Part 64: Mission 35 - Hemisphere - Part 2

While Tetsuya takes out the last Dotem, Kouji leads the charge against the Metronomes.








Keeping Iron Wall on just in case.


After Rom softens it up further, Elvy moves in.



: (Ayato… I’m going in there as well. I’ll meet up with you in Tokyo again…)




Dead.



Enemy Phase!



The Metronomes on this side gang up on Kouji and are promptly rocket punched.
The other packs move in, though only a single unit manages to attack.



Player Phase!


Another kill for Tetsuya.



Next.



: (Ayato… I believe 100% that you’ll come back to us…)








Duke takes it out.



You!








RISING SMASH!






And there goes 10k HP.



Tap sets it up and Elvy takes another.



Less punning, more killing.








Yeah, fine.



Over by this side, we’ll spend this turn setting up Masato’s killing field.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfbLMptyCrE
Purging the FA parts to show off another Kiba weapon.



Masato follows up after Kazuya.



: (Ayato… I don’t know what you’ll find in there…)
: (But I’ve faith that you won’t let it get the better of you.)




Build up that morale, boy!



Enemy Phase!



Ryouma gets jumped a few times but Open Get keeps him from being pummeled too much. He does kill one Metronome.



Most of the southern group go after the Zeorymer (perfect) but this one targets the Dendoh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8qFMUgrDrA
Let’s me show off the Kiba equivalent to the File Load attack.



Player Phase!



As Tetsuya nabs kill-steals more, I spot a chance to show off the Nadesico girls’ combined attack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXhijH02128
Good stuff.



Considering I didn’t keep the Earth route, this will at least somewhat make up for all the kills Masato lost!












And everything dies!

Goodies today are a Minovsky Craft, a Lamune and a Super Alloy nu-Z.



That’s all enemies gone and while Bright calls everyone back, the Vermillion stays out: Haruka wants Elvy to transpose the barrier and help her go after the RahXephon.
Elvy worries that she can’t use the TDD Unit with Haruka lacking the appropriate gear but Haruka says she can handle it – this isn’t the first time she’s gone inside Tokyo Jupiter. It’ll still be rough but she still wants to go for it. Elvy eventually agrees and as they go towards the barrier, Haruka thanks her for the assist.

Elvy sniffs a “don’t mention in” and gets in touch with the Nahel Argama to explain she’ll be executing the Piercer Sequence and the Vermillion will be going silent for a while. Ruri and Bright see what they’re up to and wish the women godspeed.
As for Megumi, Haruka promises to find her way back. Vega also wishes them good luck and Elvy invites her – and Misato – to go grab a drink once they return.



So off goes the Vermillion, extending its Piercer Field and transposing Tokyo Jupiter’s barrier. All we can do now is root for them.



Ayato seems to be in some expanse of nothingness. He’s supposed to be in Tokyo but where are Quon and her mother? Reika suddenly appears, saying the one he’s looking for is over there…



Ayato gets a vision of the MU commander center, with Miwa reporting that the RahXephon’s currently inert inside the Xephon Shrine. No signs of reverting back to its stone form.
Ayato’s shocked to see his mom in some priestess-esque clothes, as Kuki relates to her that Quon isn’t doing too well. She hasn’t worn her life module for a long while. Maya shuts him down, saying she’s well aware of the cause – what she wants to hear is a solution.
As he observes it all, Ayato is left to ponder if this really is the truth.



Haruka and Elvy are already infiltrated in Tokyo. Overhead, they see Dolems keeping watch over the city, though Elvy wonders why that sight doesn't bother anyone around here. Haruka remembers that the things weren’t visible before, so it’s likely the MU have strengthened their mental control over the people to counter that change.
Regardless, she has an idea of where Ayato might’ve gone to and can even lead them there – after all, she grew up in this city. Elvy does want to know one thing: why is Haruka so hung up on Ayato? She hesitates, saying only that he's a very important person to her...



Ayato’s woken up in a hospital, eventually finding Quon lying in another bed. She slowly says that she’s alright – just a bit tired. Maya, back in her normal getup, enters the room and welcomes Ayato back home at last.
Quon asks to hear Maya's voice, and Maya asks her why. Quon doesn’t answer though she seemingly realizes something; the two of them exchange words in some unknown language (“Naimu, mema, nekupa”; “Espa, masa…”) and Maya says she’ll come visit later.
For now, she asks Ayato to head home and she’ll join him shortly.



On the way, Ayato runs into his old friends, Hiroko and Mamoru. It’s been a while since they saw each other and Hiroko sees him to have changed a bit; Mamoru doesn’t know what she’s on about, considering the guy’s only been gone for one month.
It’s that “time in Tokyo is six times slower” business at work and Hiroko confesses to have been very worried. No one at school – not the teachers or the students – said anything, or even seemed to care, about Ayato’s disappearance. This past month, she’s wanted to see and talk to him again… but now she’s got no idea of what she wanted to talk to him about. How is that possible?



Mamoru starts losing his patience and tells her to give it a rest – she’s paranoid. Ayato simply went abroad for a month to run some errands for his family. Ayato slowly confirms but, then, has a question: Reika Mishima had also disappeared, did anyone at school say anything about her?
She was their classmate but neither Hiroko nor Mamoru have any idea who that is. Hiroko is earnestly trying to remember, but Ayato tells her not to worry; the girl’s freaking out, though, she feels like she’s heard that Mishima name before and is forgetting something important.
Is she going crazy or is everyone else around her who is? She wants Ayato’s opinion on this but he only apologizes and says he’s got to go. Mamoru is further mad.



: So, what are we doing here? This where Ayato is?
: This is the junior high I attended. There’re a whole lot of memories here… We walked to school together, studied together, grew flowers together…
: …So that’s how it was.
: I loved him – Ayato…
: Still do?
: …I’m twelve years older than him now. That should be the end of that.
: …Yeesh. I fell for it hook, line and sinker, huh? …Come on, let’s get going.
: Huh?
: We’re already in up to our necks, so we might as well keep at this, no?
: …




: …
: This is… reality… This is where I was… Tokyo…
: This world existed for you, Ayato. It was made for you and you alone.
: For me?
: But you went outside in order to become a true Instrumentalist. And, thus, this world changed: it doesn’t need to match you anymore. Do you understand?
: …Mom… what are you?
: One of those that humanity calls “Mulians”. Though the majority are yet unable to make it over here…
: We could only salvage a scant few from the “other side”: blue blooded people who, currently, can only exist here when a Dolem is synchronized with a human of this world.
: Then…
: Yes, the Mulians are people – humans. We’re not monsters.
: …Am I a Mulian, too?
: You are.
: And dad too? You said he died when I was little but…
: …I love you, Ayato.
: …Then why don’t you show me what you actually look like?
: What?
: Show me what you, the leader of the Mulians, actually look like, mom…!
: …



Hiroko’s having a hard time managing some stuff she's seen: blood changing color, everyone acting strangely… and yet no one thinks there’s anything off. She’s scared and heading towards Ayato’s home when she’s intercepted by the MU secret agents. They ask what her businesses here is but they’re quickly told to stand off – by Mamoru, of all people.
He asks why Hiroko came here and she throws the question right back at him. Why is he and these people around Ayato’s home? The very military-looking Kuki is also here, further confusing Hiroko, but Mamoru tells him she’s of no concern. Moreover, shouldn’t he making a report to Maya? He suggests Kuki get going.
Hiroko wants to know who Mamoru really is but he says he’s just him. Has he been fooling her all along? No but things certainly would be easier if he was, Mamoru sighs. He grabs her and begs she forget about Ayato and come with him.



Hiroko punches him away, causing a stream of blue blood to start dripping from his lip. Telling him to stay away, she runs off...



Back at the hospital, Quon realizes it’s been ages since she last uttered cryptic poetry: “The forest of indecision… the hour of awakening… the young boy’s breath shines silver.” And then she starts singing.







Back at the Kamina residence, Kuki reports that Xephon has started up and is acting far more independently than it ought to. Maya orders him to stop it with the Allegretto and Metronome.
Moreover, a dimensional egg (above) has appeared within the city – now that surprises Maya. Could that be the other… she interrupts Kuki, uncaring for his opinion. Rather, she feels that Quon has started singing and wants him to send people to the hospital.
Maya turns to Ayato to explain that she needs to get back to the military HQ, only to realize that the kid’s left amidst it all.



Ayato’s made up his mind: he can’t stay here. He bumps into Hiroko along the way and she’s injured (in the original show, she got shot by a soldier after running away from Mamoru, so I guess that's what happened here?)
The girl’s in a daze and upon her request, he slowly says that her blood is red (it’s not) – thank god, she thinks. Ayato tells her that he won’t – can’t – be here anymore and she feels the same. She begs, panicking, that Ayato take her with him and not leave her alone here.






: Hiroko, this way!
: Ayato… I…
: Huh…?
: I… I think I’ve been waiting…
: Hiroko…
: I’ve been waiting for you… For you to, someday, take me…

*SIRENS!*

: !



: W-What is that…?!
: RahXephon…!
: Huh…?

*The RahXephon closes in and lands right next to them.*

: Did you… come for me…?
: There’s no place for us here anymore… This is no home for us…! We have to get out – with you… So, please, hear me…!
: RAAAAAAHXEPHOOOOOOOOOON!!

*RahXephon howls.*



: This our way out…?
: That’s right… Let’s get in…







: Hrm! The RahXephon’s…!
: Ayato! Don’t!!







: The corridor’s open again?! He’s going outside?!
: Ayato! He’s leaving!!



: !!
: He’s gone…!
: Haruka!
: He’s gone…!
: Pull yourself together! How is crying gonna help with anything?!
: …!!
: We’ve no time to waste here – we need to get out as well!
: Elvy…!
: Staying here’s only gonna get us killed by these Dolems! And if Ayato’s back out there, then you’ll have plenty of chances to look for him!
: Y-You’re right…!
: Then let’s go! Piercer Sequence, initiated! Full power to the field generator!
: (Ayato…!)

*The Vermillion leaves.*



Miwa reports to Maya that Quon’s vanished along with the other dimensional egg, while Kuki also relates that the Xephon and TERRA’s machine have fled beyond the barrier.
Kuki wants her permission to send units in pursuit immediately, especially with that mechanical god out there as well. Maya still isn’t worried, what with the Star of La Mu still not shining; it's likely looking to see where Ixtli’s guidance and Ollin are headed…
Kuki wants an answer but Maya tells him not to speak with her right now. Fail to heed that warning and she’ll have him killed.