Continental Sky to the West
With the Rafales having been brought down to 13,000 feet after the previous evasive maneuvers, the wyverns seemingly getting the upper hand as they force the jets to bleed speed and altitude. The wyvern knights on their backs turn their beasts around as they unleash another salvo of fireballs.
Omega-1’s WSO shouts at his pilot as he watches the fireballs getting closer and closer, “Enemy fireballs, 4 o'clock!”
The pilot follows up with a hard turn to the right with the engines on full throttle, managing to avoid the incoming fireballs as they gradually use their speed to their advantage.
Suddenly, Omega-2 and 4 descend onto the firefight. “Omega-2, let's send these wyverns back into a museum!” Despite the wyverns’ better agility at slower speed with even having the ability to flap in place like a helicopter, they still pale in comparison to boom-and-zoom tactics from the faster fighter jets. The pair of Rafale Cs switch the rate of fire of their cannons to save ammunition against a group of laughable opponents before unleashing their formidable firepower, the thunderous roar of their GIAT-30mm cannons shattering the air as cannon rounds whizz towards the wyverns.
The air resonated with the intermittent rhythm of gunfire as the Rafales continuously fired without resorting to missiles, aiming to take down the wyverns. The wyvern knights pull on their reins as they start to disperse to avoid the oncoming cannonfire, however, two knights were too late and they and their mount were shredded by 30mm rounds.
"Omega-1, Splash two bandits, we’ll regain altitude and speed before joining you guys again!” With that, Omega-1 and 3 ignite their afterburners and pull up to 14,000 feet, ready to dive bomb onto another unsuspecting wyvern rider.
The sky turned into a chaotic whirlwind as the wyverns retaliated with their fireballs. Streaks of fire lit up the dimming sky, illuminating the heavens. Omega-2 and 4 skillfully pilot their machines, executing precise maneuvers to evade the incoming fire, large gusts of wind hitting some wyverns as their riders desperately hold onto their reigns to prevent falling off their mounts.
Omega-4 turns his jet around to approach a wyvern rider in a head-on duel, a large ball of flame between the winged reptile’s jaws as it's mere moments from firing it at the Rafale. Just before the wyvern can fire its fireball at Omega-4, he releases his own burst of fire into the wyvern's direction. The nose of the Rafale shines bright orange from the muzzle flash as 30mm rounds pass through the fireball and penetrate the flesh and bone of the wyvern and its rider, the flaming orb disintegrating harmlessly into thin air.
Amidst the fiery exchange, the pair continues to down several more wyverns. Scales and armour scatter across the sky as the wyvern knights try desperately to regain control of their already-dead partner.
"W-We need reinforcements, these metal beasts are overpowering us in every aspect. Did these things come from Mirishial?!"
"Spread out! Spread out! Switch to flamethrowe-”, his sentence cutting off after Omega-3 dives right on top of him, 30mm rounds piercing his armour and wyvern.
Despite the chaos, Omega Nima manages to regain contact with the squadron, "Omega Squadron, there’s 38 bandits approaching you from all directions, cease and withdraw immediately!"
The crew were shocked to learn about the large wyvern group approaching them. At this point, they wouldn’t even have enough rounds to shoot all of them down.
“Omega-1, Roger that, regaining altitude.”
The four Rafales pull up to meet back up with the AEW&C aircraft, each pilot moving his jet back into formation, leaving the reinforcing wyverns behind to deal with flames from missed fireballs and recover the bodies of their dead comrades.
Central Calendar 1639 – Qua-Toyne city, Qua-Toyne Principality, Rodenius Continent
In an Elven Forest outside of the government building, right in the precinct of the Lotus Garden, a meeting was taking place among the six council members of the Qua-Toyne government. Amidst nature and swimming fish, the atmosphere of the meeting exuded extreme tension after the night attack that left the rulers of Qua-Toyne in disarray.
"We lost the entire initial interception squadron, 10 wyverns in total. The enemy suffered no casualties and fled before the reinforcements arrived, those things completely outclassed our wyverns."
"Who infiltrated our airspace and attacked our wyvern knights last night? We need answers."
"Well... um... We are not sure about those iron dragons. Moreover, there are no known archipelagos in the northeast. Anyway, we should thank the fallen warriors for their sacrifice for the homeland and the so-called 'Magic Radars' that detected these objects during the night." In reality, Qua-Toyne had purchased two Magic Radars operated by magical stones from the Holy Kingdom of Mirishial, and they didn't come cheap.
"Iron dragons…., I’ve overheard Mirishial traders talking about something similar, a ‘jet’ aircraft. Are those metal creatures from the first or second civilizations?"
The question sent shivers down the officials' spines. "That's impossible; our country has nothing to offer for them to invade, except for food and raw materials. Or is it an isolationist superpower of the third civilization making its first move?"
"If that's true, we have no way to defeat them. Negotiation seems to be the only option."
While the meeting was in heated debate, suddenly, someone entered and said, "It's impossible; they can't be from the first and second civilizations. I’ve seen Mirishial jets while witnessing one of their military parades and they pale in comparison to those iron dragons, even the other countries like Mu have no iron dragons!"
Foreign Minister Rinsui was startled by Commander Nouka's assertive attitude and asked directly, "Who do you think they are?"
"I'm not sure, but more importantly, we should prepare for war against a new force whose nature we still don't know," with a surprisingly straightforward demeanor.
Central Calendar 1639 – Jin-Hark, Kingdom of Louria, Rodenius Continent
In the Royal Palace, the 34th king of Louria, adorned in ceremonial attire, sat solemnly before his deities. Three maids stood beside him, attending to his needs. The room was sparsely populated, as King Hark Louria XXXIV always sought the utmost privacy, even fortifying against potential assassins. He took a deep breath and spoke.
"What does my intelligence report say about the Qua-Toynian forces?"
The first to rise was Prime Minister Maus. "From our underground spies, we learned that they lost 10 wyvern knights yesterday due to an attack by an unknown force."
The king pressed on, "Who is this force, and where did they come from?" seeking a satisfying answer. However, Patagene interjected, "May I speak, Your Majesty?"
The king glanced and permitted General Patagene to speak. "Apart from the mysterious attackers, should our plan to conquer Qua-Toyne proceed? Do you think we should be concerned about them?" Patagene's question led the king to deep contemplation. Then he spoke.
"Regardless of their identity, our efforts to plan the conquest of Qua-Toyne remain unchanged. Therefore, we must eliminate the nations of Qua-Toyne and Quila to bring everlasting peace to this continent."
Before the king's resolute response, court officials bowed in submission to his determination. However, for some, discomfort lingered due to the king's stubbornness and his confrontational approach in provoking the other nations on the Rodenius continent. No one dared to challenge him, as no one wanted to endanger their family's lives. Patagene, patient, continued to inquire.
"The plan will proceed in November. Suppose we have to confront the forces that attacked Qua-Toyne. What then?"
The Commander of the Royal Guard Rand spoke up, "Hmm... no force is powerful enough to drive us out of this continent. Isn't that obvious? Those Wyvern knights from Qua-Toyne are too weak when facing others. It only proves the limited capabilities of the Qua-Toyne forces, like mosquito bites, Lord Patagene." The statement showcased Rand's loyalty and demonstrated his arrogant nature, leaving General Patagene silenced.
"Indeed, you... Nevertheless, you should not underestimate our Qua-Toyne enemies," the king began praising Commander Rand's argument. Although Patagene was a patriot, he disliked the idea of expressing patriotism through bloodshed against innocent lives. But with the heavy responsibilities assigned by the king, he had to leave the throne room.
"I have urgent matters in the army, so I request permission to leave the council, Your Majesty."
He then exited, bowing respectfully to the king. The royal council continued discussing the strategy of annexing Qua-Toyne and, subsequently, Quila.
May 15th – Prime Minister Modi’s residence, Mumbai, India
Soft light illuminated Indian Prime Minister Modi’s office as he held a reconnaissance report from yesterday’s events. The information obtained from Operation Columbus would play a major role in Operation Herodotus, the official name for the multinational mission. With insights into the strength and capabilities of this new world's civilizations, the leader of the Indian Republic cracked a satisfied smile.
“Venturing into this continent brings sweetness to India and all nations. Nevertheless, sharing information is obligatory.”
In reality, refusing to share information regarding this aerial expedition could tarnish the nation's reputation and attract the attention of conspiracy theorists. Still, there were advantages. Modi's decision to share was solely for the benefit of his country. Flipping through the report, he took a photo taken from one of the jets and moved it closer to his face to inspect it. Based on the photo, it was a small city in the dark, the blurry lights created a naturally serene beauty in the photo, reminiscent of Middle Ages architecture and fantasy films. Placing the photo back into its file, he turned to pages describing the creatures known as wyverns. On the next page, he was surprised by a large photo of a wyvern with a knight riding on its back pasted onto it, alongside a USB. Modi grabbed the USB and plugged it into his laptop.
The USB contained pictures and a nearly 2-minute-long video. Modi decided to watch the footage and was astonished by the pilots' combat against the flying reptiles.
“What?! Do those creatures actually exist in this world? Those fireballs are quite swift, but the wyverns' speed is quite slow and their scales are vulnerable to autocannon fire…”
Placing the documents down, Modi turned to the other side of his desk and picked up his phone to call his staff. A few seconds later, a female aide entered the room, "What do you need, sir?"
"Please help me share this reconnaissance report and necessary information from the allies in Operation Herodotus with the embassies. This is crucial."
"Yes, sir. Anything else?"
The Prime Minister contemplated for a few seconds and replied, "Make sure to send it to the United States first. They're the priority." The aide nodded and left. With additional strategic information for the UN's operation, the Republic of India played a crucial role in this campaign.
World News
Due to abrupt political changes and the emerging economic crisis, the United Nations member states have unanimously agreed to establish a maritime protection force on established sea routes. This has led to a skyrocketing increase in transportation costs, reaching billions of USD and causing significant damage to the global economy. With the United Nations refusing to take responsibility for incidents related to ships deviating from prescribed routes, the routes from the Americas to Asia have been temporarily halted. Currently, nations are urgently seeking long-term solutions to address this serious issue.
Commercial flights were nearly suspended in the first days of the New World, inflicting considerable damage on airlines. Those affected seem resentful, demanding government compensation for the burdens they have to bear. New flight paths have been established, and now, moving from the U.S. to Asia is faster than on Earth. However, everything has changed. Now, the U.S. and the remaining countries from the Americas are unable to traverse without determining the mysterious continents. As Russia imposes a ban on commercial airliners flying over their airspace, air travel between Asia and Europe has become more challenging. This situation has forced the United Nations into diplomatic negotiations. After several days of talks, the United Nations, along with the U.S. and its allies, refused to lift sanctions against Russia, and the issue reached a deadlock.
In the current context, U.S. officials are urging Russia and Ukraine to come back to the negotiating table for peace talks. However, President Zelensky continues to reaffirm that the war is ongoing to reclaim lost territories and calls for Ukraine's allies to continue supporting the fight against Russia.
On the other hand, patrol ships along the western coast of the U.S., Canada, and the Alaska territories are continuously patrolling. This comes after two transport ships believed to date back to World War I entered U.S. and Canadian waters, with patrol ships escorting them to port throughout the day.
In the maritime region under the sovereignty of Pakistan, located in the southwest
A medium-sized fishing boat, typical of a Pakistani family, sails through the waters. Adorned with traditional boat eyes and decorations, this practice proves effective as the sea monsters in the region are less likely to attack and more docile towards adorned vessels. In the midst of a regular fishing session, despite the ongoing crisis, two Pakistani men and an additional young girl aboard defy the odds. Due to life's challenges, the family relies on fishing as their means of livelihood.
"Get the nets ready, Ahmed." the elderly father, around 50, commands his son, preparing for the catch.
The 14-year-old boy nods and starts casting the nets into the sea, hoping for a stroke of luck. After over 30 minutes, they begin pulling the nets, revealing a multitude of fish thriving in these waters.
The father starts rejoicing, "Thank goodness! We weren't attacked by those sea monsters. Thanks be to Allah!" As a devout Muslim, it's evident that he views the fish caught by their family as a divine gift. Suddenly, the son speaks up.
"Dad! Look far over there, I see a wooden ship with three sails coming towards us!" The child, astonished by the distant ship, points towards it. Surprisingly, the ship starts changing course, aiming its cannons at their boat. The father begins to shout upon seeing an unfamiliar flag on the ship.
"Jump into the sea quickly, Ahmed Qazi!!! They are not our people." He starts running into the cabin to find his 5-year-old daughter. Upon entering, he sees the little girl playing with a stuffed animal, and he immediately picks her up. Then he runs to the deck. Meanwhile, the cannons of the attackers start firing.
Several cannonballs fly towards the fishing boat, causing massive damage to the vessels. A cannonball smashes into the boat's engine, sparking and igniting the fuel.
Immediately after, the boat explodes just as the father and his daughter jump off the boat with two life jackets, meeting up with the son on the water. The father, in panic, asks his son,
"Are you okay?" with a desperate tone. The boy responds, "I'm fine, but our boat is gone. How can we get back to land?"
Smaller wooden gunships slowly approach, starting to release small boats towards their location. As the warships come closer, strange figures dressed like Napoleon-era French soldiers point their muskets towards them, speaking a language Qazi and his father don't understand:
"Attention, barbares! Vous avez été reconnus coupables d'intrusion dans les eaux territoriales de Parpaldia. Rendez-vous ou nous vous laisserons à la merci des monstres marins."
("Attention, barbarians! You have been found guilty of trespassing in Parpaldia's territorial waters. Surrender or we will leave you at the mercy of the sea monsters.”)
They force the entire family onto the massive ship-of-the-line. Qazi's father tries to utter English words of surrender in the chaos
"Please, don't shoot, don't shoot, We surrender, don't shoot, do..."
Suddenly, a sailor rushes forward with a bayonet mounted on his musket and thrusts it straight into the old man, rendering him unable to resist immediately. He quickly kicks him into the sea. Then, they turn back to look at Qazi and his now tearful little sister, resembling lost fawns, and flash a sinister smile.
