One Year Later.
July 27.
Sixteen years after the Snezhnaya–Teyvat War.
Charybdis had healed.
The scorched plains, once torn apart by firestorms and strafing runs, had grown green again. Rolling fields of windblown grass now covered what had once been cratered battlegrounds. The skeletal remains of bombed-out suburbs had been replaced with rows of new homes, schools, and community centers. The distant echoes of sirens and gunfire had faded, replaced by the gentle hum of a city reborn.
The war was over.
Truly over.
And in its place, Charybdis stood not only as a city rebuilt—but as a symbol. A symbol of resilience, of unity, of remembrance.
Among the newer landmarks was a structure that drew visitors from all over Teyvat:
The Charybdis Fontaine Air and Space Museum.
It towered like a monument to the sky—glass and steel interwoven with graceful arcs that mimicked wings in midbank. The centerpiece rotunda, drenched in natural light from the skylights above, stood as hallowed ground for aviation history.
There, two aircraft stood side by side—elevated on custom-built pedestals.
Not mere machines.
Legends.
On the left:
Dassault Rafale M 1013-FF — the aircraft of Furina de Fontaine, the Regina of the Skies.
Its angular frame was preserved in perfect detail. Deep royal blues and obsidian black swept down the fuselage like a storm frozen in motion. The golden emblem on the tail—a crown crest over flowing water—gleamed under the museum spotlights. Below the canopy, still intact, the words:
"Élégante et Efficace."
It had flown through every theater of the Teyvat–Snezhnaya War. It had danced through firestorms, carved contrails across Morepesok, and had risen like a phoenix over the burning skies of Sepharis Bird. There was no doubt: 1013-FF had earned its place in history.
And beside it, just a few feet away, stood the mightiest bird of the war that came before.
Grumman F-14A Tomcat — "Emberhowl One"
The aircraft of Captain Emilie
Callsign: Raven. Flight lead of Emberhowl Air Command Squadron.
The fighter was jet black, sleek, and still imposing after all these years. Its wings were extended in a sweeping arc, as if poised to pounce. The kill markings beneath the cockpit had been carefully restored—each one a tally of a battle survived, a threat neutralized, a pilot brought home alive.
The decision had been made jointly.
Rather than returning the jet to its original home at Windrise Air Force Base in Mondstadt—where it had been stored, maintained, and revered by pilots and crews alike—Emilie herself had requested it be relocated to Charybdis.
"It belongs here," she had said.
"Where it was last flown. Where it made a difference."
Windrise Command agreed. A symbol of unity in a world still learning from the scars of its past.
And now, the Tomcat of Emberhowl stood shoulder to shoulder with the Rafale of Fontaine.
Two wars. Two eras. Two legends.
Each aircraft, a reflection of its pilot—and a reminder that peace, too, must be flown toward.
Across the Air Base.
Emilie, Mona, Mualani, and Ayaka walked alongside Furina, Clorinde, Wriothesley, Eula, Collei, and Arlecchino. The group moved slowly down the flight line, past rows of aircraft and concrete, the late summer breeze stirring memories as vivid as the jets once roaring overhead. They were on their way to the museum ramp—remnants of the past preserved under polished metal and museum lights.
Arlecchino was the first to speak.
"I never liked the nickname 'Demon Lord of Nod Krai.'" Her voice was low, almost bitter. "Sure, I had the most kills in the region, but I wasn't doing it for fame. I was just doing my job—serving my country. Like all of you."
She exhaled, the weight behind her words hanging heavy.
"But I'll never forget that operation… the one where we bombed an industrial city in northern Khaenri'ah. Allied operation. Teyvat included. I still hear the screams... Civilians caught in the crossfire as we broke through the city airspace. That day... I felt something unbearable. I didn't sleep for nights. It felt like we committed war crimes, and maybe we did..."
Furina glanced toward her.
"What happened?"
Arlecchino shook her head, her jaw tightening.
"It was an allied strike. Meant to cripple enemy weapons production. But we were reckless. Indiscriminate. A 'scorched world' tactic, they called it... We still get criticism for that one."
Emilie gave a slow nod.
"I know that pain, Arlecchino. We were Wolfsbane Squadron back then… Operation Retreatal Blow. A squad called the 5050th—Mechshade Squadron—hit an engineering college inside our AO. Since we were the only active unit in the region, the blame landed squarely on us. Tarnished everything we stood for."
She looked down the ramp, eyes distant.
"When war records were declassified, it became clear that the Teyvat Forces never forgot. It's what led to our exile at Petrichor Island Air Force Base."
Arlecchino turned toward her.
"What happened to Petrichor?"
Emilie answered without hesitation.
"Abandoned. Right after the Emberhowl Squadron was formed. No one's set foot there since. Even our original F-14A Tomcats—still sitting mothballed in a hangar. Silent."
Furina nodded solemnly.
"Then came us. Stationed at the captured Dymny Kordon Air Force Base. Short on everything—fuel, ammo, even hope. As second-in-command, we had no options. So, we hit a stockpile base near Crimson Moon Castle, minutes south of us. Took out SAMs, even flattened the castle to protect our ground forces."
She turned to Arlecchino.
"That's where we had our final duel."
Arlecchino chuckled softly.
"Yeah... My Su-75 against your Rafale. Never thought a next-gen fighter would lose to a 4.5-gen. But damn, you landed your hits. Same during the Battle of Morepesok—you nearly took me out."
Furina smirked slightly.
"Times change, huh?"
"Yeah," Arlecchino said, the smirk fading.
Collei looked to the Emberhowl Aces.
"I gotta ask you four... how did you live with being declared dead for years?"
Mona answered first.
"Three of us were presumed dead. Mualani wasn't."
Mualani nodded.
"When Emberhowl was marked KIA, I was still flying under my own unit. I'm the only one left from it now. When Emilie, Mona, and Ayaka joined me, I took the Emberhowl Three callsign. Our first mission was rescuing President Imena. After that, aboard the Arkhe, the Emberhowl Squadron was reborn."
Mona continued.
"We lived quiet lives. Hiding in plain sight. Couldn't reveal our identities—NDA bound. I went back for my Master's. Ayaka trained in Kendo. Mualani, even though not declared dead, had to bury her past just like us. Emilie? She started a business."
Furina pressed her lips together.
"Ironic, isn't it?"
Emilie raised a brow. "How so?"
"During Operation Sovereign Shield, Cascade Squadron's four F-14Bs helped rescue President Imena. It felt like a callback… like the Emberhowl Aces returning from the dead."
She paused, eyes narrowing.
"And that penal unit? Hell. Missions with no weapons, barely any coordination, suicidal objectives. Like defending an airbase with locked ordnance. Then the snowy plains mission... A massive enemy airbase split into three sectors. No return line. No proper runway. Just grit and hope."
"But eventually, we earned our pardon."
Clorinde tilted her head. "Still a mystery who cleared your name, Furina."
Emilie raised her hand.
"I did."
Furina's eyes widened. "You?"
Emilie nodded.
"I told you, the day before you deployed to Kovorograd, that I'd look into it. And I did. I dug deep. Pulled your flight data from 1013-FF. Even Lyney's F-35C records. Gave everything to Peacekeeping Command. Straight to Gracie."
"Yes, that Gracie. The captain of the Arkhe."
"It was enough. They reopened the case. Investigated internally. Found your lead investigator—Monica—had sabotaged the entire process."
Furina shook her head slowly, stunned.
"I… I don't know what to say… Thank you, Emilie."
"Don't thank me," Emilie replied. "Thank Imena."
Furina furrowed her brow. "Imena? The former President?"
"That's right. She pushed hard to clear our names. The timing wasn't in our favor, but she never gave up. That's why Wolfsbane was eventually exonerated."
They reached the hangar.
Inside, Furina's Rafale M sat proudly—designated F5 Evolution 1310-FF—painted in a pristine replica of her original jet, 1013-FF.
Emilie smirked.
"So they matched your bird to your old one, huh?"
Furina nodded.
"Yeah. Right after 1013-FF was placed in the Elephant Walk on Day One of the show. They took this one and restored it."
She nudged Clorinde's shoulder.
"Clorinde and the others planned the surprise. Jean flew it from Elynas AFB to Marcotte, even helped with the access during restoration."
Ayaka smiled.
"Does she fly?"
Furina nodded.
"Only at air shows now. She's registered with the Teyvat National Historic Vehicles. First aircraft on the list."
Emilie nodded. "Followed by the Emberhowl F-14As."
Wriothesley folded his arms and smiled faintly.
"Exactly."
The group continued their walk, making their way toward the Air and Space Museum.
As they entered, the massive hangar opened up before them—bright lights casting reflections off the polished canopies of two jet fighters. At the very center of the museum floor stood the two stars of the exhibit.
On the left: Furina's Dassault Rafale M, tail number 1013-FF, with its flowing storm-blue livery and golden crest, its sleek frame preserved like it had just returned from a mission.
On the right: Emilie's Grumman F-14A Tomcat, tail number 016, still wearing its signature Emberhowl black, trimmed with red and silver streaks—wings swept, canopy sealed, and every inch a ghost from the war.
The two aircraft stood wingtip-to-wingtip. Silent titans of the sky, immortalized in steel and paint.
Furina folded her arms, a satisfied smile playing at the corner of her lips.
"So… what do you think?"
Emilie stepped forward, her eyes scanning both jets before nodding in approval.
"It's incredible she's still in great shape. The museum staff really know how to keep these birds pristine."
Furina nodded in agreement. "And the best part? They're both still airworthy. Well—just the main attractions, anyway."
Emilie chuckled softly. "You know… there's something I ought to tell you all."
The group fell silent as Emilie stepped between the two aircraft, the symbolism not lost on any of them—two generations, two wars, two oaths, converging in this single moment.
She turned to face them, her voice steady, rich with meaning.
"As members of the Air Force, we all took the oath—a solemn pledge sworn the day we first earned our wings. A promise to serve Teyvat and defend her skies. Not for glory. Not for medals. But for the people below, and the freedom above."
Her eyes swept across each of them—Furina, Clorinde, Wriothesley, Mona, Ayaka, Mualani, Arlecchino, Collei, and Eula.
"That oath… it stays with us. Long after the final sortie. Long after the guns fall silent. Until the day we retire and hang up our flight suits for good."
She looked up at the massive hangar ceiling, then back to the two aircraft flanking her.
"To protect the skies. To hold the line. To never yield to fear or tyranny…"
A pause.
"That is not just any oath."
A small smile curved her lips.
"Because that…"
She looked at the group, proud.
"Is the Skyward Oath."