07:- Trap

The next day dawned with a sense of tension in Chryse. A demonstration against the Earth Sphere's colonization of Mars was underway, and the streets were filled with protesters voicing their discontent. The unrest had a ripple effect, affecting businesses throughout the city, including a small shop where a young girl named Atra Mixta worked diligently.

Atra, a longtime friend of Mikazuki, was busy preparing a gift for him. She knew that he and the rest of the Third Group would soon embark on a journey to Earth, and she wanted to give him something special to carry with him. With each stitch and fold, she poured her thoughts and well wishes into the creation, hoping it would bring Mikazuki comfort during his mission.

Meanwhile, Kudelia Aina Bernstein, known as "The Maiden of Revolution" and a key figure in the Mars independence movement, finally made her way to the CGS headquarters.

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"Come in ", said Maruba.

"Orga Itsuka and 4 others from the Third Group reporting in," Orga said in his usual commanding voice. Ichiro, Mikazuki, Eugene, and Biscuit stood side by side with him in the soldier stand.

"Yes, these are the boys who will escort you..." said while gazing at Kudelia Aina Bernstein. A young girl with golden hair and shining violet eyes.

She rose from her seat and said, "Nice to meet you. I am Kudelia Aina Bernstein" while looking at the Third Group members.

None of them spook until Orga and Eugene spook at the same time. "Hey there".

"Yeah," said Orga. "You can't even greet someone properly? Unbelievable", said Maruba in a grumpy voice and continued "Now about the plans from now...".

"You ", said Kudelia as she approached Mikazuki. "What's your name ?", she asked.

"I am Mikazuki Augus," replied Mikazuki in his normal monotone voice.

"Can you show me around, Mikazuki ?", she asked in a soft tone ."Huh", "What?", said Maruba.

"Fumitan, I'll leave this up to you", said Kudelia addressing the other woman in the office, her maid. "Understood", replied Fumitan.

Mikazuki gazed at Ichiro and the others, "This way...".

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Ichiro stood in the cluttered workshop of the Chryse Guard Security (CGS) base. He fidgeted with the schematics he held in his hand, his eyes darting around the room at various half-finished projects and discarded parts.

Nadi, the grizzled engineer and mechanic of CGS, motioned for Ichiro to step forward. The old man's sharp eyes bore into him as if trying to discern his thoughts.

"What do you want, brat?" Nadi asked, his tone gruff but not unkind.

Ichiro took a deep breath to steady himself before speaking. "I need ammunition, Old Man. Specifically, for my mobile worker, the I2 Seltos."

Nadi raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "I2 Seltos, huh? I see you've been busy. What does the 'I2' stand for?"

Ichiro cleared his throat, feeling a bit self-conscious. "Well, it's simple. 'I' stands for 'Ichiro,' and the '2' signifies that it's the second one I've built. The first one I use for training is the I1."

Nadi chuckled, a raspy sound that echoed in the workshop. "I see, I see. You've got a knack for naming things. So, what kind of ammunition are you looking for, brat?".

Ichiro said, "I've made some modifications to the Seltos, Old Man. It now uses normal ammunition but I will specialize the ammunition for it. Trying to make something with a bit more punch."

Nadi scratched his scruffy beard as he contemplated Ichiro's request. "Well, It will be hard for me to get you ammunition..." Old Man paused and stroked his beard and said," It looks like a brat you're in luck. I do have some left in the storage you can take it for your experiment".

A sense of relief washed over Ichiro as he realized that Nadi was willing to support his endeavor. "Thank you, Old Man. Your help means a lot to me."

Later that Night . Orga was sitting in front the hangers. "You can't sleep, Orga",said biscuit as he walked towards orga and stood next to him.

"You too, Biscuit. It's just too suspicious".

"Indeed. She herself is only a bit naive girl but her birth and status are real. She's so important that even Gjallarhorn couldn't act directly . Then why choose our small company ",Biscuit stated.

"In any case, we have no choice. Even if it is a trap, we'll crush them, trap and all".

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Ichiro's voice came out in gasps as he tried to keep up with Mika's relentless pace. The two of them were running through the grounds of CGS at night, their breath visible in the cold night air.

"Yo Mika slow down bro, we are just jogging bro," Ichiro said.

Mika, who seemed to be unfazed by the physical exertion, slowed his pace slightly but maintained a determined look on his face. "Okay , Ichiro ".

"So what do you think about this ".

"About what?".

"What this mission. I believe it's a trap ."

"Why do you think it's a trap?".

"I don't know , but i have a gut feeling that it's a trap".

Suddenly out of nowhere a white flare pierced the sky alerting everyone . "Mika It's an attack ", said Ichiro while running fast with Mika at his side .

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