Just A Reincarnation Story (Summoning Japan Edition)

Chapter 7: Under the Same Summer Sky

3 Thermidor (Month 7) 12014 Muish Calendar (Ign. 3, 1614 CC)

Second Civilization, Sky over northern Mu

Mu-Leifor Border

It's a clear sky at the beginning of summer, and it's blue as far as the eye can see. Below, the white sandy beach marked a clear line between land and ocean. High in the sky, a group of five objects is flying in formation. Their white body with blue stripes, rigid blue wings that did not flap on top and bottom of the body, and a rotating stick in front of their bodies did not fit the description of living beings. These are the Challengers, the latest flying machines created by the Second Civilization superpower, Mu.

The machine known as the airplane's origins can be traced to the end of the Mu Civil War. During the war, the Northern Army, having fewer wyverns than the Southern Army, often struggled in battles were not for the support of Gaetan Industries, which provided them with advanced anti-air machine guns capable of shooting down wyverns. And after the war, which the Northern Army barely won, the shortcomings of wyverns, which needs to be raised and trained in a time period that requires at least five years, became more apparent. Meanwhile, the weakened Mu needs to defend itself immediately from possible foreign incursions.

They came up with the idea of attaching an engine to a wooden glider and made their first flight in the year 1600. The first airplane was slow, only able to reach 50 kilometers per hour, and can fly for 500 meters. However, it has a lot of potential and a lot of room for development, which culminates in the Royal Aircraft Factory S.V Challenger biplane that they are piloting right now. Powered by a 150 hp water-cooled V8 engine, it boasts a maximum speed of 250 km/h and a maximum ceiling of 5.200 meters, superior to the wyverns while having similar maneuverability. And most importantly, they did not need to be fed and can be mass-produced, unlike wyverns. The airplane began to gain fame as the mark of a mechanical civilization.

The flight leader, Mark, glanced around the cockpit of his plane. To his left is the hilly terrain of northern Mu, and to his right is the endless blue ocean. His flight was on a patrol mission in northern Mu, and he hoped that this will be an uneventful one so he can enjoy the scenery...

"This is Galliard Base Command, we have detected a group of intruders approaching from Leifor territory, altitude 3.000. Flight 19, you are the closest. Head to bearing 220 and intercept them."

"Dammit... why it must be us..." Mark muttered. "This is Flight 19, affirmative."

Signaling his wingmen to follow him, the Challengers banked to the southwest to meet the intruders.

Last month, there are three attempted military incursions by Leifor's vassal states into the territory claimed and controlled by Mu. It has been two decades since the end of the devastating Mu Civil War, but being the only mechanical civilization in a world where magic is the primary method of advancement resulted in a slow economic development that hampered Mu's long road to recovery. So, Mu did not want to get dragged into another war and adopted a policy of neutrality.

These intruders must belong to one of the overconfident Leifor vassals that claim territory upon Mu. By using the protection of Leifor, the fifth strongest superpower, as a shield, they think they can do as they please and get away with it. Eventually, Flight 19 spotted the intruders.

"Ten wyverns," Mark muttered. They were outnumbered by 2:1, so they must not let their guard down even if the Challengers are superior to the wyverns.

"Hm?"

As both formations closed the distance, he noticed the glow coming from the mouths of the wyverns. Mark's eyes widened as he shouted through the manacom.