"Now then, we have Bib #12, Lordtoss-sama! And he's off!"
"Ah, Ro isn't going to let himself be outdone either, is he?"
"He's flying quite slowly as well, I see."
The tapered-wing aircraft Swallow demonstrated remarkable stability even in its low-speed flight, clocking in a time of 36.2 seconds. That was roughly 9.9 kilometers per hour.
"Just point-one seconds shy of Jin-sama! But it's a magnificent record nonetheless!!"
Then came Marikka’s turn.
"Marikka-sama's Bib #13, Eagle, seems to be pushing the time even further!!"
The result was 36.5 seconds. At approximately 9.9 kilometers per hour, she surpassed Jin to take the lead.
"Hmm, I suppose the fact that it's a large-class craft really is paying off."
Jin hadn't expected someone to actually fit their craft diagonally into the regulation "box."
(Next time, maybe I should define the limit as a one-and-a-half-meter diameter sphere instead...)
＊ ＊ ＊
"Now, for the final trial, for better or worse! First up, Bib #1, Natalia’s triplane Halcyon! Start!"
"Oh, this is quite something..."
"It’s the final run, so she seems to be pushing it as far as she can."
Natalia recorded a staggering 36.1 seconds—approximately 10.0 kilometers per hour. The audience gave her a generous round of applause.
"Bib #2, Shu! Swept-wing aircraft Denkou, last flight!...A-Ah!"
Right after takeoff, the craft wobbled and stalled.
"Ah, disqualified! He’s disqualified!!"
"He pushed just a bit too hard."
It was a regrettable outcome.
However, the disqualifications didn't stop there. Bib #3 Eugene and Bib #4 Greena both stalled and were disqualified one after another.
"It seems they pushed too hard for their final flights and exceeded their limits."
"It's a difficult balance to strike, isn't it?"
Bib #5, Sireen, didn't shrink from the challenge and managed to complete her flight, but seeing the previous disqualifications must have made her play it safe. Her time was 30.3 seconds—roughly 11.9 kilometers per hour—and she failed to improve her standing.
"Bib #6, Sidney Marek, folding-wing aircraft, start!"
"Oh, looking good."
"Yes, that's some fine flying."
Sidney recorded a 36.9—a personal best in the high 36-second range. That was approximately 9.8 kilometers per hour.
"Bib #7, Werner Randol, telescoping tapered-wing aircraft! He’s off! A slow and stable flight!"
"He's right on the edge. I imagine the pressure is quite high since he failed his previous attempt."
"But he's staying steady."
The result was 33.3 seconds—approximately 10.8 kilometers per hour. He seemed to have plateaued.
Next, Bib #8, Florence Fahlheit’s swept-wing aircraft, was over-eager and stalled during a turn, resulting in a disqualification.
Bib #9, Elvis Alcott, made full use of his biplane's advantages to record a time of 36.6 seconds. At roughly 9.8 kilometers per hour, he followed Sidney in breaking the ten-kilometer barrier.
"Bib #10, Rubina Garrett, delta-wing aircraft Nile, has started!!"
"Oh? What is this...?"
"She's flying in a zig-zag pattern!"
The course width was approximately fifteen meters. Whether a pilot flew straight or zig-zagged within that space didn't matter; as long as they didn't double back, it wasn't a violation.
However, with a course width only about ten times the size of the aircraft, a single mistake meant going out of bounds and disqualification. But while most craft had one-and-a-half-meter wingspans, the width of Rubina’s delta-wing was only about one meter.
She had that much more leeway relative to the course width. By flying in a gentle meander, Rubina increased the distance traveled, and therefore the time spent in the air.
(Hmm, as expected of Rubina. She found a loophole in the rules I didn't even consider.)
Rubina showed flexible thinking, taking a delta-wing aircraft—which was naturally poor at low speeds—and utilizing its stall-resistance to fly at a high angle of attack.
"Incredible! Her time is 36.8 seconds! It’s point-one seconds behind Bib #6, but it's a wonderful record! The speed is approximately 9.8 kilometers per hour!!"
"That’s so like Rubina. Quite impressive."
Sion also applauded Rubina’s ingenuity.
"Now, all eyes on Bib #11, Jin-sama’s final flight!...And he's off!"
"Knowing Jin, he'll likely go for the record with a straightforward approach."
"It seems so....That truly is a magnificent flight."
Jin’s Zero slowed down to its absolute limit, and though it wobbled slightly, it held its line to the very end.
"Incredible! 37.5 seconds! He’s reached the 37-second mark! That's approximately 9.6 kilometers per hour!!"
The audience was in a frenzy of applause.
"Eyes on Bib #12, Lordtoss-sama as well!"
"Ro will surely show his mettle too."
Just as Sion said, Lordtoss’s Swallow also posted a high score of 37.0 seconds, though it fell just short of Jin's mark. That was roughly 9.7 kilometers per hour.
"Now for the grand finale: Bib #13, Marikka-sama! Can she surpass Jin-sama? Let's watch!!"
"She has the most advantageous aircraft performance for this, doesn't she?"
"She does....Look at that, it's a magnificent low-speed flight."
Contrary to its name, Marikka’s tapered-wing aircraft Eagle demonstrated a leisurely, slow flight.
"Hmm, her handling is quite practiced. It looks like Marikka has been training quite a bit."
Jin offered his unreserved praise for her masterful control.
"Goal!! The time is... Incredible! 37.5 seconds! She’s tied for first place with Jin-sama!"
"I'm torn between whether I should praise Marikka for matching the record, or Jin for coming this far with a craft that has inferior specs."
Sion’s remark was drowned out by the cheers and applause filling the venue.
Thus, the low-speed flight trial came to a close.
Since the rules for this event dictated competing with one’s best time, Jin and Marikka were tied for the top spot. However...
(If we took the second-best times into account, I would have lost... Marikka, you've become a fine engineer.)
Jin found himself reflecting on her progress with a smile.
1st: 37.5s — Bib #11 Jin, Bib #13 Marikka (Tie) 3rd: 37.0s — Bib #12 Lordtoss 4th: 36.9s (1st among eligible contestants) — Bib #6 Sidney Marek, 100 pts. (Total: 120 pts, 2nd overall) 5th: 36.8s (2nd among eligible contestants) — Bib #10 Rubina Garrett, 80 pts. (Total: 180 pts, 1st overall) 6th: 36.6s (3rd among eligible contestants) — Bib #9 Elvis Alcott, 60 pts. (Total: 60 pts, 4th overall) 7th: 36.1s (4th among eligible contestants) — Bib #1 Natalia, 40 pts. (Total: 40 pts, 7th overall) 8th: 34.9s (5th among eligible contestants) — Bib #2 Shu Nidou, 20 pts. (Total: 60 pts, 4th overall) 9th: 33.5s (6th among eligible contestants) — Bib #8 Florence Fahlheit, 0 pts. (Total: 60 pts, 4th overall) 10th: 33.3s (7th among eligible contestants) — Bib #7 Werner Randol, 0 pts. (Total: 80 pts, 3rd overall) 11th: 32.3s (8th among eligible contestants) — Bib #4 Greena Kuzuma, 0 pts. (Total: 0 pts) 12th: 32.1s (9th among eligible contestants) — Bib #3 Eugene Foul, 0 pts. (Total: 0 pts) 13th: 30.3s (10th among eligible contestants) — Bib #5 Sireen Eschenbach, 0 pts. (Total: 0 pts)
These were the results at the end of the low-speed flight trial.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Now, it's finally time for the aerobatics!"
"I'm looking forward to it."
The venue was enveloped in even greater anticipation.