01—Anchor, Set!
It was already evening when Inazuma's fleet reached the headquarters' launch bay.
Located at the northwestern coast of Auspice Port Island, the launch bay served as a forward hub for UMP branches operating in the Caffelatte Sea. Groups of fleet girls dotted the area, either wrapping up their afternoon exercises or just plain loafing around until the skies darkens. Small warships and auxiliary vessels lined up the docks as well, forming an intricate maze within the breakwater's enclosure.
Inazuma stopped just before the gates as she looked back to gaze at the setting sun. They had survived another perilous encounter earlier—a blessing she would always pray for before taking off to the sea. But today was extra special because their fleet had gained an extra member.
They found the fleet girl on the way back on the outskirts of a miasma cluster. Somehow, the navigation fairies' weird usage of their compass could produce such benefits too aside from pointing them toward hostile sea areas and needlessly wasting resources altogether.
Mesmerized by the view before her, she barely heard a familiar voice calling out to her:
"Jeez, stop spacing out! Don't you want to get patched up quickly?"
She shook her head, turning around to see Akatsuki sailing towards her. "A-Ah, were you waiting for me?"
"Well, what do you think of today's operation?"
Coming from a seasoned fleet girl like her, it was already a giveaway that she would show interest in post-engagement analysis. She insisted that they should make it a habit to review their combat performance coming from every sortie, but she would often get too enthusiastic that it would almost guarantee more bickering with Hatsuyuki.
By that point, a speedy intervention would be the only answer if Inazuma wanted a lively dinner table later in the evening. Besides, she didn't want Akatsuki to get all gloomy throughout the night. Her pouty face could be quite contagious after a while.
Clutching her bruised arm, Inazuma watched the ripples beneath her feet as she thought of an answer. "It was hard. Going up against two heavy cruisers was unexpected too, but we're lucky they showed up after we had finished probing the area."
"It's a battlefield out there." Akatsuki furrowed her eyebrows. "It's only natural that things won't always go as planned. And fleet girls like us should never put their guard down."
Inazuma contemplated on those words for a moment and sighed. "In other words, more training... right?"
"That goes without saying. And why did it feel that there's some teensy tiny spite in your voice just now?"
She panicked as her hands became a frantic blur. "E-Eh? I... I'm sure you're just imagining it!"
"Really? That Hatsuyuki needs to get her act together too."
"Please go easy on her. I think she did great earlier."
"I know, but still—"
Akatsuki's eyes darted to the left, prompting Inazuma to follow suit. She let out a gasp as she saw Hatsuyuki with only a blue bath towel covering herself. She didn't mind the inquisitive stares of the other fleet girls on the platform cranes. "Are you two... done? We just finished preparing the tub."
Akatsuki girl shrugged and smiled. "In any case, let's just try harder next time."
As her companions already entered the cave, Inazuma stared at the horizon one more time. She saw something earlier that didn't look right. In her eyes, it looked like a smudge on a pretty landscape picture.
It was out of place. Distracting.
Yet, she could feel that it was gazing right at her.
It was a strange occurrence for sure, but she felt the need to watch out for these intrusive spots in the skies more. She turned around and sped through the newly illuminated passageway to catch up to her friends.
The docks extended deep into the littoral cave beneath their headquarters. Upon reaching the cave's main chamber, they were greeted by a few other fleet girls chatting next to the platforms. On their left, the maintenance staff saluted towards them while depositing supply items brought in by the expedition fleets. Every time Inazuma visited the place, it was as if the people there never sleep, constantly moving about like the currents of the seas.
The trio climbed on one of the slipways next to a dry dock. Reaching the platform, Inazuma felt the need to stretch her limbs. She couldn't wait to soak herself in the hot springs as reward for today's operation. And after that, downing a cold bottle of milk was an absolute must to complete the experience.
As they made their way to the hot springs, they bumped into Shirayuki who just exited the sickbay. For some reason, she had a solemn look on her face. "What's wrong?" Hatsuyuki asked.
She didn't speak. Instead, she motioned them to follow her, stopping in front of the sickbay's entrance for a moment. Inside the lobby, a group of fleet girls were gathered together with somber expressions. One of them had her face buried in her hands, shoulders heaving as she wept silently. Behind them was a female officer staring blankly at the floor. Inazuma's heart sunk as she knew the officer personally from all the meetings she had attended so far.
"Commander Yurie," she whispered. "Does that mean Yayoi was..."
They continued to walk until they reached the entrance towards the hot springs.
"That makes her our fourth victim." Akatsuki shook her head. "And the reports are inconsistent at best. How are we supposed to stop these abductions?"
Inazuma instinctively placed a hand over her chest. "I don't know. I'm really worried."
Fleet commanders were called in a strategy assembly three days ago to inform them of the recent developments regarding these incidents, but she was already expecting another meeting any time soon. Chief Officer Amagi had deployed search and rescue units in the sea sectors where the victims disappeared, but their efforts had been for naught so far.
"I read an article of it," Hatsuyuki said. "A shadow-like figure... is a common trait in the accounts."
"Could it be that it's the work of the fabled Umibozu?" Shirayuki asked.
Inazuma had her interest piqued. "Umibozu? Can you tell us more?"
"Well," Shirayuki began, "Umibozu are said to be fearsome spirits that haunt the seas. They usually look like a giant mass of black haze that resembles a person's silhouette. They are known for attacking ships, dragging them down to the depths with their powerful arms. "
She shivered as her imagination started to run amok. "Th-That's scary."
"In other stories, they can transform to other shapes. Like a sea monster or—"
"Th-That doesn't make sense!" Akatsuki said. "R-Really, it's just some kind of hallucination! When you lose your focus and composure out there, you're bound to see things like that."
"But... it does match a few descriptions," Hatsuyuki said. "Witnesses also saw a figure of girl shrouded in glowing... white fog."
"Isn't that a funa yurei?" Shirayuki said. "These spirits are filled with spite, often tricking their victims into their untimely death. They can be rather direct like the Umibozu, so fleet girls are at risk of—"
"W-We're really blaming sea spirits now?" Akatsuki's eyelids fluttered as her face began to lose color. "Abyssal ships are still our likely culprit here! Please take this matter seriously!"
Hatsuyuki pointed at the purple-haired girl's knees, which were visibly shaking. "We can see you're taking this well."
"Shut up! A woman of my stature isn't afraid of make-believe stories! All these speculations won't help anyway!"
Shirayuki's shoulders slumped as she looked at her feet. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make fun of these incidents. It was selfish of me to even think of such things to begin with. I'm really sorry."
"U-Um, it's okay!" Inazuma said. "It's anyone's guess until the culprit is properly identified anyway."
Akatsuki rubbed her chin. "But why would the abyssal fleet abduct their enemies? I've read reports of abyssal submarines that tried to pull fleet girls into the water, but it's a suicidal tactic. A fleet girl can't drown unless she was already incapacitated from too much damage."
"Maybe, maybe it's because of—"
"Nope," she replied. "That theory was discredited years ago. Why do you still believe it?"
"Eh? I wasn't even finished."
"But you're going to say that anyway."
Hatsuyuki pointed at the hot springs' reception area. "I wanna go bathe now."
"Ugh, we only wasted our time here." Akatsuki stomped her foot. "We should have talked in the springs instead."
"It's... your fault. You talk too much."
"Why you—"
Inazuma placed herself between the two. "U-Um, I'm sure everyone is just exhausted, so let's take our time in the hot springs and relax. Is that okay?"
"Hatsuyuki," Shirayuki said, "you shouldn't say rude things to your friends."
"But it's true," the black-haired girl replied.
Akatsuki bit her lip. "You have no room to talk like that!"
"So you're not denying it?"
"P-Please, knock it off already!"
Inazuma's voice was louder than she had intended it to be. Without uttering another word, the two destroyers turned their backs at each other. That would have to do for now.
"Ah yes," Shirayuki said, "that reminds me. The locals will be having a festival two weeks from now. A company from the Conglomerate will also sponsor the events in the economic district."
"Um, I've never been one before," Inazuma said. "I wonder if it's okay to go there."
"We can ask him if you want," Akatsuki replied, "but we should go inside. A certain someone might start throwing tantrums if we didn't."
Hatsuyuki balled up her hands, glaring at Akatsuki with a flustered face. Inazuma sighed. The day was far from over, it would seem.
They entered through the fleet girl section of the springs, which was also the most spacious section compared to the other facilities. As they reached the busy locker room, they removed their battle-stained clothes, took a quick bath in the shower booths, and made their way towards a partitioned bath that Hatsuyuki had reserved for them.
Dipping her body into the steaming water, Inazuma's thoughts drifted away as she stared at the rocky ceiling of the bath. Just like how they found the fleet girl earlier, she remembered that the hot springs had a similar story going with it too.
During her early days there, she had heard that the seawater hot springs were only found by accident during the restoration and expansion process of the underground hangar. Delighted with this wonderful discovery, the executives overseeing the project made no reservations and proceeded to build facilities around the springs.
The local workers believed that it was a gift from the island's guardian deity, and driving off the abyssal fleet's presence in the island's waters was apparently the key to access these springs. Boasting strong therapeutic properties, the hot springs became so popular that even fleet girls from nearby installments would drop by to take a quick dip.
Nature's wonders truly never ceased to impress her.
Their time in the hot springs was spent in silence, but she could still sense the lingering bitterness between Akatsuki and Hatsuyuki. She didn't have to worry about them too much; she was more than certain everything would be right as rain later on.
After they freshened themselves up, they went straight to the commander's office. Inazuma recalled that the commander seemed to be in a hurry when she last checked in over the radio—it was around the time they found a fleet girl inside a miasma cluster too.
As the door slid open, they weren't greeted by a dark room this time. The unusual arrangement of the cardboard boxes caught their attention first, and on top of a long rectangular box was a variety of dishes displayed in plastic containers. She also spotted pasta, cupcakes, and donuts on a box next to the wall too.
The commander sat on the opposite end of the room this time. He took his eyes off the laptop, closing it as he stood up.
"What's with all the food, Commander?" Inazuma asked.
Hatsuyuki brought out her smartphone, tapping on its screen. "An... occasion? What could it be?"
"I decided on this after you guys got us a new recruit," the commander said. "Think of this as a reward for working hard since day one."
Akatsuki crossed her arms. "Hold on. Didn't you tell us yesterday that we need to save up for urgent assignments?"
"I knew you'd say that. I didn't use the fleet's funds to buy these."
"Your treat, huh? That's fine with me."
Shirayuki took a few steps backwards. "I don't think I should be here. Thank you for your offer, but I really need to get going and—"
Before she could turn around and escape, Hatsuyuki stepped before the doorway. "Commander, is it okay for her... to stay?" she asked.
He raised an eyebrow. "Well, I don't see any reason why she can't join us."
"H-Hatsuyuki? What are you saying? I'm not a member of this fleet and it will be a great bother for your commander to entertain someone like me!"
Everyone looked at Shirayuki, who started to sweat bullets.
"Oh, is that all?" Akatsuki said, sitting down on a cardboard box. "Why didn't you say so? Join our fleet then. If you're worried about paperwork, we'll take care of the transfer process for you."
Inazuma nodded. "Yeah, leave the procedural forms to me! What do you think, Commander?"
"While we can still accommodate a few more destroyers in the fleet," he said, "I don't want you to feel that we forced you into joining us. You're part of a reserve unit for quite some time now, but it's for the best if you think through our offer first."
"Y-Yes, I'll think about it." Shirayuki faced the commander and bowed. "Thank you very much, Commander Yuu."
"By the way, our previous offer still stands. Think of it as thanks for looking after everyone in the fleet."
She bowed again. "I'm only doing my job, but thank you for your generosity."
Akatsuki got back to her feet again as she started to examine the meals one by one up close. "Hmm? I was expecting something grander, but this is fine too."
Narrowing his eyes, the commander opened up a plastic bag that contained eating utensils. "The recruit can have your share if you don't feel like eating tonight."
"Hey, don't you dare speak on my behalf! In fact, I'm so famished that I'm willing to try out the whole menu!"
"That's not a ladylike thing to say, is it?"
"As if you know anything about that!"
Inazuma was finished looking at the dishes as well. "These look delicious. Thank you for treating us, Commander!"
"This is nothing compared to your efforts out there," the commander said, rubbing his chin. "Hmm... I'm sure it's okay to do this once in a while, but..."
"Why are you mumbling like that?"
Suddenly, Jintsuu and the new fleet girl entered the room. The latter had her brown hair in a jumbled mess, which was an amusing sight. Her matching black uniform easily stood out in the room. "Sorry! They had to send me to the armory compound first and—oh, everyone's already here?"
"Um, what did we miss?" Jintsuu uttered, blinking her eyes. When Inazuma told her about how the commander set up a dinner treat, she started to fidget. "Um, I haven't done much at all compared to our secretary and drill instructor. I'm not sure if I deserve this."
"Nonsense, we're a team here. You've already done a great deal in lighting up the load for the others." He looked towards Inazuma. "So, I presume she's the one?"
"Thank you for rescuing me out there!" The new member saluted. "I'm Fumizuki, I hope we could be friends!"
He leaned forward, staring at Fumizuki. "How convenient," he said. "I never knew we can get palette swaps. Does she have any unique traits at least, Inazuma?"
Hatsuyuki covered her mouth as she looked to her side, barely holding back a chuckle. Taken aback, Inazuma launched a disapproving stare towards the commander. "You sound disappointed. Why do you sound disappointed?!"
Akatsuki raised an eyebrow. "Whatever are you talking about? She's a Mutsuki-class destroyer, if you want the specifics."
Fumizuki puffed her cheeks out and squinted her eyes. "I'm not some lazy reskin either! I'm the real deal! But thank you for taking me in. I'll do my share too!"
"Glad to hear that," he said, taking off his beret. "And don't look at me like you're about to put a hole between my eyes, Akatsuki."
"Hey, hey, hey! Are you forgetting us?!" Ram glided through the window, glancing back. Despite her size, she was also carrying a knapsack twice her size. "Hey, hurry up! They're starting!"
Luna and Aster followed with large bags of their own, landing on the commander's box table. "Ah," he said, "I was wondering if you three got lost out there."
"It took us a while to get everything we need." Aster took away her hat, fixing her saffron hair. "But all is well since we made it just in time. Thank you for waiting."
Luna collapsed as she breathed in deeply. "The wind became strong and scary on the way back too. I wonder why?"
Aster looked at Inazuma. "Can we now invite the rest to this feast?"
"Ah! Of course!" She exchanged looks with the others. "Ready, everyone?"
Bathed in a warm glow, the fleet girls summoned their equipment. One by one, little figures popped out from their turrets, mounts, and even the funnels on their backs. These ship crew fairies, working just as hard as everybody else, deserved a much needed break as well. They hopped down to the floor, swarming towards an unfolded cardboard box covered with a picnic cloth.
The commander motioned at everyone to get their plates and utensils. And with his signal, they started their dinner.
Inazuma stood back for a while as she watched the others fill up their plates. Initiating a preemptive strike, Akatsuki and Fumizuki went to pick up the some spaghetti and desserts first, but Ram and a few other fairies quickly protested. After all, the buffet seemed to be excessive at first glance, but most of the dishes had limited servings.
She felt that they just avoided a disastrous situation, thanks to Shirayuki and the commander's timely intervention.
Amidst the commotion, Hatsuyuki got everything she wanted under a minute and settled on her usual place near the stacks of cardboard boxes. Jintsuu was the exact opposite as she took her time with the selection. On the other side of the line, the commander helped the fairies to get their share of the food. The little cutesy ones were lively as always as they gathered around him; a few of them even began clinging on his pants and cloak.
As for herself, she got a serving of rice, stir-fried veggies, breaded prawns, and fish fillet topped with sour cream. When she was done, she plopped down next to the commander staring vacantly at his crowded plate.
"What's wrong, Commander?" Inazuma asked.
He took his data terminal and tapped on its screen. "It can wait until tomorrow. You should relax tonight."
"That won't do. You can tell me what's bothering you. Is it about the recent disappearances?"
"There's that, but I have something else in mind."
He turned his head to look at her. His stern expression eventually softened, but he didn't utter another word.
"Commander? Um, what's with the silent treatment?"
He shook his head, setting the terminal aside. "I just remembered something that I shouldn't have. It's nothing you should fuss about."
She fell silent as their exchange came to a grinding halt. She already saw it coming miles away, but she also knew that she wouldn't be able to do anything despite her best intentions.
It was a pattern that she had grown to dislike.
Admittedly, she didn't know much about him. They had been working in the same room for weeks already, but their idle chats and random exchanges never progressed from superficial subjects.
She herself didn't come off completely blameless in this deadlock though. At times, she would get so engrossed in her paperwork that she wouldn't notice other people entering the room. She wasn't much of a conversationalist either, so it was a struggle for her to find the right opening to ask her concerns. Sure, if she were to ask him about combat strategies or financing, he would be quick to help with her troubles. But asking him directly about his life story and whatnot? No way. She couldn't possibly do that!
Add up the fact that he also had this uncanny ability to conceal his presence as if he was never there. It could be argued that he never had much striking presence to begin with, but would he really go out of his way to distance himself from everyone? She could only wonder why.
And those keen eyes of his—they carried something else. Kept and hidden from everyone.
She wanted to know the meaning behind those eyes. And to find out his secrets, she had to strengthen her resolve and strike as discreetly as she could. But how? This was an operation that proved to be too difficult for a humble destroyer like her.
Still, at the end of the day, her responsibilities as a fleet secretary should take precedence over her selfish whims.
Inazuma had finished her plate, but she still had plenty of room left for sugary treats. After seeing the different flavors and toppings of the cupcakes and donuts, she couldn't possibly miss out on those delectable treats. Her friends had already cleared their respective plates as they got new ones for dessert.
She glanced at the commander who had returned to refill his plate for the third time, not showing any signs of slowing down. "I still have to relay my report to you," she said. "Tomorrow is a day off, but I want to finish my papers tonight."
"That can wait too. You sure are a workaholic."
"Eh? I am?"
"You always put on a grumpy face whenever I take some of the documents off your cardboard table."
"I... I don't do that! And it's your fault for taking my papers for yourself!"
"I can't believe I'm being reprimanded for doing my job. This place is just weird."
"Th-That's not weird at all! You can't just shoulder everything needlessly!"
The world, or at least the room and its occupants, seemed to have stopped in that very moment as she became aware of the curious stares around her. Some had their lips curled into knowing smiles. Inazuma didn't like the situation one bit, and it was only a matter of time before everything spirals out of control.
With a gulp, she slowly eyed the commander who remained stiff and straight-faced. "What's the matter?" he asked.
Akatsuki smiled. "Aren't you two getting a bit chummy there?"
He returned a similar smile. "Though not as much as your plate's sugar content."
"Wh-What are you saying?"
"I thought a highly regarded lady like you would be more conscious with the food she eats. I guess I was mistaken?"
Akatsuki's gaze slowly landed to her plate, and her lips quivered. As the commander bluntly pointed out, her plate was indeed decorated with a colorful medley of scrumptious sweets. She gritted her teeth, glaring at the commander. Then, she took a cupcake and shifted her body away from him. Behind her, Hatsuyuki gave the commander a thumbs up.
For him to neutralize the situation efficiently impressed Inazuma. Truly, it was an ability every aspiring commander should have!
Well, sort of.
After taking a big spoonful of rice and prawn, his eyes wandered towards their newest member. "Fumizuki, can you spare a moment?"
Alarm bells went off in her head when Inazuma heard this, and she glared at the commander. As if sensing the hostility aimed at him, he looked at her with half-closed eyes. A small whimper escaped her lips and she shrunk back away from him. He continued to stare at her, his head slightly hanging to one side. "What is it now?"
She struggled to maintain her cool. "N-No weird and random questions please. Last time was—"
"Don't worry, Inazuma," Jintsuu said, waving a hand. "It's fine. Really!"
He sighed and turned his attention again to the newcomer. "Your memories before they found you out there. Can't you remember anything at all?"
Looking up from her plate, the fleet girl puckered her lips as she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, Commander. Even I'm confused if I should really remember anything in the first place."
"So it's just as if you're a hatchling. No helping it then."
"It could be the miasma's fault," Akatsuki said. "Staying in a cluster for too long gives adverse effects to fleet girls, but she may be just your typical vagrant after all."
Fumizuki took a bite from her half-eaten donut, eyeing the commander's wobbling cowlick. "Err...can I ask the commander too? Since I'll be in your care, what exactly our fleet is doing?"
"Please mind your manners. You shouldn't speak while you still have food in your mouth because..."
Ignoring Akatsuki's lengthy speech about proper mealtime etiquette, the commander took a quick sip from his plastic cup. "It's exactly what it sounds like."
Fumizuki glanced up to the ceiling, putting a forefinger on her chin. "Pathfinding? Isn't it the same as doing recon ops?"
"Yes, we help out in those missions from time to time, but our unit's operations focus on something quite different."
"How different?"
"Remember those foggy areas we passed through earlier?" Inazuma asked. "We are often sent there for us to determine the different phenomena occurring within them."
"Hmm, I still don't get it." Fumizuki paused for a bit. She finished up her donut and downed her soda. "What do you there exactly?"
"We collect different kinds of data inside a cluster—temperature, humidity, wind speed, mag-ion levels, and all sorts of things. We then pass these data to our researchers in the organization for them to study."
"Yeah," Ram chimed in, "with all those fog in the way, it's easy to get lost and wander off course! We navigation fairies make sure that doesn't happen!"
Fumizuki grabbed Luna from behind, petting the fairy's head. "I see! It's good that we have you guys to help us!"
The fairy tried to escape, but her struggles proved to be ineffective on the grinning fleet girl. "P-Please don't pat me too much."
"I think I'm starting to get it, but is it really that dangerous going into those foggy places?"
Aster nodded, stirring a tiny mug with a tinier teaspoon. "You will lose your bearing inside a miasma cluster as navigation devices don't work under its influence," she said. "And the denser the cluster becomes, the greater the space distortion within it gets."
Fumizuki tilted her head, folding her arms. "How do you get out of it if you can't even use a compass in there?"
"Compared to the traditional and electronic means of marine navigation, our methods are akin to weather forecasting in which we narrow down certain patterns and elements inside a cluster. From there, we deduce the result with the least margin of error to determine a passable course."
"I didn't really get it, but it sounds amazing!"
"Well, it's all just a bunch of RNG if you ask me," the commander whispered, massaging his forehead with his fingertips.
Inazuma glanced at him. I keep hearing this RNG thing from him. Maybe I should ask him later about it.
A pungent yet soothing scent wafted from the fairy's mug. "But even if all of the branching paths within a cluster were already determined, there would be no assurance that you will reach your desired sea area due to spacial distortion." She closed her eyes and took a sip of the coffee. "Thus, there's no such thing as a clear and permanent course when crossing a cluster. Do you now understand, Miss Fumizuki?"
"There's no other way around it?" she asked.
"The clusters are just as worse underwater," the commander replied, "and relying on air transport isn't practical. Well, unless you're willing to waste millions of dollars for recon efforts alone."
"It's like... navigating a randomly-generated dungeon," Hatsuyuki added.
"Huh!" Fumizuki said, nodding. "That makes sense."
"In what aspect did that make any sense to you?" Akatsuki pointed a fork at her. "The whole thing is just ridiculous!"
"Um, I mean, it would be bad for the enemy if we could just go straight to their bases, right? I think it's only natural for them to have something like that."
"If you put it that way—huh, you're sharper than you look."
Fumizuki beamed. "Thank you. I will do my best with the data gathering too!"
"The good thing is," the commander said, "the abyssal fleet's presence beyond the main cluster chain is next to nothing. Caffelatte is quite self-contained. It's like they enclosed themselves in a fence to keep us out."
Inazuma thought to herself for a moment. "Have they attacked a naval base before?" she asked. "Or any coastal settlements for that matter?"
"Fortunately, none so far in Caffelatte," Akatsuki replied. "But in the earlier years of the war, there were two separate incidents in Serenoir where the Abyssals launched a wide-scale siege across several island nations of the region."
"Y-Yeah, I've learned about that in our history—" She noticed that the commander had an uncomfortable look on his face. "Do you know anything about it, Commander?"
He opened his mouth to speak but decided against it for a moment. "Look it up later if you're curious."
It was a response she didn't expect to hear. Something didn't feel right, but forcing it out of him wouldn't be the best alternative either. "More importantly, are you forgetting something?" Akatsuki asked. "We have yet to name our flag!"
He let out another sigh. "Is it that important to you?"
"This wouldn't be a problem if Commander didn't have a terrible naming sense!"
"I haven't even suggested a name yet. How did you come up with that?"
"Is that so? Does that mean you can share a name or two with us tonight?"
Tugging his collar, the commander slowly pulled his eyes away from her. "Well..."
"See? But it doesn't matter because," Akatsuki tapped her temple with her forefinger, "all the ideas that we'll ever need are in here. This kind of thing is only natural for a lady like me, right?"
"And here we go..."
"Fortunately, I came up with more suggestions to throw into the pool. Like I've been saying before, our flag name has to give off a sense of elegance and quality of the highest standards for women such as ourselves." She glanced at Hatsuyuki. "Except for one, but anyway! That's the gist of it!"
"She just loves talking to herself like that."
"What was that, Hatsuyuki?"
"Nothing. Carry on."
When no one uttered a peep, Akatsuki exhaled and nodded. "Alrighty then. Hmm, how about Majesty Pioneers?"
As much as Inazuma didn't want to turn the suggestion down, the mere thought of the name's implications was enough to send shivers down her spine. "I think that's a bit too... far-reaching?
"You think? How about Prominence Armada? It was inspired from the science fiction booklet I read the other day."
"Um, that is quite a title for a fleet like ours," Jintsuu said.
Hatsuyuki snorted. "Yeah... so conceited."
"Sh-Shut it!" Akatsuki sniffed, tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes. "This is just like the other time—we won't get anywhere like this!"
"You're the only one in a hurry here."
As the commander said that, everyone burst out laughing. Akatsuki turned deep red as she pulled down her cap to hide her face.
"H-Here, try out the flan," Fumizuki said, offering her flan serving. "It's delish!"
"I-I'll remember this... !"
Their dinner continued, and time passed rather quickly. Inazuma had always found that notion unfair; she rarely got to experience gatherings like this and she wanted it to last twice or thrice as long. But even the biggest parties had to end at some point.
When everyone was already stuffed to the brim, the commander took this opportunity to excuse himself for a moment. Inazuma had a strange inkling to ask him about it, but he refused to tell her anything. Unsurprisingly, everybody else got curious and pressed him on that matter.
Eventually, he handed the data terminal over to Inazuma. A quick look at the data terminal's notification told her that a fleet girl was just constructed a few minutes ago, and the commander had to drop by the factory as soon as possible. She passed the news to the others, and everyone went wide-eyed as cheer and excitement filled the room.
Of course, she was excited to meet the new fleet girl too, but the creeping disappointment within her only swelled further.
Inazuma had no clue about the recent construction, and she wished that he had told her about it over the radio at least. She wouldn't object though. The commander had expressed several times, even as early as the past week, that he would need to try constructing a fleet girl one of these days. She just didn't expect today had to be that day.
And so, everyone tagged along with the commander as they made their way to the factory.
Situated behind the headquarters' main building, the armory compound accommodated different departments and facilities for fleet girl-related innovations. With the factory as its core structure, officers and fleet girls alike were often seen in the premises, looking to gamble their hard-earned earnings for new equipment and items.
They stood in the reception area and waited for a custodian who would escort them to the conception hall. Minutes later, a fairy wearing a trench coat appeared before them. "Hey, it's almost time."
"Wow, what a cute fairy!" Fumizuki crouched down. "Let me pat you!"
The fairy hopped away and scowled at her. "No touching, or I'll break you."
The ponytailed girl only giggled, crawling towards the fairy. "Please?"
Looking up, the fairy took out her hand from a pocket and pointed at the commander. "Tell her off or I'll break you too."
"Fumizuki," he said, "you heard the fairy."
She made a pouting face. "Okay. I'll stop."
The fairy turned around and began walking towards a nearby glass door. "Follow me."
As she snapped her fingers, the door slid open and they entered through a wide corridor. Reaching halfway down the hall, they stopped in front of the heavy-duty double doors and the fairy motioned them to enter inside. As they did, Inazuma's gaze went towards the large cylindrical chamber sitting on the other end of the room. Inside it was a scale model of a warship, which took up roughly half of the chamber's diameter.
Looking at the model's dimensions, batteries, and superstructure, she was almost convinced that it was a battleship of some kind. Painstaking effort had been poured into the ship with all the tiny details she could pick out from it. She also noticed that it adopted the color scheme of UNF vessels: blue, white, and silver.
Inazuma spun in place as she searched the room with her eyes. And when she turned to her friends, they reflected the same confused expression she had on her face.
The new fleet girl was nowhere to be found.
Did she read the report wrong? As if a response to her question, two more fairies approached them from a waist-level platform.
"They're cute," Fumizuki said. "Can we keep one?"
"But they're not pets. Besides, don't you have plenty of fairies to go around with?"
Shaking her head, she summoned her armaments in a flash and took her hand cannon with both hands. She knocked on it once and a fairy peeked out of its hatch. "Did you call?" the fairy asked.
She smiled. "Wanna hang out with me later? We'll eat lots of ice cream!" The fairy only frowned back and quickly closed the hatch. The destroyer recalled her equipment as her eyes began to water. "See what I mean?"
The commander sighed. "Maybe Ram and the others will humor you if you ask nicely."
"Really? I'll try that!"
"Charm, was it?" He turned towards the fairies and crouched a bit. "What do I need to do for this experiment of yours?"
"Nothing much," the fairy wearing a lab coat replied. "I only need your input during the construction's final phase and cleanup."
"Hm? I haven't caught news of this," Akatsuki said. "Is it some kind of closed-door procedure?"
"Naturally! Well, we've been playing around the Soul Resonance system for months now. It's still up in the air whether it'll see the light of day as far as standard procedures are concerned, but we wanted select officers in this branch to give it a try."
She folded her arms. "Sounds fishy."
"I know! That makes it more exciting! Gets your blood pumping, right?"
"That's not what I meant."
Charm raised her hands in front of her. "Okay, fine. If it'll help you sleep at night, nothing has changed. I made it perfectly clear that we're only adding another step in the process."
"You didn't, that's why I'm asking."
The fairy sighed. "I concede. Do you talk like that every time?"
"Yeah... she's annoying," Hatsuyuki said. "Better get used to it."
Akatsuki shot a glare at her. "What did you say? You're really asking for—"
When the commander glanced over his shoulder, the destroyer froze and held her tongue. "So, what does this procedure add to the construction process?" he asked the fairy.
"W-Willing to spoil the fun already?" She pouted. "Just play along for now, will you?"
He paused for a moment, eyeing the chamber. "Fine."
The fairy with a hard hat on her head flashed a peace sign. "It was very tricky to put those little pieces together, but we finished it in time!" She let out a big yawn. "Work's done and I'm bushed, so I'm gonna sleep now!"
"Fermi, you're not going anywhere." Charm grabbed her coworker behind her collar, dragging her towards a glass-enclosed work space. "We have to finish the reports after this."
"Then hurry up! I can hear my bed calling my name!"
A couple of thuds echoed from the room's intricate sound system. Inazuma could see Charm wearing a wired headset, her voice amplified as she spoke through its mouthpiece. "If you fall asleep, I'll shove some papers in your mouth before tossing you in a human-sized trash bin!"
"Did you have to say that over the mic?"
"Or would you rather be thrown into the incinerator for that matter?"
"Just get over it already!"
"Whatever." Charm pulled down a few levers sticking out of the control panel. "Final construct phase is a go! Let's rev her up to life!"
Several components surrounding the chamber moved and locked into place, while the light display panel on the wall went red to blue. The miniature warship rose into the air and hovered steadily. Bluish flakes and orbs began to latch on the ship, forming a ball of compressed mag-ion energy.
As Inazuma gazed into the sphere, there was this certain feeling of warmth welling up from her chest. Each pulse of the sphere resonated with her heart's beating. It wasn't the first time she would be seeing the birth of a fleet girl, but it was a dreamlike experience that she could never get used to.
"Progress is a-okay! Admiral, can you step on the hydraulic platform?"
He did what was instructed and the platform raised him towards the chamber, close enough to reach the sphere with his hands.
"There. Now place your hand on the field construct."
Still clutching on the platform's steel rails, the commander hesitated. "Wait, is this even safe to—"
"What now? Worried about radiation exposure? Eh, you'll live through it!" Charm's snickering stopped. "Okay, like I said, put your hand on the field. Gently, because you don't want to puncture that thing or you'll burn yourself alive with intense EMR. You'll get so saturated that you'll end up spreading it yourself in the afterlife!"
Inazuma began to panic, but Akatsuki only shrugged beside her. "That fairy's probably working too many shifts lately."
Jintsuu placed a hand over her mouth. "Ah, so that's why her eyes look a bit empty."
"Hawawa! You guys aren't worried about him?!" Inazuma said. "Um, is he going to be okay?"
As the commander touched the sphere with his palm, the sphere began to flicker. And moments later, a silhouette of a human materialized within the sphere. Slowly, the figure reached for the commander's hand. When their hands met, the sphere flashed a blinding light as strong gusts surged outwards. Inazuma thought that they had summoned a nasty typhoon, unleashing its unbridled fury to everyone in the room.
Seconds later, the stream of mag-ion stopped as quickly as it started. The bursts of wind subsided and the incessant crackling quieted down. Exhaust units from chamber activated when the display panel indicated a bright red. The commander, stripped of his hat, descended towards the floor and walked out of the platform. He looked beat and rattled, seeing that he took the bulk of the force at such distance.
A mad cackling broke out from the speakers. "It is done! Say hello to your new comrade!"
"She definitely needs a break," Shirayuki said. "Maybe I could make her some herbal tea later."
"I'm more amazed they allowed someone like her to work in an important post here," Akatsuki replied. "I don't know if this organization is just too lenient or forgiving for its own good."
Hatsuyuki scoffed. "More than half of the staff here... are fairies. And now you're having doubts?"
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a certain slacker to take care of." Charm dragged a sleeping Fermi towards a tiny entrance on the wall. They disappeared as the door closed behind them with a clang.
Amidst the steam, the fleet girl hopped from the base of the chamber. She approached the commander and saluted. "Light cruiser Sendai. It's nice to meet you, Admiral Yuu."
"You know my name?"
"Yep, and everything you've done so far in your service is etched in my mind. I don't know how or why, but it's there!"
The commander raised an eyebrow. "Can you tell me more?"
"Let's see," she began, "you're quite disappointed that a light cruiser came out instead of a battleship. Well, don't sweat it though! I can understand with our current financial situation in mind, so I'll be sure to pull my own weight during operations. You don't seem to be the picky type anyway, so I'm also glad that you're fine with me. And you're also worried about our fleet's secretary being so stubborn. You really appreciate that she's willing to join in your all-nighters but—"
"A-Alright, you've said enough. I believe you."
"And oh, there's also—"
Jintsuu rushed towards the new fleet girl and hugged her tightly. "Sendai! To witness such miracle!"
Inazuma and the others followed and introduced themselves to Sendai who returned their gestures with a bright smile.
"Excellent," Akatsuki said, raising a clenched hand. "Now we have two cruisers and four destroyers! This opens up plenty of opportunities for us!"
"B-But I haven't decided yet," Shirayuki said, looking down.
"You will... sooner or later," Hatsuyuki placed a hand on her shoulder. "He who holds the pen shall guide you to the destined path."
"I don't know what to think about that."
Sendai paced around, her eyes exploring the room. "What time is it now?" she asked.
Akatsuki pulled up her sleeve to look at her wristwatch. "2052 hours. Why?"
"This fleet doesn't do plenty of operations at night, huh?" The light cruiser faced towards the commander. "Now that I'm here, we should try out some night ops sometimes! Isn't the Admiral a nocturnal person? I can take the night watch too if you want! Hey, what's wrong? Come on, speak up!"
"This girl knows too much." He grimaced. "I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be impressed with this."
Inazuma gave him a suspicious look. "Um, Commander, don't get any weird ideas now."
What had transpired the following day felt like a blur, at least to Inazuma. Another open meeting had taken place to address the fleet girls' disappearances. Various proposals, countermeasures included, had been presented and discussed. Commander Yurie seemed to have already recovered from yesterday too, relaying information about their encounter with the elusive creature. Mashing her input together with the Intelligence Section's previous findings, they had arrived at the following conjectures:
The mysterious abductor was a new abyssal ship.
It would only strike under the cover of the night and fog.
It would immediately retreat when met with considerable resistance.
Type and classification were yet to be determined, but it had the everyday capabilities of most surface ships. Previous accounts suggested that it had several light to medium caliber guns and torpedo launchers in its arsenal. There were also reports where it would engage in close-quarters combat, utilizing a pair of bulging appendages on its back. And thanks to Uzuki's account, it was confirmed that the creature resembled a human girl—an appearance closer to a fleet girl rather than a higher-class abyssal ship. Still, the ever-present fog shrouding it prevented her to distinguish further details.
From there, the dots and pieces seemed to have connected themselves to form another angle regarding the attacks. Needless to say, the revelation alone earned an interesting variety of responses.
Using its seemingly harmless appearance, many of the victims were lured in from the prospect of acquiring an astray fleet girl. Once they lowered their guard or showed a brief moment of uncertainty, it would strike with extreme agility and precision. Consequently, the casualty rate for the attacks hovered in the high nineties. Some of the victims in attendance could attest to that.
An unpredictable enemy, that much was certain. However, it didn't show interest in sinking its victims despite its vicious behavior. A silver lining, yes, but its ability to neutralize and restrain a fleet girl as long as it could was still its most dangerous asset. It already claimed four of their girls and that number would only grow unless they stop the culprit for good.
But how could they possibly deal with an enemy that could just simply disappear without a trace?
For the time being, they had decided to expand their presence around the initial cluster chain, providing supportive role for reconnaissance and expedition units going in and out the area. The rather passive idea didn't sound very convincing at first, but it made sense.
Actively searching for a single target in such a wide area would be very inefficient. Instead, they would tweak their scout and patrol routes that would benefit their tracker teams in an event of another attack from their elusive predator. Of course, they wouldn't need to cover the chain in its entirety with the amount of fleet girls they currently had. After all, Caffelatte Sea was the third largest sea in the world, connecting to the Serenoir Ocean in the west. But even if they could deploy the numbers they needed, the sudden increase of activity would only attract the abyssal fleet from the south, resulting into more unwanted casualties.
While fleet officers operate independently from each other, they should also watch each other's backs to deal with the situation. Coordination with the other fleets would go a long way in keeping everyone safe and Inazuma couldn't agree more. In spite of these points, a few of the Navy officers present in the discussion found the ongoing rescue efforts a waste of time. They even went so far as to blame the victims for their own incompetence. Commander Yurie's temporary flagship, the heavy cruiser Maya, was quick to express her... disappointment to the tactless officers, nearly causing an uproar in the conference hall.
Inazuma couldn't blame her though. And seeing the commander's smile while it all happened made her think that he appreciated Maya's lecture more than anyone else.
They were free for the rest of the afternoon, but everyone didn't seem to be in the mood to do anything that time. Unable to come up with a plan of her own, Inazuma opted to do paperwork instead.
Shuffling through the forms she had to fill up, she came across the Fleet Evaluation Log conveniently snapped inside a blue folder. Answering these weekly forms to assess the commander's performance was already a routine for her. It was an almost mindless task, but simply knowing what she could observe from him during work hours wasn't enough to satisfy her curiosity. There was definitely more to learn about him outside his personal records.
After a quick rest, everyone had gathered in the mess hall for dinner. As always, the place was packed and noisy, but the overhanging mood across the hall was surely livelier unlike the past few days. The little episode from the meeting earlier seemed to have sparked a light in everyone's hearts; their faces displayed an odd sense of purpose and resolution. Inazuma resolved to give her all as well.
Then came the next day—another day off, but it was also the day she would put her plans into motion.
Dressed in her casual attire, Inazuma strode towards the executive wing to fetch her target.
She wouldn't be able to talk to him properly if he was occupied with something else, and thus cornering the commander should be her first priority. It seemed luck was on her side this time when she saw the commander next to the coffee shop, taking his breakfast. His eyes were focused at an overhead monitor that aired the latest news from different parts of the world.
At first, she talked to him like usual. But somewhere along the way, he got annoyed with all of her questions and began to ignore her.
He was surely stubborn as ever. All their bickering caused them to play a game, which dragged on for an hour:
"No, really. I'm not telling you how you should spend your breaks." His eyes reflected a poignant gleam as he stared at his grid map. "E8."
Inazuma looked down at her map, crossing out said square with a sigh. "Commander, it's my day off. I can do whatever I want."
It was a losing battle; she had next to no breathing room as two of her remaining ships were just sitting next each other. She had yet to hit the enemy fleet's frigate, submarine, and cruiser—a miserable picture that frustrated her since the last few turns. Reflecting on their previous games, this match would be over soon. She could still turn the tables around, but she couldn't afford to waste a turn.
"I know, but why are you dragging me into your plans? And what about the others?"
"They left for the town. I heard a few shops in the shopping district opened just recently." Muttering a silent prayer, she closed her eyes. "A3!"
"Even Hatsuyuki?"
She opened her eyes again as she looked up. "Yeah, Fumizuki and Shirayuki dragged her with them. I haven't seen Sendai though. She seemed restless last night, so Jintsuu went out to look for her."
"Only a matter of time, huh?"
She gasped. She scored a hit! "And if you're going to tell me that, then why are you always spending your day offs sulking in the office?"
The commander's eyes narrowed. "Relaxing in my room counts as sulking? And you're the one to talk." He drank the remaining contents of his milk drink. "I'm going for I5 this time."
"What about me?" Inazuma paused. "Wait. What now?"
He repeated his last call and she stared at her grid in horror. Her motivation had begun its quick descent towards the cold sea floor. "Th-That was a hit. Um, C1!"
He smiled. "You got one, but I guess this is it for your frigate—J5."
Inazuma slumped in her seat. "This round is yours," she said.
"I haven't found your submarine."
"That was my submarine."
The commander could only blink his eyes in response. He stretched his arms up and reclined in his chair. "So, are we done here? I want to return to my room now."
"Eh? N-No, wait—"
"It's fun and cute watching you two and all, but you need to decide soon. Time's running!"
Both of them looked towards the info station and a pink-haired fleet girl smiled at them. "Inazuma wants to take the commander outside but he doesn't want to leave." She slammed her palm against the counter. "Settle it in the next game—let's go for a sudden death round!"
Catching on the idea, Inazuma clenched her raised hand. "If I win, we'll go outside!"
"Fine," the commander said, "otherwise you are forbidden from entering my office until tomorrow morning."
"Why? That doesn't make sense!"
"You don't want that? Giving up is fine too. In fact, I would prefer it instead of going through this again."
Inazuma wasn't exactly confident about this arrangement, but she had to do it. "A-Alright, I'll definitely win this! Thanks, Makigumo!"
As they got their graph papers marked and ready, Makigumo explained the rules for their sudden death round: whoever destroys the enemy fleet's submarine first wins the match. Since submarines only took up a single square, their deciding round boiled down to sheer luck. Well, this was a gamble that she was willing to take and she would see through it until the very end.
Still, her chances here didn't look very good compared to the commander's calculated guesses that sunk many of her ships.
Or so she thought. It didn't even take them three turns to determine the victor.
Inazuma slowly looked up from her paper. "Wait... I won?"
The look of disbelief on the commander's face was a rare sight. Amusing even. One of his eyelids started to twitch as he looked at her. "Alright. We'll go outside."
"What's with you all of a sudden, Commander?"
Inazuma could only swallow down the dread and displeasure channeled towards her. She called for this situation, but at the same time, she was having second thoughts whether she did the right thing or not. She followed him to his office, watching him open the suitcase sitting in one corner of the room. He pulled out several clothes out, but he suddenly stopped and turned around. "It's late for me to ask, but why did you follow me here?"
It took all her effort to keep a straight face as she looked down at him. "U-Um, just making sure."
"Wait downstairs before I change my mind."
The scent of the sea breeze and the warm sunlight greeted her as she took a step outside. It only occurred to her just now, but she and the commander never went out on a trip before. There had been a couple of occasions where they needed to visit installations and towns from nearby islands, but those hardly count.
Beyond the garden fountain, she immediately recognized the pair, but she held back the urge to call them. A young woman in an UNF uniform moved towards them, her ponytail dangled as she walked in a hurried pace. Firm and imposing, she saluted in front of the pair. "Heavy Cruiser Nachi, reporting—"
"At ease," he said, ruffling his brown hair. "And will you stop doing that? We're not the Navy."
"But Admiral, I—"
"Yeah, I'm not an admiral too. Why is it hard for you girls to just refer to your handlers by name?"
"Well," the other fleet girl said, "I wouldn't expect someone like you to reach a prestigious rank like that anyway. It's just impossible."
"Can you get any blunter than that? Come on."
As she turned around, she noticed Inazuma and waved a hand at her. "Oh, going out too?"
Inazuma walked towards her and bowed. "Ah, yes. Murakumo and Commander Einrost have business to attend to?"
"Business? Yes, that's right." The officer leaned closer to her. "See, I was thinking this is my chance. You know, a date—"
"I can hear you," Murakumo said, raising an eyebrow. "I'll cut off your tongue if you keep spouting nonsense with it."
"What about you, Inazuma?"
Inazuma blinked. "Um, I'm going out with the commander."
"Going... out?" His face darkened. "So he was only biding his time until this day, huh? Never knew he had it in him."
"Wh-What's wrong?"
Murakumo placed a hand over her face. "Don't think of it too much, Inazuma."
"And what do we have here?" He looked at the commander exiting the lobby. "Taking our sweet and innocent Inazuma out on a date. Huh, finally taking the assertive role between you two, eh?"
The two officers only stared down at each other. The commander's eyes reflected a silent fury that could manifest in the physical plane at any moment.
It scared her. No doubt, what she had experienced earlier was only a fraction of what she was seeing now, and she certainly didn't want to be the receiving end of his unspeakable wrath.
Einrost burst out laughing instead. "Man, never change. Never change! Where are you going though?"
He walked towards the group, only stopping next to Inazuma. "No idea. Inazuma's more pushy than usual today and it's kinda annoying to be honest."
"Why are you blaming me? You lost fair and square."
"Lost?" Murakumo repeated. "It must've been a bet then?"
Einrost smiled once more. "A half-assed excuse like that won't take you anywhere. You could've refused, but you still agreed to tag along," he said, glancing at Inazuma. "Fishy? Nope, not really."
"We should get going, Inazuma," the commander said as he adjusted the beret donning his head. He started walking again. "This is just a waste of time."
Inazuma brought out a map from her sling bag as she followed him. "R-Right. Sorry, we'll be going on ahead!"
"Hey, hold on." Einrost placed a hand on the commander's shoulder. "We're inspecting several places today, so you should take a hitch with us. No problem with that, right Nachi?"
Nachi nodded and motioned to a jeep ahead of them. "It would be my pleasure."
"What do you say, Yuu?"
He breathed in deeply, glancing at a wide-eyed Inazuma. "I can't say no to this, can I?"
"Heh. That was quick." Einrost ran towards the jeep. He entered the vehicle, settling next to the driver's seat.
When the rest of them went inside and took their seats, Inazuma found herself between the commander and Murakumo. The air conditioning was pleasant and the seats were supple and comfy.
"Please make yourselves comfortable." The vehicle's engine hummed after Nachi swiped a keycard on the dashboard. "Where do you need to go first, Admi—No, Mister Einrost?"
"Well, we're planning to check some of the recent constructions in the commercial district." He looked at them. "How about you lovebirds?"
The commander then looked at Inazuma. "Where do you want to go?"
"Eh? Um, I haven't decided yet." She looked down at her map. "I've heard a lot of wonderful places to visit, so—"
"Hmph, that's all?" Einrost said. "I recommend taking a walk around Solstice Hills then. Beautiful fields, nice townsfolk, breathtaking lookouts. If it's your first date, it has to be there."
Using her forefinger, Inazuma traced the primary road that would lead them to the hills. Nearly three miles inland from headquarters, but she didn't mind working up a sweat even if she had to walk all the way there. "Thank you, Commander Einrost."
He looked at the commander and cocked his head to the side. "These girls never learn, huh?"
"Very unlike you to not recommend your ventures in the port district," Murakumo said. "Speaking of which, have you considered expanding in that area? I'm sure it will flourish with the local residents living close there."
"Those parts are already as perfect as they are. Urbanization is quite a wildfire though, so we'll have to watch the other guys for any developments."
"You're not in the wrong, but I wouldn't be surprised if you suddenly changed your mind the next day."
"We'll see. But for now, let's drop off these lovebirds first before we head to the district."
Far from Inazuma had expected, Nachi veered the vehicle off the main road as they entered a path through the woodlands. It was quite a bouncy ride, but they reached the western end of the hills in no time. Inazuma and the commander gave their thanks to the others as they left the jeep.
And they began their adventure following the dirt road that crossed through a wide meadow. Everywhere she looked, there were flowers and plants swaying in the breeze. The ocean's pristine beauty was one thing, but she had no idea that such a spectacular place existed close to home.
Wait, not at all. She did hear stories about the countryside from the other girls, but describing the locale with words alone couldn't encapsulate all of its splendor. Seeing everything in person left her at a loss for words.
They strolled through the fields, asking the commander every foreign thing that caught her attention. Her needless and almost nonstop queries proved to be helpful in swatting away the awkward mood in the air as the commander didn't mind humoring them. While she was glad that there were lots of fascinating sights and objects in the area to keep them occupied, she did have to wonder every other minute if he was enjoying the moment as much as her.
To Inazuma, it felt like they were venturing into a realm of the unknown. With all of the countryside's offerings waiting to be discovered, she had a hard time focusing on a single detail. She noticed a bunch of sunflowers lining up the roadside, only to get distracted by a strange-looking bird perched on a post. And at the next moment, she would be inspecting a patch of pineapples stretching towards a stream on other side of the field.
At this rate, she would get herself in a daze as her eyes wandered around like a disoriented honey bee.
After a while, she couldn't help but notice the commander stealing glances at her. As she began to list out possible reasons why, she was immediately reminded of her mission. And to think that she almost lost sight of it!
If she didn't speak up now, she would have to endure more days of self-loathing until she gets another shot at it. She wouldn't want that.
This struggle went on until they reached the hillside flanked by fruit-bearing trees and other plants. The smaller path leading to the lush parts of the forest branched off to the left, marked with a wooden post. Curious, Inazuma read the engraved lettering on the worn-out post and learned that the path would lead them to a shrine of some kind.
Staring down the shadowy pathway, she sensed a subtle yet inexplicable dread emanating from its depths. It was almost as if someone from the other side was staring back at her, deterring anyone who would dare to set foot in the place.
After what seemed like years of idle dawdling, she mustered up the courage to speak up. "Commander, um, you can tell me what's bothering you."
She had lost count on the number of times she said something similar towards him. She should have learned by now, but giving up was not an option either.
The commander was still staring at the pathway. "Tell you what now?"
"W-Well, you look kinda sad, so I figured that you're probably upset about something."
Close, but not quite. There was something else for sure, and Inazuma couldn't place a finger on it.
"It's nothing," he replied.
She needed to press on. "Please, Commander. Maybe I can help you somehow."
"It has nothing to do with work."
"What do I have to do for you to tell me?"
"You're being oddly persistent today. What's gotten into you this time?"
"N-Nothing! I want to know if—um, I mean, I just want to help!"
He studied her face for a moment. "If you want to know that badly, then I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you." His expression lightened. "When I get to be idle like this, my mind tends to wander off on its own."
"It happens to me a lot too," she said, nodding.
He narrowed his eyes in response. "I was contemplating on a few things. Well, particularly about you fleet girls."
"What about us?"
"Can I ask you something? I just want your thoughts about this."
Inazuma gulped. "W-Well, as long as I can answer it."
"Let's see..." He took in a deep breath. "Are you happy of who you are right now?"
Huh?
She heard him loud and clear, but her mind refused to spit out an answer—or if there was any at all. It was as if her thoughts automatically initiated a lockdown. "What do you mean, Commander?"
"Let me spin it for you: did you ever regret being born as a fleet girl?"
"N-No! Not at all!"
"Really?"
"As a fleet girl, even someone like me can help a lot of people. And as long as I can operate this body, I'll do everything I can to stop the conflict in our world's oceans."
"But have you considered what it feels like living a life as a normal girl? Did the thought ever cross your mind before?"
"As a normal girl? That, um—"
"Are you completely fine with the things as they are now? A lot of good people made it possible for you to enjoy a life beyond mere tools of war—a future where only you can decide on and cherish."
Inazuma slowly shook her head. "I don't really mind. I'm a fleet girl, so I'll do what's expected of me."
"I see."
But something about his tone and words didn't add up, and it left her brain churning for clarification. Even if the answer was already obvious, it was certainly strange that he wanted her to think and reconsider. He didn't look satisfied with the answers he got and Inazuma knew it was a foregone conclusion.
What did those questions have anything to do with her duties as a fleet girl? And what kind of answers he was looking for to begin with? More questions kept popping up that she needed to lightly slap her cheeks to snap her out of the loop.
The commander noticed her wavering form. "You okay?"
She shied away from him. "Commander, can I ask you something too?"
"Why are you asking permission?"
"You're the commander."
"We're off duty. And honestly, it bothers me that you have to be so formal to someone like me."
"Um, I don't know. It just... doesn't feel right."
He shrugged. "Alright, let me hear your question."
"Well... it's more of a favor really. Can you tell me a bit more about yourself?"
"About what, specifically?"
"Maybe about the things you did before joining the Peacekeepers?"
"Why do you want to know? Is that the reason why you brought me out here?"
Fast, concise, and direct—he saw through her plans then and there.
And just like that, she felt that she got robbed of the ability to speak. He didn't seem angry about it, but she was hoping that the ground beneath her would swallow her whole to save her from such embarrassment.
But to her surprise, it didn't end there. "No, I was being unfair. It's just that my past isn't exactly an interesting topic to talk about."
"Th-That's not true at all! I'm sure you have a lot of interesting stories to tell!"
"Do I look like someone who went out on a grand adventure across the world or something?" He paused, contemplating. "But if you insist on knowing, I'll need some time to prepare myself, mentally and emotionally."
"Huh? You're not pulling my leg, right?"
He nodded. "You'll know sooner or later anyway."
"Y-You're being vague again."
"Just give me time. I'm not going anywhere."
Fair enough, but she was clutching at straws at this point. Maybe she could ask something else instead? She needed a quick breather too as she had already used up all her courage and energy talking to him like this. "By the way, why didn't you want to leave your room earlier?"
"I wanted to finish my backlog. We've been busy in the past weeks, so I never got to start any of them."
"Backlog? Why didn't you tell me? I could have helped you with that! Are you hiding things behind my back again?"
"But they're all single-player games. If I come across a co-op game next time, maybe you can join me."
Inazuma was stunned. "Video games?"
"What? Do you have a problem with that?"
"The commander loves video games too, huh?"
"Your tone sounds a bit off. Seems like you have something else in mind."
"N-Nothing! You read a lot of books during our downtime in the office, so I thought you're a book lover more than anything else."
As their conversation went to a halt, they continued their stroll until they happened upon a fenced garden on the left-hand side of the road. Inazuma entered through the wide gap and noticed several rows of vegetables on elevated beds, separated with hollow paths between them. Each bed had a tiny sign to indicate the plants in it. She recognized a few of the veggies, but she was more surprised to see them in their unharvested state.
When she happened to look up, she noticed a bunch of oval fruits hanging on a tree. Most of them are green, but she also saw yellowish-green ones bunched together. "Commander, those are fruits, right? What are they called?"
"Those are mangoes," he replied. "They're green right now, but they'll turn yellow when ripe."
"Ah! They're like bananas too? I don't think I've eaten one before."
He had an incredulous look on his face. "Impossible. I'm sure you've already eaten something close without realizing it—maybe some mango-flavored ice cream or juice or random dessert."
"I had grape and watermelon juice before, but not a mango-flavored one." Inazuma looked dejected. "Is it very weird that I haven't tasted one before?"
"Are... are you being serious right now?"
It was a big deal, apparently. Even the commander looked concerned!
He scanned the area while rubbing his chin. "Since we're already here, maybe we can take some with us."
"I don't think we can get one from here though."
"Maybe you can try shooting them down with your guns."
"Th-That's too much! You're gonna get us in trouble!"
"And you actually considered it?" He sighed. "We'll have more luck if we just look for the owner of this garden. They shouldn't be far around this area."
Inazuma was about to inspect the tree closer when she heard a rhythmic clatter not far behind them.
A brown horse trudged on the road as its rider gazed at the treetops that filtered the warm sunlight. Her pale blue hair fluttered in the wind as she took in nature's calm beauty, her eyes gleaming with awe and admiration. As they moved in a leisurely pace, the woman noticed the pair and smiled.
The woman looked past them and hesitated for a moment. But with a gentle motion of her legs, the horse trotted to a quicker pace until they disappeared from sight.
"I wonder if she's from around here," she said, looking at the commander. "Ah, maybe she's a tourist."
He kept his gaze where the woman had left. "Did you see the insignia below the horse's saddle? She's a nature reserve ranger."
"Ah, they're commissioned to protect the environment, right?"
"Yeah, I heard that they're a tough bunch too since they constantly deal with illegal operations inside protected territories and sanctuaries."
There was something else bothering him, judging from the look on his face. "What's the matter, Commander?"
"It feels like I've seen her before. Back in the mainland."
Another woman appeared, walking out from the other side of the garden. "You two," she said, pointing a rusty pick towards them, "entered a restricted area. Explain yourselves."
Her commanding voice, coupled with her well-built form, made the destroyer shudder. "R-Restricted area? Commander, what should we do?"
Adjusting the straw hat on her head, the tanned woman approached them with a firm look on her face. "You. I believe this was tackled during the local protocol orientation. How irresponsible of you to overlook a simple, clear-cut directive."
He narrowed his eyes. "I was never told about it."
Her attention went to Inazuma. "Then you must be his secretary. Just to make it clear, I won't take that kind of excuse from you. It's your responsibility to relay such rules to your commanding officer."
"I'm very sorry! It's my fault and I'll take full responsibility for our intrusion!"
"On your knees then!" Her eyes flared up under her glasses. "Such offense, how small it is, cannot be overlooked."
Holding back a sob, she slowly lowered herself in a crouch. She could feel enormous strength hidden within the woman's impressive build. Opposing someone like her would be a terrible mistake.
Before her knees could touch the ground, the woman took her by the wrist. Her grip was strong like a mechanical clamp. If she wanted to, she could probably snap Inazuma's hand with little effort. Tears began to invade the destroyer's eyes—this sudden development was too much for her to handle.
She waited there whimpering until she heard her say something unbelievable: "You can stand up now. I was kidding."
"Wh-What?" She looked over to the commander, but he only smirked as he avoided eye contact. Gritting her teeth, she rose and stomped towards him. "Th-This is your fault, isn't it?"
"Don't look at me like that. I have to get back at you in some way."
"I knew it! Y-You're just a sore loser!"
"Our thoughts coincided at the right moment. But to my defense, the two of you are clearly trespassing in my property." The woman lowered her head. "Though I should apologize for surprising you."
Inazuma sniffed as she tried to gather the remains of her shattered dignity. "Bullies. The two of you."
"Did I scare her too much?"
"She'll be at this for a while," he said, facing the woman. "You must be a fleet girl—a battleship if I guessed it right?"
The woman blinked twice before smiling. "You are correct. I am Musashi, once a proud member of the Maritime Peacekeeper's 2nd Forward Strike Fleet," she replied. "If my appearance is not good enough of an indication, I spend most of my days here in the countryside—not a shabby place for a retiree like me."
Inazuma suddenly shot up and saluted. "It's an honor meeting one of the Peacekeeper's legends!"
"Likewise. I can see that you're a diligent girl. You'll come a long way in your career." She looked at the commander. "How about you?"
"I'm handling a pathfinding unit," he replied. "Mostly survey assignments for the network, but it's starting to grow on me."
"Keep it up. Reconnaissance and intelligence work are vital to the success of every operation," she said, nodding. "I won't keep you any longer if you have business elsewhere, but I hope you are willing to humor my curiosity first. What brings you here?"
"Sightseeing!" Inazuma replied.
Musashi paused, setting down a basket strapped on her back. "All the way in these parts?"
"Yes. We had someone to drop us off here."
"My secretary told me she hasn't eaten mangoes before," the commander said, "and I was wondering if you could spare us a few."
"C-Commander! What are you saying?!"
"I see, that is certainly troubling." Musashi took off the lid of the basket. "But your timing is impeccable as I was just about to harvest some. Can I ask your assistance with it?"
"That's fine," he replied. "Do you have any tools we can use here?"
"Those won't be necessary. You should stay clear for a moment."
Musashi looked up as she approached the trunk of the tree and place a hand over its surface. She mumbled something for a moment before knocking on the trunk with the back of her fist. The entirety of the tree shook as she did it, and a drizzle of leaves and mangoes burst from the branches.
A stunning display of a battleship's strength.
They gathered the mangoes that littered the ground, placing them inside the basket. As a result, Inazuma acquired firsthand knowledge about the fruit:
The green ones were very firm when held, but those with shades of yellow yielded slightly to her touch and gave off a faint sweet scent. The reason why the battleship had decided to harvest the green mangoes eluded her though.
With a satisfied look on her face, Musashi picked up a mango and examined it thoroughly with her hand. "Are you going to eat them while they're still unripe?" Inazuma asked.
"I must say you have no idea what you're missing out." The battleship lifted her basket and turned around. "Please, follow me. The two of you shall be our guests this afternoon."
"We appreciate the offer, but we should get going," the commander said, exchanging looks with Inazuma
The destroyer nodded repeatedly. "Y-Yes. We don't want to cause more trouble than we already have!"
"After hearing your circumstances," the battleship replied, "I cannot simply overlook them without a clear conscience. And for Inazuma's sake, I won't take no for an answer."
"But—"
"That is final."
"O-Okay..."
They walked further down the pathway until they saw a two-story house on a small clearing. Passing through the picket fence, they went around the house to reach the yard. Musashi motioned at them to enter a small hut next to the porch. She requested the pair to stay there while she stored away her baskets of freshly harvested fruits and veggies elsewhere.
The hut's interior reminded Inazuma of a fast food booth with the large table occupying most of the floor space. Seats in the form of long wooden benches ran along the sides of the hut. Ornaments, such as colored lanterns and plants, were displayed in the corners and windowsills. Lounging there after their hike felt refreshing with the cold air gently blowing against her nape. She thought of it as another authentic experience.
While they waited, a plump, feathery animal walked out of the bushes. It flapped its wings a few times before scraping the ground with its feet. Inazuma quickly recognize it. "Ah, a chicken! So cute!"
"You look happy."
"It's my first time seeing one. I only see them in encyclopedias and picture books. And, um, television."
"I see. That explains a lot."
"What do you mean?" she asked, looking towards him.
He shook his head. "Don't mind me."
"You're not making fun of me again, are you?" She returned her attention to the fluffy fowl, but then the commander stood up and walked out of the hut. He clapped twice and the chicken raised its head in attention. The destroyer held her breath when the chicken made its way to his side.
"H-How did you do that?"
"I'm guessing they're keeping this one as a pet." He lifted the chicken from its underside and went back to his seat. "You can teach them different tricks too if you have the patience for it."
She watched as he turned the chicken towards her. "Hawawa! W-What are you doing?"
"You shoot down enemies many times your size on a daily basis but afraid of a small chicken like this?" He extended his arms. "You try holding her."
"A-Are you sure? Won't it peck or scratch me?"
"She won't. Probably."
"Th-That's not convincing!"
"She'll end up laying an egg here if you keep stalling, you know? Just hold her under her body like this."
Hesitantly, she took the hen from him. The chicken clucked and struggled at first, but it relaxed in her hands after some time. It was a strangely calming, warm sensation—she had never held an animal like this before. She soon realized that the commander was staring at her. "By the way, you don't want her to squeeze too tight," he said. "She'll instantly pop out an egg if you did."
"Really?" Inazuma frowned. "Wait—I'm not going to fall for that one!"
Without warning, the chicken flapped its wings rapidly, escaping towards the commander's side. He picked it up and released it through the window. Disappointed, she looked through the window behind her to see if there were more chickens in the yard. She didn't find any, but she noticed a purple-haired girl in a yukata walking towards the hut.
Carrying a wooden tray, the girl's face brightened up as she noticed the secretary fleet girl. "Hi, Inazuma. I'm glad to see you!"
She returned the smile as she stood up. "Ah, Akatsuki. Good afternoon."
Akatsuki quickened her pace as she entered the hut. "You don't look surprised. Is it because you're so used to seeing me often in your workplace?"
"There's an Akatsuki in our fleet too."
"That explains it." She turned to the commander and bowed. "You must be her Fleet Commander. Thank you for taking care of Inazuma."
He returned the gesture with a nod, but he had a cautious look on his face for some reason. With the introductions out of the way, Akatsuki set two wide bowls in front of them, along with their glasses, utensils, and a pitcher of icy water. Passing a hand over the table, she removed the lids covering the bowls. "For today's lunch, I made my own version of the classic Auspice Special Udon. Most of the ingredients are homegrown, so their freshness is guaranteed."
"It smells nice," Inazuma said. "I'm sure it tastes just as good too."
"Please take your time and enjoy your meal. I made it after all." With a smile, she bowed again. "Please excuse me."
Akatsuki hopped out of the step and made her way back to the porch. "Our Akatsuki could learn a thing or two from her," the commander said. "It would be nice if she can cook something for us too."
Inazuma let out a giggle. "Please don't let her catch you saying that."
"But there's something different about her though."
"What do you mean?"
To their surprise, Akatsuki peered from the window behind Inazuma. "I forgot. If you need to wash your hands," she pointed at a path further into the woods, "there's a water pump you can use there—and um, did I miss anything?"
"N-Nothing!" Inazuma exchanged blank looks with the commander.
Her eyebrows twitched a little, but she managed a smile. "If you say so. Excuse me."
When Akatsuki left, the two of them exited the hut and followed the stone walkway connecting to a small pond. Smooth, round rocks lined up the pond's edges while lily pads covered a good portion of its surface. Colorful fishes peeked out of the gaps, as if it was their way of greeting visitors. Potted plants lined up the opposite side of the area where they found the pump under a shed.
"So, is this the pump?" Inazuma inspected the metal pump. "How do you turn it on?"
"Ah, you don't." The commander grabbed its handle, pushing it downwards. As he did, water rushed out of the spout. "It's operated by hand."
"That's great! You don't have to worry about outages with this, right?"
"For a former Navy girl, you sure had a cozy life during your stay there."
"Well, the backwater boot camp where I did my preliminaries had adequate facilities, but the auxiliary branch I got stationed in after that was one of the more advanced command centers in the mainland, so I guess you're right."
The commander fell silent and creased his nose. "And a few months after that, you signed up for the Peacekeeper's management course. Why the sudden one-eighty?"
"It might be weird for a fleet girl to say this, but naval combat was never a strong point of mine." She forced a smile. "And the Navy was cleaning up their ranks that time, so the timing was perfect. I saw it as a chance to make myself more useful working on the administrative level."
He had a glum expression on his face. He looked like he had something else to say. "I didn't mean to bring that up."
"It's okay," she replied. "But you're probably wondering if I ever regretted leaving the Navy. Or maybe if I'm satisfied with the decisions I've made so far. Am I right?"
"Hm? How—"
She smiled again. But this time, it was a sincere smile. "I think... I'm starting to understand you."
She managed to drive off the uneasiness between them, but it was easily replaced with another kind of awkwardness. A much more embarrassing one, in fact. It just kinda slipped out of her tongue, that's all!
He started on the pump, filling the bucket to the brim. They washed their hands in it afterwards. "About earlier," he began, "did you notice it too?"
Inazuma caught on, recalling their exchange earlier. "About Akatsuki?"
"She looks... younger compared to you and our Akatsuki. So, fleet girls can grow too?"
"Silly commander. Ships don't grow!"
"I'm lost. Care to explain?"
"How should I put it? Um, we don't grow like humans do. Physical changes in a fleet girl's body are just a secondary effect of modernization and remodeling processes." Inazuma brought out some tissues from her bag and handed some to the commander. "It only happens sometimes, and the differences aren't noticeable anyway."
"But you're almost a head taller than her. Huge disparity if you ask me."
She could feel her blood rushing towards her cheeks. "B-But I'm still small. Especially compared to you! A-And I'm wearing my thick sandals too!"
"Stop using me as a metric. It's kinda insulting since I'm not that—"
"Getting along nicely, I see." Musashi stood at the pathway, tightening the sash of her loose-fitting yukata. "I was wondering where you two went. Akatsuki already served your dishes, if I'm not mistaken."
"We did take our time, didn't we?" He tapped Inazuma's shoulder, startling her a bit. "Let's hurry back. We can continue where we left off later."
It was a good thing that they had covered their bowls before they left earlier. Their noodles were still fairly hot when they got back and Inazuma couldn't wait to dig in. Musashi sat next to the commander while she waited for Akatsuki. Not long after that, another girl arrived, carrying several plastic bags. Her shoulders heaved as if she had sprinted for quite a distance. With both of her hands occupied, sweat beads freely trickled down from her forehead.
"Did you run into trouble on the way back?" Musashi asked.
"I'm sorry, Miss Musashi. I needed to go all the way to the shopping district for the other items." Her expression soured. "And dealing with that clerk was really troublesome."
"I see. Akatsuki should be almost done with our lunch." Musashi gestured at Inazuma and the commander. "We shouldn't keep our guests waiting."
"Visitors? Good day, I'm Asashio. Pleased to meet you." She bowed, causing a few strands of her black hair to stick over her face. "Um, excuse me. I'll have to clean myself up for a bit."
"How many of you are staying in this place?" the commander asked.
"Aside from the destroyers you have already met," Musashi said, "there's also Ise and Hiyou, but they only return here during the holidays."
There was that other girl on horseback, now that she remembered. Was she from here too?
In the next minute, Akatsuki and Asashio returned with three more trays worth of food to serve on the table. Inazuma scooted over to the other end of the bench to accommodate them.
Akatsuki set a bowl and a steaming large pot in front of Musashi. "And here's your udon, Miss Musashi. I added plenty of smoked beef and tofu there," she said. "And yes, I made it a tad spicier for that extra kick."
"Thank you. Having to taste your cooking everyday is a privilege. Believe me when I tell you that you're shaping up to be a fine woman."
"O-Of course!" Akatsuki tensed up, looking away with a flushed face. "Jeez, you can be a real picky eater if the mood strikes you, huh?"
"That's a new reaction," the commander said. "Or rather, a very familiar one."
"H-Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"
"What about yours, Akatsuki?" Inazuma asked. "And Asashio's too."
"Same as you two." Akatsuki settled beside her. "Asashio's having the same noodles as Miss Musashi, but a bit on the sweet side."
Asashio's cheeks reddened. "Y-You don't have to go into detail, Akatsuki!"
"Settle down, you two." Musashi took the pot's ladle and began filling her bowl. "Well then, dig in before the food gets cold."
With the dish before her tickling her senses, Inazuma lightly stirred her udon using her chopsticks. She was now having this dilemma whether she should start with the noodles, the broth, or its abundant selection of toppings. A full minute passed and she realized that she was only wasting her time. Scratch that, every component in the bowl was meant to complement the whole dish anyway. Why did she even bother?
While eating their lunch, Akatsuki didn't make a sound as she focused on the food in front of her. She was rather systematic down to the little details too, reminding Inazuma of their own Akatsuki. On the other hand, Asashio glanced towards Inazuma and the commander every now and then. She seemed tense ever since she arrived. Inazuma thought it was understandable as they were invited there without prior notice.
And surprising no one, Musashi worked on her noodle pot without delay. All the while, she shared her usual activities every morning, which includes gardening and livestock raising, to the commander. It was interesting to hear all those things from a fleet girl like her—the radical shift of her lifestyle was remarkable on its own.
By the time Inazuma had finished her bowl, Musashi's noodle pot was already down to the last third of its contents. She didn't know how or why, but watching someone with that kind of appetite motivated her to stuff down more food than usual in her stomach.
"Miss Musashi, are they here to ask for your guidance?" Asashio asked.
"You're mistaken. They're our guests, and nothing more."
"Guidance?" The commander looked up from his empty bowl to Musashi. "Are you an instructor of some kind?"
"Yes," Asashio replied. "Miss Musashi is a well-respected veteran who fought countless battles in the past and—"
Musashi downed the remaining broth in her bowl. "Asashio, I believe I'm not that old."
"A-Ah, my apologies. What I meant to say was, she has extensive knowledge in the field of naval combat, that's why—"
"On the contrary, I could never compare to the legend you're referring to. I only did my duty as a fleet girl, nothing more."
"Well, if there's someone who knows her way around the front lines more than anyone else, it has to be Miss Musashi!"
Musashi glanced at Akatsuki who seemed to have understood her gesture right away. "Ah, yes. Should I serve some mangoes too?" Akatsuki asked. "I have a few mangoes chilled earlier."
The battleship then looked at Inazuma. "Slice up a few of the ones I brought in as well."
"A-Ah, I got this, Akatsuki!"
Asashio, growing more and more uncomfortable in her seat, stood up and left the group. Inazuma and the commander glanced at each other.
"What was that about?" he asked.
"It had to be done," Musashi said. "As you've already witnessed, she can get overly enthusiastic at times. The girl means well though, so I cannot fault her for that."
Akatsuki had finished her glass of water. "In simpler terms, she's a fan of Miss Musashi."
"I ask of you to not say that with a straight face."
It didn't take Asashio long to return with two mango platters and a newly refilled pitcher on a tray. She placed the tray on the middle of the table, which was already cleaned up after everyone was done with their meals.
"I'm still struggling to believe that you haven't eaten a mango all your life." The battleship handed the platter full of bright yellow mangoes to Inazuma. "Have as many as you like. You do not have to hold back on our account."
"Err... Th-Thank you?"
Inazuma was nervous and excited, with most of the former caused by the curious, pitiful eyes watching her every move. They didn't even bother to be subtle about it. Feeling sorry for herself, it was as if she had been living a miserable life without realizing the fruit's full splendor.
She picked up a serving, holding it from the underside. Its fleshy cubes jutted out and wiggled as she lightly pushed the mango upwards with her fingertips. Carefully, she scooped up a cube with her spoon to taste.
"It's really good!"
She got so caught up in the cold, mellow goodness that she finished her serving without realizing it. Musashi pushed the plate with the green mangoes towards her. It also had smaller dishes for some kind of red paste, a brownish sauce, and salt. "Now try this."
"Eh? Is it, um, okay to eat?" The variety of condiments intrigued her too, but those had to wait for now. She picked up a small portion and let her taste buds decide for her. Its flavor and texture was way different—she found it hard to believe that she was eating the same fruit. "It's sour, but it has a bit of that sweet aftertaste. I like it!"
"See?" Musashi took a slice, dipped it in the paste, and popped it into her mouth. "It's unfortunate that Akatsuki isn't a fan of green mangoes."
Akatsuki grabbed a mango cheek and a spoon. "I can't simply like something just because you think I would." She looked at Inazuma. "How did you two end up here? Do you have any business here?"
"Um, sightseeing?"
"And you came here with him instead of the other me? What about your other friends?"
"They have other things they needed to do, so I invited the commander instead."
"No, you didn't," the commander said. "I was perfectly fine until you showed up. And I was looking forward to the live press cons too."
"Press cons? But you're just gonna play games all day anyway!"
"Uh, who's telling the truth?" Asashio asked.
Akatsuki pointed her spoon at him. "You better be grateful that she even considered inviting you in the first place! I advise you shouldn't get so ahead of yourself just because you're surrounded by women every day!"
He knitted his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"
When Inazuma reached out for another mango serving, the wailing of sirens blared from the distance. She turned her towards the window as she held her breath. Maybe everything would quiet down if they waited for a few more seconds.
It didn't happen.
Akatsuki dropped her spoon. "That... that can't be it, can it?"
Musashi simply stood up. "I'm afraid this is not a drill. Akatsuki, monitor the comm channels inside. We'll need to get in touch with our network."
"Y-Yes!"
Everyone vacated the hut while Akatsuki hurried back to the house. Her heart racing, Inazuma looked down at her terminal. The realization pierced through her indiscriminately. "An attack? The island's being attacked?"
However, she was not the only one who didn't take this situation very well. What surprised her even more was the commander himself. He looked pale and his eyes glazed over. His frame trembled as sweat started to form on his forehead.
"C-Commander, are you okay?"
He didn't respond. She called him again, but her words didn't elicit any reaction. At that moment, Musashi reached out to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Snap out of it. Your secretary's waiting for your orders."
With a gentle squeeze from the battleship, he was brought out of his trance instantly. He shook his head, recovering just as quick. "Inazuma, contact the others and set up a meeting point for us to regroup at."
"You should hurry. Asashio, can you lend them your bicycle?"
"This way." Asashio ran past them, leading them to the other side of house. She brought out a blue bicycle out of the shed, handing it over to the commander. It had a basket at the front and a rectangular seat over its rear wheel.
Inazuma grabbed the sleeve of his jacket. "Commander, don't push yourself too hard. Are you sure you're really okay?"
He breathed in deeply as he turned his head to look at her. "I'll be fine. Hop on, we have to catch up with the others."
Or so he claimed. She had no choice but to hold onto his word and hope for the best.
