Van 

“Air Fox” is a mercenary unit composed of fighter pilots.
There isn’t a single sky fighter who doesn’t know this name.
They become allies and lead to victory, and at times, they become enemies and strike fear into the hearts of their foes.

Their leader is Captain Van Maverick.
Van the Grim Reaper, Storm Fox, Hero of the Air Battles… He has many nicknames, but there is something that people always say:

“No one can beat Van Maverick in the sky.”

…But that’s all in the past.
Now, I’m “just Van Maverick.”

“Hey, hey, are you joking?”

After leaving the battlefield and returning to my hometown of Ibaraki, a strange man dressed like a salaryman appeared before me.

“No, no, this is no joke. I’d really appreciate it if you could lend me a hand.”
“What do you expect a regular guy like me to do?”
“What are you talking about? Aren’t you the famous Air Fox captain?”
“…I used to be.”
“Anyway, please take a look at this.”

Saying that, the man began laying out documents one after another on my desk.

“H-hey, what is this…?”

I didn’t even need an explanation; I knew at a glance.
These were blueprints for a fighter jet.

“It’s an aircraft currently under development at Nakashima Heavy Industries. Ah, please don’t get the wrong idea. This is a civilian aircraft, strictly for recreational use.”
“Hmph. Do you really think you can fool me? There’s no need to install a jet engine like this for recreational use. This is a fighter jet, isn’t it?”
“…That’s why I told you not to get the wrong idea.”
“What do you mean?”
“The higher the aircraft’s performance, the better the entertainment we can provide to our customers.”

So that’s how it is. I just don’t get what rich people are thinking.

“And we have another aircraft prepared in addition to this one.”
“Huh, two aircraft of this caliber? That’s quite generous of you.”
“However, Nakashima-sama’s financial resources aren’t infinite. That’s why we’ve decided to hold a competition this time.”
“…I see. So that’s why I’m here.”
“I’m glad you caught on so quickly. Nakashima-sama plans to decide which aircraft is superior and mass-produce it.”
“Either way, it’s none of my business. Get out of here. I’m not in the mood to fly right now.”
“Oh, that’s a shame. Toner-sama agreed to it, though.”

The name uttered by that man made me instinctively grab him by the collar and raise my voice.

“Hey! Did you just say Toner?! The Prince of Thunder!?”
“Uh, y-yes…”
“So that guy’s still alive…”

There’s no way I could forget that name.
That guy… Toner was my comrade-in-arms.

For us, a day just like any other begins.
A day on the battlefield.

“Van, what are you doing? Hurry up and get ready!”
“Seriously, you’re the captain, so get your act together.”

Eluka is rushing me, while Falke watches with a smile.

“Sigh, it’s really just a matter of you getting your act together.”
“Each one of you is so noisy…”

Ravi sighs in exasperation. And then…

“Hmph. You’re always like this. A prime example of someone whose skills don’t match their character.”
“Hey, hey, you’re the vice-captain. You should at least cover for me a little, Toner.”
“I refuse.”

Toner, the stiff and dead-serious vice-captain.

“Seriously, things are peaceful again today, and our squad-“
“Message from HQ. Units ready for deployment are to sortie immediately.”
“Here it comes.”

In stark contrast to the atmosphere just moments ago, the mood and expressions of my comrades grow tense.

“Alright! Let’s go, Air Fox! The sky is waiting for us!”

I touch my beloved aircraft, the Riot.
But the cold steel I should have felt was missing.

“…Ah, so that’s it. This is-“

A dream from the distant past, one I’ll never return to.

“Maverick-san, wake up.”

A man’s voice rouses me.
Ah, that’s right. I was traveling by car.

“Are we there?”
“Yes, your aircraft is waiting at this dock.”

I’ve decided to sign a contract with Nakashima Heavy Industries.
The reason is that I was somewhat interested in their cutting-edge aircraft. The other is that the other party is Toner.

“Just to be sure: is this really Toner himself?”
“Yes, of course.”
“…I see.”
“However, as I mentioned earlier, please refrain from meeting the other party directly. If information about our respective units leaks to the other side…”
“I don’t need to be told that. I’ve already decided to settle things with him in the sky.”

I have something I want to ask him.
Like, how are you still alive?

“Then, I’ll begin explaining the unit.”
“Yeah, go ahead.”

To summarize what the man told me about the unit I’ll be piloting:
Its name is “Kusanagi”.
And it’s my new partner. Basically, the cutie I’ll be flying with.
It’s a forward-swept wing design with the wingtips positioned further forward than the root, featuring a sharp, white silhouette.
Apparently, it was tuned solely to beat the enemy’s aircraft, so it seems to be quite a handful.
Other pilots have apparently tried flying it, but they couldn’t even control it properly. They just flew it, that’s all.
It’s set up so finely tuned that an ordinary person could never control it.
As you’d expect from the latest model, its specs are absurdly high.
What on earth made them decide to build something like this?

“…So? What kind of aircraft does Toner have that seems undefeatable?”
“Its name is Umineko. It’s… an aircraft that brings together the very best of current technology.”
“What do you mean?”
“It measures the pilot’s brainwaves, allowing them to control the aircraft freely without even touching the control stick.”
“Whoa, wait a sec. Doesn’t that mean the pilot just sits there?”
“However, piloting it relies on experience rather than technique. Therefore, only a select few can actually handle it.”
“Hmph. In that case, he’d be the perfect fit.”

But what is he thinking?
A fighter pilot not gripping the controls? He wouldn’t be able to feel the machine’s flow at all.
But this…

“It’s actually kind of interesting.”
“What do you mean?”
“Toner’s instincts versus my piloting skills. It’s not every day we get a chance to see who’s better.”

Alright then, let’s do this, Toner.
Not as allies this time, but as enemies.

The aircraft competition starts today.
Which means I’ll finally get to see his face.

“Toner…”
“It’s rare for you to show up on time.”

There’s no doubt, the man standing before me is Toner.
It’s been a while since we last met, but he hasn’t changed a bit.
But wait… he was supposed to have gone MIA three years ago.

“…”
“What’s wrong? Do I look like a ghost to you?”
“Hey, hey, what are you two talking about? Could you get in your aircraft already?”

The plump man who stepped between Toner and me was Nakashima, the sponsor for this event.
He looks visibly annoyed, probably because the aircraft development is already behind schedule.

“Yeah, I know.”
“I’m paying you good money, so deliver results.”

For now, I shake off my thoughts and climb into the Kusanagi.
From there, I take another look at the Umineko that Toner is piloting.
At first glance, it looks like an ordinary fighter jet.
But there were two distinct differences.
The first was the abnormally large engine. Was there really a need for something that massive?
The other was the cockpit.
Toner was climbing in as well, but with wires attached all over his body and lying down in the cockpit, he looked more like a patient or a mummy.

“Alright, let’s start by testing the rise performance!”

Apparently, we’re competing for high-altitude flight and time, but the outcome of a contest like this is a foregone conclusion.

“First, we’ll time the Umineko!”

Toner, let’s see how good you really are right now.
At the signal, the Umineko soared into the sky before my very eyes.

“That aircraft is incredible.”

Its speed far surpasses that of my Riot.
It’s only been a few years since I left the skies, but technological progress is something that can’t be underestimated.

“Next up is the Kusanagi. Van, launch it!”
“Roger!”

I grip the control stick tightly and activate the systems.
After “ENGAGE” appears on the screen, the machinery begins to start up.
Everything was ready. I launched the Kusanagi.

“…! Haha.”

The G-forces on my body felt familiar.
I accelerated in one go, and the craft soared higher and higher into the sky.

“This thing is way too fast!”

In the blink of an eye, the Kusanagi flew even higher.

“Only 48 seconds to the aerodynamic limit? Not bad, little cutie!”
“Hey, how far are you going?!”
“Sorry, it just won’t stop.”

The performance of the Kusanagi’s new engine exceeds all expectations.
I just couldn’t help but want to test it out.

“Special Move: Swan Dive… just kidding.”
“How long do you intend to stay up there? Get down here already, it’s time for the next competition.”
“Hey, hey, don’t be a sore loser just because you lost on time. I’ll be down in a second.”
“Seriously, you’ve always been all talk…”
“Well, just look at this and calm down.”

Saying that, I used the contrails to write “SLOWPOKE” in huge letters, making Toner look at it.

“Fuck you!”
“Oh, you wanna fight?”
“You two, what are you doing?! We’re in the middle of a competition, focus!”
“Tch…”

The next challenge was to see who could fly a designated route most accurately and quickly.
It was just a matter of following the route, but I’ve never been good at flying along predetermined paths.

“You can’t beat me.”
“What did you say!?”

…I said that, but the result was obvious.
Typical of him. Precise, efficient movements.
The way he piloted the Umineko was perfectly in sync with that.

“One win and one loss on the first day. But hey, it’s just the beginning, so I guess that’s to be expected.”
“Choosing someone like you, who can’t even follow the rules, as a competition pilot shows the owner has no eye for talent.”
“I feel so sorry for your aircraft having to measure the brainwaves of a stick in the mud like you.”
“What!?”
“What the heck are those two doing…”

The exasperated voice coming from the radio didn’t reach us.
After that, we started a chase to see who could get behind the other more often, only to get thoroughly scolded the moment we returned to land.

All I can see before me is black and red.
Black smoke rising from the battlefield, and everything burning red with flames.

“Fuck! Is this hell?! Hey, answer me! Falke, Eluka, Ravi!”

There’s no response from the comrades I was fighting alongside.
They must still be alive somewhere. With that thought in mind, I continue fighting alongside Toner.

“Van, what’s your plan? At this rate, we’ll eventually end up just like them!”
“We can’t just run away now. Riot can still fly!”

Even as we speak, enemy fighter jets keep attacking us one after another.
We’re managing to fight them off for now, but I don’t know how long we can hold out.
Should I at least let Toner escape…

“Uwaaaah!?”
“Toner! Whoa!?”

Distracted by Toner’s scream, I took the full brunt of the enemy’s attack.
Maybe I was hit in a bad spot. I can’t control the Riot the way I want to.

“Toner, I can’t hold out any longer! You get out of here!”
“…”
“Hey, Toner!”

No matter how much I called out over the comm, there was no reply from Toner.
I frantically scanned the area, but his craft was nowhere to be seen.

“FUUUUCK!”

This was the final sortie for the Air Fox mercenary unit.

Day 2 of the competition.
Waking up today was nothing short of a nightmare.
Having dreams about the past, all because I met Toner.
After that, I was the only one who survived the crash landing; the rest of my comrades were declared missing.
It is the same as being presumed dead.
I returned to my hometown right after that.
I never heard of a mercenary unit with just one member.
That said, I didn’t even think about gathering new comrades.
That’s why I left the skies behind.

“…To think I’d end up coming back like this again.”

That said, it’s not like I want to fight in the sky.
To be honest, I just couldn’t forget that sky.
I just wanted to fly with all my might one more time.

“You look tired. Do you think you can perform at your best like that?”
“…”
“Hey, hey, haven’t you even lost the ability to say good morning when you meet anymore?”
“Hmph…”

Toner, clearly annoyed by my retort, flies off.
But even though I can’t help but pick a fight with him out of old habit, was he really that confrontational back then?
More than anything, it seems like he might actually hold a grudge against me.

“Sigh, I just want to get this over quickly so we can talk.”

Toner and I are flying along the Abukuma Valley.
Today’s competition requires us to fly at low altitude.
We’re not allowed to go above a certain height, but I’ve done that hundreds of times on the battlefield.

“Is this really supposed to be a competition? Just flying normally is boring.”

More than anything, maybe because we’re flying so close to the ground, the words “CAUTION PULL UP” have been displayed on the screen the whole time, and it’s annoying.

“Watch your mouth. You’ve always been a chatterbox.”
“…And you’ve gotten way more aggressive lately. What happened?”
“You’re such a hypocrite. Do you remember what you did to me-“

The next moment, as if to drown out Toner’s voice, an alert tone sounded and red “WARNING” letters flashed across the monitor.

“Locked on!? Where’s it coming from!”
“Toner, behind us!”

Before we knew it, several aircraft had appeared, seemingly in pursuit of us.

“Hey, hey, what the fuck?! This isn’t a war zone!”
“Wait, those craft… could they be drones?!”
“Drones?!”
“Can you both hear me?”
“That voice… it’s Nakashima! What kind of game are you playing?!”
“Just flying around would be boring, wouldn’t it? That’s why I added a condition.”
“What?!”
“The condition is to outrun the drones built by our company. You guys should have no problem with that, right?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“Hmph, scared already? If you don’t have the confidence, you can get out of this right now.”
“Ha! There’s no way I’m running away. Fine, I’ll show you I can outrun them!”

As if my words were a signal, the drones all charged toward us at once.
But they’re just drones, after all. There’s no way they can keep up with us who love the sky!

“…Or so I thought.”
“Is this really the time for whining?”

These drones seem to be more persistent than I expected.

“Toner, what do we do? It’s pretty annoying having them hovering behind us like this, isn’t it?”
“I hate to agree with you on this… but yeah. Still, do we have a plan?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? We’ll do that. Remember? What we did when we ran out of ammo and were fleeing!”
“Wait, that was-“
“That accident during a competition. You have to fight a surprise with a surprise!”
“Seriously… you really haven’t changed a bit. There’s a good spot up ahead. Hold out until we get there.”
“Who do you think you’re talking to?!”

We deliberately slowed down to let the drones catch up and close the distance.
Our opponents stayed right on our tail, avoiding contact.

“I see it… Now!”

At Toner’s signal, we pulled the aircraft into a steep climb at the last possible moment.
The drones that had been tailing us so closely crashed into the seawall, bursting into flames with a massive explosion.

“Hah, just as planned. Now all we have to do is fly to the target location-“
“Hey, what are you doing?!”

The voice coming over the radio belonged to the man supervising the competition.

“The drones? That was an accident, it wasn’t our fault-“
“No! Check your altitude!”
“…Huh?”

When I checked my altitude, I realized I had far exceeded the limit set for this competition.

“Whoa!?”
“Toner’s the winner, then. Seriously, what are you doing…”

Looking again, I could see Toner’s aircraft way below me.

“Toner! You’re the only one who kept your altitude low!”
“What good will complaining to me do? You’re the one who messed up.”
“Ugh…”

I had no retort.
But just as much as I was frustrated at losing, I also felt happy that I’d been able to compete against him.

“Still… what exactly did I ever do to you?”

The words he’d started to say kept echoing in my head.

The third day of the competition arrived.
This time, it would be about acceleration. That is, the time it takes to reach top speed.

“I didn’t hear about this! What’s with these rules?! And why is there a weapon mounted on the Kusanagi?!”
“As I explained, all you have to do is evade the auto-tracking paintballs. If you have the time, you can shoot down your opponent-“
“That’s not it. This was supposed to be civilian aircraft development. Between yesterday and this, it’s just like-“
“It’s a fighter jet competition.”

Toner chimed in, as if to echo my thoughts.
I’d already felt something was off about the competition, but this incident made it crystal clear.
What these guys want to build is a fighter jet.

“I’ve said this many times: this is a civilian aircraft. These are necessary features for enjoying the experience.”
“You guys…”
“I’m fine with it. If you want to bail, go ahead and quit.”
“What?!”
“Well, I’m ahead in the score. Whether you’re here or not, the result will be the same.”
“You’ll pay for that! Fine, I’ll take you on! There’s no way I’m losing to you!”

I don’t give a damn what they’re up to in this competition.
What matters is beating Toner.
And finding out what happened to him.

“First up, Toner’s Umineko. We’ll begin as soon as you’re ready!”

Preparations complete, the Umineko finally takes to the sky.

“These are paintballs, but they’ll still pack a punch if they hit. Don’t let your guard down! Alright, let’s begin!”

As the starting signal is given, paintballs are fired at the Umineko.
Targeted by drones deployed in the sky and on the ground, the Umineko dodges all.

“What the hell is that? It’s like an acrobatic act.”

It performs one impossible maneuver after another. Turns, somersaults, and sudden stops.
Those moves are definitely beyond human capability.
Perhaps it’s a feat only the Umineko, no, only Toner, could pull off.
But more than that, despite what he says, he probably isn’t satisfied with this competition.
The proof is that he hasn’t used the weapons mounted on the Umineko even once.
Nakashima must have wanted that data too, but he’s not giving it to him.

“Zero hits taken. This result is beyond our expectations!”

The developers of the Umineko are cheering at the result Toner has achieved.
They must have expected one or two hits.
They never imagined it would end with zero.

“Alright then, I guess it’s my turn next. If he could do it, so can I.”

I climb into the Kusanagi and head for my designated position, but halfway there, I catch a glimpse of Toner.
His face looks satisfied, and he’s grinning at me as if to provoke me.
Fine, I’ll take you up on that challenge.

“Alright then, Kusanagi. Let’s get started!”
“Yeah, bring it on!”

Just like with Toner, paintballs flew in from all directions, tracking the Kusanagi with pinpoint accuracy.
Honestly, I can’t move as nimbly as the Umineko, but there are plenty of ways to dodge them with this cutie.
The paintballs are faster than I expected, but not fast enough to be unavoidable.
I dodge them by the skin of my teeth, just as they’re about to hit.
I thought I had this in the bag, but the paintballs kept multiplying, leaving me with nowhere to run.

“What’s with the hesitation?! If they’re multiplying on their own, I’ll just have to reduce them!”

I deliberately charged straight into the paintballs and managed to escape the tight spot.
But in that split second.
Paintballs filled my entire field of vision.

“…Damn.”

After the competition ended…
I stood before the Kusanagi, which was covered in paint.
I’d lost to Toner again, making it my third loss overall.

“My skills just weren’t up to par. Sorry for getting you dirty, cutie.”

Standing before the Kusanagi, I couldn’t help but sigh.
The competition was nearly over; there wouldn’t be a next time.

“Guess I’ll head home…”
“Wait.”

Just as I was about to leave, it was Toner, of all people, who called out to me.

“What’s up? Did you come here to laugh at me?”
“…Nakashima asked me to. He told me to bring you here.”
“Nakashima?”

“Explain yourself!”

I slammed my fist down on the desk in front of me.
I didn’t care about the pain in my hand; more than that, I couldn’t accept the current situation.

“Don’t make me repeat myself. I said this competition is canceled.”
“I don’t accept it either. We’ve achieved these results!”

Toner, who had been listening to the conversation alongside me, was raising his voice just as much as I was.
We thought we’d been summoned by Nakashima, only to be suddenly told this. There’s no way we can accept it.

“Actually, the chosen aircraft has already been decided. So continuing would just be a waste of money.”
“Hey, wait! Sure, I’ve lost, but I can still turn this around!”
“I don’t buy it either. How can you claim victory without fighting to the very end!”
“Are you guys stupid? The one I selected isn’t the Kusanagi or the Umineko.”
“…Huh?”

I couldn’t make sense of Nakashima’s words.
We were the only two testing our units in the competition.
Could he possibly have been doing the same thing somewhere else?

“…Exactly which aircraft did you choose?”
“All right, as a special favor to you two, I’ll show you what I selected.”

With that, Nakashima operated the terminal in front of him and showed us a video.
What appeared on the screen was an aircraft resembling the drones that had appeared before us many times.
It was hard to tell the size from the image, but it looked fairly large.
And what are these double sets of four propellers?!

“It’s the unmanned aircraft Specter. Thanks to you guys, we were able to conduct a great test. We’ve identified areas for improvement, so I’m looking forward to the final product.”
“Wait a minute! This is supposed to be an unmanned aircraft! Weren’t you supposed to be looking for a manned one?!”
“I never said a word about that. I only said we’d adopt an excellent aircraft.”

I was stunned, and even Toner was left speechless by Nakashima’s words.
Basically, everything we’ve done up until now has been for nothing.

“We plan to unveil the Specter in grand style during a sightseeing flight we’re holding in Chinchilla Land. If you’d like, I could invite you guys too.”
“…No, thanks.”

If I stayed here, I might end up punching Nakashima.
I gritted my teeth and decided to leave.

“What a terrible joke. We’ve been dragged into a rich man’s whim.”

The day of the event arrived…
Today is the day Nakashima unveils the Specter.

“Just as I thought, everyone’s out.”

I’m in the empty hangar.
My access rights must still be active; getting in here wasn’t too difficult.
The only ones here are me, the Kusanagi, and the Umineko.

“Sorry, cutie. I couldn’t make sure you won.”

I gently touch the Kusanagi.
If there had been a future where it was chosen, maybe we could have been good partners.
Thinking that, a wave of regret washes over me.

“…So you are here too?”

I turned toward the voice to find Toner standing there.
I was a little surprised, but it wasn’t exactly unexpected.
He seemed to have taken a liking to the Umineko in his own way, after all.

“I never thought someone stubborn like you would come here. We’re outsiders now. This is a full-fledged trespass, you know?”
“It’s their fault for leaving access permissions open.”
“Oh my, that’s quite the noble thought…”

We both gazed at our respective partners.

“Is this really how it ends…?”

At my words, which seemed to be squeezed out of me, Toner snorted, then turned to face me and spoke.

“You’ve gotten a lot more subdued over these past three years, haven’t you?”
“What? What about me-“
“Back then, you would’ve ‘acted’ first, rather than spouting such mopey thoughts, wouldn’t you?”
“You’re not serious…! But is it okay? If we do this, we’ll-“
“That’s a stupid question.”
“Huh, is that so?”

I had so much I wanted to say, but the words that came out of my mouth were completely different.

“Shall we fly?”
“Yeah…!”

Without saying much more, we climbed into the aircraft.
Our destination was already decided.
Both Toner and I still had at least some pride left as pilots.
And above all, we were confident that our partner were the best.
That’s exactly why we had to teach a lesson to those unmanned drones… to those amateurs who don’t know the sky.

No one can beat me, no, “us”, in the sky.

Toner and I were flying side by side toward Chinchilla Land.
It used to be the norm, but flying side-by-side with him gives me a strange feeling, something other than just nostalgia.

“Looks like we still have some time before the deadline. I’m eager to fight this Specter already.”
“…Hey, since we’re here, can I ask you something? Why do you hate me like I’m your enemy?”
“What are you suddenly talking about?”
“We’re outsiders flying around in prototypes without permission. A fitting punishment awaits us. At worst, I figured I’d never be able to talk to you again.”
“…”
“So, tell me. Did I do something to you?”
“What do you mean by that? Are you saying you don’t remember abandoning us?!”

I’m a little taken aback by Toner’s raised voice.
It’s been ages since he’s gotten this angry.

“H-hey, what do you mean ‘abandoned’?! I fought alongside you guys until the very end!”
“What are you talking about? I saw you flying off the battlefield with my own eyes!”
“I got hit and lost control!”
“You expect me to believe that? You can’t prove it, but I saw it!”
“Evidence, evidence… You’ve always been like this-“

Just as I was about to finish my sentence, the sound of fireworks reached our ears.
That was the signal that the unveiling had begun.

“…Enough talking. Let’s go.”

Following Toner, I flew toward Chinchilla Land.
If Toner won’t believe my words, I’ll show him once again that we are comrades who will fight together here.

“…I see it!”
“Is that Nakashima?”

Nakashima was standing on stage, giving some kind of speech, but the content didn’t matter to us.
We had to figure out where the Specter was right now.

“Van, over there. Look past the runway!”

Just as Toner said, the Specter we were looking for was waiting to take off at any moment.
I’d seen it in pictures, but it was about twice the size of our aircraft.

“Now, everyone, take a look. This is the latest aircraft developed by our company. The Specter!”

As Nakashima’s speech echoed through the venue, the Specter, which had been on standby, took off at his signal.

“Now!”

The moment the Specter took off, I rained paintballs down on it from above.
But it managed to dodge them with astonishing agility.

“Whoa, it dodged that with that size? As expected, a cutting-edge aircraft isn’t just for show!”
“This isn’t the time to be celebrating! It’s coming!”

The Specter must have identified us as enemies; just as I thought it was flying toward us at incredible speed, it launched an attack.
We barely dodged it.

“Whoa, wait a minute, is it armed?!”
“No, look closer. They’re paintballs. They must have loaded them for the ceremony performance.”
“Well, then, we’re on equal footing. I hate it when it’s one-sided, it feels like bullying!”
“Y-you guys, what are you doing?!”

An urgent transmission came in from Nakashima.
But we don’t have the luxury of paying attention to that right now.

“Alright, let’s get this started. A battle where we stake our pride as pilots!”

Toner and I make the first move.
We fire paintballs at the Specter from above, but it dodges each one and closes in right next to us.

“Where’d you get that kind of maneuverability, you four-winged monster!”
“We still have the advantage. Let’s get behind it!”

Toner and I move to get behind the Specter, but it makes a sharp turn to avoid being locked on.

“Don’t think you can beat us in a dogfight, you amateur!”

But our advantage lasted only for a moment.
This thing might be a real monster.

“Van, if we keep this up, it’ll get behind us!”
“I know that!”

Specter pulls off everything – loops, steep climbs, and sudden stops – even under G-forces that no ordinary pilot could withstand.
Moreover, it almost felt like it was learning and getting stronger from Toner and my moves.

“If we don’t settle this quickly, things are going to get really bad!”
“Do you have a plan?”
“You think I have something like that? Thinking is always Ravi’s and your job, isn’t it!”
“You muscle-head!”
“You’re the one who’s always dragging your feet, hesitating over every what-if in a plan! Your guts are way too small for your body!”
“That’s because you always fight without thinking of the consequences! We’re the ones who’ve always had to clean up your mess!”
“The one who’s been covering your asses is-“

While we were arguing, Specter took an unexpected action.
Not only I, but even Toner couldn’t react in time.

“What-Whoaah!?”
“Toner!?”

Specter, who had been flying in the lead, actually jettisoned its own fuel tank and slammed it right into the Umineko’s flight path.
No one would normally do something like that.
But Specter went ahead and did exactly that.

“How’s the damage?!”
“It can still fly, but not for long!”
“Really?! Then, you-“
“Wait. I’ll create an opening. You aim for that spot. You’ll only get one chance.”
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“I’ll show you. This is the Umineko’s secret weapon!”

The next moment, the Umineko began severing not just its fuel tanks, but every part of the fuselage, eventually even shortening its wings.

“What the hell are you doing?!”
“We don’t have time! Go, Van Maverick!”
“Gah! Alright!”

The now-lighter Umineko charged at Specter like a bullet, striking it directly in the wing.

“Hah… Hahaha! I was planning to ram the fuselage, but I never expected to get wedged between the Specter’s wings! Still, this has completely sapped its maneuverability!”
“Seriously, who’s the muscle-head here?”
“Just do it!”
“Yeah, I know! I’m taking this one down!”

I maneuver the Kusanagi upward, just like I did during that competition.
That’s the acceleration and power needed to pierce through the Specter’s hull.

“I’ll pay you back a hundredfold for what you did to me!”

Positioned directly above the Specter, I let the weight of the craft ride the downward acceleration, and then…

“Don’t think you can beat us in the sky!”

I used the jettisoned fuel tank to smash right through the Specter’s armor.

Toner and I had defeated Specter.
But both we and our crafts were battered and bruised.
We were currently being held captive in the Nakashima Heavy Industries hangar.

“I wonder what’s going to happen to us.”
“We operated a prototype without our employer’s permission, and on top of that, we took down their flagship. Needless to say, we’re probably headed for jail.”
“Life in prison? That might not be so bad.”

To be honest, the situation is absolutely dire.
But though neither Toner nor I said it out loud, we were both filled with the exhilaration of having defeated a formidable foe.

“I was glad to fight with you again.”
“Hmph…”

Just then, Nakashima came running over, looking flustered.
Well, I suppose that’s only natural.

“Y-you guys… I’m so glad you’re safe!”
“…Huh?”

Toner and I let out a surprised gasp.
We’d expected him to start yelling at us the moment he opened his mouth, but instead, Nakashima said something completely unexpected.

“W-wait, we took down Specter. Don’t you have anything else to say?”
“Oh, right. That was a truly amazing battle! I’ve never spent five seconds with my palms sweating like that. It was legendary!”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“You see, I realized just how foolish my own thinking had been. And it’s all thanks to you guys.”
“What did we…”
“That battle. A battle that magnificent could only have been accomplished by humans. An AI could never have pulled it off.”

It was true. It had been an incredibly reckless, all-or-nothing battle.

“Actually, I used to be a pilot myself. Watching your battle stirred the blood and spirit of my past.”
“You were a pilot?”
“Yes. That’s why I realized it: an airplane needs a pilot with a soul. You guys reminded me of that.”
“Um, okay, I get that. So, what’s going to happen to us?”
“Forget punishment. I’d like to officially hire you both as pilots.”
“You’re serious?”
“Yeah, and I’ve decided to officially adopt these two aircraft as well. After all, we’re getting flooded with sponsorship requests. And that’s all thanks to you guys.”
“So, you don’t have to worry about money anymore. And there’s no punishment for us either…”
“Yeah, that’s right. So-“
“Then this is settled. You get it, don’t you, Toner?”
“Hmph, looks like we’ve decided what to do.”

Toner and I stood up, facing each other with our fists raised.

“W-what are you two doing!?”
“Sorry, Nakashima, but this is how we settle things.”
“Yeah, fighting you like this-“

Before Toner could finish, I punched him in the stomach.

“Guh, what the fuck!?”
“Hey, hey, there’s no bell here. Don’t call it cheating-“

This time, Toner’s fist hits me square in the face.
I almost take a step back, but I grit my teeth and press on toward my next attack.

“S-stop it, you two! Hey, someone stop them!”
“If this fight stops, I’m out of this whole thing!”
“Me too!”
“What!? T-that’s ridiculous!”

The people around us, who had been confused at first, began cheering, swept up by our intensity.

“You runaway coward!”
“I didn’t run away! How many times do I have to tell you, it’s because I got hit!”
“Don’t mess with me! With skills like yours, you should be able to handle a loss of control!”
“Don’t talk nonsense, you idiot! You’ve always acted like a strategist, but you’re just as much of a musclehead as I am!”
“Don’t lump me in with a wild boar like you! Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused with your solo actions during that mountain operation four years ago?”
“It was a solo mission to begin with. You just tagged along on your own! Besides, I bought you a meal to make it up to you!”
“You only treated me three times total. I had to treat you fifteen times because you said you had no money!”
“Why are you counting them?! That’s exactly the kind of petty thing that’s your problem!”
“Is that something you can say, when you promised to pay me back but never did?!”
“I wanted to pay you back, but I couldn’t! Because you… you guys were gone!”
“Guh!”

We pounded each other with every ounce of our fists and words.
It was a clash of raw, unadorned sincerity and true feelings.

“We looked up to you and decided we’d follow you to the ends of the sky! So why did you come down?!”
“I was undefeated in the sky. But that was because you and my comrades were there! I wasn’t strong on my own!”
“Don’t mess with me! Then why did you abandon us?!”
“I didn’t abandon you! How many times do I have to tell you I couldn’t save you?!”

Our fists closed in on each other’s faces.
I was certain this would be the final blow.

“I was so happy you were alive, it brought tears to my eyes!”
“…!?”

My fist slammed into Toner’s face.
His fist… didn’t reach me.

“Guh…”

Toner collapsed to the ground.
I, too, ran out of strength and collapsed just like him.

“Can’t you even win here…?”
“There’s no way you can beat me in the sky.”
“This is the ground…”
“Everywhere I am, everywhere I fight… It’s all the sky.”
“Hmph, talking nonsense again…”

After a brief silence, Toner broke the quiet.

“What about the Riot…?”
“It’s wrecked. Apparently, the damage was too severe. They told me it was a miracle it even made it back to base.”
“I see…”

Toner, who had been lying on the ground, sat up and reached out his hand to me.
But I declined it and stood up on my own.

“Did you believe me?”
“Yeah, once I heard it from your own mouth that you cried. Back in the day, you’d never have admitted to crying.”
“True enough…”
“Still, you look a mess…”
“Same goes for you.”

Looking at each other’s battered faces, we both burst out laughing without thinking.

“I’m sorry. It seems I misunderstood… no, I was just convinced of that.”
“Convinced?”
“That there’s no way you could lose in the sky. So I figured you must have run away…”
“Do I look like the kind of pathetic man who runs away?”
“Absolutely not…”
“…What are you gonna do now?”
“It looks like they’re going to hire me as a full-fledged pilot, so I’m going back to the sky. The rest of our crew might still be alive somewhere. I’ve got to go find them.”
“What’ll you do once you find them?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it?”

I looked up at the sky visible through a gap in the hangar.

“We’re going to fly again, in our sky.”

• This character and his story take inspiration from the Star Fox game series and the Top Gun: Maverick movie

• Yeah, Toner’s aircraft is called Umineko in the original text as well, it literally means black-tailed gull and it has nothing to do with a certain visual novel

• On that note, Kusanagi (Van’s aircraft) may come from the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, a legendary Japanese sword. Its original name was Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi (天叢雲剣, Heavenly Sword of Gathering Clouds).