XT-404 Shen-Hu

At the same time they were making the Type-02 Guren Mk-II, Rakshata Chawla and her team of engineers created another powerful knightmare frame, the XT-404 Shen-Hu (Chinese for “god-tiger”). The Shen-Hu’s main weapon was a baryon cannon mounted in the chest, which boasted power output equal to the Type-02/F1A Guren Flight‘s ranged radiation wave beam. Another interesting feature was its forearm-mounted slash harkens; unlike normal harkens, these could be electrified for extra damage, and the forearms could be spun rapidly, generating a helicopter-like lashing effect. Despite its incredible performance, the Shen-Hu was deemed a failure and mothballed because it was created to be too high-spec, resulting in a machine that no normal person could pilot. However, some time after Rakshata left for Area 11, the Maharajah of India sold the Shen-Hu to the eunuch generals who led the Chinese Federation. One year later, faced with a losing battle against the Black Knights, the eunuchs gave rebel soldier and royalist Li Xingke a chance to redeem himself by using the Shen-Hu to battle Zero’s forces.