Episode 14: Message
"To think that we have been infiltrated and nobody noticed, this is a failure. We're lucky that Mikumo-san is still alive."
Arad said. Kazumi had managed to get Mikumo to Elysion with help from Keith and call everyone to gather. After putting Mikumo in the sick bay, they all gather in the briefing room. Reina is currently doing a thorough system check to make sure that nothing is wrong. As she works, she also reported her findings to everyone.
"All damages were physical. No data was corrupted. No virus detected. Some data had been downloaded."
"They use small spy bots like what Kumokumo used for infiltration missions. Whoever it is, they're good. They managed to stay undetected and after transferring the downloaded data, all the spy bots self-destructed."
Makina added. It will take time to repair the damage. They have been taken by surprise. Everyone has a grim expression, but none more so than Kazumi himself as he personally fought the assailants to protect Mikumo.
"It's too close."
He said. Everyone turn to the ace pilot who is now trembling after all the adrenaline wore off and he managed to assess the situation he had just been through and it painted a rather grim picture in his mind.
"It's too close. We were lucky."
Now that he thought about it, they really are lucky… or something else is at work. If the Thanatos squadron had attacked all at once, he doubted he could stop them all. Kazumi knew he is one of the best in and out of the valkyrie but the Thanatos squadron is also just as capable, especially their commander who is the toughest enemy he had ever fought.
If they had come together, he would be overwhelmed. Maybe if it's just Wynn and the other man then he could still handle them albeit not as easily as he did when facing each of them individually but he could somehow manage. But against Mary? It took him everything to just stand toe to toe with her.
But there are things that made him wonder about the events the night's events… which he can think of later. There are things to talk about for now, one of which is standing with them right now, someone who is not supposed to be here.
"Speaking of which, I haven't thanked you yet, White Knight of Darwent."
Kazumi turned to Keith who is standing in a corner. The ace pilot of Winderemere and leader of the Aerial Knights look at him with his only good eye as if he's scrutinizing him.
"It is what I came for, although I have not seen you before. Who are you?"
"Ahh I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Kazumi Shinomiya."
"Kazumi Shinomiya. I see. I am Keith Aero Windermere…"
Keith stood from the corner he's occupying and walk slowly towards Kazumi. They stared at each other for several seconds until Keith turn away.
"You have a lonely wind."
Keith said. Kazumi did not react at the comment… but Hayate did.
"I've been wanting to ask since we came here but… why is the White Knight here?"
"I was wondering about that too. Didn't you like… you know… died?"
Mirage added. They then turn to Kazumi since he is the one who called everyone and Keith was already with him when they all came. Kazumi though is not sure why the White Knight appear so he turn to said man, his look asking him to explain. So Keith did.
"It was back in shrine after I killed Roid…"
With Roid slain by his sword, Keith let go of the blade and Roid staggered back as the shrine began to explode from the combined attack of the Macross Elysion, Aerial Knights, and Delta flight. Without his machine, Keith is trapped. But even though he knew he is trapped,Keith want to at least try to escape. Windermere still need him, Heinz still need him.
Keith jump down from the Star Singer's stage before it was engulfed by the explosion, leaving Roid's corpse and his sword behind. He entered into one of the corridor, trying not to trip as the giant mobile fortress shook from the explosion. He unfortunately does not know the interior of the shrine well so he rely on his instinct and what little he knew to guide him out.
He felt the wind guiding him through his rune and follow it.
He traversed the corridors while running as quickly as he can before the explosion caught up to him. It's not far, he can feel it. He only need to hurry. With Roid gone he is the only one left in the shrine.
But when Keith reached his destination, he did not find an exit but instead a giant fold quartz suspended in some kind of mechanism. Based on his route and his position, he guessed he is in a room right behind the throne Roid sat on. He had not found an escape point, he is instead trapped in the heart of the shrine!
"Wha… has the wind failed me, or is there…"
Keith then heard the echo of Walkure's song coming from the quartz.
'Ai no kiss de saihate e link
Suki da yo
Fureatta hoho no nukumori ga nugurenai'
"Walkure?"
Keith wonder why he could hear their voices coming from the quartz. So he walked closer towards the quartz and touch it. Immediately his rune started glowing bright and the faint echo of Walkure's singing now became clearer as he felt himself overwhelmed by an incredible power.
'Tsukanda kimi no paseeji ima
Hanatte kindan supurasshu kyoumei'
"Wha…"
Several images began to appear in his mind but they are all blurry. He can only make out a few of them. He saw the Delta flight fighting several unknown black valkyries and then he saw them being shot down one by one. He saw Mikumo captured and forced to sing by an unknown person.
He saw Ragna and Windermere being bombarded by NUNS machines but they don't bear the NUNS emblem. He saw the Aerial Knights now led by Bogue being shot down from the sky by the black valkyries. He saw as the galaxy fell one by one by the power of the Star Singer.
And in the end of it all, he saw Mikumo shot in the heart after her job is done… by someone who looks like her wearing the dress of the Star Singer, though the eyes are completely void of any emotion.
And then he saw generations after generations of Star Singer clones used to keep the galaxies subjugated and a shadow standing behind each generation of clone.
"What is this… what are these visions?!"
Keith asked, though he did not think that he would ever receive an answer… which makes him very shocked when he did. A ghostly voice answered him in his own voice.
'Find the Star Knight and assist him, Keith Aero Windermere!'
And then Keith knew no more.
"After that, I woke up in a village across the sea somehow without any injury. The fishermen who found me said that I suddenly appear out of nowhere and they helped me recover. A week after being found, I took a ship back to the mainland. That was yesterday. The rest is history."
Keith finished his story. Everyone are staring at him like they don't know if they want to believe him or not. After all, what he had just told them is something rather farfetched. But Kazumi only look contemplative as he absorbs what Keith had just told them.
"That's…"
"Out of this world… but is it?"
Arad crossed his arm in deep thought. After what had happened, he could believe in many things but he has to admit that having visions of the future is a little farfetched.
"I know it sounds out-of-this-world but it is true."
"I believe you… and this means that things are very bad."
Kazumi suddenly spoke. Everyone turn to him who is leaning on a console with a grim look.
"Visions of the future and time travel, it's not impossible at all if fold energy and ancient protoculture super weapon is involved."
"I did not think that you would be the first to believe me, and so easily."
Kazumi turn to the console and began working. He accessed several things and surprisingly, opened a confidential file that requires high clearance. Then suddenly on the screen appear some kind of giant monster with glowing wings. Its form somewhat resemble the Bird Human and Sigur Valens but still very different. The similarity came from the traces of Protoculture design coming from each of them.
"This is the reason why I can believe you easily."
"This is?"
"Fold Evil. It's a Protoculture super weapon sealed in Planet Ouroboros. It has an interesting capability… to traverse time and space."
Everyone gasped as they look at the form of the super weapon. Capability to traverse time and space? These protoculture weapons just kept getting crazier with each passing moment.
"Telling it in detail will take too much time but basically the Ouroboros incident revolves around this thing. Back then, Commander Todo of Harvamal went rogue and attempt to use its power to rewrite history. I have seen its power with my own eyes. It is real, the power to traverse time. After all… I have met all of them, people who came from different points of time in history.
"Kazukazu, what do you mean by that?"
Makina asked.
"Exactly what I mean. Though… unless you experience it yourself, it will sound utterly ridiculous and unbelievable."
Kazumi replied as his mind wander back to his time on Ouroboros. Those are not really pleasant time, well, his time in Harvamal at least. His time with the SMS is much more fun even if it is more tiring. After all, they had to run all over the place. But he did enjoy meeting those familiar faces.
Brushing aside those memories, Kazumi began to think about what Keith had just told them. A message from the future warning them about the impending danger. And this Star Knight he spoke about, Kazumi is interested in what this meant. It appears things will get even more complicated.
-Far beyond the Brisingr Globular Cluster-
"Have Omer and Mary succeeded in capturing the Star Singer yet?"
A large man sitting in a spacious office asked the soldier dressed in black who is reporting to him. His chair is faced away from the soldier, obscuring his whole appearance except his size.
"No progress yet. It appears that the Star Singer has a capable bodyguard with her."
"A capable bodyguard? The Thanatos squadron is the best there is. No bodyguard could face them and survive, even if it's just one of them."
The man sounds annoyed while tapping his index finger on the wooden armrest of his chair. The soldier gulped but kept reporting calmly, or as calmly as he can manage.
"Well, it's said here that the bodyguard is not just someone ordinary and could match commander Mary in battle."
The soldier could not see it but the man raised an eyebrow after hearing this particular information. Mary, the commander of the Thanatos squadron, is the best soldier they have. She's the best of the best, the perfect soldier, and could fight her whole squadron which consists of elites among elites by herself, and someone out there could match her?
"Who… who is this person that can match commander Mary?"
The man ask, no, demand in an authoritative tone. The soldier trembled just from hearing his voice booming throughout the room even if he had not raised it.
"K-Kazumi Shinomiya sir."
Suddenly there's a pause. Everything became silent when the soldier mentioned the name of the person who had opposed commander Mary. Suddenly there's a loud bang. The soldier then dropped dead with a look of terror as the man's chair turned and a smoking gun was seen pointed at where the soldier once stood, his blood starting to form a pool under his corpse.
"Shinomiya… the son of Ayano Shinomiya eh?"
The chair turned around once again as the man gaze at the green moon in the sky outside. A low growl can be heard coming from him as he glare at the planet's satellite, the image of a certain young man and woman crossing his mind.
"Bloodraven."
