Sleigh's Calion burst onto the battlefield, hailing Ibis's Asterion on open frequency.
"Asterion, as expected!"
"Sleigh! It's really you!?"
"Ibis…"
"You're back, Sleigh! Look at this mess—help me save Shirogane from them!"
"You piloting Asterion means Tsugumi approved you."
"Sleigh?"
"I told you, Meteor—next time we meet, we're enemies! I'm Lieutenant Sleigh Presty of Neue DC… your foe!"
"What's that supposed to mean, Sleigh!? Neue DC—what are you thinking!?"
Enough reunion time. Their spat bought the mass-produced Ws time to master Shirogane's helm.
"Lieutenant Sleigh, your orders? Why are you here?"
"I'll handle the interloper. Captain, focus on your mission."
Tch. Personally, I'd rather Ibis and Sleigh not fight and breed bad blood… but Sleigh's mood says that's a pipe dream. Use it, then.
"Got it. You handle that unit?"
"Affirmative."
"…W16, helm training status?"
"Just completed. Ready to navigate."
"Good. Evacuate the battlefield—now."
"Acknowledged."
Echidna's reply came as Shirogane pulled away.
Now, Sleigh and Ibis…
Watching Shirogane retreat, I pondered—then their fight kicked off.
Ibis's Asterion fired machine cannons at Calion. Sleigh's deft piloting dodged, launching homing missiles. Ibis countered with Sonic Breaker, T-Dot Array's energy field deflecting them.
Sleigh held the edge. Ibis, outmatched in skill, couldn't go all-out—Calion's fighter frame meant a crash could kill, unlike AMs. Though… didn't canon have Ibis crashing Calion a lot?
Minutes in, Ibis's voice cracked over comms.
"No good—I can't shake Sleigh!"
"Pathetic, Ibis! You can't master Asterion! It should've been painted crimson!"
So, Sleigh ditched Project TD over Asterion going to Ibis, despite being their top dog.
"You're still hung up on that!?"
"Shut it, Ibis! You're the Meteor—I'm the Comet to drag you into defeat's abyss!"
"Then I'll show you! I've grown with Asterion!!"
Ibis roared, charging Asterion at Calion.
Machine cannons blazed mid-roll, missiles launched. Asterion surged, catching its own missiles, deploying T-Dot Array via Sonic Breaker—ramming Calion.
"Too easy!"
Sleigh's shout synced with Calion dodging cannons and Asterion's missile-rush.
"My turn—eat this!"
Calion flipped, accelerated, rolling while firing twin G-Drivers. Unlike Ibis, Sleigh weaved tight, shots slamming the exposed Asterion.
Post-barrage: Calion pristine, Asterion half-wrecked but airborne.
"No way—RaMVs didn't work!?"
"Don't get cocky over RaM maneuvers! Think your tricks touch me? Want regret? Pull off real maneuvers!"
Sleigh-Ibis round one done. But war's no game. Let's test if Sleigh grasps that, siding with Neue DC.
"Fight's over, Lieutenant. Shoot it down."
"That's…"
Hesitation, huh?
"What's wrong? That pilot's your enemy. You're Neue DC; they're Hagane. Why hold back?"
"…"
Silence. Lacking resolve—Sleigh's big gap from Ibis.
"Captain, radar ping—Hagane."
"Tch, stalled too long. Lucky break, Sleigh."
Hagane stormed the zone, PT-AM squad deploying: R-1, R-2 Powered, Albade, Grungust, two Gespenst Mk-IIs, Schutzvald, two Fairlions… and Huckebein 008L!? Canon check—Riksent's where Lin hands it to Leona.
Leona. In that world, she and Yuria hit us Shadow Mirror in Troye. Not long ago, yet feels distant.
They readied weapons. Retreat? Shirogane's limping—Hagane could catch and reclaim it. Need more time.
"Pin Hagane here. All units, engage. Sleigh—fall back, guard Shirogane."
"What!? I can still fight!"
"Obey orders. Hesitating to kill? You're done. One last order: guard Shirogane, and I'll overlook this. Defy again, I report to Ban—kiss Tesla Lab reclamation goodbye. Want that? Do what you want."
"…Tch! Understood. Guarding Shirogane."
Sleigh retreated, face twisted in frustration.
Glancing her way, I hailed Hagane's squad openly.
"Let's see how much you've improved. Time to play."
"Don't underestimate us, Invisible Man—you'll regret it! Today, you answer our questions!"
Irm's Grungust crackled with fight.
"Said it before: beat me, I'll answer anything. W1-W10, pair up, one enemy each. I take five. Engage!"
Elains and Gespenst Mk-IIs paired, hitting two Gespensts, Schutzvald, Fairlions. My dance: R-1, R-2 Powered, Albade, Grungust, Huckebein 008L.
"Five-on-one? You're underestimating us way too much!"
"Don't slack. Invisible Man. Rumor says his squad wiped Africa's remnants alone."
"For real!? Never saw 'em at Earth Cradle!"
"No slacking either way."
Ryusei, Rai, Arado, Leona's voices rang.
"Five-on-one, like Ryusei Date said. No mercy this time—ready?"
"You know my name!? Met before?"
"Told you: beat me, ask away. T-LINK System, full contact!"
"T-LINK System!?"
Ignoring Rai's shock, I poured psychokinesis into T-LINK, amplifying my sixth sense—near-tactile spatial awareness, tracking every enemy move. A psychic barrier, like H×H's En. My LV.10 psychokinesis specialty.
"Scatter!"
Chronos deployed beam gatlings, linear railgun, Gun Rapier—blasting all five, no aim.
"Evade! Can't dodge? Behind Grungust!"
Irm's call: R-1, Huckebein 008L dodged clean. R-2 Powered grazed, hid. Grungust tanked, armor solid. Four minimized damage. But…
"Gahhh!"
Arado's Albade, slow to react, took Gun Rapier beams through its right leg, collapsing. Gatlings pummeled it—right leg, left arm gone. Out for this fight, but low-power shots spared his life.
Commed him:
"Tch, down already? Forget saving Zeola—watch her as Agilla's toy."
"You know Zeola…?"
"Strength takes what you want—especially from Agilla."
Psychic barrier pinged; I yanked Glowseiver back.
"T-LINK Knuckle!"
R-1's charge missed where I'd been.
"Fire Dagger."
Fired at R-1's back. Ryusei, a psychokinesis user, dodged most via T-LINK, grazing only.
"Follow-up—eat…!?"
T-LINK caught Leona's Huckebein attack; snapped Gun Rapier, firing. Magna Beam Rifle and my shots collided, canceled.
"Eyes in the back? T-LINK's no bluff."
"Sharp timing. Better than that world's."
Muttered. Makes sense—her DC War, L5 Campaign scars honed her.
"That world?"
"Wanna know?"
"Beat you, right? Sick of that line!"
Grungust's Boost Knuckle flew; vulcan pods fired, deflecting—not destroying—it.
"Still great at surprises."
"Head-on with a pro like you? Tiring. Gotta play tricks… Rai!"
"High Zol Launcher, shoot!"
Grungust slid; R-2 Powered's launcher fired from behind.
"Accelerate!"
Chronos boosters flared, dodging. Ten beams streaked past.
"Shotgun High Zol, not focused? Could've hit."
"He knows R-2 Powered!? T-LINK, this guy…"
Round two: four enemies faced me.
-------------------------------
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