Toaru Hikuushi e no Seiyaku:Part10

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.