Inside the high-tech changing quarters of the White Ark, the faint mechanical hum of the base provided a steady backdrop as Zaki and Maki pulled on their custom pilot suits. The crisp white fabric with sharp emerald-green accent lines fitted perfectly against their frames. As Zaki adjusted the seal around his neck and reached for his pilot helmet, Maki stepped up beside him, her soft green eyes lingering on his left cheek.
"Does Augustina's punch still hurt?" Maki asked gently, tilting her head with a mix of sisterly concern and light teasing.
Zaki paused, rubbing his jaw with a faint, sheepish grin. "Honestly? A little bit. But that punch... it actually woke me up, Maki. It made me realize that hiding behind guilt and hanging our heads down doesn't fix anything. Augustina was right. We need to stand tall, look at the people supporting us, and realize that we're not carrying this burden alone anymore."
Maki stared at her twin brother, her expression softening before breaking into a radiant, beautiful smile. "Look at you, getting all wise and dependable. I guess my older twin really is growing up... which means I have to step up my game too."
Zaki chuckled softly, extending his right fist toward her. "Together?"
"Always," Maki replied, bumping her fist against his.
With their spirits locked in perfect unison, the two co-pilots of the White Bird tucked their helmets under their arms and stepped out of the locker room, marching with firm, confident strides toward the main launch bay.
The hangar bay was buzzing with intense pre-flight activity. Sitting in the center of the maintenance rig was the White Gundam. Its pristine white and emerald-accented armor gleamed under the overhead spotlights, framed by its striking yellow V-fin horn, sharp red forehead crest, and crimson chin guard, and have emerald hummingbird logo on left shoulder. Inside the cockpit capsule, AIRIS's android body was already fully integrated into the neural control system, her emerald eyes glowing softly as she calibrated the secondary tracking algorithms.
As Zaki walked toward the gantry ladder, a soft hand caught his right wrist from behind, stopping him in his tracks.
Zaki turned around to see Princess Aurora standing there. Her long dark black purple hair caught the reflection of the hangar lights, and her purple eyes were full of deep, unspoken emotions. "Please... come back safely, Zaki," she whispered, her grip tightening slightly before she slowly let go. "I'll be waiting for you."
Before Zaki could answer, a loud, heavy metallic CLACK echoed beside them. Feres walked up, casually tapping her new matte-human skin colour mechanical left shoulder. A bright, confident grin played on her lips as she lightly patted Zaki's shoulder with her real right hand.
"Don't go getting yourself surrounded out there, big boy," Feres teased, her eyes shining with warmth. "The second you give us the signal, I'm dropping in with the Aster Gundam to back you up. Just hold the line until then."
Zaki looked at both girls, a soft, genuine smile spreading across his face. "Thanks, both of you. I'll make sure we all come home."
Aurora and Feres exchanged a brief, understanding look before smiling back at him with absolute trust.
Meanwhile, a few meters away, Maki was checking her flight gloves when Gills approached her. The usually quiet, straightforward boy looked unusually tense, his hands fidgeting slightly.
"Maki... just be careful out there, alright?" Gills said, his voice unusually quiet. "That Black Gundam... something about it isn't right."
Maki threw her head back, striking a ridiculously over-confident pose with her hands on her hips, flashing a bright smirk. "Relax, Gills! It's just a dark copycat. I'm gonna smash that black tin can into scrap metal before you even miss me!"
Gills stared at her energetic, playful attitude for a second. Instead of laughing, a sudden surge of protective emotion overwhelmed him. Without thinking, Gills stepped forward, wrapped his arms around Maki's waist, and pulled her into a tight, fierce embrace.
"You better keep that promise," Gills murmured into her shoulder, his voice thick with emotion.
Maki instantly froze. Her smug smirk completely disintegrated, her eyes widening into massive saucers as a brilliant crimson blush exploded across her face all the way to her ears. Her brain completely short-circuited. She stood there stiff as a wooden board, awkwardly hovering her hands over his back, trying to process the sudden embrace before tentatively, stiffly wrapping her arms around him in return.
"J-J-Just watch me!" Maki squeaked out, her voice an octave higher than usual as she gently pushed back, hiding her flushed face behind her helmet visor.
With final preparations complete, Zaki and Maki climbed into the dual-pilot cockpit of the White Gundam, securing their harness straps and plugging their helmet neural cables into the primary console.
"Neural sync rate establishing," AIRIS's harmonious voice resonated inside their helmets. "Pilot Zaki, Pilot Maki, neural link confirmed at 100%. Primary optical sensors... online."
The twin emerald eyes of the White Gundam flashed with brilliant green light. The machine reached down, mounting its high-output Beam Rifle in its right mechanical hand and securing its heavy defensive shield onto its left forearm. On the rear skirt armor latch, a heavy Hyper Bazooka was locked securely into place as secondary firepower.
CLANK! SHOOOOOOSH!
The massive atmospheric blast doors of the White Ark slid open, exposing the dark, starry night sky. The White Gundam raised its arms, its backpack thrusters erupting with a blinding stream of blue plasma as it launched into the air, rocketing toward the European airspace at hypersonic speeds.
Right behind them, the heavy battle cruiser commanded by Salia lifted off. Stowed securely within its ventral drop bays were the full vanguard units: Augustina's Sunflower Gundam, Tasya's Lavender Gundam, Agnes's Deep Blue Gundam, Gills's Red One Gundam, and Feres's newly completed Aster Gundam. They maintained a stealthy five-kilometer trailing distance, ready to drop at a moment's notice.
Five hours later, the White Gundam broke through the thick cloud layer over central Germany.
Below them lay the desolate, haunting ruins of Sector 4 Industrial City. Massive, rusted factory towers, crumbling concrete skyscrapers, and abandoned rail lines stretched for miles under the cold moonlight.
In the center of a massive, cleared concrete plaza among the ruined factories, a single black silhouette stood motionless.
The Black Gundam.
Zaki brought the White Gundam down, its feet landing heavily on the cracked pavement, kicking up a cloud of dust. The two opposing phantoms one pure white and emerald, the other pitch black and blood crimson eyes stared each other down across the empty plaza.
Inside the Black Gundam's cockpit, the video line opened. Ichi's pale face appeared on Zaki and Maki's main monitor. A faint, eerily calm smile graced her lips.
"We meet again... Big Brother, Big Sister," Ichi said, her cold voice echoing through the comms.
Maki's eyes narrowed, her hand tightening on the secondary weapon stick. "Cut the creepy family talk, Ichi! Where is your ambush force?! Tell your Colonial masters to come out right now so we can end this!"
Ichi tilted her head, her expression entirely unbothered. "Ambush? You misunderstand. I came here alone."
Zaki frowned. "AIRIS, scan the area. Wide-spectrum sensor sweep."
AIRIS's eyes flashed blue as detailed topographical grids swept across the ruined city. A second later, she shook her head inside the cockpit. "Scan complete. There are zero Mobile Suit signatures, capital ship power readings, or human life signs within a twenty-kilometer radius. Only the Black Gundam is present."
Zaki and Maki exchanged a stunned look. She really came alone?! Is she insane, or just that confident?!
Before Zaki could ask another question, Ichi's pale arm moved inside her cockpit. Up on the field, the Black Gundam slowly raised its heavy dark beam rifle—not at the White Gundam, but pointing it directly toward a ruined four-story concrete administrative building to its right.
"You should stop hiding now," Ichi said flatly, her voice projected through her suit's external loudspeakers. "It is rude to watch a duel from the shadows."
"What?!" Zaki gasped, his eyes snapping toward the building.
BOOM!
The concrete wall of the third floor burst open, but it wasn't an attack. The debris cleared to reveal a bizarre, lavishly decorated floating spectator platform that had been secretly erected inside the ruined building.
Sitting comfortably on an ornate gold-and-velvet throne was a man with sharp, aristocratic features and ruthless eyes—Grisel Nova, the absolute Supreme Ruler of the Mars Outer Space Colony. Sitting right beside him on a matching silver chair was Sirius Nelphime, the cold, calculating Sovereign Ruler of the Mercury Outer Space Colony.
Zaki's blood ran cold. The High Kings of Mars and Mercury... here on Earth?!
"They're watching us like we're gladiators in some sick circus!" Maki spat, her teeth grinding in fury.
Before Zaki could initiate a flight maneuver to engage or retreat, Ichi pressed a command code on her central console.
CRACKLE-SNAP!
A terrifying surge of dark purple electricity erupted from four hidden ground nodes surrounding the entire industrial plaza. Within seconds, the purple lightning surged upward, weaving together to form a massive, impenetrable energy dome that completely sealed the White Gundam and the Black Gundam inside a closed arena. The two Colonial Kings sat safely outside the barrier, looking down at the cage match with amused, cold smiles.
Maki instinctively pulled the trigger on her beam rifle, firing a sharp green beam shot straight at the purple barrier to test its strength.
Pew! BZZZZT-FLASH!
The high-output green beam hit the purple dome, but instead of piercing or exploding, the energy was instantly absorbed and neutralized into nothingness, leaving not even a scorch mark.
"Sensors indicate a high-density phase-shift barrier," AIRIS reported urgently, her voice tense. "External communication signals are completely jammed. We cannot send out a signal to Commander Salia or the team."
Zaki finally understood. Ichi hadn't brought an armada because she didn't need one. She had equipped her Black Gundam with an advanced radar-ghost system to hide the construction of this trap, luring the White Ghost into a closed, isolated death cage right in front of her royal patrons.
Inside the crackling purple dome, the cold moonlight reflected off the dark armor of the Black Gundam as it drew its blood-red beam saber.
"Now..." Ichi's voice whispered through the closed arena, her eyes flashing with a terrifying, predatory crimson light. "Let us begin the final evaluation."
The ultimate battle of White versus Black had officially begun.
To be continued...