Nihonkoku Shoukan: Beyond

Chapter 35: Meeting of Civilizations

2nd March, 1640 CCY, Eastern Altaras Sea, 5m below the surface, onboard the GVKmS Jörmungandr, Osiris-class cruiser submarine.

A submarine, a type of ship that is designed to lurk below the surface of the ocean, waiting for the right moment to attack their prey without them even knowing. This ship, the Jörmungandr is just one of many in service with the Gra Valkas Navy. The Jörmungandr is one of the very few experimental Osiris-class cruiser submarines. Armed with 12 torpedo tubes, 8 in the bow and 4 in the stern, and an assortment of deck guns including two 150mm quick-firing cannons in the front and back of the mast, two twin 20mm mount anti-air cannon, and two 8mm Gustav machineguns.

It is indeed a formidable beast. Unfortunately, it was a beast that was forced to be restricted to GVE water only due to the aggressive anti-sub tactic from the Kain Divine Kingdom Naval and Air Forces. The rival kingdom may be smaller in size, both in territory and manpower, but they make up for it with better tactics and logistics. Thus, the Osiris-class and her predecessor were forced to hand over the role of the lord of the undersea to the smaller but much more flexible and maneuverable Nymph-class submarines.

However, that was in Yggdra. Here in Elysia, the superior range, endurance, and firepower of the Osiris-class, coupled with the nonexistent threat to submarines make the class a more viable option for the navy, so the class is being invested in again with new hulls hitting water every 4 months. Be it long-range recon, or interdiction of enemy convoys, if you order it, the navy will give the assignment to the Osiris. It is no coincidence that the Jörmungandr is assigned to this sector with 2 of her sister ships, Osiris and Aegaeon.

Their deployment this time is because of the sudden broadcast from a mysterious country called Japan. Not too long before, these boats were conducting a mission to aid the GVE intelligence agency with their efforts in the Mu continent, suddenly, they were being redirected toward the Third Civilization Region. This left the crews of all three ships perplexed. But now, they have their answers on why the High Command hastily gave this order out. Jörmungandr is the only one on the scene, however, as they are already at sea and set sail for the Third Civilization Region well before her sister ships.

"C-captain... sir, you should see this..." – First Officer Kasper Hillebrand

"Hm? It's rare to see you this worried, Kasper. We finally see the Japanese Fleet?" – Captain Noah von Reitz

"Y-yes sir... the camera that was connected to the periscope is recording as we speak... but there's something about them that I believe you should see by yourself..." – Kasper

The first officer steps away from the periscope and hands it over to the captain. Noah looks again at his usually composed first officer, his expression is very much the definition of pale. He questioned what Kasper could have seen to be this worried. For more than 5 years the two of them have patrolled the sea in the service of the empire, and not once, even in the darkest of the situation against Kain patrols, Noah has seen his most trusted men this worried. But soon, he finds his answer.

"Mother of Yggdra! What... how... Kasper, is this periscope out of focus?!" – Noah

A rhetorical question. One that Noah knows the answer would be a no, as if their equipment would be faulty. One does not survive long in this service without carefully maintaining their boat.

"No sir... t-that periscope just got checked yesterday... what we are seeing... is true." – Kasper

The Milishial for them is not a concern. However, what is moving in front of the Milishiali's fleet is. Before the crew of Jörmungandr is an image of a fleet of warships flying a rising sun flag. That is the Japan Cosmos Navy 4th Fleet. Instead of sailing out from the fog as expected, the Japanese fleet is flying out of the cloud. Such size and capabilities... How was that even possible? Not only that, the Japanese fleet is enveloped by a huge screen of fighters and other impossibly large aircrafts, much larger than even in development Betelgeuse (renamed Guti Maun) long-range heavy bomber of the GV Air Force.