2022-04-18: King and Queen, God and Devil ~LIQUATION~
- Log: 2022-04-18-King and Queen, God and Devil ~LIQUATION~
- Cast: Renais Cardiff, Akane Shinjo, Riku Asakura, Nidaime, Kaworu Nagisa, Guy Shishioh, Rikka Takarada, Sayla Mass, Lamia, Alexis Kerib, Soldato J-002
- Where: Tsutsujidai
- OOC - IC Date: 0096-04-18
- Summary: After months of hard work and negotiation, 3G, NERV, the Gridman Alliance, and Akane Shinjo make their play for Renais's heart.
<Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.
In Nouvelle Tokyo, a certain jacket-clad cyborg boards an uncrowded train heading toward Fujiyokidai ward. As it approaches, fog gathers outside the windows, and the cyborg rapidly nods off.
In Tsutsujidai, it's a balmy, summery, clear day, as ever. Idyllically peaceful. The skyline is picturesque and aesthetically satisfying, as if sculpted by unseen hands.
Until it isn't.
https://youtu.be/8CXTh9dB9Zk
A black Mazin, glowing with the power of Dawn, now stands among the silent, metropolitan obelisks of downtown. A cry of, "ZERO BEEEAAAM!" accompanies a keening whine that echoes through the urban canyon. Its eyes flare to life and emit beams of blazing orange, sweeping up the side of a building. It carves a deep gouge into the facade, leaving a trail of molten glass and steel to roll down toward the street below.
In the cockpit sits the cyborg, Renais Cardiff, the hot air rippling gently as she regards the destruction she's just initiated.
"That should be enough to get them started," she murmurs to herself, as the Mazin's fist drives into the glass, tearing through and leaving a gaping hole beside the open wound.
She takes in a breath. This is it. She will win. It doesn't matter how many there are. There's more at stake here--she's fighting for more than just the sake of the coming Dawn.
This is for Akane. To give her understanding. To give her safety. A family. The love she deserves.
Defeat is absolutely unthinkable.
KTS: Renais Cardiff has deployed in Conqueror Queen Reine Noire. KTS: Rikka Takarada has deployed in Synchrotank. KTS: Rikka Takarada has changed loadout. KTS: Renais_Cardiff has deployed as a Boss for 7 opponents. KTS: Sayla Mass has deployed as a Sub Pilot for Rikka Takarada!
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane pulls out her cell phone. It's a simple, quick thing. All she has to do is confirm that she's really here, that she's fulfilling her end of the bargain. She stands outside her house, ready to lie to Renais -- that this challenge is fair, that she's played all her cards, that all that's left is for Renais to win.
Her hand shakes a bit.
... she heads inside, instead.
Firmly ensconced in her seat, now, with her monitors on... she feels a little more confident. Out there, she's just a girl; here, she's God. It's a good feeling. It steadies her, a bit.
Akane glances out the window. Porc-Auto is out there, she realizes; if this gets overwhelming, she can just... run again. That's a strategy that's paid off before... though -- would Porc-Auto respect her desire to remain in Tsutsujidai?
Sighing, she pulls out her tablet. It won't matter, anyway. She's not... who they think she is.
First, from her phone:
> I'm at my house. Good luck! You're gonna need it~.
She swaps to her tablet -- not broken and worn down like her phone. Pristine, as always.
A drone takes off from her roof.
"Ah, Akane-kun," Alexis greets, as her monitor springs to full life. "It's nice to see them fight for you, isn't it...?" he asks, tone gentle. "They'd never have done something like this for you before. Aren't you happy to see things changing...?"
"Eh," Akane answers; it's not a sulky or frustrated noise, just a shrug. "Honestly I wish I didn't have to deal with their crap at all. But this is gonna be the end of it. There's no way Renais wins in a situation like this."
All of the panels on Alexis's face momentarily flicker off. Then, as they start moving again: "... What, exactly, did you promise her? You never did mention that to me."
With a faint, nervous laugh, Akane answers: "... I said if she won I'd hook up with her. But she's gotta beat *everyone*, so there's no way she wins! If they can beat Anti, they can definitely beat some stupid cop." She laughs, and Alexis laughs along with her, as if at some private joke between the two of them.
"Ah, brilliant! And if she decides to sacrifice herself to defeat GaoFighGar, that'll solve two of your problems at once, yes!" Alexis's head tilts down slightly in a nod.
Akane stops laughing. If she -- wait, that's on the table? "Don't bad guys just get beat up until they lose?" Akane asks, startled.
Alexis sounds as though he's caught off guard, too. "... I'd thought you understood, from what you'd said! Renais is a *hero*, Akane-kun! Noble, self-sacrificing -- willing to shatter herself against anything she won't accept, rather than simply change to accommodate it."
Taking a deep breath, Akane concedes: "... Well, duh. I know what a hero looks like!"
Her grip on her tablet tightens. Alexis asks, plainly: "Is there something you need, Akane-kun...?"
Akane's lips purse a bit. Then: "You don't like the Aura of Dawn, do you?" The question comes out *accusatory*, and not by halves, either. "Kiiiiiiiind of wish you told me that one. Not a big fan of promising stuff that's gonna cause a problem."
"Hoh, you've caught me. The Aura of Dawn is pretty frustrating!"
Akane taps her knife against the self-healing cutting mat. After a moment, she sticks it into it with a frown. "You know what? I was only doing this 'cuz I was bored. Make sure this doesn't blow up in my face, Alexis. *I'm* gonna go put in an appearance. Better if they don't think I'm anything special, right?"
With a startled, hapless noise, Alexis agrees, "Of course! Should things deviate from your script, Akane-kun, I'd be happy to correct their course."
Nodding, Akane puts her drone into an autopilot loop and heads out to meet her car.
"Ahahaha, sorry -- I know I said I'd only come out here if I got nervous, but I'm worried about interference taking out the drone," Akane explains, apologetic as she approaches Porc-Auto. "Mind if I come in?"
She watches that first Zero Beam. Her shoulders tense up a bit. This is really it, huh...
KTS: Riku Asakura has deployed in Ultraman Geed Galaxy Rising.
KTS: Lamia has deployed in Betterman Cataphract. KTS: Renais Cardiff has deployed in Conqueror Queen Reine Noire. KTS: Renais_Cardiff has deployed as a Boss for 5 opponents. <Pose Tracker> Riku Asakura has posed.
Riku Asakura was out shopping again because someone has to keep the apartment stocked in food while Yuta was in school, and surprisingly Riku had more free time lately after realizing that he gets a real paycheck. This might be because he realized he may have been driving a certain someone to the point of pulling her hair out. Riku does, however, remember the pamphlet he got from Alteur and looks it over. Mmm...he COULD follow up on tha-
The explosion tears him out of his thoughts, looking up at the black Mazin. The beam cuts through a building seconds later, and causes the young man to move, grabbing the nearest civilians he can to cover for them. "RUN!" he shouts at them before pulling out the Z-Raiser. That thing again...and that voice was familiar enough. It was her again, but why here? Why now? "Sitting around doing nothing won't get me anywhere!"
The hero's portal opens and Riku jumps through it. Inside he pulls out a card, with his face, and an ominous-looking Ultraman face above it, placing that into the cardholder, to which the Z-Raiser flashes red. "Riku, access granted!" it chimes out, as Riku reaches out for the blue case on his hip, pulling out three round pog-looking disks.
"LIVE! UNITE! UP!" he shouts, placing each metal in and calling out the name of the Ultraman on each. "Ultraman Ginga, Ultraman X, Ultraman Orb!" He slides the Z-Raiser's slider down over each metal, as the Z-Raiser repeats the names of each Ultraman. Pushing the trigger, and pulling the Z-Raiser over his heart he calls out once more, "Assemble! Glittering stars!"
With that, the various ultra's converged on Riku, but more than that the image of Ultraman Belial and another Ultraman form on each side of him before seemingly also merging. "GEED!" he shouts. Moments later, there is a bright flash of light on the streets of Tsutsujidai, as Ultraman Geed, Galaxy Raising appears and grows. A massive giant of Light, walks toward Renais' machine, before bursting into a run attempting to engage her machine.
The attack wasn't very complicated, simply aimed to jump at her, bringing both hands down at the top of her machine almost luchador style. "I don't know what you're trying to accomplish here but I will protect this city!" he chimes in, "And stop you from making a decision you'll regret later!"
KTS: Riku Asakura targets Renais Cardiff with Ultraman Wrestling Style! <Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.
Nidaime has been asking for dad's help too much as of late. Summoning the turtle here would be unthinkable with so much of Akane's attention on the field. Besides, surely Team Gridman could handle one lone enemy.
She sits on top of a building--any wonder how she got up there--kicking her legs back and forth, a solemn expression on her face.
Renais causes some significant property damage and that seems to be the most of it. Nidaime figures it is a call out but when a person tries to make themselves act like a kaiju... It's funny in a way, she supposes, but it's also far more depressing that a human's thoughts towards themselves could become so fundamentally flawed and in doing so make the illusion appear to be true. But it isn't true.
But the situation is familiar enough that she can't help but worry about Anti. Darker thoughts slowly creep under the surface of that pleasant facade that is not exactly facade. She's a happy girl, but nothing said you couldn't be happy and sad at the same time.
She doesn't have anyone to talk to but her mother, the music.
TODAY'S WHAT NIDAIME'S MOM IS SAYING BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae7AACP1-R0&ab_channel=TheFray-Topic
Nidaime hums along, leaning forward.
"Is this really what you want from your followers, Akane...?" Nidaime says softly. "But what makes Gridman special isn't his ability to fight..."
She drums her fingers across her cheek lightly. "Does he remember that...?"
But so far no sign of Gridman either so maybe that isn't strictly at risk but she can't help but wonder if the allies of Gridman, these schoolfriends--perhaps they know instinctively what Gridman is about, after all--they seem to be so close...
Nidaime dissects the loneliness before it can overtake her. IT is better to focus on the good things in life, like how you made a new friend--someone like you. She isn't really alone. It's just when seeing the blessings of heaven before her, she can't help but feel the lack.
"Is this really what you want...Renais...?" Under her breath.
It's hard to understand. They have so much yet live like they have nothing. Maybe that is why, Nidaime thinks, kaiju roar and scream.
KTS: Riku Asakura anchors Renais Cardiff, forcing her into close range. KTS: Renais Cardiff fails to react to Riku Asakura's Ultraman Wrestling Style, taking 2775 damage! KTS: Riku Asakura has engaged Renais Cardiff
KTS: Renais Cardiff targets Riku Asakura with Reine Battre Kick!
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
A black Mazin glowing the golden-orange of the Dawn rises up as if from nowhere among the broken teeth that is Tsutsujidai's skyline, gnashing at the heavens as if searching for sustenance forever out of reach. A Zero Beam sauders them down to stubs, leaving molten wreckage in its wake. The sky ripples with the abrupt heat haze as the Mazin then thrusts its fist through sheets of glass, sheeting down a rain of shards.
From atop Tsutsujidai High, perched gracefully on the fence that surrounds its rooftop, stands Kaworu Nagisa, dressed in his usual casual wear of a short-sleeved white shirt buttoned up over a lavender undershirt, both belted into black slacks, in turn cradled by white sneakers. Just as usual, his hands are tucked into his pockets, though not so deep that the metallic glint of a wristwatch can't be spotted on his left wrist. The waves of heat ruffle his gray hair, but not his calm smile as he bears witness to the prelude to the end. Love is destructive... Someone posited that once long ago, didn't they?
"It should be about time," he comments to himself. Sure enough, Ultraman Geed rises up against Renais's Mazin, followed shortly after by others. For a moment, Kaworu muses on his options. Tactically speaking, Unit 01 would be the best to use against Renais, since she fears her... but it feels heartless, hurtful, to use information she gave him against her. Guy and Akane want to save her. Kaworu would like to honor those wishes.
Unit 00 has had a fair deal of experience with him this time around--they're rather used to each other--but this is going to be a ferocious battle. Unit 02 or Unit 04, with their superior firepower, would likely be the best option for this battle. Kaworu has experience with both of them--with all Evangelions, functionally--but...
"The sleeping lion shall awaken and pursue its unfulfilled dream... Yes, this seems like an occasion for red and black," he decides. He lifts his hands and reaches his right to the watch on his left wrist. Though there are no buttons there, he touches his fingers to either side and presses.
*click*
With a sudden gasp of air, a black plug suit overtakes Kaworu's form, replacing his school clothes as if painting over their very existence. Behind him, a massive presence looms, even curled up in on herself as she is.
"Long time no see, Unit 02," he comments, turning his smile over his shoulder and up at her. She unfurls herself, leaning forward as she leers at him with her four eyes. "Shall we be off?"
The entry plug erupts from the back of her neck, then sinks back in, as if appearing solely to establish that it's there. Unit 02 stands to her full height and carefully steps over the high school, where Kaworu no longer is. With an unhurried stroll recognizable to anyone who knows his body language, the Evangelion approaches the battlefield.
At her controls within, Kaworu hums a classical melody to himself.
KTS: Kaworu Nagisa has deployed in Evangelion Unit-02.
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
The two 3Gs have been waiting for this moment. The trap was set a little while ago, a lure that they believed Renais could not ignore. It's the kind of plan Advisor Yang Long-li hates most about 3G: Even when they try to be canny they're too considerate of their enemy to be efficient. But, that too is bravery, perhaps.
Renais gets off the train at Tsutsujidai station. How long before the attack? Minutes or hours? He's guessing. He's parked between two compact electrics, hoping his small form factor won't give him away as Renais walks past.
When she's gone, a robot motorcycle cruises on board the empty car. Nobody seems to notice. Some minutes later, GunShepherd has sent the news to Orbit Base, signal radiating across the sky: It's time.
From there, the operation becomes elaborate. Mobile Execution Fortress Wadatsumi descends from orbit over Nouvelle Tokyo within 10 minutes. They're in a hurry - they need her to believe they're coming. But she's also a Brave with familiarity with Tsutsujidai. The difficulty of just getting in means time, and she'll know that. Hopefully she won't wreck the place too much meanwhile.
Over Nouvelle Tokyo, the operation soon becomes elaborate. GaoGaiGo and GaoFighGar both Final Fuse overhead, before GaoGaiGo jams the dimension fissure open with the Gatling Driver - seemingly bending nothing at all over the sky, just long enough for GaoFighGar and a few other accomplices to drive right through.
Then it switches Gatling Cores, and spins in reverse...sealing the way shut.
No support. Nothing in or out. The trap is sprung.
On the streets outside Akane's house, there is...specifically not a little red Mini Cooper!!! WHAT KIND OF OPERATION IS THIS--
It comes CAREENING around the corner, zooming up the street and skidding to a stop in a full-on Tokyo Drift outside Akane's door. "Terribly sorry!" says a disembodied, synthesized, male voice. "Tight timetables, you know! It's a bit last minute, but we'll be having a guest this evening."
The passenger door opens. In the driver seat is a young woman, pale and pretty with blue eyes and pale blonde hair in a sweeping curls like waves. (Not the way you're thinking of) (It's basically not possible). She's in a 3G Blue uniform, with a laptop seated on the center console which she's rapidly typing on. There's a radio headset tucekd into one ear, and the blue three-Gs emblem on her collar. She looks up and smiles, waving fingers distractedly. "Bonjour," she says, French-accented. "We decided Guy should have an Operator for this one. My name is Alouette Pommier. Please, get in."
Which is when GaoFighGar roars over the skyline, Ul-Tech engines blazing. Its massive feet slamming into the streets as concrete cracks under the King of Braves. "Renais!" Guy Shishioh roars out, his voice audible to all. GaoFighGar points a black finger toward the Reine Noire. "I'm ending this today! Do you hear me!?"
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Peaceful, until it isn't, as a black robot leaves a mark of challenge in the side of a nearby building. It would be a surprise to Rikka if Akane hadn't explained her plan - explained that the woman in the black robot would be attacking again soon, and she, Sayla, and Guy had a plan to save her.
Rikka had promised Akane she'd stay safe when this happened. ...She feels a little bad for lying about that, as she's currently driving Synchrotank through the streets of Tsutsujidai toward the plume of smoke rising in the distance. This is hardly safe... but she isn't alone, at least - Synchrotank requires more than just herself to pilot, after all.
Soon enough, the black Mazin appears in the distance and Synchrotank rolls to a stop before unfolding from tank mode, standing up to full height.
In the cockpit, Rikka takes a deep breath to steel her nerves.
...That's another person in front of her, the person she's going to fight. Up to this point, she's only fought kaiju. This feels... different. She might be doing it to help her, because she's Akane's friend and she's in trouble, but it still feels strange to just open fire on her.
Rikka takes a look around. Geed is here, as are Unit-02 - hopefully with someone she knows piloting - and GaoFighGar...
"...You're Renais, right?" Rikka starts hesitantly, turning her attention back to the Reine Noire as she opens up communications. "I'm here for you."
Here to help, here to fight... It's a strange dichotomy.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla's spent plenty of time as support, on the sidelines. It was the sensible call, it let her act more freely and having someone to coordinate on the battlefield with 3G is the sensible approach. The fact that 3G Blue sent their own... well. Fine.
It helps to have someone who isn't a hero involved, to make sure 'heroics' don't get everyone killed.
Inside the synchrotank, Sayla sits with a small scale comms section. The fire from the Zero Beam has got everyone's attention. Rikka at the controls next to her... That's the only concern. Is she ready for this? Only one way to find out.
"Rikka. You need to focus purely on the fight. She's not going to go down easily, don't hold back until I tell you." That's maybe not the advice Rikka wants, but...
She's holding onto her own tricks. he hits the comms, reaching Riku and Guy, as well as Rikka in the reworked Guntank- these things are much roomier than they used to be. "Guy. Focus on staying alive. If you can't purify her, this is for nothing. Geed, if you're going to close, Mazin's can fight up close too. You have the size advantage, but don't get cocky." Unit-02 is entering the field, and she tracks it. Better to know where everyone else.
"...We can't afford to lose here." Sayla turns to Rikka. "Tsutsujidai and Akane are on the line. You need to fight smart, and cautious. Understood?"
She grimaces. This is gonna be messy.
KTS: Guy Shishioh has deployed in GaoFighGar. KTS: Sayla Mass targets Guy Shishioh, Rikka Takarada, and Riku Asakura with Caution. KTS: Sayla Mass suggests caution, raising Rikka Takarada's Intuition! KTS: Sayla Mass suggests caution, raising Riku Asakura's Intuition! KTS: Sayla Mass suggests caution, raising Guy Shishioh's Intuition! <Pose Tracker> Lamia has posed.
Real or false. Dream or reality. It does not matter to either the Conqueror King are those who follow it, because in the end, everything to them must be returned to null. It is part of the reason Lamia has loosely kept his eye on Tsutsujidai, with the other part being...
The other part does not matter. The threat of Triple Zero and the assured appearance of the Root of Evil is all Lamia needs to spur the rest of the Somnium into action. It is time, once again, to pool their powers together, and create the ultimate organism, and the culmination of his kind's hope.
Betterman Cataphract.
There's a ripple in space a couple dozen meters above the Black Mazin, before suddenly Cataphract appears and descends downward. Despite the creature's large heft, its reflexes are rather quick, as before it even hits the ground, it draws the 'sword' from its back, the organic blade firmly grasped in both hands as the Betterman amalgamation lands in front of Renais' machine.
"Cyborg Renais... It is no longer an option for me to ask you to leave... In that case..."
Lamia's voice rings loudly in the back of the cyborg's head at the exact same time that Cataphract attacks, the Betterman lunging forward as it swings its weapon downward, attempting to have the blade gain purchase in the Mazin's armored chest.
KTS: Riku Asakura blocks Renais Cardiff's Reine Battre Kick, taking 2300 damage! KTS: Renais Cardiff has engaged Riku Asakura KTS: Lamia has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Lamia has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Lamia targets Renais Cardiff with Void Rupture Saber Rend! KTS: Renais Cardiff fails to react to Lamia's Void Rupture Saber Rend, taking 3680 damage! KTS: Lamia has engaged Renais Cardiff KTS: Renais Cardiff targets Lamia with Reine Battre Punch! KTS: Lamia's Will Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Lamia blocks Renais Cardiff's Reine Battre Punch, taking 1650 damage! KTS: Renais Cardiff has engaged Lamia <Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.
Renais hears Riku call out, and turns to face him. Gridman? she thinks momentarily, before correcting herself. No. This is another Giant of Light.
Was what Alexis said true? If they were all defeated... maybe...
No. She wants to get Akane away from him... but the fact remains that she has to stand against all comers, today. She has to prove herself.
She braces as Geed charges at her, but loses her footing, taking the full force of his grappling strike. She grunts, and retaliates with a knee to his gut, attempting to wrest herself free. "No. No regrets!" she replies.
The forces of the enemy begin to array themselves against her, now. Her head turns, eyes settling on Unit 02. Asuka, she assumes... the girl like her. A purpose-built weapon.
It's for the best, she figures. It'd be a shame to have to fight Kaworu, here and now... more appropriate for weapons to clash than for her to fight someone she's begun to consider her friend.
SMASH.
GaoFighGar arrives on-scene, and Renais grins. "Guy! I was hoping you'd be here today... and you're right. It ends here! IT ENDS NOW!"
--she pauses.
Here for her?
... more debris from Akane's previous attempt to 'help' her, she's sure, as she regards the Synchrotank.
But that means the girl's less likely to fight with deadly force... especially considering the tank isn't exactly a dedicated combat unit. "I don't need your help!" she yells out.
--Ah.
Another Giant of Light takes the stage... not quite the same as Gridman, or the Ultramen. "Ugh. You too... You won't win!" she yells, bringing up Reine Noire's right hand and deploying its Protect Shade... only for it to be shattered, leaving Cataphract's blade to cut deep into the machine's chest. Undeterred, she swings at Lamia with the left, wrapped in a magenta glow. "Magnum PUNCH!"
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane settles into the car. A new person (also *extremely pretty*, and if Akane were to guess about her age... and maybe a little bit her type -- uggnh no stop staring at her legs!! It's weird!! You have better things to worry about!). She's French -- maybe she's someone Renais knows, specifically...? As she gets her seatbelt on (usually she goes without, in Tsutsujidai, but it wouldn't do to give away too much of the game for an intruder), she...
... decides to switch to French for a moment, actually. "I do know some French," she explains, "if you don't wanna use Japanese. It's not as good -- I mean, I'm not as good at it... I mostly learned by watching Tarabaman Eclatant." A pause. No, that was too much to give away -- but she's kind of committed now.
Besides... even if it was mostly a pretext for talking about their mutual loneliness, that *is* what brought Akane and Renais together.
Akane gets situated with her tablet. Her drone starts circling a little closer to the Zero Robo -- to Renais. Despite that, she points it outward -- getting a sense of just who's here.
Let's see... The little Guntank that keeps showing up with Gridman. That's... probably Rikka or Utsumi, Akane reflects. She has some dark horse guesses, too, but after spring break, she's pretty sure exactly who their local defense squad is. There's another one of NERV's giants... maybe it's Kaworu, or maybe he sent someone along? Hard to guess.
Akane's drone swoops and continues to take in the sights. GaoFighGar is an obvious one... ah, and a Vessel of Light, too. ... This one was "Geed," wasn't it? The eyes are kind of cool, she thinks -- like Tarabaman Mika but with a little more determination.
And of course, that monster. That... what *is* that? Is it one of the real world's kaiju? Why's it here? ... the scarf is cool. It recalls memories of spring break, again -- of accepting care from a kaiju.
... She might as well ask. "Hey, the pink, white, and orange one... what's that?" she asks Alouette and Porc-Auto, curious now. "Does 3G have room for kaiju?"
Alexis watches the fight from the sluice gate. His mask remains fully impassive. "Oh, this is better than I could have expected!" he murmurs to himself, cheerily. "Akane-kun's gathered quite the team of modern saviors..."
His eyes fix on GaoFighGar. He slowly scans the horizon, looking for something... and when he doesn't see it, doesn't feel it, the teal panels of his face turn from rictus grin to all black. After a moment, they light up again, dancing in sequence as he announces:
"Ope."
A beat passes as Alexis assesses. To keep this world stable with all of *that* on the table, he'll have to...
"... well, I suppose I'll do my best to have fun with it."
<Pose Tracker> Riku Asakura has posed.
The warning from Sayla isn't ignored, he just has little time to respond before the kick from Renais sinks into his ultra-gut. He falls back, stumbling just a bit before he stands right back up. Others are already arriving, which is...timely! He positions himself into a fighting stance again, staring down Renais and her unit.
"Don't worry Ms. Mass, I won't underestimate her," he says back, calmly to her. The Cataphract gets a look, this isn't the first time it's appeared but he doesn't know anything about it or its pilot...or if it's just a creature itself? Well, it appears to stand with them against Renais, so that much makes it easy to deal with, an ally today.
The GaoFighGar makes an appearance as well, to which Geed nods once towards it. "We meet again!" he calls out, though not willing to drop his guard. Geed looks at the Synchrotank for a moment, though it's obvious he's looking at its pilot and not it. He doesn't say anything, but one can imagine Riku giving Rikka a comforting smile. Unit two is there two, but Riku wasn't going to engage its pilot unless she starts yelling again...though oddly she's very quiet? Has she gotten a cold?
"No regrets, huh?" Geed says towards Renais. He moves around her as the two are in close combat with each other, so every move is important, and any wasted effort would be punished. The blades on the back of his arms glow, and he comes in aiming to slash the unit across the chest, before spinning around and driving both blades back, and then around again, aiming to flank her and drive the blades in. He doesn't stay still, relying on rapid slashes and quick maneuvers to overwhelm Renais.
"Our hearts touched on our first meeting, I could feel your pain. I can't pretend to say I know you as well as others here, but I know when someone's heart is screaming for help."
KTS: Riku Asakura targets Renais Cardiff with Galaxy Cutting! <Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
It's a familiar ensemble--"familiar" in the sense that Kaworu has seen everyone here at least once--and though Kaworu can only speculate as to the motivations of some, others are so clear he has to chuckle. He looks out at the assembled range of warriors, from Guy to Rikka and Sayla to Geed to Anocillus II to Lamia, and lets his gaze rest at last on Guy's Operator--and the girl who rides with her.
He smiles. Akane really does care a lot about Renais, doesn't she?
There's another presence over by the sluice gate. Kaworu doesn't send a glance that way. It would be best for everyone if *that one* contented himself to watching.
As the Reine Noire fends off the initial onslaught of melee attacks, Kaworu sends his will through the controls within the entry plug. In response, Unit 02 snaps a hand out to her right, and from nowhere, a massive crossbow snaps down and into her grip. She heaves it up in a slow but deliberate glide, bringing up her hand to add precision and control to the shot. She aims for the Reine Noire's head and pulls the trigger--and with the massive force of electromagnetism behind the firing mechanism, the bolt *fires*. If it strikes true, it will shear clean through Renais's unit and several buildings behind it as well.
Kaworu continues to hum. His smile broadens a hair when Renais assumes that when Rikka tells her she's here for her, she means she's here to help. And of course, Guy is determined to end things, and Renais is happy for it, even as she expresses the same sentiment back. They each miss each other a lot, don't they?
"Your determination is as beautiful as ever," he remarks, projecting to those assembled even as he addresses specifically Renais. (So much for getting to fight Asuka instead. At least it solves the mystery of why Unit 02's pilot was so quiet.) "But right now, how much of it is dedicated to the Dawn, I wonder?"
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
Alouette titters. "Ah, that? That's not usually the direction that goes," she says. "I'm not familiar, I confess. I..." Need to be thinking about at least one unsolvable mathematical conundrum at all times to feel intellectually satisfied enough to talk like a human, "Find I prefer romances, you see."
Porc-Auto takes off at a slightly less parent-panicking pace away from the active conflict zone, swerving onto side streets to keep away from main roads packed with worried citizenry. "Remarkable evacuation protocols you have here," he says, conversationally.
Meanwhile, Guy and Renais are on the same level, at least. His eyes turn to Geed in the virtual space. "Ultraman Geed," he says to himself, though it transmits. "We'll need all the help we can get to stop this! Just be careful, a Mazinger is no easy foe!"
Sayla's communication. "I know," he says, tense. "...thank you."
AND THEN: Betterman. Guy grimaces. He and the Betterman haven't seen eye to eye for a long time, a subtle malice between them Guy has never entirely understood. But this time, he's here to fight Renais.
Alouette tsks. "Just look at these readings. You'd think he thinks he's being subltle about it." She taps on her keyboard, Eyes locked on a screen PACKED with information. She tsks. "As I thought," she mutters, and yanks out a cable from Porc-Auto's dash board. "I need your screen!" she calls out, and then hands it to Akane. "Plug that in over there, would you?" Which is the point she realizes Akane asked another question. "We've designated that one Betterman Cataphract. It appears to be a team of Somniums working together through some manner of biomorphic Fusion. Rather unsettling to watch, if you ask me. But they've shown up reliably to oppose the Ruin Apostles, so I won't complain to have their help."
Alouette looks up at the latter question. Does 3G have room for kaiju? She blinks, twice, like the question completely cannot gain traction in her magnificent brain, and then says, "Of course. Anything can choose to fight for this world with bravery, and 3G will never turn a heart that has courage away."
Meanwhile, Guy has clenched his fist, focusing his heart. The plan is in motion. Everyone else is doing their jobs. Now Guy has to do his.
Just like he told Koji. Bait her into a fight. And then win it.
He rears back. "Good! But this might hurt a little! PROGRAM RING!"
GaoFighGar's chest cavity opens and fires out a rotating Program Ring. "PLUS!" Which he then rams GaoFighGar's fist through. Fist and ring both take off, as Guy screams, "BROKEN PHANTOM!!"
KTS: Guy Shishioh targets Renais Cardiff with Broken Phantom!
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Sayla is here too - Synchrotank has plenty of room to carry any number of passengers (well, there is a limit to it, but there's enough room that it isn't a problem), so she was more than welcome to join. And, if Rikka's being honest, it's a little reassuring to have someone more experienced running support.
...She almost asked her if she wanted to pilot Synchrotank today instead, but... in the end, Rikka felt this was something she had to do herself.
"...Right." Rikka replies with another and another deep breath as Sayla offers some advice. Focus on the fight. Don't hold back until the time comes. And...
"...Yeah. I know." Rikka says, as Sayla reiterates what's on the line. Tsutsujidai... and Akane. Rikka can't give either of them up.
Soon, however, another machine - is it a machine? - appears, and Rikka does a double-take.
"Is that one on our side...?" She asks. ...Apparently it is. She hasn't seen one like that before, though.
She turn back toward the Reine Noire as her help is rejected. Is this what Akane meant, when she asked about helping someone who didn't want it...?
"...Sorry. I'll apologize to you as much as you want later. But..." Rikka replies, hesitating for a moment. "I can't back down, either."
...There's too much at stake here.
Synchrotank's hands raise, fingers pointed out toward the Reine Noire. Rikka opens fire, unleashing a hail of vulcan fire from the finger cannons before moving to quickly take cover behind a nearby building. Everyone should be evacuated by this point, at least...
With that done, Rikka quickly taps at her own communication station, sending some useful defensive data over to Guy - and for Geed, listing out some locations that can be used for cover in a pinch.
KTS: Rikka Takarada targets Renais Cardiff with Hand Vulcan Fire! KTS: Rikka Takarada has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Guy Shishioh KTS: Rikka Takarada has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Riku Asakura KTS: Kaworu Nagisa targets Renais Cardiff with Super-Electromagnetic Crossbow Leading Shot! KTS: Renais Cardiff blocks Riku Asakura's Galaxy Cutting, taking 2940 damage! KTS: Riku Asakura has engaged Renais Cardiff KTS: Renais Cardiff fails to react to Kaworu Nagisa's Super-Electromagnetic Crossbow Leading Shot, taking 3040 damage! <Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Given that Sayla's response to seeing Cataphract make it's appearance is to say "what the fuck is that?" in the cockpit, before pulling up comms to Porc-auto and the operator and Akane. "3G Blue, can you identify the... unit that just arrived and attacked? Is it a friendly? An enemy? Unknown? And who is in that Evangelion?"
Sayla's spending some time watching Rikka's approach. She'd make for a good comms officer, but she's part of the fighting force tonight. "...Rikka, I want you to coordinate with Guy and the Evangelion. I know you made modifications, but guntanks saving graces are their firepower. Use it."
"Guy, can you pin her down? Red Evangelion, we're going to create an opportunity to follow up on that assault. We can't risk drawing this out." Hopefully Kaworu will give her a callsign, with whatever techology he's using to pull that weapon out. Until she has confirmation on the other combatant...
"I'll give you my mark when the opportunity arrives." Her voice is firm... She's given herself spotter role, too. As long as Rikka can focus, it's fine.
KTS: Sayla Mass targets Guy Shishioh, Rikka Takarada, and Kaworu Nagisa with Coordinate. KTS: Sayla Mass coordinates maneuvers, raising Rikka Takarada's Piloting! <Pose Tracker> Lamia has posed.
Catpharact's blade finds its mark, and the Conqueror Queen lashes out in response, throwing a powered fist of iron at the monster.
It switches to a one handed grip with its sword that it can meet the Mazin's fist with one of its own, catching the punch with an open palm. The sound of impact is nearly deafening, and when it finally subsides, there's the distinct sound of breaking bones and cracking carapace as the organic limb struggles to keep its mechanical rival in check.
"I.... will not... I can not lose to those who have forgotten the value of human life. Ruin Apostle... Cyborg Renais... If you wish to defeat me, you must find the same courage you had ten years ago."
Lamia's words loudly pound in both Guy's and Renais' head as Cataphract opens its maw to let out an inhuman roar, seemingly to act as punctuation. Mustering all of its strength, it finally pushes back against the Triple Zero powered Mazinger, its broken arm snapping back into place as it briefly overpowers the machine. While it has the upper hand, it retaliates once again with its massive blade, this time bringing the weapon down against the robot's face.
KTS: Lamia targets Renais Cardiff with Void Rupture Saber Slash! KTS: Renais Cardiff fails to evade Guy Shishioh's Broken Phantom, taking 3525 damage! KTS: Renais Cardiff fails to react to Rikka Takarada's Hand Vulcan Fire, taking 2925 damage! KTS: Renais Cardiff blocks Lamia's Void Rupture Saber Slash, taking 2925 damage! KTS: Lamia has engaged Renais Cardiff KTS: Sayla Mass coordinates maneuvers, raising Kaworu Nagisa's Piloting! KTS: Sayla Mass coordinates maneuvers, raising Guy Shishioh's Piloting! KTS: Renais Cardiff has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Renais Cardiff targets Riku Asakura with Lionne Blade Strike! KTS: Renais Cardiff targets Kaworu Nagisa with Mazin Magnum! KTS: Renais Cardiff targets Guy Shishioh with Zero Beam! KTS: Renais Cardiff targets Rikka Takarada with Zero Beam! KTS: Renais Cardiff targets Lamia with Mazin Magnum Drill Melee! <Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.
Renais clicks her tongue and puts up the Protect Shade again, the distortion shield fighting off the worst of the Ultraman's blows--though a few manage to properly flank her. "Hnnh. You could, huh?" she asks, sword launching from its holster Reine Noire's thigh to be swung up into Geed's chest. "Afraid I'm beyond helping!"
The crossbow bolt catches her unaware, driving cleanly through the Conqueror's midsection and a couple of blocks of buildings besides. "Gh...!" The voice from Unit-02 gives her pause. "--Kaworu? Hn." That's a surprise. "This is something that I have to do!" An apology, unspoken, goes through her mind.
But this is for her.
Reine Noire's fist spins, glowing with the power of Destruction as it launches out toward Unit-02. Its wounds glow orange, slowly knitting shut.
As the fist returns to the Mazin's arm, metallic tentacles whipping out to grasp and dig into it, she jukes left, trying to get out of the way--but not far enough. GaoFighGar's fist digs into Noire's side, caving in a large section of armor; it recoils. A solid hit, even if the dent is slowly pushing back outward.
In reply, its eyes flare again, twin beams of ruinous energy lancing out toward the King of Braves!
Renais smiles at Rikka. "Good. Show me what you've got!" she yells, letting out a grunt as the Synchrotank's vulcans pierce through her armor. The Noire retaliates, firing another pair of eye-beams in pursuit as Rikka's machine retreats.
"No. I haven't forgotten," she replies to Lamia as Noire's fist plows into the Cataphract's palm, "But there are more valuable things in this universe than that!"
Noire's right hand glows gold with the power of Protection as the Cataphract's blade comes down, and its forearm comes up to shield its head--and the cockpit--from the blow. Sparks fly as the two clash, leaving a gouge in the Mazin's arm.
"I have that courage now. I've never lost it--and I won't lose to you, Betterman!"
The Noire's left hand glows, tentacles withdrawing as it starts to spin. She brings it crashing into the Cataphract's chest, with the intent to drill into and then launch through the amalgam of Somnia.
KTS: Guy Shishioh's EN Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Guy Shishioh blocks Renais Cardiff's Zero Beam, taking 3600 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Renais Cardiff's Defiance activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Riku Asakura blocks Renais Cardiff's Lionne Blade Strike, taking 4320 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Renais Cardiff's Defiance activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Renais Cardiff has engaged Riku Asakura KTS: Rikka Takarada blocks Renais Cardiff's Zero Beam, taking 4800 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Renais Cardiff's Defiance activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Kaworu Nagisa fails to evade Renais Cardiff's Mazin Magnum, taking 4800 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Renais Cardiff's Defiance activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Lamia has activated the Trust Spirit Command. KTS: Lamia fails to Parry Renais Cardiff's Mazin Magnum Drill Melee, taking 4700 damage! KTS: Renais Cardiff has engaged Lamia KTS: Sayla Mass targets Riku Asakura, Rikka Takarada, and Kaworu Nagisa with All-Out. KTS: Sayla Mass orders an all-out attack, raising Rikka Takarada's Skill! KTS: Sayla Mass orders an all-out attack, raising Riku Asakura's Skill! KTS: Sayla Mass orders an all-out attack, raising Kaworu Nagisa's Skill! <Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Oh -- romances. Of course. Being into kaiju is weird whether you're a boy or a girl, as Akane knows all too well... she got lucky with Renais, but she probably can't expect lightning to strike twice.
Akane considers it for a moment. She feels pretty miserable for having admitted that and gotten nothing back, but -- "It's kinda low-key, but Hammer is pretty easy to read as a romance... the movie miiiiiiiight ruin that though."
Apparently both sides have the same basic Tarabaman content, which could definitely be interesting to *someone*, at least.
Porc-Auto's comment on their evacuation procedures gets a, "... Yeah, I notice." It's imperfect construction. Again: French. She lets out a small sigh, saying, "We're not like your world. This stuff doesn't happen all the time..." Well, it does lately. People notice. People remember. But it isn't *supposed* to happen all the time.
Akane fumbles to plug in the cables, as directed. It takes her a second; she's not used to -- well, having to do things with much urgency. Tsutsujidai isn't that kind of place, and her reflexes in that sense have kind of atrophied. Still, she does it without complaint, and even a small, "Uh -- right!" It scatters her train of thought for a second -- gets her out of the loop of ruminating on Tsutsujidai.
A Betterman...? Is it -- Akane seems nervous at the explanation. Granted: it's a pretty normal explanation to be nervous about. "They... spend time as humans with weird eyes, right? I actually met one, once... apparently he can just step between your world and mine in a couple of the alleyways around here."
Akane thinks hard about that. Again, 'bravery,' 'courage'... ah, Akane thinks. So that's what I'm missing. Why I can't reach them. Why I'm so...
She looks out at the Mazin. A hero, huh.
The unfamiliar face of Alexis Kerib appears on comms for many of our assembled heroes, and as for Guy, Lamia, and Geed... ...honestly, for beings like them, it's actually really hard to describe this sensation since humans simply don't have it. It's even not the type of thing humans don't have that Newtypes have. He just exists as data in the corner of perception. Think of him as a talking skit window, if you like.
"Pardon my late intrusion," he says, pleasantly. The situation forces his hand enough to exposit -- just a tiny bit. "I'll go through the pleasantries as quickly as I can. You may call me Alexis Kerib. This world is important to me, and a Herald of the Dawn is such a disruption, as you no doubt know!" Breezing right along as if there were no urgency, he continues: "I believe it's necessary for a heart to know and respect the boundaries around it -- but also to push them!"
He doesn't let that rest. "But I really don't think that this will go so cleanly for you as you are now! The circumstances have cut your dear Herald off from support, and 'phoenix' without 'bird' is just 'fire.'"
He offers no specific help yet. "Feel free to persist as you are, but should you find yourselves -- or her -- in need of saving... well. You need but ask for it. Any of you can feel free to request help, mind -- though I understand the Evoluder is in command of this task, so perhaps I should defer to him...?"
KTS: Riku Asakura has activated the Trick Spirit Command. KTS: Riku Asakura has activated the Trick Spirit Command. KTS: Riku Asakura has activated the Trick Spirit Command. KTS: Riku Asakura has activated the Valor Spirit Command. <Pose Tracker> Riku Asakura has posed.
The blade swings through the air, and through Ultraman Geed. Sparks fly from the strike and send Geed rolling across the ground. He takes a moment to recover from that strike. By the time he's back up, Alexis makes his presence known, speaking to them through...irregular means. Riku isn't in a position to really think about it much, though even under this circumstance, he feels a familiar feeling from the man. He can't place it, though, and it's not a good feeling.
"If you want to help then listen to Gai and Saint Lance," Geed says, too busy thinking about his next move and how bad he just got clobbered. Though a moment later he's on his feet and realizes Unit two isn't being piloted by a lost, angry child. Instead by Kaworu, who Riku knows and feels is a good person. "Happy to have you hear!" he says to Kaworu, and then starts channeling blue and red energy across his body.
He gets enough of the plan that Gai has to make it, and Renias has to be weakened. His eyes glow for a moment, as he channels these opposing forces across his body. The energy from both of his heritages. He lets out a roar, aiming to try and catch Renias' attention before he swings.
The red and blue energy fire off from the blades on his arms, cutting through the air and attempting to break through that barrier of hers. Unlike other strikes, this power is completely different than conventional beam weapons. It aims to rip through any defenses she can put up, aiming to put her on the back foot and to draw her ire. All he has to do is hold out and buy time.
KTS: Riku Asakura targets Renais Cardiff with Wrecking Ripper! <Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Now the fight is getting going in earnest, Sayla can't help but feel the oppressive pressure coming from the 'Betterman' compared to the two presences with Kaworu one gentler, one quiet. Does he have a co-pilot? That doesn't seem to fit. These are worries for later. She has to focus on the now.
And that means trying to open the crack she made in that armour so long ago. Open broadcast.
"Miss Cardiff," Sayla doesn't use Renais first name, "have you decided which of your allies... your friends, you're consigning to that eternal loneliness that will outlast this universe you're so set on ending? Who among you deserves to wander an empty universe, where the chances of encountering someone they can ever connect with is close enough to zero that even the King of Braves wouldn't bet on it? Did you even tell them this 'survival' was a possibility? Or do you intend to for them to find out unknowing?"
Sayla's voice is hard, and unkind. These words are meant to hurt. To unsettle. To upset. And they may upset her companions, too... or they may give them more reason to fight. Guy and Riku seem the sort to take these as challenges... Rikka, though....
"And don't tell me that you'll bear that for the rest of them. Because you don't know how many of them you'll inflict this existence as a ghost upon... Or if you'll be among them. In fact, the most likely road is you abandon your comrades to a wandering eternity."
Sayla cuts the broadcast, turning to Rikka. "I think I've got her attention, make sure to get your shields ready, this could be rough." This is also a risk, but the Synchrotank is tough. And Rikka can play defensive well enough. "But I think we're about to see our moment-"
And then someone interrupts. Someone with a mask, and Sayla's eyes narrow. Silently, she moves to hit the keyboard, start a trace, find a source. She lets him speak but... she focuses on what's on the screen. Who the hell is this... what is this? A human, or something else, like the Ultramen and the Bettermen? She tries to set up a tight beam to Guy, for just her and Rikka, but she's not sure even she can lock this 'Alexis Kerib' out of the loop. That's fine. "...It's your call, Guy. But I don't trust him. This is too convenient, and too shady." Sayla pauses. "I don't know if it's a trap, but..."
What can she say? Never trust a man in a mask bearing gifts.
And then she sees it, her moment. "Guy! Geed! Rikka! Now! Take her down!" This is the best she can offer them- she has to leave it to them...
She hates leaving everything to the people younger than her.
KTS: Sayla Mass has activated the Rouse Spirit Command targeting Rikka Takarada KTS: Sayla Mass has activated the Rouse Spirit Command targeting Guy Shishioh
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
Sayla's call comes in and Alouette tabs the mute switch on her headset. "Pilot of Evangelion unit is Fifth Child, Kaworu Nagisa! Amalgamated unit is designated, 'Betterman Cataphract.' It's a Betterman, a type of Earth-native non-human life form! It's a known enemy to the Ruin Apostles and defender of humankind! Treat it as friendly!"
Click. "Even if it's apparently mostly liver cells," Alouette says, idly. "Honestly, kaiju sometimes..."
The show recommendation gets a look up from Alouette. She's shifting tracks wildly but seems to be keeping up with all of them, mostly. "You don't say? I hear that's common." Like she doesn't watch shows much in general. Still, she's trying.
With the cables plugged in, a panel flips open on Porc-Auto's main console, filling with extra information on not just Guy but GaoFighGar. Unlabeled graphs fluctuating wildly that Alouette's eyes scan across with an expert's perception.
MEANWHILE, Guy gets Sayla's orders. "Understood!" he calls back, and charges toward Renais...just in time for her to turn that Zero Beam on him. "PROTECT," he screams, as the Program Ring roars out of GaoFighGar's core. "WAAAAAAAAAALL!!" He thrusts the Left Arm of Protection against it, creating a huge reverberating barrier of warped space that the Zero Beam disappears into; refracting, warping through it over and over until it's worked itself out in a fivefold refraction.
It's during this process that Guy's Evoluder senses detect Alexis. "What!?" A phoenix without a bird, is just fire.
Guy's jaw sets. J-Phoenix...the ultimate technique of J-Ark, a miracle only made possible by the union of G and J. Is that...does he somehow know about that once in a lifetime miracle!?
Alouette reads his vitals like she's reading his mind. "Something in that last transmission startled him," she mutters, and switches her mic. "Guy! What's wrong!?"
Guy says, "Nothing, Alouette!" and it's a lie. "...keep an eye on Renais' data, alright?"
"Oui!" Alouette replies, and then taps a few more keys, opening several more windows all at once. She has to lean in a little to read it, now, especially when Porc-auto rounds a corner roughly. "HEY!"
"Apologies, ladies! There's a small battle about, you know!"
Meanwhile, the Protect Wall breaks and Guy fires the drained-out Zero Beam back toward Renais! But that too is a feint; it is followed VERY closely by Guy charging in, GaoFighGar's fist pulled back to drive straight into the Mazin Queen's throat! He can't aim for the head, after all; that's where Renais is.
Betterman's words, echoing in the Limpid Channel between the three of them...Guy says, "No," low. "Renais...Even if it hurt, I know you've lost something in this. I'll set you free of it."
His fist smashes in, ripping through armor. "I'll set you free of the pain of forgetting the value of life!!"
KTS: Guy Shishioh targets Renais Cardiff with Broken Fist! <Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Who is in that Evangelion?
"Good to speak with you again, Saint Lance. As Mademoiselle Pommier said, I'm Kaworu Nagisa, the Fifth Child," he says, blithe and friendly, back to Sayla. As luck would have it, he remembered the callsign she used for herself in that last battle... though it'd be a stretch to call it *technology*. "You can refer to us--" *us*? But Sayla can probably sense that this is a correct statement, "--as Unit-02."
Alouette chimes in too, introducing both him and Betterman. Kaworu turns a thoughtful look at Betterman Cataphract as it declares its defiance--specifically against one who has forgotten the value of human life. The same courage she had ten years ago... So that's why they appeared against J and his crew. There's a history there.
Well, far be it for him to interfere on that matter. "Yes," he tells Renais simply, once she identifies him for who he is. "I understand. The same goes for me."
And so forgiveness is sent back to her, equally unspoken. Whether she hears it is another matter.
Reine Noire's fist fires, arcing upwards as Unit-02 leaps in an attempt to evade. It's no use; the power of Destruction locks on and cracks HARD into her chest armor, which itself cracks in turn. Unit-02 throws her head back in pain, then hunches over as she lands, the balls of her feet digging up a quarter mile of road; within, Kaworu mirrors her, a sharp hiss and then sigh escaping his lips.
Which is naturally when Alexis sends out his message to those gathered. Kaworu's eyes narrow. "No thank you," he tells him curtly, transmitted to everyone present. There is a certain coldness in his voice that is not normally there. It's all he has to say to him. It is audibly final.
"Understood," he says then--to Sayla, as she organizes a follow-up attack on Renais with him, Guy, and Rikka. "Let's work together; I'll follow your lead, Saint Lance."
In the meantime, he has Unit-02 bring up the crossbow again, hunched over and moving across what buildings currently remain as cover while they aim. This time, his focus is on waiting until Sayla gives her mark, at which point he'll fire to attempt to pin Renais down and make it easier for the others to attack. Though it seems like Sayla's chosen to attack Renais emotionally rather than physically...
KTS: Kaworu Nagisa targets Renais Cardiff with Super-Electromagnetic Crossbow Snipe!
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Coordination... Rikka nods.
"Okay. Synchrotank still has some tricks up its sleeves..." Rikka replies with a nod. It might not be made for fighting, but that doesn't mean it can't shoot if it needs to.
She starts to move into position... when Renais's attention is upon her! There's no time to dodge when all it takes is a shift in her gaze.
"Hold on tight." Rikka warns Sayla as Synchrotank braces itself, arms crossed to bring both shields together as ruinous eyebeams shoot for the machine.
"I'll... try not to disappoint." Rikka replies to Renais with some effort - it's taking a lot of willpower to keep Synchrotank standing. The sheer power is surprising and enough to force Synchrotank back, its feet carving tracks into the concrete.
As she moves back into position, though, Sayla starts to speak - about wandering the universe in eternal loneliness. Her harsh tone is enough to unsettle Rikka a little.
"Miss Sayla..." Rikka starts... but, she finds she's unsure what to actually say about it. So she doesn't, yet - just nodding when Sayla says to get ready for an incoming attack. "...R-right."
Rikka keeps moving, darting between buildings and debris as she tries to maneuver Synchrotank to the proper vantage point. As she does so, though... an unfamiliar face appears on the screen.
"Alexis Kerib...?" Rikka repeats. Who is he? And which 'world' was he referring to? Sayla definitely doesn't seem to trust him... and neither does Kaworu, for that matter.
Synchrotank gets into position, then, cutting off that line of thought early. It lowers itself down, folding back into tank mode in order to better take aim.
"I'm ready! Just give me the signal." Rikka says. Synchrotank's twin cannons lower, taking aim at the Reine Noire. The torso makes occasional adjustments to compensate for movement, but in the meantime, pressure builds in the cannons. When Sayla shouts 'Now!' as Kaworu moves to pin Renais both of them fire - unleashing a pair of powerful, high-pressure streams of water straight for the Reine Noire.
Though tank mode helps aim, it does reduce defensive maneuverability a bit - but in the end, it may help.
KTS: Rikka Takarada targets Renais Cardiff with Extreme Extinguishing Burst! KTS: Renais Cardiff fails to react to Riku Asakura's Wrecking Ripper, taking 5130 damage! KTS: Renais Cardiff fails to parry Guy Shishioh's Broken Fist, taking 2850 damage! KTS: Guy Shishioh has engaged Renais Cardiff KTS: Renais Cardiff blocks Kaworu Nagisa's Super-Electromagnetic Crossbow Snipe, taking 1200 damage! KTS: Renais Cardiff fails to react to Rikka Takarada's Extreme Extinguishing Burst, taking 4875 damage! KTS: Rikka Takarada roots her unit, coming to a standstill and leaving her vulnerable.
<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.
Nidaime looks towards the Synchrotank. Rikka. The vulcan fire pounds. As she does so, she listens upon the Open broadcast. She listens to Sayla. Her words are are like a blade but will they find a chink in her armor? She knows it's a kind blade, because Sayla is kind and when she is harsh, and unkind--Nidaime feels, at least, that Sayla is trying to use that harshness as a kind of bitter medicine. It tastes terrible, but sometimes that's how the truth is, sometimes that's how life is. Kindness, joy, life--it's all fleeting, and it's all that's worth fighting for because oblivion is endless and everywhere and cheap but those small treasures are priceless and must be held onto tightly so they are not dropped carelessly into the void. But not too tightly either. It was never said to be easy.
She can feel all these positie memotions rolling off of Renais, bvt perhaps that's also a kind of truth. Sweets taste delicious but they give a stomachache if you think too much of it. She's not sure what to say to this woman she does not really konw well, or even if she has a place to. But she feels like she should do something because she is a person.
She holds her own radio, Sayla's words emanating from them softly. She runs her fingers across the coarse surface.
And then she clicks the transmit button, sending it out, also speaking on the open band.
"Renais." Nidaime says. "The song you are singing sounds triumphant..."
"...But your song does not lie. You can still be hurt and because you can still be hurt, you're still real and there will still be sad people when you are hurt."
Nidaime's mother has started singing Demons by Guster: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=berHr0mFK9c&ab_channel=Guster
Nidaime's half-alien eyes stare listlessly at the machine. "And when you hurt. Only kaiju are kaiju."
And sometimes even kaiju are not kaiju.
<Pose Tracker> Lamia has posed.
"It is similar... Perhaps, even stronger than the one from ten years ago... But..."
Lamia's voice trails off as the drill knee solidly connects with Cataphract's gut. A thin, yellow film that envelops the Betterman's skin makes itself known as it puts up a surprising amount of resistance, preventing the spinning metal from digging deeper than it should.
It doesn't attempt to push away, instead, Cataphract grabs on to the Mazin's shoulder, bringing it closer as it slams its head into the machine's own cranium repeatedly. There's an almost fever-like frenzy in the way it does so, but eventually its trashing comes to a stop, as its red-eyes narrow in on a specific spot in the robot's armor.
There's an ominous, suffocating psychic pressure that emanates from Cataphract, an eerie unnatural silence that's suddenly pierced with two unspoken words:
PSYCHO GLORY
The swept back horns atop Cataphract's head lunge forward, piercing the Conqueror Queen's armor and creating a series of slowly spreading fractures, before the Bettermen finally works on the task disenganging. It's a rather unpleasant process, but it's quick nonetheless, as the kaiju-like being simply tosses them to the side while letting the still spinning drill knee take a chunk of their torso out in the process.
Perhaps, understandably, the Betterman loses its balance for a moment, falling to one knee as it cups its gaping wound. Even if its body is already repairing the missing flesh, there's a limit to how reckless one is allowed to be...
It's a limit that Lamia ignores however, much to the chagrin of a certain other Somnium.
KTS: Lamia targets Renais Cardiff with Psycho Glory Squared! KTS: Renais Cardiff fails to react to Lamia's Psycho Glory Squared, taking 5300 damage! KTS: Lamia has engaged Renais Cardiff
<Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.
Renais remains aware of Alexis' plans as he moves against her--for that matter, it's not likely she's aware that GGG's sealed the space shut and trapped her here.
She'll learn soon enough. It's fine. It's Fine.
Her shield comes up to block Geed's attack, only to shatter on impact, sending a faint ripple of impossible, self-luminous green-orange light out from the Protect Arm. The blades of light slice deep, leaving a distinct X in the Reine Noire's armor. Renais retaliates with a gust of baleful wind directed toward the Ultraman, to blast and erode his armor into light.
Sayla's words pierce through. Anger boils up from her heart. She's been grappling with this question since Sayla first posed it... and she doesn't have an answer. The dilemma cuts deep--if she's here to end pain, can she really bear the possibility of dooming some to eternity...? Like a cornered beast, she stands poised to lash out at what she doesn't understand.
Renais dodges aside the Protect Wall's return volley as GaoFighGar's fist comes in, blazing bright with the energy of destruction. She bring up the Lionne Blade, meeting the fist with a blazing slice--but while she cleaves into the King of Braves' forearm, it's not enough to stop him, and Noire's neck caves, leaving its head at an angle.
In the cockpit, an alarm starts to blare, and she briefly sits at an angle before the cockpit's gyros remember to kick in and adjust its position to level. That broke something. If she waits... if she can hold out, it'll fix itself. But-- she's in the middle of an onslaught. She's getting what she came for... an all-out fight. And it's leaving her on the back foot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koS3I_gbeo0
"RRRAGH!" she grunts, countering with a body-tackle into GaoFighGar. "You don't think I know how much it matters? Life is precious! But the suffering! The damage! It's--"
Out of the corner of her eye, she spots Unit-02 taking aim again, and lifts up Noire's right hand. The Protect Shade's distortion slows the projectile down; rather than piercing through, it embeds itself into Noire's side, spurring a brief gush of oil, suffused with a burning orange glow. Kaworu's met with the Mazin's baleful gaze, sweeping across the field near Unit-02's position.
The Synchrotank's water cannons buffet Reine Noire, flashing to steam and dropping the unit's temperature. Too much. Water works its way through the gaps in the armor; between flash-steaming, short circuits, and the impact of high-pressure water, Rikka's managed to inflict a blow.
An alarm stops sounding, and a dial she realizes was the heat gauge stops flashing red. (So do four other identical gauges plastered haphazardly around the cockpit.) Blue plasma arcs from the Noire's crown to its horns, and the unit's lopsided head turns toward the Synchrotank. Its left hand moves up in front of its face, finger extended as what heat remains is fed from the unit and its pilot, into the horns, and then into that finger. It sweeps down and releases its charge toward Rikka and Sayla, plasma dancing and arcing across pavement and walls.
The Cataphract pierces deep into Reine Noire's internals, deepening the wounds already inflicted. It stumbles... and Renais starts to grow desperate. Noire's hands swing up above its head, and the heat sinks on its chest start to glow white-hot, blasting the Bettermen with a beam of heat, enhanced with the power of the Dawn.
Renais doesn't know how much more she can do. This is looking bad. It's looking desperate...
KTS: Renais Cardiff targets Riku Asakura with Cosmic Rust! KTS: Renais Cardiff targets Guy Shishioh with Reine Battre Tackle! KTS: Renais Cardiff targets Kaworu Nagisa with Zero Beam! KTS: Renais Cardiff targets Rikka Takarada with Heat Break! KTS: Renais Cardiff targets Lamia with Omega Burn! KTS: Lamia's Will Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Lamia blocks Renais Cardiff's Omega Burn, taking 6600 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Renais Cardiff's Defiance activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Rikka Takarada blocks Renais Cardiff's Heat Break, taking 5115 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Renais Cardiff's Defiance activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Riku Asakura's Will Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Renais Cardiff rattles Riku Asakura, making his next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Riku Asakura blocks Renais Cardiff's Cosmic Rust, taking 1330 damage! KTS: Rikka Takarada has activated the Resupply Spirit Command targeting Lamia KTS: Kaworu Nagisa's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Kaworu Nagisa fails to react to Renais Cardiff's Zero Beam, taking 2750 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Renais Cardiff's Defiance activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Lamia has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Lamia has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. <Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.
And in the midst of it all, Nidaime's words cut through. She doesn't quite understand, but something about it--
She lets out a shaky sigh in the cockpit, and she wonders... just for a moment... whether this is the right path. For Akane, for her... she leaves the battlefield, mentally, for just a brief moment.
It's an opening.
KTS: Guy Shishioh fails to rush. KTS: Guy Shishioh's EN Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Guy Shishioh fails to react to Renais Cardiff's Reine Battre Tackle, taking 3960 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Renais Cardiff's Defiance activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Renais Cardiff has engaged Guy Shishioh <Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"... Liver cells?" Akane asks, incredulously. "There was a kaiju like that in Tarabaman 60, but... ahaha, that's totally wild, honestly?" There's a little bit of excitement in her voice, her face. Even real kaiju get her attention --
-- at least, until they skid a corner a bit. Akane bangs her head against the window a tiny bit, and her left eye scrunches up a bit. 'I wish --' ... she catches herself. Tsutsujidai doesn't need better procedures for taking care of itself. It needs to be left alone.
Rubbing at her face a bit, Akane implies the obvious question to Alouette. "... It's -- you're, what, my age? Seems kinda early to be running battlefield coordination for a group like this..."
Alexis sighs a little at Kaworu's response. "Oh, of course, Administrator. But I'll be around in the event one of you change your mind!"
He waits. He's sure there'll be an opportunity.
Sayla's words... that's haunting -- but also kind of... it's -- what she'd want, right? To be alone for eternity...? So why does that implicit threat to Renais hurt her so much?
And then, through 3G-adjacent comms --
'Guy! Geed! Rikka! Now!'
That's confirmation on her earlier guess -- but more importantly, it's... so Rikka's in that tank, huh. That much at least makes sense, but it means --
-- that collected heat, that --
-- beam from Reine Noire's finger --
Akane doesn't break stride. But for the Newtypes in the room, there's a roar that feels like it'd outpace Reine Noire on wrecking the scenery, if it were but physicalized. She's been observing Alouette long enough to know how to turn on the comms, so --
"Hey, Renais? If that Guntank gets taken out, I'm gonna make this a lot worse," she says, during that moment of doubt. "Remember what I asked you about before? If one of them is in that thing... that kinda breaks the deal if you break it. I know you're getting shot at, but hey! You can figure it out."
... but isn't she going to end up fighting it herself next time she throws a kaiju out there? Akane realizes, in this moment, that she's kind of a miserable person... but it's fine. She can just hold Renais to a different standard.
After all, a 'hero' and a 'kaiju' operate under different rules.
<Pose Tracker> Riku Asakura has posed.
This time, however, when she fires her counter to his attack the GEED barrier activates, being held in front of him in both hands. This time, the damage doesn't sink in, and he is left nearly unscathed. He pushes through, as the shield finally ends and he marches through the remains of the wind. His eyes stare right at Renais, even through her mobile suit.
He takes a fighting stance once more, but pauses...for a brief moment he can hear and feel that pain again. The Ultraman knows, however, that she won't stop fighting until she can't anymore. To give anything less than his best won't cut it here. It'd be worse for her to escape today, and do something worse next time. Someone who is being driven to think that life has no meaning...
"Life will continue on. If life does not exist, then how can the Universe appreciate itself? All of it is precious, every single life...and you think so too," he says, not accusingly, but piercingly. It's proven when she drops her guard, and he knows it's time.
He rears back, as the black and blue energy tears through his own body. Behind him, a giant phoenix forms from the various energies as it continues to surge through him. He roars as the phoenix that is formed also draws into his body. For a brief moment, an untold amount of power is stored up in his body.
Before he brings his right arm up and braces it with his left. A beam of energy, a mix of all those colors, surges out in a beam towards Renais' machine, aiming to blast it with everything he had built up in that fight. Once more, trying to help buy an opening for the others. They have a plan, and all he cares about is making sure they can see it through.
KTS: Riku Asakura has activated the Detonate Spirit Command, reducing the Ultraman Geed Galaxy Rising to 1 HP! KTS: Riku Asakura has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Riku Asakura targets Renais Cardiff with Wrecking Phoenix! KTS: Renais Cardiff fails to react to Riku Asakura's Wrecking Phoenix, taking 5580 damage! KTS: Riku Asakura has engaged Renais Cardiff <Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
Alouette titters about her age. "Ah, to ask a maiden her age? Things are different here. But oui, I believe so!" she says, brightly. "Ah, but..." Her eyes darken, briefly - before something Happens up above. She shifts gears instantly. "Lasting damage?! I knew it had a limit! Finally!" Alouette says, editorializing to herself in a way she normally can't in the Order Room. She flips her comm switch, calling, "Guy, do you see it? That one's sticking! She's reaching the regeneration limit! Keep it coming!"
What comes back through the line is a HOWL from Guy, locked in a body-to-body tackle with Renais. His attempts to gain advantage fall short, Renais keeping him contained; but Guy is able to shove himself away just long enough to get enough room for his drills to spin up. "Yes! It's terrible! But..."
In the car, Alouette's face has gone heavy again. "...I had...a similar fate to Renais," she murmurs. "BioNet experimented on me, granted me incredible genius. I was lucky. There were few side-effects." A sad smile. "Other than the isolation of having thoughts that would baffle a career programmer at age 10, anyway. I wrote most of GaoFighGar's Final Fusion program back then, actually. I would say I know some of the pain she talks about. But...!"
She doesn't say the rest. She knows Guy will: "Stepping forward through the pain to safeguard the beauty of life! That's Courage!" Guy screams. "You let yourself forget, Renais! The dawn took it from you!" The Drill Knees whirr loudly, and then Guy screams even louder above them: "DRILL! KNEEEEEE!"
He drives them up, RIPPING into the Mazinger's chest and interior. The last time, she got away from him thanks to expert piloting. This time, he's going to make sure the damn thing won't move while he's getting Hell and Heaven ready!
KTS: Guy Shishioh has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Guy Shishioh targets Renais Cardiff with Drill Knee! KTS: Renais Cardiff fails to react to Guy Shishioh's Drill Knee, taking 2475 damage! KTS: Guy Shishioh has engaged Renais Cardiff <Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.
Nidaime thinks it's pretty rough. She doesn't really understand why humans make monsters out of each other or why they hurt each other. Or why they hurt themselves. Maybe questions like that are beyond her. She saw what Akane was doing when they talked, but she doesn't really understand why and part of her wonders if that's as close to human understanding she'll ever get, even with a humanlike intelligence.
Heroes and kaiju operate under different rules as do humans and kaiju. But Nidaime's mother isn't a kaiju and it is at the very least unusual for a kaiju to lend a hand to the heroes. Different rules and often different aims. It isn't completely unheard of, but it's certainly not common. It all depends on the heart that summons it and often the heart that wishes to summon a kaiju is one that has been ...twisted.
Nidaime is surprised to hear Akane over the comms. Her initial thought is that somehow everyone learned Akane's secret--but that doesn't really fit with her own understanding of Akane at all. Was she wrong all along? Did she completely misunderstand things? She quirks her head in thought, cupping her chin.
It sounds like she's helping Team Gridman and putting unbelievable pressure on Renais. But how?
She steadies herself. Akane openly sharing the truth about herself would be...well it would be a bad sign, wouldn't it? It'd be a sign of willingness to shed her humanity, to become more like Dr. Hell or another human who has completely submerged themselves in that kind of villainous thought. A symptom perhaps rather than a diagnosis but...
"Pain is part of life," Nidaime says on comms. "And it's never fair. But you can't shut yourself off from it forever. Not even in a dream. But... all of humanity is with you."
She brings up her hoodie and huddles under it, curling up, hoping her mother will sing a happier song to her soon.
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Kaworu ignores Alexis. He has no desire to converse with him further. At the same time, he doesn't comment on anyone's reactions to him, including Rikka's and Guy's. It would be simple enough to explain things, but... he can't risk the danger it would bring. Better to find another way.
Likewise with Akane, though Kaworu's feelings about her are quite different. He listens thoughtfully at her seeming callousness... but leaves it be, for now.
"It isn't that you've forgotten life's value. You've simply rejected it. Is that what you mean to say?" Kaworu instead muses to Renais as she protests against Guy and Lamia. He smiles bittersweetly as Anocillus II and her mother offer their own thoughts, their own song. Music truly does touch the heart... And Geed is right: were it not for the Dawn, she wouldn't ever say these things. He only met her recently, relatively speaking, but he's confident in Geed's intution.
So he continues, "She's right, you know." (He means Nidaime.) "Do you remember the dear friend of mine I mentioned to you? He said to me recently that there isn't such a thing as a relationship without strife. Coming from him, he probably meant it in a cynical way," he adds fondly, "but that doesn't mean he's wrong."
The Mazin glares at Unit-02, streaking a beam of destructive force across the land. "You've suffered immensely," he continues, undeterred. "It's understandable that you would in turn weigh suffering more heavily." It cuts along the cityscape, along Unit-02's A.T. Field, and back again--and where the A.T. Field might have neutralized direct damage, the explosions that rock downtown and bring down the city still crash into and against the Evangelion. "But even in the midst of that, you've still found strength and love."
The massive heat roils against the Evangelion, ironically fusing armor plates back together where they had earlier cracked--but that doesn't help the Eva much when the LCL within the entry plug roils. Just as unignorable is that overwhelming presence, itself its own silence, from Betterman Cataphract, which is deeply discomforting in a different sort of way. "Perhaps pain *is* eternal," Kaworu states through it, as well as his own pain. "But love is stronger, even so. I have faith that you understand that. Otherwise, you would not be standing here."
This time, when he opens fire on Renais, it's not a single bolt but a rain of them, unleashed in unnaturally rapid succession. They're aimed to pincusion into Reine Noire, potentially pinning it into place to make it a better target for the others while her emotions are swayed and her guard is dropped, leaving her with a different sort of hedgehog's dilemma.
KTS: Kaworu Nagisa has activated the Enable Spirit Command. KTS: Kaworu Nagisa targets Renais Cardiff with Super-Electromagnetic Crossbow Drive! KTS: Renais Cardiff fails to react to Kaworu Nagisa's Super-Electromagnetic Crossbow Drive, taking 6030 damage! KTS: Kaworu Nagisa has engaged Renais Cardiff
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
You know when, all of a sudden, you get a bunch of overwhelming, oppressive feelings all at once?
First comes that crushing silence, and Sayla's eyes go wide and and her eyes go blank. In the cockpit next to Rikka, she's completely unresponsive. There's.... nothing but pressure. Crushing down on her, drowning out everything else, unable to hear the real world- or Tsutsujidai- but nowhere near that warmer world. This is something else. Not nothingness, but as near as indistinguishable. The two words echo in her head, the ONLY things-
Until a ROAR pierces that, and she snaps out of it just in time to grip her head in pain. Tsutsujidai roars, as Akane speaks. She's reeling from the one two, disoriented and dizzy, held in her seat by the seatbelt, looking up to see- A Thunder Break!? "Rikka-"
No, she's already on it-Nidaime's voice comes over comms, and Sayla is thrown. What is she doing here- ...Except, it's the world she supposedly belongs in. Damnit. Damnit...
The optimism around her... She's still not convinced. That's fine. She'll focus on keeping them alive-
"...Rikka. Hold fire and pull back." This is the moment. Closed comms- including Alouette and Akane, which means... she can't talk to the Betterman, but she doubts it? They, would listen. "Riku, Unit-02, get clear." She starts sending targeting information. Guy said the Reine Noire was a Mazin, which means it works like a Mazin. Guy just needs to pull the cockpit out of the head. It's all in their hands now. Her last message is private.
"Get your cousin back, Guy."
She desperately hopes he can, but her heart is heavy with doubt. It's time for the King of Braves to prove her wrong.
KTS: Sayla Mass targets Rikka Takarada, Riku Asakura, and Kaworu Nagisa with Caution. KTS: Sayla Mass suggests caution, raising Rikka Takarada's Intuition! KTS: Sayla Mass suggests caution, raising Riku Asakura's Intuition! KTS: Renais Cardiff targets Riku Asakura with Lionne Blade Combo! KTS: Renais Cardiff targets Guy Shishioh with Mazin Magnum Drill Melee! KTS: Renais Cardiff targets Kaworu Nagisa with Zero Beam! <Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.
Ah.
Great. That makes the Synchrotank there a hard-to-hit target. But if she can just keep it away from her growing set of wounds...
She starts to reel herself back in, just in time to see the phoenix as it enters Ultraman Geed's body... only to fire a rainbow of energy out at her. She can't react nearly fast enough to counter it, and takes the full impact. Noire reels from the blow, paint bubbling off of its scarred chest. In return, though, she charges at him, sword swung wildly, trying to overwhelm the Giant with strikes.
Guy's words sting at her next, and she glares back, gritting her teeth. "How dare you. HOW DARE YOU talk to me about the fucking BEAUTY OF LIFE?!" Even as GaoFighGar's knees tear into Noire, she starts pounding him with an onslaught of blows from its left arm. Anger and pain radiate off of her. Flashes of her trauma, of torture and training and remodeling, wash past the psychically-sensitive.
"Love..." she replies to Kaworu, her voice ragged. "Is why I'm here. Love and mercy." Punishment for the wicked, too. But mostly love and mercy, right now. The Noire buffets with every shot from the crossbow, bolts stuck into the Noire like a hedgehog indeed.
Another lance of energy from its eyes sweeps toward Unit-02, but she's clearly nearing her limit.
In the cockpit, she's breathing hard. Sweat rolls down her face, evaporating into steam.
It's hot...
so hot...
KTS: Sayla Mass suggests caution, raising Kaworu Nagisa's Intuition! KTS: Guy Shishioh fails to react to Renais Cardiff's Mazin Magnum Drill Melee, taking 5640 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Renais Cardiff's Defiance activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Renais Cardiff has engaged Guy Shishioh KTS: Kaworu Nagisa's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Kaworu Nagisa fails to react to Renais Cardiff's Zero Beam, taking 3000 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Renais Cardiff's Defiance activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Riku Asakura fails to rush. KTS: Riku Asakura's Will Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Riku Asakura fails to react to Renais Cardiff's Lionne Blade Combo, taking 5520 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Renais Cardiff's Defiance activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Riku Asakura's Ultraman Geed Galaxy Rising has been disabled.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Renais's refutation... Rikka dwells on that for a bit. Only for a bit, because they're still in a fight and Sayla's words have indeed drawn attention to them. Heat and electrcity both are sent sweeping Synchrotank's way. Synchrotank braces itself, and Rikka presses a few buttons quickly on the dashboard to isolate and insulate the machine's water supply from the rest of it.
This helps, but even so the dancing plasma sears across the machine, charring and scoring it. But Synchrotank survives, even if it looks a little worse for wear.
"Are you alright?" Rikka asks Sayla... and then pauses, as a familiar voice comes over open comms.
"...Akane?" Rikka starts, surprised. She knew she would be watching... but she didn't know she would be listening in, too. Rikka manages a weak laugh. "...I'm going to have a lot to explain, huh?"
...She goes quiet, then. It's... kind of something, to be here, listening to everyone espouse the beauty of life, and what it means to protect it. It puts into perspective how... new to this she is. She doesn't have one of those speeches in her - she doesn't quite have that level of life experience yet. She can only listen in awe... At least, until Sayla gives that signal.
"Right!" Rikka says. She reverses Synchrotank - it spins in place a little for a brief moment due to the damage its taken, but once its up to speed it reverses and she moves to make a retreat, taking cover once more behind a nearby building until further orders are given.
It's up to them now.
"...Good luck..." Rikka wishes, with all her strength.
<Pose Tracker> Lamia has posed.
"Evoluder Guy, Root of Evil..."
Lamia calls out to Guy one last time, as Cataphract slowly lifts itself up from the ground, its wound now patched up. Not that it matters, as it instantly throws itself into the massive beam being shot at it.
The yellow film that protects its body instantly starts to evaporate, but the Betterman doesn't seem to care, its wings forcing it forward and closer until it's finally free from the searing light.
There's not much left of Cataphract after this, the outer layers of its armor peeled away to reveal the core monster of the fearsome combination. Betterman Forte.
With a complete disregard to its own safety, Forte rushes behind the Black Mazin, latching onto its torso as it holds it in place.
"I entrust the rest of this fight to you and your friends... This was never my victory. Do not hesitate."
He doesn't outright say it, but Lamia's tone and actions make it rather apparent. He's holding Renais in place while giving up his own safety. Or perhaps, he has a plan to escape. Whatever the case, Forte's hide slowly begins to lose its vibrant pink hue as it starts to calcify, its body now becoming more akin to a stone statue than anything.
<Pose Tracker> Riku Asakura has posed.
It wasn't enough..? Or no, there was something else to the plan that gave her the chance to counterattack. He's forced to draw out the Z-Raiser, and as Renais comes in he strikes back with the weapon charging right at her. The two collide with each other as the two go back and forth. However, he's only barely able to keep her attacks parried.
It eventually comes to a point where the Raiser is deflected up and causes Geed to stumble back, before the blade from Renais comes down, slicing through the Ultraman. Toku sparks fly across where the blade would cut, throwing the Ultra to the ground.
However, moments later the giant of light vanishes, and Riku is lying there on his back in the imprint of the giant.
KTS: Renais Cardiff has activated the Detonate Spirit Command, reducing the Conqueror Queen Reine Noire to 1 HP! Renais Cardiff uses auxiliary calculator - detonate
KTS: Renais Cardiff targets Guy Shishioh with Hell and Heaven! <Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.
There's nothing more in the tank. Anything more will break the Noire... break her.
But she can't stop here.
She can't lose.
There's only one more thing. One option, with the Cataphract holding her back this way...
Desperation.
This is her last stand.
She wills it, and the Black Mazin spreads its arms out to either side, palms forward.
https://youtu.be/vO0eB8Ne7CQ
"HELL! AND! HEAVEN!" The Reine Noire's hands--stolen from GGG--flash and swirl with energy in turn, glowing with the twin energies of Protection and Destruction.
Immediately, lances of intense pain shoot up Renais' arms. A white-hot ball seems to gather in her right wrist. It feels like her G-Stone is on fire...
Through its wounds and the rictus grin of its mouthplate, the aura blazes, as Reine Noire brings its hands slowly together, energy arcing between them as it overpowers the repelling forces. She recites an incantation through pain-gritted teeth: "Gemu giru gan go gufo...!"
Reine Noire's hands clasp together in front of it, and she nearly passes out. Every nerve is blazing. The cockpit temperature gauges pin solidly to the right as her body grows hot enough to boil. She feels an agony the likes of which she hasn't felt in five years, as her body closes the circuit between two opposing energies...
Energies that are, from the moment they join, tearing Reine Noire apart. The tentacles connecting them to its body are pulsing, covered in glowing cracks that move up along its arms, leaving armor crumbling, exposing an internal structure that's slowly succumbing to the same rot...
"Rrrrh! HAAAAH!" Reine Noire's Scrander Pack boosters fire, immolating the calcifying hulk behind her in their exhaust... and slowly, breaking free of its grip, its arms fracturing like a statue's as the Conqueror Queen rushes forward toward GaoFighGar in a literal suicide gambit.
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
'Love... is why I'm here. Love and mercy.'
"Yes," Kaworu agrees. He doesn't extrapolate or wax poetic further. A simple acknowledgement that they are, in fact, on the same page--even as they're on opposite sides of the battle.
The Reine Noire unleashes another eyebeam towards Unit-02. This time, Kaworu retreats even as he raises their A.T. Field to avoid the destructive side blast. He veers to one side to avoid a collapsing building, but as the light of Ultraman Geed shimmers away, he fixes himself in place with Unit-02 slightly in front of where Geed had been. The A.T. Field is very good at defending against a direct attack, after all, and it's dangerous to be a small lifeform among giants...
But it means, for the moment, he's pinned down in his attempt to protect Riku where he's fallen. Kaworu and Unit-02 thus remain where they are as Renais rips the Reine Noire from the Cataphract's grip, unleashes the power of Heaven and Hell to take on Guy in one last desperate gambit. He watches closely. Will their feelings be enough?
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
Renais loses her temper. But Guy remains resolute, this time. He tried to be empathetic, before, tried to understand, and his courage wavered. This time, as Reine Noire tears into him, smashes chunks off of GaoFighGar, sends recognizable sections of LinerGao II flying, Guy's blood remains high. "I'll do it again!" Guy roars back, broken hero to broken hero. "Even through all the pain, this world is worth protecting! Its people are worth protecting, Renais! I'll show you that again, as many times as I have to!!"
Root of Evil, Lamia calls him again. But he encourages him, too. Cataphract disperses, as it has before. Leaving her open. Guy braces himself for Hell & Heaven. But.
But.
Whatever Akane and Alouette were at - possibly discussing co-op mute button rules - Alouette drops like a rock. "These readings...No! She'll kill herself!" She thumbs the comm. "Guy! She's going to--"
"Hell and Heaven," Guy whispers, breathless and horrified. "How many G-Stones are in that machine?"
"Just the one in her arm! If she tries to fuse the two powers through that...it's not meant for that throughput! Her body won't take it! She'll blow out like a fuse!"
Guy starts thinking wildly - and the conversation leaves the audible. Guy and Alouette transfer to what amounts to an IM window, firing thoughts back and forth in text in the space of seconds. Dividing Driver? Too far away. Pull the hands apart? Won't work. A counter?
They both stop at that one, remembering the grim fate of the Repli-Mamoru who lost a Hell & Heaven clash in Repli-GaoGaiGar; and THAT was with a Loud G-Stone, not a cyborg-scale one!
No, they both agree.
And that panic allows her to finish the combination. All Guy can do is grit his teeth, throw up a Protect Wall, and pray.
<Pose Tracker> Alexis Kerib has posed.
As Renais begins her chant, Alexis pops up in Guy's... mental skit window again. Just for him, this time -- not even for Akane.
"Ah... things are getting worse," he says, as those arms -- systems the Black Mazin was never meant to have -- draw closer to each other.
He asks a simple question -- one Guy may find that sort of almost-familiar. The familiar-and-not of momentary deja vu. "Tell me, Evoluder: what is your soul crying out for?"
<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.
Nidaime knows Sayla is there.
She wonders if she's dissapointing her. If she was older, would she still be as worried? Is it because she does not fight?
Renais is almost wholly focused on the fight in front of her, and considering the circumstances it's hard to blame her.
She wonders what it'd be like to be one of those fancy women dolling about, in the nice suits. What do they feel like when Chibodee is fighting and in danger? How do they help him?
She knows she's been relying on her father but she's just a kid.
Well, she's not really a kid, but she feels like one. And in this moment, she feels even younger than before. Renais is fighting everyone out of love and mercy? How is fighting to this desperate extent mercy? There is no goal here beyond, well, kill or be killed as far as she can tell. She doesn't understand. And with every moment she doesn't understand, she feels more childish.
Her body shrinks accordingly. She can grow nice and big, but her sleeves hang off her shoulders, her hood droops over her face, hiding her eyes. She wants to be a big tall cool adult that smells nice.
But wanting that so much is a sure sign of being a child isn't it?
"I don't get it," Nidaime murmurs. "I don't."
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
Not even Akane. Alouette detects a blip and goes chasing what she thinks is Gridman Sigma being a cyborg ghost again. She's more right than she knows, but not on the right track.
It feels like the space between microseconds. Maybe it is.
"I need....to save her," he grits out.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
... oh. That's the *open* comms button. Akane grimaces a little. "Ahah... maybe a little," she says, with a nervous laugh. Turning to Alouette, she says, "Wow. I've met a lot of people like that... that other world sounds even more messed up than I thought at first." It's a good thing she's withdrawn to her own space. Apparently it's just not safe for a young lady over there.
Bravery this, courage that. Eugh. If it didn't seem like things were on track for this to work out just the way she wanted, Akane would retch a bit. Then again, that's the nice part about heroes, right? They just... think that way. You can always count on them to take that direct route to victory --
Oh, right. ... That's the problem here, too, isn't it...?
Renais breaks through the 'Betterman's' grip, and --
Akane pales. She took Go'yavec's loss in stride -- but this...? She can't have it end this way. She'd already asked him to take care of it. Those red eyes tilt down at her tablet, and she mouths, quietly:
"... Alexis Kerib..."
<Pose Tracker> Alexis Kerib has posed.
Akane turns a key.
Guy turns a key.
And really -- don't these things often require two separate approvals...? That's good enough for Alexis.
"Ah. You finally pulled the trigger," Alexis says, panels dancing across his face before coming to rest, for a moment, in a grin. From the distance of a battle, it'd be hard to see that anything's changed -- that those panels are anything but the flat, impassive squares they've always been, the crutch Alexis uses to create the illusion of movement to go with his speech.
Up close, though -- they deform. Up close, the shine of the sunset off his visor isn't enough to hide those bright golden eyes. Up close, one could see: Alexis can smile. Indeed, an even smaller few know: it's the mask that *enables* that expression, rather than hiding it.
He is, in an instant, from one unobserved space in Tsutsujidai atop the sluice gate to another atop a building at the midpoint between GaoFighGar and Reine Noire. He steps out into the sky as if walking across glass. Despite the urgency of the situation, he remains unhurried. As he walks, he seems to grow -- not to the size of an Ultraman, but...
... there's a lot of ambient emotional energy to siphon off.
"I was getting tired of waiting."
It's rare for Alexis to show his hand -- literally and metaphorically. He strides out, and with a flick of a wrist, reveals one arm from his cloak, then another. A bright red spear issues forth in short order -- appearing as if by sleight of hand. Alexis squares up; the impact will be painful.
Even devils don't enjoy that over-much.
Reine Noire's cockpit meets Alexis. The spear, at least, holds against the impact enough to turn the glass of a Mazin's cockpit to shards. Alexis, at first glance, doesn't look like he does; those shards -- and the metal surrounding them -- bite into him. There's a spray of energy of... less-than-clear origin, obscuring the whole situation from sight.
When it clears, Alexis -- now but the size of a particularly tall human -- stands where he'd interrupted Reine Noire's charge. The Mazin itself has been... divested of its cockpit.
A fountain of orange sprays out of Renais, with a bright orange glow casting Alexis's already-black form in even deeper silhouette.
KTS: Alexis Kerib has deployed in Kyodai Alexis Kerib (Empty).
KTS: Alexis Kerib has activated the Trick Spirit Command. KTS: Alexis Kerib has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Alexis Kerib has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Alexis Kerib targets Renais Cardiff with Stagnation! KTS: Alexis Kerib anchors Renais Cardiff, forcing her into close range. KTS: Renais Cardiff fails to react to Alexis Kerib's Stagnation, taking 3525 damage! KTS: Renais Cardiff's Conqueror Queen Reine Noire has been disabled. <Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.
Renais sees Alexis step into her path, and she sees the spear in his hand.
There's less than a second to dodge... he's too close. Even if she tries--
She's barely able to lament the fractions of time left to make peace with her death, before the cockpit glass smashes inward.
i'm sorry
Alexis' spear bites into flesh. It tears through Renais' belly and out her back, and a fountain of... orange...? sprays out behind it...
As it subsides, blood gushes from the wound. Her eyes are wide and half-empty as she coughs up a gout of it, spilling onto Alexis. The last thing she sees before she loses consciousness is that grin--the Hyper Devil, the eyes behind the sunglasses...
For psychics, a certain aspect, a tint to her thoughts, seems to lift like a veil, briefly before she lapses into a dreamless sleep...
The crumbling Mazin, however, keeps moving. Armor and structure alike slough off like it's cracker instead of metal, the light in its belly dying as it smashes into GaoFighGar.
There is no force left behind it. The skeletal thing simply hangs limp against the King of Braves before falling to the ground.
Renais hangs limp on the spear.
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
Alexis...acts. Guy watches the eye-bending thing occur. His Evoluder senses understand it in a way his human mind doesn't, entirely. It makes sense, using an intuition that only the G-Stone knows.
The spear through her. The spray of orange gushing out. Fountains and fountains and fountains of it, enough to drown the world - he shakes his head and the vision clears. GaoFighGar catches the crumpled Mazin, and then there's a final loud cry: "FUSION OUT!"
GaoFighGar's running lights go dark, and from within the machine emerges Guy Shishioh in his ID Armor - glowing a bright, G-Stone green and flying effortlessly in Purification Mode. He floats down to where Renais lies, bleeding and slumped over.
He looks over to Alexis, staring at the Hyper Devil for several long seconds. He can feel it now, the flow of this horrible thing; just a little, but this close...
He reaches out, hands extended, fingers posed just so. "Curatio!" he cries out, and power begins gushing out of him, the color around him growing brighter and brighter. "Teneritas, sectio, salus!"
He thrusts both arms down, pouring all of that surging Power of Protection into Renais and into the Mazinger, blasting away the already-rebuilding pools of Oath Over Omega with the G-Stone's light.
"Coctura!"
The light fades, several seconds later. A red Mini Cooper skids around the ruined corner, coming to an abrupt stop in sight of the tableau.
Alouette takes several long, anxious breaths.
And then, she says for all, "Z0-Similar reading....zero," and breaks out in a wide smile. "It worked!!"
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
It had seemed so in the bag, it's why she'd ordered Rikka to retreat. The Betterman had her secured, only for Geed to take a big hit, and Unit 02 to cover him. Still, it should be fine as long as-
"Hostia! Rikka, we need to get back out there before-"
Damnit, she's started the attack- Can they... No. There's no happy ending here. "...Rikka, give me the controls and tell me the strongest weapon this has. We need to end this before Guy dies."
This is no longer a rescue mission. Sorry, Guy. Sorry, Akane. But it looks like GGG have run out of miracles.
And then someone intervenes. The figure with the mask. Her eyes lock on him. The too convenient assistant. He squares up in front of the Reine Noire, growing and ready. Waiting to strike.
Sayla's mouth twists in distaste, and suspicion on her face becomes distrust. "...You're enjoying this." He'd been waiting. He'd had to know at least some of the plan, this can't have been chance, could it?
And then she sees what he did, and Sayla swears again, this time out of shock. "Is that... Triple Zero?" The matter of the last universe, the Oath Over Omega in physical form. "Stay back," comes over the comms, "until 3G give us the all clear, I don't want anyone going near that substance." Her voice is remaining calm, even cold. "We'll move in once we know it's safe, and not a second before. Understood?" She pauses. "...That goes double for you, Akane. Please wait until we're sure it's safe." She doesn't want the girl getting anywhere near someone who could do THAT to a Mazin, or a cyborg like Renais.
Sayla looks to the medical equipment she had brought to the Synchrotank. She doesn't have as much experience but... As soon as 3G DOES say it's okay, she's moving in.
Guy charges in, and with the power of the G-Stone, the power of Protection, that magic to save a person's twisted heart that GGG carries.
She envies it, somewhat, but could it heal a heart that twisted itself? It's better not to think about. Far too late.
'It worked!' comes from Alouette, and Sayla nods. "Rikka, take us in. Now." She grimaces.
Alexis Kerib. That's a name she'll have to keep on her mind. This time was neither bravery, or luck. It was someone else deciding to play their own game. And if that was the case, Sayla would have to learn the rules- and how to cheat.
<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.
Nidaime had heard stories of Kahn Digifer in her life. But it had always been a sort of...love story. Sure, he ewas the wicked witch in that love story but it was still a story of love and maybe a detail here and there wasn't really dwelled upon so as to make the story less frightening for a young child.
But the extent to harm others that he and entities like him is made clear in a singular horrifying moment--the second most horrifying moment of Nidaime's life.
The first, of course, is when the 'Uncle' known as Master Asia killed all the other aunts and uncles of the original Shuffle Alliance.
But it's a close second. It's strangely not the apology that does it--not alone, though it certainly doesn't help--that little tint of empathic energy lifting is almost missed completely due to the way the Mazin hangs off a spear in its belly--
--a spear through Renais's belly.
Nidaime covers her mouth to stop from screaming. This is someone she scarcely knows. And yet.
Nidaime had tried to be so careful. Moving around like a rat under the distorted gut of Tsutsujidai.
She walks towards the battlefield, her body distorting and growing larger with each step. She isn't reverting to her original state, however, but is rather growing, bigger and bigger until she's towering in height, nearly the size of one of those buildings Renais had been tearing apart.
The Nidaime musk is only more intense as she reveals her true form, fangs the size of men clenched as she growls at Alexis Kerib. Growling like an angry guard dog at an intruder.
Or perhaps someone who has stolen one's home away. She knows she's brimming negatively in the moment, that this is only precisely what Alexis wants--but one can only be so positive in the face of such cruelty and remain...human?
Or to remain Nidaime, at least.
She doesn't shout 'how could you!' or 'you monster!' because while these things are true it is meaningless to something like Alexis.
So it's just growling, almost ferally, until she yells one word, voice thundering.
"LEAVE!"
The tears bubble up around her eyes, so unlike a true kaiju though the smell and growl and the pull of something just an inch away from biting is anything but human.
But even so she doesn't strike. Maybe she would have, but Guy Shishioh says something--
No that isn't quite right. Shishioh FEELS something unusual. Nidaime's rage, pain, and sorrow pull back--not entirely--but it is probably what stalls Nidaime from taking a direct action in the moment.
She hunches over protectively near the ruins of Renais like a grumpy mutt, hands and feet on the floor head hunched down into her shoulders like she's about to pounce.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
It seems like things are going well... Until they don't. Synchrotank is behind cover, but still close enough that they can see what's going on. She starts to move in, but then Sayla requests she hands over the controls.
"It's... uh, it's the cannons, but there might not be enough water left for a good shot. You might - you might need to use the vulcans..." Rikka says hurriedly, as she starts the transfer process. Just as she's about to complete it... someone intervenes.
It takes her a second to recognize him as the masked figure from before. The Reine Noire is torn through. And Renais...
"...O-oh my God." Rikka gasps out, clasping her hands over her mouth in horror at the sight of Renais skewered upon the spear. It's... very visceral, in a way she's never personally witnessed before. And yet... she's still alive, thanks to Guy's intervention - and purified? It worked.
Rikka is relieved, if still a little shaken from everything that happened.
"R-right." Rikka says, quickly driving Synchrotank over. She'll exit the unit along with Sayla.
"Is... is she alright? Is there anything I can do to help?" Rikka asks, concern evident in the way she carries herself. Her attention is drawn, too, toward Nidaime, and the way she stands protectively over Renais.
"Nidaime..." Rikka murmurs. She doesn't know why she's so upset. She doesn't have the context yet. She takes a cautious step toward her, trying not to make too sudden a movement so as to startle her.
<Pose Tracker> Alexis Kerib has posed.
Alexis keeps the spear firmly in place -- Renais firmly pinned -- until at last Guy finishes purifying Renais. "The Aura of Dawn holds fast. You can feel it, yes?" He withdraws the spear. It retreats into his cloak -- as do his hands -- as does everything. It is as if he never moved, even though it wasn't that long ago that he was crashing against the Black Mazin. "I do hope this exercise has given you an appreciation -- all around -- for a G-Stone's limits!"
His implication is plain to see: neither Alexis, nor Guy, would have been enough to purify Renais without killing her, here.
Everyone starts to approach. Alexis realizes that this situation could get out of hand quickly, were he to stay -- especially as Nidaime takes center stage, growls at him, barks at him to leave. "Well! Far be it from me to interrupt a tear-streaked reunion, in that case," he says. The spires on his shoulders twitch up, then down, in a shrug.
He turns -- walks -- passes a piece of debris -- is gone, and does not emerge.
Akane peeks out from Porc-Auto, slow and tentative -- she was told to stay back, after all. "... that was really something, huh," she asks, sounding exhausted. This is everything she worked for, and everyone she reached out to proved themselves utterly reliable and then some. But...
It's wrong to feel good about this, Akane thinks, despite the fact that she *very much* feels happy and relieved first and foremost. Renais is no doubt in agonizing pain. Alexis took a big risk for her. *Everyone* took a big risk, at that.
It's not that she *doesn't* feel good, mind. Plan set out, plan executed, plan successful! But...
She overthinks the situation, over and over, in an instant that feels like a year.
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
Alexis teaches Guy a lesson, and one he's not likely to forget. "Limits," he says. That's never been something he's been content to accept. But...he can't deny that he ran into one here. Something to contemplate in the days to come.
So before Alexis leaves, twisted though his help was, he says it anyway: "Thank you, Alexis Kerib. Whatever happens next...thank you for this."
Nidaime's mounting anger gets his attention - he feels so much more RAW, in Purification Mode, the G-Stone's infinite information circuit sending and receiving on a layer Guy has largely left untouched. But the light fades, and with it the danger, and he sees her settle for guarding his injured cousin. He's about to step forward himself, to thank the allies who got them this far, when a sudden wave of exhaustion washes across him. He might fall out of the sky completely!
Except the third member of the Porc-Auto team shows up, the helicopter GunHawk scooting up from wherever the heck it parked. Guy slips into the open door and collapses back against it. "One down," he says out loud, his voice funneled to the duo in Porc-Auto.
"Yes," Porc-Auto himself says. "It's...I..."
There is a long, awkward silence. Perhaps a man with tears would be weeping.
"Thank you for saving my partner, both of you," Porc-Auto says, with all possible sincerity. "From the deepest part of my AI Block. Thank you."
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
That tinted veil lifts from Renais' mind as surely as that flood of orange leaves her once Alexis' spear thrusts through her. Kaworu's eyes narrow.
"...."
Are things better or worse this way? Alexis is far from the man he once was, but he is still, more or less, a "man." The implacable nature of the Triple Zero energy meant that saving Renais was always going to be a gamble, and surely Guy will want to save the rest of his compatriots too. To put themselves in Alexis's debt to do so, though...
Either way, it's already done. Kaworu lets out a faint sigh. Violent though the expulsion was, Renais will recover. He's not the only one hostile to Alexis here, either. Now that he's left, everyone will see to the injured, Renais and otherwise.
Unit-02 will take her own sort of leave, too. There one moment, and the next, an instant after attention has moved away from her, gone.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla has her medical supplies, rushing toward the scene, as Alexis leaves. Sayla is neither as kind as Guy or as loud as Nidaime. But she can see the young Kaqiju getting distressed and, well, large. But she can't focus on that. She moves to Renais- whether Alexis has finished leaving or not. She's blocking everyone else and-
"Rikka, go check on Akane. She's in the red car- Porc-auto." She pauses. "And then see if you can get someone to get the stretcher I put in the Synchrotank. Not immediately. But I need to work." She opens the box, putting on a mask and gloves. She moves in, opening Renais' cooling coat and... Damnit. That's a lot of blood. A lot. It's too early to pat themselves on the back. She grabs a disenfectant spray from the box, and inspects the wound.
Renais' body is hot. Unnervingly so. That might be the cybernetics working, or just how she runs. "...We're not done, Guy. Miss Alouette, yes? Do you have a medivac prepared? Her cybernetics are working to repair, and there's nothing vital, but we need to stop her bleeding out. I don't want to move her unnecessarily but I want to be able to get her going as fast as possible after."
This is the space she can save people. It's why she keeps her skills up to date, as she begins work on the large, brutal wound. When Alexis starts to anger her though, Sayla speaks without looking up. "Nidaime. It'll be okay this time. Trust me, okay?" She can hear the distress, and Sayla speaks with a more soothing tone than she has all night. But the right tone for the right audience. She looks up at Guy. "...Leave her to me." She isn't sure if GaoFighGar takes the toll on Guy's body GaoGaiGar did, but. "...it might be good to have someone by her side. Akane should be there too, if she can." She shouldn't have trouble skipping school for that.
The doctor continues her work, focused intently. The rest of Tsutsujidai might as well be gone right now.
<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.
It probably would have been less devastating if Alexis's did some stereotypical villain thing and laughed in her face. Instead, he is faux-polite which threatens to only push Nidaime further. She does not see what Alexis did as 'help' even if, of course, it technically was.
The anger starts to fade, it's a nice flash hot feeling but it's hard and she knows the longer she stays angry the sadder she will be when it leaves her drained.
And Renais seems to not be dead after all, even if the cruelty of the moment will never leave her. Her head turns to Rikka in the Tank.
".....The cool thing about Gridman..." Nidaime says, struggling to compose herself. "Isn't that he protects people. Lots of people protect..."
"Gridman... He..."
She trails off. If she spells it out right here, right now---
Sayla says things will be okay. Nidaime never doubts Sayla. In a world of dramatic heroes and tragic figures, Sayla is inevitably the adult in the room. Sayla is everything Nidaime wishes she could be one day, easily the origin of the 'Oooh Chibodee Gals have so much style!' thread running in Nidaime's consciousness.
"I trust you." She says. "I'm sorry for using my yelly voice." She WAS outdoors, at least, Nidaime thinks in a moment of relief. Imagine if she had used her yelly voice INSIDE. Then Sayla would probably have scolded her. A fate worse than death.
She's about to thank Porc-Auto when she realizes that she just showed her kaiju form to Rikka and she startles a bit because she normally is pretty shy about that aas far as humans she doesn't know too well goes and she hops up to her feet, lightly and carefully considering the mass, and says, "You're welcome bye bye!"
And she crouches behind a building and--
--has returned to kid form in the process, quickly vanishing in distant crowds. If Renais is in Sayla's hands she has nothing to worry about.
But she worries all the same.
<Pose Tracker> Soldato J-002 has posed.
LATER
Swan White brushes her hair back as she steps through the ES Window onto the Tsukuyomi's command deck. "Chief?"
Taiga doesn't look up from the desk. "How is he?"
"Well he ain't daijobu, I'll tell you that much." She walks over and sits down at one of the chairs. "Just starin' out the window. Tomoro-chan, he ain't talkin' neither. I think J told him to button his yap. I think he-"
"I can guess."
"Yeah, I betcha can, can'tcha." Swan purses her lips. "We ain't known him that well that long but that bird wears his kokoro on his sleeve almost as much as Guy does."
"He does, doesn't he," Mikoto says as she enters the room. "I know how he feels, though. I know he's just.." She wrings her hands.
HE DOESN'T SLEEP.
Tomoro's words flash across the screen. Mikoto winces. "He just...he's gonna be standing there all day, isn't he? And all night, and..."
AFFIRMATIVE.
"...just...."
HE WILL NOT ACCEPT THAT THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE. IT IS NOT IN HIS NATURE.
"Will it compromise the plan?" Taiga asks.
NEGATIVE.
"Is there anything we can do for him?" Mikoto asks. "We...said we were friends, remember? When we came back, we told him he had friends now, and...I don't like this."
NEGATIVE.
The desk flicks to an image feed from the J-Ark. The camera runs for a full ten minutes before it cuts. Not once in all of those ten minutes does J move from the window. Not once in all of those ten minutes does he even so much as twitch a muscle. All the while, beneath that helmet, as the Gutsy Galaxy Guard watches and worries, he is nothing but a statue, staring out into the depths of space towards the distant blue planet.
"....she can't come back, either," Mikoto says quietly, "Just like Guy..."
"Just like Guy," Swan agrees morbidly as the feed shuts off. "We just gotta..."
"We all knew we would have to die for the Cosmic Law," Taiga reminds them as he stands, "It just wasn't supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be peaceful for us. We would go unified."
"Yeah."
"...he's that kind of guy, isn't he?"
"...probably."
Swan winces. "Mikoto...I ain't envy you, but..."
"But J's the kind of person who has to clean up his own mess," Mikoto says quietly, "Is that what you're thinking?"
Swan nods. "I bet..." She looks over at the vast white ark through the Tsukuyomi's viewport, the great flagship, the lonely warrior of the Red Planet's vessel. "...I bet, in the back of his mind..."
"...he's tryin' to figure out if he's gonna have to kill her himself."
"...." Mikoto wrings her hands again. "...what an awful thing to have to wonder...I can't even imagine. I couldn't do that to Guy, not with my own hands, I..."
"Yeah, well...he's built different than us."
Mikoto's fingers run across the desk. Very quietly, she says, "I'm not so sure."
She looks back over at the White Ark once more. She can see him in the window. When she went to bed that night, she would look again, and he would still be there. When she woke again, he would still be there. Staring. Silently. Into the night. Waiting for something that could never be.