It's been a while, but it's time to continue reading GaoGaiGar vs Betterman. Part 5.
Only a few days havee passed for Gai, while years have passed for Mamaru.
As a matter of fact, by Gai’s subjective time, only a few days had passed since the two children had been sent out of the Trinary Solar System via ES missile. Before that, he had only been with the eleven-year-old Mamoru for a short time, and Gai still remembered him as the nine-year-old from the Primeval War. As for Mamoru, he had expected for Gai to have aged the according number of years when they reunited… an assumption which caused him no small amount of confusion.
As the EM field is gone with the King of Ruin deactivated, unmanned probes can be sent out. The risk of corrossion by Triple Zero is still a possibility, so multiple probes have been sent out to compare with one another. The Division Train then returns to Earth, but with the damage it took in the battle it's unable to return at full speeds.
The Division Train had finished its mission at Jupiter for the time being, and was set to return to Earth after launching a field of unmanned probes. With the King of Ruin temporarily inactive, the EM fields had dissipated, and observational data could be sent back to them.
There was no denying the possibility that the probes could be corroded by Triple Zero and turned into Zero Robos as Chuuryuu had been, and then would send fabricated data. However, Dr. Yang had judged that they could catch onto this quickly by sending out multiple probes to compare against each other.
Still, with lasting damage all over the ship, the Division Train could not go back at the same speeds as when it came. It was not known whether the ship’s integrity could withstand the acceleration. As such, it was decided that the personnel injured in the battle would be go back ahead of time by boarding the Miniature Express Boat Fly-D5 and emitting it out of the Mirror Catapult.
The return journey takes a month.
That said, the month-long return journey was not dull for the majority of those on the Division Train. They were able to hear the truth of what happened in the Trinary Solar System from the mouth of Shishioh Gai himself. However, the stories were not all fun and games.
Shishioh Leo says that Triple Zero made several AIs gain free intelligence, to conform to the mechanics of Triple Zero and cosmic law.
“Don’t look so astonished. I’d like to believe the first part of what you said… about instinctively knowing your family. Your observations in the second half are also logical.” Yang said with a quiet smile. “In addition… it aligns with my theory on what Triple Zero can manipulate.”
“A theory… did you learn something?”
Yang gave Mamoru a nod and began to explain. “Yes, I reached a certain conclusion when I analyzed Chuuryuu’s logs.” Just like Jupiros-5’s control computer Jupitos, Chuuryuu had gained “free intelligence”, and was not directly steered by Triple Zero. Yang spoke deliberately about his conclusion.
“They were released from the shackles of the Three Laws that humans had given them and obeyed their new instincts. In Chuuryuu’s case, it was to conform to the mechanics of Triple Zero — ‘cosmic law must be followed.’“
“Cosmic law? What do you mean by that?”
“That’s the very heart of the matter.” To answer Akamatsu’s question, Yang explained away with his innate scholarly tone. “Essentially, the universe began from the energy swirling about in Orange Site expanding, and when it can no longer expand, that’s the end. This cycle is repeated only in obeyance of mechanics, not from the providence of God or any other divine being.”
Dr Shishio Leo continues to be a brilliant scientist who unravels cosmic law when he exists as a spirital lifeform.
Dr. Shishioh Leo… even deprived of flesh and blood, he continues to have quite the thirst for knowledge… Yang whispered under his breath. When he had met Gai during the Primeval War, Leo had been with him. He had rather mixed feelings towards the famous scientist then considered to be one of the ten greatest minds in the world, and had taken an incendiary attitude. However, now that he was GGG’s Supervisor and in the same position as Leo was then, he could frankly acknowledge his accomplishments. Just how brilliant was he to have extracted information from Galeon’s black box and prepared a line of defense for Earth in just two short years… And now as a spiritual lifeform, Shishioh Leo was unraveling cosmic law and continuing to use his intellect for the greater good.
Intelligent lifeforms defy cosmic law, as the 11 Planetary Masters aimed to prolong the lifespan of their own universe, and as a result, the universe itself backlashed against them.
"Just as Dr. Shishioh Leo made you understand, the goings-on of us intelligent beings must defy cosmic law. In fact, the things the 11 Sol Planetary Masters planned in order to regenerate the Trinary Solar System likely provoked backlash from the universe itself.”
The members of the GGG (except Gai) have lost their consciences and are following their instincts to carry out cosmic law.
"Then all of Gutsy Galaxy Guard, with their material bodies, were…” Mamoru, looking downcast, waited for Yang to finish the sentence.
Yang repressed his own feelings and calmly announced his hypothesis. “Just as how Chuuryuu was set free from the shackles humans had given him, they’ve likely lost their consciences and are following their instincts to carry out cosmic law.”
Returning the universe to zero means that the state of zero is a closed loop, with it's input and output of energy being equal. Intelligent beings threw that out of balance by existing.
"Which is that the universe must return to zero — isn’t it?” Kaidou repeated what Chuuryuu had said. He had not meant that the universe would be destroyed. “Zero” was the state of the universe as a closed loop, its energy input/output in equilibrium. Intelligent beings threw off that balance by existing. The instinct to exact cosmic law was nothing less than the negation of creative exploits.
Yang notices a mysterious energy signal that they missed during the battle with the King of Ruin that flew towards the Earth, and the heroes decide to save the GGG from the influence of Triple Zero, who's goal it is to bring an end to intelligent life so that the universe can return to zero.
"Yes, we’ve recorded as much. We were all too distracted to notice it at the time, though.” Yang had inspected the records from the battle with the King of Ruin to verify Gai’s testimony and discovered a mysterious energy form flying out towards Earth.
"Its goal is to return the universe to zero — in other words, putting to end to the goings-on of intelligent beings. We can’t let them do that."
"Yes, let’s save them from that…!”
Meanwhile, Amalgam Bettermen are floating in interplanetary space, the seven Somniums cocooned themselves so they could rejuvenate while Yewya stears them through space.
Around an interplanetary space far behind the Division Train, a grotesque body drifted. This was Amalgam Betterman, which had reached its limit in the fight against King of Ruin Genesic. Its colossal body was petrifying itself into a fibrous, fragile state. The seven Somniums, back in a humanoid form, had cocooned themselves within and were sleeping so that they would rejuvenate. The one exception was the adult female Yewya, who was emitting a fluid substance from the pectofores on her chest, steering them through the interplanetary space as if they were aboard a stone ark.
Triple Zero, or the Dawn Aura as the Somniums call it, is a threat to this dimension.
"It is come… the Dawn Aura…”
It took Lamia all he had to reply to Yewya’s call. He was not yet able to move his body. “…Not yet… Still… we must destroy it… before this dimension… and we ourselves… are destroyed…”
Lamia was composed. Asides from the Dawn Aura — Triple Zero — there was one other being who perturbed them far more. Lamia eventually widened his bright red eyes all the way open and let the cross-shaped light on his forehead shine.
Neuronoids were developed by NEO, as part of an experiment to alter the human body to adapt to the changing environment, rather than altering the environment itself.
"Well, they don’t do much in the public eye, so no wonder.” Akamatsu gave them a short overview of the organization. Like GGG, the New Environment Organization — abbreviated NEO — was a lower branch of the United Nations. It was originally intended to research the Earth’s changing environment, but it had at one point dabbled in experiments to make the human body adapt to the environment, rather than altering the environment itself. Akamatsu didn’t mention the multitude of problems that had spawned from this.
"…And yeah, the neuronoids were initially a joint project with one of NEO’s child organizations. NEO itself asked us to develop a succeeding model. The annoying part is, after we delivered the goods, they didn’t even let us touch it.”
A Ruin Apostle appears above the Northern Territory, Australia, and Z0-Similar is detected in a wide stretch from Darwin to Adelaide (that being a distance of thousands of kilometers).
Akamatsu and Gai, Chief and Acting Chief, shouted from the Branch Order Room, which had moved into the Division X: Mobile Execution Fortress Wadatsumi. The damage that the Division fleet sustained at Jupiter had already been repaired by the Carpenters. GGG was ready to respond immediately to any appearance of the Ruin Apostles — those corrupted by Triple Zero. It was highly likely that after coming into the solar system through the wormhole, they were headed towards Earth. And today, their specific waveform had been picked up over a wide range in Northern Territory, Australia, prompting GGG to sound the defense alarm. At its Chiefs’ orders, the Wadatsumi separated from Orbit Base and reached the southern hemisphere, where, after breaking through the Van Allen Belt, it received information from a surface observation facility.
Z0-Similar has been detected in a wide stretch from Darwin to Adelaide!”
Z0-Similar is a waveform emitted by Ruin Apostles similar to the elementary particle found in Zonders.
Z0-Similar referred to the waveform detected on site. It was emitted by the Ruin Apostles designated as Zero Robos at Jupiter, and as it had properties almost matching the Elementary Particle Z0 found from Zonder Robos, it had come to be called that. Yamajii used to detest the descent to Earth for aggravating his back, but since he had kept up his muscle training, today he was operating without complaint — just with some strain in his voice.
Even six years later, traces of damage from the Invisible Burst still remain, and there are many regions which have been deserted and left unrepaired.
However, there were things that he didn’t recognize in the cities he could see: traces of damage from the Invisible Burst. The disaster had occurred more than six years ago now, but as most of humanity’s resources had been pooled into maintaining daily life despite the powerful EM fields, there was no small number of regions that had been deserted and left unrepaired.
Someone communicates with Gai via the limpid channel (this someone being Lamia).
"You who transcends life–” A voice came into Gai’s head. No, it didn’t make any sound, so it wasn’t a voice. It was a will. Gai was already acquainted with the ability that allowed one to send a thought directly into a person’s mind.
"The Limpid Channel…” Gai was also fully aware of whose thoughts these were. It was someone who he knew he would have to meet one day. Then, a extreme change in atmospheric pressure generated an air pocket that swallowed him up and shook his machine.
Gai jumps dozens of meters into the air to land atop of a thermal generator tower.
Gai jumped up to the top of another spire beside Lamia’s tower. Just as Lamia was a member of a human-like species, Gai was also not wholly human. The physical abilities of a human-machine hybrid Evoluder allowed him to easily elevate himself up some dozens of meters.
Lamia had sent the GGG the feelings of Earth's people during the battle of the Trinary Solar System (a battle in which the fate of two universes hung in the balance).
"You sent the feelings of Earth’s people to us when we were fighting in the Trinary Solar System… why did you save me?”
“The fates of two universes hung in the balance of that battle. I simply helped the cause of our universe’s continued existence.”
It was these feelings of courage sent from Earth to the Trinary Solar System which helped Gai and the GGG win the day.
Gai noted that his own inflammatory word choice stemmed from some internal irritation. The Somnium Lamia’s will had carried a provocatory tone since the first time he had perceived it. All the same, the feelings that came from Earth — the power of courage — had roused within them the strength to defeat the 11 Sol Planetary Masters.
As they are destined to fight, Lamia attacks Gai, shooting red particles of light at him that wrap around him. However, they only wrap around an afterimage of him, as Gai leapt down as soon as he perceived that Lamia had jumped.
Gai’s accord seemed to be taken as a signal to start battle. Lamia leaped without warning. The body tissue that mimicked a black jacket flapped like a ominous bird’s wings. Then, red particles of light shot out from the special pectofores organ embedded in his chest. “Pectofores… Rubrum!”
The death-bringing immune cells instantly wrapped around Gai and choked the life out of him!
But no, while Gai appeared to have been enveloped, it was only an afterimage. The moment he perceived that Lamia had jumped, Gai leapt down some dozens of meters. However, he was not running away.
Gai's I Armour equips to him.
"EQUIP!”
At Gai’s voice command, a trunk four times the size of an extra large piece of luggage rocketed out from a catapult next to Phantom Gao’s cockpit. It immediately opened up its compressed interior, forcing pieces of ID Armor out which then mounted themselves in sequence onto Gai’s body through a guidance system.
Lamia's Rubrum paricles shape themselves into a red sword.
While that was happening, Lamia kicked off from the top of the steel tower and was now swooping down towards the ground like a raptor. His expression was callous and sedate, and Rubrum particles had shaped themselves into a shining red sword over his right hand.
Gai and Lamia clash, preparing up to hundred blows after and taking into account environmental factors, as both of them are aware that a careless move could cost them the fight.
Sword and knife crossed. Red and green sparks fizzed. Animosities intersected. Both were seized by the impetus to attack. Desire and determination to splice the opponent clashed!
In order to take the next move against the arm blocking each of them, it was essential that they not only be ready to exchange up to another hundred blows after, but also take environmental factors such as footing and the wind into careful consideration. Both parties, well aware that a careless move could cost them, kept the deadlock and butted only their wills against each other.
Gai's Will Knife shatters Lamia's red sword.
While Gai was aggressive, Lamia’s cross-shaped light conveyed a controlled retort. “The Dawn Aura will lead this world to its demise. It will make all things perish. Humans… Evoluders…”
"I! …We! …Will not perish! As long as we live, we’ll fight on, fight through, and we’ll win against the King of Ruin’s power for sure!” Gai pushed the point of his Will Knife into the red sword, pressing its edge against Lamia’s sunglasses tissue.
Lamia uses his Viride Pectofores (green light) to tamper with organic nerves and mechanical control signals. He uses it to control multiple transport cranes.
The next moment, a thundering sound came from behind Gai. His body acted before he even saw what it was. Gai kicked off a nearby tower and ricocheted off it. A coal transport crane swiped through the spot where he had been just a moment before.
"!”
The danger was not over yet, however. A second and third crane arm dropped down on him from above. This was by no means a coincidence. Lamia had entered the cab and was continuing to emit the same green particles as before. The light’s flickering matched the movements of the cranes.
This is Lamia’s ability… he uses those particles of light!?
The Viride Pectofores had a weak electrical charge. Lamia was a master at using this to tamper with organic nerves and mechanical control signals.
Lamia calculates that Gai will be near a smoke stack and blasts him with smoke and attacks him, but this is only a ruse, as that's just his after image. Gai uses this diversion to hack into several other cranes using his Evoluder powers.
Gai took cover from the crane barrage. However, Lamia had calculated that he would do so, and cornered him. A sooty blast of hot smoke spouted over Gai. The smokestack’s direction and timing for release had both been perfectly engineered.
"Ghh…!”
Gai’s silhouette burned and tumbled down. Lamia’s gaze kept focused on him. Then he ascertained the truth of what had happened in the smoke. “An afterimage–”
As soon as Lamia had realized this, a crane arm came flying at him. The end of it shoved into the cab, crushing it completely. However, Lamia was no longer there. He had twisted around like an ominous bird and leapt into the air. The situation reversed from how it had been moments before, the cranes bombarded him. The one controlling them was Gai, standing atop an SCR unit. The moment before the smoke was about to engulf him, he lightened himself by casting off his ID Armor, and fell down there. Lamia had only seen the armor burning. Gai had then used his Evoluder hacking abilities to strike back.
Gai's Evoluder hacking powers take control of the facility even better than Lamia's Pectofores Viride.
"It’s my turn now!” Gai, who had stolen control of the power plant, was fighting back with the same force that had attacked him. The cranes flew through the air smoother than they had when Pectofores Viride had manipulated their signals.
Yewya appears and shields Lamia from attacks.
Gai had his hesitations, but he kept pinning Lamia with attacks. Lamia had his back against the power plant’s solid wall. Having lost his escape route, two cranes landed direct hits on the Somnium!
But–
"What is that…!?” Gai doubted his own eyes. Lamia looked as if he had been crushed by the cranes, but he had been protected by some sort of thin film. A lifeform that was translucent like a jellyfish, yet still tough, was floating in midair and shielding Lamia.
"Yewya…” Lamia called the name of his brethren over the Limpid Channel. The life form was Betterman Yewya’s body, transformed by eating the Lume Animus seed. Lamia’s former companion Seeme had turned into a shining being by eating this same Lume seed. The Animus seed had properties that stimulated change into different forms depending on individual differences in tolerance.
Communication via the Limpid Channel can be done instantly.
Unlike with verbal exchanges, those used to the Limpid Channel could exchange multiple thoughts in an instant.
Gai's Evoluder body can be used to pick up radio signals.
As soon as his enemy had escaped, the silenced communications had revived. Gai’s Evoluder body had many extraordinary abilities, one of which used his own body as an antenna to pick up possibly important voices from the radio network. This was how Gai heard a transmission from Alouette Pommier, in charge of keeping GGG Green in sync with GGG Blue.
Z0-Similar takes over The Ghan train, and causes it to grow from 800m to 3km.
The moniker “The Ghan” had come from the Afghan camel drivers who had traversed the parched land long ago. The modern-day camel bisected the same wasteland with thirty carriages linked, just short of 800 meters. However, what she saw now clearly differed from the data. It had swelled to four times its length, nearing three kilometers.
"W-What’s happening here!?” Nichiryuu exclaimed. The next moment, she heard a message her twin sister had sent to the Wadatsumi.
"This is Getsuryuu, we have an anomaly. Transcontinental express #16 is radiating Z0-Similar and heading north!”
Triple Zero is infinite in supply, and can always be called upon by the Ruin Apostles.
Yang crossed his arms and walked through his thought process. “Back in the day, Zonderians needed immense energy to grow their Zonder Metal. However, as long as the Ruin Apostles have the Triple Zero that leaked into our universe, they’re in no short supply…”
"Then they’re going to keep making Zero Robos with that infinite supply of energy!”
The Zero Robos are looking for giant inorganic substances with which to make more Zero Robos.
"If there’s anything they need, wouldn’t it be materials for Zero Robos? Like some giant inorganic substance–”
"A giant inorganic substance!?” Kaidou Ikumi, still connected on the line, reacted to Yang’s out-loud thoughts.
The train Zero Robo (now labelled ZR-04) splits into different parts and takes off towards Uluru with the intent of turning it into a giant Zero Robo.
"Uluru — The second largest slab of rock on Earth. It definitely would be ideal Zero Robo material.” Akamatsu said, dripping cold sweat. The monolith, also known as Ayers Rock, was an inselberg close to ten kilometers in girth. If its entire mass were used for a Zero Robo, there would be no greater threat.
Just one part of ZR-04 touching Uluru would turn it into a giant Zero Robo.
“If even just one car hits Uluru, it’ll merge and create a giant Zero Robo. We have to stop them before that at any cost.”
The Dividing Driver creates a field of warped space 5km wide.
"Dividing Driver!"
The Dividing Driver’s space-warp radius already set, GaoGaiGo thrust it into the deserted earth about ten kilometers in front of Uluru. Mutual interference of the Arresting Field and Dividing Field generated by the driver head created a field about five kilometers in diameter. Just a few seconds later, six ZR-04 carriages reached the perimeter of the field and all fell into the warped space.
GaoGaiGo destroys one of the ZR-04 Zero Robos with a Broken Phantom and a drill knee.
"Broken Phantom!”
Equipped with a Phantom Ring from the UL-Tech Engine Pod on the back, the steel right arm whirled and shot out. ZR-04, which had grown a leg-like appendage in its train form and was attempting to upright itself, was hit right in the trunk by the Broken Phantom and fell apart.
"WHOOOOOH!”
Before it had time to regenerate, GaoGaiGo closed the distance between them and utterly crushed the remaining pieces with its solid shockwave-emitting drill knee.
Mic Sounders the 13th secret weapon can destroy any matter.
The display shifted to a picture of musical notes, and the robot’s body, separated from Baribarien and hovering, rapidly transformed. This was the stunning secret weapon capable of destroying any matter, which had been developed under the code name of “Death Weapon” by GGG America. The Ruin Apostle had converted into its true Boom Robo Form–
Zero Robos are far more efficient than Zonders, as no medium like Zonder Metal is required.
"Those are the basics, yes. A Ruin Apostle generates Zero Robos just as Zonderians generated Zonder Robos. The main difference is that, as there is no medium like Zonder Metal required, Zero Robos are far more efficient.”
Someone with a G-Stone or a J-Stone can't be turned into a Zonder or a Zero Robot, but they can be turned into a Zonderian or a Ruin Apostle.
"Not to mention, those with G-Stones or J-Jewels can’t be turned into Zonder Robos or Zero Robos, but they can be turned into Zonderians or Ruin Apostles… that’s another similarity.”
Those corrupted by Triple Zero obey cosmic law, although their actions are still their own free will and judgement (abet bent to follow cosmic law).
–Those corrupted by Triple Zero and turned into Ruin Apostles obey cosmic law. Their actions are entirely their own free will and judgement. They are simply trying to save the universe in accordance with the laws of nature.
Destroying a Zero Robo requires pulverizing them and scattering their remains.
"Would there be a way to drain the Triple Zero out of Zero Robos?”
"It seems that in outer space, if the machines are burst into debris and scattered, Triple Zero disperses as well, and it doesn’t reconsolidate itself.”
Kamuy, who had been quietly recording the proceedings, repeated Ushiyama’s perspective to himself. “Defeating Zero Robos requires pulverizing and scattering them…” Then he added his own opinion. “On a universal scale, entropy doesn’t decrease… sounds like Loschmidt’s Paradox.”
Triple Zero doesn't bare any enmity to intelligent life, it simply puts pressure on anything that defies cosmic law and the cycle of death and rebirth of the universe.
Triple Zero was pure energy, and did not harbor enmity towards intelligent beings. It simply applied pressure on anything defying the cycle that, like the ebb and flow of the tide, repeated the birth and death of the universe.
Mic Sounders doesn't want to wipe out intelligent life, but is doing so because he has to because of the cosmic law.
"Mic, are you really trying to wipe out humanity!?”
"SORRY… it sucks, but that’s just the way it is with cosmic law… baby…” Ruin Mic’s words held a twinge of agony. As Yang and Gai had predicted, he wasn’t trying to annihilate intelligent life just because he wanted to. Even so, he was still determined to obey cosmic law.
Each different driver divides space for a different amount of time, and anything left inside said space at the end could be crushed, or even explode.
"Hurry, Ikumi! The Dividing Field will close in another twenty minutes!”
"I know that, Mamoru… but–”
Each Driver Kit Number had a different limit on how long its Dividing Field could be maintained, and once the limit was passed, space would begin to return to normal. Any body left in it would be crushed by the stabilizing pressure, and depending on its mass, it could explode.
The number of Zero Robos under the control of Ruin Mic is 12 (11 train carriages and 1 helicopter) to bring the number back to 13 (part of Mic's dormant memories). Mic's disc regenerates with greater efficiency than ZA POWA.
The total count of eleven trains and one helicopter might not have been a coincidence. The dormant memory inside Ruin Mic must have generated Zero Robos to equal the old Mic Sounders series in number. In any case, Ruin Mic used the vital time his brethren had bought him to scrape out the disc rendered ineffective by the curative agent from his tray. Some of the tray parts were damaged in the process, but they automatically self-repaired with greater efficiency than THE POWER.
It would take Phantom Gao 15 minutes to go from the Power Plant to Uluru.
"Hurry… please!” Alouette replied back, but she had lost almost all hope. It would take fifteen minutes at Phantom Gao’s top speed for Gai to go from his present location, the power plant, to Uluru, where GaoGaiGo was. Given the current situation, it was hard to believe that Mamoru and Kaidou would last that long.
Triple Zero has almost infinite power.
The Solitary Wave, set to resonate with the molecular structure’s normal mode, was finally unleashed. Moreover, the almost infinite power of Triple Zero was added to its original ferocity.
Lamia in the form of Betterman Nebula stops Ruin Sounders Solitary Wave.
“Mamoru–!” The moment Kaidou called out in despair, a shadow jumped in from the corner of his eye. Something had swiftly cut in between him and the Solitary Wave. Shouryuu… no, it isn’t!
The silhouette was smaller than even Shouryuu, one of the smallest Brave Robos. It was lean, wings sprouting from its exoskeleton, and looked almost like a dragon.
"Being of light, you must not perish yet–” A thought came over the Limpid Channel. Mamoru recognized who it belonged to.
The Somnium… Lamia–!?
Yes, the figure was Lamia, transformed into Betterman Nebula by eating a type of Animus seed. Nebula, which resembled a dragon, spread its arms wide in the air. The inner sections had giant listening organs, analogous to ears in humans, which immediately analyzed the Solitary Wave with air oscillations before it hit. Less than a second had elapsed before it was finished. Without a moment’s pause, Nebula spread its jaws wide and let out a scream at the approaching Solitary Wave.
Ruin Mic's Solitary Wave and Betterman Nebula's PSycho Voice clash, shaking the ground and the atompshere and creating a tremendous explosion.
At the same time, Sakura’s body lying asleep in the Orbit Base’s Manage Machine sensed an enormous wave in the Limpid Channel and voiced it out loud. “Psycho Voice!”
Ruin Mic’s Solitary Wave and Nebula’s Psycho Voice clashed in the air. A bright light shone where the isolated wave and shockwave hit each other, illuminating the surroundings in bright white. The ground and atmosphere quaked, their roaring echoing out to the distance. In the next moment, an ear-splitting shrill rang out, and a tremendous explosion engulfed the entire area.
Phantom Gao rushes across the continent of Australia, and it's three Gao Machines match speed with it and transform.
Phantom Gao zipped from southern Australia to its northern regions. Three silver bullets approached it from the west. These were the three Gao-Machines, launched from the Wadatsumi’s Mirror Catapult. Shishioh Gai’s Phantom Gao matched velocity with them and transformed.
After damaging one of the ZR-04's, it recovers and attacks Getsuryuu with a massive hand, with fingers as thick as her entire body.
Getsuryuu blocked the way of the runaway Zero Robo crossing the bare land and spread her six long-distance units out from underneath her shoulder cape armor. Though they were not built for this purpose, the wire-controlled units slid under the wheels and axles, and lifted up the left-forward rim. The Zero Robo lost its balance and rolled over. Swelling to four times its original size had significantly increased its burden, thus the Zero Robo was damaged. Its power unit squashed, the train lay feebly on the ground.
"ZR-04 has stopped moving–” It would be unfair to say that she had let down her guard. Getsuryuu approached to confirm its silence, when a giant arm stretched out towards her. “!”
A burly arm which hadn’t been there the moment before gripped Getsuryuu’s body tightly. Just like the Zonder Robos of days past, Zero Robos were also capable of metamorphosis. Even if it appeared to be nothing but wreckage littering the ground, it hadn’t necessarily stopped functioning.
"Blast, that was foolish of me–” The Super AI, brought up as a proud German soldier, cursed her own negligence. However, with fingers as thick as her entire body binding her, Getsuryuu couldn’t take action. Her joints creaked and her armor screeched. “Guuuuhhhh!”
Shishioh Liger based Mic Sounders Solitary Wave Riser on Betterman Nebula's abilities during one of his fights in South America, but then changed it further so the isolated waves followed a nonlinear formula. Yewya protects Lamia from the effects of Ruin Mic's remaining energies.
The developer of the Mic Sounders series, Shishioh Liger, had once witnessed Nebula fighting in the South American wilderness. He had originally taken inspiration from it to create the Solitary Wave Riser, but Dr. Liger’s genius did not simply rely on imitation. The Solitary Wave’s isolated waves followed a nonlinear formula, and it was hard for it to generate perfect symmetry with atmospheric oscillation shockwaves. Therefore, unlike the Planetary Lord Percurio who Mic had faced in the Trinary Solar System, Nebula ended up being doused in non-decaying surplus energy.
“Yewya…”
“Worry not, my regeneration will last yet…”
Yewya protects Betterman Nebula and GaoGaiGo from Ruin Mic's attacks, who possesses a fraction of the near-infinite energy of Triple Zero. As such, they have to act fast or risk running out of power.
Disc X had been set to destroy only its target — GaoGaiGo — so no matter how much extra energy there was, it could not instantly eradicate Betterman’s entire body. Yewya in her Betterman Lume form served as Nebula’s protective coating, and endured by regenerating as soon as she was harmed. However, they were up against a Ruin Apostle. Even if it were but a fraction of the almost-infinite energy Triple Zero, it was still plenty. It was clear who would run out of energy first if the battle were to be prolonged. Their time limit was becoming imminent. The head divers knew this as well, confined to the ground behind Nebula by the Zero Robos as they were.
Hell and Heaven unleashes a power that the leaders of the Green Planet and the Red Planet who invented it couldn't have imagined.
"HELL AND HEAVEN!”
At the voice command, the power of the J-Jewel and the G-Stone surged from GaoGaiGo’s right and left arms. “Gemu giru gan go gufo!”
The energy current twisted into one stream, turning GaoGaiGo silver. The Red Planet and the Green Planet’s power — when they united, they unleashed a power that the leaders of neither planet could have imagined.
Betterman Ahriman takes over Ruin Mic's circuits and causes the Solitary Wave to reverse on himself. Ruin Sounders regenerates using Triple Zero, but this isn't enough in of itself and Disc X breaks.
"Nice one, baby!” Ruin Mic turned the Solitary Wave towards the silver King of Braves rushing at him. Disc X, empowered by Triple Zero, seemed to have no physical limits. However, Disc X suddenly started to turn in reverse in Ruin Mic’s chest tray, firing the Solitary Wave back towards himself.
“WHAT’S!?”
The excess burden made fractures in not just Disc X, but in Ruin Mic as well. Triple Zero was already regenerating them, but the cracks were splitting apart too fast for it to catch up.
“NO! NO!” Mic was panicking. Under him, a number of complex bundled pole-like arms zigzagged out from Studio 7, creeping into Ruin Mic’s fissures and fiddling with him like a marionette.
“It might be impossible to destroy him, but tampering with some of his circuits was within reason.” The master of the many arms hidden in Studio 7’s slit grooves was Somnium Rice’s transformed form, Betterman Ahriman.
–The next moment, Disc X broke apart.
Ruin Mic uses Disc F to attack GaoGaiGo, but GaoGaiGo dodges the attack wave, which hits the seven Zero Robos, who are turned into phontons.
"We already know that disc too!” GaoGaiGo revved Stealth Gao II’s wingtip UL-Tech Engine, linked it with the UL-Tech Engine built into GaiGo’s back wings, and suddenly blasted off upwards right before Ruin Mic’s eyes.
"WHY!?” GaoGaiGo disappeared from Ruin Mic’s tracking sensors. Then, the already-loosed light of isolation waves and gravity shockwaves charged forward into the seven Zero Robos left behind in the middle of the Dividing Field.
"MY BROTHERS!!”
The Zero Robos took Disc F’s attack head on, became photons within the cluster of light, and dissipated. There wasn’t a trace of Triple Zero’s underlings left on the field.
Ruin Mic is able to resist Hell and Heaven, which Mic Sounders wouldn't have been able to do while not corrupted by Triple Zero.
The Mic he knew would never have been able to withstand GaoGaiGo’s Hell and Heaven. As a Ruin Apostle, he had been reinforced to such an extent–!
Mamaru and Kaidou purify Mic Sounders of Triple Zero, returning him to normal.
“Mamoru, Gai… thank you… Mic is happy, right…” A light flickered on the AI Box, and a dear voice issued from it. Beside it, the orange cocoon unraveled, revealing an unconscious Stallion White. He was the model for Mic’s Super AI personality and the closest person to him.
“Mamoru, Gai… thank you… Mic is happy, right…” A light flickered on the AI Box, and a dear voice issued from it. Beside it, the orange cocoon unraveled, revealing an unconscious Stallion White. He was the model for Mic’s Super AI personality and the closest person to him.
The Bettermen destroy the remaining ZR-04s; Turba destroys one with Psycho Calm, and Socius uses a dimensional gate to suck the debris into outer space. Pondus uses reverse gravitation to scatter another Zero Robo and make it unable to regenerate. Forte destroys a Zero Robo by crushing it so thoroughly that what remained could no longer be classified as matter.
"That’s right. It wasn’t just Nebula, other transformed ones showed up to lend a hand.”
Yamajii told Gai the organized intel after he returned to the Wadatsumi. According to him, the individual called Betterman Turba had saved Getsuryuu when she was being crushed by a giant hand. There was visual evidence recorded on Getsuryuu’s camera as well. The video showed Turba destroying the Zero Robo with Psycho Calm, an ability that let it create vacuums, and Betterman Socius’ dimensional gate, which had been seen at Jupiter as well, sucking all the fragments into outer space before Triple Zero could regenerate it. Similarly, Nichiryuu’s camera showed Betterman Pondus scattering the Zero Robo wreckage it had destroyed with gravity via reverse gravitation, making it unable to regenerate. Shouryuu and Big Porcauto had been saved by the green Betterman Forte, who crushed the Zero Robo so thoroughly that it could no longer be classified as matter.