A Certain Pilot's Promise, Vol. 1

A Certain Pilot's Promise, by Koroku Inumura

Illustrations by Haruyuki Morisawa

Preface

Air Hunt Officer Academy Main Characters

Sakagami Kiyoaki. A third-year student at Henan Officer Academy. Seventeen years old. Aiming to transfer to Air Hunt Officer Academy. He is in charge of piloting during the goodwill flight.

Mio Syira. A third-year student at Henan Officer Academy. Seventeen years old. Aiming to transfer to Air Hunt Officer Academy. She is in charge of reconnaissance during the goodwill flight.

Illia Kreischmidt. A third-year student at Air Hunt Officer Academy. Seventeen years old. She is in charge of piloting during the goodwill flight.

Reiner Beck. A third-year student at Air Hunt Officer Academy. Seventeen years old. He is in charge of reconnaissance during the goodwill flight.

Kagura Murasaki. A fourth-year student at Misato Officer Academy. Eighteen years old. She serves as the vice-commander during the goodwill flight.

Cecil Hauer. A second-year student at Air Hunt Officer Academy. Sixteen years old. She is in charge of communications during the goodwill flight.

Balthazar Grim. A fourth-year student at Air Hunt Officer Academy. Eighteen years old. He serves as the captain during the goodwill flight.

At that time, I didn’t particularly want to save the world; I just wanted to keep the promise I made to her, who had disappeared.

She had already gone far away, and we could no longer exchange words, but I knew she would be sad if I broke my promise.

So the image of me, as a saint throwing myself into the flames for the sake of the world, as it’s being told now, is wrong. In reality, I prioritized my personal feelings above all else, causing the deaths and injuries of hundreds of thousands of people, making me a great sinner.

As a result, our actions became known as the “Miracle of the Pleiades,” but the image of the seven of us conveyed in reports and related books is far from the truth.

First, among the seven of us, it's not “five heroes and two traitors.”

Every time those two are called “traitors,” my heart bleeds. I ask you to understand that.

Labeling those two as villains, to make the remaining five, myself included, heroes, and creating a clear narrative of good and evil might make things simpler for some, but all seven of us were just ordinary people, with good and bad mixed in. The only difference was our upbringing and the circumstances we

faced after we met.

If judged by loyalty to the nation, what those two did is undoubtedly unforgivable, and they may be seen as traitors who threw their comrades into hell. But in that time, in that situation, they had no choice.

And despite having no choice, they still kept their promises. Promises that would gain them nothing, promises that no one knew about, promises they held close, even as they were scorned as traitors and had stones thrown at them.

It’s been over ten years since then, and I’m only speaking out now because, if I don’t, the false image of them as traitors will be passed down to future generations. I believe that if you hear my story to the end, you’ll agree that we were not saints, and they were not villains.

That’s enough of an introduction.

At times, I may lose my way, but I intend to speak as sincerely as I can. This is not a glamorous heroic epic. This is the story of promises made by children who dreamed of the sky—

A tale of love and aerial combat woven by seven young boys and girls.

World state

Part 1

In May of the Empire Year 1342, on Mauregan Island, at Chandler Airfield— Beams of light sliced through the starry sky. Like a cocktail scattered with gold leaf, the night stirred anxiously under the light’s stirring straws, while the woman stood at the edge of the runway, buffeted by the wind.

The airship that had contacted them earlier was heading toward this searchlight corridor, carrying with it the hopes of the Archipelago in its rear seat.

The woman prayed for the unseen airship’s safety. It would take a miracle to have flown from Sierra Greed amidst the chaos caused by the Urano invasion, breaking through enemy lines to reach here solo.

A distant rumble of thunder echoed. The faint vibration of the atmosphere reached the ears of those gathered. An embassy official standing beside the woman pointed to a corner of the night sky.

“It’s here.”

The woman strained her eyes in the indicated direction.

Amidst the twinkling stars, only the hum of a propeller, faint as an insect’s wings, could be heard.

The searchlight team swept the night. The beams intersected the sky, resembling the outstretched arms of abandoned people pleading for mercy from the heavens.

Then, the tip of a light beam caught something.

A cheer arose from the gathered high-ranking officials.

Five searchlights simultaneously illuminated a familiar biplane, revealing its silhouette in the apex of the glowing triangle.

“Akmed…”

She murmured the knight’s name in relief.

Four lanterns, serving as landing lights, were placed at either end of the runway. The aircraft, camouflaged in a dark blue sea pattern, approached. Amidst the embassy officials’ and ground crew’s whistles and cheers, the distinguished biplane slowly descended with a graceful angle and touched down on its two wheels.

The people, who had been waiting anxiously, rushed toward the airship, while the woman followed behind. The crowd surrounded the biplane, welcoming the young man who disembarked from the cockpit, his figure silhouetted against the light.

“It’s a commendable achievement, Akmed!” “The bloodline of the King has survived; the restoration will come!”

Without even raising his hand to the cheering crowd, Akmed opened the rear canopy.

A child, who seemed to be around ten years old, was held by Akmed and carefully set down on the wing.

The cheers grew even louder. Some called out the name of the King, some wept, and others fell to their knees, offering prayers of gratitude to the Lord of Heaven.

—The royal family of Sylvania had not perished.

As the woman walked closer to the crowd, she quietly confirmed that fact.

Akmed, noticing the woman, knelt and presented a slender document box. The ambassador, receiving the woman's approval, placed it on the ground and removed the lid.

Wrapped in deep purple silk was an ancient staff. The head of the staff was inlaid with the crest of Saint Ardista, adorned with various gemstones.

—The Holy Staff.

A symbol of kingship. Whoever holds this staff is the rightful heir to the throne of Sylvania.

“Hah!”

The woman took the hand of the heir to the throne and turned around. The strong wind flapped the hem of her coat.

The heir glanced at her aunt’s profile, gently let go of her hand, and embraced Akmed.

“Thank you. I won’t forget you, Akmed.”

Akmed stood still, feeling the warmth of the life he had saved. He lifted his face and engraved the innocent expression of the heir into his memory.

“…When you grow up and need me, I will come to you, even from the ends of the earth. Stay well. My wings will forever remain under the Sylvania royal family.”

The heir tightened her grip around Akmed’s back, wiped her tearful face with his arm, and ran back to her aunt.

Akmed watched the small figure retreating.

He had completed the final important task entrusted to him by the king. The small sense of satisfaction quickly passed, replaced by a tremor in Akmed’s

chest, a premonition of the coming storm.

He stood up and looked at the searchlights piercing the night sky.

The swirling winds layered over each other, blowing the beams of light up toward the stars.

The difficulties that awaited those who were defeated would be unimaginable. Having driven the troublesome Sylvania Kingdom to ruin and seized Hydrabard, Urano would begin its sweep. The remnants of the royal family would be driven to the southern archipelago, forced to cross the Great Falls and aim for the northern archipelago. Stripped of their wealth, lands, and people, they would be left with nothing but their lives, destined to wander unknown lands as exiles.

—However, even so.

Akmed glared up at the starlit sky, pierced by wind and light. “The Valkyries will not perish.” Blood streamed from his temple, tracing his cheek before falling to the ground. Wiping it away with his arm, Akmed turned on his heel.

“One day, I will return to the skies of Hydrabard.”

He carved that oath into his soul, so deeply that blood seemed to seep from the engraving.

Part 2

In June of the Empire Year 1342, in Urano's capital, Pleiades—

The codename given by Urano's secret intelligence agency was “Hachidori.”

The departure was set for 18:00 today. From the Filtra Port on the right bank of the airborne city Pleiades, Hachidori would board a passenger ship and descend to the ground, passing through Harmonia, and three days later, enter St Vault. In St Vault, Urano's intelligence agents would be waiting to provide Hachidori with a fake family and identity papers necessary to live there. From there, Hachidori would spend three years blending into student life without drawing attention, and in the spring of their fifteenth year, enroll in a military academy as a St Vault citizen. Once inside the upper echelons of the military, Hachidori’s mission was to leak all classified information to Urano... This was the role assigned to Hachidori’s life. The necessary training had already been completed. Hachidori’s path was vastly different from that of an ordinary twelve-year-old. They had gritted their teeth and endured training where it was not uncommon for people to die. When Hachidori had entered the intelligence officer training facility at the age of seven, there had been one hundred companions. One by one, they died, and by five years later, only eight remained. Complete fluency in three languages, infiltration and escape techniques, shooting and combat skills, explosives and demolition training, wiretapping techniques, cold and heat resistance training, torture endurance training, cryptography, jungle survival skills, dancing, gambling, table manners, long marches through the snow, airship piloting, and more. Hachidori had mastered every challenge and, at just twelve years old, was far superior in both body and mind to any regular soldier.

Now, a long period of undercover work in a foreign country was about to begin.

It would likely be a lonely journey, where they could show their true self to no one. But Hachidori had already steeled themselves for that harsh path.

There was still time before departure. Hachidori obtained permission from the intelligence agency to visit their family one last time.

Leaving the secret intelligence bureau, disguised as a public benefit organization on the second floor of an ordinary commercial building, Hachidori took a bus toward their family home.

Outside the window, the magnificent cityscape of the airborne city Pleiades stretched on.

Constantly hovering at an altitude of 2,000 meters, Pleiades spanned 55 kilometers in length, 24 kilometers in width, and had a perimeter of about 220 kilometers. On its vast surface were military facilities, including airfields, naval bases, and anti-aircraft batteries, as well as a royal palace, administrative districts, commercial zones, entertainment districts, residential areas, main roads connecting them, seawater desalination plants, water and sewage systems, electricity, and communication infrastructure — a "flying fortress city." It was fitting to call it the "King of Airborne Cities," as it oversaw the twelve air fortresses owned by Urano.

Many of the five million citizens living in this city engaged in trade with the land below, gaining wealth. Pleiades circled the Mitterrand and Westerland continents, as well as the Hydrabard Archipelago, profiting from trade simply by existing. By following a route that leapfrogged between islands producing rare resources, Pleiades could move with military air power, ensuring safety, and since the city itself traveled, transportation costs that would typically increase with distance were reduced. With each cycle, immense wealth flowed into Pleiades. The people passing by outside were dressed richly, and the vibrant streets matched the description of a paradise in the sky.

Hachidori simply gazed out the lively window. The smiles of the people passing by felt distant and dazzling to Hachidori. The citizens' ordinary daily lives appeared to Hachidori like a dream world, separated by a thick pane of glass.

For at least the next ten years, Hachidori would likely not return to this city. Hachidori briefly thought about the life that would begin tomorrow in the ground city.

The most important thing was not being discovered as an Urano citizen. There were several things to be mindful of, but the most fundamental issue was related to "names."

The people of the land called Urano citizens the “Sky Clan” and feared them. The name supposedly originated from the “Genesis” version of the Ardista Orthodox Church, but here in Pleiades, no one used that name for themselves. The so- called “Ardista Church,” which worshiped Saint Ardista as the chief god, had splintered into thousands of factions that fought amongst each other. The version worshipped by Urano, the "Unified Ardista Church," referred to them as "Urano Basileus." The term "Sky Clan" was used by the ignorant land-dwellers who worshipped heretical sects and, if used among Urano citizens, was considered an insult.

After about ten minutes, Hachidori got off the bus at a stop on the outskirts of a residential area and entered a rundown alleyway. The noisy bustle of the main street faded away, and Hachidori walked down a narrow, wet street with few people passing by, stopping in front of a shabby house with peeling plaster and holes in the stone walls.

Though Pleiades had reached the height of its prosperity, the brighter the light, the darker the shadows. As prosperity continued, the population grew, and the limited surface area of Pleiades was bought by the wealthy, forcing the downtrodden to form slums on the outskirts of the city, relying on whatever scraps they could get. The rundown houses were densely packed together, with half-naked, dirty children and wet stray dogs wandering around, and garbage from

the homes piled up in the gutters. This was a high-crime area, abandoned by the authorities — and Hachidori's home was in one of its corners.

The lock on the entrance had long since been broken, so it was useless. Since it was obvious there was nothing of value inside, there was no need to lock the door. Hachidori opened the poorly-fitted door and looked around the dimly lit house.

No one was there. The only pieces of furniture were a worn-out armchair and a tilted desk. The smell of soot from coal hung in the air, and footprints were left in the dust that had accumulated on the floor.

Hachidori climbed the narrow stairs to the second floor.

The curtains were drawn tightly, making the room dark. Everything that could be sold, including the lighting fixtures, had been sold off. All that remained was a soot-covered bed and a single wooden chair.

Hachidori's mother sat on the chair, wearing a faded blue nightgown, staring at an old photograph.

“You move the spoon from front to back.”

A faint murmur slipped from the corner of her mouth.

“When you're finished eating, you point the knife’s blade toward yourself.” “Mother.” Hachidori called out.

“Straighten your back. You’re folding the napkin wrong. You need to fold the edges like this.”

She only spoke to the photograph, not acknowledging Hachidori.

Hachidori opened the curtains. The clear February sunlight washed deeply into the room.

“Ah!”

Noticing Hachidori’s presence, the mother twisted her body, clutching the photo to her chest protectively.

“Get out…!! Who are you? Get out!!”

With a low, raspy voice, she screamed without even looking at Hachidori.

Through five years of training, Hachidori had learned to suppress emotions. It was emotions, fueled by a desire to protect one's pride, that led to turmoil. If you could abandon any sense of self-worth, no words thrown at you could cause sadness.

And yet.

“I’m still inexperienced as an intelligence officer.”

With a distorted expression, Hachidori bowed low to the floor. “I came to say goodbye, Mother.” “Go away…!! Get out…!! I won’t let them touch this child; I won’t let them have him!!”

She clutched the photo to her chest. The picture was of Hachidori when he was five. In his mother’s twisted mind, Hachidori was forever five years old.

“The next time we meet will likely be more than ten years from now. But I will return. Please stay well until then.”

His mother let out a low, animalistic growl, and threw a small block toy at Hachidori’s bowed head.

“Take the house!! Kill the husband if you want!! But you will never have this child, this child is mine, I won’t let you take him!!”

Blood trickled down Hachidori’s forehead as he raised his head. His mother’s face, pale and emaciated, withered lips and cheeks, was marked by two eyes red with hatred.

Seven years ago.

The mother in his memory had been beautiful.

They had lived in a luxurious mansion in Pleiades, with rare flowers and animals playing in their grand garden, and once a month, they hosted elegant parties with well-dressed gentlemen and ladies. Young Hachidori had loved holding his mother’s hand and being doted on by the endless stream of guests who came to greet them.

His father had been the Chancellor of the Ministry of the Interior in Urano’s royal court. As head of the legislative body that formalized the Emperor’s will into law, he had wielded power second only to the Emperor and effectively managed the governance of Urano.

However, despite his high position, his father had been too virtuous. He had devoted his passion to making Urano’s political and economic circles as clear and pure as a mountain stream. The fish in the river rejoiced, but fish who couldn’t adapt to such clear water disliked him. In this world, there are fish that can only survive in polluted water, and they formed a group to restore the flow back to a murky river in order to survive.

One day, his father was arrested for treason. A court chef who had attempted to assassinate the Emperor had named him as the mastermind. Furthermore, multiple high-ranking officials secretly reported plans for the Emperor's assassination with his father's name attached to them, and the nobles who infested the court whispered dark rumors about him to the Emperor’s ear.

A week after his father’s execution, Hachidori and his mother had drifted to this town. They had brought only a small amount of money and a few household items, which they crammed into this house, and they clung to each other to survive. It was a hand-to-mouth existence. Their clothes and furniture were soon sold for pennies, and Hachidori clung to his mother, crying in hunger.

Hachidori hadn’t understood how his mother obtained food. Each time his mother returned with food, his mind deteriorated further. It was about a year after they arrived in this town that Hachidori noticed his mother’s mental state had started to change. Clutching old photos, his mother had begun speaking only to the Hachidori of the past.

“I hope that someday you’ll see me as I’ve grown.”

While his mother hurled objects at him, twelve-year-old Hachidori gave his farewell.

“Go away!! Disappear!! If you come again, I’ll kill you, I swear I’ll kill you!!”

With his mother’s curses at his back, Hachidori descended the stairs and stepped out into the street. He looked up at the second floor, where his mother’s yelling continued from the darkened room.

Hachidori shed a few tears.

This would be the last time to cry, he thought. For at least the next ten years, he would not be able to show his true emotions. Just for now, he would allow himself to be honest about his pain. This was the last indulgence he would permit himself.

Hachidori had become an intelligence officer because the Urano Secret Intelligence Service promised to take care of his mother. As long as he fulfilled his duties, his mother would be kept alive. If this mission went well, he could rise within the ranks of the Urano Intelligence Agency. he could buy back the house that had been sold, purchase a dress for his mother, and have her see a doctor. If his mother’s wounded heart healed, perhaps she would once again recognize Hachidori as her son.

He wanted his mother to remember him.

This was the journey he was about to begin.

Wiping away his tears with his arm, Hachidori looked up at the clear, unblemished sky.

From now on, he would abandon everything unnecessary for his mission. His pride as a human being, his emotions, his concern for others—all would be left behind in this forsaken town.

“Let’s go.”

On a journey where he would betray everyone he met. “I will return, Mother.” And may the day come when you will once again call my name with kindness.

Part 3

August, Empire Year 1342, Messus Island, Odessa—

The thick, green leaves of the corn formed a wall, standing tall before them. The stalks were nearly two meters high, about twice the height of the two children.

Twelve-year-old Mio Syira looked anxiously at the boy of the same age, whom she had only become friends with this summer.

“We’re going in there? Won’t we get lost?”

Sakagami Kiyoaki, with his mischievous grin, turned to her with a challenge. “Are you scared?” Mio puffed out her cheeks in defiance. In contrast to Kiyoaki, she was dressed like a proper young lady, wearing a frilled blouse, a red skirt, leather boots for children, and a straw hat. Her soft golden hair absorbed the summer sunlight, and with her hands on her hips, she struck a defiant pose.

“I’m not scared! I just don’t think you’re reliable, so I wondered if we’d be okay.”

“You can’t get lost in my family’s field. Follow me! You’re going to be amazed!” With a cheerful smile, Kiyoaki stepped into the deep green cornfield. A white bird fluttered onto Mio’s shoulder as she hesitated. “What do you think, Fio?” The bird, about 30 centimeters long, met Mio’s gaze and let out a soft “Fee.” “I guess we have no choice. Let’s go.” Mio looked up at the contrast between the deep blue summer sky and the pure white clouds, then steeled herself and followed the cocky boy.

“Isn’t this amazing? You can’t even see the sky because of the leaves.”

Just as Kiyoaki said, the bright green leaves overlapped above them, hiding the sky. The dappled sunlight rained down in patches, and as they walked through the damp, soft soil, the endless blue tunnel of corn stretched on. Mio knew that if she lost sight of Kiyoaki’s back, she might never find her way out of this maze again.

“Hey, don’t go so fast! Slow down a little…” “It’s fine! No worries!” Mio adjusted her straw hat and hurried to keep up with Kiyoaki’s back. The golden maze continued endlessly, and just when the anxiety rose to her throat, the view suddenly opened up.

“We’re here! How about this?”

In the middle of the densely packed cornfield was a round clearing, about five meters in diameter. In the center stood a small shack made of slate, iron, and tin sheets.

“This is my secret base!”

Kiyoaki stood proudly. Mio wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, exchanged a glance with Fio, and snorted.

“What’s with this rundown shack? It’s not impressive at all.”

“What? No way! Everyone else is amazed! Come on, you think it’s awesome, right?” “No, I don’t. There are way cooler things in Harmonia.” Kiyoaki faltered when Mio mentioned the faraway land of the Mitterland continent, a country he had never seen. Hanging his head in frustration, he muttered,

“City girls really are different… Even though this base is so cool…” Mio crossed her arms and turned her face away haughtily. “You’re just a frog in a well. You’re the typical arrogant country boy. Instead of hiding in a shabby shack like this, you should look at the bigger world.”

“Ugh… That stings.”

“Stop sulking and show me the inside already. I bet you’ve only got marbles and bottle caps in there, anyway.”

“How did you know!?”

“I knew it! I’m disappointed. Why do boys always collect shiny things? It’s so dumb.”

“You don’t have to be that mean! Hey, Fio, this base is cool, right?”

Fio, perched on Mio’s shoulder, let out a chirp and flew off into the summer sky.

“Looks like he didn’t want to go inside.”

“No, that’s not it! Birds just prefer flying in the sky. Come on, get inside. Everything that’s important to me is in there.”

Encouraged by Kiyoaki, Mio followed him into the secret base. Just as expected, it was a simple shack made of scrap materials, offering little more than protection from the wind and rain. The floor had a straw bed, and there were marbles, bottle caps, and broken machine parts carefully arranged in one corner. It was far from impressive.

“It’s cramped and dark.”

“It’s not that cramped. Look, I can lie down.”

In the dim light, Kiyoaki stretched out on the straw bed. “Ah, this feels just right.” “You sound like an old man.”

“Why do you always complain? Come on, lie down too. It feels really good.” “Alright, alright…” With a small thud, Mio lay down next to Kiyoaki. For Mio, who had grown up in the city, the straw bed felt novel. She had played hard during the day, so the bed brought a sense of comfort. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the tin roof, and the earthy scent of the soil, warmed by the sun, was pleasant to her nose.

“How is it? You like it, right?” “Not at all. It’s dumb.” “Mio, you’re always complaining.”

“That’s not true. I’m honest, so if I think something is cool, I’ll say it’s cool.”

Still lying down, Mio puffed out her cheeks and turned her face toward Kiyoaki. Kiyoaki, also lying down, turned his face toward Mio from up close. “Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“…Alright. I’ll show you something that’s really amazing.”

Kiyoaki moved his face closer to Mio’s, with a determined look in his eyes. “W-What? Don’t get so close.”

“This one’s really incredible. It’s life-or-death. Are you ready for that?”

Their foreheads almost touched as Kiyoaki’s serious face got even closer. Mio, refusing to back down, widened her emerald eyes and glared back at him.

“Do you think I’ll get scared? How stupid. I’m not scared at all.”

“You said it. You can’t take it back now. I’m going to show you my secret weapon.”

“No one calls it that themselves. That’s not normal.” “Here comes the secret weapon.” Kiyoaki abruptly stood up, pushing aside the toys, and pulled out a strangely shaped pair of wooden clogs. These large wooden clogs, unique to Odessa on Messus Island, were meant to be worn over cloth shoes, but these had a 30- centimeter-long cylinder added to the soles. Wearing them would make someone 30 centimeters taller, but it was doubtful they could walk in them.

“What weird shoes.”

“My master taught me how to make them. He used to practice wearing these when he was a kid. Now, let’s go to the airfield. Follow me!”

Kiyoaki grabbed the strange wooden clogs in both hands and darted out of the shack like the wind.

“Wait, why do you always run off suddenly…?”

Not wanting to get lost, Mio hurriedly chased after Kiyoaki’s back again.

After running through the cornfield for about five minutes at full speed, they arrived at the Sakagami family’s airfield.

Farmers with large fields often had airstrips to use planes for spraying water and pesticides. The control tower was a simple hut, and the runway was just a leveled patch of dirt.

“Good, Dad’s not here! If he catches us, a scolding won’t be enough… He’s scarier than my master. It’s life or death…”

Kiyoaki looked around cautiously, making sure none of his family members were around, then ran over to an old, bright red biplane parked by the runway.

“Hurry, Mio!” “Wait, wait…” Out of breath, Mio managed to catch up. With Kiyoaki’s help, she climbed onto the wing and soon found herself seated in the back seat of the biplane. In the front seat, Kiyoaki, now wearing flying goggles, beamed at her.

“Did you buckle your seatbelt? Do you know how?”

“Huh? Oh, this? I know how to do it, but… Hey, you’re not…” “Hurry up! If we get caught, we’re dead!!” Kiyoaki laughed as he said something alarming. Feeling a sense of foreboding, Mio fastened the seatbelt around her body as instructed. The front and rear seats were separated by about a meter of the fuselage, so they were facing forward, and Mio had to speak to the back of Kiyoaki’s head. There was no

enclosed canopy; they were exposed to the open air, with only small windshields for each seat.

Kiyoaki put on the wooden clogs with the cylinders. They were to help him reach the foot pedals to operate the plane. He looked back at Mio, then used the soles of the clogs to press the left and right pedals, causing the rudder to flap. Next, he pushed and pulled the control stick to check the elevator, then tilted it side to side to test the ailerons.

Mio’s heart started pounding loudly. No way. There was no way a twelve-year-old boy could fly a biplane.

Or so she thought, but Kiyoaki’s actions were undeniably the preparations for takeoff.

“Hey, you’re not saying we’re going to fly, right?”

Her question was drowned out by the roar of the propeller as it started spinning.

Kiyoaki turned around.

“What!? Did you say something!?”

“You’re not really going to fly this, right!?”

Mio yelled desperately, but the combination of the propeller noise and the fuselage separating them meant Kiyoaki couldn’t hear her. He responded, annoyed,

“Use the voice tube, the voice tube! I’m busy right now, so I can’t talk!”

He began pulling various levers and switches, and the aircraft started its takeoff roll.

The old biplane, vibrating intensely, sped down the dirt runway. Realizing her worst fear was coming true, Mio finally screamed.

“Nooo!! Let me off!!”

“Huh!? Did you say something!?” “I don’t want to die here!!” "I can't hear you at all! I'll listen once we take off, so just wait a moment!" The engine roared louder, and the propeller spun even faster. The distinct exhaust sound of the reciprocating engine crackled, and the old, beat-up plane sped down the runway at a surprising speed that didn't match its shabby appearance.

The speed increased. The cornfields on the edge of Mio's vision blurred into lines and then into a solid, bright blue curtain.

"We're taking off!!" "Stooooppppppp!!!" Her desperate cry was swept away as the red aircraft lifted into the sky. The air rushed from Mio's lungs, the sound of the propeller echoing across the runway grew distant, and the cornfields that had once been a curtain now dropped

beneath them like a model.

A cold wind blew into the rear seat, lacking the familiar scents of grass and soil—it was the raw, unfiltered wind of the sky. The straw hat Mio had been holding onto flew away, useless in her fight against the wind. Her golden hair whipped wildly in the breeze.

"Noooooooo!!"

Even her scream was thrown into the air behind them, unheard by Kiyoaki. The biplane steadily climbed into the blue sky, leveling off at an altitude of 120 meters and cruising at 150 kilometers per hour.

"How's it? Pretty amazing, right?"

The voice tube sounded. When Mio looked forward, she saw Kiyoaki proudly turning to face her from behind the windscreen. The flight seemed smooth now, with the engine humming steadily, and the biplane glided through the air like a soaring kite.

Mio bit her lip hard, wiped the tears from her eyes with her arm, tied her flailing hair into a ponytail with a rubber band, and grabbed the voice tube, yelling as loud as she could.

"You're the worst, you idiot!!" "Huh? What? Why!?" "Why would you take off all of a sudden!? Are you stupid!? You're still a kid! You don't have a license! You can't even reach the pedals properly, and you're flying a plane!!"

"I told you it was life-or-death! If my dad caught us, it'd be way scarier than flying! Flying is totally fine—no big deal!"

"Well, I'm not fine with it!! Just land already, please!!" "Wow, Mio, you're crying." "Shut up, idiot!! Idiot, idiot, idiot!!" "Is this your first time flying?" "I’ve flown before with pilots way more reliable than you! I wouldn’t get into an unlicensed plane with someone like you!"

"It’s fine! My master is amazing, and if he taught me, I must be amazing too. Probably."

"How can you be so carefree, you idiot!!"

"No need to cry. Come on, take a look at the view. Isn't it incredible? You've never seen anything like this, even in Armageddon, right?"

"It’s Harmonia, idiot!! Ugh, I’m never going to make it back to the ground…"

"You will! I’ve practiced landings a lot with my master. Oh, look! The fortress! You can see Odessa Fortress!!"

Kiyoaki pointed down to the harbor diagonally below. On the shimmering summer sea, cargo ships sailed here and there, and concrete fortifications were built into the hills overlooking the port. Around twenty massive gun turrets were all pointed toward the sea. This was the Odessa Fortress, currently under construction by the Akitsu Federation, the ruling power over Messus Island. "As long as the Akitsu army is here, this island is safe. Urano won't even come close. Even though the Sylvania royal family is gone, the Akitsu army can't be defeated."

"………………"

"Huh? What’s wrong, Mio?" "……You're so insensitive." "Huh? Why are you mad?" "……Never mind." "I don't get it, but hey, look at the sea! Isn't it amazing? It’s so blue, there's nothing else like it!"

Kiyoaki continued to cheerfully chat, oblivious to Mio’s feelings. Mio sighed, trying to compose herself as she stared at the sky and the sea with a sulky expression.

"………………"

Just as Kiyoaki said, the world was nothing but blue.

The vast ocean stretched as far as the eye could see, like a giant carpet. The calm waters of the archipelago resembled a serene lake, reflecting the sky like a massive mirror. The shadow of the biplane darted across the deep blue surface like a playful dolphin. The sunlight, streaming down from the sky, sparkled and scattered as it hit the ocean beneath them.

Kiyoaki flew toward the horizon. In the distance, there was a towering cumulonimbus cloud over 10,000 meters tall. Even as they watched, the pure white cloud continued to billow upward, as if it were trying to claim the clear blue sky for itself.

Looking down from the sky, the towns, mountains, and sea that Mio had known on the ground now appeared small, like toys in a box.

The sunlight swirled inside the cockpit. The shadow that had been falling to Mio’s left side passed over the instrument panel and moved to the right. The plane had begun to bank. Beyond the windscreen, Mio saw the coastline of Messus Island. The gun turrets of the Odessa Fortress, positioned on the hillside, were pointed in their direction.

"That was fun, right? Isn't the view amazing?"

Kiyoaki’s carefree voice echoed through the voice tube. Mio, with a scowl on her face, picked up the voice tube.

"It was okay, I guess."

"No way! You definitely think it’s awesome."

"I don’t. You’re an idiot. Just keep your eyes forward and fly properly. I’ll stay a little longer."

"Aww… I guess city girls really are different. If even this doesn’t impress you, I don’t know what will."

Kiyoaki turned to look back at her with a frustrated expression, but Mio responded with a smug smile.

"Hmph. Looks like you finally understand your place. But I’ll admit, for you, this wasn’t too bad. You barely passed. But don’t land yet. Keep flying until I say so."

"What's with that? You actually like it, don't you?" "I don’t! This is just normal!" "You’ve been crying, and now you’re mad. You're all over the place. I don't think there's much else to see in Odessa… Oh, how about we visit my sister? She’s super nice. And really pretty. And she's smart, too."

"………………"

"What's with that face? Why are you glaring at me?" "Nothing. If you want to go, then go." "Alright, it's decided! My sister's in the vineyard over there…"

Kiyoaki tilted the control stick, and the plane banked left again, with the propeller humming contentedly as it flew.

They crossed the coastline, over vast fields of wheat and sugarcane, and followed the river inland. On a gentle hillside, thousands of grapevines were planted in neat rows, almost ready for harvest.

Flying just 60 meters above the vineyard, Kiyoaki waved down toward the ground. "Sis! Sis!!" People working in the vineyard looked up from between the vines, curious about the noise above. Kiyoaki slowed the plane to about 100 kilometers per hour, straining to spot the person he was looking for.

"There she is! Sis!!"

On the ground, a girl in her mid-teens waved and smiled up at the biplane. Kiyoaki, clearly overjoyed, circled repeatedly over her, waving enthusiastically.

Mio, still sulking, continued to watch the scene below without waving back. Oblivious to her mood, Kiyoaki kept circling, calling out to his sister over and over again.

"Sis! Do you see me? I look cool, right!? Sis!!"

As it showed no sign of ending, Mio finally shouted into the voice tube. "How long are you going to keep doing this!? It’s getting boring!" "Huh? Are you not having fun?"

"You’re the worst, idiot! You're so selfish and only care about yourself!"

"Huh? What? Why are you mad, Mio? Look, my sister’s really pretty, isn’t she? She’s nice and great at cooking. Why are you mad?"

"Shut up! I don’t care! Just land already! I’m done! I don’t care about you anymore, you idiot!"

"I… I don’t really understand… City girls really are different…"

Confused by Mio’s anger, Kiyoaki tilted the control stick in the opposite

direction.

After landing safely, with Kiyoaki's help, Mio climbed down from the biplane and, once Fio landed on her shoulder, she slapped Kiyoaki hard across the face.

Stars danced before Kiyoaki's eyes, and in the midst of the swirling stars, Mio’s furious face came into focus.

"You unlicensed, reckless idiot!" "Oww… What was that for…?" "I lost my hat because of you!! It’s your fault!"

"Huh? Your hat? Oh, it’s gone. Well, you’re dumb for wearing a straw hat while flying!"

As Kiyoaki laughed and held his stomach, Mio slapped his left cheek even harder, and once again his vision was filled with stars.

"I said it hurts!"

"You should have told me not to wear it before we took off!" "But… but I thought you’d be happy…" Suddenly, Kiyoaki’s expression turned sad, and he hung his head. Realizing she might have overreacted, Mio turned away with a disgruntled look.

"Well, it wasn’t all bad. I guess. It wasn’t terrible. It was… kind of nice, maybe."

At those words, Kiyoaki's face lit up.

"Right!? Flying feels great, doesn’t it!? You feel the same way, right? Airplanes are awesome!"

"…Well, maybe a little. If you can fly a plane, then maybe I can too." "You can! I’m sure you can, Mio! You’d be even better at flying than me!" Kiyoaki looked genuinely thrilled as he said this, and Mio’s stern expression slowly began to soften.

"R-Really? Do you think I could be a pilot?"

"Definitely! You and I should both become pilots! We can fly together! It’ll feel amazing!"

"Me and you, flying together?"

"Yeah, yeah! You and me, flying all the way over the ocean! Come on, let’s become pilots together!"

Mio opened her mouth, blushing bright red as she lowered her gaze. She struggled to hold back a smile, tightening her expression and returning to her usual confident look before raising her head.

"Well, if that’s what you want, I suppose I could become a pilot. I don’t have much else to do anyway, so I might as well."

"Wow, really!? That’s awesome! Let’s work hard together!" "But I have one condition."

"What is it?"

"When we become pilots, you have to make me your wife." "Huh? My wife?" "What? Do you have a problem with that?"

"N-No, not really, but… Mio, my wife? That’s kind of sudden…"

"It can’t be helped. You forced me to become a pilot, so you better take responsibility."

"I don't really get it. I can't say anything about the future. If I meet someone better than you, I might end up with her instead."

Slap! Kiyoaki's face whipped to the side so hard it felt like his neck had been twisted. Holding his stinging cheek, he protested.

"Ow! That hurt!"

"You cheater! Idiot! You're the worst!"

As she scolded him, Mio suddenly turned away and wiped her eyes with her arm as she ran off. Still seeing stars from the slap, Kiyoaki hurriedly chased after her retreating figure.

Chasing after her, he couldn’t help but think to himself that girls were really hard to understand.

It had only been two weeks since Mio and her foster parents had moved to Messus Island. Mio’s foster father was a diplomat from St Vault, previously stationed in Harmonia, but this summer he had been sent to Messus Island’s Odessa Fortress to handle treaties and negotiations with other countries. The day Mio arrived on the island, Fio had inexplicably landed on Kiyoaki’s head, leading to their meeting. From that very first day, Mio had treated Kiyoaki like a servant, acting like a queen, and he had simply followed along, playing with her every day since. Even though they hadn't known each other for very long, Kiyoaki couldn’t figure out why Mio would suddenly talk about marriage.

"Miooo—why are you running awayyy?"

"I don't want to know a country bumpkin like you anymore! I'm going to find someone more urban and handsome—!"

Her voice was trembling with tears. Realizing that she was crying made Kiyoaki feel guilty, and he shouted after her.

"I'm sorry! I'm sooorryyy! I'll marry you, Mio!"

Mio abruptly stopped right before the field of canola flowers. Kiyoaki, sprinting at full speed, crashed straight into her back.

"Whoa!"

The two of them tumbled onto the soft ground, with Kiyoaki ending up on top of her. Panicking, he quickly apologized.

"S-Sorry! You stopped so suddenly…!"

Lying beneath him, her golden hair spread out on the ground, Mio was laughing. "Really? You'll marry me?"

Her jade-green eyes looked up at Kiyoaki with an unwavering gaze.

At that moment, Kiyoaki didn’t understand the weight of the promise he was about to make.

Trying to appear as serious as he could, he looked down at Mio and swore. "Yeah. I'll become a pilot and make you my wife." Mio let out a strange satisfied hum from her throat, smiling contentedly.

Kiyoaki's heart skipped a beat. Her smile stirred emotions he had never experienced before. Nervously, he helped Mio to her feet.

"Don't forget your promise."

Brushing the dirt off her dress, Mio reminded him firmly. Kiyoaki, his cheeks flushed red, looked down and responded.

"Yeah. I won't forget."

"You seem like the type who would forget." "No, I won’t… probably." "You're not very reliable. Oh, I know!"

Suddenly getting an idea, Mio eagerly began picking canola flowers. She skillfully wove the yellow petals into a crown and handed it to Kiyoaki.

"Here. Put this on me."

Kneeling in front of Kiyoaki as if she were part of some ceremonial rite, Mio waited.

Kiyoaki, unsure of what was happening, stared at the flower crown. For something Mio had made so quickly, it was surprisingly well-crafted, a cute little tiara. But he didn’t understand why she was making him do this.

"Hurry up. This is part of the engagement ceremony."

Still kneeling, Mio puffed out her cheeks and glared up at him. "O-Okay, then…" With awkward hands, Kiyoaki placed the flower tiara on Mio’s head. The soft golden strands of her hair gleamed under the bright yellow petals.

With a radiant smile that matched the summer flowers, Mio stood up, grabbed both of Kiyoaki's hands, and exclaimed excitedly.

"Now, no cheating! We promised to get married!" "O-Okay…" "Swear on this tiara!"

"Yeah. I swear on this tiara… that I'll marry you."

Mio let out another satisfied hum, placing her hands on her hips as she proudly declared.

"I'm Kiyoaki's wife now!"

"Y-Yeah."

"Next, I'll give you a silver ring! Once I do, the ceremony will be complete, and our love will be eternal! I don't have it right now, but I’ll give it to you later!"

"There's a lot of steps, huh?"

"It’s a promise. Now, let’s seal it with a pinky swear."

Holding out her dainty pinky, Mio grinned mischievously. Still flustered, Kiyoaki hesitantly linked his pinky with hers.

Neither of them had any idea at the time what this small promise would eventually lead to in their world.

The vow they made in that quiet field of canola flowers would one day involve the great powers of the Mitterland continent and the entire archipelago, changing the course of history.

Part 4

Imperial Year 1344, August, Messus Island, Odessa—

A clear summer sky burned from the flames rising from the ground, and hundreds of airships scattered the white, wispy clouds.

The sky was filled with a swarm of aircraft and airships.

Odessa Fortress was ablaze. The fire spread rapidly, consuming the nearby forest, the flames dancing wildly as they grew. In the city, fleeing civIllians were chased mercilessly by enemy propeller planes. The harbor, airfield, government offices, and barracks—almost all the key facilities had been destroyed by dive-bombing attacks, their metal skeletons exposed as they spewed fire.

The air defense systems had been obliterated at the start of the battle, leaving Odessa completely defenseless—a one-sided hunting ground for the invaders. With all the military targets destroyed, the fighter planes, with nothing left to do, began to playfully harass the fleeing survivors, as if they were collecting trophies.

"Haa, haa, haa…!!"

Now fourteen years old, Kiyoaki was also running through the cornfields. Above him, two biplanes circled, searching for new prey. If they spotted him, they would hunt him down relentlessly. Crouching low, Kiyoaki ran through the corn, trying to make it to his secret base. Occasionally, he glanced up through the gaps in the canopy, confirming the menacing insignia on the wings of the enemy planes.

"Sky Clan…!"

The People of the Sky. In St Vault, they were known as the Urano Vasilius.

The airborne city-state alliance that ruled the skies had dispatched just a fraction of its vast air force to attack Messus Island's Odessa.

"My father, my mother, my sister…"

He didn’t know what had happened to his family. When the air raid began, he had

rushed back from school, only to find their home already engulfed in flames. The neighbors had urged him to flee to the mountains, but the sky was full of enemy planes. Kiyoaki had decided that trying to flee that far would only get him caught. Instead, he ran into the cornfields in a daze, driven by an inexplicable feeling that someone would be waiting for him at the secret base.

Eventually, the blue sky opened up to reveal the familiar circular clearing. In the middle stood the old secret hideout with its tin roof. Without hesitation, Kiyoaki opened the door.

Inside, wearing her high school uniform, was his older sister. "Yumiko!!" Overwhelmed with relief, Kiyoaki collapsed to his knees. His sister, five years his senior, held out her arms and hugged him tightly to her chest.

"Kiyoaki, thank goodness. You're safe. I'm so glad…"

Her voice trembled with sobs as she spoke, pressing her cheek against Kiyoaki's head. Kiyoaki wrapped his arms around her slender back.

"Our house was on fire. What about Mom and Dad?"

"I don’t know. They were in the vineyard, so they probably escaped to the mountains… unless Father did something reckless." "It'll be fine. Father knows what he's doing in a war. He'll be okay…" They reassured each other with their warmth. The sound of enemy biplanes’ propellers still droned overhead, even though it had been two hours since the bombing started. With fewer ground targets to pursue, the enemy planes circled, searching for any remaining prey.

Cautiously, Kiyoaki peeked through the gap in the tin roof. Two enemy planes circled like vultures, scanning the cornfields below.

"Don’t leave the base. If they see us, they'll chase us…"

Kiyoaki warned Yumiko, checking their hidden stash of snacks. But then he noticed the growing sound of the propellers getting louder.

"Ah…"

A bad feeling crept over him. Sitting down, he looked up at Yumiko. She tightened her expression and hugged Kiyoaki closer.

"It’s okay. Don’t go outside. Don’t leave…"

She glared at the sky beyond the tin roof. The propeller sounds grew louder, the cornfield rustling as the vibrations from the planes made the thin walls of the secret base shake.

"Did they find us?"

"No. Stay still. Don’t move."

Yumiko spoke softly, pressing Kiyoaki’s face into her chest, shielding him with her arms like a mother protecting her child. She turned her back to the direction from which the ominous propeller noise was coming.

The air shifted. The vibration of the atmosphere changed as the enemy planes dropped in altitude and increased their engine rotations. The sound of the propellers was now filled with malice. The enemy had clearly found the secret

base. Gunfire was coming. Kiyoaki sensed his sister’s resolve in the moment before the attack.

"Big sister!"

As Kiyoaki screamed, a deafening roar shook the small shed, like the direct impact of a thunderclap. Scorching lines of fire pierced through the shed in multiple places.

Fragments of fire splintered off, smoke exploded, and marbles, bottle caps, magazines, and stored food were all swept up in the chaos. The slate walls collapsed, the roof caved in, and a beam of light shot directly down into the shed.

Yumiko pushed Kiyoaki down, covering her brother with her body.

Another plane was approaching. The propeller noise grew louder again as the second enemy aircraft came closer. Yumiko, pinned under the collapsed slate, still held Kiyoaki tightly, refusing to let go. She intended to shield him completely with her body.

"Big sister…!!"

Kiyoaki’s tearful scream was ripped apart by another barrage of gunfire.

Summer sunlight danced wildly in front of Kiyoaki’s eyes. Shattered pieces of slate, the roof that had been shot through, and splatters of blood were all caught in the propeller’s backwash, swirling into the summer sky.

As dust and broken pieces of stone filled the air, Kiyoaki glimpsed the black panther insignia painted on the side of the biplane that had fired.

"Kiyoaki."

Among the reverberating thunder in his skull, Yumiko's lips moved near his ear, whispering softly.

"Don’t move."

Something warm spread from Yumiko’s body to Kiyoaki’s. It was thick and sticky, seeping through his chest.

"I won’t let you die. You’ll be okay."

He could feel the strength draining from his sister’s arms as they loosened their grip around him.

"Big sister…!!"

He couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

All he could do was call out the name of the person he held most dear. "We’ll always be together." The enemy plane, the "Black Panther," seemingly satisfied with destroying the shed, moved away from its hunting ground.

As the propeller noise faded, Kiyoaki realized he was covered in his sister’s blood. He reached around to her back, his left hand coming away coated in a thick, dark substance.

The world in front of him shattered and cracked, and everything was washed away by the blood. His mind was breaking.

"Big... sis..ter?"

He barely managed to choke out the words, and Yumiko, her cheeks wet with tears, gave him a weak smile.

"I’m living with you, Kiyoaki."

With the last of her strength, she tightened her arms around him. And then, Yumiko moved no more. Kiyoaki lay there, holding his sister's weight, unable to move. He could feel her body growing colder as she lay on top of him. Fragments of sunlight filtered through the broken world, slowly beginning to dry the blood on her body.

Kiyoaki called his sister’s name again and again. There was no answer. Holding his sister's cold, stiffening body, Kiyoaki cried. He continued to cry, even as the sun set.

That day, Urano forces did not land.

Their objective had been to demonstrate their air superiority by destroying Odessa’s air defenses in under an hour. This act of aggression had no other purpose. The Akitsu military would now have to engage in difficult ceasefire negotiations with Urano, with this display hanging over them.

After confirming the departure of the air fleet, Kiyoaki carried his sister’s lifeless body back to the burnt ruins of their home. He still didn’t know what had happened to his parents. He laid his sister’s body gently on the ground in front of the house, knelt, and wept with his head bowed.

Late that night, neighbors brought back the bodies of Kiyoaki’s parents, carrying them on makeshift stretchers. Both bodies were covered with blankets.

"You don’t need to see their bodies," they said, but Kiyoaki insisted on seeing their faces. Both his mother and father looked peaceful, as if they were merely sleeping.

"They were shot trying to save an elementary school student. If they’d gone to the mountains, they would’ve been fine. But they couldn’t stand by and watch children being targeted, so they acted as decoys to help them escape. They were such noble people, such good people. Why did this have to happen to them?"

The people who had carried his parents wept as they spoke.

Kiyoaki thanked everyone who had helped, then arranged his parents’ and sister’s bodies in front of their destroyed home. He knelt before them, crying quietly in the dark.

When everyone else had gone, Kiyoaki began clearing away the rubble from the house and dug a grave with a shovel. He made it large enough for all three of them to rest together, then gently laid his mother, father, and sister in the earth.

The moonlight bathed their faces in a soft blue glow.

That morning, they had all laughed together, eating breakfast as a family. Now, their bodies lay broken and still, their faces pale as they slept in death.

Standing at the edge of the grave, Kiyoaki wept.

He decided to cry until he could cry no more. He cried until he was exhausted and fell asleep. When he awoke the next morning, he cried again. His family offered no response.

By midday, Kiyoaki had covered their bodies with dirt. Though he hadn’t wanted to bury them, flies and insects had begun to gather, and he had no choice. After filling in the grave, he piled up the soil into a mound and used pieces of their home’s debris as makeshift grave markers.

That night, Kiyoaki curled up in front of the grave markers and fell asleep. He felt no desire to live. He wanted to starve to death here so he could join his family in the afterlife.

On the third morning, Kiyoaki was woken by a voice calling his name. When he opened his eyes, Mio was standing beside him.

"Mio…"

Kiyoaki, his face dirty with mud and soot, looked up at her. Mio was as clean and neat as ever, untouched by the destruction of the war. Her neighborhood in the hills had miraculously escaped the bombing.

"I heard… I’m so sorry… They were such wonderful people…"

Mio knelt beside Kiyoaki and clasped her hands together in prayer before the grave markers, tears streaming down her face.

No words were needed. It was enough that she was there beside him, crying with him. That alone brought him some comfort.

"I loved your parents… and Yumiko… I was so envious of you, Kiyoaki, for having such a wonderful family…"

"Mio…"

Kiyoaki reached out to her, and Mio, without a word, opened her arms. They knelt on the ground, holding each other for support.

"It hurts, doesn’t it? It’s so painful. I know that feeling. My parents died in the war too…"

Mio had also lost her biological family to war and had been raised by foster parents. She understood the pain Kiyoaki was feeling all too well. Her thin arms clung to him, trying to share his burden.

"Ugh… ugh…"

Kiyoaki couldn’t stop the tears. The pain that had hollowed him out from the inside was slowly being soothed by Mio’s kindness.

Amidst his tears, familiar voices echoed in his mind.

"Stop crying. Don’t run away from your problems. Face them like a man." Those were his father’s words, the ones he always used to scold him whenever Kiyoaki came home in tears.

"Father…"

"When you're sad, it's okay to cry. But then, you must find a way to smile again." His mother’s gentle words, long forgotten, now resonated deep within him.

"Mother…"

"I’m living with you, Kiyoaki." His sister’s final words, etched deep in his heart, whispered softly in his ears.

"Sister…"

Kiyoaki bit his lip, trying to stop the flow of tears. But the sorrow was too overwhelming, and it continued to spill from his eyes.

They held each other and cried, for as long as it took. And Mio, feeling his pain melt away, silently resolved to hold him as long as he needed her.

Two weeks after the Urano air raid—

Kiyoaki stood on the slope of the mountain where the vineyards had once been, wearing a new shirt and slacks, gazing out over Odessa. Beside him, Mio stood in her private school uniform.

As an orphan of war, Kiyoaki had been taken in by a facility provided by Odessa’s town hall. The government would care for him until he graduated from middle school, but after that, he would have to make his own way in the world.

—What should I do now?

Gazing at his devastated hometown, Kiyoaki pondered these questions.

The island, once filled with the smiling faces of its residents, was now reduced to a desolate wasteland.

Most homes had been destroyed by incendiary bombs and explosives, burned to the ground in the resulting fires. In the distance, the artillery batteries of the Odessa fortress spewed smoke, their broken barrels limply pointing toward the ground.

The house his parents had built from wood they cut from the forest, the fields they had painstakingly cultivated from barren land, the livestock they had carefully raised, and the cornfield where the secret base once stood—all of it was reduced to ashes in just one day.

If it were only land or property, it would still be manageable. As long as people survived, they could rebuild. But the lives of his parents and sister could never be restored. The pain of that loss would never heal. It would continue to hurt, even decades from now. All that remained for the survivors was to live with that pain.

"How did it come to this?" Kiyoaki asked Mio, feeling helpless.

"I don’t know. There's no way to understand... but..." Mio looked down, organizing her thoughts before turning to meet Kiyoaki's gaze.

"This... this is wrong. It's not right..."

Unable to fully articulate her feelings, she trailed off.

A breeze passed between them, carrying the lingering stench of explosions. The heavy scent of crude oil, smoke, and gunpowder settled in their stomachs, refusing to dissipate.

"...Yeah. I get it. This is all wrong. Urano is insane..." Kiyoaki’s anger began to simmer. "The ones with the most weapons trample those without. They pillage, slaughter, and steal away homes, fields, and possessions. This kind of thing is allowed to

happen. How is that normal? It’s not. It’s madness. Why doesn’t anyone else see how wrong this is?"

His voice grew more heated.

He stomped on the ground, grinding his heel into the dirt for no reason, before glaring at the ruins of his hometown.

In the clear morning sky, he imagined the shadow of Urano’s fleet looming overhead. Everywhere they passed, people, homes, and fields were turned to ash. They called themselves the "Rulers of the Sky," but all they did was operate killing machines. How could anyone allow this kind of control over the skies?

—Is this the world I’m meant to live in?

—If this cruel, wretched world is what lies ahead for me...

Unable to suppress his rage, Kiyoaki clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white.

To prevent this pain and anger from ever happening again, there was only one thing to do.

"Mio, you'll probably laugh at this, but I..."

Driven by emotion, Kiyoaki stopped himself before finishing his sentence. He wasn't sure if his determination was truly the right choice.

"...I won't laugh. I won’t. Tell me." Mio answered seriously. Kiyoaki, unable to contain the surge of emotions within him, let his soul speak. "I’m going to destroy the Sky Clan, Urano." Mio remained expressionless, quietly accepting his words.

"I’m going to end war. Urano is responsible for the state of the world. They’re the ones manipulating major powers from behind the scenes to cause wars. That’s why I have to wipe out Urano and create a world without war. I’ll do it with my own hands."

" "

"...You’ll probably laugh. It’s a dream only a fourteen-year-old would have. ...But... But I can’t accept the world as it is. I can't accept a world controlled by Urano."

After pouring out his thoughts, Kiyoaki glanced at Mio's profile, uncertain. He expected her to be holding back laughter... but that wasn’t the case. Mio, instead, was smiling.

"That’s a great dream. Go for it." "...You’re making fun of me." "I’m not. Not at all. That’s just like you, Kiyoaki." "...You’re lying. You’re mocking me." "I’m not. If you can create a world without war, your father, your mother, and

Yumiko would all be proud of you." "...It’s impossible, though." "Why are you giving up before you even start? If you’re going to try, believe you can do it. If you push forward, maybe you’ll get closer to your ideal. That’s enough, isn’t it? The world would be a little better than if you hadn’t done anything at all."

Mio said this as she patted Kiyoaki on the back.

Having spoken his truth, Kiyoaki felt a bit embarrassed but also somewhat encouraged. Even though it seemed like a far-fetched dream, Mio’s encouragement gave him hope that maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

"Let me share that dream with you, Kiyoaki. Destroying Urano and creating a world without war sounds exciting. Even if we don’t succeed, I want to try. If everyone shared the same dream, wars would disappear, right? Then, my parents and your family would all be happy. They’d know their deaths weren’t in vain."

"Yeah. You’re right."

"Yes. Let’s make that dream come true together." Mio smiled and took Kiyoaki's hand in hers. Blushing, Kiyoaki squeezed her hand in return.

The dawn light broke through the clouds, racing across the sky above them. Beams of light from the depths of the blue sky bathed them in a fresh, radiant glow, washing away the overwhelming sadness that had crushed their hearts. As Kiyoaki accepted the pain and vowed not to be defeated by it, a new strength began to well up from within him.

With a determined look, Kiyoaki raised his head and glared at the world that stood before him.

"Look, it’s Fio..."

The white bird, as if blessing their future, let out a high-pitched cry and soared through the mysterious-colored sky.

"Fio’s with us, too."

Smiling, Mio extended her right hand, and Fio flew straight to it, perching on the back of her hand. The two, along with the bird, exchanged unspoken determination, resolving to face the cruel world with their own will.

The Air Hunt Officer Academy Part 1 - (Part 5 of Volume 1)

In August of the 1347th year of the Imperial Calendar, in the capital of the Akitsu Federation, Misato—

At the Misato naval port, VIPs from the political and business world, along with high-ranking officers of the Akitsu Federation’s military and hundreds of other officers, were gathered to see off their esteemed guests, who had traveled all the way from beyond the Great Waterfall.

The dark green ships of the Akitsu military stood guard, while unfamiliar blue- gray ships were anchored in two neat columns in Misato Bay. Overhead, Akitsu military propeller fighters roared back and forth, adding to the somber yet

festive atmosphere of the farewell event, which would soon conclude with the departure of the St Vault military airship fleet.

The St Vault fleet dispatched for this mission consisted of two heavy cruisers, four destroyers, one escort carrier, and three transport ships.

Because the two nations were separated by the Great Waterfall, all of the ships were equipped with lifting devices for airship transport.

The reason this goodwill mission was so large in scale was to demonstrate St Vault’s naval presence in the South Sea, a show of force. While their outward journey had faced no interference, the return trip promised to be a more precarious journey.

"I’m sorry, Fio. I can’t take you with me to St Vault. The student dorm at my new school doesn’t allow pets."

Seventeen-year-old Mio Syira apologized to Fio, who was perched on her finger, before giving a quick wave.

Losing her footing, Fio took off, circling overhead with a mournful cry.

"Take care of yourself. I’ll come back to visit during winter break. Look after my parents for me."

As Mio bid her farewell, the smart bird let out a little chirp and disappeared into the blue sky.

Looking up at the sky filled with patrolling fighter planes, Mio stretched out her arms and suddenly muttered to herself.

"I’ve been thinking for a while now... Aren’t we just bait?" She cast a gloomy glance toward the sky where Fio had disappeared. "They say it’s a goodwill or cultural exchange, but the real goal is to intentionally send us through dangerous waters, provoke Urano into attacking, and give St Vault a reason to join the war. Then afterward, they’ll say something like, 'Even innocent young students were among the casualties,' or something like that."

Beside her, seventeen-year-old Kiyoaki Sakagami, wearing the same military uniform, looked up at the clear sky with calm eyes.

"As cadets, there’s nothing we can do about the top brass’s intentions. If we make it to St Vault safely, we’ll be allowed to transfer to the Air Hunt Officer Academy. We should consider this an opportunity."

He stated this firmly.

The uniforms they wore weren’t from their current school, Kanan Officer Academy, but from the Air Hunt Officer Academy across the Great Waterfall. After a two- night, three-day voyage across the North-South Archipelago, if they arrived safely at the St Vault Empire’s capital, Ser Faust, they would transfer as third-year students to one of the most prestigious officer academies, known for producing countless famous generals and strategists, and walk through the grand, historic campus in these uniforms.

"Yeah, I know. We’ve got allies, so we should be fine. But I’m still worried. I just hope the people going with us aren’t too weird."

Mio glanced around anxiously. A short distance away from the ceremony, under a tent at the dock, several dozen officers and non-commissioned officers from the St Vault naval and air forces were chatting as they awaited departure.

They were all airship pilots. In the archipelago, which consists of more than four thousand islands, flying boats (seaplanes) were considered all-purpose machines, highly valued for their ability to operate without airfields. They handled everything from transport and reconnaissance to bombing and torpedoing, making them a core force. Kiyoaki and Mio, representing Kanan Officer Academy, were about to embark on a journey through the archipelago in such a flying boat.

They would be joined by a fourth-year student from Misato Officer Academy, known for their top academic performance, and four cadets from the Air Hunt Officer Academy. Since they had never met these people before, Mio was feeling uneasy. The seven of them would need to work together to ensure a smooth flight. But Kiyoaki felt reassured knowing that Mio would be with him. It had been three years since the air raid on Messus Island, where he had lost his entire family.

Since then, he and Mio had passed the entrance exam for Kanan Officer Academy and had been working hard as cadets.

Now, both of them were seventeen-year-old third-year students in the aviation department. They had excelled in practical training, where they flew aircraft, and achieved outstanding results in both academic and practical courses. As a result, they were chosen to represent the Akitsu Federation as cadets, being transferred to the Air Hunt Officer Academy. Together, they had worked toward this goal, and today’s achievement was the culmination of their efforts. Without Mio, Kiyoaki wouldn’t be where he was today.

"I wonder what that fourth-year Akitsu cadet is like. I hope they’re not too intimidating. It’s impressive that they not only have the best grades but are also a fifth-degree swordsman... That’s really something."

Mio nervously looked around, trying to spot their fellow passenger. According to rumors, the fourth-year cadet from Misato Officer Academy was the captain of the kendo club, had never lost their top academic and practical ranking in the entire school during their four years, and was highly regarded by military superiors as a promising candidate for future command.

"Um... maybe it’s that person..."

Amidst the chatting airship pilots, a figure in an Air Hunt Officer Academy uniform began walking toward them. The four stripes on their shoulder indicated they were a fourth-year student.

It was a woman.

That, in itself, wasn’t surprising. Both officer academies had many female students, and many of them outperformed their male counterparts.

However, as the woman approached, Kiyoaki felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

A chill ran through his entire body.

"Hey there. You must be the representatives from Kanan Officer Academy." The woman greeted them coolly as she walked up to Kiyoaki and Mio. Tall and slender, with bangs neatly layered, her long black hair tied back in a ponytail, she had the demeanor of an ancient female warrior. A military sword hung from her waist, despite her cadet status. Her presence exuded a calm authority, but there was also a hint of warmth in her voice.

"I’m Kagura Murasaki, a fourth-year student at Misato Officer Academy. I’ll be serving as the vice-captain on our flight. Although I may be inexperienced, I’ll do my best. I hope we can work well together."

Her tone was that of a young officer, but there was a gentle quality to her words. It would be impossible not to like her, with her dignified speech and clean, refreshing presence. Startled, Mio quickly returned the greeting.

"I’m Mio Syira, a third-year student at Kanan Officer Academy. I’ll be handling reconnaissance. I’ll do my best not to be a burden."

Standing tall, Mio introduced herself, and Kagura smiled cheerfully.

"I’ve heard great things about you, Mio. Your nationality is St Vault, right?"

"Yes. I grew up on Messus Island in the Akitsu Federation, but my foster parents are St Vault citizens."

"So, you have two homelands. You’re the perfect person to strengthen the bond between our two nations. And... you must be Kiyoaki Sakagami, correct?"

Kagura turned to Kiyoaki, but he just stared at her, his eyes wide, unable to move. Sweat trickled down his temples, and his pale lips trembled.

"...What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost." "...Uh...... Ah. ?" Kiyoaki’s legs began to shake. He seemed to be trying to respond, but no words came out. He simply stood there, trembling, staring intently at Kagura.

"...Is there something wrong with my appearance?"

Kagura asked, puzzled, turning to Mio. Mio hastily shook her head and pinched Kiyoaki's side.

"What are you doing? She’s the vice-captain! Say something!" "Uh... Uh-huh... Uh, um. " Still lost in a daze, Kiyoaki barely managed to snap back to reality and assumed a stiff, upright posture.

"Uh, my apologies! I’m Kiyoaki Sakagami, a third-year student at Kanan Officer Academy, and I’ll be handling the piloting. !"

He introduced himself, but the latter part of his sentence trailed off. His breathing was erratic, and he struggled to suppress the emotions welling up inside him. Kagura continued to watch him with a puzzled expression.

"...Is he always like this?"

Mio, being questioned, offered her guess.

"Well... someone who resembled Senpai Kagura used to be close to him. That’s probably why... he’s frozen like that."

"Someone who resembles me?"

Mio finally kicked Kiyoaki’s rear with her knee. "Ouch!" Kiyoaki jumped, grimacing in pain, and Mio lifted her chin, annoyed. "Explain it yourself. Staring at a woman’s face like that is rude." "Ah, uh... yeah. ...Yeah, I know..." Kiyoaki wiped his eyes with his arm. Then, finally facing Kagura, he bowed deeply, his face turning bright red as he began to explain.

"I’m sorry, Senpai Kagura! This is a personal matter, but... someone in my family who passed away looked exactly like you... For a moment, I thought she might still be alive, and I got confused! Please forgive my rudeness!"

"...I see. This family member was?"

"...My sister. She was shot and killed three years ago during the Urano invasion of Odessa..."

"I understand... but I don’t really know what to say. I’m at a loss for words."

Kiyoaki raised his head and met Kagura’s gaze. Just that was enough to overwhelm his reason with nostalgic emotions, and despite knowing she was someone else, tears welled up in his eyes.

"Do we really look that much alike?"

Kagura asked, looking even more puzzled as she watched Kiyoaki’s face crumple once again.

"Yes, from what I can see, you’re identical. Kiyoaki, don’t you have a picture of Yumiko? Show it to her."

"Oh, uh, yeah..."

Kiyoaki took out a notebook from his pocket and handed Kagura an old photo of him, his parents, and his sister.

Looking at Yumiko, who was standing beside Kiyoaki in the photo, Kagura’s eyes widened in surprise.

"This is... certainly. Yes, now I understand your reaction."

Glancing between Kiyoaki and the sepia-toned picture of Yumiko, Kagura confirmed the striking resemblance in their smiles.

"Thank you. You can put it away now... Did I bring up some painful memories?"

Returning the photo, Kagura showed her concern with a gentle touch. Kiyoaki quickly shook his head, wiping away his tears with his arm and lifting his head.

"N-no...! I’m actually... very happy! I thought I would never see her again, so... I’m really...!"

Though he tried to express his feelings, the words didn’t come out smoothly. But Kagura, sensing the familiar emotions, smiled warmly.

"Honestly, I’m honored. I’ve always wanted a younger brother. So, during this journey, feel free to think of me as your sister. If it helps you feel more at ease, that’s a small price to pay."

Kagura’s words touched Kiyoaki deeply, and he fought back the urge to cry once again.

"Th-thank you! I will do my best to serve you, Senpai Kagura!"

Kiyoaki realized he had been won over by Kagura’s kindness in just a few minutes, and he was fine with that. Meanwhile, Mio, looking irritated, folded her arms and wore a scowl.

"You’re embarrassing me. Just act normal. And you can call me Kagura. It’ll be tiring for both of us to keep things so formal the entire trip."

Kagura blushed slightly, accepting Kiyoaki’s words with a bit of embarrassment before lifting her gaze to compose herself and speaking more firmly.

"It seems the St Vault cadets have arrived. From here on, we’ll use St Vault as our common language. No Akitsu will be allowed. Needless to say, we are here representing the Akitsu Federation, so let’s be respectful, but also stand our ground and show no weakness."

"Yes, ma'am."

Kiyoaki also turned his attention to the four cadets approaching them. Two males and two females. These cadets were selected from the prestigious Air Hunt Officer Academy, renowned even beyond their borders. Their skills and pride were likely just as high.

The lead male, with long blonde hair, noticed Kiyoaki and Mio’s uniforms and stopped.

"Are you the cadets from the Akitsu Federation?" His words were cold, devoid of any particular emotion. Kagura responded. "Yes, we are. You must be from the Air Hunt Officer Academy. I’m Kagura Murasaki, a fourth-year cadet from Misato Officer Academy, and I’ll be serving as the vice-captain for this mission. I look forward to working with you."

Kagura introduced herself first, and Kiyoaki and Mio followed suit, giving their names and ranks in St Vault.

"Balthazar Grim, fourth-year at the Air Hunt Officer Academy. I’ll be the captain for this mission. Let’s work together."

Balthazar, tall and lean with striking blonde hair, had eyes the color of icy blue glaciers. His words and gaze exuded an elite coldness, signaling his authority as the captain of the vessel, responsible for everyone’s fate during the journey.

—This guy is dangerous.

Kiyoaki’s instincts whispered to him. He didn’t know why, but something about Balthazar’s presence, a precarious balance of refinement and underlying intensity, set off alarm bells in his mind.

"I’m Reiner Beck, third-year, in charge of reconnaissance. Let’s make the most of this and have some fun, shall we?"

Next to him, a silver-haired youth, grinning mischievously, saluted with a casual gesture, placing his fingers to his temple. Though it was a proper salute, there was something flippant about it. To top it off, as he lowered his hand, he winked at Mio. St Vault men were known to charm women effortlessly, and Reiner seemed like a typical example. Despite Mio’s annoyance, Reiner’s smirk alternated between her and Kiyoaki, clearly eager to get closer to them.

"Cecil Hauer, second-year! I’ll be in charge of communications! Even though I’m

the youngest, I’m going to give it my all and won’t rely on anyone! Please call me Cecil!"

Following that, a small female cadet, standing on her toes as if trying to make herself taller, introduced herself enthusiastically. With her short hair and bright, innocent honey-colored eyes, she still looked quite young, but being selected for this mission as a second-year meant she likely had some exceptional abilities. Kiyoaki reminded himself not to judge by appearances, but when Cecil’s eyes met his, she gave him a playful, childlike smile, which made him smile in return.

And then, the last female cadet made the most striking impression on Kiyoaki. She hadn’t said a word during the other introductions, simply standing still, but for some reason, Kiyoaki’s attention remained fixed on her.

Unlike Balthazar’s icy, unapproachable aura, there was something about her that naturally drew people in, yet she firmly rejected any attention.

A mechanical doll, encased in a glacier.

That was Kiyoaki’s first impression of her—an untouchable figure, locked away behind a thick block of ice, forever expressionless.

"Illia Kreischmidt, third-year, in charge of piloting. Nice to meet you."

Her short greeting made it clear that she rejected any unnecessary interaction outside of duty. Her gaze focused beyond Kiyoaki and the others, fixed on the sea, and from then on, she remained silent and still, as if she had switched off after completing her introduction.

—Kreischmidt... could she be...?

The Kreischmidt surname sparked a brief suspicion, but Kiyoaki quickly dismissed the thought. Such a coincidence couldn’t possibly happen.

"We’ve already been assigned our positions in the airship. Our mission is to demonstrate to Urano that the strong alliance between our nations will continue into the future, as we operate this airship together through the archipelago. To ensure a successful journey, you will all follow my orders. Maintaining order aboard the ship is the top priority. Any objections?"

Balthazar’s words were met with affirmations from the six other cadets.

After that, the flight commander lined up the rest of the airship crew and gave them a briefing on the expedition. The cadets then boarded a small boat from the pier to head toward the airship.

The boat’s engine roared as it cut through the waves, carrying the seven cadets toward their destination. The summer sea shimmered with a hazy mirage.

Soon, their companion for the journey emerged from the misty horizon.

—The Eriadore Airship!

Standing before one of the St Vault Empire’s most prized airships, Kiyoaki felt a warrior’s shiver run through his legs.

With a slender fuselage measuring 25 meters in length, its upper wing structure spanned 40 meters, with four large propellers attached to its long wings, gleaming in the sunlight. It boasted a maximum payload of about two tons and a range of 6,500 kilometers. Armed with 15mm machine guns at the nose, tail, and dorsal turret, along with side-mounted machine gun positions, it was regarded as one of the most advanced airships of its time.

The entire vessel was painted in the signature blue-gray of the St Vault military, a camouflage that blended seamlessly with the summer sky. As the boat docked with the airship’s boarding hatch, Kiyoaki gazed up at his partner with admiration.

The lower half of the Eriadore Airship’s belly sat partially submerged in the sea, balanced by floats descending from each wing.

The cadets transferred from the boat into the airship and immediately took their assigned positions.

Mio was stationed at the nose gun turret, with Reiner at the dorsal turret. As reconnaissance officers, they were responsible for navigation, calculating the aircraft’s heading, speed, wind direction, and velocity to determine its current position. This required knowledge of astronavigation, topographical navigation, and radio navigation, making it a critical and challenging task.

Behind the cockpit, equipped with communication devices, was the radio operator’s seat, assigned to Cecil. Her role was to manage communication with the base and other aircraft in the formation, as well as to use onboard radar to detect enemy aircraft and islands in the archipelago.

Behind the pilot’s seats, Balthazar and Kagura occupied the captain’s and vice- captain’s seats, respectively. Both of them had comprehensive knowledge of navigation, communications, and piloting, and were responsible for issuing commands, drafting navigation charts, and occasionally taking control of the airship themselves.

Finally, in the cockpit, the main pilot’s seat and co-pilot’s seat were situated side by side.

Based on their performance at their respective officer academies and the recommendations of their instructors, it was decided that Kiyoaki would be the main pilot for the takeoff, with Illia as the co-pilot. Both were top cadets in piloting at their schools and were regarded as future ace pilots. While Kiyoaki would be in charge during takeoff, he and Illia would alternate piloting duties as they navigated the airship toward the St Vault Empire’s capital, Selfaust.

The cockpit of an airship was quite different from that of a single-seat fighter plane.

Both the main and co-pilot seats were equipped with almost identical instrument panels, a steering wheel for controlling the ailerons (which tilt the aircraft), and foot pedals for operating the rudder (which controls left and right movement). The throttle for the four engines hung from the ceiling between the two seats, much like a train’s hanging strap, allowing either pilot to control it. The control stick, used only for vertical maneuvers in airships, extended across both seats, so either pilot could operate it.

The steering wheels in front of each seat were similar to those found in cars— when one was turned to the right, the other would automatically follow. Likewise, when one person pressed the left foot pedal, the other pedal would move in sync. The controls for both seats were interconnected, allowing either side to pilot the airship. This arrangement allowed the pilots to divide responsibilities during combat, with one pilot managing speed and the other handling direction. In the event that one pilot became incapacitated, the other could continue flying.

Balthazar would be responsible for determining how the two pilots would share these tasks.

"Kiyoaki will handle the takeoff. Illia, monitor the front and check for any equipment malfunctions."

"Yes, sir."

Kiyoaki sat in the main pilot's seat, checked the instrument panel, and tested the three rudders: the direction rudder, the elevator, and the aileron. The hydraulic assist system installed was of far higher quality than those used by the Akitsu Federation, making the controls very light. It was said that 20% of the St Vault Air Navy pilots were women, and this system was likely a big reason why. In air combat, where the control stick becomes heavy, men had the advantage in physical strength, but with this system, any disadvantage for women disappeared. In fact, some argued that women, with their greater endurance to prolonged stress, might even be better suited for piloting. Illia, sitting beside him, was probably very skilled as well.

—I don’t want to be underestimated.

That thought crossed his mind. While Illia gave off no clear emotions, it surely wasn’t enjoyable for her to have the main pilot seat taken by a cadet from another country.

"The fleet is moving. The airship squadron will take off after them and fly directly above the fleet. Formation takeoffs are the pride of an airship squadron—don’t mess it up."

"Yes, sir."

Responding to the captain Balthazar's command, Kiyoaki directed his gaze through the wide windscreen.

The St Vault fleet anchored in Misato Bay began to kick up huge splashes of water. Though they couldn’t hear it from here, the band was surely playing a lively march to see off the dignitaries.

Soon, with a sound like a roaring atmosphere, two heavy cruisers, four destroyers, and an escort carrier started to ascend into the air, their propulsion systems emitting a hum. The water streaming from their hulls glittered like crystals being scattered in farewell.

Reaching an altitude of 500 meters, the massive vessels leveled off and began flying steadily toward their homeland. From the harbor, celebratory cannons fired off white bursts into the afternoon sky. Kiyoaki watched, mesmerized by the sight of the fleet disappearing into the summer sky. It was the first time he had ever witnessed an airship fleet's takeoff.

"We’re going too."

Balthazar’s voice from behind snapped him back to reality.

Around them, a total of nine Eriadore airships, including theirs, were preparing for takeoff. A formation takeoff with this many large airships was a moment of pride for the pilots. The crowd in the harbor, just as eager as they had been for the fleet, cheered for the airship squadron.

"All stations ready," "Forward machine guns ready," "Upper machine gun, okay!" "Communications, good to go!"

One by one, the crew in their assigned positions reported in. Kiyoaki nodded and gave the command.

"Engines on!"

With a sound like a bull kicking the ground, the inertia system engaged. Kiyoaki listened to the rhythm.

"Conduct!"

The four propellers mounted on the upper wing, directly connected to the engines, began to spin rapidly. The tachometer only provided rough readings, so synchronizing the rotations of all four engines perfectly was nearly impossible— a task for the gods, as it were. However, minimizing this error was where the pilot's skill came in. Instead of relying on sight, Kiyoaki used his hearing to listen to the propeller noise, adjusting the four propeller pitch levers hanging from the ceiling so that all the propellers spun at the same speed.

—Not bad.

Satisfied with his efforts, he glanced at Illia out of the corner of his eye. But, as usual, she showed no reaction, her focus locked on the front.

The water takeoff began, heading into the wind.

The nine aircraft, perfectly in sync, each kept a distance of about 500 meters between them as they took off in formation.

Kiyoaki held the vibrating control stick down firmly. Spray from the water skimmed along the windshield. The Eriadore airships ahead of them also kicked up silver plumes of spray as they charged forward into the wind.

The wind roared louder. The sharp sound of it slicing through the air seeped into the cockpit through cracks in the windscreen. Kiyoaki held the nose down with the control stick, watching carefully to time their takeoff with the airships in front of them.

Then, the lead airship lifted its belly off the water. The two adjacent ships lifted their noses in unison.

With a spray like a waterfall trailing behind them, the giants rose together into the sky. The roar of the four engines powering these massive vessels made the sea below tremble.

At the moment when the top of the giant airship caught the summer sunlight— "Takeoff!" Kiyoaki gave the order and pulled back on the control stick. In an instant, the sea disappeared beneath them. The sound of water faded away as it rushed past under their feet.

The four engines roared powerfully, tearing away the chains of gravity.

The vast summer sky filled Kiyoaki’s view. Before him stretched nothing but endless blue.

—Ah.

Even though he had experienced this dozens of times, every time Kiyoaki left the ground and headed for the sky, he felt an indescribable sense of freedom. He thought he needed nothing more. Just experiencing this moment made everything else seem trivial and meaningless.

Spreading free wings in the pure blue sky and flying forever—that alone was enough to make life fulfilling. He needed nothing more than this. Nothing else mattered.

But reality was never so kind as to let him bask in such a sweet dream for long. Just after leveling off at 2,000 meters—

"Message from the lead ship! 'Impressive for a student, but don’t get ahead of yourselves, slow down!' That’s the message!"

Cecil relayed the message through the speaking tube, the words coming from the squadron leader. Looking at the instrument panel, Kiyoaki realized they were about 30 kilometers over the speed limit. Their formation of nine airships was flying slightly ahead, with their airship at the rightmost position in the third row. He quickly slowed down to match the speed and realign the three ships in formation.

—I messed up.

Feeling embarrassed, Kiyoaki glanced at Illia out of the corner of his left eye again. Still no reaction. But somehow, he felt like her inner voice was quietly calling him incompetent.

Shaking it off, he gripped the control stick more firmly. The Eriadore airship’s fuselage was two stories tall, with the cockpit situated on the upper level. The front windows offered a wide 180-degree view, providing excellent visibility. Mio, stationed at the nose gun, was downstairs and out of sight from the cockpit, and Reiner, in the upper gun position, was behind a partition wall, so communication with them would require using the speaking tube or sending a messenger.

Outside the windscreen, they could see the fleet of airships flying below them. The fleet was currently cruising in two vertical columns at an altitude of about 1,500 meters. The sunlight gleamed off their brand-new hulls, marking their positions. The airship squadron adjusted their speed to match the fleet, cruising at 240 kilometers per hour.

"Kiyoaki, are you not going to switch to autopilot?"

Kagura called from behind him. Kiyoaki leaned forward, half-turning his face toward her while keeping his eyes on the sky.

"I want to fly it myself for now. I’m still getting a feel for it." "It’s a long journey. Rest while you can." "Yes, ma'am."

Though he could have switched to autopilot, he chose to continue flying manually. He wanted to get a better sense of how the Eriadore handled, feeling the wind through the control stick, adjusting the three rudders, and fine-tuning the throttle to understand the airship’s quirks. Kagura unbuckled her harness and stood up.

"Captain, I’ll go check the equipment." "Permission granted." Balthazar nodded as he compared the provided weather map to the flight chart. Kagura left the cockpit and moved toward the rear of the aircraft. Her role was to assist the captain in ensuring smooth operations, communicating with the crew stationed at the tail and side gun positions, the radar operator, and the radio operator.

Meanwhile, Cecil, seated behind the captain, was working with the radio equipment, listening intently for signals. Her job was not only to receive transmissions from their allies but also to eavesdrop on enemy communications and intercept any signals, possibly even relaying false information.

"Our side is blasting out signals like crazy. Is that okay?"

Cecil said, holding one side of her headset to her ear and speaking to Balthazar. He moved over to sit beside her and listened to the noisy transmissions.

"They want the enemy to notice. It’s intentional."

"Wait, they’re doing it on purpose!? Why would they do that!?"

"They want to give Urano an excuse to engage with us. By sending out these signals, we’re deliberately letting the enemy know our fleet’s location, hoping to lure them in and maybe even get them to fire on us. That’s the true objective of this mission."

Balthazar said matter-of-factly, like reading from a manual, as he confirmed the location of the allied fleet on the radar screen.

Normally, fleet movements would be conducted under strict radio silence. Sending out unnecessary signals would only allow the enemy to pinpoint their location and swarm in for an attack. In modern warfare, any broadcast would inevitably lead to detection.

"But that... that’ll start a war! I don’t want that, it’s terrifying!" Cecil’s voice trembled with fear, but Balthazar remained calm and composed. "Whether or not it leads to air combat depends on Urano. Even if our fleet gets attacked, it doesn’t mean an all-out war will break out immediately. Our job is to respond to whatever situation arises. If you have time to be afraid, focus on your duties."

"Y-Yes, sir..."

Cecil slumped, looking dejected. Balthazar then approached Kiyoaki, leaning his elbow on the top of the pilot seat and gazing at the sky ahead.

"How many flight hours do you have?"

"170 hours at the officer academy, and about 300 on my family’s farm. I’ve been flying biplanes to spray pesticides since I was twelve."

Kiyoaki answered confidently. At 17 years old, few students had logged as many flight hours as he had. He had also excelled in piloting at the Nan Rivers Officer Academy.

"And your combat experience?" "None, sir." As expected for a student. However, without hesitation, Balthazar turned to Illia.

"If we get into a dogfight, Illia will handle the three rudders. Kiyoaki, you’ll focus solely on the throttle."

"Understood."

Illia responded without even glancing at Kiyoaki. Kiyoaki was surprised and looked up at Balthazar’s face. With the layout of the airship’s cockpit, it was possible to control the ailerons, rudder, and elevator from the co-pilot’s seat. This meant that during combat, Kiyoaki would be left managing only the throttle. If he tried to take over the controls from the main pilot’s seat, it would essentially become a physical contest between him and Illia for control. The control stick, foot pedals, and rudder would respond to whoever applied more

force. But fighting over control like that wouldn’t lead to victory against an enemy.

"Permission to ask, Captain, why the change in control?"

"You’re supposed to follow my orders in the air. I already told you that." "I understand, but I’d like to know the reason for the switch." "Do you question the basis of every order you receive?"

Balthazar coldly retorted. Kiyoaki bit back his words and turned his eyes forward.

"...Understood. I’ll relinquish control of the rudders in combat."

"Take your lunch when the time is right. We're expected to arrive at Tsurugi Island around dusk. Save your focus for then."

After saying this, Balthazar descended the stairs from the cockpit, likely to check Mio's drift calculations.

Now, only Kiyoaki, Illia, and Cecil were left in the cockpit. "Hehe. Free time! Yay!" Cecil, grinning broadly, popped her innocent face between the two in the pilot seats.

"Sakagami-san, you're a skilled pilot! The turn coordinator ball has stayed centered the whole time. Isn't it hard to take off in such a big airship?"

She seemed quite talkative. While she stuck her face forward, blocking the view of the sky, Kiyoaki, who had been tense the entire day, smiled back and played along.

"I've practiced many times. The Eriadore is a good ship, much easier to fly than I expected."

"Right? I'm so glad to hear that! Illia loves this ship too, you know. Right, Illia?"

Cecil casually addressed Illia. As usual, Illia didn’t move. "Cecil, don't stick your face in front of the pilot." Her voice was as stiff as if it had been pre-recorded on a tape. However, Cecil seemed accustomed to this, keeping her cheerful smile as she faced Kiyoaki.

"Illia is the ace of the Air Hunt School! She’s never lost in mock battles, not even to fourth-year students! After graduation, she's definitely going to become the top ace of the St Vault military!"

"Really? That's impressive! No wonder the captain trusts her." "Cecil, don't exaggerate. I've lost once. I was defeated by Reiner." "That was just because a stray shot hit due to the wind! Reiner isn't that great at mock battles."

As the two of them talked, Kiyoaki began to get excited. At the Kanan Officer Academy, mock battles were held, but mostly against instructors, rarely against fellow students. There were cases where inexperienced students attempting dangerous maneuvers during air combat drills had resulted in fatalities. This

might be why Balthazar gave those earlier instructions, as Illia likely had more experience with mock battles.

"So, at Air Hunt, you have mock battles between students? Do you use paint rounds?"

"Of course! The one covered in bright red paint loses." "That sounds fun. I'm a little jealous." "You can join in once you're transferred! Are you looking forward to it? Feeling confident?"

"Well, I don't know. But I don't want to lose." "Even to Illia?" Cecil quickly asked with no hesitation. Kiyoaki glanced sideways at Illia. "Nobody grips the control stick intending to lose, right?" "Exactly! Illia, see? He doesn't want to lose either."

Cecil acted like a messenger, relaying Kiyoaki’s words back to Illia, even though they were close enough for her to hear. But right now, the real distance seemed to be a matter of their hearts.

Illia remained staring straight ahead, never once looking in Kiyoaki's direction since taking her seat in the co-pilot’s position.

Occasionally, Kiyoaki glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Her profile was doll-like, and though she had a stoic appearance, beneath her pale, porcelain skin, the liveliness of a seventeen-year-old girl simmered beneath the surface. She seemed to be suppressing that vibrancy under an iron mask, which had perfected her unique doll-like beauty.

—She’s beautiful.

The natural thought drifted through Kiyoaki’s mind when suddenly, the "doll" spoke.

"I recognize the name Sakagami."

The air in the cockpit instantly froze. "Do you recognize the name Kreischmidt?" Without shifting her gaze from the front, Illia coldly and calmly posed her question.

It was something Kiyoaki had been thinking about ever since he first heard Illia's surname. Just as she said, the name was familiar.

"Are you talking about Captain Karsten Kreischmidt?" "That’s my father." As expected.

Kiyoaki realized there was a complicated and burdensome connection between himself and Illia.

—This could be trouble.

It was a fleeting thought, but there was no point in avoiding it. It was best to face it head-on, so Kiyoaki, adopting a resigned attitude, revealed the name of his own father.

"Your father dueled my father, Masaharu Sakagami. …This coincidence is almost too much."

"I see."

Illia responded tersely and then fell silent. Cecil looked confused, glancing between the two, before finally understanding what was being discussed.

"W-wait! Sakagami-san, you're Masaharu Sakagami's son!? That's amazing! I mean, he fought Captain Karsten in a duel and… tricked… Oh. Oh no…"

Cecil, initially excited, suddenly trailed off, realizing the gravity of the situation. She had noticed the weight of the connection between the two who now sat next to each other in the cockpit.

After a moment of silence, Illia let out a sigh that sounded more like an exasperated breath.

"…I wonder what the headmaster of Air Hunt was thinking, seating us next to each other like this."

For the first time that day, Illia’s voice conveyed emotion—frustration and anger clearly threaded through her stiff tone.

About twenty years ago—

In the "Multi-Island War" between the St Vault Empire and the Akitsu Federation across the archipelago, two legendary aces emerged on both sides, each with over one hundred confirmed kills.

Captain Karsten Kreischmidt and Flight Sergeant Masaharu Sakagami.

They were known as the "Kings of the Sky," each respected in their respective nations.

But there can only be one king.

Both men had wished to settle the matter of supremacy in a one-on-one duel.

Their wish was granted during the largest aerial battle of the Island War, the "Tsurugi Strait Aerial Battle," involving over 250 planes and airships on both sides.

Their duel was said to have been awe-inspiring.

Even the surrounding forces on both sides, locked in their own skirmishes, had gradually ceased firing, captivated by the technical back-and-forth between the two aces. One pilot, who witnessed the duel, later recalled, "It was less of a dogfight and more of a dance." At that time, the biplanes being flown were far slower than monoplane aircraft, but they excelled in maneuverability. The intricate aerial maneuvers the two performed as they jockeyed for position were indeed reminiscent of a dance.

However, the climax of this "dance" was anything but beautiful.

"What did Sergeant Sakagami tell you about their duel? I want to know."

Illia's words pierced through Kiyoaki like a sharp blade. She still refused to look at him, but Kiyoaki, in all sincerity, addressed her profile.

"…He didn’t talk about it much. But believe me, my father respected Captain Karsten."

That much was true. Even without hearing it from his father, Kiyoaki had heard the stories from fellow pilots who had visited his father’s home. To Masaharu, Karsten wasn’t just an enemy to be shot down, but a respected rival. Though they never exchanged words, Masaharu felt a deep connection and respect for the enemy ace who shared his devotion to the sky.

However, Illia responded with a cold, mocking laugh.

"And his gift to this respected pilot was a cowardly ambush?" Of course, it came to this. It was expected. Kiyoaki prepared to counter her claim.

"It wasn’t an ambush. My father intended to settle it with a fair duel until the very end."

"But your father's comrades intervened. At that point, it ceased to be a one-on- one duel. It became an ambush."

"That's… but…"

"My father lost his right arm. He can no longer fly. He staked his pride and honor on that duel, only to be betrayed by Masaharu's treachery. How can you claim respect with a straight face?"

Kiyoaki clenched his teeth, swallowing his words as he stared at Illia’s profile. She still refused to meet his gaze.

"Uh, um, you two… You’re supposed to be partners, so you shouldn’t be fighting…"

Cecil interjected nervously, trying to mediate. Kiyoaki hesitated, unsure if he should continue speaking.

Illia had every right to be angry. But the version of events she had been told didn’t match the one Kiyoaki had heard.

From everything Kiyoaki knew, his father Masaharu was not the type of man capable of pulling off a deceptive ambush. If anything, Masaharu’s awkwardness as a person made him the embodiment of sincerity. This was the same man who had left his own family behind to act as a decoy for another child. There was no way he was capable of something dishonorable like that. If anyone knew this, it was his son.

"It wasn’t an ambush. My father won fairly and squarely against Captain Karsten."

The words escaped Kiyoaki’s mouth, propelled by conviction, before his rational mind could stop them.

"So you’re a shameless liar, just like your father."

"That’s not true. It’s true that there was an intervention. But the duel had already been decided by then. The one who intervened Pilot Haruhiko Ougidani told me the story. Though it may not be what you want to hear, do you still want to know?"

"I don't mind."

"Right before the duel ended, Captain Karsten was closing in on my father, chasing him down. As the altitude dropped and Karsten closed the gap to firing

range, my father suddenly pitched his plane vertically. Normally, this maneuver would result in a stall and crash. At that moment, Ougidani sensed danger and rushed into the battle zone. Up until this point, are you following?"

"Yes. Masaharu stalled out, leaving the battle zone, and my father was shot down by Ougidani."

"That’s not true. Ougidani didn’t fire a shot. My father is the one who shot down Captain Karsten. My father pulled a 'Snake Shot,' a maneuver where you stall your plane and let the pursuing enemy overshoot, positioning yourself behind them for a clean shot. That’s how he took down Captain Karsten."

"……………………"

"Ougidani’s intervention didn’t affect the outcome of the duel. Captain Karsten failed to counter the 'Snake Shot' and was defeated by my father. That’s the version I heard from Ougidani."

Illia sat in silence, glaring ahead at the open sky.

Thin clouds passed by, crashing and dissipating against the windscreen. Through breaks in the clouds, the formidable fleet of friendly ships sailed beneath them. The formation of the airship squadron was flawless as they made steady progress. Yet, the atmosphere in the cockpit had become tenser and heavier.

After a long, oppressive silence, Illia finally spoke.

"So your father supposedly used the 'Snake Shot.' I find it hard to believe that a technique like that could be successfully performed in actual combat."

"My father could. Though I’ve never witnessed it myself, his fellow pilots have testified to it. He had mastered controlling the plane, even in a stall."

"There have been St Vault pilots who attempted the 'Snake Shot.' However, every attempt has ended in failure—either the plane broke apart mid-maneuver, the pilot blacked out from the sudden deceleration, or the plane spiraled into a deadly spin… No one has ever succeeded. It’s regarded as more fiction than fact. And yet you claim your father accomplished it in battle?"

"Yes."

"How childish of you to spout such nonsense without shame. The 'Snake Shot' is a fantasy. Your side probably fabricated that story to cover up the dishonorable tactics they used. Our records clearly state that Captain Karsten was shot down by Ougidani’s plane from the side."

"…I have no way to refute that. From my perspective, though, your side's records sound like the fantasy."

"…I used to think Akitsu Federation soldiers valued honor and dignity like samurai. But I’m disappointed. To resort to cheap tricks and fabrications, disguising it as a victory—how shallow."

"Are you calling my father a liar?" "You insulted my father first." "That's enough." Suddenly, a sharp voice interrupted from behind. Murasaki Kagura had silently appeared at the back of the cockpit. Engrossed in their argument, neither Illia nor Kiyoaki had noticed her presence.

"I’ve overheard the situation. If the Air Hunt headmaster knew about the

connection between you two and still placed you side by side in the cockpit, then there must be some deeper intention behind it. Let's reach our destination and ask him directly."

"…………"

"Until then, let’s put this quarrel on hold. You may both have things you can't compromise on, but at least during this journey, you need to leave the past behind. Not only for yourselves but also for the other five pairs on this airship. Am I clear?"

"…Yes."

"…I understand." Kagura smiled softly. "It’s difficult, but I believe you can do it, Kiyoaki-kun, Illia-san." "Yes." Both Kiyoaki and Illia responded in unison. The unresolved tension still simmered in their chests, but Kagura was right. To fly this massive airship safely, they had to set aside their personal feelings and focus on the mission.

Kiyoaki sent a glance toward Illia. It seemed that the "doll" had once again retreated behind her thick wall of ice. The brief glimpse of emotion she had shown earlier was now gone. But one thing was clear—she now hated him. He gripped the controls, pushing aside his frustrations at being seated next to a rival under such contrived circumstances, and concentrated on the sky ahead.

As the Crown Princess of the Sylvanian royal family gazed out at the endless blue sky through the expansive glass windows of the Eriadore airship, she felt pure joy.

Defying her adoptive parents’ opposition, she had concealed his royal status and enrolled in the officer academy, earning outstanding grades and securing a spot on this journey. She felt a sense of pride knowing that she was here not by virtue of his birthright, but by her own abilities.

If her adoptive mother knew, she would surely scold her. But at this moment, she wanted to forget all the tiresome obligations and just keep flying, leaving everything behind.

However, to enjoy her life at the academy, it was crucial that her identity remained a secret. No matter how close someone was to her, even among her trusted friends, revealing her royal lineage would destroy any chance of living a normal life. Naturally, people seeking to restore the monarchy would try to approach her. But that was the last thing she wanted. All she wished for now was to fully enjoy his time at the academy with someone important to her.

That’s right.

It was because that special person had joined the academy that she had made the same decision. To be paired with them on this airship journey was the greatest happiness he could have asked for.

She prayed that this two-night, three-day journey would never end.

As she carried out her duties aboard the ship, the Crown Princess hoped silently for time to stretch on forever.

Exhausting. Tedious. Why do I have to be involved in something like this?

As "Hachidori," a special operative for Uranos, looked out at the sky beyond the aircraft’s organic glass, these complaints ran on a constant loop in their mind.

The tasks themselves were simple, things that could be done without much effort. Compared to the training Hachidori had undergone up to this point, the officer academy's curriculum was child’s play. Hachidori could complete these assignments with their eyes closed.

But being a covert agent meant that letting anyone catch on was not an option. That’s why it was necessary to hold back deliberately. Yet, holding back too much would make Hachidori look like a subpar student, and it would be impossible to climb up the ranks of the military after graduation.

Therefore, they had to appear reasonably competent. Striking that balance was incredibly tricky. They couldn't afford to stand out, nor could they afford to fade into obscurity. This balancing act was what made the whole ordeal feel like an unbearable chore.

Even though the six people paired with Hachidori were supposedly exceptional for students, to Hachidori, they were like acorns—none of them stood out. Their sluggishness and inaccuracy during tasks made Hachidori want to kick them in frustration. But Hachidori held back that urge, performing the ship's duties at a level that wouldn’t draw attention while matching the group's pace.

Patience, they reminded themselves.

Even now, Hachidori’s mother was probably sitting alone in that dilapidated house.

The sooner Hachidori completed this mission, the sooner they could secure wealth and status and get their mother the treatment she desperately needed.

For that goal, any hardship was worth enduring. Compared to the life-or-death training they had been through, the current situation was nothing. Hachidori focused solely on completing the mission assigned by Uranos Intelligence, keeping their true intentions hidden from their traveling companions and maintaining a surface-level friendship.

Watching the carefree students around them only made Hachidori feel a deeper sense of emptiness. But they continued to sternly discipline themselves, keeping their mind on the mission.

Part 2 (Part 6 of Volume 1)

Two hours after the argument with Illia.

“Whew... I'm exhausted. This place is so relaxing.”

Kiyoaki sat down near the nose gunner's position, eating a sandwich and some cheese from the in-flight meal. The nose of the Eriadore airship was equipped with a powered turret housing a 15mm machine gun. Mio sat in the gunner’s seat, glancing at the notes where she recorded the wind direction, speed, and drift measurements, while looking through the hemispherical glass canopy.

"You’re already burning out, huh? We’ve still got a long way to go." "Yeah... a lot happened." "Oh, with Murasaki?"

Mio’s voice, though casual, was a little tense. Kiyoaki looked puzzled. "Why would Kagura come up? No, it was with Illia, just a little..." "Oh. About the piloting?" "Well... yeah, mostly that."

Kiyoaki dodged the question, not wanting to go into detail. There would be time for explanations later. Right now, Illia was handling the piloting, giving Kiyoaki a chance to rest. He had left the tense atmosphere of the cockpit to relax with Mio and munch on an egg sandwich.

"You’ve got it good, Mio. Having all this space to yourself."

This area was located down the stairs from the cockpit, at the tip of the airship's nose. It was sectioned off from the fuselage by a bulkhead and was spacious enough for two people to sleep in. The cockpit, which held up to five people, was always tense, especially with Captain Balthazar keeping an eye on everyone.

"I'm not just lounging around, you know. Being a recon officer means constant measurements. It’s hard work."

"But it’s formation flying, so you won’t get lost. The flagship is doing the navigation; we just have to follow."

"That’s true, but once today’s route is over, my measurements will be checked. If I mess up, I could fail. I don’t get to relax either."

Mio puffed her cheeks out in a mock display of frustration.

There were hardly any clouds outside, and the bright blue summer sky stretched out ahead of them.

Below, the ocean looked like a solid sheet of plastic, with green ridges breaking through the blue expanse here and there—the islands scattered across the archipelago.

It’s said that the archipelago contains over 4,000 islands, with more than 300 small nations. Some of these are home to heretical cults or even have cannibalistic customs. The officer academy had taught them that if they were ever forced to make an emergency landing on one of these islands, they were to avoid contact with the locals as much as possible and immediately send out a distress signal.

The Eriadore airship squadron flew at an altitude of 2,000 meters, with the fleet of airships below them, flying in two vertical columns at 1,000 meters. From the way the airship moved, it was clear that Illia’s piloting was excellent. Despite the crosswind, she kept the plane level, maintaining formation without a hitch. The airship glided smoothly, like a large cruise ship on a calm sea, with no noticeable shaking.

It almost felt as though Illia was showing off her skills to Kiyoaki.

—I want to fight her.

Kiyoaki's instincts whispered this desire to him. He wanted to face Illia in a mock battle someday, to prove that his father wasn’t a liar by winning.

"Kiyoaki, you’re thinking something strange, aren’t you?" Mio’s sudden remark brought him back to reality.

"Not really. I’m not thinking about anything weird."

"Want me to guess? You’re probably thinking about Murasaki-senpai."

Kiyoaki’s mouth hung open. She was completely off base. Mio had been mentioning Kagura repeatedly today, for some reason.

"Hey. Are you misunderstanding something? Kagura may look just like my sister, but I’m not stupid. I’m not going to bring personal feelings into the cockpit."

"Kagura, huh? You’re already calling her by her first name."

"That’s what she asked me to do. And why do I have to listen to you complain about it?"

"I’m not complaining! I’m just pointing out that you’re thinking something perverted, and I wanted to warn you!"

"I’m not! Wait a second, are you oxygen-deprived? What kind of weird stuff are you accusing me of thinking about?"

"Hmph. I don’t care. Just go back to the cockpit. You’re probably eager to go back and work hard for Kagura-senpai, thinking perverted thoughts."

"That makes no sense at all."

As Kiyoaki sat there, bewildered by Mio’s seemingly baseless anger, the door to the bulkhead opened, revealing navigator Reiner Beck, who poked his head in.

"Oh, having a fight? Should I come back later?" Mio looked up. "Oh, Reiner. Did you finish the celestial measurements?" "Yeah, here they are." Mio took the board with Reiner’s celestial navigation results and compared them to her own measurements.

Reiner had calculated the airship's heading based on the sun’s altitude using a sextant, while Mio had determined the drift angle—the angle at which the airship was being pushed off course by the wind. By combining their results with the ship’s speed, they could accurately determine their current position. This method of "dead reckoning" navigation was commonly used when flying over featureless ocean expanses.

"Looks good. That island over there is Karanakta, and the one fading in the distance to the left is Lesnibun. We’re on track."

Mio looked out at the islands beyond the glass, confirming that the airship's calculated position was correct. With so many islands in the archipelago, it was a good route for practicing dead reckoning, though visual navigation was also effective due to the abundance of landmarks.

Mio reported the results over the voice tube to Balthazar. After receiving confirmation, Reiner stretched his arms overhead and, with a lazy smile, pulled out his lunch box.

"Sakagami, you're on break, right? Mind if I eat here too? It’s lonely eating by myself."

"Sure, call me Kiyoaki. It must be tough being up in the gunner’s seat. Is it cramped?"

"Cramped is fine, but the sun’s brutal. I’m getting sunburned like crazy."

Reiner sat cross-legged on the floor, pulling a sandwich from his lunch box. As he casually gulped down water from his canteen, he glanced at Mio.

"So, are you two dating?"

He asked, completely offhand.

Mio wobbled in her seat, and Kiyoaki’s face flushed bright red as he stared at Reiner.

"W-w-w-what are you talking about!?" "Huh? Did I ask something weird?" "Of course it’s not true! Why would you say something like that!?" Reiner gave them a puzzled look, then turned back to Mio. To make matters worse, Mio had fallen out of her chair and was now clinging to the base of the seat with both hands, looking flustered.

"W-what? What are you talking about? What did you say just now about me and Kiyoaki!?"

Reiner gaped at their over-the-top reactions for a moment before shrugging.

"...Oh, sorry. I forgot, Akitsu people are shy about that stuff, right? I heard something about how teenage relationships aren’t really allowed?"

"It’s indecent to be with a girl like that before marriage!"

Reiner, taken aback by Kiyoaki’s outburst, looked at him as if he were some kind of strange creature before apologizing.

"My bad. In St Vault, we’re a lot more casual about that sort of thing. Different cultures, I guess. But still, I’d say you’re lucky."

After a moment of thought, Reiner gave a light-hearted laugh and raised his canteen toward Mio.

"Let’s toast, Mio. I thought you two were an item. Here’s to working together from now on."

"What’s with that phrasing!? That’s really annoying!"

"Come on, we’re fellow recon officers. If we don’t work together, this ship will lose its way. So, let’s cooperate closely from here on out."

Mio turned her head away, her chin raised in defiance.

"I don’t care! I hate vulgar jokes. I thought people from St Vault were supposed to be gentlemen, but clearly, you’re not."

"Well, um, the standards are different. In St Vault, it’s actually rude not to flirt with a beautiful woman right in front of you. So, Kiyoaki, from now on, you’re my rival. I’m not losing to you."

Reiner, speaking nonsense, extended his hand for a handshake. Though bewildered, Kiyoaki accepted the handshake.

"You’re a strange one, Reiner."

Reiner smiled brightly at Kiyoaki's comment.

"Really? To me, you guys seem like the strange ones."

"...Not everyone in St Vault is that vulgar, right? It’s just Reiner, right? I’m starting to feel nervous about transferring to Air Hunt..."

Mio asked with concern, just as Cecil came down the stairs from the cockpit. "Um, can I take a break here too? Everyone seems to be having so much fun." Holding her lunchbox carefully in both hands, she beamed with an open, cheerful smile. Reiner quickly matched her mood.

"Sure, go ahead and sit anywhere."

"Thanks! It’s nice to eat together with everyone."

Cecil plopped down next to Kiyoaki with a carefree laugh and immediately bit into her sandwich. Kiyoaki, Mio, and Reiner were all third-year students, while Cecil was one year below them. Despite being the youngest, she easily slipped into the group without hesitation.

Between bites of her sandwich, Cecil grinned mischievously.

"Reiner, you’ve already said something weird to Mio-san, haven’t you?" "Nah, I didn’t say anything." Mio and Kiyoaki both jumped up, shouting in unison. "You totally did!" "He did!" "Of course, you did. I can tell from the way Mio-san is looking at you. Reiner has this illness where he flirts with everyone. He even tried it with Illia and got kicked in the face."

"Yeah, that was a hard hit. Didn’t even see it coming. One second, I was flirting, and the next, everything went black. I woke up in the infirmary."

"He’s reckless. He just flirts with everyone without thinking, and it’s so ridiculous."

"And what about you, Cecil? Did he try it with you too?"

"On our first meeting, yeah. I messed up his hair until he shut up." Kiyoaki glanced over at Reiner, baffled. "That’s impressive. It’s really like a reflex for you, huh?" "Well, not flirting with everyone would be rude." "Please stop. I’m begging you." "Please, stop it forever." "…Wait, you didn’t say anything like that to Murasaki-senpai, did you?"

"Not yet. I’m waiting for a moment when we’re alone. I might get killed, but it’d be rude not to try."

"Don’t do it!" "Stop it now!" "Please, just don’t!"

"…Yeah, you’re right. I know. She’s intense—she even carries a sword. She’s definitely the type to cut me down if I piss her off."

"If you know that, why even try…"

"I don’t know. Life’s short. Gotta have fun. And every once in a while, you might get lucky. You know what I mean, right? Those rare moments where everything just works out. Come on, as a fellow guy, you get it, don’t you?"

Reiner grinned, looking for agreement, but Kiyoaki only stared back with a deadpan expression, unwilling to nod. Mio, now visibly disgusted, crossed her arms defensively and asked Cecil.

"Hey, is everyone like this at Air Hunt? Because now I’m seriously scared."

"N-no! He’s just an extreme case! There are some people like him, but they’re really rare! Most students are serious and decent!"

"That’s a relief. You seem pretty normal, Cecil-chan. I’d love to hear more about Air Hunt—it’d be great to know what to expect before we transfer."

"Of course! Call me Cecil! Air Hunt is really strict, but there’s time to unwind too, and both the guys and girls work really hard together…"

Cecil animatedly described life at St Vault’s most prestigious officer academy, using lots of gestures.

Kiyoaki and Mio, curious about the academy they were soon transferring to, listened intently and occasionally asked questions.

The most intriguing part was the details about the aviation department’s training. Compared to Kainan, where they currently studied, Air Hunt dedicated much more time to flight training, to the point where occasional tragic accidents occurred due to the intensity. Kiyoaki couldn’t help but feel a thrill of nervous excitement.

"I’m looking forward to it. I heard Illia is the top ace in the mock battles?"

"Yes! Illia is absolutely unbeatable. I’ve been in the same school as her since we were in the Gymnasium (a school for students aged seven to fourteen), and she’s never lost a single aerial combat."

"I see. So, she really is that strong. I want to challenge her, soon."

Kiyoaki looked up toward the cockpit, his face serious. Not knowing what had transpired earlier, Reiner and Mio asked him.

"You want to face Illia in a mock battle?"

"You’re more competitive than I thought. I figured you were a bit more laid- back."

Kiyoaki briefly explained the complicated connection between their fathers before adding more.

"Illia’s skills are amazing. She’s at a level where she could go straight into real combat. Have you noticed? Even with the four of us down here, the ship has remained perfectly stable."

"Now that you mention it…"

Mio glanced out the window and confirmed that the horizon was still level with the aircraft.

An airship requires balance to stay aloft. In a fixed-seating aircraft, maintaining balance after takeoff is all that’s needed, but in a large ship like the Eriador, where people can move around inside, the pilot has to adjust for any shift in weight by controlling the yoke. With four people gathered at the nose, it wouldn’t be surprising if the airship dipped forward, but Illia had adjusted the balance so smoothly that no one had even noticed.

"Her skills are incredible. But still, I don’t want to lose. I’ve got to give it my all at Air Hunt…"

Kiyoaki muttered this to himself. Beside him, Reiner stretched lazily.

"All that passion’s great, but you need to take it easy sometimes. Training every day is tough. At Air Hunt, the motto is 'Work hard, play hard.' I’m sure Illia’s strong because of all the effort she puts in, but is she even having any fun?" Annoyed by Reiner’s comment, Cecil puffed out her cheeks in protest. "Illia works hard because she wants to make her father proud! He can’t fly anymore, so she’s studying planes all the time instead of going out and having fun. She’s really admirable. So… oh."

Noticing the stiff look on Kiyoaki’s face, Cecil quickly stopped talking. Even though the details varied, it was still a fact that Illia’s father could no longer fly because of the duel with Kiyoaki’s father.

"It’s fine. I understand. Still… I don’t want to lose. Up there, I absolutely can’t afford to."

If he couldn’t handle this, the dream of defeating Uranos would remain just that —a dream. Just as Illia had a dream passed down from her father, Kiyoaki had a goal born from overcoming the death of his family. If their two ambitions were fated to clash one day, he would face it head-on.

"You’re intense, man. I feel like the temperature in here just went up by a few degrees. Hey, Mio, let’s talk about something more fun."

"No, thank you. I refuse. But, Cecil, I do want to know more about daily life. I get the course content, but what about life in the dorms?"

"Oh, right! Air Hunt has a huge dormitory big enough to fit four stadiums inside it, with around a thousand cadets living there..."

Cecil enthusiastically explained about "Big Mother," the famous dormitory at Air Hunt Officer Academy. The building complex, a maze-like structure, housed students who lived under strict rules but still found ways to enjoy their daily lives.

"There's a five-story building called the student hall, and it has rooms for all the different club activities. Each squad also has its own officer's room, like a break room. After finishing homework, everyone gathers in the officer's room to play games and have fun. There’s even a kitchen where you can make simple snacks at night!"

Mio sighed enviously.

"That’s completely different from Kainan. Everything there was strict. No clubs, no officer’s rooms, and lights out was at 9:30 p.m. It was way too early..."

"Really? At Air Hunt, lights out is at 11 p.m., but you can still use the officer’s room afterward. Oh, and there’s this weird thing that happens sometimes—if you go to the student hall early in the morning, you might find

these super cute donuts, but no one knows who makes them! I got to eat one once, and they were so adorable and delicious! The donuts have little bear or rabbit designs drawn with chocolate chips. We call them ‘Mystery Fairy Donuts,’ but nobody’s ever seen who makes them. People say it’s the work of fairies, but they’re so tasty! I hope you get to try one, Sakagami-san!"

"Sounds fun, I’ll look forward to it. But wow, that’s amazing. At Kainan, the idea of students cooking late-night snacks in the dorms is unthinkable. If you got caught, you’d get slapped across the face, or worse, smacked with a bat."

"They do that?! I can’t believe it! Don’t worry, there’s no corporal punishment at Air Hunt. But if your grades slip, you might fail or even get expelled, so be careful..."

Kiyoaki had already been warned about this. At Kainan Officer Academy, any infractions of the internal rules would earn you a slap or a punch. At Air Hunt, instead of physical punishment, you’d get a verbal warning, but your individual grades would be impacted. If you fell below a certain score, you’d be expelled without any chance to explain—so in a way, the academy was even stricter than Kainan.

Reiner, yawning, chimed in.

"Well, as long as you hit the key points and do things halfway decently, it’ll be fine. There’s no need to get all worked up over training—it’s not like there’ll be a big difference in the end. After graduation, I’ll just join the military, fly for five years, and then retire to work as a civIllian airline pilot. That’s my life plan. Ugh, I’m getting sleepy after eating..."

"Well, some people like Reiner are like that," Cecil said, "but don’t get the wrong idea, Sakagami-san, Mio-san. Most of the students here are really serious about becoming military officers..."

Cecil was trying to clarify when suddenly, the ship's alarm blared. The harsh, mechanical sound shattered the atmosphere, instantly putting everyone on edge.

Over the voice tube, Kagura's tense voice came through.

"Enemy scouts have spotted the Uranos fleet. A fleet-to-fleet engagement is possible. Everyone, man your stations."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Kiyoaki felt his hair stand on end. They had been warned before departure that this kind of situation could happen, but he hadn’t really believed it would.

"I have to go! Mio, stay safe!" "You too! Good luck, everyone!" With Mio’s words at his back, Kiyoaki climbed the ladder, following Cecil and Reiner into the cockpit.

Balthazar was at the radio, Kagura stood nearby watching the horizon, and Illia was silently gripping the control stick, her expression unchanged. Reiner climbed up to the top gunner’s seat, Kiyoaki slid into the co-pilot’s seat, and Cecil powered on the radar. Only the friendly fleet showed up on the screen. Balthazar grabbed the voice tube and relayed the situation to everyone.

"Message from the flagship Dioclaus: The Uranos fleet is advancing from the southeast, likely heading for Tsurugi Island. Their forces include three regular carriers, six heavy cruisers, twelve light cruisers, fourteen destroyers, and several transport ships. All vessels are deployed on the water, forming a circular formation around the carriers and transport ships."

The sheer scale of the enemy fleet caused the air inside the airship to freeze.

It was clear that this was a major offensive force, aimed at taking Tsurugi Island.

A fleet of this size wouldn’t have mobilized without a carefully planned operation. Kiyoaki couldn’t believe their destination for the night had ended up being the enemy’s target.

"This is way too convenient for our goodwill fleet to just stumble upon an invasion force. Our military command must have known the Uranos fleet would attack today. The high command is probably cheering right now, hoping we’ll all die here."

Balthazar grumbled, and Cecil read out another message.

"Message from the Uranos fleet: You are violating Hydrabard territorial waters. Change course immediately. Failure to comply will result in defensive action."

As if conversing directly with the Uranos fleet commander, Balthazar scoffed.

"There’s no such thing as international waters or territorial seas in the southern seas. It’s a patchwork of claims by multiple nations. Naturally, our goodwill fleet claims to be within Akitsu Federation waters. This is just a prelude to a fight, and we all know how it’s going to end."

Muttering to himself, Balthazar grabbed the voice tube to warn Mio and Reiner in the nose and upper gunner positions.

"Battle is highly likely. Stay alert, and load the machine guns." Suddenly, Cecil shouted. "Uranos fleet has declared defensive action! Message from the flagship Dioclaus: All personnel, battle stations!"

In that instant, it felt like an electric shock ran through the airship. Kiyoaki realized he was witnessing a pivotal moment in history. A battle was about to begin between Uranos and St Vault.

This moment had been coming ever since the war between the Akitsu Federation and the Hydrabard Union began nearly five and a half years ago, in January of 1342.

It was a costly, prolonged war, with neither side able to capture key island fortifications, and it had dragged on into a stalemate.

St Vault had been searching for an excuse to join the war, and if the goodwill fleet were annihilated by Uranos here, it would have the perfect justification.

It was a bit complicated, but while St Vault and the Akitsu Federation were fighting the Hydrabard Union, the air force they were up against was Uranos. The Hydrabard Union had hired Uranos as mercenaries for its air force.

Since the start of the war, the Hydrabard Union had relied on Uranos to supplement its weak military capabilities. In return, Uranos gained political leverage, trade benefits, and hefty rewards. Whenever there was war in the archipelago, Uranos was always there. Its air force was so powerful that even St Vault and the Akitsu Federation had to join forces to oppose it.

That’s why a battle would inevitably happen here today.

For Uranos, war was a business. The more nations fought, the better it was for them. Attacking the goodwill fleet under the pretext of "protecting operational secrecy" was a minor concern for them. As long as they could drag the Hydrabard Union further into the quagmire of war and secure more funding, Uranos was content.

"Message from the lead ship: Lower altitude to 300 meters. Close formation. Do not pursue the enemy. Only engage approaching aircraft!"

With the order given, the Eriadore airship squadron gradually descended to 300 meters and leveled off. Because the airships didn’t have bottom gun turrets, they lowered their altitude to minimize vulnerability from below.

Illia manipulated the triple rudders. Kiyoaki’s role during air combat was to manage the throttle. There were four throttles suspended from the ceiling, each connected to one of the four engines. Kiyoaki placed his right hand on one of them.

"Increasing speed to 310 kilometers."

He called out to Illia as he adjusted the throttle.

Meanwhile, the fleet also descended and began landing on the water.

The impact of the over 20,000-ton steel behemoths hitting the surface churned the once calm sea into a stormy mess. While flying was faster during an advance, in an air battle, the benefits of staying in the air diminished. The entire goodwill fleet landed, forming a protective ring around the escort carriers and transport ships, with heavy cruisers and destroyers flanking them in two columns.

From the flagship escort carrier Dioclaus, thirty Beowulf R4R fighter planes took off. These were tasked with direct escort.

The roar of their engines filled the air as the Beowulfs, which resembled giant hornets, circled the goodwill fleet. The enemy fleet had three regular carriers, meaning they could likely launch over sixty fighter planes and nearly 120 bombers and torpedo bombers. Thirty Beowulfs wouldn’t be enough to hold them off.

Ahead of the cockpit, the Eriadore airship squadron maintained perfect formation. Although airships were faster than the fleet, they circled around the fleet in a two-column formation to ensure they wouldn’t stray from the protection of the fighter screen as they awaited the enemy attack.

"The ship’s radar has detected enemy aircraft! Approximately two hundred planes are heading our way from the Karanaqta area! Estimated time to contact: seven minutes!"

Cecil’s panicked voice echoed through the cockpit. All they could do was brace themselves for the first wave of the enemy assault.

Balthazar grabbed the voice tube.

"I’ll man the tail gun turret. First Officer, you take the left-side gun. Cecil, take the right. Illia, stay on the triple rudder, and Sakagami, manage the throttle. If necessary, Illia, hand over one of the rudders to Sakagami. Reiner, Mio, stay in position. As you know, this is not a drill. One mistake could cost us all our lives. Stay sharp."

Leaving those words behind, Balthazar headed toward the rear of the ship. Cecil picked up the telegraph and hurried to the right-side gun, while Kagura moved to the left-side gun. With all five gun turrets manned, the Eriadore airship was ready to lay down a deadly barrage of tracer fire if the battle began, turning

the sky into a web of fiery streaks.

Only Kiyoaki and Illia remained in the cockpit. " " Even in the face of such an extreme situation, Illia said nothing. She didn’t even change her expression. Kiyoaki sat next to her, checked the instrument panel, and tried to start a conversation.

"…Have you ever flown in a real battle?"

Illia stared straight ahead and answered shortly. "No." "…I see. Well, you’re still a student. But you’re really calm. That’s impressive."

Illia didn’t reply. She continued to scan the visible horizon, her eyes sharp and focused. The cockpit only allowed them to see forward. Anything behind them had to be reported by the gunners, relayed via the voice tube from Balthazar.

Kiyoaki couldn’t keep his composure as well as Illia. The thought of what was about to happen filled him with dread, and despite his efforts to stay calm, fear gnawed at him. From the perspective of the enemy fighter planes, this lumbering airship must look like a slow-moving seal, easy prey for wolves. If they were surrounded and hunted down, the skills of a student pilot wouldn’t be enough to escape.

──I don’t want to die here.

More and more, this massive airship felt like a giant coffin. Even though they were flying at a low altitude of 300 meters, it felt hard to breathe, as if the oxygen was thinning.

The time was 16:30. The afternoon summer sun had now been filtered by a growing layer of clouds over the ocean. The sky and sea were cloaked in a dull, silvery- gray curtain.

"They’re coming."

Illia's calm voice cut through the tense atmosphere.

Kiyoaki strained his eyes to see through the canopy. The sky was filled with layers of thin clouds, hazy and difficult to see through. However, Kiyoaki spotted them too.

"Fighter planes... Are those Type 3 Idras?"

Far above, at around 4,500 meters, there was a group of glimmering dots silhouetted against the sun. The long, slightly curved wings marked them as the Uranos fleet’s mainstay single-seater fighters, the Idra series. Kiyoaki had been trained at the academy to recognize enemy aircraft types, and that training was now paying off.

The Type 3 Idras were approaching without hesitation. There were ten three-plane formations. But the number was much smaller than expected for the main force.

"That can't be all of them. There must be another group coming from a different direction."

As if in response to Kiyoaki’s concern, the thirty Beowulf fighters guarding the goodwill fleet split into two groups. Fifteen remained to guard the fleet, while

the other fifteen charged directly at the approaching Idras.

──The battle is about to begin.

Kiyoaki leaned forward, straining his eyes to watch the airspace ahead. Suddenly, a deep rumble shook the airship beneath his feet. A flash of explosion red light stained the corner of the canopy. "They're firing!" Two of the goodwill fleet’s heavy cruisers had fired their 20 cm main guns at the Idra formation. After an eerie two-second delay, the time fuses on the shells detonated just in front of the Idra formation. Hundreds of small shrapnel fragments sprayed into the air.

Instantly, the battlefield bloomed with plumes of smoke. A fiery red mesh spread across the summer sky, like the net of death itself.

Caught in the deadly web, several Idras fell from the sky, trailing long flames. Their blue-violet tails of fire marked the moment St Vault stepped irreversibly into the war.

"They’re coming this way."

Illia’s voice was chillingly calm. The more tense the situation became, the colder and more composed she seemed to grow. Sitting beside her, Kiyoaki watched the clouds of smoke slowly consume the sky.

The Idra formations showed no signs of retreat. If anything, they seemed to relish the fight. Ignoring their fallen comrades, they pressed forward, weaving through the shrapnel bursts.

The Beowulf fighters also charged toward the Idras. The two groups hurtled toward each other at combat speed, preparing to engage head-on.

Like the heavy cavalry of the ancient St Vault knight orders, the fifteen Beowulfs formed a single lance, piercing through the Idra formation.

Flames burst forth.

Shattered planes rained silver debris from the sky.

Weaving through the blossoming explosions, the Beowulfs and Idras twisted and turned, trying to outmaneuver each other.

Vertical and horizontal spirals wove through the air, layer upon layer.

The vapor trails from their wingtips carved intricate patterns across the summer sky as the two groups of beasts tangled, biting and clawing at each other in a deadly dance.

These warriors had spent at least 500 hours, some over 1,000, honing their skills to perfection, and now they clashed head-on, only to have their lives snuffed out in an instant. All the immense effort that had gone into building and refining these planes was quickly reduced to wreckage, falling to the ocean below in columns of water before being swallowed by the sea’s depths.

"…………!!"

The aerial battle was about 2,000 meters away from Kiyoaki’s position, so the planes were little more than specks, but the sight still sent shivers down his spine.

──This is real air combat…!

The reality of it was completely different from the training at the officer academy.

The planes were so close that their wings nearly touched, twisting and turning like animals, trying to outmaneuver and shoot each other in a deadly ballet. Just getting an enemy plane into your sights must have been incredibly difficult. To actually shoot one down with fixed machine guns seemed almost like an act of god.

The battle was evenly matched, but the enemy wasn’t just coming from one direction. A report from Balthazar in the tail gun turret came over the voice tube.

"Enemy fighters approaching from 160 degrees, left upper quadrant."

The cockpit’s view was zero degrees forward, and 180 degrees at the tail. The enemy was approaching from the left-rear upper direction.

The cockpit had no view behind, so they had to rely entirely on the gunners for rear visibility. Glancing at the goodwill fleet, Kiyoaki saw the remaining fifteen Beowulfs racing toward the direction Balthazar had mentioned. The fleet’s overhead protection was now wide open.

"There are too many of them…"

Kiyoaki muttered his unease. He had known from the start that Uranos had the advantage, but seeing the battle unfold made it all too clear.

Suddenly, Illia pointed toward the sky ahead and said quietly. "That part of the sky looks… murky." "…What?"

"Doesn’t the sky look darker there? Or is it just my imagination?"

Kiyoaki looked in the direction she pointed. It was the same hazy silver-gray clouds as before, nothing unusual.

"Murky? The sky?"

"…Yes. That’s how it looks to me."

For the first time, Illia spoke with uncertainty. Until now, she had been responding mechanically, almost inhumanly, but now there was a hint of doubt creeping into her voice.

"……………………"

Kiyoaki looked again in the direction she had indicated.

He remembered something his father, the legendary ace Masaharu, had once told him. True aces could sense the presence of enemy aircraft not with their eyes but with something beyond the five senses.

Could this "murkiness" Illia mentioned be her way of sensing the approach of an enemy squadron, a premonition only she could feel?

──The blood of Captain Karsten.

Illia had inherited the blood of the man once known as the "King of the Skies."

Could that blood be whispering to her, revealing the direction of the enemy's advance?

"…………!"

His thoughts were interrupted. "Of course...!" Illia, too, couldn't hide the slight excitement in her voice.

Breaking through the "murkiness," silver-gray spears descended straight from the sky.

It wasn't just one; two, three followed, diving down at a sixty-degree angle in quick succession.

These were Uranos dive bombers, "Aktaion."

Accompanied by the eerie screech of air brakes, the silver gleam of the 500- kilogram bombs strapped to their bellies reflected in Kiyoaki's eyes. Ahead of the Aktaion bombers lay the allied fleet, arranged in two columns.

"The Beowulfs are gone!"

A scream of panic escaped him. The cunning ambush had targeted the moment when all the cover fighters had been deployed.

At 500 meters altitude, the merciless bombs detached from the Aktaions' bellies.

The planes transitioned from a steep dive to a sharp pull-up in a display of exceptional skill, true to Uranos' reputation as masters of aerial combat. The dropped 500-kilogram bombs traced a pre-laid path through the air as if following a rail, heading straight for the lead heavy cruiser.

The 170-meter-long ship shuddered violently before a brilliant blaze ignited at the base of the bridge. Moments later, a thunderous explosion rippled across the sea, and the flames surged even higher.

Two, three more bombers followed the same bombing path, relentlessly attacking the heavy cruiser. The anti-aircraft guns in the two-column formation finally began to fire, but it was too late.

Without mercy, the second and third waves of fiery spears pierced through the heavy cruiser.

Like sheep targeted by a pack of wild dogs, the heavy cruiser spewed flames like blood, staggering as it tried to flee. But with its bridge—its eyes, ears, and mouth—severely damaged, the ship's fate was sealed.

The ship tilted perilously to one side, beyond repair, and crew members engaged in firefighting efforts plunged into the sea. With its combat capabilities crippled, the Aktaion squadron shifted its focus to the next heavy cruiser in line.

Anti-aircraft fire from the now fully-engaged allied fleet rained down in a desperate counterattack.

But the Aktaions were undeterred. Instead, they seemed to revel in the battle, weaving through the thousands of fiery lines and unleashing more fiery spears at their targets.

Their steep dives tore through the summer sky, aiming for a guaranteed hit.

Some dive paths were cut short, with bombers spiraling helplessly into the sea, creating water columns. Others turned into fireballs, scattering fragments of metal that glittered as they exploded into large blossoms of fiery explosions. The lucky ones completed a perfect V-shaped maneuver, rising sharply at 500 meters, while below, the ships shuddered as pillars of flames erupted.

The battlefield was quickly engulfed in fire and smoke. Hundreds of lives were being claimed in the midst of the hellish inferno on the ocean's surface.

"This is hopeless! We have to go and support them...!"

"What can an airship do in an air battle? We're barely capable of protecting ourselves. We should focus on retreating rather than providing support."

Illia glanced at the squadron leader. Airships excelled in long-range transport and reconnaissance, and if they got caught up in an air battle, retreating would be the sensible choice. But the squadron leader had chosen to stay and fight. They couldn't abandon their already outnumbered allies.

"Are we really going to fight with this little firepower...?"

Illia's frustration was clear. Kiyoaki scanned their surroundings. The enemy planes were completely engaged with the allied fleet and the Beowulf fighters, paying no attention to the Eriadore airship squadron.

"The battle isn't over yet. Our allies are still fighting. We can't just run away on our own."

"The outcome was decided the moment we engaged. We’re just sacrificial pawns for St Vault’s entry into the war. If we’re all wiped out here, the military command will celebrate and turn us into martyrs. Is that what all our training has been for?"

Illia's voice rose in anger, her long-suppressed frustration spilling out. Kiyoaki couldn't respond.

"Are you satisfied dying here? Didn't you inherit Sergeant Sakagami’s will? Is dying for the military's agenda really your role?"

"Even if you say that... what can we do in this situation?! What are we supposed to do!?"

"Survive. Our mission is to live and fight another day!"

At that moment, Kagura’s voice came through the voice tube from the left gun turret.

"The Beowulfs are down to three planes. The remaining Idras are looking for targets. They'll definitely come our way. Stick close to the formation and focus our firepower. Stay calm."

Her calm voice eased the tension in the cockpit slightly, though the situation continued to worsen by the second.

Illia let out a long breath, calming herself. She gripped the control stick firmly, regaining her composure.

"...I lost my temper. Let's follow the deputy's advice and rely on the squadron's firepower for now."

"Yeah, you're right. We need to maintain formation as best we can... Wait, we’re losing speed."

Kiyoaki adjusted the throttle while glancing at Illia. Her usual doll-like

beauty remained intact, though a faint redness lingered on her cheeks and ears. It was understandable—this was Illia's first real combat experience. No matter how composed she appeared, there was no way she wasn’t afraid.

──No matter how talented she is, she's still a seventeen-year-old girl.

Kiyoaki steeled himself. They couldn’t die here, not when they were so young and inexperienced. They had to survive and turn this experience into something valuable.

"About ten Idras are coming our way. Gunners, wait until the allied planes start firing. Don't act prematurely. If they see you're inexperienced, they'll target the weak ones first."

Balthazar's calm voice echoed through the airship. Despite the tense situation, he remained as composed as ever. It was no wonder he had been chosen to represent the Air Hunt Academy as the captain.

Kiyoaki looked out at the sky. The Idra squadron that had just driven off the Beowulfs was now charging straight toward them.

Gritting his teeth, Kiyoaki gripped the throttle tightly. His hands were already slick with sweat. He glanced at the instrument panel. All he could do now was adjust the speed and keep an eye on both the sky and the instruments, ready to alert Illia to any issues.

"Message from the lead plane! Maintain speed and altitude. Do not break formation. Wait for the signal to open fire!"

Cecil’s voice came over the voice tube, clear and steady.

──The enemy fighters are coming to take us down.

Kiyoaki strained his eyes, looking out through the windscreen.

The enemy planes were approaching from the left front, slightly above them.

Their speed was incredible. It was hard to feel a sense of speed when flying in the air, but the approaching enemy planes made it unmistakable. What had once been tiny dots were now growing larger and larger, resembling baseballs in size.

"They're coming, they're coming...!"

He couldn't help but shout. Staring down the enemy fighters coming to kill them, the fear of death gripped him even tighter.

The squadron held its fire. If Kiyoaki had been in control of the guns, he would have fired already. But the Eriadore squadron remained patient, waiting for the wolves to come, without firing a single shot.

The deafening roar of propellers grew louder and louder, battering against the airship.

The enemy planes descended like meteors.

At the moment when Kiyoaki was certain they would collide, the nine Eriadore airships unleashed a barrage of fifteen-millimeter anti-aircraft fire, like a torrent of molten lava.

A hail of machine gun bullets.

Flaming spears stabbed into the Idras all at once.

Three Idras crumpled, spitting fireballs from their fuselages, and in an

instant, were torn into fragments of duralumin.

The Idras that had dodged the barrage wobbled as they flew, but they still fired flaming arrows from their wings as they passed by.

Kiyoaki heard the dull thud of bullets piercing the airship. They'd been hit. Someone might have been struck. "Mio!"

He instinctively shouted. "What?!" Mio's voice instantly came through the voice tube, and Kiyoaki, relieved, quickly responded.

"Nothing! I thought we'd been hit!"

The five gun turrets on the airship were all separated by walls, so it was impossible to see what was happening in the other compartments from the cockpit. Even if they were hit, there was no way to know who had been injured.

"We're fine! Stay in formation!"

"Yeah, sorry! Keep at it! Illia, if the controls get too tough, I can at least take over the rudder."

"Unnecessary."

Illia curtly refused and reassembled the formation. Kiyoaki felt frustrated, but he knew that for a pilot, handing over the controls, even partially, was a bitter pill to swallow. If he were the lead pilot, he wouldn’t hand over the controls to Illia either.

Several of the planes ahead of them were trailing smoke. They’d been hit in the last exchange.

Kiyoaki spotted the next enemy squadron approaching.

"They're coming again! Forty degrees down-right, climbing up at us...!"

He pointed, drawing Illia’s attention. A group of Idras was approaching from an altitude of about 100 meters, climbing upward. The airship's weakness was its lack of a bottom turret. When the enemy came from below, it was much harder to create a defensive curtain of anti-aircraft fire.

"Right turn and fire! Do not break formation!"

Cecil shouted the command from the lead plane. As ordered, the lead plane in the formation began to turn right, tilting the airship to the side so that the right-side guns could fire down on the approaching enemies.

Illia followed the lead of the plane ahead, turning the control wheel and tilting the airship to the same degree. The control wheel in front of Kiyoaki turned right of its own accord. Below them, the horizon tilted. The sunlit ocean glittered below, filling most of the forward window at an angle. About 80% of the windscreen was now taken up by the slanted sea.

Through the chaotic reflections, another Idra squadron, this time with eight planes, rushed upward. The Eriadore airship prepared to meet the pack of beasts as it circled.

The moment the enemy planes entered range, thousands of crimson lines of fire burst forth. Mio, Reiner, Cecil, and Balthazar all squeezed their triggers, sending a constant stream of fifteen-millimeter bullets toward the enemy. The vibrations from the gunfire reverberated throughout the airship. At the same time, the Idras fired back with their wing-mounted thirteen-millimeter machine guns.

Lines of fire crisscrossed, and planes passed each other in a whirlwind of bullets. The turning Eriadore airship formation wavered. This time, the Idras took no losses, while two of the Eriadore airships erupted into flames.

"Aaahh?!"

Kiyoaki screamed. The plane that had been flying to his left-front was now spewing flames from one of its four wing-mounted engines. Its speed quickly dropped, and it was no longer able to maintain formation.

"They're going to hit! Illia, pull away!" "I know, but..." Illia expertly maneuvered the controls to dodge the stricken plane as it slid toward them. The flaming engine passed just inches from their windscreen. Kiyoaki could almost see the terrified faces of the airmen inside, screaming as they plummeted. The terrifying scene was only a few seconds away from becoming their own reality.

The first enemy group that had passed them quickly turned back for another attack. There was no time to rest. The radio transmissions from the lead plane had gone silent. There was no longer any time to issue detailed orders to the entire formation.

With a harsh tearing sound that pierced the air, thirteen Idras descended from the right-front diagonal above them. Unable to hold back any longer, some of the friendly planes began firing prematurely. The panicked gunfire from Reiner’s turret reverberated through the airship. The enemy was still too far away for the shots to hit, but the fear of the situation made it impossible not to shoot. It was an understandable reaction for a rookie.

Laughing at their confusion, the Idra squadron unleashed a barrage of fiery arrows.

The deafening sound of metal being torn apart reverberated through the airship. They’d been hit. Were the others in the gun turrets okay? Was Mio okay? What about Kagura? And Cecil?

Kiyoaki desperately wanted to hear their voices, but there was no response.

The eight Idras descended from the left-front diagonal above them. The relentless repeated attacks continued. The Eriadore airships could no longer maintain an organized formation.

"They’re targeting the lead plane...!" Illia groaned. It was clear that the enemy's attacks were almost entirely focused on the lead plane. Their goal was to destroy the command center and force the squadron to abandon its coordinated fire. The lead plane was riddled with holes from the armor-piercing rounds. Although it wasn’t yet on fire, it was trailing white smoke from various points and seemed to be on its last legs.

Kiyoaki looked down.

The allied fleet, which had been enduring dive-bombing for some time, was in utter disarray, and two of the heavy cruisers were on the verge of sinking. The flagship aircraft carrier Dioclaus had barely managed to survive thanks to expert maneuvering, but with the enemy’s second and third waves on the way, it would likely meet the same fate as the cruisers.

"We’re going to be wiped out...!" Despair poured out of Kiyoaki's mouth. I don’t want to die here, not like this.

"As long as the lead plane is alive, maintain formation!" Balthazar’s calm voice once again came through the voice tube. How can this man be so composed? Kiyoaki was in awe. Since the battle had begun, Balthazar hadn’t shown a single sign of panic. He was the only one in the airship who remained completely calm.

"I’ll make the decision when the time comes."

With that short declaration, the voice tube connecting to the rear turret went silent again. "When the time comes" likely referred to what they would do if the lead plane were shot down.

At that moment, Kiyoaki spotted yet another enemy wave in the forward airspace. "Another wave is coming...!" "This is never going to end. At this rate, we'll be wiped out..."

Illia groaned. As time passed, the battle clearly tilted in Uranos’ favor.

──We’re losing this fight.

By now, even the students could see that the battle was lost.

──We have to run. If we want to survive.

Kiyoaki glanced at the lead plane as if praying for guidance.

Then Cecil's voice came through the voice tube, delivering a message from the lead plane.

"Break formation. From here on, each aircraft is to find a safe landing site on its own. Good luck."

A heavy, tragic atmosphere settled over the airship.

It was an order to scatter and flee, a final command from the combat unit. Balthazar’s next order followed, reverberating through the voice tube.

"There's a thick cloud cover to the northeast. Illia, get under it and lose the enemy planes. It's the only advantage we have."

"...Yes, sir!"

Illia responded immediately. Just as Balthazar had said, there was a dark, looming thundercloud to their left-front, likely a cumulonimbus cloud. Large airships were more resistant to bad weather than single-seat fighters. Even in storms that could tear small planes apart, the airship could continue flying.

Right now, the Eriadore airship’s only hope was to take advantage of the bad weather.

Heading for that cloud also meant straying off the course to Tsurugi Island. If they kept flying directly toward the island, they would be subjected to relentless enemy attacks.

Kiyoaki's Eriadore slowly tilted as it turned left. Four other Eriadore airships had chosen the same route and were flying ahead. The lead plane, however, remained over the allied fleet. It seemed the squadron leader intended to draw the enemy fighters' attention to himself and let the rest of them escape.

"Squadron leader...!"

"An officer's role is to lead their subordinates into battle and bring them back alive... That's what we've always been taught at the academy, and now the squadron leader is showing us a living example of that."

The swarm of Idra fighters relentlessly attacked the squadron leader's plane, their maneuvers akin to wolves toying with a wounded bull. The leader's plane, despite being engulfed in flames from various parts of the fuselage, continued to fire from its turrets. Even as it staggered and its fuselage became riddled with holes, it fought on, trying to take down as many Idra fighters as possible in its final resistance.

The armor of the Eriadore airship was thick. Its defensive capabilities far surpassed those of typical fighters, and it was difficult to shoot down unless the engine was directly hit by the Idra's 13mm machine guns. The squadron leader's plane still had a chance.

Or so Kiyoaki thought, until the next moment.

A flash of light streaked down from directly above.

A single flash struck the cockpit of the squadron leader's plane.

Shattered windshield glass sparkled as it scattered across the blue sky, mixed with the blood of the crew inside.

It was a direct hit to the cockpit, the airship's weakest point from above.

The squadron leader's plane lurched, spinning wildly as it spiraled down like a falling leaf.

A sword of light.

A matador's strike aimed precisely at the brain of a raging bull.

The squadron leader's plane hit the ocean with a massive splash, and Kiyoaki snapped back to reality.

"Ahhhhhh!!"

As he screamed, the plane responsible for the sword of light climbed upward in a sharp V-shaped maneuver.

It was just another Idra, but the nose art painted near its cockpit sent a chill down Kiyoaki's spine.

──The Black Panther.

In that instant, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

He had never forgotten.

The nose art of the biplane that had shot his sister in the back during the invasion of Messus Island.

The Black Panther soared proudly into the sky, leading its squadron in a celebratory roll.

The one responsible for taking down the squadron leader in a single strike was someone Illia knew.

"Karnasion!!"

Her voice, rare in its tone of loathing, spat out the name. Kiyoaki had heard that name before as well.

Karnasion, a name that resounded throughout the Archipelago Seas, one of the "Kings of the Sky," standing on par with Akmed of the airborne mercenary corps Valkyrie.

The man who had killed his beloved sister was now flying freely in the skies right before Kiyoaki's eyes.

He was dominating the battlefield. "Oooooohhh!!" Boiling rage surged through Kiyoaki’s entire being.

──I’ll kill him.

Without thinking, Kiyoaki gripped the control column with his left hand and placed his right hand on the throttle. He could feel Illia's control through the linked yoke, but he forcefully twisted it, trying to overpower her.

"Sakagami!?"

"I have to... I have to shoot him down! I have to fight!" "W-What are you doing?! Wait!" The three controls of the pilot and co-pilot seats were linked. If they continued like this, both pilots would be struggling over the controls, which could end in disaster.

Just as Illia tried to stop him, Kagura's voice came through the voice tube. "Calm down. Follow the captain’s orders and head for the cumulus clouds." In the midst of the chaos, Kagura’s voice was as clear and calm as a mountain stream.

Kiyoaki’s mind began to clear.

"Kiyoaki-kun, you're responsible for adjusting the throttle and monitoring the instruments, alright?"

Apparently, Kagura had heard the exchange in the cockpit through the voice tubes. She had noticed that both pilots were losing their composure.

"Karnasion has the skill to take out cockpits with a single shot. As much as it hurts, we must escape now. Don’t let the squadron leader’s sacrifice go to waste, do you understand?"

"...Yes!"

Kiyoaki barely managed to respond, forcing himself to calm down as he surveyed the airspace around them.

"...I have a history with him."

"...And you think that justifies seizing control?" "...I'm sorry. I was inexperienced." Illia lowered the control yoke and tilted the large aircraft, steering it toward the cumulus clouds as Balthazar had instructed. Four Idra fighters were in pursuit. The enemy was now certain of their victory, fully enjoying the hunt. They were probably competing with each other to see who could score the most kills, racing to be the first to shoot them down.

It was humiliating and infuriating, but there was nothing a large airship could do against single-seat fighters except run. Through the rain-streaked windshield, Kiyoaki saw that the four other Eriadore airships had nearly reached the base of the clouds.

But then—another merciless flash of light lit up the sky above one of the Eriadore airships.

A sword of light that split the battlefield in two. The unescapable strike of the Lord of the Sky. Karnasion pulled up just above the ocean, while the Eriadore airship, leaking blood and shards of glass from its destroyed cockpit, plummeted helplessly.

Karnasion’s aerial combat skills were nothing short of terrifying.

With him targeting them, there was no escape. No matter how strong the Eriadore airship’s defenses or how thick its armor, if the cockpit was pierced from directly above, there was nothing they could do.

Targeting a cockpit from above may sound simple, but aiming a fixed gun accurately while diving at over 300 kilometers per hour in three-dimensional space is something no ordinary pilot could do. It was a miraculous aerial combat skill, achievable only by the very best—those known as "super aces," pilots selected from millions and honed over many years with immense resources.

"Damn it! Damn it all...!"

Kiyoaki was close to tears with frustration. His hated nemesis was effortlessly shooting down one ally after another, and all he could do was run.

──I need to become stronger. Here in the sky, I need to be much, much stronger...!

As if mocking his desire, the Black Panther climbed high into the sky once more, licking its chops as it searched for its next prey. Once its eyes locked onto a target, that was the end. The fleeing Eriadore airships rushed downward toward the base of the cumulus clouds.

Karnasion wasn’t the only one pursuing them.

"Hurry up and get away! The other Idras are coming!"

Kiyoaki couldn’t see behind him from the cockpit, but reports from the gunners told him what was happening. That was Reiner’s voice. He sighed in relief,

knowing she was still alive.

But the next moment, the ominous whine of propellers approached from behind, followed by the thunderous sound of machine-gun fire ripping through the airship.

Kiyoaki heard the now-familiar, ominous sound of metal being torn apart— gagagagagak—echo throughout the airship.

The enemy plane that had dived from behind them, firing in a concentrated burst, flew far ahead of them, disappearing into the distance. As it passed, its shots had struck the center of the fuselage. It seemed, like Karnasion, that it had aimed for the cockpit but had missed slightly. Still, the location of the hit was concerning.

Kiyoaki instinctively grabbed the voice tube. "Reiner, are you okay?!" "Y-Yeah. It was close. I thought I was dead for sure..."

Reiner’s shaken voice came back, and Kiyoaki felt a wave of relief wash over him. Every time they took a hit, he couldn’t help but worry that someone might have been killed.

"They're coming! Three planes, 150 degrees below on the left!"

Kagura’s report brought the tension back to the airship. The gunners fired a barrage of 15mm bullets.

The enemy fighters flew past the nose of their airship, leaving behind the high- pitched whine of their propellers. The sight of objects moving at combat speed, over 500 kilometers per hour, passing right in front of them was indescribably intense.

──We’re in the middle of a dogfight. In the sky, where it’s kill or be killed...!

The scene unfolding before him was so surreal that he almost felt detached, as if he were watching from the outside. He had to keep reminding himself that this was real as he went about his duties.

The enemy fighters weren’t giving up. They kept coming after them, again and again, firing as they passed by. The Idras had nearly a 200-kilometer speed advantage, and at this point, the only option for the slow, cumbersome Eriadore was to survive by desperately laying down a curtain of fire.

Mio, Reiner, Balthazar, Kagura, and Cecil—the five gunners—continued to fire relentlessly at any enemy plane that entered their sights. The sound of their gunfire was so loud it drowned out even the noise of the propellers.

"We’re entering the base of the cumulus clouds! Strap yourselves in!"

Illia shouted. Following the three Eriadore airships ahead of them, they dove into the thick base of the clouds.

Suddenly, a torrential downpour slammed against the windscreen like a waterfall.

The friendly aircraft ahead of them disappeared in the rain. Visibility was zero. To make matters worse, powerful crosswinds battered the airship. The massive, four-engine giant was being tossed around by the wind.

Kiyoaki turned his eyes to the instrument panel. With no visibility, they had no choice but to rely on their instruments to fly. He called out the readings for

the airspeed indicator, compass, and altimeter to help Illia. Adding the readings for the direction indicator, engine tachometer, attitude indicator, and turn-and-bank indicator would make it easier for Illia to fly.

"Current altitude is 450 meters! I think we’re actually lower than that..." "I know. I’m subtracting 20 meters from the reading..." The pressure altimeter often overestimated altitude the longer they flew. It wouldn’t be a joke if the altimeter read 50 meters but they were actually only 5 meters above the water. Keeping that margin of error in mind, Illia had to navigate through the darkness and the storm.

──Illia’s so calm... She’s amazing.

As Kiyoaki adjusted the throttle, he couldn’t help but silently praise Illia.

Even though she was still a student, she wasn’t losing her composure and was focusing solely on flying through this storm. No matter how much training she had, this wasn’t something just any student could do. Her natural talent, along with the hard work she had put in up to this point, was evident in her piloting.

Kiyoaki placed his right hand on the throttle lever on the ceiling. "Tell me the speed you want. I’ll match it." "Maintain 300 kilometers."

He slowed the airship to the speed Illia requested, staring into the storm.

The wind and rain howled with such force that it felt like they had reached the end of the world. In the pitch-black darkness, it was as if they were being toyed with by an invisible monster.

The furious howls rose and fell as if they were being threatened by a god, and suddenly the atmosphere struck the airship with the force of a fist. The airship shook violently from side to side. If they hadn’t fastened their seatbelts, they would have been thrown into the ceiling long ago.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar, like the bellow of a divine beast, erupted nearby. A jagged flash of lightning seared into their retinas. The scene was so intense that a scream escaped without thinking. The world, which had been shrouded in darkness, was momentarily engulfed in a torrent of light. The sheer energy and brightness of the heavens tore through their senses, overwhelming their vision and hearing.

Their eyes burned. Their ears rang. But still, they had to keep flying.

Illia glared ahead, guiding everyone’s lives through the control column as she pushed forward through the corridor of lightning.

Kiyoaki stared only at the instrument panel to avoid being blinded by the lightning. He called out the changing numbers for the altimeter and airspeed indicator to help Illia keep them steady.

There were no enemies chasing them. Once inside this cloud, there was no way they could follow. But they couldn’t see any of their allies, either. If possible, Kiyoaki didn’t want to lose the three planes that had gone ahead, but in this rain and wind, formation flying was impossible. Every airship was focused solely on staying in the air.

I hope we can get out from under this cloud soon.

He prayed as they flew, but no matter how far they went, the clouds didn’t break. Just as he felt relief when the waterfall-like rain began to weaken, it started pouring again, accompanied by more lightning. The wind and rain slipped through the cracks in the windscreen, lowering the temperature. Though it was summer, it was cold enough to make him shiver. He could see Illia gritting her teeth beside him.

"Illia, if you get tired, I can take over." "No need." Illia refused to show any sign of weakness. She truly lived up to her reputation as the ace of the Air Hunt Officer Academy, maintaining her focus and concentration even as they were battered by the relentless wind and rain.

──Could I do the same?

That fleeting thought crossed his mind just as the sky beyond the windscreen turned a deep, dense blue. Sunlight poured into the cockpit, filling it completely.

"...!!"

"We made it...!"

For the first time that day, Illia’s voice contained a hint of joy.

Beyond the windscreen, the red-glowing ocean stretched out below them as the sun began to set. Distant islands dotted the horizon. Kiyoaki had seen the ocean countless times, but in that moment, it was so beautiful he almost cried with gratitude.

There were no enemies pursuing them, and no sign of their allies either. Kiyoaki’s Eriadore was now flying alone over an unknown section of the sea.

"It seems we managed to shake off the enemy. All hands, stand down from battle stations and gather in the cockpit."

Balthazar’s order came through. The students stationed at the various gun positions returned to the cockpit of the Eriadore airship.

All seven of them crowded together, Kiyoaki and Illia still seated at the controls, while the others stood, listening to Balthazar.

"As for our next course of action, we need to consider the situation carefully. According to the latest transmissions, Tsurugi Island is currently under attack by an enemy carrier fleet. Landing there while under air assault would make us an easy target, so we should avoid that. We could head for our next destination, the Chandler fortress, which lies beyond the Great Falls. We have enough fuel, and if we fly through the night, we should arrive by tomorrow morning. However, we don’t yet know the extent of the damage to our engines, wings, and armor. The longer we fly, the more those wounds will worsen, and if we’re forced to make an emergency landing at night, our chances of survival are slim."

The cockpit fell silent.

Anyone who had flown airships knew how dangerous a nighttime landing was.

Landing an airship was the most difficult maneuver in the entire operation. It was where most accidents happened, and those accidents almost always resulted in fatalities. Even in the daytime, landing on water was dangerous, with veteran pilots often encountering difficulties. At night, when visibility was nonexistent, the difficulty increased exponentially.

In a world painted entirely black, trying to discern the ocean and land a large aircraft was a feat so difficult that even seasoned pilots with over 3,000 hours of flight time avoided it at all costs.

During the Archipelago War twenty years ago, dozens of airships forced to land at night had crashed into the sea, killing all their crews. There were only two recorded instances of successful nighttime water landings in combat, and both were performed by highly experienced pilots on clear nights with bright moonlight illuminating the ocean.

Neither Illia nor Kiyoaki had ever trained for a nighttime landing, nor did they have the skills for it.

"My suggestion is to land on one of the nearby islands before sunset and inspect the airship for damage. If the damage is minor, we can take off immediately. If we can’t repair it ourselves, we can call for reinforcements by radio. Does anyone have any objections?"

Balthazar looked around. Kagura was the first to respond.

"That seems like the best option given the circumstances. However, I do have one concern. The islands in these waters are governed by independent local populations. If we land our airship in their territory without warning, we may have trouble negotiating with them, especially if we don’t speak the same language."

"Either way, it’s a risk. We can either take the risk of flying through the night and attempting a dangerous landing or take the risk of landing on an ungoverned island with unknown inhabitants. It’s one or the other."

Everyone fell silent.

Finally, Kiyoaki raised his hand hesitantly.

"Um... The number two and number four engines are fluctuating. I think it’s because they were hit."

Balthazar and Kagura both looked at the engine tachometers. Following Kiyoaki’s pointing finger, they saw the needles were indeed moving erratically, something that wouldn’t normally happen.

"I’ve also noticed that the propeller sound occasionally sputters. It’s too dangerous to fly through the night."

Illia nodded in agreement with Kiyoaki's suggestion.

"It's subtle enough that you'd miss it if you weren't paying attention, but it's a sign of malfunction. I also think we need to perform some maintenance."

The captain and the vice-captain exchanged glances and nodded.

"We’ll land on an island. Navigator, can you determine our current position?" Mio responded. "I can determine our north-south position through celestial navigation, but due to the storm we just passed through, I can't accurately gauge how far we’ve deviated from our course. I'm using the shape of the islands as a guide, but to get an exact location, we’ll need to wait for Etica to appear."

Etika was the name of the fixed star that sat immobile in the sky. By measuring its position in relation to the surrounding constellations, one could determine their location on Earth. It was the guiding star that had led countless sailors

back home throughout history.

"We don’t have a choice. I’ll choose the island. Illia, head for that part of the sea."

"Understood."

Balthazar pointed to an area where five islands, large and small, clustered together. The narrow passages between the islands seemed calm, making them ideal for a water landing. With the sun about to set, Balthazar chose the closest and safest location, where it would also be difficult for the airship to be spotted from above.

Following his orders, Illia tilted the control yoke of the Eriadore airship.

The massive aircraft gently descended toward the shimmering sea, bathed in the glow of the setting sun.

All seven crew members held their breath as they gazed at their potential resting place for the night.

Each island was covered in lush green trees that blanketed the rolling hills, giving them the appearance of remote, secret islands in the southern seas.

Mio spread out a map, searching for any islands that matched the shapes in front of them. However, with so many potential targets, it was difficult to pinpoint the exact location.

The Eriadore spread its wings wide, flying between the islands as if threading a needle. Balthazar and Kagura scanned the coastline through the glass, looking for a suitable landing spot. The sun was sinking toward the horizon, and they couldn’t afford to waste any time.

The friendly fleet had been destroyed, they were separated from the regular forces, and the students now faced the prospect of landing on an unknown island they had never seen or heard of. The captain and vice-captain surely felt the weight of this anxiety more than anyone, yet they remained calm, making sure not to show any fear that might unsettle the crew.

"What about over there...?" Kagura pointed to a cliff on a large, nameless island.

The jagged cliffs jutted into the sea like the teeth of a saw, and some parts of the cliffs were deeply hollowed out, forming sea caves. It was the perfect terrain to hide an airship. Balthazar nodded and asked,

"Illia, can you land and bring the ship into that area?"

He pointed to a particularly deep cove nestled between the sawtooth cliffs. The steep walls on both sides made it a difficult place to navigate for an airship with a 40-meter wingspan, but there was a small beach at the back, making it a convenient spot for disembarking. After studying the cliffside carefully, Illia responded calmly.

"The width is sufficient. As long as we don’t scrape the bottom on the reefs."

"Those cliffside coves tend to have deep water. If the wings fit, we’ll be fine."

Balthazar gave the go-ahead. Illia pushed down on the control yoke, lowering the nose of the ship toward the cliffs.

Landing was a test of a pilot's skill. A mistake could lead to the deaths of all crew members, so even in calm seas during daylight, there was no room for error.

Illia analyzed the appearance of the whitecaps to determine wind speed and direction, then examined the color of the water to check for currents.

With the wind pushing against them, Illia carefully judged the landing zone and began a descending turn.

"Reduce speed to 250 kilometers."

Illia called out the speed she wanted, and Kiyoaki adjusted the throttle, slowing the aircraft to the requested speed.

As the speed gradually decreased, Illia kept the aircraft level. Maintaining this level attitude was extremely difficult for beginners. Strong winds from all directions constantly buffeted the aircraft, and it required great skill to keep the wings perfectly parallel to the horizon with precise adjustments to the control yoke and rudder pedals.

At an altitude of 50 meters, the sea below began rushing past at great speed.

When flying in the open sky with no points of reference, it was easy to forget just how fast the airship was moving. But now, with the ground so close, the speed became painfully apparent.

"Reduce speed to 200 kilometers. Shut down engines two and four."

As two of the four engines were throttled back and shut down, the whitecaps sped by just beneath the belly of the aircraft. If the plane wasn’t level, or if the nose dipped even slightly too much, the airship would crash nose-first into the water, flipping over and slamming into the sea. The dreaded "porpoising," one of the most feared accidents among airship pilots, awaited them.

Illia faced that pressure head-on, maintaining an expression of calm detachment as she watched the sea rise toward them through the windscreen.

The sea was now at eye level. "Engines to dead slow." Illia’s quiet command prompted Kiyoaki to adjust the propeller pitch levers, rapidly reducing the engine RPMs.

The propeller blades slowed until they were visible to the naked eye. The sheer weight of the airship began to press it gently down onto the water.

The nose of the Eriadore rose slightly, and the belly of the plane made a graceful, gentle contact with the surface of the sea.

Spray erupted around the aircraft, creating a rainbow across the windscreen. A soft sound of water brushing against the hull filled the air. A gentle vibration spread through the airship as it settled into the water. The sunlight danced across the spray as the Eriadore stabilized. Now, the ship rocked gently, as if cradled by the calm sea.

The airship began to glide across the water, heading for the cove.

──She’s amazing…! Kiyoaki was speechless. Watching the entire landing procedure from so close, he realized that Illia’s piloting skills were far beyond what he had expected.

──She’s been trained by Captain Karsten since she was young.

It made sense. No ordinary student could pull off such a landing. Illia’s flight hours must have already exceeded a thousand by now.

"As expected of Illia, you’re a genius!" Cecil cheered with a look of relief, clapping her hands. Even Kagura, clearly impressed, added,

"That was incredible. You’re already good enough to be a regular airship pilot."

Illia, seemingly unaccustomed to receiving such direct praise, responded with a brief but polite, "Thank you," as she turned the airship left and steered it toward the gap in the cliffs. If she lowered the plane too much, the wings would scrape against the cliffs, but she navigated the narrow passage with ease. Her movements were so smooth it was almost absurd.

Before long, a small beach came into view.

"Shut down the engines. Everyone disembark. We’ll tow the aircraft onto the beach."

Balthazar gave the order, and the engines were fully shut down, leaving the Eriadore anchored just offshore.

The seven crew members jumped into the sea, tied ropes to the airship, and hauled it onto the beach. Then, they unloaded their gear and communication equipment.

By the time they finished the disembarkation process, the nameless island in the southern sea was bathed in the golden light of a summer sunset.

Soaked to the bone, the seven of them stood on the beach, gazing at their battered aircraft and the darkening sky.

From here on, they would have to repair the airship with their own hands and safely take off from this island, heading for their destination beyond the Great Falls, the Chandler Base.

But where should they start? "We’ll establish camp first." Balthazar ordered, and the students turned on their heels, stepping into the interior of the island.

Part 3 (Part 7 of Volume 1)

With trepidation, Mio stripped off her clothes, relying only on the moonlight as she dipped her toes into the stream that flowed past the sandy banks.

The water was warm and pleasant. Covering her chest with one hand, she timidly submerged herself up to her waist. The current was gentle, cradling her like a soft lullaby.

Summoning her courage, she let her body float on the water.

The warm stream gently caressed her ears. It tickled. Above her, the constellations of the southern seas shone, crossing time spans of ten, a hundred, and a thousand years to deliver their silver, gold, and emerald brilliance to this secluded island.

A treasure chest of summer night jewels, more precious than any earthly riches.

"Aah..."

A sigh escaped her without realizing it. The sound of insects chirping from the woods along the riverbank filled the air. The brutal memories of the aerial battle earlier in the day faded like scenes from an old movie, and the freshness of the clear stream that soaked her bare skin washed away the scent of gunpowder and heavy oil from her mind.

"I feel like I should be grateful just to be alive right now," Kagura said, resting her elbows on a rock that jutted out in the middle of the river, looking up at the same starry sky.

"Yes, really. Everything that happened during the day feels like it was a dream."

In the dim moonlight, Kagura’s silhouette was softly outlined in blue. Her bare, wet upper body shimmered faintly in the silvery glow, and even though Mio was the same gender, she found herself struck by Kagura’s alluring presence. In her military uniform, Kagura had the look of a dashing figure, but here, under the faint light of the stars, her body was an enviable cascade of alluring curves.

Unaware of Mio’s envy, Kagura glanced around and asked, "Hmm? Where’s Cecil?" "She was swimming around here just a while ago... but now she’s gone." "She won’t have drowned, but..." "Cecil? Are you there? Answer me!" Mio stood up and scanned the dark surroundings. The shadows of trees on either side of the stream loomed, cutting the starry sky into darker shapes. But Cecil was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh no, she’s really not here."

Just as Mio started to get a bad feeling, a playful shout came from behind. "Boo!" With a mischievous cry, Cecil suddenly hugged Mio from behind. "Kya!" Mio let out a scream as Cecil’s arms wrapped around her body. The water was only waist-deep, leaving Mio’s upper body completely exposed and vulnerable.

"Mio, time for a body check!" "Hey, stop it, Cecil! Cut it out!" "Check, check!" "Quit it! Cecil, stop...!"

Squirming, Mio fell into the water, trying to shake off Cecil. Cecil, fully satisfied with her prank, grinned broadly and declared, "Mio, your measurements are just as expected!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I’m relieved! You know, people always say I have a child’s body, but it turns out we’re in the same boat!"

"Are you picking a fight with me!?"

"Okay, enough. Cecil, you’re not a child. Mio, calm down," Kagura interjected, stepping in to defuse the situation.

Mio took a deep breath, trying to settle her nerves. Cecil, still smiling brightly and without a hint of remorse, moved closer to Mio and said, "Your skin is so smooth, Mio. It’s like a baby’s!"

"...That last part was unnecessary."

"I was complimenting you! After all we’ve been through today, this is a nice way to relax. I’m glad we found this beautiful stream!"

"Yeah, I feel refreshed. So, where’s Illia? Is she not going to join us?"

"Oh, Illia’s never been good with group activities. She definitely wouldn’t join us for something like a bath. If I pulled the same prank on her that I did on you, I don’t think I’d survive."

"Really? I’d like to talk to her more, but I wonder if she doesn’t like me. Earlier, when we were checking the aircraft, I tried to strike up a conversation, but she seemed really cold."

"That’s just how Illia is. She’s always been distant. She was raised really strictly by her father, so she never really played with other kids growing up."

"That makes sense..."

"Yeah, Illia’s an only child. Captain Karsten wanted a son to pass on his skills to, but since Illia was all he had, he raised her as if she were a boy. That’s why she speaks the way she does."

"I see... Illia’s father fought against Kiyoaki’s father, didn’t he? And he ended up injured, unable to fly anymore. With that kind of history, it’s no wonder they don’t get along."

"Yeah, during the repairs, they didn’t say a word to each other. It’s strange having two pilots with such a history, but I bet the headmaster at Air Hunt Academy knew and set it up on purpose."

Cecil dipped her face into the water, blowing bubbles as she thought.

"I never imagined we’d get separated from the friendly fleet and end up crash- landing on a random island. St Vault and the Akitsu Federation must be in chaos right now."

Listening intently, Kagura finally spoke up.

"St Vault is preparing a southern fleet with great enthusiasm. They were already set for war, just waiting for Urano to make a move. The timing couldn’t have been better for both sides."

"Urano attacked just as the friendly fleet was set to dock at Tsurugi Island. Do you think the information leaked?"

"Either it leaked, or it was intentionally leaked. From our position, it’s impossible to tell. However, we can’t rule out the possibility that Urano agents have infiltrated St Vault’s military. Urano, being a multi-ethnic state, excels at sending agents of the same race into rival powers like the Mitterland continent."

It was easiest to infiltrate another country by sending agents of the same race. Urano could send white agents into white-majority countries, yellow agents into

yellow-majority countries, and so on.

"Agents infiltrating the military... that’s scary."

"Yes. They even place teenage spies into officer schools, let them graduate with high marks, and then send them into the military’s inner circle. You can’t even trust your classmates completely."

"That’s... terrifying."

Mio pondered the gravity of it. The thought of a friend or fellow student secretly being an Urano agent, pretending to be close while secretly betraying them... it was horrifying.

"Just thinking about it makes me shiver. Anyone who could do that isn’t human."

Mio’s sense of justice flared up as she spoke. Cecil, however, hesitated before adding,

"But maybe spies have their reasons, too. They might be doing it because their family or loved ones are being held hostage... something like that."

Mio shook her head. "Even if they have a reason... Imagine if one of the seven of us was a spy, pretending to be a friend but secretly laughing at us inside. I couldn’t forgive someone like that. It would be the lowest thing a person could do."

Mio’s anger rose at the thought. If a spy were truly hiding among them at Air Hunt Academy, she would want to expose them with her own hands.

"True. But the world isn’t filled with just honorable people. It’s a mix of saints and sinners, of those who remain pure and those who wallow in filth. We live in that world, looking up at the sky, singing songs of hope," Kagura said playfully, her tone light.

Cecil clapped her hands. "Kagura, that was so cool! Just like a lead actor from the Servan Theater Troupe!"

She was referring to the famous all-female theater troupe in St Vault, known for its male roles.

"That’s true, but still..." Mio wasn’t fully convinced, but she didn’t continue the conversation. However, if it turned out there really was an agent hiding close by...

──I could never forgive them.

She thought this as she gazed up at the starry sky. Later that evening. After setting up camp along the boundary where the evergreen forest met the gently sloping grassland, they inspected the damage to the aircraft and ate a meal from their rations. Then, they held a meeting to discuss their next steps.

It was confirmed that engines two and four had been hit, and they would need the whole next day for repairs. In the worst-case scenario, they would have to fly with only the two remaining engines in what’s called "reduced-axis flight." There were also some damaged pipes and control systems that needed emergency repairs.

After Mio and Reiner conducted astronomical observations and compared them with the map, they determined that the island they had landed on was called "Cameron Island," a former St Vault settlement. However, constant conflicts with the

native inhabitants had forced the settlers to flee or perish. It was likely that some natives still lived on the island, but there had been no contact so far. If contact couldn’t be avoided, the plan was to approach them without prejudice and negotiate for a peaceful stay.

For now, the only thing the seven of them could do was conserve their strength and get some sleep.

Exhausted from the day’s extraordinary events, they each wrapped themselves in blankets and soon, the sound of gentle breathing filled the camp.

Mio lay next to Kagura, also wrapped in a blanket, staring up at the stars.

She tried not to think about the conversation by the river earlier. While such spies might exist somewhere, there was no way one could be among the people she knew. She reassured herself of that and turned her thoughts to other matters.

──So many things have happened...

As she gazed up at the starry sky, filled with a myriad of colors, she allowed herself to drift into reflection.

She didn’t fully understand how she had ended up in this situation.

Her adoptive parents had always told her that she could have lived a normal life, gone to a regular university, and been happy as an ordinary girl. But she had insisted on attending the military academy, defying her foster parents’ wishes, and now, here she was, stranded on a remote island after crash-landing.

──Why?

In search of an answer, she looked inward.

What surfaced was the memory of that summer day five years ago, when she first met Kiyoaki on Messus Island.

It was then, during that summer, that Mio’s fate had been decided. On that day... Due to her adoptive father’s work, Mio and her siblings had moved to Messus Island, disembarking with her large family at the Odessa military port. Twelve- year-old Mio had been in a bad mood.

She had finally made friends in the Harmonia Empire, only to be uprooted and taken to some remote southern island she’d never heard of, where she would have to spend several years. It was too much for a spoiled twelve-year-old girl to accept.

When they arrived at their new home, she watched as the servants carried their luggage inside. Her adoptive parents, always eager to help, had taken in eight children in total, including Mio, creating a lively household filled with the chatter of her siblings.

To escape the noise, Mio released her pet bird, Fio, into the sky above Messus Island.

Fio happily spread its white wings, circling above the mansion a few times before landing on Mio's shoulder. The bird likely preferred the clean air of the island over the city.

"Fio, you're lucky. I'm feeling really down," Mio said, bringing her finger close to the bird's beak as she spoke. The clever bird tilted its head, peering curiously at her face.

"I don’t even know if I’ll make any friends here. The boys are probably all wild country bumpkins. A sophisticated city girl like me will definitely stand out, and they'll go crazy like a bunch of monkeys. If any of them are dumb enough, they might even try to bully me. Ugh, I’m going to feel so out of place on this island."

With Fio as her sole listener, Mio vented her frustrations freely. Back in Harmonia, she had attended a prestigious gymnasium where the children of nobility gathered. But on Messus Island, there was no such school; she would have to attend a public school with children from all sorts of backgrounds. She had no confidence that she would fit in there.

"Hey, Fio. Can I ask you for a favor?"

When she whispered this, Fio, as if understanding her, tilted its head and gave a questioning chirp.

"Find me someone who’ll take care of me. Someone who’ll protect me, do whatever I say like a loyal servant, and would do anything for me. Bring me someone like that."

It was a childish, selfish wish, made to a bird.

Fio tilted its head again as if it didn't quite understand, so Mio simplified her words.

"Show me my destined person."

At that moment, Fio gave a single, firm nod.

So resolute was the bird’s nod that it surprised Mio. "Fio?" "Fii."

With a flutter of its white wings, Fio took off into the blue sky, flying out of the mansion grounds and toward the distant horizon.

"Wait, wait!"

Hurriedly, Mio grabbed her straw hat and ran after the bird.

She dashed down the hill, past rural roads where ox-drawn carts and tractors moved along, chasing the white wings that were heading somewhere far away.

Fio flew into the lush green farmlands and began circling a certain spot.

Breathless, Mio finally caught up, just as Fio descended, landing atop the straw hat of a boy working in the fields.

"Whoa!!"

Startled by the bird suddenly landing on his head, the boy lost his balance and fell backward. Fio circled over him several times, calling for Mio to catch up.

Mio slowly approached the fallen boy.

──My destined person.

The thought flickered through her mind.

The boy, still in shock, looked up at the white bird flying above him, and then

at the girl walking toward him.

As the boy sat there in the dirt, Mio stood over him, hands on her hips, and with an air of authority, she declared,

"I’ll make you my friend."

That was the first thing she said to him. Even now, looking back, it was a rather arrogant way to speak. But that's how Mio had been raised, and that was the only way she knew to speak back then.

"Huh?"

The boy, still confused, stared up at her. It would have been impossible for him to understand, but at that moment, Mio was completely serious.

"From today on, you're my friend. If you'd rather be my servant, that's fine too, but I thought making you my servant right away would be a bit harsh."

The boy silently stared at her, half his mouth hanging open, before finally dusting off his pants and standing up.

"Uh... who are you? Are you from this island?"

"When you ask someone their name, you should introduce yourself first." "...I’m Sakagami Kiyoaki. Twelve years old. And you are?" "Mio Syira. I just moved to this island today. You’re my first friend. Got it? You don’t get to say no."

"Uh, okay... I guess it’s more fun to have more friends, so sure..." "See? You understand things well. You pass." Mio made an "OK" sign with her fingers, and Fio landed again on Kiyoaki’s head. As he watched the bird and the girl in amazement, he asked,

"Does this bird like me or something?"

"Seems like it. This is Fio. He's pretty smart. Now, you can show me around the island. I’ll let you guide me, even though it’s a bit of a bother."

"Huh? You want me to show you the island? I have chores to help my dad with, though."

"You can ditch those. I give you permission."

"Why do you get to give permission? Well, whatever, let me go ask my dad first..."

"Hurry up. You’ve got two minutes. Actually, I'll come with you." "Uh... this is all so weird..." Grumbling to himself, Kiyoaki began to run, with Mio following closely behind. She was filled with the sense that something fun was about to happen.

──From now on, I’m going to have lots of fun with this boy.

She could almost hear the voice of a fairy whispering in her heart. There was no reason for it, no proof. But Mio felt sure of it, and the feeling filled her with excitement. That day, Kiyoaki ended up showing her around many places, and they promised to meet again the next day. Looking back, Mio realized how

forceful she had been in making friends with him.

Looking up at the starry sky on Cameron Island, as sleep slowly crept in, Mio replayed those memories. Among all the things that happened during that first summer, the one memory she couldn’t forget was the "promise" they made in the canola fields.

"I’ll be your bride, Kiyoaki!"

Wearing the canola flower crown Kiyoaki had given her, she’d stood with her hands on her hips and proudly declared her intentions. That was the summer when they were both twelve.

She was young, reckless, and brimming with confidence. Only at that age could she have made such a declaration.

For a while after that, Mio lived in a bubble, acting as if she were Kiyoaki’s fiancée. As they grew, entered middle school, and made more friends, Mio began to mature.

Then, during the summer when she was fourteen, Urano invaded Messus Island. Kiyoaki lost his entire family and swore revenge on Urano. Mio was by his side then, telling him she would aim for the same goal.

From that moment on, Kiyoaki could no longer be the carefree, mischievous boy he once was.

His heart simmered with anger, and he dedicated himself to military school, sharpening himself until he ranked at the top of his class.

Mio simply followed him. She no longer saw herself as his master, but found joy in helping him instead.

Now, at seventeen, they never spoke of that day in the canola fields. Mio had never asked Kiyoaki how he felt about it. She was afraid to hear his answer. After all, neither of them were the innocent children they once were.

──We’ve grown up.

Mio thought this as she stared up at the starry sky.

──What will happen to us from here?

She had a premonition that something completely different from the past was waiting for them, something that would change their relationship forever. Even she couldn’t fully understand her own thoughts.

──Is this what it means to be an adult?

With that lingering thought, Mio closed her eyes. Is this a dream? Illia Kreischmidt gripped the controls of her fighter aircraft, feeling as though she were in a dream.

There had been times before when she realized she was dreaming. Each time, her rational mind would break through the illusion, and she would awaken, as if the spell had been broken. Somewhere, even in her sleep, a part of her always

remained alert, and when that sense of danger arose, it would rip apart the dream.

──So, this is probably a dream.

──But if that’s true, why am I not waking up?

──And... why does it feel so real?

In this strange dream, Illia looked out past the windshield. What she saw was a night as bright as day. Below her, the city being bombarded was ablaze with red flames.

The darkness that should have shrouded the entire sky was swept away by the inferno on the ground and the explosive flashes in the air.

High-explosive shells, timed to detonate at 4,000 meters, sent streaks of light scattering through the sky. The barrage of explosions, the streams of tracer rounds, the red glow of parachute flares, the bicolor signal flares marking targets for friendly units, and a thousand searchlights beaming up from the ground — every kind of light imaginable created a chaotic spectacle in the sky, turning the night into a dazzling, dreamlike ballroom of light.

The roar of propellers tore through the storm of colors.

One flash, then another. Lightning-like bursts of light erupted. From beyond the chaotic searchlights, a fighter with both wings blown off tumbled into view, scattering debris stripped away by machine-gun fire, and in the blink of an eye, it was engulfed in flames and exploded.

The one who shot it down was Illia herself.

Though she was still in the cockpit, she could somehow see her own aircraft.

On the nose was the "White Wolf" nose art. A twin contra-rotating propeller at the front. Four 20mm cannons on the wings.

──What is this plane?

Illia felt a sense of discomfort even though she was piloting the aircraft herself. The sound and output of the engine were clearly different from a traditional internal combustion reciprocating engine.

—Turbo prop.

Her thoughts in the dream whispered the name of a future engine. Astonishingly, the aircraft Illia was now flying was cruising at a speed close to 750 kilometers per hour.

Such an aircraft had not yet been realized. She was clearly flying a futuristic aircraft, one that had achieved dramatic technological advancements, and she was piloting it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

—It’s just a dream.

She told herself that and looked back.

—How do I know this?

It was as if she knew her situation all along.

—I’m being chased.

Earlier, she had encountered an enemy ace. The situation had been unfavorable, so she had fled. Surely, the enemy must be pursuing her.

Illia's opened eyes scanned the combat airspace.

There was the glow of fire and smoke, with moonlight and searchlights slicing through the gaps, and below, a city engulfed in flames. The night was so bright that she could distinguish between enemy and ally aircraft.

"Where did they go?"

The enemy ace who had been closing in on her was nowhere to be seen. She couldn’t sense their presence. This was rare for Illia, who usually could feel the murderous intent of an enemy pilot in the airspace.

—No killing intent.

—Because...

—That person has no intention of killing me.

Illia bit her lip. Even without exchanging words, that intention was conveyed through the air.

(It’s you... I can’t fight you.)

It was as if she could hear the voice. (Please, just take your comrades and go home.) Illia dismissed it as an illusion. That voice was simply a product of her own weakness, lingering sentimental emotions that conjured an imagined voice.

Just as she tried to shake off the thought, she felt something rising beneath her right wing.

“Ugh.”

She quickly rolled the aircraft to evade. The enemy aircraft passed by her, climbing upward without firing a single shot.

In the night sky, Illia's eyes darted to the nose of the enemy aircraft. A black rabbit... was smiling. Illia's heart tore apart with a sharp sound.

The black rabbit climbed higher into the night, as if it had approached just to show Illia its nose art.

(It’s me. I can’t fight you.)

Illia heard the voice again. Rejecting the thought, she pushed the throttle forward. The turbo prop roared as she chased the black rabbit's tail.

She peered through the gunsight. The silhouette of the black rabbit grew larger. It seemed to offer no resistance, as if to indicate it had no intention of dodging the shot.

“What’s wrong? Fight.”

Illia’s frustration turned into words. But the black rabbit only kept ascending, as if it were trying to leave the combat zone.

—You’re always like this.

—But you should know, too.

Her finger hovered over the trigger.

—You and I have a reason to fight. Her hand trembled. Illia summoned every bit of her willpower, forcing herself to hold back the surge of emotions.

—We are enemies.

She kept telling herself to endure. Emotions had no place on the battlefield; they held no more value than an empty shell casing. Letting emotions control you was the mark of an immature soldier, unworthy of fighting for a nation.

—We were destined to be adversaries. She peered through the sight. —You... I must bring you down with my own hands.

The silhouette of the dear person grew larger in her view. Her vision blurred. Her chest felt like it was tearing apart. Her heart filled with a beastly scream. —What’s wrong? Fight me! Tears welled up. —Please, fight me!

Don’t cry.

—Didn’t we make a promise?

Tears were clouding her aim, disrupting her sight.

Bringing humanity to the battlefield was out of the question. Here, she was no more than a machine built to bring down the enemy.

The distorted figure of the black rabbit filled the center of her crosshairs. Her trembling finger rested on the 20mm cannon trigger. A bit more force, and the rounds would fire, the black rabbit’s plane would explode, and it would bloom into a fiery flower before her eyes.

Illia forced away all her thoughts.

Because she was proud of the days they had spent honing their skills together. Because she wanted to be acknowledged as a rival by him. Because she cherished the promise they had made.

—I will fulfill the vow we made.

With her trembling finger on the trigger, she fired.

She sent a bouquet of 20mm rounds, scorching the sky, toward the one she had once loved.

As the rounds cut through the night, his figure was etched into the sky. The name of her beloved was... "Sakagami... Kiyoaki."

Illia awoke from the dream with her own voice.

Her eyes opened to the starry sky. She seemed to have been tossing and turning, as her body was covered in a thin layer of cold sweat.

For a while, she just lay there, staring up at the vast, star-filled sky. Her wide eyes remained fixed, not even blinking. “What... was that?”

She asked herself in a whisper. She couldn’t understand the meaning of the dream.

No, more than that...

—Was it a dream?

Even now, fully awake, the vivid images from the dream still lingered, feeling far too real. The heat of the flames, the scent of gunpowder, the sensation of g-forces during high-speed flight—it all pressed down on her with an almost overwhelming reality. It was nothing like the dreams she had experienced before.

—It was as if I had experienced my own future.

That thought crossed her mind as she closed her eyes, trying to shake off the ridiculous notion.

—Am I supposed to fall in love with Sakagami, and then face him in a duel someday?

—How absurd.

Perhaps, she thought, some naive, girlish sentiment still lingered within her. Maybe she hadn’t trained enough to rid herself of such softness.

She scanned her surroundings and sensed that her companions were all asleep.

Thanks to the strange dream, she had woken up and now felt wide awake. She had also broken into a sweat.

Illia grabbed her flashlight and quietly got up, careful not to wake anyone. She headed towards the river where everyone had bathed during the day. She disliked bathing with others, but it would be fine now that she was alone.

After sneaking through the trees, she reached the river. It wasn’t even a minute's walk from the camp.

There were clouds in the sky, but fortunately, the full moon was shining brightly. The smooth surface of the water glowed with a pale blue, and the sandy banks and rocks jutting from the stream were clearly visible. The river was small, only about four meters wide, easy enough to cross.

After a moment of hesitation, Illia confirmed once more that no one was around. She removed all of her clothes and dipped her bare feet into the stream.

“Ah...”

The cold water felt soothing. She scooped some water with her hand and splashed it over her body as she waded into the middle of the river.

The water reached up to her waist. She leaned her back against a rock protruding from the water and gazed up at the starry sky.

"It's... beautiful."

A quiet murmur escaped her lips. Her tired body, weary from the day's battle, began to relax.

And so, after spending some time alone, either gazing at the stars or swimming, Illia found a perfect spot on the opposite bank—a stone that could serve as a pillow. Someone, likely one of her companions, had gathered pebbles into the shape of a pillow and spread grass on top of it as a cushion. Lying in the riverbed with her body submerged in the water and only her head resting on the stone pillow, Illia looked up at the night sky and felt utterly at ease.

Illia remained there, her head cradled on the stone pillow, lying by the riverside, gazing at the stars.

Basking in the light of the moon and stars, entirely in her natural state, Illia felt as if she were being reborn. The tension that had been gripping her since the beginning of their journey began to unwind.

Illia hadn’t realized just how exhausted she was, both physically and mentally. As soon as she closed her eyes for a moment, a faint, soft breath escaped her delicate lips, signaling the onset of sleep.

Completely vulnerable, lying by the stream, Illia drifted off into slumber. Feeling like he had a strange dream, Kiyoaki opened his eyes. It was the middle of the night in the camp. The other members of the team were sound asleep, and only the sound of their breathing could be heard in the pitch- black darkness.

The memory of the dream was faint. It felt like he had been piloting a fighter plane with an unfamiliar engine, being chased by someone. However, he couldn’t recall the details. All that lingered was an uncomfortable sensation clinging to the edge of his memory, as if he had experienced a glimpse of his own future, leaving him with an inexplicable, uneasy feeling.

He listened to the sound of insects chirping while gazing up at the stars.

He couldn’t fall back asleep. The warm, sticky air clung to his skin, making him sweat.

"Maybe I should go for a bath."

Earlier, he had washed up in the river with Reiner, but Reiner had made crude and stupid jokes the entire time, making it impossible to relax. Now, alone, Kiyoaki could enjoy the refreshing stream by himself.

He stood up, grabbed his flashlight, and headed for the river beyond the trees.

The surrounding darkness was thick, and without the flashlight, it would have been impossible to walk. He wove through the densely grown trees, following the faint sound of the flowing water.

Just as he was about to reach the river— "Huh...?" Unfortunately, the flashlight’s light began to dim and finally went out completely. It seemed the batteries had almost run out.

Kiyoaki was left alone in total darkness. He couldn’t see anything. But if he could just make it through the trees, the starlight should make the river visible.

He stretched his arms out in front of him, walking cautiously through the darkness where even his arms were invisible.

The pleasant sound of flowing water grew closer. His eyes began adjusting to the darkness, and he could faintly make out the tree trunks ahead of him.

Soon, he reached the river.

The moon was hidden by clouds, and only the reflection of the stars was visible on the water’s surface. Having visited the place during the day, he remembered the general layout and, alone, stripped off his clothes.

The surroundings were pitch black, and he could hardly see anything.

Relying on his memory from earlier and the faint starlight, Kiyoaki, completely naked, slowly made his way toward the river, successfully dipping his toes into the water.

As expected, it felt good.

Hoping the moon would come out soon, he relaxed, letting the gentle current wash over him.

He waded into the river until the water reached his waist, but with the visibility so low in the darkness, he couldn’t feel at ease. After staring at the stars for a while, he decided to cross to the other side of the river to look for the stone pillow they had made earlier. However, in the darkness, he couldn’t remember exactly where they had placed it.

Just as he was searching— "Huh?" He tripped over something lying on the riverbank and fell forward. "Whoa!" Panicking, he thrust his hands out to catch himself in the water. "Huh?" A puzzled voice reached his ears, very close to his face. He was lying on something soft. "Huh? Huh?"

He couldn’t understand what was happening. It felt like he had fallen on top of something, but he couldn’t see.

Then, as if the mischievous moon had been waiting for the worst possible moment, it emerged from behind the clouds.

The bright full moon revealed, in startling clarity, Illia lying on the ground with Kiyoaki on top of her.

The moonlight fully illuminated their bodies, leaving no detail hidden. Kiyoaki’s brain short-circuited, producing a loud crackling sound in his head. " " He couldn’t comprehend the sight of the beautiful, naked girl beneath him.

Illia’s mind also went blank, unable to process the fact that a naked boy had fallen on top of her.

The two simply stared at each other, seeing each other’s exposed bodies in full detail.

Kiyoaki’s eyes, from the closest possible distance, took in everything that had been hidden beneath Illia’s clothes.

Especially, the elegant collarbone and the two magnificent, proud peaks beneath it.

In the next instant—

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo o!"

A scream unlike anything he had ever heard in his life hit Kiyoaki at point- blank range, snapping him back to reality.

"Huh? Ah! Huh?!"

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooo!"

Crying, Illia hugged her body, curling up tightly.

Her scream pierced the night, causing lights to flicker on in the camp beyond the trees. Flashlights quickly approached.

"Wait, Illia! You’re mistaken, calm down!"

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooo!"

Illia, like a frightened little girl, screamed as she sat in the riverbed, backing away, her usual calm expression replaced by tears as she covered her chest and hips with her arms.

"What’s wrong, Illia?! Illia, where are you? We’re coming!"

Their comrades’ voices drew closer. Kiyoaki, in a panic, rushed across the river to retrieve his clothes. Just as he was about to put on his underwear, Mio’s flashlight illuminated him from head to toe.

"………………………………………………………………………………………………………"

Kiyoaki looked up, staring into the bright light.

Mio’s face froze as she saw Kiyoaki, stark naked, about to put on his pants, and Illia on the other side of the river, crying while barely covering her exposed body with her hands.

"Illia, are you okay?! ...What the hell is going on?"

Reiner, who had just arrived behind Mio, surveyed the scene as well. To any third party, what this situation appeared to be was clear. "Ohhh... So you really did it, huh..." Reiner scratched his head with a smirk.

"Kiyoaki, I didn’t think you had it in you. I mean, going after Illia? That takes guts... or maybe you’re just crazy..."

Before he could finish, a loud slap echoed through the air as Mio’s hand struck Reiner’s cheek.

"What the hell?!"

"What’s so funny?! We need to help Illia!" "Alright, alright, I get it... that hurt though..." Mio grabbed Illia’s clothes from the riverbank, dove into the river fully clothed, and gently reached out to Illia.

Illia clutched the clothes tightly, looking up at Mio with teary eyes, her lips trembling as she gasped for breath.

"I... I was... poked by something strange..."

She was still clearly confused. Mio shot a glare at Kiyoaki, then wrapped her arm around Illia’s bare back, shielding her from the boys as she guided her away into the trees to get dressed.

"You’re bold, man. I underestimated you," Reiner said, crossing his arms.

"You’d better write a will. I’d say tomorrow’s sunrise will be your last. Short as our time together’s been, I’ll make sure your family gets it."

Reiner slapped Kiyoaki on the back, flashing him a grin. Moments later, Balthazar and Kagura arrived with their flashlights.

"What... happened here?"

Kagura asked suspiciously, while Kiyoaki’s face remained frozen like a statue as he struggled to hide his embarrassment from his comrades.

Part 4 (Part 8 of Volume 8)

"The verdict: from this moment onward, Sakagami Kiyoaki will be assigned as a subordinate to Illia Kreischmidt."

After all the questioning had concluded, the simple court magistrate, Kagura Murasaki, read aloud the decision.

Kiyoaki nodded with a solemn expression, while Illia, standing next to him, kept

her stoic and unreadable mask firmly in place, staring straight ahead without moving.

"The term of service will last until you successfully escape this island and reach the Chandler fortress safely. During this time, Sakagami is not allowed to refuse Illia's orders. That is all. Kiyoaki, do you have any objections?"

"...None."

"And you, Illia? No grudges allowed, this matter is settled. Understood?" "...Yes." The rising sun, which was about to climb into the sky, wrapped the seven camp members in its light. Mio had a fully awakened expression, Cecil looked worried, Reiner was grinning, and Balthazar watched the makeshift court proceedings with indifference. In the end, it was determined that Kiyoaki had not intentionally attacked the naked Illia. The incident was resolved as an unfortunate accident caused by a chain of coincidental events.

"Illia, you should slap your subordinate. Give him a good one!"

Reiner teased. Illia nodded once and then stood before Kiyoaki. Raising her right hand fully behind her, she glared sharply at Kiyoaki’s face, fixing her gaze directly on him—

Thump.

With a sound effect like that, Illia's face turned bright red.

Like flames, like a ripened persimmon, like the sunset of this island, her complete and utter blushing engulfed her usually expressionless face.

Frozen in place, her hand still raised, she stopped moving. She couldn’t slap him. Illia's lips trembled. "...My hand! ...My palm will be sullied..."

With those clumsy, trembling words, she lowered her raised arm and, from her hands to her feet, she flushed red like a machine as she stiffly stretched her limbs and quickly walked away in fast, hurried steps.

"Oh dear... That's serious."

Watching Illia disappear into the trees, Reiner said, exasperated, as he put his arm around Kiyoaki's shoulders.

"I've never seen Illia like that before. She's totally confused. She’s been raised as a pure biological weapon for air combat in a sterile environment since she was a kid, so once she gets a crack, it's hard for her to recover."

Hearing this, Cecil became angry.

"Don't talk like that! Illia is not a weapon, she's a person! Anyone would be shocked by what happened in the middle of the night!"

Hands on her hips and cheeks puffed up, she glared at Reiner. "Ugh," Reiner raised his hands to the sky in mock surrender.

"We should give her some space. Kiyoaki, you'll have to handle the engine repairs alone. It looks like Illia can't do it in her current state."

"...Yes."

Prompted by Kagura, Kiyoaki slumped his shoulders and turned on his heel. He had to perform emergency repairs on the damaged areas of the airship Eriadore by the end of the day.

"Pervert."

As he passed by Mio, she muttered the word in the coldest voice possible. Slightly annoyed, he shot her a glare.

"...You know I didn’t do it on purpose."

"Really? Or maybe you noticed Illia going to the river and followed her?" "I said I didn't! How could I know who went where in that darkness?" "Hmph. You're such a pervert, you probably found her by scent. You're the worst. Absolutely disgusting."

"Enough! There are some things you just shouldn’t say."

"I don't care. Idiot. Creep. Pervert. I bet you're happy to be Illia's subordinate now, aren't you? So you can be close to her all the time."

Kiyoaki had no idea what Mio was talking about. Just as he was about to retort, Kagura stepped in to mediate.

"Both of you, stop. This matter is settled. We depart at dusk, so focus on your tasks. Time is running out."

"...Yes."

Mio gave a meek nod and, after shooting one last glare at Kiyoaki, went to inspect her station, the nose turret.

With a deep sigh, Kiyoaki headed off to check the engines.

Normally, repairs and inspections en route were the job of flight mechanics, but there were none on board this airship. Minor issues were supposed to be handled by ground mechanics back on Tsurugi Island.

The officers responsible for selecting the crew of seven had not anticipated a crash landing and had removed the flight engineers to save weight. Since Kiyoaki and Illia had the most technical knowledge after the mechanics, they had no choice but to handle the engineers' duties.

After about an hour of tinkering, Kiyoaki identified the problem: the second engine had a faulty carburetor, and the fourth engine had a seized shaft. He replaced the second engine’s carburetor with a spare and checked the fuel system connections, while he hand-polished the shaft and bearings on the fourth engine to ensure proper fit. Since he wasn't a professional mechanic, he might have overlooked other causes, but he lacked the knowledge to pinpoint them. Yet, in the middle of a battlefield, complaining about what was lacking wouldn't help.

──Is Illia okay?

As he worked alone, filing the shaft, he found himself thinking about Illia. If Reiner was right and she'd spent her whole childhood training to be an ace, last night’s events would have been overwhelming.

Just thinking about it caused Kiyoaki's mind to involuntarily flash back to the image of Illia’s naked body, illuminated by the pale moonlight.

Her cold eyes, her icy demeanor, her resolute posture, her impersonal and

mechanical tone—how could such feminine curves and lines be hidden beneath all that?

He was ashamed and disgusted by himself, but he couldn’t fight against the primal desire deep within him.

He tried to distract himself with other thoughts, washing away the memory, and finally finished the engine repairs.

After mounting the cowling on the engine using a ladder, he descended to the ground, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and sighed. It was 3:20 PM. Just as he pondered what to do next, Balthazar called out to him.

"We're deciding today's course. I want your input as well."

On the beach where the airship had run aground, Balthazar unfolded a nautical chart across a folding aluminum table, and set up a deck chair. The chart depicted the Akitsu Federation, the St Vault Empire, and the archipelago and waterfalls between them.

The current location, Cameron Island, and the destination, Chandler Fortress on Mauregan Island, were about ten hours apart by flight. Fuel was sufficient, and under normal circumstances, the route wouldn’t pose any problems.

However, the straight line connecting the departure point and destination passed through the threat zone of enemy air bases.

And those air bases were...

"The island of Messus, the Odessa Fortress..."

It was Kiyoaki's homeland, which had been seized by Urano.

Since the outbreak of the Hydrabard War five years ago, fierce battles had raged around Odessa Fortress. Four months ago, the Hydrabard ground forces finally managed to land, and the fortress had completely fallen into enemy hands. As a result, the communication routes between the Akitsu Federation and the St Vault Empire had been severed, and the tide in the southern seas had begun to shift in favor of the Urano-Hydrabard alliance. It was likely that St Vault's hasty entry into the conflict, even at the cost of their goodwill fleet, was due to the fall of Messus Island.

"You were born in Odessa, right? Are you familiar with the surrounding sea?" When asked, Kiyoaki answered honestly. "Before entering the Officer Academy, I flew a biplane around the sea near Messus Island. By looking at the islands, I can generally tell where I am. I can also predict weather changes by reading the sky and the sea."

"Did your father teach you that?"

"No, I learned it from someone who was my father’s apprentice. My father didn’t approve of me flying."

"I see. So... how would you fly?"

Kiyoaki studied the map, searching for the best route.

The direct path from Cameron Island to Chandler Fortress would pass through the threat zones of two enemy bases: the Odessa Fortress on Messus Island and the Sierra Greed Air Base on Santos Island, which was once part of the former Sylvania Kingdom. There was no way to avoid these zones, and flying through them would almost certainly result in detection by enemy radar, followed by

interception.

Would retreating be a better option?

Kiyoaki considered the route back to the Akitsu Federation’s capital, Misato.

However, this would take them through the heavily contested area around Tsurugi Island, where enemy forces were currently launching a major assault. Large air units were constantly flying in and out of the nearby Karanakta Fortress Airfield, and the area was right in the midst of a massive battle. A sluggish airship flying through such a zone would become an easy target for the Urano air squadrons, who were constantly competing among themselves to rack up kill counts.

Going forward would be hell, and retreating would be hell. Then... ──Fly at the time when detection is least likely, and when there are the fewest enemies.

It would be dangerous to act recklessly. If he were flying a fighter alone, he could afford to take risks, but they were aboard an airship this time. He couldn’t forget that seven lives depended on them.

Kiyoaki gave his suggestion.

"I propose we take the direct route to Chandler Fortress and fly at midnight. There is a risk of being detected by the ground radar at Odessa and Sierra Greed, but we’ll have to evade pursuit by blending into the darkness. If we depart at 8:00 PM, we should arrive at Chandler Fortress around 6:00 AM, just after sunrise. Taking off at night will be difficult, but landing is much harder."

"Agreed," Balthazar nodded.

"That’s reasonable. We’ll be flying on instruments through enemy territory with unknown weather conditions, but given the circumstances, we have no other choice... I’ll assign you the main pilot seat. During air combat or bad weather, consult with Illia and take turns at the controls. We’ll depart at 8:30 PM. Eat dinner before then."

"Understood."

Kiyoaki gave a sharp salute and turned on his heel to leave. But just as he did, Balthazar called out to him.

"There’s one thing that concerns me." "...?" "You and Illia. Your current rift. If the pilots are at odds, it will be impossible to get through a critical situation. Use the time before departure to reconcile with Illia. I don’t expect you to reach perfect harmony, but you should clear up any emotional baggage."

"...Yes."

The concern was valid. If they took off with the relationship between him and Illia as it stood, there was no way they’d be able to face a powerful enemy together. Given the cumbersome nature of the airship, they would have to rely on their piloting skills to survive any attack. He couldn't afford to let his poor coordination with Illia be the reason the entire crew perished.

"I’ll go find Illia." "Good. Take this with you." Balthazar handed over a revolver. It was loaded with six rounds.

"I saw smoke rising from deep within the island earlier today. It seems there are locals around. If you're in danger, don't hesitate to shoot."

"Understood."

Kiyoaki raised his head and headed into the grove where Illia had disappeared earlier. He hadn't seen her since, but he hoped she was alright.

Illia sat alone on a large rock jutting out into the stream, her long legs stretched out lazily in front of her.

The surface of the water reflected the colors of the forest, shimmering in a jade-like green. Occasionally, an unknown bird would cry out from beyond the veil of silence. Even with her eyes closed, the intense midsummer sunlight pierced through her eyelids.

Just sitting like this, the wind from the valley should have washed away the unpleasant memories from the night before—but it didn’t.

──My mortal enemy saw me naked.

That single fact was lodged deep within her chest and refused to leave. She felt frustrated, pitiful, and utterly miserable.

──Sakagami Masaharu's son must be mocking me.

──Because I’m a woman.

Illia glanced down at her own chest. As always, it was tightly bound with cloth to the point of pain, making the swelling barely noticeable.

──I wish I didn’t have these.

A surge of resentment rose within her. The words her father had repeated countless times during his drunken rants echoed in her ears from her childhood.

"If only you had been born a man."

Illia had been born after Karsten lost his right arm, so the father she knew was not the great ace pilot, but an alcoholic clinging to memories of his past. He longed for Illia to earn the title of "King of the Skies" and subjected his only daughter to rigorous training and endless studies, from morning until night, to master flying.

When Illia was six, her mother left the house. After that, her father sank deeper into his drinking, and his focus on Illia’s education intensified. Raised entirely as a boy, Illia never played like other girls her age, never had friends, and instead spent her time sitting in the cockpit of a decommissioned fighter jet in their yard, memorizing the meaning of every gauge, lever, switch, pedal, and control stick, flying imaginary battles in the sky.

Despite the harsh words and occasional physical punishment from her drunken father, Illia endured. When her father became incoherent, he often cursed the name of Sakagami Masaharu while beating Illia. The hatred he bore for the man who had taken his right arm, his status, and his ability to fly poured into Illia’s small body. Curled up on the ground, hands covering her head, she remembered the name “Sakagami” as her father’s fists and sticks rained down on her.

Illia worked hard. From the moment she became aware of herself until now, she had devoted every moment to mastering aviation.

No matter how miserable things were, she couldn’t abandon her father because she still loved him. At dinner, when her father, glass of cheap wine in hand, spoke of past aerial battles and comrades, he seemed happy. Even though she had heard the same stories dozens of times, she could vividly imagine him soaring through the skies, shooting down enemies, and she listened eagerly. Someday, she wanted to fly like that herself.

Her unchanging goal was to become St Vault’s King of the Skies and see her father smile with pride.

And now, fate had brought her face to face with Sakagami Masaharu's son, sharing a cockpit beside him. She didn’t want to lose, and she wanted to make sure he knew, deep in his bones, that he could never beat her in the sky. Someday they would engage in a mock aerial battle, but before that, she would make him give up and admit defeat.

But then.

──He saw me naked.

The thought returned, dragging her back down into despair.

──Of all people, it had to be him.

Her most hated enemy had seen what she wanted least to be seen. Up close, fully exposed. He was surely mocking her chest at this very moment.

──I wish I had been born a man.

She resented her overly large chest. She wished she could cut it off. It got in the way of handling the control stick and was nothing but a hindrance to a pilot.

"Why were you born a woman?"

Her father’s words echoed again in her mind. Even covering her ears and closing her eyes couldn’t dispel the image of her father’s angry face and those hateful words.

Splash.

At that moment, a sound broke through the water nearby. "...?" Illia raised her head, her daydream shattered. Standing in the stream was a shabby-looking man. "?!" He looked to be in his fifties. His reddish-brown skin was sun-worn, his long, curly hair was unkempt, and he wore a sleeveless beige shirt that had probably once been white, now filthy. His shorts were wrinkled, and he wore worn-out boots. His sunken eyes stared directly at Illia.

──A local. So they were here.

Illia slowly nodded at the man, careful not to provoke him. The man remained still, silently observing her. His eyes were unusually white.

In the archipelago, whenever one crash-landed on an island, the first priority was to be cautious when making contact with the locals. The four thousand islands were home to closed communities, each with distinct races, cultures, and temperaments. Some islands were inhabited by peaceful farmers, while others were controlled by cults, pastoral islands where sheep outnumbered people, islands that expelled all outsiders, and islands where cannibalism was practiced. It was impossible to know the nature of an island until one landed.

Illia rose slowly from the rock, observing the man without making any sudden movements.

──Is he peaceful or aggressive?

That was the first thing to determine. Without prejudice, one should respect the other’s humanity and approach the first contact with care. A smile was always the best starting point.

Illia tried to smile.

But──no matter how much her brain commanded her to “smile,” her expression didn’t move.

Panicking inside, she tried again, but the muscles of her face seemed confused, frozen from having remained expressionless for so long.

──I... I don’t know how to smile...! Realizing this, she despaired at herself. Her emotional development had been stunted. Since childhood, her heart and body had been shaped solely for piloting planes by her father’s education, leaving her without the ability to express honest emotions through facial expressions or actions.

She was familiar with anger and sadness, and those emotions showed on her face. But joy, happiness, and other bright feelings were foreign to her, so her face couldn’t reflect them at all.

In an aircraft, she could easily execute the battle maneuvers she envisioned in the sky. But once she left the cockpit, she didn’t know how to smile.

Feeling utterly pathetic, Illia decided to try speaking gently to the local man instead.

"Hello. Due to unavoidable circumstances, I’ve crash-landed on this island. I’m not here to disrupt the peace of your island, so please don’t worry."

She spoke as kindly as possible, but the words came out with a cold, metallic ring, devoid of any humanity. The man remained expressionless, taking a step toward her.

"I wish for peaceful contact. I’m sure you are a proud people who maintain your autonomy and independence. We respect that. We mean no harm."

As she spoke, Illia took a step back.

A dangerous gleam flickered in the man's eyes as he approached. A rustle came from the bushes behind her. Turning her head, she saw five more men emerge from the trees.

They wore ragged jeans and shorts, filthy shirts that hadn’t been washed in ages, and they had yellowed teeth and unnaturally large, pale eyes. One of them, to make matters worse, held a metal farming tool in his hand. The men ranged in age from an ugly youth in his twenties to a foul-smelling man in his sixties, all of them staring at Illia with burning intensity.

She was completely surrounded by the six men. A chill of dread ran down her spine. Regretting her lack of a weapon, Illia nonetheless maintained her composure and spoke to the men firmly.

"We do not seek a fight. I apologize for trespassing on your land. We’ll leave immediately, so there’s no need for violence—"

Before she could finish, the first man let out a strange cry and lunged at her.

Their intentions were clear now. Illia bit her lip and kicked the man hard in the groin.

The man let out a scream and collapsed in agony. The others snickered, and one of them reached out to grab Illia.

Illia’s hand struck the man's neck, sending him crumpling to the ground without a sound. She had learned these combat techniques in the officer academy, and against untrained civIllians, she was more than capable.

"I do not wish for unnecessary violence. Back off."

Without even glancing at the two fallen men, Illia commanded the remaining four. But they continued to leer at her, their eyes still fixed on her body.

Sensing a hostile presence from behind, she spun around. A farming tool was raised, coming down toward her. She dodged the blow with quick footwork. The iron fork-like prongs grazed her hair and embedded themselves deep into the ground.

Sweat trickled down her temple. She prepared to strike back but found her legs wouldn’t move.

"?!"

The man she had kicked earlier had grabbed her ankle. At the same time, the other men rushed toward her.

"Let go of me!!"

There was no way to stop them. Their overpowering stench filled her nose. Her vision blurred. The men’s rough hands entangled her, attempting to force her into submission.

"Stop it!! Let go of me!!"

She screamed, but all she received in return was their coarse laughter. Strong arms pinned her hands, and she could smell their foul breath as several hands began to restrain her limbs.

──I’m going to be violated.

──Because I’m a woman.

Tears welled up in her eyes. At that moment— A gunshot echoed through the sky. The sound reverberated off the distant mountains. The scent of gunpowder filled the air. The men froze.

"Let her go!"

A firm, commanding voice called out.

Through the gap between the men, Illia caught a glimpse.

Kiyoaki Sakagami stood there, his revolver pointed skyward, glaring fiercely at the men.

Tears welled up again, but these were different from the ones she had shed earlier, Illia thought.

Kiyoaki lowered his gun, aimed at the ground, and fired again.

The loud crack of the shot startled the men. The hands holding Illia began to loosen.

"Illia, come here...!"

Breaking free from their grip, Illia hurried toward Kiyoaki, hiding behind him and pulling her disheveled clothes together over her chest. Her heart pounded furiously, and her legs trembled uncontrollably.

"Don’t move. I said, don’t move..."

Kiyoaki pointed his gun at the men, slowly retreating step by step.

The men exchanged glances, hesitating but still approaching cautiously. "I said don’t move! If you move, I’ll shoot. I’m serious!" Kiyoaki shouted in a firm tone, aiming the gun directly at the man’s forehead.

But the men, their eyes still gleaming with that eerie light, continued to approach.

Kiyoaki didn't shoot. No, he couldn’t shoot. He had never killed a person before.

"Illia, run away. I’ll handle this," Kiyoaki whispered.

Illia, clutching the front of her torn military uniform with both hands, forced herself to speak with a brave voice.

"I won’t let you act all tough. I’ll fight too." "Just go! Warn the others—" Kiyoaki began to yell when, suddenly, the bushes beside them rustled violently. "?!" A large man emerged out of nowhere, tackling Kiyoaki to the ground.

Kiyoaki tried to shoot, but the man’s hit to his waist knocked him over, pinning his gun hand to the ground.

"Kiyoaki!!"

Illia’s scream tore through the air. At the same moment, the other four men lunged at her again.

"Ugh!"

She kicked one, punched another in the jaw, but the third man grabbed her, forcing her down to the ground.

"Stop it!! Don’t touch her, stop it!!"

Kiyoaki's desperate cries echoed through the forest as the men piled on top of Illia's struggling body.

Illia screamed, but her voice was drowned out by the men’s rough laughter. "Kill me instead, stop it, let Illia go!!" Kiyoaki’s heart-wrenching pleas went unheard. The large man holding him down struck him repeatedly with his fists.

With each blow, Kiyoaki’s consciousness began to fade. Blood poured from his nose as he regretted not shooting when he had the chance.

He should have shot. Balthazar had warned him. He had let his own sentimentality stop him from shooting a dangerous enemy, and now, they were both paying the price. In war, if you don’t shoot, you’ll be shot. He hadn’t followed that simple rule. Now, it was too late. He would be killed, and Illia would be horribly violated by these men.

If only he could turn back time, he would shoot without hesitation. No apology could make up for his failure to protect her.

Just then.

A flash of silver.

The giant man’s neck twisted at an unnatural angle, and he collapsed sideways, lifeless.

"?!"

The weight lifted off him, and Kiyoaki looked up in shock.

A lithe, swift figure had closed the distance between them and the men pinning Illia down.

The sound of a blade cutting through the air sliced through the men’s vile laughter.

Two of the men collapsed without even managing a scream, their necks twisted and broken.

A voice, clear and commanding, echoed through the scene. "You cannot complain if you’re killed, can you?" After a single slash, Kagura Murasaki stared down the remaining two men, her sword lowered at an angle.

"Don’t expect any mercy. I’m in a foul mood."

The long sword she always wore at her side was now drawn, gleaming with a fierce

silver light.

From Kagura’s presence radiated a pale, ghostly aura. Even the blade itself seemed to emanate an invisible mist.

Kagura was enraged, and it showed.

The two men who had been holding Illia stood up slowly. Though they recognized she was holding a sword, they smirked, thinking they could overpower a girl.

One of the men raised his farming tool above his head and charged at Kagura with a yell.

Her eyes glinted with deadly intensity. "Filth." With a silent strike, she sliced diagonally from lower right to upper left. The air itself seemed to split. The farming tool was cleaved in two, the handle falling from the man’s hand. "Be gone." Kagura’s blade followed the same arc downwards, twisting the man’s neck and sending him collapsing to the ground.

Beyond the fallen man, the remaining three men let out threatening shouts. Kagura moved like a sleek leopard, closing the distance in a flash. Another slash cut through the air.

One more man fell. Kagura spun gracefully, like a dancer, and with a horizontal slash, two more were dispatched.

Each time the sword caught the sunlight, another man collapsed to the ground.

Finally, Kagura struck the last remaining man in the pit of his stomach with the butt of her sword. He doubled over, gasping in pain.

"Illia, can you stand?"

Kagura asked, her voice calm as she held her sword's hilt firmly against the man’s gut. Illia gritted her teeth and managed to get to her feet.

"Do whatever you want to him." "...Understood."

Without even wiping the dirt off her face, Illia grabbed the man by the legs and kicked him hard between the legs.

His agonized scream echoed through the forest. It was a brutal kick that even made Kiyoaki wince. Kagura nodded in satisfaction.

"It was the back of the blade. They’re all still alive. You’ve been through a terrible ordeal. Feel free to punish them as you see fit."

Illia wiped her eyes once and then, without a word, began to approach each man, kicking and stomping on their groins as much as she wanted. Their screams, like wild boars being branded, rang out one by one.

It was a terrifying sight. They would likely never recover from their injuries. Illia showed no expression, exacting on each man what they had tried to do to her.

Because she was a woman, she didn’t know how to hold back. Whether she knew it or not, she instinctively inflicted the worst possible pain on each one of them.

It was a scene that made every man want to look away. Kiyoaki silently swore never to anger Illia.

"...Thank you, Vice Captain. You saved me."

After thoroughly crushing the source of each man’s existence and leaving them useless, Illia took a deep breath and thanked Kagura.

Kagura smiled and sheathed her sword. Illia glanced at the hilt and its decoration.

"Is that sword from the samurai of the Akitsu Federation?"

"Yes. I was born into a family of Samurai. For generations, we served as sword instructors to the shogun's household. Because of that, I was trained thoroughly in the secret techniques from a young age."

"I was mesmerized. Your control of distance and timing seem applicable to aerial combat."

"Many aces in the Akitsu Federation study swordsmanship to improve their skills. I’m thinking of starting a kendo club once I join the Air Hunt. Would you like to join?"

"I’d be honored. Today, I realized the necessity of swordsmanship. Please teach me."

"Good. Kiyoaki, you’ll join too, right?" "Yes. If I’m welcome." "Great, now I’ve got two members already. Not bad. Let’s head back. Looks like we won’t have peace until nightfall."

Kagura’s usual casual tone returned as she prompted them. Kiyoaki and Illia nodded, and the three of them began walking together.

Illia walked silently, heading toward the edge of the forest. Kiyoaki walked beside her, saying nothing.

"Kiyoaki."

Illia suddenly muttered. "Hm?" "...Your nose is bleeding."

In her usual blunt tone, she pointed it out. When Kiyoaki touched his nose, sure enough, blood was dripping down.

"It’s fine. It’ll stop soon."

He said cheerfully, and Illia stiffened, pulling a white handkerchief from her breast pocket.

"...Use this."

Without even looking at him, she roughly shoved the handkerchief in front of him. Kiyoaki blinked in surprise before accepting her gesture.

"...Thanks. I’ll wash it and give it back."

"...No. You don’t need to return it... It’s dirty."

Kiyoaki smiled wryly and wiped the blood from his nose. The handkerchief smelled nice, and the white fabric was soon stained red. Illia’s face turned as red as the blood, but she kept looking straight ahead.

"When I said it was dirty, I didn’t mean you’re dirty... I just meant the handkerchief is dirty..."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks for the handkerchief." "...Yeah. ...You don’t have to return it..."

Mumbling awkwardly, Illia walked ahead with stiff, exaggerated movements.

Part 5 (Part 9 of Volume 1)

"We need to hurry with our departure. I've noticed smoke signals rising from various parts of the island. It's a sign of danger," Balthazar reported decisively.

"We're pulling out. Get the Eriadore airborne immediately. No dawdling—if we stay on this island any longer, we'll be roasted alive."

The seven crew members worked together to drag the Eriadore, which had run aground on the beach, back into the shallow water.

Reiner and Kiyoaki carried the heavy radio equipment onboard. Cecil verified the codebook and radio frequencies, while Mio and Reiner charted tonight’s planned course on the navigation maps. Illia took her place in the co-pilot's seat, conducting checks on the controls and instruments, and Kagura started the engine, ensuring there were no irregular sounds like grinding or knocking.

As Kiyoaki finished setting up the radio detector and was checking its operation, Mio approached from behind.

"That was rough, huh?" Her tone was cold. "Yeah. It was really dangerous. If Kagura hadn’t heard the gunfire, it could’ve been much worse."

"What were you doing with Illia?" Her voice grew even colder. "Nothing. I went to find her, but she was attacked by locals. I tried to help, but I couldn’t bring myself to shoot anyone. Kagura saved us. That’s all."

"Hmph."

Mio’s response was curt, and Kiyoaki could feel the thick tension behind him. He turned around.

Since they'd known each other for a long time, Kiyoaki could tell just by looking—Mio was furious.

"Are you mad about something? I don’t get it. We made it back safely, can’t you at least be happy about that?"

"...I don’t care. Idiot. Perv. Freak."

She stuck out her tongue and quickly stormed off to the forward gun turret. "Wait, Mio..." Kiyoaki called after her, but she didn’t turn around.

"Having a lover's quarrel?" Reiner teased again. Ignoring him, Kiyoaki sat in the pilot's seat. Illia sat quietly beside him.

Everything felt awkward and tense.

As he checked the instruments, Kiyoaki stole a glance at Illia out of the corner of his eye. Her shirt's buttons had been torn off, leaving her chest slightly exposed.

The memory of what he’d seen at the river last night flashed behind his eyelids.

The two peaks, normally hidden under the tightly wrapped cloth, now standing proud beneath her uniform.

──Ugh.

He barely managed to suppress a groan. " " There seemed to be an unspoken tension coming from Illia as well. He thought it would be better to say something, anything, to break the awkward silence. He forced himself to speak in a calm tone.

"I-I'll take the helm. You handle the throttle, Illia." "...Ah, alright. I’ll take care of the throttle." "O-Okay. Thank you."

Both of their faces turned bright red as they exchanged awkward, mechanical greetings. At that moment, Cecil and Balthazar entered the cockpit.

"Get us moving. The locals are gathering," Balthazar ordered.

Kiyoaki quickly started the engine. Thanks to the repairs, the takeoff went smoothly. Through the windshield, he saw a group of 30 to 40 locals gathered near the plains and hills, holding primitive weapons like farm tools and clubs. Even from a distance, their hostile intent was clear.

"We're leaving."

The Eriadore glided across the water, exiting the inlet. The narrow gap between the cliffs on either side framed the sky, which was already beginning to darken.

Kiyoaki maneuvered the airship out of the inlet with the foot pedals.

Unfortunately, the sea was calm. It would have been easier to take off if there had been wind, but they had no time to be picky.

"Illia, full throttle." "Roger." Illia pushed the four throttle levers hanging from the ceiling forward. The

engine’s RPMs surged, and the propellers roared, enveloping the airship in their power as the Eriadore gained momentum.

Kiyoaki quickly moved the control stick up and down. With no wind, he had to sway the airship to improve lift-off.

"Takeoff."

In a flash, they reached the speed needed for takeoff, and the Eriadore lifted into the sky.

The white-capped waves that had rushed past them receded into the distance far below. The tilted rays of sunlight poured through the cockpit’s glass ceiling. The beloved aircraft soared higher and higher into the sky, unaffected by the damage it had sustained. At an altitude of 2,500 meters, they leveled out into horizontal flight.

The time was now 5:15 PM. Balthazar announced the situation.

"We're taking off three hours ahead of schedule. We'll pass through the sea region where the enemy surveillance grids of Odessa Airfield and Sierra Greed Airfield overlap. All hands, take battle positions. Don't forget, we're already in a war zone. Keep a strict watch, and report anything unusual immediately."

The original plan had been to take off at 8:30 PM under the cover of darkness, cross the enemy surveillance zone, and land in front of Chandler Fortress at dawn. However, thanks to the locals, they had taken off early and would now have to fly in daylight for nearly two more hours. As long as the sun was up, they would be easily spotted by enemy planes, making it a dangerous flight for the slow-moving airship.

Balthazar leaned over to check Kiyoaki’s instrument panel.

"We have plenty of fuel. If all goes well, we should reach the coast near Chandler Fortress around 3:30 AM. We'll circle in the air until we have visibility, and as soon as we can make out the horizon, we’ll land. Can you do it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Cecil, man the right gun turret. Only receive radio signals, don’t send anything down. If we transmit, they'll detect us immediately. Absolutely no radio emissions."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

"Kiyoaki, Illia, I’m leaving the piloting entirely to you. Kagura and I will take up positions at the gun turrets. If anything happens, call us through the voice pipe."

"Yes, sir!"

Balthazar took his position at the tail gun, Kagura manned the left-side gun turret, and Cecil took the right-side turret with the radio. Reiner was stationed at the upper turret, while Mio sat in the nose turret, with all seven crew members watching their respective directions.

And once again, Kiyoaki and Illia were left alone in the cockpit. " " " "

They were currently flying through dangerous airspace. They had to forget the

trivial matters on the ground and focus only on reaching their destination.

Kiyoaki scanned the airspace ahead and above, occasionally tilting the airship to allow the side gunners to monitor the area directly below the ship. They were now deep in Urano airspace, and an enemy fighter could appear at any moment.

Behind them, the sun was gradually sinking toward the horizon.

He prayed for it to disappear faster. All he wanted right now was the cover of nightfall.

The minutes dragged by. The current time was 6:50 PM. Sunset would be around 7:10 PM, and even after the sun set, the twilight would last about 15 more minutes. They still had to endure 40 more minutes of daylight.

And then—

"One large bomber at two o’clock, flying the same course," Mio’s voice came through the voice pipe from the nose turret.

Kiyoaki looked in the direction she indicated. Sure enough, a large glint of light was moving in the same direction as the Eriadore.

"That’s... not friendly, right?"

Cecil, who was monitoring enemy radio signals, called out through the voice pipe.

"The Urano radio chatter is picking up. I think they’ve spotted us too." Illia quietly observed the distant aircraft. "...It’s a Gorgona."

She muttered the name of Urano’s latest heavy bomber.

It was 20 meters long with a wingspan of 30 meters. Slightly smaller than the Eriadore, but its flammable piping system was covered in rubber insulation, giving it excellent fire resistance and durability. Equipped with 15 15mm machine guns, it was like a flying fortress, capable of holding its own even against fighter formations.

Mio reported again through the voice pipe.

"No accompanying escort fighters. It's just the Gorgona. It’s probably on its way back from a reconnaissance mission to Tsurugi Island."

If there were fighter escorts, they would be in serious trouble, but it seemed they didn’t have to worry about that for now. The Gorgona had likely reported their presence to the Odessa base, but there wouldn’t be a dogfight. Bombers and airships weren’t designed for aerial combat.

"It’s flying the same route. I hate to say it, but... this feels gross."

Because the route from Cameron Island to Chandler Fortress passed right by the Odessa Fortress on Messus Island, it felt like they were flying in formation with the enemy Gorgona, heading back to base together.

Balthazar’s voice came through the voice pipe.

"Alter course and put some distance between us. There’s no need to expose ourselves. Mio, any issues?"

"The wind speed and direction are stable, no problems. Adjust course 20 degrees

to the left."

"Roger. Turning 20 degrees left."

Kiyoaki steered the ship to the left as directed. It slightly deviated from their planned route, but there was no helping it. They weren’t foolish enough to accompany the enemy bomber back to their fortress.

As they altered course, the Gorgona’s silhouette should have gradually shrunk into the distance—but it wasn’t.

"...Huh?"

It wasn’t shrinking. In fact, it was getting bigger.

The Gorgona was closing in from the side. It lowered to match the Eriadore’s altitude and steadily shortened the distance from the rear right.

Even though they had "said their goodbyes," it was like an unwanted friend chasing after them.

"...Is it coming towards us?" "Could it be...?"

As the voices of the crew carried their unease through the voice pipe— "All hands, prepare for combat! They’re going to fire!!" Balthazar’s voice rang out. He must have spotted the Gorgona’s rear gun turret aimed at them from the tail.

──The Gorgona was about to attack the Eriadore!

In the instant Kiyoaki realized this, a barrage of 15mm machine gun fire erupted from the Gorgona’s left side.

The sky to Kiyoaki’s right was sliced apart by thousands of tracer rounds. "Evade!!" Kiyoaki frantically swung the controls. The Eriadore slid through the air with agonizing slowness.

Bullets thudded into the fuselage. At the same time, Cecil in the right-side gun turret and Reiner in the upper turret opened fire. The Eriadore had five 15mm machine guns in total—only half as many as the Gorgona. In firepower, speed, maneuverability, and defense, the Gorgona outclassed them in every way.

"They're not backing off, they’re coming right at us!"

Rather than being intimidated, the Gorgona seemed to relish the challenge of a gunfight, closing the distance even further.

The space between the two massive aircraft was filled with the deadly exchange of machine gun fire, the air itself burning red with tracer rounds. It was like a naval battle, with each ship bombarding the other’s broadside until one of them sank.

"This is insane!"

"Even bomber pilots want to fight. If this keeps up, Cecil will be in danger!"

Illia’s words jolted Kiyoaki. The right side of the airship was taking the brunt of the enemy fire, and Cecil was stationed in the right-side gun turret.

"I’m going to descend! Everyone, find cover in the clouds!"

Kiyoaki pushed the control stick forward. The Eriadore, lacking in agility, could at least gain some speed by descending. If they tried to engage head-on, they’d be torn to pieces. Their only hope was to find a cloud to hide in or keep dodging until nightfall.

The Eriadore’s 40-meter wings groaned as the ship plummeted toward the ocean. The wind howled past the cockpit as they dove from 2,500 meters.

They struggled to shake off their pursuer, but the Gorgona was relentless, descending in parallel, its 13 machine gunners howling as they unleashed thousands of rounds. The right side of the airship continued to take heavy fire.

"Cecil, Cecil, are you okay?!"

Illia called through the voice pipe. There was no response. "Cecil!!" For once, emotion slipped into Illia’s voice. She and Cecil had been together since their days in the gymnasium, like sisters. When it came to Cecil, even Illia couldn’t stay calm.

"I’m alive, I’m shooting from the right turret! I just don’t have time to answer! Illia, focus on flying!"

Reiner, from the upper turret, reported Cecil’s status. With everyone’s view restricted, they had to rely on the voice pipe to share what each person could see.

At 500 meters, Kiyoaki leveled out the airship. But as he looked ahead, despair washed over him.

"There’s no clouds...!!"

The sky was nearly clear. Only a few scattered, small clouds floated about, none large enough to hide in. The sun still hung just above the horizon, illuminating everything in sight.

They had nowhere to hide. They couldn’t outrun the Gorgona, and if they tried to fight, the overwhelming firepower would destroy them.

──We’re going to be shot down.

A cold knot formed in his stomach at the realization. There was no way out. "They’re circling around to the left, 110 degrees!"

Kagura’s voice crackled through the voice pipe. The enemy had torn apart the right side of the airship and was now repositioning to attack the left.

"They’re flying in a zigzag pattern, staying on us. These guys are used to hunting airships!"

Illia warned. Their pursuit was flawless. They must have practiced this many times against Akitsu Federation airships.

The Gorgona stuck close to their left rear, just as they were about to catch up again.

And suddenly, they accelerated, moving alongside the Eriadore, ready to fire

from their side turrets.

This time, the left side of the airship was riddled with thousands of bullets. And standing there— "Kagura!! Kagura!!"

Kiyoaki screamed. The image of his sister, who had died protecting him in a cornfield, overlapped with Kagura. He could feel the warmth of blood and the memory of a fading body as it seeped back into him.

"Kiyoaki, bank hard!!"

Illia’s shout snapped him back to reality. He frantically turned the controls to put distance between them and the enemy. The air was filled with the roar of machine gun fire, and it was impossible to hear the voices coming through the voice pipe clearly.

"Is everyone okay? Does anyone have injuries?!"

Kiyoaki called out through the voice pipe. Only Reiner and Balthazar responded. He couldn’t tell if Cecil, Kagura, or Mio were unharmed.

"Damn it, back off!!"

Kiyoaki cursed as he tried to shake off the Gorgona, but it pursued like a hungry wolf, toying with the helpless airship.

"You bastards...!!"

Hatred for Urano welled up inside him.

For killing his family, for taking his homeland, and now, for trying to destroy his ship and his comrades.

"Kiyoaki, turn the tail toward the enemy. We can't win in a broadside battle. Align the stern with the enemy, and we’ll even the firepower."

Balthazar’s calm voice broke through Kiyoaki’s fury.

It was true. In a broadside battle, their firepower was no match for the Gorgona. But if they turned the tail directly toward the enemy, the rear turret would face off against the Gorgona’s front turret, balancing the firepower. However, this would put Balthazar, manning the tail gun, in the most dangerous position. The rear gunner of a large airship often had the highest casualty rate.

"Captain...!"

"Don’t misunderstand, I’m doing this to survive. Do it quickly, we won’t last much longer."

"...Yes, sir!"

Kiyoaki couldn’t see the Gorgona from the cockpit. He had to rely on the reports coming through the voice pipe to maneuver the ship and aim the rear toward the enemy.

In a dogfight between fighters, getting behind the enemy was the key to victory.

But in a battle between large aircraft with turrets all around, being behind wasn’t necessarily a disadvantage. It was about focusing your firepower on the enemy’s weak points.

"160 degrees to the left! They’re accelerating to match our speed!"

Kagura’s voice came through again. She sounded strained, possibly injured, but she pushed herself to speak.

"Grr..."

Kiyoaki clenched his teeth and glared through the windshield. He had to trust Kagura’s report and turn the ship’s tail toward the enemy. He called through the voice pipe.

"Kagura, we can’t see the Gorgona from here. Tell me when to turn!" "Not yet, not yet...!" The Gorgona’s engines roared closer from the left rear. It seemed they wanted to keep flying in formation and continue the bombardment.

"They’re toying with us...!"

Illia muttered a curse as she glared out at the left side of the sky. From their position in the cockpit, they couldn’t even see the enemy. All they could rely on were the reports from their comrades.

The seven of them had to work together as one. If they didn’t, they’d be shot down. Kiyoaki focused on the voice pipe, waiting for Kagura’s signal. The unnerving hum of the Gorgona’s four engines grew louder.

His anxiety spiked. He was terrified. He wanted to turn the rudder right now. "Not yet, hold on...!" As if sensing Kiyoaki’s impatience, Kagura held him back. Beside him, Illia slipped her feet into the foot pedals and grasped the controls. The strength of her grip on the shared controls transmitted through to Kiyoaki’s arms.

Illia didn’t say anything.

But through the controls they held together, Kiyoaki could feel her determination.

──You’re not alone. We’re all flying together.

That fact turned into courage, and a strong resolve to survive together bloomed inside him.

"They're coming...!"

The moment Kagura’s voice rang out.

A thunderous roar of machine gun fire ripped through the Eriadore’s left side. "Kagura!!" "Rudder, now!!"

As Kagura’s voice cut through the gunfire, Kiyoaki slammed his foot into the right pedal.

The 25-meter-long airship groaned as it turned, bringing its tail toward the

Gorgona’s side.

Balthazar aimed the rear turret at the Gorgona’s cockpit.

All of the Gorgona’s right-side turrets now targeted Balthazar. "Captain!!" At that moment, both aircraft unleashed their machine gun fire, the bullets crossing through the air.

Tracer rounds scorched the sky, streaking past the cockpit. Armor-piercing rounds punched through the fuselage, sending sparks flying inside the ship.

The Gorgona swung its nose to the right, trying to move alongside them again. "Rudder, now!!" Just before they were caught, Kagura shouted again. For the second time, Kiyoaki turned right, and Balthazar sprayed 15mm bullets into the enemy’s side. The Gorgona, despite taking hits, stubbornly pursued them, trying to line up alongside again.

"Back off, damn you...!!"

Kiyoaki dodged frantically as the Eriadore was riddled with holes. Spinning from side to side, he kept positioning the tail toward the enemy. The nauseating spinning motion continued, but whoever gave up first would lose.

"Rudder... now!!"

On Kagura’s sixth command, Kiyoaki hit the right pedal again, and Balthazar fired the rear guns.

The next moment— "Full retreat!!" Balthazar’s order echoed through the voice pipe. Without seeing what had happened, Illia pushed the four engines to full throttle.

"Run, run, run!!"

With no idea what had occurred, Kiyoaki followed Balthazar’s lead and flew full speed ahead.

"They’re not chasing us! They’re pulling away!!" "They’ve been hit! The cockpit was hit!!"

Kagura and Reiner reported. Kiyoaki craned his neck to look out the right side of the cockpit, and sure enough, the Gorgona had tilted and was retreating. They hadn’t shot it down, but it seemed a critical hit had been landed. The aggressive chase from earlier had vanished, and the enemy was retreating swiftly.

"We made it...!"

By consistently keeping the rear of the airship toward the enemy’s side, they had reduced their own vulnerability while concentrating their fire on the enemy. Though the odds had been slim, they had managed to land a hit on the Gorgona’s cockpit. Balthazar’s leadership and his willingness to risk himself had paid off.

But after taking so much fire, was Balthazar okay?

"Is everyone alright?"

Balthazar’s calm voice cut through the uncertainty. Everyone responded that they were safe. They were all likely injured to some degree, but no one was bothering to report minor wounds. Kiyoaki, too, felt relieved after confirming everyone’s safety.

"Don’t celebrate just yet. We’ve only survived this immediate danger. While the sun is still up, don’t leave your positions at the guns."

"Yes, sir!"

Everyone responded through the voice pipe. Then, Illia, unusually, asked a question from beside him.

"Who hit them just now?"

The intention behind Illia's earlier question still puzzled Kiyoaki, so he asked again with suspicion.

"You mean the shot that hit the enemy's cockpit?"

Illia kept her eyes fixed ahead, her expression tense, but she corrected herself.

"...It was too precise. Up until then, the shots had scattered frustratingly, but suddenly, it was as if... someone had intentionally aimed for the enemy's cockpit."

"Are you saying it wasn't a stray bullet?"

"...No. It was a well-aimed shot, distinct from the previous ones... almost like a sniper’s precision."

If someone in the gun turrets had indeed targeted the enemy cockpit, that would be an extraordinary display of skill.

"Are you suggesting that someone with such remarkable marksmanship is among the cadets on this ship?"

"...I'm probably overthinking it. Forget I said anything. It might be the effects of flying at high altitudes for too long."

Illia dismissed the conversation just as Balthazar's voice came through the voice pipe.

"Until sunset, we’ll continue flying while keeping watch. Everyone, check for damage nearby and handle any repairs you can."

Hearing that, Kiyoaki looked around the cockpit. Fortunately, it was mostly intact.

However, the fuselage's wiring—

"The pipe systems are damaged. We also need to check for damage to the lower part of the ship. And engine number four seems to be acting up as well."

Illia reported after inspecting the instrument panel. For now, there was no immediate issue with flight, but she informed Balthazar of the situation.

As Kiyoaki noticed, the sun had finally dipped below the horizon.

The lingering glow still painted the western sky, but it was fading as they flew

onward. Gentle nightfall descended from the zenith, and Kiyoaki couldn’t remember feeling more grateful for the arrival of darkness.

Just as he was about to let out a sigh of relief, Mio’s voice came through the voice pipe.

"Uh—sorry, but I have some bad news." The crew fell into silence once again. "I've lost our position. We... don't know where we are." Another wave of heavy silence swept through the airship. This was a situation they had anticipated. After engaging in air combat and executing rapid maneuvers, it had become impossible to accurately measure wind direction and speed. Without landmarks to rely on for dead reckoning, the only navigation method left was celestial navigation, but now that the sun had set, they couldn’t use that either.

Mio continued her explanation.

"Technically, we can still navigate by reading the stars to figure out our heading. However, I don’t know how much we've drifted off course. We can aim for Chandler Fortress, but if we miscalculate, we might end up flying over an enemy base. That’s the situation."

The silence was palpable. One problem after another. Balthazar eventually responded.

"That means we'll have to fly through the night based on instinct." "...Yes, that’s what it comes down to." "What's done is done. Cecil, keep monitoring for enemy communications. If we get close to an enemy base, we should pick up some signals. The last thing we want is to encounter night fighters."

"Yes, I’ll do my best...!"

Night fighters—two-seater aircraft equipped with onboard radar that could track and attack even in the dead of night. For an airship, they were the most dangerous adversary in the dark.

"According to our initial plan, we should pass 130 kilometers off Odessa Fortress in about five hours. But that’s just an estimate..."

Mio's voice trailed off uncertainly. Ideally, they would have moonlight to help, but unfortunately, thick clouds obscured the sky. With no visible moon or stars, they couldn’t rely on the shadows of islands to gauge their position.

As if reveling in the peril they faced, the night deepened, and the clouds above thickened, blotting out the heavens.

The cockpit was engulfed in darkness. No stars, no sea below, no clouds—just the endless, inky black. Kiyoaki flew, relying only on the compass, altimeter, and speedometer.

──What a lonely world.

With the sun gone, the world outside the windows was as if a black curtain had been draped over everything. The only light was the faint green glow of the radium dials on the instrument panel. They were cruising at 2,500 meters at 240 kilometers per hour, but with no change in the scenery, it barely felt like they

were flying at all—it was more like sitting in a museum cockpit display.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kiyoaki saw Illia, also swallowed by the darkness. The radium glow softly illuminated her silhouette.

The only sounds were the distant drone of the four engines and the oppressive silence of the night.

"It's so quiet," Kiyoaki remarked, trying to break the eerie stillness. "Yeah." Illia's curt reply only returned them to the heavy silence, filled again with nothing but engine noise.

"We’re supposed to switch shifts every three hours, right? Shouldn’t it be about time?" Kiyoaki asked, knowing the answer but trying to keep the conversation going.

"Twenty-three minutes left."

"Got it. Sorry, were you sleeping?" "No." "Oh, okay."

Having run out of things to say, Kiyoaki gripped the controls again. After everything that had happened on the island and in the air battle, he still didn’t know if the distance between him and Illia had grown closer or further apart.

Just then, Reiner’s voice shattered the silence.

"Can we climb above the clouds? I need to take a star reading."

His job as the upper turret gunner was to check the stars and confirm whether they were still on course. In the current situation, Reiner’s work had become crucial.

"Understood. Climbing now," Kiyoaki responded, pulling back on the control stick. The propeller hum shifted as the Eriadore ascended into the clouds.

Raindrops streaked across the windshield. The sound of the wings slicing through the clouds was faint but audible.

The clouds were surprisingly thick. They ascended 500 meters but still hadn’t broken through.

The temperature inside the cockpit dropped. It was cold. Kiyoaki prayed the wings and control surfaces wouldn’t ice up as he continued the climb.

Then, suddenly, the clouds parted. "Whoa." Beyond the windshield was a sea of stars, tinged with a faint purple glow.

Thousands of stars poured down from the heavens, reflected on the ragged surface of the clouds below. It was a mystical, otherworldly sight, dominated by shades of violet. The view above the clouds was so drastically different, it felt like they had entered another world.

"Wow…!"

Kiyoaki couldn’t hold back his gasp of wonder. After being trapped in the pitch- black void, the sudden brilliance of the stars felt overwhelming.

Without warning, Illia pointed at a corner of the sky. "A shooting star..." Her usual blunt, masculine tone was absent—this was a rare glimpse of her more vulnerable side. Kiyoaki followed her finger, and sure enough, there was a meteor streaking down from the southeast.

It was an odd phenomenon.

Meteors were pouring in from the southeast, crossing the sky above the Eriadore and continuing past them to the northwest. There wasn’t just one—they came in dozens, hundreds, an endless stream of red, blue, and green streaks, all radiating from a single point in the sky.

"What is this…!"

Stars weren’t supposed to move. But here, it was like the sky had become a highway for stars. The Eriadore flew through the cloud ocean, moving against the flow of the stars.

"This doesn’t feel real…"

Illia whispered in awe. Then Reiner’s voice came through the voice pipe, offering an explanation.

"It’s the Etica Meteor Shower. It happens every few years, but even astronomers can’t predict when it’ll occur. We’re lucky to see it from here—this is the best spot for watching it. Look, all the stars are shooting out from Etica."

Sure enough, every meteor was emanating from the fixed star Etica in the night sky. It was like Etica was firing arrows of light, a mythical display.

Kiyoaki glanced at Illia.

Her face, illuminated by the green glow of the radium dials, stood out against the backdrop of the starry shower, like an emerald gem glowing amidst the cascade of colors.

Beneath the starry sky, Illia seemed even more captivating.

"It’s hard to believe this is the same sky we flew under earlier..." "Yeah. It’s hard to believe this is a battlefield..." With the stars raining down around them, Kiyoaki felt as if he and Illia were flying together through this spectral world. He couldn’t help but think, if only they could keep flying like this forever...

The starry downpour didn’t cease. It seemed endless. With his heart adrift in the wonder of it all, Kiyoaki flew through the dreamlike night.

"...It’s time to switch."

Illia suddenly spoke in a low voice. Checking his watch, Kiyoaki saw that exactly three hours had passed since they had taken off.

"Right. Let’s switch."

Since they could fly from the co-pilot’s seat just as easily as from the main

seat, there was no need to physically change places. Kiyoaki simply handed control of the ship over to Illia.

"If you’d like, I can handle the throttle." "...Sure. Thanks." Perhaps because of the meteor shower, Illia’s tone seemed softer... or at least Kiyoaki hoped so. He decided it was the right moment to address something he’d been meaning to say since their argument over their fathers.

"Illia, there’s something I’ve been wanting to clear up. It’s about a misunderstanding you have. I doubt even Captain Karsten knows about this... Can I tell you?"

Illia stayed silent, gripping the controls for a while before responding in her usual, flat, robotic tone.

"If this is about our fathers, I’ve already heard enough. There’s nothing more to say."

"...Yeah. I’ve said my piece too... but there’s one thing I want you to believe."

Only silence greeted him. The engine’s drone echoed faintly across the starry night.

"...If you want to talk to yourself, I won’t stop you." After a long pause, Illia finally spoke in a low voice. Kiyoaki nodded and began his "soliloquy." "My father didn’t like talking about the war... No matter how much I asked, he never told me stories about flying planes or shooting down enemies. But there was one time... I overheard him talking to my mom, after he’d had too much to drink…"

Illia kept her eyes on the sky, not turning to face Kiyoaki.

"That day, there had been a funeral for one of his old friends. Dad wasn’t much of a drinker, but that night he drank a lot. And while he was talking, the duel he had with Captain Karsten came up."

The dim light of the radium dials cast a faint glow on Illia’s face. Her expression remained unchanged, but as the stars streaked past, her emerald eyes seemed to shimmer with the colors of the sky, like an aurora.

"He said it was the best moment of his life. That nothing before or after that could compare. All the hard studying, the intense training, even his very reason for being born—it was all for that duel with Captain Karsten. That’s what he said."

Illia slowly turned to face Kiyoaki.

It was the first time she had looked at him since they had sat down together in the cockpit.

"He said he’d never experienced anything like it before. The maneuvers he pulled off during that fight had never come to him before. It felt like he was dancing with Captain Karsten. Sure, it was exhausting. He could barely breathe, his blood was pooling in his extremities, his eyes felt like they were about to pop out from the steep dives. But despite the pain, he felt nothing but happiness. His instincts as a pilot were in full force, using every bit of skill, will, and

soul to battle the strongest opponent he’d ever faced. And after all this time, after stepping away from flying, he realized... that duel was the peak of his life. He was born for that duel with Captain Karsten. That’s what he said."

Kiyoaki locked eyes with Illia.

Her emerald eyes, softly glowing with radium light, shone with a depth far beyond that of any machine.

"...That’s all. That’s the end of my ‘soliloquy.’ If you’re willing, I’d appreciate it if you told Captain Karsten. I think my father would’ve been happy."

Illia’s intense gaze stayed on Kiyoaki, her expression unreadable. Then she abruptly asked,

"Is Flight Master Sakagami still alive?"

"...No. He passed away three years ago, during the invasion of Messus Island by Urano."

"Was he killed in action?"

"No. By then, he’d left the military and was farming on Messus Island. He and my mother were shot by an Urano fighter plane."

"...That’s hard to believe. A former pilot being gunned down by a fighter plane on the ground? A flight master could’ve hidden or shifted out of the line of fire."

Kiyoaki fought back tears. Every time he told this story, his chest filled with a swirling mix of emotions that he couldn’t fully control.

"...There was a school near my father’s farm. The fighter was about to strafe the schoolchildren. My parents left the feed shed they were hiding in and waved to the Urano fighter, drawing attention to themselves. While the plane chased them, the children escaped into the hills... My father and mother kept dodging, evading the line of fire, but eventually, they were surrounded by more planes...”

He couldn’t continue. His words trailed off as he bowed his head to hide the tears. He wiped his eyes quickly, hoping Illia wouldn’t notice.

To escape being strafed by a fighter, one had to wait until the last second and dodge to the side. The plane’s fixed guns could only fire straight ahead along its axis, so any lateral movement would take them out of the line of fire. Masaharu had repeated this maneuver with his wife many times, drawing the enemy's attention. But provoking Urano’s aggressive fighters had a predictable outcome. In the end, they drew eight planes toward them and were surrounded, shot to pieces, giving their lives to save the children.

Illia stared at Kiyoaki with a stony expression for a while before speaking. "...You expect me to believe that?" Kiyoaki remained silent, unable to answer as his emotions churned.

"...Don’t be ridiculous. You’re trying to make some hero out of him with a fabricated story... It’s absurd."

It’s true, Kiyoaki wanted to say, but the words wouldn’t come out.

"...I refuse to believe it. That your father... was shot down by mine in a one- on-one duel... I’ll never believe that."

Kiyoaki struggled to find his voice but managed to force out a response.

"...That’s your decision to make. But what I said about how my parents died— that’s the truth. My father really was that kind of person. Awkward, honest to a fault, sincere, the kind of man who would die protecting other people’s children. That’s just who he was. So... the image of my father you’ve heard from others is different from the man I knew."

Illia fell silent again, turning her face back toward the front, staring at the distant fixed star, Etica.

Etica, the name meaning "ethics."

As the stream of stars poured from Etica toward them, Illia felt an indefinable feeling rise within her, as if the star was whispering something to her.

──What is ethics?

The question lingered in Illia’s mind.

She had never considered such a thing before, having been trained from childhood solely in the art of piloting airships.

──Ethics is the path to seeking what is right as a human being... Illia felt as though Etica had provided the answer. Was Kiyoaki’s story true? She didn’t know. But at the very least, she decided she would strive to be correct, to be ethical.

With that thought, Illia spoke to Kiyoaki.

"...I don’t believe what you said about the duel. But... I offer my condolences for Flight Master Sakagami’s passing. And I will tell my father what Flight Master Sakagami said about the duel, as well as how he died."

Kiyoaki raised his head. He could tell that Illia had opened her heart to him, if only a little.

"...Thank you, Illia. My father really respected Captain Karsten and was grateful for the chance to fight him. Please, tell him that much."

"...I will. Let’s consider this matter settled." "...Yeah, let’s." "...You should get some rest. There’s still a long way to go." "Yeah. I think I’ll check on Mio first." Leaving Illia in control, Kiyoaki unfastened his seatbelt and climbed down the ladder toward the nose turret. He and Mio had left things unresolved before the mission, and he was worried she might have been hurt during the air battle.

Mio was seated at the nose gun, staring intently at the wind gauge.

Through the hemispherical glass canopy, the Etica meteor shower streamed past, casting colorful reflections in her golden hair.

"Hey, Mio. Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?"

Mio glanced briefly at Kiyoaki before closing the voice pipe lid with a sharp click, snorting in response.

"Unfortunately, I’m fine. Sorry to disappoint you I survived." Still inexplicably upset, it seemed. "What’s with that attitude? I don’t get it. We just survived a life-or-death situation. Shouldn’t you be a little happier?"

"I don’t know. You idiot. Pervert. Just go back to the cockpit and keep whispering sweet nothings to Illia about how beautiful the stars are."

Kiyoaki facepalmed and hung his head for a moment before finally realizing what Mio was upset about.

"...Oh, I see. You’ve got this all wrong. Look, we’re pilots. We have to work together to fly this ship. It’s not about flirting—we have to be on the same page, or we won’t make it. We’re officer cadets, so you should understand that."

Mio glared at him with cold eyes for a long moment before abruptly spinning her chair around to face him, adopting a mockingly dramatic tone.

"Illia, there’s something I’ve been wanting to clear up. I need you to understand…"

Kiyoaki’s face turned pale in an instant. "I need you to believe me, Illia!" Mio threw her arms wide and exaggeratedly repeated the words Kiyoaki had spoken to Illia earlier.

Oh no—Kiyoaki buried his head in his hands.

He had completely forgotten, but on the airship, conversations were broadcasted through the voice pipes, meaning everything he had said to Illia had been overheard by the entire crew.

"It’s fine, really. But wow, you sure can talk, huh? I didn’t know you had it in you."

Having said her piece, Mio turned her chair back to the canopy and resumed staring at the instruments, not sparing Kiyoaki another glance.

It wasn’t embarrassing for him to say what he’d said. He could be proud of that. But he hadn’t expected it to be broadcasted to the entire ship. That was mortifying.

He raised his head and saw that Mio had already covered the voice pipe, ensuring that their current conversation wouldn’t be overheard.

"Uh... Mio. Yes. I explained things to Illia. Yes. I passionately explained them. That’s true. But... is that something for you to be angry about? Why are you upset?"

"I’m not angry." "Yes, you are." "You’re persistent. I said I’m not angry."

"...I don’t get it. Ever since this mission started, you’ve been acting strange. This isn’t like you at all."

"This is exactly like me. I’m always like this. Now just go back to the cockpit—

I’m busy with navigation."

It was clear that further conversation would be pointless. Thinking it might be better to give her some space, Kiyoaki shrugged and climbed back up the ladder.

Settling back into his seat in the cockpit, he checked the instrument panel. Taking Illia’s advice, he decided to get some rest. Soon, they would be entering the enemy base’s radar range...

Part 6 (Part 10 of Volume 1)

Kiyoaki awoke three hours and twenty minutes later. Checking his wristwatch, he realized he had overslept his shift.

Beside him, Illia silently steered the aircraft. “Sorry, I overslept. I’ll take over.” “If we’re on the correct course, we should be crossing over the Great Waterfall soon. We’re definitely in enemy territory, but I can’t get a fix on our position. The clouds haven’t cleared, so I can’t tell if we’re over land or sea.”

“Understood. Illia, you rest now.” “Yeah. I’m counting on you.” As Illia had pointed out, a line of cumulonimbus clouds stretched out to the northeast, illuminated by the moonlight. Their current altitude was 2,700 meters, well above the 1,300-meter height of the Great Waterfall, so there was no danger of a collision.

The meteor shower had ended, and now the bright moon shone brilliantly. While the visibility was appreciated, it also posed a significant risk. If they were attacked, they would be at a serious disadvantage. Large airships were much safer when flying through the darkness of moonless nights.

The time was now 11:45 PM, and the date would soon change.

If all went well, they would arrive at the Chandler Fortress coastline around 3 AM. They were scheduled to circle in the air until sunrise and make a water landing around 5 AM, once visibility was ensured. There was still enough fuel, and a nighttime landing could be avoided.

Admiring the beauty of the starry sky, Kiyoaki flew over the purple-colored sea of clouds. If this weren’t a battlefield, it would be such a wonderful flight.

Suddenly, Cecil’s voice shouted through the voice tube.

“We’ve intercepted enemy radio signals!! I couldn’t make out the details, but it’s very chaotic! It seems like their base is in a frenzy!”

Balthazar rushed into the cockpit from the tail section and grabbed the receiver at the radio station, pressing it to his ear.

“The signal is too clear. We must be flying very close to the Odessa Base...!”

They had flown in the darkness purely by instinct and ended up flying dangerously close to the enemy’s Odessa Fortress. It was certain that the Eriadore had been detected by enemy radar, and the commotion at the base was likely due to preparations for launching night fighters.

“Night fighters are coming...!!”

For a large airship, night fighters were the most dangerous adversaries. If a pack of them began the chase, the Eriadore would be like a sheep caught by a pack of wolves.

“Captain...”

They had no choice but to seek guidance. Balthazar, still listening to the radio chatter, glanced at Kiyoaki.

“If we fight above the clouds, we’ll be exposed to the moonlight. In a visual battle, we don’t stand a chance. We have no choice but to dive below the clouds, but the Great Waterfall should be just ahead. We must avoid crashing into it in the dark.”

Since the North Sea was 1,300 meters higher than the South Sea, if they flew lower than the falls, they would collide with the sea's sheer drop. Balthazar grabbed the voice tube.

“Cecil, return to the cockpit. Use the radar to track the reflections from the Great Waterfall. Kagura, take both side gun stations. Use whichever one they come from.”

Kagura acknowledged, and Cecil hurried into the cockpit, carrying the radio equipment in both hands, and switched on the radar. The green line flashed across the small CRT screen of the airborne radar.

“Cecil, focus entirely on the radar. Kiyoaki, Illia, you know what to do. We’ll evade the enemy night fighters below the clouds. When I give the signal, release the chaff to confuse their radar. Surviving is our only option.”

“Yes, sir.”

Balthazar then addressed the entire crew through the voice tube.

“This is the critical moment. If we don’t make it through here, we won’t be returning to Air Hunt alive. Everyone, give it your all. Everything we’ve learned has led up to surviving this night.”

The crew responded in unison, their voices echoing through the tubes. Balthazar nodded and returned the voice tube to its hook.

“I’ll be at the tail gun. Don’t miss the signal for the chaff.” He gave a brief order before heading back to the tail section. “We’ve got a radar reflection... something’s moving!” Cecil, who had stayed behind to watch the radar, spoke in a tense voice. “One... two... three...” The green line flickered rapidly up and down. “Four... five... six!!” Her voice grew more strained, and in that moment— “They’re here...!!” The previously still purple cloud bank below them suddenly sprouted six columns of steam.

The Eriadore was now flanked, with three on the right and three on the left.

The tops of the columns burst apart, leaving long trails of water vapor as six aircraft ascended toward the moon.

Kiyoaki quickly scanned both sides. With his naked eye, he spotted wings piercing the starry sky.

Dark, nearly black silhouettes. “Meteora!!” The Uranos military’s latest night twin-seat fighters.

Equipped with advanced radar and armed with four 15mm machine guns, they were known as the "Kings of the Night."

As the six Meteoras soared toward the moon, they caught sight of their prey and gracefully pivoted, moving as a flock of bats would through the night sky.

The 32 antennas protruding from their noses, like iron claws, glinted ominously against the pale moonlight. Those were the Meteoras’ "noses." Even if the Eriadore disappeared into the darkness, those antennas would sniff it out and track it relentlessly.

“Dive below the clouds!”

Illia shouted angrily, snapping Kiyoaki out of his daze, and he pushed the control stick forward.

The sluggishly slow-moving Eriadore nosed down into the purple cloud layer.

The windshield went pitch black, with only the water droplets sliding across it to confirm they had entered the clouds. No more moon or starlight reached them now.

“Altitude at 1,700 meters. The clouds haven’t cleared yet...”

Beside him, Illia read out the instruments. The altimeter was reliable, having been adjusted before departure.

The water droplets on the windshield soon vanished, and the slightly misty white of the cloud layer was replaced by utter darkness.

“Pulling up. Altitude at 700 meters.”

Kiyoaki pulled the control stick back and leveled off.

Complete darkness surrounded them. Nothing was visible. The only thing they could be sure of was that there was a cloud layer above them. They couldn’t tell if they were flying over sea, land, or a cluster of islands.

“Where are the Meteoras?”

“Can’t see them, but they’re still following. Cecil, what’s the radar showing?” Cecil, focused intently on the radar screen, gave her report. “All six are still on our tail...!”

They couldn’t see where they were coming from, but they knew they were getting closer.

Kiyoaki strained his eyes, staring into the darkness ahead. But there was nothing. Meanwhile, the Meteoras were using their 32 radar antennas to precisely track their movements, licking their lips as they pursued through the darkness. Kiyoaki and his crew had no way of perceiving them, but the enemy could see them perfectly. On top of that, the Meteoras were far superior in both speed and maneuverability.

A chilling terror gripped Kiyoaki’s core. The courage he had mustered moments ago was threatening to shrivel and freeze.

“We’re not completely hidden in the dark. They can see our exhaust flames...”

Illia pointed toward a section of the darkness. Sure enough, a faint blue flame flickered like a ghost light in the abyss. It was the flame from the engine near the nose, the only indicator they had of the Meteora’s position.

Suddenly, the voice tube from the tail section rang out. “They're coming, 160 degrees to the left!” As Balthazar’s voice shouted out, Kiyoaki stomped on the left foot pedal. The massive body of the Eriadore groaned as it turned left.

At the same moment, the rumbling sound of gunfire vibrated through their stomachs, passing from the rear-left to the front-right. A long trail of exhaust, like a blue-purple shooting star, streaked across the sky, followed by a roaring engine.

“Chaff!”

Balthazar shouted, and Illia flipped the switch to release the radar-reflecting paper. A cloud of silver strips sprayed out from the rear of the ship, shimmering as they scattered, hopefully confusing the enemy’s radar.

“Lower altitude! Don’t let them attack from below!”

Following Balthazar’s order, Kiyoaki descended further. Too low, and they risked crashing into the sea, but 300 meters was the absolute limit.

“Forty degrees above to the right!!”

Mio screamed this time. Kiyoaki slammed the right foot pedal. Once again, the night was ripped apart by gunfire and the roar of propellers, but with nothing visible, only the sound passed them by.

“160 degrees to the right!!” “20 degrees to the left!!” “40 degrees above to the left!!”

The voice tubes rang one after another. Unable to handle simultaneous attacks, Kiyoaki barely managed to press the left pedal, changing course.

“Chaff!!”

Balthazar’s voice echoed again, and the chaff deployed. Gunfire from three directions tore through the pitch-black night, leaving red-hot trails.

The sound of metal being punctured reverberated through the ship. They had taken hits. A burnt smell filled the air. The shrill tone of the internal alarm blared, and Kagura’s voice came through the voice tube.

“Fire on board!!”

The smell of smoke thickened. The extent of the fire was unclear.

“I’m putting it out! It’ll take a moment...!”

Kagura’s voice came through, accompanied by the sound of fire extinguishers being discharged. Without a gunner, the side gun stations remained silent, leaving them vulnerable to the Meteoras, which showed no mercy, launching attack after attack.

The massive body of the Eriadore was riddled with holes. To the swift Meteoras, the slow and cumbersome airship was a perfect target. The enemy pilots were surely enjoying this relentless pursuit.

“The chaff isn’t working...!”

“Don’t give up, it’s bound to have some effect. There are two or three sharp ones that aren’t fooled...!”

Even as Illia’s words trailed off, the propeller noise of the enemy planes echoed closer. Like a thunderous roar, the howling of the guns reverberated, and streaks of tracer fire shot toward them. Once they were caught, it would be over.

“Damn it...!!”

Kiyoaki slammed his foot onto the pedal.

A red-hot line of fire licked the underbelly of the Eriadore, passing in front of them.

It was infuriating to be toyed with. They fired back as best they could, but the Meteoras easily evaded the shots, mocking them as they flew by. The difference in maneuverability between the large airship and the fighters was too great. They couldn’t pursue or shoot first. All they could do was sluggishly change course left and right, while the Meteoras chipped away at them.

“We just have to endure it. Keep flying, no matter what...!” Illia encouraged him, knowing it was their only option. The attacks from the Uranos air squadron were well-coordinated. Multiple Meteoras synchronized their fire, forming a crossfire in their flight path. A direct hit to the cockpit would be fatal. Kiyoaki kept the ship moving side to side, taking hits to the fuselage while desperately trying to flee with the battered Eriadore.

They couldn’t avoid getting hit. Armor-piercing shells tore through the interior of the ship. Was Mio safe? What about Reiner and Kagura? There was no time to check on their safety. Their only sign of life was the continuous enemy attack reports from the gun stations. Kiyoaki dodged the jaws of the approaching Meteoras, narrowly avoiding their deadly fangs.

“Hurry up and end this...!”

But the Meteoras were relentless. No matter how much they fled, the fighters continued their pursuit. Kiyoaki’s arms started to go numb from operating the controls when suddenly—

“I’ve got a radar echo! Twenty degrees left, a stationary object about five kilometers away! It’s the Great Waterfall, we’re approaching it!!”

Cecil’s voice rang through the cockpit.

Kiyoaki glared ahead. He couldn’t see anything.

But his instincts screamed of imminent danger. “We’re climbing! Full throttle...!” Kiyoaki yanked the control stick back with all his might. Illia opened the throttle to maximum.

The heavy nose of the Eriadore slowly began to rise. There was little sensation of the climb, as the blackness beyond the windshield remained unchanged. Only the altimeter needle climbing upward indicated their ascent.

“We’re close, I can hear the waterfall...!”

Illia warned, and in the next instant, a ball of fire appeared in front of them. “!?” A crimson fireball illuminated the surroundings for a brief moment.

Kiyoaki saw the flowing veil of water. Beyond that, a jagged rock face. One of the leading Meteoras had failed to pull up in time and crashed into the Great Waterfall.

“We’re going to hit it too!!”

The Eriadore’s movements were too sluggish. At this angle, they would collide with the Great Waterfall.

“Ugh...!!”

Kiyoaki gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his temples as he pulled on the control stick. Illia, using her right arm for the throttle and left for the stick, joined in, pulling back with him.

The Great Waterfall loomed ahead. The fading flames of the crashed Meteora illuminated its terrifying mass as it bore down on them.

“Climb, climb!!”

With all their strength, Kiyoaki and Illia pulled the stick back, keeping the throttle at full power as they slashed through the spray, racing toward the sky.

The windshield was hammered by a torrential rain, like a waterfall crashing down from 1,300 meters above.

Suddenly, their vision cleared.

Before them, the night sky opened up, filled with countless stars. The bright moonlight illuminated the purple sea of clouds, revealing an otherworldly scene.

“We made it!!”

Both pilots cheered simultaneously. Kiyoaki tilted the aircraft, glancing back at the Great Waterfall.

It extended all the way to the horizon, a massive rift in the ocean.

The torrents of water cascaded down into the sea of clouds below. Since the clouds were lower than the Great Waterfall, now that they had passed it, a clear night sky lay ahead.

“Don’t relax yet, they’re still coming!!” Balthazar’s voice came from the tail gunner’s seat.

Tearing through the water curtain of the Great Waterfall, five Meteoras were in hot pursuit.

In this moonlit sky, they could now see each other clearly.

For the Eriadore, the real nightmare was just beginning. Facing five Meteoras in visual combat, they wouldn’t last long.

On the horizon, Kiyoaki spotted a line of cumulonimbus clouds. Their outlines, framed in moonlight, glowed a blue-purple hue.

“Head for the cumulonimbus clouds. Our only advantage is that we’re better equipped to handle bad weather than the smaller planes.”

Balthazar ordered. Their only hope now was that stormy cloudbank.

Kiyoaki set his sights on the cumulonimbus clouds, steeling himself. Illia continued at full throttle.

The airspeed was 370 kilometers per hour—the Eriadore’s maximum speed. With the ship battered from numerous attacks, they were pushing it to its limits, aiming for the towering clouds.

However—

“Twenty degrees right!!”

Reiner’s voice echoed through the voice tube. The enemy had already circled around in front of them.

A blue flame appeared on the right edge of the windshield.

It was closing in fast. The black shape of the enemy plane briefly flashed in the blue moonlight.

“They’ve got us in their sights...!”

The moment Kiyoaki realized it, he pushed the control stick down.

The gunfire missed, passing just above the cockpit. A moment later, the enemy fighter roared after them, following the path of its own bullets.

Having grown frustrated with the Eriadore’s durability, the enemy had shifted tactics to target their vital points. In visual combat, they could aim directly for the cockpit.

“We can’t avoid this with just lateral movements; we’ll evade with vertical maneuvers...!”

Kiyoaki informed Illia of his plan. With such a slow and heavy aircraft, it was faster to drop in altitude to avoid bullets. However, to do that, they needed to gain more height first.

“We’ll keep climbing and then drop whenever they come. We’ll keep repeating this...!”

Kiyoaki muttered to himself, as if reassuring himself. Illia nodded in agreement.

“They’re coming! 130 degrees right!!” “Twenty degrees left!!” “140 degrees above, left!!”

The voice tubes rang out in quick succession. Kiyoaki listened intently for the approaching propeller sounds. If they moved too soon, the enemy would track them and shoot. They had to time it just right.

—Father. Master. Please give me strength.

Praying, Kiyoaki waited for the right moment and then pushed the control stick down.

The thunderous sound of gunfire traced a brilliant X across the night sky.

Explosive shells, armor-piercing rounds, tracer bullets, and incendiary rounds crisscrossed above the Eriadore, colliding with each other and sparking into fiery bursts.

The Eriadore nosedived. The entire windshield was filled with the vast ocean below.

“Pull up!!”

Illia shouted, and they both yanked on the control stick together.

Even with hydraulic assist on the controls, the stick was heavy. Both of them clenched their teeth, straining with all their might. Eventually, they were both using both hands to pull back on the stick.

A deafening metallic groan echoed through the cockpit.

The wings strained under the immense load. Pulling out of a steep dive into a sharp ascent put tremendous stress on the aircraft. At worst, they could break apart in mid-air.

The Eriadore responded to Kiyoaki and Illia’s desperate prayers, struggling to raise its nose.

The ocean loomed below. They could make out the whitecaps on the waves. The colors of the moon and stars reflected in the sea were clearly visible.

Veins bulged on Kiyoaki’s temples and arms as he forced out every last drop of strength.

There was a soft whoosh as the underbelly of the ship grazed the surface of the ocean.

At an altitude of just five meters, the Eriadore leveled off, skimming the sea and sending spray flying as they raced toward the cumulonimbus clouds.

The enemy fighters followed from above. At this low altitude, even the enemy would have difficulty launching attacks. Knowing the risks of crashing into the ocean, Kiyoaki held the ship steady at the lowest possible altitude.

“That cloud... it’s touching the sea!” Illia’s voice rose in despair. The base of the towering cumulonimbus clouds extended all the way to the ocean’s surface. They had planned to fly beneath the storm, but now there was no choice but to fly directly into it.

There was no time to go around. It was better than becoming prey for the enemy fighters.

“We’re going into the storm!”

Kiyoaki made up his mind. “It’s suicide...!” Illia protested. No aircraft could fly through a cumulonimbus cloud. Inside was a storm of updrafts, downdrafts, and lightning—the "hell of the skies." Entering it meant almost certain death. That was a fact all pilots knew.

“My master once flew a flying boat into a cumulonimbus cloud and survived. He told me how he did it. I don’t know if I can do it, but in this situation, we have no choice but to try.”

“...Who is your master?”

“...Master Akmed. Akmed, the Holy Knight.” Illia’s eyes widened at the name. “You learned to fly from Akmed of the Valkyrie squadron!? The super ace of the Archipelago!?”

“Master Akmed was my father’s apprentice. My father would have been furious if he found out, so I begged him to teach me in secret.”

Illia swallowed her words. It was a surprising revelation, but there was no time for questions. The enemy fighters were circling above, waiting to strike.

“...It seems we have no choice.”

“Yeah. Illia, I’ll need your help with the throttle and rudder. I can’t manage the lateral movements on my own.”

“...Is that part of Akmed’s technique for getting through a cumulonimbus cloud?” “Yes. I’ve never done it before, but I’m going to try. It’s our only option.” “...Understood. Let’s do it. Into the hell of the skies.” The two nodded in agreement and called out to their comrades through the voice tube.

“Everyone, buckle up! We’re flying into the cumulonimbus cloud!!”

Balthazar, Kagura, Reiner, Cecil, and Mio all acknowledged. Confirming that, Kiyoaki fixed his gaze forward.

A massive, towering cumulonimbus cloud loomed ahead, lit ominously by the moonlight, its pure white peak rising toward the heavens and bearing down on them.

This was nothing like the cumulus cloud Illia had flown through two days ago. This was a 10,000-meter-tall cumulonimbus cloud.

And this time, they had no choice but to enter it. An even more fearsome storm awaited them inside.

To Kiyoaki, the massive cloud looked like a grave marker in the sky.

He shook his head, trying to dispel his doubts. The sky offered no mercy to the weak or the fearful. It only smiled upon the brave. That was what Master Akmed had told him.

“Watch me.”

Kiyoaki glared at the towering storm. “I’ll make it through you.” Gripping the control stick tightly, he raised their altitude.

Behind them, the Meteoras finally broke off pursuit. No fighter pilot would be foolish enough to enter a cumulonimbus cloud. Only a large airship, resilient in bad weather, could attempt the journey ahead.

“...We’re going in!”

At that moment, their vision was swallowed by darkness.

Simultaneously, a massive updraft seized the Eriadore, lifting its immense frame by over 500 meters in an instant.

“Whoaahh!!”

Even though they had been prepared, they couldn’t suppress their screams. The altimeter needle stood vertically, indicating a steep ascent. On top of that, the sound of the wind battering the ship pounded in their ears.

Amid the howling wind, the screams of the crew mixed in. Beside him, Illia closed her eyes and clenched her teeth, enduring the rapid ascent. Despite not pulling on the control stick, the nose of the ship pointed skyward.

“Ghh...!!”

Kiyoaki gritted his teeth and maintained a gentle grip on the controls. He recalled the lessons Akmed had taught him.

“When inside a cumulonimbus cloud, never fight the vertical movements. Forcing the controls will cause an imbalance between the wind and the aircraft's structural integrity, leading to disintegration.”

He managed to open his eyes. Outside the windshield, everything was pitch black. He let the stick move freely with the wind.

“Correct only the lateral tilt. No matter how high you’re lifted or how far you’re dropped, don’t fight it. Look for a break in the clouds. Head toward the light.”

A fierce wind slammed into them from the left, causing the ship to plunge sharply to the lower left. Kiyoaki fought back against the roll, not wanting the aircraft to spiral out of control in the storm.

He applied pressure to the ailerons and the rudder, adjusting the control wheel and foot pedals.

“Illia, stay in sync with me...” “I know, we’ll work together...!” Illia grabbed the wheel and pedals alongside him.

The two of them would have to get through this together.

The windshield was filled with torrential rain and howling winds. There was nothing else to see.

Kiyoaki turned the wheel to the right and pressed hard on the right foot pedal. The controls were heavy due to the wind. With Illia’s help, they managed to

fight against it. “Grrrr. !!” Kiyoaki let out a voice he had never made before, pouring all his strength into the controls. The Eriadore fought against the crosswinds, desperately trying to correct its tilt.

At that moment:

“Whoa!?”

Suddenly, the aircraft plummeted downward by about 500 meters. The altimeter needle pointed straight down. It felt like falling into a 500-meter-deep pit while walking on the road—an abrupt and terrifying descent. With no time to prepare, Kiyoaki was hit by extreme negative G-forces, nearly causing him to lose consciousness.

The nose of the Eriadore was pointed directly downward. Any further descent would lead to a crash into the ocean. But they couldn’t fight against it. If they resisted, the aircraft would break apart in midair.

'In a cumulonimbus cloud, vertical movements happen frequently. Endure it. You’ll rise and fall, over and over again.'

Recalling Akmed’s words, Kiyoaki barely managed to restrain himself from pulling the control stick. He couldn't succumb to fear. If they crashed into the sea, it would just mean their luck had run out. After enduring the sickening descent, the Eriadore suddenly shot upward again.

“...gh...gh. gh!!”

His screams no longer made a sound.

The massive airship was being tossed around like a child’s toy by the giant that was the cumulonimbus cloud.

Winds struck from the right and left like fists. Kiyoaki tried to use the rudder to steady the ship, but by now he couldn’t tell which way was up or down.

Suddenly, a massive hammer of light struck down before them. There was a crushing sound, as if the sky had shattered. There wasn’t even time to scream. A lightning bolt had passed dangerously close. The intense brightness seared his retinas. It was as if the giant in the sky was mocking the insignificant humans, sending spears of light striking all around the Eriadore. The only luck they had was avoiding a direct hit; if they had been struck, they would have been incinerated before they even realized it.

The Eriadore wobbled from side to side, barely holding onto its balance.

There was a heavy crash, followed by Cecil’s scream. It seemed one of the secured communication devices had fallen over. Tools, glass shards, and fragments of the aircraft scattered dangerously inside. If any of the debris hit someone during one of these 500-meter ascents or descents, it could cause serious injury or death.

Death was waiting, both inside and out.

The darkness didn’t end. The downpour, the violent winds, the lightning—all showed no sign of stopping. The further they went, the more intense the storm became. The wings bent under the pressure, as if they were about to snap. It felt like the sky was compressing a hundred ground-level storms into one

unrelenting hell.

The blood-draining ascents and gut-wrenching descents repeated over and over. Blood pooled in their extremities, leaving the brain under-supplied, making it hard to stay conscious.

It would be easier just to let go and crash. If he just gave up on the controls, the suffering would end immediately.

—It’s not just me.

Kiyoaki drove himself to keep going.

—There are seven people on board.

Tears welled up and streamed down his face. There was no point in wiping them away, as the windshield was also streaked with rain and mist.

If he let his guard down, gave up, or succumbed to weakness, it would all be over.

“We’ll make it through...!!”

Kiyoaki kept his gaze fixed forward.

With Illia by his side, they kicked the foot pedals. “We’ll break through!!” Despite the relentless punishment and near loss of consciousness, they throttled up.

Even amid this storm, Kiyoaki could feel Illia’s strength through the controls— through the wheel, the stick, and the foot pedals. It wasn’t the force of the wind or the rain, but the warmth of Illia’s strength that encouraged him.

“Sakagami...!”

Illia called out to him. Even she didn’t know why she had said his name, but she just wanted to confirm that the person beside her was still there, flying with her.

“Illia!”

Kiyoaki called back. That was all they needed. No matter how many bolts of lightning tore through the sky, as long as one of them stayed conscious and held the controls, the Eriadore would keep flying.

"The light. Fly toward the light."

Once again, Akmed’s words resurfaced in Kiyoaki’s mind.

With his vision burned by the lightning, it was hard to distinguish light. However, something beyond sight flashed through his subconscious.

—A gap in the clouds.

It wasn’t visible.

But to the left, in the lower quadrant, the darkness seemed slightly thinner... “Illia, there’s something over there...!” Amid the thunder, lightning, and storm, Kiyoaki pointed. Illia looked in the

direction but couldn’t see anything.

“Is it just an afterglow from the lightning?”

Illia asked, but Kiyoaki kept staring at the spot. It wasn’t light—it was simply less dark.

—A gap in the clouds.

Once again, he heard the whisper in his thoughts. With determination, he gripped the control stick.

“Descending to the lower left...!”

For the first time since entering the cumulonimbus cloud, Kiyoaki chose to descend of his own will. The turbulence might cause the aircraft to break apart, but it was a gamble worth taking.

“...I trust you.”

Illia agreed. Throughout this flight, Illia had already sensed Kiyoaki’s skill and instincts through their shared controls.

“Here we go...!”

Fighting against the wind, the Eriadore groaned as its nose dipped downward. The wind howled as it battered them, but Kiyoaki didn’t back down. Instead, he increased the throttle.

“We’ll break apart...!”

Illia warned him, but Kiyoaki responded. “No, we’ll make it...!” He had no basis for this belief. But he could hear the Eriadore’s voice through the controls.

The steel wings whispered to him.

—I won’t break.

Kiyoaki trusted that voice. Clenching his teeth, he pushed the control stick forward, descending toward the heart of the storm.

—Believe in me. “I do, Eriadore.” As Kiyoaki spoke, a thunderous bolt of lightning cracked just beside them.

As if chasing after the fleeing Eriadore, a forked bolt of lightning struck out, bending like a hooked spear.

The intense light filled the windshield—and then cleared, revealing the starry sky.

“...!!”

There was no wind. No rain. Only silence remained.

Before them stretched the vast night sea, infinite stars scattered across the sky.

“...We made it through...”

Kiyoaki turned to look at Illia beside him.

“We made it through the cumulonimbus cloud...!” Relief and joy surged from the depths of their souls. “We did it! We made it through the storm!” Tears streamed down Kiyoaki’s face as he smiled and extended his left hand toward Illia.

“Illia, thank you. It’s all thanks to you. If you hadn’t helped, we would’ve crashed long ago, and everyone would’ve died...!”

“You’re the one who found the gap and guided us through the cumulonimbus cloud. It was incredible piloting. Truly remarkable...”

Illia awkwardly praised Kiyoaki as he grasped the extended hand.

Through the voice tube, Kagura’s voice came with a congratulatory message.

“Kiyoaki, Illia, that was amazing. We’re safe too. Once we’ve passed the Great Waterfall, we’ll be in friendly airspace. We’re safe now.”

“Kagura, are you all okay over there?”

“We’ve got some bruises and cuts, but nothing serious. Captain, how about you?” Balthazar responded to the question. “I’m alive. There were a few moments I thought I was a goner... but it’s a miracle we made it. Sakagami, Illia, you’ve earned all the credit. When we get back to Air Hunt, brag as much as you like.”

It was rare for Balthazar to offer praise, and Kiyoaki couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.

“We’re okay too... I think... barely alive...”

Cecil raised her hand from the rear seat of the cockpit, sounding weak. “I feel sick... ugh... I’m done for...” She was clearly airsick. After all the shaking, it was no surprise. Surviving was a victory in itself.

“I’m alive too... barely... feels like I’m gonna die...”

Reiner’s voice came through the voice tube, drained and lacking his usual energy.

Only Mio was left, but there was no response. “Mio? Mio, are you okay?” Kiyoaki called through the voice tube, but only silence answered him. His face went pale.

“Illia, take over. I’m going to check on her...”

He hurriedly handed the controls over to Illia and quickly descended the ladder toward the nose where Mio was stationed.

“ !!”

The scene was worse than he had imagined. The area near the nose had taken the brunt of the Meteora attacks.

The hemispherical windscreen was shattered, and the wind whipped through the cockpit. Shards of metal and glass were scattered everywhere. The wind gauge was tossed onto the floor, and blood was splattered on the walls.

“Mio. ?”

Mio sat with her back to Kiyoaki, slumped in her seat. Her head was drooping forward. “Mio!!”

Kiyoaki yelled and rushed over. Mio’s face was pale. A pool of blood had formed beneath her. “ !!” A large shard of glass was deeply embedded in Mio’s left thigh. Bright red blood gushed from the wound.

“Mio!!”

He called out, but there was no response.

Frantically, Kiyoaki unfastened her seatbelt, gently lifting her limp body, and shouted through the voice tube.

“Someone, please! Help! Mio’s... Mio’s in trouble. !!”

Instantly, the crew was thrown into chaos. Kagura was the first to arrive, immediately assessing the wound.

“The artery is damaged. Kiyoaki, press down on her femoral artery!”

Following her instructions, Kiyoaki pressed down on the upper part of Mio’s thigh. Kagura quickly tore part of Mio’s clothing and tied a tourniquet tightly around her inner thigh.

“This is bad. She needs a blood transfusion immediately, or she’ll die!” It was 2:30 a.m. If they flew at full speed for another 30 minutes, they would reach Chandler Fortress. If they could land and get her to a naval hospital quickly, she would be fine.

But to do that, they would have to risk the lives of all seven crew members by attempting a night water landing.

"If we succeed in a night water landing, all seven of us will survive. If we fail, all seven will die."

Kagura, carrying Mio, coldly relayed the harsh reality to Kiyoaki.

"If we avoid a night landing and wait for sunrise, six of us will survive, but Mio will die."

Kiyoaki's face went pale.

Attempting a night water landing, something that only two veteran airmen had ever succeeded in during the great war, seemed impossible.

"This is not something I can decide alone... I'll consult the captain." Kagura, still carrying Mio, climbed the ladder. Kiyoaki watched her ascend, his face blank with shock. The joy of having survived the cumulonimbus cloud had evaporated like mist.

—A night water landing, with students only...!

Water landings in complete darkness, with zero visibility, were considered one of the most difficult maneuvers for airship pilots. It was beyond what students could do. But if they didn’t attempt it, Mio would die.

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.

Part 8 (Part 12 of Volume 1)

Ridiculous…

Inwardly, Hachidori sighed as he stood silently on the stage with his comrades, enduring the barrage of camera flashes and glaring at the nearly thousand officer cadets lined up below.

Beneath the bright blue autumn sky, the flags of the St Vault Empire, the navy, and the Air Hunt Officer Academy fluttered in the breeze. They had just been welcomed by the academy’s band, received a thunderous round of applause, and were awarded the Crimea-Sidra Silver Medal by the St Vault High Command. It was the first time in the history of the St Vault Imperial Army that officer cadets had been decorated, a testament to the extraordinary feat the seven of them had accomplished.

But Hachidori remained unmoved, even though his face did not show it.

To him, it hadn’t been a difficult journey at all. Rather, it was the other six students who had been a burden. Twice, he had secretly helped them without being detected, though the more perceptive among them had likely sensed something was off.

The first time was when they were attacked by the heavy bomber. It had been so persistent that he had grown annoyed and sniped the enemy pilot.

The second time was during the night water landing. Seeing that Kiyoaki was misreading the wind, Hachidori had knocked over the communications equipment to shift the center of gravity.

Had he not intervened, they would all have died. Yet, the other six now wore expressions of joy, as if they had accomplished the mission entirely on their own. It made him feel almost nauseous.

Out of a hundred comrades, only eight had survived the brutal five-year training that had begun when they were seven years old. The difference in ability between him and the other cadets was too vast. However, if he revealed his full potential, it would only invite unnecessary suspicion, so he chose to hold back just enough to appear "above average."

—What a hassle.

He thought this to himself as he kept his expression neutral and listened in silence to the overly long speech of the academy’s headmaster.

Joseph Bartholmüller, headmaster of the Air Hunt Officer Academy.

At fifty-seven years old, the silver-haired gentleman was thrilled to deliver this speech.

After all, the seven officer cadets—three from the Akitsu Federation and four from St Vault—had accomplished a nearly impossible feat thanks to what Joseph liked to call "the miracle of personnel selection."

It was as if he were boasting of his own achievements as he addressed the crowd of reporters, the entire student body, and the seven cadets on the stage.

"The two aces who once ruled the skies over the Archipelago—the captain, Karsten Kreischmidt, and the flight chief, Sakagami Masaharu—this grand feat was achieved by their children. Both legendary aces happened to have children born in the same era, honing their skills in St Vault and the Akitsu Federation. When I learned of this, I orchestrated for them to fly the same airship. By sharing

the same controls, these two nations, separated by the archipelago, would strengthen their bonds of friendship. This decision, which led to the miracle, is proof of how an individual's choices can shape the course of history…"

He spoke with self-satisfaction, oblivious to the awkward silence that followed. But Joseph didn’t mind. It had only been thirty minutes since the speech began. The main part was yet to come.

The military command had instructed him to "promote this achievement grandly," even to the point of exaggeration. After all, while they had managed to spark conflict with Urano, the goodwill fleet’s destruction in the first battle was a nightmare. To boost morale among the empire’s citizens, the seven cadets were the easiest tool to use.

Determined to fulfill this task, Joseph continued speaking, veering off into unrelated topics about world affairs, his philosophy of life, and his predictions for the archipelago's future.

“The current world is in turmoil. Yesterday’s friend may become today’s enemy, and tomorrow, they might be friends again. In such an unpredictable and cruel world, you will have to live. The Eriadore carried two students from the Akitsu Federation—Kiyoaki Sakagami and Kagura Murasaki. They will study here, graduate, and eventually serve as lieutenants in the Akitsu Federation military. Of course, we hope for eternal friendship between our nations, but given the state of the world, inter-national friendships are not guaranteed to last."

Joseph paused to take a sip of water, then continued.

"If, by misfortune, war breaks out between the Akitsu Federation and the St Vault Empire, I expect the graduates of the Air Hunt Officer Academy to fight with all their might. Even if it means killing each other, you must respect your opponent and fight without hatred. This is the path of soldiers in service to their nation. Although I don’t wish for such a fate, in today’s world, it’s hard to predict what might happen tomorrow. And in such a brutal world, this is the profession you all aspire to.”

Just as Joseph put extra force into his words, one of the seven cadets on stage collapsed with a loud thud.

The audience screamed in shock. Photographers, delighted by the incident, immediately showered the fallen student with flashes from their cameras.

Mio Syira, leaning on crutches, had fainted from what appeared to be anemia, lying motionless on the stage. It seemed her body hadn’t fully recovered yet.

Even though the speech had only been going for an hour, Joseph was forced to cut it short at fifty-two minutes, frustrated that one of the main figures had collapsed.

“Mio! Are you alright!?”

Kiyoaki rushed to help her up, and the stage descended into chaos, bringing an abrupt end to the headmaster’s speech.

After the long special ceremony ended, the seven cadets, now free from the stage, stretched and gathered in the academy’s courtyard. Mio’s fainting had only been a minor incident, and she was now back with the group, leaning on her crutches and pouting.

“That headmaster talks way too much! And what was that about us having to fight each other someday? Ugh, it made me feel sick.”

The autumn sun beat down on them. A little over a month had passed, and Mio’s wounds were almost completely healed. In about a week, she’d be able to get

around without the crutches.

“I’m glad it ended. The headmaster could have gone on for another hour at that pace.”

“Mio, are you really okay? Do you need to rest back at the dorm?”

“Stop worrying so much. I’m fine. Besides, we have that interview with the newspaper, right? And then the banquet with the navy big shots… It’s kind of a hassle, but it’s a bit fun too.”

Mio smiled at Kiyoaki with a carefree expression, and he smiled back warmly. From the side, Cecil poked her mischievous face into the conversation. “But wasn’t that speech terrible? Talking about how St Vault and the Akitsu Federation might fight? Like, that’s not going to happen.”

From next to her, Illia spoke up seriously.

“…We can’t say that for sure. Just before the Archipelago War twenty years ago, St Vault and the Akitsu Federation were allies. But suddenly, they went to war. Things aren’t much different now.”

“Eh—no way! Illia, why would you say that? You mean I might have to fight Aki- chan and Kagura-san? That’s awful…”

Cecil’s expression darkened. Kiyoaki had somehow been turned into “Aki-chan” without his knowledge. Mio waved her hand in front of her face dismissively.

“No, no, that’s not going to happen. No way.” “Yeah, we’ll always be friends.” Kiyoaki reassured her, but before he could continue, Kagura approached, dragging Balthazar along by the arm with a mischievous grin.

“Hey, let go, Kagura! I have no intention of fraternizing with—" “Quiet, come on. Everyone gather around!” “Stop it! I don’t care about you all…!”

“Alright, everyone’s here. Let’s form a circle. I’ve got something to say.”

Ignoring Balthazar’s protests, Kagura pulled the seven of them into a circle, each with their arms around the others' backs.

Kagura addressed them all.

“After listening to the headmaster’s speech, I realized… it’s possible. We’re living in a cruel time. When we graduate, we’ll be in key positions in the militaries of different countries. We might end up fighting each other. So…”

She smiled gently at the tearful Cecil.

“If we ever meet on the battlefield, we should fight with honor. Let’s make a vow, right here, the seven of us.”

In a calm, steady voice, Kagura closed her eyes and spoke the words of the vow.

"Even if we end up on opposite sides as enemies, we will never hate each other. Our friendship is eternal."

Without knowing what this vow would bring to the world.

"Can you all swear to this?" Kagura smiled as she extended the back of her right hand to the center of the circle.

Kiyoaki placed his hand over hers, followed by Illia. Mio, with a sad expression, reluctantly added her hand. Reiner, also with a reluctant look, and Balthazar, snorting coldly, placed their hands on top, and finally, a tearful Cecil placed their hand last.

"Even if we become enemies, we will not hate each other."

The vow, repeated by the seven of them, was carved into the depths of their hearts.

"Our friendship is eternal."

They couldn't know how this naïve promise would one day cut into their hearts and make them bleed.

"We’ve made a promise. If anyone breaks it, they’ll be a disgrace to the officer candidates. They won’t be considered a comrade anymore, so keep that in mind."

Kagura said this, clearly enjoying the moment.

Eventually, the vow they made in the courtyard of the Air Hunt Officer Academy, one that would cross the Mitterland continent, the Archipelago, beyond the great waterfalls and the Holy Springs, and involve countless unknown nations, would quietly bring about a transformation of the world.

Ridiculous…

Having completed all the day’s events, lying on the bed in the dorm, Hachidori sighed yet again.

Interviews were conducted. Medals were awarded. He had to endure the headmaster's long speech and was even roped into making a childish promise.

What am I doing?

Even though he had no choice but to hide his true self, having to go along with such student-like antics was exhausting, both mentally and physically. Pretending to be an ordinary person was proving more draining than he expected.

He wanted to graduate as soon as possible, infiltrate the core of the St Vault military, and carry out the grand mission that would heal his mother’s wounded heart.

He repeated this usual resolve to himself. Whenever he grew weary, he remembered his goal, driving himself forward. There was still a long way to go. Complaining at this stage wouldn’t help.

Then, unexpectedly, a warm feeling flowed through his chest.

It was a pleasant sensation, accompanied by a distant sense of nostalgia.

In the darkness, Hachidori looked at his palm. It seemed as though the warmth was coming from there.

It reminded him of the seven hands that had come together earlier that day. The memory of that warmth still lingered.

Ridiculous.

He tried to dismiss it. He didn’t have such human feelings left. During his training as a special operative, he had stripped away all ordinary emotions. He shouldn’t have even a trace of humanity left.

And yet.

A strange feeling was bubbling up from the depths of his soul like a spring, and it was strangely comforting to immerse himself in it.

He could tell that something inside him was becoming misaligned.

Clicking his tongue, he pulled the blanket over himself. The warmth didn’t fade. "Even if we end up on opposite sides, we won’t hate each other…" Hachidori muttered the vow to himself, curled up under the blanket. The indescribable emotion seemed to stem from that vow. "…Friendship… is eternal." Muttering the words, the warmth became almost unbearably comforting, making Hachidori’s face relax into a smile.

What friendship? Ridiculous. My job is to betray them someday.

He snapped back to reality, reminding himself of his mission, pulling the blanket over his head tightly, and shutting his eyes.

What is happening to me?

In the dead of night, lying alone in the dorm bed in her nightclothes, Illia lay awake, unable to sleep.

This had been happening for some time now. Despite being exhausted from the day’s studies and training, she couldn’t fall asleep easily. Every day, she experienced unfamiliar symptoms that were only getting worse.

"Mmm…"

A strange groan escaped her lips, and she pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, tossing and turning. She knew she had grueling tasks awaiting her tomorrow, and she wanted to fall asleep quickly, but she couldn’t control her thoughts. Thoughts she didn’t want to dwell on floated up and clung to her mind.

Giving up, Illia sat up.

Mio’s gentle breathing could be heard from the top bunk. Being careful not to wake her, Illia walked over to the window.

She gazed at her reflection in the window glass, then gave herself a sharp slap on the cheeks and widened her eyes.

It’s the same old me. I haven’t changed. I shouldn’t have.

…But somehow, I look… like a woman.

Of course, she was a woman, but this was perhaps the first time she had ever looked at herself that way.

I will become the ace of the Archipelago. I will take the skies in place of my father, who can no longer fly.

That is my destiny.

Since childhood, she had been familiar with aircraft, and her daily life had revolved around mastering the skills to pilot them. That would never change. She would graduate at the top of her class from the Air Hunt Officer Academy, join the military, and rise to become an ace pilot, surpassing all others. This was the mission her father, Karsten, had entrusted to her.

She had never questioned this way of life. Illia Kreischmidt existed solely for this purpose. With unwavering resolve, she would walk the path to becoming an ace. That determination was always with her.

Yet.

Why is my heart pounding?

Her heart was racing. Warm blood surged through her body, filling every cell with a sense of happiness, pain, and an uncontrollable intensity.

It hurts, but it feels so… good.

Illia’s expression twisted in a mix of pain and longing.

She already knew the source of this incomprehensible feeling. Kiyoaki. For some reason, Kiyoaki Sakagami had taken up residence in her thoughts.

As she looked at her reflection in the window glass, what she was thinking about was what Kiyoaki might be doing right now.

Am I an idiot?

She said it out loud, chastising herself. Of course he’s sleeping, what else? Why can’t I stop thinking about him? She tried to figure out why but couldn’t.

Why am I thinking about him and not about flying? It made no sense. That guy… He’s the son of the man who used cowardly tactics to do this to my father.

Her father, Karsten, had lost an arm, could no longer fly, and had succumbed to alcoholism. Her mother, unable to bear it, had left their home. The man who had destroyed Illia’s family was Kiyoaki’s father, Masaharu Sakagami. He had used underhanded tactics to trick her father and defeat him—her father’s most hated enemy.

That’s right. I hate him.

More than anyone, I hate him. That’s why he’s stuck in my head. This feeling must be hatred, transformed into something else. Forcing herself to reach a conclusion, Illia convinced herself.

She pulled the curtains closed and returned to bed. Her heart was still pounding, and the image of Kiyoaki's face, along with the warmth of his hand, kept resurfacing in her mind. But she convinced herself that it was all because of her hatred.

Eventually, she drifted off to sleep and began to dream.

In the dream, she was flying a turboprop fighter, tears streaming down her face as she shot down Kiyoaki.

She woke abruptly, her eyes snapping open. Pressing a hand against her racing heart, she bit her lip hard and stared into the darkness.

Her heart was beating fast. A sense of foreboding filled her entire being. She knew something cruel awaited her down this path. And for some reason, the words of the vow slipped from her lips, unbidden. "Even if we become enemies, we will not hate each other…" She didn’t know why that phrase had surfaced in her mind at this moment, but as if trying to calm herself, Illia recited the final part of the vow.

"Friendship… is eternal…"

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