“Commence operations!”
Three gravitational anchors sunk in the earth marked their spots. Within those technological ley lines, Ichika, Houki, Ling, and Laura waited in four graviton catapults, their IS deployed.
“Liftoff in ten, nine, eight, seven, six...” Kanzashi, assisting Maya as an operator in the command center, counted down the seconds.
The air was still; their expressions were serious. This was the moment they were waiting for. Energy focused in the catapults, and for a moment, a weightless sensation overtook them, before the anchors spread open like flower petals.
“Three, two, one... Liftoff!” With a loud crack, they flew into the skies. Already at the maximum speed their engines could afford, they activated their O.V.E.R.S. packs and began to rise out of Earth’s gravitational pull.
“I’m counting on you...” As Chifuyu watched them, at arm’s length on the monitor but thousands of leagues away, she tried her hardest to shake off a strange sense of impending doom. “Blue Tears units, begin transfer of BT particles to the accelerator. Hold fire until ordered.”
“Roger.”
With two of the three Blue Tears units under Phantom Task control, it was best to make the normally unspoken clear. But anyway, there was no time left to worry. Mission Control were busy at their stations.
“Internal reports, prepared. Cover story, prepared.”
“Operation Candid progress, ninety-five percent.”
“Afternoon Blue utilization, steady at seventy percent. Beginning final power up.”
“Orbital detachment, energy share link established.”
Chifuyu and Maya listened to the status reports through one ear while tracking mission progress. This mission was different. It was life-and-death for the students in their care. Even the smallest detail was vital.
What pushed Excalibur over the edge, anyway? Why now? Chifuyu could only think of one answer. Shinonono Tabane. What kind of genius would she be without a plan? Very well, then. So I have to... She couldn’t hold anything back either. That much, she had to promise to herself.
✦ ✦ ✦
“What good is this supposed to be, anyway?” They were almost to the stratosphere, and Ichika looked down at his shield doubtfully.
“They’ve got mega-hi beams, right? You’d melt like an ice cube without it.” Laura’s explanation didn’t seem to shake Ichika at all. “Anyway, it’s supposed to layer with your IS’ energy shield and be far more effective than either one alone. You’ll be fine. Just have to trust in German engineering.”
It was the first time Ichika had ever seen her not quite be confident in what she said.
“Houki. Get Kenran Butou ready to go.” Houki was unsettled by Ichika’s sudden suggestion.
“Incoming!” At Ichika’s shout, the four IS scattered. First a blast of plasma, then a residual tingle, filled the void where they’d been.
“Wh-What the hell was that?!” Laura’s eyes flitted over a readout. “Three times expected?! Impossible! We can’t—”
“Laura! Get a hold of yourself!”
Swiping the display off to the side, Laura focused on dodging the next salvo.
“Houki! Ling! Don’t let any shots get through to Cecilia!”
“On it!”
Just like Ichika had a shield, the others were outfitted with missile launchers. The warheads were equipped with radar jamming-technology that could block an IS’ sensors... At least, they were supposed to be.
“They’re picking them out of the air!” The beam danced over the battlefield from missile to missile. Giving up on the missiles, the girls purged their remaining ammunition.
No one was happy to have ‘finally made it.’ Not seeing the chaos left in the wake of the beams they’d dodged. A spray of debris. A hail of meteoroids. They may have been through it in a simulator, but real life was far more complex.
“We just need to get close!” Ichika activated Ignition Boost and charged. But his confidence only lasted a moment.
“It’s splitting?!” Excalibur’s blade separated into four, each part its own all-range assault satellite. “Houki! Shields up! Power them with Kenran Butou!”
“Got it!” Houki nodded. But then the unexpected happened. “Wh—?!”
A low shudder shook Akatsubaki as the O.V.E.R.S. pack began to explode.
“That pile of scrap!” Houki quickly purged the pack and brought Kenran Butou up to full power. But that was enough time for Excalibur to pick up an energy signature on Earth. Cecilia’s.
“Dammit!” A quick Ignition Boost, and Ichika was in front of Excalibur, his shield pressed up into its line of fire. “Energy link, full power to Setsura’s shield! We can do it!”
A full-power plasma blast. Ichika met it head-on. But—
“Ichika!” Houki, Ling, Laura all screamed.
As he tried to block the massive energy blast all by himself, Ichika’s shield gradually melted away.
“Laura!” Every muscle in Laura’s body tensed as he called out her name. The feeling of dread overcame her. “You can handle this. I believe in you.”
That was the last thing she heard before the light swallowed him.
“ICHIKAAAAAAAA!” Three cries were swallowed by the emptiness of space.