A New World, New Start (REMAKE)

Chapter 6: Burn

70,000 feet
August 13, 1986
8:30 PM

70,000 feet above Shōmei Island, fifty B-19 Leveler bombers cruised at high altitude, escorted by four fourth-generation F-09 Striker fighters. Despite the seemingly small number of escorts, the Imperial Elysian Air Force (IEAF) was unmatched in power and skill, with only the Greater Germanic Reich and the Italian Empire trailing behind. On the global stage, even a coalition of the world's air forces would be insufficient to challenge the IEAF. This superiority had been demonstrated during the Second World War when Elysia single-handedly decimated half of the Luftwaffe-a feat the entire Royal Air Force had been unable to achieve.

This mission, codenamed Operation: Dies Ignis, or Day of Fire in english, targeted a vast forest that acted as a natural barrier for the Tiănese capital, located two thousand kilometers away. The fifty B-19 bombers carried an overwhelming fifty thousand pounds of explosives, including cluster bombs laced with Roman Fire. A descendant of the ancient Greek Fire used by their ancestors the Byzantine Empire. Roman Fire had been refined to be even more destructive. It could burn on land and underwater, continuing for months before finally extinguishing itself. Its most devastating characteristic was its rapid spread, making it ideal for decimating forested areas.

Elysia's strategy of burning entire forests was born from lessons learned during the Vietnam War, where the Germanic Reich and the Italian Empire struggled against North Vietnam. Supported by the Chinese Republic and the Union of Free Nations (UFN), North Vietnam's forces had turned the war into a grueling guerrilla conflict. Elysia had no desire to face similar tactics from the Tiănese, who knew their terrain intimately. Though there were alternative approaches, the Imperial High Command chose a path of total destruction, ensuring their enemy would be left without cover or refuge. And also the reason why the operation was named like that.

As they approached their target, the city of Xeilóng, the crew of one of the B-19s discussed their grim mission. According to the Imperial Agency of Elysia, Xeilóng was a bustling city with nearly nine hundred thousand inhabitants. Their orders were clear: bomb the city into oblivion, wiping out as many people as possible. The rationale was simple yet brutal-no specific reason, just a desire to plunge the Tian Empire into chaos by erasing an entire city from communication with the capital. From a perspective rooted in Earth's values, it would be considered a war crime. But Elysia was a different world, with its own brutal rules.

Inside the cockpit, the pilot and his co-pilot spoke, with the co-pilot breaking the silence. "<<We're targeting a heavily populated city... Again...>>" he said, his voice tinged with unease.

The pilot chuckled. "<<Just like old times, partner.>>"

"<<I don't get it...>>" the co-pilot muttered, his discomfort evident.

"<<What do you mean, buddy? We've carried out bombing runs on heavily populated cities before. Remember Tehran? I heard we wiped out more than half the population!>>" The pilot's tone was casual, as if he were discussing any routine mission.

"<<That's the problem!>>" the co-pilot snapped, raising his voice, causing the pilot to flinch slightly.

"<<We killed-what, half a million people? And most of them were innocent civilians! What's General Aeliou thinking?!>>"

The pilot glanced over, his expression more amused than irritated. "<<Oh, come on. We've been doing this for years, ever since Emperor Andréas was nearly assassinated. You're still not used to it?>>"

"<<l know, but isn't it excessive? Indiscriminately killing civilians->>" The co-pilot's voice trailed off, uncertainty lacing his words.