Chapter 19: Revelations - Part 3

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Operation Gjallarhorn... a long campaign devised by APE that would change the fate of humanity. I still remember every traumatic detail of it. We were out in the barren wasteland for hours, sometimes days with few breaks, if there were any. It was hot, arid, and chaotic. Nothing at all like the simulations we had run back at the Garden. Of course, that's pretty much the way it was for all of us, wasn't it? All those years of training... It doesn't really prepare you for all the screaming or the bloodshed does it?

XXXXXX

17 years ago

It's been almost a month now since Papa chose Squad 42 as the vanguard for Operation Gjallarhorn. The plan was pretty straightforward: A massive number of Plantations gathered just outside Klaxosaur territory and would march all the way through to the Gran Crevasse and capture it, eliminating any resistance on the way.

The battles we fought were on a scale much larger than any of us imagined and more difficult than any mission we have ever participated in. The road to the Gran Crevasse was a long one and we had barely entered the outskirts of Klaxosaur territory when our first deployment in this grand operation came.

We saw Klaxosaurs in new shapes and sizes in every battle we fought. Of course, we were accompanied by at least six other Plantation squads at every battle, though they were not nearly as skilled or capable as ours. We tried our best to save them, though it was ultimately futile as the less experienced squads were trampled by the enemy.

However, Papa and the rest of APE didn't see any issues in this. If one squad was eliminated, a new one would simply take its place. The philosophy was basically to just throw Franxx at the Klaxosaur army until we would win. The lives of parasites were completely disregarded, Papa would win by any means necessary and the parasites themselves marched happily to their own death for whatever sick goal APE was pursuing.

As for us, we persevered through every fight and emerged more battle-hardened than before. However, this came at a price. Battles became more and more frequent the deeper we pushed into Klaxosaur territory. As a result, we hardly had any time to rest in-between the larger battles and were pushed to our limits.

The few times we were able to go back to Mistilteinn, our activities only consisted of eating, showering, and sleeping until the alarm would wake us up for our next deployment. This took a heavy toll on some of the more sensitive members of the squad.

Kisara, Kasumi, and Aki had become more and more silent. Kuro, Yuri, Ryoken, and Misaki were more or less the same but that was only due to the great façade they put up to hide the fact that they were slowly falling apart on the inside from the stress. They couldn't fool me though but I didn't know what to do about it nevertheless.

Even Haru, who has such a carefree spirit, started to seem less and less cheerful and made fewer jokes. Aporia was steadfast, however. Pain was an old friend for him since the Garden and he had an iron will to fight through it. Seeing his beloved Kisara like this, however, left a scar in him that may never fully healed.

What was I supposed to do about it? They were my friends, my family. They looked up to me and expected me to lead them through whatever comes our way. Their safety, their lives, my responsibility. I had to stay strong for them. At least that's what I told myself...

XXXXXX

Squad 42's Franxx just finished refueling and were ready to jump back into action on the front lines. Going back to refuel was the only break you got at this point. It took over two weeks to fight through the outskirts of the region where the Gran Crevasse is located and now, you're closing in on the objective itself. However, you'd also face what looks to be the main force of the Klaxosaur army here.

As your squad rejoins the front line as the vanguard, you can already see that Klaxosaur resistance has only increased in your brief absence.

The enemy's back line was made up of Moho-class artillery units. They were dome-shaped constructs with six legs, three on each side, mounting a large cannon on them that charges up heavy shots before releasing them either in an arch or in a straight line at its targets.

The next Moho-class was the backbone of this army. Simply put, they look like wolves and protect the aforementioned artillery units while also pressing the attack on the other squads, who have a hard time keeping up due to both Moho units protecting each other with their speed or covering fire.

The Gutenberg-class is what was the most worrisome of this force. Luckily, it was "just" one compared to your previous fights, however, this one looked tougher than the rest. It has eight legs with a carapace that resembles a crab but there is a humanoid body on top of it with two clawed arms, a head that resembles an enormous conch shell and six tentacles sprouting from its back. A truly terrifying sight to behold.

Upon joining the front lines, you see another squad barely hanging in there as they dodge the Gutenberg's attacks.

"Fall back!" you order them, "We'll handle this one." "Understood!" one of their Franxx, most likely their leader, replies in relief.

"What's the plan, Boss?" Haru asks over the comms. You take a moment to look back at how much distance there is between you and the Plantations that keep moving with you in the rear in this campaign, your home, at the head of its formation.

"Titania, I need you to grab its attention," you begin. "With pleasure," Ryoken replies as Titania draws her massive sword. "Scorpia, put some rounds into it from afar in places that look less protected," you continue, "Banshee, circle around and look for weak spots. Assist Scorpia if she needs it." Banshee and Scorpia merely nod. "Tempest, you're with me in the sky. We'll hit it from above," you conclude, "Alright, guys. Let's do this."

Squad 42 springs into action. Titania immediately charges the Klaxosaur and swings her massive blade toward its front legs. It has no effect due to the thick carapace but it succeeds in grabbing the beast's attention. Scorpia takes a position in the rear, where it's safe for her to engage siege mode without having to worry about attacks from behind, while Banshee circles around the Gutenberg.

"Shine once more!" you and Archangel exclaim as you extend your wings to take off.

Archangel and Tempest take flight and begin working on its tentacles. Tempest uses her speed to outmaneuver them while trying to cut through them with her tonfas as she passes by and firing missiles at the joint in its back where they come out of. Archangel tries to cut the tentacles off as well with her blade, which is easier with her weapon but dodging them as they wildly swing around is another matter.

While Titania does have most of the Gutenberg's attention on the ground, it's still somewhat aware of what's happening in the air around it. As such, it decides to go on the offensive and leans forward to swipe across the battlefield with its gigantic clawed arm, sending several standard-issue Franxx flying like ragdolls. Luckily, Titania, who is nearly underneath the monster, isn't in the area of effect.

We have to take this thing down fast before we lose more parasites.

You decide to take a risk and dive down towards the Gutenberg's back with Archangel's blade at the ready to sever the tentacles at their base in the creature's back. Tempest, realizing your intent, follows up swiftly, using her additional thrusters to close the distance.

Cutting through the tentacles with Archangel's blade proves to not be an issue, though you're not really surprised. The blade always proved to be very effective against Klaxosaurs. Tempest, on the other hand, is having a little trouble cutting through due to the sheer size of the Klaxosaur's appendages.

Just then, Kuro reports in over the comms, "There are small areas where the legs connect to the rest of its body that are not protected by a carapace. We could probably bring this thing down if we cut the legs off there."

"Good catch," you reply as Archangel backs off from the Klaxosaur. After losing four of its six tentacles, the remaining now swings wildly behind it, making any further attacks harder than they are worth.

"Tempest, Banshee, let's get working on its hind legs," you exclaim. "Copy that," Kuro replies before Banshee begins to climb up one of the Klaxosaur's legs using her claws.

Titania is doing her best to keep the beast's attention though at this point she is more focused on dodging its legs to not get crushed. Scorpia assists her by firing magma rounds into its upper body nonstop.

Archangel, Tempest, and Banshee work together on one leg at a time. Once the first is cut off, the Klaxosaur lets out a loud roar as its movements become more erratic. Though it's unable to reach the three of you since you're basically taking cover underneath the beast's body, the other Franxx in its proximity pay the price as they are merely swept away by it while they were fighting the Moho-classes.

At this rate, we won't take it down in time. I need to rethink this.

"Scorpia, can you locate its core with your visor?" you inquire while Tempest carries Banshee over to the next leg. "I can try," Scorpia replies as she fiddles with the buttons on her wrist.

About a minute later, a reply comes in from Aporia, "My readings indicate that it's located in its head."

Of course, the most protected part.

Suddenly, you can hear Titania briefly screaming in pain. You immediately look into her direction and see that she has been knocked several hundred meters back by the Klaxosaur's claw as it has become increasingly annoyed by her.

"Banshee, Tempest," you shout, "Go back and help Titania!" The two of them nod and take off. "What about you, (Y/N)?" Kuro asks as they fly over to Titania.

I can tell that they're exhausted, and the longer the fight goes, the more mistakes we're going to make due to our lack of rest.

"I'm finishing this thing, now," you state as Archangel ascends into the air and comes to a halt several hundred meters in front of the Klaxosaur's head. The glow of your blade seems to get its attention as it looks directly at you.

"Aki, give me everything you've got," you say over the internal comms, "I know you're exhausted like the rest of us, but please, bear with it a little longer." "Mhm," she replies, "I trust you."

The Klaxosaur thrusts its remaining two tentacles towards Archangel, who is floating in midair. While the tentacles draw closer, Archangel holds her sword with both hands, then draws it back to her right side, now holding it like a spear and pointing it towards the beast's maw.

Just when the tentacles were about to reach her, Archangel goes full speed and jets straight towards the Klaxosaur's circular maw that is filled with hundreds of razor sharp teeth.

The others watch in a mixture of shock and awe as Archangel rockets straight into the Klaxosaur with its blade first. Then, after a few seconds of silence, the Klaxosaur suddenly ceases all movement before Archangel breaks out from the other side of its head, covered in blue liquid, followed by a gigantic blue explosion.

"We did it..." you pant as Archangel slowly descends into a glide with her wings back to the ground to join the others in the back.

You take this moment to rest and look around you. Your squad is still good, Titania didn't suffer any major injuries and now that the Gutenberg has fallen, the morale of the other Franxx squads seems to be improving. However, this doesn't change the fact that there were at least 5 squads worth of Franxx destroyed on the battlefield. It was a horrifying sight but one that you had sadly become accustomed to since the start of this operation.

"Just the leftover Mohos to clean up," Ryoken comments. "Yeah, the worst part is over," Aporia adds. "Think we can let the others handle them?" Haru asks, "I seriously need a break."

You and your squad stand there for a few more moments, catching your breath. Little did anyone of you know at the time that the worst was yet to come.

The earth begins to tremble, knocking several Franxx across the board off their feet.

"What the hell? An earthquake?" Titania exclaims. The next few moments answered her question.

Off in the distance, behind the backline of artillery units, the ground erupts and something rises out of it.

The biggest Klaxosaur you have ever seen emerges from the earth. A humanoid figure with surprisingly more blue than black in its design. It's easily twice as tall as a Plantation with massive triangular wings on its back. The figure is very bulky and appears very strong judging by its muscles. It possesses large shoulder pauldrons with spikes protruding out of them. In addition, it has black armor protecting it from the waist down.

Its hands are human with sheath-like claws covering its fingertips. There is a tri-spiked crest on top of the Klaxosaur's head with its eyes glowing red and two rows of teeth in its human mouth.

The most important aspect, however, was that the core of this Klaxosaur was placed right on its forehead for everyone to see.

"Super Lehmann-class detected," the commander radios over the comms, "Take it down at all costs!"

"Its core is right there?!" Tempest says confusedly. "Scorpia, give it your best shot!" you exclaim before she positions herself.

The Super Lehmann-class lets out a bloodcurdling roar that sends a chill down your spine before it brings down one of its fists into the ground before him. The impact shatters the ground as if it's made of glass and the Franxx squad in that area was either crushed by the Klaxosaur's fist or by the chunks of land that were hurled into the air before crashing down like meteors.

Scorpia proceeds to empty her remaining ammunition straight into the Klaxosaur's core but it doesn't even leave a scratch. "Impossible..." Aporia and Ryoken stutter in utter disbelief.

"We're in no condition to fight this," you remark as you switch the frequency on your comms to broadcast to the other squads, or what is left of them, "This is Code 023. Fall back! I repeat: Fall back!"

"Belay that order," the Vice Chairman chimes in as his face appears on a screen in your cockpit, "Continue the attack." "We don't have the manpower or the firepower to deal with a Super Lehmann-class!" you argue, "And we're pushed to the breaking point! We have to fall back and regroup!"

"Falling back would mean giving up the territory we have conquered," the Vice Chairman replies, "Your orders are to push forward, no matter what." "Are you not listening? This is practically suicide!" you yell.

"Code 023," the Vice Chairman begins after the call switches to a private conversation, "Disobeying Papa's orders is treason. And every parasite is taught at a young age what happens to traitors, isn't that right? I'm sure you'll come to the right conclusion for your own sake... and that of your squad." The call ends after that statement.

If we retreat, we'll be executed for treason. If we fight, we'll most likely die in battle...

"Damn it..." you mutter to yourself, "What do I do?"

During the call, the Super Lehmann-class proceeded to wipe out several more squads with ease while the Moho-classes behind it are going on the offensive now with the Lehmann leading the assault straight towards the Plantations.

"It's heading right towards us!" Ryoken exclaims, "(Y/N), what do we do?"

You grit your teeth in frustration.

"I... I..." you stutter, trying to weigh your options you have just as the Klaxosaur artillery units fire a barrage towards your area in an arch, "Scatter!"

Your squad barely manages to dodge the blast while the Super Lehmann-class continues its onslaught wiping out the last Franxx squad by merely stepping on them, leaving only Squad 42 as the last line of defense for the Plantations.

Before you're able to give any orders to your squad, the wolf-like Moho-class Klaxosaurs have reached your position. Some engage you in a fight while others continue to run past you towards the Plantations. Naturally, you and your squad immediately fight back.

I want to tell them that everything's going to be alright. That we'll all get through this somehow... But I can't because it would be a lie. Maybe, just maybe... if we survive this battle.

"Defensive formation!" you order, "Stay close to help each other out." "What are we gonna do about the Super Lehmann?" Haru asks just as the Plantations open fire on said Klaxosaur, hitting the core on its forehead like a bullseye but it doesn't even leave a scratch.

"I have no idea," you reply with a hint of nervousness.

Dispatching the Moho-class Klaxosaurs proves to be no problem for your team, despite your lack of proper rest. The main issue is the Super Lehmann-class that slowly and steadily marches towards the Plantations, unimpeded by the nonstop barrage of cannon fire from the Plantations. Shrugging of the shelling as if it were nothing.

"Shouldn't we retreat?" Ryoken asks you over the comms. You hesitate for a brief moment before replying, "No..." "(Y/N)," Ryoken begins, a hint of concern in his voice, "What did the Vice Chairman say to you?"

Before you can answer, the earth begins to tremble as the Super Lehmann-class Klaxosaur is now nearly upon you.

"Tempest, look for weak points!" you shout, "The rest of you, get out of its way before it tramples our position!" "Roger!" the squad replies.

Archangel and Tempest take off towards the Lehmann-class while the rest of the squad get out of its way and holding the Mohos off.

They should be able to hold their own while we find a way to get rid of this thing... I hope.

The two flying Franxx circle the Super Lehmann, who has undoubtedly noticed your presence but decides to ignore you.

"I don't really see what we're supposed to look for if the core is right there," Tempest huffs. "Scorpia couldn't get through to it, and her halberd cannon is the most powerful weapon in our squad after ours," Archangel replies. "Let's try that then," Haru adds.

Tempest flies straight at the Klaxosaur's core and empties the contents of her missile launcher into it before turning away again. Once the smoke clears from the explosions, you can see that the core is still unscathed much to your annoyance.

"Why won't this thing just die?!" Tempest complains.

You look back at Archangel's blade, which was deactivated during the call with the Vice Chairman and raise it into the air again, seeing as it's your only option left.

"Shine once more!"

Once the blade sparks to life, the Klaxosaur's gaze immediately snaps to Archangel with burning hatred in its red eyes.

One of its hands begins to reach out for Archangel who barely manages to fly between two of its fingers before the hand closes and continues its path towards the core.

"HUMANS!" the Super Lehmann-class grumbles.

What did it just say?!

"Did you guys hear that?!" Haru yells in utter disbelief. "Did that thing just talk?" Banshee remarks, followed by a bit more chatter over the comms but you're too focused on avoiding its attacks.

With the blade in its empowered form, Archangel reaches the core and rams the blade into it with all the strength she can muster. Much to your

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