Early in the morning, a ray of light appeared in the hazy sky.
Most of the people were still asleep, but in the newly opened landing field on the outskirts of the City of Glow, the garrison and ground crew had been busy for a long time. They rushed to both ends of the runway in the chilly spring wind, and their inner liners were already soaked with sweat.
Planes were being towed out of the warehouse to the end of the runway. The final loading, loading, and inspection work had also come to an end.
In the barracks next to the landing field, Tilly gathered all the experienced Air Knight Pilots together.
After a few rounds of enrollment and the teaching method of letting the old teach the new, there were now more than a hundred people who could go to the battlefield, and the number of students who were undergoing intensive training had doubled. At this point, the "new army" that was independent of the ground forces was beginning to take shape.
In the previous battle in the Impassable Mountain Range, although many planes were lost, the chances of the pilots surviving were not low. Compared to the infantry, which was difficult to shake off the demons' pursuit, the "Fire of Heaven" could rely on gliding to quickly leave the battlefield even if it lost its combat ability.
Therefore, regardless of whether it was shot down by the enemy or crashed due to mechanical failure, as long as it was not too bad luck, the experienced pilots would basically be able to hold on until they reached a suitable landing area.
Of course, this was also related to the biplanes' low speed and natural ability to lift. The demons' spears lacked the ability to kill in one hit.
These factors allowed the entire team to mature at an extremely fast speed.
"You should know the details of this mission very well." Tilly crossed her arms and slowly walked to the front of the team. Like the soldiers who were about to go to war, she was also wearing a thick windproof combat suit. Her long gray hair was tied up behind her head and matched with a blue sash. She looked neat and spirited. "Break through the enemy's defensive line and throw the bombs into the hinterland of the floating fortress, just like what we did during the training a few days ago."
"But this time, you will not be flying over the outskirts of the City of Glow, but above the enemy's fortress. The ones intercepting you will not be the academy students, but the Devilbeasts and Senior Demons."
"Your Highness!" Someone in the team suddenly raised his hand.
"Speak."
"Isn't that simpler?"
The person who spoke was Goode, and his words caused a burst of low laughter.
Tilly also raised the corner of her mouth. She didn't object to this kind of "arrogant" conversation. On the contrary, on the eve of the battle, the high-spirited fighting spirit helped everyone to ease the tension.
Moreover, Good had already killed 12 Devilbeasts, so it was not too arrogant of him to say that.
"It seems so, but the Senior Demon behind the Devilbeasts is still not to be underestimated. I hope you can come back alive to prove this point." At this point, Tilly changed the topic. "Also, I must emphasize that the floating island is extremely large. Breaking into the central region means that the surrounding area is the territory of the demons. You can imagine the consequences of landing there. Therefore, we should try our best to avoid any accidents during this operation. I want you to temporarily put aside the idea of gambling on the chance of being stabbed by a demon in exchange for killing the enemy. Understand? "
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"Very good, then next is the team arrangement — the people assigned to the 'Wrath of Heaven' will be responsible for dropping bombs for this mission."
With that said, all the free Knight pricked up their ears.
The Wrath of Heaven was the first modified version of the 'Fire of Heaven'. Its body was more compact, and the cockpit had an additional glass cover. Not only was its appearance more beautiful than the 'Fire of Heaven', its performance was also greatly improved. The most crucial changes came from the new star-shaped engine and the external weapon system. The former was considered an inferior version of the Phoenix's engine, and its power was limited to a relatively low level. It was also not equipped with a pressurization system, so as to meet the production standards of the assembly line. The latter could be decided based on the mission, and could include autocannons and bombs.
And the first batch of 10 Wrath of Heaven had already been transported here by ship. They were the core of the air raid rehearsal, and whoever could pilot the new planes would undoubtedly be recognized by the Princess Royal.
Tilly deliberately paused for a moment before taking out a name list. "According to the plan, these 10 planes will be split into two teams, and will be protected by the corresponding escorts. The leader of the first team will be — Good."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Everyone cast envious gazes at him. As the Aerial Knight member with the best results, his selection was without a doubt.
"The leader of the second team will be — Manfeld."
The latter was slightly taken aback, and only reacted after a while. "Your Highness, you chose me?"
"Is there a second Manfeld here?" Tilly raised her eyebrows.
"Yes, yes! Your subordinate obeys! "
Manfeld was overjoyed as he replied.
This also caused a wave of hushed whispers in the team. Compared to the other experienced Aerial Knight members, his battle record could be counted on one's fingers, and he was purely a rookie. In the previous battle at the Impassable Mountain Range, his battle results were not outstanding, and he was only able to shoot down a plane. Even though he performed well during training, his performance as a team leader had exceeded everyone's expectations.
However, Tilly knew that this rookie was extremely talented, and this was not only reflected in his piloting, but also in intense battles. In terms of flying skills, Manfeld Castein could be ranked in the top ten of the team, but in terms of battle sense, he far surpassed the rest.
In the aerial battle at the Impassable Mountain Range, she was the only one who noticed that Manfeld's plane had been roaming around the weakest position of the team, and he had chased away enemy troops that attempted to penetrate through that position, thus freeing her Phoenix. Regardless of whether he was covering for his teammates' attacks or removing danger for his teammates, he would always appear at the most needed position.
This was definitely not an easy task. The situation in the air was ever-changing, and most people could only pay attention to themselves and their wingmen. This was also the reason why flying formations needed to be as meticulous as possible. To be able to observe the entire situation in the midst of an intense battle and capture the most efficient entry point, his sharpness and vision far exceeded that of flying itself.
Compared to Good, who had outstanding individual skills, Manfeld's advantage lay in his teamwork. Perhaps even he himself did not realize where his true talent lay.
In fact, after the battle ended, Tilly had immediately looked up the detailed records of this person. The Knight's family background could explain where his accomplishments came from, but it was worth pondering that such a Knight was unable to save his declining family. Manfeld's physique and strength had restricted his performance in close combat. If it was a one-on-one battle, she suspected that Carter could defeat him with one hand.
But the roaring engine and cannons did not care about the strength of the pilot. With the power of the biplane, the vast and boundless sky was clearly a field that was more suitable for him to display his abilities.
Tilly did not mention the reason for her choice, as she believed that after a few more battles, Manfeld and the others would naturally notice it.
After handing over the names of the two crew members, she raised her head to look at the sun's position before issuing the order to move.
Under the command of the flag signals, the Phoenix was the first to glide across the runway and rise into the sky. The golden rays of light reflected off its metal wings and formed a dazzling halo.
Following closely behind was the Seagull. After the first plane had crashed, Anna had quickly rushed to produce a second one. To her, this sort of practice made perfect, and it did not take her much effort.
Finally, there were forty Fires of Heaven and ten Fury of Heaven with bombs hanging on them. They formed a massive fleet that majestically flew past the City of Glow and disappeared into the clouds in the west.
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