As things stood, the Retribution Angel's captain, in the thick of it, understood it all the more clearly.
That the enemy ship's firepower output hadn't weakened in the least meant their attacks upon the enemy had achieved no substantial effect.
As for his own interstellar warship — the captain lifted his head to look at the weapon-module data panel before him, marked with the detailed states of the bow-cannon block, the main-cannon block, the secondary-cannon block, the close-in-defense block, the missile-launcher block.
Already nine secondary cannons and 63 close-in defense cannons had been knocked out of normal operation by the enemy's fire.
If the next bow-cannon strike still failed to deal the enemy ship effective damage, then the T4 Retribution-Angel-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship's plight would be far from rosy.
"Captain, we have still 300 interstellar missiles we haven't used." the deputy captain reminded from the side.
"No hurry with those yet — they're our trump card. If the second bow-cannon strike can't achieve our strategic aim, then we can only fall back on our interstellar missiles," the captain said gravely.
Very soon, the Retribution-Angel-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship's bow cannon was ready again.
"Report — the Retribution Angel's bow cannon is charged; it can strike again!" the crewman in charge of the bow cannon cried.
The captain gave the order at once: "Aim at the enemy ship's bow — fire!"
Seen from afar, the T4 Retribution-Angel-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship's bow-cannon position flickered with platinum-white radiance, countless light-particles gathering.
Plainly, the T4 Retribution-Angel-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship was about to loose its second bow-cannon strike.
And on the other side, the T4 Blue-Eyes White Dragon-class Heavy Interstellar Armored Battleship's bow-cannon module had not yet finished resetting.
"Hahaha, so what if the bow cannon lasts longer? What counts is a warship's all-round performance — and there's the gap!" the adjutant behind Saint Cana said with confidence, for all the world as though he already saw this battle's result.
At the same time, aboard the T4 Blue-Eyes White Dragon-class Heavy Interstellar Armored Battleship's bridge—
"Now — bring the star shield back up!" Xue Xiaoxiao barked.
"Yes! Star shield, up!" The crew-chief gave the order to his crews; every operation ran at flying speed, and the star-shield program was fired up again.
Xue Xiaoxiao held her breath, fists clenched, saying nothing.
Behind her, the deputy captain swallowed — she understood, now, why the honored captain had insisted on shutting off the star-shield field with 10% energy still left.
It had been to guard against the enemy ship's bow-cannon strike!
Swish!
At the T4 Retribution-Angel-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship's bow-cannon position, a platinum-white beam shot out at astonishing speed, driving straight at the bow of the T4 Blue-Eyes White Dragon-class Heavy Interstellar Armored Battleship opposite.
The aim was plain.
Strike first, and take the upper hand — destroy the T4 Blue-Eyes White Dragon-class Heavy Interstellar Armored Battleship's bow cannon!
With the other's main weapon destroyed, the T4 Retribution Angel would have set one foot across the threshold of victory in this battle.
Just as the platinum-white beam was about to strike the T4 Blue-Eyes White Dragon-class Heavy Interstellar Armored Battleship's bow — suddenly a barrier unfolded, loosed from the T4 Blue-Eyes White Dragon's very bow, wrapping bit by bit around the whole of the T4 Blue-Eyes White Dragon's hull.
Boom—
The dazzling light-effect of the collision once more swallowed the greater half of the T4 Blue-Eyes White Dragon's hull.
But everyone who witnessed it was dumbstruck.
"How is this possible! How can they still have a star shield!" the adjutant behind Saint Cana was agape and tongue-tied.
Saint Cana sat in her chair, her expression turning grave despite herself.
And at this moment, beneath the light-effect of that shield-and-spear collision, the T4 Blue-Eyes White Dragon-type bow cannon began to give off a silver-white glow of particles.
"Report — our bow-cannon weapon has finished resetting; it can strike again!" the crewman in charge of the bow-cannon weapon module cried.
"Warning! Warning! Warning! The star shield is under attack; energy remaining 9%… 8%… 7%…"
Because the star shield was taking the ceaseless attack of the enemy's bow cannon, the remaining star-shield energy was falling fast.
"Fire up the bow cannon — aim me at that turtle-spawn's little pop-gun opposite. He likes to trade guns with this lady? Then this lady'll let him know whose gun's the harder, the fiercer! Ram it right in his face for me! And if you can't aim straight, this lady'll ram you right up the [redacted]—" Xue Xiaoxiao loosed a savage threat straight at the crewman in charge of the bow-cannon module.
The crewman couldn't help a shudder, then stood bolt upright and said firmly: "Set your mind at ease, Captain — I'll see the task done!"
Had it been at the range of that first exchange, aiming for the enemy ship's bow cannon would still have carried some difficulty.
But now the distance between the two ships had closed; add to that the calibration data from that first round, and the enemy's still-pouring energy beam to serve as a reference-answer — if he couldn't aim straight now, he might as well give up the trade for good.
"How long till the bow cannon fires!" Xue Xiaoxiao asked again.
"10 seconds!"
Xue Xiaoxiao looked toward the star-shield crew-chief: "Sync your timing with them — the instant they fire, you shut off the star shield!"
"Yes!" The crew-chief nodded, ready at any moment to give the order to shut the star-shield system.
Though the star-shield field's presence didn't hinder one's own warship from loosing an attack — because this time Xue Xiaoxiao's bow-cannon strike was going straight for the enemy's bow cannon, a head-on trade of guns — the zone where the two collided would, beyond doubt, be right at the star-shield field's position.
The energy the collision then produced would surely affect the star-shield field.
Little as the star-shield energy remaining was, Xue Xiaoxiao wouldn't waste it.
Before the two departments' chiefs, a countdown surfaced at the same time.
From the number '5,' falling step by step.
And at last, as it turned to '1'—
The two chiefs gave their orders at the same instant.
"Shut off the star shield!"
"Fire!"
The sight of the T4 Blue-Eyes White Dragon-class Heavy Interstellar Armored Battleship's star shield going dark filled the Sacred Angel Legion's people with glee.
But what happened next flung them, in an instant, from heaven back into the abyss.
A silver-white beam blazed forth, and struck straight against the platinum-white beam.
"This… this… this interstellar battleship's captain is simply a madwoman!" the adjutant behind Saint Cana muttered in shock.
Saint Cana had long said nothing, her brows knit tight.
The scene of two bow cannons trading fire head-on was a rare thing to witness.
The shockwave of energy the collision produced even affected, to a degree, the solid-shell missile attacks of both sides across a swath of the surrounding zone — one could see a round, ring-shaped shockwave-field.
And, of course, because it was nearer the T4 Blue-Eyes White Dragon, the T4 Blue-Eyes White Dragon's hull took a certain effect too.
Only a pity — the T4 Blue-Eyes White Dragon-class Heavy Interstellar Armored Battleship was a Heavy Interstellar Armored Battleship, and if you asked where its armor was thickest, that was the bow position!
And at this moment, the critical point where the two beams met was, plain to see, edging slowly toward the T4 Retribution Angel's side.
At the same time, everyone recalled a crucial factor.
The T4 Retribution Angel's bow cannon could last only three minutes!
The T4 Blue-Eyes White Dragon's bow cannon lasted longer.
And by then…
"Wa-kaka-ka, likes to trade guns, does he. This lady'll blast your backside into a whole hillside of blossoms!" This time Xue Xiaoxiao planted her left foot on the seat of the captain's chair and her right foot on the very top of its backrest, hands on her hips.
The swagger of the pose was arrogant beyond describing!