Gundam: Changing the World Even with a Mass-Produced Unit

Chapter 6: Amada Shiro's Persistence

"Da-da-da-da-da—"

Once Amada Shiro had stabilized his mobile suit, three streaks of gunfire immediately lit up the battlefield.

In the distance, Sanders unleashed a barrage of fire, quickly emptying the clip of a 180mm cannon.

"The 06 insignia… it's that demon!"

The last Zaku pilot could only shout this in horror before a 100mm shell from Eli pierced through his chest armor and the cockpit.

This Zaku squad, which had managed to bypass the defensive line with great effort, was completely annihilated in just ten minutes by this special operations team. Eli's side, however, suffered minimal damage—only Amada Shiro's Ground Gundam had an issue with excessive pressure on one of its leg gears, requiring repairs.

Such a minor problem could be resolved at the temporary forward outpost.

When Eli and his team escorted Shiro's temporarily immobile unit to the outpost under the guidance of Airedoa's Type 74 hover truck, they found that Squad 07 had already taken up station there.

Three battle-worn Ground GM units were undergoing maintenance.

"Yo! Eli, how does it feel working with them for the first time?"

The Squad 07 captain, eating his mushy field rations, wiped his mouth and called out as Eli parked his mobile suit. A team member nearby perceptively prepared a meal and handed it over to Eli, who had just walked over.

"It's nothing. Just wiped out a Zaku squad."

Eli took the meal, lowered his head, and began eating.

Though the battle had lasted less than ten minutes, the time spent deploying, fighting, and reaching this outpost had taken quite a toll. Piloting an MS for prolonged periods was physically exhausting, and he was starving.

"How's the situation now?"

Eli asked the Squad 07 captain. Since they had arrived earlier for rotation, they were bound to know more.

"For some reason, Zeon has launched a full-scale offensive, as if they're trying to expand their occupied zones. Today was rough—we were hit by three Zaku squads, plus helicopters. Most of the infantry units fighting alongside us were heavily damaged."

The captain shrugged, showing his helplessness at the current situation.

The Ground GM units were developed using the same production lines as the Ground Gundams due to the limited number of the latter. Though they could share all equipment, Ground GMs were still slightly inferior in output. Fortunately, they were also made of Luna Titanium Alloy, and even with thinner armor, they offered decent protection.

Thus, these machines were often used to maintain defensive lines, while Gundams were deployed to expand them—a complementary approach. With two-thirds of the land now under enemy control, this was currently the best combat strategy available.

"Is that so… It seems Zeon is planning something big."

Eli glanced toward the distant medical tent, where wartime surgeries were undoubtedly taking place.

He could see Karen outside the tent, tending to soldiers with minor wounds who hadn't yet received treatment.

Meanwhile, Amada Shiro—having just disembarked from his mobile suit—stood out in his still-clean pressure suit, which looked woefully out of place in this environment. He attempted to help with the first aid efforts but quickly found his gloves hampered his movements. Karen shooed him away, leaving him to awkwardly loosen his collar to vent the heat building up inside.

"That guy's a real idiot," the Squad 07 captain said mercilessly.

"Well, everyone starts off like that."

Eli remained noncommittal as he continued eating his mushy rations. These field meals were neither appetizing nor flavorful, but they were hot—one of their only redeeming qualities.

"We were the same at first, fumbling around even with MS maintenance."

Eli and the captain were both among the first pilots deployed here. Back then, they'd only received the most basic MS piloting courses before being sent to the front lines due to the dire situation.

The Squad 07 captain didn't really dislike Amada Shiro—he just found the new face a natural topic of interest. With little entertainment during wartime, newcomers like Shiro, along with the infamous "Reaper" Sanders, naturally drew attention. Eli knew this all too well.

"How long do you think this war will last?"

The Squad 07 captain, having finished his meal, set the empty tray aside and leaned back against his team's hover truck, looking like he was about to fall asleep right there.

"Who knows? Maybe it'll end in half a year."

Eli smiled, seemingly casual in his response.

He grabbed another meal and made his way to Shiro, who was still standing awkwardly in place.

"Eat something."

Eli held the food out in front of him.

Amada Shiro paused for a moment before taking it.

"Thanks… I performed pretty badly today, huh?"

Shiro didn't start eating immediately but instead asked Eli about his performance. He wasn't one to deny his own mistakes and was willing to admit his faults. Still, having his first combat mission end this way was a hard pill to swallow for someone as ambitious as Shiro, who had come here hoping to make a name for himself.

"It's fine. This is probably your first time fighting on Earth, right? It's normal to struggle with the gravity."

Having just come down from space, Eli didn't expect Shiro to adapt immediately.

"I just want to prove myself to Sergeant Joshua…"

Hearing Eli's reassurance, Shiro quietly began eating, one spoonful at a time.

"Karen?"

"Yeah, I always get the feeling she looks down on me."

Shiro set his spoon down for a moment, unzipped his pressure suit, and revealed the sweat-soaked T-shirt underneath. Eli could see how the fabric clung to his skin.

"Karen's not like that. She's just worried about you in her own way."

Eli's gaze shifted toward Karen, who was still busy bandaging the wounded.

"You once said you didn't want anyone on the team to die. It's the same for her. She doesn't want you getting killed because you overexert yourself, so she comes down on you a bit harder."

Shiro turned his head, watching Karen calmly tend to a soldier with a wounded leg.

Looking at this woman who cherished every life on the battlefield, Shiro felt his earlier frustration and stubbornness begin to melt away.

"Ha… You're right."

Shiro took another bite of his food.

"I guess I've been too narrow-minded."

Chewing the less-than-pleasant rations, Shiro silently resolved to do better. Gravity was just another obstacle—one he would overcome with effort.