The Tidal Wave and the Great Tidal Wave clashed head-on.
Massive walls of water collided, sending plumes of spray high into the air. Simultaneously, the magic formulas generating the waves struck one another, canceling each other out. The waves vanished, leaving the battleship Hotaka reposing serenely upon the sea.
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"It is going well."
Laojun, the brain of Hourai Island, appeared satisfied.
"Keep the pressure on. Do not let up on the offensive."
He issued further orders for the assault.
＊ ＊ ＊
[Ugh... how can this be?]
The Central Brain of the Disaster gnashed its teeth in frustration. Just then, an attack from the Hotaka struck home.
[Wh-What was that?!]
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The Magi Trans Cannon equipped on the battleship Hotaka was capable of channeling nearly any type of magic. The spell unleashed this time was gravity magic.
The Disaster's barrier permitted the passage of gravity. The attack had been aimed precisely at that vulnerability. As a localized gravity field of 100G was generated, the structural materials of the Disaster began to creak and groan under the immense strain.
Then came two more shots.
Though the damage was minor compared to the vessel's overall size, the hull of the Disaster was torn open, and seawater began to flood the interior. Perhaps due to the structural compromise, the barrier grew temporarily unstable.
Laojun was not one to let such an opportunity slip by.
"Commence concentrated fire."
The battleship Hotaka unleashed its full battery. Simultaneously, the three cruisers that had retreated to the rear—the Azusa, the Katsura, and the Yodo—fired their magi-cannons at maximum output.
The Hotaka's main battery, consisting of six 46cm magi-cannons, fired alongside six 30cm lasers. Furthermore, twenty-seven magi-cannons from the cruisers joined the synchronized volley. The unstable barrier buckled under the weight of this fierce assault.
Strained to the breaking point, the barrier finally flickered and vanished.
"Continuous bombardment!"
Determined not to let the chance escape, lasers and magi-cannons were fired in rapid succession. The beam weapons and physical munitions literally whittled away at the Disaster, carving into its massive structure and tearing it apart.
"Cease fire for now."
Two minutes later, Laojun ordered a temporary halt to the attack.
The Disaster remained afloat, though it was tilting to one side. Roughly one-fifth of the vessel had been destroyed, suffering what could be classified as medium damage.
"However, it appears it still possesses navigation capabilities."
True to his observation, the vessel continued its course toward the Lauren Continent.
"Let us disable its propulsion systems with an underwater strike."
Laojun issued new instructions to the Mermaid unit.
While the individual combat prowess of the Mermaid unit was low, their raison d'être lay in underwater exploration; combat was typically a secondary function. However, once engaged in a tactical operation, their specialized abilities were unparalleled. Regardless of their base specs, their true value was demonstrated when they were provided with specialized weaponry.
"Setting mana bombs."
As the bombs were delivered via transporter, the unit had no shortage of supplies. Hundreds of mana bombs were attached to the bottom of the Disaster's hull. Once they were all in place, they were ignited simultaneously via a magic signal.
[Guwaaaargh?!]
An explosion powerful enough to rock the Disaster's massive frame erupted. This time, the damage was internal and from below.
The bottom armor was breached, and seawater flooded in all at once. The emergency bulkheads were unable to stem the flow, causing the Disaster to tilt even further.
[Hurry with the repairs!]
The Central Brain ordered the various golems under its command—or rather, those it utilized as tools—to begin emergency repairs.
[An attack from underwater...]
The Disaster was incomplete. It was completely defenseless against strikes from below the surface.
In the midst of the repairs, a second series of explosions occurred, and half of the twenty propulsion systems ground to a halt. Then came one more wave of detonations. All propulsion systems were neutralized, leaving the Disaster drifting helplessly on the sea.
"Just a bit more. Hotaka, follow up."
The laser cannons of the battleship Hotaka bored new holes into the Disaster's hull. After confirming that the enemy vessel was no longer responding, Laojun ordered the bombardment to stop.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Th-That was intense."
"...Indeed it was."
Following Beena's awe-struck comment, the others watching the scene from the Adriana in outer space let out a collective sigh of relief.
"The Disaster is also quite impressive, remaining afloat after taking all those hits," Jin noted, analyzing the opponent's durability.
"But it feels like a waste to simply sink it. I wonder if we could extract more data from it," Reinhard added, offering a calm, diplomatic perspective.
"I've been thinking the same thing. The question is whether it's feasible."
At that moment, a communication from Laojun arrived.
"My Lord, now that the Disaster's barrier has vanished, the Peeper is available for use."
"Oh, that's good news."
"Yes. We shall now conduct an investigation of the Disaster's interior. I will relay the footage to your location."
"Please do."
A secondary magi-screen brightened, displaying the interior of the Disaster.
"The structure here is a bit different," Jin remarked. Since they had previously observed the original mobile base, the architectural differences were apparent.
"Is it because it's a Halean design, then?" Elsa asked.
"I wonder. The Progenitors were originally Haleans too, after all."
Jin couldn't help but feel there was a specific reason behind the design of those deformed golems. Then, the footage focused on a particular piece of machinery.
"This is..."
"A mana driver," Jin stated firmly. "The reason they don't use a magi reactor is so they can rely on mana tanks when there's no environmental ether available. It's an intriguing concept."
"If we disconnect this, will the Disaster come to a complete stand still?"
In response to Reinhard's question, Jin thought for a moment.
"Hmm, I'm not sure. But it's certainly a possibility worth exploring."
The battle against the Disaster was approaching its final, decisive stage.