Lake Louise Special Operations School
Men, this team that you've all been assigned to
is one whose very existence is top secret.
Valiancers that utilize the new Coupling theory
will determine the outcome of our war with Zogilia.
Once Coupling Valiancers are deployed to all Confederation units,
you men will make up the core of our military's strength.
I want you to keep that in mind as you undergo training.
I will now introduce the members of our team.
First, the proponent of this theory, Dr. Fermi.
Hey. You're Dio Weinberg?
Yeah.
I'm Fromm.
The two of us are apparently the youngest on the team.
It's nice to met you, Dio.
Nice to meet you.
Wow, so you volunteered for this after being deployed on the front line.
Was there some reason for that?
Because Fiona...
What?
I just want the power to defeat the enemy, that's all.
Dio, where were you on the front line?
Omura.
Omura, as in...
The place that was just bombed?!
Fly
and put a light into the sky of our future
Don't buckle under the weight of sadness
and sing forevermore
Unisonia
What does the world you see
look like?
I don't want to get used
to the pain of losing loved ones,
but the stars are so beautiful tonight
We are like two sides
of a rusted coin
lost on the streets
Persevere
Turn your love into what unites us
Let us put color into this world
To that end,
I sing my symphony
Let the future be as we desire it
We can change destiny
Cross time
Unisonia
Cygnus
Mobile Strike Aeroship
Zogilia aired a piece of their own?
It was a coincidence,
Buddy
but it seems the enemy had propaganda in mind as well.
The music is so grandiose.
At this rate, they'll be coming at us again with all they've got.
Captain Kuramitsu 11th Aerial Expeditionary Strike Force 1st Navy Special Squadron
All hands, prepare for attackers!
Roger!
Chitose Base
It's your fault for pointing a gun at them.
How else was I supposed to bring them down?
I already told you, that wasn't the point!
It's here.
That's...
Our new ship.
Gáe Bulg
Protection Division Tactical Assault Aeroship
The National Defense Force's new ship mobilized from Chitose?
The briefing states that their mission
is to block the Confederation forces from gathering at the Hawaii Base,
but their flight path runs through our battlefield.
Dorzhiev
1st Airborne Division Commander
It's already too late.
By the time they arrive,
the enemy's new ship will be at the bottom of the ocean.
We've lost enemy contact!
What?
In rough seas, a low-flying object can be hard to detect.
As if something that big could disappear among the waves!
Comb the area!
Detecting multiple objects...
Islands!
Enemy ship detected.
It's the Protective Division's flagship, the Gáe Bulg.
That's the last thing I wanted to run into.
Enemy ship has begun searching.
They probably lost track of us.
At full speed,
we're two hours out from the Hawaii Base...
They said they don't have any ships available to help us.
We'll just have to handle it on our own.
This ship is brand new.
In electronic warfare,
it's possible that we stand a chance against the Gáe Bulg.
There's no need to evade them completely.
Time is on our side.
A storm?
With maximum wind speeds of sixty meters per second.
At its current pace, it will reach these waters in another hour.
Are you saying a mere storm could bring down the Gáe Bulg?
No, sir.
However, at these wind speeds,
it would be inadvisable to send out the Valiancers.
I believe the enemy also hopes to continue evading us.
Find them immediately!
Enemy ship is scanning for us!
Jam them!
Starting jam!
Opting for an evasive strategy at this point, huh?
Our captain might not look like much,
but he's commanded six combat ships,
and he's apparently never been sunk.
Is bringing the fight to them not an option?
There's a chance they've stocked up on even more Valiancers
than what they sent out last time, you know.
While we've got a grand total of four.
Five, but barely.
Lee!
Lieutenant!
Lee!
What? You've recovered from all those injuries already?
For injuries like those,
three days was more than enough to get better,
Boy From the Past.
That's amazing...
Not "fully" recovered. "Nearly," right?
The doctor gave me a clean bill of health, didn't he?
Lieutenant.
I've been assigned to the Cygnus as of today.
Ensign Fromm Vantarhei, sir.
My apologies for not coming by to offer my greetings earlier.
Yeah, I heard.
I'm Lee Conrad. Good to meet you.
Lee.
Oh, my bad.
You three.
Elvira wants to talk to you.
To us?
Forty minutes until the storm zone reaches us.
360 degree radar pulse!
Your Excellency!
That will completely expose our location!
The Gáe Bulg will not be brought down by the likes of them!
360 degree radar pulse!
360 degree radar pulse incoming!
No regard for their own security, huh?
Neutralize the frequency, stat!
Neutralizing frequency!
Frequency neutralized.
This is the standard Emphatier Waveform of a Coupling pilot.
What is this? Brainwaves?
It's the waveform necessary to conduct a Coupling.
The old Coupling System was flawed
and you know that it lead to many casualties, right?
Yeah.
So, in order to avoid repeating the same mistakes,
our team did two things.
One, we developed a cutting-edge cockpit
that reduces signal delay and degradation to nearly zero.
That cockpit...
Yes. Elvira developed that, you know.
Wow, I had no idea.
And two, assembling those with potential and putting them through Coupler training.
Every Coupler has trained rigorously
to conform each of their Emphatier Waveforms to the standard waveform,
to the point that they're all almost completely identical.
Thanks to that, our experiments were met with success this time.
That's amazing...
Our greatest miscalculation was you, Aoba.
What?
Take a look at the next screen.
You appeared out of the blue,
synced with Couplers we had trained,
and conducted perfect Couplings. This is your waveform.
Wow...
Aoba, your waveform matches up perfectly with the standard waveform.
If it's a coincidence, the odds of this happening are astronomical.
But this is where the problem starts.
This is Dio's latest waveform.
What?
It's off?
How?
During the several dozen tests he conducted with Marcus,
he was nearly aligned with the standard waveform,
but after only a few Couplings with Aoba,
this is what happened to Dio's waveform.
So that's why he couldn't match up with me.
You talk as if it's not your problem.
Don't tell me...
This is your waveform after the one Coupling you conducted with Aoba.
Me, too?!
But with Aoba...
...it works.
What?
It does.
On top of that, the Emphatier Level that indicates your compatibility
is gradually improving.
What's going on?
We don't know the details yet.
But the reason you can conduct Couplings even with a misaligned waveform
is because Aoba naturally has the standard waveform,
which allows his Buddy a greater margin of error.
Margin of error?
Meaning, you can conduct Couplings,
even with someone who has an extremely nonstandard waveform.
All the more true for a Coupler who's received training.
But that permits your Buddy's waveform to diverge.
What do you mean?
Is there some problem?
Ordinarily, a Buddy who diverges too far from the standard waveform
ceases to be able to conduct Couplings.
In other words, at this rate,
Dio and Fromm may no longer be able to conduct Couplings except with you.
The ultimate goal of the Coupling Project
is to have the trained Couplers be able to Buddy up at will,
conduct Couplings, and fight on every battlefield.
That's why you underwent that rigorous training.
Conducting Couplings with Aoba is a double-edged sword.
How much time will it require to restore waveforms
that have grown grossly misaligned due to those Couplings?
Or even if they can be restored with retraining...
At this stage, we don't know.
Are Dio and I no longer capable of conducting Couplings, after all?
We could give it another try.
Then...
They found us.
The enemy ship has detected us!
I guess we couldn't dodge them forever.
It's a state-of-the-art search signal!
It's not from the Gáe Bulg!
What's that?!
It doesn't match any of the known ships!
Vajra Heavy Attack Cruiser Aeroship
It's a new Zogilian ship!
Identified! The enemy is the Swan!
This new aeroship certainly is something.
Commander Gallant 501st Mobile Company, 193rd U-boat Brigade
Lieutenant Commander Sirojanko 501st Mobile Company, 193rd U-boat Brigade
You honor us.
Valiancer Team ready to move out.
Commander.
Send this intel to His Excellency, Commander Dorzhiev, immediately.
Commander!
Will the Protection Division graciously accept information from the National Defense Force?
It is a given that we inform those who can be trusted.
Special Officer O'Keefe National Security Committee Administration Bureau
Or will you defy my instructions?
You must be joking, Madam Special Officer.
Captain, transmit the location of the Swan to the Gáe Bulg.
Also, let them know that we will send reinforcements should they request it.
Roger that, sir.
Hina, don't be discouraged.
There will be other changes to redeem your honor.
The National Defense Force has its uses now and then.
Commander Gallant sends word that if there is a request for reinforcements, he will send it.
No need.
Tell him to pay close attention to how we fight!
Gáe Bulg, full speed ahead!
Full speed ahead! Target, the new enemy ship!
The new enemy ship isn't approaching us.
The only one approaching is the Gáe Bulg?
Zogilia's National Defense Force and Protection Division
have different chains of command, after all...
If they don't both attack us at the same time, we still have hope.
Prepare to intercept them!
Valiancer Team, prepare to launch!
We'll have to decide, here and now.
What?
On this sortie...
No, from now on, who will Buddy up with whom.
All right.
Then let's decide on three.
All right.
One!
Two!
Three!
It's decided. You two will be Buddies.
Dio...
I don't want to waste all that training.
You understand, right, Dio?
I suppose.
Dio.
You're fine with this?
I'll definitely hate to see the training go to waste.
But the uncertain Coupling with Fromm
isn't something we can afford to test on the battlefield.
Dio...
It's not as if we know for sure that retraining won't restore things.
Besides, putting you in a Beryl all by yourself
won't do us any good in battle.
What?
Let's go. There's no time.
H-Hey! Wait, Dio!
What did you mean by that?!
Exactly that!
The storm is close! Be careful!
Roger!
Rewrite the CMS for me.
It's done already.
I kind of had a feeling this would happen.
I see.
What are you talking about?
It doesn't matter!
Bradyon, ready to take off!
What the heck?
Luxon, ready!
The enemy's two new Valiancers have been launched.
All right. Stick to the plan.
Yes, sir!
Alfried Gallant.
Watch from over there while I emerge victorious!
Enemy Valiancer team is splitting into two groups!
How many are out?
Five Valiancers to a group.
One group is headed for us.
We'll have to split up, too.
Valiancer Team, send one group to defend the Cygnus.
If the Coupling Valiancers are their target,
the group attacking the Cygnus should be the diversion.
Let's switch it up and take care of them with the Luxon and the Bradyon.
Roger!
We'll stop the rest!
Roger!
That's tough enough already, Lee!
No whining!
That white one isn't here.
Wait, their movement is strange!
Are they planning to get us?
Did we fall for their trap?!
Don't tell me...!
They're attacking us from both sides!
You see, when it comes to combat,
if you have plenty of troops in reserve, you can handle things in any number of ways!
Damn it!
Get them!
The Luxon and the Bradyon are surrounded by ten enemy Valiancers!
The difference in fighting strength is too great.
Damn it! They got reinforcements!
So they think five is enough to handle us?!
They're actually right!
Their fighting strength is something else.
I once heard that Protection Division ships
receive more supplies than their allotted share.
I could not be more envious.
At this rate, it'll be like last time all over again!
We're going to break out before we get surrounded!
Got it!
Connective, Dio!
Acception!
I'll clear the way!
Watch out!
Damn.
They've already encircled us?
It was like this the last time, too.
Before I even knew I was being surrounded,
they'd already limited where I could go.
We're blocked in every direction!
This way!
I can't get through!
Does it look like I might be able to get through?
Can I make it?!
What?!
No good?!
During our earlier encounter, I gained a good grasp of how your Valiancers perform.
There will be absolutely no escape for you this time!
Damn it!
We've got no more moves to make, Dio!
No, there's something we haven't tried.
You don't mean...
It'll be harder than last time.
You better not slow me down!
If the two are going to move together, capturing them will be easy.
Surround them!
Roger!
Valiancers are accelerating!
Their Emphatier Level is rising!
No, you can't! Are you two executing Code T2Rise?!
We sure as hell are!
Here we go!
What is that?
This was reported at Chitose!
Keep them surrounded. I will take them down.
We're going on the offensive, too!
Okay!
Amazing!
They're even going on the attack while maintaining that state!
By conducting the Couplings with Aoba,
Dio's waveform had diverged from the standard,
but conversely, his potential had increased.
Then...
Sometimes, a double-edged sword can in fact grow stronger in battle.
The effectiveness of their Coupling
is on the verge of exceeding anything I'd ever imagined!
H-How is this even possible?!
This is the end!
Impossible...
The plan was supposed to have been perfect...
Your Excellency!
Time for us to strike back, too!
Wh-What are our orders?!
Retreat!
Hey, don't retreat without orders!
Decoupling.
Dio, let's go help them over there!
Disengagement of Coupling confirmed.
Valiancer Team, move out.
Roger.
Full speed ahead with the storm at our back.
Assist the Protection Division.
Roger that, sir!
According to our military researcher,
once disengaged, it apparently takes time to restore the Coupling.
I can't have them saying later on
that we stood by and left our comrades to their fate, after all.
Retreat! Make it quick!
Damn it!
Now they come?!
Don't get caught in the storm!
The National Defense Force's new ship has begun to take action!
Prepare to intercept them!
No.
We're in no position to take them on right now.
Let's flee into the storm.
Into the storm?!
Roger.
Recall the Valiancer team! Quickly!
I could've gone for a little longer.
You'll get caught between the fresh troops.
Move it! I want us back on the ship in under two minutes!
Roger!
Dio! Aoba! You guys hurry, too!
Roger.
Dio, enemy units!
This time, for sure!
That's Hina's...!
It just had to be now!
So they mean to flee into the storm.
It appears the remnants of the Protection Division have completed their withdrawal.
Shall we reverse course in pursuit?
If they'd intercepted us head-on, we could've taken them down, but...
We are here to be a part of the next operation.
We should avoid unnecessary losses.
Roger that, sir.
Maintain course and keep us moving!
Valiancer Team, don't chase them too far.
Roger.
If we keep going, we'll end up in the middle of the storm.
Return to the ship!
Roger!
Bizon, it's Hina!
What?
What are you doing, Hina?!
I'll follow orders after I've defeated the enemy!
Damn it.
I'm turning back!
Hina, come back!
This kind of thing is my job!
The three Beryls have landed.
What about the Luxon and Bradyon?
They'll be in soon.
Bradyon, coming in for landing.
Luxon, coming in for landing.
Foe of Zogilia!
Hina, stop this!
What are you doing?! Fight back!
But this is Hina's...!
If only...
If only you had never appeared...!
Hina, retreat!
Damn it!
Hina!
Closing hatch!
It's too dangerous!
Is everyone back yet?!
It's the Luxon!
Stop this, Hina!
Let go!
Hurry, Aoba!
Watch out!
Aoba!
Our hearts call to each other from afar
I've forgotten the end of pain,
but still I know you,
and I look for you
My soul kissed the remnants of a powerful light
deep within itself
If doubt paves the way for a tomorrow full of hope,
then all my hesitation is sure to lead me to a wonderful dawn
I want to protect and shelter
our dream of peace
Please hold out your hand
to grasp the love
that we are sure to find
Next time on Buddy Complex:
Next Time: Stormy Night
"Stormy Night"