After a brief lunch in the empty cafeteria because he was late. Adam heads to the command room and prepares for his departure back since he completed his mission when something popped up in his System display.
[The Interdimensional Contract has not been resolved yet. Abandon the Contract?]
[Yes / No]
"Wait. Not yet completed?" Adam was stunned for a moment and quickly checked his mission tab and found a follow up mission after the previous one was complete.
[Battle of Yokohama Base]
Description: Despite Host's attempt to exterminate the BETA from Sadogashima Hive, unfortunately the Megaworm wasn't defeated and the Superordinate mounted a second attempt to eliminate Host with Yokohama Hive's core, assuming Host were with the Main Casts, which poses the highest risk to their survival.
Alongside the Host, the Commander of the BETA also was aiming for Unit 00 who is the next highest threat to their species after the Host.
Objective:
- Convince and join the Alternative IV team to defend Yokohama Base and repel the BETA hordes.
- Ensure casualty rates of the participating forces are below 20%.
- Ensure the survival of all STF A-01 members.
- Ensure the survival of Unit 00.
Reward: ???
"Is there something wrong, Commander?" Enterprise, who noticed Adam's expression, asked and caused everyone else to also look at Adam.
Adam, still looking at his Mission tab with a frown, dismissed the screen and sighed.
"Apparently our job isn't done yet." He revealed after a dramatic pause and explained the current mission.
"Remember that giant worm thing? Assuming it's like a personnel carrier and it is transporting BETA from elsewhere to Japan because it deemed me as a threat to their survival and also the pilot of Susano-O II."
"Our mission is simple and quite straightforward. Exterminate all the aliens and protect several important people."
"How about their numbers, Sir?" New Jersey lifted up her hand and asked a question.
Adam was about to give the number from the canon story but stopped for a moment.
In the canon story, the Battle of Yokohama Base was supposed to involve stragglers BETA from Battle of Sadogashima that stayed hidden underground and secretly accessed the Yokohama Hive's core that remain intact. However, the present battle is different. It's the Megaworm that delivers BETA hordes from god knows where into the area of former Hive 22 which is the present Yokohama base. There is no accurate way to tell how many enemies there may be but definitely more than the canon story.
"There is no accurate number like before but definitely more than 40k. However, expect the enemies to double or triple that number." Adam answered.
"Commander!" Someone lifted up her hand with an energetic voice.
"Yes, San Diego?" Adam looks at the self-proclaimed No. 1 idol.
"Can't we just shoot down all the enemies using the super powerful laser beam!?" She excitedly tried to describe the laser main cannon with hand gestures and impressions.
"Definitely could." Adam nods his head and San Diego is about to say something but he cuts her off and adds, "But, do you remember our main objective of coming here? It's to gain Ex- battle experience. So we're not using Laser cannon unless it is absolutely necessary."
"Any other questions? No? Alright. The battle should take place on December 29. In another three days. Everyone should make their own preparations. If there are any problems, you can come find me." Adam said and dismissed everyone but told Tina, Alice and Winter to stay behind.
"To you all. None of you could participate in the previous battle because of an unsuitable skillset. So, I have good news for you all." Adam said and kept building the suspense before he revealed the good news.
"You all know the TSF right?" Adam asked and they nod. Some were confused like Alices and some immediately understood like Tina and Winter. "Basically, I can build them for you to pilot and participate in the battle." He said.
"So, do all of you want to pilot a TSF?" Adam asked.
Without hesitation, all of them agree. Not a surprise because Adam knew they felt left out during the first battle. Especially Tina and Alice who could do nothing at all while Winter at least is commanding the Mechs army.
"But, can we really learn to pilot them within just three days?" Winter shared her doubt which Adam found to be a fair worry but unfounded.
"It's possible. The TSF cockpit can run a simulation which is essentially a virtual training platform. Or if that's too difficult, there is an option of Neural Synchronization that allows you to pilot it with thoughts like moving your own. body." Adam explains and pulls out six units of Type-04 Shiranui Second TSF fresh out from his System Manufacturing function for Tina and Alices while Winter gets the repaired Type-00A unit since her fighting style is more close quarter company to Tina and Alice.
Adam stuck around for an hour to guide them along the training and unsurprisingly, Alice mastered it instantaneously.
"You can praise us more, Master." They pose up proudly with hands on their hips and chest puffed out after declaring their achievement. Adam smiled softly and gave them the headpats they demanded.
For Alice, rather than learn to pilot it. It's more like she downloaded the entire manual on piloting the TSF into her head and mastered all the basic controls instantaneously which includes the new XM3 OS that the MC, Shirogane Takeru developed.
Since Alice is proven to be capable of mastering the TSF piloting skill, Adam left Tina's and Winter's training to Alices while he had to gain cooperation from the Yokohama Base for the incoming battle.
"Still, how am I supposed to convince them there will be an attack on their base though?" Adam scratches his head while returning to the command room to find Agent for accompany him to meet the leaders of Yokohama Base.
It's not the matter of convincing them to accept him as an ally since he doubted they would turn away a willing ally. However, Adam worries about how to convince them about the incoming attack on their base when he has no definitive proof to show other than just his words.
After all he can't fuck this one up when the objectives set such a low casualty rates as the main objective requirement. But logically thinking, most of the UN and IJA forces survived the Battle of Sadogashima and instead of exhausting everything in their disposal, they won the battle with way less casualty rates and still retain most of their elite forces. The Battle of Yokohama Base should be easier for them compared to the canon except for the variable of how big the BETA horde will be since instead of stragglers from the previous battle, it's BETA from other hive delivered by the Megaworm or perhaps even Megaworms.
———
"Hmn… do you think we can meet them, Takeru-san?"
"I… don't know." Takeru replied to Tama.
It's been almost a whole day since the Battle of Sadogashima. According to what Takeru heard from Dr Kouzuki. Their helper that basically won them the battle vanished from the battlefield when the battle ended and had remained unknown ever since.
Of course, there's speculation they were staying inside their spacecraft and silently observing Earth. No one can really confirm either since the spacecraft can turn itself invisible to everything. For all they know, the helpers had already left which boggles Dr Kouzuki and the other higher ups from UN and IJA since they left without taking their promised reward at all. Well, they didn't know the System had collected the reward for Adam automatically.
But regardless, they still hoped that Adam was still around. After all, they see how his force's presence in the battlefield can turn the tide in their favor. In the planned Operation Cherry Blossom, Adam and his forces presence can increase the success chance of the operation greatly. That's why Dr Kouzuki who is the head of Alternative IV project and plenty of other supporters of this project want to rope Adam in for the operation.
"Still, who do you think they are? The higher ups are rather tight-lipped about their information and I even heard rumors that they were aliens!" Mikoto said jokingly.
"Who knows…" Takeru wondered and tried to recall any information from his past life but returned blank.
Sure, spacecraft aren't really impossible as humanity was already able to produce them when Project Alternative V happened. But from what he learned from Dr Kouzuki about the abilities of these people, perhaps it's not wrong to label them as aliens?
Swords that can shoot beams, conjuring fire and spears like magic, fixing a destroyed TSF unit on the spot and even people that can launch airplanes and shoot miniatures cannon like actual warships.
None of this is something that he remembers from his past life which means this is completely new to him.
Meanwhile, somewhere inside Yokohama Base. Adam and Agent teleported into a secluded place and then start to wander around while his minimap maps out the place as he looks for either Dr Kouzuki or the commander of the Yokohama Base.
Very few people noticed him and Agent, which isn't an issue really since most of the staff and soldiers are actually busy with repair and preparation and there just aren't many people that have leisure time to wander around. Also, they weren't really expecting intruders inside the base considering the alarm didn't go off.
"Master… isn't it easier if we just contact them instead of trying to look for them ourselves?" Agent wonders if Adam has other intentions to sneak in instead of announcing his arrival.
"Right… you can do that for me." Adam replied absentmindedly while his attention was elsewhere, looking at the rooftop of the academy building.
On top of that building was a girl with a black bunny-like ears, holding a pink rabbit doll who looked back at him and tilted her head in confusion. He could sense her emotions to some degree. Fear, confusion and curiosity. He wondered why she would fear him when most little girls he met liked him.
"Master, they are sending people to welcome us." Agent interrupted Adam's thoughts and he had to look away from the rooftop and look towards the direction of the approaching blue dots on his minimap.
"Hmn, they are rather fast." Adam mutters as it has been barely a few minutes since Agent contacted them.
The ones that came to greet him were the leaders of STF A-01 which is Captain Isumi and her two Lieutenant, Lieutenant Hayase and Lieutenant Munakata. Lieutenant Suzumiya or more fondly remembered as 'Valkyrie-Mum' seems to be missing though.
Suzumiya Haruka is one of Adam's favorite characters aside from a few harem members of the MC simply for her soothing voice and personality that matched her namesake Valkyrie-Mum or the mother figure of the TSF A-01.
"Nice to meet you, Mr White." Captain Isumi extended her arm out and offered a handshake to Adam while addressing him in English probably because his appearance does not look like Japanese contrary to what is usually shown in Anime.
Well, it didn't really matter if he could understand the language or not since the chip inside his head can automatically translate both ways as long as the used language is from Earth.
"Adam is fine. Also, you can speak in Japanese if that is more comfortable for you." Adam replied as he shook her hand a few more times before taking his hand back.
"Alright." She answered before introducing her Lieutenant starting from Lieutenant Hayase. "She is Lieutenant Hayase, Hayase Mitsuki and the other one is Lieutenant Munakata, Munakata Misae."
Adam finds this introduction unnecessary really but since the other party did it. He just played along then.
"Well, she is Agent. My maid and also my wife." Adam introduced and he sensed some emotions of disappointment alongside some familiarity with Agent. Probably from when she helped them pilot Susano-O II back to the base.
"Agent? That's…" Captain Isumi couldn't finish her words when Adam interjected. "A weird name? We get that comment a lot. Maybe I should give her a new name?" Adam thought about it. The three were visibly confused when Adam suggested changing Agent's name.
"I think we have wasted enough time already. Shouldn't we go and meet your superior right now?" Agent reminded Captain Isumi who immediately remembered.
"Right, I forgot about it. My apologies. Please follow us." She looks like she just snapped out of a trance and looked away from Adam to walk ahead and lead the two to their destination.
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