Toaru Hikuushi e no Seiyaku:Part11

Part 7 (Part 11 of Volume 1)

"No," Balthazar’s cold voice rejected Kagura's suggestion for a night landing.

"We’ll wait for sunrise. It’s two more hours. That way, six of us will survive. If we’re lucky, Mio will only lose her left leg. It’s possible she might die, but in this situation, it can’t be helped."

The cockpit held six of them—everyone except Mio, who was lying on a bed in the back. Pairs were taking turns applying pressure to her femoral artery. A bandage had been applied to stop the bleeding, but they were still pressing down on the artery to prevent further blood loss.

However, if her blood circulation was blocked for more than two hours, her leg would die. Mio’s left leg would undoubtedly need to be amputated. If they waited too long, her body temperature would drop, and she urgently needed a blood transfusion.

If they waited for sunrise, Mio would die. At best, she would lose her left leg.

For Kiyoaki, the thought of Mio losing her leg was more painful than losing his own.

The only way to get Mio to a hospital in time was to attempt a night water landing.

But if they failed, all seven of them would die here. Even veteran pilots rarely succeeded in such landings. Balthazar's reasoning was sound; anyone thinking rationally could see that.

But still. Even if it was the logical decision... “...Let me do it. I can make it work.” Kiyoaki spoke up. But Balthazar shook his head again. “No. As captain, I order you to wait for sunrise.” Kiyoaki gritted his teeth and glared at Balthazar. “Why... why won’t you trust me?! I told you I can do it!” "This is not a place where a child's whims can be entertained. I can't gamble the lives of the remaining five on your baseless confidence."

Kiyoaki clenched his fists. His hatred for Balthazar surged. He stomped his right foot in frustration, his expression fierce.

“How can you even call yourself human?! Mio is going to die! Are you just going to let her die so you can save yourself?! You're only thinking about saving your own skin!!”

“Kiyoaki, that’s—”

Before Kagura could stop him, Balthazar approached Kiyoaki, grabbed him by the chest, and pulled him close. For someone so slim, his strength was remarkable, the result of a body honed through rigorous training.

Kiyoaki found himself staring into Balthazar’s icy blue eyes, which pierced him up close.

"Do you expect me to entrust my life to someone like you?"

The voice was cold, like an arrow of ice, barely audible to anyone but Kiyoaki. Though Balthazar usually remained emotionally distant, there was something deeper—a glacial presence that would never thaw, even in the hottest of fires.

"Don’t get cocky. I have things I must do, and I won’t die in a place like this."

Kiyoaki's eyes widened. He could see right through Balthazar's composed demeanor, sensing something hidden within his words, gaze, and expression.

—This man... he’s hiding something else.

He realized it then. Balthazar wasn’t just the calm and reliable captain he had thought him to be. There was something more.

“What... what are you...?”

Kiyoaki muttered in stunned disbelief. Balthazar smirked, a devilish grin visible only to Kiyoaki, before shoving him away with a rough push.

"The pilot has lost his composure. There’s no way I can entrust this to you. On this vessel, you’ll follow my orders. Any objections?"

Reiner shrugged in agreement, Kagura's expression tightened as she remained silent, and Cecil merely looked down, too timid to speak up.

Balthazar was right.

Everyone understood that. But there was something else stirring inside each person’s chest that couldn’t be resolved with logic alone.

Balthazar, in his usual cold tone, declared, "The discussion is over. Cecil, relay the message to command."

“Y-yes…”

Defeated, Cecil moved to operate the communication equipment.

By now, the Eriadore had already reached the skies above the Chandler Fortress coastline, flying at an altitude of 1,000 meters on autopilot, awaiting sunrise. Having cleared the cumulonimbus clouds, they were now outside the enemy's range, and had been able to communicate with Chandler Fortress. Thanks to radio navigation guided by ground radar, they had reached the target area without issue, even in the night.

All that remained was to land. “…Wait.” It was Illia who stopped Cecil. With a firm expression, she spoke, for once, her opinion.

“What if… we contact command and have them line up several small ships with lights to create a makeshift runway on the water? That would help guide us for a night landing.”

Balthazar’s eyes darkened with displeasure as he glared at Illia. But Illia didn’t back down and continued.

"During the war, most of the failures in night landings occurred because pilots had no assistance in unfamiliar waters and were forced to make emergency landings. But here, we’re near a friendly fortress. With some ingenuity, we can reduce the risk. If we can get guidance from lights, it would significantly lower the danger."

Beside him, hope flickered in Kiyoaki's eyes.

“Yes, that’s it, Illia…! I hadn’t even thought of that. Using small ships to create a runway! With that, we can save Mio!”

Balthazar crossed his arms and snorted.

"The danger remains. If absolute safety can’t be guaranteed, we shouldn’t land."

“But we have a comrade’s life on the line. Shouldn't we do everything we can, even if it involves taking some risks, to save her life?”

Illia, unusually, was persistent.

“Please, Captain, I promise we’ll succeed. Please!”

Kiyoaki also bowed his head, apologizing for his earlier outburst. But Balthazar remained unmoved.

"I’ve already made my decision. If you persist, it will be considered insubordination. Are you prepared to face a court-martial for defying me?"

Kiyoaki's face burned with anger. He was on the verge of leaping at Balthazar when Kagura raised her hand from beside him.

“As the deputy captain, I have a proposal.”

Balthazar's ice-blue eyes now pierced through Kagura. Unfazed, Kagura continued firmly.

"By military law, the deputy captain has the authority to propose measures to resolve situations. How about we settle this by majority vote? That way, we can make a decision without any lingering issues."

"……………………"

Balthazar’s cold gaze bore into Kagura, glowing faintly.

Kagura was right—under the St Vault Navy's regulations, the deputy captain was the only one who could challenge the captain's orders within the ship.

"Those in favor of the night water landing, raise your hand," Kagura said, not giving Balthazar a chance to speak further.

Without hesitation, Kagura raised her hand. Kiyoaki and Illia immediately followed suit. Cecil nervously raised her hand after some hesitation, and Reiner, shaking his head with reluctance, weakly lifted his hand.

"I don't like it, but... the way things are going..."

"It seems the crew has expressed their will. Captain, your orders."

Balthazar glared at Kagura with resentment, his eyes scanning her from head to toe. Then, he instantly masked the dangerous glint in his eyes.

"This is not child's play."

"Indeed. We have faith in our pilot's skills."

"And you want us to risk all our lives to save just one?" "No. We want to choose the path where we all survive." "And what if that path leads to all our deaths?" Kagura's brown eyes sparkled as her tone became clear and melodic, like the sound of a bell.

"In my country, we have a saying: 'tenmei'—destiny. It means that every person is born into this world with a mission from the heavens."

"…………"

"If we are to die here, then that was our destined fate from the start. Even if we live longer, we won't accomplish much. If our lives are to end without meaning, then it’s only right to stake them for the sake of our comrades."

Kagura spoke coolly and calmly.

An indescribable, fierce emotion flickered across the depths of Balthazar’s stoic expression.

"Unfortunately, I am more inclined toward rationalism. I have no interest in strange philosophies."

"Are you uncertain about your own destiny?" " " "To abandon your comrade and save yourself is not the way of those on our path. We’ve faced trials head-on and made it this far. So, we should face this final trial head-on as well. Let us all return alive. I believe that is what our destiny demands."

"…A samurai's ideology. That's insane."

"It's a philosophy honed over centuries of warfare. Surely the people of St Vault, who once clashed with the Akitsu Federation, understand its power well?"

Balthazar stared at Kagura for a long moment.

Kagura stood tall, meeting his gaze without flinching, as if proud of her stance. She faced Balthazar’s sharp look with serene confidence.

"Impressive woman."

"And you, Captain, are the most honorable and courageous officer candidate at the Air Hunt Officer Academy."

Still locking eyes with Kagura, Balthazar spoke. "Kiyoaki." "Yes!"

"Illia."

"Yes!"

"...If you fail, I’ll kill you."

Kiyoaki’s eyes widened with joy, and he stood tall. "Leave it to me!" Balthazar sat heavily in the radio operator's seat behind the cockpit, crossed his long legs, and closed his eyes.

"…I'm done playing captain. Whatever happens to you is none of my concern, but don't you dare let me die."

"Yes, sir! Thank you!"

Kiyoaki jumped into the pilot's seat and switched off the autopilot.

Cecil contacted control and relayed Illia’s earlier idea. After the exchange with the control officer, Cecil excitedly reported back to the cockpit.

“They’re preparing eight small boats! And they’re going to put a military doctor and nurse on one of the boats to wait for us! As soon as we land, they’ll take Mio!”

"Got it! Make sure to thank control!"

“I already did! The base commander also sent a message, saying, 'We’re cheering for the brave students and praying for their success.'"

"...Right!"

The base commander's warm support filled Kiyoaki with gratitude.

"Let’s not get too comfortable. Even if they set up a sea runway, the waves will make it far from a perfect flat surface. The difficulty will still be extremely high," Illia reminded him, his tone sharp.

Kiyoaki nodded as he gazed out into the dark night beyond the windshield.

The moon played hide-and-seek behind the clouds, its light unreliable. The lights from the port facilities on Mauregan Island were just visible in the corner of his eye. Without a visible horizon, the only way to ensure the plane was level was by using the instruments. If the aircraft was even slightly tilted during the landing, it would skip across the water and crash nose-first, likely resulting in the crew’s death. Airships, while strong against vertical and frontal forces, were weak against lateral and rear impacts. One wrong move, and they could all die. The fear of such a mishap haunted airship pilots more than

night fighters.

From the port, small boats with bright lights, like fishing vessels, could be seen setting out.

As Illia had requested, they were arranging the boats in two rows about 100 meters offshore to form a makeshift sea runway. The strip was 50 meters wide and 300 meters long, as long as a large aircraft carrier.

Kiyoaki tilted the aircraft to observe the line of lights.

The voice of the control officer reached Kiyoaki through the radio.

"The wind is currently from the west-northwest at 3 meters per second. According to our measurements, Eriadore’s altitude is 825 meters. Please adjust your altimeter accordingly."

"Roger."

Their altimeter was reading 950 meters. It must have been knocked out of alignment when they passed through the cumulonimbus clouds, showing over 100 meters too high. If they had attempted to land based on that reading, it would have been a disaster. Kiyoaki adjusted the altimeter, deeply grateful for the control support. Had this been an emergency landing, they would have had to measure wind speed, adjust their instruments, and manage everything themselves.

"We’ve chosen a landing area. All that’s left is for you to come down. Good luck."

The voice of the dependable control officer went silent.

Outside the windshield, there was nothing but pitch-black darkness and the two glowing rows of the sea runway, appearing as faint rectangles from this distance.

They couldn’t waste time. The longer they waited, the more Mio’s condition would deteriorate in the cold high-altitude air. But rushing the landing could lead to fatal mistakes.

—Stay calm.

Kiyoaki reminded himself as he slowly began the first turn for his landing approach.

He turned on the landing lights on the wings, allowing him to see the landing area with his own eyes as he gradually reduced speed.

It was similar to landing on an aircraft carrier, but Kiyoaki had, of course, never done that before. The sea was wider than a carrier’s deck, which was good, but the issue was the waves. And it was nighttime. Maintaining a level aircraft while descending onto an unseen surface would require immense skill.

"Illia, when I deploy the flaps, read me the angle." "Understood." Kiyoaki focused solely on the controls, while Illia adjusted the throttle, carefully managing the speed.

—There’s no room for error. It’s a one-shot deal.

Sweat beaded on Kiyoaki’s hands as he gripped the yoke and controls.

He approached the second turn, banking the plane while pulling back on the

controls to lift the nose.

The wind gusted against them, causing the plane to drift slightly. Kiyoaki corrected for the drift. If they entered the descent path with the wrong posture, the landing would almost certainly fail.

"Speed is down to 220 kilometers." "Roger." Illia eased back on the throttle. The sound of the wind rushing past the plane changed as they slowed.

With every reduction in speed, Eriadore moved further toward the point of no return. The perilous night landing loomed closer.

—Can I really do this? I’ve never done this before.

—Am I really skilled enough to carry everyone’s lives in my hands?

—Right now, I could still increase speed and pull up. We could wait for sunrise. As he completed the third turn, doubt whispered in Kiyoaki’s ear. Tension warped the lights of the runway into a wavy blur. It was only now, in the final moments of descent, that he fully grasped how reckless and audacious this task was.

—We can still turn back. We can survive without taking such a foolish risk.

Just as the whisper of doubt was about to fill his heart, a familiar scene flashed behind Kiyoaki’s eyelids.

"I’m going to marry Kiyoaki!"

The image of a young girl, wearing a tiara of Canola flowers, smiling. A nostalgic memory of the Canola fields on Messus Island. We've been together since childhood.

"Let me share the same dream as you, Kiyoaki. If everyone could share the same dream, there wouldn't be any wars, right?"

On the burned ruins of Messus Island, your smile gave me strength. We held hands and vowed to face this cruel world together.

I won’t let you die here.

I still haven’t fulfilled the promise we made. So… —Summon your courage.

We enter the final fourth turn. Once we complete this turn, all that’s left is to descend towards the runway of light. The fate of all of us—whether we live or die—depends on this descent.

“Reducing speed to 200 kilometers.” “Roger.” Illia’s voice betrays a hint of tension. He carefully adjusts the throttle, and

the sound of the wind changes again. I read the force of the wind hitting the aircraft and rely on the horizon indicator to maintain balance.

“…Entering the fourth turn.” “…Alright.” The runway of light appears below to the left. As we gradually descend, I reduce speed and make the final turn.

My hands slip on the control yoke, slick with sweat. There is no margin for error. Even the slightest tilt, the faintest failure to pull up, or a minor miscalculation in flap angle could lead to a catastrophic bounce. There is no second chance. All the effort so far would be for nothing, and the seven cadets aboard the Eriadore would sink into the depths of the sea with the shattered remains of our airship.

The fourth turn is complete. Ahead of us, two rows of lights form a trapezoid, waiting for us.

Altitude: 200 meters.

There’s no turning back now. The outcome will be determined within the next minute.

I have no choice but to believe in our success and descend the path from which there is no return.

I force my eyes wide open and glare at the runway of light.

In the darkness beyond, I try to discern the ocean, the boundary between sky and sea, the state of the whitecaps, relying on the faint starlight.

Using the runway as a guide, I imagine the invisible ocean surface. I trust, trust, and keep trusting in that imagined surface. —Mio. Illia. Kagura-san. Cecil. Reiner. Captain. "Initiating descent!" —We are a team. "Set, ready!" —We share the same fate. "Speed, good!" —So none of us will be left behind. "Deploying flaps!!" —We’ll all return to the ground together. "Flaps at eight degrees!!" Illia reads out the flap angle.

I place my left hand over the throttle that Illia holds with her right. We exchange glances. From the hands that are joined, we share our thoughts.

I’m not alone.

We will all survive.

Our thoughts are one.

A surge of courage wells up from the depths of my soul. I will bring back Mio's smile. Illia and I nod at each other, then I refocus on the imagined ocean surface. "Let’s go!!" Together, we ease the throttle back. The speed drops further. Due to the weight of the large airship, we slowly lose altitude.

The wind buffets us. The engine’s RPMs are unsteady. I feel all the forces acting on the aircraft and make fine adjustments to the controls, never taking my eyes off the two lines of light.

Those two lines are my imagined horizon. I need to align both wings perfectly level with them. Riding the descent speed, I carefully read the crosswind and adjust the massive wings to match the lights.

"Altitude: 100 meters…!"

Illia announces. Now comes the hardest part. I remove my hand from the throttle, and within seconds, I have to make minute adjustments to the controls—setting the pitch angle to six degrees, holding the speed at 150 kilometers per hour, and maintaining a descent rate of three meters per second.

If anything is even slightly off, the aircraft will flip. Everyone will die.

I only have two or three seconds to make these adjustments. A single mistake with my fingers means death for us all.

I pour every ounce of my focus into the task. I simultaneously achieve several precise actions, like a finely tuned machine.

The nose lifts to six degrees. The speed holds steady at 150 kilometers per hour.

—We’re going to make it!

Just as the thought crosses my mind—a strong crosswind hits. My hair stands on end. —The balance…

I hadn’t accounted for the wind. The perfectly maintained horizontal position tilts slightly.

—We’re going to fail.

I panic and try to turn the control yoke, but there’s no time. The conditions for a successful landing begin to collapse.

—Oh no…

I silently apologize to everyone. It’s not something that can be forgiven, but there’s nothing else I can do.

—We’re all going to die.

In that instant, a heavy, dull thud echoes from the rear of the cockpit. “!?” The communications equipment and radar detector fall in the opposite direction of the tilt.

The center of gravity shifts.

The wind-induced tilt corrects itself. “……!?” Before I can even process what just happened, I hear the sound of water scraping the underside of the airship.

The gentle sound of slicing through water. The cradle of waves. The sensation of the sea brushing the underside of the fuselage is transmitted. Spray rises from the water’s surface and splashes against the windshield. The speed continues to drop. Nothing is broken. Above the cockpit, the starry sky is dazzling. Ahead lies the gentle sea.

I never thought the ocean could feel so kind, so dependable. “We did it!!” Reiner’s voice rings out from the back. “Success, success, success!!” Cecil is jumping up and down.

I adjust the controls. The speed of the water taxiing decreases further, and the airship gradually comes to a stop.

From the fallen communications equipment, I hear the cheers of the control officers.

Inside the Eriadore, the crew is celebrating as well.

Outside the windshield, lights at the same height as the cockpit are lined up on both sides. Soldiers aboard the small boats are applauding, their hands clearly visible in the glow of the lights.

In no time, the small boats have docked with the Eriadore, and the hatch is opened.

“Mio, quickly, Mio…!”

I can barely manage to say that. Medics quickly rush aboard and carry the bed- bound Mio onto their ship.

“Please, please, save Mio…”

I unfasten my seatbelt, stand up, and plead desperately. The medics nod reassuringly and depart swiftly.

A voice calls out from behind me. “Kiyoaki…” Illia stands up too, watching Mio being carried away. “Illia…” With a face on the verge of tears, I walk over to my comrade and grasp her hand with both of mine.

“Thank you. Thank you, Illia…”

Illia’s cheeks flush bright red, and she averts her gaze. “W-Well… I didn’t do it for you…” “…I know. But thank you, Illia. If it weren’t for you, Mio might not have made it…”

I bring my tearful, smiling face closer to Illia, who blushes even more deeply and mutters,

“O-Okay, stop getting so close…”

From the side, Cecil suddenly hugs me.

“Amazing, amazing, Senpai! You actually managed a night water landing as a student!!”

Kagura stands up from her seat, cracks her neck, and says,

“I knew you could do it, Kiyoaki, Illia. Thanks to you, we’ve made it back alive. Your skills were truly remarkable. You both are without a doubt future ace candidates.”

Reiner, grinning, sidles up to me as well.

“I believed in you from the start. I was all for the night water landing for Mio’s sake.”

“Liar!! You were totally against it at first!!”

“Shut up, Cecil. Don’t remember the unnecessary stuff. That comment never happened. I was fully in favor of the landing.” As the two bicker, Balthazar rises to his feet with a composed expression. “We were blessed with good luck. This is the best possible outcome. …But we can’t keep celebrating forever. We’ve started taking on water, so we need to get off as well.”

Now that it’s mentioned, water has indeed started creeping up around our feet. It seems the bottom of the airship sustained some damage. Unfortunately, Eriadore will have to sink.

Another small boat pulls alongside, and the six of us are transferred to it. Kiyoaki and the others stood on the deck of the small boat, gazing at the

sinking Eriadore, their companion in the journey.

The airship was in such a state that it was almost unbelievable it had made it this far—scorched, paint peeled off, and riddled with holes all over.

It had witnessed the disaster of the goodwill fleet, endured attacks from heavy bombers, fought off night fighters, pierced through thunderstorms, and even succeeded in a night water landing. Without the Eriadore’s resilience, there was no way they could have made it here alive.

Slowly, over the course of an hour, the airship sank deeper into the water. At one point, the staff offered to take the students to the harbor facilities, but they declined, wanting to see the Eriadore off until the end. The staff understood and allowed the small boat to remain by the sinking airship.

As the sun began to rise, the Eriadore raised its nose skyward, as if to bid a final farewell to its crew. Bathed in the brilliant morning light, the airship lifted its bow high above the waves before finally succumbing to the sea, disappearing into the dawn-lit ocean.

"Thank you, Eriadore... We’ll never forget you."

Kiyoaki saluted their fallen comrade as it disappeared beneath the waves.

Beside him, Kagura, Illia, Cecil, and Reiner also stood straight and saluted the airship that had performed so many miracles.

When the Eriadore was completely submerged, all that remained was the calm surface of the sea.

The rising sun left the horizon behind, and the world was filled with fresh light.

The landscape came into focus—the sea, the sky, and the smiles of the comrades, now clearly visible to each other.

“We made it back…”

Cecil murmured, and Kagura smiled.

“We all made it back to the ground safely!”

Everyone broke into relieved laughter, their joy rising toward the pristine blue sky.

“We did it! We really did it! We’re gonna be heroes of the Air Hunt! We’ll be famous!!”

Reiner danced with excitement, and for once, his words weren’t an exaggeration. From the disaster with the goodwill fleet to now, this group of students had accomplished an unprecedented feat—surviving a grand adventure without losing a single member.

“We might really end up being worshipped as war gods. What’s going to happen to us now?”

Kagura spoke with amusement, knowing that once they entered the Air Hunt Officer Academy, the seven of them would surely draw attention. A quiet student life seemed unlikely. While everyone celebrated, Illia leaned against the railing, staring at the sea where the Eriadore had disappeared.

“Illia, are you okay? The Eriadore is gone, but…”

Kiyoaki approached her, but Illia, with a downcast expression, replied softly.

“Yeah… I know.”

“What’s wrong? Something on your mind?”

“It’s nothing… just, you noticed it too, didn’t you? That crosswind right before we landed…”

Kiyoaki nodded, realizing that Illia had also sensed something was off.

“…Yeah. Someone knocked over the communications equipment, shifting the center of gravity. If that hadn’t happened… we would have all died.”

“…Right. But who among us could’ve done that? To deliberately knock over the equipment to adjust the weight balance… whoever did that must know more about the dynamics of an airship than we do. I couldn’t do something like that.”

“…Neither could I.”

At the time, the only ones in the rear of the cockpit were Balthazar, Cecil, Reiner, and Kagura.

One of them had anticipated the crosswind’s effect, knocked over the equipment to shift the weight, and saved them all.

“…If it was intentional, that person’s not human…”

“I’ll ask them later. If someone did it on purpose, it’s incredible, but…”

“…Yeah, ask them. But… I have a feeling that person won’t be honest about it. It’s just a hunch…”

Kiyoaki stared at Illia’s somber profile. He shared the same feeling.

Whoever had tipped over the equipment had deliberately hidden their skill. If they had such expertise, they should have been a pilot already. There had to be a reason why someone who could do what neither Kiyoaki nor Illia could had chosen not to pilot.

Why would they hide their superhuman ability?

—To conceal their true identity and infiltrate the central command of the St Vault Navy…

—Because they were a spy from another country.

Kiyoaki closed his eyes and dismissed the unsettling thoughts. Later, he asked the four of them about the incident. They all claimed they had no idea what he was talking about.

“Maybe it was just a coincidence? I don’t think a person could do something like that on purpose…”

Kagura looked puzzled, dismissing Kiyoaki’s concerns. The others also agreed that Kiyoaki must have misunderstood. They speculated that the equipment’s fasteners had come loose, causing it to fall over due to the wind. That was the general consensus.

As Illia had predicted, no one admitted to anything. With a sense of lingering unease, Kiyoaki eventually convinced himself that it was just a lucky coincidence.