A/N: A thanks to the same guys from the last one responsible for checking my stuff so the rest of you don't get to see my mistakes.

Frankly, let me just be the first to mention I'm probably more surprised than you I got this next one out so fast. I'll thank Ever-Present Feeling and The Battle is to the Strong for setting the right mood I needed. Completely unexpected this soon, here's:

An Ocean's Sword
Chapter 4
Short of War (I) – First Contact

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Above the country of Japan, the fairy designated 'Saiun Model Number 329' by her sisters took another look out the window of her beloved aircraft. Currently passing over the Kyūshū prefecture, the little brunette currently wearing a blue school uniform pursed her lips as she once again failed to see anything pertaining to her mission.

Though she was currently flying with the morning sun to her back, she had little concern for anyone taking notice of her. Fortunately, to any citizens below, they'd likely wave off her appearance as that of just another remote toy of some kid. There were certainly some advantages that came with maintaining the full equipment of her predecessors despite her plane being no larger than the average hawk. It was especially useful in tasks like her current one.

She and a number of her other sisters had been assigned the task of reconnaissance, looking for any signs of resources that would bring a boost to their current forces. They had each been attached to territories surrounding the major harbors, the areas under highest suspicion for obvious reasons. Though 'looking' was a bit of an inaccurate term. In truth all they were doing was flying in circles, paying attention for any unexpected disturbances of magic in the local ley lines that might hint towards other catalysts.

If the lack of any radio chatter was anything to go by, none of them had been any more successful than she herself, and as to whose orders they were following?

They knew her as 'Central', and her commands may as well been their law, passed down directly from the 'Boss' himself. Thanks to that position even the girls who acted as their masters took a lesser place in priority, Saiun 329 and the rest of her unit going so far as to act directly under the orders of their fellow fairy; a personal unit, so to speak.

Her hand held loosely to the yoke, she leaned back in her seat, still attentive, if a bit unsatisfied, with what she was doing. The real problem was that none of them really understood what it was they were doing, what they were looking for. For all they knew-

What?!

Her entire plane suddenly shook from heavy turbulence, and little fairy eyes grew wide with shock as she grabbed the controls with both hands. The danger passed just as quickly as it appeared, but there was hardly a cloud in the sky. In fact, the weather conditions were as prime as could be, so what exactly happened? Had she hit an unexpected cold front or…?

Looking out her window again, she found herself currently passing over a collection of warehouses that were a part of the Sasebo Naval District. It was likely just a coincidence, but well, it wasn't like she was doing anything else right now.

It was worth checking into, at the very least.

Relaying her situation over the radio, Saiun 329 pushed her yoke forward…

With the bell signaling the start of lunch break, Shirou opened his desk to grab the lunch he'd prepared that morning. It might only be a thing he'd made out of the scraps left over from Kaga's and Shigure's boxes, but sometimes simple meals like this were nice once awhile too.

"What the…!"

Only to find himself lurching forward as he stood up, the box's weight shifting unexpectedly in a manner that nearly had him lose hold of it. Shaking off the concerned glances of his classmates, he unwrapped the handkerchief and lifted the lid, only to find the sheepish eyes of a little fairy looking back at him.

'Central?'

That was the name she had given him when he'd gotten around to asking. His mind had been so disorganized in their first meeting he'd completely forgot. He found it fitting, especially after he was introduced to the respect she commanded from the others of her kind, and through her, him as well. Or was it the other way around?

It didn't really matter honestly. What did, however, was what she was doing hidden in his lunch. Closing the box and leaving the classroom, with a quick call to Ayako and Shigure he had to be somewhere, he headed for a place he could get some privacy. In the worst case he could pass her off as some kind of doll, but that would in turn only lead to other questions he didn't want to consider. His reputation was suffering enough already as it was.

He found himself standing next to a desk in an empty classroom, looking to Central who had hopped down and was currently scribbling on that notepad she carried with her. Was this the reason she had shown up? Another one of those decisions?

When he saw his options he immediately wrote off the first two as too mundane for her to go so out of the way, but the third was one he found rather suspicious.

Search for Kaga?

Now that he thought about it, the carrier had left shortly before lunch had started. Normally he wouldn't be one to pry, but if he was reading into this correctly, was Central trying to tell him that's exactly what he needed to do?

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to look."

Nodding, the fairy gave him a salute, before disappearing in the manner common to her and her many subordinates. Packing his stuff, he began navigating the busy hallways, a destination already in mind. There was only one place he could imagine she'd be other than at his side.

'Just as I thought.'

As he suspected, he found her in the archery dojo, surprisingly vacant despite the time of day. She stood at the far end of the deck floor, her school uniform replaced with the kyūdō attire in blue that made up her true identity as 'aircraft carrier Kaga'. In her hands was a bow fully drawn, her eyes focused forward, her stance a perfect example of the proper form. The calm wind that was blowing brushed against her usual ponytail, and with an ideal Japanese spring as her backdrop, he found himself momentarily awestruck.

In spending so much time together, he'd almost forgotten just how beautiful this girl was when she was in her element.

No illusion can last forever, though. Shaking his head with a look of resignation that said 'it can't be helped,' he interrupted, "You know you could get in trouble if anyone found you like this unsupervised, right?"

With a calm exhale, the carrier slowly released the tension in her bow, turning fully to face him, "Admiral? How long have you…?" Her eyes sought the clock they had hung up in the clubroom, her eyes widening an almost indecipherable amount when she saw what time it was. "I apologize. It hadn't been my intention to stay here for so long."

"I don't mind." He shrugged. "But I guess I am wondering what you're doing here in the first place. It's not usual I see you skipping out on meals like this."

In contradiction to his amused jab, the look in her brown eyes became troubled, and he considered the idea he might have said something that overstepped his bounds. As it was, it happened to be something else entirely.

"As usual, it's just as you say. Recently, I've been frustrated with a few things, matters that are outside of my control. I came here with the intention of calming my emotions, but I suppose I ended up slipping into old habits instead." Closing her eyes briefly, both the bow and her outfit disappeared in wisps of light, revealing the uniform she had still been wearing underneath. He looked over his shoulder just to make sure no one else had seen that. He'd have to remind her to be more careful in the future.

"Anything you want to talk about?" he asked, as she walked up to his side and they made their way back to the main building.

"Just one. Shirou, what's a tsundere?"

He stopped, staring at her back in suspicion as the carrier continued walking. "Where is this coming from?"

This time she stopped as well, looking over her shoulder to answer, "When I tried to explain my feelings to Taiga she responded by telling me that 'tsundere characters are overrated'."

Fuji-nee… what exactly were you trying to put into this girl's head?

"Kaga, what was it that you told her?"

"A few things. Namely that whenever Shigure and I are in the same room, I've been uncomfortable. That whenever the two of you are together, I feel the strong urge to interrupt your conversations. The two of you have grown… close, in the short time you've been together, and I get the impression that I'm losing to her in a manner I don't understand. It's not a feeling I enjoy."

Her cheeks blushed lightly at the admission, averting her gaze to avoid meeting eyes with him, and in response, Shirou could only look back with an expression stuck somewhere between dumbstruck and troubled. "I… huh. I guess I've never considered the day I'd ever see you getting jealous of someone."

"Admiral?"

He wasn't paying attention, continuing to mutter, "No, I guess now that I think about it, it makes sense. It might have only been my intention to help Shigure adjust since her summoning, but thanks to that we haven't talked much just between the two of us."

"Admiral." That time she didn't phrase it as a question.

"Hm? Oh, sorry." Shaking his head, he said, "I'm not really sure what to say that'd help, but I suppose I can always start with apologizing."

He started moving again, and as always she was quick to follow. "I think I know what's going on, and I also imagine it's mostly my fault." An old conversation of theirs came to his mind, back when this girl had first started to open up to him. He knew he was speculating, but was this her way of expressing her fear he'd replace her as more kanmusu found their way to his side?

Or was this just a reaction to her losing her place as his one and only shipgirl?

In either case… "As one of my closest friends, I can't let you go off thinking I keep you around just because you're useful to me or that I need you. Friendship isn't some kind of equal exchange of give-and-take. A long time ago, I made the mistake of thinking that, not realizing that kind of mentality only keeps people at arm's length. If it hadn't been for a certain classmate of mine knocking some sense into me when I really needed it, I imagine everyone would still just see me as some 'fake janitor' they could ask to solve all their problems."

Turning to the carrier as they walking back into the school, he gave her that encouraging grin of his that – far be it be known to him – had smitten more than one of his female classmates. "I'm probably the last person who has the right to say such a thing, but it's okay to be selfish once in a while."

As she continued to listen, if anyone saw her at that moment, the tenderness in her eyes, her growing reputation as Homurahara's ice queen would've likely disappeared in an instant. However, there was no one in sight, which was probably a good thing, as otherwise she'd have probably never considered…

"Kaga?"

He looked down, reacting as she grabbed the end of his sleeve. Though she had turned her face away from him, he could still see her looking at him from the corner of her eye, wordlessly asking for permission.

"As a friend, is it okay for me to rely on you like this?"

He didn't give an answer, but at that point, it wouldn't have meant much anyway. He instead kept walking forward, back to where their other friends were likely wondering where the two have them had gotten off to. Though he had no way of knowing such, it would be the first time the carrier took comfort in the idea that as long as she left everything to her admiral, things would always turn out okay.

She wouldn't be the last to think that.

What he did notice however was a small message appearing in his mind, one of the cues he recognized not as his own thoughts, but that clairvoyance given to him by the fairies offering him an insight into the shipgirls' status.

[Congratulations! Kaga's Rank Increased!]

One of these days he'd make the mistake of asking what that ranking system was about, but for now, he was perfectly content to continue his living in ignorance.

"…and somehow, that got me into this situation."

"Shirou?"

"No, it's nothing, Shigure. Just reflecting on the weird transitions that happen in my life, and whether they're self-induced or just the effect of being the favorite plaything of some cosmic entity."

"I see." She didn't, but he appreciated her overlooking his acting out-of-character. A consequence of his attempts to ignore his current predicament.

He was alone, with a girl, going shopping. No Fuji-nee to supervise. Even he wasn't dense enough to miss the implications.

Granted, he hadn't planned for things to turn out this way. The expectation was that Ayako and Kaga were going to take part in the efforts of getting the most recent member of the Emiya household some new clothes, but in a twist of fate, he found himself heading for Shinto alone with the destroyer.

Speaking of which, her introduction in school earlier that day had almost been a sigh of relief compared to the unleashed chaos Kaga's had been. It probably helped he'd made sure he was the one to come up with a fake family name this time, and that Shigure herself had the awareness not to mention she was living with him. It had also impressed him, that like the carrier before her, she'd had no difficulties taking the entrance exam, passing with flying colors in fact.

When he asked how, she merely replied with the vague answer that when you could perform multi-variable functions off the top of your head to account for wind velocity, the roll of ocean waves, and the distance to your target necessary for any firing solution, anything you found on a high school exam was at most a breath of fresh air in comparison.

He figured it was best to just take her word for it. That, and that the two girls living with him were apparently doing so far under their 'pay-grade.'

Of course, none of that had done anything to stop the suspicious glares he felt when people started to catch on that she stuck as close to his side as the carrier did during break times. Ayako's smirking didn't do anything to help matters. Neither did her new nickname for him. A sign she'd been talking with Fuji-nee too much lately.

Dammit, he was not a harem protagonist.

Leaving aside the matter of his rapidly descending reputation, Shigure had adjusted well since her summoning. Between Kaga pioneering the same path beforehand and the destroyer's own endearing personality, helping these girls adapt to their new lives was becoming easier for him. He almost couldn't believe that less than a month ago he hadn't even known what kanmusu were.

Now he couldn't imagine a life without them.

As an example, it was difficult to look away from the girl who sat next to him on the bus seat they'd taken, her blue eyes wide with amazement as she looked out the window and took in the sights of a modern Japan. He often saw it with Kaga too, though respectively more subdued. The innocence both of them showed in their curiosity as they saw a world so different to the one they were used to.

The same innocence that had encompassed his childhood as he chased after his father.

The contrast between the two didn't escape him. For while these girls had been built for, walked through, and all fell to a burning hell, he had been born from it. Perhaps that had some effect on their compatibility, or perhaps it didn't, but in either case, those had undoubtedly been events that had shaped each of them into people who saw the world differently than most.

"Shirou?" This time, her tone was less confused and much more concerned.

He shook his head. "Sorry. Just burying myself in old burdens. Don't worry about it. Just something that happened a long time ago."

"If you say so, but if you ever want to talk…"

Nodding to her in appreciation, the rest of their ride passed in relative silence. As they got off just outside the shopping district, however, it occurred to him there was something in all of this he had overlooked.

Shigure nervously retreated to his side as she was faced with the crowds that walked Shinto in late afternoon. She was doing better since they'd first met, but handling the sight of this many people at once might've been asking too much. He still wasn't certain what to do about it either. It was apparent in the few times he had gotten her to open up that the destroyer wasn't naturally this shy. A bit soft-spoken for certain, but otherwise her personality gave the impression of someone who got along with others easily.

"You okay?" The most he could do at this point was try and offer her what comfort he could.

She gave a small smile, one meant to encourage herself just as much as him. "Yeah, it's just… I guess I wasn't expecting how many people there'd be."

"It's only natural, I think. It's only been a short while since you were brought back. Give it time. Until then, learn to lean on your friends. Kaga, Ayako, myself, even Fuji-nee if she's in one of her more reliable moments. Just don't make the mistake of trying to deal with it alone." It was a lesson he'd learned the hard way, involving more than a few good knocks to his head from an all-too-pushy older sister of his.

Slowly, a little white-haired goddess was doing the rest.

For Shigure's part, the tension was gradually easing from her shoulders, and though it was slow, it was also noticeable that her gait next to him had a bit more confidence behind it. That lasted for all of about ten minutes before they walked through the doors of the recently built shopping center, Verde.

There was a reason it was considered one of the largest in the city.

The destroyer stopped cold as they walked through the main doors, and yet when he looked back instead of the fear he was expecting, in her eyes shined an awe that made her previous interest smolder in comparison. He could only imagine what such a place would look like, from the eyes of a girl who'd lived during the last world war.

"Shigure."

It was a trick he'd picked up on recently, likely something ingrained into them through their nature as kanmusu. All he had to do was speak with some manner of authority backing his voice, and in either Kaga's or her case, they'd shake off any and all other distractions. It was no different this time, and after a quick shake of her head, a light blush colored the destroyer's cheeks when she noticed he was waiting on her.

He said with a teasing grin, "Well, sailor, let's see about getting you some new equipment."

From there it was more or less the same experience he'd had with Kaga and Tia, only this time it fell on his shoulders to pick out the outfits. In that field, while he was certainly no fashion expert, he'd gotten enough crash courses from Ayako on the subject over the years that he could at least tell the difference between what looked nice and what didn't.

One of the first things Ayako had taken upon herself as their friendship was still in its early stages was grab him and make sure she gave that whole stereotype of guys being unable to shop a firm kick to the curve. In the end, he'd gotten a list of fashion, hairstyling, and body care tips from the whole experience he was quick to deem as utterly useless.

Then Kaga had come along, and not only did he find the skills invaluable, he went back to his childhood friend for more.

Instead, she taught him a different lesson: To never doubt a woman's intuition, ever again.

As to the shopping itself, he wasn't sure if it was a fortunate thing or not, but like the carrier before her it was more difficult to find things his companion didn't look attractive in. Keeping that in mind, rather than fall into any common mistakes, he went with some of the more simple choices. A blue button-up that complemented Shigure's eyes. A black skirt that matched the one she wore with her rigging. A white spaghetti strap for those occasional lazy days. It was a simple style, but anything more elaborate he'd leave to the professionals.

The same choice of which he made when it came to underwear. He didn't need to watch any of Fuji-nee's anime to know how badly that changing experience could turn out. It may have also been something of a contributing factor that he couldn't even look at a lingerie store without feeling the heat building in his cheeks.

The less said about what happened when his imagination betrayed him anyway and started switching the mannequins with the figures of his friends… yeah, he'd make sure to take that one to his grave.

Afterward, as the two of them were spending some idle time window shopping, one of the displays caught his attention. A shiny panel with several of the new tech products coming out: computer parts, media players, and televisions. Things he rarely paid much attention to these days, as the mechanical side of things had always appealed to him more than the electrical. Yet this time he stopped in front of a store he'd likely passed dozens of times before, the girl at his side now looking up at him in bewilderment.

Strange. He'd never placed much thought in buying a cell phone before, but now... for some reason, the thought wouldn't leave him.

The idea of buying one for himself didn't feel right, though, so it wasn't a matter of personal interest. His thoughts naturally drifted from himself to the shipgirl at his side, but wouldn't that be an even more impractical gesture? From what he could gather each kanmusu had at least basic radio as a part of their rigging, so communication shouldn't have been anything of a concern.

No, that wasn't true actually. In fact, he was thinking from the wrong perspective again. His ultimate goal was getting these girls to fit in, to make friends of their own eventually, so how were they supposed to talk to those people with equipment that would only invite the wrong questions? Not to mention he didn't even know if the two forms of communication were even compatible. He briefly thought about relying on his home phone, but if his number of residents kept increasing that'd only turn into a logistical nightmare, so he ruled that quickly out of the question.

"Shirou, are you troubled? Is there anything I can do to help?"

Upon seeing Shigure's earnest expression, an inquisitive tilt to her head, he tossed the matter aside and made his decision. Hadn't it been a while since he determined these girls had more than earned the occasional gift?

Let it just be mentioned he didn't even think to factor in the several bags of clothing he was already carrying. Those didn't count. Clothes were a necessity. Though he might've conveniently overlooked the fact his caretaker had a grandfather more than capable, and just as willing, to pay the expense.

That charity wasn't going unnoticed.

"Just thinking of getting you something as appreciation for following me around today," he said, nodding to the employee who opened the door for him as he entered the shop. In doing so, however, he completely missed the soft murmur behind him.

"But Admiral, what's the point of that, if I've never given you anything in return?"

Knowing she'd just choose the cheapest model she could find on display, after hearing the recommendations he made the choice of model himself, leaving the color to her when the clerk asked. He also picked up a nice little charm that he noticed she had her eye on that could be attached as an accessory, one that bore a resemblance to the one she wore in her hair. He wasn't sure of the significance, but the care he'd seen her treat it with told him it was at least more than some decoration.

He ending up selecting a solid model that skipped all the slider and flip gimmicks, things he didn't even need his structural analysis to see breaking on a dime. While he was at it, he also grabbed the same model for Kaga and one for himself. He even made sure to grab a childish looking model, with an emphasis on the shiny plastic, for a certain troublemaker. With everything bundled together, it admittedly made a bit of a dip in his savings, but it was still nothing in comparison to his growing food bill.

Collecting a few things for dinner as they left, the sun had begun to set by the time they made it back to where the bus would pick them up. Or at least, that had been his intended destination.

It was as they walked together, though, that he noticed her focus had drifted to something beyond the crowds of people that still gathered, the towering skyscrapers, or any of the other sights of city life. When he looked in the same direction, it wasn't difficult to guess what.

The ocean?

Now that he thought about it, she hadn't had the opportunity to see the harbor since her summoning, had she? As a matter of fact, he reflected with a wistful expression, the only times she had seen the water at all was from half a city away.

They could afford at least one more stop before they headed home.

"Hey, Shigure, let's go this way for a bit. There's one more place I think we should visit."

Giving him an inquisitive look, she nonetheless stayed obediently at his side as always. It didn't take long for her to realize where they were going, her expression something caught between gratitude and embarrassment.

When they arrived, the view they got was a fantastic one of the sunset reflected on the water. Even better, the crowds had thinned to just a few guys packing up their fishing gear off the port, and for the first time that day the tension in the destroyer's shoulders appeared to finally relax. When he over to her, the heartfelt smile on her lips as she looked at the water was all the confirmation he needed in his choice.

"Admiral," she said, finally breaking out of the informal manner of address now that they were alone. "Thank you."

"Anytime."

A comfortable silence drifted between them, and though he recognized they'd probably have to walk home at this rate, he was fine with that outcome. He was only now beginning to realize how much she needed this. Was it an effect of her nature that was tied to the ocean? The familiar sight of a harbor? This was probably the first time he had difficulty reading the answer from her.

But something told him he probably looked similar whenever he visited a certain park.

"Admiral," Shigure opened, "what do you think of when you see the water?"

There was only one thing that came to mind, honestly. "When I was younger, my dad often left for trips overseas from here. More than once, I stood on this pier long after his boat disappeared, and it'd fall on Fuji-nee to shake me out of that trance."

"I'd stay like that for most of the time he was gone, my body going through the basic motions with my mind lost in thought until he'd return several months later. When I knew he was coming back, I'd hassle Fuji-nee for a ride, and often we'd get here several hours before he actually got back."

"It was difficult for me to ever like this place, but I don't think I ever hated it either. I guess what I'm trying to say is, these waters often took the only thing I cared about back then, but they were also the one thing that brought him back."

"Then I started learning about you and your sisters, and strangely, this place began to feel more like home. I started seeing it less as a place of ebb and flow, and more so of a place of beginning, where everything finds its origin. A connection to so many different places, to so many different choices. I'll admit I've rarely visited since Dad passed away, but it's never been because I felt uncomfortable here."

"It's funny. In saying all of this I'm beginning to think that, maybe… the reason I felt a pull towards you girls in the first place was because I felt drawn to this place of endless possibility."

It was a bit odd actually. He hadn't originally intended to say all that much, but in putting his feelings into words he found he had a lot more to say on the subject than he thought. Were those really his feelings? Now that he thought about it, Shigure wasn't the only one who found herself comfortable here.

"I see, I guess I never thought about it like that." Her response brought his attention to the strange contrast at his side, between her expression and her stance. Her eyes revealed feelings of nostalgia, bittersweet but undeniably warm, while meanwhile her hands were clenched tightly at her sides.

Now that he thought about it, what had such a place looked like, in a time of war?

"Admiral, if I could ask one last question. And please, be honest with me." She looked up to him, with more vulnerability in her blue eyes than she had ever shown. "Why do you try so hard to take care of us? What have we done to earn your loyalty?"

That voice in the back of his head was staring him down again, the one responsible for drawing his attention in times of urgency. It was telling him what he said here, would likely form the foundation of their entire relationship.

Well, if she was willing to open herself to him… "I've mentioned before what my dream is, right? My ideal. I'm working to become a hero of justice, of saving everyone so that they can all come back smiling."

"Before he passed away, my father told me of how difficult that was, that it's impossible to save everyone because to save one person means not saving another. Something in me accepted that as meaning that as long as I was alone, that ideal would forever lie outside my grasp. I realized that for such a thing to happen, first I'd need to learn to rely on others."

"It was the hardest lesson of leadership for me to accept. To be perfectly honest, I still don't. But if I really am supposed to be yours and Kaga's admiral, then the first thing I have to accept is that you two are capable of things that I never will be. I know firsthand it's not easy to rely on people, but it won't change the fact you girls gave me a responsibility that demands I do such, and that's far more important than something as meaningless as my pride. As for helping you out, I just think it's the best way for me to express those feelings."

"Honestly, it's nothing more than that I just like making sure the people around me are happy."

Sitting down on the edge of the pier, placing down the bags he carried to the side, he noticed that in their time together, everyone around them had left, with the sun disappearing beyond the horizon to reveal a full moon. Turning his head to the girl behind him, he had to hold back a chuckle at the way her mouth half-opened and closed, as if that explanation had been the last thing she expected to hear.

None of that did anything to detract from her form standing in the moonlight. He was reminded of a night similar to this one when he had first laid eyes on a girl in a similar setting. Unlike the carrier, though, it was clear to him that the night was this girl's element. Because quite frankly, he couldn't recall a time she'd looked more breathtaking.

He thought of the similar thoughts he'd had of Kaga earlier that day, feeling a light blush rising to his cheeks as he did so. Geez, at this rate, he might end up falling for one of these girls without even noticing it.

Back with Shigure. After another minute of her surprise, she seemed to shake herself of that hesitation, finally deciding on a response.

"Admiral…"

But she stopped, whatever she was going to say lost as her face underwent a quick and drastic change. It was an expression he'd never seen on her before, and frankly, now he was the one left stunned. Her stance became alert, her back straightening to its full length, while at the same time her focus shifted to the water. Gone, however, were any impressions of nostalgia. If he had to place it…

He'd say it looked like she was getting ready for a fight.

Before he could ask what was going on, in a flash of light her school uniform was replaced by the appearance of her full rigging. Long artillery guns rose from her back, while in her hands she carried a small turret, torpedo tubes attached at her thighs. The black uniform that made him think she was the student of another school was back, with what looked like little rudders now attached to her shoes.

"Admiral, go call Kaga for help! She'll protect you!" The urgency in her tone gave him pause, which allowed her to make a run for the edge of the pier before he could react, ending with an impressive jump for the water. When she hit, instead of the splash he was expecting, she landed as if she were still on land. He was left even more speechless as he watched her standing on the water, a small wake spreading out from her feet like the ones that followed behind any boat.

Then she was gone, moving with a speed that matched her true identity as a destroyer. He, in turn, was left sitting there, mouth agape in shock, trying to piece together the previous few seconds.

What the hell just happened?

It had been a nice day, despite her initial concerns.

She just… did as he said. To try and treat him as a friend, rather than her superior. Even if in the end all that meant was focusing on him, listening to him, asking questions on things she didn't understand. Anything that would distract her from all the people that surrounded them. And then when she finally built up the courage to confront him there at the end regarding his intentions, he went and surprised her as he always did, by saying the thing she probably least expected.

She still had difficulty accepting it. That her admiral would spend so much of his effort to protect her when it should've been the other way around. She didn't dislike it, but such a thing also brought with it a very real sense of apprehension. He wasn't the first to make such commitments to her after all.

She didn't want to suffer that pain again. Surviving battles no one else did because her 'luck' only brought misfortune to everyone else.

So when she detected that sense of danger she was so familiar with, she'd made sure to place as much distance between her and her admiral as she physically could without any hesitation, and even now moved with the speed she did to increase that range even further.

Yet why was her sonar blaring at a time like this in the first place? Japan was living in an era of peace, there weren't any more battles to fight. But still the sirens in her head continued to blare, and something in her instincts instructed her that they were to be listened to. For something dangerous was out in these waters, and it was getting closer.

She heard them before she saw anything. Low groaning that gave her the impression the owner was in a constant pain. Or perhaps more foreboding and far more accurate, she thought as her back ran cold, hunger.

Shortly thereafter she began to notice their dark outlines on the water, black monolithic heads rising from the water, forming what at first resembled the visage of distorted destroyers. That is if she didn't think to include the dull yellow glow coming from hollow eyes, and the shine of ivory that was most likely teeth.

For anyone else their forms would've likely made for a natural camouflage under such conditions, their shapes blending almost perfectly with the dark of night. It didn't bother her in the least. There was a reason she had gained a measure of infamy as a night-battler during her previous life.

She asked no questions. She made no compromises. She knew without a doubt these creatures were an enemy that threatened both her and her admiral's life, for she trusted her instincts. The latter was all the motivation she needed to take action.

When they began to turn in her direction, what she had previously determined to be their mouths opening to reveal five-inch gun mounts within, she was already in position.

The torpedo tubes fixed on her legs spun into position and tracked her target, the first in the line of three. Whatever these things were, they didn't seem to have the presence of mind to perform any evasion tactics, and so double checking her aim she pulled the release. With that almost soothing sound of pressurized air, her oxygen torpedoes launched, and tracking the trail they left behind she allowed herself a small smile before they even hit.

She had enough experience to recognize a clean hit even without an explosive confirmation. Though her grin did get a little wider when it came nonetheless, the first of the creatures disappearing in a tower of ocean spray. The echoing growl of anguished pain delivering the final note that she now had at least one less enemy to deal with.

The remaining two didn't take the loss lying down, however. Even if they were still out of range to fire effectively, the flash of gunfire ignited from their wide maws regardless, the subsequent shells arcing through the air to impact the water surface far too short of her, as she expected.

Then again, while such a shot was difficult, it wasn't impossible.

Waiting for her torpedoes to reload in that mysterious manner they did in this form, she raised the cannon in her hands, the smaller ones at her sides following the same trajectory. Five naval guns operated at her command, five chances to dial in her target.

Bracing for the recoil, after a final calculation she fired her main gun, watching as the shot curved towards the enemy gripped in her optics. Even as she did so, she kept her enemy's fire in the corner of her eyes, monitoring its gradual increase in accuracy.

Her own first attempt landed just a few meters off to the right of the new lead ship, far closer than any of the ocean pillars rising on her own side of the battle. The turret on her left rotated according to the new adjustments, before firing its first gun, then its second. It was only thanks to a last minute dodge the monster had avoided damage that time, and with that, she had all the variables needed.

Her last turret fired its twin guns simultaneously, fully confident this time she had it. Both rounds flew true, the first shell bouncing off an invisible barrier of some kind, while the second smashed whatever it was with the sound of breaking glass and the sight of an explosion confirming impact.

The cry it gave in response wasn't so much one of pain, but anger. Still, it slowed until its ally assumed the lead, using the other as a shield as it recovered. It was hurting, but it didn't look to be backing down.

Two confirmed hits already. At this rate, she might really… wait…

She knew that sound! Those were…!

She looked up, and a dawning sense of real peril began to consume the destroyer for the first time since the fight began.

At the same time, Shirou was pacing the pier in irritation, anxious to know what was going on but obviously lacking any means to follow.

Why had Shigure seemed so panicked? Why did it look like she was prepared to fight? What had she seen, that even now eluded him?

Why couldn't he shake the feeling that if he didn't do something soon, he'd lose something irreplaceable forever?

"But what exactly am I supposed to do?" he muttered, sitting back down at the edge of the harbor. He sighed in frustration as whatever it was that made him unsettled only seemed to worsen, and in an attempt to calm his nerves he looked up at the moon, dark clouds beginning to give the view a rather ominous feeling that couldn't have been more unhelpful.

It was then as if in response to that question, that in a gathering of light and an almost cute puff of noise, that a little black-haired fairy showed up in front of him. Her eyes were openly concerned, and floating in her current position, she lowered herself until she fell into his lap.

Central?

Ah, that's right. Hadn't his answer been with him this entire time?

"I think I could really use your help right now. I'm almost certain Shigure's in trouble right now, but I can't say for certain why. Do you have any way to show me what's going on?"

Her expression became serious, and with a strong nod of her head, those two other fairies he had also met in their first meeting appeared. As before they just as soon disappeared, but he recognized the change in him he'd experienced once before. The clairvoyance they gave to him returned in full, thoughts and images coming to mind in a surprisingly organized manner, before that map of Japan they had shown him came to the forefront.

Except this time, it was no longer a blank portrait of the island nation.

The scene changed until he was given a close up of Fuyuki, more specifically his location, and at the center point was a green arrowhead with his name hovering over it. Was this supposed to be some kind of tactical map? In that case…

The view shifted a certain length to the south, covering several kilometers of open water before it focused on what he hoped for. An arrow just as the one before – this one shaded in blue – was marked with Shigure's name and class, but what was concerning was that she was closing distance with several other similar markings in red, each one labeled with a series of question marks.

What? Was that an enemy fleet? But that… that didn't make any sense. Who was their enemy supposed to be?

Those were questions he knew he wouldn't find the answer to, at least not here, so instead he focused his efforts on understanding what was being shown to him. Apparently, he was somehow getting a feed from the kanmusu's radar equipment, or some similar media. If that assumption was true, and what he was seeing was real, then at least his confusion regarding Shigure's sudden sortie was no longer a concern.

Which meant he now had plenty of room for new ones.

It was then that one of the enemy indicators went unexpectedly dark, replaced with boxed lettering that read 'Signal Lost'. By this point the formations on both sides were facing each other, moving with aggressive behavior, and under the destroyer's name tag was a new message in blinking fine print that read 'Torpedoes: Reloading'. Did that mean the disappearance had been Shigure's work? What did she see, that she would take the initiative like this?

He'd save that question for later, because a far more concerning development had grabbed his attention, and it was swiftly approaching the shipgirl's position from further south. Several formations of red dots were gathering around the marked enemy ships. They moved far faster than the other figures, and the squadron formations they were in gave him the hint they most definitely weren't other ships. If those were what he suspected, then that could only mean one thing.

Somewhere in that fog of war was an enemy carrier.

He chuckled, a hollow and bitter sounding thing. It was such an unfair matchup he spent another minute coming up with other possibilities, fairer situations that would give Shigure a fighting chance. It wouldn't change reality. When the enemy squadrons finished forming and bore down on the lone destroyer, her up to that point coordinated movement becoming increasingly erratic, and all he could do was clench his fists in acceptance that they were both facing a worst-case scenario.

Shaking his head to dispel the images in his mind, he looked down at the fairy who was still in his lap, who returned his gaze with one expectant and willing. Now that he thought about it, hadn't Tia said she was meant to provide him with tactical advice too? If that was the case…

"Okay, Central, give me some options. Help me be the admiral I'm supposed to be."

With a nod, she pulled out her notepad and began scribbling furiously. In record time, she handed him another of those lists he was beginning to take greater value in.

1. Call for help?
2. Shigure will be fine. She can handle herself.
3. Rely on Kaga for reinforcements.

The last two were out of the question. Shigure was obviously being overwhelmed by an enemy neither of them understood, and he had no idea where Kaga even was right now, let alone how to contact her, or how long it would take for her to respond. As for the first…

"I'll take whatever help I can get," he decided, a grimace creasing his brow at how useless he felt. Still, he had said it himself not even an hour ago, hadn't he? That if it meant he could be the leader these girls deserved, that if he could make them all smile, he would even learn how to place his burden on others.

Central nodded, the relieved grin appearing on her small features offering him some small measure of comfort. He wasn't sure what to expect, though. What kind of help was she talking about?

At that time the low drone of an engine caught his attention, and looking up, he was met with a sight that left him speechless. Flying towards them, maintaining an altitude just a few feet above the water, was a Type 2 Flying Boat small enough to fit right at home in his shed. Even more startling, were the two fairies standing at each end of its wingspan, holding onto cables that were carrying a package of some sort below the aircraft.

Pulling up just as it reached the docks, the fairies let go of their burden, which proceeded to hurdle towards him in an arc that would've made any bomber ace proud. It was an easy catch, and once in his arms, he found whatever it was had been tightly wrapped in a tarp, likely by the same fairies in an attempt to protect their load from the elements.

Quickly unwrapping it, within he recognized it as an old photo frame. Though if the dust and signs of wear were anything to go by, it had been lost in storage somewhere for at least a decade, probably longer. In it was an old black-and-white photo of several men gathered in the uniform of the old imperial navy, standing at attention on the deck of what he recognized to be an aged dreadnought from the first great war, but whose identity eluded him.

He couldn't quite place the difficult contrast in impressions it gave him. Despite its appearance, he couldn't shake the feeling the photo had been preserved by a loving hand. Yet, from what he could tell, no human hands had touched it in ages. His mind provided a quick solution to the discordance.

Magecraft.

His suspicions rising, with the roar of a broadside echoing in his mindscape, the quickly-becoming-natural feeling of his circuits flared in activity. By that point, he wasn't surprised at all when his structural analysis soon encountered the same resistance he'd come across just before summoning Kaga.

He felt it was okay to allow himself a small smile of relief.

Even if his desire to fight at Shigure's side was out of the question, that didn't mean he couldn't send someone who could.

Shigure ducked, firing off a few blind shots to her rear as some small means of protection as she continued in her attempts to put distance between herself and her foes. Meanwhile, every AA gun in her arsenal, from the Type 96's to the small 13mm, continued to fire, filling as much of the sky with lead as she could reasonably manage. That wasn't a number one scoffed at, considering how many anti-aircraft measures the Japanese had taken towards the end. Yet for every one of the strange spheres acting as aircraft she shot down in a flaming wreck, another two would take its place.

She veered to the side, barely avoiding the two torpedoes the enemy ships had sent her way. She scoffed in distaste. Another impossible dodge.

It seemed her 'luck' was at work again, and she only prayed no one would suffer for it.

In truth, she was barely holding on as it was. She hadn't yet taken a serious hit, but the box she found herself in was closing on all sides, and she was summarily losing time to react. And as Blackfin had taught her, even Shigure of Sasebo's luck didn't last forever.

The spiritual representation of her hull, the shield that was currently responsible for her survival, lit up again as it protected her for the countless time from the machine gun fire of the aircraft she failed to dodge. So far they had only been using their guns, despite the few bombers she noticed in their pack, which meant she was fine as long as none of the enemy artillery hit her.

She wasn't coming out of it unscathed, though. Already her skirt hung in tatters, the tears extending high enough as to give a clear look at her thighs, the skin underneath covered in bruises and other blemishes. Her blouse was frayed at all ends, and she wouldn't even get started on the mess her hair was in. The rigging on her back was in the worst state of all, one of the guns rising from her back warped beyond repair from a near miss with enemy fire, while the whole structure was littered with dents and holes that seemed to act as a representation of the remaining strength of her defenses.

It wasn't telling her good news.

As if the introduction of the fighters hadn't been enough, in the time she'd spent evading she'd also fallen into the range of the enemy ships, and covered by their new flying escorts as they were, they proceeded to open fire on her with impunity. Speaking of which, performing a serpentine maneuver between yet more walls of water from evaded shots, she used the brief cover to make a hard turn to the left.

There was no strategy to the maneuver, it was merely that she'd noticed yet again she was headed back in the direction of the shore. As high as the odds were against her, if she retreated now it was likely she'd bring someone else into this fray, worst case even her admiral.

It should've gone without saying, but retreat wasn't an option for her.

Sadly, the whistling of more artillery drew her attention, her eyes opening wide at the shells falling directly on top of her. She realized all too late that the box had finally closed, that the previous fire had been nothing more than a feint to direct her on such a course. These creatures either weren't as simple-minded as she originally thought, or they were now taking direction from something other than their instincts.

Neither of those possibilities bode well.

The first landed just in front of her. A miss, but the barrier of water that followed blinded her, and even worse threw off her concentration. It left her close to helpless as the other rounds fell.

The second was a call too close for comfort. Just as she regained her eyesight, she felt as much as saw it pass narrowly by her head. An unquestionably mortal blow if she'd only been a few centimeters closer to the right. She didn't have time to consider a response…

For the third was a direct hit, deflected only slightly before her shielding broke with a fear-numbing crash, and with it also left any hope she had that she'd be coming back from this. The new angle the round took was just enough she wasn't killed, but the resulting explosion as the shell lit still caught her, and she screamed at the burn of shrapnel hitting her side.

But with that pain came focus, for even in life, that was one sense kanmusu were well familiar with.

It also served as a reminder, that even if she could barely stand as it was, she could still fight, still grit her teeth and press forward. Only one of her guns was damaged, and she still had plenty of ammunition to spare. If this was to be her end, then the time for running was over. This was where she stood her ground, fired everything she had, and took as many of these bastards with her as she could.

Gone was the meek and gentle girl who looked on everything with a soft smile. In her place was a cold-hearted veteran that had survived over four years of constant war.

Regardless of her personal opinion on the matter, her status as a survivor was far from one of weakness.

Yet that was when she heard it. The shrill cry of that which she had feared the most since the start of this conflict. While that fear had disappeared, the danger was still very much real, and ignoring the other enemies bearing towards her she looked up to give this new foe her full attention.

Dive bombers.

In unison, all her guns rotated to concentrate upwards, and with a battle cry she pulled the trigger. This time, flak and AA filled the air so thickly as to give the impression the firework festivals had come early. Even as her guns glowed red from overheating, she continued to lay on the trigger, putting up hundreds of rounds in seconds, for there was no purpose in letting her guns cool.

Frankly, she doubted she'd get the opportunity.

Yet regardless of the sight of several explosions confirming her kills, she felt no optimism, no reason to cheer. There were simply too many for that, more than one bullet grazing her now defenseless arms to leave behind a bloody trail. However, there was no more hesitation either, no faltering in her stance. She could be satisfied with this outcome, because it'd never been death she ever feared. Her end was something that had always been easy for her to accept. For her, it had always been the idea of dragging others down with her. There was one thing she regretted leaving behind, though.

For as a contrast to that bravery, as she continued to face the sight of her end, there were tears that ran down her cheeks as she whispered in heartache.

"Admiral… I'm sorry."

She still couldn't discern what exactly her feelings were for Shirou. Confusion? Admiration? Empathy? It could have been any of them. The one thing she knew for certain, though, was that in the few days she'd known him, he'd earned her trust. She didn't know what he'd experienced in his past, what kind of tragedy it was he had seen, but whatever it was when he spoke of understanding, as a shipgirl she had never felt those were empty words.

He knew of the scars that war left on the soul, and somehow even carried some himself.

If he could do that for her, if he could manage such a thing in such a short time since their meeting, then she had no doubts he'd save her other sisters. He'd earn their trust as well, find out what these things were, and chase them down to destruction.

Even if she wouldn't be there to see it.

Even if hers was one smile he couldn't save.

…or at least that's how things would've ended, had that very same boy not shown that her trust in him was well-deserved, only a few short moments before.

Instead, the fire and shrapnel of Type 3 shells lit up the night sky in an awe-defining display of power, ensuring to include the squadron of bombers bearing down on her.

"Burning… Love!"

How many times today had it been? That he found himself speechless, standing before a girl he found to be overwhelmingly beautiful.

Her brown hair cascaded down the full length of her back, and tied to the side were two braided buns that gave her a rather unique hairstyle. Warmly smiling at him with grey eyes that had something of a mischievous tint of purple, she was dressed in the outfit of a miko, though it was modified with a shorter black skirt and thigh high socks, along with a headband of interesting style.

Then there was her rigging and the four heavy turrets that came with it.

"You called, Admiral?"

Her voice was energetic, bright and cheerful. It was such a contrast to the previous girls he'd summoned he realized only now he'd begun to assign Kaga's and Shigure's personalities as the standard for their sisters. He'd be sure to avoid doing that in the future, as it was clear shipgirls had personalities that came in just as many variations as the humans they stood alongside.

She giggled, finding something amusing in his expression, and he realized he'd been staring at her in dazed amazement for the past few moments. Leaning forward in a provocative fashion obviously meant to emphasize her bust – of which was an easy rival with Kaga's – she poked him in the chest while looking at him with upturned eyes. "You know, Admiral, as much as any girl likes being appreciated, there's a proper time and place for these things, ne~?"

While he was accustomed to such teasing from Tia, the impressions he was getting here were a bit different. Unlike the little goddess, while the actions were similar, the intent was clearly distinct. It was in the way her gaze shifted to the water, her stance playful but also taut like a coiled spring, and he came to the conclusion this was her way of kindly reminding him they didn't have time to waste right now.

Though that brought with it the question of whether she had read into what was going on, or more likely, that she was merely compassionate enough to recognize his distress.

Yet as if to contradict that, when she turned back to him, her cheeks were puffed in childish petulance. "Though on the other hand, thinking of other girls in front of a woman is bad manners too. It looks like my admiral needs to be taught how to properly treat a lady."

That one caught him off guard, and as he was left choking to stutter out an apology, his newest summon grinned while laughing cheekily. Seeing that, all he could do was take his own turn to pout immaturely. Try as he might, regardless of how many times he was caught by it, it appeared he'd always be weak to such teasing.

The most he could probably do, was make it a goal to one day return such sentiments in kind.

His innocent reaction seemed to be the answer she was looking for though, for as her eyes softened with an almost maternal look of sincerity, she said, "Admiral, battleship Kongou awaiting your orders. From now on, leave the hard stuff to this big sister. Let's both do our best desu~!"

That was enough, for him to find his voice again. "I'll be relying on you then. First things first, there's a destroyer out there somewhere. Bring her home."

"At your command, Admiral! Battleship Kongou, launching desu~!"

End: Shirou may be getting used to the browser game, but as any good KanColle player knows, it's only after you play the browser game regularly and download the android app that you can really begin to call yourself an addict…

...of course I'm joking.

And now Shirou has the right party for me to really begin having some fun. Honestly, I've been waiting now for a while to bring this girl into the fray. She's always been a personal favorite. Well, one of them anyway.

As always, reviews are appreciated guys. Thoughts, questions, criticisms. Hit me with them.