- Fan Book Introduction

    The Fan Book EX were released with some of the later model kits in the NJR. They included instructions for the Zoid that came with them, but more importantly, included information on the newer Battle Story. For the purpose of this article we will be leaving out the instructions, but if you'd like to view the full book you can refer to the model kit pages of their respective Zoid.

- EX Volume 1 - Gojulas Giga




ZAC 1957
    King Helic Muroa unites the Central Continent. The same year, an eldest son, Helic II, is born to the king.

ZAC 1959
    A second son, Zenebas, is born to King Helic.

ZAC 1978
    King Helic dies. The Central Continent is divided into a Republic that makes Helic II its President and an Empire that accepts Zenebas as Emperor.

ZAC 1980
    The Central Continent War breaks out between the Republic and the Empire.

ZAC 2029
    A pioneer ship from Earth, the Globally III, crash-lands on the Central Continent.

ZAC 2030~
    The war intensifies due to the introduction of Earthling technology.

ZAC 2051
    The Zenebas Empire collapses. The same year, having absorbed the defeated Zenebas remnants, the Dark Continent's Guylos Empire proclaims war on the Helic Republic.

ZAC 2056
    A huge comet approaches. The Grand Catastrophe of Planet Zi.

ZAC 2099
    After more than 40 years have passed, the Guylos Empire once again proclaims war on the Helic Republic.

ZAC 2102
    Prozen, an orphan of the deceased Emperor Zenebas, causes a rebellion in the Guylos Empire capital and performs a suicide bombing, taking with him the main forces of both the Guylos and Helic armies. The same year, Prozen's son Wolff Muroa takes control of the Central Continent. The Neo Zenebas Empire is founded.

    And then, three years flowed by--.




    ZAC 2105, autumn

    The Central Continent of Delpoi

    Three years since the collapse of the Helic Republic. On the Central Continent of Delpoi (at least on the surface), peaceful days continued. This was because the Neo Zenebas Empire had taken such lenient occupation measures, one would not think they were an invading army.

    The dissolution of parliament. The dismantling of the army. The Empire's demands were basically just these two points. The terror of the Republic citizens changed into relief, and that relief watered down their will to resist their new rulers.

    The fact that the Emperor leading Neo Zenebas was Wolff Muroa was also a cause for the Empire's rule being smooth. He was a blood relative of the hero king, Helic Muroa the First. This fact had a special significance for all those living on the Central Continent. "The Muroa family are our traditional rulers."

    Even now that a century had passed since the establishment of republicanism, more than a few of the populace thought this.

    The citizens also had a fear of the Guylos Empire on the Dark Continent of Nyx. As soon as their wounds from the previous great war had healed, they were sure to bare their fangs at the Central Continent once again. The severity of the occupation measures of Guylos, being a different race, would be incomparable to those of Neo Zenebas. And now that the Republic army had collapsed, the only ones they could rely on were the Neo Zenebas army.

    ZAC 2105, autumn. These various factors continued to make the Neo Zenebas Empire's system of control of the Central Continent firmer day by day.




    Delpoi, Central Mountain Range

    A Helic Republic Army Position

    The wind rushing down from the summit was piercingly cold. On his regular patrol, Republic Army Second Lieutenant Steve Bone hurriedly slid into the cockpit of his beloved Konig Wolf.

    He was on a mountainside in the Central Mountain Range, where high mountains in the 7000 metre to 9000 metre class stood in rows. The arrival of winter was early. Tonight or tomorrow, they would get snow. The snow that they were eagerly awaiting. If it piled up, they would be able to evade the inquiring eyes of the Neo Zenebas Empire Army, at least until spring.

    There was a secret base of the Helic Republic Army here. One of the military positions that had numbered more than 100 three years ago. But now, there wouldn't even be 30 that had survived. In contrast to their lenient occupation measures, the Empire Army had been performing a thorough mopping-up operation against the Republic Army's remaining forces. In the battles over these three years, the Republic Army had not won a single time. If they were discovered, it was all over, and they were struck down one-sidedly.

    The Dark Spiner. It was that demonic electronic warfare Zoid's fault. Ally Zoids were driven completely mad by its Jamming Waves, and were defeated without even being able to fight.

    However.... If they could hold out until spring, they would complete "it". The last hope left to the Republic Army, that new giant Zoid....




    The Assassin From Neo Zenebas
    Raid Of The Stealth Stinger

    It happened when Steve Bone finished his regular patrol and turned his beloved machine towards the base. The Konig's usually light movements suddenly became heavy. A dull sensation, as though a foreign object was caught between the control stick and the drive system. He remembered this piloting feeling. It was the same sensation as in the operation to recover the fallen Republic capital three years ago.

    At that time, he had been piloting another Konig. The strategy had been to pierce the flank of the enemy Armoured Division's main force, as a member of the High-Speed Force. However, with the enemy force before his eyes, the Konig's movements had suddenly slowed. There were Dark Spiners in the enemy force. Just as it entered their jamming area, the Konig started to totter like a drunk man.

    The high-speed Zoids that had lost their manoeuvrability amounted to less than practice targets. After that, Diloforce and Demantis units gushed forth in terrible amounts and showered them with blows. The force was annihilated in an instant. There were also a considerable number of his comrades who were attacked by allies controlled by Jamming Waves.

    "I did well to survive," he thought. In exchange, Steve had tasted the deepest disgrace for a Zoid pilot, that of abandoning his beloved machine and escaping.

    It was a bitter memory. But he didn't have time to be flooded with sentimentality. The enemy was drawing near.

    What's more, it was the worst kind, a mopping-up force containing Dark Spiners. He had to notify the base immediately.

    Steve cut the power to his beloved machine and jumped down from the cockpit. He couldn't even use the communicator. All he could rely on were his own feet. He ran as though crawling along the rugged footholds. However, he was 5000 metres above ground level. His breathing rose immediately. From behind Steve approached footsteps that sounded like earth tremors. He instantly hid himself in a rocky area. The enemy force calmly advanced right beside him. As he gazed at its majestic appearance, Steve's sense of despair deepened further.

    It wasn't just Dark Spiners. There was even a Death Stinger. It was a monster loaded with the Organoid System, the legacy of Planet Zi's ancient super-civilisation. The Empire Army had now succeeded in completely analysing and mass-producing this system, which gave combat Zoids terrifying life energy, agility and fighting instincts. The one before his eyes was a Stealth Stinger, a mass-produced machine with its stealth abilities and armour strengthened in exchange for its Charged Particle Cannon being removed. There were also Sack Stingers, mass production-type small-scale machines with the incubation of their Zoid Cores eliminated. They numbered around 100. All of them were united with a jet black colouring. It was the "Black Dragoon".

    A combat force led by Genius Deldaros, rumoured to be the Empire Army's strongest Zoid pilot.

    A tiny smile floated on Steve's lips. Apparently when poor conditions piled up this much, people instead laughed.

    Once again, Steve began to run as if crawling. Towards the base where his comrades awaited. Towards a battlefield where certain death lay in store.......




    Gojulas The Ogre Sets Out!


    The sound of intense gunfire pierced Steve's ears. The battle had already begun.

    --Hurry.

    He felt impatient. He couldn't imagine the base had long. He wouldn't want to be late, and then end up being the only survivor. --Gyaooooon......

    Suddenly, the roar of a Zoid rang out, mingled with the gunfire. A roar unique to Tyrannosaurus-type giant Zoids, with gravity and shrillness overlapped. There shouldn't have been any Tyranno-type Zoids in the Black Dragoon. So what was it?

    As he climbed over a slightly elevated patch of rocks, Steve's field of view suddenly opened up. A gigantic beast was there.

    It was Gojulas The Ogre. The Republic Army's experimental Organoid machine. Its level of perfection was so low that it did not compare to the Empire's Organoids. Other than a pilot chosen by the Ogre itself (what's more, apparently he was a mercenary rather than a regular soldier), nobody could operate it. However, it had power said to be ten times that of a normal Gojulas.

    The Dark Spiner's Jamming Waves were powerless against the Ogre, which moved only by its fighting instincts and its mental link with the mercenary.

    Its back to the base, the Ogre stood alone in the path of the Empire force. 100 to 1. Such a hopeless situation cheered up this machine beast of unparalleled rage all the more.

    The Ogre moved. With a rush, it sprang upon a Dark Spiner. Its huge jaws tore off the Spiner's head in one attack. Continuing on, it assaulted the second Spiner. At the same time, its large-calibre cannons fired at a separate Spiner, at point blank range. The Spiner was blown away like a tattered cloth.

    It was a good move. The Ogre was narrowing its aim to the Dark Spiners only. If the Spiners were gone, the base defense force could send out their Zoids too.

    There were seven Spiners in all. It had already defeated three. It began to challenge the fourth.

    Of course, the damage to the Ogre was also enormous. The Sack Stingers jumped at it one after another, and hurled concentrated gunfire at it. This was attack power one would not expect from a small-scale Zoid. The Ogre's armour crumpled, split open and flew away. But even so, the Ogre never faltered. The life energy characteristic of Organoids self-repaired its metal cells instantly, so they did not amount to fatal wounds.

    Five, six machines.

    One to go.

    At that moment, the ground split open and a huge tail appeared. On the tip was a blade. It pierced the Ogre's belly. It was the Stealth Stinger driven by Genius Deldaros. Using the final Spiner as a lure, it had concealed itself under the ground and lain in wait for the Ogre to charge in.

    The Ogre's movements slowed. It was clear that it had taken damage to its Zoid Core. It could not self-recover.

    As the Stealth Stinger tried to crawl underground again, the Ogre tried to tear off its blade with both arms. But its power was falling. Stopping the Stinger was all that it could do.




    The Ogre's Do-or-Die Defensive Battle!

    Disregarding the two machines, which were unable to move in their entangled state, the remaining Dark Spiner and a group of Sack Stingers rushed into the base.

    At this point, Steve had returned to the base and was staring up at the giant Zoid that stood towering in the hangar. The Gojulas Giga, a new machine based on Giganotosaurus, a large carnivorous dinosaur surpassing Tyrannosaurus. Steve and the other Republic soldiers had been ordered to personally blow up this Zoid that should have been their trump card for the counteroffensive operation. The Giga was already 90 percent complete. But the Jamming Wave interception circuits that were meant to be installed within its armour were unfinished. Without the circuits, it would just be manipulated by the Spiner and stolen away. That alone, they had to avoid.

    But to make it self-destruct without even sending it out once was a mission he could not bear as a Zoid pilot. The battle three years ago, where he had abandoned his beloved machine and run away, was revived in his mind.

    He ground his molars. Carrying the explosives, he slipped into the Giga's cockpit. This was so that he could press the detonation switch the moment the enemy tried to steal it. That way, he could at least take one or two machines with him. He couldn't think of anything else he could do for the Giga.

    The sound of a strong impact ran through him. The barrier wall of the hangar had been destroyed. Predicting that the enemy would leap in, Steve couldn't believe his eyes. The Ogre was standing there. While its Zoid Core had been completely pierced, it had wrenched off the final Spiner's head and was standing firm.

    "The Ogre...."

    Throwing aside the detonator, Steve fired up the Giga's engines.




    Gojulas Giga Stands!

    The Gojulas Giga started up. Smashing the arms holding its body in place, it slowly advanced. As though it had seen things through, the Ogre collapsed. It had defeated the final Spiner for them by turning its back on the Stealth Stinger, fully prepared to bear fatal wounds to its core.

    There was little damage to the cockpit. There was a possibility the pilot was alive. That alone was a relief.

    The Giga advanced further, to the front room of the hangar. Its ally Zoids had been destroyed without setting out. Everything moving was an enemy. Matching the Giga's advance, they retreated steadily.

    It left the base and did a visual check of the enemies. There were still 70 to 80 machines. At the front was the Stealth Stinger. There was a gap as distant as heaven and earth between Genius and Steve, in status and in skill as a Zoid pilot. Even so, Steve had no fear, to the point where even he thought it strange. The Gojulas was a Zoid that changed the fighting spirit and anger of its pilot into power. In that case, there was no way he would lose right now.

    --Syaaaa...

    A group of Sack Stingers brandished their claws and sprang upon him.

    --Intercept them. With the tail...

    The Giga's long tail bent around. At the same time, the rocket boosters built into the tail automatically ignited. The mass of heavy metal flew at overwhelming speed. With that one swing, the Sack Stingers were literally turned to dust. They didn't have the self-repair abilities of an Organoid in the slightest. It was complete destruction.



Fight to the Death!! Gojulas Giga vs. Stealth Stinger

    A rain of machine-gun fire came from left and right. It didn't leave a single scratch on the Giga's heavy titanium-alloy armour. It swung its tail in the opposite direction. With that, another five or six Sack Stingers were scattered away together. It was enough destructive power to make Steve himself, the one piloting it, tremble.

    The Sack Stingers drew back quickly. The enemy was unsettled. Now was his chance to win. The Giga moved to pursue them. Right in front of its nose, the Stealth Stinger cut through the group and leaped in towards it. In came the Laser Scissors on its tail that had brought down the Ogre.

    The Giga dodged, by a hair's breadth. The armour on its shoulder was sliced away.

    The Giga's fangs flashed. They missed. The Stinger had already moved around behind it. It was fast. The Giga hurled its tail around. It missed again. The Stinger had hidden underground. What were these moves?

    When he dug into the ground, Genius was confident of victory. Just in this back-and-forth, he had seen all of the Giga's moves. He would wait like this for the Giga to approach within a certain-kill distance, then drive his Laser Scissors into it. Then it would be over.

    One minute. Two minutes. As the time slowly passed, Genius calmly watched the surface radar.

    --There it is!

    The Stinger's tail thrust out through the surface. Genius could see the scene of the Giga's core being pierced deeply. However, the tail that should have been a certain kill cut through empty air.

    "!?"

    For the first time, Genius was perturbed. The Giga had moved at a speed far exceeding his predictions. It was unthinkable. This was not the movement of a giant Zoid.

    Pursuit Mode. By changing into a high-speed combat form, the Giga displayed mobility and manoeuvrability on par with a medium-scale Zoid. This was the Giga's greatest secret.

    The Giga's foot attacked the Stinger. This time it could not evade. Its super-heavy armour was trampled through easily.

    "Dammit."

    Genius tumbled out of the cockpit. At the same time, the Sack Stingers all fired their Smoke Dischargers at once. A violent smokescreen rose up. And when it cleared, the Black Dragoon had completely disappeared. It was a brilliant withdrawal.




    As he was being shaken around on the back of a Sack Stinger, Genius Deldaros was smiling. His first defeat as a Zoid pilot. A chance meeting with a strong enemy that he ought to risk his life to defeat. He was smiling as if this was an unbearable joy. A flake of snow brushed his cheek. Winter had now arrived in the Central Mountain Range.




    The snow gradually covered the deep wounds that the Republic Army base had borne.

    In the tumultuous hangar, Steve Bone was looking up at the Giga he had just come down from. For the time being, they had overcome today's crisis. But the Republic's "tomorrow" depended upon whether or not they could mass-produce the Giga by spring.

    They would have to hurry. Steve stepped forward into the swirl of bellows from the mechanics.

Translations by Falcuarius! Images courtesy of Green Gairyuki!

- EX Volume 2 - Dimetrodon




The Beginning of ZAC 2106
    The Central Continent, Ardannes

    Neo Zenebas Empire Army Master Sergeant Capri Conrad was driving a Dimetrodon. Behind him, the Grim Reaper was approaching.

    --How much longer can I run away? Five, ten minutes?

    Scraping together all the remaining good luck in his life, it would probably be about thirty minutes. Capri was not an especially pessimistic person, but the image of "being saved" wouldn't come to him, no matter what. The situation was that hopeless.

    The Reaper's name was Liger Zero. An extraordinarily strong enemy even among the Helic Republic Army High-Speed Combat Force, which was full of elites. He had to fight it one on one. And moreover, in a Dimetrodon. Capri's beloved machine could not be called a Zoid suited to direct combat, even in flattery. It was an electronic warfare Zoid--. A Zoid that guided its allies to victory by supporting the combat forces from the shadows, and at times commanding them.

    Capri tried simulating it as a test. Dimetrodon vs Liger Zero. The victory rate that the computer spat out was 7 percent. That figure was, to the end, simply comparing the combat power of both sides. In an actual battle, it wouldn't even be half of that. And that was assuming the skill of the pilots was equivalent.

    --Equivalent? Not likely.

    The Zero's pilot wasn't ordinary. Capri himself knew that best. Capri's platoon had been performing force reconnaissance in the Forest of Ardannes, searching for Republic Army positions, when the Zero had annihilated them on its own, and in just under ten minutes no less. It had concealed itself quietly so it wouldn't be picked up by radar or Laser Searchers, then emergency activated from a state of suspended power and ambushed the platoon. Of course, the Zero's output wouldn't have risen up. With that unstable machine, the pilot had put to rest more than ten Empire Army Zoids, including a mass production-type Geno Saurer. That was Capri's enemy.

    Certainly, in the last three years, the Empire Army had not lost once in head-on engagements. But even so, they had not yet been able to annihilate the Republic Army, and Capri felt like he understood why. The Republic Army was not dead yet. Not as long as the enemy had these true ace pilots, true Zoid pilots....

    Sensing the shadow of the Zero behind him, Capri released his third lot of chaff. It was aluminium flakes for disrupting radar. Disappearing into a rain of silver, the Dimetrodon quietly continued its retreat. This chaff, the deep forest of Ardannes, and the early twilight of midwinter had kept Capri alive this long. But it was still a full 30 kilometres until the ally front line. His chaff would run out in one more release, too. If the Zero's pursuit continued, he probably wouldn't be able to get away.

    There was a way he could be saved. Abandon the machine and escape on foot. But now that the Republic Army had embarked on mass-producing the new Gojulas, searching for enemy positions was an urgent matter for the Empire Army and the Dimetrodon was their most important enemy-detecting Zoid. For Capri, it was also the first large-scale Zoid the veteran had obtained. He couldn't abandon it.

    In that case, he would just have to fight. Even if it was 7 percent, or half that, if there was a chance of winning, he would fight and make it back alive.

    "Let's do this, partner."

    After stroking the control panel two or three times, Capri turned the machine around. And after releasing the last chaff at the maximum angle of elevation, he cut all power amongst the conifers.

    --That ambush earlier. That was brilliant. We'll do the exact same thing right back at him.

    That was Capri's intent. Drawn in by the chaff blowing up high into the sky, the Zero would definitely come to him. He would hide himself until it approached to point-blank range, where it couldn't dodge even with the mobility of a high-speed Zoid, and ambush it from an emergency activation. He would risk everything on that one attack.

    Capri was waiting for sunset with a feeling almost like praying. For this reckless ambush to succeed, he needed to attract the Zero until it was almost under his nose. Darkness was his only hope. But time passed slowly. One minute seemed like an eternity. A thought suddenly floated into Capri's mind, "Maybe the Zero's given up." Then he immediately changed his mind, "No." It was a cutting-edge electronic warfare Zoid that was precious to the Empire. That meant it was a great threat to the Republic. They would never overlook it.

    Eventually the sun dropped down, and when even its afterglow was about to vanish, Capri's skin suddenly got goosebumps. It was the Zero. The Zero was there. It wasn't that he was able to see it. It was the intuition of an enemy detector. Ahead and to the right. A distance of roughly 400 metres. At 300 metres he could see it. It approached further, with slow movements.

    "For the king of the beasts, you're awfully cautious, aren't ya?"

    Perhaps the chaff earlier had been too conspicuous. The Zero felt signs of a trap.

    200 metres. 150... 100. Even mixed into the trees, it wouldn't be strange if he was discovered any time now. He swallowed his feelings of wanting to shout and jump out. 80... 50. This was a distance that the Zero could cover in a single leap. 30 metres. Fortune was on Capri's side.

    "Go!"

    The Dimetrodon activated. Its roar sliced through the silent Ardannes. The Zero turning around seemed like slow motion. The Dimetrodon bared its fangs and sprang upon it. Its aim was the throat. This too was like slow motion.

    --Chomp! Its fangs bit in, at full power. Even so, it couldn't break the armour. The Dimetrodon had no laser equipment like the Zero's fangs. Its output hadn't risen up yet, either.

    The Zero swung its head up. The terrifying power of a Zoid for melee battle. It swung the Dimetrodon, twice as heavy as itself, left and right. Capri's neck gave a scream at the intense, irregular centrifugal force. But if he was shaken off, it would all be over.

    He pulled the trigger as far as it would go. The Linear Laser Guns, Missile Pod and Concentrated Sulfuric Acid Gun fired, rapid-fire. They were weapons for use against small-scale Zoids, but these were point-blank shots. They ought to be effective.

    --Bam! The armour plates on the Zero's neck split and flew off. Even still, he didn't loosen off on the trigger. The rain of energy bullets drove into the Zero's body.

    --I've won. Just when Capri was convinced of that, something unbelievable happened. The Zero jumped. Twenty metres vertically, with the Dimetrodon still clinging to it. And then, throwing itself down, it slammed itself into the ground.

    A strong impact. Capri lost consciousness for a moment.

    "He's good......"

    Still hazy, he attempted to stand the machine up again. But it couldn't move. The Zero was leaning on it. It writhed frantically, but it couldn't move around. It was a hopeless difference in power.

    "I don't like this."

    Capri muttered quietly. The Zero's victory was already conclusive. It bared its fangs and swung its claws as it pleased. Yet it didn't finish him off, as though it enjoyed the Dimetrodon's resistance. Apparently the ambush earlier had made it quite angry.

    "That leeway is fatal on the battlefield..."

    Countless flakes of chaff were dancing all around. That was because the two machines had rolled along the ground after the collision earlier. This chaff became a revelation. What if the Dimetrodon emitted its all-weather 3D radar waves right now? Diffused reflections of electromagnetic waves. The area would turn into a microwave oven. Even if there was no damage to the Zoids, the pilots wouldn't make it out unharmed.

    Of course, that included Capri himself....

    "You make it back alive. Okay, partner?"

    He lightly stroked the panel again. And then, Capri slowly activated the radar.




    A few days later, Capri's Dimetrodon was recovered by the Empire Army. At the hands of another pilot, this Dimetrodon discovered two Republic Army positions by spring. It brought great gains to the Empire Army--.

Translations by Falcuarius! Images courtesy of Green Gairyuki!

- EX Volume 3 - Gorhecks



    Severe Winter, ZAC 2106
    The Central Continent, Lykan Canyon

    The Central Mountain Range towers like a temple of the gods. The east and west of the Central Continent of Delpoi are separated by these mountains, and Lykan Canyon is one of the few passages linking them. Back when the Helic Republic controlled the eastern part of the continent and the Zenebas Empire ruled the west, this was always the very front line. Even now, with the Neo Zenebas Empire controlling almost the entire continent, its importance as a key point of traffic between east and west has not changed.

    The harsh winter of February, ZAC 2106. Covered in ice crystals, the valley is sparkling fantastically, bathed in the light of the just-risen morning sun. This scenery does not give me any comfort. I sigh for the millionth time.

    "When we get back, we'll be court-martialled..."

    From the cockpit of my beloved Liger Zero Panzer with its bombardment equipment, I turn my eyes to the ungainly Zoid lined up next to me. RZ-066 Gorhecks. The Republic Army's new electronic warfare Zoid, replacing the Gordos. Inside it, the very person who dragged me into this is no doubt sniffling away shamelessly. As usual....

    My name is Winner Kidd. I'm a pilot in the Republic Army's Ray Force. For the moment, my rank has been set as Major. And the Gorhecks pilot is Republic Ground Army Corporal Verditer Rowen. My childhood friend. He's an eccentric who rushed out of the military academy shortly before graduating and entered the army, for the sole reason that he "wanted to experience being a private". So there's a gap in ranks between us as distant as heaven and earth. But to tell the truth, I've been no match for my childhood friend since long ago. Whatever he's done, Verditer has never got any results other than the best. The guy's like a department store of genius. At the moment he pilots a Gunbluster in the Heavy Artillery Force, and even here he's an ace. "It's stranger for my bullets not to hit an enemy within range." That's Verditer's favourite phrase. He has no weaknesses other than his child-level physical strength. And perhaps also that ordinary common sense doesn't get through to him. So even when he proposed this two-man surprise attack without permission from headquarters, I wasn't that shocked (when it came to the lack of common sense). This was Verditer's argument:

    "The greatest threat to the Republic Army is the Dark Spiner. Unless we do something about its jamming attacks, we have no chance of winning. There are two methods of stopping them: defend against the Jamming Waves, or eliminate them. To defend against them, we can coat important circuits and wiring with insulation. This method is adopted by the Empire Army's Zoids and the Republic Army's state-of-the-art Zoid, Gojulas Giga. But the time and cost are enormous. You could say that equipping it as standard on medium and small-scale Zoids would be impossible for the current Republic Army. In that case, we have to eliminate them. The Jamming Waves are electromagnetic waves. If we hit them with electromagnetic waves of the same frequency but an altered phase, they will negate each other, nullifying the waves."

    "You mean... if guys with the same speed and punching strength fight, they'll knock each other out?"

    Ignoring my comment, me being weak at science and maths, Verditer's case continued.

    "The only Zoid that can do that is the Gorhecks. So I made a proposal to headquarters and the Technological Department, telling them to stop the production of combat Zoids and prioritise mass-production of the Gorhecks. But it was rejected."

    Of course. A gunner corporal making proposals about the production system? Headquarters must have been appalled.

    "Supposedly it's an untested, empty theory. The Dark Spiner has a wide frequency range. Its output is in a different league. If it changed frequencies one after another, the defending side wouldn't be able to handle it. That was the Technological Department's conclusion. But the Gorhecks can do it. With the reaction speed and analytical power of its Crystal Radar, it can come up with a counter before its functions are sent out of order. If we just attach the prototype amplification boosters I created."

    As self-confident as ever. "So what do you plan to do?" I asked.

    "If they say it's an empty theory, I'll prove it in actual combat. You and I will fight a Dark Spiner. We'll launch a surprise attack on the regular service (an Empire Army supply force) at Lykan Canyon."

    And that's why I'm looking down at Lykan Canyon, side by side with Verditer's Zoid, even though raids on the canyon are strictly prohibited by headquarters. This is because the Empire Army, exasperated by the repeated surprise attacks of the Republic Army, has started to add Dark Spiners to the supply force's escorts. Apparently there are even Dimetrodons these days. If we're discovered first, we'll be the ones who are ganged up on.

    "I'm more worried about my life than the court-martial."

    This violation of orders isn't worth it. The reason I've come along anyway is because I have the same opinion as Verditer. The Republic Army will never win until we stop the Dark Spiner.

    "It's a Gorhecks with my boosters attached. We'll be the ones to find them first."

    Verditer is filled with a shocking amount of self-confidence. His voice suddenly tenses.

    "There they are! Thirty degrees right, raise elevation three degrees and fire main cannons!"

    On the other side of the valley, with its countless twists and turns? How does he know their position so accurately?

    "Too slow! Adjust point two degrees left, lower elevation point one degrees!"

    I squeeze the trigger like the corporal says, half doubting him. There is a roar. My beloved machine's main cannons fire. A few seconds later, a pillar of fire rises up on the opposite side of the valley. A hit. What's more, a direct hit.

    "Next! Adjust point five degrees left, lower elevation point two degrees!"

    Another hit. The third and fourth Zoids are direct hits too. I'm astonished. It would be better to mass-produce Verditer than the Gorhecks. If that were possible.

    Just after I crush the fifth Zoid, enemies spring out of a blind spot in the valley. The supply force's escort Zoids. There are 5 units remaining. There is also one Dark Spiner.

    "I won't have time to guide your shooting from now on. I'll have my hands full countering the Jamming Waves. Carefully crush everything other than the Dark Spiner."

    I've been the corporal's puppet, but my time to shine has finally come. Leave it to me. I'll give you your man-to-man with the Dark Spiner. Get all the combat data you like.

    My main cannons fire continuously. It's not exactly "no wasted bullets", but by the time the Dark Spiner has closed in to hand-to-hand combat distance, I've wiped out all his allies. I'm happy to have lived up to my reputation. However, the essential part is what happens from now on. If we can't defend against the Jamming Waves at this point-blank range, we can't call the experiment a success.

    With a rush, the Dark Spiner makes its assault. It's a formidable foe, with melee abilities on par with Geno Saurer. I can't oppose it with the heavy Panzer equipment. Prepared for the risk, I intend to discard the equipment and meet the enemy naked. But suddenly, the Panzer staggers. I can't remove the equipment, either. I pull on the control stick with all my strength, but there is no response. As I am sent flying by a powerful body blow from the Dark Spiner, I look back to the Gorhecks. Smoke is rising from the boosters Verditer was so proud of. They'd overheated? Are you kidding? At a time like this?

    For a full two minutes after that, the Panzer and I are thoroughly tormented. Struck, stepped on, bitten. Without the Panzer's thick armour, I'd have died long ago. But I can't die yet. Not until I buy time for Verditer to escape. If he stays safe, he'll definitely complete the imperfect boosters.

    Despite me thinking such valiant things, Verditer surprises me again. He cuts in between me and the enemy, in his Gorhecks. Is he crazy? What does he plan to do in an electronic warfare Zoid with almost no combat abilities? Hasn't getting into fights been my role for ages?

    The Dark Spiner's claws grip the cockpit of the Gorhecks, and it slowly puts strength into them. The canopy shatters.

    "Verditer!"

    I'm screaming. But my voice is drowned out by an ear-splitting explosion. The Gorhecks has self-destructed. There's a staggering amount of gunpowder. I can only imagine that it was stocked in the machine from the start. The Dark Spiner is critically damaged. Thanks to armour twice as thick as his, it seems the Panzer can just manage to move. But not even the shape of the Gorhecks remains. I jump into the wreckage and frantically pull apart the mountains of rubble. Embarrassing as it is, I'm crying. Behind me, a voice calls out, feigning innocence.

    "What are you doing, Winner?"

    It's Verditer. He's holding a Zoid remote control device in his right hand.

    "Don't you know, Winner? Privates who aren't even given a Zoid survive purely on vigilance and their meagre weaponry," he says with a sniffle, stroking the wreckage as though apologising. In his left hand is a disc storing the combat data from earlier. It looks like I'll never be a match for my childhood friend in my entire life. But miraculously, my mood isn't bad. Indeed - to the point where I don't even feel scared of a court-martial.

Translations by Falcuarius!

- EX Volume 4 - Arosaurer




    Early Spring, ZAC 2106
    The Central Continent, The Battle For Cook Fortress

    It was early spring, with the snow in the Central Mountain Range still far from thawing. At the Neo Zenebas Empire Army front-line base Cook Fortress, located at the eastern foot of the mountain range, countless gunshots roared. The Helic Republic Army's counteroffensive operation had begun. The counterattack came over a month earlier than the Empire Army had expected. It was a surprise attack.

    As of ZAC 2106, the overall combat power ratio of the Empire and Republic armies was 20 to 1. If they waited for the snow to thaw and their position was invaded from all directions, the Republic wouldn't even have a one-in-a-million chance of victory. But right now, they might be able to bring down a corner of the enemy encirclement. Their counterattack hung on that possibility.

    Their objective, Cook Fortress, was an impregnable fort protected by rivers and mountains on every side. It would be a harsh battle, but if they could capture it, there would be no greater position for the Republic.

    The battle would risk their fate. The Republic Army headquarters used every trick they could in order to disrupt the Neo Zenebas siege net. Simultaneous bombing of multiple enemy positions by the Flying Division. Guerrilla warfare in various locations by the High-Speed Zoid Force. They even mobilised the Guylos Empire Army, which was in an alliance with them. They had the Empire dispatch an empty transport fleet to the Central Continent. The transporters were empty because they had borne deep wounds in the Dark Continent War and did not yet have the strength to fight. But the effects of these diversionary tactics were tremendous. The Republic Army's main force ran down the snow and ice-covered mountains, tore through the confused Neo Zenebas front lines, and broke into Cook Fortress in a mere three days.

    The Gojulas Gigas trampled the Geno Saurers, and the Gorhecks intercepted the Dark Spiners' Jamming Waves. The Gunblusters' 20-barrelled cannons fired, and the Dibisons sliced through enemy lines. The Republic soldiers advanced bravely to clear away their days of humiliation, which had lasted for three years. Among them was Dew Eld, driving an Arosaurer.

    The man was called an ace of the main force. But in this battle, he had yet to bring down even a single enemy. It wasn't that he was going easy on them, of course. They needed to take down the fortress and harden their defences before the Empire Army recovered from its confusion and advanced on them in horrifying numbers. The critical time was from here on. But the more impatient he became from thinking this, the less the Arosaurer would move according to his will. He knew the reason. There was a problem with Dew.

    Dew was a pilot who had continued to ride a Gojulas since the outbreak of the Western Continent War. Those who could manage to pilot a Gojulas, which had a wild temper and chose its pilots of its own will, were called heroes. Three years ago, in the struggle for the Republic capital, he had performed a battle that would not shame the title of "hero", and had lost his beloved machine. His reward was two years of living in a field hospital. One could say that the reason he was able to return to combat was his wholehearted desire to pilot the Gojulas' successor, the Gojulas Giga. But the Giga had not chosen him.

    It would not obey a pilot it couldn't get along with, no matter how good his skills or career were. That was the Zoid called the Gojulas. Eventually, Dew ended up piloting an Arosaurer. His mission was to guard the Giga. In chaotic battles, giant Zoids sometimes received unexpected damage from small Zoids. The openings in their heavy armour, such as at joints, were easily sniped. If the knee area took concentrated damage, they could even become unable to move. He was to protect against that. It was an ironic mission. The role of a foolish man going to a party, escorting the woman who rejected him.

    And now, Dew was being shown her elegant dance on the battlefield, her charming strength, up close. The weak points of the Gojulas had been eliminated splendidly. Its ancient titanium alloy armour bounced back any bullets, and its Hyper E-Shield did not even waver at the Geno Saurer's Charged Particle Cannon. Its Pursuit Mode and Melee Mode were a fusion of overwhelming speed and power. Its fighting method overturned the conventional knowledge of giant Zoids. He felt excited just from watching it.

    "If I could pilot that..."

    That thought wouldn't disappear. The Arosaurer wasn't bad either. The Zoid had been deployed as the successor of the Godos. They said that it wouldn't be outdone by any Imperial Zoid of the same class. But what Dew, a Gojulas pilot down to his bone marrow, was seeking was absolute power. Though he knew he was asking for something that didn't exist, he couldn't control his irritation.

    Even if they weren't as extreme as the Gojulas, all Zoids had wills and emotions. It was when the mental link with the pilot transmitted through the control stick was going smoothly that they could display 100 percent of their abilities. It was only natural that Dew couldn't draw out the Arosaurer's abilities right now.

    "At least move properly, dammit!"

    Just when Dew cursed at the panels, the ground behind him suddenly split open. It was a raid by a subterranean machine equipped with four super-hard drills. The pride of the Empire Army, the super-small, super-high performance SS Zoid Grounchar. A pulse laser fired from the turret on its nose, and pierced the opening in the Giga's knee armour as though sucked into it. Clicking his tongue in irritation, Dew turned the Arosaurer around. But the Grounchar disappeared underground once again before he could grab it. It was Dew's mistake. He had gone too far ahead, despite being an escort unit. It was a mistake born from his impatience at being unable to bring down enemies. And it was an unexpectedly fatal mistake. The Giga slowly collapsed.

    Smoke was rising from its knee. Even if it was a direct hit, it was gunfire from a small-scale Zoid. To take this much damage in one hit would normally be unthinkable. The unreasonable mass-production of 30 machines in five months and the earlier-than-planned surprise attack must have made them go easy on tuning and tests. At any rate, they'd have to withdraw. Even the Giga would just be a target if it couldn't stand. Protected by a number of Arosaurers including Dew's, the Giga's crawling retreat began. But in its path, the worst of death gods was waiting.

    "D- Death Saurer..." One of his allies murmured. The Empire Army's strongest machine beast, the death-inviting dragon, was there.

    The age of the Death Saurer's invincibility had come to an end with the appearance of the Madthunder. Even so, that did not change the fact that it was a nightmarish monster for anyone other than a Thunder pilot. Could the Giga fight it? In perfect condition, would it have an even chance? No, perhaps less than that. Because that thing had an absolute trump card. The fan on the Death Saurer's back turned.

    The static electricity in the atmosphere was sucked in with terrifying force. Directly afterwards, a rush of light swallowed the Giga and the Arosaurer force. The Large-Calibre Charged Particle Cannon. The swirl of energy was in a different league to the Particle Cannons of the Geno and Berserk Fuhrer. After the light disappeared, the only ones remaining were the Giga, which had deployed its E-Shield, and Dew's Arosaurer, which had been behind it. Everything else had been annihilated. Its destructive power seemed detached from reality. He felt like he was about to lose his senses from terror. A second shot came immediately. The Giga withstood it. But with the third direct hit, the Giga's generators gave a shriek. It was at its limit. It could not deploy the shield any more.

    The Giga would die. The moment he thought that, Dew and his Arosaurer leaped. He would defeat the Death Saurer. To make up for his own mistake. To protect the Zoid he loved.

    He leaped straight at the Death Saurer's nose. Even if he was no match for its super-heavy armour, he might be able to smash the cockpit. His Arosaurer bared its Electron Bite Fangs. But it was a reinforced canopy made of special fibres. Before it broke, an intercepting beam came for him, at point-blank range. All the hair on his body stood on end.

    He managed to dodge it. The Arosaurer moved as though their earlier mismatch had been a lie. Not even the Gojulas could beat the Death Saurer in power. Right now, he was seriously thankful for the Arosaurer's footwork. Perhaps it had responded to Dew's feelings. Even as it lost its balance, it sunk in its claws, sliding down the Death Saurer's back without being thrown off.

    The Charged Particle Intake Fan was before his eyes. Almost the only weak point of the Death Saurer, it was directly connected to its internal circuitry, and it was within reach. This was unbelievably good luck. This moment was his only chance of victory. He struck it with his 2-Barrelled Beam Guns and Flamethrowers simultaneously. A counterattack came from the Death Saurer's four gun turrets equipped to protect the fan, but he didn't ease up on the trigger. With each shot, the Arosaurer's armour plates split open and flew away. Its right arm was torn off, and its canopy broke.

    "Keep at it, partner!" Dew screamed involuntarily. At that moment, he could see the interior of the intake fan short out violently. Black smoke and flames blew upwards. The Death Saurer's huge body writhed. But the Arosaurer couldn't withstand this and was thrown off, slamming into the ground. Its left leg broke from the impact. Even Dew, who was held in place by a six-point seatbelt and helmet, almost lost consciousness. His hazy eyes reflected the Death Saurer, which was trying to endure its pain and anger and stand up. It raised its huge claws towards the Arosaurer. He could not escape. His beloved machine was covered in injuries, and Dew didn't even have the power to pull on the control stick. But in the midst of his despair, Dew's mind was somehow upbeat. He had driven back the Death Saurer this far. Something not even the Gojulas could do. He hadn't managed to protect the Giga, but at least he should have given it a chance to survive. He should be proud. Of himself and his machine. Thinking this, he closed his eyes.

    At that moment, three things happened simultaneously. The Death Saurer's arm swung down; the Giga's long tail pierced the intake fan of the Death Saurer, which had come within range undefended in its anger; and the Arosaurer's cockpit ejection system activated automatically. The Death Saurer and Arosaurer died, the Giga and Dew survived, and Cook Fortress fell into the hands of the Republic Army the next day.




    Five days later, Captain Dew Eld's wounds had healed and he was assigned to protect the north of the fortress, having volunteered to lead the Arosaurer force. Inside his new favourite machine, Dew thought of the marvel of Zoids. The marvel of the machine beasts that chose pilots of their own will, and protected their pilots even if it sometimes meant giving up their own lives.

    On his right he could see the site of the fierce battle. Dew quietly saluted, with feelings of regret and gratitude.

- EX Volume 5 - Storch

Spring, ZAC 2106 Florecio Ocean, An Uncharted Island

    Under the eyes of First Lieutenant Sapphire Tripp, the Raynos formation fell one Zoid after another. Attacking it was the Empire Army air combat Chimera, Flyscissors. They were rushing down on it in swarms of five to six Flyscissors for each Raynos.

    The altitude was 800 metres. Even the pride of the Republic Air Force, their main fighter Raynos, had almost no performance advantage at this height. Normally, the Zoid displayed its true value at high altitudes of more than 10,000 metres. Now that they had already fired all their anti-air missiles, the difference in numbers was the difference in combat power between the formations.

    Two Flyscissors dived towards a Raynos from above and to the left. Another two pressed down above its head. The Raynos turned to the right. A fifth Scissors was waiting there, right in front of it. Its huge fangs and claws approached at a relative speed exceeding Mach 3.

    The pilot of the Raynos made a face of disbelief. Its angle of intrusion was too steep to be challenging him to melee combat at this speed. It could only be considered a suicide attack. A moment later, they collided. The two machines burst into flames and pieces scattered in every direction.

    "Tch."

    Hearing the tongue-click through the communicator, Sapphire looked to her consort craft, which circled at an altitude of 1500 metres. A Storch - a custom unit equipped with Plasma Blade Antennae, the same as Sapphire's machine.

    "Is something the matter, Captain?" Again? - swallowing the feeling, Sapphire forced herself to call to her superior officer Captain Aqua Erius in a calm voice.

    "Something the matter? Don't you feel anything when you watch this?" A low, stifled voice came back to her, and she felt its deep anger.

    "Our allies are superior. I think we ought to be glad..."

    "This is not a battle of Zoid pilots!"

    Aqua was a hot-blooded officer from the start. But these words of his spoke for the feelings of almost all Zoid pilots. Because now, the shape of battles on this planet was about to change greatly, in a direction Zoid pilots did not wish for.

    It began with new technology born a few years earlier. The artificial Zoid Core was developed. This meant that Wild Zoids were no longer necessary to produce Combat Zoids. They could be mass-produced at low cost, without any performance scatter due to individual differences, and would not even need the mental link between machine and pilot. It meant that it was now possible to create artificial Zoids that anyone could handle.

    The Neo Zenebas Empire headquarters pounced on this technology. No - they didn't stop there, they even produced unmanned Zoids containing automatic piloting systems (codename: Chimera Blox). The Chimeras were certainly the ideal weapon for the new country of Neo Zenebas, which was still weak in military force and economic strength. But there was also a problem with unmanned machines. Even if they could cope with combat on their own, they couldn't take unified actions as a force.

    A command Zoid was needed to lead the Chimeras. A manned Zoid that would lead the Chimera force with control waves. And one of the command Zoids developed was a custom Storch equipped with large-scale Plasma Antennae, and Aqua Erius and Sapphire Tripp had been chosen as the test pilots. They would invade the skies above the Republic's area of influence in Storches, lure enemy machines into the airspace of the uninhabited island where their experimental base was, and strike them down by commanding the flying Chimera Flyscissors. This combat test was the mission given to the two of them.

    Another Raynos fell. The fourth. There were two left. Meanwhile, the losses of Flyscissors numbered ten. The combat test could be called a great success. They might have lost more than twice the number of machines, but their production costs were less than a tenth (excluding the loss of pilots). Soon a great army of Chimeras would fill up every battlefield on this planet. A horde of unmanned machines, marching over cold battlefields with no soldiers. The scene floated vividly in Sapphire's mind.

    Aqua remained silent.

    "The pride of a Zoid pilot...?"

    Sapphire was a fourth-generation Earth immigrant and had different values to the people of Planet Zi. Even if she could understand his sentiments, she couldn't sympathise with them. The technological level of Zi's people had leaped forwards like a mutation due to the arrival of the Earthlings, but their mentality still contained a thick scent of the medieval. While still having the souls of knights, barbarism, and a religion-like culture of beast god worship, they had obtained technology from a thousand years into the future. Moreover, without such souls, they could not become excellent Zoid pilots, pilots connected to their Zoids by a deep mental link. At least, until now....

    A sudden warning beep from the surveillance monitor interrupted Sapphire's momentary contemplation. One Raynos had broken through the enclosure of Flyscissors.

    "Oh no."

    If it went full-throttle now, they wouldn't be able to catch up to the Raynos with the speed of the Flyscissors and Storch. If it left the jamming area and sent a transmission, resuming the test in this airspace would become impossible. But how had it escaped the siege net?

    "That bastard..." Aqua's voice came from the communicator. Unlike before, his voice held a mixture of surprise and joy. Ignoring it, Sapphire found a formation of three Flyscissors that could cut into the path of the Raynos and narrowly managed to set them on an intercept course.

    "Pin it down. Don't let it go to full-throttle!"

    But far from ascending, the Raynos instead decreased its altitude. 500 metres, 400, 300. It dropped further, at Mach 0.8. From there, a sudden deceleration. It turned left inches from the water's surface. It was unbelievable piloting. Unable to pull up in time, two of the Scissors crashed into the water, and just as the remaining machine stalled, it was brought down by a strafe of beams.

    Having placed too much stress on testing their control, the Scissors were only equipped with melee weapons. That had backfired. When faced with those tactics, they wouldn't be able to manage guided control. But was such piloting even possible? Such precise piloting at that speed, under intense G-forces?

    "It's no use. We won't make it in time."

    They no longer had any way of catching up to the Raynos. Sapphire murmured, dumbfounded, and a moment later opened her eyes even wider. The Raynos had turned around. In its direction of travel lay the other Raynos, which had been left inside the Scissors siege. He planned to rescue it. Even though there were still 30 Scissors remaining.

    "Sapphire, pull back the Scissors! Our precious toys will all get turned into scrap!"

    "What are you..."

    "Don't you get it? That's a real Zoid pilot. Our toys are no match for a Zoid piloted by the real deal!"

    Suddenly, Aqua's Storch entered a dive.

    "I'll take him."

    "In a command-equipment Storch? It's impossible!"

    "My opponent's worn out too, isn't he? And at this altitude, I may be up against a Raynos... but I can do it!"

    A dive exceeding Mach 2, from an altitude of 1500 metres. Aqua wasn't normal either, just like that Raynos pilot. At once, the two became entangled. Upwards, downwards, turning. It was like a dance moving at the speed of sound. Fierce and elegant and bloody and beautiful.

    Technology would continue to develop. Become more rational. The Chimeras would evolve to be stronger, and the control defects would be eliminated. Soon.

    Even as she thought this, Sapphire could not stop herself becoming enchanted by the dance of the two Zoid pilots.

- EX Volume 6 - Leogator





October, ZAC 2108
The Central Continent of Delpoi, Wilson River


    Wilson River stretches out across the northeast of the Central Continent, the Republic Army's new position, and flows into Akua Sea. It is a great river that originates in a huge lake, Wilson Lake. The Empire Army foresaw a danger of the Republic Army crossing this river and reaching the former Republic capital, which was located to the south. They built strong encampments across 300 kilometres of the opposite shore and deployed vast numbers of manned Chimeras, beginning with Styluarmors in underwater form (Doriaspis).

    But in the predawn hours of late October, ZAC 2108, an emergency alarm rang out at one of these defence encampments. Contact from a Chimera on patrol duty had ceased. The order came immediately to scramble dozens of Doriaspis.

    Suddenly, Wilson River began to flow in reverse. Leogators appeared from the river's surface, carrying the wreckage of the Doriaspis in their mouths. Immense numbers of Leogators covered the entire river. They numbered around 150. This operation was counting on quantity.

    "Scissor Arm Gators", construction forms combined with Evoflyer, sliced up the outer wall of the base and opened a huge hole. The Leogator army all flooded into this hole at once. Unable to hold out until reinforcements arrived, the Imperial encampment surrendered.

    The Republic Army had brought down a corner of the encampments, but now they were unable to avoid a defensive battle to protect the beachhead from the Empire Army reinforcement force's attack. A huge force of the Empire Army dominated the land. It was a bombardment division centred on Scisserstorm and Laserstorm. Their Storm Gatlings all fired at once. It was tremendous concentrated gunfire. The frontmost and rearmost machines of the Leogator force's ranks were destroyed, and the force became unable to move.

    But the moment the Empire Army was convinced of its victory, the Leogator force transformed into Liger Mode one by one. Their gale-speed legs dodged the gunfire in every direction, and they surged onwards at once to close the distance to the enemy force. Just then, several Leogators in the foremost row were sliced in half and exploded. The Empire Army's fearsome, cutting-edge high-speed Zoid Energy Liger had appeared. Behind the Energy Liger was a group of new Zoids. The Empire Army's reinforcements were increasing their combat strength minute by minute.

    Suddenly, several dozen of the Zoid Gairyuki's B-CAS units, Gekkou and Hien, flew in. They combined with the Leogators one after another, re-equipping them to form the heavily-armoured form Armoured Leo. Behind them, the Republic's main forces had succeeded in crossing the river and arrived at the battlefield. A huge force far exceeding even the Imperial reinforcement force advanced forwards. Even so, the Energy Liger did not falter. Filled with anger, it assaulted the Armoured Leos. The heavy armour of the Leos withstood its slashing attack just once. That was enough. In that time, the Leogator force had grappled with the Storm force and inflicted devastating blows. Now, the Empire Army was beginning to be pressured by the astonishing production capabilities of the Republic Army, which had gained the support of ZOITEC.

- EX Supplementary Story - Seismosaurus





    Spring, ZAC 2106, on the Central Continent. With Cook Fortress captured by the Helic Republic Army, the Neo Zenebas Empire Army immediately began a counterattack. But Cook was a natural fortress, surrounded on all sides by large rivers and mountains. The Republic Army also had their mighty Gojulas Giga force. Even for the Empire Army, which boasted overwhelming combat power, capturing Cook was not a simple task. The battle became a stalemate, and the season soon changed to summer. Even while besieged by countless enemies, the expressions of the Republic Army officers were cheerful. Their mastery of the sky was maintained by powerful air combat Zoids such as Salamander and Buster Eagle, and their supply lines were secured. And more than anything else, the existence of the Gojulas Giga continued to uplift the soldiers' morale. The Giga's armour had been given an ancient titanium coating, and could almost nullify the Empire's weaponry. They had ample expectations that they could hold out until they were finished gathering and reorganising the scattered Republic forces on the Western Continent and Dark Continent. That is, until the moment the balance between the armies was shattered by a sudden ray of light!

    An Arosaurer, which had been transporting goods that it had received from a Buster Eagle, was pierced by the ray and lost its upper half, leaving behind only a circular hole, before exploding. Next Gorhecks, then Leostrikers disappeared, helpless against the rays pouring down on them one after another. Even when they took cover in a rocky area, the rocks themselves were blown away.

    Before the mysterious gunfire, the Republic's Zoids were nothing but moving targets. Amidst this one-sided slaughter that could not be called a battle, the armour of a Gojulas Giga was finally pierced.

    While admittedly jammed by Dimetrodons, the Gorhecks' radar was unable to even detect the enemy, let alone find its sniping position. The Republic Army officers were in chaos, but became speechless upon seeing the final image sent by a Buster Eagle with which they had lost communications. It showed a sauropod-type Zoid they had never seen before, bearing the Empire Army insignia, firing super-long range shots from far outside their radar detection range.

    A long silhouette, different from any sauropod-type Zoids so far. It was the new Zoid that the Neo Zenebas Empire had hoisted as the banner of its reinstatement, the Seismosaurus.



    The Empire Army began its assault on the Republic front line as it fell into a panic. The distinctively huge form of the Seismosaurus awakened further terror in the Republic Army soldiers, and the defence lines were mercilessly trampled.

    As their allies continued to retreat, one Republic force stood in the way of the Seismosaurus. It was a mixed force composed of Gojulas Giga, Arosaurers and Leostrikers. The Leostriker unit deployed in front of the Giga and generated E-Shields. The Seismo's 31 laser guns rained down shots. The Leostrikers collapsed, filled with countless holes. But this sacrifice gave the Giga time for a counterattack.

    The Giga transformed to Pursuit Mode. Accompanied by the surviving Zoid forces, it broke through the siege net and approached the Seismosaurus. It was met by Scissorstorms, Laserstorms and Styluarmors, the Chimera forces assigned to guard the Seismosaurus, but they could not stop the Giga's fierce attack.

    The Giga's Buster Cannons fired. A hit. Thick smoke from the Seismosaurus' flank enveloped it, obstructing the view around it. The Giga's pilot was confident that the Seismosaurus had been destroyed.

    But a moment later, calmly appearing from within the smoke cloud came a strengthened Seismosaurus fusion-armed with its consorts Scissorstorm and Laserstorm, the "Ultimate Seismo". The Crescent Laser Gun mounted on the midsection of the Seismosaurus split the Leostrikers' armour, and the Chain Scissors carved away the Arosaurers along with the ground beneath them. In addition, charged particles fired like a shower from the 31 gun turrets, and erased the Republic Army's small-scale Zoids one after another.

    The reason why the Seismosaurus, originally meant to be a rear support machine, had been advancing was to display the overwhelming combat power of the Ultimate Seismo to the Republic Army soldiers and wear down their will to resist.

    Already, the only healthy Republic Zoid at the front line was the Giga. But the Giga still had a final trump card that could change this situation. The 32-Shot Zoid Core Cannon. A super-destructive weapon that far surpassed the Charged Particle Cannon. It was a forbidden weapon that would steal away the Giga's own life due to its power. The Giga's dorsal plates shone fiercely. But an instant before they fired, a point-blank shot from the Super-Focused Charged Particle Cannon pierced the Giga's Zoid Core. The pride that supported the Republic Army, the huge body of the Giga, slowly collapsed.

    This was the moment that the Ultimate Seismo's victory, and the Neo Zenebas Empire's complete control of the Central Continent, were decided.

Translations by Falcarius, images from Dratz!

- EX Supplementary Story - Gairyuki





    Autumn, ZAC 2106. Defeated by a Neo Zenebas Empire assault force with the Seismosaurus as its core strength, the Helic Republic's surviving forces were cornered at Cooper Port, a harbour on the southern tip of the Central Continent.

    They no longer had any chance of victory, and moreover had no path left but to escape to another continent where the power of Neo Zenebas would not reach them. But their northern ally, the Guylos Empire on the Dark Continent, was too far away, and in the western seas leading to the Western Continent, the Neo Zenebas main fleet lay in wait.

    The Republic Army stood on the brink of destruction. The one that rescued them was a messenger from the east. It was the Eastern Continent, the stronghold of ZOITEC, the private munitions corporation that invented the Blox system.

    About 80 years ago, Earthlings landed on Planet Zi due to a spaceship accident. Many of them were taken in by Helic and Zenebas for their technological strength. But there were also some who feared the expansion of war on this planet, and were opposed to the casual provision of technology. ZOITEC was a corporation that had been constructed by a people centred around that opposing faction. They held strong dissatisfaction and unease towards Neo Zenebas.

    "By nature, Blox are artificial Zoids for civilian work, and we should make use of them for reconstruction after this great war." That was ZOITEC's ideology.

    But the development plans for reconstruction Blox that ZOITEC had presented to Neo Zenebas were rejected. On the contrary, they had requested (quite threateningly) the provision of Blox that were further specialised for combat.

    "If the Helic Republic rules the Central Continent..."

    ZOITEC's ideology and the Republic Army's intentions coincided, and they began the reorganisation of the Republic Army and the development of a new Zoid to oppose the Seismosaurus on the Eastern Continent. (ZOITEC bore all of the vast military costs, and in exchange, they gained all of the Republic's large-scale Zoid development know-how.)

    And so, a few months later, they rolled out the first large-scale Zoid to fully adopt Blox technology. The Zoid was named "凱龍輝" [Gairyūki, meaning "shining victory dragon"], from the shining appearance of the Condenser Panels all over its body and the Republic's wish to "return victorious" to its fatherland. The Eastern Continent script was used with a sense of gratitude towards ZOITEC.



    The Neo Zenebas coastal garrison protecting the southern coast of the Central Continent was bewildered. There had been no contact from the large-scale oceanic mothership Dragoon Nest that had stopped at the port.

    "Is their transmitter out of order?"

    An inspection force approached, perplexed, and was blown away by an explosion originating from the inside of the mothership's hatch.

    "An enemy attack!"

    An emergency alarm echoed through the port. Amidst the smoke and confusion, a group of Zoids the Imperial soldiers had never seen before appeared calmly from within the destroyed hatch. It was a Republic force composed of Gairyūki, Evoflyer and Dispelow. They numbered only a single platoon. It was an excessively daring surprise attack.

    An Imperial interception force headed out immediately. Deantler on land, Storch in the sky, Diploguns in the sea. Under violent bombardment from all sides, the Gairyūki's body broke into three pieces.

    No, not quite. It voluntarily shed its armour. Part of the armour formed Hien and sliced up the Storches in the sky. The rest formed Gekkou and disposed of the Diploguns in the sea with ramming attacks, slamming its heavy armour into them. And the Gairyūki, having become lighter, routed the Deantlers with its tremendous speed.

    A Neo Zenebas Berserk Führer stood in the way of the Gairyūki. Its huge drills, the Buster Claws, came towards the Gairyūki and its bare body. It dodged them with its Ion Boosters at full power. The Gairyūki was indeed higher in manoeuvrability. While it dodged, it combined with Hien and Gekkou once again, cladding itself in firm armour.

    The Führer's posture lowered. It was preparing to fire its Charged Particle Cannon, at point-blank range. Even with its boosters, the Gairyūki couldn't dodge it.

    A flash. A direct hit. The Führer's pilot must have been convinced of his victory. But a moment later, he saw something unbelievable. Most of the energy wave from the Particle Cannon was absorbed by the Gairyūki's orange panels.

    This time, the Gairyūki lowered its posture. At the same time, it combined with Evoflyer and Dispelow. Their Zoid Cores linked with each other, and the output gauges leaped up due to the synergistic effect.

    The moment the Führer tried to turn around, sensing danger, it was swallowed up by a violent swirl of light and obliterated.

    The shot the Gairyūki had fired was the Condensing Charged Particle Cannon, which generated the beams absorbed by the Condenser Panels within its body and fired them. This was the answer that the Republic and ZOITEC's engineering staff had come up with to oppose the Super-Focused Charged Particle Cannon of the Seismosaurus.

    Having finished the combat test, the Gairyūki force calmly withdrew aboard the stolen Dragoon Nest. They swore that when this force was mass-produced, they would once again return to this land. So that next time, they could truly return triumphant.

Gairyuki - Machine Explanation

    On the Eastern Continent, which was markedly affected by the Grand Catastrophe of Planet Zi, Wild Zoids were on the verge of extinction, and even the ecosystem was beginning to collapse. The artificial Zoid technology of Blox was therefore an inevitable development.

    The Republic engineering staff sought a powerful large-scale Wild Zoid for their new Zoid development, but finding an individual that met their demands on the Eastern Continent was difficult. So they requested the provision of Wild Zoids from the Guylos Empire, with which they had formed an alliance. Guylos' wounds had not healed from the Dark Continent War and they had no spare power to capture new Wild Zoids, but they were unable to overlook the rise of Neo Zenebas any further, and provided a Tyrannosaurus-type Wild Zoid (the wild form that was the basis of the Berserk Führer) which was the strongest among the Wild Zoids they currently possessed.

    Consequently, the Republic engineers and ZOITEC fused Blox technology and Gojulas-class Zoid technology with the Berserk Führer, and it was reborn as the new Zoid "Gairyūki".



    The Gairyūki gained manoeuvrability surpassing the original Berserk Führer through its Magnesser Wings and Ion Boosters on each leg, and its melee abilities were strengthened at the same time through its Bite Fangs and the Killer Claws on all four limbs.

    In addition, ZOITEC's prided Blox technology was inserted into the CAS (Changing Armour System), which the original Führer was unable to make full use of. They succeeded in making two individual, independent Blox into symbiotic forms as the B-CAS (Blox Changing Armour System). These were the swallow-type Blox "Hien" and the horseshoe crab-type Blox "Gekkou".

    These two Zoids would be assigned to scouting and combat in the air and sea independently as unmanned units. This meant that the Gairyūki was also a commander unit that would make use of the other two. Furthermore, they planned for it to link Zoid Cores with Dispelow and Evoflyer, Blox developed at the same time, and enabled it to augment its firepower and melee abilities further by fusing with these two Zoids.

    It also has the "Condenser Panels", which were developed from E-Shields and the Gojulas Giga's Ancient Titanium Alloy, and form its trump card against the Seismosaurus. They are defensive equipment that can absorb beam weaponry attacks fired by enemies and halve their power. They can also rapidly generate the absorbed charged particles internally and fire them as the "Condensing Charged Particle Cannon".

    Will the "Gairyūki", the new-generation Zoid born to defeat the Seismosaurus, be able to bring victory to the Republic Army as its name suggests?

    Weight: 118t
    Depth: 23.8m
    Height: 12.6m
    Max Speed: 290km/h

    Magnesser Wing x2
    Condensing Charged Particle Cannon
    Bite Fangs
    Killer Claws x4
    Core Block x2
    Condenser Panel x12 [11 according to manual]
    Ion Booster x2
    Blox Mount x19 [not mentioned in manual]
    Beam Vulcan x4 [only listed for Gekkou]

    Gairyuki + Dispelow -> Gairyuki Destroy
    Gairyuki + Evoflyer -> Gairyuki Speed
    Gairyuki + Dispelow + Evoflyer -> Commander Gairyuki + Strengthened Gekkou + Strengthened Hien

Translations by Falcarius, images from Green Gairyuki!

- EX Supplementary Story - Liger Zero Phoenix





    A little more than 1 year after the escape from the Central Continent. The Helic Republic Army, which succeeded in increasing production of Gairyuki, gathered together aces from each part of the mobile army and organized a Gairyuki unit.

    The Central Continent re-did their strategy. Even if they worked with the mighty Neo-Zenebas Empire, it was impossible to build a satisfactory defense along the continent's entire vast coastline. After the end of a fierce battle, the Republic army secured a bridgehead on the east coast of the continent. Disembarking again was successful. The Anti-Empire influences which were hiding in various places united one by one and after two months passed they put their strategy into motion, and an army rivaling the Republic's previous to the collapse was reorganized.

    But the name of the formerly most strongly admired "Ray Force" wasn't included. The survivors who battled with the former Eisen Dragoons were held responsible for letting the Emperor of the Empire, Wolff Muroa, free and they were forced to continue taking the cruelest missions as the Disciplinary Force.

    And now they were going to be thrown into a cruel battlefield again. Chimera Fort City. A large fort which blocks the route to the former Republic capital; a stronghold built within a natural giant caldera and at the same time has a large factory that manufactures Chimera Blox. It was a target that the Republic Army had to defeat no matter what.

    But, protected by cliffs and countless forts, it would be suicidal to attack the stronghold from the ground. There was a pack of unmanned flying chimera which were commanded by Lord Gales up in the sky. The Republic's aviation division was in the process of reorganizing and didn't have the decision-making power to breakthrough. Thus the Disciplinary Force was ordered to launch a surprise attack at night.

    29 Blue Liger Zeroes of the Disciplinary Force charged the fortified city. They sprinted at nearly 300km/h. In an instant they were violently bombarded by the stronghold. A sortie of land Chimera also came to counterattack. And yet the Zeroes didn't slow down. Suicide bombers?

    The imperial soldiers became suspicious of the reckless assault.

    But they still didn't notice yet.

    Indistinguishable from the darkness, they flew low after the Zeroes.

    The signs of the 29 Phoenixes...



    A little more than 1 year after the escape from the Central Continent. The Helic Republic Army, which succeeded in increasing production of Gairyuki, gathered together aces from each part of the mobile army and organized a Gairyuki unit. The Republic's new flying Blox, the Phoenix. These were the B-CAS developed for the Zero. The Lord Gales in the air aimed a swarm of Fly Scissors at the Zeroes and the instant they swooped the Phoenixes scattered. The parts combined with the Zeroes. The Zeroes kicked the ground and in and instant took off in the sky. The Zeroes flew...?

    The pilots of the Lord Gales didn't believe their eyes. At speeds of 340km/h, the Zeroes glided in for an assault. The unguarded, lightweight Imperial Chimeras couldn't win against their weight, and were flipped one after another. Clearing the land Chimera, the Zero unit broke through the flying Chimera and reached the outer walls of the fortified city. They separated from the Phoenixes again and rushed into the fort.



    A little more than 1 year after the escape from the Central Continent. The Helic Republic Army, which succeeded in increasing production of Gairyuki, gathered together aces from each part of the mobile army and organized a Gairyuki unit.

    The Zeroes increased their bombardment in terrestrial mode while the Phoenixes supported them from the sky. The imperial headquarters which had allowed them to penetrate it to easily fell into a panic for a moment. That moment was used to the fullest. It was the lifeline of the Disciplinary Force who rushed in with only 29 Zero Phoenixes. Half of the unit held down the gates of the fortress in order to protect to the path for the following Gojulas Gigas and Gairyuki forces.The remaining half aimed at destroying the organized systems of the unmanned Chimera. Each time they destroyed one Lord Gale, Deantler or Storche the fighting potential of the Empire was silenced many times over. Clearly, the Imperial Army's strategy of relying on too many unmanned Chimera to defend the base was a mistake.

    Soon the first of the following forces of incoming Gojulas Gigas arrived at the gates. They won... Everyone on the Disciplinary Force thought so. But it was at that time a beam of light darted before their eyes.



    The beam of light continued for a full 6 seconds. It was an emission from a high output charged particle cannon mowing down things horizontally. With one hit the Gojulas Gigas vanished from the neck up. Groans similar to screams rose up from the Disciplinary Force that looked back. There was a huge Zoid looking down on them.

    "A, a Seismosaurus!"

    Someone shouted. A monster Zoid which had pushed out the Republic Army from the whole Central Continent a little more than 1 year ago. It's mouth shone and turned to the fort gates again. A flash. The second set of Gigas that planned to invade crumbled. In the background, the allied troops that planned on invading were delayed by a huge traffic jam. This time it was the Republic army's turn to fall into a panic.




    The third time, the Seismosaurus' mouth turned towards the fort gates. In that instant the Zero Phoenix troops leapt away from the Seismosaurus in every direction. They knew that the Zero's weapons couldn't compete with a Seismosaurus because of the battle 1 year before. But they had to earn time until their allies regained their footing. When they were the Ray Force they weren't able to stop the Eisen Dragoons. So this time they would protect their comrades. Even at the risk of their own lives!

    Nothing was more reckless than high-speed Zoids sacrificing their speed to use their body as a shield and challenge a Seismo. They were trample, thrown, shot through and one by one the Zeroes collapsed. Before long, when the last Zero dropped quietly, a howl roared at the fort gates. A Gairyuki. The 11 condensed panels shone, like flames of anger rising in the darkness. The Seismo slowly turned its nose towards the Gairyuki. The battle that would determine the future of the Central Continent, the decisive battle, the head-to-head confrontation between Zoids was starting now.

Liger Zero Phoenix - Machine Explanation

    Because of the collapse of the Republic, the "Weapons Development Department", which was directed to develop Zoids until then, was terminated. Now the engineers were divided into a few teams, each competing with each other to advance development. For example, the engineer team that developed Gojulas, the "Strategic Technologies Department," constructed the Gairyuki. What's special about this fuselage is that even if the body gets disconnected vital functions are preserved, and as a Blox it can combine with other Zoids as armoring. This technology is called B-CAS.

    But, a separate "Weapons Development Department" team planned and developed a similar idea. They had an eye on a new CAS using the Blox technology for the Republic's strongest mass-produced Liger Zero. Even if the idea was the same, with different developers the completed appearance was changed a lot. The B-CAS of the Liger Zero, called the Phoenix System, was completely different from the Gairyuki.



    The Gairyuki links the Blox core with the installed Zoid core, and changes into various shapes according to the state of the war. It specializes in being flexible; it has an additional fuselage, so to speak. On the other hand, the Zero Phoenix uses its Blox as an additional generator, and with the multiplicative fuselage the Zero's original abilities are doubled. The Blox core of the Phoenix resonates with the Zero's core, amplifying the energy originating from the Zoid's core and improving its mobility dramatically. Above all else, the rotation ability and grappling abilities rivaled that of the current base body of the Gairyuki, and its jumping power and flight duration were intensified to be roughly equal to an assault type flying Zoid. Moreover, the surplus amplified energy from the Phoenix System was stored in the Charge Missiles on its back by introducing the energy CAP technology. The power matched that of a canon of the Gojulas Giga when fully charged for 360 seconds.

    The effectiveness of the Phoenix System was highly evaluated by the upper echelon of the Republic. But the Republic, where the national power was limited, gave priority to deploying Gairyuki. In the battle with the Chimera fortified city, there were only 29 Zero Phoenixes in the sortie.

    Weight: 118t
    Depth: 23.8m
    Height: 12.6m
    Max Speed: 290km/h

    [Liger Zero Phoenix Complete Body]
    AZ Shock Cannon x4
    AZ208mm Double Shock Cannons
    Charge Missile
    Strike Laser Claws x4

    Liger Zero - Armor + Fire Phoenix -> Liger Zero Phoenix
    Liger Zero Phoenix + Dispelow -> Liger Zero Blaster
    Fire Phoenix (Glide Mode) + Evoflyer -> Gale Phoenix

Translations by Emeryl!

- EX Supplementary Story - Energy Liger





    The year is Zac 2107. The "Plot to Capture the Fortified City of Chimera in the Neo-Zenabas Empire" by the Helic Republic's army is continuing to see success due to the relentless surprise attacks by the Liger Zero's Phoenix Unit. The Zero Phoenix Unit has destroyed the enemy's chimera Blox Unit control system. They have also paralyzed the stronghold's defense facilities. The only obstacle now is the Seismosaurus, the single monster that completely annihilated one of the two Zero Phoenix Units.

    The Gairyuki that succeeded in penetrating the stronghold has now fallen under attack by the Seismosaurus, who is counter attacking with its zenebas cannon. It's at point blank range. A direct attack. The blinding flash envelops the Gairyuki. But the Gairyuki endures the same intense energy that evaporated the Zero Phoenix and pierced the heavy armor of Gojulas Giga. 11 condensed panels absorb the majority of the energy. But not without blemish. The particle energy that couldn't be absorbed melts part of the Gairyuki's armor and burns part of the internal circuits that become overloaded. Because of that, it can't return fire on the zenebas cannon.

    Still, cheers erupt from the Republic's warriors. It wasn't perfect, but at last they have obtained the power to withstand the Seismosaurus.



    The trailing Gairyuki #2 and Gairyuki #3 as well as Gojulas Giga penetrate into the fortified city one after the other. The helpless Seismosaurus no longer has any chance to win. "Seize the Seismosaurus!" the command comes down from the frontline headquarters to the warriors of the Republic. Capturing the Seismosaurus unblemished is a military gain equal to that of capturing the fortified city, and right now, that's entirely possible.

    With no chance of winning, Seismosaurus turns his nose around. The trailing Gairyuki and the remaining Zero Phoenix begin their pursuit. Regarding the mobility of the Seismosaurus, even speaking nicely one can't really say anything flattering. There is no way for it to escape. The Republic's pilots must have been thinking the same thing. But they didn't know. There is one more terrifying zoid lurking in the city...



    The lead Zero Phoenix suddenly collapsed like a marionette with severed strings. Some kind of shadow attacked the Zero Phoenix like a gust of wind. The subsequent pilot wasn't visible at those speeds. "Be careful! Something..." before he could finish speaking the shadow went by again, and the 2nd Zero Phoenix stopped moving. "Dodge it! It's above!"

    The third Zero narrowly dodged the shadow because of the shout from an ally behind them. But, the shadow turned around with unbelievable speed, chased it and easily exterminated the 3rd as it frantically tried to reorganize.

    Finally, the shadow stopped moving. It was a lion-type Zoid that the Republic soldiers didn't see but what was that speed? If the monitor's display was correct, the maximum high speed was 600km/h or more. The rotation speed was also twice as fast as the Zero's. The difference in speed in the grappling was decisive. It looked as if the Zero's were stopped. The new model Zoid, the Energy Liger, roared to intimidate the pack of Zeros.



    The Energy Liger is the Empire's next generation experimental high speed machine, which successfully applied tachyon particles to its motive power system. With a conventional high-speed Zoid it's like the difference between a propeller plane and jet plane. In addition to that, it can deal a blow that can bury a Zero with one hit. In a grappling fight it's a Zoid that has strength on another level.

    The Energy Liger retreated slowly, staring at the Zeros and Gairyuki that couldn't move, like they were frozen. On that day before dawn the fortified city Chimera fell into the hands of the Republic Army. But, rather than joy, fear of the fathomless technology of the Empire held the hearts of the Republic soldiers.

Energy Liger - Box Battle Story

    Realizing the astounding performance of the Gairyuki, the Empirical Army developed the Energy Liger as an extremely powerful guard of the Seismosaurus. It is a next generation high speed zoid fully loaded with a wide array of the latest equipment researched and developed by the empire's technological division over many years. Its greatest characteristic is the "energy charger" mounted to its back. It is comprised of a ground-breaking system that motorizes the zoid by accumulating tachyon particles found in rich abundance in the atmosphere of planet Zi and circulating them at intense light speeds throughout the body of the zoid. Because of this, the Energy Liger can reach extraordinary speeds upwards of 660 kilometers per hour. That aspect combined with its energy wings and heavy artillery like the twin-barrel charge cannon and charge Gatling gun powered by the tachyon particles makes this a hand-to-hand combat zoid that boasts unmatched fighting strength as of the year Zac 2107. Its only weakness is that the time it can operate at maximum output is extremely short.

Energy Liger - Wild Liger Explanation

    The Energy Liger is a battle zoid created from the same wild model as the Liger Zero. In response to the Republic's arming themselves with Changing Armor Systems that utilize the efficiency of the Zero design, the Empire determined that there was room to make further developments based on the Zero model. They knew the core of that powerful zoid could withstand the load from high output external power engines, so they devised the Energy Liger which houses two high power engines, its core and the Energy Charger. Along with its overwhelming increase in output, the Energy Liger has become an unusually large heavy armor zoid in the form of a lion.

Energy Liger - Machine Explanation

    The Seismosaurus that rolled out before the Energy Liger is a Zoid that's purpose is to destroy heavy Zoids that specialize in close combat, such as the Gojulasgiga, by bombarding them from a very long distance. Naturally weak at close combat, it's supported by Chimera Blox such as Scissor Storm, Laser Storm, and Stylu Armor. But, presented with Gairyuki's astounding abilities, more and more they had no choice but to throw the powerful Zoid in as an escort.

    And then the high-speed Energy Liger was hurriedly developed, derived from the Liger Zero X.



    The Energy Liger has a lot of new equipment built in from before that's being researched by the Empire's engineers. One is the "Energy Charger" jutting out from its back. It's a ground-breaking power system that doesn't rely on a Zoid core;

    The tachyon particles that planet Zi's atmosphere is rich with are collected, stored and circulate inside the body at the speed of light to convert into power. Using this system and the Zoid cores at the same time, Energy Ligers can move at astounding speeds of up to 660km/h, even though they have the same wild body as the Zero.

    It's main attack is "Wing Slash", where the Energy Charger accumulates thermal energy in the wing blades, and releases it while slashing at the target. The power exceeds the Blade Liger's Laser Blades. Moreover, 2 Charger Cannons and Charger Gatlings can be equipped on the armor; it can fire acceleration beams because of energy from circulating tachyon particles.

    As of ZAC 2107, the Energy Liger was unrivaled in close combat. But, the Energy Charger was still in its prototype stage, and the operating time for maximum output is a short 5 to 10 minutes.

    Weight: 160t
    Depth: 28m
    Height: 12m
    Max Speed: 660km/h

    [Weapons]
    2 Dual Charger Cannons (Right Side)
    AZ X-Blade (Anti-Zoid) (Head)
    Charger Gatling (Left Side)
    Energy Claws x4 (Feet)
    Energy Wings x2 (Back)
    Gungnir Horn (Head)

    Energy Liger + Laser Storm + Scissor Storm = Energy Storm
    Energy Liger + Stylu Armor = Stylu Energy

Translations by Emeryl!

- EX Volume 7 - Dimetroptera




    November, ZAC 2108
    The Central Continent of Delpoi, Mount Arthur

    The Republic Army had accomplished a landing on the northeastern part of the Central Continent, and succeeded in crossing Wilson River through the actions of the Leogator force. They continued to travel further south, aiming to recapture their former capital city. Meanwhile, the Empire Army drew back their defensive formations to Mount Arthur, a natural stronghold on the route to the capital. Having learned of the Republic Army's true strength from their defeats so far, the Imperial headquarters decided to deploy their main force, which was stationed in the west of the Central Continent. The defence formations were increasing in combat strength day by day. Wishing to avoid clashing with this huge force head-on, the Republic headquarters planned a surprise air-bombing attack. But the Republic Air Force was weakened, having lost most of its Storm Sworders and Salamanders in earlier battles. Under these circumstances, the newly-produced Blox Dimetroptera was entrusted with this important mission in place of their former main flying Zoids.

    Early November, ZAC 2108. Hundreds of Dimetroptera flew towards the Mount Arthur defence lines and began an intense aerial bombing. Ptera Phoenixes, equipped with Phoenix parts to strengthen their weapons and flight range, had also been added to this attack force. Amidst the fierce battle with the Empire Air Defence Force, the Ptera Phoenixes that had finished dropping their bombs split into two. And this time, the Phoenixes combined with Liger Zeros that had followed them on the ground. They became Liger Zero Phoenixes, and descended on the enemy lines.

    Faced with ever-changing detaching and combining attacks, a corner of the Empire defence formation finally collapsed. And so, in the first match of the Battle of Mount Arthur, the victory went to the Republic Army.

    It was a mere 300 kilometres from Mount Arthur to the former capital as the crow flies. But faced with counterattacks from the Empire Army, which had been reinforced even further, the Republic Army's steady advance finally stopped. Suddenly, a flash sliced through the sky, mowing down the formation of Dimetroptera one after another. It was the Zenebas Cannon. The Seismosaurus' super-long range shooting had begun. "The surface forces will be targeted next."

    The Republic soldiers were assaulted by terror. Another flash came before their eyes. But... The particle beam missed by a long way. The Zenebas Cannon, with its extreme precision, had missed for the first time. The reason the Zenebas Cannon could aim at targets from super-long distance was because electronic warfare Zoids deployed in advance would determine and transmit the exact shooting points. Those electronic warfare Zoids had been exposed to jamming waves emitted by the Dimetropteras. A number of Dimetropteras that had seemed to be shot down had landed on the ground under the guise of crashing. They had transformed into their electronic warfare form, Dimetrodon Mode.

    The Republic Army had finally sealed away the invincible Zenebas Cannon, and gained a method of getting the Gairyuki and other major Zoids close to the Seismosaurus. The day of the showdown between both armies to recapture the capital was close.

    To form the advance guard for the decisive battle, the Dimetroptera force later joined up with the Dispelow force. They combined to form the precision shooting Zoid Cannoneer Dimetro, and moved to attack the enemy forces immediately.

- EX Volume 8 - Jet Falcon




        ZAC 2102
    The Eisen Dragoon, led by Wolff Muroa, take control of almost all of the Central Continent of Delpoi. The Neo Zenebas Empire is founded. The Republic's surviving forces continue their resistance by way of guerrilla fighting in various locations.

    ZAC 2105
    The Republic Army completes the Gojulas Giga, the trump card of their resistance operation.

    ZAC 2106
    The Republic Army begins a full-scale counteroffensive. They recapture Cook Fortress.

    The same year
    The Empire Army completes the Seismosaurus. It expels the Republic Army from the Central Continent entirely. The defeated Republic Army escapes to the Eastern Continent, and receives support from ZOITEC.

    ZAC 2107
    The Republic Army completes the Gairyuki.

    ZAC 2108
    The Republic Army makes a return landing on the northeastern coast of the Central Continent. Bringing down Empire Army fortresses one after another, they advance towards the former Republic capital.

    100 kilometres north of the former Republic capital city, the Helic Republic, which had accomplished a return landing on the Central Continent, confronted the Neo Zenebas Empire defence force. Their advance guards were already within eyesight of each other. The Republic Army was led by Gairyuki and Gojulas Giga, followed by new Blox such as Dispelow, Evoflyer, Leogator and Dimetroptera. Meanwhile, the Empire Army was centred on Seismosaurus and Energy Liger, with Scissorstorm, Laserstorm and Styluarmor forming defensive formations. In the sky were Lord Gale, Flyscissors and Storch. This was a full-strength war, into which both armies combined had released more than a hundred thousand Zoids. The Empire Army no longer had the overwhelming advantage. Their combat strength was evenly matched. (Unlike the Republic Army, which had released all its forces into this battle, the Empire Army had to give its attention to defending all of the vast Central Continent, and could release no more than 30 percent of its overall combat strength.) As for their trump card, the Seismosaurus' Zenebas Cannon, its precise firing from super-long distances had been nullified by the electromagnetic wave disturbance of the Republic Army's Dimetroptera, which had been stationed in various places. As a result, the Republic Army had closed the distance to them this much. From this point on, the morale of both sides and the abilities of each individual Zoid would decide the outcome.

    The morale of the Republic forces was high enough to pierce the heavens. The homeland they had dreamed of was within arm's reach. The Republic Zoids felt the soldiers' elation and roared one after another, their iron throats vibrating. A huge streak of light ran before their eyes. It was the Zenebas Cannon, from point-blank range. With that shot as the signal, the clash of the armies began.



    ZAC 2109, early spring
    The Central Continent of Delpoi, the Former Republic Capital

    100 kilometres north of the former Republic capital city, the Helic Republic, which had accomplished a return landing on the Central Continent, confronted the Neo Zenebas Empire defence force. Their advance guards were already within eyesight of each other. The Republic Army was led by Gairyuki and Gojulas Giga, followed by new Blox such as Dispelow, Evoflyer, Leogator and Dimetroptera. Meanwhile, the Empire Army was centred on Seismosaurus and Energy Liger, with Scissorstorm, Laserstorm and Styluarmor forming defensive formations. In the sky were Lord Gale, Flyscissors and Storch. This was a full-strength war, into which both armies combined had released more than a hundred thousand Zoids. The Empire Army no longer had the overwhelming advantage. Their combat strength was evenly matched. (Unlike the Republic Army, which had released all its forces into this battle, the Empire Army had to give its attention to defending all of the vast Central Continent, and could release no more than 30 percent of its overall combat strength.) As for their trump card, the Seismosaurus' Zenebas Cannon, its precise firing from super-long distances had been nullified by the electromagnetic wave disturbance of the Republic Army's Dimetroptera, which had been stationed in various places. As a result, the Republic Army had closed the distance to them this much. From this point on, the morale of both sides and the abilities of each individual Zoid would decide the outcome.

    The morale of the Republic forces was high enough to pierce the heavens. The homeland they had dreamed of was within arm's reach. The Republic Zoids felt the soldiers' elation and roared one after another, their iron throats vibrating. A huge streak of light ran before their eyes. It was the Zenebas Cannon, from point-blank range. With that shot as the signal, the clash of the armies began.



    The Anguish of Emperor Wolff Muroa

    Near the centre of the former Republic capital, inside the cockpit of an Energy Liger adjusted as the Emperor's personal machine, as Wolff Muroa listened to the gunshots roaring from the north, his face was filled with bitterness.

    The Emperor himself was going forth into battle, in order to rally the morale of the Empire Army as they continued to be pressed back by the Republic Army's steady charge. But his anguish was with something completely unrelated to the state of the battle.

    "Why won't the fighting on this planet end...?"

    He questioned himself over and over. It was 7 years since they had gained control of the Central Continent. They had given countless decisive blows to the Republic Army as they continued their obstinate resistance. But every time, they came back even stronger. Because they had the support of the Helic-favouring populace.

    Wolff had set up the best government he could. Surely he had poured out his love on all the citizens, without distinguishing between Zenebas and Helic supporters. Even the drastic reduction in military expenditures through the introduction of Blox was because he was thinking about the lives of the people, who were pained by the long war. But as soon as the Republic Army made their return landing, the Helic-favouring citizens had all turned to support them. They had abandoned lives that were richer than before, and thrown themselves into a new battle.

    "Why?"

    The bitter word slipped out again. But in truth, Wolff understood. People sometimes choose fighting over harmony.



    Last of the Ray Force
    Ray Gregg's Ambush

    Wolff himself had taken up arms for the pride of the former Zenebas soldiers and citizens. And by shattering the peace on this planet that had lasted for 40 years, he had rebuilt their fatherland. But that had also given birth to countless new grudges and antagonism. The antagonism between person and person, country and country, which had been accumulating since long before Wolff was born, had spread even further. No matter how good his government was, it was powerless before the anger of people whose pride and fatherland had been stolen from them. That had been made horribly clear to him. Whichever way this battle went, the people's antagonism would only increase, and would never disappear.

    "But... In that case, when will the fighting on this planet end?!"

    Wolff slammed his fist into the cockpit panel with all his might in despair.



    The battle at the foremost lines was approaching its climax. It was a fierce fight. Thousands of Zoids broke apart, and tens of thousands of soldiers perished. This was a critical moment. The goddess of victory would smile on whoever made it through this. A reinforcement force hastily set out from the Empire's general headquarters. This confusion produced a momentary void around Wolff. At this point, there were only a dozen or so escort machines protecting the Emperor. And then, several of the Liger Zero X units among them suddenly flung off their armour and sprang towards Wolff's Energy Liger.

    The Zeros bared their fangs at Wolff. They were assassins that had been captured by the Republic Army and transported in secretly by the hands of spies. Combining with Phoenixes that flew up out of trailers disguised as a supply force, the Zero Xs suddenly became Zero Phoenixes.

    "Wolff Muroa! Prepare yourself!!"

    One of the Zero Phoenix pilots shouted. It was Ray Gregg. A man called Leomaster, former ace of the Ray Force. Ray charged in a straight line, aiming for the Energy Liger's throat.

    "Those movements... Ray Gregg!?"

    The shadows of anguish vanished from Wolff's eyes, and a light appeared. Ray was the killer of Wolff's childhood friend Anna Tares, the sole person he had confided in.

    "Wolff! This time I'll defeat you. I bet my life on it!"

    Eight years ago, Ray had let Wolff escape in order to rescue his comrades. He felt that he was responsible for the current war.

    The two were destined to battle. But there was a difference in power between the Zoids they were driving that would be hard to make up for. Ray's Zero Phoenix fully accelerated to 340 kilometres per hour in a mere three seconds. Its certain-kill assault was easily dodged by Wolff's Energy Liger. Its instantaneous speed was more than 600 kph.

    Ray was astonished. Of course he knew the Energy Liger's specs. But even for a Leomaster, fully drawing out its abilities would not be simple. The Emperor Wolff had just done that brilliantly.

    Wolff was not the same Wolff from eight years ago. While keeping exceedingly busy as Emperor, he had been honing his skills as a Zoid pilot intently. This was because he wanted the strength to be able to fight Ray on equal terms as a man. It was ironic, but he even felt that he was able to endure his anguish as Emperor because he had his Zoid pilot self.

    "Ray Gregg. I'll make you accept my feelings!"

    The Energy Charger of the Emperor's personal machine howled. A surge of intense power. The Zoid seemed to shine from the uncontrollable energy. The hair all over Ray's body stood on end.

    "Here he comes!"

    The moment he thought this, a shock that felt like it would break his entire body ran through him. He had taken a hit from the Energy Liger's heavy Laser Claws straight on. Such speed. And such tremendous power. In one hit, the Zero Phoenix was practically turned to scrap. A second blow came for him. He forcibly removed the B-CAS. Abandoning the fiercely-wounded Phoenix, he became lighter. Thanks to that, he narrowly managed to dodge. But how would he be able to beat this monster in a naked Zero? When he looked behind him, Empire Zoids that had noticed the incident were approaching in terrible numbers. His handful of allies would not be enough to support him. In this hopeless situation, a smile formed unconsciously on Ray's cheeks. He'd had no intention of returning alive from the start. He would defeat Wolff, even if they ended up killing each other. Only this burning feeling was in Ray's heart.



    The Falcon that Summons Victory
    Zero Falcon is Born!!

    Just then, the sky split open. A hole had opened in a corner of the Empire Air Division's defence network. It was a do-or-die assault by Dimetropteras in flight form. They plunged towards him, protecting an unfamiliar machine at the centre of the formation.

    Slipping through the rain of anti-air gunfire, the flying Zoid swept down before Ray's eyes.

    "The Jet Falcon. It made it in time!?"

    It was the Zero's new B-CAS, taking the place of the Phoenix. If they combined, he would theoretically be able to fight evenly with the Energy Liger.

    "As if I'd let you!"

    Wolff charged. While he scraped the surface of the Zero's exposed body, it narrowly managed to dodge. At the same time, the Falcon transformed. It lay on top of the Zero and opened its link circuits.

    Fusion complete!

    Wolff came for him again. There was visible impatience in his movements. He intended to settle things himself before his guards interfered.

    "Your naivety showed in the end, Your Majesty!"

    Rushing headlong at an unknown enemy was not what one would call bravery. It was overconfidence in his beloved Energy Liger's maximum speed of 660 kilometres per hour. He didn't even suspect that it had become one with the Falcon.

    The Zero swayed at equal speed. The Energy Liger's claws cut through empty air. The Zero Falcon's Buster Claws drilled into its defenceless body.



    The Empire's defence lines were about to collapse. At that same moment, on the foremost lines, the Seismos had been pressed into melee combat range, and were unable to defend against the cooperative attacks of the Gairyuki and Giga.



    The Energy Liger Runs Wild! Countdown to Destruction

    With its body squarely pierced, the Energy Liger's Zoid Core had shut down completely. But the Energy Charger, which was a power system independent from the core, continued to give an ominous howl. It continued to produce energy with nowhere to go, sending it to the core.

    Wolff's Energy Liger had had its output increased as the Emperor's personal machine, and boasted a running time twice that of a normal machine. But at the same time, this hid the risk of an energy runaway. The energy that normally needed to be consumed began to accumulate in the Energy Liger's body. The accumulation of the tremendous energy that kept its huge 160-ton body running at speeds of 660 kilometres per hour was enough to induce the collapse of its Zoid Core.

    It was Wolff who realised it first.

    "It's a repeat of Valhalla..."

    The Guylos Empire's capital city Valhalla had been turned to ruins in an instant when the Death Saurer's Zoid Core collapsed. What if the same thing were to happen here? What would happen to the huge forces of both armies amassed here, and the more than 20 million citizens?

    Suddenly, the Energy Liger's canopy flew off. The emergency escape device had activated. Wolff cancelled it manually, and shouted towards his mike.

    "All forces, escape to the west with the townspeople!"

    And then, he turned his machine to the east. With its Zoid Core shut down and the Charger output diverted directly to its legs, the Energy Liger's movements were like those of a zombie. Having lost its flash-like speed, it crawled east at a speed of not even 40 kilometres per hour.

    Just then, Ray, who had been interrupted by the Emperor's defence force, saw the Energy Liger blazing hot enough to melt its armour, and understood Wolff's true intentions. He planned to save the soldiers and citizens in exchange for his own life. Ray knew that Wolff had once risked his own life to rescue a single subordinate. And now, the Emperor was about to risk his life to save a city where Helic-supporting citizens made up the majority.

    Aware that he was leaving himself open to the defence force, Ray jumped. Countless bullets shot into the Zero's defenceless belly. But with that, he was able to bring the Zero alongside the Energy Liger. Ray opened the canopy and jumped down.

    "What are you planning, Ray Gregg?!"

    Wolff shouted, so close they could see each other's faces.

    "The Falcon's a B-CAS originally developed for the Energy Liger. Just maybe..."

    Shouting back, Ray tugged on of one of the Energy Liger's cords, which was blistering with heat. He planned to connect it to the jack on the Zero Falcon and absorb the excess energy. Realising his intentions, Wolff also jumped down from his machine and grabbed hold of the cord.

    There were no words between them. The pair who were destined to battle merely thought of the miracle that they were now uniting their efforts. A sweet vision floated through their minds.

    "Even this long battle might someday come to an end."



    And then, the Energy Liger and the Zero Falcon were connected. The muzzles of the Zero Falcon's Buster Claws fired out the excess energy it had absorbed. It became thick pillars of light, and rose up towards the heavens.

Story End!