Book 5: The Blaster Master
Chapter 9: Infiltrating the Planetary Depths
Sector 7: Planetary Depths Area
(Play BGM: Planet Eater (Area 7) from Blaster Master Zero OST)
After a few minutes of travelling through the link tunnel, the group arrived at Sector 7 which consisted of a red landscape with some machine parts on the walls.
"Here we are, everyone. Sector 7: The Planetary Depths Area." Geiz said as the group observed the landscape.
"And somewhere in this sector is the entrance to the mutant meteor." Gunvolt added.
"Never thought we'd be exploring the depths of a planet, especially if it's Earth." Houki commented.
"Well there's a first for everything." Samus said. "Though this is nothing new to me since I've explored the depths of the other planets before."
"Wow…" Houki and Cecilia remarked with awe.
"Eve, can you confirm the Mutant Lord is somewhere nearby the end of this sector?" Jason asked.
"One moment." Eve checked SOPHIA's database. "Yup. He's definitely nearby the end of this sector. But we have a problem."
"What is it?" Samus asked.
"There's a lot of mutants patrolling the area. These must be the ones that retreated from Sector 2 and 3, and maybe a few from the other sectors as well."
"So the ones from Sector 4, 5, and 6 managed to escape before we found Fred, huh?" Copen remarked.
"Does this mean they know we're coming?" Cecilia pondered.
"Considering how intelligent the Mutant Lord is, that seems to be the case." Adam stated.
"This is why we need to take the stealth approach instead of attacking them head on." Bronya stated."If we take the latter method, we'll be exhausted to the point that the mutants will gain the advantage."
"This proves that an intelligent mutant is a very dangerous being." Shirabe added.
"In that case, let's try to find the path of least resistance here." Vent said.
"Right then, time to move." Geiz declared as the vehicles moved onward, jumping down a few cliffs and platforms, until they landed onto a metal platform with a small opening nearby.
"I think we landed on something metal." Aile said.
"That, and there's also a small opening nearby which is definitely going to involve crawling." Vent noticed said opening from Rairyu's main monitor. "Anybody wanna scout ahead?"
"I've got this." Samus volunteered, disembarking from SOPHIA with Adam following behind and went inside the opening… by rolling into a small ball.
"EEHH?!" Everyone (except Geiz, Vent, Aile, Bronya and Shirabe) gawked upon seeing that.
"H-How the…?!" Houki stuttered in shock.
"The Morph Ball form; transforms her into a small rolling ball to enter small openings." Bronya explained.
"Did not expect Samus to be that flexible." Jason commented.
"It's because she has Chozo DNA inside her body. She told me and Bronya about herself while Jason's team were exploring Sector 4, 5 and 6." Shirabe explained.
"Samus told Vent and I about herself too." Aile mentioned.
"Chozo?" Eve repeated.
"An alien race that unfortunately became extinct. It's a long story." Vent explained.
"I see."
"Wait a moment. Does this mean Samus is an alien?" Cecilia asked.
"Actually she's half-human, half-Chozo… and most recently, half-Metroid." Geiz answered.
"A hybrid?!" Houki gasped. "Also, what's a Metroid?"
"A hostile alien species that can drain your energy and blood until you're nothing but an empty husk. But they can be destroyed after you freeze them first. Blowing them up with a missile should do the trick." Aile explained.
"Why do I get the feeling that these Metroids are worse than the mutants?" Jason pondered.
"Yeah, about that…" Geiz was about to explain, until the group felt movement as the platform began to descend.
"It seems Samus found the switch for the platform." Eve deduced.
The platform eventually stopped where they saw Samus and Adam right next to a switch. "Sorry it took a while. I told Adam to scout ahead after we found the switch." Samus told the group.
"What did you discover up ahead?" Copen asked.
"As expected, mutant robot guards are patrolling the area with their searchlights active." Adam informed. "In addition, there's also several opened security doors which will lead us to the next area."
"No doubt those doors will close the moment we get detected, so keep that in mind." Samus added. "Reminds me of the time I infiltrated a large space pirate spaceship with only my Zero Suit and my blaster."
"Wait. You didn't use your power suit?" Jason questioned.
Samus sighed. "I blame the space pirates for shooting down my spaceship while I was leaving Planet Zebes, which also disabled my ability to use my power suit."
"Ouch…" Jason cringed.
"Don't worry, I got an even better suit after I stumbled upon an ancient ruin right under the space pirate spaceship, though I had to pass a trial to get it."
"I see." Gunvolt noted. "Anyway, we'd better move on ahead. Time is of the essence."
"Just try not to get discovered by the searchlights as we move along." Samus reminded as she and Adam boarded SOPHIA before the vehicles moved onward, until they saw a gorilla-shaped robot with its single visor being the headlights.
The group heeded Samus and Adam's warning, avoiding its line of sight by hovering above it and moved onto the next area, where they saw even more patrolling gorilla-bots and several ceiling turrets.
"Well this is a problem." Geiz observed. "The moment we try to hover above those robots, those turrets will start shooting at us."
"Then allow me to snipe those turrets down." Cecilia complied, disembarking from SOPHIA and materialized her IS; Blue Tears, with her beam sniper rifle in hand. She took aim at the turrets and shot them all down with blue lasers easily.
"Heh, as expected of IS Academy's talented snipers." Houki praised.
"Thanks for the compliment, Houki." Cecilia smiled back. "I think it's best if I stay outside in case more of those ceiling turrets show up."
"Fair enough. Now let's keep moving." Copen noted before the vehicles and Cecilia hovered over the patrolling robots until they reached the other side and moved onwards.
From there, they saw another metal platform, a ladder leading downwards, and a single ceiling headlight up ahead with opened security doors.
"No way we're crossing that unless we want to trip the alarms." Vent observed the light.
"Then we'll have to take the platform instead." Aile deduced, disembarking from Rairyu. "You can go back inside, Cecilia. I'll take it from here."
"Very well." Cecilia complied, dispersing her IS. "Though it does feel redundant dispersing and materializing my IS like this."
"True, but you need to be properly equipped for the right situation instead of relying on one single loadout."
"Hmm… I can't argue with your sound logic there." Cecilia noted before heading back inside SOPHIA.
Once the vehicles stopped onto the platform, Aile slid down the ladder until she found the switch. The platform descended after the switch was flipped until it stopped next to Aile as she boarded Rairyu once more. The vehicles continued onward, clearing up breakable walls, hovering above more patrolling robots, and destroying more mines until they entered the next area on the lower path.
Inside, they saw more platforms that's crawling with mutants and a large pool of lava down below.
"Hm?" Eve noticed the ringing signal on SOPHIA'S Receiver. "Guys, the Receiver's picking up a signal. It might be a map data for this sector."
"Where?" Jason asked.
"It's coming from a tunnel up ahead, though we have to get past those mutants first."
"Luckily, those are not the patrol robots from earlier, so you're permitted to eliminate them." Adam stated.
"Then let's clear them out as we press onward." Geiz declared before the vehicles moved onward, destroying the mutants with missiles and cannon fire until they reached the tunnel up ahead after jumping onto several platforms and went inside.
Eventually, they reached an area with more patrolling robots, headlights on ceilings and metal platforms with switches nearby.
"Ugh…" Geiz groaned in annoyance after observing the obstacles ahead. "Who would've thought that stealth missions could get taxing at times. How do assassins handle these kinds of jobs?"
"Lots and lots of patience." Shirabe answered.
"You should've expected missions such as this, Geiz." Adam stated.
"I know, but this is a different feeling compared to video games." Geiz replied before sighing. "Never mind, I'm just complaining to myself. So Eve, still detecting that signal?"
"One moment." Eve checked SOPHIA'S Receiver again. "Yup, it's still there. Only this time, the signal is leading upwards."
"Up, huh?" Gunvolt said. "Should all of us search that area or only a small group?"
"That's okay. I'll handle this one personally." Samus insisted, disembarking from SOPHIA with Adam following behind.
"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Joule asked.
"I know you have Adam by your side, but still…" Lola added.
"Not to worry, Lola. My Lady is capable of handling things with or without my assistance." Adam assured.
"I can vouch for that after hearing Samus-san's stories." Shirabe confirmed.
"Very well. Good luck out there, you two." Jason said to the bounty hunter and her support bot, nodding in response before the two moved upwards while avoiding detection from the robots.
Once she reached the top, she saw a small opening above her. Using her Space Jump ability, she was able to reach the opening with ease before turning into her Morph Ball form and rolled inside after pulling herself up, all the while with Adam floating right behind her. Once she reached the end, she dropped down and landed right in front of the cave and went inside.
And what she saw on the other side were more mutants and a lot of breakable blocks. She aimed her arm cannon and fired several shots of her Wave Beam, obliterating every single mutant and block in her sights until only the domain entrance remained on the other side of the area. Using her Space Jump again, she reached the other side and entered the domain with Adam floating close behind.
"The map data for this sector should be around here somewhere." Samus said as she and Adam observed their surroundings., and noticed infected spacemen in purple suits patrolling the area with flashlights on.
"More patrolling guards." Adam observed. "Also, they seem to be using upgraded armour and weapons. It's highly advisable to avoid attacking them along with avoiding detection from their lights."
"Very well." Samus noted. "Adam, is your new Receiver System on your combat pod active?"
"Confirmed. I will notify you when I detect a reading."
"Okay, then let's go." Samus replied before they head out while avoiding detection from the spacemen.
Her route took her north twice, then east twice, and lastly south twice while continuing to avoid detection from the spacemen and the searchlights. Eventually, she found the green map data inside a small room and retrieved it. Afterwards, she used her Zikan Phone Blaster Mode to summon a wormhole and went inside with Adam following behind.
The wormhole then appeared in front of the vehicles and out came Samus and Adam before the wormhole vanished behind them.
"Welcome back, you two." Gunvolt greeted from inside Rairyu. "Did you find the map data?"
"Right over here." Samus showed the data chip on her hand. "Though there were a lot of infected spacemen in there, now using upgraded armour and weapons with flashlights attached to their blasters."
"It's highly advisable to avoid detection from them or they will alert everyone in the area to chase after you." Adam warned.
"Got it." Jason noted from inside SOPHIA. "Anyway, give the map data to Eve and she'll take care of the rest."
"Mm." Samus nodded before she and Adam boarded SOPHIA and gave the chip to Eve.
Moments later, the map layout for Sector 7 appeared on SOPHIA'S navigation screen after Eve transferred the copies to the vehicles and the Zikan Phones. "Let's see here…" Eve observed the map. "There's three mutant guardians hiding in this sector with the third one right at the end over there." She pointed at the mutant icon on the far right of the map.
"No doubt that's where we'll find the entrance to the mutant meteor." Jason deduced.
"With the Mutant Lord waiting inside." Houki added.
"Of course the Mutant Lord would have ordered a guardian to watch over the entrance." Cecilia remarked.
"Then we'll just have to destroy it instead." Samus said.
"But first, we need to dispose of the other two mutant guardians, starting with the one near our current location." Adam stated.
"Gimme a sec…" Eve looked at the map again. "Okay, there's one right next to a red tunnel. We'll need to take the lower route to get there."
"Should we split up or stick together?" Gunvolt asked via comms line.
"I think it's better if we stick together this time." Geiz answered.
"Got it."
"Alright, time to move." Jason declared as he drove onward with the Time Mazine and Rairyu following behind.
As the group ventured deeper into the sector, they encountered more mutants and ceiling turrets which were easily destroyed by missiles and cannon fire. When they encountered more patrolling gorilla robots and searchlights, they carefully avoided them by hovering, sometimes by using the Wall Climb on the ceilings, and sometimes by hiding within the walls. They also had to avoid more spikes on the walls and ceilings.
Several minutes later, they arrived at their destination with the tunnel entrance along with lava falls on each side of the area. "Well we've arrived at our destination, but where's the route to the domain?" Aile asked as the group looked around.
"Wait a sec…" Geiz then noticed an opening hiding on the left area right beside the lava fall. "Ah, clever of them to hide the route using the lava falls."
"Video game knowledge again?" Vent guessed.
"Yep, pretty much. Anyway, my team will go on ahead and handle the mutant guardian. You guys stay here until we come back. It won't take long."
"Alright, be careful in there." Gunvolt replied before the Time Mazine went towards the hidden route while Rairyu and SOPHIA stayed behind.
And from beyond the secret route was the domain entrance at the far end of the area. "Right then, time for me to go out and stretch my legs. I've been missing out on the action for far too long." Geiz declared. "So which one of you two will come along with me?"
"I think you should take Bronya-chan this time. I'll stay here and watch over the Time Mazine." Shirabe replied.
"Huh, now that you mention it, Bronya wasn't able to come with me at a domain in Sector 3 since her mech can't fit inside the small hole."
"That is correct." Bronya confirmed. "This time, the Bronya will be able to support Geiz in this domain."
"Alright, then we're going in. See you in a bit, Shirabe." Geiz said as he and Bronya (wearing her Yamabuki Armour battlesuit) disembarked from the vehicle and went inside with Bunny following behind.
(BGM End)
(Play BGM: Jason's Resolution (Underworld 3) from Blaster Master Zero OST)
But once they were inside the domain, the area was covered in darkness. "...Crap. I forgot about some domains having pitch-black areas such as this." Geiz muttered.
"Not to worry. The Bronya came prepared in case of situations like this one." Bronya assured before commanding Bunny to fire a Flash Bomb with its arm cannon. The bomb exploded in a flash of light after being fired, causing the area to light up which also revealed several infected spacemen that was stunned by the bomb. "Geiz!"
"On it!" Geiz complied, summoning his Zikan Zax Yumi Mode, and the Arrow Legion with his Legatus. He and the Legion immediately fired energy arrows at the spacemen's heads to kill him before they regained their senses. "Okay… that was way too close." He sighed with relief.
"Hmm…" Bronya observed her surroundings, consisting of fallen spacemen along with pools of lava and spikes on the ground. "The Bronya is glad that the Flash Bomb is installed onto Bunny, otherwise our fate would've been sealed."
"Yeah." Geiz agreed with a nod. "I'm guessing Jason and Eve were responsible for implementing that sub-weapon?"
"Ja." Bronya confirmed with a nod.
"I'll be sure to thank them later." Geiz smiled while taking out his Zikan Phone and checked the domain layout. "Ah, there it is." He pointed at the mutant icon at the bottom right of the map before putting away the phone. "Okay, let's stick together and head on over there."
"The Bronya and Bunny will be right behind you and your Legion." Bronya replied as she, Bunny and the Arrow Legion nodded.
The four ventured deeper into the domain, avoiding spike traps and lava pools, clearing out mutants and also avoiding searchlights and patrolling guards.
Eventually, they reached the recharge platform room where they used it to recharge their energy and ammo before heading inside the guardian room.
Once they've entered the room, the doors closed behind them. "...I don't like this quiet feeling, especially since there's no holes in the room." Geiz frowned as they looked around with caution.
"Ja." Bronya nodded as they prepared to defend themselves. "Be ready for anything."
=WARNING=
THE LAIR OF
=S-1000 GENERATOR=
Suddenly, a silver slug appeared from the ground which caught the attention of the group. "Is that a slime or a slug?" Geiz asked, only for the slug to immediately rush towards them, but was quickly blown to pieces by a missile fired by Bunny's arm cannon.
However, two more silver slugs appeared from the ground. "Don't lose focus. We need to eliminate our enemies until they stop coming." Bronya stated.
"Right, sorry." Geiz apologized before he and the Arrow Legion fired energy arrows that exploded the two slugs upon contact. But then four more appeared from the ground. "...This is gonna take a while…"
The group continued to attack the appearing slugs as time goes by with energy arrows, missiles, blaster fire, and the occasional laser cannon from Bunny, until the room finally became silent a few minutes later. Bunny used its scanners to search for any more mutants, until it turned to Bronya and shook its head. "You can stand down now. The threat is no more." Bronya informed, holstering her X-Baton Blaster.
"Oh, thank god." Geiz sighed with relief, dispersing his Zikan Zax. "At least it's not the elemental slimes from Teyvat, because that would be really annoying."
"Noted."
"Take a rest, Legion. Thanks for the help as always." Geiz said to the Legion, who nodded in response before vanishing back into the Legatus.
Bronya then found something at the center of the room and retrieved it. "A LIFE-UP?"
"Huh, I was expecting a data chip for the MAs or Jason suit." Geiz remarked before shrugging. "Oh well, more health upgrades is always nice. Now let's get out of here."
"Roger." Bronya complied, putting away the LIFE-UP before firing a wormhole with her Zikan Phone Blaster Mode and went inside with Bunny and Geiz following behind.
(BGM End)
"Ah, here they come now!" Houki said from inside SOPHIA as the group saw the Time Mazine arriving.
"Looks like you took down the mutant guardian. What did you find in there?" Gunvolt asked.
"Bronya and I had to fight a hoard of silver slime slugs. And our reward turned out to be another LIFE-UP." Geiz informed.
"Wait, a LIFE-UP? No new upgrades this time?" Jason questioned.
"Apparently not." Bronya confirmed.
"It's too bad. I wanted to see what kind of new function we'll obtain for the MAs or Jason to use." Shirabe remarked.
"Maybe next time, Shirabe." Aile said.
"Anyway, time to move on to the next mutant guardian." Geiz declared. "I'll transfer the LIFE-UP to Eve so she can install it onto the MAs and Jason's suit as usual."
"You can count on me as always." Eve replied before the vehicles went inside the cave tunnel.
Once inside, they saw more mutants and ceiling turrets up ahead, along with more moving searchlights. Luckily for them, there's no patrolling gorilla robots this time, so they are free to destroy the enemies without tripping the alarm. But they still need to avoid the searchlights. Also, Eve finished installing the LIFE-UP onto the MAs and Jason's suit in the process.
They managed to traverse through the area and went onto the next one, which consisted of a recharge station nearby, more mutants and ceiling turrets, bridges, ceiling spikes, platforms and a large spike pit down below. "How close are we to the next mutant guardian?" Vent asked.
"Let me check this time." Copen checked Rairyu's navigation screen. "It's definitely near us, or in this case, right below us."
"So the domain is placed near the pool of lava." Samus deduced. "Luckily, some of us can hover over the lava with no problem."
"The Wall Climb function for the MAs is also a good alternative option." Adam added.
"In that case, is it alright if Houki and I handle this one?" Cecilia requested. "It's been a while since the both of us fought together."
"Will you two be okay?" Aile asked.
"We'll be just fine." Cecilia assured. "Right, Houki?"
"Hai. We'll be alright." Houki replied.
"Very well. We'll let you two handle this one." Jason approved.
"Actually, let me and Adam join in as well. I never did get to see the IS frames in action." Samus said.
"Any objections?" Adam asked.
"Oh, not at all!/More help is always nice." Cecilia and Houki accepted.
"Let's find an opening first before we drop you girls off." Eve said before the vehicles drove ahead, clearing out mutants and ceiling turrets along the way.
Eventually, they found the opening with two platforms above the spike pit. "I think this should be the opening we're looking for." Gunvolt said before Samus, Adam and the IS girls disembarked from the MAs, with the latter two donning their IS frames.
"Please be careful in there." Bronya said to the ones outside.
"We will." Houki replied as she and the others nodded before carrying Samus and flew towards the small opening with Cecilia and Adam following behind. Soon after, they found the domain entrance at a platform where they begin to land and entered the domain.
Once inside, they were surrounded by numerous pools of lava with small pathways in between along with more patrolling infected spacemen. "So where do we go from here?" Cecilia asked.
Samus instead used the map function on her helmet's HUD to see the domain layout. "Good thing I told Eve to install the map data onto my suit as well." She remarked while looking at the map. "Okay, mutant guardian is located on the top right area of the domain. Though we have to be careful of the lava and the patrolling spacemen." She informed before turning off the map function.
"Since we're in a hurry, I believe we should just hover our way towards the destination instead of taking the pathways. But try not to be detected by the spacemen." Adam advised.
"That's exactly what I was thinking, because I really don't want to waste time in a hot place like this, especially if it involves lava." Cecilia said.
"I agree." Houki nodded. "It feels like we're in a volcano."
"Heh, not the first time I've been in places with lava on it." Samus smirked. "Alright Houki, pick me up so we can get moving."
"Got it." Houki complied, picking up Samus once more before flying to the north east with Cecilia and Adam following behind.
Minutes later, they arrived at the recharge platform room without being detected by the spacemen and without touching the lava. Once they've used the recharge platform, they entered the next room, where they saw a large arena surrounded with a pool of lava on the edges, along with something large up ahead. "...What the bloody hell is that?!" Cecilia exclaimed, pointing at the large figure ahead.
It looked like a large metallic spider, with its face having two large metallic pedipalps, a darker grey area with red cables resembling chelicerae (fangs), with a large orange and black bulls-eye in the center, possibly as a single eye. Its cephalothorax is amber with various cables connecting to its abdomen, which appears lumpy and has pieces of metal sticking out. It has four legs, with the upper legs being green and organic, its lower legs being red and metallic, and it has three grey metallic toes on each leg.
"A giant metallic mutant spider… well that's new." Samus remarked.
"I did not expect to see a mutant that big appearing in a domain." Houki commented as everyone prepared their weapons.
"Gross…" Cecilia muttered in disgust. "So, any ideas on how to deal with this… thing?"
Adam scanned the mutant with its optics. "It appears that its weak point is the eye, but I'm not sure what kind of attacks this mutant has in its arsenal, so be on the lookout."
"...Well at least we know how to kill it."
"Get ready, everyone. Here it comes!" Houki said as the mutant began to roar.
=WARNING=
THE LAIR OF
=VENOM MASTER=
(Play BGM: Encounter (Boss 1) from Blaster Master Zero OST)
The mutant then summoned four drones that began firing lasers at them. "It has drones?!" Houki exclaimed as they dodged the lasers.
"Houki, take out the drones! Samus and I will concentrate fire onto the spider!" Cecilia shouted.
"Roger!" Houki complied, flying towards one of the drones while dodging its laser using her exo-suit's speed. When she got close, she delivered a double slash with her katanas, slicing the drone with ease. She turned her attention to the other drones and flew towards them while dodging the lasers.
Meanwhile, Cecilia fired her beam rifle at the spider mutant's eye with Samus providing support fire with Super Missiles and Wave Beams. The mutant took a lot of damage from those attacks and retaliated by firing large plasma spheres from its mouth.
"Incoming!" Samus shouted as she side-rolled away from one sphere while Cecilia dodged the other one before the two continued firing at the mutant. After taking even more damage, it roared once more before submerging back into the lava.
"Tch, it got away." Cecilia muttered as the two ceased fire.
"I would advise not to let your guard down. It may prepare a counterattack the moment it emerges again." Adam cautioned.
As for Houki, she took out the last drone with a slash-wave after destroying the other two drones and rejoined the group. "Okay, took care of the drones." Houki informed before looking around. "Where's the mutant? Did you two get him?"
"It submerged into the lava to recover itself. It will definitely hit us back the moment it emerges." Samus answered.
"Everyone look at a side of the arena. The moment it emerges, sound off." Cecilia said.
"Right." The three nodded before each member looked at a side of the arena.
It was quiet for a moment, until Houki saw something emerge from her side of the area with lava bubbles appearing. "Here it comes!" She shouted, gaining attention from the group as the spider mutant emerged, with 8 drones appearing above it.
"It can summon more drones?!" Cecilia exclaimed, until she saw the drones moving in front of the mutant in a row, four on each side. "Wait… what are they doing?"
The drones and the mutant began charging their energies, taking aim at the group. Their eyes widen in horror, realizing what they're planning to do. "Not good. They're preparing to fire a super laser at us with the drones amplifying the mutant's power!" Samus exclaimed.
"Where do we attack?! The spider or the drones?!" Houki asked with a hint of panic.
"Aim for the drones instead. It should interrupt the firing process." Adam advised.
"In that case… Houki, Cecilia, take out the drones as soon as possible." Samus ordered.
"What about you?" Cecilia asked.
In response, Samus aimed her arm cannon at the spider's eye, and began charging her energy. "Giving her a super laser of my own. But you need to take out the drones in order for my attack to work, so make it count!"
"Roger!" Houki and Cecilia complied as the two went towards their respective targets.
"Using drones against us, huh? Well two can play at that game!" Cecilia said, deploying her four drones out of her IS and commanded them to attack the enemy drones. Her drones began firing at their targets with green lasers while Cecilia observed with her rifle in hand. "Time to put Copen and Fleuve's upgrade to good use." She took aim at the drones while her drones flew above the enemy drones and aimed downward. And in quick succession, Cecilia and her drones fired their lasers, destroying the enemy drones with ease before her drones flew back to her IS, retracting themselves while Cecilia blew off the smoke from her rifle nozzle. "That should do it, now it's all up to you, Samus." She said, observing Samus charging up her arm cannon with her other arm holding the cannon arm for precision.
Meanwhile with Houki, her back wings materialized energy blades before she deployed the wings towards the drones, attacking them from different angles. She took a deep breath and sheathed her katanas before holding one of its handles and began concentrating. Her blade bits stopped attacking, floated on both sides of the enemy drones and took aim. And in one swift motion, Houki and her bits performed a coordinated attack, slicing all of the drones in one move before she sheathed her katana, causing the drones to explode while her blade bits retracted back onto her IS. "I'm done on my side, now finish off that mutant, Samus!" She said after turning to the bounty hunter.
"Houki and Cecilia have eliminated the drones. Lady, the time to strike is now!" Adam quickly informed.
"And just in time, too." Samus smirked as her arm cannon opened up, meaning that the charging sequence is complete. "Let's see how YOU like it! Zero Laser… DISCHARGE!" She fired a large destructive blue laser at the mutant spider, with her left knee and right foot latching on the ground to avoid kickback. However, the mutant managed to fire a large green laser despite losing the amplified power from the drones which were destroyed. The two beams collided with a force of wind and into a power struggle as the beams went back and forth with equal power. It's now a battle of who can survive the longest.
The IS girls flew above the arena and watched the power struggle unfold. "That can't be right! I thought destroying the drones would stop the spider from firing its beam!" Cecilia exclaimed.
"I'm guessing it still had some leftover energy and fired anyway." Houki assumed. "On the bright side, as least its power is not amplified anymore since we've destroyed the drones."
"But still…" Cecilia glanced at Samus, trying to stand her ground while firing her Zero Laser. "...she can't keep going on like this. But what can we do to help her?"
"Hmm…" Houki hummed in thought before looking at the mutant spider, until her eyes widen in realization. "Cecilia, can you get a clear shot at the mutant's eye?"
"Why is that?"
"One shot from your beam rifle at its eye might be enough to lose concentration on firing the beam, which will give Samus an advantage to finish it off."
Cecilia gasped in realization. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that sooner?! Thanks, Houki!" She smiled before flying upwards until she stopped at the right angle and aimed at the mutant's eye with her beam rifle scope. "You can do this, Cecilia. One shot is all you need." She thought before taking a deep breath.
Houki flew behind Samus and held her shoulders for support. "Houki, what are you doing?! It's too dangerous!" Samus shouted.
"Trust me! Cecilia is going to shoot the mutant's eye to disrupt its beam attack! Just focus on what's in front of you and leave the shot to Cecilia! She can do this, I believe in her!"
"Houki…" Samus whispered before smiling. "Alright, lend me your support!"
"Hai!" Houki nodded as Samus kept her focus with her Zero Laser with Houki holding her shoulders for support.
Eventually, Cecilia got a clear shot at the spider mutant's eye and fired her beam rifle, scoring a direct hit and causing the spider to roar in pain, disrupting its beam attack. This allowed Samus to go all-out with her Zero Laser, literally obliterating the mutant spider until it exploded into a million pieces.
Once the mutant spider is no more, Samus' arm cannon closed up with smoke coming out of its nozzle while Cecilia landed beside the group and Houki moved her hands away from Samus.
(BGM End)
"Thanks for the assist, girls. That was one heck of a close call." Samus praised the IS Cadets.
"Well we wouldn't have won if it weren't for Houki's keen observation at the spider's eye, allowing me to take the shot." Cecilia replied before smiling at her friend.
"Yeah. And I had faith that Cecilia would land that shot thanks to her sniping skills." Houki smiled back.
"I guess even Samus needed assistance at times. You may have been cadets at your academy, but your actions saved her life. Houki, Cecilia, job well done." Adam praised with Samus giving them a thumbs up, making the girls smile back with the same gesture.
But then Adam noticed something shining near the edge of the lava pool and flew towards it.
"Adam?" Samus called out before they followed after the battle pod.
They then saw Adam scanning the shining object with its optics before facing the group. "I believe this blue data chip was dropped from the mutant after it exploded."
"A blue data chip…" Houki repeated. "This must be for the MAs. If I were to guess, this one should contain that super laser the spider mutant is using."
"And you are correct with that assumption." Adam confirmed, materializing a holo-screen that showed the data chip's info.
ACCELERATION BLAST:
SOPHIA'S most powerful weapon. Once the main cannon is fully charged, it will fire a devastating beam that obliterates everything in front of the MA, but will cause all of its weapon energy to deplete and must recharge, so use it with utmost caution.
"Acceleration Blast…" Cecilia repeated.
"So now SOPHIA, and maybe Rairyu, have their version of the Zero Laser, but much larger and more powerful." Samus summarized.
"Not to mention dangerous." Houki added with unease.
"We might have to place an authorization lock on that weapon once the mission is over." Adam remarked.
"Yes, you're absolutely right." Cecilia nodded, picking up the data chip and placed it in her pocket while Adam dispersed the holo-screen.
"Right then, time to head back to the others." Samus declared, firing a wormhole with her Zikan Phone Blaster Mode and walked inside before the others followed behind.
The wormhole appeared in front of the vehicles and out came Samus, Adam, Houki and Cecilia before the wormhole vanished behind them.
"Welcome back, team." Vent greeted the arrivals from inside Rairyu.
"So what did you get this time?" Aile asked.
"The Metal Attacker's most powerful weapon, the Acceleration Blast." Samus answered.
"Fires a destructively large laser beam from the main cannon once fully charged, obliterating anything in its path." Houki explained.
"But it will use up all of its weapon energy and must recharge." Cecilia added.
"Jason, Gunvolt, this is a very highly dangerous weapon, so use it wisely." Adam cautioned.
"Understood./Got it." Jason and Gunvolt noted.
"So what kind of mutant guardian did you fight?" Shirabe asked.
"A large metallic mutant spider and its laser drones." Houki answered. "Samus was the one who finished off that mutant, with a little help from me and Cecilia."
"Houki's keen observation and Cecilia's sniping skills were the deciding factor. If it were not for their assistance, Samus wouldn't have won the beam power struggle." Adam said.
"Wow. That sounds like one heck of a close call." Geiz remarked. "But at least you all managed to survive, so thank goodness for that."
"That's right." Cecilia replied as she and the others nodded. "Eve, be a dear and install the data chip onto the MAs? Though I still feel uncomfortable holding it in my possession."
"I understand your concern, Cecilia. Once this mission is over, we'll find a way to lock this weapon under authorization." Eve replied.
"That is something I would suggest as well." Adam agreed. "But for now, we need to keep moving. There's one more mutant guardian left to deal with, and it's waiting outside of the mutant meteor."
"He's right. Let's go." Samus said as she, Adam, Houki and Cecilia boarded SOPHIA before the vehicles moved onwards.
Using the MAs' Wall Climb (minus the Time Mazine since it can hover), they scaled above the ceiling to avoid the spike pit until they reached the tunnel leading to the next area, while Eve was installing the Acceleration Blast chip onto the MAs.
Along the way though, Cecilia began to ask something to Eve. "Hey Eve, I know this sounds out of the blue but, why does Fred look like a frog if he's supposed to be a drone?"
"Oh, I never mentioned why? Sorry, forgot about that little detail." Eve replied. "You see, when the drone arrives on a planet, it disguises itself as a creature native to that planet and begins working. The purpose of the drone is to gather intel and learn the whereabouts of mutants. It can send that intel to SOPHIA, to stopover checkpoints, and even all the way back to Planet Sophia. However, in order to keep SOPHIA's whereabouts concealed, intel can only be transmitted at certain times. Because of that, there are times when SOPHIA isn't able to receive signals. That's why the drone has a function that allows it to make a wormhole that is connected to SOPHIA's location. It proves to be really useful when acquiring intel and sending data."
"...Fred can make wormholes?!" The group exclaimed in shock. They were not expecting a small drone like Fred to summon wormholes at will.
"That's right." Eve confirmed.
"Well damn. Those scientists and mechanics from Planet Sophia are something else if they're able to install that onto a small drone." Lola commented.
"Now that you mention it, I just thought of something…" Jason recalled. "When I was chasing after Fred on the surface, the mysterious hole that led me here suddenly opened up. Maybe that would explain why I've had so much trouble finding him, because Fred can summon wormholes. Man… to think all this is packed into one little machine like this…"
"It's because getting info on mutants is super important. Even the little drone is quite powerful." Eve stated.
"I see... Those who control information control the battle, huh?" Gunvolt noted.
"No wonder the mutants went after Fred; to prevent that info from reaching into our hands." Cecilia summarized.
"Yeah. That would be really bad for all of us." Houki agreed. "Luckily, Laura was at the right place and time, protecting Fred until our arrival."
"Thank goodness for that." Shirabe sighed with relief.
Moments later, they reached an area with an elevator platform below an opening, just in time for Eve to finish installing the new data chip onto the MAs. The vehicles jumped onto the platform and saw a small tunnel with a domain entrance one the other side.
"Looks like our vehicles are gonna be stuck here until someone pulls the elevator switch down." Geiz said.
"And I'm guessing that switch might be inside that domain." Gunvolt assumed as the group looked at the small opening.
"The Bronya won't be able to fight well without Bunny, and he cannot fit inside that small tunnel. So the Bronya will have to stay this time." Bronya informed.
"I'm sitting this one out too. Still recovering from using my Zero Laser during that power struggle with the spider mutant." Samus added.
"Then that means myself, Aile, Houki, Cecilia, Shirabe and Copen will go instead while the vehicle drivers and Eve will stay behind." Vent summarized.
"Yep. Pretty much." Gunvolt said. "Let us know when you guys find that switch, okay?"
"Understood. Wish us luck." Houki replied as she, Cecilia, Copen, Shirabe, Vent and Aile disembarked from the vehicles and crawled into the small tunnel until they reached the end and entered the domain.
"Hmm…" Joule pondered.
"Something up, Joule?" Gunvolt asked.
"I was wondering how close we are to the last mutant guardian."
"Let me check for you." Eve examined the map on the navigation screen before gasping in shock. "Uh oh."
"Uh oh?" Jason repeated with unease. "Eve, what did you see?"
"I've just found out that this elevator will take us to the mutant meteor entrance below us. Not only that, the nearby domain the others took? The domain exit is also near the mutant meteor entrance."
"...That's also where the last mutant guardian is located, isn't it?" Gunvolt recalled.
"...Mhm."
"...Son of a bitch./…God gacking damnit." Geiz and Gunvolt cursed.
"They're in trouble, aren't they?" Bronya guessed.
"I believe Geiz and Gunvolt's cursing pretty much answered your question, Bronya." Adam stated.
"And it's far too late to chase after them. The only thing we can do now is hope for their safety." Samus added.
"...Stay safe, guys. Because you're gonna be expecting a nasty surprise on the way out." Jason mentally prayed.
Meanwhile back at the surface, Laura, Grey and Ashe are scouting the plains for any mutant activity with the former using her IS and the latter driving on an ATV with Ashe sitting on the back seat.
"Any signs of those mutants, Laura?" Ashe asked as they kept moving.
"So far, unknown. It's difficult to track them since this world does not have a satellite." Laura replied.
"I guess that's what happens when people live underground for many years to avoid the ice age." Grey remarked. "But now that the ice age is over, maybe the EDF can make a new one."
"That's only after the mutant meteor and the Mutant Lord are gone." Ashe pointed out.
"Ashe is correct." Laura agreed. "The sooner the threat is neutralized, the sooner humanity can start rebuilding without any outside threats. Though to be honest, my world never had to deal with alien invaders or even an ice age."
"Well, consider yourself lucky." Grey replied. "Our world usually has to deal with Maverick attacks. But ever since the fall of Ouroboros and Master Albert's defeat, things are starting to calm down. At least, that's what I was hoping for."
"Maverick?" Laura repeated.
"It's what happens when a reploid, which is another term for android for our world, loses self-control and only having killing intent on their minds, most notably against innocent humans and reploids." Ashe explained.
"So it's like some kind of virus?"
"Something like that." Grey replied, until he saw something up ahead. "Hold on, I saw something at a distance." They stopped moving before Grey took out his binoculars and looked through them. "There they are…"
"It's the mutants, isn't it?" Ashe guessed, earning a nod from Grey before giving her the binoculars to have a look. "Tch, this is going to get ugly real soon considering this looks like a large army."
"A mutant army?" Laura's eye widened before taking the binoculars from Ashe and took a quick look. "Can the Guardians handle this many mutants?"
"Considering that the Mutant Lord can spawn more mutants, I'm not so sure myself." Grey replied before taking back his binoculars.
"And they won't stop until the Mutant Lord is dead." Ashe added.
"Then we need to report to Commander Prairie immediately." Laura said as she took out her black Zikan Phone and contacted the commander via audio call. "This is Laura Bodewig reporting alongside Grey and Ashe. We've discovered a mutant army up ahead from our current location."
"I see. So they're preparing an assault after all." Prairie replied. "How long will it take for the mutants to arrive at our base?"
"Probably around 10 to 15 minutes at best." Grey answered.
"Very well. You are to return to base immediately."
"Is it alright if we can set up several traps to slow down their movement before heading back?" Ashe requested.
"You're going to test out the turrets and Ignition Bombs Jason used for his suit?"
"That's the plan."
"...Alright, permission granted. Just remember to come back safely when you're done setting up those traps."
"Understood. Over and out." Laura ended the call and put away her phone. "Now then, let's go deploy those turrets and mines before heading back."
"How many should we use?" Grey asked.
"As many as we could until we run out of ammo."
"Gotcha. Okay, let's go!" Ashe replied as she (along with Grey sitting on the ATV's back seat) drove away from the mutants to deploy the traps with Laura following behind in her IS.
Guardian Base, Command Center
"Gardenia, could you contact Charlotte and Volnutt right now? I need to know their scouting report." Prairie requested.
"Yes, ma'am." The operator reported before typing a few buttons until she heard ringing. "Okay, I've established a contact with them."
Prairie nodded to the operator before contacting the other scout team. "Charlotte, Volnutt, can you hear me?"
"Oui. We read you loud and clear." Charlotte acknowledged, using her Zikan Phone audio call to answer.
"Laura's team has already given me their report. What's your status on your end?"
"Well we found the mutants stationed in one area. A lot of them actually, but they haven't moved just yet." Volnutt reported.
"Hmm…" Prairie pondered with her hand on her chin. "Are they awaiting orders from the Mutant Lord?"
"Most likely." Charlotte answered. "What should we do now?"
"Deploy your newly aquired turrets and Ignition Bombs before returning to camp. The traps should slow them down at least, so be sure to use all of it. Laura's team are already doing the same thing."
"Understood./Got it." Charlotte and Volnutt acknowledged.
"How long will it take for the mutants to reach the camp?"
"From our current location, at least around 10 minutes." Charlotte answered.
"Very well. You have your orders, and remember to stay safe. Prairie out." Prairie ended the audio transmission before sighing. "Our fate is now in the hands of our strike team. I just hope we can hold out long enough until the Mutant Lord's defeat."
Sector 7: Planetary Depths Area
Back at Sector 7, Copen, Shirabe, Vent, Aile, Houki and Cecilia (the latter two already donning their IS frames) just got out of the domain they came in filled with mutants, drones, infected spacemen and searchlights which required evasion. Now they're walking ahead as they search for the switch to activate the elevator where the vehicles are waiting.
"Well we're out of the domain. But where's the elevator switch?" Aile asked as the group looked around.
"It has to be around here somewhere. We can't continue without our vehicles." Vent stated.
"Maybe we should check the map first." Shirabe said.
"Yeah, let's do that first." Houki nodded as the group stopped moving.
Copen took out his Zikan Phone and revealed the map via holo-screen as the group examined the map. But when Cecilia looked up, she gasp in fear at what she saw. "Um… everyone?"
"Now not, Cecilia. We're trying to find our current location." Copen replied while looking at the map.
"I think you may need to put that on hold, because look who's here!" Cecilia shouted while pointing at what she saw.
The group then looked at where Cecilia was pointing, until their eyes widen in shock at what she saw. "...Oh crap." Copen muttered.
It was a large skeleton that only has its upper half, its head has two curved horns and red eyes, a long neck with spines on each segment, shoulder blades that curve upward, a ribcage, and skeletal arms with pointed fingers. The rest of its body is attached to a large purple, organic-looking wall behind it.
"I-Is that… a mutant guardian?!" Houki exclaimed.
"Considering how big this thing is… Yup, that's definitely it!" Aile confirmed as everyone prepared their weapons.
Shirabe took a quick look at Copen's holo-screen, before gasping with wide eyes at what she found. "Uh… guys? I think I know where we are right now."
"What is it, Shirabe?" Copen asked.
"That domain exit lead us right next to the mutant guardian, and the entrance to the meteor!"
"You mean the purple wall that skeleton is latched onto?" Vent asked, looking at said wall.
"That's the one." Shirabe confirmed.
"Guys, I don't think any of our weapons can put a dent on that mutant. We're going to need the MAs to handle that." Lola stated.
"We still need to find that switch first to start up that elevator." Cecilia reminded.
"I'll go look for the switch while you guys distract the mutant." Shirabe said.
"Alright. We're counting on you." Copen replied as he put away his phone before facing the mutant.
"Please be careful, Shirabe!" Houki said.
"Same goes for you and the others!" Shirabe nodded before heading for the other direction to find the switch.
"Copen, I think you should let me keep an eye on Shirabe, just in case." Cecilia suggested.
"Very well, go watch after her." Copen approved with a nod, prompting Cecilia to fly after the Attuned. "Alright mutant scum…" He twirled his Divider and X-Baton Blaster before pointing at the skeleton mutant who began to roar. "...Come and get us!"
=WARNING=
THE LAIR OF
"THE PLANET EATER"
=SKELETON BOSS=
(Play BGM: The Mutant's Lair (Boss 2) from Blaster Master Zero OST)
The group immediately fired lasers at the skeleton's face, which only left small bruises on impact. Vent and Aile even fired charge shots with their ZX-Busters, but it also left small bruises on the skeleton's face with no crack in sight.
"Tch… not even our charge shots are enough to put a dent on its armour." Vent frowned. "How tough are those bones anyway?"
"Not sure, but our only chance is the MAs since some of their weapons can damage the mutants." Aile replied, until she saw the mutant firing large energy spheres from its mouth. "Incoming!" The group quickly dodged its attacks until it stopped for a moment.
"Maybe Jason and GV will try out that new weapon on the mutant? One combined shot from the MAs is enough to destroy it immediately." Houki said, until she saw the mutant spitting out boulders from its mouth. "Whoa!" She retaliated by slicing off the boulders with slash-waves from her katana. "That was close…"
"Keep distracting the mutant until the MAs arrive, so stand your ground!" Copen reminded the group while firing his guns at the mutant's face.
Cecilia kept watching Shirabe from above as she searched for the switch. But then Cecilia saw something at a cliff above Shirabe. "Shirabe, I've found the switch!"
"Really!? Where?" Shirabe asked.
"It's on a cliff right above you. You'll have to jump on the smaller platforms to reach here."
"That's okay, I've got a better idea!' Shirabe then transformed her buzzsaws from her metallic twintails into a pair of helicopter rotors and moved them above her before taking to the skies.
Emergency Phi Style: Twin Moon Karma
"You have helicopter rotors?!" Cecilia gawked as Shirabe flew next to her.
"I'm guessing you never did get to see my Symphogear in action yet." Shirabe winked, until she gasped when she saw bouncing boulders approaching them. "Look out!" She pointed at the boulders, prompting Cecilia to turn around and destroyed them with her beam rifle. "Thanks, Cecilia!"
"No problem." Cecilia winked back, before shooting more bouncing boulders that the skeleton mutant launched. "Now go on ahead! I'll cover you!"
"Hai!" Shirabe nodded before flying towards the switch. Once she landed on the cliff, she grabbed the lever and pulled down, causing the elevator to activate and the platform to move down. Shirabe quickly contacted the others using her Zikan Phone audio call. "Guys, I've got the elevator moving! But be careful upon your arrival, because there's a large mutant guardian right behind me! The others are distracting it as best as they could!"
"Loud and clear, Shirabe! We're on our way!" Jason acknowledged.
"Until then, stay right where you are until we arrive!" Geiz added.
"Okay!" Shirabe replied as she continued to watch the elevator moving… That is, until the elevator suddenly shut down, making her gasp in shock. "Eh?! Guys, what happened up there?!"
"I don't know! I think there was a power failure during our descent halfway!" Gunvolt replied.
"Don't panic, we'll find another way to get the elevator working. In the meantime, continue to watch the elevator." Bronya advised.
"Alright, but please hurry!" Shirabe replied with a hint of panic.
Inside SOPHIA III, Eve is checking the database to locate some kind of power supply to start up the elevator again. "Come on… there has to be a generator somewhere around here…" Eve muttered.
"Adam, Bronya, what about you guys? Find anything?" Jason asked.
"No luck, I'm afraid. The elevator's power failure was very unexpected." Adam answered after scanning the area with its optics.
"The Bronya is trying her best, but to no avail." Bronya reported from a comms screen.
"Damn it… now what?" Jason muttered. "If we don't hurry, the others will be killed by the mutant guardian."
"If only we can find at least some electricity to make it work…" Samus pondered.
"Wait… Did you guys say… electricity?" Gunvolt spoke from another comms screen.
"Yes. Why?"
"...I've got an idea. One sec." Gunvolt turned off the comms screen as Jason's group saw Gunvolt on the main monitor disembarking from Rairyu as he placed his hand on the elevator.
"Wait, of course! Your Septima!" Joule realized.
"Bingo. I used my Septima on elevators before, so using it on this one is no problem. Now hold on tight, everyone!" Gunvolt surged his electricity onto the elevator, causing it to activate once more as it continued its descent.
"Wooo! Way to go, GV!" Geiz cheered as everyone else smiled.
"Shirabe, GV's using his Septima to start up the elevator again! We're on our way!" Eve informed.
"That's good to know!" Shirabe replied. "But be careful with the mutant guardian since its skeleton bones are so tough that the others are having trouble putting a crack on it."
"Then it's time to give the Acceleration Blast a shot." Jason declared before speaking to Geiz on the comms screen. "Geiz, may GV and I use it?"
"...Go nuts, you guys." Geiz approved with a thumbs up before turning off the comms screen.
"Alright, I'm beginning the start-up sequence!" Jason pushed several buttons on the controls after moving SOPHIA to the other elevator opening.
"Samus, take the controls of Rairyu and prepare the weapon start-up sequence!" Gunvolt requested while surging up the elevator.
"Roger!" Samus complied, disembarking SOPHIA and boarding Rairyu with Adam following beside her, moved the MA to where SOPHIA is facing, and pushed several buttons on the controls.
The tyres of the MAs turned downwards as its rims transformed into anchor hooks which latched onto the platforms, while their main cannons opened up as it began charging green energy particles.
"Shirabe, the MAs are going to fire their Acceleration Blasts upon arrival, so make sure you and the others take cover." Bronya informed.
"Understood!" Shirabe noted.
Back with Shirabe, she quickly turned to the others. "Everyone, Jason and the others are on their way! Also, the MAs are about to fire their Acceleration Blasts upon arrival, so if you hear large energies recharging, get out of the firing line!"
"Got it!" The group replied as they continued to distract the skeleton mutants, dodging the energy spheres and destroying the boulders.
Shirabe continues to look at the elevator's window, until she saw Jason's team arriving with the MAs charging up their opened main cannons. "They're here! Everyone take cover!
"Fall back!" Copen shouted before the group quickly retreated towards the domain exit for safety while Shirabe stayed above the cliff and took cover. Cecilia also took cover next to Shirabe's position.
Once the platform stopped at its destination, Gunvolt quickly hopped on board Rairyu, closed the cockpit and took over the controls. "Energy charge at 100%. You may fire when ready." Adam informed.
"Energy charge complete! Trigger's all yours!" Eve also informed.
"Hey, mutant scum! Knock, knock!" Geiz shouted after moving the Time Mazine away from the MAs.
"Acceleration Blast… DISCHAAARGE!" Jason and Gunvolt yelled as they pulled their respective triggers, causing the MAs to fire a destructively combined massive beam of green energy that obliterated the skeleton mutant, rendering its hard bones completely useless as its entire body was disintegrated into nothingness before exploding. Not only that, the explosion also left a large hole onto the wall which also destroyed the mutants that were near it.
(BGM End)
Everyone was speechless with shock and awe at the combined destructive power of the MAs' most powerful weapon.
"...Holy shit…" Vent remarked.
"You said it…" Aile agreed with a nod.
"Never thought a tank like that would have that kind of firepower." Model X commented.
"Even more so when there's two of them involved." Model Z added.
"So that was the Metal Attacker's most powerful weapon…" Copen said.
"That info was definitely no joke. Look at what it did to that mutant guardian, and even the wall. Like… damn…" Lola added.
"That is one scary weapon to use…" Houki commented with unease.
Cecilia and Shirabe stopped taking cover and looked at the damage with utter shock. "Bloody hell… look at the carnage…" Cecilia remarked with unease. "I really hope we don't have to use that weapon again unless it's a last resort."
"Mm… I hope so too." Shirabe agreed with a nod.
The MAs' main cannon were smoking as the cannons closed up and their anchor hooks turned back into wheels. Jason's team was also speechless at what the MAs' new weapon caused.
"Well… damn… This is taking overkill to a whole new level." Geiz remarked.
"It's like firing my Zero Laser when it's cranked up to eleven. No way my power suit can handle or survive that." Samus commented.
"This proves that this weapon is far too dangerous to use." Adam stated.
"No arguments there, Adam. Just… look at this." Gunvolt said with unease.
"This is way too scary for me to watch, even if it's against the mutants." Joule added.
"The Bronya has no comment on watching this. Just… speechless." Bronya said.
"...Come on. Let's regroup with the others." Geiz declared as the vehicles dropped down the platform and landed on the ground below before the others regrouped and holstered their weapons with the IS girls dispersing their IS frames as they faced the now opened wall. "Well guys… this is it. The entrance to the mutant meteor."
"And the Mutant Lord is waiting inside." Gunvolt added. "And he might have the Gjallarhorn fragment we've been looking for this whole time."
"Alright everyone, time to save this planet. Ready to do this?" Jason asked.
"Yeah!" The group complied, raising their fist.
"Good. Everyone, get inside the vehicles." Jason replied back as Shirabe boarded the Time Mazine; Copen, Vent and Aile boarded Rairyu; and the IS girls boarded SOPHIA. "Now then… LET'S GO!" The vehicles revved up their engines and drove straight into the entrance as their confrontation with the Mutant Lord draws ever closer.
And that confrontation will decide the fate of the Earth.
Chapter 9: Infiltrating the Planetary Depths
END
Author's Note: This is it, we're getting very close to the endgame as the strike team head inside the mutant meteor, AKA Sector 8; while the others back at the Guardian Base and Sector 1's Guardians Camp prepared defensive procedures against the approaching mutant army.
One other thing, expect some surprises coming up in the next chapter, especially during the battle against the Mutant Lord.
Until then, stay safe and see you next time!