01 Mainship Recovery Operation 1

"Space-time fluctuation detected! Response: data match found in library!"

"Arriving... faster than expected."

Harold spoke with mild approval inside the secret lab of the Second Fleet, located aboard the Third Fleet Ship 1.

Immediately after engaging the super-sized entity 'Stalt,' the Second Fleet main force had launched an ambush.

They should have inflicted substantial damage.

Additionally, they had disrupted the Overlight escape sequence.

An Overlight Jammer still in prototype phase.

A defective unit that hampers their own retreat, yet useful enough in one-sided scenarios.

The destination became random, preventing pursuit, rendering organized withdrawal impossible.

The fleet should have been scattered across isolated regions of space.

A shattered, isolated state.

The greater issue was that they should have lost track of the Third Fleet’s position.

Each vessel did not broadcast location data openly.

Doing so would draw not only allies but also ASID.

Thus, they could only continuously calculate each other’s relative positions based on predicted fleet trajectories and fleet movement paths.

Yet, due to the prior interference, the Third Fleet had lost track of its own movement path.

Necessarily, the fleet’s position became unknown, and return was impossible.

By the time the First and Fourth Fleets noticed their presence, it should have been too late...

“Perhaps you thought, ‘Eventually, another fleet will notice. Until then, just focus on surviving’?”

Harold would have preferred that kind of apathy.

The speed of action against his will.

A faint smile touched his lips.

“Did you realize it? The truth behind the Laitera Project.”

Time leap.

Altering the world through sending information to the past.

Once the Laitera has begun, it cannot be stopped.

That realization makes this urgency understandable.

"Shirley...? If so, then that girl is still alive."

No longer bound to life in this timeline.

Eventually, everything will be overwritten by another past.

"Verification! Lombardia-class battleship one! Rosario-class cruiser two! Both vessels are assigned to the Third Fleet!"

"Here they come. Well then."

In actual combat, Harold would not be the one to lead.

Though he is an observer, integrated into the fleet, and possesses the talent to command a unit.

He intended to let these comrades-in-arms—those who have fought alongside him—do their best against the soldiers of the Second Fleet, unaware of the truth, who believe the Third Fleet initiated the preemptive strike.

Harold, unable to do anything here, smiles cheerfully and glances back.

“How about your preparations?”

“Proceeding smoothly.”

The girl speaks briefly, devoid of any cheerful undertone like Harold’s. Her voice carries no trace of lightness.

“Your created Laitera is still undergoing adjustments. But time will resolve that.”

With dull eyes, Mio states this matter-of-factly.

Her expression shows no hint of her usual cheerfulness.

“Fine, fine. After all, only three ships. Our loss is impossible. The Laitera will be completed.”

“…Yes. That’s what I’m hoping for.”

Two voices, utterly contrasting.

Mio still hesitates.

Is this truly the right course?

“How long will it take?”

“Let’s say at least a month. No more than two, at most.”

“That’s quite a while.”

“After all, the matter is massive. Manufacturing the hardware alone takes considerable time.”

There is no other way to make amends.

There is none.

◆ ◆ ◆

"Overlight complete!"

Three warships materialize in the space near the Third Fleet.

Fortune favored them—the drifting zone they entered had been previously observed.

From that data, complex calculations yielded the Third Fleet’s position from their current coordinates.

Simultaneously, calls for contact continued, yet only this much gathered.

It is unlikely that all others were destroyed.

Then they must have Overlighted to a location too far for even the Lombardia-class battleships’ communication systems to reach.

The remaining vessels may have chosen not to move hastily—perhaps they simply lost their current position and cannot move at all.

Even this provisional fleet would have done nothing but wait for the moment, had it not been for Jin’s implausible hypothesis.

“—! The Second Fleet’s fleet is deploying!”

“But their numbers are only about half. Well, expected. The main body of the Second Fleet must still allocate defensive forces. They couldn’t commit their entire fleet here.”

This, too, confirmed that Harold did not have full command over the Second Fleet’s defense forces.

He knew only a portion of the Laitera Project.

He had not known that the rest believed the Third Fleet was preparing for combat—yet this was good news.

“Repeating the operation plan. This mission is to breach the enemy’s defensive line, infiltrate the main ship, and establish communication with our allied forces still wandering through this sector.”

Enemy strength has halved.

Yet, still insufficient.

A sevenfold disparity in forces.

A direct confrontation offers no chance of victory.

Then the gap must be closed by other means.

And only the scattered remnants of the fleet can fill that gap.

"Transmission of emergency beacons. Simultaneous rescue request to the First and Fourth Fleets. These are the objectives of this operation."

In practical terms, if the Third Fleet were to concentrate here, even accounting for their current exhaustion, their combat strength would reverse the odds.

Speed is essential.

Break through the enemy fleet’s center and restore communications.

Conversely, failure to do so means total annihilation.

This is a mission of that nature.

"...Can we establish contact with the fleet elements still holding position?"

"No... military channels are completely jammed."

Though small in comparison to the super-heavy assault fleet, a defensive contingent remains.

If we could coordinate with it for a pincer movement, the situation would improve. But the enemy likely anticipates that.

Communications are thoroughly disrupted.

The signal may still reach if we close in tightly enough, despite interference—but reaching that point is equally difficult.

"Full speed ahead! Assault Frame units, prepare for launch!"

Jin answers the call from the bridge.

"All units, prepare for launch! Don’t forget the final system checks!"

Sixty-one Ravens.

The machines, barely salvaged through mutual maintenance, are once again facing a formidable opponent.

Superior in number, and by a wide margin.

A fair engagement would end in destruction within seconds.

So a fair engagement is impossible.

"Proceed as planned. Understood?"

"But Captain... this is reckless. At the very least, send only the selected squad—"

"Regretfully... you’re a liability. It would be better if you weren’t here."

The debate ends abruptly.

Jin’s chosen strategy—exactly as before.

One unit leading, the rest supporting from behind, a one-top formation.

But that effectiveness only worked because the opponent was a lower-tier ASID.

Whether the same tactic would succeed against an equal or superior unit remains uncertain.

Yet no other way to survive against a numerically superior foe came to mind.

"It's fine. When we faced that humanoid before, Leopard handled it with ease. Compared to a humanoid, a cybernetic squad isn't much of a challenge."

Saying this, he tried to sound confident. The opponent didn’t seem convinced, but withdrew.

Jin considered it sufficient.

This battle—frankly—had begun from Jin’s own selfishness.

He felt compelled to protect those who had been drawn in, even if unwillingly.

And what he’d told them wasn’t a lie.

No pilot here could keep up with him.

(If only Lieutenant Sasamori were here…)

Inside the giant unit, movement had been rare for some time. But the skill displayed was noticeably improved.

If that is the case, Jin’s movements would be matched without difficulty.

The mere presence of Kou—how reassuring that is.

The talent of an ace, as seen during Instructor days. That was undeniable.

If even a small part of that potential’s blossoming could be credited to the Instructor, then the Instructor’s efforts would be fully justified.

Yet wishing for what is not possible serves no purpose.

Breakthrough must come with the cards currently held.

"Assault Frame unit, initiate full launch. Repeat—"

"Come on. Launch now. Destroy the enemy Assault Frame unit and pierce the enemy fleet!"

Jin’s Raven takes one step forward.

Missing limbs and head have been replaced with spare parts.

Yet, unlike last time, no orbital packages or similar components are attached.

The specialized armament, the Phalanx Package, is also absent here—only the standard Astral Package remains.

The机体 should have required overhaul, yet the hardware had been assembled somehow.

Only one component remained intact—the circular disc on the back. The ether reactor's reload system had sustained no damage, so it was left as-is.

Even so, with almost no spare reactors available, only two slots were occupied.

And for Jin, the most painful part was that this unit had not been adjusted by Shirley.

The technician assigned to it had strained to meet Jin's precise requests, nearly weeping, yet still fell short of the standard Jin demanded.

It was not the technician's fault. Shirley alone was abnormal—her ability to correct minute, sub-millimeter discrepancies was unparalleled.

That residual unease remained. A faint difference. Jin sensed it would manifest under extreme conditions.

Far from optimal.

But that was always the case.

Jin could not always fight in perfect condition.

Jin’s Raven launches from the catapult of the Lombardia-class battleship.

How many more times will Jin feel this acceleration?

A fleeting thought crosses his mind.

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