Emiya Residence — Backyard
"Urgh…"
A groan escaped Hikigaya as he dropped onto the ground, clutching his chest in pain. His face twisted as he tried to endure the impact still echoing through his body.
Nearby, Shirou looked down at him with concern.
"You alright, Hikigaya?"
Hikigaya slowly raised his head and stared at him in disbelief.
"Do I look okay?" he shouted. "What are you even made of, Emiya? I feel like you just hit me with a metal baseball bat."
Shirou awkwardly scratched his cheek.
"Sorry. I thought you could handle it."
Hikigaya narrowed his eyes.
"You sure you didn't use any of your magic?"
"Magecraft? No, absolutely not." Shirou immediately shook his head. "That'd be a bit overkill."
That somehow made things worse.
"Maybe this guy's just too weak, Emiya," Tsukasa called out from afar.
Hikigaya immediately stood up.
"Hey! I never said I was good at this!"
"Fair enough," Tsukasa shrugged. "Guess we're babysitting you the entire journey tomorrow."
"Hai, hai. Thank you for babysitting me. Please take care of me in the future."
At this point, resistance had become meaningless.
Arguing against reality was like arguing with rain. It kept happening whether you accepted it or not.
[Hello everyone!]
A cheerful voice suddenly echoed through the backyard.
A translucent projection appeared nearby.
Lucia had joined the conversation.
Shirou immediately waved.
"Hi, Lucia. Good evening."
"Hi, waifu robot," Tsukasa said casually.
[Waifu robot? That's sweet of you, Tsukasa-kun!]
Tsukasa looked genuinely disturbed for a second.
"…You accepted that way too easily."
[So this is what your training looks like?]
"More like Hikigaya's training," Tsukasa corrected while glancing at him with an annoyingly obvious smirk. "Emiya and I don't really need it."
Hikigaya noticed the look immediately.
"No need to stare at me like that."
He turned away from Tsukasa before glancing at Lucia's projection.
"So I'm assuming you didn't appear here just to watch us, right?"
[Correct! As expected of Hikigaya-kun!]
"Cih. Stop adding the -kun."
Ignoring him entirely, Lucia continued.
[Since I believe each of you possess enough capability to clear the world—of course including Hikigaya here—]
Hikigaya narrowed his eyes, not sure whether that was sarcasm or not.
[I want all of you to experience some mech simulations.]
[Because the world you're going to contains many machine-type enemies and mechanized combat systems.]
The backyard suddenly grew quiet.
Then—
"Oh, like that IS thing only women can use?" Hikigaya asked.
Tsukasa tilted his head.
"Mechs? Like SamuraiHaOh?"
Shirou thought for a moment.
"…Gundam?"
[Each of you answered correctly, though it is closer to what Shirou described.]
Then a 3D projection suddenly appeared out of thin air, revealing a gray-colored mech with a distinctly Japanese design.
Humanoid shape. Broad shoulders. Mechanical limbs.
A machine that looked like it belonged on a battlefield rather than inside a garage.
[Before I explain the simulation, let me introduce you to a mech from Multiverse Linear-5.]
A line of text appeared beside the projection.
[TKD-139 Type-B]
The machine slowly rotated in the air.
[The main body is constructed using titanium alloy. While its armor is moderate, it excels in mobility.]
The projection shifted.
Data windows opened around it.
[It is capable of performing sharp directional changes even at Mach 1. For example, instantly transitioning from leftward movement to rightward movement.]
"And you're asking us to get reduced into atoms by G-force?" Hikigaya immediately said. "No thank you."
[Which is why it comes equipped with an inertial dampening system.]
Another window appeared beside the mech.
[It reduces G-force to effectively zero. The possibility of being crushed by inertia during high-speed movement is approximately 99.99 percent prevented.]
Silence.
"…Hold on," Hikigaya said.
He looked at Lucia's projection.
"Then what exactly is that remaining 0.01 percent?"
A brief pause followed.
Then—
[If your enemy destroys the inertial core and you perform that maneuver anyway, you are practically dead!]
Silence.
Then Hikigaya slowly looked at Tsukasa.
Then at Shirou.
"…Why does that somehow sound less reassuring after the explanation?"
Lucia continued as if nothing had happened.
[Anyway, it is also equipped with a shield made with Reactive Armor Components, capable of handling small missiles with ease. it also can reach 2400% speed but you will dispose armour and shield in that condition]
The 3D projection shifted again. A shield appeared attached to the mech's arm.
[Finally, its primary weapon is the TKB Rifle Gun Type-4.]
Another projection appeared beside the mech, displaying a long rifle.
[Armor-piercing grade. Tank-class penetration capability.]
The weapon rotated slowly in the air while additional specifications appeared.
[It carries one thousand rounds at its disposal.]
Then the rifle suddenly transformed in the projection.
Panels shifted.
Parts moved.
The barrel folded as energy formed around the weapon.
[Additionally, the rifle can be converted into an energy blade whenever needed.]
Hikigaya stared at the floating machine.
Then at the transforming weapon.
Then back at Lucia.
"…Hold on."
He pointed at the projection.
"So you're telling me it has absurd speed, anti-missile armor, a thousand bullets, and the gun turns into a sword?"
[Correct!]
Another pause.
"…That sounds less like military equipment and more like a child describing his dream toy."
[Not exactly. Compared to other mechs in that particular universe, this is barely anything.]
Silence.
Hikigaya looked at Lucia.
Then at the mech.
Then back at Lucia.
"…Barely anything?"
[Correct!]
The projected TKD-139 slowly rotated in the air.
[It is classified as a general-purpose unit. Balanced performance with no outstanding specialization.]
"Balanced..." Hikigaya repeated.
He looked at the machine again.
Somehow this was average.
"What kind of world produces monsters like this...?"
Meanwhile, Tsukasa had already moved closer to the projection.
"So it can instantly switch weapons?" He tilted his head slightly. "Can it do it during combat too?"
[Of course!]
"Hm."
Shirou looked at the mech for a moment longer.
"It really is like Gundam, huh..." he said. "I wonder if it's hard to pilot."
[Don't worry, Emiya-kun!]
Lucia sounded unusually proud.
[A guide has already been installed into each of your memories. You'll understand the basics in no time!]
"…Installed?" Hikigaya quietly repeated.
No one addressed that part.
[Now, onto the mission.]
The projections around them disappeared before being replaced by a completely different scene.
Space.
Countless mechanical objects drifted across a dark battlefield while flashes of light burst in the distance.
[In the distant future, a war is raging between humanity and the "Black Knight," an extraterrestrial invasion weapon.]
The projection shifted.
A massive fleet appeared.
[After a fierce battle, humanity gains the upper hand and launches a final operation to wipe out the Black Knight.]
The battlefield zoomed forward.
[In order to secure the future, you—will enter the battlefield.]
Another projection appeared.
Four massive objects floated beside a fleet.
[Your mission is to guard the Five "Etansel Dongju" units. They will be used to destroy the Black Knight mothership.]
The projection changed once more.
A giant structure appeared in space.
Silence.
Hikigaya stared at it.
"…That mothership looks like a biblical angel."
His voice carried a noticeable amount of discomfort.
Honestly, calling it a machine felt wrong.
It looked more like something humanity was never supposed to see.
[So, who is ready?]
...
"Me." x3
[Good.]
Flick.
Everything suddenly went black.
...
Hikigaya Hachiman POV
"Alpha."
...Hm?
Whose voice was that?
"Alpha-1, do you hear me?"
Hikigaya slowly opened his eyes.
For a moment, his vision remained blurry.
Then light gradually filled his sight.
Blue screens.
Floating windows.
System indicators.
Numbers and symbols moved across his vision while a faint mechanical hum echoed around him.
The seat beneath him vibrated slightly.
No—
not just the seat.
The entire machine was vibrating.
Hikigaya blinked several times.
He was sitting inside a cockpit.
A narrow cockpit surrounded by screens and controls, illuminated by dim blue light. Through the main monitor ahead, he could see a metallic launch bay stretching outward.
And his body...
For some reason, he already knew what everything meant.
Weapon systems.
Mobility output.
Energy levels.
Targeting data.
As if the information had always been there.
Right.
Lucia's memory installation thing.
That somehow became more disturbing the more he thought about it.
"Y-Yes. Roger."
"Good."
Another voice suddenly echoed through the communication channel.
[This is your commander. Report your operational status.]
Then another voice followed.
{Etansel Dongju has entered operational orbit. Signal status all green.}
A short burst of static followed.
{Deployment preparations complete. Each unit, report in.}
Hikigaya looked forward.
Beyond the monitor, his gray-colored TKD-139 remained locked onto a launch platform. Mechanical arms connected around the frame while warning lights flashed throughout the bay.
"Alpha, nothing abnormal."
"Bravo, all normal."
"Charlie, no issues."
"Fox from Delta, all green."
[Roger. All units, prepare for launch.]
Silence.
Only machinery filled the cockpit now.
The low vibration of engines.
The distant movement of metal.
The occasional sound of heavy locks shifting around the mech.
"...Ah."
Silence.
"...This suddenly became very real."
[There is a possibility that you may not return from this operation. However, if the Black Knight is not defeated, humanity has no future.]
The voice continued as Hikigaya adjusted his grip on the controls.
Displays flashed one after another across the cockpit.
System checks.
Weapon status.
Movement calibration.
Everything moved automatically as if waiting for him.
[The history engraved with your names begins here. I wish you luck.]
"It's just a simulation, Hikigaya... just a simulation," he muttered to himself.
"Treat this like a video game."
Then he shouted:
"Alpha-One, TKD-139, dispatch!"
The eyes of the mech lit up.
A low mechanical sound echoed throughout the cockpit.
{Operational altitude reached.}
Then another voice came through.
|Alpha, hatch opening. Wind pressure at current altitude is low, but maintain caution. Avoid losing balance.|
"Roger." x5
Heavy mechanical sounds echoed around him.
Slowly, the hatch in front of Alpha began opening.
Bright light poured into the launch bay.
Clouds.
Sky.
Blue stretched endlessly in every direction.
Far below, the ground was barely visible beneath layers of white clouds.
Hikigaya carefully moved the mech forward.
His TKD-139 stepped toward the edge and raised its shield arm instinctively, protecting itself from the rushing wind outside.
Then he positioned the rifle forward.
Almost like a sniper preparing for a shot.
|All corps advance while maintaining formation. Move armored shield hatches into firing position.|
So weird.
This was supposed to be a simulation.
But the vibrations, the movement—
Even the cockpit itself felt real.
And his body...
Somehow it felt lighter.
Then he saw it.
Beside the distant mothership, countless lights suddenly appeared.
One.
Ten.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Enemy units.
"Sht— that many?" Hikigaya stared ahead.
"Is this simulation even possible to beat?"
|Alpha-One, what are you saying over there?|
"Nothing, sir!"
Even the voices inside the simulation felt real.
Too real.
{Thirty seconds remaining until effective range.}
[Ensure all guided rifle missiles are loaded.]
{First firing range approaching!}
[You are cleared to engage.]
The moment the order came—
Light erupted across the sky.
Alpha and the other units immediately opened fire.
Rifle rounds cut through the air as enemy machines exploded one after another in the distance.
Hikigaya focused on the controls.
Shot after shot.
Target after target.
Surprisingly, his experience from games actually helped.
The movement felt natural.
More natural than it should.
"Sht... these things aren't even moving like mechs."
Enemy units twisted through the sky unnaturally.
Sharp turns.
Sudden acceleration.
Movements that looked more like insects than machines.
Still, Hikigaya continued firing.
Then the enemy returned fire.
Warning indicators suddenly lit up.
The entire Etansel Dongju shifted sharply.
The massive carrier performed an evasive maneuver, avoiding waves of incoming attacks.
[Convert Central Three Units into frontline formation!]
Based on the mission briefing, that meant him.
"Let's go, everyone," Hikigaya shouted.
"Follow me while I move ahead!"
Alpha released its grip from the hatch.
Thrusters ignited.
For a moment, Hikigaya felt his stomach drop.
Then the mech flew forward.
The others followed closely behind.
Alright...
Now what?
Right.
Keep shooting down enemy units.
Protect the line.
Buy time until the Etansel fires.
Simple.
{Etansel Dongju command control transferred to Tierce Mode. External air pressure 10.8 hPa. Convergence limit distance: 50 kilometers.}
[You can win if the main gun fires. Vanguard units, defend the line at all costs!]
Bullet after bullet, Hikigaya shot down incoming enemies.
One.
Three.
Five.
More kept coming.
Hm.
At this rate, the Etansel should be ready soon—
But...
He looked toward the mothership.
Why...
Why did something feel wrong?
{Main cannon entering range. 10...9...8...7...}
This should be it.
{3...2...1...}
{In range!}
[Main gun— FIRE!]