"Captain, I heard that Lieutenant General Yang Hui, Lieutenant General Graham, and Lieutenant General Yurin are here?"
"Captain, you know the three lieutenant generals, right? Can you help me get their autographs?"
"And me, and me! I grew up watching their promotional videos! They're my idols!"
"I heard the three lieutenant generals are returning to the front lines. Captain, shouldn't you step aside?"
"Fighting under the leadership of the three lieutenant generals would be... so blissful!"
Everyone: "Oh~! °()°"
...
Surrounded by a group of young recruits who had just joined the Celestial Being Corps, Asemu's face twitched uncontrollably, and the veins on his forehead were about to burst. He never expected that Yang Hui and the others had fans who had idolized them since childhood—and they were this fervent!
Some even wanted to overthrow him. What a bunch of ungrateful brats!
Just as Asemu was about to scold his subordinates, a sudden scream interrupted him.
"Ah~!"
"The lieutenant generals are here!"
...
Amidst the excited cheers of the crowd, Yang Hui, Graham, and Yurin slowly arrived at the Celestial Being Corps' base.
"Yo! Lots of new faces here. You brats haven't embarrassed the Celestial Being Corps, have you?" Yang Hui greeted them warmly, regardless of how many familiar faces were left in the corps. Seeing the younger generation of the Celestial Being Corps still so lively and active put his mind at ease.
"No!" XN
Everyone stood tall, chests puffed out, answering with confidence. This was not just self-assurance but also a defense of their honor and a report to their seniors.
"Good, good. Asemu!"
"Here!" Hearing his name called, Asemu stepped forward to stand in front of everyone, ready for Yang Hui's inspection.
"You've done well." Yang Hui patted Asemu on the shoulder, praising him.
"It's all thanks to the lieutenant general's teachings!" Asemu replied loudly.
"Hmm, then..."
Familiar with Yang Hui's expressions, Asemu noticed the sly and sinister smile creeping onto Yang Hui's face. His survival instincts kicked in, and without a second thought, he turned to run. He didn't know what he had done wrong, but it was better to flee for his life.
But Yang Hui had watched Asemu grow up and mature step by step. Did he really think he could get away with this?
The hand that had been on Asemu's shoulder moved with lightning speed to the top of his head, gripping him like an iron claw.
"Ah~! Lieu... Lieutenant General... let go! Let go! I'm going to die! I'm really going to die!"
"Hehe, no rush. We'll take it slow." Yang Hui chuckled darkly, then glanced at the man and woman standing half a step behind Asemu. "Gerald, Rena, has this kid been fulfilling his duties as captain?"
"Yes, Lieutenant General." The young couple stepped forward simultaneously, saluting Yang Hui.
Gerald Fonel and Rena Spriggan were a married couple and the last batch of trainees before Yang Hui and the others retired from the front lines. They were also exceptional X-Rounders in the Federal Army. Due to their outstanding abilities and seamless teamwork as a couple, they were promoted to vice-captains of the Celestial Being Corps, assisting Asemu in managing the corps.
In the original timeline, these two were supposed to be used by the military for testing X-Rounder-specific MS. However, due to the military's haste, a major accident occurred during the test, resulting in Gerald's death and Rena surviving but suffering irreversible brain damage, which made her X-Rounder abilities unstable and prone to rampages.
Eventually, they were persuaded by Commander Aaron Simmons of the lunar base to defect and join VEGAN.
In reality, the accident during the test was orchestrated by Simmons, who had already been bribed by VEGAN and was planning to defect. However, he lacked a proper bargaining chip, so he targeted the Fonel couple. He just didn't expect one of them to die.
But none of this would happen now. Aaron Simmons had already been imprisoned during an internal purge, and Gerald and Rena had been intercepted by Yang Hui beforehand.
"Captain Asemu has excelled in every mission and is a qualified corps leader," Gerald reported, though his eyes occasionally darted toward Asemu, meeting his pleading gaze.
"Is that so?" Yang Hui's smile widened, but it became even more dangerous, making Gerald break out in a cold sweat.
"Y... yes!" Gerald decided to stand his ground, but at that moment, he was betrayed by his wife.
"Captain Asemu has indeed excelled in every mission..."
"Rena..."
"...but I don't think he's a qualified captain!"
Asemu & Gerald: ∑(O_O;)
"Captain Asemu always charges to the front lines in every battle, even taking on most of the enemies himself, putting himself in dangerous situations. I don't think that's what a qualified commander should do." Rena didn't even glance at her husband or Asemu as she reported bluntly.
"Oh? Go on." Yang Hui watched Rena with interest while using his other hand to grab Gerald's head.
"On one hand, many missions didn't require his direct involvement, but he insisted on taking charge, hogging the credit and blocking everyone else's path to promotion. On the other hand, Captain Asemu doesn't have the same abilities as the three lieutenant generals, and the situation of the Celestial Being Corps has changed significantly. We shouldn't continue using the old tactics. Lastly..."
"There's more!?" Asemu turned ashen, looking utterly defeated.
"...As soldiers and members of the Celestial Being Corps, we've all made our peace with the risks. So, Captain Asemu, please don't treat us like chicks that need protecting. That's all!"
After the report, Yang Hui's grip tightened, and his gaze toward Asemu grew even more menacing.
"Uncle... uncle... let me explain... no, I mean, let me justify... ah~! I'm going to die! I'm really going to die!"
"Lieutenant General! It's not my fault! Let me go!"
Asemu and Gerald cried out in pain, dangling in the air as they struggled helplessly.
"Hehehe, As~e~mu~, you've really made me proud, hehehe."
"You... you used to do the same thing! I learned from you!" In his panic, Asemu blurted out without thinking.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Yang Hui released them. Just as they thought they had escaped, Yang Hui's body began to emit an ominous black aura, as if cloaked in a tangible coat of darkness.
"Rena, is the Baize simulator still available?"
"Yes, and it's been updated with the latest technology."
"Good, good. Asemu, Gerald, get in the simulators! Let's see if your skills have regressed."
Without waiting for their pleading looks, Yang Hui strode toward the long-unused Baize simulator.
If it weren't for the imminent secret operation at Lost Luran, which made real training unsuitable, he would have... hehehe...
"We're doomed, this is going to be bad..." Asemu lamented.
Gerald punched Asemu in frustration, his expression equally grim.
"I shouldn't have covered for you. Now I'm dragged into this mess!"
"What did you say!?"
"What? Want to duel?"
"You two better get ready. The lieutenant general's simulation battles aren't easy to handle."
"It was you who sold us out!"
Despite their bickering, the two obediently headed to the simulators.
The others, seeing their captain and vice-captain about to face their doom, as the perfect subordinates, wouldn't miss the chance to watch their superiors suffer!
Especially since it was their idols personally delivering the punishment. This was a spectacle not to be missed!
...
Meanwhile, the Diva was approaching the vicinity of Lost Luran. During the journey, it was discovered that someone on board had been leaking information to VEGAN. The culprit was Shanaluya Marlon, a member of the Abyss Squad.
Unlike in the original timeline, Shanaluya didn't immediately flee in an MS upon being discovered. Instead, she calmly awaited her arrest.
When brought to the captain's office for interrogation, Shanaluya revealed her identity in front of Captain Natala Ainas, MS Squad Leader Selic Abyss, and Flit.
"I was the one who leaked information to VEGAN, including the specific location of Lost Luran. But I was following orders from Admiral Argreus."
"What!?" Natala Ainas and Selic Abyss were shocked.
"Four years ago, VEGAN approached me, offering a large sum of money to treat my sister's illness in exchange for me becoming their spy. But soon after, Lieutenant General Yang Hui's people found me and presented evidence of my agreement with VEGAN. The lieutenant general then instructed me to become a double agent, feeding VEGAN limited information under his guidance," Shanaluya explained.
"So that's how it was!"
"I can vouch for that," Flit said, dispelling their last doubts.
"You knew about this all along?" they asked in surprise.
"Not long ago, Argreus informed me about the operation at Lost Luran. He also told me that he had only recently learned of Shanaluya's identity. Before that, only Yang Hui knew."
"But what about the location of Lost Luran? Isn't that the Federal Army's last stronghold for a counterattack?" Natala Ainas asked, puzzled.
"Hmph, Argreus is playing a high-stakes game. He's using Lost Luran as bait to eliminate as much of VEGAN's forces as possible, creating an opportunity to retake Earth's orbit," Flit said with displeasure.
"That's too risky! If the operation fails, the Federal Army..."
"The admiral must have other cards up his sleeve, right? Otherwise, he wouldn't have devised such a risky plan."
Unlike the panicked Natala Ainas, the calm and collected Selic Abyss immediately grasped the key point.
"Yang Hui and the others have already arrived at Lost Luran. The Celestial Being Corps is there too."
"I see. With the three lieutenant generals present, it's indeed foolproof," Selic Abyss shrugged. With the Federal Army's greatest weapons ready, what was there to worry about?
(End of Chapter)