I had a dream in which I was flying as Kusanagi’s consort plane.
Elegant music was being played. What is it? The rhythm is slow like that for a waltz. But the aircraft was faster. It danced like a tree leaf.
It was filled with smoke and my visibility was poor.
I was desperately searching by looking around.
I brought my face close to the canopy and looked backward.
To survey the views in directions above and below me, I controlled the aircraft to roll into the knife-edge orientation to make the whole sky appear to revolve around me.
“Dead Eye. It is coming from below you!” Kusanagi’s voice.
Immediately, I deflected the control surfaces to the opposite directions.
I saw its trajectory only for an instant.
The wings hummed and vibrated. The nose of the aircraft pointed downward.
Dive.
I choked the engine.
I employed the half-flap configuration.
Maintaining the nose orientation with the rudders.
Impossible.
The enemy aircraft passed by toward the left side.
I rolled to the opposite side. I am betting on the next opportunity. That switchover is crucial.
I pushed up the throttle, and flew around the target while climbing.
Roll.
Kusanagi was flying below me. I saw two more aircrafts.
I found someone above me.
Gigantic streaks of black smokes were driven into the ocean like spears. The closer any one of them was to me, to the greater extent it was whirling and drawing a spiral.
Checking the meters.
I banked the aircraft so that the target would be within the visual field above my head.
I gradually pulled the control stick to deflect the elevators.
To inside.
Holding my breath.
Left.
Roll.
I cut the throttle.
Flaps down.
High throttle.
Right.
Slightly to the right.
Down.
Planting my feet firmly to control the rudders.
Adjusting the direction toward the right.
Within the shooting range?
Calm down.
The target is escaping.
Go!
Roll over. At the same time, using the elevators.
Disengage.
Okay, I have finished it.
Half throttle.
I brought the flaps back to neutral.
I looked for Kusanagi’s aircraft.
I saw a flame below. One enemy was going down.
Here comes another spear.
Another aircraft from the same space. It was climbing up toward me.
“Boomerang, are you still flying?”
“Stupid idiot! Move to the right!”
I rolled to the right.
Looking back.
A Sanka was lunging above me while flying with the corkscrew maneuver.
I made a turn to the direction.
The aircraft passing by Kusanagi exploded.
Her aircraft was engaged in a snap roll. She was watching everything by doing so.
Then, she ascended lightly while keeping the airframe inverted.
“There’s no more below us.” Kusanagi said. “How is it above us?”
“There are two, far above us.” While looking upward, I answered. “Oh, but, they are retreating.”
“Anyone else?”
“It seems that we are alone.”
“Darn it!”
Kusanagi was climbing up.
“Can we chase them?” She asked.
“No, we cannot do that anymore.”
“I will shoot down the two. Dead Eye, stand by here.”
“Pardon me?”
“I will come back again. So, wait here.”
“That’s impossible. It will run out of fuel.”
“If things go that way, how about flying home together on your aircraft?” Kusanagi laughed.
“Oh, please. You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Have you checked the coordinates?”
“Yes.”
“Then, we are returning to the base.”
She was asking about those which had fallen. Since the battle was taking place above the ocean, there was little chance of their survival even if they managed to execute the emergency landing successfully.
Kusanagi had already stopped ascending and headed for the west.
While checking the safety locks for the weapons, I followed Kusanagi. Then, I took the position a bit above and behind her.
The canopy was shining with yellow.
I was feeling that the comfortable engine sound would last forever.
The edge of a cloud was torn off, and was dissolved into the blue sky.
I looked down, and the shadows of our two aircrafts were running on the clouds.
The air appeared to be so refreshing that I wanted to open the canopy.
What is Kusanagi thinking about?
Suddenly, that thought came to my mind. But, in the next moment, I was looking at my hand. The right hand that was holding the control stick. The thumbnail. I loosened the grip a bit, and sighed. I must have been straining my whole body.
I should not use the radio anymore.
Only when we were engaged in an aerial battle, I could hear Kusanagi’s voice.
Even if the two of us flew together for a long time, we never touched each other.
Her hands.
Her cheeks.
I never touch them.
Approaching each other too closely is dangerous, and that is also the case for aircrafts.
Just merely touching each other’s wings causes a serious trouble.
Even so, it is mysterious that we feel as if we were walking hand in hand. Always without saying words, we were taking a walk in the sky. Like jogging in a forest. Like strolling along a beach. Keeping our breaths in the same pace. Falling into step with each other. Running through.
It was the best pleasure for me to fly with her.
Occasionally, I recalled it.
When on the ground, I forgot about it.
I might be fighting for the moment.
Probably.
Yeah ... That’s right.
This feeling has got to be love.
I exhaled the breath softly. The faint warmth welled up from the interior of my body circulated though my throat, my nostrils, and then, after being exhaled, around my body. Yes, I have known that all along. I thought.
People indicated this emotion. This is love.
Then, I applied my left hand to the canopy to absorb the chill. I removed the palm to put it on my face to check my body temperature. Oh, this is the temperature of a human, eh? I thought. Is everyone warm? Is Kusanagi warm also? Why are humans warm? Why can we not feel the warmth without making contact? There are things that we lose just by touching.