Chapter 253: Witnessing the Fleet's Sinking

The "Iron Blood" battleship, the open-air command platform beside the main bridge.

The sea wind howled, mixed with distant rumbling gunfire and faint explosions. Lin Yu stood here calmly in a neat black officer's uniform, holding a pair of German-made Zeiss binoculars, gazing at the faraway sea that had turned into purgatory.

Through the high-powered binoculars, he could clearly see the miserable state of the Oriental fleet: a heavy cruiser blown apart amidships, slowly sinking; a Fusō-class battleship engulfed in roaring flames, thick smoke rolling, the hull severely tilted, figures on the deck scurrying like ants;

Several destroyers darted about like headless flies, occasionally struck by precise fire from our fleet, bursting into brilliant and deadly sparks……

Yet, facing this apocalyptic scene, Lin Yu's face showed no ripple. No excitement, no agitation, not even a trace of pity. His gaze was icy and indifferent, as if he were merely watching a fireworks display unrelated to him.

That absolute sense of control and indifference to the enemy's fate was more chilling than any violent expression. Behind him, Shen Chonghai and the other officers were directing the battle in an orderly manner, reporting the latest situation to him.

And not far from Lin Yu on the deck's edge, Sato Kenichi, firmly fixed to a wheelchair, was forced to witness all of this with his own eyes.

His eyes, originally vacant, now stared wide as copper bells, filled with terrified bloodshot veins! He fixed his gaze on the distant sea, where a scene like a Shura field unfolded, his body shuddering violently in the wheelchair.

At first, when the first salvo of shells fell, he still clung to a sliver of incredulous luck, thinking it might be merely an accident or Lin Yu's bluff. But when he saw his own side's proud battleships, one after another, being easily torn apart, destroyed, and swallowed under the enemy's unprecedented, rain‑like dense precise fire, when he saw the sun flag symbolizing imperial glory fall into the sea of fire together with broken masts……

He collapsed completely!

This isn't real! This absolutely isn't real!

The mighty Imperial Combined Fleet! The invincible "Nagato"! How could… how could it be utterly helpless before a "Chinese warlord" he once looked down upon?! Unable to mount any semblance of a counterattack!

What on earth is this suddenly appearing fleet?! Its range! Its precision! Its power! Completely beyond his comprehension! This is not human strength! It is… it is a demon! A devil from hell!

"Uuu… uuuu… ah——!"

Overwhelming fear and despair utterly destroyed Sato Kenichi's sanity. The cloth stuffed in his throat soaked with saliva and blood, he let out a beast‑like, anguished, incoherent howl! His body thrashed violently, trying to break free, but the searing pain from his shattered limbs left him only able to jerk uselessly.

Tears, snot, and blood mixed on his deformed face, streaming across. He muttered incoherently, at times Japanese "impossible", at times sobbing "devil", "hell", the whole man like a lunatic, utterly plunged into madness!

Yesterday he was still high and mighty, threatening to tie Lin Yu to the gun muzzle; today he could only be bound to a wheelchair like a dead dog, forced to watch his proud Imperial fleet be mercilessly destroyed by a power he could not comprehend!

This plunge from heaven to hell, this despair of watching his faith and pride be utterly crushed, is crueler than any physical torment!

Lin Yu turned his head, coldly glancing at Sato Kenichi, who was madly struggling and howling in the wheelchair, the corner of his mouth curling into a cruel arc.

This is what he wanted. He would make this Oriental devil pay for his earlier arrogance in the deepest despair and fear! And this was only the beginning.

On the sea, smoke hung thick, flames shot into the sky.

Merely a brief, even one‑sided initial skirmish, this Oriental detachment had already suffered a devastating blow.

Burning wreckage and oil slick floated on the sea; several capital ships had completely lost combat capability, either listing while engulfed in roaring flames or already beginning to sink slowly, leaving only desperate whirlpools.

The few light cruisers and destroyers that had not been directly hit were still afloat, but most were wounded. More importantly, after enduring that hellish barrage, the surviving Oriental sailors on the remaining vessels had been utterly terrified; their cherished bushido spirit, faced with an absolute technological gap and overwhelming firepower, was as fragile as paper.

"Retreat! Retreat quickly!"

"Turn! Get out of this damned sea area!"

On the surviving Oriental warships, chaotic orders shouted back and forth. The remaining captains could no longer bother with formations or honor; their sole thought was to flee this sea of death as fast as possible, to escape the ghost‑like, immensely powerful and precise "Phantom Fleet". A few swift destroyers had already begun accelerating heedlessly, trying to break free of the German fleet's fire coverage.

The "Iron Blood" battleship, main bridge.

"Report, Commander! The Oriental fleet has scattered and is attempting to escape!" the observer shouted.

Shen Chonghai calmly watched the radar screen where enemy ship dots grew sparse and chaotic, then issued a steady order: "Command the 'Bismarck' and 'Scharnhorst' to cease fire on powerless enemy ships to conserve ammunition. All cruiser and destroyer squadrons, deploy by company in a fan formation to pursue the fleeing foe! Ensure total annihilation, let none escape!"

Although the initial barrage's effect was astonishing, Shen Chonghai was not carried away by victory. He knew they had only broken the enemy; total annihilation still lay ahead. He swiftly adjusted the fleet's posture, shifting from concentrated fire to pursuit and encirclement, determined to bury this daring Oriental detachment in this sea. The preliminary victory was firmly in hand; next, it was to expand the gains and fulfill Marshal Lin's assignment.

On the open‑air command platform.

Lin Yu slowly lowered the binoculars in his hand.

On the distant sea, the panicked flight of the Oriental fleet and our fleet's composed pursuit formed a starkly contrasting picture. The sea breeze lifted the hair on his forehead; his face, no longer icy and indifferent, now showed a faint smile tinged with the satisfaction of having everything under control.

Although completely destroying this detachment would still take some time, the overall situation was settled. These aging Oriental warships, before the "Iron Blood" fleet, had no chance of turning the tables.

This is merely a beginning.

A beginning to demonstrate power to the entire Oriental Imperial Navy.

A beginning proclaiming that henceforth the Shen City waters belong to him, Lin Yu, to decide!

Lin Yu gazed deep into the distance at the black dots struggling in their death throes, as if he had already seen the near future when the Oriental Imperial Navy's main fleet would suffer an even heavier blow. With this powerful German fleet, the gateway to Shen City would become impregnable, and he would gain a much broader strategic space.