Who is Playing the Love Development Game in Gundam

"Well then, safe travels, Heinlein. May your journey to Earth be smooth," He Kui said as he bid farewell to the young genius at his home base's port.

"Thank you," Heinlein replied, his eyes clearer and his arrogance noticeably reduced since he first arrived—though he still held onto some of it around others.

"Oh, by the way, Heinlein, where's your first stop on Earth?"

"That would be the Carpentaria Base," Heinlein answered after a brief hesitation.

"Carpentaria, huh? That was my first stop on Earth, too."

"Your contributions to PLANT have been tremendous," Heinlein said with admiration. From the very first base on Earth, He Kui had been there as a researcher on the front lines.

"Perhaps," He Kui replied with a smile. "If you meet Tiger, give him this," he added, handing Heinlein two of his custom-built owl drones.

"Two?" Heinlein asked, recognizing the drones' design—he'd even dismantled one before.

"One's for you. As my student, I'd rather you stay alive."

He Kui patted Heinlein on the shoulder. His intent was simple—win the young man's loyalty. It was always good to have more allies.

"Thank you, sir," Heinlein replied, bowing with gratitude.

After watching Heinlein leave, He Kui returned to the radar room without any further sentiment.

---

In South America, the sun was setting over the Amazon River, casting a warm glow over Manaus, the city nestled on its banks. There weren't many high-rises, but it was the most modern city in the area, its dense core surrounded by the tropical rainforests of the Amazon with no suburbs to speak of.

"Manaus is just up ahead," Edward announced, prompting a collective sigh of relief from the team. Staying on high alert for so long had been exhausting.

"Captain Edward, and everyone else, thank you for your hard work. Please land on runway B4," the voice from ground control instructed.

"Roger."

Just as the confirmation came through, a massive splash erupted from the Amazon River below.

Having been on alert, He Kui reacted instantly, diving his Strike down toward the source of the splash in flyer mode. Three amphibious Dagger-style Forbidden units emerged from the water, launching missiles from their crab-shaped missile pods toward He Kui's Strike.

Due to the presence of a neutron jammer, the missiles lacked precision, tracking He Kui briefly before losing lock. Some fell harmlessly into the water, while others veered toward the city.

"No you don't…!" Elina, flying close behind He Kui, sped forward and fired her cannons, intercepting the wayward missiles and detonating them in midair above Manaus.

Ginn squad, commence landing," He Kui instructed calmly.

"Roger," came the coordinated response.

"Evacuation has already been completed," Edward informed them, his voice untroubled. It was clear the evacuation had been pre-planned, despite the appearance of a surprise attack.

"Everyone is performing their roles well."

One of the amphibious Daggers, just as it rose from the water, was impaled by White Whale's trident, piercing straight through its cockpit. She swiftly withdrew, and the pilotless machine exploded, sending another splash over the water.

"These must be Phantom Pain units," she cautioned over comms. "Don't hold back—they'll follow orders to the death."

Even as she spoke, a nearby Dagger tried to attack her with its harpoon-like weapon, only to have White Whale dive out of sight into the water.

Meanwhile, Edward's Sword Calamity was mowing down Dagger units emerging from the water, his twin swords slicing through them effortlessly, more like a game than a battle.

"Elina, provide support. Hegress, secure the city perimeter."

"Leave it to me~!" Elina answered, and in flyer mode, fired a beam blast at the water, forcing another Dagger back below the surface.

Switching his Strike from flyer mode to mobile suit mode, He Kui braced himself atop the transformed plane. Although his mobility decreased, his firepower was now more versatile. He took aim with his beam rifle at a newly surfaced Dagger, landing a perfect shot that penetrated the cockpit.

Ordinarily, an aerial unit like Strike wouldn't fare well against aquatic mobile suits, as water dampens beam strength and impedes movement. But with He Kui's precision, the enemy was practically helpless, surfacing only to be shot down.

Just as victory seemed certain, an alarm sounded from the surrounding Amazon rainforest.

Without hesitation, He Kui turned to fire his beam rifle at the source, only for another alarm to go off behind him.

"Two Blitz units?" He Kui realized he couldn't dodge in time, his focus trained on the Blitz he was already aiming at. He braced for impact, grimacing at the thought of his $7 million Strike being lost.

But before the beam could hit him, Elina shot forward from behind, having seen He Kui's predicament through their shared data.

"Elina, fall ba—" he started, but it was too late. The Blitz's beam fired.

At that speed and trajectory, there was no way Elina, despite being a skilled Green Coat, could evade it. That should've been the case.

Yet Elina performed an impossibly sharp climb, using the small plane beneath her to shield against the beam. As the aircraft exploded upon impact, it generated a shockwave that scattered the beam, disrupting and dissipating it. However, the blast also threw He Kui's mobile suit off-balance, causing h

is intended shot to miss its target's cockpit, clipping the Blitz's arm instead.