Vol 2 Chapter 7 (1/2)

Chapter 7 - Recapture Slussen!

The next day...

At long last, plans for a major offensive upon the town of Slussen were announced. It would be carried out on the 5th of February, in three days time.

The Mikkeli Temporary Airbase was suddenly bustling with activity. Forces were being a.s.sembled from all over Suomus for this co-ordinated effort between the army and air-force. Units were arriving one after another.

The main force of the army were Witches, just like Tomoko and her comrades. These young girls also equipped Striker Units, but were part of the 'Mechanised Armoured Infantry'.

The army garrisons had been established right next to the Mikkeli Temporary Airbase, and each of the girls a.s.sembled there wore a type of Striker Unit that would not be very familiar to a member of the air-force.

“They seem like they'd be too heavy to fly don't they~” Katherine said in a mock serious tone while watching the scene from the window of their quarters.

Flying Officer Elma stepped in and corrected her just in case; “That's not what they do Pilot Officer Katherine! Those aren't 'Aerial Strikers', they're 'Land Strikers'.”

“So how are they different then?”

“We fly through the sky, they do not. You know what tanks are don't you?”

“Of course I know what tanks are~”

“Well, in a sense, Tank Witches take the role of mobile infantry don't they? Because naturally, a normal solider wouldn't even be able to get close to the Neuroi.”

While looking on at girls moving around the garrison shouldering large artillery weapons, Katherine let out a sigh.

“Even before those girls came here, we had such a large responsibility~”

“I know what you mean. Their safety, and the success of this mission falls on our shoulders!”

F/O Elma made a show of firmly clenching her fist in determination.

“Flying Officer Elma, what on earth are you doing?”

“I'm getting myself motivated! Fired up!”

“Hmmm? You really are an interesting girl aren't you~ You even had Tomoko appointed as the Squadron commander...”

“ Flying Officer Tomoko is the most suitable for the position. I don't think my decision on that matter was mistaken.”

“Tomoko is a capable girl for sure, I recognise that too...”

“Did you not also agree it was for the best back then?”

When F/O Elma had consulted the squadron at Tomoko's bedside, there had been no objections.

“But, if you stop and think about it, Tomoko really is a demon isn't she? Surely it'll be no laughing matter with her as squadron commander. It'll be a huge leap from the disorganised state we've maintained so far. And she gets this frightful look on her face whenever she starts yelling stuff like; 'Everyone shape up! We're training, now!' I just know I'm gunna get whipped~ And if I were to disobey an order, she'd slice me up with that scary samurai sword.”

F/O Elma began trembling when Katherine put it like that.

“Is, is it really going to be like that? Th, that's...”

Katherine squarely met F/O Elma's eyes, and nodded resolutely, “I'm afraid so, it really is.”

At this point, their exchange was cut off by the common rooms door slamming open.

“Ah! Tomoko!” F/O Elma flinched, and jumped up covering her head with trembling hands.

“What's wrong?” Tomoko asked in a blank voice.

“I, I, I'm sooorrrry~ Pleeease, don't slice me up with your katanaaaa~”

To which Tomoko gave a truly angelic smile. In every respect, her smile was as calm and pleasant as a spring breeze.

“Flying Officer Elma... What exactly is it, that I should not kill you for?” How very... suspicious!” Tomoko said in a manner that could even be described as cute, finis.h.i.+ng with a smile.

Having been holed up in her room and wrapped in a futon just the other day, this seemed like a miraculous change.

F/O Elma and Katherine exchanged a glance with one another, their mouths hanging open in astonishment.

Tomoko was holding some flowers in her hand.

”...Tomoko, what're those? A new training method?”

“Of course not. How can flowers be used for training.”

Tomoko picked up a discarded wine bottle, placed it upon the table, and began to arrange the flowers using it as a vase.

“They're so pretty... I wonder what these flowers are called? Perhaps I could find a greenhouse and grow them there.”

“Tomoko... what's happened to you!” Katherine yelled as she rushed over.

Until this moment, Katherine could not have imagined that Tomoko would do anything like decorating the place with flowers.

“Ooou, you poor thing... It all finally became too much for you to bear didn't it...”

“Ahaha, what are you on about? Come on now, even a brutal battlefield needs a little something to liven the place up.”

Katherine folded her arms in contemplation; “...so a promotion to squadron commander can change a person to this extent~? I guess I've just been living in ignorance until now.”

In a surprisingly ladylike manner, Tomoko then moved in front of the table and called everyone to attention by knocking on the desk.

“I, Flying Officer Anabuki Tomoko, have now been appointed as squadron commander. So once again; let's do our best together.”

Tilting her head to one side, Tomoko smiled.

“Well then, as everyone already knows, a large counter-strike operation will be conducted in three days time. It is absolutely imperative that we give it everything we've got, and maintain air superiority in the skies of Slussen. The outcome of this operation depends on our efforts. So let's do our very best together.”

“Ah, Umm...” F/O Elma timidly raised her hand.

“Yes, Flying Officer Elma.”

“That good and everything, about the counter offensive but... which Striker will you be using? Has a replacement aircraft been delivered?

Looking a little embarra.s.sed, Tomoko averted her eyes. After placing a hand on her chest and taking a moment to calm herself with a deep breath; “...I shall be using the Ki-44,” she said, as she gazed out of the window with coloured cheeks.

With the exception of Beurling, everyone was stunned at this development.

“Even though you hated the thing?”

“And you were making all that noise about not being able to use it, right~”

“Well, there was a lot going on... and perhaps that new model wasn't completely at fault... upon realising my own foolish mistakes...”

“What on earth happened! tell us slowly and thoroughly 'k? Otherwise there's no way I'll be able to understand!” Katherine enquired excitedly, with eyes like she was seeing some kind of new species unknown to mankind.

Beurling stepped in to keep her in check, “Well, it's a good thing isn't it? Because she's saying herself that she's going to use it.”

Beurling placed a hand on Tomoko's back and smiled. “Well then, we'll be relying upon you, squadron commander.”

Flying Officer Anabuki Tomoko's first order as the new commander was training in preparation for the offensive in three days time.

“Well then everyone; today we will be conducting formation manoeuvres. I was thinking that I'd like to focus on boom-and-zoom tactics.”

With Tomoko's instructions, they each went to equip their respective Striker Units.

Tomoko lead the ascent with her powerful Ki-44.

The first thing Tomoko tried was repeating a roll. The Ki-44's capabilities in this regard were one of its strong points. She hadn't given it much consideration before, but this would make locking on to targets very easy when striking them down at high speed.

The Ki-44 forcefully propelled Tomoko through the skies.

It's reminiscent of how Itokawa forcibly holds me in his arms, Tomoko blushed at the thought of it.

It was a mystery.

If it was that hard to handle up until yesterday, if I think about it...

“If I'm honest with my feelings, and give it a fair chance... 'that which is unseen may well become visible' indeed.”

Tomoko looked behind.

“Well then; Ursula, Flying Officer Elma, you two are with me. Beurling and Katherine, a.s.semble into a Rotte. The practice will now commence!”

It happened just as she made that announcement over the radio...

The right leg of her Striker Unit erupted with smoke!

“Wh, what the heck?”

Tomoko eased off, but the smoke did not lessen. On the contrary, with an alarming *Pusun sound; the left engine ground to a complete halt.

With just one side of the unit still functioning, the Ki-44's powerful engine forced Tomoko into an uncontrolled spin.

“Kyaaaaaaaaa!”

In exchange for its sensitive tail-plane, the Ki-44's balance was easily disrupted. Only an experienced ace could handle such a fastidious kind of aircraft to begin with. As such, the malfunctioning Ki-44 instantly collapsed into a tail spin.

While rotating violently... Tomoko was struck into the ground, and her consciousness was no more.

When Tomoko awoke, she was in a bed in the hospital wing.

Surrounding her were the worried faced of her lined up comrades.

“Thanks to her magic field and the acc.u.mulated snow her body is safe. But, I guess she should rest in bed for a while due to the shock right?” Katherine was saying.

“Is that so?.. Thank goodness.” Tomoko said with her hand placed in front of her chest.

Seeing that Tomoko had awoken, everyone let out a sigh of relief.

“What happened?”

“Umm well... I understand that you must be very angry after an accident like that but...”

Tomoko just looked around in confusion..

“Huh? Why aren't you angry~?” Katherine was ignored.

“The Ki-44, where is it?”

“It's here but...”

The Ki-44 that had recently been removed from Tomoko was placed nearby. One of the Striker Unit's engines was dripping oil all over the place.

Everyone braced themselves.

In a fit of rage Tomoko pounces...

“Just like I said; it's useless! This new model! Why is it leaking oil! I'm going to kill him!” She yells with reckless abandon...

Striking fear into everyone's hearts, brandis.h.i.+ng her frightful samurai sword around wildly...

However, those kinds of expectations were not met.

Appearing rea.s.sured, she let out a sigh of relief, “Thank goodness... it wasn't completely destroyed like the Ki-27.” She just muttered something like that.

Everyone s.h.i.+vered in a cold sweat.

Flower's are good, speaking in a calm tone of voice is good, that somehow ladylike manner is good, and on top of that she's not flying into a rage...

Tomoko, what on earth has happened to you...

At that point,the door slammed open, and Itokawa rushed in.

“Are you alright!?”

The entire room froze, the tension could not even be compared with what it was just now. Itokawa was the engineer who developed this Ki-44 after all. If her wrath wasn't directed at the Ki-44, surely it would all come cras.h.i.+ng down upon Itokawa instead. The explosion was imminent...

But her reaction completely transcended everyone's preconceptions.

“...Itokawa,” she began shyly with coloured cheeks.

With their mouths hanging open, everyone looked on tentatively as Tomoko's eyes clouded over like she was about to burst into tears.

“I'm sorry... the Ki-44, was damaged...”

“That's nothing to worry about, I'll repair it at once. The counterstrike operation is in three days time isn't it?”