"Ugh, this feeling is really unpleasant..."
The brief sensation of dizziness and weightlessness made the heads of Char, Revil, and the others spin. They all had a high resistance to weightlessness and vertigo; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to fight in space.
But it came too suddenly and left just as abruptly. The instantaneous switch between impact and recovery was what made it truly uncomfortable.
Yang Hui and the others, who were used to it since it wasn't their first time, stood to the side and waited for them to recover.
The portal to the Gundam UC World had been established, but this time, it wasn't just one portal—there were three. A second team, led by Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei, emerged from a new portal. A third team, led by Flit and Jehart, stepped out of the last portal. But...
"Why are there so few people?" Yang Hui asked in confusion. Although the portals had been established, only a handful of people had returned with them.
"Don't even get me started." Flit and Jehart both shook their heads helplessly. "It really couldn't be helped. The situation in that world was too complex, and we didn't start with a background that gave us the opportunity to strategize."
"Even if you had gone, it would have been the same. I'm already relieved that we achieved 100% World Deviation Level and completed the world connection."
"Alright, let's head to the conference room to discuss the details."
"Understood."
"Are you Mr. Yang Hui?" At that moment, from behind Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei, a black-haired man in a white suit approached, accompanied by a woman with bronze skin, wearing provocative clothing and sporting a savage scar across her chest. He addressed Yang Hui.
"Naze Turbine, Amida Arca. Nice to meet you; I am Yang Hui."
"Hmm, though you're a bit behind me, you're not bad at all. No wonder Ms. Huang and Ms. Wang Liu Mei turned down my date requests," Naze Turbine said, stroking his chin teasingly.
"Is that so? Then you'd better be careful." A dangerous smile appeared on Yang Hui's face, and wisps of killing intent began to surround him.
"Whoa! Just kidding, just kidding, haha."
How terrifying was Yang Hui's killing intent? Even a mere wisp of it was enough to chill the blood of a seasoned social veteran like Naze Turbine and a battle-hardened warrior like Amida Arca.
"So strong..."
The small, black-haired boy standing behind them stared intently, instinctively going on high alert.
"Mmh..." The black-skinned, silver-haired youth beside him nodded in agreement. They were no ordinary boys; for them, every moment was a battle. They had struggled for the sole purpose of survival since childhood and were extremely sensitive to dangerous auras.
"Orga, what do we do?"
"Wait and see."
"Okay, I'll listen to Orga."
"It seems the welcome ceremony is quite lively. But Yang Hui, kid, shouldn't you introduce us to this place?" At this point, Revil stepped forward, bringing the awkward atmosphere back to normal.
Who is this middle-aged guy!?
Truly, the rejuvenated Revil was a handsome man! With his resolute face and aura, one could tell at a glance that he was a hardened soldier. He was rugged yet dashing—the quintessential handsome middle-aged man.
Oh, and then there was Gopp. He... was still portly and affluent-looking. It seemed his round figure wasn't something he had cultivated in his old age.
"Of course." Yang Hui nodded, exchanging looks with Flit, Jehart, Sumeragi, and Wang Liu Mei as they nodded to each other. "Revil, Gopp, Tianem, Char, please follow me. Everyone else, follow the guides for a tour of the area."
"Understood." The four people named nodded. After giving their respective orders, they followed Yang Hui toward the central conference room.
The others had no objections. It was clear the four named individuals were heading to a meeting for the decision-making level. They were all soldiers with discipline and situational awareness.
As for Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei's side...
"They are all soldiers, and their military quality is very high," Amida Arca whispered to Naze Turbine and Orga Itsuka, as they were the leaders of their group.
"It's not hard to understand. Graham and the others performed similarly. They are definitely not something a ragtag group like ours can compare to," Naze Turbine said casually while stroking his chin, though his gaze was exceptionally serious.
Before coming to Prometheus Fortress, they already knew what kind of place this was, what they would need to do in the future, and what responsibilities they would have to bear.
As newcomers, everyone else was a brave warrior or a disciplined soldier, while they were the only "ragtag" bunch. It didn't look great on their part, and it might affect the positions they were about to receive.
"Mr. Turbine, Arca, and Orga, please join us. Someone will guide Mikazuki and the others," Sumeragi said to the three, knowing they were the ones who had a say.
"It would be an honor, Ms. Huang."
"Graham, is it okay to leave things here to you?"
"No problem. I'll get them settled."
Flit and Jehart looked at the people behind them. "Aguer, Maximon, the two of you follow me."
The named Aguer and Maximon nodded and followed Flit and Jehart toward the large conference room.
Once the decision-makers left, the three groups of people looked at each other with burning eyes after curiously surveying their surroundings.
Most of the people present were warriors or commanders; they could tell what kind of person the others were at a glance, and their gazes locked onto those in similar positions.
"Graham, are we going to have a welcome ceremony?" Mikazuki Augus asked Graham expressionlessly.
"I suppose so." Graham shrugged, understanding that the "welcome ceremony" Mikazuki Augus spoke of wasn't a traditional one. But this was normal. Those who were valued enough to be brought to this fortress were certainly the elite of their own worlds. Strong people had the pride of the strong and their own unique ways of understanding one another.
"Let's go, everyone. Since everyone is interested, let's trade some blows," Graham suggested.
"And who might you be?" Revil, Gopp, and Tianem had left. In the team from the Gundam UC World, the highest-ranking officer remaining was Stan Lee Hawkins, who was now a Major General. Thus, he took the initiative to step forward for communication and leadership duties.
"Graham Aker. I was among the first group to come here with Yang Hui. I specialize in MS piloting."
"Pardon my intrusion. I am Major General Stan Lee Hawkins. May I ask what the process is from here?"
"A Major General, huh? It seems that fellow Yang Hui has climbed to the heavens again." Graham chuckled. To have a Major General stay behind as a temporary person-in-charge, one could imagine that Yang Hui had once again become an official with sky-high authority. He mused that the guy really was a professional at becoming a General. "There's no specific process. The scale of Prometheus Fortress isn't that large yet, so a tour won't take much time. Their meeting will surely last a while, so... how about we use the local method to get to know each other?"
"The local method?"
"By using our hands. Most of you are warriors; I can feel it. Warriors should use combat. You must be a commander; how about a simulated campaign command? Of course, we could also just chat, but I'm not very good at that."
"..." Stan Lee Hawkins turned to look at the people of the Twelfth Independent Technical Division and the Phantom Corps. Seeing the fire in their eyes, he agreed. "Very well."
"Biscuit, Mikazuki, Sino, Akihiro, what do you say?" Graham looked back at the crowd behind him.
"This... wouldn't it be a bit inappropriate?" Biscuit had a soft personality and felt it was improper to get into a conflict with future comrades immediately upon arrival.
"I think it's fine!" the boisterous Sino agreed.
"I also think it's fine. I'm not much of a talker, so understanding them through combat is quite appropriate," Akihiro also agreed.
"I don't like chatting either. Let's be direct."
"Mikazuki!?" several people exclaimed at once.
The newcomers from the Iron-Blooded Orphans world all looked at Mikazuki Augus in shock. He had always acted according to Orga Itsuka's orders and never expressed personal opinions, yet he had just voiced his own thoughts.
"I don't know why, but here..." Mikazuki Augus shook his head, pointing at his chest. "...it's a bit hot. And... it's getting hotter."
"...Heh, interesting, Mikazuki. Your warrior's soul has actually awakened." Lyle leaned on Mikazuki Augus's shoulder and teased him.
"Warrior's soul? What's that?" Mikazuki Augus asked Lyle, tilting his head.
"It's what you're feeling right now."
"Oh, I see." Mikazuki Augus nodded half-comprehendingly, feeling like he had learned something new.
Finally, Graham looked at the smallest group, from the Kenner world. "Asemu, what about you guys?"
"Together, of course," Asemu laughed. After all, they had the fewest people, and everyone who had agreed to come was an MS pilot.
(PS: To clarify, the world of Kenner refers to them as ATF, and there will be more names later. For consistency, they will all be called MS.)
"Then let's go. We'll tour the fortress and then head to the Simulation Training Room."
...
While the newcomers followed their seniors in a grand procession to tour their future home, Yang Hui and the other core decision-makers took their seats in the large conference room.
The first step was introductions. Although not everyone present was qualified to enter the core decision-making circle—such as Naze Turbine, Amida Arca, and Orga Itsuka—they currently represented their respective worlds.
"Johann Abraham Revil, Generalissimo of the Earth Federation Forces."
"Gopp, Chairman of the Earth Federation Assembly."
"Tianem, Commander-in-Chief of the Earth Federation Space Fleet."
"Casval Zym Deikun, the previous Chairman of the Zeon Republic, though the position has changed now. You can also call me Char Aznable." Perhaps because he was used to it, or perhaps because the name made him feel more relaxed, Char preferred the identity of "Char Aznable" over "Casval Zym Deikun."
"Hello everyone, I am Aguer, the representative of the Crown Skull Pirate Group."
"Crown Skull Pirate Group, Vanadium Knight, Maximon."
"Oh my, quite impressive. I'm Naze Turbine, just the leader of a mercenary organization. This is my first wife, Amida Arca. Please look after us."
"Orga Itsuka, the head of Tekkadan. Tekkadan is also just a mercenary organization. Please look after us."
"Pirate group? Mercenary organization?" Hearing the men's introductions, Creuset, Revil, and the others all turned their gazes toward Sumeragi, Wang Liu Mei, Flit, and Jehart.