‘FWOOOOO’

For a second the windows were covered in fire, I checked the HP.

‘Ding’

‘You received 338 upgrade points’

---

IJN Kuronami – DDL. Upgrade points – 40.

Torpedoes – 4/6.

HP – 2709.

HI – 100%.

AU – 40%(1489nm).

---

For a second I wondered what to improve. The guns might use some upgrade but they are more than enough. I decided to risk with the explosive torpedoes.

[That’s quite a breath… I don’t want to deal with this thing anymore!]

‘Splash’

I launched two more torpedoes, and both of them missed.

‘RAAAAA!’

The monster tried to bite the ship but I steered away before its jaws closed on me. While it was still nearby, I dropped the entire rack of depth charges.

BOOM BOOM BOOM

For now, the sonar showed that it retreated, and is far enough to breathe out. It didn’t take long for it to surface again, to receive my own revenge.

BANG BANG BANG

The longer the fight continued, the less opportunities I had to attack it. The creature started to weave around, making my hard efforts even more difficult.

Then, something flicked in me.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” (P)

“Brace yourself, we are coming in!”

“WHAT?! STOP! STOP RIGHT THIS INSTANT!” (P)

I turned around, and steamed right towards the monster. I plan to torpedo it from point-blank. No other options appear to be working.

BANG BANG

BANG BANG

After a shot connected, I steered until I started sailing sideways, and launched the last two torpedoes.

‘Splash’

Once again, both of them missed…

‘RAAAAAA!’

‘FWOOOO’

The breath passed right by the ship, barely damaging the structure but it didn’t change the fact that I ran myself into the death trap.

[I can only count on a deus ex machina.]

And then came the light. And the gods stepped down into the mortal world.

They grabbed the monster and torn it apart.

‘RAAAAAA!’

“WATCH OUT!” Patricia steered the wheel, and we barely avoided the jaws.

“STOP DAYDREAMING AND GET US OUT OF HERE!” (P)

“I’M TRYING!”

‘RAAAAAA!’

‘SPLASH’

As the monster prepared to attack again, the sky flashed, this time for real.

‘Rumble’

A lightning hit the monster, making it shriek.

‘RAAAAAAA!!!’

‘Rumble’

And then came another one. And one more. And more, and more…

---

I used this opportunity to look up and saw that the seagulls were flying in a weird circular pattern. There was a huge circle, with another one inside of it. The circles were going in different directions, and somehow produced lightnings which were hitting the reptile with terrifying precision.

Unlike my shells, the sudden thunderstorm was actually hurting the creature. Or so I judged from its shrieks.

[Well, at least it was not a piano falling on the monster’s head out of the blue.]

The seagulls made the monster busy enough for me to recollect my thoughts and prepare to attack again.

“Close your eyes, please.”

“You’re not going to…?” (P)

“I am going. So, please close your eyes.”

The ship once again accelerated towards the monster, this time without a suicide rush.

BANG BANG BANG

I continued shelling the creature from a safe distance, hoping for a lucky shot. If I can Hood it, then I will be golden.

BANG BANG BANG

On a fifth salvo I hit something important, since the creature unnaturally wobbled. There were many hits but the monster was not going down yet.

[Okay, what I am going to do? Those 100mm shells can’t do anything, unless I am lucky. I am out of torpedoes, and the machine guns would at most be a pleasant scratching. The seagulls are only stalling it, there is nothing I can do for now.]

No ideas came to my mind. And then I remembered Sun Tzu: ‘If you are fighting against a strong enemy, like a dragon, when you run out of options the best idea is to run away like a scaredy cat’.

I decided not to contradict the famous strategist, and just set course around the monster, while the seagulls still entertain it.

Only after we were far away from it, and the seagulls returned to guiding me, we both could fall on the floor and weep out our terror.

At least I managed to get close enough to Patricia to have a hug from her. And at least we are f* alive.