Tarantula

Tarantula (タランチュラ, Taranchura^?) is a large mobile weapon or mecha used by DA. It appears similar to a Coffin but has not been shown to use any esper powers and instead uses technology as its weapons.

It is used by DA against Anti-Skill in the first battle between the two factions leading to a large number of lives killed for the latter as the direct result of the machine.

Etymology

A Tarantula is a type of spider, usually hairy and very large.

Appearance

It is a large machine with six legs, where at the bottom the wheels or treads are located. It has a flat roof, allowing people to stand upon it. On its left side is a large sphere where the movable camera is located. On its right side is a large gun. The cockpit is located in the front of the machine, with six headlights flanking the front window, which serves as the "eyes" of the Tarantula, on both sides. On its back is a large cylinder.

Principles

The Tarantula is not only large but heavy as well, weighing 120 tons. It can withstand conventional firearms, rendering them useless. Despite its large size it can still travel very fast, and can travel diagonally on an incline. The flat roof or top of the machine allows people to stand upon it and in a battlefield can even be used as an advantage as it is a suitable position to fire on enemies, as shown by DA.

Its primary weapon is a large gatling gun, capable of ripping both stone, metal, and flesh to shreds. However, under the cockpit is the container for the machine's String Juicers, its secondary weapon.

Inside is the cockpit, where the machine and its weapons are operated. There the operator can monitor both the battlefield using the camera as well as the String Juicers that have been deployed using its computers.

However, for all its power, the machine can only last for thirty minutes after activation.

String Juicer

The String Juicers (ストリングジューサー (刀扇鋼糸), Sutoringu Jūsā (Katana Ōgi Kōshi)^?, lit. "Sword Fan Steel Thread") are mobile weapons that act as secondary weapons for the Tarantula. It is a technology unique to DA as it is a product of their research.

Once the operator of the Tarantula has determined the targets, the String Juicers will automatically attack them once they are deployed. At least 10 String Juicers can be deployed at once. The machines spin very fast and when they locate their target, they releases strings that can cut human flesh and even reinforced ceramic.