Nihonkoku Shoukan: Thus The Sun Rises In Another World

CH 3.1: Above the Heavens

I might be concerned about typos and errors but this is the best I can make.

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Cent. Calendar, February 14, 1638

Second civilization sphere, West of the Muish continent, Western pagandan coast, Paganda Aerial formation

The morning light stretched thinly over the horizon, spilling across the waves and casting an eerie calm over the ocean as the day began. The hundred-plus dots of the Pagandan squadrons moved steadily, a disciplined dance of aircraft taking to the skies from Kaliva Airbase on the island's southernmost point. Each plane inched forward with a sense of purpose, their formation tight, wings gleaming as they rose into the early daylight. These were the elite Pagandan forces, summoned in haste after the sudden loss of their first fleet somewhere in the western Pagandan ocean. The fleet, expected to check in by midday, had gone silent—a fate shrouded in mystery and dark suspicions. Desperate to avoid another unthinkable loss, Pagandan command had rallied their best, deploying every available plane from Kaliva with orders to intercept and secure the skies against whatever unknown threat lurked beyond their shores.

The Pagandan biplanes themselves were a marvel of engineering, advanced yet rooted in timeless craftsmanship. Flaurence-type models, they were unmistakable with their twin sets of wings, crafted from a blend of wood and reinforced lightweight metal—a fusion of tradition and innovation. Yet their true power lay hidden within: mana crystals, pulsing with magical energy, imbued their engines with a hum that echoed through the sky as they sped forward at over 350 kilometers per hour. These biplanes symbolized Paganda’s finest achievements, rivaling even Eleishia’s greatest wyverns and the formidable Wyvern lords, a feat that filled the nation with pride.

Among the pilots, a cautious optimism tinged with unspoken anxiety filled the air. Some of these men were seasoned veterans, while others were younger, newly minted airmen, yet all bore the same focus as they surveyed the skies around them. "Just another day," murmured one squadron leader, his voice crackling over the mana radio with a confidence that tried to mask his own uncertainty. They expected to face enemy aircraft likely similar to their own—creations of the great nations of Eleishia, powerful yet bound by the same limitations. None dared to guess at what might await them as they pressed westward, the open skies a quiet reminder of the mysteries they could not yet see.

But far above them, hidden by the morning mist, a threat crept closer. Japanese bombers cut through the sky, floating silently in perfect formation, a haunting contrast to the Pagandan squadrons below. G5N Shinzan-Kai bombers glided at the lead, their hulking silhouettes obscured by clouds, trailed by the streamlined D5N Suisei dive bombers and a swift formation of A6M Zero Kai fighters. Just half an hour earlier, they had silently obliterated a Pagandan fleet with merciless precision, leaving the remnants to the ocean below. Now, they pressed on, carrying the same quiet yet unstoppable momentum.

Inside one of the Zero fighters, a radar screen flashed to life. The pilot leaned in, his eyes narrowing as the blips multiplied across the display. “Radar contact,” he announced, voice sharp over the intercom. “Dozens of them… possibly over a hundred… approaching from below, closing in fast.”

Captain Teruaki, commanding the 310th squadron, frowned, intrigued by the report. “Below us? Hmm… interesting. Do they know we’re here?”

“Unlikely, Captain,” came the answer. “They don’t seem to have any radar systems of their own.”

A slow, amused smile crept across Teruaki’s face. “Well then,” he mused, “perhaps we’ll get a bit more action than last time.” He recalled their previous encounter—a scene of utter devastation as their squadron approached only to find the Pagandan fleet already reduced to floating wreckage. He took a deep breath, an eagerness stirring in his chest. “Alright,” he commanded, his voice cool and steady, “I’m going down to investigate. I’ll need two of you with me. The rest, hold formation.”