Part 51: Mission 30 (MXP Version) - Zeorymer, Sortie at Dawn - Part 1
: How are the Unicorn Drill and Leo Circle?
: Prof. Inoue and the others are doing what they can… but it doesn’t look good. : I see… And do we have anything on the Haudragon?: No, they’re not doing anything.
: If we’re going to take the fight to them, now would be the time seeing how all Hakke Robos except the Zeorymer are gone.
: Yes… but I’m worried about the unit, Masato and Miku…: They’ve gone incommunicado again?: Hm. We’ve tried getting in touch with Last Guardian but got no response.: Do you think they’ve gone back to their base? Or maybe…
: …
: Cpt. Bright, incoming transmission from Director Shibuya.: Put it through.*Beep.*
: Cpt. Bright, we’ve received a message from the Federations Far East section.: It looks like they’re gearing up for an all-out offensive against the Haudragon.: And they want us to take part in it, right?: But before you get to that, they want some reconnaissance be done in the area around the enemy stronghold. : Roger that. The Argama and Nadesico’ll head to the Chinese mainland ASAP.: Please do. We’ll take care of the Dendoh and the Data Weapons, so be careful out there.: Yes, sir.*Beep.*
: Get us ready for immediate launch. And Maj. Katsuragi, I’d like you to put together the recon team.: Roger that.
: (I haven’t heard anything from the Tsentr Project since…): (Even when I asked Prof. Zapato about the Medius’ transformation, they didn’t answer. Same with my questions about the new TE Absorber…): (Did Prof. Zapato expect all this from the start… including what Ms. Mitte did?): (… But in that case, what are Hugo and I supposed to be? Just convenient pawns to be used for the Project?)*Door opens.*
: …Ah, here you are, Aqua.: Kaine…: Maj. Katsuragi’s just sent orders for a recon mission; the four of us have been teamed up.
: Alright. I’ll get ready to launch.*Off she goes.*
: She’s looking like she’s bouncing back, don’t ya think?
: I’m not so sure.
: I think she’s pushing herself too hard.: What, but she’s back to her usual self…: Exactly. She’s pushing herself way too hard.
: Oh…: In any case, we should go and have her back… in hopes that Hugo’ll return eventually.: Yeah…
: Reaching pointed G2009… No problems so far.: Hey, Kaine, don’t you think we should get back?: He’s right, we’re gonna end up leaving our scouting area.: Don’t be stupid, you two. We came way too far to come back empty-handed.
: Only what you call “empty-handed”, others would call “without any headaches.”: Besides, it wouldn’t do us any good to try to antagonize the Haudragon now.: But come on. It’s clear those creeps are still up to no good… We oughta be getting in there and putting them down right the hell now…: I know how you feel but we can’t get too gung-ho. Remember that we’ve got Aqua here with us.: A-Alright.*Alarm!*
: !!
: Urk, we spent too long around here! The enemy’s found us!
: See, this is what I was talking about!
: Jovian units…!
: What do we do, Kaine?!
: You know how it is: in for a penny, in for a pound! We’re going in!: Hey, now, let me remind you that we’re on a recon mission. We should just pull back for—: We can’t or they’ll know exactly where the Nahel Argama and the Nadesico are!: I guess that’s true…: Aqua, you gotta pull back!: Why?!
: Things here are a bit too dicey for a beginner pilot. Let us handle this, yes?: …I appreciate the concern but isn’t doing things like this exactly how you got used to the Dragonars?: I… guess.
: Then I’ll also do the same. I can already picture Hugo’s grin if I didn’t.: …Alright but if things go south, you need to back off right then and there.: Aye, aye.Everyone who’s played MXP remembers this mission with seething hatred – my kid brother did and I remember hearing his yells. It starts off easy enough, provided you’ve kept the Dragonars upgraded… though the Jovians still have that boosted HP.
Just do your best to conserve your ammo and EN (set them on the ground) while building morale from the tiny mooks because, on turn three…
*Alarm!*
: Hrm! This signal is—!
: !!
: We cannot let them get any closer to the Tekkoryu Castle.
: Our target is the Zeorymer of the Heavens… eliminate any and all potential obstacles.: Urk, it’s those pains-in-the-ass!: It’s gonna be real tough to get away from them during a mess like this…!: We’re just gonna have to make do somehow, then! Ain’t no other option for us!
: Then we’ll stick together and keep engaging them… The second we see an opening, we bolt straight out of here. Alright?: Yeah, I reckon that’s the only way to go!: Make sure you stick to us like glue, Aqua!: Roger that!
: …That dragoon’s movements are sluggish. We’ll start with it.: This won’t be the end for me…! Absolutely not!
That’s a crapton of new Battas, three Katonbos and four Rokurens. Again, with boosted HP.
And you need to take them all out with the Dragonars and a Dragoon.
Joy.
Once turn five rolls around…
: You doing alright, Aqua?: I’m managing, yes…!: (I’ll stand no chance against the Medius if I can’t overcome something like this…!): (I will figure out what Ms. Mitte’s up to…!)Keep on trudging along and on turn seven (or if you kill all mooks except the Hokushin posse)…
: They are quite hardy… how about this, then?
: T-They still had more?!: That does it...! We need to break through their lines and get out of here right now! : I really don’t think we’re gonna pull that off without some serious bruises!: It beats getting shot down! Just brace yourselves for a pummeling!
: I’ll watch your six! You guys take Aqua and go on ahead!: A-Alright!: The new MP unit shall fall first.
: !!
: AAAAAH!!*Aqua’s Dragoon gets blown far away.*
: Aqua!!
: I-I can still fight!
: Your death is come.
*The four mooks surround her.*
: D-Damn it!: This isn’t good, Kaine!: I’ll get her out! Cover me!
: Huh?!: What the—?!: Where did that attack come from?!
: The Cerberus?!: It’s looking different, though!: I-It can’t be …!*The Cerberus rushes over to Aqua’s side.*
: Get in here, Aqua!: Hugo!: Whoa, is that really you, Hugo?!
: Yeah… no ghosts here.: You… you’re safe!: I am, as you can see. But more important than that is you getting in here right now!: Is that…?: Yeah. It’s my… our new TE Absorber.: !!*Aqua’s Dragoon despawns.*
: The energy output is unbelievable…! And the way the cockpit’s arranged is…: I’ll save the details for later. Keep an eye on the TE Engine’s output, alright?: O-OK!: This new engine’s way stronger than the old one, so be careful with it.: Roger!: And I’m still learning the ropes of this mech… so I’ll need your help with more than just engine management.: …!: There a problem? Don’t think you can handle it?: No, I can!: Alright…! Then here we go, Aqua!: Got it, Hugo!In a normal SRW, this would make for cool times where the MC would plow through the enemies with his upgraded unit… but this isn’t a normal SRW. You’re still facing two fresh Katonbos (21k HP) on top of the previous three and all SEVEN of Hokushin’s cronies (18k).
And if you’re expecting the Nahel Argama and Nadesico to show up with the rest of our crew, don’t. This is everything you’ll get for the entire mission.
The Cerberus is actually the better unit to have here simply due to how EN-hungry the Garmraid is. If you don’t have SP Regen on your folks by now or upgraded them, you’ll be here for a while.
When Hugo gets in battle:
: If you think you’re stopping us with that kind of unit, think again!: I’ve got our output steady in the blue, Hugo!: Aye, aye! Engaging!And when you FINALLY kill everything:
: Yeesh, it’s finally over…: …: You really bailed us out there, Hugo. Who knows what would’ve happened if you hadn’t shown up…: Nah, I’m just glad I made it in time.: Well, we were all sure you’d be coming back.
: Yeah… I absolutely would.: Hugo, you…: We shouldn't hang around here any more than we already did. Let’s get back to the Nadesico and Nahel Argama.: Yes…
: Hugo, thank goodness you’re safe…!: Sorry for getting you all worried.
: it doesn’t matter. Not once did I think you to have died.
: All’s well that ends well, right? That’s all that matters.: Yes…
: But where were you all this time, Hugo?: The Tsentr Project’s lab.
: Huh…?
: Makes sense, what with him coming back with a new TE Absorber.: But, how did you get there in the first place…?: After I was torn out of the Garmraid/Cerberus’ cockpit, I was saved by a rescue team sent by the Tsentr Project.
: (A rescue team…?)
: …: But how did you not get even a single scratch on you…?
: That’s some otherworldly good luck, I tell ya.: …*Beep.*
: Hm? This is… Captain, a small Federation carrier is requesting permission to meet up with us.: Who does it belong to?
: To Prof. Mitall Zapato of the Tsentr Project, it looks like.: …
: (Here he comes…): Do you have any idea what this is about, Hugo?: I guess he’s here to run some maintenance on the new model…: Very well. Then give him permission, Harry.: Roger that.
: Hugo…: You finished making your adjustments to the new DFC System?: Yes, I just had a few issues here and there…: Well, Zapato’ll be here in a bit so you can ask him whatever you’re not too sure of.: But forget about that… I’m sorry. It was my fault that whole thing happened.: Don’t worry about it. What happened with you… was only natural. I was just as shaken up when I found out that it was the Captain aboard the Medius.: But you…: The state of my body’s bugging you, right?: …: How can I be perfectly fine after being on the receiving end of that much punishment, you’re asking yourself, hm?: That’s because most of my body’s artificial.: …!: I just need to replace some busted parts and that’s the end of that. No different from an MS or a Super, really.: That’s…!: … Sorry. I didn’t mean to lie to any of you… I just didn’t want to be the cause of any needless worry…: …: And it’s not like I feel any grief over this body… it was the only way for me to survive… and my just desserts.: Did that happen because…: Yeah. I was injured during the Cry Wolves’ battle with the Devil Gundam… and left at death’s door. When I came to, I was in the Tsentr Project’s infirmary.: I only found out later but, apparently, it was Mitall who took charge of my all-but-dead body. He wanted me to help with his experiment as the TE Absorber’s pilot, so he went and remade my body. : Why…?! Your body could simply have been healed back to normal with the current technology…!: The units prior to the Medius were brutal. Anyone meant to pilot those things needed a very resilient body… That’s why I caught Mitall’s eye and he took custody of me from the army’s hospital. : In his eyes, I’m just another component of the TE Absorber.: Then, that medicine was…?: To keep my original body from rejecting the new bits… without it, I can’t even move. And, so, Mitall made a leash out of that medicine and kept me bound to the project.: I-I’m sorry… I had no idea and said such awful things to you…: No, it’s fine. However this started, I’m now working for the Tsentr Project of my own free will – not because I’m being coerced, but in order to survive. My dead teammates won’t rest in peace if I fail at that.: That’s how I feel.: …Hugo…: Sorry, guess I rambled a bit. : The Medius is what’s important now. I had no idea the thing could do that… nothing of the sort was written in the project’s specs.: It’s… likely that Ms. Mitte made several modifications to the original model.: And who is she? Zapato wouldn’t tell me anything…: A researcher of combat-oriented artificial intelligence… that is to say, she makes AIs and OSs for drones. : She works for the military?: Yes, though she wasn’t doing anything with the Tsentr Project… I’d heard rumors that she’d joined some other confidential project.: And what’s your relationship with her?: Back when I was at the military academy… she was a teacher for motion theory in humanoid mobile weapons. And I learned so much from her.: I… I idolized her. She was a gifted scientist, self-reliant, she always held onto her ideals…: I ran away from home because I couldn’t stand someone else deciding how I would live my life, so she was everything I wanted to be… I wanted to live as she did, grow into a woman like her…: But now… she stole the Medius and is my enemy…: Why… Why did things have to turn out like this…?: … There’s only one thing I can say… if you don’t fight, you’ll die.: …: She and Albero stole the Medius, you know that. : …: They were essentially testing us until but, back then, they really tried to kill us.: They don’t care to play nice with us and if we don’t fight back, it’ll be the end.: I… I know that. But I still want to figure out what Ms. Mitte’s thinking… I wat to know why she’s doing that.: That woman weaponized your feelings against you... If you don’t break your ties with her, you’ll die.: …: I just want to talk to her one more time… and if that doesn’t work, then…: …: But regardless of her, that transformed Medius is still too dangerous to be left alone… if it keeps going, it might well end up with the same powers as the Devil Gundam. We have to stop that, no matter what.: Yes… with our own two hands.: Hm. Looking forward to working with you again, Aqua.
: Same here.
Mitall walks in right then, asking how the new Garmraid/Cerberus is doing. Hugo relates (with a frown) that everything’s A-OK. He’s glad to hear that, switching over to Aqua and handing her the spec notes of the new model.
Aqua notes that the Cerberus can actually transform by switching its new Ignite Parts to adapt to varying circumstances. Form G specializes in close-range, hand-to-hand combat and Hugo will be the pilot. Aqua asks if he’s implying that the pilot changes with the mode and, indeed, he is. She will no longer be limited to being a subpilot, taking control of the long-range Form S.
Moreover, the thing also has an upgraded TE Engine and while Mitall won’t call that a perfect model, it’s output and stability are far superior to the original in the Garmraid/Cerberus. The engine should be a lot less finicky now, allowing Aqua to actually fight. As for the mech’s name, Mitall will leave that up to us.
With that decided, Hugo has a question for Mitall: he’s involved with Albero and Elde, isn’t he? Mitall says their doubts are understandable but professes that he, too, was taken aback by what happened to the Medius: he’d set limiters on the Lasmunanium and it shouldn’t have been capable of displaying such abilities.
Hugo asks if we’re supposed to believe that, and Mitall says that we’ve no choice, this is for the sake of our future battles too. Hugo and Aqua frown but stay mum, and Mitall reiterates that our orders are to destroy the Medius. They must stop that thing post-haste.
As Aqua slowly confirms, Mitall tells Hugo that he saw fit to give his body its much needed readjustments after he was recovered. THAT SAID, he still needs to keep taking his medicine so he’ll need to take good care of the stash he has.
Hugo asks him to give him a refill, in that case, but Mitall says no can do: synthesizing the stuff is a difficult, time-consuming work… meaning if he wants more, he better start showing some results first, Hugo fills in the blanks.
Mitall tells him to take his words any way he’d like and, after the maintenance of the new model is finished, he’ll head back to the lab. He wishes us the best of luck in completing our mission.
Location: Tekkoryu Castle
: (The Hakkeshu are all gone… then I’ve only one final recourse left. With this, the world will…!)
: … You will not press that button.
: ! Who…?!: You are a kind soul… You do not truly desire the world’s destruction.: What… What is it that you know, Lurahn?!: It’s Kihara’s ghost that’s pushing you onward…!: !!: You are the same as the boy, Masato Akitsu… a clone built from Masaki Kihara’s cells… a proxy of his will…: Wh-What…?! I’m his…?!: …: Then, why, Lurahn?! If you knew that… why did you let me live this long?!: Because… I wanted to watch as Masaki's rebirth fell to ruin… : But… you were always so devoted to me…! Why?: Hah… hahahah…
: !: You are… truly beautiful…*Bang!*
: !!
: Lurahn… you… … It was the will of Masaki Kihara that impelled me all this time…? The ambition I felt was just a lie he planted in my head…?: Taiha… then what was your death for…?!
Back at Last Guardian, Miku is so very happy to see Masato back. He, however, doesn’t see it like that: he is neither Masato nor Masaki. He can no longer be either, even.
He is a clone of Masaki Kihara, implanted with the guy’s original personality via the Zeorymer – when that happened, he was supposed to have become Masaki himself. Yet, Masato Akitsu, that ordinary fifteen-year-old boy, did not disappear amid that entire process. That dumb kid still lives, struggling and screaming against Masaki Kihara’s schemes. So the question remains: “Who am I?”
Miku doesn’t waver in her answer: “You’re Masato… the same Masato I’ve known all this time.”
Masato marvel at what a gentle person she is – not just her, even. All of the Hakkeshu had such noble hearts… how can it be that he, their creator, is such scum? Miku disagrees, saying they were created as they were precisely because there’s something pure and beautiful within him.
She asks him to leave the Zeorymer and come with her elsewhere – that way, she’s certain he’ll remain Masato. He thanks her for the offer but it can’t be done, not while his other self remains with the Haudragon.
Right then, Oki enters the room: a transmission for Masato has just come in… from Yura. Masato will take her call, as part of his final duty.
Yura figures he already know everything and Masato confirms; she proclaims that the victor between the two of them will emerge as the true Hades. Now, she’s staring at a switch that, once pressed, will destroy the entire world – if Masato wishes to stop that, then he’d best come for her.
Yura ends the call and Masato tells a worried Miku that he can’t run from this. He needs to settle things with his other self and erase Masaki’s lingering evil for good. Miku wants to come with him but Masato isn’t willing to let her and the rest of the Magnate Ten get further involved in this.
He leaves, saying he’ll take care of it by himself.
: (… Yes… It should only be me… It’s time to put a definitive end to that man’s… Masaki Kihara’s evil.): (Though this might not stem the tide, ever flowing towards the end… if they – the Magnate Ten – are around, then maybe…)
: Masato…
: Mr. Oki… be well…: Is there nothing I can do, Masato…?: …: …I see.: Don’t... don’t tell the Magnate Ten about any of this, please. : Just let them know that… the Zeorymer and Masato Akitsu vanished along with their destiny.: …*Door opens.*
: …
: Miku… you…: … I have some memories of where the Tekkoryu Castle is located. We should be able to teleport there if we follow them.: …
: Please… let me come with you.: …