Part 88: Mission 37 - Flower of Steel - Part 1
We’re back, with Rey’s rampage showing no signs of stopping. At the very least Daiya is only 6 kills away from overtaking Ichitaka.
Cash from the previous mission was spread all over the place, really: special note goes to our other Machinas, which I buffed just in case. Also, I also gave Rey an extra pip in his weapons, because I’m that shameless.
All Machinas are deploying as event units today, meaning our deployment slots are reduced to 15. Here’s how we’re going:
Dancouga/Hilde
Daiya/Quatre
Alto/Michel
Lee/Norza
Kenji/Kyo
Shinji/Rey
Kouji/Sawatari
Tetsuya/Canaria
Kira/Athrun
Goh/Yanma
Eida/Anna
Iczer-1/Iczer-2
Ichitaka/Hilda
Voltes/Combattler
Shinn/Yulianne
Also, make sure you deploy Sawatari, Yulianne or Wufei if you’ve been following the Linebarrel secret to this point.
Mission 37 – Flower of Steel
: I… I…!
: UWAAAAAAAAH!!
: The Linebarrel’s…?!
: Oh, no, he’s…!
: He’s done it... It’s truly awakened...
: EMIIIIiiiiii!!
: Kouichi’s heart is… crying…?: But there’s something else… self-hatred over failing to protect Emi…
: Kouichi…
: A machine whose specs are influenced by the pilot’s emotions is nothing but inefficient… our world has no need for such a thing.
*The front MP Machina goes after the Linebarrel.*
: Kouichi, watch out!: RAAAAAAARGH!!
: The enemy Machinas stopped…?!: Is it one of its powers as the Machina meant to counter all machinas…? It can paralyze them with just a yell…?!: HAAAAAAAH!!
: “I’ll be a Champion of Justice”… “I’ll keep everyone safe”… What a load of garbage…!: I couldn’t even keep one girl standing right in front of me safe…! GOD DAMN IT!!
: UWAAAAAAAAH!
: This ain’t good – he’s totally lost it!
: Kouichi, please! Control yourself!
: Don’t let those emotions overwhelm you, Kouichi! It’ll destroy you…!: Stop this, Kouichi!: I’ll kill you… I’ll kill you…!: He immobilized us. However…
: …?!: We are already through analyzing that Machina.
: Hrk…!
: Their units are moving again!: Any further conversation would be a waste of resources. Engage and destroy LOTUS.
: Roger… All will be joined as one…
: Urgh, is that all you can say? Ya sound like a total idiot…! Get over here – we’ll bring you back to reality!: Col. Katsuragi… Kouichi’s condition is worrying but we cannot afford to retreat from this.
: Yeah, I know. Troops, provide cover for Kouichi and eliminate all nearby enemies! : We’ll absolutely need the Linebarrel to destroy the interdimensional corridor, so keep it in one piece at all costs!
: Yes, ma’am! We’ll do this for Emi, too…!
: Kouichi, you have to get back to your senses…!: I’ll kill you… I’ll kill you…!: S…to…p…: Don’t… become… like me…
Destroy Masaki, don’t lose any ships or Machinas. In truth, I’ve heard stories of how tough this mission could be, but I found there are plenty of ways to keep things nice and simple.
First and foremost, as you might expect, Kouichi will jump straight into the massive mob of enemies up ahead. Thankfully, he’ll auto-cast Strike, Zeal and Iron Wall, so he and the Linebarrel’s regen shouldn’t be in too big a danger unless you’ve been neglecting them for the entire game.
Still, that’s no reason not to be proactive about this (especially since he’ll steal a lot of your cash if you let him): rush your troops up top, cast Confuse the first turns when the incoming tide’s the strongest, and carve your way through the enemies.
This mission’s pretty much the same as the previous one, only you have to keep an eye on Kouichi. As always, drop the Strike Valleys ASAP to stop them from debuffing your armor (and Kouichi’s) and then start twoshotting the MP Machinas. With no MAPWs to worry about, you’ve a lot more freedom of movement.
Here he comes.
: EMIIIIII! GODDAMN IT!!: Your performance may have increased, but there’ll be no victory for you here.
Most of the MP Machinas will stay put for the first turn, so Kouichi won’t get mobbed too hard while you’re still approaching.
Soubi’ll start attacking him right away, though, so you’ll want to do this straight away:
Secret Alert! You must have Sawatari, Yulianne or Wufei convince Soubi. Afterwards, you’re free to wreck him with anyone.
: Soubi, what the hell happened…?! You always had your own reasons pushing you to keep on fighting, didn’t ya?!: Ki…ll…: Please… kill… me…! If you don’t… you’ll…
: Soubi… you…
: … Stop whining and be a man!: Wufei…?: Choosing your own death is the coward’s way out…! If you truly deem yourself a man, then stay true to your ideals and fight for as long as you draw breath!: Damn straight – pull yourself together, Soubi! We know you ain’t a enough of a wimp to let that junk control you…!: Remember, Soubi! Remember who you really are… and what you wanted to do!: What I… wanted to do…: What I wanted was… to protect… the world she loved… throughout… her life…
: GWAAAAAAAAARGH!: Noise detected in our collective consciousness. Source identified as Soubi Nakajima. Correcting.: All must join the whole… so that all may know harmony…: Soubi… I ain’t giving up on you! I promise we’ll bring your old self back!And now we’re free to kill everything unabated. Masaki seems to always prioritize Kouichi, so that’s less of a problem for us.
: It’s… the power of his Flame is growing even higher?
: If you can feel that, then you should know what’s up: that’s what’s called the human heart! And it’s way more than just a cog in a machine!
Rinse! And! Repeat!
: Uurk… Sawatari… Yulianne…: Soubi?! You’re back?!: Then get your ass off that thing and tag in with us! The Talisman’s waiting for ya too…!: Thank… you… but I think…this is… the end… I can only… entrust things to you…: A shame… I wish we could all… be together again…
: …?!
: Sorry, Soubi…: But we’ll see you again someday…
: Why do you still refuse the harmony we offer? The crux of your plan, the Linebarrel, is in tatters.: … Emi’s told us about the world you want. She said there are no flowers there.: Your information is incorrect. Our world simply preserves and maintains the flora that is deemed necessary.: Only you don’t have any right to decide what is or isn’t necessary in any world! I’d never put up with that kind of arrogance!
: A kabuki dancer such as you should be well aware of the value of paradigms built upon the collective wisdom of others…
: Sorry, I don’t. I left my family precisely because I hated all that formality and tradition!: All so that I could fly across the skies a free man, with no shackles around my hands!
: “Great”… “Hero”… both words are lacking in objectivity as standards of evaluation.
: Maybe to you, but not to humans. Those words mean a whole many things to us…!: They inspire us, stoking our fighting spirit and keeping our hope alive!
: Iczer-1, Central’s collective consciousness can also provide the synchronicity you desire.: Mine and Nagisa’s synchronization is no mere union of minds.: The kindness within her turns to strength for me to wield… that is what our synchronization entails!
: Win this, Iczer-1! I believe in you!: Here we come, Central!
: Using the Godannar to fight in the void of space… how utterly illogical. : Still, it doesn’t jibe with me to just sit on my hands! I’m a pilot, so I’m ready to fight whoever, wherever! : And that goes double when the enemy’s someone trying to trash our planet!
: Ain’t nowhere for you to run off to now! Tell us where the professor’s at!: Doing so would be detrimental to Central. I cannot tell you.: Moreover, victory is still squarely within our grasp. The remaining 540000 of our forces will emerge from the interdimensional corridor before long.: Which only means we gotta take you out before that! And then we can take our time finding whatever hole GreAT’s hiding at!
: This is our world and we won’t let anything happen to it! Stop your attack…!: But there’s always a limit to the strength of humans. The SEED and Zentran genetic factors could never truly safeguard the Earth Sphere. : Which is just perfect for you, isn’t it? Your speech is just a smokescreen to hide what you’re really after: expanding your influence!: I see that not even Central could be free of very human greed!
: We have to keep at it until Kouichi carries out his mission…!: The probability of that happening is zero. Kouichi Hayase himself no longer has any hope for this mission’s success.: That’s not true…! Even I’m still here, carrying on fighting!: So I know that he will find a way to make it happen!
: Kenichi Go. We are the form the humans of our world wanted to assume.
: And do you think saying that’ll make me accept you forcing your “unity” onto others?! The truth of the matter is that you started a war with the New United Nations Government!: Our expansion will lead to growth, and then to harmony.
: Hah! So said all conquerors in history!: We never shied from fighting invaders before and that hasn’t changed to this day! We’ll end all of you here and now!
: I know Kouichi’ll pull through when all the chips are down!: That human cannot even control his emotions. Why do you put so much stock in him?
: Why? That should be plenty obvious!: …?: It’s because he’s our friend!: There is… no logic to your reasoning. Incomprehensible.: Well, you better figure it out quick or this’ll end with our boots up your cyber-butts!
: Did… did we do it?: …: No, not yet…! That Machina’s still going!: AAARGH! Why! Won’t! You! DIIIIIIIE?!: Amagatsu Kizaki’s design philosophy is incomprehensible. Overcoming your obstacles by way of power born of raging emotions… It is an unrealistic strategy to rely on such dubious variables.
: We’ll now eliminate it.
: What—?! He merged with that crazy-huge thing?!
: If I had to guess, that is the primary unit of Central’s collective consciousness…*Beep, beep!*
: These numbers are unbelievable…! It’s giving off energy readings on a massively different scale from any other mobile units!: So you’re the Final Boss…! GOOD!!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSERMcTGHcc
: Urgh…!
: Status on the Linebarrel?!
: Still alive, but he can’t—!: Damn it, Kouichi, stop this right now! Wake the hell up!
: All will be one with the whole… Resistance is futile… join us…
: Not good! He’s going to finish off the Linebarrel!: KOUICHIII!
: Hrk…! We’re not dying again that easy…!: Yajima…?!: Calm down, Kouichi.: I know what you’re going through, what it feels to hate yourself for failing to protect someone dear…! But you can’t lose sight of who you are!
: Emi didn’t save your life so that you’d go down this path! Open your eyes!: …!: Kouichi… I’m sure this isn’t what you really wanted to do…!: I-I’m…
: Huh…?
: Kouichi...: Ah… E…mi…?: You made a promise to me, didn’t you…? That you’d be a Champion of Justice and keep this world safe…: So what are you doing…? How could you lose all control simply because I died…? How can you call yourself a Champion of Justice?: I’m sorry…: You really are despicable… But that’s why you meant so much to Mr. Ishigami, to my brother… and to me… my dear Kouichi...
: Was that… a dream…?
: …: You’re a real tough girl, Emi… but you knocked some sense back into me.: You let your emotions wrest control of your minds… Humans are, indeed, deeply flawed beings. That is why you must be managed by us…: Yeah… humans might be as flawed as you say.: But that doesn’t mean we need any of your management! : Because as flawed as we are, we know how to work together! And when we do, there isn’t any problem we can’t overcome…!!
: … Looks like he’s back to his regular idiotic self.
: Still, that’s how he’s supposed to be!: I’m really sorry, guys… I know I’m the stupidest guy around, but I wanna ask you for a hand… Help me keep this world safe…!
: Pshaw, you don’t even need to ask!: Yeah, what kinda CHAMPIONS OF JUSTICE we’d be if we didn’t help out those in need? 
: And, of course, it’s the Corps members’ duty to help out their leader!: Same goes for those of the JUDA Special Forces!: And his classmates, and his friends of LOTUS!: Hmph… You now understand what your justice truly means. My strength is yours, if you’d have it.: Everyone…: You can never unite your minds like ours. However many of you there are, you will remain powerless before us.: You’re selling humanity short, fatass… : We’ll show you all the strength we have – the strength that’ll keep our world safe!