A few days had passed since the conclusion of the post-war conferences in Orb. While the world moved toward a fragile peace, we—the members of Shadow Mirror—were currently huddled in a briefing room, clutching our heads in collective frustration.
"I honestly never expected it," Lemon sighed, a look of utter exasperation on her face. "Even with the Grow Savior's upgrades, it can barely keep pace with Axel's reaction time."
Lemon was the one responsible for customizing the Ashsaviour into the Grow Savior. With the battle at Jachin Due behind us, we had begun a total overhaul of the Grow Savior, the Weiss Savior, and the Rapiecage. However, the initial inspection revealed that the wear and tear on the Grow Savior's joints was nothing short of miraculous—in the worst way possible.
Suspecting a mechanical defect, the tech team performed a deep dive into the systems, only to find an "anomaly" in the T-LINK System logs. Or rather, it wasn't an anomaly at all. As Lemon grumbled, even with the T-LINK System assisting the machine's control, the frame was struggling just to stay synchronized with my movements. The result was a massive accumulation of structural fatigue, concentrated naturally in the joints—the parts that bear the most literal burden of movement.
"Is it still airworthy for the time being?" I asked.
In the current political climate, having the Grow Savior sidelined was a nightmare scenario. Whether it was the Atlantic Federation or the remnants of ZAFT, they had only surrendered to Orb and Shadow Mirror because they had witnessed the terrifying, almost god-like combat prowess of the Grow Savior. If word got out that the machine was grounded... well, Eileen Canaver might keep the PLANTs in check, but there was no guarantee the Federation wouldn't lose its mind and try something desperate.
"For now? Yes," Lemon replied, her expression grim. "But only 'for now.'"
"What do you mean by that?" I pressed.
Beside Lemon, Murrue—who looked just as stressed—took over the explanation.
"The problem, Axel, is that your growth as a pilot is showing no signs of hitting a ceiling. Even if the Grow Savior can handle you today, if you continue to evolve at this rate, the machine simply won't be able to hold itself together. You'll literally tear it apart from the inside out."
I felt a lump form in my throat. Right—I had the "Growth Cheat," a literal perk of my reincarnation into this world. Looking at my current status, my specs were already on par with, or perhaps even exceeding, legendary pilots like Amuro Ray or Char Aznable. Whether I was actually utilizing that potential to its fullest was another story, but the numbers didn't lie.
Of all the things to happen... I'm being held back by my own reincarnation perks.
"So, what are our options for a fix?" Cornelia asked from beside me.
Lemon and Murrue exchanged a silent look. I couldn't blame them for the hesitation. In Shadow Mirror's current arsenal, the Grow Savior was already the most responsive machine we had. Lemon had built it specifically to be the pinnacle of my piloting style.
"There's only one fundamental solution," Lemon said firmly. "We build a new unit. One capable of handling your projected output. And we can't just customize an existing frame this time. We need to design it from the ground up—a true 'One-Off' custom machine, built specifically for Axel Almar."
Murrue nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Given your current progression, any off-the-shelf unit would become obsolete the moment you stepped into the cockpit."
For a second, I wondered if my habit of spamming "Spirit Commands" was the culprit, but the tech team had already proven in previous tests that those didn't negatively impact the hardware. I suppose I really was just that "broken."
"If we start from a blank slate, how long until it's combat-ready?" I asked.
Lemon tapped her chin, thinking for a moment. "Hard to say for sure, but give me three to four months. If we're doing this, I want to pour every scrap of technology we've gathered since completing the Grow Savior into this one. It'll be my masterpiece."
"I'd love to say I'll contribute everything I learned from the Strike and the Blitz," Murrue added with a wry smile, "but compared to Shadow Mirror's tech, even the latest Earth Alliance secrets feel like relics from a previous century."
"That's not entirely true," Lemon countered. "Axel's biggest issue is the torque on the frame during high-G maneuvers. What if we used Phase Shift technology for the internal skeleton itself?"
A Phase Shift frame? The idea immediately brought the later GAT-X series to mind. Those units used Trans-Phase (TP) Armor, an evolution of the PS system. I considered suggesting we squeeze that tech out of the Federation as war reparations, but then I thought better of it. TP Armor only activated PS at the moment of impact to save energy.
For us—equipped with Plasma Generators and Time Flow Engines that dwarfed standard fusion reactors—energy wasn't the issue. A permanent, constant Phase Shift on the internal frame would be far more reliable. Besides, in a "Super Robot" world, there are plenty of enemies who could time an attack to the microsecond between a TP Armor activation. Reliability was king.
As the three women—Lemon, Murrue, and Cornelia—began diving into the logistics, Lemon turned back to me.
"Axel, do you have any specific requests?"
"First and foremost: responsiveness. How are we going to bridge the gap between my brain and the machine's limbs?"
That was the core of the problem. If the new machine couldn't keep up with my nerves, we'd just be back where we started in a month.
"I think I can solve that," Lemon said, her voice dripping with confidence.
"You sound sure of yourself. Is there a control system better than the T-LINK?"
"No, not better. We'll still use the T-LINK as the primary interface."
"But Lemon," Murrue interrupted, "if the Grow Savior already used a T-LINK and it still failed to keep up, won't we just run into the same wall?"
It was a fair point. Cornelia nodded along, looking skeptical. However, Lemon just flashed a predatory, brilliant smile.
"How long do you think it's been since I built the Grow Savior? Axel, think back. Think of all the technology we've 'acquired' since then."
"...I see."
The Grow Savior was built in the world where Lemon and I were born. Since then, Shadow Mirror had traveled a long, bloody road: the Earth Cradle, the ATX Project, the Inspectors, the White Star, the world of Geass, and now the world of SEED. We had been absorbing tech like a sponge. The technical prowess Lemon and her team possessed now was leagues beyond what they had back then.
"Gaining control of the White Star was the turning point," Lemon explained. "Cornelia and Murrue weren't with us then, but the Aerogaters who ran that place were obsessed with psychodrivers. My lab is currently overflowing with their data on T-LINK systems and telekinetic potential."
"Of course!" I realized.
The Aerogaters—specifically Ingram Prisken—had used some unknown method to brainwash subjects from the Psychic Overload Research Institutes to use as pilots. Naturally, the White Star would be a goldmine of data on high-level T-LINK integration. Lemon had reverse-engineered the T-LINK system using nothing but scraps back in our old world; with Ingram's data, she was poised for a massive breakthrough.
"I don't quite follow the jargon," Cornelia interjected, "but the gist is that you can build a T-LINK system far superior to the one in the Grow Savior. Is that correct?"
"Precisely. Murrue, I'll share the data with you later."
"I'd appreciate that, though I lack the foundation in telekinetic theory. I'll start with the basics you give me."
As I watched them, a thought struck me. I'd always felt that the T-LINK system shared a spiritual DNA with the Psycho-Frame from the Universal Century.
Wait. Psycho-Frame!
The Psycho-Frame was a technology that cast computer chips into the very metal of the mobile suit's frame. It allowed for a high-efficiency, high-density interface that responded to the pilot's thoughts. The Nu Gundam proved its worth, and the Unicorn Gundam took it to the extreme with a Full Psycho-Frame. If we combined that concept with Phase Shift Armor...
"Axel? Why the intense face?" Lemon teased. "It's a bit early in the day to be thinking about taking me to bed, isn't it?"
"You wish," I shot back, though I was too excited to be properly annoyed. "I just had an idea. Hear me out."
I laid out the concept of the Psycho-Frame: an internal skeleton where the T-LINK chips were integrated at a molecular level into the metal itself, reinforced by Phase Shift tech.
Lemon's playful grin vanished as I spoke. She and Murrue became deathly serious, their engineer brains clearly firing on all cylinders.
"...Casting the T-LINK system into the metal at a particle level?" Lemon whispered. "It's a 'Columbus's Egg' moment. I never would have thought of that. Theoretically, it's possible, but we'd need to run a battery of tests. Murrue?"
"The PS Armor integration is feasible," Murrue said, looking at me with a mix of awe and suspicion. "But Axel... how do you even come up with these things?"
I felt a twinge of guilt. It's easy to look like a genius when you have the "knowledge of the original work" to back you up. I cleared my throat, trying to move the conversation along.
"Any other requests?" Lemon asked.
"Three things," I said. "First, I want the Aguyeuus system from the Trinity Gain instead of the mass-produced System XN. The Trinity Gain is a masterpiece, but it doesn't fit my combat style, which is why I keep defaulting to the Grow Savior. If we build the Aguyeuus directly into the new unit, I get the best of both worlds."
"Understood," Lemon nodded. "Though that means the machine will be larger than the Grow Savior. Not quite as big as the Trinity Gain, but it won't be a small unit."
Personally, I preferred smaller, more agile units over the "Super Robot" scale. If power output is equal, the smaller machine will always have the edge in pure mobility.
"I'll leave the specifics to you, Lemon. But I don't want a 'Super' type. Keep it as close to a Personal Trooper's size as possible."
"You're a demanding man, Axel Almar. But I suppose a woman has to satisfy her lover's whims, or what's the point? Right, Murrue?"
Murrue smiled. "It's a challenge, but that's what makes it worth doing. I'm in."
"Thanks. Second: I want the standard ASRS system, but I also want Mirage Colloid capability."
"The Mirage Colloid from the Blitz?" Lemon asked.
I nodded. "It was designed for black ops and infiltration."
"But why both? Isn't the ASRS enough?"
"For travel, yes. ASRS doesn't have the altitude limitations of the Colloid. But ASRS has to be deactivated the moment you attack. Mirage Colloid allows for more... flexibility during a strike."
"I see. Use ASRS for the approach, and the Colloid for the kill?"
"Exactly."
"Is that allowed, though?" Murrue asked hesitantly. "The peace treaty explicitly bans the military use of Mirage Colloid."
I smirked. "The treaty says the Alliance and PLANT are banned from using it. It says nothing about Shadow Mirror or Orb."
"A loophole," Murrue sighed, though she didn't look entirely displeased. "I suppose that's fine, then."
"The Blitz struggled with energy consumption when running both PS Armor and the Colloid," Lemon noted, "but with our Time Flow Engines or Plasma Generators, that won't be an issue."
"And third," I said, leaning forward. "The Phantom pods. Currently, they can reflect lasers. Can we make them reflect beam weaponry as well?"
"Reflecting beams... like the Inspector's beam-absorption tech?"
"Absorption is too risky. If the pods hit their limit, they blow up. I want them to bounce back."
I thought of the Akatsuki's Yata-no-Kagami armor being developed in Orb, but I dismissed it. That armor was great against beams but fragile against physical hits—the Destiny's boomerang proved that. I'd rather keep our tech in-house than owe Orb any more favors.
"What about the melee weapons?" Lemon asked. "The Adamant Halper?"
"Keep it. It's the weapon I trust most. But I want the Gleipnir anchor system too. Improve it if you can."
By the time we finished, the sun had begun to set. We had spent the entire day designing my new soul.
Pilot Status: Axel Almar
Level: 38 | PP: 615
Melee: 262 | Ranged: 282 | Skill: 272
Defense: 272 | Evade: 302 | Hit: 322
SP: 462
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consume SP to increase machine performance)
Growth Type: All-Rounder / Special
Terrain Ratings: Air: S | Land: S | Sea: S | Space: S
Spirit Commands:
Accel (SP 4)
Effort (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Direct Hit (SP 30)
Awaken (SP 32)
Love (SP 48)
Skills:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9, SP Regene, Concentration)
Telekinesis (T-LINK) LV.10
Attacker
Gunfight LV.9
Infight LV.9
Morale Limit Break
Geass (Gray)
[Locked]
[Locked]
Kill Count: 374
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