"VEGAN is seeking our help?" After listening to Argreus's report, Flit's brows furrowed deeply, but soon his eyes were filled with excitement. "Reject them..."
"Accept their request, Argreus."
Yang Hui and Flit spoke simultaneously, but their answers were completely opposite.
"Why? This is the best chance to eliminate VEGAN!" Flit questioned passionately.
"You're wrong, Flit. This is the best chance to end the war."
"..."
Hearing this, Flit fell silent.
"That's right. The Second Moon is VEGAN's stronghold and their home, but not all VEGAN people are on the Second Moon. Don't forget, there are still some on Earth," Yang Hui reminded.
"So what? As long as we destroy the Second Moon, the remaining VEGAN on Earth will be like rootless weeds. Eliminating them will be as easy as turning over a hand."
"But have you considered the cost?"
"..."
"Yes, if you destroy the Second Moon, they will lose their foundation, and completely wiping them out will only be a matter of time. But... what will VEGAN, who have lost their homes, their families, and everything, do? Have you thought about that?"
Flit was speechless. Of course, he knew what people who had lost everything would do.
The VEGAN, driven to madness, would unleash indiscriminate destruction on Earth, leading to countless innocent lives lost and immeasurable damage to the planet.
Just like Flit once wanted to destroy everything that had taken everything from him.
But... can such a victory truly be called a victory? Is this really what he should do? Or rather... is this truly the act of a savior?
"Flit, by doing this, you are not a savior, but a butcher, an executioner. Do you wish for the dragon slayer to eventually become the dragon?"
"...Fine, I understand. Accept their request."
"You go, Flit. This is the opportunity you've always dreamed of. Lead everyone and save us from this crisis."
"Me?"
"Yes, only you can accomplish this."
Yang Hui's affirmation completely softened Flit's heart. His dream was to become a savior, and even in his old age, that ideal had not wavered.
From childhood, Yang Hui, whom Flit had chased after and admired, had never acknowledged this ideal, even constantly belittling it.
But now... at the end of the war, Yang Hui handed the task of ending the war to him, and with it, the final chance to become a savior.
"I understand."
The Gundam AGE-1 headed towards the Laglamis Fortress, while the Dawn Gundam and the Flag Gundam remained in place. Seeing this, Asemu quickly asked, "Uncle, aren't you going?"
"No, this stage belongs to your father. Besides... I'm tired, and the war is over."
After saying this, Yang Hui felt as if some shackle had been lifted from his shoulders, and he relaxed considerably.
It's no wonder that Yang Hui, having participated in nearly a century of war, would feel fatigued. Even an Iron Man would tire. His exceptional personal skills had spared him from many life-and-death crises, but he was never alone. He had Graham, Yurin, the Celestial Being squadron, and various other companions. As a strong individual, a commander, and a comrade, he bore the responsibility of ensuring their survival through the war.
Now that the war had ended, he no longer needed to remain constantly on edge, fearing that his mistakes might lead to the death of his comrades.
"...Alright, Uncle, you've worked hard."
The Gundam AGE-2 departed, heading to participate in the operation to forcibly dock with the Lagrange Fortress.
This operation held significant meaning for him as well. It was a promise he had made with Jehart—to end the war and find a path of mutual understanding.
This seemingly unattainable goal had been achieved at this very moment, and he believed Jehart would also be involved. He, too, would go to fulfill the promise made with his dear friend.
The Flag Gundam did not leave but instead quietly accompanied Yang Hui to witness the grand spectacle before them. Yang Hui was tired, and so was he. The fervor of battle had been satisfied, and he too needed a good rest.
"It's finally over," Graham stretched and said to Yang Hui.
"Yes, it's finally over."
The Dawn Gundam and the Flag Gundam faced the Lagrange Fortress, admiring the end of a long journey and the conclusion of an era.
"Can you hear me? All warriors of the Earth Sphere and Mars Sphere, this is a message to all MS within signal range! I hope you will stop fighting and listen to me!" The voice of Flit, filled with passion, echoed through everyone's communication channels. "If this continues, VEGAN's mobile colony—the Second Moon—will collapse, and countless lives will be lost! To save these lives, we must forcibly separate the spherical section that is about to explode. Time is running out. Unless everyone here works together, it will be too late!"
Inspired by Flit's heartfelt plea, the intense fighting gradually subsided. Both sides, locked in a life-and-death struggle, ceased their actions and turned their attention to the center stage.
"To all warriors of the Earth Federation Army and VEGAN, your assistance is needed to save countless lives!"
"Order all forces! Cease fighting! Immediately begin the separation operation!"
"Order all forces! Cease fighting! Immediately assist VEGAN in the separation operation!"
Flit's declaration halted the fighting. At this moment, Jehart and Argreus simultaneously issued orders to their troops. Even if they were unwilling to heed Flit's request or stop the fighting, they had no choice. As soldiers, they had to prioritize orders.
"That's right, this is the demeanor a savior should have. Flit, you've finally done it," Yang Hui said with a relieved and satisfied smile as he watched Flit, radiant at the center stage, finally grown up.
"Weren't you always the one criticizing him?" Graham teased.
"Heh, that was to prevent him from going down the wrong path. Even if he's not blood-related, he... is still our brother, isn't he?"
"Hah, true," Graham shrugged, offering no rebuttal.
Humans are not machines because they possess emotions. After decades in this world, Yang Hui and Graham truly regarded Flit as their younger brother, caring for him, teaching him, and changing him.
Even now, they still don't believe the world needs a savior, nor does war have one. But... that doesn't stop them from guiding their younger brother to pursue his ideals in the right way at the right time, even if those ideals are merely fleeting illusions.
"Let's go."
"Yeah, it's time to rest properly. By the way, Yang Hui, next time, don't bring me on such missions. Although reliving life is a great experience, decades of continuous war are just too much to handle," Graham complained.
"I'm not taking the blame for this. It's not like I chose you."
"Sigh... it's my own fault."
"So you'd better hope that the rules of random selection change after the authority upgrade, otherwise, heh."
"Who made me so foolish back then to choose to follow you on this adventure?"
"Whether you chose to follow me or not, your head was already 'squeezed by the door.'"
"What did you say!? Want to duel?"
"Heh, maybe you should consult Billy and the professor first?"
Graham: Σ(°△°|||)︴
...
The Gundam AGE-2 deployed four high-energy Beam Sabers, sweeping through the network-like spherical sections, scattering them in all directions.
Seeing the Gundam Legilis approaching, the Gundam AGE-2 came to a halt, facing it directly.
"Jehart."
"Asemu."
After so many years, the close friends reunited, reminiscing about everything they had been through—the carefree days at school, becoming enemies due to the war, fighting side by side, and then opposing each other again, until now...
With unspoken tacit understanding, the eyes of the Gundam AGE-2 and the Gundam Legilis lit up simultaneously. They moved forward together, unleashing a barrage of gunfire and sword strikes, their efficiency in dismantling the spherical sections doubling with their coordination.
"Hey, Jehart, did we fulfill our promise from back then?" Asemu suddenly asked.
"I guess so? Us, them, the Federal Army, and VEGAN—aren't we all fighting side by side now?" Jehart mused.
"Yeah, after all these years, it's finally done. It's really..." Asemu shook his head, then suddenly thought of something, his expression turning playful. "By the way, my son was under your care, wasn't he?"
"Uh..."
"As his uncle, don't you have anything to say?"
"Well... uh... let's talk about that later. There's still a lot to do."
"You're right!"
Perhaps envisioning a bright future, the two mobile suits moved faster and faster, and the separation of the spherical sections accelerated as well.
...
The Dawn Gundam and the Flag Gundam returned to the ship. Yang Hui and Graham immediately headed to the infirmary to check on Yurin. She appeared unharmed on the surface, but who knew if there were any internal injuries?
"Yurin!"
"Yang Hui, Graham, you're here? Is the battle over?"
Yurin lay on the hospital bed. Seeing Yang Hui and Graham arrive, she knew the battle had ended.
"The war is over," Yang Hui said softly as he sat down by the hospital bed, gently holding Yurin's hand.
"Yes."
Yurin was overjoyed because Yang Hui had said "war" instead of "battle," indicating that the century-long conflict had finally come to an end, and they could finally relax.
"How are the test results? Were you injured?" Yang Hui asked with concern.
"No, I'm just a bit weak. I'll be fine after some rest."
"That's good to hear."
Only after receiving the final test results did Yang Hui and Graham finally feel a weight lifted from their hearts.
"Yang Hui, the war is over. Does that mean we should..."
Yurin trailed off, but both Yang Hui and Graham understood what she meant. The war in the Gundam AGE world had ended, but their own battle was far from over. It might never end, as this was just one stop on their journey, with an unknown future still awaiting them.
"Yurin, just rest for now. There's no need to think about these things yet," Yang Hui said as he gently smoothed Yurin's disheveled hair.
"Yes, I know. I'm just looking forward to meeting my sisters."
Yang Hui: ⊙▽⊙ˇ
Graham: (ω)hiahiahia
(End of Chapter)