"Muuta Base strategy, huh," I muse, observing the battle from Shadow Mirror's Rhinocerous.
With time to spare, I trained Infight to LV.6. Nothing else to do. The plan's simple: wave attacks. First, Solpressa fighters lure enemies out. Second, Lions and Garlions split, exploiting mobility to strike the base—current phase. If that fails, Barrelions circle behind to pick off scattered enemies. Ban's ethnic liberation tactics shine.
"But Shirogane's a problem," I note. The monitor shows Weissritter, R-1, Giganscudo Duro, Garlion Custom, two mass-produced Gespenst Mk-IIs, and Shirogane. Per the original story, Shirogane joins Shadow Mirror eventually, so sinking it's off the table. Neue DC wouldn't hesitate, though—if they could.
Shirogane's captain, Lee Linjun, overthinks, often landing in trouble. Federation brass's obsession with preserving Shirogane hampers him, but experience could make him elite. He's holding against the waves, thanks partly to Kachina Tarask's instincts.
"Captain, no action for me?" Wodan asks, eyeing Shirogane's PT-AM team, likely curious about Zengar's allies.
"Neue DC says they're the main act, outsiders stay out. They're not wrong. But if something shifts, you're up. Stay ready."
"Something will happen?" Wodan probes.
"My gut says yes."
Neue DC's commander is prickly, obsessed with internal standing over Earth Cradle politics. Three factions dominate here: Feff and Agira's Earth Cradle group, with the most sway; Ban's populous Neue DC; and us, Shadow Mirror, weakest in influence but strongest in combat power. Smart Neue DC leaders prioritize faction standing, but this guy's a small-timer, fixated on his own rank. Still, his Muuta assault is progressing well—credit Ban's planning.
Wodan grunts, impressed, as Giganscudo Duro blocks Barrelions at the base's front. Other PTs and AMs pick off Lions and Garlions. They've read the third wave, but low numbers are fatal. A brief gap as teammates return could be deadly.
A familiar psychic resonance hits—Hagane's here. "They've arrived. Game-changer, but the outcome's set. Wodan, prep for Hagane. I'm going too."
"Hagane?" Wodan's mask hides his doubt; no radar blips yet.
"Lemon didn't tell you? My psychokinesis syncs with Hagane's psychics. I sense them approaching," I explain, omitting I only resonate with Aya, Ryoto, and Britt.
"Understood. Prepping now," Wodan says, heading to Sladegelmir.
In Grow Savior's cockpit, I contact Neue DC's commander. "What? Muuta's nearly ours. No need for you—stay out," he snaps, blind to the risk of alienating Shadow Mirror's weapon supply. Lucky for him, Neue DC's marked for sacrifice.
"Hagane's coming. Prep defenses," I warn.
He sneers. "Radar's clear. Fishing for glory with lies? I'm not that gullible."
Hopeless. He needs a hard lesson. "Wodan, prep for launch. They've pushed this far; Hagane could ruin it. That guy's not readying Landgriz, so he'll need us when Hagane hits."
Neue DC's barely holding against Shirogane. Hagane's arrival makes it unwinnable without Landgriz, which he's not prepping.
Minutes later, Hagane appears, deploying PTs and AMs—same as Arabia, but sharper. I radio the commander. "Your 'lie'—Hagane's here, shredding Barrelions. Still want us to sit? Don't waste this push."
"Fine, do what you want! I'm prepping Landgriz!" he barks, cutting comms. Small man.
"Wodan, we're up."
"Roger!"
Sladegelmir, a mutated Grungust Type-3 from Tesla Lab via Feff's Machine Cells, barely resembles its origin, save for its drill-back and pompadour head. "Wodan, take point. No Zengar, but his allies are there. Show them your blade."
"My thanks," Wodan replies, launching Sladegelmir, gliding with raw power.
Hagane and Shirogane, thinking enemies cleared, miss Sladegelmir's approach. As they scramble, Wodan's voice booms over open frequency: "I am Wodan Ymir, Magus's blade!"
He aims Sladegelmir's colossal Zankantou at Alteisen. "Target confirmed! Gespenst Mk-III!"
Sladegelmir charges, swinging Zankantou. Alteisen, caught by Wodan's Zengar-like declaration, only manages to shield with its armored shoulder. The blade cleaves Alteisen's Square Claymore in half.
"Kyosuke!?" Excellen cries.
"Lieutenant!" Britt adds.
"Ugh!" Kyosuke groans. "If not Alteisen, I'd be split… but I'm fine."
"You parried my Zankantou. Worthy, Beowulf—no, Kyosuke Nanbu!" Wodan roars.
I land Grow Savior beside Sladegelmir. Britt, sensing my resonance, turns his black Huckebein Mk-II. "That feeling…"
"Been a while. Since Arabia," I reply over open frequency.
"You, from that special unit!?" Britt exclaims.
"Switching units? Quite the playboy," Irm adds.
Grow Savior was in overhaul then; Vaisaga was temporary. "This is my main."
"How's that unit here!?" Kai Kitamura's voice—familiar from Washington—cuts in.
"You know it, Major?" Britt asks.
"From Operation SRW," Kai replies. "An Aerogater unit, codenamed Invisible Man. It attacked allies and vanished. Might tie to White Star's disappearance. Top-secret."
"DC's allied with Aerogaters!?" Britt gasps.
ASRS and spatial storage differ, but the Federation's suspicions hit close. "Enough about me. Time to work," I say, then to Wodan: "Do it."
"Understood! Zankantou, Lightning Strike!"
Wodan's slashes devastate the base, one hitting the command center, eliciting screams.
"Captain Axel, enough stalling. Retreat!" the commander yells.
His selfishness draws a smirk, but staying risks Landgriz fire. I switch to Shadow Mirror's channel. "W15, pull back. No fun getting caught in friendly fire."
"Roger."
We retreat to Rhinocerous as Landgriz units advance, sealing Muuta's fate.
Landgriz barrages echo as we return. Grow Savior could've been faster, but Sladegelmir slowed us. In the hangar, Ban's speech has begun.