The ongoing trench war between the Hayato Empire and the Takamagahara League has seen observers flocking to the habitable strip. Every analyst knows there will be a major war between the Protectorate and Axis before the end of the century and both sides are testing anything that might give them an edge. Elves have historically been quite bad at keeping up with new developments – usually resulting in a lot of dead elves – so the Lord Protector is particularly interested in the development of hikouki and their applications.

Their reconnaissance capabilities are superior to airships given their compact frame, impressive speeds, and tight turning circles which make them a difficult target for ground artillery. The issei radio technology has also been fully integrated, allowing for real time intelligence reports from scouts to commanders to the men on the ground.

The latest hikouki design has two wings stacked atop each other, a large propeller in the front, and an open cabin with two seats. The captain in front flies, the co-captain in the back looks over the side with binoculars to scout enemy troop positions, navigates with a map, and operates the radio.

Both sides have been making use of hikouki. At first, the pilots would fly past each other and could do nothing but offer rude gestures. Then they brought pistols, and there was a short-lived vessel with a third seat for a machine gunner. But the hikouki were too fast and maneuverable so they didn’t result in much.

But the latest Hayato hikouki has two 20-milimeter guns built into frame which fire high-powered bursts capable of ripping through the thin metal hulls of Taka hikouki. The Axis are likely to likely to similar offensive capabilities, but the Hayato officials claim to have plenty of surprises and upgrades ready to go.