After returning to Diva with the Dawn Gundam and transporting it back to Baize, Yang Hui let out a sigh as he removed his helmet.
"Captain, it seems this time the enemy is quite formidable," the maintenance chief floated over with a smile, noting that it was rare to see the Dawn Gundam's floating cannons destroyed.
"Not bad, but there's still room for improvement," Yang Hui tossed his helmet to the maintenance chief.
"Hehe, Captain is impressive," the maintenance chief gave Yang Hui a thumbs up.
"Of course, I'll leave the machine in your hands."
"Don't worry, it will be as good as new!"
"Then I look forward to it."
After chatting casually and greeting the maintenance crew, Yang Hui entered the changing room and ran into Graham.
"How about I take care of that kid next time?" Graham suggested to Yang Hui. He had crossed paths with Jehart a few times during the Tordia incident, but they hadn't really interacted. However, Yang Hui had a good impression of him, so Graham kept an eye on him.
In this battle, although Jehart was pressured by the Dawn Gundam, Yang Hui showed no mercy, aiming to kill Jehart and fulfilling his earlier promise to him.
If it weren't for Jehart's X-Rounder saving his life and his loyal subordinates sacrificing themselves to rescue him, Jehart would have surely perished.
However, the moment he unleashed his power was still quite impressive, as he single-handedly destroyed seven floating cannons of the Dawn Gundam. While floating cannons had been destroyed before, it was usually due to stray bullets in group battles; being taken out by a single machine was quite unique in this world.
Fighting strong opponents had always been Graham's greatest pursuit. After decades in this world, aside from enjoying battles with Yang Hui, he hadn't truly experienced a thrilling fight until this encounter with Jehart, which gave him a target to aim for.
"Don't rush; he's Asemu's opponent," Yang Hui said after changing his clothes.
"But Asemu just got beaten up this time, didn't he?"
"Young people need to grow, right? Rather than having him chase after our unseen backs, Jehart, as a peer, is a more suitable target for him to pursue."
"…Tch, looks like I won't get a chance again," Graham said, disappointment written all over his face. Just when he found a good opponent, it turned out to be a stepping stone for someone else.
"Don't worry, Asemu won't catch up to Jehart in the short term. If he gets beaten again, you can take over."
"That sounds good, but what if I accidentally hold back?" After all, Jehart was someone Yang Hui had high hopes for, and Graham was concerned about how it might affect Yang Hui's plans.
"Then it just means he only has that level. Didn't I say before? There's no mercy on the battlefield."
"Huh? Did you spare those people?"
"What does it mean to spare just one strong opponent?" Yang Hui turned to Graham with a teasing smile. "Jehart is now a commander, but he made a major mistake this time. This failure will surely make him reflect deeply. Letting these people go back is also a catalyst, while keeping some of his loyal troops will help him consolidate his power."
"I see, that fits your cunning nature," Graham chuckled, secretly lamenting that Yang Hui was planning to nurture Jehart, accelerating his growth, and then defeating him with an even stronger stance, further stimulating his growth.
"Not everyone we favor will necessarily be our future companions. Just like how we test the world, the world is also testing us. It's mutual. If someone falls halfway, it just means they aren't qualified enough," Yang Hui said seriously.
Graham fell silent. The Prometheus Fortress was not a place everyone was qualified to enter, especially for warriors. Researchers were somewhat different; driven by their enthusiasm for new technologies, they could afford to be immortal without needing to undertake missions, facing little danger.
But combat personnel were entirely different. Initially, they could persist in various worlds and tasks due to their passion and excitement, but as time passed, that enthusiasm gradually wore off, replaced by endless responsibilities and pressures, which could be quite dull.
In such cases, becoming despondent was the best outcome. However, if one went mad under immense pressure, it would be a huge blow to everyone, as no one wanted to face former companions turned enemies.
"Beep beep~"
"Hmm, a message from Woolf?" Yang Hui opened his PAD to check Woolf's message, a smile creeping onto his face before he closed it.
"What's up?"
"The kid is throwing a tantrum; Woolf is complaining that we didn't act like good parents."
"Hehe, it seems Asemu took quite a hit this time."
"How can young people grow without facing some setbacks?"
"Are you not going to comfort him?"
"Let him be alone for a while."
"I don't mind, but I'm afraid you won't pass Yurin's test."
"Uh..."
...
On Diva, Asemu got off the Gundam and locked himself in his room.
"Jehart... lost again... I clearly have new power... why... why still... is it because of the X-Rounder... why can't I..."
Asemu lay weakly on the bed, his eyes vacant, repeatedly murmuring "why."
He couldn't understand why the Gundam AGE-2, specially designed by Yang Hui to be so powerful, still led to his defeat. It wasn't just about his own embarrassment; he felt he had embarrassed Yang Hui as well.
Moreover... although he had survived by a stroke of luck, Jehart had once again failed to fulfill their earlier promise, showing him mercy for the second time. Surviving due to the opponent's soft heart had dealt a significant blow to Asemu's pride.
Although Asemu never boasted about his family background and identity, he had always been proud to be a member of the Asuno Family, feeling proud of having an excellent father, uncles, and aunts. Subconsciously, he had always pushed himself to match their standards, to become an outstanding person like them, and to be a leader among his peers.
But... he couldn't see the gap between himself and Flit, Yang Hui, Graham, and Yurin. If it were them, Asemu could still use age and experience as excuses to convince himself to be strong, but with Jehart, who was the same age, he found no excuses to comfort himself.
"X-Rounder... is it really the X-Rounder? Can I also become one? But why am I not one yet..."
Asemu continued to doubt himself in his room, while Mireille and Woolf had arrived outside his door.
"Honestly, our own kid gets hit and doesn't come to take care of himself; does he really think I'm a babysitter?" Woolf complained. He had already sent a message to Yang Hui but received no reply, knowing he would have to take care of the kid himself.
"Just because of one loss, and he acts like this? What a disgrace," Mireille was dissatisfied with Asemu's state. Having experienced countless wars, she knew that a moment's victory or defeat meant nothing. Moreover, Asemu was now a soldier, not the young master of the Asuno Family; soldiers were not allowed to throw tantrums.
Mireille immediately thought of using her captain's authority to unlock Asemu and give him a good lesson, but Woolf stopped her.
"Asemu does need a good lesson, but let's wait until tomorrow," Woolf advised.
"Right now, he is not the young master of the Asuno Family; he can't just do as he pleases in the military."
"Forget it, sometimes a man really needs to be alone for a while. Tomorrow, I'll have a good talk with him."
"But..."
"Wasn't Flit like this back in the day? Asemu is just like his father."
"You... hmph!"
Seeing Woolf standing firm in front of her, Mireille snorted coldly and turned to leave, leaving Woolf feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Tch, I really owe your family. After taking care of the old one, now I have to deal with the young one," Woolf scratched his head and sighed, then headed towards the hangar. Judging by Mireille's expression, it seemed like she wouldn't be going to bed tonight. Rather than going back to suffer, he might as well sleep with his second "wife" for the night.
Asemu was unaware that his disappointment and reckless actions had caused a rift between the couple. He also didn't know that on another warship, his most respected uncle was being disciplined by his aunt. He was simply immersed in his own dark world, slowly drifting into sleep.
...
The next day, after a good night's sleep, Asemu felt revitalized. He looked less dejected and was instead filled with energy. He found Second Lieutenant Max and half-pleaded, half-forced him to train with him.
Near Diva, Max's Adele II continuously fired training targets outward. He had lost count of how many times he had done this. Although his rank was higher than Asemu's, Asemu's background was not something he could provoke. Reluctantly, he could only stand by and serve as Asemu's sparring partner.
On Diva, Woolf was in the hangar, observing the Gundam AGE-2. The chaotic shooting and impulsive actions could hardly be called training; it was merely a release of his inner frustration.
The targets only moved and did not attack; otherwise, given Asemu's current state, he would have been shot down countless times by now.
"Woolf Captain, where's Asemu?" Alisa floated over to ask.
"Over there," Woolf gestured, indicating Asemu on the screen.
"Hey, still training? He's really diligent."
"Training? This is just venting."
"Venting? Why?"
"Because he lost. Don't be fooled by Asemu's usual demeanor; this kid is quite proud inside."
"Is that so? I didn't notice."
"By the way, Alisa, have you completed your training tasks for today?"
"Um! I'm going right now!"
Watching Alisa hurriedly flee, Woolf shook his head.
"Geez, they really don't make it easy for me."
...
Meanwhile, on Baize, Yang Hui, Graham, and Yurin were also observing Asemu's venting behavior.
"Should we give him a strong push? He can't keep going on like this," Graham said to Yang Hui. Venting was fine, but the question was whether he could truly release his inner emotions through this action. Otherwise, it would not only be ineffective but could also intensify his negative feelings, ultimately leading to self-destruction.
And it was clear that Asemu had not allowed this venting action to achieve its intended effect.
"Let him play for a bit. We're about to leave the Reef Starfield, and we're not far from the Big Ring. We can train him then."
"Alright."
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