Chapter 140

[Going back in time to when the jet black fleet invaded Mongolia――]

"They appeared just as Gojo said they would."

"That is precisely why we did those preparations. There's no reason to get flustered... The orders from above will probably soon come."

Shimizu and Sakamoto were watching the news being broadcasted on the TV.

In order to intercept the mysterious fleet that had appeared suddenly, the Mongolian, Chinese and Russian armies had been deployed immediately and had requested for back up.

Due to already having expected the appearance of the fleet Europe promptly created a plan of action and dispatched Prometheus.

However, in order for the air forces to arrive in Mongolia they would need to pass through several countries so it was speculated that their fuel wouldn't last, so it would take some time for them to arrive.

Japan was no exception, also receiving the request for reinforcements...

[Osaka・Prime Minister's Official Residence]

"So they really did come..."

"Yes, it's just as Gojo Masakado said. But we have made all the necessary arrangements."

Inside the Official Residence Prime Minister Tada was talking with the newly appointed Minister of Defense Okazoe.

In the Air Self-Defense Force Bases in Chitose, Gifu and Ashiya the Ground Self-Defense Forces have already joined with the Special Forces and can be dispatched at any time."

Due to already having taken care of the coordination of the Cabinet Ministers as well as the necessary legislation, even before Gojo had headed towards Antarctica, Tada was currently able to give the command without any difficulty.

"I want to personally say a few words to the soldiers before giving the dispatch order. Could you set up a broadcast?"

"We'll have it ready immediately."

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That day Gifu Airbase was quite rowdy. Everyone knew that they would definitely be dispatched.

Sakamoto, in particular, was left in charge of the special forces that were composed from Chitose, Gifu and Ashiya's Air Self-Defense Forces.

"Don't get too enthusiastic now!"

"I know. Still I cannot let my guard down either. We'll probably get the order any time now. It's no wonder that tension is this high."

"Don't worry. It's precisely for this moment that we have Gojo as well as that. It will be fine."

Starting with Sakamoto and Shimizu, all of the soldiers that were estimated to be dispatched were gathered in one of the base's rooms. In the middle of that room there was a huge monitor.

Hearing that they were about to receive a broadcast from the Official Residence all of the soldiers had straightened themselves. Prime Minister Tada's face appeared on the monitor and he began speaking to the soldiers.

[As the Prime Minister I would like to say some words to all of you that have gathered here in front of me. From here on we will respond to the United Nations' request and head for the battlefield.]

All of the soldiers here knew that even if there had been a request by the United Nations, without laying the necessary groundwork, it couldn't have been realized easily.

[It pains me to have to send you all to a dangerous battlefield. However, your efforts will bring about great contributions towards the world's peace. I believe that it will serve to protect the lives of Japan's citizens.]

The tension in the air heightened when Tada finished his words.

[10th Wing, Special Air Force I hereby order you to dispatch!]

"Bow!"

Upon Sakamoto's order all of the soldiers gathered in the room bowed. This would turn out to be the first dispatchment out of the country since the forming of the Self-Defense Forces.

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I and Shimizu headed towards the runway where the fighter jets and the transportation aircraft were being prepared.

"Sakamoto, what is the current state? You just met the Ministry of Defense right? You should know something."

"Apparently the Mongolian Army has already been completely wiped out. The Chinese and Russian armies are continuing to attack from both flanks but..."

"They having a hard time?"

"Their enemy is a black mother ship that sends out several tens of thousands of aircrafts. And apparently our enemies have technology that is no inferior to ours."

"If it's not inferior then they must have quite the advantage over us then?"

"There was a report that there is some kind of shield around the mothership which stops all of our fighter aircrafts' attacks."

"Then..."

"However, after a number of attacks land, the shield disappears and when it does even normal attacks will apparently be able to shoot down the mothership."

"So even normal weapons will work huh. They're different from those monsters... So is that why they decided to send the monsters instead of coming here themselves?"

"That's possible. America and the EU are apparently shooting at the mother ship with ICBMs. It will probably take a couple of those before the shield around it disappears. The problem is that their numbers are just way too overwhelming. If reinforcements are late China and Russia might just get wiped out."

"So it's essential that we quickly gather the world's forces... But why Mongolia? Is there some geographic meaning behind it?"

Shimizu's question also made me think...

"I don't know... It may be some kind of strategy or it's just that they cannot properly control where they appear... There's much that we don't know."

"That goes for their purpose as well. Their forces are certainly overwhelming, but it doesn't seem like they're enough to go against the whole world."

"According to eyewitness reports from China's Military, apparently a number of mother ships have landed and are currently doing something. I've got a bad feeling about it."

"If it's some kind of way to block our transmissions or maybe a device that'll be used to summon monsters then we'd get completely overwhelmed. We have no choice but to stop it."

What awaited us when we got to the runway were F35 combat aircrafts. However they weren't just your normal combat aircrafts. The kids that Gojo brought before used some kind of strange power to improve them.

At first we thought that it was some kind of joke, but during a test flight they blew our minds.

"Shimizu I'll get on the transportation aircraft with the Ground Unit and head to the battlefield. You'll probably be the first to get there so be careful."

"I know."

"Show them the strength of a former flying ace."

"Don't expect too much now. Still, I'll do the best I can." saying that Shimizu got on the F35 and awaited the departure order. After all he had to first join up with the F35 squads from Hyakuri and Chitose.

I also got on the transportation aircraft and waited for the same order.

The order from headquarters soon came. Shimizu's Combat Aircraft Squad flew up and behind them the transportation aircraft, carrying us, flew behind them.

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[Switzerland・Geneva]

The combined strategy headquarters from the United Nations and European Parliament took on all of the information they could from satellites and the armies of different countries and shared with members of the United Nations as well as different media.

"China's Air Force losses have surpassed 50%. The Russian Military losses have also surpassed 40% If it goes on like this we'll lose our essential military strength even before the reinforcements come."

"Aren't we expecting help from any of the nearby countries?"

"There are a lot of countries that are prioritizing their own safety. It cannot be helped."

Currently in Geneva members from the United Nations, European Parliament as well as soldiers from the United Nations' Military were gathered. They were in the middle of a heated dispute, but all of them could agree on one thing, and that was that the situation was dire.

In the midst of their dispute――

"Rapidly approaching aircrafts. It's a formation of around 100 aircraft."

"They should be allies. Which country are they from?"

"This identification code... It's Japan's Self-Defense Forces!"

"Japan?"

Hearing Japan had come shocked a lot of people. It was true that the time it took for them to appear after the request had been issued was mind-blowing, however the more shocking part was that Japan's Self-Defense Force were known to never dispatch their units overseas.

"Either way, it's dangerous to charge in the battlefield with just 100 aircrafts. We should have them retreat first and join with the other units."

"That's... They're flying in a straight line towards the heart of the battlefield."

"What did you just say!?"

"They've entered the range of the enemy's mother ship!"

Due to having already had a number of their fellow soldiers fall victim to the enemy's power weapons, everyone thought that the Self-Defense Forces would fall as well.

However, the shared information coming from the Chinese Military's Radar showed that the enemy ships in front of the Self-Defense Force's Squad were disappearing one after another.

No one in the room knew what was going on.

"We have an image."

On the huge monitor inside the control office an image taken by the Chinese Military was shown. Anyone who looked at the image was left dumbfounded.

What the Self-Defense Forces were using looked like ordinary F35s. However, they blocked the enemy's attacks with shields of light and shot them down not with bullets but rather with lasers.

Those attacks pierced through the enemy's barriers and brought down the enemy planes in one hit. The attacks pierced through the mother ship's defense barrier, going through even the armored plating creating an explosion.

Accompanied by a black smoke the mother ship began falling down.

"What in the world... Those are completely different from Prometheus' planes. How in the world did Japan get a hold of those!?"

The people inside the control office could only look with their jaws wide open at how the enemy forces were slowly dwindling.

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"All aircrafts, don't let go of your target and bring them all down!"

[[Roger!]]

The 10 F35s behind me dispersed upon my command and began to steadily shoot down the enemy ships.

"At any rate this is one hell of an aircraft..."

These F35s were powered by a Sun Stone called Amaterasu. They were able to continue operating for the unbelievable time of 72 hours.

And it wasn't just their operating capability. We could also load up the energy to fire off lasers which opened up holes in the enemy ships.

It was a machine that couldn't be created with our current technology.

'And that Noah, alongside those kids, were able to easily create all of these things just by looking at the aircraft's blueprints...'

[20 enemy ships coming from 10 o'clock!]

"Intercept them with mid-ranged air-to-air missiles"

Alongside me, all of us dispersed in the air and locked on the enemy ships.

"Fire!"

The missiles were shot simultaneously and began trailing the enemy ships.

The missile's heads were made from Orichalcum so they were able to easily pierce through the enemy ships' magic barrier. The enemy ships exploded in mid-air and began falling down.

"Good job!"

We now knew that our strength worked against the enemy.

'Now it's just...'

According to the prior information, there were four mother ships currently situated on the ground. They were placed on all four sides so it was apparent that they were protecting something in the middle.

'We must do something about that.'

"Third Squad! Follow me! We'll destroy those things on the ground!!"

[[Roger!]]

Alongside me, a squad of 13 aircrafts entered the range of the mother ships. We were welcomed with a barrage of attacks.

It seemed like the enemy's main source of attack were lasers as well.

However, Amaterasu's powerful magic barrier blocked all of the attacks. We broke through the mother ship's defense line and in the middle of the area they were guarding we saw something resembling a black building.

'I don't know what they're making but it can't be anything good.'

"Everyone! Charge!"

One could monitor the amassing of the Sun Stone's energy on a meter inside the cockpit. This thing had the same effect as the magic that Gojo uses.

It would be able to easily pierce through the enemy's magic barriers.

'I'm counting on you.'

"Fire!!"

All of the 13 lasers gathered directly towards the building. However...

"What!?"

The lasers were repelled just in front of the building. It appeared that it had a barrier that was way stronger than that of the mother ships.

"It didn't work..."

'It seems like it's hard to destroy it with an attack from the air.'

"Nothing we can do. We'll leave the ground to Sakamoto. Let's take care of the enemy's ships. Follow me!"

[[Roger!]]

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[Switzerland・Geneva・United Nations Headquarters]

"India, Pakistan and Korea will also participate in aerial warfare. And Prometheus should arrive at any moment. We'll begin turning the tables."

"That leaves the ground..."

"Any unit that has gotten close to that mysterious building has been wiped out."

"The ground is harder to guard than the air huh... What exactly is there?"

"There were reports that there are some kind of monsters."

Everyone knew that the mysterious building was dangerous, however they could only stand by and do nothing. It was then that――

"We've got a call from the Chinese as well as the European Militaries――"

"What is it!?"

"Any time now their transportation aircrafts will enter the battlefield. Apparently Suzaku and The Sanctuary Knights are on them!"