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  Chapter 7InterludeChapter 8


Ch.1 - A Departure, an Encounter, and a Grand Clash


    "What should I do?" I sighed. There was no response. Just like always.

    I didn't mutter that because I expected a response. I just wanted someone in whom I could confide a little, thus the sigh. Souga never talks.

    Souga is the zoid I pilot. He is classified as a Liger Blue, but I call him Souga because that sounds cooler.

    The view on the screen inside my cockpit is the same old scenery. It's just the sun shining in the blue, cloudless sky and the cluster of rocky mountains rising up with their deep canyons etched in between. Today, though, there's just one thing that's different. It's a single zoid. It's following the river as it moves through the canyon. It's sleek, yellow body looks very quick. Those two long rods that I can see are weapons like spears, and then on its back is probably a launcher because I can see something that looks just like a missile. It would be too dangerous and careless to get any closer.

    The direction where that yellow zoid is heading is the location of the secret village where we live. At first glance, this region looks uninhabitable with nothing but mountain ranges, but if you keep following this canyon, it opens up into a vast area thick with greenery. Legend has it that 120 years ago...or possibly 150 years ago, the people who drove zoids were tired of all the wars, so they wandered to the edge of the wilderness and found this lush valley where they began living. Even now they live in obscurity making little contact with outsiders.

    What type of zoid is that? If he is going to cause any harm to the village, I can't let him go any further.

    "What should I do?"

    I sigh. There is no response. Even without a response, I know what Souga is thinking. I've been riding him since I was five years old, so we've been together for 11 years. This is what Souga is thinking,

    "Let's go. If it's to protect the village, we cannot turn away from the fight."

    I can't make up my mind. Maybe I will have to do battle with him, but my Souga has hardly any missiles. All he can use are his claws and fangs. After all, we just went out for a little walk...Souga gets in a bad mood if I don't take him out for a run in the mountains at least once a day, and if it's just Souga and I, we don't need any weapons. But that other zoid is loaded with missiles. There is no way that we can defeat him unless we can get in close.

    In terms of position, we have the advantage. I am on top of the mountain, and he is down in the canyon. He probably hasn't noticed that we are here. If we can maneuver well and ambush him, we can get on his tail. I've made up my mind.

    "Let's go!" I mutter.

    Souga raises his head towards the sky. That's always been his way. He does it whenever he roars.

    "Ah...no! No, no, no!"

    I hurriedly restrain him.

    "Don't roar! Be quiet. Quiet, okay?"

    Souga pouts as if he has just been punished, and I think I see him stick his tongue out at me.


- Chapter 1: Part 2


    Souga loyally obeys my command to be "quiet" and nimbly runs across the mountain without making a sound. We know the layout of the land here all too well. We turn down the back of the mountain and then descend into the canyon after having passed the yellow zoid. We find a mass of rock just to the right size and conceal ourselves behind it. I formulate a battle plan inside my head. We'll hide here and wait for him to pass us. As soon as he passes us, we'll jump out of the shadow of this rock and get on his tail. This position will create the best advantage for us to determine whether he's an enemy or a friend.

    I increase the range of my auditory sensory system. Souga's ears can monitor sound in a 360 degree radius, and pick it up from any direction giving him an advantage. I can hear it now. It's the zoid's footsteps. He's 500 meters away.

    I hold my breathing and wait.

    The distance is now 400 meters.

    300 meters.

    Then suddenly, the sound of the footsteps stop.

    An image appears on my screen, and it looks as if I have received a message. Showing on my screen is the form of a boy who looks young...almost like a small child.

    "I am Ken from the Jin Commando Squad. My ride is a Hound Soldier. I have confirmed on my sensor that you're hiding just over there."

    What? A sensor? So hiding like this was a waste of time?

    "Disarm all of your weapons and show yourself at once. Otherwise..."

    I can hear the sound of machinery now. It's the sound of a cannon turning.

    "Oh no!"

    I spring out from behind the large boulder. In the next instant, I hear a thunderous roar as a huge rock flies.

    Thud!

    It was just in the nick of time. I hear thumping noises. It's the fragments of the rock raining down on Souga.

    "That was just a warning shot. Um, either raise a white flag or send a message conveying your intent to surrender..."

    That was just a warning shot?! He completely destroyed that boulder.

    Still, there's something strange about the way this boy is speaking. It's like he's reading straight out of a manual.

    I hear the sound of machinery again. I can clearly see on my screen now. He's aiming his gun right at me.

    "I will give you five more seconds. Raise a white flag or send me a communication that you wish to surrender. I will start the countdown now. 5..."

    There's no time to think. Our only choice now is to attack.

    "Go! Souga!"

    We turn towards the enemy and start running.

    "4..."

    We gain full speed by the second step. Quick acceleration is one of Souga's traits.

    "3..."

    The enemy's zoid is close at hand.

    "2... Um, uh! Uh! Uh!"

    The enemy's pilot is panicking. It's too late for panic at a time like this.

    "Destroy it!"

    We land an explosive punch on him. His armor is torn, and his body moves sideways. Still, why is he continuing that deliberate countdown without assuming a defensive position?

    What a weirdo.

    Thud!

    Something lands in the immediate vicinity. It seems the enemy isn't just the one guy.

    In order to evade the bombardment, we start running around while I get a look at our surroundings. Another one over there. This one is a wolf with a red body running straight towards us. Then behind him is a zoid shaped like a rhinoceros.

    A new image appears on my screen. This time it's an older man with a slovenly beard.

    "Our intent isn't senseless murder. We have no reason to fight."

    I face the new enemy and switch my communication signal on.

    "So you're inquiring by bombing me!"

    "It's a girl?!"

    He sounds somewhat surprised. A girl driving a zoid isn't that rare.

    "What do you mean that it's a girl?"

    As we talk, the distance between us becomes less and less.

    "I will not fight a girl."

    "What? That's...discrimination against girls. It's sexual harassment!"

    I'm so upset now.

    "Say what you will, but I have no intention of fighting a girl."

    The enemy's right in front of me now. I kick both of the back legs against the ground and jump. At the same time, Souga raises his front legs over his head.

    "I won't tolerate sexual harassment!"

    "It's unavoidable then. I'm sorry!"

    In an instant, something flashes white across my screen.

    There's a shiver down both of the front legs. Souga's claws rip into the enemy...at least they were supposed to...but nothing happens.

    "Huh? What?"

    What happened? Did the enemy nimbly dodge out of the way? It didn't look like he did.

    The red zoid runs under Souga. I jump over the enemy and try to land on the other side of him. But, I couldn't do it. Souga's front legs wouldn't move and he fell to the ground, caving at his shoulders.

    Thud!

    Souga tumbles across the ground. If I wasn't wearing my seatbelt, I'm sure I would have been ejected. I try to get Souga's legs back on the ground to stop his rolling...but...I can't do it. That's strange. Something weird is going on here. Souga is no longer responding to my commands.

    Finally, we stop our roll. I take off my seat belt and jump from the cockpit.






- Chapter 1: Part 3

    "Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!"

    I scream despite myself.

    The first thing that catches my eye as I land on the ground is Souga's decrepit state.

    "His front legs!"

    They are twisted at an impossible angle with sparks flying from the wounds where they'd been cut. It's a painful sight.

    Men are emerging from the enemy zoids. A boy from a yellowish one. An old man from a red one. Two girls from the rhinoceros type. They all focus on me and gather around while I stare stupified at the sight of the Souga.

    "Relax, you were struck with the back of the sword."

    The old man says.

    "How dare..."

    I glare at the old man. He withdraws a bit. Perhaps because of the hellfire burning in my eyes.

    "How dare you..."

    I take one step towards him.

    "Well, no, I didn't want to fight you..."

    The old man takes one step back.

    "How dare..."

    I clench my fist and take another step forward.

    "It's a misunderstanding. I don't plan on fighting you."

    The old man takes a step back while raising both hands as a symbol of surrender. But, I don't give in.

    "How dare you do that to my Souga!"

    "Stop! I won't fight a..."

    Pow!

    I punch in the old man's face.

    "...wo...man..."

    The old man falls on his back.

    "Stop it!"

    "You can't!"

    Both girls throw themselves at me. I'm crushed under their weight and fall to the ground.

    "Hey."

    The girl with glasses bends over me and speaks.

    "You, perhaps, you're Midori from Kageri village?"

    Certainly that's my name.

    "Yes, but..."

    "I see."

    The girl stares at me with a serious look on her face.

    "This girl is..."

    The other girl is staring at me too. I stare back. It's a little, strange, having three women scuffling and staring at each other on the ground.

    "I'm Seki of Jin's Commando Squad."

    The girl with glasses names herself.

    "I'm Räte."

    The other girl names herself as well.

    "We're going to meet the elder of your village."

    "To meet my grandfather?"

    "Yes. To meet the zoid pilot of zoid pilots, Mr. Hakukuu."

    "Of... course..."

    It seems like I jumped to the wrong conclusion. These people don't seem like bad people. The two girls free me. Seki, who stood up before, pulls my hand and brings me up to my feet.

    "Do you understand?"

    The old man rises back up.

    "I'm Jin. I'm leading this commando squad. I've heard about you. The recklessly spirited girl who pilots a blue lion type zoid and stays at Mr. Hakukuu's home."

    Now that I look closer, he isn't likely old enough to be called an old man. I could maybe even say he's a little sexy. Minus the long strand of blood dripping from his nose.

    "Ah."

    I remembered. It wasn't the time to have a carefree chat.

    "My Souga..."

    "It's okay."

    A voice calls out. When I turn around it was the boy from the yellowish zoid... Called Ken... looking at the state of my Souga.

    "It's only the shoulder that's dislocated. I'll fix it right away."

    The boy looks over his shoulder,

    "My Hound Soldier has a much worse wound."

    "Ah, umm, well..."

    I hesitate a little as I speak.

    "Sorry."

    Ken smiles cheerfully.


- Chapter 1: Part 4

    Ken's Hound Soldier was able to move on its own. For my Souga it was a bit too much. After a discussion he would return to the village in deplorable shape, allowed to place the upper part of his body on the older sister's Heavy Rhimos, walking with his hind legs only. Because it was such an inconvenient way to walk it took many hours to get back to the village and it was twilight by the time we reached it.

    "It's been a long time."

    Grandpa came out to welcome us. Jin's zoid, the Rez Wolf which is leading, paused. The cockpit opened and Jin's figure appears.

    "It's been a long time. You seem well."

    Grandpa shifts his attention in my direction.

    "It seems there was a kerfuffle."

    Jin scratches his head.

    "There was a little misunderstanding. Ah, only the zoids were damaged, the passengers are completely unharmed."

    Grandpa only smiles.

    "That's fine. By the way..."

    Grandpa's expression is turning serious again.

    "The letter the other day said that there's something you wish to discuss."

    "We would like to borrow your wisdom."

    "Is it a simple question?"

    "It's a little complicated. Moreover, a considerably serious situation has occurred."

    "Then I'll take time to listen to it later. When you put your zoids into the hangar you should come to my home. I'll arrange the people you need for repairs. Food is prepared and waiting."

    "Sorry to impose."

    Jin bowes.

    I'm impressed. Heh, Grandpa is respected.







    When we went to the hangar the foreman had already come to it. We left Souga and the others to the foreman and went to the house.

    At home Grandpa was waiting while drinking alcohol. Dinner was all lined up on the table.

    "Thank you for your hospitality."

    "Oooh, wait."

    Everyone sat where they wanted. Alcohol was poured. Grandpa and Jin began having a discussion while drinking. I wasn't really interested. I was more worried about Souga.

    I finish my meal quickly and leave my seat.

    "I'm going to the hangar."

    Grandpa looks over his shoulder and replies with a simple "Yeah", and goes back to his discussion with Jin right away.

    "Ah, wait a moment."

    I hear a voice.

    "I'll go, too."

    Ken rakes in his meal in a big hurry.


- Chapter 1: Part 5

    Souga and the Hound Soldier are being repaired in the hangar. I decide to sit down near them.

    "You're not going to assist?"

    "No, I just came to see. Because the foreman gets mad when amateurs get involved. And also..."

    I shift my attention to Ken.

    "Don't speak so formally to me."

    "I understand. Ah, no, I mean... I get it."

    We both smile a little. Ken sits down at my side. We watch the repairs together.

    "You seem very refined. Perhaps, you're the son of a rich family?"

    "Not so much."

    "Then why are you in such a dangerous job?"

    There's a long pause before Ken answers.

    "I totally lost. Like before."

    "Eh? What do you mean?"

    "Despite how it looks, I was strong in training. I didn't lose to anyone in the dojo. But in such an important match I completely lost. Everyone said it. 'You're skilled'. And, when the teacher announced, 'I was asked to refer a reliable zoid pilot for a special mission...', I didn't hesitate to jump at it. 'This is it!' I thought. I'll go on a journey and get thorough training."

    "Hnn."

    Ken seems surprisingly level-headed. Nevertheless, there was excitement when he said the word 'journey'.

    "Hey, is traveling fun?"

    "I'm not sure if I should call it fun or not but, how do I say it, it feels like my world is growing more and more every time we go to an unknown place..."

    Somehow I feel like I understand. As far as I can remember I've always lived in the village and haven't seen the world outside the canyon.

    "Traveling?"

    It might be nice. I'd like to go. But, it also seems a bit scary. I wonder if Grandpa would forgive me.


- Chapter 1: Part 6

    At night I couldn't get to sleep at all. I wanted to know what condition Souga was in, and when I went to the hangar by depending on the moonlight, I found Seki sitting down facing Souga.

    I sit down next to her.

    "What are you doing?"

    "I was listening to the sound."

    "The sound?"

    "Yes. Zoids aren't just machines. So they aren't repaired by simply connecting their injuries. A zoid can only be said to be fixed when its life force permeates the spot that was repaired and it becomes one with the zoid. Right now, while Souga is sleeping, it's restoring its own body. So, if you strain your ears... I feel like you can hear the sound of its life force flowing..."

    "Hnn."

    I try straining my ears, too, but I can't hear anything.

    "Besides..."

    Seki smiles a little.

    "When I look at Souga, I remember the zoid I left in the capital. I wonder what it's doing now..."

    "They look alike?"

    "Very."

    "Why didn't you come together?"

    "That girl had to stay in the capital."

    "Hnn."

    It seems like there's something wrong. Although I want to ask, when I look at Seki's face in profile as she watches Souga so affectionately, I feel strangely reserved. I speak up.

    "What did you come here for?"

    "I was worried about Souga."

    "I see. You were worried."

    "Yeah."

    The conversation pauses. When I look at Souga sleeping, I feel a bit relieved and get sleepy. But, I can't sleep. I have to watch over Souga... I think...

    My eyelids become heavy and my head nods.

    "Hu hu hu hu hu hu"

    When I open my eyes and turn around, Seki is laughing.

    "Isn't it about time you go home and go to bed? I'll stay here so it's fine."

    Honestly, I'm tired. No, tired as hell. I feel a little groggy. My usual bedtime passed long ago. But I feel like even if I go to bed, I'm not going to sleep much anyway.

    "Seki?"

    "I'll be here. I can't leave the zoids."

    "Then, I'll stay, too."

    "You'll stay until morning?"

    "I'll stay until morning."

    "Lack of sleep is bad for your skin."

    "I'm fine. I'm young."

    "I'm young, too."

    "How old are you?"

    "19."

    "Eh?"

    I'm a bit surprised. Because she was calm I thought she was older.

    "Besides, I'm used to camping since I've been traveling. So, I'm fine with wherever I spend the night. I can sleep anywhere."

    "Hnn."

    I've never traveled.

    "Traveling?"

    Traveling ... the outside world ... somehow it felt romantic. Come to think of it, I heard that Ken was traveling with the Commando Squad in order to gain experience. Even I ...

    "I want to go, too."

    When I murmur that, Seki replies in a quiet voice.

    "Come?"

    "Eh?"

    "Would you like to come with us?"

    "Eh?"

    "Come with us."

    Seki puts her arm around me and draws me close. As she pulls me in, I trust her with my body and close my eyes.

    "Come on, you can stay with us."







    That night after I went to bed I didn't know if I'd been up thinking all night long or sleeping a little bit. When I regained consciousness, my surroundings were slightly lighter. It was dawn. I decided to leave my bed and go to the hangar.

    "Good morning."

    I gently call out. Souga's eyes glow.

    "How are you feeling?"

    Souga stands up. I slowly check the condition of his forelegs. Before long he's standing up completely, and he takes one, two, three steps, moving towards me and shaking his head. He seems OK.

    "Hey, Souga."

    I decide to talk to him.

    "I thought about it."

    Souga tilts his head and looks at me.

    "I think I'm going to travel!"

    Souga smiles sweetly... it seems like, anyway.

    "Go with me! On an adventure!"

    Souga raises his face towards the sky. For a moment I think "Here comes trouble!" Perhaps the villagers will get woken up. But, I immediately change my mind and think, "Well, it's fine, isn't it?" It's early morning in the village. Nobody's still sleeping at this time of day besides the drunkards who drank too much last night. Besides, this is the signal gun celebrating our departure.

    "Graaaaaaaaaaaar!"

    Souga looks towards the sky and roars.

    * ((Zoids Generations switches perspectives between characters. Here it switches to Jin's perspective. We' ll make note of this when necessary.)).

    "Commander."

    A picture appears on the screen. It's a signal from Ken who went ahead to scout.

    The duty of scouts was to go ahead of the group and check for danger. It was a dangerous and difficult job, but Ken volunteered himself so the job was left to him.

    "Reporting in. I've discovered a zoid."

    For some reason he seems awfully uneasy. It isn't like Ken. He has met with many zoids on this trip, and Ken has always kept calm.

    "Roger."

    I purposely answer in a stern tone. At a time like this it's the duty of a commander to show a calm attitude.

    "Same as usual, send a message to the other party..."

    "That's, um..."

    Ken interrupts me and starts talking. This is new for Ken, too.

    "That zoid is... umm... I figured that. Well, umm..."

    Ken's an excellent guy but he's indecisive and takes his time making judgement calls about most things. It's unavoidable since he's young and inexperienced.

    After wavering a moment, Ken replies.

    "I'm transmitting a picture so please take a look at it."

    I get another picture. It's the rocky mountain scenery I've been watching over for the last couple of days. In it, one zoid is standing still and looking this way.

    (Geh!)

    I don't cry out but I groan in my mind. This is bad!

    "Hold on, Jin."

    Another communication interrupts. It's Räte.

    "Isn't that dangerous? It's a Bio Zoid, isn't it? We don't want anything to do with them.

    She's right. It's a terrible situation. It's definitely a Bio Zoid, some sort of Dromaeosaurus Bio Zoid in fact. If I knew there was a guy like that in the area I wouldn't have ever let Ken go ahead. The Hound Soldier that Ken's piloting isn't equipped to defeat this guy.

    "That seems to be the case."

    I answer calmly, not reflecting my true feelings. Never panicking, as making level headed judgement calls is the duty of a commander.

    "You know what to do, don't you, Ken?"

    The distance between him and the enemy is roughly 1 kilometer, from what we can see on the screen.

    "Absolutely do not approach. I'll hide and watch him from a distance. That's what I'll do..."

    "That's right..."

    Even still, Ken interrupts me.

    "Midori..."

    "Ack,"

    This time I did let out a groan.

    I forgot. Since we'd stopped in Kageri Village, our scout numbers had increased by one. "With Souga, if he doesn't get to go out for a run in the mountains at least once a day, his mood goes from bad to worse." So said the cheerful girl who had volunteered to scout alongside Ken.

    "I'll go. That's my prey!"

    "What do you mean?"

    Ken holds his hand to his head. Scratch, scratch...

    "What do we do now?"

    "Cover them! Just hold on until I get there! And don't let him hurt that child!"

    "Roger."

    Ken's Hound Soldier starts running.

    "Let's go!"

    I increase the Rez Wolf's speed as much as I can. The Heavy Rhimos with Räte and Seki is also following.

- Chapter 1: Part 7

    The blue lion type Zoid, Souga jumps forth. Since him and Ken's Hound Soldier are linked up, we can see the battle happening on their screens. Souga strikes his claws across its entire body. Good! The Bio Dromeosaur jolts. Only, all that happens is that it falls over. Then, they won't be able to defeat the Bio Zoid...

    Souga spins to face the Zoid as he lands. The bipedal Bio Zoid's body awakens. It takes a stance, its mouth open, and it breaths fire. Ken's Hound Soldier keeps his spear at his side and thrusts. He's there just in time. The strike from the spear collides before the Bio Zoid can breath its fire.

    It seems like the battle has been going on forever since it began. Both Ken and Midori are putting up a spendid fight, and they aren't leaving any room for the enemy to attack, but they won't be able to defeat it.

    "Hurry up!"

    I urge the Rez Wolf. Eventually I'm able to catch sight of the enemy in Rez Wolf's view.

    (I'm almost there. Please hang on, Ken, Midori!)

    I shout in my heart.

    Rez Wolf's sword deploys while we run.

    "When you encounter darkness, you slash the darkness. When you encounter the wind, you slash the wind."

    Those are the words going through my mind. Or maybe not. These are the words thought by the Rez Wolf. No, rather the Rez Wolf's sword — Kazuchi's thoughts; that may be more accurate.

    "When you encounter a demon, you slash the demon. When you encounter an enemy, you slash the enemy."

    The enemy's close. I shout.

    "Get away, both of you!"

    Midori's Souga turns around. Ken's Hound Solder jumps. The Bio Zoid squares up against us. My Rez Wolf jumps.

    "Kazuchi Shonutachi... Slash!"

    Rez Wolf's sword shines. We pass the enemy just like that. He braces his legs and whirls around to land.

    "Grraaaaaaahhhhhh!"

    The Bio Zoid lets out an agonizing death cry. Its body divided horizontally into two pieces, the upper part sliding off and dropping.

    Thud!

    The Bio Zoid falls to the ground. Its body crumbles into pieces. I don't know why it happens, but Bio Zoids do this whenever the fire of their life is extinguished. It's one of the many mysteries of Bio Zoids. No, perhaps, in this strange phenomenon, there may be the key to solving the secret of the mysterious life forms called Bio Zoids.

    (Haa)

    I let out a sigh of relief.

    (Now...)

    It's painful to think about the remaining innonence on Midori's face, but there are other things I have to keep in mind. That's also the duty of the commander.

    I open the cockpit and step outside. Souga's cockpit also opens, and Midori comes out. For some reason she's giving me a sharp look. I don't really know why.

    I speak up as I approach.

    "Hey, that's not a good idea, Midori. You can't go running recklessly into combat by yourself..."

    My words are interrupted by Midori speaking.

    "That's terrible!"

    "Huh?"

    What's she talking about? I'm just trying to save her from a dangerous situation.

    "This is too much! Stealing my prey like that!"

    "Huh?"

    Midori makes a fist. I instantly guard my face.

    In the end, no punch comes flying at me, but when I see Midori's face, I feel like I've done something wrong. I saved Midori, but...

- Chapter 1: Part 8



    "Hey, I don't want to have to say this, but Midori..."

    Later after dinner I start talking.

    After a meal, hearts are satisfied and people are more forgiving. Choosing a time to preach is also an important thing for commanders to know.

    Midori turns and looks at me with large eyes. Is she still angry?

    I met Midori three days ago when I visited Lord Hakukuu in Kageri village. When suddenly challenged the battle was chaotic, and this child's punch was pretty painful, but the misunderstanding was resolved quickly. Midori can be a good, obedient child if she understands the situation. Besides... What can I say... She's a cute girl. She's 16 years old, but she's comparatively naive and innocent. She's never been out of this village, not even a single step since she was born. It's kind of funny.

    The next morning I was confused when Midori said "I'm going on the trip." Our journey isn't a sightseeing trip. It's a dangerous, and serious journey. Of course I objected to it, and Hakukuu, her foster parent, also opposed it. In the end, Midori pushed the matter. Midori is strong willed, and if I look into those large eyes, it can't be good.

    "As I said before..."

    I keep talking.

    "We have a serious mission. In order to achieve that mission, we should consider safety first, and avoid unnecessary fighting."

    "But..."

    Midori answers.

    "That was a bad zoid, right? Ken said that."

    I turn to Ken.

    "Oh, that's right."

    Ken explains.

    "Because Midori asked if it was a good zoid or a bad zoid."

    "Hey—"

    Räte spouts out.

    "They're right, it wasn't a mistake. Thanks to Midori's success, the bad zoid is gone, our people's safety has been ensured, and everyone is delighted, isn't that right?"

    "Yeah, that's right!"

    Midori smiles big.

    "Oh, but..."

    Seki joins the conversation.

    "Your opponent was evil, it was too risky."

    "Why?"

    "Zoids like that can't be defeated with ordinary weapons. It's not possible, neither with claws or fangs. You were actually trying to destroy it, weren't you?"

    "That's not entirely true. There's a bit more..."

    Tsk, tsk, tsk, Seki shakes her finger.

    "That "a bit more" is a tall order, though. Only weapons made of Metal Zi can stop a Bio Zoid."

    "Is that so?"

    She doesn't seem convinced.

    "Yes. At the moment, out of all of our combat units, only Jin's Rez Wolf is equipped with weapons made of Metal Zi. It's also why we consulted with Lord Hakukuu... I mean, your grandfather... During our consultation we decided that your Zoid, as well, would be equipped with Metal Zi. Tomorrow, we'll be arriving at the village of a legendary swordsmith."

    "Okay."

    "That's why..."

    I take over the story.

    "I know that for your Zoids, until they get equipped with Metal Zi, they can't afford to leave my side. You don't have to go scout by yourself tomorrow. Let's go together."

    "Hmm."

    Midori carasses her small neck as she answers, thinking for a moment.

    "Hey—"

    Midori is getting up.

    "Hey, where are you going?"

    "To take a look around before bed. Now that I know there was a bad Zoid around, I have to be vigilent. Besides, it doubles as a nice long walk in the evening with Souga."

    "But, if you encounter a Bio Zoid without Metal Zi weapons..."

    "I don't need that! My Souga's strong."

    In the end she's not convinced.

    "Nevermind that... Hey, Ken."

    Midori smiles at Ken.

    "Would you like to come with us?"

    "Huh? Uhh, that's..."

    Ken looks at me. I answer.

    "No, it's dangerous."

    Ken looks to Midori, turns his eyes to me once more, then turns his eyes to Midori again, and then to me.

    "I'm gonna go. It's dangerous if she goes alone."

    Ken stands up. The two of them walk to their Zoids.

    "Heh."

    "Hehehehehehe."

    As I turn around, Räte and Seki are laughing about something.

    "What's so funny?"

    Seki chuckles, heh heh, and waves her hands.

    "Nothing, nothing."

    Räte says.

    "But, well, you might say our commander has lost his authority. That could be a problem. It's not what a commander is supposed to do.

- Chapter 1: Part 9


    The next morning the sky's blue with no clouds.

    "I'm going to scout."

    Midori says loudly when breakfast is over.

    "Oh, I'll go too."

    Ken tries to rush after her.

    "Oh, wait a second. Bring this."

    I hurriedly call out.

    Ken turns around and looks at my hand.

    "What's that?"

    "It's a letter of introduction written by Lord Hakukuu. When you arrive at the other village, show this letter of introduction to the people of the village and you should be good."

    "Understood."

    Ken takes the letter.

    "And..."

    I turn my eyes to Midori. Ken also turns his eyes in response.

    "Never take your eyes off of her. I don't know what she'll do."

    Ken smiles brightly.

    "Yeah, leave it to me!"

    It's a straightforward answer. Ken's a nice fellow.

    "I'm begging you."

    I send the two of them out.

- Chapter 1: Part 10


    It's close to noon when I get a communication.

    "Commander."

    Ken's face is reflected on the screen.

    "It's me, Ken. I've just now arrived at the village of the legendary swordsmith."

    I nod slowly.

    "Hmm. Thank you very much."

    "Well, there were only a few village people. I handed over the letter of introduction... and then... well, there was something strange..."

    "What happened?"

    "A zoid showed up, and tried to attack us."

    That's not good. It seems something went wrong.

    "Okay. Ken, listen carefully."

    I say while trying to summarize my thoughts. It's sensitive. If the words are too convoluted, they might get twisted around and cause even more problems.

    "Absolutely do not fight. You can make them understand just by talking..."

    "Yeah... I stopped fighting, but..."

    Ken interrupts me.

    I have a bad feeling about this.

    "Midori..."

    I receive another image.

    "Ack!"

    I blurt out unintentionally.

    What appears on my screen is Souga leaping at the enemy.

- Liger Blue Souga (Gusoku Myokoh)


    The timing of the artwork for Souga's armor lined up with its first appearance. I was able to fulfill my heart's desire by drawing this at the start of the resin kit production. It was one idea for the application of the CAS System, and was representative of the world's view of Generations. I think that the impression of the armor is strong. To everyone involved, thank you for your hard work m-m. That just leaves the injection work to be done (laughs.)

- Rez Wolf


    Rez Wolf's characteristic equipment, the "Sword Drawing System" was designed, named, and made by me as a prop. The Fuzors Gravity Saix adds a sword, and I liked the idea of a Zoid that could attack like that. Even Generation's main unit uses a sword, not just this one! The sword system and even the sheath storage was integrated into prop I made (^^;.

Chapter End


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