Angelg from the right. Excellence Flyer from the left. Both blades drawn—Mirage Sword, plasma saber—closing fast.
Behind them, Gespenst Type-RV stitched the sky with M90 bursts, pinning Axel's firing lanes.
Lamia: long-time wingmate. Gilliam: sparred across worlds. Raul: just learned the gap.
They were forcing close quarters—sealing Growsavior's mid-to-long-range dominance.
All three machines leaned toward ranged combat. Risking melee? Bold. Gilliam's call—Raul lacked the experience, Lamia the human instinct for high-stakes gambles.
"Adaman Halberd—activate. Focus."
Scythe flared. Focus sharpened reflexes.
"HRAAAAH!" "GOTCHA!"
Left strike: Raul—three seconds early. Green.
Axel caught the plasma saber on the scythe blade, used the push— halberd haft cracked upward into Excellence's jaw.
"GWAAH!"
Raul spun, bleeding momentum.
Axel flicked eyes left— Mirage Sword thrusting in. Chrono thrusters micro-dodged; chest vents snapped open— Fire Daggers away.
"Still think those work on me, Captain?"
Lamia slashed— Too slow. Vulcan pods spat. Daggers detonated at point-blank.
"UWAAAHH!"
Angelg tumbled through the fireball—light warheads. She righted instantly.
Axel's T-LINK pinged— M90 barrage screaming in. He slid aside. The bullets carved the space between him and Lamia. A chase would've eaten lead.
"Two aces and Excellence? Tough. Raul—sit this out."
Gun Rapier swiveled toward the grounded Flyer.
"Tch—!"
Raul snapped the Destruction Rifle up. Beams and slugs clashed, canceling— but Rapier lost ground.
"Accelerate! Grapple Threads—engage!"
Accelerate blurred him under Excellence, behind it. Rapier holstered. Grapple Threads lashed out—psychokinetic filaments coiling.
"Wh-what the—!?"
Excellence froze, then plummeted.
"That's the weapon he used on Kyosuke…" "Grapple Threads," Lamia said. "Lemon-sama's T-LINK system—binds or cuts. Takes massive focus. I only saw it a handful of times."
"We never even forced his trump card…"
Axel turned.
"Round two. Accelerate!"
Halberd morphed—lance mode. Chrono thrusters roared. He charged Angelg, lance forward like a bullet.
No blocking that mass. Dodge only. Exactly what he wanted.
"Kuh—!"
Lamia jinked up—planning a backstab.
"Awakening!"
Momentum vanished. Growsavior halted mid-air, thrusters reversed— lance speared upward.
"IMPOSSIBLE—!"
Right ankle shredded. Foot exploded into shrapnel.
"Vampire Laser!"
Purple beam slammed Growsavior. Energy drain.
"Drains enemy power. Surrender quietly."
Axel exhaled. Useless. Chrono Engine didn't run on standard power.
Mizuho's voice—sharp for once: "NO! His machine has a Chrono Engine! Drain does nothing!"
"Could've gone for the kill…" "Chrono Engine—FULL DRIVE!"
Energy surged back. Lemon's custom engine—generations ahead of Excellence's.
"Phantom!"
Ten drones—laser blades ignited, swarm on Gespenst.
"KUH!"
Gilliam danced— dodging, Mega Plasma Cutter parrying only the lethal strikes.
"But can you evade this?"
Phantoms circled, probing. Linear railgun unfolded— finger on trigger—
"Captain—Lacota Team secured." Echidna.
"…Clock's up. Schedule's tight. We're done."
To the crippled Angelg: "Lamia—Beowulf's wildcard. Can it touch me?"
"Yes. Wildcard potential."
"Luck's still his. Game's not over."
"Captain—one thing. How did you know I lied?"
"No one stays calm when a friend falls. W17 could've. Lamia Loveless? No. And Helios' face on comms? Bluff city. Proof you're still W17."
Lamia's face—shattered.
If she'd sold it with that expression… If Axel didn't know the script… He might've bought it.
"…Whatever. Excellence is yours. We'll meet again. Tell Beowulf: next time, no mercy. Survive? Get stronger. Final stage: Dolm."
"Un…derstood…"
Phantoms recalled. Railgun folded.
"WAIT—Axel-san!"
Raul—finally free of threads.
"Why Fiona…?"
Axel didn't turn.
"Get strong. Beat me. Then I'll tell you everything I know. Shadow-Mirror's at Dolm. Want answers? Come to space."
He vanished into the horizon.
Raul, Excellence, Hagane, Hiryu— All on the same path now. Key pieces against Inspectors. Against Einst.
Axel Almer LV: 30 PP: 140 Melee: 226 Shooting: 244 Skill: 236 Defense: 233 Evasion: 261 Accuracy: 283 SP: 382
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Spend SP to enhance Slime performance) Growth Type: All-Rounder / Special
Terrain: Space: S Land: S Sea: B Universe: A
Spirit Commands:
Accelerate (SP 4) Effort (SP 8) Focus (SP 16) Guaranteed Hit (SP 20) Awakening (SP 32) ???
Skills:
EXP Up SP Boost (Lv.9 SP Up & Regen & Focus) Psychokinesis Lv.10 Attacker Gunfight Lv.9 Infight Lv.8 ??? (x7)
Kills: 151
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