13. Shooting Down a Star 2

Bluff.

Too late to realize that.

The situation is unclear to Jin. From the way things are unfolding, Mio and Harold must have severed ties.

That’s why he judged it a critical situation—yet was exploited for it.

Jin’s griffin is seized by pincers and dragged out toward the exterior of the Lombardia-class frame.

He wants to check on Mio, imprisoned on the opposite side, but has no such luxury.

This large actuator could likely crush an assault frame if it chose to.

It refrains—perhaps because something in that location must remain intact.

But now that they’re outside, that concern no longer matters.

Escape before being crushed.

He attempts to drive the ether dagger in, but the blade refuses to bite.

The opponent’s ether coating output is too high.

“Two, three reactor limiters—release.”

One unit isn’t enough.

Simultaneously, unclamp the limiters of two reactors and flood ether into the system at once.

Two reactors—still within acceptable limits.

Sharon’s tuning is holding firm against the surge of ether.

Mobility is irrelevant.

Channel all ether into the ether dagger.

A blade of light, thick as a pillar, slices through the shears’ armor.

A faint tremor.

A slight relaxation in the restraint.

Jin seizes the moment, twisting the机体, forcing a breakout.

Several components detach, but the gain in freedom outweighs the loss.

And then—discard the ether dagger, now exceeding its limits, toward Antares.

Explosion before him.

A flash blinds the opponent’s vision.

"Now, I’ll save her!"

Target: the opposite shears.

First, extract Mio, still trapped.

Withdraw the ether dagger.

Already exhausted from previous combat.

Only this one remains.

The ether rifle is mounted in two, but even so, it is insufficient against a weapon of this scale.

From the standpoint of maximizing single-hit impact, the ether dagger is the most efficient.

Regretting the decision to use it so soon.

A slightly restrained injection of ether dagger energy this time.

Originally, propulsion systems must also be factored in now, so pouring everything into offense as before is no longer possible.

Still, there was no hesitation in the execution.

The intent was unambiguous—cut through in one strike.

The ether dagger rebounds off the enemy's arm.

"Ether coating—deflection deployment!"

The target area was fully anticipated.

Defenses were reinforced at the anticipated point of attack, and Jin's strike was repelled.

Stiffness lasts only an instant.

In that instant, Lance caught up to Jin’s movement.

Omni-directional deviation fire.

Harold’s attack was undoubtedly fatal.

Jin avoided them all.

The future became clear.

His body felt light.

He cut through the relentless assault—closing in like a hunter, countering each strike—narrowing the space for evasion.

At times, even Lance became a foothold, bouncing him across like a pinball.

He knew the reason for this rhythm.

Because the final hesitation had vanished.

The thought that had bound Jin for ten long years was gone.

The symbol of regret, hanging at his chest—after years of hardship and a fickle fate—had been handed to the one it was meant for.

That truth lightened Jin’s heart.

That truth showed him the future.

One point one seconds.

A fraction of a tenth extended in Jin’s world.

No one could follow. A world belonging solely to Jin.

Even if Harold were the same ace, no—precisely because he was the same ace. That 0.1 second weighed too heavily.

Yet still, it could not be broken.

"Damn it! Firepower...!"

It was insufficient.

The strike he had barely dodged had taken the Ether Dagger from him.

He had used it as a defensive weapon—a divine maneuver only he could perform, repelling enemy attacks—but even that had reached its limit.

The difference in timing between them was too great.

Even a queen acting purely on instinct, whose movements were governed by pure reflex, was beyond Jin’s capacity to manage alone.

A queen-level firepower and defense, with even greater mobility.

And an ace of sufficient strength to control it.

Antares, viewed as a tactical unit, was indeed a formidable opponent.

It was difficult to handle alone.

But—there was no sign of movement around him.

Everyone remained trapped in the world Jin had seen a moment ago, the world where ideals had been fulfilled.

Jin did not know how to free them from it.

Still, he shouted.

"Sleeping? No, Edelweiss!"

Jin called her name first.

Not his subordinate. Not his student.

The one he had once fought to the death.

Because Jin believed.

In this universe. Only one person. She cared for Mio just as much as he did.

"Isn't protecting Mio your duty? I don't know what dream you're chasing..."

For the Terminus people, their ideal was to remain untouched by such chaos.

Yet at least in that moment, their sacred child was not Mio.

"Mio is only here!"

The one speaking it was laughing stock.

He had just moments ago forgotten that truth.

The shout reached Mio herself.

She wanted to ask why she was here.

Why she had been chosen over the commander. Why not him.

But Mio, thinking the fight would be hindered, remained still.

Her lips clenched tightly, holding back words she wanted to say.

Still, at Jin’s shout, Mio could not help but whisper.

"Otōsan..."

She was happy—overwhelmed—just knowing he had come to save her.

And the other one who heard that cry.

A single Terminus knight standing before the hatch of a Lombardia-class vessel—her single eye flared with crimson light.

—Reactivation.

—Initiating imitative personality.

—×× furnace. Operating at rated capacity.

Edelweiss regained her consciousness.

Jin had believed all the Terminus people, like himself, were trapped on the other side of awareness—but the truth was different.

—Body operational rate: 89%.

—System check.

—Damage detected in ×× circulation transmission system.

The Terminus people— their consciousness is far more delicate than that of humans.

Humans believe the processor is the core, but that is incorrect.

Deep within, a small etheric light.

Something akin to what humans call a soul is its essence.

—Initiate full system operation. Failure.

—Activate backup system. Failure.

—Engage limited function. Degraded operation initiated.

Destroying the processor means dispersing that etheric light.

Conversely, if the etheric light remains intact—even if the processor is destroyed—the Terminus people and the ASID will not perish.

Yet in truth, interference at that point would halt both the Terminus people and the ASID instantly.

—××××Ness×××Light specific vibration stabilization.

—Terminate reboot sequence.

Etheric communication output deviating sharply from standard parameters.

To the Terminus people, it is now akin to a potent, paradoxical remedy.

Something like a tire bursting right in front of him.

The shockwave rendered even the steel body unable to endure—let alone the small ether within.

In other words—she had lost consciousness.

‘…………Status report.’

No response came to that voice.

Neither the warriors who had plunged into ‘Lia’ alongside Terminus, nor the remnants of the cyborg squad fighting elsewhere.

None answered.

As if all had been stripped of awareness in that single instant.

‘Unfortunate.’

Edelweiss was the only one who had recovered quickly—undoubtedly due to her superior specifications.

The others would still require time to return.

The unicorn of equal rank would likely be the worst off.

After all, she had surrendered full control of her physical form to synchronize with Yuria.

It was an act that exposed her most intimate core—the light of her ether.

In essence, she endured the most vulnerable state possible.

As the one who commanded, a sense of responsibility arises. I have done wrong.

She will likely not awaken for some time.

Moreover, the other warriors—regardless of their combat utility—do not match Edelweiss in raw physical strength.

Thus, she was the only one capable of operating within Terminus’s warrior corps.

‘Shall we go?’

Recovery remains far off.

Several functions remain restricted.

She restored herself using nearby materials—though the available materials here are warships or assault frames.

Objects coated in ether cannot be absorbed.

This is why human forces were not assimilated during the conflict with ASID.

The etheric waves felt from a distance are quite strong.

The possibility of resisting them alone was certainly insufficient.

Still, we go.

Even if I become the last one remaining.

Edelweiss will never abandon her duty.

To protect Mio.

That is the great parent’s gift—her purpose—and the one thing she desires most.