Toaru Hikuushi e no Seiyaku:V6Part10

Part 24 (Part 10 of Volume 6)

As the vanguard of the Voltec Air Squadron, Illia led the formation, eyes fixed on the distant silhouette of the Suzaku Aerial Fortress and the approaching Kusanagi Air Corps.

The western sky was beginning to glow, a crimson hue creeping into the fading blue. The enemy, though only a third of their numbers, radiated a sense of tragic determination. This was a fight they were prepared to die for.

—They’re resolved to die, which makes them dangerous.

Illia knew that the stronger their resolve, the harder it would be to bring them down. But she had also steeled herself to fight, determined to minimize the losses on her side.

—Sakagami and Kagura must be among them.

The thought crept into her mind, causing her to falter for just a moment. Illia quickly shut her eyes, taking a deep breath, banishing such thoughts from her mind.

—I am no longer human. I am a war machine.

With that mantra, she refocused her gaze on the Kusanagi Air Corps.

Suddenly, a massive explosion echoed from behind her.

"!? "

Illia snapped her eyes open and looked back.

In the middle of their 90-plane formation, an inferno bloomed, engulfing a fighter in flames.

Chaos spread through the squadron. Down below, a dark shadow streaked across the sea, followed by a Beo-Eagle spinning out of control as it plummeted from the sky.

The shadow veered sharply, lifting its nose in a manoeuvre that demonstrated breathtaking speed.

Voices filled the radio, panic erupting among her comrades.

"We’ve been ambushed! Hilman’s down!"

"What the hell was that? A cannon!?"

"It’s that weird plane with the propeller in the back!"

Leo’s voice cut through the chaos.

"Scatter! We’ve been hit from above! There are more in the clouds!"

"It’s the Ikaruga. I’ll pursue," Illia responded, flipping her wings and rolling her plane as she descended. She locked onto the Ikaruga, now pulling away after its hit-and-run strike.

—It could be Sakagami.

That thought briefly crossed her mind, but she shoved it away. Her eyes focused intensely on the combat zone, where the Ikaruga skilfully used the clouds to mask its escape. Meanwhile, Kusanagi Air Corps was charging in to press their advantage.

"They’re attacking from the front as well! Battle's starting—engage!"

Caught off guard, the Voltec formation struggled to reassemble.

"Stay calm! Do not break formation! They’re only two planes!" Leo barked over the radio.

The two attackers had wreaked havoc, throwing the Voltec formation into disarray, retreating into the clouds before they could be properly engaged.

Illia gritted her teeth and pushed her throttle. Her Beo-Strike roared to life, the turbo-propeller engine giving chase to the fleeing Ikaruga.

Clouds closed around the tail end of the Ikaruga’s twin contra-rotating propellers, almost as if nature itself conspired to hide the plane from her view. But Illia knew better—it wasn’t the clouds helping, it was the enemy’s skill.

It was clear now who was piloting the enemy plane. It had to be Kiyoaki Sakagami.

Just as she realized this, a sudden hail of 20mm rounds streaked toward her nose.

"…Tch!"

Distracted by Sakagami, she had completely missed the second Murasame. She quickly tilted her controls, narrowly dodging the tracer rounds. The Murasame rocketed downward, but then climbed back up, positioning itself between her and Sakagami, preventing her from pursuing further.

—That must be Sakagami’s wingman.

In that instant, a heavy rumble resonated from above.

"!? "

Looking up, she saw the debris of a shattered Beo-Eagle falling from the sky. Black smoke coiled like tentacles, as the Ikaruga ascended with its twin-propeller song, emerging from the cloud cover like a ghost.

"Sakagami…!"

Frustration scorched through her as she yanked her controls, but the Ikaruga once again used the clouds as cover, pulling away with apparent ease. Another wave of chaos swept through the Voltec Air Squadron.

"What the hell is that cannon!?"

"Reyes! No! Reyes, answer me!!"

It was Reyes, a fellow pilot who had often flirted with Kagura, the same Reyes who had shared jokes with Kiyoaki. Now, he was dead at Kiyoaki’s hand.

"Black Rabbit emblem! It’s Sakagami!!"

"That bastard, he got him! Let’s take him down!!"

Some of the Voltec pilots shouted in rage, eager to avenge Reyes, but Leo quickly intervened.

"Don’t engage Sakagami head-on! You’ll lose at high altitude! Focus on the enemies in front of you! Illia!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Take down Sakagami! You’re the only one who can!"

"Understood!"

Illia had been bracing for this command. If they didn’t take down the enemy ace, their losses would continue to mount. In this sky, only the Beo-Strike had the power to match the Ikaruga. Leo had to manage the overall battle, leaving it to Illia to hunt down Kiyoaki.

Yet, even though she had steeled herself, her hands trembled slightly as they gripped the control stick.

Illia forced the tremors down, repeating her internal mantra.

—Why hesitate now?

—I’m not human. Machines don’t hesitate.

With her eyes sharp and focused, Illia locked onto Kiyoaki’s retreating plane and opened the throttle.

—I’ll take down the Ikaruga.

Her Beo-Strike kicked up clouds as it shot upward in pursuit.

"They’re coming from the front!"

"Illia, leave it to us!"

"Our target is the Murasame—we can handle them! Shoot them all down!"

As the radio buzzed with activity, the hum of propellers grew louder. Below, Illia could see the Kusanagi Air Corps punching through the disarrayed Voltec formation like a drill, their precise three-column formations cutting through.

"Damn, they’re strong!"

"Stay sharp! They’re no pushovers!"

With far fewer numbers, Kusanagi’s only option was to exploit every gap and widen any opening they could find. Their coordinated movements rivalled the Voltec pilots, if not surpassing them.

What had once been a perfectly organized formation of ninety planes was now a battlefield of black smoke and scattered fighters.

Three more Beo-Eagles plummeted, trailing black smoke, as desperate screams filled the radio.

"KAREN!! SHORTY!!"

"No, no, don’t go, Shorty!!"

The anguished cries belonged to Lulu and Lala. Their close friends, Karen and Shorty, had just been shot down. Illia felt a wave of sorrow wash over her. Karen and Shorty had been two of the kindest, most supportive women in the squadron, always lifting her spirits during the endless days of battle.

But machines do not cry. Illia’s steely gaze remained fixed on Kiyoaki.

—Here I come, Black Rabbit.

Her Beo-Strike’s exhaust burned bright blue as she pushed forward.

The eight blades of her contra-rotating propellers tore through the air, howling as her mighty steel wolf surged through the twilight sky.

With fangs bared, she clawed through the clouds, tailing the black rabbit.

Her finger hovered over the trigger of her 20mm cannons.

Just as she was about to squeeze—

A new beast swooped in from above, claws outstretched.

"!? "

Blistering-hot tracer rounds streaked across her vision.

She rolled at the last second, narrowly dodging the incoming fire, and glanced behind her.

The Ikaruga. One more of them. The emblem on its nose:

—The White Tiger.

Inside the cockpit, the pilot’s sharp gaze locked onto Illia’s. This was the same dangerous adversary who had pursued her relentlessly during their last encounter.

And now, because of this sudden ambush, she had lost sight of the Black Rabbit.

With the sea above her head, Illia dived and checked her six. The White Tiger was giving chase.

—So, you want to duel me.

—Fine, have it your way.

Illia knew she had to deal with both Ikaruga planes. If she could take them down, the outcome of the entire battle could change.

The wolf bared its fangs toward the tiger, kicking clouds aside as it roared forward, turning its wings vertically against the ocean below. She could feel the tiger pilot’s tenacity through the air.

—He underestimates me because I’m a woman.

She had felt it in their last encounter, a hint of condescension from the White Tiger.

Her steel wolf’s eyes locked onto the tiger.

—You don’t know what I’ve endured to get here.

—I’ll show you the difference in skill…!!

Without hesitation, Illia baited the White Tiger into a vertical dogfight.

—Pray. You will never touch the ground again.

She whispered the silent challenge to the White Tiger, who clung relentlessly to her tail, ready to strike.

Illia's presence vanished from Kiyoaki's senses.

As he ascended, Kiyoaki glanced over his shoulder. Thick clouds layered above and below, obscuring Illia’s position. Moments earlier, Ryu had dived in from the side, likely engaging her in combat.

—Illia must be preoccupied with Ryu now. This is my chance to disrupt the enemy formation as much as possible.

At 7,000 meters, there was no one pursuing him. No one capable of keeping up. Kiyoaki levelled his plane and surveyed the battlefield below.

From this altitude, his eyes, sharp like a hawk’s, scanned for his next prey.

The Kusanagi Air Corps had split the enemy formation in two, spreading chaos and widening the rift in the enemy lines. Each three-plane squadron scattered into dogfights with the Voltec Air Squadron’ smaller formations, utilizing the floating clouds as cover. The Kusanagi pilots, the best of the best, were exploiting every advantage the battlefield offered, managing to land significant blows.

Kiyoaki spotted his next target.

He banked his Ikaruga, nose angled downward. With the enemy in his sights, he kept his gaze fixed on the upper surface of the target plane.

A textbook top-down deflection shot.

The 37mm autocannon tore through the enemy cockpit, sending the plane spiralling downward, its wings ripped apart and flung skyward.

In the midst of the flames, Kiyoaki glimpsed a splash of red—blood. The enemy pilot had been obliterated, leaving no trace.

He didn’t stop to pray for the fallen comrades who had once been his allies.

—Next.

The iron wings of the Ikaruga sliced through the combat zone.

Without a sound, he sighted another Beo-Eagle flying through the clouds, raising the smoking barrel of his 20mm machine guns.

He shattered the enemy and the clouds around it in an instant.

Plunging through the debris, Kiyoaki snapped into a sharp roll, dodging machine-gun fire from another Beo-Eagle behind him.

Half-flaps deployed. Kiyoaki’s sudden deceleration caused his pursuer to overshoot him.

Retracting the flaps, Kiyoaki’s crosshairs locked onto the tail of the enemy plane. He squeezed the trigger, and the deafening roar of his 20mm cannons filled the cockpit.

Without a second glance at the flaming wreckage of his former comrades, Kiyoaki set his cold, unfeeling gaze on the Voltec Air Squadron.

—Too slow.

—The enemy seems to move in slow motion.

Kiyoaki spotted an enemy three-plane squadron harassing his allies at the same altitude. He opened the throttle, banking left and pressing the foot pedals, lining up his attack from above.

The wingman of the squadron leader moved to intercept, throwing themselves in Kiyoaki's path.

Without hesitation, Kiyoaki unleashed a volley of 20mm rounds into the wingman.

—No sympathy. No thoughts. No hesitation.

The wingman exploded into pieces, and the second wingman soon moved to block Kiyoaki’s path.

—I am not human. I am but a fragment of the iron that forms this machine.

The squadron leader seemed oblivious, focused on targeting a Kusanagi Murasame fighter.

Another burst of 20mm fire severed the wing from the second wingman’s plane, sending it spiralling into the void.

Ignoring the wreckage, Kiyoaki closed in on the squadron leader, who still hadn’t noticed him.

—I am the reaper that clears the sky of these killing machines.

As this detached thought passed through Kiyoaki's mind, he fired the 37mm cannon again, sending another burst of blood and debris into the air.

His comrades' voices crackled through the radio.

"Nice work, Sakagami! You saved us!"

"That was incredible! Like a god!"

Kiyoaki only nodded in response, refusing to answer, and began climbing again.

He scanned the battlefield. Slowly, the Voltec Air Squadron was regaining some semblance of order, leveraging their superior numbers to surround isolated Kusanagi pilots, ensuring they were picked off one by one.

The once-optimistic radio chatter of his comrades was now mingled with cries of desperation.

"Yunfa's down! Damn it!"

"Sontada, don't leave us! Please, stay with us!"

"This is Galpo! Engine's hit, I’m going to ram them. Farewell, everyone."

Kiyoaki looked down. He could see a Murasame spiralling toward a Beo-Eagle, flames roaring from its engine. It had to be Galpo, the ever-cheerful and beloved nineteen-year-old who had always brought smiles to the squadron.

A fiery explosion followed as Galpo made contact, his life vanishing into the sky.

A painful cry echoed over the radio.

"Hold your anger! We must win this! Win for those who died!"

Commander Maolong’s voice boomed, rallying the squadron. Kiyoaki clenched his teeth and whispered the names of the fallen, vowing to carry them with him.

Ryu and Illia were still locked in their fierce battle. It seemed neither could gain the upper hand just yet. Kiyoaki resolved to take out as many Beo-Eagles as possible before the two came to a conclusion, easing the burden on his comrades.

He set his sights on the most chaotic part of the battlefield, choosing his next target. As he dove from 7,000 meters, lining up his shot—

"…!"

Another plane appeared alongside him, matching his descent.

Surprised, Kiyoaki turned to his left.

A Beo-Strike.

Its nose bore the emblem of a lion.

"…Commander Leo…!"

Leo's stern gaze met Kiyoaki’s from the cockpit as they flew side by side.

Without breaking formation, Kiyoaki raised his left hand to his temple in a crisp salute, eyes filled with respect.

—I have always respected you, Captain Leo.

He poured all his unspoken thoughts into that salute.

Leo smiled faintly, a subtle smile on his lips, and returned the salute.

• This is it, Sakagami. Let’s see who’s better.*

It felt as though Leo’s words echoed directly into Kiyoaki’s heart.

A burning sensation spread through his chest, searing his resolve. This was the man who had taught him the meaning of formation combat, the man who had gone to great lengths to rescue Kiyoaki and Kagura when they were captured. Now, Kiyoaki had no choice but to bring him down.

But there was no room for tears.

Kiyoaki had already prepared himself for this inevitable meeting in the sky.

The only way to repay Leo's kindness was to engage in an all-out battle without holding back.

—I will fight you, as a samurai of the Akitsu Federation.

Kiyoaki lowered his left hand onto the throttle.

—I will fight you with everything I have, as a proud knight of St Vault.

He locked his sharp gaze onto Leo.

Leo, too, returned his left hand to the controls, fixing Kiyoaki with a cold, intense look—befitting the legendary "King of the Skies" of St Vault.

• You've got a good face now. That's what I expect from my subordinate.*

A faint smile appeared in the depths of Leo's stern expression. It was the smile of a man who found joy in nurturing and guiding those under his wing, watching them grow and soar to new heights.

But in an instant, that smile vanished.

• Come and surpass me, Sky Samurai.*

What replaced it was the pride of a true knight of the skies.

• Can you bring me down?*

Their mutual pride, dignity, and the countless hours of honing their skills clashed in the space between them, sparking like fire.

The silver wings of the Beo-Strike sliced through the dense clouds.

A thick wall of clouds swallowed the space between them.

Kiyoaki returned his gaze forward. At around 5,000 meters altitude lay the most intense battlefield.

—If I can shoot down Captain Leo, the tide will turn...!

The key to victory was the Beo-Strike and the Ikaruga. If he could take down the Beo-Strike, the Ikaruga would have the overwhelming ability to decimate the enemy’s lesser soldiers.

Kicking up a spray of vapor, Kiyoaki kept his eyes on Leo’s last known location. Using the cloud cover as a shield, Leo had completely disappeared from Kiyoaki’s view.

—No, he’s there.

—He’s hiding in the clouds, watching me...!

His intuition told him so. A faint electric current coursed through the air, making his temple twitch.

Earlier, Leo had been on Kiyoaki's left side. Naturally, Kiyoaki had been searching for the Beo-Strike on the left, but what if that had been a bluff...?

—Right...!

The moment he turned his head to the right, the clouds split apart, and tracer rounds came hurtling toward him.

"Ugh...!!"

He hastily pulled the control stick, narrowly dodging the attack.

Out of the white mist, the lion of the skies pounced.

As Kiyoaki rolled his aircraft to evade, Leo mirrored the roll, locking onto him.

The claws came slashing down, tearing through the air.

A stream of 20mm bullets mercilessly chased Kiyoaki's cockpit.

"Ngh...!!"

Kiyoaki clenched his teeth and slammed his foot on the rudder bar. He barely dodged the shots, but Leo was firmly on his tail.

—I can’t lose. If I lose, the city will burn again under incendiary bombs.

Urging himself on, Kiyoaki glanced back, then opened the throttle, trying to shake Leo off.

—Become a bullet. A bullet without emotion...!!

He flipped his wings and entered a vertical spiral. As he confirmed Leo was still chasing, Kiyoaki caught a glimpse of another Ikaruga performing the same vertical spiral at the same altitude.

—Ryu.

In the same turning path, Kiyoaki spotted Ryu being pursued by Illia. They were also locked in a vertical spiral duel, fighting to settle the score. It was clear that this dogfight between the Ikaruga and Beo-Strike would determine the outcome of the battle.

—Don’t lose, Ryu...!!

As he ascended toward the heavens, Kiyoaki found himself rooting for his prickly colleague. Though they didn't get along, the countless mock dogfights they had shared in their Ikarugas’ had sharpened Kiyoaki's skills. No matter how unpleasant Ryu could be, he was still a comrade.

—We will win. We must win this fight...!!

Kiyoaki sent his fervent prayer to his comrade and refocused on his own battle.

What is with this woman?

Ryu Won groaned in frustration as he endured the crushing G-forces that threatened to knock him out. No matter how hard he pushed his vertical spirals or how skilfully he weaved his manoeuvres, the white wolf of the sky relentlessly followed his every move. It was as if Illia effortlessly traced the paths of his intricate, almost artistic flight patterns, steadily closing the distance between them.

—Could she really be better than me?

Ryu had shed more blood than anyone else to reach this level. He had devoted himself to relentless training, thinking of nothing but aerial combat, sharpening his vision until he could see stars in broad daylight. He had survived countless battles and mastered a dozen flight techniques.

In the Ikaruga, no one could keep up with him.

At least, that’s what he had believed. But the white wolf, that brilliant and haughty woman, was stepping into Ryu’s domain—effortlessly, as if it were her birthright.

No, more than that—she was surpassing him.

"What are you...!?"

As they continued their vertical spirals, Ryu realized that the distance between them was slowly shrinking.

The slightest millimetre of movement in his control stick, the careful adjustment of his throttle during ascent, the precise reading of the wind and the limits of his aircraft—all of these Misator differences were adding up over time. As a result, the white wolf was steadily closing in on his tail, edging ever closer to that perfect range for a kill.

It was impossible.

—Are you saying my skills are inferior to hers?

Blood trickled from Ryu’s lips as he bit down hard. His clenched teeth felt as if they might shatter. It was as if everything he had worked so hard to achieve was about to be denied in this cruel, merciless judgment.

—I won’t lose. I can’t lose. I refuse to lose...!!

That woman must be suffering just as much in her cockpit. She would be gasping for air, her eyes bloodshot from the constant pressure of the G-forces, silently begging for the struggle to end as she gripped her control stick. He wasn’t the only one in pain. The first to falter and lose their precision in this gruelling battle would be the one to lose.

The sea and sky alternated in his view through the windshield.

At some point, Ryu noticed the sky had begun to glow with the soft hues of sunset.

Bathed in the gentle light of dusk, the face of his wife, waiting for him back in Misato, suddenly appeared in his mind.

—Leerin.

Standing in the doorway of their home, her belly swollen with their child, she had watched him leave for duty with a sorrowful expression.

Why that image came to him at this moment, Ryu couldn’t understand.

"Look after our baby, okay?"

Her soft, pained voice echoed in his ears.

I’ll be back. There’s no way I’m dying without even seeing my child’s face. Don’t worry. No one can beat me in the sky. I’ll protect Misato’s skies.

Those words he had thrown at her as he left now vividly replayed in his mind, as if she were whispering them right beside him.

—What am I doing, thinking about this now?

As the colours of dusk and the deep blue of the sea alternated before him like a movie screen, Leerin’s tearful smile enveloped his vision.

Then, a beastly growl came from behind.

Ryu turned to look.

The white wolf had already closed in, within that fatal range. Like an ancient swordsman closing in for the kill with a single leap, her aerial manoeuvres had brought her within striking distance.

—I see now.

Ryu finally understood what was happening.

—I’m going to die.

Accepting this, he spoke into his radio.

"Sakagami, I’m sorry."

Ryu entrusted everything to the only pilot he recognized as his equal.

"Protect Misato for me."

Protect the wife waiting for him in Misato.

With his final prayer, Ryu and his Ikaruga were swallowed by a stream of 20mm bullets, shattering into countless pieces that danced through the azure sky.

At the moment when Kiyoaki spotted the fiery bloom that had once been Ikaruga, cheers erupted over the radio from his comrades.

"We got the Ikaruga!" "As expected from Illia, she's the best!" "Illia, come over here! With you, we're a hundred times stronger!"

Kiyoaki tilted his control stick and scanned the battlefield.

Although the surprise attack had momentarily thrown the enemy into confusion, the Voltec Air Squadron was gradually regaining its composure. They were elite veterans of many battles, and once their disciplined formation-based combat was reestablished, they wouldn’t fall behind easily. Yet, despite being outnumbered, the Kusanagi Air Corps fought with determination, as though they had chosen this place as their final battleground.

In the distance, Kiyoaki saw Leo and his Beo-Strike locked in a vertical spiral battle. Meanwhile, Lulu and Lala circled horizontally, waiting for an opening to strike Kiyoaki. The twin pilots, who were always cheerful on the ground, were ruthless and loyal to Leo in the skies—even against their favoured comrade Kiyoaki, they wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.

"Lulu, Lala, please handle Sakagami," Illia ordered.

"Okay!" "Sorry, but we're going to shoot you down!"

"Call if you need help."

With that request, Illia turned her aircraft towards the most chaotic part of the battlefield. The situation was still evenly matched, but if her Beo-Strike were to enter that area, the momentum of the battle would likely shift in their favour.

Taking a deep breath to calm the ragged breathing from her earlier battle, Illia opened the throttle.

After accelerating upward, she climbed swiftly, darting through the invisible slope like a white wolf. At 7,000 meters, she overlooked the combat zone, searching for her next target.

She needed to find the strongest enemy and take them down in a single strike-and-fade attack.

From her high vantage point, she carefully observed the enemy’s use of clouds, agility, pursuit, and precision in shooting. She found the most skilled opponent.

With her eyes ablaze, Illia dove down in a sudden descent toward her prey.

The enemy aircraft grew larger and larger in her view. Her target would likely never realize what had happened before they were blown apart.

"Ryu has been shot down!! Sakagami, are you still not done!?"

Captain Maolong shouted into the radio. There was no response. He knew that Kiyoaki couldn't reply in the middle of his vertical spiral battle, but Maolong was too anxious to remain silent. The white wolf that had taken down Ryu had vanished into the sky like smoke.

But it couldn’t have disappeared. It was hiding somewhere in the battle zone, licking its lips, sizing up its next target.

Shaking off the creeping fear, Maolong raised his voice, hoarse from the strain.

"Stay focused! Don’t forget all the training you’ve done for this day! Show them the spirit of Akitsu!!"

As he rallied his comrades, Maolong spotted a friendly aircraft being pursued by an enemy. He opened his throttle to provide cover. Today’s tally of kills was already six, the highest he had ever achieved in one battle. But his plane was riddled with holes, smoke seeping from several places.

—I can’t go down. If I fall, it’s all over.

Maolong steeled his resolve. As the fleeing friendly aircraft grew larger, and the pursuing Beo-Eagle drew closer, his mind suddenly filled with the image of his family back home in Central State.

"…What?"

Why would that memory surface now, in the middle of a dogfight?

His aged mother, his worn-out wife from working the fields, and his five thin children had all waved him off during his last visit home. That was the scene that played out in his mind.

I’m sorry I couldn’t feed you enough. I hope this military script will turn into real money soon. Once this war is over, I’ll work the fields too. I’ll trade the control stick for a hoe, and feed you all until you tell me you’re full. Just hold on a little longer. I’ll be home again soon.

He could hear the words he had said, patting the heads of his frail children as they clung to him in tears.

He couldn’t understand why this memory was coming to him now.

"Captain, above!!"

Kagura’s voice screamed through the radio.

"What!?"

Maolong looked up.

Through the crimson sky, a white wolf plunged down toward him like a fang from the heavens.

—I see.

Maolong understood what was happening.

"I’m sorry, my family—"

The parting words he tried to convey over the radio were cut short by the merciless roar of 20mm machine gun fire.

The white wolf tore through Maolong's aircraft, transforming it into a crimson fireball in an instant. With a howl of wind, the wolf raced off toward its next prey.

"Captain!! Captain!!" "The captain’s been shot down, taken by the white wolf!!" "Don’t panic, calm down! Kagura, you take command!" "Kiyoaki, please, we’re counting on you!"

Amid the frantic voices of the Kusanagi Air Corps, Kiyoaki raised his bloodshot eyes and gazed up at Leo, who was pursuing him relentlessly from above.

—Ryu. Captain Maolong. I swear, I will avenge you.

"We can’t stop the white wolf!! It’s going to eat us all!!" "If you’re targeted by the white wolf, retreat! Don’t engage it head-on!" "Damn it, they got another one! How many planes has it taken down already!?"

His comrades’ panicked voices filled the radio. Even though Illia might be gentle on the ground, in the skies, she was a savage wolf, mercilessly slaughtering helpless sheep. Despite the elite skill of the Kusanagi Air Corps, there was no one capable of matching her in her Beo-Strike.

—The only one who can defeat Illia is me.

—That’s why I need to finish off Captain Leo as soon as possible...!!

The pressure was unbearable. To make matters worse, two other planes had been circling around the spiral battle since earlier, making him increasingly uneasy.

It was likely Lulu and Lala. They were waiting for the perfect moment to exploit Kiyoaki’s distraction with Leo.

Though the twins were carefree and light-hearted on the ground, in the air, they were terrifying. Kiyoaki knew firsthand just how deadly they were as a pair. When they worked together, no average pilot could survive. Back when Kiyoaki flew with them, they had downed 67 planes between them. Together, they had a better record than even Leo.

"I’ll cover you, Kiyoaki..." "I’m coming, Lieutenant Sakagami!!"

Kagura and Dambazolik’s voices came through the radio. They would keep the twins off his back.

Without replying, Kiyoaki gritted his teeth and endured the G-forces from the vertical spiral. He could hear his organs creaking under the pressure. Every cell in his body screamed for oxygen, but he couldn’t afford to give in. He had to endure, and endure some more.

—He’s strong...!!

As expected of the "King of the Skies" of St Vault. Any other opponent would have been shot down long ago, but Leo was hanging on with superhuman tenacity.

—Captain Leo is physically stronger than I am. Far stronger...

Kiyoaki recalled Leo’s imposing physique. He would be at a disadvantage in a contest of endurance. He needed to turn this into a battle of skill.

The moment Kiyoaki hesitated, carefully aimed crossfire rained down diagonally from above.

"Ugh...!!"

Just as Kiyoaki was about to climb toward the sky, two lines of tracer fire formed an X-shaped barrier in front of him.

He twisted his aircraft, hearing the impact of bullets striking his fuselage. Some rounds had penetrated the hull. Barely dodging a lethal strike, Kiyoaki found Leo quickly positioning himself on his tail.

"Damn it...!!"

This wasn’t good. The seamless teamwork of the Voltec Air Squadron had been perfectly executed. The crossfire was undoubtedly the work of Lulu and Lala. The same carefree twins on the ground had now become grim reapers, wielding the scythe of death in the air.

It was understandable, though. They were fighting for their comrades. Back when they flew together in the Voltec Air Squadron, whenever a comrade was shot down, Lulu and Lala would cry out the names of the fallen, their voices filled with anguish. As war orphans, they treated the members of the Voltec Air Squadron as their family. And for their family, they would shoot at Kiyoaki and Kagura without hesitation.

—I’m the same.

What he must protect is the sky of Misato. The lives of the citizens were on his shoulders. He could never allow himself to witness another massacre like before.

He would face them as a warrior of the skies, no matter who they were—whether Leo, Lulu, or Lala.

"Dambazolik, Kagura, keep the twins at bay!"

Kiyoaki made the request as he was being chased by Leo. After confirming their acknowledgment, he began to weave through clouds to disrupt Leo’s pursuit. Yet no matter how many clouds he tore through, when he glanced back, the emblem of the lion remained in his rearview.

With no solution in sight, he kept running and weaving, diving into the midst of the air combat, drawing complex arcs through the sky.

Using the falling debris of friend and foe alike, he narrowly avoided collisions. One wrong move and he would crash to his death, but it forced the same pressure on his pursuers. Even the black smoke rising from the flaming wreckage of downed planes served as cover, helping him evade pursuit. Kiyoaki used every element of the battlefield to escape.

With Kiyoaki in the lead, Leo followed, and Lulu and Lala flanked from either side. Behind them, Dambazolik and Kagura trailed, covering him. Kiyoaki flew a complex, erratic path that would cause an ordinary person to pass out, aiming to position himself behind Kagura.

"I’ve got him! Covering you!!"

With a shout of joy, Dambazolik unleashed a barrage of fire on Leo. Leo kicked the rudder and evaded, but Dambazolik clung to him, determined to free Kiyoaki. Lulu and Lala turned their guns on Dambazolik, trying to drive him off, but now Kagura joined the fray, firing 20mm rounds at the twins.

"Well done, Dambazolik...!!"

Kiyoaki praised his dependable wingman as he finally shook off Leo's pursuit and began to ascend. In an instant, he took in the chaotic dogfight below, focusing on Leo’s Beo-Strike.

The moment he spotted it, he opened the throttle and dove from above.

The Beo-Strike’s upper fuselage swelled in his sights.

—Captain Leo.

Tears threatened to well up, but he held them back. He was no longer human, but steel and a bullet. There was no room for tears.

—Father, Master Akhmed, and you... You are all my masters.

With that silent acknowledgment, he aimed at Leo's fuselage and pulled the trigger on his 20mm machine guns.

The scarlet tracer rounds tore through the evening sky—

The right wing of Leo's Beo-Strike was blown away.

His aircraft spun around its fuselage, the left wing sheared off at its structural limit, and only the fuselage remained, disappearing beyond the clouds.

"*We did it! We shot down the Beo-Strike!" "Amazing, Lieutenant Sakagami!" "Kiyoaki, take care of the twins too...!!"

The radio was filled with shouts of joy.

Although Kiyoaki had aimed at the fuselage, it seemed that Leo had noticed the incoming shots and managed to evade at the last second. Hoping that Leo had successfully ejected and was safely descending with his parachute, Kiyoaki glanced upward, spotting Dambazolik and Kagura being pursued by the twins.

Opening the throttle, Kiyoaki climbed rapidly, aiming at the twins’ vulnerable underbelly. The twins were disoriented, likely having lost their composure after seeing Leo go down, and were recklessly showering Dambazolik with machine-gun fire, enough to light up the sky.

—Lulu. Lala.

There was no time for sentiment. Kiyoaki knew that, but he couldn't shake the image of the innocent smiles the twins had shown him back on the beach.

Kiyoaki's 20mm machine guns shredded one of the twin’s wings.

The aircraft wobbled, losing control, and spiralled downward helplessly.

Kiyoaki wanted to confirm that the parachute had deployed, but the remaining twin wouldn't allow it.

As if half their soul had been torn away, the surviving twin furiously aimed their guns at Kiyoaki, unleashing a relentless barrage of bullets. In the cockpit, they were likely on the verge of madness—was it Lulu or Lala? There was no way to tell, but Kiyoaki ascended, shifting off-axis, and left the finishing blow to his comrades.

In his rearview, he saw Kagura's gunfire tear the wing off the remaining twin’s aircraft.

Lulu or Lala, now mirroring their fallen sibling's fate, spiralled downward in a similar trajectory, vanishing into the thick layer of clouds below.

—Abandon sentiment. You don’t need emotions. I’m no longer human.

Kiyoaki forcibly suppressed the pain and sadness welling up inside him.

—Bullets don’t cry.

He directed his focused gaze toward the battle zone.

"Sakagami, we need you! The white wolf is too strong...!!" "Our allies are all getting taken down! Hurry!!"

His comrades' desperate pleas echoed through the radio. No matter how skilled and experienced they were, or how they banded together to surround the enemy, the Murasame fighters couldn’t compete against the Beo-Strike.

Only one Beo-Strike remained.

On their side, only one Ikaruga remained.

—So, this is how it’s meant to be.

Kiyoaki reaffirmed his resolve.

He had etched that decision into his consciousness countless times by now.

There would be no hesitation.

—I will bring down Illia.

His wings gleamed under the crimson sunset.

—Wait for me, Illia.

—We will settle this once and for all.

Having discarded his humanity, transformed into nothing but a steel bullet, Kiyoaki began to ascend, searching for the beloved white wolf in the battlefield.

The screams over the radio made it clear what was happening in the battle zone.

"Captain Leo!! This can’t be real, tell me it's a lie, Captain!!" "Is the captain safe? Where did the plane go!?" "We don’t know, Lulu and Lala are down too!!" "Damn it!! Damn it!! Damn it!!" "It was the black rabbit! Don’t let Sakagami escape!!" "I won’t forgive that bastard, I’ll shoot him down!!"

Illia barely managed to swallow the emotions welling up from the pit of her stomach.

Leo was down. Lulu and Lala were down.

Illia glanced downward. The expansive cloud layer concealed the ocean below, making it impossible to see if any parachutes had deployed. If they had successfully ejected from their aircraft, they could descend into the ocean, where friendly airships, small vessels, or submarines could retrieve them.

After praying for their safety, Illia lifted her gaze.

There was no time to cry over her fallen comrades. That would have to wait until they returned to the ground. For now, the only thing left to do for those who still had wings in this sky was to shoot down the enemy.

"Illia, we're counting on you, you’re the ace!" "We’ll cover you, just focus on shooting them down!"

Encouraging voices reached her over the radio, and Illia nodded resolutely.

"Understood. Cover me."

Her dependable comrades had her back, so all she needed to focus on was shooting down the enemy.

She surveyed the sky. The western horizon was bathed in a deep crimson hue, like the blood of the fallen airmen. In another thirty minutes, the battlefield would be engulfed in darkness. It had to be decided before then.

—I will annihilate the Kusanagi Air Corps.

Her eyes narrowed as they scanned the remaining planes. The Kusanagi Air Corps had fewer than twenty aircraft left, while Voltec still had over fifty. The numbers would soon widen even further. As time passed, the weaker force would suffer greater losses, while the larger force would incur fewer casualties. It was nearing the decisive moment of the battle. Victory for Voltec seemed inevitable.

However, there was still one variable within the enemy ranks that could change the outcome.

That variable was now approaching, concealed by the clouds.

Even without seeing him, Illia could sense his presence. The entire combat zone was resonating with the unnatural combat prowess he exuded, a tension that chilled the air.

Every allied plane that had fallen recently had been shot down by him. Indifferent to being outnumbered, he took down the elite members of Voltec one by one, as if they were stationary targets. He had already shot down Leo, Lulu, and Lala without much effort—an unrivalled enemy ace.

—Sakagami.

—No... the black rabbit.

—If I leave you unchecked, my comrades will all be eaten...!

Illia sharpened her mind.

She purged all personal feelings.

Becoming one with the machine, she cast a sensory net over the airspace.

This heightened "sixth sense" that only the most chosen pilots possessed, surpassing normal human perception, allowed her to search for hidden enemies within the clouds.

She sought the dreaded black rabbit in the sky of the final showdown.

In one corner of the sky, at an altitude of 5,500 meters, she sensed a faint shadow rapidly approaching.

From her position at 6,200 meters, Illia turned her head in that direction.

The area was dense with clouds, with only a sliver of the sunset visible between gaps in the cloud cover.

There were more clouds than sky, but still—he was there. The oMisatous threat was closing in at combat speed, and Illia could feel it in her bones.

—I know where you are.

Illia’s eyes lost their colour.

In their place burned a dull, icy flame.

Becoming one with the steel of her Beo-Strike, Illia watched the sky to the northwest, waiting for her prey to emerge from the gap in the clouds.

She placed her finger on the trigger of her 20mm machine guns.

—Can you sense me?

The veil of clouds in front of her darkened faintly.

The roar of propellers reached her through the mist.

The wind swept the clouds away. The dense mist quickly cleared, and through the gaping rift in the clouds, the black rabbit suddenly leaped into Illia's line of sight.

At the same moment, Illia poured a stream of 20mm machine gun fire into the black rabbit’s path.

A direct hit.

The scorched fangs of the white wolf would surely tear into the black rabbit’s throat.

But, the black rabbit evaded the deadly shots with a sideways leap, slipping past the white wolf's left side and racing toward the chaotic battlefield.

—He’s feeling it...!!

Illia glanced back and confirmed it.

Just as she had sensed Kiyoaki’s presence, he too had sensed hers, reading her ambush and evading what should have been a sure-hit counterattack.

Illia's whole body trembled with a surge of emotions she had never experienced before.

"It's Ikaruga again, Illia! Do something!!" "Stop Sakagami, Illia! He's taking us all down!!"

The radio was filled with desperate cries. Illia quickly swung her Beo-Strike around, aiming at the airspace where Kiyoaki had disappeared. Her heart was still pounding, but she suppressed it and spread her wings over the battlefield.

"I'm coming now. I'll take down the Black Rabbit."

She announced this over the radio.

"Everyone, avoid the Black Rabbit. I will definitely bring him down..."

Illia dove back into the chaotic battlefield, scanning for the wings of the Ikaruga amid the violent skirmish between friend and foe.

"Hah... hah... hah...!"

Panting heavily, Kiyoaki locked his sights on his thirteenth target of the day, pouring 20mm machine-gun fire into the enemy aircraft.

He watched it explode and slammed the foot bar, leaving the trailing enemy to be dealt with by Dambazolik. There was no sign of Kagura—had she been shot down?

"Where's Kagura...!?"

"Kagura is leading the entire squadron! All four officers in the chain of command before her are dead!"

"Understood...!"

It was clear that enemy officers were targeting their key leaders, starting with Captain Maolong. With Kagura now in command, it showed how dire the situation had become.

Kiyoaki scanned the battlefield.

No more Beo-Eagles were coming after him.

They knew that a frontal attack would only lead to them being shot down. Just like a saint parting the sea, the enemy planes scattered before Kiyoaki's path.

But they weren't just fleeing.

They were waiting. Waiting for the only plane that could take down the Ikaruga.

The ultimate ace—the White Wolf.

Kiyoaki tore through the clouds, ascending. He glimpsed stars overhead, and the black streaks of clouds against the crimson backdrop of the westward sky. Night was coming soon, and visibility for combat would soon be at its limit.

—Illia. I can sense you.

Kiyoaki felt the threat closing in, just as he had earlier sensed her waiting for him beyond the clouds.

Trailing a vapor trail behind him, Kiyoaki climbed to 7,000 meters.

There were no clouds at this altitude, and thanks to the remaining light from the sunset, the aircraft were still visible.

At this high altitude, neither the Murasame nor the Beo-Eagle could enter. The sky was a pure crimson, with stars at the zenith watching over Kiyoaki in profound silence.

It was the perfect stage for a duel.

—I'll wait here. For Illia.

With a calm expression, Kiyoaki circled, waiting for his "lover" to arrive.

The western sky was draped in a vibrant sunset. Between the layers of clouds, there were still hints of pale blue, mixed with purple and crimson, casting complex shadows on the sea below.

And again, within the sunset, he found himself recalling Illia's smile from the past.

That smile he had seen on their first date on Air Hunt Island, when they stood together at the observation deck.

He could still remember how that smile had pierced his heart.

The quiet stillness of the high-altitude sky brought back such sweet memories.

Kiyoaki shook his head, clearing his mind of thoughts unbefitting the battlefield.

He had discarded his humanity, his emotions, and everything else to reach this sky.

Now, the Kiyoaki who remained was nothing more than a machine, designed to eliminate enemies from the sky.

Soon enough—

The clouds parted.

Trailing vapor from its wingtips, the White Wolf emerged from the crimson sky, directly in front of Kiyoaki.

Illia spotted Kiyoaki circling at 7,000 meters and cautiously ascended to the same altitude.

At a distance of 1,000 meters, the Black Rabbit and White Wolf began circling in the same direction, as if waiting for the start of a mock dogfight.

Kiyoaki’s steel gaze locked onto Illia in the distance.

From her cockpit, Illia too cast a cold, sharpened gaze his way as she continued her right-hand turn.

They both understood what needed to be done.

In hindsight, this was probably their fate all along.

Carrying the weight of what they needed to protect, their paths had crossed here, with no way out.

From now on, they would discard everything that made them human.

They would become machines, focused only on eliminating the enemy from the sky.

Kiyoaki had to take down the White Wolf.

He had to bring down the enemy ace who was relentlessly shooting down his allies, dropping bombs on Misato, and burning innocent people to death.

—Here I come, White Wolf.

With his gaze alone, Kiyoaki conveyed his resolve.

—I'll take you down, Black Rabbit.

He thought he could hear Illia's silent response.

The White Wolf cut its wingtips.

In that instant, Kiyoaki pushed the control stick forward, opened the throttle, and charged toward the White Wolf’s tail.

At the same moment the White Wolf cut its wingtips, it lunged forward like a beast, rapidly closing the distance.

Kiyoaki's gaze fixed on the White Wolf's forehead.

With each aircraft tilted at a 30-degree angle, both Kiyoaki and Illia locked each other in their sights as they rapidly closed in for the head-on pass.

—The one who hesitates will die.

Kiyoaki unleashed his 20mm machine gun fire at Illia.

At the same time, Illia fired a bouquet of blazing tracer rounds at Kiyoaki.

Both pilots twisted their aircraft, narrowly dodging each other’s fire.

In that instant, they knew.

They knew that neither of them hesitated in their determination to turn the other into minced meat.

Kiyoaki gritted his teeth, enduring the internal pain.

This was the pain he had prepared himself for. There was no point in being rattled by it now.

But the emotional pain was far worse—thousands, even millions of times worse than the physical.

—I am a machine. Machines feel no pain.

Clenching his jaw, Kiyoaki suppressed his soul's anguish, pushing himself forward as a warrior of the sky.

—I will definitely bring down the White Wolf, Rensuke.

Calling out to his fallen wingman, who had died shielding him, Kiyoaki pointed his plane toward the enemy, seeking vengeance for his friend.

—Ryu. Captain Maolong. Your deaths will not be in vain.

—To the boy whose sister was killed by machine-gun fire. I will fulfill my promise to you.

With blazing eyes locked onto Illia, now a cold-hearted beast of steel, Kiyoaki closed the distance once again.

Beyond the windscreen, at 7,000 meters, the White Wolf was deftly aiming for Kiyoaki’s side.

The layer of clouds, spread wide across the sea at around 6,000 meters, suddenly appeared to Kiyoaki like a vast silver plain. Mounted on her Beo-Strike, like a noble knight riding a white steed, Illia—a fierce and dignified female warrior—charged toward him, her 20mm machine gun like a sword at the ready.

She was breathtakingly beautiful, like a knight of silver.

I must wield this massive 37mm cannon against that beautiful person. As she is a knight of the heavens, I too am a samurai of the sky.

Riding the fierce horse known as Ikaruga, Kiyoaki, like a samurai with a massive sword on his shoulder, charged straight at the knight of the sky.

Their swords clashed, sending sparks flying across the evening sky. Even a glancing blow from these strikes would be fatal. Clenching their teeth, both the knight and the samurai felt the weight of their weapons as they unleashed their honed battle techniques upon one another.

With each strike, they could feel the emotions they had carried within. Up here, far from the logic of the ground, a higher law connected the two of them.

A deep affection Kiyoaki couldn’t suppress burned within his chest. With each clash of swords with Illia, their long-buried feelings for each other surfaced.

The knight, avoiding a deadly slash with expert horsemanship, maneuverer her steed sideways, her face filled with pitiful sorrow yet brimming with fierce determination, and swung her sword toward the samurai’s side.

Had the blow landed, Kiyoaki’s organs would have spilled out into the sky. But he twisted his body just in time to avoid the deadly strike, though he knew his position had worsened.

He needed to put some distance between them.

Anticipating being attacked from behind, Kiyoaki lowered his nose. He had been caught off guard by Illia’s unfamiliar fighting technique.

—She is strong. Incredibly strong.

He etched that fact into his soul. Just as Kiyoaki had sharpened his skills by training with Ryu in the Kusanagi squadron, Illia too had grown immeasurably stronger through her many aerial battles.

—But I won’t lose. I will take you down... no matter what!

Encouraging himself, Kiyoaki retreated into the clouds hovering at 6,000 meters.

For some reason, Kiyoaki appeared to Illia as a samurai traversing a vast, white plain.

Carrying the massive sword that was his 37mm cannon, and riding the fierce horse known as Ikaruga, he galloped swiftly through the sky.

What a beautiful warrior. Illia found herself captivated by the samurai she had met at 7,000 meters, even as she raised her sword and continued to strike.

Their slashes crossed the sky over and over, tracing bright red lines in the air.

With each clash of swords, their emotions resonated across the space between them.

Illia felt the overwhelming sadness, the deep sorrow, and the pain hidden within the heart of the samurai facing her, flowing directly into her own heart.

Perhaps it was an illusion brought on by the oxygen deprivation from flying at such high altitudes. Illia didn’t mind if it was. As she fought, with a heart full of affection and tears she struggled to hold back, she found Kiyoaki’s perseverance, his quiet resolve to strike her down despite his feelings, unbearably endearing and lovable.

Illia too, held back her tears.

Tears had no place on this battlefield now. They were nothing more than impurities.

With the eyes of a hawk, she focused on the aerial manoeuvres, trying to predict Kiyoaki’s next move so she could counter it.

The samurai raised his great sword over his head and accelerated, preparing to bring down a fatal blow on Illia from above.

But Illia deftly dodged the attack with her reins, sliding her steed sideways while swinging her sword horizontally at the samurai’s flank.

It was a technique Illia had developed on her own through countless battles, a move never before seen. The samurai, caught off guard, lost his balance and, sensing his disadvantage, tried to pull away.

—I won’t let you.

Illia spurred her steed. With a high-pitched whine, the Beo-Strike charged across the silver plain, pursuing the samurai.

The samurai tried to escape by hiding in the mist of the plain.

—It’s futile.

Illia cast her sensory net over the battle zone.

Her sharpened consciousness filtered out all distractions and expanded over the entire area.

Through the veil of mist, she caught sight of Kiyoaki’s shadow.

In an instant, the White Wolf leaped forward.

Bursting through the clouds, Illia spotted the Black Rabbit weaving between the clouds on the blood-red horizon.

For some reason, even though the sun had already set beyond the horizon, the sky seemed unbearably bright.

The wavelength of light, from the reds in the west to the blues above, appeared strangely vivid and intense.

Even though she wore an oxygen mask, the effects of long exposure at high altitude were affecting her vision. As her wings cut through the clouds, they glittered with rainbow-colored light.

The gradient from red to blue, stretching from the western horizon to the zenith, seemed unusually clear and dazzling, the depth of colour impossibly sharp and pure. She had seen countless skies before, but this one seemed to belong to another dimension.

Perhaps this is what the heavens are like.

As she fought with Kiyoaki, it felt as though they had entered a world beyond the sky. The brilliant sunset, with its shimmering light in every wavelength, carried a sense of sacredness.

And in the midst of that ethereal sky, the Black Rabbit ran, trailing a rainbow behind it.

Illia pushed the throttle of the Beo-Strike to the maximum. The White Wolf leapt forward, closing in on the Black Rabbit, claws raised for a deadly strike.

The Black Rabbit dodged to the side. The White Wolf wouldn’t let it escape, immediately striking with a second claw. With each blow, the sky tore open, and from the gashes, rose-coloured particles spilled out.

—How beautiful, and yet, how cruel this sky is.

Illia thought, caught between the euphoria and sadness.

She had abandoned her humanity and become nothing more than a particle of the steel that made up her aircraft, yet still, these feelings surged within her.

It was as though the sky itself was gathering up the remnants of her humanity and showing it to her, reminding her that she was still human after all.

I’m supposed to be steel. I’m supposed to be a bullet. But why do these emotions keep tearing me apart inside?

—Kiyoaki, can you hear me?

As she unleashed her burning 20mm rounds at the one she loved, Illia spoke to him through the sky.

In this dreamlike sky, it didn’t matter if they were separated by space, if they were sealed within their cockpits.

Their hearts were merging into the sky.

She was becoming one with Kiyoaki.

She could feel it.

—I can hear you, Illia.

His response reached her. It was probably a hallucination born of her own desires, but that was okay, she thought.

—This sky is amazing. I’ve never seen light and colours like this.

The Ikaruga veered left. Illia kicked the foot bar and closed in on its tail. The roar of the propeller echoed loudly through the sky.

The desperate roar of the tail engine, struggling to escape, shook Illia’s canopy.

—Yeah. It’s unreal, isn’t it?

She drew closer. The wings of the Ikaruga filled her crosshairs. Kiyoaki tried to escape by weaving his aircraft side to side, but Illia anticipated his every move, refusing to let up.

—It’s strange. I keep remembering things from the past.

Her 20mm rounds tore through the rainbow-colored mist, exploding with devastating force. Explosive shells, incendiary rounds, armour-piercing rounds, and tracers all tore through the mist, chasing after the Black Rabbit.

—Me too. My memories keep flooding into my vision.

A stream of molten lava grazed the Black Rabbit. The fiery explosion of the rounds ignited the airspace.

—Do you remember the meteor shower we saw on the Eriadore airship?

The tail engine of the Black Rabbit spewed flames. It had been hit. Kiyoaki dropped into a steep 55-degree dive, trying to extinguish the flames through sheer speed.

—I’ve never seen anything like it. It was so beautiful.

The White Wolf wouldn’t let him escape. Even as the Black Rabbit entered a suicidal dive, the White Wolf followed, undaunted. The vast layer of clouds now filled the entire view through the canopy.

The G-forces pressed down on her with tremendous weight. Illia leaned forward and pressed the control stick. Blood pounded in her veins, but she kept her eyes fixed on the shadow of the Black Rabbit.

Trailing rainbow-colored contrails, Kiyoaki fled, and Illia locked him in her sights.

The vortex of light within her crosshairs swirled. The Ikaruga’s tail propeller cut through the mist, slicing the rainbow like ribbons. The wings, nearing their structural limits from the acceleration, whistled as they sang the song of the high skies.

—We used to always talk about aerial battles in the officer’s room.

Through the light and wind, beyond the clouds, Illia spotted the silver wings soaring ahead.

──I loved the tea you made.

I place my fingers simultaneously on the triggers of the 15mm and 20mm machine guns.

──I covered you with a blanket when you fell asleep at your desk.

6,000 meters in altitude. A dive of 1,000 meters. But Ikaruga doesn’t stop descending.

──That blanket... it was you, Illia. Thank you.

Illia doesn’t lose her target. She follows him. The moment he pulls up will be her chance.

──It’s okay. You gave me a piggyback ride, after all.

5,500 meters. 5,200. 5,000.

──I’d like to give you a piggyback ride again someday.

A massive dive of over 2,000 meters. For any pilot not as trained, they would have lost consciousness by now, but Ikaruga continues the rapid descent. The dive doesn’t end.

──I pretended to be drunk and pressed my cheek against yours.

The wings bend to their limits. The aircraft cannot handle any more descent. With her breathing apparatus strained to the max, Illia unleashes the full firepower of the Beo-Strike.

──I was happy. I wanted to keep walking with you on my back forever.

Four burning trails of light envelop Ikaruga.

Sparks scatter as the bullets graze the aircraft, punching holes in its fuselage. These are from the 15mm rounds.

──We can’t go back to those days, can we?

For a moment, Ikaruga tilts. It seems it’s been hit again, as new black smoke begins to stream toward Illia.

──It’s sad, but we have to keep moving forward.

Spewing spiralling black smoke, the wounded Black Rabbit tries to flee. Blood trickles from Illia’s lips. Her soul screams in agony, but she forces it down. She is no longer human; she is steel, a piece of a war machine.

Kiyoaki, wounded and desperately manoeuvring the damaged plane, begins to pull up. He aims for a slightly angled loop.

She can’t let that happen. Illia’s instincts tell her so.

──Why is God so cruel?

The wounded Kiyoaki is now aiming for a decisive strike that could change everything.

──There must be a reason for this, right?

Illia sets her cold, precise sights on Kiyoaki’s trajectory.

──Does God want us to fight and kill each other?

She unleashes a relentless barrage of machine gun fire that would surely destroy the cockpit of the Black Rabbit.

──Sometimes I think... maybe God doesn’t care about good or evil.

──Maybe what’s right or wrong doesn’t matter.

──Maybe God just wants to see us struggle in our suffering.

But Kiyoaki senses her pre-emptive shot. He kicks the foot bar hard, shifting his axis and finally manages to pull up.

──God’s got a cruel sense of humour.

As Ikaruga enters a slightly angled loop, the Beo-Strike stays right on its tail. Their shared instincts across the battlefield tell Illia exactly what Kiyoaki is aiming for.

The moment of finality is almost here.

──Maybe, after enduring this suffering, something new will be revealed.

There is only one manoeuvre left to exchange.

The Karsten Turn.

A legendary aerial manoeuvre that they practiced together countless times at the officer academy, now to be executed in this sky.

──It’s almost over, isn’t it?

Illia swallows her tears, chasing after the back of the beloved man ascending into the sky.

──Yes. One of us will die.

As the Black Rabbit reaches the peak of its angled loop, it enters a weightless zone perfect for executing the Karsten Turn.

This will decide everything.

One of us will perish in this sky.

But before that, just one thing.

I want to tell you my true feelings.

──I always wanted to stay by your side.

Tears stream down Illia’s cheeks. She’s supposed to be a machine now. She’s supposed to have lost her emotions. She gave up her humanity when she came to this sky, and yet still, her heart cries for the one she loves.

Through the tears, she sees Kiyoaki dancing in the heavens, leaving a trail of light behind him against the azure backdrop of a world beyond this one.

Droplets of water scatter in a frenzy. It’s as if the rainbow has shattered, with shimmering seven-coloured particles fluttering everywhere, dazzling her eyes to the point she has to squint.

What a beautiful turn.

I’ve never seen anyone fly like you.

Suspended in mid-air, as if in zero gravity, his aircraft floats as only the nose points directly at Illia’s flank.

What a perfect Karsten Turn.

──I loved you.

Kiyoaki’s voice reaches her, and her vision blurs as water clouds over her sight.

She can’t stop the tears.

If only she could cast away everything she carries and embrace him in her arms, soaring endlessly together through this pure sky.

But that dream won’t come true. So, instead, she’ll take the same step that he did.

Illia scans the sky and finds a small patch of light.

It’s the space necessary to execute the turn.

A narrow zone where deceleration and structural limits coincide, a boundary between realities.

She tilts the control stick, gently pressing the right foot bar, then slams down the left.

In an instant, immense gravity and inertia crush down on her cockpit.

Her ribs could shatter, and her internal organs could be crushed under the pressure.

But Illia keeps her eyes fixed.

She watches the dancing shadow of the Black Rabbit.

Her wings whisper to the man she first fell in love with.

──Forever, together.

The logic of the sky, surpassing the physical laws of the earth, takes hold of the Beo-Strike.

A spectrum of light radiates from the waltz shared by Kiyoaki and Illia.

Waves of light of every wavelength flood in from beyond the cockpit, wrapping around Illia.

Is this the flame of an explosion?

Or perhaps it is the light of Kiyoaki shattering into pieces.

Suddenly, her body feels light.

The crimson engulfs her surroundings.

It’s hot.

Everything is melting away.

I am disintegrating.

Becoming fragments of the sky.

──Illia.

A hand reaches out from the torrent of light.

Illia, too, stretches out her hand.

Their hands meet, clasping together.

──Kiyoaki.

Calling his name, Illia is engulfed by the flood of light.

The sky vanishes into the searing light. Her vision fades. As her consciousness slips away, the last thought she can form transforms into words.

──I won’t let go.

──I won’t let go.

──I love you.

──I love you.

The words they call to each other echo endlessly within the light...

“What... is this...?”

Inside the cockpit of her Murasame, Kagura found herself speechless at the sight she had just glimpsed.

She had been watching from the gap in the clouds, keeping an eye on Kiyoaki and Illia as they engaged in a duel at high altitude, even while she led her squadron.

Before long, she saw Kiyoaki, pursued by Illia, descend in a steep dive, taking two or three direct hits from armour-piercing rounds.

Kiyoaki entered a slightly angled loop and began to climb once more, with Illia following the same trajectory.

Unable to sit still any longer, Kagura ascended to follow them.

Breaking through the clouds, she looked up──

She saw Ikaruga and Beo-Strike perform a manoeuvre she had never seen before.

It was as if they were the only two dancing in zero gravity, executing an otherworldly aerial combat move.

In the next moment, mesmerized by the elegant trails they left in the sky, she witnessed the tail propellers the Ikaruga and the Beo-Strike’s front propellers collide, shattering in an instant.

The two planes tangled and fell, wings breaking off and scattering, before vanishing into the thick layer of clouds below.

“Kiyoaki! Illia!”

Calling their names, Kagura hurriedly dove into the cloud layer after them.

The clouds were dense. She couldn’t see them, even after breaking through the clouds. She searched around 1,000 meters in altitude, but there were too many broken clouds, and there was no sign of any parachutes.

Kagura bit her lip. She wanted to keep searching, but she had a crucial role to fulfill as the squadron commander. Believing that they were still alive, she pushed aside her lingering feelings and returned to the middle of the dogfight.

The sun had already set, and even the last remnants of light were fading. Soon, visibility would drop to zero. She called for her squadron to return to base on the radio, declaring the day’s battle a draw.

At that moment──

She spotted something far below: an airship.

It wasn’t from Urano, St Vault, or Akitsu, but an unfamiliar four-engine craft belonging to an unknown faction. For a civilian aircraft, it flew with surprising boldness through the battlefield, leisurely watching the dogfight. The pilot must have been extremely confident to believe they could escape, even if pursued by a fighter.

The airship noticed Kagura, turned its nose, and descended, hiding among the clouds. The sea below was dotted with islands of various sizes, offering plenty of landing spots for the airship to hide.

Though it tugged at her mind, she didn’t have the time to deal with it. Kagura returned to the battlefield to cover her comrades as they retreated to base.

The "man" gripped the control stick of the airship, watching as Kagura's Murasame turned and returned to the fray, relieved not to have been followed.

He then reflected on the aerial duel between the two aces he had just witnessed.

It was a brilliant exchange of battle skills. Both of them were destined to rise to the rank of "Sky King" one day, he was certain.

After their mid-air collision, he had followed their descent.

Once they broke through the cloud layer, he saw two white parachutes blossom in the distance.

The man breathed a sigh of relief, tracking their landing points.

One of them appeared to be unconscious, arms hanging limp as the wind carried them. The other seemed concerned for the unconscious one, adjusting their parachute to follow. Eventually, both of them landed on the same island.

Left alone, they would be stranded on that isolated island. There were nearly two hundred islands in this sea, making a search operation incredibly difficult.

Neither of them was the type of talent that should be left to waste away here.

They deserved a new sky to fly in.

They deserved a worthy master to serve.

He was certain that he could provide them with new wings. This situation was nothing short of divine providence.

Without hesitation, the man lowered the airship’s altitude, steering it toward the island where the two had landed.