This work is a work of fiction.
The fact that the members of the Oga do not know many things is a matter of specification for the sake of explanation.
- Bokutotsu Zen'u
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February 10, 2027
Off the coast of the Annan Continent
The Leviathan Subjugation Task Force dispatched from Japan goes over the sea. The group consisted of destroyers, oceanographic observation ships, training ships, and a test ship, a unique combination of vessels that would normally never have been assembled together. Among them is the test ship Asuka. However, on its deck, there was a "gun barrel" that looked like a ship's gun, which should not have been there originally.
"I never thought we would be using this one, which is still in the experimental stage..."
Captain Okahashi on board the Asuka looked at the gun barrel sitting at the front of the ship and muttered to himself. The test ship Asuka was engaged in the development of a certain latest weapon as the last development experiment to be conducted on the ship in time for its scheduled decommissioning in 2026.
The name of the weapon is the "railgun".
The railgun is a weapon that fires an object at high speed based on Fleming's left-hand rule. Specifically, by sandwiching a bullet made of conductive material between two rails of different electrical potentials and passing a direct current through them, the bullet is accelerated by the Lorentz force generated by the interaction of the current flowing through the bullet and the magnetic field generated on the two rails, and the bullet is fired. Its ejection speed is an order of magnitude faster than existing artillery weapons.
Although the principle itself has been known since World War II, it has long been treated in fiction as a fictional weapon because of the many problems that had to be cleared, such as power supply and barrel wear and tear. In 2016, however, the US Navy began its first onboard experiment. The railgun, which was supposed to be a fiction, has become a reality. The Japanese government has also been continuing research on the basic technology of onboard electromagnetic accelerator gun for a long time, and even conducted the first onboard experiment on the test ship Asuka in December 2024.
. . .
Same day
Imperial Palace Office, Elie-Darren, Elmstacia Empire
Prime Minister Serretta Optic entered the office of Emperor Schildrea Tepes, who was holed up in his own room, performing his duties.
"We received a message from Mr. Ando, the captain of Oga. Seven ships from Japan belonging to the Leviathan Subjugation Task Force will be arriving in Kourbossa shortly."
"I see..."
Schildrea listened quietly to Serretta's report. Beside his desk was a wine glass filled with a crimson liquid.
"...Your Majesty. To tell the truth, I'm worried about it."
"........."
"However much they may plan to conclude diplomatic relations, they are humans. They are a newly emerged military power that completely defeated the powerful Altia. Their navy will be dominating, albeit temporarily, the offshore areas of our Elmstacia Empire and even the Annan Continent... There are many who are concerned about that."
Serretta informed that there is a threat concern against the Japanese Navy in their country.
"From Lentis' reports, this country's military and technological capabilities are beyond human understanding. Besides, even if they were to succeed in defeating the Leviathan, I wonder what they would demand in return..."
After listening to the conversation up to this point, Schildrea sighed, picked up his wine glass, and slowly spoke.
"...The reward for defeating them is the promise we made to them. The damage done by the Leviathan to our country and to the Union is too great. I hear that the Japanese Navy also suffered tremendous losses in the previous investigation. Therefore, we are willing to accept their request for a reward... However, if they ask for something that will harm our people, we will not condone that..."
Schildrea replied with a stern expression as he sipped from his wine glass. Serretta gulped as he witnessed the pressure emanating from the head of the vampires, which is said to be the most powerful race in the world.
. . .
Same day, evening
Kourbossa, Elmstacia Empire
On the evening of February 10, the seven ships of the fleet arrived in Kourbossa. The city was in a bit of a commotion at the sight of the giant foreign warships that had newly appeared in addition to the amphibious assault ship Oga. Citizens gathered at the harbor, and stalls lined up in a row, and among them were reporters with Japanese-made cameras.
"Whoa! It's spectacular to see so many Japanese warships lined up in Elmstacia!"
Esticle Testosterone, a news reporter belonging to the Elmstacian Branch of the World Magic Telecommunications Company, was pressing the shutter of his camera, a new piece of equipment recently introduced on a trial basis by the headquarters. The first time he saw it, he was in the middle of the street. Also mixed in with the crowd were military officers or scouting parties dispatched from various countries on the Annan Continent. The Japanese extermination of Leviathan had already spread throughout the continent.
. . .
Oga Multipurpose Compartment
After the arrival of the fleet, the executives of each of the eight ships gathered in the multipurpose compartment of the Oga to discuss the full scope of this strike operation.
"The projectile is a 5-inch caliber, Mach 7,2 APFSDS... It has arguably the highest penetration power of any artillery weapon currently in Japan's arsenal. After all, it is a monster that anti-ship missiles cannot penetrate. We can't afford to be stingy with it."
The captain of Asuka, Okahashi, introduces the specifications of the railgun mounted on his ship.
"If this doesn't work, we'll just have to give up or go nuclear."
Rear Admiral Suzuki, who is in command of the fleet, sipped from a cup of hot water and spoke in a stilted tone.
"...Why did you bring a decommissioned training ship with you?"
Oga's deputy commander Kato inquired about the two decommissioned training ships, Shimayuki and Shirayuki. On the starboard or port side of the two ships in the sea were tubes that looked like supply ship probes, which should not have been there.
"We have modified those two ships and they are cooperating with us in our railgun experiments after 2024."
"Cooperating...?"
"Yes."
Okahashi continued his explanation. The two ships, which were originally to be scrapped, were given a certain role in the onboard railgun experiment: they were the source of power supply for the railgun. In other words, the probes of the two ships are not for refueling, but are power transmission cables, so to speak, for supplying the power generated by the main generators on board these two ships to the Asuka. Therefore, connectors were newly installed on both sides of Asuka to connect these cables.
"Therefore, these two ships are no longer equipped with the function of a destroyer. They are incorporated into the group as generator ships dedicated to the Asuka."
Hearing Okahashi's explanation, the crewmen of the Oga expressed their surprise.
"As for the oceanographic observation ship Shōnan, in addition to its original mission to locate the Leviathan, it has been specially ordered to collect oceanographic data from the Annan Continent, if possible."
Okahashi explained the orders conveyed by the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. The main purpose was to survey the seafloor resources, including oil fields. The Japanese government was looking at the oil resources of the seabed, which were still of no value in this world, as a reward demand for the Elmstacian government.
"Next, I will give you a detailed explanation of the railgun, the main component of this operation."
Flipping through the materials in his hand, Okahashi continued his explanation of the railgun.
"First, because of the speed of the bullet, the barrel wears out significantly, and its durability is limited, so it cannot be fired so many times. It consumes a significant amount of power each time it fires, and it takes time to supply the power, so it cannot fire continuously like conventional guns. Please keep these two points in mind."
The officers listening to Okahashi's words showed their understanding.
"Next, how do we lure the Leviathan to the sea...?"
Okahashi goes on to the next agenda. In order to use the railgun, it is necessary to somehow lure the Leviathan out to sea. The flight commander of the Oga, Commander Shoji, raised his hand and begins to express his opinion on the topic, which should be the main concern of this operation.
"The Leviathan seems to have a habit of attacking objects that make loud noises in the sea and at sea. You may know that a Seahawk was attacked and one was shot down during the previous investigation. Therefore, for this mission, it would be better to fly F-35Bs just above the surface of the sea and lure the Leviathan with their sound. With their speed, it is unlikely that they will be caught by the Leviathan's fire beam attack."
"I see..."
Suzuki showed his approval of Shoji's proposal. The strategy meeting, in which various opinions were expressed, continued until midnight.