Doyle froze when he saw the man in front of him, scenes of their last battle flashing through his mind one after another.
A star beast tide had erupted, and Qi Chengyan's squad was held back by the insectoids. The last thing he remembered was a sea of fire...
Later, no matter how hard they searched, they never found any trace of the missing personnel. They only recovered a few scattered pieces of mecha wreckage.
"Qi... Chengyan..."
"...Chengyan, it's Qi Chengyan!!"
"Commander! That's our comrade! Qi Chengyan is alive!"
"The Major is alive!"
Everyone erupted into cheers at the sight.
They had actually found a comrade they thought was dead on this barren planet! It was a miracle!
Thank goodness this planet had rotated into view. Thank goodness they had come to search this area. Otherwise, who knew how much longer Qi Chengyan would have been stranded here?
"Hey! Qi Chengyan!!"
Walter piloted his mecha forward in a few quick strides. Like Qi Chengyan, he was a gunner, and they used to train together often.
"You're actually alive, you bastard! Ah, this is great... so great!"
His voice broke as he spoke. The wounds that star beast tide had inflicted on the First Military District were so devastating...
They had lost so many comrades, but at least today, they had found one again.
"Is it just you? What about your mecha? Was it completely destroyed so you couldn't send us a signal?
We're sorry, we should have come sooner...
Ah, you don't know. This planet only recently came back into alignment! Good thing you held out!"
"...Why aren't you talking? Don't recognize me? Aiya, we've all got new mechas now! Hahaha, transforming mechas, you've never seen those before, right?"
As he spoke, Walter activated his mecha's transformation, exposing the cockpit inside. Sitting in the pilot seat, he waved at Qi Chengyan.
"It's me, Walter!"
Jiang Ya was initially swept up in the overwhelming joy, but when she saw through the drone that Walter had actually exposed his cockpit, she snapped to attention.
"Walter! Close it now!"
Most of a mecha's defensive systems were mounted externally. The cockpit alone wasn't sealed or protected enough. This was too dangerous.
"Yes, Commander!"
Walter, having been called out by the commander, sheepishly reversed the transformation.
Qi Chengyan finally spoke, his voice carrying a faint roughness.
"Hello, Walter."
"...Hello?"
Walter was perplexed. Was this the reaction a comrade who had narrowly escaped death should have when seeing them?
"...Qi Chengyan, have you been alone in this place so long you've forgotten how to talk?"
But come to think of it, over half a year had passed since that major battle. Who knew how he had managed to survive alone on this barren planet all this time...
"Enough said... let's get you back with us first!"
Walter reached up and rubbed his eyes.
"Once we're back, we'll run some brain scans and a full physical checkup, see if there are any aftereffects."
He moved closer to Qi Chengyan as he spoke.
"You haven't been parasitized by some insectoid, have you, you bastard? Haha, living rough out here all by yourself for so long, there's bound to be some nasty parasites in your gut!
You better have only eaten cooked food. It won't be so agonizing when we deworm you..."
Qi Chengyan casually took hold of Walter's mecha hand.
"Transform... mecha? Scan... check-up..."
Feeling his hand being held, Walter felt another wave of emotion and wiped at his eyes again.
"Yeah, you kid... you scared us to death! But still, it's all good, all good..."
Qi Chengyan tilted his head slightly, his eyes peering out from beneath his thick, matted hair.
"I... scared you to death?"
"...Why do you keep repeating everything I say?"
"Retreat! Walter!"
"Walter! Open fire!!"
Both Commander Jiang Ya and Squad Leader Doyle's voices rang out in the channel at the same time. Walter, still dabbing at his tears, froze on the spot. What were the officers saying?
Open fire on who? Qi Chengyan?... This was Qi Chengyan!?
Jiang Ya and Doyle were frantic. In that brief instant, they had seen a flash of gold in the depths of Qi Chengyan's eyes!
That wasn't his natural eye color, and it was definitely not a reflection from the sun! Something was very wrong with this "Qi Chengyan"!
"They want you to... attack me?"
Qi Chengyan's grip on the mecha hand grew steadily tighter. Walter could feel the pressure increasing.
"Uh... hey, take it easy. Commander, Captain, what's going on?"
"The man next to you is the problem!"
Jiang Ya's words were clipped and sharp.
"I suspect he's been parasitized! Doyle, take command of the squad. Do your duty!"
"Yes!"
Raising his rifle and taking aim at a former comrade, Doyle only hesitated for a moment before pulling the trigger!
This "Qi Chengyan" was definitely not right!
The appearance might be the same, but everything about his speech and behavior was deeply off!
When had Qi Chengyan ever been so naive? And what was that gold in his eyes?
"Everyone, fire!"
"...Yes!"
Because their squadmate Walter was still standing right next to him, no one in the Second Squad used heavy weaponry.
A single person without even a mecha, just rifle fire should be more than enough to take him down.
But the images transmitted by the drone after that barrage sent a chill down everyone's spine.
Walter was standing in front of Qi Chengyan, shielding him completely. Not a single bullet from the volley had reached its intended target.
Without giving anyone a chance to react, Walter manipulated his mecha to open the cockpit.
"Walter! What are you doing?"
"Get back in the cockpit!!"
"He's not Qi Chengyan! Snap out of it!"
In the feed, Walter's nose, mouth, and eyes were all red-rimmed. He acted as if deaf to all commands, leaving his mecha of his own accord, using his body to completely block Qi Chengyan from view.
The members of the Second Squad hesitated, afraid to fire again. Taking advantage of the lull, this "Qi Chengyan" climbed into the mecha's cockpit.
"A transforming mecha? This is certainly new... Let me take a look."
Walter just stood where Qi Chengyan had been standing. A moment later, his entire body began to convulse, his eyes rolling back into his head. He hit the ground without the seizure stopping.
Jiang Ya stared at the screen, her heart sinking. When had Walter been compromised?
Through Walter's memories, Qi Chengyan learned how to pilot the transforming mecha.
"How amusing!"
This was much more fun to pilot than the mecha from this body's original memories! He tried manipulating the mecha, transforming it, lifting off...
"Second Squad, full power! Engage the target!"
Jiang Ya issued the command once more.
"What have you done to Walter!?"
Zhou Dai's voice was thick with tears.
"Qi Chengyan!!"
The remaining three members of the Second Squad no longer hesitated. They opened fire with heavy weaponry this time.
But Walter himself was a heavy weapons specialist. His mecha was the one with the most firepower and the strongest defenses.
So at the very same moment Doyle's squad unleashed their firepower, the target began its counterattack. Some shells collided in mid-air, while others got past the defensive line and slammed into the mechas on both sides.
In that incredibly short time, Qi Chengyan had already mastered evasion and counter-fire.
That "naive," delighted voice echoed once more through the squad channel.
"No wonder... no wonder you humans love your mechas so much..."
