"Axel-san, got a moment?"
Relaxing in the Tausendfüßler's cabin, I was interrupted by the same Isurugi agent who'd approached me at the airport.
"What's up?"
"Sorry, but the president needs your help with some work."
"Work?"
"Yeah, the… shady kind. Your boss gave the okay, so I figured you'd get it."
Vindel's approval, huh? Can't exactly say no then.
"Alright. Details?"
"Sorry, I wasn't told much. Just that if you accept, you'll transfer to another ship. You'll get the full briefing there."
"Got it. Let's move."
It was a shame to leave the comfy Tausendfüßler—only 15 were ever built, a testament to Isurugi's prowess—but duty called.
"Rendezvous is in five minutes," the agent said.
"Five? They're practically here. Fast."
"The president says time is money."
Five minutes later, the Tausendfüßler landed, surrounded by cliffs to avoid Federation detection. As I disembarked, I spotted the Rhinoceros, a land battleship with a sword-like prow.
"We'll take our leave here. Take care, Axel-san," the agent said.
"Thanks for the ride."
I'd assumed the Tausendfüßler's supplies were for the Rhinoceros, but they were bound for Earth Cradle. The ship dropped me off and took off swiftly.
"So, you're my escort?" I asked, turning to two figures: a calm, observant man and a curious woman—Yuuki Jegnan and Rilkarla Borgnine, canon characters.
"Correct. I'm Lieutenant Yuuki Jegnan, and this is Lieutenant Rilkarla Borgnine," Yuuki said.
"I'm Axel Almer. No rank currently—probably revert to captain when I rejoin my unit. But I'm just helping out, so no need for formalities."
Yuuki and Carla. That meant their boss, the Rhinoceros's captain, was that lunatic, no doubt.
"Please follow us. Major Archibald is waiting to brief you," Yuuki said.
"Lead on."
I followed them onto the Rhinoceros. In the bridge stood a man in dark, round sunglasses—Archibald Grims, the mastermind behind the Elpis Incident. I disliked everything about him: his appearance, personality, demeanor—his very existence grated on me.
"You're Rose's collaborator?" Archibald asked, referring to Mitsuko Isurugi.
"Yeah. I'm here on her request, but I haven't been told what for. Care to explain?"
"Of course. Yuuki, handle the briefing. It's tea time for me."
"Yes, sir. May we use the briefing room?"
"Go ahead."
"Captain Axel, this way," Yuuki said.
Following Yuuki and Carla to the briefing room, Yuuki spoke up. "Captain, do you have history with Major Archibald?"
"Yeah, the moment you met him, your vibe totally changed. Spooky!" Carla added.
I thought I'd hidden my feelings, but apparently not well enough.
"No… Do you two know what kind of man he is?"
"We're newly assigned, so no," Yuuki replied.
"You'll find out soon enough."
"I see. The briefing room's here," Yuuki said.
Inside, Yuuki activated a monitor displaying a base. "Houston Base. Our mission is to seize the new mass-produced Huckebein Mk-IIs stationed there."
Right, this was in the original—Archibald stole those Huckebeins. But Yuuki and Carla weren't there.
"Got the objective, but I didn't bring a unit. What can I do?"
"Oh, you can use a Garlion Custom on the ship," Carla said. "It's got some new Boost Drive thingy. The major's taking one, and the other's for you."
"Boost Drive?"
"Some tech from another company. Supposed to give crazy mobility," Carla explained.
"Carla, watch your tone with a captain," Yuuki chided.
Shadow Mirror wasn't overly strict—as long as you got the job done.
"Don't sweat it, Yuuki. My old unit wasn't big on formality either. Do the job right, and we're good."
"…Understood, if you say so," Yuuki said, reluctantly nodding.
"Nice one, Captain! You really know how to win people over," Carla said with a wink.
"Whatever. So, I join the mission in a Garlion Custom. Who's in charge?"
"Major Archibald will lead personally. Our units weren't ready in time, so we'll stay on the Rhinoceros," Yuuki said.
"…Got it."
Archibald's name soured my mood instantly. So, Yuuki and Carla missed the original mission due to unit maintenance.
"When's go time?"
"We're almost at Houston Base," Yuuki replied.
A bridge transmission ordered mission prep.
"Let's roll. To the hangar," I said.
"It's showtime, Axel-kun. Ready?" Archibald's voice crackled through my Garlion Custom's comms.
"All set. Good to go."
Our force consisted of my and Archibald's Garlion Customs, three Garlions, and four Lion Type-Fs—nine units total, with four more Lion Type-Fs in reserve. All had Boost Drives, allowing us to outrun the intercepting Lions, hitting them with Burst Railguns and Assault Blades like a drive-by.
"There it is!" a Garlion pilot shouted.
Houston Base appeared on my Garlion Custom's monitor.
"Heh, Federation pilots still can't handle Lions properly. They can't catch us at that skill level. We infiltrated the base easier than expected," Archibald gloated.
He wasn't wrong—the Federation Lions were sluggish.
"Major, the target units haven't deployed yet, but two new fighters have," a pilot reported.
"Oh? Project TD's prototypes?" Archibald mused.
Two red-and-white fighters—Calions—darted across Houston's skies. With dual Tesla Drives, their mobility likely surpassed my Garlion Custom. Project TD, funded by Isurugi Heavy Industries, meant Archibald, connected to Mitsuko, knew about them.
"Major, should we capture the Calions?" a pilot asked.
"Ignore them. They're not our prey," Archibald replied, dismissing the idea.
The Calions charged us—likely stalling until Houston's PTs deployed.
"They're not retreating? They want a fight?" Archibald muttered, surprised.
"Intel said they're unarmed prototypes," a pilot noted.
"Well, seems Rose played us. No matter. Kohtz Team, handle the fighters," Archibald ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
"But don't get cocky and attack them. Angering our sponsor would hinder our operations."
Was Mitsuko—Rose—hiding the Calions' armament to test me? Or am I overthinking it?
"Any sign of our prey?" Archibald asked.
"Yes, sir! Four heat signatures detected, prepping for launch."
"Good. Let's wait a bit longer."
As the Kohtz Team's four Lion Type-Fs engaged the Calions, our Garlion team held position, awaiting the Huckebeins.
Character Stats: Axel Almer
Level: 25
PP: 95
Melee: 206
Ranged: 224
Skill: 216
Defense: 213
Evasion: 241
Accuracy: 263
SP: 342
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consumes SP to enhance Slime performance)
Growth Type: All-Rounder/Special
Terrain Adaptability:
Air: S
Land: S
Sea: B
Space: A
Spirit Commands:
Accelerate (SP 4)
Effort (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Direct Hit (SP 20)
Awaken (SP 32)
???
Skills:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9 & SP Recovery & Focus)
Psychokinesis Lv.10
Attacker
Gunfight Lv.9
???
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Kill Count: 92