Part 52: Mission 21 - Welcome Home ~ Friends - Part 2
We only need to destroy the Idun Sphinx-Type to end the mission, but we wouldn’t want all the cash and kills from the other Festum to go to waste, right?
Besides, your troops are likely to be far from him and it wouldn’t do to get caught in a pincer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-Rswe8H71w
Argh, it’s still their turn!
Idun Sphinx-Type
Pilot Skills:
Mind Read L3 (that’s +50% to his evasion/accuracy)
Support Attack L2
All Attack L1
Mech Features:
HP and EN Regen L2
Assimilation L2 (Threshold is 100 morale)
All-Canceller
Idun’s voice actor: Mitsuaki Madono (other roles: Yuuki in SRW Alpha and OGs, J in GGG, Celrick in SRW X and many more)
No more games, now you’re gonna deal with a fully armed and operational Festum Boss.
That Mind Read plus massive stats everywhere important (and S rank on land) means he’ll likely get VERY good numbers against anyone not packing Focus. His attacks are high-powered and while 100 morale Assimilation isn’t too bad since we built up plenty of morale, if you leave enough Festum around, they might just beat someone enough to get him closer to that threshold. And, if you remember, a Festum gets a full heal when it grabs someone – don’ let it happen.
Thankfully, Idun’s threat is reduced by the fact that he has absolutely no defenses outside of his Mind Read. If you can get enough people (with Strike) to close in, he can easily be downed in a single turn.
Except…
SRW UX - Obelisk
: We do not understand your actions.
: You use human words, assume our shape…: But if you don’t understand us, then why are you trying to act like us?!
Uh, oh.
: Say what…?!: We will not accept anything that is not us. 
: Our attacks are doing nothing to him…?!
: Hrm… What’re we gonna do now?!
*Power uuuuup.*
: A Fafner…?! But that type is…!
: Th-This feels… totally different from the Mark Elf…!
: Kazuki…! Is that you aboard that Fafner, Kazuki?!: Soushi, I…!*Tweeeooop.*
: Mom…!
: A-Am I going nuts… Akane?!
: No, that’s not a human… it’s a Festum!
: A Festum assumed Akane’s form?!
: I have one final observation to make.: We have limited your existence.: We are in the process of understanding human individuality.: We do not understand you.: That is fruit of your own denial. 
: Wh-What’re those two talking about?!: I am… us.: Then why do you use words?: I have ceased diverging. We are supposed to be one, so why are we having conversation?: …: The other Mir was meant to have joined with us, but it was not so. And because of its existence, I am becoming me. Just as you are becoming you. That is what I had to tell us.: …: We do not approve of you…
SRW UX - Mark Sein : !!
: Th-That Festum…!: I-It ate… It ate my mom!: Rrgh… AAAAAAAAAH!*Kazuki bumrushes Idun!*
: You… you killed my mom!!
: Kazuki, stop! You can’t fight like that! Don’t let an Aura of hatred take control of you!: …
: U-UWAAAAAAH!!: Not good! The Festum’s trying to assimilate him!
: Kazuki…!
Location: Mark Sein’s Cockpit
: …: Kazuki! Kazuki, wake up!: Gh… I-I’m…: Ah, thank goodness! You’re back!
: It’s been born.: ?! Y-You’re…?: But it’s only just appeared. You are on the verge of causing the core to be reborn, Kazuki…: The “core”? What are you talking about…?: Wait, hold on. What are you talking about?! Are you speaking to someone, Kazuki?: Huh…? You can’t see her, Cham…?
: …: Soushi…!: Pull yourself together, Kazuki! Soushi’s not here!: (My mind isn’t crossed right now… Then this Soushi I’m seeing must be…!): Are you there…?: Y-You’re…!
: Wh-What’s going on?! The Fafner sunk into that lava-esque mass?!: No, that’s the Fafner trying to devour the Festum!: Yoji, what the hell did you create?!: And Kazuki’s in there?!: I don’t know… But by the looks of things…!: Let’s join as one, Kazuki.: Soushi…: Everyone used to be one at the beginning…: We came from somewhere vast and distant… and then everyone was brought apart.: Assimilation is the way back to that distant place, a way that’s coded into our bodies…: I don’t exist anywhere. So I want to get back to where I can be one with you…: Soushi, you…: Assimilation is one option, but it is not the only one.: A way to go back and a way to go forward are both coded into our bodies… : Which do you choose, Kazuki…?: I…: I was afraid…! I was scared of myself for hurting you when we were kids, Soushi… That’s why I ran!: “Soushi hates me, doesn’t he?! He wants me to fight until I’m dead, doesn’t he?!” I told myself!: Kazuki…: Believe it or not, Soushi is actually grateful to you.: That precious wound made him who he is. It is proof that he is who he is…: Still, I… I wanted to just disappear! For so long, I wanted that to happen!: Day in and day out, I felt like everything would be better if I disappeared! But… but I also wanted to apologize to him…! Angela - Proof : Then why don’t you apologize to him? Stand face-to-face with Soushi and talk – talk until you understand each other!: Cham…: Conversation proves that we are each our own persons. You are you, he is he, and I am me.: Conversation…: Are you there? Or do you wish to not be?: I… I just want…: I just want to talk to Soushi again!: …
: Soushi…!: You have shown the core the path to follow. And, for that, I thank you…
: …?!
: I-It’s…!
: The Fafner’s come back from within the lava…?!: Kazuki…!: …: Soushi…: ! Kazu… ki…: I want you to cross our systems. It should work the same as it did with the Mark Elf.: You left… and now you expect me to just nod along…?: Soushi, I always went into battle and did as you told me… but I never really understood the meaning behind your words, or what was going through your mind…: But now… Now I think I understand, at least a little…: What, exactly, did you understand…?: That… That you’ve been suffering all this time.: …
: Soushi’s been suffering…?: You’d always worked to protect our island, even back when none of us knew any better…: You’ve carried that pain alone, kept it deep inside… as you did when we lost Shouko and Koyo.: And you never once let it show…
: …
: (He’s crying…?): Kazuki, what is the ID code of your unit…?: It is the Fafner Salvator Model…: Mark Sein!: Registering it for system crossing… Hold for five seconds.: Soushi…?: Enrollment complete. Initiating crossing!: Kazuki… Do you see what I see?: Yeah… I do!: Then let’s go!: Goooo! Maaaark Sein!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY47PTxU8II
: Wh-What kind of attack was that?!
: It ate the Festum… No, it assimilated them?!: …
: Tsk, we’ve got even more of them!
: More enemies! More enemies!
: But I think with Kazuki and that Fafner on our side…!
: Get to work, maggots! Huddle around the Mark Sein and pound the remaining Festum into submission!
: Hell, yeah! With that new power of his on our side, we’ll have the Festum gone as easy as 1, 2, 3!And, bang, Kazuki just got promoted from “good” to “how did the devs not see how broken this is?”-tier.
The Mark Sein, as you’d expect, is a straight upgrade to the Mark Elf – it follows the same weapon pattern, only with more stats everywhere. What has changed significantly, however, are its features. First you’ll notice it has the Norn System, meaning it now has a 1500 barrier for times the RNG gets sassy, and then you see… Assimilation L3.
Turns out that, no, that’s not an event-only thing: Kazuki can now beat the Festum at their own game and absorb any of them, regardless of HP, if their morale dips below 120 (!) after ANY attack… and his weapons debuff enemy morale by upwards of 30 (it takes a bigger bite the higher the target’s morale)!
The cutoff point is 142 morale: unless a Festum is over that, they’re getting zapped (it counts as a kill). And then Kazuki get a full refill of his HP and EN. It doesn’t work against non-Festum enemies, of course, but just sic the boy at any batch of the blobs and watch him go to town. Getting 200 kills with him just became far simpler.
Case in point.
SRW UX - Shangri-La: Soushi… I’m done running!: I’ll take my mom’s wish, your pain, all of it onto myself!: Then let’s do this together! Our minds… are now one!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Phxtru8_Z_4
Mwahahaha!
Now, Kazuki’s alone up top with a whole bevy of Festum, and while he could solo them all (except Idun), the Fafner trio and Heroman still need kills. So I’ll content myself with having him solo only A THIRD of that group while our folks are slooowly making our way across the map.
SRW UX - The Gate of Neidhöhle Opens
And that’s the fifth use of Triple Dog, so chalk that secret requirement done. As far as kills go, the trio got another 18, pushing their tally to 84 (halfway done!). Heroman took another 11 today, bringing his total to 42.
Now for a quick attack showcase while I trash all surviving Festum and converge on Idun:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVfLKdcjIww
Lockon now has funnels.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnGEVifHy0E
Cao Cao’s best attack.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVkq9aUnqLk
Allelujah’s Trans-AM attack!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14dBs5VfJ_I
And both Hypaaa Aura Giri daaaaaaa!
Be patient, you.
SRW UX - Deus Machina: How’s that guy a Festum… Think he used to be human?
: Do not hesitate, Kurou! He may be capable of understanding human speech, but that does not mean he is willing to parley with us!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I_o4nvpfpw
Here’s Idun’s strongest attack – yikes! Also:
Kurou vs. Festum: “Gaah, so they only look like they’re made of gold?!”
: …?!
: We’ve confirmed damage on the large Festum!
: Our attacks are working now?!: You don’t think… that the Mark Sein’s exerting some sort of effect on that Festum’s core?!
: Don’t know, don’t care! Now’s our chance to chomp that orange jelly!
: Concentrate all your attacks on him, my friends! SRW UX - Linebarrel: We reject the divergence of possibilities. 
: What’s wrong with these things…? They finally decide to say something different, and it’s all just a bunch of nonsense?!
SRW UX - The Eternal Soldiers: We reject your actions.
: I suppose the Machine Island hasn’t a monopoly on people who aren’t willing to listen.: And? They all die just the same! Come on!
SRW UX - Love Survivor: We will eliminate all that is not us.: So you wanna kill everything. Then quit beating around the bush and just say so like proper enemies!
SRW UX - Future-Bound Fighting Spirit: We do not accept anything that is not us.
: So what?! Nothing’d ever be born if all it took to stop it was for someone to reject it!
SRW UX - Roulette
: If you can understand what we say, then listen to us! We only came here to rescue our friend—: We do not agree with your proposal.: Tsk… So we really do have to fight?!
Idun drops a Monthly Shounen Adventure King (accuracy and melee +10, defense +5). The Festum are reading Goubine!
: …!: Now, Kazuki!: I’m on it! Deeeyaaaaaaaaah!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mgeeKWBqnA
“You won’t take any more from us, Festum…!”
“So long as I have everyone…” > “I’ll be HERE!!”
: H-He did it…: He engulfed that Festum whole…: That’s the power of the Salvator Model…!
: Radar is clear! All enemies have been successfully destroyed!: Haah, haah… Rrgh!: Kazuki?! Are you okay?! Stay with me!*The Elshank flies over to the Mark Sein.*
: Kazuki, open your hatch!*Open.*
SRW UX - Separation: Look, Kazuki! Maya’s here!: Gch, Toumi… Are you there…?: I am… I’m right here!: I… it wasn’t fighting that scared me…: I was just… scared that I would disappear…: I understand how you feel…: I spent so long thinking I’d be better off not existing anymore, but… but now I was scared of it…! *sniffles*: Come home with us… then we can talk again, right?: Because if we don’t, I feel like that’s when we’d all really stop existing as each other…: So let’s talk again and again…: *Sniffles* Waahaaaaa…!
: Phew… Least everything turned out okay.: Absolutely. I was so worried about Kazuki for a while there.
: You’re one to talk!: Heey, I worked really hard out there, okay?!
: …
: Kazuki!*Punch!*
: Urk!
: Shinn! You can’t just walk up and punch him like that…
: Do you feel that? Does that hurt?! I’ll let you off the hook with that bit of pain this time.: But you need to learn how to rely on others at least a bit! Aren’t we all fighting together here?!: Yes, sir…
: He’s got it right, Kazuki. We’re a team, yeah?
: If something’s bothering you, then come and tell us about it.: Thanks, everyone…: Well, aren’t we loved around here.: Um, Mr. Mizoguchi… Do you know how my mom died…?: Akane… she got assimilated by the Festum shielding Fumihiko from them…: Then… could a part of her really have remained inside that Festum…?: That’s certainly a possibility. Akane was one of a kind, in that she questioned if we shouldn’t try to understand how the Festum feel.: How the Festum feel…? My mom said that?: It’s because of her that I decided to carry on this research. : I see… Thanks for telling me, Ms. Toumi. I feel a bit better hearing that.: And I reckon he should be here any second now…*Door opens.*
: …: ! Soushi…!: Let’s talk, then.: Ah…?: What, now…? Right in front of everyone?: I don’t mind them. Now let’s talk to our hearts’ content.: It’s not that easy, you know. Besides, this isn’t the best place…: Don’t worry. Look, we have a table and chairs right there. That should allow you to talk in comfort.: That’s really not what I meant…: Hm? Are you dissatisfied with something?: I suppose we could have a refrigerator here with food and cold drinks. It’d be extremely convenient for conversation-making.: …: You’re so clueless…
: *Snort*
: Pfeheheheh…
: Ahahahahahaha!: Wh-What is it?! I’m just trying to have an honest conversation with Kazuki..
: Yeah, we get it. Ya really were looking him straight in the eye there.
: Right, that was really good! I don’t think we’ve anything to worry about here!: B-But… I haven’t said anything yet…
: Not at all. I’m sure if Domyoji was here, he’d say “Aah, it’s gone”.: What’s gone…?: The so-called “evil spirit” he said was housing inside Kazuki.
: Only Soushi was just as afflicted, of course.
: But those spirits aren’t there anymore. I think these two are much closer, and have a much better understanding of each other, than ever before…: …: …
By the Ptolemaios, Mileina’s welcoming Allelujah and Soma back aboard. Soma likes her new hairstyle, and Mileina proudly proclaims that she’s blossoming into a grown woman. Sumeragi thanks them both for the assist back there, also apologizing for pulling them into it.
But, as Soma notes, she was the one who wanted to go there in the first place – she felt something strange coming from that base. And that’s saying nothing of the fact that those machines all seemed to be drawn to her Quantum brainwaves.
Well, as a matter of fact, that wasn’t an isolated occurrence: Sumeragi’s getting reports of similar events happening throughout the entire planet. Moreover, all said events happened in rather close proximity to the crash sites of the Europa’s fragments. Looks like Hino’s theory was correct. And everyone, including Lockon, has a real bad feeling about this.
But the bad news don’t stop there, as Feldt chimes in with an urgent transmission from JUDA. What is it? The Katou Organization’s making a clandestine broadcast to all of Earth! Feldt pulls it up on the monitor:
: Ladies and gentlemen of the world, a good day to you. I am the commander of the Katou Organization, Hisataka Katou.
: Th-The commander…?!: This man is the leader of the Katou Organization…?!: We are going to draw a line down this world.: An impassable barrier, a new balance, separating those with imagination and those without, those who will live and those who will die. 
: What is he getting at...?: And in order to make that line perfectly clear, we are going to bestow the greatest of oppression onto all of humanity. : To put it in simpler terms, we are now declaring… our conquest of the entire world. : C-Conquest…?!: And, of course, we have claimed ourselves suitable weaponry for such a purpose.: This should be all the evidence you need.*Alarm!*
: Captain, we’ve got trouble! A satellite weapon from the Union has shot a laser at the surface!
: What did you say…?!: The island of Haifan by the Philippines is… it’s gone!
: That… That island was completely destroyed…: What’s going on…? Why am I getting this sense of déjà vu…?*Flash!*
: Ah…?! Wh-What did I feel just now…?!: …: I have to go... to that island. I don’t know why, but, deep down, I feel like I’ve known it since forever. The island, it was called… : Dragon Fang… Island…