ASAHI NO NISHISEI - Rising Sun Goes West (2)

Mythical Battleship

February 12

Sky over Makuteru City, Yawa Seido

The GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators dropped from high in the sky bounced off, and missile attacks from all directions were exhausted on the enemy's barrier. A swarm of over 100 small saucers was released from the ship's launch port located on the bottom of the Laskant, engaging in an aerial battle of unprecedented scale with nearly 70 American fighter planes.

"Samurai 9, Fox 2!"

"Panther 11... Fox 2!"

AIM-9 Sidewinders were fired at the small saucers. However, the saucers were only knocked off balance by the impact of the explosion, and no damage is done to them, which are protected by a strong magical barrier. The only one to be shot down is the fighter jets, and one by one, they are shot down.

"Shit...! These monsters!"

Lieutenant Colonel Franklin, piloting an F-22, was fed up with the small saucers that were not taking any damage. Meanwhile, his comrades, who had shared the same fate, were being shot down one after another. The US Air Force had only about 10 fighter planes left to fight.

"...So much for that!"

His Raptor was being hounded by six small saucers. The moment he realized this, the smiling faces of his family flashed in his mind like a running light. Even though in his mind he was determined to fight to the end, deep down inside he had already begun to feel a sense of resignation. His F-22, which was becoming slower and slower as his grip on the stick loosened, must have been a good target for the small saucers. Six of them gathered magic power in the beam's firing ports.

CRASH!!

"...!?"

'I'm going to get shot!' ...Franklin closed his eyes involuntarily. However, what he heard was not the sound of a magic beam being fired, but a dull metallic sound as if some thick steel had been pierced. He looked around and saw that the small saucers' magic barrier had been pierced by something and were falling below in flames.

"W-what the!? What is that!?"

Franklin looked up to the sky. Then he noticed a huge object approaching. It was a savior descending from the sky, shaped like a battleship.

. . .

Flying Battleship Fusō, First Bridge

The high-energy laser emitted from the 40-caliber 10,5 cm pulse laser cannon installed on both port sides of the flying battleship Fusō was fired toward the small saucers, boasting an output exceeding 100.000 times that of high-energy lasers in practical use as weapons on the 21st century Earth.

"Surprise attack successful! Twelve small saucers shot down!"

Commander Takeo Minamisawa, who was in charge of the gunnery department, reported the success of the attack. The destructive power concentrated in a very small area punched through the barrier and armor of the small saucers in an instant.

"It seems that the strength of the barrier is not as strong as the main unit... alright, continue to shoot down the small saucers, and prepare for another bombardment!"

"Yes, sir!!"

The captain, Tadashi Bando, ordered further attacks. The four twin guns on the top of the ship and two triple main guns on the bottom were turned to starboard by the gunnery personnel. The remaining American fighters had meanwhile left the combat airspace and were far away.

"Prepare to fire main and secondary cannons, ammunition type, neutral particle beam!"

"Accelerators are operational! No problem!"