39: Chapter 39 Storm

As Olena rushed out of the cruiser with Finn on her back, the rain seemed to intensify. Li Ming's fleet turned on all their lights to identify each other on the dim sea; meanwhile, relying on the codebook she had provided, they began using light signals to communicate with their own Destroyers.

She could see the Destroyers dispersing on their own, preparing to evade, but...

She glanced back and saw the cruiser Li Ming was on heading straight for the cruise ship, while the other three cruisers in the distance were also closing in on it.

Finn turned his head to observe, but he didn't have the powerful vision of a Ship Girl. "Olena! What's the situation?"

"All of Commander Lin's cruisers are closing in on the cruise ship, Commander!"

The sound of the rain was deafening; even though they were close together, they had to shout to be heard.

"Closing in on the cruise ship..." Finn thought for a moment. "Olena, take me back to the Destroyer immediately, then go to the cruise ship and follow Lin's command!"

"Yes! Commander!" Olena acted immediately.

"Damn, that guy Lin... is he risking his life just to save civilians?" Rain lashed against Finn's face. "Well, that's more like a true warrior..."

——————

"Z23, help me tie the stern cable to the bow of the ship opposite!" Li Ming hadn't put on his military cap, opting for a steel helmet instead. "Next, you'll be responsible for guiding the ships to evade, but remember to leave immediately if things become impossible!"

"Understood, Commander! Please stay safe as well!" Z23 saluted him—it was the first time, the first time in his life, and not just a virtual one in a game.

Li Ming snapped back to his senses and returned the salute, mimicking the movements of the soldiers in his memories.

Then Z23 rushed out and jumped off the ship, her silhouette briefly lost in the storm before she turned on her lights, flickering in the downpour.

Li Ming fell silent for a moment, feeling a pang of heartache. It was because of his orders that she had to rush into a rescue mission right after finishing a battle and negotiations.

He felt his breathing become slightly labored. He took a sip from an enamel cup and placed it back on the shelf. Then, Li Ming leaned against the railing and opened the rain-blurred window, letting the gale hit him directly—only this way could he give commands accurately.

With one hand clutching his chest, he seemed to see Finn and Olena had returned to the other side, and the opposite side had also turned on their floodlights to begin evading.

Strange, why does my chest hurt so much today?

On the other side, Z23 rushed toward the cruise ship with a winch, leaped onto the deck, and then, amidst the stunned expressions of the crew, threw the winch to them and pointed toward the cruiser.

Driven by survival instinct, the crew acted immediately.

Z23 jumped off the ship and took a long look back.

The other three cruisers were still approaching. If all went as expected, Li Ming intended to form a Single-line formation to avoid collisions. Although stretching the line carried risks, it seemed to be the only option for now.

"Miss Z23!"

She saw Olena approaching. "Miss Olena!"

"The Commander sent me to help! What do you need me to do?"

"Guide the other ships to safety!"

"Why not use the radio?!"

"Because the Waterspouts are jamming the radio! If you're going to help, move now!" Z23 gave her a push and then rushed off.

By the way, judging by her rigging, she must be a heavy cruiser, right?

Without overthinking it, Z23 chose to trust Li Ming and went to assist the other Destroyers.

——————

"Still no contact with the Commander?"

"No..." Ayanami's expression was solemn as she pulled her blade from the wreckage of a Lead II. Her red eyes seemed tinged with a bloody hue, betraying her unease.

Fujian looked at the surrounding wreckage, confirming nothing was still moving, then checked on Laffey and Javelin who were heading back. "Close in on the location where the fleet's signal disappeared immediately!"

"Understood..."

From an angle Ayanami couldn't see, Fujian's hand gripped the riser of her bow tightly.

Javelin struggled to pull out the last arrow fired by Fujian—this arrow had just pierced straight through the main armor belt of a 'Rook' battleship, opening a huge hole on the other side and destroying the Pawn II behind it.

She looked up at Fujian. In her memory, Fujian usually wore a confident and gentle, calm expression, or looked flustered when their Commander teased her, but now...

She had no expression; her expression was simply void of emotion.

——————

Two hours later.

With the efforts of the four cruisers, the cruise ship finally managed to pass through the most dangerous area. However, the crisis was not yet over; after all, the formation of multiple Waterspouts meant...

More could continue to form. It was an extreme weather phenomenon, and the probability was now rising rapidly.

She and Olena regrouped.

"How is it on your end?"

"It's okay, the Destroyers have all evaded! The problem now lies here..." Olena looked at the Single-line formation of the cruise ship and cruisers. "If another Waterspout forms, even by accident, this entire line could be finished!"

"Boom! Bang bang bang! Rat-tat-tat..."

The four cruisers suddenly began firing in all directions—main guns, secondary guns, anti-aircraft guns...

Under the cover of the rain, Li Ming ordered the Yellow Chickens to return to their gun stations and fire at the surrounding Waterspouts. Simultaneously, the two cruisers at the very front detached from the tow and began changing course.

Upon noticing the sounds of gunfire, the three Federation Destroyers nearby took the initiative to open fire. Meanwhile, the Destroyers on Li Ming's side remained silent as they hadn't received orders.

Seeing this, Z23 took out her flare gun and fired a blue flare into the sky.

—Follow command!

Then a green flare.

—Fire at will!

Turning back, she saw Li Ming rush out. Braving the heavy rain and the rocking deck, he struggled to throw down the towline from his side. Finally, the four cruisers dispersed into a defensive formation around the cruise ship.

Olena instinctively caught the falling rope; she felt she had to do this at this moment.

The surrounding dispersed Destroyers began firing. Although Li Ming's order was for the 'Destroyers to evacuate,' the Federation Destroyer squad still prowled the perimeter like wild bulls.

Olena pulled the ship, following the direction guided by the cruisers, while Z23 left the group once again to guide the other Destroyers.

Every nightmare has an end. After narrowly avoiding the next Waterspout and breaking apart another, the surroundings finally quieted down a bit...

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