The Samurai of the Eagle Union

Chapter 22: Into despair

April 1st 2022

It's time for them to set sail once the last of the witches enters the rigging, their mission this time is to the South Pacific, Abyssal activity in the region had been quiet since it was blockaded back in 2018 but now there were signs of activity there in the last two weeks but why?

That's for them to figure out, before departing though they played a small game whoever picks a number from seven cards will follow the carrier that picked said number. As the wing commanders picked up their cards two were left on the table as there were no other squadrons. After that they set sail.

Well, the girls that Fuyumi got are from the 501st JFW comprising Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen, Aleksandra 'Sanya' V. Lityak, Shibuya Inori, Virginia 'Ginny' Roberston, Elenore 'Ellie' Giovanna Gassion, Lyudmila 'Milasha' Andreyevna Ruslanova, Aira Paivikki Linnamaa, Maria Magdalene Dietrich, Manaia Matawhaura, Silvie Cariello, Joanna 'Jo' Elizabeth Stafford, and Grace Maitland Steward.

As night fell on the first day, they passed Hime, and into the Philippine Sea as per her own routine, she launched her night witches into the peaceful night sky, as for Sanya. She stayed up asking her to sing again, she didn't mind it at all but after that, she asked her a question.

Sanya: "Say, why aren't you letting us fly in the night sky tonight?"

Fuyumi: "Well there's something I'd like to try out in the morning, something like how modern carriers have airborne early warning, so my thinking is that since night witches have an idea as to where everything is around them in a certain radius then in that sense, I could employ your girls in that role."

Sanya: "I see, so instead of us strictly doing night patrols we're also doing daytime patrols as well."

Fuyumi: "Yup although it'll take your routines off course, but I'll find a way to make it work somehow."

Sanya: "Good luck then." I then thought about it and concluded how to make it work.

Fuyumi: "Yume, you can come back now."

Yume: "Eh, why?"

Fuyumi: "I'm putting you on daytime patrol with Sanya."

Yume: "So that's what you're planning, ok coming home now." She returns to the hangar and the two of them catch some sleep.

As morning rose and the night witches were returning to their assigned carriers, Yume and Sanya prepared for their daytime patrol, two hours passed since they reached altitude their magic antennas turned red identifying that there were enemies nearby.

Sanya: "I'm picking up multiple small blips approaching us from the west. Engaging now."

Fuyumi: "Roger."

She communicates with the other carriers and all of them launch their fighters into the air leaving half of the fighters and witches to prepare to strike once the enemy carriers have been spotted. Jintsu and Chokai launch their seaplanes to search for the enemy.

The ensuing air battle was one-sided as the witches were far too agile for the enemy to keep up with and even the standard A6M9s still outclassed the enemy, sometime later the enemy was spotted and the strike was launched the enemy fleet was sent back where they came from, upon almost reaching the Solomons in the late afternoon something was not right.

Sanya: "I'm detecting something, it's not like anything I've detected so far."

Fuyumi: "Got a description."

Sanya: "Yes, it's too large to even be a plane and it's closing in on us fast."

Fuyumi: "Understood. *Comms* All hands man your battle stations."