Author's Note:

The Yumi Type-H is inspired from the Morane-Saulnier H. Similar to how Morane-Saulnier is two names, 'Yumi' came from Yu & Miyuki's names. Japanese and Chinese militaries commonly used 'Type (Designation)' for their names, hence I did the same even though this isn't a military aircraft.

It's been two weeks since the Yumi Type-H got approved by the regional evaluator sent to inspect the contestants of Grand Port. Today's the capital region's turn to compete, so the competitors will travel west with the other teams in order to evaluate the best designs.

Before the break of dawn, the others had their planes delivered for transport. Loitering outside the passenger cars, Shirogane sipped from his dark coffee, beside Ishigami and the rest of his crew. Also with them were their classmates Toyosaki and Kazamatsuri, and the girls Erika and Karen, whom they invited along for the competition.

Ishigami rubbed his hands under the pre-morning cold. He gave Shirogane a sideward glance. "Are you feeling nervous, Shirogane?"

Despite his weariness, his lips formed a smile. "Well, why should I? What happens today could very well change everything in the months to come. If we succeed now, there would be plenty more waiting for us. Who knows what's in store?"

But that was a lie. Or at least a bluff, as Shirogane was really quaking under his clothes as he worried about the outcome of the competition. He was confident in his design, but the anxiety was gnawing away at him from inside like a parasite. But he didn't want to lose face in front of his friends, so he kept a straight expression, not letting his nervousness become too obvious.

"So what time does it start?" Erika was seated on the stairs of the passenger car, swinging her legs restlessly.

"Later at ten," Asher replies. "We're spending most of the morning travelling to the venue, and the rest of the time having our breakfast and preparing our planes before we start."

"It's the Grand Port teams that we'll be facing," comments Ishigami with a glance to the other cars up the track.

Asher nods. "Aye, and whoever makes it past the regional phase will reach the national phase, which like I said, will award the top three who make it there."

Toyosaki nods back. "So what's the game plan, Shirogane?"

He shrugged at his classmate. "There's little we can do until it's our turn. All we have to do is wait. The officials are in charge with finalizing everything, so we just have to leave it to them. In the meanwhile, we can spend the free time doing whatever we want."

"Plenty of time for chitchat and other stuff," adds Kazamatsuri.

From the head of the train, a man in a sharp uniform and a braid around his shoulder yells out that the departure is about to go underway. Hearing this, the other passengers decide to go inside and get seated. The crew do the same.

The inner cabin was lit with ordinary lights. The seats were lined with cheap cushioning, and the windows and door framed with iron rather than steel. The other teams had the financial capacities to purchase tickets for the more luxurious cars near the front, but with the current budget of Shirogane's team, stretched thin by four more members, they had barely enough to afford to have a fourth of them in the higher classes.

Regardless, nobody complained. As the group settled in, Shirogane, Ishigami and Olin sat on the opposite side to Karen, Erika, the two boys and Asher. During the walk up the hill to the station, the ever amiable Asher struck a conversation with Toyosaki and Kazamatsuri about themselves. Since they didn't get Asher's side, they decided to ask him now.

"What was your life before joining the company?" they asked.

The spry worker smiled at the boys, and cleared his throat. "I hailed from the south, where we mostly tended wheat and corn. I came to Laiden City to enlist myself in the army." He turned to his audience with a wry glance. "Spent six months at a training camp based a few miles outside the city."

"What was it like, being a volunteer?" asked Karen, who became interested.

He grinned as he chuckled. "Well I can tell you, lass, that it was much more than knowing how to swing a sword or shoot a gun. It's about working together, learning how order is established and maintained throughout. It's about survival that goes beyond merely being a good fighter. There are many other skills other than combat."

"So what did you do?"

"Digging, for example," he spread his fingers. "The shovel is not to be underestimated. Nor should the hammer and nail. Yes, plenty of other necessities are important, but none of that matters if you cannot hold your ground when push comes to shove, or take cover in a storm, be it natural or manmade. Shelter is still one of the most important things to consider.

"I was good with the rifle, but I also had a head for numbers. Bet you didn't notice that? Anyway, I was torn between getting assigned to another battalion full of sharpshooters, or to become a quartermaster managing the supplies with the logistics team. But after half a year of training, I thought that I'm better off elsewhere, so I left."

Toyosaki gazed out of the dark window. "You thought factory work suited you best?"

"That's a harsh label for it, boy," he laughed. "Call it 'industrial labor'. But yes, that was my next goal. I had a stroke of luck running into an arms manufacturer looking for extra hands. For the next few weeks, I learned a lot more about firearms from my boss than my superior officers back in the base. I made guns for various buyers with my colleagues.

"Then my boss came one day saying that his cousin-in-law over at Grand Port was just starting up, and was wondering if I was willing to transfer to their location instead. I agreed, but what I didn't expect was what they planned to work on. It's the first time I learned about airplanes." He sat straight and looked up, probably getting lost in thought.

"When I got introduced, Ishigami's father brought me to a meeting with Shirogane's father, along with several other folk from Laiden City. It's during this time that I met Olin." The craggy middle-aged man looked in Asher's direction and nodded.

"To make a long story short, I had quite the adventure. Thanks to it, I've visited the capital and the country's largest port. And I'm glad to work for the young genius and his friend. Let's hope today will be in our favor."

Not long after he finished, the train's whistle blew loudly. As the train began to move, the sky of dawn became lighter. Eventually the sun began its rising over the distant horizon, and for a few minutes, everyone watched in awe. It was now a new day.

The competition venue was bustling with activity, with officials hastily finalizing preparations while the crews disembark from the train and take their planes out. It was a cleared out plain of land with the grass cut away. Just like a few weeks before, the weather is ripe for flying, with the refreshing breeze once more rippling their jackets.

As the girls were helped out of the cart, Erika muttered grumpily. "It's eight o' clock. Can we have our breakfast first? I'm starving to the point I could start eating the grass right now."

"Then get on your fours and start munching," jeered her best friend, to which she straightened up at once and immediately began a rejoinder.

The competition takes place at a military base which the train station is located right beside. The crews roll their planes down a paved road leading toward the nearby airfield. It has an apron with several hangars facing an expansive green flat resembling a gigantic baseball field. Numerous tents have been set up as event facilities. Three other aircraft from the other regions have already arrived earlier, and are being attended to by their crews on the apron.

They position the Yumi in line with the other aircraft, and the engineers move in for final evaluations and preparations to ensure everything is in order. Meanwhile, Erika eventually cajoles the boys and her best friend to fetch some food for the whole group.

After an hour, the plane is ready to go and the crew are left with nothing else to do but wait until the first event. With the others bringing back the sandwiches and soup from the food tent, the crew lay down on the same picnic blanket they used before, and leisurely observed the other aircraft while they ate.

There are six participants in all - three are biplanes, while the other two are monoplanes just like their own. One in particular caught Shirogane's attention. "Hey, check out that plane - the monowing with the long smooth body. Its skin doesn't look like fabric, does it?"

Ishigami turned in its direction.. The body was indeed solid and glistened under the sun, unlike the duller fabric skins typically used. It's perfectly curved from the front end all the way to its tail, tapering to a sharp point. Even the landing gear struts are covered in curved fairings that blend into the body. A large round cone is placed in front of the propeller hub. Painted on the fuselage is the name Deperdussin.

"You're right, it's as if it were carved from one piece. Perhaps that's what the rumors were talking about, a monocoque plane?"

"That's what I thought too. Rather than rely on a fabric covered frame, a monocoque uses a hard, hollow shell as its structure with no frame. It'd be heavier, but it's much more aerodynamic and evenly distributes the force across its entire body, allowing it to endure the stresses imposed flying at high speeds. It'd be advanced and really hard to manufacture. But if they pulled it off...the possibilities for that technology are endless."

"They must have a lot of capital to invest in something like that. We're up against some big fish with deep pockets, Myu-kun."

An organizer cries out, commencing the first event. Each individual aircraft will conduct a trial flight to demonstrate its performance. A row of judges have taken their seats in front of the open field where the evaluations will take place. The biplane at the farthest end is selected first.

Toyosaki extends his finger. "Sorry if it's a dumb question, but, what's the difference between having two sets of wings versus one, like your plane?"

"Put simply, biplanes generate lift more easily, but all that extra surface area creates drag. So usually biplanes are more agile, but monowings are faster."

After a few minutes with the crew hastily working on the aircraft, it becomes apparent they're having issues. Event personnel talk among the crew, then have the second team begin instead.

Ishigami scratches his head. "Yikes, the first one's already in trouble? That's not good."

"That just means less competition for us though, right?" Toyosaki asks, promptly receiving glares from the girls. Shirogane and Ishigami only winced back. Since this morning, they both shared the same worry, which was hard enough to allay. Now that another team received misfortune, it could only be a bad omen.

They turned to the next airplane going up, the Avro 500 - a single seat biplane with nothing particularly striking except for the smooth semi-cylindrical metal cowling over its engine.

"What's that metal for?" asked Kazamatsuri, indicating the Avro's cowl.

Shirogane cleared his throat. "Running off my intuition, the cowling is meant to streamline the airflow around the nose, and also help direct air to cool the engine. I'd think to consider that on the Yumi, but that would take too much time and work with our current resources."

The stalwart biplane left the ground, the noise of its buzzing engine filling the air as it climbed. Gaining sufficient altitude, the pilot proceeded to roll left and right, performing elegantly sharp turns. Then it dove in a pair of high speed passes - exceptionally fast for a biplane.

"That was great," Karen noted as the plane began its landing. "It's almost like bird watching, with the tweets replaced by hums."

Shirogane turned to her. "Interesting take. Sounds like something you can put in a poem."

"I wasn't really trying," she shrugged, to Erika's skeptical squinting. "I could've worded it much better. But it's still the same; a machine whose domain is the sky."

"That's aviation for you, lass," said Asher.

The Rumpler team already had their airplane fired up for its turn. It was a monoplane with a peculiar design; its wings and tail resembled that of a bird. Perhaps that's why it's called the 'Dove'. It took off and flew gently, floating through the air. Although it was rather slow, it maneuvered more like an actual bird, akin to a mechanical hawk in the wind. It performed surprisingly well for such a unique design.

"It seems like they took inspiration from nature itself," Ishigami said.

"It's all good, but not as practical, if you think about it," the quiet Olin put in. "We're not here to emulate actual birds. It's artistic, that's for sure, but I don't see it having anything else."

"I kinda see your point now," Toyosaki mumbled, gulping.

The next team towed their two-seat biplane onto the field. The upper wing was built noticeably higher compared to the previous biplane, and unlike the other planes which use the seven-cylinder rotary engine, it instead had a V8 engine, which had four exhaust pipes lined along each side of the nose. RAE BE.2 was labeled on its fuselage.

Asher's eyebrows raised, and he leaned forward in sudden recognition. "Hang on now, I think I recognize that… they're the Royal Aircraft Establishment."

The youths looked at him. "Who're they?"

"I heard somewhere that they were contracted by the army to study balloon technology, for aerial reconnaissance or something."

"Military contractors?" Kazamatsuri asked. "You think they also sponsored them for a design?"

Asher crossed his arms. "I guess it could be possible. Conflict always finds a use for everything."

The RAE takes off. It climbed more slowly compared to the Avro, but its later performance makes up for it, with its maneuvering and high-speed passes. During the landing, however, the plane wavered slightly before bouncing a bit on touchdown, its tail stabilizers working back and forth aggressively.

"It does well for a heavier two-seat design, but judging from how it landed, it may have an issue with stability." Shirogane deduced.

"What about it makes it unstable?" Karen asked.

"A plane that's positively stable will naturally return to its previous state if something disturbs it during flight. But if it's easily disturbed and deviates, then the pilot must work harder to control it. It looks like they wanted something more agile, but sacrificed a bit of stability as a result."

Olin catches everyone's attention. "Take a look; the Deperdussin's coming up."

The large, sleek aircraft proceeded to run up its engine. Sporting a nine-cylinder variant, it revved out loud and proud as it began its takeoff. However, it seems to roll a long way before finally lifting off, and climbing at a steady yet shallow rate.

"Didn't you guys say it would be fast?" Kazamatsuri scratched his head. "It seemed kinda slow."

"It's a heavier aircraft design, and I reckon they optimized the wings to reduce drag by sacrificing its lift," Shirogane explained. "Therefore it struggles with acceleration and slower speeds in general." His eyes focused on the steadily ascending airplane. "But I suspect that once it gets enough altitude…"

Two minutes later, the Deperdussin reached an altitude of around five hundred feet, and began its turning maneuvers. Similarly with its takeoff, its turns seem awkward and sluggish. They watched it fly away for a couple of moments as it then banks around.

Pointed towards them, it entered a steep dive, suddenly picking up speed at a terrifying rate. The engine growled louder as it approached, and reached the field in almost no time at all. It blazed past the crowd near ground at a tremendous speed, the air sweeping upon their clothes.

The non-aviation members of the crew were astounded. Karen stood awestruck, Erika's mouth was agape, and the two boys were whooping out loud. Each of them exclaimed, "That's incredible! How can something like that fly so fast? Wouldn't its wings be ripped off?"

The plane zoomed back up, then turned widely for another flyby. It streaked by once again, prompting a minor applause from the audience. Finished with its performance, it throttles down to land.

The whole display had taken Shirogane and Ishigami aback, as they were wondering how the plane managed such powerful dives. It had set Shirogane's mind racing. "That was insane. We're really supposed to compete against that?"

Two officials strode up to the group and wasted no time in greeting them. "The first team has unfortunately declared their aircraft unairworthy and will refrain from competing. Shirogane company, your aircraft will now perform its trial flight. Are you ready?"

Shirogane clears his throat before responding. "Yes… yes sir, we're ready."

"Then pull your aircraft onto the field as soon as you can and get its engine running. Once signaled, you shall take off." They stalk away.

"Alright then gentlemen, it's showtime." The Yumi was lifted by its tail and moved from the apron onto the grass field. Ishigami donned his headgear before climbing into the seat. He takes a deep breath as he tries to focus. While running through the startup procedure, he felt his knees quiver.

"Ishigami," Shirogane calls out.

Ishigami adjusted his flying goggles as he turned to him. "What is it?"

Shirogane opened his mouth, and closed it, moistening his lips. In the end, he says, "Remember this, we're on our home field, doing what we always do. No one else, only us. Nothing's changed, just fly the airplane. You got it?" He attempts a smile, despite the quivering by the corner of his lips and the sweat trickling down the back of his neck.

Ishigami nods understandingly. He puts on the goggles and briefly closes his eyes, calling back to his and Shirogane's early friendship. He met Shirogane after a personal fall, who cajoled him out of his misery with the concept of aviation, previously alien and unknown. Just as his father and brother saw potential in the new industry, Shirogane himself saw potential in Ishigami, and became his friend. Soon, they worked together, and they flew together. There was peace in the rollicking rolls of the elevated plains.

Opening his eyes, he announces in a loud voice. "Clear to go."

Shirogane affirms, and marches up to the propeller to take his stance. "Contact!"he bellows, throwing it down. The propeller cranked for a duly long second, until one of its pistons fired off. Ishigami pushes open the throttle to let in more fuel-air mixture, and it sprung to life, smoke billowing from its sides.

Let's do this. He pressed his lips into a thin line and briefed through flight and emergency procedures. The lineman waves a green flag, signaling to start.

He pushes the throttle forward, and the engine obeys with resounding force, accelerating him down the field. Its nose pulls left from the propeller's torque, and he plants his foot on the right rudder pedal. After gaining speed, he pitches up and lifts off into the sky.

Combining their innovation with the new powerful rotary engine gives Ishigami a rush, rocketing through the air at a speed that completely dwarfs their humble Bleriot.

It takes little time to gain sufficient altitude. Ishigami turns, gently circling several hundred feet. He begins the maneuvers, rolling left and right in aggressive steep fifty degree turns. Next, he sharply pitches his nose high and reduces his power, bleeding his airspeed as he hangs in the air, demonstrating the airplane's steadiness in slow flight.

He shoves his foot upon the left rudder and jams the throttle back in. The torque forcefully twists the plane to the left as the nose falls towards the ground in a hammerhead maneuver. Ishigami felt weightless as he dove towards the field, rapidly gaining airspeed.

He then gradually levels off just a hundred feet above the ground and zips past the crowd. He climbs, then loops back for another dive. Just like with the Deperdussin before them, the crowd was gazing up in awe, and cheered the Yumi on as he completed his set.

He brings the power back and does a lazy circuit to slow down and land. He approaches steadily, and smoothly lets the wheels kiss the runway grass. Ishigami shuts off the engine and the plane rolls to a stop.

Finally at rest, he exhales in relief, and unstraps his seatbelts and headgear. He wrestles himself out of the cramped seat, just as his crewmates and friends run to him. Asher claps his back as the others praised him.

"Excellent flying, Ishigami!" Shirogane says above all the rest. "The officials have called a meeting for later's race. They're waiting for us at the administration tent. Olin and Asher will care for the plane. Come on, let's go!"

Parting the tent covers, the other pilots and team leaders looked up from their chairs as the two entered, with Ishigami sweeping aside his hair from his face, and Shirogane offering a slight bow. They instantly felt out of place in the midst of adults. Once they took their seats, the event coordinator cleared his throat and began his explanation.

"I'll make it clear from the get-go: this race is for publicity. It's true that your planes and pilot performances will be evaluated during this event, but the goal is to get more people interested in aviation. We're prioritizing the safety of everyone involved, so each of you are responsible for maintaining separation between each other. Reckless flying will only get you disqualified. Now with that said, let's talk about the race course."

"The course will take you three laps clockwise over these landmarks, with observers stationed at each pylon. Make sure you fly a little higher than those pylons, and don't worry about coming in first. It's true that whoever is ahead will score higher, at the end of the day the race wants to determine overall performance, not end performance. Cutting corners or harassing other participants will be penalized. Any questions?"

With the inside of the room silent for several moments, the coordinator nods. "Race starts in ninety minutes. Make sure your planes are ready. Good luck, and put on a good show."

When Shirogane and Ishigami came back, Olin had been finishing checking the plane, while Asher and their classmates played cards. They noticed them coming in. "Mighty fine flying, Ishigami. So what did they talk about in the tent?"

They explained the plan for the race. Meanwhile, Karen had set down her notebook, and turned to him. "Your dive was amazing. We were afraid something would happen to the plane, but you managed to pull through."

"Yeah man," said Toyosaki. "That was crazy good to watch! We might have a chance to win this after all."

"That implies you didn't think we had a chance to win." Erika's eyes were doubting.

"Don't be like that, Erika," he defended. "All I'm saying is that Ishigami did well."

"Oh, it wasn't a big deal. I'm sure Prez would do just as well as me if he were the one flying. It doesn't matter who flew." That was a lie, Ishigami was beaming inside at the appreciation he was being given by the others.

Shirogane pats his arm. "Well you did splendid. So now, how did she handle?"

"It was slightly touchy on the pitch axis, but it's easy enough to get the hang of. Otherwise she flies great; steady in all ranges and responsive to the controls."

"Good to hear. I reckon the judges have a good impression of it. Now, what are we going to do about the race?"

Careening his neck to the side to stretch it, he gazed at his friend and asked, "Say Prez, do you want to fly for the race?"

Miyuki crossed his arms in contemplation. "Well, I have no doubt it'll be intense. I don't mind flying at all. Besides, they'll be giving their all, and it's best we make sure we win."

Ishigami weighs his thoughts for a moment "You should be fine. I'm comfortable with the prospects of our airplane. We've come all this way - I'm confident you'll be the one to carry the baton across the finish line."

Shirogane nodded, gazing at Yumi earnestly. "Let's show them what we're made of."

The time quickly flew by, and soon the planes are once again on the field. Five racers are parked side-by-side with space in between them, all of their crew making final preparations.

As Shirogane caressed the wings, he reminisced about the days he spent building his creation, earnestly working countless hours on end, in order to get to where he was now. Today is both a testament of the past and a trial for the future. It felt entirely surreal.

A whistle blared, snapping him out of his stupor. The other pilots were getting into their airplanes.

"Well, I suppose it's time." Donning his headgear, he climbed into the airplane, his airplane, and buckled in. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply to clear his mind, then looked back to his crewmates. "Here goes nothing; wish me luck guys."

An official at the judges' table raised a thumbs up with their pocket watch, and the announcer brought up his megaphone to his mouth. "Racers, start your engines!"

Shirogane initiated his start checklist. One by one, the sounds of engines firing fill the air. Through the noise of pistons, his peers and crew excitedly cheer him on. He gives them a thumbs up as well.

Olin is with him, the tall and ever quiet foreman giving a half-salute to his young boss, of which he returns the gesture. His hands are on the propeller.

A quick breath, Shirogane yells, "Clear to go!"

"Contact!" Olin spun the propeller. The rotary engine sprung to life once more. Five airplanes growl dangerously at idle power, and their wheel chocks are removed.

Signal flags rose up at the end of the field.. Shirogane's grip tensed.

Inhale...

Exhale...

The flags fly down. "Begin!"

The roars of engines deafen the air. In unison, the planes accelerate down the field and lift off into the sky. The biplanes compete against one another for the early lead, followed by their monoplane counterparts.

Shirogane's Yumi is just behind the biplanes, with the Dove close behind. The Deperdussin lags behind the pack due to its nature, but it wouldn't do good to discount it early just yet. They fly straight along the perimeter of the military base to their right whilst they climb, flying for a watchtower directly ahead.

The Avro and the RAE are the first to pivot right. The others follow suit, but they turn more slowly, creating more distance between them and the biplanes. Eventually, the Yumi starts gaining more speed, getting ahead of the Dove.

As they approach the second pylon, a red barn, Shirogane manages to catch up with the RAE. The Avro is in the lead, curving around the barn, then beelining towards the belltower in the city.

Inciting the engine, Shirogane pushes the Yumi neck-and-neck with the Avro. The Deperdussin has finally reached its attitude, and swiftly overtakes the Dove at once. They flyover residential and downtown areas, where a crowd gathers to watch the planes.

With determination, the Yumi manages to reach the belltower first. The biplanes turn the corner faster, but the RAE wavers, letting the Avro overtake it. The Deperdussin also completes the turn, albeit awkward and sluggishly. The Dove falls miserably behind as the more practical designs take the lead.

After the belltower the airfield lay straight ahead. Soon Shirogane reached it first, completing the first lap. His friends on the ground cheered him on as he passed.

However, the Deperdussin dove down towards the airfield to pick up massive speed, who quickly blew past the Avro and the RAE. As it overtook the Yumi. Shirogane's eyes widened, and he cursed to himself. That must be one hundred sixty - no, that's one hundred eighty kilometers per hour. That's like a forty-minute flight to Grand Port!

The Deperdussin proceeded to ascend once more as the watchtower loomed again on the horizon. Catching Shirogane's eye, the waving figures of servicemen down below shouted and whooped, throwing their arms as if pushing him to go faster. For a moment he realized how novel the experience was, to be rooted for by other people outside his group.

The Deperdussin slowed as it regained its altitude, and the Yumi and the Avro competed for their place as the others sought to catch up. The Avro's pilot gunned their engine to keep up with Shirogane, right behind his tail.

Passing the red barn again, the Deperdussin regained its speed and flew down to reclaim the lead. The three planes fought hard, their engines roaring loud. The crowd by the bell tower were cheering now, and they waved and clapped as the planes turned.

The Yumi pulled the corner tightly as the Deperdussin slowed. Knowing what happened earlier, Shirogane thought that he would likely be overtaken again once the monoplane dived. At this point he needs to do something to maintain his lead. For a moment he considered doing a dive maneuver himself, when the engine rattled roughly.

Frowning, he checked his gauges. The needles were at their upper limits, but nothing seemed particularly wrong. Growing more concerned, he had to decide whether to continue the race despite of it, or to forsake the race and land. As the rattling intensified, he reluctantly pulled the throttle lever back.

And for a moment, the air cracked with a bang, and the next thing he knew, he was blotted in darkness.

"Keep going Shirogane! You're almost there!" The gang cheer loudly as they watch the Yumi pivot around the belltower.

"The Deperdussin's about to dive again," Olin warned. "I reckon he needs to give it all he's got in order to beat the diving speed of his foe."

While their classmates are on their toes, anxious to see who pulls ahead, Ishigami's smile begins to fade. "Say, Shirogane's slowing…"

The Yumi decelerates while the Deperdussin zooms along. From a distance, the plane maintains enough, nothing seeming amiss. But squinting closer, one could see a dark trail streaming behind, a black cloud of smoke. The grins and beams disappeared one by one. "The young master is in trouble," Olin breathes. Soon, the other spectators have left their seats, pointing to the Yumi and shouting.

But before they could do something about it, the Yumi falls from the sky, disappearing below the buildings by the town.

Fire and debris scattered outwards as the engine exploded, rocking the plane hard. Shirogane reflexively ducked his head and chopped the throttle down to idle. The pistons ground to a halt, leaving the plane silent save for the eerie whisper of the wind and the engines of the planes behind. Black oil was splattered over his windshield, and smoke billowed out from the side.

He felt his stomach sink, and time seemed to slow. Falling back on his training, he recollected his bearings. Don't panic; remember your emergency procedures. Airspeed - Pitch down for airspeed, keep flying.

He lowered the nose into a gliding descent, and confirmed his flight controls were still responsive.

Fire prevention - secure the aircraft immediately.

Swiftly he shut off the fuel valve, followed by the engine ignition, then ensured the throttle was closed, and tugged his harness taunt.

Best field - Where can I safely land?

He gazed at the airfield ahead, judging his descent rate; it was near yet so far. After two precious seconds he cursed, realizing he wouldn't reach the grass, and would end up short into buildings. He had to find somewhere closer ahead.

His heart hammered in his chest. Scanning the horizon desperately, there were only buildings and occupied streets. He was running out of options. Over his shoulder, he saw a smaller street upended towards him without any obstructions. He had to turn around if he ought to land there safely.

Committing himself, he banked hard right whilst nosing down sharply. The buffeting of the wind intensified. Lining the Yumi down the street, he raised the nose back up, arresting his descent as he dipped below the rooftops.

Pulling up just enough, his wheels struck the ground. The aircraft jostled upon the road, rocking across the bumps in the pavement, his feet dancing on the rudder pedals. The wingtips nearly graze the gaslight lamp posts. Screams of onlookers echoed across the balconies as they watched in horror, and the few people on the ground scurried out of the way at once.

After what seemed a painfully long time, the Yumi slacked off to a halt. With his muscles clenched, every nerve afire, and adrenaline pumping through his veins, Shirogane finally heaved a long sigh. He has made a successful emergency landing. He allowed himself only a moment before realizing he had to get off, so he undid his harness and tumbled out of his seat.

The townsfolk crowded out of their homes and rushed up to Shirogane. Concerned, they asked if he was alright, with some helping him up and others checking for injuries. One elderly woman extended a bowl of water. Shirogane raised one hand to the worried bystanders, and kept the other on his head, feeling numb and dizzy.

"Thank you, I'm okay… Just let me rest a minute..." Before he could say more, his legs buckled and he collapsed onto the pavement. Several men hooked him over their arms and carried him to a safer location.

Shirogane slumped against a curb wall. Exhaustion was plain in his demeanor. He stared at the black oil dripping from the Yumi's engine. The Avro was circling overhead, marking his position for responders. For a moment, Shirogane was grateful for the show of sportsmanship and compassion from the Avro's pilot. After several minutes, a pair of firetrucks and a police car arrived with their horns blaring, followed by more vehicles. Civil servants began to rally the crowd and order them to disperse.

One of the vehicles was a truck carrying the rest of his team. Shirogane inclined his head as they ran up to him.

Olin was the first to get to him. The big man hauled Shirogane onto his feet, with a gravely worried expression on his face. "Are you hurt, lad? Can you walk on your own?"

He slowly nodded. "Still dizzy from all the adrenaline. Let it wear off first," he managed to chuckle.

Karen digs through her bag and pulls out a towel. "You're sweating so much." She wipes his face gently. Toyosaki and Kazamatsuri work together to help him drink. Shirogane tries to wave it off, but Asher chides, "Just let us help you, lad. You deserve to rest after that harrowing experience."

"We were so worried," Erika finally says. "We didn't know what to do when we first saw the Yumi smoking. Then when you dove beneath the buildings…"

"What happened?" Ishigami asked quietly.

"The engine blew off a piston. Before the explosion, there was a loud rattling noise." Shirogane gulped. "But the Yumi held itself together when the broken engine almost tore it apart. In a plane less stable or maneuverable, I'm not confident I can manage the same landing I did just now."

The chief official later approached them. "We found a large, jagged hole in the rotary engine, in the space of two cylinders," he reported. He lifts up a burnt piece of metal. "This is the failed cylinder found by a citizen, lying on the street.

"It seems like the failed cylinder wasn't being distributed enough oil. Because of that, it began to heat up and wear itself down. When it became too hot, the fuel-air mixture detonated, which came out as a loud rattling sound. At this stage, the cylinder was at its limits. When you reduced throttle, the cylinder kept detonating while the others did not, causing an imbalance of power that caused it to rip itself apart.

"We will take the engine in for further investigation. For now, we express our deepest sympathies for this unfortunate incident, and we would like to applaud you for your exceptional performance in which no other harm was done. We shall be in contact again soon." The official tipped his hat, and departed.

Shirogane sighed, looking forlorn. Other than inner dissatisfaction, he mostly felt plain relief. For now, he just wanted to forget about the race, forget about the competition. Just like his friends, he was simply glad he was alive.