“Well, that's not good...“ the Commander muttered under his breath. Then, addressing the line, he asked, “Memphis, since you're already on, can you tell me—has the headquarters meeting ended? Are there any problems?“

  “Nope, not a word so far. I'd take their silence as tacit approval to keep doing what you're doing,“ Memphis replied casually. “Oh, looks like more work is coming in on my end. I'm disconnecting—stay safe out there, Commander.“

  As the communication cut off, Greynar turned to the AI. “TB, activate and trace the coordinates of the Ashes' beacon.“

  ~Command confirmed. Ashes beacon intelligence is being downloaded,~ TB responded as a soft beep echoed and data began dispying on the Commander's screen. ~Analysis complete. Based on the signal characteristics, the Ashes member appears to be Hiryuu META. Location has been dispyed on the map.~

  Baltimore let out an impressed whistle. “Man, it’s a good thing we’ve managed to decrypt their signals. At least now we’ve got a shot at taking some proper countermeasures.“

  Birmingham nodded in agreement. “Yeah, though it’s still a shame we can’t get their exact location yet. That bulky decryption machine isn’t exactly portable, which makes things tougher.“

  “True,“ Reno chimed in. “But hey, the research team’s working on fixing that. In the meantime, we get to put the beacon locator through its paces.“

  “Yeah. If they could shrink it down to pocket-size, we’d be able to catch the Ashes off guard and force a confrontation,“ Baltimore said. She then noticed Enterprise’s unusual expression. “Enterprise...? Something on your mind?“

  Enterprise gnced at her. “It’s strange. Ashes only emit signals when they’re engaging in combat in a specific area. If they were trying to stay hidden, they’d avoid fighting altogether.“

  Baltimore’s eyes widened as the realization hit her. “Wait, are you saying this might be a trap to lure us in?“

  “Looks like she’s calling us out for a duel,“ Reno added with a bit of enthusiasm.

  “Or... she might not even know we’re here,“ Birmingham pointed out calmly. “Either way, Commander, what’s the pn? How should we handle this?“

  Greynar, who had been silently listening, gave a decisive nod. “We’ll proceed, but with caution. No unnecessary risks.“

  “She's broadcasting her location to us. Even if we ignore her now, there's a good chance she'll just show up again ter,“ Enterprise said, her cautious gaze fixed on the seemingly empty sea. She turned back to the fleet. “I say we take the chance and accept her invitation. Let’s find out what she’s after while we know where she is.“

  “TB, send aerial support from the Outpost and be ready to engage on my command,“ Greynar ordered.

  ~Orders received. Reying the message to the Outpost,~ TB responded in her usual mechanical tone.

  Greynar gave a small nod of approval. “Good. Now, let's move forward cautiously,“ he instructed the fleet, his gaze sweeping across the ships to ensure everyone was prepared.

  Moments ter, as they arrived at the coordinates, they were greeted by a scene of utter devastation. Drawing closer, they saw the shattered remains of Siren fleets strewn across the water, with wreckage abze and smoldering on the surface. Given that this was the work of an Ashes, it was a chilling reminder of their overwhelming power—far beyond that of an average shipgirl. This destruction was undeniable proof that the beacon coordinates had worked. They were redirected to an Ashes member.

  “Wreckage… so much Siren wreckage,“ Enterprise murmured, her gaze scanning the scene warily.

  “Well, doesn’t that save us a lot of trouble?“ Reno asked, though her eyes darted around, clearly on edge.

  “First warning; don’t move.”

  The sudden voice from behind froze the fleet in pce. Slowly, Enterprise turned, and there she was, Hiryuu. But this wasn’t the Hiryuu they knew.

  “Hiryuu…“ Greynar called out cautiously.

  “Long time no see, Commander.“ Her tone was sharp and unreadable. “It seems you've found a way to track us roughly.“

  “So, here you are, Hiryuu,“ Baltimore said, her brow furrowing as she stepped forward. “Why reveal your location? What do you want from us?”

  “You’ve been pestering me for quite some time,“ Hiryuu META replied with a huff, her tone tinged with irritation. “Frankly, I’m tired of it. I want you all to back off and leave us alone.”

  Baltimore crossed her arms, unfazed. “It’s not too te to surrender, you know. We could settle this on amicable terms.”

  At that, Hiryuu burst into ughter, her voice sharp and mocking. “Surrender? To a bunch of fools allied with Antiochus? Don’t make me ugh. There’s not a chance in hell.”

  “Allied with Antiochus…?“ Enterprise echoed, her brow furrowing in confusion.

  “Think about it,“ Hiryuu META sharp voice called out to them. “Have you ever stopped to wonder how they developed that coordinate tracker of yours? Or that thing you call TB? Do you even have the slightest clue where that technology comes from?“ She barraged them with questions, her piercing gaze challenging them to respond.

  “What are you implying?“ Enterprise asked with a calm voice. “I may not have been directly involved in the development of the TB system, but Saratoga oversaw the entire process. The same goes for the coordinate tracker—it’s a product of human ingenuity, verified by trusted personnel. That said…“ She paused, her expression clouding over. “While I have my own reservations, I can’t deny that some of the results from our scientific research might incorporate elements reverse-engineered from Siren technology.”

  “Reverse-engineering, you call it…“ Hiryuu scoffed, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “It’s rich that you cim to have verified it. Have you even seen the things you’ve supposedly reverse-engineered?“ she asked, her eyes narrowing sharply.

  “I...“ Enterprise started to respond, but the words caught in her throat.

  “See? Didn’t think so.“ Hiryuu’s tone sharpened. “Then there’s no point in confusing you further with an expnation. All I’ll say is this—I'm tired of being followed around.“ She pointed once more. “Enough talk. Let’s end this here, once and for all.”

  “Oh? Should I take that as an invitation to a formal duel? You want us to fight you? No holds barred?“ Baltimore asked.

  “You heard me right,“ Hiryuu replied, with a cold tone as she summoned her rigging. “You, the products of your world’s ingenuity, and me.“ She raised her arm, pointing toward the fleets. “Come at me all at once if you wish. You already know you don’t stand a shadow of a chance against me one-on-one.”

  “Commander! Give us an order,“ Enterprise asked with an urgent voice as she turned to Greynar.

  The Commander gritted his teeth, torn by the decision before him. He sighed deeply. Initially, he had hoped to resolve this without shedding any blood, but it seemed Hiryuu was intent on a physical confrontation and determined to stop them from following or prying into Ashes.

  “If we act rashly, it will only lead to more casualties...“ he murmured quietly to himself. “But it seems the only way to uncover her true intentions is through battle.“

  “So... what will it be, Commander?“ Hiryuu smirked, confident that victory would ultimately be hers.

  Greynar's gaze turned icy, his eyes narrowing as he locked onto Hiryuu's. “I'm sorry, but after using the beacon, our intention was to communicate, not to fight.“

  Hiryuu's smirk only widened. “Rather than letting your emotions cloud your judgment, you made the sound decision to avoid fighting... You are a wise tactician. What wasn’t wise, however, was trying to initiate a conversation with someone from Ashes in the first pce. For instance, Takao will never fall for your tricks.“ She shrugged. “Besides, I came here today ready to fight. There’s no point in turning back now.“

  “Tch… she’s already made up her mind,“ Baltimore muttered, furrowing her brows in frustration.

  “I won’t kill you,“the META Sakura said with a cold tone, “but I’ll make sure you’ll need to be towed back home. You won’t be following me any longer.“ She smiled, her expression almost mocking. “If you can survive and hold off my attack, I’ll share something you care about. How about that?“ She paused, the smile fading as she raised an eyebrow. “Or, you can still refuse to fight, and I’ll send you to a watery grave.”

  'Damn it, we have no choice, but that's exactly what she wanted. If I can honor her offer, then... I'll gdly reciprocate it,' he thought to himself.

  Hiryuu noticed Greynar’s slight smile, unaware of the object descending from above toward her location. A millisecond ter, she reacted just in time as it fell and exploded in front of her.

  “Airstrike support? So, you did come prepared. Heh, now this will be interesting!“ Hiryuu grinned. “You're really a sneaky one. Seems I underestimated your soft personality.“

  “Enterprise! Baltimore! Now!“ the Commander shouted as the shot was fired.

  The fleets fired their weapons at Hiryuu, but the META girl smiled widely, drawing her sword and chanting something under her breath as an ofuda paper flew toward the fleets. Enterprise, noticing it immediately, fired her arrow at the talisman. Baltimore, unching an attack from another direction, attempted to circle around Hiryuu. However, Hiryuu charged toward her, forcing Baltimore to grunt in pain as the heavy blow nded.

  Baltimore’s fist collided with Hiryuu’s sword, blocking the strike as the META girl attempted to slice her in two. At the same moment, Reno and Birmingham moved in, working together to nd a blow on Hiryuu. Birmingham struck from the left while Reno attacked from the right. Just as both fists were about to connect, Hiryuu leaped into the air, causing the two to hit each other instead, the impact sending them both off-bance.

  Sensing that Hiryuu wasn't fully committed to the fight, Enterprise changed her approach. She shot several arrows into the air, then signaled her fighters to dive toward Hiryuu, opting for a more direct assault rather than relying on gunfire. Hiryuu grinned widely, quickly putting up a barrier of ofuda in front of her. She then mirrored Enterprise’s pne formation, unching a counterattack with her own fighters, ready to engage in the same high-speed dogfight.

  As the pnes collided in a violent tangle of metal and fire, Enterprise propelled herself forward, targeting Hiryuu with a fierce, direct assault. But the META girl wasn’t caught off guard. With a swift motion, she sshed the air with her katana. The cut she made through the sky birthed a barrage of sshing waves, each one aimed at Enterprise with deadly precision. The air shimmered with energy as the deadly projectiles surged toward her, threatening to tear through the air and her resolve.

  Hiryuu maintained her distance, but the fleets were already being pushed back by her alone. Enterprise signaled for Baltimore to close the distance, but before they could make contact, Hiryuu vanished from her position. In an instant, she appeared behind Baltimore, delivering a swift kick that sent her flying to the side. Without missing a beat, Hiryuu hurled an ofuda at Enterprise, and the paper exploded right in front of her face, a blinding fsh of energy filling the air.

  “Nngghh...!!“ Enterprise was knocked back by the explosion. The fleets fell into a battle of attrition as Hiryuu reappeared directly in front of Enterprise.

  “You’ve lost. Leave now,“ Hiryuu said, her gaze cold and unyielding.

  “No... Not yet!“ Enterprise retorted, refusing to give up.

  Just as she spoke, Hiryuu sensed something aimed at her—Greynar's command fleet, along with the other mass-produced ships, fired their cannons in unison. Hiryuu, ever cautious, kept her distance, skillfully dodging the relentless salvo. With a swift motion, she conjured a barrier using her ofuda. It was a tricky one, but the real Hiryuu wasn’t inside the bubble of paper.

  “I'm here!“ Hiryuu shouted from the sky, a grin spreading across her face. She aimed her katana at the command ship, preparing to slice it in two.

  “I won't let you!“ Reno shouted, her gloves shimmering with light as she propelled herself from the water toward Hiryuu. “Eat this!“ Reno clenched her fist, meeting Hiryuu's katana in a csh.

  The shockwave from their csh reverberated across the entire sea and fleets, as if two superhuman forces were battling. The impact created a blinding light that illuminated the horizon, a terrifying dispy of raw power. From a distance, it was as though the very air had been split apart by their collision.

  “Ngghh... Gaahh!!“ Reno winced as her glove nearly cracked under the force of Hiryuu's katana, the impact sending her tumbling backward. Recovering quickly, she gritted her teeth and charged at Hiryuu once more. However, before she could close the distance, Hiryuu dispatched a Ryuusei bomber, intercepting Reno and forcing her to retreat.

  In the blink of an eye, a yellow-light arrow streaked through the air, exploding just inches away from Hiryuu. “Don't touch the Commander's ship!“ Enterprise shouted as she descended from above, colliding with Hiryuu in a powerful strike accompanied by her aerial squadron.

  Seeing an opening, Greynar immediately commanded the mass-produced fleet to target Hiryuu with their anti-air weapons while she was engaged with Enterprise. At the same time, he maneuvered his command ship to a safe distance, ensuring he would avoid any fallout from both girl's csh.

  It didn’t end there. Once both girls crashed into the water, Hiryuu swiftly shifted her focus, unleashing devastation upon the mass-produced ships around her. Her actions served as a stark warning to keep their distance. Meanwhile, Enterprise recovered from the impact and pulled back, unching another arrow at the META carrier.

  Hiryuu deflected the shot effortlessly, the resulting explosion erupting behind her and obliterating several mass-produced ships in its path.

  “She’s keeping just out of range of our cannons,“ Enterprise observed with a tense expression. “She’s not rushing in to incapacitate us, but she’s relentless with her assault.“ As she spoke, she loosed an arrow skyward and grabbed onto the nding gear of one of her fighter pnes.

  “Didn’t she say she wanted to finish this?“ Birmingham remarked, her voice edged with frustration. “Feels more like she’s just testing us.”

  “Wait, where are we?!“ Reno excimed, her eyes darting around as she noticed the area had drastically changed. “Weren’t we just at the pile of Siren wreckage she caused?“

  Birmingham quickly checked their location, her expression shifting to shock. Her eyes widened as she gasped, “We’re… in the central area of the NA Ocean!“

  “Fuck, this is the worst-case scenario,“ Greynar muttered. “We were so busy dealing with her that we didn’t even notice she was changing our location.“

  Suddenly, a reverberating boom echoed across the horizon. It sounded like a massive explosion, far rger than anything an isnd could contain. The deafening noise was followed by a series of clustered detonations, as if thunder itself had struck and unleashed chaos in its wake.

  The girls' faces went pale as the clouds dispersed, revealing a massive red isnd illuminated like a mechanical fortress under siege. The sound of a horn echoed ominously, signaling danger. It was a colossal Siren stronghold. In response to the threat, the fortress roared to life. Amid the storm, countless defense facilities activated, unleashing a relentless counterattack against the Hiryuu's provocation.

  “Are you INSANE?!“ Baltimore shouted. “What were you thinking?!“

  Hiryuu smirked, undeterred. “Well, if you're here for a reason, I must've been right. You came out here to perform recon on the Sirens, didn't you?“

  Baltimore gred at the distant fortress. “Floating isnd fortresses like this have only been seen sparingly in the Mirror Seas, but nothing on this scale. Hiryuu, now you've done it...“ she gripped her rigging tightly, intimidated.

  “This is the heart of Siren territory,“ Birmingham said with a mutter. “It makes sense they’d have defenses to match it. And now we know what we’re facing. We won’t defeat them here unless we go in with everything we've got.“

  “We wanted to find out the size of their forces, but this is NOT what we were hoping for!“ Reno shouted. “Commander, let's just run like hell! We can't fight Hiryuu and the Siren fleet at the same time!“

  “You won't have to,“ Hiryuu said, crossing her arms with a smug expression. “I'm content to leave it here for today.“ She waved casually before disappearing.

  “First you challenge us to a fight out of nowhere, then you just flee in the middle of it?“ Baltimore huffed. “You're a coward!“

  “Humph,“ Hiryuu's voice echoed from the distance. “If you want to keep dealing with the Ashes, you'd better get used to this feeling.“ Then, she vanished completely.

  “Hiryuu's pnes stopped firing at us... Are we really letting her go, just like that?“ Birmingham asked, scanning her radar.

  “Stay calm, Birmingham. We don't know the full extent of what Hiryuu is capable of, but we did learn a little more about her today.“ Enterprise replied, aiming her weapon at the Sirens before firing a yellow arrow. “And like Reno said, we can't possibly fight both her and the Sirens at the same time.“

  “Speaking of the devil...“ Baltimore gnced at the wave of massive fleets heading toward them. “Let's retreat for now.“

  “That should be enough for reconnaissance,“ Greynar said, giving the command. “We'll head back for today.“