A week and six days had passed since the success of Operation Northern Front.
Since then, the Blancheur had been steadily advancing, cutting through the open ocean, moving toward the heart of the war.
Its destination?
The Teyvat Orbital Elevator.
A monument to progress, once built to symbolize cooperation between nations.
Now—
It was under Snezhnayan control.
It stood at the epicenter of the conflict, a towering spire that stretched into the heavens, beyond the clouds.
Even from hundreds of kilometers away, it was visible—a lonely beacon piercing the sky.
But today—
It wasn't a symbol of peace.
It was a symbol of war.
And soon—
It would become the deadliest battlefield in Teyvat.
Aboard The Blancheur – The Calm Before The Storm.
Furina and Lyney stood on the carrier's viewing deck, gazing out at the distant horizon.
The wind carried the faint, salty scent of the sea, whipping against their flight suits.
The morning sky stretched endlessly before them—vast, deep blue, endless.
Somewhere beyond that horizon—
The next battle awaited.
The Nocturne Squadron had already been deployed, sent ahead to secure air superiority over the Morozvyat Plains.
Their mission?
To pave the way for Fontaine's full-scale counteroffensive.
Now, it was Tidal Squadron's turn.
All that remained—
Was the call to sortie.
Lyney leaned back against the railing, arms crossed, watching Furina carefully.
She was silent.
Her eyes—usually sharp, filled with confidence—were locked onto the distant horizon.
The faint outline of the Orbital Elevator was barely visible through the morning haze.
Her silver-blue hair fluttered in the wind, strands of blue catching the golden sunrise.
To most—
She was just a young pilot, fresh from the Academy.
But in the sky—
She was someone else entirely.
An Ace.
A pilot who, in just two combat sorties, had racked up over twenty aerial kills.
Unbelievable.
And yet—
Lyney had seen it with his own eyes.
His mind drifted back to those moments.
The maneuvers she had pulled—
They shouldn't have been possible.
The 90-degree pitch-up Pugachev.
The 360-degree Pugachev.
The 270-degree Pugachev.
The Cobra maneuver.
These weren't Fontainian maneuvers.
They weren't Liyuan, Inazuman, or Mondstadt maneuvers.
They were Snezhnayan maneuvers.
Designed for high-thrust, vector-controlled fighters like the Su-30, Su-35, or Su-57.
And yet—
She executed them flawlessly in a Dassault Rafale M.
How?
His mind flashed back to an earlier moment—
Right before launching off Catapult One during Operation Northern Front.
He had glanced at Furina's Rafale, watching her perform pre-flight control checks.
And that's when he noticed it.
The way her flight surfaces moved.
The elevons.
The front canards.
The rudders.
They reacted almost instantly to her sidestick input.
It was unnatural.
Like her Rafale wasn't just responding—
It was anticipating.
"The way those flight surfaces moved… like they were directly wired into her reflexes."
Furina let out a soft sigh, brushing her hair back as she continued staring at the sky.
Then—
She spoke, her voice calm, distant.
"You know, Lyney… it's moments like these that put me at ease."
Lyney turned to her, brow raised.
"Really?"
She nodded.
"Mhm. When I was a teenager, I used to sketch horizons. It just… I don't know… cleared my mind of everything."
Lyney's eyebrow arched slightly.
"Huh?"
Furina chuckled, her voice softer than usual.
"The skies are the limit. Anything can happen in those deep blue skies above.
Not everyone can live forever… not even me."
Then—
A pause.
Her gaze didn't shift.
Her voice remained steady.
"One day… I won't be here. I won't be there to save you."
Lyney's expression hardened.
"Furina…"
Finally—
She turned to face him.
A small smile on her lips.
"But I don't plan on dying today. Or ever."
Her voice was stronger now.
"We will fight. We will end this war as a squadron."
Lyney studied her for a moment.
Then—
He smirked.
"Right."
The moment was then broken by the sound of approaching footsteps.
An officer strode onto the deck, stopping just short of them.
His voice was firm, professional.
"Waltz. Magician. The Admiral is ready to brief you."
Furina grinned, rolling her shoulders.
"Right. On our way."
She turned on her heel, making her way toward the briefing room.
Lyney shook his head slightly, letting out a quiet chuckle.
Then—
He followed.
As they stepped inside, the air in the briefing room was thick with tension.
The time for reflection was over.
The war was waiting.
And today—
They would take the first step in taking back the Teyvat Orbital Elevator.
Mission Briefing – A New Threat.
The briefing room was quiet.
Too quiet.
Only two pilots were here.
Furina and Lyney.
At the front of the room, Admiral Augereau stood alone. His expression was unreadable, but the tension in his posture said everything.
Something was wrong.
This wasn't a standard sortie.
This was something bigger.
They took their seats.
Then—
The Admiral began.
"New mission orders."
His tone was firm, but measured.
"Alright, Waltz. Magician. This next phase of the mission depends on you two. We are now moving into Phase Two of Operation Liberty.
Your objective: Assist Nocturne Squadron in securing air superiority over the Morozvyat Plateau."
The display screen flickered to life, revealing a detailed tactical map of the battlefield.
Furina and Lyney studied it carefully.
Red zones marked enemy-controlled airspace.
Blue arrows represented friendly forces attempting to break through.
Then—
The Admiral continued.
"AWACS Zaytun has reported additional enemy reinforcements inbound. This isn't a routine sweep anymore—it's turning into an all-out aerial battle."
His gaze hardened.
"So it's time for you two to deploy immediately. Help Nocturne Squadron clear a secure route for allied squadrons advancing into enemy-controlled airspace."
Then—
The screen changed.
The map of Morozvyat Plateau disappeared.
Instead—
A new image filled the screen.
Something unfamiliar.
Something menacing.
Furina's eyes narrowed.
On the screen—
A sleek, angular UAV.
The design was aggressive, its frame resembling a predator waiting to strike.
The Admiral spoke gravely.
"Since the start of the war, Snezhnaya has been deploying drones. But now, we've identified a new model."
The image expanded, revealing detailed schematics.
"This is the MQ-101, an advanced next-generation attack drone. These aren't just standard UAVs—they're launched from a massive aerial carrier."
Then—
The display shifted again.
And Furina's breath hitched.
A colossal aircraft filled the screen.
Its massive frame housed six sub-propellers and two enormous main rotors, keeping the monstrous war machine afloat.
It was unlike anything they had ever seen.
The name flashed at the top of the display:
"The Seraphis Bird."
A flying fortress.
A war machine capable of deploying an entire swarm of MQ-101 drones into combat.
The tactical map reappeared, zooming out to show the Orbital Elevator at the center of a massive red zone.
A broken red line circled the battlefield, marking the Seraphis Bird's patrol route.
The Admiral's voice was sharp now.
"The Seraphis Bird was originally developed as a joint project between Natlan and Sumeru—meant to protect the Teyvat Orbital Elevator."
Then—
His tone darkened.
"However…"
He paused.
Then, his next words sent a chill through the room.
"Multiple reports confirm that these assets have fallen into Snezhnayan hands."
Furina's jaw tightened.
Lyney let out a slow breath.
The implications were terrifying.
A flying fortress, designed for Teyvat's defense, now turned into Snezhnaya's deadliest weapon.
Furina broke the silence.
"If that's true… this will be a massive obstacle for future operations."
The Admiral nodded grimly.
"Get out there and give our squadrons the air support they need. Good luck."
The briefing was over.
They stood.
Saluted.
And without another word—
They left for the carrier's flight deck.
The mission had begun.
Takeoff – The Battle Begins.
The main deck of the Blancheur was alive with movement.
Steam billowed from the catapults
Ground crews rushed between aircraft.
Engines roared, ready for war.
Two jets stood at the forefront.
Catapult One: Lyney's F-35 Lightning II.
Catapult Two: Furina's Dassault Rafale M.
The deck crew signaled.
It was time.
Furina climbed the in-built ladder, settling into her ejection seat.
Her movements were methodical, precise.
Harness secured.
Gloves tightened.
Helmet fitted.
She reached for the canopy switch.
A pressurized hiss filled the cockpit as the canopy sealed shut.
Then—
She reached for the engine start-up sequence.
Her twin M88 engines roared to life, the familiar hum settling into a low, menacing growl.
She glanced at her right-side multi-function display (MFD).
Her flight plan was already uploaded.
Three waypoints:
(1) The Blancheur – Home Base.
(2) Snezhnayan Airspace – Hostile Zone.
(3) The Shoreline – Engagement Area.
Weapons systems came online.
Her HUD flickered, listing the munitions loaded.
Long-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (LRAAMs)
High-Capacity Air-to-Air Missiles (HCAAs)
She was fully armed.
Then—
She glanced to her right.
Lyney was already giving the hand signal and salute.
Then—
His F-35 shot forward.
The catapult fired.
The Lightning II roared off the carrier, its afterburners blazing as it climbed toward the sky.
Furina smirked.
Then—
She turned to the Shooter standing beside her.
She gave the final hand signal.
A sharp salute.
Then—
She braced herself.
The Shooter returned the salute, crouched low, and pointed forward.
Launch confirmed.
Furina slammed the throttles to full power.
The Rafale M's twin M88 engines screamed to life, flames bursting from the afterburners.
The deck shook from the sheer force.
Then—
The catapult fired.
The Rafale M rocketed forward, forcing Furina back into her seat.
A split second later—
She was airborne.
The carrier dropped away beneath her, the sky opening wide.
She pulled back slightly on the stick, letting the nose pitch up into a smooth climb.
Her landing gear retracted.
A final radio transmission came through.
"Tidal Squadron away. Safe flight, Waltz."
Furina grinned, leveling out.
Ahead, Lyney's F-35 glinted in the sun.
She closed the gap, forming up on his wing.
The mission had begun.
The Battle Of Morozvyat
It took them only fifteen minutes to reach Morozvyat.
By the time Furina and Lyney entered the combat zone—
The IFF systems exploded with contacts.
The HUD lit up like a battlefield Christmas tree.
Dozens of enemy fighters.
"Holy shit, there's a lot of them."
Furina's eyes widened slightly, fingers tightening over the controls.
Lyney let out a sharp breath, his voice steady but laced with tension.
"No kidding. Nocturne Squadron needs backup—fast."
Then—
AWACS Zaytun crackled into their headsets.
"Welcome to the party, Tidal Squadron. Help yourself to some enemies—take them all out!"
Furina's grin widened.
"Wilco."
Then—
She slammed her throttles forward.
Her Rafale M roared, afterburners igniting in a fiery blue blast as she broke formation with Lyney.
"Tidal Two, engaging!"
Lyney shook his head, a smirk forming as he banked hard to follow.
"Tidal One, engaging. Following Tidal Two."
The battlefield was chaos.
Explosions tore through the cold skies of Morozvyat.
Enemy aircraft darted in every direction, desperately trying to reform their broken formations.
Furina's HUD locked onto a MiG-26, an outdated but still lethal interceptor.
She rolled right, pulling the targeting reticle over its fuselage.
Her weapons system beeped—lock confirmed.
"Fox Three!"
A high-capacity air-to-air missile (HCAA) detached from her wing.
The missile streaked forward, cutting through the sky like a comet.
Before impact—
Furina rolled her Rafale inverted, casually watching from above as the missile slammed into the MiG-26.
It erupted instantly, debris disintegrating into the clouds below.
"Looks like the Élégante et Efficace pilot has arrived!"
Nocturne Two's voice came over the radio.
Lynette followed immediately.
"Oh, I am so glad to see you, Waltz."
Furina smirked.
"Que le spectacle commence, mes chéris."
She scanned the battle, searching for her next target.
Then—
Her eyes locked onto an F-14A Tomcat, an aging relic of the past, but still dangerous in skilled hands.
The pilot waved off.
A universal signal—surrender.
But Furina didn't hesitate.
"Fox Two!"
A Sidewinder missile roared off the rail.
The F-14 pilot had no time to react.
The missile struck mid-turn, shearing off the aircraft's left wing.
The Tomcat spiraled uncontrollably, its wreckage vanishing into the snowy landscape below.
AWACS Zaytun confirmed the kill.
"Splash one for Tidal Two!"
Then—
From her right side, a Su-25 attack aircraft streaked past, its twin engines growling low and heavy.
Furina's instincts flared.
She yanked her stick right, pulling into a brutal 90-degree bank.
Then—
A hard 180-degree turn.
The maneuver was so aggressive that the G-forces blurred her vision.
But she didn't falter.
Her sight picture realigned.
The Su-25 was dead center.
She pulled the trigger.
"Fox Two!"
A Sidewinder shrieked forward.
Direct hit.
The Su-25 disintegrated, fire engulfing the fuselage as it plunged toward the ground.
AWACS Zaytun came through.
"Splash one for Tidal Two!"
The battle raged on.
Enemy fighters scrambled, struggling to mount a defense.
AWACS continued calling out kills.
"Nocturne One, splash one!"
"Nocturne Five, splash one!"
"Nocturne Two, splash one!"
Then—
The last three enemy fighters came into view.
Three Su-27 Flankers.
But one of them had locked onto Furina.
And it wasn't letting go.
"Waltz! Missile inbound! Evade! Evade!"
Lyney's voice cut through the comms, urgency sharp in his tone.
Furina's HUD flashed red.
The Su-30 had a missile lock.
Then—
It fired.
Two Sidewinders detached from its pylons.
Heading straight for her.
Furina's mind raced.
A traditional evade wouldn't work.
She needed something else.
Then—
She made her move.
Throttle—IDLE.
Stick—FULL PITCH UP.
Rudder—HARD LEFT.
The Rafale M shot into a perfect 90-degree nose-up climb.
Then—
She kicked the rudder.
The aircraft yawed sharply, swinging into a full 360-degree rotation.
A textbook Pugachev Cobra.
The Su-30 shot past her.
The enemy pilot's voice crackled through the open comms.
"Holy fuck!"
The missiles flew harmlessly beneath her, losing lock.
Then—
Before the Su-30 could react—
Two Sidewinders left her wing hardpoints.
Direct impact.
The Su-30 exploded violently, debris scattering in every direction.
AWACS Zaytun confirmed the kill.
"Splash one for Tidal Two!"
The remaining Su-30s didn't last long.
Nocturne One and Nocturne Four picked them off moments later.
AWACS called them in.
"Nocturne One, splash."
"Nocturne Four, splash."
Then—
Silence.
A moment of stillness.
Then—
AWACS Zaytun made the final call.
"All enemy aircraft down. We have it!"
"Le pilote élégant a fait le travail efficacement!"
Nocturne Three's excited voice came through the comms.
Furina laughed, her voice filled with confidence and amusement.
"Merci, merci!"
The tension in her body began to ease.
They had won.
Then—
Her cockpit screamed in warning.
A new threat had just entered the battlefield.
A harsh, rapid beeping.
Then—
The missile lock warning blared.
"What the hell!?"
Lynette's voice barked over the radio.
"I'm locked!"
Nocturne Two's panicked voice followed.
Furina's stomach twisted as she saw the threat indicators light up across every squadron member's HUD.
A full saturation attack.
Every single fighter was being targeted simultaneously.
This wasn't normal.
This wasn't just an ambush.
Something else was here.
"Everyone, evade!"
Without hesitation, the entire squadron broke formation.
Jets rolled into wild, erratic maneuvers, twisting through the sky as flares and chaff burst outward like fireworks.
Furina yanked back on her stick, her Rafale rolling inverted, pulling high into the clouds.
Then—
AWACS Zaytun's voice cut through the chaos.
"ALERT! ALERT! Massive aircraft inbound! Keep evading! Stand by for identification!"
Furina's heart pounded.
She pushed higher, piercing the cloud cover.
And then—
Her eyes widened in horror.
There it was.
A colossal airborne fortress, something feared in war doctrine but never seen in real combat.
The Seraphis Bird.
A flying leviathan.
A war machine unlike anything in existence.
It loomed over the battlefield like a harbinger of annihilation, its silhouette stretching across the sky.
"FUCK! It's the Seraphis Bird!"
Silence.
Then—
Nocturne Two's voice cracked.
"The WHAT!?"
Nocturne Four echoed, uncertainty lacing his tone.
"Seraphis Bird?"
Lynette's voice was sharp with realization.
"Those fuckers had it ready all along…!"
Then—
From beneath the Seraphis Bird, dozens of sleek, black silhouettes detached.
They raced outward like a swarm of predatory wasps.
"Shit. The Seraphis Bird launched its drones! MQ-101s!"
AWACS Zaytun confirmed their worst fears.
"Confirmed. Mission Control says to take it down!"
Lyney's voice exploded in disbelief.
"Are you fucking insane?!"
Furina's eyes burned with determination.
"If we take out the propellers, then maybe we can!"
Then—
She slammed her throttles forward.
Afterburners ignited.
Her Rafale M shot forward, breaking the sound barrier.
There was no turning back.
Lyney cursed but quickly relented.
"Waltz! We're behind you! Nocturne One, Nocturne Three, form up on her!"
"Wilco. Following the Waltz."
Evasion was no longer an option.
The colossal shadow of the Seraphis Bird loomed above them.
Its massive dual rotors spun at terrifying speeds, keeping the airborne warship aloft.
Furina dove beneath it.
She twisted her jet around, lining up the rear propellers.
Target locked.
"Fox Two!"
Two Sidewinders streaked toward the propellers.
Direct hits.
Explosions ripped through the engines, flames gushing from the crippled rotors.
AWACS Zaytun called it in.
"Tidal Two has disabled a main propeller! We need more support!"
Furina wasted no time.
She banked hard left, locking onto the second main rotor.
Another pair of Sidewinders.
Impact.
Fire erupted from the shredded mechanics.
"Both main propellers down!"
Nocturne One, Nocturne Three, and Lyney coordinated their attack.
Each sub-propeller detonated in perfect sync.
The Seraphis Bird lurched.
AWACS Zaytun confirmed.
"All sub-propellers are down! Now take out the drones!"
As Tidal and Nocturne squadrons reengaged the swarm of MQ-101s—
A new voice cut through the radio.
"Ianus Squadron engaging the Seraphis Bird. We'll handle the defenses!"
Furina blinked in surprise.
Ianus Squadron—seven F-16s—had entered the fight.
Five of them immediately began ripping into the Seraphis Bird's weapon systems, while two provided cover.
Ianus Three shouted.
"Damn, these drones are fast!"
Then—
An explosion.
AWACS Zaytun grimaced.
"Ianus One is lost! Ianus Two, take lead!"
"Ianus One, down… Ianus Two, you're in command."
The battle became a desperate melee.
Furina gunned down four drones.
Nocturne Squadron took out six more.
But then—
A deep, mechanical hum rumbled through the air.
Above them—
The Seraphis Bird's massive blue energy ring suddenly flashed red.
"What the fuck is it doing!?"
Then—
It expanded.
AWACS Zaytun's voice turned urgent.
"EVERYONE! BREAK AWAY FROM THE SERAPHIS BIRD! I REPEAT—BREAK AWAY!"
Furina yanked her stick, rolling her jet out of range.
But—
Ianus Squadron—
Too late.
The shield expanded outward like a tidal wave of death.
The first F-16 was engulfed.
It disintegrated instantly.
"IANUS FIVE IS GONE!"
Then—
Another.
Then—
Another.
"IANUS FOUR, GONE!"
"IANUS SIX, GONE!"
"IANUS TWO, FUCKING EVAD—"
Then—
Static.
Silence.
Nothing left.
AWACS Zaytun's voice was hollow.
"Ianus Squadron… lost."
Lynette's voice shook.
"A-All of them!?"
AWACS Zaytun exhaled.
Voice tight.
"All of them."
Furina slammed her hand against the cockpit panel.
"FUCK!"
AWACS Zaytun's voice was grim.
"We have to proceed. Take out the remaining drones."
Furina's grip tightened on the throttle.
"Roger."
She slammed the throttles forward.
Her Rafale roared ahead, chasing the remaining ten drones with unrelenting fury.
The battle wasn't over yet.
The Nocturne Squadron engaged alongside her, their jets cutting through the sky like blades, weaving between tracer fire and missile trails.
Above them, the Seraphis Bird burned, its massive frame losing altitude, but the battle wasn't over.
The remaining MQ-101s danced through the air, their inhuman precision and agility making them ghosts in the fight.
Furina locked onto two drones.
One of them snapped into a brutal, high-G maneuver, pulling from a vertical climb into an instantaneous nose-dive.
A standard fighter pilot would have overshot.
But Furina wasn't a standard pilot.
Her eyes sharpened.
You're not getting away.
She slammed the throttles to idle.
Her left thumb stabbed the Spoileron button.
The inner elevons snapped up, the outer elevons twisted, the front canards rotated—
Her Rafale M obeyed instantly.
With a sickening G-force crunch, Furina's jet performed an unnatural pitch-over—
From a 90-degree climb into a nose-down dive.
Her vision blurred from the Gs, her bones felt like they would snap.
But she held on.
The drone's afterburner flickered ahead of her.
She squeezed the trigger.
"Fox Three!"
Two Sidewinders screamed off the rails.
The first struck dead center.
The second detonated what was left.
The MQ-101 shattered into nothing.
Shards of black metal and synthetic armor spiraled away like shredded glass.
AWACS Zaytun's voice cut through the comms.
"Tidal Two, splash one!"
Meanwhile, Nocturne One and Three scored two more kills, cutting the drone count down to seven.
For a split second, Furina thought they were gaining control.
Then—
Disaster.
A warning tone blared over the comms.
"Fuck! I'm hit!"
Nocturne Two—Calcagni.
Her F/A-18 trailed a thick plume of black smoke.
A missile had ripped into her left wing, gouging a fiery crater into the fuselage.
Lynette's voice snapped over the comms.
"Nocturne Two, don't risk it! RTB! That's a direct order!"
A frustrated sigh.
Then—
"Roger. RTB."
Calcagni peeled away, her damaged jet struggling.
Furina clenched her fists.
One less fighter in the air.
One more pilot at risk of never making it home.
She forced the anger down, focusing on the fight.
"Tidal Two, engaging!"
She zeroed in on three more drones, her fury fueling every move.
The MQ-101s darted wildly, twisting through the sky.
Furina stayed locked on.
One. Two. Three.
Three missiles left her wings.
Three fireballs consumed the sky.
AWACS Zaytun confirmed the kills.
"Tidal Two, splash three! Only four left!"
Then—
A new emergency call.
"I NEED SUPPORT! I'M BEING CHASED!"
Furina's stomach dropped.
It was Nocturne Two.
AWACS Zaytun's voice turned grim.
"Nocturne Two is engaged in a dogfight. With…"
A pause.
Then—
"An Su-57."
Silence.
Then—Calcagni's voice cracked with fear.
"Everyone! Anyone!? Please help! I need support!"
Lynette's voice was sharp, desperate.
"Hold on! We're almost finished here!"
Furina gritted her teeth.
She chased another drone into a vertical climb.
She fired.
"Tidal Two, splash one!"
But then—
A scream over the radio.
"HELP! I NEED HE—"
Then—
An explosion.
A burst of static.
The radio went silent.
"NOCTURNE TWO IS DOWN!"
The Su-57 fired a Sidewinder directly into the cockpit.
Calcagni never had a chance.
Furina's vision blurred with rage.
"FUCKING BASTARD!"
Her hands shook on the throttle.
Her muscles locked.
Her pulse thundered.
"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"
She pushed the throttle to full afterburner, tearing toward the last two drones with unrelenting fury.
She locked on.
"Fox Two!"
A Sidewinder ripped through the first drone.
It exploded instantly.
Only one remained.
The last MQ-101 broke behind her, trying to chase her down.
A fatal mistake.
Furina slammed the throttles back.
Her Rafale M lurched—
A brutal 90-degree Pugachev maneuver.
The MQ-101 overshot instantly.
She yanked the stick right, twisting back behind it.
Her finger tightened over the trigger.
"Fox Two!"
One missile.
One explosion.
One last kill.
AWACS Zaytun's voice was quiet.
"Tidal Two, splash one. That's the last of them."
Then—AWACS sighed.
"All enemies down. RTB."
Silence.
Then—
The weight of everything hit.
Calcagni was gone.
Furina punched in the home waypoint.
Her Rafale climbed to 15,000 feet, breaking through the layers of fading sunlight and deepening twilight.
She switched to autopilot.
Her hands tightened into fists.
The remaining Nocturne Squadron and Tidal One formed up around her, their formation tighter than usual.
No one spoke.
The weight of silence, of loss, of failure hung over them like a specter.
"She was a good girl. A good fighter. A brave one."
Lynette's voice was soft, quieter than usual.
Nocturne Three, normally the first to crack a joke, sounded hollow.
"She was a helluva fighter, Ritesword."
Furina said nothing.
She stared straight ahead.
She didn't let her voice shake.
She didn't let herself break.
Not yet.
Not now.
She buried her emotions beneath cold, disciplined control.
And flew toward home.
It took twenty minutes before they finally reached the Blancheur.
And another fifteen before everyone landed.
The main deck was alive with movement—crew members rushed to assist the Nocturne Squadron, guiding their battered aircraft into position.
Technicians checked for damage.
Ground crews refueled the remaining fighters.
But Furina didn't move.
She remained seated in her Rafale.
Her canopy open.
Her engines silent.
Her helmet resting in her lap.
Her right hand pressed against the bridge of her nose, fingers trembling.
She was holding back tears.
Her breath was unsteady.
Her mind replayed the battle, the chaos, the screams.
Calcagni. Ianus Squadron.
Gone.
Just like that.
She shook her head.
Bit her lip.
Muttered a single, broken word.
"Fuck..."
It was really sinking in now.
This isn't just a fight.
This isn't just another mission.
This is war.
And it wasn't going to stop anytime soon.
Furina exhaled sharply, trying to steady herself.
She glanced at her watch.
5:30 PM.
Sunset.
The sky was a blend of gold and deep orange, the ocean reflecting the colors like an endless mirror.
She let the moment pass through her, absorbing the last warmth of the sun.
Then—without another word—
She climbed down from her Rafale and walked straight toward the briefing room.
The Aftermath – Debriefing The Disaster
Minutes later, the briefing room was silent.
Everyone sat exhausted, broken, grieving.
Admiral Augereau stood at the front.
Hands clasped behind his back.
Expression grim, hollow.
He didn't need to say a word.
They already knew.
The display flickered to life, replaying the timeline of the operation.
A series of red markers spread across the map—
Each one marking where lives were lost.
"The two-front offensive… was a failure."
Silence.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
They all knew what was coming next.
"The aircraft carrier, Arkhe Two, was sunk off the coast of Morepesok during the attack."
"Along with that, we suffered severe losses."
Then—the names.
"Calcagni."
"The entire Ianus Squadron."
The room felt colder.
Furina's hands curled into fists.
It should've been me.
The Admiral let out a slow, heavy breath, shaking his head.
"But if it weren't for Nocturne One, Tidal One, Nocturne Three… and especially Waltz…"
Every pair of eyes turned to Furina.
She didn't react.
Didn't even blink.
The Admiral continued.
"Many of us here might not be sitting in this briefing room today."
A pause.
His expression darkened.
"We're running out of time. We need to reach that Orbital Elevator before it's too late."
Then—his voice dropped.
An almost defeated whisper.
"That's all. Everyone, dismissed."
The pilots slowly filed out.
Some headed for their rooms, seeking rest, isolation, or maybe even sleep that wouldn't come.
Others walked toward the viewing deck, hoping to clear their minds.
Furina?
She walked in the opposite direction.
Straight back to the main deck.
Her boots echoed against the metal flooring, each step feeling heavier.
She moved to the stern, where the endless ocean met the burning horizon.
The sun was sinking below the waves, casting the sky in deep crimson and purple hues.
She stood there.
Silent. Motionless.
The wind brushed against her face, carrying the distant murmur of waves against the hull.
Her hands gripped the railing.
Her chest felt tight.
Her eyes burned.
But she refused to let the tears fall.
It had completely sunk in now.
She was part of this war.
No matter how much she wanted to deny it, no matter how much she tried to pretend otherwise…
This was her reality now.
And then—
Her expression changed.
Her gaze hardened.
Her jaw clenched.
Her hands trembled—
Not with grief.
But with anger.
She whispered, her voice cold, unwavering.
"If this is the first and last war I fight in…"
Her fingers tightened around the metal railing.
"I won't back down."
Her eyes narrowed.
Dark with rage.
"Not until this comes to an end."
She exhaled sharply, her breath hot with determination.
"I'll do everything I have to."
The wind howled around her.
But she didn't move.
Her gaze was locked on the horizon.
Then—her final words.
"Even if it means sacrificing myself…"
"I'll end this fucking war."
She turned on her heel.
Walked back toward her quarters.
Not hesitating.
Not doubting.
Not stopping.
As she and the others waited for their next sortie…
Furina knew one thing for certain.
She wasn't afraid anymore.
She was angry.
And nothing would stop her now.