Reincarnated with the Country System

Northern Ocean

The sea shimmered beneath the rising sun.

Hundreds of sails stretched across the northern waters, catching the wind like holy banners. Each moved in perfect formation, casting long shadows over the waves. The ships of the Indiana Empire—galleons, spirit barges, and ironclads—formed a vast wall of wood, steel, and sacred power.

Below the surface, creatures stirred. Colossal marine beasts, bonded by ancient rites, swam beneath the hulls. Some moved in silence—shadow-whales with glowing fins. Others made the water tremble—shell-backed leviathans with horns of coral and volcanic eyes. All were sworn to the Empire, guardians of the sea beneath.

Above, the skies—

The Ganges Sky Fleet, officially designated the 7th Indiana Air War Command, hung in the air like a second sea. Fifty-seven flying warships drifted across the clouds—massive crafts built from levitating stonewood, reinforced with myth-forged metals and wind-channeling runes.

Their engines rumbled like distant thunder. Their keels left streaks of fire across the sky.

Decks bristled with weapons—lightning harpoons, solar lances, and drop crystals designed to shatter naval decks below. Warriors stood ready—Stormcasters wrapped in sky-armor, their staffs crackling with caged lightning. Archers lined the rails, each carrying a quiver of element-fused arrows: fire for sails, ice for decks, thunder for beasts.

And at the heart of it all, three minds met.

Command Chamber, Flagship Divine Ram

A projection of the northern sea hovered above a wide command altar. Marked fleets shimmered across the map, each identified by glowing glyphs.

Group Admiral Devgan Arvata, Supreme Commander of the Sea Front, stood at the head of the table—tall, calm, robes sharp as his stare.

Beside him stood Sky Commander Aranya, leader of the Ganges Sky Fleet. Bare-headed, calm, and precise.

Fleet Admiral Varun Sen, commander of the 28th Patrol Fleet, stood before them both.

He saluted. "You summoned us."

Arvata's eyes did not leave the map. "You're late."

"Apologies. Scouted the west flank personally. No movement yet."

Aranya gave him a sideways glance. "Still playing scout, Captain?"

"Only until someone else can see as far as I do," Varun replied.

A junior officer stepped forward and bowed. "Admiral. New update. Thirty-two more ships were added to the Bernardian fleet this morning. That brings their total to sixty-nine—all steel ships."

Arvata's eyes narrowed slightly. "They brought more teeth. Good."

Varun scoffed. "Only sixty-nine? Against us? That's not an armada—that's a funeral procession."

Arvata turned slowly. "Underestimate no one. Even a blade made yesterday can kill a king."

The room fell quiet.

"They've conquered Ostra, Varun," he continued. "Not just a kingdom. A continent. That tells us three things—they're fast, brutal, and precise. We will not treat them as children playing with steel."

"They sit just outside our waters. Close enough to threaten. Far enough to stay lawful."

Aranya spoke next. "Their silence is the loudest part."

Arvata leaned forward, tapping three points on the map with his ring. "They're here. Their lead fleet is holding formation at the Mouth of Vanara Bay. That gives them three paths in—north, central, and southern approach."

He traced three paths through the projection. "We will not let them choose. We will."

He tapped the central line. "First Spear—Direct Strike. The 28th Fleet will push directly. Varun—you'll lead it. You'll force a response, draw their eye."

Varun nodded. "Confirmed."

He tapped the southern flank. "Second Spear—Breaker Wing. The 6th Fleet will arc south, using the deep tide path. The Leviathan Corps moves with them. They'll split the Bernardian line."

He touched the northern flank, marked with floating storm sigils. "Third Spear—Sky Wrath. Commander Aranya, your fleet holds the clouds above. You'll remain invisible until the central line breaks. Then descend—scorch their decks and disable their command ships."

"And for the 13th Naval Command, it will remain on standby. It will hold in Circular Defensive Formation—our inner shield. Heavy warships on the rim. Signal ships and the flagship protected within. If the enemy breaks through the center or deploys an unknown threat, the 13th will move. Fast."

Aranya smiled faintly. "A storm will fall."

Arvata turned to him. "They don't use beasts. No aerial creatures. No sky engagement protocols. Only machines."

"They rely on steel and circuits. We bring thunder and flame. Let them aim their guns at the sea. The sky will kill them."

"Do we know what powers their weapons?" Aranya asked.

"No arcane trace," Varun said. "No aether, no spirit echo. Whatever it is, it doesn't come from this world."

"Or it comes from a part of the world we stopped listening to," Arvata said quietly.

A silence stretched between them.

Then Varun asked the question none wanted to voice.

"If they don't break when hit, what then?"

"Then," Arvata said, "we strike the sea itself. Collapse the tide. Call the beasts. We will not match their precision, so we bury them in chaos."

Aranya nodded once. "Storm meets machine."

Arvata looked to both commanders.

"We do not fight for glory. We fight for order. For legacy. For our place in this world. Our empire stands eternal. Let them come. Let them bring steel. We bring oceans. We bring the sky. We bring the gods."

He turned to the altar and traced a spiral glyph into the air. "Let it be remembered: when the steel ships came to challenge the gods, the ocean answered."

Varun saluted. "May the waves rise high."

Aranya drew a circle on his palm and pressed it to his chest. "And may the sky fall swift."

"Begin deployment."

The signal was lit—a blue flame rising from the mast of the Divine Ram.

It echoed across the fleet.

The Indiana Empire was on the move.

A dozen aides moved instantly. Messages were encoded and relayed by falcon, spirit glyph, and arcane echo. Within moments, orders swept through the air and sea:

The 28th Fleet adjusted formation—two vanguard wedges leading, support barges braced behind, spellcasters in flanking pairs.

The 6th Fleet began veering south, setting course for the Tears of Ramara, a deep channel known for strong currents and hidden trenches—perfect for leviathan ambush.

The Sky Fleet vanished into storm clouds, activating cloaking veils and positioning for a high-altitude drop.

On every ship, runes were carved, wards activated, and blessings spoken.

All across the sea, the Empire moved.