Part 98: Mission 54 - Beyond a Distant Eternity - Part 3
: What am I… What the hell are we supposed to do?! How can we stop them… how do we stop the end of the world…?!: Talk to me, mom…! What should we do?!
: Vice commander…!
: The two RahXephons will fight to kill one another. And from the anguish of death, a new world will be created…: They stand above all as sacrificial gods, their songs leading both themselves and this world to destruction and bringing about creation of a new one… Such is the trial presented to them: the ceremony of death and rebirth.
: And how do we stop it?: You’ll have to defeat them all… the two RahXephons and the EVA Series, who’ll seek to use them as vessels with which to bring about Instrumentality. 
: We can really save our world by doing that…?: No one knows what’ll come from all of this. But the fact remains that if nothing if done, the walls around our hearts will come undone… and all humans will be united as one through death.: B-But… How can we just go and attack those two…?!
: There must be another way… But, for now, focus on wiping out the EVA Series! 
Mission Objective: Destroy all enemies except the Shinsei RahXephons (Ayato and Quon).
Mission Failure: Raideen, EVA-01, Garmraid, Daimos, Zeorymer, Argama, Nadesico shot down
…Rom? You wanna infuse us with hype again? No? Damn it.
Well, it’s round three against the MP EVAs and, this time, we’re at baseline morale and with no other enemies to build up from. Another difficulty spike, courtesy of MX.
Honestly, this mission seems to be one of those cases where the devs expect your guys to all come packing SP Regen or you WILL suffer through this. Right out the box, you’ll want everyone to pop their Spirit, Drive and Rouse casts to get your guys rolling and defensive spirits are still pretty much a must for everyone.
The MP EVAs remain accurate as fuck, which is why I saw fit to deploy Light (and Tap for Rouse) as well. He, Saegusa and Ruri will take turns keeping Confuse up nonstop and regenning SP – if you don’t do that, your Reals might be at a considerable risk.
A further complication for Reals is simply that their damage output will really suffer when faced with not only limited morale but Prevail’d A.T. Fields; the exception being the Dijeh, Kaine and Maillot with their combined attack and Domon (who pilots a Super). Shinji and Asuka will be good help here since they can bypass the Fields with their Support Attacks but, of course, you’ll have to keep a close watch on them.
Now more than before, you’ll NEED to focus fire to take the EVAs down – do whatever you can to avoid leaving many in Prevail-land – and don’t be afraid to be liberal with your SP usage. Allow some leeway for defenses, have your reals always be in Light’s EWAC and take it slow and steady.
And feel free to listen to this while I work my way through. 
Forward!
The MP EVAs have boss priority.
Follow up by Rom.
Maillot doesn’t need any EWAC with Confuse on.
His ultra-cheap Drive is also great.
Can’t quite kill it yet but that’s alright – most of our frailer guys are covered.
Enemy Phase!
And they chose poorly.
Quattro, Kazuya and Kaine shave off some of their HP.
Ayato and Quon aren’t doing anything, mind.
Player Phase!
Fuck it, Maillot’s Valor is cheap enough.
It survives with a sliver of HP but Ruri can handle that.
Yeah, fuck you too. That’s one down…eight to go.
Combined firepower of Akito, Quattro, Rom and Masato cut the next one down to size.
Still want Masato to nab this kill for the morale, though, so Domon’ll bop it a bit more.
Special BGMs take priority, by the by!
In comes Masato and, boom, two dead.
I built Hokuto as a mighty caster, so his Valor is quite cheap too.
Kaine had already chopped its HP in half with Maillot.
Kouji and Tetsuya fall just short.
Asuka won’t.
Three.
Can’t kill another but we can start working on it with Akira, Kazuya and Akito.
Alright.
Enemy Phase!
*Alarm!*
: What is it?!
: We’ve objects on high-speed approach from below!
: I-Is that?!
: The Omzack of Thunder…!
: And a Gilgazamune too!: The hell is that thing doing here?!
: My guess is it’s one of the units that got confiscated by the Federation when the Giganos surrendered.
: I bet they’re here to get payback for the beating they took before…!
: Wait, so you mean one of NERV HQ’s attackers was—?!
: Indeed… it was my Omzack of Thunder.: Saiga of the Hakkeshu..! You’re alive?!: The Omzack is the only Hakke Robo capable of rivaling the Zeorymer. Furthermore, Masaki Kihara… I refuse to die before I’ve had my revenge on you.
: I’m not Masaki Kihara anymore…!
: But that does not annul all your sins and I, for one, will have you pay for them!
: That’s right! Traitors cannot be forgiven! (From the Gilgazamune!): Miwa?!
: What’s he doing on that thing?!
: More important than that, why is he here in the first place?!: He still hasn’t given up, hm…?: Of course not – you’re trying to destroy the world with the Third Impact! I’d never leave you at large!: Don’t tell me that he…: Yes… he’s the one who led the attack on NERV HQ.: Wh-What did you say?!: Kazuya Ryuzaki…! I haven’t forgotten what you did to me! And I will personally annihilate you and your rebel allies with this Gilgazamune!: How much of an idiot are you?! Don’t you get what’s going on right now?!: Rrrgh, shut your trap! It’s because of groups like yours that the Earth is always in danger! This current mess proves it!
: He… he hasn’t changed one bit…!
: Hm. The Baam War would’ve ended a whole lot faster if this guy just stopped to think things through a bit.: I won’t take such disrespect from those who sold their souls to the Baamians!
: You’re set on this…? You’re going to be getting in our way, doesn’t matter what we say, aren’t you…?!
: Obviously! First I’ll be rid of the lot of you and, then, I’ll exterminate thesee alien vermin from the face of the Earth Sphere!: !!: What, so you’re tagging Duke, Maria, Vega and Rom’s crew as enemies?!: You’re all my enemies! You’re the enemies of mankind!!
: Why, you…!
: Enough, Kouji. You won’t get anywhere arguing with him.
: Kazuya…!: Back during the Baam War, Miwa harassed Erika and me again and again. Still, I had thought that, deep down and in his own twisted way, he was also acting out of a wish to defend Earth…! : But now, that man is…!: We’re done talking! Pilot, attack! Destroy them all and I guarantee your freedom!
: Aye, aye!: Masaki Kihara, I’ll end you and claim the Zeorymer as my own… and then I’ll crown myself the true Hades in your place!: None of us will ever allow that!: Miwa! My fists’ll beat that rotten spirit of yours into shape!!Yup, we also need to deal with those two. Your priority remains the MP EVAs, though, as Miwa’s generic pilot can’t do shit and Saiga will always focus on Masato (he’ll have a hard time getting the morale to MAPW us). Plus, they’re both rather far away.
Shinji gets pestered a couple of times but he’s got both Alert and an Iron Wall’d Duke running defense.
This guy’s trying to start shit with Boss!
Nice flight.
The other MP EVAs snipe at random people. Miwa and Saiga are coming in.
Player Phase!
*Alarm!*
: Captain, there’s another unit coming this way!
: !
: The Medius Locus…!
: …
: What, don’t tell me you’ve come here to settle accounts with Hugo?!: …
: Do you want to kill us? Are you expecting that to make up for the wrongs you did in the past? Do you actually think that?! Hell, do you think Foglia and the others would want you to do something like that?!: Pfeh… I’m nowhere as romantic as that. I’m using the Medius and AI1 simply to leave the past behind.: And you think the dead will forgive you after that?: You’re putting words in my mouth.: But I’m right, no?! I’ve no idea what the dead would want from the living and if we’re fated to live, carrying their memories for the rest of our days, then that’s what I’ll do! Rather than the pain of death, I’ll take the pain of life!: …: One can die whenever they choose but that’s nothing more than running away…! 
: So you’d use your guilt as a reason to cling to life? That’d just be an excuse to make us feel better.
: I don’t care what you call it – I’ll always take life over death! Besides, it was no one but you who taught me to survive no matter what!: That’s right. And that’s why I also survived using the Medius.
: !!
: What are you getting at…?!: That I had an enemy to defeat – the one who brought my life to a stop and who’d rain destruction on this world. And, so, I let myself play into their hands.
: !!: Captain, did you…?!: …I piloted the Medius to get my revenge on that demon. And I’ve survived up to now to make peace with the past.: Your revenge is done, so now you’re…!: So that was the only reason why he stole the Medius…?: (Albero… that ridiculous rationale is what impels you…?!): I don’t expect you to forgive me after all that’s happened, Hugo. And I’ve no intention of apologizing.: Captain…!MX Version:
: If you still want me to pay, then be my guest to try once the battle’s over. But right now…: You must defeat your enemy and come back alive. Everything starts with that.: …!!MXP Version:
: That said, there’s something else that needs to be addressed: I’m sending you something.: Ah? The Medius just transmitted some data…: That’s… data on Zapato’s medicine?!: It is, including the location of where he stored the materials needed to create it.: So if you can make it through all this… if you can beat me and the Medius Locus, I wager you’d live a pretty long life.: Another reason why I now need to go and defeat my enemy, is what you’re saying?: That’s right.Common ground:
: Wh-What’s going on…?!
: Guess he's offering to help us like he did before?
: He expects us to trust him after all the times he attacked us?
: But he also left without trying anything after the Devil Gundam was down…: His personal crusade is done, so now he wants to lend a hand? How self-centered can one person be?
: Hm. You can very easy say he was just using us to beat the Devil Gundam back them.
: Plus, there ain’t no way we can trust that broad, Elde Mitte!: …: Ms. Mitte… Do you agree with Albero?!: I… don’t want to lose AI1… No more, no less.: …
: Hmph… you could simply be trying to have us lower our guard and stab us in the back. I wouldn’t put that past you.: …: I’m not stupid enough that I can’t tell what’s going on around here. But if you just can’t trust me, then draw your weapon… I won’t go down without a fight, though.
: …
: …
: …Indeed, it’d be dangerous to trust him. His will to survive, however, I find trustworthy.
: Hm. Just look at how he fights – or at Hugo – and you can see that.: And considering the situation, maybe an enemy of our enemy is a friend?: …: Something the matter, Hugo? Wasn’t it your own strength and spirit that saw you survive through all these battles?: Spare me the lecture…!: I’m here to save mine and the world’s lives and that’s exactly what I’m going to do!
: Good! Then we’ll just have to fight our way through this mess!: Roger that…Captain!: (This… is not how I wanted this to play out as. But I still have a chance…): (The Raideen is here, so it is very likely the Star of La Mu will manifest itself… If I can just get my hands on it, my AI1 and the Medius will…!)
Losing the Medius is also a game over, so watch it. Elde comes with Hope, so you can use that refill someone’s SP and get more stuff rolling.
It’s a long way to the EVAs, so the Medius will only get there next turn.
Rom’s got enough morale and SP to start wrecking stuff now.
THUNDER BOLT SCREW!
Taking a commanded support from Asuka, that’s over half the EVAs HP in one attack run.
Duke pulls a commanded Meioh from Masato for more big damage and Asuka finishes the job.
That’s four.
Setting up for a MAPW next turn.
Good man.
Here goes the fifth EVA, Ginga blasting it with an FA after Kaine and Maillot tear it apart.
But, of course, the RNG figures now would be the perfect time to screw me over. While having my remaining folks pile on Masato’s target, Quattro gets tagged on a 10%(!) hit and oneshotted.
Were this earlier in the mission, I would’ve been very annoyed.
Fuck you too.
Six.
Enemy Phase!
: Ayato…!!
: …
: That Dolem’s…!
: It’s Ayato’s old friend, right…?!: I… I won’t accept a world without Hiroko! Or any world where you, her killer, can live happily ever after!: God… God’s beating heart! I condemn you to death for the murder of Hiroko!!Mamoru will only focus on Ayato but, yeah, he’s not going to win that match. We’ll need to take the fight to him eventually but not yet.
The remaining EVAs pester Akira a bit but he can handle it with some support defense from Aqua.
Meanwhile, the Gilgazamune attacks Maillot and eats 15k damage.
There he goes.
Ayato actually misses on a 79% because he counts as an enemy and, thus, is affected by Confuse.
Player Phase!
One of the EVAs moved to attack Akira, so I had to spend Masato’s SP on a Zeal and reposition.
Doesn’t matter – this battle is practically over once these jerks are dead.
With all of them weak, we can move in for the kill.
Seven.
Eight.
And nine!
Next in line is Miwa and with his generic pilot, the Gilgazamune is VERY easy to take out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N3hWBUE-J8
Ain’t no other way to end this.
: Rrgh, what are you doing?! Eject! Eject us now! *…*
: What’s wrong with you, pilot?! Why aren’t you answering me?!*…*
: T-This can’t be happening…! This is how it ends for me, a commander?! : But there’ll be nothing to save the Earth from falling into alien hands if I’m gone!!: If I die, Earth will… Earth will—! GAAAAAAAAH!!
: Miwa…!
: Don’t feel bad for him, Kazuya. He brought this end upon himself after everything he did.: …: That’s what you should keep in mind. And, besides, we still have things to do.: Yeah…
Saiga is next and, barring the higher stats, he’s still the same he was halfway through the game.
Meaning his Prevail won’t help his low defenses and unimpressive HP. Hits from Asuka and Tetsuya already get him below 10k HP.
Only one way to deal with a ne’er-do-well.
Punish them!
: I-I am he who’ll be Hades…! I’m the man who’s meant to reign supreme over the entire world!!: I will not be controlled…! This time, I’ll be the one in control! I’ll conquer all of my own free will!!: It… It can’t end like this! Not here! Not now! IT CANNOT!!
: …
: Masato…: It might’ve been Masaki’s programming that pushed him to fight us one last time... If it was—: No… that was his destiny. And he just couldn’t change it…: But we…: Right. We’ll overturn the destruction that’s been forced upon our destinies…!