Chapter 95: Grand Hades Attack!

THAT'S Nullgear Unit 02?! That thing will level the entire city! We've gotta do something!

Nothing's working! All of the controls have switched to autopilot mode! Grand Hades! Please! You have to stop!

Energy spike detected! It's targeting us!

Damn! Looks like we're gonna have to stop it ourselves! Be careful everyone!

Ngh! Is everyone okay?!

Do we look okay?! We're fighting a giant robot on foot!

Grr! No matter how hard we hit it, the best we can do is slow it down.

Nevertheless, we cannot yield! The city will be utterly destroyed!

Argh! What are we gonna do?!

What can I do? What SHOULD I do? I don't know yet...but...

I repeat! We are now entering code 1 alert status! All Units in sectors B4 and B5...

...You're hollow, too, right? Will you join me?

Uwah! LOOK OUT!!!

AHHH!

Aldo! Feinne! Leave this to me!

Kamlanage?!

Yeah. I'm here to protect you!

This machine it...it moves with my thoughts, like an extension of my own body! Can you even call this "piloting"? It's more like psychic resonance!

Feinne!

This sensation! It's just like before...

Everyone, listen to me! If we link our hearts using Kamlanage and I's powers...I think we can control that giant, too!

Got it! ...I think? What do you want us to do exactly?

You just have to will it. Envision our hearts becoming one...

Alright. I can do that...

...Thanks Feinne. Glad to have your help. Let's end this together, Guilty Hades!

Is it over?

...Do you copy? This is Amy Ishar.

It's "me" again... Are you the pilot?

Affirmative. "Imperial Mobile Forces" is just a fancy name for the Nullgear division. I appreciate your assistance in stopping Unit 02...though I wish you'd been a little more gentle. May I ask who's piloting Guilty Hades?

Oh, that was...

Wh-Whoa! Something's going on with the Nullgear!

The air is so heavy... I've got a bad feeling about this!

Everyone! Get on board Guilty Hades, NOW!

Ah! Wh-What happened to, ?!

Countless massive objects approaching! Look outside, everyone!

Wh-What are THOSE?!

Phew... That was close. Thank god the water broke our fall.

Indeed, but where have we ended up? The mek's world, perhaps?

Any ideas, Riica?

Negative. I can't pinpoint our location, so we are most likely in unknown territory.

Those red meteors... Something about them gave me chills.

We should consider ourselves lucky. We'd never have survived a direct impact.

...Thanks, Kamlanage. You saved us.

Yeah, you really did. If you and, uh, Guilty Hades was it? If you hadn't been there we would've been toast.

I could say the same. I would've never made it in time if you hadn't slowed Grand Hades down. And on foot no less...

No need to be modest, Kamlanage, You even saved the other "me" in the pilot seat. But how did you learn to pilot that machine so quickly?

I didn't, I just...moved it. It was like I connected with its mind.

Its mind? But it's a robot...

Why are you surprised? It's not like we haven't come across plenty of other living machines lately.

Yeah, I guess that's true.

...Hmph. You sure you wanna do this, prince? The entire might of the imperial army is going to come looking for you. You'll be branded a traitor for absconding with their precious weapon.

Yeah, I can't imagine they'll just let us go.

Come to think of it, can't they trace Riica's location?

No, we won't need to worry about that. I've already installed a device that will scramble our location data. They'll probably find a workaround eventually, but it should at least buy us some time.

Thank you! I appreciate the upgrade to my data privacy!

Thanks, Ashtear.

It doesn't change the prince's situation. If he's found with us he'll be charged with treason.

Are you worried for my safety, arbiter Minalca? You're kinder than you look...

Don't push your luck.

Couldn't the same be said of you? You escaped with the Ironheart, after all.

......

I honestly don't know what to think yet. Who am I, really? Which path should I take? What's right, and what's wrong?

For now, I've decided to follow my heart. And I have no regrets.

Kamlanage...

Will you join us then?

If you would have me.

Of course. We'd be glad to have you on our side, Kam.

Yeah, you've put your past behind you.

Mildy would have my head if I let anything happen to you.

Thank you. In that case...

I never liked that outfit, It was far too tight around the neck.

There we go, That's the Kam we all know and love.

Hahah, it's too bad we didn't get to show Mildy first.

They must be furious at me for disappearing without saying a word...

Anyhow, I'm glad to be here. Thanks guys.

Yeah. Me, too.

Unfortunately...

Guilty Hades is completely unresponsive.

The combined power of Kamlanage and Feinne's psychic resonance might've been too much for it.

I don't really get this whole "resonance" thing...

It seems they connected with some force in this place, creating a distortion that pulled the Nullgear here. The energy created was enough to overload and damage some of its systems.

Well we can't just leave it here...

C'est vrai. It's a valuable means of transport and defense. We must repair it before it falls into imperial hands.

Agreed. A weapon as magnificent as this deserves better than being left to rust.

You're really into this whole giant robot thing aren't you, Guildna?

Think you can fix it, Ashtear?

Hmm... It won't be easy. I guess if I had replacements parts I might be able to, but I don't know where we'd find them...

Wh-Whoah!

Hm?

Humans! Lot's of 'em! I gotta go warn the village!

...Oh, it's just a cat.

Thank goodness! I thought the empire might've already caught up with...

HUH?!

Ummm, Aldo. I don't think that's a normal cat. It's walking on two legs. And it talks.

O-Oh... So it does...

What sorcery is this? It certainly doesn't look anything like our friend Nyanjiro.

Hmph... I see. We must be in the lost age.

You know something about all this, Minalca?

I've heard the stories, yeah. But this is the first time I've been here in person.

The lost age? I hadn't even considered that. We should get moving! It sounds like our furry friend came from a nearby village.

Alright, let's follow its trail.