After activating the two lady's maid automata, Jin named the elder sister Tsukino and the younger sister Hoshino.
Tsukino had her black hair tied in a ponytail, while Hoshino wore hers in twin tails.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Master."
"Master, we look forward to serving you."
Although they were twins, their voices didn't quite sync up, as Jin had given them slightly different settings.
"Good to have you both. This is Reiko. She is your eldest sister."
"I am Reiko. Tsukino, Hoshino, I look forward to working with you."
"Big Sister Reiko, it is a pleasure."
"Big Sister Reiko, we hope for your kind guidance."
Jin had programmed Tsukino to be slightly more active and Hoshino to be a bit more reserved. It was a minute difference that most wouldn't notice, but he expected their distinct personalities to blossom more clearly as time passed.
Their domestic data, including cooking, was based on the 5-Color Maids, meaning they already understood Jin’s personal tastes perfectly.
"There, that should do it."
"Thank you, Father," Reiko said, offering her gratitude as well.
Since Reiko often served as Jin’s primary assistant in his engineering projects, having dedicated lady's maid automata to handle the household chores was a significant relief for her.
"Now then, let's get back to designing a vehicle."
"I believe it would be best to have one for casual, everyday use and another capable of transporting a larger group," Reiko suggested.
"Hmm, you have a point."
To use automobiles as an analogy, he needed the equivalent of a personal car and a bus. On Hourai Island, he had the Taube and the Hurricane. If he added Pegasus 2 and the Adriana to that list, his options were fairly robust.
"If I'm thinking of a personal car, a minivan is about the largest I'd want."
In that regard, Pegasus 2 typically sat five, with a maximum capacity of ten. Jin had a lingering attachment to the idea of a vehicle that could carry his entire family.
"But even that's a bit big, isn't it?"
A length of fifteen meters didn't exactly fit the image of a 'personal car.' However, a Type 0 Carrier-based Fighter—the Zero Fighter—was eleven meters long. The F-16 Fighting Falcon, which had served as the inspiration for Pegasus 2, was just over fifteen meters. While fifteen meters wasn't objectively massive, Jin was still a man from peaceful, modern Japan.
"I’d like to build something about the size of a standard car that can actually fly," he mused.
That would mean a length of four or five meters. With magi-craft, it was entirely feasible.
"In that case..."
If he wasn't planning on living or sleeping inside the craft, he could make it much more compact.
"Assuming we can take a nap if the seats recline... let's settle on five meters."
That was roughly the size of a full-sized sedan.
"A flying car... hmm..."
Actually, that didn't quite suit his aesthetic.
"Father, why not consider an evolution of the designs you've created thus far?" Reiko offered, seeing him struggle.
"Hm? Oh, I see..."
The Taube, the Pegasus series, Konron 2 and 3, the Hurricane... He tried to imagine a Taube that possessed the performance of Pegasus 2.
"A delta-wing design would probably keep it compact. Wait, I've got it."
Jin recalled a 'unique' plastic model he had built long ago: the British Short SC-1, a vertical take-off and landing aircraft, or VTOL.
"Using that design as a reference might work well..."
The original had a blunt, rounded nose, so he decided to sharpen the profile.
"With the cockpit at the very front, visibility forward, up, down, and to the sides should be excellent."
Jin began to refine the concept along those lines.
"Since I'll be using force generators for propulsion, making it a VTOL will be easy."
Satisfied with the idea, he began to finalize the specifications.
＊ ＊ ＊
"...But it really is quite stumpy."
By squeezing a seven-person capacity into a five-meter length, he found he needed a cabin width of at least 1.5 meters.
"Seven seats should be enough."
One pilot in the front, followed by three rows of double seats. A small storehouse would be located behind the last row.
"Well, we could probably fit ten if we really crammed people in."
The primary propulsion came from force generators, but for the sake of his design aesthetic, he added nozzle outlets at the rear. These weren't for exhaust gases, however; they served as the muzzles for magi-cannons and mana bombs. They were purely defensive armaments in case the craft was pursued.
One shouldn't ask what could possibly keep pace with a craft capable of supersonic speeds; it was strictly a "just in case" measure.
For the structural frame, he used Neo 64 light silver. Jin realized too late that the name was a bit of a tongue-twister, but he had only himself to blame.
The wingspan was five meters, sporting a delta-wing configuration. The total height was two meters, or 2.5 meters when including the landing gear.
The craft was protected by a wind-deflecting barrier, a Solid Barrier, a Magic Barrier, and an Aegis. Its armament was extensive: Paralyzers, magi-cannons, induction radiators, mana bombs, and a Magi Trans Cannon. For emergencies, it even carried a compact Warp Gate.
"Father, is it truly necessary to go this far...?"
Reiko asked the question as she watched him install system after system with obsessive thoroughness.
"Now, what to do about the transparent sections...?"
Jin agonized over the material for the canopy.
"It has to be a laminated structure."
He decided on a three-layer design. The outer layer would be diamond for maximum hardness. The middle layer would be ground spider resin (GSP) to provide toughness and impact resistance. The innermost layer would be cubic zirconia. Naturally, he applied the Strengthening magic—the superior version of Toughening—to every layer.
Because he had ample time, Reiko was his only assistant for the build. After two full days of work, Jin finally completed his new personal craft for Hale.
＊ ＊ ＊
On March 24th, the craft was ready for its maiden flight.
The pilot was Hope. Like the others, Hope had been upgraded with Neo-series materials.
"Alright, Reiko, Hope. I'm counting on you."
"Yes, Father."
"Understood, leave it to me."
With Hope as the pilot and Reiko as the co-pilot, they began an exhaustive battery of tests. This was at the request of Laojun, who wanted a full performance profile including maximum speed and maneuverability.
"This is wonderful! As expected of Master!"
"Naturally. Father is the one who built it."
Hope and Reiko pushed the craft through increasingly grueling maneuvers.
"I will now attempt supersonic speed without the barrier engaged."
"Understood."
The craft ascended to the stratosphere to avoid creating a sonic boom that might affect the surface. Once at altitude, it accelerated until it reached 5,000 meters per second.
In that thin air, the speed of sound was just under 300 meters per second. This meant the craft was screaming along at nearly Mach 17.
And at that extreme velocity, they discovered a single, critical flaw...