I**** A****
December 25, 2001 Operation 21 139 minutes out
Osumi-class Assault Ship, UN-Imperial 2nd Fleet, Kunisaki
"—mooou… you know you can't just contact me whenever you feel like, nee-san!"
"—fufufu, I wanted to see how you're doing, we haven't talked in a while." Calling her two hours before the official attack initiated wasn't too wise of a decision.
"Haa… can't you be arrested for using Ichigaya like that?"
"Huhu, don't worry, this is an exception for this one time." As always, the Ministry of Defence utilized their own set of rules.
"Well, thanks for calling, nee-san. How're things for you? Is it getting busier these days?"'
"A little, yeah. But I'm mostly filling out paperwork in front of an office desk, I'm afraid my muscles are deteriorating."
"Ahahaha! That's the exact opposite problem to what we have! That's what you get for going against our family trend!" The young girl mocked her sister for taking the boring job, the boring and safe job.
"Shouldn't it be the rest of you who didn't follow my example?"
"Yeah, right! You say it like everybody can work to be a spy!"
"You think working for the ministry is so easy, don't you? I spend more time holding a receiver than a pistol, half of the time they don't even let you be armed in the HQ." Reaching this point in their conversation, both sides realized the small talk was on its deathbed.
"…Speaking of receivers, Yayoi-nee. Has Michiru-nee called you these days? To check up on things?" Her segway was skilled.
"It wasn't really keeping touch on anything, more of a report from her."
"…I see, then did she at least say what's happening to her?"
"That she did, Michiru is still in the UN's instructional unit like before. There probably won't be much… changes for her."
"…Okay."
"Shouldn't it be the best? Having no news is good news."
"Yeah… you're right." For the upcoming battle, she alone must bear the weight for four.
"Say… Akira, we should gather for New Year, go to a restaurant or something. The four of us plus Masaki-kun, it has been a while since we last met all together."
"REALLY!? Awesome! We can have a big hotpot! And eat some Mochi! -And then eat some more Mochi! -And also I can kick Masaki-chan's butt at Hanetsuki and draw some stupid ink on his face!" A tense pause followed her excited expectancy on New Year's fun.
"Masaki… chan, is that what you call him now?"
"Eh-? Y-yeah, I just thought that— err… I kinda…" Suddenly at a loss for words, she couldn't imagine a reply.
"I like that, Akira. It suits you, it suits the both of you." At first the young girl was afraid of her sister's reaction, but those words of consent carried only the truest blessings along.
"Yayoi-nee… I'm sorr—"
"No. Never apologizes for that. We all promised; when it comes to Masaki-kun, we're all equals. That way we can all do our best and face each other proudly no matter what future has in store. Congratulations, Akira, I really do wish you two the best."
"Yayoi-nee…! Thank you so much! For always being there! You, Michiru-nee and Marika too! All of you… have been so kind to me!" Countless emotions crashed through the girl's teeming empathy, a humble victor in love was the least she could be to repay her sisters.
"Akira… you're an adult now, even if your age disagrees, you're truly an adult now. I have nothing else to teach you, nothing left to give you… please, stay safe out there… for yourself. Everything you'll do from now on… is all for the sake of your future."
"Yayoi-nee…" There was little the teary-eyed girl could say other than her caring sister's name.
"Me, Michiru, Marika and you; we're all separate individuals, we all have our own lives to live, our own dreams to attain. When we're together, we're a family; but if we're isolated, then we do what we must for ourselves while remembering we're always a family."
"I promise I'll come back home safely—"
"Fufufu, now, now. You know you shouldn't say that, Akira. That's an obvious death-flag, don't make such promises." In a way, this out-of-place comment during a serious intimate discussion was just the perfect representation for her household.
"Hahaha! I'll say it like this then! I'll fight today for me and Masaki-chan's future! After that, we'll all fight for our future together!"
"There you go, Akira. Until next time, I love you."
"I love you too, Yayoi-nee!"
Jinguuji Marimo
December 25, 2001, Operation 21
Yamato-class Battleship, UN-Imperial 2nd Fleet Flagship, Shinano
"—Admiral Kozawa, this is Abe of the Shinano. All ships in the 2nd Fleet are ready for battle. We're merely awaiting the order to attack." Over the loud chatter of the Shinano's bridge, its Captain radioed his Admiral for an update.
"—good… you carry the vanguard of the ground forces in this operation. Do not fail us." The Captain of the Heavy-Cruiser Mogami spoke back, his voice indicated age and wisdom. And through the headpiece lent to Marimo, she too could hear their conversation.
It had been too long, Sadogashima had been lost for too long. Time healed all wounds, but this was one of the cases when people did not forget their scar. And now, partially thanks to Yuuko's genius, the people could fight back.
"—UN Orbit Bombers are dropping re-entry bombs!" As one of Shinano's Operator called out, Marimo witnessed it firsthand. A blanket of metal shells covered out the sky for a short few seconds before they were ripped apart by the concentrated fire of Laser-class.
"Heavy metal particle density rising!" However, that was all part of the plan.
"—all ships, target the Kawada coastline— FIRE!" Shells, thousands of them shot out from ships of unalike sizes and shapes. Although all had one resemblance, and that was the Z-flag raised high on each and every one of them.
—
"—Maj. Jinguuji, it's time. The 17th Tactical Armoured Unit has secured a beachhead." Marimo saw the Stingrays in action herself. Imperial Marine Crop's A-6J Tactical Surface Attackers followed in the wake of the artillery, remaining BETA survivors were lit up to provide a relatively safe foothold.
"Understood, the Laser-class presence won't be lowered anymore. -Tell all Whiskey callsigns to begin assault immediately." Understanding her role, Marimo passed an order on to one of the bridge Operatives.
"—HQ to all Whiskey callsigns, begin unloading all Armoured Divisions. —repeat, Whisky Unit, being unloading all Armoured Divisions." Thunderous roars of war echoed repeatedly over the coastline, now was the time for these Eishis to leave their mark in the history of Japan.
"Major, it has been on my mind for quite a while. Do you know the purpose of that TSF-Carrier?" When Marimo was intensely watch the action unfold in front of her eyes, the Captain of Shinano was preoccupied by a separate matter.
"That's the Shokaku-class Carrier, Hiryu… I was not informed of its participation in this operation."
"Neither was I or Admiral Kozawa, and in the 3rd Fleet there is a Zuikaku present." Suppressing her curiosity, Marimo got a feeling she knew what was going on.
"—Assault Ship Takao, taking heavy damage from enemy laser fire!" Marimo's half-finished chat ended abruptly when another operative apprised her on the state of battle.
"—Whiskey Bravo 1 is requesting artillery strike by Point T-44-34! They reported additional Heavy Laser-class!"
"Damn… even though we have continually bombarded that area. Could this be the result of limiting our shell usage?" Captain Abe of Shinano mentioned a change of the plan prior to launching. For reasons unrevealed, UN requested for only fifty-five percent of the ammo reserve to be fired, instead of the original seventy.
"—Assault Ship Usuki sunk! Assault Ship Tsukumi taking exposure to multiple lasers! Whiskey Unit casualty at thirteen percent!" More and more of the landers were being shot down before they could unload the TSFs inside.
"Continue bombardment of Yawata and Kawada! We have to eliminate the Laser-class!" Captain Abe shouted another order.
"At this rate, there won't be enough of Whiskey Unit to continue the operation! Why are we limited on ordnance supplies…!?" This entire situation was vexing to Marimo, it hadn't been an hour yet and the fatality rate was already climbing too high.
"—so Admiral, I press this button here and talk?"
"—yes, XO Kouzuki, you're already speaking into the microphone." When a sudden female voice broke the tension of Shinano's crew, only Marimo was mildly surprised by what the person had said.
"Ahha! Okay, everyone. Two Squadrons will be launching shorty from the TSF-Carrier Hiryu to support Whiskey Unit, just thought you ship Skippers should know." Since the last time they met, Yuuko somehow turned even more casual than before.
"—wait, XO Kouzuki! Launching from Carrier will place them right in the Laser-class's line of sight!" First to reply was Captain Abe, understandably.
"Ahuhuhu, please, just watch."
Kouzuki Yuuko
Opeartion 21, 32 minutes in
Mogami-class Heavy Cruiser, UN-Imperial 3rd Fleet Flagship, Mogami
"XO Kouzuki, please, I ask you to not use our communication system next time. I will announce your report."
"Ahaha, sorry about that, Admiral. I've been a bit… unhampered these days."
"Hum, that's not a problem Vice-Commander. Your sense of humour is refreshing." Yuuko laughed lightly to that compliment.
"Piatif, is Eclipse Unit ready to go?"
"—yes, ma'am. There aren't any issues with the TSFs themselves." The Su-47s were only part of this equation.
"Get me Kagami and Yashiro."
"Yes, ma'am."
A few seconds passed and Yuuko's earpiece was connected to the 00 unit via an encrypted channel.
"—aha! Kouzuki-sensei! Hallo, hallo!" Happy as always, the pink-haired supercomputer welcomed her.
"Kagami, are you synced with Eclipse?"
"Yep, I'm feeling them!"
"How about you, Yashiro?"
"Da, svyaz… priznannyy. Ustroystvo rabotayushchiy." Ever so infrequently, Yashiro would throw Yuuko for a loop.
"Why's she speaking Russian, Kagami? Was that even proper Russian?"
"Eh? Is Kasumi-chan speaking Russian? Anyway, she said the connection is established, we're good to go!"
"Haa… whatever, once you're ready, take-off."
"Roger, roger! Time for a round of Laserjagd!"
Jinguuji Marimo
Operation 21, 45 minutes in
Yamato-class Battleship, UN-Imperial 2nd Fleet Flagship, Shinano
"They're really doing it… they're launching TSF Squadrons from a Carrier."
This was the apex of incongruity, sending a two Squadron worth of fighters without cover against the Sadogashima Hive defence. Taking off from Carriers meant they will be high in the air on approach, giving the Laser-class an even easier shot than normal.
"We'll have to wait and see, Captain. It won't be long." Still, Yuuko was known for her outrageous and seemingly foolish acts.
"Yes, there they are." Flying by the bridge window, Marimo spotted sixteen figures soaring past in the blink of an eye. Their white camo blended nicely into the sky above, but their design was not something seen before on this battlefield.
"Those're Soviet Berkuts! Are the Russians involved in this operation?!"
"If they're, we aren't meant to know it." Acting more calmly than Marimo, the Captain added his insight.
"But still, to involve the Soviets…"
"…It matters little at this point, their performance right now should be what we emphasise." The time to ponder the past was for later.
Marimo watched, so did everyone else attending in the bridge of Battleship Shinano, and no doubt the many other warships of the 2nd Fleet had their view glued on this set of Su-47s. What will they be witnessing? An imprudent method of suicide or maybe an astonishing miracle? Marimo already made her decision since the start.
"—Berkut Squadrons will be entering Heavy Laser range in five…! Four…! Three…! Two…! …Oh… my god!" That was the only correct reaction to what the entire crew just perceived.
The hatful beams struck high, like an unbending saber gunning for the death of its opponents. The lasers were aimed, yet the lasers did not hit. Even though the BETA never miss, the lasers still didn't meet their mark.
"…They dodged it…! Did you see that as well, Maj. Jinguuji!?"
"Yeah… yeah, I saw. I never thought it was possible. To avoid the laser using an opposite-vector thrust, it has never been done before…"
By ushering its Jump units and Shoulder Boosters in different directions, the Berkuts spun. Like a gorgeous dancer of ballet, the Su-47s performed a deed never before performed by man. Their flawless movement led them away from death and further into the fray; it was truly beautiful, it was an art of war.
"Captain! They're entering the artillery zone!" Another Operator noticed how the Su-47s had no intention of stopping.
"…If Lasers can't hit them, we don't have a chance, keep firing."
Every time, it was by centimetres or even millimetres, but they lasers still missed. All sixteen TSFs moved as one, not a single maneuver wasted or one propulsion extra. The feared Laser-class of the BETA were rendered useless as they lined up for slaughter. And the Berkuts killed, faster than ever.
"—the Laser-class presence are rapidly decreasing from the shoreline! The Berkut Squadrons have cleared out Yawata and Kawada Towns, along with Old Takatsuka!"
"Two minutes, that Battalion did what our gunships could not do in half an hour, they done it in two minutes." There was a reaction from Captain Abe, the man was reasonably astounded.
"…Yuuko… where did you get this?" Marimo murmured to herself under the noisy cover of Shinano's shouting staff.
"— …which unit is that? Russian? Admiral Kozawa, have you been informed, sir?" The ship Captain asked his superior next.
"—wow, there're a lotta people talking. Everyone, please. Calm down and listen, this's Vice-Commander Kouzuki of Yokohama, by the way." Of course, only Yuuko would ever pull such a feat, thought Marimo.
"Okay, thank you everybody. What you just saw was the Eclipse Unit from Alternative IV, two Squadrons of… well, this's classified so… yeaaa. Moving on, the Eclipse Unit will now continue forward to eliminate the Laser-class at Old Sawane and Takase, Whiskey Unit should follow. Kouzuki out."
"Captain, Whiskey Unit casualties has stopped at fourteen percent. They've secured Old Yawata and Kawada, currently awaiting orders!" A while after Yuuko left their comms, an Operator updated Marimo.
"Is this the true might of Alternative IV? I am awed, Maj. Jinguuji."
"…I am the same, Captain. We should be glad they're friendlies."
"Quite, I cannot begin to imagine the power XO Kouzuki holds, but this is a chance like no other." Marimo too realized, there were better things to do than still be in shock.
"Tell all Whiskey Unit, move up to Takatsuka. Follow closely behind the Berkuts and provide support."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Shirogane Takeru
Operation 21, 57 minutes in
Shokaku-class TSF-Carrier, Zuikaku
"—zatmeniye tri, shest', odinnadtsat', odin, prodvizheniye… uchastok J-32-47… atakovat' protivnik." Like- I didn't even speak Russian and still think what Kasumi said was bullshit. Seriously, pretty sure she counted 'one' last.
"—holy shit, Kasumi. I hear Russian from you again it's gonna be two months of celibacy for your slutty ass!"
"…Eclipse 2, 9, 4; Fox 2, target, Sector F-63-12, hostile Company." Much better. Also, this confirmed again Kasumi was rather motivated by sex. Not going to lie, it was all my doing.
"—HQ to Archangel 1, Operation has entered Phase 3. Echo Unit is preparing for landing in Ryoutsu Bay. Bombardment of Old Ryoustu City has begun."
"—Arc 1 copy, ready to launch." My ass was itching for some action after sitting so long in my cockpit.
"—attention, all units. We're taking off, two by two follow regular formation. Archangel 5, you're up wit—"
"—Eclipse 10, minor damage to left Jump Unit. Further deployment impossible, Eclipse 4, 7 commencing extraction." It was Kasumi who cut me off. That in itself wasn't upsetting, but what pissed me off was she did it just to report to Sumika.
"—arrga! They shot down Eclipse-chan 10! AGGRUURA! Cyka-cyka BLYAT!" Did I hear that right? Did she really just say that?
"…Pfffff! AHAHAhAHAHaHAhAAA! My sides! Gun Sweepers! You go first! HAHAHAHAHA! Go! Just go!" Sumika's expression paired up with her nerd rage was just too much for me.
"Understood, Arc 3 locked for propulsion."
"Arc 2 locked for propulsion! Gonna kill all of them! Takeru-chan! I'm popping Prafka once we're in combat zone, okay!?" This was angry Sumika, very similar to hyped Sumika, except for some negligible differences.
"What did sensei say?"
"She said I can use it whenever I want!"
"Then sure, go right on ahead. No puffing smoke though, BETA don't have eyes."
"Alllright! I can kill them all faster! Round two of our hunt!"
Kagami Sumika
Sadogashima, Ryoutsu Bay
"The lives we lived—!"
"—which is the pinnacle of people's grievance."
"Every death—!"
"—time unforgotten, ages marked by suffering."
Could it be called a poem? Sumika wasn't sure. It was what she remembered the most, the worst memories of them all. Yet they also had pleasant fragments, periods she couldn't forfeit.
"OUr ReflEcTiON, fOR tHE SAKe of PeOPLe'S SAlVatiON!…"
"-OnlY ThrougH DeatH, CaN WE SeeK People'S SalvatioN."
Shirogane Takeru
Operation 21, 62 minutes in
Shokaku-class TSF-Carrier, Zuikaku
Seeing the remote controlled Berkuts was one thing, seeing Sumika doing it personally was another. Hundreds of metres above the sea, she slew everything in sight.
She moved so fast, and killed so cleanly. It was becoming harder and harder to believe for this to be the work of that pouty girl. I saw Sumika only as a flash of dot dragging a tail of compressed air behind her, too fast to be captured by the naked eye; or any of the lasers, for that matter.
"—you girls seeing this? Like- this's not only me, right?" We were all there, watching Sumika and Kasumi doddle circles in the sky with their contrails.
"—spin to win… spin to win." Ayamine, first and foremost with that meme.
"—by firing the engines in opposite directions, they are effectively evading the lasers… this is absolutely lunatic, yet so very potent. I admire their bravery and skill, Takeru." Talking as she normally did, Meiya very professionally pointed out the pros and cons of Sumika's piloting.
"—Takeru, you sure they got this, right? I'm counting at least a dozen Laser-class firing on them, someone's going to get lucky sooner or later." Class rep, always the cautious one of our group.
"—ahA-AhAhah! WorRY nOT, ChIzuRu-cHAn!..."
"— -FoR OuR VenturE, WE HavE ControL."
I certainly wasn't assuming for team bunnies to speak back. Compared to our Yukon op, they sounded way calmer and actually communicable. Still, Class rep batted an eye at their weird accent manifested from Prafka.
"—haha, they're talking funny, Takeru!" Mikoto, making the obvious, obvious.
"—emm, is that a Kansai dialect? It sounds… fuzzy!" How Tama got Kansai from hearing that, I had no idea.
"—HQ to Archangel Lead! You're behind schedule! Please take-off now!" During our relaxing chit-chat, I forgot for a minute that we were fighting the biggest war of the 21th century.
"Oh, shit! Shit-shit! Meiya, you locked!?"
"Er- yes!"
"Go, go, go! All units, launch immediately after us! Time to earn your pay, ladies! Let's go fuck up those BETA!"
"Yes, sir!"
Sadogashima, Ryoutsu Bay
Operation 21, 66 minutes in
"—hostiles front! Company size BETA cluster! Counting thirty-six Destroyers and forty-two Grapplers!" Part of the spearhead, Meiya reported back the foes she saw before us.
Gilding a short distance from the Carrier, we made landfall about minutes prior and were coasting along as a group. Below our jets laid countless mutilated BETA corpses from artillery, Echo Unit or maybe Sumika; it didn't matter. All that counted was our kill tally, which should be rising rapidly any second now.
"—ookeey, Arc 6, hit them with a rod. We'll test its efficiency, only fire one." It would be nice to see Mikoto's rockets in action, thankfully, America was known for being very reliable in their weapons.
"—copy! Fox 3 on hostile BETA Company ahead, missile away!" In my rear camera, I saw Mikoto's Raptor shooting off a single guided shell from its shoulder mounted rocket container.
The AIM drew a faultless projectile arc barely over our heads, entering NoE flight through its guidance by the GPS tracker within. Half-way to target, the missile spilt apart, unleashing exactly eighteen smaller warheads for maximum kill potential.
"Are you fucking kidding me right now…!?" What could I say, it had potential.
"Permission to engage remnants?"
"Ahh… sure." Meiya cleaned up, only killing two wounded Destroyers after Mikoto's salvo.
"Jesus… one shot almost killed an entire Company!? Who made that rocket?!" Class rep was evidently taken back by the great technology.
"Murica… that was awesome." Even Ayamine was appreciating the bomb-everything tactic.
To be honest, Americans made good stuff. That was a fact. More than sixty percent of Alternative IV's funding came from those guys, and money always spoke louder than words. As long as they kept giving us cool toys to play with, everybody will be happy.
"Alright, we'll have to readjust the scoring then. Mikoto needs a nerf, she'll mop the floor with us if left unchanged."
"Ehhhh!? But I was gonna win with this too!" Clearly, she didn't know what the nerf hammer was for.
"Kasumi, read me the score value chart again." Yes, we had one before leaving base.
"— -ThreE PointerS; Fort-class, Heavy Laser-class. TwO PointerS; Grappler-class, Destroyer-class, Laser-class. ZerO FivE PointerS; Tank-class." So that left out Soldiers and Warriors, only the stupid would go for those anyway.
"Here's the change for Mikoto. Minus one point for every kill get with missiles, Tank-class is zero points." Hearing her less desirable standard, our Blast Guard sighed in disappointment.
"MMMMuu! Takeru you bad person!"
"Shut up and let's go already! There's nobody left here! Go to the front! RUSH B NO STOP!"
Kouzuki Yuuko
Operation 21, 94 minutes in
Mogami-class Heavy Cruiser, UN-Imperial 3rd Fleet Flagship, Mogami
"Your opinions, 1st Lt. Silvio?"
"This is… unheard of, Professor. A single Squadron holding back an entire front of the Sadogashima Hive population." Standing by her side, the Euro man inspected an island under siege by the two main factions of Far East Defence. He witnessed it too, the complete madness of Shirogane's Company.
"—Whiskey Unit causalities at eighteen percent. Echo Unit casualties at four percent. Both units have delayed the supply drop timer."
"They better, is there even anything for them to shoot at?"
"Err, the teams are cleaning after the Berkut Unit and A-01 respectively, ma'am!"
"Aha-ahahahaha!" Yuuko laughed uncontrollably when her rhetorical question was answered.
"XO Kouzuki, is it about time?" The 3rd Fleet's Admiral, Captain Kozawa inquired her.
"Yes, right now is good. Go ahead, Admiral."
"—Operation 21 will now move to Phase 4!" A roaring voice continued humanity's campaign against the BETA, forward was the only direction accepted.
"—HQ to all forces. The operation is moving to Phase 4. Repeat- the operation is moving to Phase 4."
"As a born Japanese man, nothing makes me happier than seeing the dominance our forces have over the Sadogashima Hive. However, as a man of the Imperial military, I cannot help but feel incompetent." Yuuko could understand him easily, the Eishis of her Task Force were pretty much the only ones in action.
"Ahaha… unneeded worry, Admiral. We have only started."
"Yes, in many ways, the elephant is still standing steadily in the room." The old gentleman shot a mixed look behind him. While physically his view was blocked by steel plating, all the ship crew knew A-02 was just casually floating in the rear.
"That's true, I shouldn't hold my big reveal forever. Please tell the ships to make way."
"I will see it done." Thus the Admiral walked off to the side.
"Piatif, tune me into 13th's radio." It was time to take their next step.
"—yes, ma'am." A few statics later, Yuuko could undoubtedly hear shouting from many speakers.
"—Arc lead, this's bullshit, nerf Tamase."
"—Eeeeh?! That's not fair, Ayamine-san! I'm only sniping them!"
"Let's switch guns."
"N-nooooo! I'm still sniping them! Shoot them with your own gun, Arc 7!"
"Why don't you push up and stop being a campy whore?"
"Eeeeeee, no thank you!"
What the Professor perceived could only be described as the bickering of children playing an intense game, which she was in fact somewhat fond of.
"—Sumika's Element is gaining lead too quickly, Takeru! We will not be able to pull ahead at this rate!"
"—first, this's a free-for-all. I'm not your teammate, Meiya. Second, if you think you can doooodge them laser beams, go ahead and join them up there."
"But that is not where my specialty lies! I require close range combat! You are pulling my leg, Takeru! Move up!"
"Oh, I see how it is! You wanna compare kenjutsu skills, bitch!? Let's fucking go!"
"Ha-! That is much more suiting! I shall not lose in the art of sword-play!"
1st Lt. Silvio and Isumi were definitely right on this one, Shirogane's team was insane. But also insanely good at what they do, putting Yuuko in an even more perplexing position. Should she discipline her immature Eishis or to turn a blind eye and let them run wild? It was efficiency verses dignity, which one did she want to keep more?
"Piatif, give me Archangel 3."
"Yes, ma'am."
"—Yashiro, are you keeping tabs? What're the scores now?" Yuuko had a rough idea on how Shirogane administered his game.
"— -SumikA-SaN, FirsT PlacE WitH A ThousanD AnD ThreE PointS. I AM IN SeconD WitH NinE HundreD AnD TwentY-NinE PointS. MikI-SaN, FivE HundreD AnD FiftY-OnE PointS. Taker—"
"—okay, stoooooop! I got the picture, you guys are doing good. How about Eclipse Unit?" Listening to Yashiro under Prafka influence ended up bothering the Vice-Commander beyond her limit.
"…SiX ThousanD AnD NinetY-TwO PointS." Yuuko sighed in resign.
"Then they're doing good as well. Great, thanks for your update, Yashiro."
"You'rE WelcomE, ProfessoR KouzukI." Yuuko shut off her comms with the Russian esper.
"Piatif, Archangel 2 this time."
"Yes, ma'am." So much organizing to be done.
"—Kagami, how're things?"
"—KaHAhAAAhAHaa! KoUzuKi-sENseI! WE'rE prOgrESsinG SmoOtHly, mA'am!" Interestingly, Kagami displayed trait of respect and proper speech usage, a bit rare for someone as deep into Prafka as she was.
"Go ahead and move up A-02, might as well get you in there."
"RoGER!"
"And don't forget, Prafka and particle cannon don't mix well together. Also, engine off until the real work starts."
Suzumiya Akane
Operation 21, 135 minutes in
Sadogashima, Ryoutsu Bay
"—so, err… is this the beachhead, Akane-chan?"
"—as a matter of fact, 2nd Lt. Tsukiji. This's what we call a beachhead; an empty one, but a beachhead nonetheless." That was not Akane answering her friend, instead 1st Lt. Munakata took over her job.
"Is that true, Akane-chan?"
"—eh? …Er, yeah." Suzumiya junior spat out her words a second late.
"What was that? You don't trust your senpai, Tsukiji?"
"—all units, get back to work. Eyes front, BETA signal detected over that hill. Vanguards, engage targets." There was little anybody could do to oppose Capt. Isumi's order.
Strangely, the one whose job it was to face their enemies head-on missed her opportunity to respond. Takahara, the other Vanguard of the Valkyries stood disordered, unsure if 1st Lt. Hayase's delay held any implication.
"Valkyries 2, you copy? Engage detected hostiles ahead!"
"—huh- ah, ahh. Sorry, Captain! You following, Takahara?" The First Lieutenant did come back around to lead her Element.
1st Lt. Hayase boosted forward at the drop of a hat, together with Takahara as their Element jumped over the hill and soon disappeared from sight.
"—Valkyries 2 reporting, false contact. Just a bunch of disabled Destroyers left by Shirogane's people. Mostly legs shot out, but still very much alive."
"—Valkyries 1 copy, the hell's Archangels doing? Don't they know Destroyers regen their body parts?!"
"Gonna finish them off before that happens. And look at this, 57mm, their sharpshooter's work." Some images of the wounded BETA were filed to 1st Lt. Hayase's teammates.
"Is that it? Anything else you see?"
"We clear, Captain. Good as ever."
"Excellent, we can roll in the XG then. —Command, please give the go-ahead."
It took a while; from afar, the XG-70 didn't even appear to be approaching at all. Still, the same silhouette of a behemoth fortress did move forward. Like the fleet of warships, even ocean itself spilt apart for the grand arrival of UN's iron giant. It advanced forward at the perfect increment of distance every passing second, slowly but surely.
And it was majestic, in the truest sense.
—
"—I can't believe it… did we always have something like this…?" Still a bit stuck in awe, Akane commented.
"—I'd really like to see it shoot some aliens though, hovering at a steady pace isn't exactly intimidating." Asakura was more judgemental about their super weapon.
"—it'll go to work eventually, we're protecting it until it does."
"Yes, because our environment is very dangerous right now. BETA are eating us every second. I'm so scared, protect me, Haruko. With your body." If the others didn't sense it, there was a high dose of sarcasm in Takahara's voice.
"Aha-ha-ha, please no. Go to 2nd Lt. Kazama for that." Haruko was having none of that gibberish.
"—could it be you're implying something, 2nd Lt. Kashiwagi? Perhaps something about my sexuality?" Akane confirmed it again; joking around on the public channel wasn't a good idea.
"—enough! It's because you people keep doing things like this that others call you 'KSR'!" Interjecting in their random debate, 1st Lt. Hayase dropped an unknown acronym.
"What's 'KSR', First Lieutenant?"
"It stands for 'Krazy Sycho Resbians'!" Hearing 1st Lt. Hayase's definition, only laughter ensued.
"Crazy starts with C, 1st Lt. Hayase."
"Psycho starts with P, 1st Lt. Hayase."
"—lesbian starts with L, and I'm seriously doubting your intelligence, Hayase." Zero mercy was shown as three members including 1st Lt. Munakata batted down 1st Lt. Hayase's poise.
"Yooooou fucking BITCHESSS—!"
"Take that burn and shut up, Hayase. We're focusing on defending the Susanoo for now."
"Defend it from what, terrible weather? We don't have a big enough umbrella for that." A couple of pity hoots for Munakata.
"Aggraa, let me call it in real quick. —Valkyries Mum, Ryoutsu Bay sector is secured. Requesting location information on A-01 13th." There was only so much Capt. Isumi could do to progress their mission.
"—the Archangel Squadron has secured the destination point for A-02, currently awaiting orders."
"Really!? Either the diversions are very successful or the BETA have no idea what they're doing."
"No change to your mission order, continue escorting A-02 until destination point." So much for seeing action, thought Akane.
—
"Ahhhhhhaaaaa…" Akane yawned lazily, she flexed her arms within the small confine that was her cockpit. Under normal circumstances she could never afford to be this lax, but their current position was somehow outside regularity.
Her eyes saw a field of land, that land which was coated entirely by corpses; that was the point, the BETA were all killed before Valkyries' arrival, their one job was taken care of by their very lovely comrades. The Archangels cleaned up first, not for the first time too.
"—you know, I'll be wondering for a while now… what's that painting on Susanoo's body?" An uncalled mention was brought up by Haruko, although Akane had taken notice of that strange drawing beforehand as well.
She tuned her optics up again, taking another good look of the questionable art. Simply put, it was a huge frog riding a unicycle, with the unicycle being Susanoo's lower body joints. It was a giant image, way too big to be of any practical use.
"—you guys also looking at the frog? Man, this thing… just… why?" 1st Lt. Munakata joined in.
"It's pretty cool though, riding a unicycle and all." Haruko approved.
"Valkyries 3 to 1. Captain, you got an idea as to what this is?"
"—I don't know and don't really care, you got a word, Hayase?" Their conversation just kept being redirected.
Until it reached 1st Lt. Hayase, that is.
"Hey, Valkyries 2! Hayase! You still alive in there!?" Capt. Isumi raised her voice when their Storm Vanguard applied silence as a response.
"—ah! Huh? Oh shit- yeah, yeah! Valkyries 2 reporting in! All status normal, zero hostiles detected!" Only awkwardness awaited 1st Lt. Hayase as she finally came to her senses.
"You alright, Hayase? Blanking out twice already." Obviously, Capt. Isumi would be concerned.
"Yeah-no, I'm great. Just thinking about stuff."
"…Hayase, what's your opinion on XG-70's body art?" 1st Lt. Munakata didn't push her for an answer to her absence.
"That? I remember what it's called… right, it's dat boi." Akane wasn't the only one who blinked in a baffled manner, nobody understood 1st Lt. Hayase's babble.
"It's… what boy?"
"No, dat boi. It's just called 'dat boi'." More mayhem ensued.
"…Whaaaat?"
"Seriously? None of you people know it? 'Here come dat boi o shit waddup!' It's a classic!"
"Uh-huh, shit's up indeed. As in what the hell are you talking about?" Akane shared 1st Lt. Munakata's viewpoint.
"Honestly? You girls aren't playing me, right? None of you know dat boi?" All of Valkyries traded glances, which led them to a single conclusion.
"Sorry Hayase, but you might be crazy. I'm calling for therapy session for you, non-discussable."
"Are you actually kidding me!? For that!?" The one person who got the short end of the stick wasn't there for the picking of it.
"That isn't all, you just haven't been actual normal since yesterday. Brooding around on Christmas Eve when everyone else was having fun? That ain't right. Also, must I remind you how you quit drinking years ago?"
"That was…! Agrrra, whatever!" 1st Lt. Hayase quickly killed her comms to evade further interaction.
"Captain, isn't calling therapy for her a bit extreme? Hayase might just be under the weather." 1st Lt. Munakata felt the punishment was too severe for the girl.
"No… it's… it just doesn't feel right, all of this. Her therapy… I wish to see her there." The tone Capt. Isumi used was unlike any other.
Shirogane Takeru
Operation 21, 155 minutes in
Sadogashima, A-02 destination
"— ~It's raining men~! Hallelujah, it's raining men~!"
"—Takeru, would you please stop? You singing that is just so weird." Like always, Class rep had an issue with every fibre of my body.
"Shuddup! It shows I'm not racist or sexist! But I'll stop, because it does feel super weird." No matter how hard I try, my bra wouldn't be big enough to sail the Atlantic.
"Orbital divers! Second wave inbound! Brace for impact! Coffins are dropping!" I wasn't singing that song for no reason.
"~Let the sky fall~ when it crumbles~ we will~ stand talllll~~! Face it all~ together!" Neither was Sumika with those actually-pretty-good vocals.
The ground shook violently as re-entry shells tore through the earth, slamming away the BETA on contact and making path for the divers. Hadn't seen some ODST action in a while, reminded me of the time I did drops as well. It was… a thing, gonna leave it at that.
"Everyone done with resupply?" Looking around, we consumed four extra containers just for our extensive models of TSFs. This was probably costing sensei an ass-load of money to stock, good thing her butt was— no, vulgar joke for another time.
"—Archangel 2, restock complete!"
"—Archangel 3, restock complete." Twin Berkuts backed away from their Soviet made supply crates, their pilots came out of Prafka mode minutes before. I was just glad none of that absurd speech was around.
"—Archangel 5, restock complete." Being the elitist she was, Meiya drew new guns and swords from the IRG chest sent exclusively for her.
"Archangel 4, restock complete."
"—Archangel 7, restock complete." Then there were Class rep and Ayamine, their Test Type-01s were fed by standard Imperial supply drops, cost efficiency was one of the upsides of a Shiranui Second.
"—Archangel 6, restock is complete!"
"—Archangel 8! Restock complete!"
"Goddamn it, Mikoto! It was perfect until you ruined it with your correct grammar!" How could this girl be so blind?
"Huh! I'm still upset about my rockets!" She frowned as her Raptor reloaded its shoulder-mounted containers.
As for Mikoto and Tama, I didn't even know where we got American supply crates. It did its job though, they got their sniper rounds and missiles, so I stopped asking.
"Atttttttenttttion! All units, looking at the clock, we'll have free interval for about ninety minutes. Anybody wanna go anywhere?" We had abundant of time until the BETA begin their counteroffensive, of which will be blasted away by the fortress punctually.
"If that is the case, I would appreciate permission to visit the Whiskey front." Meiya applied first.
"Sure, but I'm not going with you. Kasumi, switch formation with me, you tag along." I wasn't that bored.
"Understood." She never disagreed to anything anyway.
"I'll take Sakaki and clear out a few gates." Next, Ayamine demanded freedom.
"Ehh? What? Why me?"
"I need an Element partner… you can do it."
"I mean- she does need an Element partner." Class rep shot us some disengaging looks before giving in to peer pressure.
"Arrga, whatever. I'll keep you alive."
"Good girl… good girl."
"Miki will stay here with Yoroi-san! Just in case the BETA attacks!' My loli combo seemed to have already made up their mind.
"Alright, since Sumika can't go anywhere, our form is good like this. A Flight and two Elements, anything else?"
"Why can't Kagami go anywhere, Takeru?" Class rep curiously asked.
"Errr, because I said so. Now go! You're free! Fly like sparrows! Woohoo!"
Mitsurugi Meiya
Operation 21, 167 minutes in
Whiskey Unit, cleared area
"—estimated remaining time at sixty-two minutes. Caution, hostile movers detected. BETA herd size, large Battalion."
"—my gratitude, Kasumi. You have done well by my side, considering the little time we spent together."
"…Are you up to something, Meiya-san?"
"Haha, do not worry yourself. I am merely… encountering a particular acquaintance, this is no conspiracy, I assure you."
"Is it Tsukuyomi-san?"
"How did you— no, forget it. I should not be awed by your vast knowledge, Kasumi."
"Is it Tsukuyomi-san?"
"Persistent one, must you be?"
"Is it Tsukuyomi-san?"
"…In a way, yes. To stay forthright, I am unsure why I am complied to visit them. Perhaps you may be of assistance once more…"
Tsukuyomi Mana
Operation 21, 172 minutes in
Whiskey Unit, front line
"—additional incoming BETA! Battalion size around seven hundred Grapplers and Destroyers! No Laser-class spotted!" Kamiyo, one of Mana's trustworthy followers informed her of her findings.
"—Crest 2 copy. All units, formation Wing 3 with Squadron A on rearguard! Enclose the BETA vanguard and crus—"
"—nonsense, Tsukuyomi. Such disposition shall not do." As the adjutant to her new baron, Mana thought nothing of the order change and only went along.
"As you sure, my lord?"
"Of course, members of royalty must lead by example. I shall be of no exception. Now perform the honours, Tsukuyomi, this is your role as my aide-de-camp." Ikaruga Takatsugu spoke back, his soothing voice sounded ever so peaceful contrasted to the hell that was their field of battle.
"Yes, sir. —Crest 2 to all units in the 16th Honour Guard Battalion. Advance in double Arrowhead 1 formation. Break open a path and charge forward! Do let allow the Soviets to disgrace us any further!"
Ikaruga's Type-00 took its rightful spot as the leader of his Battalion, twin jet engines roared to its raw power output. He dashed ahead, faster and stronger than any other machines catching his tail. Stunning strikes and flawless accuracy slayed alien monsters by the heartbeat, it was truly a sight to behold in Mana's eyes.
"Tsukuyomi, do you wish to fall behind your comrades?" In her short-lived daze, Mana neglected to control her TSF properly.
"My apology, I do not, Ikaruga-sama."
"That is good, the Su-47s have secured twofold our amount of kills. This shall not be tolerated any longer." The Honour Guards had piled up an astounding number of bodies, yet it still fell short compared to the laser dodging Russians.
"…I cannot understand it, my lord. Even with XM3 installed, how can they own such a lead in confirmed kills alongside us?"
"Perhaps it is not a question of what we have, but a question of what they do not." Calmly as ever, Ikaruga replied after he snatched three Grapplers from under a Berkut's nose.
"…I'm afraid I do not understand."
"These TSFs, they seem to have two styles of action. At the beginning, they moved programmatically, almost as if they are entirely controlled by AIs. However, as of now, their movements are fanatic, jarring and even illogical. Similar to the deed of a madman, complete contrast to their pervious behaviour."
"Still… how does that tell us anything?"
"As obvious as it may be, these machines are not piloted by regular Eishis. They are too unified, It is alike a system of command; physical bodies are numerous yet the mind is only one." Ikaruga smiled at the glare a white Berkut was shooting him when he took another kill from them.
"I see… has the Soviet developed a program more capable of piloting than humans?" Then it started to click for Mana, schemes this size never smelled pleasant to her.
"I believe that fully depends on our definition of human… I do suspect for it to be related to—"
"—is that not an intriguing theory? How unpropitious that I was not invited to the progression of this intelligent discussion." Suddenly, a confident voice boomed in their channel, a line only belonging to the Royal Guards.
It was only after her first sentence did Mana notice her pulsing signal, spiralling like a hawk though the sky from their three O'clock. The colour of purple preserved for a true sovereign cut across the land, wreaking havoc against the BETA on her approach.
"—this must be the most delightful surprise yet. For you of all people to join us on this battlefield! …Mitsurugi!" Even Ikaruga displayed a cheerful yet watchful attitude.
"Ikaruga! How can there be victory without my presence? Is my attendance truly unforeseen?" There was a strange hint of egotism in Meiya's voice, more plainly displayed when she skewered a BETA next to Ikaruga. The saber missing his Takemikazuchi by measly centimetres.
Directly to her back, a distinct Berkut hovered, this one was unlike the rest. While the camo colour was the same as its teammates, the air it offered was much more alive than the rest.
"I was informed of your unit's involvement in this operation, Mitsurugi-dono. However, I did not expect for you to personally make an appearance."
"I spared some free time to meet you, Ikaruga-dono." Now their boastful greeting was over, both sides went back to speaking respectfully.
Meiya swung her sword again, slaying couple of Destroyers and Grapplers in the blink of an eye. Mana felt true amazement, she didn't known her master gotten this skilled at the art of piloting already.
"I am honoured, then may I have this dance?" Nonetheless, Ikaruga did not fall short, he too fired off rapid bursts of 120mm and blasted away more foes.
"Of course you may, however it is to my understanding you have sustained injury during the attack… are you unhurt?" For the quickest moment, their conversation had a solemn air attached to it.
"…My loyal servant, Tsukuyomi Maya protected me from the blunt blast. She is currently recovering in Tokyo." Of course, Mana was aware of her cousin's wound. So it was refreshing to her when Ikaruga spoke of the matter with a voice of condolence.
"…I see. Tsukuyomi, you must also be hearing this; with Her Highness' blood flowing through my veins, we owe your name our gratitude." Meiya too, exhibited her sympathy.
"—Meiya-sama, this honour is one too great for me to bear, yet I shall not fail in achieving your expectation."
"That is good. Now let us return to the stage once more! Our masquerade shall be the highlight of my arrival." This marked the end of remorse, as there was more pressing matter to take care of.
Mana could see it, a fiery rivalry was scorching between the two 00s. This was a time when blue refused clearly to bow down to purple, both clans had pride too great to yield.
"—more incoming! Another BETA Battalion coming in from southwest! Multiple Fort-class spotted!" Someone amongst the Royal Guards reported.
"I am certain our XM3 has made its way to your inventory, Ikaruga-dono."
"Indeed it has, quite a potent device, I must admit."
"It brings me pleasure to know your gratification."
"Same for me, this allows us to duel on equal footings." They both smiled, or maybe it was closer to a grin.
"That, we must."
"Strong enemies stand before us, Mitsurugi-dono." Ikaruga spoke again after a moment of silence.
"So they do, yet I shall traverse unhindered. Seeing as I have gained an upper hand already." Meiya might just be provoking Ikaruga on the side.
"Have you now? Your confidence is reassuring, Mitsurugi."
"Today, may very well be our day. To the front! Do not let those vile creatures shame our name!"
Mitsurugi Meiya
Non- chronological, Operation 21, 168 minutes in
Whiskey Unit, front line
"—I understand your problem, Meiya-san. I'm contrasting a workable plan for you to sound confident and cool, please standby."
"—Kasumi… must you word it like that?" The girl wasn't wrong essentially, although Meiya did wish she chose to phrase it so she didn't sound like an attention-whore… whatever that means when Takeru said it.
"I need the access code to the IRG channel."
"Understood, forwarding decoder."
"Transmission received, tapping into targeted channel. Analyzing dialogue substance." Together with Kasumi, Meiya listened in on the Royal Guards' radio.
"—I'm afraid I do not understand." Tsukuyomi's alarmed opinion came through first, her partner in discussion was someone Meiya knew she recognized.
"—these TSFs, they seem to have two styles of action. At the beginning, they moved programmatically, almost as if they are entirely controlled by AIs. However, as of now, their movements are fanatic, jarring and even illogical. Similar to the deed of a madman, complete contrast to their pervious behaviour." Ikaruga of the 16th Battalion, a person who Meiya couldn't decipher.
"Analysis complete, calculating recommended action."
"I appreciate your effort, Kasumi… however, is this not too… exaggerated?" A jumbled mien surfaced above Meiya's feature, she still had no idea what the Russian girl had in mind.
"—still… how does that tell us anything?" As for Tsukuyomi, their talk continued.
"Recommended action, interrupt target dialogue. On cue, repeat after me. 'Is that not an intriguing theory. How unpropitious that I was not invited to the progression of this intelligent discussion.' Please be noted to speak with more poise and confidence."
"Eh? Is that not too… flamboyant if I were to express in such a manner?"
"This is needed procedure, please cooperate for maximum effect, Meiya-san." There wasn't much room for a counterargument when Meiya was the one who brought it up.
"—as obvious as it may be, these machines are not piloted by regular Eishis. They are too unified, It is alike a system of command; physical bodies are numerous yet the mind is only one." The other chat still kept on going.
"Very well, I shall do as you say, Kasumi."
"Intercept in four… three… two… one."
"—I see… has the Soviet developed a program more capable of piloting than humans?"
"—I believe that fully depends on our definition of human… I do suspect for it to be related to—" And this was when Meiya made her appearance.
—
In more ways than one, this action was embarrassing Meiya to no end. Sharing the spirit of competition she learned from Takeru with Ikaruga as they counted their kills was not an original plan of Meiya's.
Being her sister's shadow, Meiya had always been taught to act modest and rational in front of others. But now the Shogun herself might be acting specious and completely based on her whim if Meiya were to consider everything that took place this month, she was placed in this awkward situation of playing up her role.
Nevertheless, she did sound pretty cool declaring her onward push. Takeru surely would have enjoyed listening to her exuberant speech, being the most exuberant man Meiya knew.
Thus she charged forward, faster than any of her comrades. Fighting for her empire on the surface, Meiya understood how that man was what she desired to protect.
Shirogane Takeru
Operation 21, 210 minutes in
Sadogashima, A-02 destination
"—um, so Meiya was actively looking for cuckold Macdoofus? That's okay, I don't really care."
"—are you sure, Takeru-san? I have a clean shot." Kasumi got my back covered like a NEET shut-in's room, it was impenetrable.
"Yes— I mean, no, Kasumi. Don't kill the guy, he has his uses."
"I'm confident I can make it look like an accident." This was persistence.
"It's fine, leave it. You're always available for dining, right?"
"Please enjoy my body at any time, Takeru-san. My legs are always open for you." Believe it or not, getting a boner in this suit was very uncomfortable.
"Huggnnnn!" So worth it though.
I stood my YF-23 high above a mesa, overlooking a racked battlefield done by explosive payload. It was empty save for the piles of BETA bodies littering the land, it was all red, everything my eyes could perceive. Far away from here, the reverberating noises of never-ending gunfire sounded like a calm melody, only if I had some tea to pass the time until Sumika reached us.
"—HQ to Archangel 1, Professor Kouzuki will be connected shortly." I heard an Operator's voice notifying me of Yuuko-sensei.
"—Arc 1 copy, I'm listening."
"Yo, Shirogane. Need an update from you, anything you think's gonna happen soon?"
"Not unless you give me one first, sensei. How're the divers doing?" They were what I used to determine our progress.
"They're moving… fairly behind. Furthest any unit's gotten is the 9h stratum, their hostile elimination ratio is high at least."
"Umm, so it has come to this. There's no point, if they can't make it to the 15th stratum in twenty, have them pull out. Same thing if they detect any sudden movements below, I told you how BETA dig, right?" Sensei nodded to my prompt.
"I hear you, Shirogane. Keep their comms functional and data-link stable, I remember. A-02 will begin its run in twenty minutes, the Valkyries are still escorting it through the beach."
"Damn, Sumika's fat ass is slow. It was ready by the coast too, why is it taking so long?"
"We can't just bust through the lines with the Moorcock-Lechte Engine on at all times, she has to hide from the BETA until we reach the endpoint." Lazy Sumika was too slothful to work fulltime.
"Once she reaches us it's another five minutes to the firing position, why doesn't she go straight there?" I knew the answer clear as day, so having sensei say it back to me wasn't that boost to morale I needed.
"Terrain's no good, the ravine provides good cover. Don't waste my time with your pointl— hold on- Suzumiya… from the 6th Orbital Divers? …Yeah, okay, play over my channel. —you listen as well, Shirogane. It's an emergency call from the chickens, I don't want to repeat someone else's words."
"Roger that, I'm online."
"—CP, CP! This's Aquila 1! BETA reinforcements are digging upwards from all branches under the 12th stratum! They're all heading for the surface! Estimated number at forty thousand! Hall K-4 to P-12 are lost! We're retreating with Sauber, Lazard and Ghost!"
In sync with that man's declaration, the earth under my feet was shaking viciously like the centre of an earthquake. My high-tech underground radar map thingy popped up without delay, telling me the mechanical factors of this wobble which I never asked for.
"Your thoughts, Shirogane?"
"I like how they didn't even ask for permission, just bailed out right away." I commented my first notion.
"Well, they were told to fall back if a thing like this happened, your idea. Anything to add?"
"Nope, the plan was to use our Susanoo since the very beginning, who honestly thought the divers would succeed anyway?" They had no chance, also this was my right to glory.
"Guess that's that. We'll hit them with artillery the second they show their ugly mugs, should this one be loaded with metal cloud?"
"Yeees, aim for the coordinates I'm sending you. Their Lasers are back near the monument, regular shells should be aiming for the gates, once that's done get Eclipse unit to bat them dead." How refreshing, for sensei to be the one who's taking orders from me.
"Alright, I'll see to it. You be careful, Shirogane." My comms disconnected from her immediately after, Yuuko-sensei just hated letting people say their goodbyes.
"—Arc lead to Element B, Class rep, how're things going?" My memory served perfectly and I recalled how her and Ayamine were hanging out around some hive gates, same gates that were about to be lit up.
"—Arc 4 reporting, we're seeing friendlies exiting from the nearest gates. Please advise."
"—advise my ass… let's help them, Sakaki." Ayamine was in the mood to take my shoes, it seemed.
"She said it, go down on her ass, Arc 4."
"Shut up, just- shut up, Takeru. Element B moving to engage hostiles, how would the chain of command work in this situation?" That was a legit problem we had to go over.
"You work independently, don't take their orders if they ain't using 'please'."
"Err… Arc 4 roger, get up and move, Ayamine!"
"Oooo, Element B out." What a strange yet humorous cooperative relationship those two got.
Watching the fruit of their growth, their teamwork; it was unstable, reliable, and still somehow workable. Ayamine and Class rep, those two had fought many times for the smallest reason, often leading to entertaining outcomes. But now they were both here, a presentation of the perfect collaboration.
"—Arc 2, what's A-02's ETA?" Done with those girls, Sumika and her giant Metal Gear was next on my list of concerns.
"—errm, about half an hour! I'll be there soon!" Her bright smile hadn't changed in the slightest since I last saw her; in fact, her smile alone never changes.
Like the reflection of a mirror, Sumika appeared so clean, so flawless on first glance. However, that was a mere disguise for a mind long past its expiration date. In a way, the Sumika I remembered fondly was long gone, replaced by a counterfeit. Nevertheless, I denied the truth; in my mind, Sumika was still living with me, healthy as could be.
"You wanna go for a dance then? They'll be here soon, a lot of them." This was our playground now, unlike that old park in our town. This new form of entertainment was more…lively.
"Yeah… yeah, let's do that, Takeru-chan. Let me be myself again, let me kill them all…" She stared through me, a melancholic light glimmering in those brilliant orbs.
"—A-Arc 8 reporting! Spotted Battalion size BETA forces incoming direct front! They crawled out from the nearest gate!" And what a perfect timing Tama utilized on detecting some prey.
"—great find, Tamase. How you guys wanna hit'em?" Both Rear Guards were slow on their reply.
"—shouldn't we just attack them normally?" Mikoto finally suggested.
"I mean- guess so. Alright, Sumika and I can take vanguard, Tama'll provide sniper support and Mikoto can cover our backs. Let's take it to them."
"Yes, siiiiiir!" There were all happy reactions to my order.
I adjusted my stance from a lazy lean to a proper upright sit in my cockpit, one of my AWMS was stocked back on the Mount Pylon as my free right hand reached back for a sword. One rifle and one blade for a balanced slaying power, just like how I preferred normally.
"Sumika, will this be a duo?"
"Sorry Takeru-chan, but I perform better solo!" My personal experience was evident to her statement.
The empty Berkut controlled by the 00 unit studied her arsenals, two sets of Soviet A-97 Assault Cannons were equipped in both her hands and mounts respectively. Similar to any other cannons, these served the Russians just fine, so will they for Sumika.
But here were what most people, including me didn't imagine. Sumika took a different posture, and with great motorized strength she threw her two rifles straight ahead, making them disappear amidst the battlefield.
"…Just… why?" I couldn't be much more confused.
"Emergency resupply! In case I need more guns!"
"Okay." In a way, preparing her scavenge loot beforehand wasn't that far of a stretch.
"Welllp, Arc 1 to Flight A, move in and kill all targets. Weapons free." Some form of order must be given.
Our four machines responded in turn, deafening roars of our engines broke the war ground's peace in an instant. Against our second wave of aliens today, there should be more left to kill after this.
"Make it RAIN! Make it rain BLOOD!" In front of everything else, Sumika placed her dibs.
Author's note
Haven't updated in a while, was busy working so I can buy a new PC, nothing special going on. Here's the beginning of Sadogashima, some shit's probably going down soon, that's nice.
When a language other than English is used there'll be a translation depending on whether the character speaks that language or not, (except for the times I didn't do that, this's starting now.) but that doesn't mean I speak those languages, call me out if you see a mistake. Actually, call me out for any mistakes you see, please?
Also, just to remind everyone the entire story is told from a subjective PoV, everything is only true to the character whose name is tagged in bold. Been a fanfic, people don't pay good attention so I made some hints more clearer, not blaming anyone, just how things are, easier to read isn't a bad thing, is it?
Anyway, do me a favour and review and stuff or whatever, literally tell me anything you want, I'll most likely reply if I got something to say back.
BETA done by chad001, because I can only think of terrible jokes right now, have an equally terrible icebreaker
The Titanic.