NOVEL WEB Chapter 80: Chapter 82: Sayla's Decision
Chapter 82: Sayla's Decision
In the days that followed, Eli stayed at the White Base and assisted Amuro in fine-tuning the NT-1 in the hangar.
The NT-1 had already shed its heavy Chobham armor.
When the armor was removed, Christina had shown a slightly sorrowful expression.
After all, the design she had poured her heart into was quickly discarded by the pilot, which was understandably disheartening.
However, for Amuro, the Chobham armor not only hindered mobility but also reduced the number of weapons the unit could carry.
It would only slow him down.
Still, Christina found some solace in the fact that the Chobham armor wasn't entirely discarded.
Instead, she began modifying it to be installed on the Gundam.
Fortunately, the disguised freighter that had transported the NT-1 also carried some equipment, allowing Christina and her team to carry out these adjustments.
For areas with significant size discrepancies, the armor was cut and supplemented as needed.
Incidentally, this idea came from Amuro himself.
It seemed that seeing the equipment on Units 04 and 05 had inspired Amuro to enhance his own unit.
However, before he could take action, he received a new unit.
So, who would pilot the Gundam now?
"Are you really going to the battlefield, Sayla?"
"This is something I decided long ago, isn't it? Even without the Gundam, I'd still pilot the G-Fighter into battle."
Eli stood in front of the closed cockpit of the Gundam, looking worriedly at Sayla, who was familiarizing herself with the controls inside.
Previously, Eli had asked Kobayashi, Kai, and Ryu if they were willing to pilot the Gundam in combat.
To his surprise, the three showed no enthusiasm for piloting the Gundam.
Ryu had no talent for MS piloting, while Kai and Kobayashi were accustomed to the Guncannon and Guntank and were reluctant to switch machines.
"Eli-san, you just don't get it. The Gundam is less of a weapon and more of a suffocating responsibility now," Kai had said, rubbing his ear as he rejected Eli's offer.
Though Kai was often unreliable, he was surprisingly perceptive in many situations.
Ultimately, it was Sayla who volunteered to pilot the Gundam.
However, Eli couldn't help but recall Sayla's disastrous performance in the original storyline when she secretly piloted the Gundam.
With Operation Star One and the Solomon offensive looming, how could Eli feel at ease letting Sayla pilot the Gundam?
"Don't worry about me..."
Sayla pressed buttons in quick succession, gripping the beam rifle in the simulation program. She locked onto the enemy and pulled the trigger.
But she took too long to aim, and the Zaku's thrusters allowed it to evade the beam.
"Ugh..."
Watching this unfold on the screen linked to the Gundam, Eli grew even more concerned.
Even with Chobham armor, the Gundam's very presence would draw enemy attention.
Should I switch to a GM head...?
Eli shook his head, dismissing the absurd idea.
"I'm entering the battlefield not to prove myself."
Sayla ended the simulation, opened the cockpit hatch, and stepped out, rubbing her wrist.
"My brother, Char, is doing something dangerous," she said as she approached Eli.
Eli looked up in surprise. Sayla stood with her head slightly tilted, as if staring at her toes, her left hand resting on her hanging right arm.
"Though, as a member of the Deikun family, I seem to have reasons to seek revenge against Zeon. My brother appears to be doing something even more dangerous... If he continues, he'll be consumed by hatred and become someone I no longer recognize."
Sayla lowered her gaze.
Since revealing her inner thoughts to Eli, Sayla had shed her tough exterior in front of him.
The girl who had stopped growing after being abandoned by her brother was finally starting to take steps forward.
At the very least, she was no longer blindly chasing after her brother's shadow.
"I want to bring him back before it's too late."
Sayla raised her eyes to meet Eli's.
But Eli was engrossed in operating his tablet.
"You jerk!"
Sayla, in mock anger, punched Eli in the chest.
"Ouch!"
"That's what you get for not listening to me!"
Rubbing his chest where he was hit, Eli raised the tablet for Sayla to see.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Sayla also rubbed Eli's sore spot before glancing at the tablet.
It displayed a series of training tasks.
"Follow this plan moving forward. If you want to bring your brother back, you at least need to survive the first shot."
Eli's words carried weight.
Char might struggle against Amuro, but Eli had confidence in his own ability to defeat him.
However, a novice like Sayla entering the battlefield would likely be shot down by Char before she even had a chance to act.
"Sayla, I understand how you feel. But before anything else, prioritize your safety."
As Eli spoke, he took a slightly bold step forward and held Sayla's hand.
Then, he handed her the tablet.
Even though her hand was being held, Sayla didn't blush or react nervously this time.
In Eli's eyes, she saw an unprecedented seriousness.
This man regarded her life as something profoundly important.
Sayla understood this just from his gaze.
Eli smiled and released her hand, noticing the resolute look in her eyes.
"Eli... I..."
"Hey, Eli-san! I just saw him!"
Before Sayla could finish, Amuro's voice rang out.
Amuro had recently left the White Base again to visit his father.
This time, instead of feeling disgusted by his father's erratic behavior, he coaxed him into moving to a new home.
Together, they went to a nearby factory and built a life-sized Gundam model.
Tem Ray called it "Gunpla."
That aside, Amuro now floated in with a perplexed and doubtful expression, eager to share what he had seen.
"Eli-san, do you remember the girl by the lake? She's with Char!"
Amuro's expression showed disbelief as what he had witnessed conflicted with everything he thought he knew.