About to trade another blow with Azure Dragon, Anchorage Princess sensed lethal danger from the right and spun to see the massive blade of energy racing in.
It was far too fast to dodge; she had no choice but to meet it head-on.
Azure Dragon, recognizing the attack, breathed a silent thanks. 'Illustrious, you're finally here—any later and I'd be done for!'
She veered away, putting a safe distance between herself and the incoming strike, then hovered to watch.
'She actually has a Ship Skill this fierce? If I took that head-on I'd end up half-dead,' she realized.
'Moon Ice Absolute Divine Mirror!'
A two-meter circular ice mirror flashed into being before her—the defensive divine skill that had saved her countless times—yet the silver arc's dreadful aura left her uneasy.
The silver crescent met the mirror in a titanic crash, the roar like meteors colliding, hurling a towering column of energy sky-high.
The colossal pressure erupted from the point of impact, whipping the sea into towering waves.
Countless shockwaves from the clash forced the Ship Girls battling Abyssal Warships below to split their focus and raise their energy shields.
They had to keep the shockwaves from disturbing their fight; above them, Captain Dido-level combat raged, and they could offer no help.
Better to slaughter these Abyssal Warships faster, speed up the operation, and spare Captain Dido the worry.
With a boom, Ayanami cleaved an Abyssal Destroyer in two; the crippled warship exploded and sank.
After the kill, sensing danger overhead, Ayanami glanced up—Admiral's terrifying sword-qi was racing through the sky.
She marveled at his power, then returned to slaughtering Abyssal Warships, raising her rigging's level so she could one day break through to Epic Ship Girl—she still had to work harder!
Even through the screen, that silver sword-qi made every Admiral's breath catch; they dreaded imagining what would happen if their own Ship Girl took a hit.
"Whoa! That sword-qi is terrifying—its aura alone makes my heart pound even from here! Can a Ship Girl really do that? Are Epic Ship Girls this strong? Why does mine only fire shells—are the tiers really this far apart?"
"Send your Purple-rated Ship Girl home to bed! The burst power of Epic and above is simply beyond ordinary Ship Girls."
"Exactly. Epic Ship Girls are walking nukes; anything lower can still be wiped out by human weapons."
The Admirals long knew how fearsome Epic Ship Girls were, yet every display left them awed—thankfully that power aimed at the Abyssals, not humanity, or it would be Armageddon.
With a swoosh, Souryuu landed beside Illustrious, stared at the blast site, and murmured, "Did we finish her?"
"Probably," Illustrious answered flatly. "It was a direct hit."
They would have to wait for the smoke to clear before knowing for sure.
Thick smoke billowed from the crater; Illustrious, impatient, swept the spot with her mind. When she withdrew her senses, her face darkened—Anchorage Princess's aura still pulsed.
Seeing Illustrious's expression, Souryuu instantly braced for battle, channeling every ounce of power.
At last the smoke parted, revealing Anchorage Princess hovering in mid-air behind a mirror of ice.
A crack rang out—the invincible Moon Ice Absolute Divine Mirror had fractured, and Anchorage Princess frowned, startled.
Had that ghastly sword-qi struck her body instead, she would have sunk on the spot. She turned toward Illustrious, her pretty face gloomy—such terrifying attack power. If Illustrious unleashed something even stronger, she might perish here.
Illustrious, seeing Anchorage Princess unscathed, sighed at the Abyssal Princess's toughness. That had been her ultimate strike, yet the foe stood firm—like a cockroach that refused to die.
She had almost no strength left; repeating a technique of that caliber was impossible. She glanced at Souryuu, who looked equally spent.
Illustrious sent a silent message: "Stall her with chatter while Dido above readies her attack."
Souryuu replied mentally: "Got it. But that silver slash of yours was insane—can't you fire something even bigger and finish her now?"
Illustrious answered with a wry smile: "I've got the move, but I'm running on fumes."
"Shame," Souryuu replied. "Then we stall."
Illustrious shouted, "Anchorage Princess, you're formidable to survive my ruinous strike—but you're not immortal. Let's see how long you last against both of us!"
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