Episode 4: Dance of the Valkyrie Knights
-Macross Elysion hangar-
"Here you go captain, your very own Siegfried."
"Thanks. She's a real beauty."
Kazumi thanked the mechanic in charge of his VF-31F as it rose from its storage compartment under the hangar. Kazumi had to say that it's pleasing to the eye. It's a really beautiful machine and it is one with his personal color. The machine is given bright red color along with his emblem on its back on top of a gray and white color scheme. It's perfect.
VF-31F Siegfried, it is a custom production model incorporating the YF-30 Chronos' transformation sequence and container weapon system. It looks strong alright. Dual railguns, a beam gunpod, a compliment of missiles, it is certainly well-armed even without any extra pack. It carries substantial firepower and with his specification, the unit is made even stronger than normal.
"It's been tuned specifically for you based on the data from your old unit."
The chief mechanic told him as he handed Kazumi a tablet that showed the unit's spec. It took quite some time for them to work on the customization but they managed to complete it on time.
"Excellent. Then it should be good to go."
"Aye, she's ready to go. So I heard you'll be facing the other members of Delta except major Moulders. I thought we would never see something like that again since the lieutenant's passing."
"Lieutenant Ihlefelt, right? I heard that he's good. Well I hope I won't disappoint then."
Kazumi jump into the cockpit of his Siegfried and put on his helmet. He did a final system check and found that everything is calibrated to his preference. It feels close enough to his old unit. The engineers of Elysion did a good job with his new fighter. He'll have to treat them to a round of drink after this.
"System all green. Kazumi Shinomiya, ready to launch."
-Bridge-
"I'd never thought I'd see something like this again since Messer passed away."
Arad mused as he bite on his favorite snack while watching the other members of Delta platoon taking off starting from Hayate and the others and ending with Kazumi whose unit is now being brought onto the launch course.
"What, your second-in-command beating all three of them at the same time? Shinomiya can certainly do that."
Ernst Johnson, the captain of Macross Elysion is feeling excited. There's betting going around the bridge on who will be the last one standing. Arad and Johnson bet on Kazumi of course though there's a lot who also bet on Hayate. The blue haired boy had become an ace pilot of the Delta flight having bested the famed White Knight of Darwent in the first battle of Ragna and his subsequent success but his enemy is also someone who can equal the White Knight in terms of skill though not many is privy to that information.
Emerging from the hangar and onto the launch course is Kazumi's bright red VF-31F and on the unit's back is the emblem of a black raven spreading its wings. It is an eye-catching unit with its bright red color but the color has another meaning…
In another part of the great battleship, in Walkure's practice room, the five members of Walkure stare intently at the screen as Kazumi's unit was brought up.
"It's bright red."
Freyja commented, voicing the opinion of everyone on the bridge and her fellow Walkure.
"That's the captain's personal color. He said it is good for attracting enemy attention."
Makina explained the reasoning behind the color. Of course, the explanation Kazumi gave is much longer but Makina summarized it for Freyja into one sentence. While the rest of the Walkure began talking about the small match, Mikumo never once took her eyes off the screen. She watched as Kazumi take off with his valkyrie.
There's a reason why his machine is all red and other than the one Makina stated that Mikumo heard amongst the Chaos staff taking care of her before Walkure found out about her origin. It is about a certain special operative who flies with black and red wings, one of the top pilots, if not the top pilot, in Chaos.
"Bloodraven."
Kazumi made a few twists and turn to check the responsiveness of the unit and it is perfect. The machine had been fine-tuned to his preference based on the data from his VF-25F. But not yet, this VF-31F is not yet his. This mock battle will be the time for it to prove that it is his partner. Until then, it is the raven's wings in name only.
[The match will start when the two teams fly past each other. Everyone, I wish you all good luck.]
Arad's voice came from the comms. Everyone reply with 'yes' in each of their own way. Kazumi finally see the three fighters of Delta platoon with a VF-31C in the center bearing the number 4, Mirage Jenius' previous number before becoming Delta 2. Aside from the basic gray and white of the Siegfried, she uses dull red as her personal color. To her left is the recon-type VF-31E with orange coloring, Chuck Mustang's unit. Last of the three is a VF-31J. It is the most distinctive of the three units with its dual coloring of blue and black. Not only that, but the unit also has an emblem on its back, the emblem of a knight's helm.
Kazumi recalls what he had read about Hayate Immelman. He lost his first unit in the first battle of Ragna before using the deceased Messer Ihlefelt's VF-31F to engage and best Windermere's White Knight in aerial combat. It became his personal unit until the second battle of Ragna where his VF-31J was rebuilt and he applies Messer Ihlefeld's personal color and received his own emblem.
These guys have interesting history indeed. Kazumi grinned and push the thruster to its limit, surpassing the speed of the standard VF-31 as the two teams passed by each other. The Delta flight members were surprised by the speed but since they have passed each other so that means the battle has begun so Mirage issued her order to Hayate and Chuck.
"All units, format…"
Before Mirage could issue a command, a rain of paintball bullets already showered them as they saw Kazumi's unit flying right above them upside down with the VF's arms deployed and aimed at them.
"How did he make that turn so fast?!"
Chuck cried out in disbelief as he threw his 31E to the side to avoid getting hit, a move followed by Hayate and Mirage. Those who are observing them are impressed though.
Kazumi deployed his unit's legs and using its thrust, changed direction and then transformed back to fighter mode. It roughly mimics how a person would run into a wall and then jump off them to the opposite direction using their feet as springs. That's how he managed to turn so fast.
The time between him passing them and him shooting at them took only a split second.
His shots too have great accuracy as at least one side of the wing of each unit was hit by his paintballs. His fighter spun and he is again in an upright position now performing a dive.
"He's good."
Hayate admitted. The other two agreed. Kazumi began turning around and prepare to engage them head on. Mirage orders them to disperse while she became the bait. Hayate anc Chuck flies away from her while Mirage went straight for Kazumi.
But Kazumi did not aim for Mirage like she had hoped. The red fighter instead suddenly rolls past Mirage and aim for Chuck at high speed.
"First is taking out the sensor."
"Ehh, he's going after me?"
Chuck tries to shake him off but Kazumi skillfully follow his every movement with relative ease. Mirage and Hayate had turned around though and are now on their way to help Chuck. Kazumi take some pot shots that are not really meant to shoot Chuck down but nevertheless shoot quite accurately. After fifteen seconds of trying to shake Kazumi off, Hayate and Mirage finally arrives.
The duo opened fire at Kazumi. Seeing them behind him, Kazumi suddenly transform his VF into its battroid mode in upside-down position and engaged its thruster. The sudden transformation and change in course again caught Hayate and Mirage off guard. They turn their planes downward…
Only to be met by a hail of bullets from Kazumi's unit in gerwalk mode flying downward with its back to the sea below.
"He's got some moves."
Arad commented. In fact, he's more than impressed. Kazumi is still playing with them. From his position, he could've shot them in critical points such as the cockpit or the whole body but he didn't. It would be too fast to end the match. He's still warming up and getting a feel on how his subordinates fight. He's probing them.
But many of his techniques are…
"Daring… or maybe suicidal."
Kaname concluded as she observes how Kazumi fly. All the movements he did are dangerous with how much G pressure he must've experienced. Plus transforming and flying like he did… the way he uses the transformation capability of the VFs is marvelous but…
"Shinomiya-san's wind… it feels different from everyone else."
Freyja said. She's worried that Hayate and Mirage might not be able to defeat him. She can feel his wind. It is powerful, a veritable tempest that could blow away everything in his path. He is very different from the White Knight but in no way inferior. Kazumi is like an unstoppable tempest, and she's afraid that both Hayate and Mirage will be blown away by the storm.
That's why…
"Tatoeba togireta sora ga mieta nara
Furueru boku no koe ga kikoeru no nara."
As Freyja started singing, Makina and Reina are at the back trying to find out something about Kazumi. It is clear that he's a pilot of a very high caliber but none of them had heard of him even amongst Chaos member. He's too good to be some unnamed pilot. Reina is currently searching their database for information on Kazumi Shinomiya.
While Freyja is fixated on the duo of Mirage and Hayate and both Makina and Reina trying to find out about Kazumi, Mikumo's eyes never once left the red raven. Each turn, each maneuver, each shot, Mikumo never once diverted her eyes from the red raven's dance of the sky.
And she found it so… lonely.
She was curious about the man who is assigned as her bodyguard and wanted to see for herself what kind of person he is. And so she does. What others see as suicidal and risky moves, she saw it as the moves of someone who is used to be alone. Mikumo could see it. Those moves, he is used to fighting alone and taking great risks. What does it say about the man named Kazumi?
'Bara bara ni kudakeru hodo maiagare
Hikisakareta kioku no hatenaki tsubasa.'
"Ehh… this voice?"
"Freyja?"
Mirage and Hayate heard her voice. It's a warning to them, a warning that Kazumi is strong… and an encouragement. That even if their opponent is strong, she believes that they can overcome him. Hayate and Mirage nodded to each other and as if their minds had become one, their flight pattern changed.
Inside his cockpit, Kazumi grinned. He also heard Freyja Wion's voice and also noticed the change in flight pattern of the two units engaging him.
"As I expected. So we have another Alto and Lyon. Show me what you got, Hayate Immelman, Freyja Wion, Mirage Farina Jenius!"
'Ano hi katariatta koto
Itsumo waraiaeta koto
Yomiageru hi made tachiagaru dake.'
Moments before his unit hits water, Kazumi change to fighter mode and pass by them as he suddenly fly upward. Hayate and Mirage pull their controller as they're about to hit water and managed to level themselves before they plunge into the sea. Kazumi meanwhile is looping above them and the two of them answered in kind and begin to ascend.
Ad they once again came face-to-face, the duo opened fire while Kazumi did his best to dodge and only return fire sparingly. When the duo and Kazumi passed by each other, the raven deploy his unit's arms and shoot backward. The duo dispersed as Kazumi did another sharp turn using Gerwalk mode to go after them. But his path was blocked by Chuck who's now facing him while Mirage and Hayate comes around.
'Kowashite motto motto boku wo kanjite
Soko ni soko ni kimi wa imasu ka
Senjou ni saku inochi yo moero moero.'
"You're not just fighting the two of them!"
Chuck yelled and unleash a hail of bullets at him. Kazumi kept his calm as he move his control gently, avoiding the bullets by mere inches. Kazumi got a lock on Chuck and was about to pull the trigger when he noticed that both Hayate and Mirage are already onto him. Cutting his engine and using the small side thrusters for sharp turning, Kazumi avoid the converging fire and reengage his thrusters as he deployed an arm and fired at Chuck, this time he's aiming to hit.
Chuck didn't notice fast enough and was shot in the legs and the body. Critical hits.
"That's one down."
Kazumi turn his attention back to Mirage and Hayate who are pursuing him from behind, each of them now very cautious of the ace pilot.
'Koroshite isso isso kuchihateru nara
Togire togire hametsu no hate ni
Kiseki wo yobisamase… tozasareta sora he.'
"Tch, he's very good. It's like fighting Messer all over again."
"I can see why HQ sent him. He's not to be underestimated. Hayate, we must treat him like how we fight the White Knight."
"Roger!"
Flanking Kazumi from the left and right, Hayate and Mirage fired at him. Kazumi cut his engine and use the front thrusters to avoid them. Of course, even if they're parallel to each other and they missed, none of their bullets hit the other. Kazumi noticed that there's a certain synergy between them.
Mirage and Hayate turn around. But it was only Hayate who is coming straight at him. The blue and black VF turn into gerwalk mode and Hayate pull the trigger. Suddenly Kazumi is also under fire from behind him. He had expected it and the duo is now trapping him from both sides in gerwalk mode. Their shots are also much harder to dodge now.
Kazumi tried to escape through the opening but somehow Hayate read his movement and was already there.
"They're… good. And they're not even using the wings of light."
Kazumi muttered to himself, impressed by the duo's teamwork that is beginning to push him to go all out. Instead of feeling worried though, Kazumi grinned even wider.
'Tobikau musuu no kankaku no naka de
Hontou no jibun sae mo nakushiteshimau
Mienai fuan no shuuchu hoka ni
Tachinokoru no wa yowasa mitomeru tsuyosa'
Kazumi is truly an ace pilot, Hayate and Mirage thought at the same time. He could dodge hails of bullets from multiple sides even as they try to contain him. Hayate and Mirage are much better than they were before but they still couldn't land a hit on the bright red unit that has yet to get a number.
But the two of them had learnt to be patient, to be calm and try to read his movement, the flow of his wind. Even a storm will eventually die down and that's the opportunity they're patiently waiting for. Hayate who's more used to reading the wind would anticipate where he would dodge while Mirage will cover the other side so he won't suddenly turn and escape their barrage.
Kazumi suddenly cut his engine, spin his plane until it's upside-down, turn into gerwalk mode. Hayate had seen him did very sharp turns using the mode changes to his advantage. Before Kazumi could complete his move, Hayate had already signaled Mirage and the Jenius got into position. Once Kazumi turn into fighter mode and escaped, he's met by Mirage's unit in battroid mode firing at him.
'Moshimo boku jyanakattara
Moshimo kimi jyanakattara
Konna kimochi sae shirazu ni ita ne'
The three of them have a peculiar relationship in and out of the battlefield. Somehow, Hayate, Freyja, and Mirage had become inseparable from each other. It is funny considering how they met, especially Hayate and Mirage. But now it's very rare to see the three of them not together. They are always together like all three of them are one.
Which is why their teamwork is not only top-notch but Kazumi almost considered it phenomenal. The two pilots by themselves are formidable but not above his skill but together and enhanced by whatever power Freyja's song gave them allowed them to push him.
Kazumi is starting to struggle. It is very different after all. Fighting Mirage and Hayate who has Freyja's support is like fighting three people who are one. It is no longer a matter of teamwork. There's complete understanding between them and it's what made them dangerous.
Kazumi, as good as he is and as much experience he has… had never fought someone like them. But that's what makes it interesting. Even as he is starting to feel the pressure, he is still grinning happily.
"Well, I guess you two have proven yourselves. Now then…"
"Here it is."
It took even Reina a while to find Kazumi's name in the database. But what's strange is that she only found his basic profile like name and age, his current unit along with his affiliation with the Delta flight. Everything else is redacted. It's like Mikumo all over again.
'kirisake motto motto seigi no yami he
Hashire hashire hai ni naru made
Rikutsu wo sutete kokoro de hoero hoero'
Most of his mission logs are non-existent apart from a few normal missions but they are few and far in between for someone who had been in Chaos for nearly five years. What is strange is that in those mission logs they can access, he always works alone, never in a squadron or even a small team of two or three.
Kazumi is good, they can see it from how even now Hayate and Mirage still haven't land a hit on him but as good as he is, there's no way he's sent alone on every mission.
"Wait, there's a history about him in the NUNS database."
Reina who was searching in the Chaos' database turn to Makina who was searching for information outside of Chaos. The two of them remembered that Arad did mention he once worked with NUNS. Kaname who already knew is not surprised but she joined the duo to see what they're doing. She's also curious because the file she had on Kazumi was not complete.
"Look here. Kazu-kazu was involved in the Vajra conflict."
Makina pointed out.
'Tachikire yagate yagate umareru hoshi ni
Kimi ga kimi ga itekureru nara
Bokura no kagayaki wo muteki ni nareru'
Makina, Reina, and Kaname read through his history and gasped. He lost his whole squadron including his superior officer during the Vajra conflict. They read more and more and found out that he had a second squadron after that but he was still affected by the loss of his old squadron that he frequently got into a fight with them. They read some more and…
"He lost his second squadron and again was the sole survivor just when he's starting to get along with them."
Kaname muttered. They read through the history again until they reached the part where he's sent to planet Ouroboros. There, his history was not as clear as he was assigned to a special unit and was given a squadron. Halfway through, his NUNS record suddenly ended without any clear explanation.
Planet Ouroboros, Makina knew about the hidden Ouroboros conflict as it was where the YF-30 Chronos was first deployed, the prototype model to the VF-31 Siegfried. It is a big mess of a conflict and shrouded in mystery even now. It was said that the Protoculture ruins located there was involved and the planet was isolated from outside world due to something called the Ouroboros Aurora, a large-scale fold barrier that obstruct travel even inside the planet's atmosphere.
"It looks like HQ didn't send just anyone to become Mikumo's bodyguard."