Josephine let out a smug hum. "That's hard to say, Commander. What if this is the beginning of a new offensive?"
Wakayama spread his hands. "If that's the case, then there's nothing we can do—heads will roll. But the real question is whether the Eastern Sea can hold."
What they referred to as the "Eastern Sea front" was essentially a continuation of the previous defensive battle.
Originally, after the Abyssal flagships Akagi, Kaga, and Taihou took Okinawa and learned that the Southern Seas' Abyssal Barbarossa had been killed, both sides had silently agreed to a ceasefire.
Both parties had withdrawn their claws, retreated into their lairs, and were quietly licking their wounds.
Who would've thought the Abyssal commander left in charge of the First Island Chain was a complete lunatic—none other than the Abyssal flagship light carrier Ryuujou.
Abyssal Ryuujou wasn't particularly powerful in combat, nor imposing in figure—she was more like a tiny shrimp of a girl. What made her stand out was the fact that she rode around on a giant mantis shrimp... and her utterly bizarre personality.
Completely lacking self-awareness, especially regarding her own strength, she constantly obsessed over proving that she was the strongest abyssal carrier.
Once Akagi, Kaga, and Taihou withdrew, no one was left to rein her in. Ryuujou actually mobilized over a million Abyssal troops and launched an all-out harassment campaign across the eastern coastal waters.
This completely unexpected punch struck the Eastern Sea's soft underbelly.
Everyone had assumed that both sides were too battered for any further major operations. Both had begun to withdraw, assuming peace was on the horizon. But Ryuujou wasn't playing by anyone's script.
And her strategy was unlike any prior abyssal campaign. Instead of seeking decisive fleet engagements or strategic strongholds, she aimed to dismantle every coastal defense base, prioritizing the elimination of living Commanders. A total paradigm shift.
Caught off guard, China suffered heavy losses. Even Fleet Admiral Gorou took a hit and had to defend himself before Parliament.
No one was more enraged than Murong. She had long held favorable views of Hikaru, and in her opinion, if certain people hadn't schemed to drive him away, things would never have reached this point.
Public outcry was mounting—people were demanding the return of the peerless "Ghost God," Tirpitz, to fight Ryuujou. But the authorities were choosing to pretend they couldn't hear any of it.
Judging by the fury on Murong's face earlier, it was clear that yet another disaster had just been reported.
Takeyama sneered and looked around. "Where's that trash Shun?"
The contempt in his voice when mentioning Shun (formerly Ouyang Buhai) was palpable.
Although Wakayama had sided against Hikaru too, one could still view him as a man of military principle. Takeyama might disagree, but he wouldn't deny Wakayama's integrity.
But Shun? No. His viciousness in attacking Hikaru had exposed his true, disgraceful nature. Even Gorou had grown disgusted with him. As Gorou once put it: How did such a spineless coward ever become Marshal? Utter disgrace.
Wakayama shrugged with complete indifference. "He was stripped of his Governor position. Probably hiding at home, shaking in fear."
Governor appointments were largely in the hands of Shipgirl Command—the body above the Admirals, responsible for coordinating regional operations and allocating resources across defense bases.
Back during the incident, Takeyama had disobeyed orders to protect Hikaru, and yet he only received a mild rebuke and a pay cut for a few years. For a tycoon worth hundreds of billions, it was a slap on the wrist.
By contrast, Shun was having a much rougher time. Now that he'd lost his governorship, he also faced a formal investigation. Everyone knew this was payback from those who had opposed his actions.
Fleet Admirall Gorou had failed to bring down Hikaru—now the fallout had to land somewhere. And Murong and others didn't believe for a second that Hikaru would actually harm Fleet Commander Noboru. With everything ending in mutual loss, someone had to bear the brunt of the fallout.
Shun had become the scapegoat.
"I heard it wasn't just that," Josephine added mysteriously. "Shun was infatuated with Yamato, right? Word is he went and kneeled outside her door… and got the crap beaten out of him."
Takeyama sucked in a sharp breath. "If that's true, he's got guts. But I worry his mind's snapped—he might go off the rails."
"I'd say he already has," London muttered. She looked around, then whispered to the others, "I've heard that Minister Yamato has already headed south—to reestablish contact with Commander Hikaru."
[End of Chapter]
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