ASAHI NO NISHISEI - Rising Sun Goes West (2)

Final Battle Over Fukuoka 1

It is a bit grueling to have the soldiers who were on the front lines of war in Volume 3 appear in Volume 5, having risen to the occasion.

Also, it will be easier to understand the connection if you read this story while remembering the epilogue of Volume 3 and the contents of Volume 4.

- Bokutotsu Zen'u

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February 16, 2038

Anti-Elmerand Frontline Command, Iwakuni Air Base, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan

A single Osprey landed at Iwakuni Air Base, where many citizens had evacuated from Kyushu in preparation for the saucer's attack. From it, Kengo Kuraba, who had just returned from the United States, and the Joint Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Makoto Hasegawa, disembarked.

"Welcome to Iwakuni Air Base."

Rear Admiral Seijiro Miyoshi, who is both commander of the 31st Fleet Air Wing and the JMSDF Base Commander, greeted them with a salute.

"What is the current situation?"

"Some F-15Js from Komatsu Air Base and Naha Air Base have been moved here. The decommissioned aircraft stored in mothballs have been reactivated, and the call-up of reserve Self-Defense Force personnel has been completed without delay," Miyoshi answered Kuraba's question.

At Iwakuni Air Base, where there is now surplus land due to the absence of USFJ, there were many retired aircraft, including F-15J/DJ Pre-MSIP planes that had been painted white with preservatives, and even older F-4EJ Kai. Originally, these aircraft were stored at various bases during the East Asia War as parts for repairing active planes. Several years ago, the government of the Israfail Empire, upon learning of the existence of this aircraft graveyard, approached the Japanese government about selling the F-4EJ Kai that was stored in mothballs. Now, to have all of these planes available for sorties, former JASDF pilots with experience flying the F-15J and F-4EJ Kai were gathering at Iwakuni Air Base from all over the country.

"However, even with the mobilization of reserve JSDF officers who had served in the Air Self-Defense Force, there were not enough personnel to operate all the planes, and so we urgently recruited people with experience flying fighter planes, regardless of background or nationality, and we received eleven volunteers."

Rear Admiral Miyoshi continued to explain the current situation. In addition to active-duty pilots who were hurriedly transferred from Komatsu Air Base and Naha Air Base, there are also former JASDF reserve officers who were called up from all over Japan, as well as former fighter pilots US Air Force and Navy, Russian Aerospace Forces, and Republic of Korea Air Force who had flown in the skies during the Afghanistan conflict, Iraq War, Syrian uprisings, and East Asia War.

"They have been asked to take a short-term intensive conversion course for the F-4EJ Kai and F-15Js. Furthermore, during the final operation, the dragon riders, which had evacuated to Japan from all over the world, will participate as decoys."

Currently, the leaders of many countries are in exile in Japan to escape the destruction from the saucer. When the Japanese government informed them of the outline of the final operation, they ordered the few dragon riders who had evacuated with them to join this operation. The JASDF and JMSDF air bases scattered all over Kyushu were manned by dragon riders who had evacuated to Japan from all over the world and were waiting for the time to launch their sorties.

'After six years of searching... we finally found the flying battleship in the midst of despair, but I soon became doubtful whether it would really be useful. In the end, the only thing we can rely on is our own strength...'