Chapter 673: How Could This Be?

All hands, attention: stop advancing, form up defensive formation, everyone scatter.

After receiving that signal from Enterprise, Xin ze xi promptly issued the order.

All the shipgirls present had been waiting for this moment, so when Xin ze xi's order came, they immediately acted.

Everyone quickly dispersed to ensure their maximum firing range, widening the distance between comrades so as not to let incoming shells accidentally hit allies, and remained on guard, watching the sea ahead.

Sure enough, not long after, the figures of Enterprise and the others appeared in everyone's sight, and at the same time they saw the shipgirls.

"The survey team will return to the formation immediately; all units assume a defensive stance, and if the enemy enters range, all units will open fire at will."

Xin ze xi's order appeared in the communicators of Enterprise and all the shipgirls; because the distance was relatively close, the communicators suffered little interference.

At this moment, Qin Ge, inside the command ship, felt anxious, for Hai Lun Na had just told him that if they did not concentrate their fire, freely opening fire would likely allow Siteliankusi to block all the attacks, rendering the assault ineffective.

However, just as he was about to pick up the communicator and tell this to all the shipgirls, Hai Lun Na stopped him.

"Why? Didn't you tell me how to defeat Siteliankusi?" Qin Ge asked doubtfully, "Why won't you let me tell them now?"

"Using such an offensive now will only make Siteliankusi instantly enraged and swiftly crush you, leaving you unable to hold out until reinforcements arrive."

"Therefore, the safe approach is to temporarily let Siteliankusi think you don't know how to defeat her; in this way she can toy with you like a cat with a mouse, buying more time to wait for reinforcements." Hai Lun Na said, looking at Qin Ge.

This remark left Qin Ge stunned, and he subsequently released his grip on the communicator.

"You're right, but what if Siteliankusi comes out swinging with full force and tries to annihilate our fleet?" Qin Ge countered.

"Hehe, you're only fighting Siteliankusi for the first time now, but we've been battling her for quite a while."

"We know her personality and abilities inside out, so you can only trust us—there is no other choice." Hai Lun Na said with a smile.

Qin Ge gasped, "Alright, I believe you."

After saying that, Qin Ge began standing in the command ship, raising his binoculars to look into the distance, awaiting the arrival of this great battle.

As soon as Enterprise and the others returned to the formation, the silhouette of Siteliankusi appeared on the distant horizon.

Her dark skin and massive ship equipment looked especially oppressive; as she drew nearer, the vanguard shipgirls' perception of gravity grew ever clearer.

"Everyone be careful; the reason this sea area has become a gravity anomaly is largely due to her. If another Hai Lun Na hasn't deceived us, she is the eighth Arbiter, representing power, code-named Siteliankusi."

"Her ability is gravity control; it not only alters the trajectory of our shells but can also deflect all shells fired at her using a gravity field."

"She is a very troublesome enemy, so everyone must be cautious when fighting her."

Enterprise's voice sounded over the communicator, and all the shipgirls present recalled the other Arbiter they had encountered at the Siren outpost.

"That Arbiter also had the ability to destroy shells fired at her, but that Arbiter seemed to use a cyan flame, whereas this Arbiter definitely employs a gravity field."

"Understood."

Nobody would be careless in such a situation, nor would anyone dare to be careless facing such an Arbiter; everyone focused intently, waiting for the moment the Arbiter entered their firing range.

"Boom!"

As Siteliankusi approached, someone finally fired the first shot.

Accompanying this gunfire, countless ship guns, torpedoes, and carrier aircraft launched their attacks.

Only see the shells trailing dazzling light, like scattered starlight, smashing toward Siteliankusi.

Then a shocking scene unfolded: Siteliankusi simply stopped in place, raised her blue great hand, and all the shells fired at her trailed light, spreading outward to both sides before falling into the surrounding sea, exploding into towering water columns.

At that moment, whether it was all the shipgirls or Qin Ge far away in the command ship, they were all stunned by this sight.

"How is this possible?" Qin Ge exclaimed.

He had thought that even if the Arbiters were extremely powerful, they had limits, but when absolute power appeared, he finally realized what true power truly is.

"Are you shocked?" Hai Lun Na said standing beside him, "Siteliankusi is not the strongest among the Arbiters; her strength lies solely in her gravity control. As far as I know, there are at least several Arbiters stronger than her."

Qin Ge turned his head to look at Hai Lun Na, "So you normally fight monsters like this?"

"Of course not often." Hai Lun Na shook her head, "The Arbiter Agency was established to stop us from destroying the test field and to monitor and oppose us."

"Occasionally running into one is no big deal; basically we can easily avoid it, after all nobody wants to engage in pointless war with such things."

"But if we encounter two or more Arbiters, unless a fleet is present, basically nobody dares to provoke them directly."

"For the Arbiters, one plus one is absolutely greater than two. Each of them masters a special ability, and when they act together their abilities complement each other. Qin Ge Commander, you should know what that means, right?"

"So your goal isn't to directly battle the Arbiters, but to destroy each experimental field of the Experimental Agency—why is that?" Qin Ge wondered.

"Because they have opened up timeline after timeline for their experiments, seeking the traces of the Awakened in each, but the result is the destruction of one timeline after another, giving rise to vessels like us."

"To thwart their plans and to be able to set things right again, this is why we destroy the test fields." Hai Lun Na said.

"You mentioned Awakening, right? What relation does your so-called Awakening have to the Awakening in this world?" Qin Ge asked.

"There is some relation, but it's not significant." Hai Lun Na gazed at the distant battlefield, saying, "However, I think Qin Ge Commander's focus should be placed there; after all, we can discuss this later, but missing such a great battle would truly be a loss."

After Hai Lun Na finished speaking, Qin Ge immediately felt a bit embarrassed as he redirected his gaze back to the battlefield……