Chapter 79: Strafing Run

“We did it, Brigadier General Willard.”

“Yeah… we did.”

I nodded at the magic aerial soldier flying beside me, acknowledging his words with quiet composure.

“What’s next?”

“We’ll strike their artillery and draw out their magic aerial troops.”

“And the reconnaissance mission?”

“We just keep moving forward. Our goal is to reclaim the mining city. Everything we do is for that.”

Understanding how the enemy would move was certainly important—but that was something conventional reconnaissance aircraft could handle.

If we rampaged through their lines and drew their attention, the pressure on our scouting planes would naturally lessen.

“Should we return to clinging onto those aircraft again?”

“That trick only works once. Next time, we win through sheer ability—no ambush.”

Surely, by now, the enemy had already reported what we’d done over their radios.

The same surprise wouldn’t work twice.

“…Understood.”

I let out a faint chuckle and offered a reassuring smile to the magic aerial soldier, whose body had visibly tensed.

“No need to be so stiff. In terms of overall strength, we’re the ones with the advantage.”

Then, tilting my head slightly, I added,

“More importantly, I said we’re going to hit their artillery next, didn’t I? That means we’ll be fighting the Friez soldiers on the ground. If anything, that’s far more dangerous.”

“Huh?”

“They’ll be shooting back at us with regular guns. That’s a lot harder to deal with, don’t you think?”

“Ah—!?”

At my words, the color drained from his face in an instant.

Of course, if we attacked enemy positions, they would retaliate from the ground. There wasn’t a huge difference in range between their firearms and ours.

And our aircraft… they weren’t made of steel. Wings of wood and cloth could only take a few hits before giving way.

“We’re still on a battlefield where lives are taken. That hasn’t changed. But if we want victory, we have to accept the risks that come with it. Stay sharp—and devote yourself to that victory.”

If gaining a slight advantage in the skies were enough to win, no one would struggle in war.

We had to press the attack.

My words, carried through the radio, reached not only the soldier beside me, but the pilots and every magic aerial trooper in our formation.

“Our fuel isn’t unlimited either. We move to the enemy artillery positions—now.”

Confirming that the aircraft which had pursued and shot down the enemy were circling back toward us, I took the lead and advanced toward the enemy’s artillery lines.

“Do you already know their location?”

“I scouted them alone before I even started teaching you flight magic.”

“Alone? Isn’t that dangerous…?”

“It’s fine. I was flying at an altitude no one could reach.”

Flight magic generally had limits—especially in altitude.

But mine, enhanced with earth magic, had no such restriction. If I wanted, I could ascend far beyond the skies—perhaps even into space.

Using that advantage, I had observed the enemy from a height they could never detect, casually mapping out their positions through a pair of binoculars.

Still… it’s a shame earth magic can’t create something from nothing. If I could conjure massive boulders out of thin air and drop them from above, I could probably wipe out an entire city in one blow.

“…We’re getting close.”

Even as that idle thought crossed my mind, the first enemy artillery position came into view.

“Enemy field guns sighted. Accelerate. Clear the way for the aircraft.”

Switching from my standard rifle with a bayonet to a sniper rifle specialized for long range, I surged forward—closing the distance to the artillery faster than the aircraft could.

Behind me followed our magic aerial troops.

Their speed was far inferior to mine, but still faster than the planes.

“Still not watching the skies, I see.”

The Lunoa Kingdom’s ground forces had already begun their offensive.

Focused on preparing to repel that assault, the enemy soldiers hadn’t noticed us hovering above.

“Prepare to fire.”

We lined up in the sky ahead of the aircraft, raising our sniper rifles in unison.

“Fire.”

Gunshots rang out, overlapping into a single, thunderous echo.

I aimed for the enemy machine gunners.

My shot was precise—piercing straight through a man’s head. He collapsed instantly.

And he wasn’t the only one.

Commanders, artillery crews—one after another, key personnel fell where they stood. The sudden ambush threw the Friez forces into chaos. Faced with their comrades dropping around them, confusion spread like wildfire.

Amid that turmoil, we continued firing coldly from above.

It took them far too long to realize where the attack was coming from.

By the time some of the Friez soldiers finally raised their guns toward the sky, our aircraft had already caught up.

The planes descended, their machine guns aimed squarely at the enemy position—and then, all at once, they fired.

Dozens of aircraft roared in unison, unleashing a deafening storm of bullets that swept across the ground.

The enemy’s machine guns had already been silenced.

A one-sided rain of gunfire poured down upon the Friez encampment.

“…That’s as far as we go.”

But the limit came quickly.

Scattered return fire from the ground began to tear through the fabric wings of our aircraft. Cloth ripped apart, exposing the fragile wooden frames beneath. Tension wires snapped, shrieking like something alive in pain.

“Gain altitude! Prepare to withdraw!”

Further attack was impossible.

Recognizing that instantly, I issued the retreat order. The aircraft climbed, and we, the magic aerial soldiers, moved to escort them.

“Enemy artillery position silenced. Objective complete.”

Our losses—zero.

The enemy’s artillery, on the other hand, would remain silent for some time. Their numbers had been significantly reduced. Explosions from their own ammunition stores, triggered by our fire, had set off secondary blasts among their shells.

It was devastating damage.

Once again… it was our victory.