LIKE LOOKING IN A MIRROR... For better or worse, the battle with the Noctiluca has drawn to a close…for now. The Eighty-Six’s minds are heavy with thoughts of close friends and bitter enemies swallowed by the cold, dark abyss. Among the casualties are Shana, Shiden’s vice captain, joining the fallen in their watery grave, and Theo, whose loss of his left hand had all but sealed his fate as a Processor. As Shiden swears revenge, Kurena, who blames herself for Shana’s death, cracks beneath the weight of her guilt. While the Eighty-Six struggle to pick up the pieces, though, the Legion inexorably pursue their bloodless objective, and the Noctiluca has reportedly taken refuge in the surviving Holy Theocracy of Noiryanaruse. Now Shin and company must set foot in the mysterious western nation of which even the United Kingdom and the Federacy are wary…
A PATH TO PURPOSE LAID WITH IRON RAILS.
An end to the endless war-the possibility of stopping the Legion once and for all. Such is humanity’s most fervent desire. But in the war-free world of tomorrow, what will become of the Eighty-Six? Many have gained renewed faith in the future. Some have found love; others, new aspirations. But what of those who have yet to dream? The warm rays of hope have bent their iron wills and distorted their realities. For those tragic few, the worst is yet to come…
FOREVER…IF POSSIBLE
The Merciless Queen, a high-ranking commander unit for the Legion, has finally been taken into custody. Now the Federacy, the United Kingdom, and the Alliance of Wald can conduct a thorough analysis of this special Ameise, which houses the consciousness of Legion developer Zelene Birkenbaum. If their efforts bear fruit, they may learn the secret to stopping the Legion once and for all! In the meantime, the Federacy has decided to rest its battle-worn blades. The Eighty-Sixth Strike Package has been allowed leave for the first time in ages. As they arrive in the Alliance of Wald's territory, they are able to step away from the iron and blood and enjoy a rare vacation! And it seems that two members of the Strike Package are getting a bit cozier than the rest…
Live to fight. Die with honor. That was all they knew, and they were proud. But as they saw themselves reflected in the Sirins-slaughtered by the thousands with nothing to show for it-a crack formed in their ironclad resolve. Shin's mind festered with doubt. Lena's heart tore at the seams as she struggled to understand him. Would they find common ground over the course of the United Kingdom operation? Or would they drift further apart...?
Live to fight. Die with honor. That was all the Eighty-Six knew, and they were proud. However, seeing themselves reflected in the Sirins-slaughtered by the thousands, with nothing to show for it-a crack has formed in their ironclad resolve. Shin's mind festers with doubt. At the same time, Lena's heart tears at the seams as she struggles to understand him. Will the two find common ground over the course of the United Kingdom operation? Or will they only drift further apart...?
Old Friends, New Enemies
Against all odds, Shin and the Eighty-Six have emerged victorious from their battle with the Morpho, liberating scores of surviving Republic citizens from the Legion's dark agenda. Lena, in turn, has fulfilled her promise and finally caught up to the Spearhead squadron. And while her presence has brought out a softer side in Shin, it seems to have roused the competitive spirits within Kurena and Frederica. But the fun comes to an end when the Eighty-Sixth Strike Package, with Lena at the helm, receives its first mission. Their destination: an abandoned subway tunnel in the Republic's northern secondary capital, Charité. Deep underground, the gaping maw of a subterranean Legion base awaits them...
Pride is all we have
The attack Shin foresaw has finally come to pass. Wielding a weapon with destructive force hitherto unseen, the Long-Range Artillery-type Legion unit rains unmitigated chaos over the battlefield. Both the Federacy's western front and the Gran Mur of the Republic crumble under the might of the monolithic railgun, capable of dealing catastrophic damage from hundreds of kilometers away. With their backs against the wall, the Giadian military makes a controversial decision: A special strike force will charge into the heart of Legion territory, engage the Railgun type from close range, and destroy it. Shin and the Eighty-Six will spearhead the operation.
...But Shin has not been himself lately. Having defeated his brother's ghost and freed himself from the Republic, the Reaper finds himself without purpose. What reason does he have to go on living? For whose sake does he fight...?
Let's go back to where we belong
Having bid Lena farewell, Shin and the surviving members of the Spearhead squadron continue into the heart of Legion territory. There, they endure countless hardships until they're rescued by the Federal Republic of Giad, a reformed nation that offers them a second chance at a peaceful life. But it isn't long before a sense of duty calls the Eighty-Six back to the battlefield. Choosing to enlist in the military, they willingly walk back through the gates of hell, this time joined by a peculiar new ally-Frederica Rosenfort: a haughty young girl with a rare ability and wisdom far beyond her years.
A War Without CasualtiesThe Republic of San Magnolia has long been under attack from the neighboring Giadian Empire's army of unmanned drones known as the Legion. After years of painstaking research, the Republic finally developed autonomous drones of their own, turning the one-sided struggle into a war without casualties-or at least, that's what the government claims.In truth, there is no such thing as a bloodless war. Beyond the fortified walls protecting the eighty-five Republic territories lies the 'nonexistent' Eighty-Sixth Sector. The young men and women of this forsaken land are branded the Eighty-Six and, stripped of their humanity, pilot the 'unmanned' weapons into battle...
