Hello there, wonderful admirals! It's been so long, and RNG Goddess still has no mercy! Have you tried LSC? Getting Maru-yus? That's actually good, you know, you're lucky! It's not often that you get Maru-yu to rise your girl's luck! Luck is good in night battle!

A/N: Kantai Collection is not mine, it's rightfully Kadokawa's. My OCs are though.

Edited 05/01/2017: Minor change, wording, tense


Chapter 4: Painfully, they cried.

The sky was so clear just like the sea below them, however, everything was so dull and grey for her even company beside her. Knowing that someone who was supposed to be there and wait for her was no more, claimed by the sorrowful depth below this vast ocean, it filled her with grief. Every single one of them knew why they were going back to mainland on this trip, their superior's blank expression was one prime indication they could not turn away from. Shimakeza and Shigure who could only stay by her side silently knew it all too well, they were not stranger to this kind of situation.

"Admiral, you could go inside, you know. We will take care of everything up here by ourselves. You clearly need a rest before we get to mainland." The second ship of Shiratsuyu-Class called out as she tapped lightly on her Admiral's small shoulder, tightening her grip on the railing as she realize how frail her fearless superior actually was. Shigure brought up a smile along with Shimakaze as Hiyori turned back to them, trying their best to assure their superior nothing will happen on their watch. They were two of the most experienced destroyers at Rabaul Nava Base for reasons.

"That's right, Admiral! With Shimakaze right here, there's no way I'm going to let anything slip in under my watch!" Clinging onto Hiyori with bright and cheerful smile, Shimakazze hid nothing of her attempt to cheer the girl up by chirping happily, rubbing off her happiness onto her superior. However, it was of no use, the girl before her only cracked a soft smile with a pained expression as she ruffled the blonde's long hair, narrowly avoiding the huge hairband.

"I couldn't get any sleep in for two night straight, I could go on for a little bit longer, you two. Somehow, it seems like something is amiss and I can't put a finger on what is. It feels so empty." The wind blew, making the girl's hair fluttered, showing the target of the two's concern, fatigued look, puffy eyes, and bags under them. Her words were no lie as the evidences were as clear as day. Shimakaze could do nothing to elevate Hiyori's stress despite being one of the oldest members of the Fleet. Shigure on the other hand, knew what would help in this situation since she was quite familiar with this emotion.

"Admiral, it's only the matter of time. No one escapes death, even us Shipgirls are not going to live on forever." Shigure's words could not be any truer, but for Hiyori to simply shake the nightmare featuring a certain Wo-Class Aircraft Carrier with mere words, that was not doable. How was his last moment, she kept on wondering. The letter told her that he let the crews escaped first, manning the ship by himself to draw the Abyssal away. The chance she would find any hint of truth in that letter was next to none, her father was not that kind of person. He would get himself out first, and she was glad he did so many times in the past when they were still together.

"I know, Shigure. It's just that I can't get it off my mind, that's all. He shouldn't pass away like that, someone like him couldn't be killed off by mere Wo-Class. It'd take at least two or more Princesses." She spoke from her experience and from the records of the First Strike. Her father was strong enough to go toe-to-toe with at least a Princess, and he did confirm it when she decided to ask. Even if it was in the middle of storm, he would have more chance of survival than those crews, flinging himself at the Abyssal Carrier.

"You're saying that the HQ might be lying?" Since she had gone through the content of that letter herself at least once, she knew how fishy the whole matter was. It just had to be last week of all time that their monthly Transport Ship came with no single escort, because the higher ups decided to hold some kind of test for Shipgirls. Then there was the storm, delaying the arrival was acceptable, but going through it was something else. If her Admiral who was so logical and practical when it was related to military matter could not believe it, then who was she to beg differ? Also, corpse torn to shreds would take an expert to identify, it could be anybody in the coffin.

Hence, the question prevailed.

What was the reason behind all this?

"It might be," was the last thing they heard before the whole deck was drowned in silence. Even Shimakaze hold her hands above her wriggling familiars, knowing of nothing that could break this awkward silence. Shipgirls knew about all this thing first-handed from their memory, they all had lost someone once in their life. The difference was just in the recent past or the one long lost.

"So, Admiral! What was your father like? Did he look like you?" A smile slowly creeping up Hiyori's sullen expression told both of them Shimakaze's attempt had worked this time around. Seeing a change in their superior's demeanor, both of them smiled brightly, trying to have its infectious property did its work for once.

Widening her eyes a little bit at the topic brought up, Hiyori chuckled at the two before answering.

"No, he didn't look like me at all. In fact, we're not related by blood. My family lived near the dock at Yokosuka when the Abyssal attacked for the first time, years ago. He took me in and taught me everything. What I'm capable of right now is more to his credit than the school, really. But to think that such capable man like him would end up like this, it's a tragedy at the very least." She was saved by the Army back then and had to live in the orphanage for a couple of years, working her bone off in the Army's kitchen. It was not long before someone from the Army took interest in her, and that someone was Isamu Hisoka, one of the officer with a serious kind of reputation.

Someone who could cut down Ha-Class Destroyer with sword alone like him, she thought he would be revered as a hero. However, reality was the opposite side of the coin. Running around amidst the enemy during the war pushed trust problems upon his shoulder. He had no one to really call friend, she knew that much.

That was why she wanted to be strong, the price of it though, was that she turned into a stranger in the Navy. Using his surname was already enough to give her special treatment, so she begged of him, please tell them I'm not your daughter. She wanted to curse at her past self so much for pushing that lonely man away from someone he could finally call family. She did want to be strong on her own, but not getting any chance to see him was more painful than living in his shadow.

A year later after that fiasco, he submitted a document to transfer himself to the Navy. That had gained him some nasty comments from the higher ups in the Army, but he said he could live with it, just to be a little bit closer to her, he could live with it.

Even with handicaps, he rose through the rank even faster than her who was labeled as a genius. They had vowed not to meet each other personally as a family until he was promoted into a commanding officer, having a Fleet of his own just like her.

One did not know the value of what they had until they had lost it, those words still burned her inside with an intensity of ferocious flame. Although he was a bad guy who would do anything to achieve his goal, she still loved him nevertheless. He wanted freedom for all who did not want to be a part in this war, and she believed he will get it.

Because she too, was one of his goals.

His outside was ragged, harsh, no different from a villain one would see in children books, but he had shown her the side deserved just for his loved one, and she was addicted to it. Those smiles she will never see again, those praises she will never hear any longer, and those hugs she will never be able to feel anymore.

She wanted him back…

He did not want her to be in the military, but after a series of begging and pleading, he relented. Now she knew why he was so adamant about her not being anywhere near the war, now she will have to live one with a single part of her conscience silently blaming her for his demise. If she was not at Rabaul than he would not be attacked in the middle of storm, she was technically the cause of his death.

He would not blame those Abyssal, they were just mindless killing machine. They would not choose which prey they would go after, it was her being an Admiral that resulted in his death. And they were about to officially announce their relationship to boot.

The day where she could walk alongside him…

That day will never come.

"Admiral?"

"Ah? No, it's nothing, Shigure."

"Oh, oh, Admiral. Do you have his picture with you? I want to see him! From how you spoke of him, he should be a really good father, right?" Shimakaze's plea made Hiyori's smile faltered a little, making her started to ponder about it. His picture always had this special space inside the pocket at her left chest, but if she pulled it out now, there was no guarantee that she would be able to hold back her tears.

The Admiral chewed her lips in thought for a moment before fishing the said picture out of her uniform's pocket, handing it over to Shimakaze and Shigure with a shaky smile.

"Here, careful, okay?"

The person in the picture was a man in his late twenty, stood tall in a khaki uniform of the Army. He had this dopey smile on his face and his eyes were narrowed into a slit, the reason for this expression on a well-conditioned soldier was a little girl in his arms. That was her, Hiyori, who had just been freed from her duty in the Army's kitchen, only to be kidnapped by her adoptive father to get this photo done.

"This was about a week after we shared the same roof together, I think. He was so kind back then, before I decided to join the Navy. He was still kind to me when no one was around, though. It's nepotism, I didn't want to be accepted because of his fame, you see." She ended it with a helpless smile and snatched the photo back from Shimakaze's hand, pocketing it back to its rightful place.

"Your eyes sure look alike, Admiral," added Shigure.

"Haha, even though we were not actually related, we were still father and daughter after all. My eyes are the only thing that remind me of him whenever I look into the mirror, I'm quite proud of it. Well, just like you have suggested, I'll go get some rest for a bit. It won't be long until we reach the mainland at this speed. I can't afford to meet those old coots with this haggard appearance. See you two around."

Without looking back at her subordinates for a second time, the young and genius Admiral made her way through the deck down to her personal quarter, leaving both Shigure and Shimakaze to their biddings.

"She looks so tired, like she has aged so much in a blink of an eye we look away from her. She's not the same as usual, isn't she?" Oddly enough, their base's speed freak spoke out slowly with no trace of her usual self as well. Shigure looked at Shimakaze owlishly before heaving a muffled sigh.

"It was the first time she could meet her father in many years after all, and to think that the opportunity would come in this kind of set-up. I've seen so many children attending their parent's funeral at Yokosuka when we were not quite strong enough to fight back yet. It was not something I'd like to remember, and now with our Admiral…" She trailed off into silence as she looked down as the rushing waves hitting the ship's hull. This was not the first time she had seen her Admiral showing this side of herself, but she will have to admit that this was a little bit too much even for her, who had experienced lost so many times in the past. Children attending their parent's funeral was not something that should happen, let alone anyone dying.

The sight of Admiral Hiyori's strained form hurt her so much.

"Everyone has their own tragedy to lament, and we all know that first hand, don't we? Either during the past war or in this war we are fighting, we all know loss."

The ever cheerful Shimakaze starting this kind of talk with her was something she had never imagined would happen. It was true that they all had known about loss one way or another, but she had never expected it to come out of this girl before her. Shigure shook her head a little at her thought to ward off everything in her mind, resuming her usual calm composure.

"By the way, how was Yuudachi? Is she still recovering from that last sortie to Kis Island?" Shigure arced her brows a little bit at the concern Shimakaze had expressed. It was new, but was not unexpected as she knew this girl also had a caring side, albeit hidden a little too well.

"You saw her before we got ready at the port, right? She seemed fine, but I really hoped she was actually fine with those dark circles. Still, even if she seems weak on the outside, she was still the Nightmare of Solomon. That girl's strong, I know she is."

The one and only Shimakaze-class chuckled.

"A really strong girl who seemed to be unable to bear being parted way with you, I suppose." Shimakaze's words earned herself a quiet laugh as Shigure thought back at her sister she had left at the base. Yuudachi was strong either in combat or out of it, but was it really alright for the Admiral to issue her a mission to Kis Island this frequent? No matter how hard the rock, a constant dribbling of water will still break it given time. She was afraid Yuudachi might collapse under the pressure Admiral Hiyori had out onto her.

"Strong she may be, but with the girl herself thinking that it is not enough to protect you from harm, it will hurt her instead. That kind of mindset will reshape her, Shigure. She would rather want herself to be shelled into beehive than seeing you break your nail."

The comparison was a little bit too extreme, but she saw the picture. However, a talk from someone like Shimakaze was still a rare occurance. Shigure thought about what the girl before her had said before she shot back with one of her own.

"You know about these things rather well."

"I've dealt with her type before so take it as a guidance from someone who has experienced it before you. We all knew about it, at one point when we woke up and started living as a Shipgirl that this was not the war we were supposed to fight. We all know about our long forgotten past, you and the Nishimura's Fleet, me and the Ormoc Bay."

A past was only meant to be remembered, and what had occurred once will root itself deep within their mind. They will be there, waiting for an absolutely critical moment to resurface, causing the most painful moment like the worst nightmare they had even had even in their wake.

"So you really believe in those images," muttered Shigure.

"It's chronologically correct according to history, Shigure. If those images we saw in our mind, in our sleep, are true then this is just another war. I remembered it clearly like it was just yesterday, Shigure. It was 1944 when I sank down with them at the Ormoc Bay, and now it was only a bit into 1970. The Second Great War did end, but the new one emerged just as quick. We're still a weapon even with an appearance of normal girls, thinking about the past reward us with nothing. It was just fruitless thinking, meaningless."

Her words clearly denied her feeling, the loneliness and sadness Shigure heard from Shimakaze's tone was not something meaning less at all. It said aloud what the girl was thinking, and it forced her to do the same. One by one, seeing them sinking down beneath the surface was a painful memories to look over. Now it was her superior, then this girl in front of her, Shigure sighed with contemplation as she pat her fellow destroyer on her shoulder.

"You really miss them, don't you? Especially her, even though you said it was fruitless and meaningless, you still want to see Naganami again." It was like seeing a lidded pot bursting open, everything was bottled up until it was a perfect moment to explode, just like what was currently happening before her.

"I couldn't help it, could I? She was one of the few friends I had back then! How could I not wanting to see her again? I want to! I miss her!" Gritting her teeth until blood seep through her lips, Shimakaze bit her lips lightly as she calmed down. Her grip on the railing tightened a bit as she looked down onto the deep sea below, mulling over her own feeling. It was then that she spoke up once again after a long silence.

"Don't you feel it at all? Every time we sortie, every time we gaze down into the abyss, there is this voice calling out to me. Preaching and pleading, almost as if guiding me to go 'back' home, down there, I the abyss with them." There was only another silence following up with those sentences. Both Shigure and Shimakaze stood there unmoving, letting the waves claimed their sorrow away before starting up the conversation again, this time with a different topic.

"In the letter, it was said that this trip was not only for the funeral, but also for us to retrieve something, but what was it again?" Here came the cheerful voice of Shimakaze, causing Shigure to perk up at the sudden change of emotion from her fellow destroyer. The Shiratsuyu chuckled lightly as she calmed herself down once more, thinking back on what she could remember from the letter.

"We are to retrieve one of the Army's vessels. I think she is an amphibious assault vessel, and her name is apparently Akitsu Maru, if I'm not mistaken. She'll do a great job securing resources for us." Shigure smiled at Shimakaze's widened eyes when she heard of an uncommon word, namely the Army, coming up in their conversation. Furthermore, it was another Shipgirl to meet, how could she stop herself from getting excited?

"Amphibious, huh? I wonder if she will be as fast as me?"

"The Army's vessel? The Army? Really? A ship from the army?"

Rather than getting an escort from the submarines like he had hoped, Hisoka was quite shocked when the Princess herself offered him a full support once she heard where he would be going, and she even sent someone within her league with him as a safety measure. The one running her mouth right here beside could be no one but the one and only Airfield Princess.

"Yes, the info I got just recently before I was offed by the higher ups, was that the Army had salvaged one of your, no, our technology and had been trying to replicate the Shipgirl like what the Navy had done." Currently using cooking chopsticks with a practiced ease, he flipped the pork over in the pot full of frying oil. Hisoka held in his annoyance expertly as he cooked the meal for them amidst the curious quips coming from Airfield Princess once every five minutes, continuing on his own task as their temporary cook.

A trip from the abandoned Shortland Anchorage base to the mainland was the fastest he had ever experienced, albeit a little bit suffocating. The lack of oxygen was a little hard to get used to, but all in all, the trip was quite luxurious.

"So, so, will those girls be like one of us or the Shipgirls?"

You all were not that different from each other, was what he wanted to answered, but decided against it as it will only bring up complication.

"I suppose they will be more like the Shipgirls since they are meant to be our enemy, wo." He looked back at the source of this nonchalant comment and grimaced at the sight of their Wo-Class munching on the precious bauxite like they were snacks. Still, right now, she lacked the appearance of the Abyssal Carrier completely.

Not only that the Abyssal part which was the monstrosity on her head was nowhere to be seen, her skin took a healthier shade of pink, complimenting her dyed hair perfectly. She chose a boyish attire and a brown cabbie hat in contrary to Airfield Princess's blouse and jacket combo. They both looked a bit too human that he had this suspicion of how easy it was for the Abyssal to slip into their midst.

"I appreciate that you like my foods and that you want more and more every day, but could you please stop bothering me while I prepare them? And Wo-Class, I'd be glad if you could go and stop my secretary from snacking on bauxite like they are some candies like that. Because you know, we kind of need them? I don't mind snacking a bit before lunch, but please leave those bauxites alone, okay?" He directed that to both of them like a perfect housewife he could be, especially at the Wo-Class who chomped down on a mouthful of bauxite as she looked at him straight in the eyes, as if just to prove a point, before putting them back inside the supply case.

"Now that's lovely, wait a bit and your food will be ready. I don't peg you as the type to like Japanese curry, though, Princess." He did not get his answer until the said Princess tackled him in the back, almost shoving his face down into the pot of boiling oil unwillingly. He softened his scowl a little bit before turning back over his shoulder only to come face-to-face with the grinning Abyssal.

"Princess?"

"It's kinda weird seeing you become so familiar with us, the Abyssal this fast, you know, for a former human naval officer who would rather have us six feet under. Hmm, maybe back into the depth sounds better? Still, your pickles are spectacularly delicious, that's why, especially that yellowy radish you made before?" Her giggle resounded throughout the whole shack he got a week ago with a little bit of money he got from selling things they had salvaged from the many Transport Ships they had sunk. Her statement made him thought back to what he had thought Hiyori about cooking in the past, only to see his little genius messing up the easy rolled omelet.

Food was the key to one's heart, indeed.

"I'm quite familiar with dealing with the unexpected in a foreign environment, perhaps? As unexpected as you think of my bearing, I'd say the same to you, coming with me to Yokosuka like this. Aren't Princess supposed to be like, all high and mighty? Why did you listen to Battleship Princess at all?" Finally fishing out the deep fried pork cutlets from the oil, he left it on a rack to cool before finally giving the Princess his full attention.

Seeing his raised brow, she giggled once again.

"I didn't obey her command? And first of all, it wasn't a command that made me came here with you instead of lazing around, playing with Hoppo-chan, or waiting for some Shipgirls to come and play with me. I'm just bored, you know, so I go around hanging at other people's base. Yeah, I was bored so I came with you, it's not like I liked your foods or anything!" She was smiling smugly with that crazy expression on as per her usual self. It still bugged him a little bit knowing that her crazy smile was not really her default expression, she just put it on because she knew it bothered him. All in all, he kind of liked her company, having Wo-Class with him was like being in a room with a statue, so this was actually a nice change. A bright and cheerful Airfield Princess was always better than the emotionally stunted Wo-Class Aircraft Carrier after all.

"Wo? I think you're thinking of something very rude to me in your mind, Admiral. I'll have you know that I'm quite vengeful, wo." The emotionally stunted Wo-Class Aircraft Carrier quipped in with her traditional flat tone. He secretly sucked in a deep breath, afraid that she was actually able to read his mind or something.

Was she actually a Demon or a Princess?

"No way, are you serious? Why would I think of something rude about my cute secretary? I'd be praising you of how good you are instead, and you know it." His words were dripped with apparent sarcasm, and he almost sputtered out a full blown laughter seeing as she actually took it seriously. The Princess at his side chuckled quietly at the scene of Wo-Class puffing her chest in pride as she scooped up some rice into the plates. It was a new discovery that the Abyssal could actually eat like Shipgirls did. They could taste foods properly and they actually liked it quite a lot, the downside was that they could only get the necessary energy via resource. The foods he made were just somewhat of a comfort that they practically craved, and he found it out the hard way to boot.

During his stay at Shortland Anchorage Base, sorting out the Fleet he borrowed from Battleship Princess, it was hard for him to adjust as there was no necessity in sight. He was turned into one of them, but he was not a vessel so he could not eat resource like they did. It did not take long for him to salvage their stock, finding any preserved ingredient to cook some food. He did it the hard way, bonfire and all that jazz. It was not that delicious since he had no proper equipment, but the sight of many Abyssal zeroing in on him because of the smell, it was akin to a nightmare personified.

It was really chaotic, was the understatement of the year.

"By the way, I want to ask this for quite some time already but, what happen to your eyebrows?" The question earned him a painful jabs at his side, eliciting a distress cry to Wo-Class for help as the Princess continued her attack relentlessly. The only thing he got from his secretary though, was only a pitiful look.

"You're not supposed to point out the flaw in her look, Admiral. Learn some tact, wo." Her advice was easily drowned out by his cry, and this time, he was sure he saw her smirking a little.

"I'm sorry! I was just curious! And Wo-Class, I do have some tact, alright!? Ouch! I said I was sorry!" He turned back to the pouting Airfield Princess again only to receive one last jab into his ribs.

"It's not that I don't have it! Look! See? It's just that it's white so it blend in with my skin! I do have eyebrows! Hmpf!" She was angry just a moment ago and now she was pouting at him for such petty reason. As a man, he did not care much for his look as it did nothing to help him when his enemy would be happy to give him his third breathing hole. It was not that much different, then and now. He shrugged with a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, all the while picking up a piece of pickled daikon radish up with chopsticks, shoving it into the fuming Princess's mouth. It was her favorite, so it did not take long for her to calm down with a lopsided grin. He only watched her silently as she savored its taste, the fearsome Princess was put down with a single piece of pickled daikon radish, if the Navy knew…

"I still think you're quite beautiful though, it's just that many of you girls are like this. It makes me curious, so I couldn't help but ask. Sorry, err, why are you making that face? It's not spicy, is it?" Noticing the Princess's red face, he picked up the radish for himself, paying no heed to the Wo-Class who kept telling him to learn some tact. He knew it though, that Airfield Princess was weak to praise. This was just a way to get back to her from jabbing him earlier.

Hisoka carefully hid his smirk before he continued preparing their meal and carried it to the table. The place was small, but it was comfortable enough to be called luxury by his standard. The smell of curry wafting throughout the place only rectified how 'homey' it was in his opinion. With the meal before them and a little customary bon appetite, they started digging into their plate. Hisoka and Airfield Princess could only look on as Wo-Class wolfed down the extra spicy curry with a straight face as they looked down at their mild ones. People learned something new every day, so this might be one of it.

It was free time after this, so he will be lugging the pot of curry, rice, and a box of deep fried cutlets to the hidden cove where the Fleet laid await. Along with resources, of course, those submarines could not survive on his foods alone after all. They were actually quite cute as they beg him for foods, those submarines were just adorable…

"I'll support the Princess's word, wo. You're a womanizer after all, Admiral. Everything you're thinking is actually showing on your face, you know." His lips twitched as he took a sip from a bowl of miso soup, the said Princess who had made that comment from the first time they met only laughed heartily in the background.

The three finished their meal with the least time possible to get some more time for their own. He had no idea what they will be doing but he was sure he will be busy. They had already been here at Yokosuka for almost a week, hidden amongst the citizen, yet no one had sniffed them out despite the timely visit. If he was in charge of the security, he would be quite curious at the group of foreigners who had visited at the exact same time when the Army's scientists will be presenting their findings to the Navy's higher ups.

The actual reason of him being here though, no one knew about it except for the two before him. Still, they did know that he came here someone. Who was it, they did not bother asking as they knew enough from what he had done already that it was for them. They had grown so much in power with his resources, so it did not matter whoever they came for. That person will be beneficial to the Fleet, they were at least sure of that much.

It was just like he had said, the victory was no illusion.

"By the way, what's with the picture you always keep in that pocket of yours? The color was messed up already but you still keep it so… Lover? That daughter of the high ranking officer you raped?" He choked on his breath at that little comment at the end the Princess had added in. She did mentioned something like that on their first meeting, did she not? He shook his head a little, hand reaching up to the pocket of his shirt, right above his heart.

"You know this phrase? Curiosity kills the cat?"

She quirked her almost non-existence brow up at that.

"But I'm not a cat?"

Now he choked on his laugh.

"It's not like I'd keep it a secret from you girls forever, but it's actually quite personal, you see. It's kind of awkward, but keeping it from you would only make you wanting to know about it." He put down his chopsticks before fishing the photo from his left breast pocket out, laying it onto the desk for the both of them to see. Airfield Princess clearly brightened up more than she did normally at it, while Wo-Class visibly flinched at the content of that photo.

"Is that you?"

He did not answer that question right away as he was sure it was rhetorical and the resemblance was uncanny, only to look at the one and only Carrier in this little shack. She had looked away from the photo just as fast as she had laid her eyes on it, telling him that she actually remembered everything from the moment they had met up until the moment they saw each other again at the abandoned Anchorage Base he had woke up.

"What you'd rather be asking is about the girl I carry in that photo, Princess. She's my daughter, so please drop that womanizer thing, alright?" Letting the Princess snatched the photo off the table, Hisoka finished the food left on his plate as quickly as possible. He still had to bring the food to the submarines as well as checked in on them and the resources he had left with them.

"She looks different from you, really. It's like you two are no related by blood at all. Did your wife cheat on you?" That question really hit home and sent the last of miso soup in his bowl down the wrong way. He glared at the laughing Princess as he coughed violently, he needed to get back at this girl for this.

"I'm single, and that girl is adopted. I was supposed to meet her when that storm hit, this happened, and I couldn't meet her anymore. What's with the daughter being the Admiral commanding Rabaul's Fleet and me, her father, being an Abyssal Admiral. The plan to steal the Army's vessel is an excuse. I just want to see her for the final time, even from afar, as her father." The Princess adopted this overly serious expression as she mulled over something, leaving the space open for Wo-Class to chip in her own piece.

"If you want to meet her, wo, why don't you just go then?"

"I can't? She's a high ranking officer after all, so she should have a bodyguard or two around her. They will shoot first and ask question never, seeing me going up to them with my look. I couldn't hide the glow of my eyes, really. Might as well putting up a sign, right?"

He rejected Wo-Class's proposal before sending a glance at Airfield Princess who was unexpectedly trembling with excitement apparent on her smiling face.

"Isn't that crazy!? You're an Abyssal and your daughter is a high ranking Admiral! Wah, that's the most cliché situation in real life I've ever seen! It really lacks originality, you know? Like that Romeo and Juliet? And, and, Orihime and Hikoboshi? Is this some kind of drama?" She abruptly started laughing her heart out for a moment before everything stopped completely. Those wide eyes now shone dangerously as she opened her mouth again, frowning.

"You know about your role in all this, don't you? If you let any other Princess know about this, even I couldn't help you, you know? It doesn't matter what you had achieved or what you will achieve. You have my sympathy, knowing that you might face your daughter one day in this war, but you know what? If she sees you like this, there will be no hesitation in her eyes as she put a lead in your head. You know how they will do if they see their fallen comrade standing before them, Admiral." It was the first time she actually called him Admiral, but that did not stay for long in his mind with what she was saying. He knew what the Navy taught their officers about seeing their fallen comrade walking around, a little paler than before and with a new pair of glowing eyes, they will…

"They put you to rest, giving you an easy and merciful way out of all this lie they are living. If the other Princess know about you and your relationship with your daughter, they will force you to fight her." Airfield Princess's eyes narrowed dangerously as she saw a smile forming on his face. The next words coming out of Hisoka's mouth were clearly out of her expectation, just like his soft smile.

"Please finish your meal soon, I'll do the dish for you. There's no need for you to come, you know. I didn't plan on making any kind of contact with her after all. I just want to see how she will act at my funeral, that's all. To be honest, this is just an observing mission. You'd be bored here anyway, it's just a change of location." He picked up another piece of a pickled daikon radish, shoving it in the Princess opening mouth to silence her. He succeed, the cold glare she sent his way was just a collateral damage he had anticipated.

"And Princess?"

"Nn?"

"You don't have to worry about me defecting to my daughter. That would be the shortest record of mutiny I've ever made. I'm a father, but also her enemy. Still, despite being so, isn't this the best way to keep her out of any harm? With me being her worst enemy, there will be no one else hurting her except for me. It will be a learning experience for her."

He simply said his piece and got up, gathering the plates and walked over to the kitchen sink. In truth, he did not plan anything about meeting Hiyori at all, because all he wanted was to see if she was alright or not, and see how she coped up with the fact. He knew that telling even a single one of them of this matter was no different from putting up a neon sign, telling them he might actually betray them.

"All I've ever want is for the war to end and help those who have suffered in this war. Your girls are also in this category, so rest assured. Family or not, she's already beyond my reach. My priority right now is all of you in the Abyssal Fleet. I want a revenge for what they had done to me, the same as you girls."

His tone was full of resolve, but as Wo-Class Aircraft Carrier and Airfield Princess shared a look, they both knew how much of it was true and how much was a lie. His daughter was still there, and all he needed to do was just to reach out, and the pained smile on his face when he turned to them did not help.

He was silent.

But they knew he was screaming inside.