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Hringhorni – Briefing Room
Wagner: Our negotiations with the South have reached a settlement. We will return all the POWs in exchange for the destruction of the fortress.
Masaki: …Well, that’s a reasonable line. The North would have taken action once that fortress was completed.
Mio: Still, it was pretty reckless of the South to try and build that thing. They must really be feeling cornered.
Guido: No, just the opposite. The South has the upper hand.
Mio: Huh? That’s news to me. I thought their armies were about equal in strength.
Guido: It’s a question of productivity. Since the South has the greater industrial industry, it can recover it’s military might more quickly.
Guido: Even Akreid cannot deny this difference in power.
Xenia: And that’s not all. Supposedly there have been frequent terrorist attacks in the North.
Masaki: Supposedly? I’d have thought you of all people would know for certain, Xenia.
Xenia: Well, the North is pretty well guarded against information leaks.
Mio: Can’t we get the lowdown from Rodney?
Xenia: I’m afraid not. If there really are terrorist attacks, it’s in the North’s best interest to keep them under wraps. He won’t be able to tell us anything.
Masaki: Terrorism…hmph. I smell a rat.
Xenia: Yeah. We’ve got the ‘ex-terrorist’ Ongaredd working in the South.
Masaki: That’s not all. It’s just a hunch…but I think that something more serious is going down.
Xenia: What do you mean, “something more serious”?
Masaki: I don’t know. It’s just…I have a bad feeling about this.
Guido: At any rate, we should do something to prevent this war from escalating.
Guido: I’m thinking that we offer peace negotiations with the South.
Yang Long: …The South has the advantage right now. You really think they’ll come on board?
Guido: I’m thinking of asking Elscine to act as an intermediary.
Becky: Ah, I see. If she speaks up, the South will have to pay attention.
Rosalie: Elscine…you mean Holy Mother Elscine?
Gino: Come to think of it, you’ve already met with Lady Elscine, yes? I read something to that effect in a report.
Tytti: Yes, we asked her to make a public address regarding peace.
Masaki: After that, we haven’t heard anything from her…yeah, this could work.
Xenia: No harm in asking, right? And a church would be a good place to return the POWs.
Wagner: Let’s try and arrange a meeting with her.
Guido: Yes sir.
Hringhorni – Bridge
Wagner: And so, would you be willing to agree to our request?
Elscine: Yes, I would be happy to help in any way I can.
Wagner: Well then, we’ll meet with you in person to discuss the details.
Elscine: I shall be awaiting you.
Wagner: Set course for the site of the Aquavina spiritual retreat.
*En route to Delhat City*
Masaki: What’s up?
Holly: High energy signature near the church! It appears to be some sort of Masouki!
Bradroy: You’re saying there’s a battle going down in neutral territory!? What units are present!?
Holly: There’s no identification signal!
Sharian: Terrorists…?
Bradroy: All hands, battle stations!
Shu’s Schemes
Outside the Nezerian Church
*The Hringhorni arrives to see that the machines that are approaching the Nezerian Church belong to Shu’s group*
Masaki: What the…!? Shu!?
Shu: Ah, it’s been a while, Masaki.
Masaki: …What are you up to?
Shu: Isn’t it obvious? We’re going to destroy that church.
Masaki: What!? What did you just say!?
Shu: Must needs I explain it to you?
Masaki: You idiot! Elscine’s in that church right now!
Shu: I didn’t need you to tell me that.
Masaki: Don’t tell me…you’re out to kill Elscine!?
Shu: Good grief…what else does it look like?
Masaki: Shu…I don’t know what you’re scheming, but we need Elscine in order to end this war!
Masaki: And I won’t…let you get in the way of that!
Shu: I see. So you’re determined to stop me?
Masaki: You bet I am!
Shu’s Schemes
Shu: …Very well. That makes us enemies.
Monica: …Master Shu, are you sure?
Shu: Yes, I don’t think they’d believe me if I explained it to them.
Telius: Well, I guess you’re right there. Still, Christoph…Shu, this is quite unlike you.
Telius: Acting on a hunch, I mean.
Shu: I trust my intuition. Telius, do you truly think I’m mistaken?
Telius: …No, I’ll follow your lead, Shu. I won’t object any further.
Shu: Very good. I’ll draw them away. You handle Elscine, Tellius.
Telius: Eh? You want me to do it? …What a pain.
Saphine: Master Shu, I…
Shu: You needn’t offer, Saphine. You would rather not raise a hand against your sister, correct?
Saphine: Y…Yes.
*The Antiras Squad deploys, Battle Starts*
{Yang Long VS Saphine}
Yang Long: Saphine! I’ve settled all my debts with you. I won’t be holding back.
Saphine: …Yeah, sure.
Yang Long: …Is something wrong? You’re not acting like your usual self.
Saphine: Oh, my. Are you worried about me? That’s not like you, Yang Long.
{Xenia VS Monica}
Xenia: Monica! Have you grown!?
Monica: No, I haven’t gotten any taller.
Xenia: Not that! …That.
Monica: Yes…about 10 korgotz.
Xenia: What!? And your weight!?
Monica: The same.
Xenia: Just great…and I’m still the same as when we last saw each other!
Monica: But your waist has gotten a bit bigger…
Xenia: Whoa! Stop! Don’t say another word!
{Xenia VS Telius}
Xenia: Telius! Just how far are you willing to follow Christoph!?
Telius: I’d try and explain it to you, sister, but you probably wouldn’t understand.
{Precia VS Shu}
Precia: I won’t let you get away with this!
Shu: …This concerns you, too.
Precia: Eh?
Shu: …No, my concerns about that may be unwarranted.
{Masaki VS Shu}
Masaki: Shu!! Tell me why you’re doing this!!
Masaki: …Though I’m sure that you won’t give me a straight answer.
Shu: Elscine is dangerous. Is that answer straight enough?
Masaki: Wh…do you have any proof of that!?
Shu: I do not.
Masaki: You…would kill someone on a hunch!?
Shu: If needs must.
Masaki: I won’t let you!
{Defeat Saphine}
Saphine: I guess I’m finished. Still, I can’t help but feel some relief…
{Defeat Monica}
Monica: I’m sorry. Please excuse my departure.
{Defeat Telius}
Telius: Tch…no choice but to retreat!
*Defeat Shu*
Shu: …Hm, you’ve all grown stronger…very well, I’ll stand down. This time.
*Shu and any of his remaining allies retreat*
In front of the Nezerian church
Masaki: Elscine, are you alright!?
Elscine: Ah, yes. Thanks to all of you.
Masaki: Thank goodness…
Masaki: But man, what the heck is Shu thinking!?
Tytti: Did he say anything to you?
Elscine: He said…that I was dangerous, and I had to disappear…
Masaki: Do you have any idea why he would be gunning for you?
Elscine: …No, not at all.
Masaki: That guy…I thought he was getting less secretive, but I guess we still can’t let our guard down.
Tytti: In any case, I’m glad that you’re safe, Lady Elscine. Could you step aboard the Hringhorni so that we could discuss something with you?
Elscine: Yes, of course.
Hringhorni – Guest Room
Elscine: …And you wish for me to act as a mediator?
Wagner: Yes, we will handle the negotiations.
Elscine: Still…I must ask, will the South truly be amenable to peace?
Wagner: Well, I don’t know. But we have to try.
Elscine: I understand. I will approach the Southern government.
Wagner: Please do.
Hringhorni – Rec Area
Mio: Ah, there he is. Yoo-hoo, Gaen!
Gaen: …..
Mio: Hey, you could at least give me a response.
Gaen: …So noisy. What do you want?
Mio: Heh heh, I just wanted to chat for a bit.
Gaen: No.
Mio: Wow, that was fast.
Gaen: I have nothing to discuss with you.
Mio: Now, now, don’t be like that.
Mio: Goku, come on out.
Goku: You called for me, Master?
Mio: Ready to put on a show for Gaen?
Goku: Oh! Leave it to me! Parlor tricks are my specialty!
Mio: Alright, go for it!
Goku: Then let’s start with my best trick, the tablecloth pull…
Mio: Hold your horses. You need to do that other routine.
Goku: Oh…you mean, that one?
Mio: That’s right. The one I taught you the other day.
Goku: But, I’m known as the master of parlor tricks, so I have to…
Mio: Fine, just hurry up.
Goku: …Hup!
Goku: Now I’ll do that silly comedy routine
Mio: That’s more like it.
Goku: *ahem* Presenting the name known far and wide across La Gias, the one and only…
Goku: Goku the Familiar!
Mio: Good! You’re nailing it!
Mio: …Huh?
Gaen: …..
Mio: Umm…aren’t you amused?
Gaen: Should I be?
Mio: What? That’s weird…
Mio: Goku, go on, go on.
Goku: Uh, are we still doing this?
Mio: Of course.
Goku: Okay, I gotcha.
Goku: *ahem* You know, there are some people out there that jump to the most outrageous conclusions…
*Some time later…*
1Goku (Hachi): “Okay, Kuma. You take your shoulders, I’ll take your legs.”
Goku (Kuma): “Okay, hrrrgh…oh, I’m so heavy.”
Goku (Hachi): “You always ate too much. You should have exercised more while you were alive.”
Goku (Kuma): “I-I know. But Hachi, I don’t understand.”
Goku (Hachi): “What do you mean you don’t understand?”
Goku (Kuma): “I know that this is me that we’re carrying…”
Goku (Kuma): “But then, who am I?” …Thank you.
Mio: *Applause* Oh, well done!
Gaen: …..
Mio: W-Well?
Mio: Um…wasn’t that funny?
Gaen: …
Mio: …That’s weird. I thought that you’d be in stitches…
Gaen: …Don’t waste my time with this nonsense. If you’re finished, I’ll be leaving.
Mio: Ah, wait a minute!
Mio: Uh, well, um…
Mio: L-Let me rest my foot on this futon!
Gaen: Hh…
Mio: Eh? What? Do we have a pulse?
Gaen: …What are you doing?
Mio: What do you call a mobile device that’s been imprisoned? A CELL phone! What do felines use to launch into the air? CAT-apults! What kind of fruit likes to spend all day in the sun? TAN-gerines!
Gaen: Urg…*cough!* *cough!*
Mio: Th…this is…
Mio: Why are postmen so bad at math? Because they work with LETTERS, not numbers! What kind of perennial can do any job? A kon-JACK of all trades! Which species of bird is known for it’s scams? A CON-dor!
Gaen: P…pfff…heh…
Mio: AHA!! You LAUGHED!!
Gaen: Kh…wh-what…
Mio: …I’m almost disappointed that you laughed at such lame puns…
Mio: In any case, mission accomplished!
Gaen: …What are you playing at?
Mio: Hold it!
Mio: What is a calendar’s favorite flower? A DAYS-y! I’d tell you a joke about paper, but it’s really TEAR-rible! Why couldn’t the scissors compete in the golf tournament? It failed to make the CUT!
Gaen: Pfheh, pfheh!!
Mio: Heeheehee…I~found~your~weak~ness!!♪ Inner Soul Illumination Beam!!2
Gaen: Grr…
Mio: Well, that was fun. See ya!
Gaen: W-Wait!
Gaen: Argh…of all the indignities.
Shu’s Schemes End
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1This is the tail end of a Rakugo story. Rakugo, in brief, is a form of Japanese entertainment, in which a narrator acts out the parts of every character in the story.
This particular story involves a man named Hachi that comes across a crowd of people gathered around a dead body. The body has nothing to identify it, but Hachi claims that the dead man is his friend Kuma. To prove it, Hachi goes to Kuma’s apartment and brings Kuma to identify his own body. Hachi manages to convince Kuma that the body is his, and that Kuma has to give himself a proper funeral.
For some reason the original script switches the roles of Hachi and Kuma, so I changed it back to how it’s usually presented.
2This is a reference to an old Tokusatsu show called Diamond Eye. In this show, the titular hero would fight against the Zensei Majin, monsters that had shapeshifted into humans. His trademark ability was the “Inner Soul Illumination Beam” (or 外道照身霊破光線), which was used to remove the disguises of the Zensei Majin.
Considering that this is Mio we’re talking about, this reference is perfectly fitting.