âSo, those are Japanâs warships⌠they almost look like castles.â Sword King Shihan uttered to himself, unintentionally voicing his inner thoughts. âHow ludicrous, even considering the information we received before from Gahara, for a metal ship this big to floatâŚâ
Knight-Captain Magreb agreed, âIâve been to the Papaldia Empire numerous times, and Iâve never seen any ships as large as these ones.â
Floating before them were the eight ships from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forceâs escort flotilla.
âMy king, Japanâs ships should begin attacking our decommissioned ships any minute now.â
At the Sword Kingâs personal request, Japanâs Ministry of Foreign Affairs had begged, âWe want to show our strength to them.â This was the JSDFâs answer. In addition to the escort flotilla, Fennâs four decommissioned ships were also there, set adrift to be targets. They were about 2 km away from the escort flotilla. Sword King Shihan was watching the exercise through a telescope. The attack would be executed by a kind of boat called a âguided missile destroyer,â it seemed.
He saw smoke rise from the Japanese ship, then he heard the booms a moment later. BOOM⌠BOOM⌠BOOM⌠BOOM⌠Four shots. Immediately afterwards, the target ships were rocked by fierce explosions, and spray and debris shot up into the air. All four targets had been blown up and sunk.
ââŚâŚ This⌠Iâm speechless⌠How puissantâŚâ
The Sword Kingâs staff who formed the backbone of the Kingdom of Fenn could only stare in amazement at the power that completely upended their previously-held concepts of war. One ship easily sank four other ships. Furthermore, it fired that many shots in a row, with no lag. Even in the superpower Papaldia, it was likely that no one could determine how this was possible.
âAs soon as possible, resume negotiations regarding diplomatic relations with Japan. A non-aggression treaty goes without saying, but, if possible, a security treaty as well,â declared the Sword King, smiling.
The guided missile destroyer Myoukou noticed something on its radar: numerous flying objects coming from the west. Their speed was about 350 km/h, and there were twenty of them in close formation. They informed command.
âThereâs a country west of here, right? The Papaldia Empire?â
âWere they invited to Fennâs Military Festival?â
âI think they were, but⌠let me check, just in case.â\nThe flying objects arrived in the air above the Kingdom of Fenn, but the Myoukou had still not received a reply.
The twenty wyvern lords belonging to the Papaldia Empireâs imperial oversight army had come to Amanoki, the capital city of the Kingdom of Fenn, to conduct a punitive strike. There were military officers from many different countries outside the civilized area at the Military Festival. In order to demonstrate what happens to a country that dares to defy the empire, they purposely chose to attack during the festival in front of all these officers. This would engrave the power of the empire in the minds of all those countries. It would also serve as an example of the damage that could result from provoking the empire, or even just associating with a country that had done so.
There were also three of Gaharaâs wind dragons flying over the capital. When the wind dragons looked over, the wyvern lords, like mild-mannered teenagers being glared at by gangsters, meekly looked away.
âIgnore Gaharaâs people. Fennâs palace and, letâs see⌠that white ship down there, attack those targets!â
The wyvern lords scattered.
?! A squadron of dragons called wyverns flew in from the west. They split into two groups, and one dived sharply towards Fennâs palace.
âIs this some kind of demonstration?!â
While everyone was wondering what was happening, the diving dragons opened their mouths and began forming fireballs.
Moments later, the ten wyverns shot their fireballs at the top floor, lighting the wooden palace on fire.
â!!!!!! The other ten wyverns are diving at patrol ship Inasa!!!â someone screamed on the bridge of the Myoukou.
The ten wyvern lords from Papaldiaâs oversight army, heading straight for the motionless Japan Coast Guard patrol ship Inasa 500 meters below them, spit out ten more fire blasts.\nPatrol Ship Inasa
The patrol ship Inasa turned on its engines and watched the skies. The SDF had notified them of multiple incoming bogeys, but they were given no other information.
âThe bogeys have fired on us!â
âEngines full speed ahead, evasive maneuvers!!!â
With its engines roaring, the Inasa quickly accelerated. It avoided the shower of fire blasts one after another. In its wake, the fire blasts hit the ocean.
âTch! Weâve been hit! Fire astern!!! Put out that fire, engines stay at full speed! Keep watch on the skies!â
âWhat?! They were able to dodge almost all the fire blasts?!â
The ten wyvern lords had pulled up from their dive and were flying horizontally now. Even though they were so close their attacks should have been unavoidable, the riders were all stunned that only one had hit.
âGahh⌠It wonât go outâŚâ
The fire caused by the fire blast appeared to be extremely difficult to put out.
âPrepare for counterattack!â
The Inasaâs 20mm machine gun aimed up at the sky. It wasnât meant for anti-aircraft use, and they were well aware of that. However, in order to protect the lives of the crew, they simply used whatever was at their disposal.
âThis is legitimate self-defense! Fire at will!â
\nâIt resembles the air defense magical boat in the tradition of the ancient sorcerous empire.â
âUgh⌠It really was that amazing⌠When I get back, Iâm going to have one hell of a reportâŚâ
In the skies above, Captain Susanoo of the Gahara wind dragon riders and his dragon partner had this discussion.
Papaldia Empire, imperial oversight army eastern fleet, dragon rider Reckmeyer
âLaunch a punitive strike on the Kingdom of Fenn.â He thought it was a simple order. Against a primitive country like Fenn, even if a bunch of them banded together, the wyvern lord squadron from the exalted superpower, the Papaldia Empire, would still have leeway to take on additional challengers. Attacking them during the Military Festival would also serve to remind all the other barbarians of Papaldiaâs might. They wanted to terrorize everyone who dared to participate in a festival hosted by a country that slighted Papaldia, so they aimed for that striking white ship.
However, from a range where their fire blasts should have been 100% accurate, the ship moved at an astonishing speed to dodge those blasts then returned fire with a wave of bullets of light. Those bullets tore through the wyvern lordsâ scales, which were hard enough to stymie arrows, and heavily injured his partner. He lost his grip and fell into the ocean, then he had to watch from there as his comrades were slaughtered. The other giant ships fired their cannons and blew them apart.
Watching cannons actually hit objects flying in the air was surreal; he questioned whether he was even sane. He thought Papaldiaâs only possible enemies in the entire world were the other superpowers, but they had just been smashed to pieces by an opponent Papaldia didnât even consider worth their time. He was at his witsâ end.
While floating in the ocean, the very same white ship he had just attacked came and threw him a life buoy.
âCommunications with the dragon rider squadron have ended.â
âWhat the hell happened thereâŚ?â
Admiral Poquetoire felt miserable. He was sure that something bad was happening⌠but he had direct orders from Kyeos, the head of the 3rd foreign affairs department. This was the life he had chosen, protecting the dignity of the state. He couldnât disobey orders.
The 22 ships in the imperial oversight armyâs eastern fleet would punish Fenn and annihilate the rebels who dared to take up arms against the empireâs wyvern lords, all in plain view of those other barbarian countries. Using Tears of the Wind God, the fleet filled their sails with wind and headed to the Kingdom of Fenn.