Part 173: Mission 47 - The End of The Black-Clad Avenger - Part 2
Alright, it’s about time we dealt with Kusakabe for good – I’ll be making use of as many Support Requests as possible to bring in people that have lines against the guy.Let’s do this!
: Stop it already, General! No one’s gonna be happy if you continue you continue your mudslinging. 
: We’re fighting for the world! We cannot surrender yet! : Before you think about the world, you should think about everyone else! : Tsukumo has been fighting all this time just for Minato!
: Why are you fighting?! Why?!: Because there are humans who would never understand our words!: And you’re one of them! Stop asking “why” and just try to convince me with your own words!: But, I…!
: If we can beat a mighty Super Robot, the enemy’s fighting spirit will fall! Concentrate fire on it!
: Not gonna happen! A Super Robot won’t lose to bad guys! : Let’s go, Boss Successor! I’ve got a big new-year’s gift to give you!!
: Retire your army, Excellency! 
: An honorable death isn’t really in vogue today…!: Shiratori and Takasugi…?! To think that you would stand in my way like this…: However, it is my duty to lead my soldiers and to accept their ardent souls!: Hot blood…that flame still hasn’t been extinguished…?!: I don’t think that’s a bad thing…: But, there are people getting burnt to death by that fire, so I’m gonna have to pour some water on it! 
: If you think about it, the Jovians collapse may have started the moment you people arrived on Mars…
: There are invaders coming in from outer space; this isn’t the time for humanity to fight each other!
: Why can’t you understand that?!: Princess Fahra…if you were to join us, it’d be like the Jovian’s defeat never happened…!: Silence! As a member of the Altean royal family, I’m an ally of righteous people!
: You kidnapped Lacus and Kaname for your goals but there’s no justice in it!: A few sacrifices must be made in the service of a greater justice. Surely they would be glad to sacrifice themselves for this ideal! : We’ll break that self-righteousness! No matter how many times you come back!
: Your Excellency…!: Tsukiomi…there’s nothing else to be said to you.: Excellency, I…!: Words aren’t necessary. Follow the path you believe in, together with your fervor.
: Some sacrifices are inevitable in order to create a new world! You must understand that!
: Destroying is easy; it’s fixing it that’s the tough part! : I’m a Junkman! I can’t sit quiet while so many things are getting wrecked in front of me!By the by, Astray Double Blade changes when Lowe is using the Powered Red.
: You would also try to stop our ideals?!
: We only want a peaceful world! Getter will be the enemy of anyone who tries to destroy that!
: This isn’t the time for humans to be fighting each other…!: That is why I took action! To unite humanity in order to fight against every threat!
: The warped ideas of a few people caused this fight…?: All that we’ve done has been for the future…this is a holy war!: Do you use those flowery words to hide your guilty conscience? : I won’t hand the world over to such people…!
: Please stop! We didn’t come here to fight!: Then be defeated by us! If we can beat you, who are said to be the strongest squad in the Earth Sphere, we’ll have a chance at a comeback!: You blockhead! If you want a fight so much, shouldn’t you be going after the Radam or Eviluders?!
: Your ideology is your own. However, I cannot accept the way you manipulated those soldiers.: They all share my ideals! That’s why we’ve given our lives to this fight!: Then, why were so many moved by the worlds of Relena and the others?: Accept it…that’s the world your soldiers truly wish for.
: Come on, Kusakabe! Letting you go before was a mistake and I’m gonna fix that right now! 
: I wasn’t able to go to the Winter Cosmiket, so I’m gonna take that grudge and pay you twice back! : Even the dogs of the system cannot understand my ideals…?
: There’s nothing to understand about your self-centered dream.: You should know already. Everyone’s just doing their best to live in this world.
Kusakabe is worth a Super Alloy Z.
Ryouko also learns Prevail L5 and Support Attack L3.
Sadly, since Sousuke was in his Bonta-kun suit, I couldn’t trigger his dialogue:
: A self-righteous leader manipulating soldiers…It’s just like a stereotypical military nation.: Only unified will and power can change the world. It’s required to make history!: But many who attempt such a Coup eventually fail.: I may have failed history class but even I know that. 
Ruri warns Kusakabe that it’s over and, once again, asks them to surrender.
The Successor troops tell her to shut up and are prepared to die to the last man to defend Kusakabe.
Kusakabe, however, asks her to guarantee the safety of his men before he does so; he tells his troops that their cause was lost the moment their grand Plan Kou failed, and concedes defeat gracefully.
As the Kagura Zuki powers down, Harry wonders if it’s over but Ruri says not yet, just as Minato detects 7 signatures Boson Jumping over.
As Ruri expected, it’s Hokuten who is determined, as one of those who dwell in the shadows, to not see the “light” return to the world.
Wufei sees that all Hokuten has been doing has been for his own sake, not for his beliefs or Kusakabe’s mission; he takes it upon himself to end Hokuten but Ruri says someone else will deal with him.
: Akito?! : As expected, you came here…Akito Tenkawa…!
: I’ve been waiting, Black Avenger. 
: …: Let us finish this. 
: All units, provide support to Akito.: Roger that! We’ll take care of the small fry!: Tenkawa…you focus on him. : Thank you, Sousuke. : Akito…is this going to be your last battle…?: Come!: Fight me. 
The rest of our units spend some time closing in while Mike lays down the beat for Golion.
So there.
Enemy Phase!
Hokuten’s cronies are caught in his Command Aura and are quite effective (his Command skill is maxed out and offers a huge accuracy/evasion bonus).
So much so that two Rokurens and Hokuten attack and dodge the counter while putting a decent-ish dent on Valguard, Golion and Gaofighgar.
Nothing dangerous, though.
Player Phase!
To compensate for their accuracy boost, I have Lapis cast Confuse.
The RNG is still stacked against me, as Gai Murakumo misses twice (thank god Kazuma assisted him or I would’ve been pissed).
Carve ‘em up, Lowe.
Good man.
Ryouma chains the three again, killing one of the Rokurens.
The kill yields a level up and Hayato learns Prevail L6.
Bonta-kun can take care of another one.
Two down.
Kazuma pops his Valored MAP, dealing nice damage to three other Rokurens and Hokuten –one of which was the third kill.
Ryouko chains them up with a support from Izumi, taking our fourth kill.
This one here is still full, so we send a powerhouse his way.
Good man.
Fifth kill!
Enemy Phase!
As the Rokuren wastes an attack on Gaofighgar, Hokuten has decided to ignore Akito sitting RIGHT THERE and chains our damaged folks.
Great Mazinger and Golion are halfway dead but they both have a massive Prevail running.
Player Phase!
Bonta-kun calls for a support from Kira and the last Rokuren goes down.
Now, let’s have a quick look on Hokuten:
Hokuten is dangerous but not resilient, that’s for sure.
Even though he has good armor and the Distortion Field, his HP is way too low to be a major problem; mind you, even with low HP, he still has an impressive amount of stats on everything (his Skill stat is HUGE, so you better attack with something that he can’t parry).
He’s got no MAP but, as you saw, he loves to chain-attack and his powerful attacks can be very accurate unless you set up defensive measures (Confuse helps a lot).
Hokuten is carrying just what you’d expect from a high-damage type boss:
- Sword Cut
- Counter
- Break Morale Limit
- Prevail L9
- Support Attack L4
- Command L4
- Multicombo L2
Now that they are all down, just focus on him and that 32400 HP will vanish in the blink of an eye, with or without Prevail L9.
Hell, I won’t even use Valor just to make sure Akito can take a shot at the guy.
Oh, dear…Gai is getting close to hyper mode!
Get in there, Akito!
: …: Are you going to hide your bloodthirst? Hmhmhm…I can sense that you are filled with darkness.: Shut up…that darkness will destroy you…!
Damn, boy…you really need to get some upgrades.
There was no way Akito could kill Hokuten with what little upgrades and morale he has, so let’s give this to Tetsuya as he’s lagging behind on levels.
Boom, bitch.
Hokuten is worth an Anti-Beam Coating L, a BP+1 and a Morale Limit Break.
Kira and Sousuke had lines against him but I ran out of support requests:
: You seem to be a tempered soldier…however, our techniques are far superior. : You’ll fall into the bottomless darkness as well…: We've faced each other several times, and I thought you were a formidable opponent, but now I think I was wrong.: What?!: You shouldn’t lick your chops in front of your target. That marks you as being 3rd rate.
: You’re the one who took Lacus…!: You’re the perfect Coordinator; if you learned our techniques, you could be the ultimate assassin.: I’m not a weapon! I…I am…!
: It’s amazing how far you’ve come.: …: I’ve witnessed true persistence. : It’s time to finish this. : A quick-draw?...Magnificent...
: Hah...hah...hah...
: With this, it’s truly over...
: Akito won…
: I don’t know if this’ll calm his soul but this is how it ended…
There’s no time to celebrate, though, as Aria has snuck into the base during the confusion and orders Kaname and Tessa to come with her!
From above, also, Carret detects an incoming attack from Database troops.
Kusakabe is taken by surprise from the attack and Ruri orders him to get to safe distance, as his fortress isn’t in shape to handle this attack.
Aria quickly comes outside to taunt “Stupid Kazuma” that she’s taken both Whispered.
She also gives Applicant the sign to move.
Applicant rushes to the ruins to grab the Boson Jump unit (still an object that they desire to study), with Yurika still attached to it.
Ruri orders Minato to intercept them but the Database troops’ attack is pinning us in place!
No one can get there in time and if no one does anything, we’re going to see all three missing women kidnapped again.
It takes Ruri and Akito crying out to Yurika to rouse her from her slumber, and she Boson Jumps herself and the entire Boson Jump Unit into the Nadesico's hangar.
Ruri thanks Yurika for her help…
Applicant isn’t happy about this but is willing to accept the success of one of their objectives with the capture of the Whispered.
Kazuma furiously shouts at them to halt and Applicant responds "No one halts when told to; if you've got time to yell, follow instead", one of the many Trailer maxims.
With a spiteful little "Bye-bye" (and a wish to see Mihiro again) Aria and Applicant vanish.
Akito tells a very frustrated Sousuke not to give up hope yet; better is to demolish the remaining bad guys and then follow.
Just when this mission didn’t seem long enough…at least there are only twelve mooks to kill.
Enemy Phase!
The Reus and Stomas move in but only this one gets in range.
Alright…
Mind you, the Opus jump right into the fray, attacking Hikaru, Ruri and Ryouko.
Their right flank decides to gang up on Lapis, though.
She takes a bit of a pummeling from the three but she’ll make it.
Player Phase!
I DON’T WANT TO STAY HERE ANYMORE!
There. Two dead Opus and some very damaged Reus.
DIE!
Gai Murakumo teams up with Kouji to bring another Reus down.
While Izumi and Hikaru are doing their thing on a Stoma.
Take him out, Gai.
Good man.
Volfogg takes another Opus – only one left.
Did you know that the new Phase Transition Cannon has a dynamic kill? The old one didn’t and I never bothered to check on past playthroughs!
Full health? Fuck you!
Hell, yeah.
Thanks Gai³.
To show things off, let’s kill the last Stoma with the Formation Attack Shooting.
Finally, Golion wraps things up (thank god…).
Akane asks Carret about Applicant and Aria’s location but, of course, their signal was lost in the confusion.
Shihomi calls everyone aboard the Nadesico so we can regroup and think of our next step.
All except for Akito, who has Lapis stay with us from here on.
Lowe and others tell him that he doesn’t need to be like that anymore - they’ve rescued Yurika and both of them can return to their normal life.
Gai Daigouji also wants his old buddy back, they can fight together just like the old days!
Akito, however, claims he's not entitled to take off his black threads and rejoin society; he blames his own powerlessness not only for Yurika's dreadful state, the same lack of strength that resulted in the deaths everyone at the Utopia colony, like Ai-chan.
Ryouko says that he can’t blame himself for all that but Akito says that had he been able to protect them, this wouldn’t have happened.
Ines for one isn't impressed that, after all this time, Akito still doesn’t understand a thing.
She reminds him of what Erina told him: Boson Jump isn't just teleportation, it's time-space travel.
Suzuishi doesn’t think this is the time for her to start explaining stuff but Kogane shushes him; Akito doesn't see what she's getting at, but Ines begins reciting the self- introduction of a little girl from Utopia Colony's Rainbow elementary school: first grade, room 5-12.
Favorite person: mommy. Favorite food: spaghetti. Favorite story: Cinderella.
She asks Akito to greet her and, as she says that, a Boson Jump signal appears inside the Martian Ruins and out comes a little girl.
She introduces herself to Lacus as Ines Fressange, but people call her "Ai".
She looks around, confused, and wonders where the nice guy who gave her the orange is.
Ines tells her that she'll get to see that nice guy, if not now, then one day.
She urges the girl never to forget his face, or voice; Ai in return hands over some kind of memory plate, saying she was asked to hand it over and Ines thanks her, saying it’s very important.
As she does that, Ai says she needs to go and Boson Jumps away.
Akito is stunned that "Ines" is actually "A"... or "I", as Ines elegantly points out.
It turns out she was caught up in Akito's original Jump off of Mars, when escaping the Jovian attack, being tossed backwards in time all the way to the people who made the Ruins.
They sent her back to your time, but to 21 years ago in the Martian desert and sans memory; a Nergal employee rescued her back then, and it took until her participation in the A-Class Jumper trials for her memory to return.
Overcome, Akito flees the scene.
Tsukumo intones that there are some lost things that can be retrieved, even if some of the intervening time can't.
He, however, is positive that Akito will return to us someday.
New Years’ day has finally drawn to a close, with some good (no more Successors, Yurika recovered) and some bad (Database grabbed the Whispered) together.
Speaking of The Database, they're probably set as our next target.
But first, we've got Yurika to wake up and Ines takes care of that.
Yurika’s first observation is that everyone's aged, which might have something to do with all the stress about her that's been going on; David and Yumi know that it’ll take some explaining for her to understand all that happened during her year-long hibernation but figure she’ll be OK.
Yurika says that she’s been dreaming of Akito all this time and asks where he is.
Ines tells her that he’s not around and she'll have to go to Earth to chase after him; but how? The Nadesico and all other ships are staying in space to focus on The Database…
Fortunately, there's a spare Jump-capable ship handy, piloted by Lapis Lazuli who’s talking to Ruri.
Born in Nergal's labs, she tells Ruri that she was once Akito's eyes, ears, hands and feet.
Akito ordered this girl, so similar to Ruri herself, to stay behind, by which he meant "to help us out"; Yurika can of course handle the Jump navigation, and Lapis vows to protect the woman who is obviously of such great importance to Akito.
Lacus announces that she'll accompany them, determined to continue fighting her "fight" back on Earth by extending her songs to more people who need them.
Gai Murakumo says that her late father would be pleased but Lowe asks how would he know the man?
Gai knows since it was at his behest that Malchio hired the Serpent’s Tail to keep an eye on the usage of the Neutron Jammer Cancellers; Lacus thanks him for the words, saying that she’ll work extra-hard to be worthy of that approval.
Lacus tells Kira that she'll look forward and work toward the day when Plant and Earth can get a little closer.
When Ryouko asks, Ruri says that she’s sure that Akito will return, and if he doesn't, she'll chase him down herself.
After all, she's got something to give him, and something to return to him.
Him, her precious friend...
We’re getting there…soon.
