- OFB4 Chapter 8: Escape



ZAC 2101, December   |  Continent of Delpoi   |  Helic Republic Capital


 Only one person was aware of how these historic tragedies were about to repeat. The President of the Republic, Louise Elena Camford.

 How despairing it must've been for her. The hated enemy that she'd fought for two and a half years shared her blood, he was her brother. And even now, her nephew was the one who surrounded her city with an overwhelming force. She couldn't help but feel the blood curse that'd been placed on the Muroas.

 There was another thing, as well. Something else that added to the sense of despair. It was the revolt of the people of the former Zenebas territories. Their 50-year peace agreement with the former Helic citizens, which had been in place since the time of President Helic II, had vanished in an instant. Was this the result of having confronted these various hardships while trying to keep the well-being of all people in mind? She could feel her will of steel rapidly dissolving.

 Were they to surrender, then? Reveal everything to Wolff Muroa, and join hands for peace? Impossible. What about the feelings of the people of the former Helic territory, who wanted to fight to the bitter end? What about their anger? What should she say to the souls of the countless soldiers who'd died in the past two and a half years, nevermind their families? The president was not a king, but an agent of the people's will.

 Then, what should she do?

 When she'd reached her final conclusion, she heard the voice of her aide.

 "Madame President. The arrangements for your escape from the capital are ready."

 A soldier was standing beside her aide.

 "I'm Tommy Paris, the pilot of the escape Zoid."

 "You're Rob's right-hand man, aren't you? I heard that you'd returned to your homeland to recuperate. Are you all right now?"

 "Yes."

 "Then I have a favor to ask of you."

 Elena handed a small metal case to Paris.

 "I want you to give this to my son, Rob."

 The newly completed Saberlion was chosen as the escape unit. A high-performance, ultra-compact high-speed Zoid modeled after the SS Zoids of the Eisen Dragoon. It was a prototype. No one would be expecting the president to escape in a small, poorly protected machine. Hopefully, it would be enough to outwit the enemy. This machine had been chosen with such hopes in mind. Though the cockpit was exposed, the body had been modified to provide a space for the president to hide in.

 "Let's get out of here!"

 Tommy Paris yelled. It was a desperate sortie. At the same time, the Republican Defense Force launched its final offensive. More than 10 high-speed machines were also scattered in various directions. Dummies designed to disperse the enemy. Even so, all that Paris could see were the shadows of their enemies.

- OFB4 Chapter 8: Escape




It was the last sortie of the Republican Defense Forces. A diversionary attack to help the Saberlion escape. It was a battle with no hope of survival.
 There was a Dark Spiner on the right. If it fired its jamming wave, that'd be the end of them. But it never did. They probably didn't think that they were a target worthy of jamming. Instead, it was a beam that came at them. A medium-caliber weapon. Yet, to the Saberlion, just a glancing blow would be fatal. It dodged. This reliable mobility, that was its lifeline.

 This time, it was a Berserk Führer's Buster Claws that came from their left. They, too, were dodged. Just in the nick of time. He swallowed his heart, feeling like it was about to leap out of his throat, and crushed the Demantis in front of them. Then he dodged, ran, and jumped again.






The Saberlion escaped from the capital, but the Neo Zenebas' pursuit was fierce. A phantom unit consisting of Zero X and Guntigers was closing in on the Saberlion.
 He couldn't remember how many times he'd repeated those moves. The next thing Tommy Paris knew, he had left the capital and was hurtling into the wastelands of the west.

 "Madam President, are you all right?

 Paris called into the machine's microphone as he finally caught his breath. But there was no answer. The President should've been firmly strapped into her seat. Still, his Zoid had been thrown around so much. It was no wonder that the President, who wasn't a Zoid rider, would lose conciousness.

 Even though he was worried, Paris wasn't given the time to stop and check. The monitor caught sight of an enemy shadow rapidly approaching.



Since they were both high-speed Zoids, their difference in class directly translated into a difference in strength. The odds of the Saberlion defeating an X was close to zero.


 Even though the Saberlion boasted exceptional mobility, it wasn't as fast as the X or Guntiger in terms of maximum speed. Especially the X, where there was a difference of 60 km/h. Now that they were working together, it'd be impossible to shake them off. Guntigers immediately started firing from the side and rear. Both were traveling at high speed, so their aim was rough. Still, Tommy Paris could sense that the Saberlion was being herded by their enemies. He felt like prey, surrounded by a pack of wolves driving them towards their death.

 When he came to, he realized that the X was gone. Perhaps it was waiting at the end of this corral. Hiding behind its optical camouflage with bated breath. They were in dire straits, but Paris did not despair. What he had to protect was far too great to despair.

 In the early days of the Western Continent war, Paris was the only survivor of the high-speed unit that had been annihilated in the battle against the experimental Death Saurer on Mount Olympus. As a result, he'd brought data on the Organoid System back to the Republic, and had been called a hero. But what was the point of all the glory he'd gained in exchange for his comrades?

 He'd also failed to protect Hermann and Schwarz during their meeting, and Schwarz had been seriously injured, delaying peace with Guylos and causing even more damage. He'd blamed himself for that.

 Those bitter thoughts. They, they were why he would fulfill his mission this time. He would protect those who should be protected. At the cost of his life!

 Paris throttled the Saberlion down slightly. Slowly, so as not to be noticed by the enemy. The distance between him and the Guntiger narrowed, and the gunfire grazed him at close range. He silenced his fear. One minute, maybe two without blinking. An even closer shot. Then it was three minutes.

 He saw a flash. That same flash that he'd seen through the cockpit the night of the meeting. It was the X's Laser Claw. The distance was now less than 200 meters. He shifted to full throttle. They accelerated slightly. Ten kilometers, maybe? It disturbed the X's timing ever so slightly. Before the invisible flash of claws could reach him, the Saberlion's brilliant blade slashed through the X's front leg.

- OFB4 Chapter 8: Escape




The Saberlion, who'd shaken the X's pursuit, fully opened up its Smoke Chargers. He managed to successfully escape from the shaken Guntiger unit.
 After completely escaping the pursuit force, Tommy Paris noticed something strange. The hidden hatch in the Saberlion's abdomen. It was open. There were no signs of damage. It was unclear whether it had been opened by accident during the fierce battle or from the inside. What was certain was that President Camford was no longer there.

 Paris, half dazed, opened the metal case that the President had entrusted to him before heading out. Inside were 3 discs.

 One disc had the blueprint of a Zoid, but it seemed to be encrypted and he couldn't read the details. The other was a message that appeared to be addressed to Hermann personally. After prefacing the message with the words "I probably don't have to tell you this, since you left because you disliked politics," the message told Hermann that she wanted him to fight against Neo Zenebas as a soldier until the end. Though Paris had no way of knowing it, she'd had a desire to end the tragedies of the past. Yet she didn't want her son, who didn't even know of his bloodline, to follow the path of a leader.

 The last piece was a message to all people of the Republic.

 "This defeat is not the end. It is merely the beginning of a new battle."



The President's message to the people was delivered in simple, powerful words. With this, Tommy Paris couldn't stop the tears from rolling down his cheek as he read what seemed like her last will and testament.


- Translation Notes


  •  The original line for "Now that they were working together" appears to be "Now that they'd been supplemented/complemented". I'm not sure how to interpret this other than the two units (X and Guntiger) working together to complement one another, as there's no mention of modifications. Unless it means the modifications of the Saberlion were affecting its speed?


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