"PATHETIC"
The battleship princess' voice got drowned in the deafening roar of her golem's cannons. Concentric shockwaves spread on the water surface around her, the sheer force of detonation shattering those few windows lucky enough to remain in the ruined dockyard. All shipgirls made a quick zig-zag to get away from the impact zone.
All except one.
A damaged Ryuusei took a half second too long to stop on the flight deck. Storage spell took half a second too long to transfer the plane back to the quiver. Kaga tried to make a dash to the side half a second too late.
A monstrous explosion consumed the carrier, splinters and metal debris dispersing all around ground zero. A secondary detonation followed, with a smaller fireball erupting from the primary one. Bombs and torpedoes were thrown into the air from as the flames consumed magazines storing them. Warheads exploding mid-air like oversized firecrackers. Standing closest to the flagship, Hiryuu got slammed against the embankment by the shockwave, withered concrete crumbling as the stunned shipgirl slid onto the water. Her pained scream echoed across the harbour.
But Kaga did not stir.
Eyes wide with fury, Akagi and Souryuu turned against the Abyssal Queen, their bows firing arrow after an arrow in an impossibly quick succession. Planes spawned mid-air, most of them already trailing smoke, some with holes in their wings and fuselages.
"ARE YOU EVEN TRYING?" the Queen chortled mockingly, her guns easily stalling the wave of carriers' counterattack. Stingrays circled in air, creating a grotesque halo around the white figure, protecting her from anything that got past the flak screen.
"HOW CAN YOU BE SO FOOLISH?"
Akagi tried covering Kaga from another salvo, but her exhausted body gave in mid-way; she lost balance and collapsed on her knees. Abyssal shells ripped the surface just next to the flagship; the injured body got thrown into the air, accompanied by a mocking, vicious laughter.
As the dust settled, the Queen took slow, steady strides towards the defeated carriers. She unsheathed her sword, its silvery blade gleaming in sparse rays of sun that broke through the thick veil of clouds covering the skies. Souryuu - the only one still capable of standing upright - blocked the Abyssal's way, arms spread in a defiant gesture.
"I won't let you!"
The Queen tilted her head, an expression of playful surprise on her face.
"YOU MAY TRY"
Souryuu shut her eyes, doing her best not to flinch. The world came to a stop, darkness under her eyelids filled with sounds; Akagi's sobbing, Hiryuu's laboured breath, the Queen's vicious giggle. Powerless, she felt her consciousness shrink to a single point of boundless fear and panic.
And then two blades clashed.
She opened her eyes, only to see Kiso's back in front of her and the cruiser's sword blocking the Queen's blow.
"Don't ya let yourself get killed!" the girl groaned through clenched teeth, as the Queen's sheer might slowly overpowered her defence. "Get outta here! NOW!"
She didn't have to say twice; the carrier scrambled back, helping Hiryuu stand up, as Akagi lifted Kaga's body from the surface. They managed to get to safe distance just before Kiso had to give in. The cruiser disengaged, jumping back to keep distance from the Queen.
"WELL, WELL, WELL… IMPRESSIVE"
Behind the Abyssal's back, the battleship princess fought off two other cruisers; Ooi and Kitakami circled around the monstrous duo, their guns unable to dent its thick skin - but Abyssal's own turrets equally unable to track their movement.
But the Queen's attention got diverted elsewhere, away from three battling ships. Away from crippled carriers and their lone defender. It focused on a single battleship that apparently led the shipgirls' daring charge.
"SO THE SCOUTS WERE RIGHT. THE DRYLANDERS SPARED YOU"
"Oui" Richelieu took battle stance. "And I am here to make sure you won't hurt anyone else"
"THEY TURNED YOU. YOU GAVE UP PERFECTION IN THE NAME OF… THIS" she shot a disgusted look at the battered carriers, scowling at the sight of Akagi embracing Kaga's lifeless body. She then turned back to Richelieu, her gaze resting on the milky pendant on the battleship's neck.
"AND YET I SEE YOU DID NOT DISCARD YOUR HERITAGE COMPLETELY… SISTER"
Her voice changed; still inhuman and vibrating, it now carried an almost caring tone. The Queen's face softened, her arm extended in a welcoming gesture towards Richelieu.
"MY PRODIGAL SISTER... YOU CAN STILL COME BACK. THE ABYSS LONGS FOR YOU. YOUR PLACE IS HERE, WITH US. NOT AMONG DRYLANDERS AND THEIR PUPPETS"
Richelieu's eyes went out of focus. She opened her mouth - but any response died in her throat. The memories of the days spent alongside that monster - her Queen - were jumbled and chaotic, but vivid. Was joining - being enslaved by - the drylanders really her own will? Of course not.
The Queen's voice became distant… yet more familiar than anything the drylanders and their shipgirls could offer. She saw her grin - smile gently, inviting her back to her rightful place. Back to the Abyss. Back home…
...home…?
Her body took a step on its own, driven by the part of her psyche she didn't even realize still existed. By her true self.
Her rightful self took another step. No drylander shall ever be her master anymore. She ignored a distant shout from behind. All that mattered was her Queen. And she beckoned. She had to comp-
She forced her body to turn, to glance over her shoulder. Her sight fell on Akagi. Pearly tears dropped on Kaga's unmoving face, washing the dust and dry blood away. The fallen shipgirl twitched for the first time since getting hit. Akagi's embrace tightened, prompting a weak groan of pain.
She stopped in her tracks, using all willpower to resist. She must obey. She cannot. She cannot betray her comrades. Drylanders' puppets. They must be destroyed. She must listen to the Quee-
"NO!"
She tried to train her guns at the Queen. One turret spontaneously blazed with fire, the salvo missing its target completely and ripping apart a stack of containers on the shore.
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD! GET OUT!"
Clutching her head and trembling, Richelieu fell to her knees. She screamed and trashed, her voice breaking into uncontrollable screams of pain and fury. Above her, the Queen smiled triumphantly.
"ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, YOU WILL RETURN"
Her gloat died in the second an ear-splitting mixture of explosion and agonal scream shook the docks.
"Now!"
Three cruisers zoomed past the crumbling battleship's hulk. Its legs blown off by torpedoes, the Ru-class started sinking helplessly. The Queen looked over her shoulder, realizing all too late she was open for strike.
"Kitakamis, move into position while I-"
Kiso's orders were cut short by a salvo slamming into her front; a short scream escaped her lungs, as the shockwave sent her flying several metres behind. Ooi and Kitakami barely spared a second to register this; they knew their task all too well.
"YOU ARE SURE AS PERSISTENT AS YOU ARE PITIFUL"
Both cruisers and the Queen exchanged a barrage, explosions lighting up the dockyard. Torpedoes fell into the water, forcing the Abyssal to make a desperate dodge. Kitakami and Ooi split up, encircling their foe. The Queen might have lacked battleship's thick armour - but her skill and intelligence made up for it more than enough. She waited with her salvo until Ooi steadied her course just before launching torpedoes - and then unleashed a powerful blast. Unable to close the opening, the cruiser was sent flying, slamming into the concrete wall behind her much like Hiryuu had been before.
"AND YOU?" mocked the Queen, setting her sights on Kitakami. For a brief second, the cruiser's eyes were wide and mouth agape - but she quickly regained composure.
"You, um… made a mistake"
She didn't even take time to aim; her guns rose up in a blink of an eye, shells slamming into the Queen's face. Before the Abyssal could have reacted, torpedoes were already in the water - each launcher turned to a bit different direction, minimizing the enemy's chances for escape. A scream of pain confirmed Kitakami's measures to be effective.
"YOU-!"
"Quiet"
Propelled with improbable speed, the cruiser circled around the target, another salvo hitting the Queen's back. The circle getting tighter, Kitakami returned to the Abyssal's front, putting shells directly into her face. Blinded and severely wounded, the Queen's counterstrike hit the void, while Kitakami made one last round, back behind the disorientated foe.
A sickening, wet crunch accompanied Kiso's blade erupting from the Queen's chest. She let out a surprised shriek, while Kitakami pushed the sword down with all her strength, cutting through the Abyssal's body for a few more centimetres. The blade ground to a halt against the Abyssal's spine. Black ichor erupted from the gash, tainting Kitakami's uniform and face. Her lungs and heart torn and sliced, the Queen's voice died abruptly, as her twitching body went limp and lifeless.
"Told ya" Kitamaki sighed, releasing the blade and letting the dead Abyssal fall to the surface.
In front of her, Richelieu rose her head, the immense pressure on her mind finally easing. She tried to focus her bloodshot eyes on the scene, relief and pain racing to fill in the void left by the Queen's presence.
