The Pain of an Inferior: A Blistering Love Comedy That Begins After a Broken Heart - Chapter 36

[Angel 1! Fox 2!]

Shinku makes a call and launches an air-to-air missile from the fighter plane she is piloting. The unsightly enemy aircraft exploded, and their wreckage is scattered in the sea.

[Looking good, we’re going to win if we keep up this pace.]

[We can’t let our guard down, Yunika. We have to be careful till the end.]

Yunika’s voice, mixed with static, echoes from the radio on the plane.

Yunika, with the call sign [Angel 2], takes control of her plane and follows diagonally behind Shinku’s plane.

[By the way, I just received an invitation from Obi saying the he wants to go out with everyone. Do you want to join us?]

Yunika displays a floating window and that shows a message about the invitation.

Haruka, who is under house arrest, has asked her to go out with him on a Saturday vacation. Yunika asks her to go with her, since Shinku won’t like come even if she gets invited by Haruka.

Yunika immediately dismissed the floating message, thinking that Shinku will definitely refuse even if she invited her herself.

[… I see… I’ll think about it.]

[Eh!?]

[An Unknown’s rapidly approaching! Evade! Evade!]

The impatient voices of the players in the early-warning control plane echo in the cockpits of Shinku and Yunika.

[Oh n-]

Because of her stunned reaction to the unexpected answer of Shinku, Yunika’s plane was hit by the incoming laser due to her delay in evading.

Yunika’s plane explodes in mid-air, sending burning debris into the air.

[Yunika!!]

[The battle is not over yet, Angel Squadron!]

A man’s voice came over the entire channel of the radio.

A large fighter jet with a distinctive silhouette appeared in Shinku’s vision.

[You’re too cheeky, Adshift]

An advanced fighter plane, which was more powerful than the normal plane but lowered the total cost that other allied players could use, and which would cause trouble if anyone other than the ace pilot rode on it, was coming straight towards Shinku.

The strategy based on that advanced fighter is called “Adshift”.

[We can win if we can take you down!]

Lasers are emitted from the optical weapons installed on the top of the fighter plane. It’s a powerful offensive weapon that can’t be equipped on normal aircrafts.

Shinku avoids the lasers with minimal movement and takes up a position behind the enemy plane.

[Fox 2!]

Shinku fires her air-to-air missiles, The enemy plane was not using chaff flares, but the missle’s guidance was off and it did not hit. Seeing this, Shinku clicked her tongue.

A radio message is sent from the control plane.

[They are using ECM! Please retreat, Shinku-san!]

[Doing a front angle attack is better. We’ll take him down here even if we have to stab him with our head on!]

There’s an electronic countermeasure that interferes with the radar and prevents missiles coming from behind from functioning properly. In dogfights, where both sides try to position themselves behind the enemy, using this naturally give them a strong advantage.

The jamming signal does not output in front of the aircraft because it affects its own missiles. The only chance is to survive the 180-second duration of the jamming effect, or to attack from a frontal angle.

Twice or thrice, she avoids the enemy’s laser attacks and conventional infrared missiles, but is unable to avoid the bursting warhead missiles that come flying afterwards. Shinku’s aircraft emits a small puff of smoke, and its movement becomes slightly unstable.

[Impressive.]

[You’re not doing so good, Triangle Red..! Scatter in the sky just like your partner!]

Shinku’s aircraft has a bright red decal in the shape of an equilateral triangle. Therefore, other players called her “Triangular Red” with awe.

[I am Crimson[1], not Red!]

Shinku takes the rear of the enemy plane and fires a machine gun. The advanced plane has strong armor, so the damage by the machine gun is reduced, but it doesn’t matter.

The enemy plane turns and slows down, planning to overshoot Shinku. Shinku dared to take advantage of this maneuver, and speeds up to overtake the enemy plane.

[Fox 3!]

The enemy releases an explosive warhead missile. It is much bigger than ordinary missiles and flies slowly, trying to sink Shinku

[You’re the one who’ll be scattered!]

Shinku releases the limiter and performs a rapid turn without considering the load on the pilot and the plane.

Red effects are generated from all over Shinku’s body, and the aircraft disintegrates in mid-air.

The aircraft is forced to head-on, and the radar catches the enemy aircraft approaching in front of it.

[Fox 2!]

The safety device is activated, and the distance is too great to launch the missile. Shinku presses and holds the missile button and fires the missile forcibly, ignoring the safety device.

The missile hit the air intake of the enemy plane from the frontal angle before he could avoid it due to the relative velocity.

Shinku’s aircraft and the enemy aircraft pass each other.

The enemy plane explodes in midair, and Shinku’s plane disintegrated at the same time, bringing the curtain down to the battle.

Although the result was a tie, considering the fact that the opponent was an advanced aircraft, the match was definitely won by Shinku.

Shinku ejected out from her seat before the aircraft collapsed completely. Without opening her parachute, she kicked her chair and soared through the air.

With red sparkling effects emanating from her body, Shinku falls head first into the sea.

Looking at the clear sky and the bright sun, she speaks a few words.

“I’m feeling good right now desu wa.

In honor of this victory, I will accept your invitation.

Rejoice, Obi Haruka.”

Translator Note

[1] Shinku’s name (??) means Crimson