Now that it has come to this, I decided to introduce my original series that will appear next in the series, Universal Lady Justice Aya.
Universal Lady Justice Aya, or ULJA for short, is a magical girl project that doubles as a modern fantasy series. It takes in a world similar to ours but includes an island in the middle of the East China Sea known as Arahi. This little island became a refugee center as a part of reconstruction efforts after a series of rogue waves destroyed all the coastline cities in the Pacific. Long after the next decade, this island became a hellhole of crime and corruption with only the paramilitary forces and entertainment centers being the only stable parts of its society.
However, this is also the place where magical girls revealed themselves to the world, born from those who suffered lives of misfortunate and have been given powers to fight back. These girls and their allies existed long before Arahi's foundation and operated as an armed resistance against powerful forces who seek to exterminate or exploit them.
The most prominent character, as the name states, is Aya Masayoshi. Born in the dark world of Arahi and suffering years of abuse, she has become a powerful magical girl that draws the attention of the Anti-Magic Faction, a shadow organization that uses advanced weaponry imbued with anti-magic to hunt down magic users. Tired of running and not willing to waste her chance at a new life, Aya gathers allies from Arahi and decides to take the initiative, creating a haven for magical girls and liberating them from their oppressors.
The story is composed of five parts, though the first three can be categorized as one arc while the last two can compress into another. So far, Part I has already been published, but I seek to rewrite it from a TV script to a light novel series. Other than that, I've been focusing my attention on the second arc.
Magical Girl Convergence will take place during the second arc, which sets up the conflict on the global stage and includes all essential elements in the series. I'll get to details on all the aspects of the series (characters, terms, weapons, vehicles, locations, etc.) as the fic goes on.
And now to wrap up the story.
Tracks used:
1. Guardian ~SIRBINE~ - New Story of Aura Battler Dunbine/SUPER ROBOT WARS T
2. Omoi no saki ni - SUPER ROBOT WARS X
3. Minna wo Mamoru Tameni - STRIKE WITCHES OST
4. ? - SUPER ROBOT WARS
Note: #4 is a mystery because I know what track I want, but can't find the name. I'll update once I find it.
(1)
Inside the machine that just saved the Witches near its feet, a boy remained alert over his situation. He was around fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing blue pants and a black shirt that looked like a school uniform. He had a violin bow stuck his back of his shirt, which felt pretty uncomfortable but was necessary for reasons he could not understand. He held onto the two static handles by his legs as he observed his surroundings; although the machine was sealed shut, he had a decent view of everything that was in front of him.
If I thought piloting a mecha in the middle of a warzone was crazy, Kyoko Liu thought as he observed the battlefield. Now, to think I'd end up in a place like this.
The boy took easy steps. Other than avoiding the girls he protected, he did not want to push his mecha too hard. Too much power into the machine and he could self-destruct the Mana Converter that gave it electricity and the ability to move. After all, his Titania was a Machina Unit that ran on his mana, of which he did not have a lot.
But even that was strange. The last time Kyoko piloted this machine, the kid was sure that his mana supply ran out. He had no idea how long he was out, but by the time the boy woke up, he found himself completely recharged, and even the robot powered on without him. He handwaved it, thinking it was just his imagination, but the results spoke for themselves as the machine was moving faster and more powerful than before.
Well, it was not always like that. It varied from place to place, with the Titania getting mana on its own. Or perhaps he was getting the mana somewhere other than the girls beside him.
That was the logical conclusion as the girls looked drained of mana or were using it elsewhere. The blonde girl projected a circular shield while the younger girl performed a healing spell around another girl with a severe wound. What startled him was the etiquette of the girls. Besides having different uniforms and wearing propeller-driven machines that were likely powered by magic, they were showing their panties in front of him. That kind of sight prompted him to look away, though that could be a danger all by itself.
Aside from that, they never showed any signs of harm, so he was better off fighting for them.
"Are you girls okay?"
Kyoko received some nods before he faced back to the battle in the sky. It was one with the girls wearing those Machina Units on their legs fighting off against a squadron of planes and a large black machine hovering in mid-air.
"You magical girls better stand back," Kyoko told the magical girls below. "I will take of this."
"M-Magical girls?" Yoshika was left confused by what the pilot meant.
Before she could question him, the carapace started to unfold, showing vents on the back that glowed bright green. The lower insect wings fluttered for a bit as they emitted a purple aura. The machine then took off with strong thrust blowing into the Witches' faces. The girls remained astonished by the power of such a machine.
"That thing can fly!?"
Perrine jumped as the Machina Unit took off. While it did, purple wings of energy sprouted from the lower insect wings and the upper carapace shells. The purple wings looked like it was leaking energy as it formed a butterfly-like design.
"So pretty," Yoshika thought as she gazed upon the beautiful sight of the robot's wings, though she did feel a heavy pressure coming from it. It was out of instinct by the girl, but whoever controlled must have either a strong or heavily burdened heart.
Izetta could feel the same thing, just as when she sensed the energy.
There is no doubt. It uses the same kind of energy as my magic and that of the other Witches.
She was sure of it the moment it took off. But even when a male in her clan was compatible, only female members were able to use magic. It left her curious over who was the pilot that operated such a dangerous machine.
Alice followed the machine as she took off, waiting for Izetta to regain her magic. She was more attracted to the giant mechanical weapon that just defended Izetta and the others as it headed towards the Neuroi.
"Major, are you seeing this?" the Psionic girl exclaimed in the intercom. "What is that thing!?"
The other Witches in the air noticed the approaching vehicle, also unsure of what it was.
"Could it be a Neuroi on our side?" Lynette guessed.
"No," Minna sensed the same thing Izetta noticed. "If it were, then it would shoot red beams instead of green. That machine uses something different from a Neuroi core. Rather it uses magic like us, or rather like Izetta's."
"It does appear to be an enemy," Mio noticed as it headed straight for the Neuroi as it continued attacking it. "We must be cautious. As long as it is not hostile, support the unit and don't let the enemy shoot it down!"
"Roger!" Lynette complied as she provided cover fire.
Meanwhile, Bassler just got the message about the mysterious machine entering the airspace.
"Captain, an unknown unit came from the island below us!"
"I see it," he noticed it long before everyone else did. Even he wondered why it was there and how it got here in the first place.
"It looks like it's moving to attack us," one of the Germanian pilots dived towards the unknown machine. "Allow us to engage, Captain!"
"Hold it!" the Captain demanded. "We don't know what is. Don't charge in so recklessly!"
Unfortunately, Kyoko already realized that the enemy planes wanted a fight. He was no history expert, but he saw something familiar in the textbooks he read, and these machines belonged to the enemy.
These guys want to fight, huh? Kyoko thought as the plane pelted bullets at his Machina Unit. He was once again forced to do something he didn't want. Well, it's not like they never wanted one, so I'll have to give it to them.
As the plane was about to fly past him, Kyoko focused his mind on the controls. He dashed to the side at high speed with instant acceleration that nearly threw him off the seat. By the time he recovered, he had found himself in front of the plane's path while tried to turn around. In response, he raised the Titania's right arm, which slammed onto the Me 109's cockpit. The shield crushed the pilot, and the plane's remains brushed past the Titania as they fell.
"You idiot!" Bassler reacted over the pilot's death. "Don't engage too close! Keep your distance!"
The enemy planes started firing their guns at the Titania from afar. Only Bassler got anywhere near Kyoko's machine as he struggled to avoid the attacks. Even though their weapons were insignificant, and he had far superior performance regarding mobility, the Titania was still a huge target standing at nearly 7 meters. There was also the fact the machine was ancient and rugged in certain places. He could feel the friction from the joints. It won't be long before they end up finding some weak point for the enemy to exploit. Thus, he had to take them out first.
Fortunately, his Machina Unit continued to receive power elsewhere, and the Mana Converter showed no signs of deteriorating. He used the machine's speed to his advantage by steadily accelerating until he went as fast as he could go without feeling some G-LOC.
The Germanian fighters found themselves shocked as it cruised towards them.
"What!? How did it get so fast!? AGGGHH-"
After following it on the side, Kyoko cut the plane apart with his sword. He swore he could hear the guy's chatter right when he destroyed the machine and ended his life. He had forgotten how to operate his radio's controls, which meant it was stuck receiving everyone's frequencies and transmitting them through its speakers.
He fought through all the screams and nearby chatter as he continued fighting off the enemy planes. His next victim was another plane that flew the same speed as him, which he tackled with the left leg's talons. Then took out another plane by cutting off its wing with his sword.
Just then, the Neuroi acted to the situation. By avoiding the nearby Witches, it converged its beams before firing a large one at the Titania. Kyoko was hesitated to respond, only detecting through the screens' sensors and red flash at the side. He more of flinched over the enemy attack, but he raised his shield to protect himself. The powerful red laser pushed the Titania upon impact, but the shield still deflected it into several smaller beams. The beam scratched the shield, and Kyoko was thrown against his seat as the Titania was knocked back. But the Machina Unit remained intact, suffering minor damage.
"That machine's shield just deflected a Neuroi beam!" Lynette jumped in surprise.
"Where the hell did the Allies get that from?" a nearby Germanian pilot shouted.
Neuroi beam? Allies? Kyoko had no idea what they meant by that, though the latter further confirmed his suspicions. He was surely stuck in a different period and one that was similar, but different from what he knew. He continued to evade the Germanian planes as Bassler swooped in for another attack.
"I don't know where you got that thing," Bassler went after the robot again. "But there's no way I'm going to lose to you so easily!"
"Oh yeah?" Kyoko spoke to him on cue, as if he heard that before. "Well, it seems quite a number of your guys are already dead!"
Kyoko that erupted from the speakers startled even the Germanian captain causing him to fly away. The nearby Witches were even more surprised like those below.
"A male pilot?" Mio was first to break the silence. "With so much magic?"
"There's a boy inside that thing?" Lynette repeated.
Kyoko wondered why that was surprising. He guessed that men weren't so popular with piloting Machina Units. Not that it didn't matter for him because he didn't want to operate the machine either. It was a series of coincidences that brought him here and doing what it took to survive.
But that didn't mean he was going to let himself be the only victor here. He never knew them, but the girls reminded him of a few acquaintances with whom he could get along. The planes also attacked him first just like that red and black machine, so he'd better fight for the other side.
As the Neuroi halted its attack, Minna decided to contact the machine.
"Listen, if you're not an enemy, target the enemy black craft in front of you."
"The black craft?"
"Right now, it's threatening our allies and supporting the Germanians. If you can help us, take it out, and we'll deal with the rest."
"I understand," Kyoko acknowledged as he charged against the black and red machine. It responded in kind by firing volleys of lasers at him.
Aliens firing lasers in a World War II setting. Just what kind of world did I get myself into?
(2)
Gertrude found herself facing the sky. Her body could feel the grass tickling her skin and the gentle breezes that followed. She wondered how she could still be alive after falling unconscious until a familiar face appeared before her.
"Y-Yoshika?"
The Lieutenant found herself surrounded by a large field of blue energy. It was the effect of Yoshika's magic as her wounds started to close up.
"I'm healing your wounds right now."
"Leave me," Gertrude begged. "If you stick around, you'll all be in danger…Just…focus on the enemy."
"No," Yoshika refused. "I will save you. We're comrades, aren't we?"
"Forget about me," Her voice grew weak. "My life deserves to be sacrificed…for the sake of restoring my family's honor…and removing the curse inflicted by…Weisse Hexe."
"Weisse Hexe? Izetta-san?"
Perhaps the girl did not know of Izetta's importance, more specifically her significance to the Barkhorn family of which she belonged.
"Long ago…our clans all made a pact that we would serve the Weisse Hexe and whoever would take her place…until…"
"Barkhorn-san, hold on!"
"Listen, Miyafuji! Our clan betrayed Weisse Hexe!" Barkhorn's angered voice shook Yoshika, disrupting her focus. "There was a moment…when our clan was supposed to help her when she was great peril…yet we turned our backs on her. Before she died, she cursed us for being too weak…since then, we were never able to save anyone…not even our family whenever disaster struck. That's why I must…"
"You're wrong!" Yoshika snapped back to her work. "Of course, you can save people!"
"I can't," Barkhorn gazed into the air. "Not even one person."
"If you do not live! If you're alive, you can always try again. Because even if I can't save everyone, as long as I live, I can protect as many people as I can!"
"Why should I be saved…There's nothing in this life…"
"Don't die, Lady Barkhorn!"
The Lieutenant jumped when she heard Izetta's voice. The girl may be more naïve and weak-willed than she thought, but she had never expected the White Witch to say something like that.
"W-Weisse Hexe?"
"I may not be able to protect everyone either, but that does not mean I'll abandon someone who is hurt!"
"Weisse Hexe?"
"My grandmother always called our ancestor a traitor," Izetta recalled those words during her life. "I don't know why. All she wanted was to save the Princess's country. How can someone be a traitor by doing that!?"
For once, Barkhorn remained shocked. Like all the other Witch clans, her family always held the Weisse Hexe in high regard. But one of their own was calling her a traitor. How could that be?
"To tell you the truth, I don't know how your family betrayed our clan, or why they did. But I know that you're trying your best to help me! And your sister, Chris!"
"C-Chris?"
"You're a good person, Lady Barkhorn! That's why I want you to live!"
"To…live?"
That's when she remembered through an image of her sister from that time. Before Kristallnacht, the day the Neuroi and Germanians came into the city, Chris was still healthy and walking well. Within her bedroom, she asked her older sister.
Sister, is Weisse Hexe real?
Chris? Despite being aware that she was hallucinating, she could not help but gaze at the young girl she used to know.
I hear that she's a good person who saved many people, and all the other Witches love her. She's like a queen or a goddess who protects us whenever our lives were in danger. But the other girls say we betrayed the White Witch, and she won't protect us.
I, she remembered those words. As part of the Witch clan that once betrayed her, it was inevitable. But she looked so hurt and worried like she wanted to know that it wasn't right.
Please, sister, Chris said smiling but with tears in her eyes. I want to believe that she loves us, too.
At that time, Gertrude never gave a response. Despite all their attempts to get stronger, her family seemed to encounter misfortunate without end. She also wanted to believe that the White Witch forgave them, and the curse would lift.
That's when Chris's hallucination triggered a flashback, to the day of Kristallnacht that nearly got her killed. She blamed herself for getting her involved all that time. But the fact remains that the Neuroi and the Kaiser's SS tried to gun her down, or worse, send her to the deadly prison camps. That she could not abide, and by seeing Miyafuji's face again, it sparked a moment of life for her.
"Chris!"
The Karsland Witch jumped right in front of Miyafuji's face, forcing her to back out of the way. The nearby Neuroi fired a converged against her, which she responded with a powerful shield.
This time…This time, I will do it!
"Barkhorn-san?" Yoshika stood amazed by her swift recovery. Even Perrine and Izetta were speechless as the Lieutenant faced them both.
"Stand back, Weisse Hexe," she told the adolescent Witch before facing the Neuroi. "From here on, I will protect you."
"Lady Barkhorn?"
"Gertrude Barkhorn, taking off!"
The Karsland Witch then took off, charging at the Neuroi that tried to kill Miyafuji and Izetta. Now it time to atone for her family's crime and remove the curse inflicted upon them.
The flying machine continued to battle with the Neuroi as did the nearby Witches. Minna and Lynette opened fire while Mio continued searching for the core. However, the Germanians continued to get in the way as Bassler swooped in with the flight, forcing Mio to put up her shield. They were also a bother for whoever piloted the humanoid machine, which was busy repelling both the Neuroi and the enemy planes.
One of the planes got down by the robot's sword before Bassler attacked its shell-like wings. That caused the machine to stutter for the moment as it swerved away. Even it appeared to have its limits, and despite its excellent speed and mobility, the planes were already conjuring ways to counter it.
If only there were some way to break this stalemate, Minna thought. Only then could they-
"RRAAGGGGGHHHH!"
The screams of a familiar Karsland Witch echoed in the air, and she charged angrily at the enemy Neuroi.
"Barkhorn!" Minna called out, both with joy and anger as she charged in once more.
The reborn Witch gunned down two more 109s that stood in the way. The remains of one plane collided with another barrier projected by Yoshika as they trailed behind.
"Yoshika-chan! Perrine!" Lynette cheered as they closed in on the enemy Neuroi.
"You're not going to have your way!" Bassler attempted to swoop down and attack the Lieutenant again but saw a few more bullets fly past them. These came from Yoshika and cracked his cockpit on the left side. The Galian Witch's lightning additionally forced him to break off his attack run to avoid being hit, pulling his plane to the right.
That was enough time for Mio to locate the enemy core.
"Target the center of the Neuroi. Destroy the enemy core!"
Upon hearing this, their unexpected ally aimed with its right hand after deflecting another laser. Something charged up in its palm, but it was interrupted when the Neuroi fired its beams again. The other Witches provided cover as it charged towards the enemy craft, using its sword to cut into the shell. After two hard, deep cuts into the center that hurt the girls' ears, it placed its right hand into the intersection of its wounds. A few moments later, a large green energy beam blew a hole into the Neuroi exposing its core.
Lieutenant Barkhorn pulled no punches as she charged at the center of the Neuroi. She used all the ammunition she had left and collided into the craft to break the core. The shards of the Neuroi showered around her, and she felt a sign of victory. The Witches were all distracted by Gertrude triumph over the enemy Neuroi, not noticing that the mysterious machine that supported them started descending to the ground, its wings and thrusters slowly depleted of power. Gertrude nearly followed but made a controlled descent back to the island.
Bassler grunted over the lost. They sacrificed a lot of men, but barely got one kill aside from the Neuroi shot down Barkhorn. He could hear his soldiers reporting the obvious to him.
"Captain! The Neuroi has been destroyed!"
"Don't panic," the Captain shook off the sudden disadvantage. They may have lost their most powerful asset in this battle, but the enemy took a toll as well. "The enemy is exhausted; we can still take them-"
"That's enough, Captain."
"M-Major?"
Berkmann's voice came into the radio. He and the Second Lieutenant were already back in the Amerika, bringing their communication equipment with them. Although the robotic weapon was way beyond what they expected, they already saw what they needed to see, and the loss of the Neuroi was more than enough to pay off.
"The mission is already complete. There is no need to continue the battle."
"But-"
"That's an order, Captain," Berkmann said in a threatening tone. "I hope you'll obey it."
The Captain slammed his console while obeying his orders. If it were sooner, they could have gotten at least one or two of the Witches like one of the newbies they encountered. He grumbled upon turning his new plane back to the Germania. The rest of the air fleet followed suit.
"Enemy planes are retreating," Perrine reported.
"We won, we beat them," Lynette sighed with relief.
"Yes, but I have a bad feeling about this."
"Major?"
"We defeated the Neuroi and stopped the Germanians, but they only deployed fighters. They also revealed to us that they could control the Neuroi."
"They also nearly got Sister Izetta along the way," Lynette faced the island where the White Witch fell back. She noticed that Izetta was out of combat for a while, which made her realize something. "Could that mean…"
"Tsch," the Major clicked her tongue as she also knew what was wrong. The objective was not the destruction of the base, or to lure out the 501st into a trap. It was about luring Izetta and testing her capabilities, searching around for weak points. She cursed the fact she did not realize it sooner.
"In any case," Perrine flew over. "I think we should get back to the base. It won't be long before we start running low on magic."
"Hold on, Sakamoto-san," Yoshika intervened to the Galian Witch's annoyance. "Shouldn't we thank whoever was in that machine that saved us?"
"The Commander and Barkhorn have already landed there," Mio said in agreement as she noticed the two Karsland Witches descending. "We better see them before we head back."
"Sister Izetta is on that island, too," Lynette joined. "We can't leave her there either."
Mio nodded as she gave orders.
"All units follow my lead. We will make a temporary landing on that island, regroup with the commander, and investigate the large machine."
"Roger!"
Together, they all flew back down to the island. Not only would they see to the White Witch and Karsland Witches that rested there, but also hope to get some answers.
(3)
Gertrude stood before the commander. She could tell her superior was not pleased with her. She had to apologize to her after what happened.
"Minna, I-"
The commander interrupted her with a loud slap in the cheek. The attack hit her far more emotionally than painfully, leaving her completely stunned.
"What the hell were you thinking!? You nearly got yourself killed out there! If we lose you, then what are we supposed to do!? You may have lost your homeland and everything else, but so did we! The Kaiser has taken everything away from us, and you think this is all your concern!? We're a team! No, a family! Everyone in this squadron is!"
Minna wrapped her arms tightly around the Lieutenant. The commander was not willing to let her go, not after her near suicide attempt. Being motivated by her family burden was one thing, and the commander covered for her after demonstrating their allegiance and pact to Weisse Hexe, but none of that justified getting herself killed. The very thought of that brought tears into her eyes.
"Please, let go of the past…I don't want you to lose your life because of what happened in your family. What do you think Weisse Hexe, no, Izetta would think if you ended up dead!?"
The Lieutenant remained speechless. She could not argue with the Lieutenant anymore, especially after she heard Izetta telling her to live. Now she nearly betrayed the legendary clan again by sacrificing her life in vain.
"Your sister, Chris, will get better. Izetta will forgive you, but not if you decide to throw your life away like that!" Minna stopped hugging and faced her subordinate. "We Witches are the only ones who can protect everyone. For her sake, for Izetta's sake, and your friends' sake, you must live on!"
"We are a family, aren't we?" Gertrud faced the White Witch, who also had a worried expression alongside Yoshika and Perrine. She sighed in defeat. "Sorry, Weisse Hexe- I mean, Izetta."
"D-Don't worry," Izetta waved it off, though her face proved otherwise. "I just didn't want to tell the Princess that I could not save a friend's life."
"A friend, huh?" the Lieutenant went back to her commander, turning to a new issue. "Minna, can I take a vacation? I want to visit my sister."
"Lady Barkhorn?"
Izetta caught the Lieutenant's change in behavior. She heard about her sister when she talked to Commander Wilcke, but Gertrude never spoke about it with her. The two Witches faced each other directly.
"Also, could I bring Izetta with me?"
"E-Eh?" Izetta got taken by surprise as Barkhorn approached her.
"Chris also believes in Weisse Hexe. Before our homeland fell, she told me that if I should find her, I should ask her to demonstrate her power in front of her. Please forgive me for immediately asking you such a selfish request."
"I-I-I'm not sure. I-I will need to ask the Princess if I can, but if she says I can…"
Gertrude ignored her stuttering as she went back to Minna.
"Would that be alright, Commander?"
"Of course, you can."
Izetta jumped with a luminescent blush as the commander chuckled. The Lieutenant once again bowed before leaning towards the reluctant White Witch. Major Sakamoto could not help but laugh at the unusual moment from the usually stern Lieutenant.
"So she finally decided to do it, huh?"
"But I did not get to do anything," Yoshika said with guilt.
"That's not true," Lynette objected. "You and Sister Izetta saved the Lieutenant. Isn't that enough? And now, the Barkhorn family saved your life as well."
"Well, I," Yoshika was distracted by another stern girl who approached her.
"Thank you," the Galian Witch surprised girl before turning face.
"Perrine-san?"
"I just wanted to express my gratitude for saving the Lieutenant."
"Well," Yoshika's slow response provoked a response.
"I give you thanks, and you're not even going to say, 'You're welcome' back!?"
"It's not that," Yoshika retorted before returning to a soft voice. "But I'm not the one you should be thanking."
"What is it, Yoshika-chan?" Lynette found her wondering about something else.
"The boy, that machine from before, it's still here."
"You're right," Mio observed their surroundings, only finding the insect-like robot that supported them. "Alice is not around here, either."
"Whoever he is, it's not our problem," Perrine hmphed. "As for that weird girl, she can run off for all I care."
"But she's our friend, just like Izetta," Lynette defended the Psionic girl. "And that machine helped us. Whoever he is, we should at least thank him."
"Correct," Mio nodded. "We need to assess the situation right away."
"Sakamoto-san?" Yoshika faced the Major.
"It's too early to report this, so we should know more about this machine and its pilot. If he is not an enemy, then he could be very helpful to us."
They were immediately interrupted when they heard some metallic collisions. They found Alice around the machine, which lost the purple wings and green mana it emitted.
(4)
"Hello? Hello? Is anyone in here!? HELLO!?"
The Psionic girl banged with her gauntlets while screaming at it. She'd been at this for a while since she landed and approached the robot that fought beside them. She expected him to respond for some time, but she got impatient and struck the unit.
She received her answer when the chest of the machine lifted upward. From there, a young teenage boy exited the vehicle. He wore a uniform, but as far as the other Witches can tell, it was something more for school than the military.
"Settle down," Kyoko called down to the Psionic girl. "I could have opened it up whenever you wished."
"So it really is a boy," Yoshika gazed about their sudden protector.
"Isn't that surprising?" the kid pilot stepped out while looking at the girls, especially by their legs. "And I thought a bunch of girls fighting in their underwear was weird."
"Our underwear?" Lynette said consecutively alongside Yoshika, both of whom wore embarrassing red cheeks on their faces.
"How rude," Perrine retorted violently at the boy. "Don't you know that I wear pants, too!"
"May I remind you that we have reasons and certain regulations for this attire," Minna defended her comrades with a sharp tongue.
"S-Sorry" he realized that he just offended them. "It's that I've already been through so much. Even now, I still wonder if this is all but a dream."
"We assure you this is all real," Mio glared with her open eye. "Now, would you care to state your name and affiliation?"
"Straight to the point, huh? Don't worry, I dealt with military personnel, so it's not a problem."
"How about we introduce ourselves first?" Yoshika walked to him.
"Miyafuji!"
"Miyafuji?" Kyoko repeated as she nodded and bowed.
"I am Yoshika Miyafuji of the Fuso Empire. Please to meet you!"
"Fuso Empire?" he shook his head. "Sorry, but I never heard of that."
"Eh, you've never heard of Fuso?"
"I'm afraid so," he said with regret. "The closest country I know of is Japan."
"Japan?"
The boy went to the other girls who regrouped.
"Sorry to should ask, but what year is this?"
"Huh!?" Perrine exclaimed. "First, you tell us about wearing our underwear, and now you ask us what year is this? What do you think are, some royal brat!?"
"Perrine," Mio silenced the girl before resuming. "May we ask why you're so concerned about the year?"
"Because where I ever I am, technology does not seem to be modern, not to mention the Machina Units you're wearing."
"Machina Units?" Yoshika said as a question. "Are you talking about our Striker Units?"
"Uh, yeah, that," Kyoko wasn't sure what to say. "And they all look like something I see from the second World War. Though I did not expect the Germans and Japanese to be so friendly with the British and French."
"Germans?" Gertrude said with sharp eyes. "We assure you that we are not Germanian."
"By the British, don't you mean Britannian?" Lynette also corrected him.
"Uh, yeah, if that's how you say it," he was unsure, but they sounded familiar enough that he could somehow say he was on planet Earth. "At least, there's some connection going on. Maybe I'm in the early stages before the war, or even a mixture with the first one, where it had nothing to do with it."
"What do you mean?" Mio eyed on the boy.
"Because I thought you would identify me as Chinese."
"Chinese," Yoshika trailed on the word.
"So you know about China?"
"We know about China, but…"
"Unfortunately, China has already been consumed by the Neuroi," Mio completed Yoshika's response.
"Neuroi?"
"That red and black machine you just destroyed, an enemy of mankind."
The boy leaned back on his machine and wiped the sweat off his head.
"I must have appeared on a different Earth then. And over 100 years into the past."
"A different Earth?" the Major narrowed her eye again.
"100 years?" Yoshika also found herself confused.
"Why are you saying this nonsense?" Gertrude responded. "Where exactly do you come from?"
"Because the year I come from is 2056 AD," the boy retorted. "And where I come from, China still exists, but never these machines you call Neuroi."
"2056?" Yoshika wondered.
"The Neuroi never existed?" Minna was skeptical of the boy's words, which added to his frustration.
"Sorry, even if you're military, I can't understand my situation if you don't tell me what's going on."
"You must be lost then," Minna had to make a decision. After all, it was not safe to have a conversation on an island close to Germanian soil. "If you can follow us, we'll give you an explanation of everything that's happened."
"Thanks. Sorry if I was aggressive."
Mio once again gave her laugh to the startled boy.
"There's no need to worry. We are also confused about what has happened."
"I'm glad someone understands," he turned to his humanoid machine before turned back. "By the way, can someone help me with something? I need someone to power my Titania. It can't fly without some mana."
"Titania?" Lynette was sure to have heard the name somewhere.
"It's this machine's name," the Chinese boy explained. "It's a Machina Weapon, just like your Striker Units, but it requires vast amounts of power."
"Didn't you fly it before?" Yoshika asked.
"I have some mana pool I can tap into that allows me to operate this machine, but I'm apparently out of energy."
"That's not surprising," Minna replied.
"In this world, male Witches exist," Perrine with pride, as if to mock the boy in retribution. "But they are rare and do not generate as much mana as typical female Witches. That's why we can operate Striker Units with ease."
"Male Witches, huh?" the boy stared at the Witches for a few seconds before returning to his Titania. "Well, the Mana Converter is delicate. They told me I'm the best and only person who can operate this without overloading it."
"Weren't you doing well just now?" Alice inquired. "You looked fine taking out that Neuroi and destroying those Germanian planes right about now."
"I don't generate mana as you do," the boy retorted. "Plus, I run on a limited pool that ran out when I landed here. Although, I noticed that it didn't happen when I was flying around before then."
"That's true," the White Witch came into the group.
"Izetta-san?" Yoshika turned to her.
"The energy you use is similar to mine. It absorbed Mana from an external source that allowed it to fly and fight."
"In other words," Minna concluded towards the boy. "You're dependent on the ley lines as well."
"Lay lines?"
"That's where my magic comes from," Izetta answered him.
"You're not like the girls with these Striker Units?" the boy inquired the White Witch, prompting her to shake her head.
"My clan is different, for our power does not come from within. We gain our energy from the Earth's ley lines. Some areas will have plenty of mana, while others have little or no magic. That's why I fight well in some places but am useless in others."
"That explains a lot of things," he muttered to the girl's confusion. "Does anyone else know about this?"
"It's only us. The rest who knew were hunted down and killed."
"I thought the AMF didn't have a presence here," The boy looked down and muttered to himself again.
"Pardon?" Minna heard some of his thoughts before he returned to the topic.
"Never mind, if you could help get the Titania started, I should be able to handle the rest."
"I understand, we will help you power your Titania. Then if you're so kind, follow back to base."
"I know the ley lines around here," Izetta offered. "You can follow me so you won't fall."
"I appreciate it," the boy thanked the girls before walking up to his unit. He paused for the moment before turning back to the girls. "By the way, my name is Kyoko Liu. I am formerly a student from Arahi Island, who recently returned to my parents' home in Singapore. I only hope I can get through this mess."
"Please to meet you, Kyoko-san," Yoshika kindly replied.
"Arahi Island?" Lynette drew a blank. "What's that?"
The alien boy sighed, knowing that he wouldn't have an easy time. Even though there were some similarities, he was thrown into a new world and into a different period in time. There is so much he will have to go over before they can understand, and that is if they believe him, and he can get used to everything around this strange place.
"Guess I have a lot of explaining to do where I'm going."
And there you have it, the end of the Episode and some of the third work. Below are some important files.
Machina Units
Machina Units (also called Machina Weapons) are simple in concept; they are machines powered by magic. They can range from simple machines, like guns or tools, to more complicated devices such as mecha, hovercrafts, autonomous drones, and flying warships. Although powerful by their own right, they have the same limitations as any advanced machine and require any person with engineering skills to design and create them.
The power source could vary depending on how it's designed. Some will use a battery, some will use a Mana Core that works not so different from a Fusion Reactor, and others use the pilot's own mana to power it. But the most important component in a Machina Unit is its Mana Converter, a device that works like a computer's CPU. While it can channel raw Mana, but its primary function is to convert it into other usable forms of energy, specifically electrical and mechanical for its electronic systems and motor functions respectively. However, the Mana Converter is different depending on how it's made and what systems it powers up. Not only does the efficiency vary, but so does its power requirements needed to operate it safely. Too little power and the Machina Unit will not work at all, or as efficiently as it should. Too much power and the Converter or other systems could burn out, if not explode. Therefore, it's always required to test the source's power level before activating the unit.
Hybrid-Machina Units have become more common in the present day. These machines are just like standard Machina Units, except they use non-magical, conventional power sources as an auxiliary system. This secondary power source is useful for whenever Mana is not available. For that reason, it has become popular with resistance forces who carry out operations under anti-magic conditions.
Titania Prototype
Unit Type: Prototype Machina Weapon
Crew: 1 (+1 Passenger)
Height: 6.9 meters
Weight: 8.7 metric tons
Armor: Unknown Fabrication Lattice
Cruising Speed: ~720 km/h
Maximum Speed: ~1,008 km/h
Minimum Optimization Power*: 2.0 Cs**
Safe Power^: 4.4 Cs
Ultimate Safe Power^: 6.5 Cs
Fixed Armaments: 1 x Combat Shield; 1 x Sword; 4 x Claws, mounted on arms; 2 x Mana Cannons, mounted on palms, 2 x Bullet Globes, mounted on shoulders
Hardpoints: 2 x mounted on shoulders
*: The minimum amount of Mana power needed to operate the Machina unit at optimal efficiency. Mana Power below the minimum will cause the machine to perform below normal levels.
**: Crystals, a measurement unit. Can be converted into Watts.
^: The maximum power that the Machina unit, or often its Mana Converter can handle. Above this point is when the systems start to fail and break down. The Ultimate Safe Power is how much it takes for the machine to explode instantaneously.
This Machina Weapon was discovered during an operation to seize a Phantasma Box, a vault that takes the form of ancient artifacts, particularly jewels, and conceals weapons of forgotten history. The Phantasma Box was accidentally activated by Kyoko Liu, a former student at Arahi No. 28 Middle School, when it released the Machina unit concealed within. He was forced to pilot the old and rugged machine by instinct while pursued by the AMF.
Kyoko immediately found safety from the Black Iris, a submarine-like flagship, whose crew codenamed it "Titania" after the fairy from a Midsummer Night's Dream and the butterfly-like energy wings it gives off from its boosters. The Machina Weapon became his primary means of combat despite its worn-out state from lack of maintenance, the development of more refined models, and the setup for left-handed pilots (As a violinist, Kyoko is more used to his right hand).
Over time, the crew managed to repair most of its damaged systems, including the two shoulder-mounted hardpoints used to store optional equipment on the back. Future analyses would lead to a mass-produced model on the Black Iris. Because the current technology is far behind what's found on the original Titania, this "prototype" remains an invaluable asset to the war effort.
As a fact, Kyoko Liu is a minor character introduced as early as Part I. It wasn't until Part IV that he became prominent due to his affiliation with the main character. In a sense, he's more a replacement central protagonist until Aya emerges to retake the spotlight.
Either way, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
