Treaty-Prohibited Weapon ‘The Hanged Man’ part 1
In front of an Epona displayed at Gallop Corporation, a large gathering of Therianthropes had formed. A large number of Familias were present as well.
The individuals on the stage were all clad in pure white garments. They exuded an almost feverish intensity, a group seemingly swept up by a peculiar and unsettling fervor.
「This is the gospel that has been bestowed upon us.」
A wolf-like Therianthrope declared, his voice solemn and weighty.
「Our creators—Okeanos, Prometheus, and Asia. And our savior, Outis. They have delivered to us the Quattro Silhouette and have proudly proclaimed freedom and dignity for both the Familias and the Therianthropes!」
Cheers erupted from the crowd, the Familias were caught in the fervor as well.
Matt –the president of Gallop Corporation— was absent from the company headquarters at the moment. Most of those present were his employees.
「It would be proper to await the words of the priestesses and companions of the savior—Lady Aki and Lady Nyanta. However, we lack the luxury of time. The salvation of our souls has already been granted. And yet, the savior demands nothing of us. Therefore, the only offering we can present is our lives. We must not fear death in the pursuit of victory!」
The crowd’s cheers grew even louder, the fervor rising.
「Let us pray and fight together! Only absolute victory is fitting for Lord Outis! We have been blessed with the Quattro Silhouette! Let us use this divine gift to repay our savior!」
The cheers grew even louder. Regardless of whether they were Familia or Therianthrope, the crowd continued to swell.
「Everyone, listen closely! There is something each of us can do. By purchasing even the cheapest Quattro Worker and taking up logistical support duties, you can aid Lord Outis!」
「And for those who cannot afford that, registering as mercenaries with Metal Iris will allow you to fight alongside the Familia in tanks and support vehicles. Join hands with us, my brothers and sisters, let us secure victory for Lord Outis!」
A dog-shaped Familia and a Therianthrope girl with pony-like features clasped hands and raised them high together. Although their bonds were already strong, this display further solidified their unity.
「Lord Outis has said that we have the choice of helping him or not. But our savior is too modest and gentle! How could we choose to ignore our savior’s plight and choose not to help him? Our true place is on the Trireme! For a future where humans, Artifact Consciousness, and machines work hand in hand! For our freedom and dignity! Now is the time to rise up!」
The scene culminated in an overwhelming roar of applause and cheers.
A strange new religion was beginning to take shape.
This movement would later become the source of Kou’s greatest headaches.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
「Kurose-san!」
Eira came running over.
「The Pleiades Squadron has been assigned to Astraea starting today. Classic Kou, huh!」
「We always believed in you, Kurose-san.」
「Thanks. Even old man Kinukawa was furious with those guys. Well, it’s hard not to. Right now he’s in the middle of requesting our company’s inclusion in the Aubade Force.」
「The people from Big Boss’s hometown are so kind, even to artificial lives, aren’t they?」
「Without a doubt! And Kou… that guy was trying to take the heat for all of us. Seriously. He should’ve at least dragged me or Kinukawa-san into it.」
「We are proud of Big Boss. And we’re also deeply grateful to the people of Misumaru Heavy Industries for deciding so quickly to fight alongside us.」
「Of course, Eira!」
Kurose chuckled sheepishly.
「And Kou is a friend I’m proud of. Now, we can fight together, for the same goal, for as long as it takes, Eira.」
「Yes.」
From the shadows of the corridor, the Pleiades Squadron and the Therianthropes watched the two.
「They’re totally in their own world…」
「I can’t argue with them being proud of Big Boss, though.」
「Yeah. Honestly, I can’t even put it into words anymore. I’m just glad we got to board Astraea.」
「Leave the skies to us.」
「When this is over, I really want to finally go to a group mixer!」
「O-Of course, absolutely!」
The Pleiades Squadron and the Therianthropes found themselves bonding over their shared resolve.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
Kurt had been summoned by the Artillery Birds Unit.
In the hangar, he found himself in the midst of a discussion with the Familias. It was, in essence, a plea.
「You want to add even more things to this wild bronco? Are you crazy?」
「We need more firepower. And maybe a bit of extra armor if you can swing it.」
Haino responded immediately.
「The Artillery Bird Kanonenfogel already has more than sufficient firepower, in fact, it has too much.」
「True, it’s powerful. But it’s still not enough.」
A fox-shaped Familiar replied flatly.
The Artillery Birds Unit was notorious among the Familias for being both highly aggressive and reckless, with an almost obsessive focus on firepower.
「Why are you so fixated on more firepower? As an attack unit, air-to-ground missiles should be enough to destroy enemy Silhouettes.」
「They don’t work on Antique Silhouettes. Not even against the lowest-tier, the mass-produced Angels.」
A mere handful of Antique Silhouettes had annihilated an entire convoy during a reconnaissance mission. That convoy included vehicles equipped with railguns and tanks.
Their weapons had failed to even scratch the enemy.
「Big Boss is fighting those bastards for our sake. If we don’t step up and fight on the frontlines ourselves, what’s the point?」
The bond between this unit and Kou ran especially deep among the units mainly composed of Familias. Every member of the unit was determined to become both sword and shield in this battle.
They had mobility. The only thing they lacked was firepower.
「Exactly. That’s why we need weapons capable of at least destroying an Angel. No way are we going to sit idly by while those things, barely hitting 500 kilometers per hour, have their way with us.」
「If those things top out at 500 kilometers per hour, then we’re fine going at 300, combat helicopter speed. Just give us the firepower we need, please.」
As the Familias voiced their demands, Kurt grinned smugly, clearly enjoying the exchange.
「Well, I figured you would say something like that.」
「What?」
「It’s about time. It should be arriving soon.」
A large truck pulled into the hangar, carrying a newly arrived fighter aircraft.
「What’s this?」
「A new attack aircraft specializing in firepower. You might call it the Kanonenfogel Zwei or Artillery Bird MKII. It’s equipped with two simplified LD cannons and four wire-guided Max Kramer anti-air missiles.」
The anti-air missiles were named after Dr. Max Kramer, a German researcher in missile technology.
「This… this is the Zwei?」
「Haino, I heard from Kinukawa-san. The prototype is complete, and he wanted your input. There are enough of these planes for every single one of you.」
The Familias erupted in cheers, their excitement uncontainable. However, Kurt, his face serious, interjected.
「The airframe has been enlarged. The new LD cannons are simplified versions of the D-Rifle but capable of rapid fire and achieve muzzle velocities close to that of a railgun. I understand you requested a single large cannon, but in terms of theoretical destructive power, this configuration is superior. However, the imbalance of mounting such weapons on a fighter is extreme. If the cannons aren’t fired simultaneously, the aircraft becomes uncontrollable.」
「Perfect!」
Haino exclaimed, his enthusiasm undeterred.
「It’s a wild beast, pure and simple It’s even worse than the original Kanonenfogel in that aspect, and you won’t have time to practice with it. It’ll be a trial by fire—are you okay with that?」
「No problem at all!」
「Of course! I want this one too!」
「Understood. We’ll prepare as many Kanonenfogel Zwei as possible and get ready for tomorrow’s battle.」
With the arrival of the heavy attack aircraft Kanonenfogel Zwei –Zwei for short—Haino and his team were ecstatic.
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