"Ummmmgghhh... What happened…?"

It was the first thing Gutierrez said as he tussled his eyes to open them. He rose up from his slumber and scratched his head. Suddenly a big pain in his head erupted, causing him to utter out a "mnnngh!" He immediately placed his head in response just as the headache began to subside.

"...that's one big headache. I wonder what was I…"

Then, he stopped rubbing his head upon noticing something different.

"Huh?" What he saw made him widely open his eyes in surprise. For one, he was resting inside a tent. "What the…?"

As well, he can hear people talking and some footsteps making contact against the ground. His nose was lightly touched by the smell of smoke floating nearby.

Gutierrez raised himself up and turned in both directions to confirm the situation. The tent he was in was quite small, but a quick check made him assume it was meant for a person. He then found his Flatline, scabbard-clad Data Knife, and helmet lying on the left side. He stashed the rifle on his back, placed his knife on his right, and donned his helmet, ready to go outside for further investigation.

The moment he stepped foot ouside the tent, a fresh odd sight was revealed to him.

On a dawn-lit sky, numerous tents lined up in front of the Pilot's view as the knights, mostly female, continued with their duties. Some were guarding the area while others began preparations for elsewhere, and a few were chatting about some topics. The few stopped with whatever they were doing upon ensnaring him into their sights and began to watch him closely.

Whatever the case, it bewildered him to the point of questioning whether or not it was a dream.

"Hey, you there…" A voice called out to Gutierrez. He turned to see her, the same silver-haired and jade-eyed girl he had met early on. Surprisingly, he can understand her perfectly. He took off his helmet for a better presentation.

"It's you." He uttered with the same language. The girl approached him.

"Looks like you recovered." A slight sigh of relief was made, though the Pilot found some hint of surprise through her eyes. "How's your body?"

Although he can still feel the residual pain as a result of the IMC Ronin's electric smoke, he was still staying strong. "I'll be fine, ma'am. Nothing to worry about me."

"Good." She began to walk away from him. "We have breakfast waiting for you if you need. Just follow me."

"Thank you very much." He accepted and began to follow her.

"You're welcome." In curiosity, she began to roll out a question for the Pilot. "So, hey… why were you not fighting back for your safety when we first met under hostile terms?"

"We have no intention of harming you." He professed. "We just wanted to go home."

"What happened? Are you two lost?"

"Well… As we were about to finish a battle, we were brought here forcibly by our enemies via a portal." He was referring to the ARES base in New Florida, where the mysterious device was found, though the girl was unaware of the details.

"A portal?" She was surprised. "No way…!"

"Yes. Unfortunately, we can't go back as it was closed at the last moment, and we don't know where we are now. Mind if you can tell me?"

"We are in the camp of the Order of the Rose near Luceria, a small town."

"'Order of the Rose…' 'Luceria…'" He murmered the names.

"Where do you come from?" She asked.

"Harmony." An answer was quickly given.

"'Harmony?'" The girl was left wondering. "Is that a name of your nation?"

"Not really a nation… but I can't explain it for you to easily understand."

The girl decided to accepted his difficulty. "I understand." At that point, she decided to introduce herself. "By the way, let us introduce ourselves. I'm Panache Fure Kalgi, daughter of Baron Kalgi."

With some calm returning, he followed. "And I'm Miller Gutierrez."

""Mill-ler… Goo-tiya-rays?"" She was perplexed by his name. "That's an odd name."

"Just call me 'Miller.'" He offered her an easier way of calling out to him.

"Okay, I'll accept." With the introduction smoothly finished, the two resumed their way towards a warm meal.

For the Pilot, not all of his troubles went away. He remembered the Phantom that attacked him and FX early on, so he cannot afford to let their guard down.

XXXXXXX

The food where Panache and Miller will be getting was located on a tent-covered mess hall a few dozen footsteps away. The atmosphere there was filled with talking from some of the early birds in an effort to try making their time less boring. The fire that continued to heat the large suspended pot full of simple porridge was under constant monitoring, and the smoke was directed away towards the open air.

When the two approached the perimeter, some of the other girls stopped with whatever action they were doing and turned their eye towards the Pilot in curiosity. They exchanged whisphers with some questions about him.

Miller surveyed the situation. To them, he was considered an unusual outsider within their camp.

The two approached the heated pot. Panache requested the one in charge two bowls of porridge and two spoons for Miller and herself. The latter then offered him the share.

"Here. It's not much, but it should suffice." She nonchalantly said.

"Thanks." He accpeted with no delay.

A vacant spot was found within a long table. The two took their seats opposite to each other and the consumption began. Panache took a spoonful of the porridge and swallowed it without any fuss. Miller, for his part, took a glare of the piping hot meal and did the same action the girl did.

When the contents touched his tongue, something different was felt. With his taste buds being used to the usually-bland rations the Militia constantly gave out to their combatants like him, the soft taste of the porridge was a welcome change of pace. He slightly hummed in delight from the meal.

Panache took notice of his slight change of mood. "Hmmm... ? You look better already."

"This one tastes quite better compared to the rations I ate before."

"Really?" She was surprised by his response. "But this porridge is our rations. Maybe you ate something quite different before you came here."

"Yeah, you're right." The Pilot chuckled.

"It reminds me of one time during our training to become knights. When we were first introduced to military rations, we thought it would be a pleasant meal. We were wrong when we first tasted it for the first time." She offered her memory of her training to him. "Everyone, except for our instructor, spit it out."

"Was it really that bad?" He wondered

"It more or less tasted like the feed for horses. Not really good for a taste of a noble like me." She paused for a moment. "Speaking of which, everyone here is a noble, so be on your best behaviour. And, you must call me Lady Panache at all times."

He gave out a nod.

Just as bliss began to take hold of the situation, his helmet visor repeatedly began to glow bright blue to indicate he has received an incoming transmission. Unintentionally, the nearby occupants of the hall shrieked in fear upon seeing the helmet. Panache drew out her sword in self-defense.

"What's happening to his helmet?!" One of the knights uttered.

"It looks like it's possessed by some spirit!" Another beside her followed.

Many drew out their swords as well.

When Panache noticed the helmet, she mantled through the table, causing the porridge to spill out from the now-turned bowls. Without any knowledge of the helmet's basic functions, she snatched the helmet away.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" He cried out.

"What am I doing?!" The girl rebuffed and displayed the helmet, though her hands began to shake slightly. "Your helmet might be possessed by some supernatural force! We don't know what would happen next."

"Look, it's harmless. It means I need to use it."

Then, a voice came out of the helmet. "Pilot, do you read me?"

Panache dropped it in terror upon hearing it. "Aaahhh!"

With this chance opened, Miller quickly took the helmet back and backed off. He held it defensively. "Everyone, just trust me on this. I promise this will not bring out any trouble." He assured.

The girls were quite doubtful.

"You sure it won't do any harm?"

"Yes, Lady Panache. Now, if you would excuse me…"

With the knights speechless, he quietly exited the hall. He found a spot behind a tree where he could privately answer to FX. He donned his helmet.

"FX, can you read me?"

"I can hear you, Pilot." His Titan appeared from the far right side and began approaching him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." He affirmed while removing his helmet. "I was about to enjoy some good breakfast until your transmission scared a lot of girls to thinking it was possessed. They even raised their swords against it."

"My apologies." She apologized. "I was attempting to check on your condition until you came here."

"That's okay, FX." He accepted, knowing that his Titan was looking out for him.

With the issue out of the way, the duo can proceed to more pressing concerns. "Now, on to more pressing matters in regards to your loss of consciousness two hours, fifty-seven minutes, and four seconds ago. Eleven seconds before you were rendered into that state, I had detected an unknown energy signature concentrating over your body."

"Unknown energy signature…? Anything usual about it?"

"Unknown. I have no possible conclusion as to how it got to you. Even I was affected by such shortly after our arrival to this camp."

With that piece of information, the Pilot decided to link up the incident with his newfound ability. "So that would explain why I can understand Panache and the others right now." He whisphered.

"What is that, Pilot?"

"Just a moment ago, I heard someone talking to me in a different language. I can fully understand what she said."

The Titan began to take notice of this ability. "Interesting. Then, I believe we can use this to our advantage."

"If only they would stay calm whenever you are around, FX." Miller felt worried about the prospects of his Titan talking before a crowd of medieval-looking people like Panache and the others. "I'm starting to think that we are in a fantasy land like those fairy tales my parents read to me back when I was a kid."

"That's an assumption we cannot simply prove, Pilot." FX was skeptical of the idea. "I advise caution until we have further information."

Then...

"Hey!" It was Panache's voice. She was calling out to him. "Miller!" The duo turned to see her and, interestingly, the redhead.

Quickly, he turned to his Titan. "FX, don't say anything, even a response." A request was quietly made. His Titan agreed.

The girls approached the duo.

"What are you doing here? My knight here told me your helmet caused a commotion within our dining area." The redhead asked him.

"I was talking to my Titan, ma'am."

"A 'Titan?'" She was bewildered, alongside her ally, and set her eyes at FX. "That creature?"

"Yes, ma'am." Miller answered dutifully.

"And what about the helmet?" Panache followed up.

"Well, my Titan is the reason my helmet lit up surprisingly. It was trying to contact me." He paused as regret took over.

The girls were confused about his answer. "Huh?"

"Listen, I'm sorry. We didn't mean to scare you. We are just trying to survive since our arrival in this land."

"What do you mean, young sir?" The redhead requested a reason.

"Your Majesty, if I may... they were sent here forcefully by their enemies via a portal during their last battle." Panache stepped in to inform her superior.

"'Your Majesty…" The Pilot thought after hearing the title. "What the…?"

"A portal?" The royal was surprised. They returned their sights towards Miller. "Is this true?"

"Yes, ma'am. We just wanted to go home, that's all. And we have no reason to fight you."

The girl finally understood what the duo had been through from their arrival.

"Alright. If that's the case, we'll try helping you two out until you can find your way home." The royal offered her support. "We were supposed to bring you to the Imperial capital of Sadera for your recovery by now..."

"Wait, Sadera…?" The Pilot wondered. "Never heard of it."

"You don't know?"

"No, ma'am…" He admitted honestly.

"Your Majesty!" Another female voice echoed in urgence towards the group. Everyone turned to see a beautiful girl with blonde hair and ringlets runninng towards the group, alongside an older man in more basic armor following behind. "A messenger sent from Sadera has arrived to see you."

The royal turned to see the messenger approaching. Afterwards, he kneeled down in respect.

"I have brought a message from the captial: His Majesty the Emperor requests the presence of the Order of the Rose right away." He delivered news of great importance.

"What is going on, soldier?" She requested.

"An unknown army has landed near the lands of Knappnai. Our forces there have lost control in just one day."

The royal was surprised at how "Knappnai" fell in a short amount of time. "Are you certain this is true?"

"Certainly, Your Majesty."

"Understood. Report back to my father that we are on our way to the capital without haste." The soldier was dismissed.

"Yes, Your Majesty." He dutifully responded before standing up. When he did, he can see FX standing calmly. Her "eye" unintentionally began to build up fear within the soldier. "Uhhh…"

Miller scrambled to allay his fears. "Uh, do not be afraid. It won't hurt you."

"Is that yours, young man?"

"Yes. I always make sure it doesn't do anything stupid." Although a bit careless, it was the only answer he could think of.

"Oh…" The soldier's heartbeat began to return to normal levels before walking away, though he still had some concerns about the Titan. "Just try not to make it stare at me or anyone else for a while. It almost scared me for a moment."

With a mission at hand, the royal formulated an order for her two allies. "Bozes, Panache. Inform the order that we are moving out shortly."

"Yes, milady." Panache complied. The knight, alongside Bozes, left to relay the order.

"You two, I'll bring you to Sadera." She turned her attention to the duo. "You'll know what's there."

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty." Miller gratefully replied.

"By the way, before we forget… I am the Third Imperial Princess Piña Co Lada." The redhead introduced herself. "It's a pleasure to meet you, young man."

The Pilot paused to process what she said. He began to introduce himself afterwards. "I'm Miller Gutierrez... from the land of Harmony."

"'Harmony?'" Piña was slightly bewildered by the name. "That's a weird name for your nation."

"Yeah, the name is not entirely accurate of what's going on there."

"I hope so." The princess left to prepare for the journey.

When she left, Miller let out a sigh and began struggling to keep his chuckling in check. To simply name someone after a drink that was not even invented until the 20th century was very silly, to say the least. It almost felt like to the Pilot her parents were drunk at the time of her birth, and that those close to the Imperial Family might have no choice but to comply with the order even though it was supposed to be a request for drinks.

"Piña Co Lada…? This place is getting weird by the minute…" He thought.

"Pilot, I advise that you maintain your courtesy while near the presence of the princess or any other members of the Imperial Family. Any unnecessary actions may be treated as an act of disrespect or aggression against them." FX warned him once the coast was clear.

"I will, FX. Not going to happen." Miller promised.

If what the messenger said were to be true, and based on the Phantom that appeared that night, he feared that an IMC invasion was already underway.

XXXXXXX

By the time the sun fully rose above their heads, the duo and the Order were on their way to Sadera. The galloping of the horses' hooves and the stumping of FX's feet pounded the simple dirt road with little mercy. Thankfully for the Militia combatants, no one outside the group were watching them until their eventual arrival at a nearby settlement.

From what Panache had told him, Sadera was the capital of the entity known as the Empire. A nation of greats, they are a force to be reckoned with in the land known as Falmart, boasting a large swath of territory, a mighty military force, and a strong economy. Aside from those, they even excel in field of architecture and arts that leave a lasting impression form people near and far. No nation, at least according to her, would dare best them.

There were some changes to the Pilot and Titan's routine. For FX, talking near or within the local population was reduced unless under typical combat situations. She will send messages to Miller's helmet as a means of communication until no local is within a certain hearing radius of her voice.

As for the Pilot, under FX's recommendation, he was to remain outside the cockpit to reduce any suspicions of his potential absence, especially when he will be piloting his Titan. On the bright side, he was sitting above the chassis, giving him an opportunity to quietly scan the landscape for any potential places of interest.

Hours later and close to sunset, the group arrived near the tall perimeter wall of the city. For every few meters, there were defensive towers built to hold stationary weaponry and to accomodate ranged infantry and spotters. Miller witnessed in awe the construction.

"Man, that's a big wall." He commented before jumping off the chassis to solid ground.

A while ago, Piña sent one of her knights to inform the defenders of the group's arrival, especially the Militia combatants'. It took a while for her to let them process the report, but things became less complicated once approval was given. She returned to her leader.

"Milady, the guards can allow the strangers' entry." The news was relayed.

"Good work, Nikolasha." Piña then turned their attention to Miller. "Miller, it's safe to head inside the city with us. Just remember to watch your creature's behaviour."

"Understood, Your Highness." He complied.

The group slowly approached the gate. As they moved closer, the extent of the wall's height became more apparent to the Militia duo. FX made a scan and found the height of the walls measured at 28 feet high. Miller, as usual, marvelled at the engineering.

They approached one of the entrances to Sadera laid along the route. The Order of the Rose entered first. With respect, the guards stood proudly before the presence of the knights. When they finished with their passage, Miller and FX followed. The guards were filled with both surprise and curiosity in regards to their appearance; their minds were filled with questions as they have not seen these kinds of designs before.

After entry, the duo began to do some sightseeing while following the Order. The architecture around them resembled those of the Roman Empire, with a slight mix of medieval designs blending in. At the beginning, all they could see were buildings with their orange roof tiles and aged white walls, some occupied by people from many walks of life.

The daily lives of the citizens were surprisingly not as different as that in the Frontier. Poverty, homelessness, crime, and lack of cleanliness were the problems plaguing a city like Sadera. Then again, even rich cities, nations, and planets in both the Core and the Frontier were not spared from their reach.

As with the guards, the nearby denizens were surprised by the appearances of the duo. Most of their attention was pointed towards FX. Chatter was exchanged among the people.

"FX, looks like everyone is staring at us." Miller assessed.

An example came when a mother of two children was carrying them home after the daily run at the market. The young boy with short hair turned his eyes on the gentle giant upon ensnaring her in his sights. His slightly older brother caught him running off to the duo.

"Felix, wait!" He called him before giving chase. This alerted the mother.

"Boys! Come back!" She did the same to her children.

The younger brother waded through the crowd before arriving at the duo, huffing slightly. They took notice of the boy, and Miller jumped off the chassis to attend to Felix.

"Hey, what are you doing, kiddo?" The Pilot kneeled in greeting the kid.

"Are you a mage, mister?" The kid happily asked.

"Hahaha…." Miller chuckled in delight and gently rubbed Felix's head to bring the boy some laughs. "You could say that."

The older brother made it to his sibling. "Felix…" Before saying anything else, he saw the odd duo and was bounded by their appearances. "Whoah!"

"Felix, Marcus…" The desparate mother shouted before approaching them. Heads from both the children and the duo turned towards her before the former returned to their parent.

Miller could only offer a smile, seeing a family reunited.

"Is that your mom?" He asked.

"Yup." Felix replied.

The mother turned to the man. "I'm sorry if my children are bothering you two."

"No, nothing to worry." He assured her. "It just gave me some happy memories of my childhood."

"Tehehe…" The mother chuckled. "You are just like my kids."

"Yeah… true."

As the family began to leave, the children waved good-bye to the new visitors. It brought the Pilot a tear in his right eye.

"Mom… Dad…"

Those words were thought out with grief.

It was not long before FX gently touched his back. When he turned to see him, she signalled the Pilot to continue moving as they were gradually falling behind the Order.

"Oh, right…"

FX extended her left hand as she offered her Pilot a lift on top of her again to let his legs relax. He accepted and hopped back on her before resuming his enjoyment of the sights.

By the time the group crossed into the inner walls, the architecture changed. The buldings featured a colorful mix of red and yellow-tiled roofs that shine for miles away. Below them, tall pillars formed arches that serve as entrances. These hold meaning as they serve as the Empire's seat of power.

As a testament to the importance of the area, numerous guards armed with swords and polearms openly stood watch to protect it from any harm.

Unlike the commoners outside the walls, the people there were more formally dressed. Togas of different colors were openly being flaunted to serve as a symbol of their power and wealth. Some even featured different designs imprinted on the clothing.

The group stopped at an open area. Everyone except for FX and Miller felt tired after a long journey back to the capital. Piña approached the duo.

"This here is the Imperial Palace. My father, His Majesty the Emperor Molt Sol Augustus, resides here. I must attend to him at once." She informed them. "Remain here until I request your presence."

"Got it, Your Majesty." Miller complied.

With the swinging of the bridle, her horse pranced before speeding away to the palace.

XXXXXXX

The princess arrived at the throne room, where the Emperor was waiting. As she began her approach to her father, the grand door closed with an imposing and echoing bang. It was all quiet and tense.

She kneeled before him as the former sat on his throne. His right hand was connected to his beard while in a waiting pose.

"Your Majesty." Piña called him formally. "Pardon me for the intrusion, but I have arrived as per your request."

"Very good, my daughter." He spoke calmly. "And what about your 'plaything?'"

"They are here as well, ready and waiting for your summons. I would like to request the details of what happened in Knappnai."

"Very well." The emperor stood up and walked towards his daughter. "The predictions of the high priests are true, and we are facing a threat unlike any other since our great nation's rise. There is an army from the sky occupying the area."

"An army from the sky…?" Piña could wonder.

"Yes, my daughter. Our forces there were easily wiped out. From what the survivors told me, they utilized magic and creatures very different from our own."

"What do you mean, father?"

"They mentioned streaks that pierce through armor like it was nothing, dark dragons that emit a very distinct sound as they flew by, and giants that roam the lands mercilessly with their unusual staves."

"Dark dragons… giants…" Piña then remembered. "Wait… father, I have someone who might know more about this. He has a giant as well and is currently looking for a place to recover."

"Oh… What happened to him?"

"He and his creature were sent to our lands forcibly by their enemies via a portal during their last battle. That's all he can explain to us."

"Hmmm…" He pondered for a moment. "Bring him here."

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

XXXXXXX

By the summons of Emperor Molt, Miller arrived at the room to answer his questions. With FX's advice in his head, he was ready for the talk. The man could only wonder as his appearance intrigued him.

"So, you are the man whom Piña was referring to."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Miller answered as he dutifully knelt.

"I am Molt Sol Augustus, the leader of this great nation. What is yours?"

"My name is Miller Gutierrez from the land of Harmony."

"Harmony, eh?…" He was full of gentle mirth. "That's a strange name for your nation."

"Indeed, but it is a deceiving one as well. We have a military strong enough to defend ourselves." The answer was deliberate since Molt and the other locals do not know the full extent of the Militia's strength, or how the Frontier really looked like.

"I see. By the way, I am intrigued by your mastery of the enchanted creature my daughter told me about."

"Oh, that?" Miller began to move to the next part of the discussion. "It is called a 'Titan.' We use them for a wide variety of applications, inside and outside the military."

"Really?"

"Yes. And we used them for a long time to build our society to what it is today, and to wage war."

"Interesting…" With that detail already aired, Molt proceeded to the next phase: a request. "Well then, if that's the case, the Empire would like to ask for your services. We have a problem that you can probably figure out."

By the time the emperor made his request, Miller suspected the IMC might be the problem the Empire was currently facing. If what he and his Titan saw were to be true, then it appeared the Empire has virtually zero chance of winning, unless a miracle were to happen.

"Alright, we'll take it." The Pilot eagerly agreed.

"That's my boy." He returned to his throne. "Three nights ago, our forces stationed at Knappnai were defeated in a single stroke by a force coming from the sky. Some of the survivors reported seeing magic being used to pierce armor like it was nothing. Not only that, they have seen dark dragons and giants that can enchant spells as if they are mages."

They were the details the Pilot was looking for. "I know them…"

Molt was surprised by his quick response. Even his daughter followed suit. "You fought them before?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Miller began to introduce the enemy. "They call themselves the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation, or IMC for short. They have weapons that can kill from far away and their Titans provide the bulk of their combat power." As an example for the former, he visually presented his Flatline to the emperor. "Let me show you an example."

Molt marveled at its unusual design. "This is it… a magic staff."

"This is one of the weapons many of your men were shot with, and its extremely dangerous. From where we come from, everyone can use it for as long as they are properly trained, though there are many cases of people secretly being taught in this skill."

"So, the people of your land are mages?"

"No. We aren't mages." He honestly admitted.

"Then, what is that thing anyway?"

"It's a gun. Simply put: it fires quick-moving metal arrows to kill at a distance… or magic that can pierce through armor."

Slightly confused but still satisfied with the answer, Molt has one more thing to request. "Young Miller, there is one thing left to do before we start our fight against the so-called 'Ayemsee…'

XXXXXXX

The emperor's last request was simple: let him see Miller's Titan.

The Pilot guided the leader outside to the entrance of the palace grounds. There, a magnificent green giant as described by Miller was waiting for him. Her blue "eye" focused on the guest as his own opened widely in both surprise and amazement upon seeing the armor-like surface.

"Ah… the 'Titan…'"

"It's a special one my army currently uses, Your Majesty. And I'm one of the lucky few to wield its true power." Miller openly declared.

"Very good, my boy." Molt smiled upon the Pilot and the giant. "With your power and our support, we can end the threat once and for all."

Just then, someone shouted quite rudely.

"Father!"

Everyone turned to see another visitor. The man was tall and muscular-looking, with features such as spiked blonde hair, burgundy-colored plate armor, and white cape. Those features belong to those of important people within the Empire.

"What is that creature doing here? And what of the plan against the invaders?"

"My son, that creature is our weapon against the army from the sky." Molt criticized his kin. "You are also in the presence of its master." He showcased Miller.

The man was not amused with the answer. "'Him?' Is he even a mage?"

"I'm not a mage in your terms, but I am doing a favor for the Empire and this world's sake." Miller countered. "At least try to be a bit hopeful."

"I don't need your help. Our glorious army will show them no mercy. You will see!"

Fuming, he left with his arms straight down.

"Harsh…" Miller commented on his behaviour.

"He is always like that since a long time ago." Piña offered an explanation. "My brother, Zorzal, relishes in the glories of our past. He thinks that he can get everything without any major consequence, politically and militarily, and he would be right... until you two came here and told us everything about the Ayemsee."

All he could do was sigh in disappointment. Zorzal's mental and moral compass were distorted considerably.

XXXXXX

Nightfall came and Piña was guiding the Pilot to an inn west of the city to settle down for the night before his mission begins. Much of the Saderan denizens have nothing much to do in the dark. For the men, however, it was the time to drink and exchange stories of either their day of work or of their pasts.

The room he will be staying was very different compared to the ones found in any home in the Frontier, featuring a bed draped in white, a table, and a chair. Nevertheless, its simple styling made him remind himself of his home. "Clean, quiet, and comfy" were his words being thought out.

"Alright, I better be going back to my mansion." Piña said her final well-wish for the day.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Miller bowed. "Take care of yourself."

"You too." With the door closed, she left to rest.

For a while, Miller thought of things to do before he sleeps. He donned his helmet to contact FX for a situation report.

"FX, do you copy?"

"I read you, Pilot. What do you need?" His Titan asked.

"Gotta say good-night to my girl before our day tomorrow." Miller chuckled. "How's the situation?"

"So far, I have not detected any IMC signals. We are still in the clear for now."

"Thanks, FX. Good night."

"Good night, Pilot." The transmission ended.

Finally, he brought out his electronic tab to record a log of what happened today. Miller was slightly nervous about anyone hearing what he said.

XXXXXX

"First Lieutenant Miller Gutierrez's log 418…

It was supposed to be a mission to see what was going on back in New Florida. We found out that there was a device meant to transport matter from one place to another. I wouldn't be that surprised if the IMC would try to bring in reinforcements from the Core after Demeter.

But I didn't expect me and my Titan to be stranded in another world… one where there are people in a Roman-like period.

Anyway, we have reasons to believe that the IMC is interested in the world we are in. The local emperor has asked us to take care of the situation, but we have to first find a way to get supplies after expending all of our weapons to the point of using a broadsword we stole. Things are about to turn nasty."

Gutierrez's logbook

XXXXXXX

A pair of Northstars arrived at the site of the downed Phantom during their recon mission to explore new areas. They were set to follow and escort the Pilots that just got out as they began their investigation. Closely, they looked at the charred remains to find clues that could solve the mystery.

"Found something?" The commander asked his subordinate.

"Found the pilot's remains, sir." He responded as he kept his eyes on the blackened remains of the pilot. "Looks like he didn't eject in time."

"Damn… Just what happened?"

XXXXXXX

A/N: Finally… after a month this is complete. Took me a lot of time trying to sort out the chapter, but it's worth the effort.