Chapter 896: Bitter Battle

Dark clouds filled the sky, and beneath them lay a sea thick with gun smoke. In the distance, flames kept rising; even standing here, one could hear the faint rumble of artillery fire from afar.

Xianghe released carrier aircraft wave after wave; the motion had become almost mechanical. She no longer knew how long she had stood here—was it one day or two?

Ever since the Sirens began their assault on the Sakura Empire, she had remained here, aiding the fleet ahead and providing air superiority.

Until, a hand slapped her shoulder.

"Xianghe sis, go rest a while; I'll take over here temporarily."

Hearing a familiar voice, Xianghe turned her head mechanically, her face somewhat worn as she looked toward Zuikaku behind her.

"How is it?"

Zuikaku shook her head. "No, Donghuang has fewer Awakened Shipgirls than we do, so the Sirens have taken note of that. They pretend to launch a major assault on Bohai Bay, firmly pinning down Donghuang's Awakened Shipgirls there, leaving them unable to lend support."

"Even if we try to detour, the sea surface is still dotted with large numbers of Siren fleets; a moment's inattention could lead to an ambush, so it will likely take a long time before reinforcements can arrive."

"What about the others? Qin Ge's fleet—could he also be under attack?" Xianghe said anxiously.

Zuikaku finally smiled. "No, at the previous meeting Qin Ge already said the Sirens are targeting us this time, not him."

"We had contacted him before; there was no Siren harassment on his side. According to the latest news, his fleet is already on its way, though it will likely take about two more days to arrive."

"Two days?" Xianghe turned to look at the battlefield. "I know two days is already quick, but given the current situation, can we really hold out for two days? This time the Sirens' mass-produced units, though fewer in number than before, plus their elite units, are absolutely stronger than last time."

"Even though we can hold for now, the newly appointed commanders below will suffer heavy casualties; after two days, how many of them will still be alive?"

"There's nothing we can do; we've already committed all our strength. Zhang Men led a force to Tuzu Bay, while Qinglong and Feilong went to another battlefield—we've done everything we can to resist." Zuikaku said helplessly.

"So Xianghe sis, hurry and rest; now is not the time to push ourselves. We top-tier forces must preserve our full combat power to be effective on the battlefield."

"I… I understand… then Zuikaku, you must hold the pressure here until I arrive, shoot down as many of their carrier aircraft as possible, and provide ample air‑fire support for our personnel." Xianghe said.

"I understand."

As Zuikaku spoke, a string of aircraft appeared on her deck; they took off instantly, scattering like heavenly maidens scattering flowers, flying off to various airspaces.

Seeing this, Xianghe recalled her carrier aircraft and turned toward the shore headquarters.

This is destined to be a difficult defensive battle; besides the Awakened Shipgirls, ordinary grand fleets are also rotating duties. Commanders and shipgirls cannot compare—they can only spend one day or half a day at sea before needing to rotate.

One is resupply, the other is to ease the tense mood.

This scene occurs not only in the Sakura Empire but also in the Sardinian Empire.

"How is it, Littorio?" Weineituo in Naples said into the communicator to Littorio.

"The situation remains dangerous, but somewhat better than at the start. The Iris forces in Algeria and the Vichy fleet's shipgirls and commanders have torn open a breach and landed on the island; with their support, we can now hold out a bit longer here." Littorio's image said.

"How about you?"

"I'm doing relatively well here; yesterday the Iron Blood support fleet arrived by plane at Iris, and now they're coming by train. Although they can't wipe out all the Siren fleets here, they can at least buy us some time." Weineituo said.

"And how about Rome?" Littorio asked.

"Her situation is the same as yours; she can also hold out for a while." Weineituo replied.

"So our only hope now is to wait for Qin Ge's fleet to come rescue us?" Littorio asked.

"Yes, I previously contacted Qin Ge's harbor district; they said the rescue fleet has already departed and should arrive in about a week." Weineituo said.

"A week, that's surprisingly fast?" Littorio said, somewhat surprised. "Although I'm grateful for their support, a week is too short—they'd have to cross the Atlantic and Pacific to get here, and still have to tear through the blocking Siren fleets; no matter how you look at it, a week isn't enough."

"No, Littorio, you're wrong; the route from Guam to the Mediterranean isn't like that." Weineituo said.

"Could they be crossing the Indian Ocean, coming from the Red Sea?" Littorio realized instantly, surprised.

"Exactly, according to the description from Qin Ge's harbor district shipgirls, that is the route they have chosen." Weineituo said.

"This route isn't easy; it's dotted with many Siren fleets." Littorio said. "Even if their shipgirls are strong, passing through would still require several extra days."

"Actually, I mentioned this problem too; the reply was to just wait patiently. It seems they've made preparations, though no specifics were given—just that this time the accompanying shipgirls include the 'Yujin'." Weineituo said.

"Yujin? That makes sense; after all, they're immensely powerful—their battle in the Atlantic left a deep impression on me." Littorio said.

"So you must hold firm; once they enter the Mediterranean, our pressure will greatly ease." Weineituo said.

"Hmm, and it looks like we must start building the public harbor district; Qin Ge is right—future battles won't be something we can just prove we can withstand; we need united, cooperative strength." Littorio said.

"Indeed, but these matters should wait until this is settled; afterward I'll see if I can discuss with Qin Ge about stationing a shipgirl detachment in our waters." Weineituo said.

"This matter is of great importance; we can only discuss it later. A new wave of attack is coming again—I'm cutting the link now." Littorio said abruptly.

"Hmm, I think I'll be done here soon too; let's hold out together."

"Hmm."