Summoning America

Chapter 130: Draconic Wrath (2)

Author's Note: Extra chapter opportunities for Summoning America are back! I will be releasing 1 extra chapter for every $100 I receive on Patreon (in monthly donations). My link is available here, and on my discord server (some sites may block the link).

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November 17, 1640
Artticus Ocean, 200 miles from Hytal Base
Holy Mirishial Navy Zeroth Fleet
HMS Quasar

Admiral Tetryon gazed upon the magnificence of golden Mirishial ships, sunlight reflecting off their shining hulls. These proud ships parted the waters as they sailed toward Hytal Base, their guns primed for combat and sailors eager for battle. Flying above his glorious fleet was a trio of Plasma Dragons — whose massive size and obsidian black scales inspired awe — and a single Pal Chimera, which served as a testament to Mirishial might.

Although he was a bit disappointed at the size of his fleet in comparison to the size of his enemy's fleet, he couldn't help but feel confident in the abilities of the superweapons he had access to. The Gra Valkans have yet to devise effective countermeasures against their Comet-series anti-ship missiles, and they were laughably outclassed when pitted against the Plasma Dragons and Pal Chimera. His three Orichalcum-class battleships alone could devastate all of the enemy's capital ships. Such was the true might of the greatest magical civilization in the world, he mused with pride.

As he became lost in thought, an alert came from the ship's CIC, which was integrated with the Pal Chimera-like bridge. "Hostile contacts on radar! Hundreds – no, a thousand – enemy aircraft coming in from the direction of Hytal Base, distance: 150 miles!"

"Battlestations!" Tetryon immediately yelled as alarms throughout the ship blared. Red lights flashed throughout the ship as he hurriedly gave orders to his fleet, "Launch ALL fighter wings; defend our capital ships at all costs!"

At his command, the Zeroth fleet's eight carriers were spurred into action, with dozens of Alpha-3 and Alpha-4 fighters soaring to the skies with every minute that passed. They linked up with fighters sent from the Mirishial mainland, bringing their combined numbers to 200. Although this fighter fleet represented one of the most powerful forces deployed in Mirishial history, it still paled in comparison to the near-thousand enemy planes barrelling toward them. Even if half of them were fighters, it still meant that they were outnumbered 2.5 to 1. Although it pained him to admit it, the enemy's fighters were more than a match for his own. Even with aid from the Plasma Dragons, Pal Chimera, and their destroyers' anti-air capabilities, he doubted that his fighters would be able to hold out.

Thankfully, he and the higher-ups back in Runepolis had come up with a strategy to make up for their anticipated lack of firepower: illusion spells. Tetryon sent out a message to the mage-carrying ships in his fleet, "All mage personnel, initiate Spell Program 'Mirage'! Send all decoys ahead of our forces in a condensed formation and begin interference casting when you've generated the first wave of decoys!"

Shimmers of light spontaneously appeared in front of some of the fleet's logistical vessels and capital ships as reality around them twisted and warped, molded by arcane sorcery. Rudimentary airframes began to materialize, followed by rough details and colors as they took to the skies with unthinkable acceleration. They forged ahead of the real Mirishial fighters, acting as a decoy to draw enemy fire.

While the mages acted on Tetryon's orders, he redirected his attention to the Plasma Dragons and Pal Chimera, which he lumped into 'Task Force Excalibur'. He hoped to take advantage of the enemy's distracted nature as they engaged with the decoys, then swat down as many as he could with one fell swoop. "Commander Draugg, have your Plasma Dragons ready their attacks and fire once the enemy has engaged our decoys, then fall back to a defensive position and prepare to engage their surface fleet! Captain Aster, maintain distance from the enemy and coordinate with our aircraft to mount a defense. Focus power on shields and point defense until it is time to engage the enemy fleet!"