Wind Fighter Squadron

Chapter 5 - Reppū vs Type 2 Fighter

The battle between the Reppū and Type 1 fighters ended in a complete victory for the former. Well, it was almost like bullying, to be honest. Anyway, the day's work is done, and my subordinates are in a good mood after thoroughly defeating the Army. All that's left is to exchange greetings with the Army squadron leader, who outranks me, and head home. But just as I was thinking that, the captain approached me with a smile on his face.

Oh, shit!

I know it. There's nothing scarier than a smiling superior.

That commander, I remember, he was... I think there's 'Kuro' in his name... um, what was it again?

I totally forgot his name. Well, I remember he's a captain, so I'll just call him Captain and play it off.

"Thank you for your hard work today. Thanks to you, I have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the Type 1 fighter."

With those words, the Captain expressed his gratitude to me first. At that moment, I felt a chill as I overheard Iwamoto mutter behind me, "Isn't everything just bad?"

The Captain didn't hear that, right?

"Well, there's actually something I'd like to ask," the Captain said, turning to me with a slightly different smile than before.

Hey, Iwamoto, you all, I caught you sneaking a glance at me just now. I'm playing dumb, you know.

"Yes, sir?"

I couldn't ignore what the Captain said, so I returned a smile with a generous amount of politeness.

If Iwamoto wants you, feel free to take him home, I muttered silently to myself.

"I was deeply impressed by the Navy's Reppū fighter. It's a strong aircraft. So I was wondering if our Type 2 fighter could stand up to the Reppū."

Hey, hey, Captain, it's Shōwa Year 16 now. The Type 2 is next year's fighter. Even demons would laugh. That's what I thought, but what came out of my mouth was a simple question, "What's a Type 2 fighter?"

"It's that bulky aircraft next to the Type 1 fighter. So, instead of just letting our wingmen fight, how about we, as flight leads, have a go at each other?"

I instantly got the meaning behind the Captain's words. This isn't just a simple match. The Army has suffered three consecutive defeats so far. And they were crushing defeats. But if the Captain and I were to fight now, and if the Captain were to win, what would happen?

The Type 1 fighter lost to the Reppū. On the other hand, the Type 2 fighter defeated the Reppū. The battle between the NCOs of the Army and Navy was won by the Navy. However, the battle between officers was won by the Army. In other words, if the Captain wins, the Army won't be at a disadvantage of one win and three losses, but instead, it'll be a tie of two wins and two losses. Conversely, the Navy, instead of having three wins and one loss, will end up with two wins and two losses. Of course, this is all assuming I accept the Captain's offer and I lose.

Conclusion: It's just a waste to do it. There's no benefit for me. And even if I did it, there's no way I, of all people, could match up to the Captain.

That Captain, whatever his name is, is undoubtedly a formidable pilot. That's what I was thinking as I tried to decline, but then, Mutō had to go and say it.

"I was actually curious about that aircraft too. Sir, please do your best!"

Motherfucker! Read the room, Mutō!

That Captain, whatever his name is, is no ordinary guy. He's oozing with the aura of a strong individual. You and Iwamoto might be one thing, but there's no way I could win against the Captain.

"Very well. Let's prepare then."

Before I could reiterate my refusal, the Captain took the initiative. What's with this guy!?

What is wrong with these Navy Lieutenants and Army Captains!?

And so, reluctantly, the simulated aerial combat began, but to everyone's surprise, the battle between the Reppū and the Type 2 fighter, between me and the Captain, ended with my victory. While the Reppū had better maneuverability and the Type 2 had a higher top speed, fighters don't always fight at maximum speed. And if you keep flying at maximum power all the time, unfortunately, Japanese engines wear out quickly and might even break down. If that happens, you'll either get lambasted by the maintenance chief later or, if your luck is shit that day, you'll end up in the afterlife.

What ultimately determined the outcome between the Reppū and the Type 2 fighter was not just the speed difference but also the difference in maneuverability and something else. It's hard to put into words, but you could call it the difference in overall balance. If each has its pros and cons, what ultimately matters is overall performance. And in that aspect, the Reppū was superior to the Type 2 fighter. That I defeated the Captain is the best proof of that. If we were to fight with aircraft of the same performance, I would undoubtedly be defeated by the Captain in no time.

And as the name suggests, the Type 2 fighter at this point in 1941 is clearly lacking in refinement and maturity. The difference between the completed Reppū and the still-incomplete Type 2 fighter is decisive as a fighter. While there may be potential for the Type 2 fighter to surpass the Reppū if further improvements are made in the future, at present, it's no match for the Reppū. In other words, there was not only a difference in skill between me and the Captain but also a performance gap between the Reppū and the current Type 2 fighter.

Thinking this and saying it out loud, Muto, Iwamoto, and even Nishizawa all turned to me with puzzled looks. It's a bit unsettling when all these tough-looking guys do it, especially when it's three of them.

"What?" I asked bluntly, and Mutō chuckled.

"Ensign, you're not as weak as you make yourself out to be. You're not only one of the finest officers, but also one of the best in the entire Navy."

Is this guy serious?

I'm the one who's always screaming in the sky as you guys leave me in the dust! I'm always frustrated because you guys never give me a chance! Every day, I'm reminded of the gap in our skills! I cry myself to sleep every night because I'm bullied by monsters like Mutō, Iwamoto, and Nishizawa!

And I'm not weak? Talented?

"Yes, I think so too. I can see you getting stronger every day."

Even Iwamoto, who never says anything to flatter, agrees with Mutō's words.

Huh? Is that so?

If you guys say things like that, I might start getting conceited.

"That Army Captain was certainly formidable. If it were an average officer, they would probably have been defeated by the Type 2 fighter, even if it was against the Reppū. But you won. I watched from below, and it was a splendid maneuver."

Even Nishizawa, who has nothing to do with flattery, said something nice. I see, maybe by training every day with monsters like Mutō, Iwamoto, and Nishizawa, I've started to think of them as normal. And because of that, I've been feeling inferior to them. But even if two ordinary people start with the same abilities, their experiences will be quite different depending on how they spend their time. That's probably how it is. At the very least, I've convinced myself that monsters are normal, felt inferior to them, but nevertheless made efforts to overcome it. And that's paid off this time.

Anyway, I've defended the honor of the Navy officers and even managed to look out for myself.

Come to think of it, I remember the cash I got from the Lieutenant for the "victory celebration." I told the three of them about that and that we're allowed an overnight pass today, and they got really excited. That night, our squad drank heavily and gossiped about the Army.

It was the last delicious sake I had in peacetime.