11 trump card

"Reactor output increasing! Series effect initiating!"

"‘Gai Bolke’ stands up. Bow Ether High Megacannon detaching!"

The battleship, ten kilometers long, reshapes itself.

The aft thrusters split into two, becoming legs.

The bow main cannon and deck split apart, becoming arms.

The vital parts remain in the torso.

The bridge becomes the head.

"All blocks transferred successfully!"

"Docking complete. ‘Gai Bolke’ assumes close-combat configuration—deployment complete!"

A ten-kilometer-tall humanoid weapon—conceived by a human from the earliest days of the emigrant fleet.

The nine original Queens prophesied by Youmei Byron.

When contemplating their defeat, human forces always seemed insufficient.

Particularly concerning was the inability of future warships and assault frames to respond effectively when engaged in close combat.

Indeed, the Lombardia-class battleships possessed combat capability comparable to Queen-types, yet lacked viable countermeasures once boarded.

Conversely, attempting close combat with an assault frame against a Queen-type remained impractical.

Even during the eradication of the Merse Queen eight years prior, only a small fraction of engagements involved hand-to-hand combat.

That situation had arisen solely because the Queen itself had been configured as a projectile-based unit.

And around 150 years ago, humans had considered—

...what if battleships were simply made humanoid?

An idea that seemed absurd, even drunkenly conceived, could never have been imagined by its originator to become reality.

The origin was something absurd, yet the Longinus-class mobile battleships were designed with that very notion—intended to clash directly with Queen-types.

It made no difference that the original Queen’s physical form exceeded the size of the Longinus-class battleships.

The intended size itself had already surpassed that of the Longinus-class.

What, then, was the reason for choosing this scale?

"Transition operations to Plan K34! All ships assume position!"

Plan K34. Close-combat engagement by the 'Gay Bolck' and fleet support.

The mobility characteristics of the 'Gay Bolck' in close-combat mode—its humanoid form—were not those of a straight-line-moving battleship.

Intentional dispersion of thrusters and the full range of humanoid articulation.

This allowed it to achieve mobility akin to an assault frame.

What did that imply?

The ability to evade an enemy's main cannon through maneuverability beyond standard naval norms.

"Good work! Press forward!"

The helmsman, praised by the captain, had no breath left for a reply.

Clutching the helm with desperate focus, he avoided a strike that would have guaranteed a sinking, deflecting an attack that threatened to end the vessel.

Given the frontal cross-sectional area, engaging in close-quarters combat was inefficient to the point of absurdity.

Thus, without maintained maneuverability, the advantage would be nonexistent—only a liability.

"Reactor at full output from engineering—sustained operation guaranteed for the foreseeable future!"

"Then let's not hold back! Prepare the Ether High Mega Cannon!"

Shaken violently by lateral inertia far beyond what one would expect from a battleship, Ether began to fill the main cannon housed in the left arm.

"Target all gun ports! Designated target: enemy super-sized variant!"

The Ether Cannons across the hull activated in unison, each locking onto its target.

The exceptionally large Ether Himegakanon shifted with deliberate weight.

The shift alone altered the center of mass significantly; the helm operator adjusted maneuvering once more.

"Fire!"

Like a retribution for all prior assaults, streams of Ether light extended from every part of the 'Gay Bolk.'

Though inferior in total output, humanity's deployment surpassed that of ASID.

Thus, destructive capacity was nearly equal.

Penetrating the Stalt's Ether coating, it carved damage into the underlying armor.

Yet still, shallow.

Only superficial wounds inflicted—regeneration began immediately.

"Ether Himegakanon charged!"

"Target the damaged area—fire!"

Ether Himegakanon, on its own, already reached battleship-class dimensions.

All components normally required—propulsion systems, habitation modules—had been replaced by the ether oscillation device serving as a weapon.

Its power—comparable to Stalt's main cannon.

At the moment of firing, recoil pushed the *Gay Volck* hundreds of meters backward.

A column of ether, hundreds of meters in diameter, drove straight toward Stalt.

The ether coating allowed no momentary resistance.

Explosion upon impact.

Armor plating blown away, revealing the interior structure beneath—cheers erupted even within the fleet.

The first visible damage ever inflicted.

"Now! Fire special resin rounds!"

Gun turrets, newly added to each vessel in the fleet, armed with solid projectiles.

Once, projectiles made of iron were used, but now they are considered inefficient—real bullets are no longer employed for simple attacks.

On the immigrant fleet, there are only two types of kinetic weapons.

One is the AE round—anti-Ether ammunition.

A bullet crafted from a substance that completely blocks Ether.

It can penetrate any Ether coating and inflict damage—though the material itself is exceptionally rare.

Moreover, it is unknown how much would be required to destroy a Queen-type model, which continues to grow in size.

The other is the special resin round used here.

This is not a novel technology.

It is a common method: two resins mixed together rapidly harden upon contact.

But what happens when this is applied to a regenerating ASID?

"Resin hardening confirmed! Regeneration inhibited!"

"Good!"

The damaged section, rigidly hardened by resin, cannot regenerate.

Eventually, either the resin itself will be absorbed, or the body will self-destruct to resume regeneration—buying time in the interim.

And now, with numerous turrets permanently collapsed and unable to regenerate, a gap has formed in the barrage.

"Exploit that gap. Assault Frame unit, all craft, launch preparation! It’s a race against time! Move efficiently!"

"Understood!"

Straight ahead, the 'Gay Volk' accelerates.

Inertial control surpasses that of the Assault Frame; the sensation is normally imperceptible.

Speed sufficient to overcome it.

A collision at this velocity would leave significant damage on the hull.

"Deploy multiple layers of ether coating at the arm tips!"

"Prepare for impact!"

At this speed.

"Gay Bolc" charges straight toward Stalt.

The arm, shaped like a spear, originates from the former bow of the vessel.

Ether coating concentrated at the tip.

Its intent is unmistakable.

Recall the name of this form, and the meaning becomes even clearer.

Close-combat mode. That is—.

"Damn you! Pierce them!"

It drives the spear forward.

Penetrates the enemy's defense, breaches the armor, and thrusts even deeper—sinking its fangs ever more profoundly.

"Internal scan—confirmed! Entry possible through enemy ether circulation system!"

"Open the bow hatch! Assault Frame unit, all units launch! Operation transitioning to Plan V76!"

At the same moment, the bow hatch—already shattered from the impact—explodes outward.

It was never intended for reuse.

Out from there launch—twelve heavily armed Ravens.

"First squad of the Instructional Unit, all units. We are the vanguard. Make it easy for those behind. Move out!"

Leading the charge is an aberrant Raven carrying a disc-shaped object on its back.

Despite clearly being more heavily armed than the others, it moves faster than any.

Following behind, eleven Ravens forcibly accelerate using orbital package thrusters.

Within the Instructional Unit, Jin’s elite squad clears the path first.

Further behind, standard-model Ravens emerge one after another.

"...I never thought we’d actually breach the interior of ASID."

"Only because of this absurd scale could such a feat even be attempted."

Among them are the figures of Kou and Yuriya.

Nearly five hundred assault frame units penetrate into the interior of Stalt.

Long ago, humanity—some 150 years past—had imagined.

A force capable of defeating ASIDs on the scale of hundreds of kilometers.

It could be prepared, but likely could not be maintained in peacetime.

Thus, this was conceived as a compromise.

If the ASID is that large, its internal structure must be vast as well.

Then, simply infiltrate from within and destroy it.

Longinus-class mobile battleship.

Its essence is not the overwhelming firepower of its main cannon, nor the high mobility granted by its humanoid form.

Only the ability to deliver assault units unharmed into the interior.

That was its true function—as an amphibious assault vessel.

"Assault units launched—confirmed!"

"‘Gai Bolc’ disengaging! Maximum speed—establish distance!"

Withdrawing the spear from its thrust.

‘Gai Bolc’ pulls away from Stalt.

Waiting for departure in that clinging state would be too dangerous.

"Second-phase penetration readiness! Create the breach—send in the second wave."

The next assault carries greater risk. Other vessels will follow through, requiring the deployment of individual units followed by immediate withdrawal—no time for retreat.

Even so, deliver as many of our forces inside as possible.

"…Count on me."

External attacks will not be decisive.

Only the penetration unit can bring down this super-sized ASID.