The Greatest Sin [Progression Fantasy][Kingdom Building]
Chapter 394 – Prey and Predator

Arascus finally got the letter from Premier-General Abakwa. This is usually how managing an Empire went. Plans were initiated when there was time for them and plans rarely finished on schedule. When the Ausa Incorporation Plan had been signed, Ausa was supposed to be an Imperial Province within the month. Now, it had overran by weeks. Abakwa’s letter said that the initial flames of an independence movement in the eastern cities had finally began. It was a small thing though, nowhere near as grand as Arascus and Abakwa had predicted it to be.

Arascus sighed. The timing had been lost. Sokolowski’s and Zalewski’s armies were effectively their own states in the Ashlands. That must be putting a damper on rebellions that would try to topple Abakwa. It was no secret that the man was close in allegiance to the Empire openly. If anyone had half a brain, it was not difficult to see the big picture. There was no reason for the Empire to station two generals and two armies in the Ashlands. Likewise, the various groups kept a close watch on their members. The insurgents that Sokolowski and Zalewski had sent in either could not get a foothold in making the movements more openly militant or they were swiftly kicked out.

Paranoia was the name of the game in Arika. But paranoia, at least in the short-term, could prove useful for survival. Still though, Ausa was growing more reliant on Sokolowski and Zalewski. Their police force was already sharing information on the Ashlannds with the generals. Likewise, the Ausan and Kirinyaan economies were growing intertwined with joint ventures into the Ashlands. Ports and colony-towns were being erected in Elassa’s Sea.

At the end of the day, it would be slower but as long as Abakwa was in charge of Ausa, that nation was secure. The Ausan Ashland expeditions would simply grow so reliant on the Empire that in a few years time it would be Imperial land in all but name only. Then, it would only be a case of getting a signature to officialise the dealings.

Captain Douglas banked hard right with his Raptor. He had seen men fly through the air, in Kirinyaa, he had witnessed sorcerers and mages engage in flying duels with each other. In Epa, he had seen minor Divines try and chase him down. The Raptor had carried far too many Divines in her holds for it to be surprised at this point. What was surprising was the fact he had managed to punch a missile out of the air. “Did you see that shit?” Erik shouted through the radio.

“I fucking saw it.” Douglas replied as he slowed the Raptor’s flight. A button on the left panel was pulled to raise the breaking flaps. The only tell that the flaps were actually working was the sudden force Douglas felt try to rip him from his seat, there were no lights or indicators on the right panel. “Like a magician.” Douglas said. “I’m aiming.”

Douglas manually steered the Raptor. He aligned the reticule in his helmet, that probably had more electronics than the entire jet he was piloting. The reticule blinked from red to green. “Firing missile.” Douglas pressed one of the buttons with lights. These had been installed later, so now there was an annoying marker to say whether a missile was loaded or not. Frankly, Douglas was used to just feeling everything out in the plane by instinct.

“Same. Also firing.” Erik’s voice came through the radio and Douglas watched two missiles barrel through the sky at the plane ahead of them. A huge, four-engine Divine-transport that had been stolen from the Rancais government. Another two men jumped out from the door that had been blown off. In black and red jumpsuits, with capes, they hovered in the air as the first man who, who had already thrown a missile away launched towards the projectile Douglas had shot.

“He’s going to fucking knock it down.” Douglas said.

“One of those two is going for mine as well.” Erik answered. The two Raptors chased that sluggish transport through the skies above Rancais, as a missile from each of them made a thin smear on the blue sky. As if the sky was being painted with a thin line of white paint. “Firing again.”

“I’m pulling away, we’re too close.” Douglas replied. He had seen the missile lock onto each other.

“I’ll just expend everything. Overwhelm them. You fire after that.” Erik quickly added. Douglas had nothing to say against that. This wasn’t his first rodeo facing enemies in the air. True, he had never seen men punch missiles out of the sky, but did it really call for panic? Once one could strafing run a team of mages, one could strafing run everything.

“Copy.” Douglas said as he slowed the Raptor even more. He felt the plane shake as it became hungry for air and speed. It always did this, even though the plane could half its speed again. Raptor One was theatrically temperamental, it could hold this speed for a while longer. Four missiles shot off in a sequence from Erik’s plane and the man pulled Raptor Two away finally. Douglas once again re-centred his targeting reticule, and he started pressing on the right. Press. One elephant, two elephant, three elephant, Press. And count to three again.

A missile shot off from Raptor One as the four rockets from Raptor Two appeared in Douglas’ vision. Anarchia’s blessed men, or whatever they were, raced to meet those four missiles. Douglas couldn’t make out much more save for the fact that the man was dressed in black and red, had a cape and long hair, but he flew with an arm held out in front of him as if he was impersonating a javelin.

And then, with his other hand, he swiped at the first missile of the set Erik had launched. The man reached forwards, and he grabbed at the missile. Douglas felt his eyes widen. He had seen it once already of course, it shouldn’t have been impressive the second time. It somehow was though. And then the man shot forwards. He moved like a bolt of lightning striking through the air. From missile to missile to missile the man went. One he grabbed by the front and then threw down. The second he caught the fin and swung the explosive through the air.

The third, he must have punched a hole or damaged. The missile twisted downwards, the man rushed high up and after a second, it rocket exploded in the air as the other two lost control and plunged towards the ground. “I’m pulling up for strafing runs.” Erik said as Douglas followed that man with his eyes. He wasn’t slowing down…

How the fuck did a human keep up with the speed of a supersonic jet? “They’re on you.” Douglas shouted into his microphone. He turned away as another man in black spandex started to intercept his missiles. “That fucker is on you.”

“You chase?” Erik asked as Raptor Two turned upwards and accelerated. Above the man, a burst of blue flames burst from the engines of Raptor Two, then the fire turned to a searing blue. 

“Negative.” Douglas replied. His own missiles weren’t going to hit. One final glance at them confirmed that whatever Anarchia had blessed these fuckers with, they were far too fast to let a rocket slip by them. “I’m going in for a dive too.”

“Keep distance and tell me if its clear.” Erik said.

“Copy.” Douglas banked hard to the right. Suddenly, the blue ocean had descended to his left and on the other side, past the ammunition display in the right hand of the cockpit, was the ground. Green fields and dark green trees all interspersed with the colourful blemishes of bright roof tiles that were sitting on a grey cobweb of roads.

And then Raptor One lurched upside down Douglas continued his dive. Sixth sense or blind luck, Douglas did not know what pulled him into that movement but the flying who had downed his missiles shot straight past the cockpit. For a second, Douglas saw locked eyes with that fellow. He was tanned, clean-shaven, young. Almost boyish. His gaze was excited. His lips were curled upwards in a smile. The man twisted suddenly in mid-air, his speed slowed down as if he was sliding on ice, and he shot at Raptor One again.

Douglas flicked the emergency burn and felt the pilot’s seat hug him from behind as Raptor One accelerated once again. The villages on the ground went from being faint spots in the distance to a rapidly approaching spots of colour. Douglas could even make out cars on the come to a stop as a half-dozen missiles slammed into the nearby fields.

A quick look into the rear-camera showed revealed that the man had given chase. And whilst Raptor One was faster at this angle and the gap with the superpowered man behind wasn’t closing, the gap with the ultimate-enemy of any plane was swiftly closing: the ground. Douglas flicked a button to activate the breaking flaps as he pulled the control stick towards him.

Raptor One twisted and screamed once again as Douglas’ pilot seat tried to swallow the man. He swallowed the coffee he drank before setting off and thanked whatever Divine was watching him that made him decide to skip breakfast as the plane went from a cascading towards the ground to a shooting straight up like a rocket headed for space.

Douglas looked up, he saw the transport that Anarchia must be on and saw Erik’s plane make a slow turn from high above. “There’s one man out, the other is still chasing you Erik.” Douglas said into his radio as he switched on the accelerator.

“Thanks.” Erik asked. “Distance on me?”

“He’s far.” Douglas replied after seeing the faint black dot that was hovering in the air. “You’re too high for him I think.”

“Thought I’d be.” Erik said. “Going in for a dive now.”

“Don’t get close.” Douglas said. He doubted that the man needed reminding, but it was more to calm himself down.

“He’s catching on you.” Erik said. Raptor One was already turning by the time Douglas even inspected the camera. A moment later, and the man who was giving chase shot past the black jet with his arms extended as if he was ready to barrel through the plane. “Firing!”

The rumble of an autocannon came from the above the jet ferrying Anarchia. Douglas once again turned, flying upside down as he twisted Raptor One around. And once again, the aircraft roared in fury as its engines caught fire and a red light started to blink in the ceiling of the cabin. Just heat warning on the wings. Douglas knew the bird could take more.

But his hope burned out when he saw that man keeping pace with Anarchia’s huge jet. He lifted his arms above his head and suddenly his fingers spread out. His hands grew wide. His entire body became a shield. It was an umbrella of flesh to protect the plane from the hail of lead above. And protect it. The bullets from Erik’s plane bounced off the man’s body as if they were little more than ping-pong balls. “FUCKING GET AWAY FROM THAT!” Douglas shouted as he saw a finger shoot out of the man. Like a whipping snake, it extended and grew and tried to catch the jet.

Erik pulled Raptor Two to a side whilst only increasing the acceleration. The jet spun uncontrollably as Erik seized control of it. One look into the screen that connected to the rear camera told Douglas what to do. “I’m firing the afterburner.” That man was catching up to him again.

“Fucking go!” Erik shouted as Douglas pressed down on the button in his cockpit to activate the fuel injector, and then the next to set ignite the jets. Raptor One sped up as if it was a cannonball. Douglas had no clue had he managed to stabilize the spin, he wouldn’t have been surprised if the wind had just ripped the fins straight off.

But then didn’t, and soon enough, a second explosion came from behind as Raptor Two also broke the sound barrier. Douglas took a deep breath as he let the tension slide out of his body. “You there Erik?” He asked.

“I’m here.”

“I’m calling it.” Douglas said. “Abort, mission failed. Return to base.”

A totally mirthless chuckle came through the speaker. “The elf won’t be happy.”

“The elf can go fuck himself.”