A third voice spoke coldly. "Even so, according to Yamato's report, Saratoga, Ranger, Bismarck, and the others in their group are all beings on par with Tirpitz. In the presence of such strength, the chance of these little tricks being discovered is still over ninety-five percent."
The first voice hissed with malice. "And the remaining five percent? You'd have to gamble that they were too badly wounded, too exhausted, their minds too clouded, and that they knew nothing of human treachery—so they'd leave themselves completely undefended against such things. Is that even possible?"
"But no word is still no word."
The second voice was calm, steady.
"You're wrong. No word is the worst news of all."
The third gave a long sigh, and silence fell over the room.
According to their plan, it was almost certain the enemy would notice those little ploys. And no matter how they reacted, Yamato should have returned immediately to report.
But Yamato hadn't returned. And the carrier aircraft they had sent could only circle a hundred nautical miles out—the inner airspace was under the control of those two carrier shipgirls.
That entire zone had become a black hole of information, and it made their hearts pound with dread.
No one dared take lightly a powerhouse like Hikaru's Tirpitz.
Now they hid within this lightless chamber, a safeguard against any method that might expose them. Crystal-ball scrying, divining staves, mist oracles—no supernatural art could pierce the warding darkness of this room. This was their fallback.
But even with such careful preparations, there were still things they could not foresee.
The tampering on that yacht had been done back when Yamato first departed. Who could have predicted that Hikaru would suddenly summon another group of shipgirls, each one no weaker than Tirpitz herself?
One Tirpitz alone was enough to make anyone's blood run cold. But several at that same level? The thought alone made their knees weak.
It was only when Yamato later returned with the draft treaty that they finally obtained the latest intelligence on Hikaru's shipgirls. By then, any chance to cancel the operation or undo their sabotage was long gone.
Yamato had handed over the draft and immediately taken the yacht to sea—before these people had even received the intel.
Had they known beforehand that the enemy's strength had multiplied several times over, they would have swept away every trick, erased every trace, and retreated back into hiding to await another chance.
But once set in motion, events were like a pawn crossing the river—there was no turning back. The only choice was to push forward desperately.
"Think positively," the second voice said. "Perhaps they didn't notice. When they bring the yacht ashore to sign the treaty, we'll retrieve the trinkets, and the job will be done."
"Let's hope so…"
The first sighed, then after a pause added, "If Yamato delays her return much longer, both the military and the Shipgirl Headquarters will surely dispatch people. Send someone to the scene—watch closely from nearby."
The third voice snapped irritably. "Why don't your people go?"
"Enough bickering," the second growled. "We're all in the same boat now. The last thing we need is to tear ourselves apart. I'll send my men to shadow them. That's final. Go—and keep in contact."
A swirl of black mist filled the room, and the three figures departed.
Yamato had been gone less than an hour when the shipgirl branch could no longer sit still.
They dispatched a delegation of more than ten.
The military, covering its intentions with vague excuses, accompanied the shipgirl delegation under the pretense of providing escort.
After all, Hikaru's base was partnered with the Eastern Division of Shipgirls. As for the military… to put it bluntly, relations were still hostile.
The delegation was intercepted a hundred nautical miles out.
Dozens of rainbow-painted B-25s blocked their path, signaling clearly: beyond this point, no entry without permission.
The entire group had no choice but to halt and await clearance.
[End of Chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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