Chapter 47: The Final Battle

"Ringo, ram it!"

"Yes, Ma'am Commander."

This was the moment. Despite being an unconventional and risky maneuver for an AI to execute, Ringo immediately carried out Commander Eve’s order.

The Alpha-Class Destroyer Quebec, ship number 17, accelerated toward the thrashing Rain Croix, aiming for its exposed flank.

A ramming attack.

The impact was immediate. As expected, Rain Croix’s defensive barrier absorbed much of the collision’s force.

"Full power!"

"Yes, Ma'am Commander."

Despite the barrier’s resistance, Quebec did not relent. Its bow began to buckle under the immense pressure—steel crumpling, structural supports shattering. Yet the ship continued to press forward, forcing its hull into Rain Croix’s body.

"Barrier down... and it’s not regenerating."

"Good. Fire! Fire!"

With the barrier neutralized, Oscar and Papa, ship numbers 15 and 16, unleashed a barrage from six 150mm smoothbore cannons, firing APDS rounds in rapid succession.

Pinned by Quebec’s ramming maneuver, Rain Croix was forced to bend and contort its massive body. Its thrashing limbs were still a threat—just a glancing strike from its forelimbs tore away half of Quebec’s superstructure. While the destroyer’s specialized construction, designed by Ringo, held for the moment, it wouldn’t last much longer.

But a minute was all that was needed.

Over 250 APDS rounds were fired into Rain Croix’s body, turning the surrounding sea a deep crimson with its blood. The monster’s movements weakened, its massive limbs twitching only reflexively.

"...Did we finally win?"

"Yes, Ma'am Commander. The short engagement allowed us to neutralize it effectively."

The cost of victory, however, was high:

• An extensive expenditure of ammunition and torpedoes.
• The near-total destruction of the Quebec, which had sacrificed much of its structure.

Though the destroyer hadn’t sunk thanks to its meticulously compartmentalized watertight design, it was heavily damaged. Roughly a third of the ship was crushed beyond recognition. Amazingly, its engines and screws remained operational, allowing it to limp back under its own power.

"The cost-effectiveness of this battle is questionable. Would continuing the bombardment have been enough to take it down?"

"No, Ma'am Commander. If Rain Croix had escaped, it might have damaged The Tree’s external facilities. Your decision was excellent."

"...Alright, let’s go with that," Eve replied, sinking back into her command chair with a deep sigh.

“Ahh… That was exhausting. This is the most I’ve had to think since I came here.”

“You’ve done well, Ma’am Commander. I’ll handle the post-battle procedures. You should rest.”

“Good idea… Give me a full report later.”

Eve left the command center, followed by Ringo, who continued managing post-battle operations remotely from her mainframe within The Core. Ringo effortlessly multitasked, supporting Eve while handling logistics and analysis.

Eve headed for the bathhouse—a facility originally absent from The Tree Fortress but constructed after Ringo's pointed (and persistent) suggestion. The fortress now boasted five distinct bath setups. Initially unenthusiastic about the idea, Eve had grown to enjoy the baths and used them almost daily.

"What about food?"

"Meat, maybe?"

Thanks to trade with Telek Harbor, fresh meat had become a staple in the fortress. Large quantities were purchased fresh and flash-frozen for the sisters’ needs. Plans were underway to introduce livestock farming, and with advanced facilities nearing completion, the possibility of hunting large sea beasts like whales was also being explored.

"Meat dishes it is. I’ll handle it."

Ringo recalled how Eve had once expressed interest in learning to cook. Adding it to her task list, Ringo resolved to propose trying out recipes together when things settled down.

The Legacy of Rain Croix

Efforts to gather information on Rain Croix through the mechanical communicator network in Telek Harbor yielded little. The creature’s size and agility made escape from encounters almost impossible, leaving only scattered rumors.

The most fitting description came from tales of the "Wandering Fear," a sea monster said to leave no survivors. How such rumors existed despite its supposed lethality was a mystery, but some accounts suggested rare survivors had lived to tell the tale.

Rain Croix’s extraordinary swimming speed and unexplained powers suggested it had ranged from deep waters to coastal areas, attacking unpredictably.

Its signature traits:

• Sudden attacks from below.
• A single bite capable of destroying ships.
• Targeting entire fleets during attacks.
• A near-impenetrable defense against artillery.

These all confirmed the creature's identity as Rain Croix.

The critical question now: was Rain Croix a unique individual or part of a larger species?

Eyewitness accounts were rare, given that most victims perished. It was unclear whether Rain Croix had attacked all reported cases of shipwrecks or if other causes were involved.

Ringo reasoned that if monsters of Rain Croix’s caliber were abundant, large sailing ships wouldn’t be viable. Even if others existed, their numbers were likely limited. Additionally, Rain Croix’s predation on pods of over ten sea beasts at once suggested that too many of its kind would rapidly deplete marine ecosystems.

Currently, Rain Croix’s massive carcass was being towed toward The Tree Fortress by two Alpha-Class Destroyers, which struggled against its immense weight. Initial calculations, based on its crocodilian proportions, estimated its weight at over 1,500 tons.

The upcoming deployment of the 18th Alpha-Class Destroyer and the return of Paraiso 2 from Telek Harbor would assist in its transport and further investigations.

The battle highlighted the need for immediate reinforcements to The Tree’s rapid-response capabilities.

While no one could have predicted such a colossal threat, the existence of creatures capable of deflecting armor-piercing rounds raised concerns about future encounters. If two such creatures had attacked simultaneously, defending the fortress might have been impossible.

Additionally, the surviving sea beast carcass from Rain Croix’s earlier attack required investigation. During the battle, Rain Croix had clearly acted to protect it.

"If it were just a reserve food supply, fine… but wild animals don’t usually protect something unless—"

"A child, perhaps?"

"Yes, Ma’am Commander. Many species exhibit aggressive behaviors to protect offspring or nests."

Eve nodded in understanding. Rain Croix might have laid eggs within the carcass or otherwise used it to nurture its young.

"Could it reproduce? That thing?"

"Uncertain. However, based on the analyzed tissue composition, it doesn’t deviate significantly from known biological patterns. Its reproduction may follow conventional biological processes."

While this world’s magical elements were still mysterious, Ringo speculated that Rain Croix’s size and durability were the only aspects enhanced by fantasy-like phenomena. Its overall biology likely adhered to natural laws.

"If its biology is mostly ordinary, then the magic is probably limited to its size and toughness."

"Exactly. If it relied entirely on magic for its existence, we’d observe abnormalities in its tissues. But nothing suggests that so far."

"We’ll know more after studying it," Eve concluded.

"If we could secure a juvenile specimen, it would accelerate our research immensely."

Such was the plan moving forward.