18 The Day of the Final Battle 5

"Yet, quite something."

Harold Fleet, locked in fierce combat as it breaches the Third Fleet's defense line.

Within the Lombardia-class battleship *Rea*, not participating directly in the fighting, Harold uttered a tone of awe.

Mio understood he must have been speaking to her, but gave no reply.

Various reasons—cooperation, treating her as human, and so on—but in total, Mio still did not like Harold.

She did not wish to engage him in conversation, at least not actively.

Harold, ignored in return, continued without pause.

"Even a disposable asset, captured and repurposed, becomes a first-rate combat unit under your command. Observe. You've perfectly stalled the Third Fleet's first wave."

Harold directed her attention to the designated sector of space.

In that sector, the Third Fleet’s assault frame units clashed with the Second Fleet’s captured units.

The force—originally repurposed from mere worm-type constructs—now responded with speeds far exceeding standard ASIDs, holding the assault frame units at bay.

Indeed, it was beginning to push them back.

Each of those units could be considered part of Mio’s swarm.

Artificially created ASIDs, their neural processing simulated through pseudo-processors.

Yet they lacked a queen, belonged to no faction—features impossible for standard ASIDs.

At their peak stood Mio.

Their evolution stemmed from Mio’s logic, more coherent than that of typical queen-type units.

Where instinct alone would take years to adapt, Mio achieved it in minutes.

Supplies were insufficient, so they resorted to cannibalization. The resulting assault frame-type ASID was a new species, unprecedented in previous spacefaring history.

And still, around a hundred captured units remained. If those too were evolved into AF-type, combat capacity would further increase.

That said.

"Buying time is all we can do."

They appeared to stand still, trading blows, but that was merely the result of matching relative velocities.

The Harold Fleet was advancing toward Earth at full speed. Buying time was sufficient.

Yet what Mio had just said carried another meaning.

"Look, already."

Where Mio pointed, the Third Fleet's assault frame unit had already begun countermeasures.

"Still, strong, aren't they?"

◆ ◆ ◆

A new arm extending from the shoulder.

The aligned fingertips were about to sever Jin’s griffin—just short of impact, the Etherdagger cut in.

……I see.

Jin felt the enemy’s true nature emerging.

Had that been a shot, timing would have been far more critical.

An average pilot would have shot down the target with that.

Yet it wasn’t done.

Why?

The answer drew near with thought. Not that it hadn’t been attempted—but that it had been impossible.

This type overloads its defense with Ether.

It lacks sufficient Ether to redirect toward firing, except from the disc section.

And even that disc-based fire is usable only as a surprise, short-range attack.

Once understood, countermeasures became simple.

No opponent more straightforward than one that never returns fire.

No proper armament in this new type. Only close combat. Maintain distance. Pour concentrated fire into it!

He shouted the order to the following Raven unit.

At the same time, it was also an indication of intent—entrusting this position to them indirectly.

Though relative velocity matched, creating an illusion of stillness, Harold's fleet continued advancing.

The Terminus people engaged with the main force still had not broken through.

Thus, there was no alternative but for Jin and his unit to push forward along the front line and apply pressure to the enemy.

"Special Formation Battalion, follow me!"

The unit, given the blunt designation, further penetrated into the enemy fleet's anti-air barrier.

Dodging the barrage, they dismantled turret after turret.

A sluggish vessel, its fire lines weakened, sank under concentrated fire from the Third Fleet.

No one made the obvious mistake of being hit by friendly fire, but the sight chilled the spine.

The Lombardia-class, positioned at the rear.

Closing in on it—

"! Scatter!"

The muzzle flash grazes the nose—dampened by recoil.

Multiple units flanking the Lombardia-class like satellites.

The thought of it resembling an umbrella lasts only a moment.

Ether warheads streak through the vacuum of space like rain.

Each one precisely targeted—so accurate that Jin and the others cannot pierce the barrage, forced to retreat.

‘Hey… what the hell is that?’

‘Assault frames can’t close in.’

Too many, too precise. The enemy seems to have prepared another surprise with every volley.

‘Additional interceptors…’

Firepower that would barely wound a battleship proves lethal to an assault frame.

Likely dangerous to most humanoid ASIDs, except for a few.

Even Edelweiss and her kind would be formidable if concentrated.

Without neutralizing this unit, entering the ship where Mio is located is impossible.

'Are we ramming it with a battleship?'

'Are you insane? How much damage do you think that would cause?'

Listening to the seasoned exchange between the two, Jin nodded.

"That's right. We'll go that way."

'What?'

A stunned silence.

Jin had no intention of doing so. As Kou said, the damage would be too great, and a battleship is not something to waste lightly.

Then, use something that has already resolved those issues.

"Retreat once. We'll need their help... shift to position 9-4."

'Hey, Instructor, are you sure about that? That's the enemy side.'

'Well, they'll adjust accordingly, won't they?'

In the end, it would be thrown toward them—but Jin trusted it.

After all, the commander of the force that tormented the Third Fleet eight years ago was still among them.

Navigating through the enemy fleet’s artillery—though it sounds simple—only this unit within the Third Fleet could manage such a feat.

Thus, the attack came as an unparalleled surprise.

An assault from behind, unanticipated.

Ahead, the silhouette of a Gryphon.

Enough to force open the enemy’s fleeting moment of vulnerability.

‘Why a Gryphon!’

The assault came from the Second Fleet’s cybernetic squad.

They had just launched a rear attack on a unit engaged in combat with the Terminus people.

Shaken by being struck by their own emblem—the Gryphon.

Pilots who should not have been aboard the Third Fleet.

Ravaged by forms that served as their identity, their bodies torn apart—this was akin to a nightmare.

By the time the initial shock had passed, nearly ten Gryphons had been shot down.

The movement was enough for them to recognize who they faced.

"Jin Higashi…!"

"You, abomination!"

"Even a cybernetic-only unit—how can you pilot it like that?!"

Insults fly, but unfortunately for them, they do not reach Jin.

With Chi absent, Jin had no intention of speaking to the cybernetic squadron.

He steadied himself. Noticing the rear forces were only a single platoon, the cybernetic squadron began their response.

Two-front strategy.

A foolish plan in theory, but Grace, commanding the cybernetic squadron, held one advantage.

"Move gradually toward bearing three-seven. Consolidate them!"

By shifting laterally from their flanked position, the plan was to merge the Terminans and the special unit.

Simple—preparing for an enemy from one direction would be sufficient. But there was another factor.

They won’t be able to coordinate properly…

In truth, they are now attacking from entirely separate directions.

Even at the longest estimate, less than three months have passed since their contact.

How long has it been since the decision to join hands?

Grace concluded that their relationship had not yet developed to the point where advanced coordination in battle was possible.

Then, that place may become the breakthrough.

At the point where coordination faltered, he calculated that moving to widen the wound would break the deteriorating situation.

"Yet, Jin Higashi... with a unit at your command, this is the extent of your power...!"

The deployment of the griffin was unforeseen, even by the Harold Fleet.

Jin, already a formidable combatant, has become an even greater anomaly than before.

But it is not merely that.

Raven follows closely behind. Though inferior to Tōgō Jin, each is undeniably elite of the Third Fleet.

The coordination that arises from this is greater than that of the cyborg squad.

It cannot be called refined.

Perhaps at times the opponent performs actions not aligned with one's will.

Yet it remains strong.

The flawless coordination of the cyborg squad feels circuitous by comparison.

During their joint operation on Planet Merce, Grace had feared Jin’s command weapon. Achieving such results with an improvised alliance with the cyborg squad was unprecedented.

Even the lack of capable subordinates had seemed acceptable.

But now. With no constraints on his机体, surrounded by subordinates of sufficient skill, Jin rivals a full frontline unit.

He elevates his own combat capability exponentially while simultaneously raising those around him.

Past countermeasure data will be of no use whatsoever.

They are holding on only because the Cyborg Squad has made their decision.

Hours remain.

If they endure for those few hours, Harold will activate Litera.

Then this battle will be as if it never happened.

Thus— even if they die here, there will be no regret.

The battle between the desperate Cyborg Squad, the Terminans people, and the special-formation unit.

Slight disadvantage for the Cyborg Squad— yet it is Jin’s group who are being overwhelmed by the sheer ferocity of their combat stance.