OOPArts Weapons vs. Modern High-Performance Machines
「Unit 5, launch preparations complete.」
Nyanta received the confirmation from the catapult staff. Unit 5 was ejected from the silhouette-designated catapult.
「With Unit 5’s cruising speed, it won’t take even five minutes. Stay on full alert.」
「Understood!」
Kou responded to Aimer’s instructions with a nod. He then turned to his terminal and called out to Astraea.
「Astraea, what’s the difference between the Silhouettes like the Angel from the Interplanetary War era and our current ones? Specifically, in terms of performance.」
「The materials used in their armor and even the concept of their reactors are fundamentally different. Even the most common model, the Angel, could achieve infinite flight within the atmosphere and was also capable of space combat.」
「Infinite flight, huh…」
「Yes, it utilized a technology that plasmafied atmospheric gases. Back then, this was considered a standard feature.」
「The technological gap from that era is staggering. Anything else noteworthy?」
Current flight technology, which relied on liquid metals, required the conversion of trace amounts of hydrogen from the atmosphere to sustain propulsion. A system capable of directly plasmafying the air itself would surely allow for more efficient flight.
「The basic structure is the same as that of the Worker and Bear models. However, their armor used materials from that era, basically, they used the same type of armor as those found on space battleships. The result is reduced effectiveness of lasers and particle cannons, with railguns and large-caliber guns only achieving about half their usual power.」
「So, the Silhouettes’ structure hasn’t significantly changed since that time.」
The foundation of the Worker model was established even earlier than the Interplanetary War era, in what was known as the Age of Exploration. Given that Prometheus designed it, it likely had a high degree of structural completion from the very beginning.
「The concept of armored muscles did exist back then, but it was primarily used for massive weapons. While modern silhouettes are structurally far more complex, they manage to approximate the efficiency of Interplanetary War-era technology, albeit less elegantly.」
「So, with ingenuity, we’ve managed to get closer to that era’s technology.」
「Indeed. Modern silhouettes also have many areas where they excel. Castor’s use of the Corvus proves as much, the Stones possesses a large number of antique models, after all.」 Astraea noted.
「That’s true; I’ve fought them several times.」
「The Antique Silhouette Angel prioritized mass production efficiency, making it high-performing for its low cost, but it lacked any standout features. That’s the trade-off for such optimization.」
「A silhouette so simple it’s almost boring, stripped of unnecessary elements due to the high technological standard.」
「That understanding is correct.」
「A modern high-performance machine facing off against what could be called an OOPArts weapon.」
The Angels were very close to being the perfect military weapon. Yet, Kou found it uninteresting. He preferred machines with more character—whether it was torque-heavy vehicles, highly maneuverable ones, or those with absurd amounts of horsepower. Each had its charm.
Suddenly, a question struck Kou, and he decided to voice it to Astraea.
「…If you’re uncomfortable answering, you don’t have to. But was that series also developed by your original?」
「Kou, you’re too considerate of my feelings. Yes, that is correct. To counteract the faction of super AIs inspired by Greek mythology, the series was named after angels from a different mythological framework. Including other mythologies, there are a total of five different systems.」
「I see. Do you know some kind of weakness that can be exploited?」
「Just proceed as usual. Even with infinite flight capabilities, their acceleration is limited. And while their armor is strong, it isn’t designed to withstand the specialized warheads used in D-rifles.」
「Got it.」
Though Kou understood the threat posed by the antique silhouettes, he refused to be intimidated. Resolutely, he pushed his machine to maximum acceleration, heading toward the battlefield.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
「Fire! Fire! Gahhh—!」
A dog-type Familia let out a scream.
「Hey, the pilot of that Silhouette! Get outta here while you can!」
「And leave you all behind? No way in hell!」
The timid-looking young man, piloting a Bear model, kept his distance while trying to hold his ground.
The wheeled armored vehicles acted as shields to ensure he wasn’t targeted.
「We can revive if we are lucky! But humans don’t!」
「Running just means getting shot in the back… If that’s the case, I’ll fight to the end! Don’t shield me—just retreat already!」
Several silhouettes that had attempted to escape were shot down from behind, crashing unceremoniously to the ground. Although their MCS remained intact, their lower bodies had been targeted and were now scattered across the battlefield. Any machines attempting to withdraw from the line of fire were immediately focused on and destroyed.
The armored vehicles carrying Familia weren’t spared either, being mercilessly obliterated.
「That’s not how this works.」
The moment he heard those words, an armored vehicle piloted by a black cat-type Familia exploded in a violent blaze. A high-powered laser gun had done the deed.
「Why… WHY?! Kill me first!」
The young man knew he was being used as bait. It was a living hell.
Above them, the enemy loomed. Angels and Archangels hovered in the air, raining destruction with their railguns. Their massive power supply boosted the weapons’ destructive force, ensuring total dominance.
Far above, the Aratron was meticulously incinerating armored vehicles with its laser gun.
「Damn it! Just sitting up there, watching us suffer!」growled in frustration.
The young man, unable to endure the sight of the Familias sacrificing themselves as his shield, turned his fire on the Aratron, focusing all his attacks on the target. But even a direct hit from his AK2 didn’t leave so much as a scratch.
The Aratron glanced briefly at his Bear model, then, with apparent disinterest, shifted its focus back to targeting other vehicles.
At that moment, one of the Angels descended from above, attempting to slash through the armored vehicle protecting him. Just as its weapon was about to connect—
The Angel’s torso exploded, its lower body crashing to the ground with a heavy thud, followed shortly by the upper half. A deafening roar followed the destruction.
The TSW-R1C Lanius, Unit 5, had arrived, its blade drawn and ready.
「You held out well.」
Kou said, addressing the young man.
「Ah… yeah…」
The young man replied, his voice shaky, as if that was all he could manage.
「Familias and remaining Silhouettes, scatter and retreat!」
At Kou’s order, the Familias began a disciplined withdrawal, their movements precise and organized.
As an Archangel attempted to target the retreating units, Kurose’s Aramasa blade sliced it cleanly in two.
「What?! These are antiques!」
Antique silhouettes, with their near-invincible armor, were supposed to be untouchable against modern silhouettes. Yet, two had been effortlessly bisected.
「Your understanding is outdated.」
Kou retorted coldly.
He surveyed the field of devastation: armored vehicles wrecked beyond recognition, MCS exposed, and even Familia burned to blackened husks. The indiscriminate slaughter, committed on a whim by overwhelmingly powerful foes, ignited an uncontrollable fury within him. Their motives for this carnage were incomprehensible, and the call of his deepest instincts urged him to destroy the enemy who had committed such devastation.
「I’ll cut every last one of you down.」
Kou declared, his voice unwavering and resolute.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
「So that’s TAKABA’s Lanius? Was it always this powerful?」
The pilot of Aratron muttered to himself.
He was aware of Metal Iris’s victory during the Asia War but had no detailed knowledge of their weaponry or the evolution of their Silhouettes since then.
「Two more are approaching! They appear to be a new silhouette and a fighter jet!」
A report from an Archangel pilot came over the comms.
「Unbelievable as it sounds, there’s a silhouette riding a fighter jet!」
「I find it hard to believe that Silhouettes have advanced so much in such a short time while we were bidding out time at the bottom of the ocean…」
「But, Captain Ryuk, it’s taking enemies down in a single strike. Something impossible is happening!」
The man addressed as Ryuk calmly surveyed the battlefield below. For a moment, he felt as though the Lanius, looking up from below, had locked eyes with him.
An indescribable, peculiar feeling bubbled up within him. It was unpleasant. He decided then and there that he would kill it.
「We’ve lost both an Angel and an Archangel! Our side has suffered significantly greater losses!」
「I’ll send the bill to Metal Iris later. They don’t seem to grasp the value of antiques.」
What was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance in force against armored vehicles had turned into an unexpected clash with formidable forces, costing them two Antique Silhouettes. While Ryuk didn’t care about the lives of the pilots, the machines’ worth was another matter. He intended to recover that value from Metal Iris.
「We’re the attackers here. Do you really think they’ll pay?」
「They’ll pay. We’re backed by the Mercenary Asociation’s Headquarters. Any excuse will do.」
Turning back to his unit, he issued new instructions.
「The plan was to scatter their vehicle units and gauge their rapid response capability… but it seems we’ve stumbled upon troublesome opponents.」
He surmised that whoever fielded such high-performance machines likely belonged to an elite ace unit or a direct corporate squadron. These machines weren’t common models; he was sure of that. The destroyed armored vehicles and silhouettes so far were within the expected range of performance he was familiar with, but these new machines were something else entirely.
「It seems they specialize in close combat. Everyone, maintain your distance. Kill them from range. The railguns we use output several times more energy than theirs. Conversely, their firearms can’t even scratch us.」
「Understood!」
「Sweep them all away!」
The remaining three Antique Silhouettes pulled back, aiming their weapons at the Lanius and the Aramasa. However, they couldn’t lock on effectively.
Both machines were executing high-speed evasive maneuvers as they moved. While a well-placed shot would nearly guarantee a hit, the Lanius maintained a crouched, low profile that was hard to target, while the Aramasa, mounted on a fighter jet, zipped across the battlefield at incredible speeds.
Deciding to focus their fire on the larger target, they turned their attention to the Aramasa. Its size, coupled with the fighter jet it was riding, made it a seemingly easier target. A high-powered railgun shot struck it directly—but the impact resulted only in a dull thud, leaving no visible damage.
「What is that thing?! Is it really a modern Silhouette?!」
One of the Angel pilots, flying a machine that symbolized OOPArts-level technology, ground his teeth in frustration as he observed Misumaru Heavy Industries’ new Silhouette.
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