After the long peace that the world had…it was eventually shattered when they came. They were like the harbinger of the end, coming from all the corners of the world with weapons that are far more advanced than anything that mankind had ever created. We don't know what are their reasons for suddenly attacking several major countries altogether. Whether it was a mock to our defenses, status or something…it was still unknown.
What we know is that they are many. They are strong. They are tough. They are the Abyss.
Dozens of the world's strongest armadas unite as one in hopes of fighting this sudden abomination, but it was only for naught. The day the world decided to push an attack towards—what the world assumed to be—their base, the world bleed. The world bleeds at the lost of its strongest Naval superpowers. It took the world years to restore the large gaping hole in the military that is the navy… but one day, they were created.
They are the perfect and only weapons capable of pushing the Abyssal threats off the seas of men; they are the light destined to envelope the darkness of the Abyss. They are the souls of the once dead old Warships during the olden days… they are a miracle. But struggle isn't a storm, it's a hurricane. It spins and causes mayhem every step it took, it wipes coastlines and harbors clear of military naval bases. But they were there to stop any further damage.
It's far from the end…they are coming, but they are here to prevent them from doing so.
Just what lies beyond the dawn's horizon…? We could only guess.
He is supposed to be a soldier fighting in the battlefield…but he never thought that he would be the only one assigned to a Naval Base. Let us see who 'he' really is. He is a man in his middle thirties, not too young nor is he too old. Since he served in the army, he is rather…gifted when it comes to body build; being that of abnormal height amongst his fellow squads, he was and always is the tallest out of them. He is not much when it comes to look; the only thing worth mentioning is that he has a deep gash mark along his eyes, going down to his cheekbones.
He is dressed in a green formal military uniform, the ones that serving personnel wears when not in combat. Alongside him are his packs, his clothes, gear, and other personal item are in there. He is also wearing a cap at the moment, a simple olive drab cap—matching his outfit—to complete his look. As footwear, he has a pair of hardened boots that came in with the outfit when he entered the army. He thought that it would at least be proper of him to be wearing his formal uniform instead of the one that he used when he is operations or missions.
Strapped on his back is an Anti-Material Sniper Rifle the Barret M99. The reason why he's carrying this deadly and devastating weapon on his back is because he has no place to store it into. He would bring his case….but he's using said case for another important storage. But he wouldn't have to worry on it malfunctioning; he enabled the safety mode that comes with the gun; so everything should be safe…even if the gun is loaded.
Right now, he is standing in front of what seems to be the office of the Admiral who is in charge of this base. On the way here, he did not encounter any sailors or Naval workers…just where is everyone? He decided to keep the questions for later. Right now, he has a higher ranking officer to greet.
Taking a short breath to ease his nerves down, he knocked thrice on the door.
.
.
.
"Come in!" came the muffled reply from within the room.
He pushes the door to open, entering the office. Slowly, he closed the door without looking back and when he's done, he stood and straightens his back now that he is in the presence of the admiral. "Saotome Hideki reporting for duty!" he gave a formal salute after introducing himself.
The admiral smiled. Speaking of which…the admiral is a woman who appears to be in the same age range as him; being not too old or too young. She is wearing the white Naval Officer uniform that other officers of the similar rank would wear, and of course one could not miss the badge and hat that she has on her person. From where he's standing, he can confirm that she is a brunette, and that her hair is kept short. She is sitting on the chair behind her desk; from the looks of the papers that are stacked on the table, she's currently busy with doing some paper works.
It took Hideki no longer than a second to realize that he had just interrupted her work. "I'm sorry, I will come back lat—"
"There's no need." A light soprano like chuckle escapes her lips. Hideki blinked thrice in his position, with his back twisted towards the door, he looked like a student caught trying to escape detention. The sound of papers shuffling indicates that the CO is fixing her desk, until it stops, she finally speaks again. "There's no need for you to come back later Saotome-san."
Again, Hideki shifted to his original ready position.
Taking her time to view/inspect the man before her, Hideki could only describe her staring as calculative due to the heavy atmosphere that those eyes are carrying. He knows that she is evaluating him; it's just like his first day in the army. After she has finished, she nods to herself. "You'll do…"
Hideki swears that he caught her whispering under her breath, but it must be something unimportant for now.
"Ahem." Coughing to her gloved fist, the admiral of the base brought up a piece of paper onto her line of sight, examining it with keen eyes. "Captain Saotome Hideki, formerly a member of the 14th Infantry Division, later the newest member and leader of the Spec Ops unit named Nura, under the code name Raiden…" she read the words as if she's reading from a textbook…a classified textbook.
Hearing what she said made Hideki straighten his back even more. If she is able to get her hand on such intel, it means that she has enough power to question his authority right here and there. Noticing his strained reaction, the woman chuckles. "There's no need to be so tense, at ease Captain."
The man replies by folding his hands behind his back and distancing his feet apart a few inches. Hideki watches as she continues to browse the paper, which he assumes, that contains his info and background. To be honest, he is feeling nervous. He never thought that he would be meeting the admiral of this base so soon.
Before he was transferred here, the commanding officer in the base he's stationed in only told him that he will be assigned to a naval base. No real reasons or anything, but he did told him to ask the admiral in charge for his duty. But right now Hideki doesn't think that he should be asking too soon.
After finishing her reading, she sets the paper back inside her drawer where she picked them up earlier. She released a sigh, one that is a mixed of fatigue and disappointment. Is that it? Is she disappointed already?
"Captain Saotome, it seems that your report speaks greatly of you." She started out professionally. "Highest mission success rate, intense discipline, and overall a good team leader for your squad." She left her speech hanging. "Tell me, why do you think you are stationed here instead of the frontlines?"
First rule in the military, when a higher ranking officer questions you, you speak. You speak and answer, not return in question.
"I don't know ma'am." Hideki replied honestly and as vocal as he could. "Reports were unclear whether why I'm stationed here. My squad and I did try to ask our Commander but he said to leave all the answering to you." That basically is what the commander said to him about five hours ago.
Hearing his reply, the woman sighs with her palm on her forehead. "That senile old fossil…leaving all the hard work to me…"
Hideki raises an eyebrow at the term she just used to address his commander. Is she familiar with the commander?
"Okay, then—to do that old fossil's work—I will tell you your duty from now on." She pressed a button from underneath her desk, and technology did its work of sliding open the desk's surface in which later a projection image was projected. The image shows what seems to be the base's structure and design, since Hideki recognizes the gates earlier. "This is Yokosuka Naval Base, where all of the active Ship Girls personnel reside." She took a moment to pause. "I assume you are familiar with the Ship Girls?"
"No ma'am." He sees no reason to lie.
The admiral sighed one more time. "I oughta kill that old fossil…anyway, I'm going to make this short and brief. Ship Girls are the latest living weapon that the government of Japan created to fight back the Abyssal Fleets." More and more unfamiliar term are being introduced to him. "They are, well, girls with the ability to use equipments that belong to warships. They are based on the Imperial Japanese Navy's warships that were build during the first World War and the second World War. Hence their names are the same as those that you might know."
She seems to be putting a lot of stress to that 'might'…of course he is at least knowledgeable on the warships created during those days. There were Nagato, which is at that time the most famous flagship for the IJN, Yamato, Fubuki…and so on and so forth. His knowledge about them however is only limited to name and achievements.
"Now, the Abyssal Fleet…are you sure you don't know about them?"
He replied with a no.
"Haah…what did the army taught their members these days…anyway, the Abyssal Fleets are a group of mysterious and monstrous mechanical Fleet similar to that of our Ship Girls. Some take on the form of humanoid semi-robotic appearance while some are just plain…machines with robot like designs. They have been causing problem for our waters, and these Ship Girls were specially created to fight them back. They are the only one capable of fighting these Abyssals off from our waters."
He heard about the Navy having a hard time a few months back…this must be the reason why.
"So now, back to your duty. You will—"
Knocking on the door.
"Excuse me, admiral?" a soft muffled voice came from outside of the room, belonging to that of a female.
Hideki is curious.
While the admiral is irritated.
"Ugh…they're back now? I thought that they'll be back in the next four hours…?" she said while rubbing her head. "Haah…come in."
Hideki is not prepared for what he's about to see.
A group of beat up, literally clothes torn, smoking, and bruised women entered the room as if they've been through a full course minefield drill. He saw some with clothes that are not even clothes anymore, some are bruised with smoke literally coming from their skin and some are even using their body parts to cover their…uh…modesty. Hideki, taken aback, immediately take a huge step backwards towards the wall to secure himself from being bombarded by the incoming group of females.
"Fourth Fleet reporting in admiral, nanodesu." The one who said this is a short brown haired girl, not even reaching up to Hideki's hips, who is currently having a hard time trying to keep her skirt from falling. She, just like the other five girls in the room, is obviously clueless to the male presence that is also in the room with them.
"Good work girls, you can report to me later, now go to the docks and get yourselves some instant repair." Is the order given to them by the admiral.
All the six girls in the room salute their CO. "Yes ma'am!" then they leave the room, leaving the two occupants inside.
.
.
.
"Captain Saotome, those were the Ship Girls I speak of earlier."
"I… I see…" Hideki utters the two words in a state of surprise. He never thought that he would meet these so called Ship Girls so soon…too soon in fact.
"Now that the interruptions are gone…let me be simple about this: your duty is simple. You are to train our girls in defense. You might be asking, 'if they're able to fight monstrous marine abominations why am I in charge on teaching them on how to defend for themselves?'. The answer is because they are not used when it comes to dealing with human enemies. They are used to destroy their Abyssal counterparts but not us humans. They have developed a form of…sentiment, when it comes to us humans; at least some of them do. Also, we can't have them using their naval weaponry when battling human enemies since it will only be a waste of resources and other important supplies. Which leaves us with the only choice of teaching them on how to use human weaponry. You are specifically picked for this job not because you were recommended. It's because you earned this recommendation. And I expect you to live up to your earnings, is that clear, Captain Saotome?"
So basically, he's going to be drill sergeant for these Ship Girls. He will teach them how to use human weapons and how to deal when in a combat situation on land. But won't that beat the purpose of them being here? Aren't they supposed to fight at sea? So…
It took the admiral a glance of Hideki's wondering look to guess what he's thinking. "Ah…it seems that you've come to that point." She then presses another button from under her desk. The projector zooms in, showing an up close of the base's surroundings. "Last week, at exactly 0425, our base was attacked by a group of these Abyssals. Yup. They have somehow managed to gain an advantage when it comes to land operations, or in simpler terms, they're now able to fight on land. Since then, our development team began thinking of a way to fight these new and more dangerous abominations. But they are still on the research process. The only option we have now is to train our Ship Girls to fight on land."
"But aren't the enemy still…machines?"
"True, but it seems that Japan isn't the only country in the world that is making their own Ship Girls. Other countries—who are not bombarded by the Abyssal threats—are doing their all to gain an advantage on developing more advanced and stronger Ship Girls. The Germans got a head start by attacking this base the same day when the Abyssal land units attacked last week." A solemn look flashes across the woman's face. "It's a good thing that some of our girls are independent… still, some important blueprints which were stored here are not in our hands anymore. But thankfully, matters about the stolen blueprints are being dealt with currently. Word is that Germany is currently compensating for their—as what I would quote from the man in charge for the attack himself—'mistake'. "
Hideki understands his job clearer than before. Train and instruct these Ship Girls on all there is to about land warfare, discuss tactics and strategies and along with some good ol' physical and practical training.
Noticing the thinking look in Hideki's eyes, the admiral assumes that this base's soon to be drill instructor gets what his job is supposed to be. "Are you willing to instruct these girls, Captain Saotome?"
Hideki makes a hard expression. "I am."
The woman smiles. "Good." She takes off her cap, showing him her short straight brown hair. "My name is Admiral Takegawa Ieaysu, I am the Commanding Officer for this base as well as the Fleet Admiral for the entire JMSDF." Her smile grows wider. "It'll be a pleasure to be working with you, Captain Hideki."
"Phew… I managed to get into my new room…somehow."
It took him twenty minutes to finish his talk with the admiral, and another ten to get from her office to his room. It is a really amazing thing that he didn't get to encounter or see some of the…Ship Girls anywhere in the base, because from what he figured out in his talk with the admiral, this base is supposed to be filled with them. But…this base is really huge, they even have their own small plaza here.
And the boys say the Navy sucks…
Well, he isn't going to say anything since he is technically a part of the Navy starting from now on. Right now in his room, he's just about to unpack his things. Taking a look of his new room, Hideki must say that they really put a lot of effort on keeping a comfortable living quarters around. If his room is this nice, then what would the other rooms look like? Aside from the single sized bed, there is also a small desk set with a lamp for him to use. They are also kind enough to provide him with a small locker where he could keep his uniform and gears.
The lighting is perfect, but since it's still daylight outside, there's really no reason to turn on the lights right now.
Hideki lay down his Barret and his packs down on to the bed, sighing as he could finally rest his eyes for a bit. He takes his place on the bed, stretching his back along with his neck in the process. "Man…I really need to up my training from now on." But since this is not the army base anymore… "I hope that they don't mind me using their field for some exercise…"
On second thought…maybe he will do that some other time. Reaching into his pants' pocket, he pulls out a small tablet. He turns the gadget on, showing a screen filled with writings and other important information. Admiral Ieyasu says that she will send him his first instruction in his terminal, he's just waiting for it to co—
PING
…never mind what he was thinking before. Tapping the new pop up, the terminal's screen changes, showing a white screen with writings on it.
To: Captain Saotome Hideki
From: Admiral Takegawa Ieayasu
Re: Introduction
You are to go to the briefing room where you will be introduced to some of the veterans of this base. Do not be late, you do not want to be late in your new job right? Come in your full uniform, with all the equipment that you can fit. We will begin practice immediately after the introductions are over.
Message end.
A simple message telling him that he must go to the briefing room to introduce himself to some of this base's veteran operatives—which he assumes to be more of these Ship Girls—and that he will begin his duty right after the introductions are over. Hideki wastes no time to re-read the message for a second time. He immediately opens his pack to get into his full gear.
Being in the Spec Ops division means that Hideki gets access to some of the top notch gear there is provided. He is wearing a standard JSDF assault gear consisting of a hardened tactical helmet with smoked visors, along with a skin tight black shirt with another military grade camo shirt with black bulletproof type III armor to provide protection to the body. There also padding applied to some parts of the clothing to give additional protection for him. His hands are now covered with a pair of black gloves to provide maximum grip, his neck area is protected by a dense neckguard that comes along with the bulletproof vest. The visor covers his entire face, leaving only a black screen for people to see.
Strapped to the utility straps on his vest are various ranges of grenades and non-lethal concussions grenades there are. He has five standard issue fragmentation grenade and also another five standard issue flash grenades. To his sides are magazines for his Barret Sniper Rifle, also a black hilted combat knife is strapped on his left thigh. On his right thigh, he has a fully loaded Tac-45 strapped in its holster. The long matching black pants are also padded with paddings that will allow protection for him. The boots that he have on are also special, not the one that he uses for his formal uniform.
To finish his looks, his main gun, the Barret M99 is placed safely inside the case in which in belongs to. Now he won't have to worry about the thing actually malfunctioning. If one were to take a closer look at the geared up individual, one will notice the small tablet terminal attached to his arm like some sort of screen that he could use. The use of this is to give him instant updates about missions and whatsoever without him taking the damn thing out. Also, for more convenience, the visor he has on is actually a hud that will display him with the messages and important files that he needs to know asap. It's a good thing that Japan took its time on advancing equipment research over the past few years…
Hideki takes a one last look on the mirror available in the room. He made sure that his hud is on, just in case if the admiral were to send more messages to him. After making sure that everything's set, he exits his room in full gear.
Now…where is the briefing room?
"Um…Admiral, are you sure that you send the newest transferee the exact location of the briefing room?"
It is her job—as the secretary ship—to remind her admiral of important things. Ooyodo, in hindsight, might look like an ordinary bespectacled girl dressed in a serafuku with a flowing black waterfall for hair and overall a tall stature. But in truth, she is one of the many Ship Girls out there to have ever reached the position of secretary.
The woman that she addressed earlier is none other than the admiral herself, the brown haired woman that all the girls love and know. Said admiral makes a face that practically spells 'I'm screwed'. "Dammit…I forgot. "Ooyodo, is there any chance for you to be able to make a broadcast for our soon to be guest?"
The black haired glasses wearing assistant nods. "I can. Do you want me to make a broadcast now?"
"Yeah."
It takes the bespectacled girl a few seconds before opening her mouth. "Attention to Captain Saotome Hideki, you are to report to the briefing room located in sector five-six. I repeat, you are to report to the briefing room located in sector five-six second door to the right." As she speaks, the entire hallways, location and places where there is a speaker instantly broadcasts her message.
"Thank you Ooyodo."
"You are welcome admiral."
Seated on the most center table, admiral Ieyasu let out a tired sigh. She can use a small break, but she has told Hideki to come here immediately. But what will she say when said transferee from the army arrives without the main reason being here in the first place? By main reason, she means the so called 'veteran' Ship Girls that Hideki will introduce himself to later on. She can forget on her being tardy…it seems that her entire fleet—excluding the girl next to her—is tardy as well.
A few minutes has passed, and it seems that none of the two parties are here yet. The admiral can only wonder if she should send the transferee another message via terminal or via broadcast. But her patience was rewarded. The sliding door that leads to the room slides open, revealing a group of unique and distinct girls. The room is quickly filled with four of these girls, all of them being unique in height, appearance and physique. Especially the latter.
One of the girls is a tall and tough looking individual. Out of all the girls that entered the room, she appears to be the most tough looking and serious looking. She is—of course—a Ship Girl. She is a Super Dreadnought Battleship class Ship Girl of the familiar and legendary Nagato-class Battleship, making her the nameship to her sister, Mutsu, who is also a Battleship underneath the Nagato-class. Nagato is a tall individual, though her charming looks may betray her real identity, it is still something to marvel at. Her tough and rather vigilant stance makes her stand out, and not only due to the headgear—which is a part of her equipment—that she's currently wearing. She's dressed in what would remind others of a sports bra that women would use when they're exercising. A simple white and black miniskirt with a thick metallic plate that covers her upper abdomen area, it also emphasizes how much of a well built body she has. Her hair is long, preferably kept that way and is the same shade as night. The twin antenna like headgear she has on her is also one of the iconic parts about the Nagato-class Battleship.
Aside from the nameship herself, her sister ship is also present. Mutsu is a Ship Girl standing at height that is close to that of her sister's with a far more feminine look and aura radiating off from her. She is dressed with the similar style of apparel that her sister currently has on, being with the risqué clothing as well as the characteristics that it holds. Unlike her sister's color palettes, which is a mix of black, white and orange, hers is a mix of black, white and purple. Companied with her short brown hair and turquoise eyes, her overall looks makes her all the more feminine. And just like Nagato, she's also equipped with a similar yet different styled headgear on her head.
Nagato and Mutsu took their place right beside the admiral's place. The former stands with her arms crossed and her overall serious expression on while the latter prefers a more approachable and charming smile.
Next is a woman standing only a few inches shorter than the Nagato-class Battleships. She has a long brown hair tied to a side ponytail, a style which is only unique to her. Her clothing consists of a white and blue color palette with the slight hint of black due to it being her breastplate—the ones that traditional archers who practices Kyudo. Her top is a simple white kimono with the black breastplate over it, serving its purpose. Her lower attire consists of a simple blue hakama kept in place by what seems to be traditionally styled suspenders. But her attire could not be compared to the expression she's wearing. Unlike Nagato, whose personality is based on her seriousness, this one seems to be radiating a 'serious' and 'constantly stoic' atmosphere around her. This is Kaga, a standard Aircraft Carrier-class Ship Girl.
Following the stoic individual is another woman with a similar dress style. However, she is far more…cheerful when it comes to expression, especially with that bowl of God knows what she's currently consuming right now. This is Akagi. Just like Kaga, she is also a standard Aircraft Carrier, and also—along with Kaga—a member of the 1st Carrier Division. Her appearance—when compared to Kaga—is completely different. Her hair is kept long and straight, a feature which allows people to not mistake her for her fellow Ship Girl. Unlike Kaga, Akagi's hakama is red in color, and she's always seen having something to eat. Yes, even in meetings.
The two Carriers take their place just by the door, standing silently…or while eating in Akagi's case.
Just like that, the room is now filled with the presence of four more Ship Girls, making it five including Ooyodo. Admiral Ieyasu flicks the piece of paper that she crumpled earlier to pass the time, launching it to the other side of the room. She gives the nameship of the Nagato-class a look that basically says 'why are you late?'.
"Forgive us admiral. We were busy with our daily assignments of watching over the Destroyers' training regime." Nagato says her excuse.
The admiral turns to Kaga, who immediately answers. "I was accompanying Akagi-san in the mess hall."
What a simple and unordinary answer…
Admiral Ieyasu decides to worry about Kaga's lackluster replies later on, now she has yet to see the man that was supposed to be here arriving. The base is big, yes, but only if one were to count the entire schematics. This is the main building, where briefing, reports and other important tasks are done. Surely, he should have encountered any Ship Girls who are currently off duty…right? If not, then there are signs on how to get to certain areas in the base. So she's clueless as to what is making Hideki arriving late. But it is still her fault, she should've told him directly instead of relying on messages.
Nagato, who has been looking around the room with her arms crossed, breaks the silence. "Is he or she not here yet? When will he think he'll arrive? This person must lack discipline…"
Mutsu merely smiles at her sister ship. "Ara, ara… it seems that you are right Nee-san."
Kaga chooses not to comment, since it is unnecessary to speak of someone behind their backs. It is rude too, if she were to voice her dissatisfaction to a person, she rather does it in front of them. Akagi is…being Akagi.
"It's my fault actually…" the admiral admits from her seat. "I should've told him where the briefing room is."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah…"
Another moment of silence engulfs the atmosphere, replacing awkwardness with extreme awkwardness; mixed with the constant chewing sound coming from Akagi, Kaga's dull and blank look and Nagato's overly serious expression, you will have a room where no one wants to be in.
Ieyasu is about to stand and exit the room to search for the man herself but there is no need.
Why?
Because the door slides open revealing a tall, overly dressed individual.
Hideki blinks underneath his hud visor. He isn't expecting such an empty room with only a few tables and round table in the center. Shaking himself out from his stupor, he straightens his back and salutes in the presence of those who are in this room earlier than him. "Captain Saotome Hideki, reporting in!"
At his salute, the reactions that he receives from every single woman in the room are varied. From a bespectacled woman with long black hair, he received a response of acknowledgement. She must be expecting him to arrive at exactly two point three seconds ago. From the admiral herself, he guesses that she's…relieved…or something similar to that expression. On the corner, next to the admiral, are two tall girls wearing similar clothing. One has long hair while the other has a short hair. He can see that they are waiting for him. And finally, the two ladies standing by the door, right next to him, were or are surprised by his sudden appearance seemingly to have just suddenly burst into existence.
That or they're shocked that a tall person dressed in all black suddenly barges into their room.
The admiral of the base gives a nod of acknowledgement at the transferee. "Ah, Captain Hideki, we were waiting for you."
'More like I was waiting for you to give me the exact location of the briefing room…' is the thought that crossed Hideki's mind, but he's not so dumb on to say that out loud.
The admiral coughs to her fist, indicating that all attention should be focused on her. "Girls, this is our newest member starting from this day onwards. He is Captain Saotome Hideki, he is from the army. The reason why he's transferred here into the navy is because—just like you all know—of the training regime that all Ship Girl personnel must undergo to fight off the newly discovered threat from the Abyssals." She pauses. "Girls, introduce yourselves."
Nagato takes the honor to speak first. She stands with arms crossed, her posture wide and tall. "I am Battleship Nagato, pleased to meet you." She allows a small pause, seemingly to observe the black clad individual. "I am one of the Big Sevens, and is the flagships for many operations."
Hideki blinks twice. Nagato…? As in the flagship of the Imperial Japanese Navy before the Yamato? Surprise and awe invades his mind, but it is quickly replaced by attention when another girl of similar clothing to Nagato steps forward. This one gives him a seductive wink, and her smile's all too charming.
"Nagato-class Battleship's 2nd ship, Mutsu. Pleased to meet you. Don't play with fire too much, ok?" she sends him another wink, one that he finds incredibly incredulous. After all, he is still new to this whole Ship Girl thing. So she's also of the Nagato-class…interesting to know.
"I'm Aircraft Carrier Kaga." Hideki takes a step sideways to look at the speaker's face. It's the girl with the blank expression, no not literally fortunately. "So you are the highly expected guest? I have high expectations from you." Is all that she says before returning to be quiet again.
"I'm the Aircraft Carrier Akagi." The next girl is the long haired girl with similar clothing as Kaga. She's holding a bowl full of God knows what Ship Girls eat, and is currently chewing her mouth. That's all. She just introduces her name; looks like she's too busy eating to speak…
Finally, all that's left is the glasses wearing girl. "I am Light Cruiser Ooyodo. I am the current ship secretary for Admiral Tokegawa, pleased to meet you." She does a small polite bow which goes perfectly with the smile she's sporting.
"Okay!" the admiral interjects, not planning to make such petty introductions longer than needed. "Now that you all are aware of each others' names…now, let us begin with the training regime immediately." She drops the bomb just like that. But Hideki is expecting this. After all, she said so herself in the message she sent earlier. "The entire fleet is gathered at the main field and we have people from the army to help and set the environment for the training regime. I, along with Nagato, Mutsu, Kaga and Akagi will be evaluating the training from the sidelines." She reaches under the table and when revealed, she is holding a piece of paper.
"This paper is given to me by the Commander of the army earlier just now." Just now? "Here are several training regimes that would be suitable for the Ship Girls personnel that will be joining the regime. Examples are hand to hand combat, weapons and military tactics, advanced theory, countless drill sessions and practical lessons." She finishes reading off from the paper, to which she lowers the paper down on the table. "These are only some of the activities mentioned, and I trust Captain Hideki and his friends from the army to instruct all active Ship Girl personnel on what there is to know about land warfare." She casts him a look right in the eye. "Can I…Captain Hideki?"
Hideki replies with a firm salute, the one that shows his determination. "Yes ma'am."
Admiral Ieyasu smiles. "Good. Now…let us go."
They say fighting at sea is the scariest and most dangerous experience in a soldier's life…but what if those placed at sea were to be placed on land? Well…it's going to be a whole new level of hell for them.
"ATTENTION!"
It's beginning to get darker. The grey clouds that marks the coming of a storm, a big storm. But this doesn't unfaze the man clad in black, not only him but also all the other men wearing the same uniform are standing ready and prepared. In the middle of the naval base's training field, or the new training field to be exact, are all the present Ship Girl personnel standing in attention, all lined up and facing the group of men wearing the same gear as the person standing in the middle of them.
Not long ago, it was still sunny and calm. But the weather is making a good job for causing a sudden mood crushing effect. Underneath the storm that's brewing are the many Ship Girls of this naval base. And right now, they are about to do, experience, live in something entirely new. There is no more worrying about sinking, no more worry on getting hit by a torpedo…because now, they are going to have a taste of hell…on land.
"Maggots!" the way he screamed the word is like uttering pure disgust. It's as if he doesn't recognize them as something as close to a human being. "I am Captain Saotome Hideki and starting from this day onwards, I will be your hell." Suddenly, the sky lets loose its hinges, showering the earth with water. "You will not stare at me. You will not look at me unless you are told to. And you will definitely not question me!" he shouts, his voice getting louder than the rain itself. "Am I clear!?"
"SIR YES SIR!" All the Ship Girls gathered chorused as one.
"Good!" one of the men clad in black steps forward, in his arms is a standard issue SCAR-H Assault Rifle with reflex sights and a gripod for extra control. The way the man holds the gun is like the way a professional chef handles his knife, with skill and experience. The leading captain, Hideki, walks towards the armed individual with nothing more than raised sleeves, showing his tattoo painted arms. "I am going to teach you how to hurt, maim, destroy, inflict pain! How to hurt us humans! I've heard that you girls are pussies when it comes to hurting humans, well guess what?"
"THAT'S THE BIGGEST INSULT YOU COULD GIVE TO ME!"
BANG!
Several gasps escaped the Ship Girl audience, even the admiral herself watching from the sidelines is surprised.
The shot fired came from the SCAR-H that one of the men carries, and said gun is aimed towards the drill sergeant. But the reason for them gasping is not because they were scared of the most possible outcome. The reason they gasped is because said possible outcome did not happen. Instead of the lifeless bleeding body of the drill sergeant dropping to the ground, there stood basked underneath the shades of the clouds is said drill instructor holding a smoking hot bullet in his fist. He then opens his clenched fist, dropping the still smoking lethal round to the muddy and wet ground. He opens his visor, showing the girls his scarred face.
"Still think you're going too soft on us humans?!" he then crosses his arms. "Now, I want all of you, one by one, to start coming at me with the intent to kill." He then scoffs openly, mockingly. "On second thought, I'm going to make this easier for you pussies. Team up, work together or whatever and come at me with the intent to kill. Is that understood?!"
.
.
.
"IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?!" he shouts at the top of his lungs.
"SIR YES SIR!"
"BRING IT ALL OF YOU!"
Just his first day, and he's already going to make girls cry…
A/N: Before you guys kill me let me explain myself. I got this sudden inspiration after watching the first three episodes of the anime for Kantai Collection and I must say, when inspiration strikes, it strikes like ODIN. Anyway…I'm just curious to see how this goes…oh and in case for those of you who might haven't figured it out yet, this is an OC story. Don't like it? Your fault for not reading the summary.
But this is Kancolle we're talking about…OCs are like outsiders in the Touhou fanbase, only much more appreciated in context…and treated nicer. As far as I know, getting a 41cm round shell is better than a screen full of knives…
Anyway, I'm just waiting to see how much response this will get.
So…see ya next time and have a good day/night!
