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ＳＵＰＥＲ ＲＯＢＯＴ ＷＡＲＳ ＯＧ
ＤＡＲＫ ＰＲＩＳＯＮ
Man is condemned to be free.
－－J.P. Sartre
His consciousness had become part of the darkness.
He writhed and squirmed, fighting desperately against the overwhelming presence that sought to swallow him whole.
After what seemed like both an eternity and an instant, he caught sight of a ray of light.
And then…he was revived.
Shutedonias Alliance Territory – Volkruss Temple
???: …Are you awake, Lord Shu?
Shu: …L…Luozorl?
Luozorl: Yes, it is I.
Shu: …I…ugh…
Luozorl: Easy now. Your strength has not fully returned. Please do not strain yourself.
Shu: I am…my name is…Shu…Shu Shirakawa. And you are Luozorl…Luozorl Zoran Loiel…
Shu: But…why am I here? Where is this place…?
Luozorl: Hmm, your memory seems confused…I suppose it’s only natural. You’ve died once already.
Shu: …I…died…?
Luozorl: Yes. After that, I used the spell of resurrection to bring your spirit back to this world…but it would appear that the process has yet to be perfected.
Shu: …..
Luozorl: Regardless, this is one of our temples in La Gias. There’s no need for you to be concerned.
Shu: A temple…dedicated…to Lord…Volkruss?
Luozorl: That is correct.
Shu: Something important has happened…but…I can’t remember…
Luozorl: Your memory will return to you in time. For now, please get some rest.
Shu: …..
Volkruss Temple – Inner Chamber
Satilus: …So your insurance plan has paid off.
Luozorl: Yes…though I never thought my first use of the resurrection spell would be on the body of Lord Shu.
Satilus: It could not be helped. Losing Lord Christoph would have greatly hindered your plans.
Satilus: “She” would not want that either.
Luozorl: …..
Satilus: Even so…I can’t believe that the Granzon was defeated, especially since it had been augmented by the power of Lord Volkruss himself.
Luozorl: …I do not think that the power of Cybuster and it’s herald alone could have defeated the Neo Granzon.
Satilus: Then, how?
Luozorl: It could be due to the surface-dwellers that took part in the battle, or…
Satilus: …Lord Christoph himself had a hand in it?
Luozorl: Perhaps.
Satilus: Impossible, once someone has made a contract with Lord Volkruss, they cannot disobey his will.
Satilus: Besides, the fact that you were able to not only restore Lord Christoph’s body, but also the
Granzon…you might call that a godsend, yes?
Luozorl: …True.
Satilus: Then this outcome must have come about by the power and guidance of Lord Volkruss…
Satilus: Nonetheless, the plan you were working on with Lord Christoph…it may be the best way to achieve our goal.
Luozorl: Does “she” think so too?
Satilus: Yes. She said to see it through to the end. She’s also sending one of her direct subordinates.
Satilus: He will arrive at your location shortly. Her orders are that he accompanies Lord Christoph.
Luozorl: Who is he?
Satilus: I have not met him personally…but his name is Gaen, and it is said that he skilled in martial arts and the use of both Reisouki and Masouki.
Luozorl: Gaen… as in the mythological god of judgement?
Satilus: It is most likely not his true name.
Luozorl: You are sure this is not some form of interference from the other archbishops?
Satilus: No, it is her will.
Luozorl: (A watchdog, then…)
Satilus: Also…in spite of my support, the other archbishops think that your plan is flawed and is doomed to fail.
Satilus: Although the Holy Kingdom of Langran is in chaos due to the invasion by the Shutedonias Alliance…
Satilus: It will be difficult to lay our hands on a member of the royal family for use in the ritual.
Luozorl: That is precisely why we need the aid of Lord Shu.
Luozorl: Now if only we could be assured that the other archbishops would not take any action. The less we have hindering us, the better.
Satilus: Leave that matter to me. I pray for your success.
Luozorl: Yes. Let us bring about that which we have long wished for…the complete resurrection of Lord Volkruss.
Volkruss Temple – Passage
Luozorl: …How are you feeling, Lord Shu?
Shu: Not too bad. My strength is gradually returning.
Luozorl: That is excellent news. And so, I think it’s time we put our plan into action.
Shu: Plan…? Pardon me, but could you explain what that is? My memory has yet to fully recover.
Luozorl: Oh, forgive me. The plan I speak of is to release the dormant avatars of Lord Volkruss that are scattered throughout La Gias.
Luozorl: If we can accomplish this, the world will be engulfed in destruction and chaos, and Lord Volkruss true return will be much easier.
Shu: Lord Volkruss, you say…? That is indeed something to look forward to.
Luozorl: I will head to the Solatis Shrine and eliminate High Priestess Ibun, who stands in the way of our plan.
Luozorl: Lord Shu, please bring Lady Monica to us. A sacrifice of royal blood is essential for the resurrection ritual.
Shu: Monica…
Luozorl: Please ask your familiar for more details. He should be able to help fill in the gaps in your memory.
*Flapping of wings*
Chika: Long time no see, Master! I was worried for a while there!
Chika: Normally once you’re defeated as the final boss, your role in the story is over. At best, you might regenerate your…huh?
Shu: …..
Chika: Wh-What’s with the cold stare? Don’t tell me you forgot about me!
Chika: I don’t believe it! And after you left me behind all the time you were on the surface, too!
Shu: (The surface…)
Chika: Oh, right! Master, could you pay back the 1,000 credits that I loaned you the other day?
Luozorl: Enough, Chika…Lord Shu, I can not accompany you, but in my stead…
Gaen: …..
Luozorl: This is Gaen, sent from the central branch of the Volkruss Cult. He will be assisting you.
Gaen: You must be Christoph…Christoph Zeo Volkruss.
Shu: Instead of that name, could you please call me Shu Shirakawa?
Gaen: Hmph, a false name?
Shu: It isn’t false. Unlike yours.
Gaen: Why you…
Luozorl: Gaen, please do not be disrespectful to Archbishop Shu.
Gaen: I serve only one master. I will lend this man my strength in accordance with her commands…but I was not told to respect him.
Luozorl: What…?
Shu: I honestly don’t care how his attitude towards me is, Luozorl.
Luozorl: Hm…by the way, I’ve ordered Saphine to join you. She should rendezvous with you shortly.
Shu: Saphine…?
Luozorl: She’s one of your subordinates, and is someone who is difficult to describe in a few words…but once you meet her, you’ll remember.
Chika: (I don’t want my Master to meet Saphine as he is now…I don’t know what she’ll say to him.)
Luozorl: Now, Lord Shu…
Shu: Understood. Let’s go, Chika, Gaen.
Chika: Yes, Master.
Gaen: …Understood.
Shutedonias Alliance Territory – Valley
*The Granzon and a Gadifol approach from the North*
Chika: …How does it feel, Master?
Shu: Whilst piloting the Granzon, I’ve recalled a few things.
Shu: The Kabala is only operating at 60%…even with the sub-logic circuits compensating, some weapons and functions are unusable.
Chika: Yeah, I don’t know how Luozorl managed to restore the Granzon in the first place, but…it’s definitely not in top condition.
Chika: Still, Master…from the way you’ve been piloting this thing, it doesn’t seem like it’s too much of a problem.
Shu: Yes, it should be able to handle combat.
Chika: By the way Master, when I heard that you passed away, my heart stopped. No, literally, it stopped.
Chika: That’s because if our masters die, us familiars, which are born from their consciousness, will also die.
Chika: So now that you’ve been brought back, really, I couldn’t be happier.
Shu: …You certainly talk a lot.
Chika: You think so? By the way, that Gaen guy…he’s really rude and really shady.
Chika: Plus, he’s riding a Gadifol…and this is Shutedonias territory, so if we’re found, we’ll be attacked first, asked questions later.
Shu: If that’s the case, then we have no shortage of enemies, don’t we?
Chika: Well, yeah. When we get to Langran, we’ll get the same kind of treatment.
Shu: Langran…
Chika: The Holy Kingdom of Langran, if you want to be precise.
Shu: Kingdom…Princess…is that where we’ll find this Monica person?
Chika: Yup. But because of the Shutedonias invasion, the Langran capital is currently occupied.
Shu: (Shutedonias…invasion…)
Chika: I think that Princess Monica is most likely being held somewhere near the royal captial.
Shu: So…we need to avoid being seen by both the people of Langan and Shutedonias in order to capture the princess?
Chika: Yeah, it’s gonna be a real pain. Although it seems that Langran’s General Kirkus is gathering his troops to try and push back the Shutedonias army…
Chika: If they make a move to retake the royal capital, we might be able to make things easier for ourselves by taking advantage of the chaos.
Chika: Oh, by the way, did you know? It seems that Princess Monica has a thing for you, Master.
Chika: I mean, I know that princesses have always placed an importance on looks, but…
Shu: Let’s cut the chatter. It looks like there’s a battle up ahead.
Chika: Eh!? Oh, oh, sorry! I didn’t notice!
Chika: The radar shows a bunch of Shutedonias Masouki…huh? Two of them are different.
Chika: Hmhm, let’s check the Granzon’s database. One’s a Personal Trooper, a Mass-Produced Gespenst Mk-II Custom, and…
Chika: I don’t have any data on the other one, but it looks like it’s related to the Gespenst series.
Shu: Gespenst…
Chika: It’s a mech from the surface. Don’t you even remember that?
Shu: Why is it here in La Gias?
Chika: Weeeeell, it’s a long story…
Shu: Then tell me later.
*The Granzon moves forward*
Gaen: Wait, Shu. There are Shutedonias Masouki up ahead.
Shu: I know. Think of it as rehabilitation for myself and the Granzon.
Gaen: Don’t be foolish. They’ll find out about our movements.
Shu: They’ll find out about them sooner or later. If you don’t want to join, you can just wait here.
*The Granzon continues onward*
Gaen: Idiot…
*Gaen follows Shu*
Chapter 1 – The Return of the Blue Devil
Shutedonias Alliance Territory – Battlefield
*Shutedonias forces fire warning shots at an MP Gespenst MK-II and a Gesterben Kai*
Albada: Look at that, they shot at us.
Serena: For a group that said they’d guarantee our safety, they’re being rather violent.
Elma: Their reaction is natural. We didn’t comply with their order to disarm.
Serena: We’re under no obligation to obey the orders of an unknown organization.
Elma: They called themselves the Shutedonias Alliance Army.
Serena: Do you have either the name of that country or data on their weapons stored in your memory?
Elma: No.
Serena: Then for all intents and purposes, they’re unknown.
Zareth: That was your only warning shot, surface-dwellers! Disarm immediately and come with us!
Serena: They called us “surface-dwellers” again.
Albada: They sure don’t look like angels. That means we aren’t in heaven.
Serena: We were in space a short while ago.
Albada: Then, are they aliens? I don’t know how they’d do it, but if they brought this entire place with them, they must be more powerful than the Aerogaters or the Inspectors.
Serena: I don’t think we’re inside a spaceship…look at the sun. It’s been in the same position since we first got here.
Serena: Also, look at the horizon…
Albada: Yeah…I think we should assume that we’ve been transported to another world.
Serena: You mean like the Shadow Mirror or the Shura?
Albada: Who knows, maybe your Gesterben has a dimensional transfer device installed in it?
Serena: If that were the case, Daniel Insrtuments would be ruling the world.
Albada: True.
Elma: Um…based on what the people who call themselves the Shutedonias army are saying, and the conditions of our surroundings…
Elma: I think we’re in some sort of underground world.
Serena: An underground world…? If that’s the case, how come there’s a sun and a sky?
Elma: There are several theories about it, such as Shambala or Agartha…or the Hollow Earth theory proposed by Edmund Halley, the Gregorian astronomer who is the namesake of Halley’s Comet…
Elma: There are also theories about a sun inside the Earth hypothesized by Leonhard Euler, the brilliant mathematician famous for Euler’s Formula and Euler’s Polyhedron Theorem…
Elma: In recent years, Dr. Makoto Anzai of the LTR Institute…
Albada: Alright, alright. Serena, let’s disarm for the present.
Serena: Are you serious, Al?
Albada: Yes, we need to gather information ASAP. If this is an underground world like Miss El was talking about, and we were teleported here for some reason…
Albada: We need to find a way back to our world. The commanders are probably worried, too.
Elma: Um, it’s possible…the rest of Team Djerba is in our situation…
Serena: In this world…?
Albada: Either way, this is no time to be searching for the remains of the Granzon. We’ll accept the offer of these people.
Serena: From the looks of things, we shouldn’t expect a lot of hospitality.
Albada: At least there aren’t any women or children with them. We won’t have to hold back.
Serena: So you’re saying we wait for the right moment, then escape?
Albada: Sounds about right for us, doesn’t it?
Serena: Guess so.
Zareth: What is your answer, surface-dwellers!?
Albada: We’ll take you up on your offer. Just don’t shoot us.
Zareth: Very well. However, if you try anything suspicious…
Soldier: Colonel Choir! Two large heat sources approaching from twelve o’clock! They’re not transmitting friendly identification signals!
Zareth: Then the enemy has…wait. Two Langran Masouki alone could never make it this far into our territory.
Soldier: No, one of them is a Gadifol! The other one is…
*The Granzon and Gaen’s Gadifol appear*
Serena: I-Is that…!?
Zareth: The G-Granzon! What’s it doing here!?
Albada: Looks like my unlucky streak has followed me all the way here. Instead of the wreckage, we find the whole thing…
Gaen: (Those two humanoid units…are they from the surface?)
Serena: Elma, cross-check our data!
Elma: Roger. The form and height match the data on the Granzon I have in my system, and the thermal response is almost identical. The probability of it being our target: 86.4%.
Elma: The probability increases if Dr. Shu Shirakawa, the only known pilot of that machine, is on board…
Serena: The guy who’s supposed to be dead.
Albada: But we didn’t see his final battle. We only read the report.
Serena: So our superiors’ fears were valid…?
Albada: …Let’s see if we hit the jackpot.
Chika: Master, that Gespenst is sending a communication. What should we do?
Shu: Put it through.
Albada: …Can you hear me, pilot of the Granzon? Activate your video monitor and identify yourself.
Shu: …..
Chika: Hey! What’s with that tone of voice!? You’re being extremely rude to my master! Wash your mouth out and try again later!
Albada: Wh-What?
Chika: Ah, what are you doing, Master!? Wait, wait wait wai–!
Elma: …That was nothing like the audio data of Dr. Shirakawa that I was given prior to our mission. The manner of speaking was also completely different…
Serena: And who is this “master”?
Albada: …Who are you? What is your name?
Shu: Shouldn’t you give your own name before asking that of others?
Albada: Hmph…I’d make a terrible agent if I had to give my name every time I was asked…
Albada: Since you’ve seen this unit, it’s obvious that I belong to the Terra Federation Forces.
Albada: I am 2nd Lt. Albada Bailarin of the Special Forces Unit “Team Djerba”. My colleague is 2nd Lt. Serena Recital.
Shu: My name is Shu…Shu Shirakawa.
Serena: The video feed’s up…!
Elma: Serena, his face and voice match the data.
Serena: Still, that doesn’t mean it’s the real deal.
Albada: …I heard you had died, Shu Shirakawa.
Shu: …You seem to know who I am.
Albada: Yeah, though this is the first time we’ve met in person.
Shu: I see. So I wouldn’t have remembered you regardless.
Albada: (Wouldn’t have remembered…?)
Soldier: Colonel Choir…!
Zareth: We can’t let that devil get away! Attack, all units attack!
Soldier: What about the units from the surface?
Zareth: Leave them be! We’ll stop the Granzon here and now!
*The Granzon is attacked*
Gaen: …This is turning into a huge mess.
Albada: I guess Shu’s no friend of those guys.
Serena: What do we do now, Al?
Albada: …Change of plans. We’re joining forces with Shu.
Serena: Um, are you serious?
Albada: Yeah. I don’t believe he’ll attack us, at least for the moment. If he wanted to, he could have done so as soon as he arrived.
Serena: I guess that’s true.
Albada: Plus, we need to find out if this Shu Shirakawa is the real deal.
Albada: If it is, then we have a way to get back to our world.
Albada: Working with him is our best bet order to return with Mission Devil completed.
Serena: I see your point…but are you okay with that?
Albada: …Yes.
Serena: …..
Albada: Well, they’re probably just as suspicious of us. We’ll need to put our best foot forward to earn their trust.
Serena: Roger.
Albada: …Shu Shirakawa, do you read? We’ll back you up.
Shu: Understood. Please do so.
Albada: (He accepted that rather easily…)
Serena: (The fact that he should show up now, of all times…just what are his intentions?
Gaen: What are you planning, Shu?
Shu: Increasing our numbers would be beneficial, wouldn’t it?
Gaen: But that doesn’t mean surface-dwellers should…
Shu: The enemy’s preparing to advance. Intercept them.
Albada: Let’s go, Serena!
Serena: Right! Elma, Combat Program: Start!
Elma: Roger!
First combat with a Shutedonias soldier
Shu
Shu: Well then, let’s begin. The Granzon and I need to regain our former power.
Gaen
Gaen: Now that it’s come to this, it’s best to finish it quickly.
Albada
Albada: C’mon, let’s see what machines built beneath the surface are like!
Serena
Serena: Let’s show them that this Gestelben is no Gespenst!
Elma: I don’t think these people know what a Gespenst is…
Serena: Elma! Instead of interrupting my signature intro, start collecting data on the enemy machines!
Elma: R-Roger!
Shu VS Zareth
Zareth: Apostate Christoph! Why are you here!?
Shu: It seems that you know of me as well.
Zareth: You devil…I’ll get my revenge here! Open fire on the Granzon!
Gaen VS Zareth
Gaen: (Shu aside, we can’t let them find out who we are.)
Zareth: A Gadifol…are soldiers from the Langran army helping Christoph…!?
Albada VS Zareth
Zareth: Surface-dwellers! If you ally with Christoph, I will show you no mercy!
Albada: Christoph? You mean Shu Shirakawa? In any case, I feel more confident being on his side than yours.
Zareth: No good will come of it, mark my words!
Albada: …Perhaps. But right now, we have to put out the fire in front of us!
Serena VS Zareth
Serena: It looks similar to the Rhinoceros-class land battleship.
Elma: There appears to be a large-caliber beam cannon built into the center of the hull! Be careful!
Serena: I’m too nimble to be hit by something like that!
If Zareth’s HP is reduced below 9000
Zareth: Curses, I can’t believe we’ve been cornered! Withdraw immediately!
*The Mobile Fortress and any remaining forces withdraw*
If Zareth is shot down
Zareth: Argh, we can’t take any more! Retreat, retreat!
*The Mobile Fortress explodes, and any remaining forces withdraw*
Elma: Enemy aircraft signals have disappeared from the battlefield.
Serena: I guess that’s the end of that problem.
Elma: But, what do we do now?
Serena: Just what Al said we’d do.
Elma: Do you think they’ll let us join them?
Serena: Who knows.
Albada: …Looks like this Shu Shirakawa and Granzon are the real deal.
Serena: Yeah…it’d be more surprising at this point if they turned out to be fakes.
Albada: Alright…Serena, El, be careful not to let any important information slip out.
Serena: Like the details of our mission?
Albada: Yeah, and the report from the Steel Dragon Squad. Also, try not to ask too many questions.
Serena: I get that, but there’s so much I want to ask. About this world, about Shu Shirakawa’s miraculous survival…the truth behind it all.
Albada: That’s why people hate the paparazzi. To conduct a good interview, you have to make a good first impression.
Serena: …You heard him, Elma. Don’t start asking a ton of questions.
Elma: Serena, you be careful too.
Serena: (Honestly, I think Al’s the one who wants to ask the most.)
Gaen: …Shu, we mustn’t linger here. We should leave before any more enemy forces arrive.
Shu: Agreed.
Albada: Hey, mind if we tag along? Got a few questions we’d like to ask.
Gaen: I have no intention of dealing with you lot any further. Go find someone else.
Albada: Hey now, don’t be so harsh. We’re practically lost here.
Shu: …Very well, Lieutenant Albada. Follow me.
Gaen: !
Albada: Ah, you’re more reasonable. That’s a relief.
Gaen: (Shu, just what are you playing at…?)
Shutedonias Alliance Territory – Forest
Albada: …I see, an underground world within a different dimension. So no matter how far we dig underground, we’ll never reach La Gias that way.
Shu: Correct.
Albada: Okay, how about this country called Shutedonias and those robots from earlier?
Shu: Shutedonias is one of La Gias’ leading allied nations…and those machines from earlier are called
Masouki, general-purpose humanoid weapons used in this world.
Albada: (Masouki…are they related to the Cybuster that fought alongside the Steel Dragon Squad? Although, the files did call it a “Masoukishin”…)
Serena: …But how did we get here from the middle of space?
Shu: I think this one will be able to answer that.
Serena: Eh?
Chika: *GASP!* Ack, that was horrible! That was awful of you to stuff me into your pocket, Master! I just about suffocated!
Albada: W-What’s with this bird?
Serena: It’s talking…
Elma: That’s the voice I heard over the coms earlier…could it be some kind of robot?
Chika: How rude! I’ll have you know I’m a familiar, a servant spirit!
Chika: And what are you supposed to be, anyway!? You look like a scarecrow!
Elma: I-I’m not a scarecrow! I’m Elma, Serena’s Sub-Bot!1
Chika: Sub-bot? Oh, you mean a robot that’s sub-par?
Elma: It’s short for Support Robot! And my work is never sub-par! Right, Serena!?
Serena: Huh? Uh, yeah.
Elma: Wh-Why is your answer so half-hearted!? It’s true that sometimes you can appear somewhat insincere, but…
Serena: Yes, yes, Elma. Don’t say any more than you have to.
Albada: Hey, you can call them familiars or whatever, but I still don’t get it.
Shu: On the surface, familiars are creatures that offer support to magicians…they often take the form of spirits or small animals, such as cats or birds.
Shu: We have something similar here, but they’re formed from part of a person’s subconscious.
Albada: You’re telling me that this chatty, featherbrained bird is part of your subconscious?
Shu: The reason that his personality is so unlike mine is because he’s one of my personas.
Albada: (So it’s just another version of you? That’s still surprising.)
Shu: So, Chika…continue with your explanation.
Chika: Ah, right, right. Apparently, someone recently used a powerful summoning spell, and surface-dwellers and their mechs have been appearing all over La Gias.
Albada: (A…summoning spell?)
Chika: What’s more, gates have been opening all over the place, and all sorts of things are being summoned.
Chika: Rumor has it that it’s not just humans and giant robots, but even flying battleships are being summoned.
Chika: Anyway, this summoning is so out of control that people are saying that it’s a spell gone wrong or some other kind of accident.
Albada: So, what? You’re saying we just got dragged to this place by pure chance?
Chika: Well, that certainly is the way things look. My condolences.
Albada: Geez, you talk like it’s no big deal. Do you have any idea who might have cast that summoning spell?
Chika: Nope.
Shu: …..
Chika: Just to be clear, summoning magic isn’t something that anyone can use. You’d need the magic power of a high priest or a great magician to do that.
Serena: Magic, high priests, familiars…sounds like something out of a fantasy novel. Let me guess, there’s a demon king or demon god here too, right?
Chika: Well, I don’t know about the first one, but the second…
Shu: Chika, there’s no need to over-explain things.
Chika: S-Sorry.
Serena: …..
Shu: …Gaen, do you know anything about this recent influx of summoned surface-dwellers?
Gaen: No.
Gaen: (And if I did, I wouldn’t say so in front of these people.)
Chika: Oh, I just remembered. The Shutedonias army has been conscripting these summoned humans into their ranks.
Albada: That would explain why that Zareth guy
Chika: Langran’s probably doing the same thing. It’s a real pain for us, really.
Serena: What is exactly is this Langran?
Chika: It’s the oldest and largest country in La Gias. It was where the first Masouki were developed. It’s also where Gaen’s Gadifol came from.
Serena: I see.
Chika: Langran’s great military power caused the other countries to view it as a threat…
Chika: Shutedonias in particular was looking for an excuse to launch an invasion…then, a terrorist attack occurred in the royal capital of Langran.
Shu: …..
Chika: Because of that, Aluzar the king was killed, and Langran’s political system was in total chaos…and Shutedonias saw their chance to invade.
Albada: Talk about rubbing salt in the wound.
Chika: No kidding. The capital was occupied, and the direct heir to the throne, Prince Feilord, went missing. After that, key locations were captured one by one…
Chika: Right now General Kirkus is trying to rebuild his forces, mostly by recruiting the summoned mechs, in order to launch a counterattack against the Shutedonias army.
Serena: Geez..so it’s basically a quagmire of war.
Chika: That about sums it up. And if that weren’t enough, the terrorist attack in Langran’s capital…
Shu: …Chika, don’t make me repeat myself.
Chika: Urk…r-right.
Serena: (These people…er, this person and this bird know more than they’re saying.)
Albada: Alright, next question. Shu, like I said before, we’d heard rumors that you were dead…
Albada: What’s the real story?
Shu: I suppose I must have died, after all.
Albada: (Why’s he acting as if he’s not sure himself?)
Shu: I don’t remember the details, but apparently I died on the surface…then, thanks to Luozorl’s magic, I was brought back to this world. As was the Granzon.
Albada: …!
Serena: Are you saying that you were brought back to life with some kind of spell…!?
Shu: You can think of it as that.
Albada: Seriously?
Chika: Just so you know, not just anyone can be resurrected like that. My Master and Lord Luozorl are Vo…
Shu: …Chika.
Chika: Oh, m-my apologies! *gulp*…
Serena: (Vo…? What is that…?)
Shu: Let’s just say I was brought back to life by the blessing of the god we worship.
Serena: (God…)
Shu: Although, I’ve lost some of my memories due to the aftereffects of the revival.
Albada: (Interesting…so that’s why he’s acting strange. Guess it’s convenient for us that he’s amnesiac…)
Shu: Do you know anything about the circumstances of my death?
Albada: Uh, no…like I said, we just heard the rumors. I don’t know the details.
Shu: I see.
Albada: (Guess we should still refrain from bringing up anything about the Steel Dragon Squad. Might arouse unnecessary suspicion.)
Serena: Hey, can we return to the surface from La Gias the same way we came here?
Shu: You could, but a gate to the surface isn’t something that just anyone can open.
Albada: …What about you?
Shu: I can do so, but not at the present. The gate release device on the Granzon is malfunctioning.
Albada: …Alright. So, if we stick with you, we’ll eventually be able to get back to the surface?
Gaen: What? You intend to continue following us?
Albada: Naturally, we’ll scratch your back if you scratch ours. If you get into any more fights, we’ll help you out.
Shu: …You aren’t curious about what our objectives are?
Albada: Curiosity killed that cat, right? Still, if that doesn’t work for you, we’ll go elsewhere.
Gaen: Then go elsewhere.
Shu: …No, I’ll accept your offer. Once my goal is accomplished, I’ll return you to the surface.
Gaen: Shu, you can’t…
Shu: It’s a give-and-take. We don’t have many allies…it would be more advantageous to have them help us than those with other loyalties.
Gaen: Even so…
Shu: It’s all for the success of our mission. If you don’t like it, feel free to report it to your master.
Gaen: …..
Albada: Hey, do we have a deal?
Shu: Yes.
Chika: Just so you know, I won’t be paying you a single coin for wages or tips.
Albada: Like a bird would have any money to begin with.
Chika: How rude. I’ll have you know that I have more cash than most birds out there.
Albada: (Good grief, this thing’s actually got money stashed away?)
Shu: Anyway, we’ll proceed through Shutedonias territory and head for Langran. Board your mechs.
*Shu departs*
Serena: Gaen, was it…? Nice to meet you.
Gaen: Hmph…
*Gaen departs*
Serena: Phew. Hey, Al…you really OK with not knowing what those two are up to?
Serena: Instead of being members of the hero’s party, we may be joining the opposite side.
Albada: Even if we detained him right now, it wouldn’t do us any good. We’re not on Earth, and we might not be able to find our way back without them.
Serena: That’s true, but…
Albada: We’ll figure out Shu’s intentions if we stick with him. It’s part of Mission Devil.
Serena: What if he tries to pull something? Like the Antarctic Incident or Operation Overgate?
Albada: …We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Serena: But Al, what about your…
Albada: …..
Albada: (If I weren’t on this mission, Shu Shirakawa…I would…)
End of The Return of the Blue Devil
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