"...It's a beautiful day."
I looked up at a sky so piercingly blue it seemed impossible—not a single cloud marred the horizon. The soft, golden light of morning bathed the nation of Orb and its surrounding waters in a gentle glow. Below, the cobalt blue sea shimmered, reflecting the sun like a field of scattered diamonds. Looking at the scenery from here, one would never guess this country was on the precipice of total war.
"The Earth Alliance fleet is expected to breach Orb's territorial waters shortly."
The voice came from behind me. I turned to find Cornelia approaching, her expression brimming with a cold, predatory anticipation. A fierce, jagged smile danced on her lips. In this moment, she wasn't just an ally; she was the "Witch of Britannia" once feared across her own world. Behind her, a swarm of Megilots hovered in eerie silence, like a pack of hounds held on a short leash, waiting for the command to hunt.
"I see. Then it's time we got moving."
Cornelia gave a silent, sharp nod. Together, we headed toward the Archangel. After a month of intensive repairs, the ship looked pristine, as if it had just rolled off the assembly line.
In the end, about ten crew members had chosen to leave the Archangel, but that number was far lower than I had anticipated. It seemed the heavy-handed tactics of the Alliance—specifically the Atlantic Federation and Blue Cosmos—had pushed the remaining crew past the point of silent endurance.
For this operation, the Shadow Mirror contingent—myself, Cornelia, and Echidna—would use the Archangel as our primary mothership to intercept the Alliance at sea. I had initially considered using Lemon's ship, the Gyanland, but since that vessel serves as the tender for the Sealion and operates primarily underwater, it wasn't a good fit. While I have an 'S-rank' aptitude for underwater combat, the same couldn't be said for Cornelia or Echidna. Better to keep them on a surface deck.
We boarded an Eleca and headed into the Archangel's hangar. As soon as our arrival was logged, the ship began its departure from the Morgenroete docks. Feeling the heavy vibration of the engines through my boots, I stepped off the transport with Cornelia, only to stop dead in my tracks.
"The Buster?"
There it was, standing tall in the mobile suit deck as if it belonged there.
I knew that in the original timeline, the Buster joined the Archangel during the Battle of Orb. I had even paved the way for it by "missing" a golden opportunity to destroy the suit earlier. However, our strategy was different now—we were taking the fight to the sea. More importantly, the biggest reason Dearka stayed in the original story was Milliaria, who was only "available" because Tolle had died. Here, Tolle was very much alive.
...Did he fall for her anyway?
Captain Ramius had told me about the incident in the infirmary back at Alaska. Just like the original story, Milliaria and Flay had nearly killed Dearka because he was part of the team that "killed" Kira. Had that trauma somehow blossomed into an attraction?
"Hm? You guys got business with my ride?"
A voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Just as expected, a tan, blond man leaned against the bulkhead—Dearka Elsman. This was only the second time we'd met face-to-face, the first being when he was originally taken prisoner.
"Dearka Elsman, I presume?"
"Yeah... Wait. You look familiar..."
As he spoke, his eyes drifted to Cornelia. He let out a low, appreciative whistle at her sharp beauty.
"...Axel, are you certain someone like this will be of any use?" Cornelia asked, her brow furrowing in distaste. She didn't bother lowering her voice.
"Hey, lady. When you compare the specs of a Coordinator to a Natural, the answer's pretty obvious, isn't it?" Dearka shot back, taking the bait immediately.
I suppressed a sigh. We didn't have time for internal bickering. Then again, a flippant personality like Dearka's was never going to mesh well with a woman raised as a soldier and royalty.
"Is that so? And yet, several of you 'Coordinators' couldn't take down the Blitz even when you ganged up on it," I interjected. "That pilot was a Natural, for the record. Though the Strike's pilot, Kira Yamato, is indeed a Coordinator."
"Huh? Seriously? ...Wait, hold on. That face, that voice... AHH! You're the bastard in the Blitz who stepped on my back when you captured me!"
Recognition dawned on Dearka's face, his expression twisting into a mask of pure shock. I offered him a wry, thin smile.
"I suppose I haven't introduced myself properly. I'm Axel Almar, leader of the Shadow Mirror. And this is Cornelia li Britannia, our frontline commander."
"Shadow Mirror... you're those 'visitors from another world' everyone's whispering about?"
"Something like that."
"Does another world even exist? You guys look like regular humans to me."
"Think of it as a parallel world. Both Cornelia and I were born on Earth, just... not this Earth."
As we spoke, Chief Murdoch spotted me and made his way over.
"Hey, kid! The Captain's calling for you on the bridge."
"Got it. Tell her I'm on my way. We'll finish this chat later, Dearka."
"Uh, yeah... sure..." Dearka muttered, sounding uncharacteristically flustered.
As I walked toward the bridge, I scanned the hangar. Alongside the Freedom and the Buster sat the Strike, likely intended for Mu La Flaga. As for the Shadow Mirror units—the G-Savior, Rapiecage, and Weissager—I kept them in my spatial storage to save deck space. The Weissager, in particular, was far too large to fit comfortably inside the Archangel's hangar anyway.
...But with the Freedom here, it means Kira has made his choice. He's found his answer.
The bridge was quieter than before; a few familiar faces were missing. Specifically, Kazui, one of the original student volunteers, was gone. That much hadn't changed from the original history. Since the odds of Orb becoming a direct battlefield were low in this timeline, leaving was the right call if he wanted to stay out of the crossfire.
"Murrue, what's the status?"
Murrue looked up from the Captain's chair. A small, relieved smile touched her lips when she saw me.
"We have an incoming transmission from Lemon on the Gyanland."
"My, my, Axel. Addressing Murrue before me? I think we might need a very thorough conversation tonight," Lemon's voice crackled from the monitor, her tone dripping with playful mischief.
I felt a slight heat rise to my neck. Really, Lemon? Not in front of the crew. I glanced around to see Milliaria and Neumann blushing furiously, their imaginations clearly running wild.
Murrue, however, didn't miss a beat, gently reining Lemon in.
"Yes, yes, save the teasing for later. You had something for Axel?"
"Fine, fine... Axel, I'd like to launch the Megilots currently on standby in Orb. Is that alright with you?"
"Isn't it a bit early?"
The Megilots were capable of independent flight, but because of their sheer numbers, we had them staged at the Morgenroete ground facilities—the same place Cornelia and I had just come from.
"The Alliance's advance is faster than projected," Lemon explained, her playfulness replaced by professional precision. "At this rate, we'll make contact sooner rather than later."
"And the Orb government just transmitted their final refusal to the Alliance's demands," Murrue added. "The shooting could start at any second."
"I see. Understood. Lemon, the call is yours. Do it."
If things got desperate, I figured having a swarm of Megilots circling the Archangel would serve as a decent deterrent. I gave the green light.
"...Now then."
With the tactical updates finished, I turned my attention to a specific corner of the bridge.
"..."
The young man standing there met my gaze in silence.
"Seeing you here... am I to assume you've found your resolve, Kira?"
"I still don't want to kill," Kira said, his voice quiet but steady. "But... if it means protecting people, my friends, my family, and my home... I won't hesitate to stain my hands with blood."
His eyes were clear. The hesitation that had plagued him was gone, replaced by a singular, powerful will to protect. He had finally outgrown his shell.
"I see. I'll trust in that resolve."
With that, our forces were complete.
"Captain, multiple signatures approaching from the rear! It's the Shadow Mirror Megilots!" Tolle reported from the C.I.C. station. Lemon's drones were rising from Orb, swarming around the Archangel like a protective cloud.
"And the Alliance fleet?" Murrue asked.
"Visual contact in approximately ten minutes."
"Understood. Axel, Cornelia, Echidna, Major La Flaga, Kira-kun—get to your machines. Be ready to launch the moment the enemy closes in. This is going to start fast."
The pilots nodded in unison and turned to leave. But before I could step away, Murrue reached out, pulled me close, and pressed her lips to mine.
"Be careful," she whispered.
"I will."
I gave a short nod and followed the others to the hangar. With the kiss of the Goddess of Victory still fresh on my lips, I knew one thing for certain:
Failure was not an option.
Pilot Profile: Axel Almar
Level: 36 | PP: 165
Stats: Melee: 254 | Ranged: 274 | Skill: 264 | Defense: 264 | Evasion: 294 | Hit: 314
SP: 446
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consumes SP to enhance unit performance)
Growth Type: All-Rounder / Special
Terrain Ratings: Air: S | Ground: S | Water: S | Space: S
Spirit Commands:
Accel (SP 4)
Effort (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Direct Hit (SP 30)
Awaken (SP 32)
Love (SP 48)
Skills: EXP Up, SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9 & SP Regen & Concentration), Psychodriver Lv.10, Attacker, Gunfight Lv.9, Infight Lv.9, Morale Limit Break, Geass (Grey), ???, ???, ???...
Total Kills: 288
-------------------------------
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