Chapter 36

Listen (Thank you, mengmie, for the donation! Also, thank you to those who donated under the IDs: 查无此ID, YU风岩, 快来看上帝, and Foxghost滑头鬼! Welcome to the abandoned base—Guam 136564821! A new week has arrived! I'm asking for recommendations, favorites, donations, and shares! This is the first update for the Three Rivers!

If you want to vote for the Three Rivers, please go to the main site on your computer, find the Three Rivers section, and click into the Three Rivers Pavilion page. You will see the voting window, and you can vote once every day. Please don't be stingy with your votes! Thank you all!)

36. The Beginning of the Struggle (First Extra Chapter for Three Rivers)

"Those results are truly astonishing..."

After a while, the sharp ringing gradually subsided. A slightly surprised voice from 001 echoed in 111's mind, tinged with a hint of excitement.

"Swinging sixteen times in 0.03 seconds, that level of dynamic vision and accuracy is indeed a bit better than your sister's. And the way you controlled the water droplets, that was clearly a show for us, right? Such skill and composure are commendable."

"That's great."

Feeling a sense of vindication, 111 nodded at the sakura steel ingot in front of her and asked 001 in her mind.

"Could you tell me where this performance ranks in the fleet?"

"Ah, second place."

"Eh?"

111, who had tied her long hair into a single ponytail, was taken aback.

Not first? This performance isn't first? While she might be slightly weaker in reflexes, 111 was quite confident in her sword skills. Even among humans, she had the confidence to become a sword saint.

But even so, not first? Who could be first? Her sister? She remembered her sister wasn't particularly good at this. The naginata was even more difficult.

"First place is me. Do you have any complaints?"

A familiar voice suddenly sounded in 111's ear.

The basement door had been open for some time. Enterprise, dressed in black, pulled down her large felt hat. Wearing a sleek black trench coat, she squinted and glared at 111, who was standing with her hair in a single ponytail.

"What do you call this in Japan? Iaido or dimensional slash? Or something else? It's quite an impressive technique, I suppose, even though it looks good."

The strongest girl leaned against the wall and nodded indifferently at the sakura steel ingot.

"But it's a shame. Even if you drink the ocean and destroy the earth, you still can't do anything to the sky. A person with only two hands can't win against nature. Your struggle is meaningless in the face of a storm. Come out, don't keep the admiral waiting."

"Ah, yes."

111 nodded, picked up the sword from the ground, and followed Enterprise out of the basement.

Enterprise wasn't lying.

111 could see that much.

When she saw the sakura steel ingot, her expression wasn't one of admiration or praise, but rather one of disdain and indifference.

Even if Enterprise thought she had hidden it well, to 111, who was skilled at reading people, the American's unthinking expression was as obvious as a spotlight. Clearly, for Enterprise, this technique was nothing special.

Indeed, as the prototype, hero, and flagship of the Imagination Fleet, she was a formidable figure. 111 was very confident in her own performance, but for Enterprise, it was as simple as eating or drinking. It seems that the elders in every place have their own unique skills and should not be underestimated.

"Ah, don't even think about surpassing Enterprise. Unless there's a second prototype aircraft carrier, it's impossible."

As if reading her mind, 001's voice echoed in her head again.

"Enterprise is just bullying you. Her weapons are custom-made. One of her weapons is worth ten times the sum of all yours. Don't think too much about it. In the fleet, your performance is indeed the best. You're just too competitive, which will cause trouble for the admiral..."

"I believe I can perfectly follow the admiral's orders. While I am indeed very competitive, I won't compromise the admiral's safety for the sake of vanity."

"Let's just leave it at that. Hurry up and come over."

Another one-sided hang-up?

111, annoyed, tapped her ear at the voice that came and went as it pleased.

"Actually, being competitive is a good thing." But even though 001's voice had faded away, Enterprise's voice rang out again. Her golden twin-tails hung down the sides of her trench coat, swaying slightly with each step.

"Being competitive means you won't accept defeat, and not accepting defeat means you'll work harder to improve. Just whining is useless. Take Montana, for example."

Mentioning a certain brown-haired, kind religious girl, Enterprise seemed very frustrated and shook her head.

"Despite having the most top-tier abilities, she adheres to some code and doesn't strive for anything. God didn't make you a passive pig, and the Lord of Hosts, the White Knight, Jehovah, has been read into her like a dog. Just focusing on protection and defense won't accomplish anything..."

Don't ask me, a newcomer, about these internal factional issues, and you still didn't explain what the problem is.

But out of respect for the strong, 111 could only follow behind and agree.

"Ah, I got a bit off-topic."

You know you got off-topic?

The girl muttered to herself as she watched Enterprise pat her head.

"In summary, remember this. First, the admiral's orders are absolute. Second, always prioritize the safety of yourself and your teammates. Third, don't fire or accelerate unless necessary, got it?"

Ah, and there's one last thing you need to remember.

Reaching the entrance of the assembly area, Enterprise gripped the handle, turned to 111, and stared at her with a fierce, predatory gaze.

"Never, ever try to sneak an attack on the admiral. If you do, the entire Imagination Fleet will tear you apart. You can forget everything else, but remember this: I don't want any teammates to 'accidentally' get lost in battle. Do you understand?"

I think this is the most important part, right?

111 smiled bitterly as she watched Enterprise open the door and walk in, then followed her into their pre-mission assembly point.

---

Page Break for Ad Start

Page Break for Ad End