Amidst Crashing Waves I

Haruki stared at the Kenichi Modern floating amidst the waves, tied to the Legrassi I’s rear by a single chain. A thought pounded in his head, as loud as the crashing of ballistae bolts against the other ships of the Redwing fleet:

I didn’t come this far to lose Anemone like this. Not yet.

With a single ripped cloth, he slung it between the metal chain and held it tight. He rappelled down the chain and hopped right into the cockpit of the plane.

He turned the magneto, and the plane’s engine rumbled with a low, explosive roar. The valves and dials shook, and the gauges sprung to life.

Haruki glanced at the fuel reserves—its needle pulled nearly all the way to the left, in the red zone.

He didn’t have much fuel left.

If he were to save Anemone, he had to make it count.

With the ongoing siege against the Redwing Pirates’ fleet, he was certain Lias and the Western Navies weren’t content just capturing the princess.

They were going to die.

Not like this, no.

From atop the Legrassi, a single woman leapt the distance between the deck and the Kenichi Modern. With the swipe of hand, she tossed a thin blade of fire, melting a single chain linking the plane with the ship. She then landed on top of the KM with a thunk. The plane swayed with her landing.

“Flare! What’re you doing!”

Flare somersaulted into the co-pilot seat. “Helping you.”

“Helping me—what?” Haruki barked. “Your people need you up there. I’m taking Anemone back.”

“Just you? You’re not gonna get far by yourself.”

“I’ve done worse than this. I’ve fought the Sky Legion, so this is—”

“This is the Western Navies,” Flare interrupted. “The Legion is one thing, this is another. You don’t know the Navies like I do. I may not be able to fly the plane, but I can help you take them out.”

“Goddammit it. Fine!”

Pushing the throttle forward and up, the KM taxied on the freshwater sea’s surface on its floats. They gained altitude quick, gaining an overwatch of both fleets at once.

Six long blimps up ahead, with one of them being notably larger than even the Legrassi I; beasts of iron held up by reinforced cloth-like balloons.

On the pirates’ side, Legrassi II damaged and nearly beyond saving. Pretty much scuttled at this point. They’re performing evasive maneuvers, but they’re trying to flank the fleet to get into position to fire their cannons. Ultimately a useless effort.

And between them, the shadows of two submarines—Whales, they called them—moving underwater in the direction of the Navies. The left one took Anemone.

It’s up to me—even if he didn’t have the faintest idea what to do—yet.

Haruki pivoted towards the frontmost ship first, on the side of the Anemone-holding submarine.

Bolts of fire, energized cold, and green plasma shot from the direction of the frontmost ships. Haruki, with recognized ease, weaved the KM in between the bolts. Each energized projectile whizzed past him, ripping air in their wake.

He set his eyes on the balloon, finger on the trigger of his mounted guns.

“Easy!”

A hail of bullets erupted from the wing-mounted guns, pelting the blimp’s balloon.

The rounds tore a gash on the balloon, but failed to puncture it.

“What the hell? That’s tough!”

“Of course it wasn’t going to be easy,” Flare said in a tone that screamed I told you so. “Their balloons are made of layers of dragonskin and beastskin. All poached from the Sky Legion, of course.”

“They can do that?” He had the impression the Sky Legion just turns to paper when they retreat, but he was definitely missing a piece of the puzzle.

When Haruki flew past the blimp, Flare stood up, her legs somehow gripping steadily on the plane’s surface despite its movement.

She conjured a fireball and raised it above her head. “This is how you do it!”

She tossed the fireball at the side of the blimp. It exploded on its starboard side, bathing it in an inferno of fire and smoke. Moments later, the starboard side detonated into an even larger explosion of purple haze and plasma.

The blimp began to descend into the sea. It tilted to the side, crashing with a gigantic splash.

I killed them again, Haruki thought, but swallowed his guilt once more. Just like last time: It was him or them.

“Hit them on that side with something nice and toasty. They store all their combustibles there,” Flare said as she flipped back into the co-pilot seat. But when she did, she coughed and heaved.

“What the—that sounded really bad. Are you okay?”

“It’s nothing, it’s—” She cut off from her own words. She was in some kind of daze, and Haruki wasn’t sure why.

The volley of bolts from the Navies stopped for a moment—only for it to begin again, but with fewer projectiles.

Haruki evaded them with ease, but his spine tingled, a sense of something off.

Listening to his instinct, he glanced back and noticed that the bolts had curved back—and homed straight at the Kenichi Modern’s backside.

“Guided missiles!" He pushed the plane hard left, but there was no time—

Flare hurled a fireball to meet the bolts at a single point, detonating against each other on impact.

She coughed and wheezed again.

“Be careful, Haruki. You’re underestimating them too much.”

“How was I supposed to know they’d do that?”

Another volley of homing magic bolts fired from the blimps below. Haruki cursed. “Shit! Not again!”

Haruki evaded the bolts once more, but again, they curved back and followed.

Then an idea struck.

Staring at the small space between the floating blimps and the surface of the water—

“I got it.”

Haruki dove and skimmed the water’s surface, aiming at the next blimp’s underside. The homing bolts followed, both the plane and the bolts parting water in their wake.

He flew under the blimp and traced its hull, the plane nearly scraping its wing on cold iron.

The homing bolts homed in to follow, but had instead curved and struck the blimp’s underside. The starboard side exploded into a glittery, smoking chaos like the last one before it.

“Hell yeah!” Haruki cheered as he pitched the plane back up.

Two airships down—four to go.

His engine sputtered. He felt the plane descend—an inch, just for a second.

Though they were making headway, he feared he didn’t have enough fuel to see the counterattack through. He could take out as many boats as he wants, but taking Anemone back from the submarine? Such was still an exercise in futility.

A massive volley of unguided bolts once again fired at Haruki. They weren’t using the guided ones anymore, understandably so. He evaded them as usual, but his nerves began to chip away at his confidence.

He couldn’t keep this up.

“Flare! Got any ideas?” he said, glancing back.

“I thought you had this planned out,” she retorted, but then coughed.

“It looks like we’re both running out of gas, but you’re sounding worse for wear.” He paused to think, then said, “I’ll fly you over to the Legrassi. You’ll be more useful there.”

“What about you?”

Haruki tightened his neck and focused on the four remaining blimps. “This is my business now.”

“This is my business too,” she said weakly, though her usual fire seemed to be rising back to her throat.

Flare drew a dagger from her belt and pondered on it for a moment, staring at the glint of its sharpened edge.

“Haruki,” she said, tracing the skin of her arm with the blade.

“What?”

“I know what you and Anemone have. And right now, I need you as much as you do me.”

“Wait—what’re you—”

Flare cut the top of her forearm, drawing blood.

“Make a Sky Link with me. Now.”