Chapter 1
〈Summer 2023〉
Southern Italy. Mediterranean Sea, Ionian Sea region.
Control to Starboard, you're at your maximum altitude. Lower your height.
The man seated in the cockpit shakes his head at the echoing voice.
Starboard here. That's not possible.
He states firmly and pulls the joystick towards him.
His F-15J Eagle lifts its nose in response.
An altitude of 15,000 meters The F-15J Eagle has a margin of about 4,000 up to its practical limit. The air is thin at high altitudes. As a result, the aircraft begins to lose its stability and act up. It's a desperate climb that could be considered suicidal if one step goes wrong. Regardless, Starboard—Riku Hoshiita—continues to pull his joystick towards ascent.
All our teammates have been shot down. Well, except me and him. And this is nothing . . .
He grits his teeth under the load of the ascent and glances at the instruments.
The jet's fuel consumption is nominal.
There are no enemy aircraft on the radar sight.
There is only a short time left until the end of the ACM (air combat maneuvering) exercise.
I can do it. I have to do it.
My intuition is telling me.
If we don't get any more points, we won't be able to go any further!
A suicidal dive from high altitude. As he cuts through an altitude of 10,000 meters, three aircraft appears in his sights. Two are enemy aircraft. The one fleeing is his wingman.
In the midst of a supersonic flight, Riku gauges the exact distance. If he can just lock on, he would be credited with shooting down an enemy. But the enemy is under the same conditions. A momentary misjudgment could cost him his life.
Riku accelerates even more. Cutting through the enemy aircraft, he dives down like a comet.
First one down!
He locks onto one as they pass each other to score a kill. Then he immediately pulls the joystick up to recover his altitude forcefully. The aircraft groans under the sudden load.
You've descended too fast! This isn't a test to see the limits of your aircraft! It's not like you're a test pilot or—
I'm not a test pilot, nor do I intend to become one.
Cutting off the transmission from control, Riku concentrates harder.
I'm not asking for anything more than a passing score, and I'm tired of this view.
He levels off to accelerate at full throttle. The deep blue of the Mediterranean Sea gleams beneath him. His aircraft gains speed, reaching its top speed of Mach 1.6. He can tell that the enemy aircraft that were pursuing his wingman are now focused on him. Feeling the presence of the enemy aircraft from behind and above, Riku pulls on the joystick and raises his nose.
Let's go as far as we can!
The energy of the F-15J Eagle instantly veers upward, causing a rapid ascent that exceeds the normal rate of climb, something that cannot be achieved by wing lift alone. As if piercing the clear, blue sky, Riku's F-15J Eagle soars into the air at supersonic speeds. A high-pitched, sonic boom echoes—the F-15J Eagle cries out in agony tearing through the hard air.
Hang in there, my F-15J Eagle. Just a few more seconds.
The climbing effect gained from zoom-climbing maneuvers is only temporary.
But for Riku right now, this was more than enough.
This is it!
He throttles down from a vertical climb. The F-15J Eagle stalls dramatically and starts to fall from the tail end.
The enemy aircraft trailing from behind zooms right past Riku.
Riku quickly corrects his position and takes aim.
That's a kill! That puts me at the top score!
Riku lets out a cheer in the cramped cockpit. As if expressing his exultation, he banks the aircraft left and right and then starts climbing again. Once he climbs higher than anyone else, his emotions surge, as he draws a transparent heart on the canvas of the sky.
The sunshine pouring down from the Mediterranean is dazzling.
To Riku, that sunlight seems like a spotlight praising his achievements.
○
Southern Italy. Galatina base, outside the city of Lecce.
The top individual score went to Hoshiita from Japan. Congratulations!
Prompted by the Italian instructor, applause thunders from all around. Riku raises his hand slightly in response, ignoring the bitter expression on his squadron leader Moriya's face at the edge of his vision.
The final acrobatic move that was popular with some, was seen as a waste of fuel by his direct superior.
With this, the joint Japan-Italy training held at the International Flight Training School (IFTS) comes to a successful end. Riku and the others are set to leave the Galatina base tomorrow.
Galatina base, built in the middle of a desolate grassland, is a pilot training institution boasting one of the world's leading integrated training systems. The integrated training, which includes Italy's top company, Leonardo—a leader in the civil and military aviation sector in Europe, is advanced and unparalleled worldwide. In 2021, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force declared its participation in this training as part of its next-generation aircraft pilot training program.
Joint training began the following year. It is important to note that it is extremely rare for Japan to conduct fighter pilot training outside the United States. Of course, there are strong diplomatic aspects, and only those who won't embarrass themselves abroad are allowed to participate from the Air Self-Defense Force.
Why Riku Hoshiita—who has had behavioral problems in the past—was chosen, was largely for the purpose of showing off his outstanding air combat skills to other countries.
The existence of an exceptional pilot like Riku could potentially serve as a deterrent against potential aerial attacks from other countries.
This concludes the training. Everyone, gather in the dining hall in ten minutes.
At the instructor's words, smiles spread across the participants' lips.
Let us treat you to a small party!
As the instructor lifts the corners of his mouth, a second round of applause erupted.
The city of Lecce is located at the heel of Italy, which resembles a boot. Due to the high-latitude of the location, the sun sets slowly in this region, and night doesn't fall until after eight in the evening.
In the noisy dining hall, Riku sits at a table by the window. As he notices the lingering sun on the horizon, he sips on a cola.
Hoshiita, what about wine? There's no point in coming to Italy if all you're drinking is Pepsi.
A middle-aged man sits down uninvited in front of Riku—the Captain of the Italian Air Force. In his left hand, he holds a bottle of red wine, and in his right, two glasses. He was practically saying—
I won't let you go home without drinking tonight!
A strong determination could be discerned from deep within his chiseled face, framed by a rich mustache.
Sure, I'll have some wine.
Riku nods in resignation and accepts a glass.
Again, Hoshiita, you truly had an outstanding performance. You're undoubtedly a pilot with world-class skills. I regret that you weren't born in Italy!
Thanks, I was told the same thing in America, Sir.
That your F-15J Eagle and your buddy are unfortunate to be paired with you?
I was told that too.
Riku raises the corner of his mouth into a smirk as he raises his glass. The flight captain responds with a hearty laugh. The two glasses filled with red wine sparkle as they catch the sunlight streaming in through the window.
They exchange a toast, and raise their glasses to their lips. The flight captain gulps down the wine as if drinking water. Riku, who isn't good with alcohol, quickly gives up on matching his pace. The night will be long anyway. There's no reason to go all out at the start.
You know, thank you for the day before yesterday. It was kind of you to let me aboard your aircraft despite it being a bit of a stretch. Opportunities to touch anything other than our own models are rare, so it was really educational for me!