Ch.600Storm Battle. (1)

By the time I finished analyzing the terrain, I wondered if the other side had also completed their assessment and formed a strategy.

(Combat Preparation Complete: 1/2)

Seeing the “Preparation Complete” button flashing prominently on the combat preparation screen, I decided to press it and commit to the full-scale battle.

After a 5-second countdown, the real battle finally began…

-KUUUUUUU……!

-KUGUGUGUGUGU!

“Oh… getting hit by that would be fatal, right?”

“Anything below a medium cruiser would be sunk in one hit.”

As massive continental lightning flashed like opening salvos right from the start, I immediately began deploying my fleets according to plan.

“Send the Lemings Assault Force, Mecharschetentakel Assault Force, and part of the Avalonia Security Fleet to the upper area.”

-“Yes, Commander.”

“The remaining ships should form up and advance slowly, and hmm… Austria?”

-“What is it, Commander?”

“Leave all medium cruisers with the main force, and take all battleship-class and above vessels to move to the lower area.”

-“The lower area… sir?”

Austria perked up her white puppy ears atop her head, seemingly unable to understand my instructions.

“Are you concerned about the limited visibility due to the ion currents down there?”

-“Yes, communication would still work, but… couldn’t we end up attacking the wrong targets?”

“Don’t worry about that. Just stay in the lower area, and when I give the signal, adjust your firing angle 45 degrees upward from the front and fire a full volley.”

-“Ah, I understand.”

Perhaps excited about playing a surprise attack role unlike her usual duties, Austria’s face appeared more animated than usual. She promptly ended the communication and began moving her fleet toward the lower area as instructed.

Given the nature of the terrain, the map itself wasn’t particularly “vast” in size.

“Pierant, can you hear me?”

-“I hear you clearly, Commander.”

“Form the carrier aircraft into squadrons of 100 each and launch them one squadron at a time.”

-“Should we use the launched aircraft as reconnaissance units?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I need.”

-“Understood. Relay to the light carrier division! Launch reconnaissance squadrons immediately!”

I began searching for the enemy’s main force, employing aerial reconnaissance that I normally wouldn’t use due to the overwhelming range and speed of our ships.

However, I was deeply concerned about how to respond when encountering the fleet of my opponent, “Rio Grande.”

“Rio Grande, Rio Grande… he was definitely the clan leader of Humanity’s allied clan, right?”

“Yes, and it’s quite a massive clan that received a Level 9 stronghold for their contributions during the Revolutionary War.”

“Hmmmm.”

This was concerning because Rio Grande wasn’t just the leader of some common mid-sized clan.

He led the “Mexican” clan, which wasn’t even a subsidiary but an “ally” of Humanity…

Which meant there was a “very, very, very, veeeery” high probability that Rio Grande, like me, had brought a “Level 9 stronghold mercenary corps.”

And I’d be lucky if he only brought Level 9.

—————————————–

Title: I’m planning to join the Mexican clan, what’s it like?

Author: Anonymous

Content: [Image of a shrugging toad]

A friend invited me to join their clan, but since I moved from the Pirate Union to Humanity, I don’t know what kind of place it is.

No joke, I really don’t know.

Help with explanation!

Comments:

-[Mexican is a really good place]

-[They’ve been an ally since Humanity had fewer than 10,000 members, so they’re considered one of the founding contributors in the current situation]

-˪[Ohh](Author)

-˪[So if you really got in through connections, it wouldn’t hurt to kiss up to the person who got you in]

-˪[What](Author)

-[Hey above commenter, you idiot, how can you make that joke without knowing better?]

-[Mexican is good, they not only have the Level 9 stronghold they received from Humanity, but also their original Level 8 stronghold]

-˪[Don’t they also have two Level 7 strongholds?]

-˪[One is a gateway stronghold that they traded for five Level 5 strongholds with another clan]

-˪[Hmm]

—————————————–

‘This won’t be easy.’

Indeed.

If Rio Grande decided to bring stronghold mercenaries, he could mobilize not only a Level 9 stronghold mercenary corps equal to the Alcazar Defense Fleet, but also Level 8, Level 7, and other stronghold mercenaries of at least Level 5.

If he brought all those forces?

My fleet, with one Level 9, one Level 7, and three Level 5 strongholds, might for the first time in this event be outmatched in terms of “fleet points”…

Whether I liked it or not, I couldn’t help but worry while internally wailing.

“Damn, I should have properly watched other people’s battle footage.”

“Regret always comes too late, Commander.”

“Urrrgh.”

==========

But Icarus wasn’t the only one having such thoughts.

“Damn it, why did it have to be Icarus?”

“He’s an extremely dangerous opponent, Commander.”

Like Icarus, Rio Grande had brought a Level 9 stronghold mercenary corps, but with a more conscientious fleet centered around only one Super Dreadnought—the “Bismarck-class” (SSS-rank) he had obtained during the 4th anniversary.

Rio Grande, a top-tier ranker at 8th place in the clan rankings, was also deeply concerned about facing Icarus’s fleet.

Of course, Rio Grande wasn’t a fool, and while conducting his reconnaissance, he had watched Icarus’s battle broadcasts through the gallery, so he had a rough understanding of what forces he was up against…

The problem was that only Icarus himself knew he couldn’t use the “Unlimited Mercenary Corps.”

“Even if I mobilized Level 9 and Level 8 stronghold mercenary corps, I don’t think we can win.”

“Indeed, if the Unlimited Mercenary Corps has been deployed, even if only 10% survive in this terrain, it would still be a force we couldn’t handle.”

“That’s not the only problem, Commander.”

“What else is there?”

“If he didn’t use the Unlimited Mercenary Corps, couldn’t he deploy the Leviathan Division instead?”

“…No way, or wait, could he?”

Due to system restrictions preventing the deployment of the Unlimited Mercenary Corps that couldn’t be used anyway, or the Leviathan Division that had become a “strategic weapon” too powerful to use casually—forces that absolutely couldn’t be present in this situation—Rio Grande had many concerns.

Of course, having concerns didn’t mean Rio Grande was taking a passive approach to the battle.

“Penny (Rio Grande’s adjutant), how many reconnaissance squadrons have we sent out?”

“Currently, we’ve sent out 10 squadrons each from the two aircraft carriers, including the Laflesia I-class you brought, and all aircraft from one light carrier.”

“Send out about 5 more reconnaissance squadrons from the regular carriers, and send the mercenary corps to the upper area.”

“…Wouldn’t that weaken our main force’s anti-air defense?”

“If the Unlimited Mercenary Corps or Leviathan Division hits us head-on, we’re finished anyway. So we need to find Icarus’s main force first.”

Can’t win in a direct confrontation against the Leviathan Division and Unlimited Mercenary Corps?

Then we’ll have to outflank them and crush their main force and the rest!

With this basic strategy in mind, Rio Grande expressed his determination to smash Icarus’s main force even if it meant sacrificing his flagship Bismarck-class.

Though it was rather embarrassing to say this after trembling with fear earlier:

“But Commander, if you take such risks, how do you plan to deal with the Unlimited Mercenary Corps or Leviathan Division?”

“…Actually, both of those are just our assumptions. We haven’t actually seen them, have we?”

“That’s true.”

“So while we send out large-scale reconnaissance squadrons to find Icarus’s main force, shouldn’t we also check if these two threats actually exist?”

“You’re absolutely right, Commander.”

The rational thought that it was strange to keep fearing something they weren’t even sure existed jumped to mind.

With that, Rio Grande steeled himself and resolved to do his best to crush Icarus, the shining 3rd place in the individual rankings.