The Nihon Chronicles: An Alternate Summoning Japan Fanfiction

Chapter 16: Operation Momotarou 3

++++++

•• 100km From Topa's Coastline, Morning ••

The salty morning breeze swept into the seas and into the mighty hulls of the steel castles that floated and sailed just a hundred kilometers from Topa. Aboard these ships, men worked tirelessly, especially on the deck of Tsugaru, as winged beasts sat silently, their wings unfurled with green, cylindrical objects being attached onto them. Escorted by the Maritime Service Force destroyers, she sailed unopposed.

From outside the bridge, Admiral Takamoto watched the preperations unfolding down the flight deck. Configured in sea control mission, her complement consisted of VTOLs, and a few helicopters. Typically, JMSF's American counterparts used Sea Harrier jumpjets recently replaced by F-35Bs in their air wing for such deployments. Japan was on their way acquiring the stealthy aircrafts when the transference happened, cutting the project in an unexpected and abrupt setback. Despite that, a handful of US Marine Corps's F-35Bs remained during the transference, although only in small numbers and not to mention the personnel training.

One of his officers stood beside him. "Sir, are you sure we'll mount a strike using the Seagull? It's a seasoned anti-submarine and reconnaissance aircraft, but we haven't tried it on ground attack role" the officer said in a concerned tone, prompting Takamoto to answer, removing his hat. "We'll have to make do with what we have, unfortunately. We can't wait for the Navy pilots to finish their training on the leftover F-35s."

"But how about letting the USMC pilot them?" the officer asked again, frowning as the first of the aircrafts took off. "We have just 10 F-35s left intact when we get here, the rest were with USS America on deployment. Plus, we have a very different mission training compared to the Marines." The admiral answered, sighing. Regardless, the mission must proceed, as their aircrafts were already primed and taking off from the deck.

Unfolding their wings and showing the pair of 500lb bombs mounted on their underwing pylons, 15 MV/SA-32J Seagull VTOL aircrafts took off from the Tsugaru.

Not being equipped with steam catapults like the Kaga- and Yamato-class aircraft carriers, fixed-wing aircrafts must take off with their own power from the deck, and land vertically. Tsugaru's air wing was supposed to be equipped with Harrier IIs and F-35Bs, although the Harrier was dropped in favor of the US-made F-35s - which never came into fruition due to the transference. A handful of Marine Corps Lightning IIs were left, but they were undergoing refits and reverse-engineering, along with pilot training. Luckily, the MV/SA-32J is capable enough to perform light attacks and stand in as a placeholder.

The Seagull, more known as the "Umidori", is a VTOL rotorcraft designed for reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare, although its use for ground attack role was tested in anti-terror campaigns in the Philippines before. Nearly the same size as a V-22 Osprey, its folding wings made it compact enough to be carried in a vessel as big as an Ōsumi-class LST.

One by one they took off, each carrying four 500lb laser-guided bombs - precision-guided bombs with unparalleled accuracy. A total of 15 aircrafts are now heading towards Topa to bomb the anomalous construct summoned by the Demon Lord.

From the glass visor of the bridge, officers and personnel watched the Seagulls vector away, bidding them with their goodbyes and luck into their strike.

• • • • •

Hours have passed since the air wing took off from Tsugaru, as three groups of Seagulls flew in formation, flying above the clouds. They're coming close to the target, as the coastline of Topa can be faintly seen on the horizon. Inside the cockpit of the leading Seagull, the wing leader, Mitsuharu Kihara, took a final check on the onboard instruments, gazing from the cockpit and looking at the seas. <<"We're closing into the target.">> he radioed. From an altitude of 6,000 meters, they started descending, piercing through the airspace with their propeller blades furiously roaring. Soon enough, the target appeared: a gigantic and withered flesh-like creature, much like a fungus, but with growing tendrils around a hole-like construct. Its fleshy veins had took over the walls, and its traces of blobs are all around the area. <<"What the hell is that?">> one of the pilots voiced over. <<"That's our target. We'll have to keep distance, it might suddenly swat us out of the sky.">> Kihara replied.