Chapter 195: The Challenge Match Begins

Qin Ge looked at Anshan, which was full of spectators, and then said to Li Chenming and the other two, "In the past, during many drills with you, I always kept Guanghui out of action, or had others hold back, but this time I won't let them hold back."

After all, you appear before me with the posture of challengers; if I continued to hold back, it would seem disrespectful to you.

So, prepare yourselves mentally; this time I will go all out.

"Alright, then please, Commander, bring it on!" Chen Bo Jun and the others said to Qin Ge.

"Oh!!" A loud roar erupted from the crowd below, after all, we've seen performance matches before, and they tend to be more about show.

But as a commander, I still prefer to watch such genuine, real combat.

"Hehe, it looks like both sides have finished their discussion; next, we'll ask the participants to gather their shipgirls and prepare to head out to the exercise area." Anshan nearby said timely.

Qin Ge and Li Chenming and the three others exchanged smiles, then each walked down from the two ends of the stage and went to the nearby pier.

"Commander, are you really planning to use all our strength against them this time? Normally, even when those five team up, they're no match for us; if we do this now, wouldn't we be bullying them too much?" Banrenma said to Qin Ge.

"Normally, when we train together, we naturally hold back when needed. But this time it's not a drill; they are coming as challengers to challenge us."

"Therefore, as the challenged party, we should respond with our full strength; that is their honor. If we held back, it would be disrespect to their challenge." Qin Ge looked at the three fiercely discussing in the distance and their shipgirls and said.

"The Commander is right." Prince Eugen nodded and said, "Usually it's a training ground, anything goes. Now it's a competition field, under everyone's watch, so it's about honor, about belief."

"In response to their challenge, we should react fervently; that's what we ought to do."

"Yes, since they've prepared as challengers, they surely know what they're facing. The empire's radiance has shone forth; I, Vittorio Veneto, will make them learn what imperial dignity is." Weineituo smiled and said.

Qin Ge looked at the few people full of fighting spirit, smiled and said, "Then let's use our newly researched offensive tactic, with our strongest strength, so everyone realizes their gap, and then continue forward."

"Yes!" The girls nodded, then in Qin Ge's sight, they put on their communication devices, deployed their ship equipment, leapt into the sea, and rushed at high speed toward the standby area in the exercise zone.

Meanwhile, the shipgirls of Li Chenming and the others also leapt onto the sea surface, swiftly paddling toward the distant standby area.

After both sides entered the standby area, Taiyuan, the referee for this match, said via the communication device, "If both sides are ready, please report."

"We are ready." Guanghui's voice came through the communication device.

"We are also ready." The voice of Nevada from the other side also came through the communication device.

"Alright, both sides are ready; then this challenge match begins!"

With Taiyuan's voice, both sides began to act.

Qin Ge's side's vanguard fleet and battleships began to advance forward, while Guanghui and Banrenma stayed in place, simultaneously launching six and four sorties of carrier-based fighter aircraft.

Moreover, Guanghui and Banrenma are both aircraft carriers vying for air superiority; their carried aircraft are mainly fighters, with torpedo bombers as secondary.

Therefore, at the start of battle, seizing air supremacy with full effort became their primary duty.

In an instant, ten fighter jets screamed overhead, swiftly swooping toward the opposing formation, scouting the enemy's disposition while also seizing air superiority.

Meanwhile, Hu Feng's carrier-based aircraft also took off at the same time; however, compared to Guanghui and Banrenma launching ten fighters at once, Hu Feng's single sortie seemed rather inadequate.

She launched four aircraft in one sortie, but among these four were two fighters, one bomber, and one torpedo bomber.

Only those two fighters could contest air supremacy, while the opposing Qin Ge side possessed ten fighters.

Soon, the carrier aircraft groups of both sides had met.

"Pa-pa-pa," in no time the fighters spat flames, and all the aircraft from both sides engaged in combat together.

However, from the start the outcome was already decided; Banrenma's and Guanghui's fighters quickly shot down the four carrier aircraft launched by Hu Feng.

Passing over the fireballs from the exploding four carrier aircraft, the ten carrier aircraft swiftly flew over the headquarters of the United Fleet; at that moment, the enemy's formation and positions were fully known to a few.

Within the United Fleet, seeing the aircraft dancing overhead, Atlanta and the others quickly raised their anti-aircraft guns, returning fire at the planes in the sky.

However, due to the gap in training and equipment, Atlanta, as an anti-aircraft specialized ship, found it somewhat strained.

Because she realized she could only inflict some damage on these carrier aircraft, but it was far from enough to shoot them down.

Moreover, these carrier aircraft occasionally dropped an aerial bomb into their formation, forcing their positions to change only in accordance with the enemy's will.

At this moment, Hai Lun Na's voice came over the communicator: "SG, lock onto enemy position!"

"Bearing 213, distance 21 kilometers, lock onto the enemy battleship!"

After hearing Hai Lun Na's report from the communicator, Weineituo chuckled, "All hands, attention, turn the turrets."

Immediately, Biyu and Luodenni each turned their turrets to aim at the direction Hai Lun Na indicated. Weineituo also drew his side sword and adjusted the turrets to that direction.

"Imperial Fleet flagship, Vittorio Veneto, weigh anchor!" Weineituo said, swinging his sword down sharply.

Three battleships fired simultaneously, the tremendous roar shaking the entire exercise field.

Numerous practice shells trailed red light, drawing an arc trajectory, accurately striking Nevada.

Nevada looked at its body covered in red paint, couldn't help but gaze toward the direction the shells came from, then helplessly said, "A full salvo from three battleships, plus radar scanning for targeting—you really think highly of me."

But having said that, the exercise rules still must be obeyed. Thus Nevada turned directly and was the first to glide toward the shore.