Ease of Use Is Also A Part of Performance. That’s Something You Can’t Measure with Catalog Specs Alone
Construction of the I250 Defense Dome, where TAKABA would be relocated, was underway. Due to its clam-like shelter design, it was nicknamed ‘New Shell’. Employees often gave affectionate names to their base facilities, and this was no exception. The newly established bases were similarly given unique designations.
For the time being, operations would be supported by two existing Defense Domes. One was the P128 Defense Dome in the northwest, known as ‘North Beach’. The other was the O012 Defense Dome near the northern forested area, referred to as ‘Forest City’.
Kou and his team had boarded the Astraea and had used the trip to deliver construction materials. The shelters for the Defense Domes could only be produced using the Silhouette Base equipment.
They were greeted by Hyoue’s Silhouette upon arrival. Hyoue had also switched to a blue Lanius C model.
Kou boarded Uint 5 and rendezvoused with Hyoue. Quattro Silhouettes and Assault Silhouettes were busy unloading the materials.
「This is quite a large Defense Dome,」 Kou remarked.
「Yeah, Asia suggested that if we were rebuilding, we might as well go big. Couldn’t be more grateful.」
The Defense Dome was already about 80% complete. With the materials delivered this time, it was expected to be finished.
「The building is coming along nicely too.」
「The construction of Factories 26, 27, and 28, which will handle storage and production functions, has finally begun. Silhouettes and vehicles will be manufactured here. Shipbuilding-related work will continue at P128 North Beach, while silhouette production will take place at O012 Forest City until this facility is fully operational.」 Hyoue explained.
Kou felt reassured that the functional allocation of the Defense Domes was progressing smoothly.
「Come this way.」
「Understood.」
The place Kou was led to turned out to be—
「The junkyard?」
「It’s been renamed the Underground Museum. Though, as you can see, the old ‘Junkyard’ door is still in place.」
Hyoue said with a chuckle.
They stepped inside.
「This is…!」
Kou’s eyes widened in surprise. Silhouettes, which had once been abandoned like debris, had been restored and carefully preserved. They were stored in massive display cases, meticulously arranged.
「Impressive, isn’t it? We figured, why not take the opportunity to preserve these as part of the history of Silhouettes? Other companies even approached us, saying they’d contribute to the reconstruction effort if we included their models in the exhibits.」
「I think it’s a fantastic idea!」
Kou exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement. This was the place where his journey had begun.
The museum showcased various silhouettes, including the ones from the training grounds where Kou had first practiced operating them. Nostalgia welled up as he walked through the exhibits.
「You even repaired this one, thank you.」
「No need for thanks; it was the right thing to do.」
The Silhouette Kou had spotted was the one he once used as a shield to defeat a Mantis-type Keres. Despite being battered by the unknown railgun weapon, the old Bear model had held its ground. Kou had asked Hyoue to repair and keep it.
「Even the Huckebein and the Pheasant are here.」 Kou noted with amazement.
「Yeah, Kurt-san and Kelly insisted on it. They even funded the restoration. Honestly, I felt a bit bad about it.」
「I think they’d be happy to see their models preserved here.」
「Well, if you say so, it might be true.」
The two continued exploring the underground museum.
「Wait… could it be?」
Kou murmured, suddenly stopping in his tracks.
In front of them was a significant area— the very place where Kou had first encountered Unit 5.
In front of them stood a silhouette identical in appearance to Unit 5 from when Kou first encountered it. The only difference was the protective goggles covering the camera of this Silhouette were in good condition. Its weapon was unmistakable—Yuzuki’s blade.
「Surprised?」
「Is this a restored unit?」
The TSW-R1 lineage had undergone significant evolution since its inception, becoming something entirely different from its original form. Kou, having played a major role in its transformation, understood this better than anyone. Yet, what stood before him was unmistakably the earliest version of the Lanius he first encountered.
「Nope. This is the unit I used to pilot, If I were to put it in your terms, it’s the Lanius Unit 1.」
「Unit 1… this is it…」
Kou whispered, breathless. The roots of his beloved machine were right here.
「Back then, the Lanius wasn’t exactly a hit, its artificial muscle system turned out to be its downfall—maintenance issues gave it a bad reputation. When this first unit was completed, it got caught in a Murder attack. Out of the initial batch of eight units, Unit 5 ended up going haywire, and we had no choice but to abandon it here. The policy back then was to scrap any MCS malfunction cases.」
Kou had heard this story before. Unit 5 that had been left behind here, deemed unworthy of repair, had eventually become the machine that saved him.
「So there were only eight units initially?」
「Yeah, after relocating production, we made a few more. But in the end, we didn’t even hit fifty units. To address the limitations of the artificial muscle system, we focused on creating the multi-role Falco model, which performed much better. That one sold decently.」
Hyoue spoke nostalgically, recalling the days when ingenuity and relentless effort were necessary before Kou freed Asia and with that technological breakthroughs liberated the field.
「Falco and Accipiter production has been scaled down. We’ve decided to make the Lanius our mainstay.」
「Huh? Why is that?」
After all, the Accipiter was essentially the successor to the Lanius. It didn’t make sense to keep an older design in production.
「Honestly? The Accipiter has a lousy win rate and a cursed reputation. And, to be frank, I don’t want to build it anymore.」
Hyoue admitted bluntly, his tone leaving no doubt that the last part was his real reason.
The Accipiter had a troubled history. Hyoue had received two crushing defeats piloting the Accipiter, and it was also the machine Yuzuki had been killed in. To make matters worse, its design had been repurposed as the basis for the enemy’s main assault silhouette, the Kazakh. On top of that, it had fallen into the Stones’ hands twice. Its reputation was undeniably tarnished.
「I see…」
「The Lanius, on the other hand, has gained a reputation for being user-friendly. Sure, its maintenance issues were a drawback, but with the transition from artificial muscles to armored muscles in the A1 model, its defensive capabilities saw a huge improvement. It also solidified its role as an assault silhouette. Now that it’s so widely adopted, maintenance can be done just about anywhere.」
「Perhaps the Accipiter’s performance was just too specialized.」
「Ease of use is also part of performance, that’s the one thing you can’t measure with catalog specs. Looking back, that’s how it turned out.」
In terms of catalog specs, the Accipiter would undoubtedly have been declared the superior machine. Its flight capabilities were exceptional, and its mobility and agility were top-tier. It was designed with ace pilots in mind, offering outstanding maneuverability.
The Lanius, by comparison, could only claim advantages in its thicker armor, acceleration, and more advanced sensors. Yet, these seemingly simpler traits were enough to give it a winning edge.
While not the best in agility or mobility, the Lanius struck an impressive balance. It was easy to control, offered clear situational awareness, and provided a sense of safety even when taking hits. These less tangible qualities likely contributed to its reputation as a machine that was ‘easy to pilot’ for most operators.
「Besides, there’s nothing unusual about cars these days reviving old names and concepts, is there? What matters is the original idea behind them. The Lanius of today might be a completely different machine from the first model, but its core concept as a swordsman’s machine hasn’t changed.」
Kou nodded in agreement, appreciating the wisdom in Hyoue’s words.
「Looking at Unit 1 really made me think about it, sometimes, it’s best not to overcomplicate things. Returning to the basics—that’s the key.」
「Yes.」
Ease of use is also a performance metric. For Kou, who often prioritized catalog specs and pursued absolute performance, this was a humbling realization.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
The two of them spent a long time talking in front of Unit 1.
「So, what’s next for upgrading the Lanius? You’ve already got a direction in mind, don’t you?」
Hyoue asked, his curiosity evident.
「You are asking me? You’re the one who created the Lanius, Hyoue-san.」
「What are you talking about? The current Lanius is your creation now. You’re the one who’s shaped it into what it is today. Look, whether it’s cars or bikes, the original designer and the one handling the minor updates are always different people.」
「Understood, for the Lanius C, I plan to refine the twin reactors further. The armor materials also need a review. And for the additional flight armor, Kinukawa-san is being… very thorough with his guidance.」
「Yeah, he’s pretty passionate about anything related to aviation.」
Hyoue said with a wry smile, clearly recalling his own experiences with Kinugawa’s exacting standards.
「Lanius C Block III—that’s what we’ll call it, I guess, this will likely mean some adjustments to the Lanius A1 and B models as well.」
On Earth, the term ‘Block’ was commonly used for upgrades applied exclusively to fighter aircraft. Here in the Nemesis System, the term had been added to Silhouette development as well. The convention was to incrementally advance the block versions, from I to II and so on. This naming tradition stemmed from the large number of aviation experts among Development Engineers who had brought with them plenty of aeronautical terminology.
「Anything else you’ve got in mind?」
「It’s still in the conceptual stage, but I’m thinking of combining a fighter with Analyze Armor technology and the basic Lanius C to create a new model, the Lanius D.」
「Hmm? Are you planning to let the Familias pilot it?」
「That’s right, I’m envisioning a multipurpose fighter form, something like a more compact version of the Thunderstorm. It would operate as a multipurpose fighter for mobility, capable of delivering additional armor to Lanius A1 or B models in the field and continuing to provide combat support.」
「The C model is already pretty self-contained as it is.」
Indeed, with its assault flight mode and high-mobility mode when stripped of its additional armor, the C model was nearing a point of refinement where only minor adjustments were possible.
「The Lanius as an assault silhouette does have its drawbacks—namely its low payload capacity and limited weaponry. That’s why I’m thinking of creating a support fighter using the Analyze Armor technology.」
「So, you’d deepen collaboration with the Familias and move toward unit-based operations?」
「Exactly. The silhouettes would handle the ground, while the familiars would support them from the skies. I’m considering small-unit operations tailored to small-scale skirmishes rather than full-scale war.」
「Hmm, interesting. Once it’s completed, production will likely fall to us. I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out.」
「Thank you. I’ll be counting on you.」
Before them, Unit 1 seemed to look at the two intently.
The Lanius had started here, and now the vision had expanded to include coordination with fighter planes. It wasn’t simply a new take on transformable Silhouettes but an entirely different direction—or rather, an untapped potential.
Kou’s inspiration stemmed from hearing Vasa’s concept of a transformable Silhouette—not as a fighter but as a flying Silhouette. It was a perspective Kou hadn’t considered on his own. With the Familias’ support, he’d charted a new course.
「I’m excited to see how far the Lanius can go, this guy has gotten me through a lot.」
Hyoue murmured quietly, his voice filled with a deep sense of nostalgia.
The two stood in silence, gazing at Unit 1. The silhouette, identical to Unit 5 when Kou first encountered it, stood quietly before them
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