The Three-star Hunter

"Another kill for you, Boss", Alexis followed the crushing bomber with his eyes. "This should be a second one since the offensive started".

"You, on the other hand, still have no kills, despite getting the fancy new plane, comrade Gruel", Lily clearly teased him.

"I am working for the team. We got a group kill yesterday and another one today. Plus it works perfectly as a bait".

"It was the wing-leaders plan from the start", it were Hunch and Kate, who just helped Alexis to down a «Jac-9».

"Yeah, we are not aiming for more kills now, as long as each hunt yields result and everyone is safe, it should be enough. Our aim is to distract their fighters and down the bombers", Alex joined the discussion. "Other escorts are fleeing, let’s refuel, rest a bit, and go to a different area".

"Flying three-four missions a day, this is exhausting. But I like it", Lily was in a good mood. "A pity still not enough kills for me".

"You are drawing their attention, this is already a big deal. Yesterday the enemy patrol just ran away as soon as they saw three of you", Kate smirked addressing Lily, Alex and Alexis.

"They recognise the danger, good. Let them fear my «Hundred»", Wheeler smiled, while the big white number sparkled on the side of his plane. "Lets go!"

"Roger that".

After returning to the base they saw a commotion on the airfield.

"What’s happening here?", Wheeler ran to the small crowd of people gathering near the heavily damaged plane.

"Oh, commander", it was Martinson with pretty exhausted look, sitting near the plane. "He almost got me. If not the guys from my wing and ninth division, I would have been probably dead".

"An enemy ace or air defence?"

"An ace, apparently they still have good ones on this front. He flies «Jac-9» with three red stars on the side. Managed to heavily damage me in one-on-one duel. Other guys drove him away, but he avoided their fire pretty easily. I barely managed to get the craft back to the base".

His fighter indeed looked pretty beat up: left wing had a bunch of holes and burn marks, left engine was smoking, and cockpit had a lot of cracks.

"We do not have any information on this plane. Either he is someone new, who suddenly inmproved skills, or they have sent him from Far Eastern front. I will ask the intelligence if they can dig anything", Wheeler checked a few things with personnel and left to the commanders office.

"You got really unlucky. Not many centralians exist who can beat you in combat", Alexis set near Martinson and tapped him on a shoulder. "Noticed anything of value during the combat?'

"Not much besides the emblem. This guy is really good at dodging and prefers using fire and earth spells… Though, one thing, for some reason I got a short blackout before he attacked me, it lasted barely two seconds, but it was really odd. I got enough rest before the mission".

"You suspect a spell?"

"Maybe, hard to say, not enough information to judge yet".

"Thank you, get some rest, I am sure, commander will be cautious sending anyone in that area for now".

"Still, no guarantee that he won’t appear in a different place".

"We’ll see", Alexis stood up and left in the direction of his cabin, he had some things to think through.

And indeed, the new enemy started showing in different parts of the front near the Third army positions. He did not engage multiple opponents at once, but as long as he can have a one-on-one, it was devastating for them. Two pilots already died in fights with him. Another three barely survived, but one lost his fighter and was currently in the field hospital.

Alexis already questioned the two surviving pilots, but neither can give any useful information regarding the enemy. Now he was on the way to visit the injured survivor.

A nurse guided him to the pilots bed. The victim did not look that bad, he was sitting on a bed, eating dinner, but the top of his head was bandaged and there was a cast on his left arm.

"Hello, hero, how are you doing? I am captain Gruel of the first fighter wing".

"Oh, I heard about you. Not much of hero, as I ended up here. Doing fine, thankfully, commander Baldy managed to get me from there. How may I help you?"

"Wanted to ask a couple of questions if you do not mind".

"Go ahead, captain".

"Have you noticed anything odd about the enemy's behaviour?"

"Not much. He was really good at dodging my shots, but that is all".

"Anything unusual about his craft?"

"Nope, just a normal «ninth». Fancy emblem on it but nothing else".

"And how you felt during the combat, anything odd?"

"Nothing really. I dazed of for a moment before his attack, but I wrote it off as general tiredness. I am still having a hard time flying so many missions. In the previous place we rarely did more than two a day and it was a third one that time".

"Hm. Thank you, it helped a lot. Get well, comrade".

"Thank you, sir".

«This does not look like a coincidence», Alexis was thinking about what he learned by now, «a spell can be involved here. Disrupting mental magic is nothing uncommon, but it is hard to pull off on the opponent during aerial combat. It will require to much concentration and you need to fire at the same time. Though, if it is a signature spell and he repeatedly trained the incarnation to automaticity, it can be pulled off. Still, requires a lot of skill and multitasking. I need to check some data. Asking the intelligence or research division may be a good idea.»

Intelligence officer in the base could not provide him with any useful information, but he promised to ask at the central office. One of the spell researchers, on the other hand, went into a long complicated explanation regarding mental magic patterns, simplified incarnations and multicasting technics. After being cut by Alexis, who asked to get to the point, he confirmed that in theory it is possible to pull off and promised to provide the possible incarnation patterns.

«Now that is something, I need to check some spell construction books to understand the patterns, but if I have the schemes from that big brain, I may come up with something. Though, first I need a backup plan», and he went to the hangar.