Previous Chapter: Chapter 15: Feil's Darkness Next Chapter: Chapter 17
Xenia: … The squad sent to Troiya wasn’t sent there to look for another Volkruss shrine.
Rai: They were sent there to invade Shutedonias?
Xenia: Exactly. And then my brother sent the squad under his direct command to the bay of Nagoll in Baldia.
Tetsuya: Right now, Langran doesn’t seem ready to declare all-out war on Shutedonias…[1]
Tytti: Exactly. There’s still remnants of Kirkus’s forces who haven’t surrendered, and many parts of Langran are still not under anyone’s control yet.
Xenia: Shutedonias might also want revenge… During this confusion, Kirkus may make his move, too. And if Louzorl gets involved, we’ll be in even more trouble.
Masaki: I don’t know what’s going on, but the king is being too impatient. If we start a fight with Shutedonias, everybody loses.
Irm: That’s if Langran’s forces can come together, anyway…If the enemy finds a flank and presses it, the whole country will collapse.[2]
Excellen: He either sees a chance to win it all or is looking way into the future.
Rai: Maybe, given his access to high powered weaponry like the Elemental Lords and the Duraxyll, he intends to strike a single, decisive blow to Shutedonias?
Xenia: That… may be.
Masaki: …
Tetsuya: And our units are probably included in his expectations…
Aya: Masaki, did King Feil say anything about our situation?
Masaki: No, nothing…
Tytti: We sent a proposal to the king, but he never responded…
Azuki: Captain, we’ve got a line from King Feil. It’s also addressed to the pilots of the Elemental Lords.
Masaki: !
Tetsuya: Send it here.
Azuki: Roger.
Feil: Masaki, Tytti, I’m sorry my reply took a while.
Masaki: Lord… Feil…
Feil: I know what you want to say. But I’ve already made up my mind.
Tytti: Do you really want to start another war with Shutedonias?
Feil: Yes, I realized it as the fighting continued up till now. The only way to end this fighting is to unify all the lands of La Gias.
Masaki: Langran is still in shambles. If we fight Shutedonias in our condition, we’ll run out of steam before they do.
Feil: I know that, Masaki. But their distrust of us is still growing. They’ll gather their forces, and invade again. Then it’ll be too late. This is our best chance, when they’re on the run. I want you to lend your Elemental Lords and Elementals to this cause.
Masaki: …
Tetsuya: …
Rai: (As I thought, he wants to use blitzkrieg tactics on the enemy…)
Masaki: …The Elemental Lords cannot accept your request. The reason being your way of doing things… I think another war with Shutedonias won’t bring peace to La Gias.
Feil: Masaki[3], You can’t have real peace by honeyed words alone. You need drastic reform.
Masaki: Saying violence is the only solution is for second-rate politicians. Are you going to become Kirkus the Second?
Feil: …Maybe so. But I walk a path I believe in. Future generations may consider my actions wrong, but I can’t be worried about that. Right now, I need to focus on what I can do right now.
Xenia: ...Feil, why are you being so hasty? And what’s your basis on making this decision now? Is it Duraxyll?
Feil: I don’t think just one machine can make a huge change on the outcome of a war. But right now, I have to accomplish something important.
Xenia: …
Masaki: Even if it means covering not just Langran, but the entire world in the fires of war?
Feil: Yes. Right now La Gias needs firepower and deterrence power. If someone doesn’t perform that needed role, the wars will never end. That’s why I want you to get some perspective and respect my decision.
Masaki: Strange… It’s strange, Lord Feil. When did you start to think this way? Why do you want power that much?
Feil: What I want in the end isn’t power. It’s a lasting peace for La Gias.
Masaki: And I’m saying there’s a problem with your methods. And that’s why I can’t lend my power to your ends. I’m resigning.
Feil: Tytti, Mio… Are you leaving as well?
Mio: I agree with Masaki. To continue a war just as it’s ending…
Tytti: …Please reconsider.
Feil: I understand… I won’t force you. And Commander Tetsuya Onodera.
Tetsuya: Yes?
Feil: By the day after tomorrow, the preparations will be complete for the summoning ritual. Please return to the surface.
Tetsuya: …Understood.
Feil: I thank you for all the cooperation you have given me up till this point. Goodbye.
Tetsuya: …
Xenia: (Feil…)
Viletta: …Lord Feil seems determined.
Masaki: Dammit, why did this have to happen…?
Mio: What should we do now, Masaki?
Masaki: I don’t know…![4]
Presia: Masaki…
Tytti: In any case, let’s head for Seb Shrine. There’s no reason to involve you all further.
Masaki: Y-yeah…
Excellen: Leaving like this feels kinda wrong…
Rio: I agree… To look the other way when we know things are going to get worse
Irm: But aren’t we retired now? Lord Feil didn’t ask for our assistance this time.
Aya: But someone has to stop him… Or everything Masaki did will be for nothing.
Masaki: …
Aya: What do you think, Captain?
Tetsuya: Given what King Feil has said in our conversations up till now, I don’t think this conclusion of his is something he reached hastily. And moreover, a supreme show of force always engenders an opposition. Like how during the DC Wars, we opposed Bian Zoldark. King Feil should know that, too. But in spite of this, he’s moving things along so quickly…. He must have some kind of reason. Personally, I want to find out what that is. It may have been by coincidence, but we fought together.
Masaki: The reason he had a change of heart….
Tetsuya: But we have duties on the surface. We have to return to the surface world along with the Hiryuu Custom. I’m sorry, Masaki, but please guide us to Seb Shrine.
Masaki: Yeah, sure thing…
Chapter 16: Changed Ways
Eita: Captain! Dead ahead, there are a large number of readings!
Tetsuya: Is it the enemy?!
Tytti: This feeling…!
*Golem time*
Masaki: Nagizzard! Louzorl, that bastard!
Louzorl: Fancy meeting you here. For a short while, I will be your opponent.
Masaki: Dammit, why now of all times?! Captain, prepare the sortie!
*Deployment screen*
Louzorl: If I may ask, why are you all not with Lord Feil’s troops?
Masaki: We don’t need to tell you that!
Louzorl: I see… If you’re not with Feil’s troops, then it is fortunate for us….
Rio: What is that supposed to mean?!
Louzorl: Langran and Shutedonias will fall into an endless deadlock with their decision to continue their warfare. Therefore, the confusion in Langran will return… and make our efforts even easier.
Masaki: …!
Louzorl: In short, Feil’s actions will help with Volkruss’s resurrection, though I doubt he realizes it himself.
Tytti: That’s….!
Louzorl: If no one is around to stop the king, even better. At long last, the day I’ve dreamed about is finally coming closer!
Masaki: …
Louzorl: Well then, let’s begin. I should do my best to remove nuisances, even just a few.
Masaki: Shut up! You’re the nuisance!
Louzorl: (If they were to join up with Kirkus’s forces, I’d be at a disadvantage. I must stop them here.)
Chapter 16: Changed Ways
Victory: Defeat all the Demon Golems
Defeat: The Hagane is shot down
SR Point: Fulfill the Victory condition within 6 turns.
*Kill a buncha dudes*
Louzorl: Well then, I should be heading off. Lord Randall, I’m sure we’ll meet again.
Masaki: Wait, Louzorl!
Tytti: Don’t chase him, Masaki! We need to get rid of the Demon Golems!
Masaki: Grr… I know that!
*Swhawawcha eerrybody dies*
Eita: All signals from Demon Golems have vanished!
Tetsuya: Alright, stay on alert and recall the units.
Azuki: Roger.
*In the Hagane*
Tytti: It seems like our worst fears have come true.
Freki: Indeed. Louzorl is using the current conflict for his own purposes.
Xenia: It was only Demon Golems this time, but if those were Volkruss substitutes….
Masaki: … I don’t want to admit it, but what Louzorl said is right.
Mio: Huh?
Masaki: What lord Feil is doing will cause chaos. And there are people who want to exploit it…. Not just Louzorl, but Kirkus, too. We’ve got to stop his Highness.
Ibis: But how?
Tsugumi: Feil is traveling with his squad to the Bay of Nagoll, right?
Masaki: I’m heading there with Cybuster. And I’m going to talk with him one more time.
Rai: And if he still refuses to change his mind?
Masaki: If that happens… I’ll stop him by force.
Presia: M-Masaki…
Tytti: …Do you mean that, Masaki?
Masaki: Yeah. I have to stand up to anything that threatens the continuation of our world. It was Feil himself who taught me my duties as the pilot of an Elemental Lord.
Tytti: …Then I’m going too. But not to fight with him… Just to talk, and to end the war.
Masaki: That’s what I plan to do, too.
Mio: I’ll go too. I think we can still get him to understand.
Xenia: …
Masaki: Xenia, I want you to stay on the Hagane and take them to Seb Shrine.
Xenia: No, I’m going with you. I think Feil’s reasoning is wrong. I want to know why he became like this…
Torres: Lord Masaki, I’m also going.
Gold: And I as well.
Presia: I’m going too, Masaki. Mio said it, I think we can still stop his Highness…
Masaki: Okay.
Aya: …You’re going with just you seven?
Masaki: Yeah… This is our problem.
Tetsuya: The Hagane will accompany you, Masaki.
Masaki: Captain!
Tytti: You all can finally get back to the surface. We can’t trouble you any further…
Tetsuya: The preparations for summoning won’t be complete until the day after tomorrow. In other words, we have time. There’s still things we can do before we return to the surface… That’s what I believe. Just for a little while, we fought to bring peace to Langran. That means, beyond just being concerned about this world’s events, we have an obligation to see this through to the end.
Masaki: Captain…
Excellen: I agree with the captain. We’re in this boat together, sink or swim.
Irm: Well, this ship flies, but still.[5]
Rai: I’m going too.
Masaki: …I thought you’d be the first to object.
Rai: Something like this happened in the past. And because I wasn’t there, I wasn’t able to prevent it.
Aya (His father, Commander Mayer, huh…)
Yuuki: …
Carla: Do you object, Yuu?
Yuuki: It’s dangerous to get involved any more, but…. If we’re the ones who can stop it, we should.
Tetsuya: No one is forced to join us on this mission. Decide for yourselves if you want to participate. Please think it over carefully.
Previous Chapter: Chapter 15: Feil's Darkness Next Chapter: Chapter 17: Duraxyll's Decisive Battle
[1] ??? Something.
[2] Something about rips and shit.
[3] Real peace won’t come by deceiving with Superficial cleverness. But what the fuck, man.
[4] I won’t knowas you ask me. Sounds stupid.
[5] Pun about ships and riding them.