Chapter 35: Gundam Exia

A mech is something that all men yearn. However, reality is often disappointing. The greatest problem that modern people had when it comes to mechs are their complexity.

Making a humanoid mech is one of such complexities. Controlling not just the torso but the legs of a humanoid mech is very hard without practice. Moreover, many things are needed to realize bipedal operation of a mech.

The pilot's body is also crucial for piloting such mechs; G-force is the main reason why. How would they be able to pilot a mech if they are being inflicted with dizziness?

Controlling the mech is also a tedious task as multi-tasking is needed for it. Thus, anime where many people can pilot a mech in a single day isn't realistic and only happens with some conditions.

Thankfully, Shiro did fulfill these conditions as he tried walking with Exia. It wasn't that hard as he still practiced multi-tasking and can now do seven different things at the same time. It also helped in his spellcasting, allowing him to cast seven spells consecutively.

As for the problem with g-force, he withstood it well thanks to his physique.

"It's beautiful..."

"...It's cool."

Zumama has a flushed face as she kept muttering that phrase. Her eyes are twinkling like the stars right now, indicating her extreme excitement upon seeing it.

"Zumama..?" Tomimi wore an incredulous look as she saw this side of Zumama for the first time. This only happened when she first saw a moving city, though only the high priest knows about that.

She felt her ideals back in her childhood set ablaze even stronger in this moment.

Several beams shot out from Exia's right right hand before the GN Sword unfolded. The green sheen on its edges shone - something that could cut hard metals easily due to it being empowered with GN Particles.

It moved and sliced the top part of the mines. The GN Sword sliced through rocks like butter, leaving a burnt surface on it.

"It's sharpness is unparalleled..! Those green lights are enhancing it... They're beautiful..."

"Zumama?!"

Zumama collapsed due to sheer excitement, causing Exia to stop moving. After the cockpit popped from its back, Shiro leaped down and immediately approached them.

"Are you... alright?"

"Huh? Me? Yes, I'm perfectly fine. What did just happen?"

As Shiro listened to Tomimi explaining, the excitement on his face died down. Seeing this, Tomimi got worried for a second before heaving a sigh of relief. After all, that's also how Zumama is before she collapsed!

'Are they possessed by ghosts?' She thought, not understanding why the two seemed so passionate towards the... big humanoid thing standing in front of her.

"Piloting a mech really is exciting, but to collapse due to it..? She really is passionate towards it..." Shiro thought. He began to treat her, checking her vitals before confirming that its really due to sheer excitement that she fainted.

'Hm... Should I try that?' He thought as he thought of something to make her more comfortable in her nap.

*****

"Mn..."

Slowly opening her eyes, Zumama immediately saw an unexpected face.

"Shiro?!"

She instantly jolted in surprise as she realized that she used his lap as a pillow. The ground that she's been lying on is not some rough sand, but a grassland. Flowers of varying colors are present in it, making her doubt where she went.

"Calm down, we're still in the mines. I only changed the environment around us to make it more comfortable."

She saw Tomimi sitting down on grass as she dozed off, a testament on how comfortable this place is. When she focused on it, she felt that it really is too comfortable. Unlike the dampness of the rainforest, this place has the moderate temperature and the freshness of a prairie.

The sunlight is not burning hot, but warm and pleasant.

Zumama snapped out of it and tried to get up, only to be prevented by Shiro.

"Don't try to get up hastily. You'll only get dizzy if you do that."

"Dizzy..? That's right, the robot!" She scanned her surroundings before finding out that it's not that far from them. "Can... Can I see it closely?"

"Sure, why not. I'll even let you in the cabin, only if you lay down here for a while."

"Alright."

Awkward silence ensued between the two. Though Shiro really didn't mind it, Zumama did.

"Uhm, where did you..."

"Get this robot? Hm... I brought it into here." He explained that he piloted this mecha nearby and hid it before bringing it out to do some tests. "I'm still learning how to pilot it."

"I see. You used the optical camouflage from earlier to hide it."

"Yup. It can provide visual and sensory stealth thanks to it."

"Mecha..? Is that how you call a robot?"

Mecha is a term present only in modern Earth worlds, thus she haven't heard of it before.

"Ah, yes. It sounds more cooler for me."

"Hm... I think it does, too."

"Right?"

After a few minutes, the two had decided to test drive Exia once more. Though, they had to do something since only one person can fit inside it. Without Shiro, Zumama would be confused by its controls.

Fortunately (or unfortunately?), the two came up with a small plan inspired by earlier events: Zumama would sit on Shiro's lap.

After the two jumped to the cockpit meters higher than them, Shiro closed it as the various controls greeted their sight. The most notable one would be the screen in the middle, denoting Exia and its parameters.

Although Veda, the quantum computer used as a support to pilot 00 Gundams, isn't here, the stand-alone computer installed here is much stronger than the original to the point that it could operate just as efficient with Veda here.

"This is... the main panel? The energy gauge is full... Wait, what does it use as a power source? Powering that blade with originum will be costly."

"It is called a GN Drive. It's much more complicated that I don't know much about it, but you can consider it as a semi-perpetual originum engine that's only limited by its output."

"...Semi-perpetual..?!"

Seeing her, Shiro immediately knew why he saw such pure person with his mental power. With it, he could see the general feelings of a person, perhaps a benefit of having a maxed willpower. He needs to look at them in the eyes for this to work, though.

That's why he saw just how dedicated Kal'tsit is to her ideals and how determined Zumama is to change Acahualla with her machinery. Such people with pure ideals is admired by him, someone that has nothing to aim for.

More importantly, they don't have any intention to harm him. That's why he befriended them without much hesitation.

The two continued tinkering with Exia's controls while Tomimi dozed off comfortably on the outside.