The command hall of the main ship of the Karnot family fleet was spacious and brightly lit.
Holographic screens and visualization systems beyond imagination. Dimensional maps of the entire planet floated with millimetric precision while Kaisel Karnot observed them, surrounded by his admirals; all awaited the orders and instructions they would have to follow.
One of the officers operating a control panel spoke.
—We have connected to their communication network. With this, we can identify where they are strongest in this era. The political and territorial distribution has changed.
Kaisel nodded slightly. They did not know the current names. For him, this world was something entirely new.
Finally, he spoke while observing the maps showing the world's current distribution.
—We will divide the armada into four routes. According to what these maps of this era indicate, the Yamashiro division of twenty ships will advance through here. They call it the Asian Pacific. This used to be just a region of little importance… but now it appears to be very powerful.
He pointed to another region of the hologram.
—The Treiken unit of forty ships will cross the ocean in this direction toward what they call the American continent. They will split into two forces: one south and one north.
Admiral Ilyan Sereth looked at another section of the map with clear displeasure.
—The third will move around this area. They call it northern Russia… The Sevianko bases have always been there.
Those bastards.
He said it with a furious tone.
Kaisel continued:
—And the main fleet will come with me to this place. Where our mansion should always have been. We will go to free the rest of our family.
Around him, Admirals Ferdinan Voss, Kael Draxor, Ilyan Sereth, and Morvak Hale nodded without discussion. The orders were clear. They would attack on several fronts simultaneously.
Hours later, the first Karnot vanguard had already passed Japan's defenses and was approaching the Chinese coast.
Chinese coastal radar detected them.
At the Yellow Sea Naval Command Center, Admiral Li Wei stood before the main screen when the anomalies appeared. The energy signatures matched nothing known.
—Confirm origin and possible heading —he ordered firmly.
Commander Zhang Rui, radar specialist, responded:
—Multiple objects approaching. Constant speed.
Silence.
—So it's real —murmured Captain Chen Guoxiang.
There was no time for political or diplomatic debate. The order was immediate:
—Full mobilization. The fleet moves out to intercept. They will not reach our shores.
The first Karnot ships broke through the sea. Their gigantic structures caused astonishment even at a distance. Angular, without recognizable markings, they radiated an energy that interfered with communications.
Vice Admiral Wang Jian led the first group of Chinese destroyers. Alongside them sailed frigates, submarines, and aerial support units. Modern human technology facing something clearly superior.
On the command bridge, strategist Lin Xiaoyu spoke over the internal channel without taking her eyes off the tactical display.
—We were warned about this. That fleet devastated Japan in less than a day… but this is our coast. Our cities are here. Our people are here. We are not here to negotiate or retreat. We are here to defend what is ours, whatever the cost.
Admiral Li Wei replied firmly:
—Then let them come. Let them know this nation does not surrender. Every meter they try to take will be paid for dearly. Today we stand… and we stand together.
The first shot came from one of the Karnot ships. It crossed the sky like a blue lightning bolt.
A Chinese destroyer exploded within seconds.
No warning.
No negotiation.
The battle began.
The Chinese fleet responded with everything available: hypersonic missiles, guided torpedoes, heavy naval artillery, and combat drones.
For about forty minutes, it seemed they could maintain distance. Some enemy ships even showed visible damage.
But the technological gap soon became evident.
The energy and magical barriers possessed by the Karnot family fleet were unreal. They absorbed impacts that would have destroyed any normal ship. Their targeting systems were almost perfect. Their projectiles pierced armor as if it were paper.
The damage ratio became brutal.
—We won't be able to hold this much longer —warned Chen Guoxiang.
—We must buy time —Li Wei replied—. We are here so those on land can prepare for the real battle.
Chinese naval aviation then entered combat. Entire squadrons of fighters launched coordinated attacks to saturate enemy shields.
One squadron managed to damage the fleet's main ship. Its sensors shut down for a few seconds. The invading fleet reduced speed to reorganize.
That small delay changed everything.
On land, Chinese coastal batteries activated simultaneously. Anti-ship missiles, experimental electromagnetic cannons, and air defense systems saturated the area.
They could not destroy them.
But they did force them to retreat.
And that meant time.
The battle became a clash of endurance.
What remained of the Chinese fleet withdrew without breaking formation. Every minute gained allowed coastal cities to be evacuated, defenses to be prepared, and the international response to be coordinated.
In the main chamber, Kael Draxor observed the reports.
—They are persistent. They have neither magic nor technology comparable to ours… yet they have forced us back.
Ferdinan Voss replied:
—That is dangerous. We must not underestimate them.
Meanwhile, Kaisel Karnot listened to the full report without showing any reaction.
—Interesting —he said calmly—. These new generations are not what I expected.
He looked once more at the holographic map.
—So they call it Ireland now —he said quietly to himself while observing the projection.
And in a very distant chamber, Valerios smiled. The war had only just begun. Everything was proceeding according to my plan.