When Lovecraft Meets Three Kingdoms and Pop Music: Super Robot Wars UX

Is it normal that most of my thoughts regarding the Demonbane content in this game consist of “Oh yeah, it was originally a H-Visual Novel?”

Don’t forget during the scene with the pink mist, Kurou in the VN got a raging boner and had to anal Al in order to regain his sanity.

Pretty sure the scene was rewritten to be safer in the LN adaptation.
In the VN, Kurou’s beaten up before he can actually insert his member into anything. He still does end up getting a handjob, though.

Demonbane is really goddamn stupid, basically

Click to see the mission!


We open up aboard the Elshank, off the coast of Japan, where our folks pass on the news they just got to Ishigami: the team that stayed behind at Innsmouth, plus the entire HOTEL they were in, have completely vanished! Quite mysterious, and Joey doesn’t understand how that could happen without a single trace of evidence left behind.
Rachel reports that an analysis of the area hasn’t helped identify the cause of this, but Denton notes that a nearby air base detected space-time vibrations ripping across the area – the wavelength of those vibrations were very similar to the ones we collected when the Aura Road previously opened. In other words, it’s very likely half our team got sent to Byston Well.
Mike remembers our problems with the Hojo folk before, and Kazuki really hopes everyone’ll be okay. Ishigami understands our concern but notes that the world’s in a constant state of flux – we need to keep up our work to try and keep it all together, at least until we’ve more to go on.


That means carrying out our investigation into the Machina at Shimane – specifically, he wants us to look into this set of ancient ruins. We need to confirm whether a Machina was truly sighted around there. Domyoji’s attention is caught by those ruins, and Rachel remembers that he’s the local expert in folklore, occultism and whatnot – she and Denton aren’t in on that, so Domyoji can take charge of that.
That’s fine (though he warns that he’s not THAT knowledgeable), and Soubi and Joe figure we’d best send some escorts along, as there’s no telling when the Katou Organization might try something. In that case, Ishigami’ll assign the JUDA units to handle that, while the standby folks are free to enjoy our girls’ big show at the music festival. This is Fei-Yen’s first live outing, so she hopes to see us in the crowd!
Kouichi speaks up to ask if the festival area and the ruins are far from each other. Not very, no, but why does he want to know? N-No reason… inwardly, though, he figures he could make it in time for Miu’s show (and doesn’t notice Kizaki staring).
Now, one last thing: where are Richard, Saya and Arnie? Well…


It’s that time again but, thankfully, the remaining route splits are only doubles and are FAR shorter than the last one.

Aboard The Ship Route
Tobikage
SEED Destiny
Dancouga Nova
Fei-Yen
Linebarrels
Macross Frontier
Heroman

:siren: Secret Alert x4 :siren:
Take this route for these secrets: Heroman (2nd step), Frontier (3rd step), Linebarrel (3rd step), Tobikage #2 (3rd step). Also a purely cosmetic Tobikage secret.

Transported to Byston Well Route
Dunbine
Wings of Rean
Fafner
00 Gundam
Demonbane
SD Gundam
Mazinkaiser SKL

:siren: Secret Alert x7 :siren:
Take this route for these secrets: Fafner #1 (last step) and #4 (1st step), Demonbane (4th step), Wings of Rean #1 (3rd step) and #2 (only step), 00 Gundam #1 (3rd step) and #2 (1st step). Also a cosmetic Dunbine secret.

I already have both these routes flags raised, but I’ll be keeping the Byston Well Route purely for the Wings of Rean #2 secret. It’s one of three secrets in the game that are exempt from the “perma-unlocked” rule, the other two being the abovementioned cosmetic ones. This one, however, is quite useful, so there’s no reason not to go for it.


So, Rich and co. were also taken to Byston Well. Romina and Rennie are sure they’ll find their way back here safely, though.


Speaking of, cut to Byston Well, Al is all but certain that it was magic that transported our team here – there are trace energies still around the hotel. Apparently, the sorcerer behind this stunt waited until we fell asleep to cast the spell. So, the Black Lodge is behind this, then? Maybe, but Soushi and Saya find everything odd: if the plan was to strand us all in Byston Well, why did they let half of our team escape the trap?
Ennea shrugs that thinking won’t really change things for us, and suggests we just wait until Cham and Erebos return before deciding what to do – they should be done gathering intel any moment now.
Shangxiang scratches her head as to how quickly the girl’s familiarized herself with our teammates, but Kurou’s more worried about Leica, who also got dragged here with us. The sister’s not sure what to do, but Ruri’s certain Kurou and the Demonbane’ll keep them all safe. No pressure.


And the Ferario return right then, bringing news that the Hojo Army has been continuing its campaign against the rebels throughout Herikon – several of their villages have been razed to the ground. Lux isn’t happy to hear what her father’s forces are up to, and Zhou Yu figures Sakomizu’s taking a more aggressive approach in the interest of solidifying his power-base before launching that invasion of the Overworld he’d been planning.
Liu Bei can’t believe he’d bring such pain to his own people in a bid to unify his rule of the land, and Setsuna sees that the guy’s as fixated with the Overworld as he was during our last encounter. Lux wonders what it is that’s pushing him to go this far.

Mind you, there’s another curious rumor the Ferario have heard: “Apparently there’s this really strong Holy Warrior Lady fighting around here. She’s been piloting an Overworld machine and defending the rebel villages from the Hojo forces,” Cham relates. A Holy Warrior Lady, like Marvel?
“I’m not as strong as Shou, mind you, but all Overworlders have strong Aura Powers, so pretty much anyone has the potential to come to be a Holy Warrior,” she notes. And since she’s piloting an Overworld unit, Shou figures this woman must’ve been transported here like we were. Still, this is a Holy Warrior with enough strength to give the Hojo Army pause, so who could it be, Aesap wonders?
Whatever the case, Scarlet knows one thing for sure: while King Sakomizu refuses to give up on his plans to invade the Overworld, he’ll always be a knife at our collective throats. That being said, the Wings of Rean shoes remain squarely with us, so Lux doubts he’d be able to get topside (Zhuge Liang seems doubtful). Inwardly, she thinks: “It can’t be a coincidence that I found my way back to this land. I’ve a duty to see through here, and that is…”


On this side, Scarlet unlocks her second tactician bonus: +10% attack power to All Attacks.


On the other route, Richard and the others are safely aboard the Elshank and Ishigami asks that Saya and Arnie assist the JUDA folks with the Machina investigation. Arnie is curious, however: what are these ruins where the Machina was pinged in?
“According to Japanese legend, it’s the gateway to the underworld… the ruins are called Yomotsu Hirasaka,” Moritsugu notes, and Arnie isn’t too keen on being headed towards the literal Gates of Hell.


The Frontier singers have finally crossed the Pacific and arrived at Shimane, and Sheryl’s beat after the long trip. Ai-kun’s bopping around, Ranka figures he’s hungry too. Mind you, Sheryl had told Grace that she was going back to the Fleet – only Ranka is signed up for the festival, after all.
Oh, it’s fiiine; all of her gigs and whatnot have been cancelled, so it’s not like she has anything better to do. Plus, Alto and the others are coming here, so Sheryl figured she’d see the show with them. Hmhmm. And what about her health?
That’s Brera’s cue to pull Ranka away with an excuse that they need to check the stage.

: …
: Hrk…! Cough, cough, cough!
: I knew it. You are pushing things too hard.
: Sheryl, you have to return to the Frontier right now. If you just let the people there treat you—
: Are you suggesting I’m going to get better with treatment?!
: I’m sure you know very well what kind of disease I’ve got, right?!
: …
: I already know what’s wrong with me. The exams showed my throat’s rife with bacteria…
: The Vajra’s Fold bacteria… I have V-Type Infection…


And, here, Jeffrey unlocks his second bonus which is to allow units to transform even after moving. Yawn.

Click to see the mission!


We’ll be starting off with the Byston Well route, where Aesap’s deploying as a solo event unit. Everyone else is fair game, so here’s how we’re going:

Lockon/Michio
Zhang Fei/Sun Shangxiang
Sun Quan/Kenji
Kazuki/Allelujah
Mazinkaiser/Saya
Cao Cao/Tieria
Liu Bei/Canon
Mamoru/Sakura
Shou/Guan Yu
Kurou/Tsubasa
Setsuna/Marvel
Arnie
Tactician: Zhuge Liang

In hindsight, while Arnie has Continuous Action, he would’ve benefitted more from having Marvel allowing him to fly in this mission. Oh, well.

Off we go.


As the Ptolemaios sails through Byston Well, Ennea points out the twinkly stars up in the sky. And that’s even more impressive considering it’s supposed to be daytime! Erebos and Marvel explain that those are actually phosphorescent lights given out by abyssal fish (again, in the sky) – better put, those lights are flickers of vital energy that every creature possesses, a.k.a., Aura Power.
Furthermore, Byston Well is said to be the land in between the earth and the ocean, which is why you see the bottom of the sea up in the sky. Kurou sure didn’t know about any of that, seeing how he’d never been down here before.
As Mamoru wonders how worried the folks left in the Overworld must be over our sudden disappearance, Sima Yi turns to Lux and asks how we managed to find our way back before. Well, that was when the Wings of Rean shined during Aesap’s battle with Sakomizu, which, as Soushi remembers, dropped us at Tatsumiya immediately after Shouko’s Fenrir went off.

Cham wonders if the explosion contributed to opening the Aura Road, and Lux has an hypothesis: it could be that the overlapping surge of emotions at both the surface and Byston Well battles reacted to one another and caused the Aura Road to open. So it’s the old “power of emotions” deal, huh?
Maya likes that idea, figuring Shouko’s wish to defend the island even at the cost of her life beckoned everyone to Tatsumiya. Whatever the case, Zhuge Liang says we still don’t have a clear grasp on how to open the Aura Road, so we should probably try and look for possible options.
Right on cue, Feldt phones over and says we’re getting a message from someone identifying himself as being with the rebel army.


And it’s Amalgan, the leader of the group, and he’s glad to see that, indeed, Lux came through the Aura World as it opened (and he had a feeling she’d still be with the Overworlders). The princess, however, is not at all happy to speak with “rebels who do nothing but disrupt peace and plunge the populace in the ravages of war”. What does he want?!
Amalgan asks that she save her criticisms and extends a request to meet with our folks – he’d like explain his group and their cause to us, and Lux. If we’re on board, he can direct us to their stronghold of Abuta Blas. Sumeragi says we’ll discuss his proposal and will get back to him on that. Amalgan will be waiting a positive answer.
So, what does Lux think? Richard doesn’t believe Amalgan is lying to us but she’s the one with the most insight here. Well, while he IS the leader of the rebels, Lux knows he’s not the kind of man to resort to deception. Fine, she – as Hojo’s crown princess – agrees to meet with him.


And so, later on, Amalgan bids us welcome to their base – he’s glad we accepted their invitation. Our people look around, though, and Arnie notes that this doesn’t really give off that “wartime base” vibe. For instance, Soma spots many kids and elderly up and about, and Saya figures this looks much more like a refugee camp than anything else. As Kiki tells, that’s pretty much what it is: they’ve taken in the people who lived in neighboring villages that the Hojo Army destroyed.
Kiki and Hebi properly introduce themselves as Aura Machine pilots and thank us for the assist during their assault at Hypp Kurene castle – it was thanks to us that the enemy’s big battleship was stranded. Tsubasa points out that we only attacked there to rescue our friends, but the rebels aren’t ones to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Lux demands Amalgan to get to the point, though: what does he want to talk about? When he asks, Zhou Yu confirms that we’re aware of Sakomizu’s plans to expand his rule beyond the land of Herikon and into the surface – which is why he’s making a more aggressive push towards ending the rebellion here.

As Amalgan tells, Shinjiro Sakomizu was once the sole survivor of a Japanese kamikaze unit. While he traversed the Aura Road and wound up here, he has long dreamt of returning to the Overworld. That’s fine, but how does he figure he needs to invade the place as well? Lux explains that he sees the current Japan as a rotted shell of its pre-WWII self, and seeks to conquer and restore it to its true glory.
“Say what?! He can argue about glory and all that, but Japan is now a peaceful nation…!” Aesap tries objecting, but Sumeragi cuts in with a more important question. Is Amalgan suggesting that the Hojo Army still has a way to reach the Overworld and take it over?
That sounds impossible to Erebos without the Wings of Rean shoes, and while Amalgan doesn’t know the particulars, he’s certain Sakomizu must have something up his sleeve. The thought of Aura Machines swarming the Overworld is not one Shou’s happy to relive.


But this brings us to Amalgan’s request: he’d like us to assist him in putting a stop to Sakomizu and his plans (Lux flinches). As Ruri sees it, this was what he was after when contacting us, and Hebi notes that the Hojo Army IS very strong. Having us on their side would certainly ease a lot of minds.
Plus, Kiki points out that while they have their ace Holy Warrior lady, she’s only one person. Marvel didn’t think said Holy Warrior would be in with the rebels but, yup, she’s joined them in their battle to save the people against Sakomizu’s oppression – mind you, she’s out on the field right now.
As Shou wonders who this Holy Warrior flying an overworld machine could be, Lockon and Allelujah aren’t too excited that we’re being called to take part in another world’s civil war. Especially considering what our potential enemy means to Lux.


Cut to Hypp Kurene, Sakomizu’s already received intel that the Overworlders are back and were contacted by the rebels. Codour shakes her fist at Amalgan for shacking up with the Overworld’s armies, and Kotto is worried. As seen with the Holy Warrior lady, such alliances can make for not-insignificant headaches for them.
But they have confirmation that we’re at Abuta Blas, so Murassa is ready to set out and hunt us down as soon as the order is given. And Codour does so immediately – destroy anyone who threatens peace in the land of Herikon!

With that in mind, Sakomizu tells Murassa to take “them” along with her. She’s a bit queasy with that, as those guys are kind of loose-cannons, but Sakomizu says that that’s not really a bad thing when dealing with Overworlders.
Shot Weapon approaches the king and points out that Aesap Suzuki may have resurfaced along with our team. And, in that case, Sakomizu’s dream – the reclamation of Japan – is now closer than ever!

:siren: SRW UX - Prologue

: Hm… So you are ill at ease over the idea of working with our rebellion?
: While we did attack the Hojo forces when they invaded the surface, outright interfering in this land’s civil war would just be a base act of aggression.
: That may be so… but I get the feeling that the princess sees things as we do.
: Me…?
: Yes, you want Sakomizu’s rampage to be stopped.
: …!
: The once righteous Holy Warrior that shed his own blood to birth an era of peace has now degenerated into a tyrant, a tormentor of his people…
: You wanted Sakomizu to change his ways, which is why you went as far as stealing the Wings of Rean shoes. Or am I wrong?
: …
: I…
: Lux…
: Alright, old man, let’s not put the princess on the spot.
: Here you go, folks: we don’t have a whole lot here, but we can at least give you plenty to eat.
: Aah, don’t need to tell me twice! I’m so hungry, I could eat a Festum whole!
: Erm… what food is this?
: That’s frog soup; over here you got lizard roast.
: L-Lizard…?
: What, you guys don’t want any? It tastes pretty good, I tell ya.
: Never mind what it looks like. It’s its contents that truly matter, and its contents are very fine.
: We’re glad to hear that.
: This isn’t high cuisine, we know, but we risked our lives to earn this food.
: You’ve risked your lives for this…?
: But why are you fighting this war if it’s making your life so tough?
: You’re getting hurt, your blood is being spilled… why do you keep fighting?
: ‘Tis the work of their beliefs, I say.
: “Beliefs”?
: That which is the unbreakable core of your being, which remains steadfast even in your darkest hour… Such is belief – such is pride.
: ‘Tis something any and all humans possess, from the strongest to the feeblest.
: …!
: Belief and pride…
: Liu Bei, as we fought during the Battle of Red Cliffs, I felt the weight of yours and Sun Quan’s beliefs quite clearly…
: Cao Cao…
: …

Lux leaves.

: Lux…! Where are you going?!
: Oh, brother… guess our cooking didn’t fit with the princess’ tastes.
: No, no, I’m sure that wasn’t what happened.
: Your food is truly heartfelt, and it shows in its flavor.
: Heartfelt, hm? Perhaps, perhaps…
: (Lux…)

: …
: Is something wrong, Lux? I mean, you left so suddenly…
: Aesap… Sorry, I’m just ashamed of myself.
: Ashamed…?
: All this time, I have thought that the people should be protected, and that it was the king’s duty to do so.
: But now I see that I was wrong. The people have beliefs of their own and have been fighting for those! They’re no different from us…!
: Lux…
: But I didn’t understand any of that. All I did was trumpet my own agenda, looking just to stop my father…!
: I could say the same…
: The same…?
: I’ve spent my whole life griping about my absent dad, about how crummy society is, just whining without engaging or trying to do anything about it.
: But that doesn’t help anything, does it?
: If you really want to change society, you have to be ready to put your own boots on the ground, side-by-side with others, to do it.
: Aesap…

Alarm!

: …?!
: This alarm is…!

: Guys, we’ve trouble on the horizon! The Hojo Army is heading this way!
: They’ve finally sniffed us out…!
: What happens now?!
: We’ll fight, of course, but can’t you guys please join us for this?!
: Leave them, Kiki. This is our problem to deal with.
: But general…!
: There are wounded, women and children in this fort, though, and we can’t let them simply be killed.
: I apologize for asking this of you, Overworlders, but could you escort them away from here?
: …?!
: And what are you going to do?
: We’ll hold them off for as long as we can.
: Amalgan, you…
: Get going, please. If you leave now, you won’t have to worry about any Hojo pursuers.
: Please wait!
: Aesap and I will say here and fight with the rebels!

:siren: SRW UX - Rebellion Against Fate

: ?! Lux…!
: I am the crown princess of Hojo. And if the king turns to harm his people, then it’s my duty to stop him!
: A-Aah… Your Highness!
: Well, alright, then. And the UX’ll be there to back you up…!
: Very much so. We’ll repay our debt to you straight away.
: “Debt”…? But we didn’t…
: You took a big risk by calling and letting us stay here, so it’s only fair that we answer in kind.
: …?!
: That was a pretty great soup you gave us, too.
: Hear, hear. And the heavens don’t appreciate folks who don’t give others their due!
: Y-You’re…!
: Th-Thank you…! Thank you so much!
: Alright, troops, get ready to move out! We’ll give those Hojo-Heads a warm welcome!
: Yes, sir!


Mission 27 (Byston Well Route) – The Overworlders’ Aura Power

: These accursed rebels really have allied themselves with the Overworlders!
: Then we need not show them any mercy! All of them’ll die by our hands!
: That’s a really big group they sent here…!
: I know, it’s great! And they’re gonna learn what happens when you mess with us!

: Lux, are you doing okay there?
: Yes, don’t worry. I’ve been undergoing pilot training for a while now.
: And, more importantly, I have to speak with those people and convince them to stop this fruitless battle…!

Lux flies a bit forward.

: I am Lux Sakomizu, daughter of King Sakomizu! Who do I speak to?!
: Princess Lux?!
: Wasn’t she missing? What is she doing with the rebels?!
: I’ll explain everything later, but I ask that you first listen to me.
: There are many non-combatants inside this fort, so, please, call back your forces.
: With all due respect, Your Highness…
: The king has commanded that in the event that we met with the princess, then we were to bring her home… even if it meant beating her into submission.
: …!
: A major opportunity has been given to us! Glory will be ours!
: Tsk, I feared they wouldn’t simply listen to me, but…!
: Forget about them, Lux. What we need to worry about now is finding a way through this!
: Come, rebels! Your days of rising against your king are over!
: Hmph, so much for the negotiations.
: We are left with no choice. Intercept the enemy forces and hold their advance! Troops, forward!


Kill everything without losing a ship, Aesap, Amalgan or Lux. The plot kicks in when 5 enemy teams have been downed or when Kasumi/Murassa are downed, whereupon the midbosses will both retreat, so if you want the extra cash/exp, go for them first.
It’s been a while since we fought Hojo troops, but they’re pretty much the same: accurate and dodgy-ish, but with absolutely piss for defenses. Keep focus/strike going, spread command auras, and take it to ‘em.
Mind you, our starting area is surrounded on all sides by rivers, so you’ll either want all your guys flying or send them aboard the Ptolemaios and give them a lift across. Split your forces across each bank, but keep a heavier presence on the eastern one – there’s more on the way.


Gim Ginen (Lux Sakomizu)
Pilot Skills:
Aura Power L3
Support Attack L2
Support Defense L2
All Attack L1
Spirit Commands:
Alert
Accelerate
Mech Features:
Sword
Repair Module
Ultra-High-Speed Evasion
10% HP and EN Regen
Squad Bonus: Money and Exp +10% (Money and Exp +20%, 1250 Barrier)
Lux’s voice actress: Yu Shinamura (other roles: Aida in Reconquista in G, young Flit in Gundam AGE, Zelda in Skyward Sword and BotW, and plenty more)


Gim Ginen (Amalgan Ludol/Kiki/Hebi)
Pilot Skills - Amalgan:
Aura Power L5
Support Attack L1
Support Defense L1
All Attack L1
Command L2
Pilot Skills - Kiki:
Aura Power L3
Support Attack L2
Support Defense L2
All Attack L1
Pilot Skills - Hebi:
Aura Power L3
Support Attack L2
Support Defense L2
All Attack L1
Spirit Commands - Amalgan:
Invincible
Focus
Fury
Spirit Commands - Kiki:
Focus
Vigor
Alert
Fighting Spirit
Spirit Commands - Hebi:
Accelerate
Focus
Invincible
Trust
Mech Features:
Sword
Ultra-High-Speed Evasion
10% HP and EN Regen
Resupply Module – Kiki only
Repair Module – Hebi only

Squad Bonus - Amalgan: Accuracy +5, Armor +100 (Accuracy +15, Armor +150, Crit +15, HP +500)
Squad Bonus - Kiki: Melee weapons +100, Exp +10% (Melee weapons +200, Exp +20%, EN +75, Mobility +5)
Squad Bonus - Hebi: Ranged weapons +100, Money +10% (Ranged weapons +200, Money +20%, S in Air, Accuracy +5)

Amalgan’s voice actor: Yutaka Nakano (other roles: Ishikawa in Ghost in the Shell, Bartlow in Tales of Zestiria and several more.)
Kiki’s voice actress: Akeno Watanabe (other roles: Ibis in SRW Alpha/OGs, Sharla/Karna in Xenoblade, Viletta and kid Suzaku in Code Geass, May-yen in Zegapain and many more)
Hebi’s voice actress: Junko Minagawa (other roles: Cornelia in Code Geass, sagitta Weinberg in Sakura Wars, Ryouma in Prince of Tennis and many more)

Squaddies, squaddies, squaddies everywhere. The Gim Ginens are nothing to write home about in terms of power, but their size makes them quite dodgy and the rebel trio have the advantage of actually having a combo attack – that grants more stopping power than most.
Lux is the worst pilot of the bunch, being pretty much a pure support: her main draw is that she has Accelerate and, at level 37, will learn Bless. Bless casters are unusually rare in UX (we’ve yet to get one!), so that’s very good. Adding a barrier on top of a +money bonus makes for a nice squaddie, and you can only get her if you go on this route!

Amalgan, Kiki and Hebi are about on the same “good” tier of stats, with Amalgan being the biggest and more accurate hitter, Hebi being the dodgiest and Kiki being the jack-of-all-trades.
Hebi’s Squad Bonus, Accelerate plus Resupply Module makes her a GREAT squaddie (she’s a perfect fit with Magami, but even non-ranged attackers will love having her around), and she’ll probably get the most use out of the bunch, though Kiki’s also a good fit for EN hungry melee attackers like Kouichi or the SD Gundams. Amalgan, you’ll likely bench unless you want to use that combo attack.

That’s our homework done, so let’s get to it.

:siren: SRW UX - Tales of Mirisha ~ The Brave Legend

:siren: SRW UX - My Fate

: So long as the king continues to oppress his people, we’ll stand and fight against him! We won’t hesitate, even if it means being tarred as rebels!

: Step up, Hebi! We’re gonna pay them back for everything they’ve done thrice over!
: That goes without saying, girl… Come on!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAorlY_KtpI
Here’s the Gim Ginen’s best non-combined attack.

:siren: SRW UX - My Fate

: Come what may, I will put an end to the Hojo Army’s violence!
: This blade bears my ideals and my beliefs, and I swear upon them to see it done!


Son of a bitch.


But the enemy drops like flies anyway, which is a problem as I didn’t remember that 5 squads was the cut-off point. Oh, well.

: You are strong, indeed. Then I suppose we must make use of our secret weapon!
: What…?!

Flash!

: Aaack!

Flash!

: Hrgh… Damn it all! Who was that?!

: New Aura Battlers! Were they the ones who attacked them?!
: H-Hey, Shou! Those Aura Battlers…!
: Everyone be careful! The Aura Power those machines are giving off… there are Overworlders like us piloting those!
: Overworlders?!
: Oho, he can tell that we’re Overworlders? But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised – you are the Holy Warrior who took down Drake’s Army.
: Drake’s Army? Do you know about our world?!
: And seeing how Aesap’s there with you, I’m guessing what King Sakomizu’s told us was the truth!
: Rouri… Kanamoto?!
: What are you two doing in Byston Well?! And with the Hojo Army for that matter?!
: That should be pretty obvious! We and King Sakomizu’ll drive the Union off Japan and reclaim our nation!
: Our Aura Power’s a whole lot stronger than the other folks around here, which means…!
: You stop this idiocy right now! This is war!
: Yeah, it is! And the victors define what’s right and what’s wrong – so there’s absolutely nothing to hold us back!
: You’re…!
: We’re gonna make it all the way to the top! And we’ll destroy any who’d keep us from that… even you, Aesap!

: Their Aura Powers are synchronizing with each other?!

Both jerks run after Aesap!

: Get a load of this! DOUBLE DISPATCH!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhk8ehfwm1I

: Gwaaaargh!

: Aesap?!
: Gch…rgh…
: Wow, look at how easy we took out Aesap’s prototype! This power’s awesome!
: So this is our Aura Power. And with all this on my hands, I…!
: Those Overworlders are surprisingly capable, I see.
: Seize the princess and the rebels!

: Hrm… G-get off me!
: Stop them! They’re going to capture Mr. Suzuki and the others!
: Troops, rush over there and rescue the Nanajin and Gim Ginens!
: Not happening!

: Uwah! W-We can’t get close!
: See to the rest of the battle, Overworlders. We’re taking the captives back to the castle!

: AESAP!
: Damn it, they took them right from under our noses!
: Bring it! You’re dealing with us now!

: They’re trying to cut us off!
: Hrm… Focus all our attention on just the enemy! We need to deal with them or we’ll get taken out ourselves!


And all our protection targets are gone, leaving only the Ptolemaios to watch over. Kill everything else.


Shinden (Rouri Yahan)
Pilot Skills:
Aura Power L4
Holy Warrior
Support Attack L2
All Attack L2
Mech Features:
Sword
Ultra-High-Speed Evasion
10% HP and EN Regen
All-Canceller
Rouri’s voice actor: Hiroshi Tsuchida (other roles: J.J. Sexton in Gundam Thunderbolt, Ninja Blue in Kakuranger and some more)


Shinden (Kanamoto Heiji)
Pilot Skills:
Aura Power L3
Holy Warrior
Support Attack L2
All Attack L2
Mech Features:
Sword
Ultra-High-Speed Evasion
10% HP and EN Regen
All-Canceller
Kanamoto’s voice actor: Shingo Tanabe (other roles: Eeh, a few small stuff here and there, but nothing really noteworthy.)

Standard Holy Warrior enemies; we’ve dealt with Burn before, and he was way better. Expect limited range on their best attacks, very good evasion and accuracy, but not much in terms of defenses. Kanamoto has better evasion, but Rouri hits harder since he has a stronger Aura Power – pop Strike and something defensive and drop these dickbags quick.
The AI isn’t clever enough to position itself, so you shouldn’t be seeing more Double Dispatches unless you get unlucky.

:siren: SRW UX - Dunbine Flies

: You’ve found your way to a different world, and fighting is what you’re looking to do?!
: That’s rich, coming from an American! Starting wars in other places is your whole bread and butter!

:siren: SRW UX - Dunbine Flies

: Byston Well isn’t meant to have Overworlders fighting in it – much less to satisfy their own ambitions!
: What a high-and-mighty windbag we got here! Problem is, I can’t stand that kind of people!


We get another Celestial Being Movie from him.

: I-I’m not letting it end like this! No way in hell!

: ?! Th-That light…!
: Oooooryaaaaaaa!

: Aiiieee!
: Goddamn, this guy’s strong…!
: Haaaaah!
: This is Aura Power?! This is all my power?!
: Stop! Let that power run out of control and you’ll end up—
: Shut your mouth! I’m done letting you Yanks tell us what to do! That’s precisely what I got all this power for!
: And now you’re all dead!

: Wh-What the?! Where’d that come from?!

Beep, beep.

: This is…! A new connection’s been established with the Siegfried System?!
: But this Unit ID code is…!

: Th-That mech is…!
: …
: It can’t be… the Mark Sechs?!
: You’ve got a lotta nerve messing with me!

Rouri goes after the Mark Sechs!

: Fine, you can die first! I’ll cut you in twain!
: This is their home, and I’ll keep it safe…
: That’s the promise I made!

:siren: MIO - Dunbine Flies
:siren: :siren:


“I’ve grown much since before!”


“I’ll soar higher than the skies! Higher! Higher! HIGHER!”

: U-Uwaaaaaaaaah!

: R-Rouri?!
: What’s the Mark Sechs doing here?!
: Th-This has gotta be a dream!
: It can’t be… but it is!
: Shouko! Is that really you?!
: Maya, everyone… how long it’s been!
: (That’s Shouko Hazama… Youko’s daughter…)
: Shouko, you… you’re alive!
: Yes… Yes, I am!
: Oh, my God… You’re really there?!
: Yes, Kazuki… I’m right here!
: Shouko!
: Well, dang… We thought she was just another Holy Warrior, not that she was your friend.
: Wait, she’s the Holy Warrior we’ve been hearing so much about?!
: Ha-Hahaha… Wow. Shouko, that frail girl, has been kicking tons of ass down here…?!
: I… I’m just so happy I don’t even know what to say!
: That’s enough! The battle’s still going, so pay attention to it!
: Hey! Can’t you ease up even a bit?! Your friend is alive—
: Exactly. She is alive, meaning we can celebrate our reunion later and she’ll still be here with us. Isn’t that right, Kazuki?
: Yeah, she will! Let’s take out the remaining enemies, guys!
: Hrrgh… H-How dare you humiliate me like this…!

: My lord, retreat! We’ll hold back the enemy!
: Damn it… I’ll get you for this!

Beep, boop.

: Enrollment complete, initiating crossing. Are you ready, Hazama?
: I’m on it, Minashiro. I’m not the same person I was back then!
: Shouko Hazama, March Sechs! Engaging!


Yaaaaay, we’ve earned our first secret: Shou Koha Zama, the Holy Warrior, and her Sechsbine!
Her bot’s still excellent squaddie material… though I’m disappointed she didn’t earn herself Aura Power and Holy Warrior skills to offset her lack of combo attacks in comparison to the others! Still, she’s pretty great.
If you need a reminder, here are the steps required to unlock her:

  • Prologue – Destroy the Sphinx with Kazuki
  • Stage 13 – defeat at least 5 enemies with her by the end of Enemy Phase 3
  • Kazuki has 100+ kills by the end of mission 26.
  • Mission 27 - take the Byston Well Route.

And I’ve been asked to point out that Shouko’s name is a huge wordplay that extends beyond it being like Shou Zama’s. So sit down, because I’m taking you for a trip.
If you’re familiar with Dunbine (or if you read the prologue of this mission), you know Byston Well is repeatedly referred to as “the land in between the earth and the ocean”. In here, they wrote “in between” using 間に (aida ni), but it’s more commonly written as 海と大地の狭間にある (hazama ni). But wait, there’s more!
Next up, Shouko’s name proper: it’s written as 翔子, where 翔means “soar/fly” and 子 is the standard name suffix indicating girls (as Youko told her in that flashback). So if you break it down, her name literally means Flying/Soaring Girl.
Pair that up with her surname and that bit of Byston Well info, and what could you read it as? The girl that flies in between – that flies to Byston Well. :thurman:

And that’s it for the trivia. Time to take out Kanamoto and everything else.

:siren: SRW UX - Dunbine Flies
Yes, she’s got her proper BGM on.

: I’ll protect Kazuki and my friends, just like I did before…!
: That’s why I am here!


Heey, I hadn’t noticed before that her Mine Blade breaks midway through the attack!

:siren: SRW UX - Tales of Mirisha ~ The Brave Legend

:siren: SRW UX - Dunbine Flies

: This girl’s the rebels’ Holy Warrior, huh…?
: That said, there’s no one I can’t take on with my Aura Power!
: Everyone wants nothing more than to live in peace… and then people like you come along!
: But I’ll keep them safe! You will not keep us from being with our families and the people we love!

:siren: SRW UX - Dunbine Flies

: Treating a different world like its your playground… If you’re really an Overworlder, then you should be ashamed!
: An American Holy Warrior?! Are you Yanks so self-righteous that you sent troops all the way here?!

: My Shinden’s afraid? Just who is this guy?!
: I feel the heart of that Aura Machine’s pilot…! If you’re worried about being hurt, then leave!

:siren: SRW UX - The Eternal Soldiers


And we get more Nyan-Nyan Ramen from him.

: Bah, fine. They only wanted us to stall them today, so this should be good.

: All Hojo forces confirmed destroyed. No new signals on radar.
: Recover all mobile troops and then we’ll head back to Abuta Blas. We need to come up with a plan to rescue Aesap and the others.
: Aesap…

:siren: SRW UX - Separation

: I’m so sorry I put you guys through all that…
: But what happened? We thought you disappeared with that Festum when your Fenrir went off…
: Yeah, how did you end here in Byston Well?
: I don’t really know how it happened. When I came to, I was already here…
: It was a huge shocker for us, too. The second you guys opened the Aura Road, the Mark Sechs came flying right through it.
: Then the Fenrir’s explosion did cause the Aura Road to open?
: It could also be that the Wings of Rean led her here.
: It doesn’t matter why it happened… Shouko’s alive… I’m so… so…
: Waaaaah, Shoukoooooo!
: Thank you, Maya…
: And, Shouko, are you really not feeling weak, or tired or anything at all?
: It’s like a dream, but no. I’ve been feeling great ever since I came to this world.
: Your arrival here has obviously stimulated your Aura Power, so that might’ve strengthened your body.
: I think that’s it! Aura Power is the light of life, after all!
: And considering how strong hers is, that sounds pretty likely to me.
: Have I really become that strong? I don’t really feel that way…
: You’ve always been strong, as you showed when you tried to protect our island.
: Kazuki…
: Thank you so much for keeping my home safe. And…
: Welcome back, Shouko…
: It’s good to be back, Kazuki…

: …
: Sure you don’t wanna be there with the other kids?
: They’re all so happy that Shouko Hazama’s back…
: I think it’s better that I not be there…
: Canon…

: How’re things looking with your troops?
: Amalgan’s our leader, so him being captured has got everyone on edge.
: That’s understandable. He was clearly a very charismatic man.
: Do you think Aesap and the others’ll be alright?
: The king showed himself to be interested in Aesap when we fought him, so…
: So they won’t hurt him – at least not right away. What could King Sakomizu be after, I wonder…?


Location: Hypp Kurene Castle – Hangar

Slap!

: Rgh…!
: Lux, you may be of royal blood, but cooperating with the rebels is an immeasurable disgrace.
: Who are you to speak of disgrace, father?! You’ve forgotten your duty as a Holy Warrior, and now oppress and fight your own people…!
: Excuse me?
: King Sakomizu, the princess is concerned for you! She just believes that a military rule that mistreats the weak doesn’t befit a Holy Warrior such as yourself!
: And just who is she to question that her father, the king, should or shouldn’t do? To say that is being disrespectful would be an understatement.
: B-but…!
: Be at ease, you two. I have captured Amalgan, yes, but I have done so in a bid to establish a peace accord with the rebel army.
: Peace…? Then you will stop your offensive?
: Naturally. I never once sought a war that would lead to the extermination of my own country.
: King Sakomizu… can I really trust your word?
: Ah, to be young and so outspoken… You are a fine lad, young Aesap Suzuki.

Door opens.

: Yo, Aesap. Sorry about what happened there.
: No hard feelings, yeah? We were just following orders.
: Rouri, Kanamoto! You…!
: Pipe down! You stand before the king!
: Hrm…!
: Rouri and Kanamoto are fellow Japanese warriors. They share in my will.
: Step this way, you three. I have something to show you.

Curtain rises.

: I-Is that?!
: An Ohka, a purpose-built aircraft fielded by the old Japanese Army during World War 2.
: WW2 was over 200 years ago up top, but you said the flow of time is different here, right?
: And what’d you mean “purpose-built”?
: These were used by kamikaze squadrons… the strategy was to cover the plane in bombs and fling it at the chosen target.
: Whaat?! Can you even call something like that “strategy”?!
: I used one of these to thwart a third nuclear bomb from being dropped at Kokura following Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
: At that moment, the impact flung me here to Byston Well and, later, I established the nation of Hojo.
: (… Hm? What’s that hanging inside the Ohka’s cockpit?)
: …
: (An origami doll…?)
: As for myself, I foster the growth of His Majesty’s nation by developing newer Aura Machines for his men to use.
: Aura Power is what gives this world life, and I have worked nonstop to create engines capable of converting it into large amounts of energy.
: (Your Aura Machines only added more fuel to the fires of war, you snake!)
: It’s not my wish to conquer the Overworld. Rather, what impels me even now is the thought of failing to protect my homeland.
: Then…
: Yes… My true goal is and has always been to defend my beloved nation of Japan! Nothing more, nothing less!
: You want to defend Japan…?
: But if I’m to do that, I cannot be fighting a war in this land. Thus, young Aesap, I have a request for you.
: For me?
: Yes, a very important task in the interest of establishing peace with the rebels. A task that must be carried out by you, whom I expect to rise as the next Holy Warrior.
: …

: Hold him down!
: Uurgh… G-Get your hands off me!
: Did you get it?
: Yes, my lord.
: “I accept our unconditional surrender to the Hojo Army”…
: Hmhmhm… your blood seal is very much appreciated, Amalgan Ludol.
: Rrgh… Y-You scum!
: And with it, the agonizing cries of the rebels that taint our nation will pave the way for our dream to be realized…!


[i]And Michio just unlocked his second Tactician bonus, which is 10% attack power boost to all ranged weapons. Eh.
Oh, and before we close off, have some fanart of our newest teammate that I was given/came across on Pixiv:

And the convos we missed today:[/i]

: You are a Holy Warrior, no? Then why do you oppose King Sakomizu?!
: Because being King doesn’t make you right! I’m putting a stop to your evil Aura Power!

: This is our nation you stand in! You might be a Holy Warrior, but we won’t suffer an Overworlder walking through it uninvited!
: Byston Well… I didn’t think we’d have to fight a war in it again. Still, I know just who I need to beat!

: Why do you not lend your strength to the King?! You are both fellow Overworlders!
: Because you guys are too trigger happy and it’s clear who’s in the wrong here!

: You accursed Overworlder! First you steal our Aura Machine and then you have the gall to parade it around?!
: First off, I didn’t want to steal it, and, secondly, I didn’t want to come back to Byston Well either!

: Kasumi! If you insist on bearing your blade against innocent people…
: Then I’ll take mine in hand and correct your misguided path! Come and face me!
: Such a stout Aura Power! It’s like I’m staring down the King himself! Is this really the princess…?!

: A warrior is meant to protect the people! You disgrace yourself by forgetting that spirit and raining violence onto the land!
: All is as the King commands! We are merely following his guidance!
: Then the King has to be stopped! And I’ll do so with my own hands, not that of others’!
: Her presence feels so different from before! What in blazes happened to her at the Overworld?!

: Are you deaf?! Can’t you hear the people’s cries as the flames of war rage around them?!
: That may well be the masses’ lot in life, but I won’t suffer you lecturing us!

: Amalgan Ludol! You are a rebel and a traitor to Hojo, and now I take your head!
: You are free to try! But I won’t fall to the sword of a warrior who isn’t even capable of stopping her King’s insanity!

And so the first of UX’s many secrets come home, and the effects on the plot are already starting to show.

Wait, is this a non-depressing Fafnir development?! How is this possible?

:star2:Through the magic of crossovers!:star2:

1 Like
Click to see the mission!

Welcome to the Surface Route, where Kouichi, Soubi, Eida, Arnie and Saya are deploying as event units and I forgot to get a screen of the unit arrangement. Blah. Here’s how we’re going:
Dancouga/Deceive
Yamashita/Canaria
Shinn/Klan
Fei/Mike
Moritsugu/Joe
Michel/Ozma
Alto/Luca
Heroman/Rennie
Tactician: Moritsugu

Spread Accelerate/Flight around, as our starting area has some cliffs and forests to prod through in order to get to the enemies. And do keep in mind that this is the last mission you have to push Joe, Rennie and Mike’s total kill count over 150 if you haven’t unlocked that secret before.
Here we go.

:siren: Chieko Higuchi - Love 14

: Hello, everyone! Thank you so much for coming to Shimane’s Idol Jamboree!
: We’ve a ton of singers coming up on stage today, so we hope you’ll have a very fun time!
: And with that said, listen to my song!

:bravo: :bravo: :bravo:

: Wooow! Fei’s the best!
: I can’t believe I get to see the giant robot-idol’s debut show! That’s already made the trip totally worth it!

: Hoo, I’m up next. I’m getting a bit nervous here.
: You’ll do great, Ranka. After all, the Galactic Fairy herself is here to cheer us on!
: Hahah, right you are. I don’t do this often, you know, so I want you to put your back into this!

Door opens.

: Hey there, girls! Go and bring down the house, ya hear?!
: H-Holly!
: What’s Joey’s sister doing back here?
: Yo, why’re you so confused for, eh?
: We’re all UX buddies, so of course I’m gonna hang by and root for ya!
: Huh… UX?!
: What, ya didn’t know, kid? We’re 100% certified—
: H-Holly, shush…!
: Sis, please! You’re bothering them!
: Bother-schmother! We’re all besties here after that time at Innsmouth!
: Ain’t that right, Galactic Fairy?
: Heheh… That’s right, Holly.
: I… I can’t believe you’d speak like that to an intergalactic star!
: Psh, chill, little bro. And, hey, who’s this quiet girl here? You’re not part of this crew, I don’t think.
: …
: She’s Miu Kujo, a member of the Smash Dolls idol group.
: Miu Kujo? Hmm, where’d I hear that name before…?
: S-Sis… We met her back at Innsmouth, by that cliff…
: Ooh, right, right! The one Hayase saved!
: Eerr, well… Listen, girl, you can’t let stuff get to ya! There’s a ton to enjoy about life!
: N-No, I… I’m fine now, I promise!
: I’ve found who helps my heart stay strong… so don’t worry about me!
: I know exactly what you mean. Having someone like that is what lets us do so much!
: Yeah, yeah! That’s what I was getting at! Wahaha!
: Sis, for crying out loud…
: (Hayase…)
: (I know he’ll be here to see me. He promised…)


Cut to Yomotsu Hirasaka, Kouichi’s amazed at the wide open underground ruins – a Machina wouldn’t look out of place here, Arnie thinks. Saya warns him to watch his step, though, as this is the gateway to the Underworld. He might not find a Machina here, but an envoy of Enma himself!
Is that why she’s dressed as someone straight out of an Edo-period play? To fit in? Precisely: “I’ll lay restless souls to rest, and extinguish the lives of those who cannot be allowed to live…!” (Hissatsu Shigotonin quote.)

Well, the Hissatsu-style attitude certainly suits the old “Hell’s Executioner”, Kouichi laughs… but Kizaki isn’t laughing with him. Is she mad about something? “And what reason, exactly, would I have to be mad, hm?” she sniffs, but then what’s gotten her so crusty? Domyoji pokes him and tells that Kizaki heard of his secret meeting with Miu back at Innsmouth.
Ah, crap. B-But it’s not like that! She’s got this all wrong! “Saya, do you mind answering him for me?” Emi asks and Saya’s right on point: “Would you like to see what death is like?
No, he’s already done it once and really doesn’t care for repeats!


But, as Damian points out, we arrived on the scene while they had that whole comedy routine going. Our experts had already been at work excavating the area and, when Soubi asks, Denton points out a boulder further ahead: there’s a robot buried in it! Arnie sees what looks like two heads in there, and Rachel says that, from what analysis tells, there are actually two bots in here.
What, so folks uncovered not one Machina, but two? Actually, no – there are no Machinas in that boulder at all. That being said, the two bots are equipped with armor and engines with tech very much similar to the things. So what does that mean? They’re still looking into it.
Domyoji asks if they know how old this stratum is, and Denton estimates its over 2000 years. That’s a very long time for robots to be buried – very mysterious, indeed. “Who would have thought we’d excavate two giant robots from the so-called ‘Gates of Hell’ ruins,” Denton’s excited, but now Arnie’s worried that we’re really uncovering envoys from Hell here.
Domyoji’s deep in thought, and so is Kouichi… only he’s thinking that Miu’s show should be starting soon. And he’s stuck here while the eggheads are doing their investigation…

: Ahaa, I get it! Hayase got you to swear that you wouldn’t try something like that again, eh?
: I never had anyone there for me. It’s been… very difficult. But he showed me that I’m not actually alone, that someone cares about me…
: So, I thought maybe I should try pulling myself together…
: You look so happy when you talk about him.
: Hah, I reckon lil’ Hayase’s Miumiu’s knight in shining armor!
: P-Please, he’s an actual Champion of Justice, I would never…
: I just thought that maybe I could bring myself to change for the better if I made an effort to show him a more enthusiastic side of me.
: Hey, now, that’s a great smile you got there, Miumiu!
: Tell ya what, when you get out there, I want you to flash that smile right at Hayase! Pour all your heart into them lyrics, alright?
: O-Okay…!

: (Hrmmm… I really need to get back. Kujo’s show’s just about to start…)
: Then, Domyoji, you believe these ruins really are linked to Hell?
: Not actual Hell, more like Yomi.
: Yomi…?
: The Realm of the Dead, is what I’m getting at.
: Legend has it that Izanagi, the god that founded Japan, once traversed Yomotsu Hirasaka and into Yomi in a bid to be reunited with his late wife, Izanami.
: Which meant breaking the promise he made not to go after her…
: But death had rotted Izanami away, leaving her horrid and deformed. Once Izanagi saw her that way, he fled in terror.
: Izanami didn’t want her husband to see what she’d become…
: But it goes to show that across history, men are always completely clueless to how women feel.
: (Brrr… that glare she’s giving me could freeze Hell over…)
: Anyway, once Izanagi made it back to the surface, he blocked the entrance to Yomotsu Hirasaka with a boulder.
: So that his dead wife could never step outside…
: The Greeks have a similar legend to that, of how the musician Orpheus traveled to Hell and back to rescue his wife.
: Right, the Orphes took its name after him.
: There’re legends like that across the entire world, really. And they’re not pure fabrication – all of them have a kernel of truth to them.
: Very much so. The sealed-away Talisman is what gave birth to the tale of Akoro’s demon.
: And what you’re getting at is that this rock with the robots is the source of the legend about Izanami and whatnot?
: Not quite. This place is Yomotsu Hirasaka – it’s just the entrance to Yomi.
: Meaning, behind this rock, we’ll find the actual source…

Beep, boop.

: Macross Quarter calling the excavation team!
: Oh, gimme a break! We were just getting to the good stuff!
: Katou Organization forces have been sighted at Shimane! They’re headed right towards you!
: The Katou Organization?!
: Tsk, what an inconvenient bunch.
: The Orphes, Lyras, Linebarrel and Talisman have been ordered to deploy. The rest of the team will be with you shortly!

: They just had to do this right now, hm?
: Don’t worry about us, folks. We’ll manage things here, so get going!
: Roger that. C’mon, guys!
: O-Okay!
: (I’m sorry, Kujo. Doesn’t look like I’m gonna make it…)

:bravo: :bravo: :bravo:

: Thank you! Thank you so much, everyone!
: Now, I’ve a brand new song for you! It’s called Interstellar Flight!

:siren: SRW UX - Interstellar Flight (LIVE in Alcatraz)

: Uoooooh, RANKAAAAaaaaaaa! Our Superdimensional Cinderellaaaaaaaa!
: Wow, those’re some crazy fans she’s got. Ranka’s grown pretty popular, huh?
: Sorry, Alto, but that’s all the music we’re gonna get. Emergency deployment orders just came in.
: What?!

: You’re up next, right, Miumiu? Everyone else already went up on stage.
: Ah… Y-Yes.
: (Hayase, where are you…?)

Bing!

: (…! He sent me a message!)
: (…?!)
: (N-No… No!)

Miu runs off!

: Hey, Miumiu! The stage’s not that way!
: Miumiu?
: She didn’t look well… You don’t think she’d do something dangerous again, do you?
: I’m going after her!

Eida leaves.

: Wait! We just got an emergency call from the Quarter…!
: She’s already gone.
: An emergency… What do we do, then?
: We’ll just have to let Eida handle Ms. Kujo. Let’s head back to the ship.
: But we’re gonna have to cancel the rest of the show if we all leave.
: No way, girl. You guys go on and I’ll fill in for ya.
: Sis, you’re still…
: No, no, she might just be the perfect person for the job.
: I mean, it’s not every day we’ve someone who’s been the cover of Men’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Monthly, and who’s topped New York’s Indie’s Chart!
: Holly Jones, the Super Guitarist… I say we can trust her with this!
: M-My sister is…?!
: Heheheh, did your homework, eh? You ain’t the powerhouse manager for nothing, I guess!
: Yeah, just leave this to me! I’ll have this whole party on fire by the time y’all get back!

: Miu!
: Are you here?! Talk to me, please!

: Hayase, where are you? I-I… help…! Please, help me!
: Hayase… Hayase, Hayase!


Mission 27 (Surface Route) – Fading Pain

: The target Machina’s inside the ruins by the mountain area. All troops, attack…!

: That Machina…!
: It’s the Glain-Neidr!
: Remember that the enemy Machina’s equipped with anti-beam defenses. Make sure to engage it with regular attacks.
: We’re fighting in an urban area, so we need to put them down fast to keep damage to a bare minimum.


Just the usual bevy of Katous with a boss – we’ve had way worse before. Standard tactics apply, but, to make things easier on you, get down to the city level, and draw the Glain-Neidr in while you angle your troops due west/northwest.
The plot will kick in once you get Masaki below 30%, so if you care about the extra cash, set up a good support attack.

:siren: SRW UX - Future-Bound Fighting Spirit


I didn’t point it out before, but Arnie’s known for shifting his attitude as the plot goes along. Thus, he got some new lines when we entered phase two, like this: “Do you want a fight that badly? Then I’ll give you one!”

:siren: SRW UX - Lion

:siren: SRW UX - Linebarrel

:siren: SRW UX - Lion

: Put yourself in your opponent’s mindset…
: I just have to do that, and not even a Machina’ll be too much to handle…!
: Are you trying to anticipate my actions? You’ll learn what a silly idea that is.

:siren: SRW UX - Love Survivor

: Didn’t bring a whole lot of guys with you today, eh? Did you already forget the beating we gave you before?
: You have a very simplistic way of seeing things. A lone victory isn’t enough to decide the outcome of a war.

:siren: SRW UX - Linebarrel

: Too bad your whole sat cannon strat didn’t do anything! But you better get used to that feeling, ‘cause none of this is gonna go your way!
: How proud you get over stopping a single operation…
: You truly are a waste of oxygen, Kouichi Hayase.
: Psh, I really can’t stand you.

: Come on, guy, how many times did we fight before? We already know just how to deal with you!
: That’s the conclusion you reached from just a few encounters, hm? That’s telling of how limited your imagination is.
: However, reality doesn’t conform to your limitations…!

: What?! Another mech…!
: It came from inside Glain-Neidr?!
: And now our battle can really begin.
: Stay frosty, everyone! Focus all our firepower on that new Machina!

: Alright, that should be good. We can get through the boulder!
: Let’s go and see what awaits us beyond. Maybe an emissary from Yomi, or…
: Ah, I see…
: Hm? There’s someone on the other side…?
: Hmhmm… That’s your name, then?
: “Painkiller”…

: M-Ms. Kujo?! What’re you doing here…?!

: Miu?! Y-You’re…!
: Eida, what is going on here?!
: I-I don’t know! I was chasing after her and wound up here…!
: That’s ridiculous! How did either of you find this place?!
: Heeheehee… Oh, I have to go and find Hayase.

: I’m just like him now!
: (Did that Machina… Did Izanami call her here?!)

Alarm!

: We’re picking up a new Machina signal around the ruins! I-It’s…!

: …
: Oh? So that’s the newly-discovered Machina.
: That’s the one from the ruins? So it really wasn’t either of those buried mechs?!
: But who’s piloting it?!
: Hayase… I’ve finally found you…
: Kujo? Why are you inside that Machina…?!

: Miu found the unit inside the ruins and became its Factor!
: Wh-What?!
: Look, Hayase… I’m one too… I’m a Factor just like you!
: Heehee, heeheehee…
: K-Kujo…

: Aaiiee!

: There’s the new Machina. And it’s already picked up a Factor, eh?
: Dang it, it’s that jerk again!
: Kujo, get away from here!
: Don’t worry, I won’t lose to them! Look at what the Painkiller can do!

: These people are the enemy…! They’re Hayase’s enemies… and mine!
: I admit that your pink toy’s hardy… but you’re still just a rookie!

: Gaaah!
: Miu!
: …
: What, over already?
: Well, if you wanna blame anything for this, blame yourself for becoming a Factor!

:siren: SRW UX - Linebarrel (Full Intro)

: W-Whaat?!

: There’s another Machina inside that one too…!
: That Machina… it was using its outer armor to conceal its true form.
: Heeheehee, that’s right. This is the Painkiller’s true form…

: My true form…! : Kch, you getting cute with me, brat?!
: Kujo… What happened to you…?
: Heehee… I told you, no? I’m just like you now…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDLLkLT4tjU

: I’m a CHAMPION OF JUSTICE!
: …?!
: This isn’t good… She’s just become a Factor, so I fear her mind’s very unstable.
: Cover her, people! We can’t let the Katous trash that Machina!


Still need to destroy everything, only we can’t lose Miu either.


Painkiller (Miu Kujo)
Pilot Skills:
Factor – D-S.O.I.L. baseline is 50
Prevail L3
Support Attack L2
Counter
All Attack L1
Spirit Commands:
Strike
Alert
Accelerate
Mech Features:
Sword
10% HP Regen
Squad Bonus: Money +10%, EN +50 (Money +20%, EN +100, Melee weapons’ +150)
Miu’s voice actress: Aya Hirano (other roles: Nene and Mina in Macross Frontier, Suzumiya Haruhi, Lucy Heartfilia in Fairy Tail and many more).

And now for something completely different to the sweet, tanky long-range girl we had in L. Psycho Miu’s all about dodging and fighting at mid/short range, though the Painkiller still has a decent amount of HP. The lack of Focus makes sending her up front a dangerous proposition unless you pair her with someone that gives S rank, mind.
The Painkiller’s got good attack power (of our Machinas, only the Linebarrel and Vardant have more), plus Accelerate, melee damage, EN and money make her a nice squaddie for a lot of people, so it’s not difficult to find a spot for her. Finally, she doesn’t have any tricks outside her whip YET, but that’ll be fixed soon.

Now, Miu and Eida’ll need some help up top, the Sawatari’s crew is still a turn or two out, so have them land atop the nearby cliff for the terrain bonus, get rid of Masaki, and send our guys over. Despite it being the penultimate Linebarrel boss in the anime, the Naked’s actually a rather fragile (albeit with decent firepower) Machina that relies solely on its evasiveness and strong regen.

:siren: SRW UX - A Bird’s Song

: The festival had to cancel one of its acts because of your attack… How about some sympathy to the folks who have to manage refund claims?
: Don’t worry, they’re gonna pay a heavy price for messing Eida and the girls’ show! Come on, guys!
: Dancouga… I’ve a score to settle with you after that last battle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdo-5rVrVXo
Case in point, it lost 40% of its HP from a single attack.

:siren: SRW UX - LOVE 14 ver. HD

: This day was supposed to be all about fun for my first gig!
: I might’ve sung plenty, but I still have a lot of energy left in me … think you can handle it?
: She draws energy and power from the emotions of those around her, I see… but this is where it ends.

:siren: SRW UX - JOEY AND HEROMAN

: How many people are in this city right now? We need to finish this battle, and fast…!
: You should be more concerned about yourself. The people you’re fighting to protect are wholly incapable of protecting you.

:siren: SRW UX - Life Goes On

: Do you want to make people to imagine their deaths, or do you want to destroy the Machinas?! What the hell are you after?!
: I’ve no reason to explain what you’re supposed to imagine for yourself.

:siren: SRW UX - Roaring Deathblow

: You must really want to destroy Machinas if you’re willing to look for and use them yourselves!
: Do you have the leeway to be hypothesizing right now? Either you underestimate me or you overestimate yourself.


Arnie: “This is…!”
Saya: “Our resolve!”
And we get another of Lina’s pom-pom’s for our troubles.

: I believe this is good enough. We’ve collected plenty of intel on that Machina.

: Hrm… He ran off again!

:siren: SRW UX - Love 14 ver. HD (Vocal)

: Ooh, I’m gonna make you pay for pushing Miumiu around! There’s only one thing people like you deserve!
: You don’t get it, do ya? That girl’s the craziest one around here… I’m a frickin’ choir boy next to her!

:siren: SRW UX - Lion

: You’ve caused enough trouble for a day! I’m not letting you trash the girls’ show!
: You better quit crowing and start paying attention, lil’ bird! Your life’s way more important than their show!

:siren: SRW UX - Life Goes On

: It’s because of groups like yours that the world gets more and more messed up! How do you not see that?!
: Hah, and I’m supposed to care what you think?
: Remember what Hisataka’s always saying: y’all gotta start imagining, and that’s why we’re here!

:siren: SRW UX - Linebarrel

: My mission ain’t about you today, Horns! Piss off!
: Mission?! You’re here to kill Kujo, aren’t you?!
: I thought I told you to piss off! You got two seconds to do that before I run you through!

:siren: SRW UX - Future-Bound Fighting Spirit

: Do you ever stop to think of how many people you’re hurting with stunts like this and that satellite weapon?!
: Math’s never been my strong point, guy.
: But they’ll see the light when it’s all said and done, and then they’re gonna thank us for saving ‘em!
: “Saving”?! Just what are you people after?!

:siren: SRW UX - Linebarrel

: …
: What’s up, greenie? Too busy pissing yourself to fight?
: Hmhmhm, no, I was just imagining…
: Imagining what I need to do to destroy you…


And Sawatari drops a Sheryl’s Disk (Accuracy and Ranged +10, Evasion +5).

: I’m not done yet!

: And here’s your payback, greenie!

: Aaargh!
: Kujo…!
: A-Aaah, no… Please! Stop! Don’t… don’t kill me! Someone help!
: Psh, and now you’re pleading? Come on, save that crap for the afterlife!
: Miu, watch out!
: Heehee… Come, Pard, Roc!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E10jwj9AvRk

: Gwaaaargh!
: Wh-What just happened?! The Painkiller’s controlling…
: Are those the two machines buried in that boulder…?!

Beep.

: Correct! They freed themselves and flew straight out of here, apparently reacting to the Machina’s call!
: By the looks of things, they’re meant as personal drones for the Painkiller.
: Drones…?!
: That’s that Machina’s – the Painkiller’s – unique ability?!
: Y-You… so all that begging, that crying was just a hoax…?
: Heehee… you make it sound so bad, calling it that.
: You underestimated me and got caught off guard…
: What I did was just a little something called acting.
: (“Acting”? She…)
: Hah, guess I took things a bit too easy…
: Fine, then. You might be a chick, but the gloves are coming off right now!

Beep.

: Oho, having a tough time dealing with a rookie, are you?
: Bite me! I’m just about to rip her apart!
: I’m afraid not. You’ve been given the order to withdraw – the situation’s grown too uncertain.
: And you think I care?! I ain’t letting her get away after that—
: This is a direct order from the commander…!
: …! Goddamn it… retreating!

: We’ve confirmation that all Katou Organization units have retreated.
: Hey, Kouichi! Did you see that?
: I beat him! This was my first fight and I think I did very—
: What were you thinking, Kujo…?
: Huh?
: You can’t fight the way you did. Look at this…
: You’ve turned a chunk of the city into rubble.

: …?!
: Ah…Aah…


Back at JUDA, things have already wrapped up at the festival and Eida’s heard how Holly and her guitar closed the event on a major high note; “Please, Eida, tell me something I don’t know! Wahahahaha!” Rennie confesses that she’d read Holly wrong – she thought she was just an oddball sister, but didn’t expect her to be such a great musician.
But Holly isn’t surprised, as she prides herself as being an Indie artist. She topped a chart or two, but that’s it. Nearby, Psy is pushing Joey to go and get his sister under control before she picks up too much steam. “That’s not happening… No one can stop her once she gets like that…” Joey sighs. “Ya know, I heard that the Japanese crowds were a quiet bunch, but they got fired up real good. ‘Course, when you got me playing, it’s like dumping a gallon of gasoline on everyone! Wahahahaa!”
Alto interrupts Holly’s glee and asks about Ranka and Sheryl, but both have already headed back to the Frontier (they asked her to give him their best). Alto hopes Sheryl’ll get better from whatever she’s got soon.

: That’s our report for the battle at Shimane.
: Miu Kujo, the Painkiller’s Factor, is currently getting examined at the infirmary.
: Hmm… that’s quite the dangerous Factor we picked up, huh?
: You’ve told us that people tend to get aggressive after becoming Factors, no? Kouichi Hayase wasn’t much different…
: “Aggressive” doesn’t quite sum up the way she fights, though.
: True. As she herself said, it kind of feels like a piece of acting.
: Like she’s trying to draw everyone’s eyes to her. The whole thing looks like she’s going “Look at me, look at how amazing I am!”
: She did acquire a lot of power in the blink of an eye. It’s not impossible that she’s deluded herself into thinking she’s a “chosen one”, a superior being.
: Whatever the case, she’s a very unstable girl.
: Hmhmm, when we first met her at Innsmouth, she’d tried to kill herself.
: And you say she was out of her mind when you found her at Yomotsu Hirasaka?
: Considering how abruptly she left the stage area, I’d say so. And then she found her way to the underground ruins…
: Where the Painkiller caught and infused her with its nanomachines.
: But why did the Painkiller choose Miu Kujo as its Factor? This was no accidental death or anything…
: There’s a lot of risk to this one… and not like Hayase used to be. Her personality, the circumstances behind her becoming a Factor – everything’s a different ballgame.
: I’ll say…
: Either way, I’ll need you folks to keep a close eye on things.
: On Miu Kujo?
: No, on Hayase.

: S-So… Are you feeling alright, Kujo?
: Yes. Actually, I’ve never felt better. Plus, I’m also so happy right now!
: Happy…?
: Because we’ll be fighting together now! Just the thought of it fills me with joy!
: …
: But, Miumiu, why did you rush out the festival like that?
: Well, I… I just wanted to see Hayase in the show. I wanted it so, so much…
: By the time I realized what I was doing, I was in that cave. And, then, the Painkiller saved me…
: (Saved you? What does that mean…?)


Elsewhere, Grathan is busy trying to phone home; he eventually manages to get in touch with Charme Veker aboard her G-Excellent. She’s very surprised to hear from him, as he’d been presumed dead following his disappearance while chasing the Elshank through a wormhole. Grathan apologizes, but notes that their comm systems have been malfunctioning since coming to Earth.
Whatever the case, Charme is glad that he and his men are safe. She asks him to report, so Grathan gives the rundown on being by the third planet of the Solar System, how they’re working on capturing the Elshank, and how the former Ladorian commander Ylbora Saro has defected to their side.

Still, Charme can see that he’s been having a hard time here, but tells him not to worry: the G-Excellent will be arriving on Earth soon. Once they’re there, they’ll reorganize and bolster The Boom Army’s forces.
Grathan’s does a double take at the mothership of their army being on its way – does that mean that Emperor Annex’ personal fleet will be here too? Of course, as Charm tells, the Emperor has decided to personally see to Romina’s capture. Oh, boy…


Later, over by the G-Excellent’s bridge, Charme relates to Annex that Grathan, the C-Terahertz and their troops are safe. It won’t be long before they make it to Earth, where the Elshank’s hiding out, BUT there’s a perplexing bit of information Charme would like to investigate before they initiate operations.
Perplexing how? They’ve lost all communications with the homeworld after going through the warp hole, and haven’t been able to reestablish them since. Moreover, there’s the added problem that much of their Kylhasium was lost during the warp. Investigations are underway and solutions are being devised.
That’s fine for Annex, who then asks Charme what she thinks of Earth. Honestly, she couldn’t help but be enamored with that beautiful planet from just the few images she’s seen of it. Charme can tell that Annex isn’t satisfied with having just Planet Ladorio under his control. “I cannot be at ease until all that is beautiful belongs to me. You know that, I’m sure,” Annex gloats. Mwahahahahahaha!

Finally, here are the convos we missed today:

: You worried about me, ya white blow-up doll? Come on, just try to hit me! I’m over here!
: Treating battles as a game is bad enough, but hurting everyone else because of that is unforgivable! Go, Heroman!
: …!

: I ain’t letting your gang off the hook for what you’ve done, but I guess we gotta be grateful to you a bit?
: I mean, it was only because of your sat cannon stunt that we managed to clear our names!
: That’s great to hear. Now you can die without regrets!

: You said this is the Painkiller? A shame you’ll leave this world so soon after finding it.
: No. I’m going to be a Champion of Justice like Hayase…
: If justice is what you’re after, then you’d best join the Katou Organization.
: Heehee, I don’t think so…
: You are all villains… it’s your destiny to die at the hands of Champions of Justice…

: You sure have been busy nowadays, eh? Then I trust you’ll keep that momentum going and show me a good time!
: Did you hear that, Aoi? This guy’s craving for a battle that gets his blood pumping.
: Well, who am I to turn him down? One electrifying battle, coming right up!
: We don’t guarantee you’ll live through it, mind!

Wow. I didn’t expect Magna!Mio to be so…crazy. Heck, I didn’t realize it was her until the Painkiller came out! It’s weird looking through the SRW L LP at the same time I’m reading this one and doing a compare/contrast to the Linebarrel crew in both games.

Yeah, Manga Miu is kind of totally nuts. It’s great, and it really makes her moeblob anime form look a lot less interesting. But fun fact about Painkiller…

…the whole “outer armor is light pink” thing is purely an anime invention as well. It’s much darker in the manga.

1 Like

The Linebarrels anime and manga is like night and day. I can’t wait for the manga version to be in another SRW again…


No, it’s still light pink in the manga.

Huh, so it is. Only good picture I had colored of the thing was the color, and it looked dark pink there.

Also, goddamn, the version of Painkiller from well after UX was made is probably the worst offender of the tiny-feet problem, and I only now realized it. I always saw it as a big, hulking beast from the few shots that really show it off, that just looks wrong.

Good god, it’s like seeing the Fire Emblem Awakening models again for the first time! There’s no way Metal Gear Ray’s super robot cousin can stand on those feet!

Click to see the mission!


And we are back at the Byston Well route, where Aesap, Amalgan and Lux got kidnapped right as we got Shouko, the Holy Warrior, back. We’ll see if we can’t remedy that, as Kiki, Hebi, Cao Cao and Shou all deploy as event units.
Here’s how the rest of our crew’s set up:
Lockon/Michio
Zhang Fei/Sun Shangxiang
Sun Quan/Kenji
Kazuki/Allelujah
Mazinkaiser/Saya
Liu Bei/Canon
Mamoru/Sakura
Guan Yu/Shouko
Kurou/Tsubasa
Setsuna/Tieria
Arnie/Marvel
Tactician: Zhuge Liang

Off we go.

:siren: SRW UX - Separation

: …

: So this is where you were, Canon.
: Do you have a minute?
: Maya, Peries? And you’re…
: Um… pleased to meet you?
: Shouko… Hazama…
: We’ve told her everything – about you and her mom, too. She wanted to meet you after hearing that.
: I was a bit surprised, to tell the truth. You’re living with my mom back at the island, then?
: Yes, but it’s nothing more than a convenient arrangement for when I’m over there.
: But Tatsumiya is yours and your families’ homes… I can leave that house at any time if you’d prefer it that way.
: Canon…
: …
: Canon… what do you think of my mom?
: I haven’t known Youko for long, but she’s taught me plenty.
: She’s fond of making difficult requests, but… I don’t resent staying with her.
: I see…
: Hey, we’re just about to show Shouko around the ship, so why don’t you come along?
: Me…?
: It’d be a good opportunity for you two to start knowing each other – both as fellow teammates and as friends, no?
: “Friends”…?
: What do you say…?
: …
: Okay. I’ll join you.
: Thank you, Canon…

: I worry about Aesap and the others as much as anyone, but it’s looking like our bigger problem at the moment is the risk of this base coming under attack again.
: Hmhmm, the enemy now has a good grasp of where we are…
: …
: Listen, I’ve been thinking… would it’d be possible to meet with King Sakomizu face to face?
: Do you have something you want to say to him?
: I just have the feeling that he doesn’t really understand the danger posed by Aura Machines when they’re at the Overworld…
: But the question is whether the man himself would be willing to listen…
: The point is that we’re dealing with a Holy Warrior that’s both a survivor from a WW2 kamikaze unit and the founder of a whole nation. I doubt we’re going to talk him down without a lot of persuasion.
: A warrior with iron-clad ideals… Someone with absolutely no doubt in his heart makes for quite the tough nut to crack.
: Still, just because you want to bring your past ideals to fruition doesn’t make it okay to sacrifice the people living in the present.
: … However, bringing ideals to fruition without sacrifices is a nigh impossibility.
: Cao Cao…!
: Do not misconstrue my words, Liu Bei. I am not about to try and alter our army’s policies.
: I simply find myself curious about this man, Sakomizu… I wish to verify his own ideals, that which he is willing to make sacrifices to see realized…
: Then you’ll be coming along, Lord Cao Cao?
: Aye. Sima Yi, you will join us.
: As you wish.
: Shou, if you’re heading for Sakomizu’s castle, then keep an eye out for him
: Shot Weapon, hm?
: And you’re sure that guy’s the same person who used to be in your original world, Shou?
: Absolutely – it’s the real Shot! The Lady Jacoba of this world told us about him!
: And in that case, I wonder what he’s up to…
: Whatever the case, I’d like someone to keep in touch with the folks headed into the castle. Setsuna, Cham, can I ask you to handle it?
: Yes, ma’am. I’ll stay on alert close by.
: You can count on me! I’m way more reliable than Shou, you know!
: The Bilbine’s already serviced too – we even finished giving it that new paintjob.
: “Paintjob”? What?
: There a problem? Cham asked us to do it.
: Well, of course I did! We’re flying around at night, so that color’ll make you – poof – disappear!
: Poof… this isn’t a sneaking mission we’re about to do, if you remember.
: If I may intrude, I saw fit to have the fine mechanics of the Hadou Financial Group give the Bilbine a tune-up as well. You should see an increase in performance – nothing major, but it’s there.
: That’s already a big help. Thanks.

: … Al, a word?
: Hm? What is it?
: I’ve a request to make of you while Shou and his group at headed towards the enemy castle…

Alarm!

: What’s the problem?!
: We’ve detected an Aura Machine approaching the castle – it’s alone!
: Alone…? This is not a raid, then?
: Take a look, sires.
: That’s… the Bilbine! Shou?!
: Ah, he’s the one you spoke of…
: Yes, King Sakomizu. He is, without a doubt, another Holy Warrior.
: Hmm… how interesting. Escort that Aura Machina into the castle!
: Yes, your majesty…!

: So it wasn’t just you, Shou, but Lord Cao Cao and Sima Yi too…
: I see they didn’t hurt you, Aesap. That’s a relief.

Door opens.

: While we did capture him as we would a foe, I once saw in him even a potential son-in-law. We have treated him as a proper guest.
: It’s a pleasure to meet you, King Sakomizu. I am Shou Zama.
: Indeed, you are. I have heard much of you from young Aesap Suzuki – for instance, that you are a Holy Warrior from another world.
: That’s true…
: And these two, they are warriors… rather, a warlord and his chief strategist from yet another world.
: We are honored to make your acquaintance, King Sakomizu. I am called Sima Yi; and he is my liege, Lord Cao Cao.
: …
: And what do you visitors from different worlds have to say to the King?
: Your Majesty, I’m here to tell you of the tragedies Aura Machines bring…
: Tragedies, you say?
: In the past, I was brought to another Byston Well, where I fought against various enemies as a Holy Warrior.
: Including Shot Weapon, who’s been hiding out inside your castle!
: … Shou Zama. I didn’t expect to find you in this world.
: Child, if you mean to tell me of the dangers inherent to Aura Machines, Shot has already told me all of it.
: However, is it not true that all weapons are dangerous? It all depends on how you make use of them.
: And what say you of the hardship you have imposed onto the people of this land in your quest to reach the Overworld?
: I have always been well aware of the fact that the people do not approve of what I am doing.
: Yet, as King… as a Holy Warrior who’s traversed two worlds, I have duty that must be carried out.
: Indeed… at times one must suffer the people’s scorn in the name of what is righteous. ‘Tis a burden of all who wear the crown of king.
: Though our worlds are different, I see in you a conqueror of the land. Indeed, I believe you are capable of understanding.
: …
: Shou Zama, Aesap Suzuki, if anything, I know all of us seek to return to the Overworld.
: So I, as a fellow Holy Warrior, would like to ask for your help establishing this ceasefire with the rebels.
: Amalgan has already agreed to surrender, and we’ve a letter with his blood seal endorsing it. We’d like the rebels to lay down their arms without any further issues.
: And where is said Amalgan, exactly?
: He is elsewhere, working tirelessly in preparation of the ceasefire.
: Aesap Suzuki, I want you to take this document back to the rebel encampment.
: If peace is successfully reached between our factions, not only will blood stop being spilled on this land, but Lux will no longer need to be in confinement.
: Very well. I humbly accept this task if it’ll help peace return…
: …
: (Amalgan and King Sakomizu aren’t unreasonable men.)
: (If we do bring back peace with this, then Lux won’t have to suffer anymore either…)

: Shinjiro Sakomizu… he struck me as an exceptional man, but…
: What say you about that letter with Amalgan’s blood seal, Shou?
: … Maybe I have a harder time trusting people than Aesap does, but it’s very clear to me that there’s more to it than meets the eye.
: Hah, you think so as well, then.

: Fate never ceases to amaze, doesn’t it? Had you told me we’d traverse space and time and meet each other in a land like this, I would’ve called you insane.
: Shot Weapon…!
: No glaring, Shou Zama. What could I even do to you by my lonesome?
: What the hell are you up to? Why’re you getting in bed with King Sakomizu and developing Aura Machines in this Byston Well?
: Now that’s a weird thing to ask.
: I’ve always been an engineer. Being financed by some state and developing technology is what I do.
: Even if that tech only serves to make war?!
: You are being far too hostile…
: This isn’t our world. We had our reasons for being enemies before, but those are gone now, no?
: I know they’re gone – that doesn’t mean I trust you, though…!
: Well, if we’re going to start listing grievances, I’ve also had someone dear taken from me!
: You mean Musy Poe…?!
: But I’d like to think I didn’t bring the hatred I felt with me into this world.
: If not, then what’d be the point in undergoing Ciela’s purification and arriving here?
: I won’t make any apologies, but I hope you’ll understand that much…

He leaves.

: Shot Weapon…
: That man has the eyes of someone whose heart houses nothing but his personal ambitions.
: He has no interest in supporting his King, nor loyalty to him.
: I knew it. He pretends to be serving King Sakomizu but he’s only doing it to get what he wants…
: And I believe Sakomizu is also aware of that.
: He is…?
: One who seeks to rule all must open his arms even to past enemies and those he knows are simply biding their time to strike.
: Otherwise, he shall find his vision of a unified rule of the land to be but an impossible dream. Do you agree, Sima Yi?
: Aye.

: Shou… Shou!
: Cham…!
: Keep your voice down. How did things look around the castle?
: I looked around, and you guys were right…!

: Aesap’s gone to the ceasefire negotiations with the Hojo detachment.
: What the hell, man. We’ve been fighting so dang much for this country and they ditch us like that? Why does only Aesap get to be there for the important stuff? I swear…

Door opens.

: Hmhmhm… Ah, jealousy and resentment. Often do those help warriors display a mighty Aura Power…
: Queen Codour…!
: Overworlders, know that I rate you both higher than Aesap.
: Thank you so much, my lady! You honor us!
: But, Your Majesty, I must warn you about that man, Shou Zama. We must be wary of him.
: Well, you can rest easy. I’m not about to let him set foot outside this castle now that he’s seen fit to deliver himself to us.
: You’d do well to remember… I never have and never will trust Holy Warriors.
: And I mean any Holy Warriors…

: A ceasefire… I sure didn’t figure they’d be sending you as their envoy.
: It just kind of happened. But I hope we can carry out this accord.
: A letter of surrender from Amalgan, eh? It seems legitimate, but…
: King Sakomizu has declared, in his generosity, that he will not charge any of you with the crime of insurrection should you accept to lay down your arms.
: He asked Sir Aesap to be his ambassador of peace precisely to show his good will.
: …
: (That’s weird… I don’t see anyone from the UX around. Are they trying to keep their distance from the meeting grounds?)
: The ceasefire agreement says that Amalgan and the other POWs are also to be released.
: You say you want to put this war behind us, so let’s see some proof. Set them free first.
: Hmph, if you insist. I haven’t signaled our flagship to release them yet, so wait just a moment…
: (This is for the best… it’ll put a stop to the war and keep Lux’s heart in one piece…)


Location: Fugaku – Bridge

: There’s Sir Kasumi’s signal flare! We’ve confirmed the location of the rebels’ headquarters!
: My lord, Abuta Blas is within the Fugaku’s firing range.
: “Firing range”?! Father, what is the meaning of this?!
: … Bring them in.
: This way, you two!

: Hrgh… Sakomizu…!
: Ooow, you’re hurting me! Let me go!
: Amalgan, Erebos!
: I could not chance bringing Cao Cao and his peers here, so I had them confined to the castle…
: But I’ll allow you two to bear witness to what is about to happen.
: Sakomizu… what’re you up to?!
: Falsifying my blood seal… How can you resort to such a treacherous plan?!
: The seal was fake?!
: You know why I do this. My one truest wish is to return Japan to how it is meant to be!
: And, thus, I will make the Aura Road open…!
: So you are planning on invading the Overworld?! So much so that you lied to Aesap to get him on your side…?!
: Do you honestly think the Wings of Rean would accept such a man as their owner, father?!
: Even if you take the Wings of Rean shoes from me and wear them yourself, you—!
: Hmhmhm… None of you understand a thing, I see.
: It’s not the Wings of Rean shoes alone that hold the power to open the Aura Road.
: What…?!
: Ready all gun turrets! Concentrate fire on the rebel headquarters!
: Sakomizu, you vermin! Has the once honorable Holy Warrior really fallen so?!
: Yes, excellent… hate me, curse my very birth! The Minus Aura Energy born of those negative emotions are the mightiest force of all!
: The Fugaku will absorb that energy and, with it, the Aura Road will open!
: You… You’re going to massacre the rebels for that?!
: How… How can you do this?! What kind of monster are you?!
: F-Father, don’t!
: We are ready, my lord. Give your command and the road for the fulfillment of your dream shall open!
: STOOOOP!


Mission 28 (Byston Well Route) – A King’s Schemes

: Sir Kasumi, what’s going on? Why do we need to leave the area?!
: “Return to the vessel once you’ve fired the signal flare.” Those were the king’s orders!
: But why would he do that…?
: Heh, you’ll know soon enough.

: Is that the Fugaku?
: …?! And its cannons are pointing right towards…!
: King Sakomizu, were you always looking to destroy Abuta Blas?!
: The main cannon and all turrets are ready to fire!
: You… you tricked me?! Was everything you said a lie, King Sakomizu?!
: Fire!
: NOO!

: Aah…! Abuta Blas… our friends…!
: Bwahahaha! Look how it burns! That spot will mark their communal grave!
: How could you…!
: Wait… something is wrong!
: Th-That’s…!

Crack.

:siren: SRW UX - The Legend of Mirisha

: Wh-What in blazes?!
: The Fugaku’s bombarding a wide open plain?!
: The rebels’ base… Abuta Blas has vanished?!
: W-What just happened?!

: It worked like a charm, I see.
: Wh-What’s going on?!
: What they attacked was no more than an illusion of Abuta Blas.
: An illusion…?!
: Oh! It was a fake created by Al’s Mirror of Nitocris spell?!
: Wh-Whaaat?!
: Granted, it was quite the task to craft an illusion of such a scale.
: Hmhmhm… I dare say this is quite the landmark stratagem, one uniting magic and tactics.
: I believe I’ll call it the “Mystical Empty Fort Strategy”.
: Rrgh… What are you fools doing?! Take aim at their battleship—

: Argh! Wh-Who?!

: Lockon Stratos, target sniped down!
: Lady Codour! That attack just crippled our main cannon! It cannot perform artillery strikes anymore…!
: I-Impossible…!
: Master Kongming’s as brilliant as always! Even his choice of location for Lockon’s perch was flawless!
: As Sun Tzu once said, “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war.” The victors and the defeated are already set in stone by the time a battle commences.
: Y-You blasted rebel scum!
: Hmhmhm… You are, indeed, worthy of my respect, Overworlders! That was quite the show of skill from your leaders!
: (Father, what are you planning…?)
: Hojo Army, do you believe we won’t make you answer for this betrayal?!
: Silence, Overworlder! We’ve no further use for you!
: DIE!

: Hrk… Wh-What?!

:siren: SRW UX - Envoy from Jupiter

: …
: The 00 Raiser… Setsuna?!
: Target located. Quick, Aesap, back to the Ptolemy!
: O-Okay!

: You’re not hurt, right, Aesap?
: I’m so sorry. You guys got in serious danger because of me…
: But how did you know what King Sakomizu was up to?
: Shou snuck Cham into the castle, where she found Amalgan and heard the truth from him.
: About how they’d forcibly taken his blood to falsify that seal.
: Sorry to keep you in the dark, Aesap, but we couldn’t risk tipping off the Hojo samurai you came in with.
: And in my ignorance I played right along with King Sakomizu’s plan…
: How about you save the mulling for later? Don’t lose sight of what you need to do right now.
: … You’re right!

: Hah, hahahah… your plans have fallen apart, Sakomizu.
: Yeah! That’s it for your dream!
: The flames of my dream aren’t so easily quenched. Rather, they will now burn ever brighter!

: Here comes the enemy swarm, and they’re looking pretty ticked off!
: Then we’re deploying as well!

: That illusion was nothing but a temporary measure… but it’s managed to unsettle the enemy! We cannot allow this opportunity to pass us by, my friends!


Kill everything, don’t lose Aesap or any ship. This part’s pretty much a repeat of the previous battle, only with Rouri and Kanamoto already there from the start. The main issue is that, even more so than before, we’ve a lot of water and the enemy’s pretty aggressive.
So the best way to approach this, I say, is to have your guys hang by the nearby shore and let the Hojo troops come to you. Deal with them in waves and, by the time the midbosses close in, you’ll be good on morale to take them out.
The Fugaku’s back but, once again, you don’t want to down it – just don’t forget that it has a directional MAPW and weave through its shots.

:siren: SRW UX - My Fate

: We don’t need the Overworlders’ powers! All we need are our Aura Machines and the whole land will be under our sway!
: And how do you figure any of you are fit to rule when you need to resort to surprise attacks?!

:siren: SRW UX - The Gate of Neidhöhle Opens

: Rrrgh! And we were so close to wiping out the rebels! Retreating…!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nMbu-fjbzI
Finally, I’ve gotten Kasumi/Murassa’s strongest attack on tape.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6TZnjNAb4s
Go away, Kotto.

And when turn three rolls over, as the second wave of enemies starts coming in, the plot triggers.

: We’ve indulged your games, rebels, but it’s gone long enough.

The Fugaku flies back to its starting position.

: Did you know that we are not alone aboard the Fugaku? Lux and Amalgan are here as well! Shoot down this ship and you end their lives as well!
: Stepmother…!
: You’re taking your own daughter hostage?! Are you insane?!
: Hmhmhm, one must always have backup plans in battle…
: Set forward, troops! Destroy the rebels!
: We need to do something or Lux and the rebels’ll…!

Beep!

: We’ll take care of both hostages!
: …?!

:siren: SRW UX - Dunbine Flies

: The Wing Calibur?!
: And are those Cao Cao and Sima Yi I see standing atop it?!
: Pretty impressive that they’re not being flung straight off at the speed they’re going.
: What are they doing here?! Express orders were given to hold them at the castle!
: Hah… You make me laugh, woman! Did you truly believe I wouldn’t perceive what the lot of you were planning?
: All the Aura Machines at Hypp Kurene castle have been destroyed by my lord and Shou!
: Wh-What did you say?!
: Go, Lord Cao Cao!
: Aye!

Shou drops Cao Cao onto the Fugaku!

: Lord Cao Cao!
: Hmph, well done, Cao Cao. “An unscrupulous hero in chaotic times,” indeed!
: Sakomizu… are the ideals you preach such paltry things?
: What…?
: You have the resolve to make sacrifices when necessary, and that is to be commended. However, a man who would resort to petty schemes could never stand above others as conqueror!
: Dai…GURENZAN!

: Uurgh…!
: I am taking your captives, Sakomizu!

: Yeah! They rescued them!

Everyone flies further north, towards our group. Shou flies to the Ptolemaios.

: The rest is in your hands, Shou!
: Yeah, we’ll handle it!

Lux tags in with Aesap.

: Aesap!
: Erebos, thank god you’re safe! You too, Lux, Amalgan!
: I’m sorry that you had to get mixed in with my father’s agenda, Aesap…
: We’ll discuss it later! The Hojo forces are finally attacking in earnest!

: It’s… Sakomizu’s Aura Battler!
: Cao Cao, Overworlders! Pit your blades against mine and see for yourself if my ideals are or not strong enough to rule!
: That’s quite the speech coming from a fallen Holy Warrior!
: I once called you a friend… the least I can do is end your sorry life myself!
: Don’t take it all on yourself, old man!
: We’re always here to watch your back, you know!
: Then we’re going, Kiki, Hebi!


We’ll see their combo attack in a jiffy, when I get the DK.

: Hmph, is that all?! We may not have crossed swords in a while, but I trust you haven’t forgotten the strength a Holy Warrior possesses!
: Tsk… If anything, your spirit remains impressive, Sakomizu!
: Father, you are now nothing but a fool under the grip of evil!
: You have turned your back on the Wings of Rean and lost the last shreds of your spirit as a Holy Warrior… You are no different from a Garow Ran!
: Silence, Lux! I am a Holy Warrior!

: F-Father…!
: No words will help you stop that man… ‘Tis only through battle that we may end this!
: He’s right… This isn’t just a Hojo problem anymore!
: He must be stopped, and we’re the ones who have to do it!


Round two with Sakomizu, and losing Lux is also a game over – keep a close eye on her. By the way, if you noticed, the Bilbine now has its night camo on, which provides a sliiiight increase to its mobility, but is mostly a cosmetic change (and, with Lux, the second secret that doesn’t carry over into NG+).
Destroying either the Oukaou or the Fugaku will end the mission, but you’ll want to go for Big Daddy as he’s worth more exp, cash, has the better item and…

:siren: Secret Alert! :siren:
Wings of Rean secret #1 (4th step) – destroy Sakomizu with Aesap.

Get to it.

:siren: SRW UX - My Fate

: Using a fake peace agreement to pull a surprise attack? Really? You don’t feel guilty at all about that?!
: Yell and rage to your hearts content! King Sakomizu will put that hate-filled Aura Power to excellent use!

: Curses…! Is this the might of the Overworlders?!
: Hrm, retreating!

:siren: SRW UX - Tales of Mirisha ~ The Brave Legend

:siren: SRW UX - My Fate

: The king has become a monster. And as both his daughter and crown princess of Hojo, I must…!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja_KIj0AKgA
No parries today!

:siren: SRW UX - My Fate

: Stop this, Kanamoto! Why are you even going along with the Hojo Army?! Aura Machines aren’t toys!
: I know that, Aesap. These machines are tools that bring us so much power!

:siren: SRW UX - Future-Bound Fighting Spirit

: I’m not about to treat everything the Queen says as gospel…
: But there’s one thing I’m sure of: I’m in too deep to turn around now!

:siren: SRW UX - My Fate

: Even after everything you saw today, you’re still going to help King Sakomizu?!
: Yeah, I am. So long as I get to do what I want, I don’t give a crap if I’m with Japan, Hojo or whoever!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfBEGl57v_I
And, boom, here’s the combo attack. That’s a very cute DK.

: I need more! I need enough power to destroy them all! And I’m not dying until I have it!

:siren: SRW UX - The Gate of Neidhöhle Opens

:siren: SRW UX - My Fate

: Is this the sort of tactic a sensible person – a king, for that matter – should employ?!
: Indeed, I am a king and, as such, I have a duty to carry out! I will not tolerate my own daughter speaking against it!

: My vessel’s cannons would have remained passive had you not gathered an army! This destruction is what you brought onto yourself!
: Maybe, but any can see that it was your ambitions that first set us on the warpath! What kind of “dream” is that that keeps pushing us into conflict?!

:siren: SRW UX - The Eternal Soldiers

: Ah, the machine with the skull! Come and show me the full depths of your might!
: Looks like His Majesty wants a tie-breaker with you, Kaido.
: Hah, he didn’t even need to ask! That was my idea from the get-go!

:siren: SRW UX - Tales of Mirisha ~ The Brave Legend

: If you proclaim yourself fit to rule all, then I demand that you manifest the root of the ardor that compels you!
: As you wish! My blade bears all my beliefs and through its edges I will see my ideals fulfilled – and now you’ll feel its bite!


Sakomizu attacking Cao Cao: “I see your ambition and it is fine, indeed! But have you the strength to match it?!”

:siren: SRW UX - Dunbine Flies

: I can tell from the way you handle your blade – your self-serving desires guide your very hand!
: Kazuki’s here, and so am I… and if it’ll help me keep it that way, then I won’t hesitate to fight anyone!

:siren: SRW UX - Future-Bound Fighting Spirit

: How can someone who calls himself a king use inhuman tactics like that to quell a rebellion?!
: A ruler must have the resolve to make hard choices! The rank and file may disagree, but my ideals will endure!


Arnie attacking: “You’re another Overworlder, so why…?!”
Sakomizu attacking Americans: “Die, American! I’ll heal these old wounds with your life!”

:siren: SRW UX - Dunbine Flies

: You’re the king of an entire country! It’s obvious for everyone why you have a rebellion in your hands, so how can you not see that you’re mistaken?!
: These are the people of the country I created, and I will pacify them how I deem best! A force from a different nation has no right to object!


Shou attacking: “King Sakomizu…! I can’t let his Aura Power push me back!”

:siren: SRW UX - My Fate

: Setting up a fake ceasefire as a trap… Is that how someone who’s leading an entire nation should act, King Sakomizu?!
: It outrages you, hm? I feel the burning flame of your anger!
: But mine has been burning for decades, ever since my suicide attack failed to extinguish it!


We get a Takashimada Origami Doll (Accuracy and Ranged +10, Defense +5) from him. Also, Lux became our first character to know Bless!

: So the Overworld forces have the strength to rival my Oukaou?! However…!

: It’s not enough to cripple my desire to reach the Overworld!
: Hell, yeah, chief! We’re gonna party all night!
: Wait! Something’s coming…!

Flash!

: That is quite enough of this…
: Wh-What is that?!
: There’s… there’s a face floating in the air!
: This land is awash in warring emotions… it’s deafening.
: It’s Lady Jacoba, Queen of the Ferario!
: That is Jacoba Aon?!
: (But the Jacoba we knew died… And why does she look like that?!)
: Queen of the fairies, what business have you here…?
: I had once hoped that you would live out your life in Byston Well, King of Hojo…
: The desire I carry isn’t so easily forsaken. I have a duty that must be fulfilled!
: And that desire would endanger both the Overworld and Byston Well!

Flash!

: …?! W-We can’t move!
: Hrk… Is this a gravity field?! Nay, ‘tis some variety of arresting field by way of spiritual pressure!
: But for her to be able to immobilize all our units… are her powers on the same level as Master Therion’s?!
: Wait, only my Gim Ginen can still move…?
: Everything is in place, girl. Now take him.
: …?! A-are you telling me to kill my father?!
: Stop! Nothing good comes out of encouraging hate between father and daughter!
: …

Lux flies over to the Oukaou.

:siren: SRW UX - My Fate

: L-Lux!
: Father, are you truly deaf to the suffering of so many people?!
: Lux…
: Have you lost all the love you had for the people of Hojo?!
: …
: I’m not about to engage in debate with you. Moreover…
: Do you believe I have any obligation to explain myself to you…?
: …?!
: Th-That guy… the hell is his problem?!
: I…see. You won’t let go of the idea of invading the Overworld, will you? In that case…
: L-Lux, don’t! If you do that…!
: I am your daughter, and I’ll stop your rampage even if it kills me!

: Lux…!
: (Is there nothing I can do…? Another father and daughter are about to fall victim to that same tragedy and I can’t stop this one either…?!)
: I’ll keep both your life and mine here in Byston Well! Prepare yourself!
: Stop…
: STOP!!

Grab!

: …?! That man destroyed my field?!
: Lux, don’t! Patricide is not something a good person like you should be doing!
: But, Aesap, I…!
: Lux, you can’t let your anger get the better of you! Especially not now!
: I know you’re a stronger woman than this!
: Aesap…!
: This failure of a Holy Warrior dares speak against me?
: I’ve never been a man meant for greatness!
: Wherever I am, I’ll always be… Aesap Suzuki!

: The Nanajin’s frame is on fire… No, it’s changed color?!
: The machine reacted his rising Aura Power?! He’s…!
: You’ll stop this tragedy from happening in a way we couldn’t… That’s the choice you made, isn’t it, Aesap?
: You’ve remade your Aura Machine down to its core… Your conviction is very much worthy of praise, young Suzuki!
: Then, King…!
: However, I serve a cause greater than myself! And I will see it done, even if my own daughter comes to despise me!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJX9SMXiqrI

: Hrrgh…!
: Why can’t you show yourself to Lux as a proper Holy Warrior… as a proper father?!
: That’s… That’s all any child wants to see when looking at their parents!

Sakomizu grabs Aesap!

: That’s it! Think of this land, think of Lux, even think of me, your foe! Let all those raw emotions well up and burst forth from within your soul!
: And when they do…!
: King Sakomizu…!

Ruuuuumble!

: The hell?! Look at the sky!
: It’s… glowing?!
: Wh-What’s going on?!
: My Aura Power is fluttering! Yes, this is it! This is it!
: Is this the Nanajin’s… No, it’s my Aura Power…?!

: …?! It’s the Wings of Rean…!
: Curse you, Sakomizu… You had a backup plan?!

: The Wings of Rean are surrounding Abuta Blas!
: (King Sakomizu… this is what you were truly after all along?!)
: The clash between two Holy Warriors caused this…?! It cannot be!
: Ahahahahaha! I’ve done it! I’ve fulfilled my dream!
: At last… At long last, the Aura Road opens!!


Location: ALVIS – Fafners’ Burg

: The four new Fafners are this far along already?
: We’ve only finished the base frames, mind. We’re also working on feedback from the data collected from the other Tatsumiya and Koyo Kasugai’s body. (Nishio)
: It’ll be a while before these are in fighting-shape.
: I’m so sorry that we had to pull you out of retirement, ma’am. And to foist something like this onto you, even…
: Don’t worry about it, Tamotsu. Putting these old bones to use is a small price to pay if it’ll ease my grandchildren’s burden.
: Speaking of, have we already chosen the new cadets?
: Yes, we’ve a total of four very promising matches – including Ms. Nishio’s two grandchildren.
: We’re already training them in the simulators, but, like the machines themselves, it’ll be a while.
: That’s not surprising, considering they were living as regular kids their whole lives.
: It’s needed to protect the island, but doing this never gets any easier…
: Cmdr. Makabe…

Bing.

: Commander, we’ve an incoming transmission addressed to you. Should I relay it to the 2nd CDC?
: To me…? Who’s it from?
: From Prof. Mitsuhiro Partland, Senior Officer of the Army of Mankind.
: From Mitsuhiro…?!

: It’s been ages, Fumihiko.
: Yes, ever since you left the island. What do you want?
: Straight to the point, hm? Very well. I’d like to request permission to enter the island.
: Excuse me…?
: I seek to make amends for the foolish and ill-advised past actions of the Army of Mankind.
: You’re asking us to trust someone working with the same group that occupied us before? Really?
: Perhaps you’ll find it easier to trust me with the promise of compensation? I’m willing to tell you what the Army of Mankind’s up to.
: …
: You – alone – may come onto the island, and for no longer than 48 hours.
: Commander, are you serious?!
: I am truly grateful for your magnanimity, commander.
: And one last thing… about my daughter, Maya. She’s apparently been kept from piloting a Fafner due to having some physical handicap?
: Psh, helped yourself to some of our data while your crew attacked the place, did ya? What’re you getting at?
: As I see it, Yumiko was the one who handled her aptitude data…
: Why don’t you give that data another look over? Who knows, you might find an interesting thing or two.
: Hmhmhm…

Bloop.

: Goddamn, if we could weaponize “smug” that guy’d be the most dangerous thing on Earth. What do you think he’s coming here for?
: I can only guess. Mitsuhiro’s the kind of man who keeps his cards very close to his chest.
: What he said about Maya’s data worries me, though. Is there anything—

ALARM!

: An attack?!
: Report!
: We’re detecting an enormous heat signature right above Tatsumiya! Th-This light is…!
: It’s just like that thing that happened after the Mark Sechs disappeared… Do you think it’s—?!

Flaaaaash!

: That’s the UX?! And a massive force of Aura Battlers?!

: Those children’s choices have opened the life-weaving road of light.
: Hey… which road would you choose for yourself?
: …
: Choo…se…


Amalgan’s yet another tactician, but he comes with both bonuses unlocked: +10% defense and +10% to all support effects. Eh.
Also, the route split’s over and Romina unlocks her secondary bonus: Spiritual Fortitude for everyone (pilot debuff immunity). We’ll see how things play out on the other side next time.

Man, Scarlet, that’s some spoilers, isn’t it?

Hang on, I think we can attach a giant, blinking sign that says “FORESHADOWING!” onto the quote.

Click to see the mission!


Time to wrap up the Surface route and we only have Joe set as an auto-deploy. Here’s how we’re going:
Fei-Yen/Mike
Shinn/Klan
Kouichi/Lunamaria
Arnie/Saya
Dancouga/Deceive
Michel/Ozma
Moritsugu/Joe
Miu/Eida
Yamashita/Canaria
Heroman/Rennie
Alto/Luca
Tactician: Moritsugu

Off we go.

: Hayase, I know this is putting you on the spot, but what do you think of Miu Kujo?
: Wh-What I… well, I think a bunch of stuff. Like why she became a Factor, and whatnot.
: That’s a good question… It’s not like her life was in any danger, so how come the Painkiller was able to make her into a Factor?
: It doesn’t really make much sense, seeing how that’s going against one of the laws that’s imposed on all Machinas.
: The laws imposed on all Machinas… I believe I know the ones. “Machina aren’t allowed to harm humans.”
: And “In the eventuality a Machina does harm a human, or finds one in life-threatening condition, then it’s to take immediate action and restore him or her as its Factor.” Correct?
: That’s pretty much it, yes.
: …
: Prof. Rachel…?
: This is just a personal hypothesis but…
: I’m wondering if the Painkiller judged that Miu Kujo was in a ‘life-threatening MENTAL condition’?
: Wait, what?!
: So the thing made her its Factor because it figured she might die if left alone?!
: I have a hypothesis of my own in that regard: that Machina alter their laws to suit their needs.
: …!
: Th-Then, the Painkiller made Kujo its Factor so it could move again…?
: I’m afraid that may be it.
: Mr. Moritsugu… just what are Machinas?
: I don’t know. All I can say is that this event has turned a niggling doubt I’ve had for a while into a full-blown question.
: And that question is… “Can we really trust our Machinas”?
: Huh?!
: …
: (And there’s also the matter of Mr. Ishigami. Can we trust you, sir? Or…)
: …

: Is everyone really cool with that Kujo chick?
: I mean, I’m kinda worried that her crazy fighting style’s gonna end up causing trouble for the rest of us.
: You’re one to talk, Joe. How many times have we had to bear the brunt of your mistakes…?
: What was that now? You got a problem, you say it to my face!
: Yes, I’ve a problem and then some! I’m sick and tired of your freewheeling attitude!
: I swear, were Sir Ylbora here, he’d put you in your place…!
: Sir Ylbora. Sir Ylbora? Alright, Gameran, c’mere ‘cause I got a piece of info to drop on you…
: What is it?

Punch!

: Oorgh…!
: That piece of garbage’s betrayed us! Quit calling him “Sir”!
: Rrrgh… Y-You insolent—!
: That’s enough, both of you!
: I’m quite sure I forbade any disputes in defense of that man!
: B-But… Your Highness!
: He is our enemy and it has been that way for a while now! There’s no room for debate here!
: Kch…!
: Your Highness…
: (I know the princess needs to say that because of her position but…)
: (She must be hurting so much inside…)
: …
: (Ylbora… you have truly…)


Cut to the C-Terahertz, Emperor The Boom has arrived and Grathan and Ylbora are there to welcome him after the long journey. Annex has heard plenty of the Ladorian warrior, but he’s now a loyal subject and Grathan attests to his skill. That said, as Charme knows, Grathan’s been having unexpected difficulties in capturing the Elshank, and she doubts Ylbora’s defection will change that.
Oh, but they’re hardly out of options yet, as Grathan says they’ve a certain new machine being developed – one built specifically to bring the Elshank to heel. It’s not ready yet, mind, which, in Charme’s eyes, is the same as being out of options. Does she have a solution, then? She does, having already dispatched a subordinate to set things up. “Please, Your Majesty, allow me, the Benikage, to take care of everything,” she proclaims.

Benikage is Crimson Shadow, in contrast to Tobikage’s Flying Shadow.


Cut to Kamata, where our crew was forced to ask Soubi to play tour-guide. He doesn’t mind it, enjoying the chance to take a look around town, but it HAS been a very long time since he’s been here. He might not make for much of a guide. As Alto’s heard, Kamata used to be the movie capital of Japan, though a lot of that, barring the famous movie theater, has vanished over the decades.
In truth, the place is very different from when Soubi used to live here, but he can still remember everything vividly – this is where he and Kaoru met, after all. And though his late wife may be gone, he’s certain she’s watching over here. “Your love for her hasn’t changed at all, huh? I can only imagine how wonderful it must be for two people to feel that way about each other,” Lina ponders. “Hahah, I wouldn’t mind getting to know a love like that myself,” Damian chuckles.


That’s something Alto didn’t expect to hear coming from him, but meeting Soubi and listening to his story got Damian thinking. Mars isn’t exactly a happy place and, having been there all his life, he never got to experience falling in love with someone. Unfortunately, Soubi can’t really give him any pointers on that – love is something that happens sudden and unexpectedly.
“You mean suddenly like a girl falling out of the sky on top of you?” Joey wonders aloud. “Bahaha, you talking about Kurou and Al? Now that’s some crazy talk—” Damian starts having a laugh but is interrupted when a car nearly runs him over! Alto’s warning lets him jump out of the way, but who the hell is driving that thing?! No time to wonder, as the car backs around and tries getting Damian from behind.
This time, someone else shoves him out the way and he gets off with just a scratch. Said Good Samaritan was knocked out, but Lina’s already taking care of her.


She wakes up in short order and is more than a little confused. Sounds like Damian’s got his wish, though, as the first thought through his head once he sees her is: “What a beauty…”


Back to JUDA, Rennie’s seen the girl, and very much agrees that she’s a real looker – Michel, of course, heard there was a new babe in town and couldn’t just ignore it. Lunamaria figures she must be with the Federation, but Domyoji’s not too sure of that. Miu asks if he finds it weird that a soldier threw herself in danger to save another, but, no, that’s not what’s bugging him.
Regardless, Eida’s more worried about the car that attacked Damian which, apparently, turned out to be unmanned. As Maki relates, JUDA’s already picked the car up and will be running tests, and Izuna sees a parallel with Allelujah and Soma’s report of the rampaging car at the Moldova Base. Problem is, Rachel says, there’s no evidence of ELS traces on the car. Curious and curiouser.

: Hey, thanks a bunch for what you did back there. You really saved my hide.
: I’m glad you’re safe.
: Hah… I was born and raised on Mars, so, if anything, I’m made of pretty sturdy stuff!
: See here? Everything’s A-OK with me!
: (“Born and raised on Mars”… Then this man really is…!)
: But never mind me. What’s your name…?
: O-Oh, I’m… I’m called Karen.
: Karen, huh? Well, I’m really sorry that you got hurt because of me.
: No, no… it’s no problem. I’m doing fine as well.
: And, Karen, are you a soldier by any chance?
: I’m curious, because I can’t really picture anyone literally jumping in front of a car to save a complete stranger.
: … I’m sorry, what happened back there’s a bit of a blank right now.
: Still, I’m very grateful for what you did.
: If you ever need help with anything, just ask, alright? I owe you my life.
: …
: Hm? Something wrong?
: N-No, it’s just that…
: You’re a very kind man, aren’t you?
: …?!
: H-Heheh, well, I guess I am? B-But, um… as kind as I might be, you’re the real gem here…
: …?
: O-Oh, right! I’ll go and get you something to drink!

Damian leaves.

: …
: Lady Benikage, this is Karen speaking. I’ve successfully infiltrated JUDA and made contact with the target.
: Have you now? Very well done. Now bring him to the specified location and eliminate him.
: Eliminate… do you mean kill him?
: What else could I mean? I’ve told you time and again, Karen: Benikage’s kunoichis have no room for emotions.
: Y-Yes… I understand, my lady…

Door opens!

: Hey, Karen, I found some coffee, but I don’t know if that’s your thing…
: ?! A-Ah, yes, thank you.
: Huh? Were you talking to someone?
: Oh, right – soldier. You have to report back to your unit or they’ll get mad, right?
: Y-yes, that’s right. I managed to get in touch with them… and it looks like I need to head back right away.
: In that case, lemme give you a ride over. Never know when another crazy car might be waiting around the corner.
: No, um…
: Please, don’t worry about it! I wanna at least do something to repay you for saving my life!
: …
: (I’m a kunoichi… I need to throw away any and all emotions or…)


Back to our crew, Arnie asks what’s gotten Domyoji suspecting the girl. Well, something feels off about this whole thing – is he implying the thing with the car was prearranged? But, then, what would she be after? Well, Damian’s an excellent infiltrator, so it’s not too farfetched to think there are people who’d like to kill him and make it look like an accident.
Sure, but, as Miu points out, Karen SAVED him. Saved him, indeed… but now that Michel takes the time to think about it, the timing of it all kind of seems a bit too perfect. And, Saya notes, it’s standard practice for spies to wait until another lowers their guard before exploiting that opening.

But that’s enough speculation: Maki calls in and has the results of the car analysis. Well, what is it? The ELS really had nothing to do with this – the car was being controlled wirelessly. Crap. And Ogawa runs in with another tidbit: they’ve just detected transmission being made from within JUDA – it’s on The Boom Army’s frequency. Double crap.
Seems to Ishigami that Domyoji’s suspicion was right on the money. When Michel asks, Lina tells that Karen should be at the infirmary now… only, no, there’s no one there. We’re too late.

:siren: SRW UX - Prologue

: Are you sure this is okay? I mean, just taking a plane without anyone’s permission…
: I’m just borrowing it for a bit – and to give my savior a lift, even. It’s all good.
: Heheh, thank you, then.

Fly away!

: Aah… the moon looks so pretty from up here.
: Oh, yeah, it’s a full moon tonight.
: I wonder what life is like for the people up there. A place like that must be so peaceful – no war, no hardship…
: Have you never been to the moon, Karen?
: I haven’t, no… All my life has been about training, ever since I was a little girl. I didn’t have the freedom to do as I pleased…
: You’ve been with the Federation since you were a kid?
: Y-Yes… I have…
: Hmhmm… You haven’t had it easy either, huh?
: I grew up on Mars and resources were as scarce as can be, so the grownups all took a very “safe” approach to life. Every day I’d wake up and things never really felt right.
: That’s why I eventually left my village and wound up joining the Elshank.
: And you weren’t scared of doing that…?
: I had my friends with me, so I mostly just felt like I’d freed myself…
: I think I’m a bit jealous of you…
: Tell you what, then. I’m gonna find a way to bring you to the moon!
: R-Really? But… is that something you can do?
: Yeah, don’t worry! I promise I’ll make it happen!
: Whatever childhood you had, you get to choose the life you have in the present.
: What I choose…
: Absolutely. Every person, whoever they might be, is free!
: …
: I wonder if I really can do that…?
: ‘Course you can! And I’ll help you!
: Th-That is… if you’d like to go with me…
: I do, yes. I look forward to us traveling to the moon… together…


Mission 28 (Surface Route) – A Moment’s Encounter

Moves forward a bit.*

: Is this spot good for you, Karen?
: … I’m sorry.
: Eh? Sorry…?
: I… I can’t do it! You have to run, Joe!
: “Joe”?!
: Wait, back up, Karen! What’s going on?!

: The Boom Army…?! An ambush?!
: …
: Hrm… Get outta here, Karen! Quick!

: L-Lady Benikage!
: Karen, I vividly remember teaching you that failure is unforgivable. Who in blazes is the man you brought?
: What do you mean, Lady Benikage…? My orders were to bring Joe…
: Karen, why’re you talking with that Boom Army lady…?
: And I’m Damian, not Joe…
: Huh… I-Is that true?!
: Eliminate that man and go find Joe.
: P-Please wait, my lady! There’s no need to kill him, is there?! J-Just give me another chance to make this right!
: Then I’ll kill him myself.

: Uwaaaaah!
: L-Lady Benikage, please! I… I—!

: Rgh! What is this?!

: Looks like we got here in the nick of time! You okay, Damian?!
: Joe, is that you?!
: Joe…?!
: The only piloting that machine is the real Joe Maya?!
: Damn it, Karen, you were followed? But fine… we’d prepared for such an eventuality!
: Karen, return! Return and fight them!
: Damian, hurry back to the ship!
: Hate to break it to you, but it’s pretty dang clear that girl’s a spy.
: N-No, you’re wrong! This is all one big mistake! She was trying to save me again just now!
: Damian…
: Karen, come with me!
: …
: What are you doing, Karen?!
: Y-Yes, Lady Benikage…

: Karen…!
: (Is this really what I want? What am I supposed to do…?)
: (That man… he was…!)
: Guys, please, you have to save Karen! She… she’s not…!
: Oi, Damian, I swear…
: … Okay! Spy or not, we can’t really back away from this!
: So we’ll just roll up our sleeves and try to make it work!

: The enemy’s all gunning for Joe, so keep an eye on the Kurojishi!
: In the meantime, your primary target’s the enemy commander. Concentrate all our firepower on her and let’s bring this battle to a close ASAP.


As he said, losing a ship or Joe’s a game over, and downing either Charme or Karen’ll move the plot along. If you’ve been on track for Tobikage’s #2 secret, though, you’ll want to approach this carefully (if you’ve gathered 150+ kills with Joe, Mike and Rennie, of course):

:siren: Secret Alert! :siren:
Tobikage secret #2 – 5th and 6th step: do not attack Karen at all. Don’t let her take damage by support defending either. Furthermore, destroy Charme with Joe.

So, yeah, if you’re trigger happy with your counter attacks, you’ll want to be mindful of what you’re doing – Karen’ll get on the offensive immediately and you’ll have to just dodge/defend through everything (if anything, she’s not very accurate). As mentioned above, be mindful of her support defending. Other than that, it’s the standard foray against The Boom enemies, so you know what to expect.
And, of course, you really don’t want Tobikage coming in before you down Charme or he can really screw this secret up for you.


Skeleton (Charme Veker)
Pilot Skills:
Prevail L5
Support Attack L2
All Attack L2
Command L2
Mech Features:
Sword
All-Canceller
Charme’s voice actress: Eiko Yamada (other roles: Shotaro in Tetsujin 28, Mai in Dragon Ball, and some more).

Like Grathan, but better in every way: Charme isn’t as good as Ylbora since she doesn’t have the Ninja skill, but her stats are good all around, so don’t underestimate her.
We’ve fought plenty of Skeletons before, though, so you already know what to expect. She’ll happily hang back from the battle for a long while, so you just need to close in when you’ve the morale and wrap things up.

Finally, while I won’t be allowing Tobikage to come over, he does get reactions from the boss lady.

When he first turns up:

: That’s the machine the Emperor spoke of… Tobikage!

And when he fuses:

: Oh…? So that’s how it combines with the Ladorian machines. Hmhmhm, what a curious system.

Now off we go.

:siren: SRW UX - Obelisk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jEfKZoSGA4
And here’s Miu’s solo attack with Pard.

:siren: SRW UX - Love Survivor

: You heard what Damian said, didn’t you?! And you’re still gonna fight us?!
: But, I… my code is…
: Screw your code! Listen to whatever your heart’s telling you!

:siren: SRW UX - LOVE 14 ver. HD

: I’m detecting no signs of life inside that unit…? Then it’s no different from a Shaman or a Banks! I’ll destroy it in short order!
: Give me a sec and I’ll make you realize what a big mistake you just made!

:siren: SRW UX - A Bird’s Song

: Huh, so The Boom Army also has some warrior ladies? She better make this worth our while, then…!
: According to Men’s Tokusatsu Monthly, female commanders often rely overly on trickery, though…
: And you take me, the Benikage, to be as your book describes? The truth may be more crushing than you expect!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whd9-Prmm0s

:siren: SRW UX - Life Goes On

: You’re forcing a battle onto people who never wanted anything of the sort! Why the hell are you doing this for?!
: For the prosperity of Planet The Boom, is why! And you Earthling worms have no right to object!

:siren: SRW UX - Love Survivor

: We could have ended your sorry life in a heartbeat had Karen done her job properly, Joe Maya!
: Do you have any idea what you and your plan have put Damian through?!
: You wanna kill me, you come and do it legit, not with some bullcrap trap…!

: Gch… not bad. I can see how you gave Grathan that much trouble…
: Talk while you can ‘cause I’m about to finish you off!
: Hmph, moron. Now! Unleash the plasma!

Tzzzzzt!*

: Hrk…! What?!
: Urgh… the Kurojishi can’t move…!
: What is going on?! Status report!
: We’re detecting some sort of EM Field all around this area! It’s immobilizing our units!
: Hmhmhm… this is my Plasma Binding technique! And I’d wager even the Elshank can’t move anymore.
: Tsk… I never thought they’d also have something like this!
: We might’ve failed to assassinate Joe, but your death will serve us just as well, Romina!

: Aaah!
: This isn’t good…! Are there no options available for us?!
: Hrrrmmm… N-No, nothing’s working! The Elshank’s controls are inoperable!
: Damn it… you gotta be kidding me…!
: U-Uurgh…!
: Karen…!
: Ahahahaha! Oh, this was almost too easy! Now, Romina…

Charme flies over to the Elshank.

: You’ve shown yourself a very tenacious woman, but not enough that you could stand up to the Benikage! And now your blood will coat my sword.
: Your life is mine!
: Grrr, we can’t move out of the way!
: Kch…!
: A-Aah…! The Elshank’s—!
: Damian, I…!

Grab!

: Rrgh! Let me go, Karen! What do you think you’re doing?!
: Lady Benikage, please stop! I beg you!
: Not only did you fail your mission, you now sympathize with the enemy?! I order you to destroy the Elshank now! Do that and I’ll spare you…
: No, I can’t do it!
: That was not a request, Karen! Have you forgotten what you learned as a kunoichi?!
: No, but I’ve also learned that everyone can choose the life they have in the present… That every person is free!
: And that’s why…!
: Karen?!
: You mean to destroy yourself along with me?! Karen… you’re a fool!
: Karen, are you…? Stop! Someone stop her! Quick!
: I’m so sorry, Damian… but I’ve made my choice…!
: Karen, don’t!
: (We might not visit the moon together… but I’ll at least keep you alive. Damian…!)
: Thank you…
: And goodbye!

BOOM!

: Karen… this is just a joke, right? I mean, we were gonna go to the moon together, right…?
: Hahah, yeah, that’s gotta be it. This is a joke… right?
: Karen, please, answer me! Uwaaaaaaaah!

Tzzzt.

: Control has been restored to all Ultimate Cross units!
: That girl… she sacrificed herself for Damian…
: The Boom Army…! You’re gonna pay for what you did!

: The Plasma irradiator is destroyed and my unit’s taken massive damage… Blast you, Karen! You…!

: Do you need some help, Lady Benikage?
: Th-That’s…!
: Ylbora… very well. Show me what you can do.
: Heh… Indeed, I will.

: Ylbora…!
: Goddamn, this guy just doesn’t know when to quit!
: I have found what I must stake my convictions on – what I must see through.
: Though I doubt you could ever understand, Joe.
: And you think I care? You better walk on over to Princess Romina and apologize to her right now!
: I’m afraid not, Joe! This is the battle I chose for myself!
: Hrm… We can never get a word in edgewise with that guy!
: (Ylbora… just what are you thinking that you’d bear your weapon against us?)
: Troops, I know you guys don’t need a reminder, but you can’t hesitate – no matter who we’re up against! Engage and destroy the enemy reinforcements!

:siren: SRW UX - Roulette

:siren: SRW UX - Linebarrel

:siren: SRW UX - Love Survivor

: I ain’t holding anything back, ya hear me, Ylbora? You took at shot at the princess and now I’m pounding you into the dirt!
: I’ve given up on everything to set a new course for my life. Someone like you isn’t capable of breaking my spirit or my resolve!
: But do give me your best shot, Joe!

:siren: SRW UX - Linebarrel

: Didn’t you ever stop to consider how the Elshank crew would feel having their commander turn traitor?!
: I swore that day that I wouldn’t think twice about hurting anyone if it’d allow me to carry out my beliefs!
: Could you look Gameran in the eyes and still say that…?!


Kouichi attacking: “What the hell is your problem…?! Aren’t you even gonna give us an explanation?!”

:siren: SRW UX - Lion

: What’re you after joining a group of cowards like The Boom Army?!
: And what would telling you accomplish? Here’s some advice, though: those who cannot grasp what another is thinking will find no victory in battle!

:siren: SRW UX - Future-Bound Fighting Spirit

: Can an aimless, unresolved fighter like you bring himself to attack me?
: I’m not the man you once knew. If you’re standing before me as an enemy… then I won’t hesitate to pull the trigger on you!


Arnie attacking: “If that’s the choice you made, then I’ve nothing to say to you!”
And Ylbora gives us a Michel’s Glasses (Accuracy and Ranged +10, Skill +5).

: Did we get him?!

Ylbora flies to the SW.

: Hrgh… Hardly! I’ve turned my back on my homeland, my prestige and everything I once knew… your resolve could never measure up to mine!
: Fine, Ylbora, we’ll do this your way and put this to bed today!

Joe goes after him.

: Then, come, Joe! I’ll crush you first!

: A shortsighted fool like you isn’t capable of protecting Her Highness! You never see the big picture!
: Big frickin’ deal! You can cry about the big picture ‘til the cows come home, that doesn’t justify hurting the one you were supposed to be helping!
: And that, right there, is why I say you’re shortsighted! You don’t realize that some things have to be done, even if it means accepting certain sacrifices be made!

: Wh-Who?!

: A mere attack jet dares fire on me…?
: Do not intrude on my battle!

: Stop! The one piloting it is…!
: What…?!
: Ylbora… Are you going to shoot at me?
: Princess Romina?!
: Princess, the hell are you thinking?!

: There, I’ve taken a shot at you… doesn’t that makes us even? It’s not too late for you, Ylbora…!
: Your Highness, you must know that there are times where you mustn’t be so kind…!
: Offering amnesty to a traitor reflects quite poorly on you!
: What’s wrong with you?! The Princess is trying to help you!
: But it’s not that simple! I’ve something that I need to see done!
: And what is it that you cannot do it on our side?!
: Why can’t you simply work with Joe and the others?!
: (Again… Again, you choose Joe Maya…!)
: (They…)
: I… I will not be your subject any longer! I cannot!
: Why do you have to be so stubborn…?!
: But, if that’s the case, I have a duty as princess of Planet Ladorio to end your life!

: Princess, stop!

: Hrgh… I’m at my limit…
: But that was very good, Your Highness… I am your enemy, after all…!

: Ylbora!
: It’s too dangerous to go after him, Your Highness! Please return to the ship!
: (Ylbora, you…)

: Radar is detecting no more The Boom Army forces!
: Their new commander, she said her name was Benikage, right?
: Her breaking out that new weapon really took us by surprise. That was a very close call…
: Yeah… I don’t even wanna think what would’ve happened if her subordinate hadn’t turned on her…
: And she sacrificed herself doing so…
: That girl, Karen… she was willing to do anything to protect Damian…
: Gch… aahaaa…
: Why… Why does this always happen?! When does war ever stop…? Damn it all!
: Karen… Kareeeen!
: KAREEEEEEEN!!

: Your Highness, are you safe?!
: I am. And I apologize for worrying you, Shaff.
: Your Highness… please promise me you’ll never do something like this again!
: Princess, there are a bunch of people who care for your wellbeing. Do you have something you’d like to say to them?
: Yes, I do. My friends, please listen… I am done looking back to the past.
: In the present, however, our battles continue. And we’ll likely have to endure watching many others come to harm.
: I must steel my resolve and accept that hardship. Thus, I will don this combat uniform and fight shoulder-to-shoulder with you.
: Your Highness, what are you…?! I beg you reconsider!


And here’s this route’s cosmetic secret (which doesn’t transfer into NG+): top option keeps Romina in her combat uniform, changing her portrait and cut-in, bottom option sets her in her normal dress. The choice doesn’t have any tangible consequence beyond that, so choose whichever you’d like.
Mind, if you keep the Byston Well route, she defaults to her normal dress.

Use the combat uniform:

: I will not repeat myself.
: Wearing this uniform symbolizes my commitment to this.
: But Your Highness…
: It’s the proof of your resolve, eh, Princess? Sounds good to me.
: … Thank you, Joe.

Continue to use her dress:

: Hmm, I dunno. We all see how you feel as clear as day but, honestly, that uniform kind of doesn’t suit you, Princess.
: Joe…
: We’ll all carry your resolve with us as we go out to fight, so I say you shouldn’t change who you are, princess.
: Very well… Thank you, Joe.
: (Psh, why’s Joe always so nice to her and no one else?!)

: …
: Damian…
: … Why? Why did Karen have to die? Damn it… damn it…
: …
: So, what was the story with her? Who really was that girl, Karen…?
: She was a spy for The Boom Army. Only she ultimately turned on them… sacrificing herself to save Damian’s life…
: Yet, her last words were “thank you”, so…
: …
: I promised that I’d take her to the moon. There was so much I wanted to show her.
: I promised her we’d go together… Karen… Forgive me, Karen…!
: Uwaaaaaaaaaah!

But if you did the secret…

: …
: Damian…
: I couldn’t stop her… I…
: Karen… I told you we’d go to the moon together, right? I promised you…

Door opens.

: And I haven’t forgotten that promise.
: ?!
: Damian…
: Karen?! Is that really you…?!
: Yes…
: But how…?
: We found her unconscious at the edge of the battleground.
: I remember… seeing Tobikage at the time of the explosion, and next thing I knew…
: Tobikage?! You mean it saved you…?!
: But more important than that, I’m so sorry, Damian… I tricked you. I don’t deserve to be here, talking to you like this…
: No, you don’t have to say anything to me.
: You’re alive… and that’s all that matters.
: Thank you, Damian…

: Really? So you’re saying you want to fight as part of the UX?
: That’s right…
: That’d mean fighting The Boom Army, though – your old comrades…
: That’ll be no problem. I’ve already made up my mind on this.
: I’m no longer that girl who simply carried out whatever orders were given.
: Now I want to choose the life I have, and what I’ll make of it.
: Hmhmm…
: And also… I want to help Damian however I can!
: Karen…
: Alright, then, Karen – you’re in. But there’s a catch.
: That you scratch “self-destructing” from your list of acceptable tactics.
: Already done! And thank you so much!

Alarm!

: What happened?
: We’re detecting powerful space-time vibrations. Their location is… above Tatsumiya.
: Tatsumiya?! What’s going on there?!
: Hmm… Oh, this data is…!
: Yes… it matches the pattern we recorded when the Aura Road opened.
: Come on, Yamashita. Get everyone ready to deploy.
: Y-Yes, sir!
: Several heat signatures have appeared in the airspace above Tatsumiya… we’re IDing them as belonging to the Hojo Army!
: And… there are also multiple signatures belonging to UX units!
: Set off, Ultimate Cross! Your destination’s the island of Tatsumiya!


And, back at the ALVIS ICU, Tsubaki pokes Koyo.

Now, we’re over halfway through the game and I just realized I’m sitting on pretty much my entire stock of NG++ bucks. We might as well put them to use, so, as is tradition, I’m calling a vote to decide on the units we’re going to make HUGE (I’ll likely do another as we move closer to the endgame, to comport the later additions and whatnot).
Here are your options:

  • Orphes
  • Linebarrel, Vardant, Painkiller
  • Demonbane
  • Mark Sein, Mark Drei, Mark Fünf, Mark Sechs, Mark Destiny
  • Nanajin
  • Fei-Yen
  • Bilbine, Dunbine
  • 00 Raiser, Zabanya, Harute
  • Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Sun Quan
  • Mazinkaiser
  • Heroman
  • Alto’s Messiah, Macross Quarter
  • Dancouga Nova

Since I’m sitting on 24mil robobux and it takes about, oh, 1/1.2mil to fill out all 10 bars on a pattern C bot, I’ll let you guys pick TWO units to be maxed out.
Either make a post in the SA or lp.zone threads, or leave a Youtube comment on any of the Mission 28s videos, send me a PM, whatever works. Voting will be open until May 7th.

And, finally, we had to skip a bunch of convos since we couldn’t attack Karen, so here’s everything:

: If you go ahead and kill Damian, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life!
: A kunoichi needs no emotions… That’s how I was raised…!
: But now you’re not so sure, are you?!
: There are still different paths you can take, so you can’t give up!

: That group is not where you should be! I’m sure there are many different ways you can live your life!
: Wh-Where I should be is…
: Please! I don’t want to see neither you nor Damian coming to regret how this ended…!

: Damian cares so much about you, so why do we need to fight?!
: I took a vow to live as a kunoichi of Lady Benikage! And I cannot break that vow!

: You might’ve started this as just another spy… but that’s not the case now, is it?
: I’m a kunoichi! My life revolves around my mission and fulfilling it…!
: But you’re not alone in this! There’s someone right there who trusts you, who believes you can be more than that!

: Are you just going to stomp over Damian’s heart like that…?
: I-I’m a kunoichi… sympathy for others is forbidden…
: What a sad girl you are… you can’t even bring yourself to express how you really feel…!