Why is shattering steel so inconsistent the cone is a projectile and area damage?

So the first part of shattering steel does not do area damage, but the second part does area damage? By that logic any projectile has area damage because it does cover an area. So why doesn't the first part of the skill have area damage it covers an area just like the cone part of the skill.

Lancing steel sencond projectiles aren't area damage