DOWL Master:Volume1 Chapter 1

Pupeteer girl

25/07/2417 C.E.

In the coldness covered desert, walked giant armored warriors.

A battalion of giants strolled in an uneven file, kicking up dust cloud as they go. Their whole body was covered in western armor. The identity of this 25 meters tall giant is known as ‘Titanic Dowl’ or simply Dowl; A giant humanoid weapon.

Their type-name is ‘Wang Fu’, they are the same generation as the Dowl that are being used in the regular army around the world. They were an all-purpose model that supports both bombardment and hand-to-hand combat. They have heavy armor and their mobility is not so bad, still there is a rumor that they could not operate for very long because they have a lot of large output motors.

Even so, this battalion did not make use of large personal transport vehicles, instead they burdened them self with energy backpack for long period mobilization and traveled on foot in this parched dry land, because this is not a normal force and this was all they ccould carry in order to be at their best in immediate combat.

Above this wave of unsightly overbearing violence, a large mechanize bird spread its wing, looking down with both pity and contempt.

“I’ve confirm that there are 24 deserted unit from Shidou army heading to Rasa. Still no reply after repeated warning.”

“The radio wave won’t go through this thick jamming signal, have you tried dropping capsule?”

“The drop was done 2 minutes ago.”

As if to support the communication officer’s word, blinking light from a capsule dropped by reconnaissance plane shines through the sand storm.

“It would seems they are ignoring our warning, wouldn’t you think?”

At the assertion in the form of a question from the vice chief, the captain slowly nodded.

Solar System Alliance Direct control Army – SOFEA’s both useable inside and outside of atmosphere flying mother ship ‘Gartmann’ made a big circle around and directly above the deserted force.

“Seems like this is unavoidable.”

In truth, they have been operating under the assumption of ‘Unavoidable’ from the get go, so they just turn deft ear to their superior shameless monologue.

“Ensign Ward.”

Gartmann’s captain, Yusuf Armon, used the intercom of his captain seat to call the pilot standing by in the hangar, in a more mellow tone than just before.

“Yes”

The sound coming from the in-flight communicator was that of a high-pitch girl. It was clear from her voice that she is not an adult, yet there was no childlike speech defect in her pronunciation. Tone aside, the way she calmly answer was that of an adult.

“Unfortunately, there is no change to our plan, soon they’ll reach Rasa self-defense sphere. After that the troop stationed at Rasa will sure to sortie and we won’t be able to advance or we’ll cause inter-city dispute. Therefor we will crush Shidou deserted troops here.”

“Roger that. Titanic Dowl ‘Misty Moon’, initiate dropping sequence.”

The countdown began along with the girl’s reply.

The large hatch under the warship opened up, showing the Titanic Dowl with its entire body facing the ground with it’s both sides supported.

As the controller counted zero, the supporting hook disconnected, releasing one Misty Moon, Diving to the middle of the enemy forces.

Having rearranged its posture from horizontal to vertical in mid-air, Misty Moon landed, feet first, on the parched desert without raising a cloud of dust. Perhaps noticed the landing figure, former Shidou army Titanic Dowl, Wang Fu formed a semi-encirclement formation to intercept Misty Moon.

Releasing sharp sounds of compressed air, Wang Fu purged the energy backpack from their high-capacity capacitor. They do this because while they could walk carrying the backpack, it is not guarantee that they will be able to perform combat maneuver with them. Having regain their mobility, All Wang Fu began simultaneously attacking Misty moon.

For only one Misty Moon, there were 24 units of Wang Fu.

For size, Misty Moon is about 20 meters tall, Wang Fu is about 25 meters tall. Wang Fu has all the important position on its grim looking frame covered in armor in contrast with Misty Moon which has no eye-catching armor except for two eight meters long rectangle shield set up on each shoulder and its milky white color frame looks frail.

Normally thinking, no, normally there would not be any need for thinking consider this difference in number, the outcome is as clear as day. However the deserted force movement were impatience as a cornered rat, while Misty Moon’s composure was that of a lion, lying in wait.

That reflects the difference in their combat ability.

The one who move first was the encircled Misty Moon. Against the Shidou deserted force, whom from their half circle formation, moved forward while narrowing their flanks, making a full encirclement, the milky white Dowl drawn out a long-handle weapon and rushed directly towards the Wang Fu.

The move only took an instant. The 20 meters tall Misty Moon is, for a Titanic Dowl, consider to be in the small class. But it is still consider gigantic comparing to the Africa elephant which do not even reach 4 meters tall. Yet that giant could close the distant no less than 50 meters in a speed that no eyes can follow.

A high-level maneuver only possible with built-in inertia control system.

Dowl is equip with inertia control system born from Psycronics technology. Dowl is an absurd weapon considering its size. That is why it is built to look like human in order to efficiently bring out the ability of Psycronic equipment.

Psycronics – a compound word from Psychic and Electronic. This is a technology that make use of Psychic-ablility or later called SIMA (Symbolic Image Materialize Ability), a Physical interference ability manifest from mind source, support by electronic circuit to stabilize its manifestation. It has been inductively confirmed that the closer the vessel housing the Psycronic equipment is to human, the more level of power could manifested. That is because at the moment, this system has yet to be theoretically explain, however ignoring all the unreasonable parts, immensely powerful humanoid weapons bring about by Psycronic is being sent into battles.

Besides Inertia control system, achieving high-level technology impossible using conventional technology resulting in attack ability, mobility and defenses superior to conventional weapons is the core concept of Titanic Dowl. Amongst the Psycronics equipments, the Inertia Control System, which is very popular in the military, is a standard equipment for Dowl, not just Misty Moon but even Wang Fu has them.

However Misty Moon’s charge had since gone beyond Wang Fu reaction speed. Unable to react, unable to follow, a speed that has far exceed the Wang Fu’s designer assumption on Dowl’s maximum movement speed.

First thing that the metal black carbon-fiber reinforced ceramic blade used by Misty Moon cut down of was a right arm of a Wang Fu that was guarding its own neck, then the giant blade turned over, ignoring the inertia, and cut off of both its legs.

The Wang Fu toppled on its side, raising clouds of dust. When a Dowl suffered a heavy damage, to protect the pilot from overcurrent reversal or so forth, the cockpit unit would be eject from its chest. Without giving the cockpit unit revolving midair a look, Misty Moon attacked its next target.

Every time Misty Moon brandished its weapon, enemy Dowl lost its head and both its legs cut off. With no gap between the tip and the crescent fang, A giant halberd (TL notes: see Lubu’s halberd) easily cut through Wang Fu’s heavy armor

Jigsaw Glaive swung by Wang Fu was unable to even strike Misty Moon.

The enemies Gun Javelin rail gun, a needle shape javelin with explosive insert into its tip, also could not even touch Misty Moon.

Ignoring the size, the battle field that middle ages knight were marching to do close combat, now looks like a one sided trample down.

There was too much difference in mobility between Dowl from the Shidou and Dowl from SOFEA.

The difference in mobility means the difference in level of handling the Inertia Control System.

And accompanying the difference in Dowl’s performance, reflect the difference in ability of the pilot, the Dowl Master.

“Damned, You SOFEA’s monster!”

Wang Fu’s pilot, Dowl Master screamed in anger and despair. However that voice only fruitlessly echoed in the cockpit, for the one who would receive that transmission no longer exist.

His unit was the last one.

The moment after the milk colored Dowl disappear, he saw his Dowl’s head and legs cut part from behind, scattered in the sand storm covered land.

-<>-<>-<>-

25 century C.E., the world has split into countless city states.

A global-scale civil war stared from the struggle for underground resource, ‘States dismantling war’.

Unlike head-on collision between large alliance or large union, A war that was done by instigating guerilla, terrorist or criminal syndicate from behind on order to divide other countries in to parts. Due to being a civil war no nuclear weapon were use, the one to increase their ‘non-regular war potential’ were the major powers, while the developed countries also strengthen their force.

Fearing nuclear terrorism, they strictly sealed of nuclear weapons. Ironically, the regional conflict all the more intensify from that.

Terrorism on transport and communications infrastructure happens in succession.

Political paralysis.

Before they noticed it, cities became lockdown fort surrounded by tall walls, equipped with high output power plant and sunlight agriculture plant, catering on animal protein and recycle, with an exception of mineral resource, a self-sufficient city. However, due to fearing their settlement would become supply base for guerilla or terrorist, the statesman supported by the citizen turned the outside of their city into uninhabitable wasteland.

Finally after 30 years of mutual destruction using non-regular war potential, no, their cannibalism, the period of war finally reached its end.

200 years after.

The world is now govern by Lock down-cycle environment type city states called Polis. Using aviation as means of transport as well as monopolize the undersea natural resource, the one who regulated each Polis’s interest is the Solar System development organization, also known as the Solar System Alliance.

Those who were allowed to be polis’s citizen who think them selfs a successor of humanity, is bless with the grace of high technical civilization, consider the outside of the polis to be a lawless area and will not even turn their eyes to those who lived there.

Those who were left out of the Polis, living in the wilderness were called Auton, or Outer by citizen of Polis, has grown into a community. Other than Auton there is also a group of people who called themselves ‘naturalist’, who were exposed to the menace of nature itself.

-<>-<>-<>-

The white skin was getting dye red under the hot shower. Facing up and using both hands to hold her hair up while closing her eyes, Misty Moon’s Dowl Master, Reine Ward Takajyo is letting her delicate naked body get hit by hot drops water. While the hot water, as if licking, streamed down her body, like it was hiding this bewitching jest, a white spray of hot water wrapped around her body.

After return to the far east base she belong to, Reine goes to her lodging house and took shower immediately, even though her body was neither dirty or sweaty. The cock pit of Titanic Dowl is a thoroughly optimized environment even more clean and comfortable than mother ship’s cabinet. However piloting a Dowl means to personally feel as if you have become the giant itself, wearing gigantic armor while fighting. Because the operation was executed in a sandstorm, feeling as if one self is smeared with sands, Reine is overwhelm by the obsessive idea that she must take a shower.

Finally feeling refresh after she took her sweet time washing her body, after Reine step out of the bathroom she received a call from her intercom. Leaving the video function turned off, still wearing her bath towel, she corrected her posture then answered the call. It was the base commander’s secretary who called her. The order was for her to report directly to the commander’s room. Reine hurriedly change her cloths.

The far east base in Okinawa is consider to be very important even amongst one of surface base for SOFEA, the Solar System Development Organization, nicknamed Solar System Alliance, board of director direct control army and the strongest unit in the alliance army. With the highest position in SOFEA not being Marshal but General, having the base commander being no less than a Major General also shows the importance of this place.

“Much appreciated, Ensign Ward. A splendid work as always.”

“Thank you, sir.”

At the commanding officer room, Reine was being personally thanked by the base commander, Major General Suou Agus. Not everyone would receive this kind of favor. For one with the position of Major General to give thanks to an Ensign face to face is consider unprecedented even in a place as lack in class consciousness as SOFEA.

For she is consider special even in the people with remarkable skill in SOFEA.

“About the treatment of the deserted soldier, we have decided safely deliver them back to Shidou Polis.”

Hearing those words, Reine doubtfully grimaced. The fact that they desertion had been a semi camouflage and that their marched to Rasa had received tacit consent from Shidou’s government was explained to Reine in Gartmann briefing room.

However Major general Suou has predicted both Reine’s suspicion and her reason for it.

“After we plenty interrogate their back ground, of course. We will also tell Shidou govern of our established fact as well.”

Having listened to the additional explanation, Reine’s doubt melt away. In a nut shell, in order to deliver the prisoner of war they must both go conduct a political negotiation, which is a satisfactory outcome for the alliance.

“With this, that region should be stable for a while. The board of director is also very pleased with your effort.”

Reine smile insincerely that the repeated compliment.

“Well… Ensign is seventeen years old, am I correct?”

“Yes.”

At the sudden change of subject, Reine showed her confusion. The mature expression she wore so far has turn to something that befits her age.

“How many school course have you finished? Have you completed any high class curriculum?”

“… No.”

Hearing her answer, the base commander let out a short sigh.

In that, blend the feeling of ‘as expected’ and the feeling of ‘this is bad’.

“…The truth is, I received some advice from the alliance personnel department.”

Reine’s loss expression now has anxiety added to it.

“Whether you were given enough learning opportunity or not.”

“Er, I don’t really…. Tutorial from AI is sufficient for me.”

Now at last, she was clearly panic. To Reine, school was a place that stirred up the memory she does not want to remember.

“So you’ve been saying that and it seems we at the far east base have spoiling you too much. No, I really appreciate your feeling, and it is really convenient for me too. Unfortunately, this time what personal department says does stand to reason. There are things which cannot be learn unless you are in a proper community.”

Suou let out a short but profound sigh.

“According to SOFEA military regulations, we only commission people above 28 years old. Its true we make special exception for Dowl Master, however problem will surely arise if the officer have not receive high class education.”

Major general Suou picked up an electronic paper from his table.

“Ensign Reine Ward Takajyo. Even though this is supposed to be military order than personal order… You are to be enroll into L4 Iwato Island’s high class training school; this is an order.”

“… roger that.”

Reine tried to open her mouth many times, finally she gave a short acceptance.

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