Toaru Hikuushi e no Seiyaku:V3Part4

Part 21 (Part 4 of Volume 3)

The blue of the open sea seemed to be something with mass, painted onto the world.

Amidst the overwhelming blue of sky and sea, a fleet of four escort ships cantered around two aircraft carriers glided along, leaving behind white wake trails. Training aircraft, waiting overhead, began landing one after another on the aircraft carrier racing toward the wind. On the flight deck, maintenance crews and pilots bustled about, and signalmen struggled against the gusting wind to send "landing confirmed" flags to the circling training aircraft.

The training aircraft waiting for its turn, with visible tension, aligned with the approach line. Fully deployed flaps slowed its descent as it approached the narrow flight deck of the carrier, snagging its tailhook on the arrestor wire stretched across the deck. Once it confirmed a complete stop, the pilot leaped off the aircraft, while maintenance crew rushed over to set up barricades, detach the hook, and take the aircraft to the elevator leading down to the hangar, preparing for the next training aircraft to land. This was a scene of training for continuous landings on the aircraft carrier, where fatalities were not uncommon.

In the year 1348 of the Imperial Calendar, August, fifty nautical miles off the coast of Chandler Island, Mauregan──.

As Kiyoaki gazed at the approaching scene of the flight deck of the escort aircraft carrier "Merdireik," he focused all his concentration on the very edge of the deck.

The carrier was racing toward the wind. Kiyoaki was pursuing it from behind as he prepared to land. The flaps had been fully deployed since the third turn, and while the aircraft was slowing down, all that remained was to land.

── I will land the best.

Kiyoaki aimed for the rear edge of the deck. Landing at the very back was considered the most difficult and the best for pilots.

Four arrestor wires were stretched across the deck from front to back, numbered one through four. Hooking onto the first wire was the easiest, while hooking onto the fourth was considered the most skilled. Of course, Kiyoaki aimed for the fourth wire. However, this area was also the most dangerous. Misreading even slightly the wind speed, the carrier's speed, or his own aircraft's speed could result in crashing into the back edge of the deck, plunging both the aircraft and pilot into the white wake.

Taking on the risk of losing his life, Kiyoaki maintained his aircraft's level solely by manipulating the ailerons, concentrating intently on his aircraft, the carrier, and the wind speed, forgetting even to blink. It was a highly challenging manoeuvre; however, compared to the nighttime water landing he attempted last summer on the aerial vessel, he could see both the carrier and the sea with his own eyes. The conditions were remarkably favourable.

Successfully snagging the tailhook on the fourth arrestor wire, Kiyoaki confirmed the aircraft's stop and hurriedly disembarked from his seat. The students of the Aerial Science Department, lined up below the bridge, applauded with expressions of both admiration and frustration. Proudly joining their ranks, Kiyoaki watched Illia’s landing next.

Illia, of course, was also aiming for the best landing. By the angle of her descent line, it was clear she wasn't looking for a safe landing. Kiyoaki prayed for her safety with bated breath.

Illia gracefully descended, but her hook snagged on the third arrestor wire. It wasn't the best, but it was a solid landing that avoided unnecessary danger. As the students of the Aerial Science Department erupted into cheers, Illia leaped off her aircraft and strode over to Kiyoaki.

“Where did you hook?”

She raised her eyebrows challengingly. With a victorious expression, Kiyoaki replied, “Fourth. You got third, huh?”

Deliberately taunting her, Illia bit her lip and glared.

“I wasn’t aiming for that. I aimed for third from the start. If I aimed for such a place and failed, it would trouble my comrades behind me!”

“That's a lie! You were aiming for fourth but ended up with third because you failed, right? Thats definitely the case!”

“No! I was aiming for third from the beginning, I swear!”

Illia raised her voice, nearly on the verge of tears. Kiyoaki found her adorable like this and couldn’t help being a bit mean.

“Uh-huh, if you don’t know how to do it, just ask me. I’ll teach you everything.”

“What’s that supposed to mean!? Who do you think you are, talking down to me!? You think you’re better than me!?”

“Because I succeeded, but you failed.”

Frustration and anger distorted Illia’s face into a cuteness he’d never seen before.

“You, get on a fighter plane right now! I’ll shoot you down and turn you into seaweed in a minute!”

“Eh? But I totally have better scores than you in combat!”

“That’s because I’m practicing a new technique!! You’re saying that on purpose, aren’t you!? I’m mad now; let’s have a mock air battle right here, no practice, I’ll show you my real skills, now get on, get on with all your strength!!”

Finally, Illia grabbed Kiyoaki by the collar with both hands and began to choke him, prompting the Aerial Science instructor to hurriedly intervene. Kiyoaki, coughing, thought it was utterly adorable how Illia was starting to show expressions more like a girl her age. The commotion settled down with everyone mediating, and Illia stormed off the deck with her shoulders stiff.

As Kiyoaki resolved to apologize later while watching the next landing, he suddenly caught sight of Mio in the distance.

── Mio.

His heart throbbed.

The training for open-sea landings aboard the aircraft carrier, which had started two weeks ago, had fortunately progressed smoothly without any casualties. All fourth-year students in the Aerial Science Department, including Kiyoaki, Illia, Reiner, and Mio, were participating in this training. Students specializing in navigation, including Mio, were undergoing training in the rear seat of twin-seat reconnaissance aircraft, and because their schedules differed from those of the piloting specialists like Kiyoaki and Illia, they hardly crossed paths.

It had been nearly eight months since Mio transformed, and they hadn’t had a proper conversation since then.

Recently, it had started to feel normal, the sharp pain of the past fading, and now, when he saw her, his heart would only flutter slightly.

Unless he eliminated the cause of what had changed Mio, the current situation would continue.

He needed to find out what caused it, but with daily training and coursework pressing down on him, only time slipped by.

Mio, who was drifting further away without understanding why. Not just Kiyoaki, but she hardly interacted with her classmates in the Aerial Science Department either.

However, there was one exception.

── Again.

A feeling of jealousy stirred deep in Kiyoaki’s chest.

Nearby, Reiner had sidled up to Mio, speaking to her about something.

Mio looked up and responded to Reiner.

Their conversation went on for a long time. Although they weren’t exchanging smiles, while Kiyoaki had only received evasive replies or seen her runaway after trying to talk to her over these eight months, Mio stayed and engaged in conversation with Reiner.

── Why can’t she open up to me like that with Reiner?

He knew it was a childish and pathetic thought, but the frustration continued to build day by day.

Reiner was pursuing both piloting and navigation, so they probably had overlapping subjects to discuss. They were likely talking seriously about studies without smiles, but still, wasn’t their conversation just a bit too much?

── She won’t even talk to me, yet she can chat for so long with Reiner.

Childish anger surged within him. Though he felt petty, he couldn’t help it.

Watching them, he saw Mio nodding in response to Reiner’s words, then, as if prompted, she entered the circle of Aerial Science students. Reiner must have invited her. Mio, who wouldn’t respond to Kiyoaki no matter how much he tried, was now following Reiner’s lead without hesitation.

── What’s that about? She listens to Reiner?

His anger boiled over. Driven by passion, Kiyoaki walked about thirty meters across the deck toward Mio and called out to her.

“Hey, Mio. You seem to be in a good mood today.”

Not noticing Kiyoaki approaching, Mio jolted and opened her eyes wide.

“Ah, you.”

That was all she said before awkwardly averting her gaze.

“What’s wrong? It’s none of your business. Leave me alone.”

With her cold words, Kiyoaki felt his head throb.

“It’s none of my business, huh?”

“……………………”

“Respond, will you?”

“...You’re noisy. I’m busy. What do you want?”

"Is it forbidden to talk if you don't have anything to say?"

"We're in class, you know? I don't have time for idle chatter."

"Oh, really? You seem to be chatting just fine with Reiner."

Saying this, Mio looked up at Kiyoaki with surprise.

In her eyes, there was an emotion that swayed differently from confusion, but Kiyoaki couldn't understand what it was.

"…It’s not like that."

Mio hesitated, speaking with uncertainty.

"Because it seems like you're having fun talking to Reiner."

Feeling a surge of jealousy, she glared at Kiyoaki.

"Having fun? You think that looks fun?"

"It might not be, but you haven't said a word to me."

"Shut up. Just stop it already. I'm only talking about studies with Reiner."

"Oh, is this a lovers' quarrel? You two are close."

Out of nowhere, Reiner joined in the conversation with a grin. Mio turned to him with a tense face.

"Stay away!"

Her voice was a pained shriek like nothing Kiyoaki had ever heard before. However, Reiner responded casually, as if used to it.

"Come on, no need to yell. I’m just a bit jealous since you two are so close. You never show me that face, do you, Mio?"

Ignoring Kiyoaki's feelings, Reiner said this to Mio.

"What’s that supposed to mean…? I don’t get it, and it’s none of your business!"

Mio threw a much colder insult at Reiner than before, then ran off into the hangar, leaving Kiyoaki and Reiner staring at each other.

"…Seriously, what’s her deal? I don’t get why she’s acting like that."

Reiner chuckled as he complained. Mio's attitude towards Reiner was colder than Kiyoaki had expected. However, Kiyoaki's anger still lingered, leading to a direct question.

"What do you always talk about with Mio?"

Reiner raised one eyebrow slightly at Kiyoaki's almost inquisitive tone, then shrugged and replied.

"It's mostly about class stuff. Mio and I are in the same course. I figured she’d respond to that kind of topic. I’m concerned, you know? If Mio doesn't come to the officer's room, I can’t eat good food."

His words had a somewhat defensive or evasive tone. A feeling began to rise in Kiyoaki’s mind that they might have been talking about something else.

"Are you perhaps jealous or something?"

Reiner changed his grin into a smirk and nudged Kiyoaki with his elbow. Kiyoaki's heart skipped a beat at the clear accusation. He turned red and stammered,

"N-No, it’s not like that… it’s just something I thought."

To reassure him, Reiner softened his tone.

"You saw Mio’s attitude just now; I’m pretty sure she doesn’t like me."

"That’s not true… But, I guess Mio reacts the most to you…"

"I’m good at teasing girls, but it just gets me hated more."

Reiner laughed in his usual carefree manner. Considering it now, it was true that Mio had shown something akin to hostility towards Reiner earlier. When he calmed down, it seemed likely that he had been making a fuss for no reason.

"Well, I don’t want things to stay like this with Mio, so I’ll cooperate. Even if I’m hated and told awful things, I’ll just keep at it."

It seemed that Reiner was indeed concerned about Mio's attitude and was just trying to force himself to talk to her. Though he always acted nonchalant, Reiner probably wanted to maintain the bond of the seven. Feeling embarrassed about his own anger, Kiyoaki could only apologize to Reiner. Reiner chuckled dismissively at the apology and stretched his arms behind his head.

"Did you know? The day after tomorrow, during the offshore reconnaissance training, the operational and navigation students are supposed to ride the same reconnaissance aircraft. I hope you get to be with Mio. If you ask the instructor ahead of time, he might accommodate you. After all, we're the Seven of Eriadore."

"Oh… is that so?"

Kiyoaki had heard they would be flying reconnaissance missions but had never heard about riding together with the navigation students. As Reiner said, it was possible to request preferred pairs from the instructor in advance. It was likely that the airship instructor would pair up the top-performing Kiyoaki and Mio, encouraging the others to improve. Unable to contain his excitement, Kiyoaki hurriedly made his way to the instructor.

As Kiyoaki walked away, Reiner’s eyes sparkled with a strange light. But no one noticed that eerie glow.

"…Seriously, what a hassle…"

With a click of his tongue, Reiner entered the trainees' living quarters beneath the hangar.

Two days later.

The morning of the offshore reconnaissance training was unfortunately cloudy.

The engines of the twin-seat carrier bomber "Red Goat" roared to life on the deck of the escort aircraft carrier Merdireik, sending the propellers roaring into the clouds above.

The training scenario involved using the bomber "Red Goat" as a reconnaissance aircraft to locate enemy mobile fleets operating in the surrounding waters.

Receiving signals from the signalman, Kiyoaki, gripping the control stick of the lead aircraft, slowly positioned his aircraft at the starting line. As he awaited the launch signal, the instructor's voice came over the speakers.

"We’ve seen Urano activity in the North Multi-Islands Sea lately. If you come into contact, there may be real enemies present, so please don’t take unnecessary risks. If you do encounter the enemy, report immediately and retreat."

"Understood."

The North Multi-Islands Sea, which should have been safe, had completely transformed into a frontline over the past month.

Last month, in July, Urano began a fierce attack on Crossnodal Island, a major stronghold in the North Multi-Islands Sea, landing in the southern Bengal Bay and establishing a base, quickly clearing forests to set up an airfield. They were currently bringing in supplies to take control of all of Crossnodal Island, engaging in fierce battles with the St Vault Navy in an effort to cut off supply lines. Reports indicated that enemy mobile fleets had also advanced into the North Multi-Islands Sea beyond the Great Falls, making today’s reconnaissance mission a tense one, despite being training.

A hand signal was given. Kiyoaki saluted the bridge and boosted the engines.

The propellers roared, the wheels screeched against the deck, and the aircraft accelerated rapidly.

Kiyoaki lifted the aircraft into the wind. The lift tore against gravity, and the leading edge of the aircraft carrier vanished far behind.

Piercing through the clouds, the Red Goat ascended. The power of ascent was unlike anything Kiyoaki had experienced with the training aircraft Gray Fox; this was the true might of a combat aircraft. In no time, they reached an altitude of 2,000 meters, leveling the nose and flying along the predetermined reconnaissance line.

Today’s route involved moving 300 kilometres northwest from the carrier, then making a right turn and proceeding for 30 kilometres before turning right again to return to the carrier. Since the carrier would also be moving during the reconnaissance, the rear seat reconnaissance officer had to keep accurate navigation; otherwise, they wouldn’t know where the carrier was upon returning, and in the worst-case scenario, they might run out of fuel and crash into the sea.

Kiyoaki picked up the voice pipe and spoke to the rear seat for the first time that day.

"Navigation, please. I trust you, Mio."

"…Understood."

Mio’s voice, devoid of affection, came through the voice pipe. She recorded the departure position and time, the aircraft's heading, speed, wind direction, and wind speed on the board, calculating where they were flying and how to return to the carrier. Mio’s accurate navigation was largely responsible for the success of the counterattack in the enemy territory last summer with the Eriadore airship.

Mio was now busy with a heavy responsibility, so she couldn't afford any idle talk, but this was also their opportunity to finally be alone together.

"We might encounter enemies, so keep an eye out."

"……………………"

"I don’t think it’s a good idea to train in such dangerous areas. It seems like they want useless officer candidates to get out of the way quickly, so they might as well send them into battle now."

What Kiyoaki had just said was a rumour circulating within the school. In the southern archipelago battlefront, there were frequent cases where incompetent officers led many capable non-commissioned officers and soldiers to their deaths. Judging a candidate's qualities as an officer isn’t easy based solely on school performance; observing their actions on the battlefield is the best method. It could be argued that the upper echelons wanted to expose officer candidates to actual combat, allowing the incompetent ones to perish there, leaving only the capable to lead the troops. While this was likely unfounded, the fact that officer candidates were flying near actual battle zones indicated that the military leadership might have such thinking. At the very least, it was undeniable that the outcome of today’s reconnaissance mission would influence their futures as officers.

"If we do discover an enemy fleet, what should we do? The instructor said to retreat, but that sounds boring. If we make contact and succeed, maybe we’d get more honours."

"Contact" means to stick to the discovered enemy fleet, report their current location, course, and speed back to the carrier, and guide the attack squadron. It’s important but very dangerous, a task unsuitable for students.

Mio's response was cold.

"Altitude's dropping. We need to maintain speed to return to the carrier."

Upon hearing this, Kiyoaki looked at the instrument panel and indeed saw that the altitude had dropped by about a hundred meters, and the airspeed had decreased by around thirty kilometres per hour. For the reconnaissance officer who needed to calculate their position, this was certainly a nuisance.

"I'm sorry. I'll correct it."

"Stop with the small talk. Focus on flying seriously."

Her tone was entirely reminiscent of Illia at one point. Though Illia had warmed up to him, now it seemed Mio was pulling away.

As Mio wished, Kiyoaki dedicated himself to serious piloting for a while. Mio remained silent, concentrating on navigation. Last summer, when they had boarded the Eriadore airship together, Kiyoaki had felt reassured by having childhood friend Mio by his side amidst the strangers like Balthazar. Yet, a year later, he never imagined they would be so distant.

"Right turn, eighty-seven degrees."

As they quickly completed their three-hundred-kilometre advance, Mio's voice came through the voice pipe in a businesslike manner.

"Understood. Right turn eighty-seven degrees."

He repeated her instruction and turned as specified. This angle of turn had been calculated based on wind speed, airspeed, the carrier's navigation speed, and their own position. If it were incorrect, returning to the carrier would become difficult.

Kiyoaki scanned the surrounding area. They were in a zone where they might encounter enemy fleets. Without onboard radar, they had to rely on their eyes, but a thin layer of clouds made it hard to spot anything.

—I hope there are enemy ships out here.

—If there are, I could talk to Mio more.

As he thought this uncharacteristically reckless thought, he sent his gaze across the vast sky and sea. Below them, islands of various sizes dotted the waters, allowing him to determine their position even if their estimated navigation was incorrect. Given that maritime navigation was easier here, they were training in this area, accepting some risk.

Then—

"What's that...?"

He spotted something resembling ink stains in the northwest sky.

"Left one hundred sixty degrees. There's something there."

It seemed Mio had spotted the same thing. Her voice through the voice pipe was tense.

Kiyoaki squinted harder. There it was—something that seemed like a gift from the capricious gods. It didn’t appear to be an airship.

"Looks like an aircraft... Could it be friendly?"

"If it’s friendly around here, it would only be the aircraft from the Crossnodal base. But they shouldn't be able to reach this sea."

"Is it an enemy carrier aircraft?"

That black dot might be a carrier aircraft launched from an enemy mobile fleet active in these waters.

"…That’s a possibility."

Mio began tapping on the radio key for the tone-two system. Since a radio frequency control was in place, they couldn't receive any replies from the carrier. If the carrier replied, it could be reverse-triangulated, putting the entire fleet in danger. In this lonely environment, where they could only send signals but not receive them, they were forced to make a decision.

"What should we do? Should we run away?"

In response to Kiyoaki's question, Mio replied curtly.

"…Aren't we being told to do that?"

"But it might be friendly."

"If we determine if it’s friend or foe and then run away, it’ll be too late. If that’s a fighter, we won’t be able to escape."

What Mio said made sense. They were in a twin-seat bomber, armed only with a single twelve-millimetre rear-mounted machine gun. They certainly weren't equipped to engage a single-seat fighter in combat.

But—

"With so many clouds, if we hide well, we could escape. Plus, if there’s an enemy fleet, spotting it would be a huge achievement. Can't we hold on a bit longer?"

As he made this suggestion, Mio's voice hardened even more.

"Stop joking. If it comes to that, it’s no longer training; it’s real combat! We're not skilled enough for that yet."

"It's not our first time in real combat. Compared to Eriadore, the Red Goat is faster and more agile. Plus, I've been improving since last year."

His instincts as a pilot rejected the idea of running away without doing anything. As he looked further ahead, the tiny dot was gradually growing larger. He felt that if he observed a little more, he would be able to judge whether it was friend or foe.

"…Wait. Are you thinking something strange? Stop it."

It seemed Mio could read his thoughts, urging him to stop. Since they had been together since childhood, she likely understood his mind well.

However, Kiyoaki couldn't help but smile. It was certainly a critical situation, but her familiar voice was a comforting sound.

Suddenly, memories of the summer he first met Mio came flooding back. He had forced the city-raised Mio to sit in the back seat of an aircraft, taking off despite her screams. At that time, she had hurled insults at him, but eventually, she had grown accustomed to it and even commanded him to keep flying.

Nostalgia burned in his chest. When he thought about it, it had been since that time that they had flown together alone. If things went well, perhaps the old Mio would return to him—the kind Mio who had always been by his side, even after he lost his entire family on Messus Island.

"I'll determine the type of aircraft."

"Stop."

"Just a little, with all these clouds. Once I identify it, I'll escape immediately."

"Don't do anything reckless. Do you want to die here?"

"If that’s an enemy, our allies might be attacked soon. I can’t just stand by and do nothing."

"We're still students. There’s no need for us to do that, and we haven’t been asked to."

"But we also—"

Just as he was about to argue, he felt something strange above them.

"Whoa!!"

At the same time, Mio screamed.

He looked up.

Against the backdrop of the sun, there was one black dot.

In an instant, he flipped the aircraft and slid down into the airspace, looking up at the ocean below.

“Type 3 Idra, one aircraft!!”

Mio shouted. As they were in a reverse dive, the sea surface lay in front of Kiyoaki and above him. The sun was out of sight. However, Mio, sitting back-to-back, could see the zenith that Kiyoaki could not.

The Type 3 Idra had overwhelmed the Beowulf squadron of combat aircraft in front of Kiyoaki while he piloted the Eriadore last summer. The Red Goat carrier bomber had no choice but to dive sharply to escape the Idra's pursuit.

Kiyoaki twisted the aircraft further, nearly executing an inverted descent.

As Kiyoaki glided downwards at an angle, the enemy's tracer rounds followed his trajectory. A stream of fiery lines sliced through the air, barely missing the windscreen.

The sea surface rushed towards him at an alarming rate. He was already below a thousand meters in altitude.

Despite having a hydraulic assist, the control stick felt as heavy as if it were buried deep in the ground.

Even with the airbrakes deployed, the immense G-forces caused the wings to bend.

He dropped below five hundred meters. Kiyoaki gritted his teeth, pulling the control stick with all his strength.

The Red Goat lifted its head, skidding across the surface of the sea.

Torrents of machine gun fire rained down onto the splashing water.

A dry sound echoed from the aircraft. He had taken a few hits. But there was no time to check the situation.

As long as it was still flying, that was all that mattered.

Like a fox licking its lips, the Idra continued its pursuit.

There was no chance of victory in level flight. It would soon catch up and shoot him down.

To counter the enemy aircraft eager to claim its prey:

“Mio…!!”

“I told you so…!!”

In a moment of reckless abandon, Mio fired the rear-mounted twelve-millimetre machine gun.

A stream of Armor-piercing rounds was unleashed at the pursuing Idra. But there were no direct hits. It was known that rear gunfire seldom struck, but it was enough to deter the enemy.

“This is bad; I didn’t think we’d be detected.”

While making excuses, Kiyoaki desperately scanned the surrounding airspace. It was a sudden turn of events; he had broken through the clouds where they were supposed to hide. He searched for a place to conceal themselves.

“Left one hundred fifty degrees, there’s an island…!!”

Mio shouted while firing the turret-mounted machine gun.

Kiyoaki glanced left and back.

As Mio said, he spotted a faint indigo island in the distance.

He steered the aircraft. Sliding left and right, he dodged incoming rounds as he headed towards the nameless island.

At a horizontal distance of twenty thousand meters, he could make out the shape of the island.

It wasn’t a coral reef or a sandy isle. It was a volcanic island rising from the sea. Judging by the island's width, it was probably larger than Air Hunt Island. A mountain range, nearly two thousand meters high, loomed like soldiers raising their swords to the sky.

—Only one enemy. It’s not a formation. We can escape.

He headed straight for the island.

Below him, the sea gave way to a lush green jungle. Ahead lay a rugged chain of volcanoes, their ancient forms overlapping, with smoke billowing from their peaks.

“Come on…!!”

Turning back, he spat in defiance.

He was now painfully aware of the responsibility he had for putting Mio in danger due to his own foolishness.

“Find a river! We need to enter the canyon!!”

While firing the turret-mounted machine gun wildly, Mio shouted above the noise of gunfire.

Kiyoaki recalled his meteorology lessons. The presence of mountains meant that the air cooled at high altitudes, creating clouds and bringing rain. Therefore, there must be a river on this island. If they could find the river, there would surely be a canyon further upstream.

To shake off the numerically superior enemy, they had to seek refuge in the narrow terrain.

—Use the terrain to their advantage. A test of skill.

Kiyoaki steeled himself.

“Got it, thanks, Mio!!”

Even though it was a one-on-one duel, they were a student piloting a bomber while the enemy was a professional in a fighter.

It was a reckless challenge, but he had flown aircraft since childhood and had engaged in air battles with Illia every day now. This wasn’t his first experience in real combat; he had fought in the Eriadore.

Just above the treetops, Kiyoaki fled.

The Idra was in pursuit. The machine gun rounds fired at him vanished into the treetops below, startling countless birds into flight.

The profound silence of the nameless isle was now violently pierced by the thumping of two piston engines and the sounds of gunfire.

“Right one hundred thirty degrees, a river…!!”

Mio's strained voice reached through the intercom. Kiyoaki focused on the direction she indicated. While he couldn’t see the river, he could tell the dense jungle was gouged.

There was no escape except forward. Kiyoaki turned the wings without hesitation.

The Idra wouldn’t give up. It would be a disgrace for a fighter pilot to let a bomber escape without any escort. It was a matter of pride, and they would not let up in their pursuit.

—The battle would continue until one of them fell.

—One of them would end their life here today…!

The weight of the competition presses down on the control stick. My hands tremble, but I suppress that shake with the strength of my resolve.

— I will save Mio, no matter what.

— Even if it costs me my life.

With an unspoken vow etched into my heart, I approach the great river.

At an altitude of fifty meters, I glide just above the water’s surface, like a water strider.

In front of the windscreen, a range of tall mountains looms. The Idra is closing in, fully aware of my intentions, yet charging forward without hesitation, the sound of explosions echoing behind it.

The Idra is faster. It steadily closes the distance. Kiyoaki gauges the timing of the enemy’s shots.

“Left!!”

The moment Mio screams, I kick the left foot bar.

The aircraft skims across the river's surface. A bright red tracer bullet rushes by, nearly colliding.

To the left, the forest looms large. If we make contact, it’s game over.

In an instant, I kick the right foot bar.

The aircraft slides in the opposite direction, right into the waiting grasp of the Idra.

“Mio!!”

The moment I yell, the twelve-millimetre machine gun bursts to life, aiming at the Idra.

The Idra twists to evade. As a professional fighter pilot, it follows closely without hesitation. I understand the difference; this isn’t a match against mere students. This is no easy foe.

— Give it everything.

Encouraging myself, I focus on the towering peaks rising ahead.

— Put everything I've built up to this point on the line.

I kick up a spray of water as I head towards the mountainous terrain.

— Protect Mio at all costs.

The foothills are thick with trees, but as altitude increases, they give way to shrubs, and eventually the rocky surface of the mountains becomes exposed.

I glance back. With growing intensity, the Idra is right on my tail, almost as if enjoying this duel. It’s a typical aggressive move from a Urano pilot.

The higher I fly, the more treacherous the mountains become. The altitude rises, and the valleys narrow, becoming the ravine Mio described.

But what surprised me was—

“It’s twisting…!”

The river, shaped by thousands of years, created a labyrinth canyon where two hundred meters ahead is not visible.

If I make even the slightest mistake with the control stick, I’ll crash into the towering rock face. But if I slow down, the Idra will shoot me down.

I must navigate this maze at the very edge of my speed while avoiding getting caught by the Idra.

“Stay calm; they have the same conditions…”

Mio’s encouragement comes through the voice tube.

Gripping the sweating control stick, I regain my composure. As Mio said, it won’t be easy for the enemy to shoot down someone escaping through this narrow terrain. I must keep my eyes on the aiming sight while also being vigilant of the river below and the rocky walls on either side. If I accelerate recklessly and close the distance, I risk crashing into the next rock face.

— That person is scared too.

I force myself to stay positive, take a deep breath, and concentrate all my focus on the rocky walls flanking me.

— I won’t give in.

The only path is through there.

Control stick, throttle, foot bar. I handle each operation with utmost care, concentrating my nerves on the canyon ahead.

If I let my guard down for even a moment, I’ll crash into the rock face. Maintaining focus is exhausting. There’s no need to fly here; if I gain altitude, there’s open sky to spread my wings freely.

— No, I can’t go there; I’ll get shot down.

If I engage in aerial combat in open space, I can’t hope to win against a fighter plane. I can only overcome these difficulties by navigating this steep-walled labyrinth.

Encouraging myself not to be swallowed by anxiety, I muster the courage from deep within.

“The speed’s increasing; they’re coming…!”

Mio’s tense voice reaches me. When I glance back, the Idra seems to have steeled itself, accelerating to close the gap. It doesn’t look like it plans to take its time.

“Mio, if the enemy fires, tell me the direction to dodge.”

“Leave it to me.”

“I trust you.”

“Ever since we were kids, hanging out with you has led to nothing good.”

Mio’s familiar banter is a relief. It’s been a while since we’ve exchanged light-hearted jabs like this.

— I’m not alone. We’re in this together.

As I climb the river, the canyon narrows, increasing the difficulty of flying.

Ahead, a towering cliff approaches.

Behind, the enemy craft draws near. Mio shouts.

“Left!!”

Kiyoaki kicks the left foot bar, pulling back on the control stick to finally lift the nose.

The tracer bullets surge past below the aircraft. With utmost caution and determination, I gain altitude along the edge of the rocky surface.

The Idra frantically lifts its nose as well. Mio’s rear machine gun spits out bright red fire.

The turning point of fate lies right there.

“…!!”

Smoke erupts from the base of the Idra’s left wing. Simultaneously, the aircraft sways violently.

“Direct hit, direct hit!”

Mio screams. I look back to see the Idra rising dangerously close to the rock face, desperately climbing.

However, it seems its left aileron is damaged, causing the nose to veer off course. It can’t chase me like that.

Kiyoaki escapes the canyon and climbs to an altitude of five hundred meters to observe Idra.

“It’s retreating; we’re saved…”

Idra can no longer engage in aerial combat. It wobbles and shrinks into the distance. Just as I start to breathe a sigh of relief—

“We’ve been hit too!!”

Mio’s anguished scream strikes my ears.

Looking forward again, flames erupt from the front engine.

“W-What!!”

The damage is catastrophic. I don’t need to imagine what would happen if the fuel tank filled with petrol catches fire.

“Mio, jump! Bail out!!”

Kiyoaki hastily opens the windscreen. Fortunately, we both have parachutes, but we’re only at five hundred meters. It’s a dangerous altitude for a parachute drop.

“Why is this happening…!!”

Mio, on the verge of tears, opens the rear windscreen. Kiyoaki unbuckles his seatbelt and prepares to jump, glancing back.

“I’m jumping; open your chute the moment you exit!”

“Got it!”

Together, we leap from the windscreen into the sky.

At the same time, the fuel tank of the Red Goat explodes.

A tremendous light and shockwave rush toward us. The disintegrating aircraft reflects the sunlight like a shining star. Kiyoaki and Mio are hurled like paper scraps, barely managing to deploy their parachutes. A strong weight pulls on their shoulders. Gravity decreases, but the descent speed is still rapid. Below, the rocky walls of the canyon loom closer by the second.

I scan the surroundings to make sure I don’t lose sight of Mio.

I confirm her chute opening above me. At this rate, it looks like she can avoid crashing into the rock face. With a relieved heart, I prepare to choose my landing spot when I suddenly notice the towering rock face right in front of me.

“Eh?”

While worrying about Mio, a crisis was approaching me at a tremendous speed.

“Kiyoaki!!”

I thought I heard Mio’s distant scream. Before I could curse my own foolishness, an overwhelming impact hit my head, and my vision turned dark.

“Why… are you… so stupid…?”

While spilling out her foolishness, Mio desperately swam, holding Kiyoaki, and untied the parachute from her body.

“Kiyoaki! Kiyoaki…!”

She surrendered herself to the flow of the stream, just keeping her face above the surface, calling out to Kiyoaki nearby. However, there was no sign of him opening his eyes, unconscious and unresponsive. His limp arms and legs swayed in the water.

Mio quickly unfastened her parachute and jumped into the stream after Kiyoaki, who had fallen after colliding with a rock wall. She swam hard to catch up to him, managed to grab him, and slapped his cheek, calling his name, but there was no reaction.

The blood flowing from Kiyoaki’s head turned the river red. Dark gray clouds loomed overhead, threatening to rain. She had to get him to the shore somehow.

“Seriously… you’re always… always like this…!”

Fortunately, the river was deep but slow. With one hand under his armpit, she lifted Kiyoaki’s face above the surface and swam desperately to the bank.

“You’re so stupid…! Really, so stupid…!”

Curses slipped out uncontrollably; it was a habit since childhood.

“Unbelievable…! You really are the worst…!”

Drenched like a wet rat, Mio dragged Kiyoaki’s shoulder and scraped her shoe soles against the sandy riverbank. She checked the bleeding on his head, bit into her military uniform sleeve, tore it off, and made a makeshift bandage.

From the sky, the rain began to fall, relentlessly. Looking into the distance, she saw black smoke rising from a part of the forest. The Red Goat must have crashed. Mio memorized her current position, the direction of the smoke, and the outline of the distant ridge as she carried Kiyoaki on her back into the jungle.

The wind and sound of rain grew stronger. This could be a precursor to a storm. Anxiety increased, but for now, she had to find shelter from the rain.

Grinding her teeth, she pressed on through the muddy forest of tropical trees. To remember her route, she marked the tree trunks with her pocketknife as she walked tirelessly.

Above her, large raindrops smashed through the leafy canopy. Summoning all her willpower, she trudged on, soaked to the bone.

“Ugh!”

She stumbled over a root sticking out of the ground and fell, face-first into the mud, while still carrying Kiyoaki. Sitting down in the mud, she groaned in frustration.

“The worst…! Just the worst…!”

Cursing, she wiped her muddy face with her arm, then hoisted Kiyoaki back up and continued walking. It was a tough march, but during her air hunt training, she had once hiked for two days carrying a twenty-kilogram backpack through the woods. She believed she had the strength to overcome this hardship and kept moving through the torrential rain.

After walking for about an hour, occasionally taking breaks, a glimmer of hope smiled upon her.

“I did it…!”

In the steep cliffside, a cave gaped open.

It was a small cave, about two meters high and two and a half meters deep, but at least it could provide shelter from the rain. With a sigh of relief, Mio stepped into the cave and laid Kiyoaki down on the cold stone floor.

A tremendous flash of lightning etched their shadows onto the cave walls.

The roar of the storm shook Mio's stomach. It felt like a mythical beast was howling, as if the island itself might be blown away.

“Crashed, injured, and now a storm… this is just the worst…”

Leaning against the rock wall, Mio trembled.

Because of the weather and altitude, it was cold despite being summer. In this storm, she couldn’t gather enough branches to start a fire, and the coldness of her wet clothes was unbearable.

Mio placed her hand on Kiyoaki’s forehead and cheek. He was cold. Though the bleeding had stopped, his body temperature was bound to drop further in this cold.

──I need to warm him up, or Kiyoaki will die.

She realized this.

However, how to warm him?

Just as one way came to mind, Mio’s cheeks flushed red.

“No way. This is indecent. No way.”

She shook her head to dismiss the thought. But in this situation, without being able to make a fire, she had no other means of warming him.

“This is shameful. Impossible. No way.”

She voiced her refusal to herself, but Kiyoaki was shivering to the point of chattering his teeth. When she shone her emergency flashlight from her chest pocket on his face, his lips were blue, like a corpse. It was clear he wouldn’t last until morning if things continued like this.

“Why…! Why is this happening…!”

As she raised her voice in resentment, she understood that despite her embarrassment, it was essential to remove Kiyoaki’s wet military uniform.

With trembling hands, she began to unbutton his shirt. Having spent her formative years in the Akitsu Federation, Mio had no experience with the male body. Just seeing his collarbone turned her face beet red, and merely looking at the thin shirt clinging to his skin made her shut her eyes.

“It’s not for any weird reason! I-I’m just doing this because you look cold…!”

As she made excuses to the unconscious Kiyoaki, she gripped the hem of his wet shirt and, with her eyes closed, forcibly pulled it off.

She wiped Kiyoaki's exposed torso with the wrung-out shirt, blushing furiously. Though he seemed slender, his daily training had developed firm, toned muscles covering his chest and arms.

Mio’s heart began to play an unfamiliar tune.

It was a strange heartbeat; one she couldn't control. Despite the cold, her face burned.

“You’re so stupid… Really… stupid!”

Remembering herself, she hesitated about removing his pants but decided that leaving him cold wouldn’t help, so she ultimately took them off.

Now Kiyoaki lay there in just his cotton underwear, his cold body exposed.

Mio wrung out her shirt repeatedly, wiping off the droplets from Kiyoaki's entire body. It was better than him staying in wet clothes, but when she placed her hand on his forehead again, he still felt cold.

The chill of the outside air was still an issue.

Checking her pocket watch, she saw it was past seven in the evening. Though she couldn’t see it, the sun had likely already set. With nightfall approaching, it would get even colder. At this rate, hypothermia was unavoidable, and Kiyoaki wouldn’t last until morning. He would die here.

──Am I going to die here?

──Am I just going to silently watch Kiyoaki die?

She questioned herself. She knew the solution. Yet, the idea of such reckless behaviour frightened her.

At that moment, Kiyoaki’s pale blue lips parted.

“…O…”

Finally, he showed a reaction. He might wake up. Mio, slapping her cheeks with one hand, called out to him.

“Kiyoaki! Wake up, Kiyoaki!”

Kiyoaki’s expression twisted, and words began to take shape.

“…Mio… I’m… sorry… Mio…”

Even in a state of unconsciousness, Kiyoaki was worried about her.

“Kiyoaki!!”

Mio desperately called his name, but Kiyoaki's eyes remained shut. Only his right hand slowly lifted.

“…Mio…”

Without hesitation, Mio grabbed Kiyoaki's cold hand. It was extremely cold. Could it be that Kiyoaki was trying to apologize with his last bit of strength?

“Just stop! You don’t need to apologize! So wake up! Don’t die!!”

Mio’s voice trembled, almost in tears. Even on the brink of death, Kiyoaki was still concerned for her.

──Even with someone like me.

──Someone who betrayed you.

During the attack in the Eriadore airship, when Mio was gravely injured, Kiyoaki had taken the lives of all his comrades upon his own piloting skills, attempting a challenging nighttime landing and succeeding brilliantly.

──No matter how much I repay you, it’s not enough.

──What I did was betray you and side with Urano.

A sharp sense of guilt surged within her.

As Mio gazed at the burnt remnants of Messusu Island, the day she vowed with Kiyoaki to defeat Urano resurfaced in her mind.

“To end the war. I will crush the Sky Clan, Urano.”

Determined not to let more sad sacrifices like her parents and sister be born, Kiyoaki had directed his focused gaze toward the distant sky.

“I want to share the same dream as you, Kiyoaki.”

Mio had asked that of him, holding hands with Kiyoaki, embracing their endless dream.

That was why they both attended the Air Hunt Officer Academy, having sworn to pursue the same goal together.

Yet here she was.

What she was doing now was choosing family over comrades, betraying them by leaking confidential information to Urano.

Moreover, her stepfather, Ethan, had been behind the invasion of Messusu Island. Even though Ethan had taken Kiyoaki’s homeland and family, she couldn’t abandon him. No matter how despicable a traitor he might be, he was the one who had given her this life. Even if he was the one who killed Kiyoaki’s family, he was still her father, so she couldn’t discard him.

──The lowest and worst of all is me.

A sharp sense of self-reproach deeply cut into her heart.

“...Mio... Mio...”

Kiyoaki continued to call her name in his dreams. Even on the brink of death, he was still worried about her.

Mio bit her lip hard, kneeling on the ground, lifting Kiyoaki’s head and placing it on her thigh.

She stroked Kiyoaki’s forehead with her hand.

“Kiyoaki. I’m okay.”

The coldness of his forehead transmitted through her palm. The chill creeping in from outside was seeping into Kiyoaki’s life. As time passed, it would become increasingly difficult to regain the lost body heat.

“I… am the worst. I’m a terrible person. I’m betraying you all and leaking information to the enemy.”

She cupped his pale cheeks with both hands, rubbing them. But Kiyoaki didn’t wake up.

“You saved my life. Yet instead of repaying you, I’m betraying you.”

A sniffle escaped Mio. She couldn’t contain the emotions bubbling up inside her.

“It was my dad who took your family and homeland. He deceived everyone, aided Urano, and is now trying to do the same thing in Crossnodal Island.”

Currently, the information from Crossnodal Island, a fiercely contested battlefield, was flowing through Ethan to Urano. Despite knowing this, Mio remained silent.

“I don’t even deserve to live; I’m a piece of trash.”

She held back tears, thinking she had no right to cry.

“But... because of that... at least…”

She forced out her feelings into words.

“I want to save at least you.”

Mio lifted Kiyoaki’s head and kissed his cold forehead.

“Even though I’m the woman trying to drag everyone into hell…”

She rubbed her cheek against Kiyoaki’s motionless face.

“I can’t bear for you to die.”

After laying Kiyoaki’s body gently on the ground, Mio stood up and took off her soaked military uniform.

──This is disgraceful. This is crude. Like an animal.

──But if it saves Kiyoaki, being like an animal is fine.

──I don’t care how low I fall.

A flash of lightning illuminated the cave momentarily, casting a pale glow on Mio's body.

A tremor shook the cave, and rainwater streamed into it, carrying a biting cold.

“I’m sorry.”

Mio, in only her underwear, lay beside Kiyoaki, wrapping her arms around his back. Their bare skin touched, sharing warmth.

“I don’t think I can be forgiven. But I’m sorry.”

Mio clung to Kiyoaki. Their innocent bodies softly and warmly resonated with each other.

Kiyoaki’s heartbeat resonated directly in Mio's chest.

She felt a mix of embarrassment, yet she could sense Kiyoaki’s will to survive.

“It’s okay. I won’t let you die. I won’t let you die.”

She rubbed Kiyoaki’s cold arms and back, wrapping her hands around his neck tightly. His body, which had been growing colder, gradually felt softer and warmer.

──It’s working.

──If I continue like this, Kiyoaki will be saved.

Mio encouraged herself, suppressing her shame with all her might, dedicating herself to warming Kiyoaki’s body.

Kiyoaki was in a dream.

A dream of being in a dark, lightless place, trembling from an indescribable cold.

His extremities were frozen, unable to move, while his consciousness awakened, only able to watch as he slowly froze.

It was a terrible nightmare, painful, lonely, and suffocating, yet he couldn’t even cry.

“Someone help me. I don’t want to die like this.” He wanted to scream, but he couldn’t make a sound, trapped in an eternal frozen hell.

He couldn’t understand why he found himself in such a state.

“Mio.”

He called out the name of the person who was always closest to him.

Was Mio safe? Was she suffering like this? If his reckless actions had caused her to tremble alone in the cold, he had to warm her up.

“Mio.”

That name was the only thing he could say. But there was only darkness around him, and he could see nothing. The core of his body froze.

“I’m sorry. Don’t die. Mio.”

At that moment, all he could do was apologize.

A faint crack appeared in the heavy darkness.

Warm, soft light began to seep in. The surface of his cold, stiff body touched the light and slowly began to thaw.

“Oh,” he involuntarily exclaimed.

The light was indescribably warm, soft, and had a supple resilience.

Something smooth, resembling high-quality silk, pressed against his forehead and cheek, spreading warmth from there. A comforting elasticity enveloped his chest, arms, and back, dispelling the cold of the darkness.

A mass of light surrounded Kiyoaki's entire body.

The light, with substance, embraced Kiyoaki’s entire body.

The coldness of death that he had braced for melted away in the pure light.

“Kiyoaki.”

That warm, soft light called his name.

“Don’t die. Kiyoaki.”

The light whispered as it seeped into Kiyoaki’s heart.

The once-frozen heartbeat regained its strength.

──This is a dream. It’s not real.

Kiyoaki’s reason whispered that to him.

──But it’s fine if it’s a dream.

The expression and form of the voice’s owner were hidden within the curtain of light, obscured from view. Kiyoaki stretched out his hand, trying to touch whoever was on the other side.

The arms of the light wrapped around Kiyoaki’s back.

Kiyoaki also embraced that substantial light in his arms.

The warmth enveloping him from within the light transmitted its elasticity throughout Kiyoaki’s entire being.

The coldness of death faded, and the warmth of life spread through him.

He felt indescribably happy.

Kiyoaki prayed that this dream would never end.

“I won’t let you die.”

The light whispered in Kiyoaki’s ear. A single tear fell from his eye.

In that instant──.

A primal surge of life suddenly surged within Kiyoaki.

Was it a fundamental desire to survive this frozen hell, or was it an instinctive desire inherent to males? Perhaps it was both.

A burning, intense will moved Kiyoaki’s arms. Even with the power of reason trying to control it, it was a compulsion unlike anything he had experienced before.

──I want to be one.

──One with this light.

Driven by that impulse, Kiyoaki forcefully pushed his arms into the inner sanctum of the light.

He grasped whatever obscured the light and stripped it away without a single thought intervening.

“Ah...!?”

From beyond the light, a voice echoed. Yet Kiyoaki’s consciousness was unclear, unable to discern whether this was a dream or reality.

He had lost control over reason, thought, and action. Only the natural instinct of a living being drove Kiyoaki’s body.

──This light is mine.

It was an instinctive action to preserve and continue his own life. Kiyoaki’s body simply obeyed that fundamental will.

“I won’t let go.”

Kiyoaki whispered to the light.

The light was crying.

He didn’t understand why it was crying.

He thought it didn’t matter. Whether this was a dream or reality was irrelevant. All he wanted was to eliminate all thought and become one with this light.

Kindness and warmth seeped into every cell of his being. A tenderness that accompanied pain ignited a blaze in Kiyoaki’s chest. With a dim consciousness, he simply sought the light, wanting to merge with it.

Kiyoaki continued to embrace the light, resonating their heartbeats together. The two heartbeats harmonized, weaving a melody of life that flowed through the inner sanctum of the light like a stream.

He awoke to blinding brightness.

With a groan, he opened his eyes. A pristine morning sun had penetrated deep into the cave.

He could hear birds singing. The rich scent of wet summer grass filled his nostrils. A pale, greenish morning mist flowed outside the cave.

Kiyoaki propped himself up, realizing he was only wearing underwear.

“Ah...”

Several broken branches had been propped against the cave wall, with Kiyoaki’s damp clothes spread out at the ends.

A throbbing pain in his head made itself known. Grimacing, he placed a hand over the injury and realized that a makeshift bandage was wrapped around it with his military uniform’s sleeve.

“Where... is this...?”

Perhaps due to the injury, there were gaps in his memory. He couldn’t recall the details of yesterday’s events.

Certainly, he had gone out for an enemy reconnaissance flight, encountered enemy aircraft midway, was pursued, escaped to an island, and had parachuted down with someone from the rear seat...

“Mio!”

Kiyoaki shouted and looked around.

Mio was nowhere to be found. In a panic, he put on his damp military uniform and rushed out of the cave.

The light filled the world, and he instinctively shaded his eyes with his hand. The storm had passed, and a refreshing morning, cleansed of impurities, had arrived.

The densely clustered branches and leaves of the trees were laden with droplets of water, sparkling as they reflected the morning sun. The vivid green was almost painful to look at. Stepping on the wet, rotten leaves while calling Mio's name, Kiyoaki stepped into the forest.

Between the narrow trunks of the trees, he spotted a blue stream. He stumbled forward, reaching the sandy riverbank.

A bundle of rough branches, seemingly gathered by someone, lay lined up on the riverbank. And in the flowing water...

“Ah...”

A girl in a military uniform stood alone with her back turned, using a sextant to measure the sun’s altitude.

“Mio...”

When he called her name, Mio turned to him, casting a glance of slight disdain.

“You’re late. How long are you going to sleep?”

With a curt remark, she turned her back on Kiyoaki and continued her measurements.

Her slender back painfully reminded him of last night’s memories.

“...!!”

A sharp pain shot through his temple.

The vivid sensation of Mio in Kiyoaki's arms resurfaced in his mind.

That softness, warmth, resilience, and the newfound comfort he had never known before...

He had thought it was a dream, but it was probably not.

──I took something precious from Mio.

The image of the bare Mio, enveloped in light, came back to him.

And he remembered what he had done to her.

──Like an animal, driven by instinct.

His lips trembled as he called out.

“Mio, I...”

The words after that wouldn’t come. Mio looked back at Kiyoaki with a hint of suspicion.

“Hmm?”

“T-That... um, something irreversible...”

Her expression seemed to say, "Huh?" as her mouth opened.

Kiyoaki knelt down and placed his palms on the ground. It was a traditional way of apologizing in the Akitsu Federation.

“I-I’ll take responsibility...!! I promise, I will... for the rest of my life...!?”

His words were drowned out by a sudden blow to his head.

When he looked up, he saw Mio holding a sextant in her right hand, puffing up her cheeks.

“I told you to stop, didn’t I? You always do something reckless. There’s no way a bomber can win against a fighter. But well, it’s fine now. The situation is terrible, but at least we’re both safe.”

With a dramatic sigh, Mio resumed her measurements. Kiyoaki, momentarily stunned, quickly tightened his expression.

“Uh, no, that’s not it! It’s about what happened after that...”

Mio tilted her head, looking puzzled.

“After that? Oh, you mean carrying you here? It was super hard work. When we get back, you owe me a cake. Every day for three months.”

“N-No, that’s not it! I mean, that’s bad too, but... not that. It’s about what happened after...”

“Yeah. You were cold and shivering, so I took off your clothes. I saw everything. Thanks to you, I’ve become an adult.”

She laughed, placing her hand on her cheek, clearly enjoying herself. Mio’s attitude was surprisingly cheerful.

“Um, yeah. So, about that after...”

“After? You were sleeping with a silly face. You looked happy. Were you having a fun dream? I’m not interested, but do you want to tell me the content?”

Mio asked nonchalantly.

Watching her, Kiyoaki began to lose confidence in his memories of last night.

──Could it be that it was all a dream?

──Otherwise, Mio wouldn’t be acting like this...

If that had been real, her current demeanour wouldn’t fit at all. A girl raised with the strong values of the Akitsu Federation would surely be shocked and confront Kiyoaki about his actions last night. Even without that, it would be odd if she didn’t retain some semblance of the aftereffects of those actions.

Yet Mio seemed completely unfazed, joking with him in a carefree manner.

Kiyoaki, feeling awkward, decided to test the waters.

“I-I had a strange dream... so maybe that was reality...”

“Oh? What kind of dream?”

“It felt so real that it seemed like reality, but seeing you now, I’m starting to think it was just a dream...”

“Me? I was involved? What kind of dream was that?”

“T-That’s...”

Kiyoaki swallowed hard, raising his face, flushed, to look directly at Mio.

“I don’t want you to get mad when I tell you this...”

“Okay, I won’t get mad.”

“If it was really a dream, you’d probably get mad...”

“Like I said, I won’t get mad. Just hurry up and tell me.”

“W-Well, that dream was...!”

Kiyoaki stood rigidly, responding to the morning call, puffing out his chest and looking up to the sky.

“...I’m sorry! It’s nothing!!”

As he shouted, Mio fell over in surprise.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Now I’m even more curious. Just say it!”

“I’m sorry, I think it was just my imagination. I mean, a head injury can make you think of things you normally wouldn’t. I’m sorry, forget it.”

As he rejected her, Mio leaned forward, eager to hear more.

“What’s that? There’s no way I’d be fooled by that. Oh, I get it, it was a lewd dream!”

At her question, Kiyoaki instinctively swallowed hard. It was indeed a lewd dream.

“Is that your face saying it’s true?”

Mio continued to probe; her interest piqued. Kiyoaki nodded silently.

Suddenly, Mio’s expression soured, hands on her hips, as she turned away.

“Unbelievable. The worst. I carry you through the rain and walk all this way, and you’re having a lewd dream and smiling? How nice for you.”

“U-Um, I’m sorry... I really am...”

As Kiyoaki deeply bowed in apology, Mio sighed dramatically again, but her expression softened as she looked up at the bright sun.

“I had a bad feeling when I heard we were a pair, and it turned out to be true. Well, now that it’s happened, there’s no helping it. Anyway, today you’re going to work. First, we need to recover the communication device. Then we’ll contact the flagship for a rescue. Everyone is probably worried by now.”

She stated firmly. Kiyoaki looked up and nodded.

“...Yeah, you’re right. I’m really sorry about yesterday. I’ll make up for it today.”

“Okay. I’m counting on you. I’ve already figured out about where we crashed, so once you’re ready, we’ll head out.”

Mio clapped her hands to focus, pointing toward the direction they would walk today in the dense forest.

──Was it really a dream? Maybe after all...

── There’s no reason for me to hide the truth from Mio...

Kiyoaki convinced himself of this as he began preparing to depart with Mio. As she said, they needed to think about calling for help as quickly as possible.

They had breakfast with the canned bread and then entered the forest together.

Mio was staring at her compass, pointing southeast. "If we walk this way for about an hour, there’s a bigger river. That’s the river you fell into. I marked the trees with my knife on the way here, so let’s follow those marks. Once we reach the river, we should be able to see the crash site."

Just as Mio said, there were small marks carved into the trees at regular intervals. It was impressive how meticulous she was, given that she specialized in navigation.

"You marked them while carrying me?"

"Yep. I complained about you the whole time. You didn’t wake up at all, though."

"...I'm sorry. Should I carry you today?"

"No, it's fine. You’re the injured one. I can walk by myself."

Mio firmly declined and walked on her own.

Her straightforward attitude made Kiyoaki remember the Mio from last night's dream.

── Was that really a dream?

Doubt began to creep in. Yet if that had been reality, he couldn’t understand why Mio would act like this.

There was no need for her to pretend it didn’t happen. That had to be the case.

If it was reality, Kiyoaki was prepared to take responsibility.

He didn't want to be the kind of man who would take away something precious from Mio and then act as if nothing happened. Although he was still in his teens, according to the laws of the Akitsu Federation, he could get engaged. Besides, they had made a promise when they were children.

── If that was reality, I would propose to Mio.

── To take responsibility for my actions, that’s the only way.

Kiyoaki reaffirmed this to himself.

However, Mio was acting as if nothing had happened, behaving just like usual. No, considering her attitude now, it was closer to the cheerful, spirited Mio that Kiyoaki had known since childhood.

If that had been reality, Mio wouldn’t be acting like this. There would be no reason for her to silently endure having something precious taken from her.

"What are you spacing out for? Does your head hurt?"

Suddenly being asked brought him back to reality. Mio was glaring at him with a pout.

"Could it be that you were thinking something lewd again? That’s the lowest. Stop dreaming and take this seriously."

In an exaggerated tone like that of a noblewoman, Mio threw the insult at him. Kiyoaki shook his head seriously.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I’ll take it seriously. I promise..."

He trailed off, checking the marks on the tree as they walked through the forest. As he debated whether to bring up last night’s dream again, they emerged from the trees and came upon a river.

"Uh... it should be over there."

Mio observed the mountain range in the distance, checking her compass, and pointed northeast toward the base of the mountain. The gray peaks lined up against the blue sky, with a vast forest of deep green spread out at their feet.

"There’s no smoke coming from there now, but yesterday there was black smoke rising from that area."

"Impressive, you were really watching closely. Let’s go check it out."

"Yeah. I hope the communication device isn’t broken..."

Walking side by side with a worried Mio, they crossed a shallow section of the river, water up to their knees, and stepped into the forest on the other side.

"What would happen if the communication device is broken?"

"We wouldn’t be able to call for help. We’d just have to wait for someone to come."

"Even if they did come, would they be able to find us? There are so many islands..."

"It might be impossible. If that’s the case, we’d have to build a raft and set out to sea together. Or we could just live on this island together forever."

Mio’s words settled heavily in Kiyoaki’s stomach.

That didn’t seem like such a bad future.

Mio walked in silence. Perhaps she, too, was contemplating the meaning of her own words.

── To be here on this island, just the two of us, forever.

The temptation whispered in the back of his mind.

"You have a goal, so you absolutely have to escape."

As if she had seen through his thoughts, Mio said this resolutely.

Dodging through the narrow gaps between trees, stepping into the tricky, decaying underbrush, she continued, her eyes focused on the crash site.

"You’re going to take down Urano, right? To put an end to this war."

It was the vow they had made on Messus Island. Kiyoaki had never forgotten that promise.

"Yeah... I don’t want to experience anything that sad ever again."

"We're escaping. No matter what it takes. Everyone is worried, and living together on this island is the worst."

"I know... I was feeling a bit weak. But I understand. We will escape."

Mio nodded while keeping her gaze fixed ahead and stepped forward again. After struggling through the forest for two hours, they finally came upon the remains of the Red Goat, its fuselage split in two.

"Yes! There it is!"

With a cheer, Kiyoaki rushed to check the back seat. Peering through the windshield, he saw that while the damage was severe, the communication equipment was intact.

"Thank you, God...!"

Mio offered a prayer and climbed into the back seat, pulling out a map of the Multi-Islands from beneath the seat. Kiyoaki slid into the front seat and powered on the communication device. He confirmed that the red light had turned green, and as Mio glared at the map, she took a piece of paper from her pocket. It contained the results of this morning’s celestial observation.

"Based on the enemy airspace, this morning’s observations, and the island’s geography, we are here on Rembrandt Island. It’s alright; there’s a communication outpost over the mountain. Help should arrive soon."

Mio began tapping on the wireless telegraph key to report their situation to the flagship. Once the flagship received the message, they would relay it to their allies for rescue.

"Yeah, the signal flares are intact. It looks like we’re going to be okay."

"Oh man, the instructor is going to be mad. This might affect my grades. I’m never pairing up with you again."

"I’m really sorry, Mio. It’s thanks to you that we survived. If you hadn’t been here, I would have definitely died..."

"Guess we’re even now."

That "even" referred to when Kiyoaki saved Mio’s life during a night landing. She had felt guilty about that for a long time. Kiyoaki laughed.

"You just paid me back. I can never look you in the eye again."

At this, Mio snorted in annoyance.

"Thanks can wait until after we’re safe. First, we need to detach the communication device and battery."

"Oh, right. I’ll carry it; you rest..."

Kiyoaki quickly got to work, panting as he removed the necessary equipment and power source from the aircraft, using straps to carry it on his back. It weighed about twenty kilograms altogether.

"It’s heavy...!"

"Do you want me to carry the battery?"

"I’m fine; I can handle it. Alright, let’s go! I hope we can get picked up today..."

Struggling, Kiyoaki pushed himself to step back into the forest once more.

After panting and taking breaks, it took them about three and a half hours to return to the large riverbank. From here, launching a signal flare should make it easier for the rescue team to find them.

"We're back...!"

"Light the flare! They might already be on their way..."

At her prompt, Kiyoaki leaned the flare against the sandy riverbank and ignited it. Dark purple smoke began to rise towards the summer sky.

"Please find us..."

As Kiyoaki heard Mio's prayer with one ear, he couldn't suppress the ungracious thoughts in his mind.

—Just a little longer... I want to be with her...

But the cruel gods would trample such wishes mercilessly.

"I did it! They're coming!"

Before an hour had passed, Mio pointed excitedly at the sky.

There, in the northern sky, was the silhouette of a bell-shaped airship. The faint sound of its lift device could be heard. It seemed to be a small airship dispatched from the communication outpost. Kiyoaki muttered a faint wish.

"It might be the enemy."

"It’s our allies. You can tell by the silhouette; it’s a Rack Otis. A transport vessel with lift devices."

As Mio said, it was the latest small transport vessel of the St Vault military. It was capable of landing on the southern sea beyond large waterfalls and was an excellent airship used in airborne operations due to its mobility and personnel-carrying capacity.

"Over here, over here—"

Mio shouted loudly with a smile, waving her arms to call the Rack Otis, making Kiyoaki want to stop her. He felt regret that their time on this island was coming to an end.

But Mio turned to Kiyoaki, still standing there with a blank expression.

"What are you doing? You should be calling too!"

"Uh, right."

Reluctantly, he waved his hands half-heartedly, and the skilled airship crew quickly spotted them, beginning to circle above.

Landing seemed difficult, as the small transport vessel hovered about fifteen meters high and dropped two ropes with hooks. It seemed they would be lifted for recovery.

Struggling against the wind pressure from the lift device, Kiyoaki and Mio hurriedly hooked the hooks onto their belts and gave a thumbs-up to the crew. The airship crew confirmed with a nod and began retracting the ropes.

"Are you okay? It’s good to see you safe. Everyone has been worried."

Once they were safely pulled aboard, Kiyoaki stepped down inside the transport vessel with the help of the soldiers, and a kind-looking non-commissioned officer greeted them.

"Thank you very much. You really saved us."

Kiyoaki and Mio both expressed their gratitude. The non-commissioned officer smiled and casually handed them some rations and a blanket.

"You must be tired. Eat this and get some rest. I bet the instructor will chew you out when you get back to the flagship, so you’d better regain your strength while you can."

Joking, he winked at Mio before returning to the communication station. He seemed to have sent a report to the flagship, the Merdireik, confirming the safe recovery of the cadets.

Mio quickly wrapped herself in the blanket and sat against the wall of the transport vessel.

"Ugh... I’m exhausted... This was a terrible ordeal because of you."

Kiyoaki also wrapped himself in a blanket and sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry, Mio. I regret it. Thank you so much."

"I'm going to sleep now. Don’t talk to me. I’m really fed up. I feel awful."

With a cold remark, Mio pulled the blanket over her head, turning away and curling up. There was no way to reach her. Kiyoaki sighed, threw out another apology to her back, and closed his eyes as well.

With the blanket pulled over her head, Mio let out a deep, heavy sigh in the darkness.

Today had been unbearable. She realized how exhausting it was to keep up the facade of acting.

Hachidori... Reiner is amazing. Living every day behind such a mask takes nerves of steel. Hiding her heartbeat, controlling her emotions to prevent her inner turmoil from showing was so painful and difficult.

—Will I have to keep living this lie forever?

A bleak feeling filled her lungs, making her dizzy. It felt so overwhelming that she doubted she could keep it up until graduation.

But she had no choice. It would be more pitiful for Dominic, Kazuki, and Bonita to go through this. She didn’t want to trouble her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, who were already enduring the same ordeal.

—Don’t think about yourself. If you do, you’ll be able to endure it...

Encouraging herself, Mio tightly shut her eyes.

The events of last night were still vividly burned into her mind.

Pain, throbbing, and shame.

The memories of last night were etched fiercely into her chest, lower abdomen, and thighs, raw and fresh.

—I was intimate with Kiyoaki.

Her face flushed with embarrassment. She must not let anyone see this expression. Curling up under the blanket like a fetus, she hid her entire body.

—Like an animal.

Listening to the sound of the storm, they had become one, confirming each other’s existence.

She knew Kiyoaki was in a dreamy state. From the thin line between reality and illusion, he had called her name.

Mio let him do as he wished without resistance. She could have run away but chose not to. She surrendered everything, accepting it all as it was.

—This is my only way to atone.

Throughout that time, she kept telling herself that.

—I don’t expect to be forgiven, but if this is what you want right now...

At that moment, Mio cried. Enduring the pain of breaking, she shed tears. Whether it was joy, sadness, or self-pity, she didn’t even know the reason for her tears.

After the act, in Kiyoaki's arms as he fell asleep, she watched the heavy rain and lightning, pressing one ear against his bare chest to hear his heartbeat.

As she did so, the heat from her body faded away, and her mind regained its calm.

—Tomorrow morning, Kiyoaki will surely try to take responsibility.

In the Akitsu Federation, that was common sense. A man who had been intimate with someone had to take responsibility by marrying her. With Kiyoaki’s character, he would certainly want that.

However.

—I must not involve Kiyoaki in my life.

—Kiyoaki is going to become a great figure in the Multi-Island Sea Alliance.

—He’s someone who walks the path to glory. He cannot be with a traitor.

Confirming this, Mio looked up at Kiyoaki.

In her natural state, with nothing on, she quietly rose from his arms and kissed him.

Lightning illuminated Kiyoaki's sleeping face. She knew that due to the head injury, his consciousness had been unclear throughout their intimacy.

Mio made a decision.

—Let’s pretend it never happened.

—Let’s say it was a dream Kiyoaki had.

—As long as I don’t acknowledge it, he won’t have to take responsibility.

She believed that was the only way.

It would be a lie to say it didn’t hurt. After all, Mio had sacrificed something irreplaceable. She was filled with the desire for Kiyoaki to know the reality.

But if Mio admitted it, Kiyoaki would have to abandon his path to glory and dedicate his one life to a traitor. If that happened, no one would be sadder than Mio herself.

—I must not obstruct Kiyoaki's future.

—I absolutely must not let him find out about tonight.

—Even if Kiyoaki asks about tonight repeatedly.

—Lie. Joke about it. Deceive him. Avoid the subject.

—Expend everything of myself.

—Let’s pretend it never happened.

As she gazed out at the storm raging outside the cave, Mio made that resolution.

Pressing herself against the wall of the rack, wrapped in a blanket like a fetus, she confirmed once more to herself.

—This is for the best.

—It’s fine because it’s Kiyoaki.

—If it were anyone else, I would hate it. But it’s Kiyoaki.

So she comforted herself, curled up tightly.

—From now on, I’ll throw my own happiness into the trash.

—So that my family can live happily and healthily.

—So that my younger brother and sister can lead normal lives.

—I will betray my comrades.

As she told herself that, Mio closed her eyes, waiting for the arrival of sleep to momentarily save her from this painful world.