The Mighty Divine Dragon Ilx

Eleven Countries Leadership Conference (Part 3)

This chapter is the second half of the continuation of the conference.

- Duan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Impossible... the fleet is..." Hagath, the leader of the attack group launched from the aircraft carrier of the Gra Valkas Imperial Navy's Eastern Fleet, muttered as he looked down at the battered heavy cruiser below.

He had heard that the enemy outnumbered them. However, apart from the Divine Dragon, he had thought little of the enemy's strength. In reality, all they had faced so far were antiquated warships (ships of the line). Even the Holy Mirishial Empire, said to be the strongest in the world, ultimately seemed weak in such a world. That was the belief he had held.

But when the truth unfolded. The fleet that attacked the enemy fleet was annihilated, leaving only one heavily damaged heavy cruiser.

The enemy was strong. He had to revise his perception.

"...But they had no air cover and there are two hundred of us. They will not survive."

The enemy fleet was probably desperately preparing for anti-air combat right now. However, facing an onslaught of 200 planes with only anti-air guns and no fighter planes was indeed unbearable. Earlier, 12 strange planes without propellers had attacked them, but they weren't highly effective, and all of them were shot down by the escorts. He regained his composure and turned towards the fleet. The enemy fleet was only 25 kilometers away.

Suddenly, the enemy battleships glowed.

"Huh? ...Shit, shit!! All units!! Disperse!! No—"

In the next moment, his Sirius bomber, along with two other bombers, was engulfed in the explosion of timed anti-aircraft shells fired from the main gun of the Collbrande.

The battle had begun.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Three enemy units shot down!!"

"Load the next round at once!!"

Based on data sent from the magic electromagnetic radar, anti-air combat was being conducted with the main guns.

Although it took a year to develop proximity fuses, timed fuses didn't require much time or technology for development. As a result, the twin Spirit 12,7 cm magic AA guns, in conjunction with the advanced devices, had been successfully put into practical use sooner. Furthermore, since the realization that battleships could be sunk by aircraft attacks, enhancements and additional installations of anti-air magic cannons had been carried out, significantly strengthening the fleet's air defense capabilities.

Enemy planes entered the range of the anti-air guns, and the high-angle guns on each ship began firing. The Collbrande was no exception, as the eight quadruple 12,7 cm magic guns installed all over the ship were aimed and fired based on data sent from the newly developed anti-air device. The sky above the fleet was instantly covered in black smoke, and enemy aircraft caught in it fell by unfortunate circumstances.

"They're directly above us!!"

"Fire the magic autocannons!!"

The Sirius bombers circled above the Collbrande and attempted a dive bombing.

In response, light illuminated from the barrels of the Actaeon 25 mm twin-barreled magic autocannons protruding from the ship's hull, and the third-generation Ixion 40 mm octuple magic cannons. Moments later, countless light projectiles were unleashed. The shots, guided by the anti-air devices, continued to shoot down enemy aircraft one after another. Explosive magic was applied to all the projectiles of the autocannons. Each one was like a thin-shell grenade. Even grazing them would cause explosions, increasing the chances of shooting down the bombers in the wings and raising the rate of success.