"Colonel Vindel, Kenneth Garrett's actions have been exposed to Hagane and Hiryu Kai," Lee reported from Shirogane's bridge.
I listened from Glowseiver's cockpit. Vindel, Lemon, Echidna, and Wodan, also in their units, likely heard the same.
"So, that fool couldn't keep them fooled. Lieutenant Colonel Lee, surface Shirogane," Vindel ordered.
"Yes, sir!" Lee saluted, bringing Shirogane up from the sea. Hagane and Hiryu Kai's shock was clear on my cockpit monitor. Then, a comm from Hagane—a stern, honest-looking man, likely Tetsuya Onodera, the vice-captain.
"Been a while, Tetsuya," Lee said.
"Lee! You're… alive!?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you contact us!? We were worried sick!"
"No need for that."
"What!?"
"No need anymore, Tetsuya."
Vindel's voice cut in: "Shadow Mirror, all units, deploy!"
Our force was lean—20 Eleins, 10 mass-produced Gespenst Mk-IIs, 6 Landgrizes, totaling 36 units. We wanted to minimize wear for future battles. Ace units included Echidna's Vysaga, Wodan's Slade Gelmer, my Glowseiver, Lemon's Rapiesage, and Vindel's Trinity Gain, the latter two still on standby.
"Those are Neue DC!?" Lefina exclaimed.
"Lee, what's going on!?" Tetsuya demanded.
"As you see, Tetsuya. I've cut ties with the Federation—to wipe out aliens," Lee replied coldly.
"What!?"
"All ships, intercept! PTs, AMs, scramble!" Daitetsu ordered.
Hagane and Hiryu Kai deployed their PT and AM units, including Angeirg—exactly as planned. As combat loomed, Lamia's Angeirg darted to Hagane's bridge, pointing Mirage Sword and broadcasting on open frequency.
"Freeze! All units, disarm immediately."
"Lamia, explain. This isn't a joke," Kyosuke Nanbu said, calm as ever.
"No explanation needed, Kyosuke. Disarm. I won't force you, but you won't obey willingly. Angeirg has a self-destruct—not just explosives. At this range, it'll sink Hagane and Hiryu Kai."
"What!?" Lefina shrieked.
"You know what to do," Lamia said, her voice steady despite her inner conflict.
"Lamia, why!?" Arado shouted.
"It's my mission."
"Mission!?"
Arado, ever friendly, must've bonded with her. "Disarm now. Resist or retreat, and I detonate."
"You'll die too!" Ryune yelled.
"Mission comes first. Nothing else matters."
"Depending on you, everyone lives. Join Shadow Mirror, even," Lamia added.
"Shadow Mirror?" Kyosuke caught the name.
Then, chaos. "Axel, Lemon, deploy," Vindel ordered.
"That mech's the teleporter! And… ouch, that sensation—it's Invisible Man!" Bullet said.
"Huh? This is…" Ryoto stammered.
"Aya, you're resonating too!?" Bullet asked.
My unit triggered psychic resonance with Bullet, Ryoto, and Aya—expected, but Aya too, huh?
"Why just us? Only thing we share is psychokinesis," Ryoto said.
"But others have it too… and that mech feels nostalgic. You two feel it?" Bullet asked.
"Yes," Aya confirmed.
Vindel interrupted: "Good work, W17."
"Yes, sir," Lamia replied.
"W17!? That's Lamia!?" Kusuha gasped, her gentle nurse's heart shaken by Lamia's true designation.
"Who are you? Shadow Mirror's your group?" Kyosuke pressed.
"I'm Vindel Mauser, Shadow Mirror's commander. A pleasure, Captain Kyosuke Nanbu, Beowulf Squad leader—though I hear you're weaker here," Vindel taunted, referencing a Kyosuke from our world.
"What'd you do to our Lamia!?" Excellen demanded.
"Nothing. She approached you as a spy," Lemon replied, her eyes a mix of fondness, jealousy, warmth, and hate—grappling with her past and present selves.
"Captain Daitetsu Minase, your answer—disarm or not?" Vindel pressed.
Kenneth Garrett cut in: "Wait! I'm supposed to control them!"
"You think an incompetent like you can handle Hagane and Hiryu Kai? Know your place," Vindel sneered.
"Who are you!?"
I spoke up, Vindel nodding approval. Switching to video comms: "Hagane, Hiryu Kai, we've only used voice before. First time showing my face. I'm Axel Almer, Invisible Man's pilot."
"You!?" Ryoto reacted first, recognizing me from Washington, pre-Valsion Kai.
"He's…!" Rio followed, sensing familiarity.
"Ryoto, you know him?" Bullet asked.
"Met him in Washington, before Valsion Kai."
"Like Instructor Ingram, an Aerogater…?" Aya wondered.
"Nope, pure Earthling," I said, though my reincarnation muddies that claim.
"He knows my name!?" Aya gasped.
"Enough!" Kenneth roared. "Axel Almer, what's your game!?"
Sneering: "An incompetent who can't seize command thinks he can control Hagane and Hiryu Kai? Know your place."
"Seize!?" Lefina gasped.
"They've outmaneuvered us!" Kai growled.
"Steel 2 to all units, stand by!" Daitetsu ordered.
"Tch, clever bastards. Everything's set," Kyosuke said. "Vindel, your goal? This elaborate scheme means something big."
"One goal: create an ideal world," Vindel replied.
"World conquest?" Kyosuke asked.
"Perhaps. But only the creator decides what's ideal. Conquest is just a step."
"Your ideal?"
"Eternal struggle, endless conflict—our ideal world."
"Bullshit! How's that ideal!?" Masaki shouted.
"War brings destruction and creation. Technologies like Tesla Drive, Huckebein's EOT, SRX's Tronium—born from alien wars. Your weapons are war's fruits, humanity's wisdom," Lemon argued.
"Science is for progress, not war!" Tsugumi countered.
"History proves progress needs war," Vindel said.
"As the Colonel says, war births heroes—the sword against aliens," Lee added.
"You believe that!?" Tetsuya snapped.
"Only Shadow Mirror can defeat Inspectors. That's why I joined. Conflict elevates humanity, surpassing you," Lee said.
"To keep war going, you'll accept sacrifices!?"
"Sacrifices already happened—because of incompetent soldiers like you and Kenneth. Shadow Mirror's my ideal army—loyal, fearless. Only they can defend Earth."
Lee's hatred for Hagane runs deep.
"We don't fight to perpetuate war! We fight to protect this world and its people!" Bullet yelled.
"Soldiers follow orders, like obedient weapons," Vindel retorted.
"We're not machines! Lamia's not either, right!?" Arado shouted.
"Pointless. W17's a loyal puppet," Vindel said.
"What!?"
"Final warning, Daitetsu. Disarm—or die."
"Conflict drives progress, sure. But those who only see results, not the costs, aren't qualified to speak of war!" Kyosuke declared.
That triggered it. Lamia's Angeirg lowered its Mirage Sword from Hagane's bridge, charging Vindel's Trinity Gain, latching on.
"W17, what!?" Vindel barked.
"Lord Vindel, Lady Lemon, Captain Axel… ashes to ashes. Code ATA, activate."
"With us!?" Lemon cried. "Stop, W17!"
"We shouldn't have come here. Our world thrived on war. This one denies it, building something else. A construct like me, born for war, doesn't belong."
"W17, is that your ego—your will?" Lemon asked.
"Puppet!" Vindel roared. "Defective after all!"
"By your world's measure. Here, I've learned."
"W16, peel Angeirg off!" Vindel ordered.
"Yes, sir!" Echidna replied.
"You've reached the next stage. My masterpiece," Lemon said.
"I'm defective—deceiving allies, turning on my creator. Sorry, Lady Lemon," Lamia said.
Angeirg's explosives detonated via Code ATA, a massive blast. Glowseiver, at a distance, took no damage. Lemon's Rapiesage, pulling back, got minor scratches. Trinity Gain, hit point-blank, wasn't so lucky.
"Vindel, you okay?"
"Unit's intact, but System XN's damaged. Combat's out. Damn that puppet!"
"You can't fight. System XN needs you—retreat. I'll cover."
"Sorry. Lee, open the hatch—we're returning."
"For safety, Lemon, go too. You're key for System XN."
"Got it… wait, that's…" Lemon spotted Angeirg's cockpit block in the sea, retrieved it, and returned to Shirogane.
With Echidna's Vysaga and Wodan's Slade Gelmer flanking me, I faced Hagane and Hiryu Kai.
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