Chapter 81 - Military Demonstrations

<---Chapter 80 - Roots|Table of Contents|Chapter 82 - The Union--->

The tests were about to begin, with the generals discussing over who they thought would come out ahead as they inspected various samples of the registered armour pieces, noting any deficiencies.

"Of course Baron Namor's Fulcan Defense provides the most protection for our knights as always. I hear this time round, they have made great strides in innovations and improvements to the original base design that we have long been accustomed too." One of the generals pointed out on the material composition sheet, a complusory document that each participating corporation had to issue.

"Perhaps, but I see the Dimas Uniform by Master Huron being potentially able to overcome the challenges. Our knights should be far more mobile than ever - not walking metal coffins. With rifles and cannons dominating the battlefield, perhaps the best option is extreme mobility."

"I don't mind which armour wins - only the one that has the best cost-to-performance ratio. Our budget is more well spent on procuring more cannons and arctech weaponry than focusing on the knight corps. They are a dying breed in the modern world." Another general chimed in.

"Or perhaps we may very well find a way to integrate all three of them into the army." Count Leon smiled genially, as though he was hardly worried about the outcome, his eyes momentarily meeting that of Baron Cain's, who stared back at him with obvious suspicion.

As the various armour sets were lined up on the arena, Kyle got a good look at all of them, before leaning back and extending his palm out to Gordon, prompting Gordon to quickly place a half-read arctech textbook in his hand. Kyle never wasted time, directing all his efforts to to the betterment of himself and his followers at all costs.

The Tul'E Da'li officer scoffed at the seemingly arrogant posture of Kyle reading the textbook. "Slumrat is about to find out he's in way over his head. Nobody can beat our Fulcan Defense!"

The first test began on schedule, with a few Raktor recruits moving forward, using a standard military-issued knife to stab the armour in anyway possible. A loud crack and fracture could be heard as one of the private corporations' armour broke apart at the seams, the knife's edge easily cutting apart the main breastplate, clearly showing the deficiencies in refining and hardening of the original metal.

Any employee related to the corporation immediately hid their face in shame, unwilling to be recoginzed by the other members of the Society of Friendly Weaponsmiths, lest they be ostracized from the industry. On the flip side, their boss was unrepentant: "We aim for the lowest cost possible. At least the armour can block a single knife blow! With our cheap armour you could make every recruit a knight!"

"I too can block a knife blow with my teeth. If I wanted shoddily-made armour I would have bought them from Versia! Leave us!" A military general scoffed, immediately evicting the corporation out of the demonstration.

The second test was a antique handgun, used in the two Yual-Hwa wars. It had a very low muzzle velocity, only suitable for target shooting instead of penetration. Nobody really expected any of the armour to fail these part, until the next armour's helmet had a conspicuous gaping hole perforated completely by the weak pellet, the owner of the corporation in question flabbergasted. "How is this possible? We've tested it multiple times! Someone must have sabotaged us!"

The cries of protests fell on deaf ears as the corporation was escorted out of the arena, their reputation tanking amongst the master craftsmen of the Society. On the far end of the viewing gallery, a few of the other owners grinned, clearly involved in the sabotage.

"Get down there and make sure everything is well." Kyle ordered Gordon, wary that a sabotage could happen to them as well. There were far too many enemies in the demonstration, everyone vying to be the only recognized armour set to earn the military funding.

The third test was a standard rifle, the current issue that all Raktor soldiers utilized in battles. It was here that many of the armour sets failed to make the cut, many getting shredded easily like cheese or paper as the three iron or lead pellets tore through them at a medium velocity. Three of the private corporations were knocked out by the second pellet, large portions of the armour already fracturing apart like a puzzle, the sharp jagged edges of the wound glistening in the spotlight.

The final test was a repeater rifle, the same version that the Ilysian Punks had been stealing from the military. The repeated strikes pushed the armour sets to the limited, the weaker armour sets reaching their failure points easily.

Throughout all the tests, only three armour sets stood standing by the end, the viewing gallery now conspicuously empty, leaving only the Tul'E Da'Li officer and his associates, Kyle with Sasha, and the craftsmen under Master Huron. The taunts no longer came in, everyone there now finally recognizing the competence of Kyle's armour set.

One of the military generals personally inspected the surviving pieces, marvelling at the Aspis MK1, the surface now riddled with pellet dents, some of the iron and lead pellets having been flattened. "Incredible. Almost no backplate deformation after all of this?! How much does the armor set cost? It must be the most expensive of the remaining eight." He asked his aide-de-camp, who trailed behind him.

"Sire, the Aspis is actually the lowest in terms of cost. The total set costs only thirty thousand rakels when rounded up."

"Ridiculous. A proper armor should be about a hundred thousand rakels. There must be a downside to this armor that we just do not know yet. However, a thirty thousand armor set will mean that we might be able to recruit more knights than we currently have."

The aide-de-camp nodded, but leaned in with a low whisper. "Sire, if we choose such an armor set, we may incur the ire of Count Leon and his suppliers that have worked with us for a long time."

"Nonsense! If Count Leon wants a competent army, only the best armor should be selected! That is, if the Aspis MK1 survives till the end."

A bead of sweat broke out on the forehead of the aide-de-camp as he glanced nervously between the general and the Count glaring down at them from the viewing gallery. He hurriedly ran over to another armor, trying to embellish the others. "Sire, the Fulcan Armor by Baron Namor is also proving its worth. It might be a bit more expensive, but it may perform better than expected."

"Hmm..." The general sauntered over, looking at the damaged breastplate, noticing that the backplate protrusion were not significant, yet still more severe than what was visible on the Aspis MK1. "Perhaps. I will consider it."

The Aspis MK1 and the Fulcan Armour making it to the end was a given, but Kyle was surprised that Master Huron's armour set had survived. He had been under the impression that he had to only contest with the prevailing military supplier in the form of Baron Namor.

Amdist the audience, the masters of the Society of Friendly Weaponsmiths hardly bore any friendly expressions. "How is it possible that a bratty upstart like the Aspis is able to go toe to toe with our representative Huron?!" Master Dull grumbled.

"He must have cheated - but it is of no matter. The mock battle will reveal the flaws immediately and that arrogant Kyle will find his downfall swift."

[With the last three armour sets surviving to the very end, we will now commence a three-way mock combat between knight squads.]

The arena was hurriedly arranged by servants, utilizing arctech lifters to hoist heavy stone pillars and debris, mocking a standard warzone of about 400 meters diameter in a circular fashion. Makeshift towers and random broken crates were thrown into the mix, creating a chaotic landscape.

A few of the servants were a bit too trigger happy with the cannons, blasting apart the smooth floor of the arena to create ditches.

Kyle watched as a squad of Baron Namor's knights stepped forward, their Fulcan armour covering them from head to toe in quenched and tempered steel, the metal glistening under the arctech spotlights with the colors of the Baron plastered over them. The helmet had been shaped to resemble that of a cavalier, imposing a regal authority upon those who saw it. The engravings spoke of strength and instaneous power, an armor designed to burst through any form of resistance they met on the battlefield.

On the other side, a small motley crew of mercenaries wore a hastily arranged Dimas Armour set, some of whom had to reuse the damaged armour from before. It was far lighter than its counterparts, resembling a medium leather armour with interspersed steel plates, aiming at maximum mobility. Exposed skin were visible on the thighs and biceps, sparking a heated discussion between opposing philosophies on what an armour should be.

"It seems Master Huron has maximized the freedom of movement on the Dimas Armour according to his teachings." Another master from the Society noted, his accompanying journeymen and apprentices nodding quickly, jotting down the lessons. "The essence of combat is being faster than the enemy, always two steps ahead."

"Are you talking for yourself, or are you merely regurgitating words from long-gone masters?" Another master retorted. "Baron Namor clearly has the advantage here. Even mobility cannot outrun overpowering strength!"

"All the Dimas Armour has to do is to outpace the slow Fulcan Armour, and it would be an easy win!"

"All the Fulcan Armour has to do is smash the Dimas in direct combat! Skulking around does not work in an head-on confrontation!"

The heated discussion began to escalate into a few direct arguments, long time personal disputes being brought into fray as tensions rose, their stance ever more rigid from the two armour having proven their tenacity through the various tests beforehand.

"Its clear that the Fulcan Armour is the superior one in real combat, but the Dimas Armour is a good concept as well." The Tul'e Da'li officer remarked with surprising lack of bias and maturity. "At least it is much better than the shitty Aspis MK1, made by a nobody!" He chortled as he picked up a cocktail glass, siping on it before noticing a weird taste on the tip of his tongue. Instead of complaining about it and potentially revealing his own ignorance, he drank it promptly, unwilling to be taunted.

Kyle didn't care too much about the officer ingesting the Absolute Euria - his life or eventual death was of no meaning to him after all. Instead, he waited quietly for his armour to appear in the arena.

Soon, Baron Cain's knights entered the arena, though the reception was more muted than the other two. Baron Namor had the support of a major gang, and Master Huron had most of the Weapon's Guild supporting him. Baron Cain instead only had Kyle, a relatively unknown leader of a minor gang at best.

"This is going to be fun. I can't wait to see the look on Count Leon's face." Inquisitor Mason grinned as he whispered to Bishop Vernette.

"An inquisitor should be far above such petty things."

"Says the one looking at Bishop Flectus's direction for a bit too long."

The Aspis MK1 was not particularly shiny, the surface matte with an interesting color pattern that matched the arena itself. It did not blend in at all, the human figure still clearly visible, but it took extra effort to discern them from the random debris and cover around them.

It seemed to be a middleground between the two armour presented so far, having very obvious gaps in its armour. The shape of the armour was practical, not glamorous or exquisite in anyway, giving off a rugged feel. However, the Aspis boasted a significant volume of armour on the main body parts, the volume being even higher than the Fulcan. This led to a sort of oblique shape that looked clunky, even though the knights had good freedom of movement.

The sight earned a rousing chuckle from the audience. "Now that I finally see someone wearing it on, I can tell that the armour has lost its purpose! It is always a tradeoff between strength and speed, not trying to achieve both and obviously failing." Many of the Weapons Guild craftsman agreed, murmuring their discontentment. Part of their hatred to the Aspis MK1 was due to the lack of employment of guild journeymen and apprentices, hence the boycott.

Other masters began to weigh the three armours against each other properly, seeing the squads gearing up and getting into position. "Armour is not the only determinant of whose set is better. The compatibility with the rifle is paramount to a soldier's survival. I cannot envision the Fulcan Armour having too much leeway in repositioning and accurac- by Yual, what is that?"

A wave of shock erupted in the audience as the Fulcan Armour knights revealed their rifles, which was now strapped with an unusual bayonet design that looked more like a sequence of gears with sharp teeth. Thick engraving lines ran along the dense metallic center, the barrel of the rifle dwarfed by the sheer size.

"The grinder is our breakthrough innovation to combat an ever-changing battlefield. In the previous conflicts, barbed wire and fortified defenses were the main obstacles for the advancing knights - which will no longer be the case with the grinder."

Bayonets and attached pikes were not new for rifles, but it was a first for anyone in Raktor to see such a weird contraption being shown as part of the main offering. It definitely showed prowess and brute strength, something that could invigorate the troops in a frontal assault. The sharp teeth could also grind through armour easily if necessary - but only if the knights got close enough to the fortifications.

"This is bad for Master Huron. If the Fulcan Armour knights encircle them, they would have nothing left to defend themselves with!"

Some turned to Master Huron in the viewing gallery, expecting a defeated expression. Instead, he bore a wide grin on his face, as though he had already expected such an outcome.

Yet, despite his confidence, the firearm on the side of the Dimas Armour did not evoke any confidence at all. It looked very much like a standard antiquated arctech pistol used very often in the skirmishes of the past, with nothing fancy nor innovative about it.

Instead, the Aspis MK1 had a far more unique design, unlike anything the others have seen before. Contrary to the standard rifle design, instead of having a single pellet canister on the top and an arctech fuel pack strapped to the butt, the rifle featured four canisters on the top, angled slightly away from the barrel to allow the pellets to slope inwards. It also did not have a fuel pack, instead boasting a connection port at the side for an external fuel pack mounted by the armour itself on a well hidden back compartment.

"Four canisters?! HAH!" The Tul'e Da'li officer burst out laughing, his associates following suit. "A knight can barely fire more than five pellets a minute even with a repeater - four canisters is a ridiculous overkill. Might as well paint a target on your helmet so the enemy knows exactly where you are!"

Conversely, Baron Namor had stopped smiling, already knowing the reason for the four canisters from earlier internal tests.

[The mock battle will begin in one minute. Any man who is knocked down is protected. Any man who suffers an injury is protected. No headshots and no intent to kill! Count Leon and the military generals reserves the right to stop the fight at anytime.]

Down at the arena, the three opposing knight squads began to form up opposite each other, randomly assigned their starting positions. The deul began in earnest, with the squads immediately moving. Baron Namor's squad rushed forward, intent on striking down the Aspis MK1 squad. The Dimas squad had the same idea, working together to pincer attack the Aspis MK1.

"As much as I do not like the phliosophy behind the armour, is it not a bit unfair to have two squads gang up on one?" One of the masters remarked, slightly wincing at the Aspis MK1 squad slowly being cornered as the first pellets began to fly.

As if they were already expecting it, the Aspis MK1 squad began to entrench themselves behind the cover, taking up defensive positions with good viewpoints on both approaching squads from across the arena. Despite their clear line of sight, the Aspis MK1 did not fire at all, making many observers confused. "Are they holding on because their rifles do not have the range?"

This emboldened Baron Namor's squad, who charged forward unrelentless, leaning into the strengths of their armour. No cover or debris were a match for them as they made a straight beeline right for the huddled Aspis MK1 squad. The leading knight used the grinder at the tip of his rifle like a spear, carving a direct path through the mess of wooden boxes and even stone walls, showcasing its offensive capabilities.

As soon as the leading knight broke through one of the cover positions with two of his comrades in close formation, he rushed the nearest Aspis MK1 knight with the grinder front and center, intending to impale the armour. Instead, he found himself facing the barrel of the four canister rifle, the connecting arcia fuel pipe gurgling with full pressure, engravings along the length brimming with energy.

The leading knight hurriedly activated the inbuilt point defense engraving, expecting only three or four pellets to emerge. Instead, a hailstorm like never before seen blasted outwards from the rifle in rapid fire, the pellets in the mounted canisters being consumed at a rapid rate while the barrage mowed down the three knights in quick succession with green point-defense arcia bolts flying harmlessly. The withering fire annihilated the Fulcan Defense steel, denting it and sending the remaining Baron Namor's knights scrambling for cover themselves.

Unfortunately, the leading knight took the brunt of the damage, bleeding from multiple new orificies that had torn through the front of his armour like butter. It was near impossible for him to move without getting sliced or jabbed by the jagged edges of the holes, the backplate deformation of the impact crushing his flesh uncomfortably as he hit the ground with a loud thud, the first casualty of the duel.

Baron Namor sat upright in his chair, no longer resting on his laurels as he glared at the seemingly infinite pellet capacity of the rifle. Everyone was caught off-guard, some now fully understanding why the rifle had four canisters of pellets instead of one. "By Yual, it's an improved repeater!"

The Dimas squad did not prove any better. With minimal armour on, they had even less protection from the pellet storm than the Fulcan Defense. One of the more daring mercenaries activated his boots, increasing his footwork as he tried to close the distance towards the entrenched Aspis MK1 squad, but was instantly suppressed from all angles, intermittent fire from the squad pinning him down well enough.

The two attacking squads were not dumb - if they could not wrest control of the defensive position, they would rather hold their own line against the Aspis MK1 squad without risking too much in an all out attack. Instead, they began to look towards each other, wondering if they could at least claim second place.

However, they never had the choice, as the Aspis MK1 squad split into two, both parts rushing out to attack. "Now's our chance! Get them!" The mercernary leader grinned, charging out with two pistols, firing with abandon. The pellets hardly made a dent on the honeycomb structure of the armor plates, each individual ceramic element reducing the ballistic impact greatly, allowing the Aspis MK1 armour to shrug it off.

Soon, the duel turned into a one-sided massacre, as the wounded began to accumulate on the arena, all of whom were not Aspis MK1 armour. The only time the armour showed some form of weakness was when one of the grinders hit the armour, tearing it apart easily. Yet with the withering barrage and immense firepower, most of the grinders could not get close.

"I've seen enough. Stop the duel." Count Leon raised his hand. "Generals, please make your decision."

The generals look at each other in apprehension, with only one of them being far happier than the others. "Of course, the cheapest and best armour, which is clearly the Aspis MK1. In fact, I would go so far as to suggest delaying the military exercise to allow for our troops to properly incorporate this armour into our ranks. We would have a clear edge over the Versians or even the Hwa Dynasty!"

"But we have already stores of the earlier version of the Fulcan Defense. It would be simpler to replace and upgrade in sections rather than to buy a full armour set from scratch. Consider the switching costs as well." Another general countered, his eyes glancing a bit to the flustered Baron Namor, who seemed ready to go down to the arena himself and inspect the damage to his knights.

"If we want to increase our ranks, we would have to purchase more armour regardless - I'm sure our recruits would perform much better with an reduced version of the Aspis MK1!"

The generals continued to bicker while Baron Cain felt like he was on cloud nine. Any lingering subconsicous apprehension he had about working together with Kyle were now washed away like snow on a summer's day. He had half-regretted making the announcment to clear the Seven Snakes name as well as making the temporary approval, but as of now, he couldn't care less about giving Kyle anything he needed so long as his own personal public image was improved. Kyle is truly the future - I must work with him for as long as possible.

At the other viewing gallery, Kyle promptly stood up, about to leave with Sasha without saying a word to the other two participating corporations, the Tul'e Da'li officer left flabbergasted at the result, his face completely awestruck before he hurriedly composed himself together, his business orientated mind already seeing the potential value of collaboration.

However, the moment he tried to approach Kyle, Sasha was already between the two of them, blocking his path, but he still gave it his best shot, calling out after Kyle: "Good sir, would you be interested in potentially meeting my boss? We could arrange for a potential acquisition of your factory - the compensation benefits would be significant, on the order of millions."

Kyle gave a sly smirk to the man, not stopping in the slightest."I am always open to negotiations, and we can meet at a later date."

"Of course, my boss will be in contact soon!" The officer bowed respectfully, but Kyle barely gave him any further attention, leaving the gallery, having never intended to meet the Tul'e Da'li.

After all, there was no use negotiating with a dead man.

<---Chapter 80 - Roots|Table of Contents|Chapter 82 - The Union--->