Recaps

Luo met with Mithril senior leaders and confirmed their identities by seeing an M9 appear and vanish. He told General Jerome that he wanted to join Mithril, study its technology, and cooperate on developing new weapons.

• General Jerome introduced himself as commander of Mithril's Combat Division and asked Luo to release the captured Mole Team members.
• Luo requested the M9's technical specifications as proof, so Jerome instead showed him an M9 using its ECS stealth system.
• Jerome explained Mithril's suspicions about the beam weapon information, and Luo said he had sent it to attract their attention.
• Luo told Jerome he hoped to join Mithril, study its technology, and contribute beam weapons and other technologies.
• Luo identified himself as a professional technician and Mechanical Master, and said he chose Mithril because it represented justice.

Luo and El-Elf negotiated with Mithril commander Jerome, offering technology and a strategic alliance in exchange for access to Mithril’s core research. Jerome remained wary, but the conversation established a path toward cooperation while keeping the rest of Luo’s team hidden.

• Jerome questioned whether Luo represented himself or a larger group, and Luo contacted El-Elf for help answering him.
• El-Elf introduced himself as part of a three-person mercenary team with Luo and their captain Alex, and said they had chosen Mithril over Amalgam.
• El-Elf offered technology and Luo’s expertise in developing AS units in exchange for access to Mithril’s core technology.
• El-Elf proposed an alliance but refused to reveal the team’s identities, and Jerome accepted that future discussions would proceed through Luo.
• Luo told Jerome that he trusted his own ability to stay safe and believed Mithril would not harm him if he proved useful.

Mithril accepted Luo’s cooperation and made him head of its practical miniaturized beam weapons division, while Xiao Ran and El-Elf continued protecting Chidori. When Mithril’s team arrived with an M9, El-Elf secretly entered the truck and added his and Xiao Ran’s credentials to the AS, leaving the story poised for their involvement at school.

• Mithril accepted Luo’s proposal, placed him in charge of a new weapons project division, and assigned watchers to monitor him.
• El-Elf spotted Melissa Mao, Cruz, and Sousuke Sagara unloading equipment from a truck near Chidori’s apartment and recognized that an M9 was inside.
• Xiao Ran told El-Elf that the team had likely come to protect Chidori and asked him to inspect the AS while he planned to make contact.
• El-Elf left the base at three in the morning, opened the truck’s cargo compartment, and climbed into the M9’s cockpit.
• El-Elf connected his computer to the M9, breached its system, and added his and Xiao Ran’s login credentials before restoring the cargo door and returning to the base.

El-Elf followed Chidori and Sousuke Sagara to school while secretly assessing the new Mithril protector. Sousuke was caught bringing a real gun onto campus, and El-Elf entered the school as Chidori and Kyoko reacted to the scene.

• El-Elf left home after preparing breakfast and lunch, while Xiao Ran watched him go and decided it was too early to contact the others.
• El-Elf followed Chidori and Sousuke Sagara to school, judging Sousuke's conspicuous behavior as poor protection but useful cover for himself.
• Teacher Kagurazaka inspected Chidori's bag, and Sousuke slipped through the school gate while she checked another student.
• Teacher Kagurazaka caught Sousuke and pulled a gun from his bag; Sousuke explained that it was a loaded, lethal weapon, but she confiscated it and took him away.
• El-Elf stepped between Chidori and the incident before entering the school, while Chidori called Sousuke a war maniac and Kyoko photographed her and El-Elf.

El-Elf monitored Sousuke Sagara as the new student followed Chidori around school with increasingly bizarre vigilance. When objects flew from the girls’ baseball club room, El-Elf rushed to investigate and discovered Sousuke had mistaken a harmless situation for a threat, before the girls drove them both off with thrown objects.

• El-Elf recognized Sousuke Sagara as a Mithril operative sent to protect Chidori and decided to keep him under surveillance.
• Sousuke followed Chidori and Kyoko around school, including to the girls’ restroom, where a student slapped him for acting like a pervert.
• El-Elf monitored Sousuke as he followed Chidori to the girls’ baseball club room and saw objects fly out after he knocked on the door.
• Sousuke drew his handgun and rushed into the club room, prompting El-Elf to hurry there with his own weapon and a flashbang.
• El-Elf saw Sousuke pinning Chidori down and realized the commotion was a misunderstanding, then quietly left as the girls shouted and threw more objects.

El-Elf monitored Chidori as Sousuke Sagara’s reckless protectiveness caused chaos, then grew alarmed when their school trip to Okinawa was announced. After a suspicious man left a briefcase at a restaurant, Chidori chased after him and narrowly avoided a truck, and El-Elf followed her and Sousuke onto the train before they both jumped out.

• Sousuke Sagara’s overreactions caused a string of accidents at school, while El-Elf stayed close to Chidori and worried about her safety.
• When the school approved a weeklong trip to Okinawa, El-Elf considered preventing Chidori from going and planned to discuss it with Xiao Ran.
• At a fast-food restaurant, El-Elf and Sousuke Sagara watched a suspicious man leave behind his briefcase, and Chidori grabbed it and ran after him.
• Chidori rushed into the road and faced an oncoming truck, but Sousuke Sagara lunged toward her and a cloaked AS stopped the truck before El-Elf exposed his abilities.
• Chidori left for the subway with Sousuke Sagara following her, and El-Elf secretly boarded the same train.
• Chidori ran out of the train at a station, Sousuke Sagara jumped from its window after her, and El-Elf followed under the stunned gaze of the other passengers.

Xiao Ran recognized Kowloon as an Amalgam operative and decided to join El-Elf on Jindai High School’s class trip, anticipating a confrontation involving Chidori. The night before the trip, Xiao Ran and El-Elf hid their equipment aboard the plane, where they discovered another group had secretly loaded crates and posted guards.

• Xiao Ran recognized Kowloon beneath his stealth-equipped Mobile Weapon but let him leave after considering the risks and opportunities of keeping him alive.
• El-Elf proposed preventing Chidori from attending the trip, but Xiao Ran rejected harming her and instead planned to observe the λ-DRIVER incident and cooperate with Mithril.
• Xiao Ran told El-Elf that Amalgam had appeared and decided to accompany him on the class trip, hoping to assess both factions and obtain AS units.
• Xiao Ran and El-Elf bought tickets for the same flight as Jindai High School and infiltrated the airport at night to hide their packages aboard the plane.
• Xiao Ran and El-Elf discovered another group disguised as airport staff loading crates into the plane and guarding them.

Xiao Ran and El-Elf let the hijackers take control of the plane, intending to learn why they wanted Chidori while keeping her safe. After the plane landed at a remote air force base, the hijackers took Chidori, and Sousuke Sagara and El-Elf moved to pursue her as Xiao Ran prepared for action.

• Xiao Ran and El-Elf noticed dangerous crates being loaded onto the plane but left without raising an alarm.
• At the airport, Xiao Ran and El-Elf met Chidori and boarded separately with the students and passengers.
• After a miniature explosion near the cockpit, El-Elf met Xiao Ran, and they agreed to stay in contact and let the hijackers take Chidori while protecting her.
• The hijackers diverted the plane to an air force base in the Xingkai Autonomous Region and announced that everyone aboard was being held hostage.
• Armed soldiers took Chidori off the plane, while Sousuke Sagara caused a disturbance to protect Teacher Kagurazaka from being shot.
• El-Elf followed Sousuke Sagara off the plane, while Xiao Ran changed into tactical gear, armed himself, and put on a mask.

El-Elf delayed the bomb and found Chidori, while Xiao Ran searched the air base for an AS and started up a Barbarian. When Sousuke's rescue attempt brought the truck under fire, El-Elf attacked the guards and reached Chidori and Sousuke inside.

• El-Elf hacked the bomb's timer to extend its countdown, then went searching for Sousuke and Chidori.
• Xiao Ran entered the air base to search for Gauron's Lambda Driver-equipped AS, but found only Barbarian ASs.
• Sousuke contacted Mithril, while El-Elf located Chidori in a guarded box truck and waited nearby.
• After gunfire broke out, Xiao Ran climbed into a Barbarian and began its lengthy startup sequence.
• Sousuke charged into the truck with only a pistol, and armed soldiers surrounded it and fired.
• El-Elf attacked the soldiers, entered the truck, confirmed Chidori and Sousuke were unharmed, and asked whether anyone was injured.

El-Elf rescued Chidori and Sousuke Sagara from the hijackers, then helped them escape while revealing that he was a mercenary protecting Chidori, a Whispered. They reached a warehouse as Xiao Ran stayed behind to delay the growing enemy force and searched for Kowloon.

• El-Elf criticized Sousuke Sagara for compromising the mission, then ordered him and Chidori to start the truck while he provided cover.
• El-Elf killed the enemies surrounding the truck, and Sousuke Sagara and Chidori joined him in fleeing.
• Sousuke Sagara told Chidori that Mithril had sent him to protect her because an intelligence agency wanted to capture her for experiments.
• El-Elf used an RPG against an approaching AS unit, then directed Sousuke Sagara to drive toward the last one, which Xiao Ran had disabled.
• El-Elf confirmed that Chidori was a Whispered and said he was an independent mercenary assigned to protect her.
• Xiao Ran told the group to reach the warehouse while he delayed the enemies, then wondered where Kowloon had gone.

Xiao Ran led the retreat from the military base while protecting Chidori, but an ambush split the group and revealed the enemy machine he had been seeking. The chapter ended with Xiao Ran facing that target as Sousuke Sagara was held back by two veteran pilots.

• Xiao Ran destroyed three tanks and withdrew with Sousuke Sagara, while El-Elf carried Chidori and a captured woman on the Savage.
• Xiao Ran and Sousuke Sagara agreed to return to the base after their rescue team arrived, but an ambush forced Xiao Ran to kick Sousuke's AS forward and El-Elf to escape with Chidori.
• El-Elf warned Chidori that several AS units had attacked, and Sousuke Sagara fought two coordinated Savages that tried to delay him.
• Xiao Ran crossed a hill and recognized the silver-white AS with golden hair-like components as the target he had been searching for.

Xiao Ran engaged Kowloon’s Hell Monarch with a Savage to test the λ-DRIVER, using his extraordinary piloting skill to evade and counter its attacks. The battle ended with both machines disabled: the Savage’s legs were destroyed, and Hell Monarch overheated after Kowloon lost concentration.

• Xiao Ran stayed behind to fight Kowloon’s Hell Monarch, trusting Sousuke Sagara, El-Elf, and the expected support from Sousuke’s blond comrade to handle the departing AS units.
• Xiao Ran used the Savage to shoot down Hell Monarch’s incoming shells and pursued Kowloon, landing a kick and using Hell Monarch’s shoulder to propel himself away.
• Kowloon activated the λ-DRIVER, stopping the Savage’s bullets and sending them back with an invisible force as Hell Monarch attacked with its dagger.
• Xiao Ran used the λ-DRIVER’s air wall as leverage to dodge the dagger, but the strain destroyed both of the Savage’s legs.
• Kowloon lost concentration after seeing Xiao Ran’s maneuver, causing Hell Monarch to overheat and collapse alongside the disabled Savage.

Xiao Ran explained how the Lambda System worked and why his Barbarian had managed to disable Kowloon's Hell Monarch, despite being outmatched by its defenses. After both pilots escaped their wrecked units, Xiao Ran reached Kowloon and faced him at close range.

• Xiao Ran concluded that the Lambda System's power depended on its user's will and Mental Power, and that the system had overwhelmed his Barbarian while protecting the Hell Monarch.
• Xiao Ran considered the Lambda System's possible applications and the ways to counter it, including the Fairy Feather System, another Lambda System, a surprise attack, or waiting for the pilot's mind to collapse.
• Xiao Ran opened the Barbarian's cockpit and climbed out after it crashed, while Kowloon left the Hell Monarch with a rifle and began firing at him.
• Xiao Ran dodged Kowloon's shots, vaulted over the disabled Hell Monarch, and landed in front of him.
• Kowloon swung his rifle at Xiao Ran and drew a dagger to stab him.

Xiao Ran defeated Gauron and considered taking the Hell Monarch, but time was running short as enemy forces approached. After contacting El-Elf about Mithril’s evacuation, Xiao Ran kept Gauron captive for the moment and left his plans for the Lambda Driver mecha unresolved.

• Xiao Ran kicked Gauron into the Hell Monarch, then threw him away from the vomit after Gauron collapsed.
• Xiao Ran considered recovering the Hell Monarch but decided its owner and disabled systems made taking it impractical for now.
• El-Elf told Xiao Ran that Mithril had dealt with two AS units, Sousuke Sagara’s AS could no longer move, and enemy forces would arrive within fifteen minutes.
• Xiao Ran told El-Elf to ask Mithril for help transporting his spoils, or to bring Chidori to him.
• Gauron recognized that Xiao Ran was not with Mithril and offered him the Hell Monarch after learning Xiao Ran wanted its Lambda Driver.
• Xiao Ran told Gauron he was not interested in handing him over to Mithril and chose to keep him captive for the moment.

Xiao Ran refused Kowloon's offer to join Amalgam and let him leave, then boarded a Mithril transport with the captured Hell Monarch. The aircraft took Xiao Ran, El-Elf, Chidori, and the captured woman to Mithril's flagship, Danner's Son, where their uncertain relationship with Mithril remained unresolved.

• Kowloon offered Xiao Ran power, money, and women in exchange for joining Amalgam, but Xiao Ran refused and said he would only act against Kowloon if his mission objective was targeted.
• Kowloon left after recognizing that Xiao Ran did not intend to kill him or hand him over to Mithril.
• A Mithril transport arrived with Sousuke Sagara and two M9 units, which carried the Hell Monarch aboard before taking off.
• Cruz abandoned his M9, which exploded after the transport departed, while Xiao Ran joined El-Elf in the cargo hold.
• The transport brought Xiao Ran, El-Elf, Chidori, and the captured woman to Mithril's West Pacific Fleet flagship, Danner's Son.

Xiao Ran and his companions arrived aboard Danaan's Son, where Tessa and Mithril's commanders formally welcomed them. Xiao Ran agreed to be escorted to the guest quarters and offered Mithril permission to inspect his captured AS, surprising the officers.

• Xiao Ran recognized Tessa, First Officer Richard Mardukas, and combat commander Andrew Sagovich Garinin when they met him in Danaan's Son's hangar.
• Tessa, Richard, and Andrew introduced themselves, and Xiao Ran and El-Elf identified themselves as freelance mercenaries while El-Elf kept the captured researcher’s name secret.
• Tessa welcomed Chidori and offered to escort Xiao Ran and El-Elf to their prepared quarters for a discussion.
• Andrew agreed to take custody of El-Elf's prisoner, and Xiao Ran asked Mithril to inspect and service his captured AS's cooling system.
• Tessa, Richard, and Andrew were surprised when Xiao Ran volunteered permission to examine the unknown AS.

Xiao Ran and El-Elf met Colonel Tessa aboard Danaan and offered to deepen their cooperation with Mithril, including sharing Luo’s technical expertise. Xiao Ran explained that they were protecting Chidori Kaname and revealed that Tessa was also a Whispered.

• Colonel Tessa brought Xiao Ran and El-Elf aboard Danaan, where technicians began examining the captured Hell Monarch.
• Xiao Ran agreed to remain with Mithril and proposed closer cooperation that would combine its industrial capabilities with Luo’s expertise in mobile weapons and warships.
• Xiao Ran privately regarded Mithril as an ally against Amalgam and intended to strengthen it while keeping his own group independent.
• Colonel Tessa questioned why Xiao Ran and El-Elf were protecting Chidori Kaname, and Xiao Ran said they wanted to keep her safe from those with ulterior motives.
• Xiao Ran told Tessa that she was also within their protection, revealing that he knew she was a Whispered.

Xiao Ran and El-Elf discussed their protection of the Whispered with Tessa and Richard, while Mithril learned that Xiao Ran had captured a λ-DRIVER-equipped AS using a Barbarian. The revelation prompted Tessa to order a full investigation and analysis of the machine, and the chapter ended with Sousuke Sagara escorting Xiao Ran and El-Elf around the Western Pacific Squadron’s base.

• Tessa asked how Xiao Ran knew she was a Whispered, and he credited his team’s intelligence-gathering and identification methods.
• Tessa and Richard agreed to remain wary of Xiao Ran and El-Elf and ordered a deeper investigation into their past and possible backers.
• Andrew reported that Alex had captured a λ-DRIVER-equipped AS while piloting a Barbarian, shocking Tessa and Richard.
• Tessa ordered the team to return to base, analyze the captured AS with an expert, and call Luo in for further discussions.
• Sousuke Sagara arrived at the lounge and told Xiao Ran and El-Elf that he would escort them around the base.

Xiao Ran and El-Elf toured Mithril’s base before meeting its senior officers to discuss cooperation. Xiao Ran explained why he had chosen Mithril and revealed how much he knew about Amalgam Organization, leaving Jerome Boda and Mal Amit shocked.

• Sousuke Sagara guided Xiao Ran and El-Elf around the base, explaining its facilities.
• Luo complained that Mithril’s technicians and AS technology were far below his standards.
• Xiao Ran met Jerome Boda, Mal Amit, and Doctor Peroz, then listened as Jerome proposed discussing cooperation.
• Xiao Ran said he had chosen Mithril for its technical capabilities and shared goal of protecting Whispered, while warning that Amalgam Organization could have been another option.
• Xiao Ran identified Amalgam Organization as the force behind the attack on Chidori and linked it to the Hell Monarch, shocking Jerome and Mal.

Xiao Ran secured a partnership with Mithril by revealing his knowledge of Amalgam and agreeing to provide technology in exchange for support. He offered to train Sousuke Sagara in using the λ-DRIVER and revealed that Gauron, the Hell Monarch's pilot, was Amalgam's Iron.

• Xiao Ran told Mal Amit that he knew about Amalgam and argued that they were not on opposing sides, while Mal agreed to investigate him further.
• Xiao Ran and Jerome Boda agreed to cooperate as equals, with Xiao Ran providing technology and Mithril supplying other assistance and support.
• Xiao Ran offered to train Sousuke Sagara as a proficient λ-DRIVER user and asked Mithril to modify his captured machine with Luo leading the work.
• Xiao Ran revealed that Gauron piloted the Hell Monarch and was Amalgam's operative codenamed Iron.

Xiao Ran secured Mithril’s cooperation and assigned Luo to develop new units and technologies, while El-Elf arranged a base-defense infiltration drill. Xiao Ran began live-fire training against Sousuke Sagara, Melissa Mao, and Cruz, leaving the match poised to start.

• Xiao Ran explained that Jiulong had escaped, then finalized cooperation with Mithril and agreed to assist with difficult missions.
• Xiao Ran ordered Luo to rebuild the Hell Monarch, develop Mithril’s forces and Variable Fighters, and study λ-DRIVER technology within two months; he promised to provide Little Eight to help.
• Sousuke Sagara reported to Xiao Ran for training, and Xiao Ran ordered a live-fire exercise using the Arbalest and M9 units.
• El-Elf proposed a base-infiltration drill to expose Mithril’s security weaknesses, and Jerome Boda approved the exercise with up to five participants.
• Xiao Ran faced Sousuke Sagara, Melissa Mao, and Cruz in live-fire training, and the countdown began after Melissa challenged him to a three-on-one match.

Xiao Ran defeated Melissa Mao in an instant during the live-ammunition training exercise, then countered Cruz’s sniper fire and charged into the forest after him. With Melissa’s AS disabled and Cruz still at large, Xiao Ran declared that two opponents remained.

• Cruz and Sousuke Sagara withdrew into the forest while Melissa Mao stayed to face Xiao Ran.
• At the end of the countdown, Xiao Ran disarmed Melissa Mao with a burst of speed and aimed his machine gun at her cockpit.
• Xiao Ran shot Melissa’s AS in the head and kicked it away as he intercepted Cruz’s bullet with a precise shot.
• Xiao Ran fired three more rounds to disable Melissa’s AS, then dodged Cruz’s renewed sniper attack.
• Xiao Ran charged into the forest after Cruz and announced that two opponents remained.

Xiao Ran pressured Sousuke Sagara in a training fight to awaken Arbalest’s λ-DRIVER, explaining how it turned conviction into physical power. Sousuke activated the system and blocked Xiao Ran’s attack, but Xiao Ran then defeated Arbalest and ended the test by ordering him to prepare to run naked.

• Xiao Ran found Cruz, who surrendered by lying down, then left him and went after Sousuke Sagara.
• Xiao Ran pursued Sousuke through the forest and drove him back to the training ground, where they exchanged fire until both ran out of ammunition.
• Xiao Ran cornered Sousuke in close combat and threatened Mithril and its personnel to make him believe he had to stop the attack.
• Sousuke’s conviction activated the λ-DRIVER, producing a golden barrier that blocked Xiao Ran’s weapons.
• Sousuke tried to block another attack but hesitated, and Xiao Ran cut off Arbalest’s left arm.
• Sousuke advanced with renewed resolve and raised a stronger barrier, but Xiao Ran struck Arbalest from behind and knocked it down before declaring the test over.

Xiao Ran explained his explosive piloting technique and the λ-DRIVER’s requirements, then canceled the streaking wager and helped Mithril plan an infiltration exercise. El-Elf began the exercise with Sousuke Sagara, Melissa Mao, and Cruz, leaving the infiltration underway as he and Sousuke entered the base through a ventilation opening.

• Xiao Ran explained that his explosive operating technique overloaded an Armored Mobile Suit and warned Mithril that its pilots and M9s could not safely use it in battle.
• Xiao Ran called off the streaking wager after Colonel Tessa asked him to, and he explained that obsessive traits helped people use the λ-DRIVER.
• Jerome and El-Elf planned the infiltration exercise, and El-Elf recruited Sousuke Sagara, Melissa Mao, and Cruz using the wager.
• El-Elf, Sousuke Sagara, and Melissa Mao returned to Shima, where El-Elf assigned roles and silently eliminated two hidden sentries.
• El-Elf and Sousuke Sagara entered the base through a ventilation opening while Melissa Mao restored the grille and moved off to carry out her task.

El-Elf and Sousuke Sagara infiltrated the West Pacific Base, seized its central control room, disabled the alarms, and planted miniature C4 explosives in the hangar. El-Elf then moved to capture Tessa, whose nameplate could grant access to Danner's Son, while Tessa waited in her room with Jerome and Al.

• El-Elf and Sousuke Sagara crawled through the ventilation ducts and reached the central control room.
• Sousuke Sagara entered the control room, eliminated its two guards with paint rounds, and disabled the base's alarm system under El-Elf's direction.
• El-Elf entered the hangar and planted a miniature C4 package behind each AS's seat.
• El-Elf chose to capture Tessa, Kalinin, and Richard, prioritizing Tessa because her nameplate could access Danner's Son.
• Tessa remained in her room with Jerome and Al, waiting for El-Elf to arrive.