In fact, the Red-Haired One even wanted to launch the offensive early, hoping to resolve everything before the northern N-Class flagships arrived—so that she could bundle up all the spoils for herself and leave nothing to share.
That left Abyssal Yamato troubled.
The originally planned five million-strong Abyssal army had been mauled in Bismarck's counterattack, leaving them with less than one and a half million.
And the X.Fliegerkorps and Fortress Princess who were supposed to reinforce them from Base 544 were still crawling along.
Airport Princesses and Fortress Princesses always moved with their bases in tow, drifting at a snail's pace that defied belief.
With only the current force, and especially given their weak anti-air, Yamato felt like they were about to smash headlong into an iron wall.
Naturally, she was mocked mercilessly for voicing her concerns.
Lifting her head, Abyssal Yamato gazed south.
At this distance she couldn't possibly see the Naval District.
Am I afraid? Of course not. Then why… why did I lose control and flee last time?
Once again she touched her horn, shaking her head.
No matter what, such humiliation could only be washed away in blood!
"Kimchi and Purple Cabbage, Abyssal Hindenburg, Abyssal Zumwalt, plus two other unknown Abyssal flagships. And around thirty to forty standard type, max-level Abyssal flagships. Initial estimate: at least 1.2 million Abyssal forces."
"Kimchi" and "Purple Cabbage" were nicknames used for Abyssal Musashi and Abyssal Yamato, based on the colors of their power. Hikaru's Naval District had fought them so often—dozens of times whenever he got "diligent"—that the two tireless "workhorses" had become familiar adversaries.
As Lexington delivered her intelligence report, she looked puzzled.
Standard Abyssal flagships were indeed stronger than ordinary max-level Abyssals, but still half a tier weaker than exclusive-named flagships. And in battles between elites, half a tier was an abyssal gulf.
The Abyssals knew this too—so why was their main force only six?
Bismarck asked, "Can you tell what their levels are?"
Lexington shook her head. "Too hard to get close. Their escort fighters are everywhere."
While there weren't named types like Abyssal Shoukaku or Abyssal Akagi among them, sheer numbers made up for it. Tens of thousands of Abyssal fighters darkened the skies, while Lexington's carrier wing only numbered in the dozens. Enough ants could bite an elephant to death.
So trying to probe their strength with close-range attacks was impossible—especially when the enemy could still mask their true power.
"Even if they're all level-100 flagships, it still feels too few," Hikaru mused. "Are they holding something back?"
No one could fault his confidence. He had the miracle of Elite Damage Control Fairies on his side, and Abyssal flagships generally couldn't refuse single-combat challenges. Just six flagships? Anyone who knew how Tirpitz once fought three at once in the middle of hundreds of thousands would see that as nowhere near enough.
Compared to back when his only main force was Lexington and Tirpitz, Hikaru's strength had ballooned two or threefold.
Even little Changchun, despite being a "small-ship type," was now counted among the main force!
The Abyssals might not yet know of Changchun, but the newly arrived Saratoga and Bismarck certainly did. To take them so lightly—unthinkable.
"There's only one explanation," Bismarck said, tapping the map at the icons for the enemy flagships. "They have Abyssals who've broken past level 100. Possibly more than one."
The shipgirls all showed troubled expressions. If they couldn't rely on their champions to win through single combat, then once they were dragged into the Abyssal army's grinding meat-grinder war, the Naval District's lack of numbers would become a crippling weakness.
An Abyssal flagship over level 100 might be too much even for Tirpitz and Bismarck to handle alone.
But while the shipgirls frowned, Hikaru only smiled and shook his head.
"There's no need to worry too much. If the Abyssals had attacked a few days earlier, I would've been concerned. But now? Their best timing has already passed. I'd say it's our turn to give them a surprise."
[End of Chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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