Azur Lane Under the Stars

Page 623

If you even know a little bit about the rules, even if you're a complete beginner, I can pretend to lose to you.

Musashi pondered for a moment, then said loudly, "Sakebori, Wakatsuki, who's here? Come in for a moment."

As soon as he finished speaking, a small figure fell from the ceiling.

Wearing blue clothes, a blue haori, and a long dachi, she lowered her head, obscuring her face, but her short hair was also a deep blue.

"Lord Musashi, Wakatsuki reports for duty. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Full of energy and spirit, she's a vibrant young woman.

"Hmm, how's the discussion going about the test you mentioned before?"

Musashi couldn't think of a good test for the time being, so he simply asked his guard.

"Hmm, if you ask me, why don't we just have a drill?" Ruoyue looked up at Musashi with longing in her eyes.

Musashi lightly tapped the rim of the teacup with his pale fingers, seemingly considering the feasibility.

After a long silence, he finally said, "Okay... Commander Ren Shuo, what do you think? Do you think it's feasible?"

After seeing the affirmative looks in Belfast and Shinano's eyes, Ren Shuo said, "There are no problems at all."

Although we can't play chess... when it comes to fighting, we in the port area have never been afraid of anyone.

"In that case, I'd like to see what kind of combat power your ship girls will possess under Commander Ren Shuo's guidance."

"I can be frank with you, everyone here is at full training level. You can choose your opponents, but regardless of the outcome, we will decide based on overall performance."

Although Musashi said this, he was thinking to himself that it was enough. Even if he lost badly, he could still find some bright spots to salvage the situation...

After all, if he didn't let them pass, the gods would come after him... That stubborn guy really would hang him up and spank him...

She's clearly a sophisticated and mature woman; doesn't she have any self-respect?

"No problem... but since we're unsure of your specific situation, could we have a little sparring session this afternoon, as a way to better choose our opponents?"

Shinano extended an invitation.

"Alright, then it's settled? Let's set the test for tomorrow afternoon. I see you're all a bit impatient." Musashi chuckled.

"Thank you very much then," Ren Shuo said.

"You're welcome... Well then, Ruoyue, why don't you take Commander Ren Shuo and the two ship girls to rest for a while? We can have a sparring session on the lake outside this afternoon, shall we?"

Musashi said to Shinano.

Shinano nodded: "Okay."

Ruoye Ruoyue led the three downstairs, occasionally stealing glances at them, especially Ren Shuo.

Ren Shuo couldn't help but laugh: "What? Am I that good-looking?"

Ruoyue was startled and quickly looked away: "No, no, it's just that I'm curious about what our commander will be like in the future."

Ren Shuo said, "Let's wait until we pass the test before we talk about it. It's still uncertain."

Although he was confident, he remained humble.

Ruoyue opened her mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again.

Lord Musashi said that this test is destined to be just a formality... but he forbade us to say so, otherwise Lord Musashi would punish us severely.

The rest room is a standard Sakura-style room, fully equipped with tatami mats and bedding.

There was even a small kitchen in the next room.

Belfast and the others brought all the ingredients themselves. After making a simple lunch, Shinano went out, leaving only Ren Shuo and Belfast in the room, along with Sakao, Noshiro's sister ship.

"Commander Ren Shuo, aren't you going to go watch Big Sister and Shinano's sparring match?" Saka Niang couldn't help but ask.

"Is Belfast worried that the shore is too close to the lake and there's no shelter, so she's afraid I'll get hurt and won't let me go?"

Ren Shuo held Belfast's little hand and said.

Sakebori nodded seriously: "Indeed, humans are very fragile."

"It's alright, actually Belfast was just overprotective." Although he said that, Ren Shuo was still very happy with Belfast's approach.

"Um, I'm sorry, Commander Ren Shuo, but I still want to go see my older sister." Sakaguchi stuck out her tongue cutely as she spoke.

"Go ahead, we'll stay here," Ren Shuo said understandingly.

The wine bottle ran off happily, while Ren Shuo sighed, "I feel like this experience is a bit magical. I originally thought it was an adventure world where I would have to go through one trial after another to bring my mom home... But now it seems like it's no different from when we went to other areas or the mirror space."

Belfast smiled slightly, "Isn't this better, Master?"

Ren Shuo lay lazily on Belfast's plump lap, looking up at Belfast's face... well, he couldn't see it.

"Actually, it's quite good. This way... there's no fighting, no worries, and a peaceful life is a blessing."

Belfast chuckled: "I have a feeling that if Bismarck saw you like this, she would definitely scold you, thinking you're too lazy."

"That's what life is all about! Going to work, stamping documents, taking a break, leaving early to enjoy a cozy bed with your wife and kids—that's the ideal life," Ren Shuo said.

Belfast gently stroked Ren Shuo's face, looking up at the ceiling: "It'll be soon, Master..."

In the afternoon, Ren Shuo and Belfast enjoyed a quiet time in the room, while Shinano, having finished their sparring match and feeling confident, returned to his room.

"Oh, welcome back, Shinano. How are you? Are you alright?"

When Ren Shuo saw that it was Shinano who had returned, he quickly sat up and pulled Shinano around to look at her from left to right.

Fortunately, only his clothes were a little messy, and there were no injuries, which relieved him.

"Well, after this sparring session, I have a better understanding of myself. I'm slightly stronger than before I underwent the modification, but still far weaker than I am now... The remaining ship girls should be at the same level."

"Then if the two of you go, there will be no chance of failure." Ren Shuo breathed a sigh of relief.

The combat power of a ship girl who hasn't undergone advanced technology modification is worlds apart from that of a ship girl who has.

"At that time, you can choose as many opponents as possible, and I will do my best to enhance your strength," Ren Shuo said.

“Then I’ll leave it to you, Commander,” Shinano said softly.

“Now, let’s continue to study the intelligence…” Ren Shuo pulled Shinano down to sit, preparing to start formulating a plan.

“We can do it like this…”

Chapter 660: The fight begins? They get beaten!

The duel took place as scheduled on the second day.

Ren Shuo's side had Belfast and Shinano both on the field, two ship girls, one in front and one behind, and their coordination was excellent.

As for Musashi, in addition to the three ship girls we met yesterday, there are two new ship girls.

One of them was dressed in a black JK uniform, looking somewhat like a trendy young delinquent, while the other was dressed in contrasting white, but appeared much more timid.

She was a shy little girl.

"So? Who are you planning to fight?"

Musashi took out a small round fan and asked.

Shinano said, "The two of us can take on six of you."

"...Really? I know you guys are strong, but isn't this a bit too much of a stretch?"

Musashi hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“No pressure, we know what we’re doing,” Belfast replied.

Although she knew Musashi was the strongest among them, she didn't have a general impression of the others, but now that they've met...

The opposing team only has two fully trained characters, and the rest aren't even level 70. How can we possibly lose?

Musashi didn't press the matter further: "Alright, then it's settled."

"Well, let me introduce you before we begin. This black-clad ship girl is Haguro."

Musashi explained that the little girl in black also greeted them expressionlessly.

"Hello, I am Haguro, the fourth ship of the Myō-kō heavy cruiser. Nice to meet you."

"The one in white is Miyuki."

"Hello, I am Miyuki, the fourth ship of the Special Type I Fubuki-class destroyer. Please, please don't stare at me..."

Hmm, the timid tone and fearful expression, and the way she hid behind Haguro...

She's a very timid little girl.

"So, may we begin? Commander Ren Shuo, should we stand a little further back? We don't want to accidentally injure each other."

"I ask with concern," said Sakebori.

"Don't worry, we have a special protective shield here." Ren Shuo took out a small device.

Made by Yubari, it can serve as a protective shield. Tests show that even if New Jersey fires at full power, it would take at least five main gun shots to penetrate it.

However, the limitation is that only the commander can use their own mental network.

"...Why didn't you bring this good thing out yesterday?" Jiu Niang was stunned.

Ren Shuo said, "No, it's not that we used it just to watch an ordinary competition, it feels like a waste."

"Alright, enough chit-chat, Sakebori, get ready." Musashi said to Sakebori, who still wanted to chat.

Sakebori cutely stuck out her little tongue: "Oh, here I come, big sister."

The two sides stood on opposite sides of the water. Ren Shuo said to Shinano and Belfast, "Then, Shinano will take charge of the battle. I'll give you my blessing. Good luck!"

"Rest assured, Commander, I will certainly live up to your expectations."

Shinano gracefully bowed.

Belfast was also full of confidence: "Master, Belfast will surely bring you the glory of victory."

Shinano and Belfast slowly sailed into the competition area. Shinano said to Belfast, "There are six ship girls on the other side, five of them are vanguard ship girls... but their anti-air defense is pretty weak. I can definitely gain air superiority. At least for a while, they won't be able to get close. And even if they do get close, I have ways to deal with them..."

"So, Belfast, go straight to Musashi on the other side. Musashi has no anti-air defense. I saw that yesterday. The initial probing can still turn the tide a little, but once my plane takes off, she'll be a sitting duck."

"I will have an entire squadron of carrier-based aircraft follow you. Then we will need to work together to take down Musashi as soon as possible, and then come back to defeat the enemy's vanguard ship girls together."

Classic, you five are now surrounded by the two of us.

“Understood, Miss Shinano. Well then, let’s do our best.” Belfast nodded.

When the starting horn of the exercise sounded, all the ship girls on the other side, except for Wakatsuki, charged forward.

Belfast, however, seemed not to notice anything and immediately fired a smoke bomb, instantly creating a thick cloud of smoke on the water's surface, causing the approaching ship girls to slow down.

"What is this? Is it a smoke grenade with such a large area?" Haguro asked in surprise.

"Hmm, this is tricky... Gather them together, don't let them get picked off one by one!" Sakabo made a quick decision.

"This is... a butterfly?"

In the thick fog, dream butterflies, glowing with a bluish light, danced gracefully, creating a scene that, combined with the somewhat hazy atmosphere, was truly poetic and picturesque.

But lurking beneath this beautiful facade is a chilling murderous intent.

"No! Don't touch it!"

Sakabo seemed to have thought of something, and his expression changed drastically. He had seen this butterfly before; it was the work of that Shinano man!

But it was too late; Miyuki's finger had already touched it, and then, under her terrified gaze...

It exploded.

It was roughly equivalent to a carrier-based aircraft, but it still managed to reduce Miyuki to a medium level of damage.

"Anti-aircraft guns! Target these butterflies! And all the detection radars, turn them all on. The enemy is likely going to take us out first!"

"That's what the sake bottle said."

She felt that such a thick fog would definitely make Musashi hesitate to act. If they launched a surprise attack on Musashi, they would also be able to feel the fluctuations of the battle. At that time, they could encircle her and wipe her out.

So she decided to deal with the immediate problem first.

However, unbeknownst to them, Shinano had already secretly taken Belfast to the location where Musashi was.