Setting

The Republic of San Magnolia broadcasts to its citizens that they are fighting a war using "fully autonomous unmanned weapons called Juggernauts." In reality, these machines are not unmanned; they are piloted by the "Eighty-Six (86)," a minority ethnic group with colored hair and eyes who have been stripped of their humanity. They are segregated into the "Excluded District (District 86)" and their existence is hidden from the public. The Republic's citizens, the Alba, possess silver hair and eyes and treat the 86 like livestock due to their discriminatory ideology of Para-raidism.

The True Nature of the War

The Republic's enemy is the "Legion," a fleet of autonomous weapons created by the neighboring Giadian Empire. The Empire has already collapsed, leaving the Legion as runaway weapons that continue to self-replicate without human control. To avoid casualties among its own citizens, the Republic continues to send the 86 to the front lines as "replacements for unmanned weapons."

Juggernauts

The weapons the 86 pilot are lightweight, low-cost, coffin-like machines built by the Republic to maintain the lie of being "unmanned." Defense is low, and survival rates for pilots are extremely low. The 86 self-mockingly refer to these machines as "Coffins."

The Handler System

The 86 units on the front lines are connected via communication to Alba officers in the rear known as "Handlers," who provide tactical command. This communication uses a mental link technology called "Para-RAID," which directly transmits voices and emotions.

The Fate of Spearhead

The Spearhead Squadron is treated as an "elite unit," but in reality, it is an attrition unit sent to the front lines until every member is killed in action.

The Legion Threat

The Legion harvests the brains of the dead on the battlefield and integrates them into their central processors as "Black Sheep." The Legion continues to evolve, becoming a threat that far exceeds the Republic's expectations.