Hello, and welcome to the first of three parts for Project FILA, now officially called...Strike Heroes: Magical Arrows!
...
Yeah, it's a weird name to call it, but it makes the most sense out of everything I could think of calling it (besides, there's a reason why it was given the project name "FILA". I'll explain at the end of this chapter).
Anyways, as you might expect, this is going to cover the first of the OVAs that had been released so far out of the set of three. So without further ado, I give you the first of the elemental arrows: fire...
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Entry #1: Saint Trond's Thunder (Fire)
Gertrud's POV
"Gah, I've been shot!" Hartmann shouted as we finished with one of our mock dogfights to stay focused. It had seemed like she was being an ace at the moment but somehow even an ace had to lose at some point.
I sighed as I watched my teammate and temporary opponent correct herself before she...
Decided to go and hop in the water, after getting out of her Striker Unit, stripping down to a black tank top with some frills around where the sleeves should have been (I had taken a look at it just before she got into her uniform for the day, which is the only reason why I knew about that detail) along with her white panties, and hopping into a small lake.
She does realize that we don't have time to mess around, right? I mean, since Venezia was liberated and we learned that Sage and Miyafuji had lost their magic powers along with Major Sakamoto (the Neuroi Witch had lost his due to performing what he later referred to as "Neuroi Explosion while the youngest of the three had lost hers performing the Shin Reppuzan. The major lost her a while after the final blow, while we were going to catch them and stop their fall), we've had to make sure that nothing else went wrong.
Well, help, at any rate.
We were repositioned to Saint Trond a while after the battle but had only arrived there a while after Sage woke up, so we've been here for a while. Well, I should say that we've returned.
I floated down to my blond-haired partner once she came back up and sounded cheerful, something green hopping off the top of her head.
"What are you doing, Hartmann?!" I asked her quickly as I came to a stop about six inches from the water surface, behind her.
"It's hot, so I took a dunk," Hartmann replied as she looked up and at me. "Trude, you should too."
And she's forgotten what we were doing until recently. "We're in the middle of training! Besides, you..."
Suddenly, we could hear gunshots being fired from a distance, like they were coming from a machine gun or something. I looked behind me to see if I could pinpoint where the sound was, finding Commander Minna flying right towards us, Major Heidemarie on her tail. Soon, they flew right over our heads as I turned my head to follow their route.
"As expected," I noted as I watched them perform their training. "They're both moving well."
"Everyone's in high spirits~" Hartmann replied as she placed her hands behind her head and watched the others.
I'd probably agree as well: Commander Minna's got Sage to think about once he gets back from Fuso and his search for answers, so it'd make sense that she's keeping in battle-ready shape to make sure that she doesn't die before they reunite again.
I sighed again as I looked up into the sky.
Wonder how far we can get before we start wishing that Sage and Miyafuji were still able to fight alongside us...
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Faced with the appearance of a massive Neuroi hive in Venezia, in July of 1945, the joint military forces put all efforts into launcing Operation Mars. The armada and the Witches attacked from the sea and the air. Due to the active frontal assault by the 501st Joint Fighter Wings, "Strike Witches", the massive Neuroi hive was annihilated. Venezia was freed...but at the price of nearly losing a close friend (a boyfriend in one girl's case) and teammate of theirs, Roland Sage the "Neuroi Witch". It was with his help that they managed to avoid large casualties while at the same time he was also the main reason why the team ultimately succeeded when Yoshika Miyafuji unleashed the Shin Reppuzan.
Afterwards, the team was disbanded. The Witches were assigned to other parts of the world while the former Neuroi Witch dropped off the radar to relax and enjoy life as a normal human, the way he was before his powers awakened. Half a month later, Wing Commander Minna and other members of the Karlsland Air Force are currently stationed at Saint Trond in the Kingdom of Belgica.
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Minna's POV
"It's been a while since we've had such a nice training," I told Heidemarie a while after we came back from our dogfight training, the two of us talking in my office while on the base. Well, I was talking, but I was also writing down something. "Even so, not only are the night strikes going well but mock battles are too."
"No," Heidemarie told me. "Because I was facing the wing commander, no matter how I approached I couldn't get close...So I could only..."
I chuckled a bit. "If we were using the same Striker Unit, I would be in trouble." I then put down my pen and handed the paper to the major. "Alright, the formalities have been completed. Starting today, you'll be under my command."
Heidemarie took the paper and held it to her chest as she added, "Understood."
Huh...she seems to be taking this rather well given the circumstances... "I'm sorry about taking in your squad so soon after your arrival."
"No worries. Strengthening our front lines is most important. Especially with the Neuroi Witch gone."
I frowned slightly.
It's sometimes hard to forget that only the members of the Strike Witches, as well as Duchess Maria and Anna Ferrara among a select few others, know about the fact that Roland survived the operation the report said he died from. Didn't really help that he went to Fuso to look for some answers, but I'm sure we'll reunite in Belgica at some point: all he's doing is finding some answers, not trying to solve world hunger.
Though if he did that, I think we could have one less problem in this war.
"Thanks to this, I can forward my accumulated paperwork to headquarters," Heidemarie continued before she noticed me frowning. "Um, Wing Commander Minna? Are you alright? Was it something I said?"
I sighed as I shook my head and replied with, "No, major. Don't worry about it. I was thinking of something, that's all..."
"Oh."
"You just remind me of Roland, that's all. He's a bit like you, I guess. Only..."
"Only what?" I think Heidemarie looked intrigued.
"Only he was a bit more assertive. I guess that's the word."
"Oh. Like Captain Barkhorn?"
"Halfway. He was a bit between Miyafuji and her: easygoing yet able to be serious when needed. He also seemed to have a bit of an anger issue, but it didn't happen too much unless something got him riled up, though that started occurring more in Romagna than Britannia. Anyways..." I moved my chair back and stood up. "Should we go see what Barkhorn and Hartmann are doing?"
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Gertrud's POV
"Listen well, Hartmann: as a soldier of Karlsland, you must always maintain alertness on the battlefield and be able to quickly respond to any situation, but yet you..." I started as Hartmann and I were in the hangar, the Karlsland lieutenant sitting in a chair as she leaned back lazily and had a book open and laying on her face.
...Why is she even looking at the book for? I'm trying to give her an important tip, yet she's much more busy trying to tune me out! At least, I can assume she's trying to: there's not much she would do as far as things went unless it was something like fighting the enemy or things of that nature. And I guess sweets, now that I think about it.
I growled, leaned in a bit, and added, "Besides, you..."
"Miyafuji should have returned to Fuso by now~" Hartmann simply replied as she slid the book off her face and stared at the ceiling. "Also, Roland, now that I think about it...isn't that touching or something? Someone who looks a lot like Chris and a guy you had a crush on and still seem to..."
...Well, damn, can't argue with that one either: since Sage went with Miyafuji, it made sense that both would arrive at the same time. I smiled a bit as I straightened up and thought about it. "I see. It's been that long..." Then the second half of the sentence caught up with me, making me shocked. "What? Hartmann! Don't say things like that!"
"It's true, you know. Ever since you and Roland talked a bit that one time..."
I blushed: I could remember that night clearly. It was after a meeting about a spire-shaped Neuroi, and Sage had gotten mad about the prospect of losing Sanya and/or Miyafuji. When I found him, he was sitting outside on the edge of the runway, thinking to himself. I decided to help him take his mind off the meeting by talking to him for a bit.
Which had reached a point that I swore that I would have probably not regretted at all before Hartmann here showed up and started teasing us about it (something about us nearly kissing). Since then, she's been a bit like this, nothing I can't handle...yet.
If there's one thing I enjoyed about her and was grateful for, it was that she was playful when she wanted to be yet didn't really do practical jokes or things like that a lot (that sort of thing was left to two others on the team most of the time).
"Anyways, don't change the subject, Hartmann!" I said quickly as I shook my head to clear the blush and looked at her again.
Once I said that, we heard something coming in, and when we looked it seemed to be a supply truck that was coming in.
"It's a truck," Hartmann noted as it came to a stop inside the hangar.
"I didn't hear anything about supplies coming in," I added as we looked at the truck. Why were we getting supplies? Also, who authorized it?
We continued watching as the passenger door opened up and saw someone stepping out.
"That's..." I began.
"It's Ursula!" Hartmann finished as she sat up quickly in glee. "Yahoo!"
True to her words, standing there was none other than Ursula Hartmann, Hartmann's twin sister. She was wearing a lab coat at the moment, but she had her uniform underneath as well.
"It's been a while, Erica," Ursula greeted as she looked at us. She then walked over to about where we were before stopping at the front of the area we were on. Hartmann and I came down to her level as some men started unpacking the truck, one of them setting a box down next to the Karlsland scientist.
"Ursula!" I replied. "What's going on?" Why is she here? I mean, it's not bad or anything, but why?
"I've brought some souvenirs for all of you."
"Souvenirs?" Hartmann asked excitedly. "Lemme see!"
Ursula reached on top of the box once someone set something on top of it and presented a box of snacks.
"Here," Hartmann's twin sister said. "This is yours, sis."
Hartmann grabbed it happily and replied with, "Yay! Snacks!"
At least she's happy. That's all that matters right now...
"This is for Commander Minna," Ursula added as she held out a bag of coffee. "It's coffee from Amazonas." Setting the bag of coffee on top of the box of snacks Hartmann was holding, she handed me an item. "And this is for Captain Barkhorn."
I grabbed my gift and opened it up, soon finding it to be...
A dress?
It looked like it was a dress with a red and white theme: the majority of it was red, but there was a white apron of sorts over the red body. This was complemented by some red string across the front, about under where my bust would be, and a red ribbon tied around the waist area.
"W-w-what is this..." I could only stuttered as I looked at it and showed Ursula. I was blushing madly: it's one thing to be having this in my hands, but...
"It's a traditional dress from southern Karlsland called 'dirndl'," Ursula told me. "I believe it suits you."
I could only stare at her in disbelief, the blush still on my face.
How does this suit me? I don't exactly act like someone who'd be wearing this thing! Besides, where'd she come up with the idea that this suited me?
Sage better not find out about this, or else I might have more problems to deal with once he comes here...
"I see..." I told the Karlsland scientist nicely. "Thank you..."
"There's still more," Ursula continued. To one of the men now standing at the back of the truck, she added, "Well then, please unload it."
"Right!" the man replied as he gave off a salute.
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And now Hartmann's carrying a gun that had a long barrel added to it, the extended barrel looking like it was curved to the gun's right.
"This is a curved barrel rifle," Ursula told her as we examined the weapon.
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Next on the list was a sort of missile that was hovering in front of Hartmann as she was holding a sort of backpack device (not sure right now).
"Simplified air-to-air homing missile," Ursula added.
Huh, maybe that could work for the Neuroi...provided it didn't malfunction or something.
...Hey, you never know!
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...I can't believe I'm saying this, but next was...
"Flight capable flamethrower," Ursula said as Hartmann was carrying a green flamethrower on her back, shaped to be like a plane of sorts with its nozzle on a hinge at the tip of the body.
I have a feeling that Sage would make some dumb comment about this. Most likely something about "firing it up" or something of that nature.
That guy makes no sense sometimes...
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"Sonic cannon," Ursula noted as Hartmann had another device strapped to her back, this time being a sort of satellite dish that seemed to have been retrofitted for firing sound waves or things of that nature.
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Ursula then placed her hands on another gun, this time a large cannon. "As well as the MK-214 fifty-millimeter cannon. Improved from the previous BK-5, the speed and penetration power has been enhanced."
Hartmann sighed before saying, "Eh...this again?"
I walked up to it and touched the muzzle of the cannon.
"It's true that this is very powerful," I added, "but it's too heavy. Even I can't fly with it." I then looked at Ursula.
"It's alright," the Karlsland scientist replied before she turned around and, taking hold of a tarp covering something she was standing in front of, pulled it off to reveal a Jet Striker. "That's what the Jet is for."
Hartmann and I exchanged looks of confusion and shock.
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"No, no, no!" Hartmann said vehemently as the three of us sat inside one of the spare rooms, a white piece of paper on the board showing the diagnostics of the Jet Striker Ursula had brought. "You definitely can't wear it!"
"The Jet Striker is absolutely needed to use the fifty-millimeter cannon!" I told her as I was seated in a chair in front of Ursula and a podium she was using, my Karlsland teammate to my left as I looked at her. She looked completely against the idea of me using it, and I guess for good reason: the last time I operated one, not only did I nearly die twice but I also managed to get Sage injured trying to keep me from crashing into the runway after the final test. "There's no other option."
"Well, the last time you used it, Roland got seriously injured. Worse still, you beat him up when he tried stopping you from using it a second time."
"Hey, that was self-defense: he was trying to keep me from helping you guys out that time. Besides, at least he wasn't paralyzed for life. I'm surprised he actually managed to only faint a while after. I'm sure those parts he landed on weren't good for his back."
"That's the point concerning why he tried! It's gonna go out of control and fall again!"
"You needn't worry," Ursula told us as we looked at her. She then pointed to an area on the graph that was on the diagnostics. "From the last test results of the magic engine Ehch-Eee-Es-Zero-One-One, it was found that the energy consumption was uncontrolled. This time, I've implemented a two-stage fuel injector and a modified slot on the Juma-Double-Oh-Four Dee," She then pointed to the left-most picture in our view, "as well as increase the output power of the magic engine and added a speed adjuster so it won't over-consume magical power." She walked over to point at a particular area of the picture to the right.
"So basically I won't fall, right?" I asked. Sounds like she took a lot of steps to eliminate that one flaw that nearly killed me twice...
"Correct. Because power output has increased according to calculations, stable flight can be achieved at more than eight hundred kilometers per hour even when using the fifty-millimeter cannon."
I nodded. "That's absolutely spectacular."
"It probably won't fly well!" Hartmann countered.
"That's why we need the combat troops to test it," Ursula added.
"I understand," I replied. "Let me try it."
"No, no!" Hartmann said again, just as vehemently as when she first said it. "You can't! Even Roland would agree with me if he was here right now."
"What is it now, Hartmann?" I asked her as I turned my head to face her. "Besides, I'm the one testing it, not you!"
Hartmann stood up straight and put her hands on her hips. "Hmph! Minna won't allow it!"
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Erica's POV
"I'll allow it," Commander Minna said once we told her of what was going on with the Jet Striker we had just received. The commander was simply grinding up something as she seemed to be making some coffee using the bag Ursula had gifted her with.
"Why?!" I asked out of rage. Doesn't she remember what happened the last time we tested one out?
"The Jet Strikers may play an important role in recapturing Karlsland. Besides, there will always be trouble in the development of new weapons. Ursula is here to try out improvements, right?"
"Aren't you worried, Minna? The last time we tested one, it sent Roland into the infirmary after being healed by Miyafuji and nearly killed Trude! Twice!"
Minna then put some of the ground coffee beans as well as started pouring some hot water into a cup that seemed to be a fusion of two tea cups, one on top of the other. "It'll be okay. We know to expect problems from previous tests so Trude will be able to make corrections." Stopping her filling, Commander Minna then grabbed one cup off the other (apparently, I guess she laid them like that) and raised the cup to her face. "Besides, don't forget that Roland has experienced things like this. His Neuroi Mode is the prime example: we weren't aware of what it was when he first activated it, so we had to be careful on how we dealt with it. After that, though, we just got used to it, right?" She then took a sip of it.
She brought up a major point: Roland was the one who had the most experience with prototypes given his own Striker Unit was one. "Still..." I didn't look mad but I was still unsure about it.
"Delicious!"
"Huh?" I looked at Commander Minna, who looked happy.
"Coffee from Amazonas is really good!" She then frowned slightly. "Roland doesn't seem to drink coffee, though..."
"Eh, it's just him. He is your boyfriend, after all."
"True..." I then watched her smile once again. "Still, this is amazing!"
Hang on...is this what I think it is?
...It is, isn't it?
"You've been bought!" I snapped. How can Commander Minna take leave of her senses and forget about the problems from last time?! Roland's not even around to stop Trude from hitting the ground hard if something went wrong!
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Gertrud's POV
Well, here we are: outside the hangar, on the runway.
After Commander Minna gave the okay to test the Jet Striker, I was inside it as my familiar was showing, carrying the cannon Ursula had brought in with my hands.
I don't think Hartmann looked too pleased with the way things worked out, but I really hope she doesn't stay like this for long.
"Once again, here are some safety pointers," Ursula said as she was busy reading off some things (this thing isn't as noisy as the reciprocating Strikers, but then again I was barely warming it up) on a clipboard, "before reaching flight capable speeds, please do not adjust the slot. As the engine might stall, please do not rapidly accelerate or decelerate."
"Understood," I replied as I powered it up carefully. I'm going to do my part to minimize the chances of ending up in a dangerous situation again. "Launching!" I then felt the Launch Unit's clamps release the Jet Striker, and I took off down the runway, feeling the Unit accelerate slowly. I then decided to start a climb up into the sky to see how that went. Once I got a result from it, I decided to turn myself to the left as I accelerated downward a bit before going to the others' right.
The turn's large, it takes a while to accelerate to a certain point, and it climbs slowly. Let's see how fast I can go once this thing's accelerated enough.
I could feel myself speeding up as the accelerating kicked in.
"This is Barkhorn," I radioed in. "I've reached the previously recorded speed and don't feel any drain on my magical energy. This could work!"
"We've reached eight hundred kilometers per hour," a man radioed in return. "Please start the weapons test."
"Roger." I then positioned myself so that I was aiming at a target that had been stretched over the face of one of the cliffs that were nearby before firing off four rounds.
Apparently, none of the rounds hit their mark. That wouldn't be good in a real combat situation...
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Touching back down on the runway after hopping out of the Jet Striker, I was greeted by Hartmann saying, "Look at that, like I said. The Jet's no good."
"No," I corrected her as I placed my hands on my hips. "The previous abnormalities have already been corrected. There may be disadvantages, but it makes up for them by being extremely powerful. However, the accuracy would be terrible in combat."
"It seems to be because the Jet hasn't been calibrated to absorb recoil from the fifty-millimeter cannon," Ursula said as she read something on her clipboard.
"Once the fifty-mil is implemented, it will be very useful in combat. Any ideas how to fix it?"
"There needs to be adjustments to the magic stabilizers. And magic shock absorbers..."
Hartmann yawned, making us look at her before she said, "Heading back", turned around, and walked towards the hangar.
"Ah, wait, Erica."
It only took about thirty seconds before Hartmann walked into the hangar and saw something that shocked her. "What the heck is this?!"
We walked into the hangar and saw what Hartmann had found: it was a Striker Unit that seemed to have been a fusion of two Strikers by one of their wingtips.
"This is the Bee-Eff One-Oh-Nine, Zwei Link," Ursula told Hartmann, who was shocked beyond comprehension. "It can connect units of the same model to increase output power, climb speed, flight distance, and weight capacity."
Hartmann quickly turned around and snapped back with, "This is my Unit! Why did you add that without asking?!" Now that I think about it, one of them was Hartmann's...
"I already have Commander Minna's approval, though." Ursula then moved aside to reveal Commander Minna standing behind her.
"Because of this unit's ability, it's best for twins like you two to test it," the commander added.
"She's here already, Hartmann," I included. "You should help your sister out once in a while."
"Tch, I get it," Hartmann only replied ash she turned her head away from us a bit.
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Erica's POV
"If we aren't on the same wavelength, it will be hard to control," Ursula told me as we were inside the Striker Units connected by the Zwei Link thingy, ready to take off. Our magic engines were going and everything. "Before we start, please confirm..."
"Got it," I told her quickly. "Let's go."
The clamps were released, and we took off down the runway before rising into the air a bit.
"As expected of you, sis," Ursula told me as we flew. "It's your first time using the Zwei Link yet your flight is so stable."
"It ain't much," I replied simply.
"...Is something troubling you, Erica?" I think Ursula sounded worried.
"It's nothing." I looked up ahead as I started replaying something I remembered from me training Roland in combat. It wasn't much, but it was keeping me from thinking about how sour my day's been going so far.
We made a right turn as I started accelerating.
"Erica, I can't follow you if you suddenly accelerate," Ursula told me.
"If you can't do this in real combat, it's useless!" I countered as we started performing a barrel roll.
"But sis, the Unit will..."
We started hearing something rattle before something broke, and we both started feeling the effects: the Zwei Link had been destroyed, severing the fins it was attached to. I then heard Ursula scream as she started falling, the damaged half of her Striker Unit having fallen off. Thinking quickly, I dived down towards her and grabbed her outstretched right hand with my left hand as I tried slowing us down. I then ended up hitting a thick branch from a tree hard as Ursula hung from my grip.
This hurts...a lot...wonder if this is what it feels like to hit something that doesn't want to move at a fast speed?
A few minutes later, Commander Minna and Trude flew in using their Striker Units and found us there.
"Are you two fine?" Trude asked us.
"I-I'm fine," Ursula replied.
"Heavy..." I could only say.
I am such an idiot...
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"See, it's no good!" I said to Ursula once more once we returned to the hangar. The damaged components were sitting on a wood pallet.
"There's no problems with the unit," Ursula countered. "My sister didn't listen to my instructions and did all that ended up making us fall."
I pointed at the damaged Zwei Link with my left index finger. "The Jet Striker and this can't be used in real combat! You keep bringing in dangerous things!"
"Even testing has procedures. Your actions are the reason behind this accident."
"That's right, Erica," Commander Minna added. "The reason for testing is to weed out the problems, not to see whether or not it can be used."
"In order to create new equipment, there needs to be tests," Trude included. "Sage's Striker Unit was a prime example: just think of how difficult it was just to make sure his cargo pants didn't get destroyed when he activated the Unit." I looked down at the ground. "Besides, you ought to help out..."
"The One-Oh-Nine unit is more than enough for battle!" I snapped as I faced them again. "Everything Ursula brings is useless!"
I heard Ursula gasp, and I soon realized what I had just said as I looked at her as she lowered her head to look towards the ground. I then watched as Ursula turned to her left and walked towards the outside area.
"Ursula..." I tried. I then watched as she stopped and turned her head a little to the right, as if she was going to direct something at me. And she did, I guess.
"Even though we failed this time, valuable data was acquired from the failure," she simply told me before she looked ahead of her and resumed walking. "I will repair the unit as soon as possible." She then left the hangar.
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The next day, I decided to look inside the hangar, hoping to see Ursula working on the repairs. However, the place was dark, and I saw no signs of my sister in there.
"What?" I asked myself. "Huh, she's not in here." I then stepped inside and towards the still-damaged Zwei Link. "The unit is still broken too." Reaching it, I found something attached to one of the Striker Units. "What's this?" I reached down and pulled it off, reading it to myself. "'Went to the third storage to get tools for maintenance. Ursula.' Huh. She's feeling okay." I then looked at the Jet Striker before giving off a huff and walking out.
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Minna's POV
"It's certainly delicious, isn't it?" I asked Barkhorn as we were seated at the table in the dining hall. "Ursula should be back by noon, so should we prepare lunch for her?"
"Good idea," Barkhorn replied.
"Morning," Hartmann's voice greeted us as our teammate entered the dining hall.
"Ah, good morning, Erica," I replied.
As Hartmann took a seat in front of some food we had served for her, Barkhorn remarked with, "You're slow, Hartmann. Where were you?"
"I'm sorry, we've already finished eating."
"That's fine," Hartmann simply replied as she grabbed a small roll of bread off her plate and ripped a piece off, eating it.
"How's this, Hartmann?" Barkhorn asked as she stood up and faced the lieutenant.
Hartmann turned to look at the Karlsland captain, who had decided to wear a dress Ursula had apparently given to her as a gift. "Weird!" She then resumed eating.
Apparently, that reaction didn't seem to be the one Barkhorn had been hoping for or something because she looked like she was going to die of embarrassment.
"T-that's not true, Trude!" I decided to say quickly, hoping to defuse the imminent reaction. "It looks good on you!"
Suddenly, the alarm for an attack went off, making us alert.
"Medium-type spotted," the intercom on the base reported. "Incoming from the west. According to reports, it's a scout."
A scout? Wonder if they're testing their luck and seeing if Roland would come over and attack them or something...though to be honest I really wished he was here and able to.
"We need to sortie, Trude," I said to Barkhorn.
"Roger," she replied as we ran out of the dining hall. We then stopped and watched as Erica got up, as if to follow us.
"Erica, you're on standby," I told the lieutenant.
"Eh?" Hartmann asked, surprised. "Why?"
"You Striker's still damaged," Barkhorn replied. "It'll take a while to repair it."
Hartmann gasped before she sat back down. "Right. Good luck out there."
With a nod, Barkhorn and I headed off to go and meet the enemy.
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Gertrud's POV
"The enemy's a regular scout, right?" I asked Commander Minna as we flew through the air to intercept the target we had been notified of. We each had our usual guns with us, though only the commander was wearing her uniform (due to the suddenness of the matter, I didn't have time to get changed back into my uniform).
"Based on the pattern we've noted,that's right," Commander Minna told me. "Alright, let's finish this mission and get back by noon!"
"Right!" We flew for a while longer before I thought of something. "I haven't seen the enemy yet...do you happen to feel anything, commander?"
"Yes." I looked at Commander Minna. "I've been feeling a presence for a while. It doesn't feel like a scout."
"A presence?"
"Yes, it's there."
I then focused my attention ahead of us and realized something. "Wait, don't tell me...it's in the cumulonimbus cloud?!" We had been been seeing a cumulonimbus cloud ahead of us for a while, but we've been heading right for the enemy the whole time?
"Yes. The enemy seems like it's a combat-type, and it's using the cumulonimbus cloud."
"The inside of the cloud is filled with rising air, strong winds, and hail! And visibility's pretty much zero in there!"
"Combat in there would be impossible, even for someone like Roland."
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Minna's POV
"Combat in there would be impossible, even for someone like Roland," I told Barkhorn as we flew towards our target, which was hiding in a cumulonimbus cloud ahead of us.
Just then, a Neuroi shaped like a sort of strange biplane came out of the cloud, and Barkhorn spotted it.
"There it is!" my teammate shouted before the Neuroi fired at us.
We dodged every beam we could avoid, using our shields to block those that we couldn't move out of the way from while taking shots at it when we could. After a while, though, the enemy didn't seem like it was taking any damage.
"The armor's thick," I noted as, after blocking another beam, stopped firing and looked at it in case it chose to fire again. "We've got to get closer or else…"
"I'll move in, commander!" Barkhorn told me. "Cover me!"
What? "You can't! You won't be able to evade in that wind! It's a trap!"
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Roland's POV
It's been a few days since I had arrived in Fuso with Yoshika and Mio, and the little Fuso ex-Witch's family was kind enough to let me stay with them (though they did note that it was a bit...sudden) in return for me helping them out at the clinic.
For now, I was busy moving some supplies they had needed for the Miyafuji clinic around, me carrying a giant box of...something. I wasn't sure what it was that was inside.
Suddenly, I felt this sort of chill in my spine, like…
"You okay, Roland-kun?" Yoshika asked me as she stopped to my left, holding a small box of bandages she was bringing in. "You kinda stopped…"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I told her quickly. "But...somehow, I feel like someone made a reference about something only I would know about around here…" It better not be somebody I know, because I don't like freezing up a bit due to a reference…
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Minna's POV
"Well, what now?!" Barkhorn asked me as we resumed firing at it, the Neuroi firing beams at us as well. "...That's it. We'll use that!"
I shot at the enemy for a while longer before it chose to go back into the cumulonimbus cloud.
"It's in the clouds again…" I said to myself.
"Minna!" Barkhorn shouted as she flew down and came to a stop on my right side. "The fifty-millimeter cannon. If we use that, we can shoot it down at a distance!"
"But we need to be using the Jet Striker in order to use the fifty-millimeter, and the adjustments aren't ready yet!"
"That Neuroi's going to be a nuisance. If we continue to fail to make a hole and find the core, it'll advance!"
"...I understand. Go! I'll slow it down!"
"Roger!" I then watched as Barkhorn took off back towards the base.
The Neuroi then decided to come out of the clouds and split itself from its wings before it extended smaller "engines" and wings and boosted towards Barkhorn. "It divided!?" I then took off after it. "It wants to follow Trude! I can't let it!" I then watched it open up and eject a sort of cylindrical package from the main body and then watched as the cylindrical package split in half again as the forward half divided into a lot of small fliers that took off after Barkhorn while the rear half followed its "brother's" lead and divided into a group of small fliers that soon started firing beams at me. I had to raised up my shield to defend from them. "It split again?!"
"Did you just say that the enemy split again?!" Barkhorn radioed me.
"Yes. It's heading in your direction. I spot twelve."
"Minna, you head back first!"
"That won't do. I can't let it go now!" I then turned around and flew away from the group of fliers that had been aiming at me, the group hot in pursuit as they fired at me. I was forced to bring up my shields behind me in order to avoid being shot down from behind before I managed to drop my speed just enough to get behind some of them and fired at one, setting my shield ahead of me now. As two of them turned to come after me, a third one tried following their lead before I managed to hit it in its red windshield-like eye. "Finally got one. That was rather difficult...did I get soft due to a desk job?" I then pulled myself back and did a loop to avoid beams before we repeated the chase thing, me still using my shield to block any that could have taken me. I then flew around the cumulonimbus cloud and soon saw the wings as it came into view from around the corner.
I gritted my teeth.
Verdammt! What are my options?
Let's see...I could either: a) fly down and hope that they don't follow me downwards; b) pull up and hope for the same results as Choice A; or c) fly right at the wings and slip by it.
I pulled myself up into the air as I chose Choice B, but I think I forgot to account for the slight angle of the cloud because I found myself being forced back by a quick blast of wind, being thrown out of control and away from the cloud before I righted myself. "The winds are strong…" There was one thing I was grateful for as I regained control of my flight: I had been thrown away from the enemies that had been chasing after me…
Which were now coming towards me as they started firing at me again.
I raised my shield but, due to the amount of beams coming in at a time, soon found myself being forced back bit by bit.
No...this can't be how it ends...I can't die here! Not while Roland's still alive! I want to see him again…
I screamed.
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Erica's POV
"The enemy's a regular scout, right?" Trude asked Commander Minna as the two were out flying towards the enemy. I was sitting at a creek, on a rock. With me was a stick I had made into a sort of fishing pole using some string and a piece of meat.
"Based on the pattern we've noted, that's right," Commander Minna replied. "Alright, let's finish this mission and get back by noon!"
"Right!"
I sighed before I felt a bite on my line. I pulled up and found a crayfish latched on by a claw. I removed it and, taking a quick look at it, tossed it back into the creek.
"I haven't seen the enemy yet..." Trude said after a while. "...do you happen to feel anything, commander?"
"Yes," Commander Minna told her. "I've been feeling a presence for a while. It doesn't feel like a scout."
"A presence?"
I soon heard some footsteps, something I was confused about. Who would I know that would come to me? Ursula's still at the third storage, and the other two are out on a mission.
So who?
"Mind if I sit here?"
Huh?
I looked to my right and saw Roland standing there, wearing his usual vest, shirt, and pants. His watch was still on his left wrist.
"Roland?" I asked.
"Last I checked, I was," Roland replied.
"...But you're in Fuso with Miyafuji!"
"Oh...see, I'm Roland but I'm not."
I was baffled. "Wha?"
"I'm Roland, yeah, but I'm only an image your mind's projecting right now."
"...Okay, that I can believe."
"I made "Roland" blink. "Wait, you can?"
"Yeah. You're from a different world and time. That kinda set the bar of disbelief low after a while."
"Oh. I guess that makes sense. Anyways, what's wrong?"
I looked back at the creek. "I...I think I made Ursula upset."
"Ah. Sibling rivalry?"
"No...just...me being a jerk, I guess."
"That's not very true..."
"Yes it is, Roland." I looked at him.
"Roland" gave off a nod. "Mind if I sit next to you?"
"Sure."
"Roland" took a seat next to me and sighed. "Now, let's see...what happened?'
With a sigh of my own, I took my earpiece out of my right ear for a bit before I told him about the Zwei Link test and how it went, including the words I told Ursula.
"Not sure if she took it well..." "Roland" only said once he heard me out. "I mean, I've said some things I shouldn't have said, but..."
"I know," I replied. "Sanya told me about you yelling at her. But this is not the same!"
"Is it?"
I opened my to reply but stopped myself. "Uh..."
"Exactly my point. I don't have the right to tell you that what you did was inexcusable, but you telling her that what she brings is useless wasn't exactly right. Everything has some use to them...even a Neuroi Witch."
"Well, what do I do then? I can't just go find her; I'm on standby." Just then, I blinked as I looked at "Roland". "No way! I'm not using the Jet Striker!"
"There's not really a second option. your Striker Unit's kaput at the moment...unless you and Ursula can come together and use your remaining halves."
"But it nearly killed Trude!"
"So? I lived every day with a core ready to convert me. Nothing special."
"I'm not going to!" I placed the radio back in my ear. "And that's-"
I soon heard Commander Minna scream, and I froze.
"Please, Erica," "Roland" concluded. "If not for Ursula, do it for Minna and Gertrud. Do it for me if you must, but please..."
I lowered my head before I got on my feet, a determined look on my face.
He's right...the only way I could save them and defeat the Neuroi was to use the Jet Striker.
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Gertrud's POV
I really hope Commander Minna can hold out until I can get back with what we need.
Not like I could turn back anyways: I've got twelve small fliers chasing me.
"Saint Trond, this is Barkhorn!" I radioed as I swerved through the beams my "followers" were firing at me. I then formed a shield behind me to block a shot. "Please ready the Jet Striker and the fifty-millimeter cannon! Load it with steel shells, and fast!"
"Roger," the operator told me. "Jet Striker, ready for launch."
A while later, and I was getting closer to the base. "Saint Trond, I'm preparing to land. Please ready support cannons!" I then turned around and fired at the enemies.
"Captain, just now Lieutenant Hartmann..."
"What? I can't hear you!" I think there was some static on the link.
I then looked ahead as I turned back around and saw Hartmann flying towards me.
"Trude!" I heard her shout.
"Hartmann, you..." I started. Why is she using the Jet Striker? Didn't she...?
"Lend me this, 'kay~?" She held the 50mm cannon we needed.
She fired a shot, and I dodged it in time for it to go through the small fliers, killing a few.
"To be able to use the Jet so well on such short notice..." I told myself. "...she must have channeled Sage's mindset." I then noticed that she was gaining altitude. "Hey! Where are you going, Hartmann?!"
"The Jet's not doing what I say!" Hartmann radioed. I then watched the fliers chase after her before she turned around and fired another shot at them, hitting more. She then gave chase afrer them. "Aw man, don't move!"
"Don't bother with the small fries, Hartmann!" I told her as I approached from the right.
"But..."
"You're here to help Minna, right? I'll cover you! Go quickly!"
"Roger!" Hartmann then took off quickly as I re-engaged the small fliers. I soon got close to one.
"From this distance..." I said as I flew over and pointed my guns at it firing into it. It soon exploded into its usual white crystals as I was thrown away a bit before recovering. "Your opponent is me!"
I soon heard Hartmann shout.
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Erica's POV
"It's gonna fall!" I shouted as I was diving towards the ground below, the Jet Striker not listening. I soon saw the fliers from before circle me. "Ah. I'm surrounded!" I closed my eyes.
Sorry, Roland...but...
Soon, rockets pounded into the Neuroi, destroying them.
"You can't suddenly adjust the slot," I heard someone say in my earpiece.
I soon looked to my right and saw Ursula as she was flying towards me, a Fliegerfaust in her hands.
"There will be incomplete combustion causing you to stall, sis," Ursula added.
"Ursula!" I shouted.
I soon felt Ursula hug me from behind as she soon pulled me out of the dive and on the correct path.
"I'm saved," I said with a sigh of relief.
"Ursula!" Trude said as she came in on our right. "Didn't you leave?"
"I did," Ursula responded, "but something didn't feel right...anyways, I brought this with me."
I looked and saw that Ursula's Striker Unit looked...different, like it was also a Jet Striker.
"Is that also a Jet?" I asked.
"Yes," Ursula told me. "This is the Ehch-Eee One-Sixty-Two, a simplified Jet Striker prototype."
A prototype too? Wait, I think I'm forgetting something... "Ah, that's right! Ursula! Minna's in trouble! We need to hurry...!"
"Sister, will you listen to my instructions?"
"'Kay, 'kay, I'll listen!" We can't leave Commander Minna to die!
"Well then, please take a deep breath." I looked at her in shock. "Widen your mouth and breathe in."
"Uh, I got it." I breathed in deep.
"Breathe out."
I breathed out.
"Breathe in."
I inhaled again.
"Stop!"
I stopped quickly as I heard my sister tap my Jet Striker.
Soon, the two of us accelerated really fast.
"It's working!" I shouted with glee, "As expected of Ursula!"
"Sis, please focus on the fifty-millimeter cannon," Ursula instructed. "Allow me to control the Unit."
"Roger! Minna..."
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Minna's POV
Well, at least I managed to avoid dying earlier...though I won't bore you with details.
Just know that I came really close to biting it.
Now the small fliers were after me, not hitting my defenses as much. This gave me a chance to counter a bit as I fired at them and destroyed one, scattering the others.
"There's four more," I said as I looked at my double-drum ammo box. "Not much ammo left...I wonder: can I hang on until Trude returns?" I then felt something come out of the cumulonimbus cloud, and I saw the wings as it flew over me, charging for an attack.
Oh dear...
I flew left and right as it fired at me.
"Right, one more!" I told myself. I then continued dodging the beams before flipping onto my back and firing at it. As usual, nothing penetrated its armor, but it moved to show the fliers coming right down towards me. I continued firing until I heard the gun click, signaling that I was out of ammo. "I'm out?!"
Soon, they started charging for their attacks before something hit them, destroying them all.
"Minna!" I heard Hartmann's voice radio in.
What?
I looked outward and could see Hartmann and Ursula coming right towards me.
"Sorry for the wait!" Hartmann said.
"Erica!" I said as I came to a floating stop. "Lieutenant Ursula! Why?" I then watched the wings as it went back into the clouds. "It sure does love hide-and-seek. But it's useless now..." I then tapped the radio in my left ear. "This is Minna. I have a lot of questions, but I'll save them for later. The enemy's main body's in the cumulonimbus cloud. I can't lure it out. Attack it at range from outside the cloud. Let me give you directions." I then waited a while. "Maintain this speed. To the right by three degrees and upwards by five." I then closed my eyes and focused on the target. "Three...two...one...now!" I heardf a shot and looked as it entered the cloud, driving the Neuroi out. Its right wing had been hit, but it regenerated its damage as it turned to fire at the HArtmanns, one of them locking it with a shield.
Another shot was fired, this time splitting it down the middle and finishing it off.
And we finished it off for good.
Finally...
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"Wow! It looks good on you!" I said later on in the day, after we came back from our mission. Barkhorn had gotten dressed back in her uniform, and we were standing in the dining hall, Hartmann sitting at the table as she munching on something.
Standing in front of us, wearing a dirndl dress with black sleeves, a black string around her stomach in a pattern of the Roman numeral ten, a black sash, a black section covering the top of her breasts, and white everywhere else, was Major Heidemarie.
"Thanks very much," she told us as she was blushing a bit, "but...it's a little tight."
About five minutes later, we were seated at the table as we enjoyed some tea and biscuits, explaining to the major what she had missed.
"I see," Major Heidemarie said. "Such troublesome things happened while I was gone."
"How is it, Hartmann?" BArkhorn asked Hartmann. "Don't you want to wear the Jet Striker now?"
"Nope," she replied simply while munching on a biscuit.
"Why?" Barkhorn was surprised. "Aren't there combat results now?"
"If two people were using it, it could be done."
I nodded my head. Like the Zwei Link...
"Hey, lieutenant?" I decided to ask. "What made you actually use the Jet Striker?"
"Oh, that?" Hartmann replied as she blinked really quick. "Well...Roland kinda appeared to me for some reason."
"Roland?" When did he get here from Fuso?
"When I asked, the one I talked to said that he was only an image I had. But he's the main person I talked to."
"Sounded like you were talking to yourself," Barkhorn added. "Though, to be fair, anything's possible. We don't quite know what his copying magic could do to his 'hosts'. Maybe like how he had our magic in him before then, a bit of him joined us."
That might make some sense...but... "Either way, he didn't come around in person apart from whatever I saw that time, so maybe it was just a coincidence."
I then looked at Major Heidemarie before I cleared my throat. I should get a picture of her and Barkhorn in their dresses and see what Roland thinks when he comes back.
"Trude, could you please get back into your dress?" I asked the captain. To the major, I added, "Do you mind if we took a picture of you and Trude, Major Heidemarie?"
"Huh?" the major said. "Oh. I guess so...I mean, I don't mind too much..."
"What?" Barkhorn added. "We've already gotten two copies of us as a group when Ursula was still here. Why do you need a picture of me and Major Heidemarie in dresses?" I just looked at her before she let it click in her mind a second later. "Oh, right..." She then blushed deeply. "Yes, ma'am..."
Wonder if I should ask her about the blush in relations to Roland...though I think she doesn't want her "disciplined state" being tainted in Roland's mind if he saw her in the dirndl.
Better go and see about getting that camera again for this one.
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Yoshika's POV
"You've been back in Fuso for a few days now," Michiko said as she and I were walking around on the patio of my family's house. "Well, how has your studies been?"
"Ah, it's alright, I guess," I told her as we entered my room, which happened to be my father's old office. I had decided to take it as my room because Roland had decided to come to Fuso with Major Sakamoto and me, so he's using my old room while he was staying here (at least until he was ready to go to Saint Trond base and be with Commander Minna again). "Roland-kun's been helping us out around the clinic, and he's taking some time to help me with my studies, though he can't make heads or tails of everything."
Michiko and I sat on our knees at my desk, which had some books, a medal in the shape of a cross, and a few other things, like some pieces of paper, some pencils, and a radio. There was also a photograph, something my cousin noticed. "Ah, this photograph..."
I looked at the photograph myself. "Ah, it arrived from Europe yesterday." I then looked at Michiko. "It seems Hartmann's sister is there!"
"Wait, by 'Hartmann', you mean one of the world's greatest aces?" Michiko was surprised.
"Oh, I think they mentioned that..."
"Really! Even though you and Roland-san were in the same unit. What a waste!"
I was confused a bit. "A...a waste?"
"But it seems like they're all really happy!" They really did: there was one girl I couldn't recognize (and even Roland couldn't: when I asked him in private, he had said that the girl's case fell under the same case as Commodore Galland and Captain Marseille...which was to say "never heard of them until I met them". Or "meet her" in the girl's case), but the weird part was Captain Barkhorn in some sort of dress. I don't think I've actually seen it before, and from what I see from the picture she was blushing a bit.
Not sure why...
"Barkhorn-san's so adorable," Michiko added.
I couldn't deny that. I mean: I know Captain Barkhorn's about as strict as Major Sakamoto when she's got training on her mind, but to see her in that dress...
I guess even the strictest people have a soft side.
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"For there is no friend like a sister in calm or stormy weather; To cheer one on the tedious way, to fetch one if one goes astray, to lift one if one totters down, to strengthen whilst one stands." -Christina Rossetti
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Well, there's the end of this current entry...
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Minna's POV
I entered my office after taking some pictures of Major Heidemarie and Barkhorn in their respective dirndl dresses, waiting for the pictures to finish being processed for viewing.
I can't really wait to see what Roland thinks of the pictures, but...it's only to see if he thinks Barkhorn would look cute in a dress.
Speaking of Roland...I haven't called him recently. I think I last called him...
Actually, I don't think I called, now that I think about it. I think he was still heading to Fuso with Miyafuji and Major Sakamoto.
Better call him just to see. I mean, I sent him a letter along with the picture I sent to Miyafuji, but...
I picked up the phone and dialed the number Miyafuji had given me, soon hearing the operator pick it up. I told her what MIyafuji had given me, and she soon connected me to her phone.
"Hello?" a voice asked.
"Hi," I replied. "Is this Miyafuji's mother?"
"Yoshika's mother? Yes, this is her."
"Oh, good. I'm Lieutenant-Colonel Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke, Miyafuji's wing commander in the Strike Witches. Is Captain Roland Sage around?"
"Captain...Roland..." I heard her voice get a little quieter as she seemed to call for the person I wanted. "Sage-san, someone wants to talk to you...she said her name was Minna..." She then seemed to place the phone back in her ear. "Could you hold for a moment, dear?" There was silence before I heard my boyfriend's voice on the other side.
"Minna!" Roland said quickly. "Hi!"
"...Are you alright, Roland?" I asked. "You sound a little..."
"Surprised? I didn't expect you to call so soon."
"Well, we did agree that we'd keep in touch with each other, right?"
"Yeah...wait, how did you get this number again?"
"Miyafuji."
"...Oh, right. Forgot. Anyways, how has your time in Belgica been going?"
I smiled slightly. "Oh, not much."
"Not much? Minna, I'm not able to bust you girls out of trouble anymore...or at the very least, help bust you out of it. Was it a difficult Neuroi?"
"You could say that..." And I told him what had happened over the last few days.
You know, I really hope he's doing fine right now, but I'll ask him once I get done with telling him what happened...
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Oh...I spoke too soon...
Anyways, that's the end for the first entry of this story collection (I guess I'll call it that).
Let's see...what to say about it...
Well, out of all the items I said I would get out this week, this became the toughest. No, it's not because the story was difficult to write up...in a sense. My laptop's video card decided to start failing, so I've had to wait a while in order to get back to work on it. During the lull, I decided to make life easier on myself by writing the rest onto paper and typing it in once I got back on to work on it. This is the result of writing on paper and typing it up, so I hope it works well.
Also, the chapter is given the designation of (Fire) because, other than the fact that it's the first type of magic arrow you can get access to in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (if that makes sense), it made the most sense due to it being the Karlsland trio. Since based on my research Karlsland has been where the bulk of Witches have come from as well as constantly being in a "pseudo-state of war", this could be compared to that of a fire in that it can be associated with war (or at least an image of a ravaged battlefield) but at the same time can be associated with ideas like birth or purification (since a phoenix uses it to maintain its age by burning up in old age and reverting back to a youthful state. Some plants also require fires to be able to reproduce, like the giant sequoia). As for the Magical Arrows wording, the idea was based off of Operation Victory Arrow, and as there were (metaphorical) arrows involved and they are Witches, it only made sense. Well, to me.
Anyways, please read and respond and let me know what you think of it, and I hope the quote I put in works well.
Thanks, and I will see you in either the next chapter here (next time: it's the coverage of "Goddess of the Aegan Sea" with Strike Heroes elements in the mix) or tomorrow with a new entry for Project GS.