Revisit Azur Lane

Looking at the annotations on the map, Zuikaku noticed that there were indeed many Sirens near the command post, but far fewer than the previous two days. Moreover, the heavy cruisers that posed a significant threat to her, as well as the battleships that might arrive, were nowhere to be seen; only a large number of destroyers and light cruisers remained.

The odds of success today are higher than yesterday and the day before. She agrees with Zhou He's judgment on the timing of the attack.

"Speak of it."

Holding the map in one hand, she pointed to the heavy cruiser fleet on it: "Is there anything special about this Sirens that makes the commander so concerned? I feel that even if we don't go to sea, I can sink them by launching a squadron of aircraft in the bay."

At a distance of nearly seventy nautical miles, the Sirens had no way of finding her location.

"..."

Hermione couldn't say that Zhou He didn't know the specific combat capabilities of the Zheng Hang fleet. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear with one hand and said in a slightly deep voice, "The Commander must have his reasons for attaching so much importance to this fleet."

"oh oh."

Zuikaku sensed Hermione's serious aura and abandoned any thoughts of underestimating the fleet, preparing to go all out.

Xi Li didn't hear a word of their conversation. She looked down at the bag of beef jerky that Zhou He had tied around her waist. She had secretly eaten one yesterday. It was hard to bite, but the taste was not bad, and she liked it.

Following Zhou He's planned route, the three of them soon arrived at a location 20 nautical miles north of the island in the port area. This was the designated air strike point, so they weren't worried about stray bullets flying towards the command post if a real battle broke out.

"what!"

At that moment, Zuikaku's spirits lifted as he received instructions from Zhou He: before the air raid, send out reconnaissance aircraft to scout the heavy cruiser fleet in more distant waters; if the Sirens carrier fleet is not found, launch an air raid on the Sirens heavy cruiser fleet; if the Sirens carrier is found, prioritize attacking the Sirens carrier.

"Oh!? I understand!"

After understanding Zhou He's instructions, Zuikaku's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he shared his major discovery with Yuudachi and Zuikaku: "The commander's radar can only detect a maximum distance of 180 nautical miles in diameter, which is why he attaches such importance to this Siren fleet on the edge."

"Is that right?"

Hermione wasn't sure about her guess: "Let's carry out the Commander's orders first and finish the battle as soon as possible. It wouldn't be good for the Commander to worry about us."

"Understood~ I'll take the victory in this war!"

Zuikaku instantly entered combat readiness mode, its sharp gaze piercing as it raised its left hand high. The long sleeves of its crane-wing-like kimono brushed past the deck runway, and various aircraft that were already prepared transformed into blue starlight and soared into the sky. After leaving behind beautiful stardust in the air, they solidified into normal-sized carrier-based aircraft and took off into the distance.

"Yuudachi, let's go."

Hermione and the other woman did not stop either. After receiving Zhou He's instructions, they spread out to the left and right flanks of the crane. They did not need to be wary of the sirens on the surface of the water. Their focus at this time was on the underwater submarine, which Zhou He had not yet discovered but might exist.

Chapter Nineteen: A Cold Remark

The heavy cruiser fleet that Zhou He has been targeting and is currently being observed and plotted against by Ruihe is a total of fourteen ships, including eight destroyers, five light cruisers and one heavy cruiser. In terms of numbers alone, it is more than four times larger than Ruihe and his two companions.

However, in naval battles, the quality of ships and intelligence control are more important than numerical superiority.

花了半个小时左右确定了重巡舰队周围海域并不存在塞壬航母的瑞鹤，直接开始大数量地放飞零式舰载战斗机12架，99式舰载轰炸机16架以及97式舰载攻击机18架共计46架舰载机。

"horrible."

Even Yuudachi, gazing up at the sky from the sea, couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement at the sight of the fleet of planes that quickly filled the sky.

"The first move wins!"

Zuikaku uttered a word that a senior colleague liked, and then calmly and attentively controlled the three types of carrier-based aircraft to advance in two echelons. The fighters were at the forefront, followed by bombers and attack aircraft. She quickly integrated a large amount of intelligence from the carrier-based aircraft and completed the air strike plan.

hum-

Like a disconnected cloud, the carrier-based aircraft arrived at full speed above the heavy cruiser and swooped down, the dense roar enough to make anyone lose their composure.

If the aircraft below were a human-controlled fleet, someone would surely shout "Air raid!!" or sound horns as soon as they spotted the formation, and the crowd would swarm like ants to take shelter or fight back against the air raids.

But below were sirens, mindless weapons of war that maintained a constant state of combat readiness. When the radar detected something in the sky, all fourteen ships simultaneously deployed their anti-aircraft guns. The massive number of bullets, even under the sunlight, formed a faintly visible golden torrent, intertwining with the large group of aircraft diving down, and making clanging sounds as they hit the aircraft's outer shells.

"You've got a knack for it."

Zuikaku, one hand resting on the hilt of his samurai sword, stood steadily on the sea. With a thought, he dispersed the fighter squadron among the Sirens to engage in close-quarters combat. Bombers and attack aircraft (carrying torpedoes) blended into the complex battlefield, diving towards key targets, the heavy cruisers with the fiercest counter-fire, and the light cruisers nearby. Bombers dropped bombs from high altitude, while attack aircraft dropped their torpedoes at an altitude of about a hundred meters above the sea, creating a dense torpedo barrage.

Boom boom boom! !

The airstrike shells landed on the water and warships, releasing intense energy. Combined with the explosions from the torpedoes, the battlefield instantly transformed into a chaotic swamp with plumes of black smoke rising from the sky.

Without dedicated anti-aircraft capabilities, facing an air attack would be a disaster.

……

"Has it already started? Holy crap, what kind of absurd killing speed is this?"

Zhou He, far away on the island in the port area, watched the Sirens fleet in the northern sea area on the map. He held his breath when he saw the first Sirens disappear, and then he saw the Sirens disappear one after another. In less than five minutes, the Sirens fleet lost more than half of its manpower.

Judging from the duration, this is most likely just the first wave of airstrikes, and a second or even a third wave will follow soon.

Zhou He knew that aircraft carriers were very powerful, but after actually seeing the situation of aircraft carriers launching air attacks beyond visual range, he had to admit that aircraft carriers did indeed have a strategic position in naval warfare. In important battles, a hundred destroyers might not be as useful as one aircraft carrier.

"Um…"

But he still couldn't figure it out. Even though it was just a mixed formation of destroyers and light cruisers, they were still large ships starting at 100 meters in length. How could they be sunk so easily by an aircraft attack? Was it because their defenses were too weak or because the weapons carried by the aircraft were too powerful?

However, judging from the facts before him, aircraft carriers can easily destroy destroyers and light cruisers, and only heavy cruisers and above can stand firm under air attacks and not be overwhelmed at the first sight.

"Back then, the Eagle Union crushed the Sakura Empire by overwhelming numbers. If I gather all the carriers from the entire faction to form a fleet, wouldn't I be invincible in normal naval battles?"

Zuikaku's formidable power boosted Zhou He's confidence, and most of the gloom in his heart dissipated. He only needed Zuikaku to deal with that Siren heavy cruiser so he could resume construction...

Seemingly realizing something, Zhou He didn't rush to check the mission, but continued to observe the enemy and friendly forces displayed on the map. The Sirens in the north were attacked, and the Sirens fleets on the east and west sides immediately changed course and began heading north.

No?

Zhou He narrowed his eyes and then informed Hermione of the Sirens' movements and routes in the vicinity. One of the destroyer fleets that was very close to the island would pass by the vicinity of Zuikaku's main body, which was in Hermione's favored direction. He asked her to intercept them.

The fact that Yuudachi, a destroyer, was able to overwhelm the Siren light cruiser under the siege of destroyers is enough to prove that the combat power of a single ship girl exceeds that of the Sirens of the same ship type. Therefore, if Hermione, a light cruiser, were to block the Sirens for a moment, she should not be defeated. As long as Zuikaku Tou makes a move, the Sirens in this area can be eliminated in one go.

“This commotion has gotten a bit out of hand—I’d be happy if one of my boats got taken down, but if it doesn’t, I’ll be at a huge loss.”

After giving Hermione a special reminder to "be careful," Zhou He opened his eyes wide and scanned the battlefield. Yuudachi could take down an aircraft carrier even when attacking a light cruiser, and Zuikaku was known as the Lucky Crane. It was impossible for him not to lose a single ship, right?

Unfortunately, that was the reality. From the moment Zuikaku launched its first air raid until an hour later, the heavy cruiser fleet was completely annihilated, with not a single ship lost. Zhou He watched this with a heavy heart, utterly devastated, and collapsed on the beach in utter despair.

After a while, he finally came to his senses, got up, and made a unilateral video call to Zuikaku. In an instant, Zuikaku, standing on the sea with his long hair flowing, came into his view—he was really handsome, but his luck was really bad.

"commander?"

Zuikaku's perception was no less than Yuudachi's, and she quickly spotted Zhou He spying on her. Her gaze swept over Zhou He's hat and the sand still clinging to his body, and her pupils contracted slightly as she asked in a low, urgent voice, "Have the Sirens discovered the command post?"

"Not yet. I just wanted to check on you. Yuudachi and Hermione have gone to distract the Sirens. Zuikaku, you don't have a destroyer, so be careful of underwater things."

Zhou He shook his head, explained the situation, and then sent Ruihe to support Hermione and the other two, to sink as many Sirens as possible—to increase the likelihood of the ships falling.

"Understood. I have plenty of ammunition. Commander, don't worry."

Zuikaku relaxed slightly, raised his head and revealed his usual confident smile. He casually swung his hand twice in the air, then made a small circle and began to approach the port island. Getting closer to the land and away from the deep sea was the best way to avoid a Siren submarine attack.

ammunition?

Zhou He's eyes flickered as he switched interfaces and entered the dock. Both lines under the three characters' portraits showed wear and tear. The first line represented the wear and damage to the ship's equipment and the ship itself, while the second line represented ammunition. Currently, Hermione had the least ammunition, followed by Zuikaku with about half left, and Yuudachi had the least, with a quarter left, indicating that she had used up all her torpedoes.

After thinking for a moment, he clicked the supply button in the corner. A prompt popped up saying that repairing would require 9 combat supply tokens, and the supply tokens were 21. He didn't hesitate to supply them directly!

At the same moment, blue stardust appeared around Zuikaku, Hermione, and Yuudachi, who were far away at sea, and merged into their bodies. Their ship equipment uncontrollably adjusted itself, and the shells, bullets, torpedoes, and downed carrier-based aircraft were all replenished.

"Commander!?" x3

The feeling of fighting and replenishing at the same time was very peculiar, but Zhou He's 'timely replenishment' actually boosted the morale of the three of them the most.

Yuudachi, who had been timid and hesitant in the face of the Sirens without torpedoes, suddenly broke into a bright smile. Hermione, who had adopted a conservative approach, became a little more aggressive. Zuikaku even waved his hand, and the fighters that needed to replenish their ammunition on their return journey immediately turned back and roared towards the Sirens that had been spotted nearby.

"System, I underestimated you. You actually managed to repair and resupply ship girls while they were out there."

Zhou He himself was quite surprised. With this function, he could repair the damage his ship girls had suffered at any time. Once Akashi joined the research and development of the damage control system, the possibility of his ship girls sinking in battle would be almost zero.

The system does not develop sentience because of his praise, and therefore cannot respond to him.

Fortunately, Zhou He didn't expect the system to become his sworn brother. He switched his gaze back to the battlefield map and watched as the sirens on the map gradually decreased due to their contact with Hermione and the others. This was very relaxing.

Just as Zhou He was about to finish the battle and was about to start building, a small white figure suddenly appeared on the map. It appeared not far from Yuudachi, but Yuudachi didn't notice it and ran straight south, quickly creating distance between them.

"They've lost ship! It has to be Yuudachi again!"

Witnessing the moment the shipment was delivered, Zhou He was so excited he almost jumped up and clapped, but he quickly suppressed his smile because he couldn't remember the name of the ship girl: the little girl was a ship girl with long silver hair tied with black horns on both sides and wearing a white coat unique to the Northern Alliance. She looked unfamiliar to him and he couldn't recall her name.

"Don't blame me if you can't pronounce the name of Beilian Shipyard; some of them are really hard to pronounce."

Zhou He tried to justify himself, but since he didn't know her name or personality, he didn't dare to give her any orders without permission. He could only tell Xi Li that there was an additional friendly ship behind her and ask her to go pick her up.

It was clearly visible on the map that Yuudachi stopped heading south and turned to look for someone. Then, two small figures appeared, overlapping but circling in a small area, seemingly unable to meet up.

"what?"

Zhou He didn't understand. After a few minutes, the situation remained the same. He couldn't help but use the term "comrade" to convey his desire to reunite with the new ship girl. He then opened a video call with Yuudachi. The first thing he saw was Yuudachi, who was puffing out her cheeks and earnestly looking for someone. Then, a figure appeared in the distance and called out to Yuudachi to stop.

"Commander! Is that person really here?"

When Yuudachi saw Zhou He, she forgot to boast about her achievement and asked him pitifully where the Northern Alliance ship girl was, because she really couldn't find her.

"…there."

Zhou He pointed in a direction, and Yuudachi turned her head and exclaimed that she had also seen the approaching ship girl.

The massive, cold-colored ship rigging, weathered by wind and snow, resembled a small mobile fortress. The huge chains fluttering in the wind as the rigging moved along its sides and the thick cannons all demonstrated the power of this ship girl.

Even more impressive is that, despite being enveloped by powerful ship armor reaching nearly three meters in height, the ship girl's figure remains clearly defined. From Yuudachi's parallel perspective, Zhou He can see her slender figure with her head held high. A wide trench coat with a white collar and gray fur trim is draped over her shoulders, revealing a black and white sewn combat uniform underneath. Black boots cover her knees and upper thighs, and her skirt sways in the wind. Her gloved hands resemble black claws, and her cold face is framed by a pair of crimson eyes that look down at Yuudachi and Zhou He.

"So it's you who made me appear here?"

The woman's voice wasn't as cold as I'd imagined. She first looked at Yuudachi and then at Zhou He, tapping her forehead with her finger to finish her thought: "Never mind, my name is Kursk. Although I've joined you, it doesn't mean I'll act with you."

After a slight pause, Kursk looked at Yuudachi, who resembled a small animal, and continued, "I will join the port and carry out orders, but I am used to acting alone. Can you understand?"

"commander?"

Yuudachi usually thought he was very brave, but when facing Kursk, he couldn't muster any fierce thoughts at all. When pressed for answers, he softly passed the questions to Zhou He.

"I understand, Kursk, welcome to the team."

Upon hearing Kursk's statement, Zhou He remembered that this should be the ship girl that appeared in the most recent major event of the Northern Alliance before his transmigration. He had too many ships in his warehouse and had not yet trained this one, so he only had a simple impression of her and it was normal that he could not recognize her at the moment.

"Ah."