12. Shooting Down a Star

"Reiterating—would you not consider cooperating, Shōgō Mio?"

The one-on-one combat resolved in an extremely brief span.

Mio's desperate resistance did nothing to stop it.

Hand-to-hand combat wrapped in constricted ether, and attacks delivered through wires channeling high-frequency vibrating ether.

That is all the weaponry possessed by Mio's primary form.

As a member of the Terminus people, Mio, newly born, is in a favorable position.

Without a weapon as naturally extendable as one's own limbs, combat capability cannot match the high output of the ether reactor.

Moreover, the compression technology of ether. Without mastering the convergence technique.

Harold, by contrast, was a former ace.

A man who once served the Defense Force alongside Jin, guarding convoys.

From his perspective, Mio’s resistance was no more than twisting a child’s hand.

The words spoken to Mio, cornered with no way to respond, were the same as before.

From a position of overwhelming superiority, they amounted to a de facto surrender offer.

‘Cooperation…?’

She stares, her intent clear—what is there to say at this point?

Of course—Harold does not so much as flinch.

He continues, matter-of-factly.

“That’s right. You wouldn’t mind this outcome, would you?”

His gaze falls on the damaged Leopard as he speaks the word “outcome”—Mio bites the lip of her biological mouth.

“I don’t care either way. Whether you’re here or Kusano Rei is here. You chose to spare Kusano Rei—because of the cooperation condition.”

Her voice carries a warmth that borders on kindness.

Then, abruptly, she realizes.

This person sees people and ASID alike as one.

But no.

—They do not distinguish.

They perceive the world only in terms of self and other.

Not just people or ASID. Surely things, phenomena too.

Everything perceives only in terms of self and other.

Because of this crude categorization, he was able to know so much.

Only by observing the world with absolute objectivity could he detect new laws.

Not self-love.

He believes even himself may be discarded if necessary.

Only his own will. Acting solely according to its direction.

Since everything else is the same as himself, nothing is precious.

Because there is nothing precious, he cannot understand what others hold dear.

"Changing the past so this battle never happened— the past is still not fixed. I believe policy adjustments remain possible."

Making the battle never happen.

Yes. That would be ideal for Mio.

Not knowing the truth she never wanted to know.

Not knowing the origin she never wanted to know.

Returning to the world just a few months ago.

Graduating without a care in the world, traveling freely.

It must be enjoyable. No need to imagine.

But.

There are no tears Mio shed there.

No bond with friends unchanged by time.

No words carried on sacrifice and resolve.

I want to see her. I want to speak more.

Mio thinks now—she wants to return those words to Jinn, to share her own words with him.

Jinn exists in this altered world, but the Jinn who gave her those words does not.

The Jinn who forced open the door she had sealed shut, believing she had no future, does not exist.

That Jinn—no matter how far across the cosmos one searches—exists nowhere else.

Only he, who reached this moment by retracing time, exists here.

Therefore, Mio’s answer is decided.

‘I decline.’

Because she now knows.

That she took Jinn’s happiness.

That she is not human.

And that someone still says they love her.

That she still has a future of her own.

Mio’s resolve—what was that? Just a grand act of misplaced anger. Nothing more than selfishness.

She had only the strength, by chance, to take seriously the outburst she was unaccustomed to.

—So many terrible things done.

Not only to the Third Fleet, who suffered the consequences—but also to the faces of Harold Fleet, who had rejoiced at their wish coming true.

She can no longer cooperate with the Laitera Project.

She knows what must be changed, no matter what.

Yet Mio cannot cooperate now.

Once she realized she has a future of her own, she cannot sacrifice it to wish for someone else’s future.

(…Daddy… I’m sorry)

She cannot deny being frightened at the last moment.

She prayed for her father’s happiness—but… I’m sorry. My happiness matters more.

A mockery like taking back happiness once given.

The lowest thing imaginable.

Yet Mio wishes to continue loving this moment, the one in which she said she likes Shu.

To speak selfishly again, without thought for the world.

"Is that so. How unfortunate."

The final clash too lasts only an instant.

Mio chooses the palm heel. She wraps her hair around her arm, channels a burst of ether at high speed—delivered in a single, fluid motion.

It achieves undeniable destructive force.

It pulverizes one of Antares’s legs—yet, at this point, such an outcome holds little value.

Antares, shaped like a scorpion, possesses multiple limbs.

Each serves as a weapon platform, but in terms of combat effectiveness, they remain nearly equivalent.

A swift, agile jab—despite appearances, delivered with scissor-like precision.

The impact shuddered through Mio’s thoughts—her hesitation, the instant she flinched, and the opposite scissor clamp seized her, pinning her motionless.

“Now, how shall I secure her?”

Both remaining Leopard units fell silent.

Mio was once again a bird in a cage.

The remaining time needed only to keep her here.

Pressing her down with the scissors was an option—but that would immobilize Harold as well.

He had avoided such inconvenience, preferring to rely on Mio’s cooperation, but that was no longer necessary.

Her will no longer required consideration.

“…Would removing all her hair and amputating her limbs render her immobile?”

Such total destruction would prevent even the Terminans—whose regenerative capacity was unmatched—from recovering without sufficient material.

It would be enough to halt her movement for a time.

From between the shears, Harold quietly turned his attention to dismantling the large ether dagger—just as that moment arrived.

The adjacent wall explodes outward.

Harold’s eyes widened as the griffin burst through the blast wave.

"Impossible."

The cyborg squad should not be moving.

Now, they have finally achieved their long-cherished wish.

There should be not the slightest attachment left toward this place.

And that should have been true of the greatest opponent as well—should have been.

"Is that your choice, Shōgō Jin?"

He was genuinely surprised.

It could be said that it was a misjudgment.

For Harold, the fact that he had chosen this path was entirely unforeseen.

It is certain, as rumor has it, that Jin still holds strong feelings toward Kusunoki Command.

Thus, it had not been considered at all.

"Harold Byron!"

The griffin pulls the ether dagger free and advances.

A moment of acceleration.

The target’s position vanishes.

“Tch... bad spot.”

Harold clicks his tongue.

The area has too many blind spots.

Antares, already bulkier than an assault frame, inherently creates blind spots.

Normally, the cameras mounted on Lance covered those gaps—but in this confined space, Lance cannot be positioned adequately.

Thus, Harold momentarily loses sight of Jin.

Moreover, Harold cannot afford to injure Laitera.

A broadside barrage would destroy Laitera—completely defeating the purpose.

Parrying the griffin’s strike from within close range.

The large Ether Cannon embedded in the tail shifts smoothly, aiming—Mio.

“Huh?”

She should be the last one needed.

She should endure harm, but never cross the final line.

And this position is wrong. It will hit the Laitera behind.

Mio understands it.

But Jin lacks that information. Not even the directive to avoid destroying Laitera.

Only the conclusion that Mio and Harold have severed ties.

"Damn it!"

Jin decides Mio is the priority target. He veers the tail away, launching himself directly in front of Antares.

Ready to sacrifice one reactor if necessary.

If Mio is targeted, Jin will intercept.

That is Harold’s intent.

The scissor clamps onto Jin’s griffin.

"Change position."

He could have destroyed her here. But detonating the explosion would risk destroying Laitera.

Antares exits through the narrow Lombardia-class passage, vanishing into the silent void of space.