"Careful!" "You're in my line of fire!" "The Continent of Cruzon." "A place where oil isn't found in the land." "People of the land are all born with a certain ability:" "The ability to freely control quartz." "They refine quartz with high flexibility and create ligaments that can expand and contract at will." "The ligaments control the movement of cams, make wheels spin, and push pistons for compressing air and firing bullets." "People of varying strengths hold the power to control quartz." "People refer to their ability as magic." "Daddy?" "Aren't there any lighter ones?" "I'm sorry, Mr. Arrow." "Even two year olds can levitate these." "If he can't even do it as a five year old, then he's... an un-sorcerer." "Oh, hey Rygart." "What are you up to?" "Hey, you" "Get back here, asshole!" "I'll bring you back a nice souvenir from the capital!" "That idiot took off so he wouldn't have to help with the harvest." "Not like there's anything good waiting for him." "Rygart Arrow?" "King Hodr has summoned you." "Water..." "W-Water..." "I didn't think I'd really find you collapsed here, but King Hodr was right." "Well, I can't use anything that moves with magic." "I'm sure that's how he figured I'd be around here." "He's a clever guy." "So it wasn't just a myth." "You really can't use magic." "Well, sorry about that." "No, it's just you're the first one I've met in my life." "I apologize if I offended you." "Nah, I'm used to it." "So, who are you?" "I'm Baldr, a general of the Krisna Kingdom." "G-General?" "Oh..." "Go around it!" "Soldiers, get back!" "You Athens soldier." "This is for" "Just two shots?" "That's one enormous bullet." "I can't reach." "They're shooting from outside my range." "Fall back!" "Retreat!" "Are you okay?" "Y-Yes." "I'm sorry, Zess." "Captain Zess!" "Cleo!" "Get up already." "I was just about to!" "Lee, I landed it one of my shots!" "Landed on what?" "The enemies." "You just got lucky." "They only brought out three archaic Golems when we're a fair way into their kingdom." "It wouldn't matter if they fought our nation head to head." "We're five times as powerful." "They wouldn't stand a chance." "I'm sure they've focused their units on their capital and the border wall." "Let's go." "The capital, Binonten!" "We're here!" "General Baldr!" "Welcome back." "Thanks for keeping watch." "Oh, you're really a general?" "Guess what, Mom?" "I was the best one in my class!" "Really?" "Listen up, this only costs 3000 yen!" "Rygart, is this your first time here?" "No, I came here once when I was a kid." "My dad brought me." "Ten minutes." "It's too heavy for the low-rank Golem pilots who can't use a pressure gun." "No, even for the high-rank pilots," "I would say five sacks is their limit before they lose control of their ligaments." "We should modify the experimental claymore to be wielded with two hands." "Thank you for your help." "O-Of course." "Queen Sigyn." "Queen Sigyn." "Queen Sigyn." "What should I do here?" "If you don't leave some space open, it'll become difficult to" "Queen Sigyn?" "Rygart Arrow." "Si" "Si-Sigyn." "Why didn't you come to Hodr's and my wedding?" "I was... busy with some stuff." "What's more important than your best friends' wedding?" "I could name lots of things!" "Like the harvest." "So it's not that you don't like us?" "Of course it's not." "Geez..." "I haven't seen you for four years and this is how you greet me?" "I'm so happy to see you, Rygart." "Look at Queen Sigyn's smile!" "Who is that guy anyway?" "He's a friend of the King and Queen from back when they were students." "He's one of those un-sorcerers who's born once in a million years." "I wonder how he's survived without using magic." "What I want to know is why the King summoned him." "Maybe he wants to reminisce on his past." "King Hodr, I've brought Sir Rygart." "Hey." "Thanks for coming." "Check out my chair." "Hodr." "As his wife and a citizen, what do you think about a king who doesn't like his throne?" "I heard you, citizen." "For insulting the king, you'll pay with your life." "I spent five whole days to get here after reading your message, and that's how you treat me?" "Gram, you've gotten bigger." "Thanks for coming, Rygart." "Man, if you're gonna call me here, you should at least tell me why." "Is the Troublemaker Quartet of Assam Military School going to have a reunion?" "Troublemaker?" "Yep!" "A prince who was always looking at the sky to lose some points and avoid the throne, a mad scientist who locked herself up in the school's lab for three days and nights, no sleep, no food, no water, and" "The King of Make-ups." "Then Zess, who we call Mr. Uptight, completes the quartet." "You called him here, too, right?" "Don't you know?" "One month ago, there was a coup d'etat in Assam." "Athens and Orlando both made armed interventions and it resulted in Athens' victory." "Basically, Assam isn't neutral anymore." "It belongs to the Athens." "So the neighboring countries were at war and none of the news ever reached me." "It's not simply a neighboring issue anymore." "I haven't disclosed the news to the citizens yet, but..." "Our Krisnan Army and the Athens Commonwealth are already fighting at the city border." "The defense of the Mizoram Stronghold is tough, but I've also received a report that a small platoon has broken through the grand canyon in the north." "And the captain of that platoon is Zess." "Zess?" "!" "No, that's impossible!" "I mean, I know he's from Athens, and he was also a prodigy pilot, but he hated war more than anyone!" "He enlisted to the army because he wanted to stop his brother who's the Commander of Athens, right?" "The Mizoram Stronghold is holding out well, but..." "It's only a matter of time until they break through that too." "What's up?" "Thanks for the valuable info." "I'll be running away into the mountains with my little brother before all of Krisna becomes a battlefield." "Run away?" "You brainless coward!" "Silence!" "Sir..." "Hodr?" "Rygart, I need your help." "You know my strength." "I can't even fire a normal rifle." "Come with me." "Queen Sigyn." "His Highness seems to trust him very much." "May I know who he is?" "He is a friend from back when we were students." "Well, he doesn't seem to be just any colleague." "He's the only man who could stop a fight between the Commander of Athens' brother and the prince of a kingdom." "He's a rather odd person." "An odd person?" "Yes." "King Hodr!" "Your Highness!" "Rygart, is your father well?" "Oh, he passed away last year." "What?" "!" "What about his funeral?" "Why didn't you invite me?" "We didn't have a funeral." "No one would've come anyway." "He raised two un-sorcerers and went into debt putting me through military school." "He truly thought my power would awaken." "A fool, if you ask me." "I'd say he's an admirable father." "He picked a fight with fate." "I... couldn't." "It's... a Golem, right?" "We dug this up last month when we were mining for quartz." "We suspect it to be a millennium old." "Under-Golem, you may call it." "A millennium old?" "Distance to Binonten?" "About 1200." "Sigyn's been really intrigued by this." "That's why I called you here." "It's the ancient who was in the Golem." "Much to our surprise, that ancient doesn't have a trace of ever controlling quartz." "Basically, this Golem doesn't mobilize with magic." "I had several high-rank pilots try, but not a single one could activate it." "This is nothing more than a Golem mechanic's theory, but the ancients may have been unable to use magic and used a different method to pilot Golems." "A different method?" "Rygart, can you help research this Golem?" "Me?" "If we can further analyze this Golem, we may be able to strengthen our own Golems." "Hey, Hodr." "Are you really going to fight a war with Athens?" "You're no match for them." "Let's surrender." "I wouldn't say this in front of anyone else, but..." "I agree with the idea of surrendering." "What was that?" "Athens has proposed a peace treaty." "Then you can come in terms!" "Under the conditions of surrendering the entire territory to Athens and the divestment of all noble ranks..." "We're under attack!" "We're closing the border gate!" "Go back!" "Then let's surrender." "Those conditions are nothing." "You also used to say that it's ridiculous to choose a ruler through inheritance." "And..." "Where are they firing from?" "What's going on?" "The execution of the Krisnan Royal Family." "Sigyn wasn't born a royal, but it includes her too." "In front of Sigyn and the Prime Minister, I must act as a king." "Rygart, please tell me." "What... should I do?" "They're firing from between two and five o'clock, at least 200 away." "200?" "!" "They seem to have figured out our location." "Okay." "Cleo, go back to your Golem." "Roger." "They didn't write out the last condition." "They had their messenger tell me in person." "Hats off to the Commander." "Commander Loquis wants to take us over, not get on friendly terms." "That's your problem!" "That's what Zess was always so pissed about!" "You act like it doesn't concern you even when your life is in danger!" "As if you've already given up!" "Sorry." "Don't apologize." "I'm not mad." "In any case, we can't fulfill that stupid condition!" "Wait, that alarm..." "Your Majesty!" "We're under attack!" "Rygart!" "Your Majesty, are you okay?" "Rygart!" "Your Majesty, you must evacuate to the castle." "But Rygart's" "Go!" "You're the king for God's sake!" "Hurry it up!" "Please, hurry." "Hang in there!" "We'll come right back to save you." "Sure, thanks." "You're such a pain." "H-How do I open this thing?" "Is this... quartz?" "No, then it wouldn't respond to me." "What the..." "Letters?" "Please, hold!" "There's more of you?" "Fine, I'll change into anti-human bullets." "Are these hieroglyphs?" "The smaller letters resemble the language we use." "New pilot re..." "Who am I kidding, I can't read this." "Tregi..." "What the?" "What?" "What's going on?" "King of Krisna, Hodr!" "Zess, I have achieved our goal!" "Cleo." "What's the enemy's response?" "There's no response." "Is that a new model from Krisna?" "How high did that thing jump?" "Unbelievable..." "Rygart." "Is that an Athenian Golem?" "How do I..." "You're pretty interesting, but this is goodbye!" "I moved the legs last time." "Damn, I forgot to change the bullets back." "It went back." "It took a step back when I pulled the pedal." "The pedal..." "Then I'll push it!" "Stay back!" "I'm alive." "I hope it's not dead." "Wait..." "If it's still alive, what do I do when it wakes up?" "How do I change direction?" "The upper levers control my upper body..." "How do I grab something?" "All right." "Now I can hold them off for a..." "Yeah, right." "What?" "You're still here?" "Hurry up and get out of here!" "And... go call for some backup." "Your Highness!" "It's been a while, Hodr." "No, King Krisna IX." "Zess?" "I'll apprehend you." "But before that..." "Wait, Zess!" "Rygart's inside that Golem!" "Rygart?" "Are you trying to buy time?" "He can't pilot a Golem." "Zess?" "You're dropping out?" "!" "Rygart, it's already a miracle that you were promoted two ranks without using magic!" "If you quit now, you're just proving that the guys who ridiculed you were right!" "He just doesn't have enough money." "Don't be so hard on him." "Hodr." "If I capture you, I can end this foolish war." "I know you aren't the kind of man to joke, but there's no way Rygart would be here!" "Zess!" "Stop, Zess!" "We're moving out!" "Open the gate!" "General Baldr!" "Weren't we defending the wall to keep them out?" "Captain Sakura, I just learned that His Majesty headed to the mining site on the other side of the wall." "What?" "!" "Zess!" "It's me!" "Damn, he can't hear me." "Zess..." "Stop!" "Your Highness!" "General Baldr!" "Lower your body and aim!" "What is that movement?" "So he uses large caliber bullets." "Angle your shield!" "It'll go through if you take a straight shot!" "Your Highness, it's great to see you're safe." "Lee!" "Are you alive?" "Lee!" "Zess?" "Good." "If you can move, then make your way back." "Join up with Erekt." "Zess, what about King Krisna?" "I failed." "Walls of shields?" "We're retreating." "This is a canyon." "If they send their units behind us, we won't stand a chance." "That crest..." "It's Baldr, the great general of Krisna." "Lee, go now!" "We can't overwhelm them with this many units?" "So that's the infamous brother." "The enemy is retreating!" "Don't make needless pursuit!" "The security of His Highness is our top priority!" "Zess!" "What the hell... are you doing?" "What an enormous bullet." "We're taking this into Queen Sigyn's research hangar." "We can't, there's no room in there." "Then make some immediately." "Rygart!" "Did you really fight in the Under-Golem?" "Are you hurt?" "Your eyes are okay?" "Yes, I'm fine!" "And you know..." "I moved that easily." "You were researching it, right?" "Hodr told me." "But how did you do it?" "With my hand." "There's something like a small piece of quartz in the front right part of the cockpit." "About here." "It just moved when I touched it." "Rygart." "Write me a report." "'Scuse me?" "What you did and how." "As soon as possible, thanks." "Zess." "I cooked dinner today." "It's seafood again." "Oh, thanks." "Just leave it there." "No can do!" "You didn't eat yesterday when I left it next" "Don't disturb him, Cleo." "Go relieve Argath from his scouting post." "What?" "I'm doing it again?" "Why don't you do it?" "Oh, who said you could talk back to me?" "Isn't being continuously active the only thing you're good at?" "Argath and I need to do a check-up on our Eltemus' for the second strike against Binonten." "You don't even know how to adjust the pressure output for the jumping mechanism." "Right, Miss Zero Kills Cleo?" "I-I'm pretty useful too!" "Really?" "What are you proud of besides your breasts that're ridiculously large for a 12 year old?" "The bean dish with my grandma's recipe." "It's delicious!" "So?" "I can... do laundry." "So?" "Long-term Golem activity!" "I can pilot a Golem for hours without feeling tired." "And that's exactly what I'm telling you to do!" "Fine!" "Is Cleo really the one and only daughter of the Saburafu military family?" "Zess." "I'm off." "Argath, it's time to switch!" "Keep it down!" "You're scouting!" "Lee, what's wrong?" "U-Um..." "The new Golem I saw with Krisna..." "Its movement didn't exactly match its equipment." "Oh, that odd one?" "I'm sure it's nothing we need to worry about." "You'll die if you don't check properly!" "Yes, ma'am." "Let's hurry." "General True's waiting for us." "Rygart." "How long are you guys gonna work for?" "I can't do anything but sleep with the sun down, you know?" "We're polishing non-responsive quartz to use as this Golem's armor." "I thought you were disassembling it because it doesn't move anymore." "We can't disassemble the inner frame from the outside beyond how it currently is." "With our technology, we'd only be able to destroy it." "Destroy it, huh?" "What technology did the ancients use to build this?" "It's so unbalanced..." "Unlike us, the ancients seem to have based their lives around metals which are well-suited with heat and oil." "But for some reason, the inner-frame is constructed of quartz which isn't exactly fit for heat or oil." "The exoskeleton was full of air bubbles due to corrosion, but the inner-frame isn't corroded at all." "But if you assume they refined quartz using inconceivable technology like the inner-frame, then their technology for refining flexible quartz was rather primitive." "It's as if it was created in a rush to fulfill one last duty." "Earth to Sigyn." "Rygart." "Can you rewrite your report?" "Why?" "Because this isn't a proper report." "What's wrong with it?" "It's a perfectly fine report!" "How so?" "Well, fine." "I'll write, so can you explain to me?" "I put time into that..." "How did you crawl out of Mining Site 118?" "How did you get out of the hole?" "Oh, I jumped." "Let's talk seriously." "It was at least 20 mailes deep." "You can't possibly jump that high without a run!" "Even the latest, lightest Golem from Athens can only jump 10 mailes!" "I'm serious!" "Ask Hodr or the other soldiers." "So you're serious?" "Yes." "What about the impact when you landed?" "Look..." "Just tell me how it felt." "You're close." "Close?" "See, if you could back up a little..." "I can't use magic, but I'm still a man, you know..." "Magic has nothing to do with this." "Please redo the report." "I don't need any drawings." "Queen Sigyn." "Is something wrong?" "Your cheeks are deep red." "So this is the junk Golem that the ancients were using." "General True!" "You're back?" "Yes, I just returned." "Now that I'm here, Athens won't be doing as they please." "We'll need more hangars than we could possibly have." "This is junk, isn't it?" "Scrap it." "It's taking up space." "My..." "Yes, but Queen Sigyn is quite attached to it." "Queen Sigyn, huh?" "Then it's out of my hands." "Let's go!" "Yes, sir!" "It's like a useless blade." "A broken blade, so to speak." "You hear that?" "They're talking shit about you." "Don't take it to heart though." "It happened to my brother and I too." "He can't pilot a Golem." "Zess..." "You already retreated, right?" "Hodr..." "It doesn't look like there's anything I can do." "Gram?" "Wh..." "What was that for?" "Zess..." "Krisna has around 200 Golems." "More than half of them have been dispersed between all of their cities for defense." "I'd say it's safe to assume that around 80 Golems are in Binonten." "Our intention is to destroy at least 20." "If we can make them realize that we can annihilate a quarter of the capital guards with only five Golems..." "Hodr, as wise as you are, you'll definitely surrender." "I already told you yesterday." "I'd like to go over everything once more." "Go over?" "Are they here?" "I-It's fast!" "We're engaged in battle at the northern gate." "They're here?" "Looks like it." "Damn, it's not responding at all." "It was working yesterday." "Rygart!" "Sigyn." "What are you doing?" "I was explaining how it works." "In any case, is Zess back?" "Yes, I think so." "Why?" "West?" "I thought it was the north gate." "Let me do it." "H-Hey!" "Rygart!" "Hodr, do you think I can do something?" "It does move!" "What?" "Was it the glove?" "Sigyn!" "I want to talk with Zess." "Can you ask the General to give me some time?" "I'll talk with Zess and make him fall back." "I know he doesn't want this war." "I'm borrowing this." "Wait!" "Hey!" "Careful!" "As I thought..." "Queen Sigyn." "Queen Sigyn!" "Get General Baldr!" "Yesterday, 30 minutes after Rygart walked away from that Golem, it lost its light." "And it never responded to any of the pilots who tried beforehand." "Could it be that we, who can use magic, aren't recognized as descendants?" "The words the ancients went out of their way to carve..." ""Let us challenge fate."" "Book One The Time of Awakening" "Preview" "Book Two The Split Path" "A" "This world has nothing worth noting" "But we have plenty of love on our hands" "Those who have faith will act on behalf of their unwavering love" "If I could challenge fate," "I'd act on all of my feelings" "Korekara no Sekai ni wa Dare mo Inai" "Koe Dake o Senaka ni Kanjite" "Miwataseba Daichi ni Saku Hito no Negai" "Fumitsubusu Mono o Sagase" "Mamorenai Yakusoku Dake wa Shinai Keshite" "Hokori Takaki Yume Kagayaki Korosanu Youni" "Kakaeru Kodoku no Tsuyosa Inochigake no Mirai" "Furimukazu ni Susumu Beki da to" "Kimi ga Yubi Sashita Kanatae to" "Hashiridashite Kigatsuitanda" "Omoi wa Tsunagaru Tabi Kieru" "Futatabi Aeru Hi no Tame ni Ima o Ikiru yo" "Dare mo Inai Kaze no Naka Hitori de Samayou Toride" "Dare ka Ite mo Onaji Koto Samayou Basho wa Majiwaranai" "Furimukazu ni Susumu Beki da to" "Kimi ga Yubi Sashita Kanatae to" "Hashiridashite Kigatsuitanda" "Omoi wa Tsunagaru Tabi Kieru" "Futatabi Aeru Hi no Tame ni Ima o Ikiru yo" "ALIVE SERIOUS AGE" "There is no one in the future" "Hearing voices only from behind,"