Even the Cleveland-class sea knights, known for their terrifying anti-air capabilities, were not the top-tier anti-air shipgirls in the Eagle Union.
That seemingly airheaded idol, San Diego, was actually the true anti-air powerhouse of the Eagle Union.
But the current crisis was far from over. Besides using carrier-based aircraft, the Sirens could still attack with their main guns.
Shells from large-caliber guns came raining down in arcing trajectories, landing around the shipgirls and splashing massive waves.
However, Lin Lan and the others were still a considerable distance away from the Siren fleet.
Even with the long-range firepower of the Type III Siren battleships, thanks to the superb maneuverability of the sea knights and the Benson-class chibis, landing a hit was practically impossible.
Soon, with Cleveland's main guns opening fire on the pursuing Explorer Type III, the real battle officially began.
"Commander, Laffey will protect you, even if she has to turn into a demon again—it doesn't matter."
As the blasts and explosions echoed over the sea, Lin Lan heard the soft, sticky voice of the little chibi beside him.
Looking down, he saw the white-haired, twin-tailed Laffey. Her usually dark red eyes were now glowing with a bright crimson hue.
But hearing her words made Lin Lan's heart ache. He crouched down and pulled the tiny Laffey into a tight embrace.
"Laffey, don't worry. Everyone will return safely. I promise you."
Lin Lan wasn't exactly a military enthusiast, but he had studied the past of his shipgirls quite a bit.
Laffey, one of the protagonist shipgirls from the game's "Big Four," often looked lethargic and half-asleep.
But anyone who thought she was just a fragile little chibi was dead wrong. She was a fearless warrior of the sea.
In Blue Star's history, Laffey had taken part in the brutal Battle of Guadalcanal, also known as the Third Battle of the Solomon Sea, fighting as a vanguard during that chaotic night battle.
In that chaotic melee, she encountered the Sakura Empire's flagship that night—the battleship Hiei—and the Empire's main fleet.
Instead of retreating, she charged through the intense crossfire like a demon possessed, closing the distance to within mere meters of Hiei and launching a suicidal barrage that heavily damaged the battleship.
That battle is where Laffey's shipgirl skill, "Wargod of Solomon" came from—an ability that drastically boosts her combat attributes for a short time.
But Lin Lan didn't want to hear her talk about becoming a demon.
Because that night, after severely damaging Hiei, Laffey was hit by deadly shellfire and torpedoes, and was sunk in action—forever resting on the seafloor near Guadalcanal, never returning home.
Lin Lan would never allow any of his shipgirls to face such despair again.
"The situation is still in our favor. Only the Type III Explorers and Trackers can keep up with us. It's not time for Laffey to go all out yet."
Feeling the warmth of the chibi in his arms, Lin Lan whispered into Laffey's fluffy white ear. South Dakota also spoke up sternly:
"The Commander is right. The Explorers and Trackers Type III alone are no match for the sea knights."
"Mm. Laffey believes in the Commander."
After letting go of Laffey, Lin Lan stood up and looked at the battle unfolding behind them.
It was nighttime, but with the moonlight and starlight above, visibility wasn't too bad.
However, as time passed, Lin Lan began to feel something was off.
Back in Yunhai City, when the Type III Siren fleet attacked, their firepower rained down like it cost nothing.
Whether they could hit or not, they would at least attempt a full saturation barrage.
But now, the number of splashes from shells falling around Cleveland and the others was surprisingly low.
Aside from the main gun and barrage attacks from the Explorer and Tracker Type III, the mass-produced Siren battleships behind them were practically silent.
Even the second wave of carrier aircraft hadn't shown up again, and Independent and Intrepid even had time to send aircraft to support Cleveland and her group.
"Something's not right. What are the Sirens waiting for?"
The more Lin Lan thought, the more uneasy he felt. At that moment, Hobart, who had been sent ahead for submarine reconnaissance, reported back through the communicator:
"Commander! No sign of Siren subs up ahead yet… Wait, what's that? Why is it getting foggy?"
"Sea fog? Sea fog… Oh no!"
When Lin Lan heard Hobart mention fog, he was stunned at first, but then he suddenly made the connection, and his heart skipped a beat.
Micro-layered composite!
Damn it, how could he have overlooked that?
No wonder the Arbiter leading the Siren fleet was just trailing them slowly without opening fire—it was because the micro-layered composite had already sealed off their path!
"Commander, my aircraft didn't detect any micro-layered composites in the air, so I thought…"
Because the communication channel was open to everyone, Independent, hearing Lin Lan's voice, apologized with deep guilt.
"It's not your fault, Independent. The Sirens must have modified the micro-layered composite after arriving in this world. It can probably only be seen with the naked eye."
While reassuring Independent, Lin Lan led Laffey and South Dakota to the bow of the mass-produced destroyer.
Sure enough, in the far distance ahead, he could faintly see a layer of grayish-white distortion.
"Commander, bad news! Hobart's sensors picked up a ton of idle Siren signals inside the micro-layered composite. We can't go any farther in that direction!"
Hearing the chibi's urgent report, cold sweat beaded on Lin Lan's forehead, and his brows knitted tightly.
He should've expected that the Arbiter's arrival would be accompanied by the micro-layered composite.
Now the path ahead was blocked, and the Arbiter was chasing them from behind. What could they possibly do?
Lin Lan's mind raced for a solution. But in such an overwhelming power imbalance, what could he, a mere commander, do to break through?
Unless…
Suddenly, Lin Lan's eyes lit up.
Unless he wasn't just a commander!
He was also the Hero of Liaozhou in this other world!
At this point, Lin Lan had no choice but to pin all his hopes on the Hero's abilities—maybe one of them could save the day.
He immediately shut his eyes and began scanning the Hero's skill list, which he hadn't opened in ages.
"Skip anything for direct combat…"
"Skip anything for body enhancement…"
Seconds ticked by, and the mass-produced destroyer was drawing closer and closer to the micro-layered composite.
South Dakota's expression grew more serious as she began warming up.
As a battleship shipgirl, she hadn't made a move yet, but had been closely observing the situation.
Intrepid, Cleveland, and the others were still holding steady, but once they reached the fog-shrouded micro-layered composite, the hidden Siren fleet could instantly turn the tide.
Meanwhile, Laffey was holding Lin Lan's hand tightly.
The white-haired chibi with rabbit-ear headband looked at the commander, whose eyes were tightly shut in thought, and memories flashed through her mind.
The commander had bought her many outfits, making her the envy of many shipgirls at the port.
He would often pat her head, never disturb her naps, and even allowed her, as his secretary ship, to sleep soundly in his presence while watching her with gentle eyes.
Even after learning that she had once been destroyed in battle, the commander never despised her—on the contrary, he only grew more affectionate and protective.
After the commander disappeared, she would always dream of his back, only to wake up alone with her pillow soaked in tears.
Until yesterday, when she finally saw the commander she had longed for— the one who had personally placed a promise ring on her finger.
And now… she had finally fulfilled the most important promise.
It felt like there were no more regrets.
As the sound of cannon fire snapped Laffey out of her thoughts, the red glow in her eyes returned.
"Commander, this time, Laffey will definitely protect you."
Just as Laffey softly muttered and was about to jump into the sea to deploy her rigging and charge into the micro-layered composite—
Lin Lan finally opened his eyes, joy spreading across his face.
"I found it! I found a way out! Who knew a Hero could have such a cheating skill!"
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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