Long-term salvation

Seeing this scene, Rhode muttered something incomprehensible on the communication channel, then pushed the throttle lever and said to the others with a smile:

"Now there's only one enemy left. Who do you want?"

"I don't mind shooting down one more person."

"Young people should give way to the elderly more often."

“…I want it too.”

"You wish!" Rhode laughed and pushed the throttle to the bottom. Amidst the sudden singing of the fighter's fuselage, the engine dragged out long Mach loops, and the roar and turbulence of breaking the sound barrier spread outward layer by layer. "You all shot down one, so this one is mine!"

"Huh?" Pixy raised an eyebrow. He then pushed the throttle lever as well, making the fighter plane climb. "This kind of thing depends on whose hand speed is faster, right?!"

"really."

Mikael, who was resisting the G-force, squeezed out these words from his chest with a calm expression, but his finger pressed down without hesitation - the electromagnetic cannon was fired immediately, passing through the wing of the drone, which immediately discarded the damaged parts and began to accelerate with the core part equipped with the pulse detonation engine.

"This is a foul!"

"..."

Trigger didn't say anything, just kept pushing the accelerator.

The drone, which could never find an opportunity to enter the orbital elevator, could only continue to climb and accelerate.

So, four of humanity's most advanced fighter jets, flown by four of its ace pilots, chased their prey, following the arc of the orbital elevator all the way up, flying higher than anyone else.

Fly towards the deep blue sky!

One thousand meters, two thousand meters, three thousand meters... ten thousand meters!

At an altitude of 10,000 meters, the drone's fuel was completely exhausted, the engine lost power, and it began to fall.

Rhodes pressed the missile launch button, and twelve vertical launch missiles were ejected and shot towards the target.

【Target Destroyed】

The CFA-44's fuselage fell backwards and then turned under Rhodes' control, merging into the airflow left by the other three fighter jets.

"…/…/…I am Captain Nagase Akira of the spaceship 'Pilgrim 1'. The world of stars now unfolds before us. Thank you to the pilot who allowed us to return to port… The vast universe lies before us, and now we have the door to continue exploring the universe…"

"This communication... means they're back."

"The war is over," Rhodes said on the communication channel. "The crisis is over, a new era has arrived, and the humans on this planet will enter the universe."

"Then can humans understand each other in the cosmic age?"

"...Maybe only when the asteroid falls."

"That sounds scary."

"Ha ha!"

A tired laugh rang out in the communication channel as four fighter jets formed a formation and slowly descended in altitude.

Behind the aces, more and more fighter jets joined the formation and returned in the direction they came from.

"Come to think of it, I feel a little regretful—perhaps I could take this opportunity to drill a tunnel? Since I'm here, I can't leave anything behind, right?"

"Don't do such a stupid thing!"

Chapter 293 Go Home! (5/5·3K)

On December 1, the war was completely over.

The Osean Federation and the Provisional Government of the Kingdom of Ergia signed a ceasefire agreement, bringing peace back to the continent.

Princess Cosette built a city at the bottom of the orbital elevator to accommodate refugees, and through diplomacy and appeals, she persuaded several countries, including Yutobania, to lend a hand to the refugees. As Rhodes said, there was still much to do after the war ended:

Although the throne of the Kingdom of Ergia has not been abolished, Princess Cosette has stated that she will not become queen, even if it is just a symbol of foreign exchange. At the same time, she announced that after completing her term in the provisional government, she will join the Army Without Borders and serve as a diplomatic envoy.

The current Army Without Borders has been reorganized from a mercenary group, absorbing the elites who participated in the battle to retake the orbital elevator. With the support of multiple countries and Ergia, it has become a direct peacekeeping force of the League of Nations. Its main base is located in the city below the orbital elevator, with branch bases in places such as Taylor Island and Shilaji Castle, and of course, an aircraft carrier.

Because of this, the Osean Federation was not very happy, because the aircraft carrier "General Anderson" was still in the hands of the Army Without Borders, and there was no intention of returning it... What's worse is that their ace pilot, code-named Trigger, had left the army and joined the latter.

How many fleets can fit in there? Even a whole fleet wouldn't be enough, right?!

Even the Osean Federation before the war began would have found it difficult to gain an advantage in front of the current Army Without Borders - Trigger and his Speedster Squadron, Killer Squadron, Gunner Squadron, Assassin Squadron, Sword in the Stone Squadron, and even the Sun Squadron of the Shilaji Kingdom were among them, not to mention the elite pilots who survived the fierce battle.

There are still many skilled ground crew members and technicians remaining in the Army Without Borders. Under the leadership of "Scrap Queen" Avril, they continue to serve the pilots.

As a result, the Osean Federation, whose strength was greatly weakened, had no choice but to take a step back and acquiesce in this incident. At the same time, it began to try to interfere with the Army Without Borders... This is quite consistent with the style of its prototype country (the United States).

However, these were issues that Mr. "Caesar" Arnold Franken needed to deal with. On the second day after the war ended, Rhodes publicly announced that Caesar would become the new leader of the Army Without Borders. In the presence of a group of hungover drunks, he took the hand of Caesar, who had fallen asleep, and pressed the latter's fingerprint on the transfer agreement.

Then came the messy but important transfers of fixed assets, stock ownership, and land contracting rights. Although Caesar was happy to take on greater responsibilities, these small matters still gave him a headache.

It was confirmed that the Alicorn would be taken away by Rhodes, while its original captain, Captain Torres, was still imprisoned in the prison of the Kingdom of Elgia. Especially after Rhodes told Princess Cosette about what he was planning to do, he was expected to stay in there for the rest of his life.

Michael did not let his granddaughters go to the main world with him... It would have been better if they did not go. He did not dare to let his children face those horrible monsters in the other world, especially when there was a 100% chance that a war would break out in that world in the future.

After watching the videos of the monsters from the other world, learning about their characteristics and the increasingly fierce war in the other world in the main world, Michael immediately gave up the idea of ​​taking the two girls away with him as a last resort. At least here, they only had to face humans.

But this was fine. Both children were symbols of the current Shilaji Kingdom. Although they lacked real power, they were still supported and loved by the people. There was just one problem—their flying talents were too exceptional. Perhaps in a few years, we would see the birth of two more ace pilots—or perhaps even stunt pilots? Michael would support any choice his granddaughters made, as long as they didn't make the same foolish mistake as himself.

After several days of revelry and feasting, it was time to say goodbye.

Morning light streamed across the Alicorn's streamlined form, breaking it into countless pulsating specks of light as it passed through the diamond-shaped surface of its sound-absorbing tiles. The deep black of its hull created a strange visual distortion in the morning mist, as if blending into the ink painting of the sea and sky, yet inadvertently emitting the unique coldness of a killing weapon.

"We should leave now. This may very well be the last time we meet."

Rhodes stood on the deck of the Alicorn submarine, watching the formation of fighter planes of the Army Without Borders flying overhead. They swayed their wings and left intermittent trails of smoke to form the words "goodbye".

Pixy and Michael, who had returned to their prime at nearly thirty years old, were standing beside him, looking sadly at the city not far away. At this distance, even the pilot's eyesight could not see their relatives and friends.

Although Michael regained his youth, the gray hair on his temples remained, a feature that would remain with him for the rest of his life. But for him, being able to soar through the blue sky again without hindrance was enough:

"I hope the aces of that world can bring me some fun, even flying monsters are fine."

As for Pxiy, he had other things he planned to do... like visiting the hometown of the people who wrote those books, and reading more books and history of that ancient country.

Of course, there is something more important -

"Will I meet Cipher in the future?" Pixy asked nervously, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "I have a lot to say to him."

"Then you'd better think about it carefully, because it will come in handy one day."

Rhode said with a smile. He picked up the [Shiting Box], and Alona inside was connecting him to the communication channel. The communication channel was full of blessings from the pilots, and Rhode could even hear some people sobbing:

"Goodbye, Boss! Remember to come back and see us after you marry Princess Abigail!"

"You're so stupid! The boss is from another world, so it's not convenient for him to come back... uh, cough cough... you must remember to come back and see us!"

"Isn't that what you said the same thing?!"

“Wait and hope!”

"Tsk... Don't listen to them, Boss. Just be comfortable wherever you are. Goodbye!"

"Goodbye! Come back with those girls and give birth to a few more little bosses!"

"Fuck, stay away from me. I don't want to be shot down by the Alicorn's electromagnetic cannon."

"Did I say something wrong?!"

All the blessings and farewells are condensed into the shortest words, but those voices are so sincere:

"goodbye!"

As the pilots' farewell words rang out over the communication channel, a whistling sound filled Rhodes' ears. It was Trigger, the guy who was flying the XFA-27 upside down over the Alicorn, like dancing on a bed sheet with muddy boots. Rhodes was sure that this guy did it on purpose.

"This guy must still be fuming about the fact that we didn't win last time!" Rhode muttered, raising his middle finger at the fighter plane. "When you die, I'll drag you off to fight in an interstellar war for ten thousand years!"

Faint shouts were heard, and more people stood on the shore, watching the huge body of the Alicorn push through the sea, sail out of the harbor, and head towards the orbital elevator, casting a shadow.

The submarine's track turned into molten gold under the morning sun. When the hull cut through the water, it stirred up not waves but silver wrinkles, as if invisible hands were tearing silk, gently and slowly, with infinite attachment and gradually growing determination.

Princess Cosette and Ying Nagase stood on the shore, with the orbital elevator behind them. This creation was so beautiful that the girls standing below it looked far inferior.

"So, President Harlin died before the dawn."

"His ideals will be passed down," Princess Cosette said as she saw the man waving at her through the telescope. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly. "Generation after generation, orbital elevators will become more common on this continent, and then throughout the world."

"Then we still have a lot of work to do."

"Yeah, there's a lot of work to do... The universe, isn't it beautiful?"

"No, it's scary. Everywhere you look is darkness, and the faint starlight is extremely far away from us. But - the universe is very vast, too vast to accommodate everything."

"...Then let me send my best wishes to Mr. Rhodes as well."

"I hope that in his world, the flames of war will cease, the people will find peace, and humanity will be able, must, and unwaveringly advance into the universe."

Even if the stars bleed and scream, even if the tide of darkness returns, I will still offer this blessing:

"I wish Mr. Rhodes everlasting victory."

Princess Cosette said this and threw the emblem of the Ergia royal family into the sea.

The badge slowly sank to the bottom of the sea, piling up with the wreckage of the drone washed up by the waves, and completely became a part of the sea.

+ + + + + + + + +

The main world, somewhere in the North Pacific.

Sitting in a small boat, Nayako had just cast her fishing rod when she saw a dark shadow growing larger and larger with her as the center. She raised her head numbly and let out a cute, short scream:

"ah,"

The huge body of the Alicorn slammed down, causing the surrounding sea water to slowly spread out in all directions.

A few minutes later, the fragments of the boat and the Nayako filled with seawater floated up - the offspring of the evil god had dead fish eyes open, and his body swayed slightly in the waves of the sea.

"Shocking! You're actually alright?" Abigail poked her little head out from the Alicorn, her face full of feigned confusion and surprise. "Ahem... Nayako, were you attacked by someone?"

"Shut up, ahhhhhhhhhh!"

PS: A massive update of 17000 words in five chapters, eight in total. Please vote! Afterwards, there's a limited number of chapters devoted to daily life and the development of the Army Without Borders, preparing for volume two. After the interlude, there's the "Armed Miko Toyokawa Shoko" spin-off. Meanwhile, I'll begin writing the main story for volume two, aiming to finish the first plot point as quickly as possible and then share it with everyone. So, here's the first plot preview for volume two:

Chapter 294: Drifting Along the Waves

North Pacific.

The bow of the Alicorn submarine began to cut through the water surface. When the black sonar dome broke through the deep blue waves, there was no harsh roar. Only countless bubbles rolled into milky white lace on both sides of the bow.

"Attention all ships, prepare to dive."

The watertight hatches dropped simultaneously, the hydraulic locking mechanisms emitting a crisp metallic snap. The main ballast tank's fill valve slowly opened, and Pacific water poured into the titanium alloy pipes. The hissing sound of water rubbing against the pipe walls echoed in the lower hold, creeping along the hull to every corner.

If one were to look down from the air at this moment, one would see this 810,000-ton steel behemoth slowly being swallowed by the sea. First vanished was the bow, covered in silencing tiles, then the deck below where the electromagnetic guns were mounted. Finally, even the conning tower was reduced to nothing but the tip of the radome, still swaying in the mist.

The negative pressure generated when the sea water flooded over the hull formed a funnel-shaped vortex with a diameter of hundreds of meters at the rear, which swept the floating gray-white foam, seaweed clumps, and even a group of unlucky fish into the abyss.

The creaking sound of the boat being squeezed by the seawater didn't reach Rhode's ears, and he didn't have the heart to pay attention to it right now. He was carefully examining Nikki Helen, who was sitting in the captain's seat. His gaze swept from her white thighs, then all the way up, over the mountains, and landed on her pretty face, which was completely red but had to put on a serious expression.

"Keep diving!"

Helen yelled, telling the mass-produced Nikkis to continue working. However, she turned her gaze cautiously and complained to Rhode in a low voice:

"Commander, you've been looking too long!"

"Do you not like it?"

"Hmm... that can't be done in front of so many people," Helen muttered, then stood up and walked around to Rhodes, who was sitting behind the chart table, and quickly changed the subject. "Where are we going now? Miss Nayako actually ran off the cruise ship by herself - she actually managed to row a boat that far!"

"Don't use normal thinking to speculate on the limits of a descendant of an evil god."

As Rhodes spoke, he marked a location on the nautical chart with a pencil. That was the place where he planned to meet up with Irons.

Although they knew Rhode was going to another world, Irons and other directors were still quite uneasy about his disappearance for several months. They could finally get a good night's sleep. According to the time of the synchronized Atlas satellite:

It is now May 1991, 11.

There is still a month to go.

"We are heading here now. Please keep quiet and avoid any conflict with ships and submarines of other forces."

Rhode put down his pencil, stretched, and then hugged Nikki beside him and said with a smile:

"I'm going to check in the hangar to prevent Abigail and Nayako from causing any more trouble there."

"Well," Helen buried her face in Rhode's chest, taking a deep breath of the lingering smell of cigarette smoke. Then she slowly let go and said with a smile, "Commander, don't worry. I've already learned how to control this battleship."

"No need to explain, I will always believe in you."