Part 86: Mission 36 - In the Name of Justice - Part 1
Here we are again, fresh of clearing out two problems in one go and… you may have noticed a change here. Courtesy of my farming last mission, Rey has followed in Renton and Masato’s footsteps, and my go-to “fuck this” MAPWer is once again the top ace.
His massive kill count came with a huge cash boost, giving us a sweet 630k-ish bucks (could’ve been even more, even). Considering how enemy-heavy the final missions usually are, and my trigger-happy personality, Ichitaka and Daiya will have a hard time catching up, even with their AI magnetism.
And I put that money to very good use, boosting Iczer-2 (Crit +20, Armor +150, Range +1), Combattler (HP +1500, 1000 Barrier) and Voltes (HP +1500, Armor +150) up to 50%. Whatever cash was left was used to buff up our secondary Machinas a bit more, as well as our main ships and Luca.
Kouichi’s deploying as an event unit, and we’ve 21 slots available, so here’s how we’re going:
Dancouga/Hilde
Daiya/Quatre
Alto/Michel
Lee/Norza
Kenji/Kyo
Jeeg/Micchi
Shinji/Rey
Kouji/Sawatari
Tetsuya/Canaria
Kira/Athrun
Iczer-3/Atross
Goh/Yanma
Eida/Anna
Iczer-1/Iczer-2
Ichitaka/Miu
Voltes/Combattler
Yuu/Heero
Shinn/Yulianne
Yajima/Yamashita
Reiji/Ken
Off we go.
We open up at the Flag, with our people pondering the upcoming Operation Termino Clementia. Wufei’s expecting a very tough fight as, while Katou kept an eye on Masaki, the guy and his fellows HAVE been preparing for this invasion for 20 years. Not like that makes defeat an option, of course.
Shinn and Aoi agree there: Durandal and WILL took a chance on us and entrusted the future to our care, so we have to pull this off. Especially considering the pain it was to take out Moon WILL. Furthermore, as Daiya knows, Earth is home even to the Darius people – our defeat here might well mean they’ll get turned into Machina-Humans, too.
At the very least, Zechs point out that as big as this battle might get, we “just” need to get the Linebarrel to the designated spot and victory will be ours. At least that helps ease Kenji’s mind a bit.
With the whole battle riding on Kouichi’s shoulders, Quatre wonders if he’s feeling alright. “Don’t you worry, Quatre. All I gotta do is get to the target area and chop the whole thing down with my superpowers, right? Hahaha… Yeah, I’m good… totally good. Hahahahah…”
Yeah, he’s nervous as hell – that’s really not like him, Shizuna notes. Of course, it’s also understandable to Nagisa, as the recent string of showdowns is bound to stress anyone out. Speaking of Nagisa, Alice wonders if she really should be getting ready to fight. Well, the exams didn’t show anything wrong with her, and Nagisa feels fine, so she won’t shy away from this.
: Kouichi, I’d like to sortie with you in today’s battle.
: Say what?! You know I’m heading out smack-dab in the middle of that battlefield, right? It’s crazy dangerous for you to come with!: Besides, don’t you have your work as an Operator here?: But I’m also a Factor of the Linebarrel. Having the two of us aboard could well increase our chances of success.: M-Maybe, but…!: I… I want to help protect this world you and our friends call home...: Not because of my father, or my brother… but because it’s what I want to do…: Emi… Alright, we’ll do this together. And don’t you worry about a thing – I’ll be there to make sure you get through this without a scratch!: Thanks, Kouichi…
: (Kouichi… Emi…)
: Such a warm aura emanates from those two… So that is the bond that exists between humans…?
: That’s right… and it is what makes them strong, regardless of the rift between their original worlds.: The strength that comes from those bonds, hm…
: Hey, you’ve got something that’s just as strong, no? The bond between you sisters, that is. : Oh, I wonder…
: Psh, you’re way too clammed up, sis. 
: Sorry… I know we’ve a major battle right around the corner, but…: No, it’s no problem at all. What did you want to talk about?: Um, well… I just want you to promise that you’ll come back safe – you and Kouichi, together…: Even if we won this battle, if we lost you along the way, it’d just kill Kouichi inside… and then…: Miu… why are you…: Because I love you both… and I’d much rather see you two laughing together than being sad over losing the other.: Miu… : … Okay. But it won’t just be the two of us making it back together – we’ll all do so.: Alright. It’s a promise!
Mission 36 – In The Name of Justice
: The Flag has successfully docked within the Shangri-La!
: Wooow, those two ships combined.
: Well, the Flag was, originally, a part of this ship before I made off with it.
: I appreciate the assistance over here, Ishigami, but shouldn’t you be aboard the Flag?: Oh, my employees are all exceptionally capable. It’ll be fine… Besides, worst comes to worst…: …: (Brother…): You sure about this, Emi? You’re not gonna say anything to Katou before the battle starts…?: Y-Yes… Our focus right now should on be putting an end to this battle as quickly as possible. : Truth be told, in my head, I understand why he did what he did… there was no other option back then… But, still…: Emi…*Alarm!*
: We’re detecting a large gravitational anomaly within the interdimensional corridor! : Estimated numbers of the first enemy wave… approximately 600000 units! 
: Our visitors from the other side are finally turning up…
: The enemy vanguard has entered the AO!
: C-Captain, the enemy’s too numerous…!
: Calm down, Arthur, lest we affect troop morale.
: We took a vow to Chairman Durandal that we’d bring peace to the Earth Sphere… we must make it so, whatever the cost.
: Humans, your opposition is wholly pointless. Relinquish your all to Central.
: What the… that guy’s sounding so much more mechanical than during our last fight.
: I’d wager that opening that passageway to the other side has re-established his link to the Central mainframe. In other words, he is Central itself…
: It’s not just him. Central’s their collective consciousness, so it could be said that even the solders are it as well.
: So all enemies share a single mind… Well, they’re gonna have us beat in coordination, that’s for damn sure. : That said, the bonds between us are no mere connection…! Whatever the enemy that emerges, we’ll be victorious!
: Correct. Now is the time for all of you to manifest the massive potential within every human!*Charging!*
: Switch all Sphere circuits to bypass connections. Reverse all spatial burrowing waves – level E. : Deploy the Wall of Shangri-La. Maximum output!
: A shield covering the entire planet… The Spheres also had that functionality all along?
: So they’re not just a way to poke a hole through the dimensions, but also a defense system...
: What, so they kept their best trick tucked away ‘til the very last second?!
: That’s just the kind of man he is.: You’ve all been briefed on what to do, folks! First step is breaking into Point Helios; afterwards, the Linebarrel will use the Executor to destroy the interdimensional corridor and trap all enemy forces inbetween the dimensions!: The fate of the entire planet is riding on this operation… Good luck and godspeed, everyone…!: The Dragon’s Hive and Shangri-La will now reposition to intercept any new enemies that emerge from the corridor. : Meanwhile, you can all go and give this mission your undivided attention.
: … There they go.
: Their group’s probably gonna have a hard time too. Shouldn’t we split up our forces more?: Don’t worry about it. We just need to take care of this in a hurry and we’ll all be back home by dinnertime!
: Watch it, kid. Your Linebarrel’s the crux of this whole operation, so don’t do anything crazy!
: There’ll be a lot of fire headed your way, so we’ll do whatever we can to cover your advance!: I got it, I got it. Thanks for the assist, guys.: Then you’re all cleared to engage! Initiate Operation Termino Clementia!
Destroy the Glain-Neidr without losing a ship or Kouichi. Our previous bout with the MP Machinas didn’t show them in a very good light, but you’ll notice that, in big numbers, these guys can be deadly.
As before, they have a good deal of accuracy and enough skill to parry more attacks than you’d expect mooks to be able to pull off. Between them ganging up on folks, and the Strike Valleys potentially debuffing someone’s armor, your guys might just get caught in a wombo-combo (especially your ships).
Aside from a few Reeves, all enemies here have 10k+ HP, so it’ll take a bit of morale to get them dying reliably – as such, I’d recommend popping a Confuse cast or two while you advance through the first wave, just to give you some leeway. Once your morale’s good, however, they’re easily twoshotted.
As always, prioritize getting rid of the Strike Valleys, be mindful of Masaki’s MAPW, and despite his silence, note that Kiriyama’s also here. 31k HP is absolutely nothing at this point, though: a valored Double Burning Fire or Soul’d Steel God Jeeg will probably oneshot him.
Get him off your hair quick to avoid someone getting Nerve Crack’d and losing morale. After that’s done, just spread out, kill everything that’s still alive, and converge on Masaki.
Right when turn 2 hits…
: The MP Machinas are headed for Earth…!: It’s fine! They shouldn’t be able to get through the Wall of Shangri-La!: Hisataka Katou… your actions fall well within Central’s predictions.*Alarm!*
: The energy flow from the Hub Fountain… it’s gone! The Wall of Shangri-La’s fading…!
x2
: Not good, they got down to Earth!
: If we don’t do something, and fast, everyone in the world will…!
: We’ve no other choice now, Col. Katsuragi…! We’ll have to split our forces—
: There’s no need for that…!: Knight…?!
At New York…
*Gunfight!*
: We’ve got people all around the world fighting to keep Earth out of Central’s hands!
: We won’t let anyone trash what Moukaku tried so hard to protect…!
: Eris, Shukuyu…! 
Yokosuka…
*Beam!*
: I’m only still alive because of you folks… and I’ll be putting that life to use defending everyone who lives in this world!
: Right. You leave Earth to us…!
: Gramps…! And the Katou Organization’s there too!
Cairo…
: Forward, Iron Beasts! We won’t let them blanket Earth in darkness!
: Lulu, your group has a job to see through. Keep your eyes set on it…!
: Father..!
Paris…
*Explosions!*
In order, these are: Yajin, Rob and Candy.
: The main gun’s down! Sub-Engine’s still operational, but…!
: Well, what now? Do we try ramming them or something?
: I suppose that’s all that’s left. We’ve to defend the civilians even if it means crashing the Queen Fuji right onto their heads!
: Easy, there! The Queen Fuji’s our shining star!
: Yeah, we can’t have you go down that easy! Let us handle this front!
: They’re all fighting… together…!
: (Do you see this, Gil…?)*Back to us!*
: Col. Katsuragi, this is…!: I know. We’ll stick to our original plan and focus on destroying the interdimensional corridor!
: Take care of Earth for us, folks…!: Incomprehensible… Humans who haven’t undergone Machina conversion should be incapable of achieving such a unified will.: This might go way over your head, but the human will ain’t something you force to come together!: Every single person is capable of overcoming their differences, embracing one another and conveying what lies in their heart…: Those are the bonds we share with one another!: “Bonds”…?: Hell, yeah! And I’ll show you the power that comes from those bonds! Get over here, Glain-Neidr!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnYTykteSZY
I don’t think I ever got Iczer-2’s sword on tape? Better late than never!
I’m a little BUSY here, Masaki!
: We’ve already finished our analysis of Darian technology. Not even Gaiking the Great could stand up to all 600000 of Central’s forces. : Unite the 47 souls aboard the Daiku Maryu all you like, it'll still be impossible to compensate for that difference. 
: You’re right that having 600k goons just as your first wave is straight-up insane.: But you’ve got the totally wrong idea about this. See, it’s never about numbers when you’re talking about souls working together.: And, FYI, the Daiku Maryu has forty-eight crewmembers after Naoto joined!
: It’s useless to try. Nothing you do will work on the Glain-Neidr. : He’s immune to our attacks…?!: I bet he’s using some sorta trick on us…!: It’s… a barrier! They’ve deployed a barrier all around Point Helios, with the Glain-Neidr standing squarely within it…!
: Are they using the energy from the Wall of Shangri-La…?!: Give it to us straight, eggheads! Are none of our weapons gonna fly with him?!: There must be a way around this! We’ll try and figure something out; in the meantime, you guys’ll just have to hang in there!: Alright, but please make it quick, Rachel!
Nothing’s ever simple. Our objective now is to destroy everything but the Glain-Neidr, so just make sure you don’t get too close to give Masaki a chance to MAPW. He won’t move outside Point Helios, of course.
: I’ll destroy any enemies of justice! Righteousness is with me! I AM JUSTICE GIVEN FLESH! And I dedicate that justice to Reiji!
Excellent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyIpAZWMIqM
Yes,Iczer-2 still has Iczer-Σ, only now we can finally see its DK!
Bam, that’s one problem down.
: This isn’t over…! I won’t stop until the whole world has accepted our justice…!
: Eiji… It’s because of how I used to be that you ended up as twisted as this…! The least I can do is put you out of your misery…: Reiji… why are you against me…?! I told you, I’m just trying to help y—!: Hrgh…?! GWAAAAAAAAH!
: Wh-What?!: His D-S.O.I.L. rate’s at 500%! The regeneration mechanism’s out of control!: Reiji… I’m your only true… friend…
: Did his memories come back in those last moments...?: Forgive me, Eiji…: His conversion into a Machina should’ve been complete. Incomprehensible. I wanted to have Reiji get that kill but I ran out of patience and Kiriyama was dropping people’s morale. Oh, well.
Only a handful of mooks left, and those are easily dispatched.
: You still haven’t found a way to break his barrier yet…?!: Apologies. Just give us a bit more—
: Enemy reinforcements spotted!
: We really are at a huge numerical disadvantage…
: Oh, no…! We’re getting reports of new groups of Machinas descending at cities throughout the world!: Damn it, are our defenses busted…?!
: And we’ve no idea how many forces they actually have... We can handle things for now, but eventually…
: This is hardly any cause for your sniveling! However grueling a battle may be, steel your spirit and fight while any life remains…!: Ken…
: …
: Huh… The Shangri-La?
: What’s going on, Hisataka?!: Ms. Ogawa, I’m transferring all of our staff to the Flag.: Sir…?!: … See ya.
: Mr. President, what are you up to that you’d abandon Earth’s defensive lines to fend for themselves…?: My friends of LOTUS! The Shangri-La will now crash into Glain-Neidr and destroy its barrier!: Are you serious, pops…?!: Beggars can’t be choosers. All that matters is making sure this world endures.
: Damn… Is that really the only way…?!
: … Let’s go, Ms. Ogawa… : But…: We can’t let the President and the Shangri-La crew’s resolve be for naught…: … Understood…
: Wait, please… What the hell kind of plan is this…?! We’re supposed to survive by sacrificing our friends…?! That plan sucks! I… I…!!: Kouichi….: Your noble spirit is simply dazzling to adults like us.: Huh…?: And that nobility may well wind up wounding you in the future…: But it is also that nobility that’s slowly changing the hearts of everyone it touched… It is the single tie that binds all those hearts together…: So whatever may happen, I want you to always stay as you are… Such is our sincere plea.: You…: Emi… I am sorry…: Huh…?: We’ll carve open the path for you, Champions of Justice. The rest, we leave in your capable hands. : Shangri-La, full speed ahead!*The Shangri-La blasts towards the Glain-Neidr.*
: BROTHER…!
: The barrier’s gone… That said, LOTUS’ forces have now diminished.: Ishigami… Katou…: Hayase, we can’t waste the opportunity they spent their lives to give us…!: Yeah… I know… Watch over us, you two…!FYI, the MP Machinas will be spawning infinitely now, so you can use this opportunity to farm some more cash. They’re not as bunched up as the Cthulhu and Mimetic Beasts in the past mission, but you can still set Rey to camp on one spawn, Kira by the other, and go to town.
My farm’s permanently closed for the rest of the game, though, because I don’t wanna abuse things (too much)! So we’ll deal with Masaki and if the Machinas get too close, we’ll have Rey nuke them and carry on.
: The Voltes V… it is a treasure trove of lost technology. Indeed, it could well be a key component in bolstering our world’s defense. : The world you’re trying to create isn’t the one my father and his team wanted!
: Come here, Glain-Neidr! If you want the Voltes’ power so bad, we’ll give you your fill!
: Gilbert Durandal sought our technology in order to defend this world, and, so, he contacted the Katou Organization.: The data he offered in exchange allowed for several breakthroughs in our field of genetic analysis. : In truth, he was an exceptional individual. There was still much he could’ve contributed to our advancement.
: Shut your mouth…! I won’t let you defile his memory any more than you already have!
: The peaceful world he wanted to make real is nothing like the crap you’re preaching about!: What he wanted was a world where everyone could live happily, where war never again reared its ugly head… : And we’ll be making sure that’s what comes out of this!
: The three of you played a major role in expanding the Katou Organization. Even greater things can be achieved if you join us…
: No. There is no meaning behind a future that cannot be forged and tempered by the people’s own hands.: Sorry, but I’m gonna pass too. The future I imagined was a whole lot different from what you’re selling!
: A world that’s 100% efficient… now that sounds so dull, I think.: Individual wants, likes and dislikes beget nothing but wasted energy. If you cannot understand, then you’ll be destroyed.
: The various weapons loaded onto a Super Electromagnetic Robot enable it to face all sorts of foes.: Join us, and defend this world.: You talk a good game, but there’s a problem: what you’re doing right now is invading our world, pure and simple!: And since the Combattler’s was made to defend Earth, that means you gotta go. Come here!
: Join us, Heero Yui. It’ll be simplicity itself to bring total peace to this world by way of our unity.: You misunderstand things. The peace you offer would just be a counterfeit to the one we actually seek.: Your opposition is a complete waste of time. The main armaments of that Gundam are beam weapons… They will not work.: My mission is simply to take control of Point Helios. It may not be easy, but I’m not about to give up halfway through.: Mission… That’s quite the machine-like way your mind operates.: Again, you misunderstand. That may be my mission, but what I want is to destroy you. 
: Kouichi Hayase. I’ve been watching you for quite a while now. However I could never understand the reason why Hisataka Katou had such high hopes for you, or why the Machina-Killer chose you as its Factor…: You have no unique talents of note, your psyche is immature. There is nothing worth mentioning. : … So what? I’m just a human, someone who’s trying to be a CHAMPION OF JUSTICE! I’d never be down with becoming a Machina!: But what is said justice? It’s merely the preservation of the extremely limited space that you, as an individual, are capable of affecting.: That is to say, it is simply a defensive response born of your primitive ego. : It’s the defense of the social system individuals belong to, which seeks to remove any outside elements… “Justice” is nothing but a Pavlovian reflex!: Your vaunted justice is a purely self-centered action meant to preserve the crude social structure you live in, Kouichi Hayase!: And I’ll say it again: so what?!: Why do you fight, Kouichi Hayase? Why do you try so hard to defend humanity?: Because that’s way cooler than the alternative!: Jeez, that guy…: Oh, Kouichi… you really are amazing…: Here we go, Glain-Neidr! Way I see it, you and your folks are as lame as can be!
: Did we get ‘im?!: No, be careful – D-S.O.I.L. rate’s at 370%! He’s still going!
: We’ve a match… it’s the Glain-Neidr’s main unit: the Naked…!: Meaning we gotta take that out, too, or we won’t be making any headway…!
: You cannot defeat us. Stop fighting, and surrender. Our goal here is not the destruction of mankind.: The usefulness we derive of this battle is extremely limited. Cast away your obsolete values and embrace the evolution we offer.*Alarm!*
: Captain, our forces are going silent across the globe! The situation’s degrading on all fronts…!
: Oh, no…!: If you choose to continue down this path, the only result will be the absolutely pointless waste of your DNA – just as the humans of our world once did. Surely your imagination can easily reach that conclusion. : What…?!: Our kind was born of a failed cloning technology… humanity created us to offset the energy crisis that had reached its critical point.: We took several steps to maximize mankind’s prosperity. At times, we were forced to eliminate potentially damaging elements…: …: Your DNA, individually, is worthless, but your diversity could be useful in developing our system. Join us and embrace the eternal peace we offer. There is absolutely no point in any further death.: … No.: What…?: I said no… No way in hell…!: Our advancement and your prosperity are intertwined. Why do you seek to safeguard the status quo? What is your reason for it…?: Because even with all the pain this world brings, there’re so many people just trying to live their lives to the fullest… and I want to keep those people safe!: That’s all there is to it…! I reckon that’s a whole lot easier to understand than your nonstop yacking…!!: Hah… this guy…
: Honest to a fault, huh?: Still, that’s exactly the kind of answer I’d expect from him.
: We’ve got to follow his example, then! One last push to keep this world and everyone in it safe!: So you’d rather fight and die as humans? Very well. Then we’ll eliminate you and all you seek to defend…!