The Grimgerde was fast.
Moving at high speeds, it was able to keep up with the big Reginlaze, using the swords mounted on its shields to counter every blow and counterattacking.
The Reginlaze lashed out its whip sword as the Grimgerde pulled back, quickly stowing away its swords and grabbing the rifle stored on its back, firing at the giant.
"Amazing, he can keep up with that…" Sayaka said.
"But is he on our side?" Mayuyu asked.
The Kimaris, too, has stopped moving, seemingly trying to make sense of this new intruder.
"Where are you looking at?" Ryuko shouted. "Your enemy is right here!"
The Kimaris seemed to have regained its composure and charged straight at her, firing at her using the barrels mounted on the lance.
Ryuko caught the blow with her shield, the lance stuck in the shield.
"That won't work again. I have you now!"
The Kimaris, however, let go of the lance, and its legs opened up to reveal hidden thrusters.
It then flew up, attacking the Rebake using its knee, hitting the head and breaking off part of the V-Fin. The impact made Ryuko drop the Rebake's axe.
"Damn—!"
The Kimaris proceeded to fly away, but found that it can't; the Rebake has activated the two sub-arms in its backpack, using it to hold on to one of the Kimaris' legs.
The Kimaris, unfazed, pulled from its back a foldable blade, smaller than its lance, and used it to cut off one of the arms grabbing it.
Ryuko meanwhile pulled out the lance, which was stuck to the now heavily damaged shield. Discarding it, she held the lance instead.
"Alright, time to see what this does…"
The Grimgerde was dodging the shots the Reginlaze was taking at it.
Frustrated, the Reginlaze dashed forward and tried to attack with its sword, but the Grimgerde dodged and quickly unfolded its left sword, slashing the Reginlaze's sword, then fired at the Reginlaze again, this time at the shoulder-mounted guns, destroying them.
The Reginlaze circled the Grimgerde, looking for an opening to attack, drawing closer each rotation.
Finally it drew near, but the Grimerde, having stowed away its gun and returning to wielding the two swords, was ready.
The Reginlaze used its remaining whip sword, but the Grimgerde dodged and sliced off the entire arm, making the Reginlaze lose its sword.
Now weapon-less, the Reginlaze still has its bulk going for it, so it decided to just ram itself in its opponent instead. The Grimgerde's eyes glowed, ready for the Reginlaze's attack.
DES BATTLESHIP KIMARIS, HANGAR
Kanan, Leah, and Sonata were running towards the hangar. Indeed thanks to the distraction of Orine and Yuuka there were no DES soldiers in the way.
Finally they reached the hangar. Since all the mobile suits were outside fighting, there were no people inside.
There were also no giant robots.
"Great, what now?" Kanan asked.
Sonata looked around and pointed to a shuttle. "I can fly that too! I'll need a co-pilot though. I can teach you!"
"Wh-what? You expect me to learn how to fly a plane in less than five minutes?"
"Of course!" Sonata cheerfully answered. "Just say what I say, you'll be fine!"
Sonata opened the door in the side of the shuttle, and the three of them climbed inside. While Leah sat down in the passenger seat, Kanan reluctantly sat in the co-pilot seat, eyeing the displays and buttons in front of her.
"And what you'll have to do is…" Sonata said with a grin.
"Yes…"
"Nothing! What, did you expect me to teach you how to fly a plane?" Sonata said, laughing. "Of course not!" Sonata was already seated at the pilot' seat, pressing some buttons.
"There, I just set it for an autopilot course. It'll drive itself, I'll just teach you how to monitor the plane's condition."
"Damn it Sonata, don't scare me like that!" Kanan said.
"Hahaha! The look on your face, it's good!" Sonata said as she guided the plane out of the hangar. Fortunately the door of the hangar was already open.
"There, now all we have to do is sit back and relax. Oh, and I guess I have to contact my sister!"
The battle between the Gimgerde and the Reginlaze was very lopsided, in favor of the Grimgerde. While the Reginlaze was now a flying wreck, the Grimgerde still has no damage.
Desperate, the Reginlaze charged forward again, before the Grimgerde slashed at the chest area of the suit.
Sensing that their ace will be defeated, a group of Reginlazes took the big Reginlaze and started retreating with it. The Grimgerde, however, did not pursue, content with just watching.
"What's it doing? Why is not pursuing?" Sayaka asked.
"I'm not sure… let's try contacting it." Mayuyu replied. They had been trying to reach the pilot but they weren't able to contact them.
Meanwhile the battle between the Kimaris and GUsion was in full swing, the Kimaris surprisingly being able to keep up with the Gusion despite using only its smaller blade, with the Gusion using the lance.
"Aargh! If you would just stay still for a moment—!"
The Kimaris was moving fast. Unencumbered with the giant lance, it was able to maneuver quickly, attacking from multiple directions.
"She's gonna need backup!"
Acchan and Chieri flew towards Ryuko, firing at the Kimaris to distract it. It proved to work, as the Kimaris turned its attention to them, firing shuriken from its shoulders. While Chieri was able to dodge, Acchan's gun was knocked out of her hands.
"That suit… I feel sadness…"
Out of impulse she began to sing.
The stars shining in the night sky
are billions of light-years away
Even if the deep despair
turns into endless darkness
The truth will be passed on
Who will be the one to accept
its message of light
that is entrusted to the flow of time?
"Acchan, what are you doing?" Chieri said. "We have to help Ryuko!"
Acchan ignored this and continued flying to the Kimaris singing. The Kimaris, meanwhile, has stopped its attack, seemingly confused by this.
People will be born
People will die
The flesh is mortal
What resurrects
from its ashes
is passion
that goes to the next generation
The Kimaris seemed confused, but suddenly it charged forward, its blade plunging into the chest of Acchan's Graze.
"NAGISA!" Chieri shouted.
Chieri was able to view Nagisa's cockpit and saw Nagisa heavily injured, bleeding.
"Nagisa—!"
Nagisa, however weak from the impact, continued singing. Her voice was course, but she managed a few words out for the chorus.
A dream is a Reincarnation:
déjà vu-like distant memories
that come to me again and again
I'm just like a Reincarnation
I'm subconsciously
running toward somewhere
again now
How many tears will it take for me to give up?
How many lives will it take for the wish to come true?
The Kimaris wasn't moving again, it and Acchan's Graze stuck together.
Ryuko and the others weren't moving out of shock as they heard her last song.
"Nagisa—!"
"Onee-chan!"
Kanata suddenly heard Sonata's voice. She was communicating with them.
"Sonata! Where are you?"
"I'm in the shuttle, you can see me on your radar. I have Kanan and a girl with me."
"A girl?" Kanata asked. "Not Riko-san."
"No, it's—!"
Kanata wasn't able to hear anything as a gunshot echoed in the transmission.
Then a chill ran down her spine as she heard a wail of a girl whose voice she didn't recognize, and another one – Kanan, from Aqours— screaming Sonata's name.
"Sonata?" Kanata said with dread. "S-Sonata? What happened? Answer me, Sonata! SONATA!"
