[Guaaaaah!]
Twenty-seven armor-piercing shells rocked the Disaster, punching through its thick armor.
[Those tiny ships actually think they can threaten the Disaster?!]
Compared to the Disaster’s two-kilometer diameter, the hundred-meter-long cruisers were minuscule. While all twenty-seven shells had succeeded in piercing the hull, to a vessel of this scale, it was little more than a mosquito bite.
At this stage, the Disaster's Central Brain still looked down on Jin and his forces.
[Insignificant vessels like those are no match for me.]
A second volley roared out, and this time twenty-six shells struck home.
[Ngh, how impudent. We shall retaliate!]
A massive tornado erupted from the Disaster, churning the air and sea.
"Deploying solid barriers."
Under Laojun’s direction, the three cruisers raised their physical solid barriers.
"Waking up force generators. Fleet position fixed."
Next, they engaged their force generators to stabilize the ships, ensuring the violent winds wouldn’t toss them about.
[Hm?]
Despite taking the full force of the tornado, the three ships remained afloat and steady, showing no signs of distress.
[They withstood that?...Ugh, guaaaaah!]
The moment the tornado dissipated, another twenty-seven rounds slammed into the hull. To be repeatedly struck by ships belonging to the "barbarians" of this planet infuriated the Central Brain.
[Insolent pests! Take this!]
The Disaster deployed a new weapon. A violent explosion suddenly bloomed directly above the Yodo.
"Cruiser Yodo has sustained small-class damage."
The report reached Jin aboard the flagship Adriana.
"Hmm. Is that a magic attack of the same type as a mana explosion?"
The cruisers were protected by solid barriers, which were ineffective against magical attacks.
"Laojun, are you utilizing the ether analyzer?"
"Yes, My Lord," the reply came instantly. "The recent attack is similar in nature to a magi trans gun."
"Just as I thought."
Since Jin had developed similar weaponry, the method of defense was obvious.
"Deploy the magi-jammer."
"Yes. That should neutralize the threat."
The lightly damaged Yodo withdrew slightly, and the battleship Hotaka moved forward to join the fray.
The battleship opened fire with its main battery—six 30cm laser cannons. Then a second volley, and a third. The beams of light were drawn into the Disaster’s hull with unerring accuracy.
[Nuoooh?! This light!]
The Disaster had raised a magic barrier, but the optical weaponry bypassed it entirely, striking the hull.
[I cannot underestimate them...]
Even so, the damage remained minor—far from a fatal blow. But then, a different kind of vibration shook the Disaster.
[N-Now what?!]
The Central Brain scrambled to identify the cause and location of the impact. While the exact cause remained elusive, the damage was localized to the underside of the vessel, beneath the waves.
[Underwater forces...?!]
The Mermaid unit had attached mana bombs directly to the hull and detonated them via remote control.
[Ngh... there were no reports of such capabilities....Have they been deceiving this Central Brain?!]
The entity finally began to realize that its tactical data was severely flawed. Then, another series of explosions rocked the vessel from above.
[Aerial forces as well?!]
These were mana bombs dropped by the Falcon units. Since they were larger than the ones used by the Mermaid unit, the explosions were significantly more powerful. Finally, sections of the Disaster’s armor were torn away.
[Hmph... dreadful barbarians.]
Even now, the Central Brain refused to stop calling them barbarians as it projected a barrier to encase itself. The mana bombs began detonating against the surface of the barrier, sending only faint tremors through the Disaster's main body.
[To think I would be forced to retreat behind a barrier.]
To break the stalemate, the Central Brain immersed itself in strategic calculations.
"The Disaster has raised a barrier. It appears to be quite formidable."
Judging by the way the Disaster’s hull seemed to shimmer through the field, Laojun determined that optical weapons would likely be refracted or heavily attenuated.
"If this deadlock continues, the enemy will eventually suffer from a lack of mana. They will likely attempt another offensive before that happens."
Laojun considered utilizing the Aegis to deflect such an attack. The Aegis system, originally developed to intercept meteorites, was capable of blocking almost any physical assault.
"Its sheer size makes it a difficult target to neutralize effectively."
Laojun estimated that if they used enough mana bombs to destroy the vessel all at once, the resulting shockwave could potentially damage Planet Ars itself.
"We have no choice but to chip away at it gradually."
[Our stockpile of free ether is still more than sufficient.]
The Disaster's Central Brain monitored its energy levels with cold precision.
[Even at this output, we can operate for six months without resupply.]
The sheer volume of free ether it had usurped over the past millennium was staggering.
[It is a pity we cannot use it for our primary objective, but it cannot be helped. First, we must conquer this planet.]
The Disaster began the sequence to wake up a new weapon system.
[First, a tsunami.]
It was a magical strike identical to a Tidal Wave. It was a devastating attack against naval vessels—at least, against ordinary ones.
"It is triggering a Tidal Wave."
Laojun observed the phenomenon through the Peeper and issued the appropriate commands.
"We shall counter it in kind."
"Acknowledged....Engaging Great Tidal Wave."
The magi trans cannon aboard the battleship Hotaka let out a low, resonant hum as it prepared to fire.