4: The Fuse of Battle

27 June, 0110 Hours (Japan Standard Time)

Cargo Ship George Clinton, Akami Pier, Koto Ward, Tokyo

The ship looked like it hadn’t been used in a long time. The lockers were empty; the bunk beds were bare. In the corner sat an old, dead CRT TV.

Tessa was overwhelmed by fear and and a sense of powerlessness. Takuma had fallen into the enemy’s hands; now, they might be able to use that lambda driver-mounted weapon.

She had to do something, she thought, but no ideas were coming. She was helpless while a horrendous act of terrorism was being plotted just a few rooms away.

She’d been a fool. She’d made so many mistakes, had so many lapses in judgment. And because of her, he... Sousuke was...

While Chidori Kaname inspected the cabin’s various furnishings, Tessa sat on the bed, clutching her knees and staring vacantly at the opposite wall. At last, after making sure there was nothing in the room they could use, Kaname took a seat on the bed across from her.

The silence was awkward. It was Tessa who chose to break it first.

“Chidori-san.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re a very strange person.”

“Oh, yeah? I’d say I’m pretty normal, actually,” Kaname responded, gazing up at the ceiling.

“No, you should be normal... But even in the situation we’re in now, you’re searching for a solution,” Tessa observed. “You provoked that woman. And back at the school, you tackled Takuma...” Those weren’t things that a ‘completely normal person’ could do.

“Is that weird?” Kaname asked.

“Yes, it is. I...” Tessa looked down for a while, falling silent. She decided that now was the time to say it. “You completely throw me off my rhythm when you’re around. I did so many foolish things tonight that I normally wouldn’t do. I teased and tormented my subordinate, and tried to spring into action in the most pointless ways...”

“Spring into action? What do you mean?” Kaname didn’t seem to understand what she was getting at.

“In the schoolyard, I ignored Sergeant Sagara’s instructions and charged out. I’ve never made such a foolish decision before in my life. Trying to save you from your foolish actions turned me into a fool as well.”

Rather than acting insulted, Kaname nodded in remembrance. “Oh... yeah, you did do that. How come?”

“Because...” Tessa hesitated. Why did I run out to save Kaname then? Why did I do that, knowing that it would be pointless at best and harmful at worst? Because I was frustrated. Because I wanted to show him, as forcefully as I could, that I wasn’t useless.

The reason Sousuke had asked for Tessa’s release first was because he trusted Chidori Kaname. That meant, by implication, that he didn’t trust Tessa—that he didn’t see her as reliable. Given her utter lack of athletic ability, she couldn’t claim that his decision was wrong.

But even so, why did he trust her more than Tessa? Her trained intellect offered her a variety of logical answers, but her feelings rejected all of them. Those foolish feelings she couldn’t fully control...

This isn’t like me at all, Tessa thought. I’m a better person than this. I should get along with this girl... But despite telling herself that over and over again, for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to care for Kaname.

Have I always been such a rotten person? she wondered. The thought of it sank Tessa deep into depression. Realizing there was a possessive side to her she’d never knew she had filled her with self-loathing.

After all... just what kind of person was this Chidori Kaname? She’d earned so much trust from a soldier of Sagara Sousuke’s caliber. She was an ordinary person, yet so decisive in her actions that she sometimes slid into recklessness. She maintained these traits even in situations that would send most girls to pieces, trembling and crying.

In the end, rather than answering Kaname’s question, Tessa asked one of her own. “You truly are strange. You aren’t afraid at all?”

At this, Kaname made a big show of thinking. “Let’s see... I mean, sure, I’m afraid. It’s more, just... when I’m put in a situation like this, it makes me want to fight back?”

“Fight back?” Tessa questioned.

“Yeah,” Kaname answered. “Everything that challenges me or tries to get me down... they’re like enemies, in a way. Enemies aren’t all people with guns; you find them in normal life, too.”

Mountains of homework, morning drowsiness, nighttime loneliness, bullying... She had her monthly agony; she had fears about the future; she had fears about heartbreak.

“If one of those enemies attacks you,” she continued, “you have to do something, right? Whether it’s grinning and bearing it, or fighting back... I guess that’s kind of how I try to live my life.”

“But those mundane problems are surely of a completely different magnitude,” Tessa observed.

“Yeah, true. I don’t know how to explain it, exactly,” Kaname admitted. “It’s just, well, I don’t know how you were raised, but... even if you’re living a normal life in Japan, you’ll probably end up in situations where you end up thinking, ‘I’d rather be dead than here.’”

Tessa found that surprising. “Really?”

“Totally,” Kaname said, half-joking, then leaned back against the wall. “It started for me back in middle school. I’d just come back to Japan after four or five years in New York with my dad. I’d transferred to a local middle school... and after that, it was the typical story, I guess. I’d picked up the habit of saying whatever was on my mind, so I got treated like a freak.”

Tessa was starting to see what she was getting at. She said nothing.

“I know I wasn’t exactly a saint myself. But... they were just so vicious... It was awful. I really did want to die,” Kaname recalled, distantly.

“But you still fought?”

“Yep,” she replied promptly, bouncing back. “It wasn’t the most dignified way of doing things, and I’d be lying if I said I don’t have any regrets... Maybe it would’ve been smarter to run away. But I learned a lot from doing things my way, I think.”

“I see,” Tessa said neutrally. “Such as?”

“Just lots of stuff.” Kaname didn’t seem inclined to explain any more than that. “Anyway, things did a 180 when I got into high school, and now I’m pretty happy. The school’s pretty chill, the people are cool, and I’ve even got a best friend. If Sousuke’d just dial it down a little, it’d be perfect.” She laughed.

With that, at last, and with great effort... Tessa felt a small amount of affection for Kaname. A very small amount. “Does Sagara-san cause you that much trouble?”

“Oh, he’s the worst. He’s got no common sense; it’s always a string of disasters around him. I know he doesn’t mean any harm, but the fact that he doesn’t... honestly kind of makes it harder for me.” Kaname narrowed her eyes. It wasn’t the expression of someone whose sole emotion was annoyance. “He’s trying his hardest, in his weird, awkward way. It makes me want to help him...”

Tessa fell silent. Awkward. Earnest. Makes you want to help him. Exactly... For some reason, Sagara Sousuke inspired those same feelings in her.

Tessa was reminded of when they were discussing Kalinin’s fate, and he had said, “Not even I could kill the major. I’m sure he’s fine.” It was a terrible way to comfort someone, but she could tell that he was trying. He was strange, and charming, and just a bit reassuring to have around.

Seeing him appear so detached, yet so earnest... In that moment, Tessa had found herself growing fond of him. She wanted to be with him, to navigate him through all of his social awkwardness. And yet it was Kaname who was with him, doing that...

That explained it. At last, the answer to her earlier question—why am I so off my rhythm?—was starting to come into view.

“You’re right...” Tessa whispered, “Sagara-san is a strange person, isn’t he?”

“Yeah,” Kaname agreed. “A total weirdo.”

Their eyes met. For some reason, they found themselves smiling at each other. For just an instant, they shared the same feeling.

Chidori Kaname isn’t some alien being. She’s an ordinary girl, just like me.

The realization took a weight off Tessa’s shoulders.

“So, what about you?” Kaname asked.

“What?”

“You seem pretty weird to me too, Testarossa-san.”

“Ah... Please, call me Tessa. That’s... what my friends call me.” It took her a bit of courage to say that.

But Kaname’s response was as breezy as could be. “Sure, Tessa then. You can call me whatever.”

“All right then, Kaname-san.” Once she’d said it, Tessa found that she liked the sound of it.

“So, what do you actually do?” Kaname asked curiously. “I get that you’re with Mithril, but...”

“Well, as I explained earlier—” Before Tessa could finish, the door to the cabin unlocked, and a man in a combat uniform poked his head in.

“Get out,” he ordered. “Come with us.”

A man entered Andrey Kalinin’s room. He wore one of their black combat uniforms, but his mask was off; this revealed him to be a young man with his black hair done up in dreadlocks. “Time for questioning, old man,” he said haughtily. Seina wasn’t with him; perhaps she had other business, or perhaps she just didn’t want to see Kalinin again. “You get a tearful reunion, too... Bring ’em in.”

Teletha Testarossa and Chidori Kaname entered, prodded on by two other men. Each girl had her own reaction to the sight of the heavily bandaged Kalinin on the bed.

“Kalinin-san!” Tessa exclaimed.

“Who’s that?” Kaname asked curiously.

They seem unharmed, at least. My insurance must have worked, he thought.

Chidori Kaname had never seen Kalinin before. He’d visited her in the infirmary when she’d been taken onto the Tuatha de Danaan after the incident two months ago, but she’d been unconscious through all of that.

“Kalinin. That your name, old man? Let’s get down to business, then,” the man with dreadlocks said before signaling to his comrades with his eyes. They grabbed Tessa and Kaname and forced them to their knees. “All right. Seina said you can’t be tortured, seeing as you’re already at death’s door. That’s why I thought we’d get some help from the girls... Know what I mean?”

Kalinin held his silence.

“First, I’m gonna warn you... I’ve got no scruples about this kind of thing. It’s what got me thrown in juvie ages ago.”

The man behind Kaname chimed in, “Yeah, be careful, old man. He’s a major perv. There was a lady office worker in the neighborhood where he lived in middle school. He dragged her into the forest, popped her in the face half a dozen times, then used it for... y’know.”

“Aw,” the man in dreadlocks gushed mockingly. “Cut it out, you’re makin’ me blush!”

The men shared a laugh, while the girls lowered their eyes in disgust.

Still, Kalinin reckoned, these men were a cohesive squad—there was no chance they would actually do something that recklessly impulsive. Indeed, the man’s joking expression immediately sobered, and he pulled out his gun. This was the face of a soldier, not a sex offender.

“Okay, start talking. What organization are you with?” He shoved the muzzle against Tessa’s temple. She managed to keep her gaze fixed forward; perhaps she was mentally fortified for this.

“Don’t do it, Kalinin-san,” she said in a tone of command.

“That’s... not your call, Testarossa-kun,” he said, speaking her name in a slightly strained voice. He was trying to conceal the fact that Tessa was actually more important than he was; if they learned that Teletha Testarossa was more than a secretary, they might decide to torture her directly. “Since when do you... order me around?”

Tessa fell silent, seeming to have decided to leave it to him.

“Cut the chatter and answer the question,” the man in dreadlocks demanded. “What’s your organization? Wait, maybe you need to see that I’m serious first... Yeah, let’s do that.” Unceremoniously, he pointed his gun at Tessa’s leg. It was clear he really would pull the trigger.

“Mithril,” Kalinin said, before he could manage it.

“What’s a Mithril?” the man asked, without withdrawing his gun.

“It’s a military organization designed to check regional conflicts and terrorism,” Kalinin strained. “We offer information gathering and training to militaries and police in various countries. If needed... we even take physical action. I’m a part of the operations division, and I was... doing some consulting with the Japanese government.” Kalinin paused several times during his explanation, gasping as if enduring some terrible pain. Indeed, the wounds on his back really were torture.

“You in pain? I guess you got it pretty bad before. Poor guy,” the man with dreadlocks said, without a trace of sympathy. He turned to the men standing behind Tessa and Kaname, “You guys ever heard of Mithril?”

“Just rumors. That they’re an elite execution squad not affiliated with any country’s armed forces, and such,” one of them offered.

“We... We spread those rumors... intentionally,” Kalinin choked out. “To help... check terrorism...”

“So dumb,” the man in dreadlocks scoffed. “Who’d ever be scared of rumors? Okay, question two.” This time, he pointed the gun at Kaname’s leg. She stared at the glossy black barrel, face pale. Her eyes welled up a little, but no more—she was far from the blubbering wreck he might expect.

I see. She’s a strong-willed girl, Kalinin thought.

“How much do you know about the lambda driver?” the man in dreadlocks demanded to know. “Do you have anything to fight it?”

“Well...” Kalinin hedged.

“I’ll shoot her.”

“I’ll talk. The lambda driver...” He grunted, strained. “We... we...” Kalinin’s voice began to fade. His back really was hurting, and so were his ribs.

“You what? I can’t hear you.” Dreadlocks strode up to Kalinin in annoyance.

“The technology... we... possess...”

“What about it?”

“Technology... that shouldn’t... exist...”

“Talk so I can hear you,” Dreadlocks ordered, “or I shoot the girl.”

Kalinin tightened his throat and flapped his mouth open and shut.

One of the other men scowled. “Hey, I think he’s in bad shape. He might be dying.”

“Shut up. I’ll make him talk before he bites it. Hey, old man. Tell me everything, or after I’m done here, I’ll give that girl an ‘education.’ You got it?” Dreadlocks seized the throat of Kalinin, who lay limply on the bed.

“What we know... is...” Kalinin’s words faded. The man leaned in close, straining his ears to hear.

That was his cue. Kalinin dropped the act and grabbed the man’s right arm—the wrist of the hand holding the gun—and twisted it unceremoniously.

“Hey—” Dreadlocks began.

Kalinin wouldn’t give him time to react. He twisted the gun, still in the man’s hand, toward his stomach, and fired. Three shots rang out. The bullets pierced the man’s body, bursting in red trails out the other side.

It took the other men a few seconds to even realize what was happening. They could do a few things, now: shoot Kalinin, even if they harmed their comrade in the process; use the girls as shields; or run out the door and back into the ship. Those were their three available options, but their hesitation left them with none.

Kalinin fired two more shots from the bed. The act was swift and mechanical: one bullet in each man’s head, as easily as one might hammer a nail. Without even knowing what hit them, the men sank to the floor.

Smoke rose from the gun’s muzzle; empty shell casings landed on the bed. Kalinin’s gunplay had left Tessa and Kaname wide-eyed in shock. “I’m glad to see you’re all right, Colonel.” Kalinin said, returning to his usual speaking pattern as he lowered the gun.

“K-Kalinin-san,” Tessa said shakily. “Your injuries...”

“They won’t kill me,” Kalinin told her. “But when this is all over, I’ll need a long rest.” His wounds roared a protest as he sat up, pressed the gun against the cuffs binding his leg, and fired. With a spark, the chain broke. Though every movement invited pain, his body would obey him for a while yet, he wagered.

Kalinin then realized that Kaname was still shellshocked. “Chidori Kaname-kun,” he said as he rifled through the men’s pockets.

“Y-Yes?” she stammered.

“I need to thank you for looking after my subordinate for so long.”

“Um... thanks. But Tessa and I only met today.”

“I’m not referring to her.” Kalinin screwed the enemy’s knife and spare clip into his belt, then ran a quick check on the gun.

Kaname stared in confusion, and Tessa clarified. “Kaname-san, the subordinate he’s referring to is Sagara-san.”

“Huh? But...”

“She’s not my subordinate; she’s my superior.” After stealing everything noteworthy, Kalinin stood up. “Shall we, Colonel?”

So it was true. At last, Kaname had to accept it. It made sense to her that this old man, Kalinin, could be Sousuke’s commanding officer. But now Kalinin was calling Tessa his superior... He spoke to her politely, and referred to her as “Colonel.” In other words, this clumsy girl had the highest rank out of all of them.

Sousuke had been right. He hadn’t been lying. Teletha Testarossa was their leader. She was a captain, a colonel, and a commander-in-chief. But...

“Something about this doesn’t add up,” Kaname whispered, while walking side-by-side down the passageway with Tessa. “What the heck is Mithril’s deal? You sent that know-nothing war-obsessed dummy to our school; you made a girl who can’t walk two steps without doing a pratfall your commander-in-chief... It makes no sense.”

“You don’t have to put it like that...” Tessa said unhappily.

“It is a sensitive issue,” Kalinin, who was walking ahead of them, said with a sort of dry humor.

The cargo ship’s passages were dimly lit and narrow, and low enough that the tall Kalinin’s head seemed in constant danger of banging into a pipe. His v-shaped torso was wrapped in copious bandages, which were in turn soaked with browning blood. Despite the excruciating pain he must be in, though, his movements remained smooth, and he showed no sign of awkwardness.

He carries himself a lot like Sousuke, Kaname found herself thinking, falling deep into thought.

Suddenly, Kalinin stopped.

“What is it?” Tessa asked quietly.

“This way,” he answered. “Don’t speak.” Kalinin opened a nearby metal door and pushed them through. They found themselves in a cramped bathroom that stank of a mix of oil, saltwater and feces.

Kaname nearly screamed out of reflex, but Kalinin clamped his free hand over her mouth. He quietly closed the door, and they heard footsteps outside. They held their collective breaths.

There were men, several of them, running down the corridor outside. At last, they seemed to run past.

“It seems word of our escape has gotten out,” Kalinin noted.

“Well, it was only a matter of time. I’m more concerned about... ugh.” Tessa let out a slight retch, straining against the rotten stench.

“The ship’s cargo, yes?” he inquired.

“Yes,” Tessa confirmed. “I heard a sound earlier. It was like a large gas turbine engine... And not the kind used in aircraft.”

“Generating power?” Kalinin guessed.

“Most likely. I heard something like a torque converter,” Tessa agreed. “But... it doesn’t make sense. It was too large to be an AS’s generator.”

“Could it have something to do with the lambda driver?” he wondered.

“I can’t be sure,” Tessa told him. “I only know it’s for a device that requires greater than normal output. And they have Takuma now... so we need to do something.”

Kaname looked between them, feeling completely out of her depth. “Um, what are you talking about?” she asked, holding her nose.

Tessa looked annoyed about having her train of thought interrupted, but immediately recovered and said, “I’m saying... this ship may contain a weapon of incredible power. A weapon incorporating a technology that defies imagination.”

“Ahh...”

“You don’t understand?”

“Yeah, not really.”

“I thought not.” Ignoring Kaname’s glare, Tessa put a hand to her slender jaw. “Conjecture will get us nowhere, I suppose. Kalinin-san, I’d like to scout out the cargo hold. Would that be possible?”

“I think it’s necessary,” he agreed. “If they have a lambda driver-mounted AS, or something like it... we’ll need to destroy it before it activates.”

“Then let’s proceed,” Tessa decided. “Is that all right, Kaname-san?”

“Huh?”

“We’d like to take a little detour.”

“Oh... sure. Whatever you want.” Kaname was, in fact, extremely eager to get off the ship, but she couldn’t bring herself to argue. Tessa’s ability to talk on even terms with Kalinin, an obvious veteran, imbued the clumsy girl with an all-new sense of gravitas.

After checking conditions in the corridor, Kalinin took the lead. They passed through several doors and descended the stairway. They passed down another hallway, then abruptly came out into a wide open space.

“Ah...” Kaname trailed off.

This was the ship’s cargo hold. It was structured a lot like a school gymnasium, and ringed by a catwalk—a thin metal corridor, suspended halfway up its towering walls. If it were empty, it could probably be used to hold basketball games.

The stinging smells of fuel, burnt plastic, and metal filled the air. There was no sign of anyone there. It was dark in the room, but with the faint light from the windows, they could make out the vague forms of machines of all sizes. Small cranes and compressors, large batteries, storage tanks of some kind... Cables and pipes were strewn messily about the floor.

At the center of the hold—or rather, taking up nearly all of it—lay a massive machine. Kaname looked at it curiously. At first, she thought it was a large submarine, but the structure was far too complex for that. It couldn’t be an AS, either. This was much larger than an AS could ever be—ten standard-size ASes could fit easily into the space taken up by this one machine. It was so large, in fact, that from their current vantage point, they couldn’t even take in its entire scope.

Was it meant for water, air, or land? Kaname couldn’t even work out that much. The smoothly curving exterior—was that armor?—was dark red. It was made up of a complex arrangement of interlocking parts, and it seemed to have enormous weapons attached to it.

“What is this thing?” Kaname asked, but Tessa didn’t answer her. In the dim light, she could see her face frozen up in shock and tension.

“Preposterous,” Tessa whispered. “If it were to activate... there would be no way to stop it. So many people would die. We have to do something.”

“But we’d need more than a grenade to even make a dent,” Kalinin observed.

“It has to have a fuel tank,” Tessa argued back. “If we can—”

Just then, the cargo hold’s lights went on. Mercury lamps brightly illuminated their surroundings. Kalinin silently readied himself, hiding Kaname and Tessa behind him.

The catwalk was lined with their enemies. Each carried a rifle or a shotgun, and all were pointed straight at them. They lined the opposite corridor, as well, and two blocked the entrance they had come through. They were completely surrounded.

Above them, Kaname could make out one familiar face: It was Takuma, dressed in an arm slave operator’s uniform. She was a little surprised to see him like that. That gutless wonder is gonna fight? she wondered. Kaname had seen the power and maneuverability of an AS firsthand. She couldn’t even imagine Takuma in the pilot’s seat.

“I knew you’d come here,” Takuma said. “You have many skilled acquaintances, Testarossa-san. Yang-san, Sagara-san, and now the wounded gentleman there... You know how to cycle between men, I see.”

“And you’re very capable of sarcasm,” Tessa responded.

Takuma smiled and gazed down at the giant machine. “What do you think? They call it the Behemoth.” His voice had a monotone quality, as if his interest was only passing.

“You’re all mad,” Tessa retorted. “This thing has no purpose but destruction. There can’t be a strategic objective. It can only spread terror, like nuclear or chemical weapons.”

“Terror is our objective, Testarossa-san.”

She held her tongue.

“Personally, I’m not trying to get anything material out of this... It’s an act of expression,” Takuma explained. “Very minor self-expression. Within a year, most people will forget about it.”

“Like Takechi Seiji?” Kalinin said, and Takuma and the other men looked slightly surprised.

“That’s right,” Takuma replied after a moment’s silence. “That man was like a father to us, and the world needs to pay for rejecting him. That’s part of it. But that’s not the only reason... You don’t understand how we feel at all, do you?”

“Of course I don’t,” Kalinin retorted. “Besides, I would never even try to use something like that thing. It isn’t remotely practical.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. It’s invincible, when piloted by a chosen warrior like me. I’ll spread destruction and death and make Big Sister happy. And then I’ll be happy, too.” Takuma leaned over the railing with a bright smile. There was no particular malice in his expression, which just made it more unsettling. “Anyway, I’d better hurry up and get things ready. I’ve heard the police are on the way, with a squad of JSDF ASes. We can be sure now that they’ve taken no measures to fight our Behemoth, so we have no further need to question you.”

“Stop this, Takuma,” Tessa begged. “It’s not too late.”

“But it is too late, Testarossa-san. I really did like you. But it’s time to say goodbye.” Takuma didn’t give an order, exactly, but the men used that moment to take aim with their guns.

They’re going to shoot us, Kaname realized. The moment that thought entered Kaname’s mind, a roar filled the cargo hold.

It was the shockwave from an explosion. The entire ship shook. It had come from somewhere on the ship—perhaps beneath it. It felt like a hit from a torpedo.

The floor tilted hard to the left. Various things inside the room slid, rolled, and toppled toward the port side. The enemies on the catwalk lost their balance and had to cling to the handrail.

Kaname cried out as she fell and slammed her back against a mini-crane.

“Hide!” Kalinin shouted as he sprang into action, running at full tilt while practically carrying Tessa.

Kaname could see human figures on the catwalk readying their guns again. If I stay here, I’ll be shot, she realized, and in that instant, her body began to move on its own. Half-crawling, half-tumbling, she began to get her distance.

Bullets rained down, and sparks flew from every direction. She let out a series of panicked cries as she moved, then hid behind the closest thing she could find: a small compressor.

The sound of gunshots continued on the other side of the hold; Kalinin was probably trading fire with them. He and Tessa seemed to have retreated in the opposite direction, so there was no way for her to join back up with them.

She was isolated. The ship was rocking. Bullets were flying all around her. It was hell.

Kaname felt seized by terror, a sense of powerless, like an astronaut on a spacewalk whose lifeline had just been cut. She had no weapons, nowhere to run. What could she do all by herself? What can I do? Wh-Wh-What... do, dododo...

“Huh?” she breathed. She’d heard a strange voice in her ears. Her heart was pounding so hard she could feel the pulse in her neck. Beyond it, she could hear someone whispering to her. Fif-fine... fineineine, it’ll be fine. Inein. Coming.

“What?” she said. “Again?” The sound of a loud ricochet close to her caused the voice to vanish. Kaname let out a yelp. She couldn’t stay here.

Desperate and confused, she ran along the wall of the cargo hold. She tripped over a cable, banged into a steel pillar, and nearly fell. The rocking was awful. After managing not to get hit by any bullets, she hid behind a toolbox as large as a desk, took in a breath, and cried, “Why does everything happen to me?!” No answer came.

Instead, one of the enemies vaulted a piece of machinery and began heading in Kaname’s direction. He wore a combat uniform and a mask. He must have known that she was unarmed; maybe he thought it would be easier to finish her at close range than to keep shooting at her while she was on the run.

Kalinin and Tessa were on the other end of the cargo hold; there was no way they’d be able to help her. If she tried to run, she’d be shot in the back. Realizing that, Kaname reached into the toolbox beside her, pulled out a large wrench, and threw it as hard as she could, in desperation. The soldier was hit in the shoulder and cried out, reeling back in surprise from her unexpected reaction.

“Okay, you asked for it!” She picked up a crowbar as long as her arm and, while teetering under the weight, charged at him with it. For some reason, the man didn’t shoot her, but just waved a hand in panic. It was like he was saying “stop,” but...

“Take this!” She swung the crowbar at him. The masked man just barely managed to block the strike with his rifle, but the momentum carried and struck him in the neck. The man staggered, but kept his balance, tenaciously.

“Why, you...!” She hit him again. This time, the rifle warped. The man dropped it, fell backward, and slammed into an iron pillar behind him.

“W-Well? You want another whack?!” Kaname shouted, readying the crowbar for another strike. Her legs were trembling, and she was about to weep out of fear, but she ignored all of it.

The man shook his head and held up both hands in surrender. “You really are full of mysteries,” he said at last.

Kaname started. “What are you—”

“It’s me, Chidori.” The man took off his mask and slowly picked himself up.

As Kaname caught the face in the dim light, she let the crowbar clatter to the floor. “Sousuke?”

On the other side of the cargo hold, the firefight was still raging. The ship’s rocking wasn’t as violent as before, but now there was an eerie creaking sound moving through the hull. Her head was pounding from the sound of gunshots and ricochets echoing all around. She could be shot from any direction at any time, and it was much too soon to relax.

Nevertheless, she threw herself into his arms.

She wasn’t even thinking; it just happened. She had been so afraid, and she was so happy that he was okay. She couldn’t possibly be self-conscious in this moment; she’d just wanted something to cling to so badly.

“Chidori?” Sousuke said.

She could sense his confusion. Holding back sobs, Kaname explained herself, “I was so scared.”

“I’m sorry,” he apologized.

“I was worried, okay?”

“I’m sorry about that, too.”

“Idiot...” Kaname grumbled. “I almost died like a million times...”

Just then, Sousuke pulled out his pistol and fired two shots overhead. Two enemies, standing on the catwalk and aiming for them, screamed and fell; their bodies landed behind a distant compressor. Then, still holding Kaname, Sousuke said, “Please continue.”

Kaname’s jaw dropped. She released her hold on Sousuke, suddenly feeling vaguely silly. “I guess it’s really not the time for this, huh?”

“Hmm. I suppose not,” he answered. Amid the clamor and vibrations, the two quickly took shelter again.

“So,” Kaname asked, “how did you get here?”

“We located you right away,” Sousuke told her casually. “We infiltrated from the sea.”

“Oh. So what’s causing the rocking?” she asked. “And what was that big explosion earlier?”

“Ah,” he nodded simply. “That was the bomb we set. You seemed to be in trouble, so we detonated it immediately. The ship will likely sink soon.”

“Sheesh... you don’t do subtle, do you?”

“It was merely efficient,” Sousuke answered. “It will provide a distraction and take out the enemy equipment at the same time.”

Sensible indeed—assuming they could get off the ship themselves. “But... you said ‘we,’ right?” Kaname asked. “Who else is with you?”

“Mao and Kurz.”

“Aha.” Kaname knew them. They were Sousuke’s comrades, and quite capable.

“The enemy won’t be able to focus on us right now. Let’s get out of here.” Sousuke took Kaname’s hand and began to run.

The floor pitched abruptly, and Takuma went shoulder-first into the wall. He moaned as he banged his head, then stumbled, and clutched at the railing. Sporadic firefights were breaking out on the other end of the hold; his heart sank as he realized that the ship was going down.

I won’t be able to activate the Behemoth, he realized. I’ve lost my chance to climb inside, to move it, to show my power. What was the point of all of this, then? Big Sister... There was a pain in his temple. The impact before must have broken the skin. There was a little blood. Red blood. My blood. It hurts...

“Takuma.” Seina and one of their comrades came running toward him across the catwalk.

“Big Sister?” Takuma asked, bewildered.

“What are you doing?” she demanded. “Get in the cockpit! We’re going to activate the Behemoth.”

“But... it’s too late,” he protested. “And I just got hurt...”

“Don’t whine about a little bump on the head. It won’t stop you from piloting.”

“But it hurts...” Takuma whimpered.

Seina grabbed him by the collar and pulled him in close.

“Ah...”

“Get inside,” she ordered. “We’re going to activate it. Protect the Behemoth.”

“Big Sister. But I...”

I’m injured, Takuma thought. Aren’t you worried about me? Is the Behemoth more important to you than I am? I became its operator to make you happy... I endured all those awful things... I never really cared about old man Takechi, I just felt bad for you, because you were the person closest to him. Big Sister...

“Do you realize how many people have died to get you here?” Seina asked.

I don’t care.

“Don’t you realize you’re worth nothing unless you pilot it?”

Stop it. If you don’t—

“If you run away now,” she told him coldly, “I won’t need you anymore.”

The world around Takuma went black. I thought I was loved. I thought we didn’t need the Behemoth. And yet... I’m the one who’s not needed. Not needed. I...

I’m just the operator, he realized. I’m another of the Behemoth’s working parts. That’s all I am to her...

“Understand?” Seina demanded. “Then get in there. He’ll help you. I’ll get it powered up and ready to go. Hurry.” Ignoring the gaping hole she had just opened up inside Takuma, Seina slid down the ladder and ran over to the Behemoth’s far side.

The comrade who remained with him slapped Takuma on the shoulder. “Get it together, okay? And hurry! The ship’s going down!” At the man’s prodding, Takuma listlessly began to walk.

Sousuke and Kaname dashed to the cargo hold’s entrance, where they ran into Kalinin and Tessa. They must have just given the enemy the slip, as well.

“Sagara-san?” Tessa breathed in open surprise.

“I’m sorry our assistance came so late,” Sousuke apologized.

“Ah...” Tessa held her breath for a moment, then gave him a pretty smile—which she quickly restrained. She looked like she wanted to throw herself into his arms—but she seemed to hold herself back from that, too. She just straightened up, averted her eyes, and said, “I’m pleased that you’re safe. I’m no longer angry about the schoolyard incident.” Her tone was light and breezy.

Sousuke was dumbstruck for a moment. Then he said, “I... I’m grateful.”

“What did you do to her, Sergeant Sagara?” Kalinin asked. Each man had reason to think that the other was dead, but neither showed any sign of joy at the reunion; this was standard fare for them, after all.

“Er. I...” As Sousuke struggled over what to say, Kalinin just shook his head.

“You can explain later,” he told the younger man. “For now, take those two and escape.”

“Yes, sir. What about you, Major?”

Kalinin turned back to the hold’s cargo, his face pale and haggard. His wounds were serious, and they seemed to have taken a toll on his stamina. “There’s... something I need to do,” he replied. “Go on without me.”

“I’m happy to go instead, if you so order,” Sousuke offered.

“No... that’s all right.”

Showing no further concern, Sousuke did as he was told.

Kalinin turned back to Tessa. “Colonel, you should escape if you can. I intend to stop the Behemoth from activating.”

“It’s too dangerous,” Tessa protested. “Besides, the ship’s sinking should take care of it. You should—”

“It’s just a precaution,” Kalinin said, cutting her off. “Don’t worry about me. And if it does activate... you need to be as far away as possible.”

Tessa said nothing.

“I’ll catch up with you later.” Kalinin checked the remaining bullets in his gun, then turned back to the cargo hold.

“Let’s go, Colonel.” Sousuke readied his gun and broke into a run, leading Kaname and Tessa down the corridor.

The ship’s tilt was getting worse. The hold itself was beginning to take on water.

“I told you to hurry! What’s the matter with you?” Half dragged by the other man, Takuma climbed up the armor of the colossal Behemoth. When he reached the summit of the mountain-like machine, he swiveled the lever at his feet to open the cockpit. The complex hatch meshes slid open with a pressurized hiss: first the secondary armor, then the primary.

“Get to it, Takuma!” his comrade shouted, over the sound of mercury lamps and metal pipes raining down from above. “Moving this thing is all you’re good for, so make it count, okay?!”

Takuma said nothing.

“Well? I can’t hear you!” He gave him a light cuff on the head, and Takuma gave him a small nod in response. “Eesh. What a freak...” the man spat, then quickly moved to descend the machine. Takuma pulled a pistol from his belt, pointed it at the man’s back and fired.

The man started. As he turned around to look at him in shock, Takuma fired three more shots into him. The man lost his balance and plummeted down the machine, its dark red armor seeming to drink in the fresh blood.

“Don’t act like we’re friends, you incompetent,” Takuma spat, before taking out a disposable syringe. He knew very well where his veins were. Unceremoniously, he plunged the needle into his arm, and injected the liquid inside. The ritual was over.

I’m going to pilot it. I have no other choice, Takuma told himself. I’m a part of the Behemoth. This is the only place I belong. That cockpit is all there is in the world. I don’t care what happens after this. I’ll move that greedy devil however it wants me to... spreading destruction and flames...

“Hold it,” a voice behind him said. He turned to see a Caucasian man, done up in bandages, pointing a pistol at him. This was the man they had been holding on the ship, Testarossa’s comrade.

“I can’t let you get inside that thing. Step over to me, slowly.” The man held out a hand. His gun was still pointed right at Takuma. But... he could sense a deep exhaustion on the man’s bearded face. The strain of coming this far seemed to have reopened his wounds; he might die soon, just on his own.

“And if I say no?” Takuma asked.

“I’ll shoot you,” Kalinin told him flatly.

“But I don’t have a choice,” Takuma protested. “I have nowhere else to go.”

“I don’t show mercy,” Kalinin answered, “even to children.”

If that were the case, you wouldn’t have given a warning, Takuma thought. Is he being sentimental? No, that attitude suggests—

“Throw the gun away.” Seina was standing on the catwalk just ten meters from the Behemoth. She had a submachine gun aimed at the man’s head.

But you’re not trying to save me, are you, Big Sister? You just want me to pilot the Behemoth. That’s all it is, isn’t it?

“You, eh?” the man said, without lowering his gun.

“I won’t let you stop him,” Seina answered.

“Activating this thing won’t change anything,” Kalinin said.

“We’ve been through this before,” she countered. “I’m not out to change things.”

“Then you sound like a spoiled child,” he accused.

“I don’t want to shoot you, either, you know.”

This exchange... Takuma felt that he’d heard something like it a long time ago. When was it?

“Then don’t,” Kalinin said simply. Perhaps the man’s exhaustion was reaching its limit. His right hand moved. Two gunshots rang out.

Takuma felt a dull impact in his side. It felt, at first, like a strike from a fist, but the sensation was followed a moment later by a sharper, burning pain. It occurred to him that he’d been shot. From a corner of his eye, he could see the man toppling over. A spray of blood had burst from his back. Big Sister had shot him.

Whimpering, Takuma crawled across the Behemoth’s armor, heading for the cockpit hatch. The fallen man was trying to use the last of his strength to shoot him again.

Just then, the ship rocked. The man bounced down the slope of armor, and fell onto the platform below. The ship creaked, and the catwalk broke in two. Seina lost her balance and gripped the railing, but she was struck by a falling ventilation duct. Crushed under the large pipe, she vanished from sight.

“Big Sister...?” I should go help her... Takuma thought, then realized how foolish he was being. She wouldn’t want that. Besides, he was injured. Even if he abandoned the Behemoth now, he couldn’t save her. The nihilism that had been gnawing away at his heart for years told him that she must be dead.

“Goodbye...” he said. I have only one path left to me. Enduring the pain in his side, he let himself slide into the open cockpit hatch.

The ship rocked, the corridor tilted, and an eerie roaring echoed around them.

“This way.” Sousuke kept his gun straight in front of him as he continued down the passage. Tessa lost her balance countless times, but Kaname reluctantly supported her.

Despite what had happened in the schoolyard earlier, they weren’t acting very hostile to him—even though he’d been sure they resented his decision. I just don’t understand... Perhaps I made the right choice after all? I’ll have to consult with Kurz later. Those were the thoughts that consumed his mind as he ran toward the stairs.

Just as he reached them, he ran into a man with a rifle on the way up from a lower deck. Both shouted in shock, and pointed their guns at each other simultaneously.

“Oh, hey.” It was a tall, slender man with long blond hair.

“Kurz-kun?” Kaname asked incredulously.

“Weber-san,” Tessa acknowledged.

Kurz grinned. “Hey, Kaname-chan, Tessa-chan. You’re looking well. I’m happy to see you. You both deserve a treat.”

“What are you talking about?” Kaname asked.

“Nothing, really,” Kurz said innocently. “Just changing up my greeting.”

“Is that all?” she asked suspiciously.

“That’s all. Anyway, it’s taking on water faster than I thought... We’d better hurry.”

“Right,” she answered.

Kurz began climbing the stairs. Lending credence to his words, the ship had entered a steady tilt, very different from the earlier rocking. The sound of water, like violent currents, began to echo up from the floors below.

“You think we used too much powder?” Sousuke asked.

“Hmm,” Kurz pondered. “Well, explosives aren’t really my specialty.”

“You never mentioned that before,” Sousuke said dryly.

“I seek beauty in destruction; a single point of focus,” Kurz defended himself. “That’s why I’m so good at sniping.”

Listening to their conversation from behind, Kaname whispered, “What a weird double act...”

At last, the group came out on the deck. They were close to the prow, and they could see the ocean rising as the tail continued to sink. Containers on the deck began to snap their restraints and fall into the sea. As the deck warped further, a container crane came loose and collapsed, falling just beside them. Kaname shrieked.

“Yeah, yeah,” Kurz commented. “Dangerous up here...”

“Hurry,” Sousuke said.

As the George Clinton continued to sink in earnest, its prow began to tilt upward. They managed, with difficulty, to make it to the port side; the deck was at a severe angle now, and they were no longer really walking, so to speak. The broadside was just close enough to the pier for them to jump.

“I’ll go first!” With a lithe leap, Kurz landed on the pier. He shouldered his rifle and held out both hands. “C’mon. You first, Tessa.”

It was about two meters from the deck to the pier. Tessa hesitated a moment, but with Sousuke’s help, she jumped with all her might. Kurz caught her firmly, and Tessa’s escape was complete.

“Okay, now Kaname!” Kurz shouted encouragingly. Kaname jumped without any hesitation, and Sousuke brought up the rear. The four of them quickly got their distance, ran to a large pile of neatly stacked containers, then turned back to watch the cargo ship sink.

“Hmm, feels like the end of a great evil,” Kurz mused. “Needs more explosions, though. The final boss’s castle really should go down in flames. It’s kinda anticlimactic without it, y’know?”

“What are you talking about?” Sousuke grumbled.

“But...” Despite having made it to safety, Tessa’s expression remained grim. “Kalinin-san hasn’t made it out yet. I’m worried. With the way it’s sinking...”

“What?” Kurz asked. “The old man’s alive?”

“Yes. Why would you assume he’s dead?” Tessa glared at Kurz.

He put a hand to his chin, not even seeming to notice her look. “Ah, this might be pretty bad. That’s a tricky spot to get out of, even for someone like him...”

“I have an idea. Uruz-7 to Uruz-2,” Sousuke spoke into his radio, calling to Mao, who was on standby.

“Uruz-2 here. How’d it turn out?”

“The major is inside the sinking ship. He’s probably in the hold,” Sousuke told her. “Can you rescue him?”

“Oh, hell! Why didn’t you say that earlier?!” Suddenly, the air behind them distorted wildly.

“Wh-What?!” Kaname was the only one shocked.

Blue lightning shot through the empty air. A thin membrane of light expanded, and then a massive figure showed itself, pouring into existence like ink spilled on a canvas. Sparks of light went flying, and suddenly, there was a gray AS kneeling beside them. It was Mao’s M9 Gernsback, previously rendered invisible via ECS. She’d been on standby here in case of an attack from the Savage from before.

The M9 shot a V-sign to the flabbergasted Kaname. Then it stood up, waved to them, and took off in a run toward the sinking cargo ship.

“Melissa, be careful. There might still be a hostile inside that ship,” Tessa said, leaning over to use Sousuke’s transmitter.

“No worries,” Mao answered. “I’m not about to get beaten by a Savage.”

“It’s not that. The thing in there is—”

Sirens could be heard in the distance. Whirling red lights reflected off the nearby containers. It seemed the police had arrived.

“Ugh, they made it.” Kurz clicked his tongue distastefully. They’d probably make it to this pier while Mao was out searching for Kalinin; if the police saw the M9—an AS of unknown affiliation—they might open fire. Of course, small arms wouldn’t even scratch an M9’s armor, but...

From a corner of the cargo ship came the sound of ripping metal. Startled, the four turned to look.

Mao’s M9 was standing on the deck of the now mostly submerged ship. Something wasn’t right. Its posture was upright, but its back was arched over, and its arms were flailing.

“What’s wrong, Mao?” Sousuke asked.

“Wha... What is...?!” Her voice, coming in over the radio, sounded utterly bewildered. There was another sound of creaking metal. Its back still arched, the M9 slowly began to rise into the air. No—it was being lifted, by something that had grabbed its lower half.

It was a giant hand. The hand itself was about the same size as the M9... no, it was even longer, thicker, and stronger. One of its fingers was the same size as the AS’s arm. The deck bulged upward, creaked, and let out a scream. The arm’s master was about to break loose from the hold.

“What...” Tessa breathed.

At last, scattering shards of metal everywhere, the assailant revealed itself, towering proudly against the night sky.