Steel of Seraph (English)

Route 3: Desesperate Escape

"6 Nagara cruisers in formation on the island. Among them the heavy cruiser Maya and the fast battleship Kongou are flanked on both sides and rear by the Nagara" the black haired girl fixed her glasses as she looked at her captain "We are completely surrounded." Shizuka looked at the group as the rest looked worried.

They all looked at the screen in the center of a table showing the map. "She sure knows how to throw a party." Kyouhei studied the formation and then looked at the brown-haired mental model angrily as she continued talking "Hahaha.... Kongou must have come to fight with all."

The boy with the glasses who was in charge of the weaponry looked indignant at her "Don't give us that! Why didn't we notice until we were surrounded?"

"I couldn't help it!" Hyuuga smiled as he thought "But Kongou will have guessed to modify this island and fortify its defenses. She won't make any impulsive moves."

Yuu raised his eyebrow "You weren't planning on staying with Iona forever were you weirdo?"

"Who are you calling weirdo!"

Gunzou looked calm "We can't wait forever." The weapons officer looked accusingly "I agree with Yuu. You wanted to stay with Iona forever if we were besieged!"

"I don't know what you're talking about?" Hyuuga averted his gaze.

Yuu looked at the map thoughtfully "I guess Kongou doesn't know that Repulse, Vampire, Atago and my two cruisers Nagara and Kinu are here too, in short.... We have more ships than her not to mention me, who possesses the largest armament in the Mist."

"Wait Nagara?" Kyouhei be surprised at that revelation as he smiled "I think she still hates I-401."

The blue-haired mental model felt guilty as Repulse sighed "I-401, Nagara is just angry. Nothing more."

The green-eyed boy looked at the captain of the Blue Steel "I recommend keeping me and my fleet a secret. As a trump card."

He nodded as he looked at Hyuuga. "I want you to contact Kongou, Hyuuga, can you do that?"

"Huh?"

Kongou was sitting in the citadel of her battleship while having her three holographic rings active around her as she looked at the screen "How strange for you to initiate contact, Hyuuga."

"I am now the messenger of a child. I will give you the message that Chihaya Gunzou left for you." The voice on the other side spoke to him matter-of-factly.

"What?" She opened her eyes looking at the screen.

Time skip. Several hours later.

The whole base was shaken by the bombardment while Yuu looked on in disbelief "How the hell did this happen, from a quiet and relaxed barbecue to a tense bombardment?" (After the barbecue in chapter 8 and the beginning of chapter 9 of the anime, I was a bit too much of a pain to explain these caps).

Everyone was at the dock except Hyuuga who was still on the beach maintaining her Klein field that protects the island.

"Our objective has changed to an escape operation. We will break through to Kongou's fleet and head for the United States, Iwo Jima will be abandoned according to plan." Gunzou finished speaking as he looked at the I-401.

"But the island is surrounded. Maya is there too." The stuffed animal looked toward him somewhat doubtfully.

"I'll take care of Maya." They all looked at Yuu who only smiled. "However I will only help reduce the forces for you to escape however Kongou will be more focused after going after I-401. After that I will go after the Eastern Second Fleet flagship."