The Pontiff’s Sanctuary
「Astraea. The autonomous space mine ‘Hierophant’ has arrived in the designated sector while dispersing jammers.」
「Now then, let us establish ‘Pontiff’s Sanctuary’.」
The Astraea and the Hyou’s hulls gleamed as a massive spherical field expanded outward.
「The anti-neutron beam jammer has been activated. Both our forces and the enemy will experience reduced beam-based attack effectiveness.」
「What kind of mechanism is this…?」
The developer, Kinukawa, spoke up.
「Weapons utilizing charge-neutral neutrons—such as neutron laser beams and neutron particle cannons—are less affected by gravity or atmospheric conditions than other particle weapons. However, they can still be deflected using magnetic fields, Kou-kun.」
「You’re saying it’s possible to deflect neutrons?」
「Exactly. While neutron optics isn’t my specialty, I know several viable applications. Neutrons exhibit both particle and wave properties. The Sanctuary is essentially a magnetic barrier that applies the principle of neutron scattering.」
「Are the Hierophants scattering something?」
「Yes. They only appear to be moving erratically, but in reality, they are dispersing a reflective substance containing quasiparticles known as triplons, which interact with neutrons.」
Kou couldn’t grasp the full details of Kinukawa’s explanation, but he did understand one thing—the Hierophants were dispersing quasiparticles capable of interfering with neutrons.
「The ‘sanctuary’ doesn’t interfere with physical projectiles, so you don’t need to worry.」
「Yes!」
「In fact, since projectiles aren’t affected by gravity or atmospheric conditions, their performance should actually improve.」
「I wonder why people in the Interplanetary War era were so fixated on optical weaponry… Even if it eliminates the need for resupply.」
Kou understood the cost and logistical advantages.
「At the time, optical weapons were simply more powerful given the scientific advancements available. There were also concerns about the cost of ammunition and supply logistics in space, but the biggest advantage was the lack of a need for storage. That allowed for more efficient use of a ship’s interior space.」
「The storage aspect makes sense.」
Ammunition for Silhouette-sized weaponry often required large calibers. If storage was no longer an issue, ships could allocate more space for repairs, additional Silhouettes, or spare parts.
「Alright, you two, that’s enough talking. We’ll be within engagement range in just a few minutes.」
「My apologies, I got carried away.」
Kinukawa, who had been speaking passionately, snapped back to reality.
「The engagement range here is on a completely different scale from Earth’s.」
「Don’t worry. The MCS will handle all the necessary adjustments.」
Kurose’s casual remark was simple, but entirely true.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
The MCS of Unit 5 detected an explosion.
「What’s this?」
「Warning to all units. An intruder has entered the ‘Pontiff’s Sanctuary’. The autonomous space mines have begun their attack.」
Kushinada, who managed the ‘Hierophant’ space mines, issued the alert.
「Kinukawa-san, does that Panjandrum do more than just deploy jammers?」
Explosions were rare in space. It was possible that the Panjandrums carried their own oxidizers to generate them.
「You’ve got a keen eye. Besides building the ‘Sanctuary’, they also function as mines. After all, they are self-propelled mines. Looks like we’ve received combat footage.」
The visuals displayed an entity resembling a hybrid between a Silhouette and a Keres, soaring through space. This Silhouette-sized Mythology Weapon had wings on its back, and a fearsome and brutal appearance. This must have been a Kālakaeya.
Countless Panjandrums, roughly two meters in size, swarmed toward the Kālakaeya, spinning at incredible speeds and slamming into it one after another.
Even when the Kālakaeya tried to regain its stance, more of them came from behind, striking relentlessly.
At first, the Kālakaeya ignored the incoming Panjandrums, but after sustaining repeated strikes, it seemed to recognize the growing danger and finally slashed one apart.
The moment it got cut—the ‘Hierophant’ detonated in a massive explosion.
The force of the blast sent the Kālakaeya spiraling uncontrollably into the depths of space.
「The Hierophants are primarily meant to establish the ‘Sanctuary’. They aren’t designed for enemy annihilation… At best, they will destroy about one-tenth of the enemy.」
Kushinada’s expression was grim.
「That’s more than enough!」
Like Eirene, she was probably just being greedy.
「The barrier covers an extensive area. The enemy could come from any direction—full 360 degrees. At this position, though, it’s unlikely we’ll get a direct hit.」
Muttering to himself, Kou kept his railgun at the ready. Another explosion erupted in the distance. Zooming in to confirm, he saw that a railgun round had struck its target dead-on.
The combination of relative velocity and the vacuum of space—where heat had nowhere to dissipate—caused the impact site to glow white-hot. The interior of the Kālakaeya’s frame had begun melting from within.
「One of our Silhouettes has successfully sniped a target at a distance of 5,000 kilometers. The enemy has been destroyed.」
Astraea reported in.
「A sniper shot…? Was it Blue?!」
The allied unit displayed on-screen was the Canary—it had been a Fairy Blue’s ultra-long-range snipe.
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