Samurai Edge AWM01 Archives Translation

The Samurai Edge AWM01 Archives is a piece of supplementary lore from the Tokyo Marui’s website as part of their marketing of Biohazard 7.

Tokyo Marui have been regular collaborators with Capcom in the release of replica handguns and other weapons from the franchise. In some cases this includes additional background information regarding the weapon and its users. These stories are written by the Capcom development team.

This information has been translated by REP staff member, theBatman.

The primary source for the translation: click here

SAVING THE DAY. THE HERO’S IDENTITY.

“Ethan! Use it!!”
The voice is heard clearly amidst the roar of the helicopter’s rotors flying in the sky above. The voice is Chris Redfield. The legend.

A man who survives every crisis, who upholds justice under any circumstances, and embodies an invincible hero undaunted by any enemy.
He is always the saviour of a desperate situation.

The ‘it’ he refers to is a partner crafted from steel that has overcome many an ordeal alongside Chris and has since come to represent the fangs of its master, the Samurai Edge.

The attached light adapter module and hexagon silencer creates a shape beyond the conventional scope of handguns. The base has a familiar shape, but something is definitely different…

Ethan, who is at the threshold of mortality and desperately clinging onto life, cannot afford to think of such a thing. In a bid to avoid a grisly end, the lump-like handgun demonstrates extraordinary potential and rewards Ethan with his life after his initial position had seemed helpless.
Chris Redfield leans forward from the helicopter with a ‘Blue Umbrella’ logo shining on its fuselage and breathes a sigh of relief. He gazes at Ethan whose drive to survive reminds him of his own younger days.

July 1998. If that horrific ‘Mansion Incident’ had not occurred, what kind of life would I have now? Would I still be with Alpha Team of Raccoon City’s Special Police Division S.T.A.R.S., working day and night to protect the peace and security of Raccoon City? There was no such future, yet I could so easily have never returned from the Republic of Edonia after being seriously injured. Or if I never met the late Piers, would I now be living a drunken life with no memory?

He was possessed by a sentimentality that lasted only a few seconds of silence. This kind of suffering and sadness is known only to the parties involved. He will cut off such sentiments and carry out his duties once again.

In his hand is his steel companion, the Samurai Edge…

WHAT IS ‘SAMURAI EDGE’?

Raccoon City Police Special Tactics and Rescue Service = STARS. It refers to all custom handguns created by Joe Kendo, owner of the custom gun shop ‘KENDO’, and older brother of Robert, to maximise the combat abilities of each member. The base gun is the M92F, which is formally adopted by the U.S. Military.

The name ‘Samurai Edge’ is derived from the characteristic shape of its slide. A shape called the ‘Brigadier Style’ has been incorporated in which the width of the slide lock has been extended to be able to withstand harsh overpressure ammunition. It is said that overpressure ammunition, which ‘applies significant weight to the body of the gun’, can only be used because of this slide. Together with the high-precision barrel and stainless-steel finish, it has a splendid dual-tone appearance. The combination of the matte black slide with an angular silhouette and the barrel with a dull metallic sheen is suggestive of “the blade of a Japanese sword,” inspiring the name of the Samurai Edge.

Before being adopted by S.T.A.R.S., this ‘Samurai Edge’ was used for testing by Chris Redfield, who is the best marksman on the team, Jill Valentine, who has excellent bomb disposal skills in addition to combat ability, Barry Burton, a former S.W.A.T. member with extensive firearms knowledge and countless practical experience, and Albert Wesker, the Captain of S.T.A.R.S. It passed various tests with high scores, the system was formally adopted, and it was supplied to S.T.A.R.S. members. This is called the ‘Samurai Edge Standard Model’, which has the engraving of “S.T.A.R.S.” on the left side of the slide and the engraving of “Mod. SAMURAI EDGE LAW ENFORCEMENT USE ONLY” on the right.

Although the ‘Samurai Edge Standard Model’ has unique specifications and performance that is far superior to the M92F, the four test participants shared harsh opinions that this is “basic = average score” under the assumption of use by Special Forces. After adopting the formal system, they individually requested customized additions from Joe. These customs, for which special customisation has been carried out taking into account gender, body type, habits, and technique levels, were later covered in news media outlets and attracted a lot of attention.

ADDITIONAL CUSTOMISED ‘SAMURAI EDGE’

The Samurai Edge Standard Model is a basic model (albeit exceptionally custom-made), and based on this, Joe Kendo produced four models suited to each individual, creating the ‘Chris Redfield Model,’ the ‘Jill Valentine Model’, the ‘Barry Burton Model’ and the ‘Albert Wesker Model’. The words ‘Custom Kendo Shop’ are engraved on the right side of the slide as certification. As everyone remembers, each gun has demonstrated its performance in many past incidents. It is said that these customs were greatly influenced by the fact that Barry Burton and Joe were old friends.

CUSTOM ‘SAMURAI EDGE’ DIFFERENT FROM JOE KENDO

‘Samurai Edge A1 Jill Valentine Model’
Former S.T.A.R.S. member Jill Valentine later became a B.S.A.A. agent. At that time, she received the ‘Samurai Edge A1’ developed by Quint Cetcham, an agent and technical engineer said to be one of the longest-serving members of the original B.S.A.A. and used it as her main sidearm. This is the ‘Samurai Edge A1 Jill Valentine Model.’

‘Samurai Edge Barry Burton Model Ver.II’
When Barry Burton heard about the ‘Samurai Edge A1’ developed by Quint Cetcham, he asked him to “Make a new Samurai Edge for me, now!” The ‘Barry Burton Model Ver.II’ was created to maximise the capabilities of Barry’s current physical strength and body shape.

WHO IS ALBERT WESKER?

These days, anybody would admit that the man named Albert Wesker was endlessly cunning and resourceful. He was extremely calm, prioritized logical thinking based on sharp observations and insights rather than emotion, used and entrapped anybody at any time for his own objectives and gain, and did not shy away from betrayal. As a result, he even saw his own body as a tool and did not hesitate to alter it. His encounter with the t-virus made him think to realize his own ideals, leading to his ambition to “surpass his humanity and stand at the peak.”

Whilst fascinated by the outstanding bio-strengthening abilities of the t-virus, he had even explored countermeasures for the hypothetical situation of “confronting an enemy who uses the t-virus.” This perfectly encapsulates why he was known as a strategist. After his death, many research results were seized from the articles he left behind. The fact that this contained a lot of research on “physical weapons” once again underlined his status as a “schemer”.

So, what was the anti-t-virus that he thought of?
One can imagine the development of powerful weapons, arms, or a virus that is more powerful than the t-Virus, but this author’s view is that these ideas are nothing more than a cyclical “arms race” and that he would not have selected such an option, given that he was dissatisfied with modern society itself. The reason for this is that he defines “absolute nullification” as necessary for a fool-proof method to resist various viral weapons in his research results.

In addition to ways to nullify the opponent’s viral weapons, he probably envisioned the nullification of both side’s viral weapons. Thinking of preparing counter weapons that are effective under any circumstances, or in other words controlling the ‘contradictions’, was his objective. You can see the true nature of his research, which involves absolute nullification and physical weapons, which appears contradictory at first.

For the above reasons, we can vaguely imagine where Albert Wesker focused his efforts while researching physical weapons and armaments. This probably means that while ostensibly claiming to think about anti-B.O.W. weapons, he was also constantly thinking about weapons that would benefit ‘himself’ rather than the interests of the company he belongs to. In other words, being the only person with superior models (of weapons and arms) and their countermeasures could be an idea that fits this ultimate egoist.

SAMURAI EDGE ALBERT WESKER MODEL

It is here that I want you to give some thought about the Samurai Edge, the anti-biohazard gun I mentioned earlier.

Why is Albert’s model the only one with ‘Beaver Tail’ specifications?
Why is there a 20mm undermount rail that is integrated with the frame?
Why is Albert’s Samurai Edge the only one that has a different frame compared to the other members?

Even Barry Burton’s ‘Samurai Edge’, which has a different colour, has a common frame. The reason why a model exists equipped with a special device that far exceeds even this model can be imagined based on this individual’s considerations.

BLUEPRINTS PROVIDED TO JOE KENDO

Before the <Samurai Edge> was officially adopted by S.T.A.R.S., I mentioned earlier that each of the four members who tested it had made special modifications to it, but Albert Wesker was the only one who properly created a blueprint when he made his request to Joe Kendo.

Having a secret persona while occupying the position of Action Captain, he was also well-versed in the tendencies of the other members in terms of their guns. Would it be shallow and unwise to imagine that he thought he had to have an even more powerful resistance method after he found out that each member sent a custom request to Kendo, constantly imagining that he would be attacked or have to attack using these models?

I do not think it would be too far off to pose that he conceptualized things so that matters would always be to his benefit and as he wished, while envisioning situations involving weapons, strategies, plans, and other elements.
His thoughts can also be seen from afar regarding his desire to have a silencer that would allow him to kill secretly. It appears he stated to Joe that he needed a silencer because he had many secret missions.

The truth is that he ordered a frame with an integrated 20mm rail under the assumption that he would be equipped with a light module, as he envisioned killing opponents that he could never defeat in combat by restraining their martial abilities in closed spaces, in the dark, or in other similar circumstances or by guiding them to places where he has an advantage. I cannot hide my surprise at the fact that he predicted the arrival of the Picatinny rail back then.

I digress, but being cunning, he must have thought that he obtained the safest hideout by placing himself inside the police organization. Being a traitor within the walls seems to have been part of an elaborate plan to hide his ambition.

To him, not even his subordinates were people he could feel safe around, and I believe this is demonstrated by his research that was too detailed about each of the members of his squad. However, the effort he put into the elaborate research was in vain, as the presence of absolute justice in the form of Chris would end up being a major miscalculation.

ALBERT’S OWN IDEA BEHIND THE SAMURAI EDGE AWM01

The numerous pieces of experimental data and their results that Albert Wesker left were re-evaluated within the reconstructed Umbrella Corporation and were very effective in recovering from the old Umbrella Corporation’s significant negative legacies.

The results of his anti-B.O.W. research were particularly admired by researchers. These research results can be considered the ultimate portable arm. Although results of basic research that deny the variety of organisms were also contained, I would like to omit them in this paper. A significant portion of this research envisioned use by well-trained combatants who do not rely on arms of mass destruction containing viruses under the presumption of battling under unaffected conditions. He argued in the articles he left that arms of mass destruction do not necessarily lead to improved situations.

The “blue” researchers without the conventions of the old system have consolidated these research results and are conducting development with the assumption of mass production. What they produce is being supplied as a test to the B.S.A.A. and non-biohazard squads.

The <Samurai Edge Albert W. Model 01> mentioned in this paper was developed based on the <Samurai Edge Albert Wesker Model> and is the base model for demonstrating maximum extendability despite being the smallest unit in the B.O.W. anti-arm Albert System Weapon Series.

This itself is nothing more than a part of the Albert System Weapons, also known as the <Albert Series>… However, I would like to provide the full picture later.

<SAMURAI EDGE ALBERT W. MODEL 01> VARIATIONS

<ALBERT.W. MODEL 01R>
The model used by Ethan. This is a pre-mass-production test model of special pistol for use against B.O.W. The entire body is all black. It can be used from the second time you complete the game.

<ALBERT.W. MODEL 01P>
A prototype model that exited prior to Ethan using it. Similarly, the whole body is all black. It is said to be made according to Wesker’s design, utilising special specifications and materials, but the details are unknown.

UMBRELLA CORPORATION OUTLINE

A huge conglomerate based on a pharmaceutical company. As a pharmaceutical company, it had a proven track record in genome analysis and antiviral medicine, but it also engaged in research and development of biological weapons (B.O.W.) for the purpose of using these weapons in combat. The company’s name comes from its corporate motto ‘Protecting the Health of the People’.

After the Raccoon City incident, which was caused by the t-Virus developed for the purpose of creating immortal soldiers, the true face of the company became a well-known fact through numerous coverages in the press.

It would then be forced to take responsibility for the Raccoon City Incident, resulting in a stock price crash and chronic financial deficits. Furthermore, their development of illegal biological weapons was exposed to the public through survivors’ testimonies and a wealth of physical evidence. As a result, all the enterprise managers were held criminally liable, and the company underwent business failure and effectively went bankrupt in 2003. It would later be reconstructed through the Corporate Rehabilitation Law, but the new management was tasked with recovering from the company’s negative legacies.

Following reconstruction, the company’s trademark was changed, so it is commonly referred to as ‘Red Umbrella’ before reorganisation and ‘Blue Umbrella’ after reconstruction.

HE SLOWLY PICKS UP THE GUN IN HIS HANDS…

‘He loads the magazine into the slide-open body, pushes down the long slide-stop lever, and feeds the anti-ISP round into the chamber. He inserts a number of spare magazines into the mag pouch and breathes lightly as he feels their weight.
In any situation, the handling of a firearm is the most important task. If you do not shoot ‘fast’ and ‘accurately’ according to the situation, it means immediate ‘death’.
He is an expert marksman, and this is something ingrained into his daily life.
He is in search of a gun that perfectly fits with his body and shooting habits, and pursues ‘accuracy of 0.1mm, speed of 0.1second, 0.1% probability.’
Chris Redfield. The model he holds in his hands is the Samurai Edge Albert.W Model 01, humanity’s ultimate anti-biohazard weapon.

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