“At last, the final event, the ‘Race,’ is about to begin!!”
“I can’t wait.”
“The race is always the highlight of any competition, after all.”
An overview of the race was broadcast to the audience.
“A series of circular barriers, ranging from ten down to three meters in diameter, have been suspended in the air. The pilots will compete for the best time as they navigate through each one in sequence.”
Passing through the gates is mandatory; missing one results in disqualification. However, if a pilot overshoots a gate, they are permitted to circle back and try again—though the resulting time loss would be significant.
“There is also a specific section consisting of a pipe-like or tube-shaped gate. Pilots must fly through its entire length without touching the walls.”
While such a maneuver would be incredibly difficult when controlled from an external viewpoint, it was much more manageable for those flying from a cockpit perspective.
“Please refer to your programs or the main monitor for a map of the course.”
A map of the entire course appeared on the large magi-screen at the front of the arena.
“The critical points will likely be the three-meter small gates, one located in the first half of the course and another in the second.”
At that size, it was highly unlikely that two aircraft would be able to pass through simultaneously.
“The gate requiring a vertical descent is also going to be a challenge. The altitude is quite low at that point.”
If a pilot failed to pull up immediately after passing through, they would hit the ground—or rather, they would strike the crash prevention barrier and be disqualified.
“I suspect the tube-shaped barrier will be the hardest to clear. That’s what I’m looking forward to most.”
Thirteen magi-screens were arranged as sub-monitors, each displaying the exact view seen by the thirteen pilots, allowing the spectators to experience the race’s intensity firsthand.
“It looks like the preparations are complete. The aircraft have lined up at the starting line!”
Thirteen planes, numbered from Bib #1 to #13, were positioned along the line. The assistant automata finished their tasks and withdrew to the sidelines.
“Ten seconds to the start.…9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3…”
A heavy silence fell over the venue.
“2… 1… Start!”
The assistant automata snapped their starting flags down, and every engine roared to life simultaneously.
The first to leap forward was the lightweight Bib #12, Lordtoss’s Swallow. Hot on his heels was Bib #9, Elvis Alcott’s biplane, the Double Wing. Bibs #10, #11, and #13 followed close behind, while the rest of the field was bunched together in a chaotic blur.
“Oh, this is absolutely marvelous!”
Sion’s voice rang out with excitement as she watched the pilot-view monitors.
On one screen, footage from Bib #12 showed the first gate approaching. The ten-meter diameter ring, highlighted in red through optical processing, loomed larger and larger until the Swallow shot through the center.
Bibs #10, #11, #13, #2, and #5 followed in quick succession. At this early stage, there was still very little distance between the competitors.
“The first gate is fifty meters from the start and ten meters wide. Every aircraft cleared it with ease.”
Ahead lay a three-hundred-meter straightaway, with a three-meter small gate waiting at the end.
While Lordtoss’s Swallow had taken the lead thanks to its initial acceleration, it was slowly being caught by Bib #10, Rubina’s delta-wing aircraft, the Nile. Jin’s Zero followed in third, its wings swept back to minimize drag for the high-speed dash.
The battle for fourth and fifth was a duel between two swept-wing aircraft: Shu’s Bib #2 and Florence’s Bib #8.
Further back, the pack consisted of Marikka’s tapered-wing Bib #13, Greena’s elliptical-wing Bib #4, Elvis’s biplane Bib #9, and Land’s tapered-wing Bib #7. Rounding out the rear were Eugene’s Bib #3, Sireen’s Bib #5, Natalia’s triplane Bib #1, and finally Sidney Marek’s rectangular-wing Bib #6.
“Bib #6, Sidney Marek, is struggling!”
“It seems his decision to fold his wings has backfired.”
The reduced lift had forced a longer takeoff run, leaving him trailing behind from the start.
In the three-hundred-meter stretch leading to the second gate, raw speed was the only thing that mattered. Rubina’s Nile surged into the lead, followed by Lordtoss’s Swallow, with Jin’s Zero holding steady in third. Behind them, the order shifted to #8, #2, #4, #13, #7, #9, #3, #5, #1, and #6.
The performance gap between the machines was becoming clear. However, the tiny three-meter diameter of the second gate stood in their way.
Rubina threaded the needle perfectly through the center. Lordtoss and Jin followed suit with equal precision. The next few planes cleared it as well, but Marikka, currently in seventh, decelerated sharply. This allowed Bib #7 to move up into her spot.
“Ah, I see. Marikka’s wingspan is quite wide.”
While most of the other planes had a maximum width of 1.5 meters, Marikka’s craft measured two meters across, making the three-meter gate a nerve-wracking squeeze. Dropping a rank, Marikka fell to eighth.
Disaster struck for those behind her when Bib #9 and Bib #3 made contact. The impact knocked Bib #9 off course, causing him to miss the gate entirely.
“It looks like he’s going to loop back for another attempt.”
Elvis Alcott’s biplane circled around and aimed for the gate again, clearing it successfully on the second try. However, the maneuver dropped him to the very back of the pack.
The current standings were #10, #12, #11, #8, #2, #4, #7, #13, #3, #5, #1, #6, and #9.
A sharp ninety-degree left turn led directly into the five-meter diameter third gate. Everyone navigated the turn and the gate without incident.
After a hundred-meter straight, they reached the ten-meter fourth gate, followed immediately by the fifth gate of the same size. However, the fifth gate was oriented horizontally—meaning the pilots had to pass through it while in a vertical climb.
“Oh! Every pilot is executing a flawless pull-up into a vertical ascent!”
By this point, the field had stabilized slightly. As they cleared the fifth gate, the order was #10, #12, #11, #8, #2, #4, #7, #13, #5, #3, #1, #6, and #9.
The race then required a hundred-meter vertical climb toward the sixth gate. In a straight vertical pull, the difference in engine power and thrust-to-weight ratios became starkly apparent.
The rankings shifted once more. While Rubina’s Nile held the lead, Jin’s Zero overtook Lordtoss’s Swallow to claim second place. While #8, #2, and #4 held their positions, Marikka’s Eagle surged past Bib #7 to take seventh. Further down, Bib #3 overtook #5, and Sidney’s Bib #6 passed both #1 and #5.
The order stood at #10, #11, #12, #8, #2, #4, #13, #7, #3, #6, #5, #1, and #9.
“It’s only natural that the biplanes and triplanes are in the bottom three given the demands of a vertical climb…”
“But there is a section ahead where they might be able to make up some ground.”
“Ah, the ‘Tube’!”
After finishing the hundred-meter climb, the thirteen aircraft passed through the seventh and eighth gates before leveling out. They banked in a wide arc, heading straight for the Tube.
The Tube was an aerial tunnel ten meters in diameter and one kilometer long, twisting and turning through the air. The aircraft inside would have to follow its path through a series of chicanes, loops, and spirals.
“Bib #10 has entered the Tube! Followed by #11 and #12—they’re diving in one after another!”
“Watching this from the pilot POV is the best way to see the action, though I must warn those prone to motion sickness to be careful.”
Inside the Tube, numerous arrows pointing toward the exit were projected to assist with orientation, ensuring the pilots didn’t lose track of their speed or direction. However, the blurring, kaleidoscopic movement of the walls was enough to make an inexperienced observer dizzy.
“Ugh, this is starting to feel a bit unpleasant,” Jin muttered.
Reiko immediately cast Healing on him to settle his stomach. Most of the other participants were in the same boat; even with several days of practice, the sheer disorientation of the high-speed tunnel was hard to overcome.
This was a technical course in every sense. Since raw top speed was capped by the tight confines, the advantage shifted to the aircraft with the best maneuverability and the pilots with the sharpest reflexes.
“Got you!”
“Argh, you got me!”
“Right here…! No, missed it!”
“I’m not letting you pass that easily!”
Shouts and competitive banter echoed through the communications as the thirteen aircraft tore through the twisting interior of the Tube.