Strike Witches:Volume1 Chapter6

The next morning.

A cold mist swept through the early morning air...

Tomoko was sitting on a chair in the warehouse, her eyes closed, her expression set in a look of pure concentration. A Striker unit was already equipped to her legs.

Her Ki-27... Tomoko's long-time companion, ever since the Fuso Sea Incident.

The magic engine was already finished pre-heating and running hot. Tomoko sat stock-still on the folding chair, in her miko flight uniform, grasping her katana in one hand.

"Tomoko, you look just like a samurai, wow!"

Katharine said, seated on a similar chair not too far off, also waiting for orders to sortie. Nearby, F/O Elma, Haruka, Beurling, and Ursula sat waiting as well.

An aura of harsh determination radiated from Tomoko, giving her the air of a master swordsman from medieval Fuso.

She would strike at the merest touch, so great was this determination.

"I wonder if P/O Anabuki was serious about what she said yesterday?"

F/O Elma said in a lonely voice to the group.

"Probably... She doesn't seem like the type that would say one thing and do another...

Haruka answered.

Was Tomoko serious when she said she'd fight alone? It was a lonely thought. Haruka put her hand into her pocket, and grasped the object there.

If I use this... I might be able to help her.

But... Haruka shook her head.

She could never show anyone how she looked when using it.

Especially the person she respected... the person she admired.

The happiness of that one night. I want to see how it ends. But, if Tomoko were to see me with this, I just know that she will leave me forever. After all, it's unsightly...

If only I never got this... Haruka thought, and raised her head.

"What's wrong, Haruka?"

Katharine was looking at her with a worried expression.

"N-Nothing, ma'am!"

Haruka blushed, and at the same moment... Tomoko's shoulder twitched almost imperceptibly.

The siren was wailing.

The speaker hanging from the ceiling began broadcasting an announcement in Suomish and Britannian.

"Air raid alert. Air raid alert. A Neuroi bomber formation numbering over sixty is advancing on this base. Fighter squadrons will intercept."

Tomoko sprang into action immediately, nearly charging out of the room.

Katharine, Beurling, and Ursula all stood and left the room as well. F/O lightly slapped her own cheeks nervously, and followed after them.

Haruka left the building and onto the airfield as well. She fired up the Sakae-1-1 magic engine to maximum, and began rising into the air.

The battlefield widened before her eyes.

It was the same sky she always flew in, nothing she could see had changed at all... and yet, something about it all was different.

Tomoko was the first off the runway.

Soon after, her Striker revved to max, and she shot into the sky.

The Ki-27, despite being an old model, lifted Tomoko into the air easily. Tomoko glanced behind her, and saw Mika Ahonen's 1st Squadron begin taking off one after the other. Even if her name was "aho", the precision of their movements left little doubt of her leadership. Guess she wasn't just being dramatic when she saved me yesterday.

The Messerscharf Strikers lived up to their reputation as some of Karlsland's best engineering, climbing into the air powerfully.

In just moments, the lead Witches of 1st Squadron had caught up to Tomoko, passing her steadily. There was a remarkable difference in engine power between the two Strikers.

"Excuse me for going on ahead."

Mika Ahonen's voice came over the radio.

Tomoko rolled her wings slightly from side to side in acknowledgment.

F/L Häkkinen's voice came from the radio next.

"The enemy formation is currently at point A-4, altitude 4000 meters, and remains on course. ETI six minutes at maximum speed."

Tomoko maintained her pace, flying behind Mika Ahonen and 1st Squadron. As the monotonous flight towards the intercept continued, Elma, then Katharine and the rest of the squadron caught up at last.

However, perhaps in respect of Tomoko's wishes, they kept a constant distance away from her.

Tomoko noticed, but ignored the rest of the squadron as just another feature of the landscape.

She concentrated on the advancing enemy instead.

She glanced at her altimeter-watch. Just over 4000 meters. Maintaining that altitude, and five minutes of routine flying later, she saw small dots far off in the distance.

One, two, three...

'Neuroi'.

More and more dots appeared in the sky.

Tomoko watched as 1st squadron climbed higher. Heading into their blind spot... they were most likely going to dive in from above to break up the enemy formation as an opening attack. It was the best way to deal with an enemy when outnumbered.

However, Tomoko continued with her head-on flight, fearless of the enemy's superior numbers. Her Ki-27's speed and diving ability was not well suited to the boom and zoom tactics the Messerscharfs were capable of.

Tomoko, and the Ki-27, had another way to fight.

The distance to the enemy formation closed steadily.

Tomoko's pulse raced.

As the distance closed, the silhouette of the enemy formation sharpened.

The Neuroi looked far more crude than the elegant form of the mechanized air infantry Witches. Even if both sides flew in the air, their outward appearance was completely different.

The small, squat spots were Ralloses, the same class of flyers that strafed the car Tomoko was driving the previous day. They numbered over thirty.

As for the long and narrow ones below them... medium Kefalas bombers. The same ones that bombed Slussen. Again, over thirty. In total, that made for over sixty in the formation. So far, the report was accurate.

Facing off against them, their own forces consisted of the twelve Witches of 1st Squadron, and the six from the Suomus Independent Volunteer Air Squadron. Eighteen Witches in all. They were at a disadvantage... but it wasn't hopeless.

Tomoko noticed 1st Squadron begin their attack. Having used the clouds as cover to great effect, Tomoko watched as they entered a steep dive into into the unprepared enemy formation.

"Not bad," she said to herself.

The Neuroi bomber formation and 1st Squadron met.

Boom! Babaam! Explosive shells from the 20mm cannons on the Messerscharfs rained down on the Neuroi from above. Several of the shells hit their targets, which burst into flames and began falling.

Nearly all of the ones that went down were Kefalas bombers.

Completely ignoring the escorting Rallos fighters, 1st Squadron's main target were the Kefalases. In terms of overall strategy, it was the best thing to do in the situation.

The enemy formation was scattered and in disarray from the surprise attack. Tomoko headed directly into the midst of the fighting, and started her own attack.

Tomoko maneuvered onto the tail of a flight of four Raloses banking towards the Messerscharfs. The Neuroi tactics were simple, and they single-mindedly followed the Messerscharfs. Tomoko moved into position undetected.

"Those Messers have a speed advantage... Those Neuroi would never catch up to them anyway."

Tomoko swung the 7.7 mm machine gun on her back into her hands. She pulled the cocking lever, loading the first round into the chamber. Ahead of her, the enemy weaved back and forth hopelessly after the quicker 1st Squadron, losing what little airspeed they had.

Tomoko adroitly placed her sights over the first Rallos, and pulled the trigger.

Tatatatan! The gun rattled against her shoulder, as a stream of 7.7 mm rounds pounded into the stabilizing tailplane of the Rallos. The elevator on the stabilizer shuddered and broke, flying off into the wind. That Rallos tipped forward, and began drifting to the ground below. The 7.7 mm was weak, but it had no problems destroying the weak spots on the delicate equipment.

The Ki-27 moved like another part of Tomoko's body, pointing her directly at the next Rallos.

With a deft twist of her body, Tomoko took aim at the engine of the moving Rallos.

One burst.

Fragments splintered off of the nose of the Rallos. As smoke started pouring from the hole, that Rallos went down in an uncontrolled dive.

At last, the remaining two Ralloses began evasive maneuvers.

However, nothing in the world could escape from a Ki-27 hard on their tail.

Tomoko wiped out the remaining two Neuroi at nearly the same time.

As she turned towards her next target, she saw the Messerscharfs gaining altitude for another attack.

Thanks to Tomoko, they now had a chance to climb, unmolested by the enemy fighters.

Below them, the Kefalas formation was still flying in an unwavering line. The Suomish Witches most probably planning on swooping down on them again soon.

Tomoko turned her head towards her radio, and shouted.

"Flight Lieutenant Ahonen! Don't mind the Ralloses, I'll handle them!"

"Ah, thank you," Ahonen replied, in a slightly flustered manner.

"Now we're even for yesterday."

Tomoko glanced behind herself quickly, and spied six new Ralloses heading towards her.

After appearing out of nowhere and shooting down four Ralloses in no seconds, Tomoko supposed that the Neuroi found her to be a greater threat than the Messerscharfs.

"Truly an honor."

With a slight smile on her face, Tomoko dove away from the bombers. Her plan was to pull as many of the Ralloses away from 1st squadron as possible.

At that moment, F/O Elma's voice came in over the radio.

"P/O Anabuki! Are you alright!? Wh-whao, you've got six of them on your tail!"

Haruka chimed in.

"I-I'm coming into range now! Just hold on for a bit longer, ma'am!"

Tomoko shouted in reply.

"Stay away! I'll be fine! Just go and get those other Ralloses away from 1st Squadron any way you can! You don't need to help me!"

"B-But..."

With six fighters hot on her tail, Tomoko　pulled hard into a sharp inward turn. The six fighters behind her attempted to copy the exacting maneuver.

As a result, the six Ralloses lost speed rapidly, barely gliding along at their stall speed.

Tomoko fired her machine gun, aiming at the weak spots on the engines. One by one, the Ralloses were hit and fell.

Level dogfighting... The specialty of the Ki-27, and it showed as the fight continued.

However, after the third Rallos spun out of control and went down, the machine gun went dry. Slinging the empty gun behind her back, Tomoko swiftly drew her katana from its sheath. The Hizen Osafune glowed bright as Tomoko's magic power was absorbed into the blade.

Tomoko adroitly cut through the wings of the last three enemies on her tail, as calmly as if she testing a cut on a target post.

Off balance, the three Ralloses fell to the ground in an arc, spinning in tight circles.

Tomoko checked on 1st Squadron's progress with the Kefalas formation. The Witches were launching a steady stream of attacks on the bombers. Thanks to Tomoko bringing down the number of Ralloses, 1st Squadron was able to attack with impunity. Without the support of the fighters, the bombers were nothing more than simple targets.

Boom, boom! Another Kefalas exploded in flames, and fell to the ground.

As Tomoko watched, the heavily damaged Kefalases that were still in the air dropped several large objects from their underbelly.

Bombs.

The only thing below them was miles of snow-filled forests.

As soon as the last bombs fell, the Kefalases began banking away.

F/L Häkkinen's came in over the intercom.

"All mechanized air infantry witches, good work. The enemy has abandoned the bombing run. The interception was a success."

Once the interception squadrons were within visual distance to Kauhava Air Force Base, Tomoko did ten loop-the-loops.

The sign for 'ten shot down'.

Below, the technicians and base sentries had assembled and cheered at the sign. The witches of 1st Squadron, who had returned earlier, were also waiting nearby.

Tomoko landed to a roar of applause.

"You had those damn Neuroi running away with their tail between their legs!"

"That was amazing! Ten down in one sortie!"

"A double ace here at Kauhava!"

Tomoko waved at the troops cheering for her. As the cheers went on, F/L Mika Ahonen of 1st Squadron walked up to Tomoko's side, and suddenly hugged her.

"My apologies for ever calling you useless. Because of you, we were able to concentrate on attacking those bombers. You have my thanks."

Beaming with pride, Tomoko nodded.

Further away, another group watched the exulted crowd around Tomoko. It was F/O Elma, Haruka, and the others, who had contributed nothing to the battle. They watched Tomoko blankly, as the members of the base surrounded her.

"She told us not to do anything, so I just watched, but is that what I should've done?" Katharine said quietly.

"I wonder."

Haruka replied.

Beurling simply stood, scratching one cheek, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

F/L Elma fidgeted about nervously, and began pacing back and forth.

"F/L Elma, what's the matter?"

"Oh, well... I want to say congratulations to P/O Anabuki, but I was wondering if I'd be getting in the way if I go now..."

"My, you really are such a thoughtful person," Katharine said.

As the Neuroi attacks were pushed back time and again by the stalwart mechanized air infantry squadrons, Kauhava AFB soon became a prime target for the enemy, with attacks coming every two or three days.

Numbers as high as the first day were rarely seen, and smaller bomber formations of about forty Neuroi flyers became the standard.

Each time the attacks came, the girls of Kauhava AFB would fly to meet the attack, and fend it off.

Among the defenders, Tomoko's performance was stellar, and her score made up over 40% of the enemy fighters shot down.

However, as her own victory count increased higher and higher, the other members of the Suomus Independent Volunteer Air Squadron sunk ever deeper into the gutter.

Every time the SIVAS attempted to join in the fighting, Tomoko would refuse their aid vehemently. Even in the rare cases where an enemy got on her tail, she would merely say things along the line of "I don't need any help, I'll be fine. Don't get in my way."

True to her words, Tomoko was never showered in enemy rounds... but even with the squadron assertively offering their help. Tomoko merely looked at them icily each time it happened.

Before long, the only contact Tomoko had with the rest of the squadron were simple greetings on the few occasions they chanced on each other in the barracks.

Two weeks after the first attack... December was half gone. With a blizzard already blowing early in the morning, the analysts predicted that there would be no Neuroi bombing runs.

In other words, the first day off for the Witches in a long time.

Both 1st Squadron and the SIVAS were removed from standby, and given the chance to refresh their exhausted bodies after the consecutive sorties of the previous few weeks.

Tomoko found herself heading towards a facility that seemed out of place on an air force base... a sauna.

Constructed next to the barracks, the solidly built brick sauna was one of the favorite places to relax for the personnel working on base.

Heated rocks on stoves beside wooden boards for sitting, and pouring water over oneself after working up a sweat. That was a common type of sauna in northern Europe.

Tomoko was sitting on the boards, with only a single towel placed on her lap. Beads of sweat formed on her smooth skin, sliding down as they formed larger drops. Her wet, black hair clung to her body. The pale creaminess of her skin contrasted starkly with the black hair, like a well-made painting.

The sound of the door opening　made Tomoko turn around.

Standing at the doorway nervously was Haruka, wrapped in a towel.

"Um... do you mind if I join you?"

She asked, and Tomoko nodded.

"Does it even matter if I say yes or no? Come in."

Haruka stepped quickly over to Tomoko's side with a pitter patter of her small feet, and sat down.

The smaller girl glanced nervously at Tomoko sitting beside her, blushed, then lowered her gaze shyly.

"What is it?"

"Oh, u-um! Congratulations on shooting down forty Neuroi!"

"Thank you."

"I've heard that in this Neuroi war, only five other mechanized air infantrymen have shot down over Neuroi. Shou-i, you're really amazing. I'm as happy as if I had done it myself."

Haruka lowered her gaze again.

"Um... Shou-i Anabuki. There's something I'd like to ask for."

"What is it?"

"Well... could you make up with everyone else? P/O Katharine, and P/O Beurling, and Sgt. Ursula... they've all seen the error of their ways. We're all training up our skills seriously with everything we've got now. So that, maybe, we could actually be able to help...?"

"......"

"Sgt. Ursula has been developing new equipment this entire time too. She said that she's thought of some promising new designs. Once she's done, could you maybe review it for the higher-ups?"

"......"

Tomoko did not answer. A troubled look passed briefly across Haruka's face, but she continued.

"None of us are as skilled as you, Shou-i... well, maybe except P/O Beurling. But anyway, even though we're all weak, when we work together, we thought that maybe we could help you at least a bit. T-Teamwork, you know. So, um... if you could just work together with us as well..."

"I'm fine by myself."

Tomoko stood up.

"Shou-i Tomoko."

"It's... easier for me to fight alone. I'm sick and tired of being held back."

"But aren't we supposed to be a team!?"

Haruka shouted out loudly.

"I didn't come to Suomus to play house and make friends. I came here to fight."

With that final parting shot, Tomoko left the sauna room.

As she wiped her body off in the dressing room, she felt someone else enter the room, and stop near the wall.

"Who is it?"

Tomoko turned around. It was Beurling.

"What do you want?"

In reply, Beurling silently waved a hand through her silver hair, then said in her usual flat tone.

"Got a minute? We need to talk."

Beurling led Tomoko to the hangar, to where the squadron's Strikers were lined up in orderly rows.

"So? What did you want to talk about?"

Beurling did not reply.

Instead, she looked down at her own beloved Hurricane. She reached out and brushed one hand along its side, seemingly lost in thought.

"If you've got nothing to say, I'm leaving."

As Tomoko prepared to leave, Beurling finally answered.

"I was in Ostmark before."

Huh? Tomoko stared in puzzlement.

Ostmark was a country that was situated between Karlsland and the Neuroi. The reason it ‘was’ situated, is because around half a year ago, it was annihilated by the Neuroi invasion. These days it’s nothing more than a barren and desolate land - dominated by the Neuroi’s miasma.

Why had she been in Ostmark?

Beurling conducted herself in a manner which was as overbearing as ever, disregarding Tomoko’s puzzled facial expression and continuing her story.

“A short while before the Neuroi came to attack; my unit were dispatched to Ostmark… We were a wing dedicated to the observation of international Neuroi. We were carrying out routine work on the primary Neuroi from the Great War. When our half a year term of office had finished, we would probably return home to our country.”

Beurling continued her story with an air of indifference about her.

“Around then, I had someone who was something of a rival. She and I would compete to be the first and second most skilled in the unit; we’d have many sham battles, competing with skill. She was an unreasonable girl. She assumed that it was fine to put faith in your own skill, but even so, there would always be someone who could surpass you. She's to blame for the some of the times I've been mad here, too. Things like... quarrelling all the time. Anyway... back to the time when the Neuroi came to attack… We thought it was time to reach a conclusion. Which one will surpass the other? It was simple. We’d decided that the one who could shoot down more Neuroi would be superior. Every day, we would make an effort to compete in sorties. The Neuroi seemed to attack with an infinite number – the enemy had nothing to worry about. It was a lost battle, we would retreat one after another, yet our fighting spirit was strong.”

“…”

“We were as extremely unreasonable as each other. Our shoot down count was just about the same. Then… something happened. I went out on my own, pursuing the enemy to try and get one up on her. Suddenly I was surrounded by 10 enemy aircraft. It was a stalemate. There were 3 enemy aircraft to my back, I was receiving fire simultaneously. It was around that time…”

Beurling’s tone of voice dropped considerably.

“She threw herself into the line of fire. She received blows from large calibre machineguns, yet she was using her magic shield, which was degenerating slowly. Immediately after that, my ally provided covering fire, advancing against the enemy, and as the enemy began to back off... I was saved. It came at a price. As her body dropped next to me, her breathing had already ceased.”

Tomoko was at a loss for words.

Who would have thought that someone who as cranky as Beurling would have a past like this?

“This Hurricane was the piece of equipment that she used.”

Beurling murmured whilst she stroked her beloved machine.

“….So, is that all you want to say? Did you drag me all the way to here just so that I could hear your old story?”

Tomoko responded, biting down onto her lip.

Beurling shook her head.

“I came to Suomus to die.”

Tomoko felt as if all the blood had rushed from her face.

That time when Tomoko threatened her with her sword… She had said "kill me." That had been the real deal.

“It was my fault that she was killed… and now I even equip her striker unit. I thought that death was my only atonement.”

“It’s absurd to die on your own accord.”

“Ah. That’s right. But… back then… when I saw the orphanage that had been bombed in the town, I began to change my mind. Before I die, I want to do whatever I can to stop the amount of people left with nowhere else to go from increasing.”

“…”

“Say, Tomoko.”

It was the first time Beurling had called her by her name.

“….What”

“The real enemy isn’t the Laros. There’s no real meaning behind the number of them that are dispatched.”

“Well then, what is our real enemy?”

“The bomber formations. If we can take them down, it’d shut the Neuroi up. The Neuroi will probably… dispatch a large bomber formation. If a mid sized formation has no effect, then there are no doubts about it. The most important thing when taking down a large bomber unit ‘Co-operation’. The ability of an individual will be rendered useless against them.”

Beurling’s words made Tomoko feel re-assured and confident that she wouldn’t just have to rely on the strength of those with actual combat experience there.

She still shook her head.

“Your rival may have died…, but my rival still lives. And so, I’m waiting until the day when I can surpass her. I’ve still not had the chance to succeed her… ”

“Tomoko.”

“There is no reason for me to lose to her. I can’t lose to her, that’s all I thought up until now - and that is why I continue to fly. That is why…”

Beurling seemed to be lost in thought for a while.

"Is that so," she murmured in a lonely tone, before leaving the aircraft hangar. Tomoko stood motionlessly in the hangar - absolutely still.

Outside, the blizzard continued to rage on.

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