3 bar menu

You Shouldn’t Underestimate Kou’s Overprotectiveness Part1

 

 

「There’s only one enemy aerial carrier left. It’s a task force centered around transformable Silhouettes…」

The moment Aimer muttered that, the enemy aerial carrier exploded. It was right as it was about to pass over the airspace near the Megareus.

「Huh?」

「Enemy aerial carrier confirmed destroyed.」

Aki reported, displaying the footage.

「We have more than one Hora class Mobile Arsenal Platform, Aimer.」

Astraea remarked, smiling leisurely.

「The Eunomia!」

「This is Matty from the Eunomia. Our large-caliber laser is called Tenkou. Kou asked us to prepare it. As soon as Admiral Aimer gave permission to fire, we were already standing by.」

「Matt-san!」

It was a transmission from Matt aboard the Eunomia.

「I’m also sending part of the Wild Hunt unit to support you. We’re positioned behind the Astraea, so we had more flexibility to move.」

「I’m also a Hora class Mobile Arsenal Platform. I can easily replicate any weapon I have blueprints for. Although, I did just receive some of the parts a few hours ago.」

Eunomia had shown up at just the right moment. Though primarily a ship focused on logistical duties rather than weapons development, it was of the same class and fully capable of creating whatever was needed. Under Kou’s direction, Astraea had immediately ordered Eunomia to manufacture the same equipment.

「Some parts couldn’t be made without Arges’s assistance, though.」

Certain components, like the light amplifiers and mirrors, required the specialized processing capabilities of Arges. Arges wasn’t made in the Interplanetary War era, he was build much earlier, a robot that combined ancient pioneering technology and wisdom. Now that many of these advanced technologies were sealed away, he had developed high level craftmanship and had the ability to improvise making him unique.

「It was an incredibly accurate shot. Destroying it from such a strategic position will have quite an intimidating effect on any reinforcements heading to the Megareus too.」

「Well, I was the one who fired it. It’s quite nostalgic to see a laser as powerful as the Tenkou in action again.」

Lybia said proudly, recalling how such high-powered laser beams once crisscrossed between planets.

「You might be a shadow of your former self, but you were once a super AI, after all. This level of performance should be expected.」

「Calling me a ‘shadow of my former self’ is quite rude, Eunomia!」

「Thank you so much, Lybia-san!」

「Hmph. Well… it was nothing.」

Lybia, caught off guard by Aimer’s sincere gratitude, turned a bit awkward and responded brusquely, trying to hide her embarrassment.

「This is Trooper 4, Eira. We’re coordinating with the tank squad and deploying against the enemy ground forces. As for the skies… we’ll leave that to you!」

「This is Kurose from Pleiades. Kou asked us to handle the skies. Leave it to me!」

Aimer’s two trusted allies were both mobilizing. Eira was piloting an Epona armed with an AK3, while the rest of her squad were piloting Epos. Meanwhile, Kurose led the Pleiades squadron in the Yoania, and the Famillias were piloting the fighter jet Aello.

They were originally heading toward the Megareus as part of the main force, but had been called back immediately at Kou’s request, leveraging the long-range capabilities of their heavy fighters to quickly return to the front.

Tanks and armored vehicle units piloted by Familias were also deploying to protect the Astraea.

「The Big Boss asked for this! Famillia’s wheeled armored vehicle squad is ready for long-range bombardment. We were stuck playing defense back at Fortress Area P336, so now we can finally let loose!」

A vast number of wheeled armored vehicles were lying in wait, concealed behind cover. Since their vehicles weren’t suited for navigating through the bad terrains, they had played a more supportive role in P336 Fortress Area, providing indirect artillery support from a distance during the defense battle.

「There’s an overwhelming number of them…」

「Looks like everyone was eager to get here first, nya.」

「Shouldn’t this forces be on the front lines to support the the Megareus assault team…?」

Aimer began to feel uneasy.

「It’s fine. This is just part of the reserve force. Even Kou isn’t that reckless, he only mixes personal feelings with duty to a moderate amount.」

Asia appeared and tried to defend Kou without much conviction. She, too, had been tasked with watching over Aimer and Astraea, just like the others.

「A moderate amount, huh…」

「That’s right. Kou is quite overprotective, after all.」

Asia smiled wryly.

「You shouldn’t underestimate Kou’s overprotectiveness.」

Aimer muttered, her voice trembling slightly.

「Recon units on the front line have placed target markers on the enemy land battleship. We’re ready to commence bombardment. Distance is about eighty kilometers!」

Aki reported. Once they closed the gap to fifty kilometers, Astraea would likely engage in direct combat with the enemy.

「The recon units are also marking the enemy tank divisions. They’re advancing slowly due to the heavy tanks in the center, nya.」

「I believe we have enough firepower to push them back before they get too close.」

Explosive blasts had minimal impact on the enemy’s whis-reinforced armor. Still, if the damage accumulated over time, it would eventually become significant. Aimer reviewed the armament of the wheeled armored vehicles and was stunned. Most of the vehicles were equipped with armor-piercing rounds, designed for direct hits rather than just suppressive fire—they were aiming for destruction.

「Astraea weapon systems ready, prepare for ground attack!」

Although Astraea was currently immobilized, it had powerful anti-ground missiles at the ready. These were large, high-speed glide missiles, nearly 8 meters in length. Equipped with reactors, they could withstand electromagnetic barriers and even some anti-aircraft fire.

「How much damage can we inflict before they get too close?」

「We can destroy them. And the reason is—」

「Oh, we’re all set over here too!」

「Kelly-san?」

The transmission came from Kelly, who had taken refuge at the Silhouette Base. Alongside him were Yunlan and Kinugawa, both A-class Development Engineers.

「We’ve retrofitted part of Silhouette Base’s defense network! Since Astraea is back in control of the base, we all worked together to make it happen!」

「Well, you could call it a competition, actually.」

「When Kou-kun personally asked, it was hard to refuse.」

「We each designed different hypersonic glide weapons. The challenge was to see who could inflict the most efficient damage. It was quite interesting.」

Aimer couldn’t help but briefly wonder if the Development Engineers had been bored during their time in refuge.

「We have mass-produced and deployed the weapons you all developed. We’ve also retrofitted the missile bunkers at the base of the mountain range for missile armament. The live combat test is about to begin.」

 

It seemed that, under Kou’s suggestion, Astraea had coordinated an impromptu effort, with everyone pitching in to build the missiles. The Development Engineers, who hadn’t seen much action recently, had thrown themselves into the task with enthusiasm.

「I hope the Silhouette Base’s defense won’t be compromised because of this…」

「Rest assured. We can deduce from Lybia’s missiles missing the target and the attack and successful defense of P336 Fortress Area, that the enemy still doesn’t know the exact location of the Silhouette Base.」

「I see… but I can’t help but feel things are getting a bit extreme… How much did Kou ask everyone to do?」

「Let me say it again: never underestimate Kou’s overprotectiveness.」

The bombardment began. One by one, the silhouette-sized missiles soared into the air. The sheer number of missiles used was overwhelming—far more firepower than Aimer could have imagined.

「We have fought so many hard battles that I almost forgot how powerful the Silhouette Base’s defense systems are.」

「It’s simple. Previously, our forces were spread out across several fronts—P336 and R001 Fortress Areas, the sea, and the detachments commanded by the Cimon and the Astraea. But now, the battlefield is more focused, with only the enemy fleet at sea, the Megareus defense forces, and the detached force attacking the Astraea. It allows us to concentrate our firepower much more efficiently.」

Astraea explained.

「The fact that we were able to block the simultaneous assault of the enemy aerial carriers toward the P336 Fortress Area was mainly due to the firepower of the mountain defense network and the railgun defenses. Those are extremelly powerful weapons, they even managed to shoot down an A-Carbuncle-equipped carrier.」

Aimer reflected on her earlier tendency to underestimate their own firepower due to the overwhelming strength of the enemy. The feat of downing a carrier armed with an A-Carbuncle using only missiles and artillery in such a short time was indeed a remarkable achievement.