Darling in the Franxx: Homecoming

Chapter 31- The Final Battle

Alright everyone, we are back. Thank you for your patience! This chapter took longer than usual to get out, but I wanted to make sure everything was done right. That's all I've got and I'm sure you are more interested in what's below this note so I'll cut things short here. See you in the next chapter!

"This is absolutely incredible," you say in awe as you walk through the halls of the Klaxosaur Mothership. "Look at the craftsmanship... and the design is so intricate. It looks like the entire thing is built from intercon-" "Yeah, yeah, it's really fancy and you could look at it for hours, we get it," Zorome jokes returning you to the present.

You enter the room where Squad 13, the 9's minus Delta and Epsilon, Nana, and Hachi are gathered. It appears that you are in the control room for the Klaxosaur Mothership. There are several large displays along the walls as well as chairs that you assume would be used by crew members at each station. In the center of the room is a massive holo-display showing the layout of VIRM and Klaxosaur forces in the system.

For the moment things seem to be pretty evenly matched. The display shows the movements of each ship and updates as more enter or are destroyed, all in real time. There are nearly half a million VIRM units showing up on the Mothership's display, ranging in size from the humanoid creatures you had fought on earth to leviathan ships only dwarfed by the Klaxosaur Mothership and Strelitzia Apus in size.

"We estimate that we will arrive at the main conflict in Mars orbit in a matter of hours," Hachi states. "In the meantime, the Mothership seems to have modified your Franxx for combat in space. I would suggest you familiarize yourselves with them."

Hachi had a good point there. Not long after you had docked your Franxx within the Mothership massive mechanical arms had come out of the woodwork and begun to modify them. At first it terrified all of you that your Franxx were being sabotaged but you soon realized that no damage was being done to the units.

For you it was a wonder to watch the Klaxosaur engineering at work. The arms were completely automated and the ship itself seemed to be capable of telling that your Franxx were terrestrial combat Klaxosaurs. Because of this each Franxx had additional plating strapped on as well as massive thrusters added in the base of the feet, knees, and elbows. Ironically, they now resemble the model M9s that were beside them, which the machines had left completely untouched. Perhaps the system deemed them already capable of spatial combat.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Ahhhhh!" Zorome screams as Argentea weaves through the Klaxosaurs that have assembled around the mothership. "This is amazing!" "That's one word for it," you struggle as the G-Force of the turn you attempt to make threatens to empty your stomach of its contents.

"Oh, quit your whining," Terraria snarks. "You're one to talk, you don't feel any of it," you shoot back. "Besides I have no idea how to do this. I'm used to being slow and strong not quick and agile." "I know, isn't it great!?" Terraria squeals. "But the armor," you groan, "And the axe." You look down at the halberd like weapon that the Klaxosaur Mothership had provided for you after finishing its modification of the Franxx. "Just shut up and let me have fun!"

Nearby the other Franxx of Squad 13 test out their new modifications as well. Delphinium and Chlorophytum seem to be having much less trouble than you but Futoshi and Goro were used to piloting nimble machines. Hiro and Alpha also fly around the field, the former commenting on how much like piloting with Zero Two Alpha was. The 9 had responded that he was Iota's clone after all, so it should be very similar.

"Children," Hachi's rough voice sounds over the coms. "Return to the mothership. We are preparing to engage VIRM."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx