As Formidable’s pne circled, what seemed to be the Eagle Union’s fleet, the fleet below was visibly relieved to meet with fortunate luck. It was Bush and Atnta who had gotten lost in the Royal Navy’s territory. They were waving at her pne, Formidable confirmed it with Wales, they then went to meet with the lost fleet.

  Moments ter, the two fleets finally came face-to-face. Wales stepped forward, her calm and confident demeanor setting the tone. “We picked up your distress signal,“ she began, her voice steady but curious. “I’m Prince of Wales, leading the Royal Rescue Fleet. This isn’t exactly Eagle Union territory—what brought you here, and what happened?“

  Her eyes scanned the group, noticing their ck of proper armaments. It was clear they hadn’t come here ready for a fight.

  From the Union’s side, Atnta stepped forward, offering a respectful nod. “Thank you for coming to our rescue. I am Atnta, cruiser of the Eagle Union. We were originally conducting a scientific research mission assigned by NY Command, but we were ambushed by the Sirens during the operation...“

  Formidable raised an elegant brow, her curiosity piqued by the cruiser's statement. “A scientific research mission? In a sector that’s practically become a battlefield? What exactly were you sent here to investigate?“

  Atnta stepped forward, looking a bit weary but composed. “Here’s what happened,“ she began. “We were cleaning out a Siren b earlier when the combat teams found something... off. Headquarters decided it was worth looking into, so they had us escort a research ship to investigate. We managed to recover some weird samples, but on our way back, we got ambushed by a ton of Sirens in a Mirror Sea.“

  “Just when we thought we were done for, someone showed up out of nowhere and saved us. The crazy thing? She looked exactly like Ark Royal. She wiped out the Siren fleet like it was nothing... then disappeared just as quickly.“ Bush added. “And, we didn't even have the chance to thank her!“

  The girls on the Royal Navy's side exchanged uneasy gnces, their brows furrowing in unison. Something about Atnta’s story didn’t sit right. Formidable crossed her arms, her thoughts spilling into murmured words. “Ark Royal isn’t assigned to this zone... But there’s no way your fleet could’ve taken out that many Sirens on your own. Could it have been... the Ashes?“

  Bush tilted her head, curiosity sparking in her expression. “Ashes? What’s that?“

  “I want to know too! You were talking about them on the way here!“ Le Téméraire chimed in, she was curious too about the thing they said.

  “Temmy...“ L'Opiniatre gently nudged her sister, her tone carrying a note of caution. “It’s not polite to pry like that.“

  “What? I’m just curious, Opie!“ Le Téméraire protested, shrugging off the nudge with an innocent pout. “Im sure, you are too.“

  “Did the NY Command seriously send you out here for scientific research without giving you the full picture?“ Formidable groaned, crossing her arms in exasperation.

  “Unfortunately, info about the Ashes is still cssified,“ Wales replied, offering a calm, reassuring smile. “It’s no surprise you haven’t been briefed on them.“

  “Sure, but shouldn’t they at least clue in the fleets actually out here fighting?“ Formidable huffed. “Now we’re stuck expining it.“

  Wales raised a hand, signaling her to calm down. “Let me handle this,“ she said, turning to the group. “The person who saved you by destroying the Siren fleet—the one who resembled Ark Royal—is part of the Ashes. They look like us, wield immense power, can’t be picked up by radar, and refuse to communicate. Their actions are entirely unpredictable, and we have no idea about their origins or their true intentions.“

  “They are very dangerous group and definitely one you shouldn't cross sword with.“ Formidable added.

  Her tone grew more serious as she continued. “While they helped you this time, remember this: the Ashes are not our allies. I can’t disclose much more, but the Commander or Enterprise might be able to provide additional insights. And Temmy, Opie,“ she said, gncing at the curious sisters, “if you’re still curious, Richelieu might have answers for you when you’re back.“

  “Really? Do you think she’d tell me?“ Téméraire asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

  Wales chuckled softly. “I’m sure she would. But let’s focus for now—there’s no point lingering here. We should head back to one of our ports first.“

  “Wait...“ Atnta interjected with a slight hesistant voice. “The sample from the mass-produced Siren we collected got lost when we were attacked earlier. If we don’t recover it, I won’t be able to complete the mission...“

  Formidable sighed heavily, pcing a hand on her forehead. “Are you serious? You won’t be able to complete the mission if you’re sunk, either. In your current state, you’re practically bait for sharks. This is LD Command’s territory, and you need to follow orders. Head back with us to the Royal Port for repairs—immediately.“

  “Okay...“ Atnta replied in a small, defeated voice.

  “Alright, then,“ Formidable announced, her tone sharpening as she addressed the fleet. “Everyone, form a guard formation and prepare to move. The rescue mission isn’t over yet, so stay alert and don’t let your guard down!“

  The fleets returned to the nearest base within Royal Navy territory. With Atnta and Bush under escort, Formidable and Wales led the formation at the front, while the two Iris Libre destroyers, accompanied by Grenville, guarded the rear. Along the way, the group chatted about the ongoing operation, with the main topic revolving around the Commander and his pn about the operation. Atnta and Bush, in particur, spoke enthusiastically and fondly about their Commander, they talked a lot about their Commander's feat.

  ※ ※ ※

  In the NA Ocean Core sector of the Outskirts, the Royal Navy's main fleet was methodically decimating the Sirens, their overwhelming firepower threatening to engulf the enemy forces entirely. However, the Sirens' sheer numbers and relentless counterattacks forced the Royal Navy to unleash the full extent of their firepower. Hood and York joined Warspite, along with other fleet members, to establish an outpost as a strategic base for the operation.

  A relentless barrage of salvos rained down upon the Siren fleet, crashing against their armored hulls and reducing their ships to shattered remnants with thunderous explosions. The mass-produced vessels of the Royal Navy joined the assault, unleashing their own relentless firepower upon the Sirens. Meanwhile, the shipgirls surged forward, either charging headlong to tear through the Sirens with raw determination or executing strategic maneuvers to deftly evade incoming fire from the enemy.

  “The closer we get to the core sector, the more fiercely the Sirens fight back,“ Hood remarked, her gaze fixed on the chaotic battlefield ahead.

  “You're right,“ Warspite replied with a slight smile. “Now that we're attacking the Sirens from multiple directions and compressing their front line like this, it’s only natural they’d put up more resistance. It might feel like an easy win for us in this operation, but something about it still feels... strange.“

  “The prey's final struggle before death only makes its blood taste sweeter,“ York added with a low chuckle, licking her lips in dark amusement.

  “Nevertheless, that’s all we needed to do,“ Warspite said confidently. “We cleared the enemies across the entire area within the scheduled timeframe and successfully pushed the battle line to the outskirts of the core sector. Once we finish establishing the Outpost, we’ll have a solid foothold in the heart of the NA Ocean. From there, we can link up with the Commander once everything is in pce, marking the final stage of our operation.“

  “Everything’s been going smoothly. At this rate, we'll be done with the first phase of the operation soon.“ Hood said. “Then, all that remains is to unch an all-out attack against the Sirens.“

  Then, Queen Elizabeth hologram appeared as her ugh was heard by Hood. “Hehehe, I didn’t expect us to advance to the Sirens’ doorstep so quickly, even outpacing the Eagle Union fleet,“ the Queen said with a pride and satisfaction. “Very good. You’ve done an excellent job, Hood, Warspite.“

  “Thank you for your compliment, Your Majesty,“ Hood replied with a graceful nod. “And have you completed your preparations as well?“

  “Although it has been a bit bumpy... it's finally over!“ Elizabeth decred with a note of triumph. “We have signed a temporary ceasefire agreement with the Crimson Axis concerning the NA waters. The agreement will officially take effect this afternoon, and the headquarters will announce the news to everyone shortly.“

  “That's great! With the ceasefire in effect, we can mobilize more fleets to support our next move,“ Hood said, her tone lightening with optimism. “The capitals should contribute by deploying additional fleets as well.“

  Elizabeth let out a weary sigh, her expression tinged with frustration. “You won’t need to worry about the Iron Blood fleet roaming the seas for the time being. That being said, I don’t particurly like the idea of them moving around unchecked either. The negotiations nearly fell apart thanks to that Tirpitz incident...~“ She trailed off, shaking her head with an exasperated smile.

  “But Your Majesty still managed to overcome these challenges! A magnificent job indeed,“ Warspite praised with a warm smile.

  The hologram flickered briefly before Elizabeth responded with a haughty humph. “What may seem impossible for others is mere child's py for me! Taking advantage of this opportunity, I also conducted a thorough reconnaissance of the Crimson Axis's activities. As for the Sakura Empire’s fleet... Akagi herself is here. I’ll have Sheffield send you the details ter.“ She paused, her gaze shifting as she noticed the absence of certain key figures. “By the way, where are Wales and Formidable?“

  “Allow me to expin,“ Hood interjected calmly. “During our previous operation, we received a distress signal from the Eagle Union research fleet. Prince of Wales successfully rendezvoused with the distressed fleet and is currently escorting them back to the isnd port.“

  “Research fleet...? Hm...“ Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, a frown creasing her brow, prompting the others to tilt their heads in curiosity.

  “Is something the matter, Your Majesty?“ Warspite asked in concern.

  “No, but I am curious... What do you think of assigning such a small force to act independently when there’s such a rge-scale operation underway?“ Elizabeth mused. “Anyway, you must abide by your duties. I am leading the fleet here and will meet you at the front line ter. Ending the communication.“

  With that, the queen's hologram vanished in an instant.

  The girls sighed in unison, with Hood being the first to speak. “Something seems to have upset Her Majesty...“

  “No smoke without fire, as they say,“ York added. “If the Eagle Union is sending fleets to investigate, they must know something we don't.“

  “Don't think too much about it. Just focus on the battle,“ Warspite said. “Unfortunately, we have our own problems. Hood, take a look at this.“ She called to the battlecruiser and handed her a tablet.

  “What is this...?“ Hood muttered as she scrolled through the recent logs.

  “The message was sent at the same time as the previous communication from His Majesty. The second outpost was unable to operate successfully due to an abnormal phenomenon, and the fleet temporarily evacuated the target sea area for safety reasons,“ Warspite expined, tapping the log.

  “Another abnormal phenomenon...“ Hood murmured. “How many traps have the Sirens set up in the sea? We can't keep going on like this.“

  “Hood, to ensure the smooth progress of the operation, I would like to personally lead a fleet to escort the second outpost's re-operation. This time, we'll conduct a thorough check,“ Warspite reassured her. “Don't worry, our pn remains the same. We need to establish more outposts and push directly into the NA Ocean's core.“

  Hood was initially reluctant but eventually nodded. “It shall be done. Good luck, Warspite.“

  “You too... God save the Queen,“ Warspite said as she led her fleet forward.

  After sailing for some time, Warspite and her fleet encountered minimal resistance from the Sirens. Most of the forces they faced were Mark II units, tough and resilient, but no match for Warspite’s overwhelming power. Her weapons and sword proved far more deadly—each swing of her bde sent an airwave powerful enough to slice through a Siren ship with deadly precision.

  Half of the maid corps followed closely behind Warspite as she led the fleets toward the second outpost in the core area. As they neared their destination, they were met by Edinburgh groups, she quickly stepped forward to expin the situation.

  “Everyone, pay attention, this is it! Just move a little closer, and you'll see...“ Edinburgh called out, firing her rigging. “Something is off in this area waters, our Outpost almost done but this happened!“

  The shell fired from Edinburgh’s gun suddenly veered off course, plummeting harmlessly into the ocean. Without warning, another shot was fired, arcing high into the sky before nding above the sea ahead, where there appeared to be nothing unusual.

  “I knew it... Something is off. There's no sea breeze, yet the trajectory of the shell in the air is distorted... causing it to nd closer than expected,“ Warspite murmured, her expression tense with suspicion.

  “Even the second shell traveled farther than the first one,“ Rodney observed, her tone calm but ced with curiosity.

  “Yes! It's such a strange situation... The trajectory of the shells changes every time the artillery is fired,“ Norfolk added, nodding her head quickly.

  “Edinburgh first noticed this while engaging the Sirens in this area,“ Kent expined, her voice carrying a hint of frustration. “After the battle, we went in to investigate further, and things just got weirder! While sailing through those waters, sometimes I felt light and floaty, like I was about to lift off, and other times I could barely keep my rigging upright. It's like the gravity across the whole area is completely messed up.“ She huffed, crossing her arms, clearly she was annoyed by the weird phenomena.

  Suffolk nodded in agreement with Kent, her usual casual demeanor slipping. “I won’t even be able to sck off at this rate! Err... I mean, I can’t even do my job properly with this abnormal gravity!“ she said, stumbling over her words slightly. “Many of the floating dock's functions aren't working as they should, and construction work has come to a standstill because of it.“

  Rodney murmured as she narrowed her eyes, focusing on the air as though searching for answers. “The change in gravity expins the abnormal trajectory of the artillery shells... but why did gravity change in the first pce?“

  Warspite nodded.“Your intuition is correct. There’s no natural phenomenon that could cause such a sudden and localized change in gravity.“ She gnced at the surrounding waters, her expression hardening. “The Sirens must have deployed some sort of device within a Mirror Sea to manipute the environment.“

  “So... Uhh... Now that we've figured it out, we don't have to go back in there, right?“ Suffolk said in curious tone. “If i could just sck... I mean, fight the Siren like a normal person.“

  “Of course we will, but we must be cautious, everyone follow me, prepare for an incoming fight.“ Warspite commanded as she led the fleets. “We will destroy the device that caused this and turn everything normal, Eagle, you're up.“

  “Alright, Recon pne unch!“ Eagle, the carrier behind the fleet unched her pnes.

  As the fleet followed the Eagle Union's reconnaissance pne, a group of Siren ships halted their advance, seemingly wary but still tracking the pne from a distance. Warspite, standing resolute on the deck, gripped her broadsword tightly. With a swift, calcuted swing, the weapon radiated a surge of energy that sliced through the air, tearing the surface of the water apart in its wake. The unleashed force struck a Siren battleship with devastating precision, splitting it in two as the explosion illuminated the sea around them.

  Rodney charged through the Siren fleets with fierce determination, her rigging humming as she drew her sword. With a swift, powerful ssh, she cleaved through the nearest Siren ship, sending debris scattering across the water. Without hesitation, she turned and fired her turret at point-bnk range, the explosive rounds tearing through the enemy's hull. The distorted gravity made long-range attacks unreliable, forcing many of the Royal Navy ships to rely on close-quarter combat and physical strikes to tear through the Siren forces. Despite the challenges, the fleet fought with unrelenting ferocity, determined to push forward and trailed the recon pne.

  Eagle's recon pne transmitted a new reading, revealing the presence of a rge, facility-like structure rising ominously from the depths. Moments ter, Suffolk's voice crackled through the comms.

  “Suffolk, Edinburgh and I found a strange Siren! No matter what attacks we throw at it, it won't fight back! But our firepower can't penetrate its armor... This stalemate is depleting our ammunition! We need backup!“ Suffolk's voice crackled urgently over the comms.

  “A Siren that isn't fighting back? Has it lost its command module, or is it immobile?“ Warspite murmured, trying to make sense of the situation. “Everyone, move to Suffolk's location now! Eagle, destroy that facility and take some of the mass-produced fleets with you. I'll investigate what’s happening on their end.“

  “Understood!“ Eagle responded firmly, veering off in a separate direction.

  Minutes ter, they arrived at Suffolk and Edinburgh's location, where they were engaged with a strange Siren that seemed completely out of pce. The figure stood confidently—dark-skinned with long grey hair and piercing yellow eyes. She wore a bck crop top, shorts, and thigh-high boots, her battle-hardened appearance highlighted by her giant mechanical arms and scarred skin. A massive rigging was slung across her back, and looming beside her was a ship turret, adding to the intimidating presence of this mysterious Siren.

  “What is this... model...“ Rodney murmured as her word trailed off.

  Testing the Siren's reaction, Warspite rushed forward, her weapon at the ready to strike. However, something felt off. The Siren didn't move or show any signs of aggression. It simply stood there, coldly staring at the girls. A forcefield surrounded the Siren, protecting her from Warspite's attack, but still, the Siren remained completely passive, not taking any action at all.

  The battleship then backed away as she gazed at the Siren. “Sure enough, this is a weird one,“ Warspite muttered, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

  “Let me try!“ Rodney called out, aiming her rigging at the Siren and firing her turret. However, something strange happened. The Siren remained unaffected, and no explosion occurred at all.

  Warspite's face grew even grimmer as she watched the strange scene unfold. “We need to retreat,“ she murmured, realizing the situation was far more dangerous than they had anticipated.

  “Eh?! How could this happen? Did I miss the target?“ Rodney, still baffled, tried to make sense of the situation.

  “Rodney, retreat! We're leaving this Siren alone. Everyone, let's head back!“ Warspite commanded firmly.

  “Why?“ Rodney turned to her it was evident that she was confused, Warspite usually not the one who initiated retreat.

  “I'll expin ter. For now, we retreat!“ Warspite urged, her tone leaving no room for argument.

  Suddenly, the Siren in front of them moved, catching everyone by surprise. But just as quickly, it vanished—either teleporting or perhaps a hallucination.

  “The Siren... suddenly vanished...?“ Kent commented, her voice ced with disbelief.

  “What is going on this time?“ Edinburgh groaned, adjusting her gsses in frustration. “I've been experiencing so many strange situations since we arrived. How am I supposed to write the report after this...?“

  “Warspite, something feels familiar about that Siren,“ Rodney muttered, her brow furrowed in thought. “I'm not sure what it is, but I think we’ll be able to defeat it. It’s like there’s something we're missing. Either that Siren was testing us, or it was trying to tell us something.“

  “You're right,“ Warspite replied, her voice low and serious. “It seems there will be a fierce battle ahead.“ She gnced around, her expression hardening. “The current situation is urgent. Don't hold back—use all your ammunition, fight with everything you've got, and destroy the enemy! Secure the Outpost, and then we’ll report this to Her Majesty immediately!“