The American In Another World
Chapter 7: The Battle of Rodenius Sea (2)

12 June 1639

Rodenius Sea

It was a nightmare born from the darkest era of mankind, reminiscent of the horrors to come should the Ancient Sorcerous Kingdom return. The slight difference between the enemy fleet and his fleet had been made clear just a moment ago. With his own eyes, Sharkun witnessed the destruction of his ship, one by one as the enemy fleet fired their magic cannons.

Each booming explosion signifies the total destruction of one of his ships — unimaginable given the level of Louria technology. Of course, the balista could damage the ship, the fire arrows could sometimes burn the ship, and the cannons he heard could make holes along the hull. These attacks, however, completely obliterated his ship, destroying their hull and making their sailors fly into the air along with the debris. Even more dubious is their accuracy and range: whenever an enemy ship 'releases fire', as the enemy warns, a ship will be hit. All he could hear were deafening cracks as the wood broke and the sailors died, and all he could see was a torrential storm of wood and gore.

The enemy ship stopped after 10 salvos.50 of its ships were destroyed in a short time. Now, after the massacre, he saw the enemy fleet in reflection, wondering if he should heed their warnings. Even if he did, he would lose the loyalty of his crew and work, perhaps even his life. This result was something that no one had ever expected; the difference in strength seemed to be greater than if he were to fight with the Parpaldian Navy.

Analyzing the outcome of the engagement, he spoke to his flagship captain. “It looks like they have stopped their attacks.. Could it be that they are running out of magical power?”

“I've never seen a magical attack carried out on this scale, but I agree with your assumption, Admiral Sharkun,” replied the captain.

“Then, while they are busy regenerating their mana deposits, we can do a combined attack! Captain, have your communications witch relay my request to Wyvern Command. The enemy has cannons, but no wyverns. They will be destroyed under air strikes!”

"It has to be done, Admiral."

——

Jin Hark, Wyvern Command

"... lose our 50 Vessels because of their magical attacks!"

General Patagene listened to a brief report of the battle and a subsequent request for air support. “Hmm,” he mused, looking at the wyvern under the control tower as he thought of strategy.

“How will we fulfill their request, General?” ask the communication witch.

After a moment of silence, General Patagene announced his decision. "Send 250."

The eyes of the communication magician widened. “D-two hundred and fifty, sir? Are you sure?"

"of course! Based on the description given by our fleet, this stalemate will most likely turn into a decisive naval battle. If we destroy the enemy fleet now, with all our might, then we will not fear any more obstacles that hinder our conquest of Rodenius. Send 250.”

The witch bowed. "Yes sir." He relayed the orders to the wyvern knights below and told the Lourian Eastern Conquest Navy about the incoming reinforcements, much to their delight.

With the order to launch given, a pair of wyverns began to take off from the base runway, wandering through the air until the entire group was ready to depart. General Patagene observed the herd on it: a great force that gave him goosebumps. “Excellent concentration of power!”

Residents and soldiers alike watched the spectacle above, cheering as troops moved eastward to support their brethren on the high seas.

——

Rodenius Sea, Seventh Fleet of the United States

Admiral Hawthorne faced the screen as he communicated with President Lee and several officers from the Pentagon. Outside the bridge, the Super Hornet is being prepared for deployment. "I understand. Are you sure you want to do this, Mr President?

President Lee nodded. “It would be too risky to let their fleet stay out of control. General Edwards?”

A Pentagon general appeared on the screen. “Recent information shows that the Lourian Navy actually specializes in close combat; their naval tactics mainly involve boarding and capturing enemy ships. While this does not pose a threat to our ships, their manpower and melee effectiveness can be problematic if they rejoin the Lourian ranks and wage a guerrilla war against us.

“Thank you, General Edwards. I also think it is best to assert our technological superiority over the natives. Now, I'm not saying we should conquer them all and force them to submit by threatening them, he said, but the knowledge of what we have done to Louria will definitely help the diplomatic deal and the trade deal to move forward.

Admiral Hawthorne nodded. “That makes sense, Sir.”

Before Hawthorne can talk any more, President Lee interrupts, “Make sure the enemy knows that surrender is an option. It would be burdensome for our logistics to accommodate and feed them, but I might be able to do something with the Qua Toynians. Now, it looks like we cut it a little late. Sorry about that, Admiral. Go and make Uncle Sam proud.”

Admiral Hawthorne saluted. "Yes sir!"

The screen feed was cut off and Hawthorne returned his attention to the incoming wyvern. “So,” said while looking at the ship's radar, “250 wyvern?”

Captain Vaughn nodded. “True, Sir. Do we know anything about these creatures?”

Hawthorne shook his head. “I'm worried we know the bare minimum. Their main attack was a fireball, which was very similar to a small napalm bomb. I don't think it will pose a threat to our ship, but I want to remain cautious.”

Captain Vaughn nodded. "Understand, sir."

“And.. does the fleet move closer to the Destroyer Squadron 15. Horizons in this world is about 50 miles?”

“About 50 kilometers, Sir.”

"Ah," said Hawthorne. “I want to time our emergence on the horizon and align it with the destruction of their Air Force. Is that possible?"

Captain Vaughn did some calculations in his head. “Compare our maximum speed and current fleet direction with wyvern power — assuming their maximum speed is around 100 knots, no. They will arrive too soon.”

"Unfortunately," said Hawthorne. He paced while talking. “As soon as we enter, regroup with the Destroyer Squadron 15. For now, I want us to hold the shot until we measure the reaction of the natives. I hope they're not stubborn.”

“Sial, even the Japanese know when to stop. Let's see how much firepower these guys need to stop, ” replied Vaughn.

——

Commander Harrison Richthofen rushed down a crowded footpath, towards the hangar. Most of the navy's flight crew also rushed to reach their positions, as the admiral wanted a mass deployment of the Super Hornet fleet, along with a small detachment of F-35s. Richthofen himself was assigned to the F-35, which would be used to help coordinate targeting data and investigate enemy capabilities.

He carried his helmet as he climbed onto the deck, meeting someone who was analyzing the tablet as he turned a corner.

"Be careful, son," said the man.

Richthofen looked up, his eyes widening in shock upon recognizing the man's face. “Okay, Colonel! Sorry for that."

“Well, I saw Silver Baron in a hurry huh? Come on, have fun while we sit back and do nothing on board.

The Marines on board Ronald Reagan were very disappointed that they could not participate in the upcoming battle; they were eager to fight. They were informed of enemy tactics aboard enemy ships, but realistically, no one expected the enemy to be able to board US ships.

"I'm sure you'll soon find something to shoot for, sir," Richthofen replied.

“Heh, maybe if one of the enemies tried something stupid when they were rescued, but I don't think they would be that stupid to fight after seeing their ship fall apart,” he said. Looking at the personnel rushing beside him, he continued, “I think I've taken up quite a bit of your time, Harry. Might have to board your jet, flyboy.”

"will do. See you around Henson,” Richthofen waving to the colonel.

A voice interrupted his mind, out of nowhere as if it was his conscience. “Of course, man. Your great-grandfather was an excellent pilot, and you certainly lived up to that legacy.”

Lin's? How the hell..”

“You're on the network, man. I've got to tell you about the Lieutenant talking about one of the female officers, man. The man thought he was on a private channel, but it turned out that he was all over the network.

Richthofen hummed in response, although it was barely audible due to the sound of the engine running. "noted. Alright, the preflight check is complete, ”he said while following the direction of the marshaller lamp (man with a glowing stick). He positioned his plane along the runway, and as soon as the marshaller gave the signal, Richthofen took off.

He soared into the air, followed by his wingman, Commander Lin. On board the aircraft carrier, dozens of Super Hornets roamed, circling the fleet like a flock of vultures. They were waiting for another Super Hornet to be deployed to launch a joint attack on the incoming wyvern.

The Silver Baron and his wingman flew forward, climbing as they approached the wyvern. To allay one of the admiral's concerns, they were ordered to test the wyvern's capabilities and gather targeting data, to be passed back to the fleet. At an altitude of nearly 10,000 feet, they are virtually undetectable by the wyvern below. The F-35 follows the hostile bandits, moving like ghosts.

Wyverns showed no change in direction; they paid no attention to the mediator of death just above them. Although Lourian is assumed to have no form of radar, U. S. military officials still want to confirm this. After gathering the necessary data, Richthofen and Lin returned to the main formation of the Super Hornet.

——

Admiral Sharkun felt a sudden unease envelop him. He looked to one of the communication magicians of the ship. "Updating?"

The witch replied, "Master, 250 wyverns have appeared on the horizon and will reach us in less than half an hour."

Sharkun sighed in relief. “250 wyvern, it is a force to be reckoned with.” His lips curled into a smile. “Once they arrive, we will conduct a coordinated attack on the enemy ship! Such a massive combined attack: navy and air; those 5 ships will stand no chance!” Sharkun almost laughed at the overwhelming difference.

His laughter was cut off when someone on the bridge suddenly exclaimed, “Tens of enemy leaflets were seen! Distance, 50 kilometers! Above the horizon, right behind the enemy fleet!”

Sharkun used his telescope to analyze enemy leaflets. Surprisingly, they were not wyverns; they were obviously artificial. Sharkun frowned as he looked at it, his previous restless feeling returning. "What the fuck?"

The speed of the enemy plane was very confusing. Almost a minute passed and the plane was already on top of the enemy fleet. For Sharkun, this was a serious realization. To traverse the distance between the horizon and the enemy fleet, enemy aircraft would have to travel thousands of kilometers per hour. Even before Sharkun could react to this awareness, he saw many objects flying away from the wings of enemy planes.

Arrows of light shot towards the Lourian wyvern, leaving a trail of smoke behind them. The enemy plane veered upward, rising almost vertically, at incredible speed until it disappeared from view. Sharkun watched the arrow of light carefully, sweat running down his back as he considered his options.

“All the wyverns do evasive maneuvers!” He instinctively exclaimed.

With severe fear, he watched as the Lourian wyvern formation broke apart, flying erratically as they tried to dodge the incoming projectiles. Adding to his fear, he saw projectiles correcting their trajectories to follow the evading wyvern. "No... no.." he muttered in surprise.

Manacomm's ship lit up, the manawaves falling apart with the eerie exclamation of his reinforcements.

“Sial, they're following us! The left! Left!"

"Go to the water!"

"NO! Keep rising!”

 A series of voices called out, hoping to coordinate a successful evasion. With many dazzling flashes of light, the swarm of sounds suddenly stopped. The enemy projectiles made contact with the Lourian wyvern, engulfing them in a fiery explosion.

Explosions continued to emerge as his country's Air Force met a bitter end. He witnesses a wyvern knight trying to perform a highly skilled banking maneuver, only for an enemy projectile to follow him. Years of training and experience were lost in the blink of an eye. Another wyvern knight tries to lead his men up, crossing paths to mess with the projectile, but this attempt is futile. They were then exterminated, releasing bursts of wyvern blood and pieces of metal. One of the wyvern knights attempted to dive into the water, but an unwavering predator chased him relentlessly, blowing up and sending a column of red-colored water into the air.

Silence filled the air, only interrupted by the sounds of explosions and screams. The scene before him was unimaginable. Even against one of the superpowers of the Three Regions of Civilization, their wyvern strength could not be defeated so easily. Of the initial strength of 250, there were less than a hundred left. Each enemy projectile finds its target, instantly killing their target.

Sharkun walked along the deck of his flagship as blood rained down on the fleet, painting the brown decks and the white sails red. He felt something wet hit his hand and he looked down. "Is this wyvern blood, or human blood?" He asked himself, clenching his fists. Anger covered his sight. “No... This is Louria's blood, and we must take the same blood, to avenge the fallen! All ships: start assault! Attack enemies!”

——

The USS Barry

Captain Winslow whistled as he watched Wyvern Lourian fall from the sky. "Damn it, that's where American military spending is used." He looked towards the UAV circling the battlefield. “Think if they recorded it..”.

His mind was interrupted by the communications officer. “Master, the squadron has completed their attack and is running out of air. They will be circling back for anti-ship battles after we deal with those lost ones.”

Winslow chuckles. “Alright then, let's make a show.”

Winslow's gaze returned to the sky, his hands clenched behind his back as his subordinates rushed over.

“Targeting data received from Baron One, relaying to squadron network. Designate bandits one to sixteen for USS Barry.” said one of the carriers. "We're ready to fire on your orders, sir."

Captain Winslow replied, “Good. Sync the firing sequence with our friends,”.

The operator looked up and nodded. "Channel's open, sir."

"Three, two, one, SHOOT!"

——

 Admiral Sharkun's anger temporarily subsided, replaced with confusion as he saw five metal ships suddenly engulfed in smoke. The smoke did not come from the cannon, so he reasoned that it must have come from damage or accident. He paused himself, seeing the error in this assumption: why did all five of them simultaneously have a catastrophic accident? He then recalled the trail of smoke emitted by the light arrows from before, which easily annihilated over half of the Lourian wyverns.

"NO! Not again!"

Arrows of light screamed in the air, speeding towards the wyvern, which swooped towards the metal ship in an attack formation. Despite only launching these ten projectiles, their effectiveness was much clearer, thanks to the melee attack formations of the wyverns. Gathering together to land a barrage of fireballs, the wyverns and their knights barely had time to react.

Because they are so close together, each projectile obliterates several wyverns at once. Their explosions were much more massive than previous projectiles, Sharkun thought. Or maybe because wyverns are closer to each other? The difference is not important, because the results are basically the same. The pieces of bloody limbs flew in all directions, splashed into the sea and made its surface reddish in color.

Some knights quickly reacted, or were just lucky. The strength of a hundred wyvern knights was reduced to only five. In tacit anticipation, Sharkun and his men witness the bravery of these survivors as they attempt to break through the enemy's defenses. One of the knights who survived was his close friend, a wyvern knight captain named Amalgeus.

The voice of the brave man echoed through the communication of mana, “We are the chosen few! We survived the demon attack, and we will be the ones to destroy the enemy!

 Cheers erupted from the other four wyvern knights, but were soon stopped when five simultaneous explosions occurred. The five ships fired their cannons at the same time, defeating the descending wyvern with ease.

"What the fuck?" Sharkun asked in a confused tone. His head was throbbing due to the unexpected event; he did not know if he was dreaming.

"Sir, what should we do now?"

He looked for the source of this question: the captain of his flagship ship. “Preserve lanes and heading. We will continue to attack the enemy fleet and surround them! We will flood them with our numbers!”

The captain frowned slightly. "That'll be done, Admiral."

Sharkun nodded solemnly, then analyzed the enemy ship. Their cannons had adjusted their shots, and were now facing his fleet. Sharkun closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Terrifying sounds of crushed wood and people screaming back.