Part 14: Mission 7 - The Ruler of the Underworld, “Heaven” is His Name - Part 2
Mission Objective: Dendoh reaches Unicorn Drill, all enemies destroyed
Mission Failure: If either the Unicorn Drill, Dendoh, Valkyrie or Nahel Argama are destroyed.
From what I’ve seen, the Gulfer all but ignore the Unicorn Drill so you shouldn’t need to worry about that. The new enemies are a wee bit bulkier than the Gulfer’s standard mook but that only means they’re twoshotted, instead of oneshotted by our guys.
I’m getting the Dendoh over but it’ll be a little while. Ginga might as well keep boosting his kill total along the way.
The little guys still die to a slight breeze. Ryouma joins Ginga and wrecks another.
Elle, Judau and Puru Two head north, taking a kill each.
Everyone else spreads out.
Enemy Phase!
*Alarm again!*
: We’ve another object coming from above!
: More Gulfer?!: I think so but it looks like—!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YZxW2dj4pY
: No…! It’s the Knight Ogre!
: Ah…?! Huh?!
: A black Dendoh…?!
: Hmph… So that’s the other Gear, Dendoh?: Erm… Is he our friend?
: No, he’s an enemy! We need to run – right now!
: “Run”?! What about the Data Weapon?: It’s fine, we’ll just wait another chance to get it!
: But didn’t you say it’d be real bad if they captured that thing?: B-but…!
: Leave the other enemies to us, then! Keep after the horse, Ginga, Hokuto!: Domon?!
: Vega, won’t things get even worse if we ran off?
: Y…Yes, Ryouma…: Then we’ll stay right here and help!
: We’re already neck-deep into this, so we might as well go all the way.
: It’s far too soon for us to be thinking of backing off.
: And we’re the grown-ups around here! We gotta put a good show for the kids!
: Right, right. 
: And, besides, I’m really curious about that Data Weapon thing.
: (That’s… actually well said, you three.)
: Thank you so much – all of you…!: There’s the Data Weapon, Unicorn Drill… Actually, there’s also another one. Good – I’ll save it first.*Knight Ogre moves west.*
: Hey, where’s he going?: He’s not coming for us?: Is he…!
Don’t worry about Altair right now – just keep going as you had. Puru Two gets jumped and kills two Gulfer.
Player Phase!
Always remember that Bright’s level is also a factor towards the Dijeh.
Keep at it.
Puru kills the last baby Gulfer, getting a level in Newtype and learning Bless.
Still heading towards the Unicorn Drill.
Enemy Phase!
*Altair reaches a spot right by Last Guardian’s base.*
: Hmhmhm… here it is. Show yourself, Data Weapon!
: Whoa! Is that—!
: …: A snake…?: There was another one here?!
: That’s a Data Weapon, too?: Y-Yes, it is!
: Come, Viper Whip! To me!: What’s that guy doing?!: Oh, no…! Confidence is what the Viper Whip seeks in a wielder! If the pilot of the Knight Ogre has more of it than Ginga and Hokuto, then…!: File Save: Viper Whip!: …!
: Viper Drive, install!
: Th-The Data Weapon’s in his hand?!: How could this happen…!
: Hokuto, Ginga! Run!: !: I’ll be taking that Gear as well. Leaving it with you could make for a later annoyance.*Altair charges after the Dendoh!*
: Feel for yourselves the might of a Data Weapon!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9kdgw9Owfw
: Urk— aargh…!
: Hokuto, Ginga!: Pathetic, Dendoh. I believe I’ll put the full power of the Viper Whip to the test now!: Stop!!
: Hrmm!: Hokuto, Ginga! Run now!: ! You…!!
: Rrgh! Gaaaaaah!!: ?!
: The hell? That guy’s in pain?: (Is it because he saw me…?): Argh… Is this the end…?!: I-Idiot…! If you start thinking like a loser, then you’ll never win…!: !: So don’t throw in the towel, Hokuto! The second you think it’s over… : Then it’ll really be over!: !
: Right? Even I can wrap my head around that!
: …!
: Everyone’s still here with us! So I can’t give up now!
: Hell, yeah!: 
*Unicorn Drill gallops over to the Dendoh!*
: U-Urgh…! The Unicorn Drill's…!: Coming after us?!: Go, Ginga, Hokuto! Save it! : Whaaat?!: Do it and maybe we’ll have a chance to turn this around!
: Hold up your Gear Commanders and say “File Save”!: File Save!: 
: Now, install it!: Unicorn Drive! INSTAAAAAALL!!
: You did it!!: Da…mn... you…!!: Hah, the kids brought home the goods!
: Hm! Very well done…!: The Unicorn Drill’s in the Dendoh’s hand now…!
: Heey, what gives? Why didn’t it come to my Commander?: This is really not the time to talk about that!: Now, if you use the Final Attack, then…!: No, this battle’s been going on for a while – the Dendoh’s already spent too much energy… Where’s the Cell Fighter when we need it…?!
: Ask and you shall receive!: Huh?!
: The Cell Fighter! Kirakuni, is that you?!
: Aye, aye! Chief Shibuya gave the word and I flew right over – literally!: Talk about opportune… Your timing couldn’t be better!
: Mr. Kirakuni, we’re not done breaking in the fighter just yet, so please don’t go too crazy with it!
: I got it, Eris! Here we go!*The Cell Fighter flies closer to the Dendoh.*
: Sorry I’m late to the party, Ginga, Hokuto! : Kirakuni!: But everything’s A-OK now that I’m here! Press the fourth switch on your left grip!
: Go, Hokuto, Ginga! Blow him sky-high with that Final Attack! : HAAAAAAAAAAH!!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geOloZ5B4F8
: Wow… That’s the power of a Data Weapon…!: Blast you, Dendoh! How dare you disgrace me, Altair, so!: Altair…?!: Rrgh! I’ve to pull back for today!*Off he goes.*
: He ran away!: (He said Altair, I’m certain…! But it can’t be…!): Ginga! We need to go get that other Data Weapon back!: Yeah, I’m on it!: Hold, you two. Take a look at your energy gauge.: Aah! It’s all empty!: Say what?! Didn’t we just get some fresh batteries?!: A Final Attack has an energy consumption to match its destructive power. So make sure you use it only when absolutely necessary.
: I… I guess…: But you can rest easy! If the Cell Fighter’s close by, it can replace your Hyper Dendoh Batteries just as it did now! Do note that there’s a limited number of the things, though.
: Psh, talk about stingy. Can’t you just keep like a hundred of them around?: Don’t be silly. Charging even one battery is very difficult, you know.
: Hmm… Ah? Hey, who’re you?!
: How rude. Is that really how you talk to a lady?
: “Lady”?! You’re still just a kid!
: Excuse me?! I am not!: Cut the chatter and go destroy the other RoBeasts!Okay, so we missed one but at least the Dendoh’s got a new toy to play with. And if you’re planning on getting the most use of any Data Weapon, you’ll really want to familiarize yourself with the Cell Fighter:
Cell Fighter (Kirakuni Susumu, Eris Willamette)
Pilot Skills – Kirakuni:
- Prevail L2
- Support Attack L1
- Support Defense L1
- Support Defense L1
- EXP Up
- B-Save
- Strike (20)
- Gain (15)
- Scan (1)
- Focus (15)
- Hyper Dendoh Batteries
- Resupply
Eris’ Voice Actress: Tomoko Ishimura (Other known works: Sho Aizawa in Figure 17, Kurusu in Guardian Hearts and a some more)
The Cell Fighter’s another of the standard support units but, do note, that it is size M so it won’t dodge as much as the TFO. It still has an S rating in the air, though.
You actually can switch Kirakuni and Eris around the main pilot seat and, depending on who you choose, the plane will act better in a certain area.
Kirakuni is by FAR the better pilot (Eris’ stats are kind of trash in most areas), so if you want the Cell Fighter to be able to get better numbers against random mooks, go with him. Eris, meanwhile, is the better support and, more importantly, knows B-Save.
Why is B-Save important? It’s related to the Hyper Dendoh Batteries:
As they said, the Dendoh runs of batteries. And you cannot restore its EN by any other means – not by consumable parts, positive terrains or spirit commands. You have to select the Cell Fighter and use the デンチ command.
When you do, you’ll get the target area and if the Dendoh’s in there, you can pop a new set of AA’s into it. The baseline range is four and, like Kirakuni warned, the Cell Fighter only has enough to do this TWICE per battle.
There are ways around those limitations, however: the batteries are counted as a weapon in the Cell Fighter, meaning B-Save applies. So, if Eris is in the lead (or you teach Kirakuni B-Save), you’ll get one extra shot. The range of the batteries can also be increased with parts or by having Kirakuni use Snipe, which he’ll learn eventually.
I personally keep Eris on the front because I rather have the extra battery.
The Dendoh’s shifted to a new form now that he’s equipped the Unicorn Drill, Hokuto’s also the main pilot now. This one’s a bit more of a ranged attack form which doesn’t click too well with the unit itself – its only post-movement weapon is 1-2 range, too. Mind, it's also more defensive, giving Dendoh the Firewall barrier (reduces all damage by 1000, costs 5 EN per use).
Of course, you don’t have to stay in this form if you don’t see yourself in a good position to fire from range; like any transformable units, you can toggle back to any different form during your turn and the regular Dendoh is still the better suited for a run & gun approach. Do note that it is also comparatively weaker as said 1-2 range drill attack is outright stronger than the Bakusai Juurakka (though it’s nowhere as cool).
Resource management is the name of the game with Dendoh and it all comes down to its Final Attack. Every Data Weapon has one of these and they’re massively powerful (the Unicorn Drill’s, for instance, is our strongest non-combined attack right now). Now, I couldn’t find the exact formula despite my best efforts but the lowdown is this: using any FA will drain all but 10 EN of the Dendoh but the resulting damage will be proportionate to the amount drained.
There is a steep dropoff as your EN declines, FYI, so you’ll either need the Cell Fighter top them off or be rather stingy before unleashing the attack to get full damage. And, of course, upgrading the unit’s maximum EN (or equipping EN+ parts) will also result in a damage boost.
Let’s get back to work. Michiru weakens one of the Capture RoBeasts and we’re ready to send in Hokuto.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2DGyUmnwAE
Some help from Judau later and Hugo’s ready to wrap this mission up.
So satisfying.
Notable goodies dropped: a Large Generator (max EN+50), a Megabooster (movement range +2) and a Ramune (consumable, restores 20 SP).
That’s all Gulfer destroyed and Bright asks Torres to get in touch with Last Guardian to try and get some intel.
Back in the Tekkoryu Fortress, Yura’s getting the news of Taiha’s defeat. Lurahn is just as surprised that the Zeorymer managed to exhibit such power as only its creator, Masaki Kihara, should be capable of pulling that off.
This all has to do with the "Dimensional Coupling System" which gives Zeorymer power beyond the other Hakke Robos and only Masaki knew how to make sense of the thing. But he’s dead, isn’t he? That’s what intel says but Lurahn wonders, inwardly, if he might actually live… or is “the committee” involved in this?
The other Hakkeshu all begin asking for a chance to destroy the Zeorymer but Yura interrupts them. She was also one of them prior to being chosen as empress and the Zeorymer was meant to be her machine. She tells the Hakkeshu that it must be RECOVERED, lest the doors to the Underworld never open. It is the cornerstone of the “Hades Project”!
With that in mind, she accepts Si Aen and Si Tau’s request to give it a try. Saiga watches on, amused that Yura didn’t even share a single tear for her lost love.
Back in the Argama, Torres reports that Last Guardian is refusing our calls, citing a need to maintain confidentiality of an ongoing operation. It’s obviously all about that unit and it falls on Vega to explain about the Zeorymer, a unit made by the Haudragon fifteen years ago to assist in their world domination plans.
She also knows about its Dimensional Coupling System, granting it unparalleled destructive power. Considering that it’s a mech thing, Rain asks Aqua if she’s got anything to say about it but no. One thing she’s sure, however, is that not even the TE engine could generate anywhere near that much energy and Rain wonders how anyone manages to control something like that.
When Douglas asks, Vega confirms that the Zeorymer used to be an enemy weapon – the very first Hakke Robo – and it was stolen from the Haudragon just as the Dragonar was from the Giganos.
Either way, this seems like a conversation best had elsewhere as Bright also has several questions about the Data Weapons and that black Dendoh. So, upon his request, Vega’ll set up a meeting at GEAR HQ.
Location: GEAR HQ
Inoue starts by introducing Eris, the new member of our team, who Ginga and Hokuto recognize from the battle. “A-Another kid…” Aqua groans silently. Ginga isn’t too happy, though – what’s a kid like her joining our team for?! “Aren’t you a kid too, hm?” she sniffs.
Hokuto asks Ginga to be nice since we DO owe her own – he also addresses the kid without the “kun” honorific and Michiru’s glad to see that they’re turning into such good friends. Regardless, Eris is here to tell us about the Data We— “Why are YOU taking care of that?!” Ginga cries out.
Because, as it turns out, she’s a super genius who got into M.I.T. at age eleven! “Mitt? She’s a baseball player like me?” Benkei asks and Ginga has no idea what an EM AI TII is.
It falls on Kouji to explain what a big deal the place is – he also went there during his studies in the US. As it dawns on Ginga how much smarter the girl is than him, Inoue says that he scouted her into GEAR and gave her operational control of their research on Data Weapons.
Even Rain has to admit that she’s been one-upped.
With that out of the way, Eris begins her presentation, bringing up a power point with six Data Weapons. From left to right: Unicorn Drill, Leo Circle, Viper Whip, Gatling Boar, Dragon Flare and Bull Horn. It’s like a zoo display and Puru likes it.
Generally speaking, these creatures are the Sacred Electronic Beasts which serve as weapons for the Dendoh. Ginga thinks he’s heard about that before and Eris asks for details: “On the TV, it was some girl a bit older than us, I think…”
“That’s the Electronic FAIRY, Ginga: Ruri Hoshino of the Nadesico B, the beautiful girl who made history when she became the youngest person to captain a ship,” Douglas explains while Eris sighs at him.
Kaine is surprised at how well-informed Douglas is – he didn’t expect the guy to be such a fanboy. Douglas says it’s common knowledge among soldiers but Kaine isn’t too sure. Will they find pictures of her if they searched his room, Tap wonders? “Do not tease your superior officer, maggots!” Douglas fumes and Beecha quips that his attitude is only feeding their suspicions.
At Bright’s request, Eris continues her lecture and asks for Hokuto’s Gear Commander. Seems like the Unicorn Drill is inside it right now and everyone’s quite surprised, seeing how it was about as big as the Dendoh during battle.
And the demonstration goes awry when a miniaturized Unicorn Drill pops out the Gear Commander and starts bolting around the room. The thing’s headed straight for Daisuke, Kouji and Ryouma screaming at him to get out the way.
Eris says there’s no danger as the creature is just a projection without physical mass but then, Roux asks, how are we supposed to catch it? Daisuke shows how it’s done, drawing upon his experience in Danbei’s farm to calm the Unicorn Drill as he would any other horse.
Vega asks Hokuto to bring it back into the Gear Commander, telling it was the kid’s open heart that convinced it to take him as its master. “A horse will never betray someone he trusts, so try calling out to it,” Daisuke adds.
And it does work, as the Unicorn Drill walks on over nice and easy. Eris figures it was just playing around rather than trying to escape – not so different from a legit horse. Of course, that’s where the similarities end as each Data Weapon holds huge power and abilities like the Final Attacks.
Vega even says that, if all six are brought together it may even be possible to change the fate of the galaxy – that’s why the Gulfer are also trying to get them. Ginga hopes that, since these are Dendoh’s weapons, the Gulfer can’t use them but Domon points to the Black Dendoh and the Viper Whip.
Now, bringing forth the Data Weapons’ power isn’t a matter of simply gathering them – it requires a Gear Fighter to wield it. With the Knight Ogre on the Gulfer’s side, this marks the start of a battle between the Fighters for ownership of the animals.
On that subject, from what Domon saw in the previous battle, the pilot of the Knight Ogre is quite skilled – he warns the kids that dropping their guard when fighting him could prove fatal. Ginga isn’t too worried as we’ll always have the Unicorn Drill’s Final Attack to fall back on but Domon doesn’t seem assured.
And going back to a previous question, why did the Unicorn Drill choose Hokuto over Ginga? Eris points out that a Data Weapon chooses its partner and, once that choice is made, it’ll take orders from no other unless their contract is broken. Does that mean Ginga can’t have the Unicorn jump into his Gear Commander? Yes.
Hokuto doesn’t remember signing any contract but Vega says it wasn’t tangible. Rather, it was a contract with his heart which displayed what the Data Weapon sought and, thus, it’ll only leave if the person loses that something.
The reason why the Unicorn chose Hokuto is because it sought “trust”, that which comes out of the bond between him and Ginga. Conversely, the Viper Whip sought “confidence” and the Ogre’s pilot had a whole lot more of that than the kids.
Domon says that that proves their immaturity and Ginga sighs that they’ve only just started piloting the Dendoh. Regardless, there are now four other Data Weapons at large and we cannot let the Gulfer get any more.
Unfortunately, Eris has yet to be able to determine where they’ll emerge. We know that they react to powerful energy, so the things may have been drawn over by the Zeorymer. Still, we haven’t anything conclusive yet and that’s why Eris wanted to join the Nahel Argama. So many of our units run of various unique sources of powerful energies, so she might figure something out.
Bright figures we’ll be adding “look for Data Weapons” to our currently massive “problem needs solving” list.
Over by the moon, the Gulfer are welcoming Altair and are very surprised that he managed to snag a Data Weapon even before coming over. Altair sniffs that this only serves to prove their incompetency… not that he didn’t already know that.
Deondra quietly observes the captain of the Imperial Guard, one of the only two humanoids among the Gulfer, and it seems he outranks even the Spiral Castle. That said, she plans on snagging the rest of the Data Weapons for Gades.
Altair proclaims that he’s taking control of the hunt for Data Weapons – such was the Emperor’s will from the very beginning. The Spiral Castle isn’t happy but can only stay mum. Now, it’s been a long voyage since the Gulfer homeworld, so Altair leaves to get some rest.
As he goes, Giga Witter fumes at the haughty human but it’s not like they can oppose someone who’s earned the Emperor’s trust. The Spiral Castle has the right idea though: let Altair fight the humans for now, especially since they've proven to be disturbingly competent in battle.
While the Dendoh and Ogre are busy fighting, they’ll exploit that opening and capture the Data Weapons themselves. They’ll be counting on Deondra to help with that… and she’s more than willing to turn that opening into an opportunity for the Gyandolar.
: (That woman I saw in the last battle… Why did the sight of her give me such a splitting headache…? Is there something, deep within my memories, that is the cause of that torment…?)
Location: GEAR HQ
: … Rise from your long slumber. Let my voice break your seal.
: … It’s been quite a while, Lady Vega.: I’ve a question for you. : Yes?: What is the probability that my brother Altair could have survived the war of Star Year 4085?: With all due respect, Lady Vega… my answer remains the same as before: there is a 99.9% chance that he perished. 
: …Hm…