Now that the intermission is done, we can get back to the action with the Black Iris.
Before continuing, there will be something at the end of each chapter that's also part of Super Robot Wars, or at least from the more recent series.
Anyway, time to get to the chapter.
A few minutes have passed since everyone recovered from the effects of the spacetime distortion. When it reached the end of the tunnel, the personnel felt like they were spat out in random directions. They all flung towards the ocean and several of the nearby islands.
The Black Iris regained control of its descent despite its size. It was a miracle that the Gravity Drives remained undamaged during the previous battle, which played a factor in preventing it from crashing. However, there were still traces of damage such as multiple holes in the hull and deck. Regardless, the ship remained highly intact, as was the main bridge.
"General, we have exited the distortion," Maxine reported to their commanding officer. "Kurohana is conducting a system check and analysis of the environment."
"Do we have an idea of what caused the distortion?"
"No, but it's a near repeat of the first jump."
"That's twice that we were saved by luck," the General lamented, recalling the move the twins made. By combining their power, they blocked the same kind of attack that nearly got them killed the other time at the cost of being flung into another world. "There's something exceptional about those twins."
"The main server of the Black Iris is also intact," Maxine continued. "All information about the recent battle has been stored."
"We'll go over the data once we find a secure landing point. Is the area safe enough for us to land?"
"Scans show that the planet's atmosphere matches exactly that of Earth. We'll be able to exit the Black Iris without life support."
"I see," the General took a close look at the damage on the Black Iris's deck. He witnessed Commander Mio, who held onto another woman close to her age. He recalled her being one of the girls from the previous world, which prompted him to ask. "What are our available assets?"
"Everyone from the previous jump is still active," Maxine displayed their troops' locations on the central hologram. "The twins are on the portside bow with Ria helping an incapacitated Lia. Mio remains on the deck, and Officer Liu has no serious injuries."
"Did anything else get pulled into the distortion?"
"Several natives from the other world were pulled in with us. One of which was rescued by Commander Mio. The rest are scattered around the area."
The General did not know whether it was a sign of good or bad luck that many people ended up caught in their battles. However, they were friendly to Officer Liu and outright stated that they weren't hostile. The least they can do was help those who supported them.
"Issue the following orders to our available forces. Contact the nearby unknown magical girls and their affiliates. Perform search and rescue operations, and then bring them all on board the Black Iris for questioning."
"For questioning?"
"Officer Liu has gone MIA in the last few days, and these people are likely responsible for his recovery. We need everyone gathered for exchanging information and a brief overview as to what happened."
"Understood."
As the Black Iris gave out orders to its personnel, a particular White Witch searched a nearby island with trees and grassy fields. Izetta had barely enough mana, which was slowly replenished after nearly colliding with the Black Iris, to make a safe landing with her rifle. Even then, she tumbled onto the grass and ached from hitting her head on the back of a tree. Once she recovered, she stumbled around in her dress as she searched for her missing friends.
"Archduchess? Archduchess!"
After crossing over thorny bushes, she came across the Halifax bomber that carried the Archduchess. Although the plane made a controlled descent, the fuselage was the only part that remained intact. The wings were torn off, and flames of debris scattered the crash site. As for the people inside, no one seemed to be killed, though there were some injuries among the crew.
"Izetta?"
Finé's faint voice reached Izetta. Her dress was covered in dirt from exiting the wrecked vehicle, but she had no visible injuries.
"Archduchess, you're okay!"
Izetta ran up to Finé, who picked herself up with her arms only to get a glomp from the White Witch. As her friend was on the verge of tears, Finé comforted her with her hands wrapped around her.
"Yes, somehow…"
"Oh, Archduchess…"
"Talk about a rough landing," Alice interrupted the bonding moment. "Anyone see Tipler around?"
"I'm over here, Alice-sama," Tipler crawled out of the plane wreckage. He hopped over to Alice's side, hiding behind her legs. "I hope to never ride one of those again."
"The plane is damaged for sure," Finé observed the condition as the Britannian soldiers recovered the remaining guests. "But it looks like everyone got out safely."
"I'll say," Alice had to comment. "Count everyone lucky for them to be all still alive."
"What about the other Witches?" Izetta inquired. "What about Sister Bishop and Miss Miyafuji?"
"They're doing okay," Gertrude landed with Erica by her side. Unlike the other Witches who plunged into the water upon leaving the singularity, the two Karsland Witches regained control, allowing them to do a quick reconnaissance. "We found them into the ocean a while ago. Officer Lucchini is also with us."
Just before Izetta could sigh with relief, Major Sakamoto's voice came into the intercom.
"This is Major Sakamoto. Can anyone hear this?"
"We hear you clearly, Major," the Lieutenant replied. "We located Lucchini, Miyafuji, and Bishop. Now, we're with Miss Izetta, Miss Alcubierre, and all personnel from the Halifax. There are some with injuries, but none are critical."
"Understood," the Major confirmed. "Lieutenant Barkhorn, I need you to assist the Black Iris personnel in search and rescue and operations."
"M-Major?"
"You'll be commanding our efforts, Barkhorn. Retrieve the other nearby members of the 501st as well as the Halifax personnel. Bring them all to the ship's deck for a count. Officer Liu will salvage the Halifax and bring it to the hangar by orders of their General."
"U-Understood."
Gertrude complied as the intercom line ended. However, she could not ignore everything that happened in the previous battle, especially the Vilag and the Instructor's speech she gave about their world.
That distortion was unlike anything we saw before, not even those beings who were like that Psionic girl, the Lieutenant focused the Murlock, who remained hidden within Tipler's pack. Whatever her pet is hiding from us, it's something we have to find out.
Within the interior of the Black Iris was its hangar bay. Three additional large decks extended from the round hull, supported by large metal columns from the bottom deck, but these were used more as walkways for the upper floors. The main deck was the most important section, but not just for being so spacious for vast amounts of cargo or weapons. Four circular rings, each with mechanical arms and runes, manifested equipment on each corner of the central elevator. Said elevator led to the flight control center on the third deck in addition to bridges to their respective walkways.
The significant members of the Black Iris awaited their guests on a large square platform at the front of the hangar deck. The launch platform had an equally large circular glass panel that served as both an anti-gravity lift and a holographic projector for certain occasions. The platform currently served as a temporary conference center as it projected a circular table with chairs for their new guests.
"General, everyone is now accounted for," Maxine told Ishida to her left. "It seems all major political and military personnel from the other world are also present."
The twins were on the secretary's right, Commander Mio sat on the other side of the General with Kyoko adjacent to her. Accompanying Kyoko were the 501st members with Major Sakamoto and Lieutenant Barkhorn the closest to him. Finé, Izetta, and Alice occupied the remaining seats.
"Thank you for attending this briefing," the General greeted their new guests after observing them carefully. "We apologize for not finding a more suitable location."
"There is no need to worry," Finé returned the pleasure as she observed. "Though I admit, the ship is far more advanced for our time. Far more than we expected."
"Look at all of those runes," Francesca pointed to a row of holographic screens. "How are they all moving so quickly?"
"Those are all part of the ship's systems," Maxine explained. "They display information throughout the entire ship. Of course, the screens here are important for the Force Catapult system."
"Force Catapult?"
"This whole section you see through the interior of the bow," Maxine towards a tunnel with five large, evenly spaced rings that reinforced the bow, ending with the quarterly-split nose that capped the end. "The rear hangar has an extra launch deck and hangar area for small unmanned aircraft, but this was the main one for all large vehicles. Think of it as a far more advanced form of an aircraft carrier's launch system, one that relies on gravitational forces rather than steam or giant cables."
"Incredible…" Yoshika did not get the entirety of what Maxine talked about, but the rest 501st Joint Fighter Wing has the same feelings.
"What are those things? Who's controlling those machines?"
Lynette then caught the sight of small flying machines the hovered around the hangar bay. One type looked like binoculars with wings and fins. A few others looked like spearheads or Philips screw bits, also with wings and fins, that had a single lens in the center. Although they looked cute, Lynette felt a little unnerved about the machines poking in their meeting.
"They're Worker Drones," Ria answered. "And no one's piloting them, they're self-automated."
"Self-automated?"
"We understand that you have a lot of questions about our Black Iris," Maxine tried to calm the tense atmosphere. "If anything helps, we can give you a tour once this meeting is over."
"The two of us can show you all around and answer all the questions you have!"
"Max is better at explaining everything," Ria calmed her younger sister. "You'll just confuse the guests here."
"Furthermore, we need to gather more information about our new arrivals," General Ishida turned to the alien members of the conference. "If you may please?"
Major Sakamoto and Finé in compliance while Izetta shrugged next to the latter.
"We are willing to share all there is to know about our world."
"We are even more curious as to how you ended in our own in the first place."
"If you have anything you ask, you can tell us, right here and now," Alice interjected as well.
"That is exactly why we arranged this meeting," Ishida assured. "We greatly appreciate your cooperation."
"So," Commander Mio spoke beside him in a somewhat threatening manner. "Who's first in line to talk?"
All of the alien members were silent. Even among Major Sakamoto, Lieutenant Barkhorn, and Archduchess Finé, no one knew how to introduce their world just yet. Although they had a shared history with this world, as Kyoko stated, it would take time for them to go over the differences.
"Why don't we start with you?"
Maxine turned to Alice, much to their shock.
"With me?"
"As you know, the Black Iris and our members are not from your world," Max explained to Alice. "We were brought together by the unknown Special Weapon that had spacetime distortion capabilities."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"The distortions from the first jump matched the signatures used by the unknown enemies in the previous battle. And upon hearing that conversation from earlier, we believe that you would have more information as they were targeting you."
Alice had to chuckle at the moment.
"Funny that you should ask, I was going to say the same thing to Tipler here."
"Tipler?"
"That would be this fellow over here," Alice wrapped his arms around the Murlock in her pouch before showing him to the Black Iris officers. While the General and Mio remained unphased, Maxine showed signs of overload over the creature's appearance with Ria trying to calm her twin sister down.
"Are you sure this can give us information?" Ishida inquired with concern.
"There's no need for concern," Finé assured. "He may not look like it, but he can talk, and we're already used to that fact."
"Very well," the General complied. The others were surprised that he was taking the unusual very well for a high-ranking military officer. "So then…Tipler, is there anything you know about a certain incident? About these unknown distortions?"
"And what's with all this about me having a twin sister?"
"I…"
Tipler remained silent with anxiety. Never before did he feel threatened in any matter, and now he was intimidated by the very girl he was directed to protect. It took Finé's words to pressure him into giving more information.
"Please, Tipler. We can not help you if you tell us the whole truth. We can help you, but only if you tell us what we need to know."
With those words, the Murlock took a deep breath to regain his composure. He then started as he faced Alice.
"You remember when I said that I was in search of two people with Psionics?"
"Yes, and you said that I was one of them."
"The other is your twin sister."
"I get that part already, but how did that happen? I don't even remember having one in my life…"
Alice recalled the difference between her family and herself. It wasn't just skin color, but also how she behaved differently from her given family at Azteca.
"Coming to think of it…I didn't really fit in with my family at all."
"That's because you are both from the Convergence," Tipler answered. "As you noticed, the Vilag use Psionics, the same mental abilities powers you have. In that regard, you are supposedly the same as them."
"Then why are you desperate to protect me? In fact, why would I be sent to another world in the first place?"
"Because you are the key to breaking the current system," Tipler peeked over to everyone else in the meeting. "Do you remember what that Instructor woman said?"
"Yeah. The crazy woman talked about me being re-educated, or worse, executed just because I have too much power."
"The Vilag follow a strict and iron-fisted system on its own kind, just as how they did with us Murlocks. In our world, newborn children are taken away from their families and monitored throughout their development for any abnormalities. They all undergo the same processes and tests, and if any of them fail their expectations, they are removed from the system."
"Define 'remove from the system,'" Kyoko inquired.
"Children are banished from the villages and die out in the forests. Some are eaten right after birth by the Hunterbeasts and Hawkwasps. And some disappear without a trace as if they never existed."
"That's horrible," Lynette cried in sorrow. "No, those people are horrible! How could they enforce such a thing?"
"I don't know either. All that my Master told that they're under the illusion that's for the greater good,"
"Sounds like your Master is already abnormal if she finds this Convergence place that twisted," Ria lamented.
"The question is, why would she want to go against the Vilag?" Maxine asked the Murlock.
"Pardon?"
"The way I see it, they must have a closed system keeping the people wanting to preserve their system and obvious to the truth. Something must have happened for her to rebel against that."
"Maybe she gained some kind of self-consciousness and wanted to change what was wrong," Lia hypothesized.
"Or someone or something outright told her the truth, and she simply couldn't stand how things were done," Francesca took a lazy guess as she leaned her head on the table.
"Tell me about it," Alice responded. "From what I hear, the Convergence is a place where all timelines come together, and even time stands still."
"Does that mean," Yoshika stuttered as she shook over the implications. "Our worlds are all going to be the same as the Vilag?"
"That can't be right," Kyoko denied. "Even if I'm speaking to those from a world where anything is possible."
"Either way, it should explain why you appeared in that particular world," Sakamoto assumed. "And if what Tipler says is true, then I can accurately assume his master's intentions."
"Yeah?" Alice retorted. "And what would that be?"
"To develop your Psionic abilities freely," Mio answered to her surprise. "The way the Vilag society operates clearly shows that they fear aberrations growing unchecked and overthrowing the current system. If you were sent to a place without their supervision, you can grow your powers on your own free will and surpass the limits applied to the current system."
"If you put it that way," Alice didn't know how to answer but was on agreeable terms. "But that Instructor was something else. None of us could even lay a scratch on that woman, and she brought a bunch of strong disciples with her."
"Don't give up now, Alice-san!" Yoshika cheered for the Psionic girl.
"Yoshika?"
"To tell you the truth, I don't even know everything that's going on. I'm just about as lost as everyone. But I do know that if these Vilag people put everyone in danger, then we'll just have to get stronger until we beat them!"
I think she took the words straight from Trude's mouth, Erica thought to herself with a smirk.
"Sergeant Miyafuji is right," the Karsland Lieutenant agreed with her subordinate. "There's no telling when those Vilag are going to return, and I also don't understand how our worlds could end up the same future as theirs. However, Tipler's master is relying on us to improve Alice's powers and prevent this kind of future."
"Never mind saving the future," Kyoko added. "We don't even know where we are. For all we know, we could already be in a very different future in some alternate timeline that's not ours."
"Kyoko-san," Yoshika worried over the male magic users who talked with some hostility.
"I may not be the right person to say this, but aside from saving the Vilag's future, we have to return to our worlds. I didn't come with you guys just to die out in some unknown universe."
"Officer Liu is correct," Ishida agreed. "At the moment, we are gathering data of the surrounding area. Until the analysis is complete, we shall exchange information from the rest of our guests."
"We understand," Major Sakamoto complied. After receiving a nod from the Archduchess, she went ahead first. "As the highest-ranked officer of the 501 Joint Fighter Wing at the moment, I will start us off."
"Very well," Maxine acknowledged. "Please be kind to introduce yourselves."
"Squadron Leader of the 501 Joint Fighter Wing, Mio Sakamoto," the Major turned to Lieutenant Barkhorn. "The one next to me is the second-highest-ranking officer at present."
"Flight Lieutenant of the Karsland Luftwaffe and 501st Joint Fighter Wing, Gertrude Barkhorn."
"On the side, you have Flying Officer Lucchini, Flying Officer Erica Hartmann, Flight Sergeant Lynette Bishop, and our newest member, Flight Sergeant Miyafuji Yoshika."
"Pleased to make your acquittance," Ishida nodded to the younger members of the 501st.
"T-Thank you, G-General," Lynette hesitantly welcomed the officer.
"Now then," the blue-haired haired moved onto the next topic. "We would like to know more about your world, as well as the weapons you wield."
Sakamoto nodded as she went on.
"Our world is very similar to yours regarding geography. Each nation in our world has nearly the same territory, culture, and language as the alternate version of your world. What you call Japan in your world is named Fuso. Germany is Karsland, Britain is Britannia, and so forth."
"Do not worry," Erica assured. "For the most part, your Japanese and Germans are friends with the Allies this time."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ria still did not get it, which prompted Kyoko to explain concisely.
"They're from an alternate version of World War II where humanity isn't at war with itself."
"That's mostly correct," Mio confirmed. "Our timeline takes place in 1940 AD, around 111 years ahead of your time and in the middle of what you call the Second World War. But rather than fighting amongst each other, humanity is at war against the Neuroi."
"Think of them as alien airplanes that shoot lasers."
"Sentient airplanes," Lia pondered. "You mean like they're robots?"
"Perhaps I can give you a better explanation," Mio went ahead. "In our world, the Neuroi were black and red monsters that have existed since ancient history, just like the existence of us Witches. During that period, they only took the form of legendary creatures from regular mythology. However, other than the ancient times, encounters with Neuroi have been exceedingly rare as all evidence of their existence was erased."
"If they only took up the form of monsters, then what's the whole "airplanes" deal?" Ria inquired.
"As human civilization grew, so did the Neuroi. When they emerged from the Black Sea in full force, the Neuroi had already grown accustomed to humanity's new machines. At that point, the terms "machine" and "creature" did not matter."
"I guess when they came out with that much firepower, you couldn't do a whole lot against these Neuroi aliens."
Mio shook her head.
"It was not until the development of the Striker Unit that we were able to fight back. Striker Units are leg-equipped propeller-driven machines based on already existing plane designs used by normal humans, powered by engines that combine magic and steam or diesel technology."
"Machina Units in World War Two," Maxine hinted as Gertrude went on.
"Striker Units came into military service after the first few Neuroi attacks. However, only those who have magical power can operate these units. These selective few people are known as Witches."
"Witches," Ria caught the word with some distaste.
"We understand that Witches are magic users from another world," Maxine commented. "But we have not seen those of your type, with exceptions being people like Kyoko. Would you care to explain?"
"There are bloodlines throughout our world with the unique talent of generating magical power, all of which are as ancient as the Neuroi themselves," Gertrude continued. "Most of these magic users and all of the best were confirmed to female, hence the term Witches."
"However, not every Witch is the same," Mio pointed out. "A Witch can have multiple traits when it comes to wielding magic. For example, every Witch, no matter what the generation, can have a different level of power that they can use to operate Striker Units. More importantly, Witches of the same clan will have comparable abilities."
"You mean, one whole family could have fire powers?" Lia suggested.
"Something of the sort," Mio nodded nervously. "Furthermore, Striker Units amply a Witch's innate abilities tenfold, providing additional common powers such as high-speed flight, enhanced physical power, and the ability to deploy round shields that block Neuroi weapons."
"Shields that block lasers," Lia acted as if she wanted to see them in action.
"We understand that these powers make you a very versatile and powerful group," Maxine went on as she asked Mio. "However, for the sake of the other girls, we wish to know the status as Witches."
"Our status?"
"A number of us, including the former military personnel on this vessel, have a code regarding magic users regarding their treatment," Ishida explained.
"On the contrary," Mio answered. "Witches can enlist whenever they want, though it is inevitable that they become soldiers. However, even young Witches can have a lot of power and influence in the military thanks to our innate ability and importance in fighting the Neuroi. That power has grown ever since the formation of Joint Fighter Wings, military units composed of Witches from all Allied nations. The ones you see before you are part of the 501st, also known as the 'Strike Witches.' Even as a unit of many different backgrounds, experiences, and nationalities, we are one of the more elite units in taking down the Neuroi."
"I'll say," Lia cheered. "If you got such powerful magical weapons, you're sure to kick those Neuroi behinds!"
"Such simple-mindedness goes nowhere," Gertrude sounded so cold that she intimidated Lia.
"Barkhorn-san," Yoshika reacted to the Lieutenant's words as she continued.
"The Neuroi do not just take up the form of planes and multi-legged machines to attack our forces. When they conquer a territory, they establish a Hive that becomes their base of operations. Then, they start consuming the landmass around the Hive to make more of themselves and launch attacks elsewhere. Even now, the Allies are fighting a defensive war against the Neuroi with our unit stationed in the Britannian Isles."
"It makes sense, considering the period," Maxine interjected, recalling their world's history of that era.
"And that's not all their problems," Kyoko said from the side. "From what I understand, not humanity is out fighting the Neuroi. In fact, some of them are fighting alongside them."
"Are you sure?" Ishida narrowed an eye on him.
"Major," Finé intervened in the conversation. "Would you allow me to handle that topic?"
"Go ahead," Mio nodded, wanting to give the Archduchess a chance to talk.
"I apologize for not introducing myself yet," Finé began before the Black Iris crew. "I am Ortfine Fredricka von Eylstadt, but you can address me as Archduchess Finé."
"Archduchess," Ria crossed her arms. "From your name alone, I could tell that you were nobility, but you don't look like the one typical one from the fairy tale stories."
"Please, don't make fun of the Archduchess like that!"
"I…I…"
For once, Ria took a step back upon hearing Izetta's outburst. She never intended to insult someone of royalty, even if it didn't matter in her world.
"It's alright, Izetta," Finé put a hand over the red-haired Witch. "I'm fine with such comments."
"S-sorry, Archduchess!"
"And who would this girl be?" Ishida inquired.
"M-My name is Izetta," the White Witch hesitantly bowed before the General. "It's very nice to meet you, sir!"
"What's your affiliation?"
"Easy now," Finé went ahead to protect her. "Izetta is an old friend of mine and she's a lot more capable than you would believe."
"And what makes you say that?" Commander Mio narrowed her eyes on the frightened Witch. "She doesn't look like the soldier type one bit."
"She's the last of the Weisse Hexe clan," Lynette answered. "Also known as the White Witch, she belongs to the most revered clan in our world."
"Please, don't give her that much credit," Finé waved her hand.
"But it is true that thanks to her power that Eylstadt has become a significant member among the Allies," Mio backed the Flight Sergeant.
Finé nodded as she continued.
"The majority of humanity is fighting the Neuroi, but not all nations are taking an active role against them. One such nation is the recently created Empire of Germania, which was formed from what used to be Karsland."
"Germania," Commander Mio smirked at the name. "Sounds an obvious name for the bad guy Germans in our war."
"Indeed, and with the rest of the world recovering from the recent wars, Germania began a campaign of conquest that spread across Europe. It wasn't long before they started invading my country, the Duchy of Eylstadt."
"Is this Eylstadt country of yours conquered?" Maxine asked.
"It was on the verge of complete conquest in a couple of days, but you can thank my friend for stopping that completely." Finé went to the blushing Izetta. "Initially, I was captured by the Germanians in my attempt to negotiate with the Allies. But during my escort, I happened to be in the same plane as Izetta, who was made a test subject of the Empire. Since then, she has helped us by fighting off the Germanian armies and keeping Eylstadt safe from further invasion."
"I-I just didn't want you to feel sad anymore…"
"Although the Weisse Hexe clan has existed long before, it achieved legendary status when one of their kind, known as the White Witch, saved Eylstadt from another invasion. Since then, Eylstadt has become a sacred landmark for the clans throughout Europe. It became a worldwide phenomenon when Izetta repelled Germania's invasion of Eylstadt, reinvigorating her legendary status among Witches."
"Does that mean she's the most powerful among your group?" Maxine asked the Archduchess.
"Under circumstances, yes. However, my friend has a crippling weakness that differentiates her power from the clans. One that would restrict her abilities outside of our world."
"What kind of weakness is that?"
Izetta then stepped in to answer Ria's question.
"Unlike normal Witches, my power does not come from within. Instead, there are ley lines that leak out magic throughout the Earth, which we then absorb for our use. Some areas are devoid of ley lines, so I can't even lift a rock. On the other hand, places like Eylstadt have lots of mana, so I can use my magic freely."
"I see, we can understand how that can affect your ability out here," Maxine wanted to give some sympathy to the Witch. "Does anyone else know about this?"
"All those who know about this use it to their advantage to kill our kind and those who protect us," Izetta said with a sweet, but dissonant smile. "Right now, I'm the last Witch among my bloodline."
"But your friends and allies are apparently aware of this fact," the blue-haired officer turned to the rest of the 501st.
"Currently, it's shared only among the Archduchess's cabinet and those among our unit," Sakamoto assured. "However, the Germanians have made unexpected moves in the past week and puts everything at risk."
"What kind of unexpected moves?"
"In the last battle, the Germanians revealed to us that they can control the Neuroi," Finé answered. "And we assume the previous battle was arranged to discover Izetta's weakness."
"World War Two Germans using alien technology to conquer the world," Lia toyed with the thought. "I swear I saw something like that in our world."
"But that's all fiction," Ria bumped her from the side. "This is real, and if they can control these aliens and know how to defeat your most powerful Witch, then the Allies can be in a lot of trouble here."
"Never mind them," Kyoko remarked. "We, too, are in a bunch of trouble considering our circumstances."
"Agreed," Ishida nodded "And since we do not have that much crew, we'll need every hand we can get."
"Well then," the Archduchess pressed onto the next matter. "I believe it's your turn to explain everything."
"We understand. However, it appears that Officer Liu has already given some information."
"Only the minimal details," Major Sakamoto mentioned. "And we do not know much other than you're Kyoko's superior officers."
"Then we shall get started," Max went ahead. "To start, I am Maxine Stapleton, Lieutenant of the Arahi Military Forces, First Officer of the Black Iris, and a magical girl liaison for General Ishida."
General Ishida nodded his head as Mio went next.
"Mio Sergeant, Commander of the complementary forces within the Black Iris, another one of the General's XOs, and acting leader of Arahi magical girl military units."
Maxine then turned to the twins.
"The two girls you see before you are the Ustez twins, Lia and Ria."
"Twins!?" Yoshika's eyes widened over the two. "But they look so different!"
"Don't let our personalities and appearances fool you," Ria remarked. "We were born simultaneously from the same mothers, and that's all the proof you need."
"Neither have military rank, but they are invaluable assets to the Black Iris and resistance groups overall," Max noted. "Finally, we see that you're already familiar with Officer Kyoko Liu, who has become a pilot for our Titania Machina Unit."
"We are more than familiar with Officer Liu," Sakamoto commented. "We also understand that he's under your command in your war against the Anti-Magic Faction."
"From what we understand, you're rebelling against a worldwide organization that hunts magic users," Finé joined in. "If you don't mind, can you explain more?"
"What you said is the gist of it," Maxine confirmed. "Just like your world, magic exists in ours, and the most prominent of them are young females. For this reason, the world classifies us as 'magical girls.'"
"In other words," Ria said to the side. "You're no different from us."
"So you grow animalistic traits, just like when we operating Striker Units?" Lynette was curious about their system.
"Not exactly," Maxine corrected her. "However, but these transformations are important because they allow magical girls to access their powers and switch back to normal girls. Furthermore, it must be often done by using a trinket."
"A trinket?"
"A brooch, a pen, a jewel, a crystal, or a wand. Usually, they are small items specified for that particular transformation and connect to an external source that gives them their powers, though it's not always the case."
"So, what external source would yours be?" Major Sakamoto raised a question. "Where do your magical girl powers come from?"
"These small white crystals right here," Ria showed a crystal white, translucent rod at the palm of her hand with her twin sister. It was less than a foot long and three inches in diameter. "And they are connected to the entity of Hope."
"Entity?"
As Lynette remained confused about the word, Maxine cared to explain.
"In our world, there are two elements that are the sources of all mass and energy in the world, two metaphysical entities that transcend the power of even what we perceive as gods. And they are constantly in motion, always interacting, creating, destroying, and shifting the universal order. One of these entities is what we call Hope, which slowly but surely manifests these crystals in areas where there's a lot of negativity and depression. We call these trinkets 'Hope Crystals,' and for reasons we cannot be sure of, they only activate for women."
"Then why does Mr. Liu have powers, too?" Lynette raised a good question regarding Liu's powers.
"His case is different," Maxine put the topic aside. "For now, you should know that these crystals aren't supposedly made for just any girl. They normally appear for those who have suffered great misfortune and stress in their life. Years of bullying and parental abuse, loss of loved ones, crippling accidents, incurable diseases, anything that horribly affects their life make them candidates for these Crystals."
"I see, so they bring hope to those who have none," Mio Sakamoto concluded.
"An accurate interpretation. However, even the transformation sequences are different, especially when it comes to the first time."
"W-What do you mean?" Francesca asked in frustration. "Is activating a crystal for the first time that important?"
"When a girl activates a Hope Crystal for the first time, she is 'registered' by the Hope Entity for the lack of a better word. The entity analyzes the girl by her background and, more importantly, her deepest desires. All those then determine what powers, uniforms, and weapons you would have. When all goes well, she becomes a full-fledged magical girl."
"Weapons to achieve one's desires," Erica had some malevolent thoughts as Maxine continued.
"Furthermore, the Hope Crystal itself turns into the girl's primary weapon, which reverts to its original form when she transforms back to a normal girl. Unlike most other systems, these crystals can exchange hands with other magical girls who lost their crystals."
"I can see how that makes your system a lot more flexible than ours," Sakamoto complimented. "But that doesn't explain how Officer Liu possesses magical power."
"Officer Liu is what you can call a byproduct of a magical girl's existence," Maxine turned to the young boy. "A common effect of being a magical girl is leaving residual energy, which can affect nearby people. At some point, it can cause a mutation among these ordinary citizens, suddenly giving them a capacity to store mana and utilize it for their own purposes."
"From what I understand, they refer to me as an Acolyte," Kyoko stated the name of such people.
"Acolytes require an item they are strongly attached to, but once they have it, they can use their stored mana and use unique powers that they manifested."
"What is your item?" Yoshika asked the boy.
"A violin bow," Kyoko took it out form his backpack, which transformed from a simple wooden bow with string into a Damascus-colored one with blue lines and silvery-blue strings. "My family always wanted me to be a violinist, so it's a treasured keepsake. But other than using the bow like a sword and operating my Titania, I haven't explored much about my Acolyte powers."
"And that's not all," Maxine mentioned. "Acolytes have little or no mana regeneration, and they must gather more mana residue to regain their powers."
"Just like how the Izetta relies on ley lines…"
Finé and Izetta nodded in agreement, coming to the same conclusion regarding Kyoko's power.
"Is that the reason why you have Kyoko around?"
"None by any means," "Like we said, we do everything to treat magic users humanely and allow them their freedom. Unfortunately, that kind of freedom isn't available yet.
"The Anti-Magic Faction," Finé presumed, prompting Maxine to nod.
"Throughout history, the AMF existed as a secret society that hunts down magic users wherever they appeared. Besides having their personal army and technology beyond most of the world, they also use their influence to erase or demonize their existence. Religion, politics, military, economic powers, you name it."
"Why would they do such horrible things?" Yoshika had rare feelings of anger empathized by the rest of the team.
"We have many theories, and everyone we have encountered had different reasons. What matters is that no matter how friendly or innocent magic users are, they make all attempts to off us. However, it's thanks to that reason that we magical girls began armed resistance. This ship, the Black Iris, represents the spearhead of our counterattack against the AMF."
The girls all looked around the interior of the ship in awe around Maxine.
"Originally, it was supposed to be an emergency flagship vessel created by the military in case of apocalyptic circumstances or collapse of the government. Thanks to us magical girls, we not only completed this vessel but upscaled it by giving upgrades to accommodate for our fight against the AMF. Of course, when the AMF invaded our home island, we had to use this as a temporary home."
"You should see all of the features we've put onto the ship," Lia chanted from the side. "Besides a launch bay, this also serves as a personal stadium!"
"This is a personal stadium?" Lynette raised an eyebrow in surprise as she examined the platform. "You mean like concerts and games on?"
"You have quite the interesting of recreation," Major Sakamoto said after giving a heartful laugh.
"Such a ridiculous use of equipment," Gertrude scorned.
"There are also many critical features to make this machine ever so versatile," Maxine resumed. "It takes in the surrounding ocean water for both oxygen collection and water desalinization and purification. And apart from manufacturing parts, the Assemblers can produce food in our kitchen. The only problem we have collecting the matter to do so, one of the few reasons we go to the surface in times of war."
"I'll admit, you clearly plan for every accommodation and situation," Sakamoto had to comment again. "But considering your enemy, we should not find that surprising."
"But we're not just a mobile home base for the resistance," Maxine clarified. "Magical girls and their allies are all over the planet, but we are essentially a forward base for offensive strikes against the AMF. However, the recent battles have hindered our capabilities. And with most of our forces are back on our world, we are operating under a skeleton crew, forcing Kurohana to operate our systems."
"Kurohana?" Yoshika asked, wondering who that was.
"It's the name of the ship's device that automatically regulates its systems. Once we have enough personnel to manually run the ship's systems, it can safely create a human-like Avatar to personally interact with the crew. Think of it as like a human being made by the ship itself."
"Amazing…What kind of person is she?"
"Unfortunately, the Avatar Interfacing System is inoperable," Ishida entered the conversation. "Until we regroup with our other forces, she won't be able to meet face-to-face."
"And that's not the worst of our troubles," Max added. "Most of our weapon systems are damaged or depleted of ammunition, leaving us exposed to enemy fire. If we engage in a serious firefight, the Black Iris will go down for sure."
"Then we shall not let that happen," Sakamoto assured.
"M-Major?" Gertrude turned to her commanding officer.
"I agree with the Major," Finé joined in. "It appears that we have no means of returning home, so we're in this together whether you like it or not."
"Are you sure?" Maxine took a look at the Striker Units that they recovered, which were not in good shape. "Most of your machines are not in any condition to fight, and the war against the AMF is ours. We cannot force you to get involved."
"We understand everything you've been through, and with the Vilag threat still around, an alliance with you is inevitable. Witches will never watch idly when everyone's worlds are at stake."
"I also want to help you," Izetta sided with the Major. Finé already understood that she's made her decision to fight as did several of the other 501st members. "I don't understand much of this either, but if the Archduchess and her country are in danger, I want to do anything to help."
The other Black Iris personnel saw how the other girls remained silent. It was clear that the others have made up their minds as well.
"We appreciate your consideration," the General nodded in acceptance before some beeping on a screen near Maxine. "Lieutenant?"
"It's Kurohana," Maxine read the information coming from the ship's computer. "The data analysis of the surrounding area is complete and…hold on."
"What is it, Lieutenant?"
"Kurohana asks us to head up to the bridge for further details."
It wasn't long before the Black Iris officers reached the bridge. Finé, Izetta, Sakamoto, and Gertrude were allowed to come up to the bridge as the holograms opened. They could still not get over the incredible technologies onboard the massive vessel.
"What's going on?" Finé approached Maxine, who interfaced with the screens.
"Kurohana contacted multiple communications satellites in the past couple hours. They're more advanced than the ones back in our Earth but are still open to the public. We should be getting receiving map data shortly."
The screens then projected a map of Earth, one that the guests were familiar with since it was Earth before Neuroi devoured must of the landmass. A golden blip appeared in the East China Sea, close to Fuso, or what the Black Iris crew called Japan.
"General, it looks like we have arrived on Earth again. Coordinates indicated we're at 35 North, 138 East."
"Could this be your original Earth?" Finé asked the Lieutenant.
"I'm afraid that is not possible," Max split the map into two, with one showing red markings. The most notable difference was a missing island in the South China Sea. "For starters, our home nation of Arahi does not appear on the given maps of this Earth. The political geography is also vastly different since we have four power blocs. This one has only one large superstate that's currently at war with a worldwide collection of smaller nations. Finally…the calendar of the planet states the year is 2088 AD, more than 30 years head of our current timeline."
"So we didn't just jump to a whole new Earth, but also a different time," Ishida concluded. "What about the condition of the Black Iris?"
"Nothing is too critical at the moment. The Gravity Drives are still functioning, but our underwater propulsion system has been damage. We won't be able to go underwater until it repaired. As for our armament, we only have one volley of tactical missiles left, and several of our Bullet Globes have been damaged. Repairs are underway, but it will still take some time everything is complete, not to mention we're running low on usable metal ore for conducting repairs. Unless we find a location where we can produce the needed resources, the situation isn't favorable for us."
"Is there any place where you can land?" Major Sakamoto asked.
"Kurohana has scanned the nearby islands for acceptable landing zones, but none of them appear to be safe or stable. However, she has recommended a point of interest not far from here."
"What kind of interest?" Ishida inquired.
"At first, images showed a military base that has come under attack by an enemy force. Naturally, it would be wise to avoid such dangerous areas."
"Why would Kurohana recommend a suicide mission into a warzone?" Finé wondered.
"Because apparently, there's another spacetime distortion manifesting in that area."
Once again, the General and the others weren't sure to take this as a good or bad sign. The Black Iris wasn't ready for full-scale combat either. But if there was something that allowed them to home, they had to go and investigate.
INTERRUPTION MESSAGE
Alice: This is a save spot for Magical Girl Convergence, huh? Say, Tipler, how did you manage to get one of these?
Tipler: I-I didn't, Alice-sama.
Alice: Come on, Tipler. Should you be out here saying something to the readers?
Tipler: Well, I…
Alice: If you're not going to say something, then I will. They're not going to stick around forever.
Alice: Hope you're out there cheering for me! Because if you don't, the Vilag's going to win, and no one's going to like their kind of future.
Alice: What new adventures await us in the next chapter? You'll have to stay tuned to find out. Gotta run!
Tipler: …
Tipler: Why am I the one close this skit?
Tipler: Oh, Alice-sama, you're always the one to rush into things…
So, after an overview of each series introduced so far, the Black Iris in enroute to the next spacetime distortion.
And from here on out, there will be these little messages similar to those in the SRW games.
Either way, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
