12: 00 AM.
The lights in the hangar were brightly lit.
All the Stones of Lighting had been gathered here. Other than providing illumination, a portion of them would be installed on the planes to supplement the lack of light sources.
For this operation, the Air Knight would be deployed in full force. The 200 plus planes were not only Neverwinter's entire air force, but also the hope of all humans.
Hundreds of ground crew members pushed carts to and fro the hangar, inspecting the condition of every plane, with Anna taking the lead. Her hair was tied up and she wore boots. Her appearance in work attire left a deep impression on everyone and caused the atmosphere to soar.
Roland was no exception — her greasy cheeks and sapphire clear eyes were deeply imprinted in his mind.
1: 30 AM.
After the inspection of the planes, they began refueling.
All the exhaust fans were operating at full power to reduce the amount of oil in the air.
As there was not a high requirement for lighting and to reduce the risk of fire, this step was arranged to be carried out in both the hangar and the ground landing area.
Among the ground planes, the most eye-catching ones were the two single-winged four-engine bombers.
Even though it had shrunk considerably, its size was still spectacular. Its wingspan of over 30 meters and pitch-black paint made it stand out like a crane in a flock of chickens.
Replacing the Phoenix's engine meant that it could only fly with base oil, but in exchange, it was a reliable and mature airframe. Because of this, the engineering department was able to snatch the two bombers before the implementation of the plan.
Of course, its eye-catching aspect was not only its "big" aspect.
The First Army and the God's Punishment Witches were closely guarding its belly also showed that it was different from the others. Even though most of them had not seen the weapon that they had placed their hopes on, it did not prevent them from knowing that these two bombers would be the key to deciding the outcome of the battle.
3: 00 AM.
The Air Knight gathered together for the last round of route review.
"Remember, there is nothing in the night that can guide you. The stars in the sky will confuse your vision, and the light on the ground will be the enemy's bonfire!" Tilly stood on the podium and said loudly. "The only thing you can trust is the flashing tail lights of the planes in front of you! Open your eyes wide and look at the position of your teammates. Once you leave the floating island, there is no possibility of turning back! "
"If everything goes smoothly, we will arrive at the designated area at dawn. After that, the two bombers will drop their bombs one after another. During this process, your mission is to protect the main attacker and shoot down any enemy that tries to get close, whether it's a Devilbeast or a Senior Demon! "
"Listen carefully. Due to the time difference between the two bombs and the huge power of the bombs, remember not to get too close to the target. In addition, regardless of the outcome, the fleet had to return immediately. His Majesty allowed for failure, but he would not allow humanity's forces to be buried in a battle. As long as the sky still belongs to us, hope will never end! "
"Go and write a new history of mankind. I will be with you in this operation!"
"Yes, Your Highness!" Everyone shouted in unison.
3: 50 AM
"To be honest, I'm a little nervous."
Beside the Phoenix's gangway, Roland saw Tilly's trembling hands.
This was the first time he had seen her reveal such an unsteady expression.
At this time, there was only half an hour left before the scheduled takeoff time. Two hundred carrier-based aircrafts in another world could also support four to five waves of attacks. They had to take off in advance and form a formation to ensure that there would not be too many people left behind in the subsequent long-distance raid.
"Are you afraid?"
"Perhaps …" She first nodded before shaking her head. "But I think it's more of anticipation. Brother, do you still remember our promise? Just thinking about how that day is about to come makes me unable to control my emotions. "
Once the Battle of Divine Will ended, Ashes would return to the world. This was the belief that had supported her until now.
"Ah, I remember." Roland said gently. "But the prerequisite is that you return safely. Only then can you prove that I did not lie to you."
Tilly raised her head. "Brother, can you hug me?"
He slowly extended his hand and pulled her petite body into his embrace. The latter naturally fell forward and rested her forehead on his chest. It was as though time had returned to a year ago, when she cried in his embrace.
After a moment, Tilly's breathing stabilized.
"I'm setting off." She took two steps back.
"Go."
She boarded the cockpit, pulled down the cabin cover, and opened her mouth to Roland.
From the shape of her mouth, it was' thank you '.
The gangway was removed and the propellers began to spin.
4: 20 AM.
Gates 1 to 10 of the floating islands were opened, and the biplane formation flew out of the mothership.
Sylvie used her magic eye to monitor the situation, reminding the planes that might fall behind or deviate from the airspace to return to the right track. Under the pitch-black night sky, more than two hundred aircrafts circled around the Eleanor Cruiser like a group of fireflies.
This was also the stage where accidents were most likely to occur. Without radar guidance and night vision equipment, the pilots would not be able to distinguish between the sky and the land. And with so many aircrafts taking off, the erratic flight path lights would also cause confusion for the Air Knight. If not for Lightning and Maggie, under Sylvie's instructions, knocking on the glass window to warn everyone before the problem occurred, many aircrafts would have been lost during the formation.
4: 55 AM.
Through the radio, Roland gave the order for the battle to begin.
The Seagull and Phoenix, as the leaders of the fleet, were the first to ascend. Following closely behind were two bombers — they were given the names' Kun Peng 'and' Peace Ark 'respectively, and were also the core of the two formations.
Behind them was the escort formation formed by the Fire of Heaven and Fury of Heaven. Although they were divided into two formations, it was only for the convenience of night navigation. For this operation, any bomber was of utmost importance and could not be lost.
The last to leave were Lightning and Maggie.
The two of them waved goodbye to Roland in front of the podium and flew into the night. Together with Shavi, Vendy, Andrea, Sylvie, and the others on the Seagull, it could be said that humanity had invested all their air power in this battle.
Soon, the massive fleet was swallowed by the night and disappeared without a trace.
Roland looked in the direction where everyone had left, unwilling to leave his line of sight for a long time.
"Even if you don't believe in God, the only thing you can do at this time is to pray …" Nightingale sighed softly.
He nodded his head indiscernibly.
This was probably the thought of all the remaining personnel.
They had already done everything they could.
What followed was a difficult and anxious wait — for the moment when their fate was decided.
"Fortunately, we don't have to wait for too long." Anna looked at the black skyline. "The sky … will be bright soon."
…
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