Pax Propter Vim [Azur Lane Fanfic]

Chapter 24

Another long ass chapter, hope you like it guys. I've been long abandoned the fact that this story supposed to be serious, I'm just tired and just full blown make this semi-crack and semi-serious Fanfic, so read this without expecting much. 

Word : 17.808.

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Off the Coast of Formosa.

January 6, 1942.

The sea was calm, an eerie contrast to the storm of war brewing just beyond the horizon. The Azur Lane fleet cut through the waters with precision, their silhouettes barely illuminated under the cold winter sun. The mission was clear: secure the eastern harbor of Formosa before Imperial Japanese forces or the Sirens could tighten their grip.

Zumwalt stood on her deck, arms crossed over her chest, her warmth hidden beneath the heavy weight of command. Beside her, Laffey lazily clutched a half-eaten carrot, her perpetually drowsy eyes scanning the distant shore. West Virginia stood rigidly, her quiet demeanor concealing the tension in her shoulders. She shot a wary glance at Laffey, still simmering from the unfortunate nickname incident. Javelin, ever energetic, bounced slightly on her heels, her eyes flickering between the sky and the horizon.

Above them, Geo’s AWACS loomed, a silent guardian circling at altitude. Two F-35s flanked it like predatory birds, their engines humming in the distance. Geo’s voice crackled through the comms, smooth and laced with playful flirtation.

"Zum, darling~ I’ve got a beautiful sight for you." Geo purred. "Targets are marked. Time to show off that big, powerful Railgun of yours, sweetheart."

Zumwalt sighed softly, shaking her head with a small smile. Geo always had a one hell way with words.

"Acknowledged," Zumwalt replied, her voice gentle yet firm.

She stepped forward, raising a hand. The deck beneath her thrummed with energy as her systems calculated the trajectory.

Then, her Railgun roared to life.

A thunderous crack split the sky as the hypervelocity projectile tore through the air, its sonic boom reverberating like the wrath of a vengeful god. Almost simultaneously, her VLS cells ignited, sending a swarm of hypersonic missiles streaking toward the shore. The weapons raced ahead, cutting through the sky in glowing arcs, painting trails of fire against the heavens.

On the horizon, the first impact erupted. The Japanese barracks vanished in a fiery blossom, debris scattering like autumn leaves caught in a tempest. Ammunition depots followed—secondary explosions rippled through the compound, lighting up the coastline like a hellish festival. Warships moored at the harbor were torn apart before their crews could even react, their hulls buckling under the onslaught.

The ground forces scrambled, alarms wailing across the base. But it was too late.

Geo let out a whistle through the radio.

"Damn, Zumwalt, that was hot."

Zumwalt exhaled, lowering her hand. A flicker of melancholy crossed her eyes—she had done this before, many times, reducing targets to ash. She knew it was necessary, yet the weight of destruction always lingered in the quiet spaces of her mind.

West Virginia observed her, recognizing the silent grief. She understood that kind of burden.

Laffey, still unimpressed by the grand show of force, yawned. "Boom. Everything gone. War is tiring..." She muttered before taking another bite of her carrot.

West Virginia gave her a side-eye. "At least try to sound professional."

Laffey smirked lazily. "You’re just mad ‘cause I called you Wet Virginia."