The Sky and the Wings of Nobility- Magical Girls and the Midlife Crisis (Beginning of Volume 2)

“Hey, lucky boy. How’s the new bird handling? Honestly, first time I sat in one of these, I was hooked. After that… couldn’t get it up for any other plane.”

“Did you use that excuse when apologizing to your wife in bed?” someone deadpanned.

“PFFFT—HAHAHA!”

Laughter erupted over the radio.

At 50,000 feet, five fighters flew in a loose formation.

The lead aircraft was visibly different—SinoTech’s newest acquisition, fresh off delivery. Today was its maiden test flight.

Since it’s just testing… maybe I can push it a little.

Gripping the stick, I banked hard, adjusting rudder and thrust vectoring nozzles with precision.

Thanks to this planet’s most advanced engine and flawless aerodynamics, even my aggressive maneuvers were met with smooth, stable responses—effortless, almost intelligent.

“It’s… incredible.”

After slicing through layers of brilliant white clouds, my four wingmen vanished behind me. The deeper blue of near-space held me spellbound for a few seconds—almost making me forget altitude and position.

“Getting cocky? You lost us because of the jet, not skill.”

My comrades’ voices crackled over the radio, laced with mock annoyance.

“It’s not just the machine. Boy got chosen as test pilot—became ‘lucky boy’—because he’s simply better than you,” came Jack’s voice.

Jack—the “free gift” bundled with the purchase. A tall, fair-haired European with sharp blue eyes, unmatched flying skills, and combat experience. A reliable senior.

“And remember how I used to tail you in training jets?” I added, playing along.

“That was ages ago! Try it now!” the comrade snapped back.

“Try what? Every second we fly burns taxpayer money. You wanna race like street thugs?”

……

We joked over the radio while running test protocols. Then—

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

All onboard radars blared in unison.

“—Something’s approaching!”

We tensed, holding our breaths as systems analyzed the contact.

“M-monster?! Up here?!”

Data confirmed: Class-A Aberration—Sky Being.

“Ah, Teacher’s here.”

Unlike our panic, Jack’s tone remained calm—almost cheerful.

Encountering a legendary Class-A aberration at 50,000 feet? To him, it was like bumping into an old friend on the street.

“Teacher?” I asked.

“Yes. That’s what we call it.”

“Why ‘Teacher’?”

“You’re amazing. None of you ever raced Teacher?” Jack sounded genuinely baffled.

“Race? Race what?”

“Who flies faster, of course! In our city, every pilot dreams of challenging Teacher—it’s the highest honor.”

Challenge a monster? Race it in the sky? Does he even understand what he’s saying?

Silence filled the radio.

We all shared the same thought: Is Jack’s Chinese comprehension broken?

“But even as planes evolved, no one’s beaten Teacher. Not me either.”

Jack sighed, voice tinged with regret.

“Should we request weapon unlock? It doesn’t seem hostile…”

Finally, someone voiced the critical question.

“NOOB!”

Jack barked the insult without hesitation.

“Teacher never attacks anything with wings.”

“Birds. Other aberrations. Even human-made aircraft. If it has wings—if it flies freely through the sky—Teacher respects it. Acknowledges it.”

“…”

His words didn’t ease our unease.

“You damn foreigner spouting nonsense!” someone snapped.

“A few years ago, didn’t Teacher—your so-called ‘Teacher’—shoot down a passenger jet over Shangjing? Full crew, no survivors.”

That tragedy flooded back. Murmurs rose across the channel.

“FAKE NEWS!”

Jack’s voice boomed—loud, firm, cutting through doubt.

“I know it sounds conspiratorial, but I’m certain something’s wrong.”

“In records, documents, eyewitness accounts—Teacher has never initiated an attack mid-air. Zero. Zero! This is common knowledge in Europa.”

“But the attack happened. Here. In Shangjing.”

I shot back, already sending a weapon-unlock request to ground control.

“You don’t understand Teacher,” Jack sighed.

“The proud Teacher sees every flying object as a challenge. And his response to a challenge is always the same: a race.”

“Eclipse First, the Rest Nowhere.”

He said it with reverence—as if quoting scripture.

“…Speak Chinese, dude.”

“I know explaining won’t help. So—”

Jack’s fighter suddenly veered right—breaking formation instantly.

“Hey! Foreigner, get back!”

Our nominal squad leader shouted over the radio, realizing Jack’s intent.

Too late.

Through the cockpit window, I saw two black dots—one large, one small—engaging in a furious chase before vanishing into the distance.

“OOOOOOOHHH! I’M HARD AGAIN! I’M HARD AGAIN!”

Jack’s ecstatic roar blasted through the radio. We stared at each other, speechless.

“It’s been twelve years! TEACHER! LET ME CHALLENGE YOU ONCE MORE!”

“—OOOOOOOOOH!!!”