My Anime Girlfriends

At that moment, Kowloon pointed a gun at Xiao Yao's head and asked, "What are you holding? Let me see!" As he spoke, Kowloon reached out his hand towards Xiao Yao.

At the same time, Tessa moved. Her trembling hand held a lady's pistol. She immediately pointed it at Kowloon, closed her eyes, and pulled the trigger. A crisp gunshot rang out throughout the command room, and Kowloon's body slowly fell backward.

"Miss Yao, run!" Tessa shouted, then pointed her gun at Guan, who was standing at the door. Guan immediately dropped to the ground in the face of the sudden attack, because he was not stupid enough to stand there and wait to die.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xiao Yao jumped over Guan and ran quickly towards the door. Dani, who arrived shortly after, immediately fired at her, sparks flying against the wall behind her.

Because of her fear, Xiao Yao screamed loudly as she ran away, then turned left into the corridor and disappeared from Dani Gang's sight.

Chapter 161 Crisis Resolved

After shaking off Danigang, who was chasing her, Xiaoyao took off her shoes, knowing that walking in the entirely steel-made submarine would make a much louder noise than usual. Soon, following the information Tessa had transmitted to her through 'resonance,' she arrived at Tessa's room. After finding the extremely well-hidden safe, she took out the note Tessa had secretly slipped into her hand in the command room, entered the electronic lock's password, and the safe clicked open.

Xiao Yao looked inside and saw thick folders, books, and a square box that looked like a jewel box. Intuitively, Xiao Yao opened the "jewel box" and found a sturdy key about the thickness of a little finger with the word "UNV" engraved on the handle. Xiao Yao smiled after seeing the key.

Then she noticed a framed photo tightly pressed against the back of the safe. Hoping it might be a picture of Dong Tian, ​​she took it out. When she saw the photo, she was visibly stunned. As she suspected, it was indeed a picture of Dong Tian. However, the photo didn't only show Dong Tian alone. In the sunset, beside a rock in some unknown location, Dong Tian and Tessa stood side-by-side. Tessa was wearing a T-shirt and athletic shorts, while Dong Tian wore a combat uniform. Behind them was a device painted with some kind of blue paint, and both Tessa and Dong Tian wore happy smiles.

Xiao Yao deeply regretted peeking at the photo. A sour feeling welled up inside her. Her first impression of the two people in the picture was that they were a perfect match, and she had no right to interfere. She even thought that Dong Tian's concern for her was only for the mission, while she was just an ordinary person. Why was she doing this in a place like this? Why was she hiding from assassins without even knowing her purpose? Who was she doing it for? Did she have any reason to die here? Why couldn't she just do nothing and cower in a corner of the room? Huge questions swirled in her mind, and Xiao Yao felt uneasy. Terror and exhaustion overwhelmed her.

Suddenly, she remembered Dong Tian's vow to her on the beach and that kiss. Her heart was no longer hesitant or turbulent; she moved. After putting the photo back in its place and closing the safe, she put the key in her shorts pocket, walked out of the room, and slowly closed the door, afraid of making any noise. After doing all this, as she wondered where Tessa had said the location was, she saw Dani Gang.

"Finally found you." Dani said, giving Xiao Yao a cruel smile.

Xiao Yao turned and ran in fright. Dani, seeing Xiao Yao flee again, immediately gave chase. He didn't know when, but the gun in his hand had transformed into a sharp military knife. As he chased after Xiao Yao, he laughed and said, "Keep running! You wretched little wench! See how I deal with you!"

Xiao Yao ignored what he said and just kept running forward, because she knew that if she stopped, she would be finished. At an intersection, Xiao Yao felt a strong force suddenly pull her towards him and forcefully cover her mouth. Her strong instincts made her immediately struggle desperately, hoping to break free from his grasp, but the other person's strength was too great. So she opened her mouth and bit down with all her might. The person immediately groaned when bitten, and hearing this sound, Xiao Yao bit down even harder.

Just then, Dani Gang's footsteps reached Xiao Yao's ears. Xiao Yao was already in despair; all she wanted now was to see Dong Tian one last time, 'even just one look!' she thought to herself. At that moment, Dani Gang, who was only focused on capturing Xiao Yao, was at the crossroads when a dark figure suddenly rushed towards him. Although his warrior instincts kicked in, and he thrust his military knife at the figure, the attack had no effect. He only felt a chill in his throat, and all his strength vanished. Only then did he see that the person who had approached was a handsome young man with cold eyes—it was Dong Tian, ​​who should have been in the hangar. And in his arms was a girl—Xiao Yao, whom he had been chasing. Seeing this, he felt a wave of dizziness and died.

"Xiao Yao, are you alright? Are you hurt?" I asked Xiao Yao in my arms after killing Dani in one move.

Xiao Yao, who was biting my hand, stared in astonishment at Dani Gang, who was convulsing and struggling for his life on the floor. For a moment, Xiao Yao was completely bewildered by what was happening. When she heard that familiar voice, excitement, fear, and surprise instantly filled her heart. She opened her mouth, which was tightly clenched around her hand, turned around, hugged the person who came in, and cried loudly.

I immediately patted Xiaoyao's back and said, "It's okay...it's okay, it's all over now, don't worry!" As I spoke, I touched Xiaoyao's face with my hand, which was bitten and was covered in blood, and smiled at her, saying, "Don't be afraid, I'm here!"

Xiao Yao finally recovered after my comforting words. When she saw my bloodied and mangled left hand, she could no longer control her emotions. Tears streamed from her beautiful eyes as she looked at me and slowly asked, "Does it hurt...?"

"It doesn't hurt, but... I'm so glad you're okay, you... you're really brave!" I said with a smile as I gently stroked her face.

“Brave…so you’re saying…I’m not…not…a burden!” Kaname said in a slightly trembling voice.

"Yes! Aren't you... Kaname has always been the bravest... haven't you?"

"Hmm...!" Upon hearing my words, Xiao Yao smiled beautifully across her tear-streaked face.

Just then, a sound like a bell rang out, and I immediately frowned. Seeing my expression, my friend asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

“This is sonar from an active attack!” I said.

........................

After Xiaoyao used the key in her pocket to open the door to the central computer room 'Our Lady of the Church' on the third deck, we went inside. The space inside was very small. In the center of the room was a device that resembled both a bed and a chair, a structure large enough for a person to lie down, with a movable lid. The lid, which was positioned right at the head, was inscribed with the English words [TransferAndResponse "Omni-Sphere"/System103/Mode-1997cVer.1.01] in beautiful handwriting.

Looking at the device in front of him, Xiaoyao calmly said, "This looks older than the [Strong Crossbowman]'s TAROS. It's not connected to the λ-Drive system, but rather to the submarine's control system."

"what?"

"I see..." Xiaoyao said softly, as if she were someone else, then lay down on the device and turned it on. As the transparent cover closed, Xiaoyao suddenly looked at me with gentle eyes and said, "Thank you, Tian, ​​everything's fine here now. Can you come and rescue me next?"

Chapter 162 The Whereabouts of the Nine Dragons

As the submarine descended to a depth of nearly 1500 meters, the titanium alloy hull seemed to give way under the pressure of the raging seawater. The pressure had reduced the submarine's overall length by several meters, and the shrunken hull twisted the internal structures, causing water, steam, and high-pressure air to spray from broken pipes, and sparks to fly from tangled electrical wires.

'Danann' reported in a detached tone, "Fault... Warning! Fire in passageway B on deck three. Warning! Water supply pipe number 16 in system C has ruptured. Warning! Abnormal sound from pressure bulkhead H7 on deck one. Warning...!"

In the command room, surrounded by terrifying noise, creaking hulls, and sonar, Kowloon leaned excitedly against the captain's seat, laughing loudly, "Good...very good...! Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes...!"

Finally, when the torpedo was 500 meters away from Danann, Kowloon smiled and gave the order: "AI! Hard to starboard! Then release the decoys!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Getting ready to dodge, huh! Can you escape?! No, you probably can't! Ahahaha..."

At that moment, the front display screen in the command room went black for a split second before returning to normal. Just as the staff were wondering what was going on, Tessa looked up and, with a calm and clear mind, a quiet and confident gaze, and an orderly voice, gave the order: "Danann, based on my signal, launch CounterMajor 1 and CounterMajor 2 (torpedo decoys), deep-sea mode!"

"Yes, Captain!"

Upon hearing Danann's address, everyone looked on in surprise, turning their gazes to Tessa. Tessa ignored these stares, and when the torpedo was some distance from the submarine, she gave a brief command: "Launch! Then ascend immediately!"

"Yes, Captain!"

The torpedo exploded directly beneath Danann, the roar and shockwave striking the submarine's underside, causing its massive hull to bounce upwards. All the crew and fixed objects bounced and rolled across the floor; Tessa slid straight to the heavy wall behind the command room, and Kowloon nearly fell off the captain's seat. The creaking of the ship produced a deafening roar, like that of a wild beast.

The submarine suddenly plunged towards the surface of the sea, its deck shaking violently.

Tessa pressed herself tightly against the wall behind the command room. Kowloon looked at her angrily and slowly said, "What kind of magic did you use?"

"Don't you understand? That means Danann doesn't trust you."

"..."

"This submarine is mine now, and I will never let you do whatever you want...!" As Tessa's floral shadow fell, the submarine's various statuses automatically recovered. The isolation doors at the front and rear opened one by one, and the oxygen supply system supplied a large amount of oxygen to the main engine hangar. Then, it began a detailed automatic check, shutting down the malfunctioning systems and activating the backup systems. The almost completely red hull status slowly turned green.

"Is it that little girl...?"

"She's amazing. Even if you kill me, she'll take my place and continue guarding this submarine, and then..."

At that moment, the locks on the entrance doors to the command room were unlocked, and of the two doors that were open, the port side door was kicked open suddenly, and a dark figure rushed into the command room like a gust of wind.

Without saying a word, Kowloon immediately raised his submachine gun and opened fire on the approaching person. However, the person twisted his body in a strange trajectory and rushed towards him without stopping. Kowloon tried to dodge, but it was too late. He felt a sharp pain in his stomach and was then blasted away by the force, crashing heavily into the wall and falling next to Tessa.

Perhaps the pain had numbed him, Kowloon quickly got up, then pointed the submachine gun—which he hadn't let go of even after being knocked away—at Tessa's head and looked at the figure from before, saying, "Pretty impressive...boy!"

I pointed the pistol I'd gotten from Dani Gang at Kowloon and said, "You have nowhere to run!"

As soon as I finished speaking, perhaps to confirm what I said, Sagara and Cruz arrived. Sagara looked at Kowloon and immediately said, "Kowloon...you...surrender!"

“Do you think I would, Honey?” Kowloon said with a laugh, then pointed the gun at Tessa’s head.

"Dong Tian, ​​don't lock me up! Shoot me...!" Tessa shouted. After she shouted, Kowloon's smile widened.

Just as I was about to use my throwing knife to finish off Kowloon, a violent impact came towards the command room. Apart from me and the members who were locked in the chairs, Sagara, Kowloon and the others were all thrown up from their positions.

Seeing Tessa and Kowloon flying into the air, I rushed forward, kicked Kowloon away from Tessa, and then held Tessa in my arms, landing steadily on the ground. Sagara behind me quickly steadied himself and fired several shots at Kowloon.

After I kicked Kowloon away from Tessa, he knew that the situation was hopeless. After regaining his footing, he immediately fled towards the exit on the right. Although the shots that Sagara fired at him did not kill him, they did wound him in the shoulder. He ignored them and hurriedly ran away.

After watching Kowloon escape, Sagara glanced at me, and I quickly said, "Leave this to me, you go after Kowloon!"

Upon hearing what I said, Sagara immediately chased after me.

As for Cruz, he was still dizzy from hitting his head during the impact! Just then, Tessa, who was in my arms, suddenly spoke up, "Are you alright now? Oh my god!"

"Yes, it's all over now, Colonel! Sosuke has already gone after them!" I said with a smile.

Tessa immediately smiled and said, "Really? That's great!" Then, staring at the screen in the command room, she said, "Ms. Chidori, thank you! Please tell Sagara about Kowloon's whereabouts!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Yao's face appeared on the screen, and her voice echoed throughout the command room: "You're welcome, Tessa! I'll tell Sagara about Kowloon's whereabouts, don't worry!"

Chapter 163 The Chaos Ends

With the deafening roar of the explosion and the violent impact, Sagara, piloting his Arbalest on the flight deck, frantically pounded on the deck and cursed, "Kasim, Kasim... calling him so affectionately, you bastard!"

Perhaps because they had never heard Sagara swear, many people smiled, including Cruz from the command room, Mo who ran out of the hangar, and Tessa, whom I was holding in my arms.

Two hours later, the submarine finally arrived at the base on Melida Island. After disembarking, the crew took their routine roll call, a task that has always been the captain's responsibility.

Tessa didn't take a roster, because she already knew all her subordinates' names. In the underground dock, Tessa walked in front of the line of people.

"Lieutenant Colonel Richard Maddukas!"

"To!"

"William, Captain Goddard!"

"To!"

After calling out more than a hundred names, Tessa announced one.

"Captain Gale, Captain Macallan!"

“He went on patrol, Captain,” Madukas replied as he stepped out of the ranks. Tessa nodded slightly, her expressionless face.

"Sergeant Melissa Mao."

"To!"

"Sergeant Roger Sandaraputa."

"To!"

"Sergeant Cruz Wiba."

"I'm here!"

"Sergeant Sagara Sosuke."

"To!"

"Sergeant Dong Tianzhong!"

"To!"

Danigang and Guan were not among those called out by the SRT. The roll call continued to the PRT unit, where she called out the name of another deceased person.

"Private First Class Liang Xiaoping"

"He's gone on patrol, Captain."

Maddox's cold response didn't elicit any response from Tessa.

After roll call, the work of transporting the bodies from the base began. Macallan and Liang's coffins were each carried away by six colleagues. Their remains will be buried in the cemetery of their hometown. The families will be notified that they "died in an accident while working for the security company [Archoros]".

........................

At that moment, I was holding Xiaoyao's hand as we walked through the jungle. Because it was still dark, we could only vaguely see the path under our feet in the woods. Xiaoyao asked, somewhat puzzled, "Tian, ​​why did you bring me here at this time?"

Hearing Kaname ask that, I immediately turned around and looked at her with a smile, saying, "Chidori, we need to hurry! Otherwise we won't be able to see anything!"

"What?" Xiao Yao asked in confusion.

"You'll know when we get there!" I said cryptically.