Part 115: Mission 46 - A Beautiful Dystopia - Part 1
And we’re back, after one hell of a mission where we unlocked three of the best secret units in the game. But now I have a problem because I CAN’T HOLD ALL THESE POWERFUL UNITS and the game sure isn’t making it easy for me to deploy everyone I want.
That calls for some readjustments to condense my main team, as the finale only allows for 21 slots (though Arnie and Saya’ll deploy as event units). But that’s still off in the distance; Kouichi, Shou and Kiriyama are deploying as event units today, so here’s how we’re going:
Joe/Setsuna
Aesap/Sakomizu
Liu Bei/Rennie
Kurou/Deceive
Mazinkaiser/Hebi
Alto/Masaki
Lu Bu/Kiki
Ishigami/Katou
Arnie/Saya
Fei-Yen/Lockon
Maya/Akira
Dancouga/Eida
Heroman/Miu
Kazuki/Graham
Cao Cao/Moritsugu
Kira/Kenji
Shinn/Lunamaria
Sun Quan/Domyoji
Jack/Yulianne (just because I still need to show off his DK)
Tactician: Zhuge Liang
Also, keep in mind that this mission is the cut-off point for Kazuki to have 200+ kills if you're going for the last Fafner secret.
Off we go.
: ...
: ...: Reiji, I...: You don’t have to say anything to me.: I just need to look at you now to see what a different person you are.: Whatever life you’ve been leading since that day has obviously changed you…: Reiji…: …: Welcome back, Eiji. As far as I’m concerned, you’ve already earned my trust.: !: Thank you, Reiji…: Thank you… so much…: But are you sure about doing this? Your mission’ll be extremely dangerous.: If a man like me can still be of some use, then I’ve no problems with playing sacrificial pawn. I’m ready to do as necessary…: You’ll be fine.: I guarantee that you won’t die.: Reiji…
: …
: Hey, still with the silence? How long ‘til you get tired of that? : …: Do you need something…?
: We understand that we’ve fought against one another on several occasions.: But now we are allies. If there is something bothering you, we are more than willing to help.: There is nothing bothering me.: Suppress your emotions and carry out your mission. That is how I live my life.
: …: Still…: Yes?: …: I confess I’ve grown emotional watching you people fight.: I shut off my heart because I believed Mr. Ishigami betrayed me. But, then, he sacrificed himself and entrusted the future to us… I suppose he just couldn’t help causing trouble. (You only get these lines if Ishigami’s dead, of course.): Thanks to that, after over a decade of suppression, my emotions have found their way back to the surface. 
: Masaki…: And what worries you is that you’’ll be unable to fight in the same way you’ve been doing now that that’s happened, hm?: I know you believed that being unfeeling on the battlefield gives you great strength, but--: Embracing those emotions as you fight is what leads to even greater strength, hm? I suppose that’s how your group has always been.: Heh, very much so…
: …
: King Sakomizu…: Hm? Is something the matter?
: No… It’s just that…: You… Come to think of it, you are Americans, right?: …: We all know that you’ve hated the US ever since WWII, but we…: Do not worry. Americans, Japanese… the distinction doesn’t matter to me anymore.: We are all people who call this planet home… Better put, our lives are the same – all born into the same universe.
: Father…!: It was you, the UX, who helped me see that.
: I’m very glad to hear you say that, King Sakomizu!
: …
: …
: What is it? Do you, a living mouthpiece of justice, find allying with us Shuras so displeasing?
: Now what’dya mean by that, eh? We are Hell and folks’ve been hanging out with us just fine.: I doubt anyone here’s gonna bat an eye with a couple of Shuras tagging along.: Hah… You are Hell?
: There is something I’m a bit curious about, though.: How did you two come to know about our world’s history and civilization?: Your history…?
: You mentioned Penglai and the disorder between Yin and Yang. While those are featured in both the G Records and historical manuscripts in our world, we found it a bit odd that you were familiar with them.: …: There is a truth that can only be uncovered by those who have reached the heavens.: You will understand in time, provided the heavens are where your gaze is set. : …: (A truth, huh…?)
: KOUICHI HAYASEEEEE!: Wh-What in blazes?!: Tell me… Why did you pilfer my rightful glass of milk?!
: G-Glass of milk…?!
: W-Well, this is kind of the break room, right? : I figured anyone could help themselves to what’s in the fridge…: But I had claimed it as my own by inscribing my name upon it!: See here! Look well! What does it say?! It is ‘Jack’, is it not?!
: I-It says Jack…: Hrrm! This is an outrage! You will pay for this offense with your life!: Whwhwhaaa?!
: Would you people just quiet down? If you want milk that badly…
: Maybe you'd like to make do with some of mine?
: ?! O-Ooh…!
: Wow…!
: Where, exactly, are you ogling at, you gigantic fool?!*Cast magic missile!*
: Waaaaaaaaaaah!If you saved Lu Bu:
: Hmhmhm… Ye shameless wench. Do you seek the proof of life so?: Huh? Wh-What’re you…?: In that case, I shall grant it to you!
*THUNDER!*
: Behold— MY SOOOOUUUUL!: Nooooooooo!: F-Fengxian, please! Do not provoke needless misunderstandings with the dwellers of this world!
: Wh-What misunderstandings…?
: I don’t even know what I just saw…: Hmhmm… That’s a Shura for you!
: It’s quite the fearsome man that’s joined us…If you didn’t save him:
: Oh? Would you care to take a closer look at them, honey?: M-Me…?!
: MS. YULIANNE!
: Go get ‘er, Emi!
: Jeez… doesn’t even look like our final battle with the Human Machina’s right around the corner…
: …: This is too weird…
: What’s weird?: Look at them. They’re all trying to strike up conversation, trying to be all friendly to people who were their enemies not too long ago…
: I guess… everyone’s just trying their best to be positive…: I… I don’t see anything positive here. It’s just a sham…*She leaves.*
: Kujo…
Location: Army of Mankind Base – Infirmary
SRW UX - Prologue
: Hm… Wh-Where—?!
: You’re awake… Thank goodness, Captain.: I… I blacked out inside the cockpit, didn’t I…?: I’m so, so sorry. If I could just…: If I could control the Accelerated Particle Engines flawlessly like Saya, this would never have happened…: You’ve done nothing to apologize for.: This is the fate I wanted – the fate I chose of my own free will, remember?: But…: …: Do you know the words ‘memento mori’?: Memento mori?: A literal translation would be something like ‘remember that you will die’.: That’s…!: Yeah. It’s pretty much what the Katou Organization said to all of humanity.: I didn’t have the time to think about what Katou truly meant back then…: But now I understand. It’s by imagining our deaths that we, humans, first come to understand life.: Death lets us understand life…?*Door opens.*
: The looming death in your fate has made you reflect on your own mortality, hm?: Prof. Shot…: Death, fate… God…: It’s when we’re faced with an unopposable, absolute force that we, humans, understand how weak we truly are.: However, that’s also what makes us strong. That will to face that obstacle, that strength to try and overcome it…: I believe it’s when those finally manifest that our lives become something to be proud of.
: Proud lives…: …: (The core of Tatsumiya did everything in her power to show Arnie and his team what life meant…): (In that case, what I have to do for Ayul is…)
SRW UX - Rebellion Against Fate
: We’ll be arriving at the rendezvous point shortly.
: The Federation Army’s Space Fleet is already orbiting the moon on standby.
: Oh, the Feds’ll be helping us?
: I had The Advancers rally their troops to reinforce our front against the Human Machinas. 
: Aah, yeah…! Now we’re all on the same side.
: So, I guess those Advancers’ll start helping us too. 
: Despite the issues they caused in the past, it is certainly reassuring to have such a lot on our side.
: (The Advancers… the clones of my father…): …
: Once we’ve arrived at the moon, Kiriyama will depart with his Pretender to carry out his solo mission.: Are you clear on what to do?: Yes: break into the Human Machinas’s stronghold, find the jamming facility and destroy it. : I swear I’ll see it through, even if it costs me my life.
: Your comms’ll go down once you’re behind enemy lines. We’ll be unable to give you any instructions.: If you believe it impossible to carry out your mission, then you are to retreat immediately, understood?: Very well…
: Are you really going to do this…? You’re actually going kick off this ridiculous operation and oppose God?
: Hmph, ‘oppose God’? Perhaps we are…
: A false God that has observed mankind since ancient times…: Yes, this is an act of defiance against that God. It’s a battle to free ourselves from its dominion, and we stake our dignity as humans on it!: But…
: Mr. Ishigami, your Machina can see the future, right?: Can you tell us if this operation’s going to work or not?
: The operation will fail.
: Huh…?!: … Would you just give up if I said that?: Is that a joke? We ain’t a buncha quitters!
: If you said that, it’d only make me even more amped up.: Heh, that’s exactly what I figured you’d say.: Whatever future Judah and I saw is already meaningless.: No one can say for sure what awaits us down this path…: Not even God.: …*Beep.*
Final Mission ~ Quantum Burst 1
: Guys, we’ve just received an urgent transmission from the Federation Fleet!: They’re saying a massive number of Human Machinas have come out from the Lunar Pit!: Tsk… They’re already getting to work!
: The Ptolemy and the Macross Quarter are headed for the Human Machinas!: While they’re busy, you guys get ready to carry out the op!
: Understood! Sir Kiriyama, board the Pretender and prepare to depart when we give the word!: Yes, ma’am!
Location: Lunar Orbit
: Gyaaaaaaaaaargh!*Boom!*
#2: C-Captain! We’ve lost another three units! #3: Kch… These are the Human Machinas?! The UX managed to beat these monsters…?!
: …*Prepare to fire!*
#3: U-Uwaaaaaaaaah!
: Trans-AM… RAISEEEEER!!*Boooom!*
#2: I-It’s… the UX! The UX are here!
: Skull Leader to all units! Cover the Fed troops and push back the Human Machinas!
: A mob of enemies are moving in! Engaging!*Swooosh!*
: Okey-dokey… Time to roll up our sleeves, Haros!
: Roger! Roger! 
: Deploying Rifle Bits! Deploying Rifle Bits!: Random firing!*Blast, blast, blast! Booom!*
: We’ll show these damned Human Machinas how the Zentradi do battle!: Nene, Lalamia! Pixie Formation!
: Esekes (Roger)! Dispersing!
: We’re not going down here! We will come back alive!*Swoooosh! Booom!*
: …?!: Now, sis!: Eat this and die!
: …: The Lunar Pit… Whatever could be waiting in there…?*Beep.*
: We’ve broken through the enemy’s defensive perimeter! It won’t last for long, but we’ve secured your way in!: Kiriyama, are you ready to go?!: Yeah. I’m all set!: Catapult standing by for deployment! Igniting boosters!: Mr. Kiriyama… Please be careful!
: 3, 2, 1… Commence the operation!
: Pretender, launching!
Mission 46 – A Beautiful Dystopia
: Kch…Rrrgh!: Phew… I’ve made it…: ?!: Wh-What is going on here…?!: This is supposed to be inside the moon, but…
: That looks just like Tokyo Tower! : Why is there a broken-down Tokyo in here…?: Plus… every part of this city is slightly different to the Tokyo back on Earth…
: Gch…?!
: It’s those new Arma models…?!
: …: No, these have been equipped with AIs… They’re proper Machinas!: Radar is still out, so I’ll have to eyeball this.: As for the jamming facility…
: The Tokyo Tower was built to transmit radio waves, and even the location’s still the same. That’s got to be the target!: Hold on, people. I swear I’ll pry open your way in here!
First step is to get Kiriyama over to the tower, and you obviously lose if he gets dropped. Downing all the Machinas’ll also make him auto-move there, if you care to squeeze out some extra cash from this mission (I don’t really need to).
As for Kiriyama, his spirit commands are Strike, Accelerate, Focus, Assail and Valor, with a squad bonus of Mobility +5, Accuracy +5 (Mobility +30, Accuracy +30, S in Air, Movement +2). Kiriyama’s a squaddie through and through, being on par with the Painkiller and Naked on terms of firepower; his stats are still good overall, but he just doesn’t have the capacity to stand out among the crowd.
Still, an Accelerate caster that boosts Air rating is a good fit with a lot of people (even more so if you get his 3-4 squad bonus, which also boosts movement).
I moved over here since I expected to get mobbed… but, as it turns out, the Machinas won’t actually chase after Kiriyama if he’s outside of their attack range.
But he does have a pre-battle convo for this bit, so assume that mook there took a stab at him:
: These people were willing to put their trust in me, despite all my past wrongdoings…: I’ll see this mission done for them and for the one man I could call my true friend!And the next turn…
: A brute-force strategy? That’s oddly old-fashioned of the Human Machinas.: But they’re underestimating the Pretender’s mobility and that’ll be their doom! (TV): That’s the first wave dealt with! Return to the ships and resupply quickly! (TV): How’re things going on your end? (TV): We have yet to hear from Sir Kiriyama!
: Do you think something happened to him…?
: …: That’s enough waiting around! We gotta bust into the moon ourselves!: No. We move in now, and our forces will be completely disorganized.: We’ll wait until the jamming facility’s destroyed and, then, Fold everyone in at the same time!
: B-But…: We must have faith in Kiriyama. That’s all we can do at the moment.: Kch…!
: Haah, haah… I’m not pulling back!: Running away now would be even worse than dying!
It’s fine, as the new wave of Machinas are also uninterested in pursuing him. The turn after the next, he’s already made it.
: Okay, I made it!
: …: What…?!
: Urk…!: But I’m sure I damaged the tower…!: Just one more hit and it’ll—
: Urgwaaaaaaargh!: Th-This can’t be…!: …: Did they know we were coming and had these lying in wait…? That’d mean…: Is this… Is this whole thing a trap?!
(TV): Do… ead…: There he is…!: Do y… read me…?
: Kiriyama!
: You’re safe, thank goodness! What’s your status?! (TV): It was... a trap...!: A massive army of Human Machinas… inside the moon…
: What’d you say?!*Boom!*
: Rrrghaaah…!
: Ki-Kiriyama…!: Damn it…!: Moritsugu, are you still going to tell us to just sit on our hands?!
: …*Alarm!*
: A second enemy wave has emerged from the Lunar Pit!
: What?!
: Tsk, and at the worst possible moment…!
: Wh-What do we do?! Should we get out there again?
: We can’t! All units are to maintain level 1 alert status and stand by!: The Federation Army’ll deal with the enemy!
: But those are Human Machinas they’re up against!: We’re supposed to just watch as not only Kiriyama but the Federation Army gets slaughtered?!
: Settle down and think for just a second! Do you still not understand what they’re risking their lives for?!: ?!
: ‘Tis all so we can successfully Fold into the interior of the moon! They are throwing their lives into the conflagration of battle solely to enable that!
: Are you going to make their resolve for naught?: B-But that’s…!: … Thank you, Hayase…: Kiriyama…!: Just the fact that you’re willing to help the man who once tormented you so… that is already more than enough for me.: Wh-What are talking about?!: …: Sorry, Reiji… It doesn’t look like I’m going to make it…: Eiji…: But… I will get one last attack in…!: I’ll destroy that facility… whatever the cost…!*Bloop.*
: Kiriyama! Please respond, Kiriyama!: Kch... Moritsugu, are you really okay with this?!: …: I…: I also think this is wrong!: …: We’ll sacrifice a few but we’ll save many. Sometimes acceptable losses are just inevitable for the greater good…: Says you, but I don’t give a crap about that!: …!
: Uurrgh…!: I-I’m not dead yet…!
: Yes, that’s it… come a little closer!
: Now…!
: GO!
: Haah, haah… Target confirmed destroyed…: I-I did it… Reiji…
: Graaaaaaaaah!
: …: Game, set and match, huh…?: But I could help them see this through… I’ve no regrets…*Charge up beaaaaam!*
: …: …: (Goodbye, Reiji…)
: Wh-What…?!: If humans are so limited that saving one man would mean being unable to save many more…
SRW UX - Linebarrel (Full Intro)
: Then, I… I’ll surpass my humanity!: Th-The Linebarrel…?!: Why… Why are you here?!: Isn’t it obvious…?: It’s because I’m a CHAMPION OF JUSTICE!
: …?!
: Haah, haah…: …: Hayase… Just what are you?!
: …: Vardants?! The Human Machinas even have those…?!
: Gaaaaah!: Forget about me, Hayase! Get out of here NOW!: Are you kidding?! I’m not leaving without you after coming all the way here…!
: Huh?! I-It’s…!
: The Ultimate Cross…!: Looks like we made it in the nick of time!: How did you guys…?: Did you forget what I said?: If we can detect their stronghold’s position, we can get its coordinates. And if we have its coordinates… we can Fold to it!: …!
: Sheesh, that was a very crazy stunt you pulled!
: Still, with Hayase warping ahead of us, we just had to ping him and there were our precise coordinates. 
: That’s our Champion of Justice for you! As you say, things are looking up already!: Hah, hahaha… Oh, you guys!: Never mind him, what I wanna know is why there’s a city inside the moon!: Not just any city – this is Tokyo, isn’t it?
: It a little bit different, though…
: (Huh… Have I seen these ruins somewhere before…?)
: Hey, Shou… This city…
: Yeah, it sure looks a lot like it…: But what’s it doing inside the Human Machinas’ lunar world…?
: I am very curious as to what mysteries lie within this land, but any investigation will have to wait until later!: Our priority now is the elimination of the Human Machinas! Show them all the boundless possibilities of humans!
Kill everything, don’t lose a ship, Kouichi or Shou. Only beefy units for us to face, including the new MP Vardants; they can hit decently hard, but don’t have a MP Moritsugu to match, so they can’t use any of the bot’s best tricks (or even dual-wield swords!). Still, the Vardants and the Machinas (actual name) all come with over 10k HP, so don’t expect to oneshot them with big hits… or a FUB’d Demonbane sneezing in their general direction. As before, be wary of the giant babies and their MAPWs.
Now, do be mindful that the plot kicks in after you’ve wiped out 12 enemy squads, and it’ll result in all your guys taking a -30 hit to their morale. That said, UX is nice and any systems that you trigger BEFORE that will stay active, so, in the interest of making things easier on you, try and spread out morale as best you can and make sure to combine the SKL, Dancouga and Odyssea as soon as can be.
Oh, and Kiriyama is still waaaaay up top, so pull him back right the next turn.
SRW UX - Envoy from Jupiter
SRW UX - Linebarrel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4zN84kpxUg
Hahaaa! I like how Kurou actually conjures the Scimitar of Barzai to parry instead of just pulling it out of a back-pocket as it usually happens.
SRW UX - Linebarrel
Accept no imitations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIA4Wj6WLRc
And here’s Jack showing the MP bots how to make proper use of their swords.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knOzr8Ew2sc
Also, the DK for Sakomizu’s second strongest solo attack.
SRW UX - Believe ver. HD
SRW UX - A Bird’s Song
And then 12 squads have been taken out.
: I knew it…! This place is…!
: What’s the matter?: This is what I saw when I was inside the Linebarrel’s cyberworld…: It’s the world of the future that Mr. Amagatsu showed me!
: Th-The world of the future?!: Yeah, I remember now! We saw this city when the Wings of Rean showed us the destruction in our future!
: It most certainly is… I remember this dilapidated landscape well!
: W-Wait just a minute-robo! If this is from the future, what’s it doing in the present…?!
: And inside the moon, of all places?!
: The Human Machinas came from the future, so do you think they built a replica of their world in here?: No… That’s not what this is.
: Hm? Did you realize something?: Y-Yeah… This city is…!: …: This is the Tokyo I knew…!: This is THE Tokyo from our parallel universe!: …?!: S-Say what…?! But I’m sure this is what I saw before…!: What’s going on here?!
: There’s a Tokyo from the world of the future inside the moon, but it’s also the Tokyo from a parallel universe…?
: Alright, I’m officially as lost as a nun on a honeymoon!*Ruuuuumble!*
: Huh…? What was that?!
: We’re detecting an Override signal! Something is warping over!: An Override?!: Can it be…!
: …
: Th-That’s…!
: A Machina… No, it looks like!
: That’s right…: If Judah’s intel is correct, that’s the being who oversees all the Human Machinas…
: He’s the cause of everything…!
: Then, that’s…! SRW UX - Linebarrel (Full Intro)
: The boss of the Human Machinas?!: Aye… He is that which, by rights, ought to not exist. A mechanical god made by the hands of man…: An Extra Deus Machina… That is to say—!
: A Deus Ex Machina…! A god comes to bring down the curtain onto our world…!
: …
: Ah, so that’s what it was…: It took a while, but I finally see why Hisataka sent us to take look at Arkham City back then.
: Deus Machina, a mechanical God, and Deus Machinas, godly machines born of sorcery…: They are alike at first glance, but their essence is very different…: …: At long last, you have made it here, humans…: H-He can talk…?!: You have so much strength…: Yet you insist on heading towards your destruction? Why?
: Our destruction?: Nature does not allow creatures who have lost their imagination to exist…: Thus, death is the sustenance of imagination…: Death is the beginning of life…: …?!: By taking away that sustenance, humanity will once again head towards its end…
: Wh-What’re you talking about?!: The sustenance that is death – that is, life-threatening crisis…
: W-Wait a minute, do you mean…?
: …: That the closer we humanity gets to peace… the closer we also get to our destruction?: Correct. It is not we who would be the end of mankind.: No, that is you. You will be the cause of mankind’s downfall.: Wh-What…?!: Again, and again… : You understand nothing, and, in your ignorance, doom your kind…: By fighting and prevailing against threats to mankind, we slowly but surely earn a lasting peace…: And, in doing so, we set humanity closer to eventually flipping its Suicide Switch… We’re the ones who initiate the countdown…: …
: Then…: Everything we fought for…
*Everyone loses 30 morale!... Except Kaido and Magami, who get +30 morale (this could be a bug, but I like to think it isn’t)!*
: Sophistry! Do not let his words dampen your spirit!: C-Cao Cao…!
: Yeah… Why is it that we simply can’t have peace?!: A world without war has always been the dream of not only us, but of so many!: B-But… that stuff about the Suicide Switch in our DNA is all true, right?: Which would mean…!
: Kch… Damnation! These people held such conviction in their battles and now…!: His words have shaken them to their core…!: We’ve been given a proper portent of doom…: How are we supposed to fight him like this?!: Come, humans…: I will grant sustenance to your imaginations once more…