Gabriel’s Hound
「If Bastet was created based on an Another Level Silhouette, then could it be that Hayataro was as well…?」
「That’s not correct, Astraea. As far as we know, only two Mythology Weapons have been confirmed to be based on an Another Level Silhouette.」
Asia responded to Astraea’s speculation.
「Then how do we explain Hayataro’s combat capabilities?」
Hayataro, now merged with Kurose’s and Haino’s Dragon Slayer, was wreaking havoc on the battlefield. With a total of 5 LD rifles and his own high-output charged particle cannon, he effortlessly mowed down the swarm of Deep Ones—the mechanical half-humanoid, half-amphibian monstrosities.
「Hyahaa! These disgusting fish are gonna end up as sashimi!」
Haino was wildly firing from the back seat.
「I don’t think I’d want to eat that…」
「Woof!」
As if agreeing with Kurose’s reluctance, the mechanized Hayataro barked in response.
「Kurose and the others are ridiculously strong too, huh?」
「Damn you, Kurose…」
Kou was impressed, while Kinukawa still held a grudge.
「Even among Antique Silhouettes, only a select few can be equipped with a charged particle cannon of 1 gigajoule. Only the Seraphim-class or similarly specialized top-tier machines.」
「Wait a moment, Astraea. That shape looks familiar. Could Hayataro’s original form have been a Gabriel-class Antique Silhouette?」
Aki seemed to have realized something.
「Why would Gabriel be turned into a canine-type Eidolon? …Data verification complete. The most likely origin is Gabriel’s Hound.」
「Gabriel? Not Tindalos?」
Eri, the captain of the Hiyou, tilted her head in confusion. When it came to hounds, the only one she could think of was Tindalos.
「Let’s move away from the Cthulhu Mythos, Captain Eri. Gabriel’s Hound is a story from an apocryphal source. It is said that the Messiah, reluctant to descend to Earth, transformed into a unicorn to escape. Frustrated, the Archangel Gabriel unleashed his hounds to chase the Messiah down and drive him to the surface.」
「That doesn’t sound very Messiah-like.」
Kou voiced his thoughts aloud.
「That’s right. It deviates significantly from the conventional image, which is likely why it’s considered apocryphal. Hayataro must have been created using an Antique Silhouette and a myth related to archangel Gabriel by association. This myth remade the Antique Silhouette into a hound that hunts evil and later took on characteristics derived from spirit dogs, hence the name.」
Without hesitation, Hayataro, Kurose, and Haino infiltrated Hydra’s interior, heading for the reactor—likely the core of the Teras—to destroy it.
「Those three seem to be doing fine. More than anything, their firepower is on a whole different level.」
「Indeed. That leaves only Seth, who is facing Garuda. Seth’s name is associated with wolves, jackals, aardvarks, flamingos, and various other animals. As the god of storms and war, his ability to fly likely stems from his connection to storms. The term Seth Animal originates from him, referring to unidentified creatures in general.」
「Why do so many enemies of humanity belong to the canine family…?」
Aki drooped her ears and slumped in dismay.
「Additionally, Seth is also known by another name—Typhon. We cannot dismiss the possibility of a connection.」
「I just checked as well. The spelling matches. If it’s been syncretized with the Typhon from Greek mythology, then this is bad. If there’s a connection…」
Kinukawa pondered. He wasn’t well-versed in Egyptian mythology, but divine names often shared common origins.
Typhon represented whirlwinds. If Seth embodied storms, then it was logical to assume they shared the same elemental affinity.
「If it is Typhon, then he is not necessarily our enemy. His goal is the annihilation of the Twelve Olympians—humanity is of no concern to him.」
「But! That also means he has no regard for humanity either, right?」
「Exactly. Moreover, the Teras were born of Typhon’s hatred. He is the god who slew his own brother.」
「Garuda, on the other hand, is a divine bird—one that preys on dragons. The very being that inspired the Golden-Winged King Sword…」
Kou murmured a quiet prayer. Though his concerns were personal, he didn’t want Garuda to lose in terms of swordsmanship.
「That’s right. It bears the name of the divine bird that carries the Buddha and soars across the three worlds of the cosmos. It shouldn’t fall behind so easily—but the quality of a weapon is a different matter entirely.」
Kinukawa, uncharacteristically, wore a stern expression.
「We need one more move. That Kakodaimon must be manifesting as the sandstorm. It’s likely under Seth’s control.」
「But Bastet is already exhausted. If we keep fighting in midair, the collateral damage will spread.」
Unit 5 was currently carrying Bastet to safety. Forcing her to fight any further wasn’t an option.
「The Hatis have retreated. But Seth and Hydra are gaining momentum. As long as they are controlling the Kakodaimon, we must eliminate them here.」
To protect the scattered civilians, they had to take down the command-class Mythology Weapons now. The Kakodaimons and the Teras would seize any opportunity to infiltrate.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
「Hey! Please, we need this one repaired—now!」
The Kasha arrived at Flack’s station, carrying the damaged Cait Sith whose legs had been destroyed. Other Cait Siths followed anxiously, clearly worried for their injured companion.
Their battle with the Hatis had left them all battered and wounded.
「I got it! But you guys are covered in wounds too! Once I finish repairing this one—」
Flack quickly assessed the damage and immediately called out to his sister.
「Marl-chan! Bring the legs of a Quattro Silhouette!」
「Is this kid compatible with them?!」
「I have no idea! That’s something only Prometheus would know. Even if it doesn’t work, it might serve as a prosthetic at least.」
The determined young boy was doing his best to find a solution. From inside the Astraea, his sister arrived carrying a set of Quattro Silhouette replacement legs.
「I brought them! Flack!」
「Thanks! Marl-chan, keep handling the repairs of the Astraea’s units.」
「Got it! I’ll leave the rest to you!」
His sister had noticed—Flack had a natural affinity for working with Mythology Weapons. She decided to trust him with the task.
「It doesn’t feel pain, but its movement is impaired… Damn, the coolant is leaking. First, I need to stop the bleeding—no, I mean, seal the leak and repair this part…」
Flack worked tirelessly, fully focused on the repairs.
「The joint structure is different from the Quattro. But if it’s just a temporary fix… Maybe Astraea-san can manufacture the correct joint structure…?」
「Of course I can. Send me the footage of the damaged area along with the necessary specifications.」
「Whoa! Huh? Can you really do that?」
Flack was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Astraea to respond personally. To him, she had always seemed like a terrifying empress.
「That is precisely what the Mobile Arsenal Platform exists for. This is my specialty.」
「Understood! Starting damage assessment and taking footage of the extent of the damages. The key requirement is an emergency joint that can cover the entire damaged section, and…」
「Acknowledged. Please wait a moment. With Arges’ assistance, this will be completed quickly.」
「Thank you, Astraea-san!」
For once, Astraea left a faint smile before ending the transmission.
Suddenly, an explosion erupted from the forest—the area where Kou had been fighting moments ago.
「Detonation Code detected?」
The detection grid had been triggered—one of the traps Flack had set.
Something had been waiting for the perfect moment to strike during the repairs.
Suddenly, multiple Hatis emerged.
「Hatis! This many…?! I see, they’re here to ensure the wounded prey doesn’t escape!」
「No way a wolf lets an injured target get away, huh?! Damn it… Guess I’ll just have to go out with a bang!」
Kasha began rolling forward, preparing for detonation.
「No! Kasha! The blast charge function is prohibited!」
Flack hurriedly stopped Kasha—it had been about to self-destruct to hold the enemy back.
「This ain’t the time for that kinda talk!」
「No, you don’t get it! The Kakodaimon are still waiting in the wings! We can’t afford to lose another unit. I’ll fight too. Cait Sith, just hang on a little longer!」
「Nyaa!」
The feline-type Familia sitting in Flack’s backseat relayed his words.
「Nyaa.」
「They say, ‘I’ll wait!’」
The Familia in the backseat continued translating.
「Thank you. There’s a lot of them, but we’ll make it work.」
「We’re going with the Madou Kasha! Let’s do this, Cat!」
「Nyaa!」
Another Cait Sith leaped onto Kasha’s axle, wrapping its tail around it.
Fusion complete.
「Flack! Run!」
「No! If I run now, the injured Cait Sith will be slaughtered!」
「Damn it…」
「I’ll hold them off! Help is coming—just hold on a little longer!」
Kou in Unit 5 was still dragging Bastet to safety, but as Kou prepared to rush toward Flack’s position—
A sudden transmission echoed across the battlefield.
「Magnificent, boy! To never abandon the weak—such courage! Truly, you are worthy of forging a contract with me!」
The next instant—aerial bombardment rained down. A series of precise, overwhelming blasts tore through the enemy ranks. The Hatis exploded in a single strike.
「…Huh?」
Flack’s eyes widened in shock.
Before him, a Silhouette-sized sword was suddenly dropped from the sky, embedding itself into the ground with a heavy impact.
「Draw it, boy.」
A voice rang directly through Flack’s MCS.
「Who… are you?」
「A representative of the BAS branch.」
The synthesized voice delivered the response.
Flack cast a deeply suspicious gaze at the enigmatic silhouette standing before him—a figure striking an exaggerated pose as if puffing out its chest with grand gestures.
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