Part 260: Special Disk Mission 3-1 - Fierce Melee: The Warriors' Day Off!

Glory Star Report Chapter 1


The third Special Disc Story, Glory Star Report!


Clearing Beater Services: Business Journal gives another 1 Million credits, 1000 Blue Stones 1000 PP for all Pilots, and most importantly a Shadow Angel Feather to the big pile of stuff we get at the start.


Since Setsuko appears, we get to set her birthday and bloodtype again.



This time, I pick 12/12 with Type O. If you'll recall from my New Game+ review, this gives Setsuko Boost. On to the show!


Multidimensional year 9/16/0001.

ZEUTH has departed Tampagounda Base for Zaft’s Gibraltar Base.
As the chaos in the world continues to accelerate, both myself and ZEUTH occasionally finds ourselves pondering what role we can play. It's unclear how much firepower lies hidden within the transformed Gunnery Carver, but I am determined to bring that concealed strength forth. Still, am I really worthy of the Glory Star name...? These doubts give me pause to this day.

- Glory Star 3rd


Location: Western Galia


Aboard the King Beal, Raven’s passing along an invitation from Sandman for us to visit his summer villa – it’s right along the path to Gibraltar. This is also meant as a vacation for the Maid Corps. so the other Earthgertz members will also be there.
Heizaemon concedes that there’re still a few days before our meeting with Durandal and seeing how Bright and Talia didn’t oppose the idea, we agree to the invitation. Sandman is sure to be pleased.
Since Raven will be busy with matters in Japan, Tessera and the others will be greeting us when we arrive. Umee does notice that Raven looks a bit dejected over having to work when everyone else is relaxing – his slow, sighing denial doesn’t fool anyone.


When the team arrives, Eiji double-checks that this is the right place. Indeed, Eina confirms it. And this is still western Galia? Yep. In Sayaka’s world, this part of the world would be Northern Africa – more specifically, around the Saharan Desert.
“Where do you see ‘Africa’ in this?! This is a Japanese spa through and through!” Eiji yells, dumbfounded.
Toshiya wonders if the whole place was warped from Japan due to the Break the World. No, Julie takes a look around and everything – mountains and rivers included – appears manmade. Yeah, Sandman had this entire region built.


The guy appears, glad that they’re taken with the place and bids everyone a hearty welcome to the 愚裸美温泉 (Gu.Ra.Vi.Onsen/Spa…): paradise on earth.


Some time later, Tetsuya and Jun are blown away. They’d heard Sandman was rich as balls but this is still very impressive. Guess there’s nothing the rich can’t do.
This kind of feels like a tremendous waste of cash for Shinn but Setsuko tells him to forget about it: Sandman does what he feels like, always staying true to his aesthetics. Well, Lunamaria isn’t about to let these nitpicks get in the way of our first chance to relax in a long while.
Camille is all for that and so is Kiraken: there’s a ton of food for everyone and even our captains are allowing themselves to drink a pint. Minako, meanwhile, speaks of the good the hot springs do for the skin.


Gwen and Loran had heard of Yapan’s spas before but the warm waters have proven far more relaxing than advertised. Still, Camille wonders what could be next seeing how they were all called to the spa’s rec room.
Maybe there’s some karaoke planned, Eiji wonders. If so, he’s ready to show everyone his singing chops.
“You, singing? I can’t even begin to imagine how bad that’ll be,” Shinn quips.
Runa tries inviting Touga to do a duet with her… but, first, she’ll need to explain what karaoke actually is. Luna doesn’t mind a singing tournament and psyches herself up for it, Meyrin sighing at her competitiveness.


But, hold on, the maids are enter and Marinia passes on a message from Sandman: even when resting, warriors mustn’t forgo combat. With that in mind, Twille declares they’ll be having some fun duels.
Sounds contradictory to Keiko and Uchuuta but Tria directs their attention to a green table they’ve set in the room.
“Ladies and gentlemen! Now marks the beginning of our local ping-pong tournament, the Sandman Cup!”



: So, a ping-pong tourney’s going on right now?
: Right, two versus two matches. They drew random pairs of men and women.
: The winning team will go against the champion: Sandman and his teammate. There’s a pretty big prize waiting if they win.
: A prize prepared by Sandman himself… It must be something amazing.
: The first round has already gone by, with 8 teams going to the quarterfinals.
: Uchuuta and I already lost, though.
: What about you, Ichitaro?
: …We also lost – badly.
: Let me tell you, captain. Ichitaro had a real shot at this with me, but you wouldn’t believe how many times he whiffed the ball.
: B-but what was I supposed to do, with you in that robe?! It was so distracting…
: Distracting?
: You’re not gonna make me say it, are you?!
: For shame, Ichitaro! How can you call yourself the King Beal’s gunner – or even this fisherman’s son – with that attitude?!
: A man always stands strong! A man never backs down! A man always gives 1000%!!
: Y-yes, sir!
: OK… captain, I think you’ve had a bit too much to drink.


: That was too bad, Setsuko. We did pretty well but it didn’t take…
: Shoorryy, Camille... If I got dat sherve right, we coulda won.
: No, no… it was a good game. It was Amuro’s perceptiveness that sealed their victory.
: "I shee it...! Tweeweweeep!" ...And shtuff like dat...
: Blah… dem Aces are tough… game or not…
: Setsuko… you’re beet red.
: I’m twenty, okay, boy-o? Just had a lil’ beer, is all. Heheheh…
: (I dunno ‘bout the taste, Chief, but a cold beer is a pretty good time…)


: I’m sorry, Master Tetsuya… I wasn’t helpful at all as your partner…
: Don’t beat yourself over it, Cecille. All we’ve to do now is accept that our opponents were stronger.
: That said, it’s important for you to exercise. If you can, make sure you push your training further.
: Okay. I’ll work even harder washing and cleaning.
: Well, aren’t you a nice guy, Tetsuya! What happened to the nasty drill sergeant we usually see?
: Hah, you’re one to talk… I saw you busting your ass covering for Leele.
: My thanks for the help, Kouji. I… I had a lot of fun.
: Heheh… Sucks that we lost but I still got quite the workout.


: Everyone seems to be having a good time.
: Yep, just look at Cecille and Lady Leele’s smiles! Kouji and Tetsuya are so cool!
: And on the other side of the spectrum…
: What? What’s the problem, girls?
: Are you that bummed out that you got paired with us?!
: Y-you’re mean…! That’s discrimination!!


: This was a surprise, Lt. Quattro… I didn’t expect you to take part in this game.
: Even I have a life beyond the battlefield… though it seems I’m far less suited for this than piloting an MS.
: Many thanks for being the lady’s partner, Lt.
: You could’ve stood to work harder on our game instead of fussing so much over her, Loran!
: P-Please forgive me, Ms. Minako! It’s just… I never played this sort of game before…
: (Hahah… Perhaps it’s Loran’s fate to be pushed around by young ladies…)


: Too bad, Meyrin. We couldn’t best Lunamaria’s team.
: I kind of expected it – she’s always been the athletic one. What about you, Touga? Aren’t you miffed that you lost to Eiji?
: What is “miffed”?
: (Oh, Eiji… you finally beat Touga at something and he doesn’t even care.)
: (Welp… Touga has such a nice voice but he’s a bit of an oddball…)
: And are you alright, Eina? You also look very worn out.
: I’m not physically tired… it’s my brain that’s on the verge of collapse.
: That was a shame, Eina. Had I managed to fully impart my sport’s theory to you, there was a very big chance that we could’ve taken the cup.
: Your lessons are too complicated for me, though!
: Look at them… Touga and Julie both got great partners…
: What’s the matter, Kiraken?! Why are you grumbling when you got me as your partner?! Ours is the strongest duo across all teams!
: True but that meant all your balls went out of bounds… You can’t win like that.
: Certainly. Still, I cannot help but envy Mrs. Hanae’s strength.
: Thank you for doing this, professor. I was so happy that we were put together.
: Though my entire body now aches like there’s no tomorrow. I believe I’ll take yet another soak in the hot springs.
: Hmhm… And when you’re done, I’ll give your shoulders a massage to help them relax.
: My friends…! Though I am loath to say this amidst your rest, we’ve an emergency on our hands!
: What happened, Sandman?
: We’ve detected Zeravire not too far from here. It’s possible they were lurking within the magma of the nearby volcano.
: Understood. We’ll intercept them ASAP.
: But, captain, with everyone resting, we never had a chance to set their attack teams!
: …Tessera, what’s the status of the Sandman Cup?
: We have just finished the first round and eight teams have qualified for the quarterfinals, sir.
: Then they’ll deploy as those teams.
: Huh?!
: They have all made it through the first round. Their teamwork is beyond reproach.
: Alright… we’ll allocate the defeated members accordingly to act as support!
: And if you’ll forgive my arrogance, I’ll be taking charge of today’s operation…!


Special Disk 3-1 – Fierce Melee: The Warriors' Day Off!


: Fellows of ZEUTH – deploy!



: Good luck, everyone!
: We cannot fight but…
: We’ll cheer for you as best we can!
: I can’t well call myself a man if I get dropped now, huh?
: Let’s get to work, then, Kouji!
: Hey, hold it right there! Maria’s my partner for this one!
: Here we go, Katz! Bring your A-game to this battle and that spirit’ll win us the championship!
: (Poor Loran… always having to deal with this headstrong girl…)
: Lunamaria, please cover our backs.
: Back off, Touga. Lunamaria’s my partner! You might be the Gravion’s pilot but you can’t order her around.
: Roger, Eiji! Let’s get to work!
: …
: (Ah… I guess he is a bit miffed.)
: Aw… this kinda sucks. I could be playing commander on the Argama if Cpt. Bright and I had won...
: Isn’t this going a bit too far…?
: Your formation might not suit your style, Shinn, but you still need to focus.
: Worried about me, eh? Well, last I checked you lost in the first round, so stay close and cover me.
: Ngh…
: I’m sorry, Athrun. You’re only in this situation because you were paired with me.
: N-not at all… pay it no mind.
: I suppose this’ll make for a fine learning experience. How will they fight, I wonder?
: My friends, I believe the crux of the enemy forces is that new Zeravire model.





: We cannot allow beautiful Gravi-onsen to fall into the hands of evil…!
: Warriors of ZEUTH! May you dance magnificently in the defense of this paradise!


So here's the stage itself. It's... really simple. There's some Zeravire, but they're pretty easy. The game's locked to Normal Mode, no Battle Mastery, and every single unit now has 5 bars of upgrades including weapons.

Onwards to killing them!








As you can see, Setsuko does indeed know Boost. On the other hand, she's drunk. Should you really be piloting a Mobile Suit while drunk Setsuko?







Well I guess she's OK.











: Here we go, Maria! Let’s grab a nice win here and go for the ping-pong gold!
: You got it! I’m not about to be beaten until we go up against Sayaka!
: Heh… It’s to be a clash between Sayaka and Maria’s spirits? That sounds like quite the spectacle.
: Kouji’s so dang popular… I’m real jealous of the guy.
: Ditto. I’d love to have that kind of problem.
: (Sure you should be saying that, Toshiya? Way I see it, you’re in quite the pickle yourself.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8DrrihDzS8
Ya'll never saw a video of God Tomahawk, I think, so here we go!


: Don’t just stand there, Katz! Work with me!
: Hey, I’m not your manservant! I’m not doing anything if you’re just gonna boss me around!
: What are you getting at? Wasn’t it only due to my hard work that we made it through the first round?
: You know this really isn’t the time to talk about ping-pong!
: But there’s no way we’ll win the tournament if we don’t forge our teamwork now. Am I wrong?
: N-no but—
: Then do as I say. I’m sure you can pull it off.
: Okay…
: (Is that smile the best reward Loran gets out of this…?)







: Zeravire, Smellavire! Let’s take ‘em down quick, Jun!
: Easy, Kappei. If you attack without thinking, you’ll be playing right in the enemy’s hand.
: I said this before, but you rely too much on that brute-force approach.
: But I…
: (Beautiful, Jun…! Keep going!)
: (Even Kappei’s being intimidated by her spirit.)
: No ‘buts’. If you can’t see your flaws, you can’t grow as a warrior.
: Y-yeah! I understand!
: (Heheh… She’s Tetsuya’s partner, alright.)







: Let’s give it everything we’ve got, Rey! Both here and in the tournament!
: Those are two separate matters. You can’t place combat and recreation on the same batch.
: I know that but…
: That being said, when I take part in either, I always aim for victory. Cover me, Miashey.
: (Was that supposed to be a joke or was he serious? I’ve no idea…!)






: Alright, Shinn. I’ll be counting on you.
: OK but, fair warning, I’ve never played stuff like ping-pong before today…
: No, no. I was talking about this battle, Shinn.
: Oh! Yeah, sorry! I was a bit distracted.
: Why’s that? I know this is unusual but the hot springs should’ve helped you relax, no?
: It’s all good, don’t worry! I’m going in!
: Heh… Please do, Shinn.
: (I guess I’m a bit nervous chatting with her since we don’t often fly together…)
: (Still, she really is a very grown-up woman… I wonder if those rumors about her and Quattro are true…)








You have a point Shinn, the Methuss is much better paired with a Super Robot due to it's Repair module. No wonder you're never put together!


: Applying ping-pong team-ups to combat… It certainly isn’t an idea a normal person would’ve come up with.
: But it’s not so absurd when you think about it. Sandman is quite insightful.
: Everyone’s flying so smoothly, too. That’s the difference some rest can make, I suppose.
: His plans are all going so swimmingly. What an amazing man.
: And I very much wish to challenge the man, so we’ve to make sure we win that tournament.
: I just know I could’ve won all of this if they paired me with Amuro…
: Well… Sorry that you got teamed up with this dull man…















You get the Dijeh automatically in the Special Disc, by the way. So you can see what it's like if you didn't feel like giving Katz kills or first played on Rand!


: We’re engaging, Lunamaria. Back me up.
: Easy there, Touga. Me and Lunamaria are running this show today!
: But…
: Shush, you. Lunamaria’s my partner and you lost to us, didn’t ya?
: I… lost… so now I have to obey Eiji…?
: Hey, hold on! You don’t need to take it like that, Touga!
: No, no, it’s cool! He oughta get a taste of defeat every now and then!
: (He’s having way too much fun with this…)
: (But you’d best put all your back into this, Eiji. If you do win the tournament, you’ll find pretty much Hell waiting at the finish line…)
: Hahahaha! I feel like a million bucks right now! Here we go, Lunamaria!
: Aye, aye! We’ll be coming out on top in both this battle and in ping-pong!


























: Good to be working with you, Cpt. Löwen. Now how about we bring down these Zeravire and go win us the tournament?
: Y-yes! I swore to BrigGen. Edel that I’d fight with all my might!
: You really should relax. It’s dangerous to be all stressed out in battle, you know.
: F-Forgive me! But it’s just the two of us... You know how I get…
: Oh, come on… You act like I’m worse than the Zeravire!











The grunts are done, now to do the boss.



































: Victory is yours… and, better yet, you seized it beautifully.
: Whew… that was a pretty good warm-up.
: Alright, now it’s back to the spa…
: To wrap up that tournament! We’re coming for you, Sandman!
: Hm…



*Woosh!*

: Alright!
: And that’s the game! Eiji and Lunamaria are the champions!
: Oh, yeah! Glory to the Zaft Reds!
: Sis… I really don’t think the academy would care about a ping-pong win…
: Congratulations, Master Eiji, Lady Lunamaria.
: As the winners, you’ve earned the right to challenge Sandman’s team.
: Heheh… I’ve been waiting for a chance to take him down a peg!
: I wonder who his partner is, though…


: Congratulatons, Eiji, Lunamaria. I applaud your victory.
: (There he is… the final boss!)
: Let’s do this thing, Sandman. Imma show you what’s what!
: Hm… Then allow me to introduce my partner.
: Do go easy on me, children.
: G-Grandma?!
: What?! You’re Sandman’s partner?!
: Ma’am… have you ever played ping-pong?
: Hmm… I confess I don’t know much about it.
: Fret not, Umee. Allow me to deal with the two of them.
: Ooh, aren’t you a reliable young man. I knew there was more to you than just good looks.
: Psh, are you kidding? You wanna take on us both alone?
: Hmhm… Such arrogance. You vastly overestimate your skill and, yet, set your gaze upon the very heavens. It is my duty as an adult to bring you back to the earth…
: Indeed, this shall more than suffice to deal with you!



: A slipper?!
: What… you’re going to use that as your racket?!
: Heh…
: He’s so wonderful…
: That’s Master Sandman for you!
: Are you serious?!
: Underestimating us, are ya…? You better not whine about this later, Sandman! Let’s do this, Lunamaria!
: R-right…!
: Like petals on the wind, may you fall with beauty, my friends.



: (What followed was like something out of a nightmare.)
: (All those present quivered with terror before Sandman’s merciless offensive…)

*Swoosh!*

: First up is my Vanishing Serve!
: Whoa!!
: Ahahaha! Next, my Flaming Smash!
: Aaah!
: Hahahaha! How did you like that?! Even a fly could stop this next one: my Slooooooow Serve!
: Urk! God damn it!!
: Hahahahahaha! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!


Back in San Germain Castle, Raven welcomes Sandman home.
ZEUTH is already back on their way to Gibraltar and Raven can see in Sandman’s face that he’s feeling quite refreshed after the trip. Indeed and it is thanks to it that he could get his mind in order and decide to reveal everything about his past to us.
Furthermore, he’s brought Raven a gift: a VIP pass to every single spa in the world! This was the prize of the ping-pong tournament but, of course, no one had the mettle to pry it off his hands.
And it is Sandman’s wish that, someday, Ayaka can remove that mask and join him in the hot springs.