Break through the enemy encirclement 2

"The five destroyers in the rear are accelerating, while the cruisers are beginning to fall behind."

"The Aquarius Arrow-class cruisers are heavily armed but slow. If we had kept pace with their speed, our ship wouldn't have been able to catch up. It's a reasonable decision."

Looking at the radar monitor, five destroyers were positioned behind the Cerberus, followed by the cruisers slightly behind, and three unidentified vessels further in the rear.

The three vessels at the rear were likely destroyers or frigates, judging by their speed.

A grand game of tag unfolding across the vast expanse of space.

"Five destroyers in the rear are gradually moving away, but they're still within enemy range and continuing their attack."

"Understood. Continue evasive maneuvers while shaking them off. Concentrate the energy shield on the rear of the ship."

"Understood."

The Cerberus is faster than the enemy destroyer.

The farther we get from the enemy, the less damage we'll take from their attacks.

We're already able to withstand enemy fire using only the energy shield, and there are fewer attacks requiring evasive maneuvers.

For now, our only option is to run.

We'll soon exit international space and enter the exclusive economic space of the Acneria Galactic Federation. If we proceed straight ahead for about half a day within that zone, we'll reach the Acneria Galactic Federation's territory.

If we can reach Acneria's territory, Shinosuke and the others will have won.

"Enemies won't be able to follow us into Acneria's territory. Let's make a run for it without stopping."

Cerberus exited international space and entered Acneria's exclusive economic zone.

Although enemy ships continued their pursuit, the distance between them and Cerberus kept increasing, and Cerberus had already escaped beyond the firing range of all enemy vessels, rendering their attacks ineffective.

For now, they had gained sufficient distance.

"Did we lose them?"

"Ah..."

Markus reacted to Shinosuke's sudden, involuntary words.

"Wait!... I did it again!"

"What now, this time?"

Seyla interjected, hearing Shinosuke's exchange, her tone slightly stern—almost cold.

"It's happened again. This time it was a violation similar to the fourth requirement's 'Did you do it?'... Damn it! I just can't help saying it unconsciously!"

"Exactly why such words are prohibited—because they're dangerous to say without thinking."

As expected, Shinnosuke seems to have made another comment that violates the unofficial military regulations of the Acneria Space Force.

Ciel no longer feels surprised.

Staring intently at the radar, determined not to miss even the slightest anomaly.

At the same time, Milena was overwhelmed by an indescribable, unsettling premonition rising from deep within her heart.

The ability to foresee the future.

Left here!

"Port side, high-energy reaction!"

As Milina and Seira shouted, Shin nosuke reacted instantly.

Piyu! Piyu! Peee!

Alarms blared throughout the bridge.

"Can't avoid it! Tilt the ship sideways!"

Shin nosuke slammed the steering wheel to the maximum and kicked the foot pedals hard.

The Cerberus' hull began to sink and rotate to the right.

"Direct hit incoming! Prepare for impact!"

At the same time as Marks' warning.

A beam cannon shot from outside the detection range struck the Cerberus' engine.

The bridge violently shook.

Several monitors flashed red with warnings.

"Managed to dodge it—avoided sinking! Report damage!"

Though hit, there should be no fatal damage.

"Reporting. Direct hit on Engine Two. However, thanks to evasive maneuvers, the hull was spared direct impact. The beam weapon penetrated Engine Two diagonally. Output at sixty percent, continuing to drop. If we don't shut down Engine Two, there's a risk of detonation."

"Understood. Shutting down Engine Two."

Shin nosuke pulled the throttle lever for Engine Two, shutting it down, and severed all power supply to the engine.

"Thrust has decreased by thirty percent due to Engine Two's shutdown. We'll have to navigate using only the main engine and Engine Three from now on."

Shin nosuke confirmed the situation as he received Marks' report.

"From which direction on the port side was that fired? If it came from outside Kerberos's detection range and still has this power, it's not just a destroyer or cruiser! It's at least the main gun of a heavy cruiser or battleship."

Even after checking the radar, there's no sign of the ship that fired upon us, nor any indication of the second wave.

"Markus, has something like this ever happened before?"

"Yes. It's similar to the attack we experienced when our rapid-fire cannons were destroyed, but this time the power has doubled."

"That pirate ship... Back then, they were targeting mining vessels, so they must have been holding back their power... But now, just when I thought we'd shaken off the pursuers, we're clearly going to be caught if we keep going like this. We need to prepare for that."

Trying to regain his composure, Shinnosuke.

"Um, Shinnosuke-san. Please don't make unnecessary remarks."

"...Yes. I'll be more careful."

Reprimanded coldly by Seira, Shinnosuke slumped his shoulders.

But he couldn't afford to dwell on despair.

It was inevitable that the enemy fleet would catch up soon.

"If we're going to be forced into a corner, we can't rely on fleeing anymore. We'll have to turn and strike back when cornered."

The Cerberus pressed forward toward the Acnelia Galactic Federation, relying on its remaining two engines.

From here on, he'd have to keep making the best choices among the limited options left.

The ship was hidden beyond the radar detection range to the left flank of Cerberus.

A pirate vessel that had been modified from a civilian high-speed craft, equipped with a military-grade high-output beam cannon.

"That escort ship dodged that barrage remarkably well. They shouldn't be able to detect us from their side, though. Is it the power of Princess Rymria...? Or perhaps the captain's skill? Hehehe..."

The female pirate captain chuckles, blowing smoke from the bridge.

"Big sister, aren't we going too? If we take down that escort vessel, it'll be our victory!"

The captain shakes her head in response to her subordinate's words.

"It's impossible. The cannon fire just fried some of the systems. You really can't force civilian transport ships to carry reconnaissance cruiser radars or battleship beam cannons. We barely managed one shot at full power, and look at the state we're in. From here on, it's the military's job. We've earned our pay—now we're pulling out. Honestly, I wanted to sink that escort vessel myself, but meddling in military affairs never ends well. We'll leave the rest to them and get out of here fast. Still... a man who can pull off a feat like this? I might just fall for him..."

The pirate ship turned around and vanished from the skies.