Chapter 14: Mindless Kansen

The vanguards of the Royal Navy tried their best to stop the enemy's movement. The enemy Kansen seems to be taking damage but her speed and ferocity never decrease. A few lucky destroyers managed to escape by using their riggings as a one-time shield. The enemy easily tore the riggings apart. These all happen in less than an hour.

It is only a matter of time before vanguards completely lose their abilities to halt the enemy's advance.

Renown has been facing anxiety and fear since the enemy started to engage with the vanguards. As the head of this fleet's defense, her job is to keep enemies in one place before Arthur delivers his plan. Therefore, she must rely on her on-site decisions and be flexible.

At least that's what Hood taught her: An elegant lady must not show hesitation and adapt to her opponent's actions.

Renown points her cannons toward the enemy Kansen. If she fires now, the enemy may forcefully break through the vanguards' formation and go straight for her. She will essentially destroy the precious time those vanguards brought that almost cost their lives.

However, seeing the enemy punches, kick, and shoots her friends, she cannot hold her anger any longer.

As she is about to fire her cannons, the Prince of Wales holds her right shoulder, signaling her to stop her action.

"You have done well holding your temper this far" praised Wales

"Ma'am." Renown quickly bows to Wales.

"Commander has established his plan. Listen carefully and get to your new position."

Renown follows the order and move as instructed.

30 minutes have passed

"Commander, the main fleet is ready."

Captain Manjuu is waving the flag of the UK, meaning it is also ready.

"Alright, commence actions. Call the vanguards to move out of the barrage range and focus on dodging."

Following the order, the vanguards who have been engaging the enemy suddenly take a large distance. Their distance opens the hole in their formation at the center. Passing this hole will lead straight to the main fleet.

Seeing her opponent suddenly expose their main fleet, the enemy cancels her actions, trying to find a target.

Suddenly, she senses several heavy projectiles from the sky. Her late reactions force her to hold her arms in front of her, trying to block some damage. The raining shells created black smoke and flames on impact.

When the barrage is finished, the enemy skates out of the smoke and moves toward the direction of the barrage. There, she sees a girl with gold hair who is shorter than her by about the size of her head.

Renown nervously watches the enemy approaching her. The enemy's action matches Commander's calculated scenario A. According to the pattern, she only needs to keep moving backward as a form of pretending to escape.

As she can see the enemy's figure clearly with her bare eyes, another barrage falls on the enemy from the east. Perhaps with the experience from Renown's barrage, the enemy took damage from the shells, but she managed to deflect some initial ones.

The enemy ceases her pursuit of Renown and quickly moves toward the second barrage's direction.

"The enemy is moving toward the Prince of Wales as predicted" reported Hood, lowering her binoculars. Although the enemy's marching route does fit with Arthur's scenario A, the enemy seems to have partially adapted the attacks. If she continues to master her adaptation, Arthur's plan may no longer work.

"This enemy is more troublesome than I imagined. Iron Blood sure devoted much effort to create this ship." sighed Arthur. "Change of plans, merge attack 3 and attack 4 together, the 5th will follow as planned to whoever is being chased."

As the enemy approaches the Princes of Wales, a combination of Hood's barrage and Ark Royal's airstrike rain from above.

This merged attack creates two directions of the attack: Ark Royal's airplanes and Hood's firing direction. The enemy deflected a first few barrage shells but the bombs from dive bombers forced her to guard her head.

As the attack is finished, the enemy moves toward Hood's direction.

An air carrier can be in any direction to launch airplanes since unlike shells, aircraft can maneuver to fly in any direction in the air. Therefore, chasing an air carrier is a meaningless action.

"The enemy is moving to Hood's position" reported Ark Royal.

"I heard you," replied Arthur. "Manjuus, face the AA to Hood's direction. Fire at will once the target reached the firing range."

The enemy closes in on Hood. It is only a matter of minutes before Hood is in the enemy's firing range. Hood's hull can withstand the projectiles for some time, but if the enemy can reach her with melee attack then Hood is in a dangerous situation.

As the enemy raises her fist, trying to dash by a short-range charge, a number of small bullets mildly sting her left arm and left shoulder. These AA bullets cannot even scratch her hull, but they do successfully draw her attention.

The enemy looks at the firing direction and dodges the incoming AA bullets. The distance between her and the firing ship is short.

Three Manjuus are on a mass-produced ship that has a Twin 113mm AA attached. One pilots the ship, one uses binoculars to watch the enemy's movement, and one holds the switch to trigger the AA to fire continuously until out of ammo.

As the enemy rapidly approaches the ship the firing suddenly stops. Behind the ship, she sees a small lifeboat that carries the three Manjuus quickly moving away.

Ignoring the Manjuus, the enemy lands on the ship. However, she does not sense any life-sign on the ship. There is no human, no Kansen, and not even a Manjuu on the ship.

One of the three Manjuu on the lifeboat takes out a flare gun and fires a red flare into the sky.

The unmanned ship suddenly explodes.