Lamia Loveless, having broken free from Shadow-Mirror, her cradle, narrowly escaped Axel Alma's wrath, saved by Gilliam, Zengar, and Raetzel. Now aboard Hagane, she explains her circumstances and Shadow-Mirror's nature.
Her expressionless face cracks a faint smile as she's accepted into the ATX Team. But Gilliam's question freezes it.
"Lamia, bluntly: who is Axel Alma?"
Axel Alma—a relentless foe blocking Hagane and Hiryuu Kai, his Growseiva's immense power and his unmatched piloting skill undeniable to all present.
"Captain Axel leads Shadow-Mirror's special operations, the execution squad," Lamia says.
"Not what I mean. You know that. He's strong—too strong," Gilliam presses.
Everyone nods, their faces grim, having felt his prowess firsthand.
"His display at Izu Base suggests he's been holding back," Kyousuke says.
"Yeah… that was chilling," Brit agrees, recalling Growseiva's Full Burst. Faces twist in discomfort. Despite their elite status, capable of facing dozens alone, Axel overwhelmed them, with only Ilum's Grungust landing a glancing blow.
"And he still had room to spare, despite claiming he couldn't hold back," Ilum mutters, his words heavy in the silent bridge. No one can deny it—he landed that hit.
"What about the telekinetic resonance between him and us?" Ryouto asks.
Lamia shakes her head. "When I was rolled out, Axel already had telekinesis."
"Maybe he was born with it, but why resonate only with us three?" Aya muses.
"Aya…" Mai says, concerned.
"Why's he using T-LINK System?" Ryusei asks.
Lamia answers, "The tech was stolen from the Special Brain Research Institute in their world, enhanced by Lemon for Growseiva."
"They attacked the Institute!?" Aya gasps.
Lamia nods. "Lemon said they were ordered to sabotage it for illegal research."
"My father wouldn't—" Aya protests.
"The Institute's director wasn't Kenzou Kobayashi, but someone else," Lamia clarifies.
"Like the Elpis Incident—different worlds, different details," Kyousuke notes.
Lamia nods, relieved, unaware Aya's otherworld self was preserved as a brain in a jar.
"What about Axel's hand-to-hand skills?" Kachina asks.
Lamia shakes her head. "Even in person, we're no match. He can easily overpower W15—Wodan Ymir, Zengar's near-equal."
"Seriously!?" Brit exclaims.
All eyes turn to Zengar, former ATX leader, a martial master piloting Grungust Type-3. If Axel can dominate Wodan, his full strength is unimaginable.
"Honestly, Axel feels more unsettling than Vindel," Gilliam admits.
"Yeah. With that power, he could've crushed us anytime. Why hold back? Almost like he's training us… no, that's impossible," Rai says, briefly picturing Bian Zoldark before dismissing it. Shadow-Mirror gains nothing from this.
Yet Rai's suspicion is closer to the truth than he knows.
"They'll keep blocking us. If Axel's not serious, we'll exploit that. My Alto will pierce his arrogance," Kyousuke vows.
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