Chapter 35: Black Christmas (Part 6) (Stand up and Fight, Shirogane)
(Niigata) (Imperial Army Command Center)
Yoroi Sakon, the Section Chief of the Imperial Ministry of Intelligence sat calmly as he looked outside the dockside where the soldiers of the Imperial Army were loading up supplies on the ships. Half of the port was being used transfer ammunitions to the attacking fleet while the other half was used to collect and assessed the wounded and casualties. Medics, nurses and doctors were being rounded up there to take care of all the injured that were coming in. Hell, the hospitals around the area were piling up by the dozens too.
You can hear echoes of screams and cries of help out there. It was a sorry sight but one that no one can avoid.
"Would you like more coffee, Yoroi san?" A lady in her mid 20s with green hair asked from the doorway.
"Yes. That would be nice. Thank you Isumi…"
The eldest sister of the Isumis nodded back before pouring another cup for the map. "If I may ask… how are things working in Sadogashima?"
"Pretty grim… if I do say so myself. With the amount of injured returning and considering the number of soldiers that were sent on the operation I must say at least more than half are probably dead. (…) Are you worried about them? Your sisters I mean?"
"I would be lying if I said no. But it can't be helped. They have devoted themselves into this operation. I can only pray that they will return safely"
"I see. It must burdening"
"What of you, Yoroi san? Your daughter is fighting there too, isn't she?"
The man paused as he sipped from his cup. "I wouldn't worry too much. (Hmm?) She is a capable soldier. I have seen her grow with my own two eyes and I do not regret it. Besides… my son-in-law will make sure that she is protected"
"Son-in-law?" Isumi raised a brow. "I did not know Mikoto chan was married"
"Ah… I guess you can say that she's in an open-marriage relation. (Eh?) The boy she has her eyes on will undoubtedly be hard to tame. Not to mention about those around him as well. (Ha?) I wonder if your sister will be open to polygamy. (Yoroi san…) Hmm… but perhaps that might just be allowed seeing that the male population has dwindled to at least ¼ of what it used to. If other men knew of his situation, people might actually want to kill to take his place"
"I do not think your daughter would be pleased to hear you say that, Section Chief"
"Ahahaha… perhaps she would. But I don't think she would mind seeing that they're all friends. A harem sounds like a man's paradise, don't you agree?"
"I'm afraid I have to refuse to answer that question"
"Haaaa… being hard as always, aren't you, Yayoi san"
"I merely wish to retain my sanity while in your presence" The lady let out a small chuckle in turn.
Yoroi burst into laughing mode. "Sanity? In this world… is there such a thing nowadays? (Eh?) But I guess you can say that. After all, we're nothing more but puppets being toyed with by an invisible string called fate. (Huh?) Can't you feel it? This war between humanity and the BETA is merely prolonging something even greater. The lives that have been lost, the struggle and the ordeal that we've been going through these past few years… it feels as if we're just the opening act for the real stars to make a grand opening"
"Yoroi san… are you… alright?"
"And when the final curtain is called, what will happen to those who are no longer needed on the stage? Do they have the honor of joining the actors for the final act or will they exit the stage in silent bow?"
"Yoroi san… are you well? You seem strange today. Well… stranger than usual"
The man let out a small scoff before looking at the gray clouded sky above. "I am merely considering the future possibilities. (…?) But despite the bleak future we have at the moment… today's weather forecast seems to guarantee a clear day. (Ah…?) Just what amazing stunt will you pull this time… Shirogane kun?"
(Sadogashima)
If one would visit Sadogashima as it was now, they would probably say that it was a freak show of some kind. Aliens called BETA ranging from the smallest of Soldier Class to the biggest Fort Class were walking as if they owned the place. Their numbers were near infinite and anyone who dared oppose them would quickly turn away understanding their superiority. They were like a plague that swept all life but their own and would not stop until everything in their sights is consumed for purpose unknown.
The Imperial Army who challenged them has all been defeated and those few who survived would only live to tell the tale.
But in amidst the xenos that infect the island… a small group of soldiers who are determined of victory cut through the last remaining forces like butter.
(Takeru's POV)
"Teeeeeeeehhh!" Get out of my fucking way! It's been on minute since we attacked the BETA and we've been cutting them like butter. Our attack is working. We're avoiding most of the Fort Class since they take too long to handle so right now the only things we're facing are Tanks, Grapplers and Destroyers. We're just a few kilometers away from Kanai but this fight seems to drag on forever.
Boom!
The explosions behind us took out most of the BETA that tried to approach us from the rear. Captain Abe should handling thing on his end. The shots from the shoreline are pretty accurate. They're hitting all the BETA and scattering them right when they covered our backs. So all we need is to focus on the front and push in hard! If we can get to the canister before the BETA swarms the captain then we're home free!
Luckily for us the BETA are still disorganized. They're still spread thin from Mano and Ryoutsu Bay which gave us some time to move along. Most of the Laser Class species near the Hive were also obliterated by Sumika when she fired the particle-cannon. But that doesn't mean we have it easy. Diving at the thick end of the BETA formation we've encountered a heavy bunch of Grapplers, Tanks and Destroyers. I don't know how many BETA are left on this island but I'm pretty sure it's more than any of us can count.
(Tug!) The headache is still pushing its way to my head. It's really distracting and hampering with my visions but fortunately the stims that Marimo injected into me have begun to take effect. Even the hypnotic battle therapies are making me pumped up. I'm pretty sure the side-effects will come but right now I have a short boost of stamina in me. (Tug!) Come on!
"Not gonna happen!" Akane seems to be giving it her all. She always dreamed about becoming partner with Storm Vanguard One but has been pushed back due to emotional issues. Hayase doesn't seem to mind either. With Akane's superior firepower and her skills in melee combat those two can by the new dynamic duo.
"You're not getting through!" Class rep, Tama and Mikoto are holding the left. Since they've been a team longer the others they work well together. Tama and Mikoto have been partners for as long as I remembered and of course they can easily get used to the fact that Class rep was the platoon leader. It's more of a psychological effect if you look closely.
Munakata, Touko and Kashiwagi are guarding the right with long range shots. These three are the best snipers in the business with Kashiwagi besting them all by a long shot. It's no surprise since she was a point guard in basketball in my world. She can make three-point-shots with her eyes closed and I've seen her do a half court shot without even breaking a sweat. Touko and Munakata obviously work well together since they're best friends.
As for Meiya, Ayamine and me… we were the Strike Vanguard team at the back center of the formation.
Anything that gets through the first line, we handle. We support each line any time a monster gets too close and deal with it in a flash.
"Valkyrie mum to Valkyrie 2B" Haruka called up. "The canister where the captain is located is 40 kilometers north of your current position. BETA formation is tightening. I can only suspect that they are reacting to your attack column" I see… so the BETA are attracted to large number of computer circuits that we carry. That's how they distinguish soldier from machines. If that's the case then we don't have to worry about the XG being attacked.
"Valkyrie 2B, roger that. We'll handle them as they come but keep an eye out for the worm. It could pop up any second"
"Understood. I'm linking your monitor with the long range sensors. If the seismic activity matches the worm's previous activities, it will alert you with a Code -02"
"02, copy that"
"Takeru! Four Grappler broke through the left wing of our formation!"
"On it! Meiya, cover the right! (Roger!) Ayamine, with me! (Got it!) Teeeeehh!"
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(Flagship Saijou)
"90% of All Whisky Unit have been evacuated from the island. All that remains are the staff of the Command Post by the beachhead and the remaining units from the 2nd U.N. Orbital Diver Corps"
"All of Echo Unit have safely evacuated from Lake Kamo. The 4th Fleet has withdrawn to safe distance and are awaiting new orders"
"The 16th Imperial Honor Guard division is still engaged with the enemy. They're creating a foothold on the of Sawase defense line"
"Valhalla to Captain Abe. Inputting new coordinates for artillery. You may fire at will"
"Valkyrie Company has reached ¼ of the way towards Captain Isumi's location. Enemy casualty ratings continue to increase at an astounding rate"
"Tell the remaining ships around the island to withdraw once all survivors have been accounted for" Kozawa ordered which the crew followed. "Once we reach optimal distance we will follow as well. Is that alright with you, Vice Commander Kouzuki?"
The woman who was being treated on her bleeding hand by 1st Lt. Piatif nodded back in response. "It can't be helped at this point. Whatever happens now… it will be on his head…"
"Somehow… I believe the boy took that into consideration when he went against you, Vice Commander… (…) It's shameful for us adults… truly. We wished not to bring children to this war… but it seems like a new generation of warriors have outgrown us faster than we expected. Perhaps it is people like him that will lead us to a new path"
"Heh… you speak as if there are still heroes in this world…"
"I do believe. (…) I do believe that there really are heroes left on this Earth. Vice commander… (…) Do you think me naïve to believe in such things?"
"No… not at all" Yuuko removed her hand from first aid kit and rubbed the bleeding stains with a slightly painful grunt. "But you might want to keep something just in case something happens"
"Heh. When the time comes when all the players must place their bets on the table… I will definitely choose your Special Task Force for sure"
"Be careful admiral. You're starting to sound like someone I know"
"Vice Commander" Piatif called to her attention. "There seems to be a strange activity happening to the XG. (Hmm?) The readings are… strange. The mechanic doesn't know what to make of it"
"Show it up on my monitor. (Yes ma'am) (Beep) …? This reading is… (Beep!) Ah! What happened!-?"
"Emergency shutdown of all systems. Without the coolant vents, the engine overheated and has switched the emergency procedure. But this isn't right. The system should only shutdown the engine and not the whole unit"
"Can you reestablish a connection with the basic systems at least?"
"Yes ma'am. We're still connected but we're cut off from all important aspects of the machine!"
"What in blazes…? (Beep!) What now?"
Haruka's eyes widened as she looked closely at the screen. "S… something is wrong. All the BETA around Mano, Ryoutsu and Mt. Kinpoku have changed course! They are now on an intercept course with Valkyrie Squad! (What?) Not only that. But the ones that were heading towards the A-02's attack point have also turned around as well! It's as if every BETA are targeting the primary unit"
"What? Why is that?" the Admiral looked back in amazement. "Why would the BETA target such a small unit? What about the Imperial Honor Guard?"
"It's unnatural. They're ignoring the Imperial Honor Guard unit completely!"
"Did the emergency shutdown cause them to ignore the XG entirely?" Yuuko pondered in deep thought. "Or… has 'he' been placed to be a higher threat than the others? (Ma'am?) I'll have to assume the latter for now. 1st Lt. Piatif. Can you transfer manual control from the XG to my console? (…?) As long as we're stuck here we might as well see what's causing the error. Send me the files and the recorded readings from 5 minutes before the computer system crashed"
"Understood ma'am. Transferring all requested data to your computer"
(Imperial Royal Palace) (Tokyo) (The Shogun's private quarters)
Rumble…
Yuuhi looked up from her window when she suddenly heard the clouds above roaring. A storm was gathering above the capital city that afternoon, blotting the people of their daily dose of sunlight. A rainy day like this was rare even this season but it was not something that people welcomed. With the war with the BETA making people depressed as it is, the last thing they need was something to bring down their day.
"Goodness… a storm of all days" the Grand Chamberlain stated before folding the window curtains close. "It feels as if the gods themselves are weeping for our misery"
"Huhuhu… you were always a pious person, oba san…"
"Piety has nothing to do with it. I simply wish to believe that the gods have feeling too. But… I guess there is some good in this. At least this way I don't have to water the garden outside. (Huhuhu…) Hmm?"
"You seem to always find a silver lining in the smallest of things"
"Heh… the world has enough sorrow. A smile in the darkness can make the world a brighter place. (…) Oh… and I almost forgot. I went to the orphanage where I recommended to your highness, yesterday. I met the two that you saved from the coup"
"Eh? Eiko chan and… Rin chan?"
"Yes, those two. They send their regards to you with heartfelt smiles. (…) Such young ones to know nothing of the war that befalls upon us. They are truly blessed"
Yuuhi let out a calming smile appear on her face. She can still recall the faces of those two little girls like they just met yesterday. Their toothy grin and their innocent nature that was oblivious to the struggle of man. It must be nice to feel no threat looming over their heads. "I see… so they are well?"
"They did not have much time for an old coot like myself. They were much too busy playing with their new friends to pay any attention to anything I had to say. (Huhuhu…) But if it calms you… they did ask me to give you something. (…?)" The Grand Chamberlain pulled a worn out piece of paper which had been drawn on with crayons. "It is a rather crude item… but I thought that you might like it"
Yuuhi looked at the paper and brought it up to take a closer look at the drawing. It was a childish drawing but one that she can interpret with just a glance. It was the scenery of a fantasy world with rainbows, blue sky and a bright yellow sun with mountains and trees all green and gray. The water at the bottom was colored with a mixture of blue and cyan which opted to tell that there was more than one artist working on the canvas. And at the center of the picture were three little girls' holdings hands together along with an elderly lady, all with giant smiles on their faces.
One of the girls was taller than the two and for a strange reason she had a very distinctive samurai haircut.
Outside the circle of three was a woman clad in red which often resemble a fire breathing dragon followed by three oddly haired subordinates.
The picture was enough to make the Shogun break out a small laugh. She had to admit that Tsukuyomi can make that kind of an impression to kids. Though she wasn't yelling all the time, her sharp razor eyes can be quite scary.
But at the very center of the drawing was a comically drawn character of a certain chocolate haired soldier clad in black. Though he looked rather dumb with overly exaggerated wide mouth and tiny arms which showed his character, he was still portrayed well carrying a wooden sword.
Yuuhi let out a small chuckle. Those two girls must've been expressing the event that happened based on what they saw. They must've seen Tsukuyomi as the villain of this story and Shirogane as the hero of some sort. Such a childish imagination.
"Takeru…"
(Takeru's POV)
"Teeeeehh!" We're almost there! We've already crossed the half way mark and killed more a hundred of these monsters. If this keeps us then we might reach the captain in about 6 minutes, more or less.
Everyone is doing their part well. This must be how the captain felt when she led us to fight against the BETA. It's exhilarating but at the same time it makes you cautious of everyone around you. You can't go ten second without glancing at your squad mates' vital signs or checking their TSF's condition.
"1st Lt. Shirogane!" Hmm?
"What is it Kazama?"
"I just got word from Valkyrie mum. All the BETA around Sadogashima are now targeting us!" Eh? Every BETA on the island? I know that we lured a few groups as bait but to lure the whole island against us is crazy. But how is that possible? I thought they were just going for us because we were fighting them but… could there be another reason entirely? "They will be converging on an intercept course in about 2 minutes. At this rate, their defense line will strengthen immensely!"
"Then we just have to cross that line faster! (Beep!) Everyone. We're going to pick up the pace! Hayase, Akane. Switch places with my group and full power to your engines! We're going to plow right through them! (Roger that!) Everyone else, keep to where you are and keep those BETA off our backs. Watch your aim but don't slow down or else the shells will hit you! (Copy that!) Valkyrie 2B to Valhalla. How much longer can the artillery keep up?"
"The captain states that they have enough rounds to make a few more salvos. I don't know how long but they'll try to provide support as much as possible" If the fleet is running out of ammunitions then we might not have enough to make the return trip. We're going to need all of them if every BETA on the island is out to get us.
"Alright change of plans! Marimo. Please tell the ship to hold fire until I give the word. (…?) We'll use their remaining shells to punch a hole in their lines and escape through that route! Team, listen up. Once we reach the thickest area of the BETA I'm going to cross it alone while the rest of you turn back around to avoid them. (…?)"
"Oi oi… isn't that a bit risky?" 1st Lt. Hayase inquired. "That's a 3 kilometer jump. Your boosters will give out before you can get to the other side"
"Don't worry about that. Ayamine will give me a boost. Remember what we did back in our mock battle? (…!) She'll throw me across and that alone should give me an edge to the other side"
"…" Hayase looked somewhat nervous about this idea. She's been agreeing with my plans so far but only because it sounds stupid and possible. But I don't think she's acting without a conscious. "Alright. We don't have enough firepower to deal with all of them in the first place. But I'm coming with you"
"That won't be necessary. A single unit should—"
"You're not taking all the glory in this fight you moron! (Geh!) Once you're in there, you're going to need someone to watch your back! (But…) This is not open for negotiation! We're already deep shit in trouble if we make it out of here alive so don't take anymore unnecessary risks. Understand!-? (Yes ma'am) Munakata. You're in charge of the unit once Shirogane and I rescue the captain. You'll coordinate with the fleet and give them the location where the BETA are thinnest. We're charge through one area and evacuate from there!"
"Don't worry about us. Just try not to get killed in there. (Understood) Good luck you two"
"Alright. If everybody gets the plan then we'll go through with it!" Right… there's no time to hesitate. This is the battlefield and every second counts. "Akane, you partner up with Meiya and Ayamine. The enemy's main defense line is almost in sight! (Roger!) Class rep, Tama. Cover us!"
"We got it!" Class rep yelled back at me. "Enemy main defense line is straight ahead. The BETA are beginning to converge on our position. We should keep moving to avoid being pinned down!"
"Right then… here we go!" There it is. The enemy's main defense line. There are BETA Grapplers and Fort Class that stretched on from one horizon to the other. It's going to be close but the time we save will definitely be worth it. (Raaaaarrr!) Get lost! "No turning back now! You ready for this, Hayase?"
"I was born for this!"
"Then let's go for it! Ayamine, now! All units, full stop!"
The whole squad pulled up a complete stop at the most heavily entrenched line of the BETA formation. We needed five seconds to complete one throw—so it's a total of ten seconds.
The Valkyries formed a line around me and Ayamine grabbed my arm just in the nick of time. Her Space Ayamine Throw was perfect. It would sling me about half of the way and allow me to boost right to the canister where the captain is.
"Yoroi san! Three of them are coming in on your right!"
"I got them!"
"Three Grappler Class at 12 o'clock! Take them down!"
"Destroyer Class coming in!"
"Save your 120mm rounds! We're going to need all of them break through!"
Right. The angle is perfect! "Alright Ayamine—just like we did in practice! (Roger that!) You've done this to me plenty of times before so don't hold back!"
"I never do… (Clang!) Haaaaaaaaaaahhhhh! (Whoosh!)"
Goooooohhh! This is just like Ayamine. Her throws are truly her moves. She grabbed not only the shoulder but my back to make a complete swing. It's like a hybrid move of judo and hapkido put together to make one powerful throw. I can practically feel the pressure of the air outside my cockpit! But I'm used to it. I've been thrown by Ayamine more times than I can count; I'm practically used to the aerodynamics around here.
Raaaarr!
What the? Those Fort Class are tightening their formation!
"Shirogane! I'm right behind you! There's too many get across! We have to use our boosters now!"
"Not yet! (…?) Follow my lead. We're going to ricochet our way from that Fort Class and jump right on through! (What!-? That's crazy!) What's the matter? You're getting cold feet already?"
"Geh! Now you've done it! Fine! I'll show you that you're not the only bad ass pilot out here! Lead the way!" Heh… you shouldn't worry too much Hayase san. Besides… you were the one who taught me this move in the first place. Back in the battle of Yokohama. Being reckless on the most desperate of times sounds fitting for you!
"Goooooohh!" Alright! This is it! (WHAM!) The Fort Class's thick hide should be just enough to support my feet! Hold on captain! We're coming!
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"Valkyrie 1B and 2B have breached the enemy formation! They're closing in on the container!"
"The BETA are reacting to the attack and are turning around!" Marimo stated out loud. "Shirogane. You have a 20 second window to rescue the target. Valkyrie Company is holding the line and are now moving eastward. You won't get another opportunity like this so make it count! (Roger that!) Valkyrie 1C. The remainder of the 2nd fleet is preparing to fire their next salvo but the heavy metal cloud above your area is interfering with their auto-targeting retinal. They require you to provide laser targeting system if possible"
"Valkyrie 1C, roger that! We'll find the weakest spot of the BETA formation and have it painted in no time. Standby"
"Superb…" Kozawa and every sailor who had nothing left to do could only sit/stand and watch as the Vakyries push themselves far beyond their limits. It took the Imperial Army 10 regiments of TSFs, mechanized infantry, tank battalions and a boatload of artillery shells to penetrate that deep into the island. Yet in front of them, stood 12 young soldiers with life just as fragile as theirs, doing something they could barely accomplish without a single casualty. "Truly superb…"
"Are there really just 12 of them?" One of the operators inquired to his seatmate.
"They're penetrating deeper than any of us…"
"But how…?"
Even the crew of the other ships who heard about the Imperial Honor Guards and U.N. Special Task Force's actions couldn't help but wonder what they all could accomplish in such little time. Captain, Iguchi, Tadokoro and even Admiral Kozawa himself were even hoping for the faintest glimmer of light in this darkness.
But out of everyone there, Yuuko ignored their situation completely. She wasn't even paying attention to what the others were saying anymore. Her mind was now solely focused on the monitor on her face.
"Still no change in the 00-Unit's" Lt. Piatif reminded her. "We're doing another scan before inputting the reset codes"
Yuuko's mind was boggled. She saw two sets vital signs on her monitor but she still couldn't see the link. "Just how is it possible that they are related? A causality conductor and her…? Just how are they connected? Are they connected psychologically? No… that's impossible. (Ma'am?) What kind of bond do they share at a logical level? Their vital signs are identical and they felt the same pain as the other. There's no coincidence that they are linked but what? (…?) …! Unless…"
"Vice Commander?"
Yuuko rose from her seat and ran the theory in her head. It was a logical theory… perhaps the only logical theory there was in this universe.
"I see… so that's it… isn't it? He really was the key after all… (…?) Lt. Piatif. Do we have any audio functions to the 00-Unit's cockpit? (Audio?) Anything that we can use to transmit a signal or sound or a voice to it directly"
"No… there was no need since we could control it remotely from here. But… if we use one of the processing computers and connect it on the 00-Unit's exosuit, we might just be able to get something to her. (Do it…) As you command. Ordering the mechanics to begin processing to the requested terms"
Yuuko turned back and gave out a sigh. "Connect it with the open frequency that Shirogane left open. (…?) If that won't bring her back… then nothing will. (…understood) Geez… yapping like a wild dog and not even closing his transmission. What an inept boy, he is"
(Takeru's POV) (1.5 kilometers to the captain's location)
"Get the hell out of my way! (Wham!)" Even though we made it through the thickest part of their defense line the BETA numbers haven't lessened one bit. It's like they're breeding one creature a second. Hayase and I were able to cut our way through but with all the slow Fort Class that stayed behind, it feels as if we're being punched down to a puddle. But we can't stop now. I can see the canister where the captain is. The BETA haven't taken notice of her yet because they're all focused on us. But if we can't break through this last line of stragglers then…
(Flash!) Geh! No! I made a promise to Akira that I would protect her. I'd bring her back no matter what. (Flash) I won't let the G-Bomb myth resurface. I won't let any of my friends die. I will defeat the BETA! (Flash) I will protect Sumika and all of my friends! (Flash) And once I'm done… I'm… I'm… (Flash!) I'm going back home! So… you assholes. (Flash)
"Shirogane! Four of them, in front of your!"
I won't let you… I will never let you… "I will never let you take her away from me again!" Gooooooohhhh! "Eat this and die! (Ratatatatatat!) (Boom!) I can take anything you throw at me! So give it everything you got!"
"Container, 1 kilometer ahead! We got a 20 second window of opportunity here, so don't waste it Shirogane! (Copy that!) This is Valkyrie 1B to Valkyrie 1A. We're approaching your location in about two minutes. So whatever you plan to do, you'd better do it now!"
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Inside the canister, the captain braced herself for the coming conflict. Once she received the transmission from Hayase she quickly got to work. With a pull of a lever an echo of hiss noise emanated from the transceiver. The gas was being released.
The freezing temperature she made for the facility was cooling even the sweat on her brow.
Though a part of her was somewhat angry at the team, another part of her mind was feeling somewhat… over-joyous. She had taught her subordinates about the importance of a mission and that if one of their lives was needed to ensure its completion then they would gladly give it. She explained to them in their squad motto. She taught it to them using psychological words and hypnotic therapy… and drilled it to their brain to remember it even if it means breaking them. But then here came one boy. A naïve boy who she thought that had no regard whatsoever of the mission, changed the minds of her unit so quickly.
She wasn't surprised that his former squad mate agreed to it but to see Munakata and Hayase actually going along for this wild ride was just plain bizarre. It was as if the boy's words defied all the logic this world had built itself upon. And what surprised her more was that Yuuko actually allowed them to go.
The captain knew the mad scientist ever since she was promoted to captain. That woman always had things her way regardless of what others may believe. Every coincidence that happens in an operation can usually be traced back to her in the most bizarre way. Even if you think you were doing what you thought was right you were probably doing her bidding without even knowing it. But now… that very same devil actually surrendered.
"Keh!" Isumi gritted her teeth in pain as she held onto her bleeding shoulder. The bandages that Shirogane applied earlier was now stained in red drops of her blood were ruining the floor cover. The ache on her ankle wasn't helping either. She applied pressure on both areas and slowly waited for whatever fate that came to her.
She wanted to shout off to her subordinates to forget this foolish endeavor and save themselves but… for some reason she paused on the thought of reaching out to communicator.
Raaaarrr!
"Ah!" But then her attention was caught up when she heard a very familiar roar coming from the hole that she dug. "N… no way…" She quickly switched the camera view on the monitor to the few floors below and what she saw there made her gasp in fright. "That's impossible!" A horde of BETA was digging their way out of the research facility. Venators and Naris species were crawling upward. They had reached the hole that she dug with the massive drill and were about to reach the surface.
The girl quickly reached out for the rifle that her sister left behind on the table but she was quick to find its cartridge empty. The captain cursed out loud and grabbed the cabinet where the weapons were stored. However… reloading the weapon proved difficult with her injured arm.
Raaaaaarrr!
A monstrous arm poked itself from the floorboard followed by an inhumane roar of a beast. She could see it digging out of the ground. It's terrifying eye poking from that spot.
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There it is! The canister! And not a single BETA in sight! It seems like Marimo was right about that 20 second window there. It's a small opening but a precious one nonetheless.
"Go! Shirogane! I got your back" Alright! Here goes nothing!
"Captain! I'm coming to get you!" (Whissss…) If people saw me now they'd probably think I was out of my mind. Running around in a BETA infested territory with only 20 seconds to spare is just plain suicide. It's even crazier to be running out here without even a pistol to defend yourself.
I landed my Shiranui near the canister and ran like there was no tomorrow. I can see it. The door is just in sight. Come on you stupid thing! Open!
"Captain!" (Beep!) Locked? Don't screw with me! "Captain! Open this door!" (Flash!) Ugh! (Flash) (Flash) (Flash!) The captain… she's in trouble! (Flash!) There's a hatch on the top of this canister. But how did I…? Arghhh! There's no time to think about that now! Come on!
Tap tap tap tap tap…
I climbed the emergency ladder on the side of the door and made my way to the top. The hatch that was connected to the top of the canister was right there. I hope that I'm not too late.
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Bang! Bang!
Isumi fired three shots at the BETA that came out killing it instantly. The BETA had surrounded and the doorway leading out of that place was on the other side of the room. The woman knew she was doomed at this point, but she wasn't going to make it easy for them. As a soldier and commander of the Valkyrie Squadron she was going to fight until her last breath. Every monster she takes down with her will only add to her kill tally. If she can bring at least a few dozen with her then she'd be happy.
Raaaaarrrr!
The next freak showed itself from the hole and began charging at the woman only to have its face filled with holes. The 3rd, the 4th and now the 5th. Each one of them was going down like flies. If Marimo was here, she would've been showering that girl with praises.
But just she killed her 8th victim, Isumi felt her arms growing tired. She carried a gun plenty of times before and was even more injured than this but has it always been this heavy? It felt as if her body was made completely out of lead.
"Damn it… (click click!) Ah! No! Not now!" The gun was empty again. And as if the BETA knew what that noise meant, they came out of that hole in force preparing to deliver the killing blow. "Looks like it's a little too late for all of you…"
"Not this time!" But then miraculously, the said boy suddenly poked his head from the top of the room with his hands held up.
"Shirogane!-?" The lady was puzzled but there was little time to think right now.
"Captain! Take my hand!" Isumi followed, dropping her gun and grabbing onto his hands for the second time of that day. In one swift motion, the boy pulled her up from that hole, leaving behind a large group of angry xenos that have just missed their meal.
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That was too close. A second longer and she might've been BETA food for sure. "Captain! Are you alright? (Ugh…)" Ah! Her wound! Of course. I almost forgot about it. The bandages are completely red now. I need to change it to keep it from leaking.
"Shirogane!" Hayase called up to me. "What's the problem?"
"I have the captain but she's wounded. I'll need to change her bandages"
"No time for that! We got BETA incoming and a whole lot more if we don't get out of here!"
"Shirogane!" The captain yelled out at me.
"Yeah yeah, you can court marshal me later. Right now we need to get you back to my TSF and get the hell out of here! (Beep!) This is Valkyrie 2B to all units. I have the captain. Prepare to retreat back to the A-02's location at max speed!"
"Valkyrie 1C, understood. We're now lasing the targeted area for an artillery strike. It'll come in approximately 40 seconds. You'd better get your butts over here fast!"
"Roger that! Hayase, cover us! (You got it!) Come on captain. We need to get out of here fast!" I quickly carried to captain to my TSF before more BETA showed up. She was a lot lighter than I imagined. Almost as much as Meiya when she rode with me during our mission in Mt. Tengen.
"Looks like they caught up to us!" Hayase warned… and she was right. The BETA were now onto us. My radar and alert systems are going on the fritz with the code 991 poking on every screen.
"Ok captain. I'm attaching your safety harness. Please hold on. (Click!) Alright. Hayase. We're going to make a break for it. Follow me! (Roger that! I'm right behind you!)"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On the other side of the BETA defense line formation, Munakata and the rest of the Valkyrie Squad were now fighting the enemy at a safe distance. "Alright. This spot will do. Kazama, you will laze the target. The rest of us will hold off the enemy until the artillery is confirmed"
"Roger that. Deploying guidance laser on targeted area. 5 seconds until lock on, confirms. Valkyrie 2C to Valkyrie mum. Laser guidance system on"
"Valkyrie mum, roger that. Sending new target coordinates to the 2nd Fleet. Look out for stray ammo shells! Don't rely too much on the projected trajectory sensor"
"1st Lieutenant!" Chizuru called out. "The BETA are turning towards us in force! (…!) I'm reading at least 40 Grapplers and 10 Fort Class!"
"Looks like they're moving up. Everyone hold your position. Shirogane and Hayase better hurry or else we'll have a bigger fight on our hands"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Alright we're almost there! This little escape of ours is really taking its toll. I already lost count on how many BETA I've killed since I've arrived. But I know it's nowhere near enough. The only thing we can do now is retreat.
"Valkyrie mum to all units. Artillery salvo incoming! Be wary of debris"
"It's about damn time" Hayase complained. "And here I thought we were done for" The artillery strike should open a path for us out of this hell hole. Even if it's just three ships, it should be enough to kill two or three dozen BETA in the process. If we go on like this we'll—(Beep!) (…!) (Beep!) An alarm? …!" This sensory alert is…
"What's wrong?" The captain looked up to me when she noticed my distorted face.
"Everyone get away! (…!) There's a sinkhole happening! It's the worm! (…!)" Damn it, I was careless!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
And just as Shirogane predicted, the worm did make itself apparent on the empty spot near the BETA, giving out a mighty roar. The Valkyrie Squad quickly backed away, not wanting to tackle something as frightening as that thing.
"Tch… why now of all times?" Munakata cursed under her breath as she maneuvered her TSF out of harm's way. "Everyone, pull out back! Our weapons will have no effect on that thing! (1st Lt. Munakata!) What is it, Kazama?"
"The position of the worm… it's right in the way of the artillery strike! (What!-?) Cannon salvo incoming! Everyone, scatter!"
A hail of explosive shells landed atop the worm and like before the creature barely flinched. It shrugged off the shots like they were mere rocks being thrown from a distance.
"That thing… it's acting like a shield for the BETA!" Chizuru deduced. "But how can they predict where the shots will come from?"
"We can ask the BETA, after we deal with them!" Munakata ordered. "This is Valkyrie 1C. The worm has resurfaced! Requesting additional artillery strike from a different angle! The last attack had no affect!"
"Valkyrie mum, understood. Changing the coordinated attack zone. Standby"
"Munakata! (What now?) The mouth of the worm. It's opening! (…!) I'm getting the same reading as before. There are BETA inside of it. Fort, Grappler and Tank Class!"
(2nd Fleet Lead Vessel) (Shinano)
"Artillery strike had no effect on the area!" The operator announced out to the captain. "The new BETA strain has nullified our attack!"
"What?" Abe kept his cool. "To think that they would… tch. Have the ships alter course. We'll attack from another angle! Reload all cannons and prepare to fire on my mark! We'll see how they can defend themselves if we attack on different points!"
"Aye aye. Ordering all ships to change course. Loading up cannons and preparing to fire!
(Takeru's POV)
Damn it! We were so close! That monster just had to go and ruin everything! At this rate… we'll never be able to join up with the rest of the squad.
Raaaaaarrrr!
BETA are pouring out of that creature's stomach like crazy. How the hell does it stuff them in there in the first place?
"This is bad, Shirogane" Hayase stated and I agree. The situation was turning in for the worse and according to Haruka, the next salvo won't be here until three more minutes. We're completely cut off and the BETA gates are just a few kilometers from us. At this point we'll be surrounded before we know it. There has to be a way out.
(Tug!) Ugh! N… no! Not now…! (Tug!) Damn it… if this continues, the captain will notice. (Tug!)
"Shirogane? Wh… what's wrong? (Raaaaaarrr!) Shirogane! Look out!" Ah cra—!
Bang!
"What the hell is wrong with you, idiot! Keep your head in the fight!" Hayase… I owe you one for that. "I can't afford to have you dozing off in the middle of a battle!"
Come on Takeru. Keep at it. You've come this far now, you can't afford to make tiny mistakes. My body is feeling the effects of the stims that was injected to me. I feel really pumped up and strangely motivated to do something. The BETA here are too thick. Pushing through seems impossible. (Beep) Gah! What now!-? (…!) You… you're kidding me! More of them!-?
"Valkyrie mum to Valkyrie 2B. Enemy forces are emerging from every gate in Sadogashima! Their numbers range to almost 100,000!" A hundred th—no way! We killed so many of them and they still had plenty more? I thought the blast from the particle cannon vaporized most of them… but they still had this many left.
"Well this is quite a jam you've got us in" Hayase… "What's the plan now, Shirogane?"
"We stick to it! We'll plow right through this area of BETA and through to the other side! The worm is only dangerous at the front so we'll use that as our leverage!"
"Roger. It beats staying here"
"Everyone else, focus your attack on the BETA around the worm! Clear us a path as quick as you can! (Copy that!)"
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(Flagship Saijou)
"BETA forces have emerged from every Gate near where the Hive monument once was" Haruka announced, unable to cope with the sudden turn of events. "Numbers are ranging to at least 150,000 units and more are pouring out"
Kozawa could not contain his awe of his enemy's dominance and was beginning to lose all measures of hope. If a single Hive possessed this many BETA then there's no telling how many more are in Asia. "Im… impossible!"
"To think that they still had this much strength to spare" Yuuko added, agreeing with the admiral's expression. "The BETA really aren't to be underestimated"
"Cracker Squad is facing light resistance around the A-02. No further reinforcements in sight. Most enemy units appear to be drawn towards A-01"
"Valhalla to Valkyrie Squad. The BETA are converging on your location! Get the hell out of there!"
"We're doing that right now!" Shirogane's voice boomed on the other line.
"Vice Commander…" Lt. Piatif called to her commander.
"What is it?"
"We're getting a strange reaction from the 00-Unit. (…!) There appears to be… some kind of wave pattern of sorts. We can't really tell what it is. I've never seen it before…"
"I have… (…?)" Yuuko paused as she looked at the monitor. "I've seen that reading plenty of times…"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Teeeeeeehhh!" Come on! Just a few more meters! (Raaarrr!) You're in my way! Get lost! (Wham!) Crap… Fort Class now? I don't have time for you! (Wham!) Gah! What the?
"Shirogane! Destroyer Class, behind you!"
"Stop screwing with me!" (WHAM!) I'm almost out of bullets and I'm down to my last sword.
"Two Fort Class are blocking our way!" No! No no no! Not now! "Damn it! We have to fall back! Shirogane, get out of there!"
WHAM!
"Gahhh!" Damn it! Another Grappler? They're swarming us! (Wham!) No… this can't be happening! (Wham!) Damn it damn it damn it all! This isn't supposed to happen! I came back here to save my friends! I came back to change the future! What the hell went wrong? Why? Why am I not strong enough? What can I do to become stronger!-? I have that power to save them yet… why isn't it enough? Please… someone please! Just give me a chance!
…Takeru… chan…
…!
S… Sumika! That's her voice… I can hear her in… my head.
…Takeru… chan…
Sumika! Please let my thoughts reach you. (…) Because right now… you're the only person I can count on. I know you're tired, I know you're scared and I know that you don't want to do this. But if you have any sympathy left, please… give me the strength I need to save those around me. You brought me here and made me into who I am now! So please… take me, my life is yours… but all I want in return is to save my friends. (…) Please… don't let them take anything precious to us…
TUG!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Vice Commander!" Lt. Piatif yelled out as she brought Yuuko up. "We're getting a major spike in the 00-Unit! (…!-?) I don't know what to make of it. The brainwaves are just…"
"This is…" Yuuko turned to the screen, baffled by the sight.
"Vice Commander, what is the meaning of this?" Kozawa inquired feeling strange not to be in the loop.
"In all honesty, admiral… I only have a rough idea of what is going on…"
(Inside the XG-70)
The empty halls of the XG-70's cockpit hummed from the computerized sounds echoing from the electronics around it. In there, slept a single redheaded figure, dressed in pink colors. A girl about 15 years of age, clutching onto two handmade Santa Rabbit toys lay peacefully as she did many months ago when she last closed her eyes in the arms of her love.
An echo of a long distant voice came to her mind. It rang a bell in her head and her eyelids flicked as it awoken by an alarm clock. She dismissed it as a noise and returned to her slumber… only to find the voice once again pestering her ears. With a heartbeat, she recognized it. A familiar voice that filled her mind with all the happiness in the world, a voice that called her name and begged for help. The three magic words slipped from that voice and them alone caused her heart to melt.
"I won't let them…"
The computer clicked… and began to groan as if a beast was disturbed from its slumber.
"I won't let them take you…"
Lights of every color of the rainbow flickered in the halls, steam rolled from beneath her feet and sounds resonated from every corner of that spherical room.
"I will never… ever…"
A wildly beast opened its eyes, roaring out, making its declaration to the world…
"I will never ever let them take my TAKERU CHAN AWAY FROM ME AGAIN!"
And just like that… the computers sprung to life…
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"V… Vice Commander! The A-02 has rebooted its systems!"
Yuuko's eyes widened in return. "What? Did it accept the reset codes?"
"N… no. I didn't do anything. The computer restarted on its own. Engine levels are reaching average velocity. It's powering up the Particle Cannon and aiming directly at the BETA Hive with max power! (…!)"
"How long until it fully charges?"
"Due to the emergency shutdown, most of its functions are still buffering from start. It's still unclear. Perhaps… 7… maybe 10 minutes tops!"
"10 minutes…" Yuuko breathed a long nervous breath. It was a long shot… but it was a chance that she needed to win this. Gathering her courage and her determination she turned to the Captain and barked out. "Admiral!"
The seasoned sailor understood and quickly raised his arms to order his men. "Understood! Order all ships to resume attack!" Every officer on scene sprung into action at the sound of his voice.
"HQ to all ships! HQ to all ships! Resume attack! I repeat, resume attack!"
"I want every available TSF up and engaging the enemy force! (Roger!) Tell those ships to bring us about! We have to buy the Special Task Force ten more minutes!"
"HQ to all motherships! Emergency scramble! I repeat—Emergency scramble! All units that are fit for battle are to return to combat immediately!"
"Marimo! Get me Valkyrie Squad on the line, now!"
"Yes ma'am!"
(Takeru's POV)
"Shirogane!" Geh…! "Shirogane, can you hear me!" Yuuko? What does she want now?
"I'm a little busy at the moment! Can you call back later!-?"
"There isn't time for your puns! Listen up, all of you!" She's really persistent. "The Susanoo has rebooted its systems. (…!)" The Susanoo? The XG? "As of right now, it's preparing to fire the particle cannon, one more time! The whole fleet is performing an emergency sortie and all units that are close to the island are being deployed as fast as they can. (…!) The entire battle is riding on this! Hurry up and get back to the XG as soon as possible!"
Sumika… she… she heard me…
Sumika… you…
"Ooooooohhhh!" (Whoosh!) "This is Shirogane to all units! You heard her! We're still in this fight! Munakata. Take the squad back and deal with any BETA that tries to reach the XG!"
"What? But what about you three?"
"The BETA's formations are all twisted! We'll make it out, somehow!"
"Don't be ridiculous Takeru!" Meiya… "Are you asking us to leave you after all that talk about never abandoning a comrade?"
"Meiya… trust me. (…!) I've been through tougher situations than this. I promise you… I'll make it out of here with the captain and Hayase! I won't let these BETA take anything precious to me ever again! (…) So go on! If we can't protect the XG… then everything we've done today will be for nothing!"
"He's got a point there, girls" Hayase supported. "Besides, I got his back. I'll make sure to bring him back alive"
The girls paused for a moment before Munakata finally agreed. "Alright. You two be careful out there. Shirogane… take care of the captain as well"
"You don't have to tell me twice! (…Takeru…) Go on Meiya. I'll catch up to you soon!"
"I… I understand…"
And just like that… they're gone.
"Alright Shirogane… what's the plan this time?" Hayase asked and truthfully… I haven't got the slightest idea.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On board the Yamato, Capt. Tadokoro was shouting out to the rest of his fleet. "All ships, aim at the center of Sadogashima! Fire at will!"
"Sir! We're still awaiting firing coordinates"
"No need! Just target the highest concentration of BETA you can find and fire! (Y… yes sir!) We didn't come all this way just to turn back now! Iguchi san, I'm leaving the Motherships in your care!"
"Leave it to us, Tadokoro. Those BETA won't lay a finger on them as long as my ships are here!"
"I'll leave it to you then. Tell the rest of the fleet to scatter around Ryoutsu Bay! Fire on different areas and keep shooting! We have to buy the U.N. Army, ten minutes!"
"Sir! If we keep this up, the motherships will get crowded on the bay!"
"It doesn't matter! All they need to do is deliver the fighters to the battlefield! It'll be disgraceful for the Navy to go just half way of the fight! (Roger!)"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In one of the TSF carriers, one of the pilots was urging the deck to hurry up with the deployment.
"This is Stinger 1 to command! What's with the delay!-? Deploy us already! We can jump boost the rest of the way!"
"Stinger 1, negative on that. Supply ships are still 5 minutes away. Standby"
"Don't screw around! We don't have time for that! Forget about the bullets! Just give me something to bash a BETA with! A sword, shield! Anything!"
"Understood. Arming your unit with supplement armor and blade"
(Mano Bay)
"This is Whisky Alpha Leader to all units! Engage the enemy at will! Formation doesn't matter, I repeat—formation doesn't matter! We just need to fend off the BETA just ten more minutes! 2nd Company, set up a defense line at the Sawase point! 1st Company will assist the Imperial Honor Guard! (Roger that!)"
"This is Whisky Bravo Leader. Roger that! All units, attack! Show that U.N. Eishi that he's not the only one with the spirit to fight! Go!"
"Ooooooohhhh!"
(Flagship Saijou)
"Surviving members of Echo Unit have successfully redeployed at Ryotsu Bay. Echo Bravo Leader is leading them to assemble a defense line around Lake Kamo"
"Whisky Alpha and Bravo have arrived at Sawata and are advancing along the battle lines with the Imperial Honor Guard. The 3rd Fleet is in tow but their ships exhausted of all ammunitions. The remainders of the 2nd Fleet are still pressing on to provide aide for A-01"
"BETA formation appears to be tattered. Smaller divisions are engaging the U.N. forces near Kanai town while the majority of the main force is divided to engage our troops that are landing on the beaches"
"Order the Imperial Army to create a wide range defensive line along the front of the A-02!" Kozawa ordered. "Do not let a single one of those monsters near the mountain path! (Yes sir!) Have the 1st Fleet move in as well. Provide as much covering fire for all troops for as long as possible!"
"Emergency alert! Laser heat sources detected on the radar! (What!-?) Trajectory confirmed! They're aiming at the A-02 unit!"
"Have our ships fire anti-laser shells on their location immediately! Buy us some time! (Yes sir!) Have Whisky Alpha engage the Laser Class and Whisky Bravo to hold the line!"
"It's too late! The Laser Class are firing! The unmanned weapon is exposed! 5 sources!"
"Damage report!" Yuuko demanded, deafing herself to the alarm sound around her.
Lt. Piatif looked at the monitor and contacted the engineers on the other line but all reports were going bad. "The XG-70's anti-laser armor is holding, but just barely. It won't last long if it keeps receiving fire from the Laser Class!"
"Suzumiya. Order the A-01 to deal with the Laser species! Prioritize their targeted coordinates for the 2nd Fleet! We can't afford to lose now! (Yes ma'am!)"
"8 more Laser Source confirmed! (…!) 6 more are following! (…) Impact!"
The admiral gritted his teeth in anger. To feel so powerless to stop the BETA was almost too painful to bear. "Order the 4th Fleet to prioritize the Laser Class! Show them the true strength of the U.N. Navy!"
"Admiral! All of our ships are nearly out of ammo!"
"Bring out the reserves! As long as can keep them from shooting the new weapon then we'll have done our part! Tell the other fleet to do the same! Spare no expense and have the auxiliary fleet resupply those that are already empty! (Yes sir!) Tell the ships that even have at least one or two shots to do the same! Every shell counts!"
"Vice Commander!" Marimo alerted Yuuko to another danger. "We have more incoming!"
"We have an island full of incomings! (Yes but this is different!) What!-?"
"It's the worm. The worm is now moving above ground! According to its projected course, its heading straight for A-02! (…!)" Yuuko grunted loudly. She was expecting the BETA to use that worm as a weapon eventually but it was still too early. "At the speed it's going. It will reach the XG in approximately 5 minutes!
"What do we do, Vice Commander?" The admiral asked. "We've already used everything we had against it. None of our weapons have even made a dent on the monster"
"Tch… to think that it would come to this…" the mad scientist gave out a hearty sigh once more.
(Takeru's POV)
"Haaaaaaa! Come on you bastards! I've got plenty more where that came from! Even if you throw everything you got at me, I won't die! I won't let anyone else die" (Flash!) "I won't let anyone else die because of you! (WHAM!)"
"Shirogane! Behind you!"
"I got it!" The BETA are really messed up. No… they've always been messed up and never regarded much for strategy. But now it seems like their superior numbers are working against them. They can't organize properly and since we destroyed most of their Hive they have almost no room to move on. This is our chance…
"Shirogane, can you hear me?" Yuuko? What now? "We have a problem on our hands. The worm is now traveling towards the XG-70. (…!) The Imperial Army has set up a defense line but they won't be able to hold off something that huge" The worm is heading towards… Sumika! "Do what you can on your end to distract it. Anything will do"
"I understand! Don't worry about me, Yuuko sensei! I'll stop that thing for sure!"
"Good. In the mean time, I'll round up what I can about that monster. I'm counting on you…"
But even so… how the hell do we even stop something like that? The cannon fire didn't even make it flinch and our guns will be nothing but peashooter to it. But… even so… I can't stand here while everyone is giving it their all!
"Hayase! We're going after the worm! Follow me! (I'm right behind you!) The worm is moving at a fixed speed. We'll jump right on top of it and get a vantage point of the battlefield! (Roger!)"
Whoosh!
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(Flagship Saijou)
"Attack boat 13, Hotel, and 19, Kangaroo, have exhausted all ammunitions and are now withdrawing from battle. Aegis cruiser Romeo is switching to normal shells and resuming fire"
"Captain Iguchi, your ship has been resupplied. You may fire at will"
"Thanks for that! We'll give it everything we've got! That's a promise!"
"Heavy metal cloud has been confirmed! We're identifying at least 50 sources of heavy laser and 200 of small ones. Redirecting all batteries to target!"
"A-02 is still sustaining heavy laser fire! The armor can't hold!"
"How long until cannon fully recharges?"
"8 minutes 20 seconds!"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Geh! We made it. Getting on top of this monster wasn't easy but we did it! But now the problem is how to stop a 500 foot worm? The skin is as tough the rocks beneath it.
"Alright. So how do we stop this thing?" Hayase asked. "None of our weapons have any effect. And I think it'll probably consider my swords to be toothpicks"
"Find a weak spot!" I barked back. "This monster must have one!"
"We don't exactly have time to look for one. This thing is almost as big as Yokohama base" Keh… and it's only a few minutes away from the XG. I can try poking my sword but it'll just break. This worm has a pretty tough skin.
"I think I know of one" Huh? Captain? "Since conventional weapons doesn't work on it, we'll have to use something unconventional. (Huh?) The chemical tanks in Kanai. (…?) Look at the map, both of you. The creature appears to be taking a detour route through the Imperial Army. But before that, it'll come across the town of Kanai in approximately 1 minute 50 seconds. If we deliver a strong enough blow, it will create a draft that will burn a large part of the worm itself. It'll be like using an SD-11 Device but with a smaller destructive force"
"Sounds like a plan" Hayase seems to agree quickly. I guess she can see that we didn't really have a lot of options. "So what do you need me to do?"
"Create us an opening. The worm might be hard on the outside but I bet its insides are softer. Find a way to wound it and get its attention fixed on us. That way we can at least buy the A-02 more time. Go! (Roger that!)" The captain then turned her attention to me. "Listen up Shirogane. I'm downloading into your com-link, the schematics of the research facility. The sinkhole that the worm created near the town opened a path directly to the base itself. I saw this the moment you got me out of there" Wow… she analyzed all that just by glancing at the battlefield? "The place where you need to strike is a small ventilation shaft area on the west side of the facility. I set the temperature of the base to below 20 degrees to slow the critical procedure of the white phosphorus. If you cut all four of them at the same time… it will cause an updraft. The sudden gush of wind and air will force itself upward" Ah… I see. It's like trying to take a ball out of a bottle without touching the bottle. You simply add water and then the ball will float up into top.
"Alright. We'll do it! There's no point going back now after coming so far!"
"It might just work. But the facility was made to endure the strongest earthquakes. You'll have to cut it using an extremely powerful swing. If you think about it… even if you add the weight and mass of the Type-94, it won't be enough to cut through"
(Flash) Cut through? Wait… maybe I can use that! "What if we use the jump boost to gain altitude? (Huh?) I… learned about it when I was a cadet. If we use the jump boost into the air we can add extra weight using gravity to our advantage"
The captain thought for a moment before answering. "It'll make a lot of difference. But I don't know what the optimum altitude is for such a strike. (I know…) But how would you… (…) No… I guess you know what you're doing. If you're crazy enough to charge into a wave of BETA alone then this shouldn't be too difficult"
"If we can stop this thing then I'm all for it"
"If you're determined on going through this course then you're going to need two sets of eyes. One will have to monitor the height and distance of our target and the other will have to swing the blade"
"Then I guess it wasn't such a bad idea to rescue you after all" I gave out a small smirk to reassure them.
"Alright then. I'll brief Hayase on the details"
"Valhalla to all units. 7 minutes remaining until the XG fully charges. I'm linking your suits with the timer countdown! Prepare to evacuate the area once the timer reaches 1 minute. That will give you enough time to clear to safe distance from the particle cannon"
(Mountain path)
"Heeeeeeehhhh!" Tsukuyomi charged herself through the thick of the battle with her sword and gun blazing in the distance. The BETA were as thick as the mud in a swamp. Even if you scrape a few of them off your back, the moment you put your foot down, there's more of them. "Face my wrath you swine! Teeeeeehh!" Left and right, she was killing BETA by the dozen and even her subordinates were providing the necessary support.
The battle was a messy one. With soldiers and TSFs mixed in with the BETA, killing each other without a care in the world, artillery strikes falling down like a never ending rain and beams of lasers whistling in the ear… it felt like the end of the world was near. Some of the Eishis there didn't even care if they were surrounded. They just wanted to take a piece of the BETA as a souvenir.
"1st Lieutenant! More BETA approaching from the north. At least 4 dozen units have slipped through the line" Kamiyo looked left and right, making sure that the surrounding area was clear.
"I see. Gather the others. We'll rejoin with the main force and engage the enemy that breached through. How are our forces fairing?"
"Whisky Alpha and Bravo trying to assemble the Sawata line in the west but are facing stiff resistance. The U.N. Orbital Diver Corp is providing assistance but they can't do much due to their almost depleted ammunition storage. Echo Unit is holding to the north east but they won't be able to join us. As for the center… our unit and the U.N forces are all that remain"
"And we still have 6 minutes too. This is going to be a long fight. (Bzzzt…) Tch…"
Kamiyo noticed the small spark on her commander's arm and gapped in shock. "Ah! 1st Lieutenant! Your unit is…"
"Don't worry. It's not hampering my combat efficiency. We will push forward"
"But at the very least, please get some new weapons. There's a supply crate 200 meters south of here. I can provide you cover while you resupply. (There's no time for that!) But 1st Lieutenant!" (Rumble!) But then suddenly, a small tremor caught their attention.
"Oh no! Kamiyo! Below you! (WHAAAA!) Heeeh!" Tsukuyomi quickly pushed Kamiyo out of the way and swung her sword downward only to be caught by Grappler's claw. "Damn it!" The lady in red tried to push harder but the strength of the beast was far too great and it snapped her blade in two. "Keh!" Gathering her strength, Tsukuyomi used her fists to knock the BETA down to the ground and stab it with the lower part of her broken sword.
But her worries were far from over when Kamiyo noticed three more appearing from the ground. "Lieutenant! To your left!"
"Ah!" Tsukuyomi tried to raise her arms to shield herself from the oncoming blow but the damage on her arm weakened its reaction time. "Tch! Defective equipment at a time like this! (Raaaarr!)"
"Tooooohh!" But the blow never came when a familiar voice echoed from the coms. Meiya appeared and with one swift motion she fell the BETA with a swing of her blade. "Are you alright?"
Tsukuyomi recognized it instantly. "That voice… you… you're…" Another dozen Shiranuis with the same color pattern then arrived to provide their assistance.
"Here, take my spare blade. There are more enemies on their way here. We need all the hands we can muster"
Tsukuyomi held her emotions back and accepted her help. "That was disgraceful of me. I thank you"
"Valkyrie 1C to all teams. Listen up! 6 more minutes remaining until the XG fires but it can't sustain all that damage. The Laser Class BETA are just beyond this point! Force your way through the enemy battle lines and take out as many of them as you can. Everything is riding on this battle! Don't let this chance go to waste! Go! (Copy that!)"
Meiya quickly followed the others, blasting her way through the thick of the BETA infestation. There was no hesitation in her movements.
Tsukuyomi returned to her feet and watched as the young lady went on without her. It was obvious that both of them wanted to say something but kept it hidden inside. This was a battlefield after all and emotions like those have no place here. But then again… the same can't be said for a certain boy…
"Meiya sama… please be safe"
(Takeru's POV)
Keh… alright… we made it. We're at the mouth of the worm. I can see the whole island from here. This place had become a warzone for the 2nd time. I can hear cannons firing in the distance, rifles firing nonstop and voices of soldiers on the open channel.
"You ready for this, Shirogane?" Pffft… as if the captain needed to ask. "There's no turning back from here on. (Ready!) Alright then. Hayase. Are you in position? (I'm right here!) Alright. We have roughly 6 minutes before the XG fully charges! We only get one shot so be at your absolute best! Set timer on my watch… ready? Mark! (Raaaaarr!) The mouth is opening! This is our chance! Launch, Shirogane!"
"Goooooohh!" Drop all weapons save but the sword! Max output on boosters! No holding back! (Flash) Remember, Takeru. Remember how Meiya and I made that incredible blow. We used everything we had to make it happen. To save that old lady's house in Mt. Tengen. If you can pull it off years ago then you can do it again! Remember what Tsukuyomi and Meiya taught you.
"We're now reaching 400 feet! Boosters are reaching critical level!"
Drown out all sights, all the sound, and all the distraction. Focus your mind on the target—see nothing but the target. Remember the teaching…
"The nodachi was made to cut through the thickest armor. The only thing it lacks is precision.
Accuracy is all I need. The gravity and the weight of the sword and the swing of the TSF will do the rest. All I need to do is point it at the right direction.
"Altitude reaching 600 feet! Override booster emergency shutdown!"
If I go too fast, I'll miss my target… if I go too slow, my blade won't have enough force. It must be just right.
"Altitude reaching 800 feet! Booster strength failing! Get ready to detach!"
"No! We need to go as high as possible! (…!) Go as far as we can! We need to have as much force as possible!" We need to go higher! The Shiranui is obviously heavier than the Fubuki so it's no big surprise that it can higher. Come on, just a little bit more! (Beep!)
"Altitude 1000 feet! Boosters are going critical!"
"Now! (Clang!)" Yes… I remember this feeling. The G-Force ramming right in front of me.
"Hayase! We're coming down! Get ready to jump!"
"I was born ready! Everything is up to you!"
Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhh! Take this you bastard! A technique that the Mitsurugi Family taught me in this world and the other! Teeeeeeehhhh! (CLANG!) (CLINK!)
"Entrust your life with me!"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In that very moment, Shirogane's frame dropped down from the sky like an asteroid entering atmosphere. With a single well-timed blow, he cut through the earth like a knife through beef and reached the bottom of the facility, cutting the air vents off.
The worm paused for a few moments and noticed the white fog surfacing from the ground. As the fog came into contact with its skin, sparks of fire burst forth like a forest being struck by lightning. The worm's body was engulfed with fire and even its mouth began spewing embers like crazy.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Yes! We did it! We were able to cut through the vents! The impact was just enough to slice through the hard metal casing of the lab and almost immediately, this white fog came bursting out like crazy. I've heard of the effects of white phosphorus before but this is the first time seeing its use up close. Everything it touched was set on fire. Heck even the arms of my TSF was caught in it.
I can hear the monster roaring above me. It sounds like it's in pain. I guess even that thing can't withstand an explosion of that caliber without feeling something.
"Did that do it?" I asked feeling slightly hopeful.
"The explosion was big enough to level the whole town to the ground" The captain explained to me. "Even if it didn't kill the monster, it should've hurt it a little"
"Shirogane! Captain! Are you guys alright down there?" Hayase? Ah there she is. She must've followed us after the explosion.
"We're fine Hayase. What happened on the surface?"
"The worm's gone to ground after the explosion. I don't know where it went. But I don't think we should stick around to find out" She's right. We were able to wound the worm. That alone should be enough. Even if we didn't kill it, we were able to buy Sumika more time to charge up the particle cannon. All we need is that last shot to end this battle once and for all. We still got a few minutes left. That should be enough time for us to get out of here and regroup with the others. I hope they're ok.
"Alright then we'll retreat for now" The captain ordered us. "We burned off our boosters on that last jump so we'll have to rely on you, Hayase"
"Leave it to me"
"Sorry for the trouble, 1st Lieutenant"
"What are you talking about? I haven't had this much fun in months. I knew I made the right choice in following you here. Come on. There's a sinkhole opening over there. Once your jump boost cools down, we'll… huh?"
Rumbling? An earthquake? No… it must…
RAAAAAARRRRR!
"Shirogane! Look out!" Ah crap! (Rumble!) Sh—it!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(Flagship Saijou)
"Preliminary scans confirm. The worm has submerged back underground!" Suzumiya announced to everyone's relief. "Judging from the point of its submersion, the worm is now heading eastward. Readjusting all scanners to identify seismic activity"
"5 minutes 15 seconds until the XG fully charges!"
"A-02 is still receiving laser fire! Primary engine is severely damaged! Recalibrating both engines for optimal output!"
"Haven't we dealt with the Laser Class yet?" The admiral grunted. "What's taking the soldiers so long?"
"45 major laser sources have been silenced by the artillery but more Laser Class just keeps appearing on our radar! More than half of them are focusing their fire on our artillery shells"
"Lt. Piatif. Is the Rutherford Field still not operational?" Yuuko asked to her secretary who shook her head back in reply.
"No. All systems were shut down during the crash. We're barely getting an input on the particle cannon itself. (…) One moment ma'am. (…) What? (…?) It's been confirmed! The core unit has overheated. There's fire inside the XG's main control area!"
"Activate emergency sprinklers! Keep the core unit cool as long as possible! (Yes ma'am!) …!"
(XG-70's attack point)
Back on the last defense line of the XG. Cracker Squad was doing everything in their power to prevent the enemy from getting their hands on the weapon.
"Die you son of a bitch!" The three last remaining fighters were killing off BETA as they came through by a pair. It was a slow trickle considering how much firepower the other soldiers were giving out there in the frontlines. "This is ridiculous. Captain! I can deal with a few Grapplers and Tanks but we can't hold out against this many!"
"Keep holding out for as long as possible! I promised that kid that I won't let a single BETA near this weapon. He's counting on us right now!"
"But sir. We can't do a thing about the lasers! At this rate, we'll be fighting for nothing!"
"Tch!"
But just as they were disheartened, another voice came into the coms. "I have an idea! (…Akira?) Captain… can those supplementary armor shield us from the lasers?"
"The shields? They were meant to withstand a few direct strikes but nothing more. Why?"
"If we grab one or two of those shields. We can jump right between the weapon and the lasers! (…!)"
"Are you crazy!-?" 04 yelled out. "You want us to jump in front of a laser beam?"
"It's worth a shot!" Their captain agreed immediately. "02, you're with me. Grab as many shields as you can find in those supply crates! (Yes sir!) 04. Continue holding this area. (Eh? Me alone?) Do it or jump in front of a laser! Your choice! (…) Then we'll go with Akira's plan! Come on!"
(Takeru's POV)
D… damn it. That was too close. The worm just crashed through the ground like it was made out of cardboard. If we hadn't dodged that for a second later, we would've been flattened in no time. "Captain, are you alright?"
"Y… yeah. Don't worry about me. Just focus on the situation" The wound on her shoulder isn't getting better. I need to get her help as quick as possible.
"Hayase, can you read me? Are you alright?"
"Ugh… I… I've been better. It seems like the worm is coming around for another attack. I think we pissed it off when we burned its mouth"
"Yeah… we've done our part. Staying down here will just be too dangerous. (Whiirrrrr…) Huh? (What's wrong?) That's odd. The boosters aren't… wait… let me try again. (Whirrrr) Ah crap! The jump boosters! The circuits are completely fried. I must've overused them when we cut the ventilation shafts!"
"How long before they cool down?"
"About a minute or two. But there's no guarantee that it'll work even after it cools down" And we only have about 4 minutes left before the XG fully charges. Damn… if only we had more time to… (Rumble!) (Raaaaarrr!) What now? (Beep!) What the? Code 991? BETA!
"Shirogane! Look out! Above us!" Keh! The BETA? They're coming down from the surface. They must be reacting to the explosion that just occurred. Destroyers, Grapplers, Tanks and even Fort Class are present. "They're covering the exit ground. We won't be able to fly on that direction"
Damn it. At this rate we'll be swallowed whole. There's no way we can fight through that bunch with the weapons that we have. All I have left are my knives and that won't do much against BETA. We can't stay here and we can't all escape together… not unless…
…
Not unless I do something stupid…
…
…
Right… okay…
"Hayase. I got an idea. (…?) Take the captain with you. I'll run a diversion for the BETA and take care of them. (…!) (What!-?) We've completed our mission objective. All we need to do now is escape. There's not enough room for three of us in a cockpit so you'll have to go alone"
"Wait! What are you saying, Shirogane!-?" The Captain yelled out at me. "At this rate you'll…"
"Oi… what happened to all that talk about never abandoning a comrade? Are you going to contradict yourself?"
"I'm different from Isumi san. Unlike her… I have no intentions of dying. (…) You said I get to call the shots in this mission so listen to me now. Please Hayase… you know what I can do"
My commander gave out a defeated sigh. "Fine. You'd better keep your promise. I'm in no mood for a liar today"
"You got it. Captain… if you will… (…) Captain?"
"You'd better come out of this alive. I'm not letting your actions go unpunished just yet"
"I'm ready to take full responsibility for my actions" I gave back a reassuring grin before removing her safety harness. "Now go. We don't have a lot of time. Hayase. Do you have anything I can use? I pretty much used all my weapons already"
"Two swords… that's all I got. (Whirrr) Give'em hell, boyo"
"That already goes without saying" I quickly opened my cockpit and carried Isumi to Hayase's unit. This is good. At the very least those two will make it. "Switch complete. Wait on the corner while I lure the BETA to my side. Go on my signal only. (Copy that)"
Raaaaaarrr!
Heh… this takes me back. Even though I'm facing my doom… I don't feel scared at all. I feel as if… all the chains around me broke. (…) If that's the case then…
Alright…
Come at me you monsters. Come at me with everything you've got. Because you assholes have no idea… what I'm fully capable of!