The Signpost Gentleman

 

Unit 6 returned once more to the battlefield.

Even with the added support of the Familias, the enemy still held the upper hand.

The unit centered around the Shrikes provided by Nisos was fighting valiantly. But if not for their presence… Fran didn’t even want to imagine the outcome.

The townsfolk were also assisting the Defense Force. What looked like an ordinary single-pillar traffic sign was calmly racking up kill scores, transforming into a vicious blade in the blink of an eye. From the outside, it appeared to be nothing more than street furniture—a trap hiding in plain sight.

「Thanks, Signpost!」

Fran found herself calling out instinctively.

The sign responded by swaying side to side.

「Wait… it has a will of its own!?」

Fran was astonished. She’d never imagined that the facilities of her home dome could possess consciousness.

A half-tracked vehicle piloted by a Familia lured one of Greisen’s Silhouettes down a side road.

「Run for it—head to the Signpost Gentleman!」

「Did we just call it ‘Gentleman’!? Seriously!?」

Apparently, the Familias created by Asia had known from the beginning.

Using the half-track to corral the enemy, they led it right to the sign. Once the enemy was entangled with a Defense Force Silhouette, the signpost brought its panel down with ruthless precision—cleaving the enemy clean in two.

「He’s reliable, ain’t he? Gentleman suits him just fine.」

The Signpost Gentleman wasn’t the only reliable ally on the battlefield.

There were ambush units, too—guardrails and traffic lights. The guardrails, originally built to protect pedestrians, now rose up in defiance, forming a barricade that held Greisen’s Silhouettes at bay.

「Even the traffic lights!? That saved my tail!」

A Worker shouted in gratitude after narrowly escaping death by a traffic light’s swift strike. The light stood still, as if nothing had happened.

As the fighting raged on, Workers began clearing away the wreckage of downed enemy Silhouettes, so the signs could continue operating undisturbed.

「Thanks, Signpost!」

「Don’t overdo it, alright!?」

Not just the Familias—even nearby Silhouettes were calling out to the sign.

No one was more confused by this than the sign itself.

It had no idea how long it had been since its manufacture. It possessed no memory functions. It wasn’t equipped with high-grade AI like the Telema AIs.

But it understood this: the humans were fighting desperately to protect the Defense Dome.

There wasn’t much it could do—it was a signpost, after all. It had internal mechanisms for maintenance, but thanks to the Whis provided by the Defense Dome’s A-Carbuncle, it was essentially maintenance-free.

Then came a directive from the control tower: ‘You may display your will to defend’.

That was all.

So the signpost decided to do what little it could.

When enemies approached, it would swing its panel at high speed within its allowed range of motion and neutralize them. It could only repeat this simple action—but it would do so with all its might.

And now, for the first time since its creation, it was not only being thanked—but worried over.

…Not bad, it thought, with what little processing it was permitted.

No doubt the other facilities were thinking along similar lines.

Never before since their manufacture had they operated with such vitality.

The signpost’s rampage would continue for a while longer, and though it didn’t yet know it, it would one day be remembered fondly and reverently—forever known as ‘The Signpost Gentleman’.

◆　　◆　　◆　　◆　　◆

Nate was piloting a Shrike, directing the Defense Force.

There weren’t many Shrikes, but their mobility was in a class of its own. It felt much lighter than other units, yet it boasted armor rivaling the much slower Bear—a superb design. For Nate, who wasn’t a dedicated pilot, anything faster would’ve been a liability.

The AK2s, supplied alongside the Shrikes by Nisos, came with standard-issue greatswords that had also contributed to their improved firepower.

「Hrahh!」

He delivered a sweeping slash at a Greisen’s Buffalo.

Even if its armor surpassed that of a Bear, it was still enhanced by the same amount of Whis—meaning it wasn’t an insurmountable threat. The blade bit in nearly halfway to the MCS, freezing the enemy unit in place.

Immediately, Nate disengaged using a roller dash and ducked behind cover.

「A Shrike… and this is supposed to be a budget model in the Lanius line? Unbelievable. Fran’s been piloting something even faster than this all along…」

But the real problem was the Aberration Silhouettes and the Kazakhs.

There were few Kazakhs, but they were equipped with armored muscle, making them much stronger than the other models.

To counter them, they only had Unit 6. In the worst case, a Shrike could take them on, but it would be risky.

「Fran’s taking down the Aberration things and still managing to cover us. We’ve got to handle the enemy up front.」

Their facilities couldn’t produce high-grade weapons like railguns.

They did have the AK2s they had received from Nisos, but even those struggled against Armadillos and Kazakhs. Especially Kazakhs—their armored muscles doubled as ballistic protection.

In terms of performance, they were probably a direct upgrade over the Shrikes, slightly superior in both agility and armor.

Whether in shootouts or sword fights, they were dangerous. Ideally, Nate would have liked to overwhelm them with numbers—but pilots entrusted with Kazakhs were undoubtedly ace-tier. They wouldn’t fall for simple tactics.

Nate’s best bet was to bring the fight to equal numbers, and hope the Familias could provide that extra edge.

「Nate-san!」

A Familia called out over comms.

Nate hastily opened the channel—revealing a chihuahua-type.

「What is it!?」

「We’re about to enhance your Shrike! Please stay where you are! Oh—and not against the wall. A bit more toward the center, please.」

「What?」

Before he could ask for clarification, a half-tracked armored vehicle rolled up—and as instructed, Nate moved into position.

Unbelievably, the rear car of the half-track began to disassemble with a mechanical whir.

「Huh!?」

A dumbfounded yelp escaped Nate’s lips.

The disassembled parts reconfigured mid-air and began attaching themselves to his Shrike.

「This is…」

「It’s the Analyze Armor system Kou-san designed! A Familia-assisted emergency support unit—an add-on to enhance Silhouettes directly in the field. You’ll lose a bit of mobility, but your durability should improve drastically!」

This was a Light Larcher—based on the original half-tracked Larcher Analyze Armor, but adapted for production even in low-industrial-capacity Defense Domes. Its armor was roughly on par with a Bear, doubling the Shrike’s plating.

「You’re a lifesaver!」

「Then I’ll be going now!」

The chihuahua-type zipped off, carried by the front four-wheeled unit.

「Seriously… Outis, I appreciate it, but could you please surprise me within the bounds of normality? —Shrike squad, rally on me! Familias, support us!」

Two more Shrikes equipped with Analyze Armor gathered nearby, along with a steady stream of anti-tank half-tracks.

 

「We’re still outgunned—but that crushing sense of doom is gone! This is where the counterattack begins!」

Their casualties were light, and the enemy was thinning out.

Nate could see it now—the glimmer of victory.

 

AN:
Once again making an appearance—the town infrastructure saves the day!

Calmly dispatching Greisen units one after another, they might actually be more of a threat than the Familias. That signpost may one day continue to evolve, always known as the ‘Signpost Gentleman’, perhaps even becoming something like a guardian deity.

Light Larcher. The Analyze Armor makes a return—it was originally created to support frontline mercenaries and Defense Forces in regions where advanced weaponry is scarce.

They can’t use luxury gear like railguns; those require high-capacity, high-performance capacitors.

Still, for the under-equipped L451 Defense Dome, it’ll be a vital asset!