Book 4: Chapter 201: The Atypical Battle of the April Sea
Book 4: Chapter 201: The Atypical Battle of the April Sea
Within the April Sea, The Black Fleet, led by the Ocean Demon King Victoria, was currently engaged in a fierce battle with the New Moon Demonic Dragon and Sea Demonic Dragon Amy Beth’s Phantom Fleet. It was a horrifying sight to behold as both sides fired ordinary and magic-guided cannons at each other.
The Ocean Demon King Victoria stood on the deck of her fleet. However, the Siren King McMillan was the commander of this fleet instead of her. As a Demon King, she was not as capable when it came to commanding troops. Rather, she would typically take up the role of a hero. The Ocean Demon King Victoria was a classic example of a combat character, and directing troops in battle was clearly not her forte.
The Siren King McMillan had shrunk down to human size and was standing on the ship’s mast, observing the battlefield from above. Compared to the Ocean Demon King Victoria’s calm exterior, it appeared extremely alert. Even if the Demon King could afford to lose this battle, it did not have this privilege.
If The Black Fleet were to be destroyed, the Ocean Demon King Victoria could casually build another one with a different species of the Deep Sea Oceanic Race. However, the Siren King McMillan would have to be buried within the depths of the ocean along with the Black Fleet. The fate of the Sirens was in its hands, and McMillian had to exercise extreme caution.
“My Lord, we have discovered a new Mystery Fleet not far behind us. The flags being flown are the same as the Phantom Fleet. Do you think we are…”
“Behind us? There must be something wrong with their commander’s brain! Instead of taking the frontal advantage, they decided to shift to a position against the wind. Inform the warships in the back to turn around in preparation to attack. We must not allow them to have the opportunity to flock together.”
The Siren King McMillan was highly experienced in naval warfare. A few hundred years ago, it had defeated the human empires’ allied coalition fleet with less than a hundred warships. Back then, the human empires who wished to expand their territories had organized thousands of warships in their fleet.
Unfortunately, the Human Race of the past did not have much experience in naval warfare. Their warships had been equipped with many expensive magic-guided cannons, but humans were ultimately more suited for battles on land. In the end, the Siren King made use of their wind advantage and completely destroyed the Human Coalition’s fleet.
After the battle, the alliance of the various human empires fully abandoned any future plans of exploring the outside world. They had lost hundreds of thousands of imperial troops in vain and gained nothing at all. Instead, many of their magic-guided cannons had been robbed by the Sirens. Of course, the human empires would not reveal that they had been humiliated and had come up with a collective story that the fleet had sunk due to an unfortunate accident in a massive storm.
This time, the Siren King McMillan was the one that committed a mistake. It had used the logic and strategies it had applied to the human fleet on Bella’s Mystery Fleet, unaware that its previous methods were not suitable to be used on races other than humans. The fact that Bella’s Mystery Fleet dared to move against the tide was incredibly strange.
Bella’s Mystery Fleet went against the currents and was steadily moving towards the Black Fleet. Bella stood at the highest point of the forest on the Dragon Turtle King’s back and observed the battle in front of her. The size of the Black Fleet was much larger than the Deep Sea Fleet that Bella had encountered earlier and definitely had many more warships as well.
As for their firepower, the Black Fleet’s magic-guided cannons definitely surpassed the Phantom Fleet and Mystery Fleet in terms of both firing range and power. The New Moon Demonic Dragon Dorothea and Sea Demonic Dragon Amy Beth’s Phantom Fleet did not use the expensive magic-guided cannons and were using regular ones instead.
However, the Phantom Fleet made up for that disadvantage with their absurd tally of cannons. Making full use of their large numbers, they made up for the fact that they had been lacking in power. On the other hand, Bella’s Mystery Fleet did not have any cannons at all. The Mechanical Creator Andrea reckoned that they were far too primitive and old fashioned. Therefore, she did not install any for the Aquatic Metal Demonic Beings.
“Doesn’t that particular design represent the Aldridge Empire’s royal family? Everyone, halt. This bunch of Sirens is backed up by humans. We shall move according to the plan and prepare to proceed with the magical ceremony.”
Initially, Bella had no clue about the power of the Black Fleet’s magic-guided cannons. Using her monocular, she saw that the seal of the Arcana Nation, the Aldridge Empire, was embossed on the Black Fleet’s cannons. She immediately ordered the entire Mystery Fleet to stop their advance.
A typical human magic-guided cannon had a firing range of around two thousand meters. In contrast, a typical cannon could only fire up to anywhere from a few hundred meters to one thousand meters. Those magic-guided cannons were far more powerful than their regular counterparts. Also, the Siren’s magic-guided cannons were made by the Human Race. On top of that, those particular ones were designed for defensive warfare against the Demon Race in the north.
Such magic-guided cannons had demon-destroying incantations on them, which meant that they would be able to cause serious harm to Bella’s fleet of demonic beings. If not for their favorable wind and current position, the Phantom Fleet would not have been able to engage in battle with the Black Fleet at all.
However, the magic-guided cannons would take far longer than the regular cannons to reload and did not have as much ammunition. Dorothea and Amy Beth commandeered the Phantom Fleet, and with the advantage of the wind and current direction, the fleet gained momentum and sped towards the center of the Black Fleet’s formation.
This strategy was a double-edged sword. Many of the Phantom Fleet’s warships had been sunk by the Black Fleet’s magic-guided cannons before they could reach their opponent’s formation. However, if they did not fight in this way, the Phantom Fleet would end up being in an even worse state. The cannons on the Phantom Fleet did not have as much range as the Black Fleet’s magic-guided ones. If they had kept to their original formation, the Phantom Fleet would have ended up in an extremely awkward position, where they would bear the brunt of their opponent’s attacks, and yet their attacks would not land anywhere near their intended targets.
However, the Phantom Fleet’s sacrifice was not in vain. Once they entered their optimal range, the Phantom Fleet lined up in formation and released a round of ammunition towards their opponents. Their cannons managed to take down many of the Black Fleet’s warships that were busy trying to reload their demonic cores. Before the Black Fleet could unleash a second round of offensive, they were shot down by the opponent’s sudden “turn” of attack.
When McMillan was designing the Black Fleet’s warships, it had covered them with anti-demon materials. This was to provide protection against any potential enemies in the battle who had magic-guided cannons as well. However, it was a pity that the Black Fleet’s opponent this time was only using regular cannons. Those anti-demon materials were only effective as a defense against magical attacks and were utterly useless against pure chemical attacks from regular cannons.
Many of the Black Fleet’s warships’ decks had gone up in flames. No matter how well designed a warship was, it would not be able to withstand the barrage of flaming cannons in such close range. When it came to naval warfare in this Other World, they had no concept of having a rescue plan. Once a warship sank, there was no way of saving it. In addition, the lives of the sailors on board would be left up to fate.
Watching the roaring flames swallow up the slowly sinking warships, McMillan’s heart shattered into small pieces. The Black Fleet was the fruit of its labor for many years, and it had put in a lot of effort in creating each warship. As his beloved treasures sank beneath the surface, the Siren King McMillan’s mood worsened.
The Siren King McMillan was not the only one who was heartbroken. Bella was feeling the same as well, if not worse. If she were to continue fighting in this manner, the Phantom Fleet would be wholly destroyed long before the Black Fleet even lost half their numbers.
This was not a profitable exchange at all. Bella had used her jewels as payment to build her warships, and each one that sank was equivalent to throwing a small case of gold coins into the ocean. She could no longer wait for the Abyss Demonic Kings Krakent and Abigail’s reinforcements. The lesser they wait for the additional support, the more likely they would be able to cut their losses.
In the original battle plan, Bella’s Mystery Fleet was supposed to meet up with the Phantom Fleet, which had departed from the New Moon Island, to form a new defensive formation to face the Black Fleet’s attacks head-on. Unfortunately, the best-laid plans often go awry, and there had been a little incident with the Deep Sea Fleet, causing a delay in the original departure time. By the time the Mystery Fleet had arrived, the Phantom Fleet was already engaged in battle with the Black Fleet.
At this point in time, if they were to force their way into the battle as reinforcements for the Phantom Fleet, it would cause even more chaos to ensue. Furthermore, there was a possibility that it would disrupt the Phantom Fleet’s momentum as well. After much serious consideration, Bella decided to go around the back instead. She would corner the Black Fleet from behind and join hands with the Phantom Fleet to destroy their enemy.
After the naval battle, Bella had thought of taking advantage of the situation to reimburse some of her own losses from the Aldridge Empire. After all, it was the Arcana Nation’s magic-guided cannons that ultimately led Bella to her defeat. The human empire’s coalition fleet was the worst! Never mind the fact that they did not even make full use of their own magic-guided cannons, the Sirens who had stolen them were much more skilled at using them than the humans!
Bella was under the impression that other than Princess Ariel, the Aldridge Empire had many other gorgeous female mages as well. Therefore, she believed that she would have more “benefits” to reap in the future. For the sake of those pretty magicians, she would not mind losing out a little in this naval battle.
The Mystery Fleet’s warships floated on the surface of the water. They were made of Deep Sea Magical Beasts that were similar to the Leviathan Beasts. Compared to a traditional wooden ship, it was more mechanical and automated. Thus, it was not difficult for the warships to suddenly come to a stop while on the water.
As the magic-guided cannons had anti-demon runes engraved on them, they would be able to cause severe harm to the Leviathan Beasts as well. The nature of these beasts was similar to a typical demonic being. Technically speaking, Bella was related to demons as well.
The Siren King McMillan was getting increasingly antsy even though Bella’s Mystery Fleet was currently downwind and was not suited to engage in cannon-type attacks. However, she had never planned to use cannons in the battle at all.
Looking out at the Mystery Fleet that was still observing the situation in the distance, the Siren King McMillan was so angry that he wanted to scream. With the help of the wind, the fleet on the other side was moving extremely quickly. As such, at that moment, neither party was restricted to the “T-Position”.
Even with the Mystery Fleet lurking in the background, McMillan did not dare order anyone to attack Bella and the others in fear that the Black Fleet would be separated by the Phantom Fleet and eventually meet its demise.
Presently, both parties were at least three thousand meters away from each other. If not for Bella’s handy-dandy monocular, she would not have been able to see who was steering the ship.
Keeping a distance of three thousand meters, they were just out of range of the magic-guided cannons. If Bella’s Mystery Fleet did not approach, the Siren King McMillan did not dare to give chase as well. Right at this moment, the demonic beings on Bella’s side began to stir.
The Leviathan Beasts bobbed up onto the surface of the ocean. The Hadyn Wyverns on the beasts’ backs stretched out their wings and took off for the skies right above the Black Fleet. Numbering more than ten thousand, they grouped together into a formation that made them look like fighter jets as they flew into the distance.
Most of the Black Fleet’s flying-type Sirens had already left to fight against the Phantom Fleet’s Flying Devils. Those that had remained behind were quickly defeated by the horde of Hadyn Wyverns.
Many of the flying-type Sirens had fallen into the sea after being killed by the Hadyn Wyverns. In terms of both size and power, the wyverns definitely had the upper hand. Each one was able to take down at least five flying-type Sirens on their own. Before long, the Hadyn Wyverns, together with the Flying Devils in front, had taken over the airspace above the April Sea.
The design of the Black Fleet’s warships were similar to the humans’ coalition fleet back then. The magic-guided cannons installed onboard could neither be elevated adequately nor could it be moved easily. This meant that these cannons could not be modified or adjusted to engage in airstrikes.
After gaining control of the skies, most of the Hadyn Wyverns returned to the backs of the Leviathan Beasts to take a break. The Demonic Knights who had been waiting there, the Dragon Knight Edison, climbed onto the wyverns, bringing along many wooden barrels that looked as though they were used to store fine wine. However, based on the tight seal on the barrels and their weight, they clearly were not intended for that purpose.
Once each Hadyn Wyvern had been fully loaded with the new equipment, they once again took to the skies. This time, every wyvern had a few dozen mysterious barrels on it. In addition, there was a three-meter tall and heavily built Edison Knight on them as well.
The Dragon Turtles who had been assigned as “backup ships” did not stand by without doing anything either. A strange fog rose up from the mysterious forests above the Dragon Turtles’ backs, causing the once clear skies above the April Sea to be swiftly covered in a pure white magical mist. It was as though it had suddenly turned cloudy.
With their new “racks”, the Hadyn Wyverns flew right into the magical fog. Momentarily stunned, the Siren King McMillan could not figure out what Bella’s Mystery Fleet was up to. The magical fog had obscured its vision, preventing it from seeing what those Hadyn Wyverns were doing above the clouds.
However, it did not have to wait long to find out. Soon enough, countless barrels began to fall from the sky and smashed into the Black Fleet’s warships with surgical precision. As soon as the barrels came into contact with the warship’s deck, they ignited, resulting in powerful explosions everywhere.
Sparks flew once again. The sides of the ship were rather sturdy and were able to withstand a few cannonball attacks. However, in comparison, the decks were quite flimsy, and it would not be able to take many blows before it was destroyed.
With the blasts caused by the mysterious falling barrels, many of the warships had been blown through and were about to sink. These exploding barrels had been designed and created by the Mechanical Creator Andrea at Bella’s request, there were all sorts of explosives within them.
Above the layer of magical clouds, the Edison Knights stood on Haydn Wyverns’ backs and used the other wyverns’ location underneath the clouds as a marker. Single exploding barrels were then pushed off their rides.
This particular strategy was similar to how bombing planes operated in the previous world. This was a weird move that Bella had come up with at the spur of the moment. Little did she know that the first time she put this to the test would cause the Black Fleet to be at a complete loss. In this Other World, they had no knowledge of “airstrikes”, let alone “carpet bombing”.
The April Sea at this point in time was basically an Other World’s reenactment of “Naval Airstrike Warfare”. The Hadyn Wyverns rising off the backs of the Leviathan Beasts looked as though they were fighter jets lifting off an aircraft carrier deck, which then began to attack and bomb the Black Fleet furiously.
This was the Other World’s version of “Aircrafts” versus “Battleships”. No matter how powerful the Black Fleet’s magic-guided cannons were, their attacks would not be able to reach the Leviathan Beasts. The Sirens could only look on helplessly as their warships were being bombed and destroyed, with no way to retaliate.
The Sirens did not have any effective weapons to fight against airborne threats, and they lost control of the airspace above the Black Fleet to the Hadyn Wyverns. Furthermore, those who were able to fly had all been killed. If they could not regain control of the skies, the Sirens could only dream about fighting back.
The Edison Knights hid behind the Hadyn Wyverns as they continued to throw barrels downwards, using the wyverns’ resilient scales as cover. In any case, the attacks from the ground would not be able to reach them. If anyone wanted to kill it, they would have to kill the Hadyn Wyvern first.
“This battle strategy… I give up. It seems like I’m too old for this, and I can no longer keep up with the times. However, I have not lost it. The Siren King does not lose…”
Before the Siren King McMillan could finish its sentence, the Black Fleet’s flagship was hit with a barrage of “exploding barrels”. Since the flagship’s design and flag were incredibly unique, it did not take long before the Edison Knights, who had been tasked to bomb the enemy, caught sight of their “new prey”.
Dozens of exploding barrels simultaneously crashed into the Black Fleet’s flagship. Just as one thought that the flagship had been blown to smithereens, a layer of blue magic surrounded the ship. The exploding barrels blew up at the protective layer and did not hit its deck at all.
“Your Excellency, thank you for coming to my aid…”
“Whatever. McMillan, you have already lost this battle.”
“Hold on… Your Excellency, I have not been defeated! Wait…”
The Ocean Demon King Victoria rose up into the sky and left the Siren King McMillan for dead. The opponents were not human, and thus this was a war between demonic beings. According to the decorum, there was no need for a Demon King to interfere directly. This was one of the rules that had been set by the Demon Kings.
If a demonic being needed a Demon King to step in for them to win the battle, it was not worthy of serving its liege in any way. If the Demon King could settle everything on their own, they would not need any demonic beings as their underlings at all. Even though the Siren King McMillan was still trying to put up a brave front and refused to admit defeat, the Ocean Demon King Victoria already knew that it had lost.
First of all, the Black Fleet had been attacked by the Phantom Fleet. Then, it was surrounded and attacked by the Mystery Fleet. Lastly, it was destroyed by the “carpet bombing”. Throughout the entire course of events, the opponent had kept their hold of the airspace above the April Sea. Thus, with the upper hand in the battle, it would be bizarre if Bella did not emerge as the winner this time.