Book 5: The Blaster Master
Chapter 8: Truths Revealed
Sector 1: Forest Area
Inside Sector 1, Blade (Reiko in her battlesuit) was already doing some work clearing out the remaining mutants that are retreating to Sector 7. After slicing off one mutant in half, she sheathed her blade and returned to camp where she saw Bronya, Shirabe and Aile (as MegaMan Model X) already there.
"Good to see some backup here." Blade greeted the arrivals.
"Good to see you too, Blade." Aile greeted back. "Status report?"
"I've just taken care of the last remaining mutants hiding in this sector. All that's left now is to eliminate the ones retreating from Sector 4, 5 and 6."
"Nice work." Aile nodded. "We must not let them leave Sector 1, so we're cutting off their escape route."
"The mutants will usually take the link tunnels to escape, but they seem to have other methods." Bronya stated.
"You mean there are detours that are not found on the map?" Shirabe guessed.
"Precisely." Bronya nodded.
"Aile, stay here and defend the camp while I search for those detours the mutants are using and destroy them. Shirabe, Bronya, block the route leading towards Sector 4. Jason's team will be arriving soon using that link tunnel so keep an eye out." Blade ordered.
"Roger!" The group nodded.
"Good luck, girls! Move out!" Aile said as she stayed behind to defend the camp while Blade runs off to begin her search, and Bronya and Shirabe head for the route leading towards Sector 4 to cut off the mutant's retreat.
"Aile! More mutants are heading this way!" Kohaku reported as she arrived.
"Looks like we missed a few." Aile frowned, preparing her X-Buster. "Lock and load, guys! We've got more mutants coming our way!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
As Blade began searching around Sector 1, she was able to find a secret cave where she saw numerous mutants leaving the cave. "There it is..." She thought while hiding in the bushes. She then materialized a C4 Remote Bomb using her Zikan Phone, went to the side of the cave entrance and placed the bomb near it before hiding back in the bushes to avoid detection. "And now to follow the mutants to where they're going." She then followed the mutant's direction until moments later, she found the other cave entrance leading towards Sector 2. She took out another C4 Remote Bomb and placed it near the cave entrance before hiding back inside the bushes. "Okay, the bombs are set." She pulled out the detonator on her left hand with the other hand holding the HF-Blade handle. "Sorry, but you're not leaving here alive." She thought before pressing the button.
*BOOM! BOOM!*
Both bombs detonated at the same time and destroyed the cave openings, sealing away the mutant's retreat routes while also burying the ones inside the caves. With their retreat route cut off, Blade threw away the detonator, leaped towards the surprised and confused mutants, and began slashing them in lightning speeds before they could react. And moments later, only Blade was left standing while all of the mutants were slain as she sheathed her HF-Blade. "(May you rest peacefully in the afterlife.)" She whispered before looking around. "I'd better check if there's any more detours the mutants are using to escape." Afterwards, she continued her search for the next hidden cave entrance.
Meanwhile with Bronya and Shirabe, they've just arrived at the route leading towards Sector 4 where they saw the mutants retreating. "There they are..." Shirabe observed as she and Bronya hid in the bushes. "Bronya-chan, how should we proceed?"
"It will take a while for Jason's team to arrive, so the only thing we can do is to eliminate every single retreating mutant, or else the infiltration on Sector 7 later on will become a bit difficult for the strike team." Bronya replied.
"Understood." Shirabe nodded with her razor yo-yos ready while Bunny the floating mecha appeared behind Bronya before the latter sat on Bunny's hand. "So we must not let those mutants escape."
"Ja." Bronya nodded back with her X-Baton Blaster ready. "It's time to begin the extermination. And Shirabe, you may sing to gain the mutant's attention."
"Hai. Let's do this!" Shirabe replied as she and Bronya head straight for the retreating mutants.
(Play BGM: Genocide Saw Heaven by Shirabe Tsukuyomi)
The moment Shirabe began singing, it earned the attention of the mutants as they saw her and Bronya approaching. The mutants began firing projectiles at them, only for Bunny to summon yellow forcefields onto Shirabe and Bronya to protect themselves before it retaliated with cluster missile fire that obliterated groups of mutants. During the attack, Bronya kept firing her blaster onto the mutants with burst shots and charge shots while Bunny fired a laser cannon which mowed down more groups of mutants.
As for Shirabe, she kept dodging the mutant projectiles and claw swipes with her ice-skating skills before retaliating with several swings of her razor yo-yos before finishing her combo by unleashing a pair of pink slash-waves at the mutants.
Beta Style: Spiral Wave
She then continued her assault by leaping high into the air and unleashed a storm of small saw-blades out of her armor compartments and onto the group of mutants.
Alpha Style: 100 Saṃsāra
Back with Bronya, she briefly hop out of Bunny's hand and commanded it to attack the mutants in close range while Bronya fired her X-Baton Blaster at a few mutants with burst and charged shots. One mutant was about to attack Bronya from behind, only for it to get shot in the head by her with a fast reaction time. However, she didn't notice two more mutants that are lunging behind her, but they were sliced in half by a pair of large flying buzz-saws thrown by Shirabe.
Gamma Style: Swastika Kasha
"I've got your back, Bronya-chan!" Shirabe said after landing behind Bronya, standing back-to-back.
"Hmm... the Bronya thinks we could call in some help." Bronya remarked while firing her blaster with Bunny attacking more mutants in close range.
And just after Bronya said that, several flying sword fragments began ripping through the surrounding mutants to pieces before they flew back to the one standing atop a small cliff. "Someone mentioned calling in some help?" Blade smirked as the sword fragments retracted back into her sword before sheathing it.
"Blade?!" Bronya and Shirabe exclaimed.
"I've just taken out the last of the hidden routes the retreating mutants were using. Only thing left to do now is to deal with the ones you're facing right now." Blade informed before leaping off the cliff and landing in front of the girls.
"In that case, we'll have to finish this in one blow." Bronya declared, using her Zikan Phone to change into her Valkyrie Chariot battlesuit. "Bunny, come!" In response, the mecha rejoined her partner after firing a cluster missile at one group of mutants. "The Bronya will command Bunny to fire a black hole bomb to trap them inside. Afterwards, you two will finish them off in one strike."
"Hai./Got it." Shirabe and Blade nodded before they turned to more groups of mutants approaching them.
"Make it count!" Bronya said before Bunny aimed its arm cannon 45 degrees above the mutants while charging its energy. Once fully charged, the mecha fired the black hole bomb right above the mutants before it exploded, using its gravity to pull the groups of mutants inside its sphere and trapping them.
"Guess I'll have to borrow GV's line for this." Blade said, moving her left leg back and her right leg forward and bent, her head down with her eyes closed, her right hand gripping on the katana grip and the other hand on the sheath. "Oversurge... Azure Striker..." Her body began to generate azure blue lightning as she prepared to use a sword skill.
As for Shirabe, she prepared her razor yo-yos while unfolding her Armed Gear twin-tails which each compartment splitting into two, revealing four saw-blades.
Reverse Gamma Style: Reckless Swastika Finish
"Now!" Shirabe shouted as she and Blade rushed towards the black hole sphere and unleashed a swift combined slash with the strength of their weapons before landing several steps behind the sphere with Blade having her sword half-unsheathed.
"Thunderblade Flash." Blade whispered her attack skill before sheathing her sword, causing several pink and azure blue slash marks to appear on the black hole sphere before detonating into a large electrical explosion that obliterated the trapped mutants to dust. "(May you rest peacefully in the afterlife.)" She whispered with her head raised and her eyes opened.
(BGM End)
"No sign of any retreating mutants left." Bronya said as she rejoined the group with Bunny behind her.
"That's good to hear." Blade replied.
"Now that I think about it, Jason's team must've noticed the retreating mutants as they're returning back to Sector 1." Shirabe pondered.
"Hmm... you might be right." Bronya replied. "Maybe that is why there's no more retreating mutants left."
"Not to mention me sealing off those detours to prevent them from escaping, forcing them to take the normal route." Blade added. "By the time they arrive, Jason's team would wipe them out with no trouble."
"Considering how strong our team has become, I wouldn't worry about them too much." Shirabe smiled, until she noticed two pair of headlights at a distance. "And speaking of Jason's team, here they come now!"
They turned to the approaching headlights and waved as SOPHIA III and Rairyu arrived, stopping in front of the girls. "Hey girls! How's everything?" Gunvolt greeted from inside Rairyu.
"Everything's fine, GV." Blade replied. "I assume you guys ran into some mutants on the way back?"
"That's right. But nothing we can't handle considering the upgrades the MAs have gotten." Copen replied back.
"And more importantly, we've found Fred inside Sector 6." Jason added, shocking the girls.
"You finally found him?!" Shirabe gasped.
"Yup." Ashe confirmed. "But he took some damage from those mutants. But thanks to Laura defending him from the mutants, he'll live."
"I've already finished repairing him, so he's good as new." Eve added.
"Wait..." Bronya blinked. "Damaged? Laura?"
"Yeah... about Fred... turns out he's actually a drone this entire time." Grey revealed.
"And as for Laura, she's also one of the Dimensional Quake victims." Volnutt added. "We've also found Houki and Charlotte in Sector 4 and 5 respectively, and they're also one of those quake victims. They're inside SOPHIA III right now, taking a nap after those expeditions with us."
"...EH?!" Shirabe, Bronya and Blade exclaimed at the reveals.
"It's a very long story, so let's save that when we return to Guardian Base." Joule said.
"But enough about us. Did anything happen while we're gone?" Lola asked.
Blade cleared her throat after shaking off her state of shock. "Well, since you guys liberated Sector 4, 5 and 6, the mutants began retreating from those sectors including Sector 1, and they're heading for Sector 7, probably to regroup since they know we'll be heading there next. I was able to destroy those secret detours the mutants are using to escape before eliminating them."
"While the Bronya and Shirabe took care of the ones retreating from the link tunnel." Bronya added.
"As for the ones retreating from Sector 2 and 3, Prairie told us to leave them alone." Shirabe also added.
"Fair enough." Copen noted. "Because if you did chase after them, the mutants will probably set up an ambush up ahead."
"Mm. You're right." Shirabe nodded.
"Anyway, let's hurry back to Aile and give her a hand. She might be dealing with a few more retreating mutants." Blade said.
"Then let's get moving!" Jason declared as they head for Guardian Camp to assist Aile and the Guardians with the defence.
Back with Aile, she, Kohaku and some of the Guardian troops are holding the line, firing their weapons at the attacking mutants. "Keep up the pressure! Blade and the others will regroup with us the moment they finished their tasks!" Aile stated, firing a charged shot at the mutants with her X-Buster.
"I just hope they don't take too long! We can only hold the line for a limited time!" Kohaku replied, firing a charged shot at another mutant with her X-Baton Blaster.
But then a female reploid Guardian troop with brown hair arrived with a worried look on her face. "We've got a bit of a situation here!"
"What happened, Platane?" Aile asked.
"A few of the mutants have breached the defensive line and are now heading straight for the elevator!"
"What?!" Aile and Kohaku exclaimed with wide eyes.
"I'll stay here and keep up with the defence! You go on ahead and chase them down!" Platane said to Aile.
"Okay!" Alie nodded. "Kohaku, I'll leave the rest to you!"
"Got it! And hurry!" Kohaku nodded back before Aile quickly dashed towards the location of the elevator while Kohaku and Platane resumed with the defence.
"Model X, got a reading on the mutants heading for the elevator?" Aile asked.
"It should be close by. If you can hurry, you might be able to catch up to them." Model X replied.
"Then I'd better step it up!" Aile replied back, using her battlesuit's dashing ability to go even faster. And moments later, she finally arrived at her destination, only for her to immediately take cover from the mutants firing at her. "Tch...!" She muttered, preparing to charge her X-Buster again, only for her to gasp with wide eyes when she saw the elevator doors opening up. "No!"
When the doors opened however, the mutants were quickly eliminated by a storm of energy arrows and blue laser beams until all of them are dead. "...Huh?" Aile blinked in confusion, stopping her energy charge before approaching the elevator. And then she sighed with relief and smiled at what's inside the elevator. "Well... if that's not perfect timing, then I don't know what is, Geiz."
"Sorry we're late. We came as fast as we could after dropping off Prairie back to Guardian Base." Geiz replied, lowering his Zikan Zax Yumi Mode before gesturing to the one next to him. "Also, Cecilia wants a shot at those mutants."
"Ah, so you're Cecilia, one of the victims of the Dimensional Quakes. Geiz and Prairie mentioned you before." Aile noticed the newcomer who was wearing her blue IS called Blue Tears, consisting of four floating angular wings, a pair of missile pods folded back on the sides of her waist, and white and grey leg-guards along with wielding a beam rifle with a scope. She's also wearing a blue and black one-piece swimsuit and a blue headpiece with a green circle on the center. "I'm Aile, nice to meet you. Nice power suit, by the way."
"The pleasure to meet you too, and thanks for the praise." Cecilia smiled back, lowering her rifle. "This exo-suit is my IS, Blue Tears."
"IS stands for Infinite Stratos, by the way." Geiz clarified.
"Ah, gotcha." Aile nodded.
"And what kind of battlesuit are you wearing, Aile?" Cecilia asked.
"A special one after I fused with a Biometal, a special artifact that contains weapon data and abilities."
"Interesting..." Cecilia mused.
"Anyway, status report on the mutants?" Geiz asked.
"Blade is searching for any hidden detours the mutants are using to escape to Sector 7, while Bronya and Shirabe are dealing with the ones retreating from Sector 4's link tunnel." Aile informed.
"And what about Jason's team?"
"Well..."
"Actually, we've just arrived." Said the arriving MegaMan Volnutt, surprising Geiz and Aile.
"Volnutt?!" Aile exclaimed.
"Our team saw the mutants retreating while we're on our way back using the link tunnel, so we had to eliminate them first." Volnutt informed. "Oh, and we've already met up with Bronya, Shirabe, Blade and Kohaku. They should be at the camp assisting with the defensive line, but they'll be done in no time."
"Thank goodness for that." Geiz replied as he and Aile sighed with relief. "Anything else they find during their excursion?"
"First; we finally found Fred in Sector 6, though it was revealed to be a drone the entire time."
"The frog was a drone?!" Aile exclaimed.
"Yeah, Laura, Charlotte and Houki confirmed it after seeing its circuits coming out of its damaged body. Good thing Laura was with Fred, protecting it while fending off the mutants with her IS until our arrival."
"...What did you say?" Cecilia gasped with wide eyes upon hearing the familiar names, along with mentioning the IS.
"...Houki, Charlotte AND Laura?! What the heck have I been missing while Prairie and I were at the EDF Base?!" Geiz mentally exclaimed, also feeling the same way as Cecilia.
"Hm?" Volnutt blinked before noticing the British blonde. "I'm sorry, who are you?"
"Cecilia Alcott, British Cadet for IS Academy." She introduced before giving a demanding glare. "Now then... did you just say Houki, Charlotte and Laura? And the IS?"
"Wait... Cecilia?!" Volnutt's eyes widen in shock. "You're one of Houki's classmates! I was able to learn about Infinite Stratos thanks to her." He gestured his thumb behind him. "If you're looking for her and her friends, they're at the camp back there."
"Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me..." Cecilia replied before boosting towards the given direction.
"Ah, wait a sec- aaand she's gone." Geiz sighed.
"Huh, she must be really worried about them." Aile commented.
"Speaking of which..." Geiz turned to Volnutt while dispersing his Zikan Zax. "How did you find Houki, Charlotte and Laura? Were they at the other sectors?"
"Well, I found Houki at Sector 4's domain, Charlotte was found inside Sector 5's domain; and as for Laura, we found her in Sector 6 protecting Fred at a second recharge terminal." Volnutt answered.
"...Well damn, I really have missed a lot." Geiz commented.
"By the way, how did you find Cecilia?"
"The Dimensional Quake sent her to the EDF Base. I met her inside the commander's office, along with another Dimensional Quake victim. His name is Gilliam Yeager, a dimensional traveler and a member of the EFA, which is short for the Earth Federation Army."
"Wow... I did not expect that." Volnutt remarked with his eyes blinking. "So, how was the meeting?"
"It was successful. We've now formed an alliance with the EDF and Commander Mitsuba gave us plans for the jamming signals to protect our comm links from enemy signals."
"That's good to know." Volnutt smiled.
"By the way, are you serious about Fred being a drone?" Aile asked.
"Yeah... that was something we've never expected." Volnutt rubbed the back of his helmet. "But anyway, Sector 4, 5 and 6 have been liberated, so only Sector 7 remains. Our final battle against the mutants is coming real soon."
"Yeah." Geiz nodded. "Sector 7 might be our only lead to where the entrance to the meteor is located, so we need to start preparing."
"I'll stay here and guard the elevator. You guys better get the others back to Guardian Base." Aile said.
"Got it, it won't take long." Volnutt replied as he and Geiz nodded before heading for the camp.
Once they're gone, Aile let out a sigh. "Man... it's been a while since I've had an adventure like this. Though sitting on the sidelines can be a bit boring."
"Then why don't you ask Geiz to join the assault on the mutant meteor?" Model X suggested.
"Maybe. But at least Grey and Ashe got to do some adventuring with Jason's team."
"That is true."
"But still, our final assault is going to be a difficult one for sure, so we need to be absolutely prepared beforehand."
"Though that doesn't stop you or Vent from finishing the mission. Remember the final battle against Serpent?"
"Yeah." Aile nodded. "Even against impossible odds, we never gave up and ended up winning our fight. That's why Team XDR has the 'D' on it; the Drive to keep pushing forward, to never lose hope, and to never give up."
"Well said, Aile. And I'm glad to have you and Vent as my partner."
"Same to you too, Model X. And the same goes for Model Z." Aile smiled.
Back at the Guardian Camp, thanks to the arrival of Jason's team, Blade, Bronya and Shirabe, the camp was successfully protected from the mutants, though there were a few injured troops in the process. Some from the group were tending to their wounds while others continued to keep watch of the camp in case more mutants show up.
Cecilia eventually arrived at the campsite, surveying the area to look for her friends, until she noticed Houki, tending to the wounded troops at a medical tent. She dispersed her IS and entered the camp to talk to her. "Houki, are you there?!" She called out.
"Hm?" Houki heard the voice after tending to a trooper at a medical tent, turned to the sound of the voice, and gasped in shock with wide eyes at what she saw. "Cecilia?!" She left the tent and approached the one she recognized.
And the moment Cecilia saw Houki, she immediately ran up to her and hugged her. "Houki! Thank goodness you're alright!"
"W-When did you get here?!" Houki asked before the two broke off their hug.
"Just now. I took the elevator." Cecilia answered.
"You landed at Guardian Base this whole time?"
"Actually I landed at the EDF Base. Blue Tears was also warped, though it took some damage during the landing. But the EDF mechanics were able to repair it." Cecilia answered, briefly tapping her earring. "And now my IS is with me. Though I had to use it earlier since the mutants were about to take the elevator."
"The EDF Base?!" Houki exclaimed.
"Yes." Cecilia nodded. "It's where I also met Commander Mitsuba, Gaius Cornell, Prairie and Gilliam Yeager."
"Gaius and Prairie..." Houki repeated, before her eyes widen in realization. "Those two are from Team XDR!"
"Ah, so you knew about them thanks to Jason's team. I assume they told you about what happened to us?"
"Hai. Especially about the Dimensional Quakes." Houki confirmed with a nod. "By the way, have you found Ichika and Rin yet? Me and the others already searched the other underground sectors, but no luck so far. I've also talked to the Guardians earlier, but they didn't find them either."
"I see..." Cecilia noted before shaking her head. "Unfortunately, no luck on my end either when I was at the EDF Base, including the trip back to Guardian Base."
"Oh..." Houki responded. "Still, we're not giving up just yet. As long as we keep fighting alongside Team XDR, we'll eventually find them, either in this world or somewhere across the multiverse."
"I really hope so." Cecilia replied. "That, and we need to get back to our own world as well, and the Gjallarhorn fragments are the key in doing so. I just hope the Neo Time Jackers didn't find our world first, otherwise they'll be stealing our IS technology for their own nefarious purposes."
"Yeah, that's the part I'm afraid of." Houki agreed.
"Houki?/Houki, where are you?"
"Ah, Charlotte, Laura, over here! Look who showed up!" Houki called out after hearing the voices of her friends coming out of the medical tent.
"Hm?" The girls responded, before their eyes widen in shock at who's next to Houki. "Cecilia?!"
"Charlotte! Laura!" Cecilia ran up to them and hugged them. "It's good to see you both alright!"
"Same to you too, Cecilia." Charlotte smiled before they broke off their hug.
"But when did you get here?" Laura asked.
"Just now. The Dimensional Quake warped me to the EDF Base." Cecilia answered. "I came here as fast as I could using my IS when I heard the report of the mutants retreating from the other underground sectors."
"You knew about the Dimensional Quakes?" Charlotte asked.
"Yes, thanks to meeting Gaius and Prairie who just arrived at the base. And they also told me about Team XDR and their mission."
"I see." Laura noted. "At least it saves time on the explanations. And to think there's the existence of the multiverse and other versions of Earth."
"I know. I couldn't believe it either." Cecilia replied. "But seeing is believing, after all."
"Hey Cecilia! At least wait for us first!" Said the arriving Geiz with Volnutt right beside him.
"And don't worry about the mutants, Aile is staying behind to guard the elevator in case more of them show up." Volnutt added.
"Thanks for the heads up, Volnutt." Houki smiled before turning to the Rider. "And who are you?"
"That, is Gaius Cornell, one of the founders of Team XDR." Cecilia answered. "But call him Geiz when he's wearing that suit."
"What she said." Geiz confirmed.
"Ah, so you're Geiz." Houki noted before bowing. "Thanks for keeping Cecilia safe."
"No problem. Houki Shinonono, right?"
"Hai." Houki confirmed with a nod. "I'm guessing Cecilia told you about me and my friends?"
"Yup, along with Infinite Stratos." Geiz nodded back before turning to the German and the French Cadet. "And you two must be Laura Bodewig and Charlotte Dunois, correct?"
"Jawohl./Qui." Laura and Charlotte confirmed with a nod.
"There you are, Geiz!" Said the arriving Gunvolt, with Copen, Jason, Eve, Grey, Ashe, Shirabe, Bronya, Blade and Kohaku right behind him.
"Hey, GV and company." Geiz greeted with a raised hand. "Sorry if Prairie and I took a while. But the good news is that we've now formed an alliance with the EDF."
"Thanks for that, Geiz." Jason smiled with Fred hopping beside his shoulder. "And speaking of good news, we've finally found Fred in Sector 6."
"I know, Volnutt told me about it when I arrived from the elevator. Though I never expected the frog to be a drone this whole time." Geiz replied before gesturing to the British Cadet. "Oh and by the way, this is Cecilia Alcott from IS Acadamy, one of the Dimensional Quake victims. I met her at the EDF base which is where she landed from the warp."
"Wait, you're with Geiz and Prairie this whole time?!" Ashe exclaimed to Cecilia.
"Yes." Cecilia confirmed with a nod. "And thanks to them, I was able to know about Team XDR and their mission, along with the Dimensional Quakes. I've already accepted their offer to join the team."
"That's good to know." Grey noted. "Same goes for Houki, Charlotte and Laura. They're also joining the team."
"Mm." Cecilia smiled and nodded.
"Anyway, you guys better head back to Guardian Base for your report. Kohaku and I will take it from here." Blade said with Kohaku nodding.
"Got it." Gunvolt nodded. "Ix, Jason, Eve, let's go get our MAs and head out."
"Right." The three nodded before heading for the MAs. Once on board, they drove towards the location of the elevator.
"Shirabe, Bronya, you two better head back as well." Kohaku said. "And thanks for coming by to assist."
"No problem./You're welcome." Shirabe and Bronya smiled.
"Alright team, time to return to base." Geiz declared.
"Roger!" The group replied as they head back to the elevator while Blade and Kohaku stayed behind to oversee the camp.
Once the group arrived back at the elevator, they saw Aile already opening the doors, allowing SOPHIA III and Rairyu to enter. "Over here, guys!" Aile waved to the arrivals.
"Thanks for keeping an eye on the elevator." Geiz replied.
"No problem. And I didn't see any mutants while you're gone." Aile replied back before noticing the newcomers. "And who are those three?"
"They're my IS Academy classmates; Houki Shinonono, Charlotte Dunois and Laura Bodewig." Cecilia answered.
"Nice to meet you three, and welcome to the Rebellion." Aile smiled at the newcomers before heading inside the elevator. "Come on, let's head back."
Afterwards, the group went inside the elevator before the doors closed. Once the elevator begun its ascent, the group gave proper introductions to each other and shared info about the events that happened so far. Cecilia was impressed at the two Metal Attackers after having a closer look at them, but was then shocked when the MAs now have the ability to scale up walls and ceilings. The IS girls confirmed it after seeing it firsthand, and yet they still couldn't believe it. Even Aile and Geiz were shocked at what they've heard and seen.
Minutes later, the group got out of the elevator once their destination is reached and finally arrived back outside the Grand Nuage. The IS girls were in awe at the large airship Team XDR has at their disposal, though Cecilia was already amazed when she first arrived after dropping off Prairie outside the airship. Afterwards, they went inside the Hangar Bay to park the MAs.
Guardian Base, Hangar Bay
Once the MAs are done parking, Jason, Eve, Gunvolt and Copen disembarked from the vehicles and rejoined the group before heading for the command center to report to Prairie. But on their way there, they met up with Samus and Dr. Fleuve.
"Ah, welcome back everyone." Dr. Fleuve greeted the arrivals.
"Good to back, Fleuve." Jason replied as he took off his helmet. "The MAs have gotten a lot of upgrades during the expedition. The same goes for my suit. I'm sure you'll like what we've got."
"Oho! Now that is something I'm going to look forward to." Fleuve smiled before turning to the IS girls. "And who are these four?"
"Houki, Cecilia, Charlotte and Laura. They're victims of the Dimensional Quakes." Geiz answered while taking off his helmet. "And girls, this is Dr. Fleuve, Samus Aran and her support bot Adam."
"Nice to meet you." The IS girls bowed.
"Which world are you from?" Samus asked them.
"Another version of Earth." Houki answered. "The four of us are cadets from IS Academy."
"And what is IS Academy?" Adam asked with curiosity.
"IS is short for Infinite Stratos, a special exo-skeleton power suit with advanced technology and enhanced combat abilities." Charlotte explained.
"And IS Academy is a private boarding academy where students learn how to pilot the IS." Cecilia added.
"Students from all over the world attended the academy which is located in Japan. I am from Germany, Cecilia is from England, Charlotte is from France and Houki is from Japan." Laura also added.
"An exo-skeleton power suit, eh?" Fleuve mused. "How interesting... If would be nice if you girls would show me your IS'. Perhaps maybe some upgrades in the future?"
The IS girls shared looks with each other before nodding and facing the doctor with a nod. "We'll think about it." Houki replied.
"Very well then." Fleuve nodded back.
"So, I take it that you're going to see Prairie for the report?" Samus guessed.
"That's the plan." Gunvolt confirmed. "You coming?"
"Of course." Samus nodded.
"I will stay with Dr. Fleuve to oversee the tune-ups for the MAs and the Time Mazine." Adam said. "Any objections, Lady?"
"No objections needed, Adam." Samus smiled. "Okay, let's go."
Afterwards, the group began heading for the command center while Dr. Fleuve and Adam went towards the MAs.
Guardian Base, Command Center
"Ah good, you're here." Prairie greeted the arrivals.
"Good to see you back in one piece." Vent added, standing next to Prairie.
"Well it's good to be back after traversing through Sector 4, 5 and 6." Jason replied.
"And welcome back, Prairie." Gunvolt smiled. "I heard from Gaius that the alliance with the EDF was successful."
"That is correct." Prairie confirmed before noticing the newcomers. "Hm? Who are those three?"
Cecilia gestured to her classmates. "These are my friends from IS Academy; Houki Shinonono, Charlotte Dunois, and Laura Bodewig. Jason's team found them during the underground excursion."
"Nice to meet you, ma'am." The girls saluted to the commander.
"No need to be too formal, girls. At ease." Prairie replied, prompting them to lower their hands.
"Houki was found in Sector 4, Charlotte inside Sector 5, and Laura in Sector 6 where she was protecting Fred before our arrival." Eve informed.
"Oh, you found Fred?"
"Yup. Right on my shoulder." Jason confirmed, pointing at the croaking frog on his shoulder. "He was damaged with circuits coming out when we first found him, but Eve was able to fix him thanks to SOPHIA's medical equipment."
"Wait... damaged?/Circuits?" Vent and Prairie blinked.
"Yeah about that... turns out Fred was a drone the whole time and not an organic lifeform." Ashe revealed, rubbing the back of her helmet.
"Huh?!"
"We didn't expect that, to be honest." Grey admitted. "But either way, at least he's safe. Why the mutants went after him is beyond me."
"Probably to infect it into a mutant and add it to their ranks, I think." Gaius guessed.
"Still, at least one of our primary objectives was completed. Now all that's left is to search for the Gjallarhorn fragment and the destruction of the mutant meteor." Prairie stated.
"No doubt those important objectives are located within Sector 7, which explains why the mutants from the other sectors are retreating to that location." Vent added.
"My advice is to take a momentary break before we begin our plan to infiltrate Sector 7."
"We're gonna need a small strike team to handle that infiltration." Gaius stated. "I'm going to be part of that team this time. Though it's kinda obvious that Jason, Eve, Gunvolt and Copen are gonna be part of the team too."
"Considering that GV and I are the MA pilots, that pretty much confirms it." Jason replied as he and Gunvolt nodded.
" And I'll be watching over Gunvolt as a co-pilot as usual while Eve will be with Jason. Right, Eve?" Copen turned to Eve, but then noticed something off about her. "...Eve? Is something the matter?"
Eve took a moment to glance at the whole group before moving her head down with her eyes closed. "Okay, this is it... No turning back now." She thought before taking a deep breath, opened her eyes, walked to the center of the room and faced the group with a serious expression. "Everyone, before we go any further, there's something I need to tell you."
"What is it, Eve?" Jason asked.
"...My memory. It came back." Eve revealed, shocking the entire group.
"EH?!"
"I finally remembered everything, including who I am, and my mission."
"Since when?" Samus asked.
"Let me guess... Sector 5?" Copen guessed, making Eve gasp in shock.
"H-How did...?!"
"You were screaming while Ix and Volnutt were watching Houki test out the installed hydro jets on Akatsubaki." Lola answered.
"Wait, you guys knew?!" Ashe exclaimed at Houki, Copen and Volnutt, earning a confirmed nod from them.
"I was going to check up on Eve until Copen stopped me from doing so, because he fears that we might cause even more stress on her." Houki explained.
"That's why we chose to keep quiet about this until she's is ready to reveal the truth herself." Volnutt added.
Grey sighed. "Eve, we've already warned you about this..."
"I know, and I'm really sorry." Eve apologized. "But I can't wait any longer. I have to find out who I am."
"This is her choice, Grey, so please understand." Copen stated.
"...Very well." Grey replied.
"Wait. Your IS has hydro jets now, Houki?!" Cecilia asked.
"Hai." Houki confirmed. "Same goes for Charlotte's IS."
"To be fair, our IS' are not very mobile underwater, so we're glad for Copen installing those parts." Charlotte stated.
"I'll install the hydro jets onto your IS later, okay you two?" Copen said to Cecilia and Laura.
"Very well./No problem." The two girls replied.
"Anyway. Eve, please tell us the truth." Prairie requested. "What is your mission?"
"First off, you all know that Fred is a drone, correct?" Eve asked the group, answering with a nod. "You see, Fred had but one purpose when it came to this planet: To blend in naturally with the creatures that lived on this planet, and search for the whereabouts of mutants."
"So Fred is a scout drone?" Aile guessed.
"Correct." Eve nodded. "Then, Fred saw mutants beginning their process to consume all of the planet's natural resources and lifeforms, and the planet fell into a state of ruin. The mutants once invaded my home planet, too."
"Wait... your home planet?" Vent repeated, earning a nod from Eve.
"And what's the name of your planet?" Samus asked.
"...Planet Sophia." Eve revealed, which utterly shocked everyone once again.
"Planet Sophia?!" Gunvolt, Joule, Copen, Lola and Gaius exclaimed.
"You're from another planet?!" The IS girls also exclaimed.
"That's right." Eve confirmed. "I'm not from Earth."
"Well... that's one way to blow everyone's minds." Ashe commented.
"You said that your home planet was invaded by the mutants, correct?" Prairie asked Eve, who answered with a nod. "What happened over there?"
"Thanks to the help of some extraordinary people, we were able to hold onto our home against the mutants, but the destruction was massive." Eve explained. "That's when we developed something that could oppose the mutants that were scattered throughout space, and rescue people living on the other planets at the same time. That would be none other than the Metal Attacker known as SOPHIA III."
"Looks like my assumptions were true after all. SOPHIA was made in Planet Sophia." Copen remarked.
"Which happens to be the same planet where Rairyu was made." Gunvolt added.
"I'm gonna take a wild guess that the Blaster Rifle and Jason's suit inside SOPHIA was made on that planet too?" Lola guessed.
"That is correct, Lola." Eve confirmed. "There was also a project that set out to create a support bot that could perform maintenance and adjustments on SOPHIA."
"A support bot, huh?" Grey repeated.
"As for who that support bot is...well, that's actually an android... Model number: 'NORA-2057: Eve'. In other words... it's me."
Everyone's eyes widen in shock once again upon hearing Eve's reveal.
"EEEHHH?! You're an android?!"
"...Mhm." Eve nodded in confirmation.
"...Mind... blown... Again..." Ashe remarked, still in a state of shock.
"You got that right." Volnutt agreed, with the same expression.
"Was that the info you saw inside SOPHIA? How did you find out about it?" Houki asked the android.
"I was checking out SOPHIA's database until I found a secret piece of information locked behind by high-grade security. And when I touched the monitor, authorization was accepted, the lock was open, and all of the info was shown." Eve explained.
"So that's how you recovered your memories." Joule noted.
"Authorization..." Jason pondered with his hand on his chin, until he recalled something and held his rifle. "Wait, my Blaster Rifle. It reacted when it touched you during our first meeting, causing you to wake up from your coma. Does this mean the rifle and the suit are also linked to you and SOPHIA?"
"That's right, Jason." Eve confirmed.
"That explains the rifle glowing when it got close to Eve..." Gunvolt mentioned while Jason holstered his rifle.
"To be honest... I'm not supposed to be telling you all of this. Excessive interaction with a planet's native lifeforms is forbidden. But, since you saved me, I felt that you had the right to know..." Eve shook her head. "No, that's not it. I really... just wanted to tell you everything. And again..." She then bowed for forgiveness. "I'm really sorry for keeping quiet about this when I have my memory back."
"Eve..." Jason whispered.
"It's alright, Eve. You're just waiting for the right moment to tell everything." Copen said.
"At least you have your memory back, and that's fine with us." Gaius added.
"I see." Eve replied. "That said, there's one more thing I need to ask from you guys."
"And that is?" Laura asked.
"First off, all of you know why the mutants came to Earth, correct?" Eve asked the group, earning a nod from them. "Well, there's one mutant that commands the rest of the horde and even the mutant guardians... the Mutant Lord. Through its process of mutation, it has acquired unfathomable amounts of intelligence."
"So the mutants have a leader after all." Samus noted.
"The Mutant Lord..." Prairie repeated. "So he's the reason behind the invasion."
"There's a very good chance that this mutant commander was a survivor from a battle that took place a long time ago." Eve continued. "The reason they are attacking SOPHIA is probably because it bears resemblance to an aircraft we used in our battles with them. Before they are able to destroy Earth, they need to ensure their own survival, which is why I think they are treating SOPHIA as a top-level threat."
"Hmm... that explains why the mutants are hell-bent on attacking SOPHIA." Bronya noted.
"You can add Rairyu to the list since it also looks like SOPHIA, but in different colors." Shirabe mentioned.
"So basically, the Metal Attackers are the mutant's worst enemy." Samus deduced.
"Mhm." Eve nodded. "And to make matters worse, it can create new mutants. We also have to consider the possibility that it could create a new mutation for itself, too."
"So those mutants are gonna keep spawning until the Mutant Lord is dead." Grey deduced, earning a nod from Eve.
"If that's the way to save Earth, then that's exactly what we're going to do. The Mutant Lord must die." Houki stated, earning a nod from everyone... except Gaius who is pondering with his hand on his chin which earned everyone's attention.
"What is it, Gaius?" Charlotte asked as all eyes are on the Rider.
"...I think I know where the Gjallarhorn fragment is." Gaius answered, shocking the group.
"You know where it is?!" Cecilia gasped.
"It's only an assumption but... the Mutant Lord might have possession of the fragment."
"...WHAT?!" The group exclaimed, especially Jason and Eve.
"But how can you tell that the Mutant Lord has that fragment?" Eve questioned.
"GV, Copen, remember when we first found the Gjallarhorn fragment inside Zonda?" Gaius asked.
"Yes." The two nodded.
"And Bronya, remember when Cure Starlight and the others mentioned the Pirate Master having the Gjallarhorn fragment in possession?"
"That is correct." Bronya nodded.
"So you're basically guessing that the enemy commanders might have a Gjallarhorn fragment in possession?" Volnutt guessed.
"Like I said, it's only an assumption." Gaius pointed out. "But since we're going inside that mutant meteor, there's a small chance that the Mutant Lord has it."
"If that's the case, then we must not let him use that fragment." Volnutt stated.
"Then that gives us an even bigger reason to kick his ass." Ashe punched her open fist.
"To be honest, I was originally going to fight the mutants alone with SOPHIA III." Eve admitted. "But... after hearing your stories, especially the difficult battles you've won, we might have a chance to defeat the Mutant Lord, and bring an end to the invasion of Earth. So please... Xross Drive Rebellion... let me fight alongside you till the very end. Lend me your support." She bowed once more.
The group looked at Eve requesting for help, until Jason approached her and offered a hand, which surprised her. "I think you know our answer by now." Jason smiled. "Of course you'll be fighting alongside us. Together."
"Jason..." Eve whispered.
"And besides, you're SOPHIA's support android and I'm the driver. So Eve, I want you to continue being my co-pilot, and my partner. Can you do that for me? Will you give me your support?"
Eve was silent for a moment as she stared at Jason with a determined smile, before smiling herself and grabbed his offered hand. "Of course, Jason Frudnick. Let's finish this together." She then smiled at the group that also smiled back. "All of us."
"Well, duh. Of course we're gonna help you, Eve. You were given a Zikan Phone, remember? You're one of us now, and friends help each other out." Ashe mentioned.
Eve giggled at her comment. "Of course. Thanks, Ashe."
"Anytime." Ashe smiled back.
"Speaking of Zikan Phones..." Copen turned to the IS girls. "Give me a moment to make them for you. And thanks to Houki mentioning what colors your IS' looked like, I know which phones will belong to who."
"Thank you, Copen." Cecilia replied as she, Charlotte and Laura nodded.
"And you're welcome, by the way." Houki added with a smile.
"Anyway, I think we'll take this time to take a break. It's been a long day for all of you, especially Jason's team." Prairie declared.
"And how long do you want our break to be?" Gaius asked.
"I think two hours will suffice. After that, we'll meet back here to plan the infiltration of Sector 7."
"Got it." Gaius replied as he and the group nodded.
"Until then..." Prairie saluted to the group. "You're dismissed."
"Yes, ma'am!" The group saluted back before leaving the command center, leaving behind Prairie who took a deep breath in exhaustion.
"Do you need to take a rest, ma'am?" Tulip asked. "We'll watch over the Grand Nuage while you're gone."
"Yeah, perhaps I'll do just that." Prairie replied, standing up from her seat and picking up her plushie from her desk. "Let me know if anything else comes up."
"Of course, ma'am. Have a good rest." Tulip replied back before Prairie walked to her private room to rest.
Guardian Base, Sky Deck
Meanwhile at the Sky Deck, Gaius was looking at the sky which is about to turn into nightfall soon with his arms resting on the railing. "Man... this has been quite the adventure so far, and I'm about to head for another large battle with the others soon. I wonder what Zeo, Akira and the others are doing in Teyvat right now? Hopefully they're able to warn Morax about his Gnosis being in danger of being stolen by the Fatui Harbingers." He then took out his Zikan Phone and began contacting someone. "I don't want to disturb them for now, so I'll just call Genjuro for the report instead." He waited for a response until it came through a moment later. "Hey, chief. It's me, Gaius."
"Ah, Gaius-kun." Genjuro acknowledged. "How's everything in the Blaster Master universe so far?"
"Doing pretty okay. We're about to go for our final battle against the mutants in two hours."
"Any sign of the Gjallarhorn fragment?"
"Well, the Mutant Lord might have possession of it, and he's located inside the mutant meteor. He's also the reason why those mutants kept spawning all over the place."
"I see..." Genjuro noted in a serious tone. "Then you and your team better take caution when dealing with the Mutant Lord, and remember to purge that fragment out of his body if he chose to use its power."
"Of course, chief." Gaius nodded. "Oh and another thing, we've also found five more Dimensional Quake victims. Houki Shinonono, Cecilia Alcott, Charlotte Dunois, Laura Bodewig and Gilliam Yeager. The four formers are from IS Academy which is located in another version of Earth, and the one latter is from the Earth Federation Army, or EDF for short, and he happens to be a dimensional traveler."
"Five, huh? And one of them is a dimensional traveler."
"Yup. They've already accepted their offer to join the team after we told them our secrets. Oh, and we've also established an alliance with the defenders of this version of Earth called the Earth Defence Force, or EDF for short, led by Commander Mitsuba Greyvalley."
"That's good to hear, Gaius-kun. More allies is always nice to have in our fight against the Neo Time Jackers."
"Mhm." Gaius nodded. "Anyway, the reason I called you is because I was curious to see how Zeo, Akira and the others are doing in Teyvat lately. Everything okay in their Liyue campaign?"
"...Good news or bad news?"
Gaius frowned upon hearing that. "I don't like the sound of that question." He thought before answering. "Start with the good news."
"Very well. Aether-kun, Lumine-kun and Miriam-kun have received blessings from Morax's Statue of the Seven, so now they have gained Geo elemental powers. As for their meeting with Lady Ningguang, they are able to establish an alliance with her after they revealed Team XDR's secrets and their mission, and she's planning to prepare an XDR Base for them to use."
"That's good to know." Gaius noted before taking a deep breath. "Okay... give it to me straight on the bad news."
"...Rex Lapis, also known as Morax, is dead. And his Gnosis is long gone."
Gaius' eyes widen in utter shock when he heard the news. The Geo Archon... dead?! "What... the hell... happened in Liyue?"
"During the Rite of Descension, Zeo's team and the people of Liyue are waiting for Morax to arrive at the town square. But then the sky went dark and the Geo Archon crashed onto the square from above. Fu Hua-kun used her ki-sense to hear a heartbeat or find a Gnosis energy source... but to no avail."
"Son of a bitch..." Gaius cursed with his hand gripping on the railing.
"I'm sorry, Gaius-kun. They were too late."
Gaius took a deep breath to calm down and released his grip. "To think that the Fatui would do something like this, just to get the Gnosis... Does the Tsaritsa really wanted those things so badly?"
"Even I don't know the reasons why. But considering their recent actions, it seems to be this way."
"I see... Well, we can't win every time. But this is far from over since there's still four more Gnosis' out there up for grabs. And maybe someday, we'll know the real reasons why they need them. Until then, we'll keep them away from their hands."
"Of course."
"So, what are Zeo and the others doing now?"
"They're currently assisting Lady Ningguang with preparing the Rite of Parting, to give Rex Lapis a proper farewell before moving on. Though I wonder if the people of Liyue will be able to handle themselves without the archon's teachings and wisdom."
"I'm sure they'll be alright, as long as the right people are leading them. Beidou and Yanfei already vouched at how trustworthy Ningguang is."
"That's good to know. Is there anything else you would like to add?"
"No, that's all for me. I need to get enough rest to prepare for the final battle against the mutants."
"Very well, Gaius-kun. I wish you and your team the best of luck."
"Thanks, chief. Gaius out." Gaius ended the call with Genjuro and put away his phone with a sigh. He then noticed Gunvolt arriving with Joule beside him. "Hey you two. Here to stargaze?"
"Something like that." Gunvolt replied as he and Joule stood next to Gaius. "Need to get some fresh air before our final assault on the mutants later on."
Joule noticed an exhausted look at Gaius' face. "You don't look too well. Is there something wrong?"
"Well... I decided to give Genjuro a call to report on our mission so far, along with asking what happened with Zeo's team." Gaius answered.
"And how's Zeo's team doing?" Gunvolt asked.
Gaius sighed. "Unfortunately, they were too late to warn Morax about the Gnosis. He died during the Rite of Descension, crashing right onto Liyue Harbor's town square from the sky."
Gunvolt and Joule gasped with wide eyes upon hearing the bad news. "Don't tell me those gacking Fatui got the Geo Gnosis first..." Gunvolt said.
"Sorry, GV, but they did, and it's already on its way to Snezhnaya." Gaius grimly confirmed. "Too late to chase after them now."
"Killing an archon... only for the Gnosis... how could they..." Joule whispered in horror.
"Those Fatui will pay for this..." Gunvolt frowned.
"You're right, they will pay, but not until we know more about them." Gaius stated. "We don't know much about the Fatui Harbingers and their Delusion powers yet, so let's not play our trump cards so soon. That, and there's still four more Gnosis' out there."
"You're right, it's not over yet." Joule agreed.
"We'll gain more allies and become stronger until we're prepared to face them and the Tsaritsa, which is probably after we explore the other four nations."
"That, and Aether, Lumine and Miriam will need to obtain the four elements. More powers are always nice to have in order to gain an advantage." Gunvolt added.
"Exactly." Gaius nodded before they looked at the horizon. "But for now, we have a mission to complete for this world."
"Mm." Joule replied as she and Gunvolt nodded. "Though we have to be careful against the Mutant Lord. Eve said that he's highly intelligent, so we'd better take caution."
"Understood." Gaius noted.
Guardian Base, Cabin Area
Meanwhile inside one of the cabins, Houki sat on one bed while Cecilia, Charlotte and Laura sat on the other. After having their meals at the cafeteria earlier, Houki decided to tell them in a cabin for privacy about what happened that one night after the Silver Gospel's defeat.
Houki took a deep breath before speaking. "Okay... we've waited long enough. It's time for me to explain what happened that night."
"We're ready to listen." Cecilia replied as she, Charlotte and Laura nodded. "Though I still wonder if Ichika's the one who brought you out to the beach that night."
"Actually... no."
"Excuse me?" Cecilia blinked.
"I was going to have my meal while we're at the hotel, but I didn't feel like eating at the moment. When I looked around, I noticed Ichika had gone missing. I figured he'd go to the beach alone, so I decided to find him there."
"And you never told us?" Cecilia questioned.
"And why didn't you eat? You could starve, you know." Laura added. "At least you were given a proper meal thanks to the Guardians cafeteria staff earlier."
"Also, why were you in a swimsuit?" Charlotte added.
"Well, it was too warm in there, so I chose to wear my swimsuit since the air is nice outside so I can let my skin feel the breeze." Houki answered. "And as for why I kept quiet about Ichika's absence and why I didn't feel like eating..." She sighed. "I was still feeling guilty about the battle against the Silver Gospel. I'm worried that if Ichika died, it'll be my fault."
"This had better not be about quitting as an IS pilot again." Laura said. "Do we have to remind you again?"
"No, there's no need for that." Houki shook her head. "And I'm glad you all are able to convince me to continue being a pilot, and we're able to win our fight against the Silver Gospel. However... I was worried that Ichika did something reckless that nearly costs him his life."
"I see." Charlotte noted. "So Ichika was not the one who took you to the beach?"
"No." Houki shook her head again. "This has been a very huge misunderstanding. And I've already apologized to him due to my recent actions that caused his injuries." She then turned to Cecilia. "Speaking of which... why did you try to shoot Ichika's head?!"
"He was going to kiss you, obviously!" Cecilia stated.
"You were going to kill him with that kind of stunt, especially if it's a headshot!" Houki scolded. "If Ichika were to die by your hand, how would you feel?!"
"Well I..." Cecilia tried to protest, but Houki's sudden logic made her eyes widen in horrifying realization. "W-Wait... I-I didn't mean to..."
"Are you sure about that?" Houki questioned before turning to Charlotte and Laura. "And as for you two... were you thinking of the same thing?"
"Maybe..." Charlotte admitted with her head down in shame. "But, looking back at it now after hearing your proper explanation, this may have been a huge mistake."
"I-I thought this could teach him a lesson about keeping secrets, of course." Laura defended.
"Is that it? Didn't you declare him to be your husband that time? And what would happen if you actually killed him yourself?!" Houki retorted.
"I-I... Well..." Laura tried to answer, but was stuttering in shock at Houki's logic.
Houki sighed before looking at Charlotte. "At least you know that it was a mistake attacking him like that, especially when you're using an IS. So, I'll forgive you this time."
"I'm really sorry, Houki." Charlotte apologized with a bow. "It will not happen again, I promise. And I'll also apologize to Ichika once we find him."
"Good." Houki nodded before staring at Cecilia and Laura with crossed arms. "Well? What do you two have to say for yourselves? Have you ever thought of the consequences that will happen if Ichika were to die by your hands instead of the Silver Gospel? How would Chifuyu-sensei feel if her brother was killed by one of you?"
"...When did you get so independent and mature, Houki?" Laura asked. "You're starting to sound like Chifuyu."
"I guess... it must be because I was fighting alongside Jason and the others before finding you three." Houki answered. "I told them about my past. They were feeling sorry for me and were willing to help me with my problems. I was able to hear some of their stories and how they matured overtime considering how many battles they've fought. If they can do it, then maybe I should too. If I keep thinking about where Ichika is right now, I might lose sight at what's in front of me, which will cause Team XDR's mission to be a failure, meaning more casualties will occur. I cannot and will not let that happen."
"Houki..." Charlotte whispered.
"Ichika fought to protect the innocent and for those who cannot protect themselves. If that's the case, then I'll use my IS to protect them besides Ichika. I'm a member of Team XDR, and I will not let them down." Houki declared with resolve.
"I see." Charlotte noted before nodding. "Then I will be with you every step of the way, Houki. We'll fight for not only Ichika, but for the people we care for, especially our new friends."
"Thank you, Charlotte." Houki smiled. "Though maybe I should call you Charl since the others have already done so."
"You're free to do so, Houki." Charlotte smiled back.
"And as for you two..." Houki stared at Cecilia and Laura. "If we ever find Ichika during our adventures with Team XDR, you'd better give him a proper apology for what you did back at the beach. Understood?"
The two in question shared looks at each other before turning to Houki. "...Very well, I will apologize to him." Cecilia answered. "Though to be fair, during my meeting with the EDF leaders, I was criticized after I told them about that beach incident. That is something a pilot should not behave at all."
"At least you understand, Cecilia."
"...Fine. If Cecilia is willing to apologize to Ichika, then I will as well." Laura decided.
"Thank you, Laura." Houki nodded. "Now with that misunderstanding cleared up, it's time to focus on finishing our current mission in this world."
"Oui." Charlotte agreed. "According to Eve, the Mutant Lord is highly intelligent, so we'd better not take this lightly. But if we take him down, the rest of the mutant army will go down with it."
"There's also the fact that the Mutant Lord might have the Gjallarhorn fragment we've been looking for. And we also need to completely destroy the meteor from the inside." Cecilia added.
"Gaius and the rest of Team XDR should have something to extract that fragment out of the mutant, and they will prepare a very powerful explosive to destroy the meteor in one blow. Perhaps placing the explosive at the main core located in the center of the meteor to make it work." Laura assumed.
"Well, they did plenty of missions such as this before, so I have faith in them." Houki assured. "But we also need to fight as well in order to become stronger in preparation for our fight against the Neo Time Jackers."
"Considering how many allies those Time Jackers have gained, you have a good point." Charlotte noted.
*Knock! Knock! Knock!*
"Hey girls, it's me, Copen! Dr. Fleuve wants to see you at the Hangar Bay so he could check up on your IS'. And trust me, you're gonna need it to prepare our final assault against the mutants."
"We'll be right there! Just give us a minute!" Houki replied to the one behind the closed door.
"Okay! I'll be at the Hangar Bay." Copen replied back before leaving.
"Alright then..." Houki said as the girls stood up. "We'd better get moving."
"Right." Cecilia replied as she and the others nodded. "Oh, and one more thing..." She began to bow to Houki. "I'm... sorry about what happened that night."
"No, I should be the one who is sorry since I kept this quiet from all of you." Houki replied back with a bow. "That misunderstanding wouldn't have happened if I asked you to join me to find Ichika instead."
"It's alright, Houki. All is forgiven." Charlotte assured before putting her hand in. "So, are we still friends?"
Houki smiled before putting her hand over Charlotte's. "Of course we are."
"The same goes for me too." Cecilia also smiled, putting her hand over Houki's.
"And me as well." Laura also smiled, putting her hand over Cecilia's. "Though this kind of gesture feels incomplete without Rin and Ichika."
"I know." Houki replied before showing a determined smile. "But we will find them someday, as long as we stick together, as a team."
Guardian Base, Hangar Bay
Back at the Hangar Bay, Jason (with Fred on his shoulder) and Eve are watching Dr. Fleuve examining SOPHIA about the new functions they've obtained during their underground expedition earlier.
"How long will it take, doc?" Jason asked.
"Just a few more minutes, my boy! My examination will be done soon." Fleuve replied while looking at SOPHIA's database.
"Hey Eve, can I ask you something?"
"What is it, Jason?"
"Up until now, SOPHIA's been fighting against mutants, right?"
"Yup, that's right." Eve confirmed with a nod.
"So... when in the world did SOPHIA come to Earth anyway?"
"Hmm..." Eve hummed with her finger on her cheek. "I would say... they probably arrived hundreds of years ago, which is the same time as the mutants' arrival."
"You serious? A hundred years ago?!" Jason's eyes widened in shock. "Man...It's crazy to think they've been here so long. That explains the numerous infected humans and creatures we've encountered so far. But I've never expected SOPHIA to arrive at the same time."
"Due to a twist in the dimensions of space, by physically traveling between Planet Sophia and Earth, it seems like a rift in the axis of time was created that reversed the flow of time. Couldn't tell you how or why, though."
"Rifts in the axis of time, huh?" Jason repeated with his hand on his chin. "Solving a mystery like that is definitely out of my league. Though I'm guessing the mutants used that meteor to travel to Earth many years ago, or something like that."
"Hmm... I wonder about that. But if that's the case, that would mean the Mutant Lord has been dormant this whole time. When we pursued the mutants to Earth using SOPHIA's warp drive, I feel like it wasn't that long ago."
"I see... so that's how it went." Jason noted as he glanced at SOPHIA. "Poor thing had been fighting by itself for a long time. Thank you, SOPHIA. Soon, we'll finish what you've started, and we will win along with our new friends from Team XDR."
"Jason! Eve!"
The two turned around to see Copen, Lola, Houki, Cecilia, Charlotte and Laura arriving. "Hey there." Jason greeted before turning to the IS girls. "So is the misunderstanding finally being cleared up?"
"It's taken care of, so no need to worry about it anymore." Houki assured.
"That's good to know." Eve replied. "I hope you all learned your lesson and remember to hear from both stories first before making judgement."
"Don't worry, it won't happen again." Cecilia assured with Charlotte and Laura nodding.
"Okay, I've finished my examination." Dr. Fleuve said after disembarking SOPHIA and approached the group. "And I must say, the MA has gotten plenty of useful new functions as of late. I think it's safe to say that you're more than ready to take on the Mutant Lord."
"Don't forget about my suit as well." Jason mentioned. "Though speaking of which, I was wondering if you could install the Remote Blast function on GV's Zikan Phone? That way he can call Rairyu for bombardment strikes."
"I think I can do that, if you can allow me to borrow that chip."
"No problem." Jason complied, taking said yellow chip out of his suit and gave it to Fleuve. "Here you go."
"Thank you." Fleuve placed the chip into his pocket. "I'll be sure to return it to you before your deployment." He then approached the IS girls. "Now then, I believe it's time for me to examine your IS frames. Could you summon them in front of me please?"
"Of course, doctor." Laura complied as the IS girls summoned their IS frames in front of Fleuve.
"Fascinating..." Fleuve remarked, taking a closer look at the four IS frames. "To think you four possess these kinds of power suits."
"You can thank my sister Tabane for creating Infinite Stratos." Houki mentioned.
"Oh? So your sister was the one who invented the IS?" Fleuve asked, earning a confirmed nod from Houki. "How interesting…" He then turned to Jason. "Oh and one other thing, Jason."
"What is it?" Jason responded.
"I'll also need to borrow your Blaster Rifle later on for an upgrade. You're going to need it for your mission, and trust me, you'll love it." Fleuve smiled.
"Looking forward to it, doc." Jason nodded and smiled back.
"Right then Cecilia, Laura, Lola, Dr. Fleuve and I can get started with installing the hydro jets onto your IS frames." Copen said. "After that, we can start making your Zikan Phones next."
"You girls can help out if you want." Lola added. "We're gonna be here for a while."
"But of course." Cecilia accepted. "We'll be able to finish faster if we help, especially since we know the ins and outs of our respective IS frames."
"That's what I was hoping for." Copen smiled.
"Eve and I will help too, if possible." Jason offered with Eve nodding.
"Sure! The more the merrier!" Lola accepted with a smile.
"Right then ladies and gentlemen, shall we get started?" Dr. Fleuve smiled.
"Yes sir!" The group replied.
Two hours later…
Guardian Base, Command Center
After two hours have passed, the group returned to the command center to meet up with Prairie again. "It looks like everyone has finished with their preparations?" Prairie asked the group.
"That's right, ma'am. We're all Ret-2-Go." Gaius assured with a thumbs up.
"Blue Tears and Schwarzer Regen now has hydro jets installed for underwater mobility." Cecilia informed.
"Not only that, all of the IS frames are now equipped with the same specs as Samus' Varia Suit, providing protection from extreme heat, which is perfect since Sector 7 involves traversing through the core of the planet." Laura added. "Though to be honest, it's my first time exploring a planet's core."
"Don't worry, Laura. As long as your IS has that installed, you'll be able to survive the extreme heat down there." Samus assured.
"However, you're not immune to lava, so try not to dive in." Adam cautioned.
"I wasn't planning to do that. It would be a very stupid thing to do." Laura replied with her arms crossed.
"Good."
"As for me, my Blaster Rifle was upgraded to include one more shot; the Wave Shot, which is based on Samus' Wave Beam." Jason reported. "This shot can pierce through terrain and can also be charged to fire an even more powerful shot."
"Basically, it's a stronger Penetrator Shot and it's also a spread shot." Eve added. "Perfect for crowd control."
"Plus…" Gunvolt showed off his Zikan Phone. "The Remote Blaster sub-weapon is now installed onto my Zikan Phone, allowing me to call in bombardment strikes from Rairyu."
"Not only that…" Houki spoke up as she, Cecilia, Charlotte and Laura briefly showed off their Zikan Phones in their respective IS colors. "We now have our very own Zikan Phones to prove that we're part of the Rebellion."
"Wow. Dr. Fleuve did an impressive job with the upgrades, along with the new phones." Prairie remarked.
"Ix and I helped too, you know." Lola mentioned with a raised hand with Copen nodding.
"The same goes for me and Bronya." Shirabe added with Bronya nodding.
"Hehe, of course." Prairie giggled before turning serious. "Now here's what we know so far. Thanks to Eve's info, we now know that the Mutant Lord is the one in charge of leading the mutants, and is now residing inside the meteor. There's also a possibility that he might possess a Gjallarhorn fragment. A strike team will infiltrate Sector 7 and search for the entrance of the meteor. You'll have to take a stealthy approach this time, but if something unavoidable is in your path, you're free to use force."
"Understood, ma'am." Gunvolt nodded.
"So far, it's confirmed that Jason, Eve, Gaius, Gunvolt and Copen will be part of the strike team. We can't bring along everyone since some of them must stay and defend the Guardian Base and the Guardian Camp at Sector 1 from any invading mutants. They know we're coming for them, so it's only natural that they'll be attacking us to impede the infiltration."
"Samus." Gaius spoke to her. "Remember when I said that I'll be needing your skills eventually?"
"You sure did." Samus recalled. "And I'm guessing that time is now?"
"Yup." Gaius nodded.
"Alright, then I'm in. The mutants are about to learn not to mess with an experienced galactic bounty hunter."
"And I will accompany my Lady for assistance." Adam added.
"Of course you'll join me, Adam." Samus smiled.
"I nominate Vent and Aile to join the strike team." Ashe requested with a raised hand.
"Wait, us?" Vent and Aile responded with surprise.
"Well, yeah. Grey and I had our chance to explore the underground areas. So I figured you two should get that chance as well." Ashe stated with her hands on her hips. "We'll stay behind this time."
"And since the both of you have the power of MegaMan ZX, you'll have no trouble fighting those mutants and even its guardians." Grey added.
"Well, Vent? Shall we go with the strike team?" Aile asked her twin sibling.
"Grey and Ashe did make a good point there. We never did get to explore the underground areas yet, so… why the heck not. We're in." Vent replied with a smile.
"I was hoping you'd say that." Aile smiled back.
"Bronya, Shirabe, care to join us this time?" Gaius offered.
"The Bronya will accept your offer, Gaius." Bronya answered.
"I'm going as well." Shirabe added. "You're going to need all the help you can get."
"Not all of them, mind you. Some of us need to stay and defend the Guardian Base." Copen reminded.
"That's right." Lola agreed with Joule nodding.
"I'll be staying here too to defend the base." Volnutt added with a raised hand.
"Houki." Gunvolt spoke to her.
"Hai?"
"I think we're going to need you too. You're pretty fast with your IS and also a very strong attacker when it comes to both close and long range."
"Very well, I accept." Houki nodded. "I can't let this planet get infected any longer."
"I wish to volunteer as well." Cecilia raised her hand.
"Eh? Cecilia?" Houki responded in surprise.
"Well someone needs to watch your back while you go on the offensive. Leave the sniping to me." Cecilia winked.
"Any objections, Houki?" Prairie asked.
Houki shook her head and smiled. "No, ma'am. She's coming along with us."
"That's what I'd like to hear. Consider this my way for making up for that misunderstanding at the beach that night." Cecilia smiled.
"Thanks, Cecilia." Houki smiled back.
"Charlotte, Laura, I think it's best if you two stayed behind and defend the base. Considering how defensive your IS frames are, the Guardians will be needing the extra defence." Jason said.
"Not to mention Laura's IS being an artillery type to bombard the enemy from afar." Eve added.
"Understood./Very well." Charlotte and Laura nodded.
"Right then, are there any more questions before we begin the operation?" Prairie asked the group, responding with a moment of silence. "Very well." She nodded before standing up and swiped, swiped her hand forward. "Strike Team, move out!"
"Yes, ma'am!" The Strike Team saluted before leaving the room.
"Commander Prairie, what about our orders?" Laura asked.
"We're not sure where and when the mutants will begin the attack on our base and our camp, so we'll have to do some scouting." Prairie replied. "Laura, I want you to scout around our current area for any movements on the mutants."
"Yes, ma'am." Laura nodded.
"Grey and I will go with Laura for additional assistance. A few extra eyes won't hurt." Ashe said.
"No offence on your single eye by the way, Laura." Grey said.
"It's fine." Laura replied.
"Charlotte, Volnutt, you two will scout around Sector 1 to look for any mutant activity." Prairie said.
"Yes, ma'am." The two nodded.
"One other thing; once you've discovered the mutants, do not engage them." Prairie continued. "Notify me first and await further orders. Understood?"
"Roger!" The group nodded.
"Good." Prairie nodded. "Now move out." The group left the room while she sat back down and turned to the holo-screens, showing the landscape around the Guardian Base. "Let's hope this operation goes well. "The Mutant Lord will keep creating more mutants until it's defeated. I just hope we can hold out long enough before we're overwhelmed. Gaius, GV, Jason, everyone, good luck out there."
Sector 3: Industrial Area
When the Strike Team arrived back at Sector 3 after traversing through Sector 1 and 2 with no trouble at all, they arrived at the large closed shutters with a conveyor belt switch, hanging on the ceiling.
"Okay, found the conveyor belt that controls those shutters."Geiz said from inside the Time Mazine, looking at said conveyor belt on the ceiling.
"Gotta admit, that's pretty clever for them to build that kind of lock like that, because no one would have the Wall Climb module to climb to the ceiling and use wheels to move the conveyor belt." Copen commented from a comms screen inside Rairyu, with Gunvolt, Vent and Aile (both of them now as MegaMan ZX) behind him.
"Huh, makes me wonder if the humans who built this sector using that lock in that method had that kind of foresight." Jason (with Fred on his shoulder) added from another comms screen inside SOPHIA III, with Eve, Houki, Cecilia and Samus (wearing her power suit) behind him.
"Hmm… I wonder about that." Shirabe pondered with Bronya and Geiz (the one driving) beside her.
"Well, let's not think about that too much." Gunvolt said. "Jason, care to do the honors?"
"You got it, GV." Jason nodded before turning to his passengers. "Oh, and girls, you might wanna hold onto something just to make sure you don't fall off while we're upside down."
"Though I'm the only one wearing seatbelts." Eve pointed out. "Houki, Cecilia, sorry about that."
"It's okay./We can manage." Houki and Cecilia replied, already holding onto something inside of the MA to prevent falling off.
"Okay, here we go!" Jason began driving the MA up the closed shutter and onto the ceiling above, stopping at the conveyor belt. Once he moved the conveyor belt, the shutters began to open up until it stopped with a click sound. Afterwards, the MA dropped down, hovering back to solid ground. "That should do it."
"Alright, we're going in!" Geiz declared, turning off the comms screens before the vehicles went through the opened shutters until they found the link tunnel at the end after reaching the platform using their hovering.
"This is it, the way to Sector 7." Houki said as the group stared at the tunnel. "And we're not leaving until the Mutant Lord is defeated."
"There's also the Gjallarhorn fragment we need to grab from him." Samus added.
"The climax is upon us, team." Geiz stated. "Jason, care to start us off?"
"Gladly." Jason complied, revving up SOPHIA's engines with its mufflers igniting flames. Rairyu and the Time Mazine also did the same thing with their engines. "Xross Drive Rebellion, let's Ragna-Rock and Roll!" Afterwards, SOPHIA boosted right into the tunnel with Rairyu and the Time Mazine following close behind.
The final battle against the mutant army… is about to begin.
Chapter 8: Truths Revealed
END
Author's Note: At long last, the final arc of this Book is on the horizon. But let's recap on what happened in this chapter.
Jason, Gunvolt and the IS girls are given new upgrades to their arsenal, especially the IS girls now having their own Zikan Phones; Eve revealed to the group about her true origins, her mission on Earth, and the Mutant Lord leading the mutant invasion; and Houki finally telling her friends about what really happened at the end of Infinite Stratos Season 1. It kind of irked me that they'd forgot about that incident in Season 2 onwards so I had to do something about it to give them some character development, especially since Ichika and Huang Lingyin are still missing because of the Dimensional Quake.
And lastly, Gaius heard the news from Genjuro about the progress of Zeo's team in Liyue, especially the bad news. For those who played the first part of the Liyue arc in Genshin Impact, you know what I'm talking about, though I did mention a few event changes thanks to Team XDR's involvement. You'll get the detailed version in Book 6 once I'm done with Book 5.
Speaking of which… Sector 7 is coming up in the next chapter, so look forward to that. Until then, stay safe and see you next time!