V1C4

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Chapter 4, Air Fleet Battle

August 2nd.

Nearly two months after the Filfin Blockade, the mainland of Gameria has forcibly detained Hinoo immigrants and frozen their assets. Although an inhumane measure, this resulted in the destruction of the Hinoo Military Intelligence network in Hawaii and Los Angeles. As a result, the whereabouts of the Grand Ocean Fleet could not be traced.

Six ships of the First Flying Battleship Squadron of the Hinoo United Fleet and the Ibuki were currently at anchor at the Ari Air Base, taking a break from their patrol duties.

Kuroto stood with Rio and Heisuke on a pier in the middle of the mountain at an altitude of about 1,200 meters, waiting for the Ibuki to come and pick them up. All three of them lowered their heavy backpacks to the ground, looking tired. The contents of the backpacks were alloy bars called “ingots,” which were made by melting down obsolete coins.

” Oh, I’m tired. So tired. Really, really tired.”

Rio complained one after the other. On the day they landed, they went to a local bullion smelter and were forced to carry these heavy ingots on their backs.

“Endure it. This will definitely come in handy.”

Kuroto’s expression did not falter as he looked at the approaching fireboat.

Heisuke Hirata, a member of the air raid crew, who had become Kuroto’s errand boy, looked pleased.

“That’s a very interesting idea, Your Highness! Hopefully we can confuse the enemy!”

Rio looked suspiciously at Kuroto and Heisuke.

“If it doesn’t work, I won’t be satisfied. It’s heavy. It’s really heavy. I’m the second-in-command and I’m so proud to be carrying such a heavy thing.”

“You’re the one who said you’d follow me. Stop complaining.”

“I wish I could have had some mango shaved ice.”

Complaining, Rio boarded the fireboat that picked them up.

Due to the nature of airships, they cannot fly outside the “floating zone”. A layer of Ceras Particles about 20 meters thick covers the entire area at an altitude of 1,200 meters. In other words, it cannot ascend or descend from an altitude of 1,200 meters, so it is necessary to set up a pier on the face of the mountain at an altitude of 1,200 meters and use a fireboat to get on and off the airship.

The inland fireboat with three people on board swam slowly through the air at seven knots.

The green foothills of the mountains spread out below them, with control towers, repair docks, ammunition depots, fuel depots, staff offices, and barracks lining the flattened mountain surfaces. The largest airship base in the Ari Air Base was the ” Steel Aerial Fortress” – the most majestic of the seven ships of the First Flying Battleship Squadron of the United Fleet. It was directly above the base, filling the blue sky.

Two rows of ships were arranged in a vertical formation. Each ship was moored in the air with its bow end touching a buoy made of floating stones.

The further the fireboat progressed, the larger the shadow of the ship became, overwhelming Kroto’s vision.

The flagship of the United Fleet was the “Shishimaru”.

It was 220 meters long, 35 meters wide, and weighed 40,000 tons.

Four 40-centimeter cannons protruded from both sides of the ship, with forty-eight creaking suspension ropes, four huge propellers driven by 82,000 horsepower at the stern, and a flag fluttering on the rear mast. This is a large flying battleship built with the prestige of the Hinoo Navy and Air Force to counter the overly powerful Western powers.

The United Fleet Command Center is located on the bridge at the front bottom of the hull. In accordance with the standard protocol, the Commander-in-Chief of the United Fleet is supposed to stand at the head of the fleet and take charge, so Commander-in-Chief Nangou would probably be there.

The fireboat entered the narrow space between the two rows of vertical lines, aiming at the Ibuki.

A series of graceful curves, reminiscent of a noblewoman’s, flowed on either side of Kuroto and his companions, with a destructive power that could change the shape of a mountain if they opened fire.

The “Unra”, “Kinra”, “Kusui”, “Seimore”, and “Hokiyou” were the children of the Hinoo Navy and Air Force. The four 40cm guns, two of which protruded from the port side of the battleships, glittered in the sunlight.

These six flying battleships were the heart of the “miracle” that the people of Hinoo had created after enduring more than thirty years of painstaking work. They were the “shield in the sky” that protected Hinoo from the starving Western powers. It is no exaggeration to say that the reason why Hinoo is the only Asian nation that has not been colonized by the Western powers is because these six flying battleships protect the sea in all directions. If these flying battleships in front of them were to be defeated, Hinoo would be destroyed and the 80 million people would become slaves to the white man.

The “Ibuki” floated at the tail end of the two rows of ships.

After passing through the majestic rows of flying battleships, the unreliability of the short hulled and thinly armored destroyers became clear to them. The Ibuki, with its slow top speed, was not able to join the squadron despite being a destroyer, and was currently attached to the tail of the battleship squadron in an apologetic manner.

They parked alongside the port side and climbed up the lowered ramp to the upper deck. On the floating body and the port side of the ship, sailors with ropes tied around their waists were suspended in midair, reapplying the peeling paint.

A group of air raid officers who were inspecting the oxygen mines loaded in the launch tubes noticed and smiled.

“Your Highness, Princess! Welcome home!”

“I’m back. Here, take this. ……”

Rio was half-slumped as she handed the contents of her backpack to one of the officers.

“Is this the rumored secret weapon?”

” Mmmh. Scrape it off like thin paper and spread it around.”

Heisuke, who was standing beside Kuroto, added a few words.

“I’ll take it to the engineering team! I’ll ask them if they can pack it in a bursting bullet!”

Heisuke took all the ingots on his own back and ran off in a hurry.

“Heisuke-kun, you’re a good boy.”

Rio wiped her forehead with her fist as she watched the little man slip into the elevator.

“As a servant, you’re perfect.”

“Again. You’re being a “dere”.”

“What is a “dere”?”

“You don’t need to know. Well, I’ll take my leave. My luggage was heavy, but it was fun to go out with Kuro-chan for the first time in a while.”

Rio waved her hand and walked back to the bridge alone. The sailors who passed Rio saluted her with big smiles and breathed in the lingering scent as she passed by. Kuroto didn’t have any plans for the rest of the day, so he decided to take a stroll around the upper deck and inspect the air mine hangar.

“Good work, Your Highness!” “How are you, Your Highness?” ” Your Highness, make me your servant, too!”

When the air raid crew saw Kuroto’s face, they greeted him one after another with smiles. Kuroto nodded his head in a hawkish manner, confirming that his subordinates had become familiar with him.”

“Your Highness! I’m glad the weather is so good today.”

Sergeant Onizuka greeted him in an especially loud voice. Kuroto nodded and said,

“You did good yesterday.”

“Hahaha! No problem!

Yesterday, when he asked the engineering team to process ingots, they almost refused, citing their workload. So, he got Onizuka and forced them to agree. As the oldest officer on the ship, Onizuka had more influence over the officers and men on board than any newcomer.

“I’ll have Heisuke deliver your reward to you later. If I need anything else, I’ll be counting on you.”

“Haha! Thank you, Lord Kurono! When in doubt, leave it to Onizuka!”

Onizuka saluted with a big smile, and Kuroto nodded in agreement.

The reward was the leftover hot water from the bath that Izaya and Rio had used during the recent squall. He and the chief accountant had agreed to pump it up in secret and store it in the officer’s storeroom. The three buckets of hot water are called “holy water” by sailors because it has a strange lingering scent like roses. It is also traded at a particularly high price among many goods. By holding the source of the holy water”, Kuroto was revered like a god by the sailors, and had gained tremendous power of influence.

Heisuke peeked out of the doorway and came running in with a smile.

“The team has begun work! They say the metal fragments can be used in the warheads of explosive bombs!”

“Hmm, good news. I’ll go with you later.”

“The head of the engineering team is asking for a reward. What do you want to do?”

“Give him one bamboo tube. You can give him another one if the explosion is successful.”

Heisuke saluted, took the key from Kuroto, and ran off to the officer’s storeroom. There is only about half a bucket of holy water left. He thought about giving the sailors fresh water to disguise as “holy water”. But just to be sure, he had the sailors sniff the fresh water and holy water bamboo tubes, and ten out of ten of them sniffed the holy water. With his tongue in cheek at their fearsome sense of smell, he went around the ship, hoping to encounter another squall.

◆

Three days later, on August 5th, at 7:15 a.m….

Suddenly, a telegraph was sent to the captain of each ship, informing them and the operations staff to gather at the bridge of the “”Shishimaru”, the flagship of the United Fleet, as soon as possible.

Izaya’s expression tightened the moment she received the telegram.

“It’s finally here.”

She didn’t need to be told what she was being called for. Rio and Kuroto, who were on the navigation bridge, looked at each other and nodded.

“I guess you’ re going out.”

“Yes. It’s finally happening.”

After being seen off by the two, Izaya left the bridge and boarded an internal fireboat. From the other flying battleships, she could see the inner fireboats with the captains on board flying one after the other toward the Shishimaru.

The sailors also noticed something strange, and a murmur spread throughout the ship.

An hour later…

The captains of the ships left the bridge and boarded the inner fireboat anchored on the port side of the Shishimaru. They flew slowly at a speed of seven kilometers per hour, returning to the airships that formed a double-row formation.

The stiff-faced Izaya walked up the ramp to the port side of the “Ibuki” and silently walked in front of the bright-eyed sailors before returning to the navigation bridge.

She nodded to Kuroto and Rio, who welcomed her with a tight expression. She took a deep breath and grabbed the microphone for the ship’s internal broadcast.

“The captain’s message. All hands to the upper deck.”

Putting down the microphone, Izaya turned her sharp gaze to Kuroto and Rio.

“Let’s go. Gather the officers.”

“What?”

At the word, both Kuroto and Rio involuntarily stretched their backs. When they left the navigation bridge, the messenger relayed the current broadcast verbally to each of the stations. In a short time, not only the troops, but also the engineers, who are usually at the bottom of the ship, gathered on the upper deck and lined up in front of the pedestal near the bow.

Izaya stood upright on the pedestal with her chest, outstretched, along with the Chief of Engineers, the Chief of Air Raids, the Chief of Machine Guns, the Chief of Communications, and the Chief of Accounting. Also there was the Assistant Chief of Air Raids, Kuroto, Chief of Navigation, Rio, and Deck Officer, Myuu. All of them stood in a line beside Izaya to meet the two hundred sailors.

Against the backdrop of the morning sun, the blue summer sky, and the clouds rising in the distance, Izaya placed the pommel of his sword in its scabbard on a pedestal and placed her hands on the hilt to use it as a staff.

Her long silver hair and large jet-black cloak fluttered in the wind.

Her appearance was that of a goddess, glowing from within in the summer sun.

The glittering eyes of the sailors who had a hunch of what was to come turned to Izaya, and a clear, limpid voice was released to all.

“We have arrived. Today, at O 6 3 O (6:30am), friendly airships spotted the Grand Ocean Fleet of Gameria moving westward 300 nautical miles off the coast of Guam, and entered contact with it. Our course is 270 degrees and we’re heading for Filfin.”

A shout of joy shook the upper deck.

The world’s strongest fleet, the Grand Ocean Fleet of Gameria, had finally appeared.

What was its strength?

“The enemy has one squadron of airships at the spearhead and two squadrons of sea ships fifty nautical miles behind. The flying squadron consists of six battleships, six heavy cruisers, four light cruisers, and four destroyers, for a total of twenty ships. The maritime fleet consists of ten battleships, three aircraft carriers, numerous cruisers, and numerous destroyers. We’re bringing a convoy behind us.”

The Chief of Communications wrote down an outline of the enemy and their current position on the blackboard. Izaya continued to speak.

“The enemy is not deceiving us about their course, and is pursuing the shortest route to the Mariveles blockade. Commander-in-Chief Nangou has decided to mobilize the full power of our United Fleet to determine the winner.”

The crowd cheered again. The sailors were excited by the situation as if they were reenacting the “Battle of the Sea of Hinoo” in which the Barbados Fleet, the world’s most powerful fleet at the time, was defeated in the Russo-Hinoo War about 33 years ago.

“The “Ibuki” will be under the command of the First Flying Battleship Squadron and will challenge the enemy airships in this decisive battle. The sortie is set for December 31. Preparations for battle are now underway, and I look forward to your diligent efforts, over!”

The sailors straightened their backs and gave a cool shout, which was greeted with loud cheers in the summer sky.

“All senior officers gather on the navigation bridge. We must determine our positions.”

Izaya looked around at the eight officers who had gathered and announced.

After moving to the navigation bridge and discussing the matter, it was decided that in the event of a battle, the Chief of Air Raids (Kakitsubata), the Chief of Communications, and the Chief of Machine Guns would be on the navigation bridge, while Izaya, Rio, Kuroto, and Myuu would be in command at the forward watchtower. It was customary to distribute the officers in this way, since there was a risk that a single direct hit would kill them all if they were all gathered in one place. The Chief of Engineering and Chief Accountant performed their respective duties in the Engineering Command Center and the Ammunition Depot, respectively.

“Well, good luck to you all.”

Izaya told the assembled officers, and then pointed her toes toward the forward watchtower.

Sand and seawater were sprinkled on the upper deck to prevent slipping, warehouses and passageways that were not needed during the battle were sealed, combustible and unnecessary items were removed and unloaded, and fresh water and fuel were loaded. The ship’s name and squadron number on the port side and stern were painted over, and the ship’s number “7” was painted in white on the chimney instead. New underwear, soap, and first-aid kits were distributed to the troops at each battle station.

The atmosphere on board the Ibuki, which was always cheerful and tranquil, had changed completely.

Gradually, the sense of urgency increased, and the faces of the soldiers became more serious.

Twelve o’clock….

“Launch!”

Under Izaya’s interesting command, the engine of the Ibuki roared to life. The turbine shaft and screw shaft were connected by a deceleration device, and the huge propeller on the stern of the ship began to rotate slowly.

Reacting to the physical energy, seven different colors of droplets emerged from the floating zone, just like waves.

The buoys were untied, and with the flying battleship Shishimaru, flagship of the United Fleet, at the head of the group, the steel aerial fortresses slowly paddled out into the summer sky.

“All hands free, salute!”

After Izaya’s announcement, those not on duty changed into fresh coats and lined up on the upper deck or in the outer walkway to salute other ships and people on the surface facilities as they passed by.

Looking out over the mountain, they could see the control towers, warehouses, and repair docks at the same altitude. Many staff members, craftsmen, and ground personnel came out to wave their hats and handkerchiefs in farewell. Some were smiling, some were crying, some were kneeling on the ground with their hands clasped together. Young and old, even children were outdoors, all offering their prayers to the United Fleet on its way to the decisive battle.

If the United Fleet was defeated in this decisive battle, Hinoo would perish.

The people of Hinoo were well aware of this from the daily reports in the newspapers and magazines.

For Hinoo, the sea is its lifeline. If Hinoo is unable to protect the sea, the sea transport routes will be cut off by the Gamerian Navy and Air Force, and over time, Hinoo will run out of food, fuel, and supplies, destroying itself without a fight. For Hinoo, who is not self-sufficient in food and resources, and has to rely on imports from abroad, losing the United Fleet would be a catastrophe as the entire kingdom would be subjected to a “sustenance attack”.

Therefore, they could not lose.

They must win and return here.

Every soldier who sent a ceremonial salute to the people on the ground carried this determination in his heart. By now, all the people on the Hinoo mainland are praying to the United Fleet for a victory. Knowing that the prayers of eighty million people now rested on their shoulders, the United Fleet officers straightened their necks and backs.

For more than thirty years, eighty million people living in a poor emerging nation have endured the hardships of heavy taxation, selling their children and living frugally to keep their nails lit. Now, they must fulfill their responsibility as the ones entrusted with this miracle. The determination of all the soldiers who saluted those who were seeing them off was absorbed into the blue of summer sky.

◆

Soon, the blue ocean spread out beneath the Ibuki.

Izaya, at the forward watchpost, stood motionless with her eyes fixed squarely on the road ahead. Rio went up to the open-air command post on the rooftop to measure the sun’s altitude with a sextant, alongside Myuu, who was always here during battle.

Suddenly, Myuu transmitted a message to Izaya through a voice pipe.

“Allied maritime fleet to the west. It appears to be the fourth attack fleet, Makohakuchi(?).”

Izaya turned her binoculars to the east.

In the distance of the ocean, bouncing back the midsummer sunshine, there were the shadows of a few ships of the fleet.

“‘Kongou,’ ‘Haruna,’ ‘Kirimasu,’ and ‘Hiei.’ All the high-speed battleships are here. The cruisers are the ‘Maya,’ ‘Takao,’ and ‘Tone’. The torpedo squadron, ‘Jintetsu,’ ‘Yukikaze,’ ‘Koukaze,’ and ‘Ayanami.’ The two rows of vertical lines look as if they have been applied with a ruler.”

Peering through her binoculars, Izaya guessed the name of the ships based on their shadows alone. Kuroto, who was standing beside her, said,

“Is it still too late for the ‘Yamato’ and ‘Musashi’?”

“It will be difficult this time. I hope they come. The ‘Yamato’ is capable of taking down a flying battleship with its a 40cm main gun.”

“I’m sure it can. A 46-centimeter main cannonball weighing 1.4 tons would reach an altitude of 1,200 meters in 1.8 seconds. Even the forty-centimeter main gun of the Shishimaru can’t compete with it.”

Today, airships are the most powerful weapons in the world, but depending on the caliber of their main guns, they can be shot down by sea ships. Flying ships have the advantage of having a bird’s eye view of ships at sea, being able to observe the water columns from which bullets land, and being able to shoot from high altitudes. However, the maximum range is only extended by about 10%, and flying cruisers cannot defeat sea battleships. Therefore, if the Yamato and Musashi were to be finished, until a flying battleship with a 46cm main gun appeared, the Yamato and Musashi would be the world’s strongest weapons.

“The performance of Gameria’s new flying battleship is not clear. I’m sure they have a radar targeting system as far as I can tell. It hurts a lot that we don’t have the Yamato and Musashi.”

“It’s no use begging for what we don’t have. I’ve mentioned the radar sighting in my report, but I don’t know how headquarters evaluated it. Given that no countermeasures have been taken, the staff may not have taken it seriously.”

Pretending not to have heard Kuroto’s short retort, Izaya took his eyes off the binoculars. Rio came down to the forward watchtower and wrote down the current position on the chart.”

“Will the squadrons fight each other first?”

“That’s the plan. If we control the airspace first, we’ll have the advantage in a decisive battle against the maritime fleet. ”

Unlike the maritime fleet, which is constrained by islands and straits, the air fleet can fly over them and arrive at the target area quickly. For this reason, Commander-in-Chief Nangou decided to send the First and Second Squadrons ahead to fight a decisive battle against the enemy fleet. The commander of the Grand Ocean Fleet of Gameria, General Primrose, had the same plan and sent his squadron ahead. Both commanders disliked the muddled approach and wanted to fight a head-on collision of their best forces.

“Our first and second squadrons will be patrolling north and south, 200 nautical miles east of Manila, waiting for the enemy to attack. We expect to have a decisive battle with the enemy squadron within the next two days.”

Kuroto nodded his head in agreement. This time the battle will not be a three-dimensional battle between the air and maritime fleets, but rather a battle between the air fleets for control of the airspace first, and then the winning air fleet will attack the enemy maritime fleet. In other words, the victory or defeat of the air fleet battle would determine the future of the Hinoo.

“The Second Flying Air Raid Squadron has taken off from Honko Base. They are expected to rendezvous off Manila. In the daytime, the First Flying Battleship Squadron will inflict serious damage on the enemy in a gun battle, and after sunset, the Second Air Raid Squadron will finish them off with a nighttime lightning attack. When the daytime artillery battle begins, we will take advantage of the opportunity to charge and launch a lightning attack on the enemy battle formation.”

Listening to Izaya’s explanation with one ear, Kuroto sniffed.

“If all goes according to plan.”

“What makes you think it won’t?”

“I don’t know what’s going to happen. It depends on how we position ourselves when we come into contact with each other. If we collide badly, we could find ourselves in a situation we can’t get out of.”

“The Command Center is a group of excellent officers. They know what they’re doing. All we have to do is follow the orders.”

Kuroto looked into the distance at the United Fleet’s flagship, the Shishimaru, which was leading a single vertical formation.

The United Fleet Command Center is located on that bridge, and Commander-in-Chief Nango, the Chief of Staff, and more than a dozen members of the Operations Staff are currently in charge of this operation.

“I hope I’m not being overly pompous.” He scrutinized Shishimaru with his eyes. It is his impression that some of the operations staff at the United Fleet Command Center assume that the Gamerian navy and air force are a bunch of untrained cowards, and will occasionally make reckless moves unintentionally. Despite his rank as a second lieutenant, Kuroto worries that they might not be able to pull it off in a critical moment…….

◆

August 7, 1938, 16:00

While patrolling two hundred and fifty nautical miles east of Manila, the First and Second Squadrons, sighted the “Steel Aerial Fortress” flying 30,000 meters horizontally in the far reaches of the summer sky.

Wow, wow, wow, ……. The cheers of the soldiers on each ship reverberated in the waning sky.

The time for the decisive battle had finally come.

Hinoo’s fate would be decided in this one battle.

“Over there, chief.”

Chief of Staff Sato pointed to the airspace beyond the summer clouds, to the left of the bow of the ship, and informed General Nangou beside him of the enemy fleet’s position.

Nangou, in a relaxed motion, put the binoculars around his neck to his eyes and confirmed the enemy’s position.

In the firing command post of the Allied Fleet flagship Shishimaru, the Chief of Staff, the Gunnery Staff, the Navigational Staff, and five operations officers from the Command Center surrounded Commander-in-Chief Nangou, exposing themselves to the outside world.

The firing command post was located on the roof of the navigation bridge, one of the best vantage points on the ship.

It was open-air and therefore unprotected from enemy bullets, and although the commander-in-chief usually returned to the navigation bridge in the event of a battle, Commander-in-Chief Nanguo preferred to take command here.

“Three rows, huh?”

Nangou muttered in a calm tone. Sato, who was standing beside him, also looked through his binoculars.

“It’s a three-line vertical formation. The air squadron of four destroyers and four light cruisers is lined up on the left, the six heavy cruisers in the middle, and the six battleships on the right in a river formation.”

“It must be a matter of range. The battleships are going to fire from afar and the destroyers from up close, all at once.”

The United Fleet’s First Flying Battleship Squadron (six battleships, one destroyer) and Second Flying Air Raid Squadron (eight destroyers) are both in single-strength formation. The two squadrons formed a long line and headed straight for the Grand Ocean Fleet.

The horizontal distance was now less than 20,000 meters.

“Raise the battle flag!”

The Chief of Staff shouted into the voice pipe.

A battle flag with a red diagonal line on the national flag was flown to the rear mast of the “Shishimaru”. This was a tradition dating back to the days of sailing ships, to identify friend and foe, and also to show the enemy fleet that “we will face you fair and square”. Looking through the binoculars, the enemy fleet responded by raising the Gameria battle flag on the rear mast, and the flying sailors of the two countries exchanged cheers with each other.

The horizontal distance, 15,000 meters.

At this rate, they’ll pass each other.

“We have to stop that ship from entering the Mariveles Blockade. If even one ship is missed, our sea routes will be in danger. At this point, I think we should hope for a firefight until one of us is annihilated.”

Nangou listened to Sato’s words in silence.

Sato looked back at the operations staff behind him. One by one, the best brains in the group affirmed their decision.

[I think it’s best to bring them into the same ship.] [If we can get them into an artillery battle, we will have the advantage.] [There is some risk involved, but the enemy’s skill level is not very high. We should make a right-angle turn to the left.]

The operations staff looked for Nangou’s reaction, but Nangou only put his eyes on the enemy’s Grand Ocean Fleet with a deep sense of reserve.

Thirty-three years ago, the commander-in-chief of the United Fleet at the time, Admiral Higashihara Daihachiro, dared to make a great turn in front of the enemy, a traditional fleet movement of the Hinoo Navy, against the Barbados Fleet. The general staff here now hopes to recreate the miracle of the Battle of the Hinoo Sea.

Turning around in front of the enemy is an extremely dangerous fleet maneuver.

During the turn, the ship can’t fire because it can’ t aim, and the enemy can shoot at the ship all they want. In addition, because it is necessary to start firing in an orderly fashion, the six following ships will also have to turn around at the same point where the “Shishimaru” turned. As long as the enemy has its sights set on the axis of the turn, the Hinoo fleet will jump into the dense bombardment field by itself.

It would take fifteen minutes for all seven ships of Hinoo’s first squadron to complete their turns. Once they do, they can continue to run alongside the enemy fleet and engage in gunfire until one of them is annihilated. The victory or defeat would be determined by the amount of hits the Grand Ocean fleet could land on the United Fleet during the “golden fifteen minutes.”

One of the operations staff, Colonel Yoshihito Kamei, a young genius and eccentric, delivered the words to Nango’s back.

“I’m sure that the risk of turning around is negligible, considering the skill level of the Gamerian naval and air forces. Even in the last air battle off Luzon, they couldn’t even contain the ‘Kiyosa’.”

Nangou did not look back, but listened to his words. It was the Gamerian Far East Fleet, which was full of obsolete ships, that participated in the air battle off Luzon. He is not sure whether to consider it to be on the same level as the Grand Ocean Fleet.

“If we show our spirit, the enemy will naturally back off. Above all, the great turning point in front of the enemy is the treasure sword of the Allied Fleet. The enemy forces will be so terrified by the flash of the sword that they will lose their will to fight immediately.

One after another, the young chiefs of staff agreed. Nangou nodded his head and told Kamei.

“The Gamerians will not back down from something like that.”

“……?”

“But if we are to fight to the bitter end, we must sail together. Let’s do it.”

The staff members clicked their heels together in unison.

The big turn will fail whether it’ s too late or too early. If we don’t do it at the right moment, it will be meaningless. It is not enough to simply run alongside after turning around. If you don’t run alongside in a way that keeps the enemy’s head down, you won’t be able to put enough firepower into the enemy fleet’s flagship.”

Commander-in-Chief Nangou waited for the appropriate moment to turn around.

The horizontal distance from the Grand Ocean Fleet was now less than 13,000 meters.

Nangou’s right hand went up high in the air.

The Chiefs of Staff at the firing command center gazed with bated breath at his white-gloved right hand.

I pray to you, Great God of Oomikami (God of War).

Nangou, more than anyone else, understood that the future of Hinoo’s 1,000 years depended on the right hand he held up.

May the heavens help us.

With a prayer, Nangou moved his right hand to his left side.

Chief of Staff Sato grasped the voice pipe leading to the wheelhouse and his voice became hoarse.

“Full tiller!”

The order was immediately relayed verbally to the battle stations by the messenger.

The whale waves of the crew returned inside the ship. The miracle of thirty-three years ago will be recreated here off Manila. The determination of the 2,000 crew members shakes the summer sky.

“On the rear mast of the “Shishimaru,” a signal flag with two right angles to the left was raised, and the following ships relayed the same flag to the rearmost “Ibuki.”

With the seven colors of the Ceras Effect trailing in its wake, the “Shishimaru” began a slow turn.

The Grand Ocean Fleet was closing in. They were already within gunshot range, but the enemy ships were not firing.

Carrying the prayers of 80 million people, the flying battleship “Shishimaru” draws an elegant seven-colored curve into the midsummer sky.

◆

“It’s one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen.”

Rear Admiral Thomas Anderson, Chief of Staff of the Grand Ocean Fleet of Gameria, smiled scornfully as he watched the first Hinoo squadron make a large turn in front of the enemy through binoculars.

“If you teach a monkey to fly a trout, he’ll do it until he dies.

In the meantime, General Eric J. Primrose, Commander-in-Chief of the Gamerian Grand Ocean Fleet, was also looking through binoculars at the enemy’s front turn, or alpha movement as it is called in the Gaulish military, and said something like that in disgust.

In the bridge of the flying battleship Gorgoroth, the flagship of the Grand Oceanic Fleet of Gameria, a large number of staff members were crowded together, laughing at the Alpha movement of the United Fleet. No one was intimidated by the spirit, and in fact, a sense of relief spread that they had been caught in a trap.

The reason why they approached the United Fleet head-on was to invite the enemy to make a big turn. If they did that, the Grand Ocean Fleet would win.

“Radar efficiency, Condition One, all restrictions lifted.”

One of the operations staff told the radar plotting room, and the operators started scanning the SG radar. Immediately, the PPI scanner shows the horizontal positions of friendly and enemy ships, with a green bright spot representing the large turn of the enemy fleet.

“Set your sights on the axis of rotation.”

After receiving the general staff’s instructions, the operator stopped the rotation of the antenna and measured the Shishimaru’s current position using electromagnetic waves. He then read the distance and azimuth of the Shishimaru’s future position using the distance piper to electronically determine the angle of elevation and angle of rotation of each turret. By now, the SG radar of the five other battleships following the Gorgoroth would have set their sights on the enemy’s expected course.

Primrose looked at the Shishimaru as it drew a majestic curve toward the top of its turn, and smiled wryly.

“We understand ‘evolution,’ you know.”

“The Gorgoroth’s three 40-centimeter guns turned and raised their elevation in accordance with fire control. The five battleships that followed also used radar targeting, and their 40-centimeter main guns pointed at the same airspace as the Gorgoroth.

The First Flying Battleship Squadron, unaware of the situation, was about to jump into the bombardment area targeted by the electronic equipment of the six battleships.

“The tactics of thirty years ago will not work in this day and age.”

Primrose could already hear the cries of a monkey with no learning ability. This was going to be a one-sided air war.

“Let the artillery battle commence. Teach those apes the concept of evolution.” At the same time, the fifty four 40cm main cannons of the Grand Ocean Fleet of Gameria roared in unison, shaking the heavens and earth as if they had been waiting impatiently.

◆

“Enemy battleship squadron, fire at once! “Enemy air cruiser squadron, fire at once! “Enemy air raid squadron, charge forward!”

In the midst of the enemy’s frontal assault, the voice pipes of the flagship Shishimaru’s fire control center sounded simultaneously.

Commander-in-Chief Nangou looked at the three rows of the Grand Ocean Fleet.

Twelve thousand meters horizontally, from a battleship squadron, a heavy cruiser squadron, and an air raid squadron, all lined up in a single vertical formation, a bunch of flames resembling a volcanic explosion shot up into the summer sky.

The claws of burnt demons clawed diagonally upward at the sky. A bombardment saturated with fire, filling the sky with fire arrows alone. More than a hundred fireballs were flying towards the United Fleet, trailing the seven colors of the Ceras Effect.

“All of sudden you’re firing.”

Kamei, one of the operational staff members, mumbled to himself as if he was being ridiculous. The basic principle of artillery warfare is to fire a few shots first, observe and correct the trajectory, and then fire in earnest. However, the Grand Oceanic Fleet has omitted any such procedure, and suddenly all the ships are firing at the same point. As expected of a Gameria, a big man with a lot of intelligence in his body.

The parabola of the ballistic trajectory crossed the apex and headed for the Shishimaru, as it was turning.

The armor-piercing shells flew while burning. It is said that bullets that do not hit the target look like ovals, while those that do look like circles.

A murmur exploded in the fire control center.

“Whoa, whoa.”

“No, no, no,wait, this can’t be …….”

The fireball appears to be a perfect circle.

Battleships can’t change course or speed as quickly as airplanes. It was too late to change the direction now. The only thing they can do is keep their fingers crossed and jump to the point where the enemy’s shells are pouring down on them.

“Shouldn’t we change the course?” “No, if we change now, it will disrupt the rest of the line!”

The staff members shouted, and at the same time, Chief of Staff Sato called out.

“General, get inside!”

“This is fine.”

Nangou replied quietly.

How was it possible to aim accurately from the first shot without even observing the first bullet?

Suddenly, a word flashed in Kamei’s mind.

A radar targeting system.

The other day, the captain of the ship “Ibuki” gave such a report. But Kamei shrugged it off, wondering if the slow minded Gamerians could create such a weapon. But as far as the trajectory of the ballistic convergence to this one point is concerned, I can only assume that it is due to electronic calculations. It’s not as if Gameria’s flying battleships are really equipped with fire control radar.

If the enemy battleship is equipped with such an advanced weapon, the enemy’s massive frontal assault is not only a threat to the enemy, but also a thank you for doing it.

“Stop.”

Kamei said while looking at the enemy ballistic trajectory.

Then came the fierce regret.

He had underestimated the enemy too much. He hadn’t even bothered to examine their armaments. When he received a report of radar target fire, he shrugged it off as impossible.

As a result, the nation’s thirty years of sacrifice was about to be wiped out before their eyes.

At his side, General Nangoh quietly announced.

“Lower the signal flags. If we don’t, the following ships will be annihilated.”

Sato, who had been taken aback, groaned.

“A signal flag?”

“You’re leaving a dead man’s order. Hurry up.”

“But the big turn will only work if all the ships are together.”

“Step aside.”

Nangoh pushed Sato’s body aside, grasped the voice pipe leading to the rear mast, and was about to announce, “Lower the signal flag…” when…

In a matter of microseconds, Nangou, Sato, Kamei, and the best of the Navy and Air Force were vaporized from this world.

Not one shot.

Four shots, six shots, ten shots…

One after another, the armor-piercing grenades penetrated the massive hull of the Shishimaru, smashing through the armor and reaching inside the hull, triggering the slow-moving fuse. A fireball emerges from the ship and engulfs the sailors. Flames erupt from the seams of the armor. Steel plates are flayed and new flames burst forth. Ruptured pipes spew out hot steam. A fire breaks out. The fleeing crew is caught in a fresh impact and blown to pieces.

[Bridge! Bridge! The second machinery room is hit!]

[Bridge! Auxiliary compartment hit, all engineers dead.]

[Bridge, pilothouse on fire. Voice pipes damaged.]

[Canteen one, no contact. Bridge, we need men now!]

The voices of the crew calling for their superiors echoed through the flames and sooty smoke of the ship. However, the high-ranking officers who were in charge of emergency defense had been wiped out. With the rudder damaged, the ship was unable to change course, and with no one to command it, the “Shishimaru” had no choice but to continue on through the thunderstorm of enemy bullets, still burning.

“Shishimaru is on fire!”

The voice of the watchman at the upper watchtower echoed through the voice pipe to the forward watchtower at “Ibuki.

Izaya and Kuroto swallowed their saliva and looked out at the flagship, the Shishimaru, which was spouting flames and turning around in the distance about 2,000 meters ahead.

Without firing a single shell, the Shishimaru was being unilaterally targeted by the enemy battleship and air cruiser squadrons. More than twenty direct hits had already been fired, and the hull was like a crushed pomegranate, with the hull cracking and the steel plates burning in the flames. It was a miracle that it hadn’t hit the ammunition depot. A long plume of black smoke billowed 3,000 meters into the sky, flames burst from the cracks in the armor, and sailors carrying the flames on their backs fell one by one into the air.

None of the soldiers who fell from the hull of the ship were carrying parachutes. If they were carrying such a large baggage, they would not be able to perform their war duties. Therefore, they carried them only after the order for ” all hands off the ship” was given. Despite being shot at so much, the order for all hands to leave the ship has not yet been issued.

“Isn’t it possible that the command center has been wiped out?”

Izaya could not deny what Kuroto had said. There was no fire on the navigation bridge, but the firing control center had been ripped out. The rising black smoke made it impossible to see what was going on inside the bridge. Was the chain of command really still alive?

“The signal flag is still up. The following ships have no choice but to follow the Shishimaru. ……!”

Izaya’s words were filled with despair. In the back of the Shishimaru, which looks like a crushed pomegranate about to turn around, the second ship, the “Kinra”, was about to jump into the enemy’s dense bombardment field.

Immediately, the concentrated bombardment by the Grand Oceanic Fleet engulfed the Kinra.

The Kinra’s hull flattened like candy as if it had been hit by more than a hundred armor-piercing projectiles fired by the battleships and cruisers.

It was as if an archangel in the sky had squeezed a rotten fruit.

In the blink of an eye, the Kinra swelled slightly, the armor plate burst open, and a large fireball three hundred meters in diameter sprouted, scorching the battle airspace.

“…………!!!”

Kuroto could not help but exclaim. The one-ton bombs on the bottom of the ship must have all exploded. All the suspension ropes from the Kinra, which turned into fireballs, popped off, turning the 40,000-ton hull into shattered pieces of iron and falling 1,200 meters down into the ocean with a trail of flames in tow. However, the following ships did not stop. The third ship, the “Hokiyou”, also saw the tragedy of the Kinra before its eyes, and stepped into its own death trap.

Once again, from the enemy’s three-pronged formation, a simultaneous bombardment burned through the sky. The simultaneous bombardment was rapid. In less than a minute, a second and a third concentrated barrage rained down, piercing the flying battleships with every spear in the sky.

All of the fireballs that filled the summer sky belonged to the Grand Ocean Fleet.

The United Fleet, which was still making the big turn, had yet to fire a single shell.

The signal flag on the flagship, “Shishimaru”, had yet to be lowered, even though it knew that the fleet will be shot at unilaterally. Even so, all ship must obey the order. No matter what the situation, they must obey Commander-in-Chief Nangou. That is the iron rule of the United Fleet.

“The Shishimaru is still flying, spewing flames and staggering. As long as we don’t know what’s going on at the command center, we have no choice but to continue our desperate turn.”

“Stop and flee!”

Kuroto shouted. But now Hokiyou’s whole body was pierced by the spear bedding of the armor-piercing projectiles, spreading bloody flames into the summer sky. Shattered pieces of iron, torn armor, and fallen soldiers were all replaced by new bullet holes, as twenty to thirty flaming armor-piercing bullets pierced Hokiyou in the blink of an eye.

The seven colors of the Ceras Effect brutally and beautifully dyed the remains of the Hokiyou in rainbow colors. As the flames and soot spewed out from its body like blood, the Hokiyou was shot through its ammunition bay. The ship bursted open from the inside, causing a huge explosion that vaporized the 2,000 people on board, including the steel hull.

The mocking smile of Primrose, Commander-in-Chief of the Gamerian Fleet, could be seen through the summer sky.

As expected of the Hinoo Monkey Army, it seems that they cannot distinguish between bravery and savagery when they die obeying the orders of the dead.

Even the mocking laughter of the Gamerian officers could be heard in Kuroto’s ears.

“I want you to send a message to the Shishimaru and inform them of the situation on the bridge. Is the Commander alive and well?”

Izaya ordered the communications room. Kuroto looked at the Shishimaru.

The flagship of the Grand Ocean Fleet, the Gorgoroth, seems to have decided to crash the Shishimaru into the abyss. The ship was sailing alone, closing the distance and firing with all guns directly aimed. The other enemy battleships were still aiming at the rotating axis of the big turn and crushing the flying battleships like they were rotten fruit. Both the enemy cruiser squadron and the air raid squadron enjoyed the one-sided bombardment that was comparable to shooting at a food stall.

No matter how many shots they took while turning around, they could not fire back. If he could survive the next fifteen minutes, Hinoo would be victorious. The Hinoo’s battleship squadron, which had attempted to make the big turn, was dismantled into scrap metal in just fifteen minutes.

“Change directions!! Don’t just jump in, let them rip you apart!”

Izaya shook her head side to side at Kuroto’s words.

“It hasn’t been determined that the Shishimaru is dead yet. It’s still flying, and its guns are firing back. We have no choice but to obey orders until we get a clear picture of the situation.”

Izaya was right, the Shishimaru was still flying even though several of her suspension cables had snapped. The ship’s hull was tilting, but it was still airborne. The port side guns had finally started firing back at the Gorgoroth as well. It wasn’t a coordinated firing though. It was just one gun on the starboard side.

“It’s just the survivors firing on their own. The command center has been destroyed. Cancel the turn.”

“On what authority are you speaking? It’s Commander-in-Chief Nangou’s decision. We have to obey.”

“We’re following the orders of a dead man and getting annihilated? It’s ridiculous. Use your head. What kind of idiot jumps into a trap like that?”

In the middle of the turnaround, the fifth ship, the “Semiore”, was shot to pieces and spewed red flames from its upper deck. Machine gun bullets exploded in the sky, ripping through the blue sky in an endless stream of fire.

“We’re going to be annihilated!”

The sixth and final battleship, the “Kusui”, was now also following the path of the five ships ahead of it. It was about to throw its own hull into the deadly airspace, which was completely targeted. They should have been able to see the damage, but there was no sign of fleeing.

Kuroto looked at Izaya with boiling eyes that seemed to be overflowing with blood.

“You’re not going to go in there, are you?”

Izaya did not answer. She just stared at the scourge of the summer sky with a pale face.

“We’ll die in vain. If Ibuki goes in there, we will be vaporized the very next moment.”

“His Excellency Nangou’s order is still alive.”

Izaya replied in a whisper.

“Look at the situation. The command center of the United Fleet has been destroyed. How can we survive in this situation?”

Kuroto pointed to the staggering Shishimaru and admonished her. The enemy’s flagship, the Gorgoroth, now approaches the Shishimaru at 3,000 meters and hurls 40-centimeter cannonballs at the suspension cable as if to torture its corpse. It seemed to be aiming at the lines holding the hull. The enemy was planning to steal the floating body.

“I can’t disobey orders on my own volition. If I do, I will not be a soldier.”

Izaya said this in a quiet tone. Kuroto waved his bitter face from side to side and turned to Rio, who was standing at the nautical chart, checking its course.

“Rio, tell this stupid woman off. She’ s completely blind in this situation.”

Rio lifted her pale face from the chart.

“‘It’s what the Commander-in-Chief told us to do ……. We have to do it.”

She tells him in a weak voice.

Everyone is insane.

Kuroto put one hand over his eyes for a moment and ponders silently, before lifting a serious expression to Izaya.

“You can die here all you want. But don’t drag me into it.”

“If you don’t like it, you can jump off with a parachute……. I don’t want an officer who encourages his superiors to violate orders.”

“I’m not running away. I’m here to win. I’m here to win. If we charge in now, we’ll end up getting beaten to a pulp. Disengage from the battlefield and wait for night. Our ally’s Second Air Raid Fleet is still alive and well. We have no choice but to gamble on a nighttime raid attack.”

When he said this, Izaya glared at Kuroto with a deadly look in her eyes.

“So, what authority do you have to order me to do this? Do you think you’re the commander-in-chief when you’re only the Assistant Chief of Air Raids?”

In the midst of the argument, the sixth ship, the “Kusui,” was being burned alive in the sky in the distance. Through the cracks in the armor, they could see the flames flowing like a molten ore furnace. The steel seems to have melted down from the heat, thus making it impossible for anyone to survive.

Three of the six battleships, including the Shishimaru, were flying in flames, while the remaining three had either been crushed or had fallen into the sea after their suspension ropes were torn off. Their floating bodies were drifting vainly in the floating zone. Convinced of its victory, the Grand Ocean Fleet approached the battleship to a considerable distance and fired relentlessly at the suspension cables. They intend to destroy the ship and capture only the floating bodies.

If they continued to obey Nangou’s orders, the Ibuki would soon start its turn.

Kuroto brought his face close to Izaya’s, his gaze blazing and his words serious.

“If you do not obey my orders, Hinoo will perish.”

“……………………”

“If you break the order, you still have a chance to recover.”

In the crimson eyes of Izaya, the pride of being a soldier who obeys orders to the death, desired a chance to fight back, even if it meant violating orders.

“Captain, do you still intend to turn?

A question from the wheelhouse echoed through the voice pipes.

Izaya slowly looked away from Kuroto and watched the three flying battleships burn up like rags, while the floating hulless bodies drifted aimlessly through the sky, being captured by enemy destroyers.

Kuroto dared to stand on his haunches.

As usual, he hung his mouth at an angle and smiled fearlessly.

“It’s my turn. I’m going to save the day. If you want to win this battle, listen to me, Izaya.

No matter how desperate the situation, he had always been able to overcome it with a big smile on his face. So this time, he intended to overcome it again as a matter of fact.

“With our strength, we will destroy the Grand Ocean Fleet.”

Izaya’s crimson eyes danced back to Kuroto once more.

A complex emotion flickered like a star in her eyes, and Izaya spat shortly.

“Don’t forget those words.

Then, with a determined look on her face, she spoke into the voice pipe that led to the wheelhouse.

“Full rudder! Get off the battlefield and wait for night!

“Ha! Full rudder, now!

The helmsman responded, and the Ibuki slowly steered to the right, the opposite direction of the big turn.

Kuroto smiled at Izaya.

“That’s better.”

“You said we would win. I’ll do what you say. Destroy the enemy fleet.”

“Leave it to me. Nothing is impossible for a genius. Now it’s my turn.”

With that, Kuroto looked out towards the Shishimaru in the distance.

The Gorgoroth was still concentrating its fire on the Shishimaru’s suspension cables as if it were torturing a corpse. The “Shishimaru” was no longer moving, only waiting for its final moments as it was being shot at.

◆

“It’ s a great victory in the history of the world.”

On the bridge of the Gorgoroth, the flagship of the Grand Ocean Fleet, General Primrose, the commander-in-chief, looked around at his staff and smiled with satisfaction.

It’s a perfect victory. He had one of the soldiers on duty pour him a glass of wine, and raised it in a self-conscious gesture as he looked out the window at the disfigured Shishimaru.

“Goodbye, Commander Nangou.”

At the end of the glass, the Shishimaru, the world’s mightiest flying battleship, was barely connected to the floating body by the three suspension cable left at its stern, as if it was a criminal hanging upside down.

Against the backdrop of a bloody sunset, the Shishimaru hung with its stern up and bow down.

The shattered armor was peeling up like a pomegranate here and there, and flames were sprouting out of the blackened holes. You could see the molten steel frame flowing down the ship like lava. The hull of the ship, which just thirty minutes ago had been beautifully bouncing in the sunlight, was now furrowed and peeling in many places like a cloak, and the bow of the ship was swaying helplessly toward the sea.

“From now on, you must learn to mind your own business. This is what happens when apes defy humans.”

Just as Primrose sipped his glass, the Shishimaru’s last suspension cable snapped, sending the hull of the coquettish ship careening headlong into the sea, 1,200 meters below, with a long black smoke trailing behind it. The splash from the 40,000-ton iron mass soaked the feet of the victor, who was standing at an altitude of 1,200 meters.

The soldiers sang triumphantly, and Primrose drank his wine.

[You cowardly ape! It’s your punishment for defying the humans!] [A savage can’t defeat a civilized man!] [That was easy. Training was much harder!]

The loud laughter of the soldiers was coming from all over the ship. They were right, there was no easier battle than this. The United Fleet jumped in and died one by one, without the need for them to do anything. The Shishimaru kept its signal flag up, so they assumed that the great Commander-in-Chief Nangou had ordered it, causing the fleet to obey the orders of a dead man.

When the droplets of water subsided and his vision opened up, he saw that the Shishimaru was no longer there, only a swirling mass of wheat.

” You should have known the difference between bravery and savagery.”

In the end, the world’s most powerful squadron, the 1st Flying Battleship Squadron, was shattered in just fifteen minutes by dozens of unilateral shots from the Grand Ocean Fleet, without firing a single shot. In addition, all six of the floating bodies with a volume of 30,000 to 40,000 tons were handed over to Gameria. Now, Gameria could bring six new flying battleships to the front. Such a one-sided victory was unprecedented in the history of world sea-air warfare. Commander-in-Chief Nangou will go down in history as the worst commander in the history of naval and air forces, suffering the greatest defeat in history.

Primrose looks beyond, at the remaining Hinoo squadron.

The flying destroyer at the tail end of the six wiped out flying battleships had changed course and left the war zone. It was a wise decision, as the ship would have been vaporized if it had come at them. In addition, the Second Air Raid Squadron and eight flying destroyers, which were following close behind it, also steered to the right and moved away from the battlefield. There were no more battleships or heavy cruisers in the enemy fleet, only a few destroyers. Twenty airships, including six flying battleships, remained intact. The only thing left to do was to attack the Hinoo Maritime Fleet from the air. The flying battleships were far stronger than the sea battleships when it came to the 40cm main guns.

But… they must not let their guard down.

Do not underestimate the barbaric courage of the Hinoos.

Admiral Primrose grabbed the ship’s microphone and called out to the 2,000 people on board.

“Gentlemen, we have achieved the greatest victory in the history of world naval and air warfare. This is the result of your daily efforts. However, there are still nine enemy flying destroyers remaining. The Naval Air Force of Hinoo is very good at night battles, so stay alert.”

Until they entered the Mariveles Blockade, they could never be too careful. The Hinoo Air Raid Squadron will definitely challenge them to a night battle.

“We’ll make it look like we’ve let our guard down, and then turn on them.”

Primrose expects the nine destroyers that escaped to certainly stand in their way again. The courageous but dim-witted Hinoos would probably believe that they were off guard and take them by surprise. However, they were unfazed. They will wait for the assault with a stout stance and return fire.

The six floating bodies that had lost their hulls were all captured by the flying destroyers and towed to Mariveles Fortress.

Soon the sun was setting in the western sky.

The stars twinkled in the canopy of the sky, and the darkness filled with Primrose’s thoughts spread across the sky…

◆

“The enemy is heading for Mariveles Fortress. Our ships are faster than theirs. I’d like to get ahead of them, see where they’re going and charge them. I want to make a nighttime raid attack.”

Kuroto briefly announced the plan for tonight. Izaya nodded and spoke to Myuu on the rooftop using a voice pipe.

” Myuu, do you see the Second Air Raid Squadron?”

Immediately, Myuu’s voice came back through the pipe, emotionless.

“All eight flying destroyers are ahead of the Ibuki. Distance, twelve hundred. Their course is 270 degrees.”

Izaya nodded and said to Kuroto.

“It seems that Commander Takamura has the same idea as you. He’s planning to challenge them to a night battle before they enter the fortress.”

“It seems so. We still have a chance.”

Since the radio is currently blocked, there is no way to make telegraphic contact with friendly squadrons. The enemy probably thinks that the remaining Hinoo airships have given up on continuing the battle and have fled back. If they intercepted their telegraphic communications, they would be in danger of being alerted, and that would be undesirable.

Izaya, Kuroto, and Commander Takamura have not yet given up on victory. The primary mission of the Air Raid Squadron is to engage the enemy fleet in a nighttime raid attack. In order to keep the few remaining fires of hope alive, the nine remaining flying destroyers flew through the starry sky.

The enemy Gamerian squadron still had six flying battleships, six heavy cruisers, four light cruisers, and four flying destroyers. Normally, only nine Hinoo destroyers would be able to stand up to such a force.

“But Commander Takamura will certainly challenge the odds. I was with him in the Nozuchi, and he’s as good as General Nangou. After all, he accepted my opinion that led to our victory in the Battle of Luzon.”

That’s what was written in Kuroto’s evaluation chart. Before the Battle of Luzon, he prepared an analysis of the enemy fleet’s course and formation and submitted it to the Headquarters.

While most of the staff snickered, only Lieutenant General Takamura, commander of the Second Squadron, recognized the validity of the analysis and adopted it, resulting in the almost unscathed destruction of the enemy.

“If Takamura’s fleet launched a raid, the enemy’s attention would be drawn to it. I’d like to take advantage of the confusion and attack the enemy battleship squadron.”

Izaya nodded back at Kuroto’s words. If they left the cruisers and flying destroyers alone, they could be shot down by allied sea battleships. However, if the enemy flying battleships are not destroyed by the airships, the entire maritime fleet will be annihilated. Flying battleships are that terrifying.

The “Ibuki” has been flying at a maximum speed of 30 knots for a long time. However, the eight flying destroyers in the Takamura’s squadron have a maximum speed of forty knots. ” Leaving the Ibuki at the rear, they rapidly increased the distance between them. Because of this speed difference, the Ibuki was unable to join the Air Raid Squadron despite being a destroyer.

It was now around two o’clock in the morning.

Rio, who had been sitting at the nautical table drawing navigation charts, looked up.

“If the Grand Ocean Fleet is heading straight for the fortress, the Takamura Squadron should be in contact with them in about an hour.”

”I see. We’re almost there. Myuu, do you see the enemy?”

[No, ma’am. They’re more than 20,000 meters away to the northeast.]

There is no doubt that they are currently running ahead of the enemy. Kuroto thought silently and told Izaya and Rio.

“I want to turn the rudder all the way around and cross in front of the enemy. If we are successful, we can get in the middle of the Takamura squadron and disrupt the enemy fleet.”

Izaya nodded at the suggestion.

“Interesting. Rio, can you set a course and speed?

“Wait a minute. Assuming they’re going straight …….”

Rio determined the enemy’s projected position and their current position, then used a ruler and compass to determine the best point to meet the enemy.

“If we go north-northwest at 75 degrees and maximum war speed, we should be able to cross in front of the enemy fleet in an hour and ten minutes.”

Nodding her head, Izaya picked up the voice pipe leading to the wheelhouse.”

“Surface rudder seventy-five degrees. Set a course for north-northwest.”

[Face helm 75 degrees! All right!]

The helmsman’s cheerful voice came back from the voice pipe. While checking the seven colors of the Ceras Effect scattering from the bow of the ship, Izaya set her eyes on the night sky ahead of her. ……

◆

An hour later…

“The Takamura Squadron should be in attack position by now.”

In response to Rio’s words, Izaya turned her 20cm binoculars to the left rear. In the darkness, she saw a line of eight flying destroyers belonging to the Takamura Squadron about 8,000 meters away.”

At that moment.

[Enemy fleet spotted. Seventy-five degrees to the right, distance 13,000.]

That was the message from Myuu on the roof of the watchtower.

Izaya turned her binoculars around to the front right of the Ibuki and saw the entire first squadron of the enemy Grand Ocean Fleet of Gameria in the darkness.

“They’re not firing at us. They haven’t even noticed us.”

“Their speed is slow. Be on your guard. I hope they’ve been drinking. Take this opportunity to cross in front of the enemy.”

”I know,” Izaya said shortly. Communicating with the wheelhouse, she fine-tuned the ship’s course and set a course to cross in front of the enemy.

A moment later…

“One hundred and sixty degrees to the left! The Takamura Squadron has struck!

The voice of a watchman rang out from a voice pipe.

Looking to the rear on the left, in the midst of the stardust, they saw a trail of lights that stretched straight towards them.

The very next moment, Myuu’s voice sounded.

[Takamura’s squadron is charging.]

As soon as they fired, the eight allied destroyers began to charge in pursuit of their own air mines.

The Ibuki is currently in a position to cross in front of the enemy, with the Takamura squadron behind them on the left and the Gamerian squadron ahead on the right.

But that was not good.

“We’ll be hit by friendly air mines!”

The Takamura Squadron seem to have shot at the Ibuki without noticing it. The Ibuki was now on a course to cross the friendly fan-shaped scatter zone.

Izaya announces.

“I’ll handle the ship. I can see the air mines. I’m going to cut in between the firing lines.”

With her left eye fixed on the firing line of the air mines fired by her allies, she prepares for that moment by keeping her grip on the voice pipe to the wheelhouse.

But.

[Enemy squadron is firing at once!]

A sound like a volcano exploding roared from the right hand side, and the same, or even more disastrous, red trails that they saw during the day filled the starry sky.

“We’ve been found out!?”

The enemy was much quicker to notice than they had expected. No, it’s more like they just noticed.

“It seems that they have already found out.”

With his binoculars, Kuroto saw that the enemy fleet was turning to the right almost simultaneously.

It was the first time he had ever seen such a thing. He pretended not to notice, and lured them into an assault. The enemy, it seems, is not a simple matter.

“But we have to go!!”

A bunch of armor-piercing projectiles fired from low elevation angles rained down on the path of the Takamura squadron. It’s was a precise bombardment that was targeted by radar. If this continues, it will be a repeat of the first squadron.

All of the bundles of wild trails scraped slightly to the left of the eight ships that had formed a single line, and fell into the ocean beyond. The flagship in the forefront, the “Nozuchi,” continued to charge forward while making small adjustments. If the ship turned, they would be able to dodge it, but if they went straight ahead, they would be able to change course. Radar ranging is a method of focusing on the current predicted course, so if you navigate at high speed and change the course frequently, you can dodge with only a layer of skin.

The Takamura squadron’s assault was like a sword master rushing toward the enemy’s main position, dodging the falling blades with his body.

And now the twenty-four firing lines of air mines fired by them were coming from diagonally behind the left of the “Ibuki” and were about to pass diagonally forward to the right.

Staring at the wake of the seven colors spreading out into the starry sky, Izaya ordered the wheelhouse.

“Twenty degrees to the helm!”

The hull of the Ibuki tilted upward, and the allied air mines raced ahead and behind the Ibuki flying at maximum war speed, trailing a rainbow trail of lightning.

Overhead, the enemy’s simultaneous fires roared and scratched at them with their scorching claws. The starry sky itself seemed to be ablaze with unusual colors.

“Back to helm, 25 knots!”

Each time Izaya gave the order, the Ibuki would creak and squirm, dodging friendly air mines like a light saboteur dodging a throwing knife, until she was in between the lines of fire.

Izaya breathed a sigh of relief. If they looked up, they would see that friendly air mines were overtaking the Ibuki one after another, spreading their fan-shaped bands to the enemy fleet far ahead.

As the Ibuki chased after the air mines of its allies, it too turned its bow toward the enemy squadron.

At the same time, a fierce barrage of guns from the enemy cruisers and destroyers began to attack the Ibuki.

Whether they were trying to shoot down the incoming air mines or aiming at the Ibuki from the start, the surrounding airspace suddenly began to be etched in enemy ballistics.

[We’re hit!] [Machine gun number three is a total loss!] [Number two gun is hit!]

The ship was immediately in a state of panic, and the damage status was announced to the bridge. The emergency bell rang, and a fire broke out.

More flames sprouted outside the window.

At the same time, the sailors shouted.

[Direct hit!]

With a tremendous shock, the ground beneath their feet tilted, and without a second thought, Kuroto and Izaya put one hand on their stationary binoculars to support themselves.

[The navigation bridge was hit!!] [The rangefinder and fire control system are completely destroyed!] [The navigation bridge is on fire!]

As the emergency buzzer sounded, a cry of despair came from the watchman at the anti-aircraft command center.

“What the hell?!”

Without thinking, Kuroto ran up the ladder to the top of the forward watchtower and out to the open-air command center.

“……!”

The navigation bridge that sat at the top of the upper deck had been ripped off by gunfire and was on fire. Beyond the broken steel frame, flames like a devil’s tongue were licking the lower belly of the floating body. The internal control team rushed to the scene and sprayed powder to extinguish the fire, but it was too late. Kakitsubata and the other officers had probably been wiped out, and the fire control equipment needed to fire the air mines had probably been completely destroyed. (RIP)

In this situation, it would not be possible to measure the distance to the enemy ship or calculate the angle of fire. The Ibuki had lost the eyes and brains necessary to fire air mines.

The shells that rained down on the Ibuki accurately pierced its surroundings, exploding in midair and starting to kill and wound the personnel on the upper deck.

This is not good.

We can’t do anything and we’ll sink.

It’s was bad situation to be in. As he stared in amazement at the dancing flames, Myuu from the side quietly announced.

“Even without the fire control equipment, your brains should be able to do the calculations.”

When he heard Myuu’s words, which were so calm that it was hard to believe she was in a battlefield, Kuroto noticed that her eyes, which were always closed, had widened slightly.

The dark blue pupils, which seemed to make a ringing sound, had always been closed to allow her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Now, Myuu’s eyes opened, as if she could see through the entire battle airspace.

“The enemy has turned to the left. If it continues, the Ibuki can run together with the enemy. Even without a fire control system, you should be able to get the best angle of fire.”

She pointed to the starboard side of the ship and said. Beyond the fire arrows and the seven colors of the Ceras Effect, the shadow of the enemy battleship was faintly visible. Just as Myuu had said, the enemy squadron had turned to the left again and was about to turn its port side toward us. If the Ibuki turns left now, it can run alongside them. In other words, the ship can be brought into an air raid on the right.

“If we hit them with air mines where they’re going, maybe they’ll bow to us.”

“Yes. If that happens, we’ll have a chance to charge them. I’ll observe the tuning parameters. Please return.”

“…… All right. Please.”

After a short speech, Kuroto landed at the forward command post directly below and pulled himself together.

They had lost their Chief of Air Raids, their rangefinders, and their fire control. The night raid was anticipated by the enemy, and the confusion he had hoped for was not possible. In this situation, he had to determine the best angle of fire by mental calculation, taking into account all the factors that existed in the airspace.

In that one shot, the future of Hinoo will be entrusted.

“The navigation bridge is completely destroyed!”

Kuroto shouted to Izaya in the midst of the raining gunfire. Izaya was already aware of this.

“I know, it’s your job to hit them, make sure you hit them.”

Kuroto smiled and said.

“I’ll do it. Nothing is impossible for me.”

Encouraging himself, he turned his attention to the front.

“Fifteen degrees on the tiller! We’re running alongside the enemy fleet!”

At the same time as Izaya’s order, the Ibuki turned 15 degrees to the left and looked diagonally to the right slightly forward at the enemy fleet.

Izaya put her mouth to the voice pipe connected to the air mine command center.

“Order. Right air mines, same course.”

A vigorous reply from Onisuka came through the voice pipe.

[Right air mines, same ship! Let’s go, you guys, cheer up!]

The cheerful replies of the air raid crew and the sound of falling artillery shells arrived from the other side of the message tube.

[We’re ready to fire!! We can fire at any time!]

Izaya nodded her head.

On the other side of the room, Kuroto listened to Myuu’s observation of the opposing forces and the calculated the angle of fire she did by hand. He then told Izaya.

“If we set the oblique angle of attack at 35 degrees to the left and fire simultaneously to starboard, there will be 20 firing lines blocking their way. They will have no choice but to turn to the left to avoid us. If they turn their bow toward us, we can jump into their line and start a brawl.”

Izaya considered Kuroto’s suggestion and nodded.

“Interesting. Let’s do it.”

“Please.”

After getting Izaya’s approval, Kuroto picked up a voice pipe and relayed the message to the air mine launch command center.

“Starboard, fire simultaneously. Maximum lightning speed, angle of fire 30, angle of advance left 35. Commence firing.

[Fire simultaneously to starboard! Maximum lightning speed, angle of fire 30, angle of attack 35 to the left! Start firing!!]

Even in the midst of exploding artillery shells, Onizuka’s voice was loud enough to be heard. From the bow of the upper deck to the stern of the ship, Kuroto’s orders were relayed verbally, and the air raid crew adjusted the gyroscopic axis of the air mines as instructed. Behind them, several dead and wounded were being carried on stretchers to the officer’s quarters, which had been turned into a medical room.

“Ready!”

Izaya announced as Kuroto sounded the signal.

“Left turn, start!”

A seven-colored bow emerged from the bow of the Ibuki, and the Ibuki slowly began to turn to the left.

As it turned, Kuroto saw the firing point and stopped the buzzer.

“Fireeeee!!”

With Onizuka’s shout of anger, the launchers were raised one after another, and a total of twenty air mines, from the first to the fifth launchers, were released into the night sky. The rainbow-colored trails trailed as they drew a fan-shaped spray band diagonally forward to the right. The enemy fleet running alongside on the right side of the ship can be intercepted in front of its course if it was struck.

The 20 oxygen air mines launched are slanted to the left as planned, forming a spray zone that intercepted the enemy fleet’s course.

“Back the rudder! Full rudder!”

The ship stopped turning its head to the left, and this time took a right turn with all its might. Pulling an S-shaped trail in the starry sky, the Ibuki turned its head toward the line of enemy ships with all its might.”

“Launchers one through five, begin loading the next round!”

[Starboard, load the next round! Show some guts!!]

Without following the lightning trail of the air mines, the starboard air raid crew used the elevator in the center of the hull to lift the next load of air mines from the cargo hold onto the upper deck and began to load them into the launchers. On the cramped upper deck, the air raid crew solemnly performed the difficult task of loading the eight-meter-long oxygen air mines into the launchers.

At that moment.

[The Takamura squadron’s air mines are about to hit the target!]

The voice of the watchman above reported. In the distance, the twenty-four firing lines that had overtaken the Ibuki were about to reach the enemy flying destroyers.

…….Hit it!

Izaya’s prayer was answered by three small silver droplets.

[Three shots landed!] [Enemy flying destroyer hit by lightning!!] [The enemy formation is in disarray!]

The enemy’s formation has begun to be disrupted. The rain of shells that had focused on the Ibuki earlier ceased, and the Takamura squadron rushed in from behind the Ibuki.

Kuroto made a proposal to Izaya.

“Not yet. Fire the anti-aircraft machine gun rounds around the battleship.”

“You really mean it?”

“Yeah. It’ll be an interesting show.”

Izaya accepted Kuroto’s offer and ordered the machine gunner to fire on the enemy battleship. Shooting from here with a pea-shooter won’t reach the battleship, and even if it did, it would be bounced back by the armor, but if things go according to Kuroto’s plan, the enemy should be more or less confused……

◆

“It’s not something you can just blindly confront.”

In the bridge of the Gorgoroth, the flagship of the Grand Ocean Fleet of Gamelia’s, Commander-in-Chief Primrose muttered in disgust.

Anderson, the Chief of Staff, confirmed from the radar plotting room that there were nine flying destroyers, including Takamura’s squadron and the Ibuki, which was in front of Takamura’s squadron and trying to turn its bow toward them.

“One after another, they’re falling for our traps.”

They were both aware of the possibility that Takamura’s squadron might surprise them during the night. But they pretended to be oblivious to the possibility and flew at a slow speed, daring the Hinoo fleet to come around in front of them. If they knew, they could have avoided the attack.

“SG radar is only effective at night.”

Primrose was satisfied with her view of the Takamura fleet, which was approaching at a horizontal distance of 8,000 meters. The radar sighting was already complete and the bombardment had already begun, but the Takamura fleet, though the enemy, was able to maneuver the ship in such a fine manner that it missed their range readings. But it was only a matter of time. The closer we got, the higher the hit rate became, and soon they would be completely captured.

Everything was going as planned.

The only surprise was that three of their destroyers were eaten up by the mine attack.

“The range of the air mines is unusually long. All three ships were hit by it. It seems that some of the ships were somewhat confused.”

“It seems they have some extravagant toys. But that’s not enough to beat us.”

The Primrose commander smiled cynically and looked down at the beautiful battlefield, where the colors of the Ceras Effect fluttered.

He squinted at the Gamelan fleet’s variously colored projectiles that painted the starry sky, wishing he could see the annihilation of the enemy destroyers with his own eyes.

“Our flash powder is no good. It’s blinding.”

Primrose let out a complaint. The warships of the Gamerian fleet are bombarded with flashing gunpowder that glows so brightly when it burns that it is like looking directly into a lightning strike, and the glowing light blinds you. In contrast, the Hinoo forces were not blinded even in night. This is the only point where Primrose thinks it is fair to praise the intelligence of the Hinoo Navy and Air Force.

“Can any of you see the enemy ship?”

Primrose asks the staff on the navigation bridge, but everyone bends their mouths and looks away. The commander-in-chief sniffed.

“Is the radar the only thing that can see the enemy?”

Sarcasm crept into his words. Captain Sanders called from the radar plotting room located just below the navigation bridge.

“Sir, we’ve got another air raid.”

“Was it fired by one of the destroyers?”

“Yes, sir. Twenty firing lines spread out to block the path of our fleet.”

Primrose laughs.

“It’s called a heavy-lightning destroyer. It’s a suicide ship. Watch the radar and duck.”

The SG radar can detect even small objects like air mines. If they can see it, they can dodge it, no problem.

“It seems that every single one of these men wants to die sooner rather than later.”

Some of the staff members laughed at Primrose’s exasperation.

◆

In the radar plotting room, Captain Sanders was checking his PPI scope, watching the approaching twenty air mines and the movement of the enemy ship that was rushing in alone.

First, they needed to dodge the twenty air mines. Each line of fire completely encircled their course, so they had to turn their heads to avoid them or risk being struck by a mine.

“Sixty degrees to the tiller.”

[Sixty degrees to the tiller.]

After the wheelhouse responded, the huge body of the Gorgoroth began to creak as it turned. The enemy calculated their future position and fired at them, but if they could see it on radar, they could avoid it by changing their course.

“Enemy fleet, 300 degrees. Range, seven thousand meters.”

The radar crew read out the distance between them and the ship. Sanders pointed his binoculars at the starry sky outside the window, but the flash of friendly fire blinded him and he could see nothing.

The rotating rays of the PPI scope show the surrounding airships. Both friend and foe are indicated by green bright spots, and there are no distinguishing devices. It’s a good thing that they already know it’s an enemy ship, but it would be a disaster if they were all mixed up.

“Range, six thousand.”

The radar operator read out. It was time to stop scanning and get on the target.

With the current technology, radar sighting and firing cannot be done in the same mode. When aiming, the radar must stop rotating and be pointed at the target enemy to read the distance and direction before it can fire.

Just as Captain Sanders was about to order the switch to targeting mode, the radar man looking through the PPI scope lifted a puzzled expression to the captain.

“More air mines, sir ……”

“What?”

“What? Air mines are suddenly appearing in large numbers. ……!”

Sanders looked into his PPI scope with a dubious expression, and hundreds of bright spots popped into his eyes.

“What on Earth is that……?”

“‘I don’t know, sir, we’ve lost the enemy and the air mines!”

The twenty incoming projectiles and the enemy heavy lightning destroyer that fired them were buried under the scattered bright spots, making it impossible to see. This meant they couldn’t avoid the air mines, and they couldn’t target the ship with radar.

Sanders glared out the window once more. But the netting, burned by friendly fire, was not strong enough to see through the darkness.

“Release the light bombs!”

He ordered the artillery command center. They needed to light up the battlefield and get a clear view of the situation.

The Gorgoroth’s port side guns roared and fired a flare into the airspace where the enemy was likely to be.

A burst of light six thousand meters away chased away the darkness.

Sanders stared into the illuminated airspace.

“……?”

In one corner of the sky, here and there, strange silver spots were wandering through the air like flower petals, repelling the light of the hanging flares.

It was like a silver snow shower.

No, it wasn’t. Finally, Sanders realized the enemy’s trap.

“…… chaff……!”

It was a thinly shaved piece of metal, and the SG radar could not distinguish between a piece of metal and an air mine. No, depending on how it’s scattered, the SG radar may not be able to distinguish between a piece of metal and a destroyer. The fan-shaped lightning strips that were trying to block their path with their rainbow lightning trails were obscured by the bright spots.

If the ship continues on this course and at this speed, it will be in danger.

“Thirty degrees to port!”

It cut the rudder even deeper. Combining this with the previous rudder, the ship makes a sharp 90-degree turn to the left. It was here that Sanders realized the enemy’s intentions.

“Air mines to make us turn our heads toward them ……!”

Before he knew it, the seventeen ships of the Gamerian squadron had been forced to make a head-on counterattack against the heavy lightning-armored destroyer.

He gritted his teeth, but there was no going back. The “Gorgoroth” as well as the following battleship squadron and heavy cruiser squadron were also heading straight for the enemy destroyer.

“This sucks, you son of a ……!

Even though he was sickened, he kept his eyes fixed on the airspace illuminated by the hanging light bombs.

He could see the enemy flying destroyer with an unusual number of air mine launchers faintly reflected in the burnt netting.

Before he knew it, that destroyer was close enough to sneak into our line.

They couldn’t use radar.

They couldn’t even see it with their eyes.

Even if they could see us, they rely too much on radar targeting and lack the skill to conduct night observation bombardment.

If they allow the enemy’s heavily armed destroyers to enter in this state…

They were going to be hit by concentrated fire from both sides within their three line formation!

A shudder ran down Sanders’ spine.

“Don’t come.”

As if in answer to Sanders’ prayer, a jet of Ceras Particles erupted from the bow of the enemy ship.

The bow wave of the Nanasai slowly bowed towards the Gamelan air fleet.

“Don’t come ……!”

As if to reject the plea, the enemy heavy lightning destroyer behaved sluggishly, facing us as if it were a matter of course, turbine engines blazing.

Fine blood vessels rise in my eyeballs. My limbs tremble and my heart freezes rapidly.

“You’re going to die too, Yap!”

Sanders’ eyes widen and his voice trails off.

◆

“Twenty missiles, all off target, sir!

The enemy fleet is turning left. We’re coming up on the main ship!”

Izaya’s fist clenched involuntarily as the voices of the watchmen echoed through the forward watchtower.

All of the air mines had missed, but the enemy fleet, confused by the lack of radar, had successfully taken up a position facing them.

What would this do if we didn’t take this opportunity?

Izaya silently looked at Rio and Kuroto.

Rio nodded with a serious expression, while Kuroto had a devilish smile on his face as he watched the enemy fleet rushing towards them.

Both Rio and Kuroto understood that the time had come. There was no need to say anything else.

They’ve arrived at the place we wanted to get to.

They knew what they had to do. Together as friends.

As she slowly steered the bow of the “Ibuki” toward the enemy ship’s line, Izaya picked up the ship’s internal broadcast microphone. While they waited for the turnaround to be completed, she wanted to tell the sailors in the engine room and communications room, who were unaware of the situation, what they was going to do. Fortunately, the power supply was still active. Hoping that the power lines were still intact, Izaya spoke to the sailors.

“Attention. Gentlemen, this is the captain. This ship will now make a charge against the enemy fleet.”

As soon as he said this, familiar responses came back from all over the ship.

[Your Highnessss] [Let’s go, Your Highnessss!]

A cheerful voice, unchanged from normal times. Some of the soldiers may have lost their comrades, but they still followed Izaya at their usual pace. That feeling made her very happy and warm right now.

Before starting on their journey of no return, Izaya said something that she really wanted to say.

“I have not told you this, but I have always thought of you as my family. Ibuki is my home, and you are my family. Let’s put it that way.”

She was a little embarrassed as she said these words, and a cheerful laugh came back from the voice pipe.

[Yes, Your Highness!] [I’ve been thinking that for a long time!] [We’re all family!]

In this hellish battlefield, the cheerful voice stirred up her courage. Separated from his father at an early age, Izaya was told by his mother that she would have him die on the Ibuki. For Izaya, this was home, and the sailors were her family.

Izaya’s chest heaved with pride as she spoke into the pipe.

“Thank you, gentlemen. There is nothing left for me. Let’s all go together for the future we want.”

Receiving more cheers and confirming that the turnaround was complete, Izaya turned her blazing red eyes forward.

The battle airspace was now a garden of death and destruction, where millions and millions of flames bloomed.

The Ceras particles depicted the way the turbulent energy was dancing in the starry sky with their glowing colors. The force of the artillery, the shells of the exploding bombs, the metal fragments flying wildly, and the flames erupting, were all pulled or whirled into seven-colored waves by the surrounding Ceras particles, creating an unworldly dreamscape.

The center of the raging destructive beauty…

The jet-black aerial fortresses, three rows of vertical formations, distorting the space with their huge steel shadows, approached with a spray of seven colors. Left row, six battleships, middle row, six heavy cruisers, right row, one destroyer and four light cruisers. They wanted to ignore the right column and jump into the space between the battleships and heavy cruisers to fire their weapons.

Inhaling, Izaya pushed down her diaphragm and slammed a verbal bomb into the voice pipe.

“Order! Port and starboard air raids, counter-attack!”

For the first time in the history of the world’s naval and air battles, an unprecedented raid attack concentrating both sides of the ship was now announced from Izaya’s mouth.

At the same time, the crew’s searing cries came from inside the ship.

All the long and arduous training, some three years at the shortest and more than ten years at the longest, was for this single assault.

Izaya put the pommel of her sword on the floor and her hands on the hilt. She stared at the three rows of steel fortresses that were flying toward her.

Let’s go, Gamerians.

Remember the pride of humanity.

She gave the order.

“Maximum engine! Ibuki, charge!”

At the same time, a beastly roar came from inside the ship, spreading like a fire through the airspace.

Let’s go, my family.

The sixty-five thousand horsepower of the two stern propellers kicked up the stars and dragged the rainbow.

“The moment of truth! Come on, men!”

Once more, the crew’s fiery response shook the ship and pierced the battlefield. Two hundred bodies became the cells of the Ibuki, and two hundred lives melted into one in the giant beast called the Ibuki.

The giant beast of steel roared and flew across the sky in a splash of seven colors.

The rapid-fire cannons, sagging turrets, and anti-aircraft machine guns of the approaching airborne fortresses set their muzzles to the onrushing beasts, spewing out a turbulent stream of steel and flame.

The hail of fire from six battleships and six heavy cruisers echoed through the battle airspace in a multiplicity of death and destruction.

Immediately, tens of thousands of flames, fireballs, and bursting bullets coated the area around the Ibuki.

The sea of stars becomes a storm. The battlefield boils over. In an instant, hundreds of fireballs folded together, sooty smoke like octopus legs exploded, heat waves exceeding the speed of sound blew away the crew on the deck, and primary colored lights pierced the armor of the Ibuki, shattering the sidewalls and penetrating and scraping the hollow.

Ten million fire arrows, like a muddy stream, spread their burned arms across the battlefield to hold Ibuki like an angel of death. Come, I am your death. These soundless words come from a torrent of steel that surpasses the speed of sound by a long way.

The “Ibuki” did not flinch. There was no fear, no trepidation, nothing.

The lives and hearts of the crew, melted into one in the Ibuki, flow up the lava flow of steel and fire, aiming for their desired future.

[Fire in the rear deck!] [The air intake system is completely destroyed!] [Fire in the engine room!] [Direct hit to the reserve water tank!]

Reports came in one after the other from the voice pipes. In the background, the screams and shouts of soldiers running around for emergency protection crossed over.

“Internal Affairs, put out the fire!”

Izaya called out as calmly as she could over the voice pipe and told Kuroto beside her.

“We’re at the firing point, Kuroto, please.”

The voice pipes were connected to every part of the ship. So, if the commander is upset, the whole crew will be upset. It was important not to let her emotions get the better of her.

“I have no idea what the enemy is up to.”

“I have no idea where the enemy is.”

Kuroto was unable to observe the enemy’s position, distance, course, or speed because he was distracted by the turbulent stream of fire, accompanying explosions, and the colors of the dancing Ceras particles. The rangefinder on the navigation bridge and the fire control system that calculated the angle of fire were destroyed, so human power had to take the place of the machine.

“Myuu, do you know?”

Izaya asked Myuu, who was in the open-air command center directly above.

[I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to do it, but I’m going to try. At the head of the right column, the flagship of the enemy’s second squadron, the Seventh Hell, 25 degrees to the right, speed 26 knots.]

In the midst of a blazing inferno, Myuu’s eyesight to calmly observe the enemy force was once again appreciated.

Kuroto calculated the values in his mind. Normally, the fire control system would automatically calculate the value, but now he had to do it by hand.

The triangle formed by the sight line, firing line, and target point was visualized in the starry sky. The wind speed, wind direction, rotation of the earth, and all factors existing in the airspace were incorporated into the equation to find the best angle of fire to sink multiple enemy battleships simultaneously.

“There you go.”

“You’re lucky I’m a genius.”

In response to Izaya’s comment, Kuroto smiled a fierce smile, grabbed the voice pipe leading to the air mine launch command center on the upper deck, and issued the command.

“Here we go, Onizuka, port and starboard air raids, first lightning speed, angle of fire sixty!

[Hahaha! Port and starboard air raids, first lightning speed, firing angle sixty!]

At the same time, a ball of light appeared over Ibuki’s head, changing the battle airspace to daylight.

[Hanging light bombs!]

At the sound of the staff member’s voice, Kuroto smiled a fierce smile.

“The metal pieces are still working. They fired hanging light bombs because they couldn’t use radar. Of course, they couldn’t target us without the radar. ……!”

In the airspace ahead of them, the thousands of metal fragments packed in the warheads of the exploding shells were twinkling and bouncing off the light of the hanging bombs. In the direction of travel, to the left and right, and to the rear, bursting bombs with timed fuses scattered more metal fragments, staining the battle airspace with silver spots and disrupting enemy radar.

“We will break through the middle of the two lines after striking both sides!”

After Izaya’s words, Kuroto set his course.

“We’re going to invite the port guns to fight each other”

“Indeed.”

“You’re a scary woman.”

Enemy battleship squadron on the left, single file. Enemy heavy cruiser squadron, single file, on the right.

If they fire their port and starboard air mines and run straight ahead, they’ll hit the enemy ships on either side as they pass by.

[All air mines are ready to fire!]

Onizuka’s booming voice came through the voice pipe.

Kuroto nodded.

The only thing left to do was to make sure the firing point was correct. One wrong moment and all the calculations, the three to ten years of effort of the crew, and the more than thirty years of sacrifice of the eighty million people will be wasted.

Kuroto looks through the incoming fire and sees the enemy flagship Gorgoroth on the other side. He and Izaya had spent every night until morning observing the opposition, and now the shadow of the enemy ship appeared in the starry sky.

Both ends of Kuroto’s mouth slant up toward his ears.

With a fierce smile that resembles a fallen angel, Kuroto sees the perfect triangle in the starry sky.

“All launchers, get ready!”

He issued a command and a buzzer sounded.

The high-pitched sound of the buzzer sounded like a trumpet of hope throughout the “Ibuki” ship.

It’s here.

A moment later, he saw his target.

“Prepare!”

He took his hand off the buzzer and pressed the fire button.

“Shoot!!”

At the same time as Kuroto’s command, Onizuka raised the launcher.

A moment later, like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis and spreading its rainbow-colored wings, forty rays of fire gushed out from both sides of the “Ibuki”, creating a symmetrical fan-shaped spray zone in the starry sky.

While dragging a rainbow-colored thunder trail, the forty firing lines carrying the prayers of eighty million people rage through the tail propeller, splitting the sea of stars and flying through the air.

“Goooooo!!”

The screams of the air raid crew, who have been taking care of their launchers as if it were their own child for years, poured out to the forty lightning trails that were leaving the Ibuki.

They have done everything that needs to be done. All that remains is to pray. They were hopeful that could live to see it crash down. They had no regrets about dying here if they could see it crash.

“One minute to impact!”

The measurer shouted.

The enemy battleship “Gorgoroth” was closing in on them. The moment the 76mm rapid-fire cannon on the bottom of the ship pointed its muzzle at the Ibuki, a stream of burning lava swept across the upper deck of the Ibuki.

“O my god!” “Aha!”

The screams of the air raid crew rose into the starry sky.

Blood splashes and pieces of flesh were painted over the seven colors of the Ceras particles.

The rapid-fire shells pouring down from the left and right, diagonally forward, twice, three times, mercilessly penetrating the launchers and crushing the internal electronic mechanisms.

“Guys, get down!”

The loud voice of a Onizuka roared through the sound of gunfire. The sixty or so air raid members were lying face down on the upper deck, and the rapid-fire shells, like lava flows, were passing directly over them.

Life was being swept away by the torrent of flames. The fragments of the shattered things were swallowed by the new fire and dispersed. If the rapid-fire guns and anti-aircraft guns alone are this powerful, if the main guns on the port side were to strike, the Ibuki itself would melt into the sky and disappear.

“We’re passing each other, the port guns are coming!”

At the sound of someone’s voice, Onizuka raised his face from his prone position.

At the very moment, the enemy battleship “Gorgoroth” was sailing at a close range of about 2,000 meters horizontally, showing its flank to them.

A few tenths of a second later, a tremendous roar came from inside the ship, and the hull shook from side to side. The impact was so strong that even Onizuka’s huge body jumped up.

“Direct hit!” “The back mast was hit, and the second bridge was completely destroyed!” “Direct hit to communications room! All communications staff dead!” “We’ve got a fire! Hurry up, Internal Affairs!”

As the suspension cables creaked with a violent sound, shouts of anger crossed the air. A flame sprouted at the stern of the Ibuki. An armor-piercing shell had ripped off the foremast, destroyed the communications room, and apparently setting various cargo containers on fire.

However, the ship did not explode even after taking a direct hit. The armor was too thin and the distance was too close for the armor-piercing grenades to penetrate before their fuses were activated. As long as it did not explode inside the hull, the ship would not be sunk by a single blow unless it hit the ammunition depot.

The enemy was unconcerned and concentrated all its firepower, including rapid-fire guns, anti-aircraft machine guns, and 40-centimeter guns, on the Ibuki. The air and raid crew, with their bodies exposed to the outside world, had no choice but to lie face down on the deck, hide behind the launchers, and endure the multiplicity of flames and steel produced by the enemy guns.

At last, however, the reserve fuel tank was shot through and an explosion occurred. Flames filled the narrow passage, and the steel frame supporting the hull snapped. Fires broke out, steel plates melted, and the lead-impregnated paint on the interior walls produced toxic smoke filled with irritants, which the sailors inhaled and fell to the floor in one breath.

There was now a huge line of enemy ships that loomed over both sides of the ship. They crew, in an uncomfortable manner, could see the enemy soldiers coming and going along the gangway. The “Ibuki” was still flying while it was being unilaterally showered with heavy fire from a very close range.

Crew members who had been shot out by anti-aircraft guns were staggering and screaming. Their friends tried to stop the bleeding and carry them to the first aid room, but the ones who tried to carry them were taken away by the rapid-fire guns. The deck was stained with blood. In an instant, the people who had been laughing with each other turned into pieces of flesh and were blown away beyond the stars. Those pieces of flesh were swallowed by more lava and evaporated.

“The suspension cables!”

A soldier screamed. Onizuka looked over and saw that one of the suspension cables in front of us had been hit and was about to be torn off. The mandrel that had been wrapped around it had turned to rags, and the steel cable, about a meter thick with four iron wires twisted together, was half gone.

“Endure, you guys, if we can get through this, we will win!

A moment later, a rapid-fire cannon pierced the No. 3 firing tube, and the scattered pieces of iron bit into Onizuka’s body.

“Sergeant!”

He heard Heisuke’s voice shouting. The bloodied Onizuka collapsed forward onto the upper deck.

Like a sea dragon running up a raging river, the Ibuki spewed flames and fumes from its breaching holes and broke through the aerial corridor of swirling flames and heat.

◆

At the front watchtower, Izaya straightened her back and glared at the fire that was pouring down on Ibuki.

Beside her, Kuroto and Rio swallowed their words and left their luck to the heavens.

The trajectory of the bullets, coming from 2,000 meters away, was as straight as a ruler, encircling the Ibuki, puncturing the hull, killing and wounding personnel, and cutting off the voice pipes leading to various parts of the ship. The muffled shouts of the internal affairs team, wearing gas masks and providing emergency protection, intersected with the shouts of the air and mine crews working on the upper deck, who were pierced by the projectiles of the explosive shells and fell helplessly overboard.

[Bridge 2, the fire won’t stop!] [The second bridge is on fire!] [The second can room has been hit! Many of our engineers have been killed or injured!]

Izaya calmly accepted the reports that came in one after another and responded.

“Internal Affairs, put out the fire in the foremast.”

In the midst of a thunderstorm of enemy fire, Izaya’s calm voice was reassuring to the men. The captain’s agitation would be felt throughout the ship and would frighten the men. So Izaya kept his voice calm.

[Thirty seconds till impact!]

The voice of the measurer reached them. She looked into the airspace, but enemy fire lines filled the starry sky and she couldn’t see the trails of the air mines. She wanted to observe the impact as accurately as possible.

“Rio, I’m going to detach from my perspective and look at the impact. Can you help me?”

“Okay. I’m on it.”

” Kuroto, protect us. Any urgent reports, you respond.”

“You don’t need to do that…….”

Kuroto muttered and hid Izaya and Rio behind his back. Izaya pressed her back against the wall behind her and linked her hands with Rio’s, separating her perspective from her body.

◆

Through the anti-aircraft fire that tore through the starry sky, Izaya’s perspective left the floating zone and ascended through the starry sky to a position where airships could not climb.

When Izaya reached an altitude of 2,000 meters, she took a bird’s eye view of the airspace that stretched out to 1,200 meters and gasped.

Below her, a huge butterfly with wings colored red, blue, and yellow was emerging from the seven-colored sea of Ceras particles.

The colors of the wings were shells and anti-aircraft bullets from enemy ships, and the body of the butterfly was “Ibuki”. The two rows of vertical lines showered the Ibuki in the middle with a full blast of fire that rippled like burnt wings, creating a cruel beauty of destruction. With its dreamy wings flapping and bloody flames all over its body, Ibuki still flies forward, forward, as if crawling.

Everyone.

Tears were about to spill. Just thinking about how many people have been killed or injured by the steel and flaming wings made her whole body freeze.

Shaking off the sentimentality that surged through her, Izaya searched for the forty rays of light she had released into the rainbow-colored air.

Then she saw forty bright blue lightning trails going up the muddy stream of fire arrows.

Some of them were struck by fire arrows on their way up, and exploded in a spray of liquid metal. Three, four, five ……. Leaving the failed air mines behind, the air mines that had dodged the fire line approached the enemy ship row at fifty knots with their tail propellers blazing. The enemy ships that saw the air mines began to turn around.

It was not a coordinated evasive maneuver, but a disjointed, panicked and awkward one.

It was a chaffing effect. The radar couldn’t catch the air mines. And Kuroto’s calculations of the angle of fire were so accurate that they covered the entire line of enemy ships, which were divided into two rows.

All of the enemy ships continued to turn their heads in a desperate attempt. However, the angle of fire calculated by Kuroto included evasive maneuvers. Even if they attempt to steer the ship, another air mine will reach out and intercept the floating object.

Kuroto.

You’re amazing.

As Izaya looked down at the lightning trails and the wakes of the enemy ships, she could see that the future was just around the corner. Kuroto had been deducing this future in his mind before he fired.

Suddenly, Izaya’s mind flashed back to Kuroto’s words when he had chosen to leave the battlefield, defying the orders of Commander-in-Chief Nango.

[It’s my turn. I’m going to save the day.]

[We’ll use our power to destroy the Grand Ocean Fleet.]

Izaya gulped.

Did you see this scene when you were there?

Both the chaff that distracted the enemy and the precise strike were commanded by Kuroto. If it weren’t for Kuroto, the scene that is about to begin would never have been created in this world.

A moment later…

Silver petals bloomed all at once on the enemy flying battleships and cruiser groups.

The warheads of the air mines that pierced the enemy’s floating bodies shattered, and the hot liquid metal that overflowed melted the hard surface of the floating bodies, followed by the high-speed rotation of the drills in the depths.

As if a rat had exploded inside the giant beast’s body, the Ibuki unleashed a full-body, two-sided, concentrated raid attack.

In the end, the screams of the crew from both the battleships and the heavy cruisers rose up in a whirl and pierced the starry sky.

Most of the seventeen enemy ships in the battle area began to swing their firearms in the wrong direction, staggering like swordsmen pierced by a throwing spear. A messy wake appeared below them, as if they were trying to shake off an air mine that had bitten into them. The orderly formation a few minutes ago was nowhere to be seen.

The three colored lava flows that had been launched by the Ibuki wreaked havoc on the sea of seven colors.. The Ceras Effect that was created danced around the floating area like a stormy sea.

Below the staggering enemy ships, white flowers were blooming one by one. The enemy sailors, quick to give up, began their descent. The once orderly line of ships was now in disarray, and the gunfire spewed out from the ships in a desperate attempt to kill each other.

After confirming the results of the battle, Izaya fought back tears as she looked down at the enemy line of ships.

Four flying battleships. Three heavy cruisers. All of them were struck by three air mines on their floating bodies and were sure to be sunk.

One of the battleships was hit by a single mine on the rear of its floating body, and began to jettison its port side guns. Heavy damage.

Two heavy cruisers each landed one shell on the front of the floating body, and started dumping their cargo as well.

Only one flying battleship and one heavy cruiser remained unharmed.

Izaya was now looking down at the results of the raid attack by a single destroyer, a feat never before seen in the history of the world.

It’s true, Kuroto.

You saved the nation, didn’t you?

Fighting back tears, Izaya smiled.

In front of her eyes, the floating body that had been struck by the mine now began to unravel.

The weight of the ship itself was pushing the cracks open, and the buoyancy was being stripped away. The order for all hands to leave the ship must have been given, and immediately nearly two thousand parachutes bloomed in the night sky, blowing away like cherry blossom petals.

The exploding colors of the Ceras particles ceased, and the Ibuki staggered through the war zone, towing a long tail of smoke as it tried to regain its composure.

One of its suspension ropes was about to snap. In order to secure the forty firing lines of the air mines, there was only a limited number of suspension ropes on the Ibuki. If one of the suspension ropes was cut, the remaining ropes would not be able to withstand the load and the Ibuki would crash as well. With many enemy ships in its path, the “Ibuki” is also about to face its final moments.

Let’s go back.

I have to tell everyone.

Deciding to return to his body, Izaya descended from an altitude of 2,000 meters. The warmth of Rio’s palm was her guide to return…….

◆

“Ten ships down from one destroyer, ten ships!!! Don’t let them leave alive, make sure you knock them off!”

Commander Primrose yells over the phone at Captain Sanders in the radar plotting room, his eyes boiling open.

[The rapid-fire guns and anti-aircraft guns are taking their toll! If we just fire the main guns, we’ll be fighting each other and ……]

“I don’t need an excuse! I don’t care if it’s machine guns, rocks, or anything else, just make sure we take down that stupid destroyer!”

He yells at him and slams the phone down without listening to his reply and looks at his staff.

“What about the air raids?”

“Three of them hit the ship, sir. You need to get out of here!”

“If you want me to leave, you’ll have to destroy that ship, now!”

Primrose pointed to the stern of the Ibuki, which was staggering through the airspace in the distance, and hissed.

One by one, soldiers could be seen jumping from the other ships that had been struck by the mines. The sky below is now a field of white parachutes made by the Gamerian soldiers. It’s was too early to give up.

“Lighten the hull! We haven’t even determined if we’re going to crash yet!”

With three strikes from the air, the floating body would not be able to support its 40,000 ton weight. The weight itself pushes the cracks in the floating body, so the time between the strike and the crash is especially short in the case of this flying battleship. The staff wanted to run away, but the commander-in-chief was sitting there, so they couldn’t flee first.

[The air mines have completely penetrated! It will explode soon!]

The report of the watch commander showed that he was praying for everyone to leave the ship as soon as possible. If only the commander-in-chief would say that, they could all parachute down with their hearts in their hands.

Mwah….

Primrose gritted his teeth.

The Grand Ocean Fleet of Gameria, which kicked a squadron of Hinoo battleships to the touch in just fifteen minutes.

Against only one destroyer, four battleships and three heavy cruisers were sunk, one battleship was heavily damaged, and two light cruisers were destroyed.

He couldn’t believe that such a crazy thing had happened. ……

He was so humiliated that the blood vessels in his temples swelled up as if they were about to burst.

Three dull explosions sounded from directly above the navigation bridge, as if they were sandbags being struck with an iron bar.

[Lightning explosion! The floating body is breaking up!]

The watchman’s scream was overlaid by the voice of a staff officer.

“That’s it, sir. All hands off the ship!” “Sir!”

Primrose’s face stiffened and his whole body trembled as he spoke.

“……, all hands, abandon ship.”

Relief spread across the faces of the staff.

[All hands off the ship!] [All hands, all decks!] [All hands off the ship. Those who do have parachutes, help those that do not!]

As soon as such a voice rang out simultaneously from the voice pipes and speakers inside the “Gorgoroth,” the soldiers hurriedly took on the parachutes that had been piled up in one place, tightened the X-shaped straps around their bodies, and leapt from the hull into the air. Those without parachutes hooked the metal hooks of the belt to the belts of those that did have one. The two pairs would throw themselves into the air together.

From the flagship Gorgoroth, the second ship Voivod, the third ship Kansas, and the fourth ship Sahat……. As many as 2,000 crew members jumped out of the port side one after another into the air. Two and a half minutes to the ocean below, the white flowers of the falling parachutes bloomed in the starry sky.

With a field of pure white flowers in the background and blood-like flames all over its hull, the Ibuki passed through the line of ships alone, towing a cloud of reddish-black dust.

Once the ship was away from the Gamerian fleet, it turned left and turned to port to the surviving Gamerian battleships and heavy cruisers.

There are two Gamelia battleships and three heavy cruisers left. One of the battleships was badly damaged, and the second heavy cruiser was moderately damaged.

They hadn’t given up the fight yet. They dumped their sagging turrets and bombs to reduce the weight of their hulls, but they were still eager to fight, hoping to take down at the very least the hated destroyer.

A moment later, the Ibuki and the remaining ships faced each other in a sky of silver chaff and stardust…

“Good work, Ibuki.”

With a single voice from Lieutenant Commander Takamura, twenty-four projectiles from Takamura’s fleet struck the floating bodies of the remaining ships with rainbow-colored lightning trails.

The Takamura fleet had sunk four light cruisers and one destroyer in a raid, and had reached this airspace in pursuit of the Ibuki’s rear. The remaining two flying battleships and three heavy cruisers were completely distracted by the Ibuki and neglected the Takamura fleet that was following.

The air raid squadrons, which had endured eight days of intense training in a week, unerringly launched their strikes at the floating bodies of the enemy ships one after another and began to penetrate them as it twisted and turned.

“No, escape!” “We’re going to crash, run, run!”

Without waiting for a command from the captain, the Gamerian sailors took their own decisions to carry their parachutes and once again create a white garden in the air.

The eight flying destroyers of the Takamura fleet, in a single vertical formation, sailed leisurely through the starry sky and watched as the air mines buried inside the floating bodies exploded.

Meanwhile, the “Ibuki”.

Izaya had already ordered all hands to leave the ship. Those who were unharmed carried the parachute on their backs, and those who had gone down were tied to others and leapt overboard in pairs. If they didn’t parachute down and get as far away from the ship as possible before the suspension cable snapped, they would be swallowed up by the Ibuki’s hull after the crash.

And at the forward command post where Izaya and the others were.

“Rio, hold on, Rio!”

Izaya pulls out a piece of iron that was sticking out of Rio’s side, and Myuu gives her first aid. Rio went limp and didn’t move.

“The bleeding has stopped. But her body temperature is low. We have to give her a blood transfusion soon.”

Izaya nodded at Myuu’s words.

“Rio, I’m sorry, please forgive me, Rio!”

While Izaya was detached from his perspective, a machine gun bullet tore through the forward guard post. Kuroto was injured by a flying piece of iron on his back. Rio had a piece of steel in her side, but she never let go of Izaya, who held her close.

“Thank you, Rio, for saving my life. Thank you, Rio.”

Izaya fought back tears as she picked Rio up in her arms. First aid had already been administered by Myuu, and the wounds had been bandaged. No matter how much she called out, Rio remained limp and did not respond.

“Myuu, I need you to take Rio down with your parchute”

“Yes, ma’am.”

After carrying Rio on her back, Myuuu said a few words and walked up the stairs to the foremast. Izaya and Kuroto, who were left behind, looked at each other.

“Is your back all right?”

“I’m in a lot of pain. I want to get out of here as soon as possible.”

“But first, wait a minute.”

Izaya reported what she had seen to the remaining voice pipes.

“We’ve made contact. The ship’s air mines have sunk four enemy battleships and three heavy cruisers. One battleship badly damaged. Two heavy cruisers were destroyed. This is the greatest single raid in history. Thank you all for your efforts!”

The ship’s internal broadcasts had long since been cut off, and the message tubes were torn in many places, so it was up to the remaining messengers to deliver the current message. Izaya’s words were loudly relayed by the messenger to the various positions on the ship, and the surviving soldiers tearfully reported the results of the battle in the ears of their wounded and fallen comrades.

“I want to see what’s going on inside the ship. We will be the last ones to jump.”

“It’s a lost cause.”

In spite of his grumbling, Kuroto, who had been injured in the back by a piece of iron, walked up the narrow stairs of the foremast, supported by Izaya, and out onto the upper deck.

“……!”

They knew it would be so, but the deck was covered with the blood, flesh, and wretched corpses of the air raid crew. The strong wind that blew through the air smelled of death, a mixture of everything that was in the human body.

Izaya’s heart cried silently in her chest. There is no one who is not upset when they see the corpses of their family members. However, her will is driven by a sense of duty, and she kills her sentimentality.

“If you have an parachute, take one of the survivors and drop! Those who are still breathing, help them!”

Izaya walked among the wounded and dead, checking the condition of each one, and paired those who were not dead with a soldier carrying a parachute. Nearby, an internal affairs team wearing hazmat masks passed by in shadow puppet form to extinguish a fire in the stern of the ship that had not yet been extinguished.

“Enough with the fire fighting, you guys get out of here, now!”

Izaya gave up on recovering the hull and prioritized getting all the people out of there.

In the other side of the starry sky, the floating body of the Grand Ocean Fleet of Gameria, which had taken a direct hit from an air raid, was beginning to disintegrate. With a roar that seemed to snap the earth’s axis, massive columns of water more than 250 meters in diameter and more than 1,000 meters in height rose up all over the place.

The ocean was boiling like a storm, and a cloud of steam covered the surface of the sea. The sailors who parachuted in were trained to run as far away from the hull as possible, so not many of them were caught in the whirlpools that accompanied the sinking.

The eight destroyers of the victorious Takamura fleet swam through the starry sky with ease, looking out over the sky and sea filled with enemy soldiers.

We’ve won, anyway.

She felt relieved, but when she looked around at the dead and wounded sailors, she felt more sadness and emptiness. But for now, Izaya’s priority was to save as many men as possible, and so she made her rounds among the wounded soldiers.

◆

Kuroto, on the other hand, was leaning against the No. 6 air mine launcher on the port side of the ship’s deck, enduring the pain in his back. The wound was shallow and the bleeding had stopped, but he felt lightheaded when he moved, as if he didn’t have enough blood.

Before the assault, he had been prepared to die, but the effects of the chaff were more than he had expected. The enemy fleet must have been overconfident in their radar targeting and hadn’t trained for nighttime counter-observation. The hit rate of the enemy’s port side guns was terribly poor, and the Ibuki was saved from being sunk. The United Fleet was forced to rely on human eyesight rather than technological equipment, and it seemed to have come in handy on the battlefield.

The “Ibuki” is about to crash. He doesn’t think it will be able to hold on to its suspension cables any longer. But the fact that a single destroyer sank four battleships and three heavy cruisers is unprecedented. The name “Ibuki” will be engraved in the history of world warfare as the epitome of nighttime air warfare.

Along with my name, of course.

Alone in the dark, Kuroto smiled with satisfaction, and then…

The hull of the flagship of the Takamura Fleet, the “Nozuchi”, swelled up and shattered with a roar.

“!?”

The crew of the Ibuki widened their eyes and stared in amazement at the huge fireball that had suddenly been created. The soot and smoke from the fire spread throughout the airspace, and the machine gun bullets that had ignited flew in all directions.

[The Nozuchi has been hit!?] [What happened? The enemy is supposed to be wiped out!]

On the noisy upper deck, a sailor pointed to the sky beyond.

“Stray Bullets!”

In the night sky, the sailor’s finger pointed to eight red, scorched lines of fire.

A forty-centimeter armor-piercing bullet, recognizable only by its thick tow marks like a dragon leaning on a sickle.

Izaya also looked in that direction.

“Oh no.”

A moment later, the hull of the second ship in the Takamura fleet, the Shirase, cracked like candy.

Three, four…

Armor-piercing projectiles flew with terrifying precision, landing one after another on the slender hull.

In the blink of an eye, the hull of the ship swelled up with a magazine that had been shot through. Flames sprout from the seams in the armor, and before the blink of an eye, the “Shirase” also becomes a huge fireball, shattering into the starry sky.

“……!!!”

A shockwave of flame heat travels through space and reaches them. The crew of the “Ibuki” can only look at the scene in front of them in utter amazement. The remaining six ships, realizing that they were under fire, hurriedly changed course and looked into the surrounding airspace to determine the identity of the enemy.

“Where are they? I can’t see them!”

“They’re behind the clouds, radar targeting doesn’t care about clouds!”

In the direction Izaya was pointing, there was a thick cluster of cotton clouds. Then, through the clouds, a new projectile was launched high into the sky.

“Scatter the chaff!”

Kuroto stood up and called out to the gunner.

“We’ve just shot them all!”

The gunner responded with a look of despair, and Kuroto could only grit his teeth. He could already see the identity of the flying battleship that was firing at him.

It was a new type of Gamerian airship that Izaya had once encountered off the coast of Manila.

It was a new type of battleship from Gameria that Izaya had encountered off the coast of Manila.

That battleship, which had entered the port of Mariveles earlier as the advance party of the Grand Ocean Fleet, had sailed in the confusion. They were completely taken by surprise by the new enemy battleship. Perhaps they were waiting for the chaff to settle down so they could fire on them….

“Damn you …….”

If they could see the ship, they could observe its course, speed, and distance and fire a shot. However, if the enemy was hidden behind the clouds, they would not be able to be tracked, and naturally they could not be attacked. The Ibuki, with its engine stopped, could no longer move, and it was impossible to get the best firing point. On the other hand, the enemy’s radar waves can penetrate the clouds and observe them, making it possible to fire precisely even when they are hidden.

“This is not good, guys.”

The third volley pierced the clouds and hit them.

The Takamura fleet, while changing course in small increments, barely dodged the enemy’s bullets. But within a minute, the next salvo arrived. The loading is so quick that it boggles his mind.

At this rate, both the Takamura squadron and the Ibuki would be killed.

Kuroto asked Heisuke, who was standing nearby.

“Which of the port launchers can be used?

“Launch tube number eight is available!

“Gather the able-bodied men and load the next round. I’ll talk to Izaya.”

Kuroto walked over to Izaya, who was standing on the upper deck, looking into the distance to see the enemy gunfire. His head had been throbbing for some time, and when he pressed it with one hand, he found blood all over his palm. But there was no time to bandage it, so he told Izaya.

“I’m going to turn the launch tubes and aim with scatter shots.”

“How are we going to shoot the enemy behind the clouds?

“I’ll use you.”

“I was thinking about that too.”

Izaya let out a breath and turned her serious eyes to Kuroto.

“I’ve never been more than 10,000 meters from a perspective. I’ve never been separated from my body twice in one day. I don’t know what will happen to me. But it’s worth it.”

“That’s good resolve.”

As he looked behind her, Heisuke and a group of air raid officers were lifting new air mines from the elevator to the upper deck and filling the launch tubes as if it were their last task.

“We’ll start with launch tube number eight. We can only fire four shots. Make sure you get a good reading.”

” Who are you talking to? As I said last time, that ship is very good at dodging air mines. Don’t try to hit it with one shot. Shoot it with the assumption that it will dodge and take four shots to kill it.”

“Who are YOU talking to? I’m the one who is going to shoot. I’m not going to miss.”

“Hmm. Don’t make a mistake with your statement. Let’s go ……. This is the last match.”

If they let that new flying battleship live, it will annihilate the Hinoo Maritime Fleet that is currently heading for this area. Flying battleships that fly 1,200 meters above the sea can fire unilaterally from a distance that sea vessels’ guns can’t reach. They can also operate large electronic equipment while having a bird’s eye view of the battle area, and they don’t create a water column when they land. In other words, they have an overwhelming advantage over ships at sea. If even one enemy flying battleship is left behind, Hinoo will be destroyed because of that one ship.

That’s why we’re going to destroy it now.

Kuroto and Izaya watched the completion of the next round of loading for the eighth launch tube, and then told the crew.

“You’ve all done well. Pair up with the one you want and leave the ship.”

“Ha. But, captain… ……”

“We have some work to do. You guys get out of here. That’s an order. Go.”

The only thing left to do to fire the air mines from here is to turn the launch tubes and adjust the lightning speed. That could be done by Kuroto and Izaya.

As the air raid crew said their goodbyes, they tied the wounded with metal hooks and jumped down in pairs.

Heisuke, however, did not try to escape.

” Your Highness, let me help you.”

He looked at Heisuke and saw that the right arm and leg of his suit were stained crimson. His face was pale from blood loss and he looked much weaker than usual, but his eyes were filled with the will to fight.

For some reason, Kuroto guessed the reason why Heisuke remained here.

He looked at the tail of the air mine in the number eight launch tube and said

“Tae and Chie?”

Heisuke smiled shyly at the question.

“Yes. They are number three and number four.

These were the names of Heisuke’s twin sisters, who loved to sing and had been sold to a women’s brothel to cut down on their expenses. Heisuke was able to join the Navy because of them. If these two bullets hit an enemy ship and make it into the newspapers, maybe his sister would notice him. With this hope in mind, Heisuke must have loaded his own air mines here.

“All right. Take care of the tuning.”

” Yes.”

In the distance, the Takamura fleet, which had lost its commander, did not flee, but flew at maximum speed toward the cotton clouds, changing course slowly. It is likely that they plan to occupy the airspace where the clouds do not interfere and launch a raid, but the enemy will also see their movements and respond. With this amount of cloud cover, it would be difficult to even see the enemy.

Kuroto and Izaya checked the number eight launch tube and confirmed that it was ready to fire by simply operating the tube side.

They linked one hand and looked at each other.

“It doesn’t have to be your hand, it can be anywhere I can feel your body heat. In other words …… if I don’t come back, call out my name, let me feel your body heat, and if possible, let me hear your heartbeat. It’s the best way to tell me to come back.”

As Izaya blushed, Kuroto urged her to hurry.

“All right. Get on with it.”

“Don’t give orders to your superiors. Let’s go ……. I’ve never done this at this distance before, so I don’t know what to expect.”

Izaya closed her eyes softly as she said this.

Kuroto silently held her hand and waited for Izaya’s reaction. It was okay to feel the warmth of the body without having to hold hands, which means it was okay for him to hug her, or even to put her on his lap, which would free up both of his hands. However, he was afraid that Izaya would hit him when she came back, so he decided not to do it.

Putting aside his worries, Kuroto looked at the airspace beyond. He wondered if Izaya was flying in that sky right now. ……

◆

Izaya flies through the starry sky like a bird, aiming for the cotton clouds in the distance.

She looks over the sooty smoke that still pervades the battlefield, watches the sailors being ejected from the enemy battleship that just fired an air raid, and observes the trajectory of the enemy’s towed bullets.

This was the second time today that she had moved her perspective. Perhaps she was tired, but the further she got away from the body, the more she felt her consciousness fading. Feeling anxious that her consciousness itself might disappear if she continued like this, she tried to capture the warmth of Kuroto’s hand in a corner of her consciousness. This warmth is Izaya’s lifeline right now. If she loses it, she won’t know how to get home. In fact, it would have been the best if she could feel the warmth of another person’s body, as it would be more stable than holding hands, but she was too embarrassed to say such a thing.

Don’t let go of my hand, Kuroto.

As she prayed, she entered the cotton cloud that served as a barrier.

She crossed the white vapour barrier, and over there…

There it is!

Gameria’s new flying battleship. She didn’t know what it was called, but it was an unknown ship type, completely different from the Gorgoroth and the Voivod. The large radar circling the bridge and the large rangefinder are clearly state-of-the-art. There are a total of four forty-centimeter guns on both sides of the bridge, sixteen guns on the starboard side, and now the starboard gun was firing simultaneously at the Takamura squadron as it flew.

A huge floating body, 250 meters in length and 35 meters in width, suspended from a steel hull that must have weighed over 50,000 tons.

Regardless, she could see it. She knew its position and course.

All she needs to do is to observe the impact of the air mines from here and contact Kuroto verbally. ……

◆

In front of the No. 8 launch tube on the upper deck of the “Ibuki.

Kuroto was holding hands with Izaya, waiting for a response.

There was no movement from Izaya. It was as if life had been drained from her body, void of life itself. Isaya was just standing there, breathing, that’s all.

“What are you two doing at ……?”

Heisuke, who was kneeling in front of the No. 8 firing tube, asked suspiciously. But Kuroto looked down at him with one eye and said,

“Don’t worry about anything. Just focus on that.”

“What?”

At that moment, Izaya’s mouth finally opened.

“I found it ……. Twelve degrees right. Distance 11,000. Course 90 degrees. Speed 20 knots. ……”

Kuroto nodded and asked Heisuke to do the same.

“Launch tube eight, turn right two degrees.

The five launch tubes lined up on the port side have a limited turn angle, so the only way to get the missing angle is to adjust the rudder of the air mines and drive them from the enemy ship at an angle. With the engine stopped and the Ibuki still floating in the air, the only way to get to the enemy ship was to use the diagonal firing method, an extremely difficult lightning attack method.

“Ha”

While dragging his feet, Heisuke grasped the launch tube’s swivel handle in his left hand and was about to turn it when….

A high-pitched, ominous sound echoed on the upper deck.

“Oh, no!”

With the screams of the remaining sailors, the ship’s hull tilted sharply.

“!?”

In a flash, Kuroto held Izaya in his arms and fell to the deck, where he saw that the first suspension cable had been cut.

The hull of the ship, which had lost its support, was tilted 15 degrees toward the right front, swaying unsteadily. As he looked down, he could see the dark ocean beyond the bow of the ship, where the bodies of dead and seriously injured soldiers were slipping and falling.

“Damn it!”

Even with the current impact, Izaya was helplessly held in Kuroto’s arms, unresponsive. He held her tightly to his chest and connected his and Izaya’s straps with metal hooks to prevent her from falling.

Heisuke gripped the turning handle with his left hand and held off the fall.

He was relieved that the three of them didn’t fall, but he also clicked his tongue.

“I can’t get a clear shot with this. ……”

Because the No. 8 launch tube was also tilted, the lightning speed and angle of attack could not be calculated using the usual formula. Without a fire control system, and taking into account the 15-degree inclination of the launch tubes, it would be extremely difficult to aim at an enemy ship flying through the clouds using the slanting firing method.

“Enemy battleship, change course. Change course 80 degrees.”

Izaya, oblivious to our predicament, simply reports back to Kuroto, who was still hugging her tightly. In this state, Izaya cannot hear what they were say to her, so he could only receive information from her.

“Don’t change your hands, you son of a bitch. ……”

Kuroto scratched his head with his remaining hand. When he scratched his head, his hand was stained with blood. He had a bad head wound for a while now. The wound on his head had been tingling badly from earlier. Holding Izaya to his chest, he raised his face and looked beyond the cotton clouds.

He followed Izaya’s guidance and visualized the invisible enemy battleship in the starry sky. He connected the current positions of his ship and the enemy ship with sight lines, and drew a line of fire to the future position of the enemy ship. After solving the trigonometric functions of the enemy’s course and speed, he incorporated the necessary factors such as wind speed, earth rotation, gravity, air resistance, and the inclination of the launch tube itself into an equation in his mind to determine the angle of attack of the four air mines.

“Change direction. 95 degrees. Speed remains at 20 knots.”

Upon receiving Izaya’s report, Kuroto clicked his tongue and started his calculations all over again. The formula needed to fire air mines is meaningless unless it is based on the enemy’s current course. So, if the enemy changes course again, he would have to start all over.

Convert the static distance D1 between the first and second firing lines to the enemy’s course, and use this to determine the opening between the firing lines. Once the dynamic spread interval has been determined using the dynamic error Re, which is a composite of the …… deviation and the lightning speed knitting error, predict the enemy’s course that was changed by the first firing line. In addition, the wind direction, wind force, and the 15-degree inclination of the launch tube were determined, and the opening angle, lightning speed, and angle of fire were calculated. …… (TN: LOL WHAT? I am just skip editing this part)

” Change course, seventy degrees.

Again. He clicked his tongue twice and started his mental calculation all over again. If the enemy captain’s head was here, he’d like to choke him. If I don’t shoot him soon, I won’t be able to keep up with the rest of my search.

Kuroto moved his head, aching for his life, to determine the necessary angle of inclination before the enemy’s changed direction.

“Heisuke, turn angle 2 degrees, diagonal angle 35, fire one shot at the third lightning speed.”

“Right! Turn angle 2 degrees, diagonal angle 35, third lightning speed ……!

After being told to do so, Heisuke adjusted the diagonal angle as told by the vertical rudder on the tail of the air mine, and tried to turn the wheel with his left hand alone to turn the launch tube. But he could not turn the handle, as if he did not have enough strength left. He bit his lip in frustration and put all his strength into it, but the heavy wheel would not move.

At a time like this. Kuroto clutched the immobile Izaya to his chest with one hand, crawled up the tilted upper deck to the wheel, and tried to help him. But his position was too uncomfortable for him to reach the steering wheel. There was no way he was going to let go of Izaya now.

But Izaya’s mouth opened ruthlessly.

“Change course, ninety degrees.”

Damn it, Captain, I’m going to kill you. Kuroto gritted his teeth and started his calculations all over again. But even if he figured out the diagonal angle, if he couldn’t point the launch tube in that direction, he’d be back to square one.

Meanwhile, like the devil’s claws tearing through a star-studded tent, eight scorched tow marks continued to attack the Takamura squadron one after another. The six flying destroyers were able to avoid the constant firing, but the third ship, the “Nozukasa”, was hit by a projectile. The hull of the ship crumpled like an empty can and exploded with the sound of material compression. The sad ball of fire brightened the night, and the Ceras particles clung to the torn uniforms, pieces of flesh and iron fragments like fireflies.

In just over twenty minutes, three ships had been sunk. The enemy’s bombardment was mind-bogglingly accurate. At this rate, in less than an hour, the five remaining destroyers would be destroyed.

“Someone take the wheel at …….”

As he called out to the dead and seriously injured around him, a new hand suddenly appeared on the turning wheel.

” Your Highness, if I turn this, will you take over my role?

The bloodied Onizuka leaned over his huge, wounded body. His put his wild right hand on the steering wheel, and looked enviously at Kuroto, who held Izaya to his chest.

“I’ll take your place, but for now, shut up and do as I say.”

“Haa. Just tell me what to do.”

Everyone is so self-indulgent. While complaining, Kuroto stared into the starry sky to see the invisible route of the enemy battleship.

“We’ll aim with scatter fire. Turn angle 2 degrees, diagonal angle 37, third lightning speed, first shot.”

“Yes!”

A dying Onizuka, whose whole body is dyed crimson, grits his teeth and turns the wheel, watching the indicator and turning the firing tube twice. Heisuke set the rudder of the air mine to 37 degrees, the third lightning speed.

“Strike!”

Following Kuroto’s order, Onizuka launches the first projectile.

The ejected air mines swam diagonally through the sea of stars. About nine minutes until impact.

“This strike will soon be evaded.”

He deduced the future position of the unseen enemy ship based on the observations Izaya had given him.

“Second one, turn left one degree, diagonal angle thirty-nine degrees, third lightning speed.”

Onizuka turns the turning handle and fires the second shot.

The air mine, ejected from the slanted launch tube, staggered from the floating zone, traveled at an angle of 39 degrees, and was swallowed by the stars.

“I can’t see the target. Can we hit it, Your Highness?”

Kuroto made a Buddha face at Onizuka, who was dying yet still complaining.

“I’ve got it under control, and the next two will take care of it. That is, if you do your job well.”

Onizuka let out a long sigh and regripped the steering wheel. His whole body was drenched in blood and there was a puddle of blood under his feet.

He must be having a hard time just standing there, but he never gave up.

In order to repay him for his hard work, Kuroto was determined to hit this air mine.

With this determination in his heart, he continued to work on the difficult calculation, figuring out the diagonal angle to shoot through the invisible enemy.

For some reason, Kyle’s sarcastic smile appeared through the cotton clouds in the distance.

If I miss the target, Izaya will become his.

He’ll never allow that to happen. Kuroto put his right hand around Izaya’s waist, embraced her, and brought her into a position where one ear was against his chest. His body heat and heartbeat would guide Izaya on her way home.

This is the place Izaya will return to.

“You can’t have her.”

Kuroto smiled fearlessly at his nemesis.

“You don’t deserve this woman.”

He then gave the diagonal angle, lightning speed and angle of rotation for the remaining two air thunderbolts to Heisuke.

◆

Meanwhile…

Izaya, who served as the viewpoint, had a bird’s eye view of the new Gamerian battleship and sent a report each time it changed course.

Since she can only send information verbally, she doesn’t know what state the Ibuki is in.

She has no choice but to trust Kuroto. If Izaya and Kuroto’s powers don’t bring this battleship down, there will be no tomorrow for Hinoo.

Hurry up, Kuroto.

Izaya whispered. She doesn’t know how long she can keep using this power. She didn’t tell Kuroto or Rio about it, but when she was a child and was playing by herself, she couldn’t get back to her perspective. At that time, Izaya’s body went into a vegetative state for about a month, and she was in danger of dying. Even Izaya doesn’t know how far she can go with this power.

From time to time, the scenery blurred.

The night sky and the enemy battleship she was looking at were about to disappear.

Whenever this happened, Izaya used Kuroto’s body heat as a reference point to maintain her own existence.

If he doesn’t hurry, I won’t be able to hold on.

It is almost an act of God to predict the future position of the enemy’s course, calculate the diagonal angle, and determine the lightning speed of the second, third, and fourth strikes in anticipation of being evaded. But she believe that Kuroto can do it. If he couldn’t do it, they would have no choice but to accept a future in which they would be called monkeys and be trampled on.

At that moment.

The enemy battleship turned 30 degrees to the right.

At the same time, oxygen air mines broke through the cotton clouds, trailing seven-colored lightning trails, grazed the nose of the enemy battleship, and flew away into the starry sky beyond.

“The first one veered off to the left. Error of 120 meters. Enemy ship changing hands. 30 degrees right.”

Just as she was about to reported this, the seven-colored bow wave accompanied by the changing of direction again blew up at the bow of the flying battleship.

Another turn, ten degrees to the right.

The next moment, a second air mine appeared through the cotton clouds and sailed past the left side of the battleship.

“The second one veered off to the left. Seventy meter margin of error.”

The distance was closer than before. Kuroto has completely detected the position of the battleship and fired a close-range shot.

Kuroto.

Two more. Izaya prayed.

The slight warmth of his palm and, for some reason, even the beating of Kuroto’s heart reached Izaya. His beating heart, as if cheering Izaya on, kept her from being in danger.

“New battleship turning right.”

The flying battleship began to turn sharply as it twisted around.

The SG radar must have detected the third or fourth air thunderbolt and is desperately trying to dodge it by turning around.

The aggressive turning that seemed to twist the very fabric of space continued…

The third and fourth oxygen air mines broke through the cotton clouds and appeared in the airspace, running almost in tandem.

The two lightning trails slanted toward the enemy battleship. As if they had anticipated the enemy’s evasion from the start, they drew a graceful curve to the end of the ship’s turn.

In Izaya’s eyes, she could see the future that Kuroto had deduced.

She smiled unknowingly.

Did you know, Kuroto?

The steel giant whale screamed, its 250-meter-long hull creaking, and it lurched to the right.

But it was no use. There was no way for the enemy ship to escape from the two well-aimed lines of fire.

When you proposed to me, I was really happy.

On the right is Tae, and on the left is Chie.

The sound of the tail propellers of the two oxygen air mines, with these names written on their outer shells, resonated and echoed through the airspace as if they were singing.

I don’t think you knew why.

The two girls combined their mellow singing voices and sang a propeller song into the star-filled battle airspace.

But, it was because I loved you.

The song of the girls standing on the left side of the floating body announces the end of the opera in the sky.

I was so happy to think that I could be with you forever.

Silver droplets scattered. Two warheads, rotating at high speed, pierce the molten surface of the floating body.

The singing voice turned into a funeral night song. The song calls out to the crew to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Don’t get the wrong idea.

I was completely turned off when you told me that you only wanted my bloodline.

It’s true, I was completely turned off, that’s for sure.

The crew screamed from the inside of the new enemy battleship.

Sailors with parachutes on their backs were already throwing themselves from the port and starboard sides of the ship.

The white flowers of the parachutes bloomed on the sea reflecting the light of the moon and stars.

The two air mines that had completely penetrated the floating body triggered the slow-moving fuse, and a dull explosion sounded.

The giant, 250-meter-long floating body quickly cracked.

Enemy sailors evacuated the gangway, the upper deck, the foremast, the aftermast, and the bridge lookout, one after another, carrying parachutes on their backs. The officers tried to stop them, but no one would listen to them.

Hey, Kuroto.

Do you still want to be the king of this land?

The weight of the 50,000-ton hull, suspended by a suspension cable, caused the crack to widen. The eerie sound of the floating body rupturing echoed through the space, shimmering and cracking.

The floating body collapsed, and the huge hull tilted at an angle.

All hands were ordered to leave the ship. The officers, captain, and commander all carried parachutes and bit their lips in frustration as they threw themselves overboard.

Then how about you propose to me again?

A total of two thousand white flowers bloomed in the starry sky, and soon the floating body could not withstand the weight of the ship and broke into pieces.

The suspension ropes snap off. The shattered floating bodies vainly separated from each other. The unsupported hull fell noiselessly 1,200 meters downward, as if its knees had given out.

The Ceras particles that clung to the hull of the ship made a splash of seven colors, adding color to the funeral of the new battleship.

This time, the answer may not be a slap and a kick.

The surface of the sea cracked, and a few tenths of a second later, it erupted high into the sky with a shockwave that wrinkled the space.

The new flying battleship, touted as the strongest in the Gamerian fleet, turned into a huge column of water that resembled a crescent cloud, and a huge silver wave covered the sailors who were floating in the sea.

When you look at it from above, it looks like a scene from a fairy tale or a mythological world.

After all, I don’t know how I would respond if you did right now.

Leaving only a tremendous millet grain on the surface of the sea, the enemy battleship was swallowed into the pitch-black sea and disappeared. The enemy soldiers, once swallowed by the waves, used the parachutes as a floating bag and reappeared from the sea.

Izaya looked back in the direction she had come.

Cotton clouds drifted in the wind.

In the distance, she could see the five remaining destroyers of the Takamura squadron approaching the airspace. They were probably confused, having suddenly lost sight of their target.

Let’s go home. Back to Kuroto.

Izaya made up her mind and flew through the air with only her perspective, relying on the warmth of Kuroto’s heartbeat and warmth.

“…… What is this position?”

When Izaya opened her eyes and noticed her position, she complained to him first.

“It was the only way I could prepare for our descent while letting you hear my heartbeat.

Kuroto was standing on the port side of the Ibuki, holding Izaya up in front of his chest. Izaya was hold Kuroto’s head with both arms.

Their straps were connected to each other by metal hooks from the front. On Kuroto’s back was a parachute.

Izaya looked again at Kuroto’s left hand hugging the back of her knee. She saw his right hand going under her armpit to her back and then looked at his face.

“The world calls this a princess hug.”

“I see.”

“Put me down.”

“Give it up. I don’t like it either, but in this case it’s the only way.”

While they were separated from each other, they had hooked their bodies together so that they could hear each other’s heartbeats. Izaya immediately realized that this was the only way they would be able to leave the ship together, but she was very embarrassed.

“I don’t want anyone to see us. Now jump.”

She was in a hurry.

“It’s like a prince and princess!”

A wounded Heisuke, standing beside them, said with a smile.

“If you don’t like it, I’ll take his place.”

The bloody Onizuka, who was paired with Heisuke, carried a parachute and said with a straight face.

Izaya’s cheeks turned bright red.

“Shut up and don’t look at me!”

Onizuka’s expression turned sad as he yelled, “After you, then,” and jumped down, holding Heisuke’s back against his stomach. They immediately opened their parachutes. The big man and the little man swayed in the wind as they descended 1,200 meters into the ocean below.

Kuroto tells her.

“Hold on to me, just in case. If you don’t, you’ll fall.”

When she was sure that no one else was around, Izaya sent an angry look from right in front of him. She sniffed, put her hands around the back of Kuroto’s neck and held on tightly to him.

“…… Don’t drop me.”

Her cheeks turned bright red and she said with a pout.

“……. you won’t fall unless you let go.”

Kuroto’s cheeks also turned red, and he says so brusquely. The way he said it, she hated it. Pressing her chest against his chest, Izaya squeezed her hands around the back of Kuroto’s neck.

“Okay. I’m not letting you go.”

She’s so glad. She thought she heard such a sound coming from Kuroto’s heartbeat, but she must have imagined it.

“…… Let’s go.”

Kuroto announced in a low, muffled voice, and threw himself over the tilted port side of the Ibuki.

Immediately afterwards, a heavy load was placed on his open parachute and belt. While holding Izaya up in front of his chest, Kuroto’s body slowly floated in the air.

“……………………… …”

As he swayed silently in the wind, Kuroto looked at Ibuki, who was moving away.

The last of the suspension cords was about to be severed. Onizuka, who had suspended Heisuke, saluted Ibuki as he descended.

Beyond, the blue-violet of the eastern horizon was shining.

The morning was spreading out into the depths of darkness like a tent being pulled up. The stars were scattered, and the steam in the air began to take on a different color than the Ceras particles. Eventually, a clear light rose over the horizon, as if caring for human folly from afar.

“Look. Ibuki is going down.”

As Kuroto announced as they descended, Izaya’s hands relaxed and her red eyes caught sight of the Ibuki.

The second suspension line had been severed, and the Ibuki was barely suspended by the two remaining suspension lines at the stern, with its bow pointing straight out to sea.

The hull of the ship was covered with holes so large that you could see through them. Flames were sprouting from them, probably from the penetrating armor-piercing shells. The entire hull was blackened with soot. Most of the ten launch tubes were cruelly punctured and the armor was peeling off. The fire on the stern of the Ibuki had yet to be extinguished.

A soft breeze blew through the air.

Izaya and Kuroto looked up at the Ibuki against the light purple sky.

So many memories flashed in and out of Izaya’s mind. In the two and a half years since she first boarded the ship, Ibuki has always been there to watch over Izaya’s growth, and now it is about to be lost forever in front of her eyes.

In the surrounding field of parachute flowers, the crew looked up at the sky and gave a final salute to Ibuki. As they drifted through the sky, each one of them gave a resolute salute of respect and condolences to their precious home and silent family members left behind on the ship.

Izaya stared at her familiar home in silence and says her goodbyes.

“Thank you, Ibuki.”

At the same time, the last remaining cable snapped.

“I will never forget you. Rest well.”

With the morning glow of the sky as a backdrop, the Ibuki, clad in the seven colors of the Ceras particles, made its way soundlessly down the corridor of colors.

Particles in red, blue, green, yellow, and purple …… softly stroked the scarred body of the ship, and glittered upward as if they were bereaved.

Clad in tens of millions of colors and scattering them like petals across the sky, the Ibuki touched its bow to the sea.

A tall, high column of water rose up into the summer sky.

The sailors, with their parachutes, saluted the water column as it descended through the summer sky.

Ibuki was a friend, a family, and a home.

And the sailors who were cheerful and kind, whom she will never see again.

Izaya saluted the pillar of water that Ibuki had set up, giving her heartfelt thanks to all the people and warships that had fought so nobly to protect the people of today, and for the children who would live in this kingdom.

When the water column disappeared and the spray of waves subsided, a large rainbow appeared in the summer sky. It was as if the Ibuki was greeting the crew, a rainbow that would never disappear.

Izaya sniffed once, sobbing.

“Are you crying?”

Kuroto asked her with a straight face.

After the salute, Izaya put her hands around the back of Kuroto’s neck and rested her chin on his shoulder so that he could not see her expression.

“I’m not crying.”

She denied in a muffled voice and slowly drank in the emotions that were rising in her.

The two of them swayed in the wind, silently hanging on to each other.

The warmth and softness of each other’s body told them that they had survived the battle. There were no words, but Kuroto’s heartbeat and body heat were awkwardly and clumsily comforting Izaya, who was feeling overwhelmed with grief.

Eventually, the whirlpools subsided, and the surface of the sea began to take on the same silvery hue as usual.

They landed on the surface of the sea, which was so calm that it was hard to believe that it had just swallowed the Ibuki.

“*Cough!*”

With a devilish expression on his face, Kuroto endured the intense pain of the seawater seeping into the wound on his back. The salt was literally rubbed into his injured body. In agony, he and Izaya folded the parachute into a floating bag and laid down on it. After undoing the hooks and the belt, and finally peeling off their tightly bound bodies, they lay side by side on their backs. Kuroto looked up at the stars that still remained around the zenith.

The five remaining ships of the Takamura squadron were patrolling the sky of the battlefield, trailing the remnants of the fierce battle. They approached the six floating bodies of the battleship squadron, including the Shishimaru, which had once been captured by the enemy. They also approached the four floating bodies of the destroyer, which had lost its hull, and attached tow ropes to them.

“…… Oh, by the way, did the air mines hit?

As if just remembering, Kuroto asked as he was rocked by the waves.

“Oh. The third and fourth strikes hit. The new enemy battleship has crashed.

When she reported this, Kuroto smiled with pleasure.

“It’s just like me. I’m afraid I’m too much of a genius to be able to shoot through an invisible enemy. I’m the one who saved the day on both occasions, the port and starboard attacks and the guessing attack just now. Intelligence, bloodline, and looks. I am outstanding in every way, and the people will revere me for all eternity.”

Izaya looked dumbfounded.

“I made the observation.”

“Ten percent of the battle was yours. The other ninety percent is because I am a genius.”

Kuroto smiled with satisfaction as he looked up at the blue sky.

“The day will soon come when the people will bow down to me. When the results of this battle are reported to the Hinoo mainland, 80 million people will be crying and thanking me. And the hero of national salvation, Kuroto Kurono, will be born. Naturally, my name would appear in the history textbooks, and the people of Hinooo would worship me forever. Hahahaha!”

With a look of deep satisfaction on his face, Kuroto was intoxicated with himself.

She hopes he doesn’t really think like that. Izaya looked up at the fading stars and the dawn glow that filled the sky, inhaling the fresh air deeply and profoundly.

She was alive.

She confirmed it. She had prepared to die many times in the past day. And yet, she survived. Moreover, she have won the battle. What made it possible for her to do that was no doubt thanks to the man who was now sitting beside her.

So she would like to at least say “thank you” honestly.

“You should also thank me. Five battleships and three heavy cruisers were sunk because of my precise mental calculation. I am probably the only captain in all of history who has achieved such a great battle result without a firing board and with only mental calculation.

The mere mention of such a thing from her side makes the feeling of her gratitude go away.

“That’s right. You’re great.”

But Kuroto didn’t seem to like it.

“What’s with that tone? You should be more emotional. Cry. Scream. Praise my intelligence, courage, and looks while rubbing your face against the surface of the sea.”

He was getting more and more pompous.

She was getting more and more angry.

Izaya lifted her serious face and said,

“All right. I’ll give you a reward.”

“Oh. What do you have to offer?

Izaya put her hands on the sides of Kuroto’s head.

“Coochy-coo. Coochy-coo.”

“Ayyyyyy!”

Izaya clung to Kuroto, who instantly jumped back with an inverted voice.

“Coochy-coo. “Coochy-coo.”

She crawled her fingers all over Kuroto’s body.

“Ayyyyy, come on!”

Kuroto lost his speech and turned his back on Izaya to escape.

“Fuuu…”

“Ahhhh…”

Izaya breathed into his ear, causing him to let out a muffled cry.

“How’s that for a reward?”

“Don’t you ever do that again!”

“Fuuu..”

“AHHH…”

Kuroto’s voice echoed high above the sea, which had regained its calm, and disappeared.

In a few moments, a deep blue summer sky appeared, and beyond the sea, the shadow of the Hinoo Maritime Fleet rose above the horizon. Overhead, the five flying destroyers of the Takamura squadron flew leisurely, towing the recovered floating bodies of friend and foe.

And then…

The twenty ships of the First Flying Squadron of the invincible Gamerian Grand Ocean Fleet and the new flying battleship Noctanos were all destroyed in one of the greatest defeats in the history of naval and air warfare. The Gamerian fleet, which had been advancing behind, gave up the fight and retreated to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In response, Hinoo’s forces attacked Filfin and subdued the Far Eastarn forces of Gameria, who were holed up in the Corregidor Fortress.

After capturing the major stronghold of Gameria, which was strangling East Asia, the Hinoo United Fleet sent a huge steel fleet into the southern waters in search of more resources…….

Notes/Thoughts:

Very enjoyable chapter IMO.

FYI, this chapter alone made up around 40% of the entire volume…..

Good for you guys, but it was a bitch to edit this much…..

So please excuse me, if I was careless or if some parts didn’t make that much sense!

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