"Why are you doing this?" "I want you to go back to your Landing Castle and find out where the real Princess Asseylum is." "Why me?" "Because you want the same thing as Princess Asseylum." "There's one other thing that I want you to find out for me." "What Slaine Troyard's objective is." "Objective?" "Take this." "When you meet Princess Asseylum, show this to her." "She'll know that you are on our side." "Milady!" "What happened after that, Harklight?" "Pacification of the Lake Victoria area centered around the Landing Castle touchdown point is complete." "Well done." "The might of a united front by multiple Orbital Knights struck fear into more than the UFE, I'd wager." "I believe that this success will have impressed upon everyone the value of a leader." "Because they never expected a difficult fight on Earth, not with the power of Aldnoah at their disposal." "Aldnoah..." "Count Saazbaum lamented our hierarchical society based on Aldnoah activation rights." "He even believed it was a mistake to live on Mars in the first place." "Because they had the power to do so, humans migrated to Mars and began the war." "Princess Asseylum, Princess Lemrina..." "Both are victims of Aldnoah." "That holds true for us, as well." "But our days of being swallowed by that power are at an end." "Using the territory we gained in this battle as a beachhead, we will eventually expand our domain across the entire Earth." "And then, by combining the power of Aldnoah with bountiful resources, we will build our world." "Repair status?" "Not good, ma'am." "The wiring is fried, and it's taking a long time to replace it." "A mission at a time like this...?" "The Deucalion is grounded, so our Kataphraktoi platoons will have to be transported via landing craft to the battle line." "Our two platoons will attack the Landing" "Castle from the north and cause a disturbance and provide cover for the assault force that will attack from the southwest." ""Commando unit" has a nice ring to it, but we're really just sacrificial pawns." "Perhaps Command has calculated that the odds are in their favor somehow." "Do you think those odds extend to us?" "I don't, ma'am." "In that case, I suppose we need to run our own set of numbers." "Hey, Kaizuka Jr." "Can that fast thinking of yours do something about those damn Martians?" "It's tricky." "Elektris, which uses electricity as a weapon." "And Skandia, which can turn invisible." "Both are formidable on their own." "And as far as the Ortygia's replication ability goes," "I don't have anywhere near enough data." "Sparks, Dupes, and Houdini." "It's like we're in a Sonny Chiba movie or something." "We know from observation that when the Ortygia splits, it always splits from one into two, never into three or more." "When the second one appears, it's always within a radius of 30 meters." "No matter how much it splits, there's probably only one original that's piloted." "The rest are fakes." "So our only option is to locate and destroy the original." "But how do we do that?" "I guess the only way is to mark the original before it duplicates and track it that way." "If we put up a smoke screen, we can use trails in the smoke to locate the Skandia." "And the lightning?" "Do you have any ideas for that?" "One hit from that, and it'll blow our electronics and actuators." "What about insulators?" "You know, the stuff that doesn't conduct electricity." "Are you stupid?" "What are you, a grade-schooler?" "Why am I stupid?" "What's wrong with that?" "Air already is an insulator." "There's no way to block electricity that's powerful enough to punch through so much insulation." "But what makes it really tricky is the fact that these tough bastards are working together." "Yeah, they're bad enough one at a time." "Hang on..." "I might have an idea." "You're gonna use your eye again?" "Don't worry, it's fine." "I'm always running a mutation code." "It gets more and more optimized over time." "Its predictive ability is even better than before." "Calm, will you do a loadout change for me?" "No problem." "Just tell me what you need." "What I used up there." "I need those." "Princess Lemrina, the invasion of Earth is proceeding without incident." "I see." "I knew that you could do it, Slaine." "On a related note, perhaps you could say a few words to those Orbital Knights who distinguished themselves in battle?" ""Me," you mean?" "Yes." "If Princess Asseylum were to honor their achievements, it would win over more Orbital Knights to our side." ""Our" side?" "Yes, Princess Lemrina." "Very well." "Incidentally, Slaine, what is my sister's condition?" "The reports say that she is still in critical condition." "I see." "For now, all we can do is have faith in the medical staff and entrust her to their care." "That's true, let's pray for a quick recovery." "You shouldn't dwell on it too much either, Slaine." "Thank you for your kind words." "Excuse me, but I must go." "You liar." "Clydesdale Leader to all units!" "All units, spread out!" "Mustang Leader to Mustang 00." "Nao, what's their position?" "Preliminary results are in." "Sending coordinates and timing." "Mustang 11, 22." "Move out." " Roger." " Roger." "Ortygia Master is our first target." "Attack simultaneously and destroy it." "Sorraia Platoon, straight ahead!" "Gotland Platoon, swing around to the west!" "Sorraia Platoon, acknowledged." "Gotland Platoon, acknowledged!" "Master is the third from the right." "Commence attack!" "You thought you had the original?" "Guess again." "I, Orga, will deal with the main enemy force." "Nonius Platoon, Pleven Platoon, launch focused attack on the Skandia and destroy it." "Smoke grenades, fire." "Spotted him!" "Over there!" "Fire, fire, fire, fire!" "Up to the same tricks again?" "What an unimaginative bunch." "Don't you agree, Count Sebring?" "Let's have a little fun with them, Count Raffia!" "The smoke screen vanished?" "!" "Colloids are absorbed by ions." "This is another way to use electricity." "A lightning attack from Invisibility?" "!" "When one dies in battle, it ought to be a beautiful death, don't you think?" "Assuming that you are true Kataphraktos operators." "Main force and assault units both seem to be having trouble!" "Meaning that Lightning and Invisibility are working together." "Mustang 00, what's your status?" "Data collected!" "The smoke screen negation and expanded invisibility field were unexpected, though." "Can you compensate?" "I'll manage." "I see..." "After I lost consciousness, the war has gone on for nearly two years." "Yes, Milady." "And it is Slaine who..." "What in the world is going on?" "Milady, where are you going?" "To see Slaine." "And to learn the truth." "Milady..." "You–." "Why...?" "Why... must you always stand in my way?" "Who are..." "I..." "I am you!" "Using tactical data link to analyze enemy behavior multidimensionally and deduce enemy's habits in battle." "Will deploy friendlies in positions vulnerable to enemies' preferred attack patterns and prompt them to attack." "Whether the analysis will be complete in time, though..." "Sending most recent data." "Take positions!" " Roger." " Roger." "Roger here, too." "He's probably right-handed." "He moves counter-clockwise to make it easier to attack enemies to the left." "I don't like being bait..." "Where is he now?" "He's circling around behind you." "To keep from giving away his position, he should stop his lightning attack and then, once he's behind his target, he'll momentarily come to a stop and take careful aim." "Yuki, now!" "Is he really there?" "Found him!" "Impossible!" "This is Mustang Leader, target spotted!" "Mustang 00, launching." "Roger, Mustang 00!" "Dropping!" "The Skandia's leg...!" "It can't support the Elektris' weight." "Disengage linkup!" "I will handle this!" "Get clear!" "Targets confirmed." "♪ 9, fire." "As I told you, that won't work!" "How about these rounds?" "How?" "!" "Electricity flows from high potential to low potential." "Your lightning won't strike an object with the same electrical potential as you." "That's to keep you from being struck yourself." "Have a taste of this!" "It's too late." "I'm the same potential as you now." "It can't be..." "This is the orange one I've heard about?" "Count Sebring!" "I am sending assistance!" "Hold on!" "Inaho!" "Smoke grenades!" "Gotcha!" "Fire!" "It can't be..." "Curse you, you've killed my comrades..." "You will pay!" "Are you okay, Nao?" "Yeah." "Thanks, Yuki." "9 o'clock!" "Here they come!" "Pick them off!" "You wished to see me, Princess Lemrina?" "Slaine..." "What is the meaning of this?" "Princess Asseylum..." "My sister..." "She has already woken up, hasn't she?" "I always knew that I would have to tell you eventually." "Would you mind explaining yourself?" "Princess Asseylum is not quite herself yet." "I needed to have you continue to portray her until she recovers." "In order to create a new world." "A new world?" "Yes, a world free of worry." "A world of everlasting peace, one without conflict and without sadness." "And who will rule this world?" "Her Highness Asseylum Vers Allusia, of course." "Do you believe that my sister wants such a thing?" "I know that she does not." "That is exactly why I will make it a reality and present it to her." "Your Highness, do you know why wars break out?" "They are a means of negotiation between states." "No." "Wars break out because there is someone to fight against." "To eliminate war, there are two options:" "Invade and assimilate, or utterly exterminate one's adversary so that only you remain." "Mankind's history is a history of conflict." "The very instant that Mars split off from Earth, war was inevitable." "Yes..." "Even if I had not, someone else eventually would have." "You have changed." "You are no longer the Slaine I once knew, are you?" "Princess Asseylum...!" "I told her everything." "In the name of Asseylum Vers Allusia, Princess Royal of the Vers Empire," "I order Count Slaine Saazbaum Troyard to immediately cease all hostilities." "I thought we just needed to take out the master!" "Which is the real one?" "!" "The one we marked wasn't the original!" "Where's it hiding?" "!" "I thought that one of them would be the real one, but maybe I was wrong." "What do you mean, wrong?" "!" "My analysis of the duplicates turned up something interesting." "In the instant that they manifest, the master's state is perfectly preserved, everything from its orientation to its energy state." "Meaning what?" "Maybe he's using quantum teleportation to create copies of himself." "Except the original is left intact instead of being destroyed, effectively creating a duplicate." "Again, meaning what?" "!" "It means that... they're all the real one." "Slave all Kataphraktoi platoon targeting and triggers to me!" "Send request to company command post." "Yes, ma'am!" "Inputting coordinates and vectors for all Ortygias..." "How many more is he gonna make?" "!" "Any time now, Kaizuka Jr.!" "Targets are multiplying." "I need more time to update." "If it's not one thing, it's another!" "Our ammo won't last forever!" "Tactical data link, synchronized." "Slaving all UFE Kataphraktoi targeting to centralized control." "Nao, how much longer?" "!" "We'll only get one chance." "If they're all real..." "All targets locked." "Fire!" "Wow..." "If they're all real, we need to destroy them all at the same time, right?" "Enemy Kataphraktoi eliminated." "You did it, Inaho!" "Yeah." "I'm glad it worked." "I couldn't have done it without you." "Slaine." "Please, put an end to this." "Princess Asseylum." "I cannot obey your order." "You see, I am no longer a citizen of the Vers Empire." "I am terribly sorry." "I must take you both into custody." "Captain, message from General Headquarters." "You'll have about two minutes until the laser communications satellite dips below the horizon, ma'am." "That little?" "Put it on speaker." "This is Darzana Magbaredge, captain of the Deucalion." "This is Vice Admiral Eelis Hakkinen." "That was a brilliant operation." "Retrofit progress status?" "Almost finished." "That's good to hear." "It's equipment that the" "Deucalion will need on her new mission." " A mission in the Satellite Belt, sir?" " No." "You'll be going even higher this time." "You will be briefed later." "Transmission ended." "The laser's gain has dropped." "Comms satellite is leaving line of sight." "His way of saying he won't take no for an answer, huh?" "It sounds like this is going to be a large battle." "Damn it..." "He thinks he can use us however he wants just because the Deucalion has an Aldnoah drive." "A space loadout, ma'am?" "A catapult module..." " Milord Slaine." " What is it?" "The princesses have been made comfortable in their quarters." "I see." "Even if they do not understand what you are trying to accomplish, Milord, I'm sure that one day–" "I don't mind." "Whether or not I can get them to understand is irrelevant." "Milord Slaine, a spaceship is approaching the base." "It is requesting permission to dock." "A spaceship?" "It is a visitor from the Vers homeworld." "So, this is Earth?" "The blue planet where my father lies interred..." "Yes, Count Cruhteo." "Stop that." "I still find it awkward to be addressed by my father's name." "Please call me Cronkine." "As you wish, Milord." "Count Cronkine, then." "Now, what will he be like, I wonder?" "Let's go meet the son of Dr. Troyard."