Shirogane Specter 1
Sumika Archer 1
Ayamine Archer 2
Mikoto Archer 3
Tamase Archer 4
Kasumi Stinger 1
Marimo Stinger 2
Meiya Stinger 3
Sakaki Stinger 4
—
Shirogane Takeru
03:10 AM
Izu Skyline, Near Sukumoyama
I could say a lot about our current state of affairs, but 'in our favour' wasn't one of those lines.
"Shirogane, what is our condition right now?"
"I'm not gonna lie to you, Your Highness. But if people look up the word 'disadvantageous' in a dictionary, they will find this battle to be an example." There was no point in deceiving Yuuhi when she also could hear our comms.
"Are we still searching for an exit?"
"Yeah, we don't have too many options here. Hiyakawa, Atami, Kannami and Izunokuni are all filled with rebel forces. This could be really bad if they start to advance and limit our area."
We have been besieged for around fifteen minutes now. Some light skirmishes were fought around the defence line, but their support arrived only minutes after and we were forced to back off.
"—this is Hunter 1 to all Platoon leaders. A new battle plan has just been established." Maj. Walken seemed to have a method out of this one-sided stalemate.
"An evacuation method was offered by the USAF 34th transport unit. A C-130 Hercules will launch off from Carrier Theodore Roosevelt of the 7th Fleet."
"They will be performing a Fulton surface-to-air recovery operation to directly retrieve the Shogun together with the TSF that Her Highness currently occupies. They will then fly to Yokohama Base to drop off Her Highness."
That was quite a crazy operation for the USAF to attempt. But on the other hand, it could also be the best for our situation if they just skyhook us straight out of combat.
"—Maj. Walken! You wish for Her Highness to be lifted and carried over hostile territory? There is no way for us to protect Her Highness if she is to be sky hooked away!" Tsukuyomi made her obvious disapproval known to the team.
"—First Lieutenant, you are an observer in this operation. You've been allowed to listen to our transmissions. But I do not recall giving you permission to speak. Our objective is to evacuate Her Highness as soon as possible. I do believe this is the best method." Maj. Walken fired back after Tsukuyomi's second transmission.
"…I understand." The plan was too logical for Tsukuyomi to reject.
"—what will we use as the beacon? And how can we avoid detection, Major?" I asked the actual questions this time.
"We will improvise with a self-propelled jump unit for the beacon. To avoid detection, the jump unit that is connected to the harness will boost upward until it reaches the required height one minute before pickup. The window of opportunity is small, but the 34th unit will be experienced enough to made the pickup."
If Maj. Walken can testify for their skills, then I shouldn't have to worry.
"Will the line be able to handle the weight of a TSF?"
"The harness is specially design for TSF transportation. There will be no problems." There was confidence in our supplies.
"What about the rest of the Platoons? How will you escape after out retreat?"
"Currently, recovering Her Highness is top priority of this operation. I will lead all units away from combat once the Shogun is a safe distance away." If the rebels would cooperate by not shooting anyone after we leave, that would certainly be helpful.
"The 34th transport unit's ETA over our airspace is thirty minutes. 207th Platoon will be the center and the last defence line. My team will spread out and plant an ambush in case of enemy attack. Heat team will reinforce the 207th. This is the overview of the mission plan. All teams prepare the procedure for pickup. Walken out."
—
"Shirogane, this might be late. But who else is in your unit?" Yuuhi thought up a nice icebreaker to distract us from this stalemate.
"We have Meiya, whom Your Highness already knows. Next is Class re— Sakaki Chizuru."
"Sakaki… could she be Sakaki Kurechika-dono's daughter?" Yuuhi noticed the same family name as the Prime Minister.
"Yeah, she is. She used to be the Squad leader, before I took over."
"Were you transferred into the Platoon, Shirogane?"
"Yep, I came to power after our combat exam." I wasn't even watching my speech at this time.
"Combat Exam… is that not before TSF training?" That was when Yuuhi realized that we were still a training squad.
"Yeah, Your Highness, did you not know we are mostly cadets?" Yuuhi gawked at me for a few seconds.
"Training squad? Are you not a Frist Lieutenant, Shirogane?"
"I am, and so are the fireteam leaders, 2nd Lt. Kagami and Yashiro. It's just the rest are cadets. We are a special unit, working directly under the Vice-Commander of Yokohama base." Yuuhi returned her expression to normal after a little explanation.
"I see… I must apologize again for involving cadets into my mistake."
"That's fine, Your Highness. No one is going to look for our rank on the battlefield." No matter the position within the military; out on the field, everyone was equal.
"We have deterred from our topic, Shirogane. Who else is in your squad?"
"There's Yoroi Mikoto, Section Chief Yoroi's daughter. Oh yeah, Your Highness. Does Section Chief Yoroi also speaks in riddles around you?" This was my chance to find out Yoroi's behaviour around serious people.
"He does. Yoroi is not the most clear man in my memories."
"Hehehe, I guess that would be only rational." Yoroi could be solemn when he needed to be. However, that wasn't the most unique trait about him.
"Finally, we have Tamase Miki, the Undersecretary's daughter. And Ayamine Kei, ex-army general Ayamine's daughter."
"Such a… for this group of people to be within one squad. They are also deeply involved in this incident as well." Yuuhi recognized everyone's background.
"Everyone has a reason to join the military, they just got put into the 207th squad because of their backstories. The same is true for me and the other lieutenants."
"If I have a chance, I would like to speak with them."
"I can certainly arrange that once this mess is over." The squad would probably be honoured to be granted audience with the Shogun.
"Shirogane, I thought I was mistaken at first. But you do speak quite casually from time to time."
"Huh? Ah, sorry Your Highness. My habits have also been pointed out by my team as well. I believe that building a friendly relationship with others who will watch my back is the best method." I could change my speech pattern with a moment's notice, after all.
"That is not it. You have clearly been educated to behave like the member the Regent Houses. However, I have no recollection of your background whatsoever."
"Ah… it's just my past isn't something I would normally talk about. And my current rank within the UN Army is where I'm at.
During one of my more successful loops. I was taught the speech pattern of the noble families after marrying Yuuhi. Unfortunately, many accidents transpired throughout that loop, accidents that I rather forget forever. Most importantly, taking the last name Koubuin just pissed me off to no end.
"Huhu, you can change your own personality so easily. I find that to be highly intriguing."
"I apologize for my rudeness, Your Highness."
"It is fine, having someone speak casually to me is quite refreshing."
"Then if you don't mind, Yuuhi-sama."
Hayase Mitsuki
Izunokuni
"—the marker places us right here… you got anything, Akane?"
"—Sorry, 1st Lt. Hayase. I can't find it either." The Valkyries were off the off the beaten path, looking for their package.
They were not happy; they lost. They failed their mission of defending a chokepoint from the rebels. Their enemies forced them to retreat, to run away because they were incapable of defeating their foes.
Maybe if the Valkyries had two more members, or maybe if their new OS wasn't made public knowledge. But none of that mattered now, a loss is a loss no matter what excuses they wished to use. Even having been demoted to delivery girls by the Professor, they still have to fulfill that role without delay.
"Tsukiji! Do you see our box?" Asked Hayase, who just flipped an abandoned building inside out, literally in her TSF. She was getting annoyed with their task at hand.
"—Nothing, 1st Lt. Hayase. Mou, why do we have to be doing this anyway…? Shouldn't some other unit be taking care of this kind of… Ah, I'm sorry!" Hayase only brushed off Tsukiji's comment. Her habit of speaking without thinking was a norm to most members of A-01.
"—this is Valkyrie 3. Looks like I just won, Hayase. The package is secured."
"Tsk, whatever. —B flight, clean up and let's get going!" Clicking her tongue out of frustration. Hayase understood there was no way to control the bet between her and Munakata, as it was purely based on luck.
"—Valkyrie 1 copy. Did you check the contents, Munakata?" Captain Isumi joined the open channel after hearing the same announcement.
"Opening now… yeah, this is what we're after. The 1200mm OTH Cannon. Why do you think command buried this gun all the way out here, Captain?"
"Don't ask me. Vice-Commander was very clear in her orders. Acquire the 1200mm at the provided coordinates and await further command. No updates to the plan as of yet."
"So why are these coordinates so inaccurate? It's like the Professor was trying to coordinate our failure." Some giggles were heard after Hayase's terrible attempt at a joke that almost froze the world.
"…That was so bad. Captain, you tell her too."
"It's… just drop it already. Although I do have to increase my temperature in here. Even Hayase's hot-headed tenancies couldn't recover that joke." This time, full blown laughter came from almost everyone.
"It got really chilly at of the sudden. But Hayase should be fine after that burn."
"…God damn it!" More jokes, puns and wisecracks were fired off from the Special Task Force that had their hands free after suffering a defeat.
Shirogane Takeru
Izu Skyline, Near Sukumoyama
"—this is Hunter 1. All preparations are finalized. T-minus ten minutes to pickup."
"Heat leader, copy that."
"1901, copy."
"This is Specter 1, copy." By connecting one end of the harness to a spare boost unit and the other to the hooks on my TSF. We slapped together a makeshift beacon for the aircraft to pinpoint, and hopefully the plane's peg can catch the beacon and lift us out.
"We have ten minutes, Your Highness."
"I have heard." The ambience we shared was tenser than needed be. I shifted uneasily in my seat to adjust my posture any way I could.
"Shirogane, can you connect me to the public channel?"
"Of course, but may I know the reason behind this request?" It was probably just like what I had in mind, but double-checking wouldn't hurt.
"I wish to speak to all the soldiers who protected me so far." Her answer made my prediction correct.
"Then by all means. —this is Specter 1 to all units, Her Highness have something to say." A few chatter of disbelief was whispered over the channels. I activated the mic on Yuuhi's suit for her speech to reach the others.
"—Commander of the United States Army, is it alright for me to have your full name?"
"—Your Highness… I am honoured to have an audience with you. I am Major Alfred Walken, of the United States Army 66th TSF Armoured Battalion."
"Major Walken, I apologize for addressing everyone over the radio. Nevertheless, as the Grand Shogun of Japan, I wish to express my gratitude for what the American Army has done today." Normally, Yuuhi would thank everyone after we are offered a ceasefire. Naturally, that wasn't the case right now.
"Such graciousness… Your Highness, there is no need." Maj. Walken's opinion was collective with most of his men.
"I also wish to express my gratitude as the Grand Shogun… for the dedication and courage all these American soldiers have shown. Unfortunately, I cannot convey my appreciation more personally, please understand that my words are sent with uttermost sincerity."
"Your Highness, as members of the United States Army, we are all very grateful for your generosity. The forces under my command will not fail to ensure your safe arrival to Yokohama Base. If you would allow it… I ask that you instead honour my subordinates by praying for their success."
Since Tsukuyomi wasn't saying any lines, I couldn't comprehend her current mood. Although she was most likely unhappy with the head of our country being this humble to soldiers of another army.
"I understand. I shall be in their care."
"Yes, ma'am. You may depend on us." It was this type of attitude that allowed Yuuhi to become who she was. Even knowing what the American Army had done in the past, namely abandoning Japan in its time of need, she still thanked the American Eishis with an honest intention.
"Now then, First Lieutenant Shirogane. As the Grand Shogun of Japan, I wish to express my gratitude for what the UN Army has done today." Yuuhi tilted her head up and directed her gaze straight into my own eyes.
"Your Highness. Thank you very much for this honour."
"And to your subordinates as well. I am thankful for their courage and dedication they have presented. The current disorder in my country is all because of my own incompetence. I offer you my sincerest apologies… for you are the ones who are tasked with the protection of my country."
"A-ah…" The team was left speechless by Yuuhi's indication of regret.
"Shirogane, may I speak to your subordinates?"
"Yes, as you will. I'll set up a secure frequency for your communication." A radio list categorized by the callsigns of my squad took center screen on Yuuhi's projector.
The rest played out mostly the same as any other times. Yuuhi reassured Class rep of her father's safety and loyalty to Japan. Comforted Tama and prided her for serving the international community just like her father.
She spoke to Mikoto about her father's habit of pissing people off with his traits. But mostly how Yoroi Sakon's ramblings were of great help to Yuuhi's anxieties.
And finally, Yuuhi quoted Ayamine's father, a General who was dubbed a traitor to this nation. Yet Yuuhi understood the difficulties of the decisions he faced and let Ayamine perceive the recognition of her father. As for Marimo-chan, they conversed in a very adult like manner, even if Yuuhi was only a teenager when it came to her age.
"What is your name?"
"—Yashiro Kasumi." What a reply from Kasumi, no honorific to be found here. Much to the shock of everyone else, even Yuuhi stopped talking for a short second.
"—Kasumi-chan! You can't just talk to the Shogun like that!" And the assist from Sumika. The image of the UN Army was shattered the second these two received their turn.
"Then how should I say it?"
"I don't know, but you have to be respectful!" Being the man with foresight, I thanked my intelligence for using a secure channel. Or else, we would been seen as the laughingstock to the Americans, or get executed by Tsukuyomi.
"Yuuhi-sama, these two are the main contributors to a secret UN project. So please excuse their lack of respect." To my disbelief, Yuuhi was giggling along with those two as their conversation flowed on.
"Huhuhu… it is alright, what is your name?"
"Ah…! I'm Kagami Sumika!" I couldn't tell if Sumika was serious in her behaviour or just naturally stupid to the situation.
"Even if we are at a time of crisis. The positive atmosphere brought on by your interactions was quite relaxing for me. For that, I am grateful. Please continue your support of this squad with your cheerful orientation."
"Okay!" the carefree 00 unit and her emotionless bunny friend responded in unison.
"I do not know the two of you personally. However, even to an outsider like me, I can notice the affection you reveal. Since you are also forced to bear the responsibility of this war, I can only apologize for involving the two of you. Please bear with it for a little longer."
"It's not your fault, Your Highness."
"That's right! We are here for our own future!" Their smiles brightened the mood around us, Yuuhi answered with her own slight beam.
"To the both of you, thank you for your service to my country."
—
In the end, Meiya was still the only one to not be granted an audience with her relative. It pained my heart to see the distance between the sisters had yet to diminish, but it was only a matter of time before they come face to face and showed each other their concealed fondness.
—
"Your Highness, please place this in your mouth." I handed Yuuhi a weird shaped plastic device.
"What is this, Shirogane?"
"It's a mouth guard. To prevent you from biting your own tongue during take-off." If Yuuhi somehow died from the abrupt burst of force, that would just be plain foolish.
"This device is surprising comfortable." The guard was obediently placed into her cavity.
"—this is Hunter 13 to Hunter 1! The insurgent forces are advancing on our location!" It only made sense for them to pinpoint us after seeing the jump unit, but it was stealthy enough to buy us plenty of time.
"—this is Heat Leader. The Jump unit has reached the full height of the harness. The aircraft is on-point and ready for pickup."
"—copy that, Heat Leader. All preparations are compete. —this is Hunter 1 to all Platoons, fall in on Specter 1, provide cover fire if the enemy were to rush us. 1st Lt. Shirogane, the airlift is thirty seconds out, brace for take-off." I rechecked all my system for the third time to allow no room for errors.
"—this is the captain of the USAF 34th transport unit. We have confirmation on your beacon. Proceeding to retrieve asset." The noise of the aircraft roared vociferously overhead. My map displayed many rebels closing in on our position.
"—Hunter 1 to all units! Engage all hostiles that appear within your line of sight. We can't allow them to disrupt the evac!" The rebels started asking us to cease fire and surrender to them once again. The vicious gunfire that surrounded me only served to further increase the casualties.
"—Specter 1 to the 207th Battalion. From this moment onwards, Archer 1 and Stinger 1 will take over command. Stinger 2 and Stinger 3 will be second-in command for this Platoon. Follow their orders when the situation applies. Specter 1 out."
"—Roger!" The rest of my squad answered naturally.
"—Specter 1 to Archer 1 and Stinger 1. This is an encrypted channel, no need for any precautions. You two still remember what to do after if the scenario plays out, right? Don't let me down now."
"—Archer 1, copy. Don't worry, I'm not that dumb! Do your best, Takeru-chan!"
"—Stinger 1, copy. Good luck, Takeru-san." Sumika and Kasumi's orders were a difficult one. I was relieved that they still had recollection.
"That's good, Specter 1 out." I closed the first line only to open another transmission.
"—this is Specter 1 to Stinger 3. You have limited authority as second-in-command of this unit. Free fell to enact on them." The radio connected to Meiya's frame next, who also had her own role to play out. Yuuhi was visually unsettled by my action. But whatever she felt she didn't voice.
"—Stinger 3, roger."
"Stinger 3, anything you would like to convey before our departure?" My sudden question caught Meiya off guard.
"…Specter 1, please keep Her Highness safe… and please honour our promise." The voice from my speaker was also perceptible to Yuuhi. But at that time, Meiya is still nothing more than a member of the UN.
"Will do, Stinger 3."
"And one more thing… Your Highness, please forgive my future actions." The first line Meiya ever spoke to her twin sister was a pleading for forgiveness.
"Your words… I have clearly received them."
"Stinger 3. This is not a sacrifice, this is another promise, I will always be there to protect you so I trust you to keep everyone safe in my place."
"Stinger 3… copy. I wish for your safety upon this journey. Stinger 3 out." We disconnected our calls once no more words were needed. Yuuhi could only keep her gaze hidden from my sight.
"This is the captain of the 34th transport group. We will have lift-off in three… two… one… Pickup confirmed."
The sudden rush of G-force from being stationary to being pulled by an eighty thousand pounds aircraft was somewhat agonizing. Luckily, Yuuhi only shared my pain to a certain extent. Her hands clenched mine with great strength as my Shiranui was carried away.
Mitsurugi Meiya
The soldiers under the command of Sagiri couldn't risk shooting toward Takeru's Shiranui. They didn't know if that unit carried Her Highness with it. But that also left the rest of them in a terrible spot, as the enemies now had a reason to fully attack their Platoons. The American Eishis were engaging the insurgents in front of Meiya, she wasn't sure if she was capable of joining in on the fight.
"—to the UN Army commander. I am Sagiri Naoya from the Imperial Mainland Defence Army's 1st TSF Armoured Regiment." Sagiri Naoya just addressed all forces currently in combat within this area.
"Cease all combat operations immediately. We do not want a fight. We have had reason to rebel, and now we stand on opposing sides… but we do not desire conflict. Your forces do not stand a chance against us."
"Your reinforcements from Tokyo will not make it here on time. We request a non-hostile meeting with Her Highness immediately. If you do not answer, we will be forced to use all means at our disposal to verify Her Highness's presence. Sagiri out."
There was no need to doubt the truth behind Sagiri's words. Meiya knew the capabilities of the elites who defended her country.
"—Hunter 1 to all units, do not mind the enemy commander! Now that the Shogun has been recovered safely. We just need to break out of this trap!" speaking as always easier to say than performing. Maj. Walken understood his goal. It was reaching the objective that proved to be the most problematic.
"—Archer 1 to all members of the 207th Platoon. I know that this is everyone's first time fighting. But if we don't do something, we won't be able to hold out any longer. We are not going to let Takeru-chan down by losing here. If we don't do our best, we'll probably regret it later."
"I really wanted us to have some more time, but that's just not the case. Please, everyone. Remember your training and your resolve. Kasumi-chan, what should we do here?"
"All units, formation Arrowhead-3, cut through their left flank and engage all hostiles." Their temporary leaders, Sumika and Kasumi put out an order for attack. She knew the condition was not to their advantage, but she was determined to enact the role bestowed upon her until the very end.
"…Roger!" Meiya was the only one who couldn't answer to Sumika's call. Because she knew that there was another way besides combating against the soldiers of Japan.
"—Stinger 3 to Archer 1! I request a top priority connection."
"Stinger 3, encrypted channel granted. Go ahead."
"I will perform my role here. Is that alright?" Meiya could no longer afford to hesitate if she wanted to save those who are important to her. So that she could keep her vow to that man.
"Meiya-san… if you see that to be the best choice here. Please, we'll be in your hands…" Sumika sounded conflicted, just like Meiya herself. But they both recognized that there wasn't any option left.
With one final mental check, Meiya was prepared to do the unthinkable. In one way or another, this was what she had been trained for her entire life. The stage before her had no light, no camera nor director, but no other stage could be more perfect than what was presented.
Meiya had every tool she needed to act her part, the script was given by Takeru. It was him that instructed Meiya on their way to Tougashima. He told her to act when she deems appropriate to unleashed her talent, and nowhere else was more suitable than here.
With the powerful roar of the jump units attached to her frame. The Takemikazuchi boosted high above the rest. The barrels that were aimed at her didn't fire a single shot. All the Insurgent Eishis saw her, but they could never allow themselves to fire upon what they saw.
"—I am Koubuin Yuuhi. The Grand Shogun of Japan." The oration of lies flowed through the comms of all the Eishis who fought for their own ideals like a summer night thunder.
No one that perceived her words wasn't shocked to their very core. The only audio that was detectable was the sound of many engines of the TSFs and the distant wind.
With the arms open and weapons away, the purple Type-00R, the only Takemikazuchi of its kind showed no signs of hostility. Within its cockpit, the single cadet's heart was pounding like never before.
She wasn't afraid, but worried. Worried that her disguise would be exposed, worried that even the Shogun was no longer capable of controlling this savage battle.
"I have presented myself as you requested, Sagiri. Now order your men to pull back at once." Every pair of eyes that was sensible turned to view the lone Takemikazuchi that hovered above the rest.
"—I am elated by the honour of receiving an audience with you. I am Captain Sagiri Naoya of the Imperial Mainland Defence Army 1st Division's 1st TSF Armoured Regiment." Sagiri's men quickly made distance between them and the American vanguard.
"Do not be mistaken, Sagiri. I did not grant you an audience with me. However, this is an issue that we must face eventually. I ask for an hour of ceasefire from both sides. This is a demand from me personally. During that time, I will reconsider all options available and take the most realistic action possible."
"Of course, Your Highness. Can I understand this to mean that we can call you again on all channels in sixty minutes?" To disagree with the Shogun would be of most foolishness in this situation.
"Yes, that will be fine." Meiya disconnected the call and lowered her Takemikazuchi back to the ground, where all Platoon leaders awaited her return.
—
"Meiya-sama! Are you okay?" Tsukuyomi was the first to dash to Meiya's side after the she disembarked her surface fighter.
"Ah, Tsukuyomi. I am alright, thank you for your concern."
"Meiya-sama… that was very unexpected of you, are you sure of your actions?" Impersonating the Shogun of Japan was a severe crime that would be punishable by death.
"We didn't have any options. I am sure that Her Highness would forgive me if it meant saving the lives of soldiers on both sides." Meiya was ready for any sentence, but somehow she knew that her other half wouldn't carry out her penalty.
"Still, cadet…" Maj. Walken entered the conversation after landing his TSF as well.
"It's Mitsurugi, sir."
"Cadet Mitsurugi, I had my suspicion ever since I saw the colour and model of your TSF. However, I did not foresee that you would mimic the Shogun. While I am curious as to the reason and ability for you to perform such act. I will not ask since you did help us out of that poor situation."
Maj. Walken's liberality to cease further questioning was well respected by Meiya.
"Thank you for understanding, Major. Then I will excuse myself if I am no longer needed." Meiya moved away from the superiors that were gathering to discuss the next step.
Yashiro Kasumi
"When they said that our allies from Tokyo won't make it time, was that only a bluff?" The Platoon leaders gathered to discuss their future strategy.
"I do not believe so, Major. They have the entire area locked down from here to Hakone. It would be difficult for our reinforcement to break through within the little time we have." 1st Lt. Tsukuyomi inserted her opinion and no one felt it was inaccurate.
"They agreed to Mitsurugi's request for ceasefire so easily. Could there be a possible chance that they'll attempt to kidnap the Shogun?"
"That won't happen." Kasumi rarely spoke during the meeting. This was one of the few times.
"…Do you agree, First Lieutenant?" Maj. Walken turned his attention to 1st Lt. Tsukuyomi.
"Yes, those men and women have risen up out of lamentation for the state of the country and the position Her Highness has been placed in. They would not dare to disobey an order from the Shogun herself, as long as they do not know it was not from Her Highness."
"As for me, I cannot understand why the enemy won't break their vow. But either way, this stalling for time is convenient for us. Heat leader, have your men switch their position with mine every ten minutes." Maj. Walken considered breaking the ceasefire, but the risk wasn't equal to the reward.
"Roger that." A radio answered was heard by everyone around.
"Second Lieutenant—" Maj. Walken turned to Kasumi next.
"Sir." Kasumi was trying her best to act military. The low voice she emitted wasn't taken as an issue by the other leaders.
"Prepare yourselves for an infantry ambush, just in case. The 207th Platoon will take some rest in the meantime."
"Roger. Thank you, Major." Maj. Walken was a little confused by the Russian girl and her bunny ears. But suppressing his curiosity wasn't hard for a soldier of his rank.
"Major, my unit will also disembark from our TSFs and patrol the area."
"Very well. Perform your duty as Imperial Honour Guards." There was no motive for Maj. Walken to distress Tsukuyomi.
Shirogane Takeru
Shizuoka, over Gotemba
"—this is your captain speaking. We'll be taking a detour to avoid hostile fire over the Hakone area. We are currently above Gotemba ruins, we will proceed over Mt Tanzawa and circle around to Yokohama."
"—copy that, Captain."
"Your highness, how are you feeling?" we were still dangled by the harness that connected us to the aircraft. Due to lack of preparation, they couldn't reel us in from how the lines attached.
"I am fine, Shirogane. This is much more relaxing than earlier. Do not be uneasy, I am not blaming you for anything."
"Your Highness, if there is anything that makes you uncomfortable, please let me know. Other than our position right now, I can adjust most other things." Yuuhi only giggled quietly and blushed a little.
"If such events are to take place, I will let you know." Most of our ride was spent silently, not much to talk about when the country below us was engulfed in the flames of war.
—
A sudden tightening noise woke me from my light slumber. Yuuhi also was startled by the sudden rattle of my Shiranui.
"What is happening…? Your Highness, did you notice any change with my TSF?"
"Ah… no." The rocking only increased in intensity over time.
"—Captain. What is happening down here?"
"—Specter 1, we are currently experiencing technical malfunction of the grappling system, you will have to be dropped in forty seconds. The 54th Tactical Armoured Battalion will recover you and accompany the Shogun to Yokohama Base. Sorry for the inconvenience."
The new mission outline was given by the Captain and a countdown began for our eventual relinquish.
"Yuuhi-sama, Close your mouth and tighten the safety harness. We are going to be released soon." I reached out for Yuuhi's seatbelt and fastened it to protect her from the sudden G-force that happened a dozen seconds after my declaration.
—
"Your highness, are you unhurt?" The Shiranui settled on the side of a hill and glided roughly down to the surface.
"I am fine, Shirogane. More importantly, what will our steps be now?" Yuuhi was asking the right questions straightaway after landing.
"We are currently waiting for the Americans to pi—" A radio link was abruptly established. I concentrated on the muffed voice that was repeating itself.
"—I repeat, this is the United States Army 54th Tactical Armoured battalion. We are here to retrieve the UN Army 207th Armoured Battalion. Respond if you can hear this, over."
"—this is the commander of 207th Armoured Battalion. We just got dropped from the 34th transport unit. What is your current location?" It was somewhat strange for their response time to be this fast, I already had a few ideas pop up within my head. But none was worth acting on.
"What is the condition of Her Highness?" The other Eishi didn't answer right away.
"Her Highness is with me right now. What is your location?"
"We'll be waiting on the Tomei Highway ruins by Oyama. Rendezvous with us ASAP. Havoc 1 out."
"Copy that, Specter 1 out." The recovery team was about ten minutes away from us. It shouldn't be too much of a distance to cover.
"Your Highness, we will be meeting up with the 54th Tactical Battalion and they will escort us to Yokohama Base."
"I heard, Shirogane. Let us hurry to avoid wasting their time." Even with our current condition like this. Yuuhi still showed concern for the American Eishis.
Callsign, Havoc 1
"This is Irony 1. I have visual confirmation on the HVT."
"This is Moses, copy. No deviation from mission plan, proceed. Use of lethal force is authorized, but execute with extreme caution. Do not let the prototype be damaged."
"Irony 1 copy."
Oyama, Tomei Highway ruins
We travelled for nine minutes until the old town and three TSFs came into view.
"—this is specter 1 to Havoc 1. Where is the rest of your Battalion?" Only three American F-22As were nearby to greet us.
The leading TSF appeared somewhat different from the rest. There was some kind of melee weapon holstered on its back, a tool that was never seen with the Americans before.
Its camouflage was also abnormal, opting for almost pure black concealment paintjob than the regular greenish colouring for forest combat. And lastly, which was also the biggest root of my confusion. The F-22A in question had armour and weapon parts just somehow seemed wrong to me. Other than having a Melee Halberd, which is a big ass sword, just like my Type-74 PB Blade. It was carrying a totally different assault rifle with some kind of bayonet attached to the tip
Finally, I was pretty sure that its forearms were equipped with multi-purpose sheaths. It should be noted that at least four Mount-Pylons were present on that unit as well. My gut feeling was telling me a different message about their friendliness, and I fully intend on trusting it.
"—Havoc 1 here, the rest of the Platoon is currently engaging the rebel forces at Hakone. My squadron was ordered to evacuate Her Highness. The rest will follow once we secured her."
Without any method to deny or confirm his explanation since long range wireless communication was jammed, nothing can get through outside a two Kilometer radius.
"Do you have resupply containers? My fuel is running low."
"We have resupply containers waiting right here. Refuel your TSF and disembark your units. We have to verify Her Highness's identity." That was an unexpected order.
"Is there some problem? Her Highness isn't feelin—"
"It is alright, Shirogane. I have no difficulties with meeting the American Eishis." Yuuhi was placing too much trust in a unit that we just met. But then again, she only knew me for around two hours.
"We have reasons to believe that an imposer is pretending to be Her Highness. We just need to confirm her identity."
I felt a bit of unease by his words, even if Meiya somehow got found out as a fake, which was too early. They still shouldn't have any problems since both Meiya and Yuuhi were on the same side.
"Your Highness, are you sure about this?"
"Is there a problem, Shirogane?" I couldn't tell her my uncertainties about the Americans.
"Roger that, but your team have to dismount as well." It will be very upsetting if I were to exit my Shiranui and got shot up by F-22As.
"Of course, that's only reasonable." I opened my hatch and Helped Yuuhi to the ground. The F-22A Eishis also left their cockpit. However, before descending myself. I set up a safeguard in my Shiranui, just as insurance.
—
"I'm First Lieutenant Edward Anderson. Nice to meet you."
"First Lieutenant Shirogane Takeru. Same here, your attendant is very helpful." We saluted each other as equals in rank.
"Your Highness, it's an honour to escort you. As I said earlier, I am Edward Anderson of the United States Army 54th Tactical Armoured Battalion." The three soldiers bowed their head to Yuuhi.
"1st Lt. Anderson, thank you for your assistance in my nation's difficulty."
"There is no need for such graciousness, Your Highness, our check here is done. Please return with your escort to your TSF."
Yuuhi was way too trusting of others that she didn't even know before. As the Shogun of Japan, her conviction in the goodness of others was a fatal flaw.
Two things happened simultaneously the instant we showed our backs to the American Eishis. The butt of Anderson's gun almost smacked the back of my skull if I didn't block it with my left arm.
"Shit, knew it."
Mumbling a lone line to myself while deflecting his strike, I pulled my own sidearm from the right holster and fired the second his body lined up with my barrel. In point-blank situations like this, just tagging someone with a 9mm round would do considerable damage. As luck would have it, the shots I sent out collided on his stomach region.
"Arhga—"
Not giving my prey any second to react. I smacked him backwards with my pistol while reaching out to grab his right arm that held the weapon. Taking it for myself before sending a fast kick to his sides which knocked him off his feet. A final shot to the temple as he fell down to the ground sealed the fate of my miserable opponent.
"Yuuhi! GET DOWN!"
The other two remaining Eishis opened fire with no regard to Yuuhi's safety. However, luckily, before they were given the time to take careful aim with their pistols. The 36mm assault rifle of my Shiranui fired first, ending their unfortunate lives in split seconds.
"Ahhaaa, thank god for autopilot." Another almost useless feature of my new XM3 was advanced AI for the autopilot mode. But even with an upgrade, the AI still couldn't be compared to an actual Eishi, so the system was never on the front of my mind.
But having my machine move automatically could be very advantageous in the right situation. Like how it just saved our lives, placing that failsafe before leaving was the most brilliant idea I ever thought of.
"Yuuhi-sama, are you alright?" I stood back up on my feet before checking Yuuhi's health.
"…Ahha… I… I'm fine." It was only logical for an ordinary person to be left speechless after witnessing a firefight so personally. Even our Shogun was still young, some would call her too young to bear this amount of duty. And I would agree.
"Here, let me help yo— aargh!" A painful sensation zapped up my stomach the second I took Yuuhi's hand.
"Shirogane! You are injured!" A dark coloured spot under my plastic amour was expanding by the moment. A mark of internal bleeding contained under my skin sent a prickly zap up my nervous system, but no real damage was done. Whatever reactive material was used to make this suit saved my lucky ass.
"Argh… I'm fine, tis but a fresh wound… hehe" It wasn't too much of a big deal, the bullet must had ricocheted off my armour, and it left behind a bruise the size of an apple. But as long as nothing went through my body. It'll only take days to heal.
"Are you sure of your condition?"
"It's fine, really. I have already injected some painkillers so I'm operational. Please just rest yourself by that rock, Yuuhi-sama. I'll survey the situation."
"…What are you planning on doing?" Her worried stare made me feel a bit guilty for killing our attacker, even when they were the ones who assaulted us first. Was she condemning me for protecting her? I wasn't sure, but she clearly wasn't happy about witnessing death this closely.
"Yuuhi-sama, I know that you dislike the idea of bloodshed. But I am a soldier, and I have my duty to escort you safely. I have to search for whatever information they have that could explain their action. Please understand."
"…Very well, be careful, Shirogane." After some conflicting thoughts, Yuuhi decided to trust my judgment and excused herself away from the field.
—
Examining people's corpses wasn't that fascinating of an activity, but as someone who spilled more blood than any other soldier on this earth. I was even a veteran at salvaging from remains.
'What am I looking for again?' The cold, dead bodies carried nothing of importance. I dragged the three corpses off to the side, out of open space before I climbed aboard their TSFs. The two regular Raptors were empty of any potential clues as to the origin of these men. But the third one, the heavily modified surface fighter was different.
'This thing needs multiple passcodes? You kidding me, right? I don't have that kind of time." So instead of spending hours trying to hack this device, I sent my reliable "Sumika Virus" to go and destroy all firewalls and password protections.
The virus that I employed was something I got Kasumi and Sumika to develop for me a few loops back. Theoretically, it should be capable of hacking any computer system as long as it uses electrical power.
Two minutes passed until the system was seized for me to control. I dug hard and deep within the frame's database to find evidence that should be present if all was going according to plan.
"Wait… this is… capture me alive…? 'Information retrieved from Yokohama Base.' Damn it, sensei… was this what you wrote?" It was at this second when my confidence in my scheme skyrocketed to new heights.
The rebels' movement, the attack of the American Eishis, everything. My plan until now was flawed, fatality flawed. But with this new found info, the tide of this battle will rightfully be returned to me.
I would like to credit myself for conspiring this scheme on the spot and for bringing it to fruition. I grabbed my own tablet and transferred these data to my electric instrument. After descending the Raptor, I rendezvoused with Yuuhi by the side of the road.
—
Shirogane Specter 1
Sumika Archer 1
Ayamine Archer 2
Mikoto Archer 3
Tamase Archer 4
Kasumi Stinger 1
Marimo Stinger 2
Meiya Stinger 3
Sakaki Stinger 4
—
Author's note
If you felt like I was leading you on for the last chapter, then you would really feel like being led on this chapter. Another short one again. So the two day early release should be good enough, right? Maybe next chapter will also come earlier, still no promises. Although things could delay some later chapters, so I apologize in advance. Hopefully that doesn't happen, but hey. I don't control any of that.
I say another three or four chapters will finish of the coup arc. After that will be the next arc, I know what it is. But not telling. While my grammar and vocabulary is still pretty bad. I do think my storytelling is not too terrible.
So if you feel like making a review to tell me exactly how crap my engrish is, go ahead. So my view is still the same, if you like my story, review and favourite if you chose to. Although the competitive side of me is quite proud for the numbers when Muv-Luv fics are not the hottest out there. It's not like asking for reviews will get them anyway.
Then until next time, because I don't have a signature to write by the end. You all will get this. Aisdnfsiadfaosudfh sdioncasidbg
Editing and proofreading done by chad001. So many times I capitalized the first letter of your name, but I didn't so it's fine.