A/N: Dear readers, thank you for your supports. You all have been good friends.
I've made a lot of mistakes as I write this story, and no doubt I will make some more, like Dan Browning my facts or simply giving the wrong dialog markers alongside the usual grammar incompetence. Please feel free to point out those mistakes!
Cheers!
x
x
x
It's fascinating how naval doctrine could change drastically when your ships had arms and legs. Back in World War Two, carriers dominated the battlefield, but now, Zuikaku couldn't count how many times she had thought that they should've built more battleships.
This moment, for example.
"DAMNIT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT!"
Zuikaku ran upstairs through the darkness at full speed, spouting profanities all the way. In her arms she held the heavily bleeding Hatsuzuki, and right on her tail was a Re-class aviation battleship, its speed defying the size of her heavily armed tail and small legs.
"WAIT FOR ME! I WANT TO PLAY!"
The fact that the clearly inhuman voice used a very childish tone just made it scarier.
For a moment Zuikaku regretted that she had chosen the emergency stairs as an escape route when they got separated from the rest of the search fleet, but right at the moment there's no time for regret, only for running.
Kanmusu or not, Zuikaku could not keep her pace for long. Her breathing was already getting heavy, and they're only getting further and further away from the rest of the force back on the ground floor. They needed a place to hide.
"Just leave me..." whispered Hatsuzuki weakly, straight into Zuikaku's bosom.
Zuikaku responded by bashing the door into the third floor with her shoulder, and continued running.
"...I supposed to protect you..."
"SHUT UP!" Zuikaku shouted harshly as she sent the few planes she had left to scout for enemies and secure a route into a good hiding spot. She quickly found and abandoned suite somewhere near the far corner.
Avoiding additional enemies and jumping over the corpses humans that she regretfully could not save, Zuikaku found and entered the suite her planes had found, barely managed to lose the enemy battleship on the way. Even as Zuikaku carefully dropped Hatsuzuki on the luxurious bed and began to seal the door using wardrobe and other heavy things she could find, she could still hear the voice of the Re-class calling her out to play.
Zuikaku took a deep breath. This was the kind of time when a calm mind would prevail. Unfortunately, it was very hard for Zuikaku to calm down right at the moment. They might be safe for now, but they're also trapped.
Deciding that she needed to focus on one thing at a time to remain sane, Zuikaku chose to tend to her wounded escort first. she approached Hatsuzuki, her repair crew ready. Hatsuzuki was looking at the ceiling, her eyes unfocused. There was a large gash running from the base of her shoulder through the middle of her stomach, exposing her chest to the open air. The destroyer was breathing heavily, and with each expansion of her lungs her wound widened, seeping even more blood into what remained of her dress.
Carefully, Zuikaku placed her hand on Hatsuzuki bare and bleeding chest. Her fairies quickly poured out from her sleeve, checking the wound. One of the fairies turned back to Zuikaku, its face grim.
"Not enough material?" asked Zuikaku. The fairy nodded sadly.
"Use me, then."
The rest of the fairies suddenly looked at Zuikaku, unsure.
"Do it."
After a minute of deliberation, the lead fairy nodded, summoning half of the fairies to return back inside Zuikaku. The rest started taking out their tool and slip inside of Hatsuzuki's wound.
Zuikaku felt a stinging pain as her own fairies cut her inside apart. She could see a small slice of her flesh disappeared from her right hand, creating a bleeding gash that continued to grow upwards towards her shoulder. But as Zuikaku's wound grew bigger, Hatsuzuki's wound grew smaller, and it was exactly the result Zuikaku wished for.
When Hatsuzuki's largest wound finally stopped bleeding, Zuikaku gave a sigh of relief. She carefully removed her officer jacket with her one functional arm and draped it over the destroyer, giving her some modesty. A silly sentiment in the face of death, but Zuikaku wanted to do it anyway.
There was now a large wound running across Zuikaku's right arm, and without enough material for a repair, it was now useless. She used her left hand to rip apart the sleeve of her shirt, clumsily trying to make a makeshift tourniquet. Nowhere near enough to stop her bleeding, but it was something, at least.
With one arm disabled, Zuikaku had no choice but to operate her crossbow with her teeth, and as she used her tongue to put a bolt inside the string, Zuikaku thought that she could've been a great kisser. The strange things that crossed your mind when you're at death's door...
Suddenly, Zuikaku's radio perked up.
'help us...'
"Enterprise?" Zuikaku almost shouted, but before Enterprise could answer another voice chimed in.
'We've got a contact!'
"Mutsu?" Zuikaku asked, confused. Mutsu was not invited to the party.
'Zuikaku? I'm calling from outside." Mutsu answered.
"Huh? Wait, why are you here?" Zuikaku asked again, realizing too late that it was a stupid question.
'One of the biggest building in the city suddenly went into a lockdown, you'd bet that'd pick some attention. We have the building surrounded, but we can't get in. what happened?"
Zuikaku looked to the window and realized that it was still blocked by a thick steel plate, part of the building's defense system.
'The building is full of Abyssal troops.' Enterprise gave an honest answer.
'What!?' Mutsu shouted.
A third voice suddenly joined.
'This is Admiral Goto, I can confirm that.'
Zuikaku could hear a ruckus as people on Mutsu's end discussed what was a recent revelation to them.
'Alright, alright.' called Mutsu again, obviously trying to calm herself. 'any plan, admiral?'
'well...'
'we have one, if I may.' cut Enterprise. 'We could only hold the communication for another minute, but the hotel owner said that she might be able to open the exit gate at the uppermost floor as long as she had access to the console here.'
Admiral Goto took no time to deliberate.
'Mutsu, prepare a helicopter or two, big ones.'
'Aye-aye, admiral!' Mutsu answered dutifully, but Zuikaku caught something wrong in Enterprise's plan.
"Wait, what do you mean 'as long as she had access to the console'?"
'We'll need to stay down here.' Enterprise answered with her usual unwavering professional tone. 'We will not be able to hold out for long, but we can at least give you thirty minutes. Move fast."
"W-wait a minute here-!"
"Goodbye, Crane."
With a loud click and buzz, all radio communication ceased.
Zuikaku froze. the tone of Enterprise's last words playing over and over in her ears. It was cheerful, artificially so, almost as if Enterprise didn't want Zuikaku to hear her crying.
Zuikaku wanted to run, run downstairs to at least meet Enterprise for the last time, to give her life so that she might escape, but the view of the wounded, unconscious destroyer in front of her stilled her feet.
With so many strong, conflicting interests in her heart, Zuikaku felt her knees weakening, added to that the blood loss from her wounds, she could not stay upright. She took her seat on the bed beside the limp Hatsuzuki, her face down, tired.
"Goddamit."
They had a plan. Soon the people would be able to escape. but why was she feeling so defeated?
"Goddamit."
Suddenly strength came back to her as her sadness turned into anger. Zuikaku stood up, and saw the wall nearest to her.
CRACK!
Zuikaku bashed her head as hard as possible against the wall, again...
"GOD-!"
...and again.
"-DAMN-!"
and again.
"-IT ALL!"
When her rage ceased, Zuikaku did not find comfort, only a bleeding head and a broken brick wall in front of her.
"Fuck."
Zuikaku took her seat again beside Hatsuzuki, her mind's now empty. She looked at the floor, sitting still like a statue. She knew that they'd soon be found by the enemy if she only waited in that isolated room, but no matter how hard she tried she could not find the strength to get back on her feet.
...and then she felt a tiny hand touching hers.
"Zuikaku-san?"
That tiny weak voice woke up Zuikaku from her stupor.
"Ah...you're awake?" said Zuikaku. Suddenly realizing that she's currently not only responsible for her own life, but that of other, she immediately stood up again. "I'm sorry, but we're going to need to move out soon. can you walk?"
Hatsuzuki answered by pulling Zuikaku's hand with a strength that Zuikaku would've never expected from a wounded destroyer. Zuikaku lost her balance, and as she fell, her face got uncomfortably close to Hatsuzuki's. Then, Zuikaku felt something, something soft.
It took an entire long second for Zuikaku to realize that Hatsuzuki had kissed her.
"Now, I am content." whispered Hatsuzuki. "Go to her."
"H..huh?" uttered Zuikaku. with her mind recently scrambled, that was the only sound her mouth could make.
"I'd be fine. You want to meet her, are you not?" Hatsuzuki prodded, smiling. Her hand was trying to push Zuikaku away, trying to get her to move.
"I can't possibly..."
"Just go, alright? before I changed my mind."
Indeed, Zuikaku wanted to go. her heart was screaming for Zuikaku to simply agree and leave, to be by her beloved, but her honor stood fast.
"No." Zuikaku said with conviction.
"Huh?" Hatsuyuki looked confused.
"I've said it before, right?" Zuikaku grabbed the destroyer's tiny hand tightly. "I will always be by your side."
Hatsuzuki's mind suddenly raced back to that time long ago when she was attending to the wounded Zuikaku, back in the dry dock.
"Ah..."
Hatsuzuki felt her tears welling up, but fortunately, she did not have to put in the effort to hide them from Zuikaku...
...since the door just exploded.
Zuikaku quickly stood up with reflex honed from years of military service. ignoring the wood shrapnels raining upon her, she aimed her crossbow at the figure entering the room.
"LET'S PLAY." shouted the Re-class battleship, and as Zuikaku saw the cannons aimed at her, Zuikaku knew they're finished.
Zuikaku felt her spirit dropping. She would not have enough time to launch her planes, let alone destroy the enemy before those cannons started firing and ripped her hull to shreds.
WHA-BLAM!
But when all hope was seemingly lost, the grinning face of death in front of Zuikaku was suddenly crumpled under the weight of a massive fist.
Completely unexpected except by the owner of said fist, the battleship Nagato had arrived, charging like a bullet and sending the enemy flying hard onto the corridor, outside of Zuikaku's line of vision.
"W...what?" with how surprised Zuikaku was, one could be forgiven if they thought she's the one who had been punched by one of the Big Seven.
"Heard you're in trouble, friend!" shouted Nagato, grinning widely as if it was her birthday party. "So I came to-"
BLAAM!
"Well, that was rude." said Nagato, seemingly undamaged except for the fact that her entire collar had been blasted away. She took a bored glance at her enemy before turning back to Zuikaku. "Anyway, you should go now. I'll take care of this."
Zuikaku felt calm. The fact that Nagato was there meant that everything was going to be fine, at least on that floor. She took one look at Hatsuzuki.
"Go." Hatsuzuki smiled.
Zuikaku smiled back.
"I'm going!" Zuikaku declared, running towards the door. Nagato stepped aside, letting Zuikaku walked through. "Take care of Hatsu for me!"
"Of course, friend!" Nagato shouted as Zuikaku disappeared around the corner. She then turned back towards her enemy.
"Young love, eh?" Nagato said, pretending that her foe could understand the concept of love.
"ARE YOU A NEW FRIEND? WANNA PLAY?" asked the Abyssal battleship in a cruel mockery of a human voice.
"Yes. let's play."
As she stood there, facing her foe one on one, Nagato felt strong, invincible.
All she needed then was a badass long coat, and she would feel perfect.
