What Is This? A New Kind of… Panjandrum? No, it’s Walking!
The two Corvus models advanced into the sealed district. Since only Development Engineers could enter the sector, active defense mechanisms did not exist, but the area was a labyrinth of complex pathways.
The Fortress Areas and Defense Domes had multiple layers of underground streets and infrastructure designed to allow Silhouettes to use them in case of a surface emergency. The P336 Fortress Area, which was of medium scale, had a massive sealed district.
「Castor-sama, it seems you were able to enter the sealed district.」
「Vasa, huh. I lost my Corvus’ right arm, but I took down a strong swordswoman. Bardo also defeated Takaba.」
「That’s good to hear. Unfortunately, I was defeated, and the right chest section of my unit was severed.」
「What? Is the one guarding this place that skilled?」
「I’ll explain the details when we regroup. For now, we should take control of this place with our three units and capture the Development Engineer in question.」
「If they’re that skilled, we might be able to use them as a valuable asset. Understood, let’s regroup first.」
The two Corvus descended to the third level. According to the information they had gathered from other Fortress Areas, this place was a grand hall. It should be connected to several other deep-sealed districts, so it was a place that required caution. If the enemy had sent troops with Development Engineer qualifications to ambush them this would be the place.
The elevator to the next floor was just ahead, and beyond that, a straight path.
However, the enemy wasn’t waiting on the next floor, someone was standing in the passage waiting for them. A strange Silhouette was blocking the passage.
The waiting Silhouette was holding a massive round shield, large enough to cover most of its body. It also carried a similar shield on its back, it looked like a unit mainly geared for defense at first glance.
For the two piloting the Corvus, it was a frustrating sight. Shields and swordsmanship were a bad combination, for the two who were only versed in Japanese techniques the combination was even worse. In Japanese swordsmanship, shields weren’t often accounted for. There were some sword techniques that considered armor, like kaisha-kenjutsu, but handheld shields and portable wall shields like those used during the Sengoku period were not considered.
「So, there’s still a Development Engineer left, but they can’t be as strong as Takaba Hyoue and Chiba.」
Castor spat that arrogantly, clearly underestimating the opponent.
「My name is Marujin. Remember it well. Let me be blunt—you’re weak! I won’t let you pass any further.」
The person who appeared in the communication was the masked man who had given a speech just moments before.
「Are you the leader of those British reinforcements? Do you really think you can defeat us alone? You are wasting my time. Or is that your goal?」
Marujin’s Silhouette seemed focused entirely on defense, with no apparent means of attack. It was clear Maujin had come with the intention of stalling for time.
「Indeed, you are correct. I’m here to buy time. How about a hot cup of tea?」
「Are you mocking me? I have no time for small fry. The difference between our machines and combat skills is painfully obvious.」
Castor spoke frankly, observing the subtle signs in the Silhouette’s stance. The pilot’s habits often reflected in the Silhouette’s idle posture, and from what he saw, the man before him seemed like an amateur in combat.
「My Silhouette, the Merlin, is only good at a few tricks. Its performance isn’t nearly enough to defeat two units based on the Huckebein. However, I’ll use those few tricks to stop you here.」
「If you won’t move, I will just remove you.」
Bardo couldn’t hide his frustration either. There was a sense that they were being mocked.
「And what about you? Do you think only two Development Engineers can force your way through? It’s true that only Development Engineers can enter the sealed district. But doesn’t that make this place the perfect place to lay a trap? This Silhouette is enough to hold you two here.」
「Don’t be ridiculous! There’s no way you can do that!」
「Oh, but it can. Did you really think this was just a shield? No one’s foolish enough to stuff explosives inside a shield.」
With that, the Merlin took the circular object from its back, which only looked like a shield at first glance, and connected it to the ‘shield’ he was holding. The combined object transformed into a massive, spinning wheel, resembling a giant spindle.
「Ex-explosives? It can’t be…」
Castor’s face tensed, and Bardo let out a scream.
「Don’t tell me… Not again! Damn it! It’s that thing, isn’t it? I’m so sick of this!」
「Prepare yourselves! Feel the power of the newest model of Panjandrum! The portable Panjandrum, Hermit of the Hidden!」
Marujin shouted, his demeanor suddenly shifting as the Panjandrum ‘Hermit’ rolled down the corridor.
「Tch!」
Bardo swung his fluid metal sword at the rolling Panjandrum, managing to land a hit, but its armor was thick. Though the sword left a gash, the Panjandrum didn’t stop.
「Castor-sama! You should retreat for now!」
「Understood. I leave this in your hands, Bardo!」
Bardo’s Silhouette braced itself to intercept the Panjandrum’s charge. Only a Corvus, a Silhouette equipped with armored muscles all over its entire body, could do something so reckless without ending up destroyed. Even so, it was being gradually pushed back, the rockets propelling the Panjandrum gave it terrible thrust.
「This power… How long can I hold it back!?」
Bardo exerted every ounce of the Corvus strength, using the full capabilities of the armored muscles, just barely keeping the Panjandrum in check.
「You won’t need to hold it back much longer.」
「What do you mean?」
「Ha!」
With an unnecessary but fierce shout, Marujin let out a battle cry, and the Hermit exploded, launching Bardo’s Corvus backward. After all, the Panjandrum was a self-propelled mine, and mines exploded. The explosives loaded in the hermit created a blast that affected everything around it. The area was quickly engulfed in a thick smoke screen.
The Corvus finally managed to stand up, but Bardo’s face went pale. In front of him, the Merlin was nowhere to be seen. Instead, multiple new Panjandrums were rolling toward the Corvus at an alarming speed.
Meanwhile, as Castor retreated down the corridor, he noticed an unsettling vibration sound.
「No… it can’t be…」
From both the left and right sides of the intersection, different types of giant Panjandrums, much larger than the Hermit from earlier, were advancing. Castor hurried forward, pushing into a small room—only to find something even more bizarre.
「What… is this…?」
The room was filled with a bouncing swarm of Panjandrums, akin to popping popcorn. Each was covered in spikes, rigged to explode upon contact. They were smaller, about chest-high to a Silhouette, and roughly six meters in diameter. These devices looked less like Panjandrums and more like the rolling bombs developed by the U.S. military. Castor couldn’t help but think of them as oversized super balls.
As soon as the Panjandrums detected Castor, they began to converge on him. These ‘small’ Panjandrums were also using the Merlin system. Looking behind him, he saw more Panjandrums of the same type closing in.
「A Panjandrum barrier!」
Castor realized the terrible situation he was in and froze in shock. He instinctively slashed at one of the bouncing Panjandrums with his sword, but the moment he did, it exploded violently, sending him flying back. Before he could recover, another Panjandrum was already closing in for another attack.
With no other choice, Castor fired up his Corvus’ rear boosters to their maximum capacity, speeding through the corridor. But then he stepped on something—something that reminded him of a Murder. It was an optical camouflaged mimic mine, a large circular device with numerous spider-like legs. It scurried around at Corvus’ feet, making its way closer.
「What is this? A new kind of… Panjandrum? No, it’s walking!」
The mechanical legs clattered as the walking mine approached. It wasn’t a Panjandrum at all—it was something even more alien and mechanical, it was something closer to a Murder. Normally, Castor’s sensors would have detected such a threat immediately, but with all the Panjandrums bouncing around, there was no time to react. This was clearly a deliberate and complex trap.
「A self-propelled walking mine? It’s small, so it probably doesn’t pack much of a punch… but who steps on a mine they can see?」
Even if he avoided stepping on them, walking mines that approached on their own had other ways of attacking.
Without warning, one of the mines jumped, ramming into Corvus’ right leg before detonating.
「Gah!」
Just like the bouncing Panjandrums, the walking mines’ legs seemed to act as sensors. Even the slightest contact triggered an explosion. Though the blasts weren’t powerful enough to destroy the Silhouette outright, they steadily damaged the Corvus’ legs with each detonation.
The self-propelled mines continued to approach, detonating at the Corvus’ feet one after another, delivering relentless, accumulating damage to its legs. Castor managed to leap high to avoid them, but it was only a brief reprieve. Bouncing Panjandrums gave chase, and to make matters worse, walking mines that had clung to the ceiling dropped down like bombs.
「Falling mines now? Thunder mines? If you’re trying to mimic a spider, at least make it convincing!」
As he dodged the falling mines, a Panjandrum slammed into his back, exploding and sending him flying. Castor’s Corvus was repeatedly battered around like a toy, blasted from one mine to the next. Each explosion knocked him into another trap, a series of relentless, humiliating blows.
Thanks to the thick armor of the Corvus, none of the explosions delivered a fatal hit, but the constant battering wore on Castor’s pride. The sheer humiliation of being tossed around like a rag doll was infuriating. However, he knew that if he continued to absorb every blast, the eventual destruction of his machine was inevitable.
He had no choice but to escape this Panjandrum-filled barrier, this ‘P-boundary’, and get out.
「Damn you, Marujin. I’ll never forgive you! Never! I swear, no matter what, I’ll kill you!」
Castor roared, his rage uncontainable.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
「Castor-sama? Bardo isn’t responding either. What in the world is happening?」
Vasa, piloting the Bogatyri, which had lost a third of its upper body, received emergency distress signals from both Castor and Bardo. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Vasa began making his way back along the path they were supposed to use.
When he arrived at the top of the elevator, what he saw was beyond belief.
Inside the hall, there were countless spherical Panjandrums. Amid this horde of Panjandrums, a Silhouette was meticulously assembling new Panjandrums one after another.
A side door was open. Vasa knew that that area was supposed to be connected to the general sectors. From there, containers were being pushed through, filled with parts that the Silhouette was carefully putting together. The work itself was fast and easy, the Silhouette only had to add the two wheels to a thick and short axle, and a new Panjandrum was born, it was a nightmare.
It seemed that these containers were being transported by a group of Familia. Since they couldn’t enter the sealed districts themselves, they were sending only the containers inside.
「What are you doing!? You—!」
Vasa shouted, suddenly realizing the reason behind the distress signals from Castor and Bardo.
There could be no other explanation.
「Eh?」
Marujin, realizing far too late, noticed the Bogatyri behind him. The Merlin, in a panic, attempted to shield itself with the Panjandrum parts he was assembling. However, Vasa’s autocannon quickly shredded through them, causing an explosion that sent the Merlin flying back, blown away by his own equipment.
「So, this is it. You must be Vasa. Allow me to welcome you with my labyrinth-specialized Panjandrum, Magician. Don’t they look like juggling balls?」
「Wait! You—!」
「And while I’m at it, here’s a parting gift: the walking mine Devilfish!」
Marujin activated all the self-propelled explosive devices and mines in the room simultaneously. Without wasting a moment, he jumped through the side door and slammed it shut from the outside.
「He’s activated all of them at once? Are you kidding me!?」
A swarm of Panjandrums and self-propelled mines rushed toward Vasa’s Bogatyri.
「Out of my way!」
Vasha’s autocannon fired again, exploding several of the Magician Panjandrums. But there was no time to relax.
「If I retreat, I’ll be captured… Damn it. There’s no choice but to push forward!」
With his half-destroyed Bogatyri, Vasha knew it was impossible to take down the nearly undamaged Kou’s Lanius C. If he tried to retreat, he’d only be caught by the pursuing Panjandrums. His only option was to charge straight through the self-propelled mines.
The absurdity of the situation twisted his face in frustration.
「Damm it! That Silhouette… I’ll kill him for sure!」
Vasa, usually composed, was now consumed by rage. If he was going to die in battle, he would prefer it to be in a one-on-one fight—not by being blown up by these relentless Panjandrums. But his fate didn’t look very bright, as the bouncing Panjandrums drew ever closer.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
Several hours later, a kill order was issued, not only to the Argoforce commanded by Castor but to the entire army under the command of the Stones, Argonautai. The target: a single individual. A bounty of unprecedented value was placed on their head, the highest in history.
AN: The model for today’s walking mine is based on the British air-dropped mine, the HB 876 mine. If you’re curious, Google it! It’s pretty cute, really! The British military even referred to it as ‘Sunflower’.
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