Welcome back to this story of mine! You're hooked, aren't you? No? That's fine then! I'm just another average Admiral who suffer under the RNG Goddess, praying for rare Shipgirl drop, only to be rejected! The story is continuing, please enjoy!
A/N: Kantai Collection is rightfully Kadokawa's. Only the OCs are mine!
Edited 02/01/2017: Minor changes and tense mistakes
Chapter 2: Resolved, he rises.
"Ugh, those girls! When will they learn not to mess with us? They can't win and yet they keep coming at me like crazy! What the hell!" Even with the voice this sweet, the volume was a tad bit too hazardous. None of the living world would be able to continue sleeping with such noise ringing their ears off.
At the very least, it did make him quite annoyed.
Even if it was a beautiful woman or a young girl, anyone who dared disturbing him in his sleep deserved punishment! ...or so, he thought. After taking a little peek at the situation he had managed to get himself into, he simply decided to close his eyes once again, all the while praying to any gods available that this was just another bad, bad dream. He would put it into a freaking nightmare territory if he did not need to be polite. Some people once said that his poker face needed quite a bit of work, after all.
"Hey, hey, stop yelling already. You're disturbing our guest here, Airfield Princess." Another voice came up, stopping the ruckus once and for all. He did not even know what to do at this point. After all, everything he remembered was that he got disposed of in an open sea with the most furious storm he had ever seen in his life.
So, what happened after that waves had hit?
Who knew? Gods? Someone had to know what had happened to him and why he was still alive and kicking? And the thing he wanted to know the most at this point was how on earth he was here, at somewhere full of the Abyssal Fleet!
"But why did she bring him back?"
Who brought who back, my dear lady? Someone got him here before he had drowned? And it was a 'she' to boot, so of course, it would be a woman. Still, all of the Abyssal Fleet were female. However, he somehow felt thankful to that person who had saved him nonetheless. But as of fact, Abyssal or no, they did not save their mortal enemy for a good reason, did they?
'Now, I wish I could've just drown right there,' he thought bitterly.
"No one knows her intention, right? Maybe it's on a whim? Or just pity? His clothing looks similar to those Commanders, so it might not be on a whim. I think she captures him back as a hostage or something?" Now that was a dangerous talk you girls had got there. So they now labeled him as a hostage? That relieved him a bit that he will not be eaten. Well, no one knew what they eat, right?
"But, well, he turned already so we can't just let him go, right?"
'One question! What do you mean by 'turned', missy?' He had wanted to blurt it out right then and there but instead, he decided to continue pretending to be asleep and gathered more information. That would be better for him in more than one way.
"How about we make use of him? Like, helping the Repair Crew or something like that?" The first voice dubbed as 'Airfield Princess' suggested with a nonchalant tone. He was still bugged with the word 'turned' though. But this seemed to be interesting, as long as they did not notice him pretending, he could listen on for as long as he wanted.
"But that would be quite a trouble, right? He doesn't know about us at all. Even though he already turned, it doesn't give him any knowledge about us, right? What do you think, Battleship Princess?"
Yes, yes, he did not know anything about these girls so there was no way he was going to be in their Repair Crew. Not to mention that it was a labor work, and he hated such thing with passion. No meant no, he and labor work would not go well together!
"How about we make use of him somehow, like, let's have some fun with him?" This was Battleship Princess's voice? It was calm and soothing but somehow, her word sent a chill running down his spine? Wasn't that some dangerous words?
What kind of fun would that be?
Wait! If he still continued pretending to be asleep, this was going to be the end of him! Yes! It really was going to be! He had to wake up now, right? It was now or never!
"What are you guys doing? Ta-class, why are you stripping him?"
"Oh? Wo-chan! Good timing! You brought him back, so you decide! What are we going to do with him?" This voice seemed to be coming from Ta-Class, but that did not help much in this case because he had already missed his chance to wake up without any awkward moment following behind. However, the other voice he had just heard, this cool and calm tone he had heard somewhere before…
"He's awake. So why don't you guys just ask him instead?"
Busted!
How did she know?
"Eh? He's awake?" This voice came from above him, and there was no way in hell that this voice belonged to anyone but Ta-Class who had been trying to strip him until a moment ago. If he was already busted, he will have to open his eyes and finally faced the truth. This was no dream, he was in the enemy's waters, smack-dab in the middle of the enemy's base.
So what was the word here? What should he be speaking right now that his cover was already blown? Running the processor in his little brain, he went through every phrase he had learnt from his entire life to satisfy this awkward and tense situation.
"Umm, hello?" He said as he finally opened his eyes and observed the situation he got himself in. Now that he was able to take in a lot more than a little peek he had got earlier, he realized how bad the situation was around him. Right atop of him was a young woman cladded in white large cape. Ta-Class seemed to be her name, or specie? But no matter what, her appearance right now was what captured his attention the most, covering his entire view with a black fabric, which he identified it as something akin to bath suit.
Bikini? Was she a pervert?
The circumstance already proved it as she was literally about to shove her crotch into his face. Yes, she was giving him an eyeful of her bikini cladded crotch, which he did not mind at all.
"Whoa? What? You start staring at my crotch with such intensity the moment after you wake up? Are you some kind of a pervert?" Her words did hurt him a bit but with her mirthful tone, it seemed less dangerous. Like sweets laced with a poison, one that would lure any man in with no discrimination.
"No, I didn't?"
"Stop it already, you're on top of him and you blame him for being a pervert? It's like pot calling kettle black. You're an exhibitionist yourself, Ta-Class. I don't want to hear that from you ever again. Now, please get off him so that we can begin questioning." With Battleship Princess's command, he eventually got a full view of the whole situation with a little whine from the Abyssal Battleship. As one of the woman walk to him, he feigned an eye-roll to take in the room while still having the chance to do so. It was a small room consisted of nothing but a couch, a table set, and dusts.
Nothing more, nothing else.
It was a bit far from his imagination, though, a little anticlimactic as well, considering this was the mankind's enemy they were talking about. Since they had already assumed such role themselves, at least they should play the part. It was not like they were…
"Oh, that's right." Somehow, reminding himself of their true origin, it actually fit the description. This was not really far from what he had expected. They were just a group of young women stranded in the midst of the Abyss, what the military taught in the school were all lies they came up for their own goods. They were not some kind of fearsome, mindless creature or an alien that wanted to get rid of humanity, claiming the lands for themselves.
They were just normal girls.
"What's right? You're in the heart of an enemy fleet and you're still calm? Not all humans are like you, I presume?" He looked up at the origin of this voice. Battleship Princess, one of the most sighted Demon-Princess class of the Abyssal Fleet. Strong, deadly, and was issued the order of flee on sight for any personnel of the Navy that was not Shipgirl. However, in front of him was nothing like the information he had gathered. She was no different from normal young woman with well-developed body and great assets he could not help but stared. He kind of expected some disturbing sight, but this… This was somewhat of a fascinating scene.
And since he was a simple man, he simply overlooked every single one of her inhuman traits like her horns, her glowing red eyes, and everything else in a heartbeat. With his eyes glued onto her appearance, the Princess frowned at the lack of response and asked him once again the question that was on her mind.
"What's with you? Aren't you scared?"
"Why would I?"
Now that he had calmed down, he was able to finally think things through with a rational mindset, detached even. He was glad he was saved by them but the feeling of betrayal and murderous rage he had had in store for those who had set him up I the first place was still burning, albeit cold. He was just like them, and there was no way he would fear those he had labeled as comrade who shared the same fate.
"Why wouldn't you? That's troublesome indeed! You're quite weird, aren't you? That's why they'd set you up in the center of that storm! Your technology right now would be able to ascertain its course without fail. Why, why would they do this to you? Why, indeed?" He perked up at this colorful tone coming from behind the Battleship Princess. From his knowledge, not many Abyssal had this chaotic personality, some just decided to keep it within themselves, but some who would not, there was not many…
"Airfield Princess, please don't interrupt me while I'm still not done with my talking." A cool voice of Battleship Princess warded of the other girl in white with ease of a practiced speech. However, that did not serve its purpose at all since her attention was now shoved into his face with full blown excitement instead.
"Now, now, no matter how bad you're, they won't kill an admiral that easily, right? What have you done? Stealing? Murdering? Fufu, or are you a rapist who attacks some higher rank's daughter?" He flinched a little when certain word escaped her little mouth. That mistake of him did act as bait and lured her closer with a crazy, innocent smile he had never seen before above the depth of Abyss. There was no way in hell someone with normal psyche can make such a crazed smile.
This girl was crazy, he had no doubt in that.
"So you did raping? Aww, that's cool!"
"Airfield Princess, please don't bother him that much." Now this nostalgic voice rang in, saving him from any further suffering coming from this innocent maniac in white. This came from the young woman they called Wo-Class and Wo-chan, no doubt. He knew how she looked, he knew how she dressed, and he knew how she spoke, yet the voice was still a bit off from his memory.
This was no any ordinary Wo-Class Aircraft Carrier.
He turned to the origin of that voice to come face-to-face with the certain Abyssal Carrier. She was a pale, no, she was a young woman with skin and complexion as white as sheet. Adorning the Abyssal part just above her head like a quirky hat with teeth and tentacle, she adopted an expression that would put any porcelain mask to shame. A skin-tight white body suit he suspected was actually a clothing, another skin-tight black tights that almost did not cover her crotch, and then there was those infamous combination of cane and dramatic cape. What she lacked was just a memetic verbal tic to seal the deal.
Her pale glowing golden orbs were fixated on his like his on hers, stabbing him like a bundle of knives from head to toe. He could not avoid her gaze, let alone looking away from her, like a little deep sea creature lured into the glowing light of the hunter.
But somehow, the reason why this Remodeled Flagship variant of Wo-Class Aircraft Carrier had saved him was still a wild guess in his part. This Abyssal might be the top dog of this base, considering that the Princesses treated her with somewhat respect. Maybe she had some grand scheme waiting for him, maybe he will end up in a laboratory as a rare living specimen. What was his fate, he could not know. Nevertheless, his questions might be answered now that she finally opened her mouth once again.
"So you did rape, Wo?"
"…Wo?"
"Wo!"
"…Wo!?"
"Wo.."
"Err? What kind of language did she just use? Japanese isn't your mother tongue? Maybe you guys are American? German? Italian?" When he turned to others for some help, what he found behind him was a gallery of giggling and laughing Abyssal. Battleship Princess and Ta-Class was somewhat of a saving grace, unlike Airfield Princess who had already went into a hysterical fit of laughter.
"She's just messing with you, human. No, as you are right now, I wouldn't call you a human anymore. A former human would be better term for you right now." He looked down to his body as the Battleship Princess finally reigned in her mirth. He was still wearing his naval officer uniform, albeit he had every part of his body attached except for his left leg, replaced with black metallic peg leg. From below his knee, his leg did not exist anymore.
"My leg?" Strangely enough in all the Abyssal in this room's opinion, the former human in their midst did not sound shocked or suddenly went mad. He just sat there, looking at the limb he had lost without his knowledge like it was nothing but daily happening.
Which was somewhat true to him.
"Wo, I needed to cut it to save you from that sunken transport ship you were in. If I hadn't done that, you'd have drowned. Still, when I finally got you here, you were not breathing anymore. So it can't be help if I did something unexplainable to you to safe your live, wo." Even though his lips were shut tight, the inside of his mind were screaming like a madman. Losing one's limb was normal in a war, losing life would be worse, so he was glad that this Wo-Class knew what to prioritize. Living hostage had more value than a corpse.
Still, was there any other part of his body missing?
After a brief moment of confirmation, he only found that it was just his left feet he had to say goodbye to. He only got a bit of scars out of it, which was nice and all. It was a relief that he only lost half of his left leg, and the peg leg attached to the stump told him of his savior's kindness he would pull every rivers to pay.
"You don't seem surprised, or show any emotion at all. You've a nerve of steel, I'll give you that at the very least." He looked up at the Battleship Princess who was still standing in front of him, eyeing him with suspicion for her answers she would not get. He was a nut case when it came to interrogation or any form of torment. He had experience many of these from his days in the Army, either from the enemy or ally in the form of training. It was before the First Abyssal Strike on Yokosuka years ago, though.
He was a war dog, a veteran info collector who ran behind the enemy line for anything that would change the tide of the war to their favor. He being a tad bit too good combining with his curiosity had led him into this situation. Knowing too much can get one hurt, and now he was living that saying down to the bone.
Still, he could brave through any kind of interrogation or torture they dished out, physical pain or mental ones. He could survive any torture from any enemy…
But not these kind of enemies though.
Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine as the Battleship Princess's hand brushed against his scarred cheek lightly. The questioning look he sent her way was left unanswered, telling him there was no way this situation would get him near the answer he wanted. He had to break the pattern, speaking up to steer the conversation away into a way he would benefit from. However, what kind of conversation would suit his interest the most in this tension?
"What will you do in this situation, former human admiral?" The emphasized prefix caught him off guard for a second there, and he knew from a little curving of her lips that the Princess in front of her knew she had just got the conversation into her hand.
"I was just a vice
"I was just a captain, you see, so I won't be answering your question? Sorry for being rude but would you mind letting go of me? It's not that I hate the contact but what about you?" Her grip on his wrist just flinched a little bit and she knew that he realized. The smirk creeping upon his face was a prime evidence. Being cold and indifferent always brought him negative reaction in any conversation he had, but with the mask he had developed for years on his face like this, it seemed not.
"Then, how about now, wo? Will you answer her question now, Admiral?" Cocking her head as she drew near, Wo-Class draped a piece of heavy fabric down on his shoulder. Her question made no sense until he caught a glimpse of epaulettes on his shoulder. The fabric was black and thick, like it was tailored for cold region. Naval uniform for Imperial Japanese Navy was white, like the one he wore on the inside, unlike the black one Wo-Class had draped on his shoulder, as if forcing the rank upon him.
It was clean and somewhat fresh, enough for him to know that it had been prepared just for this occasion, and that caused him to tense. There was a theory flying around in Yokosuka about the Abyssal was organized because there was someone commanding them, an Abyssal Admiral. Was it really true after all…?
"Wo-Class, what are you doing? Is this some kind of joke? A human commanding us? We would've lost even before we sortie!" Although speculated to be the leader of many operation, a single glance from Wo-Class was enough to silence the Battleship Princess into submission. The dissatisfaction was still there as he was looked over once again, then it disappeared into wonder as they met their eyes.
"What will you do, if you were to become the one commanding us to massacre your kin? Are you even willing to fight with us, being turned into one of us against your will?" Their eyes were locked together without any sway, glowering red and dirtied gold. One was the Princess of the Abyssal, the other was former human naval officer. Both serving their cause and abandoned all the same, however, he was different from her, from all of the one in this room.
He squinted his eyes just a little as he averted his look from the Battleship Princess to the Aircraft Carrier at his side. Wo-Class was waiting for his answer to both her question and the one coming from Battleship Princess. The tension was still there but none of them emitted any of murderous intent just to hurry him up. He had no idea the Abyssal who was abandoned and betrayed could be this calm, and not going around screaming murder like on the sea.
They respected this young woman a tad bit too much for his comfort, and with her demeanor so nostalgic, he gradually started to doubt every words that had come out of those thin lips. It was logic implanted into any of them that the weak obeyed the strong, such was the rule of nature. With even the princesses listening to her, just how strong was this Wo-Class Aircraft Carrier?
To his knowledge, she seemed even weaker than Ta-Class Battleship with those bored and nonchalant look she adorned on her pretty face. Yet with those eyes glued to his every movement, he briefly felt it for a second as her expression shifted beneath her façade. She was strong, stronger than any of the Abyssal in this room, if she could cut that verbal tic out…
"Wo?" The Abyssal Carrier pressed for the answer.
As if she was trying to ease the tension, that little word forced a laugh out of him, startling even the Airfield Princess who had remained silent since a while ago. Wanting him to receive this rank, it seemed like this Wo-Class knew a lot more than any other Abyssal of what they lacked at the moment. It was something both of them knew, he had no idea how, but the glint in her eyes told him she knew it all too well just like him, the secret of the Abyssal Fleet.
She knew that he knew, and she wanted to use him as a tool to steer the Fleet, bringing their potential out to the fullest, for that they had the same goal of getting back on the humanity that had threw them away in the worst manner possible.
Smiling, his frown eased into an aloof expression.
"You girls have already won the war, this is but a battle. The human cannot even set sail at ease with your presence known to them. Their morale is already next to none. Have more confident!" These words had more impact on them as it came from their former enemy who knew best of the situation. In their eyes, he talked as if he did not know his place, but the zealous tone and stern expression sealed the deal for them. Something in his demeanor had already robbed the rebuttal from any of them.
"But how the hell can we even trust you? It does look like you still have something you want to do as a human you, right? You might as well just turn us in, or propose a suicide mission, am I wrong?" The easygoing and chaotic Airfield Princess was no more as her expression turned flat and serious. It was something none of them had expected to see on their cheerful maniac's face.
"Heh, doubt me all you want. What I just said was naught but truth. When you girls launched an attack on humanity the first time, they had already feared you. However, as the time passed and you didn't launch a serious attack ever again, they grew more and more confident in themselves, and strike back." Clicking his tongue, he leaned back against the couch, hands clasped together, waiting for the fact to settled in as well as for some interesting outcome.
"We had no intention of attacking them. All we want is just a peaceful place for us to live our life, not being bother by anything." Ta-Class Battleship who had remained quiet all this time spoke up as well, stating her thought out loud, just to make his smile widened.
"But you did strike once, and that was enough of a reason for them to burn you alive. Don't ever underestimate human, I was one myself not long ago. I did think like them and still do right now. The reason you guys are still alive and well is because they do not have enough resource to go on a full-scale war with the Abyssal Fleet."
"What make you think it is the truth? They did want to get rid of you. It's not that weird for them to feed you with false information, isn't it?" Battleship Princess stated as she put up her arms, folding, creating a tense atmosphere to press him down once again.
"Those old farts feeding me false information was something that could only happen in their dream. The side withholding any kind of information is this one, my side. It's me, who trick them." This had gained their questioning look from every single one of them, the Abyssal Carrier beside him was no different from any of them.
"I am their source of info, call me an information manipulator or whatever you want, but..." He paused, pointing at his temple with an index finger, as well as flashing an evil smile. "It's me who get all the information they want back and feed them. And it's me again who dug through everything they did, exposing their secret."
The revelation caught their tongue altogether. To think that they had caught a fish this big out of the raging sea…
"With their technology and personnel, they could put together a fleet of hundred ship girls whenever they want. That is, if they know about the information on resource I had kept hidden from the military." His traditional aloof smile grew wider as their eyes widen.
"Wha- Wait! What do you mean by a hidden resource? You betrayed them even before we got you!?" Not bothered by Ta-Class Battleship sudden rise of voice, he folded his arms up and closed his eyes, finding a good way to tease them more.
"You did it, because you knew it? Wo?"
His intent of teasing faded as he heard her chilly voice. Wo-Class Aircraft Carrier somehow had an odd impact on his very action, and he did not know why or had any desire to find out.
However, now that she had brought it up, he might as well add in the reason of his action too. The reason why he had withheld the information of the treasure troves that could actually fueled fleets full of hundred Shipgirls. It was to even the odd, to help the abandoned ones so that they could fight back the battle they will never win. He had kept this side of Pacific under wrap, he had helped them to try and ended this war with the least casualty possible on both side of the chess board.
Now that they had tossed a treasure away just because it could be used against them, making an enemy out of the said treasure as well, he might just helped this side out a little bit just to get in a slap to their face. It would be a sweet revenge…
"Yes, I knew it. Everything, right from the start up until now. How they had created you, how they had abused you, tainting you to the very soul and abandoned you like a piece of trashes. I, myself, cannot stand the ways they did things." Controlling his voice so that it was firm and filled with righteousness, he let his speech settled in slowly for those who had no clue of what was happening, instilling trust and justice so that his image would be better.
"I want to help you guys from this little heart of mine. You found it pitiable or what, I don't care. All I want is to bring back your rights as living beings, no, the rights to do everything you girls want back." Standing up and put on the black coat properly, his hand slowly raised up to a salute position.
"All I want is for you, every one of you in the Abyssal Fleet, to have what you all want to have. Thing that had been stripped off from you the moment you become tainted." The man now had a hard and stern look on his face as he said it. He knew that if he wanted to do this, he will have to clash with her someday in near future.
The very reason of his planned trip to one of the IJN's operation base. With the fierce storm, he stranded away from the destination real far and had to turn back to reach the destination, to face the storm directly.
He wanted to go through and met her, and now he could no longer. In addition to that, he might as well fight her in these sorrowful waters. He did fear that she will despise him, but if she knew the truth, she will take his side for sure. All he had to do was directing the command of the Abyssal Fleet, trained these girls as well as a certain admiral to be as capable as possible. He will have to survive to see tomorrow light with them, these girls surrounding him.
"I, Isamu Hisoka, hereby abandoned the duty of serving Imperial Japanese Navy and take up this role as a guidance of the Abyssal Fleet. I'll protect you girls to my very extent. No matter the cause or the price I'll have to pay, you all will survive to the day I bring you back what was rightfully yours."
Stood tall the now Abyssal Admiral Isamu Hisoka, eyes ablaze with golden ember as his expression morphed into one full of resolve. He will do everything to render this side of Pacific quiet and peaceful, and got back everything robbed from these girls by humanity they had fought for in the past for them.
Their freedom, their life. Everything they did to these girls, they all had to pay the price!
