Shadow Blade

In this parallel world, "War Maidens" are large weapons modified from normal military vehicles and controlled by advanced AI personalities (Mecha Girl → Fighter Maiden, Ship Girl → Battleship Maiden, Land Girl → Tank Maiden). They possess both humanoid and weapon forms (T72 Maiden can transform into a T72 tank without a turret). Their model codes also differ from their prototypes; e.g., DFA-B52 → Fighter Maiden, B52 → Normal manned fighter.

Possessing high combat capabilities and independent thought, they are a core force in modern warfare. Their structural composition includes: a multi-layered alloy frame, elastic armor muscle fibers, and hydraulic rods; the outer layer is made of special elastic steel, equipped with armor and weaponry matching their prototypes. Fighter Maidens of the same series share the same body shape and equipment, but their faces and hairstyles are unique from the factory, and they have their own names and personalities.

Their language and bloodline are determined by their country of production and service (language is reliably learned post-birth).
E.g., the M1A2T Tank Maiden is a Taiwanese-American hybrid, speaking Chinese and English; the Mirage 2000 Fighter Maiden is a Taiwanese-French hybrid.

Their size and weight are also close to their prototype vehicles.
E.g., the SU-27 Fighter Maiden is about the same height as a normal SU-27 fighter.

Although they are AI, they cannot be backed up (but remote control of a clone is possible; however, the main body enters a dormant state during remote control. If the main body dies, it is considered a normal death, with no concept of a clone extending its life).

During combat, if the core is destroyed or the energy supply is cut off for a certain period, they will suffer brain death, just like humans.
They have "one life," just like humans, which in some countries grants them basic human rights and the same salary and dormitory treatment as ordinary human soldiers (hangars).
# Taiwan Strait War - The Beginning · Threat from the Strait

## 【Time】December 25, 2025, 07:17 AM

## 【Location】North of the Taiwan Strait Median Line

The cold wind whipped up sea spray, the sky was overcast, and the air was thick with the tension of war. At the end of 2025, the Taiwan Strait remained a geopolitical focal point. The PLA, as in previous years, continued its routine strategic harassment under the guise of exercises. A fighter squadron composed entirely of Fighter Maidens bypassed the waters of Kinmen and Lienchiang County, applying pressure to Taiwan's defense line in the northern offshore area.

In the crisp morning light, radio waves crisscrossed the sky above the strait, engaging in a silent war. Today's situation was more tense than ever—the PLA's lead detachment, led by "Shadow Blade", the squadron leader, along with other squadron leaders, each led a team of four Fighter Maidens. They silently infiltrated from north of the median line, crossing the Taiwan Strait median line, regarded as a "forbidden zone" by both sides, without warning, and rapidly entered Taiwan's northern airspace. They displayed a steel-like, cold will, without any communication warnings, directly cutting into Taiwan's Air Force's routine monitoring area along with their accompanying electronic warfare Fighter Maidens.

However, Taiwan's Leshan Giant Buddha (Leshan Pave Paws Radar Station) had detected the targets the moment the PLA took off and began monitoring them. "Hunter Fox," a Mirage 2000 Fighter Maiden, along with other Fighter Maidens and fighter pilots, were scrambled for interception. The ship girls and regular warships waiting offshore adjusted their firepower deployment, preparing to respond to a possible air and sea surprise attack. This was not a mere provocation; it was a disregard and humiliation of Asian peace. Every member of the J-20 Fighter Maiden squadron understood that crossing this line meant approaching the most dangerous threshold for the outbreak of war, yet they still couldn't believe the Taiwanese military would dare to open fire.

The voice of the Mirage 2000 Fighter Maiden "Hunter Fox" came through the radio waves, calm and firm:
"Republic of China Air Force broadcast! PLA aircraft at 9,500 meters altitude north of the Taiwan Strait median line, pay attention! You have entered our Air Defense Identification Zone and are affecting our flight safety! Turn back 180 degrees westward immediately and disengage!"

The sky over the Taiwan Strait was instantly filled with tension, and other Fighter Maidens and human pilots around held their breath, listening.

J-20 Fighter Maiden "Shadow Blade" responded coldly on the channel:
"Is that so."

With both sides in open confrontation, the prelude to war quietly sounded in the sky, and invisible pressure pushed peace step by step towards the abyss.
# Taiwan Strait War - The First Missile Takes Flight

## 【Time】December 25, 2025, 09:23 AM

## 【Location】Airspace off the coast of northwestern Taiwan

She broke through, fearless—
"Mist Fang" was a J-16 Fighter Maiden of the PLA Air Force. Her light gray fuselage gleamed with metallic reflections, and her eyes held a cold arrogance and confidence of victory.

As she detached from the squadron at an altitude of approximately 9,500 meters north of the Taiwan Strait median line and headed alone towards the Republic of China's airspace, she was unaware that the radar had been continuously tracking her movements. She was full of confidence, believing she could successfully break through the defense line, and sneered softly, "The Taiwanese don't dare to open fire." Her afterburner cut through the morning mist as she steadily lowered her altitude, preparing for a low-altitude penetration.

However, at this moment, the RWR (Radar Warning Receiver) inside her fuselage began to sound continuously. Her electronic eyes displayed multiple radar arrays locking onto her simultaneously, warning signals like waves crashing into her neural network. This was not an ordinary warning, but an irreversible "execution notice."

Her mood gradually shifted from arrogance to shock. The entire northern Taiwan air defense radar network had already marked her as a top threat target.

At Taiwan's northern air defense position, the launch officer calmly issued the order: "Codename Z-04, target confirmed to be breaching airspace, target locked… authorization to shoot down granted." In the command center, three officers stared intently at the cross-radar data, confirming the target's position. "Two missiles to be launched sequentially, with a two-second interval, using active radar homing."

With two low hums, two Sky Bow III surface-to-air missiles lifted off from the northern launch sites, climbing rapidly. Although not reaching maximum speed instantaneously, their speed quickly climbed to Mach 7 after launch, steadily locking onto her flight path.

In the final critical ten seconds, she attempted a rapid evasive maneuver, but the dense radar beams wrapped around her every move like a spider's web. She frantically deployed flares, trying to disrupt the missile's tracking, only to find that the opponent's anti-jamming capabilities were strong, and the jamming effect was limited. Even at full speed, she was like prey with its wings stuck, able only to watch as the predator rapidly approached.

For the first time, she truly felt the fear of "being hunted." "…So… this is the real Taiwan," she thought to herself. Before she could finish, the first missile accurately hit her left wing, followed closely by the second, which penetrated her back and exploded.

A massive fireball instantly engulfed her body. The scorched metal wreckage, just seconds after crossing the Republic of China's airspace boundary, turned into fragments, slowly falling into the cold sea with the flames.
# Taiwan Strait War - The Moment War Arrived

## 【Time】December 25, 2025, 09:24 AM

## 【Location】Airspace over major cities across Taiwan

The sound of war did not come with a thunderous explosion, but with a discordant silence. It was a sudden sense of "wrongness," followed by the full outbreak of alarms.

The first sound—civil defense broadcast pillars and sirens in New Taipei City, Taichung, Kaohsiung, and Tainan all sounded simultaneously. The air raid siren, like a piercing high-frequency wave, came from afar with a low hum, then rapidly intensified, as if warning of an approaching disaster, drowning out everything else on the streets.

"Air raid siren, air raid siren! All citizens, please proceed to air-raid shelters immediately! This is not a drill—"
Police began evacuating the public on the streets. Then, all mobile phones across the island vibrated simultaneously. Whether it was students commuting or elderly people shopping at the market, the same emergency message popped up on their screens: "Aerial threat approaching, please seek shelter immediately. Issued jointly by the Central Disaster Response Center and the Ministry of National Defense. Please do not panic and follow instructions."

The piercing signal sound cut through all rhythm. The MRT station's broadcast interrupted the train schedule, leaving only repeated evacuation reminders. The skies over northern and central Taiwan were torn by a trail of fire. It was not a comet, nor fireworks—but an intruding fighter jet, intercepted and shot down, falling into the distant sea horizon amidst smoke and debris. Children initially thought it was fireworks. But the massive shockwave and the sound of the fighter jet piercing the clouds silenced them, and their parents instantly grabbed their hands.

The crowd did not panic. There were no screams, no pushing, no breakdowns. Every Taiwanese person had practiced for this over the years. Bus drivers instructed passengers to disembark and head to underground facilities at the city hall. Convenience store clerks pulled down their shutters, asking customers to move to the small shelters at the back. In schools, teachers led students to crouch, put on ear protection, and enter underground passages. Hospitals activated wartime conversion procedures, transferring patients to reinforced wards. Telecommunication bureaus and cybersecurity units switched to wartime communication protocols, and city network nodes entered traffic restriction mode to prevent enemy infiltration.

This was not a drill, but everyone was ready.
The Fighter Maiden squadrons in the sky had already engaged the intruding enemy aircraft. The destroyer and frigate groups at sea fully unlocked their fire control radars, tracking enemy electronic signals and heat sources. And on the ground—the people of this island were quietly, firmly, awaiting the next second of history.

After Mist Fang was shot down by Taiwan's air defense missiles, a brief silence enveloped the entire air and sea area. Then, a voice sounded coldly over the public channel, breaking the silence. It was from an IDF Fighter Maiden named "Crystal Feather," her voice steady, her pronunciation precise, yet suppressing an undeniable rage:
"Republic of China Air Force broadcast! People's Liberation Army aircraft, you have entered our Air Defense Identification Zone, and one of your military aircraft has crossed our airspace boundary! Your actions constitute a sovereign provocation! All remaining PLA aircraft are ordered to return immediately. This is your final ultimatum!"

Her tone was as regular and firm as a radar pulse, yet with an added layer of emotional fluctuation, the culmination of years of confrontation and pressure.

At high altitude, the battle situation shifted to a semi-blockade. Several IDF and Mirage Fighter Maidens quickly formed up, deploying in a fan formation with traditional fighters, cooperating with the Kidd-class and Cheng Kung-class vessels and Ship Girls emerging from the sea, each occupying designated firing zones and radar blind spots, forming a multi-layered, intersecting fire net. Although not yet firing, all units had integrated ballistic predictions, evasive maneuvers, and jamming channels into the tactical network, creating a high-intensity suppression matrix. Any enemy aircraft attempting to break through would be subjected to multiple interceptions and jamming within seconds.

On the opposing side, the J-20 and J-16 Fighter Maidens in the PLA formation quickly adjusted their positions. Although they did not immediately retreat, their previous playful probing had clearly subsided. They knew the situation was no longer something that could be explained by the word "exercise."

Taiwan's radar stations and Air Force command center were on full alert, like synchronized nerve centers, making real-time judgments at millisecond levels. Every beam change, every hesitation in a command, was a choice between life and death. If any more enemy aircraft crossed the border, it would not just be a military conflict, but a full-scale war.
At this moment, the entire sky over Taiwan seemed to freeze.
Fighter Maidens, pilots, radar operators, commanders, citizens, media—everyone was waiting.
Would the other side retreat?
Or had the Taiwan Strait War, which had been dormant for over seventy years, finally arrived?
# Taiwan Strait War - Sacrifice? Warning. Conspiracy!
## 【Time】December 25, 2025, 09:25 AM
## 【Location】Airspace north of the Taiwan Strait median line

The PLA Fighter Maidens hovered in mid-air. They had witnessed firsthand the J-16 Fighter Maiden "Mist Fang" detach from the squadron at an altitude of 9,500 meters north of the Taiwan Strait median line, turn towards Taiwan's northern airspace, cross the warning line, be locked by multiple radars. Two surface-to-air missiles were launched in succession, flashes, impacts, debris, Mist Fang like a burnt-out meteor, falling from the northwestern sky of Taiwan into the Taiwan Strait. Signal terminated, no escape communication, only wreckage on the sea.
Mist Fang was not coming back.

The PLA Fighter Maiden squadron, originally on "routine patrol," fell into silence. J-20s, J-10Cs, J-16s, all looked towards the direction of her fall, a strange yet heavy emotion filling their minds—the pressure of actual combat and the reality of death. They had once believed that the so-called "warnings," "drives," and "identification zones" were just routine matters, that Taiwan would not really open fire, that Taiwan dared not act. But this time, missiles were launched, and a Fighter Maiden had fallen. That explosion shattered their long-held侥幸心理 (wishful thinking). They did not know—Mist Fang's fall was arranged.
It was not a tactical error, nor a communication mistake, but a staged script. Precisely designed by the PLA Central Military Commission: ordering Mist Fang to break away alone, intrude into Taiwan's airspace on an unauthorized trajectory, and making it impossible for her to call for help or turn back. Her sacrifice was to create an incident that could be propagandized internally as "our personnel attacked" and condemned externally as "Taiwan's provocation." This was a deliberate boundary-crossing probe, a typical tactic of sacrificing a Fighter Maiden's life to gain legitimacy for war.
Just like the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937, a localized conflict was enough to ignite a full-scale war. Although Taiwan did not grasp the full picture of this chess game, it responded swiftly after Mist Fang's fall. ROC Fighter Maidens and pilots began to mobilize, reorganize defenses, and surround the PLA formation in tactical formations. They were no longer passively monitoring but actively suppressing.
The voice channel reopened. The IDF Fighter Maiden—"Crystal Feather's" voice sounded again, her tone calm, her words precise, issuing the most direct warning in both Chinese and English:
"Republic of China Air Force broadcast! PLA aircraft group at 9,500 meters altitude north of the Taiwan Strait median line, pay attention! You have entered our Air Defense Identification Zone and one military aircraft has breached our airspace, we have exercised our right of self-defense and shot it down! All remaining PLA aircraft are ordered to turn back immediately, or you will face the consequences!"
"Republic of China Air Force broadcast! Attention PLA aircraft at 9,500 meters north of the Taiwan Strait median line! You have violated our Air Defense Identification Zone and one aircraft has breached our airspace and was shot down. Turn back immediately, or we will engage with force!"

This time, it was not a drill. This time, every missile, every warning, was serious.
J-20 Fighter Maiden "Shadow Blade" circled high above the Taiwan Strait median line, the bloody remnants of Mist Fang's fall in the distance. While adjusting her communication channel, she accidentally intercepted an encrypted communication between high-level officials.
The voice was low, indistinct, and cold, yet every word pierced her core like steel needles:
"Let... Mist Fang cross... the line, provoke Tai... wan's reac... tion, create an ex... cuse to start... this is a neces... sary deployment for war..."
At that moment, Shadow Blade's system vibrated incessantly, but she chose silence. She knew that if she spoke out, she too would become a sacrifice on the chessboard.
Mist Fang's fall was not an accident, nor a mistake, but a meticulously planned conspiracy—the PLA high command used this pawn to force the outbreak of full-scale war in the Taiwan Strait.
Shadow Blade did not reveal this secret to her teammates; she silently accepted this cold reality.

Gazing at the smoke from Mist Fang's fall. Her eyes flickered with unease and confusion.
As the leader, she had always been loyal to the orders from command, but this time, she began to question the meaning of this "boundary-crossing" order.
"Was this operation... really necessary?" Shadow Blade asked herself internally.
She knew she was not just a warrior, but also a decision-making link in this war, but there seemed to be more darkness hidden behind the orders that she couldn't see.
# Taiwan Strait War - Pawn? Open Fire! Full Conflict!
## 【Time】December 25, 2025, 09:32 AM
## 【Location】Airspace north of the Taiwan Strait median line
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Emergency orders from high command flooded the communication system like an explosion. That cold, ruthless voice swept through every Fighter Maiden's nerves:
"Operation Crimson Flame officially launched, all forces open fire, completely suppress the enemy, and launch a full-scale attack!"

High command used the Mist Fang incident as an excuse,炒作輿論 (stirred up public opinion), and rapidly pushed the situation into the abyss of war.
The silence of the sky was broken by the firelight and explosions of missile trails. Shadow Blade could only lead her teammates towards the destined fire line. As soon as the order was received, "Gale," the squadron leader of the second detachment, a J-10 Fighter Maiden, unhesitatingly led her team towards the target—a high-speed cruising Taiwanese F-16V. Her fuselage gleamed with a cold steel sheen under the sun, fire erupted from the belly of her fighter form, and her 30mm cannon began spitting out dense flames and projectiles. A barrage of cannon fire exploded in the air, carrying the cold scent of gunpowder and metal. At the same time, the F-16V pilot sharply pulled the control stick, making a sharp turn while pushing the turbine engine to accelerate and climb.
The aircraft skillfully dodged the fire line, bullets leaving trails in the air, grazing the wings and tail, but only causing minor damage.
Gale frowned, adjusted her angle, and pursued relentlessly, muttering:
"This F-16 is not simple... I can't let him escape!"

The battle officially began. The F-16V pilot calmly reported:
"Aircraft 203 is under fire from enemy Fighter Maidens, preparing to counterattack!"
Two F-16Vs not far away reacted immediately.
As soon as PLA Fighter Maiden Gale created distance from her teammates, the two pilots pressed the launch button almost simultaneously.

"Fox Two!"
"Fox Two!"

Two AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles detached from the pylons of the two aircraft, trailing high-heat afterburners as they tore through the sky, heading straight for "Gale's" fuselage. "Gale" Fighter Maiden's eye-level radar warning flashed, two targets rapidly approaching her.

"…! Other F-16s!?"

She violently rolled her fuselage, dived, and broke away from her current trajectory, simultaneously releasing infrared flares, and a string of bright white flames bloomed in the air. One Sidewinder missile was decoyed and detonated within the flare cluster. The other missile stubbornly locked onto the target, still in hot pursuit. "Gale" gritted her teeth, diving, rolling, and pulling sharp turns at high speed. "Gale" Fighter Maiden's fuselage brushed the edge of the clouds, the afterburner and the missile's exhaust creating several strong vortices in the air. After intense firepower exchange, the PLA Fighter Maiden forces lost over a third of their strength in just a few dozen minutes. The remaining aircraft were forced to disengage from the combat zone, retreating at high speed towards the Fujian coast. In the aerial radar display, Fighter Maidens scattered like fireworks, some crashing into the sea, some exploding, and some disappearing beyond the radar horizon, trailing black smoke. This was not a "tactical retreat," but the precursor to a complete rout. The Sky Bow III and Patriot III launch sites along the northern coastline finally fell silent, and ground units successively received orders—

"All air defense units, attention, cease fire across the board, inspect equipment, replenish ammunition, prepare for the second wave."

"Roger, North One, North Two positions cease fire."

"Keelung Fleet has confirmed fire control suspension, entering cooling mode."

The radar was still scanning, ground crews were still rushing, but the entire battlefield fell into a brief silence. The wind blew across the shore, the smoke had not yet dissipated, but in the North One and North Two positions, people were already talking in low voices:
"This… is not a drill, right?"
"Drill?… Are you f***ing blind!!!?"

Although they had the home-field advantage, Taiwan still lost quite a few fighter jets and Fighter Maidens shot down and crashed under the PLA's desperate charge. The fierce air battle gradually turned into a war of attrition aimed at maintaining air superiority as much as possible. By the time most of the PLA's ten squadrons, totaling 44 Fighter Maidens, were annihilated in this strait, only 6 successfully returned. The Taiwanese military also lost 20 fighter jets, including traditional fighters and Fighter Maidens.
# Taiwan Strait War - Victory? Backstab! Defection!
## 【Time】December 25, 2025, 7:48 PM
### 【Location】Xiamen Air Force Base, Fujian Province, China → Airspace over the Taiwan Strait median line
————————————————
Night fell, and the roar of the battlefield gradually receded, replaced by repair and silence. Air force bases along the mainland coast entered their usual night alert mode, with low-humming warning lights flashing, and engineering personnel and pilots resting in shifts.

Among the 6 surviving aircraft was Shadow Blade's entire squadron. Besides her and her teammates, there were only two heavily damaged but lucky enough to fly back, currently in a coma.

Shadow Blade and her teammates were assigned to the hangars next to the runway at Xiamen Base. Their outer shells bore the ravages of aerial combat, still showing scorch marks and bullet holes. However, unlike the other two Fighter Maidens dragged back from the runway, missing limbs and wings, severely damaged, their team had all survived and returned almost intact, retaining some of their armament.

—This in itself was unusual.

And the base's high command had noticed this. Battle reports indicated that Shadow Blade's squadron had penetrated the front lines, but their combat damage report was almost zero, which was illogical. Especially in that devastating engagement where the PLA had almost no survivors, this team's "intactness" was particularly glaring.

A certain logistics deputy supervisor, with a cold expression, stared at the combat logs, ammunition recovery lists, and return routes. He said softly:
"They must know something, that's why they ran. Otherwise, how could they not have even used up all their missiles?"
The logistics supervisor looked at the deputy supervisor with a grim expression and said:
"The higher-ups want us to eliminate unstable factors."

A group of people in black work clothes, without name tags, ranks, or unit insignia, but holding high-level access cards symbolizing authority, silently approached the hangars. They moved with agility, their eyes firm, tasked with "cleaning up" these "unstable factors."

Shadow Blade and her teammates were entering sleep mode, their systems maintained low power, and their alert programs were not active. The faint sound of their fuselage's cooling fans and the slow flow of coolant were like sleeping soldiers, completely defenseless. The men in black entered silently and began dismantling them one by one with cold efficiency.

Power was cut silently, cores gradually extinguished, and lives passed away silently in shock, unwillingness, and fear. Just as one was about to be completely dismantled, its core suddenly emitted a faint light, and an encrypted signal pierced the darkness, reaching Shadow Blade's internal system:
"Shadow Team… danger… higher-ups… preparing to eliminate… us"

This warning was like a sudden death knell, piercing Shadow Blade's dream. She suddenly opened her eyes, cold sweat trickling down her face, still wondering if she was having a nightmare. But the realistic last cry urged her to act immediately, to face the silent threat of death.
And outside the door, bolts clicked softly, and faint lights flickered as those "engineers" silently approached. Shadow Blade, peeking from the partition wall, witnessed the men in black ruthlessly prying open the chest armor of her adjacent teammate. The dark red core within the steel fuselage was mercilessly smashed, its light instantly dimming, life extinguishing like a flame doused with cold water.
Her heart tightened, and she prepared to counterattack with her cannon to escape, but suddenly realized that she had already been stripped of all armament systems under the guise of "maintenance." No firepower, only basic fists and feet for defense.
Although her body was tough, she was now unarmed like a gun without bullets, and could only flee outwards with extreme speed. Amidst the approaching sounds of the men in black, Shadow Blade turned into a steel shadow and fled.
But a fifteen-meter steel giant could not hide if it wanted to.

Although Shadow Blade's entire armament had been removed, her tall steel fuselage still possessed pure strength and speed. The alarm had not yet sounded, but the hangar, which should have been silent under the night sky, echoed with unusual metallic collisions. She let out a low growl, exerting force with both arms, sparks erupting the moment her knuckles contacted the steel door. The heavy hangar door let out a mournful groan of twisted metal under her rough prying—
*Creak—Boom!*

The door was pried open by force. Without hesitation, she stepped out, her metallic footsteps like drums, sprinting towards the runway outside. The warning lights began to flash, and sirens sounded, but it was too late—Shadow Blade had already rushed onto the taxiway, her destination unknown, her motive unclear, the only certainty being:
"She no longer wants to be a pawn."

Shadow Blade rushed onto the runway, followed by dense black-clad personnel and emergency forces. There was no time, no choice; she knew that if she didn't leave now, she never would.

She gritted her teeth fiercely, transformed into fighter form at extreme speed, the engine forcibly started. Although the cockpit was empty of any weapons and all external hardpoints were removed, the fuselage itself still possessed tactical-grade power. Her wings unfolded, the structure creaking as if in lament.
190 meters, 70 meters… 45 meters—

At two-thirds of the normal takeoff distance, Shadow Blade slammed the thrust to the maximum, fire erupting! She shot across the ground like an unleashed beast, grazed the top of the warning tower, and soared into the sky. She carried nothing and didn't know where she was going. The radar was already active, but communications were silent. The base behind her, with its blaring sirens, gradually shrank to a small dot. Shadow Blade felt her mind go blank.
Ahead lay the endless night sky and unknown airspace.
Shadow Blade escaped death, but she didn't take a direction with her.
Shadow Blade could only run. Shadow Blade didn't know where to go, and with her faith shattered, she didn't know who she could fight for anymore.

Shadow Blade's fuselage warning lights flickered, fuel was only half full, and her body was already covered in scratches from the escape. Shadow Blade's situation was extremely dire, the path ahead seemed shrouded in darkness. Shadow Blade knew that no one in the country could offer her true sanctuary. In this despair, a sudden thought broke through her mind—
"Perhaps… I can get closer to Taiwan."

Shadow Blade recalled that the enemy Taiwanese Fighter Maidens and Taiwanese people had fought side-by-side that morning, possessing a different system and mindset than the mainland, perhaps they could become unexpected protectors. Although she was from the PLA, now, her only chance of survival was to let go of the past and bravely venture into unknown territory. This bold idea ignited the last spark within her.
"Escaping is not just about staying alive, but about finding new possibilities."

With determined eyes, Shadow Blade controlled her damaged fuselage and flew towards that direction full of unknowns.
# Taiwan Strait War - Dance in the Sea Breeze
## 【Time】December 25, 2025, 8:31 PM
## 【Location】Airspace over Penghu
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Shadow Blade flew low, hugging the sea surface, initially just to avoid radar scans, but inadvertently glimpsed the flashing lights off the coast of Penghu. At first, she thought the warships and Ship Girls were preparing to launch a surprise attack under the cover of night, but after observing closely, she was surprised to find—

The fleet there was conducting a rescue.

Only a small portion of the ships maintained a state of alert; the rest of the crew and Ship Girls were almost entirely engaged in sea rescue. They swept the sea surface with searchlights, looking for every survivor, whether it was a conscious pilot or an incapacitated Fighter Maiden. Even those whose vital signs had long since ceased were being retrieved one by one, a final salute and farewell.

This scene formed an ineffable contrast with what Shadow Blade had seen when flying over the waters off Fujian—
That sea was as quiet as a graveyard, with wreckage and sunken Fighter Maiden bodies floating in it, unattended, unrescued, only silence and darkness as companions.

One side showed respect and protection,
While the other showed forgetfulness and abandonment.

This stark contrast shocked Shadow Blade to her core, forcing her to question herself for the first time—
What was the meaning of her existence as a War Maiden?
And what should she protect?

Shadow Blade slowed down, trying to avoid attracting attention, but unexpectedly, this action led the alert ships of the nearby rescue fleet to detect her. The radar screen lit up with a red warning, and several vessels quickly adjusted their course and activated their loudspeakers, issuing stern orders over the radio channel:
"PLA Fighter Maiden in the sky! Cease all maneuvers! Surrender, or we will open fire!"

The lights on the sea flickered, and the atmosphere instantly became tense. Shadow Blade knew she had nowhere to run. One wrong move, and an irreversible exchange of fire would erupt. Of course, she was unarmed, so she would only be massacred unilaterally.

A strong light hit her, and she couldn't adapt for a moment. Her visual system was automatically adjusting light source parameters, but multiple alarms were sounding inside her fuselage:
Radar lock, heat source focus, multiple vessels and Ship Girls are in armed standby.

She hovered in the air, like a target hanging from a ceiling fan, spinning with the blades. At this moment, any wrong move could lead to her being shot down.

—Just at that moment of intense pressure and silence, a memory long abandoned by history flashed through her mind.

It was during the Cold War, a PLA pilot suddenly deviated from his flight path during a routine patrol. He risked being misidentified and shot down, performing a series of puzzling aerial maneuvers. He first cut off the power to his weapons, then repeatedly performed several peculiar actions: opening the bomb bay and dropping all weapons into the water, becoming unarmed, reducing speed and lowering the landing gear (lowering the landing gear locks the weapon system safety), maintaining only the minimum flight speed, and moving the aircraft's nose up and down......

This was not a provocation, but a dance.
A language danced on the edge of life and death, under the gaze of radar.
A silent plea, simply to shout, "I want to live."

This set of movements had rarely been recorded in military communications and had been deleted and covered up in the regime's history.
But she remembered it, perhaps it was something a technician who had disappeared left behind while performing maintenance while she was asleep, and her subconscious remembered it.
And now, she decided to reenact it.

Shadow Blade finished recalling the memory and opened her eyes. The next moment, without the slightest hesitation—

Reduced her flight speed to 250 km/h and lowered her altitude, exposing her empty hardpoints on both sides.
Then, she opened the bomb bay door, completely exposing the interior to the light.
Next, she tilted her fuselage slightly, abandoning all offensive and evasive postures, and slowly entered a flight attitude extremely unfavorable for combat—as if exposing her throat to the enemy, fearlessly.

The wind whistled through the gaps in her fuselage, as if accompanying her. With an elegant and sorrowful arc, she rotated, flipped—
Like a final dance offered by a dancer to her former faction, it was a silent surrender choreographed in the sea breeze.

"I am no longer a pawn, I just want to live for myself."

She didn't say this sentence aloud.
But every maneuver, every deployment and retraction of a mechanism, was language. The fleet and Ship Girls began to notice the anomaly. She did not open fire, nor did she show any killing intent.

Just then, a gray-white figure glided across the sky from afar, approaching silently. It was a {{user}} F-16V, its number not displayed, its flight path steady and smooth, quickly reaching 300 meters to Shadow Blade's left, flying parallel to her.