The offer came from Rebecca, Blitzdonner’s former Hunter Unit A.I.
“The Crimson Hawk duo will escort you. So you can’t complain!”
“Yes, that does improve our chances of survival by at least one digit.” Lud responded with a wry smile.
“Shall we paint it red to suit the occasion? It’ll take some time, but I can do it.”
The Triebflügel was a prototype. It had a little paint, but it was mostly just bare metal.
“It’s not a bad idea, but we don’t have time. Langart, get in, would ya?!”
Lud and Sven departed for Penmunde, where Meitzer was held captive.
Until about ten years ago, Penmunde was a small rural village. It had a tiny fishing port and one old castle that was constructed a few hundred years in the past. It consisted of little else and was a village with no unusual characteristics. However, in the recent Great War, the Wiltian navy developed a supply base in Penmunde. The military repaired the crumbling castle and beefed up the port.
At first, the people were overjoyed. Business related to the military flowed in, resulting in economic growth. Before long, however, there was nothing to laugh about. The military port grew daily, and soon the fishermen were forced out and lost their fishing rights. Toward the end of the war, the location became a weapons test site, and the villagers were evacuated to prevent information leaks.
Penmunde, the village, was now gone. In its place was an experimental facility bearing its name. Inside the control room of the Penmunde Test Site, a man was speaking.
“Are preparations for the launch of Verne 1 proceeding smoothly?”
As chief of its headquarters, Hitzinger was the effective leader of the Security Department. He was asking Helmut, the assistant chief, for a status update on Verne 1.
“Yes, Deputy. We have already completed 90 percent.”
“Heh heh... Deputy? That doesn’t sound bad.”
Deputy... He was filling in for the deceased Genitz, so the title implied he was fulfilling that man’s ideals.
“Then you too are a deputy. You are Professor Auguste’s deputy.”
“That man is from an older time.”
Auguste was Verne 1’s head developer and should have been present. In fact he felt so guilty about the research he had performed, he was unable to issue the correct instructions for the launch preparations.
“The era of those old farts is ending. I’m sure that’s what Genitz would have said. Am I right, Helmut?”
“Indeed you are, sir.”
“The times are changing. We will have to leave behind those who cannot keep up. That is the law of nature.”
Hitzinger spoke proudly, as if he had just thought of that line, even though others had uttered it hundreds of times.
“Once the world learns of Verne 1’s existence, it will tremble at Wiltia’s might. Then they will realize who is their master!”
If Wiltia possessed a weapon capable of bringing down the hammer of God, even from far away, even across seas and mountains, all the nations would realize the futility of fighting, hang their heads and render homage. He truly believed that.
“The times are changing. A new era is coming and it is glorious. We must not stumble as we make the last move.”
“Yes, sir!”
“All personnel, remain wary! Those fools in Berun will be onto us soon enough!” He began issuing commands to his subordinates packed into the control room. “Have the observation towers report!”
“Yes, sir! Right away!”
A subordinate received reports via transmitter from the observation towers at the four corners of the test site.
“This is east tower... We are clear for launch!”
“Hmm...”
“This is west tower... Clear for launch!”
“Good.”
“This is north tower... Clear for launch!”
“Ah, yes...”
Reports came in from each location as if performing a meaningless ceremony.
“This is south tower...”
As the report from the last tower came in and they were almost cleared for launch, trouble arose.
“This is south tower! W-What the heck is that thing?!”
The soldier in the south tower raised his voice in bewilderment.
“What’s wrong?! What happened?!”
“Is... is that... an airplane?! What is that?!”
“What’s going on?! Report in detail!”
“G-Gaaaaah!!”
Communications with south tower broke off, and Hitzinger got no reply. But there had been what sounded like a collision before the connection was lost.
“What happened? Has the regular military launched an air raid? No, that can’t be...”
This may be Wiltian territory, but if they bombed without sufficient reason, there would be an outcry. It was only six months since the rebellion in the capital, so it would be like announcing to other nations that Wiltia’s internal affairs were unstable.
“Elvin! What has he done?!”
Marshal Elvin had become a hero in the recent Great War. His craftiness caused enemy nations to tremble as if he were a god or devil.
“Send a combat unit to the south tower! We only have three—no, two days left! We can’t fail now after having come so far!”
He promptly dispatched troops toward the south tower.
At the south tower...
“I knew we couldn’t trust this thing!” Sven kicked open the door of the Triebflügel after the crash landing.
“Well, the flight went all right, but...” Grunting with effort, Lud followed her out of the craft.
“Hmm... Landings are a bit tricky, eh? As I suspected, this type of aircraft just isn’t practical.” As he voiced his thoughts, Daian pulled a memo pad from his pocket and began making notes on his failed prototype.
“This is no time for that!”
“Don’t get so angry, Svelgen. We landed, didn’t we?”
“We almost died!” Refusing to let him blow off their near-fatal crash, Sven yelled at Daian.
The Triebflügel’s liftoff had gone well. The aircraft had performed better than expected, so well its passengers—Lud and the others—had been impressed. However, halfway through their flight, the all-important ramjets became unstable.
“High air pressurization is crucial to the ramjets, and there are three of them. It appears they still aren’t perfectly synchronized. I’ll work on that.”
Daian spoke as if it were purely an intellectual exercise. Due to Blitzdonner’s piloting and Rebecca’s assistance, they had somehow managed to land without injuries.
“I had a hunch this would happen!”
Blitzdonner pulled himself from the aircraft. The Triebflügel had crashed into the south tower and partially destroyed it. Given the rough landing, it was almost a miracle that the passengers were unharmed.
“I hate wasting my luck on something like this...”
“Oh, it’s all right! We planned to hit ’em hard anyway!”
Daian spoke jovially to Blitzdonner as the pilot offered his hand to Rebecca, the last to exit the aircraft.
“What do you mean, Director?”
“Langart, it’s a little late to inform you of this, but I didn’t try out this new invention, still under development, and come all this way with you out of the goodness of my heart!” In response to Lud’s question, Daian spoke with an inscrutable look on his face. “From here on, we go our separate ways! It’s probably for the best. Tackle your own objectives, and I’ll do what I must.”
At the precise moment Daian finished speaking, as if appearing from offstage on cue, soldiers flooded the area.
“I can, however, clear a path for you. Blitzdonner? Rebecca?”
Then, like a good actor, he gave his costars their scripts.
“Good luck!”
In response to his words, Blitzdonner and Rebecca started running.
“Let’s go, Sharlahart!”
“Yes, Major!”
Sharlahart was the name Blitzdonner had given Rebecca when she was still a Hunter Unit. She did not let anyone else call her that. But, she was happy. He called her Sharlahart once again and she was able to fight at his side.
“Hraaah!!”
She leaped forward with enough force to rend the earth—and within a moment she had felled a few soldiers.
“What the... !!”
Taken by surprise, the soldiers hesitated. They were confused to see this young girl successfully take out their peers.
“Umph!!”
Blitzdonner was a veteran warrior, so he would not let this opportunity escape. He was human, but his limbs were mechanical. Even without weapons, he was strong enough to wipe out an entire platoon in an instant.