Multi-cell nest-type miniature vector kinetic interceptor missiles.
The side armor plate of a destroyer slid open, revealing a honeycomb-like launch array.
With a single volley, thousands of miniature missiles, each only as thick as an arm, soared into the sky!
They didn't require large warheads; relying on their extremely high muzzle velocity and the astonishing maneuverability provided by their vector propulsion systems, guided by the fire control system, they swarmed toward the remaining Wyvern fighters in clusters.
These miniature missiles were like piranhas that had caught the scent of blood, clinging tightly to their targets. No matter how desperately the fighters performed extreme overload maneuvers, they couldn't shake them off.
A fighter from the Falcon Squadron was simultaneously locked onto by at least twenty missiles. The pilot desperately executed one final Cobra maneuver but was still overtaken by several missiles.
The kinetic warheads easily penetrated the already battered fuselage, detonating from within.
Another fighter attempted to dive and evade, only to be met head-on by a swarm of missiles launched from another destroyer below, instantly transforming into an expanding fireball.
Lieutenant Commander Victor Griffin's fighter, thanks to its exceptional performance and the Lieutenant Commander's own skill, miraculously pierced through the laser and nanocloud interception.
He could even make out the faint silhouette of the distant Federation flagship with his naked eye.
But the next second, his radar warning receiver emitted an unprecedented, densely terrifying shriek.
His entire forward and side view was completely filled with countless light points representing approaching missiles.
It was a saturation salvo from at least three destroyers—a death storm composed of thousands of miniature missiles.
What he left in the communication channel was not a final testament, but a bestial, unwilling roar.
Then, his fighter, along with his final fire of vengeance, was utterly engulfed by endless bursts of explosive light.
Inside the Kunlun Mountain - Modified bridge, there was an almost indifferent calm.
Qin Beiwang stood with his hands clasped behind his back before the massive observation window, his profound gaze fixed on the brief yet brutal fireworks display in the distance.
The Empire's Wyvern fighters' suicidal charge, against the layered Federation anti-aircraft fire net, was like moths flying toward a scorching lampshade, vanishing in silent swathes.
The dense pulse lasers, the eerie nanocloud, and finally the rainstorm of miniature missiles together formed an insurmountable wall of death.
Watching the last light point of a Wyvern fighter disappear completely from the tactical screen, Qin slightly tilted his head, his tone flat and devoid of much emotion.
"That actually saved quite a bit of trouble.
These new toys are quite effective."
He paused, as if comparing it to a battle from memory.
"If it were before, without this batch of new equipment, trying to stop such a desperate wave of fighters...
Our destroyers and cruisers would likely have had to exert considerable effort, and some losses would have been unavoidable."
The new toys he referred to were the pulse burst point-defense system, the nanocloud blockade shells, and the multi-cell miniature vector missiles that had just demonstrated their formidable power.
From design philosophy to combat performance, these weapon systems clearly surpassed the standard deployment level of the Federation Fleet.
However, the senior officers behind him, including Zhuang Zhixuan, were far from as calm as the Commander.
Traces of lingering shock remained on their faces to varying degrees.
Zhuang Zhixuan withdrew her gaze from the tactical screen, took a deep breath, and then whispered to her colleague beside her.
"This interception efficiency... is astonishing.
Especially that nano-cloud; it completely overturns the traditional hard-kill interception mode."
Another officer in charge of fleet defense couldn't help but interject, his voice filled with disbelief:
"The key is, these systems... including that Zhen Yue, were all installed and debugged simultaneously in the shipyard by special envoys directly dispatched from the Federal Advanced Technology Research Bureau, who brought encrypted core data packages and dedicated engineering teams."
He lowered his voice, as if stating a taboo.
"I checked; there are absolutely no model registrations or performance parameters for these weapons in the headquarters' standard equipment database.
They... seem like they were directly transplanted from another system altogether."
Upon hearing this, a subtle silence fell over the bridge's command area.
Almost imperceptibly, everyone's gaze swept over the tall, straight-backed figure in front of them.
Qin Beiwang, their Commander.
So young, yet already holding such a high position, commanding such an important main fleet.
His style was decisive and ruthless, his tactical vision sharp and seasoned.
And now, he could directly obtain top-tier equipment—clearly highly confidential, even experimental in nature—that wasn't even recorded in the Federation's official databases, and organically equip his entire fleet with it...
This went beyond what could be explained by mere favor from superiors or a powerful family background.
The distinct, menacing silhouette of the Zhen Yue flashed through Zhuang Zhixuan's mind.
Coupled with these immensely powerful yet mysterious anti-aircraft systems...
A guess both awe-inspiring and full of speculation quietly surfaced in the hearts of all the informed officers present.
The so-called background and influence behind the Commander were probably even more... extraordinary than their wildest previous imaginations.
Qin Beiwang seemed unaware of the complex thoughts swirling among his subordinates behind him, or perhaps he simply didn't care.
He merely took one last look at the battlefield, now devoid of any hostile signals and filled only with floating debris, then turned and walked toward the command seat.
His voice remained steady as he issued the routine post-battle orders.
"Assess battle damage and results. Recover usable fighter craft. Dispatch salvage ships to thoroughly scan the battlefield debris.
Do not overlook any valuable data fragments or hardware debris."
"Yes, Commander!"
The bridge became busy again, but a deeper layer of reverence and curiosity toward their commander had quietly taken root in everyone's hearts.
Several hours later, at the Marbas Empire Joint Fleet Headquarters.
On the main tactical screen before Admiral Scott, footage transmitted by the Blood Claw Fleet played silently.
It showed the space sector where the Demon Claw Fleet had been annihilated.
The imagery was cold and brutal.
The area that should have been a mighty array was now nothing but a floating metal graveyard.
The wreckage of massive battleships was torn into irregular shapes, their edges displaying a menacing state of having been molten by extreme heat and then solidified, like black teardrops frozen in the dark void.
The fragments of cruisers and destroyers were even more numerous and finer, like metallic trash crushed by an invisible giant hand and scattered carelessly, slowly tumbling and colliding.
The bow of an Empire stellar carrier was barely recognizable, its iconic launch deck twisted and fractured, the exposed internal structure resembling the hollowed-out skeleton of a colossal beast.
Scattered everywhere were hull fragments of indeterminate origin, torn armor plates, and contorted gun barrels.
Occasionally, one or two intact escape pods could be seen drifting silently among the wreckage, though their life signals had long since fallen silent.
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