《Our Bonds (A Kantai Collection Fanfic)》 Chapter 1 - Prologue -Maizuru Naval District- A loud crack nearly made me jumped out of my sit, pen flying out of my hand. Sounds of water pounding against any surface it could find followed, as if it were trying to break in. A late night storm, and a rather fierce one. I reached down to pick up my pen and continued my work. After that large-scale operation, which ended in a failure, the amount of steel and bauxite we have are in the red, not to mention the amount of buckets left is close to none. We suffered way too much casualties back then. So for now the plan is to focus on resource acquisition, improving our equipment and getting stronger. Well it''s not me who is getting stronger, it''s them. My job is to become smarter so as to plan out our strategies for each potential scenario. "The sound of rain is somewhat relaxing. With this much rain, the destroyers will start frolicking around, especially the Shiratsuyu sisters." "The others are still asleep. Admiral, shouldn''t you get some rest too?" A rather monotonous, yet somewhat concerned voice responded to my monologue. I looked up from my papers to see a pair of blue eyes underneath unkempt black hair. Standing in front of my desk, in her pajamas, was the second ship in the Shiratsuyu Class. "Shigure? Why are you not asleep yet?" "I-I could say the same to you. It''s already 0220. Why are still awake?" (Shigure) Before I could respond , another loud crack echoed across the room, followed by a shriek. I looked down see Shigure hugging tightly around my waist, obviously shaking like leaf. Rather, I can feel her shaking like one. "Oh I see," I said as I place my hand on her soft head, "It was scary huh?" I begin stroking her hair, trying to calm her down. Muffled sniffing sounds can be heard and my waist is starting to feel a little wet. Sobbing? Must be one of her usual nightmares again. Using my other hand to pat her back, I continued my attempt to calm her down. "Shhh~ It''s alright it''s alright. We are still here, okay? Shhhh~ Good girl good girl. Come on, let''s move to someplace more comfortable alright? " I don''t want to carry all the way back to her room while she is in this state. Yuudachi will definitely freak out. So I decided to carry her over to my sofa and continue soothing her. Shigure didn''t want to let go so I had to carry her in an awkward position. I grabbed the blanket I usually have on the sofa and I covered her body with it. Naturally, she brought up to cover her face. I continue to soothe her until I can neither hear her sobbing nor feel any signs of movement. It took a while, but at least she has calmed down and fallen asleep. This sort of situations are pretty normal I''m this Naval District. Since the Destroyer dorm wing is close to my office and my room, some of them tend to seek my company especially when they have nightmares about their past. One prime example is the girl on my lap. Even though she is part of the main fleet, she has these "attacks" from time to time. Since I''m stuck like this for the time being, mind as well get some shut eye. I close my eyes and let the darkness consume my conscious. -0615- 04/03/20XX "Commander. Commander wake up. Geez, how long are you going to sleep? Wake up already!" A combination of a certain shipgirl''s loud child-like voice and shaking rouse me from my slumber. I open my eyes to see what resembles a grey puppy''s head. "Morning Tokitsukaze." I let a yawn and pat this girl''s head. Tokitsukaze smiles gleefully and nuzzles me. The tenth ship of the Kagerou class, Tokitsukaze is one of the nosier and overactive girls in the naval district. Her small size and behavior totally resembles a puppy''s. In fact, she is not the only shipgirl that resembles and acts like a small dog. Shigure and Yuudachi act the same sometimes, especially Yuudachi. "Why are you here? You don''t have secretarial duty this week." "Ahh~ Zuihou told me to wake you up first while she prepares breakfast. So I did." (Tokitsukaze) Zuihou? Oh, she is finally out of the docks. That means all of them have fully recovered. "Tokitsukaze." "Hmm?" (Tokitsukaze) "Gather the entire fleet in the cafeteria by 0800. I have instructions for you all." "Ohhh! Another operation?" (Tokitsukaze) "Not anytime soon. Just training and expedition plans." "Got it! I''ll go gather everyone! " (Tokitsukaze) Tokitsukaze ran out of my office as she said that. With one little d.o.g.g.y gone, I look down to check if the other one is still sleeping. Nope, she is gone, probably went back to her room to change. Speaking of which, I guess I should go change too. As I reach the door leading to the hallway, a knock resounded from it, before opening slowly. "Easy does it. Wahh! Admiral, you scared me!" A girl in a white kimono top and red pleated pants greeted me with surprise. Her brown hair is tied up into a ponytail with a red-striped white hachimaki. Her small statue makes one think that she belongs to the Destroyer class, which consists of girls resembling grade schoolers to high schoolers. On the contrary, this girl is a light aircraft carrier. The second ship of the Shouhou class CVLs, Zuihou. Along with Shigure, she is part of the main fleet and my secretarial ship for most of the time. "Good morning, Zuihou." Good morning, Admiral! I made breakfast for you????" (Zuihou) "Ahh thanks. I''ll go change first." "No~ It''s been a long time since we had breakfast together. I want to eat together with you, can I?" (Zuihou) With a mixture of puppy eyes and that the way she asked me, no way I could say no to this adorable creature. "Well, I guess I have some time before I start work. Alright, let''s eat together." "Yay!" (Zuihou) With a cry of glee, Zuihou went ahead to set up the dishes on the coffee table. I looked at her happily work, thinking about how the way these girls live their everyday lives. If you take away the fighting they have to do almost everyday and their equipment, they are just ordinary girls. With the ongoing war against the abyssal fleet, fighting is of course inevitable. However, what happens if the war ends? What will happened to these girls? Will they be able to live an ordinary live even after losing their purpose? These questions I ask myself from time to time give me a tinge of sadness and confusion but... "Admiral, hurry up! Let''s eat!" (Zuihou) We will cross that bridge on it comes. "Alright alright. I''m coming." -----------------Authors note----------------------- Hello. This is my first time writing such a story. This story will be more on the romance side rather than an action-filled plot.(I have no idea on how to write those) Feel free to leave you comments and suggestions on how to make the story better. Thank you! Chapter 2 - 1 -Maizuru Naval District Cafeteria- "Following this schedule, we should be able to acc.u.mulate more than enough resources before the next large-scale operation. As such, we will be counting on you expedition team. Patrols are to be rotated every 2 hours. Submarines, assist in laying out the sensors and sea mines around the area at 2130hrs. Those not involved in expeditions, patrol or sorties are to focus on their lessons and training. Don''t worry, you guys will get a chance once in a while. That''s all. Understood?" "Yes Sir!" (All) The whole cafeteria shook just from their response. "Good! Expedition team and patrolling party, deploy at 1000hrs. Meeting adjourned." With that, all shipgirl''s left the cafeteria, noisily, and went on to carry out their respective duties. The plan was theoretically simple. There are 3 fleets in charge of expeditions. Each of them will carry out their respective expedition to bring back resources. A small party of 2 shipgirls will be patrolling the waters starting from 0800hrs in the morning. They will rotate with another party every 2 hours. The roster changes daily to ensure the girls have ample rest and are ready for deployment anytime. By 2130hrs, all of the shipgirls will be back at port and traps will be laid out in the surrounding waters. These traps will be deactivated and brought back the next morning. This is the pattern the girls will be going through everyday. Well, most of them anyway. The ones with special orders are the main fleet- light cruiser Agano, aviation cruiser Suzuya, destroyers Shigure and Yuudachi and light aircraft carriers Ryuujou and Zuihou. "Now for mission briefing. I will keep it short since its just another routine order from HQ. The target this time will be the abyssal installation on Ri-Lanka Island. Orders are to destroy this installation and wipe out any remaining abyssal vessels in the area. That''s it. Oh and one more order from me, come back safely, alright? There isn''t any time limit for this order to be completed so take your time. If you are heavily damaged, retreat. That is all. Any questions?" Silence. "Sortie will start in 1 hours. Dismiss." Haa~ Just giving out instructions in the morning is already a tiring job, especially since I didn''t get much sleep last night. Furthermore, HQ ordered for the Ri-Lanka installation to be destroyed... again! Every month it''s the same thing. Why couldn''t they just install a naval base there? Also, why am I the one that has to handle this? That island is so far away from here. Isn''t Brunei Anchorage closer to there? On a more serious note, the location and very nature of this mission worries me. It''s not a matter of whether or not the mission was a success, but more on the safety of the girls. Whether or not they will come home safe and sound, the thought of losing another one of them scares me. (-iral...) I don''t want to go through that ever again. (-miral...) "Admiral!!" "Huh? Oh what is it?" Zuihou and Shigure were standing in front of my desk with a worried look on their faces. "Finally you snapped out of it. What''s wrong? You looked depressed all of a sudden." (Zuihou) "Are you alright?" (Shigure) "Ah yeah. I''m fine, just thinking about the mission." "Really?" (Zuihou) Argh, I shouldn''t have zone out like that. I even forgot that Zuihou was still here. Even Shigure showed up. If I let them see me like this morale will definitely drop. Though, for some reason, I feel relieved that it''s the both of them. "Let''s go, Zuihou. We need to prepare our equipment." (Shigure) "Alright. Admiral, we will be off then." (Zuihou) "Both of you, wait." "Huh?" (both) I''m not sure whether it was the right thing to do at that time but I just felt like doing it. My arms wrapped around the both of them and squeeze as tight as possible without hurting them. Wai... Eh?? Admiral, what''s with you all of a sudden?" (Zuihou) "Admiral?" (Shigure) "Both of you return safely, alright? I can''t bear to lose you two again." "Ah sure." (Shigure) "Geez, what''s with you all the sudden? Eh? Again?" (Zuihou) "Ah. Oh sorry about that. I just felt like hugging you. Ahhaha" Damn, that was so forced "Again with your pranks. We better go now. Make sure you do your work Admiral." (Zuihou) I watched as the both of them leave the office. I really do hope everyone comes back safely. Whether is it an expedition, patrol, sortie or even a training exercise, I pray that these girls can return home safe and sound. -1300hrs- It''s has been about 3 hours seen the main fleet sortied. I know it takes almost an entire day to complete the trip to and fro, but I still can''t help but worry. Ah, they should be back by now. Suddenly the door swung opened. Speak of the devil. "Yo, Admiral! The expedition fleet has returned!" Tenryuu, the flagship for the first expedition fleet, came budging in. "Good job. Though, please knock before coming in next time." "Ehhh~ But doing that every time is a pain." (Tenryuu) "Formalities are a hassle but it will feel lax without them, right? "Tch. Alright I got it." (Tenryuu) Though she talks like that, she is pretty cooperative and handles very task I give her responsibly. "So, how did it go?" "A great success, of course!"(Tenryuu) "Just as expected of you." "Of course. We don''t take expeditions lightly, especially at a time like this." (Tenryuu) "I will counting on you as the lifeline of this Naval base." "Hmph, you can count on me for that!" (Tenryuu) "As agreed, you will repeat the same expedition at 1600hrs later. For the time being, rest up." "I will be off then." (Tenryuu) With that, the office became quiet again. I stared at the report Tenryuu handed me. If every expedition was like this, we will have a surplus of fuel, ammo and steel within the next few months. Bauxite will reach an sustainable level at around the same time. If we are lucky, we can find repair buckets on these expeditions. The 3 repair buckets HQ provides daily isn''t enough. As I sat there trying to do the math, the door swung open again. "Tenryuu, I thought I told you knock th-... " The one who came in wasn''t Tenryuu. It was Ooyodo, and she wore a panicked expression on her face. "Admiral, this is bad. The main fleet is.... " (Ooyodo) I felt the blood drain from my face. Chapter 3 - 2 Ahh, I should have known that moment would set off a flag. This kind of things always happens in anime and video games. You wish for something and the exact thing you don''t want happening occurs. Of course this sort of thing would happen in real life. No, now is not the time for this. Focus on the situation at hand! "At approximately 5 minutes ago, Flagship Agano sent out a distress message near Jam island. For what we know, the entire fleet is severely damaged. (Ooyodo) All of them got severely damaged?! This is bad! How is that possible? "An ambush? Even before they entered the mission area?" "Most probably." (Ooyodo) This is weird. The Abyssals normally don''t partake in ambush. They either just attack head on or sent an air strike. Even if they did, it''s nearly impossible for the fleet to suffer heavy casualties like that. Whatever the case is, they need to get out of there! "Ooyodo, what is their current status? Are they able to make a retreat immediately?" "For now, they are taking cover behind some rocks nearby. However, the abyssal fleet which ambushed them is still roaming around the area. Retreat is currently impossible." Figures "Send out an rescue fleet and a suppression fleet. Haruna, Maya, Souryuu, Hiryuu, Murasame and Ushio will be art of the suppression fleet. Have Maya, and Murasame equipped with anti-air equipment, Haruna and Ushio with standard shelling, Souryuu and Hiryuu with Fighters and Dive Bombers. Their main objective is to slow down the enemy and cover the main fleet and rescue fleets escape. The rescue fleet will have Yahagi, Satsuki, Mutsuki, Kisaragi, Samidare and Yamakaze. Equip them with Emergency Repair Personal just in case. Tell them main fleet to stay where they are and wait for evac." "The order has been sent out. All sh.i.p.s will be equipped and deployed within 20 minutes." (Ooyodo) "Thank you. I will be back on my office. Once they are back, call me immediately, alright?" "Roger!" (Ooyodo) With that done, what''s that left is to rely on the rescue and suppression fleet to complete their job successfully. Hopefully everything goes according to plan. At around 1630hrs, all 3 fleets returned. Everyone in the main fleet were all heavily injured and exhausted. Ushio and Maya also took some damage. I could probably get them to give me report about the incident now, but that can wait. I told everyone to go rest up in the docks and went back to write up a report. The ambush the main fleet experienced makes me wonder what kind of abyssal could do that amount of damage. It could be a Hime type, but those usually just stay in one spot. A Ro-type battleship isn''t out of the question, but even so, defeating them is possible. What kind of fleet can cause that much of damage? "Erm, Admiral?" "Hmm, what is- What the? Zuihou, what are you doing here? Why aren''t you at the docks?" I rushed to Zuihou''s side, whose legs gave way and fallen on the ground. She gripped at my sleeve, breathing heavily. "It''s alright. Just a little tired. Besides I''m your secretary ship. I need to be at your side." (Zuihou) "Geez, you don''t have to force yourself. I can always call Kongou to do it." "No, that''s too dangerous." (Zuihou) "Huh?" I carried her to my sofa and wrapped her up in the blanket. Her tattered clothes were nearly showing all her forbidden areas. How can she not feel embarrassed? It seems she won''t listen to me so I will just let her remain like that for a while. "Admiral." (Zuihou) "Hmm?" "I''m sorry the mission failed." (Zuihou) "What are you saying? It''s not your fault." "If only we hadn''t been beaten like that... if only... " (Zuihou) I can hear her voice quivering. Tears are starting to well up in her eyes. Gosh, these girls really like to cry. I put my arms around her back and pulled her in. "Shhh~ It''s not your fault. It was an ambush. There was nothing you could do." "B-but..." (Zuihou) "No buts. Just stay like this until you feel better." "mmm" (Zuihou) We stayed like this for a quite a while. Until Zuihou fell asleep in my arms at least. Agano, who was already came in to give me a report of what happened. Though, she came in at the moment when I was placing the sleeping loli on the sofa. I guess she sort of had the wrong idea for the moment because she closed the door and said, "Sorry for bothering you! I''ll come back later!" (Agano) Good thing I caught her and cleared up the situation. Who knows what this girl would do if I left her alone with that idea. By the way, Shigure and Yuudachi came to pick up Zuihou and carried her to the docks. "Ahahahah! I was shocked! For a moment I thought you forced yourself on Zuihou, ripped her clothes to shreds and kept going till she fainted." (Agano) "I did not! Where the hell did you get that idea from? Besides, you knew why her clothes were tattered." "Just kidding. Just kidding. As expected, Admiral''s reactions are the best!" (Agano) I have no idea how to react to that. "So, what actually happened out there?" "Oh right! A report! As I mentioned, we were ambushed by the enemy. However, the fleet that ambushed us didn''t look like any of the abyssal we encountered. They look like shipgirls and were clad in black, had like destroyer types as their armaments. One of them wore something like your uniform too. It''s was very weird. And their firepower was like BAAAMMM! I think I heard them talking but not like what an abyssal would sound." (Agano) That doesn''t make any sense! A shipgirl clad in black and had abyssal destroyers as their armaments? That sure doesn''t sound like any of the abyssals we have on record. "For now, I will just write that in my report. Oh, and there won''t be any sorties for a while till we find out what is going on. Taking on an unidentified enemy is too risky. I already sent a request for HQ to suspend the mission." "It''s that alright? You can do that?" (Agano) "The report you gave me is enough proof that a new, unidentified enemy has appeared. Until HQ figures it out, we should be on standby. Well, it''s good for me too since it means less work." "Admiral, you just want to slack off do you? Your secretary ship will get angry again." (Agano) "Well, she is in the docks now. So now I have someone else as my secretary." "Oh right, it was supposed to be Zuihou. So who is it now?" I pointed to the sofa. Lying on the sofa is the purple haired, cat-like Tama. When I say cat-like, I really mean cat-like. She behaves like a cat, soft-spoken, lazy and reacts to anything that moves in front of her. She even sleeps like one. One good thing is that she doesn''t keep bugging me to do my work, so long as I give her toys to play with. "Admiral...." (Agano) "What?" "Haaa~ Oh well. I will take my leave now! See ya!" (Agano) "Thanks for your hard work!" "Nyaa~ What time is it now?" (Tama) The cat has awaken. "9pm. You can go back to your room now." "Finished your work?" (Tama) "More or less." "Then there''s no problem. So, did you figure out what happened during the mission?" (Tama) "Nope. I will leave it with HQ to figure it out. I''m not paid enough for that." " -Yawn- Oh whatever. I will return to my room to sleep." (Tama) "Ehh? Sleeping again?" "Agano was so noisy that I could sleep properly." (Tama) Oh that''s why. "Good night nya." (Tama) Tama sleepily dragged herself out of the office. Once again, it became quiet. It was just like any other day, writing reports, comforting a sad shipgirl, expeditions and training exercises. Only exception was the ambush this afternoon. Other than that, it was just a typical work day at Maizuru Naval base. Chapter 4 - 3 A few days have passed since I requested the the cancellation of the Ri Lanka mission and reported about the mysterious enemy we encountered. HQ approved of the cancellation request and sent us a different task, an interception mission in the Cam Ranh Peninsula. A pretty simple task so I sortied the weaker, less experienced destroyers along with Kaga and Akagi. Hopefully, this can give the young ones some battle experience and slowly build them up for tougher missions in the near future. As for the mysterious enemy roaming near Jam Island, HQ just said they will investigate. For the past few days, the shipgirl''s have been doing what they are scheduled to do. When they are free, they frolick around the base, hanging out with one another or going for sweets at Mamiya''s Store. "What a good time to be young." "Stop acting like a old man and get back to work!" Ah I made Zuihou angry. "Geez, can''t you just concentrate on your work? It''s because you kept on dilly-dallying, that''s why your work always piles up." (Zuihou) "Hai~ To think that this was the same girl who cried her eyes out and kept apologizing after being forced to retreat a few days ago." I took a look at how would she react. As expected, her face turned beet-red with embarrassment and she just stood there wincing. "For goodness sake, forget about that already!" (Zuihou) She screamed, smacking me with the clipboard she''s holding, which I blocked. "Ahahahah! Sorry! I''m sorry! I couldn''t help it. Your reactions are too cute!" Ah. I just said someone''s line, didn''t I? Zuihou''s face turned even redder than before. She stopped for moment before proceeding to continue flailing at me. "Again with the teasing!" (Zuihou) ------------------------------------------- "Admiral, any news about our latest mission?" (Zuihou) "Nope, after that interception mission, HQ didn''t give any other orders. Which means everything is peaceful for now." "Hehhhh~ Peace is a good thing but it''s definitely boring without anything to do." (Zuihou) "That''s right poi!" The room became silent for a brief moment. "Where the heck did you come from?!" "Yuudachi-chan?!" (Zuihou) "Surprised? Then it was a success!" (Yuudachi) Standing right behind me, or rather in front of me since I''m facing her now, is a dirty Yuudachi, the fourth ship of the Shiratsuyu-class destroyers and the other one that acts like a little dog. Compared to Shigure, she is more on the hyperactive, playful and clueless side. Though, when it comes to battles, she is not call the Nightmare of Solomon for nothing. "So, what did you come here for? And when did you come in?" "I walked in when Zuihou was hitting you. Both of you looked like you were having fun so I just hid in the corner." (Yuudachi) Yuudachi gestured to the gap between my wardrobe and the wall. She hid in there? No wonder she got dirty. And apparently she chose that moment to sneak up behind me. I grabbed some tissues and begin to clean her up. "Ahh.You got dirty. Stay still do I can clean you up." "Poi~~" (Yuudachi) "Yuudachi-chan, what did you come for?" (Zuihou) "Oh, right! Ooyodo-san wanted me to pass this to you." (Yuudachi) She took out a brown folder from behind her and presented it. Did she hide it under her shirt? I took the file from her hands and stroked her head. "Thank you. Next time just pass it directly to me, okay?" "Ehehehe. Okay~" (Yuudachi) (I want that too) "Hmm? Zuihou did you say something?" "Ah! No. Nothing!" (Zuihou) "I see." Once Yuudachi left the office, I took a look at the contents of the folder. It was just a summary report about recent incidents around the western area. Apparently, other fleets have encountered similar situations just like us, an ambush by a unknown fleet. However, they vary from different fleets. The most notable difference were the language they heard. There were claims of the attackers speaking English, German and even Japanese. The report ends off with the phase ''High command will continue to investigate.'' "Seems like this blew up pretty fast." (Zuihou) "No kidding! Multiple varying reports in the same area, that can''t be anything good. Hopefully it''s not a new type of multilingual abyssal." "The heck is that?" (Zuihou) ------------------------------------- That next day, HQ sent out an order to deploy an aircraft carrier mobile task force to Alfonsino. Thus, I sortied Zuihou along with Hiryuu, Souryuu, Nagato, Kitakami and Ooi. Though, she didn''t look too happy. So today, Shigure is my secretary ship. "Admiral, have some tea." (Shigure) "Thank you." Shigure placed a cup of green tea on my desk as I look through the expedition reports from yesterday. "Is there a problem?" (Shigure) "Uhm, not really. Just thinking of ways to increase our bauxite yield." Its not like we are still low on resources or anything, but compared to the other 3, our bauxite amount is pretty low. "True. We don''t have much bauxite. We normally rely on aircrafts to deal devastating damage to the enemy. It would be a problem if we run out." (Shigure) "Well, for now there is nothing we can do. Most of the resource nodes provide fuel and ammo. We are already lucky to be able to find one that provide reasonable amounts of bauxite." "You just don''t want to think about it, don''t you?" (Shigure) "It''s the truth." My packed the report into my drawer and did a stretch. "Eh? Done already?" (Shigure) "Yep. These few days there isn''t much to do. Once Zuihou and the others are back then I will do the battle report." "Then can I...." (Shigure) "Hmm? Oh the usual huh?" Shigure nodded her head shyly. I make way to the sofa I gently pat my lap "Come here, Shigure." Her eyes gleamed with joy as she jumped on to the sofa and laid her head on my lap. I gently stroked her hair. "Ahh~ This is good." (Shigure) "Shigure sure likes being pampered." "Once in a while is fine. You even gave Yuudachi-chan a headpat yesterday." She told Shigure about it huh. I guess she felt a little jealous about it. We remained like this for quite a while, enjoying each other''s company. "I knew it. This position makes me feel the safest. It as if all my fears are being washed away." (Shigure) "Another nightmare last night?" "Mm. The same one. Fusou-san, Yamashiro-san, Mogami-san, Michishio-chan, Asagumo-chan and Yamagumo-chan. All of them sunk during that battle. I was the only one that survived. Every time I think about how they would one day disappear again, I feel so scared. I don''t want to be left alon- ah???" (Shigure) I place my free hand over her eyes before she could finish her sentence. She was already becoming emotional as she spoke so I stopped her before the waterworks begin. Everything becoming dark must have confused her a little. "I told you, didn''t I? You are no longer alone. No one is going to go away. I promise, I will make sure of that." "Thank you, Admiral." (Shigure) Chapter 5 - 4 Night has fallen on the naval base. All expedition and patrol fleets have returned. Traps and sensors are in place. All the shipgirl''s are in their rooms sound asleep and all is quiet. That was supposed to be case. However, why is there someone lying next to me in my bed?! I felt them crawling in before remaining still. A burglar? No, it can''t be. A burglar will just go around bagging stuff to steal, not crawl and fall asleep in someone''s bed. This person must be one of the shipgirls, but who? Should I just turn on my lamp to see who is this? Yeah I think that''s the best. I reached out, felt around my night stand for the switch and flipped off the covers. The light given out by the lamp is dim, but just enough for me to make out my surroundings. Lying on my bed, sound asleep, is a busty girl with mint-like coloured hair. She is wearing nothing but a purple loose tank top and white panties. The intruder is none other than Suzuya, the 3rd ship of the Mogami class heavy cruisers. Why on earth did she crawl into my bed? Was she sleepwalking? Even so, the heavy cruisers dorm is in the left wing building. She would have walk through the light cruisers dorm to get here. "ZZZZ...." Look at her, sound asleep. I really don''t like walking up girls who are sleeping so peacefully, but having a defenseless girl beside me is not good for the both of us. "Oi Suzuya! Suzuya, wake up!" "mmmh? hmm? Oh Admiral, good morning." (Suzuya) "Don''t ''good morning''s me. What are you doing on my bed?" "Huh?" (Suzuya) Suzuya gave me a confused look. I guess she is still half-asleep. It took her a while to realize what was going on. "Oh crap! I ended up falling asleep." (Suzuya) "What were you thinking?" "Ehehe. Suzuya got bored so I wanted to see if Admiral can sense my presence. As expected of admiral." (Suzuya) "So you climbed into my bed hoping to surprise me but fell asleep instead?" "Well that''s the gist of it." (Suzuya) Sigh. I pushed Suzuya back down onto the bed. "Wait Admiral! What are you-?" (Suzuya) I place a finger on her lips. "Shhhh. Sleep." "Eh?" (Suzuya) "You can''t sleep on your own bed but you slept in mine right? So, just for tonight." I whispered that into her ear. Suzuya''s face turned red. Of course, she would. Any girl would become embarrassed once someone does something like that. Since Suzuya seems like she is always so open to these kind of scenarios, it''s quite cute to see her act like this. To think that a typical manga trope would have a similar reaction in real life. Besides, I don''t really like to force a girl to do something she hate, be it if she is a human or a shipgirl. Well, using some force might be fun but what do I know, I have never tried anything like that in my life. "Then, does Admiral want to sleep with me?" (Suzuya) "Don''t be stupid. I''m a guy, you are a girl. You should know what happens when they get into the same bed. "If it''s Admiral, I don''t mind." (Suzuya) She hid half of her face and looked away as she said that. I will be lying if I said that it wasn''t an enticing offer, but I feel the need to control myself and not do it in the spur of the moment. "Don''t be silly. Come on, go to sleep. We need to work tomorrow. I will here till you fall asleep, if that makes you feel better." In a few moments, Suzuya drifted off into dreamland. I can tell because she didn''t respond when I poked her. I guess it''s my turn now. I set up the sofa as my bed for rest of the night. ------------------------------------ When I woke up in the morning, I found a note on the table, obviously by Suzuya, saying, "Thank you. Let''s do this again sometime." Better hide it before the someone else sees this and misunderstands. It seems that she also made the effort to tidy up my room. I should thank her later. I change into my uniform, getting ready for another day at work. For today, I decide to observe the activities of the girls. I know most of them will be on high alert and do things out of the ordinary once they notice my presence, so this will be a self-imposed stealth mission. I want to observe them in their natural state as much as possible. Even though I say stealth, that only applies to when I observe their training and stuff. I probably will still walk around openly when moving from area to area. I better leave a note when my secretary comes in. It''s not like I''m slacking off or anything. This is an inspection. Yes, an inspection on my troops. With note saying ''I''m off to do an inspection.'' I set off for my first destination, the Naval Training Academy. -----------Author''s Note-------------- Sorry for the short chapter. The next one will be longer. Chapter 6 - 5 The Naval Training Academy, the place where newly enlisted shipgirls go to learn and train the basics of naval warfare. In a span of 1 year, they will learn about equipment types, formations, battle techniques and the different types of Abyssals. Classes are segregated into Destroyers, Light Cruisers, Heavy Cruisers, Aircraft Carriers and Battlesh.i.p.s. Each class is led by a group of more experienced shipgirls, like the Myoukou Sisters and Akagi. These shipgirls can sortie as long as they pass a test to see whether or not they are fit for battle. Even after passing the test, they still need to attend lessons at the academy for a year. By crawling through the vents, I can see each and every room in the academy. The first class that I''m spying on right now is Destroyer Class 2. This class is mostly occupied by the Kagerou Class and the some members of the Ayanami Class and is taught by Heavy Cruiser Maya. I wonder what are they learning today? Oh! Anti-air warfare! That''s great, this will be beneficial to them. All of them look so diligent. I have high hopes for them. The next class I come across is Light Cruiser Class 1, which consists of the Nagara Class and is taught by Yuubari. The Nagara class mainly specialise in anti-air and anti-sub warfare. For reasons unknown, they perform extremely well in these two areas. Abukuma and Kitakami have a somewhat estranged relationship, with the former fearing the latter. Possibly due to their historical moments with one another. Yuubari is somewhat like a mechanic. She invents new things for the fleet and assists Akashi in repair and maintainance. Although sometimes, her invention have rather questionable purposes. Like her recent ''Punishment Device" invention, I won''t go into detail but one look and I know that this device is dangerous. So I had it sealed up. I didn''t dismantle it because I felt its a waste and maybe it will be useful in the future. It seems that only 2 classes are in session today. That means the rest are in practice right now. Next stop, the training range. The training range is where each shipgirl hones their skills. Be it cannons or aircraft, all of them are practiced in this area. If I''m not wrong, today is reserved for aviation practice. As I can climb to the top of a tree to avoid detection from any of the girls, I can hear the roar of a plane taking off. Oh, so it''s the aviation cruisers and bathrooms today. Aside from the carriers, the other shipgirls with aviation capabilities are Mogami, Mikuma, Suzuya, Kumano, Fusou and Yamashiro. All of them have been remodeled to aviation cruisers and aviation battlesh.i.p.s respectively. Mogami looks and speaks like a boy. The first time I met her, I got confused as to how a boy became part of the fleet. She is frank with her words, upbeat, energetic and tomboyish. She is also quite clumsy, though not as clumsy as Samidare. Oh, Samidare is a destroyer from the Shiratsuyu class. That girl is also way too clumsy for her own good. Next is Mikuma. She is the one with twintails.Compared to Mogami, Mikuma is the exact opposite. She is speaks formally, behaves more maturely and is a lot more girlie than the former. Though, she tends to say ''Kumarinko'' or ''Mi-Kuma'' sometimes. It''s somewhat cute. Suzuya is the girl that was sleeping in my bed last night. She is a friendly, cheerful, childish and somewhat s.e.xy girl. The way she talks and acts can be considered flirtatious, but that''s just part of her personality. As long as it doesn''t get her in trouble with other males, there is no problem. Next to Suzuya is Kumano. Kumano is the one with the brown ponytail and brown uniform. Like Mikuma, Kumano is the opposite of Suzuya, formal and ''ojou-sama-ish''. She has a habit of screaming like a dolphin when she attacks though. No doubt, the four of them work hard to do their part of the base. Fusou and Yamashiro are the only two Aviation Battlesh.i.p.s in the naval district. Fusou is the one with long hair while Yamashiro has short hair. Both of them have a pagoda-like hair ornaments, lament about their bad luck and are members of ''The Unlucky Tea Ceremonies'', a group for shipgirl''s with bad luck I guess. Without the need to say, both of them care for one another. Yamashiro is the more paranoid one and is pretty pessimistic about thing, so she tend to stick to her sister more. I really hope that one day these two sisters can get along well with the rest. it seems that all six of them are practicing with Seaplane Bombers. I can''t really hear what they are saying but the seem to be having fun and getting along with one another. Maybe that wish is not so farfetched after all. "Eh? Commander what are you doing up there?" Oops, I''ve been spotted. I look down from the tree and see Fubuki there, looking up with confusion. She is alone so that''s good. It would be a problem if she was with someone else, or if someone other than her found me. Fubuki is a special type destroyer. She is serious and diligent in her work. Other than that, she is a rather plain girl. Although she is a special-type destroyer, I have yet to unlock her true potential. "eheheh. Hi Fubuki." "Hello Admiral. What you doing up there?" (Fubuki) "Er.... " I need to think of something quick. "Just taking a look at the scenery from here. this is a pretty good spot." "But isn''t the view from your office better?" (Fubuki) Tch. This is not enough to trick her. "Well, the environment matters as well. If you see something while being surrounded by natural elements rather than through a window, it looks much nicer." I have no idea what I''m saying. "Really? I never thought of that!" (Fubuki) Yes! She bought it! "It''s true! You should try it sometime." "I never thought of that." (Fubuki) Sorry Fubuki. I can''t let anyone find out that I''m going around observing you girls. I climbed down the tree and walked towards the docks. "Well then, I''m going back to my office now." Sorry that''s also a lie. "Yes! Please take care!" (Fubuki) Fubuki gave a salute as she finished her sentence. Naturally I returned the salute. Seriously girl, learn to relax around me a little. No need to be so serious. The docks, the place where shipgirls come to rest their tired bodies and occasionally bond together through skinship. Well, the second is false, I think. I don''t know, I have never bathed with the them before. The docks is basically a bathhouse in the naval district. Night time is the only time where the docks is reserved for my usage. It''s a bit lonely to have such a big bath all to myself but it can''t be helped. I''m the only guy in a workplace dominated by females. This is to respect both parties privacy. Although I''m really tempted to take peek most of the time. Right now, there aren''t any sorties so the baths should be empty. No, maybe someone has decided to take a bath at this timing. Best not to enter right now. Next stop, the factory. The factory is the place where equipment gets constructed and upgraded and shipgirls get mordenized. Akashi usually runs this place while Yuubari assists sometimes. "Yo Admiral! Here to do some equipment upgrades?" (Akashi) "Hi Akashi. Nope, just taking a walk around." Akashi is a repair ship. Maintainance, repairs and improvement of equipment are in her field. She is extremely protective of the equipment though. "Really? You''re just slacking off again, ain''t you? Your secretary is going to get angry again." (Akashi) She got me. Now that she mentioned it, who did I register as my secretary today? Shigure? Zuihou? Yahagi? "I found you at last!" I''ve been caught! I turned around to the source of the voice. A bespectacled, black hair girl in a white sailor uniform stood at the factory entrance. Oh. Today''s secretary is Ooyodo. "How did you find me?" "I had Yuudachi-chan track down your scent. She said you would be here." (Ooyodo) What is she? A dog? I mean she does acts like one. Ooyodo grabbed me by wrist and pulled. No matter how hard I try to pull away, it''s no use. As expected of a girl with the proportionate strength of a warship. "Geez. Making me run all over the place to find you. Hurry up and let''s go back. There are tons of paperwork and reports to do." (Ooyodo) "EHHHH!? Give me a break!" Chapter 7 - 6 It took a while, but I managed to finish all the paperwork I had for the day. Most of them were just acknowledging to reports and future plans. There is even an investigation report on the the Western Area. According to the report, HQ has deemed the Western Area as dangerous and off-limits to all fleets from every naval district. Apparently there is an ongoing war between multiple groups in that area. Alternative routes have been established for any expeditions taking place in that area but who knows when it will be discovered by the unknown groups. For the time being, a team consisting of naval personnel and diplomats have been dispatched to the islands near the Western Area to verify the current situation. "Just when I thought the war with the Abyssals was hard enough. Now we may have to fight an unknown group of enemies who can deal heavy damage to our fleet instantly." "But they only managed to do that by catching us off-guard. It might be different if we were more prepared." (Ooyodo) "But still, to be able to do that is already frightening. Furthermore, it''s not just one fleet that can do that. There are multiple groups of them. If only they can help us get rid of the Abyssals while wiping each other out then that would be great." "Ahaha. That''s a bit of a long stretch." (Ooyodo) "I know, right?" "All done?" (Ooyodo) "Yep. Just fax this resource report over to HQ and you can be dismissed." I pass the report over to Ooyodo. "Thank you for your hard work. I''ll take my leave now." (Ooyodo) "Good work and good night." With Ooyodo leaving, the office became quiet. Apart from the lights emiting from the hallways and the port, darkness enveloped the entire Naval District. Night is when most shipgirl''s feel uneasy. Not sure how they feel that way, could be due to the fact that sh.i.p.s are most vulnerable when they have no idea where the enemy is. That''s the only explanation I can think of. So as usual, I might need to prepare for a visitor in the middle of the night. I should go to bed soon, today was a tiring day. I awoke probably sometime around 6am.The sun has risen a little so my room is a bit lit up. I can feel something wrapped around my right arm and on my leg, something a little hard but soft. A soft breathing sound can be heard. I turn to my right and a sleeping face greeted me. With little light entering my room, I can barely make out the face of the sleeping shipgirl. Long, brown, unkempt hair, and, based on what I''m feeling on my arm, a flat chest and small statue. Don''t misunderstand, I can help it but feel them when their bodies are so close. One of the destroyers, probably Arashio? No judging by the style of her fringe, this girl is not Arashio. This girl''s fringe forms something like a small roof before flowing down to the side of her face. There is only two girls whose hair are like this. It could be Kagerou but Kagerou is tall, this girl feels short. Which means there''s only one left. With my free hand, I turned over the covers to confirm my suspicions. Clinging onto my right arm with one leg on mine was a small girl clad in a white, loose Yukata.No matter how you look at it, Zuihou is the one sleeping in my bed. Her collar lay half open, exposing her white skin and other forbidden places. Can''t be helped, that happens when one sleeps in a Yukata. It''s just an inevitable accident, or so I tell myself. I could fix her Yukata, but if she wakes up while I''m doing that, there will be hell to pay. Besides, it''s s.e.xy in its own way. Wait, what am I think?! My arm is starting to feel a little numb. I want to move it, but with Zuihou on it, it''s a little hard to do so. A part of her thigh is on my fingers, and knowing Zuihou, she is very sensitive to touch. "Let me just move a little." I wiggled my fingers a little, unintentionally touching a thighs "mmmmnn~" (Zuihou) A soft m.o.a.n escaped her lips. Like I said, Zuihou is sensitive to touch. I could stay like this forever, but anymore stimulation by this cute girl may awaken something in me. Should I wake her up? I don''t want to disturb a cute sleeping face. But then again, it''s best for the both of us. "eheheh. Ad~mi~ral~" (Zuihou) What is this adorable creature?! I''m sorry but I need you to wake up. I placed my free hand on her shoulder and gave a little shake. "Zuihou, wake up. Its morning already." "mmgh!" (Zuihou) Zuihou gripped my arm tighter. I tried to pull away but just couldn''t. She has literally put my arm in a vice grip. "Come on wake up already!" "Huh?" (Zuihou) Zuihou''s finally opened her eyes. She still has a sleepy look on her face as she tries to process her surroundings. "Can you let go of my arm?" "Hoe? Ah!" (Zuihou) Realizing what was going on, she released her grip and went into a kneeling position. "I''m so sorry! I didn''t mean to oversleep on your bed. I thought I could wake up before you!" (Zuihou) Wow. She spoke so fast it''s a wonder I can catch all that. Her face is red and she avoiding eye contact. Not sure if she is embarrassed or feeling guilty about oversleeping. Either way, I don''t think she notices the state her clothes are in. I can almost see those little hills. "Calm down. Fix your clothes first. I can almost see them." "Huh? Kyaaa!" (Zuihou) Zuihou quickly covered up her front. Of course she would be embarrassed. Any girl would feel the same way. "I know how you feel but shouldn''t you get ready first? We can talk later." "Yes..." (Zuihou) She wore a downcast expression on her face as soon as I said. Did she think that she would punished? That thought didn''t cross my mind at all. Maybe a little. "Don''t worry. I''m not going to scold or punish you. Anyway you are my secretary today, remember?" "Oh right! I forgot!" (Zuihou) Zuihou''s expression brightened as she quickly jumped out of my bed and went to the door. "I''ll be back soon." (Zuihou) What a way to start the morning. I changed into my uniform I heard for breakfast. Hmm, maybe I should do something to Zuihou as payback. How should I do it? Chapter 8 - 7 Today there is a sortie to the Northern Seas. A search-and-destroy mission. The operation will take up to 2 days, including travelling time. The sh.i.p.s on this mission will be flagship Yahagi, Destroyers Murasame and Yamakaze, Carriers Hiryuu, Souryuu and Shouhou. The secretary''s job is to read of the mission brief so long as she is not part of the operation. "All sh.i.p.s are to remain in contact with command and with each other at all times. Retreat as soon as one of you is heavily damaged. If retreat is impossible, take cover and wait for the escort fleet. That''s all. Any questions?" (Zuihou) "Here!" "Yes, Hiryuu-senpai." (Zuihou) "What''s with that get-up? Kinda fits you." "I''m not wearing this because I want to." (Zuihou) Reading the mission brief was Zuihou in a blue sailor dress. Similar to the one worn by Amatsukaze and Yukikaze. Yep, I was the one that made her wear it. As a form of payback. "It looks cute, Zuihou." (Shouhou) "Shouhou!" (Zuihou) "Come on, let''s go. We will be back, Admiral." (Yahagi) "Good luck." The fleet left the office for the port, where they would be equipped with their rigging. I can feel a certain someone giving me a death stare. "Geez, how long are you going to glare at me like that?" "This costume is just too weird! It looks a little childish, the skirt is too short and it''s breezy down there. Can I change back now?" (Zuihou) If Amatsukaze or Yukikaze were here, they would freak out over that statement. True, the skirt is indeed too short. it just barely covers the wearer''s bottom area. I guess that''s the charm of that outfit. "Really, you look cute in that. Besides, what are you going to wear? I already sent your clothes back to your room. You''re gonna have to walk all the way back like that?" That''s a lie. I didn''t send her clothes back. I hid them in one of my drawers. "Ugh..." (Zuihou) "Give it up. You are going to wear that throughout the day. That''s payback for this morning." She doesn''t look too happy with that condition. She is starting to sulk. Maybe I can put in something to encourage her. "Tell you what, if you wear that for the whole day, I will give you anything you want. How does that sound?" "Anything?" (Zuihou) "Yes, anything." "Got it. I will do my best!" (Zuihou) Looks like she is all perky again. She will probably ask for Mamiya''s sweets or another Type 99 Dive Bomber model. "All right. Let''s get back to work." "Yes!" (Zuihou) While Zuihou sorts out the doc.u.ments according to their category, I focus on skimming through the important data and creating new proposals for future operations. There was a request to formulate a battle plan against the enemies occupying the Western area, which seems to have expanded their battlefield into the Central Area. If they expand any further, they might bring there fight into our territory. What worries me the most is the emergence of a new enemy. This enemy resembles the abyssals, but with a more ship-like appearance. Hopefully Yahagi''s fleet doesn''t encounter that. Probably not, since the area the operation is taking place is nowhere near the Central Area. With insufficient information, there is no way we can come up with a proper battle plan, let alone secure a victory. Unless we take the usual method of striking everything with heavy firepower. I mean, that method usually works most of the time. Most Admirals, including myself, use this. "Admiral, there''s something weird with this doc.u.ment. It''s saying that we received some new equipment, but there weren''t any deliveries other than our daily supply of repair buckets and resources." (Zuihou) "What equipment did they mentioned?" "Some interrogation device and new fighter planes." (Zuihou) "Oh those. We already have them since 2 months ago." "Eh?" (Zuihou) "Remember that time when you went on a 80 hour expedition? That''s when the equipment came in. Akashi made adjustments to the interrogation device but I had it sealed because it looks shady. The planes were just Prototype Reppus and Type 52s." "Heeh...." (Zuihou) --------------------------------- Thus, the day went on as usual, with me going through doc.u.ments and creating reports and my secretary assisting me. Some of the shipgirls, like Shigure and Yuudachi, came to hang out. Though their definition of hanging out was them falling asleep near the fireplace. Suzuya came to chat and eat some cake with us. Kongou was up to her usual tea time shenanigans. The expedition team came back with great results. Some destroyers were frolicking in the garden which can be seen from my office window. Despite the Abyssal threat, things were relatively peaceful here. Well, save for the chaos that the shipgirls can cause on a daily basis. "Finally done." "Thank you for your hard work, Admiral." (Zuihou) "You too, Zuihou. And both of you, how long are you two going to laze there? Its already night." Yuudachi and Shigure were still here since just now. They played among themselves quietly, so I was able to concentrate on work. But I feel as if they won''t be going back to their dorms anytime soon. "I want to sleep with Admiral, poi!" (Yuudachi) Yuudachi suddenly lunged at me, making me lose my balance. "OOF! Geez, Yuudachi!" "Can we, Admiral?" (Shigure) Shigure had a yearning look on her face. I guess she wants it too. "I don''t see why not." "EHHH!?" That came from Zuihou, who looked shocked for some reason. "What''s wrong, Zuihou?" "Erm. No-nothing. Ahahahah." (Zuihou) "Are you sure?" "Really. Nothing." (Zuihou) She had a dissapointed look on her face. Is she feeling jealous? Or did she want to sleep with me as her reward? I suppose I can offer this time for free. "Zuihou-chan, you want to join us? The more the merrier! You''re fine with it right, Shigure?" (Yuudachi) "mmmhmm." (Shigure) Ah, Yuudachi beat me to it. Zuihou look at me, as if asking for confirmation. "Why not? My bed is big enough for four people." "YAY!" (All) Yuudachi jumped for joy, Zuihou''s eyes gleamed and Shigure just smiled. That''s just her way of being excited. "Come on. Go take your bath and change into your pajamas." The three of them exited the office cheerfully. I still cannot believe that such simple things can satisfy them this much. Maybe it''s the fact that they couldn''t enjoy these simple things in the past. A little while has passed before the three of them returned, each in their nightwear and carrying their pillow. Zuihou on her white Yukata, Shigure in blue pajamas and Yuudachi in red. I went ahead to take my bath while the three of them decide their sleeping spot on the bed. "Have you decided which spot to take?" "Yes!" (All) Starting from the left side of the bed, Yuudachi, followed by Shigure, then me and ending with Zuihou. That was the position they agreed on. No disagreements on my end. "I''m turning the lights off." "Yes. Good night." (All) It''s not as cramp as I thought it would be. I know the bed is big enough for four people but I have never tried squeezing with three others before. There is still same space to move around. I felt something tug at my shirt. "Admiral, are you awake?" (Zuihou) "What is it?" "About my reward...." (Zuihou) "Oh, that. You can claim it another time. Today''s for free." "Seriously?" (Zuihou) "Yep." "Ehehe. Thank you~" (Zuihou) Zuihou snuggled closer. This reminds me of the previous night. I''m mentally prepared this time. "Let''s do our best tomorrow as well." "Yes." (Zuihou) I stroked Zuihou''s head. "Admiral, me too." (Shigure) This time, Shigure tugged at my sleeve. "Here you go." Working with these shipgirls everyday is fun in a way, especially when they are all docile like this. Since they are the ones doing all the fighting, a little reward and some skinship, if they request for it, is the least I can do for them. Being a Admiral is a tiring job, but if it''s for a chance to let these girls live a normal life without fighting in the future, I will do anything to achieve it. Chapter 9 - 8 "Admiral? Huh? He is not here." (Agano) "Hmm... He is not in his room either." (Suzuya) "Shigure''s missing too. She''s damaged so I''m a little worried." (Agano) "Well, Admiral must have been slacking off somewhere. He will appear soon." (Suzuya) "Shigure must have fallen asleep somewhere." (Yuudachi) "She is not like you, Yuudachi." (Murasame) "Come on. Let''s go. Maybe they are in the factory." (Agano) You know, if you girls had tried harder, you could find us under the desk. Not that I want you to find us anyway. "Zzz~" In my arms is Shigure, who has, for some reason, fallen asleep. Her clothes are torn and disheveled, having received medium damage from the last sortie. The docks were full so I wanted her to rest in her room till there is vacancy. However she wanted to stay with me for a while, which I allowed, of course. As to how she is like this, I''m not really sure. Right after she ate some candy which was in a box placed on the table, her face flushed and she just passed out on me. I instinctively hid under the table when I heard the knocking on the door. I crawled out from under the desk, while clutching Shigure in my arms. The way her face turned red and passing out instantly was almost as if she....was... drunk... I checked the box which she ate from. On the side of it read ''Flavours include Strawberry, Lemon, Chocolate, Coconut and Rum'' Of course, how cliche. A young girl getting drunk off Rum-flavored candy. Speaking of which, isn''t Shigure''s alcohol tolerance way too low?! She only ate one before collapsing. That''s something which barely happens, even in manga. For starters, let''s just put her on my bed. I still got work to do anyway. Once she wakes, I''ll send her to the docks. Or at least that''s the plan. I had another guest. Lying on my bed was Shimakaze, the fastest destroyer in the naval district. She is often proud of her speed and likes to show off. And it''s somehow fun when you managed to catch her and pull on her thong. Oh no, that sounds wrong. I lay Shigure down and did the only thing logical. With my hand on Shimakaze''s black thong, I stretched it to a reasonable length, and let go. *SMACK* "OH!? Wha-!? Huh!? Oh, it just you, Admiral." (Shimakaze) "What are you doing in my bed? And when did you come in? Don''t you have practice today?" "Today we were just doing laps. I already completed mine." (Shimakaze) Should have expected that. "When I came here to play, I couldn''t find you anywhere. so I just let myself into your bed." (Shimakaze) "Don''t let yourself into someone else''s bed!" "So? What happened to her?" (Shimakaze) Shimakaze glanced at Shigure, who is still asleep. "I think she got drunk of rum-flavored candy and just passed out." "Admiral..." (Shimakaze) "???" "You quite the pervert, ain''t you?" (Shimakaze) "Can it! I''ll have you know she''s like this because of the previous sortie and the docks are full." "Yes. yes." (Shimakaze) This girl-! "Anyhow, since you''re here why not you be my secretary for today?" "Hmm... I don''t see why not." (Shimakaze) Shimakaze got up, put on her shoes and followed me back outside. As usual, I gave her some doc.u.ments to sort out while I look through my emails and reports. I knew Shimakaze is fast, but even the way she works is fast as well. She was able to sort the doc.u.ments accordingly. Though, it''s all wrong as usual. "Shimakaze, I believe I told you to look through properly before sorting them out." "Err~ But that way is slow." (Shimakaze) "Fast is good, but there is no point if it''s all wrong. Like during sorties. Even if you are faster than your enemies, it''s useless if don''t land hits on them right?" "I do land hits on them!" (Shimakaze) "It''s just an example. Anyway, start over. Make sure to do them properly." "Okay~" (Shimakaze) "That''s a good girl." I stroke my hand against her cheek. Though she seemed a little annoyed, I can tell she is feeling happy. The door to my quarters swung open. Shigure came out, rubbing her eyes. "Shigure, you feeling better?" "A little headache. No, that''s not it. How did I end up in your bed?" (Shigure) "I wonder?" "???" (Shigure) Shimakaze stared at me, with a disgusted look on her face. What did you want me to say? That she got drunk off some candy? That will give her more than a simple headache. "The docks shoukd be vacant by now. Go and take a bath. Will you be fine by yourself?" "Yes. I shall take my leave now." (Shigure) Shigure bowed as she left the office. Hopefully she can make it there herself. Though, it seems I need not worry as I heard the familiar voice of a certain ''puppy''. -------------------------------- Night falls. with the speed Shimakaze worked, I managed to get most of my work done. For her reward, I gave her some allowance to spend, as she requested. A little unusual, since I thought she might ask me to treat her to Mamiya''s like most shipgirl''s do. Come to think of it, her next off day is two days after. she must be planning to go to town and and shop with Amatsukaze and Yukikaze. An off day huh? I want one too, but at the way things are going, I probably won''t be able to get one anytime soon. Oh well, no use thinking about it now. I should probably go bath and hit the sack. As I was about to turn off the office lights, a sudden bright flash appeared at the corner of my eye. "What was the that?" The light, which shone from the sea, disappeared as sudden as it appeared. I stood at the window for a while, observing whether are there any further developments. Nothing. Was that from a star shell? Nope, it can''t be. A star shell will stay in the sky for a while. Maybe someone accidentally turned on their searchlight. If so, who does it belong to? A civilian boat? Or a shipgirl? Somehow, I''ve got a bad feeling of this... Chapter 10 - 9 The whole naval base was in chaos this morning. All the girls were talking about the bright light which appeared last night. Rumours of how it was a new abyssal or that a new enemy has entered our area have been scaring them. Not surprising that they would think that. Anyone would speculate about the situation. I spent the whole time thinking about the light that I couldn''t sleep. Even HQ was in chaos. Other Naval bases are sending in reports and questions regarding the light. Argh... I got a feeling that there is going to be more work. The light appeared closer to Yokosuka Naval District, our HQ. So they are sending in a Combined Task Force to investigate. A little overkill, I would say, but better to be save than sorry. HQ also issued an order to sortie an investigation team to check the every area. I have been assigned to the Northern Area. The investigation will take place from morning 1000 hours to 1900 hours, a whole day. Taking into account of a possible encounter, Zuihou, Souryuu, Haruna, Shigure, Murasame and Yahagi will be deployed. Houshou, Akagi, Fusou, Yamashiro, Shimakaze and Maya will be on deployed as an escort fleet and assist in any retreats. During the briefing, all of them were anxious. Can''t blame them, since they are confused as well. Normally I would relay orders through Ooyodo. This time, I will personally direct orders to them. "Investigation fleet 1 has been deployed! Investigation Fleet 2 beginning deployment!" (Ooyodo) "Fleet 2, keep a distance from fleet 1 and maintain speed. That means you Shimakaze. Don''t speed off on your own now! Make sure not to clash with fleet 1. "How mean!" (Shimakaze) "Flagship Yahagi of fleet 1 reporting. No enemies in sight en route to our operation area." (Yahagi) "How about planes?" "No abnormalities at the moment." (Souryuu) "Lets hope it continues like this. Carriers, rotate your planes and keep an bird''s-eye view of the area. Avoid any abyssal planes at all cost." "Roger!" (All) With the the new display monitor, microphone and speaker, I was able to observe communicate with the fleet. Unlike previous communication arrays, where you can only observe and make short and simple order like retreat or advance, this gives me a larger degree of freedom over the field. "Flagship Houshou of fleet 2 reporting! We have spotted an small Abyssal fleet west of our location. 2 Destroyer Ro-class and 1 Light Cruiser He-class. Should we engage?" (Houshou) A small abyssal patrol. Regardless, the main plan is avoid any abyssal fleet if possible until we reach the Northern Area. "Have they spotted you?" "No. Our planes spotted them first." (Houshou) "Do not engage. Stay as far away as possible." "Roger!" (Houshou) "Flagship Yahagi of fleet 1 reporting! We have entered the operation area. What are your orders?" (Yahagi) "First, investigate the Moray Seas, then Kiss Island, followed by Alfonsino. Lastly, comb the waters in this area. Fleet 2, follow the exact same route. Note for anything out of the ordinary including abyssal behavior. Most importantly, do not engage the any enemies. If you get spotted, don''t give them a chance to react. Eliminate them immediately. If that''s not possible, retreat. Our main goal is just investigation. Let''s make this quick so we can go home." "Yes!" (All) I watched as both fleets follow the investigation route. So far nothing really worth of noting. Though there is one thing that concern me- the lack of Abyssal fleet in the area. Normally at least one Abyssal fleet would attack us once we enter the area. This time, there are none. Either they went into hiding or something, or someone, took them all out prior to our start. Hopefully it''s the former. The girls seem to notice this too, since they are starting to widen their aerial detection area. "This is really weird. Not a single Abyssal in sight." (Murasame) "Don''t let your guard down. the enemy might still be around. Kiss Island is cleared. Proceeding to Alfonsino." (Yahagi) "That''s weird." (Souryuu) "Souryuu-senpai, what''s wrong?" "There seems to be some interference with my planes." (Souryuu "Interference? Can the Abyssals do that?" (Murasame) "No that''s impossible. They''re not capable of doing that. Their planes can only-" (Zuihou) Before Zuihou could finish, Souryuu eyes widened and pointed towards the sky. "Enemy planes discovered! Incoming from port" (Souryuu) Shit! The enemy was here! "Fleet 1, prepare for Anti-air Battle. Find an opening and get the hell out of there! Fleet 2, secure an escape route!" "Houshou of Fleet 2 reporting! Roger!" (Houshou) On screen, I could see enemy planes. Unlike Abyssal planes, those look like our Zero Fighters. The enemy air fleet looks like it consists of fighters and bombers. "Enemy fleet spotted!" (Shigure) The worse situation which I didn''t want to happen, actually happened. Behind the enemy air fleet, six silhouettes in a double-lime formation can be seen. As they approached closer, their appearance can be figured out. All six of them look like shipgirls. Starting from the back, one of them have four large cannons. She wore a short white dress that nearly exposed her sensitive parts. Her white long hair which covered her left eye reminds me of an Abyssal Princess, I can''t remember which one. The next one wore a white top, which resembles a naval uniform, black skirt, black overcoat and a sailor cap. She had a large, long object which resembles a flight deck attached to her waist and wields a large black bow. An eagle can be seen circling around her. The one on her right was a busty lady clad in a white dress and wore a white sun hat. All she has was a large, black flight deck attached to her top of her skirt. I''m assuming the ones with the flight deck are carriers while the other one is a batteship The ones in front were not any less peculiar. The middle one was dressed as a European maid. Attached on her back were four platforms branching towards the front. Each platform had a main gun secured onto it. On her right was a small girl with purple hair. She wore a white blouse with purple striped skirt. One torpedo launcher and one main gun branched out from her back and faced in front. She even wields a spear. The last one, on the left of the maid, was a girl whose hair had been tied into twintails with rabbit ear attachments. A small smoke stack attach on her back and she carried a searchlight in her hands. They look unlike anything we encountered. Furthermore, they firepower and technology seems more advanced than ours. All of the carriers launched their planes. All of their torpedo bombers, dive bombers and fighters were launched, in an effort to intercept the enemy air fleet and damage them. Instead, most of our planes got shot down, with the surviving one barely hitting their target. "What?! We can''t fight like this!" (Haruna) "Kyaa!!" (Murasame) Murasame let out a scream after a shell hit her directly. Her clothes were torn and a small fire can be seen on her smoke stack. "I''m truly put out... Geez.... " (Murasame) "Murasame, are you all right?" (Shigure) "It hurts but I can still fight!" (Murasame) Yahagi, Shigure and and an injured Murasame launched their torpedos. In response, the enemy carried out their own torpedo salvo. "Girls, look out!" I screamed into the microphone. Not knowing what our opponents are capable of scares me. I can''t shake the fear of my girls sinking because of this. This was supposed to be an investigation, not an one-sided fight. The torpedos hit. Screams can be heard as smoke feels the air. I couldn''t even see what was happening. "Everyone, status report!" "Yahagi, light damage." (Yahagi) "Shigure, medium damage." (Shigure) "Murasame, heavy damage. Ugh..." (Murasame) "Haruna, light damage." (Haruna) "Souryuu, heavy damage." (Souryuu) "Zuihou, medi- HYAAH!!" (Zuihou) "Zuihou, what''s wrong!? Zuihou come in!" No response. No way. She couldn''t have sunk! There''s no way they would have happen. "ZUIHOU!!!" No. Not now. Calm down. Check the situation first. Zuihou''s name hasn''t blackened yet. That means she hasn''t sunk. Retreat and regroup first. The others are injured. As the smoke cleared, I could see the six enemy shipgirls retreating. Why are retreating? They could have easily won over us. Whatever. Better use this time to escape. "Fleet 1, retreat now! Fleet 2 carriers, cover their escape by air. Make sure there are no enemy planes following us." "But Admiral, Zuihou is-" (Haruna) "I know! But now the enemy is withdrawing. We need to use this time retreat and regroup. She is still alive. I promise I will bring her home." "...Roger. Fleet 1, retreating as ordered." (Yahagi) With both fleets on the way back, I got up from the command post. Negative thoughts filled my head. I can''t bear to lose another shipgirl. Especially Zuihou. I already lost her once. I don''t want the same thing to happen again. But now, I know she is still alive. The enemy must have captured her or something in the midst of that chaos. "Ooyodo..." "Yes?" (Ooyodo) "Assemble a search and rescue fleet. All sh.i.p.s must be fast. I''m going to send her search request to HQ. We are getting our girl back!" "Yes!" (Ooyodo) Ooyodo had a determined look on her face. I guess our feelings are mutual. I promise, no matter what, I will rescue you. Chapter 11 - 10 It''s dark. My body hurts. I can''t move my arms and legs. Did I sunk? Is this my end? Aww~ I wanted to live a little longer. There are so many things I wanted to do. So many things I wanted to do with Admiral. Wait a minute. It feels like something is holding my arms and legs together. I tried to wiggle my arms and felt something rubbing against them. I''m tied up! So I didnt sink. Thank god! I''m so glad! But where am I? How long has it been since I''m here? "" "" I can hear voices, but I can''t understand them. English? Did I just hear them say Sakura? I tried struggling from my restraints, but I can''t get out. What are they saying? I can''t understand a single thing. I can feel a hand reach out to my face and behind my head. Light slowly enters my vision as I try to adjust my eyes. I knew it. My hands and feet are bound by ropes. My clothes are torn and I can''t find my equipment anywhere. It looks like I''m in some kind of cave. In front of me were 4 girls. I recognize three of them. The one with the bow, the white lady with humongous jugs, how enviable, and the one who used the spear to attack me. They were part of the fleet which attacked us. I don''t recognize the last one. Her hair was purple and, like the busty woman, wore a white dress. She is even clutching a unicorn plusher in her hands. What is a child doing here? The four them just stood there staring at me. An overwhelming wave of terror suddenly washed over me. Why? Why are they scaring me so much? I want to go home! Admiral, save me! I can feel something wet flow down my cheek. Before I knew it, more came flowing down. The white lady, the spear girl and the archer lady seem to be quarrelling about something. I don''t care! I want to get out but I can''t move! All I can do is just sit here and tremble in fear. "uuuggghhhh...." Another one appeared!! This time it''s the one in the maid outfit. "Eeeeek!!!" The archer lady approached me once again ,arms outstretched. "No!! Stay away from me!!!" I shut my eyes, bracing for whatever that was going to happen. ... Hmm? I don''t feel any pain. Instead, my hands are legs feel free. I slowly open my eyes. The ropes tying me hands and feet together have been removed. The white girl with the unicorn doll came and gave me a blanket. Eh? Am I free now? No. They must be up to something This must be a ploy to make me lead them back to the naval base. As much as I want to get out of here, I have to endure. For the sake of everyone else. The spear girl handed me a packet of tissues. I think she asking me to wipe my face. I took a few pieces and blew my nose. She had a excited look on her face All of them seem excited all of the sudden. What''s going to happen? The four of them led me outside the cave. After passing through some plants, we reached what looks like a hut. In front of it was a a large table and six chairs. They went ahead I took a seat. The girl with the unicorn doll looked at me and pat the seat beside her. I think she is asking me to sit next to her. Once we were all seated, the maid came out with a tea cart. She placed some cakes in the middle of the table, set up the cups and poured some sweet smelling liquid into the cups. It smells like the English tea Kongo used to make before she transfer to Sasebo. The unicorn girl blew on the the cup before pretending to bring it up to her mouth. The maid sat across the table, opposite me. She held a bunch of placards. "Hello, my name is Belfast. What''s yours?" Suddenly the maid spoke in Japanese. So there is someone who I can communicate with. "Zuihou." "Alright Zuihou. I''m going to ask some questions, alright? Just try to answer them. Understood?" (Belfast) "Where am I?" "I''ll answer your questions later. For now, just answer mine." (Belfast) Looks like I don''t have a choice. The first picture she showed me was a some kind of logo. It looks like a Cherry Blossom. "Do you know what is this?" (Belfast) "A Cherry Blossom?" "You''re not wrong. This is the Sakura Empire emblem. Are you from the Sakura Empire?" (Belfast) The Sakura Empire? What is that? Sounds like some kind of shady cult. "No. I''m not." "Ok. Next. Do you know is this?" (Belfast) The next picture was some kind of black ship. It reminds me of those large cruise sh.i.p.s. I want to ride one someday. "A ship?" "Hmm... ok. Do you know who this lady is?" (Belfast) The next picture was a lady with in red kimono dress. She has long brown hair and red eyes. The part that really caught my attention was the nine tails on her back. Is she a kitsune? "A kitsune?" "Kitsune?" (Belfast) "Erm... A fox ghost." I don''t know how to explain what a kitsune is to her. Heck, I don''t think she fully understands me. This will take a while. Chapter 12 - 11 Given the damage they suffered, it took a longer time for both fleets to return back home. Once they got back, I sent them to the docks. Meanwhile, while they are recovering, I had to write up a report on the current situation, list Zuihou as M.I.A and request for a search-and-rescue mission. As much as I want to run out there and find her myself, us normal humans lack the ability and equipment to do such thing. Furthermore, I have to follow military protocol. Ooyodo helped me assemble an Search-and-rescue fleet which can be deployed anytime once we receive the go-ahead. The fleet consist of Yuubari, Agano, Mutsuki, Kisaragi, Akashi and Shouhou. Being Zuihou''s sister ship, she was extremely worried and literally begged me to put her in the search party. It has been two days since then. "What do you mean they are not going to do anything?!" "Exactly what they mean. They reached a conclusion that it was too expensive to conduct a full scale search. They won''t do anything unless they know where is she being held captive. To them, money is more important. Unlike us, these are the ones who don''t give a damn about the shipgirls, and they make up most of the Council. Only viewing them as weapons." Right now, I''m on the phone with one of my friends stationed in HQ. Though we went enlisted around the same time, he managed to work his way up to the higher ranks and is part of the Naval Council. As he said, the higher-ups are more concerned about money than the safety of the girls fighting and risking their lives for us. "So they just denied my request?" "Yeah. The reasoning behind was, of course, money." "You know I can''t just abandon my shipgirls! I''m not letting them sink again!" "Calm down. I have a idea. The others denied you because you requested a mission. To them, that''s the same as asking them to deploy they fleet for the sake of one shipgirl." "I just wanted permission to conduct one." "That''s it." "?" "By my rank, I, Grand Admiral Takamori Rondo, order you to conduct a Search-and-rescue mission for Zuihou. You are to report to me after its done." My eyes widened in surprise. Cheeky prick. To think that he could use his rank for something like this." "You really are a genius. How can I thank you?" "Just treat me to a drink the next time we are on break. This is all I can do for now." "That''s more than enough. Thank you!" "I wish you good luck." I hung up. With the first problem cleared, I can move on to the next. "Ooyodo, gather the rescue fleet. We are making our move." "Finally." (Ooyodo) Once the fleet gathered, I briefed them on the situation. Since the enemy fleet appeared near the Alfonsinos, their base is probably somewhere there. They are to contact me once they discovered clues or the base. Like with the investigation, I will be taking direct command of the mission. At 1100 hours, the fleet set off at full speed. It will took 3 hours to reach the area. Once they reach, I''ll play by ear. "I''m counting on you all. Please, find Zuihou." --------------------------------- It''s been two days since I was brought to this island. I can''t get a signal, let alone contact the Admiral. Other than the questions asked by the girl named ''Berufasu'', nothing much happened. From what I understand, my captors belong to something called ''Yigaru Yunion'' and ''Royaru Navi''. They seem to be fighting against the Sakura Empire, which consists of Shipgirls with the same name as us. The Abyssal-looking warship didn''t really come over much. I heard she was busy keeping a lookout. Well, I don''t want to see her either. In fact, I don''t want to see her and the archer lady. Both of them scare me somehow. Whenever they are around, memories of what happened in Egano fill my head. Right now, I think I''m this girl''s playmate, the unicorn girl. In fact, her name is ''Yunicon'' and the doll she has is called U-chan. She belongs to the ''Royaru Navi''. Since we can''t understand each other, we can only guess through our actions. At least she is nice and not as large as the rest. Ahh~ I want to go home. It''s the white one. (Unicorn) (Ill.u.s.trious) (Unicorn) Yunicon stood up and gestured me to wait before following the other one. I think they spotted something near the area. Is it them? Am I going to be saved? Only one way to find out. I waited a while before following the both of them. The direction they are heading to is the beach. So they really did see something. (Ill.u.s.trious) (Colorado) (Ill.u.s.trious) (Colorado) (Ill.u.s.trious) (Unicorn) (Colorado) What are they saying? I could sort of hear them from here, but I can''t understand. I watched as Yunicon and the white lady launched some planes. So those two are aircraft carriers. But why does Yunicon''s equipment include a crane? Just then, I heard the sound of propellers roaring through the sky. I looked up and swhat I saw was a glimmer of hope. A Saiun! The three of them seem to have spotted the satin as well. Only the battleship reacted by aiming her main guns. No, I can''t let them take away my hope! "No!!" I rushed out of my hiding place and grabbed the battleship. (Colorado) (Unicorn) "I''m not letting you fire! I''m going home!" Chapter 13 - 12 "Admiral, flagship Yuubari reporting. We have reached the designated location. What should we do now? (Yuubari) "Did you radar pick up anything in the immediate area?" I could see all of them shake their heads. So the coast is clear for now. "All sh.i.p.s, slow to a stop. Shouhou, you have a Saiun with you right?" "Yes. Should I launch it?" (Shouhou) "Yeah, launch it. Launch a Reppu as an escort, just to be safe." "Roger. Launching planes." (Shouhou) Shouhou fired off two arrows. Both transmuted into a Saiun and a Reppu respectively. The Saiun is a scout plane specialized in reconnaissance. With a faster speed and longer range than a fighter, it''s our main means of finding Zuihou. The Reppu is a fighter plane, one of the stronger ones we have in our arsenal. Though it''s has a shorter range and speed than the Saiun, it can still act as a escort plane as well as a backup scout. "For starters, check the main island of Alfonsino. Agano, launch your seaplane as well. Check the other smaller islands starting from the furthest left. The Saiun will join you later." "Roger!" (Agano) "The rest of you, be on guard. The enemy could show up anything." "Roger!" (all) Agano lifted up her left leg and a Type-0 Reconnaissance plane launched from the attached flight deck. "If you spot an Abyssal Fleet, eliminate without hesitation and move to a new location using the islands as cover. If it''s the enemy from that day, retreat from the area. Their technology could be more advanced than ours, so be careful." The Saiun flew around the main island. It made several rounds before returning to Shouhou along with the Reppu to be replenished. Nothing. Agano''s seaplane plane also detected nothing from the first 3 smaller islands. As the planes carried out their second round of searching, I saw Mutsuki flinched and look towards the sky. "This is Mutsuki! I''m picking up readings from my radar. They seem to be planes!" (Mutsuki) "Stop all Recon activity! Prepare for anti-air combat!" The planes started to return to their respective owners. All six of them were prepare to fight. Sure enough, the faint whirling sound of a propeller can be heard. In the distance, twenty aircrafts can be seen approaching. "Huh?" (Shouhou) "Shouhou, what''s wrong?" Shouhou''s eyes suddenly teared up and she clutched her mouth in both hands. However, those weren''t tears of sadness. They were tears of relief. "I found her! On the fourth island! She is engaged with a battleship!" (Shouhou) Really?! Wait, what did she mean that Zuihou is engaged with a battleship? I can worry about that later. Right now, enemy planes are approaching. What to do? "Is the enemy fleet nearby?" "No. It doesn''t seem like it." (Agano) "Shouhou, launch all your fighters and intercept the enemy air fleet. The rest will engage in anti-air combat. All units, proceed to the fourth island at full-speed." "Roger!" (all) The whole fleet enter a diamond formation and head towards the fourth island whilst fighting off the air fleet. Soon, the coastal area came into view. On the beach, four figures could be seen. Two of them seem to be trying to split the other two from each other. A internal scruffle? At this timing? As they approached closer, we could see what was going on. Zuihou was grabbing onto the battleship girl! The battleship girl looks pissed and is trying to push her away. The other two, the white busty lady and another smaller girl, are trying to pull them apart. The battleship girl lifted Zuihou and threw her to the ground. Her cannons are aiming at her! (Colorado) "Leave my little sister alone!" (Shouhou) Shouhou jumped ashore and kicked her on the head. The battleship, stunned by the sudden attack, fell to her side, dazed. That was crazy, but I can''t believed it work. The other two girls were surprised, but they look ready for a fight. "Zuihou, are you alright?" (Shouhou) "Shouhou! You came!" (Zuihou) The two sisters shared a hug. As touching as it is, now isn''t the right time for that. Four other figures can be seen approaching them. It must be the others from before. Agano, Yuubari, Mutsuki and Kisaragi aimed their guns at the others. The enemy, now joined by the remainder of their fleet, were also prepared to fight. If a fight breaks out in such close proximity, I don''t think both of us will get out unscathed. Is there a way to communicate with them? (Enterprise) (Ill.u.s.trious) English? Good thing I studied it before. We should be able to communicate. "Yuubari, did you bring a spare communication device. "Yeah I did. Why?" (Yuubari) "I going to negotiate with them to let us go." "Ehh? You can do that?" (Agano) Agano looks surprised. "They are speaking english. I studied it before. I can try talking to them." "That''s incredible." (Agano) "Yuubari, give it to them." Yuubari pass a earpiece to the archer lady. She took it from Yuubari''s hand placed it to her ear. (Enterprise) Ugh... she sounds fierce. Yorktown-class. I''m pretty sure that''s an American ship from the war 80 years ago. Hope this works. (Enterprise) I heard a sigh on the other end. (Enterprise) It worked! That''s one hurdle passed. (Enterprise) That''s a little unusual for a request. I guess I can be generous for now. (Enterprise) (Enterprise) It''s a little bit embarrassing to say this, but it''s true. (Enterprise) (Enterprise) (Enterprise) Enterprise returned the device to Yuubari, who took it from her cautiously. "Admiral, what are your orders?" (Yuubari) I''m worried about Zuihou''s mobility. Better ask Akashi to restore some of it if needed. "Mission accomplished. Good work, everyone. Return back to base. Akashi, what''s Zuihou''s condition?" "Moderately damaged. She should still be able to get up to half-speed at max. Her equipment is missing but that''s not a issue. Other than that, nothing too serious." (Akashi) Good thing she can move, though slower. Maybe they can tow her. "Shouhou, can you do a tow?" "Yes. I can." (Shouhou) "Ehh? Wait, I don''t need a tow! I''m fine! Ow!" (Zuihou) Zuihou winced as she held her side. "No you are not! Shouhou, do a tow." "Yes!" (Shouhou) Shouhou gave Zuihou a piggy back. I guess that can be considered a tow as well. Zuihou is small, so that''s one way to do it. The girls made they way back home, leaving Enterprise and her fleet on the island. I could see the smaller, white dress girl had a look of disappointment on her face. Perhaps Zuihou made a friend during her stay? Whatever the case, we managed to retrieve Zuihou. "I''ll be going to the port. Let''s welcome her back." "I''m sure the everyone else feels the same." (Ooyodo) Ooyodo smiled as she looked out the window. At the port, a large group of shipgirls gathered, holding up a banner with the words ''WELCOME HOME!!!'' "Aren''t they a little too excited?" Chapter 14 - 13 We waited by the port, eyes focusing towards the sea. Everyone was waiting for our heroes and friends to return home. Soon, six figures slowly come into view. Cheers and claps erupted from everyone present. Kawakaze and Umikaze held up the banner. All of us were all overwhelmed by wave of relief and happiness. "WELCOME HOME, ZUIHOU!" (All) All the shipgirl''s cried out in unison. The shipgirl in question was stunned. "Everyone..." (Zuihou) "Geez, you''re late!" (Shimakaze) "Thank goodness you''re all right." (Souryuu) "Yuudachi missed you poi!" (Yuudachi) Zuihou fell to her knees, probably exhausted from the events. "Come on! Don''t crowd around her! Give her some space!" I stepped in between all of them. Everyone was far too concerned and excited. Not that I blame them. Even I''m holding myself back. But this time is fine, right? I brought myself down to her current height. "Admiral?" (Zuihou) My arms wrapped around her shoulders as I pulled her close, "Welcome home, Zuihou." "I''m back." (Zuihou) And so ended our ordeal with the English fleet on the Eastern seas. I have a lot of questions to ask, and I''m certain HQ would want details as well, but for now, my girl needs to rest. I gave Zuihou a one week break and as a small moral booster, everyone else gets three days off. They were free to do whatever they want with those three days. Go shopping, resting in their room, anything they see fit. So long they don''t get into trouble. Now, I have a different kind of problem. "Hmm? Zuihou, why are you here? Shouldn''t you be resting? "But I feel a little bad for resting so long." (Zuihou) "Nonsense. You were captured. Who knows what they did to you." "They didn''t do anything to me. Well, nothing severe at least." (Zuihou) "Still, you need to rest." "Then... can I rest by your side?" (Zuihou) Eh? "To tell the truth, I was so scared when I was kept there. For some reason, bad memories kept flowing into my head. Even now, I still get nightmares because of it. Memories of that battle." (Zuihou) I can see her small body trembling as she spoke. This reaction is similar to Shigure. Now that I think about it, it was an American air fleet which sunk the Zuihou back then. Enterprise is an American Aircraft Carrier, so I guess her presence triggered some memories in Zuihou. "I got it. I will stay with you until you get better, alright?" (Zuihou) Her eyes gleamed a little. "It''s already late. let''s get some sleep." "Mmh!" (Zuihou) Zuihou excitedly went into my quarters. Her mood took a 180 degree turn from just now. I think that was her plan all along. Oh well, as long as it makes her feel better. Though, I may lose some sleep over this. "Ehehe. Good night, Admiral!" (Zuihou) I lay down beside her, with one hand on her head. "Good night." "It''s really warm..." (Zuihou) -------------------------------- For the next four days, Zuihou came to sleep with me every night. During this time, I questioned her about the time when she was held captive and did a medical checkup on her. From what she understood, there were four factions, the Royal Navy, the Eagle Union, the Sakura Empire and Sirens. The Royal Navy and the Eagle Union are fighting against both the Sakura Empire and the Sirens. The Sakura Empire consist of shipgirls whom share the same name as ours, whilst the Sirens are similar to the Abyssals but maintain the form of warsh.i.p.s. That explains why we were attacked. We had been mistaken for being with the Sakura Empire. Zuihou sounds like she is okay with the girls from the Royal Navy faction, but stays away from those in the Eagle Union faction. There were no signs of any physical wounds so I guess they didn''t torture her physically. I don''t think they used psychological torture as well since she didn''t exhibit any symptoms of depression, social withdrawal, PTSD or any of the effects which can be obtained with torture. Save for the fact that she got frightened to the point of crying when she first saw the American ship. So Enterprise really was telling the truth. However, she may just be hiding these symptoms and her feelings. It''s best to keep an eye on her for a while. "How are you feeling?" "I''m fine! I can go on a sortie anytime!" (Zuihou) "Being enthusiastic is good, but don''t push yourself." "Geez! I said I''m fine!" (Zuihou) Zuihou said as she leaned closer. Too close. "Okay okay I get it! I will assign you a patrol task. Let''s take it nice and slow for now. You, Zuikaku, Yahagi, Mutsuki, Shigure and Shimakaze will go patrol the Okinoshima Sea. Yahagi will be the flagship. Eliminate abyssals in the area if needed. I have already sent the order to Ooyodo. Once you are ready, go to the port." "Roger!" (Zuihou) She left the with a spring in a her steps. Is she really that excited to return to the frontlines? Just a precaution... "Yahagi, can you hear me?" "Admiral? What''s wrong?" (Yahagi) I got a favour to ask you. Look out for Zuihou for me. I''m afraid she isn''t ready to fight." "You worry too much, Admiral. Don''t worry. I will take care of her." (Yahagi) "Thank you. Do your best and come home safely." If Yahagi is there, I don''t need to worry too much. For now, let''s get back to work. With the ''Mysterious Enemy'' saga being partially solved, I got a ton of reports to write up. I will also need to invite Grand Admiral Rondo for a drink, as thanks for helping me. Argh.... What a drag... I heard the office door knock. "Come in!" Entering the room was a small girl with silky black hair. She wears a short-sleeved white shirt, arm warmers, skirt with suspenders and black thigh highs. This girl is the first ship of the Asashio-class destroyers, Arashio. "Destroyer Asashio, reporting in!" (Asashio) "As serious as ever huh. Oh well. So what are you here to see me for?" "Uhm..." (Asashio) Asashio paused, as if think about how to phrase her words. It''s rare to see Asashio thinking like this. Usually she will just go straight to the point. "What''s wrong?" "Uhm... just to check. Shigure-nee-san is on a sortie now right?" (Asashio) "Yes. She just left." "I''m not sure how to explain this. I think it''s best if you see for yourself." (Asashio) Somehow I got a bad feeling about this. I followed Asashio to the port. We saw a small group of Shipgirls gathering around at one spot. Even Fusou and Kaga were there. "What''s going on?" "Ah Admiral. Who is this girl? She just showed up." (Fusou) A girl? I pushed through the crowd to get a closer look. Kneeling on the ground, confused, was a small girl whose black hair is tied into a ponytail with cat ear shaped attachments. Her outfit is similar to Shimakaze''s but black in colour. Is that a real tail sticking out from behind? I couldn''t believe what I''m looking at. Who is this girl? Is she human? Why does she have a tail? Her rigging looks like a destroyers, with a main gun and torpedo launchers on each side. "Who are you?" "Number 2 of Shiratsuyu-class destroyer, Shigure. I don''t mean to boast but the goddess of luck protects me~ Hehe, it''s time you admit that luck is a part of one''s strength?" Ugh... Looks like something troublesome showed up. Chapter 15 - 14 "First, can you introduce yourself?" "Number two of Shiratsuyu-class destroyer, Shigure. I''m protected by the goddess of luck! I first belonged to... " (Shigure?) "Stop right there." "Hmm?" (Shigure?) "Next question, why did you come here?" "I don''t know. I was separated from my fleet when a squall showed up. Before I know it, I drifted here." (Shigure?) A lost child? "Your name is Shigure as well?" (Yamashiro) "Yep! I''m Shigure! Nee-chan, have we... met...?" (Yamashiro) Are those tears coming from her eyes? "Eh? Yamashiro-nee-san?" (Shigure?) "Ehh?" (Yamashiro) Shigure suddenly hugged Yamashiro. "Ehm, Shigure-san?" (Yamashiro) "Why? You''re not the Yamashiro-nee-san I know but why do I feel...?" (Shigure?) Is this the same effect as Zuihou meeting an American ship? Fusou, Yamashiro and Shigure were all in the same fleet once. So is this Shigure affected by memories of the past? What are the triggers? "Ehm... Sorry to ruin your moment but, where are you from Shigure?" Shigure wiped the tears from her eyes. "I''m from the Sakura Empire. I got separated from my fleet during a squall and somehow drifted here." (Shigure?) Ahh. I was afraid that was the case. So our girls and the girls from the different faction somehow have the ability to trigger past memories within each other. If that''s the case, why did Zuihou break down and avoided Enterprise? Or was she just afraid of American sh.i.p.s in general? "Admiral, the fleet has....re... turned... What''s going on?" (Yahagi) Possibly the worst timing ever! Yahagi''s fleet returned from their patrol. "What''s wrong?" (Shigure) Shigure popped out from behind Yahagi. "Shigure, calm down and listen to me." "Mhm." (Shigure) "Yes?" (Shigure?) Both Shigures responded at the same time. Sigh... looks like I''m going to need to do some explaining. I''m explained the situation. Everything from where this Shigure came from to her interaction with Yamashiro. Yes, I know it''s not much but hey, at least it''s something. "Sakura Empire? Ahh! So you were the guys that are fighting the Royal Navy and the Eagle Union!" (Murasame) "How did you know?" (Shigure?) "Because they mistakened our Zuihou as part of you guys and kidnapped her!" (Suzuya) "That''s mean! Those barbarians don''t deserve any mercy. We should just destroy all of them!" (Shigure?) Wow! Her behavior really is different than our Shigure. Is this how Shigure would be like if she was more violent and animal-like? "Admiral, I don''t need to ask to know what you''re thinking." (Shigure) "Ahh. My bad. I can''t help it. Hmm, for now I guess we have to keep her somewhere." "I can take care of her for the time being. It''s only me and Nee-sama in that room anyway." (Yamashiro) "Then I leave it to you. Since it''s confusing to call the both of you Shigure, the Sakura Empire Shigure will be called Sakura Shigure. Shigure will remain the same. It''s that okay?" "mhm. No problem here." (Shigure) "I got it. Then can I call you Commander?" (Sakura Shigure) "It''s that what you call your admiral?" Sakura Shigure nodded. "Fine, you can address me as such. You will stay with us and follow our patrols until you can find your way home. Got it?" "Yes~~" (Sakura Shigure) Yamashiro brought Sakura Shigure to settle in her room. Since a squall brought her here, I need to check the weather log to see where and when it happened. Now for the next task.... "Sorry for the wait, Yahagi." "No its alright." (Yahagi) "Your report?" "Oh yes. We met four Abyssal fleets in the area. Three of them were small escort fleets, with the usual composition of light cruisers and destroyers. The last one was a battleship fleet. Only Zuihou and Mutsuki received light damages from that encounter. Right now everyone else is at the docks." (Yahagi) "Got it. What about the other task I gave you?" "Nothing noteworthy to mention. She was pretty normal." (Yahagi) So my worries are for naught. Thank goodness. "Thank you Yahagi. You are dismissed." "Roger!" (Yahagi) I continued my reports as soon as Yahagi left. Should I include the appearance of Sakura Shigure into my report? Then again, it could make my live harder. What if HQ gives an order to search for their base and we end up in their war? Our hands are already tied with the Abyssal fleets. If we enter the war between these two groups, we may lose. Yep, best to keep this info to myself. I should go get some lunch. I''m starving. I wonder what are they serving today? Chapter 16 - 15 Sigh... "Zuihou-san, what''s wrong? "Eh? Shigure? Taking a bath?" "uhum. Where''s Mutsuki?" "She left earlier. Destroyers have short repair time after all." "How long till you''re fully recovered?" "Another four more hours." Wow, that''s long for light damages. Zuihou let out another sigh. "Something on your mind?" "Nothing really important, but I feel as though I''m out of shape recently. I could have easily dodged that torpedo back then. In the end, I froze up and got hurt. I wonder why." "Want to talk to Admiral? I pretty sure he will do everything to help you." She shook her head. "I can''t rely on Admiral all the time. He has already cared for me for way too long. I got to help him back." "I know how you feel, but don''t get danger yourself in the process. Admiral will be very sad." "I know. Admiral is kind and cares for us deeply. He hates to see us get hurt during our missions." "That''s right. Getting hurt may be inevitable. That''s why, we need to do our best to come home!" That''s true. Admiral tends to see us as girls rather than weapons. That''s why, we all like Admiral. We soaked for a while, talking about random things. After that, I left the baths, leaving Zuihou with another one hour to soak. *Yawn~* Nothing beats a good night sleep after a bath. I entered my room and was greeted by Yuudachi, who was grooming her hair. "Welcome back, poi." "I''m back." "Today was kind of weird, right?" "Huh?" "You know, with the appearance of our enemy''s enemy." "Oh, the other Shigure." "That''s right!" "Animal ears and a tail... do you think that''s cosplay?" "I don''t think so. Her tail moved when Fusou-san said she would take care of her." "Heh~ That sounds interesting poi! If your counterpart is like that, I wonder how mine looks. Maybe a huge tail and big tails." "Ahahah. Come on, we should sleep now. I turning off the lights." "Good night, Shigure." "Good night, Yuudachi." Tomorrow I need to get up early. Since I''m the secretary ship for the day. ------------------------------------- .... Can''t sleep. Is it one of those nights again? I feel as though something bad might happen if I fall asleep. I''m still not used to seeing those nightmares. Maybe I should go to Admiral''s side. I picked my pillow and left my room. "I''ll be back later, Yuudachi." Nights in the Naval District are rather peaceful. Despite all the fighting, everyone is able to sleep soundly. Occasionally, you can see some destroyers doing some practice at night. They are usually the ones that were recently posted here and want to catch up to the rest. I was like that a few months ago, back when was I was still haven''t gotten my remodel, but I feel as though I have been here for a long time. The hallways are lit most of the time. So I don''t need to worry about the dark. Besides, I already know my way to Admiral''s office. "Pardon my intrusion." I opened the door as slowly and quietly as possible. Apart from the moonlight shining into the office, everything was almost dark. Good, he is asleep. I thought he might have been working through the night again. Since he tends to slack off during the day, he will always work through the night and not get enough sleep. I make my way to his room, make sure I do not make any unnecessary noise. There he is, sleeping so peacefully. I made sure there isn''t any other girls around and underneath the covers. "Teehee. I can have Admiral all to myself." Slowly and gently, I snuggle beside him. Hahh~ Admiral''s back. Admiral''s scent. As I thought, I can relax the best when I''m with him. "Please don''t replace me..." ------------------------------ "Wake up, Shigure. It''s morning already." "Mgh?" I open my eyes slowly. Everything was a little blurry at first so it took a while for me to realise what was going on... "Admiral?!" "Good morning!" "Good morning... Wait, that''s not it! I''m sorry for oversleeping! I planned to wake up earlier to get ready. I didn''t mean to show you this unsightly behavior!" Oh no! This is the worst! He is going to hate me! He is going to hate me! I felt a something on my head. What''s this? A hand? "Calm down. Don''t worry. I''m not going scold or punish you for this. Let alone hate. Go get ready. I''m counting on you today." "Yes!" Thank goodness! I thought he will be mad. This was better than I thought. I better go get changed. Can''t keep Admiral waiting. I''m gonna do my best today as well~ Chapter 17 - 16 It has been two weeks since Sakura Shigure arrived at our Naval Base. During her stay, she followed various fleets on their mission, in hopes of running into her comrades. Sadly, none of that happened. So she is still stuck here. Luckily, the girls have been getting along with her pretty well. They spent time talking to her, consoling her when she felt depressed about not being able to find her way back and even have fun with her. So all is well, for now. That being said, what bothers me the most is Sakura Shigure''s story about how she ended up here. According to her, a sudden squall separated her from the fleet and she drifted over here. Logically thinking, she couldn''t have gotten separated unless she broke formation. Even so, she could have regrouped after the squall ends. Did the squall damage her comms? How low was visibility when it happened? "It''s really strange." "What is?" (Suzuya) "Oh, Suzuya. You were here." "Of course I am. I''m your secretary ship for today, remember?" (Suzuya) I have to admit, I actually forgot that it was Suzuya''s turn today. I had so much on my mind. "Sorry, I was just think about something." "About that fox-girl?" (Suzuya) "Fox-girl?" "Doesn''t that tail and eyes remind you of one?" (Suzuya) Huh. She''s got a point. "I was wondering how did Sakura Shigure ended up here." "She said a squall separated her, didn''t she?" (Suzuya) "Yeah, but wouldn''t she be able to regroup immediately?" "Then, why don''t you ask her when she comes back?" (Suzuya) ---------------------------------------- "How did I get lost? Didn''t I told you before? A Squall separated me from my fleet and I drifted here." (Sakura Shigure) "I know about that. What I want to know of is, why didn''t you regroup immediately once the squall was gone?" Sakura Shigure froze. "I always thought it was weird. Why weren''t you able to regroup with your fleet? You could have contacted your fleet after the squall ended. Why didn''t you? Instead, you drifted all the way here. Even though you followed my fleet on their missions, why didn''t you contact your fleet?" Sakura Shigure looked down, fidgeting. I knew it. She was hiding something. "You may share the same name as our Shigure, but if you are planning to do anything which can harm us, I will not hesitate to fight back with the full force of our-" "I got it! I got it! I''ll talk." (Sakura Shigure) She took a deep breath. "It''s embarrassing, so I kept it to myself. In actual fact, I got lost and didn''t bring along a communication device." (Sakura Shigure) Eh? "It felt like a good day to go out into sea that day. So I thought I would just play outside for a while. Suddenly a squall showed up and I got thrown off course. Before I knew it, I was in the middle of nowhere. I don''t even know where we set up camp. We just arrived a few days ago. And then, I ended up here after seeing a some shipgirls coming out from some structure." (Sakura Shigure) That must be the time when I sent them to the Okinoshima Seas. So that''s why she came here. Wait, so this whole fiasco was because this girl went out to play and got lost instead? I thought she was an enemy spy! "You don''t remember why your base is?" "Nope." (Sakura Shigure) "Do you remember any kind of landmarks and structures that can help you identify the place?" "I heard a joint fleet from the Eagle Union and Royal Navy used one of the islands nearby as a base before. That''s why we came to intercept and investigate." (Sakura Shigure) Don''t tell me... I brought up a map of the islands in the Northern Area and pointed at the islands near Alfonsino. "Is it around here?" "I think so. I mean, I need to see for myself before I can say anything." (Sakura Shigure) It has to be here. Coming to investigate the presence of their enemies a few days after that rescue operation. It can''t be a coincidence. "I got it. I will send a fleet there. I want you to follow that fleet. I think that your base is somewhere there." "So you found it?" (Sakura Shigure) Sakura Shigure''s eyes suddenly lit up. She must have been waiting to go home. "Just a hunch. You mentioned you came to investigate the presence of your enemies right? We just carried out a rescue operation in that area a few days ago before you came to us. So I have a good feeling that it''s around there. I promised to help find your home, didn''t I?" "Commander-san, you''re the best!" (Sakura Shigure) "Ow!" Sakura Shigure lunged at me the same way Yuudachi did. What is with these doggie types pouncing on me every chance they get? I can see her tail wagging. She must be very happy. I can''t keep any promises, but I''m sure the rest of her fleet is there. Furthermore, none of my fleets visited that area, so that''s the last place we have yet to check. "Alright, alright. Get off me!" "Admiral?" Ah. Standing at the doorway was Shigure, mouth agape. She definitely has gotten the wrong idea about this. "Shigure, it''s not what you think it is!" "I got it. Admiral like this kind of thing. I-I won''t bother you!" (Shigure) She ran off. I better catch her and explain to her as soon as possible. For now, I need to get this fox-girl, or dog-girl or whatever she is, off me. Chapter 18 - 17 Alfonsino, the area where we encountered the English-speaking fleet. Based on Sakura Shigure''s story, it seems that her fleet set up their base on one of the islands two days after we rescued Zuihou. What were the odds of that? Since we will be threading in potential enemy waters, I think it''s safer to send the main fleet for this, Flagship Agano, Suzuya, Shigure, Yuudachi, Ryuujou and Zuihou. They will be escorting Sakura Shigure in search of her allies. The plan is the same as the rescue mission, using scout planes and recon seaplanes to search the islands. "The same as usual. Eliminate any abyssal sh.i.p.s nearby before beginning the mission. I will give orders based on the situation. Be prepared for an attack by the Sakura Empire. They might mistake us for kidnapping Sakura Shigure." "Nah. They won''t do something stupid." (Sakura Shigure) "Says the one who got lost at sea while playing without permission." "ugh..." (Sakura Shigure) "That being said, hold back a little. Our objective is to get them to listen to us. Try not to sink any of them. Understood?" "Yes!" (All) "Sortie will be in half an hour. Get ready. Dismissed." The fleet moved out, along with Sakura Shigure. I told her to bring along her equipment as well, since we are ''returning'' her. Just hope that the Sakura Empire isn''t unreasonable. At 1300 hours, Agano''s fleet has reached their destination. They were a few abyssal patrol along the way, but they all have been dealt with even any major problems. "Anything in the area?" (Agano) "Nothing on the radar." (Suzuya) "No planes too." (Zuihou) "Begin operation. Launch the scouts." (Agano) Agano, Suzuya, Ryuujou and Zuihou launched their scout and recon planes while Shigure and Yuudachi watched the skies. It took a while but the planes were able to find something. No, I should say the enemy showed themselves. "Saiun on island five is being shot at!" (Zuihou) "So they are there. Retrieve all planes. Head to the shore of-" (Agano) "Enemy planes spotted!" (Shigure) As expected, they did rush towards us. "Ah! those are Akagi-sama''s planes!" (Sakura Shigure) Did she say Akagi? Those planes certainly look like Zero fighters and Type 99 bombers. I wonder how this Akagi looks. "Enemy fleet spotted! Coming from the port side!" (Suzuya) A pincer attack of sh.i.p.s and planes, huh. A smart move. "Admiral, what should we do?" (Agano) "Ryuujou, Zuihou, intercept the enemy planes. Suzuya, Yuudachi, shoot down any planes that make past the both of them. Agano will keep an eye on the enemy projectiles and give instructions on how to move. Shigure, stay close to Sakura Shigure. Do all these while moving towards the enemy and evading their attacks." "Roger!" (All) This is going to be hard. Though not really effective, we need to show that we are not hostile. Shooting down their planes and not firing at those shipgirls is the only thing I can think of. "This is really hard." (Shigure) "Zuihou-chan, move to your left!" (Agano) As they moved closers, the enemy fleet seem to stop firing. Did they finally realise that we are not here to fight? Standing in front of them was a busty girl wearing what resembles Yamato''s outfit, who I saw back then at Yokosuka Naval District, with a black robe. She had a flight deck which is made of... fire? Her hair was long and brown. Her red eyes looked cynical. What caught my eye was the nine tails and those ears on her head. She looks like a nine-tail fox. Is she the one that was shown to Zuihou by that Belfast person? "I am Akagi of the glorious 1st Carrier Division, the fleet known to have no equal." "She''s starting..." One of the shipgirls behind her, probably a destroyer judging by her equipment, said. That girl wore the same outfit as Sakura Shigure. Her hair was white and long. "Ah! Yuudachi! Akagi-sama! Long time no see!" (Sakura Shigure) "Shigure-chan?" (Akagi) "Eh? That girl is also Yuudachi poi?!" (Yuudachi) "Ehh?!" (Sakura Yuudachi) "You are the one which that maid lady showed me." (Zuihou) "Hmm? What a do you mean?" (Akagi) Now they are all confused. I guess it''s better than being attacked. "Shigure-chan." (Suzuya) "Oh, right." (Shigure) Shigure brought Sakura Shigure to the front. "We are here to return this girl back." ( Shigure) "Return? Do you mind explaining? This is confusing. That small green girl is somehow making me remember of the time when we attacked that port." (Akagi) She is referring to the Attack on Pearl Harbor, I think. Akagi was part of the main attacking force. Zuihou helped in their escape. Oh by the way, I remodeled Zuihou last week. Now her outfit is green and her munate has a camouflage pattern. Compared to last time, she is definitely stronger now. Her voice also got a little high pitched compared to last time. "Who are you calling small?!" (Zuihou) Agano, who was at the side laughing the whole time, explained. Everything from where we are from, our encounter with the Royal Navy and Eagle Union, and how Sakura Shigure ended up at our base. "I''m sorry for all the trouble our Shigure caused. As flagship, I will take full responsibility and make sure to punish her accordingly." (Akagi) Akagi gave a apologetic bow. "EHHH?! No way!" (Sakura Shigure) "Shut up you!" (Akagi) "No, it wasn''t a bug deal. Finding out that there is another version of me was a fresh experience." (Shigure) "Is there a Zuihou in the Sakura Empire?" (Zuihou) "No, but I know Shouhou is around." (Unknown shipgirl) Both sides started asking questions about their counterparts and sharing their common history. I know they want to talk longer but I think it''s time to come back. "Come on, girls. It''s time to come home." "Aww... Just a while more please? Akagi-san''s tail is so fluffy." (Agano) Zuihou and Agano were playing with Akagi''s tails. They seem to be enjoying themselves. "Was that your commander?" (Akagi) "Commander? I guess admiral means that too. Yeah, it was." (Zuihou) "Can I talk to him?" (Akagi) "Erm..." (Agano) "It''s okay. Patch her through." Agano handed her radio over to Akagi. "Greetings. Are you the commander of this fleet?" (Akagi) "Yes, I''m the Admiral of the Maizuru Naval District. I''m sorry of their behavior." "Hehehe. It''s alright. Again, I''m sorry for all the trouble our Shigure caused." (Akagi) "No no. It was a fresh experience. My girls had fun with her anyway." "It''s been a while since we had something interesting like this. To think that there are different versions of us. Say, what''s Akagi like at your side?" (Akagi) Our Akagi? I heard about something called ''Akagi feeding time'' by my friend in Yokosuka. He always complained that Akagi kept draining their Bauxite reserves. "Hmm, a big eater. But without the tail and ears. " Akagi burst out laughing. Her laugh was like a typical yandare laugh. A little bit like Tatsuta''s. "That sounds just like me! I hope I can meet her." (Akagi) "If you want, you can ask your commander to send in a request. I''m sure my girls want to meet their other versions as well." "A tempting offer. I will try my luck when we return back to our base. You know why we were here, right?" (Akagi) "I do. They are gone already though." "Yeah, we know. We actually completed our mission last week, but stayed here to loom for Shigure. Who would have thought she would end up in a naval base with other IJN shipgirls." (Akagi) The girls bid the Sakura Empire fleet farewell. I didn''t know what to expect but I''m glad it went better than the negotiations with those two. The Sakura Empire girls look fierce and beast-like, but they are nice girls. Maybe I can get my girls to wear animal ears sometime. Chapter 19 - 18 Today is a normal day at Maizuru Naval District. The destroyers are having their lessons and taking part in expeditions and practice sessions. The expeditions, lessons and patrols are led by cruisers. The carriers are performing maintainance on their planes and doing aviation exercises. Me? I''m in my office, slacking off from my work. Or that''s what should have been. Well, aside from me slacking off. "Zuihou, what is this?" "Maintenance." "How is this maintainance?! Not that I mind though." What a weird feeling. Normally Zuihou would get me to do work when I''m slacking off, but now she is sitting on me with her hands around my back. Her body feels warm. I wonder what brought about this behavior? "Are you okay? I know you are clingy but this is unusual." "Nothing much. I just feel like doing this." Yep. This is not normal. I pushed Zuihou''s shoulders away from me. Her face is flushed and she looks as if she is in a daze. I place one hand on her forehead. It''s burning. "Oi, you have a fever!" "Hmm? What are you taking about? I''m alright~" "No no no. You''re going back to your room and rest. Can you stand up?" The moment Zuihou''s legs touch the floor, she became unstable and fell to her knees instead. I guess I have to use my bed again. I carried her and placed her on my bed. I removed her Muneate. "Wait a while. I''ll be right back." I cover her with a blanket and left. I''m going to need an ice pack and make some porridge. And maybe take her pajamas as well. About half an hour later, since I asked Mamiya to make the porridge for me, I returned with what I needed. Zuihou was already sweating buckets and her outfit is drenched. Now we have another problem. "We are going to need to change you out of your clothes. Can we do it yourself?" "Hueh?" Guess not. She is still in a daze. This is just nursing. Nothing lewd. "Sorry about this. You can hit afterwards." I I untied Zuihou''s Hachimaki and let her hair down. Why didn''t I do this before? Because her top was tucked into her pants, I had to untie the string holding it in place and remove it. Next, I slowly pushed her up into a sitting position and took off her kimono top. There we go, one Zuihou in her underwear prepared. Wait, that''s not the point! Now I need to put her in pajamas. Before that, I''m going to burn this image into my memory. I have never seen her underwear before. It consists of white string panties and some cloth wrapped around her chest. If so, why wasn''t I able to see it whenever she got medium damaged? I always thought she didn''t wear any. Okay, that''s enough. Time to get her in this. Zuihou''s pajamas is looks like a child Yukata, small and easy to wear. I put her hands through the sleeves and tied the stash loosely. Can''t tie it too tightly. Some ventilation would be good. Besides, it''s going to be undone after a while. "Are you hungry? Best to eat the porridge while it''s hot." "Hmm?" "Still in a daze. I''m going to feed you some anyway. Maybe you will feel better. Here." I pushed her into a sitting position and supported her back with the pillows. I scooped up some porridge and fed her. "Ahh..." "ompf." She took it as soon as the spoon is close to her mouth. This is a little unusual. Did the fever messed up her head? Normally, one would be embarrassed when someone changes their clothes or even resist a little, but she is just letting me do whatever I want. It looks as though she is just responding instinctively when it comes to food. I made sure to feed her the porridge until she turned her head away from the spoon. "muu..." "Full already? Get some rest." I laid her down and placed the ice pack on her head. "Just sleep. You will feel better. I will be next door. Call me if you need anything." As I stood up, I felt something tugging at the trouser. A hand from under the blanket held on to my pants. "Don''t... go..." How can I say no to that? "Got it. I''ll be by your side. Just get some rest." Seems like I won''t be doing any work today. Not like there is much to do anyway. Chapter 20 - 19 Shigure walked in with the days paperwork from Ooyodo. "Admiral, here are the doc.u.ments sent in from HQ." "More of them? I won''t be able to finish if this continues." Because of Zuihou''s fever, I missed an entire days worth of work caring for her. Despite this, she still hasn''t recovered. Right now, Shouhou is helping me nurse her. "Zuihou-san still hasn''t recovered yet?" "Yeah. The fever is causing her to be in a daze almost the whole time. Akashi is looking into a cure for her." "Was it bad fuel?" "I don''t think so. Initial checks didn''t detect anything out of place. If she spent the entire day under a kotatsu and caught a cold, I would understand. But now it''s not the time to bring out one." "What about a modernization failure?" "I didn''t modernize her, so that''s impossible." "Hmm..." To suffer from a fever that leaves her incapacitated, this is weird. I know humans can become like that sometimes, but I have never heard of it happening to a shipgirl without proper reasons. Maybe other Admirals would know about this. "I''m going to make a call. Could you help me sort out the rest?" "Leave it to me." ----------------------------------- I decided to call Kure Naval Base since it was first one I could think of. "A fever which isn''t caused by any known reasons?" "Yeah. Did any of your shipgirls experience that?" "Umm... Come to think of it, last week Taiyou was like that for two days. It was very worrisome." Taiyou, she is one if the new shipgirls found recently, right? Furthermore, she is a CVL. "Three days ago, Hiyou from Sasebo Naval Base also suffered from the same condition." Another CVL. "You think they are related?" "That only CVLs got incapacitated by this fever? I can see a link. It may be just a coincidence though." "How did Taiyou recover?" "She just did. Though she started acting more childish and selfish for a while. I heard Junyou was the same." Zuihou is already somewhat childish. I won''t see any difference if she became like that. "Anyway, it''s nothing to worry about. It has already been two days since she got sick right?" "Yeah. Today''s the third day." "Then she should recover soon." "Hopefully. Thanks for the info." "Your welcome." He hung up. So this fever is just a random thing which causes them to be more childish? I still can''t accept that as a reason. "How was it?" "He said it will go away today. One if his CVLs also gotten the same fever last week." "I see." "I hope he is right." *Knock Knock* "Admiral, are you there?" That voice... It was Shouhou. "Come in." Shouhou walked in. She wore a worried expression. I can guess something went wrong. "Pardon my intrusion. Did Zuihou come here just now?" "No. What''s wrong?" Please let my thinking be wrong... "This is bad. I went out to change Zuihou''s cloth. When I came back, she was gone!" I knew it. "She probably hasn''t recovered fully, so she couldn''t go far. Go check if her equipment was drawn out. Shigure, help me gather a some people to search for her." "Got it." "I''ll join the search. Join me once you''re done." Shouhou went to the armory while Shigure went to gather some people to help out. This isn''t really a big issue, but I can''t help but worry when a sick shipgirl is involved. "Where the heck did you go?" I went to the docks first, supposedly she would want to take a bath after sweating so much. Not here. Though I did sneak a peek on Hiryuu and Souryuu bathing. Next I searched the kitchen. Since Zuihou loves to cook Tamagoyaki, there is a chance that she would be here. Of course, if she were here, Mamiya would have informed me earlier. Shouhou, Shigure and some other destroyers came to help in the search. We searched high and low, but couldn''t find any signs of her. In the end, I decided to sent the girls back since it was getting late. "Where could she have gone?" I was back in my office, sitting on my chair. She wasn''t in the hanger, neither was she at the aviation practice field. She couldn''t have left the Naval District since the fairies have locked down the place. I can''t think of any place she might be hiding. Suddenly I felt some pressure on my legs. Something was lying on my legs. I looked down and was half-relieved at what I saw. "Ad-mi-ral~~" Chapter 21 - 20 "Ad-mi-ral~~?" "You were here the whole time?" "I was waiting for you~ Hehehe~" Resting her head and hands on my lap was the girl we had been searching for the whole time, still in her pajamas. Did she snuck in here when we were outside looking for her? And what''s with that laugh? It''s as though she is on a high. An effect of the fever? "For starters, let''s get you out of there." I grabbed Zuihou by the waist and carefully lifted her out from under the table. I expected her to struggle and be all like ''Don''t treat me like a child!'', but she just lets me lift her like that. Instead, she did something else I wouldn''t have expected her to do in a long time. "Admiral!" "Wai-??" She slipped out of my arms and lunged at me, causing me to fall on my back while she perched herself on top. Why am I getting a sense of Deja Vu here? Oh right, Yuudachi... "Hehehe. I caught Admiral." "Zuihou, what are you doing?" This is nowhere near being ''childish and selfish'' like what he mentioned. Rather, this is sort of lewd, with the way our positions are. No, that''s not the main point. "Hey Zuihou, what''s wrong with you? This is not like you." She just buried her face in my chest. "Admiral smells good. My favourite smell..." "Huh?" Zuihou laid still. I can hear some soft breathing. She fell asleep. What the heck was that all about? Does she have that kind of fetish? Great, I got some new material to tease her with now. I carried the sleeping Zuihou in my arms and walked towards her room. Shouhou would be relieved that her little sister was found. --------------------------- I woke up feeling something tickling my nose. What is this? Hair? It''s also a little cramp. So who is it this time? I sat up to get a clearer view of my bed intruder. There are two of them. On my right seems to be Shigure. I can from the dog ear-like hair and the cow lick. On my left is the one whose hair tickled my nose, Yuudachi. That blonde hair seems to shine in the dark. This must be Yuudachi''s idea. She probably sensed that Shigure was getting another attack and suggested to sneak into my bed. I carefully got out of the bed without waking the two doggies. Because they occupied both sides of the bed, I had to get out through the front. Waking up earlier once in a while isn''t that bad. I freshened myself up and got dressed. Knowing those two, they would probably wake up later when as long as I''m within their detection range. Mysteriously, they could detect my presence everytime. Once I heard that they were sleeping before I returned to the office, but woke up when I was outside the door. It''s still a little early so let''s go for a walk. "Where are you going, Admiral-san? As soon as I touched the doorknob, I heard a sleepy voice behind. Yuudachi was still rubbing her eyes, hair still in a mess. "Ah sorry. Did I woke you up?" "No. I felt that Admiral-san was going somewhere poi." *yawn* "Just going for a short walk. You can sleep a little longer you know." "A walk? Yuudachi wants to go for a walk too!" "You''re not tired? You don''t have to force yourself." "Nope. Beside, it''s rare for Admiral-san to get up this early." "What about Shigure? Is it fine to leave her alone?" "She can sleep longer. I''ll leave a note for her. I will go get ready. Wait for me outside!" Yuudachi made a move for her room. At least I have a some accompany. ------------------------- ? A walk. A walk. A walk with Admiral-san. ? Yuudachi sang as she walked ahead of me along the port. It amazes me how she can be so cheerful with such a simple thing. "Admiral-san, Admiral-san! Look!" Yuudachi was pointing at something in the water. It was a bloom of jellyfish, floating rather close to the surface and the wall. "So it''s going to be jellyfish season soon huh?" "Looks cute and delicious!" "Mamiya-san and iroko-san is going to have a lot of fun coming up with a new menu." We continued our walk. The early morning atmosphere is something I have never felt before until now. It was peaceful and the air was fresh. A cool breeze can be felt, though the place was cloaked by a thin fog. I don''t know how to describe this feeling but it definitely feels good. Maybe I should make this a habit. Or maybe not. it''s barely ten o''clock and I''m already feeling tired. I don''t want to do anything now. "Admiral! Get up! You got work to do!" "Ughh. I don''t wanna~" Chapter 22 - 21 "Ughh... so tired..." "It''s not even 11 o''clock clock yet. Come on, just hang in there a bit more till lunch time." I get that Shigure is trying cheer me on, but I can neither focus nor stay awake. I just find myself melting on the table in an awkward position, since there''s this girl getting comfortable on my lap and being squished by me. "Ehehe~ Admiral''s so warm." Zuihou is still in child mode. That person did say she would be like this after her fever. With Shouhou on a four day expedition, I have to take care of her in this state. Even so, this behaviour is quite unexpected. I was thinking she would be more playful and hyperactive like a child, not being quiet and getting content with just being close to me. "So how long will she be like this?" "Hmm? I called to ask him again. He said the next time she sleeps, everything will be back to normal." And that''s when it gets interesting. They actually remember what they had done. I wonder what sorts of reactions would I get? "Admiral is having some weird thoughts again..." "Hmm?" "No, I''m not!" "Yeah right." "Come on. You are confusing Zuihou." "Just hurry up and finish your work!" "Work!" "See. Even Zuihou is asking you to do work." "She is just copying you!" --------------------------- Good thing today''s paperwork are just resource reports. If it was action plans and battle reports, I won''t even last. While Shigure helps me, Yuudachi is here entertaining Zuihou by drawing with her using crayons. They look like sisters playing together. I wonder what is she drawing. A little peek should be fine. A type 99 bomber with its landing gear. Of course. Why wouldn''t it be? "Admiral, look look! Zuihou made this!" Now she is speaking in third-person? Right, kids do that sometime. "Wow! That''s beautiful. You are good at this, Zuihou!" "YAY! Admiral praised me!" I feel a little fluffy inside. Is this what it is like to have a child? "Admiral-san, what about Yuudachi''s? Yuudachi showed me hers. I think she doesn''t want to be left outs What she drew was a picture of a warship launching torpedos. It looks pretty good though. "It''s nice. You draw pretty well too." I said as I rubbed her head. She didn''t say anything, just quietly enjoying the rub. "Muu~" I felt a something on my lap. A hand in the shape of a paw. It belonged to Shigure, staring at me with begging eyes. "Alright alright. Here." I gave her a head pat as well. Both Yuudachi and Shigure really act like puppies. One child and two puppies. Not a bad way to live. After a while, Zuihou fell asleep on my lap. Shigure and Yuudachi also fell asleep huddled in one corner. Those two woke up early along with me, so this is expected. I''m tired too, but there''s work to be done and I can''t really move at the moment. I''m going to reach my limit soon. "Ughh. I''m out. Sorry, Zuihou but I''m going to use you as a dakimakura(body pillow) for a while." ------------------------------- Nn... I just had a awfully realistic dream. Admiral was giving me so much attention. It was fun but weird. It feels warm somehow. Huh? Isn''t this the office? Something is holding me up. I looked behind me and saw a wall of white with some gold buttons in the middle. Hugging my waist was a pair of... big hands...? So I''m on...!!! "Ad-Admiral?! What are you doing?" Ah! He is sleeping? That''s a relief. If he found out I was awake who knows what he would do to me. Then again, Admiral''s sleeping face is so cute! It would be great if I could get a better angle but I can''t get out of his grip. Was Admiral always this strong? Wait, that means that wasn''t a dream?! I looked around the room and spotted Shigure and Yuudachi sleeping in one corner. Both of them were in my dream. I was drawing something with Yuudachi while Shigure was helping Admiral. On the table was a picture of a type 99 bomber drawn in colour pencil. KYAAA!!! So it wasn''t a dream after all!!! Why did I do all those things?! I can''t remember anything before that! "Zuihou?" Huh? "Sorry. I fell asleep. You were struggling so much. You want get off now?" He thinks I''m still like that? "Zuihou?" Eep! I can look at him directly. It''s so embarrassing! "What''s wrong?" Please just leave me alone! "Are you feeling unwell? Or did you remember what happened?" Eh? I turned to look at Admiral. He had a mischievous grin on his face. He found out!!! "W-when did you?" "Ah. So I was right!" "You tricked me?!" "I thought about it after you didn''t answer me and tried to look away. Also, your face is red." "Let me go!" "Nope." He gripped even tighter. I can''t even get away. "Both Zuihous are so cute." "What the heck are you saying?! And let me go already!" Chapter 23 - 22 "Zzz.... Zzzz..." "Those three are not waking up." (Ooyodo) "It was a tough battle after all. They are all tired. I''m surprised they could sleep through this noise." A few hours ago, Maizuru Naval District and Sasebo Naval District just ended a 3-day joint operation. The objective was to take out several of Installations around the Chubu Sea Area. A combined Carrier Task Force was organized consisting of shipgirls from Maizuru and Sasebo, with Maizuru being the escort fleet. I sent Agano, Suzuya, Zuihou, Shigure, Yuudachi and Murasame, my stronger girls, to form the escort fleet for Sasebo. For 3-days and 3-nights, the seas were filled with the smell of gunpowder and burning metal, as the girls destroyed everything in their path. The last installation they attacked was met with rather strong resistance. The fleet had to retreat quite a few times before being able to push through and complete the mission. They just came back a few hours ago and had finished repairs. To commemorate the successful operation, I decided to host a celebratory banquet near the port for the whole district. A feast for the shipgirls. With the high quality ingredients bought from HQ, the fairies managed to whip up some rather delicious and unique creations. While everyone was making merry, Ooyodo and I stumbled upon three sleeping Shiratsuyu sisters, who decided to make the area beneath a tree their napping spot. "The three of them really did their best with the anti-air support." "With your instructions at that time. If you hadn''t advised the fleet to do a pre-emptive strike on that Abyssal Carrier fleet, the operation wouldn''t have ended by now. It''s all thanks to you, Admiral." (Ooyodo) "Sasebo''s Admiral is the type to brute force his way through everything. I didn''t think he noticed the carrier fleet hiding there. Oh well, I guess I can take a bit of his credit." "So? What shall we do about these three?" (Ooyodo) "I think we can leave them here for a while. Wouldn''t want to interrupt everyone''s fun by getting some to help bring back three girls." Actually, make that four. As soon as I stood back up, I spotted a shipgirl sitting on a stone bench, with a sleeping one lying on her lap. "Yo, Shouhou." "Admiral, thanks for your hard work." (Shouhou) "I didn''t do anything great. So, what happened to her?" I poked Zuihou''s cheek. She reacted by groaning. "Ughh..." (Zuihou) "She got a little too drunk and now she feels sick." (Shouhou) "Again? She is to get another splitting headache when she wakes up tomorrow." "Ehehe. I can see that happening." (Shouhou) "Say, why not I take your place? Go and have some fun." "But what about- ?" (Shouhou) "Don''t worry. I already had my fill. Seeing you girls have fun and be normal is best for me." "Then... I''ll take you up on that offer." (Shouhou) I switched place with Shouhou, being careful not to wake the drunk girl up. Zuihou, still out cold, laid on my lap. Her outfit cane undone, so I had to fix it a little. Of course, not before I took a little peek. What I said about seeing them have fun was not a lie. Just looking at my shipgirls spending time other than fighting is something I love. Like I said, I would rather have them be normal girls, or at least fight by their side. Giving orders from behind a screen is just not my thing. I gave Zuihou another poke. "Fuehehe~" (Zuihou) What an relaxed face, compared to before. Wonder what is she dreaming about. How I wish they could keep dreaming like this. "All fun things come to an end, hmm. It makes me feel a little sad." "It doesn''t matter now, does it?" A childish voice sounded off nearby. "Shouldn''t we think about the enjoyable days? Like the summer festival and new years." (Zuihou) "You already awake? How are you feeling?" "A little better. Where''s Shouhou?" (Zuihou) "I told her to go enjoy herself. Geez, you really let yourself go this time." "Ahaha... Just a little." (Zuihou) I placed one hand on Zuihou''s head. "???" (Zuihou) "Thank you, Zuihou. Let''s continue getting along in the future." She grabbed my hand from her head and moved it to her cheek. Her face was a little red. A smile formed on her child-like face. "Yes, I will stay by your side. Forever and ever." (Zuihou) I was entranced by her words. Was that her drunken self speaking, or her normal self? Even so, if you say something like that, I don''t know how to react! Those words and that face can really form a fearsome combo! Suddenly, Zuihou did a face-plant back onto my lap. "Wha-?" "Sorry. I guess I still don''t feel so good." (Zuihou) "Come on. Get a hold of yourself." I patted her back to make her feel better. I guess that was her drunken self talking just now. Still, I''m glad that maybe she feels that way. We stayed like this throughout the remainder of the banquet. Chapter 24 - 23 It''s another normal day at Maizuru Naval District. The younger destroyers are having their lessons and firing practice. Patrols and expeditions are being carried out by tasked shipgirls. The battlesh.i.p.s are doing their own shelling practice. The Aircraft carriers and Aviation cruisers are also practicing their plane coordination. Me? Just slacking off as usual. Normally my secretary ship would try and force me do work, but this time, I''ve got the upper hand! "Wa-wait a minute! I''m not prepared yet!" (Shigure) I carried a struggling Shigure, brought her over to my bed and laid her down carefully. She tried to escape but I held her down and flipped her over onto her stomach. "Nope. The sooner you let me do it, the better you will feel!" "Wa-wait! Owowowow!" (Shigure) "Endure it. You will feel better soon." "It hurts! Ah, but it''s starting to feel good a little." (Shigure) "I told you so." I continued massaging her back, pressing each pressure point firmly but carefully. Good thing I read those books on basic massage techniques. It seems that Shigure didn''t heal completely after the joint operation with Sasebo. For the past few days, she has been experiencing muscles aches. At least, that''s how Yuudachi described to me. And she was right, judging by Shigure''s reaction before. So right now, you can say Shigure is my first test subject. "Honestly, you should have told me you were aching earlier." "I didn''t want to trouble you or anything." (Shigure) There was a twinge of guilt in her voice. "Nonsense. If you hid it, it would be more troublesome for me." "But... Owowowow! " (Shigure) I pressed a little harder to silence her a bit. "No buts! Once I''m done, I will treat you to some ice cream, alright?" "muuu. Alright." (Shigure) I continued the massage. It''s pretty interesting to hear her make so many different noises. Usually she is quiet and will only say what is necessary. The sounds she made are somewhat awakening something sadistic in me. Oop. That''s not good thought. After a while, I couldn''t hear anything from her. Looks like she had fallen asleep. Can''t blame her. Even I would feel sleepy after a massage. I flipped her on her back and tucked her in. It wouldn''t be a good idea to carry a shipgirl back to her room during this time of the day. I suppose I can get a bit of work done today. --------------------------------- Or so I thought.... On my desk laid a girl in a school swimsuit with an orange top. "What are you doing, Shioi?" "Oh! Finally you''re out! No fair. You always play with Shigure-chan!" (Shioi) "Don''t make it sound weird. Well, you''re not really wrong." "Weird?" (Shioi) "Never mind." This girl here is I-401, better known as Shioi. She is a Submarine Carrier, the second ship of the Sentoku I-400 class. Among the submarine girls, she is the tallest. Looks like the submarine girls are back from their expedition. "So, your report?" "Great success! We retrieved more resources this time." (Shioi) "Great job! Where are the rest?" "They went ahead to Mamiya-san''s." (Shioi) "Tell her to put it on my tab. My treat." "Really? Yay! I''ll tell them later!" (Shioi) "Later? Not now?" "Yep! I wanted to spend some time with you, Admiral." (Shioi) Eh? Her too? "It''s not fair that Zuihou-san and Shigure-san get all attention all the time. Pay attention to me too!" (Shioi) Her face was so close to mine that I could hear and feel her breathe. "Alright alright! Come here." I stretched out my arms, inviting her in. Shioi jumped from the table into my embrace. "Sorry for ignoring all this time. I didn''t forget about you, you know?" "Admiral you dummy..." (Shioi) "How about you sleep with me tonight?" "You mean the lewd kind?" "Of course not! Tempting but you know I don''t do that kind of stuff. Just being by my side is enough. Well not yet anyway "...." "You don''t want to?" Shioi shook her head vigorously. "No. I want to!" "Good. I will see you tonight. ''Kay?" With that, she left the room to meet with her fellow submarines. I never thought Shioi would feel this way too. I expected Iku(I-19) to be like this, not the girl who is obsessed with canal diving. I need to make sure the girls don''t feel too ignored, it seems. Fun fact, Shioi was my first submarine girl. Maybe that''s why she felt jealous when Zuihou and Shigure, who technically came later after her. Chapter 25 - 24 "Admiral... Admiral, it''s morning already..." I awoke to the sound of a girl''s voice in my ear. "Uhmm...? Oh. Morning Shioi. You''re dressed already?" "Of course. We submarines have an early training exercise." (Shioi) Oh right. The submarine girls are going out with Taigei today. "Besides..." (Shioi) Shioi came closer again. I always get thrown off whenever she does that. "Isn''t today a special day for someone?" (Shioi) A special day? What date is it today? 19th June... Ah! Zuihou''s launch date(Birthday)! It''s that day already? "I got to prepare something then. What should I do?" "Ehehe. Don''t worry. I''m sure she would accept anything you give her. We all will." (Shioi) "That does make things easier, but it won''t be a gift if I don''t put some effort into it." "I knew you would say that. Oh well, I will go off first." (Shioi) Shioi made her way to the port. Now then, I need to make some preparations. I''m going to need a good distraction and possibly act ignorant about the whole thing. And what could possibly make a good gift for her? She received planes as her present the past couple of years. I want to give her something new this time. First things first, the preparation for the birthday party. ------------------------------------- "Today we received an order to patrol the Coastal Refinery Zone. There''s been reports that an small Abyssal Carrier Fleet has been spotted there. Locate the enemy and neutralize them. Basically a search-and-destroy mission. The four of you, Zuihou, Suzuya, Murasame and Haruna, will be tasked with this mission. You have until evening to complete it, or until I order a retreat. Understood?" "Yes!" (Fleet 1) "Deploy in 30 minutes. Dismissed!" I was about to leave the briefing room when I felt a tug on my shirt. "Umm, Admiral. Do you remember what day it is today?" (Zuihou) "Huh? Was there something special today?" "Ah. Oh nothing. I will be going now." (Zuihou) For a moment, I could see the disappointment on her face. Sorry Zuihou! I lied! Even the mission was a lie. I will make it up to you later! I told the other three girls about my plan and not to tell Zuihou anything. I just need them to stall for time until all the preparations are done. Where should I hold it? The cafeteria should be big enough for everyone. ------------------------ "A little bit to the the right! Perfect!" (Agano) "Where are those string things?" (Mutsuki) "We are out of cream! Someone go get some from the food storage!" (Sazanami) The whole cafeteria was chaotic. I had some of the girls to help out in the preparations so this amount of noise is expected. "Admiral-san, is there an festival today?" (Yuudachi) Yuudachi appeared from behind me, confused as to what is going on. How does she keep sneaking up on me? "A birthday party. Today is Zuihou''s launch day. Want to help?" "I want to! What should I do?" (Yuudachi) "Could you help me with the decorations? Maybe cut out some plane patterns out of paper." "Ok~!" (Yuudachi) And off she went. At the rate the girls are working, we should be ready by 5pm. For now, the birthday party preparations are moving smoothly, so it can be considered completed. Time for the hard part, thinking of a present. For the past three years, I have given Zuihou planes as her present. I have given her Suiseis, Tenzens, Reppu kai-ni and more. This year, I want to give her something different. Something which she is sure to like. I tried asking the girls, but they answered with things which they would like. At least I know what to prepare when their birthday comes. I wonder what would make a good present. A bouquet of flowers is too simple and short-lived. Something she would cherish for a long time... I got it! It''s a little expensive but it should be useful for her. I can ask Akashi to develop it for me. At 4.30pm, all preparations are finished. The ''patrol fleet'' couldn''t find anything, of course, so I called them back. Time to lure her here. Some chatter can be heard outside. "That was a waste of time!" (Suzuya) "The Intel''s probably wrong." (Haruna) "Come on, cheer up. I''m sure the Admiral didn''t forget on purpose. In fact..." (Murasame) Now! The lights flickered on. The sound of party poppers and confetti filled the air. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" A surprised Zuihou stood at the center, mouth agape. "He wanted to surprise you." (Murasame) "Geez, Murasame. I almost thought you would ruined it." Murasame playfully stick out her tongue. This is another girl who is unpredictable. "Wait a minute. So that mission... " (Zuihou) "It was an excuse to bring out for a while do all this can be prepared." (Haruna) "Sorry. We knew about it too." (Suzuya) "Then..." (Zuihou) "I didn''t forget. Sorry I lied. How could I forget your birthday and the day we met?" Tears filled her eyes. "Admiral you dummy. I should have known..." (Zuihou) "Here. Your present. I got you something which I think you would like." I passed her small box. Zuihou opened it to reveal a yugake glove. "This is..." "I thought of giving you something new this year. Your glove is getting worn out already right? This one is custom-made and tougher than your old one." The gloves have a phoenix pattern on it, but before I could get to that part, she jumped on me. Why do these girls love to do that? "I''m so happy!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!!" (Zuihou) "Alright alright! Your welcome. Now then, shall we start the party then?" "Yes~~!" We partied until midnight. Everyone had their share of cake, drinks, and fun. I''m glad that she is happy but what is this feeling welling up inside me? -------------------------- Zuihou''s launch date: 19 June 1936 Happy Birthday my cute CVL! Chapter 26 - 25 I woke feeling as though my head was about to split open. Maybe I shouldn''t have let myself go last night. Two parties in a span of three days is fun, but the after-effects are not. Last night, we celebrated Yuudachi''s birthday. Of course, it was on the same scale as Zuihou''s, but she took a while to realize what was going on. She thought it was just random feast. I stumbled out off bed and got dressed. Hungover or not, I still need to do my job. I don''t want to though. I went over to my desk to see what doc.u.ments I have to do today. Alright simple enough. Reports of Abyssal fleets in Eastern Orel Bay. Confirm the validity of the report and neutralize if necessary. Send a torpedo squadron to Cam Ranh Peninsula to eliminate the enemy fleet and retrieve the Bauxite acc.u.mulated on the island. Now this is a useful one. Should be easy enough of some of the youngsters to handle. Agano will go along with Samidare, Akatsuki, Hibiki, Inazuma and Ikazuchi for this one. As for the former, a small carrier fleet should suffice. Souryuu and Hiryuu will be accompanied by Suzuya, Kumano, Yahagi and Ushio for this mission. Now I just need to brief them on it. The rest are just the usual reports from HQ and various Naval Bases. Their total ''kill'' count, resource summary and others. There is even a report on a fourth Shipgirl type group. The Ironblood. According to the reports, this group consists of German sh.i.p.s. Most of the shipgirls there are militaristic in behavior and won''t hesitate to fire at anyone they don''t recognize. Their armaments look like Abyssal sh.i.p.s strapped onto cannons. They seem to be on bad terms with the Royal Navy Faction and their allies. So they are the one we first met months ago. Hopefully I don''t meet them. They seem scary and I don''t think anyone involved in that attack will want to meet them too. "Admiral! We got trouble! A group of unknown sh.i.p.s are coming to port! They have big cannons with teeth on them!" That was Shioi, who just burst in and said all that. What is this cliche development? I followed Shioi into the open. True enough, six girls, clad in both black and white with huge guns are standing on land. Their guns aimed at Tenryuu, Shigure, Murasame and a group of young unarmed destroyers. In a distance, on the roof of the carrier dorm, Souryuu can be seen drawing her bow, planes ready to fly at any moment. "What''s happening here?!" "Admiral? G-great timing. Lets teach these foreign invaders who is in charge here." (Tenryuu) Come on, Tenryuu. Why are you trying to act tough? You are clearly trembling and stuttering. The one in what looks like a black version of my uniform spoke out. Is she the leader of this group? Yeah, I don''t understand a damn thing she just said. I only know one thing. They are clearly hostile but they want something. Two small girls behind them look exhausted. Three taller ones seem hurt and can barely move. Their leader looks like she is desperate. "For now, stand down everyone. Souryuu, get down from there. All units arm yourself but do not fire until I give the order." I wonder who can speak German here. Oh yeah, Ro-chan. "Mutsuki." "Yes?" (Mutsuki) "Go get Ro-chan for me." "Roger!" (Mutsuki) As the other girls went to get their rigging and equipment, I stayed behind with Tenryuu and Murasame, who are already armed. "Wait. I called for someone who can speak to you." "???" An expected reaction. A short while later, Ro-chan arrived. After a brief exchange, Ro-chan told me that they were injured and exhausted after fighting with the Eagle Union. They stumbled upon this Naval District by accident and hoped to get some help. Honestly, I don''t want to help them. Theur group are the ones that attacked us back then. The other girls seem to remember them and treat them with hostility. I won''t be surprised if our side starts shooting first. That being said, I can''t say no to this eyes. Ro-chan has been looking at me with puppy dog eyes. She clearly wants me to help them. After all, she was originally a German submarine. And they clearly have a soft spot for her. In the end, I let them in to get patched up at the docks. Not before confiscating their equipment. I assigned Fusou and Yamashiro to be their escorts. Ro-chan will follow them as a translator. While the other five go into the docks, I decided to have a talk with their leader. From what Ro-chan told me, her name is Bismarck, a Bismarck class battleship. As she said, they were fighting a Royal Navy fleet before coming here, thinking that it was just a normal port. They didn''t expect IJN shipgirl to be here. As usual, the IJN shipgirl''s they know are different from the girls here. It really seems that all they wanted was some supplies and repairs so they could return. If that''s the case, the faster I give them what they need, the faster they would leave right? "Alright. I will provide you with what you need, but leave as soon as you and your fleet gets resupplied. Understood?" "In Ordung. Ich versorge dich mit dem, was du brauchst, aber gehe, sobald du und deine F¨¹?e wieder versorgt sind. Verstanden?" (Ro-chan) "Vielen Dank." "She says thank you!" (Ro-chan) Ro-chan left with Bismarck to the docks. Bismarck. If I recall, one of the foreign sh.i.p.s in Yokosuka is also called Bismarck. That one looks nicer, this Bismarck is rather scary. What a troublesome morning. Chapter 27 - 26 "Finally they''re gone." (Admiral) "That''s right. Everyone was on edge." "They did well holding back. I thought all of you would become trigger-happy." (Admiral) "Geez. Even if we are angry, we wouldn''t do something as reckless as firing in our base." "Yeah, yeah. Let''s get back to work. Today we have a bunch of sorties to do. The others are waiting in the office." (Admiral) "Yes!" I followed Admiral back to the office. Today is the first time in a while I get to sortie with everyone else. No, that ''investigation'' back then was not a sortie. It was just something Admiral came up with to get me out for a while. I cannot wait to try out the new glove he gave me. "We have an emergency sortie. An Abyssal Carrier Fleet has just been spotted near Brunei Anchorage. Kure and Maizuru are to rush there and provide support. Looks like you and the others are up, Zuihou!" "Roger!" An emergency sortie. Haven''t had those in a long time. It''s supposed to be serious but I can''t help but feel excited for it. "Main Mobile Fleet 1, begin sortie!" "Roger!" -------------------------- The skies look grim. It''s like a storm is going to happen anytime soon. We have met up with the girls from Kure. They sent in three battlesh.i.p.s, Nagato-san, Mutsu-san and Hiei-san, and three Destroyers, Ushio-chan, Hamakaze-chan and Naganami-chan. Seeing all of them makes me feel somewhat jealous of their size. This is so unfair! "Zuihou, what''s wrong?" (Agano) "Ah, oh. Nothing." "Nervous for your first mission in a while?" (Suzuya) "No! In fact, this is rather exciting." "As expected of the plane maniac." (Suzuya) "Wh-what?!" "Well, she ain''t wrong." (Ryuujou) "Ryuujou-chan, you too!?" "Hmm? What''s going on?" (Yuudachi-chan) Before anyone could say anything, we received a telegram from one of our scout planes. "The enemy fleet has almost destroyed half of Brunei Anchorage! Three enemies spotted! Two Battleship Water demons and one Abyssal Pacific Princess?!" This is bad. The Abyssal Pacific Princess was a new type that was just discovered a few months ago. on top of that, there are two water demon types. One is already extremely tough, but two of them?! Everyone else seems to have the same way too, as most of us start to panic. "Everyone calm down!" (Nagato) "I know this will be hard but we have to do it. Let''s split into fours. Zuihou-chan, Hamakaze-chan, Suzuya-san and Shigure-chan, you four take on one of the water demons. Hiei-san, Agano-san, Ushio-chan and Naganami-chan will focus on the Pacific Princess. She should have a weak point somewhere. The rest of us will take on the other water demon." (Mutsu) "Ugh... Gross!" (Suzuya) "Ueeehh~" (Ushio) "I have sent a telegram back to HQ about the situation. They should be sending backup soon. Let''s hold out until then." (Hiei) Wow. The battleship girls are so composed. They know what to do in these types of situations. Time to focus. We are already closing in on the three of them. "Ready, now!" (Nagato) On Nagato''s signal, we split into our groups and engage our respective targets. Normally, the first one to strike would get the upper hand, but I don''t think that would do much. In addition to its superior firepower, a Water Demon class also has extremely tough armor. It will take more than just AP shells and torpedos to even make a scratch on it. Even so, we know why the four of us were assigned to one. Our main job isn''t to sink it, rather, it is to stall for time until the battlesh.i.p.s eliminated the others. In the meantime, we should at least try to whittle it''s defenses down even by a bit. "Okay, let''s go. Attack corps, take off!" I launched my first wave of torpedo bombers and dive bombers. Suzuya-san launched her Zuiun as well. The Water Demon is still out of our destroyer''s shelling range, but within torpedo range. For now, we should be out of its attack range. The plan is to dish out as much damage while maintaining long range. At the same time, the destroyers would launch torpedo salvos while drawing it''s fire. Risky, but this is our only chance of doing any damage to it. We will survive this, and go home together! "First wave of bombers returning! Preparing the next wave!" "Alright. Shigure-chan, Hamakaze-chan, launch your torpedos whenever you''re ready. Don''t launch all at once though. Stick to the plan." (Suzuya) "Roger!" (Shigure and Hamakaze) As I prepare my next squadron, a puff of smoke appeared from the water demon''s location. "Shells incoming!" The shells hit the water. A bunch of near-misses. How? We should be out of its attack range. "Tch! If it''s like this...!" (Suzuya) Suzuya-san suddenly charged forward. "Suzuya-san?! Hurry and come back!" "Just leave it to Suzuya~!" (Suzuya) What the heck is she thinking? I quickly let loose my second squadron of bombers. I don''t see any if Suzuya-san''s Zuiuns anywhere. Did all of them got shot down? "Zuihou-chan, can you launch another squadron?" (Suzuya) "Suzuya-san, what are you planning?" "Come on~ just trust me, ~kay?" (Suzuya) "Got it. I will launch another one." "Good. Shigure-chan, how many more torpedos do you have left?" (Suzuya) "Hmm... One last one." (Shigure) "One my signal, launch it. Hamakaze-chan, you and I will keep distracting it." "Roger!" (Hamakaze) Suzuya-san is acting uncharacteristically calm and collected right now. It''s like she knows what she is doing. I wish she would tell us her plan first though. "Alright. Hey, ugly! Take this!" (Suzuya) Unbelievable! She just went right in front of the water demon and shot it point-blank in the face! All while it was distracted by the planes and Hamakaze-chan''s shelling. The water demon looks hurt, and definitely pissed off. It angled it''s guns and shot Suzuya-san at point-blank range. "Suzuya-san!!" No, it can''t be! There''s no way anybody can survive a shot at that range. It can''t end like this. All my planes have launched and fire off their torpedos and bombs. Most of them were shot down. A destroyers main guns can''t do anything to a Water Demon''s armour. And they have already exhausted their torpedos. I knew it... From the start, we already lost this battle. Chapter 28 - 27 - Maizuru Naval District. One week before the attack on Brunei Anchorage- Feeling a little tired, I decided to take a walk around the district. Of course, my secretary ship would stop me from doing so, but Shimakaze got bored and fell asleep. She wouldn''t wake up no matter how much I played with her thong. As I was nearing the practice area, sounds of gunfire and a plane taking off echoed through the air. Weaving through the obstacles was Suzuya. Looks like she is taking on the hybrid aviation course. This course is for Aviation cruisers and battlesh.i.p.s, training their mobility, accuracy and aircraft coordination. Since I had nothing better to do, I decided to watch her practice for a bit. It has already been two hours since I started observing Suzuya. She has been repeating the same thing over and over again. The whole course can be completed within ten to twelve minutes. Who knows how many times she had done before I showed up. "Oi! Suzuya~!" "???" Alright, got her attention. "Oh! If it isn''t the Admiral! ''Sup!" (Suzuya) "Don''t ''sup'' me. What''s wrong? You don''t usually practice this long." "Ah. I just felt the need to. Haha... Eh?" (Suzuya) I picked her up from the water and sat her down next to me. "Wait right here." I left to buy some drinks for her. I should also get a towel. "So, what''s wrong?" "I telling you I''m fine!" (Suzuya) "Nope. Your eyes are red. You were crying for a bit before I came back, right?" "Jeez, why do you have to be so sharp?" (Suzuya) "I''m not a good admiral if I can''t even notice the small things. Now, tell me." "It''s just that, do you think Aviation Cruisers like me are like useless now? You have Aviation Battlesh.i.p.s like Fusou-san and Yamashiro-san. They totally have more firepower than me. Furthermore, the Carriers can take care of all things related to air battle. I feel rather irrelevant." (Suzuya) I see. So she can worry about this kind of things. It''s true that she is outclassed in firepower and aircraft capacity by both the carriers and battlesh.i.p.s, but... "You''re an idiot, you know that." "Huh?" (Suzuya) "Who cares about all that stuff? True, Fish and Yamashiro are stronger, tougher and can hold more seaplanes than you. The Carriers are even more useful when it comes to air battles." Maybe I said a little too much. I can Suzuya on the verge of tears again. "But, you are faster and more versatile than any of them. Aviation Battlesh.i.p.s are slow because of their large guns and seaplanes aren''t really that useful on them since it sacrifices some of their firepower to hold the planes. Carriers are useless once their flight deck is broken. You, on the other hand, can fill both roles. You have more firepower than carriers and are faster than battlesh.i.p.s. Why not look at it that way? Instead of thinking about your weakness, focus on your strengths. And Suzuya, you come up with the craziest of ideas sometimes. Isn''t that another strong point of yours?" "Pfft haha haha! Seriously, you make it as if I have been worrying for nothing. As expected, Admiral is really Admiral." (Suzuya) "What is that supposed to mean?" "Now then, Suzuya better work hard then. Thank you, Admiral!" (Suzuya) Suzuya smiled brightly as she said that. The Suzuya I know is back. ---------------------------------- -Present day Command room- That crazy girl! I sort of knew she would do that. Who would have expected her to use that small flight deck of hers as a shield! Right when that water demon opened fire, she brought it up to negate some on the damage and used the large amount of smoke as cover. Because of that, the water demon got damaged by its own attack and the torpedo Shigure launched at the the same time it fired. Hamakaze and Shigure would have noticed that she is fine. Zuihou is in shock. She hasn''t noticed it yet. "Zuihou, Focused!" Not responding. "Oi Zuihou! Pull yourself together!" "But Suzuya-san is... Suzuya-san...." (Zuihou) "Right now there''s a battle in front of you. You are going to bring the others home, you hear me?" Zuihou rubbed her eyes. "Right!" (Zuihou) "Good girl. Now bring back all surviving planes and get ready for another wave. Fall back in the meantime. Hamakaze, get behind Zuihou. Shigure, group out with Suzuya and help her out of wherever she is hiding." "I''m not hiding! I''m just catching my breath." (Suzuya) "Suzuya-san! You''re alive! Thank goodness!" (Zuihou) "Of course I am! Don''t kill me off!" (Suzuya) "Right now, Nagato''s group and Hiei''s group are almost done with their part. Backup is also on its way. Just hold on for a little longer." "Roger!" (Zuihou, Shigure, Hamakaze, Suzuya) "Suzuya can you... No I guess not." With the stunt, Suzuya''s flight deck is in pieces. So she can''t launch seaplanes anymore, or until she returns. "Akashi is going to flip when she sees this." (Suzuya) "She definitely will." (Shigure) "Shioi, what''s your status?" "Almost there. You should see Saiun any moment now." (Shioi) "Shioi-chan?" (Shigure) "Don''t forget about us!" (Iku) "The submarine unit! Why?" (Hamakaze) "Well, Battlesh.i.p.s can''t attack Submarines." Entering the fray were the Submarine girls, Shioi, Imuya, Hachi, Iku, Goya and Ro-chan. "Ro will do her best!" (Ro) "Launching six oxygen torpedos!" (Iku) "Load torpedoes from one to four. Let''s go get a win!" (Imuya) All six submarines launched their torpedos at the water demon, causing a whole lot of explosions and smoke. The water demon fired all its guns randomly in all directions. It''s useless. Suzuya and the others are out of range and shells are easily dodged underwater. It seems it should be all right for now. "This is Nagato! First Water Demon has been sunk. Hiei, how is it going at your end?" (Nagato) "Almost done. This things'' weakpoint was that whale thing behind her. We can handle it on our own." (Hiei) "Roger. Sorry for the wait. Now, let''s hurry up and defeat the other one." (Mutsu) Nagato and her group joined up Suzuya and the others. On the surface, salvo after slave was launched at it. Under the water, waves of torpedos hit their mark. Soon, the second water demon sunk. At the same time, Hiei and her group managed to take down the Pacific Princess. It was our victory! With the threat gone, a relief team was sent to Brunei Anchorage to help the survivors and rebuild the place. Back home, the girls all get a well-deserved rest and reward. Chapter 29 - 28 "She is eligible for it, right?" "After that last stunt she pulled, she should have gained the necessary requirements." (Akashi) "Okay. We will proceed with her tomorrow." "I will go prepare the equipment." (Akashi) Two days after we held the celebratory banquet for our victory at Brunei Anchorage, I managed to obtained a five action reports and five blueprints in addition to our spoils of war. Which means some of my shipgirl''s can finally remodel once they meet their requirements. Suzuya got MVP during that battle, and now she has met all necessary requirements for her second remodel. "Suzuya Kai Ni... If I''m not wrong, this sort of makes her a pseudo-carrier, right?" The most noticeable change in her a equipment is that thing that resembles a flight deck and the resulting increase in plane slots. She is getting closer to a carrier now. Oh right, better prepare the second pillow. Who knows which girl is coming to pay a visit. I woke up feeling something heavy on my chest. My blanket formed an arch. This is new. Usually the girls would show up beside me, not on top of me. I looked under the blanket and a fluff of green hair greeted me. This is unexpected... Sleeping soundly like a cat was the last shipgirl I expected to come close to me, Yamakaze. Yamakaze, the newest additions to my fleet, and the most timid one out of the Shiratsuyu sisters. You can find her hiding behind Kawakaze or Umikaze most of the time. The only way I can draw her out is with candy, other than that, she would just run off to hide. I guess her behaviour this time was just in a whim. Maybe she just wanted company for the night. Then again, she could have just went to her sister''s side. I feel like there is no point in thinking of her reason. Furthermore, I''m tired from today''s work. Let''s just sleep... The sound of knocking woke me up from my slumber. "Admiral, are you awake? Sorry to disturb you but this is bad!" This voice... "Murasame? What''s wrong?" "It''s Yamakaze. We can''t find her anywhere! When we woke she was..." (Murasame) "Open the door." "Ehh?" (Murasame) "Just do it." I flipped the blanket to one side as soon as she opened the door, revealing her little sister all tucked up on my chest. "Ah! So there''s where she was. Geez, I thought she went out to sea or something. But this is unusual." (Murasame) "I know right. She always avoids me whenever I try to speak to her. Maybe she is starting to realise my charm?" "Ufufufu. Maybe. Come on, Yamakaze. Wake up. It''s morning already." (Murasame) "Funyaa? Hmm?" (Yamakaze) "Good morning, Yamakaze." "Eek! Admiral? Why are you on my bed?" (Yamakaze) Looks like she is unclear of her position. "I should be the one saying that. But first could you get off of me? It''s hard to breathe." "Eh?" (Yamakaze) Yamakaze looked down and turned red almost immediately. She was kneeling on my chest, so it got a little too hard to breathe. "Sorry. I didn''t mean to..." "It''s alright. It''s alright. You can come to me anytime okay? I would like to know you better, Yamakaze." "Ah. Um... Yes.." (Yamakaze) Am I imagining things? I could have sworn I saw a small smile form on her lips. "Good for you, Yamakaze." (Murasame) "mmhmm..." Ah, maybe I did saw it after all. Chapter 30 - 29 "Before I start anything, congratulations on your second remodel, Suzuya. The new outfit looks good on you." Standing in front of me is the newly Aviation Cruiser Suzuya. She wears a tan blouse and a brown jacket with an Imperial Chrysanthemum Logo. She has darker brown stockings and shoes with red rudders in the shape of heels. Her weapons include a new hand-held main gun with a searchlight attached and improved turrets attached to the side of her stockings. Her flight deck is attached to a bandolier worn around her body. "Ehehe. Thank you." (Suzuya) "How''s the equipment? Do you need any adjustments?" "Nope. It fits perfectly! I need to thank Akashi later." (Suzuya) She still looks and acts like a school girl. That''s her charm point though. "It''s a little early but I want you to run some tests. Just to observe your current capabilities. After that, we can move on to get you to meet the requirements for your third remodel." "A third remodel?!" (Suzuya) Suzuya rushed up close to my face with a surprise look. In fact, she is too close. "Y-yep. You can become a Light Aircraft Carrier. Or rather, a Fast Light Attack Carrier. According to blueprints, you will have medium attack range and the highest firepower amongst the other light carriers." I can see the glimmer in her eyes. Of course she would want that remodel. It was sort of her dream to be on par with either the Aviation Battlesh.i.p.s or the Carriers. Hmm, or was that just my own interpretation? Either way, she looks more motivated to get stronger now. "I know you want to get that third remodel as fast as possible but don''t overdo it." "Ugh... I got it. I won''t push myself too hard." (Suzuya) "Good. Now then, I look forward to see your performance." "Yes!" (Suzuya) Suzuya left for the port. Waiting for her there would be five of the Shiratsuyu sisters, Shigure, Yuudachi, Murasame, Umikaze and Kawakaze. Since it''s a test for Suzuya to try out her equipment on the battlefield, the mission isn''t that difficult. It will also be good experience for Kawakaze and Umikaze, since there is a second remodel waiting for them. Now then, time for the next problem. Curled up in the corner of my office, was a small green Light Aircraft Carrier. Her back facing towards me. "What''s wrong? You have been like that since morning." "..." No answer, huh. Well, even if she didn''t reply I already know the answer. Obviously, she is jealous of all the recent remodels. Mutsuki, Murasame, Suzuya are the one of the few who just achieved their second remodel. Even Hiryuu and Souryuu got their long overdue second remodels. She is definitely sulking. Though I know the reason, I think it''s better if she says it herself. Only problem is, how do I get her to talk to me? Maybe... "If you don''t talk, I''m gonna tease you~" "..." Still no answer. Well, don''t say I didn''t warn you. Usually the girls would do this to me as a prank. To think I would be using their tactics for this. I brought my face closer and blew at her right ear. "!!!" She clearly flinched a little, but is still ignoring me. You won''t be ignoring me after I do this! I began poking her sides. She jumped in response to hisany pokes I made. Still not giving in eh. Let''s try this! "Take this!" "Wa-!! Admiral?! W-wait!!! Hahahahahaha!!!" (Zuihou) I gave her the typical tickle attack. With such a sensitive body like hers, she couldn''t resist. "Wa-wait! St-stop!! I''m... at my limit..." (Zuihou) I quickly stopped my attack. That was close. The face she made just now nearly flipped the switch in me. Her breathing was short and heavy as she tries to catch her breathe. "Geez! Admiral is so mean!" (Zuihou) "I told you, didn''t I?" Zuihou puffed up her cheeks. God, stop with this cute behavior. I''m already trying to control myself. "So, what has gotten you so down?" "You already know yourself, do you?" (Zuihou) "Hmm... nope." *sigh* "A remodel. Why didn''t I get a remodel? I know there are certain conditions to meet. What are they?" (Zuihou) "Battle experience." "Huh?" "One needs to hit a certain amount of experience on the battlefield before being eligible for a remodel. Moreover, we need to have the necessary materials too." "Then send me out on a sortie! I want to reach that amount!" I knew she would say that. As much as I understand her feelings, I don''t want her to overdo it. These girls have the tendency to do just that once they got the eye on something. "Nope. I won''t." "Why?!" "Remember the last operation? You froze in the middle of battle. You were lucky that the enemy was stunned by its own attack. This kind of thing may not happen again." "But-!" I placed one finger on her lips. "No means no. At least not now. Right now you need to relax a little. Don''t worry about your remodel," I brought her head, along with the body, down to my lap. "You will definitely get it sooner or later." "Then, can I ask for something?" (Zuihou) "What is it? If it''s something within my power, I can do it." "Hug me." (Zuihou) He he. That''s a cute request. I pulled her closer to my abdomen, before placing my arms across her chest area. "Just let me stay like this for a while." (Zuihou) "Sure thing." "Afterwards we are going back to work." (Zuihou) "Ugh. I was hoping you would forget about that." Chapter 31 - 30 Royal Navy, Eagle Union, Ironbloods and Sakura Empire. Our IJN has made contact with these four groups over the past few months. The Naval District with the most encounters was Maizuru Naval District, having met and fought, or nearly fought, each group at least once. The last encounter was when a Ironbloods fleet entered Maizuru Naval District to obtain some supplies. The exchange ended without any casualties and the fleet simply departed once they took what they need. That was two weeks ago. Now, what on earth happened within these two weeks? Standing in front of me was a young man, probably around the same age as me, along with four shipgirls. I recognized Akagi, Belfast and Enterprise. Since when did the Sakura Empire started working with the western sh.i.p.s? This was totally different from what they said that time. Moreover, the last one looks like a Ro-class Battleship, with that white hair, except of a part which is red, and the tail. Her face resembles Hamakaze though. "Thank you for granting me audience with you, Admiral of Maizuru Naval Base. I''m one of the Commanders of the newly formed Azur Lane Alliance. This is a rather lively Naval District compared to the others I visited. Compared to Yokosuka, this place is small and comfy. Just how I like it." (Commander) Azur Lane Alliance? Does that mean all four groups have merged into one? "Thank you for the compliment. As you mentioned, I am the Admiral in charge of Maizuru Naval District. Sorry, but may I request your Shipgirl to stop staring down at my girls. I know they are small and cute but I believe they are already traumatised enough by Enterprise." (Commander) (Enterprise) This guy seems to be multilingual too. Earlier I heard him speaking German to the fourth unknown shipgirl. Akagi was trying to flirt with him just now and got told off a little. As for me asking him to stop Enterprise from staring too much, Zuihou was hiding behind me while clutching Ryuujou''s arm. Just how scared is she? I''m surprised how Ryuujou can stay calm in front of her historical enemy. On second thought, she isn''t calm. Her legs are trembling. Maybe I should let Ryuujou leave first. "Zuihou, you can come out now. She isn''t staring at you anymore." "Really?" (Zuihou) Zuihou peeked out from behind. Her mental state really has gotten worst from that operation. "Ryuujou, you may leave first." "Ya serious?" (Ryuujou) I nodded. "Then, Imma take my leave. Sorry Zuihou!" (Ryuujou) "Ah! So mean!" Ryuujou briskly walked out of the office, leaving her friend with me and their enemy. (Enterprise) (Commander) Zuihou was still peeking out from behind my back. Oh well, at long as she show her face. "Now then, let''s get down to business. What''s your purpose for wanting to meet me?" "I understand that your fleet has engaged members of our alliance in the past. I hope you understand that was back when they were fighting amongst one another and wish to inform you that such things would not happen again." (Commander) "So, is this just an apology for their past actions? Or do you want to sign a Non-aggression Pact?" "... Are you an mind-reader? How do you know?" (Commander) Eh? I was right? I just wanted to try saying that for once. "Just a guess. You could have just sent a telegram if you wanted to apologize. You wouldn''t take the trouble to come down here yourself." "That''s true." (Commander) Safe. "What I came here to do is to offer a Non-aggression pact between IJN and Azur Lane. Out of all the other IJN Naval Districts, yours have engaged with our members the most. Take two weeks ago for example, when the Ironbloods landed in this Naval District. Your girls were weary of them and both sides nearly start a fight. Richtig, Graf Zeppelin?" (Commander) The white-haired girl simply bowed deeply. "Sorry, she is just a little embarrassed. Now then, about the Non-aggression pact, that''s what it says on the cover. However, there is a small important point I need to mention." (Commander) "What is it?" "This isn''t just a pact but rather, somewhat like an alliance." (Commander) An alliance with an alliance? What is he talking about? "IJN is fighting against something called the Abyssals. While the main enemies of Azur Lane are called Sirens. I am suggesting that we help each other in times of need. Like that time with the whale." (Commander) He is talking about the time with the two water demons and the Pacific Princess. That was t days ago. That would mean this Azur lane Alliance should be established at least one week ago. And one of his fleets were there observing. Geez, he could have helped a little. "I didn''t order them to help your girls because I have no idea what was that thing. Like you, I couldn''t risk the lives of my girls." (Commander) "Oh. Aren''t you a mind-reader yourself?" "I can tell that much." (Commander) "On a serious note, does Yokosuka know about this? I can''t do anything on my own unless HQ gives permission." "Not to worry. I got the agreement of all the other Naval Districts. Maizuru is the last one." (Commander) "So you will help us?" (Zuihou) Zuihou spoke up from behind. "There won''t be anymore fighting among both of us? I won''t get kidnapped again?" (Zuihou) (Enterprise) Enterprise looks embarrassed by what she said. I''m surprised that Zuihou would say that. I thought she would just remain silent throughout. Moreover, even though nothing was done to her back then, she is traumatised by that event. She must have really disliked American Carriers. "Don''t worry, little girl. Such a thing won''t happen anymore." (Commander) "Admiral?" (Zuihou) Zuihou looked at me with eyes full of longing. "You don''t have to look at me like that. I already planned to sign the alliance." "Terrific! Please read and sign these doc.u.ments once you''re ready." (Commander) Both of us signed the contract which declares that no fighting between both parties and the support of one another. Of course, not before I finished reading and understanding all the clauses and rules. It''s stupid not to do so. "With this, I hereby announce the alliance between IJN and Azur Lane has officially been established. I look forward to working with all of you." (Commander) He extended his right hand towards me, which I grasped and shook. "Likewise. I look forward to be working with you." The girls would be happy with this as well, since they are the ones who fear that they may get attacked again. At the very least, this alliance can put their worries at ease. Chapter 32 - 31 These few days have been extremely hot. I know it''s summer but come on, can''t the sun tone it down a bit. As usual, some of the girls have changed into their summer outfits, which means its swimsuits season here at Maizuru Naval District. Normally I would be excited at the feast before my eyes but today, I''m not in the mood to do so. Why? Well, right now there is a Naval Excercise between Maizuru fleet one and Azur Lane''s Eagle Union fleet. "No enemies detected in the east. Bringing back my seaplanes." (Agano) "None in the west too. That means they would be coming from the front or back." (Suzuya) "Flagship, what shall we do?" (Agano) "mmmh... Let''s advance for now." (Zuihou) Like normal excercises, the goal is to take out the flagship of either fleets. The excercise area is held in the open waters off the Nansei Islands. Zuihou, Suzuya, Agano, Shigure, Yuudachi, and Yamashiro against six Eagle Union girls. A typical 6v6 fight. Even though they are using practice shells, it still hurts and their outfit and rigging will react the same way as a actual battle. The only difference this time is that instead of Agano, Zuihou is the flagship. All six of them agreed on this. The main purpose of this match is to test the decision making of both groups in the event that communications with base are cut off. In the command room, the Commander and I are watching everything from a birds eye view. As Maizuru advanced forward, the other fleet is changing their course toward their west. "This is a bad match-up." "I agree. Most IJN sh.i.p.s have a bad history with USS sh.i.p.s. Besides, it''s too late to change now." (Commander) "Try not to scare my girls too much. They are all scared of the Eagle Union. Though it would be great if they can use this excercise to overcome their fear." "Well, we can only watch them for now. Make sure to console them when they lose." (Commander) "Who says my fleet will lose? They will make sure to turn the tables on you." "It''s a bet then." (Commander) Even though I said that, I have a feeling that they might actually lose. One reason is the trauma from their past. The other may be due to Zuihou''s instructions. Despite being the flagship, She is the least experienced in giving out orders compared to the rest. Furthermore, the Eagle Union side has two Aircraft Carriers, Yorktown and Enterprise, from what I heard. Both are sister sh.i.p.s and are pretty strong carriers. Aside from these two, they have Battleship Colorado, Cruiser San Diego, and Destroyers Eldridge and Laffey. I''m not sure about the other four, but they ought to be very strong as well. "It has been too quiet for a while. Should I scout ahead a bit?" (Shigure) "Got it. I''ll leave it to you. Suzuya-san, can you launch a scout plane over there?" (Zuihou) Zuihou pointed to the east. "Something tells me the enemy may be over there." "Is it that feeling again?" (Yamashiro) "Y-yeah." (Zuihou) Suzuya launched a recon seaplane towards the east. Like Zuihou anticipated, Yorktown, I think, launched a group TBM-3D torpedo bombers from their location. "That small Carrier girl is rather clairvoyant." (Commander) No, I think she just felt bloodl.u.s.t coming from that direction. And what did Yamashiro mean about ''that feeling again''? "Enemy air fleet discovered! A wave of torpedo bombers!" (Suzuya) Finally Suzuya can tell the difference between plane types. "Shigure, regroup with us! All units, execute diamond formation. Prepare for anti-air combat!" (Zuihou) "Roger!" (All) Meanwhile, the Eagle Union girls started to home in on Maizuru''s location. Did they guess? Or is their technology so advanced that they are able to find us from such a distance? (Yorktown) (Enterprise) (San Diego) The red haired girl, I think that''s San Diego, went up ahead towards Maizuru fleet. The other two smaller girls followed after her. The two carriers and the battleship continued at the same cruising speed. Even though I couldn''t understand a thing they said, I understood their strategy. "Making use of small and fast sh.i.p.s to confuse them while carrying out aerial bombardment and shelling. That''s their plan, right?" "Yep. A standard tactic they use back at our base. They taught the rest of my girls this tactic. Reckless, but simple and effective. All the fast ones need to do is just dodge the allied shelling." (Commander) True. The enemy can use the confusion set by one of their units to break our formation and deal significant damage. My girls are not capable of such tactics yet. They stick to the formations and tactics that were taught to them. If I were to copy this tactic, the only ones that can pull off this kind of evasive maneuvers are the Destroyer classes. I will teach this to them soon. "Oh. It''s starting." On the screen, a dogfight has started. Anti-air guns from Maizuru fired towards their airborne assailants. Those with air capabilities launched their aircraft to repel the enemy air force. With Eagle Union launching more planes and closing in on their position, I have to admit, regrettably, that this match will be won by Azur Lane. (Colorado) (Enterprise) (Yorktown) (Enterprise) With the three small shipgirl''s from Eagle Union weaving between and being more than a mere nuisance, Maizuru''s formation quickly broke up. Yuudachi and Yamashiro already got heavily damaged, their swimsuits torn to shreds. Agano and Suzuya suffered from light damages. Shigure is barely holding her ground, but her breathing is becoming ragged. Is her PTSD returning? If so, I''m will have to stop the excercise. "Admiral I''m sorry. Please stop the excercise!" The call came from Yamashiro. She sounded distressed. "Yamashiro, what''s wrong?" "It''s Shigure. I think something is wrong with her." (Yamashiro) Suddenly, Shigure figure went limp and collapsed on the water, her heavy and ragged breathing can be heard from the speakers. This is bad! "No..." ? "NOOOO!!!" That scream was not from any of the girls. It was from the flagship, Zuihou. She was cowering with her hands on her head, trembling madly. What''s happening?! "No! Don''t come closer! Don''t!!" (Zuihou) The Eagle Union girls also noticed this and stopped their attacks. (Eldridge) (San Diego) "Commander, I''m stopping the excercise right now! Bring your girls back. I''ll bring mine in as well. I hope you understand." "Go ahead. This is serious." (Commander) "Thank you." I went to the intercom and gave my orders through the microphone. "Tama, your fleet is up. Escort and bring fleet one back. Akashi will follow you. Prioritise Zuihou and Shigure. Bring them to the infirmary immediately. The others will go for resupply. I''ll meet you in the infirmary." I placed the microphone down. "Ooyodo, Sorry but I''ll leave it to you to tidy up this place." "Go on, Admiral. They need you." (Ooyodo) Such a kind and understanding woman. I will treat her to something later. "I appreciate it. Thank you." I made my way to the infirmary. Shigure''s condition was sort of expected since there are past instances of her being unable to fight all of a sudden. Zuihou''s was abnormal. This is the first time it happened. Was she still affected by her kidnapping incident? Whatever the case is, I need to find out and solve it. Chapter 33 - 32 At the infirmary, Shigure and Zuihou laid on the beds while Akashi checks their condition. Shigure''s breathing has stabilized while Zuihou is asleep. "We had to sedate her since she was thrashing around. She won''t be awake for at least three hours." (Akashi) Since their biological makeup is similar to humans'', human medicine should have the same effect on them. "I understand. At least she can rest for now. How is Shigure?" "It looks like the usual. Seeing everyone else, especially Yamashiro-san, getting hurt except for her is one of the causes. The chaos and violence she saw was more than what she was used to as well. That must have amplified her fear of sinking. Combine these factors and this is what happens." (Akashi) Shipgirls possess the memories and characteristics of the namesake warship. They remember almost every single event, from the day they were created to their last moments. With such memories they developed a fear for sinking and are very much traumatised by those events and the way they sunk. In Shigure''s case, it was seeing Yamashiro getting hurt and the presence of US sh.i.p.s. "For Zuihiu-chan''s case, it might have been the same. Although I''m not sure what actually triggers it. Was she simply overwhelmed by the fear of sinking or something more?" (Akashi) I think I know what caused such trauma to awaken within her. "Uuuhh... This is?" "Shigure, how are you feeling?" "Uugh... a little tired. What about the excercise?" (Shigure) "It''s cancelled. You fainted midway so we had to bring you back." "I see. It happened again, huh. I''m sorry for the tro-ehh?!" I hugged Shigure while she laid there. I know I surprised her but I feel I should do it. "I''m so sorry I put you through all that!" "Admiral? Umm..." "I will leave you guys for a while. Call me when Zuihou-chan wake up." (Akashi) I can hear the door open and close shut. Akashi must left. "Admiral, I''m fine now. I just couldn''t handle all the things going through my mind at that time that''s all." (Shigure) Shigure gently pushed me away and sat up. "If anything is troubling you, you need to tell me, understand? I don''t want to lose you. I don''t want to lose any of you." "I got it. Like I said, I just got a bit overwhelmed, that''s all. By the way, why is Zuihou-san here as well?" (Shigure) "Right after you passed out, Zuihou had a nervous breakdown." "What?!" "When Fleet 2 went to retrieve the both of you, she started thrashing around. Yamashiro and Suzuya had to hold her down while Akashi sedated her." "How did that happen? She wasn''t like this before." (Shigure) "I think Yamashiro knows something. When you left to scout ahead, Zuihou said she felt something coming from the east and ordered Suzuya to launch a seaplane towards that direction. That''s when Yamashiro asked her if it was that feeling again. Zuihou must have told Yamashiro something she isn''t telling me." "That reminds me, one the day we signed the alliance with Azur Lane, Yamashiro and Fusou said that they were worried about Zuihou. Something about her running away after staring towards the ocean for a while." "On that day, she did show up a little late after she went to communicate with the defence planes she launched earlier. She had a fearful expression on her but I didn''t think much about it back then. Could it be...?" "Maybe asking Yamashiro would be best." "Yeah." I tucked Shigure back to bed. "Get some sleep. Don''t push yourself for now. "Got it. Sorry for worrying you." (Shigure) "As long as you are alright. I will be back soon." I left the infirmary and head to the battlesh.i.p.s dorm. Yamashiro definitely knows something. I need to find out what. -------------------------------- "What happened on that day? Oh, you heard about it." (Yamashiro) I found Yamashiro on my way to the dorm. She was going to visit Shigure in the infirmary. "Shigure told me about it. She should be sleeping right now." "I see. Wait, you don''t know about the changes in Zuihou-chan''s behavior?" (Yamashiro) "No, I don''t. Even when she was on secretary duty, she was as let normal." "Recently, she started being paranoid and having feelings of dread. Especially when Abyssal Carriers or Eagle Union Carriers are involved. One day, when patrolling, She suddenly froze in place when her scout plane discovered an abyssal air fleet. After that she launched all her planes at once just to intercept the air fleet and search for the carrier. She didn''t bring her planes back after that, saying there could be more in the area." (Yamashiro) That''s the first time I heard about this. "She told me not to tell anyone else, saying it would be embarrassing for her. And on the day when Azur Lane came, she stood at the port for a while. After that, she ran off, as if she sensed danger. Nee-sama saw it as well. Her eyes were filled with fear." (Yamashiro) I knew it. That day she saw the Azur Lane fleet through her planes. Enterprise was there, so she became frightened and returned to my side, scared. She was psychologically unwell this whole time. She managed to hide from me so well that I didn''t even noticed the slight changes in her behavior. This is somewhat frustrating. "Thank you for sharing this with me, Yamashiro." "Your face is a little scary. You are not angry, aren''t you?" (Yamashiro) "Oh I am angry, all right. Angry at myself." Chapter 34 - 33 Since I found out about Zuihou''s new condition, it''s best to come up with ways to get her to recover. Medicine could help, but I don''t want her to rely on it too much. First, I need to ''isolate'' the main factor. "Sorry Commander, but I going have to request that you don''t bring any of the Eagle Union girls here anymore. The rest are fine." "So the problem was caused by Enterprise and Yorktown after all!" "I won''t say it''s just them. They did contribute to her fears but they are not the only ones. Rather, it turns out she is traumatised by all US aircraft, including Carriers. I''m sure you know about the kidnapping incident before Azur Lane was formed. That was when it started." "I understand. It''s a little sad that this happened shortly after our alliance was formed. On behave of Eagle Union, I apologize for putting your girls through this." (Commander) The commander bowed deeply. "Pease lift your head. You don''t have to do that. I''m at fault as well. I didn''t consider the possibility that it would escalate to this stage. Once she has recovered, I''m sure the girls from Eagle Union can come again." "I will brief this to the rest. I will return back to my base since we already overstayed our welcome. The other girls are starting act hostile towards them." (Commander) Because two of them were affected during this excercise, it''s no surprise that the other thought the US shipgirls are the main cause. "I''m sorry for that. I will make sure they don''t do anything stupid." ------------------------ Although tensions were high, Azur Lane managed to leave safely. The others were visibly pissed off, but I think they understood what happens if they make the first move. Since Shigure woke up and is feeling all right now, I let her return to her room. Just for the time being, she will only take part in patrols until I''m sure she has recovered fully. For the other one, there is another hour before the anesthesia wears off. Who knows what will happen when she wakes up. As such, I asked Akashi to prepare another bed in my room and moved her there. I decide I will personally take care of her until she is ready to return to the frontlines. I have briefed everyone about the situation. Technically, nothing much has changed. She will still be treated normally, but with extra care. Avoid topics which may be sensitive to her, in case she starts to break down again. Most importantly, lend a listening ear and never talk over with their personal feelings or experience. In fact, this applies to everyone else. I made sure to get this point across to them. Akashi gave me some muscle relaxants in case she starts going crazy. Hopefully I don''t have to use them too often. Since it''s already late, Shouhou helped to change Zuihou into her night Yukata. "She looks so peaceful now." (Shouhou) "Yeah. Don''t be too hard on her when she wakes up." "Admiral, shouldn''t that apply to you instead?" (Shouhou) "It''s already late. You can return to you room first." "Eh? But..." "Don''t worry. I won''t do anything drastic. You can trust me." "I understand. Then I leave her in your hands." Now it''s only me and Zuihou left in the room. The anesthesia should wear off any moment now. I brushed away the stray hair on her face. Something really troublesome for her turned up this time. How do I help her recover? "Uuu... Admiral....Help me..." What was that? Is she having a nightmare? Tears began to form from her shut eyelids. I held her right hand and gently stroked her head. I can only hope this can calm her down in her sleep. "Shh... Everything is all right. I''m right here." Zuihou turned towards my direction and rest her other hand on mine. It was as if she knew where I was. She seems to have calmed down a bit as well. Her hands squeeze mine, seeking assurance of my presence. It pains me that I couldn''t do more. "When you wake up, I will be here, right by your side. I whispered into her ear, before falling asleep myself. -------------------------------- "Admiral, it''s morning already. Come on, wake up." I heard a voice with that familiar sweet ring say. "Uuhmm... Good morning, Zuihou." My eyes took it''s time to adjust to the morning light. "Good morning, Admiral." (Zuihou) "How are you feeling? You have been sleeping since noon yesterday." "Erm... A little hungry." (Zuihou) "Oh right. You slept through dinner after all. Shall I make breakfast?" "No. I''ll make it. The usual is fine right? I''ll be right back." (Zuihou) Zuihou was about to run out before I stopped her. She was still in her night yukata. "Wait. You are not planning on going out like that right?" Zuihou looked down before realising the problem. She was clearly embarrassed. "Here, Shouhou brought your uniform. I will wait outside." "Thank you, Admiral." (Zuihou) I closed the door behind me. For now, I can tell her actions and speech patterns are a bit forceful. She is still unstable, but is trying her best not to be burden to others. I won''t force her to talk to me about herself. When she is ready to talk, she will talk. For now, I will just observe and do whatever I can to make her feel comfortable. "Hey, Zuihou?" "Yeah?" (Zuihou) "Nothing. I just felt like calling you." "Geez. You''re so weird, Admiral. Well, I don''t really dislike that part of you. Hehehe." (Zuihou) Chapter 35 - 33.5 Zuihou came back half an hour later, carrying a breakfast set for two. I contacted the fairies in charge of the kitchen, they assured me that she was doing fine. In fact, she seemed happy. I guess I can take that as a good sign? Zuihou loves cooking just as much as she loves her planes. "Zuihou, seconds please." "Are there any plans to sortie today?" "No. No sorties today. I want to focus on expeditions and getting our younger girls ready for the next operation." "There''s going to be one soon?" "I think so. HQ usually announces it around this time of the month." I looked over to Zuihou. She is looking down meekly, her small hands on her chest. She is worried about it. What should I do? Will I get through it? These may be the thoughts that are running through her head right now. "Zuihou," "???" "Come here." I pat the space next to me. Zuihou got up from her side and went over to mine. As much as I''m afraid that she might break down again, I need her to know that I''m there for her. "Zuihou, you clearly remember yesterday''s match, do you? You don''t need to answer that." She looks visibly shaken. Right now, she is most fragile. She might break any moment. I reach out and touch her cheek. "It''s alright. I''m here with you. You might feel better if you talk about it. Relax, I won''t force you to do it now. You can talk to me when you''re ready, okay. I just want to let you know, I... care for you and will always be here for you. So, please take care of yourself. You are not alone." Zuihou touched my arm, an unbroken stream of tears flowed from her eyes. "Yes... Admiral!" She jumped into my embrace, sobbing softly. To be honest, I didn''t know what came over me when I said the final few lines. I couldn''t find the right words for it. "Yo Admiral! Woah, sorry! Did I interrupt something?" Suzuya came bursting into my office. "What''s up, Suzuya?" "I came to check on Zuihou-chan." (Suzuya) "Me?" (Zuihou) Zuihou turned towards her, eyes red from the crying. "Oi Admiral. What did you do to make a girl cry?" (Suzuya) "I didn''t do anything!" "Hahahaha! I''m just kidding. Of course, I know that. Hmm... Looks like you are all better now!" (Suzuya) "Yes. Sorry for the trouble yesterday." (Zuihou) "No worries! We shipgirls need to look out for each other. Right, everyone!?" (Suzuya) "Geez! Way to ruin a moment!" (Agano) "Huh? Didn''t you want to jump in too, Agano-san?" (Yamashiro) "Wha-? Of course not!" (Agano) "Admiral-san, me too!" (Yuudachi) "Ah Yuudachi no!" (Shigure) Too late. Yuudachi pounced on the both of us. "Hyaah!!" (Zuihou) What a noisy morning. ---------------------------- As discussed, Zuihou agreed to stay in my room for the time being. She didn''t like the idea of not being able to sortie, so I allowed her to participate in patrols with Shouhou''s group. For most of the days, she is on secretarial duty. If not, she would be doing patrols with Shouhou, participating in Aviation Practice with the other Carriers, or doing plane maintenance. Other than the occasional nightmares and crying at night, she is coping rather well. She still hasn''t talk to me about her feelings yet though. That''s fine. I promised to wait for her after all. "Hey, Admiral?" (Zuihou) "Yeah?" "I _____ you." (Zuihou) "Huh? What was that?" "Nothing. ?" (Zuihou) Zuihou playfully hid under the covers. What did she say? She definitely mumbled the middle part on purpose. Was it what I think it was? Let''s not jump into conclusions. She might have said or meant something else. Great, I''m going to sleep over this. "Oh come on! What did you say? Hey!" Chapter 36 - 34 It has been about two months since we found out about Zuihou''s condition. During this period of time, I have decided to personally care for her. Occasionally, she would have sudden mood swings and cries for no apparent reason. Otherwise, she still goes through her daily life. Recently, I could say her condition has improved. She doesn''t cry as often now and she is more talkative then before. It''s a little early but she has been able to go on ''simple'' sorties, the type which are usually deals with a small fleet of Abyssal Cruisers and Destroyers. It''s good progress, if you ask me. "And then, Suisei dropped her bombed and scored a direct hit on the Ho-class. And BOOM!! The abyssal fleet got eliminated!" (Zuihou) "I see. Great job, Zuihou!" "Ehehehe!" (Zuihou) "So, what are you doing here?" Sitting on my sofa, a individual dressed in similar fashion as me was sipping the tea Ooyodo made. "Oh come on. Don''t be so cold. I came to hang out, of course. I brought the others with me too. Don''t worry, it''s only the Sakura girls this time." (Commander) "You wouldn''t come here unless you have business to attend to." "No no. I really came here to hang out. I didn''t plan to but the the small ones wouldn''t stop pestering me about it." I heard screaming coming from the field outside my window. Along the path, Yuudachi was being chased by the other Yuudachi. "Waaahhh! Yuudachi isn''t tasty at all poi!" (Yuudachi) "Your Destroyers are really... wild, aren''t they?" "And yours come in all sizes." "What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Ooyodo, who was still around, stared down at the commander. She is currently helping me escort him. "Oh er... I mean that they are cute and... very lovely." "Hmph! Let''s keep it that way." (Ooyodo) "Yes ma''am!" Wow! She really got him under control. "Admiral, when can I start going on harder sortie? I want to get back in shape as fast as possible." (Zuihou) "Not to fast, okay? You still haven''t recover fully yet." Zuihou puffed her cheeks. "Alright. I will put you with Abukuma''s group tomorrow. They are going to sortie to the Southwest Islands." "YAY!" (Zuihou) "Just be careful ok?" Zuihou nodded her head, grinning from ear to ear. I need to ask Abukuma to take care of her. tomorrow. "Ooyodo?" "I understand. I will inform her about the change." (Ooyodo) "Thank you." Originally, Abukuma was going out with four other destroyers. So now there will be six. The more the merrier. Zuihou left the office to have her dinner followed by a bath. Ooyodo went to find Abukuma and inform her about Zuihou''s addition. "She looks better now compared to the last time I saw her." (Commander) "As long as she is happier, I''m fine. Though I wish she would talk about her feelings more. I mean, it''s natural that they would talk about destroying their enemies." "You have it rough, do you?" (Commander) "No thanks to you!" "That''s why I said I''m sorry! Anyway," (Commander) "Anyway?" "Enterprise wanted to come here and apologize for all she has done. She feels responsible for Zuihou-chan''s condition." (Commander) "First of all, you are not allowed to call Zuihou Zuihou-chan. Secondly, the Eagle Union girls can come only when Zuihou is more comfortable with them. Right now, it''s too early." "I going to just ignore the first thing you said." (Commander) "Don''t." It was already late, so Commander returned with the all Sakura Empire girls. I didn''t personally see it, but I know the other girls were good hosts to them. "Hah~ I''m tired poi. That Yuudachi really has a lot energy." "Good work. She really chased you all the way." "Zuihou, how are you feeling?" (Shigure) "I''m fine. Just thinking about tomorrow." (Zuihou) "What''s going on tomorrow?" (Shigure) "She is joining Abukuma on a sortie." "Eh!? You can go on harder sorties already?" (Yuudachi) "Ehehe~ Bit by bit. But I definitely be rejoining you guys." (Zuihou) "That''s great! I can''t wait to sortie with you again!" (Shigure) "Shigure...." (Zuihou) "Okay okay. It''s already late. Go back to your rooms to rest. Great job hosting the Sakura Empire girls today." I pet both Shigure''s and yuudachi''s heads. As usual, they responded by nuzzling into my hand. "Now then, I will go back first. See you tomorrow, Shigure!" (Yuudachi) Yuudachi waved Shigure goodbye. Wait! What did she mean by that? "Admiral. Today... Can I...?" (Shigure) Shigure looked at me with longing eyes. So this is what it''s about. "It''s been a while, hasn''t it? Alright, I gong to pamper both of you to your heart''s content!" "Yes!" (Shigure) I gave Shigure a little more than the usual amount of skinship I usually give her. No, I don''t mean touching her in a perverted way. I just stroke her head and cheeks while she sticks close to me. She must have felt lonely since I have been paying more attention to Zuihou lately. As for Zuihou, she was already falling asleep, so I pat her sides till she fell asleep. Just by doing that, she knows I''m by her side. Or at least that''s what I think. "Admiral, is it really alright to let Zuihou sortie so early?" (Shigure) "I''m worried too, but it''s what she wanted. Besides, I think she can handle a few Cruiser and Destroyers now. And Abukuma will be there too." "I hope Zuihou returns to us soon. Things aren''t the same without her." (Shigure) "Zuihou will be happy if she heard you say that. Now, get some sleep. You are on secretarial duty tomorrow." "Eh? Why so sudden?" (Shigure) "It''s still not enough, isn''t it? We can have tomorrow to make up for it." "Hmm... Please do it." (Shigure) "Then let''s continue tomorrow. Good night." "Good night, Admiral." (Shigure) Chapter 37 - 35 (rewrite) "See you later!" (Zuihou) "Take care!" I watched as Abukuma''s group left the port. As promised, Zuihou will be joining her on a sortie. It should take a day to complete the mission and make the return trip. That''s why, I will be accompanying Shigure for the whole day. "Admiral... this position... is a little embarrassing..." (Shigure) "No it isn''t. You like it anyway, right?" "That''s not the point!" (Shigure) "You''re not denying that you like it?" Shigure is sitting on my lap, with my hands locking her in. I know she is slightly embarrassed but this is rather fun. Shigure is usually demure when it comes to work, so seeing her like this is a nice change of pace. If someone were to come in now, rumours would probably spread. Not like it will bother me though. "Excuse me! What the? Admiral, what is this?" (Tenryuu) "Oh welcome back. Just some work. So how was the expedition?" "Another great success of course! We managed to get more bauxite and steel this time! Wait, answer me properly!" (Tenryuu) Shigure buried her face in her hands. Yep, she is cute. ------------------------ The day went on as per normal. I spent the whole time playing with Shigure while finishing my work. Talking to her, stroking her hair, I gave all her the attention she wants. "Admiral, thank you for today." (Shigure) Shigure laid on my lap. The way she does these things resembles a dogs''. She does it so naturally too. "It''s the least I can do. I can keep you company anytime you want." "Won''t Zuihou get jealous?" (Shigure) "She definitely will. But I will make it up to her." "As expected. Speaking of which, they should be back by now." (Shigure) "Yeah. I''m a little worried that something might have happened." As soon as I said that, someone knocked on the office door. "Third Mobile Fleet has returned! Abukuma, coming in!" (Abukuma) "There they are." "Pardon my intrusion!" (Abukuma) "Great jo- What the heck happened!?" Entering the office was Abukuma, Kawakaze and Zuihou, who was being carried in. "Was she damaged?" That doesn''t seem like the case. Her outfit is still intact. "Eh? Oh. Don''t worry. I think she is just tired. Akashi-san said that." (Abukuma) "Zuihou was amazing today! The way her planes intercepted the enemy before we even spotted them. I was surprise!" (Kawakaze) "Yeah! Zuihou-san somehow felt that something was off and launch a few fighters. As it turns out, a fleet of Abyssal fighters were locking in on our position. Thanks to Zuihou-san, we managed to fend off the enemy planes and destroyed the carrier. It was amazing!" (Abukuma) "I know right! I thought Zuihou-san would need us to protect her because of what happened back then, but instead she saved us! She was so cool!" (Kawakaze) She managed to predict the enemy''s flight path? Zuihou is still paranoid, so was it by luck that the enemy was in the direction where she launched her fighters? Or did she develop an ability to sense them? I directed Abukuma to lay her on her bed for the time being. Luckily she was just tired. She must have been on high alert the whole time after leaving the base. Once she returned, her body finally relaxed and she ended up falling asleep. Abukuma and Kawakaze finished their report and went to resupply. No one was hurt during this mission, so it was a complete success. "Now then, I will return to my room." (Shigure) "Eh? But it''s still early. You could stay longer if you want." "I had my fill today. Besides, Yuudachi might be waiting for me." (Shigure) The door closed behind Shigure, leaving me with this sleeping child. Today, she managed to exceed my expectations. It''s nice to see that she is slowly returning to her usual self. Come to think of it, she hasn''t resupplied yet. Shoukd I wake her up? Or let her continue sleeping? Apparently, I didn''t need to decide as the Zuihou''s eyes flutter open. "Mmmh... Huh? How did I get here?" (Zuihou) "Morning sleepyhead." "Admiral? Oh I see. Abukuma must have carried me here." (Zuihou) "I heard what happened. You did a good job, saving the rest." "I didn''t do much..." (Zuihou) Zuihou suddenly moved to the side of the bed. It look as though she was thinking of something. A few moments later, she took a deep breath and looked at me with a serious expression. "Admiral, can we talk?" (Zuihou) I wanted to make a joke but this is serious to her. I sat down next to her, wondering what is she about to say. "You know about my history, don''t you?" (Zuihou) Her history... I guess she is referring to the time when she sunk back in the war. During the Battle of Engano Cape, waves of American aircrafts sunk Zuihou with torpedos and bombs. This is the source of her fears... and her rebirth. ""At the time, I felt hot and cold at the same time. After the fourth time, I couldn''t move at all. There were screams echoing through my head. Soon, everything went dark. The last thing I felt was the sea''s freezing embrace. The next thing I knew, I was here at Maizuru Naval Base. Shigure told me that I was found during an major operation. I still remember how there were tears in her eyes and she welcomed me back. Admiral as well. You were literally crying tears of joy as you welcomed me back. At the moment, I felt a wave of nostalgia. Until now, I have always wondered why." (Zuihou) Four years ago, we found her after defeating a Battleship Princess during a major operation. That was in the same week I lost her. Back then, i was relatively new. After winning a few battles, I was full of myself. I was fully aware of the risks when i ordered them to advance. In the end, Zuihou protected the flagship who was still new to battles and sunk as a result. Filled with grief, I wanted to quit my job as an Admiral, but I had to at least finish the operation and clear the area Zuihou sank. The area was cleared, and everyone else returned safely... with a long lost shipgirl in tow. "For the next four years, I enjoyed the life I have here. All the sorties, the times I got damaged, how long it took for me to get repaired at the docks. Though I''m scared of sinking again, the fact that I''m experiencing all these is proof that I''m alive. And then, it happened. After I got kidnapped, the fear of sinking became stronger. When I first saw the one called Enterprise, all the memories and feelings I felt on that day come flooding back to me. I wanted to confide in someone, but I thought it would be a problem for everyone, especially Admiral. That''s why I thought it would be best if I just hide it. Gradually, the fear grew stronger and during the excercise with Azur Lane, I was unable to take it anymore. I became scared of everything. From going on sorties to thinking about an Abyssal. Even the slightest mention of an American aircraft of ship was even to paralyze me. But the thing that scared me the most..." (Zuihou) Zuihou suddenly hugged me. Her voice became wobbly. "Was that you might abandon me! I already knew I became useless as a shipgirl. I know that useless shipgirls are abandoned and scrapped. I was a burden, I knew that! The results were clear as day. It was easier to just cast me away." (Zuihou) Tears burst forth, spilling from her face. Her hands clutch on to my uniform as her voice starts to break. Taking short breaths in between, she tries not to choke on her own words. "But instead, Admiral helped me get back up. Even when you know I was trying to put on a brave front by saying I want to sortie, you put me with Shouhou on patrols. *sob* You let me go on expeditions and participate in practices *hic* so I would retain the feeling of living as a shipgirl.You made sure I was strong enough before letting me go on sorties. Even though I was given more attention, you, and everyone else, treated me as per normal... *hic* Most importantly, you didn''t cast me aside. No matter how many times I cried, all the mood swings I went through , all the nights I woke you up due to my screaming, you didn''t complain even for a bit. You cared for me, retrained me from the bottom. No matter how much of a burden you knew I was, you stayed with me I''m... *hic* I''m really thankful for all that. Thank you!!! Thank you so much!!!" (Zuihou) Her heart wrenching wail echoed through out the room. All of her bottled up emotions erupted from within Her fears, sadness, feelings of gratitude, she laid it all bare for me to see. Oh man, her emotions are affecting me as well. Why does my face feel wet? Why is there a salty taste in my lip? "Thank you. It must have taken a lot of courage to tell me all these. Thank you, Zuihou. No matter what happens, I will remain beside you. I won''t abandon you.That''s a promise." "Thank you!!! Thank you!!! (Zuihou) Zuihou remained like this for a while. She would take short pauses of recovery breathes before continuing. I''m not sure how long it took, but by the time she started to calm down, my uniform was drenched with her tears. Just like any cliche setting, a low growl can be heard once she began to calm down. "I''m hungry..." (Zuihou) "It seems like it. Mamiya should still be open. Let''s get some dinner and then a bath." "Mhm..." (Zuihou) I brought her to Mamiya for some food. I watched as she silently ate her dinner and Bauxite replenishment. After that, we went to take a bath. Not together of course. She might take a while so I went straight back to my room to wait for her. When she came back, in her night yukata, I tucked her in as usual. It has been a tiring day for her, because no sooner had she touched the bed than her eyes clamped shut, but not before saying one last thing, "Admiral, thank you for everything so far... I will... do my... Zzzz~" "I will do my best. That''s what you want to say, right? That''s all you need to do." She looks so relaxed now. Since she finally opened up her feelings to me, I feel a little relieved. I finally felt that I was able to do my part in her recovery. The whole time, I was afraid that my words didn''t reach her, that I wasn''t doing enough to help her. I was sort of blaming myself for putting her through all this. In the end, it wasn''t all for naught.I brushed away the stray hair falling on her face. I should sleep too. I felt something move and realized that Zuihou had rolled closer to me. Her arms wrapped around mine. Is she awake? Nah, doesn''t seem like it. At least I don''t think so. ----------------- I felt something tap my cheek. I try to shed the residual sleep away. My eyes adjust to the sudden brightness from the morning sun. In front of me, a smiling Zuihou, wearing an apron, greeted me. "Good morning, Admiral! Let''s eat breakfast! I have cooked some Rolled Omelette.Would you have some?" (Zuihou) Chapter 38 - 36 (rewrite) With Zuihou feeling better and back to her usual self, she wanted to go back to Fleet 1. Although I was a little skeptical about it, I decided to allow it since the others kept pestering me to put her back and agree to help if anything happens. "Alright I get it. Sheesh! You better don''t push yourself. You girls as well!" "Yes!" (All) Once these girls set their mind to something, they would do whatever it takes, especially when it comes to their teammates. Since they have been together for long time, they have developed quite a strong bond together. In order to gauge their current capabilities, especially Zuihous'' since she has been out of action for nearly two months, I decided to sortie them to the forefront of the Southern Sea. That place is swarming with mid-tier Abyssals. A little dangerous, but the perfect place to test their skills. I will be observing this sortie from the command room. "Fleet 1 has entered the operation area!" (Agano) "The objective is the same as usual. Eliminate all abyssals in the area. Retreat as soon as one of you is severely damaged. Now, begin the operation!" "Roger!" (All) The Abyssals fleet always position themselves a certain distance from one another, with the smaller Abyssals as the vanguard. Based on past data, the girls took the northeastern route. This route allows them to clear out the smaller Abyssals first before engaging the tougher ones. I watched as they took out the first few fleets before encountering the carrier fleet. "Zuihou, are you still okay?" Zuihou took a deep breath. Looks like she is still a little uneasy. "I''m fine. Just give some time to prepare myself." (Zuihou) She took another deep breath. I can see the determination in her eyes as she launched a squadron of bombers and fighters. The Abyssal carrier launched its own squadron, but most of it got shot down by the fighters. Those that managed to break through were cleaned up by Murasame and Shigure. The bombers did their job, sinking one Ta-class cruiser and heavily damaging the carrier. All that in a spectacular firework display. "Now!" (Agano) All of them rushed in to carry out the shelling. In a few moments, the carrier fleet was eliminated. "Yep! I miss this feeling of rushing in after a pre-emptive strike. We can''t do this with my Zuiun." (Suzuya) "Suzuya-san did just fine." (Shigure) "Eh? No no. I''m just saying how it has been so long since we get to see such a successful bombing run." (Suzuya) "Come on. We are not done yet. This is the last one. Let''s finish this and go home!" (Agano) "OOOOHHH!" (All) They are all hyped up. Looks like I didn''t have to worry after all. "Ooyodo, I''m returning to my office." "Eh? You are not going to watch till the end?" "They will be fine. They are definitely stronger than this. I''ll leave the after-report to you." I left Command Room and headed straight back. Now that Zuihou is back in shape, she is going to hang out with the rest more often to make up for lost time. My room is going to be quiet again. No more late night crying, no more random breakdowns and screamings. Just plain, old silence. I''m happy that Zuihou has recovered, but then again, the thought of everything going back to normal makes me feel a little lonely. Or so I thought... When I returned from dinner, my office was rather lively. "Hey, Admiral! Let''s all sleep together!" (Murasame) "Yuudachi wants to sleep with Admiral poi!" (Yuudachi) "The beds are big enough, right?" (Suzuya) "I want to be in the middle!" (Agano) "Admiral... let''s sleep together~" (Zuihou) "Can we?" (Shigure) Looks like it won''t be as quiet and lonely as I thought. Chapter 39 - 37 (Rewrite) It has been a busy morning. First, I had to reschedule all expeditions due to a sudden Squall happening in the Northern area. Then, a typhoon appeared and everyone scrambled to secure the doors and block any potential leakage points. Now, I have a girl in a Kunoichi outfit and a quarter of a oni mask all tied up like a shrimp in front of me. "What is the meaning of this?" "Yuudachi saw some light in the vents and caught this girl sneaking around poi!" (Yuudachi) "I see. Good job." I gave stroke Yuudachi''s hair a bit and approached the suspicious ninja. I''m surprised Yuudachi was able to tie her up like that. "Suzuya helped me tie her up! I think she went to get more rope just in case." (Yuudachi) Figures. Anyhow, the captive is a shipgirl isn''t she? Unless she is a cosplayer, no sane human would dress up like that and sneak into a Military Naval Base like that. She has a small torchlight attached to her left arm. I think that''s the one that gave away her position to Yuudachi. She looks rather embarrassed. Probably because of how she was caught so easily. "Uuugghh... if only the lightning hadn''t make me run into the vents..." (???) She is speaking Japanese, if that''s the case... "You hid in the vents because of the lightning? In the first place, who are you and what are you doing here?" "I shall not reveal the name of my-HYAAH!" (???) The sound of thunder erupted from outside. Damn that was loud. I even got shocked by it. Yuudachi is even covering her ears. And this girl... is crying. *Sniff sniff* "Commander... save me...." (???) Commander... then this girl is from Azur Lane? Most likely from the Sakura Empire. Why is the guy also giving me trouble? "Let''s just untie you first. We can talk in my office. Yuudachi, can help the others place buckets and towels at the leaking spots? I will have Akashi repair them later." "Yes!" (Yuudachi) "Thank you." I untied the ninja girl and brought her into my office. Apart from her, there is another guest here. Shigure was cowering underneath my table. Right, she is afraid of thunder, especially loud ones. "It''s okay. There''s nothing to be scared of." I stroked her head, trying to calm her down. "Come on, we have a guest now. Do your best and pull yourself together. Okay?" "A guest?" (Shigure) "Yep." Shigure peeked from under the table. The ninja girl is sitting on the sofa, unsure of what to do. Shigure cleared her throat. "Nice to meet you. I''m the second ship of the Shiratsuyu-class, Shigure." (Shigure) "H-hello. I''m the first ship of the Akatsuki-Class destroyers, Akatsuki. P-please to meet you." (Akatsuki) Akatsuki, huh. Why did she come here? Is she lost like the time with the other Shigure? "Actually I came here to deliver a message from Commander. Then the typhoon came and all my equipment got short by the lightning. After that, I found myself hiding in the vents. It''s not like I turned on my light because I was scared, okay!?" (Akatsuki) She is afraid of the dark then. She is almost like the Akatsuki from Kure Naval Base. Childish and trying to be tough. It''s almost too cute. "So, what''s the message?" "Sorry, I forgot..." (Akatsuki) "I see. Shigure, keep an eye on her. I''ll be in the command room." "Eh? There''s a sortie today?" (Shigure) "What are you saying? Of course not. I just need to make a call." "Oh. Then, leave her to me." (Shigure) I make my way to the command room. Gosh, the whole place is wet. I''m going to request for waterproofing once the typhoon passes. And get rid of the moisture. --------------------- "Ah Admiral! Nice timing. I was about to go find you." (Ooyodo) "What is it?" "It that commander from Azur Lane. He says he wants to speak to you." (Ooyodo) "What a coincidence. I was just about to call him." Ooyodo passed the phone to me. "Hello, Admiral?" I can hear the distress in his voice. "Yes, Admiral here. I was just about to call you." "Did a small girl in a ninja outfit come to your base? That girl is called Akatsuki. I sent her there to pass along a message, but I lost contact with her midway. Is she there? Is she safe?" Wow. he really is worried about that Akatsuki girl. Maybe I shouldn''t... Nah I''m doing it. "A girl in a ninja outfit? No, can''t say I saw her. There is a typhoon here. Maybe the lightning cause a malfunction?" "So she''s lost?! Oh no! What am I going do? She gets scared whenever there''s a storm. What if she gets attacked by-" (Commander) "I''m just kidding. She is here." If I didn''t stop him, he would have continued till who knows when. "Huh? but didn''t you just... " (Commander) "I told you I was kidding with you. She is here in my office. The girl with oni mask and searchlight right?" "Yeah." (Commander) "She let herself get caught after turning on her light in our vents. Don''t worry, other than her equipment, she is safe with us." "Thank god. I thought something bad happened to her." (Commander) "So when are you going to pick her up?" "Eh? Pick her up?" (Commander) "Well, yeah. Don''t tell me you plan to leave her here. She can stay until the typhoon is gone. After that, when can I expect you to come get her?" "Oh er...." (Commander) This guy obviously wants me to bring her back for me... "You do know I have idea where your base is, right?" "Oh right. I forgot about that..." (Commander) "Okay. I will see you once the typhoon ends." "W-wait..." Without letting him finish, I placed the phone back into its stand. He was probably going to come up with some excuse as to why he can''t bring Akatsuki back himself. Oh right, I forgot to ask him about the message he wanted to pass to me. Oh well, it''s not important anyway. If it was, he would have mentioned it as soon as I answered the call. Now, how am I going to deal with our guest and this typhoon? Chapter 40 - 38 With the typhoon still raging on, there is nothing we can do. No sorties, no expeditions, let alone patrolling the District waters. Everyone is holed up in the Dorms and can only use the sheltered walkways to make their way to the other facilities, though they would still get wet. In other words, we are grounded. If an Abyssal fleet were to attack now, we can only rely on our naval mines and land-based cannons. None of the shipgirls can deploy in this weather, not even the submarine unit and the land-based aircrafts. I have quite a few guests in my office. Sitting on my sofa is Akatsuki, wearing earplugs and reading some Manga. Where did she get those from? On the floor with me is Shigure. Shigure is afraid of thunder, so I''m patting her while she lays on my lap to calm her down. I think she has already fallen asleep. Zuihou is playing by herself, imagining her hand as a plane and moving it around like one. I think she is bored. "Hey, Admiral... Let''s do some work..." (Zuihou) Zuihou stopped and leaned against my back. Yep, she is bored. There really isn''t anything to do now. Shortly after I ended my call with the commander, we discovered that the typhoon is affecting our communication tower, meaning we are not receiving signals from other districts, let alone a telegram or work doc.u.ments. So, there isn''t any work to be done. "Come on. You know that we cut off from the rest. If there are no doc.u.ments to do, means there''s no work." "But I''m bored! There must be something we can do!" (Zuihou) She is just like a child who can''t go out to play. I''m bored as well but with these two other girls, I can''t really do much. Akatsuki is just doing her own thing. So long as she doesn''t wonder off and cause trouble, I''m fine with letting her be. I don''t want to wake Shigure up after she has gotten so comfortable on my lap but at the same time, my legs are getting numb. Sorry, Shigure. I lifted Shigure''s head from my lap and slipped a pillow underneath. It''s a little hard getting up but I should be fine after a while. I dragged myself back to my table. I thought of drawing up some plans for any future matches with Azur Lane but... Zuihou just propped herself on my lap. "Erm... Zuihou-san? What are you doing?" "Heehee. Resting on Admiral''s lap~!" (Zuihou) "I can see that. My legs are still numb and can you please move away a little?" "Hmm...?" (Zuihou) She looked at me with a mischievous smile. She is going to do some- Owowow!! I knew it! Zuihou started bouncing in my lap. Each time she lands, the prickling sensation reverberates through my legs. This girl- "Zuihou! Stop- WOAH!!!" "Wahh?!" (Zuihou) I must have leaned backwards a bit too much, as the both of us couldn''t fight against gravity and fell backwards. It wasn''t really painful, it just felt like someone punched my back lightly. Probably because the chair helped softeded the impact. Wait! That''s not the point! "Zuihou, you all right?" Lying on my chest was the culprit that landed both of us in this mess. There she is, posing like a cat, with her hands and head tucked into my chest and legs on the side. She looks cute like this. "Fuee~ That was scary." (Zuihou) "Whose fault was it?" "Ehehe~ Sorry. You are not hurt, are you?" (Zuihou) She looked at me with those amber eyes of hers. Those seems to be some sort charm, because I find myself being unable to stare away from them. Whenever Zuihou is nearby, my eyes always lock onto her. Is this...? "What have you two been doing from just now?" (Akatsuki) "!!!" (Zuihou) "A-akatsuki? H-how long have you been there?!" Akatsuki was apparently squatting beside us, observing our actions. "After the both of you fall over spectacularly. Seriously, if you want to play, at least try not to make so much noise!" (Akatsuki) "Umm..." (Shigure) "See! You woke the other one up!" (Akatsuki) Akatsuki went back to her reading. Shigure had woken up, and is looking around, probably for me. Zuihou got off me and I put the chair back upright. "Admiral?" (Shigure) "I''m over here." Shigure spun around. The worried and confused expression she had turned into relief. "Thank goodness..." (Shigure) The typhoon outside seems like it would move away by tomorrow. The winds are not as strong as before. If it was stronger, Shigure would have ran to me immediately. "Zuihou," "Hmm?" (Zuihou) "Come to my room in your nightwear later. That''s an order." "Ehhh?!" (Zuihou) Chapter 41 - 39 10pm, at this timing, most of the shipgirls would be getting ready for bed. The destroyers and submarines would be the first to return to their rooms and sleep.The others usually sleep later since they take longer baths. The typhoon finally passed by 8pm. Since it''s already late, everyone helped to clean up the place and put up temporary fixes to damaged structures. We will fix everything properly tomorrow. I don''t know where the typhoon is heading right now but good riddance. Right now, with most of the girls heading to bed, I have a special arrangement for a certain troublemaker shipgirl. "What are you planning to do?" (Zuihou) Zuihou, in her night Yukata, is on guard. As expected, her hands are covering her hangers. She must have thought I''m going to mess with them again. Haha. I am going to mess with them sooner or later. But first... "Come on. No need to be on guard. Let''s play a game." I switched my N*ntendo Sw*tch and took out two controllers. I bought them just recently. With my own savings, of course. "A game? What is this?" (Zuihou) Zuihou examined the console and controller like some foreign objects.Wait, they are foreign objects to her. They have never seen a game console before. Maybe I could set up a game room for them. "We are going to play a game call Super S*ash Bros. It''s really fun. I''ll teach you the controls. This two buttons are to jump. This is for light attacks and this is for heavy attacks." I explained the game controls to her, how the combos work and how to win. I played a few test runs with her to give an basic idea on how to play. Without a doubt, she got hooked. She managed to defeat me quite a few times in a row. Looks like its time to execute my plan. "Hmm hmm. Looks like I''m better than you, Admiral." (Zuihou) "Is that so? Then, how about a challenge? We will play a total of three rounds. I will grant you one wish each time you win. Is that okay?" "Sure! I''m not going to lose!" Got her! Both us picked our characters and waited while the match loads the first round. "But what happens if Admiral wins?" "Then you took off one layer of clothing each time you lose." "Eh!?!?" She''s fl.u.s.tered already. Letting her win a few rounds to make her think that she is better than me. Now she has fallen into my trap! "The match has started already." "Ah! Wait! What kind of condition is that?!" "You already accepted it already. Are you backing out now?" "Muuu.... I won''t lose!" Being the one that played this game before, I obviously have an advantage over her. Within moments, Zuihou''s character got thrown off the map. "Ah! What was that? No fair!" "What''s unfair? Come on. Got the first clothing off." I''m starting to sound and look like a pervert now, aren''t I? Well, a man''s gotta do what a man''s gotta do! "Ugh... Fine!" Zuihou untied her obi and let it loose on the floor. Her Yukata became loose and exposed a portion of her bare skin. Zuihou''s face became red with embarrassment and she quickly pulled her Yukata together. As expected, she isn''t wearing a bra beneath that Yukata. I''m already used to seeing their bodies in their damaged states, but having them undress in front of me is something I always wanted to see. "Does this count?" "Yep. It counts. Let''s continue." "Ugh... Admiral is a pervert." The second match was also a breeze. With that, Zuihou had to take off her entire Yukata. Her white skin, glimpse of those tiny hills that were always hidden under her outfit, that petite figure of hers. All laid bare for my eyes. Zuihou was covering her precious parts with her hands. She had an expression which is sort of like anger and embarrassment all mixed into one. Now only one... piece left... Eh? Wait a minute. "Zuihou, don''t tell me. You are not wearing any panties either?" "Huh?! You asking me this now?! Of course I don''t! Who wears panties under a Yukata?!" Uwah. Now this is something I should have expected. If Zuihou wasn''t wearing a bra, why would she be wearing panties? I was only going to make her strip down to her panties before letting her win. That''s why I said we will play for three rounds. If the Military Police caught of this I can get sent to prison. I picked up Zuihou''s Yukata and wrapped it around her. "Alright. You can stop now. Thank you for the feast." I always wanted to try saying that. Now, I''m probably going to get hit very, very hard by this small shipgirl. Zuihou stared at me with killing intent. "Admiral... You... you... YOU IDIOT!!!" The last thing I saw was a fist. And everything went dark. Chapter 42 - Cheaper 39.5 "-miral! Wake up! Come on!" (???) I could barely open my eyes with the sun shining straight at me. The one trying to wake me up looks like Agano. No wait, it was Murasame. She resembles Agano a little, having similar physical traits. Murasame is somewhat more fluffier than Agano. It''s morning already? Oww... my chin hurts. What happened last night? Oh right... "Finally you are awake! It''s already 7.30am. Did you stay up late again?" (Murasame) "I guess." I sat up, rubbing my chin. It still stings from Zuihou''s uppercut last night. I can''t believe she hit me so hard that I passed out. Well, I did went a bit too far back there. Anyway, what is this soft and squishy sensation around my left hand? "Nm..." "Gh!" "Oh my... So that''s why you were up late." (Murasame) I looked down and noticed something rather dangerous. When I sat up, the blanket got flipped over, revealing a potentially scandalous scene. Zuihou was clinging onto my lower left arm. Her Yukata was undone and once again exposed her modest chest, which my hand is currently in contact with. "Oi Zuihou! Wake up!" Not working. Rather, she is hugging my arm tighter than before. I getting some serious Deja Vu from this. Murasame just stood there with a smirk. I clearly know what is she thinking. "Hey Zuihou! Wake up!" "Hn... Hn..." (Zuihou) What kind of seductive noise was that? It''s like the sound she makes whenever I try to mess with her hangers. I mean, I am touching them now but I don''t have a choice. I grabbed Zuihou''s shoulder with my free hand and gave a little shake. "Wake up! It''s late already!" "I will be waiting outside. Don''t let me stop your fun~" "Wait! It''s not like tha-" Murasame closed the door before I can complete my sentence. I will have to clear this with her later but right now... I tried to pull my arm away, but that only made her grip even tighter. Why does she always do that? Hmm... It''s very weird but maybe I can try that. I went closer to Zuihou''s ear... "Zuihou, if you don''t wake up soon, I''m going to start teasing you~" Wargh!!! That was too cringy! I know the female characters in manga do it but this is way too embarrassing in real life! Even Zuihou''s face is red with embarrassment. Eh? "Oi Zuihou." I can feel her flinching with my restrained hand. "You are actually awake already, aren''t you?" "..." "For the love of... Wake up already!" I flipped Zuihou over. "Kyaah! Geez! It''s only morning and Admiral is already so rough." "Don''t make it sound so weird. And when did you wake up?!" "He he. When I heard the door close." She is trying to maintain her composure but I can tell she is still embarrassed from me touching her chest. Her face is still as red as a beetroot. "Seriously, don''t you know how much trouble you put me through just now?" "It can''t be helped! Don''t you know how embarrassing it is to wake up to you groping me? That was just payback for last night!" "First of all, I didn''t grope you. Not on my own will. You were the one that brought my hand to your chest. Secondly, that won''t be the only embarrassing thing today. Murasame thought we were having a night battle till morning. If we don''t clear it up, she might still have the wrong idea." "A night battle? What do you mean?" It took a while before she realized what I meant. Once she did, she threw a punch at me again. "Why are you attacking me for?!" Chapter 43 - 40 "Fleet 1, sortieing!" (Agano) I watched from my office as Agano and the rest left the port. With the typhoon gone, we can resume all activities. The off-duty shipgirls are helping Akashi and Yuubari with repairing structures damaged during the typhoon. Thankfully, only the factory roof was torn off, which made a mess inside, some broken windows in the dorms and a radio tower antenna which got dislodged. Unfortunately, because we got cut off from the rest, I have to write a report, on top of all the doc.u.ments which just came in. How troublesome. As for Azur Lane''s Akatsuki, she seems to being getting along with the others, especially with the submarine girls. Maybe it''s because the submarine girls are technically our ninjas? As long as they are not influenced by her. "Hai... This is a bit too much, isn''t it?" "Can''t be helped. We were cut off for almost 24 hours. Everything that was supposed to come in yesterday got piled up with the ones today." (Ooyodo) "It wasn''t our fault. The typhoon knocked out our comms tower." "Yeah yeah. Enough complaining. Hurry up and get to work! I will be in the command room monitoring fleet one''s status." (Ooyodo) "I''ll leave that to you." I got started on the report. First I need to explain why we were cut off for the network. "Wah! Looks like a hassle to deal with." (???) "Yeah. I have to fini- Shioi!? What are you doing up there?!" Somehow, Shioi emerged from one of the vents in the ceiling . "Akatsuki-chan is teaching us some ninja techniques. It''s fun." (Shioi) I going to have to whack that girl later. "For now, just come down. It''s dangerous." I went forward to get ready to catch her. Shioi just let herself fall on me. "Woah hey! What are you doing?" "He he!" (Shioi) Shioi hopped off my arms and dust herself. "Wah. It''s so dusty in there." "What did you expect? There are some cobwebs in your hair." "Eww..." (Shioi) Seems Shioi is here, I decided to get her to help me with the doc.u.ments. She agreed immediately. "Hmm? Admiral, this report..." Shioi handed over a stack of papers. It''s an report on some weird enemy encountered by Yokosuka''s 2nd scouting fleet. Although they didn''t engaged it, they observed it''s abilities. It has an drone which resembles an hammerhead shark, and was creating black sh.i.p.s out of thin air. It was even observed to teleport around while creating these sh.i.p.s. It was definitely not an Abyssal. With the existence of Azur Lane and their enemies acknowledged, this summoner type is most probably a Siren. There even a rough sketch by Akigumo. A long haired girl in a sailor uniform with a hammerhead shark. "This is concerning. I better inform Azur Lane''s commander about this." "That looks like a Purifier." (???) "When did you come in?" Akatsuki was looking over my shoulder. How did I not notice? "Ninjas have ways to appear when you least expect." (Akatsuki) "She made a hole in the ceiling and dropped behind you." (Shioi) "You better fixed it!" "Waah! Traitor! Thoppit! Leg go ob by heeks! (Akatsuki) ---------------------------- "I didn''t met one, but I heard a Purifier is one of the strongest Sirens. It has powers that defy physics. It can teleport, bend time and even fate. It''s truly an fearsome foe." (Akatsuki) "I see. How terrifying." "Hey, be more nervous. The Purifier is really powerful!" (Akatsuki) "Right right. Less taking, more repairing!" With the existence of Shipgirl and Abyssal constantly appearing out of nowhere, it''s not surprising to hear that the Sirens have one enemy which is overpowered. While the Abyssals rely on raw firepower and armour, it looks like the Sirens rely mainly on otherworldly powers. I think. It''s almost night and I''m just about done with all my work for today. "Shioi, you can go now. I can manage from here." "Really? There are still quite a lot of work left." (Shioi) Okay maybe not all of my work. "I can handle those myself. If not, I will just leave them for tomorrow." "I got it. Good work for today, Admiral." (Shioi) "Thanks for your help. Oh, I take this ninja with you." "Eh? I can leave now?" (Akatsuki) "That shabby woodwork is alright. Iwill get Akashi to fix that hole properly tomorrow. you better be thankful to her!" "Huh?! Akashi-chan doesn''t focus on making gems here? She does work?" (Akatsuki) "What the hell are you talking about? Oh and your equipment should be repaired by tomorrow. So you can leave once it''s done." I have a feeling that Commander won''t be coming to pick her up. "Really? Yay! I can finally go home!" (Akatsuki) "Right right. Now go get some sleep. You know where is your bed right?" "Yep. In the infirmary." (Akatsuki) Yes, we decided to let her rest there for the time being. I can''t possibly make her sleep in my bed or my couch, right? Still, this is still quite a lot of work left. I have finished the main task, which is the typhoon report and the resource reports, but there is still more. Training schedules, operational plans, lots of things which we may not be involved in. "Yeah, I''ll finish some of them and do the rest tomorrow." Chapter 44 - 41 Even though I said that I would finish whatever leftover work I have, things don''t always go according to plan. This guy... really does whatever he wants. Yuudachi came running to me when I was changing, telling me that Zuihou''s enemy has arrived. I have no idea what she was talking about until I saw them. A small crowd has gathered at the port. Azur Lane''s Commander brought 5 shipgirl''s with him. I don''t supposed he brought them as escorts. He obviously wants to have a practice excercise, since the previous one got cut short due to Zuihou breaking down. "I don''t think I need to ask why you are here for. Geez. I asked you to pick your shipgirl up, not come for am excercise." "What great perception you have. Since I need to send someone to pick Akatsuki-chan up, so why not have an excercise as well?" (Commander) "You... In the first place, how did you come here? I don''t see any normal sh.i.p.s behind." "That''s a secret." He definitely made one of them carry him all the way here. "Fine. I go ask if they want to fight." "That''s okay poi! I already informed Shigure and Agano-san.They are bringing the others here." (Yuudachi) That''s fast! Oh well, the others have no problem taking them one I guess. Shigure may have some problem, so long as Yamashiro gets hurt. Zuihou is the one I''m more concerned of. It''s barely a month since she recovered. I might sound overprotective but Isn''t it too early for her to fight the foe she was so afraid of? "There they are." (Yuudachi) Just as she said, fleet 1 gathered at the port. Looks like I don''t have much of a choice. "Are the conditions still the same?" "Yep. Let''s use the same rules and conditions." (Commander) "Fubuki?" "Yes?" (Fubuki) "Escort Azur Lane to the the Practice rest area. I''ll meet them there." "Roger! Erm... Commander-san? Please follow me." (Fubuki) "Ohh. You look so different from my Fubuki." "Eh? Is that so?" (Fubuki) I watched as they trail off in the distance. "You girls know what''s going on. Zuihou, are you alright with this?" "I-I''m fine. I can fight!" (Zuihou) She is trying to put on a brave front again. I can''t try to shelter her like this. There has to be a way where I can make her feel less scared of them. Hmm...? There is a small yellowish glow around Zuihou''s petite body. Isn''t this...?! I scooped her off her feet and ran towards the factory. "Eh? Admiral? What are you...?" (Zuihou) "Just come with me. The rest of you get ready. Wait for us at the Practice area!" -------------------------- "How is it?" "Not yet but she is close. I''m surprised you managed to picked up on that faint glow. Usually you only bring them in when the glow intensifies." (Akashi) "How long do you think I have been doing this? So, how long will it take?" "I can prepare and calibrate everything in 2 hours. Fitting may take 1 hour. Once the glow gets whiter, then it will be a perfect fit." (Akashi) "Alright. We will see you in 2 hours." "Erm... Admiral? What''s all this about?" (Zuihou) This girl still has no idea what''s going on. "Hey, Zuihou. If you win this, I have a reward for you." "A reward? What kind of reward?" (Zuihou) Her eyes gleamed. That got her motivated. Now to make sure she can do it. "You will know when you win. Oh, and I came up with a strategy for you guys." "Isn''t giving us orders against the rules?" (Zuihou) "Not when I give it to you before it starts." "Oh I see. So, what''s the plan?" (Zuihou) "It''s simple. You just need to surprise them." Chapter 45 - 42 I know this is a practice excercise between two different Naval Bases but why are they making this into a festival? For some reason, when Zuihou and I went to the excercise area, the entire base is in a festive mood. Even the other Azur Lane shipgirls are here. When did they arrive? Was I gone for that long? "Oh Admiral! How do you like it? Everyone looks happy! Now we don''t need to worry about raising tensions between both sides." (Yuubari) "Yuubari... Did you plan this?" "Admiral, sorry for doing it without informing you. I''m the one that told her organize something to keep the base morale up." (Ooyodo) "No, I''m not angry. Just surprised. If Ooyodo was the one that allowed it, then fine. This will definitely ease some tension. Still, I''m impressed that you can get the fairies to set all this up in such a short time." "Ahaha... Actually the fairies were itching to prepare for another festival." Oh, so they were already prepared. "Admiral, I will go get ready." (Zuihou) "Alright. Go get em!" "Yes!" (Zuihou) Zuihou ran off to get her riggings and equipment. It seems that Yuubari and Ooyodo scheduled the excercise at 1300 hours, so I have 30 minutes to mingle around. We just had a summer festival the other day and now this. Just how much resources did the fairies use? They better make a profit out of this. I hope I don''t meet that commander. "Oh! You are here!" (Commander) Speak of the devil. The Commander was stuffing his face with Yakisoba while a shipgirl resembling a maid looked on. If I remember correctly, her name is Belfast, right? "This is impressive. I was in the observation room when I heard some loud noises outside. I was surprised to see all these booths appear when I came out. It looks fun so I gathered the other girls from my base. Did you plan all these?" "Not exactly. How far is your base from here? How are your girls able to arrive so quickly?" "Ah about that. We got permission from your main HQ, so we made a man-made island off-shore. That''s where I live now." (Commander) He pointed towards a small structure in the distance. How much funds and resources Azur Lane have? A man-made island? And one that''s close to my district too. Mire importantly, why wasn''t I informed about this?" "Master, it''s about time." (Belfast) "Hmm? Already? I haven''t finished going to all the stores yet." (Commander) "We can do it slowly after the excercise. Come on, let''s go." --------------------------------- "Hello everyone!" (???) A rather familiar voice appeared from the PA system. Followed by one I have never heard before. "Today is a practice excercise between IJN and Azur Lane! How exciting!" "I know right! Ah... Before that, we should introduce ourselves!" "Oh right! I completely forgot. Teehee." "Nice to meet you! I am from Maizuru Naval District, I-19! Calling me ''Iku'' is fine!" (iku) "Me too. Type B submarine I-19!" (I-19) "Today we will be your MCs!" (Both) The whole area erupted with cheers and applause. Iku being the MC is something I never thought was possible. "Iku- Chan, today isn''t the first match between Azur Lane and Maizuru, isn''t it?" (I-19) "That''s right! The first time was a few months ago. but something happened so we had to cancel halfway. For the sake of our shipgirls, I won''t release the details." (Iku) "Aww~ Now I''m curious." (I-19) "But I heard that now, she is stronger than before. We will definitely win this round!" (Iku) "Really? Enterprise and Yorktown are pretty strong you know?" (I-19) "Of course! I''m the Sniper of the Ocean! I never miss my target!" (Iku) "Hey! That''s my title too! And what does that have to do with this?" (I-19) "Now without further ado, let''s introduce our teams." "Starting with our away team, Azur Lane''s mobile fleet 1! Consisting of six members, Aircraft Carriers Yorktown and Enterprise, Light Cruisers Belfast and Prinz Eugen, Destroyer Akatsuki-chan and Battleship Nagato-chan!" (I-19) That small girl in red is Nagato!? She is almost as small as Asashio! "From Maizuru Naval District is our very own Fleet 1! Light Cruiser Agano-san, Heavy Cruiser-" "Light Aircraft Carrier! Geez!" (Suzuya) "Oh sorry! Light aircraft carriers Suzuya-san and Zuihou-chan, Destroyers Shigure-chan and Yuudachi-chan, and Aviation Battleship Yamashiro-san!" The whole area cheered once again. "The rules of this excercise are simple. Both teams must take out the enemy flagship. The flagship will be marked with a white flag with a blue insignia. Azur Lane''s flag has a bird." (I-19) "And Maizuru''s has a cat." (Iku) "They are not allowed to received any orders from command." "So Commander/Admiral. Please stick to the rules." (Both) "They are in sync." (Commander) "They are the same ship." Now, enough talking! Let''s get this excercise started! Everyone, do your best!" (Both) The alarm rang, signalling the start of the excercise. Both teams left their starting area. From the screen, it''s pretty easy to tell who is Azur Lane''s flagship. The only one holding the flag is battleship Nagato, which is stuck high up on that oversized mast of hers. I still cant get over how this small loli is a battleship. As for my side, well, that''s a surprise for later. On the screen, the conversations from both teams are being broadcast to us. Of course, they can''t hear it. "Zuihou, sense anything?" (Agano) "No. I don''t think they laughed their planes yet. We can keep moving at this speed." (Zuihou) "Roger!" (All) "Will this plan work poi?" (Yuudachi ) "It has to work, because I don''t know what to do if it doesn''t." (Zuihou) "That being said, they have Nagato on their team. I don''t know if we can even damage her. Nagato is strong, you know?" (Yamashiro) "Well, we can only find out later. Let''s get into range for now." (Suzuya) Meanwhile, on the other side... Azur Lane has stopped moving, and entered a diamond formation. "I''m tired..." (Nagato) "Is this the strength of the Sakura Empire? I expected more from a member of the big 7." (Enterprise, in a mocking tone) "How dare you speak to your flagship like that?! Apologize this instance!" (Akatsuki) "Shut it, pipsqueak!" (Enterprise) "Sister please. this is no time to be fighting amongst ourselves." (Yorktown) "Eagle Union and Sakura Empire still can''t get along?" "Yorktown is a rather prideful woman. Most of the Sakura Empire girls can stand her. Sorry you had to see this..." (Commander) The Commander is trying his embarrassment. "I don''t mind. It''s natural to fight against your enemies." "Only this time, they are supposed to be allies." (Commander) As Azur Lane continues to argue amongst themselves, Fleet 1 is moving at a steady speed forward. Iku and I-19 are, of course, describing and giving their own insights on this matter. "Isn''t this a problem?" (Iku) "Yorktown-san is fine. But Enterprise-san is kind of annoying. Most of us don''t really like her. I don''t Nagato-chan though. Those cannons look really heavy." (I-19) "Our fleet 1 is moving steadily. At this rate, the can make the opening shot on- ah! Yorktown-san just launched a plane." (Iku) "That''s just a recon plane. Similar to our Saiun." (I-19) "Ah. An enemy aircraft is approaching. It''s a little faint, since it''s still far away." (Zuihou) "What kind?" (Shigure) "It''s just one, so maybe a Recon plane? Let''s take it down. Suzuya-san?" (Zuihou) "On it!" (Suzuya) Using her new flight deck, Suzuya launched a Reppu in front. My girls at Maizuru know about Zuihou''s new found ability, but not the girls from Azur Lane. "What is this? How did she know?" "Hmhm. Because of that incident, our Zuihou-chan trained herself to listen out for the sounds aircrafts make. With this, she can tell what can of planes are in the air. Awesome, right?!" A little exagaration there, Iku. I have heard reports of Zuihou intercepting enemy planes before they even show up on radar. It wasn''t clear before, but now I am sure of it. She is unconsciously using Passive Acoustic Location alongside her radar. Passive Acoustic Location uses the sound or vibration of an object to determine its location. This technique became obsolete back before the great war, when radars were invented. For some reason, Zuihou was able to use this ancient method. Since planes make a lot of noise and vibrations through the air, Zuihou made use of these vibrations in the air to determine the quantity and direction they are coming from. In short, she is just extremely sensitive to the surrounding air. And is unknowingly using it to her advantage. "This is surprising. I didn''t think i would see someone using this old method of detection. On its own, it''s not as effective as a radar." (Commander) "But if you can detect the subtle vibrations in the air, you can predict where is it coming from." "This looks like this will be more interesting than I thought." (Commander) Now then, who will win? Maizuru or Azur Lane? Chapter 46 - 43 Suzuya''s Reppu shot down the Recon plane Yorktown launched. It''s owner noticed almost immediately and quickly informed her teammates, albeit a little confused. "One of their fighter planes just went straight into range and took out my scout! How did they managed to pinpoint it''s location?" (Yorktown) "Did they use a Fighter to as a scout instead?" (Prinz Eugen) "Don''t be stupid! A Scout plane is much better for reconnaissance. A fighter plane is used for interception." (Enterprise) "Could be range of their radar is larger than we expected?" (Nagato) "Possibly... but what kind of ship has a radar with such a large detection range?" (Yorktown) "Whatever the case, let''s just advance. Since their plane moved straight to attack ours, they must be straight ahead as well. Mobile fleet 1, advance!" (Nagato) -Back at fleet 1- "Enemy plane eliminated. Retrieving planes." (Suzuya) "Good! We managed to blind them for a bit. Let''s attack them from an angle." (Agano) "Good idea. At least we can take them by surprise." (Shigure) "They must be thinking that we are moving straight at them. Ehehe. This could be fun!" (Suzuya) "Well then, let''s move... um... that way!" (Zuihou) Fleet 1 moved towards north-north east. Whilst Azur Lane''s mobile fleet 1 continued advancing straight. "Maybe it wasn''t a good idea to put Nagato as the flagship... I should have picked a more experienced shipgirl as the flagship." (Commander) "But isn''t Nagato the main flagship for the Sakura Empire? She is one of the Big 7." Yeah. I know that. The thing is... I only found her last week. She is cute, has a nice voice, has overwhelming firepower and an adorable figure, but she lacks experience in leading a fleet." (Commander) "Did you just say the same thing twice? Wait, you found Nagato last week and you putting as flagship for your main fleet?" "Yeah. Don''t you do that too?" *sigh* "Of course not! I don''t know how things work on your side but I always give them training before doing such things. A flagsh.i.p.s role is to lead the fleet to victory. As you can see, Nagato-san is making a beginners mistake by advancing straight ahead and not consider any other options. By the way, why aren''t the rest saying anything to correct this?" "I ordered them to listen to whatever Nagato-chan says and not guide her along the way. I thought this was a good way to give her some experience..." (Commander) "You dumbass!" "Thank you for your insight, Admiral! So that means the winners has already been decided?" (Iku) "Hey! When did you start broadcasting us?" "It''s true that Nagato-chan made a mistake. Geez, our Commander really is a dumbass." (I-19) "Oi!" (Commander) "But when it comes to raw firepower, no one in this match can beat her! So we still have a chance!" (I-19) Right now, Fleet 1 has took a semi-circle route towards Mobile Fleet 1. They should right about... "Enemy fleet spotted. I will show you the nightmare of Solomon!" (Yuudachi) "What the? They came from there? All sh.i.p.s, cannons at the ready! Feuer!" (Prinz Eugen) ...Now. Both teams launched a volley of fire at each other. Fortunately, these are just training rounds, but they still hurt like the real thing. The aircraft carriers launched their bombers and fighters, starting a dogfight in the skies. "The battle has started!" (Iku) As Iku announced, the whole audience cheered. The moment everyone has been waiting for is finally happening! Being faster sh.i.p.s, Akatsuki, Prinz Eugen, and Belfast went forward to draw fire whilst Nagato prepares for the next wave of shelling. Yorktown and Enterprise remained near the back, launching their planes. "The same trick won''t work twice!" (Agano) Agano launched her torpedos at the three of them. Akatsuki and Belfast were able to move out of the way in time, but not Prinz Eugen. The torpedos exploded upon contact. "Yes! A direct hit!" (Agano) Or so it seems... Orbiting around Prinz Eugen were three hexagonal walls of light. These ''shields'' protected her from getting damaged. "What the hell is that?" "Its a special skill my shipgirls can used. Each of them have a unique skill. For example, Prinz Eugen''s skill are those three shields." (Commander) "That''s cheating!" "Maybe. But isn''t this more interesting than a normal match?" (Commander) Azur Lane shipgirls have a special skill... If that''s the case, we may have a problem. Wait a minute... If these are the same girls as before, why didn''t they use those skills during our encounters? There must be a limit. "Eh? That''s so unfair!" (Agano) Agano continued her shelling at Prinz Eugen. For almost 10 seconds, she just stood there and took it, before evading. As she tries to regroup with the rest of her team, one of Suzuya''s Suisei manage to score a hit on her. "Hehe... Now it''s gotten interesting." (Prinz Eugen) "Eugen, get back! We will take it from here." (Belfast) "Don''t worry. I can still fight." (Prinz Eugen) Now her shields didn''t appear. So there is some kind of condition to be met. And she can''t use it in quick succession. "My enemies, now it''s going to hurt a little bit for you." (Belfast) Belfast fired her cannons, hitting Shigure directly. Yuudachi''s clothing are in pieces and her equipment on fire. "Geez, no way! I''m all tattered, aren''t I?" (Agano) "Eh? I''m so sorry! I didn''t mean for this to happen at all." (Belfast) Did she forget what happened back then? This shouldn''t be the first time she saw Agano in this condition. Almost everyone was damaged during our first encounter. "No matter how many times I see it, I''m still surprised." (Commander) "Stop staring!" "Agano-san, major damage. As per the rules, Yuudachi-chan will be retrieved from the match. Imuya-chan, Goya-chan, if you please!" Imuya and Goya appeared from beneath the water surface and pulled Yuudachi away. "Wai- What? You guys were here the whole time?!" (Agano) "Surprised? Let''s get you out of here first dechi." (Goya) "Wahh! Goya-san! Imuya-san!" (Akatsuki) Akatsuki waved at them. Looks like she is happy to see her new friends. "Akatsuki-chan!" (Goya) "Come on! Let''s go already! Akatsuki-chan, concentrate on what''s behind you!" (Imuya) " Behind m- ?" (Akatsuki) "Hey pipsqueak! Behind you!" (Enterprise) "!!!" "Wah! That''s brutal. Akatsuki-chan is unable to battle anymore!" (I-19) "Take her away Ro-chan, Shioi-chan!" (Iku) "Too bad, Akatsuki-chan." (Shioi) Shigure can be scary sometimes. While Akatsuki was distracted by the submarine girls, Shigure came up from behind and scored a headshot at point-blank range, knocking her out of the match. "That''s cheating!" (Commander) "It''s her fault that she got distracted. At least Imuya gave her a warning." With Agano and Akatsuki out, both sides are evened out. Actually no. Prinz Eugen is also out. Zuihou''s Tenzan managed to land a torpedo on her. Oh now I get it. There is a cool down between each skill use and only a chance of it happening. Some of them are like buff skills, like Belfast. It looks like her skill gives her shells an additional burning effect. That''s why Agano was taken out in one hit and her equipment was on fire. "Focus on their flagship! Who is holding on to the flag?" (Nagato) "Is it that one? The girl with the white flag." (Yorktown) "A destroyer as a flagship? Oh whatever. Enterprise-san, take her out!" "You don''t have to tell me that!" (Enterprise) Enterprise launched a squadron of Curtis Helldivers and Douglas Destroyers. All these are dive bombers. "Yorktown, back me up!" (Enterprise) "On it sister!" (Yorktown) Yorktown launched her squadron of Grumman F4F wildcats. These are most probably to escort Enterprises bomber squadron. "Zuihou-chan!" (Suzuya) "Yeah!" (Zuihou) Zuihou and Suzuya launched more fighters to intercept. Shigure and Yuudachi proceed to shoot down as many planes as they can. Yamashiro''s shelling manage to damage Belfast, who in turn launched her own torpedos in the light carriers direction. The torpedos made contact and a loud explosion occured, followed by screams and a thick smoke. "Suzuya-san! Zuihou-chan!" (Yamshiro) "Suzuya-san is seriously damaged! She is out!" (Iku) "How dare you!" (Yuudachi) "Yuudachi, wait! Don''t go too far!" (Shigure) Despite Shigure''s pleas, Yuudachi rushed forward towards Belfast. Once she was in torpedo range, Yuudachi launched all of her torpedos. With damage sustained from Yamashiro, Belfast couldn''t retreat, nor was she able to evade in time. "Belfast-san is out of the battle! Submarine unit, please take her away!" (I-19) "Yuudachi, get out of the way!" "Eh?" A bomb from a Helldiver landed on where Yuudachi was. "Shigure!" Yuudachi fell to her knees beside a fallen Shigure. Shigure took the blow from Yuudachi, as a result, she suffered some major damage. "Why? Why did you cover for me?" (Yuudachi) "Of course I would. We are friends. I''m leaving the rest to you..."(Shigure) "Shigure!!!" (Yuudachi) What''s with this dramatic moment? Even the submarine girls, who just surfaced, are looking on in bewilderment. They look unsure as to when to retrieve her. Chapter 47.5 -Yokosuka Multi-base Excercise Day 5- "And that concludes my report." (Kaga) "Thank you Kaga. Get some rest." (Yokosuka) "Yes." (Kaga) Yokosuka''s Admiral flipped through a stack of papers. "This matches with the reports you sent in. We may have to come up with a new strategy against them." (Yokosuka) "This war is getting worse. Our resources are taking a beating." (Sasebo) "I have seen a few Siren warsh.i.p.s around my area once. They just... float in a distance? Is that the right word? Whatever. They were just there, not moving at all." (Kure) "How close were they?" (Yokosuka) "I mentioned it in one of my reports. I think they were just outside our trap zone." (Kure) "That''s very close! You didn''t repel them or anything?!" (Sasebo) "At that time, we still didn''t know about the Sirens. I thought they were normal sh.i.p.s." (Kure) "For the sirens, I think we should just leave it to Azur Lane. Their technology is way more advanced than ours. I have seen it." "Right. You are friends with their commander." (Sasebo) "We are getting off-track here. We need to think of ways to defeat the abyssals." (Yokosuka) "How about a nuke?" (Brunei Anchorage) "Don''t be an idiot!" (All) ------------------------------- In the end, no one managed to come up with a good feasible idea. We were all over the place. "Seriously, a nuke? Can''t believe he would come up with such an idea." (Sasebo) "Yours wasn''t good either. Where are you going to get that much manpower to operate the warship of yours?" We both silently drank our soda. After sitting and discussing for so long, everything tastes refreshing. "So, not going to check back on your girls?" (Sasebo) "With that line and the amount of break time we have?" I gestured towards the long line at the only phone booth in this base. We only have a few minutes to rest before the meeting continues. Obviously there won''t be enough time for me to call back. Even though I want to. I miss Zuihou already. "Let''s go back. The board of directors are joining us now." "Great. This is going to get even messier." (Sasebo) ---------------------------------- -Maizuru Naval Base. 0100 hours- Finally I''m back. This whole excercise thing was an absolute waste of time. In the end, the board decided to carry on what we have been doing all this time. No new plans, no new weapons, nothing! They said it was too expensive and risky to initiate anything new. In the end, they were only concerned of their paycheck. To think they were the ones that said ''We need to get rid of this threat to humanity, no matter the cost.'' This is outrageous. Ah whatever. At least this whole thing ended a day earlier. It''s late already. I should go to bed. The base is so quiet at this timing. Well, of course it is. It''s 1am in the morning. Everyone else has to be asleep by now. I half-expected my office to be as messy as I left it before I left, but someone must have tidied the place up. The doc.u.ments are neatly stacked in one corner of the desk, in order as well. It''s organized properly so I could get back in the swing of things once I return. I wonder who did it? Mmm... Yeah I''m too tired to think probably. Let''s just go to bed. I went to my room... Huh? Why are the lights in my room switched on? !!!!!??? Okay I should have known Zuihou would sneak into my bed again. but why is she wearing my coat. Furthermore, she didn''t button it up so I can almost see everything! This is a little too much for my v.i.r.g.i.n eyes. ... Since she is sleeping so soundly, I should just let her be. I tried pulled the blanket over her half-n.a.k.e.d body. I''m not sure if she is a light-sleeper or something, but as soon as my hand touched the bed. "Nhhmm..." (Zuihou) Zuihou''s eyes opened halfway. "Ah sorry. Did I wake-???" Zuihou wrapped her arms around me and pulled me towards her. "...Admiral..." (Zuihou) Is she half-asleep? I tried to struggle my way out, but she just squeezed harder. It doesn''t hurt. It feels warm and... comfortable.... "Mmh? Huh? Admiral? Eh? You''re real?" (Zuihou) Looks like she finally woke up. I just laid there while she is still confused. I''m already at my limit. "Yes, I''m real." "Didn''t you say you''re coming back tomorrow?" (Zuihou) "The meeting ended early. Sorry Zuihou. I''m really tired..." "Ah. I see." (Zuihou) I felt her fingers brush through my hair. "Welcome back, Admiral. Thank you for your hard work." (Zuihou) Chapter 47 - 44 "Did I get her?" (Enterprise) "No. The other girl blocked it." (Yorktown) "Tch. This is getting irritating. Hey, flagship! Their carriers were down a long time ago. What''s taking you so long to finish them of?! Just take them down already!" (Enterprise) "Don''t tell me what to do! It''s hard enough with that Battleship firing on me. I got hit a few times already." (Nagato) "Argh! Fine! You just need that Battleship to be out of action, right?" (Enterprise) Enterprise launched a squadron of Douglas Destroyers towards Yamashiro. "It''s over!" (Enterprise) The Douglas Destroyers released their load at Yamashiro. ''Tch! Of course it has to be torpedos. Everyone, I''m counting on you to finish the rest." (Yamashiro) Yamashiro has a weakness against torpedos since she is always unable to evade in time. And it seems that Enterprise''s skill gives a attack boost to her planes. Although Yamashiro has a huge amount of armour, even she wouldn''t be able to withstand an explosion that big. "Oh no! Yamashiro-san is out!" (Iku) "YAY! It''s our win!" (I-19) "Hmm... I knew this was the outcome. My girls are just too strong." "You think so? It''s not over yet." "Come on. Be real. What''s can a lone destroyer do against two aircraft carriers and a battleship? Not to mention, she is your flagship." "Did I say she was the flagship?" The remaining three Azur Lane shipgirls begin advancing upon Yuudachi. It''s as though Yorktown and Enterprise have ran out for planes to launch immediately. Nagato... is tired... I think. "Ohh! Yuudachi-chan is in danger!" (Iku) "Now, all your friends are out of the match. Please surrender as flagship. we don''t want to hurt you anymore than necessary." (Yorktown) "Flagship? Me? No no no. You got it all wrong." (Yuudachi) "Eh?" (Nagato) "Huh?!" (Commander) "I didnt say she was the flagship." "Wait. Aren''t you carrying the flag? That means you are the flagship!" "Huh?! What are you saying poi?!" (Yuudachi) Yuudachi spun around, showing her back to the rest. "This is just my sail poi! It''s part of my equipment poi! There isn''t a cat there poi!" (Yuudachi) "Eh? But we took all of you out." (Enterprise) "Wait... how many names did we hear? Everytime one of us is unable to continue fighting, the MC calls out our names and status." (Yorktown) "I don''t really remember." (Enterprise) "Erm... I heard Agano, Suzuya, Shigure and Yamashiro." "That''s four." (Yorktown) "!!!" (All) "The tiny green one!" (Yorktown and Enterprise) "Oww! What?!" (Nagato) A few bombs hit Nagato from behind. A squadron of Suisei Model 12A flew by. Another squadron of Tenzens flew in from her right, dropping their torpedos the process. Only one managed to hit. "Sorry I''m late!" (Zuihou) "About time poi!" Zuihou came into view from behind. Her clothes a little burnt, but she seems fine enough. A flag with a cat insignia fluttered behind her. "Sorry! Leave the rest to me!" (Zuihou) "We have been had! She was the flagship all along! The flag was just small enough to hide behind her!" (Enterprise) "I still can use my fighters." (Yorktown) "No! That torpedo took out my rotor! I can''t move!" (Nagato) "We will decide this at long range. Attack corps, take off!" (Zuihou) Zuihou launched all of her remaining planes. Tenzens, Suiseis, Reppu Kai, all have Nagato on their sights. Yorktown''s fighters managed to intercept some, but the end results was clear. All of Zuihou''s planes launched their bombs and torpedos at the Nagato. Even though she is a battleship with strong armour, it cannot survive multiple hits from bombs and torpedos. With that... "No way! Flagship Nagato-chan is unable to continue fighting!" (1-19) "The winner is our Fleet 1!" (Iku) The audience cheered loudly. I can see some of the Azur Lane girls look a bit pissed. I''m sure they will get over it soon. "uuu... I failed everyone again... (Nagato) "Come on, don''t cry." (Zuihou) Zuihou reached her hand out for a crying Nagato. "That was a good match poi!" (Yuudachi) "I got to admit, that was a smart move. You''ve gotten stronger the last time i saw you." (Enterprise) "Eek!" (Zuihou) Zuihou quickly hid behind Yuudachi. She is still afraid of them... "Wow! How did none of us notice her? You are their Admiral. Tell me, how did they do it?" (Commander) "Right I guess it was hard to notice." Let me explain. At the beginning of the match, both fleets were moving at a constant speed. Zuihou was hanging out near the back, making sure that the flag does not get blown too wildly by the wind. Another reason why no one noticed that Zuihou was the flagship was because of the camera angle. The match was live-streamed and would show a close-up on the girls while the moved and talked. It only zoomed out when the fighting started. When Nagato fired at Suzuya and Zuihou, the shell would have hit the both of them if Suzuya didn''t took the brunt of it. Using the smoke and Yamashiro as cover, Zuihou managed to hide from the camera''s view and circled behind Azur Lane. It wasn''t obvious but if you play it back, you can see the flag a Zuihou''s bow moving out of frame for a split second. After that, the others just needed to stall for time. By the way, don''t ask me how the camera works. Even I don''t understand that. "So when Yuudachi-chan reacted that way, it was all fake?" "Not really. Yuudachi is rather pugnacious. She knew that Zuihou would survived that blast, but she got angry because Suzuya got hurt. After that, when Shigure covered for her, I think that was real? That last part was just her usual self though. Although what they did can''t be used in a real battle, at least it worked during a excercise. "Thank you for the explanation,Admiral!" (Iku) "You were broadcasting me again?!" "Now that was a exciting match, wasn''t it? I really like the part when Yuudachi-chan revealed that she wasn''t the flagship. The whole interaction was just too funny." (Iku) "It''s a shame we lost, but we won''t lose the next time!" (I-19) "Well then, see you at the afterparty! Type-B Submarine I-19, signing off! Bye Bye!" (Iku & I-19) "An afterparty? How late do they plan to stay up?" Oh right! I almost forgot! I rushed out of the command room and head straight to the port. When I reached, the entire of Fleet 1 are already gathered, with a glowing figure at the center. "Eh? What? What is this?" (Zuihou) "Ooh! So it''s time!" (Agano) "What is this? What happening?" (Zuihou) "You will know when you go to factory." "Admiral!" (all) "Yo! Good work out there! If you want anything, don''t hesitate to tell me. It will be my treat." "Really? Awesome!" (Suzuya) "Thank you very much." (Yamashiro) "Yay! A reward poi!" (Yuudachi) "As for Zuihou," "Ho~e?" (Zuihou) "You always wanted a 2nd remodel, right? Come on, lets not keep Akashi waiting." "Fuah~!!! Awesome!!!" (Zuihou) I bought Zuihou to the factory, where Akashi was waiting. Actually, she ran all the way there. I just chased after her. She hasn''t resupplied and yet, she still has so much energy left. I waited patiently as Akashi retrieves the necessary materials and resources before carrying out the fitting process. It was a noisy process, with a lot of drilling and hammering noise. Like Akashi promised, the whole thing took about an hour. Once the noise was gone, Zuihou re-emerged from the curtains. She still has her green outfit. This time the muneate resemble more like a flight deck. She even gained something like a kusazuri, which hangs from her waist. Her bow is brown in colour and is larger than before. A small flight deck is attached to her back. Below it is her quiver. Additionally, she has 2 small-caliber cannons on each side. Most importantly, she actually grew taller and looks older now. Lets see... Previously, she was like a 12 year old child. Now she is, like, maybe 14 or 15 years old. "I''m Zuihou! I''ve gotten my major remodel! I''ll do my very, very best!" And her voice pitch is even higher now. Chapter 48 "Thank you, Admiral. For doing something like this." (Shigure) "No big deal. We haven''t done this in a while anyway." Shigure sat on my lap as I pet her head. Our work is more or less done, so Shigure requested for some ''skinship''. It really has been a while since I did this. She looks so comfortable. Zuihou is on duty today. So she won''t be back till evening. By the way, this isn''t cheating. I''m just giving shipgirl what she wanted. This is definitely not cheating. "Are sure this is enough?" I stroked her chin. "This is good~" (Shigure) "If you''re happy then." She nuzzled against me as I continued. I had this thought for a while, Shigure really does act like her sister, Yuudachi. Both have dog-like characteristics. Yuudachi is the more hyperactive and wild one while Shigure is much more quiet and relaxed. "I like it when Admiral does this." I wonder how it feels to be on the receiving side. Is it really that comfortable? "Is that so? Have some more then." I stroked her chin and pet her head at the same time. "Hyauu~~" (Shigure) Wow. It really looks like it feels good. Thats the face of pure bliss right there. The evening bell rang, signalling the end of the day. ""Oh. I promised Yuudachi I will meet her for dinner." (Shigure) Shigure jumped off my lap. "Good work, Admiral. Thank you for today." (Shigure) "Good work today. You are dismissed." Shigure left with a spring in her steps. Speaking of which, Zuihou should be done by now. Why isn''t she back yet? "Admiral... I''m back..." (Zuihou) Speak of the devil. Wait. Why does she look pissed? "Welcome back, Zuihou. Umm... How did it go?" "Nothing much. Just some Abyssal destroyers here and there." (Zuihou) Yeah. Somehow she is angry at something. Normally she doesn''t do her report in this manner. "Er... Is there something bothering you?" Zuihou didn''t answer. She just walked behind my desk and sat on my lap. "Um... Zuihou?" Suddenly, she violently rubbed her head against my body. "Oi. What''s wrong with you all of a sud..." Don''t tell me... "Muuu.... -ot fair." "Huh? What did you say?" "It''s not fair that Shigure is the only that gets that kind of treatment!" Ahh. I knew it. "Where were you watching from?" "From behind the door..." So she came back earlier but stood outside the whole time. This shipgirl... "Fine. You want something like this, right?" I did the same as what I did to Shigure, petting her head. "...more..." (Zuihou) "Alright alright." I felt a switch flipped inside me. Time to give her a ''full-body massge''. First, I stroked her chin for a few minutes. "Mmm~" Seriously, does it feel that good? "You want more, right?" Maybe it was because I whispered into her ear, Zuihou realized what I was about to do next. "Er... Wait a mi- fua!" (Zuihou) Like a harem protagonist from a typical ecchi light novel or manga, I proceed to rub her legs. Despite being out at sea for the entire day, her skin doesn''t have that kind for salty texture as a regular human would. There is this faint smell of salt and something sweet. "Why are you smelling me? Let me go!" (Zuihou) With one hand on her shoulder, I held her down while she struggled. Of course she would. I''m messing with her after all. With my free hand, I slowly moved from her legs towards her stomach. There''s a small gap in her kimono top. Perfect. As you expected, I stuck my hand in between her kimono top and went for her bare stomach. "Hahaha! That tickles. Agh geez! That enough!" (Zuihou) "You wanted more, didn''t you? This is my special treatment." While playing with her stomach, I detached her muneate. I think I should stop while I''m ahead. Though her reactions are really amusing, any more and I might not be able to control myself. "You know what I''m gonna do next, do you?" "Fweh?! A-admiral, let''s take a break. Okay? I-I have enough already." (Zuihou) Oh come on! If you show me that kind of ''maiden'' look, I really can''t control myself! Those quivering lips and tearful eyes... I will just mess around her hanger for a bit. Then I will stop. "Wait! A-admiral stop! Nhaa!!!" (Zuihou) Chapter 48 - 44.5 With permission from HQ and Akashi''s help, I managed to turn an empty room in the docks into an entertainment room. Filled with gaming consoles, board games and books, all bought with my own allowance. The books and board games are great but the girls seem to be more fascinated with how a television works and how they can control the characters on-screen with the various buttons on the controller. Can''t blame them though. They have never touched, let alone seen a television or a gaming console before. At least they are having fun. Following our victory over Azur Lane in that excercise, morale here has been high over the past week. Not till the point where they get all conceited and stuff. All of them were highly motivated to get things done. Expeditions were of great success. Abyssal fleets encountered on patrols and sorties were eliminated without anyone getting hurt. However, there were reports of black sh.i.p.s roaming around Abyssal-controlled areas. Looks like the sirens have been expanding their influence. Fleet 2 tried fighting some of these black sh.i.p.s and discovered that they are not much different from the Abyssals. In fact, they seem easier. Just like what was shared by Azur Lane, the siren troops are almost entirely mechanical, making them easy to predict and destroy. The only ones that are tough would be the humanoid ones, like the Purifier stated in one of Yokosuka''s reports. Thankfully, the Abyssals and Sirens seem to be fighting each other for now. 2 days ago, fleet 3 returned from their expedition later than usual. They reported that on their way back, they witnessed siren sh.i.p.s and a small Abyssal fleet attacking each other. They had to make a detour to avoid being caught in the crossfire. Because of this, now I need to put together an exploration fleet to secure a new expedition route. It''s a headache but I will be putting my girls at risk of I don''t do it. "This will be your first mission. Are you alright? It''s normal to feel nervous." The blonde girl with twintails and big chest size took a deep breathe. "Yes, roger. " This girl is CVE-73 Gambier Bay, an escort carrier, the same as Zuihou in her Kai Ni B form. She is one of the two foreign shipgirls who just transferred from Yokosuka two days ago. I have seen her training before and I can say she is almost on pat with the regular aircraft carriers. Being an American shipgirl, she mixes both English and Japanese together. The others may be a bit wary of them though. She is a scaredy-cat. Her low self-esteem is rather evident. She is definitely what I would call a marshmallow type, fluffy but a bit too soft. The other girl is Jervis. Or Lucky Jervis, as she calls herself. Currently she is on an expedition with Furutaka''s fleet. Jervis is a J-class destroyer from Europe. Likewise, she mixes both English and Japanese when she speaks. Unlike Gambier Bay, she is a cheerful and enthusiastic girl. She is almost the same Iku. "Okay then. I will start the briefing. Basically, you will be following Hiryuu and Souryuu to look for a safe expedition route. The three of you are to recon ahead and thin out enemy lines if necessary. Yuudachi, Shimakaze and Mutsuki will clear out the rest and place the markers to secure the route. That''s the oversimplified version. Any questions?" "Erm... Do I have to relay this message to the rest?" "No. The others already know their roles. I actually planned for the five of them to do this but since you just joined, it''s a great time to give you some experience." " Who is this Hiryuu?" "You will know when you go to the port." Gambier Bay left the office. She asked a ton of questions like, will this mission be painful, how many enemies are there. Now I having doubts about sending her for this. "Admiral-san, let''s play poi!" (Yuudachi) Yuudachi came bursting in and ran straight to my desk. "Wai-! Yuudachi..." "Hey! Admiral has work to do. Don''t disturb him!" (Ooyodo) Ooyodo grabbed Yuudachi by her head. Or should I say gripped? That looks painful... "I going to die of mistreatment poi!!" (Yuudachi) "Ooyodo, don''t be rough with her." "Geez... Admiral you are way too soft. How many left?" (Ooyodo) "Just the report on the Siren activity. Once Hiryuu comes back, it will be rescheduling of the expeditions." "How many times have we re-route this year? This is more chaotic than before." (Ooyodo) "I know. Right now, Azur Lane is trying to curb the situation at their end. But all this interference is really troublesome. The Abyssals aren''t that bad. At least they stayed within the areas they took over." I rubbed Yuudachi''s head. This is somewhat relaxing. "Come on, Yuudachi. Let''s not disturb Admiral any further." Ooyodo brought Yuudachi out. Alright, back to work. So much needs to be done today... In the evening, Hiryuu came back. In addition to the expedition route secured, she also reported on Gambier Bays performance. Apart from screaming in fear, it looks like she performed pretty well for her first performance. Good, now that''s one problem solved. Time for the hard part. Chapter 49 Admiral''s hands caressed my body. From my head to my back to legs, he made sure not to miss a spot. At first, it felt weird, but soon it started feeling good. His hands gently cupped my chest and started massaging them. "Nh... Admiral..." "Shh... don''t speak. Leave it to me." (Admiral) "Hyah!" This is embarrassing but how does it feel so good. He is just massaging them... "Hmm... You are getting pretty wet down here." (Admiral) "Don''t... Mh... say such embarrassing things... Nh!" This is bad. I can hold back my voice! "Let''s give this part some love as well." (Admiral) "Admiral wait! Don''t...! Hyau!" *Thump!!* Oww... Eh? Why am I on the floor? "Zuihou! Are you alright?" (Shouhou) Looking over me was my sister... I''m in my own room? "Shouhou..." "You suddenly fell off your bed. Your face is so red. Is it a fever?" (Shouhou) "I-I''m fine. Sorry for waking you up." "It''s okay. It''s going to be daybreak soon so I was just waking up. Are you really alright? That was a really loud fall." (Shouhou) "I''m fine. I''m fine." That was just a dream. It''s all because Admiral did that to me yesterday... Oh... I need to do the laundry before anyone finds out. ------------------------------ "Zuihou, reporting for-" I immediately kept quiet when I noticed Admiral was on the phone. He seems serious. "I suppose we can arrange it. If it''s a simple mission like you said." (Admiral) An operation? "Alright. Since you put it that way. Next time please inform me in advance. See you later." (Admiral) "Is there going to be an operation?" "Oh. Zuihou. Good morning." (Admiral) "Good morning, Admiral." "I know it''s sudden but I''m going to have to deploy you later." (Admiral) "So there is an operation." What is this tightness in my chest? "Azur Lane wants to observe the fight between the Abyssals and Sirens. They are sending 3 aircraft carriers and 3 cruisers to do the observation. However, they want us to act as escorts." "So fleet 1 will go in as the escort fleet?" "Correct. The area they want to observe is under our jurisdiction. So it makes more sense if we send in our own fleet. This could also be a chance for us to figure out the situation. Just keep our distance and everything should go smoothly." (Admiral) He went and pet my head. This is calming. I like it when Admiral does something this. "It shouldn''t be too dangerous but please come back safely." (Admiral) Admiral wrapped his arms around me. It''s times like this when he shows his softer side. "It will be fine." I gently pushed him away. "We are strong after all." ---------------------------------------------- "Fleet 1, you are almost at the rendezvous point. From this point, Azur Lane will be in charge."(Ooyodo) Roger!" "That doesn''t mean you can ignore my orders. If anything happens, I''ll step in and take over." (Admiral) "Uwaah~ Admiral you are observing this as well? (Suzuya) "Of course I am. I also need to observe Gambier Bay''s performance." "Hawawa!!" (Gambier Bay) A scared, blonde girl hid behind Shigure as soon as Suzuya turned around. "Aww~ It looks like she hates me..." (Suzuya) "It will be fine, Suzuya! Once you show her how cool you are, she will like you immediately!" (Agano) This girl is Gambier Bay, a foreign shipgirl who just transferred in a few weeks ago. Admiral decided that to temporarily add her into fleet since this mission heavily relies on planes and speed. She is light carrier as well. We are the same ship class but why is there a huge difference in size?! "Gambier Bay-san, Suzuya is not a scary person poi."(Yuudachi) "No way, no way! The Kurita Fleet is super scary, super dangerous..." (Gambier Bay) "Yeah... She really hates me..." (Suzuya) "Don''t worry! She will definitely like you soon!" (Agano) "Anyway, Yuudachi, what are you wearing?" Yuudachi had a dog''s head as a hat and dog paws. Or are those claws? She even wore a black cap and a fluffy tail stuck out from under her skirt. "Garuru...poi?" (Yuudachi) "That doesn''t answer my question..." "Are you the girls from from Maizuru?" (???) A mysterious but gentle voice echoed from our radio. This voice sounds familiar... "Zuihou-chan! Over here!" (???) In a distance, I could see a small hand waving towards us. Is that...? Ill.u.s.trious-san and Unicorn-chan! "Long time no see, Zuihou-chan!" "Unicorn-chan! Your japanese is more fluent now." This girl is Unicorn-chan, a Royal Navy light carrier. Back when I was kidnapped, she was the only one that tried to play with me despite the language barrier. "We meet again, Zuihou-san. (Ill.u.s.trious) "Ill.u.s.trious-san, long time no see." "Zuihou! Don''t run off on your own like that! Eh? You girls are from that time." (Suzuya) "Sorry for the trouble back then." (Ill.u.s.trious) Ill.u.s.trious-san and Unicorn-chan both bowed their the heads. "It''s no big deal. We are allies now." (Suzuya) "Eheehee..." (???) I felt a chill down my spine. I don''t see any Eagle Union shipgirls here, so why? "Zuihou-chan, look out!" (Unicorn) "Huh?" Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed me from behind and lifted me up. "What a cute destroyer!!!" (???) "Uwaah!!" "Gao! Put Zuihou down now poi!" (Yuudachi) "Ark Royal-san, that''s enough!" (Ill.u.s.trious) Chapter 49 - 45 I must have dozed off. My eyes feel a little heavy. The office lights were off and there''s a small desk lamp here. A blanket was also over my shoulders. Someone definitely came in here and set all these up. I''ve got a few ideas but for now, let''s just wash up. I will have to make my way to the docks to use the bathing facilities there. What a pain. Maybe I should ask the fairies to build a bathroom in my office. When I returned, I noticed some was amiss. Before leaving, I clearly remember putting my hat and gloves on the desk. Now both of them are gone. Did I put them in the laundry and forgot about it? Nah, it can''t be. The gloves are one thing, but I would never put the hat with the laundry. "Mn... Haa..." (???) I thought I heard something. Was it my imagination? "Haa... Nn..." (???) Nope, I wasn''t imagining it at all. Where is that sounds coming from? My bedroom? I made my way towards the bedroom. It''s faint but the sounds are definitely coming from inside. The door was slightly ajar, so I peered through the gap. The room was barely illuminated by the small night light I have on the bed stand but I can see someone on the bed. Her back was facing me so can''t make the face. She was wearing a small familar yukata and my hat. "...Fuuu~... Nn... Admiral..." (???) It seems that she is unconsciously calling out my name. Oh I see. So that''s what''s going on. It would be an embarrassment for the both us, so I''ll sleep on the sofa for now. Though I don''t think I can sleep well after seeing that. Maybe I should teach a lesson on being quiet while doing this sort of thing. ----------------------- "Admiral. Get up. It''s already late in the morning!" (Ooyodo) "Hmm? Oh-yodo. Good morning..." "That is not becoming a thing. Don''t tell me you pulled an all-nighter again?" (Ooyodo) "Not really. I was too tired to make my way to my bed. Fuah~" "Geez. I know your work is important but you need to take care of yourself." (Ooyodo) "I know. Thank you. I''m going to get changed now." "Got it. I will bring in today''s doc.u.ments later." (Ooyodo) I went to my bedroom to get a new set of uniform. I see that my bed sheet has been changed and made. My hat and gloves are back on the desk. She must have went all out last night and thought she managed to get away with it. I going to have fun teasing her about it. "Good morning, Admiral! Zuihou, reporting for duty!" (Zuihou) "Good morning, Zuihou. Let''s do our best today." "Yes!" (Zuihou) Today, apart from continuing the expedition schedule, there''s another exploration and a couple of sorties. Ooyodo passed today''s workload to me and left to monitor the sorties. "Fuah~" (Zuihou) "Didn''t sleep well?" "Eh? N-not really." (Zuihou) "Me too. Last night, my bed and gloves were gone and there was this weird noise coming from my bedroom." "E-ehh~? That sound scary..." (Zuihou) "I know. Because of that, I couldn''t get much sleep." I took a peek at Zuihou. As expected, her face is extremely red. She is still trying feign innocence. Let''s keep going. "I wonder who that was. It was a little dark so I couldn''t see well." "I-it might be an intruder. Shouldn''t you report this?" "Hmm... Maybe. If that person was a little more quieter I wouldn''t have noticed. Or if the door wasn''t ajar. Or if the night lamp wasn''t switched on." "!!!" "Hey, Zuihou..." "Y-yeah?" "How was I in your imagination?" "!!! You saw it!!! You saw it, didn''t it?! Uwaah~" Zuihou crouched on the floor, trying to hide her face with the clipboard she''s holding. I think she is on the verge of tears. "Well, I didn''t watch the whole thing. I just saw and heard a bit. I didn''t expect Zuihou to use me as material. Such a lewd shipgirl." "Uwaahhahhhh!!! Stop it! Don''t say anymore!!" At this point, she is actually crying. I may have gone too far. "Sorry. Your reactions are just so amusing. I couldn''t help myself." Now, Zuihou is in a sniveling mess. I patted her head in a attempt to calm her down. "Come on, don''t cry. I''m sorry I teased you." "-you see?" (Zuihou) "Huh?" "How much did you see?!" (Zuihou) "Like I said, I didn''t see much. I heard a strange sound coming from my room and the door was ajar so I went to check. The night lamp was on but I only saw your back and I could hear you. I was tired so I didn''t stay and continue peeping. But I do know you were so engrossed in your playtime that you didn''t hear me return from the bath. But seriously, how did you imagine me? "Uwaah enough already!!!" (Zuihou) I have acquired new teasing materials today. I''m pretty sure that I will be using this for ages. I waited patiently for Zuihou to calm down before continuing my work. *Sniff* "Admiral is such a meanie." (Zuihou) "Now you can''t call me pervert." "Shut up!!!" (Zuihou) "Hahaha!" "Say, Admiral?" (Zuihou) "What is it?" "Do you hate it if I''m like this?" (Zuihou) What''s with that question? I know Zuihou has feelings for me for a while now. She has showed signs from time to time. Last night''s act was also one of them. How should I answer this? I don''t want her to think I hate her because of that. "No, I don''t. Rather, I think it''s a little cute." "C-cute?!" (Zuihou) "Well, that means you are being true to yourself, right?" "..." (Zuihou) That didn''t sound bad, I think. Zuihou had gotten a little fl.u.s.tered, but at least I eased her worries, I hope. "Then," Zuihou grabbed my shoulders and pushed me out of the car and onto the floor. "Ow... What are you-" "Do you love me?" (Zuihou) ------------------------------------------------------- Eh? What? What''s with this sudden development? Alright calm down. When Shipgirls get remodeled their personalities tend to change. It has been almost a month since Zuihou gotten hers. This is just part of said change. Right? I know I said that Zuihou has liked me for quite a while. Heck, I even sound narcissistic saying it myself. But, now this is just like a typical rom-com situation where the female lead is making a move on the male. Zuihou was on top of me, pinning me them with her entire body. She shifted her hands to my back and buried her face into my chest. Instead of pinning me, she changed it into a hug. This feels nice... Wait. That''s not it... I''m in trouble. All it takes is just one small move to cross the line. No no no! I can''t go there! Who knows what would change if I did. But what happens if I reject? In a way, she is trying to get me to confess to her. "Admiral? I told you before, didn''t I? Back when I was sick." When she was sick... Is she referring to the time when she was suffering from PTSD? Wait! There was one time when she mumbled something... "-I love you." (Zuihou) Ahh! I knew it! That would mean that she technically confessed to me back then! I was nervous. I can feel her hot breath against my body. One wrong move could change the relationship we have up till now. At the same, it''s as though my heart is full of expectations. My chest feels heavy and my heart is beating non-stop. This has happened before. When I first met her. When she returned back to me. When I took care of her. All the times she was by my side. Is this how it feels to fall in love with someone? Yeah, this is actually it. Without realising, I had fallen in love with one of my shipgirls. I should respond to her confession first. How long has it been? A long time, most likely. I mustered my words. This may have an effect on my relationship with everyone else but... "Me too. I love you too, Zuihou." Zuihou, whose head has been lowered until now, returned my gaze with eyes filled with... are those tears? "Why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?" Crap! I shouldn''t have done something I have never done before. I messed up! Zuihou, returned to burying her face in my chest. "Ah! S-sorry... This is... Thank goodness! You were so silent, I thought you actually hated me!" (Zuihou) That was it? While I was trying to sort out my thoughts, she thought I was think off rejecting her. "Calm down. I was just confused, that''s all." Zuihou let out a laugh. "I love this confused side of Admiral. You know what needs to be done and the method to do it. You would always plan ahead so you have more time to slack off. But when something unexpected pops up, you become unsure of what to do and sometimes end up making it worst." (Zuihou) What is she saying all of the sudden? "I love how you care for us shipgirls. You would always prioritise our happiness and well-being. When we are injured during a sortie, you would order a retreat even though we are not supposed to. You would manipulate the reports to make it look like we completed the mission in one try. When we complete a mission, you would reward us. You even made a entertainment room just for us. When I was sick, you cared for me until I got better. You treated us as humans, not as weapons. Though, at the same time, I wished you would tone down on your teasing. You would always grope us out of the blue." (Zuihou) I can''t tell if she is complimenting me or something... Zuihou looked at my troubled expression and laughed. "Finally, I love you for who you are. Even though you always complain and slack off from work, but you will finish it in the end. Not for your sake, but for us. You are cool, kind, caring, awkward, horrible at times, but at the end of the day, you are the Admiral I love." (Zuihou) She smiled while saying such things. I... I really don''t know how to react. Does this make me lolicon? Is Zuihou even considered as a loli? To me, she looks just like any other cute teenage girl. If I think of it this way- No. The real question is, am i really the one for her? Is she just acting on impulse since I''m the only male in the entire distract? Am i deserving of her love? "Zuihou, are you sure? I may not be the right one for you. And to be honest, i may do even more perverted things to you. Or do stuff that disappoints you. Even so, would you stick with me?" Why am I getting emotional and doubtful about this? I should be happy about getting myself girlfriend. All I''m doing is just trying to push this girl, who is trying her best, away... "Then I''m the same too. All the times when you were forced to order a retreat because I got damaged right before completing the sortie. That would make me your disappointment as well. I-I played with myself on your bed with your gloves and hat! So that makes me a pervert too! Hyaa! What are you making me say?!" (Zuihou) I can''t help but laugh. This sort of thing really does elevate my mood a bit. I wrapped my hands around her. "Thank you, Zuihou. For accepting me. I love you." "I love you too, Admiral." (Zuihou) Chapter 50 First of, let''s do some introductions The Azur Lane fleet we are escorting today has 3 Royal Navy girls, 2 Dragon Empire girls and 1 Sakura Empire girl. From the Royal Navy, Unicorn-chan and Ill.u.s.trious-san are known among us. And one more. ""Hehehe~ Zuihou-chan~ Yuudachi-chan~" (Ark Royal) "Please stay away from me..." "Grrr..." (Yuudachi) The tomboyish, pervert shipgirl is Ark Royal-san. Like Ill.u.s.trious-san, she is also a Aircraft carrier. Somehow she mistook me for a destroyer and grabbed me. Now she is trying grab Yuudachi as well. Most likely because of that ''werewolf'' costume. It surprisingly fits her well. The two girls who both have a small black and white bear each and wore Chinese style clothing are Ping Hai and Ning Hai. Both of them are from the Dragon Empery. At first we thought they were destroyers since they are quite small, not like I can compare much to them, but they were actually light cruisers. They were kind enough to give us some meat buns. So Yuudachi is sort of attached to them now. "Meat buns. Meat buns?" (Yuudachi) "Yuudachi, don''t bother them too much." (Shigure) "Geez, I will give you one later so stop pulling me!" (Ping Hai) "That Shigure is totally different from our Shigure..." (Ning Hai) "While this Yuudachi is similar to ours." (Ping Hai) The flagship for this Combined Observation Fleet, according to Azur Lane''s Commander, is Atago-san. Compared to the Atago-san we all know, this Atago-san has a more mature and elder sister aura around her. "Oh my. What cute escorts we have today. Leave it to your big sister for now on." (Atago) We are making our way to the Coral Islands, where Azur Lane predicted that a battle between the Abyssals and the Siren will take place. Our job is to protect Azur Lane while they do surveillance on the battle. It sounds simple, but the seas are unpredictable nowadays. "Alright, this is a good spot. Carrier girls, get ready." (Atago) "Yes!" (All aircraft carriers) While we got ready to launch our planes, something weird happened. With a flash of light, Ill.u.s.trious-san and Ark Royal-san were riding on their planes and Unicorn is riding on a enlarged U-chan! "What is that? How are they flying?" (Agano) "Didnt your Admiral tell you guys? All of us have gotten small upgrade." "That''s not small at all!" (Suzuya) That''s so good! I want to fly in the sky as well... "This is Ill.u.s.trious. We found the enemy." (Ill.u.s.trious) "Roger. Keep a safe distance and start recording. Commander, how is the feed?" (Agato) "I can see it clearly. Wow! That Abyssal Carrier looks hot!" (Commander) "Commander..." (Atago) He is getting charmed by a Wo-Class??? "Er... It''s not what you think, Atago. It''s just-" (Commander) "I will clean your ears later, alright? For now, just focus on the mission." (Atago) "Yes! Sweet!" (Commander) "Onii-chan is a pervert!" (Unicorn) "Wa- Unicorn-chan?" (Commander) "What are they doing?" (Agano) "Who knows..." (Shigure) "So we just stay here and hold the fort poi?" (Yuudachi) "Yep. We just need to sit tight and wait." (Atago) Just like that, we waited in the same spot for a few hours. According to my planes, the fighting is quite fierce. The Abyssals are using their usual ''recklessly charge in and fire at everything'' tactic while the Sirens... seem to be moving in more tactically? It''s like they have some sort of strategy and formation. Are the Sirens always like this? "You noticed too, right? Yeah. The Sirens weren''t always like this. Back then, we just used them as cannon fodder. Just like the Abyssal, all they did was charge in blindly. But now, they using our tactics against the Abyssals. Like someone was commanding them." (Atago) "Maybe these are the more high ranking ones?" (Suzuya) "No. These are the mass-produced ones. Someone is definitely controlling them." (Ark Royal) "That means the Observer is involved." (Atago) "Observer?" "One of the highest ranking Sirens. It''s an embarrassing history, but the Sakura Empire used these mass-produced sirens to fight the Royal Navy and Eagle Union. But this doesn''t add up..." (Atago) "Didn''t Akagi destroyed the blackbox when we united?" (Ping Hai) "Yes. I watched her destroyed it." (Commander) "Then why is there another one?" (Ning Hai) "I wasn''t sure before but this proves it. Someone is spying on us and commanding the Sirens to use our tactics." "Tch. It''s those two then..." (Atago) "Speak of the devil. Atago-san, we are retreating!" (Ill.u.s.trious) "Ill.u.s.trious-san, what''s going on?" (Atago) "Zero fighters are closing in on us. They definitely belongs to Zuikaku-san!" (Ill.u.s.trious) Did I hear that right? Zuikaku? "Got it! Return immediately! Maizuru girls, I need you to cover Ill.u.s.trious-san and the rest while they make it back here." (Atago) "Roger!" "Ping Hai, once we have regrouped, activate a smokescreen to cover our escape." (Atago) "zhidao! Got it!" (Ping Hai) "Get ready to move." (Atago) Something feels weird. The air is not normal at all. It''s the same as before. Where is it? .... There it is! "Enemy planes coming from behind!" "What?!" (Atago) "Looks like we surrounded..." (Suzuya) "That''s fine poi. We will handle them poi!" (Yuudachi) This feeling... Those are not abyssal planes. Zero fighters? "Enemy? This isn''t good! Everone, battle stations! Engaging the enemy!" (Gambier Bay) "Gambier Bay-san, calm down." (Shigure) "No, she is right." I aimed my bow towards the direction of the enemy. "653rd, please take off!" We launched our remaining planes. While our fighters can intercept the enemy, we need to find how enemy is coming from. Atago mentioned there could be a spy. Is this their way of interference? "Atago-san, we need to move now!" "But-" (Atago) "Don''t worry! We can catch up. Those escort you gave us are slowing the enemy down." (Ill.u.s.trious) "Got it! You guys better make it! It will take too long for a detour. We are breaking through!" (Atago) "Huh? What are you thinking?" (Commander) "If the enemy air fleet is coming from over there-" (Atago) "We can find out who is the traitor! Atago-san, that''s a great idea!" (Ping Hai) "Let''s go! Leave any surface battles to big sister!" (Atago) Following Atago-san, we went straight into the incoming enemy air fleet. Ping Hai''s smokescreen caused the enemy to miss us most of the time, so we were able to shoot most of them down. The only remaining problem is locating the enemy. "I''m not picking anything up on radar." (Shigure) "My recon planes didn''t see anything either." (Agano) "Hachoo! *sniff* It''s getting cold poi..." (Yuudachi) "She got away then. Ill.u.s.trious-san, how are you doing?" (Atago) "We managed to get away somehow. The enemy started falling back halfway through." (Ill.u.s.trious) "Is it over?" (Unicorn) "We got what you needed. Return back to base immediately." (Commander) "Roger!" (All) "Fleet 1, can you hear me? Return to base immediately!" (Ooyodo) "Ooyodo-san? What''s wrong?" "They are here! We need all the help we can get! I got to go. Come back now!" (Ooyodo) "Wait, Ooyodo-san! Ooyodo-san!" No answer... What''s happening back at Maizuru? An enemy attack? Anyway we need to get back fast. "Let''s go!" ------------------------------ Bad thoughts filled my mind as we made our way back. There has been no contact since then. What''s going on? Was the base attacked? Is everyone alright? Is Admiral safe? "Zuihou, look out!" (Agano) "Hu-" *Splat* My vision went dark. I can feel something slimy on my face. It''s still slapping me. I quickly took the mysterious object off my face. What is this? Sardine? Now that I look around carefully, there are lots of them jumping all around. "Now I remember. It''s saury season now, isn''t it?" (Suzuya) "Wait so the reason we were called back was-" As we neared the district, we can see everyone trying to catch the jumping saury and sardine using buckets. Even Admiral was trying catch them with a net. "Samidare, behind you!" (Suzukaze) "Hah! Wah!" (Samidare, falling down) "Come here, you!" (Tenryuu) "Nya!" (Tama) It was to help catch the Saury and Sardine that appeared near the Naval District... Chapter 50 - 46 I messed up! Last night, I went to sneak into Admiral''s bed but found him sleeping in the desk.I don''t know why but I went to hide when I noticed him waking up. After that, I put on the hat and gloves he left behind. and... Ahhh!!! What is wrong with me?! I got caught doing something embarrassing and in the heat of the moment, I confessed to him. How should face him tomorrow? Should I change the way I treat him? Argh! Someone teach me why to do! He said he loves me as well. So, does that make us lovers? Lovers do that, right? Those ''night battles'' I have been hearing about. No! No! I can''t possibly do that all of a sudden! I mean... I want to but... "You want to do what?" "Eek! Hiryuu-senpai!" Did I accidentally say my thoughts out loud? "What''s with you? You are acting all strange." (Hiryuu) "Eh? What do you mean?" "Your face is red. You are talking to yourself. And you are acting all girly. Are you alright? Is it a fever?" (Hiryuu) Hiryuu-senpai placed a hand on her forehead and the other on mine. "Nope. Doesn''t seem like a fever." (Hiryuu) "I''m fine." "Are you sure? You don''t look fine to me." (Hiryuu) "I-I''m just feeling a little hot, that''s all." "Is that so? But it''s autumn already. Don''t tell me! There is a problem with your boiler?!" (Hiryuu) "Huh?" "This is bad! We need to get you to Akashi quick!" (Hiryuu) "W-wait! Hiryuu-senpai! Don''t pull me!!!" ----------------------- How did this happen? "I can''t find anything wrong with you, everything seems fine. Just to safe, rest here for a while. Call me if you need anything." (Akashi) That''s what she said. Geez, Hiryuu-senpai. Dragging me here without listening to me. Oh crap! I shouldn''t be here! I told Admiral I''ll be going toilet. If I don''t return, he wonder where I went. "Zuihou, are you alright?!" (Admiral) He is here!!!! Admiral just barged into the infirmary. "Hey! No shouting in the infirmary!" (Akashi) "Oops... Sorry." (Admiral) "A-admiral, why are you here?!" "Hiryuu told me that you may have overheated." (Admiral) Hiryuu-senpai!!! "How are you? Everything okay?" (Admiral) I explained how it was just a misunderstanding. Of course, I left out the part where I was worried about what to do in the future. "What? Is that all? Geez... Hiryuu really made me worried there." (Admiral) "Eheheh..." "But if there really anything wrong, you got to tell me, okay? Since... you are... mine after all..." (Admiral) He lowered his head and his voice became softer as he said that. CUTE!!!! I like the cool and caring side of Admiral but this cute side is great as well! That''s not it! Why do you have to say that?! If you say things like that, it just makes me even more confused! "Well then, I will go back to work. It''s almost evening already, so you can return to your room." (Admiral) "Wait..." "Hmm?" (Admiral) Huh? Why did I stop him? "What''s wrong?" (Admiral) "Ah sorry. Nothing." "Really?" (Admiral) "Yes." "Got it. Take care of yourself." (Admiral) I watched as Admiral left. Ehehe~ I''m his, he said. Heehee~ No no! Now is not the time of that. I need to think what to do in the future. But... Maybe I will just enjoy this feeling a little longer. Chapter 51 "Did they managed to escape?" "Yes. They wanted to look for the spy but it was too late. The spy managed to get away." (Ooyodo) "Looks like this has become a bigger mess than I thought. Oh well, we already involved sockets let''s help them out a bit." This is troubling. I kept my promise on letting Azur Iane take command of this mission but I actually listened in on the whole thing. If Azur Lane has a spy and are controlling the Sirens, we may be at risk as well. Once they are back I going need a full report from them. "Commander!!!" (???) "Hm? Who is shouting-" I was about to open the door when I got pounced on. I was ready this time so I didn''t fall over like always. "Tokitsukaze? What''s wrong?" I thought something bad happened but her eyes are full of excitement instead. What has got her all excited for? "They are here! They are here!" (Tokitsukaze) Calm down! Explain yourself. Who are they?" "Those saury!" (Tokitsukaze) Saury? It''s that season already? Let''s see. It''s nearing November now... Yeah that makes sense. It''s supposed to be Saury Season now. "There are lots around the base! Can we go catch them? Can we?" (Tokitsukaze) She is like an excited puppy waiting to go out and play. "Alright. Go tell the rest to start catching those saury." "YAY!" (Tokitsukaze) Tokitsukaze ran out, shouting along the way, "Everyone, let''s go!" (Tokitsukaze) Why is she so excited to catch saury? It''s not like there is a lot of them conveniently swimming arou- Okay there''s a lot of them. On the monitor displaying a birds-eye of the district, there is an abundance of saury and sardine swimming and jumping around. Usually we have to venture out a bit to fish for them. This is a great chance! The more we catch, the more stuff we can exchange them for. HQ usually holds these kind of events during this season. Wonder what are the rewards this time. "Ooyodo, call fleet 1 back immediately. After that, help out with the fishing. I''m joining in as well." "Wai- Admiral? Ah geez!" (Ooyodo) ------------------------ "And that''s what happened." I''m back in my office, explaining to fleet 1 what happened. Zuihou just gave me an irritated look. Gambier Bay looks confused. She probably doesn''t understand what we do during the Saury Season. Agano and Suzuya seem amused. Shigure and Yuudachi, just like Tokitsukaze, are excited to fish for Saury. Both of them have the same excited look on their faces. Yuudachi is literally wagging the tail of her costume. How is that tail moving? That said, Akashi did a good job on that wolf costume. "At least everyone all right." (Agano) "Seriously, you guys really gave us quite a scare." (Suzuya) "Sorry." "Admiral-san! Admiral-san! Yuudachi wants to catch some saury poi!" (Yuudachi) "Alright. Go get resupplied first. Don''t tire yourself out." "Yay! Shigure, let''s go poi!" (Yuudachi) "Yuudachi, wait for me!" (Shigure) "It was a tiring day so why don''t the rest of you get resupplied and rest for the night." "Yep. I will do that. *yawn* See you tomorrow, Admiral." (Suzuya) "Good work today." "See you tomorrow." (Agano) "Um... Admiral, can I try out this saury fishing thing?" (Gambier Bay) "Sure. Akashi will give you the equipment and explain how it works." "Thank you!" (Gambier Bay, in English) With Gambier Bay out, I''m left alone with an semingly angry light aircraft carrier. "Are you angry?" "Hmph!" (Zuihou) Zuihou turned her head away from me. Yeah. She is angry. And I think i know why. I got out of my chair and walked behind her. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in. She isn''t resisting so I guess she is alright with this? "Sorry for making you worry." "...scared..." (Zuihou) "Huh? What did you say?" "I was so scared! I thought the base was attacked! I was afraid that you were gone!" (Zuihou) Tears run down her cheeks. It really was a scare for her. I''m touched that she was worried for me though. I petted her head. "Sorry. Everything is fine. Come on, no need to cry. Tell you what, how about I give you a reward? You can ask for anything." "Anything?" (Zuihou) "Anything you want." It will probably be like a some new planes for her to play with or maybe a kiss. Hah! Yeah right. As if the last one would ever happen. "Then..." (Zuihou) Zuihou turned around and grabbed my shirt. She raised her head, eyes closed, lips quivering. Wait... Are you serious? I mean, there isn''t a single waking moment I didn''t think of kissing her. I just couldn''t find the right mood yet. This mood isn''t optimal as well but... I grabbed her shoulders and moved closer to her lips. "Mmh..." (Zuihou) Her shoulders tense up for a moment before relaxing. Her lips taste salty, yet there is a tinge of sweetness at the same time. A warm feeling rose from my chest. It feels good. I feel as though my breathe is slowly being taken away. So this is how a kiss feels like. "Puah..." I slowly moved away from Zuihou. I feel a little breathless. Her face was beet red as she tries to catch her breathe. She had look of euphoria on her face. "!!! Excuse me!" (Zuihou) "Ah wai-" She ran away. Chapter 51 - 47 Another day, another bunch of reports and sorties to clear. Although, today''s a little different. Nowadays, the seas are a troublesome place to be in. The fight between Abyssals and Sirens have grown fiercer than before. Azur Lane established another base, under the Sakura Empire''s management, near Sasebo to monitor the increased Siren activity in the area while I''m told to increase patrols around my jurisdiction because of increased activity from both the Sirens and Abyssals. Azur Lane''s commander showed me some footage of his girls who just got upgraded and I don''t want to fight them. After our excercise, he came up with new tactics and technology based on how fleet 1 fought. Right now, each of his shipgirl''s have their own personal ship which can be used on its own, or combined with their owners. The ones which I''m more concerned of are his Aircraft Carriers. I have seen two of them, Enterprise and Unicorn, fly in the air while Kaga summoned a wolf-like creature. A little overpowered if you ask me. Imagine meeting a girl in the middle of the ocean and getting rammed by a large ship that belongs to her. Or a giant wolf in the middle of the ocean. He says it''s not as strong as I think it is because his girls can still get overwhelmed during battle. Well, I heard the Sirens are more tactical in their attacks while the Abyssals are mostly wild, save for the ''boss'' types. With that in mind, our girls keep getting caught in the crossfire between the Sirens and Abyssals, especially during sorties and expeditions. Maybe I should stop all expeditions and come up with battle plans instead. Our resources will take a blow but at least it ensures our safety. I wanted to that today but I got called into Yokosuka HQ. Not just me, the other admirals from other naval districts are present as well. All of us are here for some ''last minute''s excercise which goes on for a week. "How troublesome." "What are you saying? You used to like this, don''t you?" (Kure) Right now, we are doing range training. As it''s name suggests, it''s basically shooting practice. Not sure why you need to go through this when the Abyssals take no damage from our rifles. "Shooting is fun but I would rather be back in my office making plans for our next sortie. Heck, these bullets don''t even put a scratch on the Abyssals or the Sirens. Tsk! Missed." "I agree with you. I came all the way from across the ocean just to attend this stupid excercise? Ridiculous! I could be back in my room spending time with my dear Fletcher-chan!" (Brunei Anchorage) "Another girl? How many does this make? What about you? Have you found a girlfriend yet?" (Kure) "Huh? Oops! " I nearly dropped my rifle when he asked me that. Should have expected that question since we are on that topic. "Come on! Don''t act dumb. I think you are the only Admiral who is single." (Kure) "Aren''t you single too? "Nope! Lost my V-card two months ago with Shoukaku and Zuikaku!" (Kure) He did a victory sign as he said that. Show-off! "Is it common to have more than one?" "Yeah. I mean, it''s not against Military Law. They may be weapons, but they are still physically and mentally humans. They get stronger too with marriage. I getting there pretty soon. So, what about you? Who did you choose?" (Kure) "Enough talk. Let''s move to the next training area." "Hey! Don''t run away! I''m not done talking to you!" (Kure) I can''t tell them that Zuihou is my lover, though it hasn''t been a month since that day. It''s embarrassing! To be honest, unlike those two, I''m a little embarrassed to talk about things like that in the open. I''m okay with just listening but if I am involved, no thank you. "Haa~ I want to go back soon..." ------------------------------------- Admiral''s empty office is so calm. For some reason, it feels lonely. It has been six days since Admiral left us in charge of the district while he left for Yokosuka to attend a multi-base excercise. I heard there is also a strategic meeting for the ongoing 3-way war against the Abyssals and Sirens. "Geez. At least make a call or something." No no. Admiral is working hard in his own way. I can''t be spoilt! "Zuihou, this is bad!" (Shouhou) "Shouhou, what''s wrong?" "Tokitsukaze and Yuudachi wanted to clean the hallway but spilled cleaning solution all over the place." "Ehh?" "Can you help us with the cleaning?" (Shouhou) "Of course!" Cleaning should be easy right? Maybe not... The floor is all slimy with the spilled cleaning solution! This is worst than I thought... By the time we finished mopping up the floor, it was already night time. Since I still have some time before bed, mind as well sort out the paperwork for Admiral when he comes back. Will he be happy? I should clean his room too. Ah. He left one of his coat hanging outside on the wardrobe... Stop it, Zuihou! You already got caught once. Do you want it to happen a second time? But he won''t be back until tomorrow night, right? Just a bit... I went and put it on. I knew it. Admiral''s scent is the only thing that calms me down. This coat must have been left here before he left for Yokosuka. It''s not dirty but his scent still lingers on it. "Admiral, come back quickly. I miss you..." Chapter 52 "NOOO!" (Yuudachi) "Yuudachi, calm down!" "No! Don''t come any closer! I already surrendered poi!" (Yuudachi) While holding a meeting with Azur Lane about yesterday''s mission, Yuudachi suddenly freaked out when a shipgirl with silver hair tied into a ponytail entered the room. Her trauma must have been triggered. "Sorry, but could you leave the room for a while?" "Why is this happening?" (Silver hair girl) "Portland, please." (Commander) Portland, so that''s her name. No it makes sense. "Shh... calm down. It''s alright. It''s alright." I kept repeating the same thing while holding Yuudachi down and stroking her head. She is still thrashing about. This will take a while. Portland did as she was told and left the room. She seems confused towards the whole situation. Can''t really blame her. The girls here don''t have a chance to confront their past while those in Azur Lane mix around with one another. "It''s okay. It''s okay. Good girl." "Uugh... *sniff*" (Yuudachi) Yuudachi clasp onto my shirt as she tries to control herself. She is slowly settling down. This is the first time I have seen Yuudachi act up like this. The usual happy and hyperactive Yuudachi is acting like a small, scared puppy. I kept hugging her and stroking her head until I could not hear anymore crying sounds. All I could hear was her steady breathing. Did she fall asleep? That was fast. "Sorry about all this." "It''s all right. It was my fault too. I shouldn''t have brought any Eagle Union shipgirls here." (Commander) "That''s fine. I can''t expect you to compromise all the time. Come on, let''s continue." "With her sleeping like that?" (Commander) "Don''t worry. Yuudachi is a heavy sleeper. She won''t wake up so soon. In the meantime, why not let your girls explore the district? Just stay away from the dorms and the practice area. That''s where all of them hang out." "Okay. You girls heard him. You can roam around the place but don''t enter the dorms and practice area. And try not to scare anyone. The girls here don''t have experience in dealing with Eagle Union and Royal Navy girls. Belfast, I''ll leave you in charge." (Commander) "Roger. Come on, let''s go" (Belfast) Belfast led the others out of the room. Since she is their so-called head maid, things should be under control, right? "Now, where were we?" "We were talking about Project Orochi." (Commander) "Oh right. It was originally piloted by the Sakura Empire, right? And now you believe that the 5th carrier division might be attempting to revive." "Exactly. The Sirens can be controlled with something called a ''blackbox''. It''s actually a mental cube, the same material my girls are made out of. The Orochi is a dangerous thing created by the Sirens. I don''t want to know what happens if it''s finished." (Commander) "So now, we need to locate their hideout first." "Azur Lane will handle that part." (Commander) "We will provide support as well. My land-based aircrafts should be able to survey the area. We will come up with a plan once we locate them." "Sorry for dragging you into this." (Commander) "Stop apologizing. I have decided to be involved anyway. For now, take some time to relax here. Mamiya provides some pretty delicious snacks. My treat." "I''ll take you up on that. So we are done?" (Commander) "Yep. We can continue after those 2 rebels are located." "It''s great to have such an ally like you." (Commander) "I expect you to return the favor, all right?" "Of course I will." (Commander) "Meet me at Mamiyas. You can ask my girls for directions. I need to bring this sleepyhead back to her room first." "See you there." (Commander) ---------------------- Phew that was tiring. I carried Yuudachi all the way back to her room. She wasn''t that heavy, but she was in my arms for a long time. And someone has been watching me this whole time... I can see a white sleeve sticking out from a corner of the hallway. What is that girl doing? I walked towards her. "Zuihou, what are you doing?" "!!!" Ah, she ran away again. Chapter 53 Today is a such a cool and breezy day. It''s autumn already, so I was expecting the weather to be much colder. Today''s weather is perfect for a nap. And that''s why these two destroyers are here... Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Shigure and Yuudachi took each of my legs as their pillow. I was playing with Yuudachi a while ago and now she got tired. She is back to her usual self now. After that scare by that Portland girl, Yuudachi was in a traumatised state. She would cry at the drop of a hat, have nightmares that would keep her up, no motivation to do anything, et cetera. In short, she was the same as Shigure and Zuihou for a while. It''s great that it didn''t last long though. After caring for her for a week, she was back to the playful and hyperactive Yuudachi we all know and love. I''m still monitoring her, just in case she relapses back. "Admiral, it''s lunchtime already. Let''s eat together!" This girl also returned to normal. Ever since Zuihou and I shared our first kiss together, she has been keeping her distance from me. Literally. She would always stare at me from afar and when I tried to approach her, she would turn tail and run. I chased after her on a few occasions but would always get the slip. Now it seems like she got herself sorted out, I think. "Alright. Let me just wake these 2 up. Shigure. Yuudachi. It''s lunchtime already. Aren''t you two meeting Murasame and Shiratsuyu?" "Fuah~ It''s noon already?" (Shigure) "Nm... I''m hungry poi." (Yuudachi) "Go on. I heard that they are serving Nikujaga today." "Yay! Let''s go, Shigure!" (Yuudachi) I watched as Yuudachi dragged Shigure away. Now then, time for me to ear as well. As soon as I stood up, I felt someone hugging me from behind. "Hoh. That''s rare." "It''s because I haven''t touched Admiral for quite some time." (Zuihou) "And whose fault was it?" "I couldn''t help it! I was confused. I don''t know what to do! (Zuihou) I grabbed Zuihou''s hand and brought her in front of me. She averted her eyes. "Come on. Look at me. We are lovers. It''s okay to be embarrassed. But please don''t run away from me. I''ll get sad if you do that, okay?" "Sorry..." (Zuihou) "That''s my girl." I pet her head. "Now, let''s eat. We have quite a bit to do today. After that, I''m going to make sure you won''t run away from me again." "P-please have mercy..." (Zuihou) For the whole afternoon, I did my work and had my fill of reactions from Zuihou. To ensure that she doesn''t run away this time, I had her sit on my lap while my arms trap her within. Occasionally I would stroke against her thighs, blow at her ear or just hug her all of a sudden. Even through I often do these things to her, she still gets surprised and fl.u.s.tered. It''s so cute. "I''m finally done!" "Good work, Admiral. Now, please let me go." (Zuihou) "Don''t wanna. You are so warm~" I leaned forward, putting a little of my body weight on Zuihou. "Ugh! You are teasing me again. And you''re heavy!" (Zuihou) Chapter 54 It''s pretty noisy outside. It sounds like the Destroyers are having a lot of fun playing with the fallen leaves that were gathered in a few piles yesterday. As I look down from my window, I can see the Mutsuki class girls frolicking all over the place. There are even some small girls, each wearing a blue smock and a yellow with cat ears sticking out on top. They look like grade school girls. Wait a minute... Who are those girls?! And why is the Mutsuki class playing with them?! "Admiral! Where are there little girls in the district?!" (Ooyodo) Ooyodo came bursting into the office. "That''s my line!" "Don''t tell me! Those girls managed to infiltrate and controlled the minds of Mutsuki-san and the others?!" (Ooyodo) "No no no. That''s ridiculous. Especially when it comes from you." Erm... I can explain it." (???) A blue haired girl, wearing a scarf and a white blouse stood timidly at the doorway. She looks familiar. "And you are?" "Yes! I''m HMS Javelin. Sorry for the sudden visit!" (Javelin) The girl stood at attention and did a salute as she introduced herself. Javelin... Where have I heard the name before? "You can be at ease now. There us no need to be so tense." Javelin''s shoulders relaxed. "Now, you said you can explain what''s happening outside?" "Ah yes. Actually, those girls are Sakura Empire''s Mutsuki class." (Javelin) Oh that''s why Mutsuki and the rest are getting along with them so well. They are the same ship class. "We actually have a nursery back in one of our barracks for the younger and smaller destroyers but it blew up this morning." (Javelin) What the hell happened there?! "The commander has his hands full with tracking down Shoukaku-san and Zuikaku-san, so I decided to take the them to play in the sea while Akashi-san repairs the nursery. In the end, I wasn''t able to control some of them and we ended up here. I''m really sorry for intruding." (Javelin) There are more than the ones outside, aren''t there? "Alright. I understand the situation. I assume your commander doesn''t know about this?" "Yes... I don''t want to trouble him when he is already this stressed out." (Javelin) "Personally I think doing this stresses him out even more." "Ugh..." (Javelin) This is troublesome. Can''t be helped. "Ooyodo, send a telegram to Azur Lane, saying that some of their girls are with us. Tell them not to worry, they are unharmed." "Roger." (Ooyodo) "And you," "Yes?" (Javelin) "I will let you girls stay here for a while. Just gather them all in one place so we can do a head count. I''ll get the others to help you but you are responsible for them. Is that clear?" Her eyes gleamed a little. I guess she was expecting the worst. "Yes! Thank you very much!" (Javelin) "Before I forget," I opened my window and shouted at the girls below. "Mutsuki!!!" All of them looked up. "Admiral!" (Mutsuki) Mutsuki waved at me. The other Mutsuki class looked confused. "Bring those girls to Mamiya''s place. And look out for others who don''t belong here!" "Yes~ Can we order treats?" (Mutsuki) "Fine. Don''t order too much." "Yay! Come on, let''s go. We going to have some sweets." (Mutsuki) "Sweets? Yay!" (The other Mutsuki class) I turned back to Javelin. "Gather them at Mamiya''s place. I will arrange a place for you girls to stay for a while." "Thank you! Thank you very much!" (Javelin) ------------------------ It took a while, but with everyone''s help, Javelin managed to get her all of Azur Lane''s young ones at Mamiya''s. I had to buy them sweets to keep them from running all over the place. I''ll send the receipt to Azur Lane later. That being said, how did Javelin expect to take of this much little girls. There is this little maid trying to help her but this is still a lot for both of them. Excluding their two caretakers, there are a total of 17 destroyers here. "Phew. That''s everyone." (???) "Thank you, Little Bel." (Javelin) Is she a mini version of Belfast, that maid from before? "Admiral, the temporary barracks is ready." (Akashi) "That''s fast. Where did you build it?" "There was another big, empty room at the docks. I just cleaned the place and put down some beds. It might be a bit of a squeeze though." (Akashi) "Thanks Akashi. You are a lifesaver." "It was fun, building a kids room." (Akashi) "Wah... Big sister, you are Akashi?" (small, pink hair Destroyer) "She is so different from the Akashi back home." (Blonde Destroyer who is wearing too little and giving out sparks) "Looks like you caught their attention." "Aha..." (Akashi) The smaller girls start to gather around Akashi, bombarding her with questions. "Thank you for today. I don''t know what to do without your help." (Javelin) "Don''t thank me. You should thank the others who actually helped you." "But if Admiral-san hadn''t allowed to stay here and told the others to help me, I would still be all over the place. Please, allow me to do something in return!" (Javelin) "Really?" "Y-yes! I will do anything!" (Javelin) "Then pass this bill to your Commander. I expect payment to be cash." "Eh?" (Javelin) I handed Javelin the bill from Mamiya. "And besides, a wife shouldn''t say things like that." Javelin was wearing a wedding ring. The last time I met with the Commander, he had a ring as well. So this girl is his wife... To go that far for your beloved, that guy is really lucky. "Alright. I will leave the rest to you, Akashi." "Wait! Where are going?" "Back to my office, of course. I still have work to finish and only you know where is the room you built. So good luck." "Oi!" (Akashi) "Akashi-nee-chan, let''s play!"(black hair destroyer with a yellow hat) "Let''s play!" (all the other small destroyers) "Hey! Don''t climb over me!" (Akashi) "Everyone, stop it!" (Little Bel) It''s going to be noisy here for a while. Chapter 55 With the temporary addition of Azur Lane''s younglings, the whole district has been pretty lively. They have already warmed up to the others. The Commander sent a telegram, saying thank you and sorry for the trouble caused this time. Anyway, there is one destroyer which is rather separated from the rest. Destroyer Eldridge, or Sparky like the other Maizuru girls call her. Apparently she earned that nickname after Shiratsuyu and Samidare got a mild shock when they tried to enter a bath she was in. According to Javelin, Eldridge is the latest addition to the fleet. For a destroyer, she is quite slow and her body constantly leaks electricity for some reason. The other young destroyers also tend to stay away from her in fear of getting shock. During bath time, she gets a pool all to herself due to the electrical discharge. It''s a little lonely if you think about it. That being said, it seems that the Shiratsuyu class has taken interests in her. On my sofa, Eldridge is moving her hands around Murasame''s shoulders, resulting in something horrifyingly hilarious. "Hahahaha! Murasame''s hair is flying all over the place! Ahahaha!" (Shiratsuyu) "This feels good~ I can feel my shoulders relaxing already." (Murasame) "That looks interesting poi!" (Yuudachi) Aside from yesterday, why aren''t they shocked by her electrical discharge? Rather, they seem to be enjoying it. "Murasame, how does it feel?" "Comfortable~" (Murasame) "That''s not what I meant." "Oh. It''s a little tingly but it feels better than a normal massage. Ahh~ That''s the spot." (Murasame) That is still not the answer I''m looking for... "Admiral, I know what you are thinking but please get back to work." (Zuihou) "But aren''t you curious?" "Even so-" (Zuihou) "Admiral?" (Eldridge) Woah! When did she get here? Without me noticing, Eldridge was standing beside me, arms stretched out. Her body emiting sparks at the same time "Admiral, hug..." (Eldridge) "Huh?" "Hug, hug." (Eldridge) She is just like a child. Oh yeah, she is a child. "Oh-ho. Looks like Eldridge-chan has taken a liking to you." (Murasame) "Does your commander do this all the time?" Eldridge nodded, her facial expression remains unchanged. "Got it." I picked her up and hugged her the way I know. I''m concerned about the sparks she is emiting but it''s best to give her what she wants. "Ah..." (Zuihou) "Like this?" "Commander... hugs... from the front." (Eldridge) From the front? Hmm... "Like this?" I placed on hand on her back and the other under her bottom. "Yeah." (Eldridge) This is just like carrying a baby... There is a milky smell coming out from her. Now that I look carefully, she isn''t wearing much. Her back is fully exposed. Murasame and Shiratsuyu snickered at the side. "What?" "Nothing~" (Murasame) "Heehee. Let''s go, Yuudachi." (Shiratsuyu) "Eh? Where?" (Yuudachi) "Just follow me." (Shiratsuyu) The three sisters left the office. Yuudachi aside, those two are definitely making fun of me. "..." (Zuihou) "Zuihou, what''s wrong?" "Eh? Ah. No. It''s nothing." (Zuihou) She shuffled her legs and hands a bit. So easy to read. "I know. You want to hold Eldridge as well, right?" "Eh?! Um..." (Zuihou) "It''s alright. She isn''t emiting sparks anymore. Try holding her." Eldridge looks at Zuihou. I could have sworn her cowlick is making a weird shape. "Go on." "Then..." (Zuihou) Zuihou carefully took Eldridge from me and did the same way as I did. "How is it?" "She smells nice." (Zuihou) "I know right." "..." (Zuihou) Zuihou stared at me with disdain. Why? I heard a knock on my door. "This is Javelin. I have something to ask you, Admiral-san." (Javelin) "Come in." "Excuse me. Have you seen Eldridge- Ahh! Eldridge-chan! There you are!" (Javelin) "Javelin-chan..." (Eldridge) "What? Why is Zuihou-san carrying her like its alright? She isn''t emiting sparks?" (Javelin) "She hasn''t been emiting sparks since just now." I stroked Eldridge''s head. "Maybe her sparks are related to her emotions? She is calm now." That''s what I think. Her leaking out electricity is related to how she feels. When she wants something, she emits her sparks to get attention. Maybe she was in a new, unfamiliar environment that''s why she unconsciously electrified the bath water. At least, that''s how human kids react. As far as I''m concerned, Eldridge is just like a child. "Speaking of which, Commander would always carry her like this. He was alright as well." (Javelin) "That means the others have nothing to be afraid of. So long as you train her to control her electricity, maybe she can play with the-." "Fuahh~" (Eldridge) Eldridge snuggled in Zuihou''s arms. Did she fall asleep? "Uwaah~ So cute!" (Zuihou) "Geez. Come on. Let''s get you to bed. Don''t shock me." (Javelin) Javelin carefully took Eldridge from Zuihou''s hands. "Wow. You are right. She is not emiting sparks. Well then, excuse me." (Javelin) Javelin left with Eldridge in tow. That was interesting. I turned and saw a pouting Zuihou. Her mood just did a 180 degree turn! "Erm... Zuihou? Are you angry?" "Hmph!" (Zuihou) "Eh? What?" "Its not fair..." (Zuihou) "What isn''t fair?" "Eldrigde-chan..." (Zuihou) What does Eldrigde got to do with this? What does she want? ... Oh. So that''s what she wants. She could have just said it. This girl... I pulled Zuihou in and cradled her in my arms. "Seriously, you are like a child sometimes." "Ehehe~" (Zuihou) Chapter 55.5 The following day, Azur Lane sent in a fleet to bring back all of their little destroyers back home. Thankfully, the fleet consists of Sakura Empire girls, so there wasn''t a panic among everyone else. If the Eagle Union girls were here, I''m going to be spending a few days getting those traumatised back to normal. It''s not that the Eagle Union girls are bad or anything, most of the girls here has had bad experiences with them. Furthermore, unlike Azur Lane, they have little experience dealing with sh.i.p.sgirls from other nations. Save for Jervis and Gambier Bay. Those two are the only American shipgirl''s we have. Most, if not all, of the girls have already accepted them as one of us. This past few weeks, the girls have been hard at work fishing for Saury and Sardine. Why are they fishing? Two reasons. They make good ingredients to spice up the menu and HQ is offering a some equipment in exchange for a number of Sardines and Saury . At last, we managed to get what we want! "These fairies look like Akagi-senpai and Kaga-senpai! So cute!" (Zuihou) "There it is. The plane freak..." "Ahaha... Zuihou really love planes." (Shouhou) "How do we use this mortar?" (Murasame) "Maybe it put it down to launch it?" (Shigure) "That sounds troublesome poi." (Yuudachi) "Well, we can try out the equipment later. Let me just run a few checks." "Okay." (All 5 of them) "I will be in my office if you need me." --------------------------- While the girls play around with the new equipment we got, I decided to get some work done. Once if I get into the mood. What? I have been busy for the past few days. Let me rest a little. These few days it has just been reports, reports, reports and more reports. I need some breaks too. Besides, the weather today is great for relaxing. Maybe I would read some of the manga in my backlog. I kept buying manga whenever I get the chance but I never had time to read them. Ahh~ It feels like it''s been so long since I had a break like this. There were times when I slacked off when I''m playing with or taking care of the girls but this is the first time I have actually slacked off on my own. I still have some paperwork to finish but that can wait. ---------------------------------- "Admiral, I''m bac- Ahh! You''re slacking off again!" (Zuihou) "Oh Zuihou. Welcome back. How was the new Ryuusei plane?" "It was strong! The legs are a little cute as well! And- That not the point!" (Zuihou) Tsk. She didn''t fell for it. "Why weren''t you doing your work?! Isn''t there a bunch of paperwork to finish?" (Zuihou) "I can finish it anytime. I just need to read though and then reply to each one." "Even so, you still need to do it!" (Zuihou) "Eh... Let me rest for a bit. I have already work hard for the past few days..." "Fine. If you can finish half of the work today, I... I''ll give you a reward. Anything you want." (Zuihou) "Anything I want?" "Yeah. But no lewd stuff." (Zuihou) "What makes you think I''ll ask for lewd stuff?" "Because that''s what you always do!" (Zuihou) In the end, I asked for some of her Tamagoyaki (Rolled Omelette). I just don''t feel like doing much today... I kept my promise and did half of the workload. I will leave the rest for tomorrow. Chapter 62 - 56 Working with shipgirls can sound like a dream job, especially when you are the only male and everyone else around are young girls. However it is not as easy as everyone thinks. Apart from doing reports and giving orders, the Admiral is responsible for the safety and the morale of their fleet. I learnt that the hard way when I was first appointed to Maizuru Naval District. Apart from being responsible of your shipgirls, one must also be prepared for any surprises. Like the time Yuudachi started acting like a puppy when she got her second remodel or when Azur Lane showed up. In fact, in my 5 years of being a Admiral, I should be used to surprises by now. Yet... "What the hell happened?!" "I don''t know! They were like this when we found them!" (Suzuya) Sitting on Suzuya''s palm were two fairies that resembled Shigure and Yuudachi. However, those two are not fired. They were the actual shipgirls. "After defeating the Abyssals in the area, we found a small blue cube. When Yuudachi picked it up, it exploded. Shigure was caught in the blast. They were like this when we found them on Yamashiro''s head." (Zuihou) Yamashiro''s head? They got blown onto Yamashiro''s head?! That sounds way too funny. Even Agano is trying to hold back her laughter. Suzuya placed them on my desk. Yuudachi started exploring while Shigure seems a little confused. "Everything is so big poi!" (Yuudachi) "Um..." (Shigure) I wiggled my finger in front of Shigure. She grabbed it immediately. So cute! No. Now is not the time. "I''m sorry. It''s all because of my bad luck..." (Yamashiro) Oh no... "It''s not Yamashiro''s fault." (Shigure) "That''s right! It''s the Abyssal''s fault for having something like that!" (Agano) "A blue cube did this?" "Yes. It looked damaged before it blew up." (Suzuya) A blue cube... I remember seeing those things when Azur Lane had their upgrades. If it was a mental cube, why did the Abyssals have it? "I going to pay a visit to Azur Lane. Maybe they know something." "I''ll follow you" (Zuihou) "No. You girls take a rest. You just got back from a sortie." Besides, I can''t let any of them enter a place full of traumatising people. "What about escorts?" (Yamashiro) "I already have some people in mind." --------------------------------------------------------- For travels across the sea, Admirals have a small speed boat which they are licensed to use. This speed boat is just as fast as a destroyer, if not, faster and doesn''t have any weapons or armour. It''s just a normal speed boat. As such, escort sh.i.p.s need to be brought along. Azur Lane''s Base is located on an island near Maizuru. To get there, I need to use my speed boat. I have already sent a telegram to them, announcing my visit. For escorts, I brought along Gambier Bay and Jervis. To prevent them from flying off the boat, I place Shigure and Yuudachi in my chest pockets. "So fast poi!" (Yuudachi) "The wind feels good." (Shigure) "This is the first I''ve seen a something like this. Are you alright, Shigure-san?" (Gambier Bay) "Yes. I''m fine. It''s just that everything is so big." (Shigure) "You guys look like fairies." (Jervis) "Yuudachi is not a fairy poi!" (Yuudachi) After a half an hour journey, an island with infrastructure came into view. That must be their base. The beaches are aligned with shops. Shipgirls from different fractions are mixing around despite their history with one another. Something which I couldn''t see back at Maizuru. We docked at what looks like a port. Waiting for us there is a maid with short, blonde hair. Her eyes are cold and her face remained expressionless. So, Belfast isn''t the only maid. "We have been waiting for you." (???) The maid did a curtsy as she introduced herself. "I''m the Town-class cruiser Sheffield. I''ll be escorting you to inse- I mean, Master''s office." (Sheffield) She was about to say insect... "We will be under your care." Before I could reach out to offer a handshake, Sheffield turned around and started walking. "Please, follow me." (Sheffield) "Ahaha. Admiral got rejected." (Jervis) Jervis snickered behind me. I turned around to respond, "Shut it." "Waah! Admiral, please don''t move around all of a sudden!" (Shigure) "So dizzy..." (Yuudachi) "Oops. Sorry." I need be careful for now. The both of them are extremely fragile in this state. We followed Sheffield as she leads us to the Commanders office. The whole place looks similar to ours. There''s a building which looks like an academy, some monuments and I can see a few dormitories as well. "Oh, Admiral-san. You came." (Laffey) "Laffey." "Eek!" (Gambier Bay) "Laffey, long time no see!" (Jervis, in English) "Jervis? Long time no see." (Laffey) "Gambier Bay, why are you scared?" "Sorry..." (Gambier Bay) "What''s that?" (Laffey) Laffey gestured to Shigure and Yuudachi, who retreated back into my pocket. "Long story." "Admiral-san, over here." (Sheffield) "Oh. I''ll talk to you later." "Bye bye." (Laffey) I rushed to meet Sheffield, who had long reached the office. She gently knocked on the door. "Master, our guests have arrived." The door opened and we were greeted by another maid, Belfast. "Our dearest guests, please come in." (Belfast) This whole maid thing is getting awkward. The office is similar to mine, the only difference is that it is round and there is a coffee table in the middle of the room. In the room, Javelin and a small girl with green hair and cat ears were also present. I sat on a chair which had been prepared for me. Jervis and Gambier Bay stood on both sides. "Welcome to Azur Lane. This is your first time here, right? How was it?" "Didn''t really had a time to tour around. Anyway, you know how I''m here." "Always quick to get to the point. Yeah, I know. Before we get to that, I want to thank you for helping me take care of our little destroyers last week." "My girls had fun so it was alright. You can thank me by paying back the money I spent on the treats." "Ahh. I was hoping you forgot about that. But really, now the little ones are picky about the treats I give them. Anyway, where are they?" (Commander) "Come on out." I placed my hands my chest pockets. Shigure and Yuudachi slowly climbed out and onto my palm. "Cute..." (Javelin) "They are smaller than I thought. I was thinking that they shrunk to the size of a child." (Commander) "Hello, Commander-san." (Shigure) "Ooh. So this is Azur Lane''s office. It doesn''t really look different from Admiral-san''s office poi." (Yuudachi) "They said a blue cube did this to them." "Hmm... That blue cube might have been a mental cube. But this is the first time I heard about such a case. For starters, Akashi." "On it nya" (Girl with green hair) This girl is Akashi?! I thought it was just another destroyer. "Excuse me for a bit nya." (Akashi) Akashi moved some sort of stick with a blue tip around Shigure and Yuudachi. As the stick moved closer, the blue tip glows brighter. "Nya. There are traces of a mental cube. But the reaction is a little too strong. It usually doesn''t get this bright. And even if a mental cube explodes, it shouldn''t have this kind of effect on shipgirls since we are made from mental cubes." (Akashi) "But we are not made from mental cubes." (Shigure) "Eh? You''re not?" (Akashi) All four of my girls shook their heads. The bewildered Akashi turned her attention to the Commander. "You said they were they same as us! You lied nya!" (Akashi) "I said they were the same but I didn''t say they were made out of mental cubes!" (Commander) This is going to take a while. Chapter 63 - 57 After briefly explaining how Shipgirls at my end are formed, whom can be ''constructed'' with a special tool or found at sea, Akashi continued her examination. "I did a scan nya. There is a strange coating around the both of you nya." (Akashi) "What does that mean?" "Looks like they were coated with the dust given out by the mental cube when it exploded. I''m not sure why they shrunk but they should return to normal after washing the dust off nya." (Akashi) "That''s it?" "That''s it nya. Mental cubes are compatible with us since we are made of the same material. Since you girls are different, the mental cube must have caused some random temporary effects nya." (Akashi) That sounds like a half-baked answer. "Now, I''m done nya. That would be 150 gems nya." (Akashi) "You''re charging for this? And what do you mean by gems?" "I"ll pay for him. At least the effects are not permanent." (Commander) "So we can just take a bath when we return?" (Shigure) "That sounds a bit unbelievable poi" (Yuudachi) "That''s easy enough. I thought you will need to go through some weird experiment to reverse the effects." (Jervis) "Thank goodness." (Gambier Bay) Well, looks like that''s settled. "How long will it take for them to turn back to normal after bathing?" "Give it a day nya. If they haven''t turned back or the effect became worst, just call me. I"ll figure something out nya." I picked Shigure and Yuudachi up. "Got it. Thank you very much. We''ll take our leave now." "Wait. Don''t you want a tour around the base?" "I appreciate the thought but I can''t have these two awaken to scary memories again." "Goodbye!" (Jervis) "Goodbye." (Gambier Bay) We left the office. Sheffield was waiting for us at the other side of the door. How long has she been standing there? ------------------------------- "Welcome back." (Zuihou) "How was it? Did you find out what happened?" (Shiratsuyu) "You guys were waiting here the whole time?" "We are worried about our sisters." (Kawakaze) Fleet 1 and the rest of the Shiratsuyu sisters greeted us when we returned. "We are fine poi." (Yuudachi) "Akashi-san didn''t really explain much, but she said we should return to normal after a bath." (Shigure) "Thank goodness it''s not permanent." (Yamashiro) "I told you so." (Suzuya) "There''s an Akashi there too?!" (Murasame) "Yeah! The Akashi is a small cat girl!" (Jervis) "You can hear the story over a bath. In the meantime," I positioned my palm at my pocket so that the two of them could come out. "Bring them with you. They should be bigger by tomorrow." "Leave to us! We''ll make sure our sisters get back to normal." (Suzukaze) "I-I''ll do my best!" (Samidare) "I will leave to you girls." "Yes! Come on, let''s go. First one to the docks wins!" (Shiratsuyu) "Shiratsuyu-san, that''s unfair! No headstarts!" (Jervis) "Wait for me!" (Gambier Bay) The girls ran to the docks. I''m a little worried about Yuudachi since Samidare is the one carrying her. It should be fi- Ahh! Oh thank goodness! Samidare tripped over her own foot and Yuudachi fell off. Luckily, Suzukaze caught the falling Yuudachi. Sheesh, Samidare is way too clumsy. "That went well." (Agano) "Listen to this, Admiral! Yamashiro was so worried that she ke-" (Suzuya) "Waaahhh! Suzuya, don''t say anything!!" (Yamashiro) I can sort of guess what happened. "You really love Shigure, don''t you?" "Of course I do. Shigure is just as important as Nee-sama. Besides, I promised not to leave her alone ever again." (Yamashiro) "That makes the both of us." "It''s a good thing a solution was found. I don''t know what to do if it was permanent." (Zuihou) "But if the Abyssals had a mental cube with them, something bad might be happening. Haah, now I have an extra thing to report. How troublesome." "Okay okay. Let''s get back to work." (Zuihou) Zuihou pushed my from behind. "Oh come on, I''m tired from the journey. Let me rest for the day." "I''ll cook some Tamagoyaki for you later. We have quite a bit to finish today." (Zuihou) Chapter 64 - 58 "Admiral, how many minutes left?" (???) The young destroyer started drooling as she stared at the cup ramen. "It hasn''t even been 30 seconds yet!" (???) The man that just responded to the destroyer is the Admiral of Yokosuka. The hungry destroyer is Hatsuzuki, one of the elusive Akizuki-class destroyers. This is the first time I''ve seen one. She also has those ''ear-flaps'' on her hair like Yuudachi and Shigure. "Are the Akizuki-class destroyers like this?" "Yeah. They are an extremely hungry bunch and will cry tears of joy even from the taste of cheap food." (Kure) "Is that so?" From what I remembered, the Akizuki-class destroyers barely had enough food on board during the great war. Maybe that''s what brought about their personality. "Admiral, how about now?" (Hatsuzuki) "Not yet. Just a little longer." (Yokosuka) "Do you always bring cup ramen around with you?" "Yeah. For the sake of this girl." (Yokosuka) He rubbed Hatsuzuki''s head. "Mmh~" (Hatsuzuki) "Anyway, let''s get down to business. Do you have the sample with you?" "Here it is." I placed a flask of glowing blue liquid on the table. This liquid came from the docks. When Yuudachi and Shigure washed off the dust they got from the exploding Mental Cube, the water turned blue and started glowing. Akashi drained all the water and stored all of it in some barrel. The Shiratsuyu-classs sisters took another bath just to make sure there isn''t any of that same dust on them. Yokosuka''s Admiral opened up the cup ramen, signalling to Hatsuzuki that it''s ready to eat, while keeping his eye on the flask. Wow. It''s true. Hatsuzuki is crying as she ate ate her ramen. "Not so fast. No one is going to steal your food." (Yokosuka) He slowly picked the flask up and examined it closely. "So this is filled with Mental Cube particles. Interesting." (Yokosuka) "It''s extremely diluted though. But the particles are there. Azur Lane shared the data with HQ. Whatever information that was decimated down to us matches the components in this flask. In fact, we have a few barrels of these." "Are these dangerous?" (Yokosuka) "Only to our shipgirls. It doesn''t seem to have any effect of humans or the girls from Azur Lane." "I will go back and see what our research team can do. I can take this, right?" (Yokosuka) "Yeah. That''s why I called you here anyway." To become an Admiral, one needs to attend the Naval Training School. Even so, only a few selected ones become Admirals of their own Naval District, the rest either quit or join the research or Engineering team. Yokosuka is the only Naval District to have dedicated research and engineering teams. "Admiral, can I ask for seconds?" (Hatsuzuki) "You want more?! Sorry, but I can go to the Mamiya''s store here? This girl is still hungry." (Yokosuka) "Go ahead, but I''m not treating you. I already burnt a hole in my wallet taking care of Azur Lane''s destroyers two weeks ago." "I know. I read your report. By the way, you ran away last time but have you found your chosen one?" (Yokosuka) "Ugh this again?" "Of course. You are the only Admiral who hasn''t ringed a shipgirl yet. The others already have a harem." (Yokosuka) "Even if I have one, I''m not telling you!" "Come on. I know you have a lover by now. She is from your main fleet, right? Is it Suzuya? Or Agano?" (Yokosuka) Why are you singling out the big ones? "Or do you prefer smaller ones? Like Zuihou?" (Yokosuka) Right answer, but I ain''t going to tell you that. "Enough already. Now go. Hatsuzuki is starving already." "Admiral..." (Hatsuzuki) "Ah. Sorry Hatsuzuki. Now let''s go get some food. This is not the end. I''m going to find out sooner or later!" (Yokosuka) "Yeah yeah." I waved goodbye to the duo. Phew. Thankfully Hatsuzuki was here. If not, I might have let something slip out. "You can come out now." My bedroom door slowly creaked open. Zuihou peeked out from her hiding place. "You didn''t need to hide anyway." "Ehehe. It just happened." (Zuihou) "Now, let''s continue where we left off." "Eh? Wait..." (Zuihou) Right. Before Yokosuka''s Admiral came, we were about to kiss. I didn''t expect him to show up this early in the morning. Because of that, our activity was cut short. And there was such a great mood too. "Geez. It can''t be help." (Zuihou) As our lips touched, the warm and fuzzy feeling swelled up from within. Chapter 65 - 59 The sound of heavy breathing filled the room. There were feelings of panic and fear coming from within. Another nightmare... "Shigure! Shigure! Wake up!" Hah! Hah! No! Please!" (Shigure) "Shigure! " (Yuudachi) I''m trying to shake Shigure awake. I know she gets nightmares from time to time, but it has never been so bad that Yuudachi would come rushing to me for help. "Please... Don''t leave me..." (Shigure) Tears came out of her closed eyes. She is suffering. I pulled Shigure up and hugged her tightly, stroking her head at the same time. "I''m with you. Everyone''s with you. We won''t ever leave you." "Shigure..." (Yuudachi) Yuudachi placed one hand on her shoulder. After a while, it looked as though our feelings got through. Shigure breathing started returning to normal. She was no longer trembling and is sleeping soundly. "She is all right now." "That''s great. Shigure wouldn''t wake up no matter how hard I tried poi. Thank you, Admiral-san!" (Yuudachi) I pet Yuudachi a bit. "You did the right thing in calling for me. Good job." "Ehehe. Fu~ah..." (Yuudachi) I gently placed Shigure back down on her bed. "Go back to sleep. I''m going back as well." "Admiral-san, sleep with us poi!" (Yuudachi) "I can''t. When Shigure wakes up in the morning, she will get a shock. Besides the bed is too small for the three of us." The beds in the dorm are double-decker beds. Knowing Yuudachi, she won''t stay on her own bed and would want to squeeze together with us on the same bed. Yuudachi puffed her cheeks. "Now then, I will go back to my room now." I tried to get up but felt something pulling me back. I look down to check and realised that Shigure was holding my hand. At first it was gentle, but when I tried to get up, she would tighten her grip, as if she knew I was going away. "See. Even Shigure wants to sleep with Admiral-san poi!" (Yuudachi) I don''t have a choice, do I? "Fine. But how are you going to sleep? You won''t want to sleep on the top alone, right?" "Hehe. Like this poi." (Yuudachi) Shigure''s spot is nearer to the wall, her hand still holding onto mine. I took the side nearer to the edge and Yuudachi laid right on top of me. "Heavy..." "That''s mean poi! Yuudachi is not heavy poi!" "Mng..." (Shigure) "Shh... You are too loud." It''s dark, but I can tell Yuudachi is happy with this arrangement. Since Yuudachi is this close, I just noticed there is a sweet smell coming from her. "Admiral-san''s smell. It''s so relaxing poi." (Yuudachi) And just like that, she fell asleep on top of me. It seems that Yuudachi was doing the same thing as me. But really, what''s up with these shipgirls sniffing me and relaxing afterwards? Ah whatever. If that''s what makes them relaxed. I should probably get some sleep too. Now that Yuudachi is this close to me, I can feel them touching me. They are pretty soft. So this is what it feels like. In manga, there is always, if not most of the time, this scene where the busty girl will go so close to the boy that her chest touches a part of his body, and then he will make that weird pervy smile. Am I making that face now? Maybe not. The warmth and smell coming from Yuudachi is quite pleasant as well. It''s making me sleepy... ------------------------------------------ --The next morning, along the hallway-- Yeah, I''m still a little tired after last night. I woke up many time because Yuudachi was moving around in her sleep. Shigure was also surprised after waking up to find herself in that awkward arrangement. Oh. Speak of the devil. "Shigure, how are you feeling?" Shigure turned around to face me. "Ah Admiral. I''m fine. Thank you. For staying with me." (Shigure) "That''s good. Sorry if i scared you just now." "Oh, no. It must have been hard to sleep with Yuudachi on top of you." (Shigure) "A little. Anyway," I stroked Shigure''s head. "feel free to tell me if there are any problems. I''ll see what I can do." Shigure grabbed my hand, which was still on her head. "Yes!" (Shigure) I''m still a little sleepy. Maybe I go sneak in a nap later on. Chapter 66 - 60 "CarDiv3, ah no. Heavy Strike Force Fleet 1, flagship Zuihou, setting sail!" (Zuihou) "You want to borrow Tama''s hand? It can''t be helped nya. Torpedo Squadron 2, sortieing." (Tama) The two fleets left the port separately. This was an emergency sortie. A Carrier fleet from Yokosuka was intercepted by an heavy Abyssal Fleet. Yokosuka is preparing an rescue fleet but the carrier fleet was closer to us so we were sent out first. "Remember. This is a two-part mission. Eliminate the Abyssals first. After that, escort the carrier fleet to the rendezvous point. If the first part fails, stall for time until Yokosuka arrives." "Roger!" (All) "One more thing. My usual order still stands. Don''t sink! Good luck everyone. I''m counting on you!" The location where the SOS beacon activated was in the Salmon Sea Area. Initial reports indicate a combined Abyssal Fleet led by three Abyssal Boss types, two Battleship Princess Kai and one Aircraft Demon. Unlike those random encounters, this Abyssals fleet went out and ambushed them without any provocation. Currently, the Carrier Fleet has ran out of ammo and planes and is doing all it takes to avoid the enemy shelling. Hopefully we can reach them in time. Oh, the ''Heavy Strike Force Fleet'' thing was something Zuihou came up with. Since I equipped them with heavy firepower equipment, she thought it would be more appropriate to call themselves that... "Flagship Zuihou, checking in. We have the enemy in sight." (Zuihou) "Check if the Carrier Fleet is all right." "Roger! Launching Type 2 Reconnaissance Aircraft!" (Zuihou) A few moments later, the plane returned to Zuihou. "Only the Demon and Princesses left. Everyone is heavily damaged already! We need to be quick!" (Zuihou) "Torpedo Squadron 2, launch your torpedos! Heavy Strike Force Fleet 1, give them everything you got!" Tama and the Destroyers launched a salvo of torpedoes at the boss types. It barely made a scratch but at least it caught their attention. "Uwaah. They are aiming at us!" (Kawakaze) "No worries. Just keep evading nya." (Tama) As Tama''s fleet draws the enemie''s attention, Zuihou''s fleet prepared their own attack. "653rd, please begin takeoff!" (Zuihou) "Assault squad, lau~nch! Hehe... But it''s good... So good!" (Suzuya) The bombers launched by both light carriers managed to land a few hits on the Aircraft Demon. In retaliation, it launched it''s own air fleet. "Ugh! Gross!" (Suzuya) "Evasive maneuvers!" (Agano) "Carrier Fleet 1, this is flagship Zuihou from Maizuru Naval District. Can you move?" (Zuihou) "This is Flagship Unryuu. Everyone is heavily damaged but we can still move." (Unryuu) "Unryuu-san, when the time comes, please move out of the way as quickly as possible. Leave this to us!" (Zuihou) "Thanks! That really helps." (Unryuu) While fleet 1 prepares for their next volley, Tama''s fleet strikes the Abyssals from the other side. Just like that, both fleets took turns to attack the enemy while drawing their attention away from Unryuu''s Fleet. "Goooghh!!!" (Battleship princess kai 1) What a horrible scream. That means we managed to break through its armour! "Don''t let up! Keep attacking!" "Hyaa!" (Agano) "Poi!" (Yuudachi) A bomber from the Aircraft Demon managed to land a hit on Agano and Yuudachi. "Oh you idiot! I can fight like this poi!" (Yuudachi) "Geez, no way! I''m all tattered, aren''t I?" (Agano) "Agano, Yuudachi, fall back and focus on evading. Shigure, sorry but I''m leaving the anti-air to you." "Roger." (Shigure) "Sorry Shigure." (Yuudachi) Right now, the Abyssal''s attention is on Tama and the others. Yamashiro took aim with her 35.6cm twin gun mounts. "Main gun, take aim... Fire!" (Yamashiro) The AP round struck the other Battleship princess, causing it to cry out in pain as a result. "Yes! A direct hit!" (Yamashiro) "Nice shot, Yamashiro! I can''t lose out either!" (Suzuya) Suzuya launched several of her torpedo bombers and rained hell on the Battleship princesses. At this rate, we might be able to eliminate these three Abyssal bosses. "This is Battleship Haruna. We are here to help! What the current situation?" (Haruna) That was fast. I thought they would take even longer to show up. "This is flagship Zuihou. Unryuu-san and the others are heavily damaged. They are out of danger for now. The Battleship Princesses are moderately damaged and the Aircraft Demon is lightly damaged." (Zuihou) "Roger. We will take it from here." (Haruna) The rescue fleet Yokosuka sent consisted of the 4 Kongou class Battleship sisters and the 2 aviation cruisers, Tone and Chikuma. This isn''t a rescue fleet! This is more like a fleet to annihilate the Abyssals! Tama and Zuihou fell back to let Yokosuka do their thing. In a few moments, one of the Battleship Princesses sunk. It''s terrifying how much firepower and mobility this fleet has. "Erm... Now what?" (Agano) "We can just leave?" (Umikaze) "I think so... Ah whatever. I''ll deal with it when it comes. Fleet 1 and Torpedo Squadron 2, return immediately!" "It''s Heavy Strike Force Fleet 1!" (Zuihou) "Too long!" They didn''t say we couldn''t retreat once the Rescue fleet arrives. Besides, they already sunk all three of them. "Girls from Maizuru." (Unyruu) "Hmm?" (All) "Thank you, for saving us. (Unryuu) Unryuu and her fleet bowed in gratitude. "Bye bye! Let''s meet again sometime!" (Suzuya) Both fleets waved goodbye before making it back home. All right. Now it''s my turn. How am I going to start the action report? Chapter 67 - 61 The scream of a Supply Depot Princess echoed through the air as she sinks back into the darkness she came from. It was the start of another large-scale operation and this was just part one of the first mission. "Target eliminated. Finally!" (Amatsukaze) "Geez! My hair is in a mess!" (Kisaragi) "Hehe! That was easy!" (Suzukaze) "Don''t let your get down! There may still be some more Abyssals in the area." (Asashio) "Come on! Don''t be so stiff! Relax a little." (Suzukaze) "Asashio is right. The mission isn''t over until you girls get home safe and sound. Besides, with the weird Abyssal activity nowadays, it''s almost impossible to predict when they might appear." "Fine..." (Suzukaze) "That being said, come home and take a short break. I will be relying on you 4 for the next part." "Roger!" (All) With the 4 of them en route to base, I can only hope they don''t meet with any danger on the way back. Once they are ready, I have to send them out for the second part. This large-scale operation is way too large. Most of the operation maps have multiple parts to it. Thankfully, those parts can be accomplished with the same fleet from before. I have already planned out the composition to tackle each area. And that''s why, now I have a sulky girl curled up in the corner here. "...Why does Ryuujou-chan get to go on a sortie? It''s not fair..." (Zuihou) Zuihou has been like this ever since I announced the fleet compositions for each mission. Apart from the weaker, less experienced destroyers which would not be joining, for obvious reasons, Zuihou will not be taking part in the operation. Or at least until more details are released. That''s why, she is acting all spoilt now. The reason why I didn''t include Zuihou in any fleet composition is simple. She is a little too strong now. With her firepower, or aircraft power in this case, she can no doubt easily steamroll her way through the enemy lines. However, I want to give the other girls a chance to get stronger through this operation. Of course, I didn''t tell her this. If I told her, she might try to hold back and get herself or others hurt in the process. So for now, I''ll just play the bad guy. "I told you, this time the missions don''t require much. Just use this chance to take a break." "I wanted to go on a sortie!" (Zuihou) "Stop acting like a child," Even though you look like one. "Come here. Come on." I pat my lap, gesturing her to come sit on it. As unsatisfied as she may be, Zuihou doesn''t seem to be able resist when I do this. It''s one of the things she likes. Zuihou, still pouting, went over to me and sat on my lap. I pulled her in closer. It''s like trying to appease an angry little kid. This is sort of entertaining. "I''ll put you in the the next operation. This time, I want you stay with me." "But..." (Zuihou) "I''m going to be very busy from now on. That''s why, I want you to be by my side. Is that okay?" "Do you promise to put me in the next operation?" (Zuihou) That''s your main concern? How much do you want to go on a sortie? "Yes. I promise." "Fine. It''s a promise." (Zuihou) Alright. I think I got her mood to improve a bit. "Good girl. Now, let''s do some work. The four of them will be back soon." Things will definitely get busy from now on. Chapter 68 - 61.5 Compared to the first phase, the second phase is relatively simple. We were expecting another ''Princess'' or ''Demon'' type but in the end, it was just a normal Abyssal fleet. One very lively Abyssal fleet. The flagship, which is a He-class Light cruiser, is weak enough to be taken out in one or two hits. The main issue is that it keeps coming back! How many more times must you shoot it before it stays in the ocean?! Anyways, since Kisaragi''s fleet is on the last dance, the next mission is already underway. The next mission, named The 2nd Battle of the Java Sea, is a joint operation under Sasebo''s charge. Shouhou, Arashio and Umikaze will be joining them for this. The ''boss'' of this area is a Heavy Cruiser Princess. Theoretically, anti-installation weapons should work against it. The main problems would be the reported air raids along the way. Sasebo''s Mikuma, Mogami and Ooi will handle the boss. Shouhou provides the necessary protection against the air raids and air support. Arashio will assist in providing anti-aircaft fire while Umikaze provides additional firepower. That''s the plan for now. But I''m not hearing any good results from this... "Geez... my appearance is ruined..." (Arashio) This is the fifth time we had to retreat just before our target. "Aaah... my long-awaited flight deck came to nothing, damnit..." (Mogami) Right now, the fleet is resting at my district. It''s an hassle for the 3 of them to return all the way back to Sasebo, get repaired and then return back here. So for the time being, until the mission is complete, we will be taking care of this strike fleet. Since it''s a joint operation, Sasebo will also be providing repair buckets and relevant resources such as fuel and ammo. At least that helps alleviate the pressure on my own resources. "The battle has ended. Here''s the report.. Wanna see?" (Kisaragi) "Ooh. That''s great! Good job girls!" "Fufufufu?" (Kisaragi) The mission was a success! Ooyodo came in with the Action Report and a new weapon, a Shipborne Model Type 4 20cm Anti-ground Rocket Launcher. It resembles a little like the Type 2 12cm Mortar Kai we got from the Sardine Exchange, just that this one is an Anti-installation weapon. It''s under the same category as the WG42. Great timing! Maybe this can help! Let''s see... Who can equip this? Alright! Let''s get this thing onto Umikaze! With this, we should have more firepower against the Heavy Cruiser Princess. After some discussion, Sasebo and I managed to settle on a fleet composition. Umikaze would be the flagship, followed by Arashio, Mikuma, Ooi, Mogami and finally, Shouhou. If this composition works, we should be able to finally reach and deal some damage to the Heavy Cruiser Princess to get the ball rolling. Chapter 69 - 62 "No signs of Mental Cubes or anything like that. Back then, a mental cube was involved, but now they are just... cute." (Akashi) I had to carry the two of them to Akashi''s workshop in the factory to find out a cause. It''s not as if they are the size of a fairy, rather, they are the size of a small child now. "In fact, are you sure they are our Shigure-chan and Zuihou-chan?" (Akashi) "What does that mean?" "I don''t think they are the Zuihou-chan and Shigure-chan we know. It''s one thing if they were kids but they haven''t even said a word at all." (Akashi) That''s true. So far the only thing they have been doing is making small grunts and trying to get my attention. They have not spoken a single word at all. That''s right. Are these two really our girls? "Should we test this theory?" "What are you planning?" (Akashi) "If I can call Zuihou and Shigure here, it means that these two don''t belong here." "That could work." (Akashi) I walked over to the intercom and made the call. "Zuihou and Shigure, please come to the factory immediately." Now we wait. Several minutes passed and those two still have not made their appearance yet. Seriously? Are you saying that these two kids really are Shigure and Zuihou? If so, the million yen question is, how did they end up like this? "Akashi!!!" (???) Loud footsteps can be heard outside. They seem to be getting closer. A girl with a short ponytail and dark blue serafuku that exposes her midriff came bursting in. She definitely rushed here, seeing as she is trying to catch her breath. I don''t think she noticed me yet. If Yuubari is acting like this... "Yuubari? What''s going on?" (Akashi) "Those two girls... Have you seen them?" (Yuubari) "You mean these two girls? Yuubari turned around and finally noticed us. Though, her main focus seemed to be on Shigure and Zuihou. "Wah! So cute! Wait, that''s not it! It failed... This wasn''t the effect I was going for..." (Yuubari) "Yuubari," "Ah. Crap." (Yuubari) "Care to explain?" ----------------------------------------------------- -Last Night- Yuubari POV- Finally, I did it! The Bust-up drug! This bottle of medicine is my greatest creation yet! It took so long. This should increase my bust size by 2, no, 3 sizes! Hehehe! My dream can finally come true. Now, I''ll just chill it overnight and it will be perfect! The taste should be like melon tea so it''s delicious at the same time. But where can I chill it? Oh yeah. I can put it in the cafeteria fridge. I can''t wait for tomorrow! ----------------------------------------------- -Present day- "So it was you!!!" "Eep!" (Yuubari) A bust-up drug that had the opposite effect. I don''t know whether to laugh or feel bad. Zuihou would flip if she was still normal. "How did you figure out that Zuihou-chan and Shigure-chan were the ones that drank your medicine?" (Akashi) "I woke up late this morning. When I went to the cafeteria fridge to try out my medicine, it was gone! That''s when I heard from the others that there were two kids wandering around the district. The announcement calling for Zuihou-san and Shigure-san made me realize that the two of them may have drank my medicine." (Yuubari) What kind of plot is this? "So the medicine failed and had a weird effect instead." (Akashi) "Zuihou and Shigure drank the failed medicine and became like this." "No. It was taken out too earlier, that''s why the effect became weird. If it remained as it was for a while more, it would have it''s intended effect." (Yuubari) "Even so, don''t put weird stuff in the cafeteria fridge you idiot!!!" I used my knuckles and thwacked Yuubari''s head. "Ouch! uugh... I''m sorry..." (Yuubari) "So, how long are they going to stay like this?" "Erm... I don''t know. The effect was supposed to be permanent." I raised my hand again to wack her another time. "But if I have the correct materials, I can reverse the effect!" (Yuubari) "Alright. What''s the catch?" "Um... It will take two months to get the materials." (Yuubari) "Two months?! They are going to be stuck like this for two months?!" "Oh my!" (Akashi) "I got those materials through the main channel. It will take two months for them to process the order and deliver it." (Yuubari) Oh. That''s it? "If that''s the case, I can just make a emergency order." "Eh? You can do that?" (Yuubari) "Of course I can. It''s expensive so I don''t do it all the time. I should be able to get it by tomorrow." "That''s great! If that''s the case..." I already know what this girl wants. She wants to continue her experiments. "Fine. But only after getting these two back to normal." "You got it! Just give me 2 days and the reverse medicine should be ready." (Yuubari) In the meantime, how am I going to care of the both of them? Chapter 70 - 63 Geez. Yuubari''s stunt really caused a bit of trouble this time. The materials she needed were so rare and unheard of, I''m surprised that HQ has access to them. Anyway, putting that aside, the fleet was finally able to break through and brought the Princess down to her halfway point. All we needed to do was sent out support expedition fleets to take out as many small fries as possible so that we can focus on the princess. Hopefully we can sink that snake, or eel, before I run out of buckets and resources. Back to the 2 little shipgirls, they really don''t want to leave my side at all. I had to call Ooyodo and Yuudachi to help me handle them while I take care of personal matters. Since the both of them can''t speak, they would either pull on my shirt or make some weird noises to get our attention. Shigure isn''t much of a problem. As long as I''m nearby, she would remain silent and play on her own. She also seems fine with Yuudachi entertaining her. Zuihou, on the other hand, is extremely troublesome. She would constantly cry out to get my attention and would flail about when she is not in contact with any part of my body. I still can''t believe they are going to be like this for the next 3 days. Damn it, Yuubari. "Unyaa! Myaa!" (Zuihou) "All right all right. I heard you." Zuihou was making these weird noises and her arms were outstretched. She is begging to be picked up again. I just put the both of them down because my legs were getting numb from them claiming my lap as their chair. Shigure... somehow managed to climb back up on her own. Now she is trying to climb onto the desk. "Stop it. It''s dangerous." I grabbed Shigure and placed her back onto my lap. "Just stay here." "Admiral, we got an update on the operation. Should I summarise it?" (Ooyodo) "Go ahead." "As of 1200 hours, we are at the last dance." (Ooyodo) "So now the hard part. Make sure everyone is fully rest before sortieing again. Adjust the support fleets equipment of necessary." "Understood. Excuse me." (Ooyodo) The last dance of a mission is always the hardest part. Like a video game boss, the lower it''s health, the stronger it gets. They would usually get tougher to damage or evade most attacks. They can even do more damage than before. Whose idea was it to make them stronger as they get weaker? It''s so stupid! "Enyaa..." (Zuihou) "Nada?" (Shigure) Both of them looked at me with concerned eyes. Either they understood my frustration or they are just bewildered. Zuihou and Shigure proceeded to try and hug me as tightly as possible. A fluffy feeling appeared from within me. It''s like all my frustrations were gone instantly. Okay. Maybe they understood what was going on. "I''m alright. Thank you." I pet both of their heads. Since they are going to be like this for a while, might as well enjoy it. At least they are cute. Chapter 71 - 63.5 The 2nd mission was a success! It took longer than expected though, 2 days in fact, but it''s finally done! And Kashima finally came home! Now we have someone to train the young destroyers and Coastal Defense Sh.i.p.s. And true to the rumours, Kashima is definitely s.e.xy. A-anyway, time of the third one, ''Battle of Surabaya''. For this mission, it'' going to be a combined fleet operation. As with the 2nd mission, Maizuru is teaming up with Kure of this. From Kure, Kitakami, Sazanami, Furutaka, Kiyoshimo and Chiyoda will be joining us. From Maizuru, we have Tenryuu, Tatsuta, Kumano, Maya, Samidare and Yukikaze. The current plan is a Surface Task Force. According to the reports, there are 2 phases to this mission. The first task is to sink a Ne-class Heavy Cruiser Kai. After which, we need to sink a Battleship Water Demon. This is going to be difficult as usual. For the second phase. "Should we equip Kumano-san with anti-installation equipment?" (Ooyodo) "Great idea. Chiyoda should be able to achieve air superiority on her own. Equip Kumano with a WG42 and the new rocket launcher. Lend Furutaka our Type 3 shell as well. For the destroyers, equip those in the main fleet with anti-submarine equipment and anti-air for those in the escort fleet. Give Tenryuu and Tatsuta the basic load-out. This setup should be enough." "Roger." (Ooyodo) Now with everyone''s equipment settled, what''s left is for them to do their best and complete the mission. "By the way, how are those two?" (Ooyodo) "They are sleeping now. There will be a lot of explaining to do once they wake up." Earlier, Yuubari came over to give me the medicine to turn Shigure and Zuihou back to normal. As with her previous creation, she add melon flavouring to it. I had to feed it to the both of them, since they refused to go close to Yuubari . They were a little reluctant, but after some coercing, they drank the medicine and fell asleep immediately. Right now, they are in my bedroom. Yuubari looks like she pulled an all-nighter to create the medicine, so she is also resting now. I should probably order a refrigerator for her, just in case she needs to chill her creations again. "You better not do anything to them while they sleep." (Ooyodo) "I won''t! What do you think I am? A pervert?" "Yes!" (Ooyodo) Wow. She said it with no hesitation at all. Can''t deny it though. I think it''s time to check on Shigure and Zuihou. If the medicine was anything like Yuubari''s failed ''Bust-up Drug'', the effect should be immediate. I took a peek at both of them... Huh... I guess Yuubari is a genius after all. The medicine worked. Both Shigure and Zuihou have returned to their normal size. Oops... Better get them some clothes. I won''t want another screaming incident. As I placed their clothes beside them, the phone rang. I went to pick it up. "Hello?" "Admiral, is that you? Perfect!" (Commander) It was Azur Lane''s Commander. If he is calling me using the direct line, that means something big is about to happen. I''m already busy as it is. "What is it?" "We managed to pinpoint a few locations where Shoukaku and Zuikaku may be hiding." (COmmander) A few locations? Why not find out why they are really hiding? "You don''t have a definite location?" "They seem to be constantly moving about. Current Siren activity suggests that." (Commander) Fair enough. At least we finally have a chance to stop them and end this Siren-Abyssal war. I''m going to presume he needs help in searching those locations. "I know you guys are in the midst of a large-scale operation, but I need some help in searching these areas." I knew it. "I''m not sure if there is anyone available for this. Most of my girls have their own assignments to carry out." "We don''t need to assemble a full fleet. Just 1 or 2 shipgirls to scout the area is enough." (Commander) "Even if you say that, I don''t think any of my girls..." Before I can continue, I notice a certain girl staring right at me from the corner of the table. She is awake? What is she doing? "Zuihou, what are you doing?" "Ehehe. Well... A-anyway, I can do it!" (Zuihou) She can do it? What is she... Oh great. She overheard our conversation. "No. I am not sending you out there. You just returned back to normal." "Back to normal? Speaking of which, I can''t seem to remember anything these past few days. Did something happened? Why did I wake up n.a.k.e.d? Why was I on Admiral''s bed? Why was Shigure sleeping next to me? You didn''t do anything to me, right?!" (Zuihou) I have a lot of explaining to do. "Where do I start?" Chapter 72 - 64 Jeez! Yuubari-san, how could your bust-up drug fail? And why did you put it in the cafeteria refrigerator? It''s hard to believe what Admiral said. Instead of my chest growing, I shrunk and became a child? How did that happen? Worst of all, I caused trouble for Admiral again! How many times does this make?! I better get good results for this mission. I was the one that convinced him to send me out for this. Luckily the only conditions he set were to wear this fox ear hairband, get a checkup from Akashi, immediately to inform him if I found their base and not get kidnapped. I don''t know why he put in the last condition but anyway, this hairband is cute. It''s matches my hair and fits me perfectly. Since most girls in the Sakura Empire have animal traits, this might help me avoid detection. A recon mission. Azur Lane has designated 3 areas where Shoukaku-san and Zuikaku-san, not the ones we know from Kure, are hiding. According to the Commander, there will be a lot of mass-produced Siren sh.i.p.s floating about. So I need to find a way to infiltrate the base. The big question is, how does it look like? He said I will know when I see it, but how can I tell if I don''t even know what I''m supposed to look out for? Speak of the devil, Siren sh.i.p.s ahead of me... I stopped for a bit. They shouldn''t be able to see me from this distance. If I remember correctly, those are just Destroyer types. It''s my first time seeing one up close. They are pretty big, like the size of a normal warship. Is that how our original form would look like? Anyway, I need to find a way around them. It seems like it''s a small dispatch of Siren Destroyers. I should be able to sneak around them. I could launch a Recon plane to scout for a safe route, but that might put me at a risk of getting discovered. From the briefing, the Commander said that these mass-produced Sirens are under direct control of Orochi. I don''t even know what that is. These mass-produced Sirens don''t seem to have any reaction towards Shipgirls from the Sakura Empire but are hostile towards everyone else from the other factions. He believes that the reason for this behavior is that Shoukaku-san and Zuikaku-san hope that others from the Sakura Empire would join them. If that''s true, they shouldn''t have any reaction towards my planes as well, since we use the same models as the Sakura Empire. I launched a Reppu Kai towards the fleet. Please let me be right. If they don''t attempt to shoot it down, maybe I can just go through them. I watched as my Reppu flew a few rounds above the dispatchment before calling it back. I was right. They don''t react to Japanese planes as well. Maybe I can just move through them. It''s much faster that way. Even if things go loud, I should be able to outrun them. I slowly moved forward. As I got closer to the dispatchment, the red stripes on the destroyers lit up. Uh oh. What does that mean? Should I just keep moving forward? The destroyers moved out of the way as I moved forward in a straight line. Huh. So I guess this is their way of greeting me. Maybe it''s the fox ears that made me look like I belong to the Sakura Empire. These things really are passive after all. Since the sirens were ''kind'' enough to move out of the way, I got through them without any incident. "Thank you!" I don''t think they understood me but nonetheless, I still thanked them. So far, apart from that dispatchment, the seas are quiet. I don''t see any other Siren fleets, let alone Abyssal fleets. Is this area undiscovered by both sides? Then, this makes me the first person to discover this place! Yeah, right! It''s just a coincidence that there are no enemies. The ocean is vast after all. I have been travelling for almost 2 hours now. There is nothing in sight. This is the place where those two might be, right? Were the coordinates wrong? There''s nothing here except for an island with huge Sakura tree. Huh? What''s an island with a huge Sakura tree doing in the middle of nowhere?! Is this one of their potential bases? Now I understand where the commander said I will know their base when I see it. There is no effort to hide it at all! I still don''t see any Siren sh.i.p.s around. Maybe this isn''t the place after all. Suddenly, I felt a chill. Actually, two, in fact. One down my spine, and another on my neck. A katana?! "Who are you? I never seen a girl like you before!" (???) A voice I have never heard before asked. I can''t turn around to see who is it. Rather, I''m too scared to turn around! "Those ears... Are you from the Sakura Empire?" (???) Ears? Oh right! "Y-yes. I''m from the Sakura Empire." "Hmm..." (???) I can feel katana move away from my neck. Phew... That was scary. I turned around to see who my assailant was. A tall, pretty girl with long brown hair, a red top with matching skirt and and a white coat stood in front of me. Her coat resembles the wings of a crane. She returned her katana back into it''s sheathe. "I have never seen you before. You''re so tiny." (Katana girl) Don''t call me tiny! Ugh... How am I going to get away from this? For now, its best to answer her questions. I better be careful and make sure not to blurt out anything that might tell them I''m actually the enemy. "I-I''m actually a new girl. I just joined recently." "Those clothes and quiver... Are you perhaps an aircraft carrier? I thought you were a destroyer." (Katana girl) Okay, this person is starting to piss me off. I need to lie my way out of this. "Yes. I''m a light aircraft carrier. My name is Zuihou." Stupid! Why did I give my real name?! "Zuihou? Ooh! You have ''Zui'' in your name too! My name is Zuikaku. Please to meet you!" So this girl is Zuikaku-san. She doesn''t seem to remember me at all. Weren''t we together as the First Carrier Division back then? Zuikaku-san stretched out her hand towards me. "Please to meet you too!" I shook her hand. "I know it''s a little late, but what brings you here?" (Zuikaku) "Erm..." "Oh I know! You want to join us, right?" (Zuikaku) Hmm? Wait a minute. If I play along with them, maybe I can stop whatever they are planning. I feel bad for tricking them, but this can stop the war between the Abyssals and Sirens and also get the Abyssals to stop deploying Princess and Demons along with their smaller fleets. Better still, Admiral will praise me if I can take them down myself. Yes! This is a good chance for me! Besides, she doesn''t seem to be a bad person. "I want to join you guys. Akagi-san and Kaga-san scares me. Adm- I mean, Commander-san doesn''t pay attention to me, and I don''t get along well with the other girls. I''m a fan of Zuikaku-san and Shoukaku-san, so I came here to see if I could help with anything." Sorry. They are all lies. I don''t even know why are you doing this. I did look up to Zuikaku-senpai and Shoukaku-senpai, but you''re not the Zuikaku-senpai and Shoukaku-senpai I know. "I see. Ehehe. I didn''t I had a fan. That makes me happy. Let''s not talk here. Come on in." (Zuikaku) Zuikaku-san led me to the island. There was a port. This place is a mess. Buildings were in ruins. There is debris everywhere. What happened here? I watched as Zuikaku-san''s equipment disappeared into blue cubes and a huge ship appeared at the port. Oh yeah. They can do that. For us, we have to store our equipment in the arsenal. This is bad. I can''t do that. I quickly toss my equipment into the shallow waters before Zuikaku-san turned around. I''m sorry! I''ll come back for you later. "Come on. I know a place we can talk." (Zuikaku) I followed Zuikaku-san up a flight of stairs. Torri gates with burn marks lined the path. I still cannot believe that this is their hideout. At the top of the stairs, the big Sakura tree stood surrounded by water. 4 bridges lead to the base of the Sakura tree, where a partially damaged shrine is in place. This would have been a nice base if it weren''t for all the debris and damaged structures. "Have a seat. I''ll go make some tea." (Zuikaku) The shrine was mostly empty, save for a small table in the middle of the room. Zuikaku-san came back with a tea tray. I watched as she gracefully brewed the tea. It was bitter! Way too bitter! "Sorry for the taste. It''s the best we have right now. Things have been a little hard since we left Azur Lane. Shoukaku-nee is currently out looking for a place to get us some resources. But, we don''t have to worry about all that once we stop the Sirens!" (Zuikaku) "How are you going to do that?" "Well, we have a plan. Do you know Project Orochi?" (Zuikaku) I have a brief idea about it. The giant battle cruiser that can create Siren sh.i.p.s. "You mean the battle cruiser? I know that it can mass produce Siren sh.i.p.s. I heard that Akagi-san destroyed the black mental cube used to control it." "Yeah. She did. When Azur Lane reunited, Akagi-san destroyed the Blackbox in front of everyone''s eyes. The thing is, Orochi itself wasn''t destroyed. Since Orochi was still in working condition, Shoukaku-nee and I thought that if we could get our hands on another Blackbox, we would be able to control Orochi again. The Sirens must have noticed this, because one day, she showed up. The one known as ''Observer''." (Zuikaku) Observer? Is that the name of the Siren leader? Zuikaku-san took out black glowing cube from her sleeve and placed it on the table. So this is the so-called Blackbox. "The Observer gave us a Blackbox and said we need to collect 2 things, data from battles and a ''Mold''. We managed to complete the data collection part. Battles, excercises, commissions, we collected data using every chance we get. Right now, the sirens that Orochi produced are under our control. Shoukaku-nee ordered the Sirens to let anyone from the Sakura Empire through. I''m sure you met some of them on the way here." (Zuikaku) The Intel was right. They really are trying to revive Project Orochi. Worst, the first part of their plani s already finished. "For the second part, we needed the help of others, but after that incident with the Maizuru and Azur Lane joint operation, I don''t think anyone would want to join us. That''s why, I really happy when you said you want to help us!" (Zuikaku) Zuikaku-san clasp my hand. For some reason, I got a bad feeling of this. They need the help of other shipgirls for a mold. Don''t tell me... "Please! Be our mold! You can be the first one to start the ball rolling. Once the others realize that this plan is flawless, more will join us. And soon, this long and painful war will come to an end!" (Zuikaku) I quickly pulled my hand away and backed off. Isn''t this bad? What they want are actually sacrifices, right? They are completely brainwashed by the Sirens! I shouldn''t have come here. I should have just informed Admiral when I discovered this place. "Don''t worry. I was told that it is harmless to us. You may be unable to move but this is small price to pay for ending this war once and for all." Zuikaku-san inched closer. Her eyes are terrifying! I need to get our of here! "Zuikaku, what''s with all that noise? Oh, we have a guest?" (???) A girl with a long white hair walked into the room. She resembles the Shoukaku-senpai I know. Like Zuikaku-san, she wore a white coat which resembles the wings of a crane. "Shoukaku-nee, welcome back!" (Zuikaku) Zuikaku-san ran to her sister''s side, leaving the Blackbox on the table. "This girl is Zuihou-san. She says that she wants to help us! We can finally start the second phase of our plan!" (Zuikaku) "Is that so? Then, let''s not waste anymore time. Please follow us. We will guide you to Orochi." (Shoukaku) This is my chance. I need to secure the Blackbox and escape. "Erm... I need some time to think about this." "Why? Didn''t you say you want to help us? We can start now!" (Zuikaku) "Um... I''m sorry! I can''t do it!" I grabbed the Blackbox and ran towards the exit on the right. "Ah! Wait! Come back here!" (Zuikaku) "Aww... She ran away. No problem. We can just capture her by force." (Shoukaku) I ran down the stairs. I have to make it to the port. This place may be big but if I keep running, I should be able to find a way out of way. "Zuihou-san! Come back!" (Zuikaku) I looked back to see Zuikaku-san chasing after me. She isn''t running though. She is leaping towards me! I reached the staircase landing. Now where do I go? Left or right? I think it''s left. The sound of a flute being played filled the air. It''s a rather ominous sound. "You are not getting away." (Shoukaku) I looked towards where the voice came from. What the? Shoukaku-san is floating?! Blue silhouettes shaped like planes flew down towards me. What am I doing? Run! I ran in the opposite direction. Gunfire rained down, missing me by a few centimeters. They really plan to take me by force! Those houses should be able to provide some cover. The first house I hid in was no use. Shoukaku-san''s planes came crashing through the roof, collapsing the entire house and nearly crashing me. I barely managed to escape! I continued to use the houses as cover. "Come on. Join us. It''s for the greater good." (Zuikaku) "I''m not becoming a mold!" I''m getting further an further away from where my equipment is. I originally planned to escape immediately but I didn''t expect Zuikaku-san and Shoukaku-san to catch up to me that fast. And what''s up with those planes?! They are basically made out of fire. I got no choice. I really didn''t want to this. "Fairy-san, if you would." The fairy hiding in my hair popped her head out. "You should have said that earlier. Activating SOS beacon. Please find a safe place to hide and wait." (Fairy) Chapter 73 - 65 The combined fleet is making good progress. By noon, they were able to sink the Ne-class Heavy Cruiser Kai. This is the first time I''ve seen an Abyssal boss go down so fast. We can move on to the second phase, which is sinking the Battleship Water Demon. I can expect that it will take more time but the results are pretty good. Shigure finally woke up and her reaction was similar to Zuihou''s. After some explaination, she said she was going to look for Yuubari. I''m still worried about Zuihou. That girl just returned back to normal and she wants to take off immediately. She is not part of the operation but she wants to sortie. I did put some conditions for her to follow. This is just a simple scouting mission, find the hideout and get out immediately. There were 3 possible locations where the rogue Shoukaku and Zuikaku might be. Azur Lane took 2 while I picked the 1 nearer to our base. It''s still a bit of a distance to cover but compared to the ones Azur Lane is scouting, it''s nearer. I don''t know what is Azur Lane''s plan once we confirm the location. Most likely they will send a fleet to capture those 2 and put an end to whatever they are planning. "Admiral! We got trouble!" (Ooyodo) Ooyodo came in with panic shown on her face. "What is it?" Somehow, I got a feeling of what is happening. "Zuihou-san just activated her SOS beacon. Currently, she is on an unknown island. She is in trouble!" What is Zuihou doing on an island? That girl! She must have tried to do something and got herself kidnapped again! "Form a rescue fleet with those not involved in the current mission immediately! We might be up against those 2 aircraft carriers so equip everyone with anti-air weaponry. I''ll take direct command of this rescue mission." "Roger! I shall sortie Yahagi-san, Souryuu-san, Hiryuu-san, Murasame-chan, Fubuki-chan and Fusou-san." (Ooyodo) I picked up the phone and called Azur Lane''s commander. "Hello?" "We got trouble. I think Zuihou found their hideout." "That''s great. We can launch a fleet to secure them immediately. So what''s the trouble?" (Commander) "My light aircraft carrier just sent an SOS signal. She seems to be on an island." "Oh... Looks like we need to go immediately. I''ll put together an subjugation fleet. Send me the coordinates. We will meet you there." This is why I didn''t want to send Zuihou out. -------------------------------- "Seriously, what did she try to do this time?" (Yahagi) "I guess she thought she could infiltrate the hideout and ended up getting caught. Anyway, we just have to ask her." "Commander, are you angry?" (Fubuki) "Of course I''m angry! I specifically told her to inform me as soon as she found their hideout and not get kidnapped. She disobeyed these 2 orders." "Calm down. Let''s get Zuihou-san out first, then you can scold her all you want." (Fusou) "Oh, I will scold her." "Ahaha. Admiral really cares for Zuihou-san. That makes me a little jealous." (Murasame) "Alright that''s enough. We got company." (Yahagi) In front of the fleet, there is a dispatchment of Siren sh.i.p.s. They are pretty big. "Admiral, what should we do?" (Yahagi) "Ooyodo, what is the type of those Siren sh.i.p.s?" "Um... Give me a moment." (Ooyodo) Ooyodo scrambled through a bunch of doc.u.ments. "Ah found it. From the looks of it, those are Destroyer types. The intel states that Sirens under Orochi''s command will not attack Sakura Empire shipgirls." "We can''t afford to make a detour around them. At the same time, we need to conserve ammunition. Souryuu." "Yes?" (Souryuu) "Launch a fighter at them but don''t engage. I want to try something." "Alright. Launching a Reppu." (Souryuu) We watched as the Reppu flew over the Siren dispatch. As I thought, they don''t have any reaction to it. "Alright. Bring it back. You can simply go through them." "Eh?! Just like that?" (Murasame) "It seems that those Sirens will only react to non-Japanese shipgirl''s and equipment. You can just move through them." "Roger. Let''s go." (Yahagi) "Umm... If you say so." (Souryuu) I was right. As soon as the rescue fleet came closer, the Siren destroyers moved aside. "Wow. It''s like we are celebrities!" (Fubuki) "How did you know they won''t attack us?" (Souryuu) "They don''t react to Sakura Empire shipgirls. Since you girls are the same type as those form the Sakura Empire, I had a hunch that the Sirens would have a similar reaction towards you." "I see. So it was a gamble." (Hiryuu) "A-anyway, keep going. Azur Lane is waiting for us." "Don''t change the subject!" (Hiryuu) After that encounter, the rescue fleet continue heading towards the coordinates stated given by Azur Lane. After 2 hours, we finally met the fleet from Azur Lane, who just arrived as well. "There really is nothing here. Except for that ridiculously large Sakura tree on an isalnd in the middle of nowhere." (Murasame) "It''s beautiful." (Fubuki) "Wait until you see the one at our base. It way bigger and way more beautiful than this one." (Akagi) "Are you Akagi-san? Hello. My name is Yahagi. We''ll be under your care." (Yahagi) "I''m Akagi. The pleasure is ours." (Akagi) A full Sakura Empire fleet. I expected the Royal Navy or Eagle Union to show up. Then again, if the girls are from Sakura Empire, they can avoid conflict with any Sirens on the way here. On the island, blue and red silhouettes of planes can be seen flying around and shooting at something. Explosions can be heard and debris flying all over the place. "Starting now, we will be starting the mission! Find Zuihou and subjugate the rogue Zuikaku and Shoukaku. This will most likely take place on land, so expect to be slowed down a bit." "Akagi, do you know the way around this island?" (Commander) "Ufufufu. Of course, Commander. This was once a part of our old base after all." (Akagi) "Let''s go, nee-sama." (Kaga) "Yes. Time to teach our juniors a little lesson." (Akagi) ---------------------------------- Hah hah hah. I''m tired. How long have I been running? I can''t keep this up. Those planes have been launching bombs all over the place. I got hit by one of them and it really hurts. I need to get out of here. If I can return to my equipment, I would have a fighting chance. But how do I get back to the beach? I kept running deeper into the island and hid in the bushes. I didn''t expect to be attacked on land. I should have change into my camouflage outfit. I heard the sound of a plane overheard. They shouldn''t be able to see me here, right? The overgrowth makes it hard to detect anything from air. Suddenly, I heard another explosion. What is it this time?! I ran deeper into the island. My radar is picking up multiple planes at once. There weren''t this many before! Did they get Orochi to create aircraft carriers? I want to go home! Admiral... "Found you." (Shoukaku) "Eek!" "That was mean. Running off with our possessions like that. Don''t worry. I''ll forgive you if you return it to us and join us for our plan." (Shoukaku) "No! I''m not giving this to you! And I''m not joining you!" "Aww... That''s too bad. Maybe a little punishment for this unruly fox might make her change her mind." (Shoukaku) Shoukaku-san threw 4 shikigami paper at me. My back is up against a tree and I have nowhere to run. Looks like this is it. Sorry, Admiral. I can''t come home after all. I closed my eyes and braced for the impact. *Clink* *Clink* Huh? Nothing happened. What was that sound? I opened my eyes to see large, red tails in front of me. "Ara ara. Violence against such a small girl is not a good thing." (???) That voice. And all those tails. "Akagi-san?!" "Ara. We meet again. It makes me happy that you remembered my name. For now, be a good girl and stay behind me." (Akagi) "Shoukaku-nee!" (Zuikaku) Zuikaku-san came from the bushes and launched her own shikigami paper towards our direction. Akagi-san simply blocked all of them. "If it isn''t our senpai from the First Carrier Division. Have you come to join us?" (Shoukaku) "Nope. I''m here to bring you girls back. And maybe punish you along the way!" Akagi-san launched her own attack. I heard another plane flying overhead. I looked up to see a tall girl with short, white hair and 9 white tails jumped down. "Nee-sama!" (???) "Ara, Kaga. How nice of you to join us." (Akagi) This girl is Kaga-san. Her eyes look just as scary as Akagi-san''s. "The others are making their way on foot." (Kaga) "Ufufufu. I think this whole fight might end before they arrive." "Don''t underestimate us!" (Zuikaku) Akagi blocked more of Zuikaku-san''s attack. "This girl..." (Kaga) "This girl is Zuihou-chan." (Akagi) "So she is one of the targets for this mission?" Targets? So they are here to capture me as well? "Ah no. It''s not you are thinking." (Kaga) "Geez. Kaga. You got to explain properly. If not, others are going to have the wrong idea." (Akagi) "Kaga-senpai is here too. Isn''t this great, Zuihou-san? You won''t be alone after all." "What is she talking about?" "I''ll explaining later. Take this." I handed the Blackbox to Kaga-san. She was obviously shocked. "So it''s true. Why do you have Blackbox with you?! Don''t tell me you contacted the Sirens!" "The Sirens technology is the only way to win the war! We have always believed that. Why abandon that believe now?" (Shoukaku) "That was all in the past!" (Akagi) Kaga-san joined in the firefight. While Akagi-san and Kaga-san simply blocked all of their attacks, Shoukaku-san and Zuikaku-san were dodging instead. It''s weird to see Aircraft carriers fight like this. This is the difference between us and Azur Lane. "Finally we found you." (???) There was rustling coming from the bushes beside me. Yahagi-san came out along with Murasame-chan and Fubuki-chan. They came for me! "Yahagi-san! Everyone!" "Oh my. You are a mess." (Murasame) "You really caused a lot of trouble this time." "Sorry..." "It''s great to see that you''re fine, Zuihou-senpai." (Fubuki) More explosions can heard overhead. The blue and red plane silhouettes started blowing up. Reppus flew past. "Right now, Hiyuu-san, Souryuu-san and Fusou-san are clearing up the enemy aircraft." "Fusou''s guns are too big fit in her anyway." (Murasame) "Akagi-san, we''ll back you up." (Yahagi) "I appreciate the offer, but it''s already over." Huh? "Thats enough!" (???) A girl in white naval uniform and long black hair drew her katana and placed it on Shoukaku-san''s neck. Where did she come from? "Shoukaku-nee!" Zuikaku-san wanted to rush to her sister''s side but was stopped by another similar looking girl who did the same as the other one. Isn''t that Atago-san? "I wouldn''t do that if I were you. Zuihou-chan, long time no see." (Atago) Other girls came out from the greenery, aiming their guns at Zuikaku-san and Shoukaku-san. Shigure-chan and Yuudachi-chan is here as well. I don''t recognize the other white hair girl though. That chest... She is bigger than me? "Zuikaku-san, please stop this." (???) "Yukikaze-chan..." (Zuikaku) There were only Reppus and Shidens were flying around. "It''s over. Takao-chan, Atago-chan, please restrain them properly. " (Akagi) "Not yet!" (Zuikaku) Zuikaku tried to continue her attack, only be hit by Atago-san''s hilt. Atago-san quickly caught her as she fell. "Oops. I think I overdid it." (Atago) "Zuikaku!" (Shoukaku) "Don''t move!" (Takao) Shoukaku-san had no choice to listen. It''s finally over. But the worst has yet to come. Chapter 74 - 66 The rescue mission was a success. The video feed and communication channels got cut off when they entered the island so I got worried as to what was going on in there. Good thing my worries were for naught. Zuihou, although lightly damaged, was retrieved safely from the island. Azur Lane finally caught their rogue Aircraft Carriers and put a stop to their plans. I don''t know how will they punish those two, but that''s not my concern anymore. Zuihou provided valuable intel on the whole situation, about how the Siren leader was directly involved and the plan to use shipgirls as a ''Mold''. I''m going to have to scold Zuihou later for breaking the conditions I gave her and putting herself at risk again. Right now, she is being lectured by Akashi for haphazardly throwing her equipment into the shallow waters, causing her planes to be waterlogged. Akashi really cares for the equipment we use. She is our repair ship after all. As for the operation, it''s going pretty well. The fight with the Battleship Water Demon is currently underway and the combined fleet managed to deal significant damage to it. Since it''s night time already, the attack will continue tomorrow once everyone finishes their repairs and are fully rested. At this rate, we should be able to sink it tomorrow and advance to the next mission. There''s one small problem. We are a little low on ammunition right now. Tokitsukaze is on an expedition with the little Coastal Defense Shipgirls to get us a steady supply of ammunition. Currently, they are the only ones I can spare for an expedition right now. I need to give them a reward once all these are over. I also need to file a report on the incident with Azur Lane. More work to do. Terrific. Speaking of which, how come Yokosuka isn''t participating in this operation?" (Shouhou) "They will be. They are involved in the next 3 missions. Then, we can finally call it a day." "What are you going to do to Zuihou?" (Shouhou) "I''ll definitely scold her for being reckless. Maybe punish her a little." "I know that you''re angry with Zuihou, but don''t be too hard on her. You two are a couple after all." (Shouhou) She is right. I shouldn''t be fault her too much. She did stop Zuikaku and Shoukaku after all. Huh? Wait, how does Shouhou know that? "I''m a little jealous. To think that Admiral would choose my sister." (Shouhou) "How do you know that? Did Zuihou tell you?" "Sort of. A few times, she talked in her sleep. She would laugh and then went "I''m Admiral''s girlfriend". And the number of times I heard lewd noises coming from her while saying your name doesn''t really hide anything." (Shouhou) Damn it! Zuihou, you horny shipgirl! Your own sister found out! "I don''t mind if you are going to make me a aunt, but try to do it private. Oh, and don''t worry. I haven''t told anyone. So far, I think I''m the only one that knows." (Shouhou) This is shocking. If it''s Shouhou, I''m sure she would keep her word and not tell anyone. But still... How much trouble do you want to cause, Zuihou? "Please, do keep it a secret. If word goes out, I''m afraid everyone''s morale might do down." "I wouldn''t mind keeping it a secret, but I don''t think our morale would go down that easily." (Shouhou) Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Zuihou, reporting." (Zuihou) Speak of the devil. I did tell her to come see me after her repairs and Akashi lectures. "Come in." Zuihou slowly opened the door. She is being wary. "I''ll leave you two to it. Admiral, don''t go too hard on her, alright?" (Shouhou) Shouhou walked towards the exit, but not before greeting her sister. "Good luck." (Shouhou) ------------------------- The room was silent. Zuihou stood meekly in front of me. She is nervous, probably wondering what I''m about say. "First of all, how are your injuries?" "Akashi-san patched me up. I''m all right now." (Zuihou) If it''s just light damages, Akashi can repair them in no time. She probably did it first before starting her lecture. "Before I let you go on the mission, you promised to inform me as soon as you discover their base and not get kidnapped. Am I right?" "Yes..." (Zuihou) Not only did you delay informing me about their base, you followed the enemy and almost got yourself captured for some crazy experiment. Do you realize how worried I was and how much trouble you caused?" At this point, I was raising my voice a little. Yes, I am angry at Zuihou, but a part of me just wants to forgive her and wrap myself around her. Even though we are lovers, I''m the Admiral. I have to be strict when it comes to something like this. Zuihou looks as though she is on the verge of tears. "Sure, I''ll give you credit for stopping their plans but what would have happened if you had failed? You may not come back. Worst, If they went ahead and made you a vessel for whatever they are planning, we may be forced to fight you!" *sniff* *sniff* Zuihou started sobbing . Did I go too far? I don''t think I did. I just listed the worst case scenarios I could think of. "I-I thought th-that if I could stop them, it would put an end to this four-way war. I-I just wanted to help. I''m sorry. I''m sorry. Please... Don''t hate me..." (Zuihou) Haah... This girl... I walk up to her and hugged her tightly. Zuihou clasp onto my uniform, sobbing. I stroked her head, trying to calm her down a little. For battle-hardened fighters, these shipgirls are way too sensitive, a little trigger can cause them to topple into a mess. "You really are dumb. As if I would hate you for something like this. Yeah, I am mad at you for doing something reckless. Even so, I''m glad you came back safe and sound." "Admiral... I''m sorry!" (Zuihou) Zuihou''s floodgates were open. Her howls echoed throughout the entire room. I just stood there holding her in my arms and stroking her head. This is the only way I know to calm her down. We stayed like this for quite a while. Zuihou kept apologizing in between recovering breathes. By the time get tears started to dry, my uniform is soaking wet. "Sorry. I caused you more trouble." (Admiral) "Damn right you did." I said while taking of my tear soaked uniform. Wouldn''t went to catch a cold in this freezing weather. "First you became a child and continuously demanded for my attention for 2 days. Then you went ahead and did something crazy. And because of your nightly activities, Shouhou knows about us now." "Ugh... Huh? Shouhou found out?!" (Zuihou) "In a embarrassing way too. You must have really want it. You horny shipgirl." "Wahh! Stop it!" (Zuihou) Zuihou tried to hide her face behind her hands. Her ears are red with embarrassment. So cute. Ahh... Yep. I can hold it no longer. I have been pent up for so long. "Alright. I have figured a way to punish you." "Eh?" (Zuihou) "For being reckless, you are grounded. So sorties for you until the operation ends." "No way!" (Zuihou) "The next one is more of a reward than a punishment." "Why is there another one?" (Zuihou) I lifted Zuihou''s chin up and kissed her lips. "Mnh..." (Zuihou) "For letting out our secret, come to my room after you take bath. And prepare yourself. Because I''m not going to let you sleep tonight." "Eh? A-are you serious?" (Zuihou) She understood what I meant. She really is a lewd girl. "Or maybe I can take you now. Whichever you prefer." "Wait... Let me take a shower first..." (Zuihou) I believe I don''t need to describe what we did that night. Chapter 75 - 67 *Yawn* Morning already, huh. I looked at Zuihou, sleeping peacefully beside me. That was fun. Zuihou showed me so many reactions last night. Some of which I have never seen before. She said so many cute and embarrassing things as well. I want to do it again. Regrettably, it''s time for work now. I gently shook Zuihou. "Zuihou. Wake up. It''s morning already." "Mnh... Admiral..." (Zuihou) I want to let her sleep a little longer but there''s work to be done. "Come on, wake up." "Nm... Admiral?" (Zuihou) Zuihou''s eyes opened halfway. I got a feeling that she is still half-asleep. Zuihou reached out and wrapped her arms around my neck as she pulled herself up. "My good morning kiss..." (Zuihou) I was right. She is still half-asleep. Oh well, a kiss is still a win for me. I kissed her deeply. "Nmh...Mgh?!" (Zuihou) I felt a hand pushing me away. "Admiral? What are you doing?" (Zuihou) Zuihou, her face as red as a beetroot, was using the blanket to cover up. "Good morning, Zuihou." "Good morning... Wait, that''s not it. Kissing me this early in the morning is unfair!" (Zuihou) "You''re the one that asked for it." "That''s..." (Zuihou) "Come on. Get dressed. We have quite a bit to do today." As I walked out of my room to go to the toilet, I turned around for one more tease. "You were very cute last night." I watched as her face turned redder than before. She grabbed a pillow and threw it towards me. "Dummy! You don''t need to remember that!" (Zuihou) -------------------------------- Today was the continuation of the third mission. With some luck, Battleship Demon would be sunk, allowing us to advance to the fourth part of this operation. Since the fourth is an joint operation with Yokosuka, I don''t need to think too much about the fleet composition as they will be providing most of the firepower. I just need to fill in the gaps. "At 1100 hours, the combined fleet will begin sortieing. Also, Yokosuka has requested 1 Light Aircraft Carrier, 1 Aviation Cruiser and 1 Light cruiser from us for the upcoming mission." (Ooyodo) "That''s it? I was expecting a bit more." "For now, that''s what they requested. They need some destroyers as well for the transport phase." (Ooyodo) "All right. Tell them I will send Ryuujou, Suzuya and Noshiro to them. When does Yokosuka want them?" "As soon as the third mission is completed, all shipgirl''s involved in the fourth mission are to gather at Yokosuka Naval District for briefing." (Ooyodo) "Finally, the task of repairing and resupplying falls under someone else. Oh, and send another small expedition fleet to expedition 2. We need to resupply our repair buckets." "Roger. Is sending Umikaze-san and 3 other Coastal Defense girls okay with you?" (Ooyodo) "Yeah. That''s perfect. Those girls must be dying to go out to sea by now." "By the way, Zuihou, are you alright? You look rather uncomfortable." (Ooyodo) Ooyodo turned her attention to Zuihou, who was squirming about. "Ah. No. I''m fine. No need to worry about me." (Zuihou) "Really? You did almost got caught by Zuikaku-san and Shoukaku-san before. I think it''s better if you get a full-body checkup from Akashi-san." (Ooyodo) "No need for that. I''m fine. Really." (Zuihou) "It''s that so? Then, I guess that''s fine by me. I''ll go send a reply to Yokosuka. Excuse me." (Ooyodo) As soon as Ooyodo left, I poked Zuihou''s side, causing her to let out a surprised whelp. "Hyaah! Admiral, why did you do that for?!" (Zuihou) "No reason. But seriously, why are you squirming about for?" "Egh...It still feels like its inside..." (Zuihou) What''s inside? Oh, I see. "Want me to dig it out for you?" I said that while wiggling my fingers. "I-idiot! What are you saying?! And stop with that hand motion! Geez! I''m going to borrow your bathroom for a bit." (Zuihou) As soon as the I hear the bathroom door lock, I felt my sense of self-control returning. That was dangerous! Seeing her like that almost made me want to have another go. There''s no way I''ll be able to think properly with Zuihou being this cute. Now that I think about it, is it all right to do it before marriage? It should be all right if I take responsibility, right? "Marriage... I''ve never really thought about it until now." I took out a small, black case I have hidden in my drawer. Inside it contains a wedding ring. This wedding ring was part of the ''starter kit'' given out to all Admirals upon successfully completing our training. Not sure why it was there but I have been saving mine since then. "Soon..." Chapter 76 - 68 With both the Ne-Class Heavy Cruiser Kai and Battleship Demon sunk, the operation can finally carry on. Our main target, the Batavia Princess, is a new, never before seen high-class Abyssal. With 2 Nautili at the sides, she would make a good antagonist from a tentacle doujin. At first, the plan was for us to cooperate with Yokosuka on this mission. As per their latest request, Noshiro, Kawakaze, Yuudachi, Shigure, Suzuya and Ryuujou were to sortie with them. Due to our involvement in the previous 3 missions and in stopping Azur Lane''s Zuikaku and Shoukaku, our responsibilities have decreased. Now, all we need to do is to assist in the transport phase and defend the Air Base. After that, Yokosuka will team up with the other Naval Districts while we get to go on a 5 day Onsen Trip! That''s real nice of them! Considering the fact the we have been spearheading the first 3 missions, this reward is pretty well-deserved. "Onsen! Yuudachi wants to go!" (Yuudachi) "This is like a good Christmas present!" (Suzuya) "An Onsen trip with Nee-sama... Hehehehe..." (Yamashiro) "All right all right. I know you girls are excited but we still need to complete this one last job. Here are your equipment setups. Suzuya and Noshiro, you will be using the basic setup. Make sure to bring some seaplanes bombers with you. Shigure, Yuudachi and Kawakaze will be using drums for this round. Ryuujou, Shouhou, Yamashiro, Fusou, Yamakaze and Fubuki will be on Air Support. Yamakaze and Samidare, bring radars with you to track and mark the enemy''s location." "I will do my best!" (Fubuki) "R-roger." (Yamakaze) "Fusou and Yamashiro will be fully equipped with Seaplane Bombers. Ryuujou and Shouhou... I don''t think I need tell you two what to bring." "Leave it to us." (Shouhou) "Zuihou ain''t comin'' along for this?" (Ryuujou) "She is grounded. For the latest stunt she pulled." "..." (Zuihou) "Ah. I see. Tough luck, eh." (Ryuujou) "You don''t have to remind me! Geez!" (Zuihou) "I will leave the fleet arrangement to Yokosuka. Once you are prepared, move out to Brunei Anchorage. Further details and planning are held that. Good luck, girls. I''m counting on you." "Roger!" (All) As soon as everyone left to get their assigned equipment, Zuihou switched to her childish side and gave a sullen pout. "Admiral, can I really not go on a sortie?" (Zuihou) "Again with this? I told you, this is your punishment. And also a break for you. The others need to have battle experience too." For the past few months after her remodel, Zuihou''s growth and attack power has been increasing rapidly, up to the point where she can take out half the enemy fleet during the first air strike. As of now, she is the strongest shipgirl in my district, followed by both Shigure and Yuudachi and then Suzuya. These 4 shipgirls are the ace of Maizuru Naval District. "But I''m bored! Come on, at least put me on an expedition." (Zuihou) Zuihou shook me, like a child pestering their parents to buy some candy for them. She is trying act cute, something which the others already good at as well. Still, I need to be firm with this. "Nope. You are staying on land. Unless you want another type of punishment..." "Oh I know that face. You are going to do something perverted to me if I agree, right?" As if reading my mind, Zuihou placed her hands over her chest and inched further from me. What kind of face was I making? And how did she know? "Your loss." "I was right. Stop trying to act cool. I can tell." "You are being real sassy today." I put my hand under Zuihou''s chin and brought my face closer to her. "Maybe I should punish that naughty mouth of yours." "W-wait! Not no- mmh..." (Zuihou) I played around her lips with my tongue. Zuihou flinched a bit, startled by this sudden action. Soon, I can feel the warmth of her tongue on mine as I pulled her closer. Just like on our first night, Zuihou completely submitted her body to me. "Funyaa~" (Zuihou) I broke off the kiss. Despite it being cold, I was feeling rather warm. Zuihou must have felt it too. Her face was flushed and she wore this feminine expression on her face. "Admiral is so unfair..." (Zuihou) Chapter 77 - 69 "Wow! So this is an Onsen town!" (Etorafu) "Such a beautiful place!" (Kisaragi) "Now now, keep it down! You''re disturbing other people!" (Ooyodo) Excitement and laughter filled the air. We are here, at a Kinosaki Onsen Town. It''s located in the Northern Hugo Prefecture, a 2-and-a-half hour train ride from our place. Because they get to go out of the area often, the girls were pretty excited and noisy during the trip. It''s extremely difficult to keep all 94 shipgirls in check and make sure they don''t get lost while we were changing trains. Also, this is the first time I felt like everyone''s eyes on me. Of course, a guy handling so many girls at once is not something we see everyday. Unless it''s a school trip, but there isn''t one at this time of the year. We really need to thank the everyone involved in the transport mission. By some miracle, no one suffered any big damages during the transport mission. Because of this, they only returned back to drop off the resources, resupply and use the repair buckets if necessary. Yokosuka also told me the my girls were extremely motivated, which spread to their girls. Because of this, the transport mission was finished within the day, a record best! As promised by HQ, Maizuru Naval District will get to go on a 5 day Onsen trip! They are probably going to give the same reward to everyone else, but we still got ourselves an early break. And on Christmas Eve as well! As soon as we reached Kinosaki Onsen Town, everyone, especially the young destroyers and Coastal Defense Sh.i.p.s, wasted no time and started exploring the area. I guess I can let them play around for a while. I already briefed them on which Ryokan(Inn) we are staying. As an added measure, I sent Kashima, Yuubari, Agano, Souryuu to follow the young ones. The others are also keen to start exploring, so I let them do whatever they want. So long as everyone comes back by dinner time. I I can handle the check-in process myself. I should probably put their presents there too. No, lets wait till night. Some of them still believe Santa Claus is real. I don''t want to crush that dream of theirs. I have already prepared everyone''s presents. I do this every year. The cruisers, carriers and battlesh.i.p.s have caught on but most of the destroyers still believe that it was Santa that was delivering their Christmas presents. Since I am waiting for night to come, I''ll just take a short nap. The entire operation, the Azur Lane Saga and the train rides really took a toll on me... ------------------------------------------------------------ "Huh? Where is Admiral?" (Shigure) "I think he is still sleeping poi." (Yuudachi) "He did looked tired when we reached the inn." (Shouhou) "Oh well. Let''s just start without him. Everyone! Good work on the 2nd Southern Operation! Cheers!" (Hiryuu) "Cheers!" (All) As agreed, everybody gathered at the dining hall by dinner time. To celebrate the end of the Large-scale operation, at least on our end, everyone decided to have a large party in the dining hall. Since it''s an all-expenses paid trip by HQ, I''m sure Admiral doesn''t need to fork out anything from his own pocket. I know it''s supposed to be joyous occasion, but I can''t help but feel like I don''t deserve to be here. All this time, I have been a burden to Admiral. I did nothing but caused him trouble. I didn''t even contribute anything to this operation. "Zuihou, what''s wrong?" (Shouhou) "Shouhou..." "Come on. why are making such a sad face?" (Shouhou) "It''s not everyday we get to have a huge party like this. Come on, lets drink." (Tatsuta) Tatsuta-san was holding on to a large bottle of wine. "Of course! Now is not the time to be discouraged! Listen up! Your real job starts now!" (Hiryuu) "Hiryuu-senpai, you reek of alcohol. And you''re too close." Eh? "My real job?" "Yeah! With all the reports he had to make, surely he didn''t have time for himself. That''s where you come in. Since it''s Christmas, you can give him a reward by releasing all the pent-up stress in him!" (Hiryuu) "She is drunk, isn''t she?" (Tatsuta) "I''ll go get Souryuu-senpai." (Shouhou) "How do I that?" "Do I really need to answer that for you? For pervert like Admiral, obviously you need to do-" (Hiryuu) "All right all right. That''s enough. How did you get drunk this fast?" (Souryuu) Before Hiryuu-senpai can complete her sentence, Souryuu came and pulled her away. I sort of know the answer to my own question. But... is it really the best gift? "Well, ignoring what Hiryuu-san just said, I think you know what kind of present to give Admiral." (Tatsuta) Tatsuta-san gave her signature cynical smile. Whenever she smiles like that, I feel that she is seeing through me. "Anyway, there''s no need to think too much. Maybe just spend some time with him. We are on vacation after all." (Shouhou) Shouhou''s right. This is actually the perfect time to deepen our relationship. Maybe... "It''s Christmas tomorrow, so maybe the both of you can go on a Christmas date together." (Tatsuta) I nearly spit out the wine I was drinking. H-how did she...? No, Tatsuta-san''s favourite pastime is making cynical remarks. Maybe she is just teasing me. "Don''t worry. I won''t say anything until the both of you make it public." (Tatsuta) Tatsuta-san walked back to her table and started entertaining the destroyers there. She knew! "Shouhou..." "I didn''t say anything! Really!" (Shouhou) Hah... It can''t be help. People are going to catch on sooner or later. "I''ll go get Admiral. It will be bad if he missed out on all the food and drinks." As I was about to exit the dining room, the doors slid open. "Aww. You started without me." (Admiral) "Admiral?" "Oh, Zuihou. You are leaving already?" (Admiral) "N-no. I was thinking about coming for you." "I appreciate the thought. Thank you." (Admiral) He said that as he stroked my head. I like this feeling... "Admiral! You''re late!" (Shimakaze) "Where have you been?" (Shigure) "Sorry. I wanted to take a quick nap, but ended up sleeping till now." (Admiral) Admiral went to join the others. He is trying hide it, but he is still tired. If only there''s something I can do... Chapter 78 - 70 *Yawn...* So sleepy. I barely gotten any sleep last night. Before the party, I snuck off to collect the presents from a delivery man waiting outside the Inn. After that, I lost track of the time wrapping them up. That''s why I showed up late. Even after the party, I continued to wrap all of them and distributed them to their respective rooms. I was lucky enough to complete all of these by dawn. Good thing everyone was tired out from exploring and partying. Oh and by the way, I got the innkeeper to give me a copy of every key for the rooms we reserved, just for the day. So it''s not like I broke into their rooms or anything. The innkeeper looked at me with suspicion, but after some explaining, he just handed them to me. I guess he can''t be bothered to listen any longer. I was planning to laze about today, but after last night''s party, Zuihou told me she wanted to go out with me. I couldn''t say no to such a request. We arranged to meet in front of the red lamp near the stone bridge at 9am. Looking around, there are many other patrons walking around in a Yukata with a Haori. Since it''s Christmas, there are plenty of couples as well. Maybe I should have wore one too. Instead, I''m wearing blue jeans and a thick, brown overcoat. Now that I think about it, this is a Christmas date, isn''t it? It is! How didn''t I realize it sooner?! I should have dressed better. Maybe if I go back now... "Did you wait long?" (Zuihou) Too late... "Sorry. It took me some time to dress up." (Zuihou) Zuihou was wearing a white hoodie with a green jacket and matching green skirt. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail with a white ribbon and brown ankle boots covered her feet. "Is it weird?" (Zuihou) "N-no. It looks perfect on you." I''m speechless. Her outfit completely caught me off-guard. "Really? Ehehe. That''s great!" (Zuihou) She totally looks like any other ordinary girl! I thought she either be wearing a Yukata or her usual outfit. I have never seen it before. "That outfit... When did you get it?" "Oh. I bought it during my previous time-off. I thought maybe this is a good time to wear it." (Zuihou) "I-I see. Anyway, where should we go first? I don''t know anything about this place." "Don''t worry! I explored around yesterday. I know all the fun places." (Zuihou) "Then, lead the way." "Yes!" (Zuihou) Just as Zuihou said, she really knew what are the interesting places in this small Onsen town. There''s a sweets shop which sells delicious desserts. I could use the sugar rush. There is even a retro game center which has vintage Pachinko machines, a shooting gallery and Smart Ball,which is like a pinball machines. The place has a nostalgic feel to it. There is a museum which offer lessons on straw crafting. I only managed to make a simple straw ball, while Zuihou made a plane. How and when did she learn to do that? The instructor only taught us the basic crafts like a ball, a flower or a hat. Not confined to the Onsen town, we went out and travelled to the coastal cliffs of Hiyoriyama, at the outskirts of Kinosaki. Located at Hiyoriyama is a small aquarium. Apart from the usual tanks of fishes and animal shows, what made this aquarium stood out from the rest was the Aji fishing zone. As the name implies, we can fish for our own aji(Horse Mackeral) and have it freshly fried. Being a girl of the sea, Zuihou seems to enjoy the aquarium trip a lot. Upon returning back to Kinosaki, we found a restaurant selling Snow Crabs. It''s a little expensive, but extremely worth it. When was the last time I ate such delicious crab? After the feast, we took a break at a nearby Ashiyu(Foot Bath). "Fuwah~ That was delicious. Right, Admiral?" (Zuihou) "Yeah. I''m stuffed." Oh man. A full stomach and all that walking is making me feel sleepy. On top of that, my sugar rush is wearing off. "Admiral, are you alright?" Oops. I mustn''t fall asleep. "Yeah. I just a little tired, that all." "Really? Don''t try and push yourself." "I''m fine.Shall we go? We have soaked quite a bit." As I stood up, my vision went blurry. I felt a bit light-headed. "Admiral?!" I can''t remember anything after that. ----------------------------------- There''s something soft under my head. What is this? A pillow... or not. It''s way too smooth and warm to be a pillow. Without thinking, I touched this wierd ''pillow''. "Hyaah! Where are you touching?!" "Eh?" I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was Zuihou peering at me with a bright red face. I just noticed I was lying on Zuihou''s lap. So this is the fabled Lap Pillow''. This is nice. Wait... that''s not it! "Erm... What happened? I remember being soaking our feet at the Ashiyu." "You suddenly fainted. That was a shock. I didn''t know what to do for a moment there. Luckily, a couple helped me to move you this bench." (Zuihou) Is that so? Wow. Nice going, me. How pathetic. Fainting on your first date. "Is that so? I''m sorry. For ruining our first date." I felt something dropped on my cheek. It was a little wet. I took a look at Zuihou face and realise where it came from. "Wait. Why are you crying?" "I knew from the start. Since the beginning of the operation, you haven''t been sleeping much. Even after yesterday''s party, you were busy wrapping and giving out our presents." (Zuihou) "How did you-" "Of course I would know. You have been doing this for years. I knew you were tired after all that, but I still asked you out when you could have been resting." (Zuihou) "N-no. I-" "This whole time, I have been causing nothing but trouble for you! Maybe it''s better-" (Zuihou) I gave Zuihou a chop on the head. "Shut up and listen to me." I slowly got up. Damn. I''m still feeling a little light-headed. I looked straight at Zuihou. "It''s true that I haven''t been sleeping much lately. And yeah, I was up all night preparing the present. But when you asked me out today, I was happy. You know I can''t no when my cute shipgirl ask for something like this. I had fun, really. Seeing you smile makes me happy as well." I wiped her tears. Good thing Shouhou told me that Zuihou is feeling down because of the whole Azur Lane Saga and not contributing to the operation. "Don''t say you have been nothing but trouble. We still have another 3 days here. We can take our time and have fun. So don''t cry. You''re making feel bad as well." I touched the warm skin of her cheek. In response, Zuihou gently held on to that hand. *sniff* Zuihou''s expression change from a crying one to a happy one. She maybe trying to smile, but she is definitely still feeling down. I better do something to change her mood. Since this is a Onsen trip, I don''t want anyone to leave with bad memories. But first... "Anyway, let''s go. We attracted a quite a bit of attention." "When did this happen?" Without noticing, a crowd had formed around us. Maybe they thought we were filming a drama or something. I grabbed Zuihou''s hand and made a run through the crowd. "Let''s go!" "Wa- Eh?!" (Zuihou) Sometimes, things like this aren''t so bad. It allows us to reaffirm our feelings for each other. Although, attracting attention isn''t part of the plan. That night, after much pestering, I agreed to let Zuihou help me wash my back. She is trying her best to make me feel better, despite being embarrassed. Since we booked the entire inn, I''m the only one using the male baths and no one would bat an eye if Zuihou and I were to use the mixed outdoor baths. And that''s where she did the deed. It''s taking me everything I got to remain calm. Her white skin is glowing in the moonlight as we soaked in the bath. "Oh that reminds me. I haven''t said it to you yet." "What is it?" (Zuihou) "Merry Christmas." "At this timing? You''re so slow." (Zuihou) "Ahahaha..." "Well, I also didn''t get a chance to say it today." Zuihou reached out and kissed me on the cheek. "Merry Christmas, Admiral?" Chapter 79 - 71 "Finally, we are back." "Those 5 days went by so fast" (Zuihou) "Yeah. It''s been 5 days but the place looks cleaner than before." "In a blink of an eye, it''s already the year end. Let''s do our best with the spring cleaning. I''ll go grab the brooms." (Zuihou) "Ugh..." After 2 and a half hours of riding and changing trains, we finally returned to our home. For an Onsen town, there were surprisingly plenty of activities to do, although most of them are in the outskirts of the town. There''s a basalt cave and a museum in a place called Genbudo park, a stork sanctuary, and an nearby snow mountain which is perfect for Snowshoeing. Everyone had their fill of fun and excitement these 5 days. Now, in preparation for the new year, we are going to clean the district. Everyone else have started to get the mops and brooms. For some reason, everything looks neater and not as dusty as I thought. We were gone for 5 days after all. I expected the place to be dusty and dirty. On the contrary, it''s like we never left. "Commander!" (Tokitsukaze) Tokitsukaze ran up to me as I was pondering on the situation. She looks frightened. "What is it?" "I found are some long red hairs in cafeteria!" (Tokitsukaze) Long red hairs? Could it be that someone infiltrated the district? "Admiral! Look what we found!" (Etorofu) The Etorofu sisters ran up to me, proudly presenting a few strands of long brown hair. "Where did you find this?" "In the hallway. They were sitting on the window sill." (Etorofu) "Aren''t the pretty?" (Matsuwa) Red and brown hairs in random areas. There were 2 intruders? I walked into my office, ready to check if any important doc.u.ments have been stolen. "Oh my. Welcome back. How was your Onsen trip?" (???) "It was great. Now we have a problem. Looks like there was an intruder." "An intruder? *cough* *cough* That''s bad." (???) "Yeah... Eh?" Who have I been talking to? I was so focused on looking for any lost doc.u.ments that I didn''t noticed the lady standing at the corner of my office. That lady had long, silky brown hair and fluffy brown tails. A pair of long fox ears stood atop her head. She was wearing a purple kimono with crane patterns and a red haori. Her voice was gentle and frail. Who is she? A shipgirl? "By the way, I took the liberty of cleaning your room. Don''t worry. Apart from cleaning, I didn''t do anything." (???) "Thank you. That''s not it. Who are you? And why are you here?" "Pardon my late introduction. I am the name ship of the Amagi-class, Amagi. I was originally scheduled to be remodeled into a carrier along with Akagi but¡­ I fell in that natural disaster. Cough cough¡­ As you can tell, I am of weak constitution, but please pay it no mind¡­" (Amagi) Amagi? The only Amagi I know is the Unryuu-class Aircraft Carrier in Kure, the busty and skimpy idl-looking one. At least, that''s she looks like to me. From what I know, Amagi was badly damaged and moored on land after the Great Kanto Earthquake. If our Amagi became an Aircraft Carrier, this Amagi must be the one that remained in her original Battlecruiser form. That might explain her frail body. "Nice to meet you, Amagi-san. Tell me, why and how did you enter this Naval District? I was sure locked up the gates and all the other entrances." "Our commander made a request to Yokosuka Naval HQ to let us enter and clean the place as an apology for the trouble our girls caused. An Grand Admiral by the name of Takamori Rondo-sama approved this request and hand us the Master key." (Amagi) Rondo... You could have at least informed me about this. Amagi suddenly knelt down and took a Dogeza stance. "On behalf of Azur Lane and Sakura Empire, I sincerely apologize for the recent actions of my juniors. Please, forgive us." (Amagi) Eh?! What is with this development? If you do something like that, I have no idea how to react! "F-for now, please lift your head. The whole incident wasn''t your fault." "It is our fault. If only we taught and brought them up properly, Zuikaku-chan and Shoukaku-chan wouldn''t have ended up like that." (Amagi) I crouched down beside her and lifted her chin. "Please stand up. Your body is frail, right? It is bad to remain like this." "But..." (Amagi) "Please..." "I understand." (Amagi) As Amagi tried to stand, she started coughing violently. "Are you okay?" "I''m- *cough* *cough* I''ll be fine. This is normal." (Amagi) I started patting her back gently. I''m not sure how this can help, but my parents used to do it to me once I was young. It helped me feel better back then. It works till even now. "Admiral. I brought the mop and brooms. Shall we start cleaning your- ah..." (Zuihou) Zuihou walked in as I was treating Amagi, who is still coughing. I''m not sure what was going through her head, but she looks confused and shocked. "Amagi-nee-sama, where are you? Huh? Zuihou-chan! Did you see- What were you doing to my dearest sister?!" (Akagi) Akagi, who noticed Zuihou at the door, entered the room as well. For the first time in a while, I felt my life was in danger. Chapter 80 - 71 If Amagi hadn''t explained the situation, the entire naval district would have been turned to rabble, along with me. According to Amagi, she requested to come and be the ''caretaker'' of the district while we were on vacation. Because of her health, Akagi volunteered to accompany her. I got to admit, they did a real good job in maintaining the place. It would have been perfect if they didn''t leave hairs lying around. "I truly apologize." (Amagi) "You apologized enough. Beside, the others would feel weird if they didn''t have anything to clean this time. It''s sort of like a yearly thing for us." "You need to thank Amagi-nee-sama. If it wasn''t for he-" (Akagi) "Akagi-chan!" (Amagi) "Ah. Pardon me." (Akagi) "Ahaha. Well, for the time being, why not you two relax for the time being. Zuihou, please you prepare tea for our guests." "On it." "If that''s the case, I can-" "Just sit down and relax!" (Zuihou and I) Zuihou prepared the tea and placed it on the coffee table. Even though Amagi and Akagi had cleaned the place, Zuihou still wanted to do some sweeping and scrubbing. Speaking of which, I heard that the operation was a success. The Batavia Princess was sunk and a new shipgirl had been found. Shinshu Maru, an IJA R1 Amphibious Assault Ship. She looks like a character straight out of a Star Wars movie. There were 2 other operations after that to tie up some loose ends. Brunei Anchorage was in charge of them. Right now, the other districts are enjoying their 5 day vacation in their respective Onsen Towns. "The girls here are a little like ours." (Amagi) "Is that so?" "Yeah. They are very lively. Not to mention cute. Like the young destroyer you beside you." (Amagi) "Young destroyer? Pfft!" She is talking about Zuihou, isn''t she? "Geez. I''m not a Destroyer!" (Zuihou) "Ufufufu. Nee-sama, she may not look like it but Zuihou-chan is a Light Aircraft Carrier." (Akagi) "Oh, I''m sorry!" (Amagi) "Geez..." (Zuihou) I pet Zuihou''s head. "There there. My cute Destroyer." My shin stung for quite a while after that. ---------------------------- With the help from Akagi and Amagi, we managed to clean and polish the whole district within 2 days. Amagi also brought along Kaga to help out. Though in this case, it''s more like using Kaga as the bait. "Wai-wait! Don''t be so rough!" (Kaga) "So fluffy!" (Matsuwa) "So comfortable poi!" (Yuudachi) "Where is this attached to nya?" (Mustuki) "St-stop~" (Kaga) Most of the destroyers and Coastal Defense girls gather around Kaga. They were completely enthralled by her white fur. At the same time, Amagi and Akagi are chatting with the older shipgirls. "Wow. How did you get such smooth hair, Akagi-san?" (Shouhou) "You just to treat it with love. Your black hair is also pretty smooth, Shouhou-san." (Akagi) "Eh? This is Shouhou? She is so different from the Shouhou we know." (Amagi) "Yes. I''m Shouhou. oh right. Thank you for saving my sister the other day, Akagi-san." (Shouhou) "Your welcome. I needed to drag my juniors back anyway." (Akagi) Akagi gave a cynical smile as she said that. She really is a scary person. "Your sister? Zuihou-san is your sister?" (Amagi) "Yes. That''s right." (Amagi) "Pardon me, but you two don''t lookalike at all." (Amagi) "Ahaha. We get that a lot." (Shouhou) Meanwhile, Zuihou and I were hiding in the Kotatsu. It''s really cold! "Are you sure you don''t want to join them?" "It''s fine~ It''s warm here~" (Zuihou) She is completely taken over by the Kotatsu... "Don''t fall asleep. You will catch a cold." "Yeah~" With all our tasks done, what''s left is to chill around and wait for the New Years. Speaking of which, are you 3 staying here overnight? If you want, you can." "Thank you for the offer, but we are returning to our base. Commander is waiting." "Besides, Kaga-san is reaching her limit." "..." The Destroyers and Coastal Defense Sh.i.p.s have Kaga under their mercy. She is just lying there while they have their way with her. "Come on you girls. Don''t bother Kaga too much!" "Okay~!" (Destroyers and DEs) And they continued to fluff Kaga''s tails and ears. My words completely went into one ear and out the other.... Oh well. After getting Kaga''s attackers off her, the 3 fox girls left. Everyone else returned to doing their own activities. Some of them went to the entertainment room, some went for a bath and some went to relax in their rooms. Zuihou and I are still lazing about in the Kotatsu, listening to the radio and waiting for the New Years bell to ring. It was close to midnight, so most of the girls are either fast asleep or having another drinking party. "It''s almost the year 2020. How was it this this year, Tanaka-san?" (Radio DJ: Yasuda) "Well, I wouldn''t it was a great year, but it''s was still pretty good. What about you, Yasuda-san." (Radio DJ: Tanaka) "These New year Broadcast are always the same." "Mmh..." (Zuihou) Zuihou is trying to keep herself awake. It''s way past her usual bedtime. "You know, you can go to sleep first if you want. Your eyes are barely open." "No. I want to be the first to give Admiral my New Year Greetings." (Zuihou) Another one of her weird antics... This year has been eventful. Our family grew. We tackled new problems. We made new allies. Zuihou getting kidnapped, twice. The best moment for me was when the both of us confessed to each other. With the ring sitting in my drawer, I plan to marry Zuihou soon. Once she meets the requirements. Of course, the one in question doesn''t know this yet. "5! 4! 3! 2! 1! Happy New Year!" (Radio DJ Tanaka and Yasuda) A bell rang at the same time the 2 Radio DJs said that, welcoming the New Year. "Even though you said you wanted to greet me first, You fell asleep in the end." Zuihou was resting her head on the Kotatsu, sleeping soundly. She couldn''t stay awake after all. "That makes you cute as well." I carried Zuihou to my room, careful not to wake her up, and laid on my bed. I don''t have her pajamas with me, so I changed her into one of my T-shirts, before tucking her in with me. "Happy New Year, Zuihou. I love you." I kissed her forehead before going to sleep myself. Chapter 81 - 72 With all the New Year festivities slowly dying down, it''s almost time to get back to work. Over the past few days, the shrine has been full of people doing Hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the year. I went back to Kyoto to pay my parent a visit for a few days, leaving Ooyodo in charge of taking care of the girls. My girls have also been doing Hatsumode over this period. Even now, they are still in the festive mood, walking around in their Kimonos and playing games. The fairies, as usual, leverage on this and set up stores at the port. I don''t mind them having fun, but there are sorties coming up, and expeditions to do to stock up our resources again. Good thing their Kimonos are capable of equipping their rigging. They can look beautiful while fighting the Abyssals. As if they aren''t beautiful enough. "Nmm..." (Shigure) Shigure sat across me, trying to pull her Kagami Mochi apart. It was cold, so I still had the Kotatsu out. Today, it''s Shigure turn to be my secretary. As you can see, she is concentrating on eating. "Be careful. Pull too hard and it would bite back." "Mmmh..." (Shigure) With a snap, the mochi broke into two. The loose, stretched out part flew upwards and flicked Shigure in the forehead. I couldn''t help but laugh. "Owuch..." (Shigure) "Hahaha. What was that? Chew it slowly and carefully." Shigure rubbed her forehead as she chewed the mochi. There is a reason why Kagami Mochi is considered a dangerous food. "Admiral, how were your parents?" (Shigure) "Mother and father were delighted to see after so long. They are still the same as always. My younger brother is still a pest though." "That nice. I wonder how it is to have a family." (Shigure) I went over to Shigure''s side and hugged her. "What are you talking about? We are a family. All of us." "Mmh... That''s right. We are a family." (Shigure) Shipgirls don''t have a family. They are either born from the factory or found out in the ocean. They have sister sh.i.p.s though. Well, most of them. That is why I sometimes feel the need to treat them like my own. What am I saying? "Um... Admiral, I''m alright now. Thank you." "Is that so? It''s okay to want more." "Umm... I will gladly accept your offer then." I held Shigure in my arms for a while. Usually she would tap my shoulder signalling me that she''s had enough after 30 minutes. It''s already past that timing and still no tapping. "Shigure?" I gently broke off from the hug, only to find her fast asleep! When did she fall asleep? I know I''m supposed to wake her up, but I can''t bare to disturb this cute creature. Especially when she is at peace. As I tried to move away, I felt something pulling on me. Shigure''s hands were gripping onto my uniform. What is she now, a Koala? Wait, didn''t something like this happened a while back? Looks I got no other choice. Since she is gripping onto my uniform, I just need to take it off. I slowly slipped my hand between our bodies, trying to ignore the soft sensation in the top of my hand. Then, careful not to wake her up, I unbuttoned my shirt and slipped out of it. Finally, I laid Shigure down. She slept soundly, gripping onto my shirt. I''m going to have to get a new one. It''s way too cold to be wearing just a singlet. Shigure may catch a cold if she sleeps on the cold floor, so I''m gonna have to slip her lower body under the Kotatsu. My uniform top is the winter version, so it should be warm enough to cover her upper body. As I did that, my office door swung open. "Admiral, I''m bac- ahh... What are you doing?" (Zuihou) Zuihou went out together with the other Carriers for their Hatsumode. Considering how early they left in the morning, it took pretty long. "Welcome back. How was the festival?" Zuihou didn''t say anything. She just stared at me with eyes of suspicion. Is she angry? "Admiral... What is the meaning of this?" (Zuihou) Her voice was monotonous. "Eh? What do you-" I look down at myself and then at Shigure. Ohh... A man in a singlet looking over a sleeping, defenseless girl... Anyone would have the wrong idea if they saw such a scene. No way a cliche troupe like this is happening! And didn''t something like this happened a while ago!? "Wait, it''s not what you think! Shigure was pulling on my shirt so I had to take it off. I don''t want to let her catch a cold, that''s why I''m covering her up with the Kotatsu." "Really?" (Zuihou) "Rea-Hacchoo!" Damn it''s cold! "We better get you dressed. You are going to catch a cold at this rate." (Zuihou) Looks like she has returned to normal. "Yeah. I was going to." As I stood up and walked to my room, Zuihou intercepted and wrapped her arms around me. "Zuihou, I can''t move properly like this. If you want a hug I can give it to you later." "T-that''s not it. Admiral is feeling cold so I''m just warming you up, that''s all." (Zuihou) This girl just can''t be truthful sometimes. "I-if you want, I can keep you warm at n-night as well..." (Zuihou) Zuihou turned red and her voice trailed off towards the ends as she hid her face against my chest. That''s a surprise. This is the first time she went on the offensive. Speaking of which, we haven''t done it in a while. The inn at Kinosaki was far too risky at that time. I whispered into Zuihou''s ear, "Fine. I''ll take you up on your offer. You better do your best and warm me up tonight." I could have sworn she looked happy when Zuihou peeked out at me. Chapter 82 - 73 According to Azur Lane, Siren activities seem to be returning to the usual. Apart from a few skirmishes, the Sirens are no longer fighting against the Abyssals. Likewise, the Abyssal''s are returning to their usual hotspots and compositions. Original expedition routes have been confirmed to be safe and Abyssal-free. Now, we no longer need to assign an escort fleet to the expedition fleet. The bad news is, there are more of them now. The temporary fighting with the Sirens must have caused an surge in Abyssal numbers. Ambushes during a sortie may be more frequent now. Aside from that, everything else should be alright. Today, we have an order to attack an Abyssal Carrier Fleet in the Northern Islands. There is also a secondary mission to update Abyssal activity in that area. Because of this, the main fleet will be deployed. With that said, a certain light aircraft carrier is getting way too excited. "Can I go now?" (Zuihou) "I haven''t even briefed everyone else yet. I know your suspension has ended but just how eager are you to go?" "I haven''t been on a sortie for almost a month! Of course I''m excited. Hehehe!" (Zuihou) She is acting like a child waiting to go on a trip. Looking at me with such vigor and excitment. "Alright alright. Get your equipment. I''m going to start the briefing." "YAY!" (Zuihou) -------------------------- "Like this?" (Yamakaze) "Yep. Just like that. You did pretty well for your first time, Yamakaze." I pet Yamakaze on the head. She isn''t showing much reaction though. "Y-yoi don''t have to do that..." "Do you hate this?" "I don''t..." "Then it''s fine." Yamakaze is rather shy and stoic in nature. It has been almostv3 months since she came to this base. Since then, I have been trying to get her to open up, even for a bit. She usually sticks with her sisters and would hide behind them whenever I approached but all of them are on expeditions, patrols and sorties today. So this is the perfect chance for me. Just like Shigure, she gets scared and lonely easily. Even now, her hands are still shaking while arranging the doc.u.ments. I gently took her hand. "Eh? A-admiral?" (Yamakaze) "I want you to stay like this until you have calmed down." "You don''t have to bother yourself with me." "I want to." "But what about work?" "You can''t work when you''re like this right? So until you relax, just stay like this." Her hands were still shaking when I touched them. I waited patiently as she slowly begins to relax. "Have you calmed down?" "Yes. Warm and big... I''m fine now. I''m sorry... For wasting so much time." (Yamakaze) "It''s fine. Whenever you''re feeling frightened, anxious or fretful, no matter how small it is, feel free to look for me. Understand?" "You don''t have to concern yourself-" (Yamakaze) "That''s an order. Understand?" "Y-yes..." (Yamakaze) Since she is refusing to accept my kindness out of fear, I can only hide it behind an order. Whatever the case is, I want to help her. I carried Yamakaze up and placed her on my lap. Of course, she is surprised by this. "Ad-Admiral?! What are you doing?" "Just sit here. It''s easier for me to care for you." "How about work?" (Yamakaze) "I can do it like this." She doesn''t seem convinced at all. Come on, I have been doing this with many people already, even with your sister. "Really. I''m fine." (Yamakaze) "Liar. You are still shaking." "Gh... That''s because... Yeah, its cold in here." (Yamakaze) "I have the heating on, so it shouldn''t be cold." "..." (Yamakaze) "Just sit here and let me pamper you." "I don''t need that sort of thing!" (Yamakaze) Chapter 83 - 75 "An weird noise?" The main fleet had returned from their mission. Apart from the usual battle report, there was something else. "Yes. In one of the islands near Alfonsino, we heard a weird cry." (Shigure) "It''s not an Abyssal, is it?" "No. Our radars didn''t pick up any Abyssal signatures. There weren''t any planes nearby as well." (Zuihou) "So it might not be an ambush." "It sounded like a child crying poi." (Yuudachi) "But what is a child doing in the middle of Abyssal-infested waters. And how did she get there in the first place." (Suzuya) "What if it''s a ghost?! Oh no!" (Agano) "It can''t be." (Yamashiro) A weird child-like cry from one of the islands. Normal shipping vessels have a strict route to follow. It''s against international law to deviate from the path. What if it was an ship of refugees hoping to seek asylum, but got sank instead? It''s possible. Then the cry could have come from one of the survivors. "We will conduct a Search-and-rescue mission tomorrow." "A Search-and-rescue? Why?" (Agano) "It might have been one of those sh.i.p.s carrying refugees that got sunk. The cries you heard may be from a survivor." "Hmm... Right, we wouldn''t be able to tell if there was a sunken vessel around. None of us had sonars at that time." (Shigure) "Good point." (Suzuya) "Yep. It''s getting dark soon, so rest up for now We will go and check again tomorrow." "Yes." (All) Now that I think about, there weren''t any signs of a wreckage. I forgot about that point. Then again, it''s still better to check if there are any humans on that island. --------------------- The following day, everyone was set up and ready. Since it''s a Search-and-rescue mission, we won''t be needing Yamashiro''s firepower. So she will be taking a break for now. Murasame will join in as she is one of the few shipgirls that can equip a Daughter Landing Craft. In case we managed to find a survivor, the landing craft can be used as means of evacuation. Currently, the fleet had reached Alfonsino. "Anything under the water?" "Nothing." (Shigure) "There''s a lot of fishes poi!" (Yuudachi) "Yuudachi..." (Agano) No signs of a wreckage. Maybe it isn''t a sunken vessel after all. "Suzuya, Zuihou. Launch your recon planes and check each island." "Okay!" (Zuihou) "Sounds good." (Suzuya) Agano and Murasame, stay vigilant. They may be Abyssals in the area." "Heehee~ Got it." (Agano) "Yes yes~" (Murasame) "he~~" (???) "There it is!" (Agano) Through the comms, I could hear a weird cry. Was that the one they were talking about? "Admiral, you heard that too right?" (Shigure) "That scared me..." (Murasame) "Huh? There is something moving over there." (Zuihou) Zuihou pointed to one of the islands where her plane started circling around. The was a small figure on the beaching , waving something around. "He~" (???) "Move in closer." As they moved closer to the island, the voice got clearer. "Help!" (???) The voice they heard yesterday was actually a cry for help. "It''s a girl." (Zuihou) A blonde girl,wearing nothing but a small bikini, was standing on the beach and waving her hands to get their attention. She looks exhausted, considering how long she may have been stranded. "Thank goodness! I called you girls yesterday but I think you couldn''t hear me. " (???) "What happened? Where are your parents? Is anyone else with you?" (Agano) "Parents? Oh. I think you are mistaken. I''m actually a submarine. I ran out of fuel and got tired. So I was stuck here for 2 days until you came along." "A submarine? Wait, so you''re-" (Zuihou) "Gato-class submarine, Albacore, Hull number SS-218. I''m from the Eagle Union." The Eagle Union. What the hell is an Azur Lane shipgirl doing there?! There is a look of fear on Shigure''s face. "Shigure, stay calm. She isn''t the one. Yuudachi, help me take care of her." "Yes." (Yuudachi) Shigure is actually afraid of submarines. Not surprising, since the one that sunk her was an submarine. "Say, do you have any food? I''m starving..." (Albacore) "Admiral, what should we do?" (Murasame) "For now, let''s just tow her back here. She''s out of fuel, so she probably can''t move that far. Just place her in your Daihatsu." "I never it could be used this way. Hop in." (Murasame) I need to make another call again. Chapter 83 - 75 (Rewrite) "An weird noise?" The main fleet had returned from their mission. Apart from the usual battle report, there was something else. "Yes. In one of the islands near Alfonsino, we heard a weird cry." (Shigure) "It''s not an Abyssal, is it?" "No. Our radars didn''t pick up any Abyssal signatures. There weren''t any planes nearby as well." (Zuihou) "So it might not be an ambush." "It sounded like a child crying poi." (Yuudachi) "But what is a child doing in the middle of Abyssal-infested waters. And how did she get there in the first place." (Suzuya) "What if it''s a ghost?! Oh no!" (Agano) "It can''t be." (Yamashiro) A weird child-like cry from one of the islands. Normal shipping vessels have a strict route to follow. It''s against international law to deviate from the path. What if it was an ship of refugees hoping to seek asylum, but got sank instead? It''s possible. Then the cry could have come from one of the survivors. "We will conduct a Search-and-rescue mission tomorrow." "A Search-and-rescue? Why?" (Agano) "It might have been one of those sh.i.p.s carrying refugees that got sunk. The cries you heard may be from a survivor." "Hmm... Right, we wouldn''t be able to tell if there was a sunken vessel around. None of us had sonars at that time." (Shigure) "Good point." (Suzuya) "Yep. It''s getting dark soon, so rest up for now We will go and check again tomorrow." "Yes." (All) Now that I think about, there weren''t any signs of a wreckage. I forgot about that point. Then again, it''s still better to check if there are any humans on that island. --------------------- The following day, everyone was set up and ready. Since it''s a Search-and-rescue mission, we won''t be needing Yamashiro''s firepower. So she will be taking a break for now. Murasame will join in instead. Currently, the fleet has reached Alfonsino. "Anything under the water?" "Nothing." (Shigure) "There''s a lot of fishes poi!" (Yuudachi) "Yuudachi..." (Agano) No signs of a wreckage. Maybe it wasn''t a sunken vessel after all. "Suzuya, Zuihou. Launch your recon planes and check each island." "Okay!" (Zuihou) "Sounds good." (Suzuya) Agano and Murasame, stay vigilant. There may be Abyssals in the area." "Heehee~ Got it." (Agano) "Yes yes~" (Murasame) "he~~" (???) "There it is!" (Agano) Through the comms, I could hear a weird cry. Was that the one they were talking about? "Admiral, you heard that too right?" (Shigure) "That scared me..." (Murasame) "Huh? There is something moving over there." (Zuihou) Zuihou pointed to one of the islands where her plane started circling around. The was a small figure on the beaching , waving something around. "He~" (???) "Move in closer." As they moved closer to the island, the voice got clearer. "Help!" (???) The voice they heard yesterday was actually a cry for help. "It''s a girl." (Zuihou) A small, blonde girl, wearing nothing but a small bikini, was standing on the beach and waving her hands to get their attention. She looks rather active. It''s almost as if she didn''t spent a day on an deserted island. "Thank goodness! I called out to you girls yesterday but I think you couldn''t hear me." (???) "What happened? Where are your parents? Is anyone else with you?" (Agano) "What''s with that outfit?" (Suzuya) "Parents? Oh. You are mistaken. I''m actually a submarine. I ran out of fuel and got tired. So I was stuck here for 2 days until you came along. And this is my uniform." "A submarine? Wait, so you''re-" (Zuihou) "Gato-class submarine, Albacore, Hull number SS-218. I''m from the Eagle Union." The Eagle Union. What the hell is an Azur Lane shipgirl doing there?! There is a look of fear on Shigure''s face. "Shigure, stay calm. She isn''t the one. Yuudachi, help me take care of her." "Yes." (Yuudachi) Shigure is actually afraid of submarines. Not surprising, since she was sunk by an submarine. "Say, do you have any food? I''m starving..." (Albacore) "Admiral, what should we do?" (Murasame) "For now, let''s just tow her back to their base. She said she is out of fuel, right? She probably can''t move that far." "Roger." (Zuihou) "But where should we put her?" (Suzuya) "You can just come along with me." (Albacore) "Absolutely not!" (All) Albacore was stunned by their harmonized answer. I would react like that too if I didn''t know the reason. "Let''s just let you down you at the port. Admiral, can you inform her Commander?" (Zuihou) "Yeah, I''m sending a telegram. Once you done, return immediately." Since Albacore is from the Eagle Union, there is a chance that those from the same faction may come and greet her. Shigure is almost at her limit, so it''s better if we just drop her off and leave immediately. "Sorry. It''s just that we have some history with your colleagues." (Agano) "I see. That''s too bad." "Is it alright if we just leave you at the port?" (Zuihou) "It''s fine. I understand your reasoning. The big sister over there seems frightened of me too." (Albacore) Albacore looked over to Shigure, who immediately hid behind Yuudachi. Yuudachi spread out her arms and growled, "Don''t bully Shigure poi!" (Yuudachi) "No. I wasn''t-" (Albacore) "Yuudachi, it''s okay. It''s not your fault, Albacore-chan. Shigure is just scared of submarines." (Zuihou) "Oh. I''m sorry." (Albacore) "Let''s just bring you back home. Get on." (Zuihou) Zuihou crouched down and offered to give Albacore a piggyback. "Zuihou, let me carry her." (Suzuya) "It''s fine. I can handle this much. I took care of submarines before. I think..." (Zuihou) "Takasaki..." "Don''t call me that!" (Zuihou) Zuihou snapped at me. "Ahaha. Sorry. I just can''t help it." Before becoming Light Aircraft Carriers, Shouhou and Zuihou were originally planned to be Submarines Tenders. At that time, their names were Tsurugizaki and Takasaki. "Let''s just go already. We have stayed here long enough." (Murasame) "Looks like its going to rain soon." (Agano) The skies are starting turn grey. Chapter 84 - 75.5 As soon as the fleet dropped Albacore off at Azur Lane''s Port, they made a run for it. Luckily, the younger version of Belfast, Bel-chan I think, was there to receive her. So it''s not they just abandoned her by the port all by herself. Apparently, Albacore was from one of their satellite bases. The submarine girls in the main base were a little disorganized so Albacore was called over to help out. Shigure was still a little shaken when they returned. I stayed by her side until she fell asleep. I did stayed a little while longer. Just to ensure she doesn''t wake up from her usual nightmares, and to get out of her grip. For a Destroyer, Shigure has a pretty strong grip. When I returned to my office, there is already a guest making herself comfortable at my seat. "Eh?! Admiral? Erm..." (Zuihou) Zuihou was seating on my chair and had decided put on my hat and gloves which I left on the table. She is fl.u.s.tered by my return. Isn''t it obvious I would be back sooner or later? Something like this happened before, didn''t it? I also noticed that her clothes were a little loose. "Welcome back?" (Zuihou) "I have returned... it''s what you thought I would say, right?" "Ahahaha. More importantly, how is Shigure?" (Zuihou) She is trying to change the subject. "She is sleeping right now. Having to get so close to a submarine gave her quite a scare." "Yeah. She was scared that she couldn''t really move. Yuudachi had to pull her along." (Zuihou) I walked over to Zuihou, who had taken off the hat and was about to take off the gloves. "Leave them on. That''s an order." "Gh! What are you thinking about this time?" This ''power'' given to me is very useful. Once I give an ''order'', the shipgirl will have to listen to me until I cancel it or when the task is completed. It''s something like that Command Seal thing from that series. The one about the holy grail war and stuff. "I don''t know. Wanna guess?" "It''s definitely something lewd again." (Zuihou) "Just stand up for a bit." Zuihou did as I told and stood up. I sat on that and pulled down onto my lap. "Admiral, What are you doing?" (Zuihou) I hugged her and rest my head on hers. "Just let me stay like this." "...Alright..." (Zuihou) This is relaxing. It has been cold lately and work keeps piling up. I need to recharge for a bit. I feel so warm. "There''s been a lot of work recently. I''m a little tired." "I see.." I feel something patting the top of my head. "Admiral, thank you for your hard work." (Zuihou) "Hey, that''s my job." "It''s my turn this time. I will make you some Tamagoyaki later. Okay?" (Zuihou) "Please do." "Hehe. By the way," (Zuihou) "Hm?" "Please get your hands off my chest." (Zuihou) "Come on. You were about to have some fun yourself, weren''t you? Let me help." "I don''t need help with that! Hey! Don''t start moving your hands! Ahn!" (Zuihou) Chapter 85 - 76 I was making my rounds when I saw something strange. Usually it''s Taigei who is managing the submarine unit on her own. Feeding them, playing with them, taking care of their needs. You can say that she is a mother of all submarine girls. Right now, at the practice pool, the submarine girls are usual practice of diving and evading underwater. Taigei would stand at the sides, keeping an eye out for them and making sure that they don''t exhaust themselves. However, the one taking caring for them isn''t Taigei. Rather, it was someone else. This girl''s entire outfit looks similar to Taigei''s. A white, long-sleeved sailor outfit with a blue collar, a red tie and frills at its bottom. She also wore a blue skirt and black pantyhose. Her hair was long and brown. I could only see her from the side but she looks extremely familiar. Does Taigei have a sister ship? I don''t think so. Heck, I don''t even remember getting a new submarine tender. She was crouching down and holding a water bottle, letting a partially submerged Iku drink out off it. Floating beside her was a grey and red bucket, similar to the one Taigei was using. After drinking enough, Iku went back underwater. Next in line was Ro-chan, whom was fed some Tamagoyaki. "Delicious! Danke,Takasaki-san!" (Ro-chan) "Taka-? Goya-chan! What have you been teaching her?!" That name... "Takasaki is Takasaki dechi." "I told you, don''t call me Takasaki. Call me Zuihou." (Zuihou) "Aww~" (Goya) I see. No wonder she looked so familiar. This ''Submarine Tender'' was actually a Light Aircraft Carrier. She looks really cute in that. I just want to squeeze her. Of course I can''t do that. At least, not in front of everyone. "Ah! Admiral, good afternoon!" (Imuya) I''ve been spotted. Soon, all of them swam to the edge of the pool where I''m standing. Zuihou stood there, frozen in place. "Good afternoon. How''s practice?" "We are trying out new evasive maneuvers." (Shioi) "It''s really interesting nano!" (Iku) "I see. By the way, where''s Taigei?" "Taigei-chan caught a cold. Hacchan volunteered to look after her." (Shioi) "That''s why Taka-, I mean, Zuihou-san is looking out for us today!" (Imuya) "So that you are dressed up like that. For a moment, I couldn''t recognize you." "You saw?" (Zuihou) "For some reason, it suits you way too well." "Geez! You should have said something! It''s not like I wanted to wear this. But the submarine girls said that this was the outfit to wear while taking care of them. Besides, didn''t Admiral commission this outfit?" (Zuihou) "Why would I commission an submarine tender outfit that fits you so well?" "Eh?" (Zuihou) "Ah!" (Submarine girls) Zuihou stared at the submarine girls, who all have a nervous smile. Oh. I see what''s going on. "You girls planned this from the beginning, didn''t you?" (Zuihou) "Ahaha... Crash dive!" (Shioi) "Run away nano!" (Iku) All five of them went under water immediately. "Hey! No fair! I can''t dive! Get out of there now!" (Zuihou) I should probably go check on Taigei. I will leave them to their fun. ---------------------- I knocked on Taigei''s room door. "Come in." (Taigei) She sounds alright. I went into her room. "Admi-" (Taigei) Taigei quickly sat up and before Taigei could finish her sentence, she started coughing. "Relax. Don''t push yourself." "Oh. Okay." (Taigei) I sat at a empty chair near her bed. Hachi was probably using this chair. Speaking of which, "Where''s Hachi? Wasn''t she with you?" "Hac-chan went back to her room to get a new book. Oh. She was taking care of me. Really." (Taigei) "I-I see. How about you? The submarine girls told me you caught a cold." "They told you that, huh. I''m feeling better now." "You were coughing just now." "That was..." "Well, focus on get better for now." I tucked Taigei into bed. "By the way, you met the little ones just now, right? How are they? Are they taking care of themselves?" (Taigei) "They are fine. There''s another Submarine Tender looking after them after all." "Huh? Another Submarine Tender?" (Taigei) I explained how I saw Zuihou taking care of them and getting angry after discovering that she was tricked into wearing a modified version of Taigei''s outfit. "So that''s why they asked me to modify one of my uniforms the other day. I was wondering who was going to wear it. The dimensions don''t match any of them at all." (Taigei) "They must have planned to get Zuihou to wear it from the start." "Why would they do that?" (Taigei) "Hmm... Maybe they wanted someone to help you out. You single-handedly raised them and took care of them. They did that with you in mind." "But why Zuihou-san?" (Taigei) "Zuihou was supposed to be a Submarine Tender like you. Though her role is different now, she has the knowledge on how to take care of submarines. That and I think they wanted a little sister for you." "Is that so? They were thinking of me... I should thank them." (Taigei) "That''s why, hurry up and get better." "Okay." (Taigei) Taigei closed her eyes and fell asleep. Now then... I walked to the door and opened it, causing the girls on the other side to topple over one another. "Waah!" (Submarine girls) "Shh... Quiet. Taigei just fell asleep. Seriously, don''t you know that it''s rude to eavesdrop?" "Ehehe. Sorry. We just couldn''t find the right time to come in." (Shioi) "Done with practice already?" The girls backed off while I closed the door behind me. "Yes dechi!" (Goya) "Though Zuihou-san chased us around for quite a bit nano." (Iku) "Of course she would. Anyway, Hachi, why didn''t you come back sooner?" "I can''t help it. It took me a while to find my favourite book." (Hachi) "You sure love your books. Just make sure you don''t spent all your New Years money on books." As soon as I said that, Hachi had this guilty look on her face. "You can''t be serious, right?" "..." I pulled on Hachi''s cheeks. "Ow ow!" (Hachi) "Keep this up and I''m going to decrease your allowance." "Ehh! No way!" (Hachi) "Say, I don''t see Zuihou anywhere." "Zuihou-san went back to change." (Imuya) "Now wonder she isn''t here. Oh well. You girls came to check on Taigei, right? Go on in." I opened Taigei''s door. All six of them looked at each other and smiled. After that, I walked into the room and gathered around Taigei. Those girls really love their caretaker. I''ll leave them to it. Now then, I better get back to work. Maybe I can get Zuihou to wear that outfit again some time. Chapter 86 - 77 Hmm... This feeling... Is that a plane? Currently we are being sortied to Casgadama Island to take out an Armoured Carrier Princess. It was tough. Yuudachi, Agano and Suzuya all took moderate damages and all of us were exhausted. We made sure to take out all of the abyssals in this area. So why is there a plane flying around nearby? Well, not exactly. It''s still pretty far out of my radar range but I can feel it. Since last year, I was able to feel what kind of planes are in the sky, even before our radar picks up on them. Something about Acoustic Location and vibrations in the air. I don''t know how I got it, but it''s surprisingly useful. This plane is neither an abyssal nor anything I know of. It has a very weird feeling to it. This is definitely a foreign plane but it''s not those dreadful planes which the Eagle Union uses. Those have a scary sound and feeling to them. "Zuihou, what''s wrong? You have been staring at the sky for quite some time." (Yamashiro) Yamashiro sailed up beside me. "There is a strange plane coming from over there." "An enemy?" (Yamashiro) Yamashiro took up an anti-air stance. Shigure also did the same. "No way. We are already exhausted." (Agano) "I''ll fight it out, with a hammock as a sail if I have to!" (Yuudachi) "No. You''re the most injured out of all of us. I can still use my flight deck, so leave this to me!" (Suzuya) "Wait." The vibrations are getting stronger . It feels like it''s closer to us. "It''s coming." Soon, our radars started picking up something. It must be that plane. A white plane with red nose flew past us. "Is that it?" (Agano) "It''s not hostile, right?" (Suzuya) The white plane circled around a few times before returning I''m the direction it came from. "What''s up with that?" (Agano) "Maybe it wanted to see if we were friendly?" (Shigure) "Whatever it wanted to do, I''m glad it''s gone. We can''t afford another battle." (Yamashiro) "That''s right. I''m tired too. Let''s go back." Maybe Admiral can spend some time with me today. Things have been busy lately so we couldn''t see each other much. "Phew. I want to take a bath." (Suzuya) "Yuudachi wants one as well poi!" (Yuudachi) --------------------------------------------------- "A white plane?" (Admiral) "Yeah. It just circled around us a few times before going back." "Did it do anything else?" (Admiral) "No. It seems that it was just scouting." (Shigure) "By the way, Admiral, that seems like a lot of work." (Yamashiro) Apart from the injured, the rest of us went to give our report to Admiral. He seems very busy. There is a tall stack of papers on his desk and he is writing something vigorously. "It''s a pain but I still have to do it. Oh, and you don''t need to worry about that plane you just discovered. It came from Azur Lane''s new Carrier. Some weird class that has a shipgirl in every category. To top it off, all four of them look the same." Admiral explained as he continued writing. He even showed us a picture of the new class. All four from them really look the same as each other. The planes on the Carrier variant looks like the one we saw. She looks like an idol. She looks familiar somehow. I think I watched a video with someone that looks like her. "Admiral, do you need any help?" (Shigure) "Thanks for the offer but this is my job. Besides, you girls must be tired from today''s sortie. Go and rest. Good work today. I''ll be fine." (Admiral) Shigure and Yamashiro looked at each other before leaving. Now, I''m alone with Admiral! It''s been so long! "Admiral, do you want to take a break? Working too hard can be bad for your health. I don''t want you to collapse again like last time." "I''ll be fine. This amount is nothing compared to that time." (Admiral) "Should I make some Tamagoyaki?" "No thanks. I won''t be able to finish anytime soon. It will just become cold and stale later on." (Admiral) It''s no use. When Admiral gets too focus, he tends to decline everything you try to do. Alright. If words don''t work, let''s get physical. I tried hugging him, teasing him, kissing him on the cheek, but he didn''t respond to any of them. He just continued writing. Should I just wait for him to be finished? Though, it looks like it would take a long time. Just then, I noticed a pink bottle sitting on the coffee table. What is this? Wine? There''s a cute little ribbon tied to the neck of of the bottle. "Admiral, where did this bottle come from?" "The Admiral from Sasebo sent it over. If you want, you can have a sip." Without looking up from his work, Admiral somehow knew what I was talking about. I was expecting him to look at me at least for a bit. Fine! I will just enjoy this wine for a bit. I poured a bit of the wine into a cup. What a nice aroma. It has a sweet taste too... Chapter 87 - 78 Phew... It''s close to midnight and I''m finally done. HQ really likes to overwork their people. Due to the Zuikaku and Shoukaku, not the ones at Kure, ordering Siren attacks on the Abyssals, the Abyssals change their tactics and formation, causing a lot of problems for us. After confirming that the Sirens are returning back to their usual haunts, HQ wants to have an update on Abyssal activity. For the past week, there were sorties after sorties and lots of reports have to be done. Maizuru is in charge of investigating one part of the Northern Sea and the entirety of the Western Area. With the update on Casgadama, I''m done with the final report on my end. And didn''t help that Zuihou kept disrupting my work. It took a lot to control myself. Speaking of which, she is quiet now. I left her to drink some Sake which Sasebo sent over. Did she get drunk and fell asleep on the sofa? "Mnh..." (Zuihou) I guess not. I know that sound. I walked over to sofa. "Again? How do you always do these things when I-" "Admiral~~" (Zuihou) "Wha-" Zuihou''s face was flushed, but not the drunken kind. It was like she was high on something. She wore this rather s.e.xy expression on her face. Her top was opened and her shorts were on the floor, exposing her pink lingerie. Zuihou grabbed my arm and pulled me next to her. "Ehehe~ Admiral is here~" (Zuihou) Zuihou nuzzled her face against my me. She is definitely drunk. Just how much did she drink? I picked up the pink bottle on table. Huh? The bottle feels as though as it is still full. There is still some liquid in her cup. There is a sweet smell coming from the wine. What brand is this? The yellow words on the bottle read, ''Super Ultra Love Liquid'' What kind of name is that? That''s like the name of a bootleg wine. There is a note tied to the pink ribbon on the bottle''s neck, "Hope this will help you spent a night with your chosen one." And with a winking face emoji at the end. That son of a-! where the hell did he buy this from? The back of the bottle states that it has aphrodisiac properties which can increase one''s sensitivity to external stimuli. Terrific. This is the type of sake that is dangerous for someone as horny as Zuihou. Though right now, she doesn''t seem to be in a extreme state of arousal. Okay I take that back. Her breathing just got heavier. Her face got redder and she started rubbing her whole body against my arm. To become like this after a sip, this sake is really effective. "Z-Zuihou, stop that." "Mhn~ Stop what?" (Zuihou) "That thing you are doing! You are already drunk!" "Ehh~ I don''t wanna!" (Zuihou) She then pushed me down onto the sofa and sat on top of me. I would really appreciate if she didn''t use her warship-level strength against a fragile human like me. That freaking hurts! "Come on! Play with me! Play with me!" (Zuihou) "All right all right! Just stop bouncing on me stomach!" I grabbed her shoulders to stop her from bouncing on me. Anymore and I might regurgitate my dinner. "Ahn!" (Zuihou) Okay... I wasn''t expecting that. I just touched her shoulders. If it had been her other sensitive parts, I can expect that sound. Is this an effect of the Sake? If it is, they weren''t kidding. I touched other parts of her body, the ones which are not usually sensitive. She started twitching and m.o.a.ning. This is fun! I felt something unlock within me. "Admiral, I can''t-" (Zuihou) "You know how you disrupted my work just now?" "Haah... Eh? That''s because you wouldn''t pay attention to me..." (Zuihou) She still remembers. That makes things fast. I put my hands on her flushed face and brought it close to me. Her breath has a sweet smell to it. Probably from the Sake. "Well, I''m going to give you all the attention you want. I hope you''re ready." Chapter 88 - 78.5 "There aren''t any sorties today. So you can all have a day off." "Finally. I thought we were going to go out again." (Suzuya) Since I have already submitted all my reports, HQ approved of me giving those that participated in this mini operation a day off. Those that participated are the girls in the main fleet and Ryuujou''s fleet. "Aren''t we missing someone?" (Ryuujou) "Commander, where is Zuihou-san?" (Asashio) "She... is not feeling well. I told her to rest in her room." "I see." (Asashio) "Well, that sucks. It''s such a waste an off day like that." (Suzuya) "Don''t worry. I will let her keep it for later." "As expected of Admiral. Such a kind person." (Suzuya) Suzuya said that in a teasing tone. "Yes. Admiral is a kind person." (Shigure) "Alright alright. You girls are dismissed. Go out and have some fun." As soon as the two fleets left, I went into my room to check on Zuihou. Technically, my room is also Zuihou''s room now. So I didn''t really lie about Zuihou being unwell. Zuihou was lying on my bed. Before we started our night battle yesterday, both of us drank more of that weird Sake. Seriously, they weren''t kidding about it''s effects. I felt a boost of energy and my body heated up almost immediately. I lost count of how many we did it. It was already morning by the time the effects wore off. I got a slight headache from all that, which disappeared after a while, but Zuihou got it worse. She has been aching all over and couldn''t move for the time being. Since we have nothing to do today, I planned to catch up on my sleep afterwards. "Uggh~ It still hurts..." (Zuihou) "Bear with it. It should wear off soon enough." "Geez! How did you have to do it so many times?!" (Zuihou) "I can''t help it. You were acting so s.e.xy and cute. Besides, you started attacking me first." "Dummy... Ouch! Ow! Stop it!" (Zuihou) Zuihou screamed as I poked her thighs, which was below the blanket. Looks like she is still sensitive, in a way. "You''re so mean!" (Zuihou) "Scoot over. I coming in." "It hurts when I move. Oww! Be gentle!" (Zuihou) ----------------------------------- It was already past lunch time when I woke up. That was a refreshing nap. I''m surprised no one came into my office for these few hours though. If it was a normal busy day, I would have been dragged out by Ooyodo or Zuihou or anyone with a strong sense of responsibility. Speaking of which, "Zuihou, how are you feeling?" "...mh..." Still sleeping. Let''s leave her like this for now. I left my room and walked to my table. Before, there were a bunch of doc.u.ments and papers stacked up. Now, since I have submitted all of them this morning, it mostly empty except for some important ones. Ooyodo must have helped tidied up a bit. I don''t remember putting the stationary back into their stands or the leftover doc.u.ments being neatly stacked. I noticed a brightly coloured piece of paper on the middle of the desk. What''s this about? A flyer for the Naval Setsubun Celebration? Oh. It''s time for that festival again. Chapter 89 - 79 "The Oni is here!" (Satsuki) "Run away!" (Hiburi) The Destroyers and Coastal Defense girls ran around screaming as the ''Oni'' chases after them. "Grrauur~ Where are the children?" (Nagato) "Throw the beans!" (Mustuki) The small ones started throwing beans at Nagato, who was wearing an Oni mask and wrapped in tiger skin cloth. She and Mutsuki are taking on the role of being the Oni again this year. As a yearly tradition, Yokosuka Naval District organized this Setsubun festival, where beans are basically being thrown around to drive away evil. It''s typically a fun festival. In the morning, everyone will gather at Yokosuka Naval District and have fun till sunset before returning. Aside from Nagato and Mutsu, there are others playing the role of Oni, notably the bigger girls. Although, some of them are quite reluctant. "Ouch! What is this? Ouch!" (Atalanta) Atalanta found herself being pelted with beans by the Akatsuki sisters. Her flat-chested version, Ryuujou, also joined in. She fits in perfectly. De Ruyter took the role of Oni for the other new foreign Shipgirls, although they understandably confused about what''s going on. The Ayanami class are trying to explain the festival to them. Taigei became the target for the submarine girls again. While they have fun, we Admirals sat at the side watching. More specifically, at one of the food stores set up by Mamiya and Irako. "Aren''t you gonna join them?" (Rondo) "Nah. Not this year." I drank some of my cider as I ate a late lunch. Usually, I would join the girl in the bean tossing activity. This year, I decided not to as the newer girls seem to be cautious of us. They just came in not long ago after all. "But this is surprising. I can understand if she is with Gambier Bay, but with Intrepid." (Rondo) "Huh?" Rondo pointed to the one of the Carrier groups. Let''s see, Akagi is the Oni this year. Wait, she is catching the beans with her mouth? As expected of the Bauxite Queen. The bean tossers are Graf Zeppelin, Saratoga, Intrepid, Ark Royal and... Zuihou?! Eh? Shouhou is there too! Wait, what? Why are the Shouhou sisters joining the foreign carrier group? Until last year, they were avoiding them. "I thought Zuihou was afraid of American carriers." (Rondo) "Me too. No, I think she is still afraid of them." "I don''t think that the face of someone who is afraid." (Rondo) Zuihou was laughing and having fun. SHe is even interacting with Intrepid as though they were long time friends. "She has grown, hasn''t she?" (Rondo) "Probably. I always thought she was still afraid of the American sh.i.p.s. Or maybe the foreign shipgirls here have a different aura." "Either way, it''s still a good thing." (Houshou) "Oh, Houshou." (Rondo) Houshou came to join us. Considered to be the first comissioned aircraft carrier, Houshou can be called the mother of all the other carriers as she personally raised them before they are assigned to their different districts. Also, she is Rondo''s wife. "Hello, Houshou-san!" "Hello. Thank you for taking care of Souryuu-chan, Hiryuu-chan, Shouhou-chan and Zuihou-chan." (Houshou) "No. I should thank you for raising them and turning them to what they are now." "I read about what happened last year. Sorry I couldn''t be there at her time of need." (Houshou) Houshou bowed her head. "No need to apologise. In fact, all I did was just gave her some support. She overcame that problem by herself." "But still-" (Houshou) "Okay okay. Calm down." (Rondo) Rondo placed a finger on Houshou''s lips before she can continue. "You always get emotional when the carriers are involved." (Rondo) "But-" (Houshou) "It'' alright. Zuihou-chan is not the small girl you know anymore." (Rondo) "That''s right. The people from Azur Lane may still scare her, but if she is doing fine with the foreign girls from our side, it''s a great start." "I see. I never really thought about it that it." (Houshou) "Ah! Mama, you''re here!" (Zuihou) Zuihou ran towards us and hugged Houshou. How cute. She just called Houshou ''Mama''. "Zuihou-chan, long time no see. You''re taller now." (Rondo) "Ehehe. I missed you so much!" (Zuihou) Zuihou proceeded to share about her days back home to Houshou while Rondo and I continued to chat. That''s where I learnt that Azur Lane''s Shoukaku and Zuikaku were actually in Kure. As part of their punishment and rehabilitation, both of them are being retrained by our Shoukaku and Zuikaku. And Rondo was overseeing their induction. "It was troublesome. It took more than a week to get them to cooperate. Locking them in the Brig as a punishment doesn''t seem to work either." (Rondo) "So how did you do it?" "I didn''t. In the end, the girls on our end somehow managed to get those two to cooperate. As of now, they should be helping out with expeditions and patrols." (Rondo) That''s interesting. We have worked with Azur Lane on missions before, but not like this. Maybe one day we can hold a combined training camp of some sorts. But I will need to take care of the girl''s trauma first. Isolating just one faction is out of the questions. "Why not we just hold mini excercises like the one you had last year? Let our girls slowly get use to their fears before holding a large-scale training camp with them." (Rondo) "What are you? A mind-reader?" "Looks like I hit the mark. It''s pretty easy to guess what you are thinking when you make that face." (Rondo) "That''s right. Admiral''s expression always give away his perverted thoughts." (Zuihou) "Oi..." "And sometimes he refused to do his work or even pay attention to me. When he does, it''s always lewd stuff." (Zuihou) This girl... Does she know what is she saying? That''s almost like she is hinting about our relationship. I better stop her before she- "But still, that''s what I love about him!" (Zuihou) Too late... "Eh?" (Rondo) "Ah." (Zuihou) "Haah~" "Oh my..." (Houshou) While the others were enjoying the festivities, Zuihou just blurted out the secret we tried to keep. This idiot... Chapter 90 - 80 "Um... I mean..." (Zuihou) "I had a feeling that was the case, but I''m happy that Zuihou-chan personally told me." (Houshou) "I expected you to choose a busty one." (Rondo) "What made you think that?" The both of us explained everything, from the events leading up to our relationship together and how we wanted to keep it a secret. "So that means, including us, only 3 people know about the two of you so far?" (Houshou) "Maybe Tatsuta know about us as well, but that girl is as unpredictable as she can get. And Shouhou knowing about is this girl''s fault!" "Ow! I''m sorry!"(Zuihou) I let go of Zuihou''s head, who immediately went straight for her mother''s protection. I watched as the puppy-eyed Zuihou gets petted by the ever kind and caring Houshou. "You do know this can''t be kept secret for long, don''t you? Once you''re married, everyone will find out." (Rondo) "Marry?!" (Zuihou) "Of course I know that. I already have plans to tell everyone, but not so soon." "Admiral and I are getting married..." (Zuihou) "Great. She is letting her imagination run wild again." "Ahahaha. Yeah, she tends to do that a lot." (Houshou) Leaving Zuihou in her dreamland, the three of us continued to chat. So far as they know, there aren''t any large-scale operation happening soon. So we still have time to replenish and stock up on essentials. There also plans for Azur Lane to build an international base in the same area as Brunei Anchorage. With new shipgirls, they have to expand elsewhere. That tiny island off the coast of Maizuru is not big enough, especially when most of the big guns are gathered there. "Any other abnormalities in area?" "Based on the reports I read there are none so far." (Rondo) "We went to check out the island with the giant Sakura tree last week. That place has already been taken over by nature. The houses are covered in plants and a lot of cute animals roaming around." (Houshou) "There were other similar islands like that. So HQ is trying figure out ways to transform those islands." (Rondo) "What do you mean?" "Like, make it into resort or something. That''s what someone proposed at yesterday''s meeting." (Rondo) "Isn''t it a bit weird to have a resort in the middle of nowhere?" "Apparently Akatsuki''s fleet found one near Sasebo. Rather, it just appeared recently." (Rondo "You''re telling me an entire island grew out of nowhere overnight?" "Ridiculous, right? That''s what I thought at first. Then, I went to check it out and what do know, you can really see a giant Sakura tree from the bay." (Rondo) "Didn''t you say there weren''t any abnormalities in the area?" "Well, that happened two weeks ago. So it wasn''t based on the reports each of you guys sent." (Rondo) A resort near Sasebo... It''s an interesting idea, but the fact that we don''t know much about that kind of island makes it risky. Sending an exploration fleet there is one thing, but what do we do if something unexpected happens. When Yahagi''s rescue fleet went there, all communication system''s were cut off. Wait... "Houshou-san," "Yes?" (Houshou) "When you investigated that island, was there anything off?" "Hmm... Now that you mentioned it, the reception wasn''t clear." (Houshou) "Yeah. And the video transmission was grainy." (Rondo) "Was it the same for you too?" (Houshou) "No. Everything was dark. Apart from the SOS fairy, everything else wasn''t working." (Zuihou) It''s possible that the island has its own magnetic field, jamming up all of our communication systems. The fairies use a separate type of system to communicate with on another. But... Houshou said that the transmissions weren''t clear. "Are you thinking what I''m thinking?" (Rondo) "What? That we are going to explore the islands?" "Yep. Specifically, us." (Rondo) "Huh?" (Zuihou) "What do you mean?" (Houshou) This guy... He is clearly aiming for it. "Are we allowed to do that?" "I''m a Grand Admiral. I''ll make sure of it." (Rondo) "Just letting you know, I''m not as fit as I''m used to be." "As if you were ever fit before." (Rondo) "You prick. I''m in." "Huh? Huh? What are you guys talking about?" (Zuihou) "An exploration of course." (Rondo) "Oh. Which fleet is going to do it?" (Houshou) Oh right. They don''t know our plan yet "None of you are going." "Huh?" (Zuihou) "Don''t tell me..." (Houshou) It''s decided. We are going to check out the island ourselves. It''s time for us to shine. Chapter 91 - 81 "Alright. Food, check. First aid kit, check. Climbing gear... Where''s my climbing gear?" (Rondo) "Over here." (Houshou) Houshou presented a small duffle bag to Rondo. "Oh. Thanks for packing it for me." (Rondo) "Is it really necessary for all that?" "There might be mountains. Or cliffs" (Rondo) There won''t be any mountains. Let alone cliffs. The whole place is barely even a hill. As Rondo suggested, both of us going to explore and map out the island off coast of Sasebo. He really did get us permission to survey the island. In fact, instead of discussing this with the Board of Directors, he went straight to the Marshal Admiral. We brought what is basically camping gear and some tools to help us get around the place. We already used scout planes to give us a brief topography of the island. What''s left is to survey the environment and formations of the place. As a precaution, we even brought along some rifles. There might be aggressive animals there. The plan was to take a speed boat from Sasebo Naval District, land on the southern beach of the island, and spend a few days mapping out the entire place. Since the Sakura Empire operated on a similar island before they joined Azur Lane, and our shipgirls have technically explored one before, we actually have a brief idea of what to expect. The question is whether or not the place is suitable for ordinary humans like us. Communication systems seem to be useless since there may be a magnetic field there, but we theorized that it disappear overtime. Not sure how long it will take though. "Seriously. This is ridiculous! Who in the right mind would suggest exploring a newly formed island which we know nothing about? And to think that you even dragged the Grand Admiral along..." (Sasebo) "Ohh... So you think that I''m doing something ridiculous now, is that what you''re saying?" (Rondo) Rondo stared at Sasebo''s Admiral, who is beginning to realize his mistake. "W-wait, you''re not the one who suggested this?" (Sasebo) I shook my head. "Even if I suggested it, why would I bring a Grand Admiral into this?" "Then..." (Sasebo) "So, what will it be? Admiral of Sasebo Naval District. Am I crazy or what?" (Rondo) "Hiiiiii! My sincerest apologies, Sir!" (Sasebo) That was the quickest dogeza I have ever seen someone done before. Putting that aside, "Hey, don''t go. Please..." (Zuihou) Since two days ago, at the Setsubun Festival, Zuihou has been begging me not go on this little adventure of ours. After finding out that we got permission to investigate the island, her pestering got even more intense. All day and all night, she has been trying to get me to stay. I understand that she is worried, but I want to go. This can serve as payback of all the times she almost gave me a heart attack after screwing up during her missions. "Admiral, I''ll be a good girl. Please don''t go." (Zuihou) She is using the child tactic now. She has been doing that pretty frequently nowadays. Especially whenever she couldn''t get what she wants. "I''ll just be gone for a few days. It''s just a simple land survey." "But there might be scary things there. Lets just go home." (Zuihou) "I already promised to go with Grand Admiral Rondo. If I don''t go, I may get charged for insubordination." "Oi. Why am I the bad guy now?" (Rondo) Zuihou looks like she is going to cry again. I ruffled through Zuihou''s hair, "I promise I''ll make it back safely, okay?" "I will definitely bring your man back. In the meantime, Houshou can you take care of Maizuru? It will be good change of pace to what usually do." (Rondo) "Got it. I''ll be in your care, Zuihou-chan." (Houshou) "... You must come back..." (Zuihou) "I promise." ----------------------------------------------------------- It was a 2 hour boat ride to the island. When we made landfall on the beach, there were a few turtles and giant lizards sunbathing there. They don''t seem to be concerned about us, so we just continued on our way. From the beach, we caught a glimpse of the giant Sakura tree in the middle of the island. "Testing, can you hear me?" (Rondo) Rondo tested the radio we brought along as we walked. As expected, we were answered with just static. "Okay. That checks off connection issues on our list." "This place is quite nice, actually. It''s neither too hot nor too cold. There are connecting paths to other place. Looks like this will go smoothly." (Rondo) For starters, we followed the concrete path which led from the beach. Matching the information we have, Torii gates lined the pathway. The path led to a small junction. We carried on in a straight line and found a fairly large Gazebo-like structure. "This is the perfect spot to set up camp. There is shelter and I think I heard some water flowing nearby." (Rondo) "Lets map out what we have found." Rondo drew out the path we took from the beach and other observations we made along the way. I''m extremely bad at the drawing. If I were the one that did it, it would just be scribbles. "Should we go check out the paths we saw or head for the source of water first?" (Rondo) "Obviously, we need to secure our water source first. Have you already forgotten your field training?" "Who would have thought that useless camp would finally be useful." (Rondo) "I getting flashbacks of that Field Sergeant. Till now, I still don''t get why they called a JSDF soldier to conduct our field training?" "It''s just for formalities sake. We are a still part of the military after all. Gotta maintain a good relationship with them." (Rondo) To the east of our campsite, covered in lush greenery, there was a small river flowing downwards. Where it leads to, That''s for us to discover later. We decided to cover all the routes which are led by concrete paths first before venturing into the jungle areas. Seriously, I know the Sirens have these weird reality-warping abilities, but why would they take the time to create, not one but, multiple such islands? What a weird enemy we have. Chapter 92 - 82 That was sort of easy. It has been 3 days since we started our exploration. Following the concrete path, we managed to discover and sketch out all of the structures which look important. The slightly difficult part was when we had to make our way across the jungle areas. We also observed some of the animal activities. There were some dangers along the way as well. "I think that''s about it. We got most of the island mapped out." "Did we take note of that snake pit and watering hole?" (Rondo) "Yep. They in here as well. We better tell them to place a warning sign there if the resort proposal gets through." Just the day before, we discovered a huge watering hole. Surrounding the watering hole was a a large number of large lizards sunbathing and crawling around. A few of them noticed us and started hissing. That was our cue to back off. Later on the same day, Rondo almost fell into a pit of snakes. Luckily, all of them were fast asleep. Since it''s still cold, they were most likely hibernating. "Knowing those guys, they will probably just kill very last one of them." (Rondo) "And your job is to convince them not to. This is still a new island. Its better if we don''t mess around too much with it''s ecosystem. That also means no bringing in heavy machinery." "Then how is the resort going to be built?" (Rondo) "We have more than enough manpower, don''t we? Maybe not the humans but the fairies are more than willing to get started on a big project like this." Apart from the reptiles we have seen, birds seem to be coming here from the mainland. There are barely any insects as well, save from the typical jungle bugs like flies and mosquitos. The reptiles here seem to rely on fish as a source of food. They are mostly territorial, as with most wild animals, but they won''t go onto the concrete paths. Rondo tried to provoke one large lizard to follow him. It did, up till about 5 metres from the concrete path before turning away. He repeated this experiment a few times with other lizards, all of which had the same reaction. We will just leave this case to the biologists. "So... We''re done?" "Yeah. We''re done. Let''s go home. One more day without Houshou and I''ll go nuts." (Rondo) "Oh, I know how you feel." I have been feeling lonely without Zuihou since day one. Maybe this is how she feels whenever I go to Yokosuka for meetings. This is definitely not a good feeling. "What do we do about transportation?" "We take the boat back, of course." (Rondo) "No, not from here. I meant from Sasebo." "We aren''t going back to Sasebo." (Rondo) "Huh? Wait, you''re saying that-" "First, we drop you off at Maizuru, then Houshou and I will return to Yokosuaka. Wasn''t that the plan?" (Rondo) You didn''t mention that. Oh well, that makes going home faster. "If we pack up now, the both of us should reach home by sunset." (Rondo) "Well, what you waiting? Lets go!" -------------------------------------------------------- It feels like it''s been a long time. These familiar buildings... The sound of cannon fire... the cheerful voices of shipgirl''s frolicking about... I''m home. "Ahhh! Admiral is back poi!" (Yuudachi) "Admiral-san~" (Kashima) "Welcome back, Commander." (Fubuki, Asashio) As soon as Yuudachi cried out all the shipgirls in the area gathered around me. Though, I don''t see the one I was looking for. *sniff sniff* "Waah! Admiral, you stink!" (Tokitsukaze) "Of course I am. I just came back from an island." "How was it? Was it beautiful?" (Samidare) "Mmm... I will share with you guys later." "Aww... If I knew about it, I would have been the first to explore that island." (Shiratsuyu) "You will just get lost." Now then where is- "If you are looking for Zuihou, she is at the front gate." (Houshou) "Houshou. Thank you for taking care of the place while I was gone." "It was pleasure. The girls were extremely well-behaved." (Houshou) "Umm... Is there anything I must know?" "About that..." (Houshou) Houshou brought me near the front gate, where I can Zuihou standing there, staring into the distance. "She has been like this since we returned. She wouldn''t eat unless I force her to and would only return to your room when its nightfall." (Houshou) I have the urge to run up to her. I expected her to miss me, but not till this extent. She must have thought I would come home through the front gate. Sorry, I thought the same at first as well. I walked towards Zuihou. Alright, resist the urge to hug her. Actually, you know what, I can''t be bothered to hide it anymore. For now... "Who are you waiting for?" "He is not bac- Eh?!" (Zuihou) That didn''t take long. Zuihou immediately turned around. The surprised look on her face was quickly overtaken by the tears flowing down her cheeks. She ran to me at full speed and it took some of strength to make sure I don''t fall over as she lunged at me. "Oww... Hey, you''re stronger than-." "I missed you so much..." (Zuihou) I put my hands around her. "I missed you too." "You smell of salt and sweat." (Zuihou) "Should I go bath first?" Zuihou shook her head, "This smell... is not that bad. It''s Admiral''s scent after all." (Zuihou) We shared this moment for a while before Zuihou realized something and quickly broke away. Yeah. The others have been watching the whole time. They followed me here. "Umm... This is..." (Zuihou) "That''s alright. I''ve decided already." "Huh? Are you serious?!" (Zuihou) "Everyone! I have an announcement to make! I''m in love with Zuihou!" I scooped Zuihou up as I said that. Damn, this is a little more embarrassing than expected but I don''t want to hide it any longer. "Wai- Admiral!" (Zuihou) "Eh? That''s it?" (Suzuya) Huh? "Ehehe~ We already knew that for quite some time already." (Agano) Oi... "It''s a shame. I thought Shigure would be your chosen one." (Yamashiro) "It''s okay, Yamashiro. So long as Admiral doesn''t change the way he treats us, I''ll still like him." (Shigure) Did Shigure just confessed? "Oh. Don''t get me wrong, Zuihou. As long as I can get my headpats and playtime, I''m fine with anything." (Shigure) Seriously? "Eh? What is it? What''s going on poi?" (Yuudachi) "Okay. Maybe not all of us know about it..." (Murasame) "Eh? What are you all discussing about poi?" (Yuudachi) "When did you-" (Zuihou) "On the day we rescued you from that island. Sorry, Admiral. We were curious so we kinda eavesdropped a bit." (Yahagi) "We knew something was up when Zuihou started acting weird. The time when Zuihou got jealous of Eldridge-chan confirmed it." (Suzuya) "You were watching?!" (Zuihou) Suzuya just stuck out her tongue playfully. According to the others, they either saw us when we thought we were alone, figured it out from Zuihou''s actions or heard it from the rest. Most of them were more perceptive than I thought. So they knew it from the start. There was no need to hide our relationship at all. "Say, what kind of things do the two of you do at night? Is it one of those night battles Tatsuta-san told us about?" (Etorofu) "Okay okay. You will learn about that when you''re older. Oi! Tatsuta! Don''t go around teaching weird stuff to the young ones!" "Ufufu. Isn''t it fun?" (Tatsuta) Looks like it''s going to get even more lively here. "Oh right. Admiral," (Zuihou) "Hmm?" "Welcome home ?" (Zuihou) "I''m back, Zuihou." Chapter 93 - 83 "The proposal to make a resort on that island came through." (Ooyodo) "I see. He really works fast. Anything else?" "No. That''s all. By the way," (Ooyodo) "Yeah?" "What''s the meaning of that?" (Ooyodo) "Funyaa~~" (Shigure) "Ehehe~" (Zuihou) Zuihou was sitting on my lap, snuggled up towards me while I pet Shigure. "This? Don''t worry about it. This is normal." "Is this what you have been doing secretly?" (Ooyodo) "Sort of." After revealing our relationship a few days back, Zuihou is more open with her interaction with me now. She would hug me whenever she gets the chance, interlock arms with me even in front of others, and even do stuff like this while working. I''m glad all this worked out in the end. I was so afraid that the other girls won''t be happy about our relationship and morale would go down if they knew. That''s why we kept it a secret in the first place. Oh, by the way, Shigure is here for her usual ''treatment''. She was having nightmares for the three days I was gone. So I''m helping her calm down for the time being. I was a little shocked when Shigure suddenly said that she liked me, but not in a romantic sense. She just wants to be treated as per normal. Shigure is wearing a light pink apron today. Is there something happening later? ...Oh Its that time of the year again. "Ooyodo," "Yes?" (Ooyodo) "Is the kitchen..." "Yes. It should be fine this year. Mamiya-san and the fairies helped to prepare the equipment. The appliances have been upgraded by Akashi-san. Up till now, there weren''t any problems. (Ooyodo) "Good. Last year was horrible." Last Valentine, most of the girls went on a cooking frenzy. The results were several of them getting light to moderate damages and the destruction of one kitchen. Basically, the whole place blew up. It was a huge mess. "You say that as if it was a bad thing." (Shigure) "That''s right! You should be glad that so many of us are giving you chocolates. But you are mine, so no cheating." (Zuihou) "Still, to think that we have a schedule for whose turn is it to enter the kitchen... My turn was only later on." (Shigure) "Can''t be helped. It''s to make such you girls don''t hog up the kitchen again." (Ooyodo) "Ooyodo-san, you saying that as if it doesn''t concern you. In fact, you made your chocolate this morning already, haven''t you?" (Zuihou) Zuihou shot out a finger at Ooyodo, who was a little fl.u.s.tered by her accusation. "Wh-wha-what are you talking about, Zuihou-san?! I didn''t do such a thing!" "Then what''s that hiding in your pocket?" (Zuihou) *sniff sniff* "Something smell chocolatey." (Shigure) Ooyodo blushed. Her hands were covering her left waist pockets. Looks like Zuihou was right. "Geez..."(Ooyodo) Ooyodo walked up to me and handed a small pink box. "Here! This is for you! It''s just obligation chocolate. Hey, Zuihou-san, don''t stare at me like that." (Ooyodo) "Is this better?" "Wha-? Admiral! I can''t see!" (Zuihou) I placed one hand over Zuihou''s eyes. Now, she wouldn''t be giving anyone a death stare. "Ooyodo, thank you for the chocolate." Ooyodo left, smiling to herself. I didn''t expect Ooyodo to make some chocolate for me though. Maybe that battle last year made her feel like joining in. "Admiral, I''d like you to have this." (Shigure) Shigure stood up and passed me a red heart-shaped box wrapped with a white bow. "Should I not have?" (Shigure) "Thank you, Shigure. I''m glad you gave me some this year." I stroked Shigure''s chin. She seems to enjoy that more than the usual headpats. I should change the way I pamper her next time. That''s two so far. I should be expecting more for the others later. I was hoping Zuihou would give me some this year as well, but it doesn''t seem like she made any. "Admiral," (Zuihou) "Hm?" "Can I come to your room afterwards?" (Zuihou) She''s whispering. Even though Shigure already left and we are alone now. Maybe she is being cautious of people eavesdroppingon us. That''s why some of the girls found out. "Sure. But why are you asking permission now?" "Umm..." Zuihou blushed as she tried to answer. "It''s a secret. It''s going to be my turn next to make my chocolate. I''ll be going now." (Zuihou) Zuihou ran out of the office. Okay. Now I''m curious. What is she up to this time? For the next few hours, girls have been coming into my office hand me their chocolates. Some were small, some were pretty large. Kashima''s chocolate was basically a sculpture of me. How long did it take for her to make it?! In the end, the only chocolate I''m concerned about is Zuihous''. Last year, I heard she tried to mix some sort of liquid into the chocolate she was making for me. Good thing Shouhou was there to stop her. There was also one time when she accidentally burnt the chocolate she made. That was the first Valentine''s Day she spent at this Naval District. I wonder what kind of creation did she come up with this time. It was already night time. I waited in my room anxiously. Speaking of which, why did she ask me to wait in my room? She could have just given it to me while I''m in the office. And this is the first time she didn''t prepare any beforehand. For the past years, she would be one of the few to give me chocolate first thing in the morning. I heard a knock on my door. Looks like that her. Zuihou walked in. Compared to her outfit this morning, this time she is wearing the green skirt and parka she wore on the date during our onsen trip. Only difference is that her parka is all zipped up. Zuihou''s face was extremely red. I get that she is embarrassed but she has been doing things more embarrassing than this. I think I saw a bit of her cheekbone. Maybe she is going to do those things from a harem manga, you know, the part where the girl spreads chocolate over her self and ask the male if he wants some chocolate. Yeah right! As if such a thing would happen. Though, I would be glad if it did... "Here. I put some some serious effort in making this..." (Zuihou) Zuihou passed me a typical heart-shaped box. Obviously there was zero chance of her covering herself with chocolate. I knew that, but I can''t help but feel a little disappointed. "Haah..." "What''s with that sigh? You don''t like my chocolate?!" Oops. "No. I was just imagining something else in my head. Don''t mind me." "You thought I was going to be covered in chocolate, didn''t you? "..." "Admiral really is a pervert." "I can''t help it! A man has his fantasies!" "A pervert will always remain a pervert, huh." "Leave me alone. Anyway, what''s with that outfit?" Zuihou took a deep breath before slowly unzipping the parka. "The chocolate isn''t the only thing I wanted to give you..." This is unexpected... Ribbons... covering the important parts of her body... This is way better than what I was hoping for! Where did she learn this? "Happy Valentines~" Her playful smile was the last thing I remembered that night. Chapter 94 - 84 I can feel something sharp on my skin. No. It''s sinking into me! Ow... Ouch! What the...? I flung off the blanket to see who was the culprit. "Yuudachi?! Wake up! Stop biting me!" "... Now this is a really painful wake up call. She''s really biting into my arm. She is holding onto it and wouldn''t let go. "Muu... Noisy... What''s going on?" (Shigure) Shigure sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Morning Shigure. Ouch! It''s a bit a sudden but please you help me out over here. It''s really painful." Shigure just gave one well placed whack on Yuudachi''s head. That did the trick because Yuudachi immediately got up. "Ouch! What is it?! An enemy?!" (Yuudachi) Yuudachi looked around for a while before looking down and noticing the bite wound. She really did a number on me. "Yuudachi..." (Shigure) "Poi?" ----------------------------------------- "Sorry." (Yuudachi) Yuudachi laid on her back and held her shirt in her mouth, exposing her stomach. What a weird way to apologise. Tatsuta must have taught her this. "I already know the answer but I''m just going to ask, what is the meaning of this?" "Tatsuta-san said that this is the best way to apologise when you do something bad." (Yuudachi) I knew it. Only she would do this sort of things. "Oh well. This isn''t such a big deal." "What are you saying? You''re bleeding!" (Zuihou) Zuihou was at my side, bandaging my arm. She is overreacting a little. Just a medium- sized plaster would do the trick. At first, Shigure was the one that went to get the first-aid kit while Yuudachi was panicking. Not only did she bring the first-aid kit, she brought Zuihou along as well. "Isn''t this a bit too much?" "We need to do it properly. Or else the wound might get infected." (Zuihou) "I still think this is a too much. Oh right. Yuudachi, you can go now." "But..." (Yuudachi) "I''m fine. I accept your apology. Anyway, you are hungry, right? Shigure is waiting for you at the cafeteria. I got the fairies to cook some meat for the both of you." "Really? Thank you, Admiral-san!" (Yuudachi) She beamed at my words and got up. She is going to pounce at me again. I know that stance. "Okay okay. Go get changed. You have a sortie later." Yuudachi left the office, running like an excited child with her arms outstretched. Yesterday, Shigure wanted to sleep with me. Yuudachi was with her as well, so she decided to join us. After that, we have what happened this morning. I heard her mumbling about food as I tried to save my arm from being her breakfast. "Geez. That Yuudachi... Now then, open wide. Ahh~" (Zuihou) Zuihou grabbed a piece of Tamagoyaki and held it at my mouth. "Zuihou... What are you doing?" "You are hurt. So let me feed you. Come on. Ahh~" (Zuihou) "I can feed myself. She bit my left arm, not my right." Oh, now she is pouting. This girl is another child. "Ahh..." "Here. How is it? Delicious?" (Zuihou) "Yes. It''s delicious." "Ehe. I''m glad." (Zuihou) After eating, it was time to work. Apart from some sorties, there isn''t much to do today. Kashima is going on a ''field trip'' with the coastal defense girls. Souryuu, Fubuki and Asashio are following as escorts. Fleet 1 is going to clear out the area around Okinoshima Sea. Merchant sh.i.p.s have reported Abyssal sightings in their trade routes. So this is a Search-and-destroy mission. This sort of thing happens from time to time. Some Abyssals will stray from their usual haunts and start terrorizing non-military sh.i.p.s and their warship escort. Naval Warsh.i.p.s are equipped anti-abyssal guns, though they can only repel them temporarily. As such, it''s better to eliminate the stray Abyssal as soon as possible. As I was skimming through the daily reports, which are basically the same rules and regulations we have to follow and some news about upcoming activities, there was a knock on my door. "Come in." "Good day to you, Admiral. Is Takasaki-san here?" (Shioi) It was Shioi. I see. It''s time of the Submarine girls to have their lunch. "If Zuihou heard that, she would get angry again." "Ehehe. Force of habit." (Shioi) "She isn''t here. She is on sortie with fleet 1." "Oh. That''s too bad." (Zuihou) "Why are you looking for Zuihou anyway?" "We wanted to ask Taka-, Zuihou-san to join us for practice." (Zuihou) "Did Taigei fell sick again?" "No no. Taigei-san is fine. We just wanted Zuihoi-san to join us. Its been a while since we pla-, I mean, practiced together." (Shioi) Talk about a slip of the tongue. It''s already obvious what the submarine girls want to do. But, this will be interesting to watch. "Fine. I will arrange a date to fit our schedules." "Yay. Thank you, Admiral." (Shioi) "Anything else?" "Umm... Oh yeah. I saw Hoppou-chan is moving around near the base." (Shioi) Hoppou-chan? Oh. That Northern Abyssal Princess. What''s an land-based abyssal doing around here? ... Wait! An Abyssal Princess near our base?! Why didn''t you tell me that first?! Chapter 95 - 85 I quickly rushed to the port. This is bad! How did an Abyssal Princess get so close? What are the patrol girls doing? And why hasn''t the alarm sound yet? Maybe it''s not near enough to detected. But she is an airfield type. She can easily attack us from afar. Some girls were already at the port, fully geared up for a fight. In the distance, the Northern Princess can be seen. Two girls circled around her, eyeing her closely. The northern princess really is out of the radars range. "Ooyodo." "Ah, Admiral. I''m sorry I didn''t inform you sooner. She suddenly appeared and stopped right there." (Ooyodo) "That''s alright. What has she been doing?" "Nothing for the moment. She is just standing there." (Ooyodo) That''s weird. She can clearly destroy us from this distance. And even before we even noticed her. "Should we attack first?" (Murasame) "No. Let''s see what is she up to." Compared to the other princesses, the Northern Princess, or Hoppou as what everyone calls her type, exhibits rather childish behavior. She is still a formidable foe. The Northern AL Waters is where this princess calls her home. Like the Abyssals, a new princess takes over the place soon after we sink the previous one. Still, why is there one here? "Who are the ones patrolling now?" "Shimakaze-chan and Tama-san. Hiryuu-san launched some escort fighters in case there are Abyssal planes around. But..." (Ooyodo) "What is it?" "The Northern Princess started jumping for the planes when they flew over her. I got to admit, it was pretty cute. The way she tried to catch them." (Ooyodo) "Huh?" This was not how I expected things to go. I expected her to strike at the planes, not try to catch them. It''s like she wants to play... Wait... Playing with planes? "Hiryuu," "Yes?" (Hiryuu) "What fighters are you using?" "Umm... A shinden kai." (Hiryuu) I can''t really remember, but there was something about a Hoppou reacting only to certain planes. That''s when I noticed something glimmerimg from her. "Ooyodo, I need to use your comms for a bit. Shimakaze, can you hear me?" "Ooh! Admiral, you are late. This thing is just standing here doing nothing! I''m bored!" (Shimakaze) She wants to fight already. Even though she doesn''t have any Anti-installation weapons on. "Nope. You just get hurt if she hits back. Anyway, is there anything on her?" "You mean that medal around it''s neck?" (Shimakaze) A medal... I going to have to call Rondo for this. ---------------------------------------------------------------- "A medal... Oh, so that''s where she went!" (Rondo) Eh? "Great. Now this is a problem. Usually the Marshal Admiral handles her directly but since you know... Sorry, friend. We are going need to get rid of you." There wasn''t anything that hinted him joking. It was serious! Get rid of me... What does it mean? Was that Hopou supposed to be a state secret? I/m going to get kill?! "Pfft!!! HaHaha!" Rondo started laughing maniacally. I recognize this trademark laughter of his. I can''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. "Gotcha, didn''t I? I wish I could see the look on your face!" "You son of a-! You really had me worried there!" I waited for him to finish laughing, before catching his breathe. "Oh well, jokes aside. That Hoppou is supposed to be under the old man''s care. Apparently, it was the first friendly Hoppou he met. That medal was supposed to be his symbol of friendship." How long ago was this? On second thought, I don''t want to know. "I was wondering why she hasn''t showed up yet. I didn''t think she would get lost. She usually comes to Yokosuka every year. She didn''t turn up last year, so the old man got a little worried. That guy really treats her like his granddaughter." (Rondo) I''m not sure what''s more unbelieveble. The fact that there is a friendly Abyssal Princess or that the Marshal Admiral is treating one like his grandaughter. "Won''t the girls there attack her on sight?" "Nope. They know this one is friendly. Rather, they have orders not to fire at her." (Rondo) "Just tell me how to get rid of her. My girls are getting anxious." "Right right. Just give her a map and a Reppu." (Rondo) "A reppu?! Why are we giving her our weapons?!" "No no no. Don''t give her an actual one. Just a model plane will do fine. Even a model kit of one makes her happy too." (Rondo) "How am I going to get a model kit at a moments notice?" "That girlfriend of yours should have quite a few. Just take one." (Rondo) "You want me to steal from my girls?" "You can buy her a new one. Tell you what, I will pay three-quarters of the next kit you buy?" (Rondo) "I''m going to take you up on that. That''s for scaring me as well. By the way, why give her a map?" "Oh I forgot to mention. Give her a map that shows her the path to Yokosuka Naval District. The Marshal Admiral is worried about her, seeing her should calm him down." (Rondo) As ridiculous as this whole thing is, Rondo''s method is the best way to get Houppou away from here. I made my way to Zuihou''s room and gave a knock. I didn''t see Shouhou around so she might still be in her room. She is on break today. ... No answer. She must be out at the moment. I don''t want to use this but I don''t have much of a choice, do I? Using the master key I have, I entered the Shouhou sisters room. "Pardon my intrusion..." What am I saying? There''s no one here. As I looked around, I can see which side belongs to who. One part of the room looks normal, the other part is filled with all kinds of model planes, from Type 99 Bombers Reppus to Tenzens, all arranged neatly on glass shelves. This is way more compared to the last time I came here. Time for a panty raid? As if! Just find a model kit and leave already! If I remember correctly, Zuihou usually keeps unopened model kits at the bottom of a wooden cabinet. There they are. More Reppus and Zeros. Just how much more did she buy? I grabbed the Reppu on top and made my way straight to port. Oh right, the map. -------------------------------- "Admiral, what are you-?" (Ooyodo) "Don''t ask. This isn''t my idea at all." I don''t know how to explain to them that this Hoppou belong to the Marshal Admiral. "Ryuujou," "What is it~?" (Ryuujou) "Take these and give it to that Hoppou." "Eh?! Why?! Isn''t it dangerous?" (Ryuujou) "She''s right. Casually approaching a Abyssal Princess like that is way too dangerous!" (Ooyodo) "I got instructions from Grand Admiral Rondo. He says that Houppou won''t attack. Giving these to her will make her go away." "Is that so? But why me?" (Ryuujou) "I don''t know. I just felt you''re perfect for a her." "Da heck does that mean?!" (Ryuujou) I watched as Ryuujou took the items and went over to Hoppou. As she got closer, Ryuujou started inching herself towards Hoppou with her arms outstretched, trying to get Hoppou to take the items. Hoppou only took the Model Kit, so Ryuujou had to shove the map into her hands. It seems like the Hoppou understood the situation and started bowing a few times. After that, she left in the direction of Yokosuka while Ryuujou came back. "How was it?" "She didn''t do anything to you right?" (Fubuki) "That''s was a weird one. But she was sorta cute. She looked happy when I gave her that model kit." (Ryuujou) "By the way, where did Admiral get that model kit?" (Ooyodo) "It was an emergency. So I had to take one from Zuihou''s room." "Isn''t that breaking-in?" (Zuihou) "I had no choice. I don''t know where else to get one at such a short notice. Anyway, Grand Admiral Rondo said he would help pa- Zuihou?!?! When did you return?" Zuihou was standing behind me, smiling menacingly. "Just in time to see that Northern Princess leave with the Reppu I was planning to build today. Admiral, you will buy me a new one, right?" (Zuihou) Rondo, I''m going to need you to subsidize me for that new model kit right now. Chapter 96 - 86 (Updated) It was 2 days after Hoppou''s surprise visit. "Admiral, fly..." (Eldridge) "Up you go. Woah. Be careful with that." Eldridge let off some sparks as I lifted her in my arms. Today, Azur Lane''s commander came to visit, along with Belfast and Eldridge. "Long time no see. I haven''t heard from you since your two carriers went rogue." "Oh come on. I don''t want to be reminded of that for the time being. I had to go through a lot to stop all the infighting after they returned. Anyway, enough of that. I came here to give my due thanks." (Commander) "About time. It''s been way too long." "Sorry. It took me a while to get everything under control." (Commander) He looked towards Belfast, who was standing by his side. Belfast gave a nod, before reaching into a bag and took out a few boxes of snacks. There so many different types! From cookies to some weird pie with a fish head sticking out of it. Mamiya will enjoy figuring out how to make them. "I have more in the boat, but this is all we can bring in." "There''s more?" "Yep. I can''t offer you weapons or resources, but I can give you food. And maybe some gems." "Gems?!" (Suzuya) Suzuya came falling through the front door, followed by the others from fleet 1. "You girls really love to eavesdrop, don''t you?" "Ehehe. Sorry, we can''t help it." (Agano) "Never mind that. Commander-san is giving us gems?" (Suzuya) "Y-yeah. That''s the plan." (Commander) "Wow! That''s..." (Suzuya) Suzuya turned to Eldridge, who had been staring at her the whole time. "This girl..." (Suzuya) "Suzuya?" (Eldridge) "Uwaah! What''s with this girl? She so cute!" (Suzuya) Suzuya took Eldridge from my arms and cradled her. I''m not sure if she is surprised or fine with it, but Eldridge started emitting sparks. It doesn''t seem to affect Suzuya though. "Suzuya, horn?" (Eldridge) "Hmm? Horn?" (Suzuya) "Ahaha. They do look alike." (Commander) "You mean the me in Azur Lane? How is she like?" (Suzuya) "Both of you have similar faces, give of the highschool girl feel, and you two have massive ti- Gaagh!!!" Belfast just punched him in the head before he could finish. I got pretty good idea what he was about to say. The commander is now lying face flat on the table. He is definitely knocked out. "Master, please refrain from saying disgraceful things in front of our hosts. Oh my..." (Belfast) "You are pretty fierce, ain''t you?" (Suzuya) "Wow! So many snacks poi! Admiral, can Yuudachi..." (Yuudachi) "Not yet. There''s more. So just wait a while." "There''s more?!" (Yuudachi) "Belfast... -san." "Just Belfast will suffice. I''m am but a maid. There is no need to add honorifics to my name." (Belfast) "O-okay. Then Belfast," "Yes?" (Belfast) "Can you lead us to the rest? Yuudachi can''t control herself anymore." Yuudachi was drooling just from the sight from the various treats placed on the table. Even Shigure is starting to drool. "Certainly. Please follow me." (Belfast) Apart from several boxes of treats and a bag of red gems, there were quite a few big bag of ingredients too. Potatoes, vegetables, and even lobster. "Isn''t this too much?" "No. We at the Royal Navy have agreed that Azur Lane owes at least this much for your help." (Belfast) "But you already came and cleaned the place on New Years." "That was the Sakura Empire''s way of repenting their mistakes. This is our way for saying thanks." Umm... Okay? I feel like I should ask her what is really going on, but anymore and I might get too involved in their problems. I got the girls to unload the all the bags and bring them to their respective storage. There is enough for everyone to receive one gem each. These gems are big and resemble diamonds. I wonder if Akashi and Yuubari can turn these into jewellery instead for leaving it as it is. Suzuya, Agano and Yamashiro are absolutely captivated by its beauty. Shigure and Yuudachi are more focused on the food that is in front of them. Zuihou is looking at the bag of ingredients. She must be thinking of what to cook later on. Zuihou tends to help out with the cooking nowadays. "That was mean of you, Belfast." (Commander) The commander walked up from behind, still rubbing the back of his head. "Correcting my master''s behavior is also part of a maid''s duty." (Belfast) "I know you love me..." (Commander) Belfast didn''t say anything. Eldridge, who was still in Suzuya''s arms, started emiting more sparks. She turned her attention towards the sea. "Enemy..." (Eldridge) "Huh? Did you just- What is that?!" (Suzuya) In a distance, a big black hammerhead shark can be seen floating around a a girl with long purple hair. It looks like she is getting closer. It''s not an Abyssal princess. I remember that shape. It''s a- "A siren?! And the Purifier type!" (Commander) "What is it doing here?" (Agano) The bags will have to wait. We have battle to fight. "Shigure, Yuudachi! Raise the alarm. Prepare for combat!" "Roger!" (Shigure and Yuudachi) "Belfast, can you contact HQ?" (Commander) "It''s no use! I''m being jammed!" (Belfast) "Tch! This is bad!" (Commander) "Of course it is! We will just have to make do it!" The alarm rang. The shipgirl''s that were out in the open quickly ran to get their equipment. Belfast and Eldridge transformed into their battle mode, getting ready to fight. The commander and I made our way to the command center. "Do you have a plan?" (Commander) "No. That''s why I''m going to need all the information you have." A battle against an enemy we have not encountered before. What Akatsuki from the Sakura Empire said is coming back to me. This enemy defies the laws of physics and all other things. If that is true, we are going to have a serious problem. Chapter 97 - 87 "Everyone, be ready for anything. This enemy is nothing we have ever encountered before." "Belfast, I need you to assist them. You are the only one here that fought her before." (Commander) "Understood, master." (Belfast) Everyone has been deployed, ready to engage the incoming Purifier. From what information we have, Purifier is one of the high-ranking sirens. Her jobs is to get rid of ''unwanted data''. Not sure what that means, but the sirens are obsessed with experiments. The girls from Azur Lane were in fact created by the Sirens to observe how humanity can fight against them. According to what we know, Purifier possesses otherworldly abilities, such as summoning mass-produced sirens, deflecting shells and other types of ammunition without touching them and immortality. In other words, an overpowered boss. On my screens, I can see Purifier still advancing to towards us. However, she doesn''t to realise my observation. Even we don''t know who or how is this live footage taken. "Everyone, listen to Belfast''s cues and our orders. Don''t do anything reckless." "Roger!" (All) "Carriers, launch your bombers! Let''s check out how it''s reaction." "Are you sure? Even I don''t know what that thing might do." (Commander) "Only one way to find out. Destroyers and submarines, be ready to scatter around. Cruisers and Battlesh.i.p.s, get ready to provide heavy firepower." "Roger!" (All) The carriers launched the first wave of bombers. Purifier stopped in her tracks, and gave a smile. The bombers dropped their load on her. Explosions and smoke can be seen as the bombs hit. "Did we get her?" (Souryuu) "No. There is still a signal coming from that location." (Ooyodo) "Ouch. Interesting. To think that this amount can actually hurt me." (???) As the smoke cleared, a bloodied girl in tatters can be seen, clutching her left arm. There are some burn marks on her body and the flying hammerhead sharks looks as though it''s going to fall anytime soon. Belfast and the Commander looked surprised at the sight of the injured enemy. "Is that unusual?" "Even after multiple shots, we were only able to make a small scratch on her. And she heals as soon as we even give her a second to rest." (Commander) "So in short, we just need to keep shooting?" (Noshiro) "Isn''t that what we do all the time?" (Murasame) "But we haven''t encountered such an enemy before, it''s better if we remain vigilant." (Yahagi) "Yahagi, if you think about it, she is just like a Abyssal Princess." (Agano) "Guys, look!" (Tokitsukaze) Portals appeared on both sides of Purifier as she gives off a purplish light. Mass-produced sirens started to slowly appear from the portals. So that''s her summoning ability. "Hahahaha. Let''s pl-" (Purifier) "Fire!" Everyone took turns to concentrate their shelling on Purifier before she finished speaking, let alone fully healing herself or finish summoning her minions. The Submarines launched the torpedos the have while the Carriers sent out wave after wave of bombers. "Kyyaaaah!!!" (Purifier) "Stop." We waited for the smoke to clear once again. "Has she sank?" (Zuihou) "Don''t jinx it! If you say that, she will definitely still be alive." And of course, when the smoke begin to clear, the shape of Purifier can still be seen. Although, she has more holes in her body now. The shark was lying on the surface, already in pieces. There are some Siren wreckage around, probably from the mass-produced sirens being unable to fully emerge from her portals. "Wah. Gross!" (Suzuya) "Ugh... I feel sick..." (Fubuki) "Fubuki-chan, are you alright?" (Mutsuki) "Hasn''t anyone reach you guys that''s it rude to interrupt someone when they are st-" (Purifier) "Fire." "Gyaaahhh!" (Purifier) I can see Belfast and Eldridge look on in bewilderment. Even the commander is surprised. "And stop." "Ugh... Why aren''t my powers working?! I should have been able to block those shots." (Purifier) Oh come on! Even the strongest Abyssal princess isn''t that tough! And we are dealing with a full fire power of 90 shipgirls here. Taigei, Akashi, Kashima, and Mamiya were not deployed. Ooyodo is here with me, relaying the data to Yokosuka HQ. "That''s it! Witness my true- W-wait! I haven''t finished yet! Gyaahhh!!!" (Purifier) I gave the order to attack again. Just sink already! "I''m starting to feel bad for her poi." (Yuudachi) "Same here. But she started this." "I got it! I got it! I''ll leave! I''m leaving! So stop shooting me!" (Purifier) "Alright that''s enough." I''m surprised she can still stand and barely maintain her shape even after all that. I can''t even tell what is that anymore. "Grr... I won''t forget this. I will definitely purify and erase you from this experiment!" The Purifier picked whatever is left of her shark and dragged herself away. "Did we win?" (Yamakaze) "That was... not what I expected." (Shigure) "Aww... I wanted shoot some more." (Suzukaze) "Should we give chase?" (Shouhou) "No. Leave her. We already reach our goal. Good job, everybody. We are going to party tonight." The girls started cheering. I turned off the video feed before their cheers get too overwhelming. "Ooyodo, have you sent the footage to HQ?" "I have already sent it. I thought Purifier was supposed to be impossible to damage. How did we win?" (Ooyodo) "She did say that her powers weren''t working. We will just have to think about it later." I turned to the Commander "Anyway, the three of you are staying for the party, right?" The Commander stood there, still trying to process what just happened. To be honest, I''m also surprised that we managed to chase her off so easily. Her immortality is a pain, but we now know that we have a chance against the Sirens. If only the Abyssals were just as easy. I''m curious about what Purifier said. What did she mean by ''this experiment''? Chapter 98 - 88 Since we partied till late night, the Azur Lane trio stayed over in the entertainment room. The next morning, Azur Lane''s Commander called Akashi, their Akashi, over to our Arsenal and find out the reasons why Purifier was repelled so easily. I''m also curious about this. This Akashi is really weird. She has cat ears and wears an oversized coat. She doesn''t look like an auxiliary ship at all. "This is not made of out mental cubes nya." (Cat Akashi) Cat Akashi tried to dismantle and inspect a 12.7cm Twin Gun Mount. She only took out the gun barrel and it''s outer shell, before giving her analysis. "I know that. So?" (Commander) "Commander, you are nyat so smart, aren''t you?" (Cat Akashi) "Wha-?" (Commander) "What I''m saying is, the reason why our allies can do so damage to our enemy is because they are not made out of mental cubes nya. Their weapons are entirely different from ours nya." (Cat Akashi) While their Akashi inspects our equipment, our Akashi is busy taking a QF Mk V apart. But... "What is this? Why did it turn into a coin?" (Akashi) "Ahh! What did you do nya? Why did you scrap it?!" (Cat Akashi) The gun Akashi was dismantling gave out a small flash before disappearing, leaving behind a gold coin. So that''s happens to their scrapped equipment. While convenient, it''s sort of a waste. Ours need to be taken apart piece by piece and melted down before it can be turned into a resource. "Scrapped it? All I just did was remove the gun from its mount!" (Akashi) Ignoring their squabbling, the Commander continued his questions. "Hmm... But even the weapons are different, what does it got to do with Purifier losing?" (Commander) "I''m getting to that part. As you know, we shipgirls and our equipment are made out of mental cubes. The Sirens, who are basically our creators, have some control over our attacks because of the mental cubes in our equipment nya. That''s why Purifier was able to do all that nya." (Cat Akashi) "The reason why Purifier''s abilities didn''t work on us is simply because our equipment isn''t made out of mental cubes. She wasn''t able to take control of them." (Akashi) I understand. So it''s like using fire on an enemy with fire immunity. Using weapons made out of mental cubes against an enemy that controls said mental cubes is definitely not the best idea. "But isn''t Purifier supposed to have some sort of otherworldly powers? Why didn''t she use it during the attack?" "Like the time when she stopped time." (Commander) Stopping time? That''s crazy! "That''s... I don''t know nya. Maybe I can find out if you pay me." (Cat Akashi) Cat Akashi gave Commander a smug look and the ''pay me'' sign. "Admiral, can you return some of the gems to me?" (Commander) "No way. I already distributed all of them to the girls. You saw me do that last night." "Ugh..." (Commander) "Maybe if master didn''t spent that much on buying new costumes for the North Union girls, you still would have enough reserves." (???) "Belfast?! Why are here?" (Commander) Belfast was standing behind us. Where did she come from? "I have come to pick you up. It''s almost time for lunch." (Belfast) "Let''s continue this next time. Now we know what is stopping us from dealing any damage." (Commander) It''s lunch time already? That was fast. "Admiral?" (Zuihou) I saw Zuihou peeking into the Arsenal, scanning around before landing her eyes on me. "What''s up?" Zuihou walked towards me, carrying Eldridge in her arms. "Oh my. I thought you were playing with Shiratsuyu-san and her sisters." (Belfast) "She was following me on the way here. Anyway, Admiral, it''s noon. Let''s eat lunch together." (Zuihou) Still holding on to Eldridge, Zuihou reached into her sleeves and took out an two-tier bento box. Eldridge stared at it intently. "Eldridge-chan, are you hungry?" Eldridge gave a small nod. "Belfast, I''m going to borrow Eldridge-chan for a while. Is that fine?" "Yes. If that''s what you wish." (Belfast) I expected her to question my intentions. "Zuihou, you don''t mind, right?" "Eh? What are you-?" (Zuihou) Zuihou looked at Eldridge who was still staring intently at the bento box. As Zuihou moved it around, Eldridge''s eyes followed. "No. Let''s eat together, Eldridge-chan!" (Zuihou) Eldridge''s eyes sparkled and gave off a few sparks, which startled Zuihou a little. "Ah... Sorry..." (Eldridge) lt''s fine. It''s fine. I just got a little startled, that''s all." (Zuihou) "But..." (Eldridge) It took a while to calm Eldridge down when she started crying. Chapter 99 - 88.5 Today is a calm day. No work, no sorties, it''s one of the rare days where I can truly slack in the office. It''s just a peaceful and quiet day. Sorry. I kind of lied. It isn''t quiet at all. "I told you! I just want to apologize!" (???) "And I''m telling you, stay away from her! How do I know that you are not crazy anymore?!" (???) "Wha-? Sure, I made a huge mistake back then. But I want to make up for it!" (???) "Both of you, please stop!" (Zuihou) Why is this happening? A few days ago, I received a email informing me that Azur Lane''s Zuikaku and Shoukaku will be stationed at my base until escorts from Azur Lane arrive to pick them up. Everything could have gone normally, with the Shoukaku sisters apologizing for their mistakes to my girls. However, the other Zuikaku just had to show off. Zuikaku treats Zuihou as her little sister. I heard when news of Zuihou being out of commission because of her PTSD symptoms, Zuikaku wanted to rush over here and check on her. Unfortunately, Kure was undertaking a major operation back then, and Zuikaku was the flagship. She was even strict and prejudice against the two during their rehabilitation. "Can the both of you knock it off already? It''s early in the morning and you girls are way too loud." "If this tsundere turkey wasn''t here, it wouldn''t be this chaotic!" (AL Zuikaku) "Huh?! Who are you calling a tsundere turkey?!" (Zuikaku) "You are both turkeys, now shut up!" Both Zuikakus were now glaring at me. If they hate that word so much, they should know better than insult each other with that word. Zuihou stood there, completely fl.u.s.tered about how to defuse the situation. "And what are you doing?" Shoukaku was making herself comfortable on the sofa, sipping some tea. "Why, drinking tea of course." (Shoukaku) "Your sisters are arguing in front of you and you''re casually drinking tea." ""I may not look like it, but this is how I prepare myself for all the discrimination we are going to face when we return home. We already realized our mistakes, but the others back home won''t be so pleased to retrieve a pair of traitors like us." (Shoukaku) Shoukaku stood up and walked towards Zuihou. Zuikaku got ready to stand between them. Shoukaku got onto her knees and prostrate herself. Zuikaku looked a little surprised. "Zuihou-san, I know this is not enough for all the trouble we caused you. It''s okay that you may not want to forgive us. But still, allow us... to apologize..." (Shoukaku) Shoukaku was starting to quiver. "Shoukaku-nee..." (AL Zuikaku) Zuikaku, the Azur Lane one, also prostate herself. That''s when I decided to leave the office. To be honest, I feel a bit awkward just by watching them. "How is it?" (???) As I tried to close the door quietly, a voice made me jump. Suzuya was standing behind me. "Oh. For the love of- Don''t creep on me like that." "Heehee. Sorry. So, what''s going on in there? I heard shouting just a while ago." (Suzuya) "Just some small arguments." "That''s so enviable. I want to meet my other version too. I heard she looks just like me, but with horns. How cool is that?" (Suzuya) "Yeah yeah." I can hear soft sobbing from behind the door. Who does that belong to? "What''s wrong?" (Suzuya) "Ah. No. Nothing. Looks like they might take a while. Want to go to Mamiya''s?" "Only if you''re paying~" (Suzuya) "You rascal. Just this once." "Yay! Admiral, you''re the best!" (Suzuya) "Wa-! Don''t cling onto me!" Chapter 100 - 89 "Over there! Yuudachi, on your left!" (Agano) "Got it poi!" (Yuudachi) Yuudachi fired a torpedo at the retreating Abyssal destroyer, sinking it immediately. "That''s all of them." (Murasame) "Why did a heavy Abyssal fleet show up so near the base?" (Zuihou) "These things happen from time to time. They are usually small fries though." An abyssal fleet with Ro-class destroyers, Ru-class battleship and a Wo-class carrier suddenly spawned near the base. Yamashiro got damaged in the previous sortie in the east, so I got Murasame to sortie with the rest. Then again, this is a rare occurrence. It''s usually I-class destroyers that spawn near our waters. Oh, whatever. I''ll just include this in my daily report. It has been a few days since Zuikaku and Shoukaku were brought back to Azur Lane. I know both of them apologized to Zuihou for the problems back then, but that''s all I know. I didn''t ask what happened between the time I left and returned. Although I can make a guess, since the four of them were chatting happily when I returned to the office. "Yo, Admiral! I''m back!" (???) That familar voice and the sound of the door swinging open violently, only one person has that habit. "Tenyruu, how many times have I told you to knock before- What the hell did you bring in?!?!" As I looked up from my report to face Tenyruu, I was greeted with the sight of her carrying the jellyfish-looking headpiece from a Wo-class. How did she even get that? "Hahaha! Isn''t it cool? I should put this up as a trophy in my room." (Tenyruu) "Tatsuta will freak out at you if she sees that thing. That''s not the point! Why did you bring that back?!" "It''s fine, isn''t it? It''s not like it''s still alive." (Tenyruu) "In the first place, the fact that it hasn''t disappeared yet means its still alive!" When an Abyssal is destroyed, it will immediately sink into the ocean, along with any piece that got detached from it. Even if a live is brought out of the water before it can sink, it will dissipate into black dust soon after. Tenryuu and Tatsuta are the only ones with bladed weapons, so engaging in close-combat and decapitating abyssals is common practice for them. I can imagine Tenryuu cut the head off a Wo-class carrier in order to get that, but there is no way it can maintain its original shape. Although it does not have the usuall green glow from its eyes, there is still a chance that it''s alive. "Don''t worry. I already shot and stabbed it a few times. There are no planes in this thing too. It''s not moving or reacting, so it''s definitely dead." (Tenyruu) I know Tenyruu is a little crazy, not as her sister though, but this is too far. Look at her, smiling like she won the lottery or something. That thing is dangerous. "Tenyruu, I know you want to keep that...head, but it''s too dangerous. At least, let Akashi run a thorough check on it then we can decide whether to let you keep it." "Oh come on. I''m telling you, it''s dead already. Look." (Tenyruu) Tenryuu started shaking it violently, it''s tentacles flopping along with the motion. "See. It''s not even reacting." (Tenyruu) "Just bring it to Akashi for checking." "Oh come on. Akashi will just take it apart. It''s much better to keep it like this." (Tenyruu) "Admiral, we''re back." (Zuihou) "What the?! Tenyruu-san, why are you holding onto that?!" (Agano) The main fleet came in and immediately recoiled upon seeing Tenyruu''s ''trophy''. "Haha! Isn''t it cool?" "Cool? More like gross." (Suzuya) "Why hasn''t it disappear yet?" (Shigure) "Who cares? It''s already dead anyway." (Tenyruu) Zuihou took a closer look at the Wo-class head piece. "It does look like its dead." (Zuihou) "See, Admiral. Even your girlfriend thinks so." (Tenyruu) "Zuihou, I don''t think you should get close to that thing." As soon as Zuihou poked it with her finger, a green glow flashed from its eye sockets. The tentacles immediately latched on to Zuihou body and pulled itself towards her. I knew it! It was playing dead this whole time! "KYAAA!!! Get it off me!" (Zuihou) The tentacles squimed about, making its way through the gaps of her clothes. "No... Stop..." (Zuihou) "Get some distance between those two. Tenyruu, cut those tentacles!" Suzuya and Agano pulled on the headpiece while the three destroyers held Zuihou in place. Tenyruu took out her sword and made a swift cut through the four tentacles, causing the six of them fell on the floor. Some purplish liquid oozed out from the stumps of the tentacles. "Zuihou, are you okay?" Her clothes were wet and messed up. "Did it go inside anywhere bad?" (Suzuya) "I''m okay. And no, it did not." (Zuihou) "How did the tentacles feel?" I meant to ask that a little joke. "Gross! It was so slimy and the way it moved around..." She shivered a little. Good thing she only felt disgusted. I was afraid she might be traumatised by this. "Ugh... I''m going to take bath." (Zuihou) Zuihou got up and left the office. "Wanna join her, Admiral?" (Suzuya) Good idea. It''s een a while since we bathed together. "Wah. You are seriously thinking about it..." (Suzuya) "Admiral, Yamashiro is still in there, you know?" (Murasame) Oops. I almost forgot that they have learnt to figure out what I''m thinking. "Ahem. Tenyruu, don''t you ever bring something like that back here ever again." "Got it..." (Tenyruu) "Now he is trying to change the subject." (Murasame) "Shut up!" Chapter 101 - 90 Zuihou weaved through the crowd and stopped in front of a restaurant. "Wow! It''s a big crab! It''s moving too!" (Zuihou) "Wait! Don''t run too far off!" I finally caught up to her. She was fascinated by the signature crab sign belonging to Kani Doraku. In fact, she is fascinated by almost everything she has seen so far. I finally used one of the many leaves I had saved up. As promised, I went out with to buy a new model plane kit. Of course, Rondo will be paying for 75% of its cost. It was his idea in the first place. We could have gone to her usual shop in Kyoto, but Zuihou insisted on getting one form Nipponbashi, which is all the way in Osaka. After a two hour train ride, we reached Osaka Station and change trains to Namba. We have the whole day to explore Osaka, so our first step is Dotonbori for an early lunch. "You want to eat here?" "Erm... Gh! 2700yen for a set lunch?! That''s so expensive." (Zuihou) "Of course it is. It''s like the one we had at Kinosaki." "But it looks so delicious." (Zuihou) Looking at her, I know she wants to eat here, but the price is making her hesitate. Oh fine. It''s been a while anyway since we are on a date. I can splurge a little. I walked up to the female restaurant receptionist. "Table for 2 please." "Eh?" (Zuihou) "Please follow me. 2 customers, coming in!" (receptionist) ''Wait, Admiral. Here is too..." "It''s fine. It''s been a while since we went on a date together." Zuihou''s face flushed as she heard what I just said. I will never get enough of that look. We each ordered the Aya lunch set, which comes with a lot of crab dishes. Boiled crab, grilled snow crab, snow crab tempura and other dishes. It was delicious. It was easy to break off the shell as well. "Fuaah~ That was delicious." (Zuihou) "Now then, shall we go get what we came here for?" "Mm! Let''s go!" (Zuihou) Nipponbashi is just a short walk from Dotonbori. Just pass through the nearby Namba Walk shopping district and we reached our destination, Nipponbashi Electric Den Den Town. It''s a little similar to Tokyo''s Akihabara. "Wow! There''s so many people!" (Zuihou) "It''s the weekend after all." We explored the area for a while. There are plenty of Anime shops and maid cafes scattered around the place. Since she hasn''t been here before, she was like a child, getting fascinated by everything she sees. "Hmm? Is that Akigumo-chan?" (Zuihou) Zuihou pointed at a bespectacled girl with long brown hair. She was wearing a green turtleneck and orange skirt and carrying a brown handbag. That''s Akigumo all right. That''s the outfit she wears whenever she goes for a doujinshi convention. Oh yeah, apart from us Admiral''s and the entirety of Sasebo District, the other shipgirls don''t know that Akigumo is a doujinshi artist. I bought some of her works before. They were pretty good, to be honest. Her works usually centre on the girls in Sasebo. "It is Akigumo-chan. Is she on a break as well? Let''s follow her." (Zuihou) Before I could say anything, Zuihou went ahead into the building which Akigumo entered. This will not end up well. There is a Melonbooks store in the building she just entered. That''s where Akigumo probably went. "Wh-what is this?!" (Zuihou) "You are too loud!" I expected this much. We followed Akigumo all the way to the 4th floor and were greeted by the e.r.o.t.i.c doujinshis on display. "This much..." (Zuihou) "I thought what was all that noise about. If it isn''t the Admiral of Maizuru and his girlfriend. Fancy meeting you two here." (Akigumo) Akigumo stood in front of us. Zuihou is still trying to process her thoughts. Wait, did she just said ''girlfriend''? "Yo, Akigumo." "Hello. Are you here to support my works?" (Akigumo) "Your works? Wait, Akigumo-chan, what are you doing here?" "Huh? Oh right. You girls don''t know yet. I''m a doujinshi artist. I''m just here to collect my royalties." (Akigumo) "Royalties? What do you mean?" (Zuihou) "Can''t they transfer it to your account?" "I prefer to collect it personally. Since you are here, want to buy one of my books? I can get the store to give you a discount." (Akigumo) I thought about it for a moment. Zuihou is still confused. Yeah, the answer is obvious. "I will buy some." "Wha- Admiral?" (Zuihou) "This is normal here." "Is it?" (Zuihou) "Hehe. I''ll be waiting at the counter, don''t take too long." (Akigumo) "You can pick one if you want, Zuihou." "Eh? I don''t know anything about this stuff." (Zuihou) "It''s the about the same as what we do." "Don''t say that in public!" (Zuihou) "Admiral-san, can you give me the details later? If you do, I will give you my next book for free." (Akigumo) "Deal." "Akigumo-chan, stay out of this! And Admiral, what are you saying?" (Zuihou) In the end, she even bought one for herself. We left while Akigumo discussed with the shopkeeper about her royalties. "I can''t believe I actually bought one. Is this even allowed?" (Zuihou) "I allow it." Reality in my district can be whatever I want. After exploring around for a while more, visiting various anime stores and even visiting a maid cafe, we head over to our orignal target, a store named Volks. "Wow~!" (Zuihou) Zuihou''s eyes gleamed at the sight of all the plastic model kits on displayed. "Can I pick any one, right?" (Zuihou) "Yep." "Can I choose two? Please~" (Zuihou) I thought for a moment. White Day is coming soon, so... "Fine. The second one would be repayment for your valentine gift." Her face flushed again. "Th-thank you..." (Zuihou) I waited at one corner while Zuihou went around looking at the display sets and choosing her kits. It took quite a while, with her deciding which planes are cuter. In the end, she chose a Kawasaki Toryu Ka Ko/Hei and a blue Shinden. The Shinden looks unusual though. It features a rather old anime on its box cover. ''2nd edition Ah My Goddess''? "Why did you choose this?" "It''s the first time I have seen a blue Shinden. I read that it comes with extra parts. The cover is nice too. And the Toryu is a new one. I always wanted to have one. This is the short-nose type and it''s armed with a-" I quickly paid for the two kits before Zuihou fully goes into ''plane expert mode''. "Now then, do you want to eat here? Or return home for dinner?" Zuihou just smiled blissfully as she hugged her new toys. Looks like I won''t be getting much of an answer for a while. "Should we just walk around for a little while more?" "mmh." (Zuihou) Since we ate at the maid cafe a while ago, we decide to have a late dinner instead. We ended up exploring Osaka station and bought souvenirs for the girls back home. Today was pretty fun. Chapter 102 - 91 "And that concludes my report." (Yahagi) "Good work. You''re dismissed." On the way back from an expedition, Yahagi''s fleet came across several rock formations along the expedition route. It might just be a natural occurrence but this sort of things don''t happen overnight. It might a Siren construct for all we know. Furthermore, we pissed them off the previous time. Who knows what revenge plan they have in mind. "Haa~ Should I draft out another route? Then again, it will take ages for the new route to be approved." I heard a knock on the door. "Admiral, It''s Ooyodo." (Ooyodo) "Come in." Ooyod was carrying a single piece of paper, which is rare, since she usually brings a few folders of doc.u.ments for me to look through and settle. "HQ just sent us a map and a weird order." (Ooyodo) She said, while piece me the piece of paper. "They want us to investigate this area near Ri Lanka. They believe that there is something abnormal going on over there." (Ooyodo) "Any other information?" "No.They just sent a message ordering us to sent a small investigation fleet and this map. They even want them to bring some food." (Ooyodo) That''s ignoring the usual protocol. Usually a formal order is sent along with whatever information they have. Sending me a map and a verbal message is rather irresponsible. I can''t just sent my girls on a mission with unclear objectives. And why does the investigation fleets need to bring meat? That''s the weirdest part. "Give HQ a reply. Tell them I need more information before I can put together a fleet. And why do we need to bring food?" "Roger. I will reply them immediately." (Ooyodo) It was barely even half an hour before Ooyodo returned with a folder. "Admiral, this is really weird. Firstly, HQ said that the message was sent by a new officer and apologized. They have already warned that officer. Okay, that explains the weird format. "However, the order still stands. During an scouting mission, Akagi-san''s planes spotted some small animals stranded on an island. The officer then ordered a rescue mission for those animals. That''s why we needed to bring some food." Ooyodo was right. This is really weird. "So the officer is an animal-lover?" "I think so. But this is the weird part." (Ooyodo) There''s more? "The officer who sent that message was from the JSDF. Apparently, she is now assigned here!" (Ooyodo) "What!?!?!?" A JSDF officer?! Assigned to a naval district?! Wait, hold up. What the hell is going on? "Did they mention why?" "This is her profile. 2nd lieutenant Hashimoto Rei. Female. Age, 21 years old." (Ooyodo) I flipped through the file Ooyodo passed to me. Hashimoto Rei. A medical officer in JSDF. She is younger than me. From the picture attached, she is rather pretty, with emerald eyes and brown hair. According to her profile, she was supposed to be let go but got transferred at the request of IJN. Speaking of which, Hashimoto... Where have I heard that name before? ...Grand Admiral Hashimoto Akihito?! Are they related? Now it makes some sense. There is no way IJN would request to transfer some JSDF officer over to our side, especially whenwe are clearly at odds with them. If it''s family-related, that would be understandable. Why was she let go though? "Alright. Let''s just get the order done and over with. Fubuki, Mutsuki, Yuudachi, Noshiro and Taigei will be sortied. Tell Taigei to fill her basket with some meat and vegetables. No need to cook them, since we will be feeding wild animals." "Are you sure? I can request a cancellation if you want." "That''s alright. Since they already ordered us to do, we might as well complete it. Anyway, did they mention what''s the completion reward?" "Erm... A furniture fairy." A furniture fairy just for feeding a bunch of wild animals. Now that''s a steal. "That''s great! We feed some animals and get ourselves a rare fairy." "Got it. I go assemble the fleet." Now we just need to wait. --------------------------------- "So... What the hell is this?" The investigation fleet came back... with kittens climbing all over them! 8 to exact. "They wouldn''t let us go." (Noshiro) "So we had no choice but to bring them back nya." (Mutsuki) "We used my basket to transport them here." (Taigei) "I told you to feed them. I didn''t mention anything about bringing kittens back." So the small animals Akagi saw were kittens. "But they look so pitiful. When we got there, they were all gathered around some bones. We can only assume that was their mother." (Noshiro) She said with tears in her eyes. "Oh fine. But we can''t keep all of them. Maybe one or two but that''s all. We will send the rest to a shelter." "Eh? But we haven''t said anything about keeping them yet poi." (Yuudachi) "I already know what you girls are going to ask. Besides, look at Mutsuki. Her eyes says it all." Mutsuki was clearly excited. Her eyes were shining and she is bouncing up and down. It was clear that day what her intentions were. "Only two of them, alright. We can''t afford to take care of all 8." "Nyaa~~ Thank you, Admiral!" (Mutsuki) Mutsuki dragged Taigei away to decide which kittens to keep. Now that''s one issue dealt with. The other one... "Admiral, she is here." (Ooyodo) That''s fast! I went over to the main gate. There was already a small group of curious destroyers and light cruisers gathering there to meet this strange newcomer. "Oh my. There are so many of you." (???) "Eh? Someone new?" (Satsuki) "That is not a Naval uniform." (Yuubari) "Oh no. Don''t tell me, Admiral is being replaced?!" (Etorafu) "Ehh?! No way!" (Shiratsuyu) "Noo! I don''t want Admiral to go away!" (Matsuwa) "W-wait.Dont just cry all of a sudden." (???) "I''m not going anywhere!" "Oh, Admiral." (Yuubari ) "You girls speculate too much." "Admiral!" (Matsu) Matsuwa, with tears in her eyes, latch onto my leg as I pet her head. "You are the Admiral of Maizuru Naval District, right?" (???) Standing in front of us was the young woman which I saw in the picture in a standard army uniform and beret. Her brown hair was tied up into a ponytail. I can''t really judge her body shape, since the uniform looks a little baggy for her, but I can see a bulge at her chest area. She is definitely taller than Zuihou, maybe by a full head. That much I can tell. She stood at attention and did a salute. "2nd Lieutenant Hashimoto Rei! Nice to meet you!" (Rei) Chapter 103 - 92 "Welcome to Maizuru Naval District. I''m the Admiral of this base." I felt a chill down my spine as soon as I finished. What is this murderous aura I''m feeling? I just noticed that black car has been idling outside the gate for a while now. The car windows suddenly opened and I realized where that murderous aura came from. Sitting in the car, staring at me was Grand Admiral Akihito! He was doing the ''I have my eyes on you'' gesture at me. "Is something wrong, Admiral?" (Rei) Rei turned around and noticed Grand Admiral Akihito. "Pa- Father, why are you still here?! Just leave already!" (Rei) He is her father after all. "Geez! Sorry, my father does this all the time." (Rei) "It''s okay." I want to quickly get out of his sight. "For starters, let''s continue this in my office." Rei followed me back to my office. The other shipgirls wanted to follow but they went to search for Mutsuki after I told them she was deciding on which kittens to keep. "Those kittens you mentioned, were they the ones from the island?" (Rei) "Yeah. I take it that you were the one that sent that order?" "Ahaha. Sorry about that. When I heard Akagi...-san saying that there are some small animals on the island, I couldn''t bear to leave them alone." (Rei) "And you send that order to us?" "I just pick a random district and send that order. Because of the format, I got scolded by father." (Rei) "Right..." This woman doesn''t seem like the military type at all. Her mannerism, her way of speaking, she is like high school girl. "Correct me if I''m wrong. Grand Admiral Akihito appointed you to this district, am I right?" "Yup. The JSDF wasn''t happy with what I did so they came up with two choices, either throw me into the jail or kick me out. It was father who convinced them to transfer me over to IJN instead. He probably gave my Commanding Officer quite a scare to pull this off." (Rei) I can imagine Akihito just staring down at her CO and threatening to beat the living out of him. "What did you do to make them want to kick you out? As far as I know, only when you commit serious offense like murder or breeching your contract, you get hurled into detention." "Well... I''m a medic, right?" Rei proudly flashed her medic band. "I spend most of my time in the infirmary, treating whoever comes in. Most of the time, my patients are the new recruits, hoping to get a day off or two. If I''m lucky, I got to treat a hot guy with a sprained ankle or flu. Hey! Don''t look at me like that! I''m still a maiden!" Don''t expect me to believe that when you''re drooling. "Anyway, seeing all those man got me all hot and fuzzy. So I caught a young Sergent who came for a sprained ankle. If only I had locked the door. I got caught by a major who came for some hangover medicine. And I was just about to get to the good part." (Rei) I see. A pervert. This woman is a pervert. "Wait. You joined the military to..." "To get a boyfriend, of course. What? Why did you think I join JSDF for? Now, where was I? Oh right. After I was caught, my Commanding Officer wanted to get me sack, saying I was a moral threat to the men there. Can''t you believe it? Calling me a moral threat. So rude. Father was the one that convinced him to transfer me over to IJN. After discussing with another young Grand Admiral, I got posted to Maizuru Naval District as a medical officer." (Rei) That young grand admiral she mentioned is probably Rondo. So he had a part in this as well... "Did they tell you the reason for choosing this place?" "The young grand admiral said this was the only district with a sole male. Aren''t you a lady killer? Surrounded by so many beauties. And now you have another with you." (Rei) Rei smirked. Ugh. Why do I have to take care of this nutcase? I tried to keep a straight face. "Okay. That''s enough for self-introductions. Now there''s the issue of your room and uniform. Did you bring your belongings?" "I left it all in my barracks. This was a sudden decision after all. Father said he will bring it for me tomorrow." (Rei) Well, aren''t you a daddy''s girl. "I''ll get Ooyodo to give you a tour around the district. I will assign a room for you later. As for you uniform..." "Now that I look properly, you are kinda cute." (Rei) Huh? While I was busy thinking, Rei was already standing beside me behind the table. When did she-? "Say, what about me? I may not be experienced but I know the human body more than you think." "Rei-san? What are you-?" Rei''s uniform top was unbuttoned, revealing a black tank top underneath and... Damn they are huge! They are almost the same size as Atago''s. "Oomph!?" Rei pushed herself against me. Since I was sitting down, my face got buried in between her enormous chest. I feel my face and other places starting to burn up. Wow! So soft... No! Now isn''t the time to bask in this. I already have a girl. But... this is somehow comfortable... "Admiral, look! I finished building my blue Shinden!" (Zuihou) Zuihou came into the office, proudly showing off the blue Shinden model we bought last week. Oh no. This is the worst situation. I''m still buried in Rei''s chest! "Admiral, who is this woman? What are you doing?" (Zuihou) She said in a monotonous tone. She is pissed! I pushed Rei away from me. "Zuihou, I can explain!" --------------------------------------- "Aww... I can''t believe you already have a girlfriend." (Rei) Zuihou took her place on my lap, clinging onto me and staring at Rei. If I hadn''t pushed Rei away from me, who knows how she would act. "That''s right! Admiral is mine!" (Zuihou) I felt a little fuzzy when she said that. "Hmm... You are pretty childish. You don''t even have a chest. I still have an advantage." (Rei) "Wha-!?" (Zuihou) "Look at this." (Rei) Rei did a small jump. Her large tankers bounced up and down a few times before stopping. "Can you do that?" (Rei) "nnghh...." (Zuihou) Rei is obviously trying to provoke Zuihou. If this goes on any longer, there is going to be trouble here. "Rei-san, I''m Ooyodo. I''ll be your guide for today. Please follow me." (Ooyodo) Ooyodo stood at the door. Nice timing! "Okay~ You better be on guard. If not, I gonna take him away. See you later, Admiral~" (Rei) "Just go already!" Gosh. That woman is an JSDF medic? She is more of a highschool girl. I can''t tell if she was serious or just playing around when she said all that. "But... those were soft." "..." (Zuihou) Zuihou was staring at me angrily. Shoot! Did I say that out loud? "Sorry. Zuihou''s are bett-" "In the end, it all comes down to size. Forget it!" (Zuihou) Ahhhh. I pissed her off. Zuihou got off my lap and walked towards the door. "Zuihou, wait!" "Admiral, you dummy!" (Zuihou) She slammed the door behind her. I''ve done it now. How am I going to fix this? Chapter 104 - 93 It has been a few days since Rei came to the base. And since Zuihou started hating me. No matter how much I tried to apologize, she would always ignore me. For the first time in long while, I''m actually feeling a little depressed... I don''t even feel like doing anything at all. "Admiral, are you alright?" (Shigure) "..." "It''s no use. He''s out of it." (Suzuya) "What about Zuihou?" (Shigure) "She is holed up in her room poi." (Yuudachi) "We tried calling her but Shouhou-san said she is not feeling well." (Agano) Agano, Shigure, Yuudachi and Suzuya were in my office. And here I am with my face planted on the table... I know they are worried about me but still... "Come on. I''m pretty sure she is just throwing a tantrum. If she doesn''t want you, how about-" (Rei) "Rei-san, please shut up." (Suzuya & Agano) Oh right. The root of the problem is here too. It looks like she was serious back then. Argh... I shouldn''t have blurted that out. It feels like something is gouging my heart out. "Should we bring Zuihou here?" (Agano) "Ehh? You don''t have to. I''m already here. Now, Admiral. Let''s start our new-" (Rei) "Go back to the infirmary!" (Agano, Suzuya, Shigure, Yuudachi) Rei got kicked out of the office. At least now there is some peace and quiet. "Admiral, I know you''re upset that Zuihou is ignoring you, but mopping around all day isn''t gonna help." (Suzuya) "Suzuya''s right. You should try talking to her again." (Agano) "Morale around the base has been pretty bad recently." (Shigure) It has? Oh... "Maybe I should do some work after all." If morale is this bad, they might risk themselves. And working should help keep things of my mind for a while. ------------------------------------- -Shouhou class room- "They''re gone. Are sure you''re not going?" (Shouhou) "Hmph! It''s Admiral''s fault." I can''t believe Admiral got seduced by that new girl. Just because she has a big chest. In the end, size is all that matters. "I know Admiral is at wrong here but you can''t really put all the blame on him. Rei-san was the one that pounced him. Beside, he has been apologizing since forever. Shouldn''t you forgive him by now?" (Shouhou) "How can you expect me to forgive him after he said that in front of me?! He was complementimg another girl''s chest, you know? All because mine weren''t big enough!" Geez. I want to cry! Why did that woman come here? She just have to ruin the nice relationship we''re having. "Geez. Everyone''s worried about the two of you. Morale has been down lately too." (Shouhou) "I don''t care!" I pulled the blanket over me. "Now you are just being selfish. If you keep this up, Admiral might really go after Rei''san, you know? Do you want that to happen." (Shouhou) "Of course not!" Of course I don''t want Admiral to go after another woman. If he did, I wouldn''t know what to do. "Then make up with Admiral already." (Shouhou) I can feel Shouhou patting me through the blanket. She is right. I should make up with Admiral. But how? After the way I acted... I heard a knockon the door. "Zuihou, are you in there?" (Admiral) It''s Admiral!!! "Admiral is here. Should I let him in?" (Shouhou) "No! Tell him I''m not here. I''m not ready.'' "Geez. You''re so troublesome." (Shouhou) I can hear Shouhou opening the door. They seem to be whispering something. Maybe Shouhou told him that I was asleep or something. I''m sorry, but my heart is not ready yet. "He is gone. He looked very disappointed when I said you don''t want to see him." (Shouhou) Wait... "You didn''t have to say that! You could have just told him I wa sleeping or something!" What a way to make the situation worse... I heard another knock. Is Admiral back? "Shouhou-san, are you in?" (Suzuya) Suzuya? "Yes? What is-?(Shouhou) Suddenly, I couldn''t hear anything. What are they whispering about? "Really?! This sort of-" (Shouhou) "Shh... Not so loud..." (Suzuya) What''s going on? "Zuihou, I''m sorry. Big sister will be cheering you on." (Shouhou) Eh? What? I felt something pounced on me and before I know it, I was trapped in my blanket! "What?! Eh?! Let me out!" "The bird is in the bag!" (Suzuya) Bird? "It looks like a sack poi!" (Yuudachi) "Don''t be so rough. We don''t want to hurt her. Sorry, Zuihou." (Shigure) Yuudachi and Shigure too. What''s going on? Where are they taking me? "Let me go!" I tried struggling my way out. It''s no use. It''s like they put me in a sack. "Hey! Don''t struggle! We are doing this for your own good." (Suzuya) "Will it really work? We don''t know to tie her like that." (Shigure) "Don''t worry. We don''t need to follow that doujinshi. We just need to present her like that." "Tie? Doujinshi? Wait! Don''t tell me-" "Hehe. Leave it us." (Suzuya) Admiral bought a bunch of doujinshi when we went to Osaka a few weeks ago. And now I''m being made to copy one of them?! I didn''t even know what kind Admiral bought. He always hides it from me. "Anyway, that was one lewd book admiral bought. I''m still a little embarrassed." (Suzuya) "I didn''t know Admiral was into that stuff." (Shigure) "Me too." (Yuudachi) What is they going to do to me??? ------------------------------------------------------- -Admiral office- Another night without Zuihou. I have been getting pretty used to Zuihou spending almost everyday with me. Now, the bed seems too big. While, the bed has always been this big in the first place. "Looks like I''ll be alone again." As I opened my room door while speaking to myself, I saw something rather shocking. "Zuihou?!" In front of me, on my bed, was Zuihou, wearing a red collar with her hands tied behind her back. Her legs were tied together and she was gagged with a handkerchief tied around her mouth. What the hell is going on? I noticed a note stuck on her clothes. ''Cheer up.'' -Fleet 1 It was from Agano and the rest? What? This is the first time I have seen such a spectacle. I mean, I have seen something similar to this in one of the doujinshi I bought recently. The girl was all tied up and gagged while on the waiting on the bed... Huh? Isn''t that happening right now? I mean, though not tied with ropes, Zuihou is technically restrained right now. I noticed on of my doujinshi was left on the floor, when I clearly remember it being under mattress! Oh. Now I get it. Those girls must have found it and Zuihou being like this was their way of trying to help. Still, I can''t believe they thought I was into this! I mean, I am a little interested, but this is not how I wanted it. "Mmmpphh!" (Zuihou) Oops. While I was busy thinking, Zuihou was there trying to get my attention. I untied the handkerchief around her mouth, before proceeding behind her to work on her arm restrains. "Give a sec. I will get you ou-" "Wait!" (Zuihou) Hmm? "Don''t untie them. If you do, the first thing I''m going to do is run away." (Zuihou) Ehh? What is going on? This is not what I expected at all. Zuihou then let herself fall behind onto me while hiding her face. This is my chance! I gently embraced her. "I''m sorry, Zuihou." "Geez. I didn''t expect Admiral to be into that kind of stuff. That was shocking." (Zuihou) She seems calm for the time being. Despite the situation she is in. "To be honest, I am kinda interested in this. Though this isn''t what I expected." "Admiral is a pervert after all. So it has to follow the doujinshi after all?" (Zuihou) "Of course." "Haah~ Suzuya was right. And to think I forced her to leave my clothes on." (Zuihou) I can see the tip of her ears becoming redder than before. "But that''s not the point now. I wanted to talk to you. Zuihou, you are the only one for me." Zuihou, whose face is still flushed, tilted her head up to face me. "I''m sorry about what I said. I should have known better." "Me too. I''m sorry for getting angry and ignoring you all this while. When you complimented that womans'' tankers, I got jealous. I was thinking that all you cared about was size, and that really angered me." (Zuihou) I wasn''t really complimenting her though. I was just saying how I felt at that time, but let''s leave that part out. Zuihou laid her head on my chest. I feel warm and fuzzy inside... I miss this feeling so much. "I was feeling lonely all this time." (Zuihou) "Me too." "Admiral? I want a kiss. Please?" (Zuihou) I gently pushed her shoulders away and planted my lips against hers. After a while, we broke away to catch our breaths. "It''s been a while, shall we do it?" (Zuihou) "Nope. It''s been a while.I just want to cuddle with you." Wow. Saying it out loud is kinda embarrassing. "That''s surprising." (Zuihou) She had this look of disbelief written all over her face. "What? Even I want to do something simple once in a while." "Ehehe. Then, let''s do just that. For starters, untie me." (Zuihou) That was one of the best nights I ever had in a while. Chapter 105 - 94 "This is it?" (Suzuya) "Yahagi, are you sure this the one?" (Agano) "Yeah. This is where I found it." (Yahagi) "This isn''t a rock formation..." (Yamashiro) "It''s a volcano..." (Shigure) "Admiral, are you seeing this?" (Zuihou) "Yeah. Can you girls go around it so you can get some visuals?" Last week, on the day Rei got posted here, Yahagi discovered some rock formations emerging from the ocean along her expedition route. Today, I sent fleet 1 along with Yahagi to investigate. What we found was a volcano smack right in the middle of the route. It''s alright with it was just a simple mountain, but that think is spewing out smoke. "It''s so hot." (Suzuya) "Don''t get too close. Any signs that it''s going g to erupt?" "I don''t know. How can you tell if a volcano is going to erupt?" (Zuihou) "Umm..." Good question. How? "Do you feel any tremors around the area? Usually, tremors are a sign of imminent eruption." (Ooyodo) Oh. So that''s how to figure it out. "Erm... I don''t feel anything." (Zuihou) "Me neither." (Shigure) "The water is bubbling though." (Agano) "I suppose we can ignore it for the time being. I''ll go ahead I draw out a new route. Since you are there, can you girls retrieve some of the resources?" "Gh! I knew this would happen." (Zuihou) "Admiral is such a slave-driver!" (Agano) "Come on. Tomorrow is a holiday for everyone. This is the final job." Tomorrow, the base will be closed. All of us will be going for the annual Sakura Viewing Festival. This time, the entire IJN will be going to the island near Sasebo. The island is big enough to hold all of us and Sasebo will hosting it this year. "But we didn''t bring any transport barrels." (Yahagi) "Umm... Zuihou, Suzuya and Shigure. You three will carry as much as you can. The rest of you can act as escorts." "Fine..." (Zuihou) "I expect some reward when we get back." (Suzuya) I expected that much. "Yeah yeah. One Mamiya ticket for all of you." "Really? Yay!" (Agano) This year''s festival should be fun. Oh right. I have to bring Rei along too. That might be a problem. I hope I don''t get killed by Grand Admiral Akihito... ------------------------------- As soon as we set down the mats and food, the destroyers and coastal defense girls wasted no time frolicking around the falling Sakura petals. This place is even more beautiful than before. When Rondo and I first came here, there was only green vegetation. Now, the entire island is covered in Sakura trees. This is truly a weird island. "This island has its own unique seasons. So far, we only witnessed how it changed from Winter to Spring." (Sasebo) "Huh? So the island is constantly changing?" "I guess so. Just last month, my girls saw all the plants dying out in a few days. And after that, it took two weeks for all these Sakura trees to grow." (Sasebo) I find that hard to believe. It''s still pretty interesting. "No wonder you guys decided to host this year. I read reports about this island but this is the first time I''ve seen it." (Brunei Anchorage) "Of course. I was the one that helped Grand Admiral Rondo prepare for his expedition." (Sasebo) That''s a lie. Oh. Speaking of Rondo... "Really? Then let''s discuss more about how you helped me that day..." (Rondo) Rondo placed a hand on his shoulder, giving a rather threatening smile. The proud expression the Admiral of Sasebo had quickly turned to fear as soon as he heard Rondo''s voice. "Yo, Rondo. Glad you can join us." "Of course I would join. Since Sasebo has been so helpful in my expedition, it would be rude not to turn up for this festival. Right, Admiral of Sasebo?" (Rondo) He is clearly not going to let that go anytime soon. "Anyway, I heard Grand Admiral Akihito''s daughter transferred to your base." (Kure) "Argh. Don''t ask me about her." "Admiral~~!" (???) Oh come on! Before I can even react, I got tackled by Rei. My face got buried in her chest. As if this whole thing wasn''t cliche enough. " Muan...nan Re...i.... unt... mreaf...." "Ah. Oops." (Rei) Even after telling her that I only see her as subordinate, Rei constantly tries to seduce me whenever she had the chance. It''s terrifying. As per every Sakura Viewing Festival, everyone is encouraged to wear their casual clothes. The weather on the island is pretty warm even though it was supposed to be Spring, so everyone is dressed like it''s summer. That being said, the girl that is attracting everyone''s attention was Rei. She was wearing a crop top and jeans. All the boys from the R&D department and engineering department kept staring at her. Of course, no one dare to approach her while her guardian is watch them closely. Grand Admiral Akihito, Rei''s father, is with the other Grand Admiral''s and the Yamato sisters, drinking and chatting. Even though he looks like he is chilling, Akihito is busy observing his daughter and whoever approach her. I can feel Grand Admiral Akihito staring me from over there. "Lieutenant Rei, how are you doing at Maizuru?" (Rondo) "Grand Admiral Rondo! Thank you for posting me there. It''s way more fun than what I was doing back in my camp." (Rei) "Glad you like it. The Admiral there is a very nice person, right?" (Rondo) "Of course. He might be a tsundere but I''m sure I can get through his heart." "Who the hell are you calling a tsundere?! And Rondo, don''t encourage her!" "I take my eyes off you for one moment and you are harassing my man again." (???) I felt someone''s arms wrap around my shoulders and a weight on my head. It was Zuihou. She was wearing a dark blue polo shirt and a matching blue skirt. "Aren''t you gonna join the others?" "How can I when there''s a thieving cat over here?" Ever since that incident, Zuihou has been rather hostile towards Rei. I understand her feelings but the tension is always high when these two are around. "Oh I see. You finally got yourself a girlfriend." (Kure) "You sly dog. How long have you two been together?" (Yokosuka) "Wait, you guys didn''t know?" (Rondo) "Rondo-san, you knew about them?!" (Yokosuka) "Of course. They wanted to keep it a secret but this young CVL here got too excited and blurted it out." "Wai- Grand Admiral Rondo-sama! Don''t go tell everyone that!" (Zuihou) Zuihou''s face turned red as soon as Rondo mentioned what happened during the Setsubun festival. That was a mistake on her part. "That''s right, darling. Don''t go teasing my daughter like that." (Houshou) Houshou sat down beside Rondo and leaned against him. "Mama..." (Zuihou) Hmm? Zuihou suddenly became quiet as she watched Houhou interact with Rondo. They look like newly-weds. Even though they married 2 years ago. Zuihou looks like she is longing for something. "What''s wrong, Zuihou?" (Houshou) "..." (Zuihou) "Oohh. Since she isn''t doing anything, Admiral, let''s go somewhere quiet and-" (Rei) "Quiet. I told you many I''m not interested." And besides, her father would kill me if I lay a hand on her. "Oh look! A type 99 bomber!" "Eh?! Where?!" (Zuihou) Zuihou snapped out of it and tried to search for the non-existant type 99 bomber. She''s back. "Zuihou-chan, are you alright? Your face is a little red." (Rondo) "He is right. You even blanked out back then." (Kure) "Maybe she is just overheated. Should I get my engineers to check on you? It''s alright. They are mostly females." (Yokosuka) "N-no. I''m fine. Sorry for making you worry." (Zuihou) I pulled Zuihou towards me until she is touching my sides. This girl is the real tsundere here. "Ehh?!" (Zuihou) "Seriously. If you want something, just say it." Speaking of which, I can''t if she is just embarrassed or really overheated. Her body temperature is rather high. "Oh so that''s it. The little one just wants some love." (Sasebo) I don''t think that''s really the case here. I laid Zuihou''s head onto my lap. Now she''s getting more fl.u.s.tered. And heated up. "Houshou-san, can you give me a wet towel and maybe some ice?" "Eh? Ad.. miral..." (Zuihou) She is getting hotter. Really? This kind of things can happen too? "So she really is overheating." (Kure) "Wait. I''ll be right back." (Houshou) Houshou ran off to get what I asked for. "Should I call my engineer after all?" (Yokosuka) "It might be heatstroke. We need to lower her temperature." (Rei) "This is the first time I see a shipgirl get a heatstroke all of a sudden." (Kure) "It''s not." "Huh?" (All) "It''s not heatstroke. She is overheating but there are no other symptoms of heat exhaustion." Houshou came back with an icepack and a wet towel. I placed the ice pack on her head and the wet towel between her head and my lap. This is ridiculous. And painful. "But how are you sure? Even there are no symptoms, it still might be-" (Rei) "Are you sure you are a medic? Does this face look like a patient with heatstroke?" I pointed at Zuihou. She is smiling happily. That''s why I said this is ridiculous. It seems that she got embarrassed and overheated herself. Seriously, this girl... "She will recover soon enough. Her self-repairing system can handle that." "I understand the ice pack is to help cool her off, but what about the wet towel? And why is it on your leg?" (Brunei Anchorage) "Because it''s hot! She is practically burning me!" The others started laughing. Damn. I really didn''t think this kind of things can happen. For the rest of the day, we drank and watched the Sakura petals float down like snow. The coastal defense girls got tired and fell asleep near the other Grand Admirals and the Marshal Admiral. The destroyers still had energy to run around. The battlesh.i.p.s and carriers were also drinking merrily. The cruisers were chatting and gossiping. Like I said, Zuihou woke up a few minutes later but she chose to remain on my lap. Looks like she is happy there, but my legs are starting to become numb. As usual, she is arguing with Rei, while lying down. In the end, another peaceful day passed us by. Tomorrow, it''s back to our usual routine. Chapter 106 - 95 That was unexpected. The volcano we discovered last week erupted all of a sudden. Tenryuu''s fleet discovered it spewing out lava and ash while they were reviewing the new route I planned out. "We can''t do anything about it. I''ll report about this." "Why are all these weird things happening?" (Ooyodo) "I don''t know. I thought it was the Sirens at first but what can they gain by randomly altering the sea?" Apart from giving me more work, there is no merit in doing this. I tried asked Azur Lane about this but they don''t understand their actions as well. "Alert! Enemies spotted near the base! Enemies spotted near the base! It''s a Siren!" (Alarm) "Again?" I made my way to the port. Everyone is gathered there already. Standing in front of us is the Purifier and Observer. These two have been coming to the base for the past three days. "This time, I will definitely destroy you!" (Purifier) "We will obtain the information we need." (Observer) Purifier is the one that does the attacking while Observer just, well observe. She is trying to figure out why our attacks can hurt them. "Haah...Fusou, you know what to do." "Got it. Main guns, secondary guns, fire-!" (Fusou) On cue with Fusou, the entire fleet rained fire on the two Sirens. As usual, they could not summon their minions in time. Apart from wasting our resources, I got to admit, this is a pretty cool sight. It''s like a light show, but with loud noises and mostly fire and explosions. Oh gross. Is that Purifier''s head? Yikes. "Tch. We will be back!" Observer escaped carrying the head of Purifier. What was left were debris and some tentacles. They soon disappeared into blue dust though, so we couldn''t study the components. Maizuru Naval District isn''t the only one getting attacked. Yokosuka and Brunei Anchorage were also targets. Yokosuka got attacked by a someone who called herself ''The Empress" while Brunei got tickled by a jellyfish girl. The results were pretty much expected. A one-sided massacre. "Another report to write up. I got to inform Azur Lane is well." "Should we focus on expeditions for the time-being? Our ammunition is decreasing fast." (Ooyodo) Really? I mean, I did deploy the entire fleet against two enemies, but I didn''t expect our ammo to decrease at such a fast rate. "Maybe I should make a fleet dedicated to repelling the Siren invaders." "For now, I have made a list of expeditions which give us the highest yield of ammunition." (Ooyodo) As expected of Ooyodo. She is so efficient "Thanks Ooyodo. I knew I could count on you." She is trying to hide it, but I can tell Ooyodo is pretty happy. Now then, back to work. There are a few Abyssal problems near the Northern sea area. I already sent three fleets to clear them out. Zuihou, Shouhou and Ryuujou each led a fleet of Destroyers and Light Cruisers to the respective areas and eliminate the Abyssals there. I know Ooyodo just said we need to conserve ammunition but this was actually an order from HQ. I will need to submit a request to stop all sorties for the time being. "Who will be in the defense fleet?" (Shigure) "Oh. You heard me." Shigure sat on my lap, receiving her daily headpats. Previously, she would just crouch down to let me pet her. Now she would sit on my lap. Looks like she got inspired by Zuihou. "I was thinking of assigning Fusou to lead the defense fleet. Not sure about the rest." "How about Kuma-san?" (Shigure) Kuma... She is usually part of the expedition fleets. Good idea. I can just make it a rotating shift. Each week there will be different shipgirl''s assigned to either the expedition fleet, patrol or defense. "You''re so smart, Shigure!" "Eh? What did I...Hau~" (Shigure) She looks like she is in paradise. Is the flaps on her head moving? Must be my imagination. "Yahoo! I''m here to play!" (Rei) Rei came in excitedly, wear her new white naval uniform. The female uniform is similar to the male variant, the difference being that instead of pants, they wear a skirt which reaches above the knees. Seeing Rei in uniform reminds my of Takao. Both of them are almost the same size. "Lieutenant Rei! For the last time, knock before you enter! And why are you back so early?" Rei''s transfer to IJN has been completed. As such, she has to attend a course at Yokosuka Naval Academy to learn about our operations and other details. It was supposed to be a one week course, but she is back one day early. "Hehe. They finished the graduation ceremony early. Now I''m a Lieutenant-commander!" (Rei) Rei showed off the two thick golden stripes on her sleeves and the two thick yellow stripes with a star on her collar. "Nice nice. So you know all about our operations and jargon?" "Of course. I got full marks for the test. Ask me anything and I can answer it." (Rei) Oh really? Let''s see. "What does LBAS stand for?" "Erm... Land... something something support?" (Rei) "Close but still wrong." "They didn''t have that question during the test!" (Rei) "Then what makes the oxygen torpedo so effective for torpedo squadrons?" (Shigure) "Huh? What''s that?" (Rei) "Shigure... They don''t teach that in the human academy." "They don''t?" (Shigure) Shigure looked so shocked and confused. Wait, she genuinely thought we learnt that in the academy? The academy only teaches us about tactics and our roles in the naval district. I learnt about their equipment only after I was posted here. "Oh well. Congratulations on your promotion, Rei-san" "Congratulations." (Shigure) Rei turned red for a moment there. She had a little smirk on her face. "But you still have a long way go." "Geez. I know that. At least let me bask in this moment." (Rei) Suddenly, a loud rumble tore through the air. Thunder?! "Eek!" Shigure turned out a clasp onto me. She is still afraid of the thunder. Sounds of rain pattering on the window soon followed. I did my best to comfort the quivering Shigure. "There, there." "Hey. How about me? I''m scared too." (Rei) Rei did her best impression of a scared little girl. That''s creepy. "Yikes. Stop that." "Huh?! So mean!" (Rei) "Geez! Why did have to rain all of a sudden? Now I''m all wet." (Suzuya) "Welcome back. That was fa-. Wow. You''re soaked." Suzuya walked in, soaked from head to toe. She was carrying a bucket with bathing accessories in one hand and drying her hair with a towel in the other. "I''m back. I''m gonna borrow your shower, ''kay? "I don''t mind, but why aren''t you using the docks?" "It''s full. Tama-chan and Samidare-chan got damaged so I let them and the others go in first." (Suzuya) "I will hear your report later." "Kay~." (Suzuya) Suzuya disappeared into my bathroom. Shigure seems to have calmed down a little. She is still shaking a bit but she should be fine. "You have a bathroom here?" (Rei) "Yeah. It was a bit of a hassle to walk to the docks for a bath. So I had Akashi build one for me." Not to mention the number of times I walked in on girls changing. Of course, I''m not going mention that. Later, Ryuujou returned from her sortie. It was a perfect victory. Surprisingly, she wasn''t wet at all. "Eh? Oh. I actually dried myself off before coming here. I didn''t really get that wet." (Ryuujou) Now only Zuihou''s left. Suzuya came out with a new set of clothes, the wet ones were in the bucket she brought along. She decided to read some manga with Rei on the couch. Hmm? Since when did the two of them gotten so friendly with each other? By this point, Shigure had calmed down and joined Suzuya and Rei in their manga-reading session. I guess Rei has already fit in with everyone. The rain is also starting to let up. Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this. Something like this happened before, didn''t it? "Admiral, this is an emergency! Zuihou''s fleet just sent out an SOS beacon!" (Ooyodo) Ooyodo rushed in with that announcement. ...Yeah, that''s what I figured. Chapter 107 - 96 I made my way to the Command Center. "What do we got?" "An hour ago, we received a report from Zuihou-san. She said her mission was completed and they are on the way back. 15 minutes later, we recieved another report from Zuihou-san. She said that they picked up a SOS beacon and were going to investigate. The latest update was the SOS signal she put up." (Ooyodo) So she tried to save someone but eneded up needing rescue herself. "Where are they now?" "According to the beacon''s location, they''re currently holed up in between some rocks near Kis Island." (Ooyodo) How did they end up there? I''ll figure that out later. Ooyodo brought up a bird''s-eye view of the area. The 6 blue markers indicate Zuihou''s fleet. Behind them are 6 grey markers while there are 20 red ones in front of them. The red ones are enemies while the grey ones are... Eh? Why are there grey ones? "Ooyodo, what is that?" "We don''t know. It might a civilian fleet or something entirely unknown." (Ooyodo) That must have been what send out the beacon which attracted Zuihou. "Hoh... So that''s how you can tell." (Rei) "Lieutenant Commander Rei..." She followed me to the Command Center. Oh well, this can be a good learning experience for her. "Time to put what you learnt into good use." "Roger!" (Rei) Instead of the usual playful and cheerful expression, Rei had a serious look. "Currently, Zuihou''s fleet is holed up in between some rocks near Kis Island. Based on the info we have, they are supposedly protecting something." (Ooyodo) "According to protocol, we will send out a rescue fleet. However, with the current situation, we need to consider the number of enemies and what is the cargo." "Cargo?" (Rei) "Right. They don''t teach that in the academy. Cargo refers to what the fleet is protecting or escorting. Just like an expedition. The resources the shipgirls bring back are the cargo." "Because they are protecting it. I see." (Rei) "Admiral, what should we do?" (Ooyodo) I would like to send out a combined fleet but that will take time to set up. I also need to take into the account the speed of the fleet. I can''t also just send out a small one. Only one way left. "We will send out three fleets." "Three fleets?! You can do that?" (Rei) "Roger. Here are the shipgirls that are ready to sortie." (Ooyodo) "I feel bad but we are going to send out Suzuya and Ryuujou again. Suzuya, Kumano, Hiryuu, Noshiro, Shimakaze and Murasame in the advance fleet. Ryuujou, Souryuu, Tenryuu, Tatsuta, Shigure and Yuudachi will be send out immediately after the advance fleet. Fusou, Yamashiro, Shouhou, Etorofu, Matsuwa and Tsushima will be on clean up and protective duty." "Protective duty? What is that?" (Rei) "It basically means they will focus on protection instead of eliminating the enemies. Though in this case, they will assist in elimination as well." "Roger. I will go set up the fleets. They will sortie in 10 minutes." (Ooyodo) "I''ll leave that to you." "Is that it?" (Rei) "No. Our real job starts now." ------------------------------------ Ugh... Why are they so many of them? We were returning from our sortie when we picked up a SOS signal. The source of the signal came from other shipgirls. They were all dressed in white coats. At first, they were frightened and confused. The one with braids was the only one that responded to us when we tried to communicate with them but we couldn''t understand each other. The only thing we knew was that, they were hiding from something. And that was when we got ambushed by a bunch of similar-looking, bikini-clad girls. They are not Abyssals, so I think they are Sirens. They were pretty easy to take down, but they just keep coming. It''s creepy how they all look the same and just blankly stared at us. We finished a sortie, so we ran out of ammo and fuel pretty fast. For the time being, we hid behind some rocks near Kis Island. We can''t move and contact has been cut off. "This is the third time I needed rescuing..." "§ä§í §Ó §á§à§â§ñ§Õ§Ü§Ö?" (Braided girl) "Sorry. I''m not sure if I can understand." "§á§â§à§ã§ä§Ú§ä§Ö" (Braided Girl) She had a depressed look on her face. Maybe she is sad that they are stuck here. "Sorry. I couldn''t save you all. But don''t worry. I already called for help." I''m not sure if she understood that. She just gave a smile a pointed at herself. "§¡§Ó§â§à§â§Ñ" (Avrora) ''Av-Avrora?" "§Õ§Ñ§Õ§Ñ" (Avrora) Introduction? I guess we could do that to lighten up the mood a little. Avrora and I started using gestures to communicate. We introduced everyone to each other. This sort of reminds me of the time when I got caught by the Royal Navy and Eagle Union. At least, this group is friendly. Speaking of which, it''s a little quiet outside. Are we in the clear? I peeked out behind the rock and quckly dart back into hiding when I saw one of them go past. Nope, we are still surrounded. What should we do? We are just sitting ducks here. I can''t launch my planes with a damaged bow. The others are out of ammunition and exhausted. Suddenly, I heard a loud explosion followed by a shockwave. Is that? "Enemies spotted! Well ,well... let''s do it!" (Suzuya) Suzuya! And the others as well. A loud buzz sounded in my ear and I finally heard the voice I wanted to hear. "Finally, I got through. This is the third time you nearly gave me a heart attack. Seriously, do I have to ground you again?" (Admiral) "Admiral!" He doesn''t sound too happy. Of course he wouldn''t. "Yahoo~ I''m here too!" (Rei) "I''m gonna have to punish you when you get back. In the meantime, stay where you are." (Admiral) "Yes..." Soon, Ryuujou-chan''s fleet and Fusou''s fleet joined in as well. Following Admiral''s order and Rei''s as well, they cleared out the horde within seconds. "Seriously, I just got back and I had to go out again." (Suzuya) "Sorry..." "Oh well. At least you girls are alright." (Yamashiro) "So... Who are these people poi?" (Yuudachi) I introduced them to the others. "They have weird names." (Shigure) "§Õ§â§å§Ù§î§ñ?" (Avrora) Avrora pointed at me and the others. I have no idea what she just said so I just nodded. "Suzuya, I need one last favour." "Hmm? What is it?" (Suzuya) "Can you give us a tow? We can''t move..." "We were leaning against the rocks the entire time." (Amatsukaze) "Ehh..." (Suzuya''s fleet) While we were out of fuel and couldn''t move an inch, Avrora and the others seem alright. Just to be safe, Ryuujou-chan''s fleet decided to tow them as well. Ryuujou-chan picked Tashkent-san, who is about the same size as us. "§³§á§Ñ§ã§Ú§Ò§à" (Tashkent) "Er... I don undasutando..." (Ryuujou) "Ryuujou-chan, they don''t speak english too." "Then what do they speak?" (Ryuujou) "Oh I''ve seen that style of clothing before. They must be Russian." (Rei) "I thought I heard that name somewhere before. So that girl is also Tashkent. We have a Tashkent here too, but she is in Kure." (Admiral) "If that girl is another Tashkent, that means..." (Ooyodo) "Azur Lane?" (Admiral) "§Õ§Ñ§Õ§Ñ§Õ§Ñ. §£§í §Ù§ß§Ñ§Ö§ä§Ö Azur Lane?" (Avrora) That ''da'' means ''yeah'', right? And she said Azur Lane... "For the time being, bring them back with us. It has been a tiring day for all of you. I''ll go ask Azur Lane about those girls. Oh, and I want a written report about this." (Admiral) Ugh... I guess I''m the one that''s going to write that. It would be great if that''s the only punishment I''m going to get. "Now then, I gonna need some restraining rope from Akashi. How am I going to-" (Admiral) Eh? "Admiral! You are still connected! They can hear you!" (Ooyodo) "Oh crap!" (Admiral) There was the sound of something being dropped and then, silence. Suzuya, Shigure and Yuudachi blushed while the others looked confused. Please tell me it''s not what I think it is... "Erm... It will be alright. The girl in the book seems to enjoy it." (Shigure) "Poi poi." (Yuudachi) "I going to say this in advance. Good luck, Zuihou. Hey! Don''t struggle!" (Suzuya) That was the first time I didn''t want to return. Chapter 108 - 97 What a slip-up. I almost told everyone what my plan was. Rei was laughing on the floor while Ooyodo lectured me about keeping my perversion to the minimum. I left Rei to contact Azur Lane and inform them that we have secured some of their Reussian members . I have more important stuff to do. They will reach the base by nightfall. Zuihou got moderately damaged so she would be spending the night at the docks. Unless I use a quick-repair bucket but that will be unnecessary. I plan to do it at night, so that''s should give me more time to prepare. This is going to fun... My first stop is at the Arsenal. I need some restraining rope. The one we have isn''t overly tight and doesn''t leave marks. The perfect equipment for this activity. "Akashi, you here?" ...No answer. Maybe she is further in. It''s not uncommon for Akashi to be so focused on building some weird contraption that she can''t hear anyone. I walked further into the Arsenal. I''m starting to hear the distinct sound of metal being welded together. I knew it. There she is, sitting at her personal workshop and fiddling with something. I peeked over a shoulder to see what is she building. Isn''t that... a electric massager? Why is she fiddling around with such a common household appliance? It''s not like she didn''t see one before. From the looks, she is already finished and is now putting in the final touches. Is it really a simple massager? "Akashi. Oi Akashi!" "Huh? Wah! Admiral! How long have you been standing there?" (Akashi) "For a while now. Anyway, why are you making a massager? We can just order one, you know?" "Hehe. This isn''t just any normal massager." (Akashi) Oh boy. This is another weird contraption of hers. "This one has multiple modes of intensity, can be folded into a smaller size and it can last even longer than a normal massager. It''s durable so it wouldn''t break if you drop it from high places." (Akashi) "Okay, I get it. I just came here to get some restraining rope." "Oh. It''s over there, on the 2nd shelf." (Akashi) I went over to get my rope. "By the way, what are you going to do with it?" (Akashi) "Just a little prank. In fact, can I just keep some?" I may use it in the future. "It''s fine. I bet it''s another one of your perverted antics again." (Akashi) I going to just ignore that. And also... "Akashi, I need a favour from you." "Now what?" (Akashi) "Can you make a smaller version of that massager? I want one." "Huh. I thought you are gonna order me to put this away, like with that interrogation machines." (Akashi) "Hey, that thing was clearly a torture device. Of course I would order you to seal them. If you made useful items like this, I won''t mind." "Even things that are clearly for lewd purposes?" (Akashi) "Give me the details." In the end, I got Akashi to build a miniature massager and allowed her to work on a new ''interrogation device'', one that doesn''t involve spikes and blades. "Thank you. I''ll come and collect it tomorrow." "Got it. You can count on me." (Akashi) The fleets should be back soon. I better prepare for debrief and get the injured to the docks. ---------------------------------------- The three fleets returned around 1900 hours. Zuihou''s fleet got into the docks first. Out of the six of them, only Zuihou and Amatsukaze were damaged. The others were perfectly fine. Right now, Fusou, Ryuujou and Suzuya are reporting about the event. "I see... Do we have anyone that can speak Russian?" This is like when we first met the Ironblood girls. We had to get Ro-chan and Hachi to be our translators. "I think Fubuki-chan can speak a bit. I heard her speaking to the big foreign battleship during the Sakura Viewing Festival. What was her name again? Gan.. something..." (Suzuya) "Gangut? The Russian battleship? The one that looks like an older Hibiki?" "Yeah, that one." (Suzuya) "Have ya'' told Azur Lane about this yet?" (Ryuujou) "Rei already contacted them. She said they sounded confused as to why I became a girl." "Oh yeah. They don''t know ''bout Rei-san." (Ryuujou) "Anyway, I can manage from here. You girls can goget some rest. It''s been a tiring day for you all." "Erm... What about the Russian shipgirls? Where do they sleep?" (Fusou) "Hmm. We do have a guest room beside the entertainment room. They can sleep there for the time being." "Okay. I''ll guide them there after they have freshened up." (Fusou) "And bring Fubuki with you. She will be our translator for a while." "I will. I don''t understand a thing they are saying after all." (Fusou) "Alright. Anything else? No? Then good work for today." Now time to continue. "Admiral," (Suzuya) Suzuya is still here. "Are you seriously gonna do that to Zuihou?" (Suzuya) She knows?! Oh yeah, I did broadcast it to everyone just now. And Suzuya, Shigure and Yuudachi were the ones that initially came up with that plan. "Didn''t you try to do that as well?" "That was... We just tied her hands. We didn''t go that far." (Suzuya) She is fl.u.s.tered. I want to tease her further but I got a feeling that something bad might happen. "I don''t even know how to tie like that. So I''ll just be doing the basics." "Like what?" (Suzuya) "Making sure she can''t move while I have my way with her. And-" "Wahh Wahh! Can''t hear you! I''m out! Bye!" (Suzuya) That was unexpected. I thought she will be interested in this kind of thing since she initiated it last time. Oh well... Chapter 109 - 98 In the morning, I went to collect what I ordered from Akashi I got to say, this is pretty well-made. The colour is a a dark shade of purple and the top can be compressed into a shape of a drill. I didn''t ask for the shape change but this is good. I spent a few hours last night doing some ''research'' but I guess I can only do the simple ones. Time to wait for nightfall. In the meantime, Zuihou can work on that report she was supposed to do. That was the orignal plan. Zuihou ran away again. She is hiding somewhere. I expected this much so I told Akashi to lock up her equipment just in case. Before I chase her though, there is some things I need to settle. "§³§á§Ñ§ã§Ú§Ò§à, §é§ä§à §ã§á§Ñ§ã§Ý§Ú §ß§Ñ§ã." (Avrora) "Erm... Thank you, for saving us." (Fubuki) "Wow. So you can speak Russian." "O-only a bit." (Fubuki) Fubuki is helping to translate what the North Union girls are saying. Oh by the way, these girls are from the faction known as North Union. They originated from Russia and were on their way to the Azur Lane headquaters when they got ambushed by a bunch of High ranking Sirens. They sent out a SOS signal once they ran out of ammunition and waited for Azur Lane to rescue them. Instead, Zuihou and her fleet picked it up and engaged the Sirens until they themselves ran out of fuel and ammunition. "We have already contacted Azur Lane. They said they will send an escort as soon as they have investigated the area you were attacked." That''s what Rei told me after she cleared up the misunderstanding of me becoming a girl. The route the North Union was supposed to take didn''t involve cutting through the Kis Island area. And sirens appearing near our areas are worrisome enough for Yokosuka to launch an all-out investigation by themselves. They will be sortieing all their battlesh.i.p.s and carriers to the various areas. During this period, the other districts will stop all other operations including training excercises and expeditions. Having sirens appear in our areas were a common sight before, but with high-ranking sirens showing up and the attempts to attack the districts has raised the alarm. Since Azur Lane is involved in the investigation, the North Union girls are stuck with us for the time being. "I know this will be weird but please, make yourself at home. You can use the facilities if you like." Fubuki translated what I said to Avrora. Her eyes began to beam. "She says, thank you. The others will be glad to know they can play the weird boxes in the room next to us." (Fubuki) Weird boxes? Oh, the game consoles in the entertainment room. Fubuki followed Avrora out of the office. I better thank her properly after this. She will be stuck with them until who-knows when. "Now then... Shigure, I need your help." Shigure, my secretary ship for the day, gave a confused look. "I should get Yuudachi for this too." Time for the hunt. -------------------------------------------------------- "Zuihou-san?" (Mustuki) "Yes. Did she come by here just now?" (Shigure) "I don''t know. What about you, Kisaragi-chan?" (Mutsuki) "She was definitely here poi." (Yuudachi) "Now that I think about, I did see her run pass. I was wondering what she was doing in the Destroyers Dormitory." (Kisaragi) Yuudachi was right. After lunch, I got Shigure and Yuudachi to help me track down Zuihou. I remember Ooyodo using Yuudachi track down my scent when I went to ''do my rounds''. Looks like Shigure can do it too. Our search led to the Destroyers Dormitory. "There shouldn''t be any place to hide here. Maybe the vents but I don''t think she would be hidng in there." "Admiral, the trail goes further." (Shigure) "Follow me." (Yuudachi) We started from the docks, to the Carrier Dormitory, followed by the Cruisers Dormitory and finally here. Even Shouhou and Suzuya don''t know anything. I followed the two of them towards the back of the dormitory. There''s only a door that leads to the garden behind the dormitory. She can''t be hiding here, right? "She went through the garden?" I asked as we walked through the doorway. This garden is managed by the Destroyers. Every dormitory has their own unique backyard. The cruisers have an animal she''d while the carriers have a pond. "Looks like it." (Shigure) "Meew." (???) "Hello, Tina-chan." (Shigure) Shigure crouched down to pet the white cat that came over to greet us. She is one of the two kittens we picked up from that island. The other one... "Ahh! Kou-kun, you got stuck again?!" (Yuudachi) Likes to climb up high places and getting himself stuck. I let them spend some time with the kittens while I take a look around. There are lots of vegetables and fruits growing here, but that''s not the point. This place is surrounded by a wooden fence. Why would she bother to come here just to climb over the fence? "Kou-kun, did you see Zuihou come here poi?" (Yuudachi) "Why are you talking to the kitten?" "Maybe they know something. Kittens can be pretty observant." (Shigure) "Is that so?" "Meew~" (Kou) Kou leapt out of Yuudachi''s arms and walked over to the fence, before turning towards and meowed again. "He wants us to follow him poi." (Yuudachi) Eh?! He understood Yuudachi? Kou squeezed through the gaps between the fence and ran off. Hurry up. Let''s follow him!" (Yuudachi) "Wait!" The three of us climbed over the fence to catch up with Kou. As expected of an animal, he is fast! Kou ran into the factory building. She is hiding there? Chapter 110 - 99 I guess not... "Welcome back, Kou-kun. Oh Admiral, here to visit me?" (Rei) Rei picked Kou and cuddle him in her arms. He led us to the infirmary. Since Rei was designated as the medical officer of this district, she spends her days in the infirmary, giving basic first-aid to shipgirls who managed to hurt themselves during training. Although that might change soon since I heard she''s going to be assigned a new role soon. She will sometimes hang out in my office and try to seduce me. It''s rather distracting. "No. We are looking for Zuihou. We thought Kou-kun was leading us to her. I guess he didn''t understand after all." *sniff* *sniff* "Admiral, Zuihou is here poi." (Yuudachi) "Eh? Seriously?" "Yeah. She is definitely here." (Shigure) So the cat did understand us after all. "Why are you looking for Zuihou-chan?" (Rei) "You were there, remember? She is going to get some punishment for almost giving me another heart attack." "Hmm? How are you going to punish her?" (Rei) I don''t know if I should say this in front of everyone here but I guess they know about it anyway. "First I''m going to tie her up and make sure she can''t move. Then I''m going to tease her with the toy I got from Akashi. I don''t need to elaborate anything else after that." Yuudachi and Shigure looked away, hiding their faces. They know, since what I just described was the same scenario as the doujinshi they read before deciding to present a tied up Zuihou to me. This is just a continuation. Rei had this surprised expression on her face. "I never knew you had such a fetish. Maybe you are better than I thought. Say, if you can''t find Zuihou-chan, I don''t mind being a substitute." (Rei) Her eyes glanced towards one of the bed curtains. Come to think of it, the curtains are usually opened and only close when there is someone sleeping on the beds. If there was someone resting her, Rei would tell us to keep our volume down. Despite her playful nature, she can be serious when it comes to work. It''s risky but... "Really?" I took out a short piece of restraining rope from my pocket. I have this on me to catch Zuihou. "Can you satisfy me? I''m may not be as gentle as you think." "Heh. I think I can handle it. I told you before. You are just my type." (Rei) "Then, let''s go to my room." "No you can''t!" (???) The curtains flung open, revealing Zuihou who was hiding behind it. It worked! "Eh?" (Zuihou) "She showed up." (Shigure) "Get her!" "Poi!" (Yuudachi) "Wha- Hyaa!" (Zuihou) While Yuudachi and Shigure stopped her from moving, I tied Zuihou''s hands and feet together. "Phew. Thanks, you two." I gave the two destroyers a pat on the head. "Your welcome." (Shigure) "Poi~" (Yuudachi) "Aww... I was hoping that you won''t understand what I trying to do." (Rei) "Yeah, not gonna happen." "Wait, I thought..." (Zuihou) "That I was going to take Lieutenant Commander Rei back to my room? Dummy. She was just sitting there the whole time. Everything I said was to lure you out. Anyway thank you for giving me the hint, Lieutenant Commander Rei." "Rei-san, you traitor!" (Zuihou) "Sorry. I wanted to see if he understood what I did. Maybe I would get a chance if you hadn''t popped up." (Rei) "Huh?! Of course I would stop you! Don''t think I will just- Waaahh! Admiral, what are you doing?!" (Zuihou) I carried Zuihou over my shoulder. I always wanted to try this. "Now then, let''s go. You gave quite a bit of trouble today. Don''t think you are going to get off so easily." "Hiiiii!" (Zuihou) "Don''t get too rowdy, you two!" (Rei) I walked back to my room with the struggling Zuihou in tow. ------------------------------------------------------------------- That wasn''t a smooth trip at all. I reached my room feeling more tired than before. The right side of my body is aching from Zuihou thrashing about. She really didn''t want to cooperate this time. Now, she is exhausted. "Honestly, this is not how I expect thing to go. You really are troublesome." "But..." (Zuihou) Anyway, I''m going to continue. I placed Zuihou on the bed and untied her legs. "Admiral, can we please not do this?" (Zuihou) She looked at me with puppy dog eyes. If it was under normal circ.u.mstance I would have relented. Not today though. "Fine." Her eyes beamed up. "But on one condition." I took out the mini massanger I got from Akashi. "You know what this is?" "A massager? It''s small and cute." (Zuihou) "Correct. But we are not going to use this as a normal massager. Can you guess how am I going to use this?" "Huh? How else are you going to... Don''t tell me...?" (Zuihou) Her eyes widened with fear. This is making me feel guilty somehow. No, you have go through it. "You read that doujinshi before. The MC plays a game with his girlfriend. We are going to play the same game. The rules are the same too. If you can endure it, I''ll set you free." Wait, I''m forgetting something. Oh... "I should have stripped you before I tied you up." "You just realised it?!" (Zuihou) This is a blunder. I was so excited about the activity that I didn''t even think about the order of things. Hmm... There is another option. I proceed to loosen her clothes. Yep. This is hot in its own way. "Admiral, I love you." (Zuihou) "I love you too." "Then, can you not do this? I''m sorry for scaring you. Your eyes are scary!" (Zuihou) "Too late." I positioned myself over Zuihou and held her hands over her head. I switched on the massager and touched her chest with it. "Ahh!" (Zuihou) That was a nice reaction, even though it was on ''low''. I should steadily increase the intensity, if not it might hurt her instead. She is still struggling and thrashing about, so I need to be careful too. "Come on. We are just getting started." "Wai- Ahhh!" (Zuihou) This is going to be fun night. Chapter 111 - 99.5 I watched as Zuihou read a doujinshi beside me. It''s already in the middle of the night. After teasing her with the massager for maybe about an hour, we ended up going a few rounds, with and without the restraining rope. Before we realised, it was already past bedtime. We are still not sleepy so for now, we are chilling on the bed. "There are no marks, right?" Zuihou took a look at her wrist before shaking her head. "Nope. Anyway, you''re horrible, Admiral. You kept targeting my weak spots. And that game was nothing like this doujinshi." (Zuihou) "I don''t how to tie like that. And that guy is going a bit too rough. Oh? Don''t tell me, you were expecting me to be like that?" "That is..." (Zuihou) Her face redden a bit as she hid behind the doujinshi. Looks like I have some learning to do. I put my hands over her shoulder, "Wanna go for another round?" "Eehhh? Geez, you are hopeless." (Zuihou) *gurgle* Oh wow, way to ruin the mood. That was my stomach. Zuihou giggled, "Speaking of which, we didn''t had dinner." (Zuihou) "Yeah, you''re right." "Ehehe. I''ll go make us something to eat." Zuihou hopped out of bed and pranced towards the door. "Hold on! Put on some clothes first!" "Oops." (Zuihou) Good thing I kept a set of her pajamas here. A while later, Zuihou came back with a tray of dishes. And a guest. "Yamakaze-chan?" Yamakaze was peeking out from behind Zuihou. She was wearing mint green pajamas. "Pardon... my intrusion...Papa." (Yamakaze) "I found Yamakaze-chan looking for food in the kitchen. So I brought her back to eat with us." (Zuihou) Looks like we weren''t the only ones feeling hungry. We set up a table in the office area, the bedroom isn''t really a good place to eat our dinner. Zuihou cooked the usual Tamagoyaki, fried fish, steamed vegetables and rice. Simple, but still delicious. Yamakaze seems to enjoy it as well. "How is it?" (Zuihou) Zuihou looked at with anticipation. One of the things she likes is receiving praise for her cooking. Apart from planes and me, of course. "It''s delicious." "Heehee.Thats great." (Zuihou) "It''s...delicious... Zuihou-san." (Yamakaze) "Ehehe~ Thank you, Yamakaze-chan." (Zuihou) For reason, after a while, Zuihou decided to be playful. "Here, ahh~" (Zuihou) "Erm... Zuihou? What are you doing?" "Feeding you, of course. Here, ahh~" "Yeah, I can see that. But..." Zuihou was holding up a piece of Tamagoyaki to my mouth. I''m still not used to being fed by her, especially with an audience. There is something about it that makes me feel embarrassed. Zuihou knows this. She is doing this on purpose. Yamakaze looked on, as if she is seeing something interesting unfold in front of her. Zuihou inched closer, her body squishing against me. I can see my favorite hills through the gaps of her night Yukata! Does she... Yeah. She is definitely doing this on purpose! She is giving me a seductive look. Yamakaze is still watching closely. Give me a break. I opened my mouth and took the Tamagoyaki from her. I''ll get back at her later. "Yamakaze-chan, do you want to try feeding Admiral as well?" (Zuihou) Hey now, don''t go putting weird ideas into that innocent girls head. "Can... I?" (Yamakaze) Before I can say anything, Zuihou quickly replied, "Of course you can. Right, Admiral?" (Zuihou) Zuihou glanced at me with a smirk. This girl... But even so, I can''t say no to that face. Yamakaze has this face like she really wants to do it. "Fine. Go ahead." Yamakaze smiled happily and sat between Zuihou and me. I''m supposed to be happy with two girls wenting to feed me, but this is really embarrassing. And that cheeky girl has that smug look on her face. "Thanks for the food." "Thanks... for the food..." (Yamakaze) "I will go clean up the dishes. Since it''s already this late, would you like to sleep with us, Yamakaze-chan?" (Zuihou) Eh? "Please... don''t mind me..." (Yamakaze) "That''s okay. In fact, I want to sleep together with you, Yamakaze-chan." (Zuihou) As a preventative measure against me. How far did she plan ahead? Since it has come to this... "Why not? It''s been a while." Yamakaze smiled softly and nodded. On the other hand, Zuihou looks like she is just seen something unexpected. She had a confused look on her face for a moment. As soon as Zuihou finished washing the dishes, we got ready for bed. Our sleeping positions were basically the two of them by my side while I''m in the middle. Perfect. "Goodnight, Admiral, Yamakaze-chan." (Zuihou) "Goodnight..." (Yamakaze) "Goodnight, both of you." I waited for a while to make sure Yamakaze is already fast asleep. I can hear the sound of soft breathing from Yamakaze''s position. Should I...? I turned over to Zuihou, whose back was facing me, and blowed gently at her exposed neck. "Hyaa-mmph! Admiral, what are you doing?!" (Zuihou) She whispered angrily as she tilted her head towards me, trying her best not to wake Yamakaze up. I wrapped my hands around her and started moving them around. "Wai- hyaha! Stop it. It tickles." (Zuihou) She is trying to quiet herself. Let''s see how long can she keep it up. "Payback." "Huh?! Wha-?!" (Zuihou) This time, my hands were in underneath her clothes, touching her skin directly. I ''massaged'' her upper and lower body, focusing on her weak points. "Wait- hnnuu! Ah!" (Zuihou) Muffled m.o.a.ns slipped out of Zuihou, as she makes a futile attempt to keep quiet while she tries to tear my hands away from her. "Nn! Stop it! Yamakaze-chan is going to wake u- ahn!" (Zuihou) She quickly clamped her mouth shut. "What''s wrong? If you are not quiet, Yamakaze is going to hear us." "And whose fault do you think- Hyah! nmmph!" (Zuihou) Under faint glow of the moonlight, I continue playing with Zuihou as I watched her squirm about while trying to stop her voice from leaking. Despite what I said, I''m a little worried about Yamakaze waking up because what we are doing. While the older girls may know about this, I don''t want to corrupt the mind of such an innocent child. "Aaahh-mmphhh!!!" (Zuihou) Oh damn. I quickly covered her mouth before her m.o.a.ns got dangerously loud. What the heck? I feel a wet sensation at my fingertips. Are you serious? "Zuihou?" "Haah... haah..." (Zuihou) I hear her panting. This is not good. I looked over my shoulder at Yamakaze. Looks like she is still snoozing soundly. That''s good. Please don''t wake up now. "Sorry. I went too far." "...." (Zuihou) "Zuihou?" I got up to look at her. It''s rare of her to be silent after all that. Her eyes were closed and it doesn''t look like she is hurt or anything... She is asleep? Huh? This is unexpected. Not that it''s bad or anything, but this a first for me. Well, it''s not like I can do anything now. Time to go to sleep myself once I have calmed down. Chapter 112 - 100 With our sorties put on hold due to the lack of resources, the entire district is bustling. After completing their routine tasks, everyone is allowed to do whatever they want. Of course, one fleet is assigned to patrol the nearby waters and repel any Abyssal or Siren attacks. Even so, we have a lot of time to spare. Though, we have a little problem on our hands. "Ughh... Ice~" (Suzuya) "Here." (Rei) Rei placed a ice pack on Suzuya''s forehead. "Rei-san, I need one here too." The Mogami sister, for some reason, decided to hold a drinking party between themselves last night. Right now, they are suffering from a hangover and overheating. The overheating part is probably a way for their body to detoxify itself. So, Rei and I are trying to help them cool down before the entire infirmary catches fire. It''s hotter than a sauna in here! We have to change their ice packs every few minutes because of how fast it melts. "Sorry... Admiral..." (Mogami) "Really. What did the four of you drink last night?" "I... can''t remember..." (Mogami) "Haah... I''m going to check your room once you get better. So hurry up and cool down." "Admiral! We brought more ice!" (Mamiya) Mamiya and Ooyodo came in with two buckets of ice. Just in time too. Mikuma''s ice packs has just melted. I quickly made a new one and placed it on her forehead and neck. "Admiral, let us take over from here." (Ooyodo) "That''s right. You still have a lot of work to be done." (Mamiya) "But..." "It''s alright. Anyway, we can''t place the icepacks on some places with a male here." (Rei) What is she...? Oh, I get it. Yeah, it''s better if I leave it up to the girls. "Alright. I''m counting on you." I took my leave and returned to the office. Still, what kind of alcohol did they drink to become like this? "I''m bac- What are you two doing?" "Light Aircraft. Carrier. " (Zuihou) "Light... aircraft carrier. " (Grozny) "Light Aircraft Carrier. " (Avrora) "Okay. One more time. Light Aircraft Carrier." (Zuihou) Avrora was seated at the secretary seat with Grozny on her lap while Zuihou sat at my chair. She was wearing one of my uniforms and spare hat. They seems to be so focused on what they were doing that they didn''t even see me walk in. Only when I got right in front of them... "Ah. §ä§à§Ó§Ñ§â§Ú- Ado...miralu-san" (Grozny) Grozny tried to speak to her best ability. When did they learn to speak Japanese? Has Fubuki been teaching them? That''s impressive. "Good... da to you, Adomiral." (Avrora) "Good day to you." It felt weird saying that. How can Mikuma do this? "Pfft!" (Zuihou) Zuihou was trying not to laugh. "Ahem. What are you doing? Where''s Fubuki?" "I''m teaching them a few words." (Zuihou) "Fubuki-san, is on §á§Ñ§ä§â§å§Ý§î ." (Avrora) That sounds like the english version of patrol. Oh right. Fubuki is on duty today. "What about the others?" I''m not sure if they understood me. I tried to speak as slow as possible. They just gave me with a confused look. "Erm..." "Tashkent-chan, Minsk-san, Piamat-san, Chepayev-san... §Ô...§Õ§Ö? (Zuihou) Eh? "Oh. Er... Ga... me room." (Avrora) So the others are playing in the entertainment room. "§Þ§í §Ó§à§Ù§î§Þ§Ö§Þ §ß§Ñ§ê §à§ä§á§å§ã§Ü §ã§Ö§Û§é§Ñ§ã. (Avrora) I don''t what she said, but seeing as they were leaving, I can assume that has got to do with going somewhere. "Bye bye. Zuihou." (Grozny) Grozny waved as she walked out. Now that we are alone... "So, what are you thinking about doing with my uniform?" "Erm... Nothing?" (Zuihou) That uniform doesn''t seem like it was fresh out of the laundry. There are some creases on it. "Whatever. Hand it over. I want change out of this set." Because the infirmary turned into a sauna, I''m all sweaty from helping out. Not like I can compare to the three who are still there. "No. I was just about to wash this. Ah!" (Zuihou) Zuihou covered her face with my sleeves. Even though I can''t see her expression now, I can still see her ears turning red. So this the uniform I wore yesterday. "Sometimes, I really don''t know who is the pervert here." "Shut up! I''m not a pervert!" (Zuihou) "Yeah yeah." "Muuu~ By the way, why you so sweaty?" (Zuihou) "Oh, this? The Mogami sister got overheated. So I just helping Rei-san cool them off before the burn the whole place down." "Are they okay? Overheated? How? (Zuihou) "They should be fine. Ooyodo and Mamiya are with them now. Not sure how they got overheated. Probably drank something weird last night." "I see. I hope they get better. So. Nothing happened between Admiral and Rei, right?" (Zuihou) She always gets suspicious whenever Rei and I are alone. I can''t blame her for that. Even I''m on guard when I''m with Rei. I can''t figure out that girl. She can be playful and seductive for moment and serious the next. "Anyway, I want to take a shower first." "Okay. I''ll wait here." (Zuihou) "Don''t peek." "I won''t! Why are the roles reversed?" I went into my bathroom and toss my sweat-covered uniform into the laundry bin before going into the shower. Hmm... I should give those three some reward for helping to deal with this problem. Maybe a day off or something. Well, Ooyodo need one, that''s for sure. Once the four of them are feeling better, I''ll have them explain to me about the whole thing. Chapter 113 - 101 By late afternoon, the Mogami sister have returned to normal. Akashi did a check and confirmed that it was bad fuel that caused them to overheat. That was the problem. We shouldn''t have any fuel that causes this kind of effect. They did mention that they were drinking last night. So the main cause is definitely the alcohol they had. To find out what was the main cause, I went to their rooms to check. Mogami handed over an empty bottle to me. Thre was a strong sour smell and the labels were clearly non-Japanese. It looks like Russian. This is Vodka, isn''t it? "Where did you get this from?" "That North Union cruiser with blue hair said it was what they drink back in their homeland. It was sour but delicious." (Suzuya) "The hangover was unexpected though." (Kumano) Blue hair... Chapayev. Well, I can''t blame any of them for this incident. Even I didn''t expect Vodka to have this effect on them. I will be talking to her later. "I feel bad for troubling Rei-san and the others." (Mikuma) "Yeah. I heard the whole infirmary was hotter than a sauna when we were in there." (Suzuya) "Is there anything we can do to thank them?" (Mogami) "Well, that''s for the four of you to think about. Anyway, I''m going to add a rule about checking whether foreign stuff are safe for consumption. I can''t have another incident like this. You girls just rest for the day." I left their rooms and head back to the office. I don''t believe I was expecting a guest... "Admiral, I did my best treating them, you know. Where''s my reward?" (Rei) Rei was waiting in my office when I returned. It looked like she just took a bath. Her wet hair was glistening in the sunlight. Her uniform wasn''t put on properly. The buttons were misaligned and the insignia on her left shoulder was becoming loose Don''t tell me she rushed here after bathing... "Adjust your uniform properly first. And sit over there." I pointed at the secretary seat of my desk. Zuihou is helping Akashi rearrange the planes in the Arsenal. She won''t be back for a while. I went to the bathroom and brought out a brush and hair dryer. I''m not an expert but I have done this more than I want to admit. "Can you do this yourself?" "Hmm? Hehe. Do it for me." (Rei) There it is. The playful highschool girl aura of hers. I let out a sigh and plugged the hair dryer into a socket. I set the temperature to low before turning it on. "Isn''t the temperature a little too low? I usually just start off with the highest." (Rei) "Huh?! What are you-? You can''t just go with high temperature at the start! It will damage your hair. Seriously, you didn''t know this!" I remember when I first tried drying Yuudachi''s hair. She got angry and bit me after I blew hot air onto her head straight away. "You are surprisingly knowledgeable about this kind of things." (Rei) "When you work here long enough, you get to learn all sorts of things. Today, I just learned that Vodka causes shipgirls to overheat." "Eh? All that was because of Vodka? I thought it was something more severe." (Rei) "The girls here can react weirdly to all sorts of things. I''m just glad that they are alright." I switched off the dryer and started brushing her hair. "Say, how about becoming my boyfriend already?" (Rei) "Again with this. I told you, I''m not interested." "Aww~ But it''s rare to see a male being able to do this kind of things." (Rei) "Then you just have a view on how normal a man should be." Besides, I have been spending a long time surrounded by girls. Of course I would have picked up on a few things girls do. "You really won''t reconsider?" (Rei) "I''m a upright and faithful man. So I won''t allow myself to simply dump a girl that has been with me for a few years just to be with another that I just met less than two months ago." "Well, it''s not like you will be getting married to Zuihou any time soon. I''ll just take my time to steal your heart." (Rei) "Yeah yeah. Good luck on that." Marriage, huh. I still have the ring. The question is, when is the right time? The conditions for shipgirls to meet in order to have anything drastic done to them is hard for us humans to understand. What I do know is that, shipgirls with a ring will have their limiter released. The ring is a symbol of their bond to their Admiral and is a source for their power. That was the description in the ring box. It''s true that shipgirls who were married are way stronger than what they were previously. Houshou was able to takedown two Re-class battlesh.i.p.s and heavily damaging an Armoured Carrier Princess by herself before sustaining heavy damages. Yamato, who was the married to the Marshal Admiral, took out a single Abyssal battleship fleet all on her own. At least, that''s how the story goes. Even though the Yamato-class is one of the strongest battlesh.i.p.s in the world, there is no way she can singlehandedly wipe out an Abyssal Battleship fleet. Or can she? "-miral! Admiral!" (Rei) "Huh? Oh, what? What?!" You got to be joking. Did I do that? "Finally, you''re back. I have been calling you for a while now." (Rei) While I was deep in thought, I did something ridiculous. Rei''s hair, which was let down previously, was now in braids. I must have braided her hair subconciously. In the first place, I didn''t even learn to do that before. "This is pretty well done. I think I''m going to keep it like this." (Rei) "Please don''t. I will undo now." "Nope." (Rei) Rei got up before I can undo this embarrassing mistake of mine, made a run to the door. "I''m going to brag about this to everyone. Hee hee." (Rei) "Oh no you don''t. Lieutenant Commander Rei! Get back here now! That''s an order!" Chapter 114 - 102 "What are you two doing?" I was about to go have my lunch in the canteen when I noticed Yuudachi and Shiratsuyu rolling a barrel around. It was the type we use for transport missions and expeditions. "I''m bored! There''s nothing to do." (Shiratsuyu) "Poi poi!" (Yuudachi) It has been a week since HQ ordered every district to stop all operations. Although the main reason was to investigate the sudden reappearance of Sirens in Abyssal areas, there hasn''t been any updates at all. "What about going to town?" "We already did that yesterday poi." (Yuudachi) "The games in the entertainment room?" "Playing video games everyday is a little..." (Shiratsuyu) Ah. I understand. It can be a bit boring after a while. "I know you girls are bored but how is rolling a barrel around going to change anything?" "We can try to run on it." (Shiratsuyu) "That''s dangerous so I''m not going to allow it." "How about digging for clams on the beach poi? (Yuudachi) "That''s more of a punishment than an activity." "Geez! Then what should we do poi!" (Yuudachi) They aren''t the only one. The other girls are also starting to get restless. They are already starting to run out of things to do. Then, why not just give them something to do? "I got an idea. Want to try building something?" "Building? Like what?" (Shiratsuyu) "Erm... You know that giant white robot in Odaiba?" "Oh. That G*ndam?" (Shiratsuyu) "Poi?" (Yuudachi) Seems like Yuudachi is a little confused. "Yeah. How about we make a giant robot on our own?" "Can we?! That sounds fun poi!" (Yuudachi) Yuudachi''s eyes suddenly beamed up. This should keep everyone busy for a while. "Right? You can invite everyone to join and help out. Then we can make it a symbol of Maizuru Naval District." "That sound interesting. I''m in!" (Shiratsuyu) "Poi!" (Yuudachi) "But where do we get the materials and tools?" (Shiratsuyu) "I can ask Akashi to lend you guys the tools. As for materials, we should have a whole lot of old, damaged equipment in the store room." "You didn''t discard them?!" (Shiratsuyu) "The paperwork is a pain to do." I think the store room should have five years worth of decommissioned and unrepairable equipment. The paperwork to discard them is troublesome and unimportant anyway. I already check that part with Rondo. HQ won''t bother with whatever happens to broken equipment since they are already useless. And besides, the truck that brings the decommissioned equipment to the smelter only come at the end of the year. So there''s no point in filling up so many forms everytime I need to decommission a broken equipment. Anyway, Akashi is more than happy to keep them. More scrap metal means more stuff she can tinker around with. "Anyway, go and tell the others about this. Draw out a blueprint so you all know what to do and show it to me when you are ready." "Yes! Let''s go, Yuudachi!" (Shiratsuyu) "Poi!" (Yuudachi) The two sisters ran off to invite others into this robot-making project. This should keep them busy for a while. I better let Akashi know about this in advance. ------------------------------------- "Is that so? That sounds interesting?" (Zuihou) "You can join them if you want. I mean, isn''t it boring to cook Tamagoyaki for me everyday." Zuihou was in the kitchen, doing what she loves; cooking more Tamagoyaki. She has been doing this for the past week. "It''s fine. I''m doing this because I want to." (Zuihou) She placed a plate of freshly cooked Tamagoyaki on my table. This time, she added cheese to it. As usual, it was delicious. "Thank you for the food. It was delicious." "Eheehee. That''s great." (Zuihou) Zuihou smiled as she sat across me, watching me eat. "I tried mixing things up a little today. So I wasn''t too confident with it." (Zuihou) "No. It''s perfect. Did you add some sort of sauce into it? How did you make it so delicious?" When Zuihou first started cooking, her food was already amazing despite it being her first time in the kitchen. Right now, she is better than before. "No. I didn''t add any special ingredients. The trick to making delicious Tamagoyaki..." (Zuihou) Zuihou stood up and walked towards my back. She placed her hands on my shoulders, "...is to add in love. Admiral, did you know that?" (Zuihou) She wrapped her hands around me as she said that with a sweet ring in her voice. "Y-yeah..." I wasn''t sure how to respond to that. I was drawn in by her voice. "Really?" (Zuihou) Zuihou gave her a peck on my cheek. "That means... I love you, Admiral. Always~" (Zuihou) Chapter 115 - 103 I watched from my office window as a group of shipgirls gathered on the field. They are deciding a good spot to start their project. Yuudachi and Shiratsuyu managed to get a lot of people to participate in this robot-building project. Akashi and Yuubari were the most excited out of the group. I can see Akashi drafting out a blueprint on the sand. It was right to suggest that idea after all. Just in case, I got Rei to help me watch over them while they concentrate on their activity. Aside from that, it seems that the Sirens and Abyssals are becoming more aggressive in their attacks. Fusou''s fleet just repelled two fleets of mass-produced sirens this morning. The investigation fleet that was sent out by HQ got pushed back by an Abyssal fleet consisting of only Water Demons. Sasebo got attacked by an Abyssal Battleship fleet last night. Azur Lane reported that they found a giant Siren battle cruiser, which started attacking them when they got close. Everything is becoming more chaotic with each passing day. "Come on, Tama-senpai. Get up. Stop lying in the sun and go to the port already." (Asashio) "Nyaa~ (Tama) "Tama-senpai!" (Asashio) Despite all the chaos on the outside, my shipgirls are still able to live life as per normal. Tama was basking in the sunlight passing through a window while Asashio tries to get her to move. It was almost time for her to switch with Fusou for the afternoon shift. Today is also the day the North Union girls join the defense fleet. Like the others, they were getting a little bored of lazing around. As they requested, I added their names into the schedule. Fubuki taught them enough Japanese to let them hold a simple conversation and take simple orders. "Waaaakkkeeee uuupppp!!!" (Asashio) Assashio was pulling hard on Tama''s shirt, but Tama won''t move an inch. Maybe I should help her. "Geez! Commander! Stop staring and help me already!" (Asashio) I was just about to. "That''s not right, Asashio-chan. You can''t just rely on brute strength against Tama. Here, let me show you." I whispered into Tama''s ear, "Tama, Kou-kun and Tina-chan are waiting for you to bring back some delicious fish from the port." Tama''s eyes flickered open. She got up, gave a big yawn and rubbed her eyes. "Delicious fish?" (Tama) "Yep. Your fellow cats are waiting for you to bring some back." "Geez. Tama is not a cat, nya. But... I''ll go get some for them nya." (Tama) Tama is the closest to our two residential kittens. The three of them can be seen playing together or sleeping in places where it''s warm. At least during this cold season. I bet they will be finding cooler places to sleep when it gets warmer. "Wow! Just like that." (Asashio) "Huh? Asashio, why are you here? Ah whatever, let''s go." (Tama) "Geez. I came here to get you. Ah, thank you Commander. We will take our leave now." (Asashio) The both of them left. And just in time too. Zuihou came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. Good thing those two already left. Tama is fine, but Asashio will definitely freak out if she sees this. "Phew~ That''s better. I heard the door close. Did someone came by just now?" (Zuihou) "You didn''t notice?" Zuihou just gave a confused look. Earlier, Samidare came to give me some coffee. As usual, she ended up tripping over herself and spilled the coffee all over Zuihou. So Zuihou took a bath while Samidare brought her clothes to the laundry. "Wait, why did you come out like that? Didn''t I leave a shirt out for you?" Her bare skin glowed faintly as she approached me. "Ehehe. I got a better idea." (Zuihou) She proceeded to slowly unbutton my top. "Wai-?! Zuihou, what are you doing?" A part of me wants to stop her, but the other part is curious as to what is she planning. This is sort of stimulating. But dangerous at the same time. I quickly placed my hand over hers as she moved on to the fourth button. "What if someone comes in?" "It''s fine. No one comes into the office at this timing." (Zuihou) She nonchalantly answered and continued her activity. She has been quite aggressive lately. Usually I''m the initiator. "There we go!" (Zuihou) "Eh?" After unbuttoning my top, Zuihou just sat down on my lap and stretch my shirt to cover her up. As if we were sharing a blanket. "Warm~" (Zuihou) "Erm... What is this?" "I saw this scene in a manga I was reading. I wanted to try it for a while now." (Zuihou) "Is that it?" Zuihou tilted her head towards me, "Hmm? What do you mean? Ah. You thought I was going to do something lewd, don''t you? Seriously, Admiral really is a pervert." (Zuihou) This little tease... "Was the girl in that manga wrapped in a towel as well?" Zuihou explained how the girl was soaked in the rain before arriving at her boyfriend''s house. In a series of sheer coincidence, his bathroom is under renovation and all of his clothes were in the laundry. So to ensure that his girlfriend doesn''t catch a cold, he asked her to take off her clothes and ''shared'' his shirt with her. Similar to what Zuihou is trying to do now. What kind of plot is that? "Say, you do know that you can wear clothes if you want to do something like this, right?" "Eh?" (Zuihou) I can see her ears turning red. She didn''t think this through properly. Time to take back my throne. "I''m... going to put something on." (Zuihou) "Oh no, you don''t." I quickly buttoned my shirt before Zuihou can get up, trapping her with me. "A-admiral! Stop this!" (Zuihou) "Didn''t you say you want to try experiencing this?" "I already experienced it. I''m satisfied already." (Zuihou) "I''m not. So you are staying like this until I''m satisfied." "But what if someone walks in on us?!" (Zuihou) "Didn''t you say that no one will come in at this time of the day?" "Hey! Don''t pull off my towel!" (Zuihou) As I continued teasing her, the door swung open. "Yoohoo, Admiral!" (???) A girl dressed in a white uniform and white coat posed at the entrance. She had a moderately large chest and a side ponytail. This girl is a North Union cruiser, Pamiat Merkuria. "Eh?" (Pamiat Merkuria) She just froze there. I guess the scene in front of her was a little too shocking? Zuihou was now trying to hide herself in my shirt. "Hey! Pamiat-san! You can''t just- What are you two doing?! It''s still a working hour! In the first place, the office is no place for such an activity!" (Ooyodo) Ooyodo appeared beside Pamiat Merkuria. Ooyodo was visibly embarrassed at the sight before her. Actually, make it the both of them. Chapter 116 - 104 "You want to go out to town?" "§Õ§Ñ. I haven''t... really explored Japan yet. And it''s... bo-ring just staying in base." (Pamiat) Fubuki really taught our North Union well. A little rough around the edges, but Pamiat can already speak fluently. What''s even more surprising is that she was able to act as if nothing happened. Not reacting in an expected manner after all that is still embarrassing. Even Zuihou retreated and in his in my room. Ooyodo looks normal, but deep down, I know she is going to kill me for that once Pamiat leaves. "I see. Anyone else going with you?" "Erm... Comrade Grozny and comrade Tashkent." (Pamiat) "So three people then. Alright. Will you be alright on your own? Should I ask Fubuki to join you?" "§ß§Ö§ä We have troubled comrade Fubuki-san enough. We can make it on our own." "Are you sure? Not that I don''t trust you girls or anything, but I''m still going to get someone to follow you. Besides, she can be your tour guide. Other than that, you can go gather at the front gate and wait for one of my girls." "§Ü§Ý§Ñ§ã§ã§ß§à. §Ò§Ý§Ñ§Ô§à§Õ§Ñ§â§ð §Ó§Ñ§ã Admiral." (Pamiat) I did not understand any of that apart from the last part. "Oh and by the way," "Hmm?" (Pamiat) "Don''t tell anyone what you just saw. Okay?" "Oh you mean you having se-" (Pamiat) "Don''t tell anyone. Got it?" "§²§à-§²§à§Õ§Ø§Ö§â Understood." (Pamiat) "And it wasn''t what you thought." I said as Pamiat left. "Is it really not what we think?" (Ooyodo) "It is!" Now I have to deal with Ooyodo. "I know skinship is important in a relationship, but please refrain from such acts in the office, or at least not in front of others." (Ooyodo) "Like I said, it''s not like that. We were just playing." "What kind of game involves wrapping a n.a.k.e.d little girl in the shirt you''re still wearing?" (Ooyodo) "No comment..." She kind of got me there. "And Zuihou-san, I know you can hear me. Please don''t let Admiral influence you into becoming a pervert." (Ooyodo) "I did not become a pervert!!" (Zuihou) She shouted from inside the room. "Haa~ Anyway, we have some new orders from HQ. It''s regarding the girls from the North Union." (Ooyodo) "Is Azur Lane coming to bring them back?" "No. Quite the opposite. HQ is ordering us to build a dormitory for them and to integrate them into our operations." (Ooyodo) "In short, a transfer order." "Huh? This is unexpected..." (Ooyodo) Ooyodo gave me a confused stare. "What?" "Did you hear what I just said?" (Ooyodo) "Yeah. Basically the North Union girls are going to be under my command, right?" "Y-yeah. Why does it look like you expected this?" (Ooyodo) "Of course I would. It''s been more than a week since we picked them up from the Kis Island area and there hasn''t been a word from Azur Lane since. Besides, I met Avrora and Chapayev the other night and they discussed with me about staying here. And everyone else have accepted them as one of us. It''s only a matter of time before this sort of thing happened. It will be good with Azur Lane pays for the construction though." "I thought you were going to get angry at this." (Ooyodo) "Well, I am a little annoyed at all the paperwork I''ll need to do for all this. So, did Azur Lane agree to this arrangement?" "We should be expecting a call or telegram from them soon. Otherwise, we can''t proceed with the paperwork without approval." (Ooyodo) "Got it. I''ll call them now." "Eh? Now?" (Ooyodo) "It''s not like there''s anything to do now." "Admiral, are you all right? Do you have a fever?" (Ooyodo) "Oi! That''s kind of rude coming from you." "Admiral, let''s go to bed. You''re sick." (Zuihou) Zuihou, wearing a loose shirt, came out from the room and place her hand on my shoulder. Her eyes are full of sympathy??? "If you do it in a s.e.xy way, I will follow you immediately!" "Hm, it''s the usual Admiral." (Zuihou) "Yeah. By the way Zuihou-san," (Ooyodo) "Hmm?" (Zuihou) "To think you come out dressed like that... Admiral really turned you into a pervert..." (Ooyodo) "!!!!" (Zuihou) And there she goes, retreating back into my room. "Anything else?" "No. That''s all." (Ooyodo) "Then you go now." "Admiral, are you seriously okay? Do I need to get Lieutenant Commander Rei to handle the work for you?" (Ooyodo) "Hurry up and go already!" Geez! Everyone gets fl.u.s.tered as soon as I start actively doing my job. Is it really that unusual?Whatever. Time to call Azur Lane and make the neccessary arrangements. Chapter 117 - 105 Construction of the giant robot seems to be moving along steadily. It has only been three days since the foundation was laid out and the feet are already in place. In fact, I don''t even know if they are going to build a robot or not. Although I was the one that suggested this project, I have not seen their blueprints at all. When I asked Yuudachi what were they building, she refused to tell me. The other girls I asked also responded the same way. They either changed the subject or simply said it was a secret and quickly escaped. It''s a little sad that I''m the only one being kept in the dark, but I can''t force them to tell me. Looks like I have to wait till the finally revealed it. I walked along the quiet path towards the port frommy office. The courtyard which was burstling with shipgirls the other day is now empty. There''s actually a good reason for this. As I discussed with Azur Lane the other day, the North Union shipgirls will be under the command of Maizuru Naval District. Azur Lane will provide the materials and assist in building a new dormitory for them. Today is the day construction of the dormitory starts, and I''m just about to meet the helpers. As I neared the port, I noticed a small, familar green miko hiding behind a wall, peeking at our helpers who have already reached. "Zuihou," "Eek!" (Zuihou) She jumped as I called her name. "Why are you here? Didn''t you went to hide?" "Admiral... I-I''m your flagship! So I have to be by your side and protect you!" (Zuihou) "They are not going to attack or kidnap me or anything. besides, I''m more worried about you going into a relapse again. That''s why told everyone that the Eagle Union was coming and allowed you all to hide." Yes. The main reason why the entire district being quiet today was that almost everyone is hiding from the Eagle Union fleet, which are here to help with the construction. The only ones that didn''t go into hiding were Jervis, Gambier Bay and the North Union girls. Akashi gave me the blueprints for the dormitory before locking herself in her private room in the Arsernal. The Commander insisted that they are the best at doing this sort of labour and assigned them to this project. Both of us agreed that it was a hassle to go back and forth from the base so I assigned a empty room in the dock as their temporary bunk. It''s the room just beside the one the North Union girls are currently staying. "But..." (Zuihou) "Just go back your room. You will feel much safer. Don''t worry. I can handle this." I Left her behind and went to greet the Eagle Union fleet. A dark-skinned girl with braids stood at attention and saluted. The other girls followed suit. "Good Afternoon, Admiral-san. I''m hull number BB57. Battleship South Dakota. From today onwards, we will be aiding in the construction of our allied dormitory." (South Dakota) I responded in kind. "Thak you for coming today. I would like to apologise in advance with any of our girls show hostility to you. They are kind of frigtened of american sh.i.p.s." "It''s fine. Our Commander already informed us about the situation. We won''t take any offence to their behaviour." (South Dakota) "That''s relief." After South Dakota introduced me to the rest of the girls in her fleet, I finally understood why the commander told me that they are the best in manual labour. Their corresponding sh.i.p.s being parked at the port and the size of all of the shipgirls in the fleet further confirms it. He sent me a fleet of battlesh.i.p.s. South Dakota, Alabama, Massachesetts, Arizona, Colorado and Maryland. And didn''t we met Colorado before? "By the way, admiral-san," (South Dakota) "Yeah?" "Who is that girl behind you?" (South Dakota) Behind me? I turned around to see Zuihou, looking straight at South Dakota. "Hey, Zuihou! Didn''t I tell you to go back to your room?" "Hmm? Aren''t you...?" (South Dakota) South Dakota bend down to seemingly take a closer at Zuihou, before realising something. "Oh. The carrier which bombed my main deck!" (South Dakota) "You are that pervert!" (Zuihou) "Who are you calling a pervert!!!???" (South Dakota) South Dakota shouted. Eh? What is going on? Even the other girls are shocked. "I mean, we bombed you so many times but you still continued attacking. And besides, why are you dressed like that? If you are not pervert, then what are you?" (Zuihou) True, that outfit she is wearing shows of a lot of skin. Even Massachsetts and Alabama are wearing something similar. Are they sisters? I don''t know much about american sh.i.p.s. "Listen here you shrimp! Just because I can move despite all the bombs you dropped on me doesn''t make me a pervert. In fact, it just means that your attacks didn''t even tickle. And how dare you make fun of my clothes! This outfit is a tribute to our native heritage." "Huh? My attacks didn''t even tickle? Can you still say that even after my Suisei made a hole in you?" (Zuihou) "You-!" (South Dakota) "Alright. Breaking it up, you two." I pulled Zuihou back and covered her mouth before she starts to say anything else. "That''s right. We didn''t come here to fight." (Arizona) The girl in blue uniform pulled South Dakota back as well. "What would happen if our relationship sours because of this?" (Arizona) Arizona... She looks like a logical person. "You know that I don''t want that tragedy to happen again!" (Arizona) Arizona started crying. Okay, I take it back. "A-anyway, please follow me to the construction site." I gently pushed Zuihou along the way, separating her from the angry battleship. Well, this got awkward pretty quickly. I led them to the area where the North Union is going to be built. It''s near the submarine dormitory. The North Union girls and Rei were already there, waiting for us. That gives me an idea. "Lieuenant Commander Rei, catch!" "Huh?" (Rei) "Wah!!??" (Zuihou) I pushed Zuihou towards Rei, who caught her easily and softly. "Wait! Admiral!" (Zuihou) "Make sure she doesn''t come near our helpers. She almost started a fight." "Eh? Did something happen just now?" (Rei) "Oh geez!" (Zuihou) After a brief exchange of greetings between the battlesh.i.p.s and North Union, it''s time to go to work. Chapter 118 - 106 This is great. With the help of the battlesh.i.p.s, the foundation and skeleton of the dormitory has already been laid out. At this rate, we might finish the entire outer structure within a week. Afterwards, all that''s left are the interior installations. In fact, the whole process might get faster. Some of the girls, mainly destroyers, coastal defense sh.i.p.s and cruisers, who are not scared of the battlesh.i.p.s have volunteered to help with the construction. Since it was getting late, I told them they can start tomorrow. Avrora decided to give South Dakota and the others a tour around the base after dinner. Hopefully they don''t scare anyone along the way. The North Union Dormitory is a rather simple design. A two-story apartment with eight rooms on the second floor, a bathroom, kitchen and miscellaneous room on the first. The dormitory was a small one. It only took up half the plot of land originally assigned to them. Therefore, they wanted to use the remaining plot of land to create a Kolkhoz, which is basically a farm. There is one thing I''m baffled by. Why do they need eight rooms when there is only six of them? Anyway, it''s been a tiring day. I just want to have a bath and go to sleep. I still need to hand over my daily report though. How troublesome... "So, mind explaining what got you so riled up this morning?" Zuihou looked away sheepishly. It was surprising when Zuihou tried to pick a fight with South Dakota just now. Rei informed me that she was staring daggers at South Dakota the entire day too. "I could totally beat her..." (Zuihou) "They are not here to fight. So please behave yourself while they are here. In the first place, battlesh.i.p.s don''t sink that easily." "I know that! But the fact that she didn''t even flinch and kept moving hurts my pride as an Aircraft Carrier!" (Zuihou) In one of the battles during the great war, Zuihou''s Suisei managed to drop a bomb and blast a hole on South Dakota''s main deck. However, she was still able to keep moving forward. Subsequent attacks later didn''t even faze her. Thats why South Dakota was nicknamed ''The Strongest Shield''. I only learned this after digging out some old records when i returned from the construction site. Zuihou is pretty bitter about South Dakota. It will be bad if this bitterness turns into a physical confrontation. "I know you''re mad, but please behave yourself." "Muuu..." (Zuihou) "For the time being, help with this report. I want to get this done before bedtime." "Okay~" (Zuihou) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- mmmhhh... I have a sudden craving for something sweet. It''s in the middle of the night. Why now? Mamiya will kill me if I attempt to take things from her kitchen again. Maybe the cafeteria has something. I got out of bed and made my way to the destination. As I walked along the path to the cafeteria, I can see the battlesh.i.p.s parked in the distance, illuminated by the faint glow of the full moon. Wait, is that a person? On one of the parked battlesh.i.p.s, I can see the silhouette of someone sitting at its bow. I better go check it out. It will be dangerous if it was a curious destroyer messing about. Although, I don''t think any of my girls will be that reckless. Never mind, I can already think one or two who might do something crazy. I reached the port and looked up towards the battleship with person I saw before. There they are, still sitting on the bow of the ship, staring towards the sea. "Hey! What are you doing there?" "Hmm?" (???) Shouting may not have been the best move. The person turned her head and looked towards my direction. I can barely make out who it was. It was South Dakota. "Admiral-san? What are you doing here?" (South Dakota) "I could say the same to you. Can''t sleep?" South Dakota jumped off her ship and landed next to me. Wow. That was almost like a superhero landing. "Just looking at ocean..." (South Dakota) South Dakota once again looked towards the sea. She had this solemn expression on her face as she did so. "Missing home?" "Mmmm... A little bit, I guess. Laughable, isn''t it? A soldier like me holding such feelings... Even though I sworn to be Commander''s shield..." (South Dakota) "It''s normal to feel that way." "Huh?" (South Dakota) "You guys feel like you were born to fight. That you are weapons. That may be true, but why would a weapon be given feelings? When I was first appointed here, I was shocked to see so many little girls fighting the Abyssals. My first thought was ''These are humanity''s last line of defense?'' I initially thought I could steel my heart and order them to fight to the death. But I quickly realized, these girls are alive. They like different things, they laugh and cry, they spend each they living life to the fullest. In the end, I couldn''t bear to do such a thing. That human form and human-like mindset are so unfair. So I sworn to protect them in my own way. Even if it means lying to my superiors." "I see. I... don''t know what to say..." (South Dakota) "Anyway, that was all in the past. It''s true HQ was ruthless back then, but the new council has decided to treat them as humans. So a happy ending, I guess." Good thing those money-grabbing pigs are gone. They were the source of suffering in the IJN. "My point is, it''s okay to feel whatever emotion you are feeling now. You may be weapon, but you are also alive. Those emotions are proof." She just stared at me with a stunned expression. Did I say something wrong? I thought that was the correct thing to say in this situation! "You and Commander are same..." (South Dakota) Huh? "When I first met commander, I swore to be his shield and fight for the sake of protecting him. Instead, he told me to live how I want. I didn''t understood what he said back then, but overtime, I began to understand. I tried to convine myself that these feelings were unnecessary. That I was a weapon. That my sole purpose was to protect Commander even at the cost of my life. Looks like I was wrong. Thank you, Admiral-san. Your words just convinced me otherwise." (South Dakota) She looks happier now. I think I know what''s going on. "By the way, you haven''t answered me yet. What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?" (South Dakota) "Eh? Umm... Just taking a late night walk." Can''t let her know that I wanted a late-night snack. Chapter 119 - 106 "Hot..." (Zuihou) Zuihou plucked at her top. "It''s only May and it''s already this hot." (Zuihou) "Yeah. How about you change into your B form? Wouldn''t it be cooler than your current form?" "But it will take up resources to upgrade my equipment and rigging again." (Zuihou) "It''s not like it will take up that much. Besides, you were the one that changed yourself in the first place." "I thought I could at least blend in with the surroundings and watch those battlesh.i.p.s from a distance." (Zuihou) So that''s way you were hiding behind the building back then. And no, your camoflage doesn''t work that way. It''s almost been a week since construction on the North Union Dorm started. Some of the destroyers and cruisers have joined in after they deemed the Eagle Union battlesh.i.p.s as ''harmless''. Although most of the destroyers were brought by the candy they received. They are also hard at work on their giant robot project. I''m thinking of easing the number of shifts for defending our base since the Siren attacks are starting to die down a little. Usually we see an average of four Siren fleets everyday, but now we have days where there aren''t any attacks. About time they gave up. "Ahhhh! I had it! I''m going to convert back!" (Zuihou) Zuihou went out of the office. She should be going to the factory, since Akashi is the only one that can fine-tune their equipment and do their fittings. Seriously though, today''s really hot. I wonder how the construction group is doing. Maybe I should check on them. Yeah... They are not doing too well. I went to the site to see how they were doing. As I expected, most of them, even the Eagle Union battlesh.i.p.s are feeling lethargic from the heat. Some of them are doing the job sluggish while a few are taking a break from the heat. You know it''s hot when the North Union girls have taken off their coats. "Alright. That''s enough! Good job everyone!" "Hmm? Oh, Admiral-san. When did you arrive?" (Alabama) "Only just. Anyway, let''s stop for the day." "Eh? But..." (Mustsuki) "This weather is unbearable. So why don''t all of you take a break for the day? And I don''t think everyone is in the mood to work." I glanced at a group of North Union girls, who are sprawled around under the shade of a nearby tree. They look so lifeless. "With that, I''m treaating everyone here to Mamiya''s dessert. Just tell her to put it on my tab." "Really? Yay!" (Mutsuki) ''Aha~ Yes!" (Agano) "Mamiya? Oh, that dessert shop." (Arizona) "I always wanted to try the ice cream there." (Avrora) As soon as I mentioned about desserts, the North Union girlls perked up. "Come on, get going. I want to get out of this heat too." I need to do the same to the ones at the robot site. --------------------------------------------------------- It''s been a while since Zuihou went to get changed. It''s almost evening and she hasn''t returned yet. I can only think of one reason for her being this late. Akashi must have got her to test some weird contraption of hers. Either that or she decided to stop by at Mamiya''s shop for a snack. Still, it''s a little unusual that she hasn''t return by now. Should I check on her? I feel like I have been walking around a little more than usual today. As I walked to the factory, I felt a tap on my shoulder. "§©§Õ§â§Ñ§Ó§ã§ä§Ó§å§Û§ä§Ö! Admiral." (Avrora) It was Avrora. She looks better now, compared to before when she was under the heat. "Oh, Avrora. What''s up?" "I just want to thank you for treating to us to such cold and delicious ice cream. §³§á§Ñ§ã§Ú§Ò§à. " (Avrora) "It''s no big deal. You girls are part of the district now. Of course I would take of you like my own." Her face flushed and she squirmed a little. I know that behavior. Zuihou does the same when I tell her that I love her or call her cute. Eh? Did I just trigger a weird flag? "I-I see. Then, er... What do they usually say? Ah. I will be... in your care from now on..." (Avrora) Avrora''s face become super red after saying that. "§á§â§à§ë§Ñ§ß§Ú§Ö! " (Avrora) And off she ran. I think I really did trigger a weird flag. I continued walking to the factory. Upon reaching, I called out to Akashi. Although, my target was already in sight. "Akashi! Are you- Oh..." "Wahhh~ Cute~" (Zuihou) Originally, I wanted to ask Akashi about Zuihou. There is no need for that anymore. There she is, on the floor, staring at the aviation fairies doing maintenance on some planes. "She has been like that after noticing them when I was changing her fittings." (Akashi) Akashi came up to me, with a wrench in her hand. "I was wrong to even worry for a second." Chapter 120 - 107 "Admiral, we are now approaching the signal source." (Zuihou) "Alright, I have confirmation on the source. It''s coming from a JMSDF frigate. You know the drill. Form a defensive perimeter with escort planes while the destroyers search and secure any survivors. After which, wait for the rescue boat." "Roger!" (All) Just when we were about to end all activities for the day, Ooyodo picked up a distress signal coming from nearby. Since it was still bright out, I sortied Zuihou, Ryuujou, Suzuya, Yamakaze, Murasame and Suzukaze to check it out. Zuihou''s type 2 reconnaissance aircraft gave me a picture of the source, a badly damaged JMSDF frigate. The frigate was badly burned, the stern looks like it could break off any time and was already listing towards starboard at 19 degrees. There are signs of it being pierced by something. It had holes on various parts of the ship and they all looked as though something burnt through them. I watched as the three light aircraft carriers launched their planes while the destroyers find a way to board the ship and check for survivors. Though, I''m not expecting any. "This is awful. What did all this?" (Yamakaze) "This wasn''t hit by normal shells, right? Oww! It''s still hot." (Murasame) Murasame recoiled her hand back when she touched a part of the ship. Whatever hit it must have been powerful enough to leave behind such heat. I think I might have an idea on who were the culprits. "Onee-chan, are you alright?" (Yamakaze) Yamakaze approached Murasame with a worried look. "I''m fine. This is nothing." (Murasame) "Oi~ Anyone home? Oi~" (Suzukaze) Suzukaze shouted through one of the holes. "Can you find a way in?" "S-sorry. Not yet." (Yamakaze) "No. I don''t think we can get in. There is a large hole where the stern is supposed to be, but a lot of debris is blocking the way. And the ship is close to sinking." "Yeah. If we mess with anything, it might sink it faster. We are not trained in this kind of situation. There''s nothing we can do here." "That can''t be. There must be something we can do." (Yamakaze) "Sorry, but I can''t the ship sinking while you girls are searching for survivors in it. I will call for the Coast Guard to send a rescue boat. In the meantime, secure the perimeter and try to stop, or maybe slow, the boat from sinking. Use anything you can find." "Erm... I don''t think we can do that." (Suzuya) "Why? What''s wrong?" "We got company. Siren Scavengers!" (Ryuujou) On the radar, six red markers appeared and are approaching at a fast speed. I knew it. This was the work of a Siren fleet. "Change of plans. All sh.i.p.s, prepare for combat. Prioritise the safety of the vessel and the elimination of the enemy fleet. Don''t let them damage it. If you are damaged, fall back." "Roger!" (All) "Don''t get stuck again, Zuihou." (Suzuya) "Geez. There won''t be a second time." (Zuihou) The carriers launched their bombers while the destroyers provide secondary fire support. As it was just a small Siren fleet, we won pretty easily. "All enemies eliminated." (Zuihou) "Good job. Resume the rescue operation. I''ll call the coast guard." "This is weird." (Rei) Rei looked at the monitor showing the damaged vessel. "What is?" "That was A JMSDF Frigate. It should have weapons similar to what our girls are using. But it got taken out so horribly." (Rei) "Maybe they attacked it from afar? There are no signs of a fight in the area. Obviously those holes were caused by siren weaponary. Either it was a recent attack, or the attack was so powerful that the ship was still hot." "I guess, we can''t expect any survivors from this." (Rei) She is right. The damage is so severe, even if the occupants survived the initial onslaught, they would have probably died from the secondary explosions and the surrounding heat. A little while later, a rescue team from the Coast Guards arrived, so I got my girls to return home. It was already dark out so I told them to be careful. They are not equipped for night battle so it would be dangerous if they got caught by an enemy fleet while I''m the dark. I later received a telegram by the rescue team, informing me that they managed to retrieve the young sailor the twintailed girl told them about from the wreckage. He is suffering from third-degree burns, lost his left lower arm and was showing signs of heat exhaustion. If it weren''t for the water being splashed on him, he could have died. The water helped cool the surrounding area and his body down. Apparently, Murasame told them there was a survivor in there and did some form of treatment? That can''t be right. I saw her circling the vessel. It couldn''t be the carriers since they were concentratimg on guarding the area. That leaves Suzukaze and Yamakaze. Suzukaze would definitely declare loudly that she found a survivor. That means... As I was about to figure out who did it, a knock on my door interrupted my train of thought. "Come in." The door slowly swung open and Yamakaze walked in. "Oh, Yamakaze. What''s wrong?" "Erm... Papa... I got a question." (Yamakaze) "What is it?" "Has there been any information about that boy?" (Yamakaze) I knew it. Yamakaze was the one that found him. I guess she was too scared to inform the rescuers so Murasame relayed her message to them. "So it was you. Well, for now, they managed to retrieve him. He is in a bad condition though." Yamakaze had a worried expression on her face. "Don''t worry. He is alive. You saved him." "That''s great..." (Yamakaze) Yamakaze breathed a sigh of relief, before looking confused. "Eh? M-me?" (Yamakaze) "Yeah. You splashed water on him, didn''t you? That actually helped him survive. You did a good job." I went over to pet her head. "I-it was nothing. I just found him, that''s all." (Yamakaze) She is wearing this mellow expression now. This is the first time I have seen her show so much different expressions in such a short time. I want to ask her how she found that sailor but too many questions might scare her away. "Since you did so well, I will give you a reward. Do you want anything?" "I-it''s fine. I don''t... need anything." (Yamakaze) "Really? Then, I will make sure to pick one when I go to town." A stuffed toy might be the perfect gift for her. Chapter 121 - 108 It has been almost been two weeks since construction on the new North Union dormitory started and now, it is almost finished. By tomorrow, we can start on the furnishing and interior renovations. Some of my girls are starting to warm up to Eagle Union battlesh.i.p.s, although the carriers and fusou sisters are still wary of them, especially Zuihou. Both she and South Dakota will always get into heated argument over the smallest things, sometimes even unprovoked. Just yesterday, Zuihou almost wanted to lunged at South Dakota while she was walking along the corridor to the docks. Luckily Shouhou was there to control the situation. Or so I heard. I understand the beef between them, but I was hoping they would get along. Then again, the scars of war can''t be healed that easily. At least, not for them. War... That might be worth a shot. It may backfire though, but the probability is still there. I take a gamble on it. I grabbed the phone and called Azur Lane. I don''t think he is asleep. Even if he is, one of the maids should be able to take my message. "Hello?" (???) I never heard this voice before. Must be a new maid. "Hello. This is the Admiral of Maizuru Naval District. Sorry for calling at this timing but I need to speak to your Commander." "Umm... Master is... Uhh..." (???) "Its fine if he can''t talk at the mo-" "Master is currently having a night battle with the flagship!!!" (???) I didn''t need to hear that! What the heck?! "Sheffield, what''s the matter?" (Belfast) I can hear a familar voice in the background. "Belfast, what should I do? The Admiral of Maizuru is on the line!" (Sheffield) At least cover up the mouthpiece. I can hear everything! "Let me handle it. Good evening, Admiral-san. I am the Head Maid Belfast. What can I do for you?" Ah. Now this is the type of service I expect. "I need to inform your commander about something. Please pass this message to him as soon as possible." -------------------------------------------- "A practice match?" (Zuihou) "Between battlesh.i.p.s and Aircraft Carriers?" (South Dakota) I called Zuihou and South Dakota to my office to inform them about what I had in mind. They were staring daggers at each other when they entered. Good thing they didn''t start fighting. This practice match is to give both parties a chance to prove themselves to each other. That''s my plan to ensure that we end off on a good note. There is a risk that they might end up being worse than before but this is also the only way they can understand each other. "Yeah. Since the dormitory is almost finished, I thought why not end things off with a friendly match between the two of you." "Pardon me. Somehow I can''t take you seriously when you are doing that." (South Dakota) "What?" "Ehehehe~~" (Shigure) "Why is Shigure getting all the attention?" (Zuihou) Shigure was on my lap, enjoying herself as I squished her cheeks. "It''s her birthday today. I promised to spend time with her today." I moved from her cheeks to petting her head. She looks extremely happy. In the meantime, Zuihou looked on with envy in her eyes. I''ll give her some attention later. "I plan to conduct this tomorrow. The dormitory is almost finished, right?" "Yes. We are just left with the roof. We should be able to finish up by evening." (South Dakota) "Good. Then we can hold it tomorrow. Like before, the Commander is coming to watch." "I see. Commander is coming to see us." (South Dakota) South Dakota''s expression softened as soon as I mentioned the Azur Lane Commander. "But I thought we are not allowed to conduct any kind of activities involving going out to the ocean." (Zuihou) "I got permission to hold this practice match from HQ. As long as we don''t stray too far out, we are fine." Thanks to Lieutenant Commander Rei, we managed to get permission to do this. It was to get her to choose a reward that doesn''t involve a date or a kiss. In the end, I got her to settle for a pay raise and a octopus plushy. "I will give you the details later. That''s all." "Understood. I will take my leave." They both of them glared at each other before South Dakota left the office. "Why do I have to fight her?!" (Zuihou) "It''s just you. All the carriers will be in a team. That means Hiryuu and Souryuu too." "Are you scared?" (Shigure) "That''s not it! It''s just that-" (Zuihou) "Besides, this is a chance to really do some damage to South Dakota. You can make sure your bombers stop her this time." Sorry, South Dakota. This is the only way to entice her to accept this. "Umm... That... sounds like a good idea. I can finally beat her." (Zuihou) Looks like she raring to go into battle. Good. That''s all the push I need to give her. Now the both of them have a reason to fight. South Dakota''s reason is to show her beloved commander what she is made off... I think. I mean, she had a reaction when I mentioned that the commander is coming. So maybe that''s the case. I sort of know that she is in love with the commander. She sort of confessed when I had that talk with her that night. "Anyway, isn''t it time for your shift?" "Oops. I better get going. I''m off." (Zuihou) "Have a safe trip." Zuihou left. She is on the morning shift for the defense fleet today. "Is this a good idea?" (Shigure) "To be honest, I''m afraid it may backfire. We might have another situation similar to Zuihou''s case last year. But this the only way to get them to acknowledge each other. Especially those two." "If Admiral says so, then I will support your decision and help as much as I can." (Shigure) "Heh. Good girl, Shigure. Then, I''m counting on you if anything happens tomorrow." I stroked the underside of her chin. Shigure lifted her head in response and made a soft sigh. She really enjoys simple things like this. Chapter 122 - 109 I know I said that we will be having a practice match between our carriers and Azur Lane''s battlesh.i.p.s, but that doesn''t mean hosting another festival! The entire field and beach is lined with stores selling various food, toys and games. I surprised they could set up this fast. The fairies told me they want to set up some stores this morning. I assumed they would set up maybe less than ten stores, not turn the entire thing into a festival. Most of the stores are being manned by the fairies, with a few being managed by cruisers. Even Fusou and Yamashiro have a store of their own. This is basically a repeat of last year''s match. "Welcome nya! Come and take a gander! We have many exclusive goods!" (???) I heard a familiar high pitched voice and spotted a green catgirl holding a rather tall sign. Even Akashi from Azur Lane is here! "Ohh! Admiral-san! Here to buy something?" (Cat Akashi) "When did you get here?" "Hehe. As the old saying goes, a cat never misses a chance to do business nya." (Cat Akashi) "YOu didn''t answer my question. And there is no such saying!" "Meww~" (Tina) Tina-chan poked her head out from behind Akashi''s legs. "Tina-chan, you are here." I gently scooped her up in my arms. Tina licked my hand as I cradled her. "Where''s your brother?" "So that cat belongs to you nya. I don''t know why but she keeps following me around." (Cat Akashi) "Mew~" (Tina) She probably sees Akashi as her kind. Tina jumped off my arms and ran into the shop. "Hey! You might be small but that doesn''t mean you can mess up my products nya. Nyaa! Don''t play with that nya!" (Cat Akashi) I will leave her to deal with our resident kitten. Now then, there is still some time before the match starts. Might as well take a walk around. As I weave my way around the crowd of shipgirls n the beach, I noticed something unusual. I don''t recognize some of the girls. For example, there is a young blonde girl in blue uniform and white pleated skirt. Parts of her hair is tied up to resemble Shigure''s and Yuudachi''s ''dogflaps''. Her chest size is rather big compared to her size. She is holding a net as well. Jervis and Gambier Bay are with her, so I guess she is an American ship? Maybe one of the Eagle Union. There is another taller girl whom caught my attention. Her hair was sort of brownish. Her uniform resembles that of Kitakami and Ooi in the Kai ni form, a beige top with green sailor scarf and a green skirt. A orange ribbon extends from her collar to her back, secured in the middle with a bell. And there is also this girl in white coat... Never mind. That''s Pamiat Mekuria. I can see some of Azur Lanes girls. They are easily recognisable from a distance with their... unique clothes and the animal-like traits. There are girls from the other districts as well. Ushio, Sazanami, Akebono and Oboro were playing at the ring toss store. Tone and Chikuma were eating a corn dog. Wait. There are girls from the other districts here too? "Yo! Long time no see." (???) I turned around to see who was calling me and got a suprise. It was the Admiral of Brunei Anchorage! "What are you doing here?" "Enjoying the festival, of course. I missed the first one." (Brunei) "Ah! Admiral!" (???) The blonde girl I saw before ran up to hug him. So she was one of us. "Are you having fun?" (Brunei) "Yes!" (???) "Oh. I guess I should introduce you. This is my wife, Fletcher-chan." (Brunei) "Nice to meet you. Nameship of the Fletcher-class destroyers, Fletcher, reporting for duty." (Fletcher) Fletcher... Where have I heard that name before? "Ohh. So she was the one who you wanted to spend some s.e.xy time in your room." Fletcher blushed a little and stared at her Admiral. "Eh? Did I say that?! Wait, I didn''t say that!" (Brunei) "Yeah. At last year''s training excercise." Minus the s.e.xy part... "Sorry. I need to talk to me Admiral...in private." (Fletcher) "Eh? Fletcher-chan? Oww! Oww!" (Brunei) Fletcher dragged her Admiral away by the ear. That looks painful. Now I feel a little bad. Oh well. If he is here, that means the other Admiral''s might be present as well. That explains the girls from the other districts. This has really turned into a festival. "§Ù§Õ§à§â§à§Ó§Ñ§ä§î§ã§ñ , Admiral-san." (Avrora) Avrora walked up to me, with an ice cream cone in her hand. "This is delicious! It''s so cold and creamy!" (Avrora) She is getting this excited over a normal vanilla soft serve. How cute. "Admiral-san, want a taste?" (Avrora) Avrora presented her dessert to me. The top is slightly flattened and a little wet. That''s the part she ate, I guess. "I''m fine. You can enj-" Wah. She is looking at me with anticipation in her eyes. Does she seriously want me to have a taste? I''m still not used to being fed by others, but I can''t say no to that face either. "Alright. Just a taste." I took a small bit of the side. It really is just a normal soft serve. "How is it?" (Avrora) "Yeah. Delicious." "I told you." (Avrora) Avrora continued to enjoy her soft serve. I feel like a fool for being embarrassed before. As I watched her enjoy herself, I felt something gripped my hand, and a small sense of dread. "I see. It is delicious, isn''t it?" (Zuihou) "Zuihou! When did you show up?" "Hmm? Ah! §Ù§Õ§à§â§à§Ó§Ñ§ä§î§ã§ñ , Zuihou-san. Look! They are selling delicious ice cream over at that store." (Avrora) "I know that..." (Zuihou) Eh? Zuihou seems a little down. I thought she was angry a moment ago. Now she looks like a disappointed child. "What''s wrong?" "Umm... After the match, can we-" (Zuihou) "Ah! There she is! Oi, Zuihou!" (Suzuya) Suzuya walked up to us. "Oops. Am I interrupting something? Sorry, but Zuihou, we need to go now." (Suzuya) "Eh? It''s time already?" (Zuihou) I took a look at my watch. "There''s still half an hour before the match starts." "We are having a strategy meeting. Azur Lane got an upgrade last year, right? We need to come up with ways to win. We won last year, and we are definitely not losing to them this year. Come on, lets go." (Suzuya) "Wai- Suzuya!" (Zuihou) "Watch us, Admiral!" (Suzuya) I looked as Suzuya pulled my girlfriend away. Now I feel lonely. "And they''re off." (Avrora) "Can''t be helped. They really want to keep their crown." "Was it like this last year too?" (Avrora) "Not really. Wait, how did you know we had a match last year?" "Fubuki-san told us." (Avrora) Oh, right. "Last year was a surprise. The fairies turned the whole event into a festival. Well, at least it keeps the mood up." "Sounds fun." (Avrora) "Aren''t you having fun now? Look, you got some cream on your cheek." "Eh?! No way! Where?" (Avrora) Avrora begin frantically rubbing her cheeks, trying to find and wipe off the bit of ice cream on her face. "There is still time before the match starts. Want to walk around with me?" Avrora had a surprised look on her face, before giving me a bright smile. "Yes! Let''s go!" (Avrora) As we went around the stores, we attracted the attention of the other district girls. While they recognized me as the Admiral of Maizuru, obviously due to the uniform, they were extremely curious about Avrora. She is different from the Russian shipgirls we are used to. Akatsuki is particularly dazzled by her. Know her, she probably sees Avrora as the pinnacle of a lady. As we were about to go to another store, I heard someone call out to me. "Commander!" (Asashio) Asashio ran up to me. She looks worried. "The match is about to start! We need you there! Fast!" (Asashio) It''s that time already? Now that she mentioned it, I noticed that the crowd is starting to thin out. Everyone is making their way to the port. "We better get going then." "Sorry, Avrora-san. The Commander needs to follow me. It''s important." (Asashio) "Eh? What for?" "That''s okay. I will go find my comrades." (Avrora) Avrora gave a smile, however it was a lonely one. "Come on! Please hurry!" (Asashio) We left Avrora as I got pulled along by the small destroyer. However, instead of going to the spectators stand or the command room, I find myself in what looks like a studio. Chapter 123 - 110 Yahoo! It''s time for today''s main event! Azur Lane''s Eagle Union Battlesh.i.p.s vs Maizuru Carriers! I''m the fleet''s idol, Naka-chan ?" (Naka) "And I''m everyone''s sparkly idol, San Diego!" (San Diego) "And we are your MCs for the day!" (Both) Th crowd started cheering. I think I can some exasperated sigh from the audience, specifically from my fellow Admirals. I understand that feeling. "And joining us today are Maizuru''s Admiral," (Naka) "And my commander!" (San Diego) "These two will be our guest commenters." (Naka) "Why am I here? And how did you convince Asashio to do such a stupid thing?" That''s right. Asashio told me I was needed for something important and drag me here. Who would have thought that the important thing was taking part in this farce. "Come on, Admiral. Being an idol is an important job!" (Naka) "But I don''t want to be an idol!" "Now now, calm down. Everyone can hear you. I too got drag here." (Commander) "Ah fine. Let''s get started." I can''t help but let out my fustration. I thought I could at least watch the match from the command room like I did last year. Now I have to provide a running commentary? "Alright! Let''s get started!" (San Diego) The two fleet idols were trying to hype things up. It''s kind of working though. From what I can see from this broadcasting room, everyone seems to be excited. Hmm? How is there a small girl sitting on some throne? She has this sort of Queenly aura around her. I can see Rondo sitting with Houshou. Rei is sitting with her father, Grand Admiral Akihito. The destroyers are mixed around with their Azur Lane counterparts, I think. Some of them have horns and animal ear. This spot isn''t so bad. I can practically see everything from up here. The ''running commentary'' part is a huge demerit, though. "First of all, let''s hear some words from our two guests sta-" (Naka) "Just start already!" Just start already!" (Commander) "Geez. You two are no fun. Please look at the giant screens." (Naka) Similar to last year''s match, the various actions done by the girls and what they are saying will be broadcast live for all to see on two ridiculously large monitors. When was this- Never mind. My head hurts thinking about how all this was set up. The so-called ''camera group'' will be moving around at showing the battle from various angles. On the left screen, the Eagle Union battlesh.i.p.s are shown to be on standby. The battlesh.i.p.s consist of South Dakota, Alabama, Massachusetts, Georgia, North Carolina and Arizona. All of them look rather intimidating, will all of that large guns sticking out from the backs and having other armaments. I was expecting them to be on their respective sh.i.p.s before transforming when they start to engage. Those two shields South Dakota is holding makes her look larger than normal. Her other two sisters, Alabama and Massachusetts, are also terrifying. Is that she holding a large scythe?! Likewise, the right screen shot my Carrier group on standby. They consist of Zuihou, Shouhou, Ryuujou, Suzuya, Souryuu and Hiryuu. I got to admit, all six of them look rather harmless compared to their battleship opponents. They are like cats about to fight a bunch of tigers. While my carriers have the advantage of being able to attack from a far, the battlesh.i.p.s have better anti-air weapons and much larger firepower. In theory, the battlesh.i.p.s will have a flawless victory. "Now, I will explain the rules of the match. Just like last time, the two fleets will be on their own, without receiving any help or orders from their superiors." (Naka) "This set-up is to test their skills and also prevent any cheating." (San Diego) "That''s right. While this match is unusual, the basic rules still apply. Use of live ammunition is prohibited. Only practice rounds are allowed. The match is won when either side is unable to continue the battle. Or when the flagship is taken out. Say, Sandy-chan, who is the flagship for the battlesh.i.p.s?" "Flagship? Hmm? I would say it has got to North Carolina-senpai or Georgia-senpai. They have a pretty strong and extremely smart. Of course, not as smart as me." (San Diego) "Wait until they hear that." (Commander) "Ehaha. Please don''t tell them I said that." (San Diego) She let out a nervous laugh. "For the carriers, it definitely has to be Hiryuu-senpai or Souryuu-senpai. The fluffy dragon sisters are almost as strong as our First Carrier Group." (Naka) "You two, we all know who the flagship for both fleets are already." "Eh? Really?" (San Diego) The flagship is the one with the flag. The battlesh.i.p.s have a flag with an eagle insignia on it. South Dakota is the flagship. The carriers have a simple white flag with a Type 99 bomber and some Sakura flowers drawn on it. I can guess who was the one that designed it. Zuihou is the flagship for the Carrier group. "Alright! Enough with the introductions! Let''s start!" (San Diego) "Yay!" (Naka) At the sound of a horn, both fleets start to advance towards each other. Since sound is also being broadcast, we can hear the conversions they are having. "Diamond formation. Prepare to shoot down any aircraft you see." (South Dakota) "Don''t be careless or nervous, and let''s win~" (North Carolina) The battlesh.i.p.s move, albeit slowly, into formation with South Dakota leading as the vanguard. "Shouldn''t she be positioned in the middle? Since she is the flagship, it won''t be a good idea to act as the vanguard. "That''s her strong point. South Dakota is called my strongest shield for nothing. This won''t end up like last time." (Commander) Looks like someone''s feeling confident. As I switch my focus to the Carrier''s side, they are still in a line-ahead formation. They are moving rather slowly, with Souryuu leading as vanguard and Hiryuu at the back. "It''s about time. Souryuu-senpai, if you would." (Zuihou) "Okay." (Souryuu) Souryuu drew her bow towards the air and let fly. The arrow that was shot out burst into flames and transmuted into a Saiun plane. I see. They are trying to obtain information on their oppenents distance, position and bearing. Thanks to the perfect weather, the Saiun caught sight of its target. Likewise, the target spotted the scouting plane as well. "12 o''clock! Enemy aircraft spotted!" (Arizona) Without moments of hesitation, a large battleship formed within their formation. Standing on top of it was Alabama, who hopped off the bow of the ship and swung her scythe at the Saiun, causing it to blow up into a ball of fire and smoke. "Wait. What is this?" (Alabama) Alabama looked on with surprise as the Saiun''s fairy pilot emerged from the fiery ball, parachuting down into the waters below. As Alabama falls back to her ship, she attempts to catch the fairy, which caused the latter to panic and maneuver out of the way in mid-air. "What''s wrong?" (South Dakota) "A small thing just appeared from the aircraft. It''s coming down." (Alabama) Alabama pointed at the fairy, who is still making a slow descend towards the ocean. "I''ll go check it out. Maybe we can get some information from it." (Georgia) Georgia broke off from the formation and sailed towards the fairy. The fairy, noticing Georgia coming straight for her, paniked and started flailing about. Georgia opened up her palms to catch the fairy, only to get splashed in the face with water which startled her. "Hya! What the?" (Georgia) "Shhh~ That''s okay. I got you." (Imuya) Imuya cradled the scared fairy in her palm. "Where did you come from?" (Georgia) "In the first place, don''t you know the rules? Only practice ammunition is allowed! Why are you guys using real weapons?! And no bullying the fairies!" (Imuya) Imuya, still partially submerged, swam away angrily with the fairy in hand. The submarines are on retrieval duty again. Their job is to make sure no one sinks by towing them away from the battlefield once they are deemed unable to fight. While the practice ammunition doesn''t damage the girls, it still hurts and has the same effect as live ammunition. Especially on their outfits. Planes that have been shot down by practice shells can be easily retrieved and repaired. The fairy pilot is also unharmed in any way. Alabama''s attack actually blew up the Saiun. "Looks like I forgot to tell them about the use of weapons." (Commander) "I thought so. You are going to pay me back for that Saiun." Meanwhile, Souryuu gave a report on the situation. "What was that? That has got to be illegal." (Souryuu) "What happened?" (Hiryuu) "That girl with the white twintails just jumped up and slice my Saiun with a scythe!" (Souryuu) "A scythe? Why are they using a real weapon?" (Suzuya) "Beats me. Anyway, I got a brief idea on their positon and all." (Souryuu) "Since they know we are coming, should we change our angle?" (Shouhou) "Erm... No. That''s what they would expect us to do. We will continue at this speed.Launch the first wave once we reach the coordinates." (Zuihou) "Roger." (All) My sweet Zuihou... How have you grown... "The battlesh.i.p.s have already spotted that scout plane, but the carriers are still continuing in the same direction. Are they stupid?" (San Diego) "I''m sure they have some sort of plan. And Admiral... Can you not make that face? It''s scary!" (Naka) "South Dakota and the others may expect an attack from a different direction. The Saiun helped them pinpoint the location of the Carrier. True, if you realised your enemy knows where you are, the best option is to change your position, but thats what the enemy expects you to do. Is that right, Admiral?" (Commander) "Y-yeah. As you can see, the battlesh.i.p.s have their guns angled towards the sides, but not at the front. Apart from South Dakota, everyone else seems to be focusing on the skies and the sides. "Oooh. I see. So it''s like hitting them where they least expect it. Right?" (San Diego) For some reason, San Diego started to shadow box. "That''s right. Look! It''s starting." (Naka) I turned my gaze back to the monitor. Sure enough, the carriers have began to launch there planes. The four archer types drew their bows and launched a mixtue of Tenzan bomberss and Suisei bombers. Suzuya loaded her crossbow and shot out a bolt which transmuted into a group of Ryuusei Kai. Ryuujou''s scroll floated around her, as she traced a path with a orange flame for her own Suisei bombers to take off. While they are still out of the battleship''s firing range, there is no doubt that have already detected the first wave of aircraft. "Tch. Of course it has to be from the front. All hands on deck! Get ready for AA combat! Enemies coming from 12 o''clock." (South Dakota) "Finally. Time for a turkey shoot." (Alabama) "While carriers have an advantage in range, the battlesh.i.p.s are better equipped with anti-air radars which can detect enemies from a great distance. Even further from the battleship''s firing range. Because of this, the first wave will unlikely be able to land any hits." "Ohh. So it''s a failure then." (Naka) "Eh? Wait. Did I say all that out loud?" "You didn''t notice?!" (Naka) Without realising, I had done a commentary on my own... Despite what I said about the aircrafts losing a tactical advantage over the battlesh.i.p.s, it seems I may be wrong in some parts. As South Dakota''s guns were already facing the front from that start, the others are still adjusting their guns and cannons to the front. The aircrafts came into sight and range. "All sh.i.p.s, evasive manuevers! Fire at will!" (South Dakota) Without breaking formation, all six battlesh.i.p.s proceeded to move in an upredictable manner to confuse the bombers. This is a standard but effective tactic. With such erractic movements, the bombers will have a hard time timing their attacks. In the meantime, he battlesh.i.p.s can proceed to open fire at their assailants. However, not all the planes were shot down and only one battlesh.i.p.s got damaged. "Kuha... my armor has been pierced?! I will return the favor twofold!" (Georgia) A torpedo managed to strike Georgia at her side, causing her to lose a significant amount of speed as she stopped to deal with the pain on her ankle. "Georgia-senpai has been hit! Is she okay?" (San Diego) "Nope. She''s out. That torpedo took out her rudder and caused flooding in her engine room. She has been damaged heavily." (Commander) "Wah. That must be painful." (Naka) "Did you come up with all that on the spot? Oh. Don''t tell me... So that''s what that small book and dice are for." From the start, the commander has been flipping through a small book and messing around with a dice. He is actually creating simulated conditions based on the attacks and with the roll of a dice. "Isn''t this a great idea? We can create conditions for the girls. I based this of an American tabletop game." (Commander) "Erm... what the Commander just said, Georgia-san is out! Submarines, take her away!" (Naka) "Goergia, engine room flooding. Broken Rudder." (unknown) The announcement rang out. Till now, I still have no idea who is the owner of that disembodied voice. In fact, no one knows.. "Where did that come from? (Arizona) "Huh?! How does a torpedo lead to engine flooding?!" (Georgia) As Georgia is still trying to recover from the hit she took, Imuya and Goya emerged right beside her. "Gh! You again." (Imuya) "That girl from just now..." (Georgia) "You heard the announcement. You''re to be removed from battle due to heavy damage." (Imuya) "Wha-" (Georgia) "That''s what your Commander said. To be fair, I don''t understand that either dechi." "You girls... are submarines?" (Massachusetts) "That''s right." (Imuya) "Then where is your propulsion device? Without one, wyou shouldn''t be able to move." (Arizona) "What is a propulsion device? We just swim." (Imuya) "Anyway, come on. Lets go dechi. Can you move?" (Goya) As Goya and Imuya proceed to remove Georgia from the battlefield, a smaller, second wave of bombers emerged from the clouds. "Again. Everyone, focus. This isn''t over yet!" (South Dakota) "Nee-san, look out!" (Massachusetts) "Eh?" (South Dakota) A Tenzen,which was flying dangerously above the water surface, dropped it''s torpedo into the water. The torpedo made a beeline for South Dakota. If Massachusetts hadn''t warned her, South Dakota would have taken some serious damage. Slamming her shield down into the water, she managed to block the torpedo from hitting any vital spots. "Hmph. Smart move, but that''s not enough to take me down!" (South Dakota) As they fought off the second wave of bombers, a third wave emerged from the left. I see. Instead of launching every plane at one go and in a linear direction, they are launching them in smaller groups and attacking at different angles. While the battlesh.i.p.s fight of the current wave of bombers, the second group takes the chance to deal as much damage as possible. This tactic would have worked, if they were up against a normal enemy fleet. Apparently, North Carolina had picked up enemy signals from the left and anticipated an attack. Her AA guns were already in position and managed to shoot down most of the bombers in the third wave. "Yep. This is fun." (Alabama) Alabama looks as though she is smiling despite the chaotic situation. "Alabama really likes anti-air combat. She calls it a turkey shoot." (Commander) Okay. I feel like she should be kept away from a certain tsundere carrier from the fifth division. After three failed attacks, the carriers have slowed their advance to a halt as they discuss what to do now. "Another failure. At this rate, we will run out of planes before we can land a hit on them." (Hiryuu) "We need to make this quick. They are coming." (Shouhou) "Erm... Um..." (Zuihou) Zuihou is starting to panic. Being the flagship, she has to make decisions on the sport. She hasn''t learnt how to make decisions under pressure though. "How about we take them head-on?" (Suzuya) Suzuya just said something ridiculous. "Head-on? Those are battleship! How are we gonna to win in a direct confrontion?" (Ryuujou) "Ryuujou-chan''s right. We will lose once we are in their shelling range. If we can overwhelm them before they arrive-" (Hiryuu) "Calm down. Listen to me. Zuihou, you brought it right?" (Suzuya) Suzuya raised her h.i.p.s to the left. The camera isn''t showing the what Suzuya was talking about, but the other carriers seem to understand the plan. "But will this work? I never really used this before." (Zuihou) "It will be fine. Just follow my lead." (Suzuya) "Ugh... I feel like my role as a big sister has been taken away from me..." (Shouhou) "Ahh! No one is taking away your role, Shouhou-san." (Suzuya) From that exchange, you can''t tell who is the big sister. Anyway, it looks like they have a plan and are on the move again. This time, they moved towards the east. As they moved, Hiryuu launched a small group of Suisei bombers and directed them in a linear direction towards the battlesh.i.p.s. "What are they doing?" "A diversion, perhaps. Maybe it''s an attempt to confuse my battlesh.i.p.s. They won''t fall for such cheap trips." (Commander) Isn''t that a little too small to be a diversion? The actions of my carriers are starting to worry me. Chapter 124 - 111 Like Commander said, the group of Suisei bombers went straight at the battlesh.i.p.s. Anticipating such an attack, all of them were shot down by the battlesh.i.p.s AA guns. "Wasn''t that attack a little too small?" (South Dakota) "Yeah. I thought so too." (North Carolina) "Either they are running out of planes or they are up to something." (Arizona) "We best be on guard. I have seen last year''s match. They definitely have a few tricks up their sleeves. Especially the white one." (Massachusetts) "The shrimp? She doesn''t look that tough." (South Dakota) "Ahaha. Right. The both of you can''t get along." (North Carolina) "Hey. She was the one that started it." (South Dakota) As the battlesh.i.p.s were casually chatting, they continued advancing forward. Their guns are positioned at all angles to cover all bases, with the exception of South Dakota and Alabama, whose guns are positioned at the front. On the other hand, the carriers have stopped their advance as they prepare another wave of attacks. This attack might very well give away their position. They know that. "Take care of the anti-air guard, too!" (Souryuu) Souryuu and Shouhou drew their bows and launched a group of bombers. Eh? I thought after launching their planes, they would continue moving towards the east. Instead, they have started advancing towards the battlesh.i.p.s while launching their planes simultenously?! What are they doing? "Oi oi! What''s the meaning of this?" "This is unexpected. Maizuru carriers are starting to give up the advantage of a long-range attack. What is going on?" (Naka) "Naka-chan, we don''t need that comment. Everyone can see that..." "I knew it. Those Maizuru carriers all idi- Eeek!!! I''m sorry! I''m sorry! I won''t say anything! Commander, save me!" (San Diego) "Admiral, don''t make that face. You are scaring the poor girls." (Commander) Was it that scary? All I just did was glared at her. She was about to insult my girls again. How can you not expect me to react? But, really, what are they doing? Like Naka said, they will be losing their long-range advantage if they enter into a direct confrontation. The battlesh.i.p.s may be slow, but they are superior in terms of firepower and armour. A single shell from their 41cm Twin Gun Mount can easily tear through a carrier''s armour like paper. Even though the carriers have launched their planes, instead of carrying out air strikes from a distance, the planes seem to be circling around them. As the carrier group was moving at full speed, it didn''t take long for the battlesh.i.p.s to notice their advancement. Only then, did they slow down. "Enemy fleet spotted! Multiple aircrafts detected. They are approaching from 10 o,clock!" (Arizona) "Why are they coming into range?" (South Dakota) "No matter. It just makes things easier for us." (North Carolina) "More turkeys to shoot down." (Alabama) From where I''m seated, I can see Zuikaku gritting her teeth as Shoukaku tries to calm her down. Kind of keeps me distracted from the what my carriers are actually planning to do. While direct confrontation is a neccessity in naval warfare, it is absolutely not recommended for a fleet consisting of only cariiers and light carriers, for obvious reasons. If the fleet has a destroyer or crusier, then a direct confrontation is a better idea if the opening air stikes fails to achieve any result. I have no idea what is their strategy and the reason for the unsual plane behaviour. "Give your all and attack!" (South Dakota) On South Dakota''s command, every gun on each of the battlesh.i.p.s bellowed with a ear-splitting roar as a searing plume of fire burst forward, leaving behind black smoke which quickly dissipated. It was so loud that I heard it twice, one directly from the monitor and another which came moments later. "This is it! 2ndCarDiv, attack squadron, launch!" (Souryuu) Souryuu shot her hand out, and the planes that were circling around them went in for an attack. All of those were Souryuu''s planes. She launched every one of them? As soon as Souryuu''s planes left, I caught a glimpse of another set emerging and following the same circling pattern. I can''t tell who launched them. The camera switched it''s focus to the planes that were moving towards the battleship group. "North Carolina!" (South Dakota) "Let''s do it." (North Carolina) As the planes begin to drop their load, a blue, translucent round canopy appeared over the battlesh.i.p.s. At the same time, South Dakota slammed her shields on the water surface. There it is, the various skills every girl in Azur Lane possess. As the bombers launched their attacks, a blue wire can be seen tethering South Dakota to the other girls. Even as they were hit by the firebombs and torpedos, they don''t seem to be receiving much damage. Rather South Dakota seems to be pain. "That''s her skill. The Strongest Shield. Every thirty seconds, She can absorb half the damage the fleet suffers and healing herself a portion of the damage. Paired with North Carolina''s skill to reduce aviation damage, it makes for a good combo. I must admit though, seeing South Dakota taking most of the damage pain me." (Commander) "Hooh~ Commander, you have feelings for Sout- Ouch! Uughh..." (San Diego) Commander flicked San Diego''s forehead before she can finish her sentence. She was about to say something embarrassing in front of everyone. "Sister, are you alright?" (Massachusetts) "Yeah. Don''t worry about me. Take care of them first." (South Dakota) A gentle blue light can be seen being absorbed into the main guns of Massachusetts. "Is the thickness of the belt armour sufficent?" (Massachusetts) Massachusetts launched a salvo of shots at the carriers. "Evade!" (Zuihou) The carriers quickly moved to avoid the incoming shots as pillars of water begin to form all around them. One of them was unlucky to get hit by a shell. "Ahhhh!" (Shouhou) "Shouhou!" (Zuihou) "Ah... I''m done for... I can''t fight like this." (Shouhou) "Shouhou, engine room explosions. Fire in hanger. Heavy damage." (Unknown) She really can''t fight in the condition she is in. That was a direct hit and she went straight into heavy damage. Not only that, her sarashi, which is the only thing protecting her chest from being in full view to the world, was torn apart and started to fall off. She clutch onto the remaining cloth on her chest as she flushed with shame. "Are we really sisters...?"(Zuihou) Zuihou muttered under her breath. "This kinda'' treatment...this is plain unjust, innit? Even tho'' we all light carriers..." (Ryuujou) Ryuujou clapped together her own chest. "Oi! Focus!" (Suzuya) Suzuya spun towards the two flat-chested carriers as they lament about their shortcomings "Don''t sway those things around!" (Zuihou and Ryuujou) Even in battle, they still can have these kind of light-hearted moments... "What the? How did that happen?!" (North Carolina) North Carolina was shocked to see the state Shouhou was in. The others were visibly surprised, but not as surprised as the former. Meanwhile, the submarines came to bring Shouhou back to port. "What is it?" (Hiryuu) "That''s what happens when you get damaged?" (North Carolina) "Yeah." (Souryuu) Souryuu responded melancholically as retrieved her surviving planes. "Th-th-this is outrageous... I have been to many places¡­I have seen a lot of sceneries, and witnessed many partings. But this..." (North Carolina) "An opening!" (Hiryuu) "Ahhh!" (North carolina) The planes circling around made a beeline towards North Carolina and bombarded her. Oh, so those belong to Hiryuu this time. It seems that some of the attacks managed to hit Arizona at the back as well. However, it wasn''t enough to take them down due to South Dakota absorbing some of the blows again. "Gh! You asked for it!" (North Carolina) The battlesh.i.p.s continued their salvo while the carriers evade and begin to retreat back to a safe distance. "Yep. I can never get tired of that." (Commander) "What? You love seeing my girls get hurt?" "No no no. Not that. The fact that their clothes get ripped off is a sight to behold. It''s bad that the get hurt in the process though." (Commander) "Commander is a pervert..." (San Diego) ''Uwah. Gross..." (Naka) "Ehh?!" (Commander) "Naka-chan belongs to everyone. She can''t just show her body to anybody!" (Naka) "Alright, now lets see whats going on right now." Ignoring the three of them, I bring my my focus back to the fight. As the carriers retreat, Ryuujou paused for a moment to summon her planes. "All you carrier aircraft! Get to work! Get to work!" (Ryuujou) Souryuu and Hiryuu prepared themselves to launch a second attack wave with their remaining aircraft. "Not this time!" (North Carolina) North Carolina and Alabama fired another salvo at the two carriers, but not before they both could launched their remaining bombers. Tower of water emerged and blocked the camera. Even without visual, we already know the outcome judging by the screams that accompanied the explosion. "Gyaah!" (Hiryuu) "Waah! Why is it the flight deck again?! It hurts!" (Souryuu) "Souryuu, flight deck destroyed. Heavy damage." (Unknown) Darkened spots can be on Souryuu''s flight deck, simulating fires and her green dougi is torn at the shoulders. The submarines came to bring her away. On the other hand, even though Hiryuu got caught in the blast, only the sleeves of her orange Dougi were torn. "Oww~" (Hiryuu) "Uuuu~ No more..." (Arizona) At the same time, Arizona got pelted with the torpedos and firebombs dropped the bombers. She just fell to her knees, crying. "Erm... Arizona... Oh this is a bad one... Arizona, magazine explosion." (Commander) As soon Commander rolled the dice and announced her outcome, Arizona cried even harder. Looks like he triggered a weird switch. Ro-chan and Goya who came to take her away are unsure on how to bring the crying battleship back to port. "Sorry. Just push her along. I will handle her later." (Commander) "Well-played..." "You are the worst." (San Diego) "It''s not my fault. I''m just following the book." (Commander) Now it''s down to a 4v4. With only three light carriers and one damaged carrier, things aren''t looking good for my girls. The opposing team still has 4 battlesh.i.p.s which are mostly unscathed, save for South Dakota, who absorbed most of the damaged dealt by the bombers despite being the flagship. However, she seems fine, as if she had recovered from most of the damage In the first place, it is weird for the flagship to play the role of vanguard. "Even I don''t know the reason why South Dakota is the flagship for this match. She is better off as a ''tank''. And with their healer out of the game, they are at a disadvantage." (Commander) "Healer? What is this, a RPG game?" "I mean, if you look at it that way, South Dakota is the tank, Arizona is the healer, Georgia and Alabama are the main damage dealers, North Carolina and Massachusetts play the role of Ranger. It''s an almost perfect set-up." (Commander) "Yep! Naka doesn''t understnad any of that." (Naka) "I don''t even know how to retort..." A loud explosion resonated through the air along with a gust of wind. "Hiryuu, engine room flood. Heavy Damage." (Unknown) Smoke emitted form South Dakota''s main guns. A light blue glow can be seen surrounding the gun barrel. Did she activate another skill? "Now the ''Tank'' has become the damage-dealer." (Commander) Yeah, tings aren''t looking good for my carriers now. We are down to 3 Light Aircraft Carriers. "It''s a little early..." (Suzuya) "Gh... Let''s do it! Suzuya! Ryuujou-chan!" "This will not go like the Solomon Sea!" (Ryuujou) "Assault squad, lau~nch!" (Suzuya) All three light carriers launched their planes. Suddenly, after launching hers, Suzuya charged forward! Why?! She is a Light Aircraft Carrier, not a Heavy cruiser or Aviation Cruiser anymore. What is she thin- Oh... I totally forgot an important aspect of hers. Suzuya isn''t just a Light Aircraft Carrier, she is a Fast Light Attack Carrier. Out of all the Light Aircraft Carriers, she has the highest firepower. I watched as she charged at the battlesh.i.p.s, rotating her anti-air guns towards the front and started firing. Those are normal AA guns, I don''t see how are they going to be effective in dealing damage to the heavily armoured Battlesh.i.p.s. Wait, now that we have clearer view, those are not AA guns, they are 15.2cm Single Gun Mounts. Even so, how can they be helpful in this situation? "Thank you for coming into range!" (North Carolina) "Why is a Light Carrier charging towards us?" (Alabama) The battlesh.i.p.s initailly surprised by Suzuya''s attack, quickly recovered and started firing at Suzuya, who successfully evaded the incoming shells, while concentrating her fire. Although, it clearly isn''t doing much. All of the shots she fired went straight into South Dakota''s shields. A loud explosion accompanied by a tower of water appeared at North Carolina''s feet. She staggered forward, receiving a decent amount of damage. A torpedo had hit her from behind. "Now I see. So that was their plan this whole time." "Another crazy idea. Just how creative can your girls get?" (Commander) "This is crazy!" (Naka) Even the people in the audience begin to understand what they were up to. The Admirals were rather impressed and shocked by this outrageous tactic. While not viable in actual combat, it is still a good, albeit ridiculous, tactic in an excercise. The tactic is simple. While Suzuya distracts them with her secondary guns, Ryuujou and Zuihou launch wave after wave of planes to bombard them. Seriously, Suzuya must be the one who came up with this idea. She just loves to pull out surprising stunts. Like the time when she used her aviation deck as a shield or when she sacrificed herself to create a smokescreen for Zuihou to ambush Nagato. Not our Nagato, the smaller Azur Lane Nagato. The battlesh.i.p.s also realised what the carriers were up to, and charged towards the two light carriers at the back. "Oh no you don''t!" (Suzuya) Suzuya fired another volley of shots at the battlesh.i.p.s, hitting North Carolina and Massachusetts. At the same time, she retrieved her planes and proceeded to launch the next air group. "Tch! Don''t mind us. We will this girl off." (North Carolina) "Go, sister." (Masschusetts) "I''m counting on you." (South Dakota) "This might be problem." (Suzuya) As Massachusetts and North Carolina gang up on Suzuya, Alabama and South Dakota head straight for Ryuujou and Zuihou. A shot can be heard as South Dakota raised her shield to block an incoming shell, while the others fell to their sides. "Wah!" (Zuihou) That shot came from Zuihou as smoke emitted from her sides while she staggered backwards. The smoke is coming from the two 15.2 Single Gun Mounts below her quiver. Even Zuihou has replaced her AA guns with Secondary guns! "This feels weird..." (Zuihou) Looks like she isn''t used to firing those yet. Was the ''it'' Suzuya was refferring to the Secondary Guns? So they planned for a shootout from the get-go. ''Go! I will hold them off." (Ryuujou) "What are planning to do?" (Zuihou) "I don''t know. Maybe block ''em or somethin''. Anyway, take some of my planes with ya." (Ryuujou) Ryuujou attempted to buy some time for Zuihou to reposition herself. She did succeed a little, I suppose. Alabama suddenly stopped in front of Ryuujou, looking dowwn at her. She appears somewhat confused. "Wh-what?" (Ryuujou) "I didn''t know the Japanese have a Destroyer that can launch planes." (Alabama) She said as she lowered herself to examine the small light aircraft carrier. "HUH?! Listen ''ere, you! I''m a full-fledged carrier, I tell ya! Who are ya callin'' a Destroyer, eh?!" (Ryuujou) At least, she stopped one of them. In the meantime, South Dakota chased after Zuihou while being bombarded by the surrounding aircraft. "Oh for the love of- Let''s end this, shrimp!" (South Dakota) Zuihou turned around and fired her Secondary guns, which were obviously blocked by South Dakota''s shields. "That won''t work. You''ll need to try harder than that." (South Dakota) "Even with reduced numbers, we''re the best!" (Zuihou) Unbeknownst to South Dakota, a group of bombers were approaching her from behind. No, she probably detected them but is focusing on the enemy flagship in front of her. South Dakota''s main guns started to glow blue. "Looks like this is the end." (Commander) "This shall be your end." (South Dakota) As her guns bellowed, the bombers dropped their load on their target. Towers of water and smoke appeared at both sh.i.p.s. It''s hard to see who got hit first. "Excersice, finished." (Unknown) Chapter 125 - 112 Even though it''s evening already, there are still so many girls frolicking about. I sat at a table of one of the many food stalls set up at the beach, waiting for my food to arrive. Joining me is Rondo, Rei and Commander. "That was a nice fight." (Rei) "A little ridiculous though. The other Admirals were all perplexed by the tactics your girls used. Who would have expected a Carrier to equip Secondary guns and charge straight into battle?" (Rondo) "Yeah. Father was ranting on how the tactics and protocols being used were all wrong." (Rei) "Come on. I didn''t know what they were planning. I just left them to their devices. Besides, this was just an excercise for fun." "Oho, don''t let Akihito hear that. He will definitely tear you a new one." (Rondo) "Still, what was up with that verdict? That was the first time I heard about such a thing in a excercise." (Commander) During the climax of the battle, Zuihou''s Suisei bombers managed to land a direct hit on South Dakota, causing a ''magazine explosion'' and dealing ''heavy damage'' to the battleship. Likewise, Zuihou got hit by South Dakota''s enhanced shells, resulting in a ''destroyed superstructure'' and ''explosions'' in her hanger and engine room. That was what the battle records said. Since the objective of both teams were to take out the flagship, the excercise ended with a tie, as both flagsh.i.p.s were knocked out of battle. Usually, the results would take into account the number of sh.i.p.s left on both sides before announcing the results. Nonetheless, Commander and I got the results we wanted. Sitting at the table next to us, the carriers were chatting happily with the battlesh.i.p.s. It''s as though they were friends all this time, even though they have been avoiding each other these past two weeks. However, there is one missing from the group. "I''m back." (Zuihou) Speak of the devil. Zuihou walked up to her companions. Instead of her usual ponytail, her hair was tied in a low ponytail. "Welcome back. How was it?" (Suzuya) "I''m fine. Just some ointment did the trick." (Zuihou) One of the shells that hit Zuihou didn''t explode like it should. Instead, it hit her square in the forehead. She was at Akashi''s for an examination. I guess it wasn''t anything serious if she returned and I haven''t received any report. "Ahaha. Sorry, shrimp. I never thought it could malfunction like that." (South Dakota) "Geez. It hurts, you know." (Zuihou) "Zuihou, what did Akashi say?" "It''s just a bump. Good thing it didn''t fragment. Otherwise, it would have been worse. That''s what Akashi-san said." (Zuihou) Just to be safe, I will check with Akashi later. It''s not like I don''t trust her. This girl has the tendency to hide things about herself from me. "By the way, what did you want to ask me? Before Suzuya came to drag you away." "Oh yeah. That happened." (Suzuya) "Ah... Erm... I wanted to... Can we go explore the stores a bit?" (Zuihou) Oh? That was it? "Me too! I wanna- mmph!" "Yea'' yea'' It ain''t your turn today." (Ryuujou) Ryuujou went over to silence Rei. Thanks Ryuujou. "Now, go on." (Shouhou) Shouhou pushed me towards Zuihou with a little too much force. "Woah!" "Hyaa!" (Zuihou) Zuihou welped in surprise as she suddenly herself in my grasp. "Shall we go?" "Y-yes..." (Zuihou) "Have fun you too." (Souryuu) "Oh by the way," (Rondo) Before we left, Rondo called out to us. "There is a large-scale operation coming up. I will give you the details later." (Rondo) "Really? When?" (Suzuya) "Finally some action!" (Hiryuu) "What is it? I heard we have an operation coming up." (Isuzu) "Bismarck Nee-sama, did you hear that? An operation!" (Prinz Eugen) "Oh boy. Maybe I shouldn''t have said that out loud." (Rondo) All the shipgirls nearby started to gather around Rondo, asking for details about the operation he mentioned. Everyone is bored from staying in base with nothing much to do. Once they heard that they will be going out to sea again, their eyes gleamed with excitement. "Let''s go." "Yes!" (Zuihou) Anyway, it''s time to enjoy my mini-date. The both of us went around the stores. It''s the second time I''m going around the stores, but lets leave that part out. As the sun sets, the mood became similar to that of a town''s summer festival. A bonfire was set up in the middle of the field. There is an Ondo dance session happening nearby, with Maikaze and the Kongou Sisters at its centre. The shipgirls are becoming nosier and more active. It was way different from this afternoon. I passed by the other Admiral''s and we have a short chat about the excercise before they get pulled along by their companion. "Admiral, ahhh~" (Zuihou) Not again... Zuihou brought up a piping hot Takoyaki near my face. It''s like that time with Avrora all over again. "Hey. I can eat it myself." "Hurry up. It''s going to drop." (Zuihou) These girls love to put me in the spot. I opened my mouth and took the Takoyaki. It was a mistake. "Hwat! Hwat!" I know she blew on it but the insides were still hot! "Ah sorry! Are you alright?" (Zuihou) I signalled to her that I''m fine while trying to blow on this little fireball in my mouth. I probably look ridiculous right now. Apart from it being too hot, it''s quite delicious. We continued walking around. As time passes, the crowd becomes thinner as the girls from the other districts begin to leave. The other Admirals came to inform me that they will be taking their leave and went to the port. I guess they came by sea. If they came in through the front gate, I would have have been notified earlier. "It''s gotten quiet." (Zuihou) "Yeah. Even though this blew up way beyond what I expect." "Heehee. It was fun in a way." (Zuihou) As we continued walking among the closing shops, something caught my eye in a distance. Just beyond the North Union Dorm, two shadowy figures can be seen under a tree. Wow, the fairies really went all out in setting up. I didn''t notice at first, but the rows of stores extend to the dormitory areas. "Shhh~ Come here." "Eh?" I whispered to Zuihou and went to get a closer look on our shadow figures. With a little help from the moonlight, I can barely make out who they were. Standing under the large tree was the silhoutte of a man and a woman. A rather tall woman, in fact. "Is that...?" (Zuihou) "Yeah. It''s them." It was South Dakota and Commander. Of all the spots to pick, they just have to do it there. What we are seeing now, is a confession. "I choose how I live, was what you said... This time, I fight not for my duty, but for the sake of your smile, Commander." (South Dakota) "South Dakota..." (Commander) "When I''m by your side, I feel warm. Whenever you spoke to me, I feel happy. I always thought it was weird for a weapon like me to have these feelings, but now I understand. This is... proof. Proof that we are alive. That why... I..." (South Dakota) Come on! You can do it! "Commander, I love you. From now on, let me give you my heart." (South Dakota) "Finally... I have been wating for you, South Dakota. Me too. I love you too." (Commander) We watched as the both of them embraced each other. Wow. I never thought I would see such a confession in real-life. I always saw this kind of confession in drama series or in anime and manga, where both parties confess under a tree or along the pavement. Those kinds were the only ones I know of. That and my own personal experience with Zuihou. Speaking of which, she has been rather quiet for a while now. I turned to look at Zuihou at my side. Her face was red and there is some tears in her eyes. She''s crying? Zuihou reached out and grabbed my sleeves. It wasn''t for any purpose. She just held on to me, even after we snuck away. I wonder what is she feeling now. "Zuihou, you have been acing strange for a while now. What''s wrong?" "Is that... how a real confession should be like?" (Zuihou) Was she bothered by that? "Hmm... I don''t think a confession needs to follow a certain pattern. Two people can just meet up and declare their love for one another. It''s not like they need to do on under a tree." "Really? Our confession... Was it weird?" (Zuihou) Yeah. She is definitely bothered by it. "To be honest, it was unusual. Under those circ.u.mstances, who would have thought of confessing?" "I knew it..." (Zuihou) "But it''s unique. Our very own, special kind of experience. I don''t think anyone has done it that way before. So, you don''t need to be worried about such a thing." Her expression seems to have brightened up a bit. After watching South Dakota''s confession, she must have been thinking about that day we became lovers. She confessed her love for me after pushing me on to the floor when I teased her. In a way, it was weird, but these girls don''t have such experiences. So to them, it might be the normal way. Seeing things done differently may have confused them. Even though Zuihou is smiling, there seems to be something on her mind. "Erm... Admiral?" ((Zuihou) "Yeah?" "Tonight... It''s been a while... Uuhhh..." (Zuihou) Zuihu squirmed as she tried to say something. Actually, I kind of know what she wants now. I know that I haven''t been paying much attention to her lately. The construction and workload I have been getting keeps me from spending time with her. Even earlier today, she dragged away to formulate a strategy for their excercise. "Got it. Go get you stuff and wait for me in my room." "Yeah... I''ll be waiting..." (Zuihou) She gave me a peck on the cheek before making her way to the carrier dormitory. Maybe I was wrong about her hiding things from me. She obviously doesn''t hide her love from me. I should get ready too. "Ah. There you are." (Commander) I heard the Commander calling out from behind. He and South Dakota walked up to me, with their fingers interlocked. "What''s up?" "I just want to let you know, we will be taking our leave now." (Commander) "I see. Thank you for help these two weeks." "It''s been a pleasure. Thank you for your hospitality and your help. We might visit again someday." (South Dakota) "I''m looking forward to it." "Oh, by the way, tommorrow I sending the two remaining members of the North Union. They will help in the furnishing." (Commander) So that''s why there were eight rooms. "Got it. I will do the transfer work on my end." "Bye now." (Commander) "Till we meet again. And send that shrimp my regards." (South Dakota) I watched as those two disappeared into the night. I should probably go back now. It''s going to be a long and fun night. Chapter 126 - 113 In the practice area, the distinct sounds of cannon fire can heard as the Northern Union girls face off against one another. "Waaahhh!" (Minsk) Minsk fall over after getting hit by a practice. "Oww~" (Minsk) "Comrade, you have gotten slower! You should have been able to dodge that!" (???) I watched them from the side. The one that caused Minsk to go down was a tall woman in a white coat. Her rigging resembles a pair of frozen Abyssal Ro-Class Destroyers fitted with Triple 305mm Main guns. This woman is a drednought Battleship from the North Union. Gangut-class battleship, Gangut. "Is that all you can do? Stand up! We are not done yet!" (Gangut) "Y-yes!" (Minsk) "Next up, Comrade Tashkent!" (Gangut) "Eep!" (Tashkent) "Hit me with all you got!" (Gangut) It has been five days since that practice match. The following day, I was suprised to see two large battleship girls show up at port. They were the two remaining North Union girls that will be under my command. They look scary at first, but Avrora and the others seem to have a huge respect for the both of them. Fusou and Yamashiro look like they want to be friends with the both of them. Probably since they are fellow battlesh.i.p.s. Since there is going to be a large-scale operation coming up, training sessions, expeditions and sorties have resumed. Today, it was the North Union''s turn to use the practice area. While Gangut trains the Destroyers, the light cruisers receive their own from the other Battleship girl. "You need to be solid as a rock! Don''t forget your pletorian values!" (???) Training the light crusiers is Sovetsky Soyuz-class battleship, Sovetskaya Rossiya. Like the rest of the North Union, her outfit consist of a white coat and white hat. Her riggings are similar to Gangut''s, with four frozen Abyssal Ro-Class Destroyers fitted with battleship main guns. With two more battlesh.i.p.s added to my fleet, I have to admit I am extremly happy about it. More firepower and sh.i.p.s means more fleet compositions. I can create a fleet which mainly focuses on shelling or one that provides both air superiority and superior fire power at the same time. Sorties and operations are going to be easier from now on! Anyway, I think it''s time to return to office. Ooyodo is going to nag at me again if I don''t hand up those reports. I got up and dust myself. Summer is almost here. I can almost see it. Once this rainy season passes, it''s time for swimsuit season again. Speaking of the rainy season, the dark clouds are coming back. "You guys better finish soon! It''s going to rain again!" I tried shouting at them. I think Sovetskaya heard me. She raised her hand up while blocking a shot from Avrora. Even if she didn''t get my message, they would understand it soon enough. ------------------------------------------------- The calming sound of raindrops pattering against my window is something I enjoy during this wet season. There is just something serene about this noise. It has been raining ever since I returned to the office. Zuihou was waiting for me, ready to help out with the paperwork. I half-expected Shigure to come in after a while, but since there isn''t any thunder, she is probably just idling in her room. She is extremely scared of thunder, but loves the rain. Her name does have the word ''rain'' in it after all. That actually applies to most of the Shiratsuyu class. "So many rainy days. It''s the rainy season. It''s nice how the rain makes the Naval Base peaceful. Ufufu?" (Zuihou) "Yeah. I like the sound it makes." "Anyway, you want to observe the North Union training session, right? How was it?" (Zuihou) "Erm... It is different from how we do our training. Instead of the usual obstacle course, they treat it like an excercise." "So, they..." (Zuihou) "Yep. They fire practice rounds at each other." "Heeh~ That sounds rough." (Zuihou) "Mew~" (Kou) "See, even Kou-kun agrees." (Zuihou) Wait... "Kou-kun? When did you appear?" Kou-kun, one of our resident kittens, was getting comfortable on the coffee table. "Kou-kun has been here for a while. You didn''t see him?" (Zuihou) I didn''t even notice him. Kou-kun hopped of the coffee table, walked towards me, and jumped onto my lap. Cute... He let out a soft purr as I gently pet his head. Just like that, my legs have became a pillow for this kitten. I let him rest there until my legs started to feel numb. This might be a problem... "Zuihou," "Yes?" (Zuihou) "How do you move a sleeping cat without waking it up?" "What kind of question is that?" (Zuihou) It was only after I rubbed his back for a while, then Kou-kun decided that he has had enough and leaped off. By then, the rain has became a drizzle and the Shiratsuyu sisters are already outside frolicking in the rain. Zuihou was looking at me with a mischevious smile... "Zuihou... Don''t you dare. No. No! Ow! Stop it!" Taking the chance, Zuihou decided to have some fun and started poking at my numb legs. I can feel a jolt of electricity run through my legs everytime she poked me. Look at that smug face of hers. I''ll get back at her for this. Chapter 127 - 114 "Report. Our comrades have eliminated an Abyssal fleet spotted near the base." (Gangut) "I see. Good work on that. And... Umm..." "What is it?" (Gangut) "You are too close." Gangut stood right at the opposite end of the table and leaned towards me, as if inspecting every inch of my body. All this while, she has been glaring at me. "Is that so? Sorry, I just have to see what our Admiral is like. I have heard stories, you see." (Gangut) I have a bad feeling about this. "Mind if I ask what are some of the stories you heard?" "Comrade Pamiat told me that you were what they call a ''lolicon''. And that you you all sorts of lewd stuff even during office hours." (Gangut) I almost fell off my chair when she said that. Dammit Pamiat! I told you not to tell anyone! "But you don''t look like such a person. The others told me how kind and caring you are. You seem like a capable commander based on your subordinate''s performance. It''s hard to think that you are a lolicon and that you frequently engaged in such acts." (Gangut) Sorry to burst you bubble, but that kind of true. In fact, it was about to take place before you came in. I glanced at the pervert hiding under the table. Good. She isn''t doing anything at the moment. "Ahaha. That''s an exaggeration. The girls are the one trying their hardest. I just give orders." "The commander''s orders are the ones that determine the fate of his subordinates. The fact that only two shipgirls sunk under your command since you took charge is a feat itself. You should be pr-" (Gangut) "Gangut!" Gangut flinched a little. "Please. Do not talk about that incident." "I-I understand. Please pardon me for running my mouth." (Gangut) The atmosphere became weird all of a sudden. I took a deep breath, "It''s okay. You didn''t know after all. Again, thank you for the report." "I''ll take my leave then." (Gangut) With that, Gangut walked out of the office. Ahhh... I messed up! When she mentioned that incident, I can''t help but feel angry about it. I shouldn''t have lost my composure. It has been years since that fateful day. Although Zuihou and Shigure came back, I still regret causing them to sink in the first place. I can''t believe she went ahead and dug up my old records though. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have known. I felt a tap on my knee. "Admiral, are you okay?" (Zuihou) Zuihou peeked out from under the desk. Contrary to what Gangut just said, we were about to have some fun before she the battleship came in to give her report. Instinctively, Zuihou quickly hid under the table. Looks like while we were talking, Zuihou took the time to fix her clothes. Not like I''m in the mood anymore. "I''m fine. I''m fine." Zuihou crawled out from under the table and sat on my lap. She placed both hands on my cheek and looked at me straight in the eyes. "Really? You don''t look fine to me. I can tell, you know." (Zuihou) "I told you, I''m fine." "It''s about me and Shigure again?" (Zuihou) "What are y-" "I know. You always have this worried look on your face whenever we sortie. And Gangut-san mentioned that two shipgirls actually sunk. Tell me. Those two shipgirls that sunk back then... Was it me and Shigure?" (Zuihou) This is bad! I was trying to hide that fact from them. Zuihou is on to me. "Please. Tell me the truth. This is not my first time meeting Admiral, right?" (Zuihou) I need to talk my way out of... No. I can''t. Not when she is giving me that pained expression... This is so unfair... "Got it. Try to stay calm." She will definitely react badly to this, "When you came to this base, it was my second time meeting you. Four years ago, you sunk and returned." Suddenly, I felt her grip tightened a little. Her hands also started to shake a bit. Tears fliwed down her cheeks. Her voice quivered as she spoke, "I knew it... So.. rry. I just... *sniff* I don''t know... Why am I... *hic* Admiral..." (Zuihou) This is why I didn''t want to tell them. I gently stroked her head until she calmed down. --------------------------------------------------------------------- "Sor- *sniff* -ry. I suddenly felt scared and depressed all of a sudden." (Zuihou) "That''s okay. It''s normal to feel that way." "I see. So it''s true. That explains why everything was so familiar when I woke up that day. Even though it was supposed to be my first time. And you said you don''t want to lose us again before." (Zuihou) "Sorry for hiding it." Zuihou shook her head. "It''s fine. It''s not like telling me about it will help with anything. Its just that... Whenever I thought about sinking... I get so scared. At the same time, I can''t help but think about what the other Zuihou felt. How it must have felt to be swallowed up by the ocean... The memories she lost... What could have happened if she didn''t sink..." (Zuihou) The waterworks are starting again. "It''s like... I stole her life! The other Zuihou would have been Admiral''s girlfriend by now! If she was still here..." (Zuihou) This is one of the reasons why I didn''t want to tell them about their sinking. They become sensitive and get all sorts of weird negative ideas. I can understand that it can come as a shock, knowing that there was another version of you in the past and all things that could have happened, but... I embraced her again, "Stupid... You are thinking too much..." "But... *hic* I''m... The other..." (Zuihou) "Calm down. First take a deep breath." Zuihou did as I told. The quivering voice and sniffling from before began to disappear. "Now, do you love me?" "Yes. I love Admiral." (Zuihou) "Do you care for everyone in this base?" "Yes. They are all my precious friends." (Zuihou) "Then, that''s all that matters." I gently pushed her shoulders and touched her cheek, "You are you. The past version of you doesn''t matter. Sure, the previous Zuihou and I may have been lovers, but maybe we didn''t. We became a couple because of your current actions. You were the one that told me that you love me. So, you don''t need to feel like you stole someone''s life." "Is it really okay? I''m not the first Zuihou." (Zuihou) Zuihou looks like she still has some doubts in her. I wiped a tear from her eye. "But you are the one I love. That''s an indisputable fact." I kissed her deeply. Her tense body soon relaxed. After a while, she broke away to catch her breath. "I love you, Zuihou." "Me too. I love you, Admiral." (Zuihou) Suddenly, there was shouting coming from outside, "What are you two doing poi? Yuudachi wants join poi!" (yuudachi) "Wait! Yuudachi! Sutoppu! Waah!" (Suzuya) "Waah!" (Agano) The door swung open as Yuudachi, Agano and Suzuya came crashing onto the floor. "Oww... Ehehe... Kirari~n!" (Agano) "Ahahaha. ''Sup!" (Suzuya) "How long have you been there?" (Zuihou) "Um... From ''I love Admiral'' onwards." (Suzuya) "I didn''t know you can be that passionate, Admiral." (Agano) So around the second half of our talk. Why do these girls always like to eavesdrop? Zuihou''s face turned beet-red. "Ahh! Not fair poi! Yuudachi also wants to hug Admiral poi!" (Yuudachi) Yuudachi skipped over to us. At least she doesn''t know what we were doing before. How innocent. Zuihou moved away as Yuudachi lunged at me... Again. I gave her a pat on the head. Meanwhile, the other two sandwiched Zuihou. "Agano? Suzuya? What are you-?" (Zuihou) "Zuihou is Zuihou. There are no past or future ones." (Suzuya) "That''s right. You will always be our friend and our flagship." (Agano) Tears welled up in Zuihou''s eyes. This time, it wasn''t the sad type. Chapter 128 - 115 Since I''m on leave for the day, I decided to do some shopping at the mall. I going to need to buy some treats for the girls back home. And the plushy I promised Yamakaze. The treats are simple enough. The main problem is choosing the plushy. I don''t know which one would she like. This store has way too much choices. As I was in the midst of deciding, I felt a tap on my shoulder. "Yo. Long time no see." (???) I can hear her voice but I can''t see her. Only when I look down then I noticed who it was. A short girl with shoulder length back hair stood behind me, smiling. She was wearing a pink jacket over a purple dress. At first glance, she looks like a middle school girl, but in fact, she is the same age as me. "Lisa-chan! Long time no see!" This girl''s name is Amano Lisa. We were classmates and fellow dance club members back in highschool. We used have long practice sessions together, hang out with the others after club activities, go out for movie sessions, having dinner at a restaurant, even booking a studio to practice for an upcoming performance. Those were the days. I''m surprised to see her here. She was supposed to be in Tokyo. "What are doing here?" That was a stupid question. Of course she is here to shop. Why else would you be at mall? "Just hanging around. I was finally forced to clear my leave. So I figured I came back for a day or two." (Lisa) "Oh right, you are in the police force." "Yep. In the forensic department. We are busy almost everyday. I can''t say much. Classified stuff." (Lisa) "I see. That''s sounds rough. Isn''t Kihara-kun with you?" "He is at the hotel. Say he wants to sleep in for the day." (Lisa) Kihara-kun is her ridiculously tall husband. He was our junior back then. We were surprised when we discovered they were dating. The difference in size is amazing when they stand side-by-side. "What about you? You look like you are having some trouble." (Lisa) "Well, I can''t seem to choose the right plushy." "For your girlfriend?" (Lisa) "No. More like my daughter. Ah!" Crap. I worded my sentence wrong. "No. I mean-" "No way! You''re married?! When?! Why didn''t invite me?" (Lisa) ------------------------------------------------------- "Ooh~ So you became one of those ''Admirals''. I thought you finally had a family on your own." (Lisa) "Ahaha. That''s a bit of a stretch." Although, I did think about it. After managing to settle her down and buying a green teddy bear, we took our chat to a nearby dessert shop. "Hehe. You finally got a little harem of yours." (Lisa) "Umm... Not really. I see myself more of a father figure to them. Well, most of them at least." "Aha. So you have eyes on one of them. So, how is she? Cute? Beautiful? How is she like?" (Lisa) "What are you? My mom?" I talked to her about Zuihou. How she enjoyed cooking, how fun it was just spending time with her, the antics she would get up to and all sorts of stuff. Of course, I made sure to stay away from the more sensitive and confidential stuff. I''m surprised that I can talk this much to her even though we haven''t spoken for a long time. It feels like we are back in highschool. How nostalgic. "You must really be in love with her. I never thought the little boy back in highschool has grown to be such a man." (Lisa) "While you haven''t grown much." "Hey!" (Lisa) "Hahahaha! Sorry. I just had to." "Geez! As punishment, you need to go shopping with me!" (Lisa) "Yeah yeah. I''ll follow you." I need to buy more stuff anyway. Our first stop was a clothing store. As expected, she hasn''t change much. Lisa still likes to dress up. It is a little awkward for a guy to be at a store that specialises in women clothing, but there is one thing I would like to get. While Lisa chooses her dress, I went to the lingerie section. As I thought, the men that came along with their partners are all gathered at one corner while their partners choose goods. There are some unlucky ones who got dragged by their girlfriends to assist in the choosing. As for me, this is extremely awkward! But it''s for the sake of my fantasies. There are so many varieties to choose from, I wonder which one is the perfect fit. "Um... Excuse me, sir?" (???) Oh boy. Here comes the hard part. A store clerk approached me with an awkward smile. I can see the other customers giving me some dirty looks. "Can I help you?" (Store clerk) Stay calm. Just act natural. "Yeah. I''m looking buy a present. For my girlfriend." Who buys a babydoll as a present?! "I-I see. Do you know what size she wears?" (Store clerk) The store clerk is trying her best to keep up her smile. She is definitely think that I''m a pervert. She is not wrong though. "Erm... She is about this height. A little bit on the small side." "There you are! Why did you just lea- Huh?" (Lisa) Great timing! "A little taller than her, but flater." I pointed at Lisa as I spoke to the store clerk. "I see. I reccommend this selection then." (Store clerk) "Did you just use me as a measuremnt?! And what are you buying?!" (Lisa) In the end, I settled for a semi-transparent, pink babydoll. You can never go wrng with a classic style. "Stop making that creepy smile. It''s gross." (Lisa) "Oi..." We hung around the mall for a little while, playing at the arcade, eating more desserts. Basically relieving our youthful days. Though, it is weird without the rest of the clique. "Phew. Today was fun." (Lisa) "Yeah. I''m surprised you can keep up with all those moves. I can barely keep up." "Well, Kihara-kun is still dance freak. I join his hip-hop dance sessions from time to time." (Lisa) "We should meet up again some time. Let''s invite the rest." "Good idea! It''s been a long time since we all hang out. Oh. Before you go," Lisa took out her phone and scoot over to me, "A commemorative photo!" (Lisa) We took a few shots together. "I''ll send you the photos later." (Lisa) And so, we part ways. Lisa said she will be returning to the hotel to pick her husband up for lunch. As for me, the girls are waiting for me back at the base. When I returned, Yuudachi and Shigure were waiting for me at the gate. "Admiral-san, welcome home poi!" (Yuudachi) "Welcome home, Admiral. How was it?" (Shigure) "I''m back. I brought a lot of stuff for everyone." "Hmm? *sniff* *sniff* Admiral-san, there is a weird smell poi." (Yuudachi) "Really?" "Yeah. It''s an unknown scent." (Shigure) Don''t tell me... "Admiral, was there someone else with you?" (Shigure) Yeah. I knew this would happen. "Ah. I met my highschool friend. She came here for a vacation." "I see." (Shigure) "More importantly, what did you buy, Admiral-san?" (Yuudachi) "Here. Some snacks and drinks. Share it with the rest, ''kay?" "Yay! Let''s go, Shigure!" (Yuudachi) Yuudachi grabbed the bags of food and ran off with Shigure in tow. "Wait, Yuudachi!" (Shigure) Now then, where is Yamakaze''s room? I walked to the destroyer''s dormitory to look for her room. She shares her room with Harusame and Shiratsuyu. There it is. I knocked on the door and waited for a few seconds. No response... "Pardon my intrusion..." I slowly opened the door. The lights were off and there''s nobo- Nope. There is someone here. On the top bed, barely illuminated by the corridor lights, I can see a fluff of green hair sticking out of the covers. That''s Yamakaze''s bed. She sleeps this early? Did she have an expedition today? I crept over to her, took the green teddy bear out of the bag, and gently set it by her side. I also left a small note in its arms, so she wouldn''t be so confused when she wakes up. With that done, I quickly made my exit. I don''t want to get caught sneaking into a another girl''s room while she is sleeping. When I returned to my office, Zuihou was waiting for me. "I''m back." "Welcome hom- Hmm?" (Zuihou) Zuihou pranced over to me, but stopped midway and glared. "Wh-what?" "The smell of another woman.." (Zuihou) You too?! "No. It''s not what you''re thinking. I just came across my highschool friend. That''s all." "Really? You just came across your highschool friend?" (Zuihou) I frantically nod my head. She seems doubtful, but she accepted it nonetheless. "Anyway, I have something for you." "?" (Zuihou) I gave her the bag containing the babydoll. She took one look into the bag and immediately figured out what it was. She immediately turned red and started to stutter, "Th-t-this i-is..." (Zuihou) "You know what to do in the future." "Thi-this is tr-transparent! H-how can I? Admiral, you pervert!" (Zuihou) As she started flailing her arms at me, my phone notifications started to go off. Chapter 129 - 116 Towers of water and smoke formed all over the place as the shells and bombs miss their target. While Suzuya and Zuihou prepared to launch the next group of bombers, Sovetskaya Rossiya and Gangut carry on their assault against the Battleship Water Demon. Avrora and Chapayev concentrate on taking out its escorts and evading attacks. We received a report of a dangerous Abyssal fleet roaming around the Eastern Sea Area. I thought of letting the North Union fleet handle this since this is going to be their first actual sortie since they came to the base. I assumed the dangerous fleet was a battleship fleet, not a fleet with a Battleship Water Demon. Someone at HQ isn''t doing their job properly. "Suzuya, help Avrora and Chapayev take out the escorts. Gangut and Sovetskaya, focus your attacks on the Water Demon. Use your skills once they are ready. Time it with Avrora''s." I watched as the girls take out the Abyssal fleet. Zuihou and Suzuya have some experience fighting this beast, but not the North Union girls. While risky, this is a good experience for them. "That looks scary..." (Pamiat) "Ughh..." (Grozny) The other North Union girls are with me in the command room, observing the fight. I want them to observe and learn how to fight one if they need to. "Even the high-ranking Sirens are not that big." (Tashkent) With the escorts eliminated, what''s left is the Water demon itself. "Not bad... are you..." (Water Demon) "It speaks?!" (Chapayev) "All units, focus on the Water Demon." There was a lot of explosions and smoke as the fleet threw everything they had at their target. It was not long until the Water Demon was on its last legs. "Within the light of dawn are spilled blood and raging flames..." (Avrora) Avrora''s final salvo finally brought it down. The Water Demon screamed as it begin to disappear under the surface. "Light... overflowing... on the water... I too... yes..." (Water Demon) "Augh... I still can''t get used to that."(Suzuya) "She sounds... sad." (Avrora) "These enemies are entirely different from what we are used to." (Sovetskaya) "Well, that''s how things are over here. Anyway, good work. Return imme-" "Unknown aircr- Hiiiiiieee!!!" (Zuihou) Zuihou shuddered and let out a shriek before hiding behind Sovetskaya. "Zuihou, what''s wrong?" (Suzuya) "What''s the matter, little one?" (Sovetskaya) On the moniter, I can six green markers approaching their location. Allies. For Zuihou to act like that, there could only be one reason. "Hm? I was wondering why was there an explosion in the middle of nowhere. So it was you guys." (???) A familiar aircraft carrier with her signature eagle and uniform arrived with two other carriers and three cruisers. It was Enterprise from Azur Lane. And one of Zuihou''s historical enemies. Actually, most of the carriers that participated in that battle are her enemies. Even she doesn''t know the owner of the planes that sunk her. "Oh. If it isn''t Comrade Enterprise. What are you doing here?" (Gangut) "We were returning from a commission when we spotted some explosions nearby. So we came to check it out. Didn''t expect you guys to be here." (Enterprise) "Comrade Gangut, who is this fine lady?" (Avrora) Oh right. Apart for Gangut and Sovetskaya, the other girls haven''t got a chance to meet their allies. As they make their introductions, Sovetskaya and Suzuya try to comfort the frightened light aircraft carrier. "Looks like she still hates me..." (Enterprise) "Eh? I thought she was already alright with you." (Hornet) "Well, it seemed like it back then." (Enterprise) "You did something to her?" (Sovetskaya) "Long story." (Enterprise) Time to get her out of there. She is already at her limit. "All right girls. Time to come home. We can catch up later." "Sorry. I received orders to return back to base. We will talk some other time." (Gangut) "I will be looking forward to it." (Enterprise) Gangut and Enterprise bumped fists, before going their separate ways. I turned to the remaining North Union girls, "What do you think about that demon?" "It''s scary, but something about it makes me feel sad..." (Tashkent) "There aren''t anymore like that, right?" (Pamiat) "Unfortunately, no. There are ''Princess''s types. And not the ones you are thinking about. Anyway, you should be learning about them from Kashima this week." "Another lesson with Comrade Kashima? Yes!" (Minsk) "Delicious...treats...." (Grozny) That got them hyped up. Kashima''s lessons are always enjoyable and easy to understand. As expected of a Training Cruiser. The girls will be back soon. I should greet them as soon as they return. ---------------------------------------------------- It was notlong before Sovetskaya and the others entered my office for their report and debrief. "The fleet has returned safely!" (Sovetskaya) "Good work. Sorry to make you girls fight a hard one all of a sudden." "It was a shocking, but a good experience." (Chapayev) "And we met a special someone. Right, Zuihou?" (Suzuya) "Shut up..." (Zuihou) Looks like she is feeling better. I was a little worried when she started to cower behind Sovetskaya. I thought she will relapse again. "Umm... Admiral...-san?" (Avrora) "What is it?" Avrora appraoched me. She looked away while playing with her fingers. She wants to ask for something, doesn''t she? I have seen that behavior one too many times. "I did well, didn''t I?" (Avrora) "Y-yeah." "Then, can you do that thing with your hand on my head?" (Avrora) Avroa took of her hat and looked at me with anticipation. Oh, a headpat. She wants to be praised. "Good work." I placed a hand on her head and stroked through her hair. It''s surprisely soft and silky despite being hidden under that thick woolly hat of hers. "Ehehe~" (Avrora) Avrora looks extremely happy. "Hey, comrade! Remember our laws! We must always be fair!" (Gangut) "Ah! Sorry! It''s just that... this feels good~" (Avrora) "Is that so? Then I shall experience this myself." (Sovetskaya) Sovetskaya took off her hat as well. "Now, Admiral. If you would." (Sovetskaya) "Uh. Okay." As I pat their heads, I felt a tug on the hem of my shirt. Zuihou stood beside me, looking away. "Oho..." (Suzuya) Suzuya had a smug look, before approaching me. "Me next! I want some of Admiral''s love too. Heehee." (Suzuya "Wha-?!" (Zuihou) "Hmm? What''s wrong?" "N-nothing..." (Zuihou) There is clearly something wrong... As I pat Suzuya''s head, she gestured me to come closer and whispered into my ear, "Make sure you give her Admiral''s special love, ''kay?" (Suzuya) "Huh?" Suzuya just winked before switching with the next girl in line. "I will go take a bath first." (Suzuya) Suzuya gave a thumbs-up and left the office. What was that about? Anyway, this will take a while. Once I finished giving all of them their headpats, they all have a blissful look of satisfaction on their face as they left. All but one that is. Zuihou has been extremely quiet ever since she returned. "Are you okay? Did something happen?" She just turned away, pouting. Okay... At least now I know it''s not about the American carriers. I thought she was traumatised by them again. If it was, she wouldn''t be acting like this. For some reason, she is jealous. Suzuya''s words echoed through my head. So that''s what she meant. It''s still early though. And there is still quite a bit of paperwork to finish. For now, "Zuihou, come here for a sec." "What is it?" (Zuihou) When she got close enough, I lift her off the ground and sat on in my lap. "...Eh?" (Zuihou) I stroked her head. "Wh-what is this? Eh?" (Zuihou) Since I have the chance, I want to try something. I whispered into her ear, "You''re perfect, Zuihou." "!!!" (Zuihou) Zuihou''s body shook a little. Looks like there''s some effect. Just to be sure, "I love you, Zuihou." Zuihou reacted again. It''s working. I always wanted to try this ASMR thing. And it''s interesting to see her reactions. I continued whispering sweet things into her ear. Zuihou would sometimes instinctively move away a bit, but she didn''t escape, even though I''m not holding her. She seems to be enjoying this as well. For some reason, my lap feels a little wet... "Zuihou..." "Nn!!!" (Zuihou) Zuihou''s body shook uncontrollably. It then occured to me what she was doing. "Zuihou, you..!!!" "Hah... Hah..." (Zuihou) This is a first... "Admiral... More..." (Zuihou) "Eh?" Zuihou turned to face me, making a longing face. Yep. It''s still daytime but... "You really are a needy shipgirl, Zuihou." I caressed her cheek, before carrying her to my bedroom. Chapter 130 - 117 Let''s see... We have almost reached full capacity on fuel and steel. Ammo and bauxite is more than sufficient. The girls could use more training to get them ready for the operation. There''s also the issue with fleet compositions. I will wait for more information before assigning roles. I think that''s it for now. It''s already late at night already. There were some distractions along the way, but I finally finished all of my paperwork foor the day. I turned to look at the girl who caused me to work till this late. Zuihou is sleeping so soundly on the bed. I didn''t expect my little experiment to turn out like that. It was fun, as usual. Halfway through, I could hear someone outside in the office. I tried to stop but Zuihou won''t let me. On top of that, she was m.o.a.ning so loud that I had to cover her mouth to muffle the sound. And after that she just fell asleep. How carefree of her. Oh right. It''s almost Zuihou''s birthday, followed by Murasame then Yuudachi. I wonder what should I give them this year. I gave Zuihou a glove and held a party for the three of them. I should try something new this year. I should sleep for now. I''m too tired to think of anything. -------------------------------------------------------------- Almost a day has passed and I still can''t think of a present to give them. Yuudachi should be fine with a feast of her own. And maybe a day of pampering. I can do the same with Murasame. Usually I would give Zuihou a model kit or something which I commissioned from Akashi, but since we are a couple now, I want to do something special for her. And that''s the hard part. "Hmm? How rare to see you in the cafeteria." (Rei) Rei walked up to me, carry a tray of food. Since Zuihou is on a expedition, she will only be back late at night. Probably not a good idea to send them out so late. "I eat here some time too. Anyway, how are your studies coming along?" "Ugh... I don''t want to talk about it." (Rei) For the set week, Rei had been holed up in the infirmary, studying for the next promotion test. If she passed, she would be promoted to ''Commander''. That''s when she can officially take charge of a fleet on her own. "I can''t believe my father can just sign me up for a promotional exam! It hasn''t been half a year since I got promoted!" (Rei) "You should be happy. Getting promoted twice within a year is pretty awesome." When she is not trying to be flirty with me, she can be a pretty decent girl. "I know. But this is all because of father''s influence." (Rei) "Anyway, it''s good for me. I can finally share with you my workload." "If I do that, will you be my boyfriend?" (Rei) "Not a chance." "Rejected again..." (Rei) Rei slumped onto the table, pushing her food aside. "Say, hypothetically, if you have a boyfriend, how would you want him to celebrate your birthday?" "mmmh... First, I would want him to bring me on a date. Then eat dinner at a fancy restaurant. Then spend the rest of our time together in a world-class hotel." (Rei) I''m shocked... "That''s pretty normal, coming from you." "That''s what I want, at least. But actually, I can appreciate anything from me. It''s the feeling that matters." (Rei) "Who are you? What have you done to Lieutenant Commander Rei?!" "Hey! Rude!" (Rei) "An imposter?" (Satsuki) "That''s not Rei-san?" (Minazuki) "Who are you?!" (Etorofu) Uh-oh. My words caught the attention of the destroyers and coastal defense sh.i.p.s. They actually took my words seriously. "It was a joke! A joke!" ------------------------------------------------------- Zuihou came into the office covered in some confetti, smiling gleefully and clutching a bunch of small boxes towards her chest. Those girls act really fast. Although, my present is at another location. I changed into a polo shirt and jeans. "Admiral, are you going out?" (Zuihou) "Yeah." "I see..." (Zuihou) She looks so sad. Silly girl. "Come on, change into something comfortable. We are going on a date." "Eh?" (Zuihou) After changing into her green jacket and hoodie, I brought Zuihou to the train station and got a ticket for the Shinkansen to Osaka. Zuihou looked out of the window, amazed by the scenery throughout the journey. "Admiral, where are we going?" (Zuihou) "You will see soon enough." "Ehh~" (Zuihou) After reaching Shin-osaka station in the afternoon, we had to change a few trains before reaching our destination, Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan . "Wow! What a colourful building!" (Zuihou) I decided to bring her out to have fun at the world''s biggest aquarium. We went to the aquarium back at the onsen town, but that was pretty small compared to this one. It seems like the right decision, she looks excited. "Let''s go." "Yes!" (Zuihou) This really is the worlds biggest aquarium. There are so many different species of fishes and aquatic animals. The lighting and set up in each exhibit made everything look so natural and beautiful. "Cute!" (Zuihou) Zuihou gazed at a group of otters playing around in the water. Zuihou excitedly went from one exhibit to another, amazed by the various animals in each zone. The Sea Lions in the Monterey Bay enclosure, the Ringtailed Caoti in the Gulf of Panama enclosure, we would spent some time looking at the animals move around. We skipped the Ecuador Rain Forest one though. She said the shape of the fishes there creep her out. "Those are all penguin?" (Zuihou) "There is a feeding show starting. Want to watch?" "Let''s watch!" (Zuihou) We stopped at the Antartica enclosure, where it''s feeding time for the penguins. It''s amazing how so many different species of penguins can be placed together in the same enclosure. After watching the feeding show, we continued our exploration. She was so fascinated by the everything the aquarium had to offer. We looked at the jellyfish enclosure. There is just something mesmerizing about the way these creatures move around. "Beautiful..." (Zuihou) "How is it? Was this fun?" "Yes! This was the first time I get to see so many amazing animals." (Zuihou) "Which one is your favourite?" "Hmm... They are all very cute, but I think I like the dolphin the best. It looks like a plane!" (Zuihou) A plane? That''s how she chooses? Oh well... "Wait here. I need to make a call." I went to one corner of the Jellyfish room and took out my phone, "Hello. Yeah, it''s me. I would like to have the dolphin. We will be coming in shortly. Can we get it ready in time? Right. Splendid." All right. Preparations are complete. "What''s wrong?" (Zuihou) "Nah. It was just Rondo. He invited me for a drink later tonight." "I see." (Zuihou) "Of course, I rejected him. I already have plans tonight. Anyway, let''s go." We finally reached the end of the aquarium. Zuihou wanted to buy some souvenirs for the others, so we entered the gift shop. We have to go there anyway. While she decides on what to buy for the others back at base, I signalled to the female shopkeeper to bring out what I ordered. "Zuihou, happy birthday!" "Than- Eh?!" (Zuihou) I presented her a large 1.4m dolphin plush. She gave me a look of surprise. "What is this?" (Zuihou) "A dolphin." "It''s so big! Almost as big as me!" (Zuihou) Zuihou took the plush from my hands and hugged it tightly. "It''s so fluffy and cute. Is this why you asked me which animal I like?" (Zuihou) "Sir, you really love your girlfriend." (Female shopkeeper) "Thank you, Admiral! I will treasure it!" (Zuihou) It was still early, and unlike the other days, it doesn''t seem like it''s going to rain anytime soon. So we went for a walk around Osaka Bay Area. As expected, we are kind of getting a lot of attention with Zuihou carrying such a big plushie. "Admiral, let''s ride that." (Zuihou) Zuihou pointed at a Ferris wheel. Wow. That''s one big Ferris wheel. In fact, it''s the biggest I have ever seen. If it''s that big, the scenery should be nice, right? It might be the perfect end to our date before going home. I paid the entrance fee and the attendant ushered us into the next cabin. Zuihou was extremely excited as we ascend into the sky. "So high! Is this what it looks like from the sky? It''s so beautiful! Ufufu?" (Zuihou) "Hey. Stop jumping around. You are shaking the cabin." "Waahhh~~" (Zuihou) She is not listening... Oh well. She is having fun. "Admiral!" (Zuihou) "Yeah?" Zuihou kissed me on the lips... "I love you!" (Zuihou) Chapter 131 - 117.5 "Poi~~" (Yuudachi) "Stay still. It will go into your ear." (Zuihou) "I didn''t know Admiral had his own bathroom." (Murasame) Right now, Yuudachi, Murasame and Zuihou are in my bathroom, washing each other. It was raining just now, and Yuudachi got all muddy after playing in the rain. Murasame was there as well, but she just watched. Until she got dirty after slipping on a puddle. As they were about to go take a bath at the docks, Yuudachi collided with Zuihou along the way and the latter got covered in mud as well. The bathhouse was full so that''s why they are here. I placed a fresh set of clothes for the them into their respective baskets. It''s hard to resist the temptation to peek since a sliding door is the only thing separating me and them. "I''ll leave your clothes out here." "Okay! Thank you!" (Zuihou) "Admiral-san, do you want to join us poi?" (Yuudachi) "Yuudachi!" (Zuihou) "I''ll pass." The door slid open and a wet and n.a.k.e.d Yuudachi popped out. "Eeh~ Let''s bath together poi!" (Yuudachi) "Yuudachi, no! Admiral, don''t look! Get out!" (Zuihou) "Oh my..." (Murasame) Murasame was in the tub, so I couldn''t see much of her. Zuihou just charged at me and pushed me out. I manage to catch a glimpse of their bare skin glistening with droplets of water. It''s not as though this is the first time I have seen her bare body. But thank you for the feast. Maybe I should have just accepted Yuudachi''s offer, but Zuihou will kill me if I did that. I continued my work as the three girls frolicking in my bathroom. Loud squeals and laughter echoed from the bathroom. "Murasame-chan, did they become bigger poi?" (Yuudachi) "Eh? Of course not." (Murasame) "Really? They look bigger compared to the last time I saw them poi." (Yuudachi) "Wai-! Yuudachi-chan! Stop it! It tickles!" (Murasame) "Geez! Don''t make too much noise! Admiral can definitely hear us!" (Zuihou) Of course I can. You girls are speaking so loud. "Hmm..." (Murasame) "Wh-what?" (Zuihou) "If I look from here, there is a big difference." (Murasame) "What are you comparing about?!" (Zuihou) This is hard. I can hear them, but not see them. Calm down. Get rid of all worldly desires for the time being. "Wai- Nn! Mura-...same-chan... Mm!" (Zuihou) "They say you can get bigger if you massage them. Take this." (Murasame) "Hyaa! Wai- Grr... Payback!" (Zuihou) "Ahn!" (Murasame) "Yuudachi wants to play too poi!" (Yuudachi) "Hyaan!! Yuudachi, not there!" (Zuihou) What is going on in there?! I walked over to the bathroom door and knocked, "Hey, it''s little noisy in there." The laughter suddenly turned into screams, and the sound of something falling over can be heard from inside. "What''s wrong?!" Without a second thought, I barged in... Which may have been the right decision. On the floor laid Zuihou and Murasame, with Yuudachi on top, pressing against them. Looks like they have fallen from the tub. As soon as I opened the door, their heads were turned towards me. This is truly a sight to beh- "Get out!" (Zuihou) Zuihou tossed a bucket at me and got me in the head. This really hurts... "Admiral is not allowed to see the bodies of other girls! Out!" (Zuihou) So that''s her deal... "Oh? Someone wants to monopolize Admiral for herself." (Murasame) "Poi?" (Yuudachi) "Eh?! I don''t mean it like that..." (Zuihou) As I''m recovering from the impact, I felt something soft engulfed my arm. Murasame pressed herself against my arm! "Murasame?!" "I actually think you''re pretty sweet, Admiral. I don''t mind letting you do the things you do to Zuihou to me" (Murasame) This extremely soft sensation... And those words... I have I feeling she is joking, but there may be some truth in what she said... "No! Admiral is mine!" (Zuihou) Something white and pink entered my vision, before I felt something hard hit me at the back of my head. Everything is becoming dark... "Eh? Admiral? Admiral! Hang in there!" (Zuihou) Chapter 132 - 118 For the first time in a while, it wasn''t raining. The sun is shining brightly, so there are more shipgirls roaming around outside. The Northern Union girls can finally tend to their farm and plant the new seeds they ordered. Our three residential cats are now basking in the sun rather than hiding indoors. I say three, but only two of them are real cats. The other one is Tama. This is really a day to be out and about. This is the part where I say that I''m stuck in my office with a lot of work to do. Fortunately, that''s not the case. I''m lying on Zuihou''s lap. This is bliss~ Her soft thighs feel smooth and warm, with just the right amount of springiness to it. And whenever I shift my position a bit, "Mn! Admiral, it tickles!" (Zuihou) That happens. There must be something I did to deserve this kind of happiness. Or an ulterior motive. "Say, Zuihou..." "Hmm?" (Zuihou) She looked down to face me, her hair drooping down as a result. "Why are you giving me a lap pillow all of sudden?" "Is this wrong? I heard men like it when girls offer to let them sleep on their lap." (Zuihou) Zuihou''s face reddened as she replied. "No. I love it. But is there must be a reason for this, right?" "Mmh... Let''s just say Admiral earned it." (Zuihou) "Really? For what?" "For... Geez! Don''t make me say it!" (Zuihou) "Eh? What? Tell me." I got up to face her. I don''t know why she got embarrassed all of a sudden. Her mood changes way too drastically. She could be happy one moment and depressed the next. "Mgh...!" (Zuihou) Now she is making a pained expression... "What''s wrong?" "My legs... numb..." (Zuihou) Oh, her legs are just numb from me lying on them for so long. That reminds me... "Er... Admiral? Why are you looking at me like that? What''s with those hands? Hey! Stop it! Hyaah! Wait! My... legs are... sensitive... right now... Nm!" (Zuihou) I messed with her for a while until I got kicked. "Geez! That''s enough! Seriously, I let you rest on my lap and this is how you repay me?" (Zuihou) "Ahahaha. Sorry. I got way into it. And that''s was revenge for last time." "Geez! Humph!" (Zuihou) She''s cute even when she is angry. "Alright, here." I turned her to face me and kissed her deeply while grasping her hands. "Nn, mm..." (Zuihou) "Sorry. You were just so cute." "This is embarrassing. Don''t call me cute." (Zuihou) "It''s the truth. Zuihou is cute." "Can the baka-couple over there stop flirting for a second? I have some doc.u.ments to hand over." (Ooyodo) To our surprise, Ooyodo was standing at the doorway. She had one arm on her hip, the other was holding on to a brown folder. "Ooyodo-san? When did you come in?" (Zuihou) "For a while now. I knocked but there was no reply." (Ooyodo) Ooyodo walked towards me and gave me a brown file. Her face was a little red, but she had a disgruntled look at the same time. "Gosh. Please remember. This is still a naval office. Please refrain from doing anything lewd." (Ooyodo) "Alright." "Yes~" (Zuihou) As soon as Ooyodo left the office, I let myself fall back onto Zuihou''s lap. "Ah! Admiral, what are you doing? We have work to do." (Zuihou) "Just a bit more..." "Gosh. You can''t be helped. Fine. Just a few more minutes." Zuihou gently stroked my hair. This is comfortable. Makes me rather... sleepy... --------------------------------------- I woke up feeling a little dazed. Crap. I must have dozed off. What time is it? Why didn''t Zui- "Zzz..." (Zuihou) She fell asleep too. I slowly got up, so as not to disturb her. Maybe I should move her to a more comfortable position. Without thinking too much, I carried her to my bedroom and set her down on my bed. I removed her muneate and hachimaki and placed it on the night stand. I''ll just let her sleep for now. I tucked her in and kissed her softly on the cheek. "Now..." I stretched my arms for a bit, "Time for work." Chapter 133 - 119 Shigure closed her eyes as I pat her hair gently. It''s nice seeing her relaxing like that. "Hauu~" (Shigure) "How is it?" I moved my hand from her head to her chin to stroke it. Shigure lifted her head up slightly to make it easier for me. "It feels good. Thank you, Admiral." (Shigure) "No problem. Is everything alright? Did you have any nightmares recently?" She shook her head. None. That''s good. Whenever Shigure or any of the girls get nightmares of their past, I get extremely worried. The nightmares usually affect their morale and it''s dangerous to send a tired and depressed shipgirl out into the sea. I continued to pamper Shigure until she is satisfied. She moved away from my hands and gave me a bright smile. "Thank you, Admiral. I''m happy." (Shigure) "Come to me if you are feeling scared. Or even when there''s no reason. I''ll be here." "Yes." (Shigure) Shigure turned to look at the time, before getting up from the sofa. "I promised to have lunch with Shiratsuyu-nee and the others. I''ll get going now. See you later." (Shigure) "Have fun." I waved to Shigure as she left the office. Now, what should I do? Surprisingly, today is one of those days where HQ hasn''t sent anything over to me. The data for the large-scale operation Rondo mentioned was already given to me. I have already done the necessary preparations, so all that''s left is to wait for it to commence. It''s rare to have a day like this. Should I take a walk? Or laze about in the office? I should take a walk. I went to buy some sandwiches from Mamiya-san and headed to the pier. Once in a while, I like to sit at the pier and watch the waves while having a light lunch. Since Zuihou always makes my lunches, I haven''t been here for a while. As I ate, I noticed someone watching me. "Erm... Are you...?" Looking up towards me was a small girl standing on the water surface. She had pale skin and white hair. She wore a white dress with a small medallion and had small little horns on her head. peeking out from behind her were clearly Abyssal lifeforms. There is a pair of large ones with ship guns attached to them and a pair of smaller, round ones with horns. What''s is the Marshall Admiral''s Hoppou doing here? And how did she come here unnoticed? "Can I help you?" Even if she is supposedly a friendly, she is still an Abyssal princess. One wrong move and the entire naval district will be in flames. "Lost..." (Hoppou) "Erm... okay..." She suddenly glared at me menacingly. "Sorry. I don''t know how to help you." Crap! Did I anger her?! No. I don''t think so. Hoppou just jumped up, grabbed onto the edge of the pier and pulled herself up. She sat next to me and just stared blankly into space. "Eh? Aren''t you going to search for your companions?" "No. Me stay put." (Hoppou) That''s what kids are taught to do when they get lost. I wonder who taught this creature such a thing. Nonetheless, she is a dangerous entity. It will be better if- Hoppou suddenly stared at me. Her eyes look like they are trying to pierce through me. This is scary!! Gguuuuu~ The both of us shared blankly at each other... "Want one?" I offered her a sandwich. Hoppou took of my hands and examined it closely. "Thank... you." (Hoppou) I watched as Hoppou munched on the sandwich. "Delicious..." (Hoppou) "I-is that so? That''s great." Is she calm? I can''t tell. I got startled by the ringing of my phone. Who is calling now? Ooyodo? "Hello. What is it, Ooyodo?" "Admiral! There is a large Abyssal fleet just outside the premise!" (Ooyodo) "Serious?!" I took out my pocket binoculars and looked out into the sea. Sure enough. there was a large abyssal fleet just outside our territory. I can see battleship demons, Wo-class carriers, Tsu-class light cruisers, Re-class battlesh.i.p.s, a Battleship Princess and a Aircraft Carrier Water Demon. Why did such an Abyssal fleet come here?! Hoppou jumped from the pier and back onto the water. Wait, did that fleet come here for Hoppou? "Pick-up... here. Go home." (Hoppou) They really are here for Hoppou! "I see. Then... Reach home safely, alright?" "Un... Work... do your best." (Hoppou) I watched as Hoppou sailed away from the pier and back to her companions. "Admiral! Come back now! We need to deploy the fleet!" (Ooyodo) Oh yeah. I''m still on the phone with Ooyodo. "No need for that. They are leaving already." "Huh?!" (Ooyodo) "They just came to pick up their princess." Looking through my binoculars, the aircraft carrier princess and battleship princess seem to be lecturing Hoppou. After which, they slowly disappeared from sight. It would be great if that Hoppou can join us. I finished up my lunch, got up and proceed return to office. Ooyodo must be dying to find out what just happened. Or maybe she is going to lecture me about how dangerous it is to come into contact with an Abyssal. Probably the latter. Chapter 134 - 120 That was easy. I watched on the monitor as Shiratsuyu and Suzukaze fit the remaining resources into their barrels "Finally we''re done. Let''s take out that Abyssal Submarine and finish this part." (Noshiro) This operation, known as Ki-504th Convoy, is a two-part operation. The first part is a transport operation. Maizuru Naval District and Sasebo are in charge of this part. The transport fleet consists of Akebono and Ushio from Sasebo, and Suzukaze, Shiratsuyu and Noshiro from Maizuru. The next phase is the harder part. The eliminataion of the main Abyssal fleet in the area. Grandm- I mean, Destroyer Kamikaze from Sasebo will joining in for this one. "So this is how an operation works." (Avrora) "Yeah. Each district is assigned roles for different phases. There are certain rules for each phase and area. For this one, carriers and battlesh.i.p.s are not allowed in the area. There is something in the water that affects their buoyancy and causing their equipment to rust at a accelerated rate." Avrora and Sovetskaya were observing how we handle a large-scale operation. I want to send them out once they understood how things are being done. "Heeh~ At Azur Lane, we don''t have such limits on the fleet. Though, the Sirens we fought were tough enough." (Sovetskaya) "The first phase will end once they return. We shall commence the next phase tomorrow. I''ll be back at my office. Ooyodo, tell Noshiro''s fleet to report to me. Send whoever is damaged to the docks. There shouldn''t be any seeing as how simple this phase is." "Roger." (Ooyodo) I made my way back to the office.SInce Kamikaze will rendevouz with the fleet somewhere outside the mission area tomorrow, I don''t need to worried about her well-being for now. Akebono and Ushio will be spending their night from today onwards. At least till this mission is over. I''m a little worried that they might feel uncomfortable in an unfamiliar environment. Physicallly, the districts are almost the same. But the atmosphere may be largely different. "Ah! Comm- No. Admiral-san, hello." (???) "Admiral-san, hello." (???) "H-hello..." (???) A group of small children wearing yellow hats greeted me as I walked past them. "Hello." Wait... I turned around to see the group of children walking along the corridor. Those yellow elementary hats and blue smocks, I recognize them anywhere. "What are you doing here?!" The four Azur Lane Mutsuki-class destroyers turned around. Leading the group at the front was Mutsuki, followed by Kisaragi, Nagatsuki and Uzuki. For some reason, they are here. Previously, Javelin brought a bunch of destroyers over, since their commander was busy and the nursery for the younger and smaller destroyers actually blew up. Now, these four destroyers are roaming around unsupervised! "Uuuu! We are going to get scolded!" (Kisaragi) "Don''t bully Kisaragi-chan!" (Mutsuki) "No. No. That''s not my intention. I just want to know why are you here?" "We want to eat delicious sweets, like the ones back when we came here. We are looking for the store." (Nagatsuki) Mamiya''s, huh. "I will tell you where is it. Did you girls come here by yourselves?" The four of them nodded their heads. "Does the commander know?" They shook their heads simultenously. This is going to be a problem. "Does anyone else know about this?" They shook their heads again. Yep. Big problem. For them, I mean. "So we snuck out of your base to come here. You girls are in for some trouble." "Eh? Why?" (Nagatsuki) "We are just here for some snacks." (Mutsuki) "Yeah. But nobody from Azur Lane knows you are here. And you are not authorized to be here." "Aw-ter-rice?" (Nagatsuki) "That means we are not allowed to be here! I knew it! This is bad!" (Uzuki) "But back then Admiral-san al-" (Mutsuki) "That was because there was a good reason to let you girls in. A lot of people knew where you girls were and Javelin was taking care of all of you. This time, you just came here without telling anyone and without permission. By military law, I can have you arrested and put into the brigg." "No way!" (Mustsuki) "Nooo! Uwwaaah!" (Kisragi) "Please! Have mercy!" (Uzuki) Great. Now they are crying. Everyone else is preparing for the operation. None of them will have time to take care of these four. "Haah~ This is the last time I''m doing this. Mamiya''s store is outside, near the docks. Eat your sweets, send the bill to your commander, and hurry up and go home. I will pretend I didn''t see you four. Next time, at least send me a message." But your commander will know. I''ll let him decide your punishment. "Thank you!" (Mustuki, Nagatuski, Kisaragi, Uzuki) I watched as they made their way to Mamiya''s. They must have thought that they managed to escape punishment this time. Sorry, but you girls are still getting punished. I''m not paying for your food. As soon as I reached my office, Noshiro''s fleet came back and reported to me. "The first phase was a success. The fleet has returned safe and sound with no casualties." (Noshiro) "Good work. You can have the rest of the day to yourselves. The second phase will commence tomorrow. Kamikaze-san will meet you at the mission area." "Roger!" (All) "You may leave now. Akebono-chan, Usgio-chan, please stay for a while." The three girls left, leaving the two destroyers behind. "Eh? Did we do something wrong?" (Ushio) "Why are we being singled out?" (Akebono) "I just want to chat. Is everything fine so far?" "Ye-yes. Everyone has been kind. It feels...like home." (Ushio) "At least that shirty admiral isn''t around." (Akebono) "Akebono-chan!" (Ushio) There it is. The tsundere behavior Sasebo warned me about. So basically I have to assume the opposite of whatever she says. "Ahaha. Anyway, if there is anything wrong or you are feeling uncomfortable, don''t hesitate to talk to me. Understand?" "Yes." (Ushio) "Hmph! You don''t need to worry about that." (Akebono) "Akebono-chan! We are in another base!" (Ushio) That reminds me... "Your Admiral actually gave me something to pass to you two." "What is it?" (Ushio) "It can''t be anything significant." (Akebono) Both of their eyes light up a little. I reached into my pocket and pulled out two strips of stickers. One of them was a white bunny sticker and the other was a purple cat. The bunny is for Ushio, the cat is for Akebono. "That''s-!" (Ushio) "Of all things, why did he have to give that?" (Akebono) Ushio rushed towards me. "Please. That sticker-!" (Ushio) "Oh. Here." "Wah! Thank you!" (Ushio) I gave her the bunny sticker. Ushio eyes were beaming as she jumped for joy. That sticker must mean a lot to her. I gave the cat one to Akebono. She just took it with hesitation. "I guess I should thank you for giving these to us. That shirty Admiral could have given us something better..." (Akebono) Despite what she said, Akebono was grinning from ear to ear. "I''m counting on you for tomorrow." "Yes!" (Ushio) "Can''t be help." (Akebono) Chapter 135 - 122 The battle dragged on into the night. All of the abyssals escorts were sank, leaving the target of the mission, a damaged Abyssal Kuriles Princess, to fend for herself. "Take this!" (Suzukaze) Suzukaze launched a torpedo and managed to land a clean hit on the princess. The resulting explosion was enough to finally sink her. "I sleep again in this cold sea, huh¡­ No more... I''ve tried so hard! But why..?" (Abyssal Kuriles Princess) The second phase of the mission was successful. The target, Abyssal Kuriles Princess, began to sunk. There were tears in her eyes as the ocean began to envelope her entire being. I can feel a tinge of sadness and frustration in her words as she sunk. Suddenly, her eyes brightened up, as if she found something hopeful. "Eh? Are you sure? Admiral, I am... I am..! Thank you¡­! Take my hand." (Abyssals Kuriles Princess) I''m not sure what she saw, but it has to be something good. Before she disappeared under the surface, her voice sounded more like a normal girl and she was reaching out for something. That means... "Admiral, we found a shipgirl!" (Noshiro) I knew it. A girl floated up to the surface. She wore the signature white and blue sailor uniform used by the Fubuki-class destroyers. Her greyish hair was tied in a ponytail with a red ribbon. "Check on her. See if she alright." Shipgirls turn into Abyssals when they sink, and Abyssals turn into shipgirls when the something happens to them. That''s common knowledge in IJN. This phenomenon is more common during large-scale operations, especially after eliminating the main Abyssal fleet of the area. When their voice starts to resemble that of a normal girl rather than the the usual raspy voice, that''s when a new shipgirl will appear. "Admiral, it''s a new shipgirl!" (Noshiro) "This girl... Usugumo-nee-san?!" (Akebono) An Ayanami-class destroyer? That can''t be right. "Bring her back first. Great job on the mission. Remain vigilant. It may not be over yet." "Roger!" (All) Kamikaze helped to carry Usugumo onto Noshiro''s back while Shiratsuyu and Suzukaze took point. I need to report this the HQ and Sasebo. Since this was a joint operation, we need to discuss which district to assign Usugumo to. "Ooyodo, I''ll leave their return journey to you. Call me immediately if anything happens." "Roger." (Ooyodo) Operation Ki-504th Convoy was a success. On top of that, we managed to recover a new shipgirl! I will need to check on her physical and mental condition first. I also need to find out her identity and history. Then compile everything and send it to HQ. This is going to take all night... -------------------------------- It was already late at night. Noshiro''s fleet had returned, gave their report and returned to their rooms to rest for the night. Kamikaze was the only one who got damaged, so she is spending some time in the docks. I''m almost done compiling the reports for this mission. What is left is Usugumo''s data. Although this was supposed to be a joint operation with Sasebo, I''m the one leading this operation. So all the work falls on me. At least I get to keep whatever resources I can find. Usugumo... By her uniform, she is clearly from the Fubuki-class but Akebono and Ushio recognized her as an older sister. I didn''t ask them about it since it''s already so late and everyone is exhausted from the battle. I would have asked Fubuki for any memories regarding Usugumo but she is already fast asleep. And the girl in question hasn''t woken up yet. She is in the infirmary. Hmm? Is that footsteps I hear? There shouldn''t be anyone wondering around at this timing. It could have been a lonely shipgirl who wants to sneak into my bed but from the sound of it, I don''t think thats the case. They just passed by my office door. I went over and peeked out of the door. A girl in a white and blue sailor uniform was walking along the wall. As she was about to turn the corner, she slowly peeked out, as if to check if the coast is clear. Totally suspicious. "Who are you?" "Eek!!" (???) When I called out to her, she got so startled that she fell to the ground. She looked at me with fear in her eyes. This girl... "Usugumo?" "Eh? Erm... Yes. I''m Usugumo." (Usugumo) What a weird timing to be awake. I offered her my hand. "For the time being, can you stand?" "Yes. Thank you so much." (Usugumo) I helped her up. The fear in her eyes are gone. Now, she looks confused and maybe tired. "I''m the Admiral of this Naval district. Welcome to Maizuru Naval District." "I knew it. This is Maizuru base. No wonder everything felt nostalgic. Oh. Sorry. I''m the 7th ship of the Special Type I destroyers, Usugumo. I was born in a shipyard in Tokyo Bay and I served in the northern seas during that war. Admiral, please remember my service." (Usugumo) Oh good! That''s all the data I need for the report! I just needed to know where she came from and her class. Afterwards, HQ will handle the necessary admin matters. And my suspicions were correct. Usugumo is from the Fubuki-class. "Thank you. It''s a already very late, why don''t you rest for the night?" "It''s okay. I just woke up after all." (Usugumo) "Yeah, but you are still tired right? Come on, follow me." I scooped her off her feet and carried her into my bedroom. "Eh?! Wait! Admiral! What are you doing?" (Usugumo) I tucked the flabbergasted and embarrassed Usugumo into my bed. "I know you may not be used to the infirmary beds so sleep here for the night. And don''t worry. I''m not going to lay a hand on you while you sleep. I still have some work to do." "Admiral, I can''t do this. How can someone new like me... spend... the... night..." (Usugumo) She is out like a light. I''m probably going to get questioned excessively for this but I think I can handle it. Alright. Back to work. Let''s get that report done and over with. Chapter 136 - 123 "Shouhou, how are things over there?" "Everything is fine. Yamakaze-chan is a little anxious, but Kawakaze-chan and Fubuki-chan are with her. Yuubari-san immediately went to the arsenal to tinker with her equipment." (Shouhou) "I see. Glad to hear you girls are doing well at Yokosuka. Tomorrow is the start of the operation. You girls may be on standby but make sure to get plenty of rest and be careful. Give the others my regards." I just noticed Zuihou looking at me expectantly. "Hold on. Zuihou wants to talk to you." I passed the phone over to Zuihou. "Shouhou, it''s me, Zuihou." (Zuihou) The next mission at Sesoko Island will start tomorrow. Yokosuka Naval District will be spearheading this operation, with support from Maizuru. To aid them in the operation, I sent Shouhou, Yuubari, Fubuki, Yamakaze and Kawakaze over to Yokosuka to as standby units for their Surface Task Force. Kure also provided some girls as standby units. Just like the first mission, there are two phases. Both phases are essentially the elimination of the Abyssal main fleet. I was just on the phone with Shouhou, checking on her and the others. "Yeah. Come back safely. Good luck on the operation. See you later." (Zuihou) Looks like the sisters are done chatting. Zuihou passed the phone back to me. "We''ll be waiting for your return. Do your best." "Yes. Thank you, Admiral." (Shouhou) I hung up. Now all that''s left is to wait for the next order. With Nagato leading the Surface Task Force, I have nothing to worry about. Now, the current system prioritises the safety of shipgirls rather than the success of the mission itself. There was a reshuffling of the counsel members a while back. The old, moneyminded, success-driven members were ousted and replaced by those who see shipgirls as humans and care for them. Of course, completing the mission is still important, but a retreat order is always issued when a shipgirl is heavily damaged and unable to proceed safely. This is also to make sure more Abyssal sh.i.p.s won''t be born. And I won''t have to delay or falsify any reports because of ordering a retreat anymore. I used to do that whenever one of my girls get heavily damaged during a sortie. I think the counsel back then already figured it out but I achieved the results before they made their move on me. "Admiral, when will I get to sortie?" (Zuihou) "You really are eager, aren''t you? I only received details about the Abyssals involved and what approach to take." "Aww... I hope I get to sortie. And not just as part of a support expedition fleet." (Zuihou) Actually, Zuihou will be essential for the fourth mission. HQ specifically requested for her involvement. Obviously, I''m not going to tell her that yet. She will do something rash and stupid if she knew about it. "We are not involved in the next mission so we have quite a bit of free time. Brunei Anchorage and Hashirajima Anchorage will be in charge of it." Zuihou peeked over my shoulder to look at the report in my hand. "Our bauxite is pretty low compared to the rest..." (Zuihou) "Yeah. We haven''t been able to get much for quite a while now. I was thinking of sending out expedition fleets to areas rich in bauxite. But we need everyone to be on standby in case HQ orders a sortie." She then proceeds to nibble on my ear. I got to admit, that actually sent a shiver down my spine. "Wh-what are you doing?!" "I''m bored." (Zuihou) "What are you, a child?" "Zuihou is not a child!" (Zuihou) She puffed up her cheeks as she retorted. "That''s what a child would say." ''Then, can a child do this?" (Zuihou) I felt her lips touched my neck for a few seconds. Oh no. "Oi! Cut it out!" I swiped at Zuihou as she backs off. "Heehee! How is that?" (Zuihou) This girl...! I took out a small mirror which I kept in one of my drawers and examined the spot she kissed. She left an mark! And an obvious one at that. "You little...! I gonna make me pay for that!" "You leave marks on me all the time! Kyaa!" (Zuihou) "Yeah! But not on obvious places!" I chased her around the office as she laughs the whole time. I could have just ordered her to stop, but that won''t be as satisfying as catching her myself. We were like kids, jumping over tables and cimbing over the sofa. Heck, the office was a mess by the time I finally got her pinned on the wall. "Haah... Hah... Gotcha!" "So, you resorted to using strength in the end." (Zuihou) "I got to pay you back for just now." With one hand holding her hand against the wall, I pulled on the obi holding her shorts with the other, and watched as her clothes became loose. "Eh?" (Zuihou) Looks like she finally realises what''s going to happen. The mischevious expression of hers quickly turned into panic. "Wait, Admiral. Someone may come in. Nh!" (Zuihou) I used my tongue to trace her neck from the collarbone. I then went to nibble on her ear. "No...Nn! Not there..." (Zuihou) I proceed to move to her collarbone and traced it all the way to her bare shoulders with my tongue. She tried to push me away, but all the stimulation I''m giving her has clearly sapped her strength. I could go further but I have learnt from past experiences. "Alright. That''s enough." I released her from my teasing. Whenever we try to do something lewd in the office, there will always be someone walking in on us. So to spare both of us the embarrassment and lecture from Ooyodo afterwards, it''s best not to go any further. "Eh?" (Zuihou) "Come on. Fix your clothes and help me clean up. You contributed to the mess too." "Huh?" (Zuihou) "What?" "I thought-? how did you st-? (Zuihou) She can''t even get the words out. She thought I was going to go all the way? Heh... "What a cute little pervert~" Chapter 137 - 124 Looks like Shouhou and the others are doing well. I just read a report from Yokosuka, saying that the Supply Depot Princess has been eliminated. Shouhou and Yuubari were sortied to replace Junyou and Yura, who were stuck at the docks after being severely damaged. They was able to do bring the Supply Depot Princess down to the point where Nagato can finish her off. It''s was right to send them there after all. With the Supply Depot Princess gone, the second phase will start in a few days time. As I finished reading the report, I heard the sound of running footsteps before my door swung open. "Admiral! I''m back!" (Rei) "Lieutenant Commander Rei! I thought I told you not to- What is with that hairstyle?" Rei was back from her training course. The course lasted for two weeks at Yokosuka Naval Academy and she will be promoted upon completing it. Getting promoted twice in a span of a few months is definitely unusual and unheard of, but since her father was behind pulling the strings, she is on the fast track to being the same rank as me. Though she did say she is going to slap her father if he tried to push for her promotion again. Anyway, Rei came back with shoulder length hair, instead of her usual long ponytail. What happened during her course? Did she fail? Since she barged in here so happily, I don''t think thats the case. Or was it because I kept rejecting her advances? Oh, now I feel bad. "Rei, I''m so sorry. I know I rejected you many times but I didn''t try to understand your feelings. Is there anything I can do to make up for it?" Rei just looked at me in confusion. "What are you taking about?" (Rei) "Didn''t you cut your hair because of me?" "Oh this? IIt was getting hot so I thought I would cut it off." (Rei) Thank goodness. So it wasn''t her being depressed and love-sick. "More importantly, look!" (Rei) Rei showed me her certificate and the three thick golden stripes with a gold sun on the rank insignia attached to her shoulder epaulettes. She is officially a ''Commander''. "Congratulations! You did great!" "Ehehe~" (Rei) She is elated. I remember being like this when I got promoted. "Now, this means you can help me manage and take control of the fleet. If you want I can ask the fairies to build an office for you." "No need for that. I''m actually comfortable I''m the infirmaey. I''m still classified as a medical officer after all." (Rei) "Okay... Then is there anything you want?" "Give me a kiss." (Rei) "Rejected." "Aww..." (Rei) Yep. This is the Rei I know. "Sheesh. I''m surprised you didn''t go after the other cadets during the course." "They are not my type. There was this cute engineer though." (Rei) "Then why didn''t you go for him?" "I''m not a easy woman. I don''t just go around asking boys to be my lover." (Rei) "I highly doubt that." She just puffed her cheeks. "You were different. I can tell that you are the kind that is caring and gentle to the girls you meet. You have a little mean-streak though. Maybe that''s what made me fell for you back then, and even now." (Rei) "Rei-san..." Rei''s words are making me feel embarrassed. It''s like she is confessing to me. I thought she was like Ashigara, preying on any men she finds attractive. Rei is definitely attractive. No doubt she can find a suitor if she puts in a little effort. Persobality-wise, I would say she is like Suzuya. Playful, cheerful, and maybe a little mature. There is no reason not to go after her. Wait wait wait. What am I thinking? "Sorry. I already have Zuihou." She just gave a gentle but lonely smile. "I know that. But just so you know, I always available. For now." (Rei) "A-anyway, congratulations on being promoted to Commander. Now you can help with my work." "Eh?" (Rei) "I will tell Ooyodo to split the work between us. Don''t worry, you will get the easier ones for the time being. When you head back, think of a fleet you want to be in charge of. So you can have some practice managing a fleet on your own." "Wait. What are you saying?" (Rei) "You are a commander now. It''s time for you to do the same job as me." "Geez. You just ruin a moment!" (Rei) "You said yourself, didn''t you? I am a little mean after all." Rei laughed a little. "Hahaha. That''s true. Now then," (Rei) Rei stood at attention and gave a salute, "Commander Hashimoto Rei, reporting for duty!" (Rei) "You should have done that first." As soon as Rei left the office, Zuihou popped in. Perfect timing. "Admiral, Who was that?" (Zuihou) "That was Commander Rei." "Huh?! That was Rei-san?! I didn''t recognize her. Wait, she''s a commander now?!" (Zuihou) "It''s the hair, right? And yeah, she just got promoted. More importantly," I tapped my lap, gesturing her to come over. "What is it?" (Zuihou) She went over and sat on my lap. I just hug her as tight as I can. "Wha- Oww. Too tight. What''s wrong?" (Zuihou) "Sorry. Just let me stay like this for a while." "Hmm? what a weird person you are." (Zuihou) I can feel the warmth of her hands across my arm. "Until you''re satisfied." (Zuihou) Chapter 138 - 125 (v2?) The second mission was a success. My girls returned with smiles on their faces. From what I heard, Shouhou actually stole the limelight by sinking the Wo-class flagship with a single air group during the ''Last Dance'' phase. The ''Last Dance'' phase phase is the point of the mission where the Abyssal main fleet is unable to repair itself and becomes more aggressive and dangerous as a result. At the same time, this is when they are at their weakest. You can imagine how happy Shouhou is when she received the recognition she deserved. The other girls are currently swarming the four of them with questions and stories to share. The only one that didn''t join the crowd was Yamakaze, who immediately latch herself onto me as soon as she saw me. So I left the little party they were having and went back to my office. "She really loves you. Cute..." (Zuihou) "Leave me alone..." (Yamakaze) I gently stroked Yamakaze''s hair. She must have really been home sick for her to act like this. The Shiratsuyu sisters have been trying to pry her away for a while but to no avail. So they decided to leave her in my care for the time being. "Did you sortie?" "No." (Yamakaze) "I see." I don''t think she was in a good state to sortie in the first place. Yamakaze gets frightened easily, but she has the habit of trying to hide her feelings. I guess Yokosuka''s Admiral managed to read her, or there wasn''t a need for Yamakaze to replace anyone. "It''s okay. You are home safe and sound." "Sorry, Papa. Even though you sent me there to help out." (Yamakaze) "Don''t worry about that. It''s over already. Rather, I should be the one apologizing. Sorry for sending you somewhere so far away." "Unh... I was so scared. The others were with me but... Even though I got remodeled..." (Yamakaze) "There there." I pat her softly on the head as she started trembling. It was the only way I know to calm her down. Zuihou also gave Yamakaze a pat on the shoulder. I guess that''s her way of trying to cheer Yamakaze up. After a while, Yamakaze fell asleep in my arms. Murasame and Harusame were right on time too. They came in when Yamakaze just fell asleep and carried her back to their room. "Good work." (Zuihou) Zuihou set a cup of tea on my desk as I stretched a bit. "It was nothing. It''s for her sake." "I was like that for a while too, right? I understand the feeling of being useless and scared." (Zuihou) "Come on. Let''s not talk about that. Anyway," I got up from my desk and sat on the sofa. "Come over here." I called Zuihou over to sit next to me. "What is it? We still have work to do." (Zuihou) "Just come here." As soon as Zuihou sat down, I pulled her head towards my shoulder. "Eh?! Admiral?!" (Zuihou) "Did you think I wouldn''t notice that you were feeling lonely?" "I wasn''t- Was it obvious?" (Zuihou) "Very." Throughout the entirety of me consoling Yamakaze, I noticed Zuihou glancing at us from time to time. Her eyes were filled with loneliness. Since she was feeling that way, I decide to indulge her for a while. Zuihou held onto my arm and nuzzled her face against me as I pat her head. She is mimicking how Yuudachi acts when I give her headpats. We stayed like this for a while, until she is satisfied. "Phew. I fully recharged on Admiral-energy!" (Zuihou) "What the heck is that? Anyway, let''s get back to work." "Speaking of which, did you share the workload with Rei-san?" (Zuihou) "Not yet. I told her to come up with a fleet of her own. I want to test her well she can command a fleet. Ooyodo can teach her how to do the reports." "I see. You don''t think she would just slap some random shipgirls together and call it a fleet." (Zuihou) "Nah. She isn''t the dumb. She has seen how I put a fleet together. She probably has some ideas." "Really?" "Yeah. And once she forms her own fleet, let''s have a practice excercise." "Good idea. That''s a good way to test her knowledge." (Zuihou) "Yeah. Rondo did the same to me too before handing the base over to me." "Did you win?" "What are you talking about? You were- oh right." The fleet I put together back then was Shouhou, Zuihou, Ryuujou, Shioi, Samidare and Murasame. The Zuihou back then is gone. It was a tie anyway. Battlesh.i.p.s like Fusou and Yamashiro can''t hit a submarine like Shioi. Suddenly, the phone rang. If it''s ringing, that''s means it important. Either that or it''s a call from Azur Lane. "Hello. Maizuru Naval District." "Ksshhh... krrrkkk..." (???) I got replied with the sound of static. This is a secured number. A prank call is almost impossible. A malfunction, perhaps? Maybe I should get the phone checked. But before I took the phone away from my ear, a faint sound got through, "Help... me..." (???) And then silence... Nothing but the beeping sound that signals the end of a call. What was that? Why was the person calling for help? The voice send chills down my spine. More importantly, why does it sound eerily familiar? Prank call or not, my instincts are telling me not to ignore it. I picked up the phone and called Yokosuka Naval Intelligence Office "Yokosuka Naval Intelligence Office. Who is this?" (YNI operator) "This is the Admiral of Maizuru Naval District." "Good afternoon, Admiral. How may I help you?" (YNI Operator) "I need to trace a call. Is it possible?" "A call? Huh? When did this-? That can''t be right. Admiral, did you just received an call from a unknown source? Is that the one you need tracing?" (YNI Operator) I knew it. That call got into the logs but somehow managed to slip through the tight security. "Yeah. Can you trace back the source?" "Sorry. Based on the call log, the call was too short to be traced back." (YNI Operator) Figures... "That''s al-" "However, the origins seems to be coming from somewhere in Cape Egano. And though unknown in source, it was using a registered channel within the IJN." (YNI Operator) All the way from there? What? And to top it off, it was coming from one of our own. "Sorry. This is all I can make out." (YNI Operator) "That''s alright. At least I have a general location. Thank you." What''s up with that creepy call? And the source is all the way at Cape Egano as well. Something doesn''t add up. No. There is something I''m missing. A piece of puzzle. "What happened?" (Zuihou) Oh. Now I understand why the voice sounded familiar. The caller was using Zuihou''s voice. Chapter 139 - 126 "I checked with Tawi Tawi Anchorage. A few days ago, a large Abyssal fleet appeared from under the ocean surface around Cape Engano. According to the seaplanes and Coast Guards patrolling the area, an Abyssal Crane Princess is said to be in the center of the fleet." (Rondo) When I report the incident to HQ, they informed me they will send someone to check. I didn''t expect Tawi Tawi Anchorage to be involved. That Naval base has been quiet for years. I''m in the Command Room, discussing the issue with Rondo via a video call. Despite doing this a few times before, it''s still feels weird to see someone''s large head on the monitor. "I''m surprised that Tawi Tawi Anchorage isn''t defunct yet." "Yeah. It''s not much but there are still people running the place. It''s mainly used as a supply depot if we need to send any sh.i.p.s to that area. And a hanger for some seaplanes." (Rondo) "Anyway, back to the main issue. What is the Abyssal Fleet doing?" "As of yesterday, nothing. The aerial pictures show no sign of movement from any of them. It has been like that since they appeared. I will send you the pictures. They are pretty strange." (Rondo) That''s true. There are no ripples in the water. So they haven''t been moving for a while. The Abyssals have their heads down, which is weird. The Crane Princess, nicknamed ''Zuihime'', since it''s Zuikaku''s Abyssal Counterpart, is kneeling on the water surface. The whole scene is just strange. "See what I mean?" (Rondo) "Yeah. This is unusual." "I know what you are thinking but you are not allowed to send a fleet there. We are still in the midst of the operation. Only when we are done then I will give you the ''Go'' signal." (Rondo) "I know that. I''m not that dumb to go against standing orders. And besides, I will need to come up with a plan." "Good. The last thing I want is you getting court-martialed." (Rondo) "Aww. That''s so sweet. You care so much for me." I tried to make myself as cheesy as possible. I can''t help but tease Rondo a little sometimes. "Yeah yeah. Anyway, don''t do anything crazy for now. That Abyssal isn''t going anywhere." (Rondo) After we gave each other a salute, I ended the video call. The information I got isn''t much, but it''s still something. So we are up against a Zuihime on her home ground again. This is basically that Leyte Gulf operation all over again. An combined fleet with Azur Lane may be the right choice, but they may scare my girls instead. Anyway, like Rondo said, I have to wait until the operation is over before going out there. And besides, that Abyssal is most likely going to idle at that location and not be an immediate threat to the locals there. That being said, it''s also best to send a fleet there as soon as possible after the operation. The apearance of the Zuihime and that voice calling for help are connected somehow. An Abyssal calling for help? Nah. That''s just ridiculous. But if it really was... "Admiral-san!!!" (Yuudachi) "Ooph!" Yuudachi tackled me again... "Hey. I told you to stop doing that, right?!" "Ehehe~" (Yuudachi) Thats when I noticed Zuihou And Shouhou were in the room as well. Zuihou looks very excited. She is practically jumpping. "What is it?" "Is it true I''m needed for the fourth operation?!" (Zuihou) "Who told you that?" "Shouhou told me that." (Shouhou) "Shouhou!" "Sorry, Admiral. I didn''t know you haven''t told her yet." (Shouhou) "So? When is the fourth operation starting? Has Brunei Anchorage and Hashirajima Anchorage completed the third?" (Zuihou) "Calm down. They just started." I tried to hold the bouncing kid in place. This is one of the reasons why I didn''t want to tell her. She gets way too excitable when it comes to sorties, especially if she realises she is necessary for it. "Admiral-san, what is that poi?" (Yuudachi) While I was dealing with Zuihou, Yuudachi was busy exploring the Command Room. She eventually discover the picture of the Abyssal Fleet in Cape Engano. Now wonder she has been quiet for a while now. "Is that an Abyssal Crane Princees?" (Shouhou) "The one from Leyte Gulf poi?" (Yuudachi) I meant to wait till we finish the operation before telling them. I suppose I can just tell them what is going on. "As of two days ago, an Abyssal Fleet emerged in Cape Engano. So far it hasn''t been moving since its appearance. Furthermore, it''s been exhibiting weird behavior." "They are facing downwards..." (Shouhou) "Maybe they are just sleeping poi?" "But Abyssals don''t sleep, right?" (Zuihou) "That''s right. That and this fleet might be related to the strange call I got." "You mean the cry for help?" (Zuihou) I told Zuihou about the cry for help made all the way from Cape Engano. I haven''t told her about it being her voice. If I did, she will definitely freak out. No, she will inevitably freak out once I send her out there and that thing starts speaking in her voice. Hopefully it doesn''t. It''s better for her freak out later rather than now when we are in the midst of an operation. "Anyway, Tawi Tawi Anchorage is keeping tabs on the situation. For now, just focus on the operation. Don''t worry about anything else. Got that, Zuihou?" "Roger." (Shouhou and Yuudachi) "Why did you single me out?!" (Zuihou) I went and turned off the monitor. "Alright, lets go. I''m hungry." I turned off the lights as I gently pushed the three girls in front of me out of the Command Room. Zuihou wrapped her arms around mine as we walked along the corridor as if it was natural. "Me too!" (Yuudachi) "What are they serving at the canteen today?" (Shouhou) "Zuihou, that''s not fair poi! I want to hold Admiral-san''s hand as well!" (Yuudachi) "I still have another. Hey! Don''t pull on me!" ------------------------------------------------------ Why did I have to sink...? Shouhou... Where are you...? Cold... Dark... I''m scared... Save me... Admiral... Chapter 140 - 127 197... 198... 199... 200... Phew... Damn. I''m so out of shape. This was considered to be a light workout back in my academy days. Now I''m sweating quite a bit and my arms a little by the time I''m finished. As I sat up to catch my breath, I saw a pair of white boots and a pair black heels in front of me. They belonged to Avrora and Gangut. "Oh! Training hard eh, Comrade!" (Gangut) While Gangut is her usual self, something seems off with Avrora. Her face is flushed and her eyes keep shifting between looking at me and onto the floor. It''s like she is embarrassed to see me... oh. "Sorry. Let me put on a shirt." "Not a problem, comrade. I don''t mind you showing some bare skin. I must say, you look skinnier when in uniform. I almost thought you were a weakling when I first saw you." (Gangut) Is that a compliment? For now, I just put on a shirt. I want to wipe off the sweat first before putting on my uniform, but that will have to wait. Gangut gave me a report on the expedition they just got back from. Apart from the usual, something she said concerned me. "Sirens? Near the resource point?" "Yeah. Of course we take them out." (Gangut) "They are normal mass-produced Siren sh.i.p.s, but we thought we should report it just in case." (Avrora) Avrora seems fine after I put a shirt on, though her face is still face. "No. Thank you for the report. Usually if Sirens have been spotted in our territory, Azur Lane will take care of the it. If there are Mass-produced Sirens, that means a high-ranking Siren is lurking nearby." "So we just have to take them down!" (Gangut) Gangut smacked her fists against her palm. She is really like Tenryuu in a sense. Both of them like to fight. "Like I said, Azur Lane will be handling it. You two will have a different job." "Hoh. What is it?" (Gangut) "Gangut, from tomorrow onwards, you will report to Commander Rei. You have been chosen to be the flagship of her fleet. You will lead Sovetskaya, Chapayev, Tashkent, Asashio and Ryuujou." "Hah! Finally some real battle. And my comrades are great too." (Gangut) For Rei''s first fleet, I will say she thought of something rather interesting. Sovetskaya''s skill is proportionate to the number of North Union girls in the fleet. The more North Union girls in the fleet, the more destructive her salvos can be. Gangut has a skill which increases the firepower of her fleet members. Tashkent can summon some sort of creature in battle and can increase the accuracy of other North Union girls. Chapayev can basically able to set fire to her targets. I''m a little worried about the straightlaced Asashio. Rei wanted her in the fleet because ''she is cute and experienced''. I won''t deny the ''cute and experienced'' part, but I''m afraid she might not be able to fit in with the others. Ryuujou is there to provide the fleet with air support and long-range bombardment. With three girls being the same size as her in the fleet, I don''t suppose she would go on a rampage anytime soon. "Avrora, starting tomorrow, you will be the flagship for my new torpedo squadron, HUnting Squadron A." "I''ll get my own fleet?" (Avrora) Her jaw dropped at my announcement. "Yeah. Your subordinates are mostly young destroyers but please do your best. I have high hopes for you." Avrora''s face begin to light up, "Yes. I will do my best!" (Avrora) "Good for you, Comrade!" (Gangut) Gangut slapped Avrora on the back. "Yes, Gangut." (Avrora) "Alright. Then I shall brief you about your tasks tomorrow. Please take the rest of the day off. Gangut, Commander Rei will be at the infirmary. I hope you two get along." "We shall bring victory to humanity!" (Gangut) "As the herald of dawn, I shall bring light to everyone." (Avrora) They are both so happy. ------------------------------------------------------- "Tenth Kagerou-class Destroyer, Tokitsukaze." (Tokitsukaze) "I''m Amatsukaze, the Ninth Kagerou-class Destroyer." (Amatsukaze) "I am Umikaze. I''ll be in your care." (Umikaze) "The 9th Shiratsuyu-class Destroyer, Kawakaze of the revised Shiratsuyu-class. Nice to meet you!" (Kawakaze) "Pallada Class Cruiser, Avrora." (Avrora) Almost all the members of Hunting Squadron 1 are gathered at the arsenal. There is still on- "Sorry I''m late! Lenigrad Class Destroyer, Minsk." (Minsk) There she is. Now all members are here. "Comrade Minsk?!" (Avrora) "Comrade Avrora! Great! We are in the same fleet!" (Minsk) Now with introductions out of the way, "Alright, I shall start the briefing. As of today, you are all members of Hunting Squadron 1. Avrora will be the flagship of this fleet. As you know, torpedo squadrons mainly handle transport missions. I won''t say your jobs don''t include such missions, however your main job is to hunt your enemies." I see six confused faces... "Basically you will search and attack Abyssals and Sirens using the usual hit-and-run tactics you girls know." "Ohh~ That''s easy. Right, Amtsukaze?" (Tokitsukaze) "Geez. You should have said that from the start." (Amatsukaze) "Simple enough!" (Kawakaze) "Hit-and-run?" (Avrora) Avrora and Minsk still look confused. "Simply put, we launch a set of torpedos at the enemy and move away before they can target us. If we are lucky, they won''t know what hit them." (Umikaze) The both of them seem to understood Umikaze''s explanation. Nice one, Umikaze! "Yeah. Your job is to search for Abyssal sh.i.p.s or Siren sh.i.p.s and sink them on sight. However, do not engage if there are Wo-class carriers or any of the higher ranking Abyssals. And immediately hide from enemy aircraft unless you have anti-aircraft equipment. Feel free to sink any Sirens though, since we have an edge over them." "Oh. That''s why it''s called ''hunting squadron''. We literally hunt down our enemies." (Minsk) "Somehow, I feel excited." (Avrora) "I know, right? Such missions are fun!" (Amatsukaze) It''s obvious they are itching to get out and go on missions. Anyway, I am sending them on one now. "Glad you are. Because I have a mission for you now." "Really?!" (All) The mission is fairly simple, and it can serve as a icebreaker for them. It''s not a problem for the four destroyers, but this kind of things are new to Avrora and Minsk. Hunting Squadron 1 will sortie to the Eastern Orel Bay area and sink the Ho-class Light Cruiser elite that is seen roaming around there. It is bound to be protected by 5 other Destroyer I-class but those are just small fries. "Avrora and Minsk, go and see Akashi first. She has made some adjustments to your euipmnet to make them effective against the Sirens. Feel free to summon your sh.i.p.s if you need to." "Roger." (Avrora) "The rest of you, prepare your euipment and get ready to sortie by 1000hrs." "Roger!" (All) "Can we ride on your ship?" (Tokitsukaze) "Tokitsukaze, you are being rude to Avrora-san." (Amtsukaze) "It''s alright. Not a problem. I can carry everyone." "Me too." (Minsk) As I left them to prepare themselves, I was intercepted at the door by Ooyodo. "There you are, Admiral. We have an update. The third mission is a success. HQ has given us the ''Go'' signal to proceed on the fourth." (Ooyodo) "Okay. Inform those involved to gather in my office. We shall start at noon." Things are going to get busy. Chapter 141 - 128 Now this is a sight which I haven''t seen in a while. A tattered and injured Zuihou. The front of her top is torn and burnt, exposing her midriff and a bit of her chest. I can see a tiny bump sticking out of the torn cloth. Her rigging is shattered and there are holes in some parts of her remaining attachments. She is the only that was damage during that fight. I saw the whole fight on the monitor. While fighting against the Aircraft carrier Princess, a Heavy Cruiser Ri-class fired at Samidare. Zuihou went and blocked the shots for her. We managed to win and secured the resources though. "Ughh... I''ve been defeated." (Zuihou) "Yeah. I can see that. Hurry up and go to the bath." I watched as a concerned Samidare supported Zuihou on her shoulders and escorted her to the docks. We are halfway through the first phase and this happened. I could use a instant repair bucket on her but I''m not in a rush to complete this mission. Furthermore, the girls are tired from the constant sorties. So while Zuihou spends half a day in the docks, the others can rest up for the time being. The fourth mission consists of multiple phases. The first phase is a transport load-off. Like the first mission, the fleet has to secure the resources located at a designated location and punch a hole in the Abyssal blockade to escape. The blockade is usually guarded by an Abyssal big-shot. After clearing that phase, we need to maintain air superiority against a Abyssal Carrier fleet to find out the location for the next Transport Load-off mission. Only then, we can draw out the main target of this mission, the Abyssal Forest Princess, a new type. It has been two days since we started and at this rate, we can finish the first phase within the next two days. Good thing I got Murasame, Kisaragi and Mutsuki to bring along some Daihatsu Landing Crafts. It makes lugging the resources back faster and so much easier. The Transport Escort fleet consists of Zuihou, Mogami, Mutsuki, Shimakaze, Samidare, and Murasame in the main fleet, Tama, Shigure, Kisaragi, Yuudachi, Kumano and Mikuma in the escort fleet. After the first phase, I need to switch them into a Surface Task Force followed by a Carrier Task Force. HQ really gave us a difficult one this time. The strategy for this revolves around Zuihou. According to HQ, they found out that Zuihou will be able to deal significant amounts of destruction to the Abyssal Princesses in the area. We are still in the first phase, but she has already punched the Aircraft Carrier Princess a few times before getting punched herself. Not in literal sense, of course. "The rest of you can rest for now. Once your flagship recovers, then we continue. Those that are hurt even a little, go to the docks. We need everyone of you to be in tip-top shape." "Yes!" (All) As the rest of the fleet went on with their day, I thought about checking on Avrora and the others. So far, they have been successful in their hunts. There were some coordination issues at the start, but they managed to figure it out amongst themselves. Maybe I should come up with a small reward for them. A day off is a good treat seeing as they have been working hard these few days. I plan to give the same to those that took part in this operation as well. As I reached my office, I noticed the door was ajar. That''s weird. I remember closing it before going to the port to greet the Transport Escort Fleet. Was someone waiting for me to return? I opened the door and looked around. There was someone fast asleep on the sofa. A girl which I have no idea who she is. She was tanned with long black hair and grey hair clips resembling horns stuck to the side of her head. She was wearing a swimsuit, The top part of a sailor uniform with a orange collar only covered the top half of her body, leaving her legs exposed. From her uniform, she is definitely a submarine. Only the submarine girls walk around in this kind of fashion. Her style seems pretty familiar. "Hey. Wake up. You will catch a cold if you sleep here." I gently shook her shoulders. "Uhmm~" (???) Her eyes fluttered open, "Aahh-hhaaa... I fell asleep." (???) She sat up and rubbed her eyes. She stared at me with a sleepy expression, before realizing that I have been observing her this whole time. "Aaaahhh! W-w-w-who are you?!" (???) "That''s my line. What''s a submarine doing here?" "Eh? Do you know what am I?" (???) Her speech and tone suddenly became more polite. "Of course. Only submarines wear that style of uniform. I know one girl who wears exactly like you." Come to think of it, this girl is just like Shioi. Wait, wasn''t there a submarine girl supposed to arrive from Yokosuka today? I was so focused on the mission that I totally forgot about it. "I see. Mind if I ask, are you the Admiral?" (???) "Yeah. I''m the Admiral here." "Ah..." (???) The submarine girl stood up, "Admiral, good day to you. I''m the eldest of the Sentoku-class, first ship, I-400. Hmm.... Shi...o...n? Yes... Shion... please call me that." (I-400) That''s why she reminds me of Shioi. This girl is her elder sister. "Nice to meet you. I''m the Admiral of Maizuru Naval Base. We have been expecting you. I was told a submarine will arrive. Though I didn''t expect one from the Sentoku-class. Shioi will be happy with you here." "Sorry for showing you something unsightly just now. Wait, Shioi? Shioi-chan is here too?" (Shion) "Yeah. She is patrolling the Moray sea with the others at the moment. Should be back anytime now. Since we are done with the formalities, why not greet them at the port?" "Can I?" (Shion) She looks extremely excited. She is meeting her long-lost sister after all. "Go ahead. Oh by the way, feel free to visit me anytime if you need anything. I will always welcome you girls." "Ehe~ I will keep your offer in mind. Excuse me." (Shion) Shion closed the door behind her as she left for the port. Taigei should be on the way back with the submarines now. After which, they would head into the bath to wash up and then play for the rest of the day. Zuihou should be fully repaired by 0300hrs, after that the mission will continue in the afternoon once she has fully rested up. As much as I went to sneak into the bath with her, we got to focus our energy on the mission. My little playtime can wait. For now... Focus, damn it! Chapter 142 - 129 The battle raged into the night. The main fleet backed off to a safe distance while Tama''s escort fleet handle the remaining Heavy Cruiser Summer Princess and Heavy Cruiser Ne-class. "Wooooooh!" (Kumano) Kumano fired at the Ne-class while letting out her signature dolphin cry. She does that high pitched noise whenever she''s fighting. Her shells hit the sides of the Ne-class. Usually, that amount of damage won''t be enough to sink it, but since it''s already been weakened from the previous day-battle, it sunk to the bottom of the sea. "One left! The bombardment phase... Mi... Kuma!" (Mikuma) "My remodeled outfit isn''t just for show, nya. Nya!" (Tama) Tama and Mikuma fired simultaneously at the Heavy Cruiser Summer Princess. A loud explosion followed by secondary explosions and screams echoed through the speakers in the command room. Fire and smoke filled the screen for a brief second before the camera moved to get a better view on the situation. A direct hit! The Heavy Cruiser Summer princess is staggering. A bit more and she will back off so we can secure the full load of resources. "Good! Hit it with all you got!" "Aren''t you such a problem child? Kisaragi gonna make you feel better ?" (Kisaragi) Kisaragi fired at guns, hitting the Princess square in the middle. More explosions occured as Shigure and Yuudachi carry out their own bombardment. "Too bad." (Shigure) With one final blow and a loud scream, the Heavy Crusier Summer Princess retreated back into the ocean. We won! We managed to secure an escape route. A few more transport runs and the second phase of the mission is complete! After clearing the first Transport Load-off mission and securing air superiority in the area, Ooyodo managed to discover the coordinates for the next resource point. For the second phase, the fleet didn''t change much. The only exception is that Samidare got replaced by Yamashiro in the main fleet and the combined fleet is now a Surface Task Force. The goal of second phase is the same as the first, a Transport Load-off mission. We managed to secure quite a bit in the past three days, if we put our backs into it, we should be able to clear this part by the end of the week. "Phew! I''m tired." (Kisaragi) "Good work out there. It''s getting... No, it''s already very late. Hurry on back and get some sleep. We still need to continue this tomorrow." "Again? We have been doing nothing but transport missions these few days." (Murasame) "Yeah. Carrying these resources around is exhausting nyashi~" (Mutsuki) Understandably, they are getting sick and tired of lugging those resources back to base. But we don''t have a choice. Orders are orders. "It''s just a while more. After that, I''ll reward everyone with a nice treat. So do your best." "I''ll hold you to that." (Murasame) "Mutsuki wants a year-long supply of Mamiya-san''s sweet!" (Mutsuki) "That''s a little too much. My wallet won''t be able to take it." As the others regrouped and head back, a loud rumbling noise startled all of them. It was so loud that I could have sworn I heard it twice. Wait, twice? "What was that?!" (Zuihou) "That scared me!" (Murasame) "Shigure, are you all right?" (Yamashiro) Shigure was clutching onto Yamashiro''s waist, obviously too scared to move. "Poi?" (Yuudachi) Yuudachi stuck her hand out and looked towards the sky. Water droplets begin to cover the camera lens as startled cries can be heard from the girls. A late night storm. It''s also happening back here. "Why now?" (Mogami) "Ugh... My hair is going to get messy again!" (Kisaragi) "Let''s hurry back " (Zuihou) "Yeah. Shigure is at her limits." (Yamashiro) ------------------------------------------- "There. There." "Ughh..." (Shigure) I sat on the bed and gently pat Shigure, who has wrapped herself up with the blankets. She doesn''t handle the thunder very well and will start trembling in fear whenever she hears it. I have been trying to comfort her ever since she returned to base. Yuudachi and Murasame are exhausted but otherwise, in good condition. So I got them to sleep first while I handle their sister. In fact, we didn''t suffer any damage during this run. Everyone came back with just some light scratches that will take only a few minutes to heal in the bath. The sound of rumbling thunder echoed from the outside once again, startling the poor girl. It''s supposed to be the end of the rainy season before summer comes around. Is this it''s way of saying farewell? "Eek!" (Shigure) "Shh~ It''s fine. it''s fine. The thunder can''t hurt you here. Try to get some sleep." I continued patting her gently. For the time being, I''m trying to calm her down to the point where she can sleep peacefully. This will certainly take a while. This storm is hitting us pretty hard. Ah. There goes another one... It took a while, but she is finally fast asleep. Just to be sure, I will stay by her side for a while. There''s no telling when she will wake up because of the thunder. I could read a book for the time being. Helps me stay awake for a while. "Admiral..." (Shigure) "Sorry, did I-" As I was about to get out of the bed to get a book, I heard Shigure call out to me, but she is still asleep. Perhaps she is just sleep-talking. The storm seems to be letting up as well. The pattering of the rain against my window is getting softer and the lightning and thunder combo is becoming less frequent now. "Sleep well." As I brushed some of Shigure''s hair away from her face, she grabbed onto my hand and pressed it against her cheek. Looks like this is my position for tonight. ------------------------------------------------------ *Somewhere in Cape Engano* I want... to go home... Where is... everyone? Shigure-chan... Yuudachi-chan... Mama... Everyone... Admiral... Why did you leave me? Chapter 143 - 130 Zuihou''s Type-2 recon aircraft flew overhead, scouting forward the area. Through the monitor, I don''t see any Abyssal sh.i.p.s in sight. The plane''s radar isn''t picking anything up either. Whatever the planes see or hear is transmitted back to the command room and to its owner. The Type-2 circled back to its owner, landing on the little flight deck attached to her quiver before transforming back into an arrow. "Good work." (Zuihou) Zuihou placed the arrow back into her quiver and spun around to face the others. "No enemies in front. Skies are clear too. Let''s do our best today!" (Zuihou) "Yeah!" (All) Her rallying skills have improved. Not surprising, since she has been my flagship for quite a long time now. Today, is the final transport run before the final phase of the mission. "Got it. Remain there till further orders. Admiral, Gangut and the others are already at the resource point and ready for support shelling." (Rei) "Great. Now it''s just up to the others to do their part." To speed things up, Rei agreed to sortie her fleet to participate in support shelling. As part of our deal, I need to take her out on a date. As much as I hate to do this, we are going to need all the help we can get. Zuihou is going to pissed... "Heehee. I''m looking forward to that date~" (Rei) "You can think about your date after we finish this whole thing." I''m regretting this decision already... "STF, your support is on standby at location." "Roger, we are about to engage the enemy submarine fleet." (Zuihou) I watched as Shigure tossed a handful of depth charges into the water. A tower of water shot up, indicting a clean hit. Zuihou''s planes dropped some bombs into the water, causing more water towers to pop up. I''m not sure if the bombs managed to hit something or they just exploded after impacting the water surface. It can go either way. Of course, as soon as I had that thought, a dead abyssal''s arm flew out of the water and fell back into the sea. I... didn''t need to see that. Rei had this horrified expression on her face. You too, huh? "Enemy submarine fleet eliminated." (Zuihou) "Proceed." The combined task force carried on their mission, eliminating any Abyssal surface sh.i.p.s along the way. There was another submarine fleet that appeared on the radar, but Shigure promptly took them out. It was not long until they reached the resource loading point and met Rei''s fleet. "Oh. You are finally here, comrades!" (Gangut) "Thank you for supporting us today." (Zuihou) "What are you saying? We are comrades! Your mission is also our mission!" (Gangut) "Oi, Zuihou! I have been waitin''!" (Ryuujou) "Ryuujou! Oh yeah, you are in this fleet too." (Zuihou) "Wha''?! I told ya, didn''t I?" (Ryuujou) "Sorry. My bad." (Zuihou) "Yes ye~s! We are ready to go!" (Murasame) Murasame waved to them. The last batch of resources have been loaded up and it''s time for the final push. "Alright. Before we go, I just do one final briefing. Gangut, you guys will initiate the opening strike. Try to take out as much as you can. Ryuujou, since you can''t do any shelling, your job is to secure the airspace." "Leave that to us!" (Gangut) "I don''t need ya tellin'' me that!" (Ryuujou) "The rest of you, just do things as per normal. Annihilate them and we can finally move to our last mission." "Roger!" (All) As the girls moved forward to fight the remaining Abyssal fleet, I turned to Ooyodo, who showed up in the Command Room with Yahagi, Shouhou, Gambier Bay, Satsuki, Fubuki. I have a mission for the six of them. "You girls ready?" "Yes! We are reaady to sortie anytime." (Ooyodo) "Alright. I''ll start the briefing." Just the day before, I received a worrying call from Rondo. At Cape Engano, the Abyssal fleet, which showed no signs of activity for the past week, have begun to move. Based on their movement, the fleet seems to be circling around in a 30km radius from it''s starting position. They pose no threat to the surrounding islands for now. The main issue lies with the number of Abyssal sh.i.p.s and Siren sh.i.p.s that have suddenly made an appearance there. Brunei Anchorage is currently doing their best to sink as much as they can, but the large number of enemies prove to be too overwhelming for them. HQ believes that the Abyssal Crane Princess''s activity has casued this incident to happen, since the increase in enemy numbers happened as soon as she started moving. As such, HQ has given the order to eliminate the Abyssal Crane Princess. Each naval district is to send one fleet over to thin out the numbers so Yamato''s fleet can move in to sink the Abyssal Crane Princess. Azur Lane will also be involved in this operation. Tentatively, this operation has been named ''Operation Sho-go kai''. "Since most of the Abyssals are Destroyer Ni-class and Light Crusier He-class, we will be engaging them with bombing runs. We can expect some Wo-class Carriers too, that''s where Fubuki and Satsuki comes in." "Yes." (Fubuki) "Leave it to me! Commander!" (Satsuki) "The two of you will shoot down any Abyssal Aircraft within firing range." Shouhou and Ooyodo have fighters to deal with enemy bombers, but even they can let some slip through. Having some anti-air defenses is the best way to deal with it. "Shouhou and Gambier Bay will handle the bombardment. Yahagi and Ooyodo will provide secondary air support and attack any surface sh.i.p.s that come within range." "Understood." (Yahagi) "I''ll do my best, for sure...!" (Gambier Bay) "That is all. The other fleets will be sortieing soon, so get all your equipment ready and head out immediately. Secure victory over the dawn horizon!" ''Roger!" (All) "Admiral, it''s starting." (Rei) As Ooyodo''s fleet left for their sortie, the battle against the Heavy Cruiser Princess had just begun "Let me see your courage!!" (Gangut) "Start the bombardment! Crush the opposing foes in one go!" (Sovetskaya Rossiya) Gangut''s fleet launched a salvo against the enemy fleet, sinking two Destroyer Ha-class Late Model Elites and moderately damaging a Light Cruiser Tsu-Class Flagship. Not the best outcome but it still helps. Now the others can focus on the rest. "§é§Ö§â§ä §á§à§Ò§Ö§â§Ú! Not good enough!" (Gangut) "Thats alright. Back off and let the others take over." "Such boorish people... this is payback!" (Heavy Cruiser Summer Princess) Oh, she is pissed. "Combined fleet, battle formation!" The combined fleet changed from forward formation to the battle formation. "653rd, please begin takeoff!" (Zuihou) Zuihou launched the first wave of aircraft. Two Suisei''s were shot down but the others managed to land good hits against the enemy. The Light Cruiser Tsu-Class Flagship sunk and the Heavy Cruiser Ne-Class Kai III received some damage from the resulting shrapnel. "Main gun, take aim.....Fire !!!" (Yamashiro) Yamashiro fired at the abyssal fleet, but her shots unfortunately missed their targets. "How unlucky..." (Yamashiro) "Don''t mind." (Mogami) Both fleets continued trading fire with the Abyssal fleet, explosions and balls of fire erupted on both ends. "Just sink!" (Heavy Cruiser Summer Princess) The Abyssal Princess landed a hit on Tama, knocking her onto the water surface as her clothes became tattered and exposing her maroon coloured bra. Her paws, the torpedo launchers attached to her rigging, hung loosely from their joints. "You did it nya...Ngh...! (Tama) "Tama, fall back! Yamashiro, Shimakaze, take out that Nu-class! Yuudachi, AA support, now! Zuihou, Mutsuki, Kisaragi and Murasame, focus on the Abyssal Princess. The rest of you, take out that Ne-class Kai III." The shipgirls worked on their respective targets. With most of the fleet focusing their fire on the Ne-class, it sunk almost immediately. They then shifted their focus towards the Nu-class, who has churning out Abyssal Hell Dive Bomber Kai and Abyssal Revenge Torpedo Bomber Kai non-stop. One of Murasame''s Daihatsu Landing Craft impacted the side of the Abyssal Princess, casuing her to stagger. A group of tenzens and Suiseis flew overhead and dropped their load onto the Abyssal Princess. A ball of fire and black smoke appeared upon impact. More explosions can be seen within the black smoke engulfing the Abyssal Princess. "A direct hit... huh... the vital parts are... I see. Oh... well... But I''m... What is this? This feeling... it''s familiar." (Heavy Cruiser Summer Princess) By the time the smoke cleared, the abyssal princess had disappeared. More explosions surrounded the Nu-class, sinking it as it let out one final scream of agony. All enemies have been eliminated and all of the resources have been extracted. The second phase is a success! We can finally move on to the last phase of the mission! "Admiral, I''m picking up a new reading in the area." (Rei) I walked over to the monitor Rei was looking at. A red ''enemy'' icon can be seen further down towards the south-east of the area. She finally showed herself, the Abyssal Forest Princess. Chapter 144 - 130.5 Dark... Cold... So lonely... Why am I like this? Right... If only Admiral didn''t... at that time... It''s Admiral''s fault... Even though I cried for help... He keeps ignoring me... So cold... So lonely... Why... must I suffer like this...? It''s all Admiral''s fault... Even though I loved him... Even though I trusted him... Unforgivable... I hate him... Hate... Hate... Hate! Hate!!! I had... enough...!!! "Fleet... Destroy everything!" --------------------------------------------- *Cape Engano* -Shouhou POV- You got to be kidding... Even though they are low ranking Abyssal and Sirens, this is too much! Admiral sortied us to assist in thinning out the sudden outbreak of Abyssal and Siren sh.i.p.s in Cape Engano and the subjugation of the Abyssal Crane Princess. By the time we reached the operation area, the other fleets from various Naval Districts have started their attacks. Abyssal and Siren sh.i.p.s reached out as far as the eye can see. Our radars are overloaded by the number of enemy signatures being picked up. Explosions and fire can be seen at every angle we look. "Hawawa! What should we do?! There''s too many of them!" (Gambier Bay) "Calm down. We just have to proceed as per normal." (Yahagi) Yahagi-san is right. No point in getting scared now. We just have to break through. "Still, this is extremely chaotic. I can''t locate the others." (Ooyodo) "Look out!" (Satsuki) Satsuki-chan aimed her AA gun upwards and begin firing at an Abyssal Hellcat that was flying towards us. The Hellcat burst into flames and fell into the ocean. Admiral was right. There might be some Wo-class Abyssal Carriers here. "Thank you, Satsuki-chan." (Ooyodo) "Ehehe~" (Satsuki) "The fleet over there! Please identify yourself!" (???) As we were about to launch our attack against the Abyssals in front of us, a voice entered our comms, demanding us for identification. Is this Yamato-san? "This is flagship Ooyodo of Maizuru Subjugation Fleet. It''s a honour working with you, Yamato-san." (Yamato) Oh, Ooyodo-san. Sorry for being rude. Things are chaotic here." (Yamato) "That''s okay. I understand. What''s the situation right now?" (Ooyodo) "It''s just as you can see. The number of enemies are overwhelming. All of the Abyssals are Destroyer Ni-class and Light Crusier He-class. The Abyssal aircraft were solely launched from the Abyssal Crane Princess herself. As of two hours ago, the Abyssal Crane Princess''s fleet has stopped moving. However, more Abyssal sh.i.p.s are spawning and she has started to launch her aircrafts at a accelerated rate. I need you guys to eliminate as much Abyssals as you can in the South-eastern flank and possibly secure a route so we can go in and take her out. Be careful not to get surrounded. Kitakami-san''s fleet at the Northern flank got surrounded so we are going in to extract them." (Yamato) "Understood. We will handle the numbers on our end." (Ooyodo) "Thank you. That helps. Good luck." (Yamato) "Ooyodo-san, your orders." (Yahagi) "Right. Starting from now, we will communicate through code. There''s a chance the enemy may tap into our channel." "Abyssals can do that? Sounds impossible." (Satsuki) "They did it once. Admiral received an unknown call from around here before. He suspects the call might be linked to the Abyssal Crane Princess. Of course, it was just a suspicion. Anyway, here is the plan. We will go in a line ahead formation. I will secure the front, Fubuki-san will be providing AA cover behind me. Shouhou-san and Gambier Bay-san will be in the middle. You two are our main stars after all. Similar to me and Fubuki-san, Satsuki-san and Yahagi-san will cover the back. Make sure the enemy doesn''t get a chance to flank us." (Ooyodo) "Roger!" (All) "Now, start the operation!" (Ooyodo) Following Ooyodo-san''s plan, we charge straight into the horde of Abyssals and Sirens. Most, if not all, of the Abyssals were Light Cruisers and Destroyers, so it didn''t take much effort to sink them. The problem is the number of Abyssals and how fast they spawn from the sea. "Gh! They just won''t stop appearing!" (Satsuki) "There''s too many!" (Fubuki) "Hawawa! This is too much!" (Gambier Bay) "Argh!" (Yahagi) Smoke suddenly engulfed Yahagi-san. Her riggings and clothes are in shreds. "Yahagi-san, are you alright?" (Satsuki) "I let my guard down. A torpedo..." (Yahagi) "No way..." (Satsuki) "I can still fight." (Yahagi) "Don''t push yourself. Satsuki-san, defend the rear. Yahagi-san, fall back to the middle and provide cover fire." (Ooyodo) "Got it. My apologies, Satsuki-san." (Yahagi) "Leave this to me! I can handle a bunch of small fries on my own!" (Satsuki) As we continued to sink everything in our path, explosions and screams can be heard all around us. We should be use to this kind of noise by now, but hearing so many of them at the same time is really scary. "All sh.i.p.s, be advised. The Abyssal Crane Princess is heading to the South-eastern area. I repeat, the Abyssal Crane Princess is approaching the South-eastern area. All nearby sh.i.p.s, please converge." (Ise) Ise-senpai''s suddenly entered our ears through our comms. No, more importantly, the Abyssal Crane Princess is coming here?! "Shouhou..." (???) "What was that?" I just heard someone call my name on the comms. "Who is this? How did you get on this channel?!" (Yamato) Before anyone could answer, Abyssals and Sirens suddenly blew up in a distance in front of us! Some were even flung high into the air. What is happening? "What''s happening?!" (Gambier Bay, in English) "Shouhou..." (???) "Yamato-san!" (Ooyodo) "On our way! Hang on just a little longer!" (Yamato) There is a lot of chatter on the comms. Everyone is riled up by the strange events unfolding around us. Abyssals and Sirens being thrown around like rag dolls, a mysterious voice that infiltrated our secured communication channel. "Ooyodo-san, enemy aircraft!" (Fubuki) "Tch! Diamond Formation, now! Prepare for AA combat! Shouhou-san, Gambier Bay-san, get some fighters up in the air." "Roger!" "Un-understood!" (Gambier Bay) As I was about to pull my bowstring, I felt a sharp pain in my side. A burning sensation coursed through my body. "Aaah!" I got hit by a HE shell. I can''t move. "Shouhou-senpai!" (Gambier Bay) No good... The pain is blurring my vision... I can feel something warm flowing down my face. Is this... blood? "She''s here! Everyone, focus on the enemy! Yahagi-san, check on Shouhou-san!" (Ooyodo) Everyone is fighting. I need to get up... "Wait! What is she- Hyaa!" (Satsuki) "Yahagi-san, look out!" (Fubuki) "Yahagi-san! Shouhou-san!" (Ooyodo) As I looked up, I find myself staring at a terrifying sight... A grey figure dressed mainly in black stood towering over me. Her hair was floating. She wore a hakama and had a turret on her back. The Abyssal Crane Princess was in front of me! However, compared to the one we saw in the records, she was much smaller. I know I have seen that face before. Instead of the sharper, more matured face, this one has a younger, smaller face which is eerily familier. She stared at me with sadness and hatred in her eyes. "Shouhou..." (Abyssal Crane Princess) That voice... No way! ! Even though her voice is slightly distorted, it definitely belongs to her! And that face. That''s not Zuikaku-senpai! "Zuihou?" I can''t move. "I finally... found you... I was so lonely... Hey, where is Admiral? Let''s go together... Shouhou... To the bottom of the ocean..."(Abyssal Crane Princess) The Abyssal Crane Princess got closer. I can feel her cold fingers tighten around my neck. I can''t... breathe... "Get away from her!" (Ooyodo) The left side of the Abyssal Crane Princess explode and she moved aside. I can feel the oxygen rushing into my body as soon as she released her grip. My throat hurts from both the pressure and the sudden flow of oxygen. "Shouhou-san, are you alright?" (Fubuki) How is this happening? Wasn''t the Abyssal Crane Princess supposed to be Zuikaku-senpai''s Abyssal counterpart? Why is Zuihou the one in that body? "Ooyodo-san...? Fubuki-chan... Yahagi-san... Long time... no see... So many... friends... Hey... Come with me... Then, I won''t be lonely anymore..." (Abyssal Crane Princess) "I know some of the Abyssals have memories of their past life, but why is she speaking like she knew us personally?" (Yahagi) "No. That''s impossible! It can''t be...!" (Ooyodo) "Come with me... to the depths of the sea..." (Abyssal Crane Princess) "Zuihou-senpai?" (Fubuki) "Then... you can recall the same sorrow and bitterness as I did..." (Abyssal Crane Princess) Chapter 145 - 131 "Stick to the pre-planned route. We have no idea what will show up, so stay on your toes." "Roger!" (All) The following day after we finished our final Transport Load-off mission and everyone has rested up and got repaired, I remade the fleet into a Carrier Task Force. In the main fleet, we have Zuihou, Suzuya, the dragon sisters and the Fusou sisters. In the escort fleet, we have Tama, Murasame, Yuudachi, Shigure, Kumano and Mogami. The escort fleet didn''t change much. Still, to sortie them almost immediately after they just returned, I''m worried that I might have unknowingly forced them to push themselves, especially the members of the escort fleet and Zuihou. They have been participating in all three phases. I could give the order to retreat for now but that will just drain our resources needlessly. And the girls will definitely protest my decision. It''s best to advance for now. So far they encountered a small Submarine fleet and an air raid. According to the intel map, there should be- "Enemy fleet spotted!'' (Zuihou) An Abyssal fleet coming up nest. Yep, there it is. "Forward Cruising Formation. Destroy our enemies!" "Okay, let''s go! Attack wing, launch!" (Zuihou) "Found you, nya! Nyan!" (Tama) Since the Abyssal fleet was a normal one, if only three slightly higher-ranked Light Cruisers and three Destroyer Ha-class Late Models, the fight was relatively short since we have air superiority. "Proceed with caution. Beyond this is unknown territory." "Roger!" (All) Of a sudden, the air raid alarm rang. A group of Abyssal aircraft have been detected near the base. They are most likely aiming for the Land-based Aircraft Hangers. I expected this much. "Are the fighters on standy?" "They are already in the air." (Rei) "Alright. Intercept them." The distinct sound of gunfire and explosions echoed nearby as the Reppus I had kept in the hanger came out to do their duty. While most of the Abyssal aircrafts got destroyed midair, there was one which managed to break through the air group and launched its bombing run on our hangers. They do realise it''s only effective if they actually hit our hangers, right? The bomb landed way off its mark. Anyway, it as just a single Abyssal Dive Bomber. Even if it does hit our hangers, the damage is insignificant. Unless it''s a Cat Fighter Bomber. Then we might be in trouble. Those things hit hard. "I''m still not used to all those noise. It''s so loud." (Rei) Rei removed her hands from her eyes. I remember the first time I witness and heard the a dogfight above me. I made the stupid mistake of going outside and couldn''t hear properly for the next day. "You will get use to it. Just don''t go out when they are fighting." "?" (Rei) We watched as the Carrier Task Force eliminate the Abyssals along the one, until they finally encounter a problematic one. A fleet with a Battleship Summer Princess III and a Battleship Re-class Elite. This may not go well. The other four escorts are easy, these two are not. The first one is extremely tough and hits hard while the other is sort of muti-talented. In additional to having the same capabilties as a high-ranking Abyssal Battleship, it can launch torpedos and aircrafts as it sees fit. It''s like an Armoured Carrier Princess, but with bigger and deadlier weapons. "This is bad. Battle Cruising Formation. We will go all out from the get-go." "Even with reduced numbers, we''re the best!" (Zuihou) Zuihou led the opening airstrike against the Abyssal fleet, taking out both Destroyer Ha-class Late Models and damaging the Light Carrier Nu-class Flagship IV. Yuudachi took out all the Abyssal Aircraft which was launched at them, so air superiority is secured. Shigure''s OASW took out the Submarine Yo-class Elite. As expected of our ''Submarine Hunter''. Now we just need to watch how this fight plays out. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Ooowwiee~" (Suzuya) "That didn''t go well." (Shiigure) "Sorry, if I didn''t get hit by that torpedo..." (Mogami) "I''m at fault too. I didn''t evade that shell in time." (Fusou) We had to retreat because Mogami and Fusou got heavily damaged mid-fight. We didn''t managed to take out the Battleship Summer Princess either. The fleet returned rather dejected. To top it off, Zuihou fainted upon reaching the base. I will go see in the infirmary after I check on the rest. Mogami and Fusou were heavily damaged. Murasame and Hiryuu suffered from moderate damage. Suzuya and Tama were lightly damaged. The others only had scratches or light burn marks. And one unconscious girl in the infirmary. This time, we were unlucky, I guess. "I don''t think I need to say it at this point, but go to the docks and get yourselves patched up. These that are unhurt, take this time to rest. All of you did pretty good today. Don''t worry about the Battleship princess, we were unl- unprepared for such a situation." "You were about to say ''unlucky'', weren''t you?" (Fusou) "What are you talking about?" "You were definitely about to say it." (Yamashiro) The word ''unlucky'' is a taboo word for the Fusou sisters. "Anyway, go get some rest. I will let you know when we are sortieing again. Dismissed." I hurriedly made my way to the infirmary. Either Akashi or Rei should be there, so I can ask about her condition. When I entered the infirmary, Akashi was there, holding a clipboard. Beside her laid my girlfriend, eyes closed and unmoving. "What happened?" "No signs of injury or anything serious. She is just overworked. Some rest should do the trick." (Akashi) "I see." "Geez. No need to make that face. She will be fine." (Akashi) Akashi tapped my head lightly with the clipboard. What kind of face was I making? "I''ll be in the factory if you need me. I have a bunch of equipment to repair." (Akashi) "Thank you." I worried such a thing would happen. Zuihou has been working non-stop since the start of the mission. Even after returning to base, she will help me with my paperwork for the day. I should have noticed she was getting exhausted... "I''m sorry. Have a good rest." I held onto her hand as she slept. Not long after, Rei came rushing into the infirmary, "Admiral!" (Rei) "Quiet. She is still asleep." "Ah, sorry. Wait, that''s not it. Ooyodo''s fleet just returned. And this is bad." (Rei) Both of us rushed to the port. She was right, it is bad. All six of them have been severely damaged and we''re sat on the pier. They look extremely exhausted and in pain. Next to them was an Azur Lane fleet. They are not in good shape either. Was the situation in Cape Engano that bad? I haven''t received an official report or any news about the subjugation. "What happened?" "Admiral, is Zuihou alright? She is still here, right?" (Shouhou) There is a look of panic and fear on Shouhou''s face. What happened back there? "She is fine. She is sleeping in the infirmary right now." "Thank goodness! That''s great!" (Shouhou) A sense of relief seems to sweep over her as she began to relax. Why did Shouhou suddenly ask about Zuihou? I need to know what happened but first, we need to get them to the docks. "Admiral, I got a report..." (Ooyodo) "You can tell me after you get better. Let''s get all of you to docks." After I got some girls to help escort them to the docks, I turned to Enterprise, who was there the whole time. Behind her was Hornet, Yorktown, Intrepid, Zuikaku and Ill.u.s.trious. A full carrier fleet. "I don''t know what happened, but thank you for helping them." "I''m sorry. We could have done better by reaching them earlier." (Enterprise) "They managed to come home to me. That''s more than enough. What happened there? Is the fight is ongoing?" "That''s-" (Enterprise) "It''s over. For now." (Zuikaku) I turned to Zuikaku, who wore a serious expression on her face. "There is a high chance that she is coming here." (Zuikaku) "Zuikaku!" (Enterprise) I raised my hand, gesturing Enterprise to stop. "Explain it. Who is coming and why?" Chapter 146 - 132 Due to the lack of time and the urgency of the situation, a conference call was held in the Command room. All the Admiral''s from the other districts and the Commander of Azur Lane are present. Even the Marshal Admiral has made an appearance. "Alright, everyone is present. Let''s start." (Rondo) "As everyone knows, there was a sudden outbreak of Abyssals and Sirens in Cape Engano. As of 1500hrs yesterday, both Abyssals and Sirens have vanished from the area." (Yokosuka) "Zuikaku told me that the Abyssals they were engaged with suddenly went under the ocean. Is that what you meant by vanished?" (Kure) "That''s right. For the sirens, a portal opened up and they just went through it. Currently, we are monitoring the area for any stragglers." (Brunei Anchorage) "That''s how sirens move around the place." (AL Commander) "During the operation, Maizuru''s fleet had a direct encounter with the Abyssal Crane Princess, sustaining heavy damage in the process. Yamato''s fleet and Enterprise''s fleet managed to damage her and chase her off." (Yokosuka) "While it was a close call for my girls, what they and Azur Lane''s Zuikaku told me was extremely concerning. I was informed of the identity of the Abyssal Crane Princess which was responsible for the outbreak. Shouhou-class 2nd ship, Zuihou." "Yamato can attest to that. The Abyssal Crane Princess was smaller than what we know. She also witnessed the Crane Princess speaking to the members of Maizuru''s subjugation fleet with familiarity. She even called Yamato by her nickname before retreating." (Yokosuka) Did the Zuihou of the past meet Yamato before? Maybe it was before I enlisted. "Can Abyssals retain memories of their time when they were shipgirls?" (AL Commander) "No. Or at least that should be the case. When a shipgirl sinks, her memories of their time spent with us disappears entirely. They may have a sense of nostalgia when found again, but until then, they are just mindless beings filled with hatred and despair. The only memories they seem to have are those of the Great War." (Rondo) "Likewise, the shipgirl won''t retain any memories of being an Abyssal." But this one is different. An Abyssal which retained her memories of being a shipgirl. She knew about Ooyodo. She knew about me. "This is a big issue." (Brunei Anchorage) "Yeah. This not only changes everything we know about the Abyssals, it also makes things harder." (Kure) "My subjugation fleet experienced it first hand. They could bear to harm their old comrade, that''s why they were badly damaged." Ooyodo told me that when they realized it was Zuihou they were fighting, they couldn''t bear to point their guns at her. However, the Abyssal Zuihou had no quelms about hurting her former comrades. She attacked with the intention of sinking them. If Enterprise and Yamato didn''t appear in the nick of time, I would have lost six shipgirl''s that day. "How are your girls?" (Rondo) "Physically, they are fine now. I''m more concerned about their psych." "I don''t understand. Weren''t you guys killing your former comrades for years?" (AL commander) "It''s the core that matters. Killing someone who knows you is harder than killing a mindless zombie. Even if they look different, the contents are the same." (Yokosuka) "Sorry. Can''t say I understand it. We have only been fighting mindless zombies as far as I can remember. Apart from the high-ranking Sirens, the others are just machines." (AL Commander) The Commander is right. The Sirens are technically mechanical husks. In the first place, what are they? The high-ranking ones like the Purifier and Observer can float, summon portals and shoot lasers and stuff. The mass-produced Siren sh.i.p.s travel through portals and shoot lasers too. Are the Sirens some kind of alien entity? "He is right. The whole thing is not as easy as sinking normal Abyssals or Princess types. This is a whole new level." (Rondo) "But I have to agree with Azur Lane on this one. It might be a Zuihou, but she is still an Abyssal. Friend or not, we have the duty to sink her." (Brunei Anchorage) "But she''s our ally! Or was, in this case. We can''t just order them to kill their friend." (Sasebo) "But we are fighting an Abyssal! An enemy of humanity and shipgirls. If we sink her, we might save more shipgirls." (Kure) Everyone is split on this. To kill a friend that turned evil or to spare her. I know it is necessary, but the fact that it''s the Zuihou I know from before and lost, makes it harder to make a decision. "Enough!" (Marshal Admiral) At his cue, everybody shut their mouths. "Seriously, you kids still want to fight at this timing. This is not a matter of friend or foe. Can''t you see? That girl is suffering." (Marshal Admiral) Suffering? Speaking of which, Ooyodo did tell me what the Abyssal Zuihou said. It was, "I was so lonely... Suffer the same sorrow and bitterness... That Abyssal is suffering." And it was my fault. "Take responsibility and put her to rest!" (Marshal Admiral) Huh? What did he just say? "It was your girl, wasn''t it? If you feel like its your fault, then fix it! That Zuikaku girl from Azur Lane said she might be heading your way, right?" (Marshal Admiral) "Yes sir. But we still aren''t sure whether-" (AL Commander) "Then that''s perfect. I am hereby ordering an emergency pause to all operations. That Abyssal Crane Princess variant is now renamed Abyssal Phoenix Princess. Maizuru Naval District is to lure and sink the Abyssal Phoenix Princess! All other districts are to support in this operation. That''s an order. And that includes Azur Lane as well, young man." (Marshal Admiral) Everyone was shocked at the Marshal Admiral''s order. He is basically ordering the entire IJN to sortie against one Abyssal. "Eh? With the respect, sir, I don''t think-" (AL Commander) "Are you defying your elders, boy?" (Marshal Admiral) "What are you saying, you senile old man?!" (Rondo) "Shut up! This is an order! Right now, we need to prioritize ending that poor little one''s suffering." (Marshal Admiral) Now I see. This guy truly cares about both the Abyssals and shipgirls. He believes that the Abyssals are shipgirls stuck in limbo. Sinking an Abyssal releases them from their eternal torment. It''s not a matter of whether we can do it or not, it''s for the sake of the shipgirl stuck inside. Now I feel like an idiot. At the same time, I can''t help but feel proud to serve under such a superior. I stood at attention, "Understood. Maizuru Naval District will pull all stops to put her to rest." "Eh? Oi, are you serious? It''s the Zuihou you lost. Can you bear to sink her again?" (Sasebo) "That''s right. I''m the main reason why she is suffering now. That''s why, I''m going to fix it." "Good. Then it''s settled. Now then, I have to go see my precious Ise-chan." (Marshal Admiral) The Marshal Admiral disappeared from screen. I can hear him calling out to Ise in the background. "Your grandfather really is something else. As expected of the man that tamed a Northern Princess" "His naming sense still sucks. What the heck is Abyssal Phoenix Princess? Physically, she is still a Crane Princess." (Rondo) "Well, she did come back to life, technically." "Anyway, we have our orders. Each district is to send support over to Maizuru Naval District within the next two days." (Rondo) "But what if it comes earlier?" (Brunei Anchorage) "That won''t be a problem. She was damaged during the fight, so she is definitely taking the time to recover. Until then, we can set everything up." (AL Commander) "Haah~ What a drag. I will send a fleet over there. You guys better not start without me." (Sasebo) "Make sure there''s enough rooms and beds for my girls." (Kure) "I will get Akashi to furnish some rooms. They are always welcome here." "I just got dragged into something troublesome. I will form some patrol fleets to monitor the area. I will send some Eagle Union carriers to help you. If she shares the same traits as your Zuihou, they should scare her." (AL Commander) "Thanks but don''t send them too early. I don''t want my girls to be terrified before we go into battle." With that, our next mission is clear. I will put the Abyssal Phoenix Princess to rest. End her suffering once and for all. And finally, atone for my mistakes. ----------------------------------------------------- It hurts... It hurts... I want go home... I hate this... I don''t want this anymore... Why must I suffer like this? I just wanted to be with everyone... Is that so wrong? Maybe... If I can get Admiral to come with me... Everyone will follow... Hehe... Hahahahahaha....!!! Then we can be together forever... Ah... Wait for me... Admiral... I''m coming... Chapter 147 - 133 It''s finally summer. And that''s means it''s swimsuit season. Although we have an emergency on our hands, the girls still can have time to have fun on the beach. In fact, there are more of them now. "Kasumi-chan!" (Kawakaze) Kawakaze hit a beach ball high up into the sky, "Hey! Not too hard! Inazuma-chan!" (Kasumi) "Hawawa!" (Inazuma) As I walked around, I see the destroyers from each district playing together in hot afternoon sun. The cruisers and battlesh.i.p.s stroll along and rest on the beach. Some of them are even playing a game of beach volleyball with one another. As agreed in the emergency meeting, each district has sent a fleet over to assist in the Abyssal Phoenix Princess subjugation. Azur Lane has a Carrier fleet on standby at the homebase and a Destroyer Squadron here. Sasebo Sent an battleship with two torpedo cruisers and three Destroyers. Kure sent over an Torpedo squadron. Yokosuka sent an Battleship fleet, with Yamato and Musashi as the flagsh.i.p.s. Brunei Anchorage sent a mixture of Heavy fleet, with heavy cruisers and battlesh.i.p.s. As expected of the district with the most number of foreign sh.i.p.s. Although, they are still in their way. I returned to my office with a bowl of Anmitsu which I just bought from Mamiya. No, it''s not for me. It''s for the girl who is still troubled by the events that happened while she slept and the revelation she just received. Zuihou sat on my sofa, staring blankly into space. I presented her the bowl of Anmitsu, "Here. Mamiya''s new Anmitsu." She slowly took the bowl from my hands. "Thank you..." (Zuihou) After the meeting, I went to check on Zuihou in the infirmary, only to find her in tears. She told me that she just had a nightmare, where she tried to sink Ooyodo, Yahagi, Shouhou, Gambier Bay, Fubuki and Satsuki. That nightmare of hers eerily mirrors the events that happened during Ooyodo''s initial encounter with the Abyssal Phoenix Princess. The following day, she got woken up by another nightmare. She described her surroundings as a dark and cold place. Her body was hurting all over. Only one thing was on her mind at that time. To sink everyone and kill me. She woke up in cold sweat and came running to me from her room in the middle of the night. At this point, I had no doubt that the malice of the Abyssal Phoenix Princess has some sort of effect on her. So, I decided to tell her about what happened in the morning. It is an understatement to say that she is shocked to hear that. No. She was probably feeling a mix of shock, sadness, fear and many other negative emotions right now. Who wouldn''t be when you tell them they have an evil clone out there trying to murder all your friends and loved ones? Her eyes were blank and she hasn''t said much since then. Zuihou scoop a spoonful of Anmitsu and put it in her mouth. Mamiya is such a genius with food. All it took was one scoop and Zuihou''s glazed over eyes become back to normal. "This is delicious! How did Mamiya-san make this?" (ZUihou) There she is. The normal Zuihou is back. "I don''t know. How about you ask her next time?" I watched as she enjoys her food. Seeing her cheer up makes me happy as well. "That was delicious! Ah!" (Zuihou) The happy expression on her face suddenly disappeared. "What''s wrong?" "Sorry. I didn''t let you have a taste..." (Zuihou) She gave me an apolegetic look as she said that. That''s it?! "Heh." "What?" (Zuihou) "No. It''s nothing. I bought it for you anyway. Feeling better?" "Oh. Uhm... A little." (Zuihou) "I understand. It''s a lot to take in." "Yeah. I still can''t believe that I have an Abyssal counterpart. So all those nightmares... Do you reckon-" (Zuihou) "They might be connected to the Abyssal Phoenix Princess. Her emotions, thoughts, and so on. You two are the same after all. Something like the psychic connection between twins." "Another Zuihou. And my senior... I wonder what would happen if she saw me?" (Zuihou) If the both of them met, what would happen? How will the Abyssal counterpart react? Probably with more hatred and malice. Abyssals are a bundle of negative emotions and energy. "I wonder I should say to her... Apart from that time, I don''t have any memories of sinking, but she has. All that malice... that cold, dark place... Is this what an Abyssal feels?" (Zuihou) Zuihou pulled her legs towards her and wrapped her arms around them. She is scared and anxious. I pulled her closer, "That''s why, we should sink her. That Zuihou... has already sunk. She doesn''t belong in the living world. If we leave her like this, she will only continue to suffer." "I know... but the more I think about it, the more frightened I become... All I felt was just the urge to destroy, how unfair the world is, sadness, regret... Is this what Abyssals feel all the time? Eh?" (Zuihou) "What is it?" Zuihou looked like she just realized something, "Now that I think about it, in the nightmares, there was something else aside from all the malice..." (Zuihou) "What do you mean?" "There was this voice in my head saying, ''I want go home. I miss everyone. I want to return to Admiral''s side''. It was mixed in with all the madness and bloodl.u.s.t." (Zuihou) Can Abyssals feel that? We all know that, apart from the princess types, all Abyssals are mindless creatures solely focused on destruction. The princess types often hold negative emotions about their sinking, and based on what they said, we know they have memories regarding the Great War. The Abyssal Phoenix Princess is the first Abyssal to stray away from this common knowledge. Her destructive tendencies stems from the regret and anger of sinking as a shipgirl. Her existence changes everything we know. Wait. What was the last one? She wants to be by my side? Are you saying that Zuihou from before had a crush on me? Now I feel worst than before. I was responsible for her sinking... "No matter how or what I am, looks like I will always love you, Admiral." (Zuihou) Zuihou responded with a sweet smile, but my main focus was at somewhere else. "That Zuihou, she loved me before, didn''t she?" "From the nightmare I saw, yeah she did. Just like me..." (Zuihou) It was my fault. I ordered them to advance knowing that there is a high chance that one of them would sink... If I didn''t make that order back then, she wouldn''t have to- Something warm touched my face. My lips became wet as I felt something warm push through. I realised that Zuihou''s tongue was inside my mouth! When did she go in for a kiss?! I feel warm inside... After a while, we broke off from the kiss to catch our breath. She looked at me with a reddened face and watery eyes, "Sorry. I shouldn''t have mentioned that. I know how much you blame yourself for it." (Zuihou) She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me to her chest. It''s a little hard, but this is the chest I love. Our roles got switched. Now it''s my turn to be comforted. "Sorry. I got to stop doing that. I''m fine now." "It''s fine. Let me take the lead once in a while." (Zuihou) I stroked through her hair as I broke off from her embrace. She just smiled. "Say, I just had a thought. Do think a mini-me will appear if we sink my evil clone? Abyssals can return back into shipgirls after all." (Zuihou) Speaking of which, can two shipgirls with the same name, class, type and appearance exist at the same time. So far all of the shipgirls in our districts are ''one of a kind''. If we sink the Abyssal Phoenix Princess, will another Zuihou appear? Or will an entirely different shipgirl appear? Or maybe nothing will happen. The last one seems the most plausible. A mini-Zuihou, Huh? The closest thing I can think of is a baby. Suddenly, I heard a switch clicked inside me. We haven''t done it in quite a long time. I put my hands on her shoulders. "We can make one, you know. A miniature Zuihou." She seems to understand me, as I watch her whole face turn red. "Wha-what are you saying? It''s still daytime. And Ooyodo-san is going to get angry again if we get caught!" (Zuihou) I don''t think thats the main issue. "Since the start of the operation, we haven''t had time to ourselves." "Th-thats true. All of us have been really busy. But-" (Zuihou) "You don''t want to do it?" "That''s- I mean- Uuu..." (Zuihou) "I been holding back all this time..." I kissed Zuihou deeply. Our tongues explored wash others mouth, "Fuah~ Geez... Even though I was trying so hard to hold back..." (Zuihou) She is finally turned on, "Want to do it here?" "That''s a little..." (Zuihou) "Ahahaha. Just kidding. Out here is a little embarrassing. Maybe next time." "You still plan to do it outside?" (Zuihou) I pulled Zuihou into the bedroom. ----------------------------------------------- After dinner, we continued our bonding session. Zuihou got tired and immediately fell asleep, leaving me to wipe her down. I think this might be the most we have ever done in a day. As I watched Zuihou sleeping soundly, I thought back at our discussion in the afternoon. The Abyssal Phoenix Princess had feelings for me, and everyone else. Feelings of regret, loneliness and sorrow are the main drivers for her actions. That''s when I thought up on something crazy. I want to talk to her. Yes, she is an Abyssal princess, but she unlike the others. She is a unique type, able to converse with others. She spoke to Shouhou before attempting to kill her, and then to the others of the subjugation fleet before attacking. If she is really the Zuihou that I sank, I have so many things to say to her... The question is, how am I going to carry this out without getting myself killed? I think I know just the trick. I picked up the phone and called Azur Lane''s office. It''s still relatively early into the night, so someone should answer. Even if the commander himself is asleep, one of his maids can help me pass in the message. "Hello. How rare of you to call at this timing." (AL commander) Just the person I needed. "Hey, I got a favour to ask of you... Fair bit of warning, it''s going to be crazy." Chapter 148 - 134 Souryuu''s Saiun flew high in the sky, scouting the oceans up ahead. "Enemy ship spotted. One Destroyer I-class." (Souryuu) "Can you spot any others?" "No. I don''t see- wait... There is something in the water. Launching ASW planes." (Souryuu) "It''s me! I''m a friendly! Don''t shoot!" (???) An unknown voice can be heard entering the channel. A pink hair girl wearing a swimsuit appeared from under the surface and showed herself to the camera. That''s U-81, an Ironbloods submarine. I heard she is a playful type. "You guys are scouting this area?" "Umm... Y-yeah. I''m in charge of scouting this area. I will inform-" (U-81) A loud static cut her off, before the commanders voice came bellowing through, "U-81! Get back her this instance! I didn''t give you permission to play hide-and-seek out in the ocean!" (AL Commander) "Eep! I''m sorry! I will come back immediately!" (U-81) Ow. My ears. "Sorry. That girl isn''t supposed to be there." (AL Commander) "Hide-and-seek?" U-81 quickly dived back into the water and disappeared from sight. I had a hunch she was lying. "My subs are playing hide-and-seek around the base. This girl decided to hide in the operation area. Anyway, I have some scouts monitoring the outer perimeter. I will inform you if anything pops up." (AL commander) "I''ll leave that to you. Souryuu, continue sweeping the area. Wait until Shioi and Shion arrive with the sea mines and sensors. Then head back with them." "Roger. Continuing my sweep." (Souryuu) I switched to a different channel, "Avrora, how are things at your end?" "Ah, Admiral-san. We are just finishing up here. We will be back soon." (Avrora) I can hear gunfire from her end. Looks like they are still fighting. I sent Avrora''s hunting fleet to take care of any small Abyssal fleets that are careless to enter our operation area. In fact, the entire area outside the base is our operations area. "Alright. I''ll be waiting." It has been 3 days since Brunei Anchorage''s fleet arrived. So far, the Abyssal Phoenix Princess has yet to show up. The submarine girls set up a bunch of sensors and sea mines at each sector to detect and possibly slow down the Abyssal Phoenix Princess before we can intercept her. That was the original plan, but these stupid Abyssal sh.i.p.s keep triggering the sensors and sea mines. I have sent some fleets to take care of them and stand guard to take out any Abyssals that come too close. Putting the girls on guard duty can help stop the Abyssals from needlessly triggering our sensors, but it''s tiring for them to keep rotating shifts. What if I commission some floating turrets? Like Amatsukaze''s Rensouhou-kun and Shimakaze''s Rensouhou-chan. Those things can move autonomously. "This is Shouhou. We have spotted a Carrier fleet at sector G! Permission to engage." (Shouhou) "How close are they?" "Close enough to kick their butts." (Maya) "Blow them to bits." "Understood." (Shouhou) "Now we are talking." (Maya) The monitor switched to an bird''s-eye view of sector G, where Shouhou is. Currently, she is sortied with Maya, Choukai, Noshiro, Yukikaze, and Samidare. That''s a simple Carrier fleet. Two Wo-class carriers and 4 Destroyer I-class. Shouldn''t be much of a threat once Maya shoots down all of the Abyssals planes. There it is. The Abyssal aircraft burst into tiny balls of fire and smoke like fireworks in the middle of the day. It''s not pretty, but still fascinating to watch. This is what we have been doing for the past three days. Setting up sea mines, monitoring the different sectors, sortieing fleets to patrol a certain sector and take out any Abyssals that come too close, and other boring but necessary stuff. Yes, the girls can play on the beach during their free time, but I''m stuck in the command room monitoring the situation. At least, Rei is here with me. But that might be a dangerous thing as well. "Hnng... Ahh... I''m tired." (Rei) Rei stretch her body while seated, exposing her armpits and pushing her chest outwards. Usually I wouldn''t be able to notice anything since she is wearing the standard Naval uniform, but this time, she is wearing a swimsuit, indoors. She is totally influenced by the shipgirls walking around in their swimwear. Rei was wearing a frilly white bikini with a frilly skirt. Without the uniform''s interference, I can see her figure clearly now. Her body is pretty slim and toned. Her bust has always been big, but her frilly bikini seems to be making it look bigger. Or was she always this big? Her h.i.p.s are- What am I doing? This is bad. If she finds out I''m checking her out- "Like what you see?" (Rei) Ah, crap. Rei looked at me with a smirk. "Wh-what are you talking about?" Yeah, good job on feigning ignorance. Absolutely world-class acting. "Ufu~ You can look, you know? I don''t mind." (Rei) Rei approached closer to me. My eyes are being drawn in. "How is my swimsuit? You like it?" (Rei) "It''s... pretty, I guess." "Geez. What is that supposed to mean?" (Rei) "Ge-get back to work! You can play later. In the first place, why are you walking around in a bikini?" "It''s fine, isn''t it? The other girls are doing the same thing." (Rei) "True, but that doesn''t-" "Cute. Getting fl.u.s.tered like that." (Rei) "Any normal guy would react like that!" "Admiral, this is Souryuu in sector A. There is a combined Abyssals fleet approaching. Permission to strike." (Souryuu) Saved by the bell... "Permission granted. I''m sending a torpedo squadron 3 and 4 in for support." "Roger. We will hold them off from here." (Souryuu) I switched to the public announcement system, "Torpedo squadron 2 3 and 4, sortie and head to sector A. Assist Carriers Souryuu and Chiyoda in eliminating the Abyssal combined fleet." "Found you..." (???) There was some static in the speakers, before a familiar voice echoed through. She is close? "All participating sh.i.p.s, sortie immediately and head to your stations." "This is Kaga from Azur Lane. We have spotted an unknown Abyssal. It is approaching the sector G at top speed." (AL Kaga) "She is coming straight at us, huh? We will hold her off." (Maya) "All participating sh.i.p.s, rendezvous at Sector G and get into formation! Stick to the plan!" It''s time... I picked up a portable headset and set the frequencies to the battle channel and the secret channel. "Wait! Where are you going?" (Rei) "Sorry, Rei. I need you to hold the fort for me." "What are you going to do?" (Rei) Rei looked on with a concerned expression, "Making sure to say goodbye. Don''t worry. I''ll still be giving orders to the fleets. The others entrusted their girls to me. I don''t plan on breaking their trust." "No way! Are you serious?" (Rei) "See you later." I expected her to cry and beg me not to go, but instead, she just smiled and said, "I understand. Have a safe trip. Make sure you come back. I''m still waiting for that date." (Rei) I love this understanding side of hers, "I''m off." And closed the heavy metal door behind me. I switched to the secret channel Azur Lane and I agreed on, "Grozny, you there?" "§¥§Ñ §Ü§â§à§Ý§Ú§Ü and I are waiting at the far end. Comrade Zuikaku is on standby." (Grozny) "Thank you. Hold your position until I arrive. I need to get something." "Understood." (Grozny) I head to my office, into my room and reached under the bed. I remember keeping it somewhere. Ah. There it is. I pulled out a long and heavy wooden box from under the bed. As expected, it has collected a lot of dust from over the years. Hopefully, it''s not rusted. I opened the box, causing clouds of dust to fly over the place. Argh, maybe abandoning it under my bed was a bad idea. Resting atop of a cushion in the box was a saber and an old Nambu Pistol. This is the Navy Ceremonial Sword I received when I graduated from the academy. Looks like it''s still in good shape. I don''t see any rust or mold on it. It might be a ceremonial sword, but it''s still sharp enough to cause some damage. And the pistol is a nice thing to have as a ranged weapon. I know, as a human, these weapons won''t even tickle the Abyssals, but I feel that this is the only way I can say a proper goodbye. By killing the Abyssal Zuihou myself... Chapter 149 - 135 As planned before, Yamato''s fleet will be the last line of defense for the base. Once the Abyssals in other sectors are eliminated, they will head over to reinforce the attack. Brunei Anchorage and Kure will handle the Abyssal escorts, if the situation is the same as Cape Engano. After which, they will continue to close in on the Abyssal Phoenix Princess. Sasebo and Maizuru will charge straight at the Abyssal Phoenix Princess. Azur Lane''s Carrier Fleet will go around and hit the Abyssals from behind. If everything goes well, we would be able to hit the Abyssal Phoenix Princess with the full power of ten fleets. From Yokosuka, we have Yamato, Musashi, Haruna, Maya, Kasumi and Kagerou. Sasebo''s fleet consists of Bismarck, Graf Zeppelin, Kitakami, Ooi, Yuugumo and Naganami. Kure''s Torpedo squadron has Jintsuu, Yukikaze and the four Akatsuki sisters. Brunei Anchorage sent over Italia, Roma, Zara and Roma, Houston and Johnston. For our side, we have Zuihou, Suzuya, Yahagi, Ooyodo, Murasame and Yuudachi. The carrier fleet from Azur Lane has the three Yorktown-class Carriers, the Crane sisters and Akagi. Their torpedo squadron has Suzuya, Belfast, Yuudachi, Yukikaze, Shigure and Le Malin. Joining the fight later will Azur Lane''s Kaga and Taihou, Souryuu, Tenryuu''s torpedo squadron 3, with Asashio, Arashio, Mutsuki, Kisaragi and Satsuki, and Tatsuta''s torpedo squadron 4, with Yamakaze, Shiratsuyu, Yayoi, Uzuki and Fumizuki. Maya will head straight back to base before joining up Yamato''s fleet. Shouhou will return as well and provide secondary air support. It''s starting. Large numbers of Abyssal start to surface from all around the main Abyssal fleet. It''s just like the situation in Cape Engano, only Destroyer Ni-class and Light cruiser He-class. Even her escorts are of the same rank. Usually the escorts would be Carrier Wo-class or Battleship Re-class, but her fleet is pretty weak. Maybe that''s why she is trying to overwhelm us with numbers. I brought along a portable monitor and radio headset to observe the situation from Grozny''s ship and give orders accordingly. It''s a little small, maybe I''m just not used to watching a battle unfold on such a smaller screen, but it gets the job done. For me, Grozny will remain near the base with Akashi until I feel the need to intervene. If that happens, Grozny will bring me close enough to the battlefield. I will then signal to Enterprise, who is also in cahoots, to pick me up via plane. Hopefully, the Abyssal Phoenix Princess will sink and that''s the end of a story. If thats the case, I could still tell her goodbye in my heart as I watch her sink. The problem now is, she is totally different from before. Previously, her form is very much like the Abyssal Crane Princess, with floating hair and a turret attached to her back. Now, she has taken on an entirely new form. She is basically Zuihou if she lets her hair down and dyed it white. And add three horns at the left corner of her forehead. She is wearing a black traditional miko''s garb with a white short skirt. What is most eye-catching about her is that large, black appendage which replaces her right hand. It looks like a crossbow. There is the Lath, which protrudes out from the end. And she is using it to launch her planes! "Diamond formation! Prepare for triple-A combat!" "Admiral, the planes are focusing on us!" (Zuihou) "If that''s the case, we will draw their attenetion while the others move in." (Bismarck) "She just plans to break through, huh? Understood. While the two of you handle the planes, Jintsuu-san and Italia-san, mainten line-ahead formation and continue to close in from the sides. Eliminate whatever Abyssals you can along the way.Be careful not to let them surround you." "Roger! Preparation for assault, complete. Let''s go!" (Jintsuu) "I will show you the true power of shipgirls!" (Italia) "This is Avrora. We are approaching the operation area shortly." "Avrora, your fleet will intercept the Abyssal Phoenix Princess if she tries to escape. Standby at you position." "Understood. Avrora, holding position." (Avrora) "Tenryuu, Tatsuta, what''s your situation?" This is Tenryuu-sama. All of my girls are pefectly fine. We are on our way to the battlefield." (Tenryuu) "Alright. Make your way in towards the target from the South-west direction." "This is... Tatsuta. Sorry, one of those stupid things managed to hit me..." (Tatsuta) Tatsuta''s out for the count. "Roger. Are you the only hurt?" "No. One of the little ones got hurt as well." I switched the camera to Tatsuta''s location. Both Tatsuta and Fumizuki are badly injured. "Tatsuta, Fumizuki-san, fall back to base. The rest of you hold your position until Agano and Noshiro arrive. After that, head to the battlefield and enter from the north-west. The both of you got that?" "Finally Agano''s show time, right? Hehehe, I''ve been waiting." (Agano) "Noshiro. Setting sail." (Noshiro) Explosions and balls of fire can be seen and heard from my position. Aircraft from both sides explode in mid-air. I haven''t seen this scene in a long time. The sound of gunfire and exploding Abyssals accompanied by their screams echo in my ears. I feel excited just watching the battle unfold in front of me. "You are in my way! Admiral!" (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) I can hear her screaming on the radio. How did she tap into the signal?! "All sh.i.p.s, the target is tapping into our signal. Unless it''s important, maintain radio silence with other fleets. I will communicate with codes." I can hear various tapping on the radio. They switched to using Morse code pretty fast. I switched the channel to communicate back with Rei. "Rei, do you read me?" "Yeah, I''m monitoring things at my end. Oh no. Admiral, something is wrong! The channel are lighting up one by one!" (Rei) "Cut the connection! Switch to Morse code." That girl... She planned on searching every channel for me. She is hellbent on aiming for me. "Grozny-chan, we need to move." "Understood." (Grozny) The entire ship roared to life as the anchors were brought up. I can feel a slight breeze as the ship turned to starboard and advanced forward. "Maintain this speed. We will go as close as we can to Yorktown''s fleet." "Understood. Grozny, maintaining speed." (Grozny) "Akashi-chan, how is my equipment?" "You are crazy, nya. How do you plan on using this old pistol against an Abyssal? This old thing can barely work nya!" (Akashi) I had Akashi-chan to do some maintenance on the old Nambu Pistol and the sabre. She is obviously not too happy with it. "And that sword, it''s tough, but don''t expect it to block anything for long nya. It can only take three direct hits before breaking nya." (Akashi) "That''s oddly specific. Can you do something about it?" "What do I look like nya?! A swordsmith?! I don''t even have the proper equipment to temper a sword nya. I can oil your gun and make it work again, but the sword is not going to get anything nya." (Akashi) "Alright. That''s more than enough. Thanks." "You can thank me by treating to that dessert shop in your base nya." (Akashi) These Azur Lane girls really like Mamiya''s dessert. As we get closer, the explosion and fighting are getting louder and more ferocious. Rei and I have been giving orders using Morse code. Since it''s using a different signal, the Abyssal Phoenix Princess can''t track us. "Admiral! Where are you?! I missed you..." (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) I can hear her through the monitor... "Duck!" (Akashi) Suddenly Akashi pushed me on to the deck. One of Grozny''s main guns angled towards the air and fired with a thunderous bang. Argh! My ears! They won''t stop ringing! It took a while for me to recover. So that''s how a main gun sounds like up close. Interesting, but I wouldn''t recommend standing near one with ear protection. "What happened?" "Enemy aircraft...Sorry for during without warning..." (Grozny) Grozny looked down. She looks as though she is going to cry. I pet her head, "It''s okay. You did what you had to do. Thank you." Grozny looked at me with glimmer in her eyes. "Nya! I saved you too!" (Akashi) "Yeah. Yeah. Thank you." She is a cat, right? So... I stroked the underside of Akashi''s chin. She seems startled at first, her eyes immediately straightened up, but immediately melted into my palm afterwards. "Nya~~" (Akashi) "Why are you my way?! Aren''t we all friends?! I see... You want to join me too... Let''s go together..." (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) "Damn... She is crazy just as my Admiral said." (Bismarck) "This is never ending. How many planes is she going to lau-ouch!" (Kitakami) "Kitakami-san!" (Ooi) A firebomb dropped from the Abyssal Hell Diver scored a direct hit on Kitakami, burning off most of her uniform. "How dare you-!!!" (Ooi) In a fit of rage, Ooi launched a set of torpedo at the Abyssal Phoenix Princess, only to have them blocked by a Light Cruiser He-class that just spawned in front of the torpedos. Bismarck continued her shelling. The Abyssal Phoenix Princess evaded the shells but staggered as something hit her from behind. She turned around and growled. "Sorry for being late." (Belfast) "We finally managed to break through." (AL Suzuya) It was Azur Lane''s combined fleet. They are finally in firing range. "That oni girl, kinda looks like me..." (Suzuya) "Ah, you''re right!" (Zuihou) "Focus! This is not the time!" (Yahagi) "Sorry." (Zuihou & Suzuya) Thanks, Yahagi. I was about to say that myself. The Abyssals Phoenix Princess started to launch more planes, in all different directions. This is bad! "Grozny, full speed ahead. Take us to the back." I can feel the ship increase its speed. The inertia almost made me fall backwards. The explosions in the air got more frequent and fiercer as everyone concentrated on the Abyssal aircrafts and the enemy in front of them. With everyone working together, it was not long until the results were out. All of the fleets have entered their firing range. Even the ones that joined in after the battle started. Her escorts are gone, and she stopped spawning Destroyer Ni-class and Light cruiser He-class. They got the Abyssal Princess Phoenix cornered! "So many... friends... Even Shouhou is here... Let''s go together... I need to get Admiral first..." (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) "No! You are sinking right here!" (Zuihou) "You..." (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) The Abyssals Phoenix Princess steed wide-eyed at Zuihou. Her eyes were suddenly filled with rage as she charged at Zuihou. "You...!!!" (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) "Fire!" On my cue, everyone fired everything they have at the Abyssal Phoenix Princess. Shells, torpedos, firebombs. Everything was thrown at her. There are multiple explosions, and with each explosion, her painful screams echo through the air. "Enough!" I stopped their attacks. Apart from being overkill, I can''t bear to hear her screams anymore. It pains my heart... The Abyssal Phoenix Princess, now in town clothes and covered with burn marks and injuries, fell to her knees as she started to sink. "Why...? Why must I... sink again...? I just wanted... to be with everyone..." (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) I''m sorry, Zuihou. Goodbye. "No... I don''t want... to go... not like this... I see... Admiral... You planned this, didn''t you?" (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) Wait. Something is wrong... A weird, black and red glow started to form around her. What is happening? "Enterprise!" "No! It''s not safe! I can''t-" (Enterprise) "Just do it!" I need Enterprise to get me into the air. This malice, this bloodl.u.s.t is not normal. "It''s tour fault... Even though I loved you... You want to sink me again!!??" (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) She suddenly stood up, unleashing a force which pushed everyone around her away. There was screaming everywhere as everyone fell to their feet from the force. Even Grozny was slightly pushed away. This is bad! This wasn''t suppose to happen. I hear the distinct sound of a propeller plane close by, "Admiral-san, above! Grab my hand!" (Enterprise) I looked up to see Enterprise, riding on a plane, closing in. I stretched my hand for her to grab it and pull me up. It''s cold and the air blowing straight into my eyes hurts. I can''t even keep them fully open for a few seconds. And we are moving pretty fast so I held onto Enterprise''s shoulder for dear life. "What is that? What''s happening? "I''m not sure, but there''s definitely a Siren reaction." (Enterprise) "A siren?! But she is an Abyssal!" The black and red glow around her hot bigger and stronger. In front of everybody''s eyes, her wounds closed up and her outfit became back to how it was originally. I need to buy time. I need to distract her so that they rest can regroup. I turned on the public channel, "Yo, Zuihou! Long time no see!" "What are you doing?!" (Enterprise) "Admiral? Why are you up there?" (Zuihou) "You fool! What is the commander doing oonthe front lines?!" (Graf Zeppelin) Of course. Announcing my presence using the public channel will also get everyone''s attention. "Admiral... Found you... I have... so many things to say to you..." (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) The glow around her is getting stronger... "All sh.i.p.s, fire!" As almost everyone has gotten back on their feet, I ordered another round of shelling. The air was once again filled with the smell of smoke and gunpowder. However, the Abyssal Phoenix Princess doesn''t seem fazed. In fact, she looks as if nothing hit her. No. She definitely took damage from all that. It''s just that, she is healing. What kind of bullshit is that? "Why...? Why do you want to sink me again...? Do you really hate me that much...?" (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) No! That''s not my- "Or is it because I''m easily replaced...? That''s it, right? That''s why there is another me here!!!" She charged straight towards Zuihou, knocking Suzuya and Murasame away in the process. She lifted Zuihou up by the neck, claws start to form from underneath her blackened crossbow-like arm. "I sunk... because of you... How could you...replace me so easily...?" (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) "Gh! Argh!" (Zuihou) "Zuihou! Put her down!" "It''s your fault! It''s all your fault!!!" (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) The others can''t shoot because Zuihou is in the way. An aerial bombardment may hit her too. I planned for this, but I really was hoping to not do it. "Enterprise, throw me." "Don''t be stupid! I know Commander told me to follow your orders but this will really kill you!" (Enterprise) "I don''t care what happens to me! I am not losing her again! Throw me, now!" "Oh for the love of- Fine! You asked for it!" (Enterprise) Enterprise grabbed me by the collar and picked up her speed. As soon as we were above the pair... she dropped me! I said throw, not drop! She just dragged me by the collar and tossed out of the plane like I''m some doll! This is scary. I have never done anything like this before. Oh no, I''m falling fast! The last thing I saw was the two of them looking up at me, before I got enveloped in a bright, red light... Chapter 150 - 136 My head hurts... What happened? I remember dropping from high above and there was this red light... Where am I? I''m looking at a clear, blue sky. There are no clouds or anything . It''s just... clear and blue. And this surface... This is clearly water I lying on. It feels like water, looks like water, and even ripples when I move around. However, I don''t feel wet. Rather, it''s cold! Left and right, it''s just water as far as I can see. Let''s get up first. Speaking of which, I feel like there is something on top of me, holding me down. I raised my head and look. Lying face down on top of my torso was Zuihou, still unconscious. I gently tapped her face, "Hey. Wake up. Hey!" "Mmm..." (Zuihou) "Hey. Wake up!" Zuihou eyes flutter open. She rubbed her eyes as she looked up, "Huh? Admiral?" (Zuihou) "Good morning sleepyhead." I''m not even sure if it''s still daytime or night already. Zuihou slowly got up into a sitting position, "Where are- Ow!" (Zuihou) Zuihou clutched her head in pain. "Oww... I think there''s a bump..." (Zuihou) "Er... Is that so?" "Yeah... Wait, that''s not it! What was that?! Why are you outside? Weren''t you supposed to be in the Command room?!" (Zuihou) I was hoping I won''t need to explain that... Lying my way out won''t work this time. I can still try. "I was worried about you guys. When that Abyssal did that force-push thing, I lost visual so I ask Enterprise to pick me up." "Liar!" (Zuihou) She hammered my chest with both fists. That hurts! I can''t really move since she is on top of me. "You were waiting somewhere near, won''t you? There''s no way Enterprise-san could have been that fast. I saw her took off midway and then you were overhead almost immediately. Why are you here? You know my evil clone is coming to get you! If you die... If you die..." Tears flow down her cheeks. That''s when I realized, what am I doing? I was so focused on my past that I failed to look at what I have now. She is right. I''m putting myself at a huge risk unnecessary. I could have just leave it to the girls. Now, I screwed up by exposing myself to the enemy. I still want to talk to the Abyssalsl Phoenix Princess since her true identity is the Zuihou which sunk a few years ago, but there are many way I could have done, like using the radio to communicate with her. I''m such a idiot... "Sorry. I wasn''t thinking straight..." "Of course you weren''t!" (Zuihou) She slapped me. I deserve that. "You stupid...! Risk-taking...! Dumbass!" (Zuihou) She hit me a few more time, before lying on top of me and started crying out loudly. "I''m sorry. I''m so sorry." I hugged her as she laid there crying. ---------------------------------------------------- "There''s nothing here." (Zuihou) "I still can''t get her a hold of HQ or anyone outside." After Zuihou calmed down, we got up and have been trying to find a way out. I can''t contact anyone outside, and we have no idea where are we. We have no choice but to carry on walking. Zuihou wanted to launch some planes to scout the area, but her quiver was empty. She panicked once she thought she lost all her planes. Took me some time to calm her down. "Admiral," (Zuihou) "Yeah?" "Sorry... for just now..." (Zuihou) "It''s alright. I can take a few hits. And it''s my fault too. I thought I could do the unthinkable." "You really think you can talk to her?" (Zuihou) "The Marshal Admiral has his own Hoppou which he tamed. I thought I could at least talk to her. Tell her I''m sorry." "And you thought coming here was a good idea? You are not some shounen manga protagonist." (Zuihou) "I know. My bad." Something up ahead made us stop in our tracks. "Admiral, That is..." "Yeah... What bad luck..." The blue water which we stepped on suddenly turned into a nasty shade of red. Even the sky turned red. There is sense of foreboding in the air as Abyssal Zuihou stood only a few metres away from us. This is clearly something out of a D*rk S*uls game. Was she waiting for us to show up? No. I don''t think so. She wouldn''t have known which direction we were walking. Then again, we were walking around blindly. "Finally... found you..." (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) Ah okay. She has also been searching for us. "You so mean... Dropping on me like that.. At least, it''s not as bad as sinking me..." (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) "No! It''s not like that!" "Not only that... to think you replaced me so easily... Even though I loved you... You ignored my calls... I was crying for help... So cold... So lonely..." (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) "I know you are angry but I need you to-" "Shut up!" (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) She''s fast! The Abyssal Zuihou charge towards me, not giving me any time to draw my sword. I had to block with the sheathe. Oohh. That''s heavy. And those things look sharp! I definitely don''t want to be on the receiving end of those claws. I was able to block her claws from reaching me. She was aiming straight for my head. "Get away from him!" (Zuihou) Zuihou swung her bow down in between us. The Abyssal Zuihou jumped back and turned her attention to Zuihou. "Don''t get... in my way!" (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) Abyssal Zuihou swung her claws wildly at Zuihou. As she dodged, Zuihou swung her bow at her Abyssal counterpart. Both sides parried and dodged one another''s attack. Zuihou kept her eyes on her opponent''s claw as she made split second decisions on whether to parry or dodge an attack. Abyssal Zuihou was doing the same thing. She dodged some attacks and parried some with her left hand. While the giant claw seems to slow her down, Abyssal Zuihou was using her other limps to react accordingly. However, her attacks were wild and uncoordinated. It was like watching a final boss scene from an anime. This is no time to watch! I need to stop them! Abyssal Zuihou started thrusting her claw towards Zuihou. "I was the first! I loved Admiral more than anything in the world!" (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) "If you love Admiral, why are you trying to kill him?" (Zuihou) "I want to take him with me!" (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) "You don''t know anything!" (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) Abyssal Zuihou swung her claw at Zuihou as she jumped backwards. "If Admiral didn''t give the order to continue the mission four years ago, Shigure and I wouldn''t have sunk!" (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) Shigure is here too?! So she turned into an Abyssal too? "Admiral was the first one... to make me feel human. He was... the first person to treat us as humans. I was so happy... but in the end, you didn''t care about us! It was your fault! It was fault that I sunk! If it wasn''t for you... I wouldn''t have to be so lonely..." (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) Black liquid flowed from her eyes... "Zuihou..." "Stay away from me! I hate you! It''s your fault! Why... must I suffer?" She fell to her knees as purple cracks started to appear on her body. What is it this time? "I wanted... to take you with me... Even though I hate you... I still love you..." Abyssal Phoenix Princess) She started bawling her eyes out. This Zuihou is the same. They can change their moods and emotions at the drop of the hat. She was emitting a lot of bloodl.u.s.t before. Now, she is just like a normal, heart broken girl. I sheathed my sword and walked up to her. I had planned to help Zuihou fight her off, but that''s not necessary anymore. I crouched down in front of Abyssal Zuihou, and embrace her tightly. "I''m sorry. I''m sorry for what I did four years ago. I''m sorry for causing you to sink. I''m sorry you had to suffer like this..." I can feel Abyssal Zuihou''s claws digging into my skin as she gripped onto me tightly while crying. But I don''t feel pain there. Instead, my chest hurts. My heart feels like it''s being torn apart from within. This Zuihou... She loved me from the beginning... She trusted me...And because I got c.o.c.ky, I made her suffer... "I actually wanted to take you with me. But I don''t think that is possible." (Abyssal Zuihou) Her voice! It''s not the typical Abyssal voice. She sounds like just like Zuihou now. "Hey, Admiral. Can you do something for me?" (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) "What is it?" As I looked broke off from the hug, I noticed cracks forming on her face. "What''s happening? Why are you-?" "Looks like I don''t have much time left..." (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) Her eyes look tired. Her body went limp and she fell to the floor. "No. Not like this! I finally met you! I still have so much to say to you! So much things to apologise for!" "You don''t have too... I knew from the start... It wasn''t your fault... I just wanted... to blame someone... I know... I''m not normal... I shouldn''t... be here... These memories... I want to keep them... So please..." (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) She took my hand and guided it to my Nambu pistol in my pocket. No. Not like this... "Take it..." (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) "No. Please. There has to be another way..." "Just... do it..." (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) I forced my fingers to grip the pistol as I pointed it at where her heart is... Abyssal Zuihou placed her claw on the pistol, tendrils emerged from it and a connection was formed with the pistol. "You should be... able to shoot me now..." (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) My hand shook uncontrollably as I try to press the muzzle against her chest... My vision starts to get blurry... "One last thing... Even if it''s a lie... Can you say that you love me?" (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) More cracks formed all over her body. Her left hand went limp and shattered went it hit the floor. I know I have to do it... "I love you, Zuihou. And that''s truth. U really love you." "Ehehe. I''m so happy. Goodbye, Admiral." (Abyssal Phoenix Princess) Tears dropped from the corner of her eye, "Goodbye... Rest well..." I pulled the trigger... ------------------------------------------------- "Oh. You are back. It''s been so long. Where have you been?" The voice in my head answered, "Huh... Is that so?" The voice spoke, "I mean, you suddenly showed up back then and started telling me stories of what happened before you sank with Zuihou. Of course I would have been afraid. I can''t believe it either. I was the only one that can hear you too. Turns out whatever you told me was true. So I believe you." The voice asked another question, "No. Admiral has eyes on Zuihou. I''m a bit jealous, but I just want to be by his side. You understand, right? You are me after all." I heard a laugh, "Will you be staying this time?" The voice replied, "I see. Come back when it''s raining. Admiral''s pampering feels very good. See you again, Shigure-san." Chapter 151 - 137 "Wai- Admiral... Nh! Ahn! Wai-wait! Not there! Nn!" (Zuihou) I spent sometime tracing Zuihou''s n.a.k.e.d body with my fingers. From her face to her fingers to her legs, from the nape of her neck to her back to her buttocks. Next, I took my time to message her chest. By the time I touched her chest, she was already twitching. I know she is embarrassed, but that is all part of the fun. "Nh... Au... Admiral..." (Zuihou) "Shh~ Leave it to me. I''ll make you feel good in no time." With one hand still messaging her chest, I moved the other hand down to her groin, tracing my finger along her stomach. "It tickles... Hyahh! What- Mh!" (Zuihou) She immediately cupped her mouth as soon as I played with her lower body. When she tries to suppress her m.o.a.ns, it just encourages me to try harder. "Come on. Let me hear your voice." "N-no... Mmh!" (Zuihou) "You have gotten pretty wet down here." I took my hand off her lower body and brought my fingers close to my mouth. There is a slightly sticky fluid which encased my fingers, forming a little thread in between. There is a familiar tangy smell, and the usual citrus taste. "No... Don''t... Nh...! Lick... Nna!" (Zuihou) Zuihou continued to twitch as I played with her body. After this much teasing, her body is extremely sensitive. Just how I like. The way her body convulses with pleasure at every touch, the look in her eyes just begging me for it, the size and shape of her body, I love every bit of her. "Zuihou... I''m going to put it in..." "Haah... Haah... Yes... Do it..." (Zuihou) I position myself properly and started to- "No fair. I want to join in too." (???) A small, girl in a white night yukata was observing us closely by the bed. She had long brown hair and a petite body. Her cheeks were flushed. "You! How long have you been here?!" "For a while now. You didn''t notice me coming in?" (???) I shook my head, "Ufufu~ Hey, can I join in? It looks like it feels good." (???) "Do you even know what we are doing?" "Yep. Love-making, right? Admiral, you said you love me. So that means I can do it with you too." (???) The girl untied her obi and unceremoniously let her Yukata drop to the ground. "How is it? This is the same body you love. Watching you guys made my lower body all tingly. Admiral, take responsibility and help me~" (???) "Ge-" (Zuihou) "Hmm?" (???) "Get out! Don''t interrupt us!" (Zuihou) Zuihou pounced on the other girl and the two started to fight, "What''s with you?! I also love Admiral!" (???) "No! Admiral belongs to me!" (Zuihou) "Both of you, calm down! and be quiet! The others are sleeping." ---------------------------------------- About a week has passed since the Abyssal Phoenix Princess incident. A lot of things have happened in this few days. I wonder where should I start? First of all, let''s begin with what happened immediately after I shot Abyssal Zuihou and watched her lifeless body disappear in my arms. The weird area we were in, which Akashi calls a boundary, disappeared and plunge me straight into a stormy and cold ocean. Zuihou had no problem staying afloat since she is a shipgirl. I had to be held up by Yahagi and Ooyodo until Grozny came along to pick me up. Everyone was worried as the both of us were evidently crying and shaken, but that''s not the point. Soon after our return, a strange light was shone from below the ocean. Everyone went into combat formations immediately, anticipating another fight. Instead, two bodies emerged from the under the surface. To our surprise, the two bodies that surfaced were Shigure and Zuihou, both in their pre-remodelled forms. The Zuihou that appeared, let''s call her Zuihou-chan, proved to be the Abyssal Zuihou, as the first thing she did when she woke up was to jump for joy as she embraced me. She was crying and saying how she is finally home. As for the other Shigure, Shigure-chan, she was asleep the whole journey back, waking up only when my Shigure came out to greet us with an umbrella. She wasn''t surprised by a miniature version of her. Rather, she simply greeted her other self and said, "I have been waiting for you. Welcome home." (Shigure) I later found out that she actually knew she was the second Shigure all along, and that the first had been talking to her from time to time. She also knew that Shigure-chan would show up on a rainy day. It just so happens that it was raining when the whole operation ended. The two girls weren''t the only cases of ''cloning''. Within the next few days, other districts have reported an increase in the of shipgirls that were being found. Sasebo found another Shigure and Yuudachi. Both Yokosuka and Kure discovered an Usugumo roaming around their base. Brunei Anchorage found Gambier Bay while on patrol. And during the fourth operation, we found another Akizuki and Hatsuzuki! This case is being investigated by Yokosuka Naval Intelligence. I won''t be surprised if Sirens were involved. Enterprise mentioned that Siren technology is definitely involved after observing the red-black glow around Abyssal Zuihou. Akashi confirmed that the Siren were involved after she analyze the pillar of light that kept us in the boundary. Maybe that initial burst of energy caused by Abyssal Zuihou rewrote the laws of the world? I heard the Sirens have such a power but I can''t say if it''s true or not? I never really saw one in action. Although Zuihou-chan is essentially the same as Zuihou, she is more assertive and forthright with her feelings. She won''t hesitate to do all sorts of things seduce me and force me to make a move on her. I got to admit, it is a little hard to ignore her advances. She is the exact opposite of Zuihou. This is good for Zuihou, since now she has to be more honest with her feelings to get an edge over her smaller, more honest counterpart. I thought that they would share a mental bond with one another, since that''s what happened when Zuihoi-chn was still an Abyssal, but that doesn''t seem to be the case. Shigure-chan... is the same as Shigure. Both just want to get pampered and both are willing to follow me around. Shigure-chan will have the same nightmares as Shigure, so it''s kind of business as usual with these two. Immediately after reporting the Abyssal Phoenix Princess incident has been resolved, the Marshal Admiral sent the order to resume all operations. Maizuru cleared the fourth mission, with Zuihou getting MVP after dealing the most damage to the Destroyer Forest Princess and sinking her. Since the fourth operation was our last mission, we held a banquet that night to celebrate our success. That was the night Zuihou-chan decided to interrupt us. Word of me leaving my post and being directly involved has also reached Yokosuka''s ears and I was also order to make an appearance before the Naval council some time later. I will most likely be charged for deserting my post and violation of protocol. Which means I''m in big trouble... Now, back to the present. ---------------------------------------------- "I''m telling you, stop trying to snatch Admiral away from me!" (Zuihou) "What are you saying? Admiral belongs to me in the first place!" (Zuihou-chan) Those two girls have been arguing who I belong to since they woke up... So noisy... "No! Admiral is mine!" (Zuihou) "Alright alright. Break it up. Gosh, it''s only six in the morning and you two are so noisy." Both of them glared at each other before turning away in a synchronized fashion, "Hmph!" (Zuihou) "Hmph!" (Zuihou-chan) These two just can''t get along... After breakfast, we went on with our day. Zuihou is helping me with the paperwork, while Zuihou-chan reluctantly went for her lessons. She claims she knows how to fight and all the other basics. I believe her, but it''s a rule that newcomers need to attend lessons before going out into the battlefield. She is always potty when she leaves for her lesson. On the other hand, Zuihou is happy to see her little clone leave. "Finally, she''s gone. I really can''t stand her." (Zuihou) "Come on. Don''t be like that. Both of you are the same ship. Try to get along with one another." "No way! Even though she said all that, she just had to came back the next second and just threw herself on you!" (Zuihou) "Yeah. That moment was awkward..." Really. Making us all sad and depressed and begging me to shoot her, only to come back as a shipgirl the next second. At least she saved me from having second regrets for killing her. "Erm... Admiral?" (Zuihou) "Yeah?" "You know... We kind of were... interupted... yesterday. -e... contin- if yo- want..." (Zuihou) Zuihou''s voice trailed off towards the end. I didn''t quite catch that. "What was that? You suddenly became soft." "I said... Um... We can contin- *mumbling*" (Zuihou) I still couldn''t catch that, but judging how she is trying to hide her face behind the clipboard, she is embarrassed to say it out loud. So that''s what she wants to do now. I''m proud that she is starting to take the initiative. I going to pretend I still don''t understand her. See what she handles it. "I still can''t hear you. Say it properly. We can what?" "We can... continue... where... Uuuu~" (Zuihou) Cute... "Go on. Get those words out." "We can... last night..." (Zuihou) Alright, I think she is at her limit. I pulled her towards me and kissed her deeply. "Zuihou, you''re so cute." "Geez... You did hear me after all." (Zuihou) "Nope. I knew what you were trying to say but I couldn''t hear you." "Muu..." (Zuihou) "Should we do it here?" "No. That''s embarrassing!" (Zuihou) "Too late. I can''t wait anymore." I pulled on Zuihou''s obi and started to strip her. "!!!!" (Zuihou) "Where do you want me to touch first?" COMMENT 3 comments VOTE Load failed, please RETRY Privileged More Privileged Chapters Download the app and become a privileged reader today! Come take a sneak peek at our author''s stockpiled chapters! Download 3 Table of Contents Display Options Background default yellow dark Font Nunito Sans Merriweather Size Paragraph comments Chapter comments Write thought login liked newest Author: ? 0){ %>Chapter : Author: Machine Translation Translator: Editor: Chapter 152 - 138 I sat at one corner in the canteen, observing two girls as they enjoy their beef bowl. There is something interesting watching these two girls eat. I heard they are constantly hungry and will do anything for cup ramen. One of thes girl wore what looks like an ''armoured corset'' over her white -sailor uniform, with a black collar and yellow neckerchief. Her mid-length black hair was tied up in a ponytail with a slight ahoge sticking up from her hachimaki. Her hachimaki has the words ''61st Destroyer Division'' embroidered on it, signifying her attachment to her previous fleet. Next to her was her sister. A girl in the same uniform, with a black neckerchief instead of a yellow one. She wore her uniform over an black body suit which fully covers her arms and legs. Her short brown hair was tied with a hachimaki in a way to resemble horns at the sides of her head, but it just makes her look like the Shiratsuyu puppies. Her hachimaki also has the words ''61st Destroyer Division'' embroidered on it. These two are from the Akizuki-class destroyers, Akizuki and Hatsuzuki. Akizuki is the one with the yellow neckerchief and Hatsuzuki is the one with the black neckerchief. I met a Hatsuzuki once. The Admiral of Kure brought her here when he came to pick up a sample of mental cube dust mixed with water. She sat next to him, drooling as she waited for her cup ramen to finish cooking. After that, she ate it like that was her last meal, crying while wolfing it down. That''s the same as these two girls. Both sisters are crying while eating! I know they have some food trouble during the Great War, but to think it was that bad to even affect their view on food. Maybe I can get Zuihoi to cook for them sometimes. Both of them can cook. They are the same after all. "Admiral, what''cha lookin'' at?" (Ryuujou) "Ah. Ryuujou. Nothing much. Those Akizuki sister are a weird and interesting bunch." "Akizuki sisters? Oh. Da'' two we picked up recently. They have some food troubles back in dat'' war." (Ryuujou) "I know. Anyway, what''s up?" "Oh yea''. Have ya seen Zuihou?" (Ryuujou) "Which one?" "Da'' smaller one. She slipped a letter under my door, sayin'' she wanna catch up." (Ryuujou) Catch up? Oh. Those two were best friends way back. Surely they have quite a bit to talk about. "She should be in class right now. By the way, how are things in Commander''s Rei fleet? Everything going well?" "Well, it''s the same as usual. Gangut and Sovetskaya ''re always tryna get us drunk. Kinda like a bigger version of Junyou, ya'' get me?" (Ryuujou) "Ah, I get what you mean. As expected of the Russians. Even Avrora can beat me in a drinking competition." "Commander Rei is a pretty good commander. Her tactics are similar to yours." (Ryuujou) "Well, she learnt from the best. So that''s to be expected." "Yea'' right! Anyway, Imma go now. If ya'' see mini-Zuihou, tell I''ll be in my room waitin''." (Ryuujou) "Will do. See you later." Ryyujou left the canteen, on the way she pet Hatsuzuki''s head a little, which confused her a little. "That was... Ryuujou-senpai, right?" (Akizuki) "Ye-yeah. What was that about?" (Hatsuzuki) "Speaking of which, Have you noticed that Zuihou-senpai and Shigure-senpai can change their size?" (Akizuki) "Yeah. I noticed it too. I was talking to Zuihou-senpai the other day. When I saw her again at night, she was shorter than she was in the morning." (Hatsuzuki) "I know right? Shigure-senpai too. I even saw her in the same class as us." (Akizuki) Those two are so confused. It''s so funny! I got up and approached them, "Yo. How is it going?" "Admiral!" (Akizuki & Hatsuzuki) "Before they can stand up and salute me, I gestured them to stop. "Don''t need to be so stiff. So, how''s lunch?" "It''s so delicious!" (Akizuki) "I have never tasted such a delicious beef bowl before." (Hatsuzuki) Their eyes gleamed as the describe the beef bowl to me. "Ahaha. Glad to see you two enjoying it. I shall not disturb you two. If you see Zuihou, tell her Ryuujou is looking for her. I''ll be in my office if you need me." "Yes. Have a nice day, Admiral." (Akizuki) I pet both of their heads before leaving. As I walked back to the office, a tiny ball of green hair ran past me. "Oi! Matsu! No running in the hallway! You might crash into someone!" "Sorry! I''m running late!" (Matsu) And she just continues running. She better not crash into anyone. Now, back to work. I still have to write a ton of reports about my actions during the Abyssal Phoenix Princess incident. COMMENT 5 comments VOTE Load failed, please RETRY Privileged More Privileged Chapters Download the app and become a privileged reader today! Come take a sneak peek at our author''s stockpiled chapters! Download 5 Table of Contents Display Options Background default yellow dark Font Nunito Sans Merriweather Size Paragraph comments Chapter comments Write thought login liked newest Author: ? 0){ %>Chapter : Author: Machine Translation Translator: Editor: Chapter 153 - 139 "Shigure!" (Murasame) Murasame set the ball back into the air. "Leave it to me." (Shigure) Shigure jumped up and shot the ball to the other side of the court. "I got it! Yuudachi!" (Shiratsuyu) Shiratsuyu received the ball and passed it towards Yuudachi, "I''ll show the nightmare of Solomon!" (Yuudachi) Yuudachi jumped and spiked the ball onto an empty spot over at her opponent''s side of the court. However... Yamakaze blew the whistle, "O-out!" (Yamakaze) "Eh? No way!" (Yuudachi) The ball landed outside of the court. It''s a nice day to be outside. The girls are becoming more playful and active since they have finished all they work for now. Our resources are also returning to normal levels. Before that, during the operation, we were depleting at a fast rate. As I watched them frolicking under the sun on the beach, I sat underneath a breach umbrella with Zuihou-chan and Shigure-chan lying on my lap. As Shigure-chan is enjoying my petting, Zuihou-chan is trying her best not to fall asleep. Amusingly, she is failing. "U~hn...Hah! I wasn''t asleep. I''m not sleepy...yet." (Zuihou-chan) "You don''t have to force yourself, you know? This is the perfect weather for a nap." "Auu~~" (Shigure-chan) "Uhn... it''s not like I''m forcing myself... It''s just that... sleeping is a waste... Especially... since it''s been a long time... I have... Zzz~" (Zuihou-chan) And she is out like a light. "She is asleep." (Shigure-chan) "Yeah. She is like a child, playing until she''s exhausted." Although Zuihou-chan is physically similar to Zuihou before her remodel, she still has the stamina and strength of a child. She and Zuihou were playing with the submarines a while ago. In fact, Zuihou is still playing with them. "Are you sure you don''t want to join your sisters?" "It''s fine. Like Zuihou-chan said, it''s been a long since we spent time with you, Admiral." (Shigure-chan) I felt my heart sting, "Shigure-chan, I''m sor-" "Nope. Uh-huh. Stop." (Shigure-chan) Shigure-chan placed a finger on my lips, shutting me up. "Enough. How long do you plan on apologizing? We are already home. And it has been four years since. So stop with the self-blame." (Shigure-chan) She has a point. I have been apologizing too much recently. And blaming myself for sinking these two. Them coming back to me is already a blessing and the best outcome I can ever get. I should make up for the four years they lost. "Mmh... You''re right. Thank you." Not sure why I thanked her, but I felt those were the right words this time. "Ehe. Speaking of which, I didn''t know Zuihou is so friendly with the submarine girls." (Shigure-chan) "Yeah. They took a liking to her a while back. She was originally a submarine tender." "Heh~ So we got two more girls. Must be hard for Taigei-san." (Shigure-chan) "Yeah. In a way." Wait... "Goya, Imuya, Hachi, Ro-chan, Shioi, Shion... There are only six." "You missed one. That girl with the horns." (Shigure-chan) "Isn''t that Shion?" "No, I don''t think so. The short hair one. Umm... She is the same as Ro-Chan and Hac-chan." (Shigure-chan) The same as Ro-chan? I squint my eyes to count how many Submarines Zuihou is playing with 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7?! The is a seventh girl in the mix! And Why is Zuihou acting like its normal? I can''t really see from here, but if I''m not wrong, the mysterious seventh submarine has two horns and pinkish hair. If she is the same as Ro-chan and Hac-chan, so she is a German submarine. Or am U-boat in this case. "If she is just playing, I guess it''s fine." I feel something soft on my back. And two arms around me. This feeling... "Well, it''s summer anyway. Everyone is busy having fun." (???) And that voice... "Rei, this is all kinds of wrong." "What are you talking about? This is normal interaction between colleagues." (Rei) "I''m pretty sure this is not normal." This softness... It''s really comfortable. "..." (Shigure) Shigure-chan, please don''t look at me like I''m some sort of philandering pervert. I have my morals. "Oh. This is... Zuihou-chan, right?" (Rei) Rei looked at the sleeping Zuihou. Without their uniform, it''s a little difficult to tell between the two since the only difference they have is their height. Right now, both of them are wearing the traditional blue school swimsuits. "Yeah. She exhausted herself playing. And when are you going to get off me?" As comfortable as it is, I''m getting embarrassed myself. "Cute. She is like a child." (Rei) "Listen to me." Rei found a spot under the umbrella and sat down beside us. "Say, about our promise... I''m free this weekend. If you want, we can..." Oh god. I feel guilty. This is just me fulfilling my part of our bargain. It''s not like I''m cheating. But it definitely feels like it. "Hmm? What''s that? I can''t hear you." (Rei) I know you can hear me. I can see you smirking! "This weekend, would you like to go somewhere? I did promised you after all." Please, Shigure-chan. Don''t look at me like I''m some sort of garbage. I''m already feeling guilty as it is. "Hehe. This weekend, eh? Let''s meet in town at 1100. How about that?" (Rei) "I''m fine with it. Do you have something planned?" "Kind of. I know what I want to do. Alright. So this Sunday at 1100. Don''t be late. Ufufu. I''m looking to forward to it." (Rei) COMMENT 2 comments VOTE Load failed, please RETRY ¡ª New chapter is coming soon ¡ªWrite a review Privileged More Privileged Chapters Download the app and become a privileged reader today! Come take a sneak peek at our author''s stockpiled chapters! Download Weekly Power Status See Who Voted -- Power Ranking -- Power Stone Vote 2 Table of Contents Display Options Background default yellow dark Font Nunito Sans Merriweather Size Paragraph comments Chapter comments Write thought login liked newest Author: ? 0){ %>Chapter : Author: Machine Translation Translator: Editor: Chapter 154 - 140 This might be a bad idea after all... When I spoke to Zuihou yesterday about my promise with Rei and how I will be going on a date with her, she just kept quiet and walked away. Now, she wouldn''t even respond to me. Maybe I should have rejected her demands after all. Then again, it''s too late since I''m already waiting for her. "Hello. Did you wait long?" (Rei) She is here. But why did she come from behind? Anyway, "No. I technically just got here as weeellll..." I can''t believe my eyes. When I turned around to greet Rei, all I saw was a beautiful woman. She wore a silk blouse which exposes her shoulders and an elegant beige skirt with floral print. Her footwear was a pair of medium heels. A simple black hairpin held the fringe of her short, autumn-coloured hair to the right. Her eyelashes were neither too long nor too short. They were almost natural. Her lips resemble a rose bud, both in colour and in shape. Her cheeks were rosy and... and... I''m at a lost for words... Who is this lady? "Ehm... Who are you?" "Geez! You are so mean. How can you not recognize her beloved colleague?!" (Rei) Yep. That voice and behavior checks out with Rei''s. It''s still hard to believe this elegant lady is Rei. "So? Don''t you have anything to say to me?" (Rei) Ah. I recognize this. The typical ''how is my outfit'' scene. "You look..." Now I know why the male protagonists always stutters at this part. This is really embarrassing. Alright. Deep breaths. It''s not your first time praising a girl. "You look beautiful." "I-is that so?" (Rei) Hmm? Not the reaction I was expecting. I thought she would be like ''Heehee. Of course I''m beautiful'' that sort of thing. Not a normal, shy reaction. For a second, she looks cute. "Shall we go?" "Yeah! Let''s go!" (Rei) "...Grrr..." (???) Huh? I thought I heard something growling behind me. Was it my imagination? "What''s wrong?" (Rei) "Oh. Nothing." ------------------------------------------------------------- I think I''m starting to figure out what Rei''s idea of a date is. After we left our meeting point, we took the subway down to Kyoto. After which, we went around looking at famous landmarks like the Ginkaku-ji and Jinkaku-ji. We also went around visiting shrines and buddhist temples. This is really unexpected. It''s as if she has never explored around Kyoto before, let alone go on a date. Wait... I could be wrong but she should have some dating experience. Either she doesn''t have any or... "Rei," "Yes?" (Rei) "You haven''t been to Kyoto before?" "Yep. I always wanted to explore Kyoto with someone but didn''t have the chance. I know what you thinking, but my school went to Okinawa instead." (Rei) "I see. But why are you so knowledgeable about this place despite being your first time?" "I did my research. It''s my first time seeing the Ginkaku-ji up close." (Rei) Usually the guy is the one that takes the lead... "So this is your idea of a date?" "Is it... weird?" (Rei) "No. It''s surprisingly normal. I didn''t expect you to be interested in the local stuff. I thought this was your first date." "Of course not. I had a few partners back in highschool, but I ended up dumping them." (Rei) "Not the other way round?" "So mean. They weren''t my type, okay? I tried dating some of them but I just couldn''t feel anything. They were either too skinny or too forceful. I want a tall, strong guy who is gentle yet able to act when needed. I joined the military after graduation, hoping I could find a hunk of a man. I did, but in a moment of stupidity...well, you know the rest." (Rei) "Then why pick me? I don''t think I fit into any of that criteria." "That was in highschool. When I joined the military, I got a little desperate." (Rei) And you went and tried attack a young JSDF Sergent... "I was still desperate even after that whole fiasco and father pulling me out of there. When I met you, I was expecting you to throw yourself at me after a few sweet words. Instead, I didn''t know you already had a loli girlfriend back then. Seeing your relationship with Zuihou and the other shipgirls made me feel jealous. I thought to myself ''I want someone like that''. Caring, loving, strong, cute, loyal... Those became my conditions..." (Rei) I see where this is going... "Before you say anything else, I still can''t accept your feelings. I''m sorry." "I know. But to be honest, I want to feel loved for once. It''s been so long..." (Rei) Oh come on... Don''t say it like that. That''s one of my weaknesses. I really don''t know what to do. I always thought she was someone who will throw herself at any men. I mean, she did change quite a bit compared to when she first arrived here... Argh... Forgive me, Zuihou. Just this once. "Come on. I want to show you something." I grabbed Rei''s hand and pulled her along, "Just going around and visiting landmarks is a bit boring. I know a place that''s better." "Eh? Oh, okay..." (Rei) We took a train to Shimogyo ward, a place with quite a bit of everything. Shopping district, a few nice gardens, some museums, a couple of temples and shrines, even Nintendo come from this place. There is an aquarium but we ate not going to go there. I have enough aquarium dates. The place I wanted to bring Rei was to the top of the Kyoto tower. "Wow! I can see the whole city!" (Rei) "It''s fascinating, right?" "Yeah! I didn''t know there was such a place. Why didn''t you bring me here sooner?" (Rei) "You were the one that dragged me around." I wrapped my arm around Rei''s shoulder and pulled her close. "Just for today, I will be your lover." "Eh?" (Rei) Rei looked at me with a perplexed look. "I will hold your hand, share crepes with you, go shopping with you, do the things you want to do..." My face is burning up! "But no kissing. I can do a lot of things for you but not that. Save your lips for someone willing to spend their life with you." "Ufufu~ This is surprising. I didn''t think you would do this for me." "You said it yourself. You wanted to feel love. So... Yes. This is a trial session. I feel guilty for Zuihou, but you are part of my family. I will feel even worse if I don''t make you happy." "Admiral..." (Rei) "Let me take the lead this time. I will make sure this date is fun for the both of us." "U-uhm! I will leave it to you." (Rei) Rei''s face became red as she looked down. I will make up with Zuihou afterwards. This still feels wrong. Chapter 155 - 141 The IJN is incredibly efficient. Not even a week after the operation is completed, I got called in, or rather, escorted in for a court martial. There are four Grand Admirals attending and the Marshal Admiral is the judge. "Do have any idea what would have happened if you had failed? There would be a hole in the chain of command. Even worse, the entire naval district would have been destroyed and everyone would either be sunk or killed! If anything happened to my daughter, I will -!" (Grand Admiral Akihito) "That was an extremely foolish and risky thing to do. I can understand the past still haunts you, but that doesn''t mean you need to go and literally face it. There must have been better options." (Grand Admiral Hide) True... But I wasn''t really thinking straight that time... "I am your best friend, that''s why I''m going to say this. I really screwed up. The Marshal Admiral told you to take responsibility, not rush in and risk yours and everyone''s lives." (Grand Admiral Rondo) "That being said, you did provide some interesting Intel. I would love to see the gun you used to deal the killing blow." (Grand Admiral Hasake) "This is not the time to do research, Hasake!" (Grand Admiral Akihito) "Oh calm your beard. I wondered what did Takao see in an angry man like you." "Leave my wife out of this!" (Grand Admiral Akihito) Now that''s new. I didn''t know his wife was Takao. Does that mean Rei''s is the daughter of a shipgirl? So Shipgirls can give birth... "Oh for the love of-! We are going off-topic. Both of you, clam it!" (Grand Admiral Hide) The two Grand Admirals stared at each other for a bit, before glaring at me. Haah... This is not going to end well... -------------------------------------------------- -Maizuru Naval District- Zuihou POV It has been a half a day since Admiral got dragged off by the military police to Yokosuka Naval District. We know it''s because of the Abyssal Phoenix Princess incident. I hope he won''t get into too much trouble. I''m so worried... Before I got out to complete my sortie for the day, I went and arranged his desk, sorted out some doc.u.ments, and passed the confidential ones to Commander Rei OK the morning. Since the Admiral isn''t here, the next in command is in charge of his duties. By the time we came back, it was already dinnertime. I sat with the rest of my fleet, having our dinner in the canteen. "Come on. Don''t look so glum. The new girls will get worried." (Suzuya) "That''s right poi. It''s worrying but we can''t do anything poi. We can only wait." (Yuudachi) "I can understand how you are feeling. Even I get worried if onee-sama is gone for this long." (Yamashiro) "Shigure, is there something wrong? You don''t look too good." (Agano) "Eh? Oh, it''s just that- I haven''t seen Shigure-chan for the whole day. I heard she wasn''t in class too." (Shigure) "That''s weird. She isn''t the type to skip classes." (Suzuya) "Ah Zuihou." (Souryuu) Souryuu-senpai approached our table, calling out to me, "Senpai, what''s is it?" "Do you know how Zuihou-chan is? She didn''t show up for practice today." (Souryuu) Even the smaller me? Where could they have gone? Shigure-chan wasn''t in her room. Neither was my smaller self. They couldn''t have left since the gates are still locked, and their equipment and riggings are still in the arsenal. As I passed by Admiral''s office, I can hear a weird sound coming from inside. Is there someone crying? There shouldn''t be anyone in the office. Apart from Admiral, only Commander Rei and I have the key. Maybe Commander Rei is inside, but then again, why is she crying? I put my hand on the doorknob and turned it. Unsurprisingly, it was unlocked. I took a peek inside. The is no one in the office area, as far as I can see. I enter the office and checked around, trying to remain as quiet as possible. The crying is definitely coming from Admiral''s private quarters. As I walked closer to his door, the sound of crying gets even louder. I slowly turned the doorknob and peeked inside. On the bed, there was a small lump. It moves along with the crying noises. Who is that? Suddenly, I felt sad and guilty. Thoughts about how it was fault that Admiral being sent to Yokosuka for a court martial entered my head. This feeling... it''s the same as last time... "Zuihou-chan?" "!!!" (Zuihoi-chan) They crying stopped. No, its more like she is trying to suppress it. I sat on the bed beside her. "You weren''t at practice today. Were you here the whole time?" "..." (Zuihou-chan) "Come on. You can talk to me if you want." "Shut up..." (Zuihou-chan) This brat... I was trying to be nice. "You feel bad, don''t you?" "What do you know?" (Zuihou-chan) "I know because you broadcasted that into my head." "Huh? What you talking about?" (Zuihou-chan) My smaller self poked her head from under the blanket and stred at me as if I am some crazy person. Her eyes were puffy, proof she had been crying for a while. She quickly ducked back under the covers soon after. "You think it''s your fault because you were the Abyssal Phoenix Princess and the one that started all this." "..." (Zuihou-chan) "Yeah. If you didn''t show up, Admiral wouldn''t have risked his life. He wouldn''t have to be court martialed. And we would still be enjoying our time together by now." "..." (Zuihou-chan) "But, did you know he was still thinking of you all these years? Even though we are lovers, you held a special place in his heart. It''s because of you, we are able to share a bond. If it weren''t for your arrival, Admiral wouldn''t have been able to forgive himself. All these years he regretted causing that incident. Not being able to apologize to you. Your arrival gave him the chance he had been waiting for." It''s hard to admit, it''s because of this girl that Admiral is like this now. His drive to treat us well and not let any one of us sink all stems from this girl. His turned his regret into a strength, but constantly reminded himself of his failure. I learned that way too late. "Come on out." I tugged on the blanket she was using. "You are in my spot. And you are going to dirty his bed with your snot and tears." "Shut up! Leave me alone." (Zuihou-chan) "Geez. You asked for it." I slipped my hands through a gap under the blanket and felt around. I''m making wild guesses, but it should be right here. "Take that, and that, and that." "Wai- Hahaha! Stop i- Hyahahahah!" (Zuihou-chan) I tickled her for a while, until she started to cry again. "Geez. *sniff* What''s wrong with you? *hic* You are throwing me off." (Zuihou-chan) "I told you, you are in my spot so move over." "Geez. *hic* What a weird person..." (Zuihou-chan) "You are the same as me." "I''m *sniff* scared... What if *hic* Admiral gets into trouble because me? What if he *sniff* doesn''t come back? Just when... I finally got to see him again..." (Zuihou-chan) I hugged the snivelling mess as she laid on her back, hands trying to hide her tear-soaked face. "Don''t worry. Admiral will definitely return. He said it himself, ''I''ll be back.'' Let''s believe in him, okay?" "Al- *sniff* Alright..." (Zuihou-chan) I laid beside Zuihou-chan, holding her small hand until she stopped crying and fell asleep. Initially, I thought this girl was a thieving cat, coming into our lives just to steal Admiral from me. I hated her. Now, I realize she just like us. She wanted to make up of all those lost years. She wanted to feel the warmth she had always yearned for. In the end, she is just a child, fragile, full of worry, and looking for love. Now, I have the desire to protect her. Is this how it is to have a little sister? Ehehe. Finally I''m a big sister. "Good night, Zuihou-chan." I kissed her forehead. Chapter 156 - 142 I''m finally back... I thought that would never end... At least it went better than expected. Instead of a court martial which I expected and getting thrown into the brig for a few years or a dishonorable discharge if I''m lucky, I was interrogated and lectured by each of them on the importance of life and the role of an Admiral. That was the first time I heard Rondo speaking for that long. I even had to explain the events that happened inside the boundary and further elaborate on things which I had written in my report. Just read the report! Did you really think I''m hiding something?! In the first place, there was nothing for me to hide! Even after I answered all their questions, I still had to go through a medical checkup to see if my time spent in the boundary had any effect on my body. That part wasn''t so bad, but it''s a little bit too late for a check. It has been over two weeks since and nothing has happened. Oh well... I should be thankful that I got off easy with a two month pay cut and some scolding. I have some savings to spare so it''s not much of a problem. I can still treat some girls I unlocked the gate and entered by base. Everyone else must be asleep by now. Apart from the floodlights illuminating the pier and parts of the district, and the dim lights in the corridors and walkways, everywhere is dark. For some reason, I turned around and looked into the guard post that no one uses. Originally, this guard post was for military personnel to... well stand guard of the gate. But I have never heard of HQ assigning anyone to be a guard of any Naval District. Come to think of it, I never asked for the reason, have I? Anyway, as I looked into the guard post, I was surprised. Barely illuminated by the floodlights, I can see a small girl, curled up and clutching a blanket. I recognize that hairpin. Why is Shigure-chan sleep here? Was she waiting for me? Even Shigure and Yuudachi won''t do this. They know it''s better to wait for me in the office. I should bring her back to my room. It''s cold out here. I made my way back to my office, carrying Shigure-chan on my back. Huh? The door is unlocked. Did Zuihou forget to lock it? If it''s unlocked, she must be in my bed. I opened the door to my office and noticed a dim light coming from my quarters. How nice of her to leave some lights on. Though she didn''t have to do it. But she forgot to shut this door too. ... What am I looking at? On my bed laid two Zuihous, holding hands as they slept. This is weird. They used to hate each other. Just yesterday they were still at each others throats. Something must have happened for them be like this. Aww~ I feel like I just missed some important development. At least I got to see this wholesome scene. Two of my shipgirls, sleeping while holding hands. They are so cute. "mnn~" (Shigure-chan) Oops. I best be careful and put her on the bed. Don''t want to wake anyone up. I slowly laid Shigure-chan beside Zuihou-chan and pulled the blanket over her. I went to the bathroom and took of the black military garb which I was wearing. I spent a whole day in this thick military garb, so my while body is sticky with sweat. I need a bath. Filling up the bathtub would take too long and make a lot of noise. Washing my body will suffice. After that, time to sleep. It''s a little bit of a squeeze but I should be able to fit at the corner. Yep. I managed to fit in the corner, with some space to spare too. Alright, time to sleep. It has been a long day. ------------------------------------ The bright light shining at my eyes through the curtain gaps woke me up. This is worst way to wake up. It usually isn''t this bad. It''s almost as if it''s late... in the morning already... What time is it now? 10am?! I have been sleeping for that long?! Why didn''t anyone wake me up? I hurriedly put on my uniform, did a bit of grooming and came out of my room. "Ah. Good morning, Admiral. Did you sleep well?" (Zuihou) Zuihou greeted me with a smile. She was doing some of the paperwork. Helping her was Zuihou-chan. As I thought, something must have happened yesterday. "Good morning, Admiral?" (Zuihou-chan) "Good morning. You could have just woke me earlier in the morning, you know?" "How could we wake you up-" (Zuihou) "When Admiral is sleeping so soundly?" (Zuihou-chan) They smiled at each other. They are in sync now... "By the way, where is Shigure-chan?" "She went for her morning classes. Admiral, where did you find her? She was missing yesterday." (Zuihou) "In the guard post. The one at the gate. She was missing?" "Apparently, Shigure-chan didn''t attend her classes yesterday. Yahagi and Kashima-san weren''t able to find her. They knew she was still in the base since her equipment wasn''t drawn out and the gate was still locked. So we thought of spending the day searching for her. Never thought she would be hiding there." (Zuihou) I didn''t expect that kind of behavior from her. "Oh. I need to go for practice now." (Zuihou-chan) "Take care." (Zuihou) "I''ll be off. Admiral. Onee-chan." (Zuihou) "Onee-chan?!" (Zuihou) Even Zuihou herself doesn''t call Shouhou ''Onee-chan''. Zuihou has her head over the clouds. Being called ''Onee-chan'' is a first for her. I''m really curious. "So, what happened while I was gone?" Chapter 157 - 143 I''m really not sure what to make of this... While I was taking a walk along the pier as a change of pace from my work, I spotted a rather special guest just stting on the pier. It was Hoppou. She is back. For some reason, I felt that she might expect some food. So I went to Mamiya''s Dessert Store and bought two bowls of Anmitsu, just in case. When I got back, she was still there. As I approached her, without looking at me, she waved her hand up and down, "You''re... here... Sit..." (Houppou-chan) "O.. kay..." This creature is still hard to read, as usual. At least I know she won''t attack me if she is happy. "That... smells good..." (Hoppou) She stared at the bowls of Anmitsu I was holding with glimmerimg eyes. "Yeah. I saw you just now. So I went and got this for you." I passed a bowl to her. She took it and stared at it for some time. Does not know how to eat it? ... Yeah. She definitely doesn''t know how to eat it. She is just looking at it. I scooped small portion of my bowl with the spoon and placed it in my mouth. I can feel her staring at me! I pretended not to notice and ate slowly. At the corner of my eye, I can see her holding the spoon in the way a child would hold it. She scooped a spoonful of Anmitsu and brought it into her mouth. "!!!" (Hoppou) Did she like it? "This... Delicious!" (Hoppou) Yeah. She likes it. "Sweet... Melt in mouth..." (Hoppou) "I know, right? Mamiya makes the best desserts." "Must... show gratitude... Bring me... to maker..." (Hoppou) "You don''t have to. I will let her know you like it." I don''t know how the girls at Yokosuka handle this, but if a Northern Princess walks around my base, everyone will freak out and go in guns blazing. I watched Hoppou happily munch on the Anmitsu. I think she might be the only Abyssal who isn''t suffering from a limbo of despair and bitterness. Come to think of it, why hasn''t she been sunk yet? If we sink her, she might be able to become a shipgirl. "Say, are you fine with this? Being an Abyssal and all." Hoppou stopped eating for a bit. She just looked at me with those big orange eyes of hers before facing the sea. "Can''t sink yet... I... have a duty..." (Hoppou) "A duty?" "Yes... But I forgot..." (Hoppou) What? "At first... feel cold... angry... Why the surface people... get to live... happily... Jealous..." (Hoppou) That kind of thinking checks out with how most Abyssals should feel. "Then... Met grandpa..." (Hoppou) She must be talking about the Marshal Admiral. "Grandpa teach me... many things... Teach me... warmth... Many fun things... Now... bad feelings... gone..." (Hoppou) There was a small smile on her face when she said that. A rather lonely smile. "But nowadays... Grandpa busy... Can''t come out to play..." (Hoppou) Yeah. We have been busy for quite a while. "That''s why... I come here now..." (Hoppou) Huh? Woah, hold on. "Weren''t you lost the first two times you came here?" "Back then... I lost... Now... I come here... on my own... delicious food here... Same warmth... as Grandpa''s place..." (Hoppou) She just deemed my place as her new hangout spot. Not that I mind though, but I hope she will be careful next time she comes. I really don''t want the others to freak out. I think I should let them gradually get use to her presence. Hoppou continued eating her Anmitsu slowly. I don''t know what duty she has but I do know despite being an Abyssal, she has learnt ways to be happy and be positive. The sorrow and bitterness may still linger, but she K owe how to cope with them now. The Marshal Admiral really did a great job helping her despite being an enemy of humanity. I pet Hoppou''s head. I think I may have startled her because she suddenly stopped eating and stared at me. I quickly retracted my hand and apologized, "Ah. Sorry. I shouldn''t have done that." "No... more..." (Hoppou) "Huh?" Hoppou took my hand and placed it on her head. Oh. She wants me to continue. I gently pat her head as she savoured her food. I think I understand why the Marshal Admiral decided to ''tame'' her. She is just a small girl, looking for warmth and love. Although sinking and turning her into a shipgirl is a more practical option, it''s sad to see her suffer through the pain of getting shot at and blown apart. If she were like those aggressive Abyssal Princess, I would have given the order to sink her without hesitation. Now, she is talking to me like any other young girl. "What is this? The Commander of this timeline is into little girls now?" (???) Eh? A tall woman, clad in white military uniform with a black jacket and black leggings, appeared out of nowhere in front of us and was floating in mid-air. Her long black hair was tied into a ponytail with a large white ribbon. Two large ship-like constructs with a pair of Twin 203mm gun stuck out from her sides. As if the guns weren''t menacing enough, she even has an oversized black sword! Who is she? "Not like it matters. Die!" (???) "Woah!" I grabbed Hoppou and rolled out of the way as she swung the big sword of hers down on us. The air was filled with hot smoke and heat as soon as her sword hit the ground, missing us by a few metres. The spot we were sitting at had a clean cut. No. The entire pier had been cut into two! The emergency alarm started blaring. "Tsk! There is no point struggling. I will take care of you before that woman comes." (???) What is going on? This woman is clearly a Siren. She just came out of nowhere like the Sirens usually do. The biggest question is, why is she trying to kill me? I glanced at Hoppou to make sure she is alright. She is being extremely quiet, despite our situation. I got back on my feet and held on to Hoppou. "Who are you?!" "Hoh... Even at death''s door, you are still asking questions? Well, I should at least answer this last question before you disappear from this world. I am Ember. I am reisdue, born from the exhausted flame. But my resentment for humankind still burns. Now," (Ember) Ember raised her sword again. She looked at us with eyes full of hatred. This is scary! No. Snap out of it! Now is not the time to be- "Hurry up and disappear!" (Ember) Yeah. I''m dead... "All sh.i.p.s... Don''t hit the human near me... fire at will..." (Hoppou) Before Embers sword can strike us, a couple of flashes appeared from a distance behind her. Shortly after, there was a whistling sound, followed by loud explosion and smoke as shells hit Ember''s back. The shock wave from the impact and heat was overwhelming! It''s taking a lot of effort to stop myself from getting blown away as I covered Hoppou with my body. "Gh! So that''s the anomaly that crazy Siren mentioned. The looks are not what I expected. Doesn''t make much of difference!" (Ember) Ember turned around and started to fire her main guns into the direction of our saviors. I quickly took the chance to move out of the way. "Un... forgivable..." (Hoppou) "Hoppou-chan?" "My... Anmitsu... Unforgivable!" (Hoppou) I noticed the bowls of Anmitsu that had fallen to the ground, melt and already inedible. She is pissed that Ember caused her to spill her dessert?! "Go back...!" (Hoppou) The cat-eared abyssal lifeforms she had with took to the skies and opened their mouths. Bullets rained down on Ember as she attempts to block the attacks from both directions. "This is annoying!" (Ember) With a swing of her sword she took out Hoppou''s small companions. Is she really a Sirens? She is way stronger than the ones we have ever fought. "Don''t get... too c.o.c.ky!" (Hoppou) More of those small cat-eared abyssals come out from her sleeves. Even the large Abyssal with the big gun started firing at Ember as Hoppou jumped onto the water surface and begin maneuvering around Ember. I picked up my phone which has being ringing for a while, I just couldnt hear it because of the explosions. "Admiral! I finally got through! Are yo-" (Ooyodo) "Arm all the shipgirls and head to my location! Target the floating edgy woman. Do not hit the Abyssals engaging it. They are friendly." "Roger! Deploying all sh.i.p.sgirls!" (Ooyodo) "You too, Ooyodo. Get down here." "Understood." (Ooyodo) As Ember is being distracted by the Abyssals, I took the chance to back off to a safe distance. My uniforms is a singed from all that heat and my back hurts a little. I think some debris hit me back there. Moments later, the pier was surrounded by my girls, all armed to the teeth. Ember must have felt some killing intent, as she turned to our direction while returning fire at her Abyssal aggressors. As soon as she saw my girls, there was a look of confusion on her face. "Hm? The shipgirls of this timeline are different from the usual... What is the meaning of this?" (Ember) I knew it. I have no idea what this woman is even saying. All I know is that she may be Siren, judging from what I have seen. However, she is tougher than the Purifier and Observer. No doubt, she may be stronger than those two. Just when I thought the Sirens were a bunch of pushovers... "No matter. Come, I shall apprais-" (Ember) "Takao-san?" (Zuihou) Zuihou stepped forward, bow pointed to the ground, "You are Takao-san, aren''t you? You saved me when Shoukaku-san and Zuikaku-san were brainwashed on that island. You remember that?" (Zuihou) Takao... Azur Lane''s Takao? She does bare a little resemblance to one of the girls that helped me secure Zuihou from a rogue Shoukaku and Zuikaku attempting to activate Orochi back then. We are dealing with another rogue Azur Lane shipgirl?! "Who are you? I don''t remember such things happening." (Ember) "No way..." (Zuihou) "Don''t bother, Zuihou. She is not the Takao you know." One thing''s for sure, she is a threat we need to eliminate. "Are you done talking? Now, show me the strength of this timeline." (Ember) "Hoppou-chan, back off!" Hoppou understood what I meant and retreated a safe distance. Zuihou herself retreated to the back of the firing line. "Fire!" "Sorry. Get back!" (Fusou) Everyone took aim and fired their guns as Fusou grabbed me by the arm and pulled me backwards. Right. I shouldn''t be standing in their line of fire. Fighters took to the skies and rained bullets down onto Ember. We can''t use bombers in this situation. A battle on the water surface would be optimal but we can''t risk hitting the base infrastructure. The Abyssals also continued their assault. Ember skillfully dodged and blocked most of the shots with her sword. Red and black balls of energy shot out from her guns as she returned fire in both directions. "Scatter! Don''t get hit by her shots! We can repair the base later." Everyone scattered as balls of energy flew all over the place. Even I scrambled to get out of the way. Buildings were hit and some were reduced to rubble. "This is annoying!" (Ember) Ember swung her sword widely, destroying the fighters, both ours and the Abyssals. The shockwave from her swing blew us back and damaged more buildings behind us. Seriously, what kind of Siren is she? "Enough! This is a waste of time." (Ember) Ember''s guns pointed downwards. By now, the Abyssals have stopped firing. Hoppou is still growling at her but she is being held back by a Harbour Princess. "You girls are strong. So that''s how it is. You are not from Azur Lane, aren''t you?" (Ember) "Huh? You attacked us without confirming anything?!" "Tsk! That woman...! Giving me the wrong coordinates..." (Ember) Her face twisted with ire. It looks like she was tricked... "No matter. I will just lock on to her location myself. I won''t apologize for my earlier aggression but let me give you a warning," (Ember) She pointed her sword at us, "Don''t get in my way." (Ember) "Wait...!" (Hoppou) Just like how she showed up, Ember vanished into thin air. "Grr..." (Hoppou) "Hoppou-chan," I walked towards Hoppou as she came to me, "Sorry. I''ll give you more desserts next time. I promise." The anger on her face subsided, returning back to her usual expression. "Ok... Next time... Come back... Promise..." (Hoppou) Hoppou looked at the girls behind, who were to fire at a moments notice. They are on edge and confused. Their natural enemy just helped us chase away another unknown adversary. "Fight... tall woman... Use this... and call me..." (Hoppou) Hoppou hesitently passed me the Akuten Zero she had been carrying. "Isn''t this... Are you sure?" "Yes..." For the first time, I can see a tinge of sadness in Hoppou''s eyes. This Akuten Zero means a lot to her. I got a idea. "Wait a bit, okay? Ryuujou," "Yeah? What is it~?" (Ryuujou) "Run to the hanger and get a Reppu. Make sure it''s empty." "Admiral, are you serious? You can''t just-" (Ooyodo) "Just classify it as destroyed. We need to produce more anyway." "Seriously... Fine. I can''t believe this happening..." (Ooyodo) "Come, now. Go get it." "Oh. Yea'' Be right back." (Ryuujou) "The rest of girls, stand down. They won''t hurt us." The girls looked at each other, before pointing their weapons down at the ground. "Admiral, are you sure we can trust that Abyssal?" (Mogami) "Yeah. She was acknowledged by the Marshal Admiral so she is friendly to begin with. And she just saved me and helped us." "But-" (Mikuma) "Don''t worry. As long as we don''t do anything to anger her or her fleet, she won''t attack us." I pet Hoppou''s head as she stared at her Akuten Zero in my arms. Shortly after, Ryuujou came back with a Reppu. "Here ya'' go." (Ryuujou) "Thanks. Here." I passed the Reppu to Hoppou. She looked at it with amazement, like a child who found a new toy. "Now we are even. If you need help, launch the Reppu and I send people to help you." "Gratitude... Treat it... like it''s precious..." (Hoppou) Hoppou hugged the Reppu as she smiled. The Harbour Princess came forward and put a hand on Hoppou''s shoulder. She bowed before pulling on Hoppou''s hand. Time for them to leave. "See you... later..." (Hoppou) "Come back anytime!" "Now then," I turned around and faced my damaged base, "How are we going to fix all of this?" Chapter 158 - 144 "Engineers, leave the clean up to my girls. Prioritise repairs on the Factory and Docks. I need them to be operational by tonight. You there! Stop ogling my girls and get to work! If I catch any one of you eyeballing them, I will personally send you to hell. Move it!" Damn perverts. You are hired to work, not stare. A few hours after I reported about the attack, a passenger ship escorted by Tone and Chikuma showed up and docked at our pier. On board the ship were several engineers lead by Grand Admiral Hasake and a small handful of Military Policemen. While the military police begin their questioning, the engineers went around taking pictures and doing makeshift repairs. Until they properly assess the situation and bring in the appropriate materials, we have to make do with makeshift repairs. "Steady that crane! Oh for f-! Clear the area!" (Grand Admiral Hasake) A loud crashing sound can be heard as a load of debris dropped to the ground from a crane. "How many times do I have to tell you to tighten the damn fasteners?! What would you do if someone was hit by all that?! How are you going to take responsibility for their injuries?! Or even their deaths? Let this be the last time!" (Grand Admiral Hasake) "Yes, Grand Admiral! I''m truly sorry, Grand Admiral!" (Crane operator) The crane operator Grand Admiral Hasake was scolding did a 90 degree bow. "Clean this up!" (Grand Admiral Hasake) The surrounding engineers scrambled to clean up the fallen debris. Grand Admiral Hasake went and picked up a loud speaker, "I am going to repeat this again until you lemons get it into your heads! Safety is of utmost importance! This is not like those simulations or obstacle courses we have back in school. This is a real, on the ground work. Anything can happen. So you better watch your heads!" (Grand Admiral Hasake) That''s Grand Admiral Hasake, Head of Researcher and Engineering in Yokosuka R&D department. He was the one that came up with a technology based on the shipgirl''s arsenal and fix it onto all of our sh.i.p.s to reduce the reliance of having shipgirls to constantly guard civilian and patrol sh.i.p.s. I heard his next project is developing handheld weapons strong enough to pierce through Abyssal armour. He is a genius, a superior but first and foremost, a teacher. He would rather spend time teaching and nurturing up and coming engineers and researchers rather than staying in the lab and do boring calculations. According to him, he wants to bring out the creative potential in people. He wants to see them do better than him and be more successful than him. Even as his team is doing repairs and cleaning, he is still giving them tips on how to do it more efficiently. Some of my girls are also paying attention to his lessons. I should show them what I can do too. "Here. Let me help." I went over to one of the store rooms which got damaged by Ember''s rampage. The roof is riddled with holes and the steel doors were punched out of their hinges. Currently, Samidare, Pamiat Merkuria and Harusame are moving the contains out while Ryuujou tries to fix the holes. "Admiral? Shouldn''t ya be restin''? Zuihou is gonna pissed again." (Ryuujou) "She is just overreacting. It''s just a couple of burns and bruises. Anyway, hold that side down. I will weld it together." The attack caused us to suffer quite a number of casualties. Three CAVs, one CVL, three CLs, ten DDs and two BBVs. All heavily damaged. I myself got some bruises and a couple of light burns. While I''m more or less fine, it''s the injured girls I''m worried about. That''s why I told the engineers to prioritise repairs on the docks and factory. Despite the large number of shots that came out of Ember, none of them managed to land outside the base. Everything was contained within the district. Mamiya''s shop was reduced to rubble. Some of the rooms in the dorms were destroyed. The factory and docks were hit pretty badly. The training academy was blown in half. The command building had it''s right wing blown apart. Some of our store rooms were blown up by the barrage, taking some of our precious resources with it. Other miscellaneous buildings were also reduced to simple piles of wood and debris. It will take us a while to get things back up to operational standards. "Hey! Admiral! What are you doing up there?! Onee-chan said you shouldn''t be moving around!" (Zuihou-chan) "I''m fine! These are just superficial injuries!" I shouted from the top of the store room, swing my arms about. Maybe the spot I was kneeling on was already weakened and my arm flailing shifted my weight and made it worse, but it suddenly gave way under me! There was a loud crash followed by a sharp pain in my back, "Admiral!" (Zuihou-chan) "Kyaa! Commander has-!" (Harusame) "Crap! Someone go call Commander Rei! Oi! still alive, Admiral?" (Ryuujou) And of course, the expected screams of shipgirls. "I''m alr- Ouch!" Sharp pain coursed through my body. I was going to say I''m alright, but I retract my statement. The wooden crates and barrels I land on broke my fall, but I think I might have hurt my back. I reach my hand behind me to apply some pressure on my back. "Good. Still alive. Oi~ Those two onii-san slacking off over there! We have a casualty over here! Get a stretcher!" (Ryuujou) "Admiral! Are you alright?" (Samidare) Samidare and Pamiat Mercurial rushed over to check on me. "Ya made quite a spectacular fall." (Ryuujou) "Ryuujou-chan, come down already. We need to help Admiral." (Samidare) "Yea''. Wee problem... My legs ain''t moving..." (Ryuujou) "Ryuujou-senpai, I will hold the ladder. Please get down. It''s dangerous up there." (Zuihou-chan) "Well, that''s the first time someone called me senpai. I will try." (Ryuujou) I can see Ryuujou struggling to move to the ladder from down here. "You better not fall! I won''t catch you!" "Shut it! And don''t ya dare look up!" (Ryuujou) "Come on, you two. Help me up." "Are you sure? Shouldn''t we wait for Commander Rei to arrive first?" (Pamiat) "Well, it really hurts. But I don''t think-" "Good lord. You are worst than my students." (Hasake) Grand Admiral walked with two engineers. "Grand Admiral." "Since you so lively, I doubt it''s anything serious. but we can''t be too sure. Can you stand?" (Hasake) "Give me some time. This really hurts." Grand Admiral Hasake whipped out his phone and made a call, "Hello. This is Grand Admiral Hasake of the IJN. I need an ambulance here. One of my men took a huge fall. Yes, the address-" (Hasake) He can''t be serious. He is calling for an ambulance. "Wait, Grand Admiral. That won''t be necessary." "Clam it. A back injury is a serious injury. I''m sending you to the hospital." (Hasake) Chapter 159 - 145 The doctors couldn''t find anything serious, but as a precaution, they ordered me to rest and avoid any physical activities for a while. They recommended me to stay home for a few days, but my actual home is pretty far away from here. So I will be staying in my quarters. The naval district is technically my second home. "Take these once a day or whenever you feel pain. Apply this every night before you sleep." (Nurse) "Thank you." "And are you sure you don''t need any support? Without proper support, your back injury may worsen." (Nurse) "That''s right. Listen to Nurse-san." (Zuihou) Zuihou had followed me in the ambulance. Her outfit has already caught the attention of some curious onlookers. It''s not everyday you see a Miko in a hospital. Old ladies in a Kimono are a common sight, but not a child in a miko outfit. "Look. Even your daughter agrees." (Nurse) Aren''t you mistaking something? "No. You got it-" "You''re wrong. Admiral is my boyfriend." (Zuihou) "Eh?" (Nurse) The nurse look at me as if I''m some sort of criminal. "She is a shipgirl. She just looks like this." "Ahh... That explains the outfit. This is my first time seeing a shipgirl. She looks like an ordinary girl. Are all of them as small as her?" (Nurse) "No. We are mostly different." (Zuihou) "There are big ones and small ones. Zuihou here is on the smaller side." "Hey!" (Zuihou) "Anyway, we will take our leave now. Thank you for your help." I left the hospital with a pouting Zuihou in hand. "What do you mean I''m on the small side? That''s mean." (Zuihou) "It''s the truth. You are small and cute." "Cu-cute?! That''s a litt- Ehe~ Ehehehe~" (Zuihou) Zuihou placed her hands on her cheeks, unable to contain her happiness. How easy... The way back home is quite a distance. So we took a taxi back. When we returned, the engineers are still repairing the factory and docks. I hope they are not planning to work through the night. "Grand Admiral." "Ah. You''re back. What did the doctor say?" (Hasake) I explained that they couldn''t find anything severe and just told me to rest for the next few days. I also brought up whether his men will be spending the whole night repairing. "Of course not. We didn''t bring enough materials so repairs are going to be on hold until tomorrow. At 2000hrs, the boys will stop work. Don''t worry about our quarters. We will be sleeping on the ship." (Hasake) An Admiral letting a Grand Admiral sleeping on a ship? No no. That will leave a bad taste in my mouth. "Grand Admiral, I can prepare a room for you." "Not necessary. I prefer sleeping in the ship I built. I can guarantee it is just as comfortable as a cruise ship." (Hasake) "You built that ship?" "Of course. I''m not the head researcher and chief engineer for nothing." (Hasake) That''s impressive. "Anyway, I need to inform you that the docks may not be fully operational for a while. We managed to get one of the baths working but until we get materials, the girls will have share that one." (Hasake) "Thank you. Just one working is good enough for now." "Also, I heard from that Avrora girl that a couple of Azur Lane girls came. I told her to wait for you in your office, so you are going to have to deal with them. You are better at explaining the situation since you were there. As soon as I dismiss the boys, get the girls with the lowest repair time into the docks. Can''t have one still bathing when we continue the repairs tomorrow." (Hasake) Azur Lane is here? They must be curious about what happened. "Understood." "I''ll leave the repair scheduling to you. Once you are done with that and Azur Lane, go get some rest. I don''t want an Admiral to be dismissed because of a back injury." (Hasake) "Neither would I. Thank you very much, Grand Admiral." "No need for a salute. Now, move along." (Hasake) I slowly made my way back to my room with Zuihou helping me. It still hurts so I''m taking it slow. Sure enough, Avrora was waiting in my office. Sitting on the sofa were two small girls in miko outfits. The white hair one was wearing a red miko outfit while the pink hair one was wearing a white one with a red skirt. These two are definitely from the Sakura Empire. Those horns and ears gave it away. "Ah. Shouhou?" (Zuihou) "Hmm? Ah. Are ya'' my older sister Zuihou-san?" (AL Shouhou) That''s Shouhou? She is completely different from our Shouhou. She is even speaking with a Kansai accent. And I pretty sure Zuihou is the younger one in the Shouhou-class. "Older sister? I''m the younger one though. But being the older one still feels nice. Even though you have the same name, you are totally different from our Shouhou." (Zuihou) "Heeh~ How does the me over here look like?" (AL Shouhou) "For starters," (Zuihou) I can see Zuihou staring at Shouhou''s chest, before smiling happily, "The size is totally different. I''m glad we are the same size." (Zuihou) "Gh! Yer'' got ta be kiddin..." (AL Shouhou) These two are hitting it off pretty well. "Shouhou, we need to get down to business." (???) "Oh come on, Ryuujou. Tis the first time I''m speaking ta me sister." (AL Shouhou) "I understand your feelings but we need to get what we need and return to Milord." (Ryuujou) So this is Ryuujou. Size aside, her mannerism and speech patterns are completely different. This one speaks in an old samurai fashion. "I assume you are here about this afternoon." "Yes. We are here on behalf of milord to enquire about the events that transpired. But first, let us apologize for not being there to help." (Ryuujou) "Well, I''m sure you have your reasons. Avrora, pour some tea for them." "Understood." (Avrora) I slowly walked to my desk and sat down. "Oh my. Were ya'' perhaps injured during the incident?" (Shouhou) "Not really. This happened afterwards. Anyway, let''s have a discussion. This Ember person we met seems to have a beef with Azur Lane." "Ember? Neva'' heard of ''em." (Shouhou) "That Ember person... is most probably Takao-san." (Zuihou) Both of their eyes widened at Zuihou''s revelation. Chapter 160 - 146 Ember''s attack on Maizuru Naval District... A surprise Siren attack on Azur Lane''s main island... This was all calculated. Ember said she was given the wrong coordinates. The Sirens may have done this on purpose in an attempt to take us out. To stop Azur Lane from interfering, they sent mass-produced sirens and scavengers to attack the main island. If Hoppou''s fleet wasn''t here, we would have been wiped out from the beginning. Luckily, Ember seems obsessed with destroying Azur Lane. After realising she was attacking the wrong target, she retreated. Her real name is Takao. Zuihou recognized her and she didn''t deny it. Ryuujou and Shouhou from Azur Lane didn''t believe it, because Takao was fighting alongside them during the Siren attack. By taking what Ember said about timelines and coordinates into consideration, it''s safe to say that the Sirens are not from this world. It sounds absurd, but all the things we have seen match up. Portals, teleportation, not dying despite being filled with holes, a ridiculous amount of firepower, shooting laser beams instead of shells, creating islands and landscapes, and last but not least, the sudden cloning of shipgirls. This phenomenon is still being researched, but it''s believed that the energy burst caused by Abyssal Zuihou back then is the main cause. Mental cubes were apparently involved in the creation of Abyssal Zuihou. No two shipgirls can have the same appearance and name. This is a fact. But with Siren interference, this fact has changed. It''s not a bad thing though. It just gives us more girls and double, or maybe triple the cuteness. "Oh well, I''ll leave all things Siren to the experts at Azur Lane." "What are you talking about?" (Zuihou) "Nothing. Ooh~ That''s the spot~" Zuihou continued massaging my back. She gently pressed on the spot which I fell on the other day. "Does it hurt?" (Zuihou) "A little, but it''s not as bad as before." "There is a bruise..." (Zuihou) "It will heal soon enough." "Yo! Admiral! How are- I''m not interrupting something, right?" (Suzuya) Suzuya came into my room, fully repaired. At least, that''s what I think. I can''t see her since I''m facing the wall. And the door is behind me. Judging by her tone, she is definitely all right now. "Nope. How is the new dock?" "It''s amazing! There is so much new things. A massage chair, a sauna, a steam room, so much good stuff! Grand Admiral Hasake really is a good man." (Suzuya) "Glad you like it. I''ll convey your thanks to him later." Yesterday, after three days, Grand Admiral Hasake and his men completed the repairs on my base. They even did some upgrades to the Factory, Arsenal and Docks. I have a list of the upgrades he did on my desk. The factory now churns out weapons faster and at a lower cost. There is even an option to create three of the same weapons at the same time, accelerating our rearmament process. The arsenal is more efficient now. Weapons can be upgraded at a lower cost. Yuubari and Akashi actually helped to upgrade the Factory and Arsenal. They were so happy to help Grand Admiral Hasake in the repairs. They totally look up to him. The docks also got a luxurious upgrade. Our store rooms are tougher now. The academy looks grand and the main building has a fresh coat of paint. I should treat him and his men one of these days. I need my pay to return to normal first. "Anyway, glad to see you are okay." (Suzuya) "Come on. You saw me walking around yesterday." "Teehee. So, Zuihou, are you coming to practice later?" (Suzuya) "I can''t. I still need to take care of Admiral." (Zuihou) "It''s bad to skip practice. Especially now, since we may get attacked again." "But..." (Zuihou) As much as I want Zuihou by my side, her being combat-ready is more important. She is strong. But that''s no excuse to slack off. I think Zuihou herself understands this as well, but she is worried about me and wants to be by my side too. Even though this is just a small injury. She is easily worried nowadays, especially since the attack by Ember. "Fine. Suzuya, tell Hiryuu that Zuihou is with me. I need her to help me with my paperwork. I have quite a bit piled up over the days." "You say that, but you just want to have some s.e.xy time with your girlfriend, don''tcha?" (Suzuya) "That too. But I really have quite a bit to do. Maybe I can multitask." "Pfft! Hahahaha!" (Suzuya) "Suzuya! Don''t plant weird ideas into Admiral''s head! And Admiral, don''t even think about it!" (Zuihou) "All right." I got up and put on my shirt, "Let''s get to work. Zuihou, help me out. We can have fun later. Or do you want to do it now?" "What are yo- W-we have work to do, right? Let''s not do such a thing in the offi...." (Zuihou) Ah~ She is so fl.u.s.tered now. She is really cute~ "Yeah yeah. I won''t bother you two lovebirds. Just don''t be so loud or else the curious DEs and DDs will start to investigate." (Suzuya) "Don''t worry. I have a gag ready just in case." I reached into my bedside drawer and took out a piece of cloth. "Or would you rather the ball type?" "I don''t need such a thing! In the first place, why do you have a such a thing in there?!" (Zuihou) "If you want, I have cuffs and other stuff-" "Where did you get all those?! Aren''t they against the rules?" (Zuihou) Technically, they are. That is, if I bought them from outside. There isn''t any rule saying I couldn''t one myself. Thank you, Akashi. "Anyway, I''m going to practice now. Have fun, you two. Don''t mess up the office while you''re at it." (Suzuya) "Wait! Suzuya, we are not- Hyaa! Admiral! Don''t just grab my- Nh! Don''t touch...there..." (Zuihou) I placed my hand on her thighs. That was enough to bring out a reaction from her. "Yikes... I better get out of here." (Suzuya) "Remember this? This is the one I used on you after I caught you." I showed her the first massage device I commissioned Akashi to make for me. I''m thinking of commissioning more since she reacts so differently when I use it. If I order too much at once, Akashi will get pissed for making her create such lewd products. Maybe Yuubari wouldn''t mind helping me with this. "Just do me normally! I don''t want you to use any of those things! Ahh! What are making me say?!" (Zuihou) Ohoh~ I took hold of one of Zuihou''s legs, "Hearing you say that makes me happy. As a reward, I shall grant your wish." "I don''t need such a reward! Stop pulling on my pants!" (Zuihou) Chapter 161 - 147 I gently stroked the underside of Shigure-chan''s chin as she snuggled close to me. "Admiral... Me too..." (Shigure) Shigure rolled her fingers into the shape of a paw and placed it on my lap. This is the first time I see such an action. Who did she learn that from? "Sorry. Here you go." I gently rubbed Shigure''s head with my free hand. She too snuggled close to me as I pet her. The two of them are acting like puppies again. If Yuudachi was here, I will definitely get pounced on. "Shigure-chan," "Hmm?" (Shigure-chan) "How are your lessons?" "Quite fun. It''s a little weird having to learn everything again, but Kashima sensei makes the lessons enjoyable." (Shigure-chan) "I see. That''s good." "I sunk two abyssals today while on patrol." (Shigure) "Is that so? Good girl." "I scored an ''A'' for today''s test." (Shigure-chan) "Really? That''s great." Hmm? Is this what I think it is? "Muu~ I took out two light cruiser He-class with a single torpedo salvo." (Shigure) "Good job." Yep. They are both competing with each other. This is a first. Usually Shigure just sits around and let me pet her while the others tell their stories. She wasn''t one to compete. "You are both good girls. Here is your reward." I continued to pamper them. From petting them to gently scratching their chin, I played with them until they were satisfied. The two sister left for dinner, giving some time to stretch my legs. I have been sitting on the floor for so long. "Oww... Pins and needles..." I shook my legs and rubbed them to get rid of that annoying and painful sensation. "That was cute of them... trying to compete like that." "Commander!" (???) A girl with short black hair came in and jumped at me. If it wasn''t for the numbness in my legs, I would have caught her easily. "Woah! Oww~" Well, I still caught her. But we are on the floor. "Hey! Tokitsukaze! You can''t just barge in like that!" (Amatsukaze) "Geez. What are you doing to the Commander, Yukikaze?" (???) A girl, similar to Tokitsukaze in height, followed Amatsukaze into the office. She has brown eyes with a yellow hue and short brown hair. Her outfit is just like Tokitsukaze''s, a yellow scarf over a very short, slightly see-through white buttoned sailor dress with blue stripes on her cuffs and end of her dress. This girl is Yukikaze, the eighth ship of the Kagerou-class destroyers and the latest addition to our family. We recently found her on a routine sortie to the Okinoshima Seas last week. If we can find Hatsukaze, the 16th Destroyer Division will be together again. "Oh, Yukikaze. How is it? Getting used to the base yet?" "Yes! Everyday is fun!" (Yukikaze) "Glad to here that. And erm... don''t take another step." "Why?" (Yukikaze) Because I will be able see your panties at this angle... like I could say that. "It will be dangerous otherwise." "Because Commander will be able to see Yukikaze''s panties." (Tokitsukaze) "Tokitsukaze!" There goes my reputation with Yukikaze. Not like I have much in the first place. Yukikaze''s face turn red as she recoiled a few steps back. "Don''t worry. I didn''t see anything." Like that would convince her... "Geez. Why are you scaring the poor girl? Don''t worry, Yukikaze. I will protect you." (Amatsukaze) "Amatsukaze..." (Yukikaze) "Tokitsukaze too!" (Tokitsukaze) "Yeah yeah. You two make sure you protect your sister until she is strong enough." I touched Tokitsukaze''s cheek, "But first, can you get off me?" "Come on, Tokitsukaze. Get off Commander already." (Amatsukaze) Amatsukaze ran over and pulled Tokitsukaze off while Yukikaze helped me up. "Thank you. So, did you need something?" "N-not really." (Amatsukaze) "Amatsukaze wanted to see Commander!" (Tokitsukaze) "Oi! Tokitsukaze!" (Amatsukaze) "I-I see." Amatsukaze is blushing heavily and a lot of smoke is coming out of her smoke stack. I guess it''s true. "That makes me happy, Amatsukaze." "I-it''s not like I wanted to see you or anything. I just wanted to make sure you are doing your work. You don''t have a secretary today, right?" (Amatsukaze) That''s true. Zuihou is on patrol today. And I haven''t assigned anyone to take her place when she is gone. Though, it''s not like I have anyone in mind. And the workload nowadays is getting lesser. "Thank you for your concern. I already finished my work. So I''m just going to wait until dinner." "Commander, is your back okay?" (Yukikaze) "Yeah. I have completely recovered." "That''s great." (Yukikaze) Apart from Tokitsukaze, both Amatsukaze and Yukikaze had a look of relief on their face. "G-good for you. Let''s go, Yukikaze, Tokitsukaze." (Amatsukaze) "Ehh~ I want to play with Commander a little longer. Amatsukaze too, right?" (Tokitsukaze) "Let go already!" (Amatsukaze) A blushing Amatsukaze dragged the protesting Tokitsukaze along with her, leaving behind a small trail of smoke. "See you again, Commander." (Yukikaze) "See you." Yukikaze smiled as she closed the door. Now then, the other patrolling fleets and sortieing fleets should be back soon. I better prepare to greet them. And finish up my daily activity report. Chapter 162 - 148 The Saiun flew back to its owner after scouting the area ahead. "No enemies within the next 20km." (Kumano) "All right. We should be fine as long as we move slowly." (Suzuya) "No! We need to go fast!" (Shimakaze) Before Shimakaze can speed off, Suzuya grabbed her by her ribbon and held her back. "Guh!" (Shimakaze) "Come on. Even if this is just an excercise, we still need to be cautious. Besides, you won''t want to set a bad example for the young ones, right?" (Suzuya) Shimakaze looked at the three destroyers staring at her innocently. "I understand. I will slow down." (Shimakaze) "That''s a good girl." (Suzuya) Suzuya turned around to face her fleet, "Alright people. Let''s continue forward. Shout out if you spot anything. Let''s win this match!" (Suzuya) "Yes!" (All) I watched on the monitor as Kumano launched her Saiun into the air again. Right now, we are having a practice excercise between two fleets. Kashima came up with this idea. She said she wanted to see how much her students have absorbed and test them. So right now, we have two fleets fighting against each other. There will be a time-limit. I planned to end the match by dinner time. The attacking fleet is led by Suzuya. She is accompanied by Kumano, Shimakaze, Matsu, Usugumo and Hatsuzuki. The defending fleet is led by Shouhou. She has Zuihou-chan, Yukikaze, Shigure-chan, Shiratsuyu and Harusame. Basically, each fleet has two light aircraft carriers and four destroyers. The defending fleet will be protecting a bouy, but that''s just for show. The main goal is to wipe out everyone in the opposing fleet. Along the way, the attacking fleet will be met with targets to shoot at. Of course, these targets are meant for the three young ones to test their aiming. The other stronger girls are not allowed to help or interfere in this stage. The first fleet to win three times wins the match. Let''s see how Shouhou''s fleet is doing. On the monitor, Shouhou is helping Zuihou-chan adjust her bowstring. Is there something wrong with her equipment? Maybe it wasn''t calibrated properly. "There. Try pulling it now." (Shouhou) Zuihou-chan took her bow from Shouhou and tested the taut of the bowstring. "It''s easier now. Thank you, Shouhou Onee-chan!" (Zuihou-chan) "Eheheh. Your welcome." (Shouhou) "Kashima, have you taught them how to calibrate and maintain their weapons?" "No. I was sure Yuubari taught them how to do it." (Kashima) Right. Yuubari is our weapons expert. She is in charge of calibrating and maintainance. Usually, she will be the one to teach the new girls how to maintain their gear. Speaking of which, I haven''t seen Yuubari in a while. She must have holed herself in the factory, creating some weird contraption or weapon again. I''m going to speak to her after this. "Maybe it''s a bit too early to have this practice match." "It''s fine. Let them use this as an opportunity to learn. It''s much more interesting than being holed up in a classroom all day." (Rei) The three of us looked on as Suzuya''s fleet enters the target practice area. I turned on the microphone to announce the start of their shooting trial. "Attacking fleet, you are now entering the shooting range. Shoot as many target as you can well keeping in formation. Suzuya, kumano and Shimakaze, you can give them tips but you are not allowed to fire a single shell. Get ready in three... Two... One." On my cue, target boards popped out of water. Matsu was the first one to fire. Her first missed the targey by several metres. "Slow down of you need to. You missed but you can use that as reference and adjust your angles." (Kumano) The three young destroyers practiced firing while moving around. It''s different from the usual firing practice. Normally, they can stay still and continue shooting until the hit the target. This time, they have to be constantly on the move while shooting. "You can use your torpedos but remember, you have limited stock." "You are letting them use torpedos for this?" (Rei) "Why not? They are practice torpedos anyway." "Why about the submarine girls?" (Kashima) "They are operating the machines deep underwater. Unless they surface, they won''t get hit by the torpedos." The targets that popped out run on a timer and are controlled by a device underwater. Shioi and Shion are swimming around, activating each device and letting the targets pop out of the water. Once a target is destroyed, they will replace it in time for the next round. The three destroyers continued their shooting practice. There were twenty targets, only eight of them were destroyed. Matsu and Usugumo shot three each. Hatsuzuki shot two. They still need more practice. "Kashima," "I know. I will give them more lessons on shooting." (Kashima) The fleet continued their advance. Meanwhile, Zuihou-chan, from the defending fleet, launched a type-2 recon plane into the direction where the attacking fleet is coming from. Looks like Shouhou is teaching her how to use scout planes. "There are different signals you need to memorize. They can help you figure out if the enemy is close. If I''m not wrong, Suzuya should be coming-" (Shouhou) "Ahhhh!" (Zuihou-chan) "What''s wrong?" (Shouhou) With teary eyes, Zuihou-chan looked at Shouhou, "I-it''s gone... Shot down..." (Zuihou) "Ah... They are coming." (Shouhou) Shouhou was right. Suzuya is approaching fast. Zuihou-chan''s scout plane was shot down by Hatsuzuki, the anti-air expert. Because of that, the defending fleet have a brief idea on where their opponents are coming from. "Launch a wave of dive bombers and escort fighters. They rest of you, prepare for combat!" (Shouhou) "Time for me to shine! I''ll be the first to defeat one of them!" (Shiratsuyu) "This is training for the young ones. Don''t get carried away." This girl is always obsessed with getting first place. "Don''t worry. I will leave the rest for them." (Shiratsuyu) Meanwhile, on Suzuya''s side, "Nice shot!" "Thank you." (Hatsuzuki) "As expected of our anti-air specialist." (Matsu) "Well, we can expect them to come here soon. Get ready." (Suzuya) "This time, it''s my turn to protect the fleet." (Matsu) "Sorry. Should I not have shot down that aircraft?" (Hatsuzuki) Hatsuzuki had a look of guilt on her face. She looks like a puppy who realized she did something wrong. "No no. That''s not it. Shooting the scout plane stops our enemies from finding out our position. They won''t be able to get the drop in us now. They only know that we are coming. So shooting down that scout plane was the correct decision." (Kumano) "Kumano''s right. They might be prepared, but this was our last known position. Let me teach you girls something nice..." (Suzuya) Suzuya''s fleet made a turn to starboard. They are approaching from a different direction. She is using the tactics Zuihou usually uses in Excercises. Looks like Shouhou''s fleet might lose this round. She and Zuihou-chan already launched the first wave of bombers in their previous direction. It''s going to take some time to get those planes back. This may be interesting fight. Back on the defenders end, Shouhou was confused at the fact that their planes haven''t encountered the opposing fleet for a while. She hasn''t figured out that they are advancing from a different direction. The lack of experience between the two flagship is so obvious. Maybe I should assign Shouhou to lead a fleet, so she can get some experience. "This is weird. The type-2 was shot down around this position, right?" (Shouhou) "Yes. But there''s nobody around." (Zuihou-chan) "Maybe they are coming from a different direction?" (Shigure-chan) "A different... Crap! Zuihou-chan, call back your planes. Everyone prepare for bat-" beep* *beep* The fire detector on Akizuki''s head started beeping. "Incoming enemy aircraft! Starboard side!" (Akizuki) Kumano and Suzuya had launched their first wave of bombers and escort fighters. "Just as we discussed, diamond formation! Zuihou-chan and I will deal with Suzuya and Kumano. Akizuki-chan and Shigure-chan, you two handle the planes. Shiratsuyu-san and Yukikaze-chan, take out the enemy destroyers." (Shouhou) "Let''s go, Yukikaze-chan." (Shiratsuyu) "Yes, Shiratsuyu-senpai!" (Yukikaze) "This is exciting! I can''t wait to see how my students have grown!" (Kashima) Kashima bounced up and down in excitement. Something else bounced with her. I shift my focus back to the monitor before anyone catches me. Right now, Shouhou and Zuihou-chan launched another wave of fighter and bombers to intercept the ones from the attacking fleet, commencing a dogfight. "Uryah!" (Suzuya) "Don''t stray too far from the fleet!" (Shouhou) Both fleets advanced to meet each other. Looks like both of them have the same strategy. The two light aircraft carriers from both fleets stayed behind to launch wave after wave of aircrafts. The opposing air fleet ignore the destroyers fighting below and went straight for the carriers, only to be shot down by the anti-air experts on each fleet. "Keep it up. Intercept as much as you can." (Shouhou) "Yes!" (Akizuki) "I will protect the fleet!" (Yukikaze) Yukikaze stuck her butt out as she launched a torpedo into the sea, and it struck Matsu. "Ahhhh!!!" (Matsu) "Matsu, damage critical. Propeller destroyed, internal explosions in ammunition, engine room flooding. Unable to continue." (Announcer) "Oww... What was that?" (Matsu) "Too bad. You''re out." (Imuya) "Eh?" (Matsu) "Let''s bring you back." (Imuya) Imuya pushed Matsu along back to shore. Of course, the submarine girls in her recovery duty again. "Heavy damage with just a single torpedo... She really is a lucky ship." "Even though she is the newest, she is already this good." (Kashima) "You think so? Yukikaze-chan is called the luckiest ship for a reason. It might have nothing to do with her skills." (Rei) "Luck is still an important factor. Kashima, keep training her." "Yes." (Kashima) "Don''t injure my flight deck!" (Kumano) "What?" Damn... I missed it. When I looked back at the monitor, Kumano has moderately damaged. Something managed to strike her. "Success!" (Zuihou-chan) "It was right to bring the planes back from behind." (Shouhou) Now I see. Kumano was hit by one of the bombers that belong to Shouhou''s first wave. She copied her sister''s tactics. Hatsuzuki didn''t manage to turn around in time, so she couldn''t intercept. Another explosion occur near the two Shouhou-class sisters. "Not yet... I will-" (Akizuki) Akizuki was hit by Shimakaze''s torpedo, resulting in critical damage. "Akizuki, damage critical. Hull integrity compromised. Explosions in ammunition and torpedo room." (Announcer) "Let''s get you back to shore nano!" (Iku) "Iku-chan?! When did you-?" (Akizuki) Now both fleets have equal numbers. The attacking fleet have lost air superiority. The defending fleet have lost their anti-air expert. This may be a loss for the attacking fleet. Suzuya can only carry a very limited amount of planes. In contrast, Zuihou-chan and Shouhou can carry huge amounts. Unless, the attacking fleet can put one of the sisters out of the battle, I can''t see any chance of them winning this round. But anyway, the round is about to end... now. A bell rung, signalling the end of the match. "That''s enough! All sh.i.p.s, return to base. Get yourselves patched up and resupplied. Round two will begin one hour later. Currently, the defending team is in the lead." "No way~" (Suzuya) "Yes! We did it!" (Shiratsuyu) "The sides will be switched. Shouhou''s fleet is now on the attacking side. Suzuya''s fleet will be defending the bouy. Do your best to win the match." Maybe Kashima''s excitement is rubbing off on me, but I can''t wait to see the match results. Chapter 163 - 148.5 "You take this brush and just poke it in. Then you move it up and down to scrub. Be careful not to reach all the way to the base. It''s painful for them." (Shimakaze) "Understood." (Akizuki and Hatsuzuki) Akizuki and Hatsuzuki took the long brush and slowly stick it into the gun barrel of their 10cm High Angle Gun Mounts. Akizuki''s gun mount start struggling. "Ah! Sorry!" (Akizuki) Looks like Akizuki accidentally stuck the brush in too deep. After the match, it was time for some maintainance. I managed to drag Yuubari outof the factory to teach them about weapon maintainance and cleaning. She was experimenting with mental cubes to create something. They are doing their maintainance at the pier, so I stood nearby and watched. "Yep. That''s they way. Make sure to scrub out all of the lead fillings. Akizuki-chan and Hatsuzuki-chan, make sure to clean the barrel attachments too. The high velocity rounds you use can cause a lot of build up at that part." (Yuubari) "Yes. Understood." (Akizuki) "Got it." (Hatsuzuki) "Is that so? Then, I will count on you in the future." (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan placed one of her type 99 dive bombers on her cheek and started speaking into it like a handphone. She is the same as her larger counterpart. Both of them do their plane maintenance the same way. "Once you are done, store everything in the arsenal and get your dinner. All of you did well today." "It''s a bit frustrating that we lost though." (Suzuya) "That''s right. I wanted to win." (Matsu) "This match wasn''t about winning or losing. It''s about learning how to fight. Suzuya, you should know better. And what was that move at the end? You went and equip yourself with secondary guns again?" "Come on. It worked the last time. I thought it would work again." (Suzuya) "Of course it wouldn''t work. Did forget that Shouhou was there as well?" During the deciding match, Suzuya was supposed to stay behind and launch her planes, like any good aircraft carrier. Instead, she went and joined in the fray with the destroyers, only to get hit by a torpedo launched by Shouhou''s Tenzen. She knew about this tactic and took Suzuya out before she can cause any more damage. In the end, Shouhou''s fleet won the excercise. Suzuya, Usugumo, and Hatsuzuki were out of the match. Shouhou just lost Zuihou-chan after Akizuki got damaged and Kumano''s Suisei managed to break through. "By the way, Kashima and I will be treating all of you. She was touched by how fast you girls grew up." "Where is Kashima-sensei?" (Yukikaze) "In the command room. Crying." "Eh?" (All) "Don''t worry. Like I said, she is just happy for all of you. Didn''t expect her to be this happy though. But this doesn''t mean you can slack off on your lessons and practice. Today''s excercise was just to test how much you have learnt. What you did today were just the basic. minus Suzuya''s stunt. So learn as much as you can, gain experience, defeat our enemies and secure our victory over dawn horizon!" "Yes! I will do my best!" (Usugumo) "Yukikaze too!" (Yukikaze) "Admiral is so cool!" (Suzuya) "Well said." (Kumano) All twelve of them cheering. This a little embarrassing... --------------------------------------------- "-and secure our victory over the dawn horizon! That was so cool, Admiral!" (Zuihou) I was in my office with Zuihou when she suddenly said the last few words of my so-called inspirational speech. I nearly spit out my tea when she said that. "Y-you were listening?" "Zuihou-chan told me when we were in the bath. She thinks you were cool too." (Zuihou) "Right..." I kept forgetting those two are as close as sisters. No. They are sisters. "And also, today Zuihou-chan is coming over to sleep. So no lewd stuff!" (Zuihou) "I didn''t say I was going to do it tonight though." "You didn''t say it, but you are definitely going to do it. I already locked up all those toys and doujinshis in my safe." (Zuihou) She gave this look of triumph- Wait, when did she took them?! "You''re so mean." "I have to protect the innocence of my little sister." (Zuihou) "She already knows that we have night battle often and already saw us once." "...I''m making sure she doesn''t get corrupted any further." (Zuihou) "Yeah yeah." I can handle a day without doing it. I''m not an addict. Shortly after, Zuihou-chan came in. She was wearing a blue night Yukata and brought a pillow with her too. "Ehehe~ I came, Onee-chan, Admiral." (Zuihou-chan) "I have been waiting. Have you brushed your teeth?" (Zuihou) "Yes. I mean, come on, I''m not a child." (Zuihou-chan) "Yeah yeah. That''s a good girl." (Zuihou) Zuihou pat her little sister''s head. "Myaa! Onee-chan! Not in front of Admiral!" (Zuihou-chan) Ah. She is trying to put on a front. "You two wait for me in the room. I will join you in a sec." "Yes~" (Zuihou & Zuihou-chan) I only need to finish up the last few lines of my daily report and then I''m done. Zuihou is going to make up for me tomorrow. I went to the bathroom, took a quick bath and put on my pajamas. I haven''t had two shipgirls in my bed for a while now. Tonight is going to be warmer than usual. Chapter 164 - 149 It''s been a while since I came to Azur Lane''s home base. It''s still as lively as ever. "Wheee! Hahaha!" (AL Mutsuki) The little mutsuki dangled from my upper arm. "Hey! Get down. You are being rude to the Admiral." (Edinburgh) "It''s okay. She is really light." "That''s not the issue here." (Edinburgh) Anyway, I hope Zuihou-chan and Shigure-chan are doing okay. I was told the it was just a scan. I came to Azur Lane with Zuihou-chan and Shigure-chan because their commander requested for them. They wanted to scan their bodies for any traces of Siren technology. Their Akashi and Vestal cane up with a theory that the Abyssals are being used in Siren experiments. Abyssal Zuihou was the first one. The energy burst and the appearance of a boundary were telltale signs of Siren activity. The fact that Zuihou-chan and Shigure-chan retained their memories of before and after their sinking is an anomaly as well. The two of them are the only ones that appeared at ground zero, so there is a high chance that their bodies contain Siren technology. Initially, I was against it. Asking my girls to enter a place full of their worst nightmares just to scan them is simply outrageous. These two are still young, physically and mentally. Zuihoi already showed signs of breaking down when she first met Enterprise. I don''t want to imagine what would happen to the two of them if they met the ones responsible for sinking them. Surprisingly, Zuihou-chan and Shigure-chan agreed to go for a scan. They understood that this was not supposed to happen and are curious about their bodies. Even though Zuihou and I told them they didn''t have to know and they can just continue living like this, they were adamant about it. So, here we are. Zuihou and I waited at the cafeteria, with Edinburgh as our maid for the day. It didn''t take long before we caught the attention of curious shipgirls. "Eh? The Suzuya at your side is the same as me?" (AL Suzuya) "A little bit. She is more... playful?" (Zuihou) "How about the other Kumano? Are we the same too?" (AL Kumano) "Completely different. In fact, you are closer to our Suzuya." (Zuihou) "What''s in the basket?" (AL Ryuuhou) "That''s for later." (Zuihou) The little one gathered around me, while a bunch of Sakura Empire girls bombard Zuihou with questions about their IJN counterparts. "Admiral-san, hug~" (Eldridge) "Alright. Up you go." I carried Eldridge up in my arms. She is still the baby I remember. "We''re bac- what is going on?" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan and Shigure-chan walked into the cafeteria and were confused by the number of attention we attracted. "Welcome back. How was it?" "Tiring..." (Zuihou-chan) "I didn''t know lying down and keeping still can be this tiring." (Shigure-chan) "That girl... Zuihou-san''s little sister? So that''s Shouhou?" (Suzuya) "No no. The other Shouhou is taller and bustier. I wish I was like that as well." (AL Shouhou) "Then the other girl..." (Kumano) "Shigure! We meet again." (AL Shigure) The dog-like Shigure emerged from the crowd and rushed towards Shigure-chan for a hug. Shigure-chan looks so confused. That''s expected, since she hasn''t met her Azur Lane counterpart before. "Sorry. Who are you?" (Shigure-chan) "Eh? Could it be you can''t remember me? You took care of me when I got lost and end up in your base. Remember? We spent a lot of time together!" (AL Shigure) Her tail and ears drooped, signalling that she is depressed. "Huh? Oh. Sorry. That must be my sister." (AL Shigure) I explained to her that that is a bigger and older Shigure. The one on front of her is a smaller one that just arrived. "Oh. Thank goodness. I thought I was forgotten." (AL Shigure) Shigure-chan came up to me and whispered, "She is just like Yuudachi." (Shigure-chan) "Yeah. I thought the same when we first found her." "What we waiting for now?" (Zuihou) "Our results. Akashi-chan and Vestal-san said they need some time to analyse the data. After that, we can go home." (Zuihou-chan) More waiting... Oh well. It''s not like I have anything urgent to do. "In the meantime, how don''t we move to a better location? I know of a comfortable spot." (Edinburgh) "Is that so? Then, lead the way." The four of us followed the maid to a hill overlooking the entire island. This is a nice place. You can see the entire base and shopping district from here. The trees make for an excellent shade and the wind feels nice. The other three agree too. Shigure-chan had already begun to make herself comfortable under the shade while the two Zuihous set up a picnic mat... So that''s what the basket was for. "When did you find the time to make that?" "Erm... I actually thought of having a picnic at the pier... So..." (Zuihou) She originally planned for it. Though having a picnic here wasn''t part of it, it worked in her favour. She took out two pairs of carefully stacked Koraku bento boxes and laid them out on the picnic mat. There is onigiri, maki-zushi, Karaage, grilled mackerel, Noriben, tempura and of course, Tamagoyaki. Seriously, when did she find the time to prepare all this? "That smells nice." (Edinburgh) "Edinburgh-san, join us." (Zuihou) "Can I?" (Edinburgh) "Of course. The food taste better with more people." "Thank you so much!" (Edinburgh) Edinburgh joined us on the mat and we started eating. Eating like this reminds me of the time I went on a picnic with my family. ...I should visit them once in a while... Maybe introduce Zuihou to them... "-dmiral... Admiral? Are you listening?" (Zuihou-chan) "Oh. Sorry. I blanked out for a second." "Weird. More importantly... Here. Open wide." (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan used a chopstick and held a piece of Karaage to my mouth. She wants to feed me. Unfortunately for her, I don''t get embarrassed from being fed anymore. "Ah... *nom*" "Ehehe~" (Zuihou-chan) "No fair! Me too." (Zuihou) Zuihou picked up a piece of Tamagoyaki and brought it to me. "Here. Ahh~" (Zuihou) I just took it into my mouth. "Here. Ahh~" (Shigure-chan) Shigure-chan decided to follow them and picked a piece of tempura for me. "H-here. Open wide..." (Edinburgh) "No. You don''t need to copy them." Edinburgh, not wanting to be left out, tried to do the same... Now she is sulking in one corner of the mat. The other three stared at me. "Admiral is a bully." (Zuihou) "Yeah." (Zuihou-chan) "Agreed." (Shigure-chan) "How is that bullying?!" It wasn''t some time after till Belfast came to get us. "Head maid. What are y-" (Edinburgh) "Edinburgh, why are you sitting down and not serving our precious guests?" (Belfast) Belfast was smiling, but it looks like she is just restraining herself. Edinburgh obviously noticed this too and quickly stood at attention, "I''m so sorry! I-" (Edinburgh) "Belfast-san, it''s okay. We invited her to join us." (Zuihou) "Zuihou-san~~" (Edinburgh) Belfast let out an exasperated sigh, "If Admiral-san says so. Pardon my intrusion, but Master would like to speak with all of you." (Belfast) "Ehh~ Can we finish our food first?" (Zuihou-chan) "That''s right." (Edinburgh) "Edinburgh." (Belfast) She glared at Edinburgh, "Eek! I''m sorry!" (Edinburgh) "Understood. I will inform Master and tell him to wait. I apologize for interrupting your meal." (Belfast) "You don''t have to go-" "Maid-san, join us. We still have a lot." (Shigure-chan) "You should try the food, Head maid. It''s delicious." (Edinburgh) Belfast paused for a moment, before smiling at us, "If that''s the case, the please let me join in." (Belfast) The is still quite a lot of food when Belfast joined. We chat, watched the two small girls play around with Edinburgh for a while before cleaning up and rmaking our way to the main office. It was time for the long awaited results. "Please! Stay here!" (AL Akashi) The first thing we saw when we opened the office door was Akashi in a dogeza position, begging us to stay. "Akashi!!!" (Commander & Vestal) Erm... What? Chapter 165 - 150 After tying and gagging Akashi, Belfast took her out of the office. "Now with that out of the way, let''s get to thein topic. Vestal, if you would." (Commander) "Yes. The results of the scan are out. Zuihou-chan and Shigure-chan certainly have Siren technology in their bodies. Frankly speaking, there is a red mental cube inside them." (Vestal) Before I can digest anything Vestal just said, she pressed something on her tablet and a projector emerged from the ceiling. A picture appeared on the wall. It was the results of their scan. At the center of their body''s, there was a cube. The cubes seems to be forming it''s own connection to the body, with roots spreading out in all directions. "That thing... is inside us?" (Zuihou-chan) "Yes. A red mental cube has made your body it''s vessel." (Vestal) Both Shigure-chan and Zuihou-chan gave a pained expression. I understand how they feel. That thing... is like tumor. It looks as though it''s trying to hijack their bodies, with all those extensions branching out of the cube "Usually this is a cause for worry, but not for them." (Vestal) "How can siren technology in my girls be anything but worrisome? You already saw the effects on mental cubes on Shigure and Yuudachi back then." Shigure and Yuudachi were once coated with mental cube fragments, causing them to shrink to the size of fairies. If that much can cause such an effect, I can''t imagine what the whole thing can do. "Calm down. Let Vestal finish first." (Commander) "He is right. This whole thing may not be as bad as we think." (Zuihou) Vestal cleared her throat, before continuing, "As you know, we shipgirls are made out of mental cubes. It serves as our core as well as our entire being. It gives us the power to fight the Sirens, summon our sh.i.p.s and recover quickly when we are hurt. Most importantly, it gives us the ability to make memories, feel emotions, lead our loves as humans. That''s what the mental cubes are to us. However, in IJN''s case, the shipgirls are entirely different. No one knows what they are made off. Biologically, they are human. However, unlike humans, they are tougher and have access to weaponry effective against the Abyssals and Sirens." (Vestal) "I''m sorry, but we already know that." "Admiral, let her speak." (Zuihou) "In their case, they are possess both characteristics from both sides. However, the mental cube doesn''t seem to serve any specific purpose. It''s not a core or a spying tool for the Sirens like we initially feared. It''s not some sort of virus or foreign entity, so the body isn''t rejecting it. It''s just living inside them. These are our the initial findings. Like I said, there aren''t any adverse effects of it merging with them. Without further testing, we cannot figure out it''s purpose or abilities. There is one thing though. It''s just a guess, but it could have the same powers of creation. That''s why Akashi thought you two could be able to create gems for her. Since gems are of the same colour." (Vestal) This is getting ridiculous... "Okay... Is that it? A unknown entity living within my girls. We don''t know it''s purpose or what it can do, apart from creating a red rock. I''m sorry, but I find this hard to believe." "Are you saying Shigure-chan and I can create jewelry? That''s awesome!" (Zuihou-chan) Eh? "Zuihou-chan, do you know what you''re saying? Don''t you find this ridiculous?" "Aliens are already invading this world on top of an Abyssal takeover. And Shigure-chan and I came back from the dead. Learning that we can create jewelry out of thin air is nothing compared to any of that." (Zuihou) "That''s right. This is nothing." (Shigure-chan) What? How are these girls able to take in all of this like its nothing? I mean, what Zuihou-chan said makes sense. After all the crazy things that have happened so far, creating gems is nothing in comparison. But still... "So, Commander-san. What do we create it?" (Zuihou-chan) "About that...Erm... Ask Vestal. She knows better than me." (Commander) "Commander!!!" (Vestal) You don''t know either, huh? The two little girls look at Vestal expectantly. Vestal looks a bit perplexed. I think she was expecting them to take the news in a bad way. I feel the same too. "Erm... If I''m not wrong-" (Vestal) "Mental cube... So it''s got to be about thoughts and imagination, right? That''s means I should be able to create it with my mind." (Zuihou-chan) "Eh?" (Vestal) "Zuihou-chan?" (Zuihou) "Wait. Hold on. Don''t just-" Before any of us can say or do anything, Zuihou-chan cupped her hands together and closed her eyes. The room was filled with blinding red light and heat that lasted for a few seconds. When the light finally dissipated, I was met with a shocking sight. The room was hot, but that wasn''t the point. Zuihou-chan was kneeling on the ground with a pained expression. Her hands were burnt as a red gem with smoke emiting from it laid on her palms. "Zuihou-chan!" "Zuihou-chan!!!" (Zuihou) Shigure-chan quickly knocked the red gem out of her palm, sending it across the room. Zuihou and I rushed to the small, injured light carrier. Her injuries look severe. The bow hand glove was burned off. Her hands are extremely red, and the skin around them is starting to blister. Her sleeves were also charred. "Hot... It hurts..." (Zuihou-chan) "Dammit. That''s why I tried to stop you." "You dummy! Don''t just start something on your own without listening!" (Zuihou) "Vestal-san, do you have first aid kit?" (Shigure-chan) "I have a box here." (Commander) "Let me see her. I''m a repair ship. It''s what I do." (Vestal) We made way for Vestal to inspect the damage, when suddenly, "A gem! I can smell it!" (AL Akashi) Akashi come into the office like a crazed woman. "Akashi, not now! Shut up and give me a hand!" (Vestal) "Nya?! What happened here?" (AL Akashi) "I will explain later. Tend to her wounds first." (Commander) "Sorry, Master. I let her- What happened?" (Belfast) The next person to walk in was Belfast. "Good timing. Head maid, I need an cold compress, stat." (Vestal) "Understood." (Belfast) Belfast rushed off without asking anything. By now, tears have started to flow down Zuihou-chan''s cheeks. "Shh~ It''s going to be alright. I know it hurts, but just bear with it. Vestal and Akashi will make you better." "It... hurts... *hic* it hwurts... Admiral..." (Zuihou-chan) "There. There. Take a deep breath. Count to four. Exhale. Count to four. Keep doing that. Good girl." I continued to calm the little girl down as the two repair sh.i.p.s tend to her hands. "This is most likely second-degree burns. Close to third. The dermis was almost penetrated. Zuihou-chan, I''m sorry but I''m going to poke your hands a bit." "Ouch!!! No! It hurts!" (Zuihou-chan) "I''m sorry. No nerve damage. It''s a second-degree burn." (Vestal) "The damage is only at the palm area nya. We need to cool the area down before we can apply anything nya." (AL Akashi) "She can get repaired back at our base. Right now, we need something to stop the pain." "I will cool the area down. After that, some light dressing to prevent further exposure." (Vestal) "I will leave it to you." "You are going to be fine. Once we get home, a bath will turn your hands as good as new. Just endure this for a while. Okay?" (Zuihou) "O... *hic* *sniff* Okay..." (Zuihou-chan) "I got the compress." (Belfast) "Give it to me. Sorry. This may hurt a bit." (Vestal) "Ow... Uuu..." (Zuihou-chan) Vestal gently pressed the cold compress onto Zuihou''-chan''s palm, causing her to flinch in pain. She was about to start crying, but held it in. "Brave girl. Just leave it like this for a few minutes. Once it''s cooled, I will bandage it for you." (Vestal) "Comander, we need some bandages and tape nya. Do you have it nya?" (AL Akashi) "Yes. I have some here." (Commander) "Good. Give it to me when I say so nya." (AL Akashi) About fifteen minutes later, Akashi asked Commander for the bandage and some tape. Vestal removed the compress while Akashi quickly dressed her hands. "It still hurts..." (Zuihou-chan) "When we go home, go to the docks immediately. Zuihou, Shigure-chan, go with her." "Of course." (Zuihou) "Got it." (Shigure-chan) I turned to the four Azur Lane members in the room, "Thank you for all you have done today. We will take our leave first." "Sorry. If only I hadn''t told them the possibility of creating a gem..." (Vestal) "Well, none of us know anything about the red mental cube. And besides, her getting injured wasn''t your fault." "I''m sorry..." (Zuihou-chan) Before I can say anything else, Akashi immediately darted across the room, to the spot where the gem landed. "Foun- Ouch! It''s hot!" (AL Akashi) "No way. Those gems aren''t supposed to be that hot." (Commander) "If it was hot enough to burn a shipgirl, I don''t think we humans should even touch it." "I concur. Belfast, get me some fire tongs." (Commander) "Understood. I will go find one." (Belfast) "Erm..." (Shigure-chan) Shigure-chan pulled on my shirt to get my attention, "I was just thinking, could the red mental cube in our bodies increase our firepower?" (Shigure-chan) "What makes you think that?" "The red mental cube generates heat. Look. The floor is starting to burn." (Shigure-chan) Shigure-chan pointed at the gem. Sure enough, the area around the gem is charred and there are still small fires. "Nya!" (AL Akashi) "Get the fire extinguisher." (Commander) "Sorry, Shigure-chan. Can we discuss this further when we get home? I want to get Zuihou-chan fixed as soon as possible." "Un. Okay." (Shigure-chan) Shigure-chan may be on to something, but Zuihou-chan''s injuries come first. I carried Zuihou-chan on my back, "Commander, send me the data from the scan later. I will look through it myself. We will update you as soon as we discover something." "Alright. I will transfer the data through the encrypted channel. Just make sure she is all healed up." (Commander) "That''s the plan. See you... next time." The four of us left the office. "You''re leaving already? That''s too bad. I was about to prepare dinner for you." (Belfast) Along the way, we met Belfast, armed with fire tongs and a metal bucket. "I appreciate the thought, but as you can see..." "I understand. Her well-being is of utmost importance. Please wait for a moment. I will get Edinburgh to escort you home." (Belfast) "That will be helpful. Thank you so much." (Zuihou) "Edinburgh!" (Belfast) "Yes. What is it, Head maid?" (Edinburgh) Edinburgh suddenly popped her head out from around the corner. Was she close by? Edinburgh brought us home on her ship. The journey was smooth-sailing. They weren''t any Abyssals or Sirens, and we met Samidare and Suzukaze along the way. I bought Edinburgh a bowl of Anmitsu from Mamiya as thanks while Zuihou rushed her sister to the docks. in the meantime, Shigure-chan followed me to the office to discuss about her thoughts. Chapter 166 - 151 "Safety''s off. Monitoring systems are all green. Energy level is at zero." (Akashi) "Shigure-chan, when you''re ready. Don''t push yourself." "Yes." (Shigure-chan) Shigure-chan aimed her guns at the target. Smoke began to emit from her body and her equipment. "The temperature is rising rapidly." (Akashi) "The equipment is still maintaining structural integrity. No change in interior- core energy rising. It just shot up to 40%. Going 50%." (Yuubari) "Um... The barrel is melting." (Shigure-chan) "Yuubari..." "Crap! I forgot!" (Yuubari) "Shigure-chan, that''s enough. We can do the test firing another day. Akashi, monitor the energy levels." "Understood." (Shigure-chan) "Core temperature is dropping. Energy level dropping to zero in three... two... one. Core energy at zero percent. No signs of damage in the internal mechanism. Apart from the barrel." (Akashi) "I''m sorry. I forgot to change the barrel to match the gun." (Yuubari) "Geez. Pull yourself together. I''m relying on you two for their safety." "That''s a really high order." (Akashi) Shigure-chan sailed back to shore, and took off her equipment and riggings. "Shigure-chan, how are you feeling?" "A little hot. And hungry." (Shigure-chan) "I will buy you some desserts later." I pet her head. I can feel the heat through the gloves. It''s hurts a little, but nothing I can''t handle. This whole thing was Shigure-chan''s idea. She got it after seeing Zuihou-chan getting burnt and the office floor catching fire. "The red mental cube can create a burning effect. If only we can figure out how to use it, it might empower our attacks." (Shigure-chan) That''s what she told me the day we returned from Azur Lane. I was reluctant to go through with testing this idea, but since she told me she would stop if things start to go south, I sort of relaxed and went ahead with it. First, we needed to find out how to safely tap into this ''power''. Using Zuihou-chan''s method of activating it through their mind, Shigure-chan decided to try it as well. Instead of creating something, she decided to direct it to a specific object and function. It worked a little too well. On her first attempt, her equipment melted and fell apart. Akashi and Yuubari later modified her equipment and gave it a mental cube core to enable a more efficient energy transfer. We just did the second attempt. It worked, but Yuubari forgot to match the barrel with the new equipment specifics, and the barrel melted. So test firing will have to wait. "How long will it take to make the adjustments?" "I can finish it today. But..." (Akashi) "Just get it done by Friday. I don''t want her to do this two days in a row." "I knew you would say that." (Akashi) "Oh, and by the way, could you help me think of a way for Zuihou-chan to use this power? I don''t want to use mental cubes as the core for her planes." "Don''t be silly. It will take ages to modify and fit the planes with such cores. Don''t worry. We will think of something." (Akashi) "I''m not involved, right? I''ll go back to- Eep!" (Yuubari) By Yuubari can sneak away, Akashi grabbed her shoulder, "You delayed the test firing. As punishment, you are helping me." (Akashi) "No! This is bad work ethics!" (Yuubari) Akashi dragged the protesting Yuubari into the factory. I can hear a loud clang and some chains. She locked themselves in the factory. That''s a little hardcore. "So, what do you want to do now?" "I want to eat something. And get a drink." (Shigure-chan) Using that power makes them hungry and thirsty. Zuihou-chan was also like this when she recovered. "Let''s go get something from Mamiya." Shigure-chan held out her hand towards me. "Erm..." "I always see you do this with Zuihou. I want to try it too." (Shigure-chan) "Shigure-chan..." It''s just hand-holding. Yep. She is just a child who wants to hold hands with a father figure. I doubt she will back off if I explained the meaning to her. Heck. She might even feel dejected. I held her hand as we walked to Mamiya''s shop. Her hands were still hot from the test. Chapter 167 - 152 Shigure-chan aimed at the single Destroyer I-class roaming near the base. Two flaming shells shot out of her gun and flew straight at its target. Upon impact, that oversized malformed fish started to burn while screaming. "That looks painful." (Rei) "Shigure-chan, you okay?" (Shigure) "I''m fine, Onee-chan." (Shigure-chan) "Everything is within expectations. Admiral, you seeing this?" (Akashi) "Yep. The data is in sync. Alright. Head on back. We got the results we need." "What about that destroyer?" (Akashi) "It should be sinking-" The sound of explosions echoed through the speakers. A ball of fire engulfed the I-class before disappearing under the surface. "Ow. That does look painful. Ok, target destroyed. The experiment is a success. Come on back." "I''m hungry." (Shigure-chan) "Let''s get something to eat back at base." (Shigure) The ''pyro shell'' experiment was a success! Shigure-chan managed to tap and utilize the red mental cube in her! As she conceptualized, she was able to add a napalm effect to her shelling attacks. The whole process involves Shigure-chan transfering and giving the energy a ''form''. She decided on materializing it as a gel to coat the shell with. She basically created a napalm with her mind. The modified equipment is able to efficiently transfer the energy from her body and coat it around the shell. After a couple of test-firing and getting used to it, she was ready for a field test. Lucky for us, there was a lone Destroyer I-class roaming just outside our perimeter. Shigure went with her sister to provide backup in case anything happens while Akashi monitors the situation and compile the data. Shigure-chan is amazing. She turned what I deemed to be harmful into an advantagous weapon. I originally thought the mental cubes will have negative effects on my girls. Yuudachi and Shigure getting shrunk by mental cube fragments, Zuihou-chan burning her hands, although that was her own recklessness. I was hesitant on going through with the experiment. Shigure-chan''s efforts proved otherwise. Zuihou-chan is the only one who hasn''t added any effect to her arsenal. I can understand if she doesn''t want to, since she got hurt before. I should ask of she wants to- "Amazing! Shigure-chan did that?" (Zuihou-chan) "Yep. She used the mental cube to create a napalm effect." "Napalm? What''s that?" (Zuihou-chan) "It''s like a fire bomb. It burns the target as well as blowing it up. Zuihou-chan?! When did you enter?" "You didn''t noticed? I thought you knew since you were answering her." (Rei) I didn''t notice her at all. And I just instinctively answered her questions. But this is good. I can ask her if she wants to create her own- "If I learn to control the output, can I do the same thing?" (Zuihou-chan) She just made my job easier. She is interested. "Of course. But we need to figure out the effect you want and your application process. Shigure-chan can directly transfer the energy to her guns and give it a napalm effect. Yours will be totally different. Your main source of attacks is through your planes. We need to figure out how to share your power over long distances." "In that case, I know someone who can help. I''ll invite them over." (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan immediately ran out of the command room. There is someone who can help her with this? It''s probably someone from Azur Lane. "I guess we should prepare some tea?" "If it''s a fox girl, I call dibs. I want to fluff her tail." (Rei) ------------------------------------------------- I stand uncorrected. Zuihou-chan really did called a couple of Sakura Empire girls over. And they are all big shots. There is the familiar Akagi, Kaga and Amagi. Accompanying them are two young girls I have never seen before. One in red kimono and the other in blue. They were both fairly tall and busty. The one in red wore only half of her kimono, leaving half of her bandeau exposed. Kind of like how Shouhou wore hers before getting remodeled. She has an Odachi on her back, which is clearly longer than her. She wore black tights on her long, slender legs. A pair of grey fox ears stood on her head, along with four grey fluffy tails sticking out from her back. She is a battleship. I caught a glimpse of her five twin 41cm guns and a couple of other guns before they disappeared into... well, somewhere. I''m not sure how they disarm apart from letting their docking their sh.i.p.s. Keeping with the groups fox theme, the girl in the blue kimono has a pair of white ears and five white fluffy tails. She carries three swords, attached to some board which floats and follows her around, and a blue ethereal fox... which is actually a flight deck?! Furthermore, there are a few orbs following her, and they seem to resemble the lunar cycles. Something about this one gives off a divine vibe. "My apologies. When Akagi received Zuihou''s call, I just had to come and see the twin light aircraft carriers and destroyers." (Amagi) She is definitely talking about Zuihou and Shigure and their smaller counterparts. "I brought these two along to meet you too. They were just bored the other day, so they are rather inexperienced. I wanted them to know who are our allies first before going out into the field. Go on, introduce yourselves." (AL Amagi) "I''m part of the Eighty-Eight fleet program, first ship of the Kii-class Battleship, Kii. Due to various reasons, I never got a chance to shine in the war. But now I have, and I''m going to use it to the fullest!" (Red Kimono Foxgirl- Kii) "I am called Shinano, aircraft carrier of the Sakura Empire. As a Yamato-class ship during the war, I was to stand beside my sister. Alas, there is impermanence in all things and nothing became of this one''s life..." (White Kimono Fox girl- Shinano) Kii is like a girl eager to get out and have some fun. I can tell that she wants to show off her strength. Shinano, on the other hand, speaks in a rather abstract manner, resembling those ancient type of people I often see in action anime. The ones that speak in verses and you can barely understand what they are saying. Also, she sounds sleepy. "Nice to meet you. I''m Zuihou. Regretfully, I''m the smaller one. So please address me as Zuihou-chan to avoid confusion. This is my Admiral. That lady over there is Commander Rei." (Zuihou-chan) "Zuihou-chan, we can do our own introductions..." "Teehee. Sorry. I got carried away." (Zuihou-chan) "As she said, I''m the Admiral of Maizuru Naval District and I welcome you to my base. And this lady is..." "Nice to meet you. I''m Commander Hashimoto Rei. I''m mainly assist the Admiral in his duties and night act-Mmph!" (Rei) I quickly covered her mouth before the words came out. She was about to say something stupid. "Let''s continue this in my office. Commander Rei, please buy some refreshments and snacks for our dear guests. That''s an order." "Puhaah. Admiral''s scent..." (Rei) "Just go already!" "Kyaa~ Admiral got mad~" (Rei) This girl... Playing around at my expense... I quickly compose myself, "Now, please follow me to my office." "No fair. I also want to do night battles like Onee-chan." (Zuihou-chan) "Zuihou-chan!!!" "Oh my..." (Amagi) "This man... is just like Commander. A pervert." (Kii) "But that makes Commander such a dashing man. His stamina, his technique..." (Akagi) I think my reputation just took another nosedive. Chapter 168 - 153 Since it autumn, I had the fairies install a small dining table in my office with a basket of roasted chestnuts. Everyday, some girls will come in for relax and snack on the roasted chestnuts. This little table will be our meeting table between the carriers. Akagi, Kaga and Shinano each sat on the sides of the table while I, with Zuihou-chan on my lap, sat at the remaining side.Rei, Amagi and Kii, who is a battlecruiser and battleship, sat on the sofa. Even before starting our conversation, Rei attacked the tail of a startled Kii. "Hm? But you don''t have a mental cube core like us, right? How will you be able to create items with thought projection? Or use them in your attacks?" (AL Akagi) "Eh? Your Commander didn''t say anything about it?" "He was hiding something from me?!" (AL Akagi) "Uh-oh..." (Amagi) "Oh boy..." (Kii) Akagi''s hair and tails flared up. I must have stepped on a landmine. I heard that Akagi is one of the few yanderes in the alliance, but I never knew it was this bad. "Calm down, Nee-sama. Maybe Commander felt that it wasn''t necessary to tell is." (AL Kaga) Nice save, Kaga. "But... We swore to share even our deepest secrets. To think he would-" (AL Akagi) What kind of oath did you swore?! "Akagi, that wasn''t a secret. Remember, he was pretty busy that day. He might have forgotten to tell us." (Amagi) "Hmm... That must be it. I wish I could have done something to ease his burden." (AL Akagi) Shinano is already beginning to fall asleep. We better get started. "Let see... Where do we start?" "I told you before, Shigure-chan and I already sunk once. Normally if a shipgirl sinks, there is a chance for her to come back. But she will lose all of the memories from her previous life. However, Shigure-chan and I were able to retain our memories from four years ago." (Zuihou-chan) "How is that possible?" (Kii) "We aren''t sure either. The general consensus is that the the two of them were the results of sinking the Abyssal Phoenix Princess. Since the Sirens made use their negative emotions and memories to create her Abyssal form, Zuihou-chan was able to recall everything. We are still not sure why Shigure-chan appeared as well, but as long as Admiral is happy, everyone else is happy. Geez, Kii, you are so fluffy." (Rei) "Commander Rei... Please... Not so rough. Amagi-senpai, please help..." (Kii) "Give it up, Kii. Once they start fluffing your tail, you are going to be stuck for a long time." (Amagi) "These girls were there the other day for a test. Akashi and Vestal wanted to do a scan on them. They found a red mental cube acting as a separate entity within their bodies. And this girl burned her hands when she tried to create a gem." I pulled on Zuihou-chan''s cheeks, "Oww~ Don puu on mwy jeeks!" (Zuihou-chan) "That''s... kind of neat." (Kii) "Since you managed to do it, there is no need to ask us of advice, right?" (AL Kaga) "That''s not the issue. I want to ask how am I going to use this power in my attacks?" (Zuihou-chan) "Like a skill?" (AL Kaga) "Yes. Shigure-chan was able to give her attacks a burning effect. I want to do the same too." (Zuihou-chan) "Wait here. I will show you the data." I got up and took the stack of doc.u.ments on my desk related to the ''Pyro-shell'' experiment. I passed them to Akagi and Amagi for a look. "This is... interesting. The current equipment could not take the energy influx. So modifications had to be made in order to withstand the input." (AL Akagi) I picked Zuihou-chan up and sat her on my lap as I return to my spot. "A napalm effect. My DOT damage reduction may not be able to withstand it." (Amagi) "That''s what I need advice for. Is that any way I can do something similar?" (Zuihou-chan) "It''s impossible, with the current equipment. If Shigure-chan''s standard equipment couldn''t handle the first test, there is no way yours can handle it without modifications." (Kii) "I would like to avoid giving all the planes we have an overhaul. It''s going to take a long time to modify every one of them." "But if we don''t, I might destroy them in the process. I don''t want that." (Zuihou-chan) "Then why not create your own?" (Shinano) All eyes were on Shinano. We thought she had fallen asleep. Her head was on the table when we were telling Zuihou-chan''s story. "If you can forge your own, you need not worry." (Shinano) Why didn''t I think of that? "That''s right. Why not create your own planes?" "Create my own? How do I-" (Zuihou-chan) "But aren''t you all able to do that already?" (AL Kaga) "No. Tis'' the same as me." (Shinano) "Shinano, are you talking about your Hope''s Tempest?" (Amagi) Shinano simply nodded her head, before letting it fall back to the table. What kind of name is that? It sounds cool! "Shinano''s skill, Hope''s Tempest, allows her to launch additional Saiuns to make our enemies easier to defeat. She can launch it along with her usual air fleet." (Amagi) Zuihou-chan looks confused. She doesn''t seem to understand anything that was just discussed. How do we make it simpler for her? Akagi took out a shikigami paper and let it burst into flames. In a split second, the flame engulfed paper transmuted into a plane and started flying around it''s owner. "Something like this." (AL Akagi) "But I already can do- Oh! You mean create aircrafts by myself? Without using the planes in the hanger?" (Zuihou-chan) "Yes. Since you can create a gem, you should be able to create an air fleet." (AL Kaga) "Let''s start with one first. Try creating a stationary aircraft." I don''t want her to injure herself again. "Okay. I''ll try." (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan cupped her hands and closed her eyes. "Think about the shape you want to take. The thinks you want it to do. Once you got it down, slowly let the energy flow out of your body. Dont worry if you fail. Even Akagi took three sessions to summon her first plane. Ufufu~" (Amagi) "Amagi-nee-sama!" (AL Akagi) There was a flash of light, but this time, there wasn''t any heat. "Um..." (Zuihou-chan) "What kind of aircraft is that?" (Kii) "It... resembles a cat?" (Shinano) "Isn''t that..." (AL Kaga) Resting on Zuihou-chan''s palm was a fireball with cat ears. There are distinct features on it. It had two holes on either side, and teeth which stretched across from one to the other. This was a dangerous weapon we were familiar with. "Zuihou-chan... Why did you create an Abyssal Cat Fighter?" She just looked at me, with obvious confusion and fear in her eyes. Chapter 169 - 154 This is rather interesting, but scary at the same time. Abyssal Cat Fighters are extremely dangerous, especially the bomber variants. Hoppou-chan was using them in her fight against Ember and managed to force her on the defensive. Now, one of them is resting on Zuihou-chan''s palm. She knows what it is, and is frightened. "What do I do?!" (Zuihou-chan) "Calm down. It isn''t doing anything yet. Since you created it, you should be able to control it." "That''s right. It should listen to you. But why did you create an enemy aircraft?" (AL Akagi) "I didn''t mean it! What do I do?" (Zuihou-chan) "An enemy aircraft? That thing?" (Kii) "That''s an Abyssal Aircraft. And a higher ranking one too." (AL Amagi) "What did you think about?" (Shinano) "I wanted a type 99 bomber. And I wanted it to be cute. That''s all. Why did a Abyssal Cat Fighter appear?" (Zuihou-chan) A cute type 99 bomber? That is a very ''Zuihou'' thing to think about. But why did that aircraft show up? A remnant of her Abyssal form? "Zuihou-chan, do you think that is cute?" "I-I guess, as long as it''s not flying around and trying to sink us." (Zuihou-chan) "Maybe she subconsciously created it." (AL Kaga) "That''s what I thought too. I mean, even I think that the enemy aircraft is cute sometimes. Just look at it. It''s got cute little ears and big eyes. It looks just like our cats." Okay. Going off tangent here. Get a hold of yourself. "Anyway, we are pretty sure it''s harmless. But just in case," "I can take care of it if it goes on a rampage." (AL Akagi) Akagi took out two sheets of shikigami paper, ready to blow the little summon up. I appreciate the help but... "Just try not to blow my office up in the process." "Ok... I''m ordering it now." (Zuihou-chan) ... "How do I order it to do things?" (Zuihou-chan) We have to start from there?! "Simply put..." (Amagi) Akagi, Amagi and Kaga gave a short lecture about how to control the aircraft. Things like data input and macro-command and other technical stuff which I don''t understand can be heard. But Zuihou-chan seems to understand it. "That''s it? I can just simply think about it." (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan sat still, seemingly concentrating on giving the aircraft a command. Moments later, the Abyssal Cat Fighter opened its mouth. It made a weird sound as it moves it''s mouth. Kind of like an engine starting up. The eye sockets glowed with a different coloured flame. The entire thing was burning with a bright orange colour, while it''s eyes burned with a red fire. It jumped off Zuihou-chan''s hand and started flying around us. "I did it! I controlled it!" (Zuihou-chan) "Awesome! You did it, Zuihou-chan!" (Rei) I pet her head, "That''s great. Good job." Once she gets used to create multiple aircrafts at once, we can move on to perfection her skill. Still, why does it have to be an Abyssal aircraft? Maybe it''s just this time, but we can''t overlook the possibility of her o Lu being able to create such aircraft. "Wait, your hands!" I almost forgot! Zuihou-chan may have burnt herself creating the aircraft. And it had been in contact with her for quite a while now. I grabbed her hands to check her palms. It doesn''t look red, let alone any signs or symptoms of burns. "I''m fine. It wasn''t hot this time." (Zuihou-chan) "Your nerves were not damaged the last time, right?" "Yea- Hyaa! Admiral, that tickles!" (Zuihou-chan) I wiggled my finger tips gently on her palm. If it tickles her, she still has her sense of touch. I was worried that she might have suffered from nerve damage in her hands. "Geez! Don''t just stroke my hands all of a sudden!" (Zuihou-chan) "My bad. I had to check." And your reaction was just too cute. "Say, Admiral-san..." (Kii) "What is it?" I turned to face the fox-eared battleship. Her tail is still in the hands of Rei, "I have been thinking, Admiral-san is a lolicon. Aren''t you?" (Kii) "Wha-" "I mean, Commander always has this face of a hungry wolf and creepy smirk whenever he sees busty girls like Akagi-senpai and Shinano. You may stare at Akagi-senpai''s and Shinano''s chest from time to time, but you don''t have the same reaction. Instead, you react that way when it comes to Zuihou-chan." (Kii) Was it that obvious?! I mean, I''m a guy. Of course my eyes would gravitate to that particular area sometimes, especially when there are three beauties in front of me. But Zuihou-chan is way cuter in many ways and I have this desire to protect her. I didn''t realise I had that kind of expression when looking at her. Just what kind if face have I been making?! My reputation is going to drop even further! "I''m not-" "He is. Like, he won''t even consider me as a partner even though I''m closer to his age and bigger than Zuihou. Zuihou is the only thing on his mind." (Rei) Rei, I''m begging you. Please don''t say anymore. "Admiral is considering me as a partner? Yay! I''m one step closer to Onee-chan!" (Zuihou-chan) "No, that''s not-" Come on. Don''t look at me with that smile. How can I say no to that? "Ufufu~ Looks like you have it rough." (Amagi) "Ugh... Amagi-sama, please help me out of this." "Nope. This is way too interesting for me to interfere." (Amagi) Chapter 170 - 155 I watched as Zuihou checked herself in the mirror, making sure her hair is in good shape. She isn''t wearing her usual outfit. Instead, she is wearing a peach turtleneck sweater with black flared skirt. She had put on a pair of black knee high socks and camel high top sneakers. Since it''s cold in the morning, she brought along her green jacket just in case. For me, I wore a simple blue polo shirt with black jeans and an green jacket. Yes. I brought one to match Zuihou''s just for this occasion. Today, we are going on a trip to celebrate our first anniversary. And to make up for not giving her any attention these past few days. I have already applied for leave and packed our luggage. "I''m ready." (Zuihou) "Wow. You look great." "Ehehe~ Really?" (Zuihou) "Yep. You are cute and pretty. My perfect girlfriend." Cute. Cute. Cute. "Girlfriend... Ehehe~" (Zuihou) Even the way she blush is cute. "Shall we go?" "Uun!" (Zuihou) I turned to Shouhou who was waiting outside the door. She was holding onto Zuihou-chan, who is sulking, "We will be back next week." "Understood. Have a-" (Shouhou) "No fair! I want to go out too!" (Zuihou-chan) "Come on. You still have lessons. And you need to practice your aircraft creation." (Shouhou) "No! I want to go on a date with Admiral too!" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan flailed her arms as she protested. "I got it. We will bring back a souvenir for you. How does that sounds?" "When we get back, you can show Admiral how much progress you made today." (Zuihou) We are totally treating her as a child... "Don''t treat me like a child!" (Zuihou-chan) Ah. She said it. "Fine. We will bring you out in the future. So just wait patiently, okay?" (Zuihou) "That right." Wait, what? "Promise?" (Zuihou-chan) "Promise. Admiral, you too." (Zuihou) I guess this is the only way to appease her for now. I stick my pinky out and she lock hers with mine. "Pinky swear." "Geez. You''re treating me like a child again. But, that''s fine. If you lie, I will make you swallow a thousand needles and stuff Cat Fighters down your mouth." (Zuihou-chan) She gave a sweet smile as she threatened me. That''s scary! "We off!" "Have a safe trip!" (Shouhou & Zuihou-chan) We exited the base through the gate. The guard fairies were surprised to see Zuihou with her hair down. They almost couldn''t recognize her. "Where are we going?" (Zuihou-chan) "Let''s see... We have already been to an aquarium, an amus.e.m.e.nt park, an Onsen town... Hmm..." "Don''t tell me... You haven''t planned anything yet?!" (Zuihou) "I''m just joking. We are going to your hometown." "Eh?" (Zuihou) "Why do you think you are up this early? We are going to Yokosuka. I already bought the train tickets." ----------------------------------------- The entire train ride took us more than five hours. By the time we reached Yokosuka naval base, it was already noon. That was a very long train ride. We stood at the pier, admire the scenary "This is a nice breeze." (Zuihou) "Yeah. I have been here a few times but never got the chance to relax like this." Whenever I go to Yokosuka, it''s always for meetings, training and other troublesome stuff. This is the first time I got to enjoy the view of the sea and the sea breeze. "Are you going to pay the Yokosuka Admiral a visit?" (Zuihou) "I could, but I definitely be swarmed by the other Grand Admirals nearby. We are technically the center of attention lately." And if I announced my presence, who knows how long I would get stuck there. So I better not inform that I''m here. "Oh, I''m not sure if this is the appropriate time to say this," "Hmm?" (Zuihou) "Welcome home, Zuihou." "Right... This place has changed a lot. But..." (Zuihou) Zuihou gazed towards the base and smiled, "Zuihou has returned." (Zuihou) It''s already noon, so we decided to have oir lunch. We ate at a place called Yokosuka Navy Curry Hoppo, which is basically a curry place. Their curry rice tasted pretty normal, like the ones served back in base. There wasn''t anything special about it, at least to me. When Zuihou ate it, however, she actually cried. The waitress and I thought the food was bad, but she claims otherwise. She said it was a nostalgic taste, one that she never thought to taste again. I wonder, is there anything special between their curry and ours? We bought some souvenirs like Sake and the curry snack from them. The chef even gave us the recipe and free beef croquettes, after realising that Zuihou is a shipgirl. Apparently, the only people that cried after tasting his food are shipgirls. The restaurant is usually patronized by sailors and shipgirls from Yokosuka naval base. So there were quite a number of them when we were there, which is an oversight on my part. I didn''t think we would bump into Yamato and Musashi. Putting aside the fact that they were treated like celebrities in the restaurant, I can''t believe they instantly recognized Zuihou. We had a chat for a while, but when Yamato mentioned that she would call their Admiral over, I politely declined and made a run for it. I''m supposed to be incognito these few days. "That was a bit rude of you." (Zuihou) "I told you, I didn''t want to meet him." We visited the Memorial Warship Mikasa. I have been here once, during my ensign days. The Mikasa battleship was one of the oldest battlesh.i.p.s belonging to IJN. Not the current one, I''m talking about the one from even before the Great War. The memorial tour was a history lesson on what sailors did and their daily lives on the ship. Zuihou was fascinated about the insides of the warship, despite technically being one herself. Speaking of which, isn''t there a Mikasa in Azur Lane. I should inform their Commander and her about this place. "Umikaze? Umikaze park?" (Zuihou) At the end of the tour, we were figuring out where to go next. Zuihou noticed a familiar name. "I guess we can see if there''s anything interesting there." And so we made our way to Umikaze Park. It''s convenient that the places of interest are all nearby. I can''t really see anything special about this place. There are some pretty floral, a nice relaxing atmosphere for families. It''s just a normal- okay, this is not what I expected. It''s just a statue but there is a large T-Rex here. That''s not something you see in a normal park. "A big lizard! I read about this. It''s called a dinosaur, right?" (Zuihou) "Yeah. This is surprising. I thought these sort of statues only appear in theme parks." "It''s so big." (Zuihou) While Zuihou is excited about seeing the statue, I can feel the gazes of other people. "Oh my. How cute." (Old lady 1) "Is that a parent and his child?" (Old lady 2) "Or maybe a age-gap couple." (Old lady 3) "So, a lolicon? Should we call the cops?" (Old lady 2) "She might just be a small girl. Even my twenty year old granddaughter is around that height." (Old lady 1) Shut your trap, hags! "Onee-chan, over here!" (Boy) "I going to catch you." (Zuihou) "Run away!" (Girl) Zuihou was playing tag with a couple of small children around the dinosaur''s legs. Where did those kids come from? Why is Zuihou playing with them? I just sat at a nearby bench and waited for Zuihou to finish playing. A few minutes later, a woman, probably in her forties, came to pick her children up. They exchanged bows and finally, my Zuihou was returned to me. "Sorry, I just couldn''t leave those kids alone." (Zuihou) "Do you love children?" "Yes. They are so cute and bubbly." (Zuihou) I see. It may good to get kids of our own. But that''s a thought for the future. Zuihou took off her green cardigan and sat beside me. It''s getting warmer. In addition, she had been running around for a while, so she is sweating. "Let''s rest here for a while. You ran quite a bit." "They are so energetic and fast. But if it''s on water, I could be faster." (Zuihou) "Don''t compete with kids." Zuihou rest her head upon my shoulder, "Admiral, what are we going to do later?" (Zuihou) "Today, we are just going to explore around the area. After that, we will drop off our luggage at the hotel before going for dinner. Tomorrow, we are going for a Sarushima Island tour. And if there''s time, we will go to Kamukura. The third day... we will just find something to do then. We are going to play our hearts out these three days. These three days are just for the two of us." "That sounds nice." (Zuihou) Zuihou intertwined her fingers with mine, "I love you, Admiral." (Zuihou) "Me too. I love you, Zuihou." We sat at the bench, watching the sky turn orange as the sun sets. Chapter 171 - 156 The hotel was closer to the bay area, so we had to walk quite a distance. Along the way, we ate at an Italian family restaurant. The moon was already high up in the sky by the time we reached our hotel room. "Wow. This is nice." I booked a standard double room with the bay view. The price is reasonable, two nights for less than 20,000 yen. "Wow. It''s beautiful." (Zuihou) Zuihou was looking at the ocean out the window. It''s dark, but the lights from the boats in the distance resemble the stars in the night sky. She is enamored by the view. "We don''t get to see it like this back home." "Are they alright? Won''t the Abyssals attack them like this?" (Zuihou) "From what I know, there are wall barricading the bay area. The walls are thick enough to block a few shots from the Abyssals." And besides, the constant 24hr patrol by Yokosuka makes it hard for our enemies to even come close to civilization. "This is... what we are protecting. The people, this view... Ehe~ This is kind of refreshing." (Zuihou) That''s right. These girls worked hard to protect the country. It would be great if this war could end. If there are all the other Abyssals were as friendly as Hoppou-chan, we wouldn''t need to fight this three-side war. Enough of that. We came here to relax and enjoy ourselves. This is a nice hotel, and a couple in a hotel can only mean one thing. I approached my girlfriend from behind as she enjoyed the scenery and hugged her. "Hya! Admiral? What are you doing all of a sudden?" (Zuihou) "I haven''t been paying attention to you lately. I''m sorry. For this three days and two nights, I will give you my full attention." "Nh... Admiral...not now..." (Admiral) "It''s been a while. I''m pent up." "Eh!" (Zuihou) Aw. She pushed me away. "Not yet. Let me take a bath first. I''m still sweaty from all that running just now" (Zuihou) She blushed as she said that. If that''s the case, "Then, let''s bath together." She will definitely reject me. "Ok..." (Zuihou) Ooh? "Let''s bath together..." (Zuihou) We waited for the bathtub to be filled with water. While waiting, we begun to undress each other. I took off Zuihou''s sweater and pulled down her skirt, exposing the pink lace lingerie underneath. "Don''t stare so much..." (Zuihou) She immediately placed her hands on the sensitive parts and turned away. She is so cute when she is embarrassed. "Sorry. You are just so s.e.xy and cute." "Geez. I don''t need your weird comments." (Zuihou) "Come here." I motioned her to come closer. Our faces slowly moved towards each other. Zuihou closed her eyes and puckered lips. And then... There was the sound of overflowing water. I forgot about the bath tub! "Tsk. Just when we were getting to the good part." I went into the bathroom and shut off the faucet. The temperature feels just nice. I just realized this is a western style hotel. There isn''t a separate place to wash ourselves first. Maybe we can take turns soaping ourselves and just rinsing it off with the water. Yeah, let''s do that. I need to join some of the water first though. Otherwise the floor is going to be even messier. After a few seconds of draining, the water level finally dropped to the perfect level. It''s time for our bath. "Is it done?" (Zuihou) Zuihou peeked into the bathroom, "Yeah. Let''s go in." After taking off the rest of our undergarments, we went into the tub. We took turns to soap ourselves and let the water wash it off our bodies. I went in first, since I''ll be able to enjoy the peach in front of me afterwards. "Haah~ This is paradise~" (Zuihou) Since the bathtub was a little small, Zuihou sat on my lap as we soaked. She started to hum a tune and moved her head to the beat. "Aren''t you in a good mood." "Ehehe. I like moments like this, when I can bath with Admiral, you know? Somehow, my body and mind feel warm." (Zuihou) That wet hair... the water droplets flowing down her pink shoulders... The little hills that seems to tease me from this position... It''s getting hard to control myself... "Admiral... Care to explain what''s that hard object pressing against my back?" (Admiral) "My bad. You are just too s.e.xy and cute. How can I not react that way?" "Geez. You''re hopeless." (Zuihou) Zuihou turned to face me, splashing the soapy water around in the process. She placed her hands on my shoulders and pushed her lips onto mine. After a few seconds, she broke off the kiss, "Can you wait until we are done bathing? I''m also trying to hold myself back..." (Zuihou) Her face is extremely red, and it''s not because of the hot water. As soon as her back is turned, I immediately placed both hands on her chest. "Hya! Admiral, I said-" (Zuihou) "Can I? I can''t just sit around and do nothing in this situation. If we are not going to do it here, then at least let me touch you." "Even though a part of you is already touching me..." (Zuihou) "That''s different." I went in for another kiss as I explored her body with my hands. We explored the insides of each other with our tongue, breaking off only to catch our breaths. "Yeah... I can''t hold it anymore." "Fueh?" (Zuihou) I got out of the tub and wiped myself with a towel. I scooped Zuihou up from the tub and brought the towel with me. Next stop, the bed. "Admiral! Wait! I''m still wet!" "Then that''s perfect." "Not that kind of wet! Ahn! That place is...! Nhhaa! ?~" Her m.o.a.ns echoed throughout the room as I began to indulge myself. I can never get enough of her sweet m.o.a.ns and that s.e.xy face she only makes when we are doing it. Chapter 172 - 157 Tomorrow, we are going back to Maizuru. We should make the most out of today. We went to Sarushima Island and toured around Kamukura yesterday. I wonder what should we do today? We could walk around Yokosuka, but we covered quite a large area on our first day... "Zuihou, what should we do today?" I watched as she clipped on a yellow bra and put on a whirt shirt. She stood up to wear the dark green flared skirt she placed on the bed. To finish her outfit, she put on a little ribbon on her collar. "Um... I have something I want to do, but you may not like it." (Zuihou) "Today, I will do what you want. Tell me. It can''t be that bad." "Then..." (Zuihou) ------------------------------------------------------- It was bad... I didn''t think that the thing she wanted was to visit Yokosuka Naval District. No, I should have expected that. This is her hometown after all. It would be weird if you didn''t go home when your house is right in front of you. "Ehehe. Everything looks so different, but the feeling is still the same." (Zuihou) At least, she is having fun. We managed to get in after I showed the guards at the main gate my card. They scrambled to open the gates and deployed the rest of the guards to greet me when they saw my rank. Even though I told them not to... Now the whole base knows I''m here. Zuihou just needed to state her hull number, class and category. We are at the academy wing, the place I trained for three years before being posted to Maizuru. There is a garden at the front, to sort of beautify the place, despite it being hell at the back. "It''s so pretty~" (Zuihou) "Excuse me sir," (???) As Zuihou pranced around the flower garden, someone called me out from behind. A young man stood behind me, staring at me with disdainful eyes. His face was disfigured, with a huge burn scar on the left. His left arm... is a prosthetic... Somehow, he reminds me of someone... I think I know this person. "This is a restricted area. I don''t know how you managed to get in, but this is not a place for couples to play around." (???) "I think you''re-" The young man suddenly grabbed my arm, "You need to leave. Now." (???) Chill out man! I''m could throw you to the ground if I want to. But attacking a cripple is against my rule book. "Admiral, what''s wrong?" (Zuihou) Zuihou went up to us, concerned about the situation, "Sir, Ma''am, you need to leave this place immediately. This is military base, not a civilian playground. Wait, Admiral?" (???) I broke free of his grip, "Oh. Aren''t the one Yamakaze-chan saved? From that frigate incident?" (Zuihou) I knew it. He is that young ensign that survived the Abyssal attack on a JMSDF Frigate. That ensign had severe burns and lost his lower left arm. The same with this guy. I never expected him to be here. "How did you-" (???) "What''s going on here?" (Rondo) "Grand Admiral." (???) "Yo Rondo. Is this kid from your class?" "How dare you address the Grand Admiral so nonchalantly?!" (???) "He is right. You are in HQ now, so at least address me by my rank, just for the sake of it." (Rondo) That guy has such a smug look on his face. He is going to be in for a surprise soon enough. "That goes for you too, ensign Yakumo." (Rondo) Oh. His name is Yakumo. "He may not look at it, but this fellow is just one rank below me." (Rondo) "Oi... What do you mean I may not look like an admiral? "Eh? That means..." (Yakumo) "I''m the Admiral of Maizuru. Please to meet you, Ensign Yakumo." "An Admiral?!" (Yakumo) I want to laugh at his surprised face and gaping mouth, but I have to maintain a certain level of professionalism here. "This is my secretary ship, Zuihou." "Nice to meet you." (Zuihou) Although she is smiling, Zuihou is emitting a strong bloodl.u.s.t at Yakumo. "Ah... Um... I''m so sorry!" (Yakumo) As he did a ninety-degree bow, Rondo gave Yakumo his sentence, "I want an report about what happened, especially why you decided to resort to violence when you could just ask them for an identification. Didn''t Admiral Hakuno taught you that? Or we do have to question him myself?" (Rondo) "I''m sorry, sir! It''s my fault. It won''t happen again!" (Yakumo) "He already apologized. So just drop it." I almost feel sorry for him. "No no. You got to drill such things onto them. Young people nowadays think they are so high and mighty just because they excel in something." (Rondo) "Grand Admiral Rondo is right. This guy tried to hurt you. He should be punished!" (Zuihou) Even Zuihou is pissed... "I want the report in an hour. In my office." (Rondo) "But sir, that is-" "More complaints, Ensign?" (Rondo) "No sir. I will get the report done in a hour!" (Yakumo) "You better be. Come on, lets go." (Rondo) We left the frightened young ensign behind and followed Rondo. As Zuihou continued to look around her birth place, Rondo and I chatted while we walk, "So what are you doing here? I received a call from the guard post that the Admiral of Maizuru was here. It''s hard to think that you would come here on your own violation." (Rondo) "I''m on vacation in Yokosuka. Zuihou wanted to visit her birth place." "That makes sense. I heard from Akagi and Kaga that you too were at the curry place. You could have dropped by and said hi." (Rondo) "Why should I? I will just be questioned by Grand Admiral Akihiko about his daughter again. Since I''m here, I should invite Grand Admiral Hasake and his men for a drink." "You want to invite the entire engineering department for a drink? You will be broke in less than an hour." (Rondo) "Only those that helped repair my base." "Then you should be fine. That was just a class of trainees." (Rondo) "Great. I will go see him afterwards. Once she is done frolicking around." "Mama!" (Zuihou) I watched as Zuihou ran forward to hug Houshou, who came out to greet us. We have reached the main building of Yokosuka Naval Base. This scene between the two light carriers is always a wholesome sight. "If my wife is Zuihou''s mother, wouldn''t that make you my son-in-law once you get married?" (Rondo) "You just ruined the mood!" Chapter 173 - 158 "Drink up, lads! There is more of where that came from!" (Hasake) "There it is! Grand Admiral''s sailor voice!" (Engineer 1) "Drink up! Drink up!" (Engineer 2) Grand Admiral Hasake chugged an entire cup of beer, before slamming his glass on the table, "Missy! Fill me up! Keep the drinks flowing!" (Hasake) "Coming right up!" (Waitress) We are at a bar near the base. As promised, I invited Grand Admiral Hasake and his class of engineers, the ones that helped repair my base, for some drinks. We managed to book the entire bar for fifty-six people. Fifty engineer students, two Grand Admirals, Rondo and Hasake, two shipgirls, Houshou and Zuihou, one ensign and myself. I know Hasake is a beast when it comes to drinking, but not to this extent. He is already on his fifteenth bottle. And he is still going. "Why am I here?" (Ensign Yakumo) I invited the disabled ensign over as well. No, it is rude to call him disabled when he seems capable on his own. I don''t know how prosthetics work, but his fake arm is capable of moving like a regular arm. "What? You hate drinking parties?" "N-no, sir. It''s just that... I''m from a different vocation. This party is supposed to be for the engineering division." (Ensign Yakumo) "Naval warfare, right? Just like me and Rondo. You have a tough life ahead of you." "I know. Because of my arm." (Ensign Yakumo) "Nope. Arm is fine. It might even be an advantage. The training itself is extremely tough. You will be competing with everyone to reach the top. You know that, right? The first week is already hell. And it gets worse." "Y-yeah. I was going to say the same thing. Secretary ship Nagato is such a Spartan." (Ensign Yakumo) "Oh. We had Kaga back then. Ninety-nine laps around the courtyard followed by three hundred push-ups. No rest. I couldn''t even move a finger the next day." "It''s the same with Nagato. Why are all the fierce looking ones so tough on us trainees? At least Mutsu is there to cheer us on." (Ensign Yakumo) Yakumo chugged his cup of beer, "Waitress-san! Another Asahi please!" (Ensign Yakumo) "Coming right up!" (Waitress) "Aren''t you two getting friendly?" (Rondo) Rondo sat down next to me, beer cup in hand, "What good way to speak to a junior other then talking about your trainee days?" "Ah those days of hell. Now it''s Nagato''s turn to train the newbies." (Rondo) I drank my own cup of beer and pour myself another one. Wait... Where is Zuihou? "Little girl, aren''t you a little too young to be drinking? Nah. Since you are here, you should be old enough." (Drunk Engineer) "Oi. You are already drunk. And that''s..." (Engineer 3) Over there, at another table. And of course, she is hounded by a drunk. She is ignoring him, though. "Back off. I''m fine." (Drunk Engineer) He shook of his friend, who knows what is about to happen if they go any further. He turned his attention back to Zuihou, who is still drinking, "Still, you are cute. I''m an Admiral at Yokosuka Naval District. If you want, I can show you around my domain." (Drunk Engineer) "Idiot! Don''t run your mouth off like that. That''s a shipgirl." (Engineer 3) "A shipgirl? So what? It''s not like she belongs to anyone here. Hey, don''t ignore me. Come here." (Drunk Engineer) "No! You don''t understand. She belongs to... Don''t-!" (Engineer 3) Before that drunk engineer can touch my girl, I got to his wrist first. "Hmm?" (Zuihou) "Now now... It''s ten years too early for you to be picking up girls. Let alone be an Admiral. And girls don''t like it when you are too forceful." "What are you talking about? And let go of me!" (Drunk Engineer) "You...!" (Engineer 3) I took a look at his friend while the drunkard struggled to break free. Oh, "The crane guy. That time was rough. But thanks for your service that day." "I-i''s not a problem, sir. I''m terribly sorry for the trouble I caused. And for my friend here." (Engineer 3) "Let me go! Do you know who I am? I''m the Admiral of Yokosuka Naval District! I can easily take you down!" (Drunk Engineer) I''m surprised. This fellow doesn''t know who he is dealing with... Another Yakumo... I want to punch him... I felt a tug on my shirt as I contemplate whether to hit my superior''s student or lodge a formal complaint, "You''re late, Admiral." (Zuihou) A drunk Zuihou is still a cute Zuihou. And she only noticed me now? I looked over at her table and noticed that there is only one bottle of sake. She got drunk on the first bottle? She is drunk, so she was slow in noticing me. Yeah, let''s go with that. "Huh? Admiral?" (Drunk Engineer) "Yes, boy?" The drunk engineer snapped out of it. His face is the same as Yakumo from this afternoon. It was at this moment he realized, he effed up. "Erm... I was... um..." (Drunk Engineer) "Don''t worry. I won''t do anything myself." There was this look of relief on his face. Not for long though, "Instead, I will let the person behind deal with you." Grand Admiral Hasake walked up to the drunk engineer and squeezed his shoulder. That looks painful, because the drunk engineer started to wince and recoil in pain, "Oh ho... Ya want to be an Admiral, eh? Ya twenty years too early to be in that position! And what the hell?! This Admiral was kind enough to treat all of us and this is how ya repay him?! Huh?!" (Grand Admiral Hasake) "No, Grand Admiral. I didn''t know. Ow ow ow! Admiral, please forgive me. I''m so sorry. I didn''t know." (Drunk engineer) "No worries, lad. I will deal with this punk myself." (Hasake) "I''ll leave him to you, Grand Admiral. Oh, and his friend there didn''t do anything wrong. So no need to punish him." Grand Admiral Hasake stared at the crane guy for a moment, before turning back to me, "Alright. You! Come with me!" (Hasake) Grand Admiral dragged the sacred young man away with him. He still has that rugged sailor persona whenever he gets drunk. The crane guy bowed deeply, before running off to catch with them. Now then, "Funyaah~" (Zuihou) This whole time, Zuihou has been rubbing her face on my back. It''s cute and all, but I''m not sure what to do with this. "Admiral? Ufufu~! *hic* Where did you go?! I was waiting for so long! *hic* Ehehe~" (Zuihou) Zuihou gets giggly when she is drunk. For now, it''s easy to deal with her, but if she gets drunk any further... "Come on. Let''s go over there." "Waitress-san! More sake!" (Zuihou) "You still want to drink? Don''t you think you already have enough?" I led her to our table. The waitress served her order there, along with another plate of Karaage. "Wait, I didn''t order this." "The owner says it''s a freebie. For reserving the bar for the night." (Waitress) The waitress gave a big smile, before going off to serve the other engineering students. "Ow." Zuihou pinched my arm, pouting. "No looking at other girls. Only look at me!" (Zuihou) "My bad." I pet her head as she snuggled close to me. "Are all shipgirls like this?" (Ensign Yakumo) "Only if they get really drunk, or they really love you. Zuihou here is my girlfriend. So don''t even think about it." "I know. I know." (Ensign Yakumo) "One more!" (Zuihou) This girl is still drinking! "Alright, you had enough." "No! More! Ehehehe~ Admiral~" (Zuihou) I want to stop her, but this version of Zuihou is overpowering me. Ah, whatever. I will just deal with it later. ----------------------------------------- "There we go." I placed the small girl onto the bed. We finally made it back to our hotel room. We left the party shortly before midnight. Rondo and everyone else needed to be back at base before midnight. Otherwise, they would be charged with AWOL. The bill for the party was one-third of my salary. I expected the whole thing to be expensive, so I wasn''t surprised. What''s surprising was that Grand Admiral Hasake downed twenty-five bottles himself before passing out. How does his liver handle all that alcohol? "Myaa~" (Zuihou) And this girl didn''t give me any less trouble. She drank two whole bottles of sake and got knocked out immediately. I carried her all the way back to the hotel. We haven''t even taken a bath yet. "Mmm..." (Zuihou) I should at least change her clothes. They reek of alcohol. Mine too. I checked if she is awake or fast asleep. She is definitely the latter. Apart from her groans, she isn''t stirring one bit. "Zuihou, wake up. At least change out of your clothes." "Mnh... Admiral... change me..." (Zuihou) Oh, don''t mind if I do... I lifted Zuihou up a little to remove her jacket. I removed the ribbon on her collar, before unbuttoning her shirt. This is s.e.xy in its own way. A defenseless young girl with her shirt unbuttoned, exposing her bra and bare skin to the air... No no no. Now is not the time for this. I got to change her out of those clothes and at least wash her up a bit. After removing her top, I proceed to work on her bottom. Removing her skirt was easy. Just unzip it at the side and pull it off. I got rid of her socks and now it''s time for the underwear. "Unh..." (Zuihou) Zuihou shifted and laid on her side, still snoozing. This position makes it easier for me. I went to work on her bra clip and removed the rest of her underwear. Alright. Disassembling complete. Now, where are her pajamas? Or I could just leave her like this. It''s not the first time she slept in the nude. It''s a hassle to put on her clothes too. Plus I get to tease her when she wakes up. Oh, right... I need to pack our luggage first... We have a train to catch at noon. Zuihou may be dealing with a hangover later on so... What a pain... Chapter 174 - 159 Asashio waved her... I don''t know... wand? Antenna? Radar? She is wearing her cute witch costume so I guess I can call it a wand. Asashio waved her wand and a torpedo appeared out of thin air. She grabbed the materialized torpedo and flung it into the ocean. The single torpedo suddenly split into four, and flew straight into the side of a Destroyer Ni-class, sinking it. Shigure-chan fired her napalm she''ll at another Destroyer Ni-class, burning it and spreading a flaming orange jelly onto a Destroyer Na-class that got too close. The Ni-class exploded anf the Na-class retreated into the water to put out its flames. It popped out again to fire at the three-man fleet. "Evade!" (Asashio) The three girls scattered, evading the shells fired from that grotesque fish. "We will decide the battle with long range attacks!" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan launched a air fleet of Tenzens. And she isn''t done, "Let''s get to work." (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan raised her right hand as six portals appeared behind her. When she pointed at the Na-class, six Abyssal Cat Fighters, one from each portal, shot out and rained hell fire from above. Combined with the torpedos launched from her Tenzens, the Na-class turned into a fiery mess as it disappeared beneath the surface. I''m impressed. Within three days, these two managed to make this much progress. Shigure-chan''s napalm didn''t have a ''spread'' effect before. Before, the napalm effect was a jelly coated around the shell. Upon impact, it sets the target on fire. Now, it still retains the same effect, but upon impact, some of the jelly jumps to nearby targets. Zuihou-chan made the most progress these three days. Before we left, she could only summon one, and it could only follow simple orders like ''fly'' and ''land''. Now she can summon six of them, and control them alongside her normal aircrafts. So many things happened these past three days and I missed them! "Good job you three. Come on back." (Rei) Rei ordered a retreat, and look at me like a proud parent, "So, how were they?" (Rei) "Awesome. Shigure-chan improved her Napalm skill. I still can''t believe Zuihou-chan was able to call out so many Cat Fighters at once." "Hehe. I was the one that gave her that idea. Not bad, right? Shinano helped to train her summoning and control though." (Rei) It''s strangely similar to a certain king from a famous mobile game. Nonetheless, it''s still awesome to her summoning Abyssals aircraft like that. I need to thank Shinano for training her. "One thing though, when did Asashio get the power to make torpedos appear out of thin air?" "Oh, it was Yuubari''s idea. She fragmented a mental cube and infused it into Asashio-chan''s Halloween costume. It fits her witch motif, doesn''t it?" (Rei) I expected that much. It''s good that Yuubari is doing research on ways to utilize the mental cubes. Apart from the North Union girls here and our two hybrids, none of us knew how to use them until now. We need to invest more into researching these blue blocks. "I''ll go out to greet them first. Oh right, thank you for handling the doc.u.ments these few days." "Your welcome. It wasn''t much anyway. Just some resource reports and small skirmishes." (Rei) So it was business as usual. ------------------------------------ "Ehehe~ Wooo!" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan rolled around on my bed. She wanted to spent the night with me, alone. Right now, she is like a child who is excited to sleep with her parent. Although, I doubt she sees me that way. I gave the same reward to Shigure-chan and Asashio as well. I will be sleeping with each of them the next two days. Zuihou was reluctant to leave me with them. No surprises there. And we just got back from our trip. "Come on. Stop bouncing around. It''s not the first time you slept here." "It''s been a long time since we were alone together. Of course I''m excited." (Zuihou-chan) "Who is excited to sleep with-" Never mind. The other girls are the same... "Have you brushed your teeth? Taken a bath?" "Yeah!" (Zuihou-chan) "Then, I''m turning off the lights." With only the dim light from the moon, I felt my way through the darkness. Until I kicked the edge of my bed, "What was that?" (Zuihou-chan) "Don''t... worry about it..." Damn! That hurt. I got onto my bed and laid beside the smaller light aircraft carrier. Without missing a beat, she immediately rolled to her side and hugged my arm, "Remember our first night? The first time we actually slept together on this bed." (Zuihou-chan) Why would she bring up a memory from long ago? To be honest, I can''t really remember the events leading up to that, but that was what started this whole trend of me comforting the girls at night. "Back then, I was already head over heels for you, so I gathered my courage to spent the night with you. I half-expected you to jump me that night. Even now, I still love you. So... Can you make me yours?" (Zuihou-chan) This is confession... Whatever I say now will either make or break your current relationship. But, I already know my answer, "I''m sorry. To be honest, I saw you as a child back then. No, I still see you as a child. You are so small, so delicate. A little lewd sometimes." I can feel her glaring at me throught the darkness, "But you are strong. When I first saw you taking down the Abyssals, I admired your strength. I was surprise that such a small girl can do so much. Even now, you continue to surpirse me. Coming back as an Abyssal, then coming home to me. And now, you got yourself some kind of power that is hard to replicate naturally." I turned to face Zuihou-chan. The dim moonlight wasn''t very helpful with the illumination, but I can see her eyes and lips glistening in the dark, "Thank you, for being my strength. For loving me. For coming back to me." I kissed her on the forehead, "But I''m sorry. I''m in love with the other Zuihou. I can''t betray her trust. I love and respect all of you equally, but the other Zuihou is the only one for me. I''m willing to do anything for you, but I can''t give you my heart." I feel her body quivering against my skin. She is crying, isn''t she? I feel guilty about doing this to her, but I have my own morals. I can betray my partner. Zuihou-chan may have loved me first, but right now my heart belongs to someone else. If Zuihou-chan hates me from now on, I can understand. But I don''t want that. "Geez. I already expected this, but... It still hurts..." (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan started sobbing. I hugged her close to my chest. "If only I had confessed sooner... Maybe... *sniff* Maybe I could *hic* have stayed by Admiral''s side just a little longer... Maybe... I could feel the same way Onee-chan feels everyday..." (Zuihou-chan) "I''m so sorry." What should I do? There is one solution, which is to create a harem and love everyone equally, like what the Admiral of Bruneri Anchorage is doing. But is that really the right solution? Are his girls truly happy about this arrangement? I held onto her, as she cried herself to sleep... Chapter 175 - 160 It has been more than a week since Zuihou-chan confessed and got rejected by me. Things have been... extremely awkward between us. Whenever we bump into each other, she would turn around and run away before I can say anything. When I try to talk to her after morning roll call, she would mix with the light cruisers and the destroyers and pretend she didn''t hear me. When I try to talk to her in her room, she wouldn''t want to see me. No need to mention Shouhou and Zuihou, even the Agano sisters and Shiratsuyu sisters have already picked up that something must have happened between us. This morning, I saw Zuihou-chan along the corridor again. She was chatting with Shimakaze. When I called out to her, "Um... Zuihou-cha-" "Speaking of which, I heard Mamiya-san has a new sweets menus. Let''s check it out." (Zuihou-chan) "Eh? Admiral is ca-" (Shimakaze) "Let''s go. I will race you there." (Zuihou-chan) "I won''t lose!" (Shimakaze) And she ran away again. Even though I said I can understand if she hates me, this is too much for my heart. "That''s why I need your advice..." You two summoned me all the way from Brunei just for this?!" (Brunei Anchorage) "Come on. You are the only one with the current record of marrying twenty shipgirls." (Rondo) "And you openly cheat in front of others." "Don''t say it like I''m some womanizing piece of crap. I have my own way of showing sincerity!" (Brunei Anchorage) The three of us gulped down an entire cup of beer, before ordering another and continuing our discussion, "Alright. Let''s all calm down for a sec. You called me over to this bar for some relationship advice. Am I right? If advice is all you need, the other Admirals and Commanders should suffice. I''m not the only one with a harem. The guy over at Kure has one too." (Brunei Anchorage) "Yeah. But he is only married to his Yukikaze and Haruna. You, on the other hand, have twenty girls. You even managed to court the new girl, South Dakota." "Don''t look at me. I can''t give any advice. I swore to remain loyal to Houshou. I''m just here to listen to his rambling." (Rondo) "Oh come on!" (Brunei Anchorage) He gulped down another glass of beer, "Fine! I''ll see what I can do. Tell me, what is the problem?" (Brunei Anchorage) ------------------------------------------------------ Something is wrong. The air around Admiral and my little sister is cold. Zuihou-chan is acting strange. Usually, she clings onto my Admiral whenever she gets the chance. Now, she is obviously avoiding him, going as fast as to ignore his words and running off. What happened that night? Don''t tell me... Admiral forced himself on my little sister?! No. That''s not right. Admiral may be a pervert, but he can control himself. No way he would force himself on my sister. If he was like that, we would have done it way earlier. And I would hate him for doing that as well. Something else must have happened. I doubt she would just talk about it straight up. I need something to steer the conversation. "Mmm! Delicious! Nothing beats Yakimo in autumn poi!" (Yuudachi) "Yuudachi, you got some on your cheek." (Shigure) Shigure and Yuudachi walked by, holding a Yakimo in their hands. That''s it! -------------------------------------------------- "Onee-chan... What is this?" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan held on to the rake I gave her, unsure on what to make of it. I found Zuihou-chan eating sweets with Shimakaze at Mamiya-san''s shop. So I dragged her with me to the Carrier dormitory. With all the fallen leaves piling up, this place is perfect. "Let''s make Yakimo together! I got the sweet potatoes and foil from Mamiya. Now all we got to do is take the leaves and cook them ourselves." "But we could just buy one from Mamiya-san. It''s easier." (Zuihou-chan) "Come on. Just play along with me. Food is tastier when you work for it. Besides, Admiral suddenly applied for leave and went somewhere without me. So it''s just us sisters today." "...." (Zuihou-chan) I knew it. She flinched when I mentioned Admiral. Something definitely happened between them. "Fine. I will go start taking the leaves." (Zuihou-chan) "Yeah. We will gather as much as we can and pile it over here." I marked a big ''X''on the ground and went to take some leaves. Now, I just need to find a way to let her speak to me about the problem. After gathering all the leaves we can find in one place, I realised we didn''t need a mountain of leaves to bake a few sweet potatoes. I separated a small portion of leaves from the like and set it on fire. Once the fire is big enough, I placed our ingredients on the flame to cook for a while. Zuihou-chan didn''t speak the entire time, not did she have her usual look of excitement. She just stared blankly at the fire. I''m worried. There isn''t any life in her eyes. "They should be done by now." I used the tongs to take the potatoes out of the fire and broke them into half. "Ow. Hot." I passed one half to Zuihou-chan, "Careful. It''s very hot." "..." (Zuihou-chan) The flavor of the sweet potato burst in my mouth as I bit into it. The sweetness, the texture... "No better than Yakimo in the autumn. Right, Zuihou-cha-" Tears flowed down her cheek as took a bite from the snack. "Zuihou-chan, what''s wrong? Did you burn your tongue? Was it not to your liking?" She suddenly started crying. What happened? "Admiral... *hic* Why..." (Zuihou-chan) Eh? Eh? What do I do? Zuihou-chan started bawling, attracting the attention of others. "Wha? What''s going here?" (Ryuujou) "What''s happening?" (Gambier Bay) "Zuihou, did you bully your sister?" (Hiryuu) "I did not. She just started crying all of a sudden. Calm down. It''s alright." "Uweeehhh~! Waaaahhh~!" (Zuihou-chan) Seriously, I should I do? Her crying is getting louder and we are attracting a lot of attention. Even the girls from other dorms are coming over. "Ara ara... What''s going on?" (Arashio) "Did she hurt herself?" (Pamiat Merkuva) Suddenly, scenes flashed through my head. Another one of these. I can see Admiral. A confession, and then, "I''m sorry... I''m willing to do anything for you, but I can''t give you my heart..." (Admiral) Admiral''s rejection... Now I see... So that''s what happened... If that happened to me, I would cry... too... We really are the same...people... This is... "Wha-?! Why da heck are da both of ya cryin'' now?!" (Ryuujou) Chapter 176 - 161 I didn''t expect this... After chatting with Brunei Anchorage''s Admiral and Rondo, I discovered something shocking. There might be girls suppressing their feelings for me?! Have I been so focused on Zuihou that I completely ignored everyone else''s feelings? "I... can''t believe that. They didn''t show any-" "No. You just didn''t realize it. These girls may have been waiting to confess their love. But when you publicly announced your relationship with Zuihou, that''s when they started to suppress their feelings. In a way, you destroyed their dream of spending their lives with their beloved." (Brunei Anchorage) "But the oth-" "The other bases might be experiencing the same problem. They just don''t know it. Either that, or they chose to ignore it. Yokosuka doesn''t have that problem, since they is no shortage of choices there. When there is a single male in the workplace, there is bound to be some sort of competition." (Brunei Anchorage) No. That can''t be right. Take Shigure and Yuudachi for example. They always act like little puppies when I''m around. It has been like this for years. I can''t think of any sort of action they... "You have a Shigure in Brunei, right? Does she act like a little puppy in front of you?" "What are you talking about? Have you been making your Shigure partake in petplay? Whatever, I don''t really care for your link. And no. My Shigure doesn''t act that way. She acts like a normal girl. The nightmares are a bit of a problem for her." (Brunei Anchorage) No way... "What about your Yamakaze? Does she affectionately call you ''papa'' whenever you are with her?" "I don''t have- Alright, what have you been doing to your girls?" (Brunei Anchorage) "The Yamakaze in my office does need constant attention, but she doesn''t say that to me." (Rondo) "Then what about Avrora? Wait, Avrora is from Azur Lane." Avrora acts weirdly in front of me. Its like she wants to say something. Is that her... That can''t be possible. I need more evidence. I continued asking and comparing their girls with mine. While there are girls who share similar behaviors, there are a few of them who are different. We have already established that my Shigure and Yamakaze are different. There might be others who exhibit different behaviors. If this is the case, haven''t I become what I hated the most?! I always laughed and hated dense light novel and manga protagonists. Especially the ones that reject the love for another girl for the sake of another, despite their love for him. I just did both of those things. I have become on of those dense and stupid protagonist! "What is he doing?" (Brunei Anchorage) "Probably thinking about something really stupid. He must have realized he became what he hated the most. Or he is finally drunk." (Rondo) "What does he hate most?" (Brunei Anchorage) "A dense, light nov-" (Rondo) "Don''t say it!" This is shocking news. I sworn to make my girls happy, but this development is causing the opposite to happen. Maybe if I didn''t fall in love with- No. That is a different thing altogether. I can''t just reject someone''s love for another. Argh! I just did that last week! "That''s why, I created a harem. If it''s for the sake of making them happy, I will gladly sacrifice my body and my sleep for them." (Brunei Anchorage) "Minus the nonsensical part," (Rondo) "Oi." (Brunei Anchorage) "he has a point. I know you have your morals but if that''s not going to fulfill your goal, you may need to compromise." (Rondo) "Even so, Zuihou won''t be happy about it. I know it." "That''s where you could be wrong. When I first started my little paradi- I mean, harem plan to make everyone happy, Bismarck strongly opposed to it. Back then, I discovered that Prinz Eugen had feelings for me. I was touched by her emotions and wanted to find a way to-" "What he is basically saying is, talk to your girl. See if both of you agree to compromise. I know polygamy is illegal in Japan, but those laws don''t apply to shipgirls. They have their own set of rules. Why do you think HQ allows multiple girls to be married to the same person?" (Rondo) The IJN wedding ring. Those who achieved a commanding rank will receive a ring. Although the rulebook says it''s some sort of ''limitbreaker'' for shipgirls, it''s mainly used as a typical wedding ring. Although only practiced by two Admirals so far, there is no rule banning the marriage of multiple shipgirls. A harem... I know I can''t make everyone happy, but being the source of unhappiness hurts my soul. I myself believe in ''one true love''. I don''t like to cheat, and will feel extremely guilty of I''m on a date with another girl. Zuihou trusts me, and I trust her. Our feelings are mutual. If a rejection causes such an rejection within Zuihou-chan, I don''t know how much it would affect the other girls. Crap, I feel bad for rejecting Rei''s advances all this time. She might be a pain, but she is my trusted subordinate. Not gonna lie, but I might have a slight interest in her after all. "For the time being, go home and rest. Try to bring up the topic with Zuihou as soon as possible. I don''t think dragging this situation any longer will help any of you. If you agree not to create a harem, then find a way to reject the girls properly and maintain their psych. Most girls are sensitive to this kind of thing. Worst case scenario, they might fall into depression. That stuff will breaks your heart, I will tell you that." (Rondo) "You seem pretty knowledgeable about all this. You sure you don''t have a secret harem of your own." (Brunei Anchorage) "Not me. My sister. I mean, my sister got rejected by her crush before. It wasn''t pretty." (Rondo) Right. I remember him talking about it. Rondo''s younger sister held onto a crush throughout middle school and high school. His sister and the boy in question were always together. When she got the courage to confess, she was met with a rejection. The boy actually loved a senior from his basketball club. She didn''t take the whole thing lightly, and eventually fell into depression. First, she would start to cry without warning. Followed by a loss of appetite, before she started locking herself in her room, which led to her skipping school and failing grades. He told me the scariest part was when they discovered her in a near-death state in the bathtub. Her wrist was slit and bleeding out. She tried to commit suicide. Fortunately, she survived. Right now, she seems alright. She goes back to school, albeit in certain days. Smiling, chatting happily with her friends, acting like a normal girl her age. But Rondo still believes that it is all a facade. Whenever he is back home, he can hear sobbing from her room. I absolutely don''t want that to happen to any of them. Oh no. What if Rei has been acting as if nothing''s wrong this whole time? "Anyway, it''s time for you to go home. Get some rest, then try discussing with Zuihou. Okay?" (Rondo) "Got it..." "What about you?" (Rondo) "It''s been a while since I came here. I will spent a day or two around before flying back." (Brunei Anchorage) Sorry for calling you. And thank you for the advice." "Your welcome. If you need more relationship advice, call me anytime. But I ain''t flying over for such things again. The ticket is expensive and the flight is less than comfortable." (Brunei Anchorage) "You could use the private jet. We gave you one specifically for travelling." (Rondo) "About that, I gonna need another one. The one I had kinda broke." (Brunei Anchorage) "What did you do?" (Rondo) "I sort of.. glanced its wing against a tree. And the whole thing sort of fell apart." (Brunei Anchorage) He smiled anxiously, while Rondo sighed in exasperation, "A.K.A you crashed it. How did you- Never mind. I can''t help you with that. You will need to submit a formal request and investigation doc.u.ments to Logistics. If you are lucky, they might send you a new one." (Rondo) "Oh come on. Is there any-" (Brunei Anchorage) While the both of them discuss about getting a new jet, I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. A message. I took a glance at the message sent by Rei, "Zuihou and Zuihou-chan fell unconscious after-" (Rei''s message) I took my belongings, paid the bill for the three of us, and rushed out of the bar. What happened? Please. Please don''t like anything bad happen to them. Please be safe. Chapter 177 - 162 "Zuihou! Zuihou-chan!" I slammed open the infirmary door, only to be greeted by Rei who had a finger on her lips, "Shhh! You are too loud. And have you been drinking? You smell of alcohol." (Rei) "Are they alright? What happened?" "Why are you about of breath? Did you ran all the way back here? I did said that they were fine in my message." (Rei) "Huh?" I took out my phone to look at her message again. It''s says ''Zuihou and Zuihou-chan fell unconscious after crying their eyes out. I''m taking care of them in the infirmary. Just to let you know.'' "I kinda used the wrong words. I should have said they tired themselves from crying too much." (Rei) I heaved a sigh of relief after realising I jumped to conclusions too early. I read the first half of the message and assumed the worst. Still... "While they are physically fine, I''m more worried about the state they are in." (Rei) "What do you mean?" Rei drew the curtains, revealing the two girls lying on the same bed. They are hugging each other. Tears flow continuously from their eyes. Even asleep, they are still crying. "I tried separating them but they won''t let go. According to the girls that were there, these two were making Yakimo in the carrier''s garden. Suddenly, they heard Zuihou-chan crying. Moments later, Zuihou also started crying. And here we are." (Rei) These two cried themselves to sleep. Zuihou-chan is one thing, but I don''t understand why did Zuihou do the same? Nonetheless, it''s probably because of that. "Any idea for her breakdown?" (Rei) "Yeah. I''m the main-" Before I could continue, there was a knock on the infirmary door. Shigure and Shigure-chan walked I''m. Their face and eyes were red, evident of them crying. Them too? What happened? "What''s wrong?" Shigure-chan rushed towards me and gripped my hand, "Admiral, is it true you rejected Zuihou-chan?" (Shigure-chan) What? How did she know? I didn''t tell anyone. Did Zuihou-chan tell her? "We kind of felt and saw a bit of it... just now..." (Shigure) "Huh? What are talking about?" They both of them explained how they were suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of sadness while scenes of that night appeared in their head. That''s why they discovered that incident. I don''t understand how can that happen. Was it telepathy? But they shouldn''t, or rather, don''t have such a power. "Was this the first time such a thing happened?" Shigure-chan shook her head. So this wasn''t the first time. After calming the both of them down, they told me what has been happening to them, "The first time was when Admiral got called to HQ for the Abyssal Phoenix Princess incident. That time, even though I knew you would return, I felt scared, and guilty. Somehow, I felt that it was my fault that you were going to get punished. I thought that I won''t be able to see you again. But, those weren''t my true feelings." (Shigure-chan) "I... felt that way too. It wasn''t as strong as Shigure-chan, but I felt guilty. Then after a while, there was a warm feeling." (Shigure) Rei and I looked at each other, unsure what to make of this. Is this some new power the two of them have been hiding? But then, why did Shigure and Zuihou, who didn''t have any mental cubes in their bodies, get affected? "There were also times where I depressed for no reason. That usually happens when Shigure-chan is having those nightmares." (Shigure) Sometimes, I even feel jealous. Why did Admiral choose the other Zuihou? I was the first one." (Shigure-chan) "Eh? That''s the first time I heard about this." (Shigure) "Is it some kind of emotional resonance?" (Rei) "What?" "Like if the emotional is strong enough, one person can feel the same way as the other." (Rei) "Like empathy?" "Sort of, but it''s more complicated than that. In psychology, there is something called limbic resonance. It''s a concept about how emotional states can be shared between people. According to the guys the created it, our emotions are attuned to the people around us, especially those with a close connection. That''s why, we are able to feel the same as others without verbal cues." (Rei) I get the concept, but how does that got to do with- Oh, it''s exactly the same. The four of them, without saying anything, have been sharing an emotional connection. What about the scenes that appeared in their head? And why did only the four them experience it? The answer was simple... "The soul of a warship and their mental cubes..." "Eh? You mean-" (Shigure-chan) "Only you and Zuihou-chan have a mental cube in your bodies. Apart from giving you two the ability to create things with your mind, it might have the ability to link thoughts and emotions." "Whatever Zuihou-chan feels, you can feel it too. And whatever you feel, Zuihou-chan can feel the same. But that doesn''t really explain how Zuihou and I can get affected." (Shigure) "I may be going off a tangent here, but it could because you share the same name and soul. Shipgirls are girls possessed by the spirits of warsh.i.p.s. You inherit their past, abilities, and fighting spirits. It won''t be surprising if two shipgirls with the same name and soul share the same memories and emotion." "Like with the other Shigure from Azur Lane?" (Shigure-chan) "Yeah. But in her case, she only shares the same memories." But if this is the case, can the other girls from the other districts feel the same way too? Or those it apply to these two? Is this phenomenon proximity-based? Now there are more things we don''t understand. Even so, now is not the time for all this. I have bigger priorities. Without knowing how Zuihou-chan felt, I have been doing things that upset her. I can''t just ignore her feelings. That goes the same for the others. Who should I side with? My own morals or the feelings of the girls who held on to their love all these years? Chapter 178 - 163: An Azur Lane side story Part 1 My name is a Suwanto Ao, better known as the Commander of Azur Lane. Welcome to Azur Lane''s home island. This man-made island is where all the shipgirls from all over the globe gather. Things happened and I became the head-honcho of this group of explosive girls. Azur Lane was an alliance originally formed by four shipgirl factions, Eagle Union, Royal Navy, Ironblood, and Sakura Empire. In fact, these four factions were at war with each other. Due to different ideologies, they were consistently fighting each other and creating new alliances. The Royal Navy with the Eagle Union and Ironbloods with Sakura Empire. The fighting got so bad that the Royal Navy-Eagle Union alliance mistakenly kidnapped an IJN shipgirl whom they thought was part of Sakura Empire due to her clothes. That was over a year ago, before I came in and took on the mantle of Commander for Azur Lane. We handle and cleared out an amazing amount of singularities,which could destroy the Earth if left alone for too long. Despite the war, I have made many amazing memories with my girls. I really like some of the operations we pulled off. Operation Northern Overture was when we first discovered the North Union girls. Though they are now staying at Maizuru. I heard they are doing pretty well there. Operation Sky Kebab, or SK for short, was an interesting one. We had to take back air superiority at Midway. There were no Siren sh.i.p.s, only Siren planes. A lot of Siren planes. It took us an entire week just to find the machine spawning those things. Zuikaku was so pissed when the destroyers started calling the operation a turkey shooting event midway through. Overtime, our family grew, taking in members from the Dragon Empery, Vichya Dominion, Iris Libre, Hololive and many others. We set up outposts around the world and dispatch shipgirls there to monitor Siren activity. Thanks to the blueprints from IJN, we were able to create stronger and more efficient weaponry to fight the Sirens. Life here at Azur Lane is a bliss. Sure, there are lots of work to do, wars to fight, and I spend most of the time fearing for the safety of my lovely girls. Even so, I enjoy my life with them. Some of the girls even share an oath with me. To me, life here at Azur Lane is a heavenly paradise. *BOOOMM* "Ahhh! Taihou-san and Akagi-san are fighting again!" (Javelin) "Waahhh! I had enough! I don''t want to do these reports anymore!" (Queen Elizabeth) "Commander! Let''s play hide-and-seek! You are it!" (U-81) "Hello, everyone! Kizuna Ai here! Today, I''m collaborating with Hololive member, Minato Aqua-chan! Eh? Why did the system shut off?! I just started streaming!" (Kizuna Ai) "Today is the day I finally defeat you, Grey Ghost!" (Zuikaku) "Again? Don''t you ever get tired of doing this?" (Enterprise) "Shut up and fight me!" (Zuikaku) Yep. A chaotic, heavenly paradise... Haah... Time to settle all of this... ---------------------------------------- "Master, here are the preparation doc.u.ments for Project Thorn Heart." (Belfast) Belfast placed a huge stack of papers on my desk. It''s taller than me! "Are you sure all of this are about Project Thorn Heart?" Please say no. Please tell me the actual amount is way less than this. "My sincerest apologies. Her Majesty is still working on the remaining half." (Belfast) That''s not what I- This is just half... "I know what you are thinking, but this is an important project. That''s why there is so much to prepare." (Belfast) "You don''t have to remind me. I know that." Project Thorn Heart is an upcoming operation. Somewhere in the Philippine Ocean, another Siren construct has appeared. Because of the perception-blocking field around it, it looks as if nothing is wrong. However, once you enter the field, you can definitely see that something is obviously wrong. The area has become a maze of giant plant-like structures, which seems to constantly change, making it harder to really map out a path. The maze is covered with thorns and patrolled by Siren Scavenger types, along with the usual mass-produced Siren sh.i.p.s. To make matters worst, the vines covering the maze walls are extremely hostile, from what the Philipine Navy reported. The vones will attempt to strike at anything in range. Fortunately, there were no casualties. The pilots just went in, took a few aerial pictures and got out of there safely. From the pictures, we can confirm that there is a core at the heart of the maze. Akashi and Vestal also confirmed this when they scouted the site. There is a large energy signature located at the heart of it. The aerial photographs also showed that the core had a spikey shell. Hence the name ''Thorn Heart''. Because of the distance, we need to prepare an supply depot and a temporary base of operations. We might need to create need equipment to counter the attacking vines. Something like a flamethrower or napalm to open up a pathway. The most imporatant thing is information, which has been collected and collated by The Royal Navy. Once we know what weare dealing with, we can proceed with the logistics, equipment, strategy and the others. "But still, this is way too much! If only I can get some sort of reward~" Belfast stared at me with scornful eyes, before letting out a loud sigh, "If you finish the whole stack today, I could servi-" (Belfast) "Deal. Now, where do I start? Maybe this one." "An instant answer..." (Belfast) I wonder what should I order tonight~ A bunny girl could be good. Oh, and I better barricade my room. In case a certain fox and a phoenix decide to barge in again. "Should I make you some tea?" (Belfast) "I''m in the mood for some lychee ice tea. And make it sweet." "Understood." (Belfast) As Belfast proceeds to make my drink, I busy myself with the doc.u.ments. The first few were eyewitness accounts of those who entered the area unknowingly. Although the reports vary, it just proves that the structure is constantly changing and moving. There might be a chance that it would end up blocking off all entrances. But knowing those sick Sirens, they wouldn''t program the maze to do that. This is just another experiment to them. Eh? Why is there a weird kid''s drawing mixed in with the witness accounts? It must belong to one of the Destroyers. No, I recognise this style of scribbling. Queen Elizabeth... For working this hard, maybe I should invite her to join us later. Yep. I will invite her. Chapter 179 - 163 After much thought, there really isn''t much to think about. There is obviously more pros than come if it goes well. If I can get used to it... No, I will definitely get used to it. But first... "Shigure. Shigure-chan. Rei." "Yes?" (Shigure) "What is it?" (Shigure-chan) "Yeah?" (Rei) "Can I have the room for a while? I have something to do in private." "Okay." "Understood." "Oh. Putting your hands on two defenseless sleeping girls is a criminal offence, y''know?" (Rei) "Please..." I heard the door shut behind me. Just to be safe, I checked around to make sure we are really alone. "You are awake, ain''t you? Zuihou." I could tell the elder sister flinched a bit. I was right. When I looked back at the two sleeping carriers, I noticed Zuihou had stopped crying. Her eyelids were fluttering, as if unsure whether to open or remain close. "How did you know?" (Zuihou) Zuihou opened her eyes. They are still red from all that crying. "That''s not important. Anyway, I have something serious to talk about." Zuihou slipped out of her younger sister''s grasp and sat up, "I knew it. It''s about that, right?" (Zuihou) Does she know what I''m going to talk about? If that''s the case, then it will be a lot faster, "Yeah. Zuihou, calm down and listen to me. I think-" "It''s sad that we only lasted for a year, but thank you for all the memories." (Zuihou) Eh? Tears started flowing from her eyes again. She tried to force a smile, but ended up breaking down. Wait, huh? What? "Zuihou, what are you-" "I know... *sniff* what Admiral is going to say. Being with me is unfair for the rest. I can''t believe... I was so ignorant... No wonder... Zuihou-chan was acting weird. You rejected her for me. But in turn, it made her so sad... I realized... our relationship is making others unhappy... I feel so bad. I know Admiral feels the same. You want everyone to be happy... So... I decided... For the sake of everyone... maybe it''s better if we broke up... Admiral also thought the same, right?" (Zuihou) "No. That''s not-" "It''s... okay... Just let me... What am I saying? How can I... prepare... for this...?" (Zuihou) Oh, for pete''s sake! I pushed her lips against mine. She was obviously startled and struggled to break away, but soon relented. Our tongues explored the inside of each other for a while. After a while, she broke away to catch her breath, "Admiral... That was mean... Now, how can you expect me to- Ow! " (Zuihou) I flicked her forehead. She was going to run off her mouth again. Better shut her up so I finally speak, "Idiot. Since when I did I say I was going to break up with you? It''s the opposite!" "But isn''t breaking up the only way? If we don''t have such a relationship, then everyone won''t have to experien-" (Zuihou) "It''s sad that you even came up with that idea. I thought you loved me..." "I do! I still do! I don''t want to end this relationship! But the others... If we..." (Zuihou) "I can''t tell if you being depressed made you unable to think properly or you are just this stupid. What about my feelings? Did you ever think how I would feel if we broke up?!" "I..." (Zuihou) "You just keep talking about breaking up with me. What the point? Just to get rid of your guilt? Just because you feel guilty about ''stealing other people''s happiness''? Don''t screw with me! You really are an idiot!" "Stop calling me an idiot! And it''s not because I feel guilty. I want us to continue this relationship!" (Zuihou) "You said it yourself. For the sake of everyone, we should break up. You just said it! Tell me I''m wrong." "I did said that! But am I wrong?! How can I be the only one that is happy?! We have been through a lot! Everyone deserves their own happiness! I just don''t want to be the one that steals it from others! I saw it! Zuihou-chan''s confession! And how you rejected her! We are the same so I understood her feelings! I dont want to break up! I want us to be happy together! But... But..." (Zuihou) "Then why can''t we continue this relationship? Why must we break up so that others can be happy?!" "What other way is there?!" (Zuihou) "There is one!" I grabbed her shoulder as I shouted at her. I swear, this girl really boils my blood sometimes. "There is one. The same practice the shipgirls at Brunei Anchorage have been doing these few years. A harem." "A... harem?" (Zuihou) Right. That''s what I wanted to discuss with you. But you just ran your mouth, talking about breaking up and crap like that. You didn''t even listen to me first." "Eh? Then..." (Zuihou) "Yes. I have decided. I''m going to love all of you equally. Shigure, Shigure-chan, Yamakaze, Zuihou-chan and of course, you. I will answer your feelings. As long as any of you are in love with me, I promise I will make you happy." "That''s.. Wait... Give me a second." (Zuihou) I gave the idiot some time to thing. Geez. How the heck did she come up with such a conclusion? Trying to sacrifice our relationship for the sake of others. Noble on paper, but entirely stupid. "So... I''m basically allowing you to cheat on me?" (Zuihou) "You really are a moron. It''s entirely different. Yes. I am getting into another relationship with another girl. But neither am I keeping it a secret from you, not am I breaking my bond with you. I''m creating and adding another bond. Cheating would mean that I''m pretending to love you when I don''t. I will be lying to you constantly while enjoying my time with another girl. That''s called cheating. What I''m suggesting is we share this love." "This is getting confusing..." (Zuihou) "Geez. Onee-chan, you''re not thinking about this properly..." (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan sat up, rubbing her red eyes. When did she wake up? "Zuihou-chan, when did you-" (Zuihou) "With you two shouting at each other like that, how can I not wake up?" (Zuihou-chan) Right. It would be even weirder if she didn''t wake up from all that. "More importantly, Admiral, are you serious? Does that mean I will have a chance?" (Zuihou-chan) For a girl that was crying just recently, there are sparkles in her eyes. I can''t if those are leftover tears yet to come out or she is being hopeful. "Y-yeah. That''s what we were discussing about." "Yay!" (Zuihou-chan) "Hold on! I haven''t agreed to anything yet!" (Zuihou) "What''s there to think about? This is a great deal for all of us!" (Zuihou-chan) "Calm down, Zuihou-chan. Zuihou, I understand your feelings. Every girl wants to feel special. Erm... How about this? I will treat each girl to how they want to be treated. That way each of you can be unique." I understand her feelings. Who would want to lose their loved one to another person? Let alone share them with someone else. I expect Zuihou to be heavily against this idea of mine, but this is the only way. Like Zuihou, I too don''t want to take away someone else''s happiness. Even though that''s what I have been doing, especially to Rei... "No no. That''s not the point." (Zuihou) "Onee-chan, think about it. With this Harem plan," (Zuihou-chan) Harem plan? "Everyone can be in love with Admiral and Admiral can love everyone. You and Admiral can and will still be together. Admiral will still love you. The same will apply to all of us." (Zuihou-chan) "But..." (Zuihou) "I know. Onee-chan want to monopolise Admiral." (Zuihou-chan) "You''re... not wrong..." (Zuihou) "But sometimes you have to compromise. Onee-chan doesn''t want me to be depressed, right?Neither do you want to break up with Admiral. So instead of that depressing and stupid plan of yours to break up, isn''t sharing the love so much better?" (Zuihou-chan) "Um... Uh... AHHH!!! I don''t know anymore!" (Zuihou) "Zuihou!" "Onee-chan! Ow!" (Zuihou-chan) "Ouch!" (Avrora) Zuihou dashed out of the infirmary. As she swung open the door, it hit Avrora square in the face. How long as she been outside? Zuihou-chan rubbed her forehead, "A feedback? Confusion? What is this feeling?" (Zuihou-chan) "What''s wrong?" "Onee-chan''s feelings... I think it got transferred to me. That''s weird. I''m usually the one that broadcasts this sort of things." (Zuihou-chan) "I''m going to have you explain to me this broadcasting thing. More importantly..." I looked over to Avrora, who is dazed on the floor. Now I need to find Zuihou and deal with the Russian light crusier. While I didn''t expect this to be an easy feat, I think it just got harder. Chapter 180 - 164 Avrora flinched as I gently pressed the ice pack against her forehead. There is a little swelling, but nothing too serious. "Oww..." (Avrora) "Put up with it. It''s your punishment for eavesdropping on us." "Sorry..." (Avrora) "What were you doing there in the first place?" "I wanted to speak to Commander Rei about our next sortie. She wasn''t in her office so I thought she would be in the infirmary. That''s when I heard you and Zuihou-san fighting." (Avrora) So she heard everything. That''s a problem. Rumors spread like wildfire in this base. I know Avrora is not the type to spread rumors, but just to be safe, since nothing has been decided yet, "Avrora, I need you to-" For some reason, Avrora was staring at me with a red face. She doesn''t seem to be listening to me. She is just... staring... "Avrora? Hey, Avrora!" She finally snapped out of it, "Eh? Oh. Sorry." (Avrora) "Are you alright? Was it that bad?" "I-I''m fine. Thank you." (Avrora) "You don''t look well. Your face is really red. Maybe you should lie down for a while." Maybe she is injured after all. I should send her to the docks to get repaired. For the time being, I will get her to lie down while I get someone to escort her. "It''s okay. I''m fine." "Yeah yeah. That''s all you girls say, Ecen when you are clearly injured. Just lie down for a while." "Admira-Hyaa! Wait!" (Avrora) I scooped her up and carried her over to one of the beds. After tucking her in, I placed the ice pack on her forehead. Now her face is redder than before... "Sorry. I did it out of habit." Of course, even Avrora would be embarrassed. "Anyway, get some rest. You may have some kind of internal head injury. I will call Gangut over to bring you to the docks for repairs." "It''s not like that. I''m-" (Avrora) "I''m back." (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan entered the infirmary. She went out to chase after her older sister, but if she is back, that means... "How did it go?" "Onee-chan locked herself up in your office. I think she barricaded the door." Figures... Wait, my office? Why didn''t she go back to her room? "Give her some time. I''m sure she would come out the next morning." (Zuihou-chan) "I hope so. This is the first time she did such a thing." Usually she would just hide somewhere or lock herself in her room. What am I going to do? If she is this opposed to making a harem, how am I going to satisfy the other girls in the future? If more of them come up to confess, do I have to reject them? They might react the same way as Zuihou-chan did for the past week, avoiding me at all cost, or worse, fall into depression like Rondo''s younger sister. I don''t want any of those. But if Zuihou and I can''t find a compromise, is breaking up the only solution? No. I don''t want that. I absolutely don''t want that! No! No! No! No! No! "It will be fine." (Avrora) I felt a tug on my shirt. Avrora stuck her hand out from under the covers and took my hand. "I''m sure Admiral-san''s feelings will reach Zuihou-san. The both of you love each other so much. You two will definitely find a solution for each other." (Avrora) I held Avrora''s hand. What am I doing? I''m the Admiral. I need to pull myself together. I can''t let these girls worry about me. Only I can worry about them. "You''re right. Thank you, Avrora." "If she doesn''t come out by tomorrow morning, should I blast open the windows?" (Zuihou-chan) "Don''t. It''s a hassle to fix them." Actually... "Yeah. Let''s keep that as our last resort. Just make sure she doesn''t get hurt." "I will use the training bomb. The office will blow up if I use live ammunition." (Zuihou-chan) "Isn''t that an obvious fact?" Alright. I will give Zuihou some time. She must be overwhelmed by all this. Hopefully, she will be willing to talk to me tomorrow. But now, why do I sleep? The entertainment room is my best bet, I guess. ------------------------------------------------- She is not coming out... "Zuihou. Come out. We have morning practice. Hiryuu-senpai is going to get angry at you." (Shouhou) "Come on, Zuihou. We have to sortie now. Come on out." (Suzuya) "What the heck happened to you two?" (Yamashiro) "Just a little quarrel." "You call this ''a little''? This is way more than that." (Yamashiro) After I woke up early in the morning, I went to check on Zuihou. She was still holed up in my office. Zuihou-chan was right. I can unlock the door, but I can''t get it to open. Sometging is blocking it from the inside. I tried calling her out, but there was no response. I tried calling though the vents, but she barricaded it as well. The windows were also barricaded with wooden planks. How did she get all these materials while running away? I don''t remember keeping planks in my office. I spent the whole morning trying to get her out and finding ways to enter. I even missed out on morning roll call. That''s why Shouhou and the rest of the first fleet are here. They are trying to help me. "Zuihou, look. Mamiya has a new dango menu. Let''s eat it together poi." (Yuudachi) "Sorry. For dragging you girls into our problem." "No worries. It is worrying for us to see you two like this. We will get her out somehow." (Agano) "Hey, Zuihou. I got a type 99 bomber here. Look at it''d cute little legs!" (Shouhou) This is pathetic. I can''t believe I involved others in my own personal problem. I better thank them properly later. "She is in there?" (Gangut) "Oh, Gangut." Gangut walked over to us. Somehow, I getting bad vibes from her presence. She tried opening the door. It widened a little, but still the gap is too small. "Hmph. A mere barricade. This is easy. Comrade Avrora told me what happened. I will help you get her out." (Gangut) Avrora told her?! "Wh-what did Avrora tell you?" "Hm? She said you two have been fighting for a bit and your girlfriend locked herself in this office." (Gangut) "Did she mentioned anything else?" Please tell me she didn''t talk about the harem thing. Please. "No. Just the fact that the light carrier is in there. What? Is there something else I should know?" (Gangut) "No. That''s all." Phew... Thank goodness. Avrora kept her promise after all. "Anyway, please help us." "Roger." (Gangut) Gangut took a stance and delivered a punch against the door. As expected, it only made a dent. IJN doors and furniture are made to withstand shipgirl''s strength after all. "That''s useless. You will need something stronger to break through." (Yamashiro) "I was just testing it. Huh. This wooden door is pretty sturdy. You just need to get her out, right?" (Gangut) "Yeah. Got any ideas?" Ooh. I have one. A surefire way to extract her from inside. And for you two to make up with each other. First, time to bring out the big guns. Comrade Admiral, everyone, please stand back." Eh? Why? What is she- A blue glow illuminated next to Gangut''s right shoulder. Small cube-like structures start to converge next to her shoulder, and a 41cm twin gun mount appeared. You got to be kidding me... "Zuihou, stand away from the door! She is going to fire!" (Shouhou) "Wait, you are not going to stop her?!" "Don''t worry. It''s not a live round." (Gangut) "That''s not-" "Sorry, we will ask Akashi to create a new furniture for you." (Suzuya) "Admiral, stay back." (Yamashiro) "Wait. Don''t decide things on your own! Hol-" "Tremble under the fist of the Soviet Union! Soviet Breathing 2nd style: Grizzly Bear''s Punch! (Gangut) *BOOOMMM!!!* "KYAAA!" (???) Chapter 181 - 165 The air was filled with smoke, dust, and the smell of gunpowder. When the smoke cleared, the damage was as I thought. Gangut had destroyed the door, the surrounding wall and my desk. Zuihou actually nailed my desk to the wall and barricaded the door. The shock wave from Gangut''s gun fire shattered the windows behind her as well. Akashi and the fairies are going to freak out at the sight of this. "Admiral, are you alright?" (Agano) "Yeah. I''m fine. Thank you, Yamashiro." "Your welcome." (Yamashiro) Gangut wore a satisfied expression on her face, "I always wanted to try that. Shouting out special moves like that fire katana-wielding man is so cool! Maybe I should do that in battle too." (Gangut) "You watch too much anime! And I didn''t say you could fire in an enclosed area!" I will have Ooyodo lecture her later. She will probably lecture me too. I ought to put her in the brig for rash act, but at least she did help me out. I heard a loud scream the second Gangut fired. Don''t tell me, Zuihou got hit?! I quickly rushed into my office, "Zuihou!" On the floor sat Zuihou, wincing in pain, "Ow... Why did you fire in the corridor?" (Zuihou) She doesn''t seem to be visibly injured. Maybe she just got blown back from the blast. Even though it''s just a training round, it can still create a shickwave to knockback a shipgirl, especially if it''s of battleship caliber. Even so, I''m relieved that she is fine. "Zuihou..." "Ad-admiral..." (Zuihou) She seems wary of me though. That stings a little... "You look alright." (Gangut) Gangut walked in from behind, "Good. Now for the next part. Comrade Grozny, Comrade Pamiat Merkuva!" (Gangut) "§Õ§Ñ" (Grozny) "§£§à§ä" (Pamiat) Pamiat and Grozny suddenly appeared form behind me. "When did they show up?" (Suzuya) "Talk her to the §Õ§à§Ü§Ú " (Gangut) "§á§à§ß§ñ§Ý!" (Pamiat and Grozny) Pamiat and Grozny did a salute before walking towards Zuihou and grabbing her by the arms. "Wait! What are you- Let go!" (Zuihou) "Hehe. Come on. Let''s go." (Pamiat) "Move out~" (Grozny) "Eh? Where are you taking me?" (Zuihou) "Wait. What are you two going to do?" Gangut wrapped her arm around my neck and applied some weight. Damn! She is heavy! "Come on. Comrade Admiral. You are coming too." (Gangut) "Huh?! Wait. Let go of me this instance!" "Hahaha! This is going to be interesting!" (Gangut) "At least let me walk on my own." "What is going on?" (Shigure) "Who knows..." (Yamashiro) "Oh well. Have a fun trip~" (Suzuya) "You guys! Don''t just stand there! Oi! Be gentle with me!" "Don''t be so rough with Admiral-san!" (Yuudachi) Despite my protest, and my order, Gangut dragged me all the way to her destination. She let go of me when we finally reached the docks. Eh? What? Why? As I try to figure what her plan, I heard some shouting from inside, "I can take them off myself! Hyah! Where do you think you touching me?!" (Zuihou) "Ooh~ I didn''t your outfit was this soft." (Pamiat) "I just need pull this and it will drop, right?" (Grozny) "Wait. Don''t pull- Kyah!" "Oh~ Pink." (Grozny) They are obviously stripping her... "Let''s wait for a while. Even though we strive to be equal, a girl still need their privacy. Though I''m sure you have seen her body countless times." (Gangut) That goes without saying. "Gangut, what are you planning and why are you doing this?" Aside from her training, she usually doesn''t go out of her way to do such things. "I will explain later. As for your second question, our little herald of dawn asked us for help last night. She says she can''t bear seeing you two like this." (Gangut) "Herald of dawn?" "Why, Comrade Avrora, of course. She was the one the signalled the start of a revolution. If it weren''t for her, our country would have remained stagnant.That''s why she our herald of dawn." (Gangut) Is she talking about the Russian Revolution? The one where the Bolsheviks took over? I didn''t Avrora was from that timeline. Somehow, Gangut had this proud look on her face. As if she is happy about something. There was more shouting and struggling from inside the docks, before Grozny and Pamiat finally came out. They look a little tired, as if Zuihou put up a good fight. "Haah... The chicken is in finally in the water. Comrade Gangut." (Pamiat) Pfft. She called Zuihou a chicken. Why is that funny? "Good job. Comrade Admiral, it''s your turn." (Gangut) "What do you mean it''s my turn? You haven''t told me your plan yet!" "It''s pretty simple. Get n.a.k.e.d, bath together and make up with each other." (Gangut) "Huh?!" What kind of plan is that? What is going on inside her head when she thought that out? "The way you stare at me kind of hurts... Isn''t this what you Japanese do all the time? Bonding while n.a.k.e.d? Once you take of your shell, you are all equal. Just like the Soviet Union!" (Gangut) "The concept isn''t wrong, but why did..." Hang on. Gangut is kind of right. This is our tradition. Even before the Meiji restoration, Japanese people, men and women, often bath together and form relationsh.i.p.s, be it personal or for business. And since they have already set the stage for me, might as well go for it. And I didn''t bath yesterday so I''m feeling kind of sticky. "That''s a great idea. Ah, but what if-" "Don''t worry. I will personally stand guard here. No one comes in, no one goes out. At least until the both of you make up with each other." (Gangut) Ah, she read my mind. The last part is a little concerning though. "Alright. Thank you, you three." "Don''t thank us. Thank Avrora. She is the one that suggested this." (Gangut) Avrora is really getting herself involved in this. I wonder what is she planning. Oh well, I will thank her later. "Have fun." (Grozny) "Make sure you two make up." (Pamiat) I entered the changing area of the docks. It''s been a while since I entered this place. Not since Grand Admiral Hasake''s group repaired the place. I heard there are quite a few upgrades. In the changing area, there are now six massage chairs, compared to one from before, and a refrigerator with three kinds of milk. This is merely a simple increase I''m quantity. Maybe the inside has more to offer. I chose a locker to store my clothes in. No, I should wash them. They should probably be dried by the time I''m finished. I picked a locker to store my wallet, phone and hat. I just noticed there is no key hole, let alone a key. Eh? How am I supposed to keep my stuff? Why the key hole is supposed to be, there is instead a black screen. Oh, I just noticed the sticker on the locker. "Scan your thumb on the scanner." Cool. A biometric system. So I can just scan my thumb and the locker will be mine for the time being. It must have been slightly confusing for the girls at the start. Apart from computers and the game consoles in the entertainment room, they aren''t that good with technology. I stripped down and toss my uniform into a washing machine. There are six of them, with one being in use. I''m guessing Zuihou is using one. There was a message on the control panel, "Key in your locker number." What for? Is it going to put my uniform into that locker? It would be awesome if it did. Anyway, lets just go along with it. Just key in the settings and locker number... There. That should do it. The rumbling and splashing sounds of water coming from within means it has started to do its work. All of these new upgrades are pretty awesome. I wonder what can I find in the bathing area. Oops. I got a little side-tracked. I better get going. ....I haven''t stepped in with Zuihou and I''m already nervous! What should I say to her? What if she runs away from me as soon as I enter? What if we end up breaking up for real? I can''t bear to take any more mental damage. I know I shouldn''t focus on all this but I can''t help it. Maybe I should ask for advice... "Gangut? You there?" "Yea- Wait, you haven''t gone in yet?!" (Gangut) "What should I do? I''m afraid things will end up badly." "Don''t let those dark thoughts fill your head. Once you are consumed, it''s over. Get in there and face each other. Who knows, maybe your girlfriend has already cooled her head while inside. Don''t worry too much. If it''s you, things will go smoothly. If it didn''t, while... Lets not think about that." (Gangut) Right. I shouldn''t think negatively. Right now, I need to do my best to talk to her. The North Union has provide me a chance to face her properly, albeit it''s a little unorthodex but it''s still better than nothing. I need to settle this properly. It will be fine. "Thank you, Gangut." "No problem. Now get in there or I will come and throw you in myself!" (Ganagut) "I''l go now!" She is serious about coming in while I''m exposed. All right. Lets do this. I opened the sliding door and enter the baths. Chapter 182 - 167 Wow. The inside is way bigger than I remembered. The old one had four small medicinal pools, one cold bath and one large central spring. Now, the four medicinal pools are larger, big enough to fit two people, the central spring also increased in size. There is also a jacuzzi, an outdoor spring, a sauna, and an electric bath. They really went all out with the renovation. I want to explore each of them later if possible. Right now, I need to do what I came here to do. Where is Zuihou? I will need to sneak up on... That is a bad idea. If I startle her, I feel she would drift even further away. Let''s find her and then gently approach her. She should still be- The sound of running water interrupted my train of thoughts. Or rather, it just told me where Zuihou is. She is somewhere on the right, at the washing stations. I walked to the direction of the sound. The washing stations are still the same. Each station has a shower head, body soap, shampoo, conditioner, a small wooden pain, a tap to fill the pail with water, and a mirror. The person bathing will wash themselves at a washing station before soaking in the baths. If you''re an injured shipgirl, then it''s straight to the medicinal pool for you. "Geez... What are they up to? Why do I have to take a bath at this timing?" (Zuihou) I can hear faint mumbling. There she is, right in the corner most station. I took a deep breath. I need to ready myself. Okay, I can do this. "I can''t believe Gangut-san fired indoors. What if Admiral gets hurt?" (Zuihou) I approached her from her right. She doesn''t seem to notice me just yet. In fact, she isn''t really doing anything, just letting the water rain down on her. "What should I do? Geez... I don''t know anymore... I spent the whole night thinking... A harem..." (Zuihou) I''m forcing things to go too fast, am I? Come to think of it, I shouldn''t be trying to get her to yes immediately. I should have given her time to think. This is our future. We both should think about it properly and have a say in it. But she also almost did the same to me, wanting to break up for silly reasons. So a tic-for-tat. But yeah, I should have given her some more time to think properly. I may have made up my mind, but that doesn''t mean it''s the same for her. She is obviously still uncertain. I don''t mind putting the whole harem thing for next time. For now, we need to make up. Otherwise, Gangut won''t let us out. "Let me scrub your back." "Eh? Oh. Thank you... Admiral?! Why are you here?!" (Zuihou) Zuihou covered "Same reason as you. Gangut trapped me here. Let''s talk about the minor details later. For now, face the front and just relax. Let me service you." "S-service?!" (Zuihou) I took the shower head and wet her body. After that, I switched off the water and lather my hands with shampoo. "O-oh. That''s what you meant..." (Zuihou) "What else did you think I meant?" I feigned innocence as I washed her hair, "Let me know if you feel itchy." "What are you now, a hairdresser?" (Zuihou) "Close you eyes. I''m washing the shampoo off now." I turned on the water and washed her hair. Now for the next part, I lather a towel with soap and proceed to scrub her body with it. "I can wash myself." (Zuihou) "Shush. Let me do it." As I pressed the towel against her bare back, I can feel her tensing up a little. It must be super awkward for her. I mean, it is awkward for me too. That''s why I''m doing this, to distract myself and lighten up the mood, even for a bit. Usually in anime and manga, our roles should be reversed. As much as I want to experience that, being the ''washer'' is also pretty decent. "Just relax. It''s not like this is the first time we bathed together." "It is the first time you are washing me!" (Zuihou) "It''s fine. If you want, you can scrub mine later." When I''m done with her back, I lifted her right arm up and scrubbed along her arm. She immediately tried to resist but I held on to it, "A-admiral, I can handle-" (Zuihou) "Shh~ Not a word. Leave your body to me." "That sounds- Nh!" (Zuihou) She flinched when I went to work on her armpits. She tried to resist but it was too late. My hands, and the towel, were already at work. That alone was able to make her weak. This is starting to become fun. "Ad-Ahn! Admiral, yo-you don''t... Nhah... have to...I can...! That tickles!" (Zuihou) Ignoring her, I continued to scrub her body. I went to work on her left side. After that, her chest. "Seriously, Admiral. I can wash the front myself! You don''t have to- Ahn! Ahh!" (Zuihou) I specifically targeted a certain part of her chest until I can feel it hardening as she tried to stifle her m.o.a.ns. Now that I''m done with her top, it''s time for the bottom part. "No... not there... Nh! Ahh!" (Zuihou) Crap. Her m.o.a.ns and cute reactions are turning me on! I want to... No no. Not now. Control yourself. Bide your time. "Ahn... Mh... Admi-admiral... E...nough... Don''t... focus on that place. Why... are you doing this?" (Zuihou) "Because you would run away again if I don''t do this." "I won''t... run... kh... Ahn... away... No. I''m..." (Zuihou) "Yeah yeah. Maybe a little more." "Ahhhh!" (Zuihou) Zuihou''s body convulsed, before falling back towards me. Mission accomplished. I proceed to scrub her legs and her butt, then took the shower head and rinsed the soap off her. "Stupid... Even though... I told you to stop..." (Zuihou) She tilted her head towards me with glazed eyes, gasping for air. She looks so s.e.xy now, "Hahaha. You are so cute, Zuihou." Wait... What am I doing?! This wasn''t part of my plan! I just wanted to lighten up the mood for us, not... do this. "Sorry. I went a bit overboard. Forg-Ghoh?!" I felt a hand tightly gripping onto my most sensitive part. She is so pissed. She is going to kill me! "Erm... Zuihou. Calm down. Don''t do anything rash! Your eyes are scary!" "Let me pay you back, Admiral~" (Zuihou) Ah. I''m dead... ...or maybe not... Zuihou sat behind me, silently scrubbing my back the same way as I did earlier. The awkwardness is back... "Seriously, first you ordered Gangut to fire indoors just to get me out, then I got dragged to the docks and then you had your way with me. Why must I go through all this in the morning?" (Zuihou) "Ahaha... Sorry. And I did not order Gangut to fire in the corridor. She did it on her own." I actually planned for Zuihou-chan to bomb the office windows open as a last resort though. Let''s not tell her that part. "Hmph. Whatever." (Zuihou) Uwah. She is definitely pissed off. Maybe this is the time to apologize, "Zuihou, I''m... Erm... I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have forced you to make a decision all of a sudden. I should have talked to you about it calmly." We ended up shouting at each other after all. I got a little too heated up. From the mirror, I can see Zuihou shaking her head, "No. I''m also at fault. I shouldn''t have insisted on breaking up, let alone even mentioned it. I didn''t consider any other options." (Zuihou) I can feel Zuihou pressing herself against my back, "I... spent the whole night thing about what Admiral and Zuihou-chan said. About the harem thing." (Zuihou) "It''s okay. You don''t have to give me answer now. When you are ready, I will hear it." Although Zuihou-chan may become upset again... Ugh... This is hard. If Zuihoi doesn''t agree to it, I will need to find a way to convince Zuihou-chan to give up on me. Until she has gotten over me, our relationship will definitely get awkward throughout that period. "No. I think I know my answer. You know how we are always together, right? I have spent so many nights with you. Last night was the first in a long time since I was alone in a big bed. It got me thinking, I truly am blessed to be able to be with you. While I am happy, what about the others? Zuihou-chan might not be the only one, there could be others who love Admiral too. But because you have chosen me, they might have forced themselves to give up. Zuihou-chan is the only one still fighting. I have been keeping Admiral to myself all this time. Maybe now... it''s time I share." (Zuihou) My eyes widened at her words. I immediately turned around to face her, "Does that mean-?" "Y-yes. I don''t mind... if you create a harem. As long as you keep your promise to treat all of us with the same amount of love." (Zuihou) This is great! The others are going to be delighted about this. Plus, having a harem has it perks. It expands our nightly activities, but that''s not the main point. "But I have one condition." (Zuihou) "What is it? As long as it''s in my power, I will do anything." "I want proof." (Zuihou) "Proof?" Eh? What does she mean by that? "I want something that is unique to us. Something to tell me that you love me, that I''m your number one. Something only the two of us share. I know I said I want us to be equal but I want something special. It can be an item or an activity only the two of us can do. I want a stronger bond." (Zuihou) Something as proof. stronger bond... I understand. I''m putting our relationship at risk here. If I create a harem, Zuihou may find herself getting de-ranked on the ''relationship board''. She is probably think about it like this. So she wants something to feel that she is at the top. That she is still my number one lover. "I got it. I will think of something. Something that only we share." "Uhm. I''m looking forward to it." (Zuihou) There it is. The sweet smile which I love to see. "Things are going to be hard from now on, but let''s see it through together. I promise, I will always love you. I will never leave you." "Ehe~ I will hold you to that." (Zuihou) Zuihou suddenly glanced downwards, before giving a mischievous smile, "Now, let''s continue where we left off. I still have to pay you back for what you did just now." (Zuihou) "Ohoh. How scary. Are you sure you can hold out long enough?" "Just watch. This time, I will make you yield to me." (Zuihou) I think I may have raised a lewd shipgirl. I don''t mind, in fact, I like it. We spent the next few hours frolicking in the baths. Until Zuihou tuckered out. So much for making me yield. I just realized something. How do I get girls into a harem? Chapter 183 - 167.5 Shigure-chan looked out of the window, watching the dark clouds slowly gathering over the base. Moments later, it started raining heavily. Raindrops mercilessly attacked the window, but they were no match for military-grade glass. Shigure-chan continued to look solemnly at the raindrops flowing down from the glass pane, before a loud thunder startled her and made her retreat back to me. "There there. It''s okay. There''s nothing to be scared about." "Uuugh..." (Shigure-chan) "I knew that was coming." (Shigure) Even before the rain started pouring, Shigure had already sat next to me on the sofa and wrapped herself with my arm. She was prepared. "Why does it have to rain now?" (Shigure-chan) "It''s turning winter soon. This rain won''t be the last." And that means our next operation is coming up. Things are about to get busy. It has been about a week since Zuihou agreed to my harem plan. On that day, since Gangut fired without authorization and in an enclosed area, she had to be punished. I let Commander Rei decide her punishment, but told her to tone it down seeing as Gangut was the one that helped me solve my problem. The punishment given to her was to fill a barrel with shellfish from the beach. A simple, yet tedious task. You have to dig into the sand just to find a couple of clams or small shrimps. There is no definite spot to find them, you have to search the entire beach to do it. Although this punishment was for Gangut to take on alone, I allowed her to get some help. In the end, the entire North Union showed up and helped fill the barrel in less than half a day. They never fail to surprise and impress me with their efficiency and teamwork. For now, everything is normal. I haven''t been chasing after the other girls, yet. I''m a little too busy settling the broken corridor and other reports. Surprisingly, Zuihou-chan hasn''t made her move yet, even though she was so eager when I first mentioned it. I still have yet to decide on a gift for Zuihou. I know she is patiently waiting for it, but I don''t want to put it off and keep her waiting. Shigure-chan moved my arm to wrap around her shoulders. Her tiny hands gripped onto my fingers as she snuggled close to me. Not wanting to lose out, her elder sister did the same, albeit with a little more force than usual. "Shigure, my hand isn''t going anywhere. You don''t have to pull so hard." "Muuu~" (Shigure) Eh? Why is she pouting? I see. She must be jealous. Whenever Shigure-chan does something, Shigure will try her best to not lag behind and try to copy Shigure-chan''s action. She is becoming more competitive. I pet the destroyer''s head, "Don''t push yourself. I''m not leaving you." She just stared at me, blushing. Erm... Did I say something weird or misinterpreted her feelings? "How about me?" (Shigure-chan) Oh yeah. Of course the other one would want to hear the same, "You too. I will stay with both of you." "Ufufu~" (Shigure-chan) "...say that... No fair..." (???) Eh? "Shigure, did you say something?" "Hmm? I didn''t say anything." (Shigure) That''s weird. I could have sworn I heard something. Oh well. "By the way, could you two ease up on your grip? I can''t pick up or do the reports like this." Just when I thought they were going to loosen up, Raijin-sama decided to scare them again. Now they have basically imprisoned my arms. "Maybe it''s time for me to stop for a while." "Sorry, Admiral. I will let go now." (Shigure) I can hear some trembling in her voice as she said that, "No need. I''m taking a break. These reports aren''t that important anyway. It''s just a daily activity report. I can spend more time with you two." "I see." (Shigure) For some reason, Shigure seems to be trying to hide her smile when I said that. Its okay to show your happiness, you know. The two sisters laid on my lap, falling asleep soon after. I knew this would happen. When they start to lie on my lap or rest against my shoulders, they instantly enter the dreamlands. They don''t get any nightmares like this, as compared to when they are sleeping alone on their own beds. Since these two are asleep. I should get some work down. "Admi... lo... ou..." (Shigure) Hmm? Is Shigure awake? I thought I heard her talking to me. It must have been her usual sleep talk. This weather... It''s really is perfect time for a nap. I moved the strands of hair covering Shigure''s face aside. I wonder how Shigure feels about me. Her behavior is different from the other Shigure from Sasebo. That being said, Sasebo''s Shigure is a new shipgirl, so I can''t draw any conclusions yet. If Shigure were to express her love, I will definitely take her in. Of course, Shigure-chan as well. "Sleep well, you two. Have a sweet dream." Chapter 184 - 168 Some details of our next operation have been released. There will be one in the Mediterranean island front, and another in the Barant Sea. I don''t like this. They will be so far away from me! Maybe I can sit out on this operation. Yeah, screw the orders. I''m not letting my girls go that far! "What are you talking about?! Don''t be childish!" (Zuihou) Ah. Did I say that out loud? "Ufufu. I know how you feel. I also don''t want my fleet to go that far. Maybe I can ask father to let us sit this one out." (Rei) "Commander Rei, not you too!" (Zuihou) "And then there is that problem with Azur Lane. They have an upcoming operation in the Philippines sea. Something about a thorn maze. We might need to provide assistance if they request it." "Oh yeah. They said the maze itself is hostile. It will attack without warning." (Rei) "Can''t they just burn the whole thing down? It''s a plant, right? They have some shipgirls whose attacks can set things on fire." "Maybe they haven''t tried anything yet. I know they are still trying to scout the area, but their drones keep getting destroyed." (Rei) "Hmm. Ah whatever. Anyway, I don''t want to join the next operation!" I heard my bedroom door open. Shigure walked out slowly, rubbing her eyes, "Ah. Sorry Shigure, were we too loud?" "No. It''s about time I wake up anyway." (Shigure) There were new orders for every Naval district to initiate nightly patrols. There have been reports of unusual sea activity occurring in the night. Destroyer I-class and Light Cruiser He-class have been spotted near the shoreline on multiple occasions HQ is afraid that the Abyssals might launch an attack in the middle of the night so the alert level has been raised. I kind of understand them raising the alert level because this is unusual behavior. Abyssals are not so active at night, and They usually stay away from the shore at that timing. During the night, they will return to their usual haunts and move around in circles or plant themselves at one spot. Today, it''s Shigure''s turn to be on patrol. She was taking a nap before preparing for her sortie. She will be going along with Yahagi, Amatsukaze, Shimakaze, Murasame and Satsuki. A Torpedo squadron or Destroyer squadron is more efficient when it comes to night battles. Under the cover of darkness, their mobility and torpedoes often catches the enemy by surprise. Of course, the enemy could do the same to us. So it''s kind of a double-edged sword, but with the use of star shells, the odds are in our favor most of the time. If it fails, one of them is equipped with a searchlight. Apart from letting the fleet see their target, the enemy can also see the owner of the searchlight, making her an easy target. This tactic is extremely risky, so it''s only used as a last resort, or not at all. "Did you prepare the star shells before hand?" (Zuihou) "Unn... I brought them out yesterday." (Shigure) "Hopefully nothing shows up." (Rei) "Moron! You can''t say that! You will trigger a flag!" "We will be fine. If we are lucky, we may be able to sink one or two Abyssal destroyers." (Shigure) "I pray that will be the only dangerous thing you guys do tonight." I hear a knock on my office door, before Yahagi enters, "Excuse me, Admiral. Is Shigur- Ah. I knew you would be here. Come on, let''s go. You need to put on our night equipment." (Yahagi) "Okay. I''m going now, Admiral, Commander Rei." (Shigure) "We will be off." (Yahagi) Before the two of them walked out, I called out to the light cruiser, "Yahagi," "Yes?" (Yahagi) "Keep yourself and everyone safe. Make sure the six of you come back alive and well." Yahagi just smiled at me, "We will. I promise." (Yahagi) I watched their backs as the door closed behind them. I can''t help but worry. My gut is telling me that something bad is going go happen. "Can we launch some night planes?" "We don''t have any land-based ones, only carrier-based ones. Relax. They will be fine. Probably... See! Admiral''s nervousness is affecting me as well. Ahhh! Idiot! Now I''m worried too!" (Zuihou) "Yeah. I''m going to get them to equip Emergency Repair Fairies." "Both of you, calm down! It''s just a patrol near the base waters. There''s no need for any worry." (Rei) ---------------------------------------------- Shigure POV- 0100hrs- 6 hours after sortie- So far, the seas are quiet. We have been patrolling for quite some time now. We thought we saw some movement to our starboard but it was just a JMSDF Destroyer on night lookout. "I''m bored! There''s nothing to do!" (Shimakaze) "Come on. Focus. We are not doing this to have fun. The enemy could attack us at any moment." (Yahagi) "The Abyssals won''t attack at night!" (Shimakaze) "They will. You have been through night battles before, so you should know." (Yahagi) "I agree with Shimakaze-chan. It''s not like the Abyssals actively seek out an target at night. They haven''t been doing it for years, so why now?" (Satsuki) "Maybe the Sirens are involved again. We know they can affect the Abyssals one way or another." (Murasame) "Whatever the case is, we have to follow our orders. HQ is on hight alert, so that means we have more work to do." "Amatsukaze, what are you looking at?" (Shimakaze) Amatsukaze was quietly looking upwards, towards the moon. "Say, has the moon always been this big?" (Amatsukaze) We looked up at the moon. It does seem pretty big. Eh? Was it a full moon today? "Wait, isn''t today a half-moon? It was half just a moment ago." (Satsuki) "Yeah. I could have sworn it''s an half-moon today." (Yahagi) There was a loud ear-piercing shriek, follow by an explosion in the distance. I can see something burning in the distance. "Is that-?" (Murasame) "That''s the destroyer we passed by just now! We need to help them!" (Yahagi) We quickly rushed to the burning vessel. As we get closer, the smell of burning oil and scorched metal became stronger. I don''t think there are any survivors. The fire is very big, even from where we are. What caused this? Abyssals? But how come the destroyer didn''t call for assistance? It''s near impossible for them to get caught by a sneak attack. They have the searchlights on full power. It will hard for them to be caught off-guard. Even if they were, they wouldn''t be wiped out this fast. There should have been a window for them to evacuate or call for help. "KRREEEEE!!!" (???) It''s that shriek again. It''s so loud! But we can''t investigate it now, we have to rescue the survivors. Before we reached the doom vessel, a high pitched whistling can be heard, "Oh no. Everyone, halt! Brace for shock!" (Yahagi) There was a flash of light, a deafening explosion and a wave of heat accompanied by a tremendous amount of force which sent us flying back. My ears are ringing! It took me a bit to regain my bearings. I looked up to see that the destroyer has now been reduced to rubble. The sea was burning and there burning debris floated around us. There are definitely no survivors. "Ugh! Everyone, report!" (Yahagi) Yahagi stood up, trying to steady herself. She doesn''t seem to be injured. "Shigure, unharmed." "Amatsukaze, all right." (Amatsukaze) "Murasame, okay." (Murasame) "Satsuki, everything is fine." (Satsuki) "My ears hurt!" (Shimakaze) "Good. Everyone seems fine. What was that? Did anyone see it?" (Yahagi) "No. But that last attack was definitely from battleship. I can''t think of that is of that caliber." (Amatsukaze) "A long range attack? With that accuracy? No. That is possible. The fire basically screams ''hit me''. What about that shriek?" (Murasame) "We should look for survivors. Maybe someone survived the blast. "Before that, we should probably deal with that." (Satsuki) Satsuki pointed into the darkness. At first glance, they might be nothing there, but my radar is picking something up. An enemy, and it is close. "SKREEEE!" (???) Argh! There is that screech again. So that is it''s owner. "Yahagi," "Yeah. Commencing night battle! All units, prepare to engage!" (Yahagi) "Launching star shell!" I fired the Star shell into the sky. It burst into a ball of light, slowly making its descend. The star shell will only last for a few minutes, before it run out fuel or falls into the water. Enough time for us to defeat whatever... that''s... in front of us... This is the worst case scenario. Standing in front is one of the toughest Abyssals of its class. A Battleship Re-class, and an elite rank one too. It''s stance makes it looks so much more terrifying than usual. It has its hands touching the water surface, taking the pose of a wolf ready to pounce. It''s tail cannon was pointing towards as the creature pierced us with its glowing red eyes. This Abyssal is definitely not normal. "That thing is not normal." (Murasame) "What is an Re-class doing here?" (Yahagi) "This is the worst..." (Amatsukaze) "Grrr... SKREEEE!" (Re-class?) Without warning, it charged at Murasame. "Wha- ghuho!" (Murasame) Murasame fell to her knees as the Re-class punched her in the stomach. Her armour and equipment was blown off upon impact. What is this thing? It''s too strong! It''s like a beast. "You bit-" (Yahagi) Yahagi fired at the beast, only for her shells to land in the water as it dodged. "Kh!" (Yahagi) "I won''t lose to speed! Take this!" (Shimakaze) Shimakaze''s Rensouhou-chan fired at the beast as she launched her torpedos. The beast dodged them and made a beeline to Shimakaze. Oh no. It''s going to happen again... "Move!" I pushed Shimakaze out of the way. It got its hands on my face. Through the gap of its fingers, I can see it''s pale face, piercing me with it gaze. It''s claws of sharp. They are digging into my skin. I can''t feel the water surface. What is this thing? I''m scared! Save me! Somebody... Admiral... "Gaaahhhh!!!" It hurts! It hurts! My eye... What did it do? It hurts... It''s so painful... I can''t hear properly anymore... Chapter 185 - 169 A loud noise woke me up in the middle of the night. It sounded like an explosion. I glanced out of the window, only to see something glowing in the horizon. What is that? Is it going to be a repeat of last year''s incident? The one where the sky was lit up by something? Speaking of that, HQ hasn''t told us anything about that incident. They said they would investigate but nothing was ever officially announced. It was around the time when we discovered the appearance of Azur Lane too. Looks like they shelved that incident entirely. Anyway, what is that? It''s definitely some kind of light source, that''s for sure. It''s definitely not a searchlight from a boat. The light is... dancing...? It looks like a fire. Something is burning nearby. Is that in our premise? Suddenly, something flew up into the the sky, around the area where the lights are dancing. It was like a flare. It blew up and became an glowing fireball. A firework, huh. Who is launching fireworks in the middle of the ocean? And what kind of firework slowly floats down? What a crappy excuse of a fi- Wait! That''s a star shell! That area is in our waters! Yahagi''s patrol fleet is engaged with something! Normally, I would trust them to handle it with ease, but my gut is still telling me something bad is about to happen. "Mnh... Admiral? What''s wrong?" (Zuihou) An almost n.a.k.e.d Zuihou sat up, rubbing her eyes. Her night Yukata had came undone again. "Zuihou, get your SCAMP and some night bombers. I''ll go wake up the others from fleet 1. I want you to scout ahead first, report the situation and I will send the others if needed." "Eh? What''s going on? Is that..." (Zuihou) Zuihou got up and changed into her usual miko uniform. I rushed to the command center and turned on the PA system. "Fleet 1 members, Yuudachi, Agano, Suzuya and Yamashiro, you are to be on standby immediately. Head to the port and await further orders. Equip yourselves with night battle equipment. I repeat..." I hope I''m wrong about this. If I''m wrong, the others will be pissed about waking up in the dead of the night, but it''s better than taking a risk with lives. I looked up at the monitor displaying the condition of the patrol fleet... What the heck?! Murasame vitals suddenly fell to the red! She has been heavily damaged! This is already a bad sign. If only I can see what''s going out there. That''s the thing about patrol fleets. You can see their condition but not the actual scene. The weird cameraman doesn''t follow them. "Admiral, I''m ready." (Zuihou) Zuihou spoke to me through the comms. "Alright. Weigh anchor!" "Zuihou, moving out!" (Zuihou) Zuihou made a beeline towards the location where the star shell was launched. As soon as she is in range, she activated her SCAMP and launched a wave of night bombers. Shigure''s vitals fell to red! They are not up against Abyssal light cruisers and destroyers. They engaging with either a battleship or an aircraft carrier. How else would two of my stronger destroyers instantly received heavy damage? I looked at the monitor showing Zuihou''s night bomber and my fears were confirmed. A Battleship Re-class. Murasame and Shigure are down. The others are barely holding their ground against the battleship. The rest of fleet 1 is already on standby. There condition and status are being shown on the port monitor. "Admiral!" (Zuihou) "Yeah. I see it. Engage the Re-class from afar. Try to sink it. If not chase it away. I''m sending the others to you." "Roger!" (Zuihou) "Fleet 1, weigh anchor! Rendezvous at Yahagi''s current location and provide assistance. We have a Battleship Re-class to take down." "A Re-class? What is one doing so close to shore?" (Yamashiro) "I don''t know, but it''s getting dangerous there. Murasame and Shigure have been taken down. The rest are barely holding on. Zuihou is providing air support at the moment." Yahagi just got damaged moderately. Shimakaze is trying to flank... That thing is as fast as Shimakaze?! It''s kick sent the fastest destroyer flying back. There is something weird about the Re-class. It''s movements are erratic, it seems to prefer to be on all fours rather than be bipedal. It''s tail, which is also a main gun, is just swinging wildly. It''s not attacking Zuihou''s plane, just dodging the bombs while attacking the others at the same time. It''s almost like a wild animal. There is a red glow around it, so I can confirm it''s an elite. Unless... Gahh. Now it''s not the time to think about all this. I need to contact Yahagi. "Yahagi, can you hear me?" "Admiral? I rea- Guh!" (Yahagi) I can see the Re-class jumped on Yahagi''s gun turret, before kicking her back. Yahagi is tougher than the destroyers, but I don''t think she can hold her ground any longer. "Keep fighting. I need a sit-rep." "Amatsukaze-san and Shimakaze-san are helping me take the Re-class down. Things are not too good. Murasame and Shigure are in critical condition. Satsuki is defending them. Those planes belong to Zuihou-san, right?" (Yahagi) "Yeah. I''m sending the rest of the fleet to your location. Retreat... is a bit impossible at the moment. That thing will definitely give chase. Hold out until the others arrive. We are chasing that monster away." "I apologize-" (Yahagi) "Save it for later. Once everyone comes home." "Roger." (Yahagi) I switched the channel to Yamashiro''s comms, "Yamashiro, how long-" "ETA five minutes. Just a little longer. We can almost see them." (Yamashiro) "Alright. Yuudachi and Agano, secure the injured and provide shelling support. Yamashiro, I need you got in close and personal with the Re-class. That thing is abnormal so it''s extremely fast. A point-blank blast should be able take it down." "Leave it to me." (Agano) "Understood poi!" (Yuudachi) "You want me grab that thing?" (Yamashiro) "If possible. Don''t just grab it. Strangle it. Break it''s neck if you have to. Beat the living lights out of it. Make it regret coming into our waters and messing with us." "Violent, but I like it. It will pay for hurting my precious friends." (Yamashiro) "Suzuya, assist Yamashiro and stop it from attacking Yahagi any further." "Got it. I brought my own guns. That thing will pay for ruining my beauty sleep." (Suzuya) "We see it now. Engaging the target!" (Yamashiro) Agano and Yuudachi sped past Zuihou, and straight to the Satsuki''s position. Yamashiro and Suzuya made a beeline to the abnormal Re-class. "GRREEEE!!!" (Re-class?) That''s not the usual noise a Re-class makes. This one really is an anomaly. "Damn, you are a noisy one!" (Suzuya) "Careful. That thing can instantly penetrate our armor with its bare hands. Don''t stop firing!" (Yahagi) That''s a real problem. I''m assuming that''s how it managed to take down both of the Shiratsuyu sisters. It''s speed and erratic movement is making it hard for the girls to get a clear shot at it. It can dodge a shell with relative ease and get close to someone before they can fire. In fact, they taking more damage from friendly fire rather than from the Re-class itself. It''s smart enough to make use of the confusion to deal damage just by running about. However, that Re-class is targeting everyone except for Satsuki. Why? Does it have a thing for short girls? Yeah right. As if they have that kind of bias. Or maybe it has. If that''s the case, "Satsuki, leave Murasame and Shigure to Agano and Yuudachi. Go help the rest." "Understood. I will leave them to you. Murasame is hurt really bad but Shigure is in worse shape." (Satsuki) "What do you mean-" (Yuudachi) Yuudachi gasped in shock. She quickly went down her her knees to check on her sister, her hands covering her mouth, "No way. How did this..." (Yuudachi) "What? What is it?" I can''t see from here. What is Shigure''s condition? "There is so much blood..." (Agano) Blood? What kind of mortal wound did it inflict on Shigure? "This is bad. Should I wake Akashi up too?" (Rei) "Commander Rei?! When did you come in?!" Rei was standing next to me. That gave me a fright. "I have been here for a while. Anyway, like you said, that Re-class is abnormal." (Rei) "We can discuss about that later. The main priority is getting rid of that Re-class and getting everyone back to base." I watched as Satsuki fired at the Re-class. Just as predicted, it dodged her shells with relative ease. I originally thought Satsuki would be able to catch it by surprise, but the Re-class is aware of her presence. I thought it didn''t notice Satsuki. But one thing is for sure, it is focusing all its attacks of everyone except for Satsuki. It''s not even paying attention to Zuihou''s planes. Usually they would attempt to shoot the planes down first. Not to mention, Re-classes have aircraft capacity. It''s not using it''s planes or it''s main guns. It''s just engaging in close-combat. If that''s the case, "Yamashiro, stay where you are. Satsuki, keep shooting at it. Don''t bother trying to hit it, just drive it away from the rest and lead it to Yamashiro." "What are you trying to do?" (Satsuki) "Good plan. Satsuki-chan, just do it." (Yamashiro) "I don''t know what you two are planning, but it''s better than nothing." (Satsuki) "The rest of you, try to stay clear of Satsuki''s line of fire. If not, brace yourselves. Stay on the defensive." (Rei) "Roger." (All) Satsuki raised her left arm, allowing her triple Autocannons to aim straight right at the Re-class. Satsuki''s equipment is different from the other destroyers. While the other destroyers have main guns with high firepower and strong torpedo launchers, Satsuki''s strength lies in her AA autocannons. "Finally, it''s my turn!" (Satsuki) Satsuki''s autocannon started spraying at the Re-class. It''s working. The Re-class is dodging with sidesteps, rolls and jumps. It has stopped attacking the others, focusing all its attention on dodging Satsuki''s bullets. It''s head is turned towards Satsuki''s Autocannons. That will be it''s downfall. The Re-class jumped upwards in its attempt to dodge. And then, as it lands, "Got''cha!" (Yamashiro) "Yes!" (Rei) It landed straight into Yamashiro''s hand. Yamashiro caught the Re-class by the neck. True to its animalistic behavior, the Re-class started screeching at its captor, clawing at Yamashiro''s hands and trying to sink it''s teeth into her skin. "That hurts!" (Yamashiro) Yamashiro slammed the Re-class into the water, holding in under the surface for a few seconds before pulling it out. She positioned the Re-class in front of her right gun turrets. "This is for waking us up." (Yamashiro) A point blank blast from Yamashiro''s 41cm triple gun battery caused the Re-class to let out a ear-piercing scream. Yamashiro punched it''s face it to shut it up for a second, "Shut it! I''m not done. This is for coming into our waters!" (Yamashiro) Another blast and another scream echoed through the comms. "And this, is for hurting my friends!" (Yamashiro) Yamashiro fired an AP shell, piercing through the Re-class''s body and leaving a big hole in the middle. She dropped the now lifeless body of the Abyssal battleship into the water, watching it sink and slowly dissipate into dust. Everyone, including me, was astonished by what just happened. Never have I seen Yamashiro that violent and angry before. I know I gave her that idea, but still... Remind me to never piss her off. "Shigure!" (Yamashiro) Yamashiro hurried to Shigure''s side. She too gasped by the destroyer''s condition, something I can''t see from the monitor alone. "I should have blast at it a few more times. This is horrible." (Yamashiro) "Hurry up and bring them back. We can treat them from here." "I don''t think this will be easy to treat." (Agano) "What is it? What did the Re-class do to them?" "The Re-class knocked Murasame out in a single punch but I think her bones are broken. Shigure''s eye... got stabbed by its claws." (Yahagi) That''s worse than I thought. Yamashiro should have blast a few more holes into that Abyssal... Chapter 186 - 170 Shigure-chan and I waited anxiously outside the infirmary. Right now, Rei and Akagi are operating on Shigure and Murasame. The damage was more severe than what I initially thought. Akashi''s initial checks reveal a broken vertebrae in Murasame, along with some other broken bones. The docks can fix her, but the vertebrae needs to be set properly otherwise there will be permanent damage to her back. Even then, she will be out of action for a while until she regains full mobility. Shigure will need to have her entire right eye removed. Her optic nerves are completely destroyed and the docks won''t be able to heal the damage. Leaving it in will become life threatening as there are also traces of bacteria infection. For the time being, I send everyone else to the docks, for repairs and to wash up. The whole fiasco woke up the most of the sleeping shipgirls, all curious as about the sudden sortie. I managed to get them back to bed except for Shigure-chan. She was concerned about a sisters. What was that? It looked like an Re-class, but it was anything but one. It''s movements and attacks are like of an animal, wild and erratic. From whatever footage and information I have, I can only derive a few things. It''s extremely strong when it comes to CQB, being able to bring down Murasame and Shigure and piercing through their armour with one attack. This fact isn''t much of a surprise since it''s a battleship, and battlesh.i.p.s are expected to hit hard. In fact, that was it''s preferred mode of attack. Despite being a battleship with aircraft capacity, it didn''t use it''s cannons or launch any planes during the battle. It attacked with punches, kicks and scratches. Although strong enough to penetrate shipgirl armour, it''s attacks are still blockable, with the use of equipment such as Yahagi''s gun mounts or Shimakaze''s torpedo launcher. It can''t pierce through hard metal. Next, it is extremely fast, easily rivaling Shimakaze and Amatsukaze. That''s not a trait a Re-class would possess. True, a Re-class is a fast battleship, similar to the Kongou-class,but that one was way too fast. It''s speed, combined with its close quarter prowess, made it hard for the girls to land a hit on it. Catching it first was a good idea. It became useless once it couldn''t utilize it''s speed against them. Finally, I''m pretty sure that Re-class wasn''t responsible for the destruction of a nearby JMSDF vessel. Based on the footage, there were traces of burning debris scattered around the scene. Yahagi even told me they heard an explosion and concluded that the JMSDF destroyer they passed by a few hours before was attacked. They were about to conduct a Search-and-rescue when a shell struck the remains of the doomed vessel. That was when they met the Re-class. Yahagi thought that the Re-class was responsible for the destruction and murder of the sailors, but I disagree. It didn''t use it''s cannons against them, and it was in close proximity when they discovered it. The whistling Yahagi heard indicates that the attack came from a distance. If the Re-class was the one that fired the last shot, there won''t be whistling. Moreover, that Re-class didn''t fire a single shot throughout that fight. Something else was in the area. Whatever the case is, I will submit a report and send the footage to HQ. This is really bad timing. We are going to have another operation soon. I planned to have Shigure and Murasame involve but that''s out of the question now. I will create a new roster and submit it later. If possible, I would like to remove our involvement in this operation but that will obviously be rejected. I need to focus on taking care of Shigure and Murasame for now. "Will Murasame-nee-chan and Shigure-nee-chan... be alright?" (Shigure-chan) Shigure-chan is barely keeping her eyes open. I already told her she need not stay up with me. I pet her head, and gently laid her on to my lap, "She will be fine. Akashi and Rei are good at healing and repairing shipgirls. They will definitely be all right. Trust them. Now, get some sleep." "How can... I... sleep when..." (Shigure-chan) And she is out like a light. The younger the destroyer, the more child-like they are. They usually can''t stay up late despite wanting to. Zuihou-chan and the other Coastal Defense shipgirls are also like this. They are still in the ''child'' stages. "How are they?" (Zuihou) Zuihou, walked up to me. I can tell she is fresh from the bath. "Still inside. You can sleep first if you want. And that was a fast bath." "I hate to admit it, but I didn''t do much this time. So I didn''t have to take a long one. Besides," (Zuihou) Zuihou sat next me and laid her head on my shoulder, "How can I sleep when you''re here all worried?" (Zuihou) The two of us remained silent, patiently waiting for the two injured girls to come out, or at least some kind of news about them. About a hour later, Akashi and Rei came out, each pushing a bed with Murasame and Shigure on each. I want to stand up but I can''t wake the sleeping destroyer on my lap. "Don''t worry. They are both in stable condition now. I will bring Murasame and Shigure to the docks and monitor them there. For Murasame, I have fixed her bones with bio-sealant. The docks will take care of the healing process. With a bit of rehabilitation and training, she will run on no time." (Akashi) "That''s good. What about Shigure?" "Shigure... She is going to be okay, but as I told you, we removed her right eye. The docks can''t do anything to fix it since it was the removal of an entire biological part. She is going to be blind in the right side. Commander Rei will bring her to the docks to once she has finished cleaning and dressing the wound." (Akashi) "I have something to show you later. I believe it is important. Go get some rest. Leave these two to me. I will see you in the morning." (Rei) "Will you be alright? I can help with you need me." "Not yet. Erm... I can handle Murasame''s physiotherapy. Can I entrust Shigure to you? She will be shock once she wakes up. If you are around, maybe she can be at ease." (Rei) True. If I wake up being unable to see anything all of a sudden, I would be shocked as well. Both of them are injured, mentally and physically. I need to do my best to help them get back on their feet. "Good idea. I will take care of Shigure myself. I will leave Murasame''s physiotherapy to you. Thank you." "Don''t mention it. Now then, see you in the morning." (Rei) The two medics left the area with Shigure and Murasame. Now, it''s my turn to work. "Zuihou, bring Shigure-chan back to our room first and get some sleep." "What about you?" (Zuihou) "I will write up an incident report and submit it to HQ first thing in the morning. They are not going to like this one bit." Chapter 187 - 171: An Azur Lane Side Story part 2 There is a slight distortion in the video feed as the drone passed through the perception-blocking field. It was barely even five seconds before a vine shot up from the maze and swiped at the drone. By now, the drone would have been destroyed and we would barely have any information. This time is different. Ayanami-chan is controlling the drone this time. Just before the vine made contact, Ayanami moved the drone away. "Nice! Good job, Ayanami." "This is easy." (Ayanami) The vines continued their relentless assault, only to miss their target. While dodging the attacks, we were finally able to map the current layout of the maze. Right now, the maze is definitely evolving. The previous day, there were only four orbs, which we often call boss nodes. These nodes are a common sight when engaging with Siren singularities and installations. Once a fleet fights their way through to these orbs, a high rank siren, usually a tester beta clone or purifier clone would appear along with mass-produced siren sh.i.p.s. Now, there are six boss nodes, not counting the heart itself. Moreover, there are some weird flowers scattered around the maze. These flowers are spewing out some kind of gas, or maybe dust. "What is that floating around? Dust?" "We can take a sample for investigation. Ayanami, hold the left trigger and press the X button. It should activate a vacuum. Keep holding on to the two buttons until the meter is half-full." (Vestal) "Okay." (Ayanami) Ayanami did as she was told. There was the sound of something revving up followed by the obvious of a vacuum running, and the red dust can be seen moving underneath the drone. "Ok. That should be a good sample size. Just scan the area a little more and get out of there. We got what we came for." (Vestal) Ayanami controlled the drone to maje one round above the thorn maze, taking pictures of the maze layout and other notable features, before exiting the field. A vine tried to attack but it missed again. "Turn on the autopilot command. It will come back on its own. And we are done. Thanks for the help, Ayanami-san." (Vestal) "Your welcome. It wasn''t even that hard." (Ayanami) "Thank you, Ayanami. You can go back now. Leave the rest to us." Ayanami''s face turned a bit red. I already know what she is thinking. "Commander, a reward... Tonight..." (Ayanami) "Yeah." I placed a hand on her cheek, "I''ll be waiting." She smiled, before skipping away. "Ha~ah... You can have your fun later, Commander. It''s time for work." (Vestal) "Yes. Of course." "I will analyse the sample and report to you my findings." (Vestal) "I will analyse the layout and see of there is an easier way to break through. I don''t want you girls to fight six bosses in a row." "Can''t be helped. It''s our job after all. Though it would certainly be easier if we can just break through without fighting. Anyway, I will go collect the drone and send you the map data." (Vestal) "Ok." As I was about to leave the command center, I received a video call. It''s from IJN''s Brunei Anchorage. "Good afternoon , Commander Ao." (Brunei Anchorage Admiral) "Good afternoon, Admiral Taka. What''s the occasion?" "I will just get straight to the point. We may have a problem." (Admiral Taka) "What is it? Sirens in your area?" If there are Sirens attacking our allies, we are obligated to help. Likewise, if we have problems with the Abyssals, IJN will provide assistance. "Not really. At least, I don''t think so. There have been some weird Abyssals roaming about. All of which have been reported to exhibit animalistic behavior." (Admiral Taka) "Animalistic behavior? How so? You mean they will growl at anyone who comes close and use their claws and teeth as weapons?" I tried to imitate how a tiger would attack by clawing at the air. "Yeah. Quite literally." (Admiral Taka) "You serious?" I meant that as a joke! "Yeah. Two nights ago, my base has attacked by a fleet of them. Two destroyers, two light cruisers, one heavy cruiser and one light carrier. We managed to eliminate them but suffered heavy damages. That same night, a patrol fleet from Maizuru Naval District was attacked by an Abyssal battleship with the same characteristics. One of their destroyers suffered lasting injuries. Her right eye got destroyed." (Admiral Taka) Woah. That''s horrible. "I will send you a file containing their characteristics and behavior. Short story is, they use physically strong, preferring to engage in CQB, and have a reddish glow around them. Oh, before I forget, Brunei Anchorage will be assisting Azur Lane in Project Thorn Heart." "That''s great, but don''t you have an operation coming up yourselves? You sure you have enough manpower to spare?" "We will be only taking part in one mission. Originally, Maizuru was supposed to handle it but because of this incident, they may have to be assigned to another mission. And I have more than enough resources and girls to help out." (Admiral Taka) "Wow. That''s terrific!" "You can use Tawi Tawi Anchorage as an outpost if you need. It''s much closer than your current location." (Admiral Taka) "Thank you so much. That saves us a lot of trouble." "Don''t sweat it. Just introduce me to some of your animal girls next time." (Admiral Taka) "That''s impossible. They are mine." "Stingy. Anyway, that''s all I want to say. Tell us when you are starting your operation. We will prepare the necessities. Bye." (Admiral Taka) Admiral Taka hung up on his end. Now there are abnormal Abyssals roaming all over the place? It will be bad if my fleet meets one on their way to the operation area. And the Maizuru girls were attacked by one? How come I didn''t hear anything about it? Two nights ago... I could have sworn I heard an explosion somewhere far away, but Belfast''s and Ill.u.s.trious''s m.o.a.ns kind of drowned out all other noise. Oops. I probably shouldn''t mention that. Either way, if it managed to deal that kind of damage to their girls, that would mean my girls could be in danger if they come across such an enemy. I have to take some precaution. I returned to my office and found a stack of doc.u.ments on my table. It''s all the data about the thorn maze. Apart from the dust sample that was collected, everything else had been collated and arranged neatly for me. Vestal and Belfast work really fast. Let''s see... As I analysed the data and create possible strategies, there was a knock on my door. "Come in." "Commander, it''s Vestal. I have finished analysing the compounds of the mysterious dust we collected." (Vestal) That fast?! As expected of Vestal. "What is it and what are it''s effects?" "It''s pollen." (Vestal) "Pollen?" "Yes. Or rather, spores would be a better description." (Vestal) Vestal tapped on her tablet and a projector came down from the ceiling. The room darkened as the she showed a bunch of words and pictures on the wall. "The red dust contains Mental cube fragments, matured plant cells and matured plant DNA. I couldn''t identify why type of plant it is since there are no matches in our database. I have yet to extensively test its effects but so far, it doesn''t affect shipgirls." (Vestal) "How did you know that?" I have a feeling that she- "I tested it on myself. Inhaling the spores only caused a slight choking sensation, similar to- Ouch! Commander! Why are you pinching my cheeks?!" (Vestal) As soon as she said she tested the spores on herself, I immediately got up and pinched her cheeks. This girl... She should care more about her well-being. I know she is a repairship and a researcher of sorts, but she is my repairship. Even if she doesn''t want to admit it. I''m not letting my repairship put herself at risk like this. "You really need to take care of yourself! If you wanted to test the effects, use something else to test it!" "How else am I supposed to know if it affects shipgirls or not?!" (Vestal) "There are other ways apart from sniffing it yourself! Gosh!" I let go of my grip. Vestal rubbed her cheeks as she glared at me. "Anyway, let''s continue." "Ok..." (Vestal) Vestal continued her explanation on the spores we collected. So far, the only conclusion we found was that it''s red, contains living plant cells, comes from Siren origin, and does not affect shipgirls in any way, apart from choking. So essentially, what we can conclude is that the spore are just a mild inconvenience for us in the area. A simple mask should be able to stop the choking effect. Though there is something I need to confirm. "Vestal," "Yes?" (Vestal) "I just got a call from Brunei Anchorage. They said there are wild Abyssal rampaging about. Do you think the spores are the main cause?" "Hmm... Without a specimen, I can''t draw any conclusions. But theoretically speaking, if the spores don''t affect us, it shouldn''t have any effect on IJN''s shipgirls or Abyssals as well." (Vestal) "What about in large doses? Let''s say someone inhales a large amount of the spores, will it still be ineffective?" "That''s a possibility. As I said, without something to work with, I can''t-" (Vestal) The emergency alarm start blaring. An enemy has breached the perimeter! "We will continue this later. For now, head to the shelters." "Roger. I will standby for repair support." (Vestal) I rushed to the command room and turned on the base cameras. Let''s see what we are dealing with. Standing... No, is it floating? Wait a minute, it''s using some kind of appendage to raise itself up. There is a young, pale girl in black costume. She is wearing some kind of hat, with glowing red eyes and four tentacles, extending to the water surface. She appears to be drooling. Even the hat she is wearing is spewing some red liquid from its eye holes and mouth. There is a red glow surrounding her body shape. She seems... wild. That''s an Abyssal! A Carrier Wo-class! What is it doing here? Whatever the case, "Yorktown, Enterprise, South Dakota, Prinz Eugen, Javelin, Nimi, you guys are up! Eliminate the Abyssal!" Chapter 188 - 172 "Slowly. Don''t rush, otherwise it would heal slower and get more painful." (Rei) "Ow Ow Ow... This is tough..." (Murasame) "Do you need to take a break? You can''t rush these things." "Just a bit more..." (Murasame) I had the fairies fashion me a room specifically for rehabilitation. Rei is helping Murasame get back on her feet with the the parallel bars while I watch by the side. It has been three days since then. Apparently, Brunei Anchorage encountered a fleet of those abnormal Abyssals that night as well. The report states that two fleets were sent out to sink the Abyssals, and six of the twelve shipgirls were critically injured. Kind of like us, but we had extreme trouble with just one.And this morning, I received a report that Azur Lane was hit by an abnormal Carrier Wo-class yesterday. Likewise, there were no casualties, only serious injuries. Looks like even they have trouble with this weird breed of Abyssals. Because of the damaged vertebrae, Murasame isn''t able to move her legs very well. Although her back has healed, there was damage done to her motor systems, something we expected but couldn''t do anything since it has already set in. I won''t pretend to know what she is going through, but I can tell she is in pain and is exhausted. She is doing a great job enduring the pain and pushing through. We don''t know how long would it take her to recover. Rei estimated somewhere between three to six weeks, but due to a shipgirl''s unique constitution and the medicinal pool, it could potentially take a shorter time for her to heal. Rei helped Murasame sit down on a chair. Murasame winced in pain as Rei massaged her legs. "This will help increase blood flow to your muscles. You are doing well. Normally, it would take at least a week or two for a person to stand with support." (Rei) "Is that so? I''m awesome, aren''t I?" (Murasame) For Shigure, she is hasn''t said a thing since I told her about her condition. The only words that one out of her mouth were, "I see..." (Shigure) And that was it. She just returned back to bed. These three days, she hasn''t been eating much. She just lies in bed, only responding when talked to and making minimal movements. I''m worried for her mental state. This is an obvious sign that something is wrong. Losing a piece of yourself is shocking news. Something that has been with you all your life is now gone... forever. You can never recover it. Moreover, Shigure can no longer function properly as a shipgirl. Her sole reason for existing is gone. For us humans, once we get over our loss, we can adapt to it, find ways to recover and move on. Take Ensign Yakumo for example. The loss of his arm and being disfigured by the fire could have made him give up on life. He could have developed a fear of the sea and of fire, seeing as his entire ship was burned and destroyed and he was the only survivor. He could become a NEET and lament about his losses till the day he dies. Instead, he took the road less traveled, using a prosthetic and enlisting in Yokosuka Naval Academy to become part of IJN. You can say he found a new purpose in life. He has moved on. For shipgirls, this doesn''t really apply to them. Or rather, it is hard for them to move on. Shipgirls were created to fight against the Abyssals. They believe that fighting this war is their duty, their fate, and their reason for existing. There are some shipgirls who chose to follow a different path. Tama doesn''t want to fight because she is lazy, she is a cat. She only fights if she has to. Inazuma refuses to fight unless forced to. She hates war and genuinely wants peace between the humanity and the Abyssals. She almost got scrapped once because of this, during the era of the old war council. Fortunately the Marshal Admiral took her under his wing. Last I heard, she is doing office work and occasionally expeditions at Yokosuka. For Shigure, this injury could very well mean the end of her shipgirl career. She is definitely depressed right now. I feel like I should be the one by her side and supporting her... Shimakaze is with her for now, so I guess I don''t have to worry about Shigure going berserk. I don''t think Shigure would do anything drastic but just in case, let''s keep an eye on her for a few days. Bad things can and will change people, no matter the size. I watched as Murasame, with the support of Rei, slowly limped towards her wheelchair . Her legs shook uncontrollably as she slowly walked over. I hurriedly went and pushed the wheelchair closer to her, holding it steady as Rei helped the destroyer get on it. "Thank you, Admiral." (Murasame) I can see Murasame breathing heavily. Sweat dripping from her face. Shigure isn''t the only one that needs support. Even Murasame needs some too. "How is she?" "Doing pretty well. She can stand with support. Walking is still a bit hard on her." (Rei) "I will master it next time. Watch me, Admiral. I will be back in action in no time!" (Murasame) I rubbed Murasame''s head, "Do your best, but don''t push yourself too hard. Everyone will be waiting for you." "Ufufu~ But you shouldn''t focus on me now. Shigure needs the most help." (Murasame) "I know... But tha-" "Don''t worry about me. I will be back in the frontlines but Shigure won''t. She has lost her reason to live. Admiral, please. Help-" (Murasame) "I know. Leave Shigure to me. I will figure something out. Just focus on your recuperation and recovery for now. I will take care of your sister." Chapter 189 - 173 It has already been a week. Murasame has almost fully recovered. She can finally walk and run again. She is still unstable when on the water, but that can be relearned. I send in a request to be put on standby instead of participating in the operation and HQ accepted it. Brunei Anchorage will take care of the first mission, Sasebo for the second, Kure for the third, and Yokosuka for the fourth. Maizuru will be in charge of providing support to all four missions. This mainly involves going on support expeditions and assisting in covering their retreat. This is a good thing. Not only my girls don''t have to travel halfway across the globe, I can focus on Shigure and replenish my resources. I feel sorry for affecting the whole operation but I''m thankful to them for doing this. Rei sent HQ a sample of the micro-organisms found in Shigure''s destroyed eyeball the other day. The micro-organisms found matched the samples taken during Azur Lane''s investigation in the Philippine Sea and the red glow covering the Beast Abyssals. That name was given by Naval Intelligence. Fortunately, it only affects Abyssals, giving them enhanced physical abilities at the cost of their sanity. Not like they were sane in the first place. Their transformation is believed to be caused by a Siren Singularity in the Philippine Sea. A plant-like structure appeared in the Philippine Sea and started spewing out spores, which affected all Abyssals that passed through the area. From then on, they proceeded to run rampant. We had another attack yesterday. Akashi and HQ Engineering Department developed a new trap just to counteract this temporary threat. Surrounding our perimeter is a large steel net, designed to withstand Beast Abyssal attacks and disable them. Battlesh.i.p.s equipped with AP shells will then destroy the restrained Beast Abyssals. Until the Siren Singularity has been disposed, this is our strategy for now. Azur Lane has decided to push forward with the mission and are going to be supported by the remaining girls from Brunei Anchorage. Despite what I said, I have no idea how to help Shigure. I thought treating her the same as usual would yield some results. I have moved her things to my room so I can personally take care of her. I have been talking to her, giving her headpats, pampering her, feeding her, sleeping with her. So far, nothing changed. She barely responds, barely eats, and just spend the entire day staring out of the window, looking at the ocean. She only leaves the bed when she needs to go to the toilet or to bath. During the night, I can hear her sobbing. I want to help, but I don''t know how. "Shigure, I bought some red bean soup. Want some? It''s already December, some hot soup should warm us up." "Not now. I''m not hungry." (Shigure) Without turning to face me, Shigure answered me whilst looking towards the ocean. Outside, Noshiro and her fleet have just returned from the an expedition. It''s only been a week and Shigure already misses the ocean. "How nice..." (Shigure) "Does it still hurt?" "A little... bit." (Shigure) Shigure gently touched her eye patch, which covers the spot where her eye used to be. "Do you want to join me in the Kotatsu? It''s warmer there." "No, thank you. I''m fine here." (Shigure) "I see. Do you want anything to eat? Or maybe drink?" "Sorry... Admiral. Can I have some time to myself? I want to be alone for a while." (Shigure) "R-right... Sorry. I''ll be outside if you need me." And that''s how our conversation always ends. Shigure will always chase me away. I know I need to give her more time but still... "She chased you away again..." (Zuihou) Zuihou was tucked in the Kotatsu, peeling a orange. "Yeah. It can''t be help. It''s still painful for her." As I sat underneath the Kotatsu, Zuihou fed me a slice of the orange she was peeling. Zuihou and Zuihou-chan have also been helping me with Shigure. The three shipgirls would chat about things. At times, the other Shiratsuyu sisters would join in as well. Shigure-chan would always stay longer and the two of them would talk about the latter''s lessons. Even though Shigure was smiling when they talked, I can see a tinge of sadness in her eye. "What can we do now?" (Zuihou) "Do we have a counselor? For shipgirls. Akashi... isn''t one. I can try calling in the military counselor but I doubt he can do much." The military counselor is a small group of counselors working for the military. This includes JSDF, JMSDF, the Air Force and IJN. They usually take care of problem regarding humans, namely soldiers and sailors. Shipgirls are not part of their clientele. "We can try. What''s important right now is for Shigure to get out of this slump. That being said, she also needs to put in some effort." (Zuihou) "Give her time. She just lost everything she stood for. The wounds of the heart take a longer time to heal." "I just hope she doesn''t do anything crazy." (Zuihou) "By the way, where is Zuihou-chan?" I haven''t seen that small light aircraft carrier for a while now. Neither have I spoken to her. For someone that was so supportive of me creating a harem, I thought she would be the first to enter herself. "She is having lessons now, I think. I talked to her the other day. She told me it''s not the time yet and she doesn''t want to jump the queue. Once there are two people and the situation has stabilized, she will join. I have no idea what is she talking about." (Zuihou) That girl... I more or less get what she meant. Though, why wait? She could secure her spot first. And what did she mean by jump the queue? It''s as if she knows who else has been harbouring feelings for me. I heard the door open and Shigure came out, "Shigure, want to join us? I peeled some oranges?" (Zuihou) Shigure just shook her head, "Toilet..." (Shigure) Shigure dragged her feet into my bathroom and locked it from the inside. Should I be worried? Nah. She is just going to the toilet. I shouldn''t be concerned about such small things, right? I heard the sound of running water. Oh, she decided to take a bath. That''s fine. Zuihou fell asleep under the Kotatsu. She has fallen victim to the Kotatsu Demon. I can still hear the sound of running water. She is taking quite a long time to fill the bathtub. I''m starting to get worried. I got up from under the kotatsu and went to knock on the bathroom door, "Shigure? Is everything alright?" No answer... "Shigure?" I knocked again. Still no answer. Oh no. Please don''t do this to me. "Shigure! Open the door!" I started banging on the door. Negative thoughts start to fill my head. I need to get in there quick. The master key! Where did I put it? Chapter 190 - 174: An Azur Lane Side Story Part 3 The situation has changed. The operation is being pushed forward. "Strike fleet 2, what''s your status?" "Still en route to Tawi Tawi Anchorage. That''s a cute name for a naval base. Erm... ETA... maybe another hour?" (Elegant Kizuna Ai) "We need to rendezvous with the girls from Strike Fleet 1 and Brunei Anchorage, right?" (Marie Rose) "Commander, are you sure it''s alright for us to join in? We only recently arrived." (Kasumi DOA) The two new girls, Kasumi and Marie Rose, had only just arrived from Vacation Island last week. Although their shipgirl prowess and aim can use some improvements, they are unrivaled when it comes to martial arts, something we need if we encounter a Beast Abyssal. "Yeah. You two will be essential against the Beast Abyssals." "Enemies spotted! Two Beast Abyssals!" (Ookami Mio) Speak of the devil, "Class?" "What''s the hooded one with a tail called?" (Ookami Mio) "Re-class?" (Super Gamer Kizuna Ai) "Yeah yeah. That one. Two of them." (Ookami Mio) "Nya! Isn''t that bad?!" (Shirakami Fubuki) Yeah. That is bad. But we have a plan to win. "Just as we practiced, Marie and Kasumi will restrain them and hand them to Gamer AI-chan and Mio-san. Gamer Ai-chan will destroy one with a point-blank cannon blast. Mio-san will use that weird ''Stand'' thing to smash the other." "His name is Hatotaurus!" (Ookami Mio) "The others will distract them and provide cover fire." "Our names got shortened..." (Super Gamer Kizuna Ai) I can''t help it. Both of their names are a mouthful. And there are four of them. As one of the Re-classes charged towards Kasumi, she countered it with a over-shoulder toss, slamming the Abyssal onto the water surface. While Kasumi deals with one, Marie... got ignored by the other. The second Re-class leaped over Marie. "Wait! Why are you ignoring me?!" (Marie Rose) "Ah. Wait wait wait! Why is it coming after me?!" (Shirakami Fubuki) It went after Fubuki instead... Marie quickly rushed in front of the Re-class and made an attempt to punch it. The Re-class dodged and leaped over the loli fighter again. Why is it... Oh, I forgot, the Beast Re-class is said to ignore anything shorter than it. Marie definitely fits that condition. "Fubuki-senpai, please stop running! I can''t hit it like this!" (Marie Rose) "If I don''t run, that thing is going to kill me! Nya!" (Shirakami Fubuki) Fubuki narrowly escaped a ground slam by the Abyssal. "Marie-chan! Shoot it! Shoot it!" (Shirakami Fubuki) "I can''t! It''s too fast!" (Marie Rose) Looks like we have to tweak the plan a bit, "Fubuki, calm down. Lead it to Mio. You are good at escaping from monsters in horror games. This should be simple for you." "This and that are totally different! Eeek!" (Fubuki) "Fubuki, lead it over here. I got it." (Ookami Mio) "Nya Nya Nya!" (Shirakami Fubuki) "Hatotaurus, unleash you inner strength!" (Ookami Mio) A giant, semi-translucent creature appeared behind Mio. It had a beefy body, equally beefy arms and maybe an extremely intimidating aura, if it didn''t have the head of a pigeon. It''s head was a pigeon, with horns. It still looks strong but I can''t get over the fact that it has a pigeon for a head. That thing is supposedly Mio''s pet, Hatotaurus. A combination of a Minotaur and a pigeon. Why? I know that fox-cat-girl created it as part of a skit they did but I didn''t expect it to be utilized this way. "Mio, hurry up! It''s going to get me! Wah!" (Shirakami Fubuki) She narrowly dodged another swipe from the bestial Re-class. Damn, she''s fast. Probably as fast, if not, faster than Shimakaze. "Come to me! Marie-chan, if I miss, help me restrain it again." (Ookami Mio) "Don''t worry, Mio-senpai. You won''t miss. Even if you did, I will have my turn to shine." (Marie Rose) Marie and Fubuki rushed to Mio''s position, with the Bestial Re-class hot on the latter''s tail. Hatotaurus raised it''s left arm, "Coo!" (Hatotaurus) And slammed it towards the Bestial Re-class. As expected, it dodged, but was instantly grabbed by Hatotaurus''s right hand. The captured Abyssal screeched and clawed at the bull-pigeon hybrid as it tries to escape. Hatotaurus just tightened it''s grip. The disturbing sound of bones cracking can be heard as the Abyssal continued to scream in pain, before it became motionless. Hatotaurus slammed it onto the water surface. It pounded the motionless Abyssal a few more times before it sunk into the ocean and turned imto dust. That was gruesome. On the other side, Kasumi and both of the self-proclaimed super AIs managed to take down the other Bestial Re-class. Kasumi was distracting the Bestial Re-class by engaging it in close-combat while Elegant Kizuna Ai unleashed a salvo onto its back. It couldn''t react in time and took serious damage. Super Gamer Kizuna Ai then took the stage by firing an AP shell through it. Right after Kasumi got out of her line of fire of course. The Re-class was damaged by both Kasumi''s relentless assault and Elegant AI''s salvo that it couldn''t move properly, let alone dodge a battleship caliber AP shell. In contrast to the other group, they had an easier time. "Uugh~ That was scary~" (Shirakami Fubuki) Mio pat Fubuki''s head, "There there. It''s gone already." "Coo~" (Hatotaurus) "Ah. Hatotaurus, thank you for your help. You can return now." (Ookami Mio) Her pet disappeared into thin air. I''m somewhat relieved that it''s finally gone. That thing freaks me out a little. Marie looks dejected. "It''s okay. You turn will come soon." "Uugh..." (Marie Rose) "That''s right I''m counting on you to restrain the next Beast Abyssal, Marie-chan." (Ookami Mio) "Mio-senpai..." (Marie Rose) Mio rubbed Marie''s head as the two super AIs looked on, "There it is. The rumoured Mio-mama." (Super Gamer Kizuna Ai) "So that''s why she has that nickname. It really fits her." (Elegant Kizuna Ai) "Hmm... She certainly gives off that kind of aura sometimes." (Kasumi) "All right. All right. Get a move on. Let''s not waste anymore time." I watched from the monitor as Strike Fleet 2 continued their approach to Tawi Tawi Anchorage. For now, the coast seems clear. They are to meet up with Strike Fleet 1 and Brunei Anchorage''s Fifth Fleet. Strike Fleet 1 consist of Saint Louis, Suzuya, Nekone, Good, Ryuuhou and Intrepid. Saint Louis, Suzuya, and Nekone are needed for their fire attacks. Their attacks can help burn down the maze walls, making it easier to advance. Ryuuhou, Intrepid and Hood are for in charge of simply destroying the enemy. So one fleet to take care of Sirens and destroying the maze, another fleet for taking down Beast Abyssals. The fifth fleet will combine with Strike Fleet 1, making it a combined fleet. Just as Elegant Kizuna Ai predicted, the fleet reached Tawi Tawi Anchorage within the next hour. They were greeted by small, floating girls in uniform. The fairies belonging to IJN have come out to greet them. "Wow. What are these? They are so cute." (Marie Rose) "They are called Fairies. They maintain and manage our equipment and other stuff." (???) A tall lady in navy blue uniform approached my girls. She has brown hair and gives off a rather calm and ladylike aura. a few strands of hair was sticking out of something that resembles a smoke stack on her head. The fairies surrounding my girls immediately gathered around her. "You are..." (Kasumi DOA) "Ah. Sorry for the late introduction. My name is Saratoga. Please call me Sara. I''m the flagship of the fifth fleet. Though, for now, I have transferred flagship command to Saint Louis-san. Pleased to meet you." (Saratoga) "Another Saratoga-chan. Or Saratoga-san?" (Shirakami Fubuki) "A totally different person." (Marie Rose) As expected, the girls are surprised. Except for the twins. They are already used to seeing another version of their senpais. During their visit to Yokosuka Naval District, they were surprised to see the other versions of the girls they usually knew. After a brief exchange, Saratoga led them to the briefing room. I better switch channels and enter the room online as well. Since Azur Lane is in charged of this operation, I better brief everyone properly. Admiral Taka is busy with his own operation, so I better make sure both of our girls succeed and make it back home. I should be there physically but there is still an ongoing Beast Abyssal threat over here. I have to do this remotely. The next day, Operation Thorn Heart will commence. Today, everyone will rest up and prepare for tomorrow. Chapter 191 - 175 "You idiot! Why are you trying to take your own life?!" (Shiratsuyu) "N-no. That was..." (Shigure) The other ten of the Shiratsuyu sisters, Shigure-chan included, gathered at the infirmary. I managed to find the master key and opened my bathroom door. I rushed in to find the place flooded with warm water and a n.a.k.e.d Shigure unconscious and submerged in the bath tub. She just tried to drown herself, or so I thought. She woke up shortly after I pulled her out of the tub. She doesn''t seem to have swallowed any water. Just to be safe, I brought her to Rei and Akashi for a check up. Her face was flushed and her body was warm when I found her, and remained like this even now. "I just wanted to bath but I felt giddy... and that... happened..." (Shigure) "Do you really think we would believe that?" (Murasame) *beep* Rei took Shigure''s temperature with an infra-red thermometer, "38.5 degrees. She has a high fever." (Rei) "So she really fainted in the bath?" (Umikaze) "Most probably. What were you doing before you lost consciousness?" (Rei) "I was... filling up the bathtub. Then I... was thinking that... it will be nice to go out to sea again... I just sat in the tub, waiting for the water to fill. The I felt giddy... That''s all I remember." (Shigure) So that''s why the place was flooded. Supposedly, she lost consciousness while waiting for the tub to fill. But we can''t rule out her attempt to take her own life yet. "Even then, why were you sitting in the bathtub and waiting for it to fill? You could have waited outside." (Kawakaze) "That''s right poi! Admiral-san brought out the Kotatsu poi. You could join him first poi." (Yuudachi) The sisters are getting riled up. I understand their anger and concern, but any more might be too much for Shigure''s fragile mind. The poor girl is on the verge of tears. I clapped my hands to get their attention, "Alright, everyone calm down. You can continue to scold Shigure later. Let her rest for now." "Admiral, are you okay with this? Shigure just tried to kill herself. I''m surprised you can still be calm." (Shiratsuyu) "Of course not. It''s taking a lot to remain calm. But grilling her now won''t help much. Let me talk to her first. All of you return back to your duties and whatever you were doing. This is an order." The ten girls reluctantly left the infirmary. Shigure was facing down, her hands tightly gripping the sheets. "Shigure, let''s talk." I sat down on the bed beside her, "Are you sure you weren''t trying to drown yourself?" "It''s true! I wouldn''t do such a thing!" (Shigure) "Then let''s leave it that." As much as I want to have a talk with her, Shigure is sick. She needs rest. "Commander Rei, can she take some medicine now?" "Yeah. Here." (Rei) Rei handled Shigure a glass of water and two red and white tablets. Shigure tossed the tablets into her mouth and swallowed it with the water. "Lie down. Get some sleep." "Admiral, I really didn''t try to drown myself. I wouldn''t dare do such a thing." (Shigure) She gripped my sleeves tightly. I pet her head as I slowly tucked her in, "I know. I believe you. Just rest for now. I will be here with you." "Really. I didn''t try to-" "Shh~ There there. I believe you, Shigure. Sleep for a bit, okay?" I held onto Shigure''s hand as she laid on the bed. I waited till she fell asleep. I can tell because her grip on my hand had loosened and relaxed. Her pained expression from before had completely disappeared as well. "Rei, you thoughts?" "We can''t rule out that she wasn''t trying to commit sui-" (Rei) "Not that. I''m talking about how should we help her. Right now, her mind is going through a lot." "Should we call for a counsellor? Maybe they are more knowledgeable about these things. Back in JSDF, I had to call the counsellors for some recruits with adjustment issues and other mental issues. Most of them felt better after a few sessions. And besides, we are not experts in this field. It''s better to leave it to the experts. Though, I''m not sure if they are willing to help shipgirls." "That''s what I thought as well. It won''t hurt to try, I guess." I got lucky with Zuihou the other time. This time, it''s different. "No..." (Shigure) Shigure started to toss about. She stretched out her arms, as if reaching for something. Her eyes were still closed while doing all these. A pained expression formed on her sleeping face. Another nightmare, but this is different. "No... Please... Give it back... I can''t live without it... I''m useless if it''s gone... Please... Don''t take it from me... I still want to be useful... I still... want to be by his side... I don''t want to be left alone... Please... Don''t..." (Shigure) I caught her hand as they flailed about. I used my free hand to pet her head, "There there. I''m here. You are not alone. Relax. I''m here for you. You''re not useless. Calm down." Shigure tightly grasped my hand. Her arms start to relax as she pulled my hand close to her chest. She turned towards my direction. The pained expression slowly disappeared from her face as her breathing returned to normal. "It''s alright. I''m here." "Admiral..." (Shigure) I looked at Rei, "You can put that syringe down now." Rei was holding onto a large syringe, filled with a translucent liquid, and stood at Shigure''s bed front. I can only assume that was an anesthetic. "You have a knack for this." (Rei) Rei squirt out the anesthetic from the syringe into the sink, "Like I always say, spend enough time with them, you will learn how to handle with them." This is a different nightmare from what she usually experiences. Ordinarily it will be the Nishimura Tradegy. She was saying things like ''useless'' and ''still be by his side''s and other things. Is this because she feels useless because she can''t fight at the frontlines anymore? And that her only value is fighting? I taking potshots here I feel like that''s what this is all about. I need to confirm this myself and handle this accordingly. "On second thought, I think I should be the one to handle this." "Yeah I think so too. Look at her. This is the first time in a while I have seen her this happy while sleeping." (Rei) Shigure was smiling. Her hands still tightly clutching mine against her chest. Looks like I will be stuck here for a while. At least, it''s worth it. Chapter 192 - 176 Regarding the operation, Maizuru Naval District has been ordered to standby for sorties. We have been assigned to assist as ''friend fleets'', which essentially means we will be supporting the various fleets during the night. Brunei Anchorage will be the first, seeing as an acursed Abyssal Mediterranean Princess controls the area where their mission takes places. That thing is abnormally tough, even for an Abyssal Princess. The girls will be equipped with night battle equipment, including star shells, searchlights, radars, SCAMP, and night planes. Of course, non-combat personnel and shipgirls who are not combat-ready won''t be participating. They will be tasked to guard the base until Azur Lane''s Operation Thorn Heart is complete. Akashi had made improvements to the steel net surrounding our perimeter. It has now been electrified. Theoretically, this should be enough to drive off Beast Abyssals, or at least paralyze them. Nobody, and nothing, likes to get shocked by a 6000 volt steel alloy net. Anyway, when a beast abyssal has been caught and paralyzed in the electric net, those remaining in base can begin their assault. It could take a while, but it''s better than leaving it in our net. If the Beast Abyssal manages to break free, the base''s new defensive weapons will be activated. The Beast Abyssal will be attacked by Fairy-operated 35.5mm guns with AP shells, Quadruple-Torpedo launchers, LBAS planes and sea mines. We only have a small window before the Abyssal recovers and starts going berserk, so time is of essence in this case. This strategy is courtesy of Yokosuka Engineering, who experimented with this tactic and reported a 99% effectiveness. The 1% was when a Beast Abyssal broke free and recovered too quickly. While the girls have their roles to play, I will taking care of this lost little puppy. The next day, Shigure has recovered. As expected of Rei, her medicine was really effective. Now, it''s my turn, "Umm... Admiral? What did I do to deserve this?" (Shigure) A confused Shigure sat on my lap while I pet her, "I haven''t done anything yet. All I did was cause trouble for everyone. I don''t-" (Shigure) "Shush. Just sit here and don''t say a word." "But-" (Shigure) "Ah-pap-pap. Quiet. Just enjoy the petting." She is putting up a bit of resistance. For some reason, she keeps saying she doesn''t deserve being me petting and caring for her. Compared to the days before, she is slightly more responsive. I guess she really was affected by the fever back then. This is good progress. At least she doesn''t hole herself up in my room anymore. Since it''s cold, I decided to do her pampering while under the Kotatsu. "Is it warm enough? Do you want to turn up the heat?" "N-no... I''m alright. It''s pretty warm already." (Shigure) "Okay. Then let''s remain like this for a while." Shigure is very fidgety today. She probably feels like she doesn''t deserve this treatment. She has been saying a lot of negative things for a while now. Things like ''I''m not worthy'' and I only cause trouble for everyone''. I keep shutting them down though. "Admiral, what about your work?" (Shigure) "I will do them later. There isn''t much anyway." "I-is that so?" (Shigure) One will often lets their mind wonder when they have nothing to do. Since Shigure is no longer going out to the frontlines, I better find something for her to focus on even if only temporary. "Do you want to help me with my work?" "Can I?" (Shigure) "Yep. Give me sec." Uwah! It''s freezing! I better grab my doc.u.ments and hurry back to our little comfort zone. Since we are doing work, it''s better if we sat separately. I let Shigure be in charge of the resource reports while I handle the Friend Fleet formation planning. I will need to adjust the fleet according to the guidelines and scenario. Each fleet needs to have at least one destroyer and one light cruiser. The remaining slots can be filled with other ship types. A torpedo squadron, an carrier fleet and a battleship fleet... I guess these three are my only options. I glanced at Shigure. She is concentrating on the reports. She looks happy reading and writing notes. Resource reports tell us how much resources we had at the start, how much we used, how and when they have been used, and how much do we have left. It''s a bit like accounting, how we have to make sure everything matches with our records. Any discrepancies will need to be investigated, which is a pain, since Akashi and Yuubari keeps coming with new projects and experiments without telling anyone. Because of these two, we usually have discrepancies regarding fuel and steel. Shigure seems to be happily calculating them right now. ----------------------------------------------------- "Finally we''re done." I lazily plopped onto the Kotatsu top. I have created thirteen fleets, three each of the four-part operation and one to deal with the Siren construct in the Philippines. That last one wasn''t needed but I have something I want to do there. I will submit a request later. The girls in that fleet will definitely be pleased. "Uhmm... We are done for the day..." (Shigure) She looks so sad now. She stared outside the window, looking towards the sky. Well, that''s only one thing I can do. I reached out and pet her head. Shigure looked at me, with tears in her eye. She scoot over to me and the both of us quietly enjoyed each others company. Chapter 193 - 177 The Bestial Abyssal Battleship Princess screamed as she disappeared below the water surface. That was the third Princess the combined fleet has encountered in a row. "Coo~" (Hatotaurus) Mio''s pet let out a low noise. It''s left shoulder was bleeding, having been bitten by the Bestial Abyssal. Any damage Hatotaurus received is being reflected on to its owner as well. "Aren''t they a little too many of them? Ge-ho ge-ho... Ugh..." (Ookami Mio) Mio was clutching her left shoulder. Although she isn''t bleeding, the damage is there. "Mio-senpai, are you alright?" (Kasumi DOA) "I''m okay. It just hurts a little. " (Ookami Mio) "Commander-san, Prinz Eugen and Aquila has suffered heavy damages from that encounter." (Saratoga) "Mio-san doesn''t seem to be doing well either." (Elegant Kizuna Ai) "Nekone-chan is barely standing up." (Suzuya) "I''m... okay. We need... to complete the mission..." (Nekone) "Commander, we should retreat for the time being. Everyone is tired and injured." (Saint Louis) Louis is right. This is a good time to retreat and recuperate. In a single day, we have already taken down two of the six siren boss nodes we identified before hand. The first had an Chaser while the second had two Oceanas. There is a rather ridiculous number of Beast Abyssals around as well. They probably got lost in this bramble maze but there are so many. The Sirens were much of a trouble. It was these Beast Abyssals that dealt the most damage this time. "All fleets, retreat. We will continue this tomorrow once everyone has recovered and fully rested." "Roger!" (All) "Remain vigilant till you are back at the base. I will contact you girls tomorrow morning. Signing out." I cut the connection at my end. I watched as the the girls make their way back to base. There are no Abyssals or Sirens along the way, so they are safe for now. "Good work, Master. Shall I prepare some tea?" (Belfast) I turned to face the Head Maid, "Thank you, Belfast. Bring it to my office. And bring me some snacks too." "Understood." (Belfast) Belfast bowed and left the Command Room. This is stressful. I didn''t expect it to be this hard. Having three girls with the ability to burn their targets is a good idea, but the fire burns down the maze walls way too slowly. On top of that, there is a bunch of Siren sh.i.p.s and Beast Abyssals to deal with. I may need to rethink the strategy. Huh? Since when did I arrive at my office? Did I... Never mind. I''m too tired to think. I sat at my desk and looked through the intel and initial plans done up by the Royal Navy. The plans didn''t take into account the horde of Beast Abyssals so that needs to be changed. Is it too late to send in another fleet? I''m sure the Neptunia girls wouldn''t mind slashing up some Abyssals for me. Alright, I will send in Purple Heart, Green Heart, Black Heart and White Heart as a Hunting Squadron . Solely for Beast Abyssals. They claimed they have experience in fighting giant monster''s and such, so this is perfect for them. I also need to rethink our strategy of burning new pathways. I still think it''s the easiest way to get us to the center, but the trade-off is a little too much to bear. There was a knock on the door, "Come in." It was Belfast, with my tea and snacks. And possibly another stack of doc.u.ments. I watched as my maid set the table and served me my tea. "Today''s tea is Valerian Tea. This should help you relax and sleep well tonight." (Belfast) As soon as I took a sip, I can feel my body relaxing and warming up. "Master, I suggest you rest for the day. You have had quite the long day." (Belfast) "Not yet. To be honest, the current strategy is flawed. Today''s sortie showed us a lot of unforeseen circ.u.mstances." How do I go about this? Is sending the four Neptunia girls enough? "Rest assured Master. I just got a telegram from IJN Yokosuka that another fleet will be going over to assist. They will rendezvous with the combined fleet in the morning. I can guarantee their prowess." (Belfast) A fourth fleet... So that brings the total to five. IJN is being pretty generous this round. Do they even have enough people for their own operation? Hold on... "Belfast, you met th-" "That''s why," (Belfast) Before I can finish, I felt myself being pulled into something soft, warm and bouncy. Belfast was hugging my head against her chest! "B-Belfast?" "Please rest for the day. I will help you relax tonight." (Belfast) ------------------------------------------------------ The next morning, the operation is back on schedule. The Neptunia girls are on their way and will rendezvous with the others by the evening. Another IJN fleet is supposed to show up now, but there is no sign of such fleet. "Should we just go in first?" (Ryuuhou) Time is of essence here. Based on our data, the maze could have changed its layout overnight. It''s best of we continue, "All sh.i.p.s, continue the operation. Let''s aim for the fifth Siren Boss today." "Roger!" (All) ... What the heck happened here? As soon as the camera passed through the perception-blocking field, an unusually horrifying scene was presented to us. The maze was on fire, there are broken Siren sh.i.p.s scattered around, dead beast Abyssals that are in the process of sinking and dissolving into dust... Something swept through here. "Uwah. This is terrifying." (Shirakami Fubuki) "I think our backup is already here." (IJN Saratoga) "I concur. Is it hard to inform us that they have reached?." (Saint Louis) "Talk about rude." (Suzuya) "Whatever the case, they left us an entrance." (Hood) The previous entrance, which the fleet used to enter yesterday, had been closed off. This means the maze changed its layout last night. However, as Hood said, our supposed allies have left us an new way to enter. There is a large hole, with parts of it still on fire, on the side of the wall that was previously unburnable, or took too long to burn. "Let''s go on through there. For now, let''s find out who is our backup." The three fleets entered the maze. Needless to say, our backup left a trail. More burning plants, more Siren debris, and more dead abyssals, and more fiery holes in the walls. Not long after, we finally heard them, right round the corner, "Come on! I will blast a hole in all of you!" (???) "Burn! This is for hurting Onee-chan!" (???) "Yamashiro, Shigure-chan, calm down! This is getting out of hand. We were only supposed to thin out the horde and create a entrance for Azur Lane." (???) "You say that, but weren''t you just as eager to kill them all?" (???) "Yamshiro, come on. Don''t hog them all to yourself!" (???) There are same familiar voices, coming from the next corner. There was the sound of cannon fire, before an Abyssal flew into view. And I mean literally. The body of an Abyssal zoomed pass Saint Louis. The usually stoic Heavy Cruiser flinched, "God! Oh. That scared me!" (Saint Louis) There were more explosions, as what looks to be a flaming Abyssal aircraft begin a bombing run on the maze walls. I''m starting to realise who is our backup this time. "Ah! The Maizuru girls!" (IJN Prinz Eugen) Prinz Eugen called out to the six girls from Maizuru. All of them except Yamashiro turned to look. The Aviation Battleship was busy beating up a half-dead Abyssal, until it dissapated into dust. She didn''t notice the other girls until Yahagi nudged her, "Wha-? Oh. Hello." (IJN Yamashiro) "Took you long enough." (Intrepid) Our backup fleet was Yamashiro, Mogami, Yahagi, Shigure-chan, Zuihou-chan and Murasame. "Belfast, why didn''t tell me the backup fleet was from Maizuru?" "I placed the telegram on your desk, Master. You are the one that didn''t read it." (Belfast) Anyway, "Saint Louis, tell them the frequency we are using... What''s going on?" The girls are all in combat stance while Shigure-chan and Zuihou-chan set fire to a nearby maze wall. There is an enemy nearby. "Commander, is there another boss on the other side of this wall?" (Saint Louis) I tracked the map, "There is nothing highlighted on my end. Assuming the entire layout changed, be careful." "Our radars are going crazy. There is something big on the other side of this wall." (Ryuuhou) "Be ready. The wall is about to be breached." (IJN Yahagi) "How about I help you with that?" (???) Blue lasers penetrated the wall, nearly missing the girls by a few centimeters. On the other side of the wall, an unexpected enemy made her appearance. Her body was pale in colour. She wore a black hoodie. Behind her was a large shark-like creature, with cannons at its sides. "A dangerous person has appeared." (Hood) The Omitter... Chapter 194 - 178 Shigure stood at the pier and watched as the fleets I assembled before left the base for their designated posts. The operation is in full swing, and many of my shipgirls have been assigned to friend fleets. The earliest one that left was Yahagi''s Arson fleet. I assigned them to help Azur Lane with their operation. At least, that''s what I wrote on paper. They will be avenging us in my place. I hope they made it in time. By the way, the ''Arson'' part is because of Zuihou-chan''s and Shigure-chan''s ability to set things on fire. I figured it would be a fitting name for them. "Should we go back? It''s cold out here." "A little longer..." (Shigure) Shigure really wants to go back out to sea. That''s a given. The sea is their birthplace. They are known as ''Children of the Sea'' by some sailors and activist groups. As much as she wants to, she is in no condition to. The eyes serve as a radar alongside their vision. Shigure will be unable to detect an enemy properly until it''s too late and will get blindsided by enemy attacks. As such, I am not sending her out to sea. "Ah-ci!" (Shigure) She just sneezed, "Let''s go back and warm ourselves up." "Okay..." (Shigure) When we got back, Shigure went straight to the docks. I know a hot bath is perfect in this cold weather but she has been spending a lot of time over there. Maybe because it''s the closest body of water she can be in. Or maybe she is still trying to repair the broken part of herself. When she isn''t helping me with work or getting headpats from me, she would either be staring out at the sea or hiding in the bathroom or the docks. It''s already been two weeks since then. I wonder when Grand Admiral Hasake can come by. I sent him a a few messages last week and haven''t gotten a single reply since. Hopefully the best researcher and engineer in IJN can figure something out... ------------------------------------------ ---Shigure POV--- Why am I still here? I''m useless and ugly now. I stared at my own reflection in the mirror and the grotesque void on my face stared back at me. I still can''t believe this happened to me. Why did I let this happen? If only I was stronger... I closed the void. I don''t want to see it. How long has been since then? My eye has stopped hurting. I lost a vital part of myself, but sometimes, I feel as if it is still there. Now, the only bodies of water I can be in is here and Admiral bathtub. Pathetic... I''m really useless like this. I can''t even go on patrols or expeditions like this. I just keep on imposing on him. I won''t be surprised if he were to scrap me sooner or later. A destroyer who can''t fight is just a waste of resources and time. Then again, Admiral is kind. He wouldn''t do such things as scrapping us or abandoning us. He is too kind... Way too kind for someone like me... I dipped my head under the water... Let''s try this again... I opened my eyes underwater. There was the usual burning sensation on my right. So painful that it forced my head out of the water. The usual bleeding comes soon after... Why? Isn''t this pool supposed to heal me? Why is it hurting me instead? "Why am I like this?! Why is this happening to me?!" This is ridiculous. What''s the point of me being here? I just want to be with everyone. I want to fight together with everyone. I don''t want to be alone again. More importantly, I want to useful to Admiral. If I''m just a burden to him, then there is no meaning in life for me! I love Admiral. But Admiral loves Zuihou. I know there isn''t a place for me in his heart. At least, if I can be useful, I get to a chance to stand by his side. Now, I even lost that position... "Eh? Someone''s here already?" (???) I turned to the source of the voice. It was Commander Rei. "Commander Rei..." "Ah. It''s Shigure. Rei is fine for now. I''m on break today anyway." (Commander Rei) "I see." Then why is she here? Shouldn''t be having fun outside? "Huh? Why are you bleeding?" (Commander Rei) Crap. I forgot to wipe away the blood. "It''s fine." I tried to wipe the blood away. "No no no. It''s not fine at all. Come here." (Commander Rei) Commander Rei pulled me out of the medicinal pool. She dragged me to the washing stations and made sit on the stool. "Open it." (Commander Rei) "I''m fine, Commander. You don''t have t-" "Just open it." (Commander Rei) "But it''s ugly and disgusting." "It''s not. There is nothing disgusting about an empty eye socket. I have seen worst in my JSDF days. This is nothing compared to that. Oi! Don''t cover it with your hands!" (Commander Rei) How is she stronger than me? I got completely overpowered... Commander Rei is looking at the disgusting void of mine. "Gosh. What did you do this time? The insides are inflamed." (Commander Rei) "Just a little... experiment." "Yeah right. As if I can believe that. Admiral will freak out if he sees this. At least the bleeding stopped a while ago. This was just residual blood." (Commander Rei) Commander Rei washed off the blood that was still on my face. Speaking of which, Commander Rei wanted to aim for Admiral too, didn''t she? I wonder what she thinks about it now, "Commander Rei," "I told you, Rei is fine." (Commander Rei) "Then, Rei-san..." "Yeah?" (Commander Rei) "What do you think of Admiral?" "Hmm... Since we are here, let''s do it." (Commander Rei) "Eh? Do what?" "A heart-to-heart girls talk." (Commander Rei) Chapter 195 - 179- An Azur Lane Side Story Part 5 This is the worst. I didn''t expect The Omitter to make her appearance this early in the game. I didn''t even think that this was a Mirror Sea because of how everything was different from her Modus Operandi. I need to contact the Goddess Fleet, "Goddess fleet, we have an emergency. I''m authorizing the removal of your limiters and the use of your share crystals." "Aren''t you generous today. That can''t be a good sign." (Black Heart) "What? What is going on?" (Green Heart) "The Omitter is here. Follow the fire. It will lead you straight to the battlefield." "Perfect! Let''s go!" (White Heart) A white glow shone brightly behind Blanc as she sped past the other three goddesses. "Oi! Blanc! Wait up! Don''t rush off on your own!" (Purple Heart) "This is an emergency. Last one doesn''t get any pudding." (Green Heart) "Oho~ So that''s how you want to play. I''m going to get your share of pudding!" (Purple Heart) "You got to be kidding me. Now isn''t the time to play around." (Black Heart) The three perfectly endowed and s.e.xy otherworldly goddesses sped up to catch up with their flatter friend. I need them to be there to help fight off The Omitter. They are more than willing to, given the history between the Siren and the four of them. The battle has already started. The Omitter unleashed another barrage of blue lasers at the combined fleet. "Evade!" (Saint Louis) "Ahahaha! Dance for me!" (The Omitter) It would be fine if it was only against that one Siren. A large number of Siren sh.i.p.s and Beast Abyssals are closing in on the group. "Strike fleet two, focus on the enemies surrounding your position. Maizuru, provide assistance. Strike fleet one and the fifth fleet will focus on The Omitter. Drive her off!" "Roger!" (All) The aircraft carriers from Maizuru and Strike Fleet Two launched their planes and started their bombing run. The others followed suit with their cannon and torpedo salvos. Mio''s Hatotaurus begin scooping up Beast Abyssals and smashing them against one another. Marie and Kasumi engaged the enemy in hand-to-hand combat while shells rain down upon them. They gracefully dodged the shells at the last moment, ensuring their assailants are the ones getting blown up by the HE shells. Fire spread all over the maze walls and on the water surface. Looks like the Beast Abyssals are afraid of fire too. They steer clear of the burning patches and in turn, let themselves get hit by wherever the two fleets threw at them. Meanwhile, the other two fleets concentrate their onslaught on The Omitter. We should have an advantage since IJN gave us blueprints to improve our weapons, making them effective against the Sirens. The Omitter raised her hand to block the incoming shells fired by Hood and Warspite. The shells were floating in mid-air, as if held by some unseen force. "Did you really think these puny attacks are can hurt us? We have seen the same thing one too many times. Even a monkey would know how to counter against such things." (The Omitter) I should have guess. If we evolved, the Sirens would have as well. But that''s not the issue now, "Evade! Break the formation! I want both fleets to be separated and take on a Line Ahead formation." A pincer attack seems to the best option for now. As expected, The Omitter flung the shells back at the fleet. Fortunately, none of the shells hit any of the girls. They didn''t even explode. They just hit the water and floated there. "Hmm... I screwed up the formula. Oh well, this much is good enough." (The Omitter) "Maizuru and Strike Fleet Two, hold out as long as you can. Yamashiro-san, Zuihou-chan and Mio, send some aircrafts over as support for Strike Fleet one." "Roger. Squadrons three and four, you got your orders." (Ookami Mio) "Sending all three Zuiuns over." (IJN Yamashiro) I''m sending some Cat Fighters over." (IJN Zuihou-chan) Cat Fighters? Isn''t that an Abyssal aircraft? I knew she can create aircrafts out of fire but I don''t know what type she could create. Bright yellow Suisei bombers materialised on Mio''s runway and took flight. Zuihou-chan''s chest emitted a red glow as she threw out five balls of fire, which materialised into orange Cat fighters. The way she summons them is the same as how the Aircraft Carriers from the Sakura Empire launch their planes. "Hoo~ I think I just saw something interesting. Ow!" (The Omitter) Hood managed to land a hit on the Omitter. The Siren glared at the British Battleship, "Now you done it." (The Omitter) The Omitter leaped into the air and rained fire onto the battlefield, hitting everyone and everything around her. Smoke and the sound of explosions and screams filled the air. Her barrage was so fast that no one, including the Siren sh.i.p.s and Beast Abyssals, were unable to evade. It was a scene out of hell... "Everyone! Are you girls all right?! Get up!" Most of the girls are down, unable to move. The ones still standing are the Battleship classes, Hood, Yamashiro, Super Gamer Kizuna Ai and Warspite. But they are in no condition to continue the battle. The Omitter slowly descended back onto the surface, "Now then, where was I? Ah yes," (The Omitter) The Omitter walked to the fallen Zuihou-chan and grabbed her by the neck, "Gh! Ugh!" (Zuihou-chan) "You... What are you? There is a mental cube in you but you are not part of our creations Neither are you a siren nor a clone I created. But you can use our powers and there are more of you. Interesting. I would love to dissect and look inside you. Sadly, I got my orders Say, show it to me one more time. Summon the planes again. I want to get some data." (The Omitter) "Let her go!" (IJN Yamashiro) Yamashiro aimed her remaining guns at The Omitter. The Omitter swung Zuihou around and positioned the little girl in front of her. Coward! She is using Zuihou-chan as a shield. "I rather not take any more damage today. I''m tired already. Now, little one. Let me see that trick once more. Or else," (The Omitter) "Gh!" (IJN Zuihou-chan) The Omitter turned her guns and aimed them at a downed Saratoga, "3... 2..." (The Omitter) "32-bit mega blade!" (Purple Heart) A blue sword appeared in mid-air and flew straight at The Omitter. It caught her off-guard and sliced of the hand strangling Zuihou-chan. They are finally here! "Gaaahhhhrgh!" (The Omitter) The Siren shrieked as she staggered backwards. Not giving the Siren any time to recover, the other goddesses continued their assault, "Volcano Dive!" (Black Heart) "Gefahrlichtern!" (White Heart) "Sylhet Spear!" (Green Heart) Noire slammed her sword onto the shark creature, setting of an explosion while Blanc hurled three large balls of ice at The Omitter herself. A large green spear then came out of a portal beside Vert, piercing through the Siren and pinning her against the maze walls. "Gyaaahhh!" (The Omitter) "Tsk! Another clone." (White Heart) What? How can they tell? "Yeah. The real body wouldn''t be this easy." (Green Heart) "If it were the real one, our attacks wouldn''t even connect, even with our Share power." (Purple Heart) You got to be kidding me... I should have expected this. Of course the actual Omitter wouldn''t be present herself. Then again, a mere clone being this fearsome... If we were to fight the real one... "You girls alright? I guess I already know the answer." (Purple Heart) Everyone is clearly injured. Almost everyone can barely get up or move. "Hee hee hee... ke-ha..." (The Omitter) The Omitter clone coughed out some blue blood as she laughed. "Ah. She is still alive." (Black Heart) "You are pretty tough for a clone." (White Heart) "Aren''t you one as well? We are the ones that brought you here after all." (The Omitter) "Yeah yeah. We already know that. Tell us something new." (Green Heart) "This isn''t the end. A minor setback, and we got valuable data out of this experiment." (The Omitter) "You better tell us your results and plans then." (Purple Heart) "Don''t wanna~ Bleh~" (The Omitter) The Omitter playfully stick out her bloodied tongue, and a black shadow enveloped her body. I know this trick. She is going to self-destruct! "Blanc!" "I know! Get behind me and cover your ears!" (White Heart) The Omitter clone exploded. All I can see on the monitor was a flash of white and the deafening sound of the explosion echoed through the command room. I should have muted the mic. After a few seconds, the light and smoke cleared as visual is being reestablished. All the other girls are safe. Right before the explosion, Blanc, or White Heart in this case, slammed the water with her axe and created a thick wall of ice to protect them from the blast. Though everyone is safe for now, I can''t say the same for the surrounding environment. A large chunk of the maze has disappeared. There is an obvious difference in the sea level between the surrounding waters and the epicenter of the explosion. I can''t say anything about the marine life, but I can guarantee everything in the immediate area has already died. I mean, dead fishes are starting to float up to the surface. This is going to cause a whole lot of problems for the locals and the ecosystem. We will deal with that somehow, but now we need to get the girls patched up. "All fleets, retreat. Those who are able to move, help those that are severely injured. We will finish the operation once everyone is in tip top shape." As the girls try to get up and recover, Shigure-chan looked across the horizon, "Shigure-chan? What''s wrong? You okay?" Tears flowed down her cheek, "Eh? Shigure-chan? What happened? Why are you crying?" "You did it, Onee-chan..." (Shigure-chan) Chapter 196 - 180 Admiral, welcome home. Good work today." (Shigure) Shigure, with her silky black hair tied into a ponytail, came over to the door to greet me. She was wearing an apron over her shirt and jeans. "Today''s dinner is curry rice. Would like to have dinner first, or a bath?" (Shigure) Before I can answer, I felt something soft pressing against my arm. I looked down only to see that a Shigure with only one eye enveloping my arm in between her chest. They are only slightly bigger than Zuihou''s, but there is a huge difference in the feeling. "Or maybe me?" (One-eyed Shigure) Between the normal Shigure and the Shigure with one eye, who should I choose? "So, who is it? Which of us do you prefer?" (Shigure & one-eyed Shigure) The answer was plain as day, "I choose..." ---------------------------------------------------- Hmm? Eh? When did I fall asleep? I feel like I just had a weird dream. Can''t really remember what was it about though. This Kotatsu is really scary. My cheeks hurts from resting against my watch. I looked at my watch. It''s 1700hrs now, almost time for dinner. I hope my other girls are fine. In the end, I had to send them off to their respective post. This is no different from directly participating in the operation. I still ended up getting separated from Zuihou. ...Where is Shigure? "Shigure?" "I''m here, Admiral." (Shigure) I turned around to see Shigure standing at my desk, looking out at the sea again. I silently let out a sigh of relief. For a moment, I thought she disappeared on me. "Should we go for dinner, Shigure?" "Umm... Before that, can we... talk for a bit?" (Shigure) Shigure turned around to face me. She seems so meek all of a sudden. This is something I haven''t seen in a while. She is usually like this when she wants me to pet her. "Sure. It''s cold over there. Come here." "Can we... talk in your room?" (Shigure) "Okay." I got out from under the warm Kotatsu. Cold cold cold! I quickly entered my room and switched on the heater. Shigure followed closely behind. "Fuu~ Cold. So, what is it you want-" Shigure suddenly hugged me. I was so surprised I have no idea how to respond. I can feel her body heat. "Shigure?" "I knew it. This is who I love." (Shigure) Did I hear her right? She is talking about the feeling of being hugged and patted, right? She likes it when I pamper her. "Admiral, I know I am not going to like your response, but I''m still going to say it." (Shigure) Shigure let go and took a few steps back. She looked at me with tearful but determined eyes, Eh? This buildup... "Admiral, I love you." (Shigure) ------------------------------------------------- When I first met Shigure, I thought of her as a reserved, quiet and cool girl. That fact remains true even till now. Aside from battles, she is always hesitant to make the first move. The practice of pampering her wouldn''t have come if I didn''t initiate it in the first place. If I remember, it was shortly after Shigure returned to me after that fateful operation. Yuudachi, as usual, pounced on me a day after we found Shigure. As I was petting her, I can see that Shigure was envious about it. And that''s how we started this whole practice. Our relationship only developed from there. I was usually the one to initiate things with her. On rare occasions, she would ask for favours herself. That usually occurs after a sortie. Like a puppy, she wants to be rewarded and loved. This is shocking. Shigure just confessed her feelings to me. I kind of guessed that she has feelings for me, but I didn''t expect this sort of development. Nonetheless, I need to give her my answer. Shigure looked at me with anticipation, "Thank you, Shigure. I appreciate your feelings." I have already made up my mind, "I love you too, Shigure." Somewhere along the line, Shigure was the only girl I ever thought about. The way she acts, cool and collected during battles, a submissive, little girl who just wants to feel loved when we are alone. The time I spent with Shigure was different from Zuihou. With Zuihou, I feel the urge to be a bit mean to her while protecting her. I want to see her smile, at the same time, I want to tease her until she cries. To be honest, even I find these desires a bit twisted sometimes. I mean, Zuihou is just too cute. For Shigure, my feelings are more pure. I want to protect her smile. The smile she rarely shows me. I want her to be calm. I want her to be free from her past. I want her to be happier. No matter what state she is in, I will accept her. Shigure looked at me in shock. Well, she did say she isn''t expecting an answer she would like. Rather, the outcome was the opposite. "Admiral... Did you... I..." (Shigure) "Yeah. I love you too, Shigure." Tears flowed from her eye, "I... Admiral... Thank... you..." (Shigure) I stepped forward to hug her, "There there. I did your best, Shigure." I hugged her till she calmed down. ------------------------------------------------ "Are you all right?" "Y-yeah. *sniff* Thank you, Admiral." (Shigure) We sat on the bed. Shigure laid against my shoulder, "Are you sure? I''m pretty much useless. Am I allowed to be here?" (Shigure) "You don''t have to be useful to be by my side. You love me. And I love you. That''s all that''s needed. I have been thinking about this for a while. Was this the only reason why you are so depressed?" "It''s sad that I couldn''t fight together with my friends. But it was more painful when I couldn''t be of any use to you, Admiral. As long as I can help you and be of use, I could continnue to remain by your side, even if you didn''t love me. That was my only source of respite. Hau~" (Shigure) I ruffled her hair, "Silly. You were overthinking things. At least, now I know that you weren''t depressed because you couldn''t go out to sea." "There''s that too. But now," (Shigure) Shigure slid of my shoulder and laid on my lap. She lifted her shirt a little, exposing her belly, "I''m really, really happy. I feel alive again." (Shigure) After what feels like a long time, Shigure is smiling again. "By the way, is this okay? I mean, Zuihou and Admiral are-" (Shigure) "Oh that. I guess no one reallys knows about it. Zuihou and I have agreed to something called a Harem." "That means..." "Yeah. There are going to be more people joining us sooner or later. If you don''t want that, I can stop. Only you and Zuihou will be my girlfriend." "That sounds nice, but it will be unfair to the others, right? I''m fine with it. As long as I can be with Admiral, I''m willing to accept anything." (Shigure) "No. You can reject or protest if you''re not happy with some things." "Eheh~ Then, I will do just that." (Shigure) With that, I got myself a second girlfriend. "By the way," "Hm?" (Shigure) "Want to go get something to eat? I''m hungry." "Ah. I was so caught up in the moment I forgot about dinner." (Shigure) Chapter 197 - 181 It has been two weeks since Shigure became my second girlfriend. So far, nothing much has happened. Shigure has gotten closer with Rei. From what I heard, Rei was the one that gave her a pep talk. Shigure has become more confident and slightly more clingy than before. In front of others, she acts as per normal, before the whole ''eye incident'' took place. When we are alone, she will snuggle against me and refuse to leave my side. The headpats and pampering still stand, just that she wants them more often now. Three days after Shigure''s confession, Yahagi''s Arson fleet returned. Operation Thorn Heart was deemed a success, with the Siren construct being neutralized. The surrounding water was altered by an Siren explosion though. The fleets were engaged with an high-class siren and nearly got wiped out. Thankfully their backup arrived and saved them from impending doom. Upon their return, Shigure-chan congratulated her larger counterpart. It was as if she knew what happened despite being in another country. Zuihou-chan confessed again and and took her in as my third girlfriend. She was so elated that she went for a kiss immediately, surprising both Shigure and Shigure-chan. Shigure-chan told me she isn''t ready for a relationship yet, but would like if I continue to treat her well. So our relationship is still the same as always. For the past two weeks, I have been monitoring the operation through the reports collated and sent by the HQ. The operation is going smoothly. My girls are being taken well care of by the respective Admiral''s and outpost leaders. The only concern I have was that Zuihou was reported to be unfocused and in a daze during the fourth and last mission. She suffered heavy damages after going too close to the enemy fleet, despite being a light aircraft carrier. She is supposed to remain out of the enemy''s range. She did the same thing three times in a row and was put on the bench for the rest of the mission. I''m going to question her about it later. With Christmas coming, the next day in fact, I have been busy buying wrapping presents during the night. Some of the girls have already gotten into the Christmas mood and start dressing up for the festive season. The base has also been decorated with christmas lights and a christmas tree has been planted in the main hall. Of course, I haven''t forgotten my promise with Zuihou about giving her something special. I have already commissioned Akashi to make me a special item. So special that she was bewildered by it. I can''t blame her, this item can be considered a little risque. And finally, after three weeks of me calling and messaging him, Grand Admiral Hasake answered me. He is here today to examine Shigure. "You are really irritating. Constantly calling me and sending me messages about this problem." (Grand Admiral Hasake) Well, you didn''t answer me! Not like I can say that, "My apologies. I was desperate." "Well, it''s good that you care for your shipgirls." (Grand Admiral Hasake) I led him to my office, where Shigure was waiting for me. Before I even touched the door, Shigure, wearing a christmas hat, opened it and hugged me. How did she know I was outside? "So this is my patient." (Grand Admiral Hasake) "Ah. Grand Admiral." (Shigure) Shigure was about to stand at attention and salute before he stopped her, "At ease, girl. I can''t be bothered with that level of formality anyone. It''s too stiff for me at this age." (Grand Admiral Hasake) Aren''t you the one that is most strict about this kind of things? Only the younger generation like us are more lax about things like formalities. "Now, let''s go in. It''s too cold out here." (Grand Admiral Hasake) Grand Admiral Hasake told Shigure to sit on the sofa and take off her eyepatch. "Eh? But..." (Shigure) "Don''t worry. I''m not going to do anything bad to you." (Grand Admiral Hasake) I held Shigure''s hand, "Don''t worry. Let him examine your wound. Grand Admiral, please don''t look at me with such a disgusted face." Shigure reluctantly took of her eyepatch and opened her right eye. Grand Admiral Hasake put on a pair of weird goggles. One of the lens looks like a mini telescope. "I''m going to shine a light on it. Huh. Okay. I see. It''s has been taken out rather cleanly. I can still see some of the muscles." (Grand Admiral Hasake) "Admiral, what is the meaning of this? Why is the Grand Admiral doing this?" (Shigure) "I will tell you later." "This might hurt a little." (Grand Admiral Hasake) "Eh? Ouch!" (Shigure) Grand Admiral Hasake used a pair of tweezers and poked the inside of her eye socket. Shigure recoiled in pain and pressed her right eye. "Ah! You okay? Grand Admiral, what are you doing?!" "Calm down. I just touched her This is a good thing." (Grand Admiral Hasake) Huh? "Little Girl, it hurts, right?" (Grand Admiral Hasake) Shigure looked at Grand Admiral Hasake and gave a nod, "That means the nerves in the muscles are still intact. I can make this work." (Grand Admiral Hasake) "Does that mean you can fix her eye?" "Eh? Admiral?" (Shigure) "Yeah. Thanks to your pestering, I had to research and learn to create an artificial eye. I guess that''s a good thing as well. Anyway, since her nerves are still alive, I can implant an orbital implant and artificial lens, cornea and retina. Her self-repairing system can handle the regeneration of the optical nerves, muscles, radar systems and connection between the brain and the eye. It will take a while for her regain her sight in that eye." (Grand Admiral Hasake) I''m curious how he managed to create those parts in three weeks, but if I asked, I''m going to be stuck here listening to his lecture for who knows how long. "Wait... So... I can see in my right again. I will be able to fight again?" (Shigure) "Not immediately. Maybe after a week or two, or maybe a month depending on how your body recovers. Once I have successful created the ocular implant, I will inform you and arrange the operation." "Thank you. I will treat you to another drink next time." "I will make sure to drain your wallet." (Grand Admiral Hasake) "Spare me, Grand Admiral. This is great, Shigure. You can- Eh?" Tears flowed from her eye, "Oi. A man shouldn''t make his woman cry." (Grand Admiral Hasake) "How is that my fault?!" "HAHAHA. Tis'' is a good christmas present, aye?" (Grand Admiral Hasake) His speech pattern became that of an old-fashioned sailor. Shigure is still crying, "Uhm... The best I ever received... Thank you... Grand Admiral..." (Shigure) "Don''t thank me. Thank your irritating and unfaithful Admiral. He wouldn''t stop messaging me and calling me about it every single day. I had to conduct a training excercise for the engineering brats. Ain''t got the time to respond to yer'' till last week. At least, this makes for a interesting activity." (Grand Admiral Hasake) "Thank you... Admiral..." (Shigure) I wanted to see the Grand Admiral off, but he told me not to trouble myself. He wants to visit Mamiya''s before leaving. Shigure has calmed down a little. She is chilling under the Kotatsu. "This feels like a dream... I never thought I have the chance to recover." (Shigure) "Damn that old man. I mean, I do respect him but he could have told me he was busy. I didn''t know he was conducting a training excercise." "Ehehe~ I''m sure he has his reasons. By the way," (Shigure) "They are taking a long time." (Shigure) "Yeah. I''m getting a bit worried. They should have been back this morning." Everyone else except for Zuihou''s fleet has returned. Agano''s fleet came home this morning, and they were involved in the last mision. So Zuihou''s fleet should have been the same, or at least slightly after. It''s evening now. "They are back!!!" (Mutsuki) Ah. Speak of the devil... Shigure and I went to the pier to greet them. Arriving at the pier is Yuudachi, Shiratsuyu, Akizuki, Yuubari, and Ryuujou supporting a damaged and tattered Zuihou. "How did you- Never mind, I hear your report later. Welcome back, guys." "Support fleet two has arrived back at base." (Yuubari) "Admiral~~" (Zuihou) Zuihou staggered towards me and hugged me tightly. I pet her head, "How did you get damaged on the way back? Don''t tell me, you guys met a beast Abyssal?!" "No. We encountered a normal Abyssal Carrier fleet." (Shiratsuyu) "Did they use some sort of new tactic against-" "No. It was the usual ''Line Ahead'' formation and typical attack patterns." (Akizuki) "Then how did you get damaged like this?" "Ugh..." (Zuihou) Zuihou looked up at me. She looks like an though she is able to cry. Crap. This is turning me on. "Zuihou has been acting weird for a while poi." (Yuudachi) "There there." I rubbed the light aircraft carrier''s head, "Head to the docks and rest up. Good work, everyone." "Congratulations on the successful mission. Welcome home." (Shigure) "Eh? Shigure is smiling." (Shiratsuyu) "You are right poi! It''s the usual Shigure poi. Poi!" (Yuudachi) "I know, right? I was surprised when I got back." (Murasame) "We should celebrate!" (Shiratsuyu) "Eh? That''s a bit too much." (Shigure) "No. It''s to celebrate your return poi." (Yuudachi) "Return from where?" (Shigure) I placed a hand on her head, "Go and celebrate with them. They are happy for you." "Mmm... Alright." (Shigure) "Yay! I will go get the rest poi." (Yuudachi) "I will go book a place at Mamiya-san''s!" (Shiratsuyu) "Yuudachi, go and get Yamashiro and Mogami too!" (Murasame) "..." (Zuihou) "Hmm? Zuihou, what''s wrong?" "Nothing." (Zuihou) "How long are you going to hold on to me? Go get yourself repaired already." ---------------------------------------------------- It''s already past midnight. As per tradition, I went to every room to deliver their presents. I''m glad I made it in time. I managed to wrap the last gifts for the Agano sisters by midnight. I then spent the next two or so hours going around the dorms and leaving presents in the girl''s rooms. Shigure and Zuihou-chan had already fell asleep on my bed, so I left the presents by their side. Now the only one left is the girl stuck in the bath. Maybe this is a good time to give it to her. I already collected it just now. And I spent a while going around so I''m due for a hot bath. And it''s been two weeks so... I went back to my room, took my pajamas and made my way to the docks. I made sure to be careful not to wake the two girls up while I move around my room. Damn. The night is really freezing... I put my laundry in the washing room, covered myself with a towel, and proudly announced my arrival, "I''m here, Zuihou!" "EH?!?! What are you doing here, Admiral?!" (Zuihou) Although I''m still pretty far from where she is, Zuihou quickly covered herself with her hands. It''s useless, really. I''ve already memorized every part of her body. "Why are you coming closer?!" (Zuihou) "Come on. Scoot over." Despite her protest, she still let me join her in the medicinal bath. "So... I heard you had a little screw-up during the operation." "Look. A rabbit." (Zuihou) Zuihou showed me a towel rabbit, she folded rather quickly. Thats quite cute and impressive, but not the answer I''m looking for, "That''s cute. So, what happened then?" "It''s almost time for Christmas. I wonder what am I- Hyahaha! Wait! That tickles!" (Zuihou) "You better fess up then." "Okay. I get it. Hiii~ Hiii~" (Zuihou) Apparently, half way through the mission, she ran out of ''Admiral-lium''. I have no idea what she meant by that but basically she missed me so much that she couldn''t focus. Even on the way back, she did the same thing and get whacked by a Flying Fish Bomber. The whole thing is cute and all, but that was dangerous. Before I can begin my punishment, Zuihou turned away and snuggled against me, "I miss you, Admiral." (Zuihou) Okay, fine. I can postpone it to later. "I miss you too." "By the way, how far are you with Shigure?" (Zuihou) "Oh. You already heard it from Shigure-chan." "Not really. I kind of guess it when I saw her smiling. I had a feeling something happened after we were gone. So I have to share with Shigure and Zuihou-chan. I guess I can accept that..." (Zuihou) She looks a little sad, "Oh yeah. I have something to give you." And I forgot to bring it in with me, "Wait for a bit." I left the bath and went to the locker where I put my belongings. At least this place has a heater. I don''t have to rush to grab the gift. I returned to the bath, with gift in hand. "Here. This is for you." "What is this?" (Zuihou) "It''s one of your Christmas presents, and the proof I promised you. You like it?" "It''s cute... but why a collar?" (Zuihou) It''s a choker!" The gift I got Akashi to make was choker with a heart-shaped locket. The tightness can be adjusted with small gear hidden behind the padlock. "Er... What is this supposed to symbolize?" (Zuihou) She gave me a confused look. I actually though of what this symbolizes, but it''s embarrassing to say it out loud. "Admiral, is there any meaning to this?" (ZUihou) Eh... I don''t want to say it. But... "There is one..." "So there is one after all. So, what is the meaning?" (Zuihou) "It means... Ugh... Can I not say it?" "No! Tell me!" (Zuihou) I don''t have much of a choice... ''It means..." "It means?" (Zuihou) "You are mine." ... I knew it! Saying such a cheesy line out loud is embarrassing! "Never mind. I go make another one for you." "Can you... help me put it on? (Zuihou) Eh? Zuihou brushed a hair to one side, exposing the nape of her neck, "No. This one is a front-hook type." "Ah." (Zuihou) I helped Zuihou put on the choker and adjust it, "Is it tight?" "Nope. It''s perfect. Ehehe~ I belong to Admiral." (Zuihou) She is happy again. It''s getting colder, so I rejoined her inside the pool. "Ehe ehehe~" (Zuihou) Thank goodness. She likes it. I spot something at the corner of my eye. Something is falling outside, at the outdoor spring. "Snow?" Eh? Where? Wah~ Snow is falling." (Zuihou) We both looked at the falling snow. It scenary outside must be beatiful. Zuihou can''t get out of the bath, she still has ten hours left until her full recovery. "As usual, this is another great Christmas." (Zuihou) Zuihou pressed her body against me, "Nh~ It''s been a while. Want to do it?" (Zuihou) "Are you sure? Is you body okay?" "It aches a little, but I''m okay." (Zuihou) "Then, I''m going to be rough a bit." I attacked her with my fingers, "You perk up real fast! Wai- Ahn! Hey! I''m... Mh! ...too sensitive there!" (Zuihou) "I know. We got to make sure you''re all nice and wet first. Take this." "Ah! Geez! You are so mean!" (Zuihou) "But I guess I love that part of you too. I love you, Admiral~" (Zuihou) Chapter 198 - 182 I watched the room spin around me as I fall on my back. Being tossed should have hurt, but it felt like simple bump on my back. Kashima is holding back for my sake. "Are you alright, Admiral?" (Kashima) Kashima gave me a concerned look. Rather than painful, I feel disorientated instead. "I''m fine. That was a great throw." "Really? Ehehe." (Kashima) I took Kashima''s hand as she helped me up. After the encounter with the Beast Abyssals, I realized one thing. Most of my girls, especially the destroyers, do not have any close combat training or self-defense techniques. They mainly rely on their guns to fight from a far. If they are fast enough, they can dodge close-range attacks, but then what? It''s all for naught if the enemy turns around and attacks them from behind. I did an experiment by pitting the girls against one another in a sparring excercise. No weapons, just normal hand-to-hand combat. The Fusou sisters, Agano sisters, Kashima, Shouhou, and Suzuya, although she only knows how to block, are the only ones capable of CQC. They know how to react when their opponent gets too close, especially Kashima, who threw Yamashiro to the ground and exhibited basic knowledge in the martial arts. The others were either panicking when their opponent got too close or dodged the first attack but got hit by a second one. After the match, I asked Kashima where and when did she learn martial arts. Apparently, when she went to Yokosuka to visit her sister Katori, Kashima was given a book titled ''Special Self-defense Shipgirl Akido''. True to her class, Kashima memorised and learned everything stated in the book in a short time. She was holding back during the excercise. Although Akido is a type of non-violent martial art, mainly used to subdue their opponents, the shipgirl variant is designed to kill. By using the opponent''s momentum and weight against them, a simple toss or slam can damage the Abyssal or render it immobile for a few seconds, creating an opportunity for a kill. Knowing which pressure of the Abyssal to target can also paralyze the Abyssal and deliver the killing blow but that is one of the more advanced techniques. Today, a day before New Year Eve, I''m reviewing with Kashima at a makeshift Dojo on what to teach during her new combat classes. The dojo is just a large empty room with windows for air circulation. I plan to turn this into an actual dojo once I sent in a building form. During the review, Kashima held back on account that the techniques will most likely shatter my fragile human bones if she went all-out. If it''s done to another shipgirls, the would probably suffer an broken arm, if they land on the wrong side. "That''s all I''m planning to teach for now." (Kashima) "I agree. It''s best if they start off with simple throws and strikes. In fact, I think that''s more than enough to fight the normal Abyssals. For the beast one, we just need them to stop moving for a bit." Although the Siren construct that created the Beast Abyssals was destroyed, there are still quite a lot of them roaming the seas. There have been reports of Abyssals ignoring our fleets and focusing on fighting Beast Abyssals, so the current situation works in our favor for now. At least until the Sirens try something again. This whole mess was caused by a Siren experiment. We are unsure of their goal, but judging by Azur Lane''s report, I think their goal was to find a way to control the Abyssals. Needless to say, the Beast Abyssals were the part of the results. Hopefully this new training regiment will give my girls an edge over the new threat. "Admiral? Admiral?" (Kashima) "Oh. Sorry, Kashima. I kind of got lost in thought for a sec." "Are you okay? Do you need Commander Rei to check on you?" (Kashima) "I''m fine. I''m not sick or anything. Anyway, what is it?" "Are you sure it''s okay for you to be here? Shouldn''t you be helpi-" (Kashima) Suddenly, the sound of angry footsteps can be heard outside. It''s her! "Sorry, Kashima. I need to leave now." "Wait, Admiral!" (Kashima) Thankfully, the fairies have yet to install panels on the windows, making my escape extremely easy. Just need to jump up, grab the ledge, and pull myself through. It''s not that high off the ground, so landing safely is not much of a problem. Behind the wall I can hear the door slamming open, followed by a cute but angry voice, "Kashima-san! Is Admiral here?!" (Zuihou) "Er..." (Kashima) "Oh come on! He ran away again!" (Zuihou) This is no time to loiter around. I have to keep moving. As we move on to the New Year, it was time for our annual tradition of cleaning up the entire district. Aside from last year, this is also the day I spend trying to escape from this activity. If there is one thing I dislike, it''s definitely cleaning. It''s such a chore, and dust is going to just pile up again sooner or later. No, I''m not being lazy. I just hate cleaning. "Ah. Admiral-san is close poi." (Yuudachi) Gh! This is bad. I only halfway to the main office building and there''s already a problem. Yuudachi is just right on the other side of the tree I''m hiding behind of. Seriously, is she really a dog? How can she know I''m nearby just by picking up my scent? "How are you sure?" (Shigure-chan) "I can smell him. A rather sweaty smell." (Yuudachi) I just came out from practicing with Kashima after all. And don''t describe my smell. You are making me feel conscious about it. "I don''t smell anything." (Shigure-chan) "When you get your Kai ni, you will be able to." (Yuudachi) Better keep moving... "Ah! Admiral-san spotted!" (Yuudachi) Oh no. Needless to say, I got pounced on by Yuudachi. Zuihou came shortly after and dragged me away to clean the corridor outside the office. -------------------------------------------- ----------31st Dec 20XX---------- "Puaah~ This is the best!" (Pamiat Merkuva) "Comrade, pass me that bottle over there." (Gangut) "I want to drink Vodka too." (Grozny) "Erm... Maybe if we dilute it a bit." (Avrora) "Woah. Stop. I know you all for equality within the community but you can''t give kids alcohol!" Grozny puffed out her cheeks as I deny her alcohol. How could I let a small child like her drink alcohol? "Relax, Comrade Admiral. Now is the time for celebration. No need to be so strict on the rules." (Gangut) "It''s not a rule. It''s just bad to give children alcohol." "Too late. She is tipsy now." (Pamiat Merkuva) "Huh?" When I turned around, Grozny was chugging down a bottle of vodka. Her face was extremely red by the time she let go of the bottle and started swaying left and right. "Oi! Minsk!" "Don''t worry, Comrade Admiral. This is kids vodka. It''s very low in alcoholic content." (Minsk) Doesn''t seem very low to me if she is like this. "Haa~ Bring her to Akashi if she starts feeling sick." "Rest assured. We North Union girls have strong livers." (Sovetskaya Rossiya) I guess I can overlook some things for today. It''s a celebration after all. In a few hours times, the New Years bell is going to ring, marking the start of the year 2021. The entire district is in a festive mood. Shops have been set up around the courtyard and along the beach. The girls are playing around, drinking and eating. Some of them are up to weird antics, like a drunk Kumano doing a dolphin impression. She is an expert at being one, even without trying. I''m just going around, making sure they don''t injure themselves while having too much fun. We already had one incident just now, where Samidare tripped and crashed into store selling grilled corn. Her clumsiness never fails to surprise me. She wasn''t hurt, but the fairy manning the store was super pissed off. The atmosphere was getting a bit too much for my liking so I''m returning to my office for now. I doubt they would do anything crazy once I''m gone. I already ordered them to return to their dorms by 0200hrs. I opened my office door, half-expecting Shigure or Yuudachi to come running towards me, "I''m bac- Huh?" Even my office wasn''t safe from the party atmosphere. Sitting under the kotatsu was the two Zuihous, two Shigures, Yuudachi, and Rei. The six girls were merrily drinking. Actually, make that four. The two younger girls, Zuihou-chan and Shigure-chan are out cold on the floor. "Poi poi~" (Yuudachi) "Ah! Admiral~ Welcom... *hic* back~" (Zuihou) "Admiral-san poi!" (Yuudachi) "I see you girls started without me. How much did you all drink?" "Only a few cans~" (Rei) That doesn''t seem like a few. Cans and bottles are scattered on the kotatsu and around the floor. I sat between Shigure and Zuihou. The moment I got under the Kotatsu, the two girls immediately snuggled against me. "Admiral~" (Zuihou) "Unnyaa~" (Shigure) "How nice~ You are being loved." (Rei) Woah. For a split second, my heart felt heavy. Why? "Ahaha. They are always like this." "I want to hug Admira- Ugh..." (Yuudachi) "Ahh! Hold it in. Don''t puke here!" I quickly brought Yuudachi to the toilet. After emptying everything out, she passed out on the office floor. I brought out some Futons and tuck the three unconscious girls into each. I settled back into the Kotatsu and opened myself a cold one. "Ehe~ Hehehe~" (Zuihou) "Hau~" (Shigure) These two are done for. And... There they go. Shigure and Zuihou laid down, falling asleep under the Kotatsu. It''s just me and Rei now. "It''s already the year end... Time flies..." (Rei) "Yeah. This year was more eventful than the last." "I came to this base. The Abyssal Phoenix subjugation. Getting my own fleet." (Rei) The return of the two girls I lost years ago, my anniversary with Zuihou, Shigure''s injury and her inclusion as my lover... This year was really eventful from start to finish. As I finished my can of beer, I felt something soft enveloping my head. When did Rei get behind me? "Oi..." "Ho~ So this is what it feels like..." (Rei) "What are you doing? Come on, get off me." Or else something is going rise... "Hey... Why do you always focus on your girls? Pay attention to me too! I''m your second-in-command." (Rei) "Rei, you are drunk. Go to sleep." "No~ Pay attention to me too!" (Rei) "Hey! Don''t shake me!" "Blergh~" (Rei) You know, in manga and in anime, the girls are always shown puking rainbows or a censored mess of black and purplish goo. In reality, it''s always the latter, but uncensored. It''s always warm, has a strong stench, and ultimately, gross! "Oi! Gross! Don''t puke on me!" I managed to carry her to the toilet, but not before getting myself covered in vomit. I am definitely not letting this go that easily. Ugh! Gross! What a way to end the year. The faint sound of fireworks and a ringing bell can be heard as I wash myself. Chapter 199 - 183 I stood in front of my house, waiting for the three girls to prepare themselves. It''s not much of a big deal. We are just visiting my parents. During the first two weeks of the year, government and military personnel are allowed and encouraged to visit their parents. Rei already did hers, although she didn''t seem to happy when she came back to work. I think she was reluctant to leave her family. Today is my turn. When the three girls heard about it, they pestered me to let them tug along. They are panicking now. "You girls... Relax. There is nothing to be nervous about." "There is!" (Zuihou, Shigure & Zuihou-chan) This is the first time the three of them are in sync. I can make several manga references here but this isn''t the time for that. The three of them look extremely nervous. They remind me of my first day at the academy. Just to be safe, I had the three girls disguise themselves. They are going to stand out if they wore their usual outfits. The activists have been becoming more active recently. Protests in front of government buildings, naval bases and public places have become a common sight this week. Even though the new years has just started, there are already troublesome things happening around the country. Zuihou has her white parka and green jacket with pleated skirt. Shigure has her white shirt with black off-shoulder vest secured at her waist with a white belt and a red tie. While Zuihou and Shigure have their alternate outfits, Zuihou-chan didn''t have one of her own. We stopped by the mall to buy her a set. She is now wearing a white shirt with brown vest and a blue flared skirt and black tights. Kind of makes her look like a high school girl, or maybe middle school because of her height. Why did I pick that outfit for her again? I thought it might look cute on her. I mean, it is cute but now that I think about it, that outfit may cause a misunderstanding. Especially in a neighborhood like this. "Are you three ready?" "I think so." (Shigure) "Yeah. I''m ready." (Zuihou) "Me too. Actually, wai-" (Zuihou-chan) I rang the doorbell. Seconds later, the door swung open, and familiar arms wrapped around me, "Welcome home, Keita!" (Mom) A woman in her mid-fifties opened the door and hugged me. She has black shoulder-length hair and wore yellow long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans. This is my mom, Tokomaki Chiyoda. "I''m home, mom. Happy New Year." "Happy New Year. I haven''t seen you in a long time. I missed you!" (Mom) Well, it has been a year. "So, who are those three lovely girls behind you?" (Mom) My mom let me go after noticing the three girls behind me. "Let me Introduce you. This is Zuihou, Shigure and Zuihou-chan." "Nice to meet you. I''m the Shouhou-class light aircraft carrier, Zuihou." (Zuihou) "From the same class and with the same name, I''m also Zuihou, but please address me as Zuihou-chan to avoid confusion. Pleased to meet you." (Zuihou-chan) "I''m Shigure, second ship of the Shiratsuyu-class destroyers. Nice to meet you, auntie." (Shigure) "Oh my. Are these the three girls you told me about? They are cute." (Mom) The three of them started blushing. "Anyway, let''s not talk out here in the cold. Come on in." (Mom) As the three girls take off their shoes in the hallway, my mom pulled me to the living room for a talk, "Is it true all three are your lovers?" (Mom) I actually call my mom in December. What was supposed to be a simple ''I''m coming home during the New Years break'' became I got myself into a relationship with three of my surbodinates. A major slip of my tongue. I should have just answered her questions and not go off on a tangent. I fell into her trap. She knew about my working environment and ask whether I got myself a girlfriend yet. She was shocked and obviously elated on I mentioned I have three. Me and my big mouth... "Yeah. Zuihou and I just had our 1st anniversary not long ago. Shigure and Zuihou-chan confessed to me last month." "Are those two twins? They look completely the same. And they have the same names. And why does the Shigure girl have a eyepatch? Is she one of those Chuunibyou kids? Or is she really injured?" (Mom) "It will take a while to explain. I will tell you all about it later." Once my mom gets curious about something, she won''t stop interrogating us about it. "Where is dad?" "Oh. He is meditating in our room. It''s his routine." (Mom) My father, Tokomaki Haruo, is a Buddhist. Not a devout one but he still follows their teaching and practices to a certain degree. He does meditation, chanting of mantras, and goes to the local temple for lessons during the weekends. He says it helps him to relax. I usually fall asleep a few minutes after starting my meditation. "I see. What about Nen?" "He has work today. He should be back in the evening." (Mom) My brother, Nen, is a pest. He will irritate me whenever he feels like it. He also has a bad temper. I''m surprised he actually found a job at a restaurant as a mixologist. "Geez. What are you doing?" (Zuihou) "Ouch. Why are my feet hurting?" (Zuihou-chan) "It''s a new shoe. Your feet aren''t used to it yet." (Shigure) "What''s wrong?" I went out to the hallway and saw the three of them still at the door. Zuihou is trying to help her younger sister with a shoes. Zuihou-chan was wearing high-cut boots, the kind with lots of laces. Zuihou is trying to help take off the boots. "I think she has got blisters." (Shigure) "Ow! Slowly!" (Zuihou-chan) In the end, Zuihou and I managed to help her take of the boots by taking off the laces. There were no blisters but her feet were red and a little swollen. I helped her over to the living room while my mom went to get some ointment. "This is a nice house." (Zuihou) "It''s just a normal one." I poured some tea for the three of them. Shigure wanted to help but I told her to just sit back and relax. My mom came back with the ointment and I applied it on Zuihou-chan''s feet. "Thank you, auntie, Admiral." (Zuihou-chan) "Your welcome. Now, for starters, want to see some pictures of Keita when he was young?" (Mom) My mom took out an album. The three of them had their eyes lit up when my mom said that, "Yes, please!" (Zuihou, Zuihou-chan, Shigure) "No! Stop!" Chapter 200 - 184 "And this was him when we he put on his new Spider-man pajamas." (Mom) "Cute!" (Zuihou) "He looks so happy." (Shigure) "Admiral was like this even when he was younger, huh. He never changed." (Zuihou-chan) "Oi. What do you mean by that?!" How long must this torture go on for? My mom has been showing my girlfriends pictures of my childhood for a while now. This is embarrassing. I tried to stop them but Zuihou and Shigure kept pushing me back. I had no choice but to accept my fate. I didn''t expect my mom to accept the three of them so quickly. In contrast to manga and light novels, parents aren''t usually that accepting of their child having multiple partners. It''s like accepting the fact that your child is a cheater, and may bring shame to the family name and stuff like that. I should have realized my family is not that concerned about such matters when my parents allowed me to buy my own doujinshi despite being underage, only warning me not to be too influenced. Oops, I shouldn''t say that. While the four women enjoy looking at my embarrassing photos, I can hear the sound of someone walking down the stairs. Zuihou seems to hear it to as she turned her head to the direction of the stairs. "Do we have guests over today?" (Dad) A man in his late fifties came down the stairs and entered the living room. He was wearing a blue long-sleeved T-shirt and black jeans. He is a bit on the plump side and a receding hairline, typical for most men around his age group. This is my father, Tokomaki Haruo. "I''m home, Dad." "Oh, welcome home. And these are... the girlfriends you talked about?" (Dad) Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/our-bonds-(a-kantai-collection-fanfic)_13194262906075005/chapter-184_50888377045675528 for visiting. After another round of introductions, my dad sat down on the sofa with my mom and begin the questioning. How did you all met? How is he at work? Why do you have an eyepatch? What did you see in my son? The usual questions that would be asked when one introduces their lover to their parents. Only this time, I introduced three. The three of them answered accordingly, careful not to divulge any ''sensitive'' information, especially Zuihou. "Oh. I almost forgot." (Zuihou) Zuihou reached into her bag and pulled out a box of manju snacks. She handed it over to my mom, "A small gift for welcoming us." (Zuihou) "Oh my. Thank you. You are a sweet girl just as my son said." (Zuihou) "A sweet girl?" (Zuihou) "Mom!" "Eh? Was I not supposed to say that?" (Mom) Ugh... This is embarrassing. I blurted that one out the day I spoke with my mom over the phone. Zuihou is now blushing while the other two gave me an envious look. They are never going to let this one go. "Wow. This is the limited edition one too. My colleagues kept complaining about how it was sold out from every outlet." (Dad) "Ehehe~ I have quite a bit of luck after all." (Zuihou) We continued to chat for a while, catching up on what we have been doing. It was the usual talk, what kind of interesting events that were happening at my base, what my younger brother has been up to these days, what new drama series my Mom got addicted to, the company drama my Dad got dragged into, all those type of things our family usually talks about around the dining table. Even though it was the same, it somehow feels more lively. My three girls, who obviously shouldn''t understand any about accounting and working with difficult clients, were able to provide their own insights on the matter when my dad was talking about his job. Most surprisingly, Zuihou-chan is quite knowledgeable about Korean and local drama series. Names of various actors and actresses were mentioned and I don''t even know half of them. Let alone the series they were discussing. When did she start getting into these kind of things? "Ah. I better get to preparing lunch now. Would any of you like to help me?" (Mom) In an instance, the three of them raised their hands, "Yes, please." (Zuihou, Zuihou-chan, Shigure) The two Zuihou''s are fine. They are the same after all. I''m worried about Shigure. I have never seen her hold a knife before. The last I want is for her to hurt herself. In fact, is this my Mom''s way of testing which one is worthy? Thanks to my Mom, I have seen my own fair share of drama when I was young, to know where this is going. The mother-in-law will test the potential wife based on her cooking skills. If she is not satisfied, she may not acknowledge the girl as a future daughter-in-law. She might refuse to acknowledge her our of spite. But knowing my mom, she wouldn''t do such things. "Shigure, you don''t force yourself if you don''t know how to cook." "It''s fine. Zuihou has been teaching me. I can handle deep frying stuff now." (Shigure) Eh? When did Zuihou start teaching Shigure? "I should have some spare aprons somewhere. Let''s look for them first." (Mom) "Okay." (Zuihou, Zuihou-chan, Shigure) As the females go about their activities, my father beckoned me to sit beside him on the sofa, "Are you serious about taking all three as your wives?" (Dad) He had a very serious look on his face. Of course, this kind of relationship is extremely volatile and is mostly unheard of in Japan. A common trope in stories but a rarity in reality. "Yes. I''m going to take them all as my wives." "Polygamy is illegal in Japan. It''s impossible for you to get married to multiple partners." (Dad) "Only if they are human. As much as I hate it, Shipgirls aren''t treated as humans. Things like Human Rights and laws don''t apply to them. The old council didn''t want to acknowledge shipgirl''s as humans, only as weapons. Only when the members changed then I could stop lying to the higher-ups. Their current treatment was something that we changed within the organization. But even with this change, national laws and rights are still not applicable to them, because they are still seen as weapons and a potential threat. That''s why there are protests all over the country." "You forged the reports?" (Dad) "Back then, it was always about completing the mission no matter the cost. Remember the day I cried while on the phone with you? Telling you how I lost two of my girls. That was the day I stop following mission protocol and start making my own decisions. If a girl is injured, I order them to retreat and try again the next day. Forging the reports was easy. The higher-ups didn''t even read them. All that mattered to them was the elimination of the Abyssals. Now, with the new council, Shipgirls are given more freedom and have their own set of rights. Shipgirl''s fight to protect us. The least we could do is fight for their happiness and freedom." "I understand that. But if you get married to all three of them, will you be able to manage it? I mean, one is already hard enough." (Dad) "I will find a way. I already promised myself to give them equal amounts of love and attention. I can''t believe I''m saying this, but their happiness is my happiness. I want them to be happy." I can''t help but cover my face when I said that. That phrase is so embarrassing and cringy. "Don''t get embarrassed yourself!" (Dad) "What''s going on?" (Mom) "Nothing." (Dad and I) The both of us smiled at each other. Dad pat my shoulder, "I got it. Make sure you stick to that promise. Your mom and I will support your decision." (Dad) "Thank you, Dad. Then you better be prepared to come to my wedding multiple times." "How many girls are planning to get married to?!" (Dad) Chapter 201 - 185 A rather serious atmosphere filled the living room. At the center of the room laid a Kotatsu table, with all four sides occupied by four girls. They are all staring at each other, awaiting their next move. "Take this, Zuihou-san!" (???) A girl with long blonde hair tied into a ponytail and a well-endowed body placed a blue card on the table, forcing Zuihou to draw an additional four cards to her hand and skipping her turn. "Guh! How dare you!" (Zuihou) "Um... How about this?!" (Shigure) Shigure placed a blue card with a arrows pointing in opposite directions. "Eh?! What about my turn?!" (Zuihou-chan) "Thank you, Shigure. Time for my revenge!" (Zuihou) Zuihou placed a blue card of a circle with a slash in it. "Oi!" (???) "Finally, it''s my turn." (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan placed a black card with a all four colours on it, "Umm... Let''s go with green." (Zuihou-chan) "Ah. I don''t have a green..." (Shigure) "Remind me what are they doing again." "A game of UNO with you as the prize." (Nen) "And why is your girlfriend playing as well?" "They needed a fourth player. Mom doesn''t know how to play, and Rio wants to snuggle with your child, so she''s competing with them." (Nen) "For the last time, she is not my child. She is my girlfriend." "That makes it worst, you lolicon!" (Nen) The prick sitting beside me on the sofa is unfortunately, my younger brother, Tokomaki Nen. It''s already evening and he just got back from work. To my surprise, he brought his girlfriend, Nijima Rio, over as well. It seems this is third time she has came over for a visit. She met my brother at his workplace, as colleagues. One thing led to another and now they are an item. I guess it just happened recently, since I didn''t hear anything about it the last time I visit. He didn''t want to answer me when I asked. As usual. Always choosing which questions to answer and giving the silent treatment because he can''t be bothered to speak. That''s my brother. But tonight, he is rather talkative. Like Nen said, the four of them are in an intense game of UNO. After dinner, the girls are now deciding their sleeping arrangements. My room is pretty small compared to what I have back at base, with only one queen-sized bed. Minus Rio, the winner will get to sleep with me one the bed while the others sleep on the floor. I suggested that we can sleep on the floor together but they rejected it. If Rio wins, she gets to snuggle with Zuihou-chan for the rest of her stay. The latter is desperately trying to avoid that fate. Rio must really like cute things. For some reason, they decided to settle the outcome with a game of UNo. "I''m surprised you managed to get a girlfriend with your troublesome personality." "Piss off. At least I''m not a cheater like you." (Nen) "It''s not cheating if they accept one another." "Only children can like you. As expected of a lolicon." (Nen) "I''m not a child!" (Zuihou, Shigure & Zuihou-chan) The two light aircraft carriers and destroyer lashed out at him. "Ahaha. They got mad." (Rio) "Anyway, how is things at your end?" (Nen) "Is there going to be a blood moon tonight? My little brother asking me how is my work?" "Just answer me." (Nen) "Oh I see. You don''t want to look bad in front of your girlfriend. I get it. Well, apart from managing resources, taking care of my shipgirls, dealing with creatures who love to destroy sh.i.p.s and aliens hellbent on causing problems, what else can I say? It''s the same as usual. Creature and Alien cause trouble. We investigate. My girls destroy whatever the threat is. And they all come home. Then rinse and repeat." I obviously left out some details but no matter. Not like this brat will other to listen anyway. "It''s a miracle your base hasn''t blown up yet. It always suck at managing things." (Nen) "It''s amazing that your restaurant hasn''t closed down because of your lousy personality." Don''t mind us. It''s just the usual sibling banter we have whenever we meet. "I wonder why the police hasn''t arrested a filthy lolicon like you yet. Law and order must be pretty slack on your end." (Nen) I want to punch him so badly... "Like you ever cared about law and order." "YAY! I won!" (Zuihou-chan) They are finally done. Zuihou-chan is the champion of this match. As promised, she will get to sleep with me on the bed. The other two look dejected. "Come on. It''s not much different from back at our place. Cheer up." "..." (Zuihou and Shigure) Looks like I have to pamper them a lot more once we return to Maizuru. Zuihou-chan skipped around the living room. Isn''t she overreacting a little bit? "Cute..." (Rio) Rio is eyeing Zuihou-chan with a dangerous expression! Zuihou-chan also noticed her stare and quickly hopped onto my lap. Nen just let out an exasperated sigh, "Rio... Oh forget it. Anyway, it''s almost time for you go home. Come on, I will walk you to the station." (Nen) Nen got up from the sofa and motioned to Rio with his head. "Already? I want to play with them some more." (Rio) "Too bad. They are mine. Maybe some other time." "I still can''t believe she isn''t your child. Are all shipgirls like this? Like there are multiple of the same type?" (Rio) "Last time? No. But there are such cases now. I have a smaller version of Shigure back at my base." "He~eh~ I want to see her." (Rio) "Rio!" (Nen) "Maybe next time. Bye bye, Zuihou-san, Shigure-san and Zuihou-chan. I will definitely hug you next time." (Rio) Rio grabbed her jacket and ran off to the doorway, "Nen-kun, wait for me!" (Rio) When we heard the door latch shut, "I don''t want to meet her next time." (Zuihou-chan) "Yeah..." (Zuihou, Shigure) "You can use the bath now." (Mom) I heard my mom shout from upstairs. "Okay. I don''t mind having my bath last. No. The bath here is too small for all of us to be inside together. Don''t even think about it." The three of them are giving that look, saying they want to take one together. Apart from the bath being small, we are at my parents house. The walls are not thick enough, let alone being soundproof. I don''t to make a noisy mess in my parents bathroom. ------------------------------------------------- "Admiral''s smell~" (Shigure) "Hey. There is no smell. I haven''t worn that for ages." "No. It''s faint but I can still smell it." (Shigure) I don''t know why to say anymore. Shigure continued sniffing at an orange long-sleeved shirt which I used as pajamas when I was younger. My mom let them use my old clothes as pajamas. They were delighted. Seriously, they are overreacting to everything. "And how long are you two going to keep rolling around in my bed?" While Shigure is there taking in my scent for some reason, the other two are playing around on my bed. "Come on. At least let me enjoy it for a while. It''s onlu fair enough since Zuihou-chan will get the bed to herself." (Zuihou) "Like I said, it''s not that bi- Never mind." Shigure helped my set up the futons on the floor. As expected of my mom, she made sure the futons are clean and fresh. After tucking everyone in, i switched off the lights and maneuvered around to my bed. This is one of the reasons I said I can sleep on the floor with everyone. Back at base, the moon is enough to dimly light up the room for me to see. Here, it''s pitch black. I don''t want to step on th- !!! I felt something catch my foot and gravity took over my body as I fell over, "Woah!" "Hyaa!" (???) Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/our-bonds-(a-kantai-collection-fanfic)_13194262906075005/chapter-185_50992815886363860 for visiting. I feel something soft in my hand. I sort of know who I fell on and what was going on. This soft thing I''m touching... The size is a little too big to be Zuihou''s. And that scream... "Admiral, are you alright?" (Zuihou) Zuihou is on my right... "Erm... Admiral. We can''t. Not here." (Shigure) Yep. I knew it. I fell on top of Shigure and my hand miraculously found her chest, "Sorry! It wasn''t on purpose! Are you hurt?" "N-no. I''m okay." (Shigure) "Good. Sorry. Good night." My eyes have kind of adjusted to the darkness. I can barely make out Shigure''s silhouette. I went and pet what seems to be her head. Please let me be right. I can feel her hair. I hit the mark. "You too, Zuihou. Good night." "Good night." (Zuihou) I quickly got up and felt my way to the bed. "Good night, Zuihou-chan." No response. Only the sound of her breathing. She must have fallen asleep already. She really is a child, sleeping as soon as she is on the bed and at 2200hrs. I can feel her move closer to me, before wrapping her arms around mine. I half-expected her to say something as usual, but not this time. I better go to sleep myself. We are returning back to base tomorrow morning. And then our daily routine will continue. Chapter 202 - 186 "Don''t come after me on purpose!! Stupid!! idiot!!" (Little Destroyer in orange) A Beast Abyssal Light cruiser To-class charged at the small orange destroyer, who is running away. Rather than being frightened, the little destroyer seems to be furious that she is being targeted. The little destroyer wore a striped crop top under a orange vest, a green ribbon on her collar, and white flared skirt with black leggings. Her brown hair is tied into a side ponytail and a small white beret sat on the right side of her head. This girl''s name is Narsuiro Matsuri, a destroyer under Azur Lane''s Hololive faction, and a self-proclaimed pure and wholesome idol. Although, her screaming and shouting profanities at her assailant are anything but pure or wholesome. Watching her being chased is a cat-girl with white ears and a tail. Half of her tail is black, ending at the tip. Her tail resembles that of the other Sakura Empire fox girls, though it is not as fluffy as theirs. Her outfit is mostly similar to a Miko''s outfit, with white kimono sleeves, a white kimono top which exposes her midriff, black flared skirt and stockings. Her rigging consist of two constructs resembling the bow of a ship, both of which are equipped with Twin 12.7mm Type 3 mod B guns. This girl is called Shirakami Fubuki, a destroyer from the same faction as Matsuri. On her left is a young girl with a small statue. She has long silver hair, tied into twintails with purple ribbons and bells, and two horns sticking out of her forehead. She wore a white and purple military-style blouse, matching skirt with black frils and a purple cap. A gold chain held a black overlarge coat to her blouse. Attached to her waist are two katanas, one red and one black. Her rigging had two had two large Oni masks, attached to each side, and a purplish blue mist dancing around her. From the same Hololive faction, she is a heavy crusier named Nakiri Ayame. On Fubuki''s right is a taller girl, with long black hair and large black ears sticking out of the top of her head. They look like wolf ears, so she is a wolf-girl? She wore a black one-piece dress, with red and white accents. From her classification, she is an aircraft carrier, so she has sleeves reminiscent of a miko''s. She also wore mismatched, but strangely fitting, leggings. There is something furry wrapped around her left thigh. Her rigging is similar to those from the Ironblood, consisting of two large wolf-like constructs with a flight deck attached on top. This wolf-girl is Okami Mio, another member of Hololive. Accompanying the four of them is my Zuihou and Shigure-chan. Fubuki and Mio seem to be familiar with Shigure-chan, since she participated in Operation Thorn Heart. They were surprised to see Zuihou being taller than when they last met. The usual confusion as always. This is a joint operation between Maizuru and Azur Lane to secure and transport a black mental cube held by an Abyssal fleet in the Salmon Seas. Apart from the Beast Abyssals and the normal Abyssals, we can expect high-ranking Sirens to be involved as well. I say this is a joint operation, but we were dragged into this by HQ. Since the Salmon Seas are under Maizuru''s jurisdiction, we were ordered to assist in the mission as my girls are familiar with the area. With the previous encounters in mind, I sortied Zuihou and Shigure-chan. Zuihou is in charged of leading the fleet to the location while Shigure-chan acts as a counter-action against the Beast Abyssals with her napalm skills. The plan was to have Shigure-chan use her napalm skills to chase away or flinch any beast Abyssals that get too close. I won''t go into detail, but we discovered that Beast Abyssals hate fire, something that hasn''t been observed or recorded previously. That was the plan, until Masturi stumbled upon a To-class, lying in ambush. The To-class is not a normal one. It has two additional arms, both of which are red and missing a finger or two. It has an additional face sticking out of the head on it''s top, with it''s own set of uneven and disgusting looking teeth. Terrific, they are evolving to be uglier than usual. "Don''t just stand there and watch! Hurry up and do something about damn thing!" (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) "Alright. Alright. Let''s go. Just as we practiced." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "Ok. Shigure-chan, can you stop it for us? We just need it to be still for one second." (AL Ookami Mio) "I can try, but I don''t want to hit Matsuri-san." (Shigure-chan) "Don''t worry. Just aim at Matsuri-chan and fire when I tell you to. Then leave the rest to us." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "You girls have a plan?" "Yep. This is the perfect time to try our new move." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) Fubuki raised her hand and waved to Matsuri, who is still shouting profanities and taking potshots at the To-class, "Matsuri, do your best! Just hold out a little bit more!" (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "Hurry up and kill this thing already, you stupid fox!" (AL Narsuiro Matsuri) Eh? Fubuki is not a cat but a fox? "Ayame-chan, you ready?" (AL Ookami Mio) "Yes, Mio-chan." (AL Nakiri Ayame) Blue balls of fire appeared atop Fubuki''s palms, "Then, on my mark," (Shirakami Fubuki) Shigure-chan took aim with her gun, a bright orange light emitting from the barrels. A fleet of transparent, yellow aircraft took shape on Mio''s flight deck. The fog around Ayame got thicker as she placed her hands on her swords while lowering her body, as if getting ready to jump. "Shigure-chan, now!" (AL Shirakami Fubuki) Shigure-chan fired a flaming, gelatinous mass towards Matsuri, barely missing the destroyer by a few centimeters and igniting the water in front of the To-class. As expected, the To-class flinched from the sudden intense heat and bright light. "FAM, let''s go!" (AL Shirakami Fubuki) The planes on Mio''s flight deck took flight and flew high up in the air. At the same time, Fubuki threw her blue fire balls at the To-class, which exploded into more fireballs upon contact. The fireballs flew up high into the air following the path of the Mio''s aircraft. Ayame disappeared, reappearing on top of one of Mio''s planes. The planes and fireballs proceed to make a nosedive, straight towards the To-class, who is still paralyzed with fear. "Eh? Where do I cut? This thing doesn''t have a head." (AL Nakiri Ayame) "Just cut straight through it. It''s not a tough one." I hope. To-classes are considered weak compared to the other Abyssals we have encountered recently. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/our-bonds-(a-kantai-collection-fanfic)_13194262906075005/chapter-186_51048879436648104 for visiting. "Got it! Here I go! FAM Special move!" (AL Nakiri Ayame) Ah. It''s another one of those things, "Hyakka Ryouran Hanafubuki!" (AL Shirakami Fubuki, Nakiri Ayame, Ookami Mio) Is coming up with names for so-called special moves the in thing these days? Ayame leaped towards the screaming To-class, drew her swords and made a X-shaped cut through the creature. The To-class went silent and split into four pieces, only to be shredded by the volley of bullets and fireballs raining down on it. Blue blood splattered all over place, with some splattering onto the Oni girl. The To-class has been annihilated. Not even a piece of it''s flesh remained. That thing didn''t even have a chance to disappear beneath the surface. Alright. I admit, that was a spectacle. It was both devastating and flashy. "Uwaah! Gross! It''s all over me!" (AL Nakiri Ayame) Ayame returned to her friends side, covered in blue Abyssal blood. "Come here. I will wipe it off for you" (AL Ookami Mio) "Yay! That was a success!" (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "You took too long! I could have died!" (AL Narsuiro Matsuri) "Ahaha. Sorry." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) Fubuki''s ears folded up as her friend continued shouting. Mio and Ayame are having their little moment on the side. Zuihou and Shigure-chan looked at the four of them. "Is this how they were at that time?" (Zuihou) "Back then, only Fubuki-san and Mio-san were there. Mio-san used Hatotaurus to attack. Matsuri-san and Ayame-san weren''t present. That finisher move was awesome! It''s the first time I saw it. I can''t believe they based off their new single!" (Shigure-chan) Shigure-chan''s eyes started to light up. She seems excited about something. "Shigure-chan? What are you talking about?" "Ooh! You heard our new song?" (AL Shirakami Fubuki "Yes. It was awesome!" (Shigure-chan) "Did you listen to mine? Shijoshogi Adtruck?" (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) As the girls enter their own world, Zuihou and I looked on from the side, "Zuihou, do you know what they are talking about?" "I think Shigure-chan is a fan of them. I saw her watching a video of Fubuki-san playing some horror game once." (Zuihou) "So they are celebrities?" "I think so. But that''s not important now, right?" (Zuihou) Yeah... "Girls, I would like to get back to the mission now. You can chat along the way." Chapter 203 - 187 The fleet is almost reaching the Salmon Seas. Along the way, We spoke about various things, like what the hololive girls usually do and life at both of our bases. At one point, Fubuki let out a cat-like scream after being startled by a lone Destroyer I-class that popped out of nowhere. Shigure-chan dealt with it with a single torpedo, before continuing the journey. "For the last time, I''m not a cat! I''m an Arctic Fox!" (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "Foxes don''t go ''nya'' when they get frightened." "Ah. Admiral, can you say that again? That ''nya'' was cute." (Zuihou) I''m gonna tie her up later. Ayame giggled at Zuihou''s words. "I found something. 50 metres to our left." (AL Ookami Mio) "An enemy?" "Beast Abyssals. Two of the shark-looking ones from before." (AL Ookami Mio) Destroyer I-class... "Ignore them. Let''s concentrate on our objective." "I detect an Abyssal fleet further up. In fifteen minutes, we will enter firing range." (Zuihou) Should we try our luck? Maybe the first fleet we encounter has the black mental cube. "Now that I think of it, this mission is basically a gacha." "I know right? Isn''t it exciting? We never know what we are going to find or get." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "I see. You are a girl of culture as well. Anyway, prepare for battle. Let''s try our luck and get that black mental cube." "Roger!" (All) The fleet engaged the first enemy we found. It was a small Abyssal fleet consisting of a Light Cruiser He-class Kai flagship, a Light Cruiser Tsu-class, two Destroyer Ha-class and two Destroyer I-class. Not much of a threat, but still a considerably dangerous fleet. Well, the girls are strong enough to defeat them. Except for Shigure-chan, maybe. She is still inexperienced. As soon as they are within range, Fubuki, Mio and Zuihou launched the first wave of bombers to initiate a bombing run. The initial attack sunk both Destroyer Ha-class and severely damaged the Light Cruiser He-class Kai Flagship. Wait... Fubuki can launch her own set of bombers? Isn''t she Destroyer? I haven''t heard of a Destroyer launching aircrafts, let alone having any plane capacity. If it were just Seaplanes, it would make much more sense. But bombers? And those bombers are a type which I have never seen before. The bombers are like jet planes, but with a weird spiral growth with a pair of furry ears sticking out behind the c.o.c.kpit. Is that a bamboo sprout with fox ears? What is this? Both parties started shelling at each other. Being damaged and severely overwhelmed, the Abyssal fleet taken out almost immediately. There weren''t any black mental cubes floating around. "Aww~ Nothing..." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "Well, it is a gacha. Let''s look for the next one. Before that, everyone feeling okay? I can see your statuses on the screen but I just want to confirm it." "You can see everything about us? You pervert~" (AL Narsuiro Matsuri) "I can only whether you''re damaged or not!" Our next target, an Abyssal fleet led by another Light Cruiser Tsu-class, wasn''t any better. Just as it was with the last one, this fleet wasn''t holding on to our target. "Maybe we should aim for stronger fleets? I''m pretty sure the weaker ones won''t be holding onto such a precious item." "Good point." (AL Ookami Mio) "Then with that in mind, Zuihou, launch a scout plane and search for the nearest Carrier fleet." "Okay." (Zuihou) Zuihou drew her bow and let fly an arrow. The arrow burst into flames, transmuting into three Type-2 Reconnaissance Aircraft. The three planes split up, each moving in a different direction to cover more ground. The girls continued moving forward, searching for their next target. I''m also looking at the map on my end. There are a few enemy fleets nearby, but they are mainly led by Light Cruiser Tsu-classes. This area is populated with them. A red symbol of a wolf appeared on screen. A beast Abyssal fleet is approaching them. "Girls, a Beast Abyssal fleet is approaching your current location." "We can see it. Fleet, prepare for battle." (Zuihou) A beast Abyssal fleet, consisting of two Heavy Cruiser Ne-class, one Torpedo Crusier Chi-class, and two PT Imp packs... Oh great. An irritating one just showed. The heavy cruisers and torpedo crusier won''t be much of a problem. The PT Imps, however, are a hassle to deal with, especially the Beast varient. The usual ones already have that weird gimmick of being impervious to most of our high-caliber guns and planes. Furthermore, they are highly evasive, able to dodge most, if not all, of our attacks. The only thing effective against them are small caliber guns, AA machine guns, skilled lookouts and seaplanes. I can''t imagine how troublesome the beast varient will be. "Gh! PT Imps..." (Zuihou) "They look like small goblins." (AL Nakiri Ayame) "How do we deal with them?" (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "Let me think... Shigure-chan, I want you to launch a naplam to scatter them. Matsuri-san and Ayame-san, I need you both to take out those Imp packs. They are fast and tough, so don''t underestimate them. Matsuri-san will fire at them to distract and draw their attention. Ayame-san will then proceed to lob off their heads one by one." "Easy... Wait, I''m the bait, am I?!" (AL Natsurio Matsuri) "I can try." (AL Nakiri Ayame) "Let''s hope this works. Zuihou, Fubuki-san and Mio-san, focus on taking out the other Abyssals. I know it will be tough but Fubuki-san, I need you to double as back-up for Ayame-san and Matsuri-san just in case things go south." "Roger." (All) As the Beast Abyssal fleet got closer, I noticed one of the imps was holding onto something. A black cube with a purple tinge in the middle. "Is that our objective?" "What is?" (AL Ookami Mio) "That black cube in that Imp''s hand." "Huh? Are you serious? It is! I don''t know if we are lucky or not that it came to us." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "At least it saves us the time and effort to search for it." (AL Nakiri Ayame) "Ok. Slight change of plan. Shigure-chan, block off their escape routes. We are going to take them down right here and right now." "I can try." (Shigure-chan) Shigure-chan took out her gun and begin charging. Her hands and the surface of the gun begin to glow red while an orange light can be seen inside the gun barrel. Zuihou, Fubuki and Mio launched their bombers to initialize the bombing run. Ayame and Matsuri got ready to open fire once the enemy is close enough. Suddenly, my console started going crazy. Alarms started to blare, indicating an incoming threat, "Girls, something is wrong. I''m detecting a large incoming threat on my end. Is there anything I''m not seeing over there?" Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/our-bonds-(a-kantai-collection-fanfic)_13194262906075005/chapter-187_51084263541501311 for visiting. "Yeah. Maybe a big hole of doom?" (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) The camera panned up to where Matsuri was pointing. Right above them is a giant, black and blue portal, which spun rather slowly at first, before accelerating within moments. Then, the feed cuts to black... Chapter 204 - 188 "We are in the South! How did she find us?" (???) "This is a major oversight! She is the same as Ash and Ember. Why didn''t we anticipate her using the same teleportation technique?" (???) I can hear some people shouting. Who is that? "Crap! We made you! What makes you think you can- Gargh!" (???) I can hear the sound of a sword being swung. There are two groups fighting? Something tells me I shouldn''t open my eyes yet. "We need to retreat for now! We will be back! You hear?! Once we recalibrate our simu- How rude!" (???) "Oi. I''m not done with-" (???) The was the distinct sound of a sword being sheathed, followed by a unrecognizable voice, "Damn squid. Tsk. Now what do I do with this girl? Her attire is similar to my old friends, but she isn''t one of them. She is not dead, I suppose. I don''t have time to babysit. She can fend for herself." (???) "Wait. Who are... you..." Eh? Where did that person...? Huh? When I finally got up and opened my eyes, there was no one there. There was someone there, right? In fact, it''s dark! Why is it so dark? I can barely see my own fingers. This is bad! Us carriers are mostly weak and useless in the dark. If I had my night equipment, I can use my planes as my eyes. My secondary guns aren''t loaded as well, so I extremely vulnerable in this area. I could have sworn there was someone standing beside me just now. I wasn''t hallucinating, right? There was someone nearby. Two, maybe three, people. The woman was one of them, fighting the others and forcing them to retreat. What did she mean by squid? ...It''s too quiet... It just dawned on me that I''m all alone on the dark. "Shigure-chan? Fubuki-san?" You can''t be serious, right? "Ayame-san? Mio-san? Matsuri-san?" The whole situation just went from bad to worst. Not only did I ended up in a dark area, I''m also separated from the rest. The worst scenario. I feel my heart racing. I''m alone. It''s dark. I''m scared. That''s right. My radio, "This is Zuihou from Maizuru Naval District. Does anyone read me? Over." Only the sound of static replied to my query. "Is there anyone out there? Over." Still nothing... "Anyone, please answer me. Shigure-chan? Fubuki-san? Admiral? Please... Reply me." It''s no use. I''m not getting any response. I tried switching to other channels but the results are the same. Static and silence. What should I do? Alright Zuihou. Snap out of it. Now not the time to panic yet. I can try to find my way back first, then I can ask for backup. For now, let''s find the way home. "This is no use..." When I took out my gyrocompass to navigate my back, it started spinning like crazy. I can''t find my way around if this thing is malfunctioning. Why doe it have to malfunction now? "My radar... I have nothing to test it on, but please work." I don''t detect anything within 50 metres. Or at least that''s what my radar is telling me. I hope this is still working. I can use this to help me detect and avoid any obstacles or enemies. "No point hanging around here. I should at least move around and explore my surroundings. Those mysterious people that were fighting each other mentioned something about being in the South. So I should still be in the Salmon Seas. Or maybe near the Coral Islands." Either way, I need to find a landmark or something to get my bearings. Along the way, I can find the others. Yep. Let''s go with that plan. "Hopefully I can regroup with the rest." --------------------------------------- I don''t know how long have I been wondering around. So far I have not seen any land. My radar is working, which is a relief for me. I managed to avoid a few enemies along the way. I don''t know if they were Abyssals or Sirens but I''m not taking my chances. Like I said, I''m extremely vulnerable in the dark. Maybe I haven''t been wondering around much. My fuel is still the same as before. Slightly more than half-full. I don''t know if I should be concerned about it. I also don''t feel tired. This is strange. I am still moving about. Enemy signals appearing on my radar and disappearing after I moved away clearly means I have been wondering around for quite some time. Yet, my supplies and strength haven''t been decreasing. How is this possible? "I''m still on Earth, right?" I took out my gyrocompass, which is still spinning like crazy. A gyrocompass uses the Earth''s rotation and gravity to figure out where is ''North''. Unlike a normal compass, a gyrocompass doesn''t get affected by magnetism. If my gyrocompass is acting like this, either I''m not on Earth anymore or something is affecting my systems. But if it''s the latter, why isn''t my radar affected? *Click* "Eh?! What was that?" I hurriedly reduced my speed and stood in place. I just heard a weird clicking sound. Was there something in the water? Suddenly, my whole body was filled with intense pain. As I fell to the floor, my body could stop shaking. I can''t control my body. My radar and other systems started going crazy. My rudder feels like it just activated on it''s own. My secondary guns moved violently in all directions. I''m blacking out. Am I going to die? Is this how it ends? No way... I still want to... spend more time... with Admiral... Chapter 204 - Small Notice- rewriting of 187 & 188 Hello. I will be removing and rewriting chapter 187 and 188. The original idea I had looked so much better in my head. I''m sorry if these two chapters were not up to par. I plan to upload the new ones this Saturday, so stay tune. (??¦Ø??) Chapter 204 - 187 (Rewrite) I watched as large pigeon-minotaur thing performed an uppercut on the Heavy Cruiser Ri-class with its oversized fist, sending the Abyssal flying high up into the air. Usually when the enemy gets too close to an aircraft carrier, they would usually back off while firing their secondary guns, not summon a ''Stand'' and punch their assailant. "Let''s do this, Hatotaurus!" (AL Ookami Mio) "Coo!" (Hatotaurus) "Wait. Mio-san?" (Zuihou) "Orrryaaa!" (AL Ookami Mio) Mio, along with her weird ''Stand'', I think it''s called ''Hatotaurus'', charged towards the place where the others Abyssals were. Her wolf-shaped rigging started lunging at the nearby Light Cruiser Tsu-class, grabbing the Abyssal within it''s jaws and tossing it into the air. Hatotaurus smashed the Tsu-class in between it''s fist, before dropping the lifeless body into the ocean. "Go! Mio!" (AL Shirakami Fubuki) Fubuki cheered as she watches her friend pummel the remaining Destroyer Ha-class. "Fubuki, look out!" (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) "Nya! That was close. Thanks." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) A shell flew towards Fubuki, barely missing the self-proclaimed foxgirl as she dodged in time. That shell belongs to another Heavy Cruiser Ri-class, who managed to escape from Mio''s rampaging pigeon. "Zuihou, assist Mio in destroying the rest of the fleet." "No need for that. I''ll go help Mio-chan." (AL Nakiri Ayame) Ayame begin firing at Battleship Ta-class flagship, who has learnt Mio''s attack patterns and skillfully dodge her attacks. Since it was focusing on Mio, it could not react in time to evade Ayame''s barrage of attacks. "Nice nice." (AL Ookami Mio) "Okay... Zuihou, assist the others in-" The sound of an explosion followed by a scream caught my attention. The camera panned towards the Heavy Cruiser Ri-class, which is on fire and in the midst of sinking. Looks like Shigure-Chan took care of it. "Nice one, Shigure-chan!" (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) Matsuri pounced on Shigure-chan, causing the smaller girl to stumble. Is it just me, or is that so-called idol making a weird face? Her eyes became narrow, accompanied with a creepy grin, red cheeks and heavy breathing. "Matsuri-san... What''s with that face?" (Shigure-chan) "Haah... Haah..." (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) "Alright alright. You are scaring the little destroyer." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) Fubuki grabbed Matsuri''s collar and pulled her away from my Destroyer. "Sorry about that. She is a lolicon. It''s surprising how she managed to hold out for this long despite being with you two all day." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "I-I see..." (Shigure-chan) "By the way, I''m a shotacon." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "No. I didn''t ask what''s your fetish. I don''t need that kind of info" Oh god, I really didn''t need to know that. "Everyone~" (AL Nakiri Ayame) Ayame waved to them from the side of the battlefield. Behind them featured a sinking Battleship Ta-class flagship. Looks like they are done as well. "Looks like they done as well." That''s what I said. "Let''s regroup." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) As the two groups moved to meet each other in the middle, Zuihou looks a little disappointed. "Any mental cubes around?" "No. Another dud." (AL Ookami Mio) "Then, let''s just move on and find the next one." That was the second Abyssal fleet they encountered in the Salmon Seas. While the mission was to retreive a black mental cube which was supposedly in the area, we have no idea which Abyssal fleet was holding onto it. The only way to find it is to sink whatever fleet we come across and hope the black mental cube appears. It''s a hassle but that''s our only option. "Say, I just thought of something." (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) "What is it?" "How about we wait for the Sirens to show up? That way, we can figure which Abyssal fleet has the cube." (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) "If we do that, the sirens may take the black mental cube and teleport away before we do anything." (AL Nakiri Ayame) "Ayame-san is right. If we wait for the Sirens to show up and find the cube for us, they will most likely teleport away with the cube immediately. Furthermore, they might be thinking the same thing." "You mean..." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "Yep. They are most likely waiting for us to find the cube first. Then they would come in and snatch it away." "What a disgusting plan." (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) "Weren''t you thinking the same thing?" "This and that are different things" (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) Ah whatever, "Zuihou, search for the next Abyssal fleet." "On it." (Zuihou) Zuihou launched three of her Type-2 Reconnaissance Aircraft to fan out and scout the area ahead. She also launched some escorts, in case the recon planes encounter an Abyssal air fleet. The girls held their position, waiting for the results, "So? Anything nearby?" (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) "Erm... Nothing. Just Beast Abyssals roaming about. They are probably strays. Not part of any fleet. We might have to change our position." (ZUihou) "Gh! I don''t want to meet those monsters ever again." (AL Nastsuiro Matsuri) "There are a bunch of Siren mass-produced sh.i.p.s scattered about as well. They are not moving. I think they have been deactivated. The red lines on their hulls are not glowing." (Zuihou) "Ahh. They are in passive mode. If anything gets too close to them, then they will wake up and start attacking." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "Eh? When did they have such a function?" (AL Nakiri Ayame) "Commander annonuced it during our night debrief a few days ago. You weren''t there because you were having your Karaoke stream." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "Oh. I see." (AL Nakiri Ayame) "I have been thinking about this. How often do you guys stream?" "Daily." (Hololive girls) "Daily?!" "We do take breaks sometimes. Maybe one or two days." (AL Ookami Mio) "We mainly stream at night, after our duties in the morning." (AL Nakiri Ayame) "Commander spoke to Yagoo and our managers. He will assign us duties based on our schedules." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "Who is Yagoo?" "Our CEO." (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) "That sounds complicated. Isn''t tiring to be doing so much in one day?" "It is. But we love being Vtubers. And the thought of our listeners having fun while watching us makes it even better. Erm... I don''t know how to explain this feeling. Ahahaha~" (AL Shirakami Fubuki) Heeh~ I''m starting to think that they are awesome. Despite being involved in this war and having to deal with so many things at once, they are still trying bringing joy to others by doing what they like. Maybe I should check them out later. "Alright. Let''s continue. Move towards the sourth-east. According to records, there should be another Abyssal fleet there. Let''s hope this one has our cube." Third time''s the chance, right? Chapter 205 - 188 (Rewrite) The third time was not the charm. Matsuri launched a torpedo, taking out the remaining Transport Ship Wa-class elite. Nothing again. "Aww~ Another dud." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) Fubuki''s ears bent in disappointment. "This is getting troublesome." (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) "Maybe we should have headed north-west instead. In the North-east lies is the strongest Abyssal fleet in the area. Maybe they have the cube." "Is it alright to stay this late? Don''t you have a stream later?" (Shigure-chan) "Yeah. An APEX training stream with Towa-chan and Sumire-chan at 9pm. I can ask them to push the time back a little, but I don''t really want to trouble them for my sake." Why does Shigure-chan know about their streaming schedule? "Me too. I have an Apex training stream with BAMWIN." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "Me too. I''m practicing Shion-chan and Yomi-chan later." (AL Nakiri Ayame) "Three of you? And you are all streaming the same game? What about Mio-san?" "I''m on break today. I can continue for a while longer. And I don''t play that game." (AL Ookami Mio) It''s almost 1700hrs. 5pm. Even if they return at full speed, I doubt they will be able to make it in time. Hmm... "The next one will be the last. Once we sink that fleet, the three of you will head back first. Whether we get the cube or not. The others... Shigure-chan, sorry but you may have to miss their stream." "That''s not a problem. I can always watch the archives." (Shigure-chan) So it''s recorded. "Where was I? Ah, right. Zuihou, Shigure-chan and Mio-san will continue searching for the cube. We will give up once it gets dark." "Eh? Is it alright to do that?" (AL Nakiri Ayame) "Yeah. No worries. I can call my girls to take over the mission for you guys. It''s not good to break a promise you made beforehand." "Heeh~ You kinda like our Commander." (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) "How so? Actually don''t answer that. I don''t want to know." Something tells me I shouldn''t compare myself to him. We might have something in common, but ultimately, our situations are different. "Anyway, let''s hurry up and move to the next Abyssal. It''s kind of like the boss of the area so don''t let your guard down." "Roger!" (All) The fleet made their way to where the boss of the area is, sinking two Beast Abyssal Destroyers along the way. The Beast Abyssal Destroyers were I-class, making the fight a one-sided massacre. "Uwaah... Those look dangerous." (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) From a distance, the girls can see the yellow and red glow emitting from Abyssal fleet. Well, I can see it too since the camera is pointing towards the abyssal fleet. "As usual, a fleet with three flagship variants." The enemy fleet this time is the stronger pattern. Arranged in a diamond formation, the Abyssal fleet consist of one Transport Wa-class flagship, one Light Carrier Nu-class flagship, one Battleship Ta-class flagship, one Heavy Cruiser Ne-class Elite and two Destroyer Ha-class late models. Although this is a familiar enemy, there is something off, "Is it just me or that Wa-class is giving off a blackish glow?" "You can seen it too?" (Zuihou) So it''s not just me. Does that mean we finally found it? "Ayame-chan," (AL Ookami Mio) "Yeah. That thing is giving off a bad aura." (AL Nakiri Ayame) "Eh? What? What are you taking about?" (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) "Looks like this is the correct one." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "What is it? What are you three sensing?" "That snail-looking ship probably has the black mental cube. We can feel some sort of dangerous aura coming from it." (AL Nakiri Ayame) "Snail-looking ship? Oh. The Transport Ship Wa-class. Certainly, it''s emitting a black aura. I can''t feel much from here so let''s go with your intuition. Since that thing is giving off bad vibes, let''s take it out along with the rest. Fleet, engage the enemy!" "Okay, let''s go! Attack wing, launch!" (Zuihou) "Kon!" (AL Shirakami Fubuki) Zuihou, Mio and Fubuki laughed the first wave of bombers to initiate the being run. Wait... Fubuki can launch bombers on her own?! Isn''t she supposed to be a Destroyer? I have never heard of a destroyer being able to launch her own set of bombers, let alone have any aircraft carrying capacity. Where did she store and launch those bombers from? Further more, I have never seen bombers like the ones she is using. They resemble jet planes, with a spiral structure, which looks like a bamboo shoot, attached to the back of it''s c.o.c.kpit. The bamboo shoot even has a pair of white fluffy fox ears sticking out at the top. What kind of aircraft is that? The bombers dropped their payload onto the Abyssal fleet, blowing up the two Destroyer Ha-class late models and severely damaging the Transport Ship Wa-class flagship while Light Carrier Nu-class flagship only received light damages. The battleship and heavy cruiser remained unscathed. This is a good start. Just a little more and we will win. Without giving the enemy time to recover, Shigure-chan, Ayame and Matsuri launched their own set of attacks, "Tis time to display my might!" (AL Nakiri Ayame) "Let them witness the power of a highschooler from hell!" (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) The mist around Ayame thickened as she launched a barrage of shells towards the Abyssal fleet. A weird... What the heck is that? A lion? A weird lion-head-thing with a curvature body appeared beside Matsuri for a split second, before flying towards the Abyssal fleet. Not wanting to be outdone, Shigure-chan charged her cannons and launched six fireballs in rapid succession. Their attacks connect, causing the Abyssal''s to erupt into a large ball of fire and smoke. I will never get tired of watching this kind of explosions. Nothing can survive this amount of destruction. ...Or so I thought. The Transport Ship Wa-class was still standing, as if nothing had happened to it. There were tendrils sprouting from its body and connected to the Battleship Ta-class and Heavy Cruiser Ne-class. Before I can say anything, the Abyssal battleship and heavy cruiser got back on their feet, looking good as new. "The Sirens really love to make everything harder than before." "Tsk. This is bad." (Zuihou) "Once more. All sh.i.p.s, concentrate fire on that Wa-class!" Chapter 205 - 189 I know the flagship variant of a Transport Ship Wa-class can be strong and prove to be a challenge if unlucky, I wasn''t expecting things to go south from the get-go. From the looks of things, that oversized snail demon is making use of the Black Mental cube in its body to heal itself and it''s allies. The damn thing wouldn''t die! "Once more, Ebifrion!" (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) The lion with an elongated body and no legs from before manifested itself once again besides Matsuri. It flew towards the repaired Heavy cruiser Ne-class elite, exploding into orange and yellow fireworks and creating holes in the Abyssal''s body. Just like before, those holes closed up on its own. Whenever the Abyssal battleship and heavy cruiser take damage, the transport ship instantly fixes them. It can even repair itself instantly if it takes damage. Until we figure out a way to take them down, this is going to be a battle of attrition. And the odds will be in the enemy''s favour. "Matsuri, we have to aim for that Transport Ship." (AL Ookami Mio) "But the other two are pretty irritating. They keep blocking my shots." (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) "Shogure-chan, can you set them on fire again?" "I''ll try. The Battleship Ta-class keeps blocking my shots." (Shigure-chan) Just as they said, the other two are protecting the Wa-class. Just like how the cleric would be protected by two of the DPS characters in a RPG game. Those weird tendrils are the ones letting it heal the other two Abyssals. "Ayame-san, see if you can cut the tendrils connecting them to one another. Fubuki-san, back her up." "This is going to be hard." (AL Nakiri Ayame) "On it! Go for it, Bermbew Sprawt!" (AL Shirakami Fubuki) Fubuki launched her weird bomber planes again while Ayame made her move towards the Heavy Cruiser Ne-class. "Zuihou and Mio-san, concentrate on bombing the Wa-class. As powerful as the black mental cube is, it shouldn''t be able to heal three abyssal sh.i.p.s continuously without any limit." At least, that''s what I want to believe in. This black mental cube is way too overpowered. What were the Sirens thinking when they created this thing? After watching their prolonged fight, I''ve got a plan, but I don''t know if it will work. Is there time to test it out? No. I have to take a gamble. It''s now or never! "All sh.i.p.s, concentrate all attacks on the Heavy Cruiser Ne-class. Ayame-san, back off for a bit. I need you to time your attacks right." Ayame cut one of the Heavy cruiser''s arm off and put some distance between herself and the Ne-class, who is starting to regenerate it''s severed arm. "What are you planning?" (AL Nakiri Ayame) "Do we have time to test this out?" (AL Shirakami Fubuki) Does she understand my plan? Whatever, there''s no time for such questions. Timing is of great importance here, "It''s not really a test. More of a gamble." "Then I hope you''re lucky with whatever you''re planning." (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) Zuihou and Mio launched their bombers along with Fubuki''s ''Bermbew Sprawt. Matsuri''s ''Ebifirion'' thing took flight towards it''s target, along with a couple of torpedos. Shigure-chan fired a couple of flaming gelatinous mass and launched a slavo of torpedos. All of their attacks were directed and managed to connect. The Heavy Cruiser NE-class was enveloped in flames as it the bombs and torpedos explode upon contact. "Ayame-san, cut the tendrils now!" "Demon Cutter Asura Rakshasa!" (AL Nakiri Ayame) Ayame charged to the Ne-class from the side, bringing both her katanas down and slicing throught the tendrils connected to the Heavy cruiser''s back. The Wa-class let out a roar, as if screaming in pain. The Heavy Cruiser Ne-class slouched over, like a toy robot without any batteries. "Don''t let up! Eliminate the Ne-class before it reconnects to the Wa-class!" The six girls continued their assault on the Ne-class, until the Abyssal went under the surface. Only the Transport ship Wa-class and Battleship Ta-class remained. It worked! There is a small delay before the Wa-class revives and repairs it''s damage dealers. It only connected to these two Abyssal sh.i.p.s because these two were the only ones still on the surface. The two Destroyer Ha-class late models and Light Carrier Nu-class flagship had already sunk by the time we discovered the Wa-class''s healing abilities. As long as the the tendrils are connected, they will continue to be repaired and be unsinkable. I wasn''t sure how long will it take for the Wa-class to repair them but there is definitely a short interval before the ''dead'' abyssal returns to life. I made the girls take a gamble and ordered Ayame to cut the tendrils immediately after everyone else''s attacks connected with the Ne-class. After severing the connection, the Abyssal became sinkable. Now we just need to repeat the same tactic with the Battleship Ta-class. "Did we do it?" (AL Ookami Mio) "Mio-san, look out!" (Zuihou) "Eh? Woa-" (AL Ookami Mio) Zuihou grabbed Mio''s dress and pulled the wolf-girl out of the Ta-class''s line of fire. The shell missed it''s target by a hair''s breadth. "Are you two okay?" (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "I''m fine. Thank you, Zuihou-san." (AL Ookami Mio) "Look sharp, girls. We are not done yet. Just repeat the same tactic we did before." "Ah!" (Zuihou) Zuihou suddenly let out a loud voice, "What''s wrong?" "I''m out of planes!" (Zuihou) Most of them were probably shot down before by the Ta-class and Wa-class. "Zuihou, fall back. Mio-san, how much planes do you have left?" "I''m about to run out as well." (AL Ookami Mio) "Mine is still on cool down." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) Those planes were Fubuki''s skill? More importantly, we are severely lacking in air support and firepower like this. "Slight change of plans. Ayame-san, I want you to bombard that pants-less highschooler with the others. Mio-san, you will be the one to sever the connection between the two." "Eh? That''s impossible for me!" (AL Ookami Mio) "You will do fine. You''re a wolf. You can do it." "What does being a wolf have to- Ah geez! I will do it!" (AL Ookami Mio) "All sh.i.p.s, aim at the Ta-class. Fire!" Just like before, shells, torpedos, orange flaming blobs, an lion-shrimp thing and blue fireballs flew towards the Ta-class. There was a huge explosion as the Ta-class is being enveloped in fire and smoke. I can''t really see it''s condition from here but that much damage should be enough, "Mio-san!" "Orryaaa!!!" (AL Ookami Mio) "Mio rushed in from the side, her wolf-like riggings opened wide and bit on the Wa-class''s tendrils. As she starts ripping the tendrils to bits, the Wa-class once again screamed in pain. The Ta-class fell to its, knees, motionless. "Finish it off!" Another round of salvo finally pulled the Abyssal battleship into Davy Jones''s Locker. Now it''s the Transport ship''s turn. The Wa-class writhed in pain for a while, before regaining it''s composure. It looks like its staring at the girls, desperately finding a way out. But we are not letting it escape. "Kill it and retrieve the mental cube." "How, though? It can keep on regenerating. Our attacks won''t be enough to take it down normally." (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) Good point. There has to be a way. "Normally, we won''t be able to do it. But we still have a secret weapon." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) Fubuki gave a confident smile and looked at Mio and Ayame. The three girls nodded at each other, seemingly agreeing on something. Oh right. That must be it. "I will leave it to you three. Aim for the head." "Heehee. That''s easy." (AL Nakiri Ayame) "I only have a few planes." (AL Ookami Mio) "That''s fine. We can use mine." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "Then..." (AL Ookami Mio) "Let''s do it, FAM!" (Shirakami Fubuki) Mio launched her remaining planes into the air. Fubuki launched her own set of bombers while simultaneously throwing the familar blue fireballs at the Transport ship.The blue fireballs burst into more balls of blue flame and flew high up into the air, following the trajectory of Mio''s aircraft. Ayame disappeared and reappeared on the foremost plane within the giant mass of fire and death. As the planes and fireballs nosedived towards the Wa-class, Ayame leaped off the plane, "FAM special move, Hyakka Ryouran Hanafubuki!" (AL Shirakami Fubuki, Nakiri Ayame Ookami Mio) Ayame drew her swords and sliced off the head of the Wa-class. The planes and fireballs rained down onto the Wa-class, shredding it to bits. I think. The previous time, they obliterated an Beast Abyssal with this move. I hope that same outcome happens this time. I really don''t want anymore surprises. "What the? It doesn''t look like it hit anything. Where is all the explosions and bits that were supposed to fly out?" (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) Oh, come on. Don''t tell me- "Kyaa! Gross!" (AL Nakiri Ayame) Rushing out amidst the bombs, machinegun fire and fireballs was a headless Transport Wa-class with multiple holes in its torso and ball-shaped hull. It''s entire figure looks extremely grotesque, no wonder the Oni freaked out. "Ah! It''s running away!" (Zuihou) "Don''t let it escape!" Shigure-chan and Matsuri begin shooting at it. Somehow it was able to dodge their attacks despite not looking back. Damn it! We were so close! "Incoming torpedo! Everyone, look out!" (Shigure-chan) The distinct trail of a torpedo can be seen passing by the six girls with relative ease and hitting the Wa-class with great precision. The explosion from the torpedo caused it to slow down. "I''m detecting an ally signal. She is underneath us." (Shigure-chan) A submarine? Did Azur Lane send reinforcements? More torpedo trails formed in front the six girls, making a beeline towards the Wa-class. The torpedos detonated on impact, creating larger holes in the Abyssal''s hull. The Wa-class stopped moving, trying to repair the damage it just took. At that moment, I saw it. A black cube, resting inside its hull. "Mio-san, now it''s the time. Rip the cube out of it''s hull!" "Hatotaurus!" (Ookami Mio) "Coo!" (Hatotaurus) The pigeon-minotaur ''stand'' appeared behind Mio as she charged towards the injured Wa-class. Hatotaurus punched into its hull, and ripped out the black mental cube. "Mio-chan, here!" (AL Nakiri Ayame) Ayame threw a purple box at Mio, who caught it sealed the black mental cube within, "Nice throw. Mission accomplished." (AL Ookami Mio) "Finally!" (AL Natsuiro Matsuri) The girls cheered as they finally achieved their goal. Despite the drawn out fight, I''m surprised they didn''t received much damage.Shigure-chan and Zuihou only received light damages while the Hololive girls didn''t even have a scratch on them. "Speaking of which, who was that help us?" "Hey, you can come out now." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) A white frilly headband slowly surfaced, follow led by a what can only be described as a pink onion. I mean, it really looks like an onion! "Why are facing the other way? The other two won''t bite." "Uuugghh..." (???) An unknown voice appeared on the radio. It most likely belongs to the weird submarine girl. "Come on. Surface entirely. It''s rude to hide underwater during your introduction." The pink onion slowly rotated, revealing an anchor insignia on the white headband and a face. The rest of her body appeared as she shyly went above the water. The girl has long link hair tied into spiral twintails. She wore a blue and white school swimsuit, with puffy sleeves and frilly skirt. I think her outfit was supposed to resemble a maid. As with Azur Lane''s submarines, she was riding on some kind of boat. The words ''neeeeeee'' were printed on its side. "Thanks for the assist, Aqua-chan." (AL Shirakami Fubuki) "D-don''t mention it." (???) "Thank you for helping us stop that Wa-class. May I know what your name?" "U-umm..." (???) She is a shy one, isn''t she? "I''m Minato Aqua, the Gamer Maid from Hololive~ U-Ugh... I didn''t know I would have to introduce myself in this outfit! That''s why I didn''t want to surface!" (AL Minato Aqua) Chapter 206 - 190 "Wait. Wait! Wait! Wait! Ahhh!" (Zuihou) I''m managed to land my final smash, trapping Zuihou''s Peach in my Corrin''s flurry of attacks and sent her flying of the map, "Game!" (Smash Announcer) "Ahhh!" (Zuihou) "Phew. That was a close fight." "Just one more hit... Just one more hit and I would have been able to use my special." (Zuihou) Zuihou was hitting the Smash ball, until I stole the last hit from her and unlocked my Final Smash instead. The both of us are playing Smash Bros in my room. We are trying to keep our voices down as the other two, Shigure and Zuihou-chan, are fast asleep. The two of them were plaing with us a while ago. Zuihou-chan was the one that suggested we all have a match, but she was the first one that fell asleep at 2100. Shigure played with us until 2230 until she couldn''t open her eye anymore and fell asleep next to Zuihou-chan. Since Zuihou is the only one still awake and playing, I decided to implement the same rule we had when I first introduced her to this game. Each of us has three lives. The first one to lose all three lives, basically the loser, has to remove a piece of their clothing. Naturally, this is disadvantageous to the light aircraft, since she doesn''t any underwear beneath her Night Yukata. As such, I allowed her to put on some extra clothing, since I would definitely win, and stripping her completely from the get-go isn''t as fun as watching her reluctantly remove a piece of clothing each time she lose. I plan to eat her up once she is bare and exposed, as per tradition. I haven''t done it lately. By the way, before we started, she was wear a pair of socks, white panties, which I tricked her into showing me, a Sarashi and her NIght Yukata. She already lost four times, including this latest loss. I only lost once, got a bit too complacent back there and allowed her to punch me off the map, and lost just my shirt. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=13194262906075005)/chapter-190_%!d(string=51531363177779588) for visiting. "Come on. Remove it." "Damn it. This is embarrassing." (Zuihou) "You should be used it to this now. I have already seen your n.a.k.e.d body countless times." "It''s still embarrassing! Especially..." (Zuihou) Zuihou glanced at the two sleeping girls behind her. Oh. I see. This will make for some interesting play later on. "Strip. Strip. Strip." "Shut up! Umph!" (Zuihou) Zuihou immediately covered her mouth with her hand and glanced behind again. Those two are still sleeping soundly. She had unwittingly raised her voice. Zuihou took a few deep breaths, before loosening her sarashi and letting it fall off her body unceremoniously. Those pink little hills are looking as beautiful as ever. She immediately covered up with her hands. "Geez. Don''t stare at me too much." (Zuihou) "Like I said... well whatever. Let''s have one final match." I will have my fun later. "How are you going to you play like that?" Zuihou, realising she needs two hands to play, lift her legs up to her chest and held the controller, "I won''t lose this time." (Zuihou) "That''s what you said four games ago. You could have put on more clothes before we start." "Shut up." (Zuihou) She might be looking forward to it as well, "Now then, let''s have a fair match." "3! 2! 1! Go!" (Smash Annoucer) ------------------------------------------ "Game!" (Smash Announcer) "No way..." (Zuihou) That was close! If I didn''t hit that the smash ball out of her Kirby, I could have lost the match. Aww... She looks so disappointed now. But a deal is a deal. Fine, I will be gentle with her later. Later, that is. "Now, Zuihou. Your panties." "S-say, it''s already this late. Shouldn''t we sleep? If not, we are going to have trouble waking up later." (Zuihou) "That''s true. But who said I was going to let you sleep?" "Eh? No way." (Zuihou) "Yes way. Now let''s get those panties off. You wanted to do it too, right? Wearing so little despite even though I told you the rules." "You''re... not all that wrong..." (Zuihou) Zuihou looked away in embarrassment. No doubt about it. She actually wanted to do it with me as well. But chickened out because Shigure and Zuihou-chan may wake up any moment. So cute! "Then, hurry up and take off those panties. It''s been so long since we did it." "Wait! Those two are here. We might waking them up." (Zuihou) "Then, do your best to keep quiet." "But... But..." (Zuihou) If you look at me like that, you are just going to tempt me into teasing you until you cry. "Fine. I will give you one chance. If you can beat my game, we will do this some other time." "You promise?" (Zuihou) "Yeah. Have I ever lied to you?" "Plenty of times." (Zuihou) "Let''s not sweat on the small stuff. Anyway, you want to do it? It''s a very simple game." "Fine. I will do it." (Zuihou) Caught her. "The rules are simple. I''m going to touch you. If you can resist my touch and remain as quiet as a mouse for thirty minutes, I will let you sleep and we will do it another time when you''re more willing. If not, well, you know what will happen." "Fine. I will take up your challenge." (Zuihou) "Alright. Ah, but you still need to remove those panties." "Kuh! Fine." (Zuihou) Zuihou reluctantly removed the last piece of cloth on her body and quickly retracted under the blanket. That makes things easier for me. "Come on. Stick your head out. You don''t have to hide everything." Zuihou slowly stocked her head out if the blanket. I want to have a clear look at her reactions as I play with her. "Now," I joined her in bed and placed a hand on her chest, "N-" (Zuihou) "I only poked you and you almost made a sound." "You just caught me by surprise. I didn''t know when we were going to start." (Zuihou) "Alright. Then, I''m starting now." As soon as my hand touched her sensitive lower body, I can feel her shiver as she tries to keep in her voice. She is so cute. In the end, she didn''t even last for ten minutes before letting out a m.o.a.n. As agreed, I got my reward. It was a little hard to muffle her voice without hurting her. Even I would be embarrassed if Shigure or Zuihou-chan were to catch us in the middle of doing it. Chapter 207 - 190.5 "H-here I go." (Shigure) "Y-yeah. When you are ready." Shigure sat on my lap, facing me directly. She placed her trembling hands on my shoulders. "You don''t have to force yourself if you''re scared." "I''m not scared. I-I''m fine." (Shigure) No, you don''t look fine at all. Your face is extremely red. Your hands are trembling. Your lips are quivering and I can hear your heart beating loudly and quickly. "Don''t move." (Shigure) Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=13194262906075005)/chapter-190.5_%!d(string=51548329925990565) for visiting. "I will try. But if it gets too ticklish..." Before I can finish my sentence, Shigure opened her mouth and went in for the kill. "Ahh. Nom..." (Shigure) I can feel her soft lips quivering as she nibble on my my ear. This is a weird feeling. It''s a little ticklish, somewhat pleasant, and a bit exciting... I guess? Not sure how to describe it. "Mhow ish ih?" (Shigure) Okay, that tickles. I instinctively moved my head towards my shoulder. I think Shigure took my action as a cue to stop, which kind of helps "It''s ticklish when you speak." "Sorry..." (Shigure) "Well, maybe I''m not used to this playbiting thing yet. It''s not your fault." I pet her head. Why did Shigure did something unheard of? It''s all because of her little sister, the miniature version of Shigure. Shigure-chan asked her older self to watch some weird ASMR video, which was streamed and uploaded by a certain cat-fox from Azur Lane. Apparently, from what I was told, there was a playbiting scene in that video, and Shigure wanted to reenact it for some reason. Maybe she has some interest in such things. Or maybe she is just bored with staying in the office and doing paperwork all day. "Want to try again?" "N-no. That''s enough for today." (Shigure) Her face is extremely red. She is definitely embarrassed. And this play biting thing is a little embarrassing for me as well. Shigure slowly got off my lap and returned to her desk. Since she is out of commission for the time being, I had her work as my secretary. Maybe it''s because she has nothing to do, the work I assigned to her was done efficiently and perfectly. She still wants to go out to sea. Once the work for the day has been completed, she spend the rest of the day staring out at the ocean. I hope Grand Admiral Hasake finishes the development of her artificial eye soon. There was a knock on my door, "Admiral, it''s Ooyodo." (Ooyodo) "Oh-yoyoyodo. Come in." The door swung open as a disgruntled Ooyodo with her trusty clipboard enter the room, "Please don''t sing my name out like you''re doing some rap. My name is Ooyodo." (Ooyodo) "Sorry. I flubbed it." "No way. You did it on purpose." (Ooyodo) "I fwubbed my wine." "It wasn''t on purpose? Oi! What kind of skit are you making me do?!" (Ooyodo) "I didn''t force you to do anything." Anyway, enough of teasing her, "What is it? You are almost done with today''s report." "You mean Shigure is almost done with your report." (Ooyodo) "Oi. Hold up." "More importantly, you have a telegram from Azur Lane." (Ooyodo) "Let''s hear it." "A new shipgirl from the North Union has been detected. Once she is secured, she will be transferred over to Maizuru to join the rest of the North Union. The search will take approximately twenty days so please prepare her quarters and the necessary paperwork by then." "Where did they get that information?" "It''s not stated." (Ooyodo) "Oh well. Send a reply telling them we will provide assistance if necessary. Anything else?" "Ryuujou hasade contact with Hoppou-chan. It seems that nothing has happened in her territory and she have agreed to help whenever she can as long as Ryuujou plays with her." (Ooyodo) "Then Ryuujou will be stuck with babysitting duty from now on. Tell Ryuujou once Hoppou-chan is satisfied, she and her fleet can come home. And prepare a feast for them and some leave forms. They deserve a break for establishing a relationship with that Abyssal princess." Fearing that our Abyssal friend might have been affected by the spores that cause the Abyssals to turn into Beast Abyssals, I sent Ryuujou, Mikuma, Mogami, Tama, Asashio, and Arashio to the North where Hoppou resides for a small investigation and possibly form an official alliance. I consider the previous encounter an exchange of contact numbers, as we only exchanged planes and promised to help one another only when Ember appears. That Takao clone has been extremely queit, I haven''t heard about her since then. It''s great that Hoppou has officially agreed to help us in our endeavors. Hoppou-chan, though she can''t communicate well, she is smart for an Abyssal. Having her as an official ally will help us fight against the growing Siren threat. "And finally," (Ooyodo) "There''s more?" "Ark Royal from Azur Lane is on a rampage. She is last seen heading towards Maizuru Naval Base. They have sent a fleet to pursuit her." (Ooyodo) "Bring the base alert level to the max! Hide all the Coastal Defense girls and everyone from the Fubuki class and Mutsuki class. I doubt she will go after the Shiratsuyu class but tell them to be on high alert and stay away from that Aircraft Carrier. And get me Zuihou and Zuihou-chan. I will lock them in my room. Do not let that lolicon near any of our smaller girls!" Chapter 208 - 191-1 Murasame raised her guns and aimed in front of her whilst skillfully dodging her opponent''s shells, "Oh my. Still up for it~? That''s o~kay~, you know~" (Murasame) Murasame fired at the Abyssal Destroyer Ha-class. The Ha-class let out one final scream as it exploded, sending fragments of it''s body flying in all directions before sinking. "Nice, nice!" (Murasame) "Alright, that''s the last of them." (Yamashiro) "Ugh... I didn''t get to do anything again." (Zuihou) "Don''t worry about it. It was a night battle. Us carriers can''t do much without our night equipment. Right, Admiral?" (Suzuya) "Sorry. I didn''t expect it to drag on." "That''s not it. I didn''t even launch a plane this time." (Zuihou) "It can''t be help. You ran out off planes." (Yamashiro) "Anyway, come back. We are done for the day." "Roger!" (All) I switched of the communications device. With the Ri Lanka sortie mission completed, we have fulfilled all of HQ''s orders for the day. I didn''t expect the sortie to end at night. The enemy is definitely improving. Their firepower and anti-air capabilities are getting stronger. They are more evasive now, compared to last time when most of them were pretty sluggish. They are now even more dangerous than before. What a pain... I know I shouldn''t be doing this, but I need a drink. Time to visit Mamiya. I put on my scarf and walked to Mamiya''s store. The winter nights are cold, but my winter uniform is thick and warm enough. I know Maimya just received a new shipment of alcohol the other day. Hopefully the other girls haven''t emptied her entire stock yet. Especially the North Union girls, all of them are heavy drinkers. The lights are still on inside her store. Good, she is still open, "Mamiya-san, you here?" I made myself known as I entered her store. "Admiral, just in time." (Mamiya) Mamiya ran up to me with a concerned look, "What''s wron- Oh. I see." Even before Mamiya said anything, I already see the problem. Sitting on one of her tables was my second-in-command, Rei. Looks like she has been drinking and managed to knock herself out. She has her head down on the table. "Can you help me bring Commander Rei to her room? I need to clean and lock up the place. I don''t know where is her room either." (Mamiya) "I''ll handle it." "Really? That helps. Thank you." (Mamiya) "Just make sure to reserve a bottle of sake for me." "Yes. I will reserve the best bottle I have from the batch." (Mamiya) I walked up to the drunk woman and gently shook her, "Commander Rei, wake up." "Nnghh..." (Rei) "Oii~ Wake up. Time to go back to your room~" "Just one... more cup..." (Rei) "No. Go home. You''re drunk." "Nngh..." (Rei) This is not working. Looks like I have to carry her back to her room. "Alright. Let''s get you back." I tried to support her on my shoulder but she keeps slipping off... Haah~ Right. "Mamiya-san, help me put her on my back." "Okay." (Mamiya) The instant Mamiya helped me get Rei on my back, I immediately felt something extremely soft pressing against my back. Wow! They are so soft! This is a new feeling. Not even Shigure can compare, don''t even talk about Zuihou. "Admiral?" (Mamiya) "Ah. Nothing. I will bring her back to her room. Remeber to save one bottle for me." I left Mamiya''s store with Rei on my back. "I didn''t expect you to be such a drunk. How much did you drink?" Rei made some random drunk noises. Why did I try to ask her a question? She is too out of it to answer. "No~ I don''t want... him..." (Rei) Is she sleeptalking now? Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=13194262906075005)/chapter-191-1_%!d(string=51666354016672674) for visiting. "Lea... mwa nam nam..." (Rei) "Yeah yeah. I''m bring you back to your room. A good night''s sleep is what you need now." And then you will wake up with a hangover the next morning. I don''t know why but I just felt the urge to say someting in response to her random blabbering. "Uugh... Sick..." (Rei) "Eh?" First came the feeling of something warm and damp dripping down from my shoulder. Then came a smell so strong that it felt like I got punched in the nose. "Wait! Not again! Why do you always vomit on me?!?!?!" ----------------------------------------- "Welco- Ugh... What is that smell?" (Shigure) Sensing, or maybe smelling my presence, Shigure opened my office door to greet me, only to recoil at the stench Rei covered me in. I can''t be bothered to carry her all the way to her room, which is located in the left wing of the main office building. My room is much nearer so I decided to let her spent the night there. Plus, I want to have a bath. "Sorry about this. Can I leave her to you?" "Commander Rei? What happened to her?" (Shigure) "It''s New Years all over again." "Again? Woah. That''s going to stain." (Shigure) She is taking about the spot Rei vomited on. A large, greenish mark with patches of who-know-what stretched from my left shoulder all the way down to the hem of my uniform. The fairy that handles my laundry is not going to like this. I carried Rei to my bed and Shigure helped me lay her down. "What should we do?" (Shigure) "Erm...Wipe her down and change her out of those clothes. I will give you a bucket and cloth." I went to the bathroom, took off my vomit-covered top and toss it into the washing area, before filling a bucket with warm water and bringing it along with a towel to Shigure. I will need to wash off all the disgusting food chunks Rei puked out before dumping my stained uniform into the washing machine with some bleach. "Shigure, I brought a bucket of water and a towel. I''m coming in." "Okay. Actually, wa-" (Shigure) I opened my room door and saw Rei in her underwear. White laces... I quickly closed my eyes and turned away, "Shigure, why did you tell me to come in when you are changing her?" "Sorry." (Shigure) "Anyway, give me her clothes. I will wash them." I can feel the bucket leave my hands, followed by something soft in my hands. I''m assuming these are her clothes? I turned around towards where I think the door is and opened my eyes. Yep. These are her clothes. An I guess the door''s location correctly. Nice. "What should I do about her sleepwear?" (Shigure) "Hmm... Good question. Just let her wear one of my long sleeves T-shirts and shorts. I should have some that can fit her. Oh, by the way, can I leave her with you tonight?" "Eh? I don''t mind, but why?" (Shigure) "If she wakes up to find me next to her, she will definitely freak out." "Then, where will Admiral sleep?" (Shigure) "On the sofa. Don''t worry. I will put the heater on and cover myself with a warm blanket. I''m entrusting you with her." "Okay..." (Shigure) I left the room and proceed to the bathroom. Now then, time to do a bit of laundry, take a bath and off to sleep. Luckily, today is one of the rare days where both Zuihou and Zuihou-chan decide to sleep in Shouhou''s room. I don''t have to worry about them making a fuss tonight. Chapter 209 - 192 Urgh... It''s kind of difficult to breathe. It''s as if something is pressing against my chest. ... There really is someone on top of me... I opened my eyes to see a sleeping puppy on my chest. No. Not an actual puppy. You know who I''m talking about, "Shigure? What are you doing here?" Wasn''t she supposed to be sleeping with Rei? She didn''t have to come out to the office area to keep me company. "Mngh..." (Shigure) I gently tapped her head, in an attempt to rouse her. Obviously, it didn''t work. She is sleeping soundly on top of me. Shigure is awesome. Even if the heater on, I still need to wrap myself in a blanket. This destroyer is sleeping on top of me, on top of my blanket, wearing nothing but my shirt. Eh? She is wearing one of my shirts? Furthermore, it doesn''t seem that she is wearing anything else underneath. I can see her porcelin-coloured collarbone as she shifted around a bit. If you look a bit more carefully, you can definitely see a bit of her- "Mng~" (Shigure) "Wha- Woah! Oof!" Shigure started shifting around, before rolling of me. I hurriedly caught and cushioned her fall. Was Shigure such a figety sleeper? That was dangerous. "Muyaa~" (Shigure) And she is still sleeping. "Hey, wake up." I gently shook Shigure. She just made some cute noise and continued to make me her literal body pillow. It''s cute and all, but it''s time to wake up. I poked her cheeks, "Come on. Wake up." "Mgh...?" (Shigure) Ah. She is waking up. Her eyes are barely open as she sleepily looked around, "Admiral... Good morning..." (Shigure) "Good morning. Why are you sleeping here?" Shigure just rubbed her left eye as she made some cute noises. Her right eye was half-opened but she closed it. She then proceed to lie back down onto my chest. "Hey, don''t go back to sleep." "Mngh~" (Shigure) I hear my office door knob turn and the door opening. I watched as the twins enter, before staring at us, "Admiral? Shigure? What are you doing so early in the morning?" (Zuihou) "No fair. I went in too." (Zuihou-chan) "I don''t know what you two are thinking but I can assure it''s not whatever you two have in mind." The door to my room swung open and a sleepy Rei, who was wearing nothing but my shirt, walked out, made a turn towards my bathroom and closed the door behind her. Shigure! Why did you dress her like that?! "Admiral?" (Zuihou) I can sense bloodl.u.s.t from Zuihou, "You got it wrong. It''s not what you think." "Oh? Then what it is?" (Zuihou) "Last night..." I hear the sound of toilet flushing, followed by running water. The door opened inwards and Rei sleepily walked out and was about to reenter my room, "Don''t go back to sleep!" "!!!" (Shigure) "!!!" (Rei) Looks like me shouting woke the both of them up. "Eh? Admiral? Shigure? What are you two doing in my room?" (Rei) "Are you still asleep? This is clearly my room." "Huh?" (Rei) ------------------------------------- "I''m so sorry!" (Rei) Rei, in her uniform, knelt on the ground in a Dogeza position. I had explained to her what happened last night and why she was in my room. Meanwhile, Zuihou-chan brought Shigure to the bathroom to wash up and get dressed. "I get it. I get it already. Enough with the doges. You are making me feel awkward." I''m not used to people doing that to me. It makes me feel guilty. Rei''s head is off the floor but she is still kneeling. "That was the second time. I didn''t know you were a heavy drinker. I could have guess that, but not to the extent where you would vomit all over the place." "I have no excuses." (Rei) "Why are speaking in a formal tone? Ah, whatever." Now that I think of it, Rei has been acting weird for quite a while. She would often request to leave the base on weekends, and come back exhausted and dejected. Maybe she has been drowning her sorrow in alcohol for a while now without me noticing. "Is there-" "Could it be, you are experiencing some kind of trouble outside?" (Zuihou) Zuihou beat me to it. "You have been staying out late every weekend. Avrora told me that even your work has become sloppy. Is there something wrong?" (Zuihou) Really? How come I have no knowledge of such things happening to my subordinate? "You know, you can always talk to me about your problems. I can probably give an advice or two. If not, I can still lend a listening ear." "Really? You don''t mind?" (Rei) "It''s part of the boss'' job to listen to the worries of their colleagues and subordinates. Besides, how much experience do you think I have listening to the complains of these girls? Gargh!!" Zuihou punched my sides, sending me flying off the chair. "What Admiral meant is that, you can always talk to us. Like what this stupid, pervert Admiral always says, we are technically a family." (Zuihou) "Y-yeah." Ouch. Do you have to punch me that hard? You plane-freak loli. I gonna tie you up later. "Rei, is there something bothering you? You are usually playful. It''s unusual to see you like this." Chapter 210 - 193 "Eh? That''s your reason? Ithought you were being blackmailed or something." "No. It''s not something as scary as that, but it''s a serious problem for me. At this rate, I''m going to be a Christmas cake." (Rei) "Christmas cake?" (Shigure) "How can a human turn into a cake?" (Zuihou) "Don''t worry about it. It''s something most women in this age don''t even concern themselves with anymore." I''m not surprised these two don''t know about the ''Christmas Cake'' thing. It emerged in the 80s but now hardly anyone bothers about it. Basically, it''s a metaphor used for unmarried woman who 25 years old and above. It''s a reference to unsold christmas cakes after December 25th. I didn''t expect Rei to be concerned with such a thing. The reason for Rei''s strange behaviour lately is due to not being able to find a suitable boyfriend. Every weekend, she would apply for permission to leave the base for a blind date, and come back feeling dejected because her date wasn''t the right one. The worry of not getting a boyfriend, the acc.u.mulation of having so many failed dates, and no one to complain to must have taken a toll on her sanity. But why doesn''t she want to complain to Avrora or the others in her fleet? She said that the boys will keep talking about their own achievements, flaunt their statuses, and only focus on her chest. When she told them she is part of IJN, they would have this scorn on their face. "It''s like, even if you think it''s weird, at least don''t be so obvious about it. And why do they have to keep talking about how rich their parents are or how much they earn per month. I don''t give a damn about any of those! And my eyes are up here! Stop staring at my chest!" (Rei) I can understand if a few candidates were like that, but she has been doing this for five weeks now and all of them were like that? What kind of dating agency is she using? "No wonder they are still single. With that kind of attitude, apart from gold diggers, no sane woman will even think about dating them." (Rei) "Erm... It''s almost time for morning roll call." (Zuihou) "Already?" I took a look at my watch. She''s right. It is time for roll call. "Rei, let''s continue this after roll call." "Promise?" (Rei) "I did say I will listen to you just now. I don''t how to help though." --------------------------------------------------- "And the last guy was no better. He claims that his father has a large amount of shares in some Russian oil company. He doesn''t need to go to work since his father gives him a huge allowance everyday. Because his daddy is rich, he is able to play FPS games everyday. He told me that if I marry him, I can live off his daddy''s money and not work a single day for the rest of my life. Don''t screw with me! That just makes you a parasitic sc.u.m! You just confessed that you are a useless human being. I don''t care if you book such an fancy, high-class restaurant for a date. The food isn''t worth the price, the wine doesn''t taste good, the music sucks, and all you ever talk about is how rich your father is. Tell me, if you were in my shoes, would you choose someone who is useless?" "No. I don''t think I will." "Exactly! When I wanted to introduce and talk about myself, he kept interrupting me and talked about how he is ranked first in this game he is addicted to. Like, why? I don''t even know what you are talking about. What do you mean by ''Nox Gas'' or ''Pathfinder''? Don''t just go talking about a game when I''m trying to introduce myself. I specifically put down my preferences on the website. Why did they pair me with so many pieces of trash?" (Rei) Rei sat on my sofa as she spent the past two hours ranting about all her failed dates. Each date was unique in its own way. There was a guy who claims that he is a millionaire but had his cards rejected when he offered to pay the bill. Of course, Rei had to foot the bill. That guy is out, since he is obviously a liar and a broke. He has yet to pay her back the money. There was one who thought that he was some kind of bigshot and looked down on Rei, saying that she should be honoured that he is even considering her as a dating partner and that her only assets was her large chest. But when Rei threatened to leave, he broke down into a sobbing mess. There is another one who is just a pervert, plain and simple. Essentially, every single one of them didn''t meet her standards and had some rather infuriating traits. By the way, "What kind of preference did you put in?" "Muscular, able to work well and make good decisions under pressure, have a stable source of income, kind, caring, and of course, a nice face. I would put more, but the site has a character limit of one hundred." (Rei) "He~eh. So that''s your preference." "That sounds familiar." (Shigure) "Does it? It doesn''t sound familiar to me." "Admiral, you are kind of dense sometimes." (Shigure) Eh? What is she on about all of a sudden? "Anyway, I don''t think any of the people you just described have all of the traits you want." "That''s the thing! I specifically tick the ''all'' option. Shouldn''t they find a man that fits the description? Instead, they just throw me some desperate men who only have one of those traits. What kind of dating site is this?" (Rei) "Maybe it''s better if you register with another site. Did you pay for the service?" "No. It was a free website." (Rei) "That explains it. Those kind of sites always do things sloppily. You should register yourself with the professionals. You need to pay a deposit and then the full price once you and your partner become a pair. It''s better than those shoddy free sites." "You seem experienced with these kind of things." (Rei) "That''s right... How do you know so much?" (Shigure) This is bad. Shigure is glaring at me. I can''t tell them that I was desperate in highschool and tried to register at such sites. Of course, there is a age limit and I got found out right away even after registering with a fake age. It was dumb of me to post my highschool photo. "Rondo told me before. He was really desperate back then." "Eh? Grand Admiral Rondo did such a thing before? I didn''t know that." (Shigure) "That''s surprising." (Rei) Sorry, Rondo. I will treat you to lunch or dinner the next time we meet. "Anyway, if you really want to find a partner, I suggest searching for a professional matchmaker. They are probably your best bet." "Y-yeah. I guess." (Rei) For a split second, there was a look of disappointment on her face, before reverting back to a smile. She stood up and stretch, "Hnnng~ Ahhh~ That''s better. It feels so good get all those of my chest." (Rei) Looks like she feeling better. I guess I was imagining things just now. "I''m sorry if I wasn''t of much help." "Nope. You did helped. You listened and gave you two cents about things." "Is that enough?" "And you reminded me of..." (Rei) "Huh? Did you say something?" "Nope. Now then, Avrora must be waiting for me in my office. I better get back and do my papers for today. Thank you, Admiral, Shigure." (Rei) "Don''t mention it. It''s the least I can do." "Commander Rei, I will support you." (Shigure) "Shigure... Yeah! I will do my best. Someday..." (Rei) Rei left the office smiling. "What did you mean by you would support her?" "It''s something only we girls understand." (Shigure) "Ehh? Tell me. Now I''m curious." "Admiral, let''s get to work. Zuihou is going to flare up again if we don''t complete today''s report." (Shigure) Chapter 211 - 193.5: A Valentines Day Special It''s that time of the year again. Febuary 14th is known as Valentine''s Day to most people around the world. In Maizuru Naval Base, it is also known as the day the kitchens turn into a warzone. Almost a hundred shipgirls take turns and scramble to the kitchens to make the best chocolate. They would then distribute the chocolates around to each other and to me. In Japan, there are two types of Valentine''s Day Chocolate, Giri (Obligatory) Chocolate and Honmei (True Feelings) Chocolate. Until last year, I would receive mostly Giri Chocolate. I think there was some Honmei Chocolate mixed in, but I never knew. Last year, I received my first official Honmei Chocolate from Zuihou. This year, I would be receiving more Honmei chocolate. The thought of receiving more of such chocolates this year excites me. "I wonder what kind of chocolates would I receive this year~?" "What''s with that creepy grin?" (Kagerou) A girl of average height and brown hair tied into twintails with white ribbons stood in front of my table. She wore a blazer-like uniform jacket above her white shirt and bike shorts under her skirt. This girl is the first ship of the Kagerou-class destroyers, Kagerou. She was staring at me with cautious eyes. "Oh. Kagerou. You done with yours?" "Yeah. And I kind of don''t want to give this to you after seeing that." (Kagerou) "Oh come on. Don''t be like that." "Yeah yeah. Here." (Kagerou) Kagerou gave me a pink box with a small ribbon tied at the corner. "Happy Valentine''s. The same as always, Giri Chocolate." (Kagerou) "I know that. At least let me fantasize." "Oho~ I wonder what would Zuihou-san do if she heard that." (Zuihou) "Thank you. Wow. Giri Chocolate! I''m so happy." "Please don''t do that. That makes it even creepier. Besides, don''t you already have someone giving you Honmei chocolates later?" (Kagerou) As expected, none of the girls found out about my harem plan. The only one that knows about this is Avrora. She was eavesdropping on us when I was discussing the issue with Zuihou. Looks like she kept her promise on keeping mum about it. "Anyway, I''m done here today. Time to look for Shiranui." (Kagerou) "Say hi to her for me." "Yeah yeah. Later, Commander." (Kagerou) Kagerou left the office. She really does on her sisters, especially Shiranui. Shiranui is basically the opposite of Kagerou. While Kagerou is cheerful and optimistic, Shiranui is serious stoic. She is also bloodthirsty when it comes to fighting Abyssals, just like Yuudachi. After Kagerou, the rest of the chocolates came flowing in. Even Rei gave me hers, though she didn''t state whether it was Giri or Honmei. She was blushing like mad though. Since the girls took turns to make their chocolates, I should be receiving my Honmei Chocolates soon. It should be Zuihou''s, Zuihou-chan''s and Shigure''s turn to use the kitchen by now. I would know, since I was the one who sceduled them to be the last. I''m kind of curious how would they make their chocolates. I know Zuihou tried to mix some weird concotion into hers two years but was stopped by Shouhou. I''m kind of expecting Zuihou-chan to do the same. I have never seen Shigure cook before. I mean, she did help my mom with the cooking back at my house but I didn''t really pay attention since I was chatting with my dad. I''m really curious how Shigure looks like in the kitchen. Maybe I should pay them a visit. That way, I can sate my curiousity, and make sure the twins don''t mix in anything weird. ----------------------------------------------- If I go in, I may make them nervous. It''s better if I just peek from the outside through the window. Cute! Shigure looks so cute. She is wearing a frilly pink apron. Even her white eyepatch has red heart on it. Zuihou is wearing a white apron above her miko outfit while Zuihou-chan wore a yellow apron above her hoodie and skirt. Eh? Isn''t that Zuihou''s alternate outfit? Did Zuihou gave away hers? No. If she did, the size would be too large for Zuihou-chan''s small body. The hoodie and skirt fits her perfectly. From what I''m seeing, Shigure and Zuihou-chan are the only ones preparing the chocolate while Zuihou instructs them. I guess Zuihou already finished hers? She is a more experienced cook compard to the other two after all. Hmm... Doesn''t seem like the twins added anything weird into the bowl of melted chocolate. I''m satisfied for now. Let''s just wait for them to finish up. While waiting, I can feast on the chocolates the others gave me since this morning. I should have enough cooling tea. Right? "Admiral. Happy Valentine''s Day!" (Zuihou, Shigure, Zuihou-chan) The three of them presented the chocolates to me. Zuihou-chan packed hers in heart-shaped box. Shigure had her dog-shaped chocolates packed in one of those plastic bags. The one''s that can be decorated with a ribbon on top. Zuihou''s had hers packed in a small box, which is unusual as she usually packs her chocolates in a heart-shaped box like Zuihou-chan''s. "Thank you. Can I eat it now?" "S-sure." (Shigure) "U-unn..." (Zuihou-chan) The first one is Shigure''s. I untied the ribbon and opened up the bag. As soon as I bit into the dog-shaped chocolate, something sweet and gooey filled my mouth. "Honey?" "Y-yes. Admiral must have eaten a lot of chocolates by now. So I thought something sotthing would be good." (Shigure) Huh~ She put in quite a bit of thought while making these. I licked the residue of my fingers before cleaning them with a tissue. I placed my now-cleaned hand on Shigure''s head, "Thank you, Shigure. That was delicious." "~~~" (Shigure) More cute noises from Shigure. Huh? Did the flaps on her head just moved? They were moving, right? "Alright. Next one is Zuihou-chan''s." I opened the heart-shaped box. Inside contained several different shapesof chocolates. There is one with a red dote on it. Let''s try that one first. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #.5-a-valentine''s-day-special_51873290087627119 for visiting. "Delicious. This one has strawberry bits in it." "Really? Is it really delicious?" "Yeah. It''s really delicious. It''s not those dried ones. I''m impressed you put in fresh fruits in it. Is this the only one?" "Yeah. The others have fillings in them. This is the only one with stawberries in it." "Thank you. I will savour the rest later." "Ehehe~" (Zuihou-chan) Next is Zuihou''s one. Eh? It''s... bitter. It''s not the very strong type, but still, this is different from what she usually makes. Did she make a mistake? Should I point it out to her? "Zuihou, this-" Zuihou just pointed at the heart on her choker. Ah, I see. Okay. I will wait for you later. "This is as delicious as always." I ate another one. What is she planning this time? Recently, Zuihou has been using the choker to convey certain messages to me. It''s like our little form of communication. For now, pointing specifically at the heart means she has something to tell me later. They three of them continued to hang out in the office for a while more before Zuihou-chan became unable to open her eyes any longer. It almost time for her bedtime. "I will bring her back to her room. Don''t worry about me. I will be sleeping with Yamakaze and Kawakaze today." (Shigure) "Oh? It''s today?" "Yeah. I promised them a few days ago." (Shigure) Got it. Have fun. Don''t stay up too late. Good night." "Good night." (Shigure) "Good... night..." (Zuihou-chan) "Hey now. Open your eyes when you are walking." (Shigure) Shigure left with Zuihou-chan in tow. Now then, "Zuihou, what was it you-" Zuihou entered the bathroom without a word. Is she taking a bath? I don''t mind the smell of her sweat though. About half an hour later, she emerged from the bathroom, fresh from her bath. Before I could say anything, she quickly made a dash for my room. What was that all about? I thought she wanted to tell me something? Just then, there was a notification on my phone, "Come to the room after bathing." She is definitely up to something s.e.xy. After having my bath, I went straight to my room. I didn''t even bother tying my bathrobe properly. "Zuihou, did you wait long?" "A-admiral... That was fast..." (Zuihou) With her back facing me, Zuihou turned her head to look at me. Her face was extremely red. She just stood in front of me. "Of course. I can''t wait to see what you have prepared for me." "W-wait. I''m still preparing my heart." (Zuihou) Zuihou took a few deep breathes, before letting her yukata drop onto the floor. I can''t help but stare at the peach in front of me. "Can you look away for a bit? It''s embarrassing..." (Zuihou) "Alright." I turned around to face the door, "Is this fine?" "Yeah. Don''t turn around until I tell you to. Okay? Do not turn around yet!" (Zuihou) "Okay. I get it." I can something shuffling around on the bed. There is a weird squelching sound, followed by the smell of chocolate. Eh? Is she... "There. You can... turn around now..." (Zuihou) I turned around to find my girlfriend n.a.k.e.d on the bed, covered in chocolate. "Once more, Happy Valentine''s Day. Eat up..." (Zuihou) "Thank you for the food!" Hyan! Nh! Admiral! Your tongue... Ahn!!" (Zuihou) It was a very sweet chocolate. Chapter 212 - 194 Tenryuu raised her sword to block her opponent''s blow. The sound of clashing metal and explosions continued to echo through the comms system. It was battle which we hoped to never fight. Our opponents, regrettably, are the Azur Lane shipgirls. "Oi, Admiral! You do realize that subduing them without hurting them is way harder than sinking them?" (Tenryuu) "Don''t even think about it! They are still our allies. Commander Ao and Akashi are doing their best to stop the cube''s influence. Try not to be too rough with them." "Easier said than done when they are the ones trying to kill us!" (Tenyruu) Tenryuu dodged Ayanami''s attack as the latter brought her sword down on the light cruiser''s head. One hour ago, we received an SOS message from Commander Ao himself. The contents of the message wasn''t very clear, but they were clearly in distress. I sortied Tenryuu, Tatsuta, Umikaze, Kawakaze, Kumano and Mogami to the scene to evaluate the situation before making decisions. What greeted them were five fleets worth of Azur Lane shipgirls, all of which have yellow, clouded eyes and a tube attaching to their backs. The tubes resemble the tendrils which the Transport Ship Wa-class used the back then. They met a few shipgirls, who are sane, and got a summary of what happened. Long story short, the shipgirls we are fighting now are under the influence of the Black Mental Cube that was recovered a few weeks ago and have gone berserk. Commander Ao and Akashi are now in the midst of finding a way to sever the affected shipgirls connection to the black mental cube and contain it. I have since sortied five more fleets to subdue the berserk shipgirls. I have even sent a request for assistance to other naval bases. I doubt I can handle this on my own when the enemy shipgirls are increasing in both numbers and ferocity. Tenryuu parried Ayanami''s attack and put some distance in between them. She fired her guns at the Destroyer, only to miss as the latter dodged all the shells with ease. "Oh come on! I will look bad at this rate." (Tenryuu) "This is no time for that." "Ufufufu. As expected of my sister. But on a serious note, this is pretty bad. It''s taking everything I got to stop this little girl''s attacks." (Tatsuta) Tatsuta swung her spear at Javelin, forcing the Destroyer to take a step back before lunging again. Even the two older and more experienced Light Cruisers are having trouble with the two younger Destroyers. "Shioi, what''s your status? Have you found out where those tubes are coming from?" I sent in my submarine fleet in order to obtain information and find a way to end this madness. I hope they have something to tell me. "We have confirmed where those tubes are coming from. They are connected to right underneath island itself." (Shioi) "Anything else noteworthy?" "Not yet. We are trying to shake these pipsqueaks of our tail." (Shioi) Eh? I switched the monitor to show my submarine fleet. Shioi and the others are running, or swimming, away from Azur Lane''s submarines. It''s taking everything for them to dodge the onslaught of torpedos. I messed up. If the surface shipgirls have gone mad, what is stopping the submarine girls from going mad as well? I didn''t think about that. "Retreat from the area and enter from a different position. " "Roger. You heard him, retreat!" (Shioi) I switched back to the surface. Taihou and Kaga are fighting against Akagi. "Nee-sama, please open your eyes!" (AL Kaga) "It''s useless. She is no longer the sister you know. This is perfect. With you gone, I can have Admiral all to myself." (AL Taihou) "Don''t you dare-" (AL Kaga) "Stay sharp!" (AL Taihou) Akagi let out a loud shriek, before launching her planes at Taihou. Taihou launched her own set of fighters to intercept. Explosions filled the air as the three aircraft carriers clashed with one another. Akagi lunged at Taihou, fangs wide open. Taihou raised her left arm and blocked the rampaging fox girl. Akagi sank her teeth and claws into Taihou''s forearm. "Ouch! Alright. I hope my blood is tasty. Because this will be your last meal!" (AL Taihou) "Taihou, no!" (AL Kaga) "Taihou!" Taihou raised her fist and slugged Akagi right on the nose, sending her sending her spinning into the air and flying backwards. Akagi''s bled from the nose and mouth as she laid on the water surface, twitching. Her body in an unnatural position. Taihou signalled to her planes to drop their payload onto her opponent, which exploded upon impact. "Taihou! You bit-" (AL Kaga) "Calm down. She won''t die from that." (AL Taihou) Before I can argue, Akagi began to stand up. However, she got up in a very unnatural manner. She placed both her hands and feet onto the water surface, forming a bridge with her body. As if only using her core muscles, Akagi slowly brought herself back upright. The grotesque sound of bones cracking can be heard throughout the process. Her right arm, which was twisted, spun back to it''s original position and clicked back into place. The whole scene was straight out of a horror movie. "Tch. See. She wouldn''t die from just that." (AL Taihou) No. You definitely tried to kill her. Maybe you did kill her. But at least that helps me realise something. The tubes are healing them, the same way that Transport ship Wa-class repaired the other Abyssal sh.i.p.s. Once the vessel is on a near-death state, the cube repairs and heals them through the tubes. I''m sorry, Commander Ao, but this is for the best, "All sh.i.p.s! This is an order. Subdue the enemy by all means necessary. I will permit the use of lethal force." Chapter 213 - 195 The other Azur Lane girls were in shock. Kaga''s eyes widened and her face twisted in anger, "You- How dare you suggest such nonsense?! You want us to attack and kill our own people?!" (AL Kaga) Even if I give an explanation, I highly doubt that she would accept it. You already made your decision. Don''t falter. "Then what do you suggest? Sit back and let the enemy kill you? Your friends are now monsters hellbent are killing you and everyone. Are you telling me that you would rather die and let your beloved Akagi and the others destroy humanity? You should know about the effects of the black mental cube by now." "I can still talk to her. I can convince her." (AL Kaga) "Talk to her? Look around you. Right now, as we argue, the others are getting hurt trying to ''talk'' to their friends. The enemy is constantly on the attack while you are trying to talk to them. Because of the black mental cube, the enemy is able to recover from life-threatening wounds or even come back from the dead. They may have unlimited amounts of stamina as well. Compared to those who aren''t affected and my girls, the odds are stacked against all of you. Dealing a fatal blow is the only way to incapacitate them, even for a short moment." "No! I refuse to accept this." (AL Kaga) "Kaga! Right now, like it or not, I''m the commanding officer for this mission. I may not be in charge of Azur Lane but I''m still your superior. I outrank you." Kaga became silent. I''m sorry but this is the only method I can think off. We need to buy time for reinforcements to arrive and for Commander Ao to contain the cube''s influence. Against an immortal enemy, the only way to stop them is by dealing enough damage to incapacitate them. Even though it won''t take long for them to recover, at least we can stop them for a while. Akagi''s recovery took longer than the Battleship Ta-class we fought a while back. Assuming that the cube has the same strength as before, it probably won''t be able to handle the repairs of multiple girls as once. We can cut the connection while they are down but if the wounds are fatal, it might end up killing them instead. We want to keep them alive. "Once again, subdue the enemy through all means necessary! I will take responsibility for any fatalities." "Roger!" (Maizuru girls) "..." (AL girls) The Azur Lane girls are hesitant. Of course they would be, I just ordered them to kill their own friends. "Are you certain they won''t die? No matter what we do?" (AL Zuikaku) Zuikaku''s voice appeared on the comms system, "Yeah. It is the same cube Shirakami and the others retrieved back then. The Abyssal used the cube to revive and repair it''s fallen brethren. Your friends probably won''t die no matter how much damage you do and will only stop moving for a few seconds if you deal enough damage. Cutting off the-" "Enough." (AL Zuikaku) Zuikaku drew her sword and pointed it at Enterprise, "That''s all I need to hear." (AL Zuikaku) She is smiling? "Ooh~" (Taihou) "5th carrier division, what do you think-" (AL Kaga) "Shut up! Stay out of this, senpai! For the longest time, I wanted to fight like this. You better not disappoint me, Grey Ghost!" (AL Zuikaku) Zuikaku took her stance, and lunged at Enterprise. The two aircraft carriers entered into a melee, with Enterprise occasionally backing off to fire arrows at Zuikaku. Zuikaku parried the arrows. Woah. What reaction speed! Zuikaku immediately closed the gap between them and continued her attack. I know I ordered them to be violent, but I didn''t expect Zuikaku to be so bloodthirsty. And her fighting style is unheard off for an aircraft carrier. "Ufufufu~ Finally~" (AL Shoukaku) Shoukaku too? "Because you were my senpai, I had to put up with all your bullying. Now... Ufufu... Thank you, Admiral-san. For giving me this chance. All these years... I will make sure to pay you back tenfold!" (AL Shoukaku) Akagi shrieked at Shoukaku before launching her planes. Shoukaku blew her flute as she floated into the air while launching her own set of planes. Both of their planes engaged in a dogfight, filling the air and water between them with explosions and bullets. "Now then, let''s see which of us is the better gamer, Ayanami-chan!" (???) Who is that girl wearing an oversized jacket? And why is she fighting Ayanami? Tenryuu was supposed to be fighting her. "Oi! Pipsqueak! Don''t butt into my fight!" (Tenryuu) "I''m Long Island. And stay out of this, old hag." (Long Island) "Huuh?!" (Tenryuu) Smoke engulfed Fusou and Yamashiro are they were pushed back. They are up against two shipgirls wielding naginatas. The red haired girl with large fox ears wore a hakama and a single chest plate which only protects her chest while revealing her midriff. The other one with long white hair and dog ears wore grey shorts and a pair of Haidates protecting her thighs. Like the other girl, she only wore an sarashi around her chest area, leaving her midriff exposed. "Damn it. We won''t lose to the both of you!" (Fusou) "Well said." (???) "Looks like we share the same sentiment. Right, Onee-sama?" (???) Two relatively small but busty girls stood next to the two aviation battlesh.i.p.s. Both of them seem to be catgirls. "Who are you two?" (Fusou) "The same as you. I''m Fusou." (AL Fusou) "Little sister of Fusou, Yamashiro." (AL Yamashiro) "Let''s chat over some tea later. Right now, let''s take out Ise and Hyuuga together and show them who is the better dreadnought aviation battleship." (AL Fusou) The rest of the Azur Lane girls begin to join in the fight. There are explosions all over the place as both parties shot at each other. Rei and I shouted orders at the various groups, alerting them whenever a downed enemy has finished repairing herself and who to assist. As the fight dragged on, the injured girls retreated to the back as Akashi and Vestal rushed to do emergency repairs and first aid on them. The girls are starting to be exhausted and the enemy is showing no signs of stopping their onslaught. I have already sortied the rest of the girls in my base, except for Mamiya. I can order the injured girls to retreat back to base for reapirs but then the remaining girls will be forced to handle more of the heat. All of them are already close to their limit. "Yo." (Rondo) Rondo''s voice showed up on the comm system, "Ron- Grand Admiral Rondo. Things are getting worse. Requesting immediate assistance." "Yeah, I got you. On your left." (Rondo) My left? "This is flagship Nagato. We are approaching at full spead." (Nagato) The camera panned to the left of the battlefield. Nagato slowly came into view, followed by several fleets of shipgirls. How many fleets did he send? But I don''t think this is enough. "Sorry. It took a whole to gather them." (Rondo) "Is that everyone?" "What? You wanted more?" (Rondo) "There are slightly more than 300 of them." "They increased? Didn''t you say there were only 100 shipgirls before. And only five fleets at the start?" (Rondo) "That was hours ago. I don''t know how, but more of them kept pouring out of the island." "Oh whatever. Numbers aren''t everything. You know this. Order the other girls to retreat to the rear. We will take it from here." (Rondo) Is this really alright? Even with everyone''s help, we are still severely outnumbered. "Come on." (Rei) Rei slapped me on the back, "Ow. What?" "They are waiting for your orders." (Rei) The exhausted girls looked on as Nagato, Yamato, Houshou, Ise, Akagi, Iowa and Warspite and many others lead their fleet into battle. I need to take this chance they provided us, "Nagato, this is Admiral Keita of Maizuru Naval Base. We don''t have time so I will keep it brief. The enemy is being affected by a strange power which makes them immortal. They can be incapacitated only for a short period of time before getting up again. Azur Lane''s Commander is uncontactable but I believe he is in the midst of containing the source of this power. Your orders are the same as the others. Subdue the enemy by all means necessary. Buy time for Azur Lane to figure out a solution and stop this madness." "Roger!" (All) "Maizuru and Azur Lane, retreat to the rearguard. All injured personnel are to return to Maizuru Naval Base and take your dose of quick repair buckets. And that means you too, Azur Lane." I will just replenish my stock from HQ and through expeditions later. "Once you are done with repairs, immediately return to the battlefield." I watched as the battle intensifies. Shipgirls continuously moved in and out of my docks as I kicked the fast repair and resupply stations into high gear. The sea burst into flames and the sky turned orange as the whole area was covered in nothing but towers of water and explosions. "Houshou, torpedos approaching from starboard." "Roger. Evading." (Houshou) "Mutsu, the Fusou sisters need help with the battlesh.i.p.s. Go back them up." "Roger~" (Mutsu) "Avrora, you going to far in. Retreat back a bit and regroup with the others." (Rei) "§ª§Ù§Ó§Ú§ß§Ú§ä§Ö Understood." (Avrora) "Gangut, stop engaging in fistfights. You are just going to tire yourself again." (Rei) "Can''t help it. The enemy is a Martial artist. Come on, Honoka! You can do better than that!" (Gangut) "Zuihou, watch your plane count. You are launching too many at once. Shigure-chan, Yuudachi is down. Encircle her with fire to delay her recovery." "Understood." (Shigure-chan) "Yuudachi can still fight poi!" (Yuudachi) "Not you, Yuudachi. Azur Lane''s Yuudachi. Kawakaze, incoming enemy bombers approaching from port side. Take evasive actions. Akizuki, please intercept." (Shigure) "Thanks for the heads up, Shigure-nee." (Kawakaze) "Intercepting." (Akizuki) Shigure, Rei and I gave orders and informed the girls about their surroundings. With things being so chaotic on the ground, they need all the information they can get and react at a moments notice. We also discovered that fire helps slow down the recovery process, so I assigned Zuihou-chan and Shigure-chan to ''containment'' duty. I call it containment but it''s just delaying the inevitable. The battle continued into the night. My supplies are dwindling and I''m almost out of repair buckets. "This is tough... How much longer?" (Yamato) "I don''t know. Vestal?" "Sorry. I don''t know either." (Vestal) "At this rate, we will all get slaughtered." (Avrora) "Comrades! Now is not the time for negative thoughts! Focus on pushing back the enemy. We will last all winter if we have to!" (Sovetskaya Rossiya) "We will be sunk by then." (Zuihou) "This is hopeless... We have no chance at all." (Fusou) They are getting exhausted and demoralised. Come on, Commander Ao. I don''t know what we are doing, but you better hurry up! "This is... Azur... Comman- Anyone... Isolated... Target... Destroy... Bottom of island..." (Commander Ao) The message wasn''t properly sent out, but I can understand what he wants. He has isolated the cube to the bottom of the island and wants someone to destroy it. About time he said something. "Commander Ao, I hope you can hear me. How much firepower do we need to destroy it?" There was static, followed by a muffled voice, "...three..." "Shioi, you still there?" "Yes. What is- woah! What is it?" (Shioi) "How many torpedos do you have left?" "Two. But at this rate, I will need to return for supplies." (Shioi) "Shion?" "I have two left as well." (Shion) "Alright. Imuya, you are in command of the submarine fleet for the time being." "Eh? What? Why?" (Imuya) "I going to borrow Shioi and Shion for a while. Don''t worry. You will do fine." "Do your best, Imuya-chan." (Shioi) Alright, you two. Head to the spot where the tubes where protruding from." "Roger!" (Shioi & Shion) "The rest of you hold on a little longer." "The Commander is alive! Let''s bring back our friends!" (Peter Strasser) "Admiral, we are approaching the location." (Shioi) "Launch all your torpedos at that single spot. The cube is in there. Shion, keep one torpedo just in case." "Roger!" (Shioi) "Understood." (Shion) Shioi and Shion launched three torpedos at the spot where the tubes are coming from. Upon contact, the torpedos exploded, destroying a large portion of the rock. "Look! The affected shipgirls." (Rei) The affected shipgirls suddenly flinched, with some falling over and some trying to stand on their feet. Their movements became sluggish. It''s working. "All units, stop attacking. Do not use lethal force. Fall back and focus on defending yourselves!" "Admiral! I can see. A disgusting cube with tentacles.(Shioi) I expected this, "Shion! Destroy it!" "Roger! Please! Hit it!" (Shion) Shion fired her last torpedo at the cube, blowing it up. The resulting shockwave sent the two I-400 class submarines tumbling backwards. "Kyaa!" (Shion) "Shockwave! Brace yourselves!" The command room shook violently. What the heck? It was that strong?! "It worked! They stopped moving!" (AL Monarch) The tubes connecting to the affected shipgirls turned into ash. One by one, they all fell onto the surface, unconscious. If the shockwave was this strong... "Monarch, take some girls with you and find your Commander! I can feel the shockwave from here. He might be in trouble!" "No way! I got it! Neptune, the both of you! Ibuki and Baltimore, follow me." (AL Monarch) The rest of you retrieve the other and bring them back to the island. Vestal and Akashi, I need you two to check on the girls and make sure they are alright." You better be alive, Ao. I need you to repay your debt. Chapter 214 - 195.5: An Azur Lane Crisis Akashi and I entered the bunker where we stored the black mental cube. The bunker is located right below the island, in a cavity within the underground cave systems. This is the place where we process and transfer the data collected from mental cubes into our servers. In the center of the room is our scanner. It consists of a steel table, a circular camera scanner with wires extending all the way onto the table, and a protective glass perimeter, which is removable. "Now then, what should I try today?" The security on this thing is way too tight for a typical data storage system. It doesn''t have a password but everything is protected behind multiple layers of firewall. Since that day, we haven''t made any progress beyond the first firewall. None of our computers were able to hack it. Maybe I could try breaking it today. Mental cubes are interesting constructs. No matter how you break them apart, the pieces always turn into cubes. The data stored in the small cube will be a small portion of the data stored in the original block. However, there is a risk that this cube has a fail-safe which might destroy it''s stored data. I have to take the risk of we want to achieve any results. "Akashi, get me a hammer." "Nya? What are nya tryna do?" (Akashi) "Smashing it? I wanna try fragmenting it. Maybe if we analyse and hack each individual fragments." "That... may be a good idea nya. But what if there''s a fail-safe installed?" (Akashi) "Then we just wasted a few weeks worth of effort trying to hack and analyze it. But it''s not like we lost anything. Only time was lost. Now then, let''s give this thing a couple of whacks and see how it reacts." Akashi gave me a hammer from her tool kit. As usual, I insert the wires into the cube as the camera scanner switches on. It''s a one-way system, allowing us to look into the stored data without compromising our own data and security. I raised the hammer, "Ready?" "All systems green. I can begin the hack any time." (Akashi) "As soon as I give it a whack, attempt to break through the first firewall. Oh, and prepare to lockdown all data systems if a feedback is detected. Here I go," I brought down my mini hammer of justice, just kidding, onto the cube. Upon impact, it let out a rather scary sound, similar to glass breaking. Despite that, the cube is still intact. Ok, never mind. I can see some cracks forming along the sides. "Firewall penetration is currently at 50% nya." (Akashi) "50? So hitting it actually worked?" I should have done that in the first place. Usually we never hit anything more than 10% penetration, even after spending an entire day in here. To hit 50% in a matter of seconds is extremely surprising. "Nya! We got through the first firewall nya!" (Akashi) Already? I took my seat at the computer, "Keep breaking the layers. We are finally getting somewhere." Akashi and I spent the next hour hacking into the cube. After the first two firewalls, the rate of pentration slowed down but we managed to break through the first ten layers. How many layers of security does this thing have?! "Eh? What is this?" After the first ten layers of firewall, I found an encrypted file. There is no name. "What should we do nya?" (Akashi) "For the time being, let open it." "Then, beginning the decryption. Nya?" (Akashi) "Eh? You haven''t done anything yet, right?" "That''s right nya. Eh? That''s weird nya." (Akashi) The file started opening and deciphering itself. Inside the file contained multiple macro commands. There were things like ''Fire turret 13'' and ''Load tubes 1 through 6''. It''s all attack commands. Why would there be attack commands stored in the cube? "Akashi, what do you make of this?" "Is this thing made to control something?" (Akashi) "That''s what I thought. This could be a control-type." Control-types refer to cubes which are used to execute attack commands and give simple orders to the host. They are usually found on mass-produced Siren Sh.i.p.s. But this can''t be any control-type cube. They are more firewalls, and the Abyssal that was using it didn''t look like it was being controlled, at least according to Maizuru and Shirakami''s report. "Let''s dig a bit deeper." "Roger nya" (Akashi) "I can''t allow you to do that." (???) Suddenly, there was a disembodied voice coming from somewhere. Has someone hacked us? "That was a horrible. Don''t you know it''s rude to hammer a lady''s head? Even worse, how dare you look inside me? Just because I''m unconcious doesn''t mean you can have your way with me." (???) "Akashi, trace the source. Figure out where the hack is coming from." "It''s not coming from within the systems. It''s coming from somewhere within the room." (Akashi) Within the room? Wait, don''t tell me...! I turned to face the cube. Or what should have been a cube. The cracks from before were gone. Tentacles sprouted from the cube and ingrained itself into the ground. "Ufufu~ Have you realised? You thought I was just an ordinary black mental cube, right? Ahahahaha~! Sucks for you. Empress-sama told me to go incognito and getyour data, but since you made me angry, I''m gonna destroy your base now. Ehehehe. Ahahaha!" (Cube) This thing is a sentient being? Empress? What does that mean? My Personal Communication Device started to ring, "Hel-" "Commander! Something weird is going on! Tentacles appeared from the ground and attached themselves to some of the shipgirls! Now, they are attacking us!" (Norfolk) You can''t be-So that''s what it''s doing! "Ahahahaha! Isn''t it interesting? Watching friends turn on each other." (Cube) "Norfolk, gather as much girls who aren''t affected and get to the ocean. Try to subdue them and minimise damage to the base. Do not hurt them. Akashi and I will try to stop the cube on our end." "Wait, what cube?" (Norfolk) "The black mental cube has gone berserk. It''s trying to take control of everyone. Hurry up and get out of there!" "Comm- *bzzt* Yo- *shrrk*" (Norfolk) "That''s mean. Telling others that I''m going berserk. Because of that, no more talking for you." (Cube) This thing... I rushed to the cube and tried to pull it out. Damn. It won''t budge. "Ufufufu. It''s no use. It will take more than that to even move me." (Cube) "Akashi, give me a knife. I going to cut this thing." "Do that and all the girls I have caught will die. You don''t want that, do you?" (Cube) Tch. It got me. "You coward!" (Akashi) "Fine. What do you want?" "Your memory isn''t really the best. I told you, I''m going to destroy your base. But just letting you watch your girls kill each other doesn''t make for interesting content. How about this? Since you are such a great hacker, try hacking into me. I won''t revert my security to the highest level, but I will fight back. If you can get to my core level, I may consider deleting the stolen data and stopping the attack." (Cube) It''s treating this whole situation like a game. I don''t have much of a choice, do I? "Before that, I wan-" "You want to call for backup? Sure, I don''t mind. In fact, it will make it easier for me to eliminate the anomaly." (Cube) I spoke into the emergency comms systems, "This is Azur Lane, requesting immediate assistance. We are under attack. I repeat Azur Lane is under attack. The enem-" Smoke blew out from the dashboard as sparks emitted from the console. "What?" "Okay. That''s all I''m going to let you say. Don''t wanna ruin the surprise, right? Now, are you ready?" "Kh! Akashi, take your place. We are going to tear this thing inside out!" "Got it nya! Just this once, I will do it free of charge nya!" (Akashi) "Do your best~ Though, it''s not like you will get anywhere near the core." (Cube) Akashi and I continued hacking. The firewalls are getting harder to penetrate. Not only that, it seems to be reforming the firewalls we previously broke. This thing is enjoying itself. "Oho~ Things are getting real noisy out there." You are making them fight each other. Of course it would be noisy. "Wow! She sent that girl flying!" (Cube) "Huh? Oi! What are you talking about?!" I told them not to attack each other. "Ahahahaha! This is crazy! They are totally going at it. This is so fun to watch!" (Cube) "Oi! What is going on out there?!" "Look look. Isn''t this exciting?" (Cube) One of the screens flickered on, showing us what is going on outside. It''s total chaos! Maizuru''s girls and mine are attacking the affected girls. There were more shipgirls being controlled by the cube than I thought. More than half of my shipgirls are being controlled by this thing. More importantly, they are beating each other up! "No! Don''t!" I watched as Zuikaku slashed through Enterprise''s body. Enterprise fall to the surface, blood flowing out from where she had been cut. This is horrible. "You! Stop this right now!" "Are you sure you don''t want to watch? It''s really interesting." (Cube) "Commander, look at Enterprise''s body." (Akashi) Akashi tug on my sleeve. I turned back to the monitor just in time to see Enterprise standing back up. Her wounds are gone. "You forgot about my power, didn''t you? Ehehe. That''s why I said your memory isn''t the best." (Cube) The cube is healing them? Is that why they are going on the offensive now? Admiral Keita knew about this and ordered everyone to fight back. "Not really. The core of the anomaly initially maintained a defensive position. Up until the kimono girl with large chests decided to slug the foxy one." (Cube) Taihou and Akagi, huh. Damn. This thing played me like a fiddle. "Come on. Hurry up and keep trying. I already repair led three of the firewalls already." (Cube) "Damn you!" I returned to my seat and continued the hack. It really repaired the three firewalls I broke through before I got distracted! "Do your best~ Do your best~" (Cube) "Shut up!" "Ahahahaha~" (Cube) Since it has come down to this, I beg you. Hold on just a little longer. I don''t know how many hours we have been doing this. Akashi is almost at her limit. My eyes and fingers hurt. My brain can''t keep up with this. But... they are still fighting out there. There are more of them now, probably reinforcements from IJN. I need... to... stop... "Aww~ Is that your limit? Humans are pretty weak and useless after all. Now then- Eh?" (Cube) "For gods sake, you were ordered to get information, not destroy the samples." (???) "Who''s there? How are you able to take control of my systems? Only Empress-sama can do that!" (Cube) A small, cold voice echoed through the room. Now what? "Wrong. The Arbiters have full control and authority over all Siren personnel. And besides, Nee-sama told me stop you." (???) "NO! Wait, that voice... You are... Temperance-sama?" (???) "You finally realised?" (???) Another screen flickered on, revealing the small face of a girl with a white victorian mop cap. Her skin was pale and her eyes were blue, an obvious trait of a Siren Higher-up. This is Temperance? "I was only going to stop this nonsence of yours and possibly overlook this whole thing. But now I''m angry. As punishment for your insolance, I hereby strip you of your admin privileges and sentence you to death." (Temperance) "Commander! The security is gone. The data is being purged!" (Akashi) My screen showed the firewalls being penetrated at breakneck speeds. Files were disappearing in large groups. "No. Please! I will do anything!" (Cube) "Then die. Human, this is will be the first and last time we are doing this. Since the experiment was a flop, dispose of that cube as you see fit. Don''t worry about her control. It will be gone once you blow her up." (Temperance) "No! Come back! Oi, you shitty brat! How dare you! I was chosen by Empress-sama herself! I''m the chosen one!" (Cube) The screen faded to black. The cubes firewalls, data, security... eveything is gone. It''s now just a black mental cube with tentacles. "Looks like it''s our win. Akashi, do the honours." "Nyeah. Gladly." (Akashi) Akashi took out a small mental cube, which transmuted into a Single 120mm gun and aimed it at the cube. "No. No no no no NO!" A tentacle lashed out at Akashi, crashing her into one of the consoles, "Nyargh!" (Akashi) "Akashi!" I rushed to her side. Good. She is still alive. Just unconcious. "No. It can''t end like this... I''m Empress-sama''s chosen one! I will be the one that destroys you! I will be the one that destroys humanity." (Cube) More tentacles start to sprout out of the cube, flailing about and thrashing the place. We need to get out here! I carried the unconcious Akashi out of the room in my arms while dodging the tentacles. The cube has really gone mad this time. I slammed the bunker door shut. Think. If I can''t destroy it from here, what are my options? ... Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #.5-an-azur-lane-crisis_52069532528861564 for visiting. This is risky, but it has to work. I made sure the bunker door is sealed tightly before making a run for it. I activated my PCD. I''m hearing quite a lot of static, that means the signal is not stable. The comms tower must have been damaged. "This is Azur Lane''s Commander Ao. Can anyone hear me? The cube is now isolated in a bunker at the bottom of the island. Target the spot with weird tentacles coming out of it and destroy the cube! I repeat, the cube is isolated at the bottom of the isalnd. I need someone, anyone, to destroy it." Please. Get my message. "Comman- firepower... *Bzzt*" (Maizuru Admiral Keita) Yes. I managed to get my message across. He asking about firepower right? "You need three to blow up the bunker. One should be enough to destroy the cube." I sprinted towards the cave entrance. Why did I make such a big and complex cave systems? Moments later, the whole cave shook. Isn''t that way too fast? How close are his girls to the island? Suddenly, I felt something pushed me from behind. The force was so strong that it sent me and Akashi flying for a bit. Was that a shockwave? Eh? I can''t move. There is a sharp pain in my leg and chest. My left leg was bent at an unnatural angle. My chest hurts and it''s getting harder to breathe. The force of the shockwave was so strong that it must have broke some of my bones. Akashi is... Good. She seems fine. There was a distinct sound of rock being broken. I looked up and realised that the ceiling was starting to cave in. Right on top of us! The place became dark. My body hurts. I can''t feel anything... Chapter 215 - 196 Alright. My resources are slowly returning back to before the ''Black Inferno'' incident. To simplify our reports, the incident from last week was given the designation ''Black Inferno'', because a black mental cube was involved and there was fire all over the place. Awesome naming sense, Rondo. I can''t wait to hear the name of your child, if you are going to have one. My resources were in the red, with everything being less than 5000. Now, everything is in the five-digits. At this rate, give it maybe a month or two and everything will be back to the original numbers. HQ gave me some Fast Repair Buckets to makeup for all that I have used to repair the multiple shipgirls involved. For the time being, I''m focusing on expeditions to obtain resources and Fast Repair Buckets. The sorties I''m supposed to be in charged of have been reassigned to other bases. Ah. This is bad. We are going to miss the hospital visiing hours. I grabbed my jacket and rushed to the gate. Shigure was there waiting for me. "Sorry. I took too long." Shigure shook her head, "No. It''s alright. Admiral is busy after all." (Shigure) I like how Shigure is so understanding, but I won''t adcantage of this trait of hers. I will bring her for some ice cream later. "Are you sure you''re fine like this? Isn''t it cold?" Shigure only used a scarf and leggings to protect herself from the cold. "I''m fine. It''s not as cold as before." (Shigure) Must be nice having an internal heating system... "Let''s go." I stuck out my hand. She just stared at it. "What''s wrong?" "Eh? Uh..." (Shigure) After a few moments of hesitation, she finally grabbed my hand, "So warm..." (Shigure) The guard fairy opened the gate for us and we made our to the train station. Next stop, Osaka University Hospital. ------------------------------- "Let''s see... Okay. Thank you for your patience. Everything checks out. Here are your visitor pass. Take the elevator to the eighth floor and head towards the Seiteki Ward. Suwanto-san''s room will be at the end of the hallway." (Receptionist) The receptionist gave back our ID cards and placed the visitor pass in our hands. Shigure and I made our way to Commander Ao''s room. "This is a really big hospital." (Shigure) "Yeah. It doubles as a medical academy as well. This is one of Japan''s best hospitals after all. They do all kinds of medical stuff here." And this is also the hospital where Shigure''s eye operation will take place. Or so I heard. Grand Admiral Hasake called the other day to tell me about the progress on Shigure''s bionic eye. It''s near completion, with only a few more adjustments and some tests to be done. He will book a surgical room and a team of surgeons to do the operation once it''s ready. Of course, I''m not telling the girl in question about her new eye. Wouldn''t want to ruin the surprise. We strolled towards Commander Ao''s SS type Private Room, one of the most expensive and luxurious rooms the hospital has to offer. I knocked on the door, and waited for one of them to let us in. The door slid open, "Ah. Admiral-sama. Shigure-sama. Please come in." (Belfast) "Please don''t add the ''-sama'' in. It feels weird." "You can just call me Shigure." (Shigure) Belfast opened the door to let us in. The private room is the biggest room the hospital has to offer. With a size of 104 metre square, there is a bathroom, toilet, kitchen, lounge room and a separate bedroom for people staying overnight. There is even a 46 inch TV and telephone equipped. This looks more like an apartment rather than a hospital room. How much money are they willing to spend? "Ara, Admiral-san. You are here." (AL Taihou) "Hello." "Sorry for intruding." (Shigure) I looked around the room. The other one doesn''t seem to be here today. "If you are looking for Akagi, Amagi-sama dragged her back to help repair the base. So tonight, I have Commander all to myself~" (AL Taihou) "Eh? Then what about-" "I will be heading back shortly afterwards. I am also involved in the repairs." (Belfast) "I see. Anyway," "We brought some gifts." (Shigure) Shigure presented the basket of well-wishes and soft foods she was holding. The well-wishes were written by my girls. "Thank you. Let me take them." (Belfast) "Nmh... Hmm? Oh. You are here." (Commander Ao) "Good morning, my dear Commander. It''s afternoon now though." (AL Taihou) I grabbed a chair and brought it next to his bed, "Yo. Feeling any better?" "Not... really. It''s still hard... to breathe and my whole body hurts." "You broke quite a few bones after all." Commander Ao laid on the bed, covered head to toe with bandages and an oxygen mask. He suffered four broken ribs, a broken leg, broken arm, and a head injury. His broken leg and arm were each in a cast and suspended in midair with a harness. He looks much better than when he was first brought here. After the affected Shipgirls stopped moving, I sent in Monarch and a few others to search for their Commander. Then I remembered how big the island was I got the rest of Azur Lane to help with the search while IJN handled the clean-up, which means dragging the unconscious shipgirl''s back to the beach. If Akashi hadn''t activate her distress beacon and meowed constantly, it would have been too late for the both of them. They found the both of them in a cave, buried in rubble. Akashi was fine since Ao shielded her with his body. Ao himself was in a worse condition. His lungs were punctured, and he had internal bleeding. I heard his heart actually stopped for a moment, but Eldridge was able to restart it as they rushed to my base. I have prepared a ambulance which rushed him to Kyoto University Hospital. His life was saved but he was placed in intensive care unit until two days ago. "By the way, I meant to ask you. Why did you order everyone to attack?" (Commander Ao) Gh. I knew he would ask me that sooner or later, "Well... I sort of took a gamble. After Taihou punched Akagi, I noticed that the cube still had the same healing properties. So..." "I feel so light after that. It''s like all of my stress is gone." Yeah. Taihou and Shoukaku both ganged up on Akagi. "It was hard not to laugh when I see Akagi massaging her face. Ufufu~" (AL Taihou) "I had a feeling that cutting of the tubes would be able to stop the healing process, but I didn''t want to risk activating a kill switch or them sinking because of their injuries. I can risk that with the Abyssals but not with shipgirls." "I never knew Bel-chan was able to put up such a fight. I heard from Edinburgh that she shot my arm off. That explains why my right arm has been hurting for a while." (AL Belfast) "You can come to our base and take a bath. Our medicinal pools work miracles." (Shigure) "Um..." (AL Belfast) "That... may be a good idea. Since you hurt my girls, I will... have you heal them." (AL Commander Ao) "I saved them. In the first place, you should be the one repaying me. I exhausted almost all of my resources trying to buy time for you." "What?! *Koff* *koff* What kind of monster *Ghrk* demands payment from the injured?" (AL Commander Ao) "If you can give such a retort, I guess you are fine." Ah. Taihou is staring daggers at me. "Anyway, make sure you recover. Everyone is worried for you." "Easier said... than done." (AL Commander Ao) "The sooner you recover, the sooner you get to enjoy night battles with Taihou again." "That... kind of motivates me a little..." (AL Commander Ao) "Oh my. Commander, you desire my body that much?" (AL Taihou) Taihou blushed. Looks like that took the heat off me. "Anyway, I won''t disturb you any further. Rest well. And don''t you even think about running away until you repay me." "I suddenly feel... very sleepy. Belfast, please see them out." (AL Commander Ao) "Oh. You piece of-" "Don''t worry, Admiral-sama. Azur Lane will make sure to repay the help you gave us." (AL Belfast) "Belfast! *koff* You are supposed... to be on my side." (AL Commander AL) Shigure and I left the room and head back to the reception to return the visitors pass. "It''s great that Commander Ao is doing well." (Shigure) "I guess so. It will take him months to recover but that won''t stop him. That guy is as tough as nails." Our fingers intertwined as we left the hospital. "Want to get some ice cream on the way back?" "Can we?" (Shigure) "I know of a good ice cream place nearby. We can enjoy ourselves for a bit before going back." "That''s sounds like a good idea. Let''s go, Admiral." (Shigure) Chapter 216 - 197 "So... Mind filling me in?" Zuihou stood beside her younger sister, who was covered in blue blood and a baby shark biting her head. The shark''s victim is covered in wounds, her outfit was torn, as usual, and red blood dripped from where the shark had sunk it''s small, jagged teeth in. I rushed to port after hearing from Ooyodo that Zuihou-chan got damaged. I was bewildered by the sight in front of me. It was just a simple perimeter patrol. How did Zuihou-chan end up being this damaged with a shark attached to her? And what did they kill? I didn''t receive any reports of an attack or gave permission to engage anything. "Erm..." (Zuihou) "Never mind. I will hear about it later. Hold still." I feel bad, but this thing needs to learn about letting go. I squeezed the shark''s small eyes until it opened its mouth and struggled. I tossed the little menace back into the water. "Thank you." (Zuihou-chan) "You''re welcome." She looks kind of down. Now that I think of it, I haven''t been giving her my attention lately. When was the last time I gave her my attention? Nothing comes to mind... Talk about good timing... "Now then, let''s get you to the baths. Zuihou, you can go back to my room if you want. Or maybe your room if you prefer." "Okay." (Zuihou) "U-unn..." (Zuihou-chan) I followed Zuihou-chan to the docks and into the changing room. Oh right, better put up the ''in use'' sign. It would be bad if a troublesome one enters and see us. "Eh?" (Zuihou-chan) "What''s wrong?" I took off my shirt and folded it in the laundry basket. "Admiral, what are you doing here?" (Zuihou-chan) You waited until I''m in the changing room with you to ask me that? Took you long enough. "What am I doing? I''m taking a bath, of course." "With me?" (Zuihou-chan) "Yeah." "Really? You won''t run or push me away?" (Zuihou-chan) "Eh? Since when did I-" Ah. I have been rejecting most of her advances. Crap... What have I been doing? Not only have I been ignoring her, I even pushed her away... Pathe- No no no. Better late than never. I got to make up to her. "Sorry. I won''t run away this time." "mmh... Then..." (Zuihou-chan) Her expression changed. She is giving me a mischevious look. She is about to do something. Zuihou-chan removed her torn top... and pushed herself against me!!! "Hug me!" (Zuihou-chan) "Wha-! You! Don''t smear that weird stuff all over me! Ahh! Look what you done!" ZUihou-chan ''generously'' shared some the blue blood with me. "Now Admiral has to go in with me~" (Zuihou-chan) "That''s the plan all along!" ----------------------------- "Ahh~ The medicinal bath really is something else." I think I could get use to this. I can feel the tiredness leave my body and my soul healing. It took a while, but we finally managed to scrubbed that blue blood off our bodies. It was so sticky and slimy that we had to use four towels each to scrub that off us. I thought it was Abyssal blood, but those things aren''t that gooey. I''ll need to send a sample for analysis. "Zuihou-chan, are you feeling alright?" Zuihou-chan is in the same medicinal bath as me, lying against my chest. Her body was red from all that scrubbing we did. Cleaning was a little painful for her, since she was injured in the first place. Apparently, while on patrol, both of them came across a egg-shaped structure floating just outside the perimeter. Zuihou-chan spotted something moving inside and went to investigate. When she poked it with a arrow, it blew up on her, dealing damage and covering her with that strange goo. The baby shark that was biting her, also popped out from there. If I knew that, I would have kept the shark. It might be infected. "It stings a bit, but I''m fine." (Zuihou-chan) I gently stroked her cheek, "I''m sorry... for pushing you away all this time." "It''s okay. You don''t have to apologize. But, may I know why? Was it something I did?" (Zuihou-chan) "No. It''s not your fault. It was just something personal." "Which is?" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan tilted her head back to look at me. I already knew about this, but despite being the same ship, their size are totally different. "It''s just that..." "Just that?" (Zuihou-chan) "You were too small. It felt way too criminal to do anything to you." "Small..." (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan looked down and cupped her chest. "No. I don''t mean it like that." "If that''s the case, then it''s okay now?" (Zuihou-chan) "To be honest, I only planned to give you some attention. But now, my own morals hurt you again." Once I do this, that''s no turning back. Not like it matters anyway. I placed my hand on Zuihou-chan''s chin and angled in for a kiss. "I love you, Zuihou-chan." Chapter 217 - 197.5 Agano did a roundhouse kick, launching four torpedos in front of her. The torpedos propelled themselves to their target. Just her nickname suggests, all four of them miraculously missed their mark, even as the British Destroyer stood still. "No way!" (Agano) "Lucky! Aha~?" (Jervis) Jervis fired her own salvo of shells, hitting Suzuya and dealing a bit of damage to the converted light aircraft carrier, "Ouch! How did that hit me?!" (Suzuya) As expected of the lucky destroyer. She was just taking potshots and was barely out range, but still managed to hit Suzuya. Realising the situation, Yahagi gave her order. "Have to draw them in more this time... Asashio, Jervis-san, follow me. Kumano and Gambier Bay-san, get more planes in the air to secure air superiority." (Yahagi) Yahagi continued to fire her shells as she closed the distance between the two fleets. Jervis and Asashio followed closely behind. "Ah. As expected, Yahagi is coming closer." (Agano) "And Kumano isn''t letting up." (Suzuya) "Then, let''s do the same. 2nd squad, take flight." (Zuihou) Zuihou launched her second wave of aircraft as Suzuya retrieves her planes and loads another magazine to her crossbow. The girls are having an exercise. It''s Zuihou, Suzuya, Agano, Yuudachi, Samidare and Akizuki against Yahagi, Gambier Bay, Kumano, Jervis, Asashio and Hatsuzuki. A rather fair fight, with luck and experience being the only factors separating the two fleets. Compared to Zuihou''s fleet, Yahagi''s fleet may be a little less experienced but they make up for it with a little bit of luck and ferocity. There are no stakes in this. I just need to collect some battle data and submit it to HQ. They want to do some sort of internal audit and make sure the girls are in tip-top shape. A little dumb to check on everyone at this time, but at least I don''t have to write up another five hundred page report on each girl. I just need to record them fighting and do a short write up. This whole week was spent on filming the exercises and writing shorts reports. Of course, we would be compensated for the fuel and training ammo spent. Now, back to the fight. As the destroyers and cruisers fight on the surface, the planes from the carriers engaged each other in the ensuing dogfight. The sky was riddled with bullets and explosions as both of their fighters do their best to intercept the opposing bombers. Some bombers managed to escape the dogfight and head straight for their opponent''s flagship, only to be shot down by the AA specialist on each fleet. "Eheh. Come on, Yahagi. Don''t think about going easy on me." (Agano) "You know very well I don''t do such things, Agano-nee!" (Yahagi) The two sisters are getting a bit too into it. They fired shell after shell, torpedo after torpedo, seaplane after seaplane. Their destroyer escort also joined in and launched their own set of attacks. "So many targets to choose from poi!" (Yuudachi) "Asashio, attacking!" (Asashio) Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #.5_52323006466286816 for visiting. As the two fleets fought, sirens started blaring and the warning lights on my console flashed rapidly. The radar picked up a red signal Something has breached the perimenter. I brought up the mic, "Exercise suspended. We got company!" "Abyssals? Or Sirens?" (Yahagi) "I can''t tell from here. But it''s fast approaching your position at one o''clock." Zuihou launched her Type-2 recon aircraft in the direction I pointed out. "It''s fast! It''s neither Abyssal nor Siren! It''s something else. Wait, that''s the thing-" (Zuihou) The unknown craft sped past the two fleets and crashed onto the shore. The enemy has entered the base! "Rei, get your girls out there and intercept our invader." "Got it." (Rei) Rei pressed a button on her console and spoke into the mic, "Avrora, I need you and the others fully armed on the beach now." (Rei) "Both fleets, return to shore and surround the invader." "On our way!" (Agano) "Zuihou, what were you trying to say?" "That thing is shaped like the pod Zuihou-chan and I found the other day?" (Zuihou) "The one with the shark inside?" "Yeah. It will explode at the slightest touch." (Zuihou) If that''s the case, it would have blown up by now. "If that''s the case, do not get too close. Keep a safe distance from it while being on guard." This is not something I can handle on my own. I will have to call in the experts. Chapter 218 - 198 As we wait for the research team from Yokosuka to arrive, a defensive perimeter was set up around the blue pod. The shipgirls guarding the pod are fully armed and ready to engage. I got Shioi and her fleet of submarines to investigate where did this pod come from. They managed to find some sort of bluish residual in the water, which matched the direction the pod came from. According to Shioi, the trail seems to lead deeper underwater, straight into the deep, dark end. I guessing this...pod came from the abyss, making it Abyssal in nature. "Zuihou-chan, is that the thing the same one that damaged you when you stabbed it?" "This one is a little bigger. And I didn''t stabbed it! I just poked it with my arrow." (Zuihou-chan) "So, this is an Abyssal pod? This is the first time I''ve seen one." (Rei) "Me too. I don''t know what''s it''s official name though? I have never heard of this kind of phenomenon before." "Admiral," (Shioi) Shioi walked up to me, her skin glistening in the late afternoon sun. She just came out of the water, "They are still not here yet?" (Shioi) "They won''t arrive that fast. I heard the researchers are coming from Ominato Guard District." "Eh? That abandoned base?" (Shioi) "Not anymore. That place is officially IJN''s new research base. They are no Shipgirls stationed there though." Ominato Guard District was a major naval base during the Great War. It acted as a a control base for the Tsugaru Strait between Honshu and Hokkaido. The 5th fleet were stationed there until they were assimilated into the 10th Area fleet. Previously, the JMSDF used a portion of the base as theirs, while the rest remained abandoned. Now, with so many recruits joining the R&D department, HQ has decided to turn the remaining portion of Ominato Guard District into a research facility. "They should be arriving tonight. Latest by tomorrow morning." "Heh~ So, any other orders for us?" (Shioi) "Not now. You are certain that the trail leads to the Abyss, right?" "Yeah. I can dive deeper if you want me to." (Shioi) That''s out of the question... "No. We don''t know what to expect down there. Let''s just wait for Ominato to send in their report before we do anything. For the time being, just be on standby." "Alright..." (Shioi) She sounds kind of disappointed. Does she want to dive that much? I pet her head, "If I need you to dive, I will call you." "You better call me." (Shioi) "Yeah yeah. Go on, you can head back first." "Before that, one more time." (Shioi) "Huh?" Shioi presented her head to me. Oh. She wants me to pet her again. I gave her what she wants. "Ehehehe~ How nostalgic..." (Shioi) Hmm? "Alright. I''m satisfied. Anymore and I wou- I better go back to the rest. I promised to meet them for dessert." (Shioi) "O-oh, okay." I watched as the tall submarine girl ran off. "Geez, Shioi-chan." (Zuihou-chan) "What''s wrong?" "She should be more honest with herself." (Zuihou-chan) "What do you mean?" "Admiral, you know what I''m talking about, right?" (Zuihou-chan) No. I don''t. Does it have something to do with Shioi saying how nostalgic it was when I pet her head just now? "Your face tells me you don''t. Oh well. Admiral, what shall do about the guard shift?" (Zuihou-chan) "Mmmh... I plan to station girls who are good at night battles." "So, mainly destroyer." (Zuihou-chan) Yeah. Destroyers are out best bet when it comes to night battles. Maybe they can rotate every two hours. It''s just for tonight, since the research team will be coming tomorrow morning. I think I should get Yuubari to deploy those robots she created. She was so excited to test them. This area needs to be illuminated before the sun sets. It will be dangerous without any source of light. "I''ll get Akashi and Yuubari to set up. Help me pick some destroyers for night duty." "Got it. Then, I shall return to the office first. Where are the records?" (Zuihou-chan) "They should be in the second drawer. It''s unlocked, so help me lock it once you picked the six destroyers." "Okay~ See you later, Admiral~" (Zuihou-chan) Okay. Time to go to the factory. Oh, but before that, "Tenryuu," "Yo. What is it? Admiral." (Yahagi) I approached the Light Cruiser. She is just staring at the pod, with her sword drawn and all guns aimed at the pod. "Any update? I guess not." The pod is still the same as ever. It''s just sitting there on the beach, surrounded by 5 metre electric fences in a 20 metre radius. Of course, the electric fence is just a precaution in case a beast Abyssal pops out of the pod. It will be useless against a normal Abyssal. "Yeah. That thing is of Abyssal nature, right?" (Tenryuu) "Yeah. It will be extremely dangerous if it pops out when the researchers are here. That being said, I would like you to be part of the escort fleet." "To bring the pod back to the research base? Got it. So, where is the research base?" (Tenryuu) "Ominato Guard District. It''s in Honshu. It should take an entire day to go there and back." "Ominato... Oh, that place! My old haunt." (Tenryuu) "Really? You''ve been there before? That helps." "Leave it to me. I know that place like it''s on the back of my hand." (Tenryuu) "Who else has been to Ominato before?" It would be better if the escort fleet has members familiar about the way to Ominato. "Tatsuta''s been there with me. Then, there''s Yuubari, Shimakaze, and some of the Mutsuki kids. There could be more but I was transferred to Maizuru some time after that blockade we did." (Tenryuu) "I see. Then I will assign you as the flagship of the escort fleet. I will brief you once I have the fleet composition. In the meantime, get some rest. It will be a long day tomorrow." "Alright! Leave it to me!" (Tenryuu) Tenryuu left her position, but not before getting Kuma to take over. Now, time to go to the factory and get those robots. Before I can enter the factory, I felt my phone vibrate. Whose number is this? "Hello?" "H-h-hell-llo? I-is th-this Ad-Admiral Ke-Keita?" (???) Who is this guy? Why is he so nervous? He addressed me by rank, so I''m guessing he is one of us? "Calm down. Take a deep breath and try again." I can hear rather heavy and rapid breathing on the other side of the call. "I said calm down, not hyperventilate. Oi! Slow down!" It take me a while to finally get the other guy to stop panicking. Me speaking rather loudly outside the factory has caught the attention of some of the girls in the surrounding area. "Are you calm now?" "Hah... Hah... Y-yeah." (???) "You don''t sound alright. Want to try again later?" "N-no. I''m fine. Really." (???) I can hear him take a deep breath, before continuing, "I''m so sorry. This is Ensign Miyamoto Izuru. I''m calling from the engineering department." (Ensign Izuru) "So you are under Grand Admiral Hasake?" "Ye-yes.I have a message... from the Grand Admiral. He wants me to tell you... how do I read this? Ji...er... I''m sorry!" (Ensign Izuru) "Calm down. Do you know the furigana? Or just describe to me the kanji of the word." So much trouble for one simple message. "Erm... There is a ''Ji'' from ''Jikan'' <•r time> and ''ame'' <Óê rain>" (Ensign Izuru) "•rÓê... Shigure. That''s read as Shigure." "Oh. I see. Thank you so much." (Ensign Izuru) "Your welcome. So, what about Shigure?" "Y-yes. Erm... Grand Admiral wants me to inform you that Shigure''s new bionic eye is ready. He will discuss with you her operation at a later date." (Ensign Izuru) Chapter 219 - 199 The following day, after morning roll call, I went to the beach and dismissed Suzukaze and Samidare, who were part of the night patrol. I also went ahead and dismissed Uzuki, Yayoi, Kagerou and Shiranui. I gave them a day off to catch up on their sleep. The pod is still the same as I left it last night, blue and unmoving. I checked the time lapse camera and only things moving were the girls frolicking around under the moonlight and trying to keep themselves awake and occupied. Souryuu and Hiryuu have launched their planes for our regular morning patrol and surveillance. Noshiro and Sakawa armed themselves and are now guarding the pod. I was told that the Research ship from Ominato will arrive in the morning. They should be here soon. "Admiral, one of my planes spotted an unidentified ship just 50km outside our perimeter." (Hiryuu) That might be them, but still... "Can you broadcast a message through your plane?" "I can do that." (Hiryuu) "Order them to identify themselves. The standard engagement will do." Hiryuu gave a nod, "This is Souryuu-class aircraft carrier, Hiryuu from Maizuru Naval District. Unidentified vessel, identify yourself immediately." (Hiryuu) Hiryuu remained silent, waiting for an answer while Souryuu gets ready to launch another wave of bombers. This is standard engagement procedures. Even if we know someone is coming over, we can never be too careful. As long as we don''t have a name of the incoming vessel, we are to treat it with caution. The unidentified vessel has five minutes to reply and we will ask the same thing three times within the five minutes. Fail to do so and we are authorized to attack the vessel. I don''t really like the idea of sinking a ship that failed to answer us within five minutes. Not because humans would be killed in the process, I mean there is that as well, but the reports, interrogation and cleanup is a hassle to deal with. I haven''t encountered such incidents yet, but Brunei Anchorage has dealt with pirates who were dumb enough to threaten them a number of times already. A few shells and planes were enough to force them to surrender. That strategy is much better than straight up killing the intruders. "Admiral, the incoming vessel is a Multipurpose Support Ship known as the JS Otaru. The ship captain is called Lieutenent Commander Miyamoto Daikichi. He claims that they have a group of researchers onboard and were authorized by Yokosuka Naval District to retrieve a Class-A Hazardous Cargo." (Hiryuu) Miyamoto... Didn''t I spoke to one Miyamoto yesterday? More importantly, they categorized this pod as a Class-A hazard? Makes sense, since this is an Abyssal. "Escort them in. Get them to dock at pier 3." "Understood." (Hiryuu) I called Rei on my phone, "Rei, come to the beach. The research team is here." "Okay~ On my way." (Rei) "They''re here?" (Zuihou) Zuihou came to join me on the beach, "Yeah Let''s go greet them. By the way, where is Shigure?" After morning roll call, Shigure disappeared from my sight. I didn''t get the chance to give her the good news last night because she fell asleep first. "She is with Yuudachi. They were discussing about going to the canteen and trying out the new steak dish." (Zuihou) "Isn''t it too early to eat such a heavy meal?" "You know how they tend to act like puppies sometimes. Shigure and Yuudachi really love to eat meat." (Zuihou) We watched as Hiryuu''s planes land on top of her flight deck. The JS Otaru came into view a few moments later and parked itself at the pier. Rei showed up just as the gangways were being deployed. Around... right, I forgot how much people are needed to manage a ship... I can see more than 200 sailors swarming out of the Multipurpose Support Ship. I gestured them to fall in at the beach. The pier is too narrow to squeeze more than 200 people in formation. The sailors quickly got into position at the beach, falling in rows of four. A young man, who is clearly the Lieutenant Commander judging from his shoulder insignia, stood at the front. That must be Miyamoto Daikichi. "Attention!" (Daikichi?) On cue, his company stood at attention with perfect synergy. The Lieutenant Commander exchanged salutes with Rei and I, before giving his introductory report. "I am Lieutenant Commander Miyamoto Daikichi. 125th Combat Research company, reporting in! Good morning, Admiral Keita! Good Morning, Commander Rei!" (Daikichi?) His sailors echoed his greeting. "Good morning. At ease. You are distracting the shipgirls from their activities." Because of how loud they were, some girls have gathered to watch. Even Noshiro and Sakawa have their attention drawn towards the sailors. "I know you guys are tired after the journey. Shall we take some time to rest before I get you guys to work?" "Thank you for the offer, Admiral. But my sailors are not tired at all. We are ready to work anytime." (Lieutenant Commander Daikichi) I like his eagerness to work, but as a leader he has a long way to go. He didn''t even bother to look at his men before making his decision. I can already count twenty tired sailors. It would be okay if they were part of the operational team, but these guys look like researchers and maintenance personnel. Things are going to be dangerous if they carry on working while exhausted. Oh gosh, is that guy bleeding from his leg? There is a growing patch of red on his left thigh and he looks pale. Why isn''t he saying anything? "I know you are eager to work. Before that, turn around for me." "I''m sorry?" (Lieutenant Commander Daikichi) "Turn around and look at your company. Tell me, what do you see?" "Erm... Sorry. I don''t understand." (Lieutenant Commander Daikichi) I pointed at one of the tired sailors I found, "Look at him. Look at his tired eyes. Tell me, which department is he from." Before he could answer, I pointed at the injured fellow, "How about him? See anything out of the ordinary? Is his uniform supposed to have a patch of red on his thigh? "Ensign Taniguchi! What happened to you?!" (Lieutenant Commander Daikichi) Oh? I thought he didn''t care. He actually didn''t realized it? "My sincere apologies, Lieutenant Commander!" (Ensign Taniguchi) "Alright. Settle down. Let''s take an one hour break. Someone help that guy to the infirmary. Commander Rei, patch him up." "Sure thing. That looks like a deep wound." (Rei) "The rest of you, go freshen yourselves up. You can head to the canteen for some food if you wish. If you are tired, you can find a place to take a short nap or something. Be back here within one hour. Oh, and one warning, do not, I repeat, do not even think about hitting on my girls. I know they are cute but control yourselves. If I catch anyone doing that, it''s straight to the brig for you. Understand?" "Understood, Admiral!" (All) "Dismiss. Make sure you back in one hour. Not a single minute late. Lieutenant Commander, follow me." The sailors dispersed. Two guys went to help support Taniguchi and followed Rei to the infirmary. Some of them, like the tired sailor I pointed out to Daikichi, went back to the ship, probably to take a nap. A few others went to where the canteen is. I want to talk to Daikichi before we start our work. That reminds me, "Lieutenant Commander Daikichi, do you have any siblings?" "Y-yes! A younger brother!" (Lieutenant Commander Daikichi) "Calm down. No need to be on edge. It''s tiring to constantly act like that. I know I''m of higher rank but you can just speak to me normally." "Un-understood..." (Lieutenant Commander Daikichi) "Now then, back to the topic. Your younger brother won''t happen to called Izuru, right?" "Yes. How did you know?" (Lieutenant Commander Daikichi) "He called me yesterday. He was so nervous, it took me a while to calm him down." "Huh?" (Lieutenant Commander Daikichi) Daikichi stopped in his tracks, "Since when did Izuru joined IJN? He told me he found a job in Tokyo the last... time... we spoke..." (Lieutenant Commander Daikichi) "How long have you been in service?" "Not counting my academy days, this is my second year. Wait. Admiral, what was my brother''s rank?" (Lieutenant Commander Daikichi) "Ensign. He is under Grand Admiral Hasake''s team." Eh? Did I step on a landmine? "Ensign... So that means he just graduated from the academy not too long ago... He has been in the IJN for over a year already? And he has been hiding right under my nose this whole time?!" Lieutenant Commander Daikichi) Yep. I triggered a landmine. Seems like the elder brother didn''t know his younger brother had been following him this whole time. Chapter 220 - 200 The research team barely started doing anything and three jokers managed to hurt themselves. First, we have the Ensign who got a deep cut on his thigh. A female researcher accidentally stepped on Tina-chan''s tail, who is one of our two resident cats, and got hit by her omnislash attack. Like a true predator, Tina-chan went for the head, scratching the female researcher''s face and attempting to bite her neck before her friend managed to pull the angry cat off her. Fortunately, Mutsuki trimmed her class the previous day, so the scratches were shallow and won''t create any scars. Probably... Just to be safe, Rei gave her some cream to help with the healing process and prevent scarring. The third fellow won first prize for being an idiot. I don''t know if it was ego or something else, but it was extremely idiotic of him to do that. According to his friends, this idiot decided to ignore my warning and attempted to hit on Yamakaze in the canteen. Shigure stood up for her sister, and that guy made a rude remark about Shigure''s injury. This prompted Yuudachi to give him a nightmare, by beating the living daylights out of him. The idiot''s friends and the other girls nearby tried to break them up, but Yuudachi wouldn''t listen to any of them and continued to beat him up. If Matsuwa and Etorafu didn''t tell me about the one-sided beatdown, that idiot would have needed a full facial construction. I am tempted, no, I want to throw him into the brig. Not only did he ignore my warning about hitting on any of my girls, but he also went ahead and insult my beloved Shigure. Absolutely unforgivable! I could have charged him with insubordination. I only decided not because Lieutenant Commander Daikichi offered to punish him on his own. Right now, the idiot is unconscious. Once he wakes up, he better give an apology to Shigure, Yuudachi and Yamakaze. Either through a letter or a telegram. If not, I will personally go to Ominato and drag him back here. After this is done, I''m going to pacify the three Shiratsuyu sisters. Research work on the Abyssal pod went rather smoothly. Firstly, the team ran a thermal scan of the pod with this weird, oversized camera. The camera they used looks like any ordinary television camera, but with more wires and a little bulkier. The thermal scan didn''t reveal anything, which is normal, since Abyssals don''t generate any heat. The only thing that should generate heat are the guns they use during our battles. Next, they ran an X-ray scan and an ultrasound scan. Both scans revealed the silhouette of a Submarine So-class in the pod. There is no way to check its vitals, so we have to assume that it still alive. After doing all the necessary scans and noting down their findings, it was time to transport the Abyssal pod back to Ominato Guard District. Since it''s a submarine, Tenryuu''s escort fleet will be outfitted with Anti-submarine equipment when they escort the JS Otaru back base. Since only the blue top of the pod will explode when touched, they tied a harness around the pod and used the ship''s crane to lift it up a bit. A steel platform was then slid underneath, and the crane slowly placed it down again. After attaching the platform to the crane, it was finally placed onto a mini transport craft, modelled after a Daihatsu Landing Craft. Now, they are ready to return home. "Once again, I am so sorry for the trouble my sailors have caused." (Lieutenant Commander Daikichi) Daikichi bowed deeply, "I better see a written apology by the one guy who thinks it''s alright to disturb my girls. I''m giving you by the end of next week. If I don''t receive it, I will personally get it from him myself. And it won''t end with that." "Yes. I understand." (Lieutenant Commander Daikichi) "Alright. Lift your head." I pat his shoulders, "Good luck with your task. I look forward to your report." "Ah. Y-yeah." (Lieutenant Commander Daikichi) "Tenryuu will make sure you people have a safe trip back. When it comes to Abyssals, they know the best." The both of us exchanged salutes, before Daikichi returned to his ship. The ship blew its horn before moving off, with Tenryuu, Tatsuta, Shimakaze, Kizazuki, Mochizuki, and Mikazuki following closely behind. Now, time to do my part. I will need to find Yamakaze first. ---------------------------------------------------------- I knocked on Yamakaze''s door, "Yamakaze, you there?" "Papa?" (Yamakaze) "Yeah. It''s me. Can I come in?" "Y-yeah..." (Yamakaze) The door swung open slowly as Yamakaze peeked out from behind. "Are you alright? Just now..." "Yeah. I''m alright. It''s was a bit scary but Yuudachi-nee and Shigure-nee protected me." (Yamakaze) "I see." That''s great. I thought she would be traumatised by that event. She is getting stronger even before I know it. I brushed a few strands of stray hair off the confused destroyer''s face and pet her head. She snuggled against my hand for a few seconds, "Erm... You don''t have to worry about me. You should care more about Yuudachi-nee and Shigure-nee. Especially Shigure-nee." (Yamakaze) "I know. But I care about you too." I hugged her for a while, before going off to find the other two. I know where Yuudachi is, since I ordered her to stay in her room for the time being. As for Shigure, well... I should pay more attention to her movements. I have no idea where she went. I knocked on Shiratsuyu''s door, "Yuudac-" The door immediately swung open, and I got tackled to the ground, "Admiral-san!" (Yuudachi) "Oof!" Again... "Yuudachi, I told you... Eh? What happened?" Yuudachi was sobbing against my chest, "I''m... sorry... *hic* I''m sorry... I''m sorry..." (Yuudachi) "There. There. Let''s calm down first." It took quite a while for Yuudachi to finally stop crying. "Are you okay?" "Yes... I''m okay now." (Yuudachi) "Silly. I won''t hate you just because you went and beat up a sailor." "But... I caused trouble for Admiral-san. What if their superior writes up a report saying that the shipgirls here are all rampant and Admiral-san is accused for not controlling us?" (Yuudachi) I didn''t think she would reflect and overthink like this. In the first place, that kind of thinking... may not be too far off. I can actually see it happening if Daikichi''s superior wants to make a big deal out of it. Then again, "If that happens, I can just write up a counter report. Mix in some lies and exaggeration with the truth and submit it as my side of the story. Who are they going to believe? Some unknown guy that got posted far away or one of the Admirals in charge of the Japan''s main Naval Bases?" "Ehehehehehe. That''s true poi." (Yuudachi) Yuudachi and I chat for a while. It''s almost time for dinner, so Yuudachi followed me to find Shigure, who I still have no idea where she is. "Got any ideas where your sister might be? "Hmm... Admiral-san''s room poi?" (Yuudachi) That''s a good guess. Let''s check it out. We entered my office. There is the sound of someone stumbling about, followed by something slamming close. That might be Zuihou, but that cute pervert would be too engrossed in her activity to notice her surroundings. Shigure is here, isn''t she? "Ah. Shigure is here poi." (Yuudachi) Yeah. I knew it. I knocked on my room door, "Shigure, you''re in there, right?" "Yes." (Shigure) I opened the door. Shigure was sitting on the bed. Her hair is a little disheveled. My wardrobe is ajar, with a little piece of cloth sticking out. Apart from her physical appearance, she seems alright. But knowing her, she is probably hiding her feelings again. "Shigure, how are you feeling?" "Hm? Ah, about just now?" (Shigure) The both of us nodded our heads, "Don''t need to worry. I''m not affected by him. He... is kind of... right..." (Shigure) Yeah. I should have thrown him into the brig. Letting him off was a mistake. "You don''t have to think about what that guy said. He is not even in frontlines like you girls. He doesn''t understand what you have been through." "That''s right poi. If it makes you feel better, I can go and drag that guy back and beat him up poi." (Yuudachi) "If you go now, you should be able to catch to their ship. I think Akashi has a torpedo replica in her workshop. You can use that as a bat." "Destroyer Yuudachi, sortieing!" (Yuudachi) "You don''t have to do that! Geez. That human is kind of right. I''m more or less a decommissioned ship. I can''t go on expeditions or patrol." (Shigure) "Shigure..." (Yuudachi) "Who says you are a decommissioned ship? You can still fight." "But with this injury, I can''t-" (Shigure) "Grand Admiral Hasake informed me yesterday. Your new bionic eye is ready. Once it''s implanted, with some training, you can go back to the frontlines." I went over to hug her, "You can fight again. You are not a decommissioned ship." "That''s... *sniff* great..." (Shigure) I can feel her grip my uniform, "Come on. No need to cry. Wash your face, we are going to get dinner. Yuudachi, what''s on the menu?" "The fairies are serving Ahiru Shio Ramen today poi. It''s been a while since we had duck for a meal poi." (Yuudachi) "That''s what she said. Let''s go eat together." "Y-yeah." (Shigure) Shigure rubbed her eye and smiled, "Let''s go, Admiral, Yuudachi." (Shigure) Chapter 221 - 201 One word came to mind as I looked at the Russian Destroyer, "Small." "Who are you calling small?!" (Zuihou & Zuihou-chan) "Not you two! I''m talking about Stremitelny." "That''s a rude thing to say. Ugh... Why is it so hot? Even the snowball I was saving to greet you melted." (Stremitelny) Well, it''s mid-March now and Spring is almost here. And you are wearing extremely thick clothing. Wait, what do you mean by greeting me with a snowball? This little girl in thick winter clothing is one of the new North Union shipgirls assigned to us from Azur Lane, Gnevny-class destroyer Stremitelny. She is Grozny''s sisters. Her snow-white hair is long that it''s barely touching the ground. She was supposed to show up last week, but with everything going on, her transfer was delayed. She just arrived at the port, so Avrora and I went to greet her. The two twins just decided to tag along to see their new colleague. Poor girl, she looks like she could collapse any time soon, "Avrora, I''m entrusting her care to you. Stremitelny, do you have any other lighter clothes with you?" "Hmm? Umm... I think so." (Stremitelny) "Alright. Let''s get you out of those thick clothes and cool you down. Akashi will modify your clothes to fit Japan''s climate so put up with your alternative outfit for a bit." "Come on, comrade. Let''s get your stuff to the dorm." (Avrora) "Once you are feeling better, come report to me." "Understood..." (Stremitelny) While Avrora brings Stremitelny back to their dorm to cool off, the three of us returned to the office, where Shigure is waiting. I will need to finish my work and then take her to the hospital. Grand Admiral Hasake managed to get an ophthalmologist to perform the surgery at night. We wanted to do it during the day but the only availalble time slot for that ophthalmologist was during the night. I don''t know why Hasake couldn''t just pick another eye surgeon. Either way, Shigure is very excited. She was looking through the blueprints of her new eye before I left to greet Stremitelny. When we returned to the office, she is still looking through it... "Shigure, is there a lot of information to take in?" "..." (Shigure) "Shigure?" "Hmm? Ah, Admiral, Zuihou, Zuihou-chan, welcome back." (Shigure) She was so engrossed that she didn''t noticed us at all. "What are you looking at?" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan went over to her and looked at the large sheet of paper, "What is this???" (Zuihou-chan) She is visibly confused by all the diagrams and words on it. Even I had trouble understanding it. "It''s a blueprint. I want to know how the new eye is going to work." (Shigure) "Shouldn''t you be taking a nap for now? The operation is going to be late at night. And there is going to be breifing session before that. It''s best if you are wide awake for it." "Wait. Let me figure out how the radar is going to sync with mine." (Shigure) I went over and scooped Shigure from the chair, "Eh? Wait, Admiral..." (Shigure) "Bed. Now. I will wake you up when it''s time for dinner." "O...okay." (Shigure) "Good girl." I carried her into my room and tucked her into bed. After holdng her hand and making sure she is asleep, I left the room. Now I have to deal with the two pouting light aircraft carriers. "No fair. Admiral is so unfair." (Zuihou) "I want to be carried by Admiral too." (Zuihou-chan) These two lolis... -------------------------------------------------- "Erm... Oh well. Lets start from the top. So, I''m Stremitelny of the Gnevny class. You can also call me by my nickname, Snezhok! My friends and I did some escort missions as well as coastal support operations! Commander, if there''s anything I can help with, just say the word!" (Stremitelny) Stremitelny was wearing a white one-piece dress with a brown cardigan. Her outfit looks more like her pajamas instead of a outfit one wears outside. "Welcome to Maizuru Naval Base. I''m the Admiral, but you can call me Commander or any other name you wish. Just make sure it''s not a rude one. I''m not like the Admiral from Sasebo who enjoys being called a ''shitty Admiral'' by a certain destroyer." Stremitelny tilted her head in confusion. "Ne-never mind. Anyway, for the time being, you will go through training like the others. You will know your training schedule later. Just like your comrades, you will be under Commander Rei''s instructions. You can introduce yourself to her later. Let''s see... What else is there..." I hear the door open, and Shigure walked out, rubbing her eye. Her top is a little disheveled and loose, revealing her black bra strap and left shoulder. "Admiral... Is it time?" (Shigure) I looked at my watch. It''s close to dinner time. "Yeah. Go eat your dinner first. Make sure you bath using that pink soap Grand Admiral Hasake sent to you. Pack some clothes too. We don''t how long you''re going to stay there." "Okay... Ah. Good evening. Pardon me." (Shigure) Shigure bowed to Stremitelny, before dragging her feet to the bathroom. Stremitelny gave a weird look, as if she just witnessed something weird. "Ah. In case you''re wondering, Shigure got that injury a few months back. Afterwards, I''m bringing her for an operation." "Oh. I see. Wait, that''s not it! Isn''t that your room, Commander? What is a destroyer doing in there? And her clothes were all wrinkled and loose. Don''t tell me you were doing-" (Stremitelny) "I''m going to stop you right there. First of all, No. I have not been doing whatever you are thinking to Shigure. Not yet, anyway. Secondly, we are lovers. She and the other two light aircraft carriers you saw just now often sleep on my bed. Nonetheless, if my bed is empty, any shipgirl can sleep on my bed if they wish to." "I feel like you just said quite a few questionable things. If I still had my snowballs, I would have thrown all of them at you." (Stremitelny) Well, too bad. All of the snow has melted a long time ago. "Anyway, on behalf of Maizuru Naval Base, we look forward to working with you." "Leave it to me. I will sully the name of the North Union!" (Stremitelny) ------------------------------------------ -2000hrs- Kyoto University Hospital, Opthalmology department- Seeing our confused faces, the middle-aged doctor interjected into Grand Admiral Hasake''s explanation, "Basically, once the nerves are attached, the eye will begin to receive electrical signals through the optic nerve and be activated. Shigure-san''s self-repair system will handle the regeneration of the extraocular muscles and make the necessary adaptation s if needed. Once that''s done, she will be able to see again." (Doctor Eisen) "Ah. Now I understand." "Oi. Was my explanation too difficult for you?" (Grand Admiral Hasake) "A little bit. My apologies." Grand Admiral Hasake and Doctor Eisen were briefing us about how Shigure''s surgery will be carried out. It will be a slightly complicated surgery, as the doctor will need to attach each nerve to the circuits in the bionic eye. I made the huge mistake of asking how the bionic eye works. Hasake started speaking in alien language and I can''t make head nor tail of what he just said. "Hmph! Young people these days don''t understand the beauty of the-" (Grand Admiral Hasake) "If you are ready, please sign here and we will begin the surgery immediately." (Doctor Eisen) "Eisen here is one of the best surgeons I know. You can trust ''em with the operation. And I will be taking part in it too. I will make sure the implantation is done correctly." (Grand Admiral Hasake) I looked at Shigure, "Are you ready?" "Yes." (Shigure) An instant answer. Shigure took the board from Doctor Eisen''s hand and sign the contract. I also put down my signature as her guardian. The contract is basically a consent form, allowing Shigure to be operated on. "Please take care of me." (Shigure) "You can count on us. Nurse Exia, please prepare her for the surgery. (Doctor Eisen) "Yes, doctor. Shigure-san, please come this way." (Nurse Amiya) The nurse with short, maroon hair gestured Shigure to follow her. I wonder if that nurse is a foreigner. Her name doesn''t sound Japanese. Shigure followed nurse Exia to another room, leaving me alone with the two elders. "I will open the observation deck in case you want to observe." (Doctor Eisen) "No need. I''m going to trust you, Doctor Eisen. Please, take care of my girl." I bowed my head. "We will make sure she gains back her sight." (Doctor Eisen) "Aye. Of course we will. She is one of us." (Grand Admiral Hasake) ------------------------------------------- "No way! Eh?!?!" (Shigure) A suprised voice woke me up. Ouch. My back. "This is... not a dream, right? (Shigure) Shigure was gripping onto a small table mirror. Surprise was written all over her face. She placed a hand over her left eye. After that, she pinched her cheeks. "Good morning, Shigure." Shigure slowly turned her head to face me. Tears flowed from her eyes, "Admiral... My right eye... I can..." (Shigure) "That''s great." I reached out to touch her face, "Looks like the bionic eye is working. With this, you can finally rejoin the rest." "U...uh-huh... I''m... so happy...Waahh~" (Shigure) Needless to say, the operation was a success. Shigure''s body has accepted the bionic eye and is adapting well to it.. Grand Admiral Hasake is a amazing. Without prior knowledge, you wouldn''t have known that Shigure''s right eye is artificial. I''m a little worried to send her back to the frontlines, but if that is what she wants, the least I can do is support her and keep her safe from behind the scenes. The same thing I have always been doing all these years. Chapter 222 - 202 Shigure took a deep breath, before pointing her guns at the practice target. She fired one round, which missed by a few metres. She readjusted her aim and fired again. This time, the shell hit the side of the target. It still couns as a hit, so the targe board fell back beneath the surface. She immediately aimed at another target and fired her next round. This time, she scored a bullseye. "Both targets down. Shots taken, three. It''s like you never left the battlefield. Nearly four months of inactivity and you are still this good. I expected you to have the same results as a new destroyer. Seems I was wrong and had nothing to worry about." (Akashi) Akashi made a record in her tablet. Shigure is training to get back her original strength and rejoin the rest. Though, I don''t think she needs much retraining. "Ehe. This is nothing. My body still remembers. And these are just stationary targets after all." (Shigure) "Say, is that anything special with that new eye? Like a special reticle or aim-assist function?" (Akashi) "It''s not anything special like that. It''s like a normal eye. I still need to aim manually and do the calculations in my head." (Shigure) "How did they emulate the photoreceptors? How does it connect with the brain and convert light into images? You have the blueprints, right? Can I study them? I want to know how Grand Admiral Hasake created it. The concept and logic behind it. The construction process..." (Akashi) "If I give it to you, you are just going to lock yourself in the arsenal for two weeks again. No. Never again." The last time Akashi got her hands one of Grand Admiral Hasake ''Naval turret'' blueprints, she locked herself in the arsenal for two weeks, just to study it. She didn''t even come out to eat or sleep. I had Fusou blow up the door so I could drag her out and force her to eat and sleep. "Oh come on. I know how to control myself." (Akashi) "Are you sure about that? Anyway," I couched down so I could reach Shigure from the jetty, who is on the water, and pet her head, "You did great. At this pace, you will be back in action in no time." "Really? Hhnn~" (Shigure) Ah. She just made a noise I have never heard before. "As usual, you''re babying Shigure again." (Akashi) "Hey. I give praise to anyone who deserves it." "Yeah yeah. Shigure, let''s continue your training. Today, we will be focusing on your aim and shooting. If everything checks out, we will move on to moving targets." (Akashi) "Okay. Please take care of me!" (Shigure) "Don''t push yourself. I know your body has already adapted to the new eye but it has only been two days since you were discharged. Doctor Eisen said you still might experience some discomfort." "Don''t worry. I will take a break if I need to." (Shigure) "Good girl. I will be in my office. Unfortunately, HQ is pushing me to finish those reports." I was supposed to submit a report on our equipment and resources two weeks ago. I had this kind of reports. I submit an report on how much resources we gained from exppeditions and what kind of equipment we built everyday. Stop being lazy and just do the math. "You still haven''t completed it yet?! I already gave you to resource and equipment list a long time!" (Akashi) "How long have you known me? You know I don''t like doing this kind of reports. I will drag it as long as I can." "Now then, Shigure, I''m going to bring up four target boards at once. Try your best to shoot them all." (Akashi) Wow. Way to ignore me and change the topic... "Eh? Um... Yes. Ah. Zuihou, you are here." (Shigure) "Eh? Ow ow ow!" I can feel a poking pain on my left arm. Zuihou was pinching me! "Geez. I looked everywhere for you. I should hvae known you were slacking off here. Shigure, how is everything?" (Zuihou) "Can you stop pinching me? Ow ow ow!" "I''m still at the easy part. More importantly, Admiral is-" (Shigure) "It will good if you can join us again. Then we can go on sorties together. But don''t push yourself. We can wait for you." (Zuihou) "Ow! Let go of me! Don''t twist any further!" "Yeah. You can let Adm-" (Shigure) "If you tired, make sure to take a break- Oh. You dare to ignore me, huh? "Take this!" I swung my free arm to her chest and squeezed, "Ahn! Quit it! Oops." (Zuihou) Zuihou shoved me off the jetty and into the cold water. "Admiral, are you all right?" (Shigure) "Erm..." (Zuihou) I wiped the saltwater of my face as I kept myself afloat. Water treading is the most basic thing they teach you in the navy, "Akashi, remember that handheld massager I got you to make a while back?" "Erm... oh yeah. What about it?" (Akashi) "Make five of them of varying sizes. I will let you read the blueprints for one hour everyday if you can get them done by tonight." "Three." (Akashi) "Two. Take it or leave it." "Deal. I can start after Shigure''s training." (Akashi) "Akashi! Don''t be bribed by him!" (Zuihou) "Now then," I pulled myself up onto the jetty, "Admiral, are you angry? (ZUihou) "What do you think?" "No?" (Zuihou) "Bzzt. Wrong answer. Come here!" "Kyaa! I''m sorry!!!" (Zuihou) It''s been a while since I played tag. I wonder how would I fare against a Light Aircraft Carrier. I think I can catch her. No, I will definitely catch her. Chapter 223 - 202.5 "Nm~" (Shigure) "There there. Good job today." I rubbed Shigure''s head as she laid on my lap. She is steadily improving. At this rate, I can send her on patrols pretty soon, followed by expeditions, before reintegrating back into the main fleet. This feeling... It''s the same when Zuihou recovered from her PTSD symptoms. I feel happy for Shigure, but at the same time, sad that she is leaving my side. I have already gotten used to her greeting me whenever I return back to the office. Sometimes, when there is nothing to do, she would beg for my attention. Otherwise, she would look out to the sea, seemingly reminiscing the days she spent with her friends. It''s not like I''m not going to see her ever again. Just like Zuihou and Zuihou-chan, she would definitely return to spend time with me. It''s just that, there is something sentimental about her going back to the front lines. "-miral? Admiral?" (Shigure) "Eh? What is it, Shigure?" "Are you alright? You seem out of it." (Shigure) "Nothing. Just thinking about some things." "Like?" "Like..." ''I don''t want you to leave me'' would make for a good cheesy line, but I''m not going to say that. What should I say? Like... Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #.5_52811787954879018 for visiting. "Like how should I deal with Zuihou tonight. Wait, that''s not... No. I didn''t mean to say that out loud." Crap! You idiot! Why did my mouth move faster than my brain this time?! Uwah! She is staring at me. She is definitely disgusted with me. The flag has been broken. "Does... Does it really feel good?" (Shigure) Hm? Shigure sat up from up lap and look at me, "Those le- night battles you have with Shigure... Do they feel good?" (Shigure) Shigure blushed as she said that. What is this development? "Why are you asking me this?" "Because Zuihou keeps telling us about what the two of you do at every night. How you [redacted] her [redacted], and the different types of positions you two try out each time." (Shigure) Shigure was blushing red all the way to her ears. That girl... I''m going to punish that mouth of hers. Why is she bragging to them? If Shigure is like this, I can definitely expect Zuihou-chan to make a move anytime soon. I need to find a way to defuse this situation. "I would be lying if I said i doesn''t feel good. But Shigure, hear me out. I don''t think you''re rea-" Wait. I have a feeling that if I say she isn''t ready, it would make the situation worse. She will feel depressed about it, or try to rush the process. I need something else. Something to make her back off for a sec- googh??? "Shigure! What are you doing? Stop that." While I was trying to think of an excuse, Shigure started to strip. She removed her top, revealing the black bra underneath. She placed her hands on top of her chest, "Is this... how it usually starts?" (Shigure) "No no no. Put on your shirt. There is a procedure for this. You can''t just rush it." I pushed her top back into her arms. This is bad. The sight of Shigure in her underwear is making me a little excited. Was I this weak? "Could it be..." (Shigure) Ah crap. This is what I was afraid of. "...I''m not... good enough...? Admiral... is no longer interested in me...?" (Shigure) Shigure started crying. Ugh... I''m really weak against the tears of my girls, especially those from my partners. I wiped Shigure''s tears off her cheek, "Silly. What made you think that? I still want you to be by my side." "Then-" (Shigure) "But these kind of things need to follow a proper procedure. You can''t just rush in like that." "I see... Then, what is the proper procedure?" (Shigure) "First," I placed a hand behind her head and leaned in for a kiss, "This concludes the first step." As expected, she is speechless. She just stared blankly at me. After a few seconds, Shigure touched her lips, "More..." (Shigure) Of course, she wouldn''t be satisfied with one. My shipgirls are greedy after all. I pressed my lips against Shigure''s soft lips. The taste of her tongue gave me the usual warm and fuzzy feeling. I suppose Shigure is feeling the same thing too. Hm? That is... "This is amazing~" (Shigure) "There is still something more amazing than this. But, it would be better if we do it at night, in private. Otherwise, we would be putting on a show for a certain submarine." "Fue?" (Shigure) There is the sound running outside the office. Shioi didn''t have to run away though. I saw her peeking through the door. It was pretty obvious that it Shioi because she is the only one with a horn-like hair accessory at the back of her head. What is she doing, peeking at us? Oh well. Thanks to her, I managed to control myself for a bit. I was about to take it to the next level with Shigure on the sofa. "Come on. Put your shirt back on. We have some work to do." "Admiral... Can we... continue this later...?" (Shigure) If you look at me with such a e.r.o.t.i.c face, it''s going make it hard for me to control myself. I still haven''t calm down from all the stimulation just now. Ah whatever. I can''t believe this is all it takes to make me cave, but I''m not complaining. "Zuihou and Zuihou-chan will be spending time with Shouhou tonight. We will have the bed to ourselves. I will show you a whole new kind of pleasure. So prepare for a night battle." Chapter 224 - 203 "Admiral, as of 1400hrs, Zuihou''s fleet intercepted a SOS signal from an Azur Lane fleet." (Ooyodo) Intercepted? That''s weird . "What does it say?" "Desron 6 has been caught in a crossfire and is currently taking cover. Requesting immediate backup extraction from HQ and surrounding fleets. Zuihou has confirmed a skirmish 5 minutes away from her current position. There are four sh.i.p.s firing at each other. Unfortunately, Zuihou''s recon plane was shot down before she can get a visual of the shipgirls involved." (Ooyodo) "If an Azur Lane fleet is having trouble, the enemy must be a strong one. Head to the Command Center first and tell Zuihou to proceed with the extraction. Avoid unnecessary conflict. Inform Azur Lane about this as well and request backup. I will take direct command of this." "Understood." (Ooyodo) Ooyodo rushed out of the office. Fighting between two parties, with an unlucky Azur Lane Desron stuck in the middle. The enemy is a strong one. They will definitely need backup. Forget about taking them head on, I need to be tactical here. I activated my own PA system, "This is your Admiral speaking. Mogami, Yahagi, Noshiro, Yuubari, Satsuki, Jervis, time to show what the new Mobile Task Force is made out of." ------------------------------------------------------------------- -Northern Salmon Sea Area. Zuihou POV- This is bad. I''m scared. I thought I have already gotten over that trauma. I caught a glimppse of her through my Recon plane before it got shot down. Her hairstyle might have changed but she is still the same. The sounds of her planes confirm my fears. Why is Enterprise here?! And this one is even fiercer and scarier than the other one! "-uihou. Zuihou!" (Ooyodo) Ooyodo came through the comms, "Y-yes?" "Are you alright? You weren''t responding when I spoke to you." (Ooyodo) "I''m okay. What are our orders?" "You have permission to assist the fleet. However, try not to engage the other two parties. Try to keep it covert. We are sending reinforcements to your location. Keep your beacon active. Admiral will be taking direct command once he arrives at the Command Center." (Ooyodo) "Understood." I turned around to face Suzuya and the others, "We have our orders. Rescue Desron 6. We have to do it stealthily this time. Don''t engage the two fighting parties unless necessary." "That is going to be difficult. That US Carrier must have been alerted to our presence." (Yamashiro) "Zuihou, are you okay? You look pale." (Suzuya) "Eh? I-I''m fine." "Hmm... If you say so. But if anything happens, I''m dragging you out of the fight first." (Suzuya) "What are you, my sister?" "I''m tall enough to be yours." (Suzuya) "Mgh..." "Anyway, what''s the plan?" 9Suzuya) If possible, I would like to take the longest and safest route possible. I don''t want to go against her. But every second lost decreases their chances of survival. "Suzuya, can you launch a scout forward? I want to confirm something around." "Alright." (Suzuya) Suzuya load a magazine into her crossbow and pulled the trigger. A bolt flew out and transmuted into three Saiun planes. "Give me a live update." "Erm... Oh. I see the- Ah! Damn it! What was that?!" (suzuya) "What happened?" (Agano) "Poi?" (Yuudachi) "All three of them were shot down." (Suzuya) "By who?" "It was fast but I coulda sworn those planes came from one with white hair. She looks familiar but there is a super scary aura around her." (Suzuya) "How about the other three?" "I only saw a bit, but the one with white hair girl is definitely the evil Takao from before. The other two... I only saw one. She looks like the tall girl we helped restrain the other time. You know, the lolicon." (Suzuya) "Admiral?" (Kawakaze) "I get where you are coming from, but why was the Admiral the first thing you thought off? He isn''t a girl and there''s no way Admiral would be out here, let alone hold a huge rifle." (Suzuya) "Ark Royal-san?" (Yamashiro) "Yeah, her. Her group didn''t attack. Either they can''t be bothered or white hair stole the kill." (Suzuya) Let''s hope it''s the former, "We are going in from the west, behind the Ark Royal-san lookalike. While they are distracted with each other, we will pull Desron 6 out of there. Let''s go, everyone." "Okay." (All) As we move in, our radios came to life, "Sorry I''m late. Give me a sitrep." (Admiral) "Admiral-san!" (Yuudachi) "Suzuya managed to confirm three of the shipgirls fighting. One of them is the evil Takao from before. She is with a white hair girl. The both of them are fighting another group. A girl that looks like Ark Royal-san is part of the other group." "Evil Takao and a white hair girl... That must be Ember and Ash. Zuihou, are you alright? Your face is pale." (Admiral) "Eh? I''m alright." "See? That''s what I said as well." (Suzuya) "You might want to sit back on this one. That white hair one, Ash, is actually Enterprise. More precisely, an evil version. She and Azur Lane have clashed multiple times before." (Admiral) I knew it. It is Enterprise. Ugh... I don''t this... But... If I can get over this trauma... "I will be fine. We just need to get in and get out as fast as we can. We will be gone bef-" That scary sound... "Everyone! Diamond Formation! Incoming enemy aricraft!" (Zuihou) As we got into formation, Suzuya and I launched a squadron of fighters to intercept. No. This is not not enough. "Suzuya, launch another squadron!" "There are four squads coming after us?! Talk about being popular." (Suzuya) Soon, the enemy bombers and heir escorts came into view. A dogfight started in midair as our fighters fight off our assalients. Thay are too fast! "Yamashiro, Yuudachi, Kawakaze!" (Admiral) "Got it." (Yamashiro) "Poi!" (Yuudachi) "Leave it to me. I will blast them away!" (Kawakaze) Yamashiro, Yuudachi and Kawakaze-chan begin shooting at the enemy planes that managed to break through. Some managed to drop their load, but they were way off. "All sh.i.p.s, steer towards 75 degrees at 5th battle speed. Get out of the enemy''s range first. Suzuya, stay at the back. You are on recovery duty. Yamashiro, keep her covered." (Admiral) "Okiee~" (Suzuya) "But, Admiral, if we do that, it will take longer for us to reach Desron 6." "Don''t underestimate those girls. One of them is a master of the shadows. She knows the best hiding spots. They will be alright for a while more." (Admiral) It''s as if he knows who those girls are. Ah. But if it''s the Desron 6 I know, then maybe what he just said is right. I think... "Alright. Lets get out of here." Chapter 225 - 204 Damn. Those planes are persistent. How long are they going to chase my girls? "Suzuya, how are you doing? "About to reach max capacity here. Geez! Give it up already!" (Suzuya) "Zuihou?" "I''m almost out." (Zuihou) "Agano, I don''t suppose you still have your seaplane." "Nope. It just got blown apart." (Agano) "Too many enemies to choose from poi! I don''t like this poi!" (Yuudachi) What should we do? According to Zuihou, those planes definitely belong to the evil Enterprise, codenamed Ash. If I remember correctly, she and Ember, who is an evil Takao, are in cahoots with the Sirens. They are fighting against two other girls we don''t know about. One of them looks like Azur Lane''s Ark Royal. Since they are fighting each other, I can assume they are enemies. But why focus of my girls? Change of plans, "Defensive and evasive manuevers. Only shoot down the ones that get too close. Full speed ahead and maintain your course. We can''t let the planes discover Desron 6." If we can''t destroy them, we just need to outrun them. These planes have to run out of fuel eventually. I hope... "But it would take forever to shake these flies off." (Suzuya) "I concur. But shooting them is a waste of ammunition too." (Yamashiro) "Alright! I''m in!" (???) "???" (All) Someone managed to enter the encrypted channel! "Who ar-" "Those girls over there! Get down and cover your ears if you don''t want to get hurt! And you on the other side, mute everything!" (???) "All units, duck! Ooyodo, disable the comms." "Are we reall-" (Agano) "Just do it!" As soon as the six girls crouched and covered their ears, a large beam came out of nowhere and swept right above them. The beam destroyed every single one of the planes that was chasing after them. What firepower... "Ooyodo, reestablish the comms link." "It''s a little unstable for now, but it should return back to normal soon." (Ooyodo) "Girls, can you hear me? Is everyone alright?" They all look dazed. That laser must have been loud enough to stun all of them. "Sorry, but that was the only way. Not time to talk. Hurry up and save those destroyers. I have already wasted some time helping you." (???) "Hey. Who are you? Hey!" No answer... She must have left the channel. How did she managed to get into an encrypted channel? More importantly, "Girls, can you hear me? Are you all right?" "Ugh... What was that? My ears are still ringing." (Kawakaze) "My ears hurt poi!" (Yuudachi) Looks like they are fine. "What? Who did that?" (Zuihou) "Who knows. Whatever the case, she get rid of the troublesome ones. Shake it off. We still have some destroyers to save. Adjust your course and proceed to the beacon." "Roger!" (All) While Zuihou and the others work on the rescuing Desron 6, I need to check on MTF 9. "Yahagi, sitrep." "We have just rendezvous with Azur Lane''s Combined Carrier Task Force." (Yahagi) "They sent 12 girls for this?" "Yes. Currently, we are on the way to assist Hiryuu-san in her battle. She is currently fighting Ash and Ember alone. Their Commander asked if he can leave the escorting of Desron 6 to us." (Yahagi) Hiryuu? The camera shifted it''s focus to Yahagi''s fleet. She is wearing a white top over her black uniform and pleated skirt. Her rigging and equipment has changed to resemble that of a battleship. Noshiro is also wearing the same outfit and equipment as her sister, albeit smaller. The two Agano-class cruisers just received their second remodels the other day. Even Mogami received hers that same day. Instead of her usual maroon colored uniform, she is know wearing a caramel colored uniform. The appearance of her equipment hasn''t changed much, but she did receive a massive power up. Along with Yuubari Kai Ni D, Satsuki Kai Ni and Jervis, the six of them make up the new Mobile Task Force 9. This is their first mission. "Admiral, do we engaged the enemy?" (Yahagi) "What is Azur Lane doing?" There was a brief moment of silence before Yahagi replied, "The Carrier Task Force will be negotiating with them. If negotiations break down, they are going to capture them by force." (Yahagi) Negotiations? Capture? I was expecting them to use force to chase them away. What is he up to? Looking at it from a different perspective, if we can get those two to turncoat, it will help us greatly. I''m assuming thats the plan, but my girls need help as well. "Your main job is to assist Zuihou''s fleet. Assist Azur Lane but once Zuihou and the others show off, focus on protecting them. They are almost out of ammo and fuel." "Roger." ( Yahagi) I watched on screen as the battle between the so-called Hiryuu and the two siren shipgirls unfold. A girl with long bunny ears, a flight deck that is taller than its owner, and two swords on her right waist was dodging the shells and bombs thrown at her, while launching her own set of planes and attacks. Her black garb was riddled with burn holes. Burnt pieces of black cards float around her as she danced through the explosions. That must be the other Hiryuu. "Admiral, change of plans. Azur Lane is going straight to capture Ash and Ember by force." (Yahagi) Looks like we need to change ours as well, "Yeah. I doubt this is the time for negotiations. Here are my new orders. Assist Azur Lane and that bunny girl. Do whatever it takes to capture Ember and Ash." "Roger!" (All) "Zuihou,status report." "Desron 6, secured. They only took some minor damage. Otherwise, they are in tiptop shape." (Zuihou) "Patch me to them." There was some static, before a familiar voice came through, "Hello? Akastuki here." (AL Akatsuki) "Akatsuki, this is the Admiral here." "Ah. Admiral-dono, thank you for rescuing us." (AL Akatsuki) "Save the thanks for later. We are not out of the woods yet. Tell me, how much fuel and ammo do you have left?" "We ran away as soon as we saw them show up. So we still have quite a lot left." (AL Akastuski) "Alright. Zuihou and Suzuya, use your remaining planes to secure the air around you. Escort the Desron 6 back to Azur Lane''s base. Only attack when there larger enemies. Desron 6, assist them with the smaller ones. We can''t waste planes on small fry. Yamashiro, Agano, Yuudachi and Kawakaze, rendezvous with Yahagi and the others. They are fighting with Ash and Ember. They are going to need all the help they can get." A series of explosions echoed throughout the Command Center. Straight to point, huh. The battle has already started. No wonder, Akagi is leading the battle. Chapter 226 - 205 I thought Ash and Ember, who are really just Enterprise and Takao from another world, were the only two edgelords that showed up. I never expected that would be more. They are multiplying... When Yahagi''s fleet and Azur Lane''s Combined fleet joined in the fight, I was able to see what were we dealing with. On one end, we have Ash and Ember. I recognize that edgy sword-wielding woman anywhere. Ember was the one that attacked my base, thinking it was Azur Lane''s base. I only heard and saw pictures of Ash. We have never met her before. Fighting against them are a bunny girl and a lolicon, one of which my girls helped to restrain a little while back. I don''t know who the bunny girls is, but the lolicon, Ark Royal, looks different from what I remember. The Ark Royal I saw wore a red and blue pirate-esque uniform with a blue tailcoat. This Ark Royal wore the same thing, but with a torn up black tailcoat instead of a blue one. She had a larger gun than before and instead of a weird pistol attached to her waist like the other one, this one wields a saber. A blue streak of light is being emitted from her left pupil. The bunny girl has long white hair and wore a greyish top and grey skirt. Her midriff is exposed. Her black garb was full of burn holes. She has two long katanas which are attached to her fligh deck. Her face seems void of emotion. Like the Ark Royal lookalike, this bunny girl is definitely overpowered. Look. She just swung her katana and a blade of energy came out! Eyes emitting weird lights, a large gun, black clothes that are burnt, face void of emotion, overpowered... What''s left is to add these traits into a 16-year-old boy that got transported to another world and you will get a ''I was left to die somewhere but I became overpowered and now I want revenge'' type of light novel character. Please tell me I''m wrong. Baltimore aimed and fired her guns at Enterprise, only for the latter to block them with her planes. "You again? I already told many time, your attacks and skills are useless if they don''t connect. Surrender yourselves and I will make your deaths swift and painless." (Ash) "Sorry, but I don''t plan on sinking anytime soon. Unlike you, I have a place to return to." (AL Baltimore) Ash''s face twised in anger as multiple planes appeared behind her and charged towards the tomboyish heavy cruiser. Jervis and Satsuki got to work and begin shooting at the planes. The Ark Royal lookalike stepped in and shot a laser at planes, destroying all of them at one go. Oh. So that laser from before came from her. "Stay back, little ones. I will protect you." (Ark Royal?) (Jervis) "Uh-oh..." (Satsuki) I guess this version of Ark Royal still loves destroyers... Yahagi launched a salvo of torpedos at Ember. Ember slashed at the water, creating towers of water as the torpedos blew up. "A battleship launching torpedos? No, you''re just a small fry pretending to be something big. Something about you pisses me off." (Ember) "Yahagi, attacking." (Yahagi) Yahagi started firing all of her guns at Ember, who blocked them with ease. However, she doesn''t know that Yahagi is just a distraction. The real threat comes from the two girls who are closing in on her. Yamashiro and Mogami both aimed at Ember and fired a salvo of shells a her. Yes! his could wor- ah. It didn''t work... Ember drew a second katana from behind her and used it to deflect Yahagi''s shells. She used her larger sword to deflect Yamashiro''s AP shells. The riggings on her right folded in close to her body, tanking the shots from Mogami''s main gun. Crap. I thought that would work. "Nice try. But it would take more than a simple diversion to even throw me off." (Ember) "On the battlefield, showing your back to your enemy is akin to death." (Bunny girl) "!!! Gaargh!" (Ember) Ember staggered forward as the bunny girl managed to slash open her back. "Kh! Damn it!" (Ember) While one group fights Embers, the others face off with Ash. "Poi!" (Yuudachi) Yuudachi took out three torpedoes from her launcher and flung them at Ash.The carrier simply moved out of the torpedoes trajectory and continued to launch planes at them. Satsuki, Jervis, Akashi and Kaga focused on intercepting and destroying the planes while the rest concentrate their attacks on Ash. Alabama used her scythe and slashed at Ash. Ash blocked with her bow and sent the battleship flying with a kick, just in time to evade Yuudachi''s torpedoes and block Baltimore''s attack with another wall of planes. How many planes can this woman carry?! The Ark Royal lookalike fired her gun at Ash, before deciding that it''s better to just fight her in close combat. Which she did. The Ark Royal lookalike took a stance and lunged at Ash. Her saber made contact with Ash''s bow and the two started teleporting all over the place. It looks like they are teleporting, the camera can''t keep up with their speed. Agano looked she wanted to help. She struggled to aim at the two but was stop by Akagi. "Wait. Let them fight. Regretfully, their strength is not something we can compare to, even in a hundred years." (AL Akagi) "This... is the true power of a battle-hardened shipgirl." (AL Baltimore) The Ark Royal lookalike used her gun and slapped it across Ash''s face, sending her flying and crashing into an injured Ember. The bunny girl did quite a number on her. "Oi. Watch it..." (Ash) "Shut up. Kh... This is bad..." (Ember) "Give it up. You already lost. Disarm yourselves and let us escort you back to Azur Lane." (AL Akagi) "You are just as stupid as I remembered..." (Ash) "I guess some things never change." (Ember) "If it weren''t for Commander-sama''s order, I would personally sink the both of you." (AL Akagi) "Hmph. Try it." (Ash) "With pleasure." (Ark Royal?) "Steel yourself, Takao. I will release you now." (Bunny girl) "Hehe. I can never win against you, huh? Hiryuu-san..." (Ember) That''s Hiryuu? My Hiryuu is going to flip when she sees this. "Wait! We are supposed to capture them!" (AL Kaga) "And let them recover and cause havock again? Not a chance. I''m ending this. Now." (Ark Royal?) The Ark Royal lookalike pressed her rifle against Ash''s temple. Hiryuu drew both of her swords and placed them on Ember''s neck. They going to execute them! "Wait! I said wait!" (AL Baltimore) "Oh no. This is not going to happen." (???) "!!!" (Ark Royal? & Hiryuu?) A blue beam appeared from the sky and enveloped the two of them as Hiryuu and the Ark Royal lookalike kept back. "I can''t let my precious testers die here. We still have a lot of plans in store for everyone. Not to mention, her majesty would kill me a hundred times over if I let these two die." (???) A girl with long purplish hair descended from the sky. She was skimpily dressed. A mechanical creature that looks like a stingray was attached to her back. I recognize this girl. She was listed as a Siren higher-up in Azur Lane''s files. Tester Alpha... Or maybe Beta. The two of them look the same. "Tester Alpha..." (AL Akagi) Ah. So this is Alpha. "Let''s end this here, okay? We are slightly behind sche-" (Tester Alpha) Hiryuu jumped towards the Siren and tried to cut her. Since the Siren teleported at the last second, Hiryuu was left slashing at emptiness. She reappeared higher up in the sky, "Rude. I was still talking. Oh whatever. Dumb dogs like you will never understand the brilliance of our master plan. Until next time. Bye~" (Tester Alpha) "Don''t run!" (Hiryuu?) Tester Alpha disappeared, along with the blue beam and the two shipgirls that were caught in it. The battle is over. Chapter 227 - 205.5 "Ehh~ So that happened." (Shigure) "Yeah. And when Akagi tried to recruit those two, they just said that Azur Lane needs to prove that they are worthy first and disappeared into some portal." Shigure laid on her stomach as I talk about the events that happened in the afternoon. She was training with Murasame and Shiratsuyu, under Akashi''s watch, during that time. After Tester Alpha took off with Ash and Ember, Akagi spoke to the other two shipgirls. Aside from capturing Ash and Ember, they also had orders to recruit the other two. That''s when I learned there names, Ark Royal META and Hiryuu META. Even though it''s just one extra word, it sounds so cool. Apparently they too are from the same world as Ash and Ember, but instead of joining the Sirens, they chose to carry on their dead Commander legacy. Not sure what it is though. Before they disappeared into a portal, they told Akagi to prove that their Commander is worthy. Akagi was exasperated, of course. She is overprotective of her beloved Commander, especially so after the Black Inferno incident. I''m not sure how he is going to prove his worthiness, maybe through that weird Operation I read the other day. Operation Siren, which takes place in a newly designated danger zone in the North Atlantic Ocean. From the report, the entire area is blanketed in black. No sh.i.p.s are able to pass through that area, not even our shipgirls. However, Azur Lane''s shipgirls were able to enter. Thus, the whole area is now under their jurisdiction, and was dubbed Operation Siren. The rest of the details are classified. "I want to hurry up and get back to doing sorties." (Shigure) I placed a hand on Shigure''s head, "No need to rush. I will reinstate you back to the fleet once you are ready. Until then, you can just stay by my side." Shigure moved closer and snuggled against me. The blanket covering her n.a.k.e.d body slipped off when she moved, revealing her silky white skin. We just did it a while ago. Our night battle. "Admiral, can we do it one more time?" (Shigure) "Eh? Are you sure? You have practice early in the morning. Will you be able to wake up?" "I''ll be fine. Beside, Admiral looks raring to go for another round." (Shigure) Shigure said that as she glanced at my pitched tent. My body is way too honest. "Can I leave the lamp on?" "Erm... That''s a bit..." (Shigure) Shigure prefers to do it in dark. Probably because she is embarrassed to let me see her expressions. She is so cute though. What a shame. "Alright. I turning it off." I turned off the night lamp and threw the blanket over us. Her sweet m.o.a.ns entered my ear as our bodies combined. ---------------------------------------------- Ehehe~ This is perfect! With this, Admiral will love me more than the others. All those nights I spent researching and buying ingredients online... Tomorrow night... I wonder how will Admiral take me... Ehe... Ehehehe~ Chapter 227 - 206 (Rewrite) Ehh~ So that happened. That sounds terrible." (Shigure) "Yeah. They are so overpowered, it should be illegal." "No wonder Yahagi-san and the others looks so dejected when they got back." (Shigure) "Yeah. Apart from being distractions, they couldn''t do much. In fact, it was already great that they were able to be distractions, but they probably wanted a more active role in that mission." Shigure laid on her stomach and listened as I talk about the events that occurred in the afternoon. At that time, she was training with Murasame and Shiratsuyu, under Akashi''s watch. After Tester Alpha took off with Ash and Ember, Akagi spoke to the other two shipgirls. Aside from capturing Ash and Ember, they also had orders to recruit the other two. That''s when I learned their names, Ark Royal META and Hiryuu META. Even though it''s just one extra word, it sounds so cool. The two of them are from the same world as Ash and Ember, but instead of joining the Sirens, they chose to carry on their dead Commander legacy. Not sure what it is though. Before disappearing, they told Akagi to prove that their Commander is worthy. Worthy to lead and use their power. Akagi was exasperated, naturally, and tried to attack them. Luckily, Baltimore held her back. That fox is extremely overprotective of her beloved Commander, especially so after the Black Inferno incident. I''m not sure how he is going to prove his worthiness, maybe through that weird operation I read the other day. Operation Siren, which takes place in a newly designated danger zone in the North Atlantic Ocean. From the report, the entire area is blanketed in black. No sh.i.p.s are able to pass through that area, not even our shipgirls. However, Azur Lane''s shipgirls were able to enter. Thus, the whole area is now under their jurisdiction, and was dubbed Operation Siren. The rest of the details are classified. "I want to hurry up and get back to doing sorties." (Shigure) I placed a hand on Shigure''s head, "No need to rush. I will reinstate you back to the fleet once you are ready. Until then, you can just stay by my side." Shigure moved closer and snuggled against me. The blanket covering her n.a.k.e.d body slipped off when she moved, revealing her silky white skin. We just did it a while ago. Our night battle. "Come on. Puts some pajamas on. You are going to catch a cold if you sleep n.a.k.e.d." "Admiral, can we do it one more time?" (Shigure) "Eh? Are you sure? You have practice early in the morning. Will you be able to wake up?" "I''ll be fine. Beside, Admiral looks like you are raring to go for another round." (Shigure) Shigure said that as she glanced at my pitched tent. Sorry, my body is way too honest. "Can I leave the lamp on?" "Erm... That''s a bit..." (Shigure) Shigure prefers to do it in dark. Probably because she is embarrassed to let me see her expressions. She is so cute though. What a shame. "Alright. I turning it off." I turned off the night lamp and threw the blanket over us. Her sweet m.o.a.ns entered my ear as our bodies combined. --------------------------------------------- ...I kind of regret helping Azur Lane out now... "Wait, Ooyodo. A 20 page report?! What am I supposed to write? Everything that happened yesterday will only fill up 10 pages." "This is what HQ demanded. And everything that happened is more than 10 pages. It''s the same as what you do all the time. Writing stories and other bullshit." (Ooyodo) This is so troublesome. HQ is asking me to write a 20 page report of yesterday''s battle. Are they crazy? How can I write that much? Even though I''m good at falsifying reports to protect myself and my girls, this is too much work for me. "No no no. This is different. I have more freedom when writing those ''cos HQ doesn''t know the truth. This time, they will want the battle records. I will have to match it. In fact, why can they just watch the recording? Whatever they are asking me to write is the same as the recording." "They want your outlook on the matter as well. Seems like HQ is taking this seriously. Anyway, do your best. They want it by tomorrow." (Ooyodo) "Tomorrow?! You got to be shitting me! There is no way I can do this by tomorrow!" "Do your best~" (Ooyodo) "Ooyodo! Oi! Don''t run!" Ooyodo hurriedly left the office. You got to be kidding me! How can I fill up 20 pages? What do they think I am? Some kind of super human?! I can see Zuihou slowly tiptoeing towards the door, "Oi!" "Gh..." (Zuihou) Zuihou flinched as I call her name. She slowly turned around to face me. "Where did you think you are going?" "Umm... Hiryuu-senpai called me to practice. I need to go now." (Zuihou) "Oh, I see. Then, good luck with your practice. Yeah, right! You are staying here and helping me with this! Don''t even think of running off!" "Noooo!" (Zuihou) And so, Zuihou and I spent the whole day writing the report. It was just another day at Maizuru Naval Base. Chapter 228 - 207 Zuihou-chan''s Abyssal fighter flew high up into the air, circled around a few times, before bursting into flames and falling into the ocean. It''s just a disposable aircraft, but there is something mesmerizing about it''s destruction. The way it shines so brightly even in the afternoon sun. "Aww. Missed one." (Avrora) "Being able destroy most of them is already impressive enough, comrade. Now then, who is next?" (Gangut) "Gangut, that''s enough. Zuihou-chan is tired." Zuihou-chan rest her hands on her knees as she breathed heavily. I think she is a little overheated. Smoke is literally coming out of her. Her face is red and it looks as though she will topple over anytime soon. For the past two hours, she has been generating squadrons for the North Union shipgirls to practice their anti-aircraft defense. Each of them will take turns to shoot down the Abyssal aircrafts within a set time limit, before the aircrafts self-destructs. Zuihou-chan can now create a squadron of 24 Abyssal Aircrafts, which are now being used as practice targets. Although this helps to save some cost on creating dummy planes, it takes a lot out of her. "Hmm... Can''t be helped. Comrades, we shall end it here today. Remember to train on your own. Be ready for anything on the battlefield." (Gangut) I have been watching them practice this whole time, so I will give the girls my thoughts and observations later. As Gangut gives a closing address, I gestured Zuihou-chan to come to me. She slowly made her way to the side of the pier I''m sitting on, "Good work. Now, let''s cool you off." I pointed the nozzle at her and squeezed. Steam emitted from her body as I shower her with water. I had attached a hose to the nearby water valve. "Hauu~ That feels good~" (Zuihou-chan) Once the amount of steam has decreased, I splashed her with the cooler box of ice-cold water I had prepared beforehand. Using the mental cube inside her generates a lot of heat. To make sure she doesn''t get sick because of the sudden temperature change, I need to slowly cool her down to an acceptable temperature before I can use the cold water. This isn''t the first time I''m doing this. "So cold~~" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan has been helping the North Union girls in their anti-air defense practice for auite a while now. At first, she got so overheated that she collapsed onto the surface. I didn''t know about her involvement until Akashi told me. Since then, I would always observe their practise and devised a cooling regime for Zuihou-chan. Of course, Rei should be the one monitoring them, but she has her own set of doc.u.ments to clear. Doing this is also an excuse for me to slack off. "You feeling okay?" "Unn~ I feel alive again." Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan shook her head to get rid of some water in her hair, before pulling herself up onto the pier next to me. She untied her muneate and placed it beside the rest of her equipment. She took off the white kimono top, leaving only the red kimono top she usually wears underneath. Now, she is just letting the ocean breeze cool her off. "You have improved quite a bit." "Really?" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan drank from a can of fuel I brought with me I have a picnic basket full of fuel cans, enough for everyone. "Yeah. The other day, you collapsed only after an hour. That scared me. Now, you can keep going at full force for three hours." "It''s all thanks to Gangut-san and Rossiya-san. If I hadn''t practiced with them, I don''t think I will be able to do all this." (Zuihou-chan) "Maybe. But..." I pet her head, "This is all part of your effort as well." Zuihou-chan snuggled against my shoulder, "Ehehe~ I got praised by Admiral~" (Zuihou-chan) This cute creature... "Umm... Comrade Admiral, I know you are having a moment here but..." (Sovetskaya Rossiya) Without me noticing, the North Union girls were in front of us. "Erm... What did I... Oh, that''s right. Firstly, I would like to praise Gangut and Rossiya for destroying all the planes every single round. That was an impressive showcase of your prowess." "Thank you!" (Gangut & Rossiya) "However, that were some things I want to point out. Gangut, you always take too long to adjust the angle of your cannons. You already know how high the planes are, so you should have prepared beforehand. Then, all you need to do is aim and fire. Rossiya, youu will always miss the first two shots.I don''t expect you to be a hundred percent accurate, but this is a pattern I have been noticing. Try to work on it." "I understand." (Gangut) "Roger." (Sovetskaya Rossiya) " Chapeyev, great job on hitting most of them. Keep it up. I want to see you hit all of them next time." "Thank you, Admiral. I won''t fail you next time." (Chapeyev) "Avrora, you are progressively getting better each round. You are shooting down more than you did the previous round. This is great. Keep up the good work." "Thank you, Admiral! I will continue to do my best!" (Avrora) That''s the biggest smile I have ever seen from her. "Pamiat Merkuvia, you will need some improvements. Your shots are all over the place. But still, good job on destroying at least half of them." "Ahahaha... I will improve." (Pamiat Merkuvia) "Grozny, I''m happy with your performance. Your shots and number of kills are pretty much consistent everytime. A bit more and you should be able to destroy all of them. Tashkent, you did a fine job taking most of them out in the last few rounds, but try to be more consistent next time. Your kill count should only be increasing, not decreasing. Last but not least, Minsk, are you okay? You did pretty bad this time. You barely destroyed half of them and you wete basically spraying and praying." "I''m so sorry, Comrade Admiral. The truth is, I didn''t sleep last night." (Minsk) "And why?" "I had a burst of inspiration. So much so that I spent the whole night writing it down and working on it." (Minsk) This girl is always like this. She would randomly come up with new ideas everytime. Some are great and can be used as tactics, but the rest are mostly random. "Gangut," "Yes, Comrade?" (Gangut) "Watch over her for me. Make sure she doesn''t repeat this." "Got it, comrade. I will help take care of her." (Gangut) "C-comrade Gangut, y-you don''t have to do this. I can take care of myself." (Minsk) Minsk looks and sounds a little nervous. Oh, right. Rei did mention that Minsk is a little scared of Gangut. Maybe this is not a good idea. I don''t want to hamper Minsk too much, but I need someone to keep her in check. I will discuss this with Rei later. "Anyway, that''s all for today. There will be another session three days later. Same time as usual. I want to see some improvements during that sessions. Dismiss." After exchanging salute, the North Union girls ended their practice. I gave each of them a can of fuel. Gangut gulped down a can of fuel, "Ahh... That''s good fuel. Now I''m craving for some vodka." (Gangut) "Woo. Fine idea, Comrade. Let''s have a drinking party later one. Comrade Admiral, Comrade Zuihou-chan, care to join us?" (Sovetskaya Rossiya) "I appreciate the invitation, but Vodka is too strong for me. And remember what I said before? The girls here can''t handle vodka." Maybe some of them can. But I don''t want to turn the infirmary into a sauna again. "Oh. That''s a shame. Vodka is great." (Sovetskaya Rossiya) "Oh right, before I forget, we are going to need to expand your dormitory." "Eh? Why?" (Chapeyev) "More of your comrades are going to be transferred over from Azur Lane. Comrade Rossiya, your sister is coming over as well." It was decided that it''s not a good idea to separate the factions. Since the North Union is here, might as well send the rest of the North Union over. "That''s great news!" (Sovetskaya Rossiya) "I''m getting a burst of inspiration! I can feel it! I will handle the design of the new dormitory." (Minsk) "This is exciting." (Avrora) "I''m not sure when will they arrive. I will keep you girls in the loop once I get more information. Oh, and keep to down." I pointed at my lap, where Zuihou-chan is now sleeping on. "When did she-?" (Tashkent) "She looks like a §Ü§â§à§Ý§Ú§Ü (Grozny) "For a while now. She is exhausted. I''m going to bring her back to bed. Once you are done, help me clean up the place. Just give them to Akashi in the Arsenal. She knows what to do." "Got it, Comrade Admiral. Leave this place to us." (Pamiat Merkuvia) "Yeah. Help us thank her later. Comrade Zuihou-chan has been a great help in our practice." (Gangut) "I will. I''m sure she would be happy to hear that." I gently lifted Zuihou-chan in my arms. Looks like I''ll have to princess carry her back to my room. I also need to change her out of those wet clothes too. Do I have an extra set of her underwear in my wardrobe? I''ll just have to find it later. Chapter 229 - Important Notice Hi, Tamayako here. Thank you for reading and supporting Our Bonds (A Kantai Collection Fanfic) all this time. Due to exams and a busy school schedule, this story will be on hiatus until 2nd May. I will also use this time to work on my idea creation. The story flow has been pretty rough lately and I''m sorry for that. I can''t promise a masterpiece but I can promise it will be interesting. I hope you can stick around and wait for me, but if not, that''s alright too. I will still be here. Thank you and I will see you soon. Chapter 230 - 208 I flipped to the next page of the report and continued reading. Never have I ever felt this excited reading a report. It''s about the blue Abyssal pod that crashed onto our shores and was brought over to Ominato Guard District a few weeks ago. According to the researchers at Ominato, the material that made up the pod has the same durability as the Abyssals, meaning it is impervious to normal man-made weaponry like bullets and rockets. Don''t even mention about torpedos, not even a SSM-1B anti-ship missile can make a scratch on it. After soaking it in liquid nitrogen for two weeks, they were able to safely cut it open and discovered an Abyssal Submarine So-class inside the pod. Naturally, the Abyssal was dead when they dissected the pod. But that''s not the point. The point is, for the first time in history, this Abyssal did not turn into dust. Though dead, we finally have a specimen to research on! This is a massive breakthrough in this war. I can''t believe I''m saying this but I hope more of those pods will get washed up. That way we would be able to obtain more specimens to research and experiment on. If we are able to crack the code on what makes them so tough, how to kill them, where they come from, how this whole system works, we may be able to end this war and save the shipgirls. If we are able to engineer some type of weapon to beat the Abyssals, we humans can help in the war effort and fight together with the shipgirls. We will no longer have a passive role. Well, at least that''s what I want. The others might be unwilling but I personally want to participate with my girls on the frontline. It''s risky, but I believe that''s the least we should do as their superiors. A Commander should lead at the front, not hide in a bunker and give orders through a monitor. I''m not saying I hate my current position, being in a safe and comfortable place is good and all, but I hate the mini heart attack I always suffer when I watch my precious girls go out and fight. My heart breaks a bit when they come back in a bad shape. Apart from leading them from the back, I want to fight alongside with them. I''m not in the position to say or do anything. All I can do is just wait and hope something changes while I''m still alive and in service. If only I still had that Nambu pistol Zuihou-chan modified for me to kill her. That thing broke apart a few days later. I didn''t get the chance to take it apart and examine it. It was such a pretty gun too. ... Eh? Hold on. Now that I think about it, how did she modify it to make it so that the bullets can penetrate her armour? A normal naval gun can''t even scratch, more less so with a pistol from the Taisho era. But after Zuihou-chan infused it with her tendrils while in her Abyssal form, it become an Abyssal killer for a moment. How? Did she use her Abyssal powers to change the characteristics of the gun? Or was it the Abyssal cells that changed the gun? Going by this concept, does that mean if we infuse live Abyssal parts into normal weapons, they can become Abyssal killers? I should at least inform Ominato and HQ about this. If this little hypothesis of mine works, maybe we can hasten the research and production of anti-abyssal weapons suitable for human use. I picked up a pen and worked on the first draft. This will just be a short report. I am not making it a long one. There was a knock on the door, "Admiral, can I come in?" (???) Shigure is here. "Come on in." I can hear the door open and footsteps approaching me, "Are you busy? I''m not bothering you, am I?" (Shigure?) "No, you''re not. I''m just writing a small draft for a report I''m going to make later. How was prac- oh..." I looked up from my work to discover that this isn''t Shigure, but rather, her smaller counterpart, Shigure-chan. Their voices are the same, I couldn''t tell the difference. "Oh?" (Shigure-chan) "Sorry. I thought you were Shigure back then." "You thought I was onee-chan? Well, we are the same after all." (Shigure-chan) I don''t have to guess why Shigure-chan is here. I can write this draft later. It''s not that important. I put down my pen and her into my arms, "Come here." "Eh? Are you sure? Aren''t you busy?" (Shigure-chan) "That thing wasn''t necessary. I can do it hence and when I like. Come on." I motioned my fingers for her to come to me. "Then, pardon me." (Shigure-chan) Shigure-chan sat on my lap, and I proceed to indulge her. "There. There. You like it here, don''t you?" I pet her, stroked her chin and rubbed her cheeks. There is a spot on her head which Shigure-chan likes being touched. It''s right next to her red hair clip. She melts the instant I touch that spot. "Say, Admiral, can I ask you something?" (Shigure-chan) "What is it?" "What are you doing to Onee-chan every night that makes her feel like that?" (Shigure-chan) My hands instantly stopped... Alright. Calm down. Let''s not jump to conclusions. It might be something else. It is definitely not that. "What do you mean?" I can see her ears turn red. "Sometimes, at night, I get woken up by weird voices and feelings. I can hear Onee-chan saying ''I love Admiral'' multiple times. My body feels hot... And it feels tingly down there... What are you doing to Onee-chan to make her project such things to me?"" (Shigure-chan) It''s definitely that! Why is she able to feel those things?! Oh, that''s right. They are telepathically connected. But if that''s the case, Zuihou-chan should be able to experience the same thing. For all I know, that girl is able to sleep through whatever I do to her older self. That''s not the point now. How can I get out of this situation? Shigure is staring at me, anticipating my answer. I don''t want to corrupt such a young mind. I have to find a way out. Maybe change the topic. "How was your training with Kashima today?" "It was fun. I learnt how to detonate and spread my napalm. My range of attacks have widen." (Shigure-chan) "Oh, that''s great. I think it''s time I assign some sorties to you." "Really? Yay!" (Shigure-chan) Phew. I think that managed to do the trick. "So? What have you been doing to Onee-chan?" (Shigure-chan) Or not. "Umm..." What should I do? "Mew~" (???) Let''s see. Maybe distract her with more headpats? Yeah, I can try that. "Mew~~" (???) Worse comes to worse, I will have to give her a talk about how babies are made. And what is that sound? It sounds like a cat. "Do you hear that?" (Shigure-chan) "That strange meowing? How is it coming from? It''s sounds pretty close." I looked around my office. I don''t see any cats around. "Mew~~" (???) It sounds really close. Almost as if it''s coming from behind me. I turned around to see a fluff ball with two beady eyes staring right back at me. Her little paws clinged onto the window sills, holding on for her dear life. "Tina-chan!" "Tina-chan!" (Shigure-chan) The both of us quickly got up and saved the kitten from a potential fall. "You naughty cat! This is the third floor! That was dangerous! And how did you climb all the way up here?" I held the kitten in my hands as I scolded her. Tina-chan has been pretty athletic and playful nowadays. She will jump, run around, pounce on unsuspecting shipgirls, climb all over the place, and get herself stuck in all the weird places. The other day, she managed to get herself stuck in one of the base''s decorative naval guns. Akashi had to dismantle the gun barrel in order to get the dusty kitten out of there. "Gosh, why are you so naughty? Hey! No. Bad kitty! I''m the one that''s angry, not you." Tina-chan hissed and tried to bite my fingers. She tried to take a swipe at my face, but I held away. "Mew~~" (Tina-chan) Now she is trying pull on my heartstrings and act cute by giving me a sad look and meowing softly. This is how she keeps getting away with stuff. Reminds of a certain light aircraft carrier. "Admiral, that''s enough. Look, she is sorry for what she did." (Shigure-chan) See? Shigure-chan fell for her act, hook, line and sinker. "Mew~~" (Tina-chan) "She saying she is sorry and she won''t do it again. Right, Tina-chan?" (Shigure-chan) "Mew~" (Tina-chan) "Yeah yeah." I don''t see any use in scolding this creature. She probably doesn''t even understand what I''m saying . Kittens are curious and playful animals after all. Tina-chan ran jumped off the table and ran towards the door the instant I put her down. She start clawing on the door, trying to get out. "I should take my leave as well." (Shigure-chan) "You can stay longer if you like." "I''m meeting Yamakaze-chan later. We are going to try out Mamiya-san''s new dango set." (Shigure-chan) "I see. Have fun. Say hi to Yamakaze for me." Shigure-chan walked towards the and opened it for the kitten, who immediately rushed out once there isa small opening. Shigure-chan waved goodbye to me and shut the door behind her. She is so cute. Alright. Back to work. Before I can even pick up my pen, there was another knock on the door, "Come in." The door creaked open and the older Shigure peeked in, "Admiral... Erm..." (Shigure) Looks like my little report will have to wait, "Come here, Shigure. I going to pamper you as long as you want." Chapter 231 - 209 "Shigure, can you hear me?" "Yes, loud and clear." (Shigure) Good. She sounds normal. "Just as planned, you will take out the two Destroyer I-class roaming about in the area. Zuihou will assist if necessary but generally you are your own of this one. Can you do it?" "Yes. I will succeed." (Shigure) "I know you are eager to join back the fleet, but if things get even a bit dangerous, I''m getting Avrora to pull you out immediately. Understand?" "Yes." (Shigure) Shigure stood just outside the Abyssals detection range, eyeing the two Destroyer I-class as they leap out of the water like dolphins from a distance. Right now, Shigure is going through a test. A test to see if she is mentally and physically fit enough rejoin the fleet. If she can take out the two Destroyer I-class by herself without getting hurt badly, she will be reinstated. Otherwise, Zuihou will step in while Avrora drags her back to port. I also have Akashi and Rei on standby to handle any type of injuries, both physical and mental. Initially, I didn''t want to reinstate her. I still think it''s too early for her to return to the battlefield, but Shigure kept begging me to let her go back. She has only been on patrol duty for a week and now she thinks she is ready. She is really eager to join back the fleet. That''s why we are doing this. With only two low-ranking Abyssals, she would still be able to handle them on her own. Even if she failed, she won''t be hurt too badly and Zuihou can still clean them up in one fell swoop. I made her promise me that if she fails, she will be back to doing patrols and then expeditions, before I let her return to the main fleet. "Let''s do a final check. How is your equipment?" Shigure''s cannon split into two and pulled itself towards her hands. She moved it around for a bit, "Everything''s fine. Systems all green." (Shigure) "How about your torpedo launchers?" The destroyer rotated the pair of launchers tied to her legs, making sure they are fully loaded and the torpedos do not slip out of their tubes. "The launchers are fine too." (Shigure) "Of course her equipment will be in perfect condition. Thanks to yours truly." (Akashi) Akashi''s voice suddenly came through the radio. "Yeah yeah. Shigure, last bit not least, is your eye all right?" "Yes. I can see perfectly." (Shigure) "Alright. All units, are you ready?" "Yes. Ready to launch my aircraft." (Zuihou) "§Õ§Ñ I''m in position." (Avrora) "Akashi and I are at the port, ready to receive." (Rei) "I''m counting on you two if things go south. Shigure, are you ready?" "Yes!" (Shigure) She wore a look of confidence and seriousness on her face. Geez. If I see you like that, even I would have to support you. "Alright. Go and get ''em, girl." "Shigure, do your best!" (Zuihou) "Destroyer Shigure, launching!" (Shigure) Shigure activated her propellers and moved forward. The two Destroyer I-class noticed her instantly and began to move towards her. They remained on top of the surface as they charged towards their sworn nemesis. One of them opened it''s mouth, revealing a cannon within. It fired at Shigure once she was within firing range. Shigure dodged the Abyssals'' attack and fired her own guns, hitting the Abyssals'' left eye and causing it to let out a pained scream. "All right! Keep it up!" (Zuihou) "Careful. Don''t forget about the other one. Wait. Zuihou, how are you watching from your position?" "I got my Type-2 recon in the air. Don''t worry, it''s out of firing range. Besides, I-classes don''t have AA capabilities." (Zuihou) The I-class reared its head for another shot. Shigure moved in from its left and rained fire on the Abyssal. The difference in firepower was obvious from the start. The Abyssal tilted to its left and sank under the surface. One down, one to go. The other I-class let out a shriek and slowly made its way towards Shigure. Likewise, Shigure charged towards her adversary But that''s weird, usually I-classes would work together to take down a foe. Only one of them charged forward and attacked, the other one stood behind and watched. Even now, it''s maintaining a slow speed and waiting for Shigure to get closer. Something is up. I switch to a private channel and connected with Avrora and Zuihou, "Zuihou, Avrora," "Hmm?" (Zuihou) "Y-yes?" (Avrora) "Get ready to move in on command. Something is up." "Eh? What do you mean?" (Zuihou) "Why did only one I-class moved in to attack Shigure? They would have stood a better chance if they worked together. Not that it matters given Shigure''s experience and prowess, but it''s very weird for them to do this." "Hmm... That''s true. A two-on-one tactic would give them the advantage. Something is definitely up." (Avrora) "Whatever the case is, standby to attack the other one. Zuihou, get some bombers in the air. Avrora, move closer but remain out of sight." "Roger." (Avrora) "Okay." (Zuihou) Shigure got into firing range and aimed her guns at the I-class. She fired two shots at it, when it suddenly disappeared under the surface. "?!?!" (Shigure) Something is definitely wrong! "Zuihou! Avrora!" Zuihou launched a squadron of bombers while Avrora rushed to Shigure''s position. Shigure stood there, confused by what she just saw. "Shigure, don''t just stand there! Keep moving!" "Y-yes!" (Shigure) When they are not engaged in battle, Abyssal Destroyers will swim underwater, jumping out every few seconds like what they did before Shigure engaged them in battle. When a lone Abyssals is in an attack state, all it has on its mind, if it even has one, is attack, attack, and attack. It doesn''t care about tactics or anything else. It''s a different story if there is a fleet of them led by a higher ranking Abyssal, but if it''s just one, the former is usually the case. This Abyssal did something unprecedented. Apart from the submarine types, I have never seen or heard of an Abyssal Destroyer hiding underwater when it''s in its attack state. And this one is staying underwater longer than it should. I can kind of guess what''s it going to do. "Shigure, move about us erratically as possible." It''s aiming to catch Shigure by surprise. "Yes!" (Shigure) "Avrora, I need you there now." "I''m going as fast as I can." (Avrora) "Zuihou, see anything?" Zuihous'' planes flew overhead, "Nothing. It''s hiding in the shadows." (Zuihou) Damn thing pretending to be a submarine. You are a destroyer, so act like one. "Admiral, what was that? I have never seen an I-class do that before." (Shigure) "Me neither. I''m not taking any risks, so I''m pulling you out of this test. Leave that thing to Zuihou. Avrora is coming to escort you out of there." "Eh? Admiral, please wait!" (Shigure) Shigure stopped in her tracks. "Shigure, I know how you feel, but right now, things may have gotten dangerous. There is always another chance." "But... This can''t..." (Shigure) "Shigure! Incoming shadow on your starboard! Move!" (Zuihou) Before Shigure can react, the Destroyer I-class leapt out of the water and into the air, revealing two grey limps. That''s a late model variant! It opened its mouth wide and pointed its gun at Shigure''s head. "Shigure!" Damn it! Zuihou''s planes can''t circle back fast enough. Avrora, please. Chapter 232 - 210 "I got you!" (Avrora) The I-class fired just as Avrora shoved Shigure out of its line of fire. The two girls rolled across the water, seemingly unharmed. Thank goodness... With the I-class late model showing itself, Zuihou''s bombers moved in for a kill. The I-class late model immediately retreated back under the water. "Oh come on!" (Zuihou) "You two alright?" Avrora adjusted her hat, "I''m alright." (Avrora) "I''m f-fine..." (Shigure) Her voice is shaking. She just had a near-death experience after all. Yeah, I''m putting an end to this. "Avrora, as planned, escort her back to port." "I underst-" (Avrora) "Please wait!" (Shigure) Shigure got back on her feet, "Admiral, please let me defeat it." (Shigure) "Shigure, now it is not time to be selfish. The situation has changed, I am cancelling this test." "This isn''t about rejoining the fleet. Please, I want to defeat it. No, I need to defeat it. If I don''t do this, I feel like I won''t be able to move forward." (Shigure) "What are you talking about? You are up against an Abyssal which we have no data on or. We don''t know what it is capable of. I can''t let you put yourself in danger again." "Isn''t this what us shipgirls are about? Risking our lives on the battlefield. In war, not everything goes according to plan. We need to change and react accordingly. Every second, every action determines whether we live to see another day, or we disappear into the bottom of the ocean." (Shigure) "That''s why I''m not risking this. You already had a run-in with an abnormal Abyssal before and you nearly lost your life. I''m not letting something like that happen again. Once we get more data and figure what is this things deal, we can come back for a rematch. Like I said, I will reinstate back to the fleet when you are ready. There is no need to rush." "It''s not a matter of going back to the fleet anymore!!!" (Shigure) Shigure''s shout peaked the microphone and distorted the sound. Even Ooyodo took out her headphones. "Ow. Shigure, calm down." (Akashi) "It''s not about rejoining the fleet. This is... the same as before... An unidentified enemy... If I don''t defeat it, I..." (Shigure) "Shigure, listen to-" "Admiral, let her do it" (Avrora) "Huh?" "Please. I understand her feelings. Comrade Shigure wants to break free from the shackles of her past. This is the first step." (Avrora) "Avrora, I don''t understand." "The beast Abyssal... That was also an unexpected enemy. If I don''t defeat this one, I won''t be able to move forward. I don''t want that." (Shigure) Now I see. But still... No. I already understand this. I can''t always keep them away from danger... Shigure, though shaken, is determined to see this through. "Fine. Destroyer Shigure, I''m hereby taking command of this operation. You are to abide by my orders." "Understood!" (Shigure) "Zuihou, order your bombers to retreat. That thing is wary about them and won''t come out if they are still there. Keep the Type-2 in the air so we know where is it coming from. We have been talking for a while but that thing isn''t attacking. It''s certainly aware of what happens when it surfaces with those planes still in the air. "Are you sure?" (Zuihou) "Yeah. Retrieve all your bombers but maintain eyes from above. This part is crucial." "Roger." (Zuihou) "Avrora, back Shigure up. I''m counting on you." "Yes. Leave it to me." (Avrora) I can see Shigure still shaking a bit, "Shigure, take a deep breath and hold it for a while." "Why?" (Shigure) "Just do it." Shigure took a gulp of air and held her breath. "Count to ten before releasing it slowly." Shigure exhaled slowly, "Again." Shigure repeated the action one more. "Good girl. Feeling better?" "Yes. Thank you, Admiral." (Shigure) "If you''re feeling a bit overwhelmed, do that. It will calm you down a bit." I also taught that to Zuihou back then. It really helps a lot. "Alright, here''s what we are going to do. Shigure, I need to you be as far away from Avrora as possible but still within her firing range. I bet that things doesn''t know how far light cruisers can shoot. Shigure will lure it out from hiding. Zuihou, once you see a shadow, inform its position to Shigure immediately. Avrora will shoot at it if it gets too close to throw off its aim but Shigure, you will be the one to destroy it." "Thank you, Admiral." (Shigure) "You better come back unscathed." "I will try." (Shigure) Damn it. All this work and drama for an abnormal I-class. It better be worth it. "Alright. Begin the operation!" Shigure moved forward, leaving Avrora behind. Avrora pointed her guns in Shigure''s direction and angled them upwards the further Shigure went. "Comrade Shigure, you are almost out of my range. That spot will do." (Avrora) "Got it." (Shigure) Shigure stopped in her tracks and brought her guns to the front. Here comes the hard part. Shigure will need to react quickly when the I-class shows up. Zuihou will be able to inform before hand and Avrora can provide cover fire, but it all comes down to how fast Shigure can deal with the situation. "Zuihou, I will leave my back to you." (Shigure) "Leave that to me." (Zuihou) Everything was silent for a few long minutes, with Shigure keeping an eye on all directions. Shigure continued to do the breathing exercise I just taught her. "I''m seeing a shadow approaching 50 degrees to your port." (Zuihou) Shigure whipped to the left and aimed her guns at her hidden enemy. She closed her left eye and seemed to follow something. "Found you." (Shigure) She continued to track something which I couldn''t see, all the while with only her right eye open. Wait, there is a shadow coming closer to the surface. Is that the I-class? Suddenly, she closed both eyes and remained still. "Shigure! What are you doing?!" "It''s moving towards your back. Surfacing in three... two... one..." (Zuihou) The I-class leapt out of the water and did the same thing as before. Shigure spun around and blasted the Abyssal in its mouth, shooting in out of the air and sending it spinning back into the water. After taking a deep breath, Shigure jumped up, her guns retracting back to its original position and her torpedo launchers pointing at the Abyssal, and fired four torpedos at the I-class. The Abyssal didn''t get away in time, exploding into a fiery ball of flame and it sinks into its final resting place. Shigure had destroyed her target. "Great job! That''s my girl!" "Yes!" (Zuihou) Shigure panted for a bit and did a small fist pump at her waist. "Alright. Come back home and we will do a review." Shigure regrouped with the others and the three of them made their way back to base. The mission area wasn''t very far, just 45 minutes away from the base. That should give me enough time to read at least half of this new operation brief. As soon as they got back, Shigure immediately threw of her equipment and came over to hug me. I ruffled her hair a bit, "Geez! You nearly gave a heart attack back there." "Ehe~ Sorry." (Shigure) Avrora is here, so I bent down and whispered into her ear, "As punishment, I''m going to handle you a little roughly tonight." "Eh?" (Shigure) Shigure face turned red instantly. "Of course, Zuihou is going join us." "For what?" (Zuihou) "As a reward, I hereby appoint you to the main fleet." Shigure''s face brightened up as soon as I said that, "Really?" (Shigure) "Isn''t that great, Shigure?" (Zuihou) "There is going to be an medium-scale operation next week. I want you to join the fleet on the missions our base is going to be assigned to. It''s been a long time, but do your best and make me proud." "Yes! I will!" (Shigure) I turned to face Avrora as Shigure continued to snuggle against me. Avrora really helped me quite a bit this time, "Avrora, thank you so much." "I didn''t do much this time." (Avrora) I shook my head, "No. You really helped me. You saved Shigure. On top of that, if you hadn''t said anything, I would have dragged Shigure back her by force. Your words alone were enough to convince me to let Shigure take out the Abyssal on her own. So thank you." Avrora blushed a little. "Y-your welcome... If you like, would you care to join me for a drink?" (Avrora) "Hmm... Sure thing. Just for a bit though. I have some plans tonight." I''m also curious how vodka would taste like. Avrora beamed, "Then I shall prepare the finest vodka from my collection! Comrade Shigure, Comrade Zuihou, would you like to join us?" (Avrora) "These two will be fine with normal sake." I can''t let any of them touch vodka. It''s too strong for them. Things are going to be hectic next week. We better enjoy the free time we have for now. Chapter 233 - 211 I can hear Rondo letting out a sigh through the phone after I told him about what happened this afternoon, "You didn''t read the report, did you?" (Rondo) "Umm..." There was a report? I didn''t want to write up a report on the abnormal Abyssal we encountered this afternoon so I decided to just inform him through a call. Shigure, Zuihou and I just go back from a drinking party with the North Union girls. Damn. Those girls can really drink. The two girls got a bit too drunk so I carried them back to my room first. "Whatever, let me just get you up to speed. Kure and Yokosuka already encountered such Abyssals last week. I assume you already know but these new type of Abyssals possess some level of intelligence. Based on what was reported, they seem to observe their enemy before making their move." (Rondo) Oh, so that was what it was doing. "How did you guys handle them?" "By shooting them, duh." (Rondo) "No kidding, Sherlock." "No, seriously. While these things are smarter than the rest, that''s all they got. Unlike the Beast Abyssals who are stronger and tougher than normal, this new type is just... smarter. It knows how to use it''s environment to it''s advantage, which mainly involves hiding underwater. Other than that, sprinkle a few shells and torpedos and you get yourself a tasty piece of burnt Abyssal steak." (Rondo) "That sounds gross." And yep, that does sound like the one we met this afternoon. Hiding underwater and pretending to be a submarine. Maybe pretending to be a shark sounds better. Shigure did destroy it with a few shots and some torpedos. I''m a little thirsty. I poured another shot of vodka from the bottle Avrora gave me into my cup and mixed in some lime juice and ginger beer. "Are you drinking?" (Rondo) "Hm?" Ah, oops. He must have heard me mixing my drink. "Avrora gave me some vodka. She taught me how to drink it." "Isn''t that the drink that almost caused the Mogami-class to burn down your infirmary?" (Rondo) "Don''t remind me. That was horrible. But yeah, it is." "How is it?" (Rondo) "Obviously I''m not drinking it pure. I''m turning it into what is called a Moscow Mule. It''s sour and a little spicy. I think Grand Admiral Hasake and the Marshal Admiral may love it." "Why don''t you drink it pure?" (Rondo) "Have you seen the alcohol content of this?! It''s 40%! It''s literally just distilled alcohol with water. Not only will I get instantly pass out, it is way too bitter for me. Mixing it with something sour is the only way for me swallow it easily. This drink really kicks. I don''t understand how Avrora and the other Russian shipgirls chug it like water everyday. And without mixing it with anything no less. Just pure vodka straight from the bottle." "Then what about whiskey? You were able to drink that easily before." (Rondo) "That was because you mixed it with soda to make it tastier for me. I prefer my drink to have some taste other than bitterness. By the way, why are we talking about alcohol?" "You started it!" (Rondo) "No, you were the one that asked me about it!" Irritating little prick... "Anyway, I''m want to reinstate Shigure back into the fleet. She will be participating in the upcoming operation." "Oh. Has she fully recovered?" (Rondo) "Yep. She is combat-ready." "That''s great. Just write up a short report and then we can officially put her back on the roster." (Rondo) "Ehh? Can''t you just tell the guys at Intel for me?" "You know how those guys are. They are sticklers for rules." (Rondo) How troublesome... "About the upcoming operation, be prepared for anything. Tone''s intel states that all three Abyssal variants might be present. The normal ones, the beast ones and the intelligent ones." (Rondo) That might be problem. If all three are present, things are bound to be chaotic. "Any contingency plans?" "Nope, but based on what we know, I recommend equipping some of your girls with depth charges for the intelligent ones, since they are always hiding underwater. Let the beast ones fight with the others before picking them off. We can''t keep one relying on the battleship girls for protection." (Rondo) That''s pretty simple, but better than nothing. The beast Abyssals and princesses are going to be a large problem but if they take each other out in the process, everything should work out in our favour. "It''s late already, so I will do the report tomorrow morning." And the alcohol is starting to kick in. The room is starting to turn. "Good for you, being able to sleep this early." (Rondo) "What are you talking about? It''s already 1am. I bet you are not even working. You are spending time with your beloved Houshou." "Nonsense. I''m hard at- oi! Houshou! What are yo-" (Rondo) There was some strange noise from the other side before Rondo''s wife came on the line, "Admiral Keita~" (Houshou) "Ah, Houshou. Sorry for distur-" The next thing that came out of Houshou''s mouth was the most menacing and terrifying thing I wouldn''t expect from the kindest and motherly light aircraft carrier, "I will be coming to kill you soon~~" (Houshou) And the line was cut. She had hang up the phone... Eh? Huh? Ehhh?!?! That was scary! What happened? Somehow, I pissed Houshou off? Eh? Wait, so I was right. Right? Rondo and Houshou were together. I spent too long talking to Rondo that Houshou got angry at me. Her terrifying voice stopped the room from turning... Never mind, it''s still spinning. I will just brush my teeth, change into my pajamas, head straight to bed and pray I don''t get a hangover the next morning. I shouldn''t, since I didn''t really drink till I puke. As I changed into my pajamas, I heard my room door creaked open. "Admiral... Where are you?" (Zuihou) I peeked out of the bathroom to see Zuihou staggering out in her night Yukata. "I''m here." I went over to her and caught her before she fell over. "Woah there. Come on, get to bed." "Ehehe~ Admiral~~" (Zuihou) She rubbed her face against my chest. She is still half-asleep, I guess. I helped her back to bed and tucked the both of us in. "Admiral~ Pet me~" (Zuihou) "Yeah yeah." I rubbed Zuihou''s head as she continued to hug and snuggle against me. Admiral~ Love you~" (Zuihou) "I love you too." Alright, time to lie down. My head hurts... Chapter 234 - 212 The medium-scale operation has begun. For the first mission, Kure will be clearing out the Abyssals located at the Spratly Islands, before engaging the submarine fleet that has taken control of the area. Maizuru is slated for supporting the 2nd mission and spearheading the 3rd, so we still have some time to relax and prepare. According to intel, all of the missions have multiple phases, so each of them will definitely take a while to complete. HQ estimated it would take at least a week to complete each mission, so good luck to us when it''s our turn. Until then, we can do some maintenance and upgrading our equipment, and maybe get some info from our Abyssal friend. With Ryuujou''s help, I called Hoppou-chan over to play and ask her some questions. Hoppou-chan and the Harbour Princess is with in the Entertainment room. "What are you... talking about...? Destroyers dumbest... Cruisers... dumb-dumb... Light carriers... maybe smart... but still dumb... Battleship and carriers... smart... Princesses and Demons smartest... Smart Destroyer... No such thing..." (Hoppou-chan) If I were to translate it into proper sentences, she is saying that Abyssal Destroyers are the dumbest of the Abyssal command chain, followed by light and heavy cruisers who are still dumb but not as dumb as their Destroyer brethren, the Light Carriers who are slightly smarter than the other three, the battlesh.i.p.s and Carriers who are above the Light Carriers, and her kind and the demons being the most intelligent of them all. There is no way an Abyssal Destroyer is smart enough to pull off something like ambushing a shipgirl. Looks like she doesn''t know anything about the new types. And here I thought I could get some hints on how to deal with them efficiently. That was a fail. Hoppou-chan continued doodling happily on a piece of paper with a blue crayon, with the Harbour Princess watching over her like how a mother would watch her child play. "Let''s just say there was a smart Destroyer, how would you handle them?" "Me?" (Hoppou-chan) Hoppou-chan put down her crayon and stared at me. She tilted her head from side to side, looked up, looked around the room, looked at the harbour princess, who shook her head, before looking back at me with a smile on her face, "Don''t know... Never met one before..." (Hoppou-chan) And she continued her doodling. That''s why I said what if. Oh nevermind. I guess it is hard to imagine one of their own breaking away from the norm. Suddenly, the harbour princess reached out and grabbed a piece of paper from the nearby stack. She gently grasp a black crayon within her large claws and drew what looks like an Abyssal Destroyer. She then stabbed her creation with those claws of hers, making a low growl in the process. "Umm... I''m sorry?" "You don''t understand..." (Harbour Princess) She stabbed the drawing with her claws again, this time with more force. "Kill... before they do anything..." (Harbour Princess) Ahh... That''s one way, I guess. Simple, but effective. Rondo did say that they are only smarter than normal. It''s not like they possess enhanced strength and toughness. Looks like there really isn''t any special way to handle them. Just treat them like any normal Abyssal. "That''s a good idea." The harbour princess smiled. I have never seen her kind do that before. She is technically an abnormal Abyssal so I can''t expect anything normal. All of Hoppou-chan''s followers are abnormal. The Harbour Princess tried to pull back her claw, but she seems to fail. She tried a few times, the floorboard creaked with every attempt. Her stoic face grew ever more concerned. "This is a dumb question, but are you stuck?" "Help..." (Harbour Princess) Hoppou-chan laughed as I tried to free the large Abyssal Princess. She laughed even harder when the Harbour Princess started to panic and pulled out the entire floorboard, with her claws still stuck in it. We eventually managed to free her, but not without the help of some passing Mutsuki-class Destroyers and reducing the floorboard to splinters. Mutsuki, Kisaragi, Satsuki, Nagatsuki brought over a tool trolley from the factory and with a chisel and hammer in hand, the five of us worked to break the floorboard and free the harbour princess''s claws with hurting away. Hoppou-chan finally stopped laughing and decided to act as moral support for the larger princess. She pet the larger girl as we broke the floorboard apart. This wasn''t just any ordinary wood, isn''t it? It feels more like concrete. Even with our powers combined, it still took us almost an hour of hammering to break it into pieces. Oh my gosh. I just had epiphany. I think I figured a way to safely deal with any potential Beast Abyssal threats. I''m gonna discuss this with Akashi later. I entertained the two of them for a while more until Ryuujou showed up. With Ryuujou coming along to see how her bestie is doing, I decided to leave them to play together while I go do something else. Sorry I lied. I actually called Ryuujou over to help me take care of the two Abyssals. Hoppou-chan has taken a liking to the small, flat-chested Light Aircraft Carrier, so I officially made her the little Abyssal''s playmate. Ryuujou was extremely reluctant to take on that role, but some of Mamiya''s desserts and a few days off were enough to convince her. I will patch the hole in the floor later. Right now, I have to discuss my awesome plan with Akashi and make preparations for the submarine girls. They will be essential for a few of the missions. Chapter 235 - 213 The submarine girls, led by Shioi, entered the mission zone and met up with Sasebo''s fleet. Right now, we are in the first phase of the second mission. While the fleet from Sasebo handles the main transport phase, my submarines will provide air and torpedo support. Our main job is basically to scout forward, weaken and scatter the enemies so Sasebo can move in and take the spotlight. We will provide support until the designated area, where the boss of the area and their gatekeepers lurk. From then on, Sasebo will be assisted by their LBAS aircrafts and retrieve as much resources as their barrels can carry. "Alright. Time for revenge. Girls, we are counting on you." (Isuzu) "Leave the scouting and support to us. More importantly, is you guys all right?" (Shioi) Just yesterday, as soon as Sasebo''s fleet, which consists of Isuzu, Chikuma, Makigumo, Kazagumo, Naganami, and Kiyoshimo, reached the spot where they were supposed to fight off the Abyssal fleet which is led by an Ne-class Kai, and retrieve the resources, all six of them got damaged badly by the Ne-class, so no progress was made and an immediate retreat was ordered. Today, like what Isuzu said, is a revenge match. There are about three phases to this mission. The first one is a transport phase. Once that is done, I will have to send in a submarine girl to secure codename ''Node C'' while a Fast Carrier Task Force from Sasebo secures Codename ''Node P''. Don''t mind the codenames, they are just names for certain key installation points. Once these two points are secured, Sasebo will send the same Fast Carrier Task Force to sink the Heavy Cruiser Princess. This will mark the end of Phase 2 and start phase 3. Phase 3 will involve an Aircraft Carrier Princess. Plans on how to defeat her are still being discussed. That''s the mission flow for now. "I''m going to murder that thing for wasting my time yesterday." (Isuzu) "Alright. Enough talk. Let''s beat the lowly lifeform and finish this transport run quickly." (Sasebo) "Idiot. That''s my line." (Isuzu) The submarine girls moved in, sneaking past the Abyssal Aircraft patrol. They can do anything to those aircrafts, so might as well let Isuzu''s fleet handle it. The first Abyssal fleet they encountered was a small one, consisting of two Destroyer Ro-class late models and four Destroyer I-class. "So... Same as before?" (Shioi) "Yep. Wait for Isuzu before before lighting up those shark-wannabes with torpedos. Save your seaplanes for later." "Roger. Maintaining depth." (Shioi) "Isuzu, what''s your situation?" There was a loud explosion, followed by high pitched screaming. Oh boy... "That doesn''t sound good." "Yeah. It''s as bad as it sounds." (Isuzu) "Retreat. Makigumo and Chikuma got hit and received heavy damages." (Sasebo) "I''m sorry." (Chikuma) "Uweeh! I''m sorry!" (Makigumo) "Can''t you use a repair bucket? My girls can wait." "I don''t want to. Not in this phase. I''m saving for the more high priority phases." (Sasebo) "Fair point. The next phase is going to hard. But let''s try to save time if possible." "Yeah. I understand. I will review their equipment and make the necessary adjustments. I might have focused a bit too much on their transport capacity and neglected any AA capabilities." (Sasebo) "You think? Anyway, when shall we resume?" "I will get everything settled by tomorrow morning. Sorry about this." Sasebo) No problem. You heard him. Return to base for now." "Roger." (Submarine girls) I guess this is a blessing in disguise. They will be able to make it in time for the mini party. The girls looks a little displeased. I checked to see if the Sasebo has disconnected from our channel. Yep, we are in the clear. "Girls, you are free to speak your mind. They are gone for now." "..." (Iku) "What''s wrong?" "It''s nothing serious..." (Imuya) "Come on. I won''t know what is it if you don''t tell me." "Should we...?" (Hachi) "But even so, this is our first mission in a while dechi... I feel bad if we complain dechi." (Goya) "I''m the leader, so I''ll say it. Admiral, I know it''s not our place to say this but honestly, we were expecting a more active role in this operation. I mean, it''s been a while since we were able to participate in an operation, and I know we should be grateful to even receive an support role but we want to contribute more. We want a more important role." (Shioi) Hmm... I understand their displeasure. True, they have been on the sidelines for too long. When they were finally able to participate, they were only given a support role. It''s like being assigned the background dancer despite practicing so hard while your friends take the spotlight. Shioi would be the one most displeased. Even back in the Great War, she didn''t get the chance to participate and do much in the war effort. She would always request for an active role but I couldn''t find one for her even after all these years. "I know it looks and sounds like a lame role, but being a support is just as important. You are helping to hasten the mission and making it easier for the other party to do their job. Sure, they will take the spotlight, but it''s because of your efforts that they are able to. Even if you are not credited, deep down in your hearts, you all know who did the real work. So cheer up. A support role isn''t a lame job." The six of them don''t look convinced. What I just gave sounded like standard military answer as to how being in logistics is just as important as the frontline soldiers. A wishful, made-to-sound-good kind of response. "Tell you what, I will try to get you girls a more active role in this operation. But don''t get your hopes up. I''m sure HQ has already came up with plans by now." "Okay..." (Submarine girls) Woah. They really aren''t getting their hopes up. I guess they already expect to be put on the sidelines again. This is my fault... "Come on. Cheer up. You are going to have a mini party now. Use this time to take your mind of things." "A mini party? Is there something special on today?" Ro-chan) "Ah! It''s their birthday today!" (Iku) The door to the Command Center opened and both Zuihou''s popped in, "Admiral~" Zuihou) "Cake is ready~" Zuihou-chan) "Excellent. What about decorations?" "All set." (Zuihou) "Alright. Gather everyone in the cafeteria. We will start when everyone is together." I turned my focus back to the submarine girls, "Hurry up and return. The party won''t start without the six of you." -------------------------------------------- "One, two~~" The sound of party poppers filled the air as confetti was spread all over our two birthday girls, "Shigure, Shigure-chan, Happy Birthday to you!" (All) "Thank you." (Shigure) "Thanks!" (Shigure-chan) Today is the 18th of May, the launch date and birthday of Shigure. Since we have two of them, we are celebrating both of their launch dates. Although we are in the midst of an operation, it''s good to lay back and party for a bit, especially since the mission has been postponed. This is just a simple party, with cake, some drinks and a little bit of merrymaking. "Puhaa~ Keep the drinks coming! Bring out the whole stash of vodka!" (Gangut) Okay, let me rephrase that. A simple party with cake, a lot of drinks and a lot of merrymaking. I walked up to the two Destroyers with two presents in hand, "Shigure, Shigure-chan, happy birthday." "Thank you, Admiral." (Shigure) "Thanks, Admiral." (Shigure-chan) I gave Shigure-chan a rose gold ruby bracelet. I had it customized to match her favorite hairpin. "Wah~ Pretty~" (Shigure-chan) For Shigure, I gave her a black twin-lens reflex camera. A few days ago, while on a date, I noticed her eyeing it when we passed by a camera store. I thought it might match her other clothes so I got it for her. "This... The other day..." (Shigure) "This is what you wanted, right?" "Yeah... Thank you so much, Admiral!" (Shigure) Shigure kissed my lips as the others looked on with eyes wide open. Even I am surprised by this. "Shigure... When did you two-?" (Yamashiro) "For a while now. Sorry for keeping it a secret." (Shigure) "I always thought you were extremely close to Admiral, but I didn''t think you were this close." (Shiratsuyu) "Papa and Shigure-nee..." (Yamakaze) "Eh? You girls didn''t know? I thought we were pretty obvious already." "Eh? What about Zuihou? Since when did the two of you break up?" (Umikaze) "We didn''t break up! It''s complicated but let''s just say we are sharing." (Zuihou) "Oh my, I didn''t think you were that of a player." (Rei) "Admiral..." (Yamashiro) I feel a chill down my spine as Yamashiro smiled eeriely at me, "Y-yes?" "If you ever make my precious Shigure cry..." (Yamashiro) Are you her parent or what? Yamashiro crushed the can of beer in her hands, causing it''s contents to spill onto the floor. For the sake of staying alive, let''s just say what she wants to hear. "Don''t worry. I will take care and love her." "I find it hard to trust a two-timing pervert like you. But if she is happy, I guess I can let it slide for now." (Yamashiro) "Geez. Look at what you have done." "Ehehe~" (Shigure) "Since it''s your birthday, I''ll let it slide for today." (Zuihou) "I want a kiss too..." (Zuihou-chan) "I''ll give you one later." I whispered. I have a feeling they thought only Zuihou and Shigure are in a relationship with me. Wait until they hear about Zuihou-chan. My body might be found hanging from the flagpole the next morning. The party continued on without a hitch. It was getting late and the girls are starting to return to their dorms or going for bath. I didn''t want to screw up the atmosphere, even though it almost did, so I didn''t do what I promised to do. I stepped out of the cafeteria to make a call. "Rondo? It''s me." "What is it, Keita? I''m a little busy at the moment." (Rondo) "I need a favor from you. Is there a way I can give my submarine girls a main role in this operation? Like joining the mission fleet or something." "Submar- Wait, hold on!" (Rondo) I can hear some papers being shuffled, followed by Rondo shouting, "Implement six SS and cycle the simulation! What is the success rate? You are kidding me. Do it again!" (Rondo) "Rondo, is everything fine?" "Give me a minute. I''m on to something here." (Rondo) There was more background shouting, with Rondo talking about various equipment setups. After a few minutes, he finally came back on the line, "How many aircraft carrying submarines do you have?" (Rondo) "Umm... Iku, Goya, Hachi, and Shioi. Four." "That''s more than enough! Finally! We figured it out!" (Rondo) He sounds happy, but what is he happy about? "Rondo, what''s all this about?" "Keita, my man! Thank you so much for calling me! You''re a genius! I need to treat you to a drink some day." (Rondo) "What did I do? And can you tell me what''s going on already?!" "For the third phase of the 2nd mission, your submarine fleet will handle the sinking of the Aircraft Carrier Princess." (Rondo) ... Huh?! "Wait... Hold on for-" "I will write up the mission brief for you. See you later." (Rondo) "Rondo, wai-" ... He hang up on me! I tried calling his number again but I got sent straight to his voice mail. That guy must have switched off his phone or something. What''s that all about?! "Admiral, what''s wrong?" ( Shioi) I turned around to see Shioi giving me a concerned look. I guess I can tell her first. This is the news she would be most happy to hear after all. "Umm... How do I say this? Somehow, I was able to get you girls an active role. The details are not in yet, but you girls are going to be the one to sink the Aircraft Carrier Princess in this current mission." There was a moment of silence, before the tall submarine girl let out an appropriate, "Eh?" (Shioi) Chapter 236 - 214 "Alright! Everyone ready?" (Sasebo) "Of course! Let''s get this done and move to the next phase!" (Isuzu) "Submarine fleet, the same tactic as before." "Yes! Leave the support to us!" (Shioi) "Once the last of the resources have been secured and transported out, Shioi, you know what to do." "Make a detour to Node C and secure the area." (Shioi) "That''s right. Sasebo, is your Carrier Task Force ready?" "Haruna and Hiei are on standby and ready to move out. I need to Yokosuka for this. I panicked when I heard I needed to prepare a Fast Carrier Task Force. I don''t even have a Fast Battleship here." (Sasebo) "There is an alternative method but I doubt it would be effective, based on the intel. This is a lot enemies for you guys to handle along the way." "Yours ain''t any better. A lone submarine securing a high priority target is definitely no ordinary feat." (Sasebo) "If it''s Shioi, I know she can do it." "Ah! So mean! Does that mean the rest of us can''t do it nano?!" (Iku) "Does that mean you don''t trust us?" (Ro-chan) "No. That''s not what I meant." Ah crap. I shouldn''t have said that. I made the others angry. "Alright Save it for later. I want to hurry up and finish this." (Isuzu) "We are going to grill you later, Admiral. Look forward to it." (Imuya) "Oh, I definitely won''t be looking forward to it. Anyway, move out! Carve our victory-" "Carve our victory on the horizon of dawn!" (Sasebo) "Oi! Don''t steal my line!" "Shut up. I''m the one leading this mission! I''m the one who should say it!" (Sasebo) "Both of you shut up! We have started already." (Isuzu) Shioi led her fleet under the enemy air patrol. Moments later, the sound of explosions can be heard as Isuzu''s fleet took down the enemy air fleet and rendezvous with Shioi. Ever since that one time where Chikuma got damaged by the air patrol, significant changes have been made to her equipment, which should have been the default. Who puts only drum canisters and barrels on an aviation cruiser who has strong AA potential and the capacity to carry seaplanes? Apparently, her Admiral. After realizing his mistake, he brought back Chikuma''s usual equipment setup, which are two 20.3cm No. 3 Twin Gun Mounts, WG42 and Zuiun Kai Ni 634 Air Group Skilled Bombers. Minor adjustments were made to Isuzu''s and Naganami''s equipment to give them more firepower. Makigumo, Kazagumo and Kiyoshimo remain as the designated transport sh.i.p.s of the fleet. Their setup to be quite successful for most parts. It took about fifteen round trips, with minor slipups here and there, to get to where we are right now, which is pretty good. Shioi surfaced and launched a Seiran up into the air. The Seiran began it''s reconnaissance, spotting a Light Cruiser Ho-class flagship and three Destroyer Ro-class late models. "Enemy fleet spotted. It''s a type B configuration." (Shioi) "Alright. Leave that sub to me. I have a couple of depth charges to use." (Isuzu) "I thought you only had AA guns." (Sasebo) "I always carry a couple of depth charges. What kind of submarine hunter doesn''t carry a couple of Anti-submarine equipment with her?" (Isuzu) "Light them up." "Feuer!" (Hachi) "Please, Torpedo-san!" (Goya) "Load torpedoes from 1 to 4. Let''s go get a win!" (Imuya) "Launching 6 oxygen torpedoes!" (Iku) "Go get em!" (Shioi) The six girls launched their own set of torpedo attacks, sinking all three Destroyer Ro-class and heavily damaging the Light Cruiser Ho-class. The remaining member of the enemy fleet, a submarine Ka-class Elite, narrowly dodged a stray torpedo, possibly coming from Iku''s torpedo barrage. "Ah! Just a little more and I could have hit it!" (Iku) "Alright! Let''s move to the next point." (Shioi) "Ooh! Nice! Thanks for the easy win!" (Isuzu) Isuzu''s fleet cleaned up the remaining enemies quickly and regrouped with the submarine fleet, who are just outside the detection range of the next Abyssal fleet. A quick scout from the Seiran revealed a Light Cruiser Tsu-class elite, four Destroyer Ro-class late models, one of which is an Elite variant, and a Destroyer I-class. A type C configuration. "Hmm... This is a bit tough. We can definitely take out the three normal Ro-class and I-class, but the other two..." (Shioi) "That''s okay. One way or another, we will break through." (Isuzu) "Then..." (Shioi) The six girls looked at each other and smiled. They moved into range and launched their torpedoes, blowing up the Destroyer I-class and two Destroyer Ro-class. The Ro-class elite got damaged by torpedoes while the Tsu-class elite and another Ro-class remained unscathed. "Charge!" (Isuzu) "Alright. Hold your position. Wait till the mission is done before moving onto the next phase." Chikuma launched her seaplanes bombers and dropped bombs all over the Tsu-class, severely damaging and crippling it. The surviving Ro-class sank after being hit by Naganami''s torpedo attack. The Ro-class elite fired and launched its own set of torpedoes at it''s adversary, only to miss by a mile. "Idiot, do you want me to shoot you?" (Isuzu) She shot the Ro-class elite anyway, staggering it. Makigumo, Kazagumo and Kiyoshimo fired at the Ro-class elite, suppressing it in place as Isuzu continued to rain hellfire on it. Chikuma and Naganami took care of the Tsu-class, sending it back to it''s home in the depths. The Ro-class elite followed soon after. "Alright! Let''s continue! Leave the rest to us." (Isuzu) "Thank you for support." (Chikuma) "Shioi-chan, good luck with your role." (Naganami) "Thank you. Please do your best." (Makigumo) There was a little ''beep'' sound, signalling Isuzu''s fleet has left the radio channel as they continued onwards while my submarines remain in position. "Girls, you can surface. But be on guard. Crush dive immediately if you sense trouble." "Okay~" (All) The six submarine surfaced and took a gulp of fresh air. Things are going smoothly for now. "Say, Admiral, I want to ask something." (Shioi) "What is it?" "About the third phase, is HQ serious about letting us handle it? I know we said we wanted an active role but that is a pretty big fish for us." (Shioi) This is the fifth time she mentioned about the third phase. Is she not confident about taking it on? "Geez, Shioi-chan, we can definitely handle it nano. That Abyssal fleet won''t a chance against us nano." (Iku) "That''s right. We are Maizuru''s strongest submarine fleet after all." (Ro-chan) "But-" Shioi) Before Shioi can say anything, the familiar ''beep'' signalled Isuzu''s return to the channel, "Mission accomplished! Finally, we are done with this. We are now transporting the rest of the resources back to base." (Isuzu) "Good work. We shall now proceed to the next phase. Haruna and Hiei have already left and are en route to Node P." (Sasebo) "Roger. Shioi, can you make your way to Node C now?" "Erm... Yes, I can." (Shioi) "Just in case, let''s do a stock check." "Oh. Good idea." (Imuya) Imuya popped open her backpack and pulled out two full-length torpedoes. Goya and Iku both materialized four torpedoes from thin air and held it in their arms. Hachi opened her book and a yellow light shine brightly as a torpedo came out from it. Ro-chan pulled out the torpedo she had strapped to her back. Shioi opened up the tubes of her launcher and revealed six torpedoes. Looks like she listened when I told her to save her ammunition. But six won''t be enough for her next mission. "Okay. Imuya, hand over both torpedoes. Goya and Iku, each of you give two to Shioi. Hachi and Ro-chan, you''re going to have to return empty-handed." Now, Shioi should have a total of twelve torpedoes. It''s not full capacity but it should be enough to breakthrough enemy lines. "Thank you. I will make sure to use these." (Shioi) "The rest of you head on back. Shioi, Ooyodo will be sending you the coordinates shortly. It''s pretty close by so don''t worry." "You can do it. I have seen the intel. The enemies are pushovers." (Isuzu) For a submarine hunter like you, they are definitely pushovers. "If we are lucky, you will only have to face two Submarine Ka-class Elites and two Destroyer Ro-class late models. Otherwise, it''s three Ka-class Elites and one Ro-class late model Elite. Even so, those Ro-class are going to be a pian to deal with." "Uwah. I don''t feel like doing it anymore..." (Shioi) "It will be fine. Once you break through the enemy lines, then it''s mission complete! You can definitely do it!" (Ro-chan) Ro-chan grasp her friend''s hand and smiles brightly. "Ro-chan... Yeah. I''m going to show those Abyssals what power of I-400 series!" (Shioi) "Yep!" (Ro-chan) "Flagship, I-401, heading out!" (Shioi) Chapter 237 - 215 The rest of the submarine girls left the area while Shioi made a beeline towards Node C. Guarding that island is an Abyssal Submarine fleet, escorted by at least one Destroyer Ro-class late model. The submarines may not be much of a threat to Shioi, but the Ro-class means business. What makes these class of Abyssal Destroyers dangerous to Shioi is the fact that they have Anti-submarine equipment. Her Seirans should be able to weaken the Ro-class significantly but might not be finish them off with one payload. Whatever the case, so long she is able to take down two enemies, the others will retreat and the location will be secured. "Shioi, are your Seirans ready to fly? Are they good on fuel and ammunition?" "Yeah! They should be able to deal heavy damage to surface sh.i.p.s. If they all hit..." (Shioi) "Then you just got to make sure to they connect. As I mentioned before, there will definitely be a Ro-class. I suggest damaging the Ro-class before attacking the Subs. That way, you can increase your chances of not getting hit." "I was thinking the same thing. I really hope it''s the first configuration. That''s the simplest one to deal with." (Shioi) Two Submarine Ka-class Elites and two Destroyer Ro-class late models. Yeah, that''s the easiest she can ask for. "Is the fairy doing okay? "Erm... Yeah. She is sleeping in my hanger." (Shioi) "Alright. Just checking. I don''t think I need to remind you to take good care of her." The fairy I''m talking about is known as an anchor fairy. These special type of fairies help to establish land bases, which we can use to deploy our girls closer to the mission area or use as an airbase for LBAS aircrafts. The anchor fairies being used this time don''t have to build anything specific. Instead, they just need to build a totem to signify our takeover and provoke the Heavy Cruiser Princess out of hiding. Fairies usually have their own quarters within their designated equipment, save for the special type of fairies like emergency repair fairies and anchor fairies. They just live wherever they want. "You should be approaching the area where the Abyssal fleet is said to be on standby. Might as well launch a Seiran to scout ahead." "Already? All right. Surfacing for launch." (Shioi) Shioi swam to the surface and opened up her hanger. I long platform emerged and a Seiran popped up, unfolding it''s wings. "Go on." (Shioi) The Seiran revved up it''s engines and propeller and took flight. It circled around the designated location, providing us with eyes from above. I can see two Destroyer Ro-class late models, one Ro-class late model Elite, and the silhouette of something swimming underwater. A B configuration. Not the hardest one she can face but definitely not easiest. "Ugh... This is a good one." (Shioi) "Alright. Let''s think here. I still find taking out the two normal Ro-class to be easier. The Ka-class can be taken out with a torpedo salvo. Maybe you can just focus on dodging the elite''s attacks." "But I need to pay attention to the other Ro-classes as well. They have more AS capabilities than the elite." (Shioi) "That''s why I said to take them out first. That way you don''t have to worry about their AS weapons. The two elites are stronger, but so long as you take out half the fleet, it''s your victory. Then you can go ahead and secure the island." "What if I miss? Then the mission would be compromised." (Shioi) Something is up... "You won''t miss. I know you are pretty accurate in your shots. And just one miss won''t compromise the whole mission." "But they can dodge my attacks. And there is also the risk of-" (Shioi) Suddenly, alarms started blaring and the console started flashing red. This means trouble. "Shioi, crash dive! Now!" Shioi dived underwater, a bright beam of light shot overhead. I recognize that attack. Sirens. The screen immediately cut to static and the radio emitted a loud screeching noise. "Admiral, that laser scrambled our communication channels and our connection with the camera. It will take a while to get both back to working conditions." (Ooyodo) This is bad. Shioi can''t hear us and we can''t hear her. Even visual has been cut off. "Try to reestablish the connection. I need it up and running again ASAP." "Roger." (Ooyodo) As Ooyodo worked her magic, I can only pray that Shioi will be all right. ---------------------------------------------------- Ouch! The water around me suddenly became hot. I quickly dived deeper while my ears are still ringing. After what felt like an eternity, the ringing in my ears finally stopped. What was that? "Ow... Admiral, are you there?" Only a loud screeching noise responded. Argh. This noise is unbearable. "Admiral, can you read me?" No response... "Admiral? Ooyodo-san? Can anyone hear me?" This is bad. That laser just now must have disabled all communication channels. I''m cut off from base. Should I retreat? But I''m so close to the objective. The others are also relying on me to initiate the next phase of the mission. But right now, I''m alone. Can I do it on my own? I hear a growling noise. I can see a reddish glow in the distance, slowly advancing towards me. This is impossible! I''m supposed to be out of their detection range. Looks like escape isn''t an option. No. I can still make a run for it. They shouldn''t chase me if I leave the area. But... The mission... The Submarine Ka-class is getting closer. Oh geez. I don''t have a choice anyway! "Go get em!" ... Eh? What wrong? My torpedo launchers aren''t working?! My torpedo warning alarms started to sound off. That thing shot a torpedo at me. I moved out of the torpedoes trajectory and surfaced. If my torpedoes don''t work, then I will have to use my Seirans. ... The hanger won''t even open. Of course. If my torpedoes aren''t functional anymore, why would my hanger work? That laser not only cut off my connection to base, it disabled my weapons as well. Yep. Time to run. I dived back underwater and proceed to swim back. My alarms started going off again, indicating another torpedo. "Gosh, you are persistent. I''m already leaving, alright?!" I moved out of the way and watched the torpedo whizzed past. Seconds later, it exploded a good distance away. Something seems to sink into the water. Something black with red stripes. My reader picked up six red dots. I really don''t need anymore enemies right now. I surfaced to see what am I about to run into. According to Murphy''s law, what can go wrong, will go wrong. Now I know where that laser came from. There are six mass-produced Siren sh.i.p.s moving towards me at high speeds. Behind me, an angry Abyssal fleet is trying to blow me up. I''m getting surrounded! I dived back underwater as soon as I see the guns on one of the siren sh.i.p.s started to glow. I just know that thing is about to shoot. Another loud, high pitched noise appeared as the red laser flew across the water. The water around me became hot again, forcing me to dive deeper into the cooler and darker part of the ocean. What kind of weapon is that? I watched as more torpedoes whizzed past, making contact with the Siren sh.i.p.s. They are fighting each other. I should take this time to escape. Okay. Maybe not... Just right in front of me, staring straight into my souls, was a Destroyer Ro-class late model with a red glow around it. An elite variant, and one of the new smart ones. Give me a break! The Ro-class class spat out a few black barrels. Depth charges! I quickly swam in the opposite direction as the depth charges exploded behind me. I turned and aimed my launcher at charging Ro-class. It''s still not working! The time I spent at base flashed before my eyes. No! I don''t need a flashback right now! Wait, hold on! I manually popped opened the launcher and pulled out a torpedo. I remember listening to Yuudachi-chan mentioning about this. There are many ways to use a torpedo. I don''t know whether this might work, but I know this will definitely hurt if it works. I grasped the torpedo in my hands like a baseball bat and steady myself, "Come on. Come and get me." The Ro-class stared at me, unmoving. Does know what I''m about to do? How smart are these new variants? The Ro-class charged at me, moth wide opened. I have one shot at this. I waited for it to come closer. Don''t panic. Wait for the perfect moment and strike it with the aluminum head. I can almost count the number of teeth inside that jaw of death. I swung the torpedo at the Ro-class, hitting it square on the side of its head. The torpedo blew up, searing my skin and sent me flying backwards. "Ouch! So hot!" Did that Ro-class sink? I can see the Ro-class struggling underwater as the left side of face armour crumbled apart, revealing the pale flesh underneath. That wasn''t enough to take it down. The Ro-class struggled back to the surface. Another laser appeared overhead, and I watched the Ro-class sink to the depths while slowly into dust. There was a hole in between its eyes. Although I''m not the one that killed it, I can count that as a win, right? I can hear the familiar growling noise. I turned to the direction of the sound and saw the Ka-class swimming towards me. Bubbles are coming out from the cracks around it''s body and face. It''s severely damage. This is my chance. Once I take down that Ka-class, I can immediately go and secure that island. The Sirens can continue fighting the others for all I care. "I don''t want another torpedo exploding on me again, so you have to make do with this!" I took out another torpedo and held it over my head, the aluminum warhead facing the incoming Ka-class. Using it as a baseball bat was extremely painful, so I have to throw it like a javelin. The propellers aren''t working so I have to get closer to that Onryo before throwing it. I swam towards the Onryo. The Ka-class made a loud screech as it shot another torpedo at me. I dodged it and continued moving at full speed. "Take this!" I let the torpedo go, and kicked it''s propellers. That was enough to kickstart the torpedos engine and sent the torpedo flying straight at the Ka-class. Since it was so close, the Abyssal didn''t have time to evade. It had no choice but to take an oxygen torpedo to the face. If I had know just a simple knock to the propellers was enough to get it working again, I wouldn''t need to take an explosion at point-blank range. I doubt a single torpedo is enough to take it down so, "Have another one!" I took out another and punched it''s behind, propelling it towards my target. I can hear it screaming for a bit, before seeing a hand emerge from below the bubbles, and then a head showed up. It''s dead. "Alright. Two down. That means I can go ahead and secure the island." I swam towards the island as the fighting took place on the surface. I don''t know why the Sirens are here, but they can take care of the Abyssals for me. I just want to complete this mission, go home and get praised by Admiral. A black canister floated down and entered my field of vision. Oh no! There was a loud, ear-piercing noise and my entire body is enveloped in scorching heat. I let my guard down. I should have expected the other two Ro-class would still keep an eye out for me. That was a depth charge, and it definitely belongs to either of the remaining two. It hurts. It really hurts. I can move. But I''m so close... I can hear more explosions above me. Two shadows appeared. There are some screaming... Backup? Maybe Admiral realized I''m in danger and sent a fleet to rescue me. "Well that was easy." (???) "What did you expect? It was just a fleet of small fry and a bunch of that other mysterious monsters we have been seeing since we got here." (???) "Umm... Where is that girl?" (???) "I''m trying to look for her right now. And good job on the air support, Enty." (???) I can hear three female voices, one of them sounds like a little girl. "Ah! There you are!" (???) I see a hand reached out for me and grabbed my hand. The mysterious figure pulled me out of the water and carried me in her arms, "Hi. Are you all right? I guess not. Woah. That''s some risque outfit you''re wearing." (???) "Says the one wearing a s.e.xy bunny outfit to battle." (???) "I didn''t have time to change! And how did you change so fast? Weren''t you wearing the same as me just now?" (Girl in bunny outfit) The one that pulled me out of the water was a tall girl with long blue head. She was wearing a navy blue bunny outfit, with s.e.xy black stockings. There were two other girls with her. The taller one was wearing a blue mini skirt and a blue top that isn''t enough to cover up her chest. Instead, a black blouse had to do the job. She also had a blue oversize trench coat dr.a.p.ed around her shoulders. she is obviously an aircraft carrier. There are two long flight decks sticking out from her sides and a bald eagle perched on of them. The smaller girl was wearing a white shirt with black skirt overalls, and a hat sailor hat. She looks way too small to be carrying such a large bow and such a long flight deck. A small grey ball of feathers struggled to fly and land on her head. She looks familiar, like I have seen her before. "Let''s introduced ourselves. I''m New Jersey. This Aircraft Carrier over here is Ticonderoga, and the little girl is Little Enty." (New Jersey) "My name is not Little Enty! It''s Enterprise!" (Little Enty) The little girl pouted. "What''s your name?" (New Jersey) "Umm... I''m I-401. Please call me Shioi." "Oh. A Sakura Empire ship. Don''t worry. We have two other girls from your faction on the island. Let''s bring you back and get you patched up." (Ticonderoga) "Um... I''m not from the Sakura Empire. And New Jersey-san, you can put me down now. I can swim there myself." What have I gotten myself into? Chapter 238 - 216 What kind of arrangement is this? Leading at the front is a battleship dressed in a bunny costume. Protecting our backs is an Aircraft Carrier. And in the middle of the two is a little girl holding my hand while I''m partially submerged. Only the upper portion of my chest is above the water. Even though my body hurts all over, I can move on my own but this little girl, Enterprise as she calls herself, is dead set on holding my hand. "Ah, a classic case of EMP. Even if you don''t get hit by it directly, it still has an irritatingly large area of effect. We have been hit by the same thing a few times since we got here. It will eventually go away, but not so soon. The Sirens in this... Never mind. Scratch that." (New Jersey) I told them about how I was unable to use any of my equipment. I suspected that this malfunction was caused by that sneak attack from the Sirens. To think the Sirens now have an attack that can disable our equipment. According to Ticonderoga-san and New Jersey-san, they have been stuck on the island for almost a week now. Every attempt to move out of the area has been foiled by the Sirens and the black sea monsters, which I guess she must be talking about the Abyssals. Whenever New Jersey-san mentions about the Sirens, her face will twist slightly in frustration, with a tinge of sadness, for a moment. She would frequently cut her sentences short and change the subject. By the way, since when the skies became dark? "Jersey, we need to pick up the pace. That fog is coming and will swallow us if we don''t make i back in time." (Ticonderoga) Fog? "It''s best that you don''t look, Shioi. It will swallow you. Just like how it swallowed eve-" (Little Enterprise) "Enty!" (New Jersey) New Jersey-san''s suddenly raised her voice, silencing the little aircraft carrier. "Ah. I''m sorry, Enty. I just... Ugh..." (New Jersey) "I''m sorry..." (Little Enterprise) "We need to pick up the pace. That fog is closing in on us like a coyote hunting its prey." (Ticonderoga) "I know, Ty. We are almost at our hideout. You should be able to see it by now." (New Jersey) I can''t see anything. Not with that thick and juicy-looking peach in front of me. How do you get such a voluptuous body? And the hideout she is talking about is the island designated as ''Node P''. I kind of expected it, since they came from the direction of my objective. I will set up the anchor fairy later. "New Jersey, do we have extra clothes? The one''s Shioi is wearing is in pretty bad shape." (Little Enterprise) I lost my orange top and my swimsuit is threatening to fall off any minute. But I''m already used to this level of exposure. "There are a few bunny suits, but I''m not sure if they will fit." (New Jersey) Oh no. Anything but that. "I will be okay with just a towel. I don''t want to impose on you." "Come on, don''t be shy. Oh! I know! Maybe Amagi can help sew some clothes." (New Jersey) Amagi? She is here too? "How is that child going help? She is sick, you know? And the other fox girl won''t be of much use. She won''t even leave her sister''s side of a second." (Ticonderoga) She must be talking about Akagi. I know Akagi respects and is extremely close to Amagi. The ones I know, at least. "Akagi-chan is just worried." (Little Enterprise) So the Amagi here is a child version, just like this Enterprise. And a smaller version of Akagi is here as well. A few minutes later, we finally reached the shore of the island. The riggings of the three girls fragmented into blue mental cubes and pieceed themselves back together as their individual warsh.i.p.s. New Jersey led us deeper into the island. "Welcome to our hideout. We have lots of fruits, water, though you need to boil them first, and fish. Just be mindful of the occasional snakes and bugs." (New Jersey) Close to the shore was a large forest clearing. There are several building which look to be essential, such as a dormitory, a dock and a factory. And then there are the weird ones. At one corner, closer to the trees, is a Japanese style house, surrounded by bamboo. Through the gaps, I can see a garden, with a pond and some rocks There is a little girl sitting on the porch. Ah, I think she sees me. The most eye-catching building was this circular structure with lights surrounding the roof. There is also a bright neon sign, showcasing the silhouette of a... bunny girl? What is this shady building? "Isn''t this building great? I had the remaining Manjuus build it. A place for us to dance, drink, and gamble our worries away!" (New Jersey) There it is again. That pained look... "Come on, let''s get you inside." (New Jersey) "Eh? Wai-" Before I can say anything, New Jersey dragged me inside the suspicious-looking building. There was a bar, a few game tables, some sofas, and a large stage in the middle of the room with a tall pole. This really is a shady establishment! "Yo! Welcome to my place! Don''t be shy now, get hella jiggy with it!" (???) We were greeted by a scantily-clad girl, who was seated on a sofa near the entrance. She wore a white blouse, white frilly skirt and net stockings. She also has a pair of white bunny ears, with mismatched patterns. One side was blue, the other was checkered. "This girl is San Francisco. She manages the place." (New Jersey) "The name''s San Francisco! Jazz, rock ''n'' roll, or whatever else, you name it and we''ll play it!" (San Francisco) "Hello. I''m I-401. Please call me Shioi." "Oh. Another Sakura Empire survivor. Little Amagi is going to delighted." (San Francisco) "Eh? New Jersey, who is the new girl?" (???) Sitting amongst the bar stools was a girl wearing a black bunny suit and a black padded jacket. Her hair was tied up in twintails, with three ribbons, pink, blue and white, on each side. Wine glasses and liquid were scattered on the floor around her. To top it off, she looks tipsy. "Allen! Oh my god, you made a mess again! It''s too early to be drinking." (New Jersey) The girl named Allen simply stuck her tongue playfully. "Come on, introduce yourself." (New Jersey) "I''m Eagle Union destroyer Allen M. Sumner! Just call me Allen! It''s a pleasure! I would fetch you our menu, but I''ve had a teensy accident here... Don''t worry, I''ll fix this somehow!" (Allen) "Nice to meet you. I''m I-401, the second ship in the special submarine series. Just call me Shioi." "Oh? Another survivor from Sakura Empire? You don''t have any animal tails or ears though. Unless those things are your horns." (Allen) Are they mistaking me as a Sakura Empire Shipgirl? And why survivor? What happened? "Oh, no. These are just hairclips. I''m a Japanese shipgirl but I''m not from the Sakura Empire." "Hm? Then where are you from?" (Allen) Before I can answer, a small girl in a red and white bunny suit with garterbelts walked up to me from behind the bar. She has tanlines on her h.i.p.s as well. "Ho-oh? Let me guess, you are a the same as me, a submarine girl. Am I right? Not that I heard what you said or anything." (Red Bunny Suit Girl) "Y-yeah." "Damn. What happened to you? You swimsuit is about to fall off." (Red Bunny Suit Girl) "This girl is Archerfish." (New Jersey) "Balao-class submarine ¨C Archerfish, Hull Number SS-311. I''m part of the Balao class, plus I hold the record for the biggest ship ever sunk by a submarine! I doubt anyone''s ever gonna beat it. You''re our lucky guest today, Shioi~ You get a taste of my secret concoction... Excuse me, I meant to say "c.o.c.ktail!" Relax, it won''t do anything weird to you~ Probably. Ahaha~" (Archerfish) Archerfish offered me some kind neon red drink. There is pungent smell to it. I don''t want to take it but it''s rude not to. "Th-thanks? I guess." "Let''s introduce you to the others before you start drinking." (Ticonderoga) Ticonderoga-san took the glass from my hand and set it on the table. She gave me a wink as she pushed me along. Thank you, Ticonderoga-san! We went on to meet the rest of the girls in the building. The orange hair girl in a green bunny suit sleeping on sofa is called Morrison-san. Morrison-san took one look at me before turning away. New Jersey says she is feeling unwell but her eyes... They are wet and red. There is another girl with neon blue hair, wearing a black bunny suit, sitting near the speakers. Her name is Boise. She is using her hair to cover her mouth, and she was breathing heavily. I asked her what''s wrong and she just said she is not used to the outfit she is wearing. Ticonderoga-san said she was going to change into something more comfortable, leaving me with New Jersey-san. A manjuu managing the bar gave me a blue jacket to wear. The blue jacket had the Eagle Union''s insignia on it. I then made the mistake of asking her how did they all end up on this island. New Jersey-san''s face immediately turned grim and she told me she is feeling tired and wants to rest for a bit, before disappearing into one of the rooms at the back of the building. With nothing to do, I decided to go to the beach and complete my objective. "Woah. What''s happening?" When I went to the beach, I noticed something weird and probably dangerous. Not far from the beach, there was a thick black fog. I can''t see anything past it, except for some red lines moving around. Those must be Siren patrol sh.i.p.s. What''s going on? "Ah. There you are." (???) I turned around to see two small girls, one in a red kimono and one with a white blouse, red skirt, and a black haori. The one in the red kimono has long brown hair tied into twintails, a pair of long fluffy ears and nine fluffy brown tails. She was the I saw through the bamboo. The other girl has short hair, also tied into twintails with two gold bells and has four fluffy tails. "You are..." "Battle Cruiser Amagi offers you her humble greetings. *cough* *cough* ...Ah, I''m fine, I just seem to have caught a little cold... *achoo!* Aww..." (Amagi-chan) The little girl took out a handkerchief to blow her nose. So this is Amagi. She is way smaller than I expected. "I''m Akagi. Feel proud, from today on, you will be Amagi-nee-sama''s number one subordinate alright~" (Akagi-chan) "Akagi, you are being rude!" (Amagi-chan) And this sassy child is Akagi. Since they are both childlike, I''m just gonna add a ''chan'' honorific. "Amagi-nee-sama, we shouldn''t be out here. You are going to feel worse." (Akagi-chan) "I will be fine. It''s not that serious. *cough* *cough*" (Amagi-chan) Are you sure about that? I lowered myself to their height, "Amagi, right? Can I call you Amagi-chan?" "How dare you? You must address Amagi-nee-sama with respect and honour!" (Akagi-chan) "Akagi." (Amagi-chan) With a stern look and sharp voice, she silenced the other fox girl. "Yes. Feel free to call me however you like. I am an inexperienced child after all." (Amagi-chan) "Amagi-nee-sama..." (Akagi-chan) "No. I mean, you are a child but I wouldn''t go that far to say you are inexperienced." "It''s the truth. *sniffle*" (Amagi-chan) Amagi-chan sat on the sand and beckoned me to sit with her. Akagi-chan seems displeased though. Amagi-nee-sama, you are going to dirty your kimono." (Akagi-chan) "We can wash it later. Just a bit of water should get rid of the dirt. Anyway, Shioi-san, can I ask you some questions?" (Amagi-chan) "Sure. Go ahead. I will try to answer them to the best of my abilities." I replied as I sat down with her. "Then... For my first question, are you from the Sakura Empire? Or are you from another new faction? I don''t have any memories of an aircraft carrying submarine." (Amagi-chan) Ah, we are starting from there, huh. "I''m not from the Sakura Empire, but I am from a similar... I will just borrow that term... a similar faction. I belong to the IJN. Our main objective is to defeat the Abyssals and take back the seas.And I can''t blame you for not remembering the Sentoku I-400 class. We were created near the end of the Great War. For a secret weapon, we didn''t contribute much to the war effort." "I see... Secondly, these Abyssals... Are those the weird black monster we see whenever the fog clears?" (Amagi-chan) "That''s right. In a way, they are like the Sirens, just a bit more grotesque and fleshy." I continued to sate Amagi-chan''s curious mind. She asked about my weapons, the members of IJN, the Sirens present in this world... They keep on saying that world but I have no idea what they are referring. Are they really from another world? I thought that sort of thing only exists in anime and manga. But if they really were from another world, then that would explain a lot of things and why are they not knowledgeable about a sorts of things. Wait a second. The girls at Azur Lane also came from another world too, didn''t they? And the fact that they don''t know about the Abyssals further cements this theory. As we spoke, Akagi-chan fell asleep on one of Amagi-chan''s tails. "What was your life back at the place you call home?" (Amagi-chan) Woah. I wasn''t expecting that question to pop up. "Everyday is so fun. We would practice together, sortie together, play games, hang out, it was great. Despite being a military organization, I would say we have quite a bit of freedom. So long as we don''t do anything drastic like blowing up the base, we can do anything we want. Of course, when they is work to be done, we will give it our all. That''s the only way to repay him for all he has done for us. Admiral treats us very well. To be frank, when he first came in, I expected him to be like the rest and treat us as mere weapons for this war. But he sucked at it so he decided to treat us like girls. I''m not saying that is a bad thing, I''m just happy that such a person came into our lives. He plays with us, cares for us, rewards us when we are successful, scolds us when we do something stupid and dangerous, calms us down whenever we have an episode. He is sometimes lazy though, and that really annoys Ooyodo and Zuihou. He is also a bit a pervert. Doing that in the office..." I suddenly remember the time I caught Admiral and Shigure about to make out on the office sofa. I feel a sharp pain in chest. My injuries must be acting up again. I need to go home and take a long bath at the docks. "What''s wrong?" (Amagi-chan) "It hurts a little. I need to take a bath in the docks back home." "You were inured?" (Amagi-chan) "Yeah. I needed to get a little close to my enemies to defeat them with malfunctioning torpedoes. So the explosions were a little too close for comfort." "I never had of an explosion causing chest pains. Either you have a serious problem or it''s something else entirely." (Ticonderoga) Amagi-chan and I turned around to see Ticonderoga-san and the other Eagle Union girls walking out of the forest. Instead of the bunny suits, they were wearing something else. Allen-san was wearing a white and blue leotard with a hole exposing the underside of her chest. Archerfish-san wore a blue and white blouse and white frilly skirt. Morrison-san had a one piece dress with the same colour scheme as the others, and held a fiece-looking yellow teddy bear. Boise-san''s outfit consist of a white mini dress, white leggings, and a gas mask. San Francisco-san also wore a similar mini dress, only difference is that hers is white and black. She also has a black jacket zipped up at the bottom. Ticonderoga-san''s outfit is the same as I saw her. Hmm? New Jersey-san isn''t here. "Don''t worry about that girl. Give her some time to rest and she would come bouncing back." (Ticonderoga) "You sure about that? This time is worst than before. I say she is finally breaking down." (San Francisco) "Now it''s not the time..." (Boise) "Yo, foxy. Finally came out of your hiding hole, huh." (San Francisco) "San Francisco, please, now it''s not the time for this. We have bigger issues at hand." (Ticonderoga) "What''s the point if we are going to die out here anyway?" (San Francisco) "At least this way, we can die in honor. It''s the only way we can honour our friends deaths." (Allen) They look like they are ready to go to war. The fog is getting thicker and closer. "Um... May I ask, what is going on here? What happened to all of you before you came to this world? Why does New Jersey-san look like she is in pain sometimes?" Their faces turn grim. Morrison-san looked the other way. Allen B Summers-san wore a sad expression on her face. Little Enterprise looked as though she is about to cry. I just stepped on a landmine, didn''t I? "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have asked that." "It''s all right. It''s just... I thought I got over it already..." (Allen) "It''s hard..." (Morrison) "The 2nd Reenactment Incident. As you have found out, we came from another world. In that world, our Commander led a rescue to save some of our girls from a supposed Sakura Empire attack. Jersey and I were part of a patrol fleet when that happened. Once she heard that our Commander is participating in the rescue mission, she immediately put us on a course to AF. That''s when things went south." (Ticonderoga) "At the same time... *Sniffle* The Sakura Empire was also being attacked by the Eagle Union. We thought that Azur Lane had finally decided to bare their fangs so I ordered a full-on assault. I was so dumb..." (Amagi-chan) "In the ensuring battle... in the mirror seas... We... lost contact with our Commander... He was killed during our fight with Sakura Empire." (Little Enterprise) Little Enterprise voice was breaking. She was trying to hold back her tears. "But that was part of their plan. By tricking us and the Sakura Empire, they were able to cut our connection and assassinate him. Without the Commander to guide us, our base... everyone... was killed." (Allen) "That was when the Sirens decided to pull this sick prank on us. Before we had the time to collect ourselves , the Empress teleported the survivors into this world, onto this island. Not only are there Sirens here, but those black sea monsters are roaming around. And there are strange shipgirls going back and forth, doing something sus." (Ticonderoga) That must have been us. "She may not look like it, but New Jersey blames herself. She thinks that if only she had been truthful about her power level, the Commander wouldn''t have assigned her to the patrol fleet. Things wouldn''t have ended up like this if she was by his side." (Ticonderoga) "We are on our own now. And we are losing. We don''t have a Commander, our resources on this island are dwindling. We can''t get out of this godforsaken island. We are going to die here like the others. But at the very least, we want to die a soldier''s death." (Archerfish) They don''t know... "Ticonderoga-san, what if I told you there is still a chance? A chance to continue and win this fight?" "Huh? Are you drunk? There is no way we can win this. we already told you, we barely have any resources to continue this fight. Our friends are all gone! It''s the nine of us against them!" (San Francisco) "San Francisco, calm down." (Archerfish) "You said it yourselves. You are all from a different world. What makes think that this world is any different from yours. Out there, your friends are still fighting against the Sirens! Enterprise, Saratoga, Akagi, Kaga, Shinano, Nagato, Belfast, Dido, everyone is out there fighting. And you are all going to join them. That includes you, New Jersey-san!" New Jersey popped her head from behind the tree. Her eyes filled tears and her face with snot. "Jersey? How long have you been there?" (Ticonderoga) "Shinano is here too?" (Amagi-chan) "Enterprise? Wait, there is another me?" (Little Enterprise) "The Commander in this world is well and alive. I don''t know how your Commander was in your old world, but I can assure that this one will be the same." "How are you so sure? It is as if you have met him before." (Archerfish) "We are allies after all. I told Amagi-chan about this but I haven''t mention it to the rest of you. I''m from a organization called IJN. We are allies with Azur Lane in this world. He may not be your old Commander, but this way, you can continue his legacy." "Really? Will I... Do we have a second chance?" (New Jersey) "Yes. You will make it out of here alive, and you will continue this fight." It''s late. Admiral must be worried sick right now. I took out the Anchor Fairy, who glared at me for bringing her out this late and delaying her job. "Sorry. But can you do it now?" "Hmph. Finally! I don''t usually work when it''s dark, girly! But I will make an exception, just this once. You better make sure you bring me back home safely. I had enough of rocking about in my quarters for a month." (Anchor Fairy) "Ahaha. I will." "What''s that?" (Amagi-chan) "It''s talking..." (Allen) The Anchor Fairy took a look at everyone and paused to think for a while. "I got it. Let''s make this totem a big one. And let the whole world know that we were here! A large bunny with nine fox tails!" (Anchor Fairy) Ah. I picked a hot-blooded one... "Just a simple one would suffice, please." "No! I''m not letting this inspiration go to waste! And besides, I will be done in a few minutes." (Anchor Fairy) The Anchor Fairy went ahead and worked her magic. I really hope she doesn''t take a long time to finish. I want to go home. I want to see Admiral... Chapter 239 - 216.5 It has been 4 hours since contact with Shioi was lost. I''m on the verge of a heart attack. Ooyodo, Akashi and Yuubari managed to get the radio and communication channels working again but realized that connection with Shioi has been disabled, and something is preventing us from reconnecting with her. I have a brief idea on who the culprit is. Hiei''s Fast Carrier Task Force went to Shioi''s last known location to search for signs of her, only to be met by a bunch of Siren sh.i.p.s and a thick black fog. Those sh.i.p.s and that fog must be the ones responsible for cutting our connection with Shioi. What are they doing here? With the Siren''s involvement, the situation was handed over to Azur Lane, who announced they are going to launch an operation to get rid of the fog tomorrow. Rather than the Sirens, I''m more concerned about Shioi''s whereabouts. The only thing I know is that she is still alive. Severely damaged but alive. I can still monitor her vitals on my console. My heart almost came out of my mouth when I saw her symbol instantly switched from green to orange and then to red, all in a matter of seconds. After that, it just remained like that. Either she is hiding, or she got captured by the Sirens. No matter what state she is in, I need to find her. If it weren''t for this stupid protocol... "Is there really no way I can circ.u.mvent this?" "Sorry, Admiral. But unless you want to be court martialed, we need to wait at least 12 hours before a search-and-rescue fleet can be deployed on our own. We still need to send in a request and get it authorized." (Ooyodo) "Send the request to HQ first." Is there really nothing I can do, except wait? "Admiral, I know you''re worried but there is really nothing we can do at the moment. Shioi is definitely still alive. That girl must have taken refuge at Node P." (Ooyodo) "If she did, she would have set up the totem by now. Reports that the Heavy Cruiser Princess has showed up would be coming in and the map would have been updated by now if she is at the island." "Maybe she is on way back home?" (Rei) "She would be back by now if that''s the case. What do I do? I can''t bare to lose her. I don''t want a repeat of that- bhgghgbf!" Rei pressed both hands on my cheeks midway through my panic talk and twisted my head towards her, causing me blurt a bunch of incomprehensible stuff. I think I heard my neck crack a bit. "Calm down. If you panic now, you are going to break down even faster. Take a deep breath, hold for ten seconds and slowly exhale." (Rei) "Ai kent boo yit wike yist..." "Huh?" (Rei) I tapped her hand. Rei understood and released me immediately. My neck hurts. I took a deep breath and exhaled. "Ooyodo, can you brew us some tea. Get yourself a cup too." "One with two cubes and the other with cream and three cubes?" (Ooyodo) "Yep." "Wait, how did you know I want mine with cream and three cubes of sugar?" (Rei) "I have been doing this for years. It will be weird if I don''t pick up on my superiors preferences. And Avrora-san told me that you prefer your tea to be on the sweeter side." (Ooyodo) A short while later, Ooyodo came back with three cups of black tea. I took a sip from my cup and let the warm tea work its calming magic on my body. "Thank you, Ooyodo." "Your welcome." (Ooyodo) These two ladies are right. There is no point in panicking. I must handle the situation calmly. "Alright, time for an emergency meeting. Let''s discuss ways how to get rescue Shioi without getting caught." "I thought you might say that..." (Ooyodo) "Let''s do it!" (Rei) I displayed the map of the mission area on the tactical map. I drew a circle where the fog is reportedly located. "First let''s list out all the information we have and the possibilities. I don''t want to do this but I think we can assume the black fog has already engulfed Node P. Shioi''s vitals hasn''t changed since then so it''s safe to say she is hiding somewhere, either on the island or in some cave." "I think we can scratch the cave part. I wasn''t really serious about that." (Rei) "But we can''t rule out that possiblity. Shioi might have blown a hole under the island and hid there." (Ooyodo) "True. Worst case scenario, she might have been captured by the Sirens. If that''s the case, she might be trapped in one of the Siren sh.i.p.s. That will put her at risk if we were to launch an assault." "A 50-50 chance... I don''t think we should risk it." (Rei) "Yeah. It puts Shioi at too much of a risk." (Ooyodo) "I say we take it." "Why?" (Rei) I drew a few rectangles to represent the sh.i.p.s and shaded the certain parts of some of them, "Instead of straight up destroying the Siren sh.i.p.s, we hit non-vital areas of the ship. Shioi is a smart girl. She will use the chance and damage within the ship to escape into the waters. Then, we can rescue her. But that''s assuming the worst case scenario. If she is hiding on the island or nearby, we can just punch through. However, the fog is a problem. We have no idea what it is or it''s effects. Azur Lane might know but they will only launch an investigation tomorrow. I would prefer to save her today." I think that''s all we have for now. "Next, how do we save her without being caught. I was thinking of tricking HQ and saying that there are some new shipgirls that require rescuing but I doubt they are stupid enough to believe that. Especially Rondo." "Admiral, that is a stupid idea. Of course HQ won''t believe that." (Ooyodo) "How about I convince my father to authorize a rescue mission?" (Rei) "That could work, but your father is a stickler for rules. And he hates my guts, actually he hates everyone, so I doubt he would allow that." "He doesn''t hate everyone... I think..." (Rei) "How about we send in the submarine girls? They specialize in covert missions, and will be more than happy to do the rescuing." (Ooyodo) "That brings us to the problem with the fog. We don''t know it''s effects. I am desperate to save Shioi, but I don''t want to put the others at an unnecessary risk." In the past, when Zuihou was captured, I was able to easily launch a rescue operation on my own with some trial-and-error and with Rondo authorization in the form of an order. This time, there is one uncertain variable that can jeopardize everything. This is tough. I took another sip of my tea. Come on, think. I can rely on Rondo again, but I rather not do that. He has already helped me several times now. I can ask Azur Lane for help but will they agree though? Maybe I can pull the ''you owe me'' card, forcing them to repay the favour. But that will definitely soir our relationship with them, not to mention leave a bad taste in my mouth. But they are my safest option right now. I don''t think I have much of a choice. Sorry, but I going to be jerk for a bit. "We will force Azur Lane to help us. Tell them it''s about time to return the favour." "Woah. That''s a very bad way to do things." (Rei) "I know. I would prefer not to do that. But they are the only ones who can do it right now. They have the expertise and the equipment to deal with the Sirens. It''s only the matter on getting them to make a move right now. They are going to check the area out tomorrow but I can''t wait that long. And neither can Shioi." Suddenly, Ooyodo''s communication console started ringing. Someone is calling. Ooyodo went back to the console and answered it. "This is Maizuru Naval Base. Please state your name and designation. Oh, you are- I see. Yes. That''s true. We have a shipgirl whose last known whereabouts is in that location. Umm... But we haven''t received any new info and updates." (Ooyodo) Suddenly, the tactical map and console started beeping simultaneously, revealing the Heavy Cruiser Princess''s location and the possible routes to take. Wait, hold on... "It''s updated now. Eh? We haven''t received the authorization to- Oh, I see. Thank you so much. Yes. I understand." (Ooyodo) Ooyodo disconnected the call and returned to the tactical map. "The Heavy Cruiser Princess appeared. Shioi is on that island." That''s great. But I can''t rest easy yet. "Admiral, you are wanted at the port in 10 minutes." (Ooyodo) "Why? And who was that?" You will see. And she should be coming in soon." (Ooyodo) Ooyodo just smiled. Wait, who is coming in soon? The fax machine suddenly come to life and spat out a sheet of paper. That thing hasn''t been used in ages. I''m surprised it still works. I took a look at the paper and my jaw almost dropped. It was my request to send a rescue fleet to look for Shioi. The large words ''approved'' was stamped on it. Beneath it was the Marshal Admiral''s stamp. Why did this go to the Marshal Admiral? Didn''t it go to the the other Grand Admirals? There was a note written at the bottom stating ''no more than 4 with you''. Is that the number of shipgirls I can deploy? Why not a full fleet though? And what does it mean by ''with me''? There is a lot of things I don''t understand but that''s not important now. A chance has been offered and I''m taking it. "The Marshal Admiral''s stamp? Why is he involved?" (Ooyodo) No more than four shipgirls. Who can I pick? I heard the door creak open, "Umm... Is Admiral here?" (Shigure) Shigure popped her head in. "What''s wrong?" "Is everything alright? The others are worried, especially Shion." (Shigure) Of course she would be the most worried. Her little sister has gone missing. I know who to bring along. "Shigure, call those twins and Shion. Equip yourselves with night battle equipment and meet me at the port stat. We are going to rescue Shioi." Chapter 240 - 217 I am beginning to understand what the Marshal Admiral''s note meant. I did not expect this all. Parked at our port was a large battleship, with it''s large twin 381mm guns, 12 single 140mm guns , and 4 single 102mm AA guns turned away from land. A single gangway extended from the side of the ship to the pier, with a maid stationed at it''s landing. It was the ever stoic Sheffield. "We have been awaiting your arrival. Please board the ship. Master is waiting within." (Sheffield) "What is going on? What does saving Shioi have to do with this?" (Shion) "Only one way to find out." The four of us followed Sheffield on board the battleship. While Shion is a little confused about what is going on and how to save her sister, the other three look eager to explore the ship. It''s their first time on one, after all. I did bring Zuihou on board a battleship before but that one was a museum, it can''t really compare to an actual working battleship. To be honest, I want to explore too, but I have priorities. Sheffield led us to the ship''s bridge and knocked on the door, "Master, I have brought them." (Sheffield) "Bring them in." (Commander) Sheffield opened the door and gestured us to go inside. "Welcome. Long time no see." (Commander) "Same to you. Looks like you have more or less recovered." The Commander looks physically alright, minus him being skinnier than I remember and a brace on his left leg. He is using a cane as a support. " I still can''t walk properly though but it''s nice to come out after so long. You won''t believe the trouble I had to go through with Akagi and the others. Anyway, let''s go. Hood, if you would." (Commander) "With p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e." (Hood) The battleship roared to life and begin moving. What the heck? How? I don''t see a crew piloting the ship. No one is doing anything. How is the ship moving on its own? "This is Hood''s sh.i.p.s, the HMS Hood." (Commander) Oh. Ok, now it makes sense. Since this ship is technically an extension of Hood, she can control it. More importantly, "So, care to explain what''s this all about?" "Huh? That Admiral didn''t tell you anything?" (Commander) "Admiral? Where is he from and which one? And no, all I got was a stamped piece of paper." "Admiral Takamori. From Yokosuka Naval HQ." (Commander) "There are two Takamoris in Yokosuka. Does he sound like a young man?" Please tell me he sounds like a young man. "No. He sounds old. Like super old." (Commander) Oh no, "You idiot! That''s the Marshal Admiral! You called the Marshal Admiral?!" "The Marshal Admiral? I asked to speak to an Admiral or some higher ranking officer. He replied he is the Admiral in charge of the current operation you guys are doing. He didn''t say he was the Marshal Admiral, he just said he was Admiral Takamori." (Commander) What is Rondo''s grandfather doing? Is that why his stamp was on my request? "What did you say to him? Please tell me you didn''t say anything stupid." "Of course not. I just asked to bring you and your rescue fleet along. I explained to him the current circ.u.mstances and the urgency to push ahead with the mission. I also managed to convince him to let you tag along and go ahead with your rescue op." (Commander) That''s good. I was so worried for a moment. But now I have several questions. "Okay... But why do I need to-" "Sorry to interrupt, but why not we discuss this over some tea?" (Hood) Hood stood between us and gestured to a table set on the middle of the bridge. My four girls are already helping themselves to the snacks. Aren''t they carefree... I took a sip of the tea Sheffield had served me. Black tea, the same one I just drank while I was panicking back at base, minus the sweetness I''m used to. This one is a bit bitter. I suppose I need to add the sugar myself. They would explain the pot of milk and plate of sugar cubes on the table. "We have more than three hours before we reach out designation. Plenty of time to discuss our strategy." (Commander) "You haven''t explained why I''m needed here." "I''ll get into it soon. I will take questions once I''m done. As we speak, the fog is expanding it''s area of influence, turning whatever it touches into a myirror Sea. An hour ago, I sent Saratoga to scout the area so we can have a brief idea on what we are against. Our enemies are the standard mass-produced Siren sh.i.p.s, Siren elites, and Sakura Empire clones." (Commander) Clones? "Saratoga also discovered something unusual during her investigation. The fog is thick so she shouldn''t be able to see much. However, in the distance, there are flashing lights." (Commander) "Searchlights?" (Shigure) "No. Laser lights. Very strong and colourful laser lights. Even the shipgirls stationed outside the fog reported seeing the lights projecting against the surrounding clouds. That''s when I realized that there may be shipgirls stranded on the island. They probably couldn''t escape because of the copious amount of Sirens in the area. And they probably don''t know anything. Why else would there be laser lights being projected from a supposedly uninhabited island in the middle of nowhere? That was probably their way of letting us know that they exist, and that they are trapped. With that in mind, I called your HQ to inform them that we are pushing ahead with the operation to clear out the Sirens and rescue the isolated shipgirls. I know that you have a shipgirl that was last seen in the area so I asked if I could bring you along as well since I have no idea which shipgirl is yours. Your Marshal Admiral was the one the one who answered and gave permission to bring you along." (Commander) I see. So the possibility of shipgirls being stranded forced him to begin the operation early. But if that''s case, why does he need to tag along? Couldn''t he have just commanded the operation from his base? Why am I needed here? "Now that the context has been set, let''s move on to our strategy. The objectives are simple, defeat the Siren boss in charge of this Mirror Sea and rescue the isolated shipgirls. I have four fleets on standby, three main fleets and one submarine fleet, and ready to sortie on my orders. One fleet will be in charge of the rescue mission while the others will take down the Sirens. Your girls will follow the rescue fleet. Once they are secured, return back to this ship. As the name suggests, the Mirror Seas have a cloning effect, able to replicate shipgirls who enter the area. So make sure to only follow those with a neon blue armband. I will provide you with short-range radios to remain in contact." (Commander) "Wait, short-range radios? What for?" "Like I said, to remain in contact." (Commander) "The Mirror Seas block out all forms of communications from both outside and inside. You can''t contact others from the outside while inside and vice versa." (AL Hood) "However, communication can still take place if all involved parties are within the Mirror Seas. Because of that, I need to tag along as well. You see where I''m going with this?" (Commander) ... "Give me a second. This is a little too much info." Umm... Mirror Seas... Clones... Isolated shipgirls... Rescue... Block all communication from outside and inside... Can still communicate if everyone is in the area... Short-range radios... "Oh, I got it! So that''s why you need me here." "Yep. I can''t take care of two operations at once so I need some help. Since your missing shipgirl might be involved, I decided to rope you in. I will take command of my main fleet. You will take command of the rescue fleet. Don''t worry. We will be safe in Hood''s sh.i.p.s." (Commender) "Okay. Now I understand why we need to be on site physically, but now I got another question." "Shoot." (Commander) "Why did the Marshal Admiral only allow me to bring four of my girls? Was it something you specifically requested?" "There isn''t any special reason. I just felt four girls will be more than sufficient. What I had in mind was a quick rescue op. Get in, retrieve the girls, and get out. With that, I require a fast fleet. The girls that are escorting you are heavily armed, so much so that speed isn''t really their forte." (Commander) "Okay, that sounds logical." "We have a some time before we rendezvous with the others, so feel free to explore the shop if you want." (Commander) "Just don''t enter or touch anything s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e. Please." (Hood) "Admiral, can we?" (Zuihou) "Go on. But be careful. I will call you girls back when we reach." "Yay! Let''s go." (Zuihou) The four girls made their way out of the bridge. The sound of their pattering footsteps became softer and softer, until they can''t be heard anymore. I made my way to the sh.i.p.s deck. It''s been a long time since I got the chance to experience the sea breeze like this. The stars are pretty... Ah. I found a good spot to enjoy the breeze and gaze at the night sky. On top of this 381mm twin gun. How nostalgic. Back in my training days, I spent a good seven months on a training cruiser. During my free time at night, I would sneak to the top of one of the turrets a gaze at the stars for a while. I got caught and punished a few times though. Be it cleaning the toilets, night duty, or solitary confinement, none of them could keep me away from my favourite spot on the ship. I wonder how Shioi is doing. She must be scared. She is a tough and smart girl, so she is probably hanging out somewhere safe, or maybe she is with the other shipgirls that are on that island. Shioi has been with me for a long time. She was there when I first came to Maizuru Naval Base. Lately, I haven''t been paying much attention to her. Heck, I didn''t even fulfill her numerous request of giving her an active role until now. I wouldn''t be surprised if she were to be disappointed with me. But right now, I just want to bring her home. I care for all of my shipgirls, but just like Zuihou, Zuihou-chan and Shigure, Shioi has her own little spot in my heart. "What are you doing?" (Commander) "Just thinking about stuff." "I see. Is the view great from up there?" (Commander) "Yeah. It''s perfect." "I want to see. Is there enough space for two people up there?" (Commander) "I mean, it''s bigger than that door in that one movie, so yeah. You can even fit three people up here." "Brilliant. I''m coming up." (Commander) I can hear the ladder move and someone groaning in pain. Wait a second. Who was talking to me? I turned my head to the right, just in time to see a hand rise out of nowhere, and than the Commander''s head. "Help me up. I still don''t have enough strength in my left leg." (Commander) "What are you doing? You shouldn''t be up here." I pulled him on top of the turret. "I want to see the same view as you." (Commander) "One more chance. Say something like that again and I will push you off." "How mean! Ahahaha. I played too much eroge when I was stuck in bed, so I learnt quite a few potential pick up lines." (Commander) That''s not what I was asking... "Jokes aside, I came to check on you. You looked depressed when you silently exited the bridge." (Commander) I did? I thought I was making a normal face. "I''m worried about Shioi." "I get you. I can also feel my heart stop whenever any of my girls fall off the radar." (Commander) "I know right? Whenever they suddenly disappear, scary thoughts fill your head. Like are they still alive? Can I still save them? How do I get them back?" "I won''t go that far, but I know what you mean." (Commander) The both of us stared at the night sky, silently enjoying the twinkling stars. Maybe I should invite the others to go stargazing with me. Doing this with a guy is little... "By the way, I have been wanting to ask something. Why didn''t you ask us to help?" (Commander) "Hm? What do you mean?" "You have a missing shipgirl in our mission area, right? You could have ask me to help you find her. If you did, I would have pushed ahead with the operation, and maybe I won''t have to drag you out here with me." (Commander) "To be honest, I wanted to force you to help me. I was afraid you would deny me, so my initial thought was to use the previous times I helped you to force you to return the favour. Ouch! What was that for?" My arm throbbed after he punched me. "That is for being an idiot. What the heck are you saying? You don''t have to force me to help you. Just ask me and I would do it!" (Commander) "But it''s not your girl in danger. Why would you risk your life to help someone who isn''t related to you?" "What? And be a jerk to the person who has already helped me countless times? We are friends. Friends help each other and don''t demand any payment. You could rely on me once in while, can you?" (Commander) Oh... How could I fail to notice that? "You are right. Sorry..." "Next time, if you need help, don''t be afraid to ask. Azur Lane will always lend a helping hand. And if you find any fun stuff, you better share with us." (Commander) "Likewise, Maizuru will also be ready to help whenever you need.I will try to remember to share those fun stuff with you guys." "Master and guest, sorry to interrupt you bonding session but we are reaching the rendezvous point very soon. Please return to bridge." (Sheffield) Sheffield stared at us blankly. When did she get here? "Already?" I immediately climbed down the turret. Wait for us, Shioi. We are coming. "Master?" (Sheffield) Hm? I turned around to see Sheffield looking up at the Commander, who is looking down from the turret with a concerned face. "What''s wrong? Don''t tell me...?" "Well that was dumb. How do I get down from here?" (Commander) Sheffield let out a exasperated sigh. Chapter 241 - 218 "Any questions?" (Suwanto Ao) Only silence... "Good. You have your roles. Let''s destroy this Mirror Sea!" (Suwanto Ao) The girls let out a battle cry. The way Ao rallies his girls is not much different from how I do it. "We will set out in fifteen minutes. Use this time to prepare yourselves." (Suwanto Ao) The black fog floated about menacingly, giving off a sense of dread. In the distance, colorful laser lights penetrated the fog and project itself on the surrounding clouds. Our objectives is the island where the lights originate from. The place Shioi is at. I turned to my girls, "You know what to do." "I will scout and deal as much damage to any enemy I come across." (Shion) "Leave the long range attacks to us." (Zuihou) "I will take out those that managed to break through." (Shigure) "There won''t be any. I can assure you that." (???) All of us turned to see tall girl with long blue hair. Her outfit consists of a snow-white military-esque uniform and a matching white coat. Imprinted on her coat has the insignia of the North Union. Her c.h.e.s.t was covered with a black cloth, revealing parts of her frontal assets. She also wore a pair of black stockings. The most interesting part of her is her rigging. Two metallic dragon-shaped constructs sprout out from behind her. Both dragon constructs held a claymore in it''s mouth and two triple 406mm cannons lined it''s body, assuming that is it''s body. "Erm... And you are?" "Sovestsky Soyuz-class battleship, Sovetskaya Belorussiya. Comrade, let us join hands and lay waste to our enemies. Using my methods, of course!" (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) "So you are Rossiya''s sister. Please to meet you. I''m Admiral Keita. I''m in charge of Maizuru Naval Base." "Oh. So you are the Comrade Admiral I have heard so much about from my comrade''s letters." (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) "Belorussiya? When did you come on board?" (Suwanto Ao) "Only just. I want to see the one that will leading my comrades." (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) "I read your files. It''s an honor to work with a strong battleship like you." "If excellency is what you seek from the Sovetsky Soyuz class, I am your best and only true option!" (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) "Then, I look forward to seeing the results." "I must add that these girls are also going to go home with you." (Commander) Huh? "Why?" "There are the North Union shipgirls I promised you before. So treat this mission as an icebreaker." (Commander) "You can''t just throw things at me like this. Ah whatever, the newly expanded North Union dorm was completed yesterday." "So after we are done we get to see the others?" (???) A girl in white uniform and blue skirt approached us. Her hair was white as snow. She was also in the files I read, "Comrade Kirov, am I right?" "Oh? I see you know your stuff. Salutations, Comrade. I am Kirov. My appearance, rigging, and class are all unimportant in the greater scheme of our ambitions. What matters is that we work together to achieve a future of red glory." (Kirov) "I look forward to be working with you." The girls that are part of the rescue fleet are Sovetskaya Belorussiya, Kirov, Tallin, Murmansk, Gremyashchy, and Gromky. All of them are from the North Union. They are essentially our muscle in this operation. "The others are awaiting their orders. Let''s crush the Sirens together." (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) "Belorussiya, make sure you follow Keita''s orders. Don''t go running off on your own again." (Suwanto Ao) "I know. Let''s go. Comrade." (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) Sovetskaya Belorussiya and Kirov kept of the sh.i.p.s deck and back onto the water. "You four better join them. Get yourselves acquainted." "Roger." (All) "Sheffield-san, can I get some more tea?" (Zuihou-chan) "Acknowledged." (Sheffield) Sheffield poured Zuihou-chan a cup of black tea. She rubbed her eyes sleepily as she drank. Maybe I shouldn''t have brought her along. It''s way past her bedtime. "Zuihou-chan, maybe you should stay back and support from here. I''m sorry for dragging you out here." "No. I''m happy to be here. I''m just a little sleepy, *yawn~* that''s all." (Zuihou-chan) That''s not just a little. "Besides, I learned something interesting just now from Shion-chan." (Zuihou-chan) "What did you-" "Of course, I''m not telling Admiral. Not yet, at least." (Zuihou-chan) I ruffled her hair. "Nnaa!" (Zuihou-chan) "If you are unable to handle it anymore, don''t be hesitant to come back here. I will let you sleep on my l.a.p." "I suddenly feel very sleepy. Ow ow ow! You are going to pull it off!" (Zuihou-chan) "Yeah yeah. We need to go now." (Zuihou) Zuihou pulled her little sister''s ear and dragged her to the deck. "We are off, Admiral." (Shigure) "Be safe out there." I watched as the four girls jumped off the ship, disappearing from my sight. The sound of water splashing lets me know that they have landed on the water surface. I turned on my radio, "You girls alright?" "I''m fine." (Shigure) "I''m okay." (Shion) "Me too." (Zuihou) "Same here." (Zuihou-chan) "Who is this?" (???) "Oh my. What cute children!" (???) "This one is almost the same height as us." (???) "Let''s introduce ourselves to one another as we go. For starters, I''m Admiral Keita. I will be leading the ten of you in this rescue mission. Let''s work together." "All units, advance into the Mirror Sea!" (Suwanto Ao) The HMS Hood started moving towards the fog. The bow disappeared, followed by the deck, and then everyone else in the bridge as we passed through. I closed my eyes, anticipating that something is about to happen to my body and the horrors I''m about to see. It was a relief but kind of disappointing to find that nothing really happened. The air turned heavy but apart from that, it was as if we hadn''t entered a dark area. The place was bright and the skies were clear as day. This doesn''t make any sense. Then again, it''s Siren tech. Nothing makes sense. I can see Siren sh.i.p.s scattered all over the place. There are even some shipgirls moving around. Those must be the clones Ao spoke about. They do not have the beacon the girls from this fleet have. "Lucky us. No fog this time." (Suwanto Ao) "This isn''t normal?" "Usually we are met with low visibility. So this type of condition is perfect." (Hood) "Begin the operation! Wipe out the Sirens!" (Suwanto Ao) "Roger!" (All) --------------------------------------- Ao and I monitored our respective situations using our individual tablets. While we each have our own set of radios, the enclosed space kind of allows each team to hear whatever we are saying to our teams. Meaning my team can hear Ao''s orders while his team can hear mine. "Enterprise, enemy air fleets are approaching the rescue fleets position. Intercept them." (Suwanto Ao) The two light aircraft carriers flinched and huddled closer together. "Do not fret. We are more than enough to stop a few flies." (Sovetskaya Belorossiya) "Why are you freaking out over some insignificant creatures?" (Tallin) "It''s okay, Ao. They got it. Tallin, Kirov, if you would." "Fire all cannons! Don''t stop shooting!" (Tallin) "I have your back, Comrade Tallinn!" (Kirov) Tallin''s shark-like riggings and Kirov''s dragon-like riggings pointed up towards sky, aiming at approching siren planes. The planes resemble modern-day jet planes. In an instant, the planes were reduced to burning rubble as they fall from the sky. "You two. Are you alright?" "Ye-yeah. As long as she doesn''t come close, I guess." (Zuihou) "Ao, don''t worry about my team. We can handle things ourselves." "Alright. I''ll leave things to you. Enterprise and Yorktown, get more birds in the air. Sora, Ill.u.s.trious, Unicorn, be careful. Busters have broken through the vanguard. Bismarck, take out that Breaker." (Suwanto Ao) From where I''m seated, I can see and hear several explosions in the distance. "Sounds pretty chaotic over there." (Shigure) "Don''t worry about them. We have our jobs to do. Focus only on my voice." "Ugh. Gross." (Tallin) "Comrade Tallin! That''s rude!" (Murmansk) "Shion, how is it looking?" "There is quite a few Siren sh.i.p.s ahead of us. There are also two girls with long rabbit ears among them. They don''t have a beacon, so clones I guess. Just like the previous ones this one doesn''t have any submarines." (Shion) The plan is pretty simple on paper. While the others take care of the main Siren fleets, our fleet will circle around them towards the objective. Sounds easy, right? But that is before considering any potential threats along the way. Although most of the Sirens would be fighting the main subjugation fleet, some might spill towards us or are waiting to meet us in battle. That''s why I had Shion scout ahead first. So far, we have encountered two surface fleets. This one marks our third. "Hiryuu and Souryuu, huh. Even for clones, they are pretty formidable." (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) "Are they tough?" (Shigure) "Not as tough as the real ones back at Azur Lane. But they still pack a punch." (Murmansk) "Apart from the executors and elites, the clones are another troublesome enemy." (Gromky) "So, your orders?" (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) "Shion, launch two torpedoes salvos and crash dive immediately. Do as much damage as you can and stay out of sight until the fight is over. Zuihou and Zuihou-chan, get some fighters up in the end and intercept any planes. Zuihou-chan, don''t use your Abyssal Aircraft. Save your energy. Shigure, provide AA and fire support. The rest of you, show me what you got." "Roger!" (All) "Right. Let''s get this started!" (Shion) Shion brought out her launchers and fired a salvo of torpedoes at the clones. She hastily loaded the next batch of torpedoes and fired them out before crash diving to hide. Most of her torpedoes made contact with some of the Siren sh.i.p.s, severely damaging them. "Crush the enemy! Break their spirits, then their bones!" (Sovetskaya Belorossiya) Sovetskaya Belorussiya''s fired her cannons, finishing off the damaged sh.i.p.s and reducing a few more into burning rubble. The rest of the siren sh.i.p.s begin charging towards the fleet. "Comrade Gromky, Comrade Gremyashchy, take care of the Knights and Pawns. Comrade Tallin and Comrade Murmansk, you deal with the Bishops and Busters. Comrade Kirov, you and I will handle the rest. You girls will handle the air support and AA." (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) Don''t just change things on your own! I was going to interject but decided not to. Belorussiya''s file did mention that she likes to switch things up a bit. I want to see how well they handle this. "Admiral, what should we do?" (Shigure) "Do as she says for now." The North Union girls charged forward, destroying the Siren sh.i.p.s in the path with a mix of cannon fire and melee attacks. Belorussiya, Kirov and Tallin were using their scary looking riggings to rip and tear through the Siren sh.i.p.s. I cold have sworn I saw a bear appear behind Kirov, which ripped a siren ship to shreds. Belorussiya''s rigging each held a sword in their mouth, which was used to promptly reduce the Siren sh.i.p.s to scrap metal. Gromky was slashing her way through with that oversized cleaver of hers whilst Gremyashchy swung her spiked ball and anchor around, knocking and smashing anything unfortunate enough to be within range. Only Murmansk seems like a normal shipgirl. She hasn''t done anything flas- Never mind, scratch that. She was simply waiting for the Sirens to come closer so her dragon-like riggings can reach for the kill. Her rigging is shorter than the others. As they moved, it looked as though they were dancing. The four girls stared at them mouth agape as the Russian sh.i.p.s reduce the mass-produced sh.i.p.s to scraps in a beautiful display of violence and move closer to the Hiryuu and Souryuu clones. Portals appeared behind the clones and more siren sh.i.p.s came pouring out. Now that''s just cheating. "Keep up the good work. Shion, get your Seiran up in the air. Shigure, torpedo and shelling if you would. Zuihou and Zuihou-chan, get some bombers along with the fighters. Zuihou-chan, get a small fleet of Abyssal bombers up and running. But don''t exhaust yourself. That''s an order." "Roger!" (Shion, Shigure, Zuihou, Zuihou-chan) Shion surfaced and launched all three Seirans into the air. Shigure leapt into air as she fire a salvo of torpedoes before bringing her guns in front. Zuihou and Zuihou-chan launched their bombers and began their bombing run. Zuihou-chan raised her hand high up and twelve Abyssal Cat Fighters poured out of her sleeves. "Heh. Interesting moves you got there." (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) "Comrade Belorussiya, we have more important things to stare at." "Hehe. I know that, Comrade Admiral." (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) Belorussiya aimed her cannons at the clones, "Cease your pointless struggling!" (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) Hellfire rained down on the clones and their minions with explosions galore. Everyone focused their attacks on the clones and before long, the clones exploded, disappearing into nothingness. So that''s what happens if they are killed. "Good job everyone. That was a magnificent display of power." "With Comrade Belorussiya on our side, we will surely come out victorious." (Kirov) "This comes as no surprise. All I did was nudge those fools toward the annihilation they so d.e.s.i.r.ed." (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) "Let''s continue the operation. Shion." "On it." (Shion) The Seirans returned to their master, detaching their floats and folding in their wings as they returned to the hanger. Shion closed her hanger and dived underwater, swimming forward. The rest of the girls followed soon after. Chapter 242 - 219 (Tentative ending) San Francisco-san swung her bat at the Siren Tracker, sending it flying high up into air. Boise fired at the airborne Siren, destroying it. "Phew. That''s all of them, for now." (San Francisco) More explosions rang out in the distance. Fireballs can be seen erupting from the both sea and air. "Woah. Things are pretty chaotic out there." (San Francisco) "Looks like that light idea of yours worked out in the end, Boise." (Ticonderoga) "This isn''t a dream, right? They are still alive in this world..." (New Jersey) After the Anchor Fairy built the totem, Boise suggested an idea to attract attention. She turned on every neon light and laser light on the island to the highest intensity. Even when the fog had encompassed the whole island, the lights still managed to pierce through. I think. It did attract attention. Within minutes, wave after wave of Sirens begin to show up, forcing everyone to go into battle mode. Amagi-chan and Amagi-chan got injured severely after the fifth wave, leaving New Jersey-san and the others to hold the fort. Ticonderoga and Boise are hurt but are still fighting. I can''t do anything, my equipment still refuses to work. All I could is sit on the beach and tend to the injured Amagi-chan and Akagi-chan. I used the towel I got earlier to stop the bleeding. Because they have been fighting for a while, I eventually learned the names of the scantily clad siren girls. "Get ready. The next wave is here." (New Jersey) "Oh come on! I''m about to go dry here!" (Archerfish) "I''m... almost out of ammo too..." (Morrison) "You two, get back. I still have plenty of planes left!" (Ticonderoga) "I can still fight!" (Little Enterprise) "I will make sure everyone gets to Azur Lane safely. I swear this on my title of the Black Dragon!" (New Jersey) New Jersey-san reactor spinner faster as her cannons took aim at the approaching Sirens. This time, there are no mass-produced sh.i.p.s, only the weird humanoid forms. I can see a few Trackers, Explorers and even Peace Breakers. This is going to be tough for everyone. Suddenly there was the sound of low-flying planes. A group of planes flew over the incoming Sirens, creating explosions among the Siren ranks. Then there was whistling, followed by a large explosion which engulfed a large number of Sirens. What is happening now? Wait. Those planes... Seirans, Suiseis and Abyssal Cat Fighters? If the Abyssals are not here, there is only one girl I know that can use those type of Abyssal Aircraft. And those three Seirans... Does that mean they are here? "What?! Where did that come from?" (Archerfish) "I hope it''s friendlies." (San Francisco) "Eyes in front. The enemy is still here!" (New Jersey) "Shioi?" (???) I quickly turned my head to the source of that voice. Onee-chan''s head was sticking out of the water as she looked at me. "Onee-chan?" "Shioi? Shioi! Shioi!" (Shion) Onee-chan dashed out of the water and into the beach. She dropped all of her rigging and equipment as she rushed to hug me tight. I''m so happy. I thought I would never see her again. "Shioi! Shioi!" (Shion) "Onee-chan! You came." "Who is that?" (Archerfish) "Ah. Wait. I found Shioi. She is with the nine other people." (Shion) "Hey! I asked, who are you?!" (Archerfish) Onee-chan took out her pistol and pointed it at Archerfish-san, who materialized two torpedoes in the air. I quickly stood between them, "Onee-chan, it''s okay. They helped me." "Is that true?" (Shion) "Yes." I turned to Archerfish-san, who was ready to launch her torpedoes. "Archerfish-san, she is my sister." "Your sister?" (Archerfish) "Since you are Shioi''s friends, I thank you for looking after my sister. The others are coming soon. Just sit tight." (Shion) "The others?" (Archerfish) More explosions rocked the island as another horde of Sirens got destroyed. There are more Abyssal Cat Fighters, Tenzens and Suiseis flying around now, dropping their payload and flying away before a salvo of shells decimated the Siren wave. "Huh. I didn''t expect the Americans to be here." (???) A tall girl with long blue hair wearing a white coat approached the island from the left. Two metallic dragon-shaped constructs sprout out from behind her, each with a sword in it''s mouth. Some familiar faces popped out behind her. "Shioi!" (Zuihou, Zuihou-chan, Shigure) "Guys!" The three of them rushed towards me, but Zuihou-chan tripped and fell onto the shallow water. "Oh dear. Looks the little comrade in at her limits." (???) Zuihou-chan''s face was red, with steam coming out of her body. "I''m okay. Just a little tired." (Zuihou-chan) "Look. Comrade Admiral is worried about you." (???) Admiral is here? "Eh? Okay." (Shion) Onee-chan took out her earpiece and passed it to me. I placed the earpiece into my ear. "Shioi, can you hear me?" (Admiral) I never thought I would be so relieved to hear his voice. My vision became a bit burly. "Woah. Why are you crying? Are you alright? It must have hurt a lot." (Admiral) Oh no. He can see me? This is embarrassing! "I hate to interrupt this wholesome reunion, but we beed to go. Now." (???) The girl with long white hair with a red streak interjected. "Comrade Tallin is right. We need to go before more of them show up." (???) "Wait. How do we not know that you are not clones?" (San Francisco) "Can clones talk like us? Geez. This is why you Americ-" (Girl with red streak) "Comrade Tallin, that enough." (Admiral) "Tch. Yeah yeah. Whatever." (Tallin) "Comrade Belorussiya, please bring them back to the HMS Hood. Don''t forget the injured as well. Sorry, Shioi. We can talk later. Right now, let''s get everyone to safety." (Admiral) "You there! Follow us. Woah. Why are you crying?" (Belorussiya) New Jersey walked up to the girl named Belorussiya. She is crying. "It''s true! You are- Everyone is-" (New Jersey) "You know her?" (Fluffy girl with fox tail scarf) "I don''t think so..." (Belorussiya) "Comrades, it''s better if we move now. Otherwise, we would be surrounded." (Girl with sharp metal rod) "Kirov is right. Let''s go. Boise, take Akagi. I''ll get Amagi." (Ticonderoga) "Can you move?" (Shion) "Yes. But I don''t think I can dive properly though." "Hop on. I will carry you." (Shion) "Eh? No way. I can''t let you do that." "Come on. Rely on your sister once in a while." (Shion) You know I can''t refuse you if you say it like that. Geez! I got on Onee-chan''s back and we both submerged partially into the water. Ticonderoga-san and San Francisco-san have secured Amagi-chan and Akagi-chan. But how are we going to get out of this? The Sirens have already surrounded us? "Looks like we a tad too late, Comrade." (Kirov) "We don''t have much a choice. Comrade Belorussiya, take the vanguard. The rest of you form a defensive perimeter around the injured. Destroy everything in sight and lead everyone out safely." (Admiral) "Hahahaha! Excellent! You really know what a lady wants, Comrade Admiral." (Belorussiya) Belorussiya''s rigging growled. Even with swords in their mouth, it looks as though they are smiling. In fact, everyone of the white-clad shipgirls are smiling. "We will support from behind." (Zuihou) "Let me help. It will be just like old times." (New Jersey) "I don''t know what is this old times you spoke off American, but I''m interested. Tell me all about it once we get out of this place." (Belorussiya) "Yeah. I will tell you all about it." (New Jersey) "All right, Comrades. Crush the enemy! Break their spirit and their bones!" (Belorussiya) "To arms!" (Kirov) "Fire control, I''m counting on you!" (New Jersey) "Let''s make some noise! Hahahaha!" (San Francisco) With Belorussiya leading the charge, everyone fought their way out of the Siren horde, destroying everything in their path. Admiral gave orders and informed the rest of incoming attacks. I wonder how is he seeing all this. The Mirror Sea is supposed to block of all communication from both in and out. That was the impression I got when the radio I had the manjuus build for me wasn''t able to pick up any signal apart from the other girls. Once we managed to break through, we made a beeline to a large ship. A step ladder dropped down towards us and everyone climbed up, except for Ticonderoga-san, who used her planes to fly herself onto the deck. "Sheffield, get the injured to the infirmary now!" (AL Commander) The voice of Azur Lane''s Commander sounded through the P.A system. Within second, a maid came running out to the deck. She checked on Amagi-chan and Akagi-chan, before leading Boise-san and Ticonderoga-san away. "Follow me." (Sheffield) "The rest of you, come on up. Zuihou, lead the way." (Admiral) No way... Why is Admiral here? "Let''s go." (Zuihou) Zuihou led us through the ship and into a room with a heavy-looking steel door. The floor was cold. Without touching the door, it opened on its own. And I suddenly find in Admiral''s arms. "Shioi! Oh, thank goodness! You are alright." (Admiral) "Ad-Admiral?! What- Why are you here?" "Because of some stupid effect this damn Siren construct has. Oi! How long are you going to block the door? Use your head!" (Tallin) "Ahaha. Sorry. I couldn''t help it." (Admiral) The Admiral brought us inside. Azur Lane''s Commander is also here. Why? "Alright. Head to the next point and finish them off. The mastermind should appear any time now. Give me a moment." (AL Commander) As soon as the Commander turned around, New Jersey-san charged towards him. "Wai- Hey!" (Kirov) "Sorry about that. Welco- Woah!" (AL Commander) New Jersey hugged the Commander and rubbed her face on his c.h.e.s.t, "It''s you! It''s really you!" (New Jersey) "Pudding... You really are alive in this world..." (San Francisco) "Wha-Huh? Um... Sorry. Who are you?" (AL Commander) "Ah. Oh right. Shioi did warn us about this." (New Jersey) New Jersey released her grip and took a step back. When we were the island, I told them that the Commander may not know anything about them. Based on what they just said, does that mean the Commander from their previous world is the same as this one? "I am battleship New Jersey, the indomitable Black Dragon of the Eagle Union. When I say "indomitable," I''m not just tooting my own horn, hehe~? If you knew more about me, you''d know exactly what I''m talking about." (New Jersey) Please to meet you, New Jersey. I''m-" (AL Commander) "Commander Suwanto Ao, right?" (New Jersey) "Eh? How did you know?" (AL Commander) "Did you tell them?" (Admiral) "No. I don''t even know his name." "Of course I know. I have a lot of things to tell you." (New Jersey) "I understand. But I need you to put that on hold for now. Right now, everybody is out there fighting. Once this fight is over, I will listen to anything you want to say." (AL Commander) "About that, we can help." (New Jersey) "No way. You are all injured one way or another." (AL Commander) "Don''t worry, puddin''. Just give some supplies and we will be back at full strength." (San Francisco) "Are you sure?" (AL Commander) "Yes!" (Little Enterprise) "Enterprise shrunk?!" (AL Commander) "Once you commit, there is no pulling out." (Boise) "I don''t really understand, but I can''t let you go back out there when we just retrieved you." (AL Commander) "Please! I don''t want that to happen again! I want to use my full power so such an event won''t ever happen again!" (New Jersey) "Again, what are you talking about? Ahh. I understand. But promise me this. All of you better come back here. Alive. Understand?" (AL Commander) "Yes!" (New Jersey, San Francisco, Archerfish, Little Enterprise) "Hood." (AL Commander) "There is some oil and ammunition in the cargo bay. I have already opened the door so take what you need." (Hood) "Thank you. Alright gang, let''s eat our fill and get back out there." (New Jersey) The four girls left the bridge. "Geez. If that''s the case. Alright, girls. Looks like we are in for some overtime." (Admiral) "More action for us." (Belorussiya) "Of course, it won''t be unpaid. Comrade Avrora has a stash of Vodka back at our base. I will convince her to share some." (Admiral) "I will hold you to that, Comrade Admiral" (Kirov) "I''m more of a beer person myself." (Tallin) "We have beer. Lots of them." (Admiral) "Th-then, I don''t mind working just a bit harder." (Tallin) Wah... A classic tsundere... You three are alright with helping as well?" (Admiral) "Yeah. I don''t mind." (Shigure) "I will make them pay for what they did to Shioi!" (Shion) Onee-chan... "I will help too." (Zuihou) "Alright. Zuihou-chan is already at her limit so she will stay with me. Ao, have you found where the mastermind is hiding?" (Admiral) "Not yet. This is a difficult customer. Playing hide-and-seek with so many people." (AL Commander) "Any ideas on how to drag them out?" (Admiral) "Usually if we destroy enough of their fleet, they will show themselves to deal with is personally." (AL Commander) "That means we haven''t destroyed enough. Alright girls. Find the remaining Sirens and send them back to their maker." (Admiral) "Wait. You are sending them out there again?" (AL Commander) "Of course. We are friends. Friends help each other in times of need. Now it''s one of those times." (Admiral) "Thank you, Keita." (AL Commander) "Get yourselves resupplied and head out immediately. Secure our victory from the enemy''s grasp!" (Admiral) Everyone else exited the bridge, leaving me and Zuihou-chan with Admiral. The Commander continued giving orders to the fleets fighting on the battlefield. "Admiral... You promised." (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan sleepily walked towards Admiral. Admiral sat on the floor, "Okay. Come here. You really pushed yourself today." (Admiral) Admiral stroked Zuihou-chan''s head as she laid on his l.a.p. How nice. "Shioi... Join me... You know you want to..." (Zuihou-chan) "Eh? No. I shouldn''t..." "You can, you know. It has been a rough day for you. You deserve some rest." (Admiral) "I can go rest in the crew quarters." "There are none. The crew quarters are all locked." (Admiral) "What non-" (Hood) That British lady was about to say something, wasn''t she? I think I saw Zuihou-chan remove a finger from her lips. "Come on. Don''t need to be so reserved." (Admiral) Admiral pulled my hand and dragged me to his l.a.p. This is amazing! I''m this close to Admiral! But... "It''s okay... Admiral is... Admiral is... Everyone can..." (Zuihou-chan) "And she is off to dreamland. She really did her best tonight." (Admiral) What did Zuihou-chan wanted to say? "Sorry, Shioi." (Admiral) "Huh? What for?" "For a lot of things. I''m sorry for neglecting you all this time. I''m sorry for not getting you an active role up until now. I''m sorry that I made you embarrassed with what I was doing with Shigure." (Admiral) Oh, that time... I actually ran away because of shock and something else. Of course I''m not going to talk about it. "But most importantly, I''m sorry for not spending much time with you. Even though you were with me the whole time." (Admiral) "Isn''t that the same as the first?" "I guess so." (Admiral) "Ehehe. You remind me of when we first met. Awkward and kind of lame." "Eh? Was that how you thought of me back then?" (Admiral) "A little bit." But that was what attracted me to you in the first place. Now, you have changed for the better... Maybe, "Admiral, can I spend more time with you from now on?" "Stupid. You don''t have to ask permission for that. I will indulge whenever you want." (Admiral) I can selfish every now and then. "Then, I will hold you to it." Chapter 243 - 219.5 Purifier... One of the Siren elites... Why was she at the center of the Mirror Sea? And what was her goal? During the operation two days ago, we managed to deal a huge enough blow on the Siren fleet to force the mastermind out of hiding. Little did we expect the Purifier to make an appearance. However, instead of putting up a fight like we expected her to, she simply destroyed the Mirror Sea herself, along with the rest of the Siren fleet, before disappearing through a portal. She didn''t even say a word. She just showed up all of a sudden, destroyed the remaining Siren sh.i.p.s and clones, shattered the Mirror Sea, and left as quickly as she came. Everyone was flabbergasted by her behavior. It''s good that we didn''t suffer any heavy casualties though. "It doesn''t make any sense. Why would one of the elite Sirens show up just to help us?" "Maybe it''s a tactic to trick us into letting our guard down?" (Zuihou) "I don''t know about that. Her main goal in life is to purify abnormalities in their so-called experiments. Why would she interfere in one?" Zuihou cupped her hands together and started squirting some water, "Maybe she is a clone herself." (Zuihou) "Impossible. Elite Sirens can''t be cloned." Or can they? Nah. That''s just ridiculous. "Well, no use thinking about it now. Let''s just enjoy our bath." (Zuihou) Zuihou stretched her hands high up, letting a few lucky droplets of water flow down her armpits. I can''t tell if she is trying to seduce me or she is really enjoying her bath. After an entire day of work and a few hours of overtime, I have finally finished my work. The weather is starting to heat up, with summer approaching pretty soon, so worked up quite a sweat. Nothing like a good relaxing bath with my girlfriend to end the day. I cupped my hands against Zuihou''s c.h.e.s.t and massaged those tiny hilltops. "Ahn! Wait. Admiral?! What are yo- Nh! Ahn!" (Zuihou) "Admiral... Wait... Ahn! Why are you doing this... Nn! all of a sudden...?" (Zuihou) I licked the nape of her neck and watched her shiver in response, "You are pretty s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e today." "If you do this... of course... I would be... Nh! Nn! Ahn! Wait! If you do that now...!!!" (Zuihou) I slowly traced her body from her c.h.e.s.t to her bottom levels and played with her most s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e area. Zuihou arched her back and let out a loud, s.e.xy m.o.a.n. She let her body collapsed back into my arms, breathing heavily. That was fast. Faster than usual. "Haah... Haah... What''s with you all of a sudden?" (Zuihou) "I just felt like it." "Geez..." (Zuihou) "Of course, I''m not going stop there. Not until I''m satisfied." "I guess there is not choice, you pervert of an Admiral~" (Zuihou) Our lips touched and our tongues explore each other''s mouths. ------------------------------------------ Another day, another experiment... What is my sweet little Empress up to now? Everyone is gathered in my room. "Your highness, the result were as you predicted. Those girls have been assimilated into Azur Lane." (Observer) Doing a great job as always, Observer-chan. Just like I built you to do. "There was a slight deviation, but we still managed to obtain the d.e.s.i.r.ed results. The phase ''third time''s the charm'' really holds true here." (Empress) "Hmph. Why are we bolstering their forces? We should crush them right now. In fact, we should have just killed that Commander right then and there. We had three chances." (Strength) Always the muscle head, Strength. Come on, use that brain a little, would you? I know I created you to be physically stronger than the rest but that doesn''t mean everything can be solved with physical strength and violence. Experiments take time. You can''t brute force your way through. "Come on, Strength. We already discussed so many times." (Temperance) "Enough, both of you. We shall begin preparation for the next experiment tomorrow. You all are dismissed." (Empress) My girls left the room one by one according to rank. The Arbiters left first, followed by my elites. Just like how I taught them. "Zero, wait." (Empress) Zero turn around, Keep an close eye on Purifier, would you? Her behavior has been rather... abnormal as of late. Inform me immediately when you see signs of corruption. I will fix her myself." (Empress) What did you do this time, Purifier-chan? I accessed the memory logs and looked at the latest recordings. Ah. I see. That is certainly uncharacteristic of you. "Your highness, you don''t have to take such menial task upon yourself. Purifier is part of the Elites. We will deal with her on our own." (Observer Zero) "No. I can''t risk a corruption among your ranks. I will deal with her myself. Not to mention, this is not the first time she helped our subjects." (Empress) Oh yeah. I forgot about that. Purifier-chan was the one who gave those self-proclaimed goddesses their equipment. Maybe she got corrupted again. "Understood, your highness." (Observer Zero) "You are dismissed." (Empress) Zero-chan left, leaving only me and my baby in the room. Empress-chan touched the tube where my remains are contained. I mustered enough power to move my hand, or what''s left of it, to where her hand is. Despite the glass between us, I can feel her warmth. "Ahh~ My darling Creator~ Just a while more. I will definitely restore you. Believe me." (Empress) I believe you... My beloved daughter... Chapter 243 - 219.5 (Rewritten cos the previous one was bad) The Siren Purifier, an elite Siren in charge of purifying the impurities present in their so-called experiments. She attack our base once but fled after our attacks did a number on her. Apparently, we were considered anomalies to them. She is extremely hostile, but would always stick to her name as a purifier. That being said, why was she at the center of the Mirror Sea? And what did she planned to achieve by helping us? During the operation two days ago, we managed to deal a huge enough blow on the Siren fleet to force the mastermind out of hiding. Little did we expect Purifier herself to make an appearance. However, instead of putting up a fight like we expected her to, she went and destroyed the Mirror Sea herself, along with the rest of the Siren fleet, before disappearing through a portal. She didn''t utter a single word. She just showed up, destroyed the remaining Siren sh.i.p.s and clones, shattered the Mirror Sea, and left as quickly as she came. Everyone was flabbergasted by her strange behavior. It''s good that we didn''t suffer any heavy casualties though. "It don''t get it. Why would one of the elite Sirens who loves to experiment so much show up just to destroy their creation? "Maybe it''s a tactic to trick us into letting our guard down?" (Zuihou) "That can''t be right either. Her main goal in life is to purify anomalies in their so-called experiments. Why would she interfere and be the one thing she swore to destroy?" Zuihou cupped her hands together and started squirting some water, "Maybe she is a clone herself." (Zuihou) "Impossible. The clones of her type can only mimic the original. They don''t have a mind if their own." Maybe they can, I don''t know. Or perhaps that was an imposter. "Well, no use thinking about it now. Let''s just enjoy our bath." (Zuihou) Zuihou stretched her hands high up, letting a few lucky droplets of water flow down her armpits. I can''t tell if she is trying to seduce me or she is really enjoying her bath. After an entire day of work and a few hours of overtime, I have finally finished my work. The weather is starting to heat up, with summer approaching pretty soon, so worked up quite a sweat. Nothing like a good relaxing bath with my girlfriend to end the day. I placed my arms around her belly and pulled her closer. "Hya! Geez, Admiral! Don''t just grab me all of a sudden." (Zuihou) "Hehe. You are so cute." "Wai- That tickles." (Zuihou) As I rest my chin on her shoulder, I moved my hands to her s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e places, both top and bottom. "Adm- Nn! Ahn!" (Zuihou) I c.a.r.e.s.sed her most important and s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e places, massaging them gently while applying the right amount of force to get a reaction. Zuihou''s twitched and she bent over. Her hands held onto mine, but she didn''t try to pull them off. She just gently held onto my hands as she continued twitching and m.o.a.ning. "No! I''m gonna... Ahhhnnn!" (Zuihou) Within a few more seconds of c.a.r.e.s.sing and teasing, Zuihou arched her back and let out a loud s.e.xy m.o.a.n. She stayed like that for a few seconds, before letting her body fall back into the water and in my arms. That was fast. Way faster than before. And all I did was just touching. "You are pretty s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e today. Such a l.e.w.d girl. "Haah... Haah.... That''s because... of you, Admiral. You kept training me..." (Zuihou) Huh? "Zuihou, say that again." "Erm... Say what? What did I said?" (Zuihou) She is trying to avert her eyes. "You broke into my collection again, didn''t you?" "N-no..." (Zuihou) "You did break into my doujin collection. That line was in one of my new ones. I don''t remember teaching you to say that." "I didn''t read it. Really!" (Zuihou) "Naughty girls deserve to be punished!" "Wait! Admiral! I''m still s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e! Ahh!" (Zuihou) --------------------------------------- A meeting, huh. So the current experiment is finally complete. The results and memory logs are being uploaded into the server. Everyone is gathered in my room for the debrief. "Your highness, the result were as you predicted. Those girls have been assimilated into Azur Lane." (Observer) Doing a great job as always, Observer-chan. Just like I built you to do. "There was a slight deviation, but we still managed to obtain the d.e.s.i.r.ed results. The phase ''third time''s the charm'' really holds true here." (Empress) Talk about finally. We had to rewind, reset and recalibrate everything twice before this outcome can be achieved. "Hmph. Why are we bolstering their forces? We should crush them right now. In fact, we should have just killed that Commander right then and there. We had three chances." (Strength) Always the muscle head, Strength. Come on, use that brain a little, would you? I know I created you to be physically stronger than the rest but that doesn''t mean everything can and should be solved with physical strength and violence. Experiments take time and care. You can''t brute force your way through. This world is not ready. Not yet. "Come on, Strength. We already had this talk so many times. How many times must I repeat myself?" (Temperance) "Enough, both of you. We got what we want, so it''s a success this time. Preparation for the next experiment shall begin tomorrow. You all are dismissed." (Empress) My girls left the room one by one according to rank. The Arbiters left first, followed by my elites. Just like how I taught them. "Zero, wait." (Empress) Zero-chan turn around, Keep an close eye on Purifier, would you? Her behavior has been rather... abnormal as of late. Inform me immediately when you see signs of corruption. I will fix her myself." (Empress) What did you do this time, Purifier-chan? I accessed the memory logs and looked at the latest recordings. Ah. I see. That is certainly uncharacteristic of you. Did you break? I didn''t built you to interfere with our experiments. You are supposed to get rid of the anomalies, not be one yourself! "Your highness, you don''t have to take such menial task upon yourself. Purifier is part of the Elites. We will deal with her on our own." (Observer Zero) "No. I can''t risk a corruption among your ranks. I will deal with her myself. Not to mention, this is not the first time she helped our subjects." (Empress) Oh yeah. I forgot about that. Purifier-chan was the one who gave those self-proclaimed goddesses their equipment. Maybe she did get corrupted again. "Understood, your highness." (Observer Zero) "You are dismissed." (Empress) Zero-chan left, leaving only me and my baby in the room. Empress-chan touched the tube where my remains are contained. I mustered enough power to move my hand, or what''s left of it, to where her hand is. Despite the glass between us, I can feel her warmth. "Ahh~ My darling Creator~ Wait just a while more. I will definitely restore you. Believe me." (Empress) I believe you... My beloved daughter... Chapter 244 - 220 Zuihou-chan let out a yawn and rubbed her eyes as we walked to the North Union dorm. I want to see how well the new North Union girls are coping. "Didn''t sleep well yesterday?" "I guess you can say that..." (Zuihou-chan) I didn''t really get much sleep last night either. I was punishing Zuihou for breaking into my doujin collection and learning some of the phrases within. It''s not like I don''t want her to say it. Rather, it''s the opposite, but I want her to say it at the appropriate time. That was the wrong time to say such a s.e.xy thing. "Hey, Admiral." (Shioi) Oh sh- That have me a fright. Shioi had jumped onto my back. Where did she come from? Behind? "Where are you going?" (Shioi) I gently grabbed the arm that is around my neck to prevent Shioi from falling off. I doubt she will get hurt if she falls off but still... "To the North Union dorm. Wanna follow?" "Sure. I still got some time." (Shioi) Shioi removed one of her arms around me. That''s my cue to release her. Ah. Umm... This is unusual... "W-what''s wrong?" (Shioi) Shioi wrapped her arms around mine. She blushed as she looked at me. She usually doesn''t do that. And if you are embarrassed, why do it? "Shioi, that''s wrong. You need to press your whole body against his arm. Make sure he can feel everything." (Zuihou-chan) "I-I see..." (Shioi) Now Zuihou-chan is doing the same. Only difference is that she is pressing her whole body against me. Oh, I can everything, alright. It''s mostly hard, but there are some squishy bits. And in the first place, "What the heck are you teaching her?! Shioi, you don''t have to listen to Zuihou-chan." I continued walking to the North Union dorm, with two girls pressing themselves against me. This situation is certainly what many men fantasize about but it isn''t as great as you think, especially if the two girls around you are flat. Shioi has a bit of meat but Zuihou-chan is underdeveloped. Maybe a little massage may help her grow. Wow, it'' only 9am in the morning and l.e.w.d stuff are all you can think about? Get it together, Keita. And besides, Zuihou-chan may not be ready. I would be lying if I said I don''t want to have a night battle with her. I want to treat and love all of them equally. Zuihou-chan is the only one who hasn''t combined with me yet. Zuihou-chan''s body is way too small and underdeveloped, I fear that she might not be able to take it. But if I neglect her again, our relationship might fall apart. Shioi... Does she like me? She has been spending more time with me ever since that day, unlike in the past. In fact, she seems to be more touchy-feely nowadays, ensuring part of her body is in contact with my skin whenever she''s got the chance. Not once has she ever behaved like this before. There was a moment where we were extremely close, back when I was still a newbie in this whole ''Admiral'' business. I don''t know when it all started but we ended up drifting apart. Even so, she wasn''t this touchy-feely. Something changed. This is the first time in a long while since she has interacted with me like this. She often hangs out with the other submarine girls, only coming to me to ask for an active role which I kept failing to fulfill. The ''pressing against my body'' part is definitely something she learned from Zuihou-chan. In fact, she often hangs out with Zuihou-chan nowadays. Shioi wouldn''t follow what that little CVL is saying if she doesn''t have some kind of motive. "Yo! Comrade Admiral, you are here." (Sovetskaya Rossiya) Eh? When did we reach the dorm? "Good morning, Rossiya-san." "Lovely morning today. The heat is a littlet not to our liking though." (Rossiya) "Summer is approaching. It''s going to get worst from now on." (Zuihou-chan) "Sister Rossiya! You dropped your screws all over the place again!" (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) Belorussiya walked up to her sister and gave a handful of screws to Rossiya, "Eh? When did I drop them?" (Sovetskaya Rossiya) "You didn''t noticed?" (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) "Good morning, Belorussiya-san." (Shioi) "Oh my. Good morning, Comrade Admiral, Comrade Zuihou-chan and Comrade Shioi. What brings you here?" (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) "Just to see how well your group is doing. I know it''s only been three days, but how is everyone coping?" "We are doing okay, Comrade Admiral. This is a comfortable place. I must say, I didn''t expect almost everyone to be japanese. Azur Lane was a little more diverse." (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) "Well, we are called IJN for a good reason. Where are the others?" "Comrade Gangut brought them out for training. They are testing their modified equipment. We already received permission from Comrade Commander." (Sovetskaya Rossiya) "I see. If you need anything, don''t be afraid to ask me. I will try to provide as long as it is within my power and budget." "Then, we would like some more vodka." (Sovetskaya Rossiya) "You still wanna drink? What about Avrora''s collection?" "We almost finished the ones that can be drank now. We are saving the best ones for the perfect occasion." (Sovetskaya Rossiya) "I guess I can provide that. Place your order through Ooyodo and I will process it." "All right! Thank you, Comrade Admiral!" (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) "We will be off. If there is anything wrong with your equipment, bring it up to Akashi. She will handle it." "See you, Belorussiya-san." (Shioi) The three of us made our way back to the main building. Along the way, Shioi stopped and gripped my hand. Something is definitely up with her. "Umm... Admiral?" (Shioi) "Yeah?" "The girls and I are going for some torpedo practice now. If you able to, can you come and watch? Maybe give us some feedback?" (Shioi) I checked my watch as Shioi twiddled her thumbs. Now it''s the time for Ooyodo to come and give me my workload for the day. Do I want to be a good and hardworking Admiral and go back to the office to start on my work? Or slack off, I mean, observe the submarine girl''s torpedo practice? The answer is pretty obvious. "I got some time. I can observe your practice." "Admiral, what about your work? Ooyodo is going to nag at you again." (Zuihou-chan) "I will cross that bridge when the time comes." Observing the growth of my girls is more important than some random doc.u.ment about some resources and the behavior of some Sirens and Abyssals. The training area is on the far end of the base, past the carrier dorm and submarine dorm. As we passed the carrier dorm, Zuihou-chan''s older self came out of the entrance, "Ah. Just in time. Zuihou-chan, follow me for a bit. I got something for you." (Zuihou) "What is it, Onee-chan?" (Zuihou-chan) "Just come here. See you later, Admiral." (Zuihou) Before the two sisters disappeared into the dorm, Zuihou tapped on both sides of the heart locket on her choker. She is asking me to look forward to tonight. Ooh~ I wonder what she has prepared for me? "Let''s go, Shioi. Before Ooyodo finds me." Today was tiring. I was able to observe three rounds of submarine torpedo practice, before Ooyodo found me and dragged me back to the office to rush a report detailing the general strategy I would be using for phase 3. It''s a bit too early for that. Sasebo isn''t even half-done with their part yet. I don''t even know what enemies we would encounter before fighting the Carrier Princess. All I know is that Shioi, Iku, Goya and Hachi would be equiped with seaplanes, as hinted by Rondo during our call the other day. So, I ended up writing a generic strategy about using torpedoes and seaplane bombers to clear out the various Abyssal fleets and sink the Carrier Princess. The most generic strategy which works most of the time. The guys at HQ must be bored, making me write such a thing without providing me any info. I sat on my bed, eagerly waiting for Zuihou to come in. Zuihou told me to take a bath first, before going in herself. What does she have in store for me? There was a knock on the door, "Come in. I have been wai- Huh?" Standing in front of me was Zuihou and Zuihou-chan, both in matching semi-transparent babydoll negligee. What is...? Hmm? Though turned on by the delicious sight in front of me, I am equally confused. Why is Zuihou-chan here? And where did she get that? Alarms are ringing in my head. Is this what I think it is? "Why is Zuihou-chan here?" "Isn''t it time for her turn? I figured out I would give you two a little push." (Zuihou) "..." (Zuihou-chan) "O...kay... But, Zuihou-chan, are you okay with this? This is your first time. Are you sure you want it to be like this?" "It''s fine... I guess. Admiral is also into this type of thing. It''s embarrassing though... Doing it with someone watching..." (Zuihou-chan) Since when did I say I''m into this? "Don''t worry. I will guide and support you. I''m more experienced in this after all." (Zuihou) Zuihou pushed her younger self to me. "Hyaa!" (Zuihou-chan) "Besides, isn''t this what you want? You kept broadcasting those feelings to me last night. I ended up feeling it twice as much as before." (Zuihou) "I did?! Wait, it has that kind of effect?!" (Zuihou-chan) What are they talking about? "I will explain to Admiral later, but for now, let''s have some fun~" (Zuihou) "Please take care of me..." (Zuihou-chan) Ehhh??? What should I do? A weird rattling noise can be heard. "Then, let''s prepare you first." I begin c.a.r.e.s.sing her body. Zuihou-chan let out a few muffled m.o.a.ns in response. "Let your voice out. You will feel better this way." (Zuihou) "But... It''s embarrassing... Nn..." (Zuihou-chan) I kissed Zuihou-chan as I pet her head. Her body tensed up and shivered for a bit, before relaxing. I managed to calm her down. Zuihou-chan looked at me with an e.r.o.t.i.c expression. I heard a switch clicked inside my head. Since I''m already like this, let''s just go all the way. "Don''t worry. Leave your body to me." "O-okay, Admiral." (Zuihou-chan) "Uh oh..." (Zuihou) Chapter 245 - 221 Iku launched a torpedo at the last Ri-class Elite, blowing it up and sinking it. "Yes! Iku had a great dazzling victory! I''m expecting a reward from you~ Admiral~" (Iku) "If you can defeat the Aircraft Carrier Princess and come back safely, I might consider it. Anyway, keep it up, girls. The next area belongs to the Aircraft Carrier Princess. Make your shots count. Stay back if you are hurt and don''t push yourself." The girls advance towards Node ZII. With Sasebo successfully sinking the Supply Depot Princess yesterday, it''s time for my submarine girls to shine in the third phase. So far, we are making quite a good progress. The whole week spent training really paid off. Their evasion and accuracy have improved drastically. They don''t even have a scratch on them. Of course, that is only for the time being. Once they face off with the Aircraft Carrier Princess, the story would be different. The camera showed a pale woman in the distance, with dark clouds hovering over her. The Abyssals really love their dark clouds. Let''s see...Since this one is wearing more clothes than usual, it''s a "Line Ahead formation and maintain fourth battle speed at all times unless ordered otherwise. Watch out for it''s Cat Fighter bombers. They have AS capabilities." "Roger!" (All) The girls begin to slow down as the move within range. "Be wrapped in flames...and sunk instantly...!" (Aircraft Carrier Princess) The princess let out a low growl, seeing as their is nobody in the area, before holding up her hand. A large black orb formed above her palm, before splitting into... I''m guessing twenty-four smaller orbs? I can''t really count them when they are revolving around her hand. The smaller orbs turned white and transmute into Cat Fight Bombers, leaving their creator in doves as the begin their hunt. Jokes on them, my girls are the hunters this time. "Go. Find them..." (Aircraft Carrier Princess) "Maintain your depth. They are alerted of your presence but haven''t spotted you yet. Launch your torpedoes and surface on my command to launch your seaplane fighters and bombers for the bombing run. Take out her escorts first. We don''t want any interference." I watched on the monitor as a squadron of Cat Fighter bombers flew over my girls. "Stay calm. Maintain your depth. Turn 50 degrees port and begin encircling around the fleet." After sending that generic strategy to HQ, I got scolded, of course, for not putting more thought into it. I argued that I don''t have enough information to come up with a good strategy, which is true since I''m feeling around in the dark over here. Only then did they provide me with the necessary information, in return I had redo my strategy for Phase 3. The strategy I had come up with is quite straight forward. First, take out the Light Cruiser Tsu-class and Destroyer Ro-class Late Model with torpedoes once they are in range. If we are lucky, we can also deal some damage to the Princess and her bodyguards. Then, conduct a bombing run on the Light Cruiser He-class Flagship and Heavy Cruiser Ri-class B Flagship to weaken them before finishing them with another serving of torpedo tempura. Finally, focus all attacks on the Aircraft Carrier Princess. It might be easier to sink the weaker Abyssals with seaplane bombers but I want to use their destructive power on the stronger ones instead. The girls will be constantly circling around the enemy fleet, using the water as cover. Though the Abyssal Aircrafts have AS capabilities, it will be easy enough to avoid them as long as I inform the girls about their bombing trajectory. "We are in range in 3... 2... 1..." (Shioi) "Fire!" All six submarine girls launched a salvo of torpedoes at the enemy fleet. Just as planned, the torpedoes hit and sank the weaker Abyssals first. The Light Cruiser He-class Flagship evaded the attack while the Heavy Cruiser Ri-class B Flagship took a hit for the Princess. "It evaded instead of protecting the princess." (Shioi) "That''s unthinkable. They would normally defend their princess no matter what." (Imuya) "That might be an intelligent Abyssal. Don''t worry. Just stick to the plan for now. We will have to adjust accordingly if that thing gets too dangerous." The princess glared at the He-class. I assume she realized something might be wrong with her subordinate, or maybe she is angry that it didn''t risk it''s feeble life to protect her. "Shioi, Goya, Iku, Hachi, surface and begin the bombing run. Launch your fighters for escort and intercept the enemy air fleet. Ro-chan, Imuya, launch some torpedoes as distraction and keep them in place." "Okay! Time to I-401''s gallant battle! Go get em!" (Shioi) The four girls surfaced briefly to launch their aircraft. Seirans, Zuiuns and Type 2 Seaplane fighters flew up high and begin to fulfill their roles. Explosions filled the sky and Abyssal rubble crashed into the water as the seaplane fighters take out the Abyssal Air Fleet while the bombers rained death from the sky. Most of the bombs hit the Ri-class B Flagship and the Princess, however, the Ri-class B Flagship shielded the Princess from most of the attacks, resulting in it being severely damaged. The He-class dove underwater when the planes got into the air, confirming our suspicions that it''s an abnormal Abyssal. "Sink!" (Aircraft Carrier Princess) "Planes flying over from starboard! Intercept and scatter." The Type 2 fighters did the best to intercept the bombers, but what we have in quality, the Abyssals beat us in quantity. The fighters were overrun, and the bombs were dropped. The girls scattered in all directions, dodging the explosions happening around them as pillars of water shoot up high into the sky. Their vitals are still in the green, meaning none of them are hurt. Good. "Regroup and continue your assault. Ro-chan, Imuya, I need you two to keep a lookout for the He-class. Destroy on sight." "Roger!" (Ro-chan & Imuya) "Did you think... you have won? That''s cute!" (Aircraft Carrier Princess) The Aircraft Carrier Princess summoned more Cat Fighters. "Retrieve your aircraft. Switch to torpedoes for the time being. The sky is a bit too crowded for an aerial assault." That thing is no an Aircraft Carrier, that''s a whole air base. "Understood." (Shioi, Iku, Goya, Hachi) "Imuya, Ro-chan, any sign of that He-class?" "I can''t see it anywhere. Not even it''s yellow glow." (Imuya) "Imuya, I need you to remain on lookout duty. Ro-chan, prepare for an torpedo assault like the rest." This is chance for us to finish the battle easily. Even if that He-class is lurking around, as long as we take down that princess, it''s our win. Right now, she only has a severely damaged Ri-class protecting her. Take it down and she would be exposed. We still have to be aware of those cat fighters though. Ro-chan, Goya, strike down that Ri-class. Shioi, Iku, Hachi, lets put that unruly princess to bed for a bit." "Ro-chan, let''s do it dechi!" (Goya) "Yeah, Dechi-chan!" (Ro-chan) "Don''t call me dechi, dechi!" (Goya) Ro-chan and Goya swam away from the group towards the Ri-class. "Ro-chan might not match Bismarck-nee-chan or Eugen-nee-chan... But Ro-chan will do her best!" (Ro-chan) "Please Torpedo-san!" (Goya) "Gooooo!" (Ro-chan & Goya) The two of them launched their torpedoes in perfect harmony, striking the Ri-class in an explosive spectacle. The Ri-class let out a beastly cry as it exploded, disappearing into dust as it returned to it''s maker. Now, the Princess is all alone! "Imuya, you can forget about that He-class now. All units, focus on that Princess!" "Sink!" (Aircraft Carrier Princess) More cat fighters filled the sky. She is getting desperate! "Battle speed 5! Prepare to crash dive at a moment''s notice. Bombs are being dropped at your current location." A squadron of Cat fighters flew over the girls, dropping their payload on them. The girls crash dived to evade the bombs, but Shioi didn''t make it in time. A bomb exploded directly behind her, sending her flying forward and putting her vitals in the yellow. "Hey! I don''t want this!" (Shioi) "Are you alright, Shioi?" "I''m fine. I can still fight." (Shioi) "Got it. Bring your birds back up into the air again. This time for distraction. We going to launch your whole stock of torpedoes." The four aircraft carrying submarine girls surfaced to launch their aircraft and dived back into the water just before the Abyssal planes are able to get a lock on them. "All units, fire!" All six girls launched their torpedoes at the Princess, causing a large pillar of water and smoke to rise up. Some of their bombers managed to drop their bombs on her before getting shot out of the air, causing more damage. "Go down!" (Aircraft Carrier Princess) "Right back at ya. Keep attacking her. Don''t let up!" The girls continued launching torpedo after torpedo while doing their best to dodge the bombs that were thrown about haphazardly. Now she is just attacking blindly. The girls continued their onslaught whilst circling the princess, until we got what we want. The Aircraft Carrier Princess slowly descent below the surface, "This will repeat... again and again..." (Aircraft Carrier Princess) "Target has retreated. Mission accomplished. Good job girls." We... They won. We were lucky that one of them disappeared, but we still won. The Princess will be back for a few more rounds until it is truly destroyed, but for the time being, the girls are victorious. The six of them celebrated. "That''s it for today. Come on back and rest for the day. We will go for round two tomorrow." "Okay~" (All) "Shioi, how are your wounds?" "Hmm... It stings a little, but nothing I can handle." (Shioi) "At least you are not hurt too badly. Come home, get some food and head to the baths, alright?" "Yes! Ehehe~" (Shioi) "Then, I will see you back here. Admiral, out." I shut off my radio and took off my headset. "Good job, Admiral." (Ooyodo) Ooyodo approached me with a bottle of soda. Just what I need. "Thank you, Ooyodo." I twist open the bottle cap and let the pleasant sound of soda fizz fill my ears. I drank until my thirst is satisfied. "Phew. That hits the spot." "Glad to hear that." (Ooyodo) "Where is Rei doing?" "I believe she is still training with the North Union and the others." (Ooyodo) "That''s good. But she better not overexert them and herself. I will talk to her about it later." For the third mission, which will take place once we are done with this one, I want Rei to be command for the first phase. I believe it''s finally time for her to shine as a Commander. She was both excited and nervous when I told her this. Just like me years ago. I told her apart from the main fleet, she can pick whoever she thinks is perfect for the mission. I even gave her the intel we have on the enemy present in the third mission. It''s only a matter of how she can lead the girls to victory. "I will be in my office. Ring me up if anything happens." "Understood." (Ooyodo) I left the Command Centre and walked back to my office. Seriously, we were really lucky this time. An intelligent Abyssal appeared but didn''t do anything apart from running away and reducing the number of attackers and shields the princess can utilize against us. We may not be this lucky next time. I have to keep my wits around me. I opened the my office door and immediately let out a sigh. Again with this... Zuihou-chan was sitting on the sofa, wrapped in nothing but a towel. "Admiral~" (Zuihou-chan) I closed the door behind me, "Come on, put on some clothes. You are going to catch a cold." "It''s hot today. I can''t catch a cold in this heat." (Zuihou-chan) "Ever heard of a summer cold?" "More importantly-" (Zuihou-chan) "No." "I haven''t said anything yet!" (Zuihou-chan) "I already know what you are going to say. We have been trying everyday all week to no avail. Your body is simply not ready yet." That day, when I was about to take Zuihou-chan first time, Zuihou-chan passed out after one round of teasing. The red mental cube also became visible through her c.h.e.s.t and her body emitted some steam. Since then, whenever we try, her body would react in some way, be it letting off hot steam or her passing out with something as simple as some light c.a.r.e.s.sing. There is obviously something happening to her body. I decided to postpone our special day till we find out why her body is reacting like this. Though, Zuihou-chan is an impatient girl. "I feel like today is the day. Nh!" (Zuihou-chan) I poked her c.h.e.s.t and the red glow emitted from c.h.e.s.t area. "See." "Why is this happening? I just want to-" (Zuihou-chan) I hugged the little girl tightly, "Listen, I know you want to do it. I want to do it with you too. But more importantly, I don''t want to hurt you. We don''t know how you are reacting like this. We need an expert. So until we figure it out, let''s put a pause on this, okay? I promise, I will do it with you as soon as we resolve it." "Promise?" (Zuihou-chan) "Promise." I released her from my hug and stuck out my pinky finger. We interlocked out pinky fingers together, "Pinky promise, if I lie, I will drink 1000 needles, and cut my pinky." (Both of us) Zuihou-chan smiled a bit. Good. I pet her head. "Come on, get dressed. It will be bad if someone sees you like this." "Hehehe. Okay~" (Zuihou-chan) The little girl got dressed and helped me with my work, all the while sitting on my l.a.p and snuggling up to me whenever she feels like it. Needless to say, my legs went numb by the end of the day. Chapter 246 - 222 The rain drops glimmer in the evening sunlight as they fall from the sky. The rain-loving Shiratsuyu class are out with their new umbrellas and rain boots, splashing about in the summer rain. Even the submarine girls have joined them, frol.i.c.k.i.n.g about in this wet weather. "How nice. I want to go out and jump on puddles too." (Rei) "You can do that once you finish writing that report of yours." "Ugh..." (Rei) Rei and I are writing a report about our respective portion of the third mission. Rei was in charge of phase 1 and half of phase 1.5 while I handled phase 2 and 2.5. Phase 3 was given to Brunei Anchorage, seeing as we handled the last phase of the second mission. I just completed phase 2.5 yesterday, so the two of us are writing our reports and making sure they match. Rei has chosen Avrora, Tashkent, Minsk, Fubuki, Mutsuki and Kagerou to clear phase 1, which was a transport mission. Since it was a transport mission, it was completed quite easily, though her fleet met with a few abnormal Abyssals along the way, who decided to be a nuisance. Her portion of phase 1.5 was handled by Mogami, Tallin, Noshiro, Kirov, Grozny and Shiratsuyu. Just like Shioi''s solo mission in the second mission, the fleet had to secure Nodes O1 and O3. This was supposed to be a easy task, but the appearance of Sirens and Abyssals, both normal and abnormal, made things extremely difficult for the young Commander. She was forced to make snap decisions and adjust her plans accordingly, something which she wasn''t really used to. Not yet, at least. Of course, I stepped in to assist her. For my portion of phase 1.5 and phase 2, I had to deploy a Carrier Task Force, consisting of Zuihou, Shouhou, Souryuu, Hiryuu, Mikuma and Agano for the main fleet, Ashigara, whom was sent by Kure to make for the distinct lack of Heavy Cruisers in my base, Yahagi, Yuudachi, Murasame, Shigure and Samidare for the escort fleet. For phase 1.5, the fleet had to secure Node B and O2. I had no problem with this phase. It was only in Phase 2 where a large obstacle decided to rear it''s ugly head. In phase 2, we had to sink a Wo-class Kai Flagship, who wasn''t too kin on being sent to the depths of poseidon. As if to cause more trouble for us, it always had an intelligent Battleship Ta-Class Flagship with it, which was surprisingly loyal to the carrier and was able to coordinate the other Abyssals. We initially thought all of it''s escorts were intelligent Abyssals, as they were coordinated with one another. We discovered that it was only the Ta-class that was abnormal, as it was the only one that used the ocean as a means of cover and to sneak behind my girls for a flanking manuveur. This happened four times before I realised what was going on and changed my strategy to sink the Ta-class before destroying the rest. It was smart enough to target my four Carriers so as to make sure they are unable to launch their planes, severely crippling our firepower. Phase 2.5 required us to show the Lycoris Princess in charged for the irritating air raids who was the boss. I had to convert the fleet from a Carrier Task Force to a Transport Combined Fleet which had Zuihou, Mikuma, Shigure, Yuudachi, Kawakaze and Umikaze as the main fleet, and Agano, Samidare, Suzukaze and Yamakaze as the escort fleet. The mission was to destroy the air patrols sent by the Lycoris Princess and attain complete air superiority. It was just a one-off mission to secure the airspace so that Brunei Anchorage''s Destroyer fleet can move in to sink the Lunga Princess, the main objective of this entire mission. All that trouble just to drag out this bespectacled Abyssal Princess with pet squids. I have seen enough hen- Never mind. Ignore what I said. In fact, I didn''t say anything. "I don''t wanna do this anymore... This is way harder than writing resource reports!" (Rei) "Now you know what I have have to deal with? You are going to write a lot more once you hit my rank, so better get use to it." "Ughhh..." (Rei) Rei plopped her head on the desk and started rolling around. She is acting like a child. Come on, I have to write about the second mission as well, and don''t get me started on how HQ also wants a report on the Siren situation at Node P. "The faster you finish your portion, the sooner you can relax. Otherwise, you can forget about sleeping tonight." "Serious?" (Rei) Ah, that got her attention. "HQ wants this by tomorrow morning. We are on a tight schedule." "Fine. I will try a bit harder." (Rei) "That''s a good girl." Was this how I acted when I was Rondo''s understudy back then? I wasn''t like this, right? Or was I worse than this? Nah, that can''t be right. I was definitely not like this. The both of us continued our painful report writing session. We cross-referenced our reports, making sure certain events match and checking for errors. "Finally, done. Rei, are yo- oops." I immediately held my tongue as I see the lady lying face down on the desk, fast asleep. I slowly pulled on her report from underneath her. It''s more or less done. Certain events she wrote in hers are also present in mine. Yep, this is ready to be submitted. I can''t let a girl sleep on the table like this. I should carry her to my bed. My three girls are spending time with the sisters today, so I have the bed to myself. Or so I initially thought. I can take the sofa. And it doesn''t seem I would be done anytime soon. "Alright. Please excuse me." I carried Rei on my arms and brought her to my bed. I untied her ponytail to make it more comfortable for her head. I''m not going to mess with her uniform. That''s dangerous territory right there. I tucked her in bed and placed a hand on her head, "You did well. Sleep tight." Now then, I need to finish my work. I still have the stupid Siren situation report. Stupid HQ. Chapter 247 - 223 I checked the list of resources that is going to be used today as materials for equipment upgrades and equipment development, "Okay. Everything checks out." I returned the clipboard to Akashi, "Excellent. We should be done by this evening." (Akashi) "Yay! Finally some new equipment to build. I was so bored." (Yuubari) "Well, we can''t do anything in this stormy weather. That what the entertainment room is for." As soon as I said that, the sound of thunder echoed through the factory. That sounds very close. It was time for the annual rainy season. Today''s especially heavy. Just one step out of the door and you will find yourself wet from head to toe. "Yeah. But I prefer to work with metal. Those automated crafting system in games aren''t my cup of tea." (Yuubari) "Are our lightning rods and insulators still in good condition? I don''t want another blackout and damaged antenna." "Don''t worry. The lightning rods are still standing and directing all the energy into our battery." (Akashi) "That idea of yours better be useful. I would hate if it was a waste of resource and money." "It will. We made it after all." (Yuubari) "Yeah yeah. Anyway, how is that thing I asked you to do coming along?" "What? The pykrete thing?" (Akashi) The other day, after seeing the Harbour Princess getting her claws stuck in the floor, I had an epiphany. Can we make some kind of shield using wood? A wooden shield that is tougher than steel and can be used as a disposable trap against Beast Abyssals. I did some research and discovered that the British Royal Navy created something called Pykrete in the Great War. It''s basically a material that is made out of wood and ice. They wanted to build a carrier using Pykrete but there was a big problem; how do you keep the ice below freezing temperatures? I want to recreate and improve this Pykrete thing so I gave the two engineers a little project to research and develop a wooden alloy. A wooden alloy that is more practical and tougher than Pykrete. "We managed to recreate the original ice alloy, but it fell apart pretty fast. The warm weather definitely played a part in it''s melting." (Yuubari) "We tried to make one using concrete but it was the some as normal concrete. And heavy too. Anyway, we need more time for R&D." (Akashi) "It''s pretty interesting. I can''t believe the British actually came up with this back then. If they were able to maintain its temperature, maybe that super Carrier plan of theirs could have succeeded." (Yuubari) "I will leave it to you two. There is no need to rush. Once you figure something out, call me." "Easier said than done. But that''s the fun part. Ah. Can we have some steel to experiment on?" (Akashi) "No more than 500. Use some bauxite of you need, but don''t use more than 500. Have fun." Akashi and Yuubari high-fived each other as I left the factory. This storm is incredible. I''m still underneath shelter and I''m already wet. I opened up my umbrella and walked briskly back to the main building. I wonder why I even bother to bring an umbrella when I still end up soaking wet! I walked back to my office, leaving a trail of water along the way. When I opened the door, I was greeted by Shigure, wrapped up in a blanket like a disproportionate burrito. "Ah. Admiral, welcome back. Woah. Did you forget to bring an umbrella?" (Shigure) "I''m back. And no. I did, but it was useless. The rain is too heavy. More importantly, are you okay? Sorry, I left you by yourself." "The thunder is still a little scary. But Zuihou-chan is here with us." (Shigure) "Us?" Shigure opened up her blanket, revealing the smaller version of herself sound asleep on her shoulder. No wonder she looked so disproportionate. There was another girl hiding underneath. "You said Zuihou-chan is here?" "Yeah. She is the bathroom, preparing the bath. Join us. You definitely need one." (Shigure) "Yeah. It''s freezing." I can''t hear the sound of running water. Figures. The rain beating against every surface it can find is drowning out everything else. The bathroom door opened and Zuihou-chan came out. "Ah. I knew it~ Welcome back, Admiral." (Zuihou-chan) "I''m back." "It''s pretty stormy today." (Zuihou-chan) "Yeah. It''s horrible outside. I can barely see the main building on my way back from the factory." And the factory isn''t that far from the main building. Just shows how bad this weather is hindering our vision. "Where is Zuihou?" "She went to get some bath bombs from our room." (Zuihou-chan) "When did you buy bath bombs?" "Two days ago. On our day off. They were so cute, we just had to buy them." (Zuihou-chan) "I see. By the way," I grabbed her hand, "Hmm? What is it?" (Zuihou) "Why are stripping me so casually?" For a while, Zuihou-chan has been casually unbuttoning and taking off my top, unbuckling and pilling out my belt and would have continued to pulled down my pants if I hadn''t stopped her. "We need to get you out of those wet clothes and warm you up in the bath. Ehehehe." (Zuihou-chan) "Your face is scary!" She is making the face of a predator eyeing her prey lasciviously. "I can strip down myself. Shigure, can you put Shigure-chan on my bed first? Hopefully she won''t wake up while we are having our bath." The last thing I want is for her to wake up alone and get scared of the thunder. The two Shigure''s are like peas of a pod. Both are extremely scared of thunder. Shigure is braver now but will freak out if the thunder is loud enough. As if trying to prove my point, Raijin-sama decided to bang on his drums. There was a flash of light accompanied by a loud thunder clap. Shigure let out a shriek and retreated into her blanket. Aw. That poor thing. "Alright. Tuck Shigure-chan into my bed and let''s go for a soak. Even though it''s supposed to summer, it''s so cold." The door behind me opened, "Ah. Just in time. But isn''t it too early to strip?" (Zuihou) "Tell that to your little sister." There was another loud bang that made me jump. Wait. That wasn''t the sound of thunder. "What? What is going on?" (Shigure-chan) The little destroyer popped out from underneath the blanket. "Looks like our bath will have to wait. Get your equipment and standby." Something triggered our sea mines. Could be an animal but that is highly unlikely as they lack the weight needed to trigger them. Unless it''s a whale or shark, but those two species will never come close to our shores. We have an intruder! I put on my wet uniform and rushed to the Command Center. Chapter 248 - 224 I rushed into the Command Center, where all of its lights have switched to red, signifying the danger we are in. Ooyodo and Rei are already here. "Switch off the danger lights. It''s too distracting. What''s the situation?" "Three of our sea mines just exploded. We don''t kno- Woah. Why are you soaking wet?" (Ooyodo) "I just got back from the factory. More importantly..." "Ah, sorry. We don''t know what is triggering them." (Ooyodo) "What did the skilled lookouts report?" "They said they can only make out a few shadows darting around. Three of the shadows were flying into the mine zone." (Ooyodo) "Even with all of the searchlights on, they can''t see anything?" (Rei) "Yes. They are saying that they can see something coming out of the water from time to time though." (Ooyodo) "AS radar?" (Rei) "Not picking anything. No interference either, so it''s either a surface enemy or they are launching their attack from outside our radar range." (Ooyodo) "Sortie Fusou, Yamashiro, Rossiya, Belorussiya, Yahagi and Fubuki. I need eyes on site. And tell them to be equipped with night equipment." Another explosion echoed through the room. Ooyodo begin deciphering the message that is being radioed in, "Another sea mine just detonated. Skilled Lookouts have reported seeing something being thrown into the water just before the explosion." (Ooyodo) "They are flinging things to detonate the sea mines now? Are we up against some kind of intelligent Abyssal?" "One of the lookouts is saying she saw an Abyssal being thrown into the sea mines location." (Ooyodo) Okay, now you are just not making any sense. "They are throwing their own brethren onto danger? Why?" "Infighting perhaps? Maybe like the Abyssals are fighting each other and throwing their allies into our base." (Rei) "Highly unlikely, but not impossible. We need eyes on the ground to get a better understanding of the situation." "This is Fusou. We are onsite." (Fusou) Fusou''s voice rang through the radio. The monitor switched on, revealing the six girls standing in the rain, awaiting orders. Perfect timing. "Light up the area. Be ready for anything." "Turning on searchlights!" (Fusou & Yamashiro) "Deploying Star shell!" (Fubuki) The dark, rainy skies were illuminated while Fusou and Yamashiro scan the area, searching for the one who is throwing the Abyssals at us. Instead, they found four severely injured Abyssal, all of which have their backs turned against the shipgirls. A Destroyer Ni-class late model, Light Cruiser To-class Elite, Torpedo Cruiser Chi-class and a Heavy Cruiser Ne-class Flagship. Not really small fries. I will worry about why such strong Abyssals are near our base. At a glimpse, the four Abyssals have various injuries, which are not caused by gunfire. The Ni-class was missing it''s limb and has four puncture holes on its head, the To-class has one of it''s three head crushed, the Chi-class was missing a huge chunk of its left side, and the Ne-class lost its entire tail, which is also it''s main gun. It''s amazing they are still alive. "What the heck?!" (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) "This is..." (Yahagi) "Horrible..." (Fubuki) Even though they are our enemy, you can''t help but pity them, especially with such injuries. The Ne-class turned around and shrieked at the six girls. "Put them out of their misery." "Main guns, secondary guns, fire-!" (Fusou) "Cease your pointless struggling!" (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) The girls fired at the injured Abyssals, sinking them and letting them go through death''s door. This is a mercy killing. Suddenly, something entered the camera''s field of vision, flying towards Yamashiro. "Yamashiro, look out!" "Hu-" (Yamashiro) There was a loud thud as Yamashiro was sent flying along with the flying object. "Yamashiro!" (Fusou) "Ow. I''m fine, Nee-sama." (Yamashiro) The camera shifted to Yamashiro, showing the battleship getting up while holding a Battleship Ru-class by its neck. Her head was bleeding and the right side of her rigging were badly damaged. The Ru-class was missing its entire left leg and left armaments. Blue blood spewed out of its wounds and mouth as it tries to struggle out of Yamashiro''s grasp. It''s barely alive. "Of course I would be the one who gets hit by a random flying Abyssal. How unlucky." (Yamashiro) Yamashiro blast a hole through the Ru-class. The Abyssal''s body went limp as it slowly dissipates into dust and dropped into the ocean. Fubuki launched another Star Shell into the sky, replacing the old, dim one. Fusou continued to search the area while Rossiya tends to Yamashiro. Finally, we saw what was causing all this ruckus. A bipedal creature, standing on the water. It hunched it''s back, revealing a large dorsal fin. It has a large fish tail and bloodied webbed claws. It was essentially a large shark with hands and feet. It stared at the girls, holding a lifeless Battleship Re-class in it''s mouth. It snapped it''s jaws shut, decapitating the Abyssal and swallowing its head. The rain washed the blue blood of its body. The headless Re-class dissolved into the water. "What the fu-" "What is that?" (Yahagi) "Whatever it is, it''s definitely not friendly." (Sovetskaya Rossiya) "What should we do?" (Rei) "Wait. Do not move a muscle. Observe the situation and react accordingly. We do not know what we are dealing with." "The shark glared at the six girls, before it stared at us us through the monitor. What? Was it a coincidence? No. It''s still looking at us. "Is it..." (Rei) "Yeah. It can sense the camera." This is scary. It''s glare is so intimidating. My instincts are telling me to run! Run away! I will be eaten if I don''t escape. "Admiral? Are you alright?" (Ooyodo) I took a deep breath. Pace your breathing. It can''t hurt you through the monitor. Probably. It probably doesn''t know you exist. It just probably knows that there is something looking at it. Sharks can sense electric signals after all. It finally looked away from the camera and stared at the girls. The Star shell disappeared, leaving Fusou''s and Yamashiro''s searchlights as the only source of illumination. Both sides waited for the other, anticipating an action. The shark creature slowly turned around. It dived into the ocean, disappearing from sight. "Don''t relax just yet. Ooyodo, anything on the AS radar?" "A mark appeared for a split second before disappearing." (Ooyodo) "Is it safe to say it''s gone?" (Rei) "Hopefully. Girls, come on back. You did well." "There wasn''t much to do other than clean up and stare down a shark monster." (Sovetskaya Rossiya) "True. But at least the base is safe." (Yahagi) "What was that?" (Fubuki) "Beats me. But just in case, I will initiate a patrol. I will quickly put together a fleet list. Ooyodo, monitor the situation via the radar and Lookouts. Inform me if anything happens." My head hurts... It''s freezing... "Admiral, are you okay? You look pale." (Rei) "I''m fine. Now that thing is gone, I can... finally... Huh? My vision... blurry... "Adm- Admiral?!" (Rei) Chapter 249 - 224.5 My body hurts all over. My head is throbbing. I''m feeling both hot and cold at the same time. And to top it off, this is embarrassing! "Admiral! Don''t die!" (Yuudachi) Admiral! Don''t leave us!" (Mutsuki) So noisy... These Destroyers are overacting. Don''t try to kill me off like that! And wipe those tears. You know I don''t like seeing you all like that. "Admiral is not going to die. It''s just a cold." (Rei) "But his temperature is at 38 degrees. I read that humans sometimes die from a high fever." (Kisaragi) "Only when its above 39 degrees and after a prolonged period. 38 degrees is still normal for a cold. Come on, let''s give Admiral some quiet time to sleep. He will be all right after some medicine and rest." (Rei) Rei led the Mutsuki-class and Shiratsuyu-class out of my room. After that fiasco with that shark thing, I suddenly felt faint and nearly passed out. Ooyodo and Rei supported me back to my bed and Rei diagnose me. Looks like- No, I actually caught a summer cold. Getting soaked from head to toe and spending time in an air conditioned room was the perfect recipe to catch one. Combined with the stress that has been piling up, my body became weak. Or at least that was what she said. I don''t remember being stressed by anything recently. The operation concluded last week. There wasn''t anything to be stressed about. For a while now, I have been getting visitors. The Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts will cry and pray that I don''t die, the light cruisers would check on me and talk to Rei about my condition for a bit, Fusou and Yamashiro are kind of indifferent to me but they must have been worried as well, the submarines, carriers and the North Union girls panicked but relaxed after listening to Rei''s diagnosis. Apart from Avrora, the rest of the North Union girls became calm and behaved as always. They spoke about making me drink after I recovered and all sorts of shenanigans they planned to do. I''m going to have to put a stop to those once this cold goes away. Avrora was extremely worried. The other girls left but she sat by my bed for a while, holding my hand while singing some kind of song gently until Gangut called her to return. I don''t understand the lyrics but somehow, it made me feel at peace. Right now, the only ones in my room are Rei, Zuihou, Zuihou-chan, Shigure and Shioi. "This is *koff* a blunder... I didn''t expect *koff koff* to be taken down by a cold." "After getting soaked in the rain and staying in an air conditioned room, it''s no wonder you caught a cold. I''m sorry. I should have at least given you a towel to dry yourself." (Rei) "If only I gave Admiral a change of clothes..." (Zuihou) "I was the first one to see that he was soaking wet. I should have..." (Shigure) "Well, we are all at fault, so we have to make up for it." (Rei) Zuihou-chan took the now warmed cloth off my forehead, soaked it again and placed it back. "Commander, how long will it take for Admiral to recover?" (Zuihou-chan) "Mmm... At least two days? If his temperature doesn''t drop with an hour of taking the meds, I would say two days at minimum. Otherwise, it should be up and running by tomorrow." (Rei) "Admiral, hurry up and recover." (Zuihou) Yeah yeah. Let me sleep already. "Don''t worry about the reports and whatnot. I will handle it." (Rei) Then, I take you up on that. But, "Can you three help her? Rei isn''t... great at doing them...yet..." "But..." (Shigure) "Shioi is here. I will be alright." Shigure, Zuihou and Zuihou-chan have a lot of experience in dealing with my paperwork. "Oi. I''m better now compared to before." (Rei) "You made two pages... *koff koff* worth of mistakes in yesterd-" Ah crap. The room is spinning. I don''t have the energy to retort anymore. "Alright. Don''t speak anymore. Wow. I haven''t seen anyone taken down by a cold like that." (Rei) "Just sleep for now. I will come and check on you periodically." (Rei) "Don''t worry. Leave Admiral to me. I will take care of him." (Shioi) "If that''s the case-" (Zuihou-chan) "Nope. You are coming with me." (Zuihou) "Nyaa!" (Zuihou-chan) "Shut up. You are not a cat!" (Zuihou) Zuihou dragged her little sister out of the room. The rest followed suit, with Rei being the last to leave. "If his condition changes for the rest, call me immediately." (Rei) "Got it." (Shioi) "Admiral, how are you feeling? Do you want anything?" (Shioi) "I feel like crap... No, not for now. Thank you." Luckily for us, human diseases don''t get passed to shipgirls and vice versa. So I can get as close to a sick shipgirl without fear of catching whatever is afflicting them and they can do the same with us humans. "This reminds me of back then, when you personally nursed me back to health. Our roles are reversed this time. Ufufu~" (Shioi) Did I? Oh yeah. "That was ages ago... I can''t bel- Achoo! Guh!" Shioi took some tissue and placed it on my nostrils, "Here, blow." (Shioi) After one disgusting snorting sound, Shioi tossed the tissue full of mucus into the dustbin. That bin is going to be filled with the same kind of tissue by the end of the day. "What did I wanted to say...? Oh right. I ca-" "Yeah yeah. Just get some rest. You don''t have to say anything." (Shioi) I was about to say ''I can''t believe you still remembered that''. Urgh. My head is throbbing... "I will be here. So," (Shioi) Shioi placed a hand on my cheek, "Sleep. I will take care of you, Admiral." (Shioi) "Thank... yo..." ...eyes...heavy... ------------------------------------- "...sure about this?" (Zuihou) "...s a little embarrassing..." (Shigure) "It''s easy to move in though." (Zuihou-chan) "Shioi-chan looks a little weird." (Zuihou) "Eh?" (Shioi) "Maybe because we are so used to seeing her wear so much lesser clothing." (Shigure) "Hey. That is my standard outfit. And it''s so easy to move in." (Shioi) So noisy... What''s going on? I opened my eyes and didn''t believe the feast in front of me. Four girls dressed in white nurse outfits. Their supple white t.h.i.g.hs, that silky white collarbone that peeks out whenever they bend over even a bit, Shioi''s tanned skin which adds a certain charm to her overall s.e.xiness. "Is this heaven? Looks like I''m already dead." "Ah. He is awake." (Zuihou-chan) "Admiral, how are you feeling?" (Shigure) "Heaven looks a lot different than I thought it would be." "... What are you talking about? You are in your room." (Zuihou) "This is bad! Admiral''s fever is so high he is hallucinating! We need to call Commander Rei!" (Shioi) "I''m just joking. Calm down." "Looks like you are feeling better." (Zuihou) "A little, I guess. My head still hurts and my body is still aching. By the way, why are you all cosplaying? And where did you get that outfit?" "This is not cosplay. And we are nursing you, so we got to look the part." (Zuihou-chan) I see. So this is Zuihou-chan''s idea. "So, where did you get it?" "Yuubari-san gave it to me after I got soaked in the rain. I was helping Rei to confirm the approved resources." (Zuihou-chan) Why does Yuubari have nurse outfits that fit them perfectly? "More importantly, would you like to eat something?" (Shigure) "I am a little hungry." Shioi beamed and took out a ceramic bowl. She took off the lid, revealing the piping hot porridge within. "Shioi-chan and I made this together. I handled the eggs while she did the rest." (Zuihou) It was your typical egg rice porridge, but somehow, it looks rather appetizing. But this situation... Shioi scooped out a spoonful, gently blew on it, and brought it to my mouth. "Here, ahh~" (Shioi) There it is! The staple ''girl feeding the guy''s scenario in every scene where either one gets sick. Any boy would kill to be in this scenario but I will never get used to this. It''s so embarrassing! "Shioi, I can feed myself." "You are a patient. Patients should listen to their nurse. Here, ahh~" (Shioi) Where did she learn that? Argh. She seems adamant on it. I have no choice but to accept my fate and open my mouth for her. I let the warm spoon of porridge enter my mouth and explode with a burst of flavor. As expected of the egg expert, the eggs were mixed in very well. The rice isn''t watery to the point of being mushy, yet easy to swallow. "How is it?" (Shioi) "It''s delicious. The eggs were as expected but the porridge is something else." "Thank goodness. I''m glad you like it." (Shioi) That smile... "I want to feed Admiral too." (Zuihou-chan) "M-me too." (Shigure) Oh boy... I want to stop them, but I don''t think they listen to me. Oh well. Better enjoy it while I can. Though it''s extremely embarrassing. The four of them spent the rest of the day with me, nursing me and tending to my needs such as wiping my sweaty body and changing my clothes. Come to think of it, where is Rei? Is she done with the reports? Chapter 250 - 225 The chicken-like creatures - Sorry. What are these little guys called again? Manjuus, right. The Manjuus all gathered around my deck boat and proceed to moor it at the pier and begin to clean it for me. Wow. Even my fairies aren''t that proactive. I usually have to order and bribe them to do certain tasks. "Cute~ Can we keep one?" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan picked up a Manjuu and hugged it tight. You can clearly see that bird is not in favour of her proposal. The thing is flailing it''s wings. "Of course not. They belong here. Come on, let''s go. Stay close to me." I stretched out my hand and the little carrier grabbed it excitedly. It''s easier for me to protect and calm her down in case she freaks out when meeting the Eagle Union carriers involve in the Battle of Cape Engano. The same can be said for her older self, though she isn''t as scared as before. She rather stay far away from the ones that could have been responsible in sinking her. I say ''could'' because she was sank by an American air strike which was coordinated by the American carriers, so she has no idea who dealt the killing blow. Today, we are at Azur Lane''s home island to conduct a check up on Zuihou-chan''s body. I called Ao the other day to ask if a glowing mental cube and a steam-emitting body is normal when engage in nightly activities. Unsurprisingly, it was not normal. So I scheduled a check up to see if we can figure out what is going on with her body. I wanted to bring Shigure-chan along, but she told me she doesn''t need one. I decided not to pursue the matter any further and just brought Zuihou-chan with me. If we can find a solution for Zuihou-chan''s condition, maybe I can apply the same solution for Shigure-chan if she ever has the same problem in the future. It''s only a few months and the base looks as though the Black Inferno incident never happened. The base was destroyed before, with most, if not all of the structures in shambles. Now, this place is more vibrant than before. The large Sakura tree, which was burnt before, now stands tall and proud in the distance. The once two story buildings are now three stories, the market place has new and bigger shops, the academy looks really shiny, probably because of the large Azur Lane emblem that is almost as big as half the building itself and right smack at the top of the building. There is even some new attractions around the place. A large garden that quote unquote, contains all kinds of flora and fauna from around the world. That was what the sign at the entrance says. There is a canal that possibly meant to replicate the gondola rides in Venice. A chapel stands tall in a distance, separated from the hustle and bustle of the market place and the courtyard. There could be more places to explore, even Zuihou-chan is itching to play. But for now, let''s find where is Ao''s office. The entire layout of the buildings and structures have changed. "Ah, I finally found you, our humble guests." (Belfast) That voice, that tone, that speech pattern, it only belongs to one person. I turn around to look at the head maid, "Long time no see, Belfast. I assume you are here to pick us up?" Belfast bowed deeply, "Yes. I sincerely apologize for not meeting and picking you up from the the pier. I sent Dido to fetch you but I guess she must have missed you." (Belfast) "Oh, no. We were a little early after all." "Dido? A new maid? I have never heard that name before." (Zuihou-chan) "No. She has been part of the maid corps for a long time now. It''s just that you have never seen her before." (Belfast) "That makes sense, I guess?" (Zuihou-chan) "Please, allow me to guide you Master''s office." (Belfast) "We are counting on. This place has changed so much." "Please follow me." (Belfast) The two of us followed the head maid as she guided us to the main building, all the while engaging in small talk with us. "The buildings look pretty sturdy." "Yes. After that regrettable incident, we have agreed to build our structures using a graphene-titanium alloy. This alloy makes them tough enough to withstand a couple of shells from a 41cm twin gun. If you are interested, you can get more details from Akashi-san." (Belfast) A graphene-titanium alloy... I better take notes. I''m still looking for inspiration for my wooden alloy project. We finally reached Ao''s office, seeing as Belfast knocked on the door thrice before announcing herself, "Master, I have brought Admiral Keita-sama and Zuihou-chan-sama." (Belfast) "That honorific..." "It''s weird hearing too honorifics in my name..." (Zuihou-chan) The door opened and Ao presented himself. "Yo. Good to see you." (Suwanto Ao) He stuck his fist out, "Nice to see you too." And I gave him a fist bump. Looks like he is fully recovered. He looks healthier and the brace that was on his leg is now gone. "Let''s move to where Akashi and Vestal are. They will run a few scans to determine what''s going on with your girl." (Suwanto Ao) "I may need to participate in her checkup as well." "Why? You are not the one with a problem, right?" (Suwanto Ao) "Nope, but you will need me to trigger the reaction I told you." Ao stared at me blankly, before giving an amused smile, "I can''t wait to see Vestal''s reaction." (Suwanto Ao) I suddenly feel a sharp pain on my left arm, "Ouch! Wh- Zuihou-chan!" The red-faced light aircraft carrier was pinching and me. Eh? She is embarrassed? Chapter 251 - 226 A fluffy white bipedal cat-like creature carrying a basket on its head hobbled over to Vestal and Zuihou-chan. "Thank you." (AL Vestal) Vestal took the basket and placed it on the table in the cubicle, "Zuihou-chan, please change into these robes. You can leave your u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r on. Come out when you are done." (AL Vestal) Vestal drew the curtains, hiding my girl within the cubicle. The repair ship then turned around to face me, "Admiral Keita, I will need you to answer some questions. So we can have a better understanding of Zuihou-chan''s condition." (AL Vestal) "I understand. Although, I feel that it would be better to show you." Somehow, I have the urge to brag about my relationship with Zuihou-chan. I want to show our close we are to the world. Vestal gave a confused look, "O...kay... We will be running through a series of tests. All of which are to find out if there is any anomalies within her body. Rest assured, these test won''t have any adverse effects on her body. It''s similar to the scans you humans take during your own health check up." (AL Vestal) "I know. Besides, if it was harmful, your Commander wouldn''t have implemented it here, and neither would you." Vestal just smiled gently, "Geez! I take my eyes of you for a bit and you are already flirting with another shipgirl." (Zuihou-chan) The curtains opened up and an annoyed Zuihou-chan popped out. I ruffled her hair, "Dummy. I''m just talking to your doctor. If you want, I can prove my love to you in front of her." "T-that''s a bit..." (Zuihou-chan) I''m going to have to do it anyway. The little girl''s face turned red. Even though she is always on the offensive, in front of strangers, she reacts the same way as her older self. This is fun. "Enough." (AL Vestal) Vestal slip a clipboard in between us, "You can stop the public display of affection now. Zuihou-chan, please follow me. Admiral Keita, please head over to the observation room. The Meowfficer will lead you there." (AL Vestal) What the heck is a Meowfficer? "Okay. I''ll be off, Admiral." (Zuihou-chan) "See you." As soon as the two girls exit through a blue door, I felt something soft and fluffy push against my legs. I looked down to see the same cat-like creature from before in a white nursing cap pushing against my ankle to grab my attention. So this is a Meowfficer? That''s cute. I followed the Meowfficer through a white door and into a dimly lit room with several computers and consoles. There is a glass panel which separates this room of the room with a large cylindrical machine. That thing really resembles an MRI scanner. Or maybe it is one. Ao was already inside, petting Akashi''s head. "Nyaa~~" (AL Akashi) "Yo. We have been waiting." (Suwanto Ao) "Take a seat nya~ We will begin once Vestal prepares Zuihou-chan nya." (AL Akashi) "What are we doing today?" "Basically, this machine will perform a MRI, CT and X-ray nya. A 3-in-1 package nya. We are looking out for any anomalies within her body that may explain why her body is behaving as you said. We will proceed from there afterwards nya." (AL Akashi) "For my girls, the mental cube in them can get affected by other organs, especially the heart and brain. That''s why I built this machine. In Zuihou-chan''s case, since she is technically a hybrid, we can''t deny the fact that her organs might be responsible for the stuff you told us." (Suwanto Ao) I watched as Zuihou-chan climbed on top of the bed and laid down. Vestal gave a thumbs up to us, before exiting the room. "Alright. Zuihou-chan, we are going to start the scan now. Are you ready?" (AL Akashi) "I-I guess..." (Zuihou-chan) "It''s will be a bit loud, but you wouldn''t feel a thing. Just relax. But don''t fall asleep. The machine won''t be" (AL Akashi) "Okay..." (Zuihou-chan) "I''m starting it nyow." (AL Akashi) Akashi pressed a button and flipped a few switches as the machine came to life. The bed Zuihou-chan laid on slowly moved upwards. The bed and Zuihou-chan slowly disappeared into the cylindrical machine. "Zuihou-chan, are you okay?" (AL Akashi) "This is scary! It''s so loud!" (Zuihou-chan) She sounds distressed. I took the microphone from Akashi''s hand, "It''s okay. The machine is designed like this. Just relax. Let''s chitchat." "O-okay." (Zuihou-chan) "Once we are done with this, wanna explore? We can visit the buildings we saw earlier." "Let''s go! I want to ride that boat thingy." "The gondola? Okay. We can do that later. That garden may be good spot to have our lunch. We can get some food from the pretty cafe. The one that is white and gold and with a bunch of cakes at the window." "Nyaa. I''m getting some nyaice images." (AL Akashi) "I want to visit that giant Sakura tree too." (Zuihou-chan) "That''s the Sakura Empire''s place. There should be a lot of Japanese sweets like Dango and Anmitsu." "Let''s go there first to get some. We can eat it together with some cakes." (Zuihou-chan) "Good idea." "Huh? This is weird. What is this nya?" (AL Akashi) "There''s a weird shape. This isn''t the full image, right?" (AL Vestal) "Nope. But even I can tell there is something wrong." (Suwanto Ao) That doesn''t sound good. I wanted to see for myself but Ao signalled me to keep going. Zuihou-chan and I talk for a while more. We talked about the things we want to do afterwards, where should we go, what souvenirs to buy. We ended up making plans for a date. An alarm rang out, signalling the end of the scan. "Hya! What''s going on?" (Zuihou-chan) Akashi took the microphone from my hand, "It''s alright nya. That alarm means we are done nya. Just stay still while we get you out." (AL Akashi) "That was fast. I thought it would take much longer." (Zuihou-chan) "What are you saying? It''s already been a hour and twenty minutes nya." (AL Akashi) "Are you serious?" "Eh? You didn''t realise it as well? I thought you were doing all that to calm her down." (AL Vestal) "Yeah. That was my intention at first." I wonder when will this checkup end. I can''t wait to go on our date. Akashi led me into another room, where she began to collate and display the images and data she captured on the various monitors while Vestal went to help Zuihou-chan out of that metal donut. Ao was dragged away by Belfast, so we are alone with the two repair sh.i.p.s. As soon as Zuihou-chan entered the room, Akashi and Vestal started to give their diagnosis, "First off, let''s start with the results of the MRI scan. As you can see here, this is a sonorous imaging of Zuihou-chan''s brain. Everything is normal. Next, your internal body structure is normal. There are no anomalies within your organs. In fact, the CT scan also shows the same results. Your body is perfectly healthy. However, there is one thing which is a little concerning." (AL Vestal) Akashi clicked the mouse, causing all four monitors to change pictures. All four monitors show a weird object at different angles, It looked like a red cube, however, the top right hand corner of it had large portions of it broken off and had became almost semi-spherical in shape. You can even see some of the shards. The bottom right side of the cube has some cracks in it. Is this...? "This is the image of Zuihou-chan''s mental cube. I don''t think I need to say how weird this is." (AL Vestal) I knew it. So it was related to her mental cube. "We could nyot believe it a first. The MRI and CT scans showed the same thing but we wanted to confirm and get more data on it nya. So we did a scan on her mental cube and got ourselves some weird results nya." (AL Akashi) Vestal took a pen from the table and performed a circular motion around the shards, "From the scan, we were able to estimate when the changes happened. During the last week of May, a large chunk broke off over here. Over time, more pieces broke off and slowly formed this semi-spherical shape. After which, it slowed to a complete halt, with these cracks at the bottom forming last during the second week of July." Wait a minute. That timeline she just described... It somehow sounds familiar. What happened during the last week of May? When did we discover Zuihou-chan''s condition? "If you can tell us what happened in the last week of May, we might be able to come up with a reason for her mental cube becoming like this and find the proper treatment." (AL Vestal) "Admiral, do you think..." (Zuihou-chan) Looks like we are on the same wavelength... "I understand the changes in her body, but is that the reason for the condition I described to you?" "We can''t rule that out as a possible reason nya. But we need to know what triggers it first and how it relates to the mental cube nya." (AL Akashi) "Is there anything you can use to get record that information in real time?" "We have a handheld scanner. I guess it''s worth a try. Oh right, I wanted to ask you some questions. It completely slipped my mind." (AL Vestal) "No need for that. Everything should be answered when we show it to you." "I''ll go get it nya. It''s just in the other room nya." (AL Akashi) "Zuihou-chan, come here." "Gh! Really? You are going to do it here?" (Zuihou-chan) "We need to show them how is it like. And I believe I''m onto something. You too, right?" "I guess so. But do we have to? It''s embarrassing." (Zuihou-chan) "What are you going to do?" (AL Vestal) "The trigger for her condition." "Somehow, I have a bad feeling for this..." (AL Vestal) "I got the scanner. We can start when you are ready." (AL Akashi) "Come on, let''s not keep her waiting." "Urgh..." (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan dragged her feet over to me and sat on my l.a.p. I can see her red ears from up here. "Erm..." (AL Akashi) "Come on. Let''s get on with it." "Nya. Zuihou-chan, can you loosen your robe for a bit? I need to stick these electrodes to get a reading." (AL Akashi) "..." (Zuihou-chan) "We are all girls here so there''s no need to feel embarrassed nya. While, most of us." (AL Akashi) Zuihou-chan bashfully opened up her robe a bit, letting Akashi pasted the electrodes on her c.h.e.s.t. "It''s cold!" (Zuihou-chan) "Bear with it for a bit." (AL Akashi) The machine Akashi was carrying started making beeping sounds. "Nya. We are ready. I have a clear image of the mental cube nya. Everything looks nyormal. Aside from what we said just nyow." (AL Akashi) "Zuihou-chan, look at me." "Ugh... Are we really going to do this? This is really embarrassing!" (Zuihou-chan) "Erm..." (AL Akashi) "I am going to do something more embarrassing to you in the future. Take this as practice." "Hey, wai-" (AL Vestal) Ignoring their gaze and words, Zuihou-chan and I explored each other''s mouth with our tongues. I massaged her c.h.e.s.t from above the robes as I stifle her m.o.a.ns with my lips. I can hear the machine beeping rapidly. "You got to be joking nya..." (AL Akashi) Steam begin emitting from her body and her c.h.e.s.t glowed red as usual. Alright. I think that''s enough for now. I stopped and let the young carrier catch her breath. Akashi and Vestal stared intently with red faces. "Got your data?" "Ah. Y-yeah. Give us a moment to transfer it to the monitor." (AL Vestal) The two girls scrambled to work. Zuihou-chan glared at me, panting heavily. "Admiral, you meanie..." (Zuihou-chan) "You are so cute." "Hmph!" (Zuihou-chan) Chapter 252 - 227 "Nyeah. No matter how you spin it, that is defi-nye-tely the cause." (AL Akashi) "No no no. That can''t be it. There has to be a more logical explanation. Maybe it breaks apart overtime?" (AL Vestal) "Even so, it just means that their skinship further accelerates the erosion of her mental cube nya. And the Mental Cube breaking apart overtime like that would mean that the shipgirl doesn''t have much time left nya. That is obviously not the case here." (AL Akashi) "It''s not really erosion, right? It looks to me like it just being sculptured into something." "Whatever the case is, let''s find another explanation for this. Okay?" (AL Vestal) "What''s going on? What did I miss?" (Suwanto Ao) Ao walked up from behind us, "Oh. Welcome back. You missed quite a bit. These two have going back and forth for a while now. Did you sneak away from Belfast?" "Of course not. I finished up as fast as I could. On a serious note, that was a concerning report." (Suwanto Ao) "What was it about?" "I will tell you all at a later date. Just be prepared for an alliance meeting." (Suwanto Ao) "So it''s that serious." "Yeah." (Suwanto Ao) He isn''t joking. He has his ''serious'' face on. Could it be related to that shark creature we encountered the other day? Or other Siren-related problems that have popped up without our knowledge? "So anyway, what happened here? What are they arguing about?" (Suwanto Ao) "We found the cause of Zuihou-chan''s condition. It is caused by-" "Aaahhhh!" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan immediately covered my mouth with both hands and screamed, trying to shut me up. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. Why are you so open in front the other three but this shy with others? "Commander? When did you come in?" (AL Vestal) "Only just. So, have you found the root?" (Suwanto Ao) "Nyeah. But Vestal insist on finding another explanation." (AL Akashi) "I mean, the whole premise of this is extremely ridiculous! What was that? How can such an indecent action invoke such a physical change in her Mental Cube?" (AL Vestal) Ao turned to faced us, "Erm... What did you two do? This is the first time I''ve seen the coolheaded Vestal act like this." (Suwanto Ao) I pulled Zuihou-chan''s hands away from my mouth, "Some mild skinship. It did provide the data needed though." "You call that mild?! That was more than just ''mild''!" (AL Vestal) "Vestal-san is a pure maiden, isn''t she?" "She isn''t exposed to this kind of stuff. Anyway, you got some footage right? Let me see." (Suwanto Ao) "Wait, Commander-san!" (Zuihou-chan) "Alright. Calm down for a bit." I hugged Zuihou-chan tightly. She struggled for a bit, but soon relaxed. I can feel a bit of heat coming out from her. Ao looked at the video of the Mental Cube cracking. I feel somewhat relieved it wasn''t a video of our make out sessions. "If this happened to any of my shipgirls, it will be a major cause for concern. What is the cause?" (Suwanto Ao) Zuihou-chan started flailing about again, but I held her tight. It''s hot... "Skinship nya. Kissing, c.a.r.e.s.sing, and whatnot seems to be the trigger nya. Because Vestal couldn''t believe it, we had to repeat the same thing three more times, all with the same results nya. Kissing and c.a.r.e.s.sing will cause the Mental Cube to crack. However, the cracks seem to stop at a certain point, as you can see with these four cracks. From what I can say immediately, these are not life-threatening nya. It''s being sculptured into something. If kissing and touching can cause this much, you knows what-" (AL Akashi) "Akashi-san, please wrap it up. Zuihou-chan is getting violent." She is just thrashing about at this point. "Okay. I get it. Now I know why Vestal is like this." (Suwanto Ao) "Right? We have seen a kinds of things in our lives, but this? Such a nonsensical condition and trigger is illogical and stupid." (AL Vestal) "But we can''t dismiss it as a possible reason since it''s the first and only case in the world. Zuihou-chan is what we can call a hybrid shipgirl, possessing both elements of Azur Lane shipgirls and IJN shipgirls. Her condition and circ.u.mstances are unique. Unless we have the appropriate data, we can''t draw any other explanations or conclusion." (Suwanto Ao) "But... that..." (AL Vestal) "Calm down, Vestal. True, even to me, this is rather ludicrous. But it''s happening in front of us. Instead of rejecting it, we should do what we always do." (Suwanto Ao) Vestal took a deep breath, "Examine properly and obtain the necessary data." (AL Vestal) "That''s right." (Suwanto Ao) Ao looked at us. Zuihou-chan managed to push herself away from me by a bit but I''m still holding her close. Both metaphorically and literally. "For now, let''s stick to the fact that your interaction with Zuihou-chan is causing a change in her Mental Cube. We know it''s not life-threatening however it will be best to continue observing the situation. We don''t know what type of shape it''s trying to morph into so we can''t estimate an end time. Like I said, we simply don''t have enough data to begin with. We can only come up with an hypothesis. So here is my proposal. There are two things we can do. One, let us record and observe right here. Or two, Keita, you will do the monitoring and recording of data yourself and send it to us whenever you are done." (Suwanto Ao) "Do you really think the former is an appropriate option? I''m not into that sort of play." "We are not filming a video!" (Zuihou-chan) "Wait! That''s not what I meant!" (Suwanto Ao) --------------------------------------- Zuihou-chan and I walked hand in hand to the island''s market district. "That was embarrassing. To think I had to do four times..." (Zuihou-chan) "Do you hate it that much?" "It''s not that I hate it. Rather, it is just so embarrassing to do it in front of people." (Zuihou-chan) "I see. It''s shame but I really want to show how much I love you to others." "That''s... Maybe next time, when I get use to it." (Zuihou-chan) "Then we better start soon." "Not today. I''m already at my limit." (Zuihou-chan) "I''m just joking. Come on, let''s walk a bit faster. The cake shop is just over there." Since the examination is done, it''s time for our date. Ao gave us a large bag of coins to use on this island, in exchange for the large gems Zuihou-chan created for them. Zuihou-chan used her powers to create three, palm-sized gems as a thank you gift. One gem for each of them. That cat girl was overjoyed to see such large gems. "Ufufu~ I''m going to brag about all this to Onee-chan and Shigure later." (Zuihou-chan) "Please don''t. They will kill me." "Should we go to the garden first, or take the boat thing first?" (Zuihou-chan) "The garden is a good place to start. I heard there are some interesting things there. We can save the Gondola for last. It''s much more romantic when it''s done at night." "We are going to spend the whole day here?" (Zuihou-chan) "Yeah. We are going to have a whole of fun today." Zuihou-chan immediately jumped on me and squeeze tightly, "Admiral, I love you!" (Zuihou-chan) "Woah. Be careful." I let out a small chuckle, "I love you too." And pecked her on the cheek. Chapter 253 - 228 I don''t want to do any work... Heck, I don''t even want to do anything in this sweltering heat. Of all times, why must my air conditioner break down now? "Hot..." (Zuihou) "Ugh..." (Shigure) "Onee-chan, scoot over a bit more." (Zuihou-chan) "This pool is already crowded enough. I can''t move any further." (Zuihou) The three girls squeezed themselves in the mini pool I installed in my office. Shigure is the only one in her swimsuit. The twins don''t have their own so they wore the standard issue one-piece navy blue school swimsuit, the same type the submarine girls wear as their uniform but without the ballistic armor modification. While I would usually be ogling at the feast in front of me, this heat is discouraging me from such acts. By the way, Shioi is with her fellow submarine girls, enjoying the large training pool they have at their dormitory. "Admiral, the water has gone warm~ Change it~" (Zuihou-chan) "Do it yourself. Agh, why can''t summer disappear entirely?" "Why winter comes, you are going to say the same thing. And if Summer is gone, you won''t be able to enjoy us in our swimsuits." (Zuihou) "As if you have one yourself." She is right, but I don''t want to admit it. Ah. "I know what are we going to do today." "Hmm?" (Zuihou-chan, Zuihou, Shigure) ------------------------------------------------- "Oooohhhhh!" (Zuihou, Zuihou-chan, Shigure, Shigure-chan, Shioi) The five girls stared at the departing train as it left the terminal. No matter how many times they have seen or taken one, they are still fascinated by these trains. Well, looking at trains isn''t what we came here for today. "Come on, let''s go." Like many of the larger train terminals in Japan, Kyoto station comes with it''s own shopping complex. With on the surface and underground, we should be able to find and get what we came here for, new swimsuits for the girls. And for myself too while we are at it. I had the girls change into their casual outfits, to ''blend in''. It would be troublesome if one of those activist caught win that a shipgirl is out and about. Those self-righteous fools are still creating trouble everywhere. Zuihou''s outfit consist of a black t-shirt under a light yellow sundress. Her smaller twin had a green halterneck and suspender shorts. Shigure was wearing a white blouse with short puffy sleeves and blue jeans while her smaller twin wore a white blouse and suspender skirt. Shioi had a black crop top over a white t-shirt and blue shorts. Shioi is a sight for sore eyes. It''s rare to see her in anything else other than a Kimono, Yukata, and her usual swimsuit. Even though we are hear to do some shopping, the girls seem to take delight in the mall''s air conditioning. "Oi. We didn''t ride a train for two hours just to enjoy the Aircon here." Wait, why am I sitting down with them?! "I already have my own swimsuit though." (Shigure) "Nothing wrong with your usual one, I just felt that you should have one that you like. The one you have was given by HQ, right?" Shigure nodded, "That means you didn''t choose it yourself. We are here to pick one for each of you." "Erm... Is it alright for me to be here?" (Shioi) "Yeah. Why did you ask?" "No reason." (Shioi) Hmm? "Admiral, I know it''s a bit too late, but is it fine to suddenly take an off day like this?" (Zuihou) "I don''t see the problem. I still have quite a few off-in-lieu and leaves to use. And besides, the deadline for today''s workload is due at the end of the week. I can take my time doing it. Rei even take a day off today." "The work is going pile up again..." (Zuihou) "Don''t mind the minor details. Let''s go find the swimsuit store." "If only you show this much enthusiasm in work." (Zuihou) "Hey, I am much more enthusiastic than this in bed. And you can''t compare work to having fun." "I don''t think that''s something you say in public." (Shigure) Ah. Crap. Was I too loud? Nah. We ''re fine. No one is looking. Everyone else is minding their own business. "What about the others? If the others find out we bought new swimsuits they are bound to make quite a fuss." (Zuihou-chan) "That won''t be an issue. I have a plan that would make everyone happy. Let''s just say you girls are getting priority treatment. Enough talk. Let''s find the swimsuit store." Although I said it as though it''s going to be some kind of fun expedition, we found one rather quickly and easily. There is one on the third floor, showing rather flashy swimsuit designs in their display window and with several teenage girls who are obviously planning a beach vacation and have just bought a new swimsuit of their own. ... I just noticed something. This store is a dangerous for a male like me. The store doesn''t look like they have a selection of male swimsuits. This store seems to solely cater to the female clientele. The girls patronizing the store are here with their girl friends. I don''t see any guys around. If there were some around, I could at least blend in as one of those ''waiting for their girlfriend to finish'' type or ''my girlfriend wants my opinion on her swimsuit'' type. Obviously, it''s going to be super awkward for because I''m the only guy here! "Admiral, what are you spacing out for? Let''s go in." (Shioi) "I will wait for you girls out here. Call me when you are done choosing your swimsuit." "This was your idea. You are coming in with us." (Zuihou-chan & Zuihou) Zuihou-chan and Zuihou each grabbed an arm and pulled me into the store. This is going to be awkward. I tried act as normal as I could while the girls picked out different swimsuits and asking for my opinion. I can feel the stares of the other customers. I think I can even hear some whispering. This is so awkward! "Uummm..." (Shioi) Shioi looks a little helpless. "What''s wrong? Having some trouble?" "Not really. It''s just that, are there only two-piece swimsuits here? I don''t really mind but I rather have a one-piece swimsuit. It will look weird to show my two-toned skin." (Shioi) "I see. You want to hide it." "Yeah. And I''m more used to one-piece swimsuit" (Shioi) "You don''t have to though. You won''t look weird. You will look cute and beautiful even in a two-piece. If you still insist on a one-piece, why not buy another one that is a two-piece? You can slowly get used it." "Geez. It''s because you always say things like tha..." (Shioi) "Admiral, come here." (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan call for me from the fitting room. Looks like she found something. "How do I look?" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan was wearing a pink swimsuit with frills on its top. Cute, and fits her child-like stature. "That''s cute. Is that your final choice?" "Mmm. I want to see other styles." (Zuihou-chan) "Go look around some more. You don''t have to pick only one." "Yay! Ehehe~" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan drew the curtains close. "That guy..." (???) "Isn''t that a child?" (???) "Gross... Should we call the police?" (???) That nearby group of girls... Oi! I can hear you! And she only looks like a child. "Sir?" (???) Oh boy... I turned around to see the smiling store assistant standing behind me. "Is there anything I can help you with?" (Store assistant) "Er... Not really, I guess. You don''t happen to have a male section here, right?" "Oh. We d-" (Store Assistant) "Admiral, does this look good?" (Shigure) The curtains to one of the fitting rooms drew open, revealing Shigure in white bandeau bikini with a huge ribbon in front. She looks s.e.xy. "Wow. That looks good on you ma''am." (Store Assistant) "That''s right. You look great." Shigure blushed. "But if I may speak my mind." (Store Assistant) "Hm?" (Shigure) "I have a selection of bikinis that will look perfect for a body like yours. If you would allow me, I can show them to you." (Store Assistant) Shigure looked at me, as if looking for my guidance. "I don''t see why not. But what''s important is that you like it." "Okay. Then I will be in your care." (Shigure) Shigure closed the curtains as she changed back to her normal clothes. "Sorry. Where were we? Ah, right. Do you have a male section?" "We do. I can bring you there." (Store Assistant) "Perfect." Before we can go, Shioi ran up to me, "Admiral, which one do you like? This green one-piece, or this frilly two-piece?" (Shioi) "It''s not up to me to choose though. Why not you try them on and see if you like them first? "For a dark skin tone, something with brighter colours will be perfect for you." (Store Assistant) This lady... Is she some kind of aspiring fashion designer? She speaks as though she knows what will look good on them. "Did that girl call him ''Admiral''?" (???) "Wait. Does that mean he is one of those military people that I have been hearing bad things about?" (???) "The protesters, right? The ones that say people like him abuse the girls and send them to their deaths. That sort of thing?" (???) Do you girls know how to speak softly? What kind of lies have you been fed?! I am so tempted to go over a correct them. "Doesn''t look like they have been abused. And they look so happy with him." (???) "Umm... Sir? Correct me if I''m wrong, but are you part of the military?" (Store Assistant) Oh no. Not you too. Wait. Maybe I can use this chance. "Yes and no. IJN is a military organization but we have no ties with the JSDF. I brought my girls here to buy new swimsuits for the beach party we are having next week." "We are having a beach party next week?" (Shioi & Zuihou-chan) "I wanted to surprise you all though." I pet both of their heads, "Anyway, you can expect more of my girls to be visiting your store for the next couple of days. So be sure to catch them. They will be happy to receive some recommendations." "Thank you so much." (Store Assistant) I want to turn around to see the look on those girls who have been talking openly behind my back but let''s try to be professional here. Shigure, Zuihou-chan and Shioi followed along as the store assistant brought me over to the male section, which was at the corner of the store, before leading the three girls to over to another part of the store. They do have a male section here. Small, but still a good selection of swimming trunks and speedos. I mean, guys don''t have much variety of swimwear to choose from in the first place, apart from the weird designs that are solely for fashion. This store also has one of those weird outrageous swimsuits on a mannequin. It was a purple full body type, covering the legs while leaving the arms exposed, with butterfly wings. Who the heck would want to buy that? Ah. This one looks comfortable. Maybe I can try this one too. As I walked over to the fitting room with my selection in hand, I caught something at the corner of my eye. On the other side of the store window, Rei was walking with a guy whom I don''t know. Chapter 254 - 229 I slammed my alarm clock, shutting that irritating ruckus it was designed to make at a specific time. I''m not letting that noisy thing interrupt my sleep. "Admiral! Wake up!" (Zuihou-chan) The feeling of something heavy dropping on my stomach was a literal rude awakening for me. The small CVL had actually jumped on top of me. I was sure she was exhausted after last night''s examination. How can she recover so fast? "Ouch! What was that for?" "Ufufufu~ Good morning, Admiral." (Zuihou-chan) "Good morning. You little!" "Kyaah!" (Zuihou-chan) I squeezed her as she squealed. She smells good. Huh? This isn''t the feeling of her usual Miko outfit. I can her b.a.r.e skin. I scanned the girl from head to toe. Zuihou-chan is wearing a green triangle bikini with denim shorts. Is this the one she bought last week? "Aren''t you excited." "Ehehehe. Who wouldn''t be? And I wanted to show it to you first." (Zuihou-chan) "Mh~ What''s all that racket?" (Zuihou) Zuihou yawned and sleepily rubbed her eyes as she sat up. The blanket slid right off her body, revealing her n.a.k.e.d body. "Good morning." "Good morning, Onee-chan." (Zuihou-chan) "Good morning~ Fua~haa~" (Zuihou) "You can sleep a bit more. It''s still quite early." "Then, I will take your offer." (Zuihou) Zuihou pulled the blanket over her as she fell back onto the pillow. I don''t blame her. We really went hard last night. "Is your body all right?" "Yeah! A few times and I should be ready to give you my first time!" (Zuihou-chan) I pet her head, "Then I better do my best too." I haven''t taken her first time yet. Not until her condition has stabilized. Last night, I spent quite a while c.a.r.e.s.sing and playing with Zuihou-chan''s s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e parts. The main reason was that it was another examination. As we had agreed, I will collect the necessary data about Zuihou-chan''s mental cube and send it over for analysis. Kissing and light c.a.r.e.s.sing causes cracks to form while more vigorous activities, you know what I mean, will physically break and alter the shape of the mental cube, albeit slowly. Since we know what was the trigger, all I had to do was invoke a large reaction to hasten the alteration. Akashi had given me the same scanner she used to observe Zuihou-chan''s mental cube live. We have been performing examinations for quite a while now. Of course we don''t do it everyday. I want to give her body some time to rest and get use to it. After attaching the electrodes to her c.h.e.s.t and starting it up, I begin to do my thing. Of course, I got Zuihou to help me hold her down. I was afraid her erratic movements might end up sending the scanner across the room again. I must say, I managed to get quite a bit of footage and data, and hear a lot of sweet m.o.a.ns. The hard part was making sure Zuihou and I don''t burn ourselves with the steam she was constantly emitting. Her c.h.e.s.t glowed red several times and she let out enough steam to turn my room into a sauna, before becoming exhausted and fell asleep. After that, I checked the scanner to see the condition of her mental cube. The semi-spherical shape on the top right hand side has finally smoothened out. As for the bottom right hand part, it is still curvature, but I can tell it''s trying to straighten itself out. The top left hand side is also starting to break apart. It has already lost its corner. After all that, you can''t expect me not to be turned on. It was hard to maintain my composure and not go in for the attack the whole time. Zuihou felt the same. We ended up doing it late into the night. Come to think of it, I opened the windows last night to let the hot air escape and ventilate the room for a bit. Did I close it while we were doing the deed? "Ah crap." The windows were wide opened. -------------------------------------- "Admiral, we will be heading to the beach first." (Shiratsuyu) Shiratsuyu peeked into my office and announced her intentions. Only her head was visible, so I don''t know which swimsuit she was wearing. I can catch a glimpse of Yamakaze standing behind her, clutching a beach ball over her head. "Yeah. See you later." "See you later, Papa!" (Yamakaze) Yamakaze poked her head in to greet me, before the door was closed. "Wooo~ Everyone is at the beach already." (Zuihou-chan) You all can go there first if you want." "No need for that. We will help you first." (Shigure-chan) "We will all go together." (Shigure) "The more people, the faster we can finish." (Shioi) You guys... I''m so glad you are with me. "Huh? When did the fairies set up shop?" (Zuihou-chan) "This morning, I think. They work fast when there is a chance to make extra cash. And come here and help us!" (Zuihou) Zuihou-chan went over and sat on the sofa with Shigure-chan. Right now, these five guys are helping me clear out the remaining paperwork I have left so we can head to the beach. I wanted everyone to relax for these few days so I''m clearing as much as I can, both Rei''s and mine. That girl seems uncharacteristically depressed and stressed out nowadays, so she really deserves a proper break. I''m glad she actually bought a new swimsuit when I told her too. There was a knock on my door, "Come in." "Admiral, that owner dropped by just now and gave us some watermelons as thanks." (Ooyodo) Oh. From that swimsuit store. Apparently, the lady whom I thought was just a store assistant was actually the store''s and franchise owner. I was surprised when she told me that she was the business owner, after I told her to tell her boss that a bunch of girls are coming to buy from her last week, so that they would prepare more employees to handle the influx. She is also the designer of those swimsuits. Wait, does that mean that ridiculous butterfly suit was also her design? "She didn''t have to. Did you thank her on my behalf?" "Yes. But I tried to reject her though." (Ooyodo) Eh? "Why?" "There were forty watermelons." (Ooyodo) "Forty?! Why did she spend all that money on watermelons?" "That''s what I told her. But she said the melons are from her farming business, so there is not much money involved." (Ooyodo) From farming to fashion... Talk about market diversification. "Even so... Ah never mind. I will give her my thanks later. At least we have more than enough to go around. Mamiya can even turn some of them into ingredients. Anyway, are you done at your end?" "Yeah. I will be going change now." (Ooyodo) "Excellent. We should be finishing soon enough. I will see all of you at the beach. Oh, and is Rei..." "The last time I saw her, Tashkent-san, Grozny-san and Chapeyev-san were escorting her from her room. They were in their swimsuits, so it''s safe to say she is probably at the beach right now." (Ooyodo) Just like I told them to. "Alright then. See you later." Ooyodo closed the door. Just a little bit more... "Phew. I''m done!" "We are finished here too." (Shigure-chan) "I''m done too." (Shioi) "And done." (Zuihou) "No problems here." (Shigure) Looks like everyone is done as well. "Now then, time for the beach party." Chapter 255 - 230 The blazing sun, the lingering sound of the waves. Summer comes to Maizuru Naval Base again this year. What is the first word you think of when you hear the word summer? Hot? Ice cream? Cicada? Summer festivals? For me, the answer is as clear as the blazing sun. The best clothing to wear this season, swimsuits! From the classic one-piece to the s.e.xy triangle bikini, the beach is filled with girls in all kinds and styles of swimsuits. On top of that, it''s not the one they usually wear. All of them are wearing new swimsuits which I bought for them. Of course, they chose the designs themselves. In addition to the girls frol.i.c.k.i.n.g around the beach, the fairies even set up beach stores to cater to the various needs, such as a Yakisoba store, shaved ice store, and a drinks bar. The DJ team, consisting of fairies, are blasting their music as the girls play and dance under the hot sun. This much is needed if I want to hold a proper beach party. I let my eyes wander, taking mental pictures of the girls until I felt as though my ear is being pulled off. "Ow ow ow. Okay. Sorry! I''m sorry!" Zuihou pulled and twisted my ear. This is my fault. The girls with me are all wearing their new swimsuits. Shigure is wearing a purple bikini paired with a lacey sheer top and short white see-through pareo. Her swimsuit gives her a m.a.t.u.r.ed, feminine and elegant aura while maintaining the perfect balance between s.e.xy and cute. What if I take off that purple bikini and just leave the sheer top and pareo on? Ah. That''s a great idea. I just found another way to spice up our night life. Shigure-chan''s blue one-piece gives the younger destroyer a rather classic and refreshing look. Unlike the school swimsuit type of one-piece, this one covers only up to her c.h.e.s.t area, showing her cleavage and leaving the shoulders and upper back exposed. The shoulder straps hold the swimsuit to the body, preventing a potential wardrobe malfunction without the need to be tight and ensuring comfort. Frills layered the top of her c.h.e.s.t and t.h.i.g.hs, which are extremely cute. You can never go wrong with frills. Shigure-chan''s hair is tied into low twintails which rest on her shoulders. Zuihou-chan''s green triangle bikini and denim shorts is fitting for a playful little demon like her. It makes her look cute and s.e.xy and, at the same time gives off a playful vibe. Her twintails further adds to her playful nature. Her bikini bottom peeks out of her denim shorts, teasing me. That''s so greedy! If it weren''t for her mental cube changing and causing her body to emit steam, I would be able devour her. She looks so tasty. Shioi''s swimsuit choice was kind of unexpected. I know I told her to explore but I expected her to pick a one-piece swimsuit, since she is conscious about her tan lines. Shioi''s swimsuit consists of a pink double frilled halterneck bikini, with cat prints, and a matching frilled bottom. Her one-piece tan is out on full display, which is an unique charm point on its own. Her bottom is smaller than her usual swimsuit, so the tan lines on her t.h.i.g.hs and h.i.p.s are exposed and are very obvious. Truly wonderful. Shioi''s hair is being let down instead of being tied into a ponytail. Zuihou''s swimsuit is plain and simple, yet s.e.xy and cute. That red string side tie bikini really brings out the silkiness of her skin. The lack of a cleavage, like her younger sister, makes her look s.e.xier. And that b.u.t.t, not too big, not too small. The perfect size... Another delicious for me. Oi. Control yourself. There are a lot of girls here so don''t embarrass yourself. "Ah. I expected a reaction like this but still... You could just say we look good or something." (Zuihou) Zuihou covered up with the white jacket she brought along. She noticed after all. The others might have noticed too but are just keeping mum to avoid embarrassing me. "I already complimented you all just now. Besides, I can''t help it when the women I love are dressed so s.e.xily and cutely in front of me. This is a normal physiological reaction." The five of them begin to blush, especially Shioi. Good thing I''m wearing trunks, so its only obvious if you look closely. Alright, calm down. No need to stand up so straight. The fairies blast their tracks as the girls enjoy themselves. From sunbathing to building sand castles to playing beach volleyball to swimming, there is no shortage of activities for them. Some are even dancing near the DJ stand. "Papa! Over here!" (Yamakaze) Yamakaze waved to me. She is wearing a blue striped bikini paired with translucent off-shoulder frills. She still wears her favorite straw hat. This one doesn''t seem as tight as her usual one, allowing me to see the skin between her modest hills through the frill. No no no. Get your head out of the gutter. Yamakaze sees you as a father so act like one. Yamakaze ran up to me, "Papa, how do I look?" (Yamakaze) The 8th Shiratsuyu destroyer spun around, her skirt dancing along with her. "You look great, Yamakaze." "Ehehehe~" (Yamakaze) I can feel the glares of the five girls behind me. "What''s with that expression?" Since the beach is crowded, it took us a while to find a good spot to set up. We found a spot that is slightly far from the DJ and food area but still close to where the destroyers and light cruisers are building their sandcastles and playing volleyball. "Admiral, I know it''s late, but is it alright for everyone to be partying like this? What if there is an attack?" (Zuihou) I stab the large umbrella into the sand, "Don''t worry. I have already taken the necessary precautions. I moved the electric fences further up so that the Abyssal would be just out of firing range. The mines are also moved further up to make space for you girls to swim. Akashi upgraded our radars so now their detection range has increased exponentially. There are automated cannons installed near the fences to shoot at any Abyssal that comes too close. In the worst case scenario of an invasion and attack, Zuihou-chan and Shimakaze will hold them off while everyone gets a gun from the portable armory that''s installed all over the place." I gestured at a silver box that is just over to our left, in the distance. These boxes contain small and medium guns for the girls to use in case the Abyssals break through electric fence and launch a frontal assault. Unlikely to happen, but still a possibility. If necessary, LBAS will be deployed to buy time for the girls to get their equipment and sortie. The cannons installed are motion activated. If an Abyssal gets within it''s detection range, it will start to fire. I don''t know how effective it is but Yuubari says it can sink a Light Cruiser Ho-class. These turrets are made out of old small guns that were scheduled to be scrapped. I just had Yuubari recycle them into something useful. Hats off to her for creating these within two weeks. Even the portable armory was her idea. "Now then, whose first?" I lathered my hands with sunscreens. This is a chance for me touch their bodies in public and I ain''t missing it. "Me!" (Zuihou-chan) "Ah. No fair!" (Zuihou) "You snooze, you lose." (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan laid on her stomach in front of me. I pulled the string holding her bikini top together. I need to cover the entire back. I messaged her back, smearing and making sure every part of her back is being protected against the deadly sun rays. Well, the worst thing that may happen to them is just a bad case of sunburn. "Hehehe. That tickles." (Zuihou-chan) "Want me to do your front too?" "Erm... That will be a bit too embarrassing." (Zuihou-chan) "Alright. Move it. I''m next." (Zuihou) Zuihou rolled her sister over to the side. Zuihou-chan''s bikini wasn''t tied up yet, so her small c.h.e.s.t was almost out on full display. Unfortunately, she pressed against her bikini top to prevent it from falling prey to my eyes. Guh! What a waste! I rubbed a layer of sunscreen on Zuihou''s back. This girl made me lose my chance to see Zuihou-chan without her top on. I mean, I get to see their b.a.r.e bodies almost every night but there is something s.e.xy about having only one part of their bodies covered up with some form of clothing. I moved my hands for her back to her c.h.e.s.t, as payback. "Nh! Hey! What do you think you are doing?!" (Zuihou) My face stings, but it was worth it. Chapter 256 - 231 Suzuya leapt into air and smacked the ball over the net into her opponents court. Zuihou dived with her arm outstretched, stopping the ball from landing onto the sand and sending it back into the air, before coming down again. "Murasame!" (Zuihou) "I got it!" (Murasame) Murasame did an overhead set, pushing the ball back into the air and closer to the net. She was buying time for Zuihou to get up. "I won''t let you, poi!" (Yuudachi) Yuudachi, on the opposite side of the court, ran up to the net to block the incoming attack. Zuihou ran towards the net, jumped up and poked the ball with her knuckles. The ball flew over Yuudachi hand and landed on her side of the court. "One point to MuraZui. MuraZui wins." (Agano) What the heck is MuraZui? "Yay!" (Murasame) "Murasame... Can''t... breathe..." (Zuihou) The four girls are playing a rather short version of beach volleyball. The team that scores 8 points first wins. The other beach volleyball rules apply, such as being able to touch the ball thrice. It was Suzuya and Yuudachi vs Murasame and Zuihou, with Agano refereeing the match. "Phew. Good thing we watched that beach volleyball anime. That pokey really is a good move for short girls like you." (Murasame) "Are you making fun of me?" (Zuihou) You are short. Anime? Oh. They were watching Haruk*na Re*eive not too long ago. So that''s where they learned the moves from. Agano wore a pink checkered bikini with frilled cups. A cute design on an already cute Light Cruiser. She just got out of the water before being dragged by Yuudachi to referee their volleyball game. Her shiny black hair covered with salt glimmers under the summer sun. Suzuya was wearing a orange halter cross bikini which covers the top part of the c.h.e.s.t while showing the underside. Unsurprisingly, this one is even s.e.xier than her usual purple bikini with pareo. Her legs glisten in the sun as her melons bounce about. Murasame''s blue sailor uniform multi-strap bikini is cute on the fluffy Shiratsuyu Destroyer but seems suffocating. I envy those crisscross blue straps resting on her cleavage. Those melons of hers are just begging to be released. Her short skirt resembles the skirt of a school uniform, further emphasizing her cuteness. I know this swimsuit is meant to be cute, but with Murasame wearing it, it has become a deadly combination of cute and extremely s.e.xy. Those melons though...! Someone release them already! Yuudachi has a black bikini covered with a layer of red semi-transparent cloth on each cup. Even her bottom is covered with a short, semi-transparent red skirt. These set of cloths are fitted loosely onto the bikini, fluttering as the playful Destroyer jumps and dance around. What a tease. Can we just take off the bikini and leave the cloth on? If Shigure can have that configuration, Yuudachi can have it too. Ah. Not good. I got to stop having pervy thoughts. Not while Shigure is resting her head on my l.a.p. Don''t stand up. Stay down. Stay. I brushed my hand through Shigure''s hair as she laid on my l.a.p. "Want to go for a swim?" "Not yet. I''m still charging my Admiral Battery." (Shigure) "The heck is that?" Zuihou-chan, Shigure-chan and Shioi ran off to play in the sand. They are with the Kagerou Destroyers, building sandcastles. ... Why is there a extremely detailed titan attacking an extremely detailed castle? How did they build that? That''s so cool! "Alright." (Shigure) Shigure got up from my l.a.p and pulled my hand, "Charging completed. Let''s go, Admiral~" (Shigure) "Okay okay." I grabbed a set of goggles for myself. As far as I know, I''m the only one whose eyes will burn like hell while swimming in the salty ocean. Shigure ran and pranced about in the shallow water. The both of us splashed water playfully at each other before having a swim. As usual, the seas around my base are beautiful. The corals are brimming with life as fishes and other marine creatures navigate around their natural habitat. The machinery we have one standby for training purpose have become an attraction for curious fishes and crabs. I should have brought a net or a spear. I surfaced, took off my goggles and wiped the saltwater off my face. Shigure surfaced a few moments after me and simply shook her head rapidly to get rid of the water. She is acting like a dog again. She is so cute. I placed a hand on her cheek as she smiled. I moved closer to her, my face only a few centimeters from hers. "Ah. Admiral, be careful!" (Shigure) "Eh? Ah." I felt something bumped the back of my head. It wasn''t anything hard. Soft, rather. I turned around to see Minsk resting on a white tube. She is just floating around aimlessly. She too has also noticed that she bumped into me. "Oh, Comrade Admiral. Sorry. I didn''t see you there." (Minsk) "No worries. You''re alone?" Just when things "Nope. Comrade Stremitelny is with me... Comrade Stremitelny?! Where did you go?" (Minsk) "Isn''t she over there?" (Shigure) Shigure pointed towards a floating white tube about 20 metres away from us. A small girl with white hairs tied into twin buns is just letting the waves carry her around. Is she straying too far away? She is floating away! "Comrade Stremitelny!" (Minsk) Minsk reached underwater and pulled out a rope. She begin to pull as she kicked backwards. The white tube in the distance got closer to us. That''s a smart move. They actually connected their floats to each other. "Phew. I will take it from here, Comrades. Oh. Why not join us for a drink?" (Minsk) "Vodka in the middle of the day? I will have to pass." "No no. Not vodka. We are drinking Oolong tea." (Minsk) "You guys don''t drink Oolong tea." "We do. Come. Let me show you." (Minsk) Minsk swam with us to shore while pulling the happy-go-lucky Stremitelny with her. "Comrade Gangut." (Minsk) "Ah. Comrade Minsk. Just in time for more drinks. Comrade Admiral and Comrade Shigure too. Please join us." (Gangut) Just as I expected, all of the North Union girls are wearing the same swimsuits. A white, low back one piece swimsuit. Their lack of individuality when it comes to certain things worries me. I know they practice Communism and all, but don''t they find it too stifling? Gangut pour vodka and whiskey into a beer glass. The concoction was brown in color. "Here you go, Comrade Admiral. One glass of North Union Oolong Tea." (Gangut) "That''s not Oolong Tea!" "What are you talking about? It''s the same color." (Sovetskaya Rossiya) "Not just that. You can even light on fire." (Gangut) Gangut took out a lighter and set the monstrosity of a drink on fire. "If you can set it on fire, that means it''s alcohol!" "Don''t sweat the small details. Hahahahaha!" (Sovetskaya Rossiya) I should have known better. These girls chug vodka like it''s water. "Comrade Gangut. Please let me change back to the normal swimsuit. This one is too flashy. And it''s different from the others." (Avrora) Oh. Wow. Now that''s a sight for sore eyes. Avrora ran up to Gangut with pleading expression. Unlike the others, she is the only one wearing a different swimsuit. She is wearing an ice blue bikini with loose transparent fabric flowing from her top. A long cloth hung from the side of her bikini p.a.n.t.i.e.s. Her hair is tied into a ponytail with a blue scrunchie. She looks like a princess. Elegant and classy. "Nonsense, Comrade Avrora. You are our beacon. So you should wear something befitting of your status as our beacon of light. Besides, you look stunning. Right, Comrade Admiral?" (Gangut) "I just want to the same as everyone else. Wait, Comrade Admiral?!" (Avrora) Avrora recoiled back once she finally noticed my presence. "Hi there." "H-hi, Comrade Admiral." (Avrora) Avrora face turned bright red. She immediately tried to cover up her body. "Come on. Don''t be shy. Everyone here is baring their skin. So, Comrade Admiral. How does our beacon look?" (Gangut) Even if you ask me that, I only have one response. "You look like a princess, Avrora." "Hahaha. You think so too? Of course, she is our princess." (Sovetskaya Belorussiya) "You look beautiful, Avrora." (Shigure) Her face is so red. "Thank... you." (Avrora) "Anyway, please drink." (Gangut) "I will pass. I''m too young to die of alcohol poisoning." Now may be a good time to return back to our umbrella. The others must be looking for us by now. As Shigure and I walked back to our umbrella, greeting the girls we passed along the way, I spotted a rather lonely soul. "Shigure, go back without me first. I will catch up later." "Eh? Oh. Okay." (Shigure) Shigure continued walking. I noticed that she glanced at Rei for a split second as she walked. I guess she knew what I was thinking about. I did spoke to her about this. Rei hugged her legs as she sat under a bright red beach umbrella. She tapped on her phone, as if messaging somebody. She let out an exasperated sigh before putting the device down. She really looks tired. Not physically, mentally. "You okay?" I walked up to her. "Hm? Oh. Admiral." (Rei) "You don''t look too good. Not gonna play with the rest?" I invited myself to sit next to her. "I''m... not in the mood... Sorry." (Rei) "Are you tired?" "I guess you can say that." (Rei) "I''m not give you too much work, right?" "No no. The workload is fine." (Rei) "Oh good. I thought I was overworking you." "Come on. I have seen your workload. Mine can''t even compare." (Rei) "It''s not about comparing. You already know I prioritize everyone''s welfare over anything else." "That''s true. You are a nice Admiral." (Rei) "You are making me blush." Rei stretched her legs and leaned back, revealing the swimsuit she is wearing. A bright red string bikini with a gold wire in between the cups. The gold wire between her cleavage is doing it''s best to hold together the cups that cover her ridiculously large c.h.e.s.t. Her straight hair, which has finally grown back to it''s initial length after she cut it last year, hanged loosely over the black jacket dr.a.p.ed around her shoulder. Are jackets and bikinis a fashion trend these days? "That''s a nice bikini. I didn''t see this one at the shop." "What''s this? Staring at my body? Have I finally charmed you?" (Rei) "You gotta try harder." I ruffled her hair. "Hehe. Since you were paying, I had this one is custom-made. Just joking. This one was the shop owner''s latest addition." (Rei) "Is it comfortable? You don''t feel tight, right?" "Yeah. It''s quite comfortable. As if it was made for me. I didn''t expect you to buy from that store which I passed by last week." (Rei) "Right. About that... Can I say it?" "Yeah?" (Rei) "Truthfully speaking, we... No. I saw you last week while I was at the store. That guy you were walking with... Is he...?" "Oh. Are you talking about Sawada-san?" (Rei) So that guy is call Sawada... "He is my temporary boyfriend. And the source of my problems." (Rei) Eh? What is this? When I heard that, my c.h.e.s.t stings a little. "So you finally got yourself a boyfriend." "Only for now. Just to shut my father up for a bit." (Rei) "What does Grand Admiral Akihito have to do with this?" "Let''s just say he won''t stop nagging at me to get married. He has been like this since New Years." (Rei) "So that guy... he is a candidate?" "You can put it that way. Sawada-san is the the grandson of one of Father''s drinking buddy. That stupid father of mine scheduled another blind date without consulting me again. So I was forced to entertain him. Honestly, he isn''t that bad. He is my type. Physically at least. His personality leaves so much more d.e.s.i.r.ed." (Rei) "So, you don''t like him?" "No. He is just a spoiled brat who leeches of his family. C.o.c.ky. Kept staring at my c.h.e.s.t. He even pestered me to go to an hotel with him. Who the hell does that on a blind date?!" (Rei) "So, he is sc.u.m." "Yeah. Worst part is, Papa made an arrangement with his friend without my consent again. I swear to God, he needs to stop doing that! Somehow, he thinks that guy is the perfect match for me. Now I have to go for another date with him again. I have been stalling for time so I don''t have to entertain him. I gave so much reasons until I have run out of ideas." (Rei) "Is that what you were doing on your phone earlier?" "Yeah. It''s so irritating." (Rei) "If you hate it that much, won''t it be simpler to just tell him no?" "I wish. But like I said, Pa- Father already made arrangements with that guy''s grandfather. If I ''reject'', I would be embarrassing Father." (Rei) "You should have told Grand Admiral Akihito about how he tried to get you to follow him to a hotel. He will definitely cancel the agreement." "He will probably kill that boy first. I don''t dislike him to that point. Not yet." (Rei) "Ahaha. That''s true. Grand Admiral Akihito will definitely tear his limbs apart." "This is so irritating." (Rei) Rei hugged her knees again. I wish I can help. But I don''t know how to. Interfering with her relationship would be a good idea. But this involves her family. I can''t force my way into this. Seeing her like this make me want to just... I pet her hand. Rei glanced at me hand before looking at me. "I''m sorry. I don''t really how to help you. But I can provide a listen ear if you need one. Or maybe comfort you with you want me to. Either way, I will be there if you need me." Rei smiled gently. She leaned against my c.h.e.s.t. "You really are a nice person." (Rei) "Admiral~" (Zuihou) Looks like kept my girlfriends waiting for too long. The three of them came running towards me. "Geez. You took too long. And no fair. You want swimming without me." (Zuihou) "You were so engrossed with your volleyball game and sandcastle building." "Whatever. Now it''s our turn to swim with you." (Zuihou-chan) The twins pulled and pushed me. "Alright alright. You don''t have to drag me." I turned around and stretched a hand to Rei. "Want to join us?" She stared at me for a few moments, before taking my hand and pulling herself up. She let her black jacket fall unceremoniously onto the mat "It''s a beach party after all. It will be a waste not to fun." (Rei) We spent the whole day playing in the sand, in the water, dancing, eating Yakisoba and getting brain freeze after munching on shaved ice. All in all, we spent the whole day having fun in true summer fashion. Chapter 257 - 232 I took in the soothing sound of the waves, the salty scent of the ocean and the cool sea breeze as the sand crunches below my feet. It''s already way past midnight and I couldn''t sleep for some reason. Since Shigure is already fast asleep, I decided to leave her on the bed as I take a leisure walk along the beach. Although it''s going to be August very soon, tomorrow in fact, the summer nights still remain cool. Probably because of the sea breeze. The beach is almost completely dark, with my only source of light coming from the full moon and the floodlights which dimly illuminate and reflect off the water. They are on power saving mode now. Unless there are signs of an enemy attack, these lights won''t bother to do a proper job lighting up the place. No, there are no fairies manning them. It''s all automated. Just like our new turrets and electric fences. Once Akashi and Yuubari figure out how to produce the alloy I ordered, we can create a proper defense system. Even if they figure it out now, we can only start the initial implementation stage after completing the next operation HQ has in stores for us. The operation will be lead by Brunei Anchorage and it''s a rather small one, compared to the recent ones we have been dealing with. As I continue my leisure stroll, I spotted something lying on the sand. "Who left their clothes here?" And this towel. But more importantly, why is it here? Is there some pervert walking around n.a.k.e.d? An intruder? No. These are clearly pajamas robes for girls. A standard issue pink robe for sleeping. So it''s not an intruder. But now the question is, who does belong to? Suddenly, my question was answer. I saw something move in my peripheral vision. I turned to look at the ocean and saw a rather magnificent sight. A n.a.k.e.d girl with medium flowing hair leapt out of the water, like a mermaid under the moonlight. Beautiful... Eh? Isn''t that Shioi? Or is Shion? Her hair is too short to be Shion, so it''s Shioi. That means this pajamas robe is hers. I watched as Shioi leapt out of the water and dived back in a few more times. I have never seen her move like this. I have only seen her, and the other submarine girls, swim normally during missions and practice but never leisurely and like this. Usually it''s either a butterfly kick or a flutter kick depending on their speed. Right now, I''m seeing a mermaid gracefully enjoying herself in the water. Wait. Why am I staring at her? If she sees me, she is going to freak out. Gotta hide. I placed her stuff back like how I found them, or close enough at least, and quickly walked off. I better not let her know I was here. I continued my stroll. My mind still fixated on the beautiful scene I just saw. "Was she always this beautiful?" --------------------------------------- Ah. Crap. I totally forgot about today''s online Alliance Meeting. I shouldn''t have wandered the beach till so late. And it didn''t help that I was thinking about Shioi. It''s taking me a lot of effort to stay awake. "On the 5th, 12th and 20th of July, there have been three encounters with a shark-like creature. You should be able to see it in the file I just sent." (Suwanto Ao) It was a picture of a large shark with hands and feet. It''s the same one that cause a commotion a few weeks ago. "For simplicity sake, we will call this monster Blue. During both encounters, Blue was highly aggressive. It would let out a loud screech before rushing the girls who encountered it. It has been noted that Blue is impervious to our attacks. Or rather, it is reflecting them." (Suwanto Ao) "What do you mean by that?" (Sasebo) "It''s exactly what it means. Any kind of attacks, be it torpedoes, cannon fire or bombs, will be thrown back at us. An retreat was order during the initial encounter. Since then, we have engaged it twice, and both times we suffered heavy casualties." (Vestal) "On top of that, it likes to engage us in close combat." (Suwanto Ao) "So how did you guys get away without losing anyone? Or were there any fatalities?" (Kure) "None. Everyone in the fleet was injured but luckily, no one sank. As my girls retreat, Blue would give chase. However, for reasons unknown, it would stop after a while and submerge itself. Maybe it''s territorial or maybe it doesn''t want to leave it''s hunting ground. We still don''t have enough intel on it to come up with anything solid." (Suwanto Ao) "Admiral Keita, you have encountered this creature before. Any input?" (Rondo) Even if you ask me... Ah. There is one. "Hmm... Have you seen it eat? More specifically, was it eating a Re-class?" "During the third encounter, there were mass-produced Siren sh.i.p.s around it. All of which were reduced to rubble. I remember Hornet reporting that there was a headless Abyssal body slowly dissipating into dust when they encountered it. It had a hood so I''m guessing that it was a Re-class." (Suwanto Ao) "As you said, we can''t come up with anything solid yet. However, can we add the possibility that it''s favourite food are Battleship Re-classes? Since it has happened twice." "Right. You did mention in the report that it ate the head of a Re-class while the rest were just torn apart and thrown to you." (Grand Admiral Hasake) "Yes. That''s why I feel that we can label the Re-class as it''s main source of food." "Why Re-classes though? Those things are extremely tough. It could just eat the other weaker ones." (Yokosuka) "Maybe they are tastier?" "I doubt Abyssals taste any good. Or even have any kind of flavor." (Sasebo) "Sharks eat anything. Unless it''s poisonous, I don''t think they care about taste." (Brunei Anchorage) "They don''t really taste their food. They will smell and decide if their prey is palatable or not." (Rei) "We are getting off topic. Everyone shut up! That was an interesting shark fact, Rei-chan~ Azur Lane Commander, please continue." (Grand Admiral Akihito) Geez. Calm down, old man. "Dummy..." (Rei) "Er... Moving on. On the 11th of July, during our usual run in Operation Siren, Sora captured this image." (Suwanto Ao) The screen switched to an aerial image of several black tentacles with a purple hue sticking out of the ocean. There is a large shadow underneath those tentacles, which might be it''s main body. "That''s one large octopus." (Brunei Anchorage) "And? Apart from it''s size, what can it do?" (Grand Admiral Akihito) "It was attacking the Sirens in the area. Helena META wasn''t even able to stand a chance against it." (Suwanto Ao) "You found another META?" "Yeah. She is a Light Cruiser. Anyway, in Sora''s report, the tentacles are not that strong but are extremely agile and have high speed regeneration. Even Helena META could barely keep up with it''s speed. After Helena META was thrown away, literally, Sora''s fleet engaged it. That''s how we figured out that it has high speed regeneration. The tentacles can be shot off or cut apart easily, but it will regenerate almost immediately. If it''s a normal octopus which just got way too big, I won''t even talk about it here. But since it was able to take on a META shipgirl and possess such abilities, I have to consider it as a threat. Especially since there is evidence that this is clearly a Siren Construct." (Suwanto Ao) Ao zoomed in on one of the tentacles. I immediately understood why he said that this monster is a Siren construct. I bet the others got it too. The tentacle that was zoomed in was made out of copious amounts of mental cubes stuck together. There were both black and blue mental cubes forming the tentacle itself. "I see. This is a cause for concern." (Rondo) "We aren''t sure whether it''s hostile or simply reactive to attacks, considering the fact that Vampire panicked and shot it despite Sora''s orders to do the exact opposite. She ordered a retreat after realizing that the battle might turn into a battle of attrition, with them losing." (Rondo) "Does it only stay at one spot? Or will it move around?" (Brunei Anchorage) "We don''t know. That''s why I''m sharing this with you. Just like Blue, you guys might encounter this creature else where during your sorties and whatnot. This is just a heads-up." (Suwanto Ao) There was a loud banging sound in the background. I can hear a door slam open, followed by a panicked voice just off screen. "Commander. This is bad!" (???) "What''s wrong, Javelin? I''m in the middle of a meeting." (Suwanto Ao) "The heat caused Ayame-chan to split into eleven clones. She fed some sort of shaved ice to Shirakami-san and one of our sheeps in the farm and now they are frozen solid. Two of the Ayame-chans ate the same thing and froze themselves too. Now the remaining nine Ayame-chans are fighting amongst themselves and rampaging about the base!" (Javelin) ...Eh? "What kind of weird item did that oni come up with this time? What about her mother? Where is she?" (Suwanto Ao) "Mio-san is in Japan making preparations for her concert. Sora-san is also running her errands in Japan." (Javelin) "Alright. I will be there shortly." (Suwanto Ao) What the hell is going on over there? I can hear a lot of background noise. "Sorry. I have to cut short this meeting." (Suwanto Ao) "That''s alright. Taking care of 400 over girls on your own is quite a feat. We will let you know if we find anything." (Rondo) "Thank you. Likewise, I will notify you guys any additional information we managed to gather." (Suwanto Ao) "Alright. So, meeting adjourned." (Grand Admiral Hasake) I immediately left the meeting room. I''m not going to let myself get caught by any of them. Looks like Rei has also left the room, seeing as she slammed her laptop shut. Phew. Finally, I can take a nap. I will do my best at work later. "Admiral," (Rei) "Yes?" "I need to take an off on this Saturday." (Rei) "Sure. But what for?" "It''s that irritating Sawada-san and my father. I can''t postpone it any longer." (Rei) Somehow, I got a bad feeling about this... Chapter 258 - 233 Oh wow. Talk about being late. I have been sitting here for almost an hour now, watching Rei stand in front of Osaka Station, waiting for a sc.u.m which I only heard bad things about. Rei is supposed to be on a date with this Saw- Sawaka? Sawada? ...Whatever his name is, at 12 noon. Now it''s almost 1pm. What kind of guy makes his date wait this long?! And no, I''m not stalking her. At least that''s what I like to think. Rei told me what time and where she was meeting this dirtbag. You don''t have to wait for a guy who is this late for his date, Rei. Just leave and return back to base already. Or at least wait inside where there is air conditioning. It''s hot out here.?? Rei is wearing a white sleeveless blouse with a black and red skirt. Resting on top of her is a white beret. She is all dressed up for a date with some prick. She looks elegant in that outfit. Ah. Someone is approaching her. A plain looking man with shoulder length hair in a blue polo t-shirt and black jeans. Maybe he is one of those brats who go around trying to pick up women with cringy lines, only to be blatantly rejected and then they would start to get violent and be an absolute nuisance to society. I admit, it looks like he has some muscle though, but he is clearly a brat. He looks kind of familiar. Wait. Why is Rei walking with him? Don''t tell me, that''s him?! That''s the twat that Grand Admiral Akihito has chosen? Has that old man''s eyesight gone bad? Or has he gone senile? Maybe both. That twat isn''t even dressed up for a date. He just wore an ugly grey polo t-shirt and blue shorts. At least put on a jacket and style your hair a little. And how dare you make your date wait for almost an hour under the hot sun. You are lucky Rei is such a nice girl. You clearly don''t deserve her. "Shioi, let''s follow them." "Y-yes." (Shioi) Shioi and I went inside the station and tailed them from a distance. Thankfully, we e don''t look suspicious. Probably. Since we are tailing them, it was better for us to wear a disguise. I''m wearing an ordinary white t-shirt with a sleeveless denim jacket, blue jeans, and a white face mask while Shioi has a green tank top with blue shorts and rectangular-framed glasses. We can''t let Rei know that we are nearby, tailing her. Oi oi oi. Why is Rei paying for the ticket? Shouldn''t they at least share the cost? Maybe he will pay her back later. More importantly, where are they going? And why are they buying a one-way ticket? Just use a Icoca pass. "Shioi, is your Icoca pass topped up?" "Icoca pass? What is that?" (Shioi) I looked at the bewildered girl, "You don''t know what''s a Icoca pass?" She shook her head. "How did you get around all this time during your off days?" "I just buy tickets to where we want to go." (Shioi) "Let''s get you a Icoca pass." I brought her to the machine to make one. Having a Icoca pass makes it easier to move around. You don''t have to keep going to the machine to get a ticket. Just tap your card and you can enter the train. "Ehehehe~ Admiral got me my first Icoca pass~ This animal is so cute! What creature is this?" (Shioi) Shioi looks elated about the card. "A platypus, I think?" Oh no! We spent too much getting her a card. We lost them! "Commander Rei and the other man went over there." (Shioi) Shioi pointed at the stairs leading to the line 4. "Alright. Let''s go." We went into the train and sat at a distance, far from them but within line of sight. I should have brought a wiretap, so I can listen to their conversation. What a blunder. "Admiral, won''t Zuihou be better for this? She has great hearing so maybe she can pick up on their conversation. Compared to me..." (Shioi) "Zuihou is only s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e to the sound of planes, so I doubt she can even hear those two. Besides, Zuihou and Shigure are on a mission today. Zuihou-chan has lessons with Kashima so she volunteered to hold the fort after that. I wanted someone to accompany me so I brought you along. It''s not a matter of how useful you are to me." Plus, I kind of want to spend some time with you. Not like I can say that though. "I-I see." (Shioi) That guy is just yapping while Rei just gave a forced smile. I wonder what kind of things he is talking about to make Rei make that kind of forced smile. Shioi is staring out of the window, taking in the scenery. This is the Kobe line leading to Kobe. Where are we going? After a 25-minute train ride, they finally got off at the place people take this line to, Kobe. What is there to see in Kobe? It''s only a port town famous for its beef. Apart from a few museums and nice buildings, I can''t think of any date spots there. "Ooohh~ Ah, something smells good." (Shioi) "Admiral, they are going into that restaurant. Shouldn''t we follow them?" (Shioi) Before I can answer, I heard a loud growling sound. Shioi immediately covered her stomach and blushed. "Let''s go in and get lunch ourselves." The both of us entered the restaurant. We made sure not to let our targets notice us as we walked past them. Luckily, there was an empty table just behind where the twat is sitting. This should allow me to hear their conversation a little. I could have sworn Rei was staring at us as we walked by. "What''s up?" (Twat) "Oh, nothing. I just thought I saw someone familiar." (Rei) You actually did see someone familiar. Oh. This is a barbecue type restaurant. Sweet. "One of your exes? With that size, you should have plenty." (Twat) "Ahaha. I hope that''s not the case." (Rei) I wanna punch him. But first, let''s fill Shioi''s stomach. "Have you decided what you want?" "They are all so expensive." (Shioi) "This is one of those premium yakiniku places. So the prices are steep, but the meat is delicious." I waved my hand to the waitress. The tiny girl skipped towards our table. A child? "Can I take your order?" (Tiny Waitress) "We will have the supreme set." "Wait. That''s way too expensive!" (Shioi) "Don''t worry. This amount of meat is worth the 4000 yen. And give me a beer. Shioi, what drink would you like?" "Eh? Erm... I will take the fruit juice, please." (Shioi) "Understood. Anything else?" (Tiny Waitress) "Nope. That will be all for now." "Alright. Please wait for a moment." (Tiny Waitress) The tiny waitress switched on the stove on our table and walked with a bounce in her step towards the kitchen. She must be the cook''s family member or something. Either that, she just has a really small statue. Anyway, "So yeah, with my brilliant plan, my dad managed to seal the deal with this big shot. Now, we are roping in millions every month. Of course, because I''m the one that hatched such an awesome plan, father is giving me a 60% cut." (Twat) "Is that so?" (Rei) Yikes. It''s just as Rei said. C.o.c.ky, a parasite. What else? "Thank you for waiting." (Tiny Waitress) The tiny waitress came back with four large plates of meat. She set the plates down and placed a metal grill on the stove. She spread a thin layer of oil on the stove with a brush. "This much meat?" (Shioi) "Would you like me to cook for you or would you rather you do it yourself?" (Tiny Waitress) "We can cook it ourselves." "Got it. I will bring you your drinks." (Tiny Waitress) "Thank you." For the time being, that twat is spewing nonsensical bullshit. I still need to make sure he doesn''t say anything too offensive to me, so I will just multitask for a while. "Shioi, let me teach the perfect way to cook this meat." With tongs in hand, I arranged the sirloin, ribeye, briskets, and tongue onto the grill. The meat sizzles and a delicious aroma fills our noses. Shioi stared at the sizzling meat, unaware of the fact that she has started drooling. She is really hungry. I waited for the meat to change color before flipping them over. Timing is important when it comes to Yakiniku. Each meat has its own specific way and time to cook to bring out its flavor. A single second is all it takes to ruin the meat. That guy is still bragging about how rich his father is and how smart he is that his father relies on him for business plans. How delusional are you? I placed the cooked pieces of meat onto Shioi''s plate, "Eat up." Shioi gripped the sirloin with her chopsticks. "Careful, it''s still quite hot." After a few blows, she puts the sirloin into her mouth. Her eyes brightening and her dancing hands tells me she loves it. "There is more of where that came from." I put in the next batch of meat and repeated the grilling process. Shioi''s gleeful expression while chewing on beef is really cute. "I got to admit, this yakiniku thing isn''t half bad Seriously, thanks for paying today. I will treat you next time. If I didn''t forget to bring my wallet, I would have brought you to a 5-star restaurant with more high-class food." (Twat) What are you trying to imply? You are going to piss off this restaurant''s cook and the rest of us. "Having some normal delicious food once in a while is great, you know. It doesn''t have too luxurious." (Rei) "You think so? True. The meat is nice, but way too greasy for my palate." (Twat) How about I cook your greasy face, huh? Ah, no. I shouldn''t do that. Not only is it unhygienic, but I will also pity the stove that needs to cook his face and the people that need to clean it up. I continued to listen to his nonsensical yapping as I teach Shioi the ways of Yakiniku. Shioi has a look of satisfaction as we finish our food and drinks. Most of the stuff that twat is spewing out are about his achievements in FPS game, obviously fake and nonsensical ''plans'' he thought up for his father''s business, going to a hotel to dine in their restaurant, how much money his father is giving him... Damn, he has so much nonsense in him that he might be enough to power a power plant for a few years. What the heck? "Are you satisfied?" "Yes. That was delicious. Thank you, Admiral." (Shioi) "Let''s take a short break and let the food digest a bit." "Honestly, you should quit your job and let me support you. I''m rich. I can give you anything. And no way am I letting such a big pair of melons get away." (Twat) "That''s not happening anytime soon. I love my job and the environment." (Rei) "What do you work as again?" (Twat) "I''m a Commander at IJN''s Maizuru Naval Base" (Rei) "Ah, right, right. So you work for those child slavers. I can''t believe they are forcing such a busty beauty like you to abuse children and make them fight in some play war." (Twat) HUH?!?!?! "Excuse me? Did I hear you correctly? Child slavers?" (Rei) I clenched my fist tightly. I can feel my c.h.e.s.t throbbing rapidly. "Yeah. Child slavers. That''s what your people do, right? Giving guns to kids and throwing them at imaginary monsters the government made up. It''s all-over social media. I even have my own information broker in the organization. So I know everything. You don''t have to work for such an evil organization. Quit your job and just focus on making babies for me." (Twat) "I''m sorry. You didn''t strike me as one of those activists. What do you think we do there?" (Rei) "I just said it, didn''t I? Forcing dumb kids to fight an imaginary war for you. You guys probably fed those stupid kids some kind of drug to brainwash them into throwing their lives, right? You can tell me. My lips are sealed." (Waste of oxygen) Is this knife sharp enough to cut his throat? I hope it''s sharp enough. "You know damn well we don''t do that!" (Rei) Rei sounds pissed as well. "Oh come on. We are outside now. There is no need to follow whatever military rules or NDA doc.u.ments you were forced to sign. Besides, we are going to be a couple soon. Couples don''t hide secrets from one another." (Waste of space and oxygen) I looked around the restaurant. The diners are all staring at the two. Some even have their phones up, hoping to catch some kind of drama. "You are so wrong." (Rei) "Nah. I''m right. The IJN is a bunch of sc.u.m who torture and brainwash young children into fighting a fake war and killing themselves. In fact, the kids are obviously dumb enough to even let themselves get brainwashed by your people and be treated as mere weapons. I really pity them." (Son of b****) Shioi looks upset about that sc.u.m''s comments. I don''t care if he insults IJN but if he dares talk about my girls like this... I raised my hand and signaled for the bill. "Where the hell did you get all of this nonsense from?!" (Rei) "No need to get defensive. Anyway, my point is, quit your stupid job and let me support you. You can get everything you want for free while I get to play with those massive jugs. A win-win situation for everybody." (Piece of maggot-infested trash) I hand over my card for the waitress to process my payment. My hands are starting shake... "First of all, we do not brainwash or torture the kids at our base. I don''t know what lies you are being fed but there really is a war going on out there. These kids are humanity''s only hope of winning this war and are working hard to save people like you from dying. We do our best to make them comfortable, especially after each battle. We treat them as humans! Not weapons! And they are not dumb!" (Rei) "You know I''m right. You are just afraid to admit it." (Why was he born?) The waitress returned me my card and took a step back. The plates made a clattering sound as I stood up. I walked over to the table behind me. "Those kids you guys have in your base are really stupid enough to believe whatever your people say and kill themselves in this so-called wa- Ggoghh?!" (Trash) I slammed that piece of useless garbage headfirst onto the table. Screams echoed around me but I can''t be bothered to entertain them. After four punches to the face, I added another knee for good measure. I grabbed the hair of that sniffling bag of crap and whispered, "If I see you in front of me, hear you talk about Rei like that or insult any of my girls ever again, it won''t end with just a bloodied nose. Got it?" "Who are y-" (Bag of trash) "I said, Got it?" I jerked its head. The trash pile nodded it''s head fearfully. I slammed its head onto the table one more time. A plate of beef flipped into the air. "Let''s go, Shioi." "Y-yes." (Shioi) I walked out of the restaurant. My right hand is throbbing. "Admiral..." (Shioi) "Sorry. But I can''t let that ********* talk about Rei and you girls like that anymore." "I know. But was it alright to do that? Wouldn''t you get in trouble?" (Shioi) "Probably." And it won''t end with just a pay cut. There were many people watching. No doubt this incident will get posted on social media. I will need to plan out what to say during my trial to make sure I don''t get fired. I''m fine with detention. So long as I get to see Zuihou, Zuihou-chan, Shigure, and Shioi and everyone else again. "Well, I will cross that bridge when the time comes. You have never been to Kobe before, have you? Since we are here, shall we explore?" "Are you sure?" (Shioi) "If I go back now, Ooyodo will just lecture me again. Might as well enjoy ourselves while we are here. There isn''t much but I know a few good sightseeing spots." "Thank you, Admiral." (Shioi) I pray that things don''t go as badly as I think it would... Chapter 259 - 234 What is this...? Forget losing my job. I''m going to die. Grand Admiral Akihito was sat in front of me, staring menacingly. Takao and Rei sat on his right and left respectively.?? It hasn''t been a full day since I used that trash bag as a punching bag. As expected, videos of the whole fiasco were being spread online. There were various captions such as ''Pervert gets thrashed'' or ''Random dude beating up a noisy boy". Some of them made me laugh. There were some which caught the argument between Rei and the pile of crap before I stepped in, while there were those which only featured the beating part. Either way, I will get into trouble if HQ realizes that person in the video is me. Though, I''m already caught by the worst person ever imaginable in the higher echelon. Yesterday, Rei called me to say she would be spending the night with her family. She didn''t sound distressed, instead, she sounded as if a weight has been lifted off her shoulder. I was at ease when I heard her voice like that. When dawn broke, a car came in and Grand Admiral Akihito snatched me from my office. Now, we are in some Onsen Ryokan in Toyooka. Takao and Rei are both in Yukatas while Grand Admiral Akihito and I are still on our uniforms. This awkward atmosphere is overwhelming. Someone say something. "Erm..." "HMMM?" (Grand Admiral Akihito) Such overwhelming pressure...! "Father, if you keep staring at Keita-kun, we won''t make any progress." (Rei) "HUH?! Since when were you two on first name basis? And call me Papa!" (Grand Admiral Akihito) "What are you talking about? We have always been on first name basis. Since day one." (Rei) Rei! Don''t say things that will hasten my death! Grand Admiral Akihito''s glare is now sharper and colder than a blade on my neck. "Come on, darling. We won''t make any progress if you keep staring." (Takao) Takao hugged Grand Admiral Akihito from behind. This is the first time I hear Takao say ''darling''. Wow. I never thought I would see Grand Admiral Akihito blush like that. "Ta-Takao-chan, n-now is not the time. At least, not in front of my subordinate." (Grand Admiral Akihito) I should record this, but i would get sent to Davy Jones locker almost immediately if I did. "Relax, Admiral Keita. We are just here to talk." (Takao) "Even if you tell me that..." "Come on, darling. Smile. Smile." (Takao) "..." (Grand Admiral Akihito) Grand Admiral Akihito''s face twisted into a- Oh god! "Pfft! G-grand Admiral, please. You don''t have to force yourself." "You ba-" (Grand Admiral Akihito) "Darling, watch your language." (Takao) Crap. That weird smile... I wasn''t able to hold in my laughter fast enough... "So noisy..." (???) The door behind me slid open and a small girl in a night gown, no older than 5 years old, appeared, rubbing her eyes sleepily. Who is this child? "Ah. Rin-chan. Sorry, we were too loud." (Takao) "Rin-chan, let''s get you washed up and ready." (Rei) "Onee-chan~" (Rin) The two girls disappeared as the door closed behind them. Oh, crap. Rei! Don''t leave me here! "Now," (Grand Admiral Akihito) Ah. This is the end. I''m so dead. Grand Admiral Akihito''s aura has just gotten more intense than before. "With Rei-chan gone, Let''s get down to business." (Grand Admiral Akihito) "Can I go to the toilet first? I would like to write my will." "No. There is no need for such thing." (Grand Admiral Akihito) "First things first," (Grand Admiral Akihito) Grand Admiral Akihito reached into his pocket. He is going to pull out a knife and butcher me! No. Even though he is bigger and stronger than me, I''m not going to go down without a fight. Oh. He was just taking out his phone. After a bit of scrolling, he placed the phone in front of me, "This is you, isn''t it?" (Grand Admiral Akihito) It was a video of the whole altercation yesterday. This one even recorded part of the argument between Rei and the pile of crap. Rei had her back facing the camera, so this was probably taken by someone sitting near the entrance. Oh come on, why do you have to follow me like that? Ah, there is Shioi. Okay. Let''s feign ignorance. "This is a video of the fight that has been circulat-" "Before you say anything else or give me your answer, I want you to consider the consequences of lying to a higher ranking officer. Consider this an order and a warning." (Grand Admiral Akihito) Figures... "Yes. That''s me. But I have a reason." "I knew it. It is you!" (Grand Admiral Akihito) Grand Admiral Akihito suddenly raised his hands. It''s probably useless but I raised mine to shield my head from his attack. Goodbye, everyone... "Thank you, for looking out for our daughter." (Grand Admiral Akihito) Eh? I opened my eyes and peaked through the gap between my arms. Grand Admiral Akihito and Takao are in a Zarei position?! Why?! "This is an oversight on my part. I shouldn''t have agreed to this arrangement in the first place. Thank you so much." (Grand Admiral Akihito) "Wai- Please raise your Grand Admiral. You don''t have to this. Takao-san, you too." "No. I also have the responsibility for not be able to prevent this sc.u.m from humiliating my daughter." (Takao) This is even more awkward than before. "Papa, Mama? What are you two doing?" (Rin) Rin stood by the sliding door, bewildered by the scene in front of her. "Rin-chan! Geez. Don''t just run off like that. Stay still. Let me tie yo- What are you two doing?!" (Rei) Looks like Rei was chasing her little sister through the inn. She was shocked to see her parents bowing their heads to someone like me. "Rei, help me~" Chapter 260 - 235 "Hey, Onii-san, what''s your relationship with Onee-chan?" (Rin) The small girl pushed herself against my back as I was about to drink my miso soup. "Rin-chan, don''t bother Admiral Keita too much. And that was dangerous." (Takao) "Don''t worry about it. This is nothing compared to what I experience almost daily." I have trained my body, sort of, to handle Yuudachi''s constant tackling. This much is like a leaf landing on me. "Let see, we are friends." "Friends? Then, can Rin be your friend too?" (Rin) "Sure, why not?" "Yay!" (Rin) "You are quite the lad- ah, I better not say that in front of a child." (Takao) "I concur." "Hm?" (Rin) I drank my miso soup and let it''s warmth and taste calm my body. I have just gotten out of a stressful situation after all. The door slid open and out came Rei and her father, "Got it? No more funny business." (Grand Admiral Akihito) "Hmph. I don''t need you to tell me that." (Grand Admiral Akihito) "Come on. You two, breakfast will get cold." (Takao) The atmosphere just became awkward again. Rei and Grand Admiral Akihito sat down and silently ate. After that fiasco, Rei dragged her father into another room for a talk. I''m curious as to what they talking about, but I''m kind of afraid to ask, especially with that big scary gorilla in front of me. "Hm?! What?" (Grand Admiral Akihito) Ah. I didn''t mean to stare. Erm... "I was just wondering why are you still wearing your uniform. You could have worn the yukata, right?" Idiot! What are you saying?! What kind of response was that? "They don''t have my size. Not yet, at least. The innkeeper said she would be tailoring one for me later. Of course, I will be paying for it." (Grand Admiral Akihito) "How much is she charging you?" "The quotation given to me was about 10,000 yen each. It''s quite a steal, considering it''s going to custom-made." (Grand Admiral Akihito) That''s cheap. Maybe I should get one for myself. "Wait. Then..." I looked at Rei''s silky, koi patterned Yukata, "Those are.." "Hm? Oh, these? They are not custom-made but we got these from the store beside the inn. It was either our own sets or a rental one which has a simple boring design." (Rei) "Look at mine." (Rin) Rin tried to spin to show off her grape patterned Yukata, only for her to trip over her own feet. "Woah there." I grabbed her small hand before the girl could fall and hurt herself. "Careful." "Thank you, Onii-san." (Rin) I can feel the gaze of a bloodthirsty gorilla, "Pa- Father!" (Rei) "Hmph! Rin-chan, stay away from that man. He will spread some kind of disease to you." (Grand Admiral Akihito) "Darling, I know you are irritated but even I can''t let you get away with that kind of insult." (Takao) "Papa is being mean!" (Rin) "Grr..." (Grand Admiral Akihito) Come on, you two. I still want to live and keep my job. Around 8.30am, a room attendant enter our room to remove our breakfast. The room attendant skillfully stacked all five small wooden tables, along with the crockery, and brought it out of the room without breaking a sweat. Rei brought Rin to buy some ice cream... leaving me alone with Grand Admiral Akihito and Takao again! "Tsk... Do I really have to do this? I have already gave my thanks." (Grand Admiral Akihito) "Darling, didn''t we all agree last night? That you would explain the situation to him?" (Takao) Takao smiled at me, "If you have any questions, feel free to ask. My husband here will answer all of them." (Takao) "Erm..." Can I really though? One wrong word and I may be sent back in a box. I do have some burning questions though. Hopefully... "If it''s alright to ask, why did you allow Rei to go on a date? Even though you were so adamant on not giving her to anyone." There is that whole issue with the blind date thing a few months back, but I can slowly change the flow of the conversation and find a good time to talk about that. ...I screwed up... I jumped straight into a landmine. That question should have been asked after I set a proper mood. I can hear Grand Admiral Akihito let out a loud growl, "I guess I can tell that much. Just to let you know, I still refuse to give my daughter to anyone! Not even to likes of you!" (Grand Admiral Akihito) Takao whacked the angry old man in his head. "With that being said, it was the wishes of Rei and my mother." So, Rei''s grandmother... "Rei always wanted to have a boyfriend, so much so that she even joined the military. She should just stay as my precious, pure little girl for the rest of life. But some things changed. You probably know there was a period of time where Rei went on several blind dates, right?" (Grand Admiral Akihito) Ah, that''s what I wanted to ask too. Rei told me that she didn''t want to be a Christmas cake. A rather old-fashioned trend with young women. Though most of them can''t be bothered with it these days. I was surprised he actually allowed her to go on blind dates. "Rei told me that she wants to get boyfriend. I challenged her for that right and she beat me in combat for the first time in a while. So I allowed her to go blind dates for a while. Thankfully she gave up on that rather quickly." (Grand Admiral Akihito) You just said some scary things there. You, a large gorilla, lost to Rei in combat? I... I... Let''s not worry about it... "And then there is this incident. It was actually something my mother always wanted and a request from my drinking buddy. My mother was hospitalized recently. She is old so we thought she doesn''t have any longer to live. One of her wishes to see Rei with a boyfriend. She is basically the opposing my wishes, but she is my mother, I can''t really go against her, especially if it''s one of her dying ones. Rei also wanted to fulfill her wish. One day, I was drinking with this friend of mine. One thing led to another and Rei became the topic of our conversation. That guy suggested his grandson as a potential marriage candidate for Rei. He too was looking forward to his grandson getting a partner of his own. So since he was a win-win situation for us, I foolishly agreed without doing a background check on that fellow. He was my friend too, so when he said his grandson was perfect, I trusted his words against my better judgement." (Grand Admiral Akihito) That kind of explains things, I guess. "Then, what about your mother?" Is she... "That old hag is fine. It turned out to be a simple cold. Damn it. She gave us quite the fright." (Grand Admiral Akihito) Thank goodness. "Now, since she is still alive, her dying wish is put on hold until she really is about to kick the bucket. I am not giving Rei to anyone!" (Grand Admiral Akihito) "Shut up! I can hear you all the way from the hallway!" (Rei) The door slid open. The sisters are back. Rin kicked off her shoes and climbed onto the tatami mat. "I''m back. Look, mama! They have Ramune flavoured ice cream there!" (Rin) Rin pulled out a white colour packet from her bag. "Oh. That looks delicious. Let''s eat it before it melts." (Takao) "Rin got these for Papa and Mama too." (Rin) She pulled out two more packets of the same Ramune ice cream and passed it to her parents. "Thank you, Rin-chan. Such a good girl~ " (Grand Admiral Akihito) I can''t help but shudder at what I''m seeing right now. The Grand Admiral Akihito I know is melting in front of a child. His usually stern expression is now replaced with a smile that emits love and affection. I know that he loves his daughters a lot, but to see him like this... Brrr... I can hear Rei let out an exasperated sigh, "Sheesh. He is always like this. Anyway, here." (Rei) "Cold!" I jumped as Rei placed something cold against my cheek. I turned towards her. She was holding a yellow ice cream packet. "Hehe. This is for you, Keita-kun~" (Rei) I can hear something snap behind me, a low growling noise and feel an overwhelming pressure. "You are getting a kick out of this, aren''t you?" "Whatever do you mean?" (Rei) I took the ice cream packet from Rei. Lemon soda flavored... Sounds interesting. Rei plopped down beside me and teared open her own packet. "Rei, why are you sitting over there? Come over here." (Grand Admiral Akihito) "What''s the problem? It''s not like there is anything wrong with sitting here." (Rei) Wow. His bloodlust is overwhelming. I need to shift the situation into my favour somehow. Actually, one more thing, "Grand Admiral sir, about that video..." "Oh right. Don''t worry. You weren''t in uniform so you were technically off-duty when this happened. And your sh- lousy disguise can more or less trick the MP since they have no idea how you look like originally. Well, not like they would concern themselves with such things in the first place." (Grand Admiral Akihito) "But don''t they have my profile? With pictures and everything?" "Yeah. But they are more concerned with discipline within the organization. They can''t be bothered with things that happened in public. Unless you are wearing a uniform, or anything that represents the organization, and causing havoc outside, they won''t even bother to charge you." (Grand Admiral Akihito) "What''s MP?" (Rin) "It''s a group of people who catch bad guys in Papa and Mama''s workplace. They are like the police." (Takao) They are the police in our line of work. Alright. With my curiosity sated and Rei''s problem solved, I think I should be going home now. Zuihou and the others must be worried sick. "I think it''s time for me to return back to work. I have stayed here long enough." "Ehh?! Onii-san is leaving?" (Rin) "Sorry. I will come by to play some other time. I need to go to work." "If work is what you are worried about, I have already made sure that no paperwork or sorties are ?ssigned to your base for today. So just stay here for today." (Grand Admiral Akihito) Er... "But my girls will be worried if I don''t go back soon." "Just give them a call or something. Besides, I already applied leave for you and paid for your room for a night. Are you going to embarrass by rejecting my kindness?" (Grand Admiral Akihito) What kindness? You basically kidnapped me. I didn''t ask you to pay for my room in the first place. And don''t apply leave for me without permission. I know I have a lot brought forward but don''t take them! Though, I can''t risk pushing him back. He is glaring straight into my soul. "I guess, I shall take you up on that offer. Thank you." "Dam- You''re welcome." (Grand Admiral Akihito) Before Grand Admiral Akihito changed his words, Takao was pinching his leg. "Then, Onii-san will be staying? Yay!" (Rin) "Good for you, Rin." (Rei) "She has taken a liking to you." (Takao) There is that pressure again. Please stop trying to kill me. I didn''t even do anything. Chapter 261 - 235.5 "Yeah. I should be back tomorrow morning." "That''s good. When Grand Admiral Akihito came and dragged you out of the office, I didn''t know what to do." (Zuihou) "It would have helped if he explained things before kidnapping me. Unfortunately, that''s how he is." While waiting for the sisters to prepare, I decided to call Zuihou to inform her about my situation. "Is Shigure and Zuihou-chan there? Put me on speaker phone." "Yeah, they are here. Just give me a moment." (Zuihou) The call suddenly cut off, and a notification for a video call showed up. Their faces showed up as soon as I pressed the call bu??on. "Zuihou, you do know you can activate this function without hanging up." "I don''t know what bu??ons to press." (Zuihou) "Admiral, are you alright?" (Shigure) "He didn''t do anything to you, right?" (Zuihou-chan) "Hi, Shigure, Zuihou-chan. Yeah. I''m alright. It was a close shave though." Hmm? "Zuihou-chan, why is your right eye red?" "Hm? What are you talking about?" (Zuihou-chan) Eh? I could have sworn it was red. Oh, well. "Must have been my imagination." "Anyway, Grand Admiral Akihito said there won''t be any sorties or paperwork to clear today. So, just tell everyone to relax for the day. They can go out to town if they want. Just don''t get into trouble." "Okay. Admiral, where are you?" (Zuihou) "I''m with Rei''s family. In some Onsen Ryokan in Toyooka. Don''t try to come here. I will be back tomorrow, and I won''t do anything stupid. Especially not with that gorilla breathing behind my back." "I-I wasn''t thinking about going there." (Zuihou) "Of course you weren''t. Anyway, sorry to worry you three. I will bring back some souvenirs. So look forward to my return." "Yeah. I will be waiting." (Shigure) "Onee-chan and I will make lots of Tamagoyaki. Afterwards, we can work on my core." (Zuihou-chan) "Hurry up and come back. I miss you already." (Zuihou) "I miss you girls too. Love you. See you tomorrow." As soon as I hung up, I heard the door slide open behind me. Rin ran out with her hair tied into twintails while her older sister followed behind, her own hair in her usual ponytail. "Sorry for the wait. She wouldn''t sit still." (Rei) "That''s fine." "Onii-san, Onee-chan, let''s go!" (Rin) "Alright. No need to rush. The shops aren''t going anywhere." (Rei) "Thanks for accompanying my daughters." (Takao) "This is nothing new. I accompany my girls on their shopping trips as well. But, are you sure you don''t want to go along with them? It''s your vacation." "We can go tomorrow. This room has a private family onsen. Darling and I are going to enjoy ourselves first. You know what I mean, right?" (Takao) "Alright. I will be off." "Don''t worry. I will make sure I hold my husband here." (Takao) I better leave now. I don''t want to know about their private calisthenics. I went down to the lobby, where the sisters are waiting. "Sorry. I forgot my wallet." Of course I didn''t. I just needed to give some excuse on why I came down later. "Let''s go. But first..." (Rei) Both of them looked at me, "Eh?" ----------------------------------- "Wow! Onii-san, you look so cool!" (Rin) Being praised a child is somewhat embarrassing but I will take it. But this design is more weird than cool. I look at myself in the mirror, wearing the asymatrical yukata the elderly shopkeeper picked for me. It was a white and black yukata. The black section is placed on top of the white one. Blue wave-like patterns, accompanied by a Koi, was embroidered at the helm of the yukata. Red feathers scatter all over the the upper portion of the yukata. What kind of design is this? The material is comfortable though. "Lady boss, I don''t think this suits me." "What are you talking about?! This is clearly the best yukata for you. I may be old, but I still have a good eye for fashion." (Old shopkeeper) "But this..." "Either you take it, or leave my store! I have no need for people who lack fashion sense!" (Old Shopkeeper) Damn. Calm down, hag. You are not going to get any customers with that attitude. "Grandma, I already told you before. You got to stop trying to pick fights with your customers." (Familiar voice) A familiar young lady emerged from what I think is there storeroom. "Ah." "Oh. It''s you." (Bikini shop owner) "Miko-chan. You don''t understand. This blind fool can''t see the intricate art I put in creating that masterpiece. He should be honoured that I''m even letting him try it." (Old Shopkeeper.) "Grandma, I know how you feel. But you can''t just flare up when they disagree with you. You need to speak to them. Understand why they feel that your designs are weird. That''s how to improve." (Miko) "My designs are perfect!" Flawless!" (Grumpy Old Shopkeeper) "Was she like this when you bought from her?" "No. She was a kind old lady." (Rei) "Onee-chan..." (Rin) Rin is getting scared. "Alright alright. I will buy this. Okay?" "Hmph! You should have said that from the start." (Grumpy Old Shopkeeper) "Grandma!" (Miko) The bikini shop owner looked at me apologetically, "I''m so sorry about this. You don''t have to buy it if you don''t want to.." (Miko) "It''s fine. Design aside, the material is pretty good. Besides, any longer and the little one''s vacation would be ruined." I gestured at Rin, who is peeking out from behind Rei. The shop owner looked over my shoulders, "Wife? But weren''t you with a bunch of girls the other day?" (Miko) She is friend. And colleague. She is here on vacation with her family. I just got dragged along." "Hey, brat! Here''s some geta to match with your yukata. You gonna pay up or what?" (Grumpy Old Shopkeeper) "Alright alright." I was charged exactly 6000 yen for the yukata. Miko-san kept apologizing as we left the store. I already told her not to be too concerned by it. "Sorry you had to experience that." (Rei) "Oh, come on. Why are you apologizing too? It was just bad luck that I encountered a grumpy old hag. The design may look weird, but it''s still kind of cool. Anyway, we didn''t come here to mop around, right?" "...You''re right. If we have one bad experience, we just have to replace it with more memorable experiences. Remember this, Rin." (Rei) "What do you mean?" (Rin) "She is still too young to understand." "Nah. Rin is a smart girl. She will understand it soon enough." (Rei) The three of us continued our shopping trip. As expected of an onsen town, there are all sorts of onsen ryoken. However, there are other shops, cafes, and various activities to do. I already know this from my experience with dealing with Etorofu and her group, but children are just bundles of energy. We have been chasing Rin around, tending to her whims. First she would to try some Onsen Manju, then she wants to get some candy apples, next she wants to watch a performance by a group of baskers. I''m glad she has cheered up but I having a hard time keeping up with her. Are all children like this? Rin started runing again. "Wait, Rin! Wher are you going?" (Rei) "I want to see that statue." (Rin) Oh no. "Look out! In fron-!" Too late. As soon as Rin turned back to the front, she crashed into the abutment of a stone bridge. She is going to cry. Rin and I both ran towards her. "Owie~~" (Rin) Rin clutched her forehead. "Rin, are you okay?" "Geez. I keep telling you to look where you are going." (Rei) That''s surprising. I was expecting her to start brawling her eyes out. Maybe it didn''t hurt her that much? I looked at the abutment which she crashed into... There is a dent and a few cracks... I gave the brigde a few light taps. It isn''t exactly weak. It is made of stone, right? Maybe those were alrady there before. "Look. Your face is covered in dirt." (Rei) Rei wiped her sisiter''s face with a hankerchief. Bits of rock fell to the ground... "There. Let''s dash before someone notices this." (Rei) Oi oi oi. Don''t tell me... The two of them started to make a run for it. Are you for real? By the time Rin was finally ready to return, we have our hands full with bags of trinkets and toys. I lugged them back to the inn while Rin hitched a ride on Rei''s back. "Sorry for making you carrying all that." (Rei) "It''s okay. This should make for a good experience." "For what? I can''t think of anything that requires you to carry tons of bags." (Rei) "There is one. Not sure if it will happen but if it does, I can expect the same thing that happened today." Rei was silent for a moment, before she seemed to realized what I was talking about. "Oh. So that''s what you meant. Don''t worry, if you are serious, it will happen soon enough." (Rei) "You sound so sure. How do you know if shipgirls can have babies?" "There is one here. You played with her the entire day and now she is riding on my back." (Rei) Eh? You don''t mean... I looked at the sleeping Rin, "So... she is..." "Yeah. A girl born from a human and a shipgirl." (Rei) "Then, you are also-" "Not me. I''m a human throughg and through. Right, no one told you this. Would you like to hear my story?" According to Rei, her biological mother died in a car accident when she was around 4 years old. Grand Admiral Akihito raised her single-handedly despite being in the JMSDF. He rejected going on tours, forfeiting all chances of a promotion, before joining the IJN when the existence of the shipgirls and war with the Abyssals exploded. I can guess why he chose to become an IJN officer instead of staying with the JMSDF. As a IJN officer, not only will you be land most of the time, you can go home after office hours. IJN officers back then only had to make sure the shipgirls were doing their jobs and helping them resupply. It was there where he climbed up the ranks and got to manage his own fleet. And where he found how to love again. It was Takao who stayed by his side from the beginning of his career as a commander. Throughout the years, they shared a bond and eventually, Takao become Rei''s new mother, and Rei got herself a little sister. Being born from a human and a shipgirl, Rin is physically tougher than normal kids. Aside from the bridge she just damaged, she has also damaged a wall in her school, a lamp post, and a car, just by running into them. I was hoping for it, but I didn''t think it was possible. Grand Admiral Akihito''s and Takao''s love and Rin''s existance ?ssured me. Humans and shipgirls can make a family. "That makes sense. The other day, during my trial, Takao''s name was mentioned while the Grand Admirals were arguing. I initially thought the Takao was your biological parent but that was impossible if you think about it properly. The years don''t match." "If Takao was my biological mother, I would be around Rin''s age by now. Then, I wouldn''t have met you." (Rei) "You''re right. We wouldn''t have met if it were like that." If you say it like that, how am I suppose to react? Chapter 262 - 236 Zuihou''s Type-2 Recon plane flew over the two Abyssal fleets, revealing their location on the radar. The Abyssals don''t seem to react to the aircraft buzzing near them, meaning their AA capabilities must be low. "Alright. Sending recon data over to you guys." "Thank you, Admiral Keita." (Roma) "Are you sure you don''t need our help?" "Yeah. This whole operation is very simple. My fleet can handle everything." (Brunei Anchorage Admiral) "It is a small operation, but don''t get too ???ky. If something happens, we are intervening immediately." Right now, we are in the midst of an operation. This is a small operation, spear-headed by Brunei Anchorage. Since it''s a small-scale operation, Brunei Anchorage wants to complete it with minimum support as possible. They must have felt that they couldn''t do much in the recent operations. Since this one is set in the Mediterranean, the girls there feel that they should bethe one to handle it themselves. Currently, we are in the last phase of the first missions. Our job is to scout and support Roma''s Strike fleet. "I know. I will leave my back to you. Now let''s see. Intel states that this is supposed to be a combined fleet. What I''m seeing here clearly states otherwise." (Brunei Anchorage Admiral) "They might be staying apart for the time being." (Italia) "I want to finish this and get back to drinking." (Pola) "Probably a ploy to get us to let our guard down. If we strike the main fleet, the escort fleet will attack from behind. Likewise if we attack the escort fleet." "There are two of us. Why not we hit the main fleet as hard as we can while Roma-san and the others attack the escort fleet?" (Zuihou) "No no no. We will take on the main fleet. You guys hit the escort fleet. This is our turn to shine." (Roma) "Zuihou..." This girl... I already told her our duty is to support them, not the other way round. And what is she going to do with the current fleet composition? A CVL and five submarines won''''t be enough to take down Heavy Cruiser Ne-class Kai. The Strike Fleet consists of Roma, Italia, Pola, Perth, De Ruyter, Scirocco and Grecale. They are more than enough to take down an enemy combined fleet on their own. "Fine. Keita, you hit the escort fleet. It''s full of small fry so it should be easy for you. Don''t worry if a few managed to slip past." (Brunei Anchorage Admiral) "We won''t let them." (Shioi) "I think it''s best if we sync our attacks. That way, we should be able to prevent both fleets from convening." (Perth) "We will enter in a Line-ahead formation. Just as per usual." (Brunei Anchorage Admiral) "Zuihou, how many of them do you think you can sink with the opening strike?" "Probably all five destroyers and heavily damage the Tsu-class. Provided if the Tsu-class doesn''t take out some of my planes." (Zuihou) Someone sounds confident. But knowing her strength, she can probably pull it off. If anything, only the Tsu-class has enough AA capabilities to slow Zuihou''s onslaught. "Then, we will focus all our torpedoes on the Tsu-class first. Zuihou-san can just time her attacks with ours." (Hachi) "Worth a shot." "Alright. Planning time over? Let''s go. We are going to repeat this until that that thing finally keels." (Brunei Anchorage Admiral) "Damn. How old are you? That''s such an old term." "Works pretty well in this situation." (Roma) Roma''s fleet sped up to meet the enemy''s main fleet straight on. They will engage the enemy within ten minutes so long as they continue at max speed. "Alright. Line ahead formation. Zuihou, match our speed with the Submarines. Submarines, surface and move at maximum battle speed. Submerge once Zuihou gives the signal. Zuihou, I''ll leave the timing to you. Once you submerge, Iku, take point. Zuihou, move to the center of the fleet. Let''s try to deceive them into thinking that Zuihou is the only one attacking." "Alright. Time for us to do some real work." (Imuya) "Let''s go dechi." (Goya) "Once the battle starts, just throw everything you got at them. Seaplanes, torpedoes, everything in your arsenal. Don''t give them anytime to recover. Let''s finish this in record time." "Yes!" (All) Zuihou launched her Type-2 recon plane again so that she will know when to order Shioi and the others to submerge and prepare for battle. They started to move towards the where the enemy escort fleet was last seen. "Ah. They are mov- Wait!" (Zuihou) "What is that?" (Zuihou) "What is it?" "Shioi, launch a Seiran to this coordinates I''m sending you. I need confirmation." (Zuihou) "Got it." (Shioi) Shioi''s hanger opened up and a Seiran ?ssembled itself before being catapulted into the air. The other girls are visible and reasonably confused. Even I''m confused as to what is going on. "Zuihou, what is it? What do you see?" "Admiral, you need to see this. I''m linking the type-2''s camera to you." (Zuihou) The camera switched to what Zuihou''s Type-2 was seeing. The Abyssal escort fleet was in disarray. They are all scattering about, clearly in a panic. Below the panicking Abyssals, under the ocean''s surface, there was a large shadow. It was either a shadow, or a colossal black mass. Either way, it was scaring the Abyssals. Suddenly, a Destroyer I-class disappeared under the surface, almost as if it was pulled by something. "W-what is that?" (Shioi) "What is it? What is going on?" (Hachi) "Something creepy just showed up..." (Shioi) Four large tentacles suddenly burst out of the water. The I-class that was previously disappeared, or what''s left of it, was thrown high up into the air. Two of the tentacles started thrashing about, striking the Abyssal fleet and creating towers of water. Two of the Destroyer Ro-class got smashed, their bodies disappeared under the surface in a flash. The remaining Abyssal ships look as though they were overcome with panic. They are focusing on escaping the ever-growing shadow. While the two tentacles continue their uncontrolled thrashing, the other two curled up to form a loop. What looks to be purple portal appeared within the center of the loop. Spear-like objects begin shooting out of the portals, hitting the remaining Destroyer I-class and Destroyer Ro-class. Only the Light Cruiser Tsu-class remains. "This is Roma. We have successfully sent The target Ne-class back to the ocean for the time being. Zuihou-san, what is your status?" (Roma) "All ships, get out the area immediately. That is an order." "Keita, what''s wrong?" (Brunei Anchorage Admiral) "We have a kraken!" I slammed the bu??on to share my visual data with Brunei Anchorage. "A kraken? What are you- What the hell is that?!" (Brunei Anchorage Admiral) "Definitely not a ally." The frightened Tsu-class just to escape. A purple projectile pierced it''s torso, followed by more sharp purple projectiles which turned it into a pincushion within a blink of an eye. I can hear Zuihou and Shioi gasp in horror. The Tsu-class had stopped moving. It didn''t even fall to the surface. It just remained in position, as if petrified. Bluish blood oozed out of it''s wounds. Several smaller tentacles reached out from beneath the surface and wrapped around the Tsu-class'' carcass, before dragging it to the depths. The four large tentacles then disappeared under the surface, and then, the black mass faded away completely. "Once again, I''m ordering all ships to retreat from the area! Right now!" What the hell did I just witnessed?! Chapter 263 - 237 The area where that monster showed up seems like any ordinary part of the ocean, but the reactions of the shipgirls from Azur Lane and IJN sent there to investigate shows something is very wrong about that place. "So, it''s the same as those on our side." "Yeah. Don''t even mention about the other girls, even Akagi didn''t want to take another step into the area." (Suwanto Ao) Right now, I''m speaking to Ao about their investigation. Our operation has been put on hold for the time being. At first, we sent in a Aoba, DesRon 6, Hitomi, and Iyo to investigate and track down that monster. However, upon entering the area where the monster was seen, they suddenly became too terrified to continue. The Akatsuki sisters started brawling their eyes out, Aoba was adamant on not moving any further, and the two submarines were in an almost catatonic state. The same thing happened to Yamato''s fleet. All six of them returned back, visibly traumatized. Azur Lane sent their own investigation fleet, only for the same thing to happen. All 18 girls said the same thing. They felt as though someone was watching them and an overwhelming sense of dread, so much so that it has inhibited their ability to carry on the investigation. If Azur Lane''s Akagi, one of the scariest shipgirls they have, is traumatized to the point where Ao has to pet her while in the meeting, it''s safe to say that we are stuck for now. I can see a brown fox ear twitch at the bottom of the screen, "Is she alright?" "Yeah. She is better now. It''s the first time I seen her like this. She isn''t faking it this time." (Suwanto Ao) I''m just going to ignore that part of the comment. "How are the girls on your end?" (Suwanto Ao) "Zuihou and Shioi are the only ones that witnessed the slaughter first-hand. I would say they are just shocked to see such a gruesome sight. But it''s not that different from normal. We have seen Abyssals getting their limbs sliced off, blown to bits and scattering everywhere, and getting themselves covered in Abyssal blood on a daily basis. Yes, this one is gruesome but like I said, it''s the same as usual. As for the 12 that went to investigate... I think it''s best to leave them to their respective Commanders and partners." Sure, seeing the Abyssals being slaughtered like that made me squeamish, but honestly, I''m more or less used to these kind of scenes. "Anyway, the other day, you mentioned about the octopus creature. Was it the same one as this?" "No. Sure, the one we encountered was big, but not this big. The one in the footage was twice the size. Furthermore, yours was entirely purple and can fire projectiles. Compared to that, the one we encountered was just an giant octopus." (Suwanto Ao) "Purple?" Was it purple? "Yeah. It was four purple tentacles. I couldn''t quite see the smaller ones though." (Suwanto Ao) Wait, hold on. I thought it was black. I played the footage on another monitor. Isn''t this black? "How is this purple?" "I thought it was black too. But apparently, it''s a really dark shade of purple." (Suwanto Ao) ...Nah. I still see black. "Whatever. Anyway, how shall we go from here? We don''t know what that thing is or where did it run off to. Why did it attack the Abyssals? Where did it come from? There so many questions." "As far as I can tell, the Sirens may be involved in this." (Suwanto Ao) "How sure are you?" "At least 60%. There is evidence that spatial-manipulating powers were used. We can''t see or feel it, but multiple spatial distortion were detected. So yeah, those guys are at it again." (Suwanto Ao) Ok. Why am I not surprised? Trust those aliens to spawn something as terrifying and ridiculous as this. "Okay. Since we are can''t do anything about it right now, I''m going to write a report and recommend that we continue our operation. You guys can cease the investigation on your end if you want." "Eh? Are you sure about this?" (Suwanto Ao) "Well, we can''t do anything about this until whatever is causing our girls to freak out disappears or subsides away from that area. It''s time for the waiting game. The area has already been cordoned off so I doubt there would be anyone stupid enough to sail through. Besides, the Abyssals aren''t going to wait for us to investigate the monster. Might as well continue our operation." "Well, you do you, I guess. I want to figure out what is that monster and where did it come from. I don''t mind waiting for the distortions and it''s effects to subside. Maybe I can get Nagato to do a rite of purification and get rid of the effects." (Suwanto Ao) What is that? Sounds interesting. "Got it. If we encounter it again, we''ll let you know." "Likewise, I will share with you guys if we obtain any new information." (Suwanto Ao) I ended the meeting and shut off the monitor. ...This is ridiculous... Abyssals and Sirens are one thing, but that the hell was that? If we were to fight it, will we be able to take down without suffering any casualties? Seriously, why did the Sirens have to create something like this? And why now? I turned off the Command Centre''s lights and shut the door behind me. Lets just think about it in the shower. I can use the time to figure out how am I going to write that report. Although the days are getting colder, with Summer ending pretty soon, it''s still pretty warm. It probably didn''t help that I''m wearing the winter variant of my uniform. I was tricked by the weather. It was cold in the morning, but now it''s so hot. My back is all sweaty and sticky. I entered my office and the first thing I saw was Zuihou lying on my desk. Her robe was opened ever so slightly, exposing a little of her pearly white skin beneath. "What are you doing?" "It''s so hot~" (Zuihou) "And how does lying on my desk make it any cooler?" The wood... cold..." (Zuihou) "Where are the others?" "Shigure is with Yuudachi and Yamakaze. Zuihou-chan is playing with the DEs." (Zuihou) Zuihou-chan with the DEs... That''s a rare combination. She will definitely be tired afterwards. Those kids have way too much energy in them. Seeing Zuihou roll about on the desk while her robe is coming undone is... "Zuihou," "Yeah?" (Zuihou) "I''m gonna take a bath. You want to join me?" Zuihou stared at me for a while, "Sure. I want to wash off this sweat." (Zuihou) "Now, let''s get those clothes out if the way." I immediately pulled down her robe. I have done this so many times already. "Hya! What are you- I knew it! You want to do more than just bathing!" (Zuihou) "Full points. As a reward, I will fill you up." "I don''t need a reward like that!" (Zuihou) I carried her into the bathroom. We ended having to wash ourselves twice. Chapter 264 - 238 We watched as Roma fired all of her cannons at the Ne-class Kai, engulfing it in flames and taking out one of it''s eye. It''s anguish screams echoed through the speaker as it recoiled backwards. It''s still alive. "Dannato! This thing is tough. Just die already!" (Roma) "Can we do something?" (Ro-chan) "Nope. We have already done our part. Now, it''s their turn to take the spotlight." These girls just want to rampage some more. "I''m not satisfied nano! I still want to shoot Abyssals nano!" (Iku) Zuihou''s submarine support fleet have already taken out the Abyssal escort fleet and provided air support against the Abyssals main fleet. Now, they just need to sit back and let Roma''s fleet do their thing. Though they clearly want to join in the fight. "Even if the battle drags on into the night, you won''t be able to do anything. Night support will be left to Rei." "That won''t happen. We will chase this one away and afterwards, it''s time for the last dance." (Brunei Anchorage Admiral) "Well, if you do that, my girls can come home earlier and we won''t need to consume much resources for resupply." "I want my girls to come home earlier as well. Roma and I will hav-" (Brunei Anchorage Admiral) "Ammiraglio, un''altra parola da te e ti faccio un buco in faccia. " (Roma) "Alright. I won''t say anymore." (Brunei Anchorage Admiral) "What did she say?" "She just told me to shut up in Italian." (Brunei Anchorage Admiral) "That was a bit too long for just two words." Oh well, I can''t be bothered to find out. "Anyway, is it okay if we leave you here to handle things on your own?" "Yeah. We are fine. You''re done with your part anyway. On the off-chance we fail, I will inform you. Otherwise, be prepared for tomorrow''s last dance." (Brunei Anchorage Admiral) "That''s what I want to hear. Alright, girls. Come on home. We are done for the day." "Thank you for the support." (Perth) "Grazie (Italia) "See you tomorrow." (De Ruyter) "Good luck." (Zuihou) "Bye bye!" (Ro-chan) Zuihou''s fleet left the area while Roma and the others continued to rain fire on the Ne-class Kai. Seriously, it just took the full force of two battleships to the face and it still wants to fight despite being the only one left. Talk about tenacity. "Alright, girls. I''m going to shut off now. Once you get back, resupply and get some rest." "Yes~" (All) "Zuihou, private channel. I need to talk to you." "Okay." (Zuihou) "They are going to flirt again..." (Imuya) "Shut up." I switched to our usual channel. Zuihou, Shigure, Zuihou-chan and I use this channel whenever we want to have a private chat. I got Ooyodo to set this up for me, so technically she is the only one other than the four of us to have access. Fortunately, she wants nothing to do with it. Right now, I have something important to discuss with my first one. Zuihou sped up, putting some distance between her and the submarine girls. Probably so that they wouldn''t eavesdrop. I waited until I heard the familiar ''ping'' of someone entering the channel and her icon changed colour to match mine. "Zuihou, afterwards-" "I know. It''s about Zuihou-chan, right?" (Zuihou) "Ah. You knew?" "I have helped you quite a few times in that weird ritual of yours. Of course I would know. This is the last one, isn''t it?" (Zuihou) That right. Zuihou-chan''s core is finally taking on a new shape. It wasn''t clear a few weeks ago but now, the shape it seems to be morphing into has become obvious. And extremely clique. It''s changing from a cube into a heart shaped core. Now, just need to break off the last quadrant and we are done. After that, she would definitely want me to take her. She has been waiting for months. When I took Shigure''s first time without telling Zuihou, I felt a little guilty. As if I betrayed her. I know she agreed to let me build a harem but there is this lingering feeling of guilt. So figured I should discuss this and inform her at the very least. "Actually, the second last if I stop once she starts expelling heat. But I plan to go all the way and finish it today. Including her resting time, the whole thing would probably end tomorrow morning." Zuihou let out a sigh, "It''s a little frustrating, but the three of us agreed to it." (Zuihou) "I''m sorry." "Don''t need to apologize. I knew what I signed up for when I agreed to this harem thing of yours." (Zuihou) "I know it''s not much but on our next off, let''s go somewhere together. Just the two of us." "Is that your way of appeasing me? It''s going to take more than that." (Zuihou) "Oh, come on. Don''t be like that." I''m already feeling as guilty as it is. "Ehehe~ Just kidding. So long as you come back and continue to love me, I''m fine with anything." (Zuihou) "That goes without saying. I love you. You are my first one." "Ufufufu~ That... makes me... a little happy..." (Zuihou) Zuihou blushed. That''s a sign that I passed. "Anyhow, go on. My perverted little sister is waiting for you." (Zuihou) "Alright. See you tomorrow morning." "Heh. I doubt you will wake up early after all that. See you later. I love you, Keita-kun~" (Zuihou) "Wait. Did you just-" Zuihou left the channel before I can say anything. That girl... Don''t do something like that and get embarrassed. I can still see her on the monitor. She is jumping around and rolling on the water. Her face is a red as a tomato. God, I can''t stop smiling... Ah, but before that. Some preparations are in order. First, I went to Mamiya''s to get two bags of ice. Once I entered my office, I went straight to the bathroom to fill the tub with cold water. Since a lot of heat is being expelled from Zuihou-chan during the breaking process, it''s better if I have something to cool her body down to some degree. I poured the first bag of ice into the water and stuff the other one into my personal freezer. I opened my room door and to no one''s surprise, the girl in question is already on my bed, wrapped in a blanket and reading a rather thin book. Hey! That''s my doujinshi! "What are you doing? How did you get this? I thought I already locked them up." "No you didn''t." (Zuihou-chan) "Yes I did." I looked at my cupboard, which is secured with a padlock. I did lock them up. Oh, you got to be kidding me. Yes, I locked the padlock, but I did not secure the latch. The padlock is just hanging there while the latch swings about nonchantly. Zuihou-chan gave me a smug look. "Alright. Come here!" "Kyaah! Ah, wait! I''m not ready yet." (Zuihou-chan) I''m trying to tickle her but that damn blanket is the way. "Come on. I will be touching your body anyway. There is no need to hide." "Hyaah! Wait! I still need to prepare my heart! Noo!" (Zuihou-chan) I pulled the blanket off her and understood what she meant. "Wh-where did you get that?" Zuihou-chan was wearing a pink, lacey, semi-transparent lingerie which b?r?ly covers her waist, exposing her bellybutton and all the important bits. She is wearing a white, lacey cutout p?nt??s with equally lacy garter belts which are attached to her pink stockings. Something is rising and it''s not the shie- Yeah, no. The joke is getting old. Anyway, this is hot as heck! "I bought it online. I figured Admiral would love it since the girls in your doujinshis always have such an outfit. Plus, Onee-chan wore something similar too." (Zuihou-chan) I can''t help it! There is something s?xy about this kind of clothes. "Also," (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan placed a touched the spot where core is supposed to be, "I want tonight to be special as possible." (Zuihou-chan) I returned her smile, "Let''s get started. I will do my best to make this a night for you to remember." "I''ll be in your care, Admiral~" (Zuihou-chan) Chapter 265 - 239 (Mature warning) I stuck the two electrodes on her ?h?st and switched on the scanner. I haven''t even started yet and her body is already starting to heat up. The scanner beeped to life and a 3D model of Zuihou-chan''s now misshaped core appeared on the monitor. It''s almost forming into a heart. Only a portion left on the top left corner left for us to break and smoothen out before we can say it''s complete. The number 87% appeared on the top right corner of the screen, signifying the progress of the core''s deformation into it''s new form. It took up till our fifth ''ritual'' before the number showed up. I didn''t know there was an smart AI installed in this scanner. I thought it was like a miniature x-ray machine which just helps me to visualize her core. Right now, I can see her core, know the progress of the deformation, and the estimated time it would take for her to release the next burst of energy. Though, none of these things really matter. What really matters is the extension of the wires. Now, I don''t have to worry about Zuihou-chan moving around and sending the machine flying towards the wall again.. "Alright. Let''s begin with the usual." I kissed her lips. Our tongues explored each other''s mouths, exchanging saliva. My favorite warm and fuzzy sensation slowly filled up my ?h?st. "Mmph... Nnn..." (Zuihou-chan) Her body shuddered as we continue to taste each other''s tongue. Puhuaa... Haah... Haah..." (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan broke away from the kiss as she tries to catch her breath. A bit of drool dripped down her chin as rather aroused expression appeared on her face. Or maybe it was there from "You have improved." "Admiral..." (Zuihou-chan) It''s starting to feel warm, so I took off my uniform, leaving only my undershirt and boxer shorts. I cupped my hands on those cute and squishy hills and started gently massaging them by drawing circles with my index and middle finger. While tempting, I don''t want to touch the peak of these small hilltops yet. They are one of her most s?ns?t?v? parts, so I want to save them for last. It will be more fun and satisfying for the both of us. Zuihou-chan let out a few soft m??ns as I continued to ?ssault her ?h?st. Before long, it turned loud ones as begin to taste them. Delicious. She is so cute as she tries to restrain herself from making too much noise. Well, the window is open after all. "Ad...miral... Nnhh... Don''t... Ahn... Nhaa... I''m going... No...Ahhhnn!" (Zuihou-chan) I continue to ?ssault her ?h?st with my mouth and hand. I placed my free hand behind her back so that she couldn''t run away. She is about to hit her limit. I pinched her s?ns?t?v? peaks and tugged ever so gently. "No...! Nnn! Stop...! I''m really... Ahhhh!" (Zuihou-chan) I felt some liquid being sprayed onto my legs as she hugged my head whilst I was still su?k?n? on her cute little pink hilltops. The room is getting hotter now. The machine is beeping at slightly faster pace. "Haah... Haah... Haah..." (Zuihou-chan) I let Zuihou-chan fall back to the bed as she tried to catch her breath again. "You meanie... Haahh... Haa... I told you... to stop..." (Zuihou-chan) "Heh. My bad. You are just so cute when you are feeling it. Come on. We are not done yet. There is more of where that came from." I took of my last few pieces of clothing. These boxers are getting a bit unbearable for my precious son. "Uuuugh... Wait... Let me rest a bit! I''m still sensitiv- Hieee!" (Zuihou-chan) I opened up her legs and worked on her lower body. The entrance is already wet so it was easy to slide in a finger. "Don''t endure it. Let me hear your sweet m??ns." I pulled her hands away, "But... the window... Ah. Everyon- Nhnn! ...will hea-" (Zuihou-chan) "You already done this in front of your sister. What''s there to be embarrassed?" "That''s... Nhh... Diff- Ahh!" (Zuihou-chan) Hmm... Fine. It will be embarrassing for the both of us too. I took my finger out and stopped for a while. "Hyauh!" (Zuihou-chan) My index finger is now covered in a thick, slimy fluid. Let''s give it a taste. ...As expected, it taste exactly like her older self. Sweet but with a sour aftertaste. "Don''t taste that. It''s embarrassing." (Zuihou-chan) I went over and closed the window. As long as the Aircon is in full blast and the door is ajar, I shouldn''t worry about this room turning into an oven. "Better?" "Ye-yeah. What about the door?" (Zuihou-chan) "That one remains open. Don''t worry. You don''t have to worry about the noise leaking out into the hallway. My office is more or less soundproof." "That''s not reassur-yiiii!!!" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan let out a nice squeal as I continued to play with her s?ns?t?v? lower body. I twist my finger about inside her for a bit, before pushing upwards to where her sweet spot is. I also played with her little bean. Her back arched as I gave it a little squeeze. It''s a little hard to stop her from closing her legs and trapping my between her th??hs with both hands occupied, but it''s not a big issue. I just need to use my elbows to push them apart. Occasionally, she tries to escape by wriggling backwards, but I always pull her back. Ignoring her squeals and m??ns, I continued to tease her lower body. "It''s... coming... again... Ahhhh!" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan let out a loud voice. The machine beeped loudly and rapidly as a burst of red light emerged from her ?h?st, followed by intense heat which once again turned my room into a sauna and a face full of that thick sweet smelling nectar. I wiped off the thick fluid from my eye and looked at the machine. The heart is almost complete. The number increased to 96% and the temperature shot up to more than 70¡ãC. Only one more round to go. I wiped off the fluid Zuihou-chan sprayed at my face and licked my fingers clean. Her body is still way too hot to be carried, so let''s wait for her to cool down to a bearable temperature. I eyed the temperature indicator on the monitor. It''s going, slowly but surely. "Admiral..." (Zuihou-chan) I moved away from her legs and sat next to the girl basking in the afterglow. Zuihou-chan looked at me with clouded eyes. Her face still has that aroused expression as before. "We are not done yet. Don''t fall asleep, okay? Take a short break, then I will cool you off before continuing." "Okay..." (Zuihou-chan) I stroked her hair. It''s still pretty hot, but bearable now. The amount of steam emitting from her body is significantly lesser now. "One more time, okay? And then, you can get what you want." Zuihou-chan reached out and grabbed my hand. It''s warm. "Yes. I can''t wait." (Zuihou-chan) "So, got any positions you want to try out?" The little girl shook her head, "Just the normal one will do. That one is already special enough for me. The other positions... we can take our time to experiment." (Zuihou-chan) "Heh. I knew you say that." The temperature shown on the monitor has decreased considerably. "Can you walk on your own?" "..." (Zuihou-chan) She isn''t answering. Rather, she seems to be staring at something. I traced her gaze and found her focusing squarely on a rather problematic part of my body. "Doesn''t it hurt?" (Zuihou-chan) "I knew you would said that. You borrowed that line from one of my doujins, didn''t you? And yes, it is a little uncomfortable." It''s taking a lot of willpower to restrain myself. "That will be in me very soon. Ufufufu~" (Zuihou-chan) "Yeah yeah. So, can you walk on your own?" "Carry me." (Zuihou-chan) I immediately pulled off the electrodes and scooped her up in my arms. Her body is still hot. Oh, wait. I put her back down on the bed again. "Eh? Why?" (Zuihou-chan) "It''s a shame, but let''s take that outfit off. Wouldn''t want to get such a nice and s?xy lingerie wet." It''s truly a waste. Zuihou-chan probably didn''t think this through. "Actually... You can just soak me like this. I don''t mind." (Zuihou-chan) "Yeah. But it will be uncomfortable for you later when you start heating up again." "...Then, can I put it back on after cooling off?" (Zuihou-chan) Ah, why didn''t I think of that? She can just wear again after soaking. "That''s a great idea." I begin to unbuckle her garter belts and pulled of her stockings before removing her p?nt??s. The top part was very easy. I just needed to untie the knot at the front and everything comes falling off. With Zuihou-chan stripped, I scooped her up and went to the bathroom. The ice cubes I placed in the tub are still floating about. "You wanna get in yourself? Or the usual?" "You know my answer." (Zuihou-chan) The usual it is. I positioned Zuihou-chan over the tub of ice cold water and tilted at an angle so that her feet goes in first. "Ahnn~" (Zuihou-chan) I moved my hand from her legs to her bu?? as I slowly dipped her into the ice cold water. Now to let her soak for a while until her body temperature goes back to normal. The ice is starting to melt. I observed Zuihou-chan as she played with the melting ice cubes. I pet her head as she sits in the tub. Maybe I should take a bath too. Just to wash off the sweat. I turned on the showerhead and let the cold water rain over me. "Admiral, you are taking a bath too?" (Zuihou-chan) "Just washing off the sweat. And the juice you covered my face in. Oi! That''s cold! Ouch! Don''t throw ice at me!" Zuihou-chan splashed the ice-cold water, along with some partially melted ice cubes, at me. Once she is done cooling off, I can tell because she gets out of the bath on her own, I drained some of the now lukewarm water and added more cold water. I covered myself with a towel just so I can go to my freezer and take out the other bag of ice. Once I poured the ice into the bathtub, the two of us returned to the bedroom for the final round. Chapter 266 - 240 I watched Zuihou-chan put on the s?xy lingerie once again. She pulled the straps over shoulders and tied the string at the front into a knot. She put on her stockings and attached them to the suspender belt above her cut-out p?nt??s. She turned around, presenting herself to me sheepishly. "A little too late to be embarrassed now." "Don''t say it. This is the one thing I hate about cold baths." (Zuihou-chan) I get you. The cold water tends to clear your head. Let''s turn her on again. "Come on.." I pulled her close to me until I can almost kiss her, "I''m not letting you sleep until I dye you in my colour." I pushed Zuihou-chan onto the bed and pin her down, "Even if you cry, I won''t stop." "Admiral, your eyes are scary!" (Zuihou-chan) Hm? That''s not the reaction I was expecting. Zuihou-chan looked as though she is on the verge of tears. "Sorry. Did I scare you?" She gave a few quick nods. Oops... I got off the petite girl, "I thought you would enjoy what Zuihou likes since you two are peas in a pod." "I''m not a m?s??h?st like Onee-chan. I prefer a more maiden-like approach." (Zuihou-chan) "That doesn''t make any sense. But no matter. Sorry. Looks like I ruined the mood." "There''s no mood to ruin when there was none in the first place." (Zuihou-chan) Ouch! That stabs! "So," (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan put her arms around my neck and with her own weight, pulled me on top of her. "You got to set the mood right this time." (Zuihou-chan) Sometimes, I feel as though I can never win against this girl. She is just too cute and seductive. I got off her once again and sat at the edge of the bed, "Come. Sit here." "If I do that, wouldn''t your thing enter me?" (Zuihou-chan) "Don''t tempt me. I really, really, really want to devour you already. But we don''t really know what would happen if I dock with you too early. Vestal said that your body should stabilize after the core has finished it''s metamorphosis." Even so, what''s stopping it from not doing the exact opposite? I have had these kind of thoughts before, and I still do. But as long as Zuihou-chan will be fine and happy, I don''t mind taking the risk. Ao has already, and repeatedly, ?ssured me that she wouldn''t explode or disappear like the Sirens clones who had their cores broken. I do hope he is right. If not, I may actually start a war with him. "Admiral, what''s wrong?" "Nothing." "You thinking about bad things again, aren''t you?" (Zuihou-chan) She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "It will be fine. Commander Ao and Vestal already said that it''s just a change in my body. Nothing will go wrong." (Zuihou-chan) "But..." She placed both hands on my cheeks, "It''s alright. I promise you, I will still be here with you. Definitely." (Zuihou-chan) Yeah. I really can''t win against her. Heck, I don''t think I can win against any of these three. I kissed her lips once again, "Thank you." "Ehehe~ Now, let''s get to it." (Zuihou-chan) I stick the electrodes back onto her ?h?st and the machine came back to life, displaying all the various numbers and elements. The heart is very obvious now. Just one more time and we are finally done. Hmm? That''s a new one. Apart from the percentage counter, the thermostat, and the appropriately named ''climax counter'', there is another numerical element at the bottom left of the screen. Instead of the usual green, blue and yellow colours each of the various elements took on, this number was red in color. "What''s is that?" (Zuihou-chan) "Not sure. Only one way to find out." I squeezed her tightly and pushed my face against her b?r? shoulders. I start to kiss her along her neck and begin to work my magic. "Nnfuu~" Zuihou-chan small ?h?st heaved up and down as I start to massage them gently. I slowly quicken my pace and moved to tickle those pinkish peaks with my fingers. She immediately grabbed my hands to stop them, but let go once she has calmed down for a bit. I alternate between rubbing her ?h?st and pinching the tip as I continue my ?ssault. Her body shuddered as she let out a few sweet m??ns. I can my th??hs getting wet as her juices start to leak out. Her bu?? pressed against my son. My precious son, now a fully grown man, is begging for sweet release. Be patient, my child. "Fuaa! Ahh! Haah... Haah..." (Zuihou-chan) Her body temperature begins to rise. She clenched the transparent cloth hanging from her lingerie as I continued to play with her body. "Ah! Nmh~" (Zuihou-chan) While my two fingers and thumb are occupied with messing around her precious cave, I let her suck on the fingers of my other hand. Zuihou-chan slurped on my fingers as I tease her insides. What a cute creature..." I took the fingers out of her mouth and pressed against the spot below her belly bu??on. I do the same thing with her sister quite a few times. Her reactions from it were amazing. I want to see if I can replicate a similar reactions with Zuihou-chan. "Ngh! That tickles..." (Zuihou-chan) I continued my two-prong attack and watched her body shudder. She grabbed onto my arm as she twitched numerously. "Nhnn! Ah!" (Zuihou-chan) Her cute and sweet m??ns combined with the lacey fabric on her bu?? rubbing against my grown up little boy... "Hold on. Time out!" "Hya!" (Zuihou-chan) I took out my fingers and immediately lifted the light aircraft carrier in the air away from me. That was dangerous. I almost shot it all over her back and clothes. I have been saving it for a while. I''m not wasting a single drop outside. "Admiral?" (Zuihou-chan) "Just give me one second, darling. Phew." I took a few deep breaths to calm my raging bull. I need to clear my head for a bit. Okay. I think I''m good for now. "Alright. Let''s continue." I placed her back on my ??p and continued where I left off. I applied her bit more pressure onto her belly as I drew circles inside her. "Admiral, what is this? Nn! This is... Haah... weird..." (Zuihou-chan) "Don''t worry. Leave it to me. Just let the p???sur? run through you." I nibbled her ear. "No... Wait... This is... Ngh! Aahhh!" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan arched her back and shuddered violently as fluids gushed out from her lower body. This is the same as usual. As I thought, this technique needs to be done often in order to yield the best results. More steam emits from Zuihou-chan''s body but strangely enough, her body doesn''t feel that hot. Sure, it''s hot to the touch, but not like burning hot. It''s about the same temperature as one would have during a high fever. Maybe it''s because there isn''t much of her core left to break? The temperature is at about 38 degrees. The room isn''t too hot. Not yet anyway. I laid the cute girl on her stomach. Her bu?? looks so spankable but I will need to restrain myself for now. Zuihou-chan doesn''t like it rough, so let''s refrain from doing anything too mean to her. "Admiral... Now what?" (Zuihou-chan) "Stick your bu?? out, but keep lying there." "Like this?" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan lifted her lower body into the air. A thread of fluid connects the bed to her moist cave. "Yes. Now stay like that." "Eh? This looks familiar. Is this what I think it iiiisss?! I knew it! Wait! Admiral! Not there!" (Zuihou-chan) Too late. I''m already helping myself to an all-you-eat buffet of Zuihou-chan. I use my hands to prevent her from moving away as I taste her insides with my tongue. But seriously, how many if my doujins did you read? You couldn''t have known about this if you''re never exposed to any of those kind of materials. "Mghn! Sto- Insid- Ah! Nh!" (Zuihou-chan) I wish I can see her face right now. What a waste. "Admiral... Stop. Nnn! It''s coming again." (Zuihou-chan) And that''s my cue to stop. I release my grip of her legs and stopped my tasting session. Her sweetness still lingers in my mouth. Zuihou-chan looked at me with a confused and dissatisfied face, "Eh? Why did you stop?" (Zuihou-chan) "Not yet. I want to see your face." She puffed her cheeks, "You are being mean again." (Zuihou-chan) "Hehehe. I can''t help it." I got on top of her and the two of us shared a kiss again. I stuck my fingers inside her again, "Haauu~ Mnn~" (Zuihou-chan) With our fingers intertwined, I watched her reactions closely as I stimulate her s?ns?t?v? spots. The way her face twitch, how her eyes widened whenever I tease her sweet spot, the sound of her breathing heavily... I want to see everything. Tsk... This thing is such an eyesore. I ripped off the electrodes attached to her ?h?st, causing the machine to make an high-pitched beep before shutting up. Probably because I smacked it onto the floor. I can more or less gauge when the energy burst would come. I can just wring it. I kissed her neck and around her ?h?st area, leaving my mark. "Mnh... Nng..." (Zuihou-chan) I''m beginning to see a red glow coming from within her ?h?st. Just a bit more. "Nhaah~ Ahh~" (Zuihou-chan) I switched target to her ?h?st. I licked those perky peaks and gently su?k??d on them. "Hya! Ah...! Admiral... That spot... bad... Nhnn! Ah!" (Zuihou-chan) She is twitching again. Eventually, the red glow became brighter and her body became hotter. Wait. This is faster than expected. "Ahhhh!" (Zuihou-chan) There was an unfamiliar sound of glass shattering, followed by an red light which engulfed the room and a warm gust of wind. I shield my eyes from the blinding light and waited for it subside. I looked at Zuihou-chan, who now has a visible glow on her ?h?st in the shape of a heart. Still underneath and between my legs, Zuihou-chan got up and looked at me. Her body seems all right. Not sure if it''s just my imagination but her skin seems to be glowing. I silently heaved a sigh of relief. She is still here with me. "Zuihou-chan, how are you feeling?" "Somehow, I feel invigorated. I should be feeling tired after all that." (Zuihou-chan) "Yeah. You didn''t expel that much steam as well." That''s weird. With such a bright light, you would expect the amount of heat being released to be proportionate. And what''s with that sound at the end? "So... Can we do it now?" (Zuihou-chan) This pervert... I touched her lower cave again. "Nn~" (Zuihou-chan) She is still pretty wet. Perfect for insertion but, "Are you sure you''re feeling well? Want to take a break first?" She simply shook her head. "I''m fine. I feel like I can go for multiple rounds." (Zuihou-chan) I''m still a bit worried. She might be pretending that she is alright. "Geez. Enough worrying. I''m fine. See?" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan hopped out of bed and spun around to prove her point. The transparent cloth on her outfit fluttered as she turned. For pete''s sake, can you not get hard for a sec? This is a serious matter. But damn, she is so hot. "See? Even your thing agrees with me." (Zuihou-chan) "Shut up!" Fine. Since she has proven that she is alright, and the whole point of me doing this was to take her first time, "Get on the bed." "Yay!" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan jumped back onto the bed. She opened up her legs and presented herself to me, "Ufufufu. Finally..." (Zuihou-chan) I placed my grown up boy on her lower cave. Her cave is very wet. It should be easy to slid in. Zuihou-chan kept staring at my son. Somehow, it''s irritating. I used my hand to lift her head and shift her focus to me, "Don''t look anywhere. Only focus on me." Now that I see her carefully, she is nervous. It is her first time after all. Her older sister was also like this that night. I slowly slid inside her, pushing the inner walls apart. It''s tight. "Ngh... Ah!" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan flinched. Blood trickled from between her legs, proof of her first time being taken by me. "Does it hurt?" "A little. But," (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan smiled brightly, "I''m so happy. Ehehehe~" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan wraped her arms around me as I continued to thrusting. "Hah... Ah... More." (Zuihou-chan) Her sweet voice echoes into my ear. Her warm insides coil around my son, sending me waves of p???sur?. I hope she feels the same thing. She looks as if she is enjoying it. "Admiral, I love you! I love you! I???????????? ????????????????l????????????o????????v????????????????????e???????????? ?????????????????y???????????o??????????u????????!??????????????????" (Zuihou-chan?) Her voice was suddenly distorted. Patches of black and grey spots appear all over her body and face. Her right eye glowed red and her sclera become ebony. Tendrills emerged from behind her and coiled all around me. Her lower body gripped me tight and continued squeezing me. Her sharp nails dug painfully into my back as I inevitably released my load inside. "A????????????????h?????h??????h???????????????????h?????????????????????!?????????????????!????????????!?????????????" (Zuihou-chan?) Chapter 267 - 241 Ugh... God... That was a dream, wasn''t it? Zuihou-chan transforming into an Abyssal before my eyes. Hah. What a load of- Ow! A sharp pain suddenly surge through my right arm. I look at my arm and saw a black tendril stuck to it. It looks as though it''s rooted to my forearm. Now that I think about it, my back hurts as well. And there is something cold pressed against my ?h?st.. "What is th- Waaa-" I immediately placed my hand over my mouth to stop myself from screaming. I can''t risk this creature waking up. Holy shi- Why is there an Abyssal here? Wasn''t I with Zuihou-chan? Wait. This is Zuihou-chan! Her appearance is a little different but this is definitely Zuihou-chan. That wasn''t a dream! Snuggled against me was Zuihou-chan, fast asleep and looking like an Abyssal. She has black and grey patches all over her body, her hands are black and sharp, with a small bow-like device replacing her right hand. A small horn protruded out from the right side of her forehead and her hair was both brown and white. Apart from my lower body, connecting me to her were the tendrils rooted into my arm and maybe my back. I don''t want to count how many though. I slowly got out of the bed and moved away from the small girl. The tendrils became taut and a sharp pain shot through my arm and back. Gh! So this is how much I can move away from her. A mere 1.5 metres. At this distance, I can confirm that there are six tendrils attached to my back and one to my forearm. Unless I move any further, there is a throbbing pain present on my arm and certain points on my back. What is going on? Why did Zuihou-chan take on this form? Barring her outfit, which seems undamaged, she looks almost the same as her Abyssal form, the Abyssal Phoenix Princess. Has she reverted back to being an Abyssal? Do I have to go through that again? "Mmgh... Ad...miral?" (Zuihou-chan) Her voice sounded hoarse. The small girl opened her eyes. The left one was normal while her right one was red and surrounded by black sclera. She got up and looked around the room for a moment before our eyes met. "Good morning... Admiral... Eh...? Why are you... making such a frightened face? " (Zuihou-chan) Eh? Was I? She let out a few coughs, "My voice... feels a bit weird..." (Zuihou-chan) "Zuihou-chan, I need you to calm down and listen to me." "Hmm? What... is it? *Koff* *Koff* Why does... throat..." (Zuihou-chan) I can see Zuihou-chan''s eyes widened. Her gaze seemed focused on the tendrils connecting me to her. "Admiral... What is... that?" (Zuihou-chan) She pointed at the tendrils and her jaw dropped as she saw the crossbow on her hand. She trembled as she examined her claw and the crossbow and the various black and grey parts all over her body. I can her breathing become more rapid. This is bad. "Zuihou-chan, stay calm." "What... is this...?! This can''t... Nooo!!" (Zuihou-chan) I quickly hugged her tightly, "Shhhh. It''s okay. It''s okay." "Why... am I... What..." (Zuihou-chan) "Try and calm down. Breathe in. Breathe out." She is trembling a lot and her breathing isn''t slowing down. How do I get her to calm down? "Say, do you want to go somewhere later? Let''s play a game." "Nooo....! Noooo! Why?!?!" (Zuihou-chan) I can feel the tendrils thrashing around behind me. It hurts, but I need to endure it. Just for a moment. Whatever I''m saying isn''t getting through her. What should I do? "Why?!?! No! I... don''t want... this!!!" (Zuihou-chan) What do I do? How can I calm her down? Ah. Here goes nothing! I pressed my lips against her and pushed my tongue in, "Mmmph?!" (Zuihou-chan) I licked the inside of her mouth. I can feel her trying to resist as she struggled a bit but only for a few moments. Her body became lax and her breathing slowed down. Instead of pushing, I can feel her tongue exploring my mouth. I''m surprised that worked. I broke away from the kiss, "Calm down for a bit." Her beautiful face was covered in tears and snot. "Let''s figure this out together. The two of us. Okay?" "But... I... I..." (Zuihou-chan) "It will be alright." I stroked her head, "We will figure something out." "What is this?" (Zuihou) Why is Zuihou here? Never mind. I already know the answer. "For starters, let us put on some clothes." Since those tendrils protruding from her back are in the way, Zuihou-chan wore one of my uniform tops backwards while I have to settle for a pair of boxers. I explained the situation to Zuihou, who was visibly confused and shocked by Zuihou-chan''s sudden transformation. "Give me a moment. This is a little too much info to take in." "Take as long as you need." Zuihou-chan laid on my ??p as I pet her head. She is still sobbing. Right now, my main priority is to keep the smaller light aircraft carrier calm while figuring out a solution. "Come on. Stop crying. You are making me cry too." (Zuihou) "Zuihou-chan, how are you feeling now? Does it hurt anyway?" "It doesn''t... hurt. But I''m scared." (Zuihou-chan) "Your speech isn''t as stilted as before. That''s a good sign. Just focus on keeping a calm mind, okay? Don''t think too much." "Admiral, you should worry about yourself as well." (Zuihou) "I''m fine. As long as I don''t move too far away, they don''t hurt. I don''t think it''s doing anything to me." "I''m sorry... Because of me..." (Zuihou-chan) "Ah papapap. Don''t worry about it." I placed a finger on Zuihou-chan''s lips as she turned to me. Zuihou wiped another tear from her eye. Zuihou-chan''s emotional state is really affecting Zuihou. "Zuihou-chan, can you tell me something?" "What is it?" (Zuihou-chan) "You don''t have any thoughts about being lonely or cold, right?" "No. I don''t." (Zuihou-chan) "That''s great. Keep those kind of negative thoughts our of your head. Only happy little thoughts." "What should we do now?" (Zuihou) Hmm... There has to be a trigger which caused Zuihou-chan''s transformation. The only thing I can think of is her core changing shape and our lovemaking. Other than that, what else? "Obviously, we should figure out what caused this transformation and why. Huh?" The throbbing pain in my arm is gone now. My back doesn''t hurt as much as before. In fact, the pain is totally gone. I looked down at my arm and noticed that the tendril was detached and had fallen off. The spot where the tendril was connected to was extremely red. The six other tendrils that were on my back had also fallen onto the bed. "Zuihou-chan, what did you-" I was about to ask Zuihou-chan when I realized she had fallen asleep. There was a soft snapping noise and the seven tendrils that sprout from her back fall off as well. The small horn on her head dissolved into dust as the black and grey spots all over her body slowly fade away. Even her hair is returning back to it''s original colour. The crossbow on her right hand cracked opened and fell apart while her claw reverted back into an ordinary hand. Zuihou and I watched in awe as she returned back to her original form. "That... was weird." (Zuihou) "Get Yuubari and Akashi to stand by in the factory after roll call. I''m calling Vestal from Azur Lane first thing in the morning." I carefully tucked Zuihou-chan in bed and got up to pack my room a bit. What is the scanner doing on the floor? Oh right. I''m the one that did it. Hmm... Let''s try this. I carefully attached the electrodes to Zuihou-chan''s ?h?st, trying hard not to wake her up, and switched on the scanner once more. As usual, the machine beeped to life and all the numbers and elements appeared on the screen. The red counter that I discovered before was now showing the number 7. "What should we do with these?" (Zuihou) Zuihou presented the black parts which have fallen of their owner to me, "Keep them. They may be able to give us a clue for this whole situation." What is happening to my girl? Chapter 268 - 242 It has been a week since Zuihou-chan''s initial transformation and so far, nothing has yet to happen. Well, not like I want something to happen. It''s just felt impossible that that was the only time she will ever transform. The following morning, after roll call, I called Vestal from Azur Lane for ?ssistance. She, along with Yuubari and Akashi, helped to give Zuihou-chan a thorough check-up. They didn''t find anything abnormal with her, apart from her core not being a cube anymore. Of course, I didn''t tell the two of them about her transformation. In fact, apart from Shigure and Zuihou, I didn''t tell anyone else about Zuihou-chan. I don''t want them to start thinking Zuihou-chan as a threat. I plan to slowly release such information once I myself figure out what is going on. I told Vestal while escorting her back to the pier and gave her the scanner. She told me that she would analyze it once her schedule is free. Apparently, another META has been discovered, so everyone is working doubly hard. On the bright side, Ark Royal META and Hiryuu META have finally officially joined their ranks. This is great news, considering the fact that these two powerful shipgirls have been eluding them for months. Now they just need to recruit the rest of them. I will find and send a congratulatory gift later. We have completed our part in the operation, so it''s time for us to kick back and relax for a bit. Once HQ give us the new planes, we will go straight to testing them. Its getting colder every passing day. A sign that Summer is coming to an end and Autumn is just around the corner. "I can''t wait to fish for some Sanma and bake potatoes in a pile of leaves." "Hmm? What is this about fishing and baking potatoes?" (Shigure) Oops. I must have said that out loud. "It''s going to be autumn soon. It''s the perfect season for fishing and potato baking." "Now that you mention it, Summer is almost over. That was fast." (Shigure) "Feeling sentimental?" "About what?" (Shigure) "I don''t know." "Ufufu~ Weird. Anyway," (Shigure) Shigure got out from under the blanket and straddled on top of me. A certain part of my body immediately became a Metapod and used the move ''harden'' once her n?k?d body was in plain view. "Can we go for another round?" (Shigure) "You are pretty daring today. Another round isn''t enough." Shigure kissed me as we combined our bodies, "Ahh~" (Shigure) --------------------------------------------- Me and my big mouth... "Did anyone see it?" "I don''t think so. Umikaze was beside me but I immediately covered up when I noticed it." (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan undid her robe and exposed her ?h?st. There are black, vein-like streaks spreading out from the spot where her core is supposed to be. "Do you know what caused this?" She shook her head. Zuihou-chan had just returned from her sortie in the Ri Lanka islands. It was a simple sortie to eliminate the Abyssal Heavy crusier fleet that is roaming around the area. After giving their report, they got to the docks to wash and repair any damages they received. That was when Zuihou-chan found out that something is happening to her body again. And so, here she is in front of me. From what I can see, the black streaks have extended all the way to her waist from the center of her ?h?st, covering a large portion of her front and back. Her limbs and neck are still unaffected, but at the rate it''s spread, they will be soon. "Were you thinking of negative thoughts? We know that thinking about happy things suppresses your transformation. Probably." "I wasn''t. I was just talking to Umikaze about you. Ah." (Zuihou-chan) "Imma question you about that later. Anyway, are you feeling alright? Any pain or anything?" "I''m alright. I wasn''t hit or anything." (Zuihou-chan) "You were able to take out most of the Abyssal escorts, so your combat prowess is normal. Is this just a physical change?" "What is happening to me?" (Zuihou-chan) She is afraid. Anyone would be if there is an adverse change happening to them. I pet her head, "It will be okay. Nothing bad is happening to you." I hope. Even I have no idea whether this is bad or not. Her transforming into an Abyssal physically is scary enough. If she completely became an Abyssal both inside and outside... I don''t want to think about such an outcome. "For the time being, let''s try to turn you back to normal." Since happy thoughts can cause her to revert back to normal, let''s make her happy. "Come here. Let''s make ourselves comfortable." I took Zuihou-chan''s hand and led her to the sofa. I had her rest her head on my ??p and begin my usual pampering session. "Erm... Admiral?" She doesn''t seem impressed, "Eh? You don''t want it like this?" "No no no. I''m happy that you are petting me, but I would prefer something more... intimate." (Zuihou-chan) "Why are you in heat at a time like this?" "I''m not!" (Zuihou-chan) Suddenly, a black tendril sprouted from her back, tearing through her robe and nearly hitting me. "Nooo!" (Zuihou-chan) "Wait! Calm down! It''s alright." Black patches appear all over her body again and a small horn grew out of her forehead. Crap! It''s happening again. "Why?!" (Zuihou-chan) I hugged her tightly. "Calm down. Breathe." I can hear a knock on my door. "Admiral? Is everything all right? I heard a loud screa-" (Shioi) "Wait! Don''t come i-" Too late. Shioi opened the door and stared wide-eyed at us. This is bad. "Wha-Why is-" (Shioi) "Shioi, this is an order. I know you are afraid, but keep quiet. Don''t scream. Understood?" Since it was an order, Shioi had no choice but to nod her head fearfully. I really hate doing this kind of orders. It takes away their freedom and they are forced to obey. But right now, I''m more concerned about Zuihou-chan. She is trembling really badly as she gripped my pants. "Shhh~ Do your best. Don''t let it take over you. You will be fine." "Erm... Admiral? Why is-" (Shioi) "This is my girlfriend, Zuihou-chan. She is not an Abyssal. And she will never be one." "Eh? Zuihou-chan?" (Shioi) It feels as though Zuihou-chan has calmed down a bit. She isn''t trembling as much as before. I can still hear her sobbing a bit though, but that''s fine. My phone rang. What now? "Sorry, Shioi. Can you help me pick that up? Pit it on speaker so I can decide whether to respond or not." Shioi walked to the phone and answered it, "Hello. Maizuru Naval Base Head Office." (Shioi) "Eh? Shioi-chan? You are the secretary for today?" (Ooyodo) Shioi looked at me and gave a few nods, "Y-yeah." (Shioi) "Huh... Oh well. Is Admiral there? I have Vestal from Azur Lane on the line. She says it''s important." (Ooyodo) Vestal! Has she figured something out? "Sorry, Zuihou-chan. I will be back soon." I whispered into her ear. I can feel her gripped my pants tightly but released her grip almost immediately. I gestured to Shioi that I will be taking that call. "Yeah. Admiral just came out of the toilet." (Shioi) "I see." (Ooyodo) I gently laid Zuihou-chan down on the sofa and walked to my desk. Shioi passed me the phone, "Hello. What''s up, Ooyodo?" "Ah. There you are. Vestal from Azur Lane is on the line. She says it''s extremely important." (Ooyodo) "Put her through." "Roger." (Ooyodo) After a couple of beeps, Vestal''s voice came through the receiver, "Hello? Admiral-san?" (AL Vestal) "Vestal? Good. Have you found something?" "You can put it that way. I had Yuubari analyze the logs and everything. There are quite a few things that were a little unusual but the main issue was that red number." (AL Vestal) "Yes. That''s the one that I''m more concerned about." Shioi sat next to Zuihou-chan. She seems hesitant at first, but soon she was stroking through Zuihou-chan''s hair. "Right. So what that number represented was something called ''Control'', according to the log. I will send you the entirety of the log so you can read it yourself." (AL Vestal) "Control... What those it mean?" "I''m not too sure myself. There is this line ''Calculating... Field unspecified... Data archived..." before the words ''Control level developed''. If we take it''s meaning at face value," (AL Vestal) "That would refer to Zuihou-chan''s control over her transformation?" "It''s just a hypothesis, but yes. Right now, she doesn''t have control over the transformation, right?" (AL Vestal) "Yeah. She just had another incident." "Right now, the number is at ''7''. Assuming it is really referring to Zuihou-chan''s ability to control it, that would mean that her transformation is at random." (AL Vestal) "I highly doubt it''s at random. If it was, my other girls would be freaking out by now. I haven''t seen her transform since then until now. Maybe it refers to the number of days?" "That sounds illogical but an acceptable theory, nonetheless. We need more data before we can reach a suitable conclusion." (AL Vestal) Zuihou-chan is now sitting up straight and smiling. The two girls took turns whispering things in each other''s ear. Looks like they are having fun. It''s as though... Actually, what am I afraid of? Is it about Zuihou-chan becoming an Abyssal and I will have to kill her? Am I afraid that everyone else will treat her as an enemy? If everyone can be friendly to Hoppou-chan, what is stopping them from welcoming Zuihou-chan in this form? Zuihou-chan is afraid of her body changing and that is obvious. But what am I really afraid of? Did I think I was protecting her by keeping her transformation a secret? Why am I not following through with what I said? "Admiral-san? Hello?" (AL Vestal) "Thanks for your help. Send me whatever data you managed to decipher. I will take it from here." "Are you sure? I can get Yuubari to develop another device to help you monitor her condition. And with due respect, did you hear what I just said?" (AL Vestal) "Sorry. Let''s just say I have an epiphany. Once again, thank you for your hard work. Now, it''s time to do my job." I hung up. I dialed the Command Centre''s number, where Ooyodo should be in. "Ooyodo, gather everyone in the courtyard.. I have an announcement to make." Chapter 269 - 243 A capsized vessel floated lifelessly on the water, surrounded by debris and a few wooden crates. It had several claw and bite marks all over the place. A large portion of it''s bow and hull was gone. It was as though something took a bite out of it. The surrounding water was mixed with oil from the boat, and the color of blood. What happened here? "This is horrible." (Umikaze) "To think something like this was happening nearby..." (Avrora) "The coast guards were right to leave this to us. This is way above their pay grade and expertise." For the past three days, the Maizuru Coast Guard has been receiving some rather terrifying reports. 3 fishing boats, 1 yacht, 1 cargo ship, and 1 patrol ship were reported to be destroyed, with all crew and passengers declared missing. The reports had two things in common, the vessel was missing large portions of it''s hull and everyone on board had disappeared. The Coast Guard decided to investigate this case themselves, until the patrol boat sent to search for survivors of the cargo ship sent a mayday message and became uncontactable for 12 hours. That''s why we are here. The Coast Guard thought that this was the work of an Abyssal attack and reported it to me. I have the obligation to send at least a fleet to investigate since our enemies could be involved. "A beast type?" (Gangut) "Maybe. It might be an I-class." (Zuihou-chan) "But they don''t have claws." "What kind of Abyssal can bite through a boat like this?" (Kumano) "The closest I can think of is an Abyssal Mediterranean Princess. It keeps two large shark-like life forms as pets. We are going to have a hard time if a Bestial Abyssal Princess start showing up." The normal ones are already difficult enough to deal with. "Shioi, anything down there?" "I can''t find any remains. I did find some dog tags and chewed up uniforms though. What''s scary is that there is blood all over the place." (Shioi) Woah. That''s bad. I have the list of the guards that were on the boat. Someone''s son, father, or brother just died and we have no idea what caused their deaths. We could easily blame the Abyssals and get more people to acknowledge that we are in a war right now, but I don''t want to make use of someone''s death just to prove a point. And we aren''t sure if the Abyssals or Sirens are involved in the first place. All of sudden, everyone''s radar started beeping rapidly and everyone went on high alert, raising their weapons. A red indicator appeared behind the fleet. "An enemy?!" (Gangut) "Ah. Sorry. It was me." (Zuihou-chan) Standing behind the five girls was Zuihou-chan in her Abyssal form. Her entire body has turned grey and black, with her limbs taking on an ebony black. Black sclera replaced her original white ones and her eyes glowed red. A large, black crossbow replaced her right hand while a large claw replaced the left. As a finishing touch, two horns grew out of her forehead. Only her green miko outfit remains unchanged. "That surprised me. You still haven''t figured a way to control it?" (Kumano) "We are working on it." "Sorry..." (Zuihou-chan) It has been five days since I announced Zuihou-chan''s condition to everyone in the base. Everyone was surprised and slightly apprehensive, but after realizing that she is the same Zuihou-chan they all know and love, they dropped that attitude and begin treating her as per normal. But now, there is another problem. Her condition has gotten to the point where it is a full transformation. Right now, minus her miko outfit, she would take on the form of the Abyssal Phoenix Princess at random timings. When that happens, our own radars and automated turrets treat her as an enemy and will react to her. It''s kind of bad when she transforms during a sortie. She would give everyone a fright, like what she just did. Maybe Vestal was right about the number being her ability to control herself. On bright side, she can launch her Abyssal Aircraft faster and in larger quantities. "No no no. I''m not scolding you or anything." (Kumano) "Comrade Kumano, look what you done. Now she is all sad." (Gangut) "No. Wait. I don''t mean it that way." (Kumano) Another bad thing is that she now has a complex about it. Looks like I need to pamper her later. The radar started beeping again. Now what? Kumano loaded her crossbow and launched a Saiun up into the air. "Enemy fleet located at 2 o''clock and coming in hot. 2 Battleship Ru-class, 1 Torpedo Cruiser Chi-class and 3 Destroyer Ro-class." (Kumano) "Hee. Looks like we get to see some action today after all." (Gangut) "Wait. Zuihou-chan, stay back! You have zero experience fighting in that form." "Leave this to us. We will be fine." (Shioi) "Line ahead formation. Avrora, take point." "Understood. Within the light of dawn are spilled blood and raging flames..." (Avrora) Both her and Umikaze''s weapons started glowing as they fired at the appraoching Abyssal fleet. One of the Ru-class staggered backwards as it took the brunt of the attack. "All Kumano Aircraft attack! Woooooooah!" (Kumano) Kumano let out her signature dolphin scream as she launched two squadrons of Suiseis and bombed the enemy fleet, creating a stellar explosion while sinking the Chi-class and the damaged Ru-class. Surprisingly, the three Destroyer Ro-class got out unscathed. Umikaze launched a salvo of torpedoes towards the Battleship Ru-class. As expected, the Ru-class extended out it''s left arm cannon to block the torpedoes approaching while letting the rest pass by. Unless they are a variant, these things always use the same technique over and over again, expecting a different result. Do they even know the definition of insanity? Well, it''s not like they were sane in the first place. Out of the six torpedoes launched, only one made contact with the Ru-class. Another one took out the Destroyer Ro-class who didn''t evade in time. The remaining four were completely off the mark. That''s kind of expected. The Sextuple Torpedo Launchers have a different and wider spread than the quadruple Torpedo Launchers Umikaze is used to. The number of equipment she can use increased after getting her Kai Ni. The torpedo that hit the Ru-class exploded, staggering the Abyssal Battleship. It recovered rather quickly though. "Grr... One more time!" (Umikaze) "Leave that thing to me! The revolution blesses you!" (Gangut) Gangut fired a volley of shells at the Ru-class. The Ru-class once again stood its ground and tried to guard. A ball of fire and smoke engulfed it. When it cleared, the Ta-class was missing one of it''s arm cannons. Bluish blood dripped from its wound and into the water. This one is tough. Another explosion engulfed the Ru-class, taking out its left leg. The Ta-class fell to the surface since it couldn''t stand anymore. The water around it turned blue from its blood. An explosion appeared at the back other Destroyer Ro-class exploded, crippling it. "Nice one, Comrade Shioi." (Gangut) Umikaze launched another salvo of torpedos at the crippled Destroyer Ro-class. This time, three of them hit, sinking the Abyssal. Now only one injured Ru-class and one small fry left. The radar started beeping again. Reinforcements? But this can''t be right. Kumano''s Saiun is still in the air. It would have notified her of any approaching enemies. Unless its submarines, but Shioi would have sounded alarm. A grey dot appeared on the radar. It''s an unknown, and it''s moving fast! "Everyone, stay alert! Shioi, regroup and keep an eye underwater." "Something''s coming! Wait. That''s a huge fish!" (Shioi) A large, transparent mouth with sharp teeth appeared from underneath the injured Ru-class and trapped it within it''s jaws. We watched in horror as it literally broke apart into small pieces within the transparent prison. The Destroyer Ro-class tried to run away but three blue spear-like objects erupted out of its body. It struggled for a split second, before it became limb. The lifeless Destroyer rose up into the air, supported by the spears which skewered it''s body. Wait. That''s a trident. What the heck is... What did the Sirens create this time? A hooded figure surfaced along with the rest of that three-pronged weapon. It looked just like a Battleship Re-class, with the hood and tail. Only difference is that it was smaller, and had a fish tail instead of the normal Abyssal lifeform and guns. The hood was blue and stained with streaks of dark crimson. The trident was twice it''s height, yet it''s wielding so easily and with an extra weight at the end. The figure held out it''s free hand and a bunch of shark-like apparitions appeared, lunging at dead Ro-class and ripping it to shred. Once it''s done, the hooded figure looked at my girls and we could finally see it''s face. It has the face of a young girl, with visible sharp scales. Her eyes were red and bloodshot. Her hair was grey with red streaks along her bangs. Her hands and feet are webbed. She just stared at the girls with eyes of a predator. "What is that? An Abyssal?" (Avrora) "Definitely not. It must be another Siren monster." (Kumano) "Whatever it is, it''s definitely hostile. Get ready for battle." Everyone aimed their guns at the mysterious girl, anticipating her actions. The girl just smiled, revealing rows of sharp teeth, and charged at them. "Fire!" Avrora, Gangut and Umikaze fired at the girl while Kumano and Shioi launched their planes. Shells and bombs bounced off the girl as if they were rubber band balls. She thrust out her spear towards Avrora. "Oh no you don''t!" (Gangut) Gangut rushed in front of Avrora and brought forward her rigging to block the attack. The trident easily pierced through her rigging and stabbed the Russian battleship in the abdomen. "Gangut-san!" (Umikaze) "Comrade Gangut!" (Avrora) "Gh! §¹§Ö§â§ä §Ó§à§Ù§î§Þ§Ú! This really hurts. But at last, this is a battlefield that I am meant for!" (Gangut) "Wait. Don''t shoot it!" Too late. Gangut fired her remaining guns at the girl''s head, only for the shells to reflect of her and explode on Gangut instead. Although uninjured, it seems to piss the girl off. This girl... She has the same reflective ability as the monster Azur Lane calls blue. A demon... Blood dripped from Gangut''s mouth as her snow white outfit is being dyed with red. The demon pulled out its spear from Gangut and knocked her back with a swing. Shells and bombs bounced of her body as she approached the injured Gangut, unfazed by everything happening to her. "Get away from her!" (Avrora) Avrora rushed in front of Gangut, only to get slapped aside by the trident. It stared at Avrora for a moment, before continuing her approach. "Umikaze, Shioi, throw everything at it. Kumano, get Gangut out of there." Crap. What should I do? Kumano tried to pull Gangut away as Umikaze and Shioi launched their torpedos at the demon. The torpedoes didn''t even touch it, rather, it was as though the torpedoes moved out of the way. The demon charged and lunge its trident towards them. Before I can say anything, a black streak charged forward, pushing Umikaze and Shioi aside. A black claw caught the trident''s teeth. The demon looked surprised as Zuihou-chan locked it in place. "Back... off!" (Zuihou-chan) Zuihou-chan pushed the demon back with her crossbow and attacked with her claw. The demon can only block her attacks as it tries to get some distance away. Is it smiling? "Zuihou-chan, hold that thing off for a bit. Kumano, Umikaze, get Gangut back here. Hurry. Avrora, Shioi, support Zuihou-chan as much as you can. Don''t use your guns. It will just reflect any projectiles thrown at it." Umikaze and Kumano held Gangut over their shoulders as they retreated. Avrora rushed towards the demon and tried to punch it. The demon, without looking at Avrora, stabbed the water with its trident and vaulted over Zuihou-chan, dodging Avrora''s and my girlfriend''s attacks. Shioi swung a torpedo at her, staggering it to the side. It snarled at Shioi, before dodging another one of Zuihou-chan''s claw attacks without even looking. It thrust forward its trident and Zuihou-chan caught it with her claw. The two of them stared down at each other. It opened it''s mouth and tried to bite Zuihou-chan''s face. Zuihou-chan shoved her forearm into it''s mouth, wincing as it bit down hard on her arm and drew blood. The demon''s expression suddenly changed, from a creepy smile to a sad and surprised face. It released it''s bite and stared at Zuihou-chan in disbelief, "Mama?" (???) Did it just spoke? And what did it just say?! Chapter 270 - 244 "Huh? What did you just say?" (Zuihou-chan) Suddenly, the microphone picked up a loud scream. No, it was more like a war cry. "Dooryaaa!" (???) A pink streak of light zoomed down a few metres from where the two stood, creating a large tower of water and an explosive noise. There was more screaming in the background, "You missed! How could you miss?! It was only that far away!" (???) "Shut up, Baqua! I just hit the 10% miss rate!" (???) "Less talking, more moving. Secure those two! Everyone, surround them and be prepared for anything! (???) There is a lot of noise in the background as a bunch of girls moved into view. A familiar submarine maid grabbed Shioi while another short girl with silver hair in black and purple costume paired with a witch hat pulled Avrora to the side. "Wait! What are you-" (Avrora) "Sorry. This is an emergency!" (Witch girl) "What''s going on?" Zuihou-chan shoved the demon back, "I don''t know. Azur Lane''s shipgirls are surrounding us." (Zuihou-chan) "Aqua-chan, what are you doing here? Please let me go." (Shioi) "Sorry. We got our orders." (AL Minato Aqua) What is Azur Lane doing here? The noise in the background got louder as ten girls, led by a maid with a large sword, surrounded the pair. I''m seeing some familiar faces. There is Unicorn, Colorado, Shigure and Alabama. "Shioi, hijack and intercept her signal. Ooyodo..." "Already on it. Decoding and attempting to establish a connection." (Ooyodo) There was some static before a couple of voices came from the radio. We got in. That was surprisingly easy. I expected at least another half an hour. But this is great for us. "Signal hijacked. We can listen in on their conversation. I''m trying to infiltrate their channel." (Ooyodo) "Energy readings are a match. That''s codename ''Blue''." (Girl with bunny ears and thick eyebrows) That shark monster?! "It changed form. What about the other one? What is an Abyssal doing here?" (Suwanto Ao) "We don''t know. The wavelength is similar but energy readings are off the chart for this one." (Girl with bunny ears and thick eyebrows) "Are those your parents, Spee? I won''t be surprised. (Loli with two shark-like riggings and a gun) "Shut up, Deutschland." (Girl with two red claws and mechanical fish tail) "What is Keita doing? Letting an Abyssal Princess and that monster so close to the mainland." (Suwanto Ao) Because it''s not an Abyssal. That''s my girlfriend. "Are we in yet?" "Not yet. That submarine maid is making it a little difficult. She keeps changing the encryption." (Ooyodo) "At least we can hear what are they talking about for now. Keep trying. I need to speak to Ao. Shioi, Avrora, try to break free from those two. Zuihou-chan, be prepared to take evasive maneuvers. Ooyodo is trying to connect me to Ao." "What about calling him directly?" (Ooyodo) "Already did. It keeps getting cut off. His direct line isn''t working as well." I have been trying since his girls showed up. I''m just not getting through. "That Abyssal... She looks familiar." (AL Unicorn) "The form matches the Abyssal Phoenix Princess but the the outfit is different." (AL Colorado) "Split up into 6-4. Dido, just as we planned, eliminate ''Blue''. Maya, keep that Abyssal at bay. Our priority is the destruction of ''Blue''. Get rid of the Abyssal if necessary. Keita is going to own me one." (Suwanto Ao) Oh, hell no! I''m not letting any one of you touch my girl! "Hey! Don''t run!" (AL Alabama) The demon quickly dove underwater. "Aqua, chase after it!" (Witch girl) "Wai... Shion... Jamming..." (AL Minato Aqua) "Oi. What are you saying? (Witch girl) "Something... hijac..." (AL Minato Aqua) "We are being listened in on! It must be that Abyssal. Cut the connection and get ready for combat." (Suwanto Ao) I watched as the 10 Azur Lane girls aimed their guns at Zuihou-chan. Zuihou-chan immediately braced herself and took an evasive stance. "Ooyodo!" "We are in!" (Ooyodo) I grabbed the microphone, "Ao! Get your girls to stand down now!" "Ouch! What the-? Keita? How did you-" (Suwanto Ao) I can see the other girls clasp their ears and flinched. Sorry. "Stand down. That''s not an Abyssal. That''s Zuihou-chan." "What are you talking about?" (Suwanto Ao) "Eh? Why is there another voice?" (Girl with bunny ears and thick eyebrows) "This voice... Maizuru''s Admiral?" (AL Minato Aqua) "I''m sorry, Aqua-chan. I had to do it." (Shioi) "It was you?" (AL Minato Aqua) "Just stand down. I will explain later. Come over to my place. It''s easier that way." "O...kay. Stand down, everyone." (Suwanto Ao) Shioi rushed to Zuihou-chan''s side and took off her sailor top. She tied it around Zuihou-chan''s wound, which immediately turned red from the blood. "Keita, you better explain all of this properly." (Suwanto Ao) "Relax. I was going to tell you about this. Eventually." "So something like that happened... That''s quite unexpected." (Suwanto Ao) "Tell me about it. I was shock when she suddenly transformed in front of me." Right now, I''m explaining to Ao about Zuihou-chan''s condition and how we are trying to find ways to control her transformation. Zuihou-chan and the others are in the baths, along with a few Azur Lane girls who decided to tag along. Gangut''s wounds are deep but they aren''t life-threatening. It will take a few weeks and a lot of time in the medicinal bath for her to fully recover. To give her stomach, and her liver, some time to recover, I going to impose a limit on her daily alcohol consumption. That girl can chug alcohol from dusk till dawn and still not get a hangover. Talking about it is easy, implementing it is another story. "So, what happened over there? I tried calling you several times but you didn''t pick up. And it was easy to infiltrate your channel." "You called? So it was still down... I''m sorry. We are kind of having a little trouble on our end. Our Yuubari was testing some new equipment she built a few hours ago and ended up short-circuiting everything in our base. We just managed to restore minimal power to our comms network and Arsenal. Looks like our automatic encryption and direct line got deactivated as well." (Suwanto Ao) "So your Yuubari is like that too. Ours is just as equally troublesome. She would create weird contraptions and bring about mayhem. The other day, she created a giant mechanical rabbit for Gozny but it blew up and destroyed one of our empty warehouses." Shigure served Ao some tea, before taking her place beside me. "I''m amazed you can do that so naturally..." (Suwanto Ao) "Hm? What are you talking about?" "Admiral..." (Shigure) I find myself petting Shigure''s head and scratching her chin. When did I... Oh well. "Where were we?" "Ah, right. Since we already discussed about your Abyssal girlfriend, Alright alright. Both of you, please don''t glare at me like that. Anyway, we need to talk about ''Blue''." (Suwanto Ao) "So now it has taken on a humanoid form. Did you know about this?" "Nope. It fell off our radar last month. Today was the first time in a while we have seen it." (Suwanto Ao) "Can''t help it. You guys have been busy lately." "Did Vestal tell you that?" (Suwanto Ao) I nodded my head. I can understand that they have a lot on their plate right now. Everything from the Sirens to the META shipgirls to the two weird creatures that have been active. To deal with all of that is pretty admirable. We already have our hands full dealing with the Abyssals. "There are several questions as to why it took that form." (Suwanto Ao) "If you are wondering about that form, I probably can answer that. You know the phrase ''You are what you eat''? Since it was attacking and eating Re-classes, it took on a form resembling one. Whether it''s to blend in with the Abyssals to get its meal or something else entirely, that''s a another problem to tackle. But that''s is just a theory I have." I described to Ao what happened before his girls entered the fray. How it was attacking ships and killing off the crew, how it was impervious to our shots, how it reacted when it bit Zuihou-chan... Actually, I''m more concerned about the last one. Why did it call Zuihou-chan ''Mama''? Did she cheat on me and gave birth? No no no. That is ridiculous. There is no way shipgirls can give birth without a ring. The timeline doesn''t match and that demon was the shark monster Azur Lane had been trying to monitor. But where did it came from? Zuihou-chan gave birth to a shark monster which gained a human form after eating Abyssals... That sounds like a crappy title and plot for a fanfiction... Anyway, the most important thing is that Zuihou-chan did not cheat on me. Yes. I trust that she didn''t. Then, why did it call her ''Mama''? There was a knock on the day, "Excuse me." (???) I don''t recognize that voice. "Come in, Spee." (Suwanto Ao) The girl with the large claws and mechanical tail from earlier walked in. This time, she is wearing black military-esque uniform. She still has her fish tail though. "I thought you might want to see this." (Spee) The girl presented a small jar with a bloodied tooth in it. "A tooth?" (Suwanto Ao) "Yes..." (Spee) "Could it be...? Where did you get it?" (Suwanto Ao) "It was in that girls wound. I helped to pull it out since it was causing her discomfort in the bath." (Spee) Why is she stealing glances at us? "That means..." (Suwanto Ao) "Y-yes. I believe it belongs to ''Blue''." (Spee) "This is... This is fantastic! We finally have something to work with. We can perform a scan on this to help us figure out what is ''Blue'' made of. It is really a shark, or some kind Siren construct." (Suwanto Ao) "Then..." (Spee) Spee glanced at us again, this time with eyes of longing. "I get it. Sit here." (Suwanto Ao) Spee sheepishly sat down beside Ao. He placed a hand on her head and started petting her. "Good girl. Good girl." (Suwanto Ao) "~~~" (Spee) I can a little embarrassed squeak, but she looks so happy. "Once I get some results, I will share it with you all." (Suwanto Ao) "Please do. There is a lot of mystery surrounding that thing." "But why was that Destroyer able to get a tooth while none of our weapons were able to make a dent on it?" (Spee) I already know the answer but I''m just going to ask for fun, "What destroyer?" "The one that we mistook for an Abyssal Princess, Zuihou-chan. She has able to get a tooth. She is a Destroyer, right?" (Spee) Keep a straight face. No laughing. "Spee, that girl is a Light Aircraft Carrier, not a Destroyer." (Suwanto Ao) "Eh?" (Spee) "In fact, she is Shouhou''s younger sister." (Suwanto Ao) "Ohh. I guess that sort of explains her size." (Spee) Oh god. I can''t help it! "Admiral, you are laughing too much." (Shigure) Chapter 271 - 245 After so many hits and miss , they finally managed to do it. Akashi and Yuubari finally developed a material alloy that is tough enough to withstand an Abyssal attack, be it ranged or melee. It is mainly made out of multiple layers of graphene, strengthened with titanium alloy. Fusou examined the rectangular block of carbon. It''s just a prototype but it light and sturdy enough. Probably. "And what do you want me to do with this?" (Fusou) "Give us your thoughts on it." (Akashi) Yuubari and Akashi looked at Fusou with anticipation and excitement. "It''s... extremely light. Are you sure this is sturdy enough to withstand an Abyssal attack?" (Fusou) "It definitely will. If it can withstand five shots from a 15.5cm Triple Gun Mount before cracking, it definitely can withstand an Abyssal attack. At least up to a Ru-class." (Yuubari) "Are you sure? The sturdiness and weight don''t seem to match." (Fusou) "I know you have your doubts. That''s why I want you to test it." Fusou let out a sigh, "I knew it..." (Fusou) "Come on. Please? You are the only one who can test this out safely." (Akashi) "What do you mean I''m the only one who can test this out safely? In the first place, what is this supposed to be?" (Fusou) "You are a Battleship, so you are tough from the start. I need someone who is tough and able to handle herself in case something goes terribly wrong. I gave these two a task to create a material alloy that is tough enough to withstand an Abyssals attack, be it ranged or melee. The alloy should also be able to trap an Abyssal should it try to engage in a melee. And this baby here," I smacked the alloy hard, which is a big mistake because my hand hurts now. "I-its the result of their hard work. If this proves to be successful, the we can start mass producing this and use it in as part of our equipment. This way, we can minimize the amount of damage you girls suffer every time you go on a sortie. Oh, and maybe this new material can also be used in construction of ships and lessen the number of dead idiots who decide not to use the proper channels when they sail from place to place." "Haah... Fine. What do I need to do?" (Fusou) The two crafters high-fived each other. "I will send you along with Yuubari and 2 other Destroyers to a place where a Bestial Abyssal and a small Abyssal Destroyer fleet was discovered. Essentially, what we need you to do is to protect yourself with this block from any kind of attacks. Whether is it gun fire, or the animalistic attacks from Bestial Abyssals." "We just need to see how well this prototype can perform against different varients. It will be great if we can test this out extensively against different types of Abyssals." (Akashi) "For the record, I am not going to spend the whole time out there collecting data for you." (Fusou) "We know. That''s why our main priority is to test this against an Bestial Abyssal and small frys.The normal ones can wait until we get our data. Let me attach some handles to this first." (Akashi) Akashi rushed to the back to get her tools. "What if this breaks?" (Fusou) "It won''t. But just in case, we built some spares. We have 4 more of these blocks." (Yuubari) "Yuubari, I have sent you the mission data. Kawakaze and Samidare are already waiting at the port. Deploy once you are ready. Once you are done with the mission, send me the results and the recipe for the alloy." "Roger. Come, Fusou. Let''s get this show on the road." (Yuubari) "I really don''t want to do this..." (Fusou) I left the factory while Akashi and Yuubari prepare their test subject. I hope this works. It took me quite a while to convince Yokosuka and Ominato Guard District to give us the funds and materials for research. Ominato Guard District immediately agreed to provide some of the materials in exchange for another living sample of an Abyssal, which is what we will be getting during this test run. Though, counting on Fusou''s bad luck, the sample would probably die even before making it''s way back to base. This material alloy will be extremely beneficial to us in the future. Oh, and humanity as well. But those ministers will probably take years to accept it and come up with all kinds of reasons and excuses. Like who should be credited, what should it be used for, how to minimize the production cost, what kind of adjustments can they do to it. You know, all those kind of nonsense. Anyway, time to return back to my office. I have a ton of paperwork to clear. It''s cold and the trees have started turning brown, indicating a change in seasons. "Welcome back, Admiral!" (Zuihou, Zuihou-chan, Shigure, Shioi) Everyone is here. "Ho~oh. Are you here to help me with my work?" "If we don''t, I won''t be able to snuggle with you in bed." (Zuihou-chan) Shigure nodded her head fervently. "I-I''m just here to help." (Shioi) "Thank you, Shioi." I pet her head. Shioi placed her hands on mine. Does she hate it? No. She looks very happy. "Zuihou-chan, are you alright? You can spend more time in the docks." Zuihou-chan just came back from a sortie and had to spend some time in the docks after getting hit by a shell. Fortunately she was in her Abyssal form, which gave a tougher body and faster recovery time. It''s not that serious but it''s still damage to her. Compared to before, her situation has improved. Now, with some focus, she can alternate her arms between Abyssal armaments and normal hands. Her transformations are still random, but last far shorter now. So far, she was lucky enough to be in her Abyssal form before taking any form of damage. If we can figure out how to control her transformation, then it will be perfect. The most important thing is that she is beginning to embrace this power of hers. It was only two weeks ago when she still had a complex about it. Now, she doesn''t panic when she transforms. "It was just a small scratch. You are overreacting." (Zuihou-chan) "Even so, it''s still an injury. Like I always say, you might be battle-hardened warriors, but you are still girls to me. So take better care of yourselves." Compared to when first I came here, they''re indeed taking better care of themselves. Though, they tend to dismiss small injuries such as scratches or bruises. I sat between Zuihou and Shigure, the latter immediately snuggled up against me. I scratched her chin for a bit and Shigure let out a satisfied sound before returning to her share of work. I looked at Zuihou, who had been silently staring at me for a while. "You want some?" "N-no. Not now, at least." (Zuihou) I haven''t been giving her any attention these few weeks. I had been occupied with Zuihou-chan''s condition and that humanoid monster. Today is Zuihou''s turn. I will give her lots of love later. It''s not much but it should make up for a bit of the lost time. After what felt like an entire day, we are finally done! "Phew. Thank you, everyone. Now HQ won''t be nagging at me anymore." "It was your fault that you delayed those reports until now." (Zuihou) True. Most of these are backlog reports that were supposed to be submitted and archived last month. "Zuihou and I will take these to the Archives. The three of you submit the rest to Ooyodo so she can fax them over to HQ." "Okay." (Shigure) "Let me help." (Shioi) "Thank you, Shioi." (Zuihou-chan) The three girls each carried a stack of papers and left the room. Just then, Zuihou-chan turned around and smiled, "Don''t go too wild, Onee-chan~" (Zuihou-chan) "Shut up and go already!" (Zuihou) "What are you planning?" "No-nothing. Come on. Let''s bring these to the Archives." (Zuihou) Suspicious... She probably has something planned for me. Let''s play along for now. I grabbed my stack of documents and held the door open of her. The both of us made our way to the Archive room, chatting about random stuff along the way, like the new Servant I''m trying to pull in the game that starts with ''F'' and ends with ''O'' with a ''G'' in the middle and how Akizuki got herself hilariously stuck in a tree while attempting to save Tina-chan, who had managed to get down safely by jumping into a passing Hiryuu''s ?h?st. I placed the huge stack of documents on the table and took out the key to unlock the Archive room. I turned the handwheel and pulled it open. This is ridiculously heavy for a door. Now for the most troublesome part, sorting them into their respective categories. This is one of the reasons why I don''t like to do archiving. "Now," (Zuihou) Zuihou tied a Tasuki around her sleeves so that they won''t get in her way, "Let''s get to work~" (Zuihou) "Fine..." "Geez, stop making disgusted faces." (Zuihou) "Can''t we get the fairies to do this?" "It''s not their job, and they will probably stuff everything in one place." (Zuihou) That''s what I would do too. "Also..." (Zuihou) Zuihou suddenly blushing caught my attention. "Today, it''s my turn to be alone with you. If we get this job done... After dinner... I will let you do... whatever you want..." (Zuihou) "Alright! Let''s do this!" "How do you switch this fast?!" (Zuihou) "If my girlfriend says something like this, of course I would be motivated. Oh, and today, I want to eat your cooking. Since I can do whatever I want, it will be fine to bring out my toys, right?" "That''s..." (Zuihou) "I thought you said I can do whatever I want if I finish this?" "Ugh... fine. But only some of them. I would rather you make me...~~~~" (Zuihou) Her voice trailed off near the end, but I know what she is trying to say. Gosh. Why are you so cute and ??wd? I lifted her chin, "I got it. I''m going to give you all of my love later on. Don''t think I''m letting you sleep tonight." Zuihou took my hand and placed it on her ?h?st. I can feel her heart beating rapidly as she stared at me with those big, amber eyes, "Fill me up with lots, Admiral?" (Zuihou) Chapter 272 - 246 I glanced up from the report to see a fidgety and nervous Rei. Well, of course she would be this nervous. I''m the one reading and vetting through her operation plan. This is part of her promotion exam, from ''Commander'' to ''Rear Admiral''. Coming up with an operation plan is something all Commanders have to do if they want to rank up. Usually it would take about three years before a Commander is eligible for promotion. But since she is on an Accelerated Promotion Program, she can take it once HQ gives the ''go-ahead''. For her exam, I gave her the location, the conditions to expect, the estimated number of enemies and their classifications, and the main target, which is a Destroyer Forest Princess. It''s her task to formulate an effective and efficient plan to complete the mission. She can use anything and everything from the district. Truth to be told, her plan is acceptable. It has all the basics down, like the fleet compositions and the formations of most possible scenarios. Could be better, but pretty good for a first timer. I feel kind of bad for what I''m about to do next, but that is the fun part. Since this is a formal exam, there are guidelines we need to follow and get it recorded. Everything will be sent to HQ for evaluation. "I know this is pretentious, but let''s treat this part seriously and formally." "Yes." (Rei) I switched on the voice recorder, "Candidate number 320117. Promotional exam R552. Part B interview. Starting now. This plan of yours is feasible." This girl... She is trying to hold back her laughter. "Is that so?" (Rei) "Yep. Utilizing Light Cruisers that can carry scout planes is a good way to scout for enemies without sacrificing firepower. Noshiro and Mogami are good for this role. You could have chosen Fusou to be the main damage dealer against the Princess but Kumano and Shouhou would be more than plenty to take it down since they will be devoting their entire capacity to fighters and bombers. This is a good plan." Her eyes beamed as I said that. They will turn into panic soon enough. "Before I continue, I have some questions. Why didn''t you include any of the North Union shipgirls into the fleet? They report directly to you, right? Why not use someone you are familiar to help with your mission?" Apart from formulating plans, there must be a reason why certain shipgirls are being drafted into the operation. This is also an exam standard. "Indeed. While I am most familiar with the capabilities of the North Union, I feel that it will be overkill and inefficient to sortie them. Furthermore, they might not even reach the target." (Rei) "I can understand the overkill part, but what do you mean by inefficient and not being able to reach the boss?" "If I were to deploy the North Union girls, the fleet will compose of Avrora, Sovertskaya Rossiya, Sovertskaya Belorussiya, Tallin, Grozny and Stremitelny. On paper, they no doubt will sink the Destroyer Forest Princess but there at a great cost." (Rei) I already know the answer but I still have to ask. It''s impressive that she had thought about it. "And would that cost be?" "The fuel and ammo cost. The six of them are strong in terms of firepower, but they use up a lot of fuel and ammo every sortie. So it would be inefficient to sortie them for this mission." (Rei) "That''s a great answer. Now, what about the second part? The one about them not reaching the boss." "The area where the Destroyer Forest Princess is located at has low visibility. Without sufficient LOS, the six of them will get lost, let alone each the boss. That''s why I decided to rely on Light Aircraft Carriers and Cruisers to handle this. With a standard setup, the Crusiers can provide LOS and shelling while the Carriers handle the heavy lifting. The Destroyers can provide fire support. That''s what I had in mind when I thought of the plan." (Rei) "Great answer." I switched off the voice recorder. "I''m glad that part is over. You did well holding in your laughter." "Hahahahaha! I mean... It''s so weird seeing you act so serious and formal." (Rei) "Yeah yeah. Laugh while you can. But seriously, that was great. There is room for improvement but you got most of the answers nailed down. Your plan is great too." "Thank you, Admiral!" (Rei) She looks so happy. I hate to burst your bubble but, "Now then, let''s put it to the test." "Yes! Eh? What... Wait... Eh?!" (Rei) "What? You don''t know if a plan works if you don''t try it. That is the next part of the exam." "Wait. I wasn''t told about this. And a Destroyer Forest Princess was really spotted near the Gotou Islands?" (Rei) "Neither was I back then. And also, I was told to keep that part a secret. HQ won''t just come up with a fake mission. This is the real thing. Don''t worry. It''s not as large scale as the one from last year. And intel states that it is injured and had its armour broken already. Come on, let''s go. The Abyssals won''t wait." "That''s so mean! Wait! At least let me make some adjustments." (Rei) --------------------------------------- The six girls made their way to the Gotou Islands, where the target is residing in. The fleet consists of Shouhou, Kumano, Noshiro, Mogami, Suzukaze and Kagerou, with Rei in charge of commanding them. I''m just here to record and step in, which I hope won''t happen, if necessary. I''m just an observer this time. "Enemy fleet located. Two Wo-class, one Chi-class and three Na-class. They have spotted us and are moving in at top speed!" (Noshiro) "Erm... Diamond formation! C-cripple the Wo-class and secure air superiority." (Rei) "Consider it done. Uooohhhh!" (Kumano) "Incoming torpedo salvo. Increase battle speed to 5 and revert back to 3 once they pass. Keep encircling around them." (Rei) This part is easy, but also the most stressful. While Rei has experience commanding a fleet on sorties, it is her first time handling an operation. She has to follow the plan she came up with and can only divert away from it should something unexpected occurs. The whole battle will be recorded and sent to HQ. "Air superiority maintained. One Wo-class eliminated!" (Shouhou) "Alright. Keep it up. Sink them all and we can continue onwards." (Rei) Bombs and hellfire rained down on the Abyssals, causing them to let out horrifying shrieks, followed by silence as their lifeless bodies disappear under the surface. "Reporting. No signs of any other enemies in the area." (Shouhou) "That was easy. Let''s keep going." (Rei) Uh oh. Being too complacent early on is going to bite you back later. And there will be some points taken off too. The girls continued their mission, sinking the Abyssals along the way. Resistance increased as the push forward, which is expected seeing as they are getting closer to the target. So far, Shouhou and Suzukaze received light damages while the others are fine. Noshiro''s Shiun flew over the foggy area, searching for the target. This is the part where LOS is required. With any radars or planes to provide vision, any shipgirls will get lost on the fog. "Target spotted. It is accompanied by two Carrier Wo-class flagship Kai III, one Light Carrier Nu-class elite, and one Heavy Cruiser Ne-class Kai III. They hasn''t been alerted to our presence yet." (Noshiro) "Only five? Well, I guess that makes it easier for us. Proceed onwards. Single line formation. Let''s win this." (Rei) This is weird. Why are there only four escorts? And their formation... Something is off but I can''t put my finger on it. That reminds me, which fleet destroyed its armour? The girls passed through the fog and got into attacking range. "Shouhou, Kumano, start the bombardment! The rest of you, provide shelling support. Focus on the escort ships and draw fire so the CVLs can take out the target!" (Rei) "Roger!" (All) Kumano and Shouhou launched their bombers and fighters whilst the other four begin shelling. The three Abyssal Carriers opened the mouth of their head nodules, launching their own squadrons of Abyssal aircraft. "I won''t let you!" (Amatsukaze) Suzukaze and Amatsukaze aimed their AA guns at the enemy aircraft, destroying most of them and letting our planes go through. Mogami and Noshiro shot at the Heavy Cruiser Ne-class Kai III, drawing its attention. "Don''t stray too far from the fleet. Drop your payload and immediately return." (Shouhou) The planes dropped their bombs and torpedoes, creating tall pillers of water and fiery explosions. Abyssals shrieks entered the radio but there was one weird nosie mixed in. "What was that? Did you hear that?" (Noshiro) More shrieks can be heard through the smoke and something was thrown towards the girls at full force. "Evade!" (Rei) Ah. That was a quick reaction on Rei''s end. The six girls moved out of the projectile''s path. "Something is seriously wrong." (Rei) This looks familiar. Once the smoke has cleared, it became obvious that this is not a normal situation. The Destroyer Forest Princess was on all fours, carrying the body of the Ne-class by the neck in its mouth. It''s riggings were misshapened as a thick black liquid oozed from it''s crevices. The other Abyssals were torn to shreds. Limbs, heads, and twisted armaments scattered around the Abyssal. It bit down hard on the Ne-class neck, snapping it''s head clean off. Blue blood dripped from its mouth as it licked it''s lips, before letting out a bloodcurdling scream. What is a Bestial Abyssal doing here? And a Princess at that. HQ didn''t tell us anything about this! I want to step in, but... This is a good opportunity for Rei to figure out how to handle such a situation. An encounter with a Bestial Abyssal was something she did not accord for in her plan. None of the girls are equipped with anti-bestial equipment, but there is a method that was tried and proven against a Bestial Princess. Rei should also know about it. "Everyone, get back in formation and start kiting around it. Focus all attacks on the Bestial Princess." (Rei) Wait. Doesn''t she know the method against it? What she is doing now is no different from handling a normal Abyssal. I can see sweat dropping from her forehead. She is biting on her thumb as her eyes dart around. She is panicking. The Princess lunged at Suzukaze, knocking her across the water and pining her down. "Ouch! Get off me!" (Suzukaze) Suzukaze pointed her gun at it''s head and pulled the trigger. The blast knocked the Princess''s head backwards, which only made it more agitated and started to claw at the Destroyer. "Uugh! That hurts!" (Suzukaze) Mogami used her flight deck and smacked the Princess off Suzukaze, sending it flying a few metres back. "Are you alright?" (Mogami) "Yeah. Thanks." (Suzukaze) Suzukaze''s clothes were ripped to shreds, she even lost her gun. Her arms and body are filled with cuts that look painful. "Commander, what should we do?" (Noshiro) "Kyaa!" (Shouhou) The Princess targeted Shouhou this time. The carrier lodged her bow in its mouth and held it back. The Princess clawed viciously at her arms. Noshiro hurriedly kicked it away. "Commander, your orders?!" (Noshiro) "Erm... Er..." (Rei) Rei looked at me with pleading eyes. She is asking me for help, but if I step in, it will be considered a failure no matter the circumstances. They is one way though, but it''s up to HQ to determine whether or not it is a a legitimate reason. I mouthed the words ''Are you sure? It would be counted as a failure''. She nodded without hesitation. Looks like it''s my turn. "Ooyodo, file a Code Red UC-BDFP." Gosh, I hate these acronyms. "From henceforth, the exam is suspended and Admiral Keita will take command." If the one evaluating Rei''s exam is lenient, this situation would be taken into consideration. "Roger." (Ooyodo) "Mogami, Noshiro, protect the others while they get ready. Keep that thing at bay but don''t hurt yourself unnecessary." "That''s a tall order, but we will try." (Noshiro) Noshiro opened fire at the Princess. The Princess darted around and lunged once more at the Light Crusier. Mogami thrusted her flight deck in its mouth, shattering some of it''s teeth and pushing it back in pain. "Kumano, launch four squadrons of Dive Bombers and four squadron of Torpedo Bombers. Have them fly in Vic formation and position them in all four directions. Shouhou, can you still fire some planes?" "My bow is at it''s limit. I can only launch one more squadron." (Shouhou) "That''s more than enough. Get a Fighter Squadron up in the air." "A fighter squadron? How is that effective against the thing?" (Kumano) "Oh. It will be extremely effective. Shouhou, have them split up into pairs and just fly around the Princess." "Understood." (Shouhou) As soon as Shouhou let her arrow fly, the bowstring snapped, rendering the bow useless. "Suzukaze, can you still move about?" "Of course I can! A couple of scratches ain''t enough to stop me." (Suzukaze) "Good. Suzukaze, stay there with Shouhou and Kumano. Ready your torpedoes. Amatsukaze, I need you to quietly move behind that animal. Can you do it?" "That''s easy. With my speed, I can easily do that." (Amatsukaze) "That''s what I like to hear. Noshiro, Mogami, hold on for just a little longer." "Better make it quick. This thing is pissed." (Mogami) I have never used this method against a Bestial Abyssal Princess before, but if Yokosuka managed to do it, I can too. Plus, the conditions and fleet compositions match. "Keep it up. Once Amatsukaze-" "I''m in position!" (Amatsukaze) That''s fast. As expected of Shimakaze''s self-proclaimed elder sister. "Timing is crucial for this. Everything needs to be executed perfectly. No mistakes. On my signal, throw every single explosive you have at it." "Roger!" (All) "Mogami, Noshiro, that''s enough. Retreat back while firing at that animal. Don''t need to hit it. Just keep distracted." "I don''t know what you are thinking but this better work." (Noshiro) The Cruisers fired at the Bestial Princess as they moved backwards. As expected, it switched it''s focus to dodging the fireballs. "Scatter you shots. Shouhou, get your fighters to fire bullets on it." "Understood!" As Mogami and Noshiro continued their attack, Shouhou''s fighter planes rained bullets from above. With almost no space to dodge, the Bestial Princess can only endure the hits, letting out a bloodcurdling scream as hot metal projectiles pierced it''s body. "Throw everything you got. Light it up!" "I won''t let you escape!" (Amatsukaze) "Eat this!" (Suzukaze) "All Kumano aircraft, attack! Wooooaaahh!" (Kumano) Torpedos, bombers, shells, and bullets rained down on it from all directions. A large ball of fire engulfed the Princess. The deafening echoes of the explosion drowned out it''s cries. "Did we get it?" (Mogami) "Hopefully. Blast a few more rounds and drop some more bombs for good measure." "I''m out of ammo." (Noshiro) "I got it. Lobbing in a few more torpedoes too." (Amatsukaze) Amatsukaze fired from behind and launched another torpedo salvo. Before the smoke could clear, another ball of flame erupted from within. The plan was to restrict it''s movements and throw every bomb and torpedo at it. Bestial Abyssals are tough, combine that trait with an Abyssal Princess and you get an almost indestructible entity. However, all Bestial variants are weak to heat. Even a bullet shot from an AA gun can hurt it. Once we have it constrained, it won''t be able to dodge the incoming bombs and torpedoes. The ensuing explosion is enough to kill it. Yokosuka used this exact tactic, with the same fleet composition, to sink a Light Crusier Princess. The smoke finally cleared, revealing the distorted and burnt body of the Princess. It is still twitching and growling ever so softly. "Wow. Even after all that it still survived?" (Mogami) "If a Destroyer Princess is this tough, I''m not sure what to make of a Battleship Princess." (Amatsukaze) "You know, the guys at Yokosuka sunk a Light Cruiser Princess with the exact same tactic." "Seriously?!" (Suzukaze) "Grrllgglgllrrllgg..." (Bestial Destroyer Forest Princess) "Finish it off and come on back. " Mogami pointed her gun at its head and looked away before pulling the trigger, taking off half of the head and putting it out of its misery. Oi! Camera Fairy or whatever you are. I didn''t need to see that. I''m going to have nightmares later on. "I''m ending the transmission. No need to report to me later. Go straight to the docks and rest up. Take today and tommorrow off. Admiral out." I shut off the monitor and radio. Looks like I''m sleeping late tonight. I turned to look at Rei, whose eyes are downcast and look as though she is about to cry. I mean, she did lose her chance to get promoted after all. Who knows when she will get to take it again. "Cheer up. It was an unforeseen situation. I already highlighted the code. If you are lucky, they may understand and give you a pass. Or maybe you will get another chance soon enough." "But... If only I knew how to..." (Rei) "Treat this as a learning point. If such things happen again, you know what to do." She looks as though she is gonna burst soon. How do I cheer her up? Oh, I know. I stroked her head, "Come on. You did your best. Tell you what, let''s go get some drinks. I heard Mamiya brought in a new brand of plum wine." She glanced up at me. "Only if you''re treating..." (Rei) "Fine. Chin up." When she isn''t trying to seduce me, she is a pretty cute creature. That report and exam can wait.. I have until the end of this week to submit i after all. Chapter 273 - 247 "Hmm... What about here?" (Zuihou) Zuihou pointed at a picture of the Onsen town in Toyooka on her phone as I looked over her shoulder. It was the same one Grand Admiral Akihito dragged me to. The water droplets distorted the parts of the image a little, but I recognized that scenery. "You want to go to an Onsen town in this season? Isn''t Winter a better time to go? How about USJ?" "We are going there for our retreat during last week of December. HQ already reserved the place for IJN." (Zuihou) "They did?" Why wasn''t I notified about this? "You didn''t read the newsletter? Of course you didn''t." (Zuihou) Ah, that''s why. "Why did they put such an important event on the newsletter no one reads?" "You are the only one who doesn''t read it. There are some interesting stuff written there." (Zuihou) Zuihou continued to look for places to go on her phone. Somehow, this irritates me a little. Even though we have the docks to ourselves, she is focused on finding places to go. "Hmm... Where else is nice?" (Zuihou) "Come on. Stop looking at your phone already." "Not until we find a place t- Hyaah!? Wait!" (Zuihou) I striked at my favorite tiny hilltop, which is conveniently one of her many weak points. She almost dropped her phone in the water. She grabbed onto my hand and tried to brush it away. "W-wait... Ngh... My phone... Nh!" (Zuihou) "It''s your fault for using your phone even though we have the whole docks to ourselves." "What the...Nn... Haven''t you had enough? How are you still raring to go?" (Zuihou) Earlier, I was having an intense ''bonding'' session with my three girlfriends. To make sure I get enough energy to satisfy all of them, I drank a cup of that energy boosting wine I bought from Mamiya. I meant for it as a joke but I''m surprised she actually brought a few bottles in. The other two got exhausted and went to bed first, leaving only me and Zuihou. So we decided to bath in the now empty docks. In this wee hours of the night, everyone else would be asleep. I only intended for us to bath and spend some time together, but since she is only focusing on her phone instead of me, I have to punish her a little. I know she wants to plan ahead for that vacation I promised her, but I can only take my leave after completing that large scale operation in November. That means we will be having our vacation in December, and to think that soon after it will be a company-wide retreat to USJ. Sounds like December is going to be- oops. Better not jinx it. "Say... Mn... Let''s talk about something else... Okay?" (Zuihou) "Like?" "R-Rei... Is Rei doing alright?" (Zuihou) Though unfortunate, Rei failed her promotion test. Even though I had raised a Code Red: Unforeseen Circumstance, it wasn''t sufficient grounds for a pass. According to the reason stated, the method to take out an Abyssal Princess was clearly disseminated to everyone a weeks ago. There is no reason Candidate number 320117, which is Rei''s IJN number, wasn''t unable to execute the tactic and required the intervention of the Examination officer. Not sure why they had to refer to me as the Examination officer, but it has a nice ring to it. Understandably, she is disheartened by this news. However, she has been requesting access to the Archives and asking for books relating to military tactics recently. Surprisingly, I haven''t heard any news from Grand Admiral Akihito himself. I thought he would be the first to intervene and protest her results. Or demand a retest. Either he is keeping mum or whatever he is doing has been overruled. "She will be fine. She isn''t that weak to remain discouraged by such a thing. Give her some time and she will bounce back up." She is still struggling to get my hand off. "Why? You like it here, right?" "N-no... Nn... That''s not... true..." (Zuihou) "Liar. You like it here and here too." I moved my other hand for her waist to her lower front entrance. She let out a yelp of surprise. "Admiral... We can''t... Not here..." (Zuihou) "That''s true. This is a public area after all. But that''s not going to stop me!" "Ahnn! Admiral, that-" (Zuihou) There was the sound of the dock''s door sliding open, followed by footsteps. The both of us kept quiet. Someone has entered. But who would be taking a bath this late. Could it be Rei? But as far as I know, she has already finished her work and should be asleep by now. Unless she was reading about military tactics and various reports. If it''s not her, I can think of another girl on the top of my head. Hold on. There are two of them! "Brrr... So cold. Maybe it was a bad idea to swim in such cold weather." (???) "Are Japanese nights this cold? I''m surprised you can go skinny dipping in this cold." (???) I knew it. The first one is Shioi. I discovered that she often goes out to sea and swims n?k?d a while back. Makes sense that she would take a hot bath after that. But who is the other one? Her voice sounds familiar. I can see through all this steam. "Don''t say that! It''s my routine now. What about you? What are you doing so close to our base?" (Shioi) "Would you believe me if I said I was doing the same as you?" (???) "If you hadn''t brought along your equipment." (Shioi) "Figures. I kind of had a fight with Nautilus. Erm... She is a friend of mine. Long story short, I got mad and stormed off in a jiffy. I just kept swimming until I bumped into you." (???) I can hear the sound of scrubbing. The both of them must be washing each other now. I can make out the shape of Shioi''s tanned body. Damn. If not of this damn steam... More importantly, how do you get out of this mess? If we get caught, Shioi will definitely avoid me. I''m not too sure about the other girl but I''m not taking any chances. Thankfully, the shower area is on the other side of the docks. If we are fast enough, we can escape or hide somewhere. Problem is, we are at the furthest end of the pool from the entrance. "Now that I think of it, I got mad for pretty stupid reason. I wasn''t thinking when I said that." (???) I can hear the sadness in her voice. I wonder what happened. "Ah." (Zuihou) She suddenly stopped in her tracks. "What is it?" "I forgot my phone." (Zuihou) "Dummy. Where did you put it?" "Probably at the edge." (Zuihou) "We better-" "Did you hear something?" (???) "What? I didn''t hear anything." (Shioi) "Is that so?" (???) "Anyway, you were talking about your friend hiding too much and spying on your Commander." (Shioi) "I mean... I already knew that she is like this but that habit of hiding and spying on Commander somehow pisses me off so much. I don''t know why." (???) Well, aren''t you well-loved by everyone, Ao. We made our way to the furthest part of the pool and looked for Zuihou''s phone. "Got it. Let''s go." (Zuihou) Zuihou found her phone, which was lying dangerously close to the edge of the pool, and we resumed our exit. "Nautilus isn''t a bad girl. Heck, she is extremely shy. That''s why she always stares and follows Commander from the shadows." (???) "She sounds like our Gambier Bay." (Shioi) That''s what I was thinking as well. This Nautilus girl is almost exactly the same as Gambuer Bay, minus the whole following from the shadows part. W e finally made it to the exit and slowly closed the door behind us. Phew. That was scary. At the same time, it was kind of thrilling. I looked at Zuihou to see her expressions. "Don''t even think about it. I have seen those doujins." (Zuihou) "Believe me. As much as I''m interested in that kind of play, I am not brave enough to go through with it." "Huh? Why are there footprints here?" (Shioi) We quickly dressed up and head straight back to our bedroom. The next morning, Shioi told me that Archerfish from Azur Lane came over late last night and slept over.. And for some reason, a rumour about the ''Dock Ghost'' begin making it''s rounds in my Naval District. Chapter 274 - 248 I stood on the podium in the middle of Hollywood and scanned the huge crowd of shipgirls. Everyone is here. I counted them all when they exited the train and when they got through the gantries. I tapped on the microphone to make sure it''s working properly. "Ah. Ah. Ah. Okay, looks like this is working. Alright, I know you are all excited but let me just get a few words in. First of all, good job on the recent major operation! All of you did well to complete that hellish operation. There were some unforeseen circumstances but nonetheless we managed to complete it." Everyone started cheering and clapping. The surrounding park attendants and shopkeepers are also paying attention to us. Like I said, the operation was like hell mode. Even a simple transport operation took weeks when it usually took only a few days. There were a lot of external interferences, from a group of mechanical aliens to an angry shark girl to a giant octopus which terrified and froze my girls in their tracks. the entire IJN had to mobilised to support one another and complete our mission. We even had to enlist the help of Azur Lane as the Sirens were resistant to our attacks. Though it was hard, this operation brought the whole IJN fleet and Azur Lane together even more than before. Most of my girls are still afraid of the Eagle Union though, but instead of crying and being traumatised, they worked together to chase off the interlopers. "Although it''s a little late but we managed to get this retreat before the year ends. So I won''t hold you girls back any longer. For this two days, enjoy yourselves to the fullest at USJ!" The girls started to cheer even louder. They have been working and waiting for this for the past one and a half months. "Go and have fun! Just don''t get too rowdy and destroy the place." "Roger!" (All) The girls all scattered, eager to play and ride the various attractions in this theme park. I got off the podium and was greeted by some bald guy in a suit. Oh wait, that''s the CEO of this place. "Admiral Tokomaki, a p???sur? to meet you." (J.L Bonnier) "A p???sur? to meet you too, Mr. Bonnier. " "Allow me to thank you for keeping this wonderful country safe from those monsters." (Bonnier) Yeah yeah. Save your BS. You are just saying that cos we paid you to host our girls and the other humans in our workplace. "It will be great if the general populace shared the same sentiment. Anyway, I''m sure the other Admirals and Grand Admirals from other bases have told you this, but thank you so much for letting us use your park. The girls were all excited to come out and play." "Hahaha. I can tell. The small ones were all fidgety and itchy to go." (Bonnier) "Those girls can never sit still. In fact, most of them can''t." "It''s unbelievable those girls are our only hope in taking back the seas. How can such a heavy responsibility fall onto the shoulders of such small girls. Some of them are small enough to pass off as my granddaughter." (Bonnier) "Until we figure out a way to end this war or develop a weapon that we humans can use against those monsters, which is what I would prefer, we only can rely on their strengths." Enough with this farce. I want to go and play with those three already. "Admiral!" (Zuihou-chan) "Let''s go play!" (Zuihou-chan) "Haha. I shan''t hold you from them any longer. I will be in my office. You have my number, right? Call me if you need anything." (Bonnier) Mr. Bonnier walked towards the entrance of the park. "Phew. You saved me. Thanks." "Hehe. It was obvious you wanted to get away from baldy." (Zuihou-chan) "Don''t say that in front of him. He is the CEO of this place." Zuihou-chan dragged me to where Zuihou, Shigure, Shioi and Rei were waiting, right beside a large Christmas tree. Even though it has been two days since Christmas, the park still has the Christmas themes and decorations up. Even the mascots are in Christmas mode "Wow. It''s a Minion!" (Etorofu) "So cute!" (Matsuwa) The Coastal Defense girls are all enamoured with the Minion mascot that is there greeting them. I know it''s cold out here but it must be sweltering in there. Thank you for your service. But what is this mascot doing here? Shouldn''t they be at their own area? "Where should we go first?" "Clockwise or anti-clockwise?" (Shigure) "I heard the ''Hairy poter'' area is good." (ZUihou) "What is that?" (Zuihou-chan) "You mean this one?" (Shioi) Shioi pointed at ''The Wizarding World of Harry Potter'' area on the map. "So, I guess you can save the best for last. So we take this route?" I traced my finger around the park in a clockwise direction, from ''Hollywood'' to ''New York to ''Minion Park'' and so on. "Let''s!" (Zuihou) "That''s fine." (Shigure) "I wanna go on this one!" (Zuihou-chan) "That sounds good." (Shioi) "How about you, Rei? Rei?" I spotted Rei standing in the middle of the street, her eyes gleaming. "Rei?" "..." (Rei) "Hey. You okay?" I gently shook her. "Eh? Oh, Keita. What is it?" (Rei) "Are you alright? Did you need to take a rest?" "No no. I''m fine. It''s just that..." (Rei) She begin to stare into the distance again, "I can''t believe I''m here..." (Rei) "You have never been to USJ before?" "It was my wish for the longest time..." (Rei) "Well, we have two whole days to ourselves here. Let have fun." "Yeah!" (Rei) The six of us made our way to ''New York''. Along the way, we met some of the Mustuki and Shiratsuyu class, who were enjoying the Sesame Street show. It featured Elmo, Cookie Monster, Bert, and Ernie along with two other dancers performing with instruments as they sing and dance. What a nostalgic scene. We then went around taking photos with the various mascots that came out to greet us, before going to the one ride in this area. The Spiderman Ride was a blast. Not just because Spiderman is my childhood hero, but the ride is seriously fun. We sat in this twelve seater carriage and had to put on this pair of glasses. It was a 4D ride. We followed Spidey around the dark alleys as he webs up villains such as Doc Oct, Goblin, Electro and others while ''protecting'' us from danger. The whole experience felt as if we were swinging around with Spidey. Next, we went to ''Minion Park''. We were surprised to find Tenryuu and Tatsuta along with some Mustuki Class Destroyers in the Minions signature blue overalls. Tenryuu was so embarrassed and kept insisting that the Destroyers forced her to wear it. Tatsuta just laughed and casually revealed that her sister was the one that roped the Destroyers to join her in costume, much to Tenryuu''s chagrin. After snacking along ''San Francisco'', we reached ''Jurassic Park'', where the twins seem enjoyed the most. Aside from being amazed by the dinosaurs scattered around the park, the rides were fun and thrilling. Jurassic Park: The Ride was essentially a boat tour, with the operator getting into the character of a tour guide and explaining about the dinosaurs scattered around the ride, before things get a little exciting and ended with us being little soaked at the climax of the ride. Good thing we bought the disposable rain coats. While I needed to take a break after the ''Flying Dinosaur'' ride, Zuihou and Zuihou-chan rode it thrice. I think they enjoyed it because it gives them the feeling of flying in the air, just like they always dreamed off. It was a high-speed roller coaster, but instead of sitting in a carriage, you are restrained in a prone position. The rest of it was self-explanatory. When you get older, thrilling rides like this are kind of bad for the heart and stomach. At least in my case. We bought some toys and fossils as well. After watching ''Water World'' twice, because the girls enjoyed the explosions and pyrotechnics, we went to Amity Village, where the ''Jaws'' ride is located. Too bad it''s under maintenance. Though, we managed to take some nice photos. So we proceeded to the Harry Potter area, which in my opinion has the nicest scenery out of all of them. The roof of the medieval buildings are covered in a layer of fake snow, which is probably made out if plastic, but it fits so we''ll into the atmosphere. Even the ground has layers of fake snow scattered about. The last time I came here was during Spring, so there was no such decorations. But that was years ago when I was a young boy. After having to take a break once the ''Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey'' was over, gosh the twisting and turning along with the visuals made my stomach churn, we participated in this show at ''Ollivanders'', I believe that''s how you pronounce it. There, a bearded englishman explains about wands and chose a participant to be ''chosen by a wand''. Rei was lucky to be chosen. Her eyes instantly lit up when she was picked from the crowd. After the show, we were escorted into the man store and Rei bought the wand that ''chose her'' during the show. Of course, we bought our own set of wands as well. I can''t resist the urge. We went around trying out our wands, after which we had a very late lunch at Hogs Head, a restaurant that offers the legendary ButterBeer. Although it has beer in it''s name, it doesn''t have any alcohol in it all. It was foamy and very sweet. Of course, we met the North Union girls there, chugging the alcoholic beer that was offered there. I even spotted and overheard Mamiya asking the chef how did they make this ButterBeer. Looks like she found some inspiration for a new menu offering. The next area was the family-friendly ''Wonderland'', which featured series such as Hello Kitty, Peanuts, and Sesame Street. The rides and attractions were catered more to children, but the girls enjoyed it nonetheless, including Rei. I even saw Fusou and Yamashiro enjoying themselves in the ball pit. There were the classical attractions such as the cup ride, GoKarts, boat rides, a dance show whichZuihou-chan and Shigure enjoyed very much, and several others. I spent most of them in this area recording the girl''s smiles with my smartphone instead. It was starting to get dark, but still too early for the Night Parade. So we backtracked to catch some of the shows we hadn''t watched and take pictures with the mascots during the meet-and-greet sessions. There were quite a few limited shows which were only available during this season. "Ah. We better get back to ''Hollywood''. Otherwise, we won''t be able to get a good spot." We made our way to the Parade area. Some of the girls have already gathered and the park attendants have already set up for the parade, putting up rope barriacades along the streets of ''Hollywood''. The lamps lit up the area as the rest of the girls begin to gather. There was a lot of chattering around as we waited for the event to start. The lights switched off for a brief moment and fanfare begin to play, signalling the start of the parade. All of the park mascots showed up on floats, dancing and acting out their roles. It was an amazing sight. The parade was different from what I remembered. It has been a few years, of course they would change things up a bit. Everyone was equally excited and in high spirits but for reason Rei caught my attention at that moment. She was like a child who just witnessed something incredible and dreamy. "It is late but Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year." Though, no one can hear me in the midst of the excitement.