and Eli also introduced themselves in turn.

Afterward, the four fell into silence, as pilots had a simpler way of communicating.

"Let's have a simulation battle!"

Though Forte was already twenty-four, his demeanor made him seem more like a hotheaded youth compared to nineteen-year-old Eli.

Smack!

Russ slapped Forte on the head, bringing his excitement down along with it.

"This kid's always like this. My apologies," Russ said.

Eli looked at Russ and suddenly felt a sense of camaraderie.

Though there was an age gap, their roles as the steadier half of their respective MS duos were strikingly similar.

After all, Eli had just stopped Amuro from impulsively examining Gundam Unit 4 up close.

"Our side's no better. Sorry for the trouble," Eli said with a smile, exchanging an understanding glance with Russ.

"Still, I'm interested in Forte's suggestion. Why not try a simulation battle?"

Eli saw no reason to refuse; in fact, he had long wanted to test a theory.

During his time on the White Base, he had entered the cockpit of the original Gundam but hadn't felt any system enhancements.

But what about these second-generation Gundams? Could they be recognized by the system as mass-produced models?

Leaving their "kids" to play on their own, Eli and Russ climbed into their respective machines.

Security wasn't an issue; Bright's clearance covered all necessary permissions.

Unfortunately, once inside Gundam Unit 5, Eli still didn't sense any system enhancements.

His Newtype abilities remained unchanged, as if they were newly awakened.

Clearly, even with a production run of seven units—more than some high-performance mass-produced machines—the RX-78 series wasn't classified as mass-produced.

"In that case, let's see what I can do without the system's help," Eli thought, flexing his fingers before gripping the control sticks.

The screens lit up, and the simulation program launched.

"Lieutenant Eli, considering the unique traits of both machines, shall we stick to basic weaponry for the match?"

As mentioned earlier, the two Gundams were designed to complement each other, making an internal match inherently imbalanced.

Eli had no objections, as his goal was to evaluate his actual skill. A fair fight would be ideal.

Soon, both Gundams entered the simulation program.

The first thing Eli did after gaining control was move his Gundam toward a nearby rock for cover while checking his equipment: a beam rifle, a shield, and two beam sabers—standard issue, just like the original Gundam.

"What, this is the basic loadout?"

Amuro, having always fought with this setup, felt a bit dissatisfied. Seeing the equipment on Units 4 and 5 only made him grumble more.

His eyes darted around, considering how he might tweak his own Gundam.

Meanwhile, inside the cockpit, Eli prepared for his next move.

Gundam Unit 5's blue-lit body darted out of cover in an arc.

As soon as he left cover, Eli scanned the battlefield displayed on his monitor.

The simulated terrain was a desert, with the central area as the highest point.

Given Gundam Unit 4's equipment—a massive MEGA particle cannon—Russ was clearly an exceptional sharpshooter.

Sure enough, a flash of light streaked toward Eli from that direction!

In this era, there was only one way to deal with beam attacks: evade.

Under Eli's control, Unit 5 deftly dodged consecutive beam shots.

Russ's strategy was evident—use continuous fire to discern Eli's evasion pattern, then land a decisive shot.