Toaru Hikuushi e no Seiyaku:V4Part6

Part 6 Unable to Sleep

Kiyoaki sat up from the bunk assigned to him, staring into the darkness. All around him, the loud snores of his fellow pilots echoed. Everyone was exhausted from the day’s fierce battle, fast asleep without a care in the world.

Three hours ago, they had completed the third attack wave and safely returned to the Raven. The day’s mission was over. They had been handed a wet towel each to wipe down with—serving as a substitute for a bath—and were given rations before being ordered to sleep early. The air staff had instructed them to get plenty of rest since tomorrow’s attack on the floating fortress was already scheduled to begin at dawn.

The main enemy fleet had been mostly neutralized. The second fleet was currently stationed in the southern islands, engaging in mopping-up operations against the remaining forces. By tomorrow morning, the enemy’s naval forces would likely be entirely wiped out. The first day’s objectives had been mostly achieved.

But Kiyoaki’s nerves were still on edge, preventing him from falling asleep. The echoes of the air battles that had taken place, one after another, reverberated in his mind.

So many of his comrades had died.

His hands trembled at the mere thought of it.

Mobie, Glenda, Jude, Huey, Diaz, Friedrich, Aegil, Nicola, Corina, Dorothy, Aida…

The memories of their deaths, their final words, and their screams clung to his mind and refused to leave.

Just yesterday, those people had been alive, drinking, enjoying music, and falling in love on the beach. Many of them had faced financial hardships, only to reluctantly go to war in search of a better life after the war. But now, they were all gone, swallowed by the sea.

Why did those good people have to die?

The helpless anger at the loss of his comrades shook Kiyoaki’s chest. The reason the lives of the lower-ranking soldiers were so impoverished was that the government was spending more than half of the national budget on the military. The burden of this fell as heavy taxes on the people, forcing those who wanted to support their families to join the military and go to war, only to be discarded like pawns.

This is wrong. It’s insane.

Kiyoaki was overwhelmed by confusion and dismay, witnessing the deaths of so many lower-ranked soldiers in such quick succession.

Up until now, he had focused solely on defeating Uranos, putting in relentless effort to achieve that goal. He had never given much thought to what happened along the way. His only concern was defeating the enemy, gaining achievements, and one day becoming a commander who would lead an army to destroy Uranos. He had been chasing that grand dream all his life.

But along the way, his comrades had died.

He understood that, intellectually. But experiencing the deaths of his comrades firsthand—the weight of each individual death—began to crack the very foundation of his ideals.

So this is war.

Kiyoaki had thought he had become accustomed to combat after his missions in the enemy skies over Eriadore and air defence missions over Mauregan Island. But the scale of today’s battle was incomparable. All the previous battles had been mere rehearsals, and today was the real thing.

Decades of time, resources, and money were poured into the creation of these military forces—constructed from the blood, sweat, and tears of the people—only for them to become scrap metal and sink into the sea within hours. Calling it “foolish” didn’t even begin to capture the staggering waste of energy. If that same money had been spent on promoting mutual understanding, cooperation, and building a future that transcended races and borders, how much happiness could have been created?

This is absurd.

The whole world is insane.

Anger boiled within him, making sleep impossible.

Kiyoaki got out of bed and stepped into the corridor. Although they had been instructed not to wander too far within the labyrinth of the carrier, he remembered the way to the deck. As he passed through narrow corridors, listening to the hum of the ship’s engines, he occasionally passed workers going about their duties. Eventually, he climbed a ladder, opened a hatch, and stepped onto the upper deck.

“Ahh…”

A clear, star-filled sky greeted him. The cool sea breeze swept over him, soothing his turbulent thoughts. The stars, which silently looked down on humanity’s folly, were enveloped in profound stillness.

The Raven was anchored at sea, and the ship was under a blackout, so there were no artificial lights, only the pale blue light of the moon and stars bathing the vast deck. Nearby, the carrier Hydeland and other escort ships were also present, but they too were blacked out, making them invisible in the dark.

Kiyoaki stood still, gazing up at the quiet stars, emptying his mind.

He didn’t want to think about anything. If he did, the sorrowful images of the day would come flooding back, and he wasn’t sure he could bear the pain of such losses.

Looking up at the stars, he whispered the name of the person dearest to him.

“Mio…”

Mio, who must be somewhere far away under this same night sky. What was she doing right now?

“I want to see you. I miss you.”

If only Mio were here beside him, Kiyoaki was sure she would cheer him up with her usual encouraging words, giving him a hearty slap on the back and driving away his weakness. She’d probably joke, Stop sulking, you wimp, or What are you getting all sentimental about? with that mischievous smile of hers, teasing him while secretly offering comfort.

But Mio was no longer by his side.

“Kiyoaki.”

A sudden voice from behind made him jump, and he turned quickly.

“Illia. You’re awake?”

“…Yeah. Couldn’t sleep.”

Illia stood on the upper deck in her flight suit.

The blue light of the stars and the moon outlined her figure, casting her in a ghostly glow.

“Same here. I couldn’t sleep either.”

“…I see. …Yeah. I think I’m feeling the same as you right now.”

“…I understand.”

“…Their screams… I can’t get them out of my head.”

“…Me neither. I don’t want to hear those voices ever again…”

As their comrades fell, hurtling toward the sea, each had uttered their final, heart-wrenching cries. Some had thanked their comrades, others screamed that they didn’t want to die. Some called out for their mothers, others begged for their families to hear their last words. Those anguished voices echoed endlessly in Kiyoaki’s mind.

Illia, always so stoic, tough, and cold like a machine, now looked fragile, as if she might snap like a delicate young tree.

“…If I had noticed earlier, maybe I could have saved Corina. But I was too focused on chasing another enemy, and I didn’t realize she was right nearby, being pursued… Because of that…”

Illia’s voice trembled.

Kiyoaki had witnessed Corina’s plane spiralling downward, her cockpit engulfed in flames, after losing a wing.

“It’s burning! Somebody help me! Put out the fire! It’s burning, it’s so hot!!”

Her desperate screams had filled the speakers, followed by the silence after her plane crashed into the ocean. Just thinking about it made Kiyoaki’s stomach churn.

“…It wasn’t your fault, Illia. Our job was to protect Kagura, and we did that. There’s no reason to blame yourself.”

“…Yeah. …But still. If only I had kept my composure, if I had the presence of mind to see the bigger picture…”

Kiyoaki had never seen Illia look so fragile. But it was no wonder—despite her usual toughness, she was only nineteen. After a whole day on the battlefield, it was natural for anyone’s nerves to be frayed.

A pang of helplessness stirred within Kiyoaki.

He wanted to comfort her, to cheer her up, but the right words wouldn’t come. In fact, Kiyoaki himself felt just as drained and worn out as Illia.

“And Diaz… he was shot down by an enemy I couldn’t finish off. I gave up the chase, thinking I’d overextend, but that enemy turned around, and Diaz…”

Illia’s voice shook as she continued to blame herself. No matter how much she berated herself, it wouldn’t bring the dead back. But Illia, with her strong sense of responsibility, couldn’t forgive her own failures and kept connecting her comrades’ deaths to her actions.

“Illia, enough. I can’t stand to see you like this.”

“But… If only I’d chased that enemy a little longer. If I hadn’t given up so easily, if I had just kept firing, even if I missed… that enemy wouldn’t have gone after Diaz.”

“Stop it already. No amount of blaming yourself will change anything!”

Kiyoaki’s frustration boiled over, and his voice grew harsh.

Illia lifted her tearful eyes, her face on the verge of breaking into sobs.

“Because… it’s my fault, isn’t it…!?”

Her voice faltered as she pressed her face into Kiyoaki’s chest.

Instinctively, Kiyoaki pulled Illia closer, holding her tight against him, silencing her trembling lips with his chest.

The warmth of Illia’s body, her heartbeat, was transmitted through the embrace.

The rhythm of a living person.

Words weren’t needed. Kiyoaki squeezed her tighter. Right now, Illia didn’t need a thousand words; she needed the warmth of another human being.

When they had first met, she had seemed so intimidating, haughty, and cold, like a machine. But now, as he held her close, he realized that the girl in his arms was fragile, tender, and kind—so much so that she seemed about to break.

Illia’s trembling hands slowly, awkwardly, moved to wrap around Kiyoaki’s back.

Illia clung to him.

Their chests pressed together, and through that contact, they could feel each other’s heartbeats. The rhythm of life, played out in real-time, told them what words could not.

Kiyoaki realized how deeply he cared for Illia.

I have to be the one to support this weak, fragile girl by her side.

“Illia…”

He whispered her name. The starlight poured down on her, making her hair shine like a field of silver. Kiyoaki gently ran his fingers through it. Unable to suppress his racing heart, he held her tightly, albeit clumsily, with his other hand.

The horrific scenes of the battlefield began to melt away, replaced by the softness and warmth of Illia.

As if trying to shake off the memories of so much death, Kiyoaki and Illia pressed their cheeks against each other, feeling the warmth of their breaths and the rhythm of their heartbeats.

We’re alive.

The sheer miracle of that fact brought tears to Kiyoaki’s eyes. Witnessing so much death had only heightened the importance of the life they still had.

“Illia…”

Unable to let go, wanting to stay like this forever, but unable to find the words to express his feelings, Kiyoaki just kept calling Illia’s name, resting his cheek against her hair.

Illia said nothing in response, but she accepted Kiyoaki’s embrace in silence.

Illia’s slender hands, awkwardly clasped, clung tightly to Kiyoaki, refusing to let go.

Kiyoaki stopped thinking. He let go of everything—tomorrow’s dawn attack, the mission procedures, the operational plans—and focused only on the presence of Illia.

There was no guarantee they would survive tomorrow’s battle. Tomorrow could very well be the last day of his life. That’s why, more than anything, he wanted to cherish this moment with someone dear to him.

Kiyoaki slowly pulled away from Illia, their foreheads parting, and he gazed into her eyes from up close.

Illia, too, silently stared back at him. Her once tear-filled eyes now only reflected the serene night sky and Kiyoaki.

A breeze from the sea passed through, causing Illia’s long hair to sway gently in the wind.

Her slightly parted lips trembled ever so faintly.

Without words, her eyes spoke—telling Kiyoaki that she was ready to accept him completely.

Without thinking, Kiyoaki began to lean in to press his lips against hers.

But then—

I know this feeling.

A sudden, familiar sensation echoed in his mind.

The softness of a girl’s body… the warmth of holding someone like this. I’ve felt this before.

This scent and warmth… this isn’t the first time.

In Illia’s eyes, a different pair of eyes began to overlap.

Mio.

Out of nowhere, Kiyoaki’s memory of that night resurfaced—the night he and Mio had crash-landed on a deserted island and spent the night together.

Mio had said it was all a dream, but it wasn’t.

This is the second time I’ve held a girl like this in my arms.

Like a thunderclap, the truth pierced through his mind.

It wasn’t logical. His entire body just knew.

That night… I did something to Mio that can never be undone.

At last, Kiyoaki realized what had happened. His mind cleared, and he finally understood why Mio had tried to cover it up.

Back then, Mio was already being forced to betray someone.

That’s why she lied to avoid causing me any trouble…

The experience that Mio had dismissed as a dream was real. His memory still held the feel of her bare skin, her fleeting voice, and the delicate hands that had wrapped around his back.

And now, as he held Illia, he felt the same sensation.

That night, I held Mio the same way, kissed her, and took all of her for myself.

And now, here he was, about to do the same to Illia.

The moment he realized this, his heart shattered.

I’m such a fool. I’m the worst kind of man.

Though he held Illia tightly in his arms, Kiyoaki’s mind was consumed with thoughts of Mio.

“I’m going to be Kiyoaki’s bride!”

The image of Mio smiling in the canola fields on Messus Island, wearing a tiara of flowers, overlapped with Illia’s face.

“No cheating! We promised we’d get married!”

It was such a silly childhood promise.

But now, that tiny promise weighed heavily on Kiyoaki’s heart.

If I fall in love with Illia, Mio will cry.

I can’t make Mio cry again…

Kiyoaki pulled his hand from Illia’s hair and gently loosened the arms that had held her close. In a small voice, he asked her,

“…Are you okay? Can you stand on your own?”

Illia continued to gaze at him with those star-filled eyes, still not saying a word.

Kiyoaki placed both hands on her shoulders, speaking as softly as he could manage.

“…We’re officers. Right now, it’s fine. But tomorrow, we can’t show this weakness.”

“……………………”

“…For now, it’s fine. You can vent, cry, whatever you need. Just let it all out. Tell me everything that’s in your heart.”

“……………………”

“…Tomorrow is another battle. We can’t afford to die here. We have to stay strong… Even if we have to force ourselves to act like officers.”

The wind had stopped. Illia’s hair, which had been flowing in the breeze, settled down against her back, and the familiar liveliness began to slowly return to her star-filled eyes.

“…Yeah. I know. We’re officers… We have to keep it together,” Illia murmured, as if reassuring herself. She looked down for a moment, steeling her expression, and then lifted her face again.

“…I showed you something pathetic. Forget it.”

“…Not at all. It’s normal. There’s nothing pathetic about it. That’s what being human is.”

“…Sorry. I’ll be fine tomorrow. I’ll act like an officer should.”

“…Yeah. But if it gets tough, just tell me. I might not be able to say anything clever, but I can listen. I’d be happy if you told me.”

Illia looked up at the stars, took a deep breath, and reclaimed her usual confident, tomboyish demeanour.

“…Let’s go back. We need to get some sleep for tomorrow. It’s going to be a long day again.”

“…Right. Yeah, tomorrow’s going to be even tougher than today…”

“We have to survive… We can’t die. We have to come back alive…”

“I know. We’ll both come back alive, Illia and I.”

Their eyes met, and then, side by side, they walked toward the hatch that led off the deck.

Though a lingering feeling of reluctance clung to Kiyoaki, he pushed it aside, said his final goodnight to Illia, and headed back to the barracks.

He crawled into his bed, closed his eyes, and waited for sleep to come.

But his mind remained wide awake. The sensation of holding Illia’s back and the memory of Mio’s bare form from that stormy night still clung to every cell in his body.

Mio…

The lie you told is too painful.

It’s too sad, and I feel so guilty… I don’t know what to do.

Tears welled up in Kiyoaki’s eyes. Frustrated, he scolded himself, wiping them away with his fingers. But the thought of Mio’s feelings gnawed at him, making it impossible to stay still.

If only I could fly to Pleiades right now.

If only I could get you back and apologize.

Overcome with indescribable emotion, Kiyoaki suddenly stood up and banged his head against the wall. He bit his lip so hard it bled, all while repeatedly whispering apologies to the absent Mio.

As he struck his head against the wall, he searched for the path he should follow.

What I have to do now is win tomorrow’s battle.

Capture the flying fortress, defeat Uranos, and one day conquer Pleiades.

Repeating this to himself, Kiyoaki continued to bash his head against the steel wall until one of his fellow pilots, awakened by the noise, rushed over and stopped him. Blood trickled from his forehead, but Kiyoaki couldn’t stop. Though he knew this wouldn’t atone for anything, he desperately wanted to punish his dull, irresponsible, impulsive self.

He knew hurting himself wouldn’t make up for anything, but in that moment, it was all he could think to do.

The enemy was desperate. It was life or death for them, and Leo’s voice echoed through the speaker with a grim reminder.

“Don’t underestimate the enemy. Stay focused. Keep your cool, always watch your surroundings, and never allow yourself to be isolated.”

Kiyoaki fixed his gaze on the enemy shapes illuminated by the dawn’s light, hearing Leo’s calm yet urgent words. Ahead, in the sea just beyond the Great Falls, the enemy’s flying fortress, Kalkinos, floated ominously, awaiting the full-on assault of the St Vault Naval Air Force. In the surrounding airspace, a massive formation of enemy fighter jets swarmed like countless particles of dust.

His hands on the control stick were already slick with sweat just from the sight. The enemy must have called for reinforcements overnight from bases scattered across the Southern Archipelago. The enemy’s formation was overwhelming. Almost every Uranos fighter jet deployed to the region seemed to be gathered around the fortress, with nearly ninety planes spread across three altitudes—6,000 meters, 3,000 meters, and 1,000 meters.

The Voltec Air Squadron only had 35 Beo-Eagles, but they had no choice but to take control of this airspace. Without doing so, the follow-up forces wouldn’t be able to launch their assault.

“We are a team, and our strength lies in that. Do not push forward recklessly. If we fight as one, we will find our opening,” Leo’s steady voice brought a sense of calm to all of them. Kiyoaki took a deep breath, cooling the heat rising inside his head.

He hadn’t slept at all the previous night.

His thoughts were still swirling, but there was no turning back now. This battle had to be won.

I will win. For Mio.

But to do that, I must stay calm.

Through Leo’s relentless warnings and his own battle experience, Kiyoaki had learned the importance of keeping his cool. Every time he had fallen into danger, it was because he had gotten overconfident or let the thrill of another kill overheat his mind.

Abandon your emotions. Become steel. Be a machine, built only to bring down the enemy.

He repeated this to himself like a mantra.

“We move now. This is the turning point in our empire’s history. Show them the pride of the Voltec Air Squadron!” Leo’s command came through, and he increased his speed. A roar of affirmation filled the speakers as the rest of the squadron responded.

Kiyoaki opened his throttle, his eyes cold and clear as he focused on Kagura’s lead aircraft. On her left wing, Illia was flying right alongside her.

They were at an altitude of 5,500 meters, already flying high, but the enemy had taken up position even higher, around 6,000 meters, likely having studied their tactics from the day before. It wouldn’t be easy this time.

30 Ion fighters, descending from above, rushed down like an avalanche.

At the same time, enemy planes below were manoeuvring to flank them. Outnumbered, the Voltec Air Squadron would inevitably have enemies at their back, making the role of the wingmen crucial. Today, more than ever, Kiyoaki couldn’t afford to lose sight of Kagura.

Become a hunk of steel. For Kagura’s sake.

He drilled the resolve deep into his consciousness.

Through the descending swarm of enemy planes, he could make out the monstrous silhouette of the flying fortress.

Until I bring down that beast, I am nothing but steel.

In an instant, they collided with the enemy formation.

“Engage!”

“Let’s get them! This one’s for Jude!”

“Watch me, Glenda! I’ll make sure we win!”

The voices of his comrades filled the radio, mixed with the deafening roar of propellers. The steel hawks clashed, tearing the sky apart with hundreds of burning talons.

Outside the cockpit, the sky turned into a maelstrom of ash, flame, and tracer fire.

But Kiyoaki remained calm. He discarded all feelings, all thoughts except for Kagura’s tail and the surrounding enemy planes.

Kagura, too, had fallen silent on the radio, fully trusting Kiyoaki and Illia to cover her as she focused on pursuing the enemy.

Her plane’s guns flared, and an Ion fighter in front of her exploded in flames. The three of them flew through the fiery debris, not stopping to celebrate, immediately swinging into another sharp turn in pursuit of the next target.

Right flank, above. Enemy.

His instincts flared as he glanced upward. A descending Ion fighter was targeting Kagura. She hadn’t noticed. Kiyoaki pushed the throttle, turning upward to meet the attacker.

He didn’t need to destroy it. Just change its trajectory. He calmly aimed and fired a warning burst, forcing the enemy to swerve away.

“Kiyoaki, you saved me. I didn’t see that one.”

“Focus on taking them down. I’ll cover you.”

“Thanks. Let’s keep going.”

Kagura’s voice was steady. After yesterday’s battle, she had clearly grown more composed and effective.

As Kagura picked out another target and surged forward, Kiyoaki followed, becoming the beast of steel once again.

They tore through more flames, cutting through smoke trails and darting through the rapidly changing sky, Kiyoaki staying right with Kagura, guarding her every move.

How many enemies had Kagura shot down by now? He couldn’t tell. He only heard her cold voice over the radio, reporting another kill.

His only purpose was to guard her, to protect her from harm.

All around him, the clear morning sky had been tainted with the blood, flames, and smoke of countless dying lives.

Screams and names of fallen comrades echoed through the radio, but Kiyoaki blocked them out.

He could feel it—something foreign in the battlefield. A monstrous presence, beyond human, was lurking in the airspace. Though invisible, its killing intent brushed past Kiyoaki like a whisper, claiming his comrades one by one.

Abandon your humanity.

I am steel. I do not feel sadness.

Kiyoaki’s mind repeated this truth over and over. Losing control would mean death. It would mean failing to protect Kagura.

Steel doesn’t cry.

His eyes never left Kagura’s tail. This was not the time to grieve for fallen comrades. His sole mission was to stay with Kagura, to destroy the enemy, and to keep her safe.

No one will lay a finger on Kagura.

His mind focused solely on this.

“We’re pushing forward! Keep going!” Leo’s order rang out. The air battle was shifting—what had been a melee was now turning into a chase, as the Voltec Squadron began driving the scattered enemy back. Though outnumbered, their skill and coordination were overwhelming Uranos. The rigorous formation combat training they had endured was now paying off in full.

Leo’s squad surged toward the surface of the flying fortress, Kalkinos, with nearly thirty of their comrades following close behind. The enemy fighters had retreated westward to regroup, leaving roughly twenty in their wake. In a short time, the battle had been brought to a near stalemate.

Voltec Squadron really is the strongest!

Uranos had thrown nearly all their latest fighters into this battle, three times the number of the Voltec Squadron, but it had been for nothing. Kiyoaki couldn’t help but feel that Voltec was truly unmatched.

“Second fleet is arriving. The real battle starts now!”

Leo’s voice pulled Kiyoaki from his thoughts, and he glanced back.

There, on the horizon, the enormous Great Falls tore across the world.

Above it, sixteen flying warships, like massive whales in the sky, were advancing in perfect cube formation.

At the centre of the formation were the massive flying battleships Rivière and Red Deer, with their turrets already aimed skyward. Escort fighters from the first fleet flew around them, scanning for threats. It was clear that the second fleet was preparing to bombard the fortress with full force.

Kiyoaki turned his focus forward again.

The massive silhouette of the floating island now loomed directly before them.

The anti-aircraft guns mounted along the perimeter began their relentless barrage, a curtain of explosions and shrapnel unfurling in front of the Voltec Air Squadron. Yet, Leo didn’t flinch. He led the squadron into the storm. The island grew larger by the second, and in a flash, the azure sea below was replaced by the earth-toned landscape of the island’s surface.

Kalkinos, they had been told, spanned approximately 25 kilometres in length and 7.5 kilometres in width. A mountainous area, roughly 500 meters tall, sat on one side, with rivers flowing from its peaks, cascading over the island’s edge in thin streams, disappearing into the distant ocean below. Kiyoaki had seen this view from afar during the surprise assault on Air Hunt Island, but witnessing it now, from above, was breathtaking in its magnitude and detail.

Anti-aircraft guns, naval cannons, three airfields, two naval ports for flying vessels, and a range of Civilian infrastructure—waterworks, a desalination plant, roads, administrative districts, commercial centres with wide plazas, markets, orchards, parks, and residential areas—all revealed themselves in a single pass. It was a fortress, yes, but also a city, much like a medieval castle-town, fully self-sufficient with a closed economy.

This is just like Air Hunt Island. Ordinary people are living on this flying island!

Kiyoaki realized that while Kalkinos was a military stronghold, it was also a functioning city. A glimpse into the mysterious Uranos empire revealed a bit more—this aerial society lived in such places, with twelve flying cities and their capital, Pleiades. They controlled the ground through superior airpower, planting their people in satellite nations as colonizers. Kiyoaki could only speculate that while the Uranos people living on the ground formed a middle class, those in the skies were the elites, with the nobility residing in Pleiades.

If we could capture this fortress today, if we could recover documents, weapons, or even prisoners, we might finally unlock the secrets of Uranos.

Suddenly, Leo’s sharp voice cut through Kiyoaki’s thoughts.

“Incoming! They’re regrouping, left 120 degrees!” Leo shouted, pulling Kiyoaki back into the moment.

Kiyoaki turned in the direction indicated. Twenty or so enemy planes were closing in, ready to engage them again on the surface.

“Observer planes are up! Protect them!” Leo ordered.

Having secured air superiority, three of their observation planes had launched from the battleship’s catapult and were now flying over Kalkinos. At the same time, explosions erupted across the enemy’s airfields as the battleships Rivière and Red Deer opened fire with their 46 cm main guns. Their observation planes were helping correct fire, and soon the second volley would follow. Kalkinos returned fire, but in this three-dimensional space, the fast-moving Voltec ships had the upper hand. Furthermore, Uranos lacked observation planes due to their inferior airpower, giving the St Vault fleet a precision advantage.

The job of the Voltec Air Squadron now was to protect the observation planes at all costs. The battle would continue until the enemy surface defences were neutralized by their ships’ bombardment.

“There’s a skilled pilot in that group—the one who took down Jude and Glenda yesterday. Don’t let him near the observers!” Leo warned.

Kiyoaki’s senses heightened as he glanced toward the approaching enemy planes. He could feel it—something powerful and dangerous lurked among them. Though he hadn’t engaged it directly, one fighter moved with an inhuman level of skill, unlike anything he’d seen before.

Could it be…?

His instinct for battle flared hot.

If that’s who I think it is, I want to be the one to take him down!

“Kiyoaki, Illia, the priority is the observers,” Kagura’s voice cut through his battle-hungry thoughts. He realized, with a start, that he had been fixating on that dangerous presence instead of Kagura’s tail. Kagura must have sensed his thoughts and continued.

“I saw the black panther nose art. That’s Karnasion—the one who’s been taking down our comrades.”

The King of the Skies, Karnasion.

Kagura had already identified him among the enemy. In their last battle, Illia had lost a one-on-one duel with Karnasion and was forced to parachute out. Karnasion had toyed with her, circling her descent like a predator and searing the memory of his mocking gaze into her mind. Since then, Illia had been haunted by his face, suffering from insomnia.

Illia was likely scanning the air for Karnasion as well, driven by her need to redeem herself from that humiliation.

“Whatever happens, do not engage Karnasion. We cannot defeat him,” Kagura said firmly.

“……”

“Understood, Illia?” Kagura pressed.

“…Yes,” came Illia’s terse reply, but her frustration was palpable even through the radio. Kiyoaki understood that Kagura was right, though. Their skills weren’t enough to take on Karnasion. Every instinct Kiyoaki had told him so.

Leo’s voice then cut through the tension.

“We’ll handle the Black Panther. Hamilton’s squad and mine will hold him off. Six of us should be enough to keep him in check. The rest of you, focus on protecting the observers.”

“…Understood!” Kiyoaki and the others responded.

Leo and Hamilton’s squads, comprised of the finest pilots in the St Vault Naval Air Force, would engage Karnasion. With six against one, even Karnasion wouldn’t be able to act with impunity.

“Here they come! Sweep them aside!” Leo’s command roared through the speaker as the enemy fighters surged toward them. The Voltec Air Squadron pivoted to meet them in a vicious melee, the anti-aircraft fire from Kalkinos ceasing to avoid hitting their own planes.

The second fleet’s bombardment of the fortress intensified. The observation planes continued their delicate task of adjusting artillery fire, while the enemy’s Ion fighters desperately pushed toward them, trying to break through. The Voltec squadron threw themselves in the way, shielding the observation planes with their bodies, turning aside attack after attack.

Kiyoaki followed Kagura, shooting down enemy planes as they appeared in his sights, covering her every move. Then, suddenly, an enemy fighter rushed headlong at Kagura, seemingly out of nowhere.

Trailing closely behind the enemy was Leo’s squad—three planes—and Hamilton’s squad, another three.

“Karnasion!”

Kagura reacted instantly, pulling her plane into a sharp dive to evade the attack.

“Damn it!” Kiyoaki bit his lip and followed her in pursuit, but he noticed that Illia was falling behind.

“Illia, don’t!” Kagura shouted, her voice tinged with panic. Illia was holding her ground, waiting for Karnasion to engage.

Kiyoaki screamed into the radio, “Illia, stop! You can’t win!”

For a brief moment, Illia hesitated, his voice cutting through her focus. Then, with a frustrated growl, she banked away, pulling her plane back to Kagura’s side. Karnasion flew past them, leading the six Voltec planes on a high-speed chase.

Skimming just above the surface of Kalkinos, Kiyoaki’s squad pulled up, confirming that the observation planes were safe for now.

“You made the right choice, Illia,” Kagura said, her voice calm but full of relief.

Kagura praised Illia for calming down, but Illia’s voice over the radio was tinged with guilt.

“…I’m sorry. I got carried away,” Illia said.

“There will be another chance. Still, Karnasion’s skill is something else. Even with six of our best, they can’t pin him down…” Kagura replied.

Kiyoaki glanced back at the scene unfolding behind them. Karnasion was seemingly toying with the six elite pilots of St Vault, effortlessly evading their attacks like a dance of mockery. His manoeuvres resembled more an acrobat’s performance than traditional aerial combat. Instead of relying on speed, Karnasion manipulated his plane’s movements like a writhing worm, twisting and turning as he disrupted his own propeller’s thrust, keeping his plane airborne at low speeds. By doing this, he avoided gunfire while luring his enemies into his line of fire.

It was aerial combat like nothing Kiyoaki had ever seen—more a display of bizarre, serpentine flight patterns than a dogfight.

Is this… how the King of the Skies fights?

Even Master Akmed doesn’t fly like this… I’ve never seen anything like it…

Meanwhile, the second fleet’s bombardment continued. Kalkinos’s first airfield was now engulfed in flames, from the control tower to the hangars. The runway itself was riddled with craters and completely unusable. Under the cover of Voltec Air Squadron, the observation planes moved to the second airfield, guiding the next barrage of attacks.

The situation was dire for Kalkinos, as more and more of its defences were being obliterated. To compound the assault, thirty Seal Sailor bombers from the fortress of Chandler had arrived, each carrying one-ton bombs and two 500-kilogram bombs. These massive planes, though slow and vulnerable, were here to finish the job.

Two Voltec squadrons broke off to escort the bombers. Though the Ion fighters tried to disrupt the attack, the Voltec squadron shielded the lumbering bombers, protecting them with their lives.

Bombs fell on Kalkinos, targeting the anti-aircraft batteries. Explosions tore through the high-caliber guns, and thick black smoke began to choke the skies above the fortress. As Kiyoaki watched the devastation below, he understood the importance of controlling the skies.

This is what it means to win a war—whoever controls the air, controls the battle.

If the Voltec squadron hadn’t secured air superiority, the observation planes and bombers would have been easy prey for the Ion fighters. But thanks to their efforts, the ground forces now had free rein to rain destruction upon the fortress.

We can win this!

The remaining Ion fighters were barely holding their formations, with their once-proud forces now on the brink of collapse under Voltec’s relentless assault. However, one exception stood tall.

“Toby! Damn it, don’t go, Toby!” Hamilton’s voice echoed in despair through the speaker.

Kiyoaki’s eyes darted toward the scene.

Through the flames and smoke, he spotted a group of tangled fighters. One of them was trailing fire, its wings torn away, spiralling down toward the mountains of Kalkinos before smashing into the cliffs.

“Damn it, Toby!”

“Stay calm, Hamilton, they’re still coming!”

“Watch your six! You’re being targeted!”

“I’m taking this bandaged bastard down!”

The radio was filled with shouts, curses, and cries. It was clear—Karnasion had taken down another fighter, this time Toby’s. Even with five of St Vault’s finest pilots chasing him, Karnasion seemed invincible, continuing to take them down one by one.

To be able to not just evade, but defeat six elite pilots like this—it was clear why Karnasion was called the “King of the Skies.” His combat skills were simply on another level.

“Shouldn’t we support Captain Leo?” Illia’s voice came through, full of anger but also a desperation to stop the deaths of their comrades.

Kiyoaki hesitated for a moment before echoing the suggestion.

“The observation planes are secure. We should support them.”

Kagura didn’t respond immediately, prompting Kiyoaki to press further.

“The battle is already in our favour. There’s no need for more of our comrades to die.”

“I won’t take unnecessary risks. I’ll act as your shield if I have to—anything to minimize our losses,” Illia added, more insistent than usual.

After a pause, Kagura finally gave her order.

“…Alright. We’ll move to cover Captain Leo. But don’t take unnecessary risks. This is only support.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

The three of them, united as one, moved to assist Leo and his squadron.

The bombardment of Kalkinos continued to intensify, and the fortress itself shook from the relentless onslaught. The price in blood that Voltec Air Squadron had paid was now being returned in the form of certain victory. And with the tide turning, none of them wanted to see any more of their comrades fall.

Karnasion, meanwhile, was expertly using the mountainous terrain of Kalkinos to evade the remaining five fighters chasing him. He knew the layout of the ridges and valleys intimately, using them to weave in and out of their grasp, counterattacking whenever they pressed too hard. Leo and his team couldn’t afford to follow him too closely, as doing so risked crashing into the mountainside. It was clear—Karnasion was using the terrain to neutralize their numerical advantage.

“This is bad… our numbers are useless in this fight,” Kagura muttered over the radio.

Kiyoaki nodded in agreement. But even though the situation was grim, this was a golden opportunity. If they let Karnasion escape now, he would only continue to claim the lives of their comrades in future battles. They needed to eliminate him while they still had the upper hand in numbers.

Kagura’s plane took a position further back, trailing behind Leo’s squadron. She signalled her intention to provide cover as they chased Karnasion, keeping a height advantage of about 500 meters over the enemy ace.

From above, Karnasion looked like a serpent slithering along the mountainside. His erratic, low-speed movements were bizarre, constantly twisting and turning, as if mocking the efforts of those trying to take him down.

Hamilton, desperate to avenge his fallen wingman, was pushing hard to get Karnasion into his sights, but despite the eight planes surrounding him, Karnasion slipped away every time, his unpredictable movements making it impossible to lock onto him. Their superior speed was a disadvantage here—pressing too hard meant overshooting and exposing themselves to Karnasion’s counterattacks.

“This bastard… this bastard… damn it!” Hamilton’s curses were audible even over the chaos.

Hamilton’s furious curses came through the speaker, his voice shaking with rage. Having witnessed his close friend Toby’s destruction, it was clear that Hamilton could see nothing but Karnasion.

“Hamilton, calm down! He’s baiting you!” Leo’s warning fell on deaf ears. It was no use. Kiyoaki understood all too well—if Kagura or Illia had been shot down in front of him, he would likely be in the same blind rage as Hamilton.

Suddenly, Karnasion pulled his plane sharply to the right, exposing his side to Hamilton. It looked like a blatant mistake, as if Karnasion was inviting Hamilton to shoot him down.

“I’ve got you now…!” Hamilton’s voice rang out.

But in the next moment, a massive fireball erupted in the sky.

Shards of metal scattered like glittering fragments under the summer sun.

Karnasion emerged from the explosion, his nose pointing diagonally upward, sliding through the air in a seemingly impossible manoeuvre—a mocking acrobatic stunt that had no place in a battlefield.

Kiyoaki watched in stunned silence, mouth agape. Lulu’s scream broke through the radio.

“Hamilton! No, Hamilton!!”

“What just happened? What’s going on!?”

“It’s a hidden anti-air battery! There’s a flak gun hidden in the forest!”

Kiyoaki squinted and saw, right below where Hamilton had been shot down, the silvery glint of a long anti-aircraft gun barrel poking out from the mountainside, smoke still trailing from its muzzle. Karnasion had guided Hamilton right into the trap, knowing where the hidden gun was all along.

Without a scream, Hamilton’s plane shattered into countless pieces, raining down upon the hidden flak gun.

Hamilton, who used to laugh so heartily on the beach, had been reduced to nothing but debris. He had joined the military to pay off his family’s shoe store debt, hoping for a decent life after the war. But here he was, meeting a tragic end in a place so far removed from that dream.

“You bastard, you’re going to pay for this!” roared Sebastian, the last surviving member of Hamilton’s squadron. Lulu and Lala’s desperate voices overlapped on the radio.

“Don’t, Sebastian! Don’t chase him down!”

Leo shouted as well.

“Fall back! We don’t have the advantage! We can’t take him on!”

But none of their warnings reached Sebastian. With cries of rage, he pursued Karnasion.

“You took out Jude! You took out Hamilton! You bastard!!”

Kiyoaki knew how close the three of them had been. Always joking, drinking, and womanizing, but despite their crudeness, they had accepted him and Illia as comrades without hesitation. Their rough exterior masked a kindness at their core.

Kiyoaki could feel Sebastian’s fury, deep in his own heart.

But…

You can’t beat Karnasion.

Sebastian will die too.

“Fall back, Sebastian! It’s frustrating, it’s painful, but this situation is too dangerous!”

Kiyoaki knew his words would likely not reach him, but he couldn’t stay silent. He couldn’t bear to see any more of his comrades die. The battle was already won—there was no need for further bloodshed.

But Sebastian ignored the calls to retreat, desperately swerving left and right as he chased Karnasion, who led him into a canyon.

“Stop, get out of there!” Leo’s voice pleaded, but Sebastian was lost in his fury.

From above, Kiyoaki saw Karnasion abruptly straighten his flight path, an odd move for someone who had been twisting and turning just moments before.

Sebastian took the bait, pressing his advantage.

But just ahead of him, the canyon walls loomed, jagged and unforgiving.

“Pull up!” Kiyoaki screamed.

Too late.

Sebastian’s plane burst into flames as it collided with the canyon wall, exploding into a grotesque ball of fire. Shards of metal and bits of flesh were scattered across the blue sky.

Karnasion had deliberately lured Sebastian into the canyon, knowing the terrain intimately. The sudden curve in the canyon had trapped Sebastian, who couldn’t pull up in time. Karnasion, aware of the danger, had accelerated just enough to force Sebastian into the rock face.

This brutal, unforgiving sky didn’t allow for any emotional mistakes—not even when a friend or loved one was shot down right in front of you. To survive, you had to remain calm, no matter the cost.

Karnasion continued to ascend, as if mocking his pursuers, soaring higher and higher into the summer sky.

The radio was filled with screams and curses, voices too garbled to understand. The collective anguish, fury, and despair weighed down on the battlefield.

Karnasion began to trace an unusual curve in the sky.

He climbed slowly, still twisting and turning like a worm writhing through the air. It was an ugly, unsightly manoeuvre, lacking the elegance typically associated with aerial combat.

The sky itself seemed to be defiled by Karnasion’s grotesque flight.

It was a horrifying sight. Kiyoaki couldn’t even begin to fathom how anyone could bring down such an opponent. Karnasion’s presence felt like an insurmountable force—a true King of the Skies.

If we chase him, we’ll be shot down.

Kiyoaki’s hands trembled as they gripped the control stick. He had never felt such fear while flying before.

“Enough! Don’t chase him. We can’t win!” Leo’s decisive voice cut through the chaos.

Normally, Leo would never issue such a defeatist command, but after witnessing Karnasion’s mastery of the skies, there was no choice but to agree.

“We’ve lost enough. The battle is over—we’re heading back!”

Leo turned his plane away from the battlefield, leaving Karnasion behind. Lulu and Lala hesitated for a moment, but they too followed Leo’s lead.

Everyone felt the same frustration. They all wanted revenge. But they knew chasing Karnasion would only lead to more losses. No matter how much it hurt, they had to maintain their composure.

“Let’s go, Kiyoaki. We may have lost to Karnasion, but we’ve won the battle,” Kagura urged.

Kiyoaki banked his plane and followed Kagura’s lead, turning his back on Karnasion. The enemy ace made no move to pursue, simply continuing his hideous dance in the sky, likely revelling in his victory.

I’ll get you someday. I swear, I’ll shoot you down.

For all our fallen comrades—I will take you down!

With that vow burning in his heart, Kiyoaki followed Leo, heading back to the carrier Raven as the battle finally came to an end.

The First Air Fleet, centred around regular carriers, launched repeated attacks on the flying fortress Kalkinos. Due to heavy losses, Kiyoaki and the Voltec Air Squadron were tasked with the less dangerous mission of mopping up the remaining enemies on the surface. After an hour, the Ions had disappeared, and the skies above the decisive battle were fully under the control of the St Vault Air and Naval Forces.

Kalkinos’ defensive facilities were almost completely neutralized by heavy bombers and the Second Fleet’s bombardment. By 4 PM, two thousand paratroopers began descending from airships, marking the first airborne assault on a flying fortress in the history of the St Vault forces. With aerial support, the paratroopers engaged in fierce land battles with Uranos ground troops, struggling to establish a foothold.

The battle continued well into the night. Airships dropped bullets and building materials as the paratroopers, guiding naval artillery by radio, worked to establish defensive strongpoints for the next wave of reinforcements. By 1 AM, after securing a section of the right bank, landing craft equipped with hoisting gear rushed in, bringing in a total of twenty thousand ground troops, who finally set foot on the surface of Kalkinos.

Realizing the dire situation, Kalkinos’ commander, Lysander Kepler, quickly burned important documents, blew up the city hall and central command, and retreated to an underground bunker with his personal guards. This rendered Kalkinos inoperable, leaving it to drift at 2,000 meters altitude, carried by the wind.

The remaining Uranos forces fought bravely. Combatants entrenched themselves in underground facilities, while even the civilian residents of Kalkinos, despite being non-combatants, armed themselves with rifles and automatic weapons, retreating into the mountainous areas, refusing to surrender.

Two days after the landing, by 10 AM, St Vault ground forces had seized the naval ports, airfields, and all anti-aircraft batteries. However, Uranos regular forces and militia continued their guerilla resistance from mountain hideouts and undiscovered underground facilities.

A week after the landing, while continuing to mop up the remnants, St Vault forces discovered and stormed the underground command centre on Kalkinos’ right bank. The entrenched Uranos soldiers resisted until the end, with all 25 of them killed in action. The defeated Lysander activated the self-destruct switches for Kalkinos’ propulsion system and rudders before placing a gun to his temple and pulling the trigger.

The next morning, the St Vault Naval Air Operations Command declared the completion of Operation “Thundersteel.” The series of sea and air battles near the Great Waterfall was named the Battle of Sierra Greed, and the captured flying fortress Kalkinos was renamed Odin. Research into its operational capabilities began, aiming to make it the primary force for controlling the Archipelago.

The Battle of Sierra Greed resulted in the destruction of 80% of the Uranos-Hydrabard Alliance’s naval forces in the South Archipelago Sea. Though fortresses on the islands remained, having lost control of the seas, it was nearly impossible for them to halt the St Vault advance.

The course of the Hydrabard War had been decided.

At the same time, it signalled the beginning of a new struggle for dominance over the Archipelago Sea.

Kiyoaki and the rest of the Voltec Air Squadron completed their relocation to the third airfield of the flying fortress Odin two days after Lysander’s death. With its propulsion system and rudders destroyed, Odin remained anchored to a nameless islet in the Sierra Greed Sea, floating aimlessly. It was estimated that it would take at least two years to develop St Vault-made propulsion and rudder systems, leaving Odin stranded as a mere floating island for the foreseeable future.

“Well, it’s a great place for a drink. The view’s not bad either,” Macguire said, stretching out his left hand toward the drifting clouds while downing a beer in his right.

The sunset from the edge of the island, floating at an altitude of 2,000 meters, bathed the scene in soft pink hues, soothing the exhausted airmen. The straight horizon stretched endlessly, fading into the distance and gradually swallowed by the encroaching night.

Of the 45 Voltec airmen who participated in six successive attacks over two days, 25 had fallen. Today, all the fallen had been posthumously awarded the Saint Petersburg Medal of Valor, with each promoted two ranks to the status of lieutenants.

Now, all 115 members of the Voltec Squadron gathered near the runway of the third airfield for a memorial party. Always quick to find a reason to celebrate, even now their gathering was not sombre, with many singing loudly to the radio’s music and sharing stories about their fallen comrades.

Twenty-five makeshift gravestones, crafted from iron stakes, stood along the side of the runway. Female airmen had laid bouquets at each grave, tying the dog tags of the deceased to the markers. Survivors drank and shared stories with the silent dead.

“You should’ve cleaned up before the sortie, you know. You left some pretty embarrassing stuff lying around,” Macguire muttered as he placed a stack of vulgar magazines beside Jude’s grave and took a drink.

“And terrible taste, too… What is this? Never seen something like this before. You really had a thing for this stuff, huh?”

Macguire flipped through the dirty magazines with mock disgust, complaining as he did. He clearly preferred light-hearted banter over sinking into grief, even as he occasionally wiped his eyes.

While the families of the deceased would receive pensions and government benefits, it was painfully obvious that money would never replace the loved ones they had lost. Hamilton’s family would likely be able to pay off their shoe store’s debts, and Jude’s sick brother could afford hospital care, but no amount of money could ease the pain of their loss.

Though they had won the decisive battle, Kiyoaki couldn’t shake the deep sadness weighing on his heart, burdened by the deaths of those closest to him.

Just then, Lulu and Lala came up on either side of Kiyoaki, offering cheerful smiles and paper cups filled with cheap wine.

“Don’t be so gloomy, Kiyoaki! Come on, drink up!”

“Jude, Hamilton, and Sebastian all hated being serious. They’d want us to keep things light and fun.”

The two women smiled brightly, and Kiyoaki took the paper cup without a word, taking a sip. Kagura had mentioned that, after the battle, Lulu and Lala had sobbed openly in the women’s quarters aboard the Raven. They had known the fallen far longer than Kiyoaki, and their grief must have been far deeper. Yet here they were, putting on brave faces to lift the spirits of others. Wanting to respond to their kindness, Kiyoaki forced a smile.

“Yeah… you’re right. I’ll try.”

“That’s the spirit! We never know when our time’s up, so we might as well enjoy it while we can!”

“Yeah, I’ll do my best.”

Though his cheer was far from genuine, Kiyoaki downed the rest of the wine in one gulp. Lulu and Lala linked arms with him, giggling.

“Aww, Kiyoaki is so cute!”

“If you ever need an older sister to comfort you, come sneak into our quarters, okay?”

“Here, have more to drink! You’re going to be the next ace, after all! Even the captain was impressed!”

Embarrassed, Kiyoaki tried to downplay the praise.

“It was thanks to Kagura’s leadership… I wasn’t even keeping track of my kill count.”

“Don’t be so modest! You had the second-highest number of kills, right after Macguire. That’s amazing! You even outdid the captain!”

Lulu was referring to the recently announced confirmed kill count for the Voltec Squadron. After the air battle, each pilot had reported their kill count, which was then cross-checked with the reconnaissance aircraft’s reports. Kiyoaki had been credited with six confirmed kills, second only to Macguire’s seven, but most of the squadron assumed there had been a mistake. Kiyoaki himself had lost track during the heat of battle and wasn’t convinced of the count either.

“I’m sure it was a mistake. I was so focused on covering Kagura that I don’t remember shooting down that many.”

As Kiyoaki spoke humbly, a hand suddenly patted him on the head. Looking up, he saw Leo, the squadron’s ace, holding a beer with his usual sombre expression.

“That’s not necessarily true. You probably did shoot that many down.”

Leo clinked his bottle against Kiyoaki’s cup, downed his beer, wiped his mouth, and asked quietly:

“You don’t remember the battle clearly, do you?”

“Honestly, it’s all a blur. I have flashes of memory, but nothing continuous. I don’t think I was particularly calm, either.”

“You were calm. In fact, you scared me a little.”

“Huh?”

It was a surprising admission. Leo was the top ace of the St Vault Naval Air Force. For him to say such a thing to a rookie like Kiyoaki seemed far too generous. Bewildered, Kiyoaki listened as Leo continued.

“If you keep gaining experience, you and Illia will soon surpass me and become the aces of St Vault. There’s a realm in the sky that can’t be reached through effort alone… It’s a cruel reality.”

“……………………”

“That’s where Karnasion and Akmed live. They’re dragons, while I’m just a hawk. No matter how much a hawk tries, it can’t beat a dragon.”

“That’s not true… I believe the Voltec Squadron is the strongest in the world. Even against dragons, with coordinated teamwork, we can shoot them down.”

“No, you can’t. Even if you sent a hundred planes after them, they wouldn’t fall. They’ve mastered a way of flying that we can’t match. You saw what happened over Kalkinos. That wasn’t human. Hamilton, Jude, and Sebastian wouldn’t have acted so recklessly if they’d realized they were up against a dragon…”

Leo’s voice was thick with regret. He was clearly blaming himself for the deaths of his subordinates, carrying the weight of their loss.

Kiyoaki didn’t know what to say, standing frozen in place. But, as usual, Lulu and Lala broke the tension with their bright smiles, slipping their arms around Leo and pulling him into the dancing crowd.

“Come on, Captain! It’s no use dwelling on it now—let’s just have fun!”

“You don’t want to go back home with such a gloomy face, do you? Your wife will be heartbroken!”

“Let’s dance! We can even listen to the radio from Akitsu! Come on!”

Teasing their commanding officer with their usual carefree banter, they dragged Leo into the music, and soon everyone was laughing and bumping into each other as they danced. The shortwave radio from the Akitsu Federation played selections from “Misa Rose,” a beloved female DJ, and the group swayed to the foreign music, celebrating their fallen comrades with joy rather than sorrow.

Kiyoaki looked around, searching for Illia. For some reason, he felt an overwhelming urge to speak with her. Eventually, he spotted her kneeling by one of the graves, away from the lively crowd.

“Illia,” he called out.

“…Yeah.”

When Kiyoaki called out to her, Illia, still kneeling on the ground, turned her sorrowful gaze from the tombstone to him.

Her fiery red hair fluttered in the wind. In her eyes, as she looked up at him, he could see the pain she was carrying.

“…Are you okay? I mean… you don’t look so well.”

“…Is that so…? Yeah…”

She replied vaguely, and then turned her gaze back to the tombstone. When he looked closely, he saw it was Corina’s grave. It seemed Illia still believed that Corina’s death was her fault.

It was a painful sight. Kiyoaki knew that words couldn’t save her. All he could do was share in her pain.

Kiyoaki knelt down next to Illia, on her right side. Then, in the St Vault style, he clasped his hands together and prayed for the deceased. As he glanced around, he noticed that Illia had placed flowers on all the tombstones.

“…The death of someone close weighs heavy.”

After a while, Illia finally spoke. Kiyoaki nodded.

“Yeah. As soldiers, we were prepared for it… but it still feels incredibly heavy.”

“As long as the fighting continues, people will keep dying. I always thought it was just how things were… but I never knew it could be this painful and sad. I never understood that.”

“…Neither did I. I thought I understood it in my head, but when you actually experience it… it’s truly hard. You don’t know what to do with all the sadness.”

Illia lowered her long eyelashes. Kiyoaki hoped that sharing the same feelings would bring her some comfort. At the same time, he realized just how kind and gentle Illia was, mourning the deaths of their comrades. When he had first met her in Eriadore, he thought she was cold, mechanical, and emotionless, but in truth, she was delicate, easily hurt, and cared deeply for her comrades.

Then, Kagura sat down beside Illia on her left. She placed a hundred lilies on the tombstone, clasped her hands, and prayed.

“Not feeling sadness anymore… that would be more dangerous. Before we are soldiers, we are human. It’s okay to mourn each death fully.”

Kagura spoke quietly, still looking at Glenda’s grave.

“Mourn deeply, grieve, and be grateful… then we fight again. To end this war as soon as possible.”

Kiyoaki and Illia nodded in silence. Kagura’s words, more than anyone else’s, settled deep within them, resting in the pit of their stomachs.

They were still able to feel the sorrow of their comrades’ deaths. No matter how difficult the battles ahead might be, they wanted to hold onto that humanity, that ability to grieve.

The sun sank into the distant horizon. The golden hues of the setting sun began to envelop the world. From an altitude of two thousand meters, the golden tapestry of the sky gradually shifted in colour as time passed. Just as no two sunsets are ever the same, tomorrow would bring a new sunset, one they had never seen before. Kiyoaki prayed that all of them here would be able to look upon that new sunset together.

Kagura interrupted Kiyoaki’s thoughts with a quiet remark.

“…Kiyoaki, I’ve heard some bad news. I hope it’s just a rumour… but I think you should know.”

“…?”

“Do you know about the war between the Akitsu army and Urano on Messus Island, Odessa? After the capture of the flying fortress Balsinos, they plan to land in Odessa, right?”

“Yes. Of course, I know. But I haven’t heard any updates about the battle…”

“…It’s only a rumour, but apparently, things are getting messy. Since the Battle of Sierra Greed went far better than expected, part of the Second Fleet was sent as reinforcements, but they’re not coordinating at all with the Akitsu army…”

Kagura continued, her tone full of concern. From what she had heard, the St Vault Military Operations Command sent reinforcements to the Odessa region without much coordination, launching a fierce bombardment on the flying fortress Balsinos. The battle was still ongoing, and there were even plans to send the landing force that had successfully captured Kalkinos to Balsinos next.

“The course of the Hydrabard campaign has been decided. With the loss of their main navy and the capture of Urano’s flying fortress, Hydrabard has no power left to fight. If St Vault offers them surrender terms, they’ll likely raise the white flag. But before that happens, it seems like the St Vault Operations Command wants to secure Balsinos.”

Kagura’s concern made sense to Kiyoaki. The damage to Kalkinos’ propulsion system meant it would take years to be operational again. If the Akitsu Federation captured Balsinos intact, the balance of power in the archipelago would shift, leaving only St Vault and Akitsu in control.

And if—St Vault were to possess both flying fortresses, the question of who would dominate the archipelago would be settled. With two flying fortresses supporting their powerful mobile fleet, no other force in the region could match them.

For St Vault, which had always been threatened by the Harmonia Empire to the north, securing all of the archipelago’s oil and mineral resources had been a national goal since its founding. Now that the “Kukuana Line” complex fortress had been completed along their border with Harmonia, the need for a military alliance with the Akitsu Federation was diminishing. Moreover, with Hydrabard’s navy destroyed after the Battle of Sierra Greed, diplomacy alone could end the conflict.

However, the St Vault government had been issuing deficit bonds for the past two years, implementing massive tax hikes, and spending thirty percent of the national budget on the Hydrabard campaign. They were building over a dozen new aircraft carriers, producing ten thousand aircraft per month, and training over thirty thousand pilots. With this vast amount of resources dedicated to the war effort, it seemed unlikely they would allow the archipelago to remain divided between themselves and the Akitsu Federation. Having amassed such military power under the pretext of the Hydrabard campaign, St Vault might now turn its attention to fulfilling its long-standing ambition of conquering the archipelago, and direct its sword at the Akitsu Federation. In this age dominated by imperialism, such a scenario was all too possible.

“If they break the alliance easily, it would damage the country’s reputation. St Vault isn’t that reckless of a nation, are they?”

“It’s a matter of choosing between appearances and practicality. In these times, there are countless ways to justify breaking an alliance.”

Kagura and Kiyoaki’s participation as allied forces in the St Vault military had been intended to demonstrate the enduring friendship between their two nations to the surrounding states. However, with no more enemies to demonstrate that friendship against, what remained was the looming confrontation between two great powers: St Vault and the Akitsu Federation, facing each other across the archipelago.

—If the alliance were to be broken, what would happen to me and Kagura?

That unsettling thought exploded in his mind. It was a situation he didn’t want to imagine, but if it came to that, there was no way they would escape unscathed. After all, they had studied St Vault’s military strategy and learned the inner workings of the most powerful fighter squadron, the Voltec Air Corps…

At that moment, a voice interrupted Kiyoaki’s train of thought.

“Oh, come on, why so gloomy? Lighten up a bit, why don’t you try enjoying yourself like the others?”

It was Reiner, his voice light and carefree as he approached. He handed Kiyoaki a beer bottle, while raising a bottle of wine in a toast.

“No point in sulking around. Let’s just get drunk and switch gears. There aren’t any more big battles ahead, so let’s relax and have some fun, yeah?”

Reiner said this casually, then passed a paper cup filled with wine to both Kagura and Illia. Kiyoaki took a small sip of beer and nodded along.

“…Yeah, you’re right. I do need to switch my mindset.”

“Exactly! For once, you’re being sensible. Kagura, Illia, come on, let’s sing and dance to remember the fallen. They’d prefer we keep our spirits high, right?”

Encouraged by Reiner, Illia and Kagura also nodded and stood up.

“You’re right… we need to keep our spirits up.”

“This is where your personality comes in handy. There’s no point in looking back with regret. We should face forward!”

Kagura stood tall with resolve and walked over to join the lower-ranking officers, who were already in the midst of singing and dancing. Illia followed closely behind her, joining the lively group. Reiner watched them go with a smirk, then turned back to Kiyoaki.

“Come on, you too. Stop moping around.”

“Yeah… Reiner.”

Kiyoaki downed the rest of his beer and locked eyes with Reiner.

Maybe it was the alcohol talking.

No, it was more than that.

He had been suppressing his feelings for a long time, but he couldn’t hold them back any longer.

“I need to talk to you.”

Kiyoaki spoke earnestly to his friend.

“…? What’s with the serious tone all of a sudden?”

Reiner raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Kiyoaki couldn’t contain the emotion that was surging within him.

The voices of his fallen comrades echoed in his mind. He remembered the columns of water rising from the ocean, and the oily blooms spreading across the surface, all vivid in his memory.

Could those sacrifices really not have been avoided?

Was there no way to have minimized those losses?

“Can we go somewhere private? Just the two of us.”

Reiner gave Kiyoaki a strange look, but seeing that his friend’s expression was unwavering, he shrugged his shoulders.

“Ugh… Don’t tell me this is going to be one of those heavy talks. I’m really not in the mood for that.”

“It’s not like that. I just need to ask you something. Let’s go over there.”

Kiyoaki led Reiner to a secluded part of the island, away from the runway and the others.

With an exasperated sigh, Reiner reluctantly followed Kiyoaki into the dimly lit area.

“If this is some kind of love confession, I swear I’ll push you off the edge.”

“I’m serious, Reiner. I hope I’m just overthinking this.”

“Oh yeah? Sounds interesting. Let’s hear it.”

The two stopped at the edge of the floating island, facing each other.

There was no one around. In the distance, the remnants of the sunset were still blazing red across the sky. A few steps to the right, and one could fall straight off the island and plummet two thousand meters down to the sea below.

Kiyoaki fixed his gaze on Reiner.

His friend, bathed in the lingering glow of the sunset, had turned his face lazily toward the ocean, as if this conversation were more of a chore than anything.

—I’m about to ask something terrible.

—But I can’t just ignore it anymore.

—If I’m wrong, I’ll be glad.

Kiyoaki steeled himself and began.

“…A while back, when Air Hunt Island was attacked by Urano’s flying fortress, we were at the observation deck, right? We saw the fortress together.”

“…Yeah. I remember. Then the military police suddenly showed up and arrested Mio.”

“Right. But just before that… Mio turned away from the fortress and asked you, ‘What have I done?’ Didn’t she?”

Reiner still looked disinterested, staring off to the side. But in the depths of his gaze, Kiyoaki noticed a flicker of something unusual.

“You said something to her, didn’t you? Something like, ‘Your normal life is over.’ That’s how Mio sounded at the time. Then the military police came, and we were all thrown into confusion. But what I want to know is… what did Mio’s words mean?”

Reiner continued to stare out at the sea for a while.

Then, he sighed and scratched the back of his head.

“…How the hell would I know? Mio was a spy for Urano. There’s no way to know now what a spy was thinking when she got close to me.”

“Yeah… That’s true.”

“That’s it? What a pointless conversation. I wanted to make a bigger fuss.”

“…And after that, you went to the police station to bring Mio back, right? But by then, she had already escaped, and there were dead police officers around…”

“Yeah. The questioning after that was a real pain.”

“Two of the officers had their necks broken by hand, right? The investigator concluded that Mio did it, but… I can’t believe Mio had that kind of ability. As far as I know, Mio doesn’t have those kinds of skills.”

“How should I know? She’s a spy. Of course, she had secret killing techniques.”

“Yeah… I still think it’s impossible, though…”

“I get that you want to defend Mio, but you didn’t even know her family were spies, right? You’ve been deceived for a long time, so it’s about time you woke up.”

“………………”

“You can dwell on Mio all you want, but don’t drag me into it. It’s a pain to deal with. Later.”

As Reiner was about to turn on his heel, Kiyoaki raised one hand to stop him.

“I still have more questions.”

“What now?”

“A while back… Toward the end of our third year at the officer academy. When Kagura and I were accepted into the St Vault military as allied forces, I reported it to you… I wanted to become your friend and tried to shake your hand, but you refused…”

Reiner’s expression stiffened for a moment. Perhaps he realized what Kiyoaki was about to ask.

Behind his eyelids, the memory of the unusually clear blue sky behind Reiner at that time came flooding back.

It hurt so much.

“And then you said something strange. ‘If anyone ever betrays you from now on, you’re allowed to hate them.’”

Reiner slowly turned his gaze back to Kiyoaki.

Kiyoaki saw something unsettling writhing deep within Reiner’s expression.

It was Reiner, and yet not Reiner—something else, a different kind of person, was slowly emerging from within his friend.

But Kiyoaki couldn’t be intimidated.

Because he thought of Reiner as his friend. He couldn’t just pretend not to notice and let things go on as they were.

“Yeah… I might have said something like that. Just a general comment, though, a general comment. You’re naive, you know? You’ve probably never been betrayed by anyone before, right? You’re too soft, so I was just offering some grown-up advice. I don’t know what you’re doubting me about, but you should be thankful.”

Reiner spat out his words with irritation.

But Kiyoaki continued.

“When we flew the airship Eriadore through enemy territory… After the nighttime water landing, when we all made it back safely, I talked with Illia… And it seemed like someone who knew more about handling airships than any of us had to have been aboard. Just before we were about to fail the landing due to a strong crosswind, someone in the back knocked over the communication equipment, restoring the balance.”

“………………”

“At that time, Mio was incapacitated from blood loss, so it could only have been Kagura, Balthazar, Cecil, or you who were behind us. One of you was hiding some incredible piloting skills. There’s no way the equipment just happened to fall over at the perfect moment, shifting the centre of gravity and leveling the ship by pure coincidence.”

“………………”

“The same thing happened during the firefight with Gorgona. Someone fired a shot that miraculously pierced Gorgona’s cockpit. Without that, the Eriadore would’ve been shot down right then and there…”

Kiyoaki fixed his sincere gaze on Reiner.

—Reiner has saved us countless times.

He was sure of it. During the surprise attack on Air Hunt Island, Reiner must have known about the attack and led everyone to safety at the observation deck.

—If Reiner hadn’t been there, I would be dead by now.

He knew that too. That’s why, even though he had his doubts, he never confronted him.

But his hesitation had reached its limit.

Right here, right now, Kiyoaki wanted Reiner to deny the suspicions he had been carrying for so long.

“You once beat Illia in a mock aerial battle. It wasn’t luck or coincidence. It was your skill, Reiner. That’s what I believe.”

A cold, dry wind swept between the two of them. Amidst the chilly high-altitude air, there was a faint scent of oil and gunpowder.

Having questioned Reiner like this, their relationship could no longer be the same. The memories of joking around in the officers’ quarters, riding bikes together, racing across Air Hunt Island until dawn, and chatting at the harbor in the morning all flashed through Kiyoaki’s mind.

Even now, he thought of Reiner as his friend.

But because of that, he had to get to the truth.

“Are you hiding some kind of superhuman ability?”

Kiyoaki saw something stir deep within Reiner’s eyes.

A pale, mist-like aura seemed to rise from Reiner’s silhouette.

—Switch with me.

The Hachidori was trying to drag Reiner out of the seat of his consciousness.

But Reiner wouldn’t give up his place. With all his strength, he held the Hachidori back.

"We need to keep watching for now."

—He’s already realized who I am.

—Switch. It’ll be over in an instant.

"If I do that, I’ll be the one they suspect."

—If we let him live, I’ll be the one in danger. Switch! Switch with me!

Though the Hachidori urged him, Reiner clung to the seat of his consciousness, refusing to yield. This was the first time he had ever experienced something like this.

"Damn it, I showed too many cards, thinking he was just an idiot. He may act like a fool, but he’s no one to underestimate."

Reiner now understood why Illia had called Kiyoaki the “Black Rabbit.” He had pretended to be oblivious, all the while carefully observing everything.

Kiyoaki spoke again.

“I didn’t want to ask you something like this… But I can’t just stand by and watch as more of our comrades die. If someone is leaking information to Urano… then it’s my duty to stop them.”

—I’ll kill him.

The Hachidori resolved itself, and forcibly began to pull Reiner out of the seat of his consciousness.

“Run, Kiyoaki.”

Reiner barely managed to say that before his consciousness sank deep within.

Taking control of the body, the Hachidori opened its eyes.

Then it curled the fingers of its right hand into a claw.

Kiyoaki stood frozen, staring directly at the Hachidori before him.

As the Hachidori raised its right hand toward Kiyoaki’s throat—

“!?“

The Hachidori’s eyes widened in shock.

From the darkness behind Kiyoaki, a dozen or so military police officers approached in formation, their stern faces echoing with the sound of their boots as they marched forward.

It was clear they were about to carry out their duties.

—Had they already been tipped off?

The Hachidori’s right hand stopped. Quick thoughts raced through its mind.

—Even if I kill all the military police, this is a floating island. There’s nowhere to escape.

—I’ve been trapped by Sakagami.

Realizing it had been too careless, it was already too late for regrets.

In Hachidori’s vision, an image of a mother sitting alone in a decrepit house, clutching an old photograph, floated into view.

—Mother.

At that moment of regret, the military police’s formation halted.

The Hachidori readied itself for a final stand.

At this point, there was only one thing left to do: use every combat skill it had honed to kill as many military police officers as possible, steal their weapons, and gamble on the slim chance of escape.

Resolving itself to this course of action, the officer at the head of the formation, likely their captain, addressed Kiyoaki.

“Sakagami Kiyoaki, correct?”

Kiyoaki, caught off guard, turned his gaze to the captain.

“…Yes? That’s me, but…”

Two officers grabbed Kiyoaki by both arms, placing a handcuff on one wrist.

“What, what are you…!?”

Kiyoaki’s shock was evident.

Right in front of them, Hachidori also turned its widened eyes to the captain.

The captain solemnly announced:

“The Akitsu Federation has just opened hostilities with the St Vault Empire.”

The impossible words spilled from the captain’s mouth.

“The Emperor of St Vault has declared extraordinary measures. From today, all Akitsu nationals residing in the Empire are to be relocated to internment camps. No charges or warrants are necessary—being Akitsu itself is a crime in our country. Neither you nor Kagura are exceptions.”

Kiyoaki’s mouth fell open in astonishment.

Hachidori noticed a commotion in the distance. Peering into the darkness, it saw another group of military police gathered, where non-commissioned officers were raising a fuss.

At the centre of the commotion, Kagura was there, handcuffed behind her back. The non-commissioned officers were angrily confronting the military police, demanding to know the reason for her capture.

The military police began dragging Kiyoaki away, ignoring his struggles as he twisted his body and shouted out.

“No… There must be some mistake! Akitsu would never do something like this!”

The military police jeered at him, responding loudly.

“Our airborne units were wiped out by a sudden artillery barrage from the Akitsu fleet as we tried to land in Odessa. In Balsinos, Urano, St Vault, and Akitsu forces are locked in a three-way battle. The Second Archipelago War has begun, and all Akitsu monkeys will be slaughtered!”

The military police laughed as they violently tousled Kiyoaki’s head, treating him like an enemy foreigner.

Twenty-some years ago, the Archipelago War was fought between the St Vault Empire and the Akitsu Federation. That detested history was now repeating itself in the same battleground.

Kiyoaki’s face contorted as he turned his gaze to Kagura, who was being captured, and shouted.

“Kagura…!! Kagura!!”

“There’s been some mistake, Kiyoaki. The misunderstanding will clear up soon, so stay calm and keep your head down…!!”

Kagura’s desperate plea was met with uproarious laughter from the military police. The non-commissioned officers surrounded them, angrily pressing for answers, but were being ignored.

From a nearby radio, the familiar, playful voice of Miyo Rose came through.

“St Vault soldiers, are you listening to this broadcast? It seems we’ll be fighting you soon. The Samurai Boys are eagerly waiting for you. Say goodbye to your families and lovers, then come on down to Odessa on Messus Island.”

The radio switched to playing the funeral march of the Akitsu Federation. Knowing that St Vault soldiers would be listening, the broadcast aimed to demoralize them.

With Rose’s voice in the background, Kiyoaki and Kagura were tightly surrounded by the military police and led away to an unknown destination.

The Hachidori stood there in stunned silence, watching them go.

—Am I… saved?

That much, it barely understood. Its streak of bad luck hadn’t run out yet, it seemed.

—Mother…

With silent gratitude, Hachidori watched as Kiyoaki and Kagura were led into the darkness before blending back into the circle of non-commissioned officers with a casual air.