Chapter 4: Mogami Heavy Industries Enhanced Exoskeleton Development Plan
1
Naturally, or perhaps obviously, powered suits can also be equipped by pilots.
They simply don’t equip them because they would interfere with operating their mechs, but they can wear them normally.
Since using mechs is safer and more reliable for killing monsters, pilot-specific powered suits haven’t been developed on purpose, but the equipment itself can be worn.
So if you’re a technician with a bit of applied knowledge, creating a pilot-specific enhanced exoskeleton isn’t impossible in itself. In fact, custom ones for specific individuals have already been made.
These specific individuals are unable to operate mechs due to insufficient compatibility rates with magic crystals, despite wanting to become pilots. But since they absolutely want to fight monsters, they wear specially ordered powered suits.
The distinction between general-purpose products and custom products is whether they utilize magic crystals or not.
Apparently, the custom equipment users take advantage of the characteristic that “if you can be compatible with magic crystals even slightly, you can imbue your attacks with magical power” to fight monsters.
Specific examples include the First Division’s swordsmanship instructor, known as the Sword Saint, and Shibano Yūhei of the Second Division who commanded during the great offensive in Kyushu – both have achieved the feat of subjugating medium-class monsters using these, though they’re only 5-meter class.
Based on these achievements, custom powered suits are recognized as not being completely useless.
However.
“It’s certainly a great feat. Magnificent. Even a contrarian like me has no choice but to honestly praise it. But you know, conversely speaking, even a master praised as a Sword Saint can barely manage to defeat a 5-meter class.”
“That’s right, isn’t it.”
No matter how hard they try, humans can’t win against 30-meter class monsters.
It’s obvious.
That’s exactly why pilots exist. Even those pilots don’t find it easy to take down 30-meter class monsters.
Actually, it’s absolutely impossible solo. Except for Keita and the Mikage-type.
“So, most of the military guys think you should focus on your mech. I think so too.”
“Yes. But there are those who don’t think that way, right?”
“That’s right. Those are the zaibatsu corporations, and the politicians connected to them.”
“Vested interests, is it. It’s understandable in a way, I suppose.”
“Yeah. They don’t think they’ll die even if they drag us down. That’s why they can do this kind of thing.”
“I see. So what should we do?”
“There are two things. First, ruin their plans. This can be accomplished by getting the powered suits adopted. And the other thing is…”
“The other thing is?”
“…have the military guys die.”
“Die? You don’t mean kill them… ah. If a large number of monsters come, we tell them ‘we can’t sortie because we’re in the middle of powered suit testing,’ is that it?”
“That’s right. It might be going too far as payback against those guys. But I think we need to go this far for it to work on them. …What do you think?”
“To be honest, I don’t really care either way. The military isn’t unrelated to this incident either. Above all, they’re allowing these guys to do this kind of thing at a time like this. I even think they should suffer a bit.”
If it were Isotani-san or the students who would suffer that painful experience, I’d think about it, but if it’s not them, there’s no problem. Colonel Shibano and Major Satō, whose faces I know somewhat, are pitiful, but they’re not the type to die so easily, so they’ll be fine.
“I see.”
Mogami-san seems somewhat relieved.
Since he understood it was villainous behavior himself, he might have been worried about me opposing it.
If I were a justice-filled, protagonist-type youth, it might have been bad, but it’s me, after all.
“Let’s get back to the topic. Have you confirmed the lessons learned from the previous great offensive?”
“Of course.”
It was an operation I participated in, even if just as an experiment.
“Then this will be quick. As you know, monster attacks that had been confirmed at a rate of about once every two or three days haven’t been confirmed even once since the great offensive. The General Staff’s prediction is that the demon race has switched from a policy of gradual deployment to continuously apply pressure, to deploying all at once to inflict damage on us.”
“Yes. It seems so.”
I think it’s a much more reasonable strategy than gradual deployment. Though, no matter how much they’re monsters, I wonder about making them swim from the continent. Thanks to that, we can target them when they’re tired, so it’s not a bad thing.
“So, the military predicts they’ll attack Kyushu again in about half a month to a month.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s just a prediction, though.”
“I see.”
I didn’t know that much. This is probably the difference between the network that Mogami-san has and me, who’s just a student.
But if that’s the case…
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“Those people who find us bothersome – they’re trying to make us experiment with powered suits knowing that monsters will come in droves?”
“That’s right. Stupid, isn’t it?”
“Indeed.”
Nothing but stupid. They can do such things because they won’t die themselves, but don’t they understand how much they’ll be criticized by the front lines?
…They probably don’t understand.
I’m sure the voices of the front lines don’t reach their ears. Only the voices of their close associates, superiors, and people who bring them profit do.
The front lines pays for that bill. However, the front lines in this world is more brutal than the front lines in the world I know. Naturally, they’ll string up the person in charge. In some cases, won’t they be purged?
(Ah, no. That’s Mogami-san’s aim. Yeah. Not bad, I think.)
If it were just me, if an individual did something to me, I’d normally retaliate or accidentally fire at their house, but that’s about all I can do.
When the opponent is an organization like a zaibatsu or military clique, I’m completely helpless.
Have other military cliques string up the military clique.
Have the military clique retaliate against what the zaibatsu did by stringing them up too.
I think the policy of never breaking from being the victim is not bad.
However, let me confirm just in case.
“If a great offensive is predicted, won’t there be a request for us to sortie as well?”
No matter how prepared we are, there’s no harm in having many forces capable of hunting large-class monsters.
“We’ve been approached. But this is an official order.”
Mogami-san continues while waving the planning document.
“I’m not a military man. But when I’m here, I have the position of Special Task Squad advisor.”
“Hmm, even if you call it a Special Task Squad…”
There’s only me and Mogami Heavy Industries people here.
“It’s a common thing for experimental squads.”
“I see.”
That’s all I can say.
“What’s important isn’t the title. Well, titles are important too, but that’s not the point this time. What’s important is that this thing is an official mission given to the Special Task Squad that you’ll be commanding. Though, you’re the only one who’ll be of any use in battle.”
I see. It’s an official mission, but they won’t assign forces.
“An informal inquiry and an official mission. The latter takes priority.”
“That’s right. Moreover, in your case, you’re basically seen as belonging to the Second Division faction, but officially you’re a student before deployment, so you don’t belong to the Second Division. The command authority lies with Ichigaya.”
Ichigaya, meaning the Ministry of Defense. Certainly, if there’s command authority over students before assignment, it would be here.
“So, this matter becomes an official mission issued by the Operations Policy Division of the Defense Policy Bureau. However, the details of this mission aren’t determined except for the period, which is ‘set the deadline until March next year.'”
“Huh?”
What do you mean it’s not determined?
“It means they’re leaving the method up to us. After all, it’s a performance experiment. Since we need to consider combat with monsters, they can’t force content decided in a conference room regardless of the situation. By the way, next March is simply because it’s the end of the fiscal year, not because there’s any particular operation.”
“Ah. Yes. I understand.”
Combat with monsters normally kills you even if you don’t mess up.
It would be troublesome if content that ignores the field was decided arbitrarily in a conference room.
When thinking organizationally, normally there would be a need to punish those who don’t follow orders, but in this case, not following is normal. Or rather, “being unable to follow” is correct.
Even understanding this, the military can’t not punish those who violate orders.
Therefore, they probably decided from the beginning to stop giving detailed orders and go with a “we won’t say the details, just produce results” approach.
Adding the fiscal year end as a period limit was to prevent me and Mogami-san from stalling for time, perhaps?
(No, it’s probably just common sense. Perverts will keep pushing forward endlessly if you don’t make the deadline and budget clear.)
“…Didn’t you think something rude just now?”
“No, not particularly.”
It’s a fact, so there’s no problem.
“…Well, whatever. Anyway, since we’ve obtained this free hand except for the period, we’d be fools not to use it.”
“That’s right. But with that content, won’t we normally be made to participate in intercepting the great offensive? What if we’re told to prioritize interception?”
They’d normally say that, right?
“I’ve naturally thought of that too.”
“May I hear your thoughts?”
If the content is too outrageous, I’ll refuse. If you say you can’t talk because it’s classified… I’ll refuse in that case too. There are no decent people who hide operations. I know this well.
“Of course. …The topic changes a bit, but our family home – no, the main house – is in Tōhoku.”
“I see.”
Well, it’s Mogami after all. The image is something like Yamagata, so it’s not unnatural.
“And locally, it’s quite a large family.”
“That would be so.”
Otherwise, there’s no way they could create a company with the industrial capacity to participate in the munitions industry without being a zaibatsu.
“As you know, Japan is currently providing aid to various countries.”
“That’s right.”
The Self-Defense Forces are actually dispatched to Vietnam and Thailand.
I’ve heard they’re providing various other aid too. I don’t know specific examples though.
“Naturally, zaibatsu companies are involved in that, but local notables are also involved to no small extent.”
“I see.”
So that’s how they earned contribution points, allowing Mogami Heavy Industries to participate in the munitions industry.
I understand that. And having come this far, I can somewhat understand what Mogami-san wants to say.
“So here’s the main point. You know about Far Eastern Russia, don’t you?”
“…I see.”
What Mogami-san will use for this matter is Far Eastern Russia.
That would certainly be a reason for me not to participate in the great offensive.
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