The Hagane and Hiryu Custom were gone. High above the ruins of Langley Base, we stood on the Shirogane's bridge, patched through to Mekibos.
"We're ready to receive you. We're heading to Dolm ahead of schedule."
"Roger that."
Vindel nodded. Dolm: the orbital fortress the Inspectors had dragged in to replace the White Star. Not quite as massive, but still a monster.
"One more thing—don't pull any funny stunts. Our boss may look cute, but she's got teeth."
"I'll keep it in mind."
"Later."
The line cut. Cute face, huh. Even her own brother, Mekibos, spoke of her like a loaded gun. That was Wendolo in a nutshell.
"Quite the laid-back alien," Lemon remarked. "And 'cute face'—so their boss is a girl?"
"Or a baby-faced kid," Axel said.
"No way a child's running the show."
"Who knows?" Axel shrugged. "Vindel—what's our move? Straight to Dolm?"
"Yeah. Look below. The surface is crawling with Einst. We need eyes on the Inspectors—fast."
Below. Always below.
"Lee—status report."
"Hagane and Hiryu Custom—location unknown. Einst proliferation ongoing. Federation and Neue DC forces engaged, but they won't last long."
"First time facing Einst today," Lemon mused, "and there's a fake Gespenst Mk-III? Feels like bad karma."
"If that knockoff hadn't shown up, I'd have finished Beowulf," Axel said.
"Perfect timing—like it came to save him," Lemon said. "Think it actually did?"
She was probably right. Excellen senses Kyosuke's crisis → Alfimi, linked to her, picks it up → spawns an endless swarm of Einst to bail him out. That was the truth. But no way was Axel saying it out loud.
"Either way," he said instead, "W17's old report checks out. Einst are definitely tied to something."
"Agreed," Vindel said. "But if they're mobilizing in earnest, things just got messy."
Lemon nodded. "Uncontrolled war is just demolition. We need to rebuild our forces—for the worst case."
"Which means using—no, cooperating with—the Inspectors," Axel corrected.
"System XN as bait," Vindel confirmed.
"Dolm's fine," Lemon said, "but what about Earth Cradle? We can't just abandon it. Dr. Fef's our ally. Archibald's there too—via Rose. And we've got scattered units planet-side."
Not just us crossed over. A handful of DC remnants and La Gias resistance had joined Shadow-Mirror. Small numbers, but enough. They were spread across the globe: intel, diplomacy, scavenging—tasks mass-produced W-Series couldn't handle. Blackbird survivors led the charge. Supply runs. Federation sabotage. Local weapon acquisition.
"Neue DC lost Van," Vindel said. "They're paralyzed. Leave Earth Cradle to Fef and Archibald. Lemon—send W15, thirty mass-prods, and whatever spare machines you can spare."
"On it."
"Lee—set course for Dolm. Axel—stay groundside with W16. Sweep the scattered units, then rendezvous."
"Understood."
"Copy. Can we use Ganland?"
"And Wonderland. But those are precious Trilobite-class. Don't scratch them."
"Got it."
"Move out."
We turned to leave. Vindel stopped Axel.
"Axel. One second."
"Yeah?"
"During the battle, a Viltvalken launched from Shirogane. You know anything about that?"
…Busted.
"No clue. Weren't Zeola and the others supposed to be off-ship?"
"Earth Cradle says the three you pulled—Cuervo, Ouka, Zeola—are missing. Likely defected in that Viltvalken. Last chance. You really don't know?"
"First I've heard."
Vindel stared for ten long seconds, then sighed.
"Fine. They're not irreplaceable. But there won't be a next time."
A pass—for now. Axel was Shadow-Mirror's ace. Losing him would sting. Still—Vindel meant it. No more slack.
En route—Ganland and Wonderland ferrying scattered units. Echidna's voice crackled through.
"Captain. Lacota Team reports dimensional fluctuation—heading our way."
"Coordinates?"
"NA334, Point UT878."
Close. …Here they come.
Probably Raul's crew. But late-arriving Shadow-Mirror units were possible. Better confirm.
"Our signature?"
"Negative. Not ours. High probability—hostile or unknown."
Raul, Mizuho, Raji. Excellence and Ladybird. Classic.
Echidna watched him. "Shall Lacota investigate?"
"No—they're beat from the Einst fight. I'll check."
"You, Captain?"
"Different signature. And I've got a hunch. If I'm right, they're my guests. W16—hold position, secure Lacota."
"Sir. Don't make Lemon-sama cry."
"I'll be quick."
He jogged to the hangar. Growsavior awaited.
The coordinates: a lone island. Explosions echoed—combat.
"There."
On the monitor: a sky-blue Excellence Flyer, wings spread, unloading its massive rifle into a swarm of Einst. Flight frame equipped. It carved leaping foes with a plasma sword—but inexperience showed. One beat slow.
"Focus!"
An Einst Gemut—knight-like—hid behind a skeletal Einst Knochen, arms ballooning into rocket fists. Axel triggered Focus on reflex.
"Make it!"
Raul, laser-focused forward, never saw the arms. Too late—punched, grabbed, dragged down.
"UWAAAAAHH!"
"RAUL-SAN!"
"RAUL!"
Mizuho and Raji's screams—from the grounded Ladybird. Axel pulled the Gun Rapier trigger.
Focus active—precision up. Thin beam lances shredded the arms, freed Excellence. Follow-ups hammered the Gemut's fanged maw.
"Phantom!"
Five drones deployed—laser blades ignited, pierced armor.
"Saved…?"
"Raul-san, you okay?!"
Relief and worry flooded the channel.
Clear the field before revealing myself. "T-LINK System—full contact. Chrono Engine—full drive. Focus. Guaranteed Hit. Double Damage. FULL BURST!"
Four wing cannons unfolded. Gun Rapier in one hand, Halberd Launcher in the other. Twenty-three more Phantoms launched.
A storm of light. Beam gatlings pulverized Knochen bones. Linear railgun speared skulls. Lanze Kanone skewered Gemuts in chains. Rapier and Launcher delivered killing blows. Phantoms rained laser death—Knochen, Gemut, didn't matter.
Ten seconds. Not a single Einst left breathing.
"What in the…"
Raji's stunned whisper. Axel landed Growsavior before Excellence Flyer.
"That machine—"
"Axel-san!?"
Nostalgia hit. He opened the channel.
"Yeah. Been a while, you three."
"Axel-san—what the hell are you doing? Attacking us, shielding us, saving us—"
"And 'been a while'? We split less than an hour ago!"
Raji's words jogged his memory.
"Right. My bad. For me, it's been over six months."
"WHAT!? …Wait—this can't be… my design never accounted for—"
"Look around. Is this where we fought?"
Excellence Flyer swiveled. Ladybird likely did the same.
"No… We clashed near Tesla Labs. Not some random island."
"Listen close. This is a different time—and a different world. You three built the Chrono Engine. You know what that means."
Axel Almer LV: 30 PP: 140 Melee: 226 Shooting: 244 Skill: 236 Defense: 233 Evasion: 261 Accuracy: 283 SP: 382
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Spend SP to enhance Slime performance) Growth Type: All-Rounder / Special
Terrain: Space: S Land: S Sea: B Universe: A
Spirit Commands:
Accelerate (SP 4) Effort (SP 8) Focus (SP 16) Guaranteed Hit (SP 20) Awakening (SP 32) ???
Skills:
EXP Up SP Boost (Lv.9 SP Up & Regen & Focus) Psychokinesis Lv.10 Attacker Gunfight Lv.9 Infight Lv.8 ??? (x7)
Kills: 151
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