13a—Dusk's Reckoning, Part 1
A loud explosion brought her out of her spell.
It was horrifyingly close, causing the very earth to shudder.
This time, it was the boy who scurried out of their hiding place.
Not wanting to be left alone, she immediately followed suit.
What greeted them outside was another thunderous blast.
Rocks flew down from the sky as a huge portion of the cliff was about to collapse.
The boy quickly grabbed her hand as they both sprinted away from the landslide.
She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, but she eventually miscalculated her strides and crashed face first into the sand.
Fortunately for her, the intense rumbling came to an abrupt halt.
Patting off the sand off her cheeks, she slowly picked herself up and marvelled at the amount of rocks and earth that had tumbled down the shore.
As she was about to breathe out a sigh, a series of bangs sent her heart pounding once more.
Two combatants were exchanging gunfire from around the cliff.
One of them was sent flying back to the shore after being hit by an explosive shell.
It was her ghostly companion.
The other figure, a humanoid abyssal ship, made a huge leap over the rubble that littered the shallow waters.
She had never seen anything like it.
Its skin looked like it was melting.
Its jet-black armaments were strikingly more organic.
A viscous substance, similar to oil, leaked out of the throbbing tissues.
The repulsive sight made her stomach churn.
The oppressive sensation spreading within her only worsened as the abyssal ship leered at them with its beady red eyes.
Its arm cannon opened its monstrous maws, training its barrel on them.
Just as it was about to send the two of them to their demise, her friend's shoulder turret flashed a bright blaze.
The timely blast disrupted its aim, and the boy next to her was also quick on his feet to push her back to the ground.
The shell hissed past them and sent more rocks and earth in the air upon contact with the cliff.
"Get out of here! Now!"
A voice?
Desperate. Pleading.
A resignation to fate's cruel judgment.
It made her blood run cold.
The voice of her mysterious friend was distorted, as if passing through some strange filter.
But she knew this tone all too well.
Ika… zuchi?
Akatsuki, I'm sorry… I'm really sorry!
Inazuma embraced the lifeless destroyer. The lingering warmth in Akatsuki's cheeks caused her restraints to shatter completely as she was reduced into a bawling mess.
Why did this happen?! We're not doing anything wrong! And yet…
And yet… !
"Akagi?" Kaga uttered, lowering her bow.
"You took your time. I had to take that shot."
"You killed her! Are you out of your mind?!"
"And risk getting the other girls killed down there?" Akagi returned a similar glare. "I've fought them before. Irregulars have enhanced regeneration abilities like the Abyssals. If you let your guard down around them, your life will be forfeit."
"True," the Navy captain said. "In that sense, a fleet girl like her is no different to those wretched Abyssals. Kaga, why can't you be a little more like her?"
Her face darkened. "I didn't come here to kill a fellow fleet gi—"
"Kaga," Niro said, "that's enough."
"You've gone too far!" Uzuki shouted.
"What are you going to do about it? Unless you want those two to follow suit, I suggest you should behave and do as you are told."
"These guys are full of shit," Maya said. "I knew it that was too good to be true that you agreed to help us in the first place!"
Tatsuki sighed, turning his attention back to the pool. "It's decision time, Yuu. What will it be?"
And as if responding to the officer's ultimatum, the commander was now standing in front of the secretary fleet girl. Inazuma, eyes filled with misery, looked up to him as she tightened her arms around the body. "Alright," he said, much to the surprise of everyone, "but only if you can guarantee the safety of my unit. If you let them go, you won't expect any resistance from me."
She couldn't describe his expression at first. His face was empty and his eyes were vacant—an everyday expression that she got to see whenever she caught him spacing out in the office.
But the face she was seeing now wasn't quite the same as those times.
He was repressing the rampaging fury within his body.
"You idiot!" Maricelle cried. "Why are we gonna surrender to those maggots?!"
"I agree," Chikuma said. "If we were to fall here, we wouldn't have to restrain ourselves any longer."
"They brought an elite unit with them," he replied, glancing at his forearm terminal. "Forcing our way through won't end well for us."
The abyssal destroyer growled. "Let's not do this shit now! You might've been lucky the last time they had you by the reins, but what makes you think you'll get out of there this time around?!"
"I'd rather take that risk than getting all of us slaughtered here."
"You're gonna throw your pride away just to save your own ass?! That's only a coward would do!"
He made a bitter smile. "Well, you're not wrong."
The Navy captain laughed. "Color me surprised. I never thought I'd see the day that you would display such humility." Most of the fleet girls that had formed a perimeter around the pool left their positions and began hopping on the water. "But only an ignorant fool would believe a traitorous wretch so easily. I want to see results, Yuu. Words alone are empty and meaningless."
"Can you give me a moment though? I need to talk to my secretary."
"I have no time for your—"
"You've killed one of my friends," his voice boomed throughout the dome, causing the Navy officer to flinch, "but for some reason, you're still breathing. Care to tell me why?"
Chuckling once more, Tatsuki regained his composure just as quick. "That's more like it. Make it easier for me to despise your very existence." He folded his arms. "Count every second you have left, Liberator. We have a lot of catching up to do after this."
Ignoring the officer, the commander crouched down. "Inazuma," he said, "we can still revive her."
She stifled her sobbing as she dried her tears with her forearm. "I-I know."
Akatsuki was dead, but not quite.
Inazuma could still communicate with her friend's crew, after all.
The chief engineer reported that Akatsuki's heart and lungs collapsed from the concentrated shock wave caused by the arrow shot. The damage control personnel had already contained the damages in her organs while feeding the body's remaining mag-ions into the destroyer's brain, but their efforts would be all for naught if they couldn't restore the heart's function as soon as possible.
"Mari can pull it off," the commander said, "but she's worn out right now. And those guys made it clear that they're not gonna help an Irregular like Akatsuki."
"Commander," she took a deep breath in an effort to calm herself, "there's one other way."
"What is it?"
She focused her mag-ions into her hands. Slowly, a pulsing golden hue began to surround Akatsuki's body. "I can't let her die here." She wrapped a hand around the arrow, causing it to disintegrate. "I'm sorry, Commander. This is the only way I could think of to repay for all my shortcomings."
He was visibly confused at first, but he caught on quick. "Don't do it."
As he reached out for her hand, Inazuma carried Akatsuki on her shoulder and hopped backwards. "Please tell Akatsuki that I'm very grateful that I met her." She forced out a smile. "Same goes for you and everybody else in the Peacekeepers."
"I-Inazuma!" Hatsuyuki cried. "There's no guarantee that you'll bring her back that way!"
She shook her head as tears fell down her cheeks once more. "E-Even if it didn't work, I would be more at peace that I did everything I can to save her." She set Akatsuki back on the water and placed both hands over her chest. "This is… my final gamble."
"Stop being stupid, Inazuma!" The commander started hovering towards her. "Taking risks is one thing, but you do realize that we won't gain anything from this?! Whatever the result is, we'll end up losing you!"
"I… I don't care anymore!" she screamed, training her shoulder turret at him. "I've made up my mind! So please… let me do this!"
One Navy fleet girl, Verniy, came to his rescue and tackled him just as Inazuma fired her turret. The look of hopelessness in his eyes was painful to look at, but she persevered to muster all of her remaining strength.
She entered into her Overdrive state once more, engulfing her body in a golden glow. She gritted her teeth as she started pouring her mag-ions into Akatsuki.
Akagi released another bolt, but Inazuma deployed a protective field around her to intercept the attack. "Captain," the carrier said, "we should make our move as well."
"You've stalled us long enough, Liberator!" Tatsuki shouted. "Capture him at once!"
Verniy, on the other hand, didn't seem to have heard the order as she kept a penetrating gaze on Inazuma. Mutsu and the rest of the advancing fleet girls stopped as she held up a palm. "Inazuma, that's enough," she said, walking towards her, "you won't be able to pull it off."
Inazuma raised her head, scowling. "D-Don't underestimate me! I can… do this!"
"We can just revive her later."
"Later?! Everything is pointless if she loses her memories!"
"You should know that you need an astronomical amount of mag-ions to sustain the process. Even sacrificing your own life won't be enough to—"
"I said I can do this! Shut up!"
Two piercing bangs echoed as the Navy destroyer was swallowed in the blaze. "So be it then."
Verniy burst out of the smoke and propelled herself forward with a rigorous kick. As she got close to Inazuma's field, she fired her forearm turret. The point-blank blast shattered the mag-ion field like glass, and she took another step to throw a left straight at the exposed destroyer.
Despite her crumbling mental state, Inazuma never let her guard down. She halted the flow of mag-ions in her right hand to deflect the attack. She followed with a cannon blast, but Verniy was already out of the shell's path as she countered with a sweeping kick. Inazuma blocked it with her shield unit, but heavy blow sent her tumbling for a couple of feet.
More sweat ran down her face as she realized that she was now separated from her friend. "Why... why are you doing this? Akatsuki… she's our sister!"
Verniy picked up Akatsuki and draped the body over her right shoulder. Biting her lip, she looked at the bewildered destroyer once again with her piercing blue eyes. "This is your fault, Inazuma."
"M-My... fault?"
"You were too naive to follow Yuu's footsteps to begin with. Instead of turning back, you chased him around blindly in the pretense of gratitude and responsibility." She glanced at Akatsuki. "This... is the price you had to pay for your foolishness."
Her pounding heart doubled its pace, making her lightheaded. "A-Akatsuki died... because of me... ?"
"He walks down on the path of constant strife and chaos—a path that would cause ruin and misery to anyone who carelessly associate themselves with him. You're just pretending that you knew well the consequences that entailed such decision, but the reality of it is clear as day to everyone here."
She brought up a hand on her forehead. The suffocating sensation felt like it was squeezing the air out of her lungs. "S-Stop it! Don't… don't speak as if you know everything about me… !"
The Navy destroyer closed her eyes. "There's only one other thing that is certain right now, but you still refuse to accept it." She shook her head and extended her free hand towards Inazuma. "Despite that, it's not too late for you to make the right decision."
Shaking her head, she slid her hands over her ears. "Y-You don't know what you're talking about! You don't know anything!"
"Please surrender quietly, and we'll see to it that Akatsuki will be—"
"I said stop! Stop it! Just… shut up!"
"We are soldiers, not miracle workers." She narrowed her eyes. "Inazuma, stop wallowing in your childish fantasies—you can't save everyone."
You can't save… everyone…
Upon hearing those words, her head started to creak.
The awful throbbing sensation spread out like wildfire.
It seized her body, constricting her until she began gasping for air.
Why?
Why?! Why does everyone keep saying that?!
Am I really that useless?
Useless?
Maybe she's right…
I wasn't able to save her.
She brought both hands to her head as an excruciating pain within her skull threatened to rend her brain in half.
She completely lost focus to her surroundings; her senses seemed to have shut down on their own.
However, the brief solace of isolation was a mere prelude to a greater torment:
She and everybody else died out there, and I'm just a selfish coward who only thinks about her own safety.
I was too scared. I left her dying alone. I let her down when she needed my help the most.
Don't you understand? It's my fault!
It's all my fault!
The voices were distorted the first time she had heard them.
But now, everything was crisp and clear that she couldn't mistake them for anybody else.
That was… my voice…
"Just like how I abandoned my friends back in Tropielle…"
Huh… ? Why am I remembering this now?
Her headache grew worse and worse. She could feel her warmth fading fast as the chill found its way into her veins. Consumed in desperation and despair, she collapsed to her knees and embraced her shivering body.
It doesn't matter.
For a useless fleet girl like me, nothing else matter anymore.
"I-Inazuma!"
The commander hurried to her side, but Verniy snatched his right arm before he could even get close. He tried yanking himself away, but the destroyer's steel grip didn't budge at all. "Stay put," she said. "You don't want to get close to an unstable fleet girl."
His response was a quick elbow jab to the back of her head. Verniy simply ducked and dragged him as she quickly sailed backwards, forcing him to fall down.
"You bitch!"
An enraged Maricelle launched herself at the seemingly unsuspecting destroyer. The legless abyssal princess brought out her claws and homed in on Verniy's head, but her target spun around at the last second and landed an elbow into her stomach. Maricelle immediately fell to the water as her body twitched and shuddered from the crushing blow.
Verniy flicked a few strands of hair from her face. "We don't want to cause any more unwanted aggression," she said, gesturing at her comrades, "This is your final chance."
Three fleet girls rushed to pin the abyssal destroyer down. One of them produced a syringe from her belt pack, injecting the tube's lime-colored fluid in her neck. Maricelle continued to thrash around until the sedative took effect, and the Navy girls were able to subdue her without much effort.
Inazuma's incapacitated friends were given their respective shots as well. Hatsuyuki tried to fight back, but a heavy slap across her face was enough to interrupt all her flailing. As the drug was administered, the destroyer fell limp and stopped moving completely.
Maya's unit aside, Ryuujou was the only left standing. She took a stance as the other Navy ships surrounded her with their guns at the ready. She looked conflicted, unsure of her next course of action.
Is this what you wanted?
At this rate, you will lose everything if you don't act now.
The voice rang in Inazuma's head again as if to mock her ineptness. She realized that it was hers, only more proud and condescending in tone.
"But what can I do?" she whispered under her breath. "I'm useless..."
Your commander wasn't lying about your potential.
"My... potential?"
All you have to do is submit to your better nature and unleash everything. Your pain, suffering, anger—embrace them thoroughly and the power you seek will be yours.
"No… I don't want that. I can't… !"
The world will not wait for you, Inazuma. Decide now before it's too late.
The commander, his arms trembling, pushed himself up from the water's surface. "You only wanted me, right?! They have nothing to do with any of this!"
"We've been monitoring your movements since your commissioning in the Maritime Peacekeepers. You can't deny that some of them are actively helping to further your own selfish agendas."
"I mean it, Tatsuki! They've done nothing wrong!"
"If you really care about them so much, we might as well make sure to punish them appropriately for their insolence."
The commander found the strength to stand on his feet. He produced a smart bomb from his modular pack, but the destroyer Michishio was already behind him, shoving the barrels of her turret in his back. "Are you… really trying to piss me off?!"
Tatsuki chuckled. "Well, it seems that you do intend to bring those girls with you to the grave all along. Not that I've expected anything less from you."
"Who… is it? I need to know…"
"What are you muttering about?"
"Just who exactly sent you here?"
"Does it matter who?" He grinned. "The timing couldn't have been better, especially with you leaving Orion unannounced. Do you honestly think we'd let you go after all the humiliation you've caused us over the years?"
The commander scoffed. "You've always acted so proud, but you're actually no different from the people you love to look down on."
"Hmph, I've heard enough gibberish noise from a soon-to-be dead man. As entertaining as a show this is, it's about time we—" He suddenly looked down at his forearm terminal. "Tch, what now?"
The assertive, elated look on his face devolved into frustration in a matter of seconds.
As if affirming to his sudden tone shift, Niro's eyebrows crossed. "Orion's under siege again?" He glared at the commander. "This is your doing, isn't it?"
"What, everything is my fault now?" he replied.
"I knew that you left some of those girls in the island. We've been searching for them, but it looks like that they've managed to elude us up until this point."
"I told you that they're not—"
A loud bang echoed as a bullet pierced the commander's chest. He screamed as he collapsed into the water, and the destroyer behind him quickly pulled him up and wrapped his arm around her shoulder to support him upright.
"Enough," Niro said, snatching the pistol out of the Navy captain's grasp, "they made it perfectly clear that we need him alive."
"Shouldn't you know better that a simple gunshot wouldn't kill someone like him? And I don't want to take my chances against a VOKS user."
"As long as you keep your personal vendetta in check and not screw us both over, I don't care how you do things." He faced the pool once again. "Michishio, bring him up here. We have bigger fish to fry."
"Yeah, on it."
"And I'll leave the rest in your care, Verniy. We'll go on ahead."
Still carrying Akatsuki, the silver-haired destroyer glanced over her shoulder. "Understood. We'll catch up soon."
Are you still going to hold this off? You know that they cannot be trusted.
They already killed one of your friends—what's going to stop them to dispatch everyone in your unit?
Inazuma started shaking her head. "No… I can't let that happen…"
Verniy passed the lifeless body over to the nearest fleet girl before sailing towards Inazuma. "Have you calmed down yet?" she offered her hand to the other destroyer. "There's no need for you to be afraid anymore."
What will it be, Inazuma?
"P-Please, help me! I'll do anything!"
A loud cackling reverberated in her head.
Good answer.
This once, let me give you a hand.
Your conscience is but an obstructive shackle.
Let the destructive emotional storm within your core empower your resolve.
The enemy is right in front of you.
Make her pay. Make all of them pay and take what's rightfully yours.
Verniy smiled as Inazuma took her hand. She pulled the other destroyer up to her feet and tapped her earpiece with her free hand. "I'll take care of this one. Neutralize the rest."
"Neu… tralize?"
Her eyes widened as she realized what she just said. "No, that's not what I—"
"I've had enough." Inazuma squeezed her hand. "No more…"
Wincing, Verniy began tugging her arm back. "I-Inazuma?"
"Now I see why Commander hated the Navy so much." Her unyielding grip tightened even further. "You already took away Akatsuki's life and my only chance to save her, and now you're going to do the same to all of my friends?"
An audible crack was heard as Inazuma suddenly twisted her wrist, causing the Navy destroyer to whimper in pain. "I-Inazuma, get a hold of yourself. You're just putting your friends at ri—"
"Shut up!" She pumped more mag-ions into her other arm and sent Verniy flying with a vicious punch. "Did you really think that I'll just curl up in a ball forever and let you do what you want?!"
The fleet girls around her were dumbstruck as Verniy bounced off barrier at the pool's edge. They trained their weapons at Inazuma, but the latter didn't care.
With her eyes only set at Akatsuki, she made her first step. A few ships sailed in front of her, blocking her path.
"Get out of my way."
Her voice was surprisingly calm, masking the fury surging throughout her body.
Her trembling fists began to bleed as her nails dug deeper into her palms.
"Inazuma!" Jintsuu called out behind her. "Please, just listen to her!"
The light cruiser's words fell into deaf ears as Inazuma took another step. The Navy girls around her were exchanging glances at each other.
Still reeling from the last attack, Verniy stood on shaky legs. "Wait, hold your fire! Let me just talk to her and—"
"Verniy, that's enough!" Akagi recalled her flight deck, drawing her bow. "If she takes another step, shoot her!"
Inazuma scowled upon hearing the order. She reignited Overdrive, bathing her in a golden light. "That's how it's going to be, huh?" she muttered as she slackened her fingers, replacing one of her torpedo mounts with a depth charge launcher. "I told you not to underestimate me."
"Yura, don't just stand there!" Kaga shouted. "Get moving!"
Startled, the pink-haired light cruiser chased after the group of marines.
No more holding back, Inazuma!
The destroyer let out a primal scream. "I said, get out my way!"
"Shoot her now!" Akagi shouted.
A harmonic salvo resonated throughout the facility as the deadly shells raced towards their target. Inazuma deployed a spherical field, protecting her from the searing blasts. She immediately shifted her mag-ion flow into her legs as she made the leap towards the platform.
Akagi tried to stop her advance, only for her arrow to miss its mark by a hair's breadth. She made another attempt as the destroyer landed next to her escorts, but Inazuma deftly snatched the speeding bolt aimed at her head and used it to stab an attacking fleet girl in the stomach.
The unfortunate victim screamed out in agony as the destroyer used her as a shield, and the rest of her friends hesitated. Inazuma punished their inaction with her shoulder mount, blasting them away in quick succession.
Her hostage began to struggle as Kaga recalled her bow and walked towards the destroyer. "Let her go," the carrier said, drawing a knife from her belt sheath.
Inazuma dispensed a depth charge upwards, catching it with her free hand. She stuck the bomb in the other fleet girl's core structure. "Help yourself then!" she cried, pushing her hostage with her foot.
The fleet girl stumbled in front of the carrier before the time-fused bomb released a tremendous force that knocked them both out of the platform. Protected with her shield's field projector, Inazuma pressed through the smoke to chase after the light cruiser holding her precious friend.
"Yura, give her back!"
As she was about to pass through the entrance, an arrow adorned with paper charms broke through her field and pierced through below her left shoulder. As if it had the force of a rocket, the sleek missile dragged Inazuma off her feet and pinned her into the gate's frame.
She looked down at the arrow emanating a soft red hue. The charms were interfering with her body's mag-ion flow, channeling her mag-ions out of her body. A-An enchanted arrow?!
Akagi, drawing two more arrows from her quiver, walked towards her. "Struggling against that particular arrow is futile, but you're more than welcome to try your luck."
The carrier's gloating only fueled her rage as Inazuma pushed herself against the metal frame with a heavy kick. She couldn't care less about the jagged barbs tearing through her flesh. The distance between her and Akatsuki was growing further each second, and the pain she was experiencing now just couldn't compare to the mere thought of forsaking her friend for the last time.
She gave the frame another stomp, letting out a scream as she finally yanked herself free from the arrow's notch. Blood freely gushed out of the gruesome hole in her body, soaking her clothes in deep red once again.
Akagi narrowed her eyes as the arrows in her hands retracted into dagger-like blades. "How stubborn. Now I see why he chose you as his right-hand fleet girl."
Her vocal cords might as well function as a grating siren to Inazuma's ears.
And for some reason, the incessant barrage and anguished cries of the mounting battle seemed like a hundred miles away. She could even hear her name in the midst of the chaos.
She took a deep breath. None of those things mattered right now.
The pulsing, whispering rage that had manifested in heart needed to be satisfied.
She had to get rid of the feverish chill in her body, and the Navy carrier standing across her was the perfect outlet to flush out all of her frustrations.
She wanted to bash her face in with her aching fists many many times.
She wanted to hear her scream. She wanted to see her choke in her own blood.
And she would do exactly just that.
"What's wrong?" she asked her. "Working up a sweat against a small fry like me?"
"Y-You—!"
She fell for it.
Akagi rushed at her, flinging the first bolt into her right leg. Inazuma endured the pain, leaning to her right to avoid a swipe aimed at her neck. She quickly dipped low and rammed her shield unit into the stomach of her opponent. However, Akagi didn't even budge an inch as she stabbed the destroyer in her already-injured shoulder.
Inazuma held the urge to scream as the carrier began twisting the blade. Her vision swam and her limbs felt numb, but she couldn't help but smile as she got Akagi where she wanted her.
Using her shield's turret, she shot out a shell dart under the carrier's breastplate. Akagi collapsed at the next second and started to convulse. Inazuma immediately grabbed her by the hair, dragging her towards the hole in the gate. The carrier's comrades rushed to her aid, but the destroyer tossed a depth charge at them before they could even get close. One persistent fleet girl managed to pull through the blast, but she made short work of her with a single shell dart to the chest.
Ignoring the explosive firefight within the main chamber, Inazuma turned her attention back to Akagi, who was now reaching out for an arrow in her quiver. She stomped on her hand and kicked the arrow case away from her.
Akagi put up a stiff indignant look, but Inazuma could see through her facade.
"Y-You… th-those eyes..."
Slowly being enveloped in a misty shroud, the destroyer smiled once more as her hatchet materialized in her right hand.
Reparation was upon her.
"Wh-What are you? Y-You… you're not Inazuma!"
Inazuma swung her axe down, aiming at the carrier's neck. Akagi focused her mag-ions around her forearm as she attempted to block the attack, but the hatchet's blade cleaved through the protective field regardless and lodged itself deep in her flesh. The destroyer plucked the axe out of her arm and finished the job with a heavier swing, severing the limb completely.
Akagi's ghastly scream was cut short when Inazuma swung her hatchet across her face.
She wasn't satisfied. She wanted to see more.
More pain. More anguish.
The destroyer hit the writhing fleet girl with her hand clutching her hatchet. Then she swung her other hand.
She soon quickened her pace, forming a satisfying rhythm. It just felt so much better using her fists like that despite her smarting shoulder.
But she found it odd that Akagi wasn't struggling at all. She just took the blows as the destroyer hammered away, covering her face with cuts and bruises.
The bitterness in her heart welled up to fuel her onslaught. Her punches became more severe; her fingers began to buckle each blow.
It wasn't enough. Not after the horrible thing she did to her friend.
To Akatsuki.
A-Akatsuki… ?
Hearing the name inside her head seemed to have taken the wind out of her lungs. Her bloodied right fist hovered in the air, quivering as she resisted the invisible force guiding it straight into the Navy carrier's cheeks.
She slowly turned her head to the left. "They… they're gone…"
What's wrong? Doesn't it feel great bashing her face in like that?
Turn her face into a bloody paste! She deserved it!
"N-No…"
She didn't even hesitate to end Akatsuki's life.
This is just par for the course—you're simply returning the favor.
"S-Stop it! This… this isn't what I wanted…"
Don't lie to yourself. You wanted power, right?
Your conscience is holding you back. Hence, here I am giving you a little nudge in the right directi—
"I just wanted to save Akatsuki! I don't care about revenge!" She dropped her hatchet and clutched the sides of her head. "We just need to save her… then… she'll be…"
It can't be helped. Reasoning with a stubborn brat like you is a waste of time.
"Wh-What are you talking about?"
Don't pin the blame on me.
You're the one who's still afraid to give herself completely to her emotions. And here I thought you would do anything to save her.
"I want to save Akatsuki… but not like this! I didn't ask for this!"
And there it goes. In the end, you only think of yourself, don't you?
Wishing to save someone is a tall ambition for a coward like you.
Your friend will soon perish because of your willful ignorance.
It's your fault, Inazuma!
"S-Stop it… ! It's not my fault!"
Akagi began to snicker. "I can't believe you realized it just now," she said. "And I don't know where you're getting all that power from, but it doesn't matter now that you've failed."
Letting out another shrill scream, Inazuma hit the carrier across the face.
"I-It's not my fault!" She reached out for her hatchet, raising it above her head. "It's your fault! It's the Navy's fault!"
As she was about to bring down the axe with all her strength, another fleet girl sent her tumbling away with a crushing tackle. Inazuma forced herself to stand up as she directed her hatred to the destroyer standing before her. "H-Hibiki!"
Verniy glanced at the carrier. "Can you still fight?" she asked. "The others need our help."
"My fleet can handle his entourage on its own."
"No, not them."
Akagi's eyes widened as she happened to look at her forearm terminal, which began to relay an audio distress message:
All hands, Enforce Alpha require immediate assistance. Two unidentified abyssal ships are in hot pursuit of the unit, possibly allies of the Liberator. I repeat, two unidentified abyssal ships are—
"Akatsuki?!" Inazuma uttered.
It distracted her long enough for Verniy to get the drop on her with a right hook. As she fell to the water, the Navy destroyer kicked her to the dock's edge.
"Leave her to me," Verniy said, "Please assist Commodore Niro's squad with the extraction."
Akagi got on her feet and produced three equipment cards. "Stand aside—she needs to be taught a lesson first."
A burst of wind erupted from Verniy as a faint blue glow shrouded her frame. "Don't waste your time on a destroyer like her. A better prize is waiting for you outside."
She scoffed as she poured mag-ions into her cards. In a flash of light, a loaded quiver materialized on her back. "You may be right," she said, grinning. "I'll make sure nothing happens to her dearest Akatsuki."
"Y-You wouldn't… !"
Inazuma reignited her Overdrive state, much to the protests of her engineers and damage control fairies, and flung her hatchet at the Navy destroyer. Verniy blocked the axe, but the blade sliced through her shield plating and gashed her forearm. Inazuma hit her next with two consecutive blasts, giving her time to chase after the fleeing carrier.
"Leave her alone!" she cried.
Before she could fire another round, Verniy latched on her from behind and seized her in a shoulder lock, throwing her off her feet. The two destroyers rolled and tumbled as they battled for control, but Inazuma couldn't break free from the rigid hold despite her full power.
"N-No! Let me go, Hibiki!"
"Enough!" Verniy tightened her grip even further. "You're just hurting yourself, Inazuma!"
Inazuma screamed. The pressure inflicted on her injured shoulder was just too much. "I… I don't care! All of this… is your fault!"
In the verge of passing out, she dispensed a depth charge beneath her feet. She heard a gasp from Verniy just as her senses were overwhelmed completely.
She blacked out for a moment, but she was surprisingly unscathed from the explosion.
Curious, Inazuma opened her eyes and stumbled upon a tearful face of the silver-haired destroyer. She felt something dripping on her arm. As she focused her eyes a bit to the right, her brain finally registered the bloody stump on Verniy's left shoulder. The horrid sight immediately broke her into tears.
"Hi-Hibiki," she began, "I… I didn't mean to—!"
She felt a prick on the side of her neck, but it took her a few more seconds to realize what the Navy destroyer just did to her.
"N-No! Stop it, Hibiki!"
"I'm sorry," Verniy breathed out, tossing out the spent syringe into the water.
She began to panic. She struggled to push Verniy off her body, only to find out that her strength was quickly fading away.
"P-Please… I'm begging you!"
Verniy bit her lip, pinning the hysterical destroyer down with her remaining arm.
"She needs me! I don't want her to die!"
Inazuma thrashed some more. All the rage powering her body had left her, but she felt like her chest was going to burst. Her limbs seemed like they were set ablaze.
No amount of screaming helped in easing the pain ravaging the walls of heart.
"Hibiki… she's my best friend! Please!"
The awful sensation reached its peak, crashing down on her like a tidal wave.
At the wake of the destructive deluge, her consciousness began to erode.
Her body rendered useless, she spent the last few moments muttering Akatsuki's name.
Almost as if praying to each and every higher power known to man, she chanted her desperate pleas over and over.
Over and over until the soundless darkness consumed her whole.
She was but a fragment of her own conscience, drifting into the hollow expanse beneath her feet.
There was no destination in sight—only the bottomless abyss staring back into her eyes.
Slowly, she was being drawn into the pit. She flailed her arms in a vain attempt to steer her course.
No, we can't be so sure yet! It's just too early to assume that!
Another intrusive voice in her head. She was getting sick of them.
Look… enough with you sulking there. None of this was your fault.
It was the commander's voice, only a bit younger.
Those Abyssal monsters can mess up radio signals, right? We just need to hope that they were able to escape safely.
Until then, you need to stay put for a while. Don't do anything stupid.
The last remark made her chuckle a bit. Even in her dreams, he didn't seem to lose his sarcastic touch.
But it didn't end there and made the cryptic statements more confusing:
You've definitely seen things that you weren't supposed to know, and it doesn't take a genius to tell that it's only a matter of time before they come for you too.
The drip feed of information only succeeded in putting her on edge. Things that she weren't supposed to know? What could possibly—
So, promise me.
In return, I'll keep you safe from them. Whatever it takes…
She looked around the void she was floating in as if to seek more answers from the voice echoing in her head. What she gained instead was a sudden episode of vertigo.
Her body became numb. Her consciousness dimmed to an inevitable slumber once again, but she found some relief that she was able to infer one important detail out of this particular instance.
But considering what was waiting for her back in the real world, finding out the truth wouldn't matter anymore.
Inazuma was struck with a sudden headache, stirring her mind and body with an invigorating spark.
Slowly, her senses came back to her.
She could feel her surroundings shudder every now and then.
She could hear voices ahead from where she was sitting. They seemed to be discussing the recent developments unfolding in Orion, but she could only pick up bits and pieces of words over the sharp ringing resonating inside her head.
She could feel that her limbs and body were bound tightly on her seat. It made her heart race a little, but it would be imprudent of her to attempt an escape in her current state.
She slowly opened her eyes and noticed that her clothes had been fixed. The repulsive stench of gore and death that had permeated her body was gone. A bit of aching still persisted in her shoulder, but her damage control crew reported that her open wounds were mostly patched up and on their way to full recovery.
The previous turn of events felt like a distant nightmare, only that she could remember everything so vividly.
"I hope you don't mind that I cleaned you up."
Inazuma raised her head and let her eyes wander around the small compartment until they settled on two familiar fleet girls standing by the hatch. "H-How long was I out?" she asked.
"Approximately three and a half hours," Verniy replied. "How are you feeling?"
She breathed out a sigh as the ringing in her head subsided. "The repairs are coming along slowly, but I feel so… exhausted…"
"Good, that means the calming agent is working its magic. I suggest that you take plenty of rest—abusing your core engine with Overdrive will only bring serious repercussions to your body." She turned back to the Kagerou-class destroyer. "Nowaki, can you monitor the channels for a while?"
"Alright, but I didn't give you those exoskeleton frames just so you could strain yourself some more."
Inazuma noticed Verniy's missing leg only after Nowaki pointed out the augmentation module. She must have lost it along with her left arm in the depth charge blast.
Verniy smiled, flexing her artificial arm. "Watching over an enervated destroyer doesn't count as a strenuous job."
"You say that, but she was able to catch all of us off guard."
"I won't make that same mistake again."
Nowaki glanced at Inazuma. "What she did back there is surely impressive. That alone should make them think twice disbanding another Stinger division in the following weeks."
"Don't hold your breath for it."
"Of course." With a heavy sigh, Nowaki stepped outside and waved at her. "Later then."
The hatch hissed and closed itself with a loud chunk. "Where are we going?" Inazuma asked her sister ship.
"We're taking you to one of our auxiliary outposts to the north."
"Why?"
"It's not safe at Orion as we speak."
"So it's true that the Abyssals are attacking the island again."
Verniy nodded. "The timing suggests that it's a counterattack in response to our assault in the Arbiter's base."
"We've learned that an abyssal group is helping the Freedom Arbiters with their naval operations here in Caffelatte, so that could be it."
"I see…"
The two of them averted their eyes as silence choked the air in the compartment. No one dared to speak, but they kept stealing glances at each other. Each second seemed to drag on for hours, and Inazuma thought that it would've been better if they had kept her unconscious during the trip.
Growing more impatient and uncomfortable, Inazuma decided that she would be the first to break the standstill:
"D-Do you need something else from me? I... I want to be alone for now…"
Verniy paused for a moment, staring as if she was studying the face of the captured destroyer. "Aren't you going to ask the whereabouts of Akatsuki and your commander?"
Inazuma weakly shook her head, holding back a sob. "D-Does it matter if I knew where they are right now?!"
Her expression didn't change as she took her hat away and looked up to the ceiling. "I'm sorry."
She balled her hands. "Why are you apologizing?"
"I've realized that I should take responsibility for Akatsuki's death."
"Y-You've already won, but you're still mocking me like that." Tears welled up from her eyes. "I never knew you could be so cruel, Hibiki."
"No." Verniy looked at her. "If that abyssal battleship didn't appear earlier, this wouldn't have happened."
"Battleship?" Her rising anger began to recede as she recalled their earlier encounter. "You mean Reizel? Was your fleet trying to ambush us during that time?"
She gave her another curt nod. "We have intercepted an encrypted transmission that tipped us off of your destination, but it turned out to be a trap set up by your commander."
"A trap?"
"You were supposed to rendezvous with some fleet girls from Basilica." She paused. "But we didn't realize that an abyssal unit was already prowling in the area. Careful as ever, he had also enlisted their help to impede our progress."
"We didn't know most of the details either. That's just how he is."
"You can't blame him. We have eyes and ears everywhere."
"I know."
As their conversation ground to a halt, the awkward atmosphere crept back into the compartment once more. Nearly a minute passed before Verniy spoke again:
"What are you planning now, Inazuma?"
There was it again. She was definitely doing it on purpose and Inazuma couldn't stand it. "I already told you that it doesn't matter anymore!"
She chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure you can come up with a better lie than that."
"S-Stop that! Just leave me alo—"
"I asked you a question, Destroyer Inazuma." Her tone had become more authorative and daunting. "What do you intend to do now? Speak out your thoughts—your true feelings."
It surprised Inazuma for a second, but she didn't let herself be intimidated. "Why do you keep asking the obvious?!" she cried. "Yes, I want to help Commander! I want to help my friends! I just know that they're still fighting out there, but I'm stuck here unable to do anything!"
It was Verniy's turn to be surprised. "How did you… I haven't told you anything yet…" Her startled look disappeared as she closed her eyes. "Hmm, you do place a lot of faith on your comrades."
Inazuma lowered her head, letting her tears drip to her skirt. "Akatsuki once told me that I should always set my eyes on the future, especially in the times of tragedy and despair. Commander kept telling us the same thing too." She shook her head. "I know that I'm just a wishy-washy destroyer that could barely stand up on her own two feet, but I have also a promise to keep."
Verniy raised an eyebrow. "A promise, you say? But all of that is irrelevant now since you've already given up."
"Then release me!" she spat. "I'll show you just how wrong you are!"
She smirked. "You're talking nonsense, Inazuma. Did you really think I'd release a prisoner for something as petty as that?" She approached her and lifted her chin. "Unlike you, I'm not selfish enough to forsake the trust of my comrades."
The burning rage in her chest returned as she struggled against her bindings. "Hibiki!"
"Seeing that you're a poor judge of your own abilities, those words don't hold any merit." She turned around and began walking towards the hatch. "You are hardly a threat to any of us now."
Inazuma drew into her mag-ion reserves, cloaking her body in a golden glow. "I told you… not to estimate me!"
Her fury gave her the power she needed to break free from the elastic bands and lunge at the Navy destroyer, but Verniy spun on her heels and intercepted her fist with her hand.
"Interesting," she muttered. "I'm seeing the resemblance now."
Verniy suddenly moved under her arm and jabbed her stomach once. Inazuma reeled backwards, winded from the swift blow. Verniy grabbed her neck and slammed her to the wall.
A few moments later, Nowaki and Michishio suddenly rushed inside the compartment. "See what I mean?" the former said.
The blonde fleet girl just shrugged. "Well, looks like she has this under control," she said. "But man, this Inazuma's really persistent. Just what kind of training did she go through under the Liberator's command?"
"Yeah, it's for the best if we make her unconscious now. She has suffered enough to let this go on."
Verniy pushed her hand down on Inazuma's neck. "Don't struggle."
Inazuma began to panic as she saw her free hand holding a syringe. "Hi-Hibiki… ! No!"
She leaned close to her face. "Listen. Commander Yuu is currently on his way back to Orion," she whispered in her ear. "We don't know what he's planning, but you better catch up to him quick."
"H-Huh?" She tensed up when she felt a prick on the side of her neck. "Why are you… ?"
"Your friends that we have captured are in good hands, so I want you to focus on your mission. Commodore Minako hopes that you can catch up to him before the situation gets worse."
The heavy feeling that was sapping her strength was quickly fading. Her fairy crew recognized the substance as well, using it to flush out the sedatives in her system much quicker. An express repair serum...!
Verniy glanced over her shoulder. "And you two might want to stand back for a bit."
Her destroyer companions complied, taking a hesitant backward step. "Wait," Michishio said, "what are you—"
Inazuma's heart jumped as an explosion erupted from her left, filling the compartment with chilling air. The hatch automatically closed before anybody else could enter the cargo space.
"N-Now you've done it! Niro's going to roast our asses when we get back there!"
Ignoring the Asashio-class destroyer, Verniy pulled Inazuma next to the gaping hole. "You don't need to be too concerned. I'll take full responsibility for this."
Michishio directed her glare to the floor. "Th-That's not the point!"
"So you're not going to stop me?"
"W-Well… we dodged the bullet yesterday when she helped us out with that crazy battleship."
Nowaki stepped forward, looking uncertain. "But still, you have to think this through more carefully!"
Armed marines suddenly poured into the compartment. Among them was a fleet girl who aimed her forearm turret at Inazuma. "It seems that Captain Tatsuki's hunch was right after all," the light cruiser Yahagi said. "I won't have to report this to our superiors if you end this ridiculous prank now."
The destroyer in question simply placed herself in front of their prisoner. "Inazuma, ready to jump?"
"W-Without a parachute?!"
"Seven thousand feet is just about average."
"B-But that's—I never took free fall deployment drills before!"
"Then now's as good a time as any for your first jump."
Yahagi frowned. "What you are trying to accomplish here is pointless—a waste of everyone's time."
"And you're assuming that I'm not going to buy her time to escape." Smiling, Verniy turned to face Inazuma. "Go! Show everyone that the Akatsuki destroyers are not to be trifled with!"
Inazuma swallowed her unease in one big gulp and returned a small smile. "I will."
Just as Yahagi rushed at them, Inazuma quickly made the leap out of the transport aircraft backwards. Two energy spikes burst out, causing the aircraft to pitch slightly to its starboard side. To her relief, the enormous signatures disappeared just as quick, and there was no exchange of gunfire.
Thank you, Hibiki. I won't waste this second chance!
As she plummeted back to the surface, she summoned out her core structure and armaments for a quick checkup. Her equipment prior to her capture were all still in working condition, but she would have to make the most of them with all of her spare cards taken away.
A few hundred feet before touchdown, she righted herself in a crouching position, focusing most of her mag-ions in her legs. She set her system to Overdrive and steeled herself for the impact.
"H-Here goes!"
An explosive clap erupted as her landing produced a massive ripple outwards. Her limbs felt numb for a few seconds, but she was glad that she managed to pull it off safely.
She looked up to the sky and took note of the Navy aircraft's current course. Without her forearm terminal, she would be searching for her friends blindly, but it was a problem that she should only concern herself with after reaching Orion.
As her bridge fairies were done calculating their current bearing, Inazuma set off to reach the frontier island as quickly as her body would allow her.