The Iron Lion tapped his pointer against a map of the Entire East Sea, stopping at Okinawa. He spoke slowly.
"Abyssal Ryuujou is reckless. Right now, Okinawa is left hollow of strength. We must draw her in further, then form a pincer movement around Okinawa and seize it in one stroke. At that point, Abyssal Ryuujou will be a turtle in an urn."
He continued refining the operational plan, down to the tasks of each unit and every naval district.
Takeshi nodded slowly. The Fleet Admiral's strategy and tactics were as sharp as ever.
Abyssal Ryuujou had pushed aggressively westward, spreading her forces too thin. At first, the East Sea theater had indeed suffered, but Gorou quickly spotted the flaw.
The southeastern war zones were the heartlands the Country had cultivated for centuries, and the nearby seas remained untainted by Abyssal corruption. In coastal waters, the Abyssals couldn't replenish their strength.
Even when the Abyssal fleet was at its peak along the First Island Chain, attacking the coast meant slamming headlong into bloody resistance.
Now, with Abyssal Akagi, Kaga, and Taihou all having gone eastward into the ocean, and four to five million Abyssal troops dispersed, Ryuujou's forces alone were nowhere near enough to achieve decisive victory in the East Sea.
On the contrary, Gorou saw the opportunity to reclaim Okinawa in one blow—and then encircle and annihilate this million-strong Abyssal force.
This was the fifth strategy meeting in just a few days.
The situation on the front burned like fire. Opportunities on the battlefield vanished in the blink of an eye. No one knew how long Abyssal Ryuujou's reckless campaign would last; tomorrow, a powerful Abyssal flagship might arrive to rein her in, and the Abyssal army could suddenly shift to full-scale retreat.
The Nation could not allow that outcome. The fall of the First Island Chain left the Admiralty, the Diet, and the entire nation restless and uneasy.
The First Island Chain was the strongest shield facing the Pacific. With it, the East Sea was an inland sea, the safest training ground for new Commanders.
But if the Abyssals held Okinawa, then just a short voyage from shore would put them at an Abyssal base. The coast would constantly suffer raids from Abyssal elites, and new Commanders would lose their best cradle for growth.
So even after the brutal South Seas Defense Battle, even with the nation battered and exhausted, Gorou had decided—this counteroffensive in the East must be fought.
Consensus had long since been reached. The plan had been hammered out over many sleepless nights. Now came the final choice of timing, likely in the last days of the month.
But since the Abyssals were using Okinawa as a base, they were certainly fortifying it—strongholds, airfields, ports. No one knew how many hard bones they would have to chew through.
At that thought, Takeshi sighed inwardly.
If Hikaru hadn't been driven away… if his Tirpitz were still here, this campaign would have two more measures of certainty.
He was still thinking of Hikaru when he suddenly heard his name spoken aloud, making him turn in doubt, wondering if it was his imagination.
It wasn't. Marshal Heizou had just brought him up.
"…It isn't an irreconcilable grudge. Could we not call him back, let him atone with merit?"
Takeshi's spirit stirred, and he carefully studied the faces of the marshals.
Ever since Hikaru's departure, he had heard nothing of him. In the military, no one mentioned his name. If they had to, they only referred to him and his shipgirl as that person and his shipgirl.
It was like a forbidden name.
And now, Marshal Heizou had broken that taboo.
Takeshi knew well—someone of Heizou's stature, however rough his appearance, would never raise such a matter lightly.
If he said to recall Hikaru, then there was at least a forty to fifty percent chance that contact had already been reestablished. Takeshi glanced around at the marshals' faces one by one, confirming his suspicion.
Could it be… that he might fight alongside Hikaru again? He had always known—the charges against him were laughable!
Excitement surged in his chest, but Gorou's words poured cold water over him.
"What, we can't fight a war without one so-called 'peerless god of war'? Bring him back? What's next, beg him on our knees? Utter nonsense!"
[End of Chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/BellAshelia]
[Thanks for your support!]