The One Who Fell From Grace

Chapter 15: battle in Zifang

Time skip 1 day, location 30 kilometers south of Linyi near the Yihe river

Now Akagi alongside IJN Musashi,IJN Yamato, Takao, Atago, Zuikaku, Shokaku, and the none animalistic/oni ship girls Akatsuki, Hibiki, Inazuma, and Ikazuchi could be seen in what seemed to be an open plain just outside the city of Zifang.

"Why are we here again on land?" Akatsuki asked.

"The Dragon Union army is coming here, and this is a strategic city for them to capture" Akagi said.

"But they should still be a few kilometers away" Zuikaku said "our planes are already engaged just 5 kilometers south of here"

"Ah, so it's going to take some time for them to get here?" Musashi said as she now sat down on the ground.

"They're held up because of our aircraft" Akagi said "But the ground forces are having to fall back. Even our aircraft can't stop the entire front" now Akagi seemed to close her eyes as she controlled her aircraft more directly.

"Well at least this is an open plain for several kilometers" Musashi said "We'll see anything coming from 5 kilometers. The frontlines are still in Tancheng 6 kilometers away. If only the fighting wasn't near a city or we could obliterate them"

"They're starting to advance" Zuikaku said as she now looked in the direction of where the fighting was, just a few kilometers away "the ground forces are in retreat"

"They'll be coming soon" Akagi said "give them cover fire when you see the Dragon Union forces"

Now the fleet gave confirmation by saying "hai!" In one voice. Now Musashi sighed before standing up and started to stretch.

After a few minutes a convoy of trucks could be seen driving down a main road nearby. The trucks had clear markings of the Dragon Empery. There were a few other trucks that weren't on the road, that were driving towards them. Most trucks seemed to be carrying troops, though a few others seemed to be towing artillery. Then a swarm of soldiers that were running towards them could be seen. Then a few Type-99A tanks could be seen driving across the open plain.

Several of the tanks stopped before firing at something that wasn't yet visible. The soldiers also occasionally fired back at something still hidden.

"So they're here" Takao said as she looked up and saw the combined aircraft forces there.

"But we still cannot see them" Zuikaku said. "Well at least from here, my planes can see them"

"Three light tanks westwards!" Ikazuchi yelled out, and pointed in the direction.

Now the group looked to where she pointed and saw three Type-T11 light tanks speeding across the plain. They seemed to be trying to flank the force, and only now saw the ground of ship girls. But the three tanks turned their turrets and immediately fired at the convoy, destroying the lead vehicle and halting the convoy.

But now Musashi smile and laughed "let's see how well they can take this"

She barely needed to raise her guns, as they were relatively close. She waited for a moment before her guns roared to life. It only took a second before large explosions happened where the three tanks were. There was a moment as the dirt fell to the ground, before a gunshot could be heard, and Musashi screamed in pain as she was hit by a shell.

"Ah, what the hell? Those are supposed to be light tanks!" Musashi said.

Now the group saw that two of the three tanks were destroyed. The third seemed to be retreating back away from the group.

"What is wrong, Musashi?" Atago asked in a concerned voice.

"That light tank just hit like a fucking heavy cruiser. I'll be fine, but I wasn't expecting that"