"Damn you..." "Lt. Marito!" "All units, spread out!" "No go, huh?" "I thought that if it was also using lightning to attack, there would be an opening while it switched over." "Looks like it isn't going to be that easy." "In which case, what are our other options...?" "Lt. Marito!" "Message from the Deucalion!" "HQ has ordered us to pull out." "Pull out?" "All our forces?" "Dales and Orlov Platoons should have gotten the order by now." "But..." "But what?" "Retreat!" "Retreat!" "Dales 22!" "Where is he?" "!" "Where's the enemy?" "!" "Commander!" "That invisible Kataphraktos we failed to destroy is over there." "Crap." "Clydesdale Leader to Orlov Leader, can you hear me?" "Retreat!" "This is..." "Orlov Leader." "Impossible..." "I'm the... only..." "Lightning and Invisibility..." "And one other?" "Order them to continue." "Encircle and eliminate." "As you wish, Milord." "Princess Asseylum?" "What is this?" "!" "I have done all I can." "The rest is up to her." "I'm sorry, Slaine..." "No..." "Dales 11!" "Clydesdale Leader!" "Kaizuka Jr.!" "Please pull out!" "The smoke screen should obstruct the enemy's vision a little." "Go!" "R-Roger!" "Plus..." "We can use this smoke to attack." " Found him." " To the right!" "Get clear!" "Mustang Leader!" "What's going on, Kaizuka," "I thought you were going to keep Lightning busy!" "Sorry." "Its fire suddenly shifted, like it was concentrating in your direction." "Crap..." "We're surrounded?" "!" "Looks that way." "The Deucalion?" "Damage report!" "We're okay!" "We're managing to discharge it!" "Set us down and extract all Kataphraktoi." "Here, ma'am?" "That's right in the middle of the enemy!" "We're landing!" "KCAS, 10 knots." "You're descending too fast, and there's a strong tail wind!" "We're okay!" "The Aldnoah drive is handling it!" "Antigrav device to maximum!" "Vertical speed, 1,200 feet per second!" "Get aboard!" "Guide in Dales Platoon, hurry!" "Open ventral hatch!" "Retrieve all Kataphraktoi!" "At our 9 o'clock!" "Enemy Kataphraktos closing in!" "Fire main guns!" "Kataphraktoi retrieval complete!" "We're leaving!" "What's that?" "Another enemy Kataphraktos to aft!" "Same type as the one we just destroyed!" "Reinforcements?" "Another at our 2 o'clock!" "These aren't reinforcements!" "They're..." "Enemy returns, 12... 16... 24..." "Number keeps climbing!" "A duplication ability?" "All ahead full!" "Damn it..." "Weather radar, Doppler radar, both offline!" "Crap..." "Our discharge system must've been damaged by Invisibility's arrow." "Radio's out, too!" "GPS display lost, 2D radar also offline!" "No way!" "Stay calm!" "Continue ascent!" "Yes, ma'am." "I see." "You are amenable to serving Count Troyard, then?" "Yes." "I shall pass word along at once." "There is one other favor I would ask of you." "What is it?" "Might I be granted an audience with Princess Asseylum?" "What?" "A personal audience with Her Highness?" "Yes." "And if possible, with Count Troyard as well." "That is no small task..." "However, I will endeavor to see that you are accommodated." "It will come at a price." "I understand." "I must say, defeat normally causes a man to lose his way, but not you." "Beg pardon?" "Getting into the good graces of not only Count Troyard, but Princess Asseylum as well, would be most beneficial." "However, do not wear your ambition on your sleeve." "There is a chance that it might trip you up." "Of course..." "Princess Asseylum is an imposter." "I'm going into space." "Prepare a shuttle." "Congratulations on your victory, Milord Slaine." "This is no cause for celebration, not when the enemy escaped." "The objective of securing territory was accomplished." "Is that not success enough?" "This is sure to cause more knights to swear loyalty to you." "We cannot let our guard down." "Nothing is less reliable than a knight's vow of loyalty." "I am well aware, Milord." "And about that request from Count Barouhcruz?" "What answer shall I give?" "Go ahead." "Milord?" "Mazuurek, his name was?" "If he wants to see the princess, let him see her." "She is happily fulfilling her role of extending our power base." "For the time being, at least." "It's no use." "This goes way beyond a quick fix." "You're kidding..." "Night vision's also out, so I can't even fly by eye." "What's malfunctioning?" "The sensor system?" "How did you know, Lt. Kaizuka?" "It's easy to tell." "It's faint, but the fuselage is carrying a charge." "With this ship, engine-related malfunctions are unlikely." "In which case..." "A-Anyway, help us out!" "We're all kinds of screwed!" "You should lower our altitude a little." "Low enough to keep us off enemy radar." "But the altimeter and GPWS are both dead, so I'm scared to take us too low." "I can tell how high we are." "We're at 9,200 now." "You can see all that?" "Can you also pick up VOR stations?" "Yes." "Once you have both signals, tell me." "I'll calculate our radial." "All right." "What's our heading?" "I was trying to put us on 110." "You're almost there." "Fly at an offset of 3 degrees for 2 minutes." "Then straighten out and maintain heading." "This is bad..." "Are we caught in some nasty turbulence?" "It looks like it goes on for a while." "Just to be safe, you should..." "I've got this." "I can handle this much." "Same goes for earlier." "So I see." "From here on out, it looks like it's experience that's most important." "Once I pick up an LLG, I'll let you know." "Right!" "Thank you." "Actually, we should be thanking you for earlier." "Lt. Marito was pretty surprised that you would do something so crazy." ""You're the last person I want to hear that from." Tell him I said that." "Oh, is that so?" "Preparations for the founding are proceeding smoothly, then?" "Yes." "I can hardly wait for this new kingdom." "And to be able to go to your homeworld." "It is a world inhabited by vulgar trash." "It is hardly the restful place conjured up by the word "home."" "Rather, I never had such a place to begin with." "Neither did I." "There is nowhere that I might find solace, neither on Vers or in royal standing." "Slaine." "Anywhere that I may be together with you, more than anywhere else, that is my..." "You honor me." "I shall call on you again later, then." "Slaine, dinner is ready." "My apologies, but there are still pressing matters that I must attend to." "Please forgive me." "Ina" "Oh, Inko." "What's the matter?" "Um, about yesterday." "Nina was gushing about how you helped out." "Oh." "Sure." "Uh..." "Is something wrong?" "What would be wrong?" "What do you mean, what?" "Look, it's nothing, but..." "What do you think about the enemy coordinating their actions?" "Maybe they're so hard pressed that they've been forced to swallow their pride." "Judging from the outcome, I don't think we have much to fear." "Do you suppose it's connected to that proclamation, then?" "That Orbital Knight named Slaine Troyard who is behind Princess Asseylum..." "The way I hear it, he one-ups even Kaizuka Jr." "If this opponent really is setting things into motion with a goal in mind, it's not a simple scheme that we can counter with just superior resources." "Enter." "PFC Matsuribi, entering." "Message from HQ, ma'am." "A request for reinforcements?" ""Launch all-out attack on captured territory and retake it."" "Throw sheer numbers at them?" "That's the long and short of it." "And how have you been feeling since?" "Physically, I feel fine." "My memory, however..." "It is still rather hazy." "That is hardly surprising." "The very fact that you regained consciousness was a miracle." "Please..." "Please do not force yourself to remember." "Thank you, Slaine." "I'm afraid that I must take my leave now." "Please get some rest." "I will." "I shall return." "Please look after Her Highness." "Excuse me, Milord Slaine..." "I can guess what it is that you wish to ask." "The proclamation, yes?" "Taking me as her husband and founding a country..." "That proclamation issued by Princess Lemrina was entirely the result of the weakness in my heart." ""Princess Asseylum is sure to wake up."" "I tried to hold on to that belief but failed, having given up somewhere deep down." "But then a miracle happened, as if to reprimand me for being such a fool." "With the situation having changed so drastically, what I must think about now is, how can I make Her Highness happy?" "That, and that alone." "But what of Princess Lemrina?" "As to what she is looking for..." "I can tell." "The same thing as me, I suspect." "A place where she can find solace." "But that is something that neither of us will ever obtain." "We mustn't tell her everything yet." "But even if she looks down on or derides me for what I am doing here," "I do not particularly mind." "It's ironic." "I had waited with such hope for Her Highness to awaken." "But now, what I hope for is that her memory never returns." "Your newfound resolve to serve my trusted Count Troyard fills me with such joy that I cannot contain it." "Your Highness is too kind." "I am fully prepared to serve both Your Highness and Count Troyard with wholehearted devotion." "I, too, was touched by Count Mazuurek's drive as he swore to rise up once again for the sake of Vers' future even as he was held prisoner on Earth." "Begging Your Highness' pardon..." "I am given to understand that you once underwent similar hardships on Earth." "Yes, something similar." "Terrans are all such... vulgar trash." "There was not a single one that Your Highness grew close to?" "Close to?" "I think not." "I left all interaction with Terrans to my handmaiden." "I once entertained the notion of reconciling with those people, but I now see what a fool I was." "Why is Slaine not here at a time like this?" "Lord Slaine is rushing about, making preparations for the new operation." "He said as much earlier." "He has been locking himself away in his castle far too often lately." "Whatever he is doing, can he not do it here?" "I am told that precious resources are involved." "Then I shall go to him." "Highness, you" "I shall go over to the Landing Castle." "Your Highness!" "Are you unharmed, Highness?" "I do apologize." "How long will it be..." "Tell me, how long will it be..." "I shall see you to your room, Highness." "Please pardon the delay, Count Mazuurek." "Please follow me to the parlor." "You seem to have finished checking my credentials." "I deeply apologize." "Not at all, it is I who committed a grave blunder." "To think that my ship broke down..." "How fortunate for me that you were in the vicinity." "Oh, I see..." "Count Troyard is still at the moonbase." "Yes, Milord." "I regret to say that you have missed him." "Lord Harklight is on his way here now." "I made my move as soon as I was certain that he was not here." "Troyard is commuting between here and the moonbase more than is necessary." "Meaning that the princess' location must be..." "Please wait here." "Are these Terran flowers?" "Yes." "This castle has undergone quite the transformation." "You can tell, Milord?" "I was an acquaintance of its former master." "He detested all things Terran, fearing that they harbored microorganisms." "There is no such worry here." "Terran flowers are perfectly safe" "Oh, you have been to Earth, then?" "N-No, that is only what I have heard." "I had heard that Princess Asseylum had an attendant, but I did not expect" "No." "I mean..." "Her Highness went to Earth alone." "No one is speaking of Earth." "I-I must be going!" "You truly have not gone there?" "Do you know what happened on Earth?" "What about a boy named Inaho Kaizuka?" "How long will it be..." "Tell me, sister..." "How long will it be before you release your grip on his feelings?" "For me?" "Yes, Milady." "He said that he wanted me to give it to you." "To the princess who knew about Earth." "This is..." "Milady!" "I..." "I..."