[MONTHLY] Beltorchika's Children Ch.14

　Darkness lay heavy on the block, illuminated faintly by fluorescent panels. Some areas were brighter than daylight when fully powered. This was the Axis tunnel.
　The entire structure shook from the nuclear explosion's seismic activity. Bared rock and mineral veins twisted around the tunnel, pieces of dislodged stone bouncing off the walls in a chaotic dance.
　Despite the danger, a few Petit mobile suits darted through, undeterred.
　Leading the suits was Bright in a Med. As dispatched from the Ra Cailum after making contact with Axis, their mission was to infiltrate the Axis tunnel and either plant timed explosives or attach timers to the stored explosives.
　The fact that Bright himself was undertaking such a mission could only mean he'd lost his mind.
　Yet, driven by the compulsion to stop Char's operation with his own hands, he had no choice. After all, Bright was never an exceptional captain to begin with.
　"Is a nuclear explosion of this scale happening in front of Axis?" Bright thought, watching rocks collide with the walls around his mobile suit. He braced himself for the canopy's imminent breach.
　"The valve to the nuclear engine is over here. If we blow this up, it'll be a fatal blow!" Tooth called out to Bright.
　"Alright! Set a timer here!"
　One of the mobile suits remained behind.
　They continued forward to a point where about five tunnels converged. But it was almost dark there, rocks still bounding around.
　"Plant explosives here!"
　Another suit stayed behind. Three of the remaining mobile suits plunged into the dimness beyond, seeming to have found an ammunition depot. They stopped to set the timers.
　Another mobile suit, springing up to a higher tunnel, spotted the cable connecting the nuclear nozzle and the control booth.
　"We'll connect this here!"
　"No, it's over here!"
　The cacophony of technicians arguing over the correct connection echoed in Bright's helmet. Then, glancing over, he saw a technician clambering out of a mobile suit, attempting to join a cable held by another suit's manipulator to a condenser on a circuit board.
　The grim reality of their situation struck Bright as a large rock plowed into the technician, sending him spiraling into the abyss.
　"Nh... Ah!"
　The technician's visor seemed to have shattered.
　"Continue the operation!" Bright commanded, his voice a steel-edged blade cutting through the tragedy of the moment.

　The tip of the Nightingale's beam saber made sharp contact with the Gundam's right elbow. With a sudden burst, oil droplets scattered, disappearing into the void of space.
　"Damn it! My beam saber?!"
　The Gundam's beam saber fizzled out, leaving it defenseless against the Nightingale's onslaught.
"Is that the best you can muster!?"
　Char, ensconced within the Nightingale, twisted his suit's torso, the tail nozzle flaring with raw power as he launched a devastating slash.
　Its edge pulsating with lethal energy, the beam saber bore down upon the Gundam's shoulder. Reacting with desperate swiftness, the Gundam fired every apogee motor in its limbs, the unconventional maneuver giving it the bizarre, puppet-like pose, its entire body seeming pliant and soft.
　"Good save!"
　Not to be deterred, the Nightingale extended its beam saber, relentlessly hunting the Gundam. Skimming its back nozzle against the pockmarked surface of Axis, the Gundam propelled itself off the ground, jouncing the colossal machine body.
　"Whoa!"
　In a move as surprising as it was daring, the Gundam swung high above the Nightingale. The misalignment of the tail nozzle had sent the elongated beam saber searing into the surface of Axis.
　"Ugh!?"
　Char watched, bewildered, as the Gundam skidded uncontrollably left and right, descending toward the Ra Cailum without even attempting to strike the Nightingale.
　"Amuro!?"
　He couldn't comprehend the Gundam's maneuvers. Unfazed, the Nightingale pursued. Then, to his surprise, the Gundam halted. It appeared to be a show of intimidation, but it wasn't.
　From the cockpit of the Gundam, Char saw Amuro emerge.
　"What the hell!?"
　Amuro's pilot suit had slipped into one of the openings leading to the Axis tunnels in the blink of an eye.
　"Is he trying to split Axis from the inside!?"
　Char finally realized the implications of the Ra Cailum's contact with Axis.
　In turn, he began to scour for another entrance to Axis. Unfortunately, the battle-ravaged surface, scarred from incessant bombardment, made it a daunting task to find a suitable tunnel entrance for the Nightingale. The precious moments spent could have been used to obliterate the Gundam, but Char was single-minded in his pursuit of Amuro.
　Perhaps this was the tragic flaw of beings born of flesh and blood.
　Eventually, he spotted a tunnel entrance amidst a heap of twisted, melted metal, grotesque as molten candy. Char maneuvered the Nightingale into the opening, disembarking from the cockpit.
　He was certain his knowledge of the Axis tunnels would be enough to corner Amuro.
　Elsewhere on the scarred surface of Axis, Hathaway's Jegan was locked in a deadly dance with Quess's Alpha Azieru. Then, in an unexpected turn of events, Hathaway had exited his cockpit.
　"Quess! Show yourself! Quess!"
　Hathaway pounded on the armor of the Alpha's head.
　"Oh, Captain! Where are you!?"
　Quess's display screen was filled with the intimidating image of Hathaway's shouting face.

　As Char navigated the labyrinthine Axis tunnels, he found a locker in a recess and peered inside.
　There was a portable launcher inside. It was designed to spring-load projectiles, primarily used as a transport case for ammunition. Even though it was no weapon, Char decided it was more valuable than a single handgun.
　Char pressed further into the block where he believed Amuro had passed through.
　"...!?"
　He could sense something. It felt right.
　"Whoa!"
　A bullet ricocheted off the rock wall, grazing Char.
　"You... don't understand the concept of reform, do you!?"
　Char pivoted, looking in the direction the bullet had come from. Yet, the voice seemed to come from below, not an illusion created by the stereo perception of his headphones. Instead, it felt tangible, closer. It was coming from the lower tunnel.
　Gun in hand and the launcher case at his hip, Char moved in the direction of the voice with a chilling calm.
　"...?"
　A transceiver with an extended antenna was placed on a block of fluorescent panels.
　He didn't believe that alone was the source of Amuro's voice. But...
　"Revolutions always start with intellectuals, right? But these intellectuals, armed with idealistic theories, always resort to radical actions in practice. It's a bad habit."
　Char moved silently.
　The voice seemed to emit from all directions, and the "presence" of Amuro himself felt remarkably close.
　"Once a revolution is victorious and the organization is established, the ideals of the revolution get swallowed up by the bureaucracy and the masses. That's the process. Then the intellectuals, disgusted by this, withdraw from society, right? Char, do you realize that's you?"
　"Amuro!"
　With a low growl, Char rapidly moved in one direction and launched a projectile from the launcher into one of the tunnels.
　BOOM! The explosion sent shockwaves rippling through several tunnels, causing chaos.
　In the midst of the blast, Amuro emerged from a recess in the wall, bazooka in hand, and charged toward Char, weaving through the falling debris.
　"There you are!"
　Char rose to meet Amuro's headlong charge.
　Char's launcher fired, and Amuro's bazooka echoed the gesture.
　BOOM! A flash of light. Bright light!
　However, within the blast, Amuro was still alive.
　"Daddy?!"
　The surface of Axis convulsed in a massive explosion. Amuro's body was flung into the void, spinning helplessly.
　"Damn! Who saved me!?"
　Amuro ignited his verniers, attempting to return to the surface of Axis.

　"We need to move!"
　Tooth's call rang in Bright's ears, and he issued a retreat order to the Petite Mobile unit.
　"If the Ra Cailum is gone, it's game over."
　"If that happens, let's ride Axis back to Earth, yeah?"
　"I'm game! Were you from Earth?"
　Bright and his team exchanged bravado, bolstering their courage, and sprinted the Petite Mobile at full speed, taking off.

　As the Ra Cailum and Rewloola were exchanging artillery fire, the Musaka let out its final burst of light.
　Amuro drifted past it, descending towards the Gundam. Streaks of light from the fleet battle pierced through the void, causing chunks of Axis to explode violently. Utilizing these erupting rocks as a makeshift springboard, Amuro propelled himself toward the Gundam. Unfortunately, he couldn't comprehend his instinctual skill.
　Amuro clung to the head of the Gundam, rolling his body against the armor to slide into the cockpit.
　"Where's the Nightingale?"
　The words were barely a murmur, a silent summoning of the Nightingale.
　Char's Nightingale responded, its mono-eye glowing like a predator's gaze amidst the wreckage. It reminded Amuro of a human's breath, a chilling thought.
　"Char, you!?"
　The Nightingale jumped and kicked the side of the Gundam.
　"Wha-!"
　Amuro clung to the edge of the cockpit hatch, refusing to be dislodged. The plummeting Nightingale crushed one of the fallen Gundam's arms.
　"Damn...!"
　As Amuro tumbled into the cockpit, the Gundam's engine revved to life with a piercing whine.
　In the meantime, the Nightingale jumped again and descended. The remaining manipulator of the Gundam swept the leg of the Nightingale while it was still in motion from the twisted tail nozzle and rammed into the Nightingale.
　The impact was explosive, reminiscent of a wrestling match. The two machines entwined, sliding down the surface of Axis.
　"What the--?!"
　Amuro, taking advantage of the Nightingale's twisted tail nozzle, spun the Gundam into a series of swift kicks against the Nightingale's side and back.
　Several of the Nightingale's tail nozzles fell silent with each impact, its backpack contorting under the assault. The longer-armed Gundam seemed to have the upper hand. Yet, in a swift counter, the Nightingale's manipulator aimed to grapple the Gundam's waist mid-kick.
　"Oh!"
　Moving the Gundam's upper body slightly forward, Amuro executed a swift karate chop.
　"Kuh!"
　The two machines momentarily separated. But the Nightingale, sliding on Axis's surface, lunged back into the Gundam's personal space. The manipulators of the two machines are locked in a struggle. The Gundam, now one-armed, struggled to fend off the Nightingale's attacks.
　With a sickening crunch, the frame of the Nightingale's elbow shattered.
　Oil spurted out like blood, coating both machines. This was the first protracted hand-to-hand combat in mobile suit history.
　A punch from the Nightingale was met by a counterpunch from the Gundam.
　"Ah, ugh!"
　That punch struck the head of the Nightingale, where Char's cockpit was located. Regardless of the perfection of the shock absorber protecting the seat, it was bound to shudder violently under the impact.

　"Captain!?"
　The Alpha Azieru shook off Hathaway's Jegan and flew low toward the melee. The force of its departure sent Hathaway's body spiraling into the void.
　"Ugh!"
　The Alpha's protruding shoulder armor swatted Hathaway aside as if he were nothing more than a pesky insect.
　"Uwaah!"
　Bouncing off the surface, Hathaway collided with the Jegan and clung to it. It was a near miracle his visor hadn't shattered on impact.

　"End of the line, Char!"
　The Gundam had turned the tide.
　"What?!"
　Thump! The Gundam's right finger latched onto the armor of the Nightingale's head, peeling it off.
　"Char!"
　"No!"
　Just as the Gundam was preparing to leap, the massive body of the Alpha Azieru collided with it, preventing the jump. As a result, the Nightingale seemed to escape from Amuro's grasp, slipping out of sight.
　"Whoa!"
　"Stay away from the Captain!"
　"Get out of the way!"
　Quess, rebounding off the Alpha, attempted to crush the Gundam once more.
　"The Captain... The Captain is mine!"
　"Quess? You!"
　Amuro felt as if he had been stabbed in the chest. But then,
　Boom! A direct beam hit the cockpit of Quess's Alpha Azieru.
　"Kyaaa!"
　Quess's beast-like scream rapidly faded away.
　"What?"
　Turning his head, Amuro spotted Hathaway's Jegan, its beam rifle still aimed at Quess.
　"Oh, I-I hit it..."
　"Ugh!"
　As the Gundam slipped under the sparking Alpha and began to ascend, it closed in on the Nightingale.
　"You can't get away with that suit!"
　"Are you sure?"
　The Nightingale's head flow system activated, and the cockpit capsule detached. It was now a free-floating capsule.
　"I told you not to underestimate me!"
　Amuro had the Gundam's right manipulator throw a piece of tube stored in the waist unit. The tube tangled around the Nightingale's cockpit capsule.
　"Uwah?!"
　"There's no way I'll let you go alone!"
　The capsule and the Gundam, now linked, skidded along the surface of Axis. Bright and the others jumped out onto the surface.
　"Huh?"
　"The Gundam?"
　"Ignore it! It's time!"
　As if signaling the Petit Mobile Suits jumping onto the Ra Cailum one after another, flashes of light streaked across the surface of Axis between the engine section and the residential area, followed by a belt-like explosion.
　"Ugh...! So they've done it?! Amuro!"
　Thud! The Gundam, feeling as if it were tumbling into the smoke of Axis's explosion, started to ascend, clutching the cockpit capsule of the Nightingale in one hand.
　"So Axis didn't crumble! At this altitude, it'll fall to Earth! Looks like I win, Amuro!"
　"I told you I won't let that happen!"
　Still holding the capsule, Amuro maneuvered the Gundam to the front of Axis.
　The Ra Cailum, in a desperate ballet of survival, was in retreat, dodging the rock-strewn remnants of Axis's catastrophic explosion. All the while, hundreds of stone projectiles pelted her hull.
　Axis, once a monolithic presence, is now fragmented into a cosmic jigsaw, its pieces cleaving apart in the foreground.
　Yet, behind this destructive spectacle, Earth hung like a half-lit jewel, a poignant reminder of what was at stake.
　The larger shard of Axis bore the scars of the nuclear blast, its once bustling port now a hollowed cavity. The Gundam circled around it.
　"Either slow it down or change its direction. You help too!"
　Amuro's tone was instructional, his desperation masked by his commander's demeanor. He maneuvered the Gundam to attach itself to Axis, the suit's thrusters fighting to maintain control. The tail nozzle shook erratically, the task proving Herculean.
　"No, that's not it! The back half will fall to Earth!"
　Amuro directed the Gundam to the rear part of Axis. Then, the Gundam's manipulator slammed Char's capsule onto Axis's surface with a jarring crash.
　"Whoa...!"
　Char clung onto his seat, the emergency hatch unresponsive, his survival now in the hands of his foe.
　"Amuro! What are you doing?!"
　His voice was swallowed by the expanding roar of the Gundam's tail nozzle, which flared open like a sun in birth. Posture control was forsaken for raw power. Its manipulators dug into Axis, a stubborn parasite unwilling to let go.
　"I will stop at nothing until I can be sure! That is our responsibility as those who have stained the universe with warfare!" Amuro's battle cry resonated through the void, the Gundam itself responding, its body radiating with an almost sentient fervor.
　The Ra Cailum nestled into the shadow of a fragment of Axis, seeking refuge from the relentless barrage of debris.
　The two large fragments of Axis in front seemed to be falling faster.
　"The fragments in front are deviating from their trajectory to Earth due to the propulsion of the explosion!"
　"Are you sure?!"
　To Bright's confirmation, Meunier answered, "Absolutely."
　"What about the one the Gundam is attached to?"
　"If the entry angle was a little further out, it might be doable, but as it is, it's impossible!"
　"Bring the Ra Cailum forward! Use the ship to change the entry angle of Axis!"
　"That's insanity! Our armor is barely holding together!" Melan, the executive officer, retorted.
　The Gundam, now a radiant beacon in the cosmos, threatened to outshine even the approaching Earth's light. From whence such energy sprang was a mystery, yet, the Gundam's tail nozzle manifested a tangible proof of this power, emitting a brilliant trail of light.
　"What the!? Whose mobile suit forces are those?!"
　Meunier's exclamation rang out in the Ra Cailum, cutting through the argument between Bright and Melan. Drawn to the spectacle outside, they observed a surprising display.
　“…?”
　Flashes of thruster lights began to streak across their view. Among them, several Jegans cast aside their Base Jabbers, embarking on a course that seemed to loop around to Axis's rear.
　A squadron of antiquated mobile suits swooped in, converging on Axis's fragments, seemingly anchoring themselves to the side facing Earth.
　"The 88th Fleet's mobile suit forces!"
　The reinforcements, with the Jegan at their helm, descended upon the Gundam grappling with Axis. They latched on, one after the other, their combined strength geared towards altering the asteroid's deadly course.
　"What!? What unit is this!? Stand down! I can handle this alone!"
　"That's not an option! We're here to adjust the entry angle, even if it's just by a smidge!"
　These were pilots who had traversed the expanse of space to lend their support. Their suits clung to Axis, thruster nozzles blazing as they strained against the celestial mass.
　"We can't let the Lieutenant have all the glory, now can we!"
　Another mobile suit joined the effort, its thruster nozzle a bright beacon in the darkness.
　From Earth's direction too, mobile suit units, riding Geta, disengaged and slipped between Axis and Earth, joining the effort to redirect the asteroid's trajectory.
　"Reinforcements... the reinforcements have arrived...!"
　Claire's voice was a mix of relief and elation as she turned to Bright.
　Their numbers swelled: thirty... fifty... more. They swarmed around Axis's fragments, latching on and firing their engines to the maximum.
　Among them, some mobile suits were already straining under the pressure, their engines glowing ominously red.
　Beneath them, the daylight side of Earth continued to grow, a silent witness to their struggle.
　The front of Axis's rear fragment began to glow ominously, the atmospheric friction creating a fiery halo around the mass.
　Despite this, the mobile suits endured. From their vantage point, over a hundred beams of light from the mobile suits' thruster nozzles stretched out, creating a surreal spectacle.
　"Don't do it! Don't get any closer! I'll handle this with the Gundam!"
　But even as Amuro yelled, his cockpit was already beginning to heat up.
　"Yeah, but!"
　"You'll melt from the overload! Pull back!"
　"Not yet!"
　"But some of you are exploding! You can't! Fall back!"
　BOOM! A mobile suit, glowing dangerously, exploded in a brilliant flash.
　The pilot's intention, an ethereal 'ting,' echoed through the void.
　Hathaway, frozen in shock inside his Jegan, noticed the ripple of the pilot's intention, his eyes wide with surprise.
　"Huh...? That's... Axis...?"
　The Jegan was adrift with the rubble from Axis. Beyond the flow of the rubble, two enormous rocks moved slowly against the backdrop of Earth.
　"It's no good! Get away!"
　"Just a bit more! If we do this... Axis will be completely... Ahhh!"
　BOOM! Another mobile suit exploded, bathed in an intense glow; the pilot's intention, an ethereal 'ting,' echoed through the void.

　In a hospital somewhere on Earth.
　"Wahh! Wahh!"
　A newborn baby was crying. The doctor, cradling the baby, had a twinkle in his eyes as he presented the tiny life to its weary mother.

　"Char! I'll halt Axis even if I have to drain your very essence!"
　"Go ahead and try, then!"
　Both were inside violently shaking cockpits. Once again, the fragments of the exploding mobile suits flowed north along Axis.
　"Stay away! Everyone! Char! Your power will--!"
　"Daddy!"
　"Uh...?!"
　Outside the glowing red-hot cockpit, the Gundam's frame became a beacon of white-hot energy. Waves of light emitted from the overtaxed suit seemed to glide amidst the rising heat, clashing with the Mobile Suits converging from all directions.
　In the clash, mobile suits were flung from Axis with explosive force, cascading away like fireworks.
　"Ah?!"
　The pilot, grappling with the unruly controls, could only watch helplessly as Axis drifted further away.

　On the plains of Africa.
　A group of children in worn-out jeans sprinted faster than gazelles, their joyful laughter echoing the warrior cries of their ancestors.
　"Hah! Kyahohohoho!"
　Their laughter was a beacon of joy amidst the dire circumstances.

　The overloaded waves from the Gundam were repelling the surrounding mobile suits one after another.
　"Lieutenant!"
　"I don't need extra lives! Mine and Char's are all I need!"
　The expanding white-hot wave from the Gundam repelled more mobile suits, emitting them in all directions around Axis.
　"Ah! Lieutenant Amuro!"
　The glowing red rear of Axis was gradually widening its distance from the front, making it feel as if it was approaching Earth.
　Now, the only ones attached to the debris of Axis were Amuro and Char.
　"Has Amuro gotten rid of the other mobile suits?"
　Char, cocooned in a light that resembled an aurora, questioned his understanding of the chaotic scene unfolding outside.
　"But still, Axis's course hasn't changed!"
　Desperation and fury laced Amuro's words.
　Back on the Ra Cailum's combat bridge, the crew could only watch the gleaming specter of Axis advance, their faces a mask of helpless dread.

　In a forgotten house somewhere on Earth.
　A child jolted awake, eyes wide and hopeful, "Is that a shooting star?"
　Then, swoosh! A white light flooded from around the child, streaking toward the heavens. It was an ethereal glow unseen to the naked eye.

　In a cabin in some forest.
　A mother who just gave birth while squatting took the legs of her newborn lying on a fur-covered sheet. She gently patted the wet back of the infant, still connected to her by the pulsating umbilical cord.
　"Wahh!"
　The baby's first cry pierced the silence, strong and defiant. A soft light radiated from the pair, embracing them before shooting skyward. The mother, oblivious to the light, waited for the afterbirth pains; she tied the umbilical cord with two strings and cut it with scissors.
　A man, obscured by steam, unknowingly stepped into the light, drawn by the primal bond between mother and child.

　In another corner of the world, a different family.
　Twin brothers, their sleep disturbed, kicked off their blankets with youthful energy. A burst of light sprang from their small forms, racing toward the cosmic expanse.

　In a space colony.
　A child, their back to the spinning cosmos, put down their book, their gaze drawn to the Earth coming into view.
　"Huh...?"
　Streaks of light crisscrossed the Earth, countless beams converging towards the looming presence of Axis. The earthly glow magnified the planet, making it appear several times larger than usual.
　"What could it be?"

　The light, a beacon from Earth, was being drawn into the radiant heart of the Gundam.
　The number was unknown, but the streams of light emanating from various corners of the Earth became lines, then ribbons, then curtains of shimmering energy. They arced low, then high, encircling the Earth and converging on the νGundam.
　Perhaps the psycho-frames near Char and Amuro resonated. Maybe it was the call of Beltorchika's unborn baby.
　Or perhaps it was the collective will of the men and women gathered in this space around Axis, summoning these lights, absorbing them.
　Regardless, the concentration of light amplified the radiance from the Gundam, manifesting an awe-inspiring wall of white light between Axis and Earth, stretching out into infinity.
　It seemed to guide the gargantuan rock of Axis, showing it a path forward.
　"Ah... Wh-what is this!? Am I seeing the world...!?"
　Amuro, violently shaken in the scorching cockpit, sobbed and groaned, tears tracing hot lines down his face.
　Char, increasingly visible within the aurora-like light permeating the capsule walls, spoke with a bitter edge to his voice.
　"Was I too caught up in myself? That can't be it... That can't be...!"
　Char unzipped his pilot suit, revealing a silver locket hidden within. Despite the violent shaking of his seat, he managed to open it.
　"The rear of Axis also seems to be changing its course!"
　"Tell the Gundam, tell Amuro! Order him to pull back now!"
　"It's impossible. Comms are blacked out due to the overload wave! He can't hear us!"
　From the Ra Cailum, the crew observed a slight deviation in Axis's trajectory, no longer tracing the Earth's rear.
　"Where is Amuro?"
　Beltorchika, now awake, breathed a sigh of relief at the coincidence of Ra Cailum's hull being right in front of her. Yet, her relief was short-lived as she noticed the countless rocks flowing between her and the ship.
　However, when she saw the shape of the object flowing in front of the Earth beyond the flowing rocks, her heart sank as she realized that Amuro was not by her side.
　"Amuro?!"
　Her eyes widened upon seeing the massive fragments of Axis slowly gliding along the white band of light stretching between Earth and Axis. From the νGundam's position at the tip of the rocks, a diffused light spread outwards, creating a spectacular dance of sparks in the void of space. Beltorchika thought that each spark might represent a life.
　"Because there is life, light shines..."
　This realization became like a divine revelation for Beltorchika and ingrained itself into her consciousness.

　Char tried to look at the photo inside the locket, but the violent shaking made it impossible. The photo showed a blonde girl, Char's only living blood relative, smiling back at him.
　"Still, Artesia, I suppose this result was better for you since you're living on Earth after all…"
　Char was unaware of his sister's whereabouts. Known also as Sayla Mass, they had been separated since the establishment of the Principality of Zeon, growing apart as siblings.
　Char absently licked his lips.
　"Beltorchika!"
　Amuro's scream seemed to burn amidst the aurora filling the cockpit.
　However, Amuro felt anything but fortunate.
　As the Ra Cailum and the supporting mobile suits watched, the bands of light emanating from the Earth showed the way to the sun for Axis, gently undulating like waves.
　The two massive rocks of Axis, seemingly riding those waves, scattered countless fragments as they tried to leave Earth behind.
　And when that belt of light disappeared, the two massive chunks of Axis sped through space, seemingly falling towards the sun.
　Yet, Earth remained massive and blue, unaware of the events that transpired so close to it, leisurely revolving only for the sake of the next day and night.

　"Captain... the Captain is..."
　Mesta was in the combat bridge dominated by silence, her face smeared with tears.
　"Your motives were absolutely not wrong... absolutely... If they were, then what were… we…"
　Even as she groaned, Mesta lowered her visor and attached a dark filter. She hated being seen in such a state, and looking at the band of light was painful.

　"Ugh...!"
　Beltorchika hunched over as nausea washed over her. Amidst her uncontrollable tears, she prayed to God for the safety of her unborn child.
　The Nightingale's sweet song could no longer be heard.