Editing City Series:Volume6b Chapter6 (section)

===Part 8===

A pitch black aircraft began its ascent from the Geheimnis Agency HQ runway.

It was a König Pseudo-Drach, a high-speed recon plane used by the Geheimnis Agency.

It left the runaway and immediately rolled to the right.

Then it accelerated. It produced an umbrella of water vapor and shot forward, tearing through the starlit air like a dark knife.

The cockpit was occupied by Schweitzer in aerial gear.

The copilot’s seat behind him was occupied by Alfred.

Their aircraft continued to accelerate.

Schweitzer kept the stick in the exact center to keep the craft in low-altitude flight.

It tore through the wind to reach an area of the sky that burned red.

Schweitzer viewed that reddened sky and frowned.

“It is burning bright, Alfred.”

“That’s the entire point. You want your diversion to look as impressive as possible. If that was as effective as it looks, it would harm the people who set it up too.”

“What do you think their target is?”

“There’s so many good ones it’s hard to say. Could be the Gard-class warship, could be the excavated item, could be my personal Grösse Panzer, could be the Vaterland, and could be all of the above.”

“The excavated item, hm?”

“Did you hear what it is? I was so busy keeping Lady Rose company I was left out of the discussion.”

“I was busy keeping someone company myself.”

“Don’t act like you didn’t like it. I saw you smiling out there surrounded by those two lovely ladies.”

Schweitzer ignored that and quiet laughter reached him from behind.

Alfred suppressed the rest of his laughter and sighed in satisfaction.

“Either way, those are Heidengeist out there. It’s not official yet, but Maldrick took the title of foremost European Buster family from Borderson, so I can’t let those Heidengeist get away with this. I can’t as a Hound either.”

Schweitzer heard the scraping of metal on metal behind him.

“You came well equipped, Alfred.”

“I’d be more so if I were hunting a bunch of small targets. But with a big target, all I need is this Rein König.” Alfred’s response was accompanied by more metallic scraping. “But,” he sighed. “Lowen- our commander is a real pain. I can’t believe she put Lieutenant General Heiliger in charge of this one. He’s from the army. He’s not one of us.”

“His Neue Silber is an excellent transport ship and it can perform a vertical takeoff if the runway has been destroyed. Also, military and Agency ranks are mutually compatible, so regulations say a major general or higher in the military can act as a substitute during an emergency. Just like we can deploy the military.”

“You sound so sure of yourself during your lectures and it’s downright stifling to listen to.”

“Berger said that was one of my virtues.”

“Because he has no confidence of his own. Why else would he keep calling himself second best ever since that incident?”

“Do you think he is here now?”

“That is a largescale and…direct attack by the AIF. The AIF has to succeed here to prove their worth, so there’s no way they wouldn’t send him in.” A breath. “Speed us up, Hellard. Before someone shows up and tries to steal the command away from us. …Bermark Nein was in charge of protecting the excavated item, but will he really stick to that? That Sein Frau carries the power of the Eisen Ritter Project, but if he’s anything like us, he won’t be able to sit idly by while his comrades are killed.”

“You never change, Alfred. No one tries harder to avoid giving up something they care about.”

“I learned that lesson the hard way four years ago.”

Schweitzer could not immediately respond, so he simply pulled back on the throttle.

The craft shot forward and he spoke as the inertial pressure pressed against him.

“You still haven’t forgotten how we lost the director back then?”

“You haven’t either. Remember before, when you told me Lady Rose reminds you of Eryngium?”

Schweitzer nodded and continued for Alfred.

“The director died trying to clear an escape route, but then she moved to protect Berger and-”

“Stop. It only happened because Berger altered her destiny. He used his Heidengeist power to help us escape and, when she was on the verge of death…” Alfred clicked his tongue. “A divine name? A divine power? All that power does is twist destiny to his liking. …If not for that prophecy, I think you should have killed him 2 years ago, Hellard.”

Schweitzer did not respond.

Irritated, Alfred’s breathing was heavy and he crossed his arms.

Silence hung over the cockpit. The only sound was the vibration of the heated wind roaring around them.

Neither man spoke and that low rumbling took over. Until…

“Hm?”

A new wind arrived before Schweitzer could say anything.

The powerful gust caused the König Pseudo-Drach to rattle like it was scraping along a gravel ground. Schweitzer angled it somewhat upwards to allow the vibration to escape the craft.

They moved up and then another gust reached them.

Faint clouds trailed the wind. At speeds like this, the wind functioned much like a tsunami or solid wall. The upwards-tilting craft received lift from it and ascended further.

“This is dangerous,” said Schweitzer at the controls. “There is too much turbulence. Partially due to the widespread fire, but the winds blowing down from the mountain just so happen to be hitting us.”

The craft would not stop shaking.

“At this rate-”

“Hellard, less crying, more flying.”

Schweitzer heard a rhythmic tapping behind him. Almost like someone was striking a metal wind instrument with their palm. Alfred was enjoying the sensation of his finger tapping on Rein König.

His amused voice joined the tapping.

“Hellard, pass by above the #8 Base at low altitude. I don’t mind if you can’t keep it entirely steady.”

That was all he asked for. The rest was what he would do himself.

“I’ll jump down and join the battle.”