Hey brother ready for this fight?
It's go for broke, live or die
ichi kabachu gonna live or die.
To those days of being scared and just coping, bye bye bye
obi e tearu sukosu take no kimini bye, bye, bye.
Don't stop! Plowing through bullets falling thick and fast
Don't Stop! kimi shiki e ru tangan kake wake
Get up! Brilliantly nail that 2-step
Get Up! asaya kare kimero 2-step
Shut Up! Stow that whining and try, try, try
Shut Up! maki moto nan kumimeru shimai konna try, try, try.
Right now, even if everyone and anyone and everything and anything...
i mata remo karemo waremo koremo
Look away and make a break for it
mewo somu kemi kena shite ne
You alone, I'll never abandon
yusu temo shinai kimi temi wai
Let's go, One more chance! Let's change this darn scene
Let's go, One more Chance! kae tearo kono scene
Right now, tens of thousands of times if need be
mana retse na makai demo
It's just about showing that I can overcome
nori koete miseru dake
Overcoming even those tears and that pain
shono nami namo sono mitsa mimo koeteru
Going on to that next, as yet unseen stage
daro mino tsuki no sutejie
That's right, as many times as it takes, one more try!!
sousa naben date one more try!
Let's go, One more chance! Show them that spirit
Let's go, One more Chance! mushi tereo sono spirit
Right now, tens of thousands of times if need be
mana retse na makai demo
I can just crawl my way there
haitsu kubate i kari
We believe, right?!
shin ji ten da ro?!
That pain will someday become strength that's there for someone
moi tami wai tsuka tawa e kai yasu yosari
That's right, we can make it happen, one more try!
sou saka te genzo one more try!
We're not gonna walk away!
Three-Legged Mountain-Climbing Is Life-and-Death
The Artillery Battle in the Iguazu Mountains I
Or rather, what's the Mass Driver Conglomerate?
Just like their name says, they're a group of fat cats,
who possess the best mass driver construction tech in the world.
It seems like Miss Frolaytia is spending more time than usual
putting the operation together,
but are they that dangerous a group?
It's politically complicated in a lot of ways.
Why are you wearing your special suit for sunbathing?
Keep going.
R-Right.
They were a group within the Capital Enterprise,
mostly centered around the rate business,
but recently, they'd been taking that capital
and investing it like crazy in promising companies,
researching and developing technology required for mass drivers.
Hmm.
Incidentally, mass drivers are like giant rail guns aimed straight up.
They fire shuttles and containers up into satellite orbit.
They say it's more convenient than using space shuttles.
Yup, yup.
In its own way, this is...
Uh, so why is this mega-rich Mass Driver Conglomerate our enemy?
The Mass Driver Conglomerate
unilaterally broke away from the Capital Enterprise.
It was closer to a coup d'etat than a defection.
Currently, they're apparently undergoing a massive migration
to keep the Capital Enterprise government from seizing their assets.
And it's rumored that they've got a mystery Object stashed away, too.
So they're totally ready and willing to wage war.
But why do such a thing?
It's the result of a simple tech adoption war.
Tech adoption war?
In an attempt to solve the cost issue of space development,
people have been vetting new methods
to replace the shuttle for a long, long time now.
But having come this far,
the final remaining candidates were the mass driver method
and the orbital elevator method utilizing laser technology.
However...
The Capital Enterprise ultimately chose the laser method.
The Mass Driver Conglomerate panicked and tried to get their technology adopted
by the Intelligence Union or the Faith Organization,
but the Capital Enterprise nixed that, too.
They weren't about to permit homegrown technology
to profit other powers.
Boxed in from all sides...
I guess that made the Mass Driver Conglomerate blow their top.
We can't hope to negotiate or reach a truce.
If it comes to blows, it'll be an all-out war.
It'll be an endurance game for us, too.
You'd better go into this more prepared than usual, too.
Then...
I want fried chicken.
Hey! This is the battlefront where there's nothing but tasteless rations!
What a thing to say, child?!
What? Don't you want some?
Where when you bite into it, the chicken fat oozes,
spreading all throughout your mouth, you know?
And with a bit of lemon to add some tang...
You dummy! Talking like that is going to make me want some!
Oh, this is bad. I'm starting to long for that lush, fatty meat!
You can have some.
Huh?
The Charlemagne that we're on
apparently celebrated its fifteenth commissioning anniversary,
and it looks like they loaded up on all kinds of foods for the party.
We're too late!
It's what you call, "The party is over."
No, take a good look, Qwenser!
It's only a little, but there's still uneaten food!
Yeah!
Leftovers.
Don't say that!
What's this? You guys got wind of this, too?
First, the deer in Alaska, and now, this.
It looks like this lady's got quite the superb nose as well.
I won't be outdone!
All right!
These are nuggets! These are karaage fried chicken!
Damn it! Close, but no cigar!
They're still both chicken, aren't they?
What I want is bone-in!
If it's fried chicken, there's some here.
Miss Frolaytia, you really are the best!
Yum!
It's already cold and I don't get the oozing fat, but even then, it's yummy!
It's too bad there's no lemon, but even then, it's yummy!
Hey, you've heard of pole dancing, right?
That thing where a woman wraps herself around a pole?
That sure came out of nowhere, Heivia.
Could it be that your needs aren't being met?
How does that work?
I mean, there's no "how" to it.
You wrap yourself around a pole and contort, right?
No, that's not what I meant...
It can depend, but fundamentally, the body is simply held in place
by friction between the brass pole and the person's skin.
Specifically speaking...
It goes...
...kind of like this.
Miss Frolaytia, why are you so proficient?
At victory parties after successful operations,
I've occasionally needed to display a hidden talent.
Also, when I do this, for some reason,
the soldiers on-site become doubly motivated.
Ordinarily, you're supposed to do this with bare legs, though.
The stockings are nice in their own way...
W-Well, with titan tits like that, seeing her do those contortions,
it's going to mess with your excitement levels and that's a fact.
Whoa, amazing!
Incidentally, our Princess can do the same thing.
What?
Want me to give it a go?
If a slender girl does it...
It'll have a different quality to it than with the sexy superior officer...
C-C-Cold! What?!
Come to think of it...
When you get down to it, why did the Mass Driver Conglomerate people
try to hijack a satellite from a probe robot in Antarctica
and attack a vacation home on the moon?
I was planning to say this in the briefing after this,
but I guess this is fine.
The Capital Enterprise major general staying at the vacation home
had a lot of power over military satellites and space stations.
And instead of mass drivers,
he was a proponent of laser-driven orbital elevators.
They were just taking it out on him?
In the end, if this is a power struggle within the Capital Enterprise,
wouldn't it be better if we of the Legitimate Kingdom
didn't get involved unnecessarily?
The thing is, we can't exactly do that.
Currently, the Mass Driver Conglomerate is in the middle
of a massive migration to the Iguazu region in South America
with the Capital Enterprise hot on their heels.
If I remember right, that's near where
a Legitimate Kingdom space development base is being built.
Not only that, but our launch method is the laser method.
That's right.
We can't have them weirdly taking things out on us
like with the lunar vacation home.
This is a war to secure our safety?
That's what it comes down to.
Commence "Iguazu Region Beach Landing Operation!"
The objective is the annihilation of the Mass Driver Conglomerate,
which we expect to make an incursion inland.
Let's go, Qwenser.
Once the Princess secures the coastline, we land, too.
Yeah.
Have we still been unable to confirm
the Mass Driver Conglomerate's Object?
We were able to confirm a giant shadow,
but like in Oceania, it could be a dummy.
But we do have their location, right?
The truth is, even that's uncertain.
The Andes Mountains of South America
have an elevation of over 6000 meters.
They're famous for the mines there, too.
The southeast trade winds on the Pacific side are crazy this year
and mineral dust mixed in with the clouds is drifting inland.
In other words,
there are patches here and there that can't be scanned by satellite?
But whatever the case,
they're folks who build mass drivers that can shoot into satellite orbit.
If their main gun scores a direct hit, one shot and it'll be over.
What does she, specifically, expect us to do?
And besides that, be wary of secondary shock waves.
In particular, be sure to guard your ears and internal organs.
It's been a long time, Major Frolaytia Capistrano.
Well, well.
Say, Heivia, can't we just stand by at sea?
Moron. The main battlefield is inland.
If we don't take those floats off, the Princess won't be able to land, right?
Guess there really is no easy way out.
Such boring work.
Better than killing people, isn't it?
It's waiting for you people that's boring.
Qwenser, you said you were having a hard time deciding
on your Object research topic, right?
Then, how about propulsion methods
that can go from land to sea and back without exchanging parts?
Hey, now, you're kind of on edge today, Princess.
I just got an e-mail requesting a mock battle.
It was pretty much an order, though.
It said it'd be in the Normandy region one month from now.
Ooh, that's the home of the Legitimate Kingdom.
It'll be a good performance, won't it?
I'm the fall guy.
Have you ever heard of the Bright Hopper?
If I remember right,
it was pitched as the cutting-edge Object being built by us, right?
A unit equipped with an intensive array of laser beam weaponry.
So it's been completed already.
I might also add
that the Elite piloting it is the eldest son of a prominent noble.
You'll be fine if you fight sloppy as ordered and just roll with it, right?
If I do that,
the mass media will look at the numbers on the spec sheet
and say that the real Baby Magnum should've been able to fight harder.
Whoa, what a pain...
Seriously, I hate it.
Maybe I'll change tack on him at the last minute
and fight in earnest, no holds barred.
Check of pertinent area, complete.
Metal detected at multiple points on the slopes of the mountains.
Metal detected at multiple points?
This is the Charlemagne.
Baby Magnum,
we've received reports
indicating those mountains contain large deposits of iron ore.
Take that into consideration in making your assessment.
Iron ore...
But there's no positive proof...
We're scanning via satellite, but at present,
no sign of armored vehicles and such in the vicinity of the mountains.
You heard him.
Really?
I said there's no problem, so there's no problem.
Right, right.
Then, if the metal that was detected really turns out to be gun batteries,
maybe I'll ask you to make special Bavarian cream
molded off your boobs.
In a live presentation, of course.
No response. I think there really isn't anyone there.
If you're wrong, I'm serious about the Bavarian cream, okay?
This pointless chitchat ends now.
We'll give priority to the Princess's report for now.
All personnel, take the hydrofoils to shore
and set about constructing a base zone and removing the Object's floats.
I saw some flashes there.
Woohoo! Bavarian cream!
What're you grinning ear-to-ear and acting all happy for, you asshole?!
This is bad!
Shoot them down!
Continue to make for shore!
You won't die as long as you don't suffer a direct hit!
She's seriously sadistic!
When she lets these orders fly, the glee in her voice is no joke!
And hearing that voice, you quiver all over,
so I'd say you're something else yourself, Havia.
Say, Qwenser, do you think
the Mass Driver Conglomerate's Object is hiding in those mountains?
No, it's likely to be the same as in Antarctica.
They probably had spare Object guns hidden on the slopes.
No human-size heat sources or electromagnetic readings.
No worries of catching civilians in the crossfire.
Blast them apart, mountain and all!
Doing things like this in a foreign land with no authorization...
Is this all right?
Come to think of it, who's Iguazu affiliated with?
Unaffiliated. One of the so-called blank zones.
They're not affiliated with any power.
They don't have a government to begin with.
And here come two powers from elsewhere,
pitting their Objects against each other, firing away at will.
Might be pretty intolerable for the people caught in the middle.
It's not only true here.
No matter where the battlefield is,
it's one hell of a nuisance for the people there.
Platoon Charlie. As expected, we haven't found any enemy combatants.
We only found what appear to be gun barrels buried in the soil
and thick power transmission cables.
Platoon Hotel. We haven't found any, either.
Platoons Echo through Hotel, continue searching,
expanding the search radius to 5 klicks.
The rest of the platoons will double back to shore
and construct the base zone.
No baths or beds if you don't finish it, so you better buckle down.
Aren't you glad we didn't get assigned to constructing the base zone?
You say that now, but if we suddenly run into the Mass Driver Object,
don't you come crying.
Come to think of it, why is this region called Iguazu?
There's a river called Iguazu, which is one of the biggest in the world.
But still, there's no sign of an Object passing through.
What's going on here?
This is Platoon Hotel.
We've generally investigated the area as directed,
but no verifiable signs of the Mass Driver Conglomerate.
Good work.
Let's take our time thinking about what comes next
after we've built the maintenance base.
I will grant you the privilege of sitting down to rest.
Take a nice long break and replenish your stamina.
She said to replenish our stamina, but...
Say, Qwenser.
where do think the Mass Driver Conglomerate's Object is?
Um...
According to the map, it looks like there's a coal mine around here,
but I wonder if it can hide a 50m-class Object...
Even in Antarctica,
we never did find the Object that was supplying the power.
Could it be that it really is a stealth Object
that can't be detected by radar or satellite?
Huh?
Over here, Qwenser.
I kind of got invited to tea by an elderly couple running a coffee farm...
Tea in the middle of the battlefield?!
They say this was all their land to begin with.
Their daughter and her husband don't seem to visit them much, so...
No, no, no, no! You're being way too chill here!
We have to direct them to evacuate!
I'll make sure to do that later.
But never mind that. You don't want tea?
You prefer rations that badly?
So it's not coffee?
They're apparently tired of drinking the black stuff.
Oh, man.
This makes me think about world peace.
War is fundamentally such a pain, you know?
Legitimate Kingdom, 37th Mechanized Maintenance Battalion.
This is Major Halreed Copacabana of the Legitimate Kingdom,
52nd Mechanized Maintenance Battalion.
Crap...
Halreed...
Who?
The pilot Elite of the Bright Hopper and a member of the nobility.
The one the Princess talked about doing a mock battle with earlier?
We're currently thinking of taking a route through Central America
to rendezvous with you from the direction of the Amazon region.
It'd be optimal
if we could catch that Mass Driver Conglomerate between us,
but is that viable in terms of the schedule?
This is Major Frolaytia Capistrano.
I've confirmed your coordinates, but it'll be far from there.
I could wish for nothing more than your cooperation,
but if we can't wait, we'll commence our operation as scheduled.
Roger that.
Then, I shall look forward to events unfolding in such a way
that when the Mass Driver Conglomerate's Object
flees northward after you people have failed to kill it, we will be able to finish it off.
Could it be that he's demanding we purposefully wound it
and leave the final blow to him?
Unfortunately, unlike the 52nd, we don't have the surplus manpower
to chase around the enemy with any accuracy.
When we can kill it, we will.
We won't be able to comply with your proposal, but will that be all right?
Frolaytia, I will share my personal opinion with you.
You should meekly accept my proposal.
In matters both public and private.
What did you make of that?
They're actually acquainted with one another.
Not only that, but Frolaytia seemed none too happy about it.
That's all I got.
Coming from Miss Frolaytia, who's usually all offense, all the time...
This kind of has that distinctly aristocratic air of nastiness.
Looks like the beautiful noblewoman has plenty of troubles of her own.
What?! Miss Frolaytia is a member of the nobility?!
It's famous among those in the know.
In the know about what?
Qwenser. Heivia.
Change of plans.
Hurry up and get back to base.
I want to settle this quickly, before the Bright Hopper can interfere
and mess up the pacing of our operation.
Looks like she'll be a fun one to tame.
I do this all the time, putting myself at last.
itsudatte sou da jibun no koto atoma washi de
Thinking that as long as everyone else is happy everything's okay.
minna ga waratte yorokobu nara sore de jinda te
This isn’t anyone’s fault—things are just happening as they should
dareno sei demo nakute korega atari mai date
That's what i would i always tell myself
sou ikika sete i tanda
I'm not wrong to think this way, I'm not. That's what i always thought.
machi ga tenai machi ga tenai to omotteta noni
doushite konna kizudarake nandarou
But then why have I ended up so bruised and battered?
kimi dake wa nogasazu ni kidzuitetanda ne
You were the only one who noticed, not letting a single detail slip by
oshikoroshitekita kono chiisa na koe o
This tiny voice I’d been keeping subdued all this time
itsu kara darou soba ni itai to omottanda
When was it that I starting feeling I wanted to be by your side?
motsureta kokoro yasashiku hodoku you ni
It feels like my tangled heart is being gently unraveled
sashidasareta sono te no nukumori ni
When I brushed the warmth of that hand you extended to me
fureta toki ni kidzuitanda
It all became clear:
mou hitori janainda te
I’m not alone anymore.
The Artillery Battle in the Iguazu Mountains II
Three-Legged Mountain-Climbing Is Life-and-Death