Chapter 51. Kyoto again
The roof of the antenna facility was probably the tallest place in the Yokohama base, just as it was windy and cold.
I have never developed a taste for alcohol, or at least that what I believed. I had no memory of ever consuming alcohol nor any desire to understand the taste of it. And here I was chucking myself with one cup after another.
The Major Sergeant had that doubting look when I came to her asking for a bottle of wine. But, that's fine, she probably thought I was running an errand for someone else, possibly Hayase.
I wasn't a drinker, I really was not. But, here I was, relieving myself of bad thoughts with alcohol. Bitter, the more I drank the more bitter it became and the bigger the drought in my throat grew. I didn't even know how strong it was, was this wine strong or was it weak? I had no intention to know that. But, I didn't feel drunk or anything even after chucking down a full bottle, even if I did, I wasn't so sure. This was the first time I tried to understand alcohol. Still, the bad thoughts were still there, haunting. My shame was still my own and I did not feel better or anything. I felt worse.
What a trash like human I was! Meiya trusted me, they all trusted me and heir trust was rewarded with my betrayal.
But, even though I was extremely ashamed of myself and the choice I made, I didn't regret making it, transferring the girls to another unit and putting them out of harm way.
I met Tsukuyomi san yesterday, more like ran into her to be exact. She had that mixed look on her face. Was that disappointment? Was that grievance? Was that relief? I could not tell. Neither of us could say something to one another. I just bowed my head to her and walked away. It made me thought that I had really messed it up.
…
When did I thought about making such choice? I could not help but wonder. I never thought about excluding them from the fight before. They chose to fight, knowing full well the risk. They made such choice by their own will. What right do I have to forbid them from doing so? Even during the rebellion of Captain Sagiri, I had not thought about excluding them from the mission. That incident with Marimo changed me perhaps.
I wished I could do the same with the entire roster of A01. I would not like it, seeing any of them to be killed by the BETA again. I don't believe that I could stand seeing anyone of them dead, Captain Isumi, 1st Lt. Munakata, 1st Lt. Kazama, 1st Lt. Hayase, 1st Lt. Haruka, Akane and Haruko. However, they were necessary for Yuuko's plan. A01 could not function without Captain Isumi and her able aides.
The atmosphere around the unit has become increasingly awkward ever since after words got out that I had the girls of my old squad transferred to another unit. First Lt. Suzumiya approached me ahead of everyone to confirm the truth and I admitted it honestly. I had no reason to lie. She asked why, the very same question that Ayamine and my old team asked, why. Why indeed.
I could not help but asking myself, does it mean that I value the success of mission more than I did the lives of Captain Isumi and her aides? What a despicable human being I was! Is that how Yuuko sensei live her day, bearing all sort of similar burdens like that?
The more I drank, the more I remembered about the stuff I have gone through.
"What were you thinking?" First Lt. Suzumiya asked, "What were you thinking, doing something like that?" she asked, "They trust you. They believe in you. They want to fight by your side and support you more so than anyone," she said.
After what happened to Marimo, I didn't want to lose them to the BETA again, I thought but never voiced it aloud, instead staring blankly at the first Lieutenant. "I know," I coldly replied as the matter of fact. That I know. They went into that final mission with me, betting their lives so that I could succeed killing the final objective. I came out alive, winning at the cost of their lives. That I know, needless anyone to remind me.
First Lt. Suzumiya never told me about how my selfish decision damaged the team functionality as a whole. She never told me just how much of a mess of a burden that I had loaded on Captain Isumi's shoulders. She never told me that I have messed up all the planning and stratagem that the Captain and the lieutenants planned ahead. She never told me something like that. She never curse me for being such a coward, not once. But her younger sister did. She told me just how much Chizuru admired me, how much my old squad admired me only to be cruelly betrayed by me in the end. Akane told me that she hated my gut and I replied to her that I hated myself just as much. She stomped away after that, telling me that she hated me.
First lieutenant Munakata only disapprovingly shook her head, "You make the worst decision that you could possibly do," she said.
I only half-agreed to that. It was certainly the worst kind of decision because it put me into the worst spot and jeopardized the entire unit as a whole. But, even so, it could not be the worst decision because the girls were out of harm way.
First Lt. Kazama did not say a word to me as if pretending that stuff never happened. Or perhaps…
Hayase being a woman of action tossed me a punch, surprisingly light, not as heavy as I thought that punch would be. She told me to work my ass off, harder, a lot harder so that I could fill the void of my old team. I could fight as hard as the five of them combined but I could never fill their void, I wanted to say that but chose to not. I silently nodded my head.
Captain Isumi made no complain. She didn't question my selfish decision. She only told me that it was a cowardly decision and she would drive me harder to compensate for the loss of five able members of her unit.
Haruko approached me at the end of the day, quietly. She told me that I made a stupid choice but if she was in my shoes, she would make the same choice. She told me that with a demure chuckle and a longing look. She had a younger brother, she said, if her younger brother was to participate the war on the front line, she would do anything she could to make sure he is safe.
"Thank you," I told Haruko, "that make me feel somewhat better."
"You are not supposed to. Suffer more, Tamase san cries so much that her eyes go red because of you," Haruko chuckled, "But I can't imagine you dating the five of them all at the same time while being intimated with First Lieutenant Hayase. Is this six timing? That must be a record."
"And I keep telling you that there was nothing between me and Hayase,"
"So you didn't denying being in love with the five of them," Haruko teasingly pointed out.
I stay quiet. Her words caught me by surprise.
"So it is like that," Haruko smiled.
"No," I denied, "It's not."
"Well, that's that. Try not to make them cry too much. If you need to talk with someone, I'm all ear. Also, come to me if you ever need a cupid."
"Yeah," I replied, not sure if it was the right answer. I was grateful that Haruko would come and talk to me in this manner, but Haruko and cupid should not be in the same sentence.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Shirogane Takeru woke up, finding himself atop the hill of Yokohama base once again. He thought he went to bed yesterday after chucking an entire bottle of wine.
Sleepwalking? That was probably the case or at least that was what he hoped.
That morning, they had the run with the remaining members of A01 in conquering the new simulation. They did surprisingly well despite the insane spike in difficulty. The difficulty between the old and new simulation was not even close.
The first attempt was good but it was still far from a success. They had never make it all the way to the final chamber where the final objective located. But it was close. Shirogane Takeru remembered the last time he attempted to do the same with his old squad. They were even more undermanned. Meiya as good in combat as she was… was no Hayase, not nearly as experience. Ayamine a superhuman she was could not be compare to the significance of 1st Lt. Munakata. Captain Isumi was a better fighter and leader in overall when comparing to Chizuru. Haruko was not an outrageous sniper that Tama was but she was just as much a deadeye. First Lt. Kazama and Akane was just as efficient in guarding the flank and rear as Mikoto.
But the XG was the different maker. It changed the landscape of battle. It changed the game plan being a mobile fortress that possessed both of mankind's strongest Lance and strongest shield, it changed how a battle should be fought in the future.
Captain Isumi was deeply impressed despite reading all the information related in prior to the run. Captain Isumi wasn't the only one who was impressed by the XG, everyone.
The second attempt was carried out in the evening of the same day, an improvement, but not so much. Captain Isumi found it acceptable. She then informed the entire unit of our schedule in the next week.
They would abroad a plane to Kyoto and have another week of training with the Imperial Royal Guard to prepare for the real thing. Of course, they would do that without disclosing the intel on the XG. Yuuko would declassify that piece of intel to the army on the day of operation.
They trained hard every day. Each subsequent attempt was an improvement. On the seventh attempt, Shirogane Takeru and the team have finally reached the final chamber. Akane was out, Kazama was out, Captain Isumi was out but they managed to reach the final objective.
It was the same as his memory recalled. Code name "The Superior," gargantuan and dreadfully intimidating like a giant thousands headed serpent. It was the brain of every BETA on Earth. It controlling them like a ruler, an ant queen. But it was also more than that. It was the one that enable the BETA to continually evolve and adapting to every change that mankind made.
Shirogane Takeru screamed with grudging hatred, plunging at the monster with his swords drawn. And he went down after a mere minute, the monster overwhelmed him with a thousands of its spearhead tentacle. He was doing okay with a few dozens. Several hundred was too much and thousands, it was beyond his ability to deal with. He remembered that scene from that ancient war movie where thousands upon thousands of arrows were launched into the sky and darken it, those few thousands spearhead tentacles launched at him reminded him of that scene. There was no room for him to evade within such an enclosed space. His blades can parry shit, none. Had they were aimed with deadly precision, the same way the Laser class did, he would probably survive, probably. After that Hayase went down, impaled by twenty spearheaded tentacles or so. Haruko followed him and Hayase very soon, she managed to set off her self-destruct mechanism to buy sometimes for Sumika and Kasumi to deal the final blow with the XG's main cannon. And they did, vaporized the bastard with the XG's main cannon the same way Shirogane Takeru himself did during the previous loop.
It was a huge success, said Captain Isumi. She was being very hopeful about their chance of winning.
They repeated and repeated the training again and again. They made it to the final Chamber again and again saved for two more occasions in which the BETA managed to overwhelm even the gravity shield of the XG. In all of those successful attempts in which they managed to reach the final chamber, they failed to take out The Superior only one time. The rest, it was pretty much the same as the seventh attempt.
Takeru himself was the most consistent member of A01 to stay alive and reached the final objective. Next, it was Lt. Munakata, Captain Isumi and Hayase. It wasn't an easy task to reach the final objective even with the XG covering them.
Takeru faced off against the Superior again and again. That thing, he had a special vendetta against it; that was probably why he never proposed a pathway pf peace to Yuuko. Perhaps, somehow, Yuuko could find a path of peace with all the information he brought back from his previous loop. But, he wanted no part of that now. Perhaps in future…
He could never forgive it, that monster. But it was a problem, it alone was a different problem. He could not just defeat it base on emotion alone. That monster, it position itself in an incredibly advantageous position, making it extremely difficult for him and the team to pre-emptively attacking it with the XG. By the time they was in the range, that thing, it can attack the XG, overwhelming the XG's gravitational shield with its multitude attack.
Dealing with that monster was a problem, Takeru tried many things, trying to lure it away with his speedy control to open a window of opportunity for Sumika or someone else. He had to play the role of the decoy, otherwise, the monster would attack the XG first. But, if he was to stay in the front, Sumika could never pull the trigger, it was dilemma.
He could see a window so very often, an opened window toward his target. He plunged himself into that opened window, betting everything on that and he would fail every single time. He was to slow, too dull and his opponent was too much for him.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It's Christmas. That trouble maker Shirogane said that it was supposed to be a big day, not that Isumi didn't know but she did not care about it and neither was her unit. Maybe from where he was, Hawaii, it was a big holiday, but not here in Yokohama and besides, there were a ton of thing to do. It was no time for celebrating.
Once again, they returned to the Imperial capital Kyoto, but this time, they was not out for blood, thankfully. The last time they were here, during the rebellion of Captain Saigiri, Isumi and her unit had to fought their countrymen, kill or be killed. This time, it was to meet with the wing of Imperial Royal Guard that was to be lent to Yuuko in the future operation and got some training.
Everyone in her unit aside from Sumika and Kasumi hopped the plane for this trip to the capital. Sumika and Kasumi, they were walking classified information, pilots of the XG and even more. XO said not to worry about the two of them, they would do fine even without some co-ordination with the Imperial Royal Guard and Shirogane testified to that, so Isumi could neglect on that. There was too much risk involve bringing them to such place considering their status.
Surprisingly or perhaps, unsurprisingly, Kouzuki Yuuko herself, too, hopped on the plane along with A01. She was probably be here for all sort of political reasons. A team of software engineer handpicked by Yuuko herself had traveled to the capital a week ahead of them to help with the setup, or so Isumi heard.
Lt. Colonel Makebe, the right hand man of Lord Commander Ikaruga was there to greet them and welcome them. According to the man, Lord Commander Ikaruga had received a direct summon by the Emperor himself and was unavailable.
Lending a unit of Takemikazuchi to the UN army got Lord Commander Ikaruga himself into quite a trouble, or so Isumi has heard from the rumors, not from the mouth of Lt. Colonel Makebe, of course. Lt. Colonel Makebe made no attempt to guilt-trip Isumi and the co. But Isumi knew, that was not what it seemed.
Lt. Colonel Makebe shortly introduced Isumi and her co to his troops, men and women who would join Isumi in her next suicide mission. 300, that was the number, it still sounded unreal to Isumi that the XO somehow manage to acquire such fighting force with that shady deal. How did she explain all of that to the UN top brass and the US army?
After all that introduction was said and done, Isumi and the co was brought to a party. Isumi was not so sure about the party regarding its purpose but she chose to respect Lt. Colonel Makebe's goodwill. Isumi quickly got to know the 300 that was lent to Yuuko after an hour of talking. Maybe, this was what Lt. Colonel Makebe had in mind from the beginning. Though, it was not the same for the rest of her unit. Her two trouble makers Shirogane and Hayase were not such people to actively go around and met new people. Munakata and Kazama seemed fine with these kind of event, they quickly picked a group and mingled themselves along.
These 300, they were a mixed bunch, that was Isumi's impression. She had initially thought that they were all belonged to the Capital Defense troops, known for their skills and services. But these 300 were not so bad. There were veterans who saw more combat than Isumi and the rest of her unit. And there were people who had never saw actual combat until this moment. However, they looked well trained, Isumi thought. She guessed that she had to wait and see how these guys fought in the training.
At one point, it was clear that Isumi's constant number one source of headache was one of the main focal of the party. He didn't need to go around and find his groove among the was always a constant line of men and women waiting for the opportunity to approach him. Most of them was just curious about the person behind the creation of the miracle OS. Some really wanted to know about him. They wanted to talk to him about the OS itself, its functionality and many of its special features. Isumi just hoped that he didn't let something unnecessary slip out of his mouth.
Isumi guessed that it was only natural. Had she was in the same position as them, she probably do the same thing. On a side note, Isumi realized just how dense the boy was, he was being constantly hit on but showing no sight of realization. His good look was a waste on him.
However, Yuuko told Isumi to pay extra attention on the kid, "Stay close to him and prevent him from getting into trouble."
Yuuko said that it was possible that the Imperial Royal Guard would pull some kind of move on him. There was a small chance, very small chance that it may happen but Isumi should be prepared for that.
Isumi herself was somewhat confused, asking Yuuko for the specification. Was the Imperial Royal Guard not their ally?
"While I have no problem with the way they dealing with us, they are being excessively generous to us. Generous is one thing but excessive generous is not good. They are after him. They would try to sway him to their side. He would not do that, I know he isn't that kind of person. But, on the off chance, they could possibly instigate an incident to pull a political leverage on us. So beware," said Yuuko.
That boy, he was different, that's for sure. Isumi's gut feeling was correct from the get-go. He was different from anyone in her unit, not because he was a man but because who he was. Yuuko treated him in a different light in contrast to Isumi, her right-hand man. She treated him like a partner, her equal more than a subordinate. She forgave his misdeeds and allowed his selfishness to come through. That was very unlike of Yuuko to do so, very unlikely.
That boy, he was important not because he was a genius TSF pilot or the creator of the miracle OS. Isumi was afraid that the boy was just as much a huge walking classified material just as much as the two girls Sumika and Kasumi. She wasn't sure if she should ask Yuuko for the complete declassification on the boy. Yuuko probably did considered it anyway.
It was a good atmosphere until some guys made some insensitive comments as if trying to instigate problems. They earned not just the ire of Isumi and her unit but also the questionable looks from their own comrades.
Being trained and disciplined through and through, Isumi and her unit knew how to keep themselves behind the line and controlled themselves. Thankfully, the boy, too, kept himself under the control very well. Knowing him, he was more ashamed of himself than being provoked by such insensitive comments. But, the other party was not done. They tried to escalate it into a problem despite being held back by their comrades.
If this was what Yuuko was talking about, it was very inconsequential and insignificant because it was diffused almost immediately. Isumi was afraid that it was just a smokescreen for something else. She was more alerted.
The next day, the real thing began. They simulated the operation with JIVEs. Never before, has Isumi dreamed that such large scale simulation was possible. JIVEs was not cheap, they were just as expensive as TSFs themselves. And here she was, witnessing a massive hosting server of JIVEs of more than 300 units. To able to procure something like this, the Imperial Royal Guard was really something else.
The simulation they ran was based on the same simulation that Isumi and her unit has continuously trained for the past week. It was similar but not quite the same. For example, the distance to the final chamber was significantly shorter. Of course, the scale of a stage 4 Hives could not be compared to the Original Hives. There was also less Laser Class unit, less Lux and Magnus Lux, less problem. There was no sight of that giant worm, the newly speculated BETA Carrier class or the Superior unit in the final chamber. The simulation was just as difficult but it was not the same.
They were skilled, incredibly so, tough, discipline and rugged, those 300. Lt. Colonel Makebe wasn't joking when he said that they were the fresh cream of the crop. Isumi saw such large and skilled unit once, the old A01 in its golden days.
Isumi and her unit quickly made an impression of themselves. Their familiarity with the XM3 and the difficulty of Hives operation simulation came in especially handy.
A01 was the third leading vanguard units in the formation. The other two vanguard unit with call sign Alpha and Bravo were leaded by Lance and Hornet, twelve man team each. They followed a formation that assumed that the XG would be there. The Imperial Royal Guard never asked the reason behind such formation, they already assumed that Isumi and her unit would bring a game changing toy on the day of Operation, and they were right.
Kazama and Munakata quickly made a name for themselves after twenty minutes into the simulation. They bailed a couple of vanguard units out of trouble twice. Kashiwagi and Akane never had any chance to show something outstanding but they were being very consistent with their work as usual, Isumi could not ask for more.
Not intending to take a backseat, the Imperial Royal Guard units escorting Isumi immediately proved just as competent and strong as Isumi's A01. They were honestly an impressive bunch. Isumi could only thank heaven that they were not on the side of Captain Sagiri during the rebellion, otherwise her unit would never come through even with all the advantages they had.
After three hours into the simulation, Hayase finally had enough of playing friends, and Isumi thought that it was about time. Being surrounded by people who were just as good and experienced as her, Hayase did not have to do her usual job, inciting her juniors and unit and keeping their morale high with her antics and performance. But Hayase could not stand being escorted behind someone else's back, that was not who she was. She showed she was the ace of the Valkyries for a reason. And boy oh boy, she surprised the heck out of everyone else who didn't know any better about her.
"She fights like a madman," someone from the Lance commented.
Hayase's better known moniker "The berserker" perfectly capped off her fighting style. She seemingly fought with complete reckless abandon, opening herself to counter attack and a lot of unnecessary threats. But she got it done faster than anyone else.
As for Shirogane Takeru, he didn't do anything special to warrant special attention from the Imperial Royal Guard units surrounding them. But, he did received the most attention out of everyone within A01 from the very beginning, being the poster child of A01, the creator of the miracle OS and the rumored genius TSF pilot, it was only natural that he received such attention.
He did not distinguish himself with any special plays like Kazama or Munakata or did something bizarre out of nowhere like Hayase.
But he clearly wasn't his usual self either. His usual aggressiveness was nowhere to be found. It was like he was kidnapped and someone else with the same face and voice took his place in the formation. He adopted an extremely defensive and reservedly fighting style like that of a rear or flank guard.
What on the earth was going on? Isumi could not help but wonder. She screamed on the channel to the boy to put more speed and aggressiveness into his system. He responded, reverted back to his old self for a moment before adopting that defensive stance again.
Isumi at this pointed just started rolling with it. She told the unit to adjust to him and they did accordingly. Thankfully, even though the boy adopted an unexpected different fighting style, he was still counted as an elite level TSF pilot. He did not fall short or anything but Isumi could not say that she was proud of the result he created.
Once the first simulation was over, more than six hours has passed, Isumi was exhausted. Nevertheless, she confronted the boy, questioning his strange change.
He replied that those simulation back at the base got him thinking that being aggressive and fast was probably not the only answer in conquering a BETA Hive. The BETA would not sit down and allow their HIVE to be invaded so easily. They would gather their forces and try to flush out all the intruders with their sheer number and that was why speed was the protocol and time was essential, of course he knew.
Isumi clutched her head, wondering if the boy was a genius or a genuine idiot. She resisted the urge to scream at him and instead told him that they got no time to experiment such option. They were pressed for time and the 300 Imperial Royal Guards lent to Yuuko would not agree to such idea.
Thankfully, the second time they ran the simulation, the boy returned to his aggressiveness self and got the entire unit going. When the boy being aggressive, he opened a lot of options for Hayase and Munakata choose, moreover, he would boost the entire team's mobility because of how fast he moved forward.
The second run yielded a much better result compared to the first run and Isumi as well as Lt. Colonel Makebe were pleased with the result. Yuuko said nothing, just telling them to keep up the good work.
Isumi immediately threw herself into a pit of extra-work after that. It was almost midnight but she had to sort out a lot of information and data to prepare for the third simulation the day after. Haruka was with her, helping her to run all the necessary data while the rest of the unit has retired for the night.
Isumi slept for two hours before waking up to tell her unit to prepare for another busy day. Her heart almost sunk when she discovered that Shirogane Takeru was nowhere to be found in his quarter, a huge problem. Thankfully, Hayase reported that she saw him inside the training facility early in the morning. Isumi immediately told Hayase to go and grab him, she just cannot be too careful around that guy. He was a huge walking time bomb of problems.
And Isumi was right, something did happened. The way the Imperial Royal Guard look at him change. They no longer had that look of curiosity or admiration when glancing at him from the distance.
It was like their face turned pale the very moment they saw him, or so Isumi believed. A good thirty or so of the Imperial Royal guards had that ashen face as if their blood was drained after noticing his presence within the proximity while another dozens of them hung their head as if shamed.
"What did you do?" she asked the boy. Isumi knew the quickest path to approach the truth. The boy may cause unspeakable problems but he was not the type of person who denied or lied about it.
"I did nothing," he replied, to Isumi's surprise.
"Then why are they like that? The last time I saw people who had that look was after Hayase involved in a brawl."
"Did she kill someone?"
"No, she broke a few bones or so but no death. No, that's not what I want to talk about here. You, I know that you was not the type of willful person who selfishly create problems for people around you regardless the way you behave. But right now, I need you to focus and try your best to not create another problem. I have my hand full with a tons of thing and I can't deal with more. This is both a request from a friend and an order as your Captain," said Isumi as she seized Takeru by his shoulders.
"Yes Ma'am. I am deeply sorry about all the problem that I have caused recently. It might sound like an excuse but I did not mean to cause so much trouble for you and the rest of the unit."
"I know. Was it the case, Professor Kouzuki would have do it away with you," Isumi said, "Listen, I know you have your own problem but what done is done and there is no way that you or I can do about it. We have to move on while salvaging whatever we have around us. Also, these Imperial Royal Guards, while they will be our comrades in arms who will live or die with us in the incoming mission, they are not our allies. Did the XO never bother telling you about this? Or perhaps, she did not expect you to be this naïve?"
The boy showed Isumi a blank look as if not understand what she was talking about.
"Look. If the XO trusted them completely, she would have already declassified the participation of the XG in the upcoming operation. Also, the fact that us, members of the UN armies making secret deal with the Imperial Royal Guard regarding the acquisition of 'that stuff', with would cause an international dispute," Isumi stressed the point.
Without the need to clarify about that "stuff", the boy showed an intelligent look of understanding.
"And you have to be more aware of your social standing. You are a real celebrity here. You are the light and hope for people like us, me and everyone else who fought the BETA for years and years and lost to them again and again. You showed us the possibility that we had never even dream of. Do you remember your own words back then when you stepped on that platform and talk about the XM3? They are words that move people, don't you understand?"
The boy had that confused look as if he didn't understand what Isumi was talking about. It was then, Isumi realized that despite how smart he was or how much a genius he was or how depraved he thought he was, the boy was just a boy. The boy was not the man, he was still as naïve as a boy, still pure and naïve. He could only see the stuff right in front of him but not the things that lie beyond the beyond.
It was this very moment, Isumi had a clear understanding of the person Shirogane Takeru was. He was indeed Kouzuki Yuuko's equal but never should he be considered as an equal of the mad Professor.
He was the ideal person. He was the ideal person to be used by Kouzuki Yuuko. And she did used him incredibly well.
That passionate speech he delivered was so much on the point because the way and the timing that it were delivered. It was delivered right after the coup detat of Captain Sagiri which revealed and highlighted the current state Japan and the world in overall. In such a man slay man and man profiting on another man's misery, this boy created a miracle technology advancement with the most pure and honest wish of uniting mankind's potential and differences to outfight and outlast their common enemies. And he did not use such miracle creation for profiting purpose and instead spreading it around, showing that he truthfully meant what he said. And that was why he was quickly made into a hero. He was unwittingly made into a hero without his own realization.
Isumi had always thought that the boy's words back then were incredibly calculated, and still she was moved while thinking that. After all, Captain Sagiri played the part of a villain and revealed a whole lot of villains, it was only right that people need a hero and the boy with such pure and upright words, he assumed the cape of a hero. She thought those words were incredibly well spoken just as they were incredibly calculated.
Isumi did not realize that the XO was behind that all along. She manipulated that, putting the right person in the right place at the right time. It was Kouzuki Yuuko who made a hero out of Shirogane Takeru. He did not become a hero on his own, Kouzuki Yuuko did. That was why she tolerated every selfishness and mistake of his. She wanted to make him a hero, a flaw hero that people can relate to, a sympathetic hero and a tool to be used to mobilize people to her direction.
It was this very moment, Isumi understood why Marimo did what she did. And Isumi realized she had gravely misjudged the boy's character. Marimo was known for her ability to judge people. Marimo did not misjudge the boy nor the XO. She understood what happened behind the scene just because she judged their character correctly and acted upon that.
Isumi instantly remembered Yuuko's word about paying more attention to any kind of move that the Imperial Royal Guard would make on the boy. Yuuko said those words while assuming that Isumi had a complete understanding of the boy's personality, little that Isumi realized that even the godlike being Kouzuki Yuuko could make such a fundamental mistake.
This boy, he can be something else, Isumi instantly realized. With such an upright personality and potential, he could be made into a beacon of hope, an icon or something beyond that. He would become the perfectly lit spotlight for Kouzuki Yuuko to be hidden within its shadow and did what she's best at. In life he would be Yuuko's spotlight and even in death, he would be her justification and martyr to be. He was really an ideal person for Yuuko, her equal in a sense.
And yet, what stupefied Isumi was that the boy himself did not have a complete understand of that. Isumi has always assumed that the boy knew what was going on around him. She has assumed that he was an accomplice of Yuuko while really knowing everything. But Shirogane Takeru, he know nothing. He knew that he was being made into a hero but he knew nothing. He did not understand his own worth.
And so, Isumi picked her word carefully as she talked to the boy.
"Shirogane, you are currently placed in an extremely delicate political position. And I can only assume that it is only natural that the Lord Commander of the Imperial Royal Guard would make full use of that in his own way. So, do not assume that all of his gifts, the Takemikazuchi and the troops he lent to us are a token of good faith. He seeks to use you to improve his image and his troops' image. And knowing your personality, there is no way to sway you to his course, therefore, the XO and I would naturally assume that he would try to do something. Whether he would use some kind of political reasoning or accidents as leverage, we are not sure, but count on it," Isumi explained.
The boy gingerly nodded his head with that understood expression on his face. Isumi could only assume that he did not fully understood everything she said. She did not want to go over how the boy's fame was used as a bait, not the XM3 like he thought, for Yuuko herself to acquire a full Wing of Imperial Royal Guards. That Ikaruga person immediately saw the boy for who he was, how importance he was, how upright and pure and useful he was in contrast with Isumi who stayed with the boy for so long and still had not figured out his nature.
Isumi did not explain how calculated Ikaruga was, lending those Takemikazuchi to A01 like that. She did not have to explain to the boy of how she was terrified of this Ikaruga person, how calculated and ambitious he was. He has made it so that the boy despite being the face of Alternative IV and Yuuko's would instead represent the Imperial Royal Guard by piloting the Takemikazuchi into battle. The XM3 that was used as a a chip for negotiation is only but a side dish, the G material mining was just a cherry topping; the boy himself, his fame was the main dish in that secret deal with the Imperial Royal Guard all along.
The boy was the juicy bait that Yuuko used to lure in the Imperial Royal Guard to use them and that Ikaruga person took that bait knowing that it was a bait and made full used of the opportunity. That Ikaruga person's goodwill and good faith was not what it appeared to be.
Isumi did not tell the boy to "Not to be surprise if he was given an America top secret TSF the Raptor to pilot in order to represent America's goodwill for political propaganda". She did not give the boy a complete lecture of his hero status because if it was needed Yuuko would have done that.
"Therefore, be on guard, always, and think before you act. Every mistake you make in this place and this moment could compromise our future operation and cause," advised Isumi like a friend and a teacher more than a superior.
"I understand," the boy replied.
"No, you understand nothing," Isumi inwardly thought and kept that thought hidden for time being.
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The old neon lights discreetly emitted an electrical buzz, "zmmm, zmmm," somewhat distracting and annoying but the three men paid no attention to that. The windows were closed and there were men who stood outside the room, guarding and making sure that their conversation would not leak.
"He said that? He can't be that careless," the man in red uniform asked.
"Yes sire. I did not dare to lie. Onimaru here can testify to that," The man in white uniform replied, bowing his head."
"Dojigiri did not lie, sire. That kid himself really said that," the man who was referred as Onimaru bowed respectfully and replied.
The man in red uniform sunk into deep thought, pondering. He was no other than Lt. Colonel Makebe, the right hand man of Lord Commander Ikaruga. As Makebe was in deep thought, his complexion remained unchanged, showing no hint of his inner thought to his subordinate.
"I just cannot understand this person. I thought he is smarter than that," quietly, Makebe muttered to himself. He said that in contemplation, not really intended for the other two men in the room to hear. "Did my Lord see something else in him other than what we have seen?"
Makebe sank into deep thought. His lord Ikaruga had a side that both good and bad, it was his love for talented people, especially talented TSF pilot. And that boy was definitely one, a talented TSF pilot, extremely talented. Perhaps, all of these preparations were simply because of that, Lord Ikaruga's love of talent? Makebe had thought that it was more than that because he estimated that the boy was so much more just a talented TSF pilot and a useful image grooming device.
Time quietly passed and Makebe let out a resigned sigh. He turned at Dojigiri and Onimaru, "So, what's the result?"
"Sire?" both men confusedly asked.
"Don't play dumb with me. With your personality, there was no way you could settle it without doing anything," Makebe asked.
Dojigiri stole a side look at Onimaru for a moment, the two men gingerly looked at each other before discreetly nodding their head. They then bowed to Makebe.
"Lord, he was hiding his true potential just like you said. But forgive my humble opinion, I don't think that even you realize he was such a person," Dojigiri said.
"What are you talking about?" Makebe asked, "I'm asking about the result of your bout. There was no way you did not challenge him to redeem yourself."
"Sire I have the footage. I think that it is better that you see it for yourself. But I beg your understanding to not think so lowly of us. That kid is a rare talent. I have seen the Court combat instructor himself in action once with my own eyes but this kid made even the man himself an incomplete product. I don't think there was someone who was so gifted or there will be one as such. This kid is one of a kind, Sire," Dojigiri respectfully said and delivered a thumb drive to Makebe.
Makebe had that doubtful look as he received the thumb drive. What was Dojigiri talking about? This kid, no matter how talented he was, he was just a seventeen eighteen years old kid. To even compare him to the royal combat instructor himself like that, what were these two men thinking? As he thought Makebe plugged the thumb drive into his PC and started playing the record.
"You guys even bring Kusanagi into this," Makebe shook his head in disapproval the moment he saw a powerhouse of his Blades.
"Lord…" Dojigiri reasoned or at least that was what he was trying to do before he was cut short by Makebe.
"It can't be help. That was his nature," Makebe sighed as he fixed his eyes to the screen, and fixed he did, without blinking for a long time.
What is going on? Makebe screamed inside his head as he watched the footage. He thought he told Dojigiri and Onimaru to stir up some conflict and test that boy, but this, this was not a test. The two of them completely blew things out of proportion. Makebe could see the amount of three squad got themselves involved in this. What were they even thinking? Three squads ganged up on a single kid over a single dispute? How did Dojigiri and Onimaru do that?
And then, Makebe broke into cold sweat. He felt the heat of that scuffle as if he was there. That boy dished out some of the most ridiculous moves that Makebe has seen in his entire life. He singlehandedly demolished his competition. No, it was not even a competition.
Is this the real power of the new OS? Is this the kid's real ability? Makebe held his breath as he intently watched.
"Did that…?"
At one point, Makebe paused the record and rewound the footage to check. His eyes did not play a trick on him. That thing really did happened. That kid just purposely took a freaking 120mm to his chest and came out unscathed twice. No wonder Dojigiri compared that kid to the Court Combat Instructor.
"To think that there was another person out there capable of doing this. And he is this young," Makebe muttered inwardly. In his mind, the only person who was capable of achieving feat of this level was the deceased Court combat instructor and those two heirs of Tsukuyomi household.
At this point, Makebe stopped forcing himself to watch the footage. It was painful to watch how his men were one-sidedly crushed and toyed by a single opponent. He can guess the result of that scuffle after counting the twentieth TSF the boy destroyed.
"This is not your fault. It's mine," Makebe sighed, "I thought he held back during the OS trial tests but I have no idea that he was held back this much," Makebe admitted as he tried to save some faces for his men. They were simply unlucky and that kid, he was the real deal. That Kouzuki Yuuko picked that kid and chose him as her project's poster child for a good reason.
Both Dojigiri and Onimaru blew a long sigh as if relieved. They didn't know what else to give as an excuse had Makebe started venting his anger at them. They got badly crushed, skill wise and mentally wise. "It was our fault that we were beaten. But to embarrass our men like that, we cannot apologize enough,"
"As I said, it's my mistake. That kid had to be on the same level as the Court combat instructor himself back in the day if not better," Makebe commented, still trying to give his men some faces. He did really not think so, of course, that kid got an edge with all highly advance technology he possessed, skill wise, he was probably on the same level as the two heirs of the Tsukuyomi household, not that Makebe could really tell with his level of skill. Makebe's a skilled TSF pilot but those three, they were way beyond his league so he could never tell.
"You two go back to your unit. And pass my words to Kusanagi, tell him to not mind the loss," said Makebe.
"Yes, sire," the duo saluted and left.
"My Lord, there is no way that woman would let such talent come to you," Makebe shook his head and sighed," That kid isn't her scapegoat. He is her top dog."
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Author note:
Please message me or comment below if you see there was a mistake in this chapter.
As you could probably tell, I'm getting real busy in real life so I can only update this story once in a while, so I'm thankful if you are patiently waiting for update. I'm currently rewriting this fanfic as I have noticed you all in previous updates, I'm on chapter 20 now. Boys, I realize just how far I have gone ever since I have started this monstrous project… Xd. I was really terrible back then, still terrible now….
On a side note, there are still people sms me about the dream chapters and reality chapters. It may sound extremely arrogant of me to say this "Are you freaking serious? I know that they confuse you at first because I mishandled the first dream chapter. But are you freaking serious? They are still confusing you now?"
Anyway, I did my best to accommodate your request back then and still am now regarding all the confusion. So yes, when it is a dream chapter, you will be notified at the top of the chapter, if it wasn't a notice at a top of a chapter, it's is a reality chapter. I hope that works for you. And no, I will not separate that story line from this fanfic, so get used to that.
Lastly, thank you, my faithful readers for sticking to this fanfic till now. I can't imagine that there is still people following this fanfic after I started rewriting it from the beginning.
That guy commented that this fanfic was trash at the very beginning, I hope you are reading this now since you keep reappearing in the comment section from time to time. You were right. It was seriously trash… but it's getting good now… I hope