Chapter 119 – The Little Cat That Got Entangled
"Mm…"
Char suddenly furrowed his brows.
A strange sensation rippled through his mind—something subtle yet familiar. It reminded him of the little black cat Sayla had raised when they were children, and how it used to get tangled up with a certain persistent yellow cat.
"What's wrong, Char?"
Zenna, who was standing nearby holding her child, asked with concern.
"Ah, it's nothing. Sorry."
Char shook his head and apologized before lowering his gaze again, continuing to gently wipe Lalah's body.
Ever since she had lost consciousness during the battle, Lalah had remained in this deep sleep.
The ship's doctor examined her and confirmed that her life wasn't in danger, but her brainwave activity was abnormally high.
In other words, they had no idea what was happening to her either.
Considering Lalah's status as a Newtype, Char had thought about taking her to the Flanagan Institute—perhaps they could diagnose something.
For a moment, he even considered leaving the Assam immediately and taking Lalah back to Side 3 for medical help.
But then, news of the Republic of Zeon's establishment reached them.
Zenna quickly advised Char not to act recklessly.
If he returned now, as a loyal subordinate of the Zabi family, he would likely face purges. And if that happened, no one would be able to care for Lalah.
Char remained silent for a long time before finally agreeing to Zenna's suggestion.
It wasn't that he feared being purged. After all, as Casval, he was the son of Zeon Zum Deikun.
But he knew that if he revealed his true identity to Ramba Ral, he would inevitably become the center of attention in Zeon.
And Char was not exaggerating—if that happened, he could very well end up as the Republic of Zeon's highest leader overnight.
Others might see that as an incredible honor, but to Char, it was a responsibility he had no interest in shouldering.
Moreover, according to captains who refused to follow the Republic's leadership, Axis had ongoing research into Newtypes. Perhaps they could help Lalah.
With all these considerations, Char ultimately decided to head for the asteroid Axis, located beyond the Earth Sphere.
Still… this meant breaking his original promise.
He lifted Lalah's hand, emotions churning in his heart.
Once she wakes up, he would take her back to the Earth Sphere, just as they had envisioned.
He still wanted to give her that peaceful life.
That was the vow he made to himself.
"Hah~"
A soft chuckle echoed in the room—one that Char didn't hear.
A faint, translucent figure floated beside him, gently tapping a finger against Lalah's forehead.
"…Sorry, I got a little too emotional back then. I might have overdone it…"
---
When Eli woke up, Sayla was already gone.
He tried to sit up, but the soreness in his waist made him hesitate. Instead, he rolled to the side, letting his legs dangle off the bed before pushing himself upright with his hands.
His head felt heavy, and he pressed his temples to clear the haze. That was when the memories of last night came rushing back.
"…Sayla."
His voice carried a slight tremor.
He understood now.
Sayla wasn't by his side anymore—she had left.
She had returned to Zeon as Artesia Deikun.
A faint emptiness stirred within him.
His fingers brushed against something.
He picked it up and brought it closer.
It was a piece of paper, its edges torn, stained with faint traces of tears.
Only a single line was written on it:
"Take care."
Signed, Sayla.
For a moment, he could almost see her sitting at the bedside, hesitating, reluctant, struggling to write those words.
Eli looked toward the corner of the room.
Or rather, his gaze seemed to pierce through the heavy walls of A Baoa Qu, reaching toward Side 3.
Even if he could do that—scan the vastness of space with his mind—finding Sayla in the endless cosmos would be next to impossible.
Yet, deep down, Eli knew.
They were still connected.
Knock, knock.
A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.
"Lieutenant Eli, if you're awake, please get dressed. General Revil is waiting for you."
Eli remained silent for a moment before putting on his uniform.
Then, he carefully folded Sayla's note and tucked it into his chest pocket.
Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped out.
---
General Revil was waiting in the same room where he had previously spoken with Ramba Ral.
When Eli entered, Revil was staring at one of the three massive screens in the room, which originally displayed live communications with Gihren, Kycilia, Dozle, and Garma Zabi.
Now, with Gihren, Kycilia, and Garma dead and Dozle captured, the screens had lost their purpose.
"…I imagine you have big plans for what comes next," Revil finally said.
"Yes. It's what Sayla and I both wanted."
Revil turned away from the screen, focusing on the man standing before him.
A vague sense of something… taking shape.
He blinked, as if to confirm what he was seeing.
Regardless of whether those thoughts were real or not, calling Eli here was already a statement in itself.
"I see. Then, I look forward to your future performance—Major Eli."
Unlike when he was promoted to Lieutenant, this time, Eli showed no hesitation.
His expression remained steady as he snapped to attention and saluted.
"This is my duty, sir."
His gaze met Revil's head-on.
The general nodded, a rare hint of satisfaction on his face.
"That's all. Return to White Base and head for Luna II. Once there, you'll prepare for your next mission."
Revil waved a hand, dismissing him.
"Oh, and one more thing—regarding Sayla, just tell them she's been assigned to a classified operation."
After all, Sayla Mass had not been officially removed from the Federation's records.
Once Eli had left, Revil leaned back in the chair that once belonged to Gihren Zabi.
Eli's promotion had faced no resistance.
Even his proposed strategy for dealing with Zeon's scattered remnants had been approved without issue.
It seemed the Federation Council, after suffering two humiliating failures, was finally ready to take decisive action.
Some within the Council had even suggested releasing Dozle Zabi to stabilize Zeon's political landscape…
Revil didn't even have the energy to call them idiots anymore.
But it was clear—if things continued down this path, he had to be prepared for the brilliant political minds of the Council to come up with even more unfathomable schemes.