That Time When I Was Suddenly Reincarnated in a Fleet Battle

Chapter 9 - Fireball of Slaughter

"Kaen-dan!"

On the bridge, I stood on the flight deck of the Akagi, facing a fierce wind accompanying full-speed navigation. Commanders from the 1st Air Fleet, along with numerous officers and soldiers, watched as I, standing firm, consecutively launched four fireballs. As soon as those fireballs approached the four B-26s heading towards the Akagi, the aircraft were engulfed in crimson flames. Simultaneously, the fuel or torpedoes they carried must have detonated, as a massive explosion and smoke scattered in all directions. Witnessing this spectacle, the crew of the Akagi reacted differently—some in shock, others applauding and cheering.

This time, I had restrained the power to the extent of defeating mid-level monsters, but I unleashed large fireballs with substantial magical consumption, enhanced with long-range and auto-tracking magic. Given that my magic took priority even over the firing of the anti-aircraft guns, it was imperative to ensure a definite kill. In such a desperate situation, I disregarded magical energy consumption. The B-26 I shot down was a twin-engine bomber, with seven crew members per aircraft. In other words, with this single strike, I took the lives of twenty-eight American crew members.

A slaughter.

However, the sense of guilt for it surprisingly did not well up within me. While I was aware of my relatively indifferent attitude towards others, I was still somewhat surprised at my nonchalant demeanor in the face of inflicting painful deaths. Those 28 crew members surely had families, friends, spouses, or children. The pain I caused not only to the killed crew members but also to their surviving relatives must have been immense. I understand this intellectually, but on the other hand, I feel almost no sense of guilt. Perhaps Betty had modified some aspects to prevent me from experiencing a conscience burden, especially considering that I would inevitably engage in the mass slaughter of monsters during the war against the Demon King's army. Lost in these unconnected musings, Commander Genda approached me.

"My goodness, Jun-san, that was impressive. Truly, a divine strike. To swiftly shoot down four twin-engine bombers is beyond words. Also, regarding the enemy's new torpedo bombers, thanks to your prior warning, we could intercept them with ease. Unfortunately, we missed one, but on the bright side, no harm came to our side."

Despite Commander Genda's joyful expression, I brought up the crucial matter for reassurance.

"As I mentioned earlier, there will be a several-minute interval, and then the attacks from Midway base will resume. This time, there will be around thirty planes, a combination of SBDs and SB2Us, along with about twenty B-17 bombers. The fighters should be sufficient to handle them, but once this interception is over, quickly secure the first attack group. What's truly frightening is the air raid from the American carrier-based planes starting from 09:20. We'll need the combined strength of the fighters and the dive bombers. If we fail to intercept, the cost will be paid with the blood of the carrier and its crew."

I had already handed a rough estimate of the anticipated attack times for B-17s, SBDs, and SB2Us from Midway base to Commander Genda.

"Oh, there's no oversight there. Lieutenant Commander Yoshioka, our aviation staff officer, has already formulated interception plans based on the expected arrival times of enemy aircraft."

With the appearance of B-26s and TBFs at the time I noted in my memo, it seemed that Commander Genda fully trusted the information. While the battle had started well, the outcome of the Midway engagement remained uncertain. I, as an irregular presence, could either throw a wrench into the works with an unexpected submarine attack or witness the intrusion of the Hornet's fighter and bomber squadrons, which historically failed to locate the 1st Air Fleet's and aborted their attack. The battle was entering an unknown territory beyond my historical knowledge, and the outcome was unpredictable.