Kidou Kishi Warviour
(Mobile Knight Warviour)
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in Strike Witches, nor the initial setting.
Chapter 3: The New Weapon Part 2
Taiyoukan High School, Shinkyo, Empire of Fuso. April 2, 1946; 1530 hours
"Are you two e-" asked Chieko Oka before she was interrupted by what came before her eyes.
She, Shinta Himemiya, and Kei Miyazaki failed in an attempt to go to a makeshift shelter at Taiyoukan High School. What made Shinta, Chieko, and Kei open their mouths was that they saw steel giants appear from the sky. These were the Stavrosian Mobile Knights, the MK-02 Legionarii. Over two meters tall, these mechanized giants were colored green, had heads shaped like oblongs split in half. On the heads of each Legionarii was an eye that was made of glass and colored red.
What made the Mobile Knights a weapon that the League of Nations needed to make themselves was that they can fly and fight on the ground. Like the Warviour, Wardier, and Wardar, the Legionarii had two wheels on each leg and began using them to move across Shinkyo as they landed. Their arms, which were like those of a human being's, carried slabs of metal attached to each wrist and they held what appeared to be rifles. Other than the rifles they wielded, the Legionarii had machine guns on hips used to kill personnel, from regular infantry to Witches.
From where they approached, the Legionarii began fighting Fusoan troops they sighted. If they came from the sky, the Legionarii briefly returned to the sky to evade the amount of firepower that would normally destroy them as they were in an urbanized environment where the Fusoan forces had the advantage.
Shinta, Chieko, and Kei looked at the arrival of the Mobile Knights as if the end of the world had come. This was the same feeling many had experienced, both military and civilian alike when the Stavrosians came after using meteors to bombard Earth.
"T… These are the Mobile Knights?" asked Chieko with horror.
However, the Mobile Knights managed to avoid looking at Taiyoukan. Shinta, unlike Chieko and Kei, who were focused on the Mobile Knights with a combination of fear and wonder, saw a nearby Crossley and its two users. He abandoned Chieko and Kei to go to the Crossley.
As Shinta came close to the Crossley, one guard turned his attention to him. Chieko and Kei noticed not only was Shinta gone but already at the Crossley.
"What's he up to?" asked Chieko.
"Beats me," answered Kei. "I get the feeling he'll do-"
However, before Kei finished his sentence, he heard a scream. He and Chieko immediately saw where the scream came from – Shinta knocking one of the soldiers beside the Crossley unconscious. The other guard aimed his rifle at Shinta despite him being a civilian, though hurting the other soldier cast doubt on how to treat Shinta.
"Stop righ-"
Before the soldier finished his sentence, Shinta gave a long and straightened kick to the soldier at his stomach, knocking him unconscious too. Shinta then began to look for something from the soldiers he attacked just as Chieko and Kei ran up to him.
"Shinta, what have you done!?" angrily asked Kei, which Shinta casually ignored as he found what he was looking for.
From what Shinta took from the unconscious soldier was a key. Presumably, it was for the Crossley and Shinta proceeded to the armored car, confusing Chieko and Kei further.
"Shinta-kun, what are you doing?" asked Chieko as she and Kei saw Shinta aboard the driver's seat of the Crossley.
Shinta then used the key he took to start up the armored car. After he did so, the engine on the Crossley was activated. Chieko and Kei stood amazed that Shinta could operate a military-grade armored car.
"Could you please get out of way?" asked Shinta in a combination of politeness and ignorance to Chieko and Kei.
As Chieko and Kei do as Shinta asked without asking any further, Shinta began to move the Crossley and after switching gears, left Taiyoukan.
"Wh… what do we do now?" asked Chieko.
"We follow him," asked Kei. "I know you want to."
"… I guess you're right."
#
1534 hours
Across Azuma Ward was one Legionarius. The male pilot, Kim, wore a helmet that resembled the Fusoan Type 92 but it covered the entire head, save for the face as the eyes were covered by the visor worn by the crew members of the Buffalo that was connected to a collar that glowed red. Both the helmet and the rest of the uniform, which consisted of a gray tunic and trousers, was colored gray while the trousers were kept in place by a brown leather belt and his feet wore brown knee-high boots.
Kim and his Legionarius neared Minato Ward. He had his Mobile Knight's eye increase its range. As he ranged the range, he saw the three trucks each loaded with the LN's prototype Mobile Knights. Afterward, Kim began to use the Mobile Knight's communicator. It operated differently with its own frequencies because the LN forces would intercept conversations amongst Stavrosian positions.
"Sub-Lieutenant Kim, what do you have for me?" asked O'Brien as the frequency Kim used was his.
"Lieutenant, I've found the convoy with the LN's prototype Mobile Knights," answered Kim.
"You did? Where are they going?"
"Presumably to that carrier we spotted."
"You can pursue but do not engage. We'll join you as soon as we finished taking care of the ground troops here."
"Roger that," replied Kim as the communicator went silent.
Kim then began to get his Legionarius to fly. This was done through the Flight Backpack found in the rear of his Mobile Knight. Unlike airplanes, the Mobile Knights were capable of lifting off vertically then flying horizontally. After lifting up, Kim directed the boosters found in the Flight Backpack horizontally, allowing the Legionarius to fly directly to Minato Ward.
#
1556 hours
Shinta Himemiya continued to rush to Minato Ward. He was unaware that the Stavrosian pilot Kim and his Legionarius were flying also to the same destination.
I knew this day would come, thought Shinta. Whatever's inside those trucks, they'll be my ticket to entering this war!
However, Shinta was being followed by two parties. One of them was the Stavrosian pilot Kim in his Legionarius. He spotted Shinta in the Crossley and although his Mobile Knight's rifle was chambered in thirty millimeters, which can penetrate the Crossley's six-millimeter armor, Kim chose not to shoot.
I'm not going to waste my time with such small fry, thought Kim. I'll save my ammo for when I reach those Mobile Knights.
Another party pursuing Shinta was Kei Miyazaki using his motorcycle with Chieko Oka riding on the sidecar. They saw the Legionarius with shock as they realized it saw Shinta.
We got to get to him soon, thought Kei.
#
Shinkyo Naval Base. 1606 hours
The three tow trucks with the wheelchairs the prototype Mobile Knights sat on ultimately arrived at Shinkyo Naval Base. The first truck towing Warviour had to stop first to ask the guard to let them in.
"Who are you?" asked a Fuso Imperial Navy sailor guarding the gatehouse to the naval base's entrance.
The guard wore a brown-colored field cap and a short-sleeved, beige-colored dress shirt with one chest pocket at the left, brown-colored shorts held by a belt, white socks that stopped before the shorts, and brown-colored leather shoes.
"They're with me," said Sakamoto as she stepped out of the third truck and approached the guard. "Now please let us in!"
"Ryōkai," replied the guard followed by a salute.
As Sakamoto returned to the third truck, the gate opened. Koji and Isao went in first with the first truck towed with Warviour. The second truck with Wardier and the third truck with Wardar, which Sakamoto drove, followed.
#
1616 hours
Shinta in the Crossley then arrived. He stopped just a kilometer before the entrance, which the prototype Mobile Knights went through ten minutes earlier.
I'm here, thought Shinta. Now what?
Suddenly, the sound of ignited fuel appeared to Shinta's ear. The Stavrosian Kim landed with his Legionarius behind the Crossley and unlike earlier, aimed his Mobile Knight's rifle at the armored car.
"Now that I'm here, I can swat you like a fly!" shouted Kim.
At that instant, Shinta drove the Crossley to the wall and damaged it. After that, he got his feet out of the pedals, he removed the seatbelt he put on himself and opened the right front door. He jumped as soon as Kim fired the Legionarius' rifle, which destroyed the armored car just as Shinta leaped into the pavement.
Kim began looking around the area with his Legionarius' eye as it relayed what it saw to the main monitor of the Mobile Knight's cockpit. After he looked at the hole now created from the explosion from the Crossley he destroyed, he found Shinta's unconscious body.
Shinta began to get up but as he elevated his upper body with his arms, he heard the Legionarius walk up to him with its rifle aimed at him. While this hastened his attempt to get up, Shinta was now at the mercy of the Mobile Knight.
Kim looked at Shinta through the camera that was the eye of his Mobile Knight. For one second, he had no initial idea what to do next. However, his visor gave a larger glow and in that instant, he gave an unnatural smile. He didn't see Shinta but a malevolent shadow but this was a contradiction to what was outside his cockpit.
It doesn't look like whoever's inside wants me to live, thought Shinta.
Immediately, Shinta moved while he was still in the ground with Kim firing the Legionarius' rifle but missing. In addition to missing, Kim fired recklessly, damaging not only the surrounding area but creating an actual hole in the wall to the naval base.
Miraculously, Shinta had evaded the shots. However, he had no weapons and the wall was too high for him to climb. The Legionarius aimed its rifle at him again.
Damn it, I got nothing else to save myself, thought Shinta. I've prepared myself for years for this mom- No, this day yet I don't have a weapon. This… can't possibly be-
"Shinta!"
Like in Chinatown, Kei Miyazaki and Chieko Oka appeared, as Shinta saw. Kim in the Legionarius remained yet kept his Mobile Knight's rifle ready to fire. The red glow in the Mobile Knight pilot's visor increased and at that instant, Kim fired the machine guns found in the Legionarius' hips yet Shinta was able to avoid them by jumping, which distracted Kei and Chieko for one second.
After his jump, Shinta ran from the Legionarius. Kei and Chieko stopped just before Shinta with many questions in their respective minds yet Shinta's life was a priority.
"What are you two doing here?" asked Shinta.
"Saving your ass, of course!" angrily replied Kei. "Now get in behind me!"
Shinta rushed to the motorcycle and got on. Because Chieko had occupied the sidecar he rode on hours ago, Shinta rode directly behind Kei. Immediately afterward, Kei turned and began moving but Shinta, still focused on reaching the naval base, saw the hole Kim created. He then moved his upper body leftward, to the shock of Chieko and Kei, pinned Kei with his legs, and diverting the motorcycle to the hole in the wall.
"What the hell are you doing!?" loudly asked Kei.
"Getting us inside!" answered Shinta.
"You mean the base!? Are you cra-" shouted Kei before being interrupted by the machine guns of the Legionarius' hips.
"I guess there's not much choice," said Kei in a tone of defeat and fear. "Shinkyo Naval Base here we come!"
Kei took control of the motorcycle again and raced to Shinkyo Naval Base. The hole Kim created was large enough for the motorcycle with the sidecar to get in yet not large enough for the Legionarius to follow.
Angrily, Kim fired his Mobile Knight's rifle to enlarge the hole while his visor's red glow increased its size. As the hole was large enough for the Legionarius to get in, Kim followed the three teenagers.
#
1629 hours
The three tow trucks connected to the large wheelchairs that each contained the LN's prototype Mobile Knights arrived just near the U.S.S. Mayflower. The pavement was filled with running personnel as Kim and his Legionarius had gotten into the base, not knowing that three teenagers led the Mobile Knight into the base, much less the teenagers being in the base.
While Mami Inagaki and Tomoko Aiba above guarded the trucks and sternly observed the advancing Legionarius, Koji Himemiya, Isao Miyazaki, and Mio Sakamoto gathered to discuss what to do next.
"Now that we're here, we need to get the Mobile Knights in the carrier," said Koji.
"Two of us need to go to Captain Kirkman and use the ship's crane," added Isao.
"But one of us will need to stay and defend the Mobile Knights," added Sakamoto, who then had something in her mind that she was going to immediately say upon elevating her lips. "… I'll do it!"
"What!?" exclaimed Koji.
"I just need a plane," added Sakamoto. "Get to the carrier now! We don-"
"Lieutenant Commander Sakamoto, the Mobile Knight is nearing us!" shouted Aiba over the earpiece communicator. "We'll go on ahead!"
"But you'll get killed!" shouted Sakamoto in response.
"You need to get that plane and the Mobile Knights need to be in the carrier," said Inagaki.
"… Fine," ultimately replied Sakamoto.
Above, Inagaki and Aiba rushed toward the advancing Legionarius. Sakamoto separated from Isao and Koji, who in turn rushed to the Mayflower. Sakamoto then bumped into a running sailor.
"Sorry for that but is there a plane here?" asked Sakamoto.
"A… plane?" asked the confused sailor.
"Yes, a plane! A Reikan can do!"
"… I think there's one but it's a little far. I can lead you to it."
"Thanks."
#
1636 hours
"What are we even doing here anyway?" asked Kei as he, Shinta, and Chieko were hiding while already inside Shinkyo Naval Base.
"While we were on our way to Taiyoukan, we passed Dad and Miyazaki-san," answered Shinta. "There were on one of three trucks that were each connected to giant metal chairs that contained something."
"We're here because of that!?" incredulously asked Chieko.
"So are the Stavrosians and the Neuroi," retorted Shinta.
"What makes you say that?" asked Kei.
"What do you think our fathers we're making back in Miyazaki Industries?" asked Shinta.
"… Could this be because of-" asked Chieko before Shinta cut her.
"Yes, Miyazaki Industries must be building a secret weapon and that Liberian carrier that came here yesterday is involved," answered Shinta. "The only clue I got was the name 'Warviour'."
"That's a silly name for a weapon," said Kei. "How would that even be written in katakana?
"In any case, we best keep moving," said Shinta.
Shinta left the place he, Chieko, and Kei were hiding in. The latter two followed.
#
1647 hours
Shinta, Chieko, and Kei arrived near the Mayflower. The former three were able to see the three prototype Mobile Knights and as Shinta last saw them – in large sheets. Before doing anything else, the three teenagers looked to see if there was anyone else nearby but found no one.
"I guess it's clear," said Kei with Shinta beginning to move to the surprise of the former and Chieko.
"Where are you going?" asked Chieko.
"Going to see what's hidden in those sheets," answered Shinta as he continued going towards the trucks to Kei and Chieko's exasperation.
Shinta rushed to the trucks with Chieko and Kei following as Shinta's obsession worried that it would get him killed. At this time, Mami Inagaki and Tomoko Aiba were still fighting Kim's Legionarius.
The Legionarius was now in the air. Kim fired both of the Mobile Knight's weapons but both Fusoan Witches used their shields to prevent themselves from getting shot. When they fired, the Mobile Knight evaded their shots.
We can't seem to hit it! thought Inagaki. I didn't think the Mobile Knight could fight like this.
The three continued to fly across the base. However, Kim spotted the three trucks but was interrupted by his communicator.
"Sub-Lieutenant Kim, please respond!" shouted O'Brien's voice over the communicator. "You attacked the naval base without our support!"
"Don't stop me, Lieutenant!" shouted Kim in response. "I'll destroy those Mobile Knights and get a promotion myself!"
"Sub-," shouted O'Brien before Kim turned off the communicator.
Got you now! thought Kim, who then rushed to the Mobile Knights below.
"Where could he be going?" asked Aiba, who then realized where she and Inagaki were and looked down to see where Kim was going. "Oh no… "
"What is it?" asked Inagaki.
"I'll go after the Mobile Knight," replied Aiba a second before she left Inagaki.
"Hey, wait!" shouted Inagaki as she followed Aiba.
#
1704 hours
Shinta, Chieko, and Kei were at the first truck connected to the wheelchair containing Warviour. Each of them began to remove the sheet from three sides.
"Why are we doing this again?" asked Kei with a tone of fear.
"Because I feel as if I'm being called to it," answered Shinta.
"I don't think this is even a good idea."
"Kei-kun's right," added Chieko. "We shouldn't have come here in the first place."
"If you two want to leave, be my guest!" shouted Shinta. "I've come this far and your complaints will not stop me!"
Both Chieko and Kei had nothing else to retort with. For the first time, Shinta raised his voice at that and because of that, they had nothing else to say. They were almost done removing the sheet from the Warviour but Chieko began to hear the boosters from Kim's Legionarius' Flight Backpack.
"I hear something!" exclaimed Chieko with a tone of increasing fear.
"What is i-" said Kei before the Legionarius landed directly in front of them.
In his Legionarius' cockpit, Kim gave a sadistic smile. The red light in his visor increased its glow as he aimed his Mobile Knight's rifle at the Warviour and the three teenagers.
"What are you doing here!?" shouted Tomoko Aiba as she rushed to Shinta, Chieko, and Kei. "Get ou-"
However, at that instant, Tomoko Aiba was repeatedly shot by the left machine gun in Legionarius' left hip. She fell to the ground as Chieko and Kei looked in horror. Shinta continued to remove the sheet regardless of what he saw as if he had seen this before. Mami Inagaki also appeared but while she was high enough that Shinta, Chieko, and Kei didn't see her, she was able to see Aiba's gruesome demise and unable to hide her rage at seeing a fellow Witch die in such a manner.
"Damn you!" shouted Inagaki as she rushed toward the Legionarius.
However, the Legionarius turned to her and fired its rifle at the other Fusoan Witch. Because it was chambered at 30mm, not much was left of Inagaki's corpse and only a remnant of a body that had yet to be filled with bullet holes, the 40mm autocannon, and a Striker Unit appeared on the pavement. Shinta was almost done removing the sheet hiding Warviour yet saw Chieko and Kei still looking on with horror that Witches were dying before their very eyes.
"Kei, get her out now!" shouted Shinta to Kei.
Silently, Kei agreed. There was no more room for argument as he left the truck with Chieko. He was aware that Shinta must have seen something like Aiba's death before their eyes due to his lack of horror in his face that a person – a Witch – was shot repeatedly and horribly.
Shinta fully removed the sheet covering the Warviour. The sight of the Mobile Knight gave Kim pause as he saw it being unveiled before his eyes.
It really is a Mobile Knight! thought Kim who then saw Shinta get in. I won't let you get in!
Kim fired his Legionarius' rifle but his emotions got in the way. This prevented Shinta and the Warviour from being hit, as well as Chieko and Kei.
Suddenly, a squad of Imperial Navy sailors began to fire at the Legionarius. The soldiers were armed with a variety of weapons – Type 99 rifles and Type 100 submachine guns. Kim turned the Mobile Knight's attention to the Fusoan soldiers and fired its machine guns. This allowed Shinta to examine the Warviour.
It's just like in my dreams, thought Shinta. There must be some way to open this.
Shinta quickly examined the body of the Warviour further. He then found a button beside a metal bar at belly of the Mobile Knight.
This could be it, thought Shinta, who immediately pressed the button.
To the shock of everyone – Shinta and the surviving Fusoan soldiers – the Warviour opened up. The body, from the belly to the help, opened and turned into an L. Shinta, however, stood as he was unable to move as he looked at the cockpit with his eyes appearing to be frozen.
Get in, Shinta, said a female voice Shinta heard in his mind.
W… Who was that? thought Shinta. I heard that voice say "Get in" but why?
However, the Legionarius turned its attention back to Shinta. The latter heard the former move slowly to him. More Fusoan soldiers then appeared with two of them carrying a Type 4 AT Rocket Launcher. While the Legionarius shrugged off the rifle and submachine gun rounds fired at it, it had to dodge the rocket that came from the Type 4.
I… guess I have no choice.
Shinta got inside Warviour's cockpit. He saw the panel that appeared to contain the controls of the Mobile Knight and they weren't anything like what the LN forces had but it resembled an airplane's. Also were pedals that resembled those of a car's. On each side was a circular hole with a crank.
However, Shinta nearly tripped and fell. That was because he just found that the gap between the opening of the cockpit and the chair was too narrow yet the large holes that corresponded to the direction of the Warviour's legs appeared to be shallow. He then saw a pedal for each hole then he realized how spacious was the cockpit and saw that it was wider than the Crossley he drove hours ago.
Shinta then saw areas in the cockpit where he could place his legs and placed his right leg to the right of the seat. He then turned and found that he wouldn't fall into the holes and as he was seated each leg fell into each hole and that it wasn't deep as the legs began to touch the pedals attached to each leg.
That's done, thought Shinta. Now, how do I get this thing to work?
Although it was advanced than any vehicle he was familiar with, Shinta understood that a machine like a Mobile Knight still operated like a car or an airplane. As he looked around, Shinta found an ignition switch like the one in the Crossley.
Well, there's the ignition switch, thought Shinta with relief. However, I need a key for it.
Shinta continued to look yet he had to hurry. The Fusoan soldiers began to take casualties, no matter how many more gathered against the Legionarius.
Elsewhere, Mio Sakamoto and the Imperial Navy sailor had reached the F1M seaplane the latter mentioned. Sakamoto was once a Witch and first fought the Neuroi during a battle off Fusoan waters that became to be known as the "Fuso Sea Incident". Two years later, she was attached to the Fusoan contingent sent to Europe when the Neuroi appeared in Ostmark and had distinguished herself during the evacuation of Karsland. After Karsland and the Republic of Gallia fell to the Neuroi as did Ostmark, Sakamoto was recruited into the 501st Joint Fighter Wing – a unit comprising of Witches from across the world formed to combine the distinct abilities of each Witch to improve on how to fight the Neuroi. Twice were the 501st disbanded after their major contributions in the respective liberations of Gallia and the Duchy of Venezia.
However, during the Venezia campaign, Sakamoto's powers began to fail her due to her age – when Ichiro Miyafuji provided the design of the Striker Unit now used by Witches there was a drawback where a Witch begins losing her powers as she gets older due to how the Striker Unit design operated. Despite this Sakamoto had been involved in certain missions and was known to pilot an F1M, especially in a Neuroi offensive that targeted Gallia which was foiled by the members of the 501st.
I hope I'm not too late, thought Sakamoto.
#
1717 hours
Back in the Warviour's cockpit, Shinta Himemiya continued to look for the key needed to activate the Mobile Knight Warviour. However, time was against him as the Fusoan soldiers that appeared to attack the Stavrosian Mobile Knight Legionarius, who served as a good distraction, were losing to the Mobile Knight.
Damn it! thought Shinta. Where could that key be!?
As he moved his head again, Shinta had finally found what he was looking for, or rather, what will help him. There was a sign that said "Key here". Shinta followed what was written and found the key needed for activating Warviour near the pedals in front of him.
As he took the key, Shinta placed it at the ignition switch and turned the key. At that instant, the cockpit closed and lights appeared across the controls of the Warviour.
"Good day," said a female voice, which surprised Shinta. "Are you the pilot of this Mobile Knight?"
Shinta looked around to find if someone else was also in the cockpit due to hearing a female voice. However, he then found that there was no one else inside because of how the Warviour's cockpit wasn't wide enough for another person. He stared at the controls again with resignation as if he wanted to continue arguing with who or what he heard.
"I… guess," reluctantly answered Shinta.
"Your name?"
"Himemiya Shinta, 17 years old."
"I am the artificial intelligence system for the LNX-01 Warviour. Welcome, Himemiya Shinta."
Artificial intelligence? thought Shinta with wonder and confusion. I'm guessing it's intelligence for a machine. I didn't think Dad would invent such a thing. And if it can talk…
"Do you have a name?" asked Shinta to the artificial intelligence.
"Name?"
"Yes, a name? Personally, I'd prefer to give you a name to talk to you better as I need help operating this machine."
"As the pilot of the Warviour, you can register further information into the operating system."
Sounds like I can relate to this talking machine after all, thought Shinta with satisfaction that he never expressed to anyone, especially Chieko and Kei.
Shinta had to think hard and fast as he was wasting time. He then thought of memories that he shouldn't have in a time like this as he had a name in mind yet he breathed with dread over the name. However, he had no time to think of alternatives.
"… Xiaoying… " reluctantly said Shinta as a name for the artificial intelligence system.
"I will now be referred to as Xiaoying," said the artificial intelligence. "I will now need a password?"
"A password?"
"In order to prevent others from piloting this Mobile Knight, the pilot who registered himself must have a password only he knows to protect the operating system. When the pilot says the password, the Mobile Knight will activate to his voice only"
Again Shinta had to think fast. He also knew that the password is something that can't be said easily by others.
"Yī Jiu Èr Jiu," replied Shinta but in Chinese.
"Those are the numbers 1, 9, 2, and 9 in the Mandarin Chinese language. Might I suggest a password only you should memorize?"
It can even understand Mandarin too, thought Shinta. "No. That's my decision for a password. Pronunciation is also important."
"Acknowledged," replied "Xiaoying". "The password will be Yī Jiu Èr Jiu. I also detect that we are in combat with an enemy Mobile Knight. Have you read the operating instructions?"
Instructions too? thought Shinta with chagrin. I didn't know there were instructions before getting inside this thing? Damn it!
"Truth be told, I haven't read any instructions," answered Shinta.
"Very well. Defense Mode activated."
Defense Mode? thought Shinta with curiosity. Based on how it responded to my answer that I didn't read any instructions, I'm guessing it'll help me pilot this thing.
Suddenly, the Warviour stood up and got out of the metal wheelchair it rode on to the surprise of everyone – Chieko, Kei, the Fusoan soldiers, and the Stavrosian Kim. Although she was too far to explicitly see what was going on, Mio Sakamoto as well saw the Warviour get up and stand.
The Warviour, it's standing, thought Sakamoto. But I'm here and I haven't heard from Inagaki nor Aiba. Who is in that thing!?
Among what was in front of Shinta in the control panel was a glass screen. It then was activated and showed how the Warviour was to be moved. The first thing Shinta saw that his legs, which were on the pedals below him, were to make the Warviour walk. He started with the left leg and as he pressed the left pedal, not only did the Mobile Knight move with its left leg, it shifted directions to its rear, directly facing the Legionarius.
"S… Shinta-kun's… in that thing?" asked Chieko Oka as she looked at her friend being inside the Warviour and managing to make it move.
"… Yeah," added Kei Miyazaki, who then turned to the other two Mobile Knights.
In his mind, Kei thought that if Shinta can make one of the Mobile Knights move, he can as well. He still had in mind how Shinta raised his voice at him and Chieko and began to go to the other two Mobile Knights, much to Chieko's surprise.
"Where are you going!?" asked Chieko. "Don't tell you're-"
"That's right," answered Kei. "If Shinta can do it, I can too. Get-"
"Oh no, I'm coming too."
"Nani!?"
"You're not doing this alone. If those things look like humans, it's just a matter of making them move and fight."
"Fine but let's go."
Meanwhile, the Fusoan soldier withdrew and the Stavrosian Kim, in his Legionarius' cockpit was unable to move after having seen the Warviour stand up and move. Suddenly, his visor increased its red glow again and Kim was now filled with rage. He then fired the Mobile Knight's rifle at the Warviour.
As Kim fired his Mobile Knight's weapon, Shinta violently felt the bullets from the former hit the Warviour and closed his eyes. Yet, the Mobile Knight remained standing, shocking Kim. Shinta then opened his eyes again and saw that the Legionarius stopped firing.
"Now's my chance!" shouted Shinta who then saw that the Warviour did have a weapon – a machine gun on its left arm.
Grabbing the crank found in the circular hole of the left side as pointed out on the screen, which was used to control the left arm of the Mobile Knight, Shinta pressed the first button found in the front. As he did, the machine gun found in the left arm appeared in the bottom of its forearm and fired but Kim dodged.
Damn it!
"Might I suggest you switch to the wheels?" asked "Xiaoying" as it interrupted Shinta's thoughts.
"Wheels?" replied Shinta.
"Each leg has two legs. They're used for faster travel. To your right is a switch and as you push it down, you use the wheels."
Hurriedly, Shinta looked to the right of his cockpit and found a lever pointed to his direction. Remembering what "Xiaoying" had said, Shinta moved the lever to the other end.
Kim began to fire again but Shinta was shown on the front screen in the controls how to use the wheels on Warviour's legs, which pointed to the foot pedals in front of him. Shinta then realized it was like how he drove the Crossley and used his right foot to press the right front pedal. As he saw the Legionarius fire, Shinta quickly turned to his right as instructed by the screen with using a control wheel that resembled more from those found in airplanes than cars yet it worked like the latter.
"Damn you!" shouted Kim in the Legionarius' cockpit who fired again.
Shinta turned again, this time making a full-circle turn. He fired his left arm's machine gun and although it hit the Legionarius, it didn't affect the Mobile Knight as it was chambered to approximately 8mm.
"I need something else to use!" shouted Shinta. "Xiaoying, isn't there anything else to use?"
Although it didn't respond vocally, "Xiaoying" showed through the screen the additional weapons Warviour had. On its right arm was the slab of metal attached to the wrist which was a knuckle like the brass knuckle and on the right hip was a "Particle Sword".
However, Shinta needed to attack quickly so he pressed the top button on the right crank used to control the right arm. As he pressed, the knuckle covered the right arm's fingers.
"You have chosen the Shock Knuckle," announced "Xiaoying". "When used at an opponent, an electric shock will cause further damage. This was built if in case the pilot was to fight another Mobile Knight."
"Good," said Shinta with satisfaction. "Let's do this!"
Shinta directly charged at the Legionarius while pressing the topmost button of the right side's crank further. As he got close, he began to punch the Stavrosian Mobile Knight with the Shock Knuckle, pushing it back yet it remained standing.
It didn't work, thought Shinta with disappointment. But, I can use the other one now.
Shinta then pressed the first button found in the right crank, which was for the Particle Sword. As he did, the Warviour's right arm grabbed the weapon from the right hip. After he pressed the same button again, the Particle Sword was now activated.
The Particle Sword emitted blue-colored energy as if it were an actual sword. However, the energy pointed downward.
It will have to do, thought Shinta, who then charged at the Legionarius.
As he got close, Shinta pressed the button he pressed twice and as a result, the Warviour swung the Particle Sword quickly at the center of the Legionarius. At that instant, the Stavrosian Mobile Knight was split in half and exploded.
"Warning, additional enemies sighted," announced "Xiaoying with the screen showing two blue dots and three red dots.
Shinta understood that one blue dot was himself and the Warviour and the other one being the Mayflower but needed to know what the additional red dots were. All he saw was the Mayflower but he knew the additional enemies were coming from another direction.
"'Xiaoying', is there anything I can do to find the additional enemies?" asked Shinta.
"I can direct you to the additional cameras found across the Warviour," answered "Xiaoying".
"Please do."
The screen now showed three more Legionarii. Shinta realized that they were the unit that came after the Neuroi appeared. He then turned to directly face the Legionarii with the camera now going back to the front.
Meanwhile, the three Legionarii landed directly inside Shinkyo Naval Base. All three of them wielded the same weapon as Kim's Legionarius and they saw Warviour. The pilots of each Legionarius knew it killed Kim and aimed their weapons at Warviour.
Shinta then charged at them but even before he got close, the Legionarii flew up again. The latter fired their rifles, forcing the former to dodge but he couldn't do so for long. In the F1M she managed to activate, Sakamoto saw that whoever was in Warviour showed his inexperience.
That's what you get for not having a Wing Pack, thought Sakamoto.
However, Sakamoto then saw Wardier and Wardar stand up as Warviour did. As she didn't know who was inside the Warviour, she wouldn't know who were respectively inside Wardier and Wardar, agitating them further.
#
1732 hours
Outside Shinkyo Naval Base, the fight wasn't going well for the LN forces. The F6F Hellcats that launched from the U.S.S. Cowpens still struggled against the Large-Type Neuroi that was spotted hours ago.
Like the Heavy-Types, the Large-Type was colored black streaks of red across its body and hexagons all over it. It resembled an airplane yet the design was not found in any country. The wings occupied almost two-third of the overall body and past the wings, it had what appeared to be a rudder which was where it fired red-colored energy beams at the Hellcats.
Below, Fusoan ships had appeared to aid the Liberian planes but their efforts in hitting the Large-Type were in vain as the Liberians. Because they were still fighting the Neuroi, they couldn't have been able to assist in fending off the Mobile Knights that appeared in Shinkyo itself.
One pilot, Gregory Tanaka, flew better than everyone else and was able to outfly the Neuroi. Twenty-six years old, Tanaka was half-Fusoan per his surname. He had tanned skin, short brown hair, and brown eyes.
We can't keep this up forever, Tanaka thought. We could damn use a Witch right about now.
#
Shinkyo Naval Base. 1734 hours
Shinta Himemiya, now in the LN's prototype Mobile Knight Legionarius, continued to struggle with the three Stavrosian Legionarii. However, he couldn't as the Legionarii can fly.
One Legionarius fired its rifle but Shinta was able to dodge it. Shinta, however, was becoming more and more impatient with fighting the Legionarii.
At this rate, my Particle Sword energy won't last another two minutes, thought Shinta as he looked at the screen in the panel in front of him as it showed the Warviour and a meter with only some red in it and the words "Particle Sword Energy" at the top center. I really need those Mobile Knights' rifles.
Suddenly, a burst of blue-colored energy hit one Legionarius, surprising Shinta. The rear camera directed its feed to the panel screen and surprising Shinta further was that the other two prototype Mobile Knights, the Wardier and the Wardar.
"Hey there, big shot!" shouted a male voice that Shinta knew over the Warviour's communicator. "I knew it wouldn't take that long for you to need some help!"
"Kei, is that you?" incredulously asked Shinta.
"Yes, it is I, Miyazaki Kei-sama! Pilot of the Wardar!"
"Hey, don't forget me!" shouted Chieko Oka over the communicator.
"You too, Chieko?" asked Shinta.
"I'm in the one called Wardier," answered Chieko.
"Why are you even in those things?" asked Shinta.
"Because of you, silly!" happily replied Kei. "If you could pilot that thing, why can't us?"
"Besides, we can't let you have all the fun!" added Chieko.
"I even feel like a Witch because it reminds me of how a Striker Unit is worn," added Kei. "Though I don't have any magic powers."
"And I'm not even a Witch," added Chieko.
The three Legionarii stopped their attack. An air of confusion filled each Mobile Knight's pilots.
"… Lieutenant, what should we do?" asked a male voice over the communicator of O'Brien's Legionarius. "They got Koskinen."
"… Just attack!" loudly ordered O'Brien.
The two remaining Legionarii resumed attacking. Shinta, Chieko, and Kei dodged the shots.
"Can we save the small talk for later?" asked Kei. "We got some asses to kick!"
"Couldn't agree more," answered Shinta. "But they're in the air."
"Wait, I have an idea," added Kei.
"What is it?" asked Chieko.
"Shinta, continuing drawing the Stavrosians' fire," answered Kei.
"Got it," replied Shinta.
"Chieko, get as far away as you can and snipe while the Stavrosians are distracted."
"Wakatta," replied Chieko.
Shinta, Chieko, and Kei separated to do as planned. Shinta drew the Warviour's Particle Sword and resumed fighting the Legionarii in vain. Chieko and the Wardier separated from Kei and the Wardar.
#
U.S.S. Mayflower. 1744 hours
To the shock of Isao Miyazaki and Koji Himemiya, who were still on board the Mayflower, they saw through their respective pair of binoculars that the Warviour, Wardier, and Wardar were inside. What the two men didn't know was that their respective sons were piloting Warviour and Wardar.
Beside Koji and Isao was the Mayflower's captain, Nicholas Kirkman. Fifty-five years old, Kirkman was a fair-skinned man with green eyes and white hair. Served on board the destroyer U.S.S. Whipple which was attached to the Asiatic Fleet of the Liberian Navy when it was sent to fight in China during the First Neuroi War. However, the Whipple was attacked by a Neuroi and sunk with only a hundred survivors, which included Kirkman. Since then, Kirkman remained with the Liberian Navy and accepted the position as Captain of the Mayflower as a way to avenge his fellow sailors and officers who died three decades ago.
"Who on Earth could be inside the prototypes!?" asked Kirkman.
"I don't know," answered Isao.
I hope whoever is in one of those Mobile Knights isn't Shinta¸ thought Koji as he was unaware of who was inside the Warviour.
#
Shinkyo Naval Base. 1746 hours
Koji made it to "Warehouse 1", hoping to figure out whoever was inside the Mobile Knights. However, Mio had rushed to him too.
"Lieutenant Commander Sakamoto, what are you doing here?" asked Koji.
"I need to use the communicator in the warehouse," answered Sakamoto.
"Figuring out who's inside, aren't you?"
"Of course. I unfortunately found out Inagaki and Aiba are dead."
"… I'm sorry."
"Anyway, we should get in now."
Koji brought out a key for the lock to the door of Warehouse 1. After he unlocked the door, he and Sakamoto came inside.
Inside was something that resembled the Flight Backpacks worn by the Stavrosian Legionarii albeit it appeared that wasn't a backpack. Also inside was a radio that Koji and Sakamoto rushed to.
#
Shinkyo Naval Base. 1750 hours
In the naval base, Chieko Oka in the Wardier had gotten far enough from Kei Miyazaki in the Wardier and Shinta Himemiya in the Warviour, who was still distracting the three Stavrosian Legionarii. She prepared the shoulder cannon for firing at Kei's command.
"Chieko, how far are you?" asked Kei over the communicator.
"Far enough that I can still see you," answered Chieko.
"Good, aim for any Stavrosian."
"Got it."
Chieko then aimed as she increased the range of the camera visor of the Wardier's head. She found the three Legionarii distracted by Shinta and as Kei said, she was to fire at any Legionarius.
Like the cranks in the sides, the control wheel of the Wardier contained two topmost buttons. This was because the cannon Chieko already used was on the right side of the backpack and that it had to be fired as a body weapon as a contrast to the weapons in the arms, which were fired by pressing the buttons on the cranks with the right button on the crank used to fire the cannon.
On the screen, a small white-colored targeting reticle was moving around. Chieko couldn't fire her weapon until the reticle explicitly aimed at the Legionarius she spotted lest she wasted the cannon's energy. Only after ten seconds did the reticle reach the target on the screen, turning red in the process.
"Now I got you!" announced Chieko, who then pressed the button on the right arm of the controlling wheel.
As she fired, the cannon again emitted a burst of blue-colored energy, hitting the Legionarius at its left leg. This decreased the Stavrosian Mobile Knight's ability to remain in the air. Seeing what had happened in his Legionarius' control panel's screen, O'Brien began to use the communicator to contact the pilot of the Mobile Knight that lost its left leg.
"Bauer, can you hear me?" asked O'Brien. "Are you alright?"
"… I'm fine but I can't remain floating for long," replied the voice of the pilot named Bauer.
"Get out of here, that's an order!"
"But-"
"I'll buy you time. Just return to the Buffalo and tell the captain of what happened here. Now go!"
"… Roger that."
The one-legged Legionarius began to fly away, which Shinta noticed. He then chased after it and O'Brien in his Legionarius followed.
As he got closer to the one-legged Legionarius, Shinta had managed to jump into order to destroy the Stavrosian Mobile Knight. Getting close enough, Shinta began to swing the Particle Sword with the Warviour's right arm.
In an instant, Shinta had diagonally slashed his target. However, it wasn't the one-legged Legionarius but O'Brien's. As Shinta got down into the ground again, the Legionarius exploded while the one with only one leg continued to fly away. Shinta then looked at the retreating Legionarius, intending to continue pursuing it, and was about to press the right pedal.
"Shinta, stop," said Kei over the communicator. "There's no point pursuing that guy."
Shinta then listened to Kei and let the one-legged Legionarius go. He also had another reason to stop – the Particle Sword's energy was depleted.
#
1814 hours
As the sun already set, the Large-Type Neuroi began to withdraw. The surviving airmen from the Cowpens were puzzled as to why the Neuroi withdrew, still unaware of what transpired in Shinkyo Naval Base. In the beginning, they were twelve and one of the pilots in this squadron was one Lawrence Robinson, who discovered the Large-Type and was killed for it. Now, only four out of the twelve planes from the Cowpens remained. One of those still alive was Gregory Tanaka, who was using the radio in his Hellcat's cockpit.
"Commander, this is Tanaka. Permission to pursue?"
"Denied," replied a male voice on the other end. "We need to return to the Cowpens, refuel, rearm, and think. Think real hard."
"Roger that."
The four surviving Hellcats began to withdraw. However, this was to be the calm before the longest storm of death and destruction humanity was to face.
Translations
Katakana – Fragmented Syballary. Used for foreign loanwords such as "biscuit" becoming "bisketto".
Nani? – "What?"
-sama – a Japanese honorific more respectful than "-san". In older times, someone in a lower class must address someone in the upper classes with this honorific and in current times, someone like sports announcer refers to audience members with the honorific. In Kei's case, where he referred to himself as "Kei-sama", it signifies arrogance as he was boasting that he and Chieko get to save Shinta while he was in trouble.
A/N:
As I said in Part 1, the overall chapter is based on the respective episodes of the original Mobile Suit Gundam and Metal Armor Dragonar. O'Brien's death is specifically based on the death of Gene from the former yet the one who fled the battle, Bauer, survives.
As for killing off Inagaki and Aiba, truth be told, I had a hard time which Witches to kill off in such a particular fashion. I even had a hard time figuring out which Witches to use for test-piloting the LN Mobile Knights before killing them off. Ultimately, I settled for Mami Inagaki from the print material centered on her unit, the 31st Joint Fighter Squadron Afrika and a Witch who had yet to be re-canonized in any official material. If you think their deaths would be the end of my promise that this fic will be darker than the average World Witches story, you'll be mistaken. There's more to come.
The Large-Type Neuroi in this chapter is based on the Avro/Hawker Siddeley Vulcan bomber known to carry nuclear weapons. It, along with the Vickers Valiant and the Handley Page Victor, was under the V Force, the strategic nuclear strike force of the real-life British Royal Air Force. Prior to its retirement in 1984, the Royal Air Force used the Vulcans to participate in Operation Black Buck during the 1982 Falklands War between the United Kingdom and National Reorganization Process-dominated Argentina.
The MK-02 Legionarius, the stand-in for the MS-06 Zaku II from Mobile Suit Gundam and the AMA-03B Gwei from Metal Armor Dragonar, is named after the term for Roman infantrymen. The red eye is based on the B-ATM-03 Fatty from Armored Trooper VOTOMS.
The F1M seaplane being called Reikan is a nickname for the F1M's full name, the Reishiki Kansokuki Ichi-ichi-gata (Type 0 Observation Seaplane Model 11).
