"Axel..."
The sound of my name pulled me from the depths of sleep. As my consciousness returned, the first thing I registered was the soft, warm presence of two people on either side of me.
Opening my eyes, I was greeted by the sight of pink and violet hair against tangled sheets—Lemon and Cornelia. They were both still fast asleep, a look of serene happiness on their faces. It seemed one of them had spoken my name in their dreams.
As I watched them, the memories of the previous night came rushing back. We had made up for lost time with an intensity that lasted until the sky began to brighten.
Wait. The sky brightened?
I bolted upright and looked at the digital clock on the bedside table. 11:37 AM.
"Oh, crap! Wake up! Both of you, move!"
I shook Lemon and Cornelia, jolting them out of their peaceful slumber.
"Mmph... what is it?" Lemon groaned, pulling a pillow over her head. "It was a late night, Axel. Let us sleep a little longer."
"She's right," Cornelia added, her voice a groggy rasp. "This is your fault for having such bottomless stamina."
"Look at the time! We have the meeting with Uzumi in a little over an hour! I'm not the only one attending—you two are coming as the leadership of the Shadow Mirror. Get ready!"
That managed to kill the drowsiness. We scrambled through a quick—and nearly dangerous—shared shower and began the frantic process of making ourselves presentable.
As a man, my preparation was simple. The ladies, however, were a different story. Cornelia, having been raised as a princess of Britannia, was still struggling with the concept of doing her own hair and makeup without a legion of maids. Since Shadow Mirror didn't exactly have a "domestic service" branch—though Lemon joked that if the W-Series research continued, a "Maid-Type" might be inevitable—Lemon was teaching her the ropes.
"Alright, listen to the plan," I said as Lemon worked on Cornelia's hair. "I'll head down to the warehouse first to host. I'll open the communication line, and once I've briefed them, you'll step through. Lemon, what about Echidna?"
"She's in my lab," Lemon replied. "Do you want her there?"
"Yes. Shadow Mirror is a small, elite force. I want all the primary heads introduced at once. It'll be me, you, Cornelia, and Echidna. The tech teams and the W-Series mass-production models can stay behind for now."
"I'll grab her on the way to the teleportation bay."
"Perfect. And bring a Megilot through. We'll present it as our main frontline unit. If they ask about performance, tell them it's on par with a mass-produced Gespenst Mk-II. They might even want a mock battle with an M1 Astray."
"Oh, I forgot to mention," Lemon said with a smirk. "The technical team's analysis of the White Star's logs has borne fruit. The Megilots have been overhauled. They used to be Gespenst-level, but the new production models? They're equivalent to an El-Ains."
"El-Ains level?" I blinked. "That's a massive jump in specs."
"What is the difference?" Cornelia asked, looking between us. "Are those two machines truly that far apart?"
I realized Cornelia had only been with us for a few days of her subjective time. She hadn't fully grasped our military hierarchy yet.
"Think of it this way, Cornelia," I explained. "If a Gespenst Mk-II is a Glasgow, an El-Ains is a Gloucester."
"I see... then your technical team is even more formidable than I realized."
"I won't deny that," Lemon laughed. "Though they're all eccentric as hell."
"True," I added. "They're almost on par with Lloyd Asplund when it comes to... 'unique' personalities."
With the briefing concluded, I kissed them both goodbye—lingering longer than I should have—and headed for the Lycaon system.
The transition was seamless. I stepped through the Gate and back into the cool, silent air of the Onogoro warehouse. I checked the terminal: 12:25 PM. Thirty-five minutes to spare.
I took a deep breath, pushing aside the warmth of the morning and switching into the mindset of a negotiator. The future of Shadow Mirror—or at least, our status as a sovereign ally with access to vacation resorts and supply lines—depended on this.
At 12:40 PM, the elevator hummed to life.
The doors opened, and out stepped the two delegations. From Orb: Uzumi, Kisaka, and Cagalli. From the Archangel: Murrue, Mu, and Kira.
They spotted me standing beside the massive, humming Gate and boarded an electric cart to cross the hangar floor.
"I hope we haven't kept you waiting," Uzumi said as he stepped off the cart.
"Not at all. You're early. But since everyone is here, shall we begin?"
Cagalli looked like she was vibrating with unasked questions, but a sharp look from Uzumi silenced her. The Archangel crew nodded, their expressions a mix of anticipation and dread.
"I know you have questions about the machine behind me," I said, gesturing to the Gate. "But that explanation will come in time. First, I have a confession to make."
I looked each of them in the eye.
"I am going to reveal my secret. I was not born 'naturally' into this world. Those were the words of George Glenn, the first Coordinator, weren't they? In a way, they apply to me as well."
Kira's eyes widened. "Then... you're like me? You're a Coordinator?"
I shook my head. "No. It is a fact that I have never undergone genetic manipulation. Your own medical staff on the Archangel confirmed it, and I'm sure Erika Simmons passed the results of my DNA test to you, Representative."
Uzumi nodded solemnly. "She did. According to our science, Axel is a baseline Natural."
"Then what the hell are you talking about?!" Cagalli barked.
"Take my words literally, Cagalli. I was not born into this world. I am a visitor. An 'alien' is too strong a word... perhaps 'traveler from a parallel world' is more accurate."
Parallel world. In the Cosmic Era, the concept was nothing more than a mathematical theory or science fiction. To see a man claiming to be a product of that theory was a lot to swallow.
"Allow me to re-introduce myself. My name is Axel Almar. In another world, I led a specialized military unit called 'Shadow Mirror.' We fought until the entire world turned against us, and in the end, we were defeated. I am the leader of what remains."
Uzumi narrowed his eyes. "A parallel world? That is a bold claim, Axel. Do you have any proof?"
I smiled. "I've already given you the proof. The Sea Lion."
"The Sea Lion?" Cagalli looked confused, glancing at her father and Kisaka. Their faces, which had been skeptical a moment ago, were now grim.
The Archangel crew looked lost. They hadn't been briefed on Orb's black-project technology.
"You must have found it strange," I continued. "In a world struggling to master Mobile Suits, here was a completely different lineage of humanoid weaponry—an Armored Module. While you needed Kira to write a Natural-use OS for the Astray, the Sea Lion's TC-OS worked for Naturals right out of the box. Not to mention the Tesla Drive, which provides localized gravity control. And then... there's the heart of the machine."
I paused, letting the silence hang.
"The Nuclear Fusion Generator. A power source that functions perfectly, even in the presence of N-Jammers."
The word "Nuclear" hit the room like a physical blow. Murrue and Mu actually recoiled.
"Wait!" Mu shouted. "Nuclear energy is impossible under N-Jammers! The physics don't work!"
"Close, Mu, but not quite. N-Jammers suppress nuclear fission—the splitting of atoms. They have zero effect on nuclear fusion—the joining of atoms. It is a technology generations ahead of what this world possesses."
"It is the truth," Uzumi admitted, his voice low. "The machine Axel gave us operates without issue under N-Jammer interference. At the very least, that part of his story is verified."
Cagalli looked like she was about to explode. She stepped toward me, but Kisaka caught her arm.
"You idiot!" she screamed. "If the Alliance finds out Orb has functioning nuclear tech, do you have any idea what they'll do?! You're turning our home into a giant target!"
"Cagalli!" Uzumi snapped.
I looked at the girl, then back at the Representative.
"Nuclear tech or not, it doesn't matter," I said coldly. "Regardless of what you do, the Earth Alliance will launch a full-scale invasion of the Orb Union in less than a month."
[Status Screen Update]
Name: Axel Almar
Level: 36 | PP: 165
Stats:
Melee: 254 | Ranged: 274 | Skill: 264 | Defense: 264 | Evade: 294 | Hit: 314
SP: 446
Spirit Commands:
Accelerate (4 SP)
Effort (8 SP)
Focus (16 SP)
Direct Hit (30 SP)
Awaken (32 SP)
Love (48 SP)
Skills: EXP Up, SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9 / SP Regen / Concentration), Telekinesis Lv.10, Attacker, Gunfight Lv.9, Infight Lv.9, Morale Limit Break, Geass (Grey)
Total Kills: 288
-------------------------------
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