Previous Chapter: Chapter 53: The Seal's Omen Next Chapter: Chapter 55
Top Option: *HANG OUT ON EARTH WITH COOL FOLKS*
Bottom Option: *GO TO SPAAAAAAACE*
Gasper: That was good timing, Daniel. I was missing that feeling I get when I see your car at the front gate.[1]
Daniel: I’m terribly sorry, Marshall. Your dinner party was…
Gasper: I don’t care. Thanks to you, I didn’t have to open that Sauternes from Chateau d’Yquem.
Daniel: Oh…. What year?
Gasper: From 40 years back. Ah, that reminds me. Send my granddaughter’s presents to her house. I’ll leave the method to you.
Daniel: Of course, sir.
Gasper: Now then…. what is this gigantic thing in the sky?
Daniel: It’s a 4-kilometer-long chunk of rock. Today at 0434, it appeared over the Arabian Peninsula’s Nafud Desert. It quickly rose up to around 40 kilometers, and is continuing to ascend. Its current position is around 51 kilometers, putting it above the stratosphere. The Federation’s Space Forces assigned to Operation Reconquista are sending us video footage.
*Beep*
Gasper: …. We had a mechanical star and a giant sword, and now a floating garden. There’s no end to this stuff. That structure in the middle… is it a tower?
Daniel: Yes.
Gasper: Reminds me of the Tower of Babel. I’m sure historians and Archeologists are frothing at the mouth right about now.
Gasper: So who’s the mastermind this time?
Daniel: They’ve already come forth to claim responsibility.
Gasper: Oh?
Daniel: We received this video a few hours back. Please look at it.
*video*
Ganglong: Heyo, folks of the Earth Federation Military. Ya feeling good? I’m Son Ganglong, and I’m the leader of the Baral. Now, as you know, we’ve been waiting for the right moment to bring our base, the Garden of Baral, to light. There was a lot of prep work that went into this, but I think we’re finally ready to get this plan started. But there’s no need for you to worry. We’re the protectors of the Earth. Think of this as us reaching out our hand to help you. Of course, there’s nothing you need to do. You should just sit back and wait for the God of Baral’s reawakening. We’ll ask for your patience for just a little longer. You’ll soon be promoted, and live a life of amusement and wonder in a modern[2] Garden of Eden. It’ll be a utopia where you couldn’t ask for more. You’ll have no fears of enemies from beyond the stars. You’ll live in peace for eternity. That’s right, if the God of Baral awakens, we’ll take care of the Ruina and the Guests. You don’t have to do anything. Be calm, and wait for the chosen among you to be saved. Oh, and just saying… there’s no point in attacking the Garden of Baral. But if you really don’t believe me, you can go ahead and try all you like. In any case, the time is almost here. Everyone will be content under the watchful gaze of our God. That’s all I have to say! See ya! Ahahahahahahaha!
*well that was long*
Gasper: Well he’s certainly full of confidence. We should air this at Cannes next year.
Daniel: Most of what he said matches up with what Intelligence has told us about the Baral.
Gasper: Yes, from when the Steel Dragons engaged the members of their organization in combat.
Daniel: They were able to move a rock of that size beyond the stratosphere. I don’t think we should discount their threats.
Gasper: We can’t disregard the possibility that it’s just someone with too much free time having some fun… But we do have to do something about that floating garden.
Daniel: Indeed. Just in case, I think it may be necessary to give all units an emergency warning to be prepared for it.
Gasper: I’ll allow it. But until we know more, their first priority is still the Guests and the Ruina.
Daniel: Roger.
Gasper: How are the government and civilians taking it?
Daniel: Right now, it seems we’re the only people who have this video. Though I think it’s likely that it was also sent to the Gaia Sabers.
Gasper: Hmmm….
Daniel: How are we going to deal with the Garden of Baral?
Gasper: …Does the space federation battalion have H-MAP Weapons?
Daniel: Yes, sir. In the simulator, we have already come up with many patterns that result in the destruction of the target.
Gasper: Then begin the preparations for an attack. I’ll have President Hendricks give permission for Case E.
Daniel: Roger.
Gasper: (Either Son Ganglong sent that video to buy himself time… or…. Maybe he taunting us….)
*Anyway, in space now*
Federation captain: Colonel Humphrey, H-MAP weapons 1 through 6 are ready to fire.
Humphrey: Good. What’s the status of the target?
Operator: It is still continuing to rise. It is now at a height of 290 kilometers.
Humphrey: …I’m sure they’ve already noticed us. And yet they haven’t done anything, which means…
Operator: Colonel, the order has been sent from the JCS.
Humphrey: Pass it here. Captain, begin the confirmation sequence.
Captain: Yes, sir.
Humphrey: … Is it confirmed?
Captain: Yes sir.
Humphrey: Then we are approved to fire the H-MAP Weapons! Begin the attack!
*Big ol booms and oh no what did you do you idiots. Anyway, get ready to continue after the intermission*
Lefina: Th-that light is surrounding the earth!
Sean: It looks different from the Ultrum Exterior…
Lefina: Y-yeah… We can still see the earth…
Sean: It also looked like the light expanded out from the Middle East, not Antarctica….
Lefina: So it’s not the Ruina this time?
Sean: But who else has the ability to do something like this…?
Lefina: In any case, we need to find out more about the situation. Eun, send a message to the Hagane.
Eun: O-Okay!
Lefina: XO, we’re going to continue to the meet-up point for Operation Reconquista.
Sean: Roger. I hope we get there without incident….
Eun: Captain, we can’t send a message to the surface. I think that barrier of light is preventing it.
Lefina: So it’s like the Ultrum Exterior in that regard….
Sean: I’m guessing landing on the Earth is out, too….
*Woooooorning*
Eun: The gathered battleships for Operation Reconquista are at 2 o’clock, elevation 10! They’re currently battling some other forces!
Lefina: Is it the Guests…?!
Sean: They’re heading out pretty far, in that case. Are they pressing their advantage?
Lefina: We’ll go help them out. All hands, level 1 combat stations!
Chapter 54: God’s Prison
Operator: The Thunderer’s been sunk!
Humphrey: How many ships do we have left?!
Operator: Only the Venerable, the Gascoigne, and our own!
Humphrey: They reduced us to this already….!
*Woooo*
Operator: The Hiryuu Custom is inbound! Dead ahead, elevation 10!
Lefina: Bravery Arc, come in. This is the commander of the Steel Dragons, Colonel Lefina Enfield. We will cover you.
Humphrey: This is the commander of the combined forces for Operation Reconquista, Colonel Humphrey Inez. Thank you for coming to our aid. Given our current position, I would recommend counterattacking the enemy forces’ advance.
Lefina: With the current state of your ships, I believe that to be dangerous. Please get out of the battlefield immediately.
Humphrey: If we don’t stop the Baral here, we’ll lose our control of other areas, too. With our combined power, we should be able to repel them.
Lefina: You’re fighting the Baral?
Humphrey: That’s right. It appears that they’re the ones who made the light barrier enveloping the world. The origin point is a large floating object called the Garden of Baral.
Lefina: The Garden of Baral…!
Humphrey: I’ll explain later. Right now we need to combine our forces and defeat the enemy.
Lefina: Roger.
Sean: (Hmm, looks like he’s gotten a little laxer since joining the space forces. I had a few jokes prepared for meeting him again, but…)
Lefina: All units, prepare to sortie! Protect the Bravery Arc with your lives!
*sortie*
Shouko: The Earth’s been wrapped up in some kind of barrier…!
Tytti: He said it was the Baral this time…?!
Irm: Well, unlike the Ultrum Exterior, we can at least see the earth this time.
Michiru: The earth’s been covered in this shit twice now. This is seriously messed up.
Kouta: The Baral and the Ruina seem like they like overcompensating, huh.
Roar: Kouta, there’s something I’d like to investigate. It’ll make the OG Sensor a bit weaker. Is that okay?
Kouta: I don’t mind, but what are you looking for?
Roar: If I find it, I’ll tell you later.
Viletta: …Gilliam, the KyuKiOu is dead ahead. If we don’t get it under control quickly, it’ll wipe out all of those ships.
Gilliam: Understood. Ghost 1 to all units. The Super Robots will focus on the KyuKiOu. All other units, protect the ships.
Chapter 54: God’s Prison
Victory: Shoot down all enemies.
Defeat: The Hiryuu Custom is shot down, the Albatross or a Peregrine is shot down.
SR point: Within 3 turns, defeat more than 12 Snapir.
*Kill the smallfry*
Eun: Something’s heading this way! From 3 o’clock, elevation 20! It’s the fish-type Custodes!
Lefina: !
*sup*
Yuuki: A Custodes… It doesn’t look like it’s here to help us.
Ranshao: Master, it appears that it came from the large flying object they mentioned...
Yang Long: So the Baral sent it here.
Gilliam: Ghost 1 to all units. This is our first real fight against a Custodes. We don’t know the full extent of its power. Be careful.
Victory: Lower Keren’s HP below 50,000.
*beat up Kyuu*
Eun: KyuKiOu has retreated from the battlefield!
Sean: …He left sooner than I would have expected.
Lefina: There’s still the Fish-type Custodes to deal with. Continue to guard the Bravery Arc.
*Blow dat fish up*
Eun: All enemy machines are gone. No remaining signatures.
Lefina: What of the battleships?
Eun: All 3 are still spaceworthy.
Lefina: Stay alert. Eun, Contact the Bravery Arc. Tell them that I’d like to meet with Humphrey as soon as possible.
Eun: Roger.
*Briefing room*
Gilliam: Based on the information given to us by the Operation Reconquista forces, it’s worse than Viletta and I feared…. The main base of the Baral, the “Garden of Baral” emitted the barrier, and it spread across the entire world, except for the part already occupied by the Ruina’s barrier. Even H-MAP weapons cannot damage it… Just like with the Ultrum Exterior, we cannot land on the earth. Most likely, the same goes for those stranded on earth trying to reach orbit.
Rai: What about teleportation?
Gilliam: Only the Guests would know for sure, but I have a feeling it’s not possible.
Katina: So we just gotta hit it with something stronger than an H-MAP, right?
Gilliam: I won’t say there’s no point in trying that… but the leader of the Baral, Son Ganglong, said that it was impossible to break.
Masaki: Sounds like a bluff if I’ve ever heard one.
Viletta: Even so, given they made the Garden of Baral levitate and created such a barrier, their power is nothing to sneeze at.
Gilliam: That’s right… The earth has once again been sealed using something beyond our understanding. It’s already impossible to send messages to the surface. Most likely, Son Ganglong sealed the earth so the people there would have no route of escape when the Mass Transcendence starts.
Kouta: …Hey, Roar said he wanted to say something about the Baral’s Barrier…
Gilliam: Understood. Please use that monitor.
Kouta: Alright. Roar, you can come out now.
Roar: …
Mio: Hmm? What’s this?
Masaki: That’s Roar. He came from a different universe, and he’s the true owner of the Compatible Kaiser’s Roar Armor.
Mio: Where is he usually?
Kouta: He’s usually in the Roar Armor’s crystal. But we can talk to him like this.
Mio: Hmm… So he’s like a familiar.
Shouko: I suppose you could put it like that.
Roar: … Can I talk now?
Kouta: Sure, please.
Roar: When I saw the Baral’s Barrier, something felt wrong. And after I examined it with the OG Sensor… I realized something was disappearing.
Kouta: What do you mean?
Roar: Cities and military bases. But not all of them are vanishing.
Katina: Did they get offed by the Baral?!
Roar: That’s possible… but it’s more like someone just edited out the cities, like it was a photo. Nothing was left.
Zash: Why would they do that…?
Roar: I don’t know why. But it’s likely that what we’re seeing as the Earth isn’t the real thing.
Shouko: Wh-what…?
Irm: …Is there anything that connects the cities and bases that have been disappearing?
Roar: I think so, but there’s so many, I can’t figure out what it is.
Yang Long: Still, they must in some way stand between the Baral and what they want.
Leona: Roar, what do you think?
Roar: I have no proof, but I think it’s a message to us… some kind of warning.
Aya: A warning….
Michiru: Like… if you try to fuck with the Baral, you’ll get erased?
Lune: Then why not just erase them all? That’s easier to understand.
Roar: I don’t think Michiru is completely wrong. It might be something similar to that.
Kouta: I don’t really get it, but I guess the Baral are a bigger problem than we thought.
Masaki: What are we gonna do now?
Gilliam: Colonel Lefina’s in a meeting to decide that right now. In any case, please return to your seats and wait.
Tasuku: Sheeesh…. This time, we’re the ones locked out from the Earth….
Aya: By the way, Ibis… did you find Irui?
Ibis: No….
Shouko: We looked everywhere….
Tsugumi: Even though we checked the security cameras, there’s no sign of her…
Ibis: It’s like she just vanished completely from the ship…
Aya: That’s….
Ibis: (Irui… where are you?)
*Bridge*
Humphrey: …So we’re going to Heaven’s Gate. What will you do?
Lefina: For now, if the Custodes and the Mechanoids don’t approach the Garden of Baral, we won’t be able to guess where they’ll go next. And if there are no leads on how to remove the barrier from the earth…. I think we should participate in Operation Reconquista.
Humphrey: But your current mission is…
Lefina: In order to make things easier in the future… and to reclaim the moon, we need to settle the fight with the Guests right now. If you will allow it, we will become supplementary firepower for you.
Humphrey: But without being able to get permission from the Joint Chiefs of Staff…
Sean: It is impossible to send a message to the earth, and we have been discharged from the military at the moment….
Humphrey: …That’s right. Then I’ll take you on as free agents. But if the state of Earth changes, I want you back on your original mission.
Lefina: Roger that, sir.
*Aaaaaand Paris*
Alteur: That was a huge misstep.
Gaspard: It may have been our attack that set off the barrier, but I’m sure that this is what the Baral would have done sooner or later.
Alteur: Whatever excuse helps you sleep at night. Now what do you need from me?
Gaspard: As this barrier expanded out, the boundary force around Antarctica contracted, but became taller. We’re keeping an eye on the changes so that we’re not shut out of the airspace above the South Pole. It may because they’re on guard against that Baral, but the Ruina are slowing their advances. This could be an opportunity for us.
Alteur: I see…. So this is an ultimatum.
Gaspard: Yes. I want you to help speed up Operation Icebreaker.
Alteur: We have our own concerns to deal with… but fine. However, I have one condition.
Gaspard: What is it?
Alteur: Hand over the Steel Dragons to us.
Gaspard: I couldn’t hand them over or do anything. They are not under my jurisdiction at the moment.
Alteur: Hmm... Then let me put it this way. Have your forces pursue the Steel Dragons as well. But we need to be the ones to capture them.
Gaspard: That seems pretty convenient for you…. But we still have our honor. I’d like you to leave their arrest to us, and then we’ll hand them over.
Alteur: Honor, you said…. Are you telling me to stop my pursuit of them?
Gaspard: That’s right.
Alteur: (Hmmph. So he’s trying to corner me. Two can play at that game.)
Alteur: …Fine. Then if that’s all…
*Bye*
Daniel: Marshall, are you serious? If you hand the Steel Dragons over to the Gaia Sabers…!
Gaspard: It’s all part of the plan. Now, how will he react…
*GRAND CHRISTMAS*
Nibhal: Their main base was in the Nafud Desert.
Alteur: Heh. Sometimes the sheer scale of my luck terrifies me, with how often things work out in my favor.
Nibhal: It could be in that floating altar to Baral’s God…
Alteur: No, we can’t say for sure yet. It could be in Antarctica, too.
Nibhal: But that’s where the Ruina…
Alteur: The Baral are likely moving on the chance that the god the Ruina worship is awakening…. That’s the best case scenario.
Previous Chapter: Chapter 53: The Seal's Omen Next Chapter: Chapter 55: Guests and Inspectors
[1] I looked stuff up for his wines. It was work. You should know.
[2] Worldly, not modern, but doesn’t flow as well.