Chapter 96 - Eve Of The Grand Battle

(Early 200 Power Stone Bonus Chapter)

Operation Cherry Blossom is one and only greatest battle in this world. Possibly even in the future. It's a battle that involves all the remaining military forces all across the world in order to destroy Hive 01 which is believed to be the Hive where the being that controls the BETA was located.

The battle itself is very rushed and more like a desperate attempt for victory than a proper plan as everyone just throws everything they have at the BETA while hoping Takeru will fulfill his task to destroy the command unit along with Hive 01 core.

It was rushed because the people feared that the BETA managed to learn from the previous battle and created countermeasures for their ultimate weapon, Susano-O II. It would be catastrophic if the BETA developed countermeasures for Susano-O II. Hence the rushed battle.

However, Adam wants to fill in the many gaps in the initial battle plan and fix it so it would be less of a desperate attempt and instead a proper operation.

For that, Adam proposed his participation and plan for the operation that he modified to the UN. In less than an hour, he received the green light.

The plan that he proposed is fairly simple. The first reason why casualties are sky high on Hive 01 raid units during Operation Cherry Blossom is because the majority of the units are killed by Laser-Class BETA before they had the chance to even land. The second reason is because there is simply just too much BETA after they landed which overwhelmed them very quickly with millions of BETA on all sides.

So, if the troops are protected while landing and have a proper foothold. The situation would have been way more different than how it played out in the original story. Hence why Adam decided to use the Orbital Fortress itself as a landing ship to deliver the troops directly into the Hive 01 area and provide them a foothold on the battlefield since his Orbital Fortress is similar to the Landing Castle of the Orbital Knights of the Vers Empire from Aldnoah Zero or space colony from Gundam except rather than a colonization transportation or a colony, the Orbital Fortress is a proper military spacecraft meant for war.

With the Orbital Fortress, he could significantly reduce the casualty rate and also tackle a few of his objectives.

———

"Huuu! I'm feeling very nervous about the battle!" Tama shrunk her into a fetal position and lamented about her unit's mission.

"You are not alone, Tama. I'm sure everyone is nervous too, right?" Takeru said to cheer her up which everyone nodded. "See, you are not alone. Anyway, rather than thinking about useless things, why don't we take a rest and grab a meal?"

"Takeru is correct. We better enjoy what little time we have left before the operation starts rather than thinking about useless thoughts." Meiya agreed.

"Then it's decided! Let's go to the cafeteria! I'm famished…" Mikoto held her stomach which growled in agreement. Everyone laughed for a moment before they departed to the cafeteria.

Five minutes later.

"I think we are lost… seriously just now is the hangar big? We had been walking in a straight line and we couldn't even see the wall." Tama grumbles.

"Why don't we ask around? There are a lot of people around too." Chizuru said while pointing at a group of technicians from the Yokohama Base.

"Let's go." Takeru said and the group moved but before they could arrive, they were intercepted.

"Eh? Isn't this Takeru and co. Where are you guys going?"

The group stop and turn to the direction of the voice to find fellow Valkyrie unit members.

"Captain Isumi, Lieutenant Hayase. We were going to grab a quick meal from the cafeteria but we got lost…" Takeru explains on his group's behalf.

"Oh, why don't you join us? We are heading to the cafeteria too." Lieutenant Hayase claps her hand with a smile before inviting them along.

"Thank you." Adam nodded and accepted their invitations.

"Well, I don't blame you for getting lost. The hangar itself is kilometers wide. With numerous machinery loaded in the hangar, this place becomes an inescapable maze. But worry not, my juniors." Lieutenant Hayase looks excited as she is about to teach Takeru and co some tricks while Captain Isumi facepalms on her side.

Lieutenant Hayase closed her eyes to focus for a moment and then everyone vanished from the hangar and reappeared in the lounge area where they saw quite a big crowd hanging out around. Some were eating, some were playing at the arcade in the recreational section, etc.

"It's this the teleportation ability that Mr White uses? How could you use it too!" Everyone was shocked and demanded an answer.

"Haah…" Captain Isumi sighed before she explained, "All of us are given permission to use the Teleportation ability within an unrestricted area. Just don't try to break into places you are not supposed to or play with it."

Captain Isumi lets Lieutenant Hayase teach them how to use it while they all walk up to the cafeteria which is semi crowded with people all heading there to grab a meal since it's already 6 pm.

When Takeru and co queued up to grab their food, he noticed the shipgirls and were very curious about their rigging. Not just herself but also many others.

"Yuuko-sensei?" Takeru mutters when he sees Dr Kouzuki standing in line along with the shipgirls.

"Why don't you join me to eat together? I heard you like drinking alcohol? I have prepared a variety of selections just for you." Dr Kouzuki said to Laffey who immediately made shiny eyes, obviously bought by the bribes.

"Laffey, she is obviously bribing you. Please don't fall for such an obvious trick." New Jersey looked tired with a dark circle around her eyes unlike her usual high energy self as she lightly scolded Laffey but was ignored when Dr Kouzuki added several more offers and even promised her a luxurious collection if she agreed to have a little 'talk'.

In the end, Takeru saw the little girl with bunny ears that reminded him of Kasumi were dragged away by her friend while Dr Kouzuki clicked her tongue in annoyance while biting her nails trying to formulate another plan to 'convince' the shipgirls to let her study them.

However, that isn't even the weirdest thing he has seen yet. At least not as weird as seeing a quintuplet identical twins eating together with Mr White who is multitasking on a tablet in his left hand and feeding the quintuplets with his right hands. All while a maid stands behind him and assisting him with the work he is doing on the tablet.

While looking around, his turn arrived and he grabbed his food tray before filling it up with various foods. The wide selection isn't helping at all because everything look very delicious and he didn't exactly have much space inside considering in several more hours, they will embark on a literal suicide mission.

"Might be my last meal." Takeru mutters to himself as he grabs the spaghetti cooked with a white creamy sauce instead of rice, chopped beef cutlet, grilled salmon wiped with a dark sauce and stir-fry vegetables.

He waited for everyone before they found an empty table to get seated and enjoy the scrumptious meal.

It was a happy moment, they shared food and enjoyed it without much care because most know that tomorrow may be their last day. Takeru is the same.

———

It was late at night, less than five hours before the operation. Adam still on his tablet tapping and multitasking on another holographic keyboard silently in the command room all alone because Agent and he Dummies is busy in the hangar and production area.

Suddenly he sensed a presence and turn his head around and saw Tina in her pajama. He can vaguely sense she was feeling anxious.

"Can't sleep?" He asked and she nodded before strotting toward Adam. He let her sit on his lap and look at the things he was working on.

"Why can't you sleep? Are you worried about the battle?" Adam guessed while his hands resume their work.

"Yes… I noticed Nii-san was worried. You never make those expression unless something very bad might happen…" She said while playing with her thumbs.

"I should be more counscious about my expression next time." Adam sighed and give Tina a headpat. "Sorry, I made you worried, Tina."

"No! It's… not your fault Nii-san. It's because we were too weak to be helpful. I noticed it, Nii-san. You! You always try to keep us away from the danger and fight on your own because you afraid we will get into danger. I know it, Nii-san. It's useless to deny it." Tina let out an outburst of frustration which surprised Adam and prompt him to comfort her with a hug.

"It's not your fault, Tina." Adam said and sighed.

What Tina said is true after all. He is afraid to send Tina and Alice into battle. Even Winter but it's hard to discourage her from participating and at most he could only trick her like talking up the duty to lead the Mech army remotely from the Orbital Fortress instead of standing in the actual battlefield.

"It's frustrating to be helpless, Nii-san. Not too long ago, we are still equally strong. But now? All I can do is to hope and pray you will return to us. I also wanted to fight by your side. I don't want to be left behind. I don't want to be useless." She said while laying her head on his chest.

Adam could feel it. The deep sadness and frustration welled inside her. The feeling of helplessness as she could only watch from the sidelines and incapable of contributing anything. The dark feelings that gnawing her heart from the inside.

"That's… not true Tina. You are not useless." Adam said and he lift her chin up to look straight at her eyes, to show her the sincerity of his words. "You are not useless, Tina Sprout. You are my sister. My cute and beloved sister. You are not useless.

Adam can feel his words are going through her. The dark feelings inside her already rapidly dissipating away. But like a persistent leech, the darkness didn't fully dissipate and instead growing stronger like blowing at the fire. It only weaken momentarily before returning even more fiercely.

Her body was shaking and trembling before she push his hands away.

"N-No! You don't have to sugarcoat your words. I know… I know I am useless. I could do nothing at all. I… all I want is to be useful. Not to just receive empty praises." She said and resisted him, trying to escape his hold but for some reason, she couldn't muster any of her strength.

"Let go of me! I don't want you to look at me like this." She resisted but Adam caught one of her hands and pulled it up to stop her resistance.

"Don't you dare utter that nonsense!" Adam grit his teeth and tightened his fist which hurts Tina's wrist. "Who said you are useless? Tell me. I kill him with my own hand."

Seeing his angered state made Tina quiet down. She instinctively feels that she shouldn't aggravate his anger any further. As cold sweat drenched her back.

"You are my one and only sister. Nothing will change that fact. No one, not you and not even the gods unless they want me to crush their bones and rip their guts out with my own bare hand. Understand?"

Tina could only nod her head before Adam released her hand and she fell limp against him because her whole body became limp from fear released by Adam when he was angry just now.

When Adam realized what he did, he quickly apologized and comforted her until she recovered. But apparently that fixed her. The dark feeling is no longer there and instead filled with a warm glow.

"Do… Nii-san sees me as your one and only sister?" Adam heard Tina ask while she tried to avoid his gaze but it's futile because he can read her feelings directly.

"Of course." Adam replied without hesitation and the glow inside her grew brighter and she felt giddy with joy.

"Then what about Winter?"

"She is my wife though." Adam answered as he didn't really see Winter as his sister from the start.

"What about Miss Weiss? Isn't she your sister too?"

"Hmn. I forgot about her." Adam answered truthfully as his interaction with Weiss is neither long or memorable.

"That's cruel, Nii-san." Tina pouted.

"Shouldn't you feel happy because you can monopolize the position all for yourself, my adorable sister?"

"Hmph, you would definitely adopt another sister if you found a cuter girl." Tina said in a spur of the moment. However, she didn't hear Adam deny it as she would expect. Instead, he is deep in thoughts while rubbing his chin.

"Indeed. I wouldn't say no to a cute girl after all."

"Nii-san! You… shameless perverted lolicon!" She grumbles before drumming her fist on his chest which barely has any strength behind it.

Adam catches her fist and lifts her face up before looking at her for a moment. Her face immediately blushes in deep crimson like a ripe tomato when she feels his strong gaze on her.

"But, my sister is the cutest ever. So, finding one even cuter would be impossible." He said with confidence which made Tina feel like her heart was about to explode. She couldn't resist but fell into his loving embrace to hide her face.

She soon falls asleep in his arms after gently caressing. Only after she fell asleep did he take off the mask on his face. A grim face knowing what would unfold in the next sunrise. A bloodbath of unimaginable scale across the world accompanied by the flame of war. The war to liberate humanity and Earth from their terrible Alien invader.

Adam sighed as he looked at the sleeping figure of his cutely snoring little sister. Sleeping without care of the world because she feels safe in his embrace.

"Perhaps you might feel useless. However, without a purpose. I will not have a reason to strive for a better future. You and everyone else is the reason why I can and will grow stronger until I am strong enough to defy my fate." He chuckled and poke her cheek which made her frown and try to swat the offending finger away.

Adam then continued on his work that got interrupted. He is using the mining drones he sends out to divert the free floating asteroids toward Earth.

The opening act of the war will be this saturated meteor bombardment from yours truly all across the Eurasian continent. A housewarming gift that he prepared for those BETA cucks before he demolished their hive with his own hands.

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