Previous Chapter: Chapter 35: The Ebony Tiger and the White Blade of Ice Next Chapter: Chapter 37
Eun: The Federation forces are stopped up due to their fights with the Ruina. It also seems that some forces are breaking off to come toward our course. Only the Gaia Sabers and the Air Christmas have made it all the magnetic pole… It looks like they’re fighting the Ruina there, too.
Sean: It seems they used the federation ships as a decoy.
Lefina: I believe the Air Christmas, like the Hagane, has ISA built into the core of the ship. Could they have bet on that ability and tried blitzkrieg tactics?
Sean: If worst comes to worst, it’ll be a three-way fight. Captain, should we slow down and observe the situation?
Lefina: No, Lee Lingjun doesn’t think we’re stupid enough to show up here. We’ll approach the magnetic pole just as we have been.
Sean: Roger.
Chapter 36: The Winds of Fate
Carly: We still can’t get through?!
Operator: Y-yes, sir! They disintegrated as soon as they hit the barrier!
Carly: One more time, all at once! Tell the Alphas and the Gammas the same!
Operator: Yessir! Saber 1 to Alpha, Gamma! Open fire on the designated point!
Egretta: Hmmm….
Albero: You heard them, men! Attack!
Chiot: … This is pointless.
Chienne: Don’t shoot, Chiot. This is just getting boring.
Chiot: If you say so, Chienne.
Albero: All units, attack!
Operator: No good! No change in the barrier!
Carly: Gaaaaah!
Chien: Ugh. And there’s only 3 enemies!
Umbra: It’s useless, humans. You cannot destroy the Septen Polum. Now, raise your voices in agony. It will reverberate against the Ultrum Exterior, and through Ventus it will be given to the Lord of Ruin to nourish him.
Ventus: ….
Chinne: God, this pisses me off! We can’t get any credit because of that damn shield.
Chiot: I don’t like the cold. I want to go home.
Albero: …Erde, what’s the analysis say?
Erde: That wall is similar to the dimensional barrier. Even if we used a nuke, it wouldn’t break.
Egretta: Captain Carly, shouldn’t we fall back for now?
Carly: We came this far, and you think we can just do that? We’re staking our Honor as the Gaia Sabers on this fight!
Egretta: If it were me, I’d send out troops. That’s the best way to torment them.
Carly: I’ve already thought of at least that much!
Glacies: ….!
Umbra: What’s wrong, Glacies?
Glacies: He’s coming…!
Umbra: What…? You can understand that, even in the Septen Polum?
Glacies: (That’s right… why do I know….?!)
Ventus: (What is this… Why am I…)
*warnings*
Operator: The Hiryuu Custom is inbound! From 3 o’clock!
Carly: !
*Deploy!*
Sanger: Is that the Septen Polum?
Gilliam: I would guess so.
Josh: Glacies….!
Glacies: (His thoughts can get through the Septen Polum…?!)
Josh: (She’s surprised? And this kind of static on the Synchro Gauge…. It’s different from before…!)
Rim: (Wh-what is this? This sensation….!)
Rim: (I-it feels weird, Liana…. I don’t like it…!)
Rim: (We’ve felt strange when fighting the Melior Esse before, but this is….)
Rim: (This is the first time I’ve felt this…!)
Ventus: …..
Carly: How dare the Hiryuu come here….!
Excellen: Oh, did we come at a bad time? If it becomes a three-way standoff, we’ll just end up making the situation hoarse.
Bullet: I think you mean worse.
Excellen: Oh, but if you make jokes like that, you’ll lose your voice.[1]
Sean: As you guessed, the Gaia Sabers didn’t expect us to come here.
Lefina: …That’s right.
Aqua: H-hugo! Look at that!
*That*
Hugo: Medius Locus…! So Mitarl was behind that…
Aqua: So when it fought our machine, it was…
Gilliam: Trying to get battle data from another unit with a TE absorber, and not just in a mock battle.
Aqua: If the machine broke down, or worse, if the pilot died….
Gilliam: It doesn’t seem like they were too worried about that.
Hugo: (…That sounds like his thought processes. But he’d be able to get that data even from the Gaia Sabers. Why did he send us to the Federation military, to the Aggressors?)
Albero: It seems those two have caught on to Mitarl’s plan.
Erde: It doesn’t matter what little traitors to the Federation like them say. We’re the good guys, right?
Albero: …
Carly: …Send a message to all hands. We are falling back from the battlefield.
Chien: What did you say!?
Chienne: You’re telling us to run? What are you going to do about the barrier and the Steel Dragons?
Albero: Shut up and obey the order, Chienne.
Chienne: You may be fine with that, but I want to settle the score!
Erde: You want to leave without fighting Lt. Hugo…. Is that it, Major Albero?
Albero: That’s a baseless accusation.
Erde: That’s fine. No matter how much you care for your former subordinate, he could never win against my baby.
Carly: …. Men, this is a direct order from Commander Alteur. We are pulling out for now.
Egretta: You’re saying we’re going to let the Steel Dragons deal with the Unknowns?
Chien: So after they’re worn down we’ll attack them…. I see, that does sound fun.
Chiot: I’m fine with just going home. I hate the cold.
Carly: Clear the path in front of the ship! We are leaving!
*Rumbles*
Aqua: Ah! The Medius is…!
Hugo: It’s looking this way…?
Albero: (Hugo…. Show me your power… by surviving.)
*Bye*
Hugo: !
Eun: The Gaia Sabers are retreating!
Tasuku: They tapped the Ruina on the back and ran behind us!
Yuuki: No, this is a play. If we destroy the Septen Polum, they’ll take credit for it. Or worse, they shoot us in the back while we’re busy with the Ruina.
Tasuku: Th-that sounds really possible….
Raji: Judging from how the Gaia Sabers were attacking it earlier, it seems like the Septen Polum closely resembles the dimensional barrier.
Raul: So it won’t break from normal attacks….
Raji: That’s right. I’m saying this just to be safe, but you know that refers to the Excellence’s attacks as well.
Raul: I know that.
Despinis: But unlike the dimensional barrier, we can see inside of that….
Raji: An excellent observation, Despinis.
Raul: But what does it mean?
Raji: It means there are some differences between that barrier and the dimensional barrier. There could be some way to get through it.
Tasuku: Trapped between the Ruina and the Gaia Sabers… And faced against a barrier we have no idea how to destroy. This is seriously the worst luck….
Kyosuke: Just like always. I don’t mind this.
Josh: …Even through that barrier, I can feel Glacies’s emotions. Meaning that can’t block out everything….
Raji: Exactly. The Melior Esse units can go in and out, and given that we can see inside, light can, too.
Josh: If we get closer, there could be some kind of reaction…. We could be able to change this.
Yuuki: That’s what we hope…. but you’d be carrying the biggest risk.
Josh: If it’s to destroy the dimensional barrier…. Or to get a hint towards that end…. Bad luck or no, if we don’t try it, we’re back at square one.
Excellen: Well if you feel that way, Joshy, we’ll do everything we can to support you.
Kyosuke: Don’t lose your head. Concentrate on making contact with the Melior Esse.
Josh: Understood. …Rim, you stay and guard the rear flanks.
Rim: …
Josh: What’s wrong, Rim? Is your Sympathia…?
Rim: N-no… It’s nothing! (Liana…. This feeling…. I think it’s being caused by one of those mechs over there…)
Rim: (I agree. Let’s get closer. Like bro said, there might be some reaction.)
Rim: (Is that okay?)
Rim: (We have no other choice. If bro is going after Glacies, then I have to go, too.)
*there*
Umbra: So they’re coming. In that case…
Chapter 36: The Winds of Fate
Victory: Rim reaches the designated point
Defeat: The Hiryuu Custom is shot down, Josh or Rim are shot down
SR point: In 4 turns, defeat all enemies except Priscus Nox, Fabularis, and Stodium.
*turn 2 shakes*
Rim: Wh-what’s this!? The system’s…! (L-Liana!)
Josh: Rim, what’s wrong?
Rim: I… I don’t know! Aaaah… Ahhh! (Wh-who is that?! Liana, who is this?!)
Rim: (This feeling… It’s not like before!)
Josh: The noise in the Sympathia…. This isn’t like what happened before!
Rim: (Aaaaaahhh! )
Ventus: (Who… are you? Why are you calling to me?)
Rim: (I don’t know, I don’t know you!)
Ventus: (Why have you entered my thoughts…? The other one hasn’t….)
Rim: (Stop it! Don’t touch us!)
Ventus: (Your names are…. Chris and Liana….)
Rim: (Wh-what?! We haven’t said our names!)
Rim: (! Is this what happened to bro?!)
Ventus: (I…. You, or you two, I think you’re drawing me in….)
Rim: (Liana, stop it! I hate it! What is this?!)
Ventus: Ugh!
*Viiiieewwwww*
Ventus: Aaah….!
Umbra: The Septen Polum is wavering…. What are you doing, Ventus?
Ventus: There’s interference… it’s making it unstable….
Glacies: What? Don’t tell me it’s happening to you too?
Josh: !
Ventus: No…. For me, it’s the girls….
Glacies: The girl…s?
Josh: (He means Rim!)
Glacies: !
Josh: (So this noise is from him and Rim resonating?! What’s happening, Glacies?!)
Glacies: (Ugh, it’s like it’s easier to start the connection than before…)
Ventus: (…. Why are you violating my thoughts?)
Rim: (Th-that’s what we want to ask, Ventus!)
Ventus: (That’s right… I’m the first Melior Esse… But you, the girl with two souls… You’re…)
Rim: (No! Stop! Don’t come closer!!)
Ventus: (I don’t know what’s happening inside your mind…. But don’t be worried. Or frightened. Or feel hatred. That’ll just become nourishment for the Lord of Ruin.)
Rim: (What…?!)
Umbra: Stop it, Ventus. Septen Polum is getting weaker. You just need to offer your energy and keep the Ultrum Exterior up. That is what you were born to do.
Ventus: …
Rim: ! He’s gone…?!
Rim: (Ugh…. That felt horrible….)
Ratsel: Did you just connect with a Melior Esse like Josh and Glacies did…?
Rim: I… I think so…
Ratsel: Josh, how about you?
Josh: I didn’t feel any consciousness other than Glacies… But it seems like that guy’s different from the rest of the Melior Esse….
Clifford: …Can you hear me, Josh? I was able to see a flicker on the face of the Septen Polum earlier. It matched up with the timing. That’s most likely the effect of the Sympathia creating a connection.
Josh: Then if we get closer, then our odds of getting through go up.
Clifford: I think it’s not you, but Rim.
Josh: (I don’t know what’ll happen if I get closer… but letting Rim go…)
Rim: (Chris….)
Rim: (Yeah… I know.)
Rim: Bro… I’m going. Even if I don’t know if I’ll actually be able to do anything against the Septen Polum.
Josh: But!
Rim: I don’t want to look at a sky without stars or the sun. We’re all betting on this long shot together.
Josh: …Okay.
Excellen: Looks like we got a peek into their family feud.
Sanger: Joshua, leave the small fry to us.
Josh: Thanks for your help.
Umbra: So they’re continuing to fight. It’s dangerous to let them interfere any more. I’m going out.
Glacies: Then I shall, too.
Umbra: No, you are to wait here. It seems like I’m the only one who isn’t influenced by them.
Glacies: ….
Umbra: If there’s a problem, it’s not from our side, but from their systems…. It seems that because the humans got their hands on it, they’re able to do some things we didn’t think of.
Glacies: So if we destroy that machine….
Umbra: That’s right. Ventus, open a door in the Septen Polum.
Ventus: …Understood.
Kouta: It just walked out!
Roar: Meaning that it doesn’t want the Aile Chevalier or the Blanche Neige to get close.
Kouta: Oh, I see.
Umbra: Humans, listen well. I am the Melior Esse, Umbra. The dark shadow of death.[2]
Bullet: Umbra….
Raul: Out of all the Melior Esse who have contacted us, it seems the least human….
Ibis: I don’t even know if it’s a man or a woman…
Tasuku: Ummm… I think it feels more like a lady. Somehow.
Katina: Why the fuck does that matter?!
Umbra: Your negative emotions born of losing the stars to the Ultrum Exterior…. The Lord of Ruin will take them and come to this world. I won’t let you interfere with that.
Katina: Ultrum…. What now?
Umbra: I believe you call it the dimensional barrier.
Rim: Bro, this voice…!
Josh: Yeah, it’s the one we heard at the south pole.
Ratsel: Leave Umbra to us. You two need to get to the Septen Polum.
Josh: Understood. …Rim, be careful until you can make contact with that Melior Esse. Do all you can to avoid battles, and don’t waste your ammo.
Rim: Got it…!
Rim: (Liana, do you know where we’re going?)
Rim: Yeah, over there!
*thar*
Umbra: You have been chosen for destruction…. Be consumed by the darkness of hate and pain, and fall into ruin.
*Back to fightin*
*Umbra V Rim*
Rim: (This one isn’t any different from the other Melior Esse…. Even if the Sympathia is a bit off. Then what was that connection with Ventus?!)
Umbra: (She understands she connected with them… This human could be….)
*Umbra V Josh*
Josh: Umbra… She’s going to stand in our way.
Umbra: (The source of the noise… But there is no change in my functions. Why does it only effect Glacies and Ventus?)
*beat up Umbra*
Umbra: Damned humans, how long will you resist?
Josh: Rim, now!
Rim: Yeah!
*She moves*
*or Rim gets there on her own*
Josh: Rim, you made it!
Ventus: …!!
Rim: Now, what will happen…?!
Rim: (Probably, it’ll be that again….)
Rim: I’m prepared for that!
*Whiiiine*
Rim: (A-aaaah! Liana!)
Rim: I-I can endure this!
*whiiiir*
Ventus: Ah…!
Rim: (He’s coming! He’s entering us again!)
Ventus: (…The girl with two souls…)
Rim: (Ventus!...)
Ventus: (Your machine… and the system…… They’re connected to us….
Rim: (Wh-what are you trying to say?!)
Ventus: (Our consciousness… our thoughts…. Are forcibly brought together… and they pull from each other….! Ahh… I can’t stop it…. It’s breaking…!
Rim: (Aaaaahhh! I’m going insane!)
*Flash*
Rim: (The mech… I can’t control it!)
Rim: (E-even the machine…. Aaaah!)
Josh: Rim!
Tsugumi: She’s being pulled into the Septen Polum?!
Glacies: Ventus, what are you doing?!
Ventus: (It’s no use… I can’t stop it…!)
Umbra: What…. What is happening….
Rim: (L-Liana!!)
Rim: (W-we’re being drawn in! I can’t escape!)
*Whiiiiiite*
*SPACE*
Rim: (U-ugh….)
Rim: (This is…!)
Rim: (Space…?! Where did Josh and the others go?!)
Ventus: (We were pulled out of the Septen Polum…. Did we fall between dimensions….?)
Rim: (V-Ventus!)
Rim: (What did you do?!)
Ventus: (What did we do, you mean. The power bringing us together brought you into the Septen Polum…. Then the Ultrum Exterior…. I guess I opened a door…. But why…. did we resonate… and why were we drawn together…?
Rim: (Where’s the earth…. Where’s bro?!)
Ventus: (I don’t know….)
Rim: (…)
Ventus: (What I do know…. I know which of you was the first one to touch that system)
Rim: (That system…?!)
Ventus: (What you call the Sympathia.)
Rim: (…!)
Ventus: (And when you touched it…. You became two souls in one body…. Right?)
Rim: (!!)
Ventus: (Which one is the real you…. That’s…)
Rim: (We’re both me! Me and Chris are both Cliana Rimskaya!)
Ventus: (I can see…. I don’t know why you called to me, or why our consciousnesses merged, but I know which of you…)
Rim: (S-stop it! Stop, Please!)
Rim: (Ventus! If you say another word, I’ll…!)
Ventus: (I… I still have a duty…)
Victory: Make the Stodium retreat. It will leave at less than 30000 HP.
Defeat: Rim is shot down
Ventus: Gah, the machine is….!
Rim: It’s stopped! Now’s our chance!
*Wiiiiir*
Rim: (Waaaah! Again?!)
Ventus: (I’m being touched again….! But this is…! No…. I’ll vanish…!)
Rim: (Aaaaaah!) (Aaaaaah!)
*whiiiiite*
Rim: ….
Rim: (L-liana…)
Rim: It’s okay… We’re okay.
Rim: (Wh-where’s Ventus….?)
Rim: He’s not here… and this light….
Rim: (From below… that’s the earth, right?
Rim: Then that means the Ultrum Exterior is…. (Gone…!)
*WARNINGS*
Rim: Something’s getting closer…. It’s…. (That’s… the Hagane!)
Eita: Target identified! It’s the Blanche Neige!
Tetsuya: What is it doing here by itself…?
Eita: Maybe it has something to do with the dimensional barrier disappearing…
Tetsuya: In any case, bring her in. And Azuki…. Get in contact with the Hiryuu Custom, please.
Azuki: Roger.
Tetsuya: (What could have happened on the earth…?)
*on the Hagane*
Kai: Are you okay, Rim?
Rim: Yes…. It’s good to see that the Hagane’s alive and well, too.
Kai: We were outside the dimensional barrier. From space, it appeared as if the earth had vanished. After that, we were pursued by the Gaia Sabers, and fought with the Guests who were invading the moon.
Rim: Then right now, the moon is…
Kai: The space forces and the guests are currently battling. And the Ruina appeared in space, taking over Heaven’s gate.
Rim: The Ruina did that….
Aya: But the Guests attacked Heaven’s gate…. The Melior Esse were forced to retreat back towards earth. We were chasing them, and fighting above the north pole when the earth re-appeared.
Kai: What was happening on the surface? Please tell us.
Rim: Due to the Ultrum Exterior… the dimensional barrier, the sun and the stars were blocked out, and the world was completely engulfed in darkness. We were chased by the Federation military and the Gaia Sabers while we fought the Ruina…. And during that, my brother made a spiritual link with Glacies….
Viletta: Glacies?
Rim: A female Melior Esse. He saw inside her consciousness through the Sympathia….
Aya: Her consciousness?
Viletta: It seems to resemble the T-link system’s ability to let Psychics communicate.
Aya: But Josh has no psychic powers… Rim, what about you?
Rim: I… I ended up connecting with a different Melior Esse. While we were fighting the Ruina at the Magnetic North Pole, at the place where they were generating the Barrier, Septen Polum….
Kai: Was that Septen Polum the place where they could go through the Dimensional Barrier?
Rim: I don’t know about that, but in order to keep the Ultrum Exterior running, Ventus was at the Septen Polum…
Aya: Ventus… Is that another Melior Esse?
Rim: Y-yeah.
Kai: …Did you break through the Septen Polum?
Rim: Not just us, but the Federation and the Gaia Sabers… They attacked the Ruina on all fronts, which let us get close…
Kai: So… Why did the dimensional barrier disappear?
Rim: Just like my brother and Glacies… I had a link with Ventus…. I was pulled into the Septen Polum, and thrown out to space…. Ventus opened a hole in the Ultrum Exterior.
Kai: What do you mean?
Rim: I’m… I’m not sure myself… When I came to, I was in space, and then I could see the earth…. What was that. I… Ventus was looking at me… I…
Aya: Rim?
Rim: (Chris, calm down.) (Bu-but Ventus knows that we’re two people… And the Sympathia… Why…?) (I don’t know either…. But for now, you need to calm down.) (Y-yeah….)
Aya: …Major Kai, we should….
Kai: Yeah, I know. Rim, head for the medical room and have them check you, just in case, then get some rest.
Rim: Y-yes, sir.
Kai: …So because Rim and a Melior Esse named Ventus were able to make a spiritual connection, the dimensional barrier vanished?
Aya: But would something like that really cause the barrier to vanish?
Viletta: If Ventus and the Septen Polum was the keyhole to the dimensional barrier, then Rim and the Sympathia could have acted as the key. And the Ruina could have been blindsided by that…
Kai: Indeed. The door wasn’t opened by Rim, but by Ventus…. I think that’s more likely.
Aya: It seems the Sympathia’s true power is unknown to the Ruina as much as it is to us.
Kai: And that means that there’s something special about Josh and Rim, who are able to control it. I don’t know if it was something they had from the beginning, or if it was something the Sympathia awakened in them…
Azuki: Captain, we’ve achieved contact with the Hiryuu Custom. They’re currently above the North Pole’s Beaufort Sea.
Tetsuya: I see… Did they say anything to us?
Azuki: They said to come down and meet with them. They designated a meeting point.
Tetsuya: Okay, begin the reentry sequence. Let’s go to earth, and meet with the Hiryuu Custom.
*down you go*
Kouta: Yeesh, I was wondering what was gonna happen there. Well, the Ultrum Exterior is gone, so it all turned out okay in the end.
Seolla: Kouta, it’s good to see that you’re okay.
Kouta: Yeah, sorry to make you worry. I was able to make it back to Earth. Did you meet up with Axel and Alfimi?
Seolla: Yes, we did.
Excellen: Where are they?
Lamia: Alfimi said she was going to sleep, and once the Hagane had fallen back to Earth, Axel left the ship by himself.
Excellen: He didn’t even say hi? He’s so shy.
Kyosuke: You know there’s no way that’s true. Where was he headed?
Lamia: To the Kurogane. The Soulgain is being kept there.
Excellen: He’s so impatient.
Arado: Look who’s talking…
Touma: Ah, are you...?
Arado: Huh?
Touma: You were the guy who bought yakisoba from me back then.
Arado: Yakisoba?
Touma: Yeah, that’s right. I remember cause it’s not often that someone orders the entire grill’s load at once!
Arado: That does sound like me…
Touma: My name is Touma. I’m working part time at the L&E corporation.
Ryuusei: Part time?
Fiona: Right now, he’s helping with the Excellence Rescue’s maintenance. Thanks to his experience, he’s good with the engines.
Ibis: And since he’s really good at cleaning, he’s been helpful to everyone else, too.
Aya: Oh, Ibis, that pendant is beautiful.
Ibis: A-ah, this? I got it from Irui….
Aya: Irui?
Ryuusei: We have another new member besides Touma?
Ibis: Yeah, I guess we should introduce you to her. Irui, please come here.
Irui: ….[3]
Ibis: We met her at Comodin Island, as well… When it was targeted by Jinrai, she helped me out. But she has no memories of her past…. Some things happened, and we took her along with us.
Ing: No memories… so she’s the same as me.
Irui: …Ah!
Ing: ….!
Ibis: What’s wrong, Irui?
Irui: ….
Ing: (What is this…?)
Kusuha: Could it be that she recognizes Ing?
Irui: No…
Excellen: Is it love at first sight?
Ibis: No way!
Robert: By the way, you said you were targeted by Jinrai earlier. Is he still after the Double G?
Tsugumi: That’s right…. Major Gilliam guessed that it was designed by the Gaia Sabers.
Carla: And the Gaia Sabers squad we met at the North Pole had the Kerberions and Medius Locus in it, as well.
Latooni: …!
Arado: Those guys…. There’s no mistake, we’re going to have to fight them, huh…
Lamia: And Medius Locus…. It seems it was a lie that it had been stolen.
Hugo: That’s right… Tsentr Project has been managed by the Gaia Sabers since before I joined up.
Aqua: Hugo and I had no idea that was the case.
Lamia: Who was piloting the Medius Locus?
Aqua: That… We don’t know yet.
Hugo: I want to confirm it with Mitarl Zapad, but if I contact him carelessly, I’ll give away our position.
Marion: The Gaia Sabers are even more troublesome than we thought.
Excellen: Oh, Professor Radom. It’s been awhile.
Kyosuke: You were on the Hagane, too, Professor?
Marion: Yes. I left Mao Industries on the moon with Rahda, and while en route to the L4 Colony group, we ran into them.
Kyosuke: Did the Guests attack Mao Industries…?
Rahda: Not yet. The president anticipated they would attack, so he decided to send the Exbein parts to a different place.
Marion: Right now, the Guests are fighting with the space forces on the moon…. But I can’t say that it won’t end up just like the Inspector Incident.
Excellen: Even if we got rid of the Ultrum Exterior, it seems like we still got a heap of problems.
Kyosuke: Yeah….
Ryuusei: In space, we had to fight against the Galilnagant and the Alles Geist.
Excellen: What’s the Galilnagant?
Ryuusei: The actual name of that “Code: Evil” machine that destroyed the Huckebein series.
Ryoto: The pilot was the Omega Saber of the Gaia Sabers, Almara Burton…. She was targeting Ing.
Lamia: And when we were fighting the Alles Geist, the Persönlichkeit appeared and its core resonated with the Fau Kern…. It was activating it.
Kyosuke: Activating it…?
Lamia: That’s right. The Fau Kern’s energy output increased…. In other words, it unlocked some latent abilities. And it seemed to unlock new weapons on the Flickerei… In order to gain more power, Duvan is searching for the Persön’s core.
Yuuki: The Alles Geist is based on the core of the Jetzt…. If that were to awaken….
Kyosuke: …Worst case scenario, the Jetzt could come back.
*In quarters*
Josh: Melior Esse… Ventus?
Rim: Yeah… He realized our situation…. And which was the real one, he said…
Josh: What?!
Clifford: …
Rim: After that… If it comes to that, it could be… that one of us…
Rim: (Liana….)
Clifford: …If that’s the case, how do you explain Josh or the Professor? They’ve also made contact with the Sympathia.
Rim: But still… we can’t remember the past… I don’t know….
Rim: Me too… So we don’t know which of us is the original… Liana and I… Which of us is Cliana Rimskaya…
Rim: But, I…
Josh: …It’s just like Chris said. You are my family. We may not share a bloodline, but I don’t care which of you the original is. You’re both my sisters.
Rim: Bro…
Clifford: (Josh and Glacies… Rim and Ventus…. This kind of connection is… The only clue that brings these mysteries together is the Sympathia…
*Briefing room*
Tetsuya: Lee Lingjun?! Are you serious?!
Lefina: Yes…. We made contact with him en route to the North Pole. Using the alias Carly Neumann, he was working as the captain of the Air Christmas.
Tetsuya: He lived, and he’s working for the Gaia Sabers…
Sean: That’s not all. There was also Egret Uruz of the Machinery Children with him, as well.
Kai: !
Ariel: (Machinery Children…?!)
Ratsel: …Ariel, the reason we called you here was because there was something about the Gaia Sabers we wanted to confirm. Do you know anything about Egret Uruz?
Ariel: No, Nothing.
Gilliam: He may have gone by the name Egretta Uno. Have you heard of that name?
Ariel: I have… That’s the leader of the Alpha Sabers… The Alphas are very mysterious… I’ve seen some of the lower-ranking people, but they were always wearing masks, and everyone except Egretta wouldn’t speak… I’ve heard rumors that they may be androids…. But if they’re Machinery Children….
Gilliam: …
Tetsuya: Commander Lefina, what shall we do from here?
Lefina: We are considered discharged from the military…. But Central Intelligence’s Lt. General Jacob Moore has given us a mission, and we are acting as an unofficial independent squadron. Of course, on the surface nothing has changed…. The federation and the Gaia Sabers will both be hunting us.
Tetsuya: …
Lefina: Since we’ve just finished a fierce battle, I want to go somewhere where we can restock and repair our units…
Ratsel: Then let’s go to Iti Iti Island in the south Pacific. It’s said to be uninhabited, but it’s actually one of our bases. We should be able to hide there.
Lefina: Understood. Then let’s head to Iti Iti Island.
*MEANWHILE AT THE SOUTH POLE*
Ignis: What happened? The Ultrum Exterior completely vanished.
Umbra: Those humans used that system to interfere with Septen Polum….
Contagio: We certainly didn’t plan for that.
Umbra: Those people were able to twist Glacies and Ventus’s minds somehow. Humans and Melior Esse are supposed to be mutually exclusive existences… so why could they interact like that?
Aquila: They have a sense that we don’t.
Ignis: Laci’s fine, but Ventus messed up. The Ultrum Exterior didn’t disappear, he opened it.
Ventus: ….
Ignis: What did you do? Did you forget your purpose? Did you forget why we’re doing what we are?
Ventus: Why did it happen… I was going along with the girls… I don’t understand myself…
Ignis: Hmmph, you’re useless.
Umbra: I also do not understand…. Do not blame Ventus.
Ignis: Then hurry and get the Ultrum Exterior back up…
Umbra: We need a large amount of power for that. If we waste it on that, it’ll slow the awakening of the Lord of Ruin. And as long as those humans are around, the same thing could happen again.
Contagio: We should construct an Officinus on the surface, and use it to increase the number of our troops.
Umbra: I agree.
Ignis: Contagio and I found a candidate for an Officinus in space. If Ventus hadn’t have failed…
Umbra: For now, Space is fine as it is. Right now, we need to focus on destroying that system. Before it affects us, as well.
Ignis: Got it. Laci, leave them to me.
Glacies: ….
Ignis: What’s wrong?
Glacies: …Nothing. I’m as normal as I ever am.
Ignis: Hmmph, whatever.
Glacies: (Joshua Radcliff…. That human….)
Previous Chapter: Chapter 35: The Ebony Tiger and the White Blade of Ice
Next Chapter: Chapter 37: Unwavering Iron Boss Bankaran
[1] DIFFERENT JOKE IN JAPANESE BUT NOT TRANSLATABLE GIVE ME A BREAK
[2] #bademobandnames
[3] GOD HOLY FUCK HER FACE IS SO DEAD