"The energy core is completely damaged and cannot be repaired."
"Scanning… Non-Orlanian, non-Natlan, identity verification in progress… Verification failed."
The Overlord Mecha stared at Lin Lan, who stood at the edge of the command ship's deck, its voice crackling intermittently.
Lin Lan gripped the railing, carefully examining the mecha before him, one that had suffered fatal damage.
This massive mecha, bearing the insignia of the Orlan United Federation on its shoulder armor, was originally a pristine, gleaming white.
But now, its exterior was covered in gashes and dents, evidence of the many battles it had endured even before this fight.
The enormous white wings on its back had just been severed by a sword's arc, sending sparks flying as they fell onto Agir's giant dragon and slid into the sea.
Yet, despite its body being cut apart, the mecha's massive mechanical hand still gripped the hilt of an unpowered energy blade.
"A warrior worthy of song and remembrance, huh?"
Seeing the mecha's electronic blue eyes dimming, its flickering light growing weaker, Lin Lan felt a wave of sorrow.
As the commander of so many shipgirls in the port area, he was well aware of the historical battles they had fought.
Watching this mecha, whose energy was about to be extinguished, he couldn't help but think of the shipgirls' historical counterparts—warships sinking into the ocean.
The Overlord Mecha may have been an autonomous combat unit with no human pilot, but Lin Lan still regarded it with respect.
In the distance, the battle between the two fleets had also come to a conclusion.
The steel fleet had broken through the wooden fleet's encirclement and fled in disarray, disappearing beyond the horizon.
The remaining wooden fleet slowly turned, heading toward the burning ancient city on the shore.
Lin Lan could already guess that the retreating steel fleet likely belonged to the Orlan United Federation.
The wooden fleet, with its archaic design, belonged to the Natlan Empire.
Although he didn't know how wooden ships could withstand artillery fire, considering that the Natlan Empire had warriors capable of cultivating extreme abilities, it wasn't so hard to imagine.
As Lin Lan watched the mecha's energy depleted with a solemn expression and prepared to return to the command ship's cabin to gather his shipgirls for a journey to the burning city…
Suddenly, he felt a tremor through the ship's hull.
"Lieyun… requesting… szzzt… help… Huaiwu City… Captain… szzzt…"
The mecha's voice rang out behind him, causing Lin Lan to halt mid-step, turning back in shock toward the white mecha.
The fading blue electronic eyes of the mecha suddenly flared up, projecting two beams of light onto Lin Lan.
"Lieyun Squad… successfully covered the evacuation of Orlan civilians, but… the captain… szzzt… is still… holding the rear… szzzt…"
"Stranger… help… Skyhawk Captain… szzzt… retreat… szzzt… return home…"
It was only then that Lin Lan realized—Lieyun was the name of this mecha.
"Lieyun, your captain is also an Overlord Mecha, isn't he? How could I possibly transport such a massive machine back to Orlan?"
Even if this mecha had been created by Sirens as a pawn, Lin Lan still wanted to fulfill its final wish.
That phrase—"covering the evacuation of Orlan civilians"—had struck a chord within him.
But even if he wanted to help, he needed to be capable of doing so.
Not to mention, this place was a Mirror Sea created by the Sirens. Who knew why Dongyun City's original location had become an unfamiliar name?
The war between the Orlan United Federation and the Natlan Empire had been fought almost entirely on Natlan soil, with an entire ocean separating it from Orlan's eastern and western continents.
Even if he wanted to help Lieyun, he couldn't expect his shipgirls to drag such a colossal mecha all the way back.
"Captain… szzzt… has… szzzt… changed…"
"You… szzzt… can do it…"
"She… szzzt… is over there…"
Lin Lan didn't notice that the blue light from Lieyun's eyes had scanned his entire body from head to toe.
He was about to ask more questions, but it was too late.
Lieyun had exhausted all its remaining strength to lift its arm and point toward the burning city of Huaiwu.
Then, its blue eyes went completely dark.
Its final act was to extend one finger in that direction.
Lin Lan silently gazed at the mecha named Lieyun before raising his hand slightly and saluting with an Orlan Navy gesture.
"Commander, its energy is depleted. It's completely inoperable now."
After a long moment, Agir's voice came from beside him, prompting Lin Lan to lower his hand.
He turned to see Agir, standing close beside him, maintaining the support of her draconic rigging that was holding up Lieyun's remains.
Her expression was grim. Staring at the damaged mecha, she seemed lost in thought, perhaps recalling something unpleasant.
"Let it rest at the bottom of the sea."
Lin Lan took Agir's hand and spoke solemnly.
"I swear, I will never let this happen to you."
Lin Lan had never experienced real war. Back on Blue Star, China had long been a peaceful nation.
But now, he truly understood something:
The word "war" in textbooks and history books often glosses over the reality—tens of thousands of lives lost.
He would never let his shipgirls be dragged into that abyss.
"Hahaha! Don't worry, Commander. On the battlefield, the God of the Wild Seas is not so easily broken!"
Agir, after staring at Lin Lan for a while, suddenly let out a bold laugh.
The silver-haired, red-streaked, golden-eyed girl straightened her posture confidently and snapped her fingers at her draconic rigging.
Under her command, Lieyun's remains slowly sank into the depths, vanishing beneath the waves.
"We're heading to Huaiwu City. Whether it's to fulfill this mecha's final request or to find the Siren commander and the Mirror Sea's core, we need to go there for answers."
Lin Lan, watching Lieyun disappear beneath the waves, turned to Agir.
"Heh… understood."
The cruiser girl gave Lin Lan a sly grin before leaping onto her rigging and setting course.
Under Lin Lan's command, the entire Ironblood fleet steadily sailed toward the burning Natlan city—Huaiwu.
As the East Huang-style ancient city loomed closer, Lin Lan began recalling the history he had learned about the war between Orlan and the Natlan Empire during his time at the naval academy.
At first, when the two nations established diplomatic relations, they were exceptionally friendly toward each other.
During their honeymoon phase, Orlan's naval general was even received by the Natlan Emperor, and the two nations held a joint military parade in the Natlan capital.
Encouraged by Natlanian, Orlan invested heavily in immigration and industrial construction, and trade between the two nations flourished.
But everything changed when the amiable Natlan Emperor died young.
His successor took a drastically different stance toward Orlan.
Orlan's mass-produced industrial goods had become extremely popular in Natlan.
The new emperor accused Orlan of deliberately disrupting Natlan society and, overnight, ordered the Imperial Army to launch a devastating assault on Orlan-built factories across Natralia.
In just a few days, countless Orlan workers and immigrants were slaughtered without reason, cut down by Natralia's sudden wrath.
Despite Orlan's president demanding an explanation, Natlan severed all diplomatic ties and continued its massacre of Orlanians within its borders.
Thus, Orlan could endure no longer.
The century-long war between the two great nations had begun.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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