Touchdown

—Goooomooooooon, Sitaaar Skiaaaar!

Boomer yells into the terminal. A callout to the shared comms code for the ongoing "Super Touchdown" operation.

Garda scatters missiles at lizards and lizard-derived weapons visible in the sky.

Enemies explode in fragments or vanish into filthy stains on ruined walls.

—Sinclair Assault, official radio!

Personality is the operation code, Boomer delivering!

Now, you sons of bitches still in the operation—no matter how tough you are—you must’ve been thinking this.

"Damn it, Garda’s in the sky! Corwe, give up and go home, drink till you pass out!"

Good news for you. Garda’s been seized. Repeat: Garda’s been seized.

Garda, which had held dominance over Corwe’s skies, now advances northward—its pilot, Operation Code Io-200, incinerating lizard forces in the process!

Io spins Garda sharply.

Energy rounds slam into enemy units fleeing into the canyon of buildings.

Explosions bloom, debris swirls upward. Paved concrete peels back, dust swallows the lizards whole.

Control is becoming natural. Occasionally, fireflies in the dark—like distant, flickering signals—approach, but Garda’s armor stands firm against them.

Yet this failed shark is far easier to maneuver than expected. It halts precisely where intended.

No unwanted drift—welcome.

Huuu! Just now wiped out the Weedran unit entrenched in the substreet!

Reaper, you hear that? I’ll make this easy for you!

Saying whatever comes to mind. Sergeant Io smirked.

A transmission from somewhere else cuts through.

— Sinclair, was that real?

— No lies. The lizards are scrambling in disarray.

— I can’t believe it. This isn’t a joke, is it?

— I can’t believe it myself. But the truth is, we’re inside Garuda, and we’re hammering the enemy with high-caliber energy weaponry.

Another signal. From Reaper. Io responded while issuing a cooling command for the overtaxed Garuda systems.

— Fire on us has stopped. You did that… right, Sergeant Io?

— Reaper, good to hear you’re still alive.

— Is what Boomer said true? It’s hard to believe…

— Where are you now?

— …Bridge on Logarde Street. Enemy forces are holding strong. Can’t break through.

I’ll resolve your problem.

Io checked the map and immediately located the target point.

Logarde Street, North Bridge. Combat vehicles, mortars, high-speed intercept systems—anything they could deploy—locked in a futile attrition battle.

(Goblet)

As you wish.

Garda roared, exposing its energy weapon turret.

Charge, rear, fire. A single strike detonated at the center of the Weedran main force facing the allied troops across the bridge.

The enemy detected Garda’s capture and responded instantly with anti-air systems.

But against Garda’s armor and the Defender’s defense, it was meaningless. So this is the defense. No wonder the Cytalchia Coalition screamed in panic.

(Goblet, I want to return their favor in full.)

Attack continued. Firing will proceed until safety load limit is reached, then cooling process begins.

Red-black energy bolts fire in succession. Upon impact, they detonate after a brief delay, tearing enemy units apart in a spectacle of ruin.

"Reaper, the bombardment is effective. You should be able to see it too."

"Aah... well, you know, yeah, sure, I did see it."

"Sounds like you're not thrilled."

"Absolutely not. Watching those damn lizards die is the best feeling.

Just... how the hell am I supposed to write that in the report?"

"Relax, Reaper. I'll write it exactly as it happened—no sugarcoating."

Boomer smirks with deliberate intent. Reaper responds with a sigh.

"Garda, remaining flight duration is minimal."

Io frowns at Goblet's warning.

(Already? Still not enough fun left.)

—Overloaded the main cannon. Landing at the plaza of Logarde North Bridge.

That’s right, something about propulsion and armament sharing the same power source. Fancy setup.

Goblet designated the landing zone as the spot where just moments ago he’d carved out several small craters. The Garuda’s main cannon is powerful.

Best of all, no lizard carcasses left behind. Most are just ash. No gruesome visuals to deal with. That’s a relief.

(Well, fine. I’ll leave it to you.)

—Landing configuration.

Garuda decelerates sharply.

—Boomer, unfortunate. Out of fuel. Landing near Reaper.

—That’s unfortunate. But we’ve poured enough into it. Corwe should be secured.

—Reaper, this is Io. Garuda’s navigation limit reached. Landing near North Bridge.

—I’ll come get you, handsome.

Garuda descends, crushing enemy wreckage beneath its chassis.

The main cannon cleared most of the opposition, but remnants launch sporadic attacks.

Peering outside through the open hatch, Io sees Reaper’s frontline unit exterminating the last survivors.

Gunfire. Explosions. The screech of a lizard. The usual battlefield symphony.

—Io! Boomer! Not bad, huh!

Reaper speaks, finishing off another lizard, then approaches Io while swapping the magazine.

—Enemy forces are in full retreat. Ground units will be fully secured without delay.

The follow-up reserve forces will dismantle the lizard underground transit network. Corwe will be ours.

A sharp crack echoes as something impacts Garuda’s armor—likely a ricochet.

Io checks Raven’s status while asking. Boomer is unfastening his shoulder mount.

Need assistance?

No. But the lizards’ counterattack cost us time. We’ll need to adjust the operation’s timeline.

Hey Reaper, both Io and I have been on continuous ops for eight hours. We’re due for a break.

Try telling that to the Charger. Going back to Hell’s Boosted Camp, I’d guess.

What’s the Charger doing right now?

Reaper nodded toward the sky above Colwe.

Three Condors approached at low altitude, fast and tight.

What were you planning with the Condors?

Don’t ask me. But she doesn’t do pointless things. She had some hidden move to crush Garuda.

Well, that’s wasted now.

The three Condors reached the Logarde North Bridge and opened ground fire.

That final burst broke the Weedran unit’s command structure for good.

What follows is a systematic massacre carried out by the Sitalskia Coalition forces.

From the Condor, a Charger descends with the accompanying Sinclair unit. His black armor bears several bullet wounds.

Well done, you two.

The Reaper and Boomer snap into a broken salute. The Charger returns a brief, curt nod.

He signals to the rear squad members with a hand gesture. Instantly, they split into two-man cells and disperse. Preparing to engage enemy targets, it seems.

The Charger stops before Ioh, offering a sardonic smile.

Ioh, it appears someone with sharp ears is around. You’ve been ordered to report.

Report?

Regarding the capture of Garada. This is different from apprehending Tomas.

What now? Do I just wave at the camera again?

It depends on the method you used. Depending on the situation, you might end up with electrodes implanted in your brain, trembling uncontrollably.

Boomer laughed.

Hah—that’s the lowest. Wait, hold on, Charger, you’re joking, right?

Of course I’m joking. We’re in the middle of a mission. I’ve already refused the summons on my end.

Kharaf doesn’t have the luxury of leaving key assets idle.

Reaper mocked.

I’ve got a proposal. Why not airlift Sergeant Io into enemy territory and have him bring back two or three Garadas?

We’ve already filed a complaint with Intelligence. Failing to anticipate Garada’s presence was a clear oversight.

The Intelligence crew probably assumed Garada was pinned down at sea.

So what do you think? I’ll admit—this isn’t a bad idea, if I do say so myself.

If you want me dead, just say it straight, Reaper.

—Hah, just kidding. Don’t take it seriously.

This guy’s really joking, right?

Even Agent Io would be game over if dropped alone into enemy territory.

I think. Probably. I guess I’d lose. …I’d lose, wouldn’t I?

『Agent Io, not recommended』

—(Yeah, that’s right.)

The Charger didn’t hesitate. Didn’t ask for details beyond the minimum.

“Sergeant Io, is your technique reproducible?”

“If the enemy is careless.”

“Is it universal? Can we both use it?”

Io paused, considering.

『Agent Io. As previously stated, Blue Goblet is prohibited from replicating Blue Goblet.』

Right. That’s right.

“It’s impossible, Charger. I’ll skip the details since you’re in a hurry. This technique… even I can’t explain it.”

If you want to unravel the mystery, you’ll need to crack open my skull and examine the auxiliary brain.

……Johnson Macxima issued a terrifying operational directive.

Even after ten years, we still haven’t stepped on the shadow of a single enhanced soldier.

Charger turns away as if he’s heard enough.

Then there’s no point in complying with the summons.

You don’t think I’m lying?

Why ask that? You know there’s no time to verify the truth.

You’re the soldier who shattered the Red Crest unit, seized Gorda, and rebuilt a collapsed operation.

Even five minutes lent to the mole rats of Oxanun would be a waste.

Charger speaks well, but he’s no actor. There’s an artificial edge to his words.

You want someone to hear it that way?

A setup for later? Io asks. Charger snorts.

"Didn't think I was becoming a politician."

——

Afterward, the Sitalskia Union's Karaaf Front Army accomplished its remaining operational objectives as planned.

A devastating blow struck Weedran—especially the elite units that had been steadily pushing the front line forward. The Karaaf Front Army suffered heavy losses too, but the cost was justified.

Sinclair pushed supply and sortie cycles relentlessly, even as allied forces reached their operational limits one after another.

The Sinclair combat personnel, originally 132, numbered 98 after sixteen hours. Techno-officers too had suffered casualties.

Unprecedented losses. Yet, as before—

the cost was justified.

Drifting in a sea of blue light, Yusei watches the footage.

Inside the shredded remains of the Condor, Agent Io and Boomer slept as if unconscious. Midway on the return route to Oxanun.

Evening had fallen. The setting sun, sinking below the horizon, was beautiful.

— Tough… that was.

Returning from full immersion to the next layer up, Yusei crossed his arms in Goblet’s personal space.

Hmm. Satisfaction is there, but something remains unresolved. Should have enjoyed it. Feels like enjoyment was missed.

Can’t retry this mission. Want to play it again.

— Blue Goblet considers this outcome flawless.

— That’s good. I thought I enjoyed it… somewhat.

— Dissatisfied, Agent Io?

— No, not that.

A flood of data. The vast combat records collected by Blue Goblet streamed through at high speed.

The Karaaf Front Army has begun reorganizing its defensive strategy.

It will hold the advantage for a time, buying more time.

You created this situation.

— That was the Charger’s doing.

Just like Captain Creeke said, I’m just struggling against a crashing wave.

Oh, that line sounded smooth, didn’t it? Yuusei, patting himself on the back.

— ……Agent Io. You are a professional. I understand that, in your home—a realm beyond observation—operations are underway that the Blue Goblet cannot influence.

— Huh? ……Yeah. I guess so.

Speaking of which… I should… yeah, I need to apologize to Jonas. I just dove in here without warning.

— But the Blue Goblet is requesting your further intervention.

The battle on the Karaf Continent is reaching its climax. Both the Allied Forces and the Weidran will push their combat operations beyond limit thresholds.

We shall bring dawn to the human species. You and I are now comrades bound by fate.'

Something oddly fervent in her pitch. Yusei remained unfocused.

'Mm, I’ll think about it.'

‘…Understood. The Blue Goblet is satisfied with your current response.’

Her blue hair flared outward in a sudden burst. Drifting in midair, she smiled with mechanical stillness.

‘Shall I let you rest?’

After a brief pause, Yusei nodded in reply.

The kind of person who loses all energy the moment they finish writing.