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Operation ‘Mozu Drop’ part 2

「They can’t have that much room to maneuver. Even if they were able to make the Argoforce retreat, they should have suffered significant damages. The war has just finished, it’s impossible they had time to recover from it. Now is when they should be at their weakest. Their money and resources can’t last forever. If we don’t strike now, we’ll be forced to retreat to the base on the ocean floor once again. For that reason, securing the Silhouette Base is absolutely critical.」

「Agreed.」

Though Raimund doubted their opponents were struggling financially, he kept that observation to himself. Oedipus reviewed a report on his handheld terminal.

「It seems one of the enemy’s space vessels has moved into orbit. It’s one of the Hora-class ships that destroyed the Megareus. This might warrant caution.」

「I’ve heard the mass-based weapon that destroyed the battleship is banned by treaty. Any violations of those treaties result in obliteration by Okeanos. If they can’t use that weapon, they must be aiming to launch an attack with the fighter squadrons that supposedly re-entered the atmosphere after the Megareus was grounded.」

「In that case, they’re no match for the Antique Silhouettes. Modern fighter technology is nothing to be concerned about.」

Oedipus deemed any fighter capable of carrying a Silhouette little more than a target.

Even though the enemy’s fighters were equipped with electromagnetic armor, they were likely designed with an emphasis on lightweight construction, prioritizing mobility over the durability of ground-combat Silhouettes.

「Our forces are overwhelming. Starting with our flagship, the Gorgias, we’ve preserved a fleet of sixteen space vessels. Metal Iris has, at most, three Hora-class ships, two Aristeides-class vessels, and one Cimon-class. The quality and quantity of their weaponry are vastly inferior to ours.」

Oedipus said with a self-satisfied grin as he analyzed their strength.

「As for the so-called Aubade Force, they can only boast of one retrofitted ship from the interplanetary war era. That ship, their flagship, is a fortress carrier that can’t even fly, and their newly constructed ships are mostly inferior ships equipped with A-Carbuncle technology that can’t even fly. The idea that they could challenge us is laughable.」

Oedipus’s confidence wasn’t misplaced—on paper, the Mercenary Association Headquarters’ forces had a massive advantage. Yet, Raimund couldn’t shake a sense of unease.

「We’ll have this settled within half a day. Orbital bombardment will annihilate their forces. Even if the heavens and earth reversed, they couldn’t field anything capable of surpassing the destructive power of the massive charged particle cannons mounted on our space vessels.」

The Mercenary Association fleet’s ships retained nearly their full performance capabilities from the Interplanetary War era and were formidable. With their charged particle cannons and high-output lasers, the enemy could be obliterated without even deploying Silhouettes for support.

「True enough.」

Raimund responded absentmindedly, his agreement lacking conviction. Something was nagging at him.

That unease stemmed from their recent encounter with the new models from Misumaru Heavy Industries, their advanced fighters, and the airborne Lanius.

A Silhouette with performance comparable to, or even surpassing, the Antique Silhouettes. It was likely some kind of prototype. The assumption was that such units were limited in number. But… was that truly the case?

What if they weren’t the only ones? Could the weapons technology have advanced dramatically during the Asia War? Was it possible that Silhouettes capable of flying indefinitely or transforming into fighter jets had become commonplace?

Raimund shook his head to dismiss the idea. It seemed far-fetched that weapons technology could have evolved so rapidly in just a few months. While the development of practical fighter technology had been surprising, their Angels had managed to handle them without difficulty.

He knew about the so-called ‘technology liberation’ that had occurred prior to the attack on John Arms, but John Arms had been wiped out without any means of defense. It was hard to imagine that weaponry could have advanced so significantly afterward. Raimund, despite being close to the truth, dismissed the possibility based on conventional wisdom.

「I’ll move to the battleship Navis to take command of the frontlines. I’ll leave the flagship, Gorgias, in your care.」

「Understood. The flagship Gorgias has concentrated firepower and forces. There isn’t a Fortress Area in existence that could withstand this strength.」

The space carrier Gorgias carried multiple underground forces aboard. While they didn’t possess space vessels of their own, they were equipped with high-performing Silhouettes.

「I’m counting on you.」

Despite Oedipus’ reassurances, Raimund felt an unease about the strength of the Gorgias. The Navis had Roche Phalanx’s elite forces on board. Though their numbers couldn’t compare, they prided themselves on their superior quality.

He probed his unease, formed a hypothesis, and then dismissed it. If his assumption was incorrect, the fools would be them, not their opponents. All he could do was hope, vaguely and desperately, that it wasn’t the case.

◆　　◆　　◆　　◆　　◆

A notification from Okeanos had arrived: the exact time for the battle’s commencement would be communicated by him.

「They say preparation accounts for 80% of a war’s success, and it seems Trireme is making good progress.」

Kou remarked as he sat in the commander’s chair.

Asia and Astraea had coordinated their efforts, with the Familias aligning seamlessly. Other fleets would likely need far more time to reach such readiness.

「Voy, is it done?」

「Arges finished it overnight.」

Voy replied, transmitting the footage.

「It looks pretty intense now.」

「It’s disguised so no one can tell it’s Unit 5.」

The complete full-body armor had been designed to obscure the fact that it was Unit 5. The layered plating of the additional armor resembled the traditional ō-yoroi from Japan’s Heian and Kamakura periods. It was precisely what Kou needed, as determined by Arges.

「I’ve registered it as TSW-R1CX. It’s registered as a classified Lanius model.」

The unit had been equipped with two large additional thrusters, painted in blue—a color chosen specifically to suit Kou’s disguise.

「The body color’s blue, huh?」

「Visibility’s important to a degree. In the sea or sky, deeper shades blend in surprisingly well.」

「That helps.」

Kou replied, relieved. He hadn’t been expecting camouflage, so this was a welcome surprise.

「You’re really going out in Unit 5, Kou?」

「Yeah.」

「Is it even necessary?」

Aimer questioned, skeptical. Given the nature of the operation—a fleet battle—it seemed unusual for the supreme commander to personally pilot a frontline weapon.

「This is Operation Mozu Drop. In the old days, when people hunted hawks, they used to blind a mozu (shrike ), make it cry, and use it as bait to lure the hawk. In this operation, I’ll be the bait to draw in the target.」

This was a story Kou had heard from his swordsmanship master. The mozu (shrike) was named for its varied cries, written as 「百舌」 (hundred tongues). Hunters would use its calls to lure large hawks into their traps.

The operation’s name was a play on Kou’s own name and Lanius, the Latin genus for shrikes.

「It sounds more like a new finishing move Unit 5.」

「Unit 5 doesn’t have a finishing move. There is a technique I’ve registered under the name Mozu Drop, but I’ve never actually used it.」

「Oh? What kind of move is it? A throw? A vacuum-style attack?」

「Throwing techniques aren’t practical in a Silhouette. It’s just an original stance I gave that name to. If I had to put it in gaming terms, it’s like a counter move—luring in the enemy’s attack and turning it against them. Maybe I’ll show you sometime.」

Kou and Aimer’s lighthearted banter gave way to more serious discussion as Kou’s expression turned stern.

「Mozu Drop has two stages. The first involves a fleet battle. The second stage requires me to act as the bait personally.」

「I can’t see a scenario where you would need to be the bait.」

「It’s a necessary step for Outis and Kou to exchange places again.」

Aimer’s breath caught at Kou’s words.

「Understood. I’ll confirm the details with Voy. I’ll make sure Mozu Drop is executed perfectly.」

「I’m counting on you.」

Kou replied, standing up to stretch after sitting for so long.

「The engagement range with the enemy will be several thousand kilometers. It’ll likely involve suppression through lasers and particle cannons.」

「Their plan is likely to bombard our fleet into submission, then deploy their numerous space vessels to secure the P336 Fortress Area from the air.」

「If they had that kind of firepower, they could have defeated the Stones with ease.」

The Mercenary Association Headquarters which had chosen not to engage the Stones and maintained neutrality during the Asia War, had easily resorted to force when a new human force that could jeopardize their control over the planet appeared, for them this perceived betrayal was more unforgivable than the Stones.

「Exactly! But they didn’t want a long-term war against the Stones. Running the Mercenary Association that way would’ve been too much of a hassle for them, I suppose.」

Jenny’s anger was barely concealed.

「That makes sense. Their formations are sloppy, and if the reports on their tactics are accurate, this could turn into a close match, even just at the fleet level.」

「Don’t compare them to the Argoforce, it’s an insult to the Argoforce.」

The Argo Force had been formidable, both strategically and tactically. Comparing the brute-force methods of Headquarters to them was an insult.

「Got it.」

Less than an hour remained. He decided to review the operation one final time.