86--EIGHTY-SIX

The 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.

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.

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.

Against all odds, Shin and the Eighty-Six have emerged victorious from their battle with the Morpho, liberating scores of surviving Republic promise and finally caught up to the Spearhead squadron. And while her citizens from the Legion’s dark agenda. Lena, in turn, has fulfilled her presence has brought out a softer side in Shin, it seems to have roused to an end when the Eighty-Sixth Strike Package, with Lena at the helm, the competitive spirits within Kurena and Frederica.

Legion developer Zelene Birkenbaum, a figure shrouded in mystery, has left the Eighty-Sixth Strike Package a trail of breadcrumbs leading all the way to the frozen north. But as Shin and the Eighty-Six acquaint themselves with the United Kingdom of Roa Gracia, they learn of an anti-Legion strategy that chills them worse than the cold. Here on this new battlefield, surrounded by mechanical ghosts that exist only to fulfill their duty, the Eighty-Six are forced to acknowledge an unsettling truth...

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…?

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.

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…

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.

What makes a Reaper? What hardships must an innocent child endure to become the vaunted champion of the Eighty-Six? A peek into the past will shed light on his truth. The path he walks is paved with bonds forged in love and broken by tragedy—the shattered fragments of stories untold, committed to memory through the iron will of the one who would shoulder their legacy.

It happened all too quickly. A flash, a rumble, and then… silence. In an instant, an unprecedented Legion assault wrought untold destruction upon nations across the world. As humanity’s borders are sent into swift decline, Shin and Lena are tasked with a large-scale rescue operation that brings them back to Republic soil after what seems like a lifetime. Yet even with humanity on the brink of extinction, they find a country that hasn’t changed—one that cannot change. Many survivors view rescue by the Eighty-Six as the height of indignity.

The Republic’s evacuation resulted in massive casualties on both sides, and the fallout takes a toll on all survivors. As Shin ruminates on what it means to be a leader, Lena thinks of the homeland now lost to her forever. Frederica, too, is dismayed by her own powerlessness as the ill-fated final Empress of Giad. If her future is to change, she’ll have to change first. Meanwhile, unrest is brewing within the Federacy, and a few disaffected squadrons, desperate to turn the tide of the war, reach for a dangerous miracle.

The frontlines are exhausted. Rocked by the relentless onslaught of Legion, the Eighty-Six face additional hardship with the constant influx of refugees. Rumors have begun to spread. There is a weapon hidden in Republic territory. One that could destroy the Legion. The people of the Republic are colluding with the Legion, someone whispers. The Eighty-Six are conspiring with them, says another! The people whisper and whisper. When hardship comes, accountability is always cast by the wayside...