SWNOVELXO Chapter 64: Chapter - 064 - Akashi Gundam
Akashi's "studio" was, in truth, more akin to a military base than a mere workshop.
The place was vast, packed with heavy equipment: lathes, crane towers, smelting furnaces—everything was present in abundance.
Thousands of miniature maintenance units bustled to and fro, deftly transporting equipment, creating a symphony of clanging metal that echoed throughout the complex.
Reuel even spotted several Servitors—genetically engineered constructs fashioned from reanimated corpses from the Resident Evil universe—alongside Skitarii units stationed at every corner of the facility.
Their presence added a distinctly Mechanicus atmosphere, making it clear this wasn't just any ordinary workshop.
Then again, Akashi was no ordinary shipgirl.
She was the maintenance specialist of Minato Port, and the ships she handled typically weighed thousands of tons.
Large-scale experimentation was her daily bread.
Upon entering, Reuel's eyes were immediately drawn to a towering row of Gundam units lining one side of the hangar wall.
They stood proudly in formation, arranged by height from left to right—a total of nine in all.
At the far left stood a machine painted olive green, its design simple yet rugged—Zaku II from Zeon.
It was roughly 17 or 18 meters tall, bearing the iconic silhouette of a mass-production mobile suit.
On the far right, however, stood a unit with far more striking colors and intricate mechanical detailing, clearly a prototype or high-end custom model.
"You built this many already?" Reuel asked, incredulous.
"Research and development needs to go step by step, Commander~," Akashi replied casually.
"If you jump straight into advanced models without understanding the basics, you'll just end up with a pile of scrap!"
She glanced toward the Zaku unit.
"Unless you're one of those crazy Tech-Priests from the Mechanicus. But me? I built all this from scratch, nya~! And now, we're mass-producing Zaku IIs and RGM-79s for the Imperial Guard!"
"The Tech-Priests have already started training the pilots, by the way~!"
With pride practically radiating off her, Akashi began showcasing her creations one by one.
"Most of these Gundams I assembled myself, from base models to advanced variants.
As long as it's buildable, you're free to pick any one you like, Commander~!"
"This one," she said, pointing at the Zaku on the far left, "is the initial prototype. Weighs about 50 tons. Standard armaments—a sword and twin machine guns."
"Next to it is Zaku II. More agile, better armor plating, and its machine gun is of a larger caliber, nya~. But these are mass-produced models. I did the testing with the Mechanicus, but who knows what they've added into the military versions…"

Akashi narrowed her eyes slightly, clearly suspicious.
"Obviously, you don't need a mass-production unit like this, right~?"
Up close, the scale of the mecha was overwhelming.
Even Reuel and Akashi barely came up to the knees of the towering machines.
It was mind-boggling how much energy and resources must've gone into completing such a monumental project in just one month.
Aside from the efficient mobility provided by the Universal Bulins, it was clear Akashi had thrown herself fully into the effort.
"Thank you," Reuel said, gently patting her head and softly stroking her sensitive feline ears.
"Nya~! C-Commander~!" Akashi flinched, her ears twitching.
"L-listen to my explanation first, meow! Just so you know, flirting with your head engineer won't earn you a discount, nya~!"
They continued walking deeper into the hangar.
"From here on, you've entered the Hero Gundam Unit Zone!"
Akashi gestured toward a blue-and-white Gundam holding a massive hammer-spear.
"This one here is the ASW-G-08 Barbatos."

Reuel raised an eyebrow.
"If I remember correctly… the original pilot was Mikazuki Augus?"
"Correct~! Barbatos is a close-combat specialist. Agile and ruthless. And that weapon's not just for show."
They both gazed up at Barbatos—described in technical documentation as being capable of bringing down a battleship with a single swing of its spear.
The Gundam looked like an elegant engine of carnage—deadly, efficient, and beautiful all at once.
It didn't feel like much had changed—at least not on the surface.
After absorbing the Psyker Cube, Reuel had indeed acquired the power of the Emperor of Mankind, yet he was still more comfortable engaging in close combat.
His proficiency with long-range psionic energy manipulation remained limited—perhaps due to inexperience, or maybe because the fusion wasn't yet complete.
"RX-0, Unicorn."

Next to Barbatos stood a sleek white Gundam, its gleaming golden horn prominently crowning its head.
It was slightly larger than Barbatos, though its design was far more elegant.
"This mech can activate Destroy Mode, nya~~~!" Akashi declared, practically bouncing with excitement.
"Once activated, you'll gain a psychic force field that deflects ranged attacks—and it comes with remote-controlled beam sabers!"
Reuel nodded slowly.
"Banagher Links… the original pilot, wasn't it?"
"Correct~! The Newtype Destroyer System (NTD)... I've always wanted to pilot the Unicorn at least once…"
Reuel rubbed his chin, gazing deeply at the machine.
This was a Gundam that had accompanied him since childhood.
He had watched its story countless times in his previous life—it was a symbol of warm, hopeful memories.
"That's all?"
"Eh, I was talking about another Unicorn. You know, where you ride a Unicorn, alongside another Unicorn, and interact with a Unicorn... inside a Unicorn..."
"...???"
Akashi froze, clearly unsure how to recover from that line.
Then Reuel's breath caught as his eyes landed on another unit.
Its frame was dominated by a pristine white hue, accented with metallic blue.
Folded across its back were eight wing-like weapons, poised to unfurl and form the silhouette of angelic wings in an instant.
Grace and raw power blended into one deadly form—this machine was unmistakable.
"ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom. Pilot: Kira Yamato," Akashi said, tone turning uncharacteristically serious.

This Gundam was powered by a Hyper Deuterion Reactor, utilizing a deuterium-based fusion reaction to generate immense energy.
The technology far surpassed conventional power systems like batteries or chemical fuel.
To Reuel, it vaguely resembled the nuclear fusion reactors from his old world—though this seemed vastly more refined in principle.
"Its chest houses the MGX-2235 Multi-Phase Beam Cannon. After testing at Minato Port, the weapon proved strong enough to down a high-tier Siren unit."
"It also has beam sabers and a beam shield. I don't know why Gundams always come with close-combat options—seems impractical—but since it's in the original design, I went ahead and built them in, nya~."
Akashi scratched her cheek, thoughtful as she rattled off the specs.
"There's also the Archangel Gundam, Infinite Destiny, and more..."


"Basically, if a Gundam can be reconstructed, it's here. Except for the ones with overly complex designs or missing data—I'm still working on those…"
She turned toward Reuel, eyes sparkling.
"So, Commander—which one would you like to pilot?"
Aside from the three mass-production units, Akashi had successfully rebuilt six protagonist-class Gundams—each redesigned to stay faithful to their original combat specifications.
These Gundams demanded immense physical fitness and mental fortitude from their pilots—but with the combined power of the Emperor of Mankind and the Mind Cube, Reuel met every requirement and then some.
But a thought crossed his mind.
"Would it be possible… to replace a Gundam's equipment later?"
He understood—each of the Gundams before him was built for someone else.
They embodied their original pilot's fighting style, ideals, and battlefield preferences.
But Reuel wanted one of his own.
A Gundam custom-built for him.
"Of course~!" Akashi answered without hesitation.
"All modules are fully modular. If you want, you can even use weapon systems from the Azur Lane shipgirls, nya~~~!"
She nodded with full confidence, as if daring him to dream up the most outrageous Gundam he could imagine.
"However, for the initial phase, I recommend you familiarize yourself with the operational system first before considering any advanced modifications," Akashi said, glancing at the interface with a technician's eye.
"All right, I'll give it a try," Reuel replied tersely.
After a brief moment of contemplation, he finally made his choice:
ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom.
He stepped onto the escalator that led directly to the cockpit.
As he settled into the pilot's seat, the automated control system booted up. A dynamic holographic interface flickered to life before him, bursting with color and layered displays—technical data, system readouts, combat schematics—all rendered in a sleek, intuitive format.
Despite it being his first time piloting a Gundam, Reuel's movements were crisp and precise.
He instinctively understood the control schema and feedback loops of Strike Freedom, as if his body remembered actions he'd never taken.
"Could this be... the result of synchronizing with the Emperor of Mankind's power?"
"In the lore of Games Workshop, the Emperor was said to master any technology instantly—just by seeing or experiencing it once. Not bad."
He inhaled slowly.
"Launch."
The launch dome above the shipgirls' military base began to open, its massive armored panels sliding apart with a hydraulic groan.
As the final layer of plating parted, warning sirens and status lights flared in tandem with the activation of the magnetic catapult system.
BOOM—!
With a single burst of propulsion, Strike Freedom rocketed into the sky, piercing the artificial atmosphere and trailing a brilliant plume of glowing blue plasma.
Down by the beach, several shipgirls and clusters of Universal Bulins froze mid-play, eyes wide in awe as the massive silhouette soared overhead.
Some of the destroyer-class lolis, still midair in their rigging gear, nearly collided as their attention was pulled skyward.
"Commander!! The Commander just blasted off into the sky in a GUNDAM!!!"
"Commander! Take me with you!! I want to pilot a Gundam tooooo!!"