Nagato looked on and observed the last of the retreating ship girls while her cannons were silenced in preparation for what came next.

A grim-faced Iowa, escorted by Sendai, Naka, Hibiki and Akatsuki, escorted an unconscious Jintsuu away from the rising smokescreen, the unconscious light cruiser having suffered from scathing third-degree burns on her chest as she was held in a bridal carry in the hands of the American battleship, all while an impenetrable black curtain behind them served as the divide between ship girls and Abyssals alike along with the naval mines denying them an underwater advancement route.

A few battleships had taken to sailing closer in order to throw their smoke grenades like baseballs into the fray, while several of the carriers had their bombers jury-rigged into carrying smoke grenades in lieu of their explosive payloads and were sent out to drop these smoke grenades onto the battlefield (albeit while flying at a safe distance from the rising smoke; they didn't want their planes to be be sent into a spiral upon coming out the other end of the smokescreen), and no Abyssals were following their ship girls through the thick smoke, likely fearing an ambush.

She looked to Yamato, who looked even more concerned about their injured and dead comrades than she was, being far softer and more sympathetic to the plight of others despite being more powerful than Nagato.

She spoke to Yamato in order to take her mind off things and distract her from the injuries of their fallen comrades.

"Yamato.

Steel your spirit and look at the enemy ahead; worrying about our comrades' injuries when we aren't repair ships serve as nothing but distractions."

Yamato nodded dejectedly, looking down like a saddened puppy as she spoke.

"Yes, Nagato-san.

I… I understand my role in this battle, and I will do my best in the later stages where close-quarters combat is to be expected."

Nagato gave her an aside glance, and she could see that although the Yamato-Class battleship still looked reluctant to fight since she was a pacifist and an incarnation of a Yamato Nadeshiko in every aspect, she understood her strengths, the overall plan and her role in it.

Nagato could also see Musashi, Mutsu and Kongou, amongst many others, standing amongst them, but she focused on the relatively timid Yamato, whose superior stats and firepower contrasted with her soft and ladylike demeanor, but after speaking to her about matters close to the heart as one of Admiral Mako's girlfriends in the past, Nagato knew that Yamato's soft exterior, which was comparable to silk, hid a steely interior of a warrior which never got the chance to shine in the last war.

Instead, it was hardened throughout the entirety of World War 2, where she felt her own comrades disappear around her while she was incapable of doing anything to help, and the only major sortie which she got to participate in was a glorified suicide mission that was Operation Ten-Go.

Yamato was soft, gentle and ladylike on the outside, sure, but she was created to be a soldier inside and out, and no one went through something like that without being hardened by the experience.

Looking at Yamato, she saw that there was a shift in Yamato's expression, her mental state hardening after seeing everyone getting hurt, but bit down as she realized that she was a weapon of war and had to focus on taking out the threat, not focus on the wounded.

Nagato tilted her head to look at nothing in particular as she heard someone speak up about enemy activity.

"Birdman here, I think we're seeing some movement near the smokescreen.

We can't see everything over the blasted smoke, but the strongest radars of our carriers detect them splitting up and sailing in three directions.

We think they're trying to chase the retreating 11th and 13th Strike Groups while sending out a middle vanguard to engage us!"

And Banshee agreed with Birdman's statement, since it was capable of watching the battle unfurl with a bird's eye view.

"Banshee speaking.

We're laying down fire as we speak in order to cover the 11th and 13th's escape, but the Abyssals at the left and right are starting to sail beyond our range by chasing the supporting Strike Groups, while the middle's starting to sailing towards the smokescreen.

Please advise."

Nagato turned away to face the commotion, looking towards the smokescreen as she ordered grimly, not wishing to jeopardize the safety of the supporting Strike Groups which weren't prepared to face the wrath of the Abyssal armada, ordering.

"Nagato to Birdman.

Get the 11th and 13th Strike Groups out of the way, we don't want them to get destroyed when they aren't the primary targets!

Keep an eye on the advancing middle section of the enemy, and Banshee, focus your fire on defending the left and right Strike Groups while keeping track of the position of the advancing middle section; have they reached the smokescreen?"

She heard a response from the Americans,

"Negative, the Abyssals seem content to advance slowly for fear of an ambush, we estimate that they're two klicks away from the smokescreen.

We're laying down cover fire for the 11th and 13th Strike Groups as we speak."

Nagato responded with a simple request,

"Acknowledged.

Banshee and Birdman, watch the movement of the Abyssal's middle section, let me know the second they've reached the smokescreen.

When that happens, we'll keep closer tabs on them from there on out, and I'll give you new orders then."

Before Banshee responded, Nagato hearing the whir of the plane and the mechanical clank of shells being moved around in the fuselage, the communication officer answering.

"Acknowledged.

Watch yourself down there, Banshee out."

While she heard her carriers speak up,

"Yes, Ma'am!"

Before turning back to Yamato, the IJN's greatest battleship asking about how they were to initiate the third phase of their plan, her eyes narrowing in concentration as her gaze lowered respectfully, Nagato finding it amusing to see that Yamato respected her so much despite being stronger than her, chalking it up to the Yamato-Class battleship seeing her as a senior to learn from since she was created earlier and had more experience out on the field compared to Yamato in both lives.

"Nagato-san.

I just want to ask you something, since it appears we have some time before the Abyssals reach the smokescreen."

Nagato leaning in closer while keeping her attention focused on the smokescreen was the only indication of a 'yes' to her request, Yamato asking in a formal voice.

"How do not fear death, either your own or anyone else's?"

She turned to find Yamato looking rather crestfallen, and as they stood a fair distance behind the other battleships since their cannons had the highest caliber and the longest range, she figured she could spare some time to answer Yamato before the enemy arrived.

It was made apparent to her by Admiral Mako and Akashi quite some time ago that Yamato had been hiding some extremely serious self-esteem issues, stemming from her over-crippling specialization in firepower and armor, and her abysmal performance in World War 2 as well as her empathetic attitude towards the Asians and prisoners-of-war who had suffered during the Japanese Occupation led her to start loathing the fact that she was essentially the manifestation of Imperial Japan, and was their so-called 'pride and joy' when she was nothing but a burden and ultimately disposed of like trash in a suicide mission.

The title of 'Strongest Battleship' also acted as a burden which was placed upon her, and because of her genuinely compassionate personality which didn't wish for everyone's faith in her to falter upon seeing her show any weakness, she took it upon herself to appear elegant and untouchable.

This dangerous line of thinking led down the slippery slope into the 8th Fleet's self-destructive and cavalier attitude towards life and battles, and as a ship girl as well as one of Admiral Mako's partners, she had taken it upon herself to guide Yamato through her issues, and not simply allow her to bury them in her heart.

'After all,' Nagato thought.

'I also thought that the responsibility of repressing my issues and appearing stoic and invincible all by myself was my cross to bear as the strongest ship girl in Yokosuka back then, and look where that got me.'

But she shook these depressing thoughts from her mind as she addressed the misconceptions Yamato had, and how she thought not fearing death was a component of strength when she saw it to be the other way around.

"First off.

I do not, for a second, think that the fear of death is a weakness, because without it, you can't fight harder than anyone else without it pushing you on even when threatened with death, and it can keep you alive in precarious situations."

Yamato looked away with a sour expression on her face, and rather than maintain a serene expression which belied her insecurities and fears, which she was eerily capable of doing so in order to hide these problems from everyone except her closest friends and lovers for someone so unassuming and gentle, she was surprisingly candid about expressing herself and her emotions freely in the presence of one of Admiral Mako's lovers, who was also her senior in terms of historic age and experience.

Not that she was one to talk, when she did the same with a stoic expression on her face instead of a peaceful one.

The slow battleship asked bitterly,

"But…

We aren't warships anymore, Nagato-san.

As weapons based off of the human body, fear can make us freeze up at the worst of moments, and although I don't get to express it too often since not a lot can hurt me and I haven't been on as many sorties as you have in both lives, even as a battleship, I felt afraid upon knowing that I was about to sink.

Isn't it more logical for a ship girl to try and… not fear death so that she wouldn't freeze up when facing overwhelming odds in battle?"

But Nagato had a clever retort for that, turning to stare at Yamato as she answered coldly.

"Those who do not fear death are susceptible to using suicidal tactics without regard for their own lives.

And although I understand Admiral Mako's motto that is 'There are no dumb tactics; either the wrong situations or the wrong person in command', you have to understand.

Even in desperation and under threat of death in the heat of battle, we must remain calm and analyze the situation, rather than give in to panic and act rashly when lives, especially our own, are at stake."

Yamato shifted a little, seeming as if she understood the logic behind Nagato's words as she leaned away, Nagato secretly worrying for the taller ship girl despite being friendly rivals in love and war, Yamato muttering darkly and at a volume which Nagato couldn't catch immediately, leaning in closer and lightly knocking the roof of her 41 Cm Twin Gun Cannon with Yamato's 46 Cm Triple Gun Cannon as she asked for clarification.

"What did you say?"

But the next answer caught her flat-footed, never expecting a scathing question like this from someone who was as demure and polite as Yamato.

" … aren't the right person to ask.

You didn't sink… like the rest of us…

We sank in the war while you sank at Crossroads, so what would you know about how it feels to die in battle?"

Nagato's eyes widened in surprise as she recoiled and gave Yamato a strange look, and as per her socially-sensitive personality, Yamato hurriedly drew away from her as she looked down at the ocean at her feet and performed a perfect Japanese bow while apologizing meekly and politely, too afraid to meet Nagato's eyes even when she got up from her apologetic bow.

"A thousand apologies, Nagato-san.

Please, pardon me for my improper words and forget what I just said.

I meant no offense."

Nagato, having pulled her head back a little out of shock at the level of toxicity in that question, intended or not, exhaled as she waved her hand at her in a forgiving manner, thinking to herself,

'It's always the quiet and polite ones…'

Before she spoke up, empathizing with the battleship's plight.

"Forget it.

It's just frayed nerves talking, I understand that you're just worried about everyone's well-being.

And as a capital ship, I know how it feels like to feel some form of performance anxiety when everyone expects you to perform well in battle, despite rarely sortieing."

Looking at Yamato as she continued, now feeling that for all her supposed perfection as the 'perfect Japanese woman', she was still human and thus flawed, but because of the image she had to uphold for the sake of everyone else, she hid those imperfections and buried them within her in order to look tough in front of everyone.

'She's making the same mistakes I did, as well as a slew of new mistakes which would end up either hurting herself psychologically or someone else physically in the long run.

I have to guide her off this path, but do it subtly in such a manner which would ease her from this silly 'fearlessness is strength' mentality without causing her to resist my efforts by trying to defend herself and justify her beliefs.'

Inhaling patiently, she spoke to Yamato while keeping an eye on her radio and radar for emergency updates and signs of enemy activity respectively.

"Look, you're not exactly wrong.

I was one of the warships who survived the war, so I may not understand how it feels to sink at the hands of the enemy, which were the Americans back then.

But I did face death in the form of a mushroom cloud right after two searing nuclear explosions, so let's not be too hasty to judge, alright?"

Yamato nodded, looking like a schoolgirl being told off by her teacher even after she knew she was in the wrong, but Nagato made sure to not sound as if she were telling Yamato off, only to convince her that her preconceived notions weren't quite accurate.

It was something she learnt quickly in this life, to be an unofficial counselor which came with being a capital ship; a lot of ship girls went to them in order to express their own problems, and they, in turn, went to Admiral Mako for help and comfort.

And something to note was that contrary to her image of being headstrong, she didn't like telling people who were confiding in her for the first time to their face that their views were wrong, merely inaccurate.

Despite the Japanese Ship Girl Navy's attempts to prioritize pragmatism over tact this time in order to improve efficiency and effectiveness, when it came to personal issues, Nagato believed that a delicate touch, as well as an empathetic approach, was required in order to resolve them.

"Yamato, your views are… inaccurate, to say the least.

All beings fear death.

Even us, the ship girls, as well as you and me, all but a handful of us fear death to some extent.

And those who don't… they likely seek it, or don't feel much of anything at all."

Looking at Yamato again, Nagato continued as she gave a quick aside glance back at the smokescreen to make sure that a surprise salvo wasn't headed in their direction.

"I dislike pointing fingers at others, but the 8th Fleet is a prime example.

Unryuu-san follows a self-created doctrine of 'No Emotions' in combat in order to fight while making cold and practical decisions without emotions holding her back, but look at how often she has to dock after continuing to participate in battles even when moderately or heavily injured, despite being a long-range attacker.

It's… unsettling, to say the least, to see a teammate suppress her fears and pain to such an extent, because even when we are weapons, we are also human, and we have a right to feel such emotions in moments of life-threatening danger, even if they may hinder us.

But then again, it's not as if she doesn't feel afraid of dying, she's merely suppressing her fears in order to make difficult decisions in a pragmatic manner and without hesitation."

Nagato's gaze faltered as she allowed her own bias and attachment to Yamato enter the conversation before she continued.

"Besides, there are people who wish to see you return.

Me, Admiral Mako, Musashi, Kongou and the other ship girls of Yokosuka.

Sure, feeling no fear may mean that you wouldn't hesitate in battle, but you wouldn't feel pressured enough to keep scanning your surroundings for threats or feel the fire which fear lights under your ass and put a little more effort into evading enemy attacks, and even battleships like us can be killed and sunk, as you're well aware.

You should see yourself in a more important light, because there are others who are not just depending on you, but are all too willing to fight alongside you in battle in order to see you return."

And with that, Yamato looked away sadly as she complained about how she never asked for or wanted the responsibility to be the strongest flagship.

"That's part of the point.

I never wanted to be the strongest battleship.

When I was the strongest battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy back then, I never got a chance to make a difference, and although I love Admiral Mako as well as her girlfriends and all of our comrades, I never asked to be a battleship.

I'd rather be a heavy cruiser or a carrier, even a destroyer who can sortie many more times in several months than I ever could in my lifetime and make more of a difference with all their expeditions and sorties."

Nagato exhaled through her nostrils, looking away as she thought of an answer to that.

Finally, she expressed her thoughts in a monologue, looking back at Yamato as her demeanor softened from that of a drill sergeant or commando into that of a close friend as she spoke to Yamato with words which came from her heart.

"'Sakura trees blossom in the spring, but spend an entire year in wait for the next season to blossom again.

We remember them for the moment when they are at their most beautiful, but even though they may not be able to flaunt that transient beauty for several consecutive seasons, they patiently and silently wait, preparing themselves for their time to shine yet again.'

Even if we battleships rarely get the chance to shine, there will always be one of several large-scale battles which occurs every year, and that is where we will display our might and where every moment, though ephemeral, will be remembered forever.

If not by our allies, then certainly by our enemies."

Yamato was entranced by her words, and Nagato looked down as she addressed Yamato while musing over things in her mind.

"Just as we have to rethink our methods of engagement in a new age of warfare, you should rethink how you see yourself.

True, you never got a chance to shine back in World War 2, but this isn't the same war as back then.

Just as we have humanoid bodies in order to perform new maneuvers and experience new emotions, I think that we should try to find a new value in our lives and not feel that we have to be chained down by our pasts or predetermined roles.

We would never have dreamed of loving Admiral Mako as we do now…"

Yamato broke out in a wry smile, a sign that Nagato was getting through to her friend as the Yamato-Class battleship remarked dryly.

"Or even be capable of dreaming at all."

Nagato nodded while lifting an eyebrow in order to concede the point before continuing.

"Well, my point stands.

A paradigm shift is needed.

Although I can't fault you for assuming that a lack of emotions, fear in particular, would automatically result in a fearlessness of death and can be considered as 'strength', but I stand by my argument.

A lack of emotions would only make the world feel bland, everything looking to be monochrome instead of being filled with color as you would never feel the bond that you do with the Admiral or with anyone else."

Nagato's expression softened a touch while she looked at Yamato's surprised expression, likely never expecting her stoic senior to open up to her while in the middle of a large-scale battle, Nagato seeing how Yamato was starting to spot the flaws in her own way of thinking.

That was alright.

Nagato didn't need her to be swayed into a more positive mindset immediately, smaller steps were more than adequate at this point, especially when they were expected to engage the enemy at any point in time.

"I personally don't feel that it's very healthy to suppress the fear of death, be it your own or anyone else's death and call it 'strength', because it'll build up to a point where everything will come spilling out in a spectacular breakdown, no matter how hard you try to hide it.

And as for being a capital ship, it's something that is beyond control, but know this.

Although the choices you make and the different sides of yourself which you show to those around you will undoubtedly influence those who follow in our footsteps, know that ultimately, as a ship girl who leads and inspires others to do their best and more, you owe it to yourself and to everyone else to make sure that you enter the battlefield with peace of mind.

Anything else which results in anyone dying or sinking is on your head.

To achieve that end, you must make sure that you air any grievances and address any issues which you may have, either with yourself or with anyone else, because that is far preferable than the alternative which is to bottle these issues up 'for the sake of everyone else', for that is to deflect responsibility and blame onto others when it is our responsibility to face and deal with our own problems.

Such behavior is unbecoming of battleships like us.

Do you understand, Yamato?"

Yamato's eyes were wide as Nagato inhaled after that lengthy monologue, shiftily checking her radar and frequencies for any signs of enemy activity or any messages which she may have missed, feeling relieved to find that there were none.

Damn.

She hadn't planned to detract from the battle to become so engrossed with giving Yamato a pep talk, but part of being a senior capital ship meant that she wanted to make sure everyone was coming along well holistically, and to see that Yamato had to live up to such demanding expectations and be a role model while possessing deep-seated psychological issues…

As a fellow lover, comrade and friend, she couldn't let it slide.

She saw that Yamato's look quickly shifted from a surprised one into a reflective one, and it was a while before her expression relaxed a little and melted into a grateful one as she thanked Nagato.

"I… I see, Nagato-san.

Thank you, for you have given me much to think about regarding the flaws in my views."

Nagato opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted by the bird carriers speaking up as the recon planes likely saw that the Abyssals were reaching the smokescreen, hearing Ryuujou speak to her over the radio.

"Birdman here, the Abyssals've reached the smokescreen, new orders fer us?"

Nagato's expression hardened as she turned away in order to look into the smokescreen, asking for a situation update.

"Banshee, confirm Birdman's readings that the Abyssals have reached the smokescreen?"

A crackling sound faded away to the sound of the American's voice speaking up over the radio while she tensed up in preparation for battle.

"Yeah, Birdman beat us to the punch, but they're there.

We're also detecting enemy bomber planes attempting to fly around the smokescreen on the fringes of our radar as well as what seems to be the hot launch of several missiles from the Dutchman's deck in the distance.

Birdman, your planes will have to get ready to calculate the trajectories of those incoming missiles, we recommend getting the Strike Groups ready to perform evasive maneuvers ahead of time."

Nagato thought hard about the situation, wondering about what the Abyssals were up to.

The advancing vanguard of the Abyssals had reached the smokescreen, and their left and right wings were sending out their birds to circumvent the smokescreen in order to protect their vanguard in case of an ambush.

Of course.

They weren't idiots, and there was no way they would allow a good chunk of their Abyssal forces to advance into a smokescreen without aerial support spotting for surprise attacks if possible.

The Abyssal planes would scout ahead and warn the advancing vanguard ahead of time if any ship girl attack was spotted, and the vanguard could make the choice to perform evasive maneuvers or retreat from the smokescreen altogether.

The Abyssal planes were beyond the effective range of their Type 3 'Beehive' shells, and to attempt to get in range was to risk scaring off the Abyssal armada and further prolong the battle.

Looking back at the meek battleship in order to end their conversation properly, she saw that Yamato hurriedly bowed towards her in the interest of time.

And when she pulled back up in order to face Nagato, she could see that the Yamato-Class battleship had grown as a person on the inside, having steeled her mind in preparation for what was to come as she spoke curtly.

"Nagato-san, do what you have to do.

I'm alright, and I'll be behind you all the way."

Nagato, still thinking about how best to counter the incoming Abyssal horde, responded offhandedly.

"If you really want to make yourself useful, don't stand behind me, stand beside me."

Yamato paused to think before making a small bow again in order to acknowledge her words, Nagato noting that she had her hands tightly clenched around her umbrella, which doubled as an Anti-Abyssal rifle and a sheath where her katana was stored.

Nagato made sure that Yamato was prepared for what came next before looking away, confidentially speaking with Admiral Mako in a conspiratorial tone over the radio.

"Admiral, any suggestions on our next course of action?"

She heard nothing but the sound of Admiral Mako's rhythmic breathing as it crackled over the radio, eventually speaking up about how they were to resolve this problem.

"Send the planes out in this manner.

The fighter planes will form the first wave which will disperse the enemy bombers, and the second wave of planes will be the dive bombers and torpedo bombers, which will go up high and down low in order to drop their payload.

The third wave will consist of the JASDF's jet fighters, who will fire their missiles as they fly in from the mainland.

We'll have the Coordinators account for the current position of the jet fighters and Strike Groups and time them so that all of you will be able to land your salvos at once and deal maximum damage.

Even that."

Nagato nodded, looking in the direction of the other Strike Groups as she relayed to them the relevant information with her headdress, which granted her the ability to communicate with others over long distances via radio waves.

"All ship girls, be advised.

Ready your weapons and equipment; Minerva and her Coordinators back at Miura will give the signal for you all to launch your respective weapons!

Do you copy?"

She heard a reassuring and solid,

"Yes Ma'am!"

From everyone, the Nagato-Class battleship silently waiting for the signal for her and her Strike Group to unleash the might of their large-caliber cannons, the atmosphere of the battlefield becoming even thicker with the knowledge that the battle would be even more intense from here on out.

They spent a good amount of time standing around and waiting for the other shoe to drop, Nagato feeling the summer heat beat down upon them gently and was only broken up by the clouds which drifted above the battlefield, looking to be above their mortal concerns.

Finally, she heard Admiral Mako's voice over the radio frequency as she ordered the carrier-based Strike Groups, since their fighter planes had to engage the enemy planes and clear the path for the bombers and jet fighters,

"The 4th and 5th Strike Groups, as well as any bird carriers who are available right now, send out as many fighter planes as possible; we need them to break apart the flock of enemy birds in order to open up the path for the rest of our bombers!

Banshee, change your target to the Abyssal planes you see loitering around the smokescreen, I need you to tear some of them up with your Gatling guns before the fighter planes reach the scene!

Birdman, can you send coordinates from the recon planes to Banshee in order to improve accuracy?"

She heard the ship girls answer determinedly,

"Yes, Admiral!"

Nagato, upon hearing that, looked back to Yamato as she knew that this was roughly when the Admiral would send a secret signal to Yamato when the time was right (as calculated by the Coordinators) in order to trap the Abyssals in the smokescreen with their strategically-positioned naval mines.

She saw that Yamato, with a grim look on her face, nodded back at her as she held a remote control in her right hand which was retrieved from her skirt pocket, using her large rigging to hide it from anyone who might be looking, Nagato looking back at the smokescreen as she trusted Yamato to accomplish her task in this surprise attack.

Hearing the familiar noise of fighter planes, she lifted her head towards the sky as several dozens of them soared over her while the carriers continued sending out more in order for their Fairy pilots to stand a chance against the numerous pinpricks that were the Abyssal planes, which were loitering in front of the smokescreen.

The Abyssal planes would try to guard the exit of the smokescreen for the Abyssals to safely continue their invasion by helping to spot any preemptive attacks, and the ship girl fighter planes would put an end to that and chase them off, blinding the Abyssals to the combined salvo and surprise attack which would come soon.

She estimated nearly a hundred fighter planes in the air before Admiral Mako continued,

"Torpedo Squadrons and all available ship girls, dump all your torpedoes in the water!"

According to the Coordinators' estimates, the torpedoes definitely had to be sent out first because they traveled underwater, and the relatively slow top speed of the torpedoes compared to shells and planes as well as the water resistance and the relatively long distance meant that if they wanted the torpedo salvo to reach the enemy at the same moment, their torpedoes would have to be fired first.

But since the torpedo-based Strike Groups were stationed to her flanks and their torpedo salvoes were underwater, she couldn't see the underwater projectiles as she heard Yamato's remote control going,

Click.

The trap was sprung.

There was a considerable amount of silence on the battlefield, but as she saw the pin pricks before the smokescreen started dancing around each other with the occasional blink of an explosion and a comet-like trail into the ocean in the extreme distance, Admiral Mako ordered.

"Now, all bird carriers are to send out their dive bombers, I'll give the orders to send out your torpedo bombers shortly afterwards!"

The carriers sent out more planes with their quick-fire techniques, which were mandatory techniques for carriers to learn in the ship girl age of warfare, hearing Yamato inhale sharply at the sight of so many dive bombers in the sky which reminded the Yamato-Class battleship of the hail of death which occurred during Operation Ten-Go.

Nagato shot her a concerned look and saw that although Yamato had a grim expression on her face, an expression which she would never deign to show to anyone else outside of Admiral Mako and her circle of lovers, the battleship was holding herself together mentally despite the feeling of deja vu haunting her for a moment.

She looked back and took the initiative by radioing the 11th and 13th Strike Groups in order to ask if they were capable of joining in their bombardment phase as planned, letting Admiral Mako hear the conversation as a spectator but not be allowed to speak.

"Nagato to the 11th and 13 Strike Groups, are the Abyssals still chasing you, and can you send out bomber planes to aid in the bombardment of the Abyssal vanguard?"

She heard a panting Shouhou from the 11th speaking up over the radio while the echo of an explosion sounded out in the background, belying their situation before the light carrier said a word.

"Negative to both, Nagato-san!

Perhaps later, when the Abyssals which are chasing us lose interest and break off their pursuit, but right now, they're hot on our tails!"

The voice of Tone sounded out after Shouhou transferred the right to speak to the aviation cruiser, Tone sounding equally distressed by the amount of heat which they were receiving and how they would be unavailable to participate in what came next.

"Ditto!

I daresay we can regroup and double back to pull off at least one, maybe two more waves of aerial attacks later, but not right now!"

Nagato lowered her head as she muttered,

"Acknowledged.

Keep in touch and let me know when you're available for another attack later.

Nagato out."

She knew that no plan survived contact with the enemy, and Admiral Mako's plan of pulling off a three-pronged bombardment in the third phase of the overarching strategy wasn't going to come true after all, and they had to make do with the carrier-based 4th and 5th Strike Groups and a few more bird carriers which were posted in the other Strike Groups.

The Admiral's next orders came over the radio.

"Now, I need the carriers to try and send out their torpedo bombers!"

Nagato inhaled, knowing that the battleships' time to shine was near, and she could see that torpedo bombers now joined the planes which partially blocked the summer sun with their wings and fuselage, Nagato spotting the prominent torpedo that was attached to the the bottom of their fuselage, which was to be dropped into the water when the time came.

With their relatively fast speed, they would easily catch up with the torpedoes which were in the water, and dropping their own torpedoes en masse to join those already in the water would increase the yield of their salvo before striking the Abyssals.

There.

Nagato spotted the smokescreen shifting in erratic bursts and ballooning in several sections to indicate a sudden explosion of sorts within the smokescreen, and Nagato knew that the trap was working.

The first wall of mines which the Abyssals had sailed over had the highest mine count, so as they rose up to the surface, they would, in theory, form something akin to a buoy line, and even if they sacrificed units to detonate the naval mines which blocked the surface, the rising mines would prevent them from performing a crash-dive escape while surfacing units replaced the detonated mines.

The mines further within the mine formation were dispersed over a large surface area at certain depths to keep the Abyssals moving and evading, and because of the high number of Abyssals trapped inside the smokescreen and the sheer number of mines, several Abyssals would inevitably get blown up by a rising mine.

Certainly not a fate she would wish upon her worst enemy, but it was irrelevant at this point in time as the Abyssals were struggling to escape this surprise trap-slash-ambush.

She heard the final player join the fight, the designated 'Eagle' Squadron, who were designated as the bombardment squadron which wasn't supposed to be sent in until now quickly approach their position on the radar, a Japanese pilot speaking in American for the sake of the foreign pilots amongst them.

"Eagle Squadron incoming, ready to deliver the package."

Before an American pilot quipped about how their callsign and their timely arrival near the end was reminiscent of the same animals which swooped in to save the day in a famous trilogy.

"And as the good book once said, ladies and gentlemen.

'The Eagles are coming', baby!"

Followed by hoots and cheers from the American pilots as well as the knowing Japanese pilots who were in on the joke that the air force was a real tide-turner in battles, despite their high mobilization costs.

The jet fighters flew in formation as they entered Nagato's airspace, and she picked up the signatures of various jet fighters, including, but not limited to, the Mitsubishi F-1 and F-2, the McDonnell Douglas F-15 and Mitsubishi F-15J 'Eagles', F-4 Phantoms, a few F-104 Starfighters, F-22 Raptors, F/A-18F Super Hornet and F-35 Lightning II jet fighters swooping in to the rescue, albeit flying at an elevated height to avoid being grazed by an allied large-caliber shell or get caught out by the enemy fighters, which could take them down with sheer numbers.

Nagato sweat-dropped at the amount of aerial firepower her Admiral managed to secure for today's battle, recognizing some of them as planes from other JASDF air bases which had to be transferred here via land transport so as not to risk tipping the Abyssals off, thinking to herself in a tone which contained some parts awe and genuine fright at how Admiral Mako managed to procure these planes for their battle.

'Admiral, to what lengths did you really go to for the sake of our victory?'

But she had no more time to think about this as Admiral Mako gave the decisive order which was most relevant to Nagato, speaking into the microphone and addressing all the battleships present.

"Battleships, now's your chance!

Fire everything!"

Nagato didn't need to look back to know that Yamato was ready to do her part, and she held her breath for an instant, enjoying the passing tranquility which came before a great battle, as if the world itself also held its breath before exhaling and unleashing nature's wrath.

And with all her might, she shouted into the radio for all the battleships to hear.

"ALL BATTLESHIPS, FIRE!"

Their cannons produced billowing smoke and columns of fire from their barrels, cratering the ocean beneath them and shaking the skies above them with the roar of a battleship fleet's combined might.


Shigure had already known about this.

The missiles, payloads, torpedoes, shells and naval mines would form one hell of an explosion within the smokescreen off in the distance.

But even as she braced herself for the incoming explosion which would annihilate the Abyssals, she was still struck dumb by what came next.

The torpedo bombers dropped their torpedoes to join their salvo while the dive bombers dropped their payloads from a safe height before doubling back, the fighter planes disengaging the enemy in order to fly well beyond the estimated area of effect which was marked out by the no-fly zone as ordered while the jet fighters took their place and fired their missiles at a safe distance.

What came next was an explosion unlike anything she would see ever again, its intensity not unlike that of a violent volcanic eruption.

The resulting explosion instantly dispersed the smokescreen, the blinding sight that was the ballooning wall of hell-fire ripping apart and displacing the ethereal, pitch-black smokescreen like tissue paper, and the only thing she was capable of doing was to shield her face and squint while the ballooning fireball seemed to chase the tails of the retreating allied planes, who thankfully cleared the area beforehand.

Shigure was then subjected to two overwhelming forces which resulted from the large-scale explosion.

One, the immediate blast wave which closed the distance within seconds and threw all the destroyers in the Torpedo Squadron off their feet, Shigure jumping at the deafening volume of the explosion even when standing so far away from ground zero.

The second artificially-created force of nature were the tidal waves, the largest troughs capable of swallowing her whole while the wave crests threatened to push her under, which were a result of the explosion cratering the ocean and creating massive tidal waves in the process.

Shigure kept her center of gravity low in order not to lose her footing on the ocean as the tidal waves radiated from the epicenter, looking away from the blinding fireballs which rose up spectacularly into the air in lieu of the non-existent smokescreen while she shielded her eyes.

Shigure's mind was still ringing from the explosion despite not suffering from any percussive damage thanks to her internal ear mufflers, and her body was still shaking from the resonant thoom which still sounded out throughout the battlefield as the fireball bloated up and expanded beyond the point where it could maintain its shape and mushroomed slightly before dissipating, Shigure feeling as if electricity coursed throughout her frozen body after that horrifying sight.

All the radio frequencies were filled with a cacophony of voices all trying to make themselves heard over the commotion, Shigure making out several voices as they exclaimed,

"Jesus, what the hell was that?!"

" … think the mainland felt that, shit!"

"- didn't say anything about a fucking - "

"Guys, what the hell is - "

"Birdman, I need a status report, what…"

"Help!"

Naka ran over to Shigure, looking extremely worried for Shigure since she was crafted quite recently, and although she had been through a few scrapes since then, Naka must've felt that she was still someone to keep an eye on as she asked, sincere concern lining her tone.

"Shigure-san, are you alright?!

I'm not exactly sure what happened there, but I just wanted to check…"

Shigure shook her head and shot Naka a determined gaze in return, and as the shock of the explosion started to leave her body and she could feel Naka's hand on her shoulder, she came to the realization that she wasn't the one shivering in fright.

Naka was.

She asked the aspiring idol of the Sendai-Class,

"Naka, are you alright?

You seem to be shivering from the shock of the explosion…"

Naka then looked at her own gloved hand, noting the tremor which plagued her limb and fingers as her expression fell and her smile dimmed, retorting.

"Huh, so that wasn't you either, huh?"

But as a war veteran who fought in a war, as a senior to her and as someone who genuinely wanted to inspire other ship girls with her songs, determination and unwavering enthusiasm, Naka clenched the fist and closed her eyes in order to mentally center herself while taking deep breaths, tremors running throughout her body in order to get the shock out of her system before she opened her eyes.

And when she did, Shigure could see that Naka was a veteran in her own right, her mental strength and fortitude showing through her mature eyes as she gave Shigure a small smile, not an idol's smile which was flashy and bright, but one which was knowing and mature after having been through so much while Shigure looked down her released fist.

It wasn't trembling any more.

Naka spoke to Shigure,

"Thank you, Shigure-san.

But I'm alright, now that I've had some time to shake off the shock of the explosion which took me by surprise."

Shigure nodded, narrowing her eyes and looking back at the fireball which dissipated as she heard orders come in from Nagato of Yokosuka, who was the designated overall leader of the invasion as a whole since she hailed from a major naval base and was a high-ranking capital ship, hence deferring leadership to her was a simple affair.

"All ship girls, move ahead and shoot down the devastated enemy, now!

Do not let them regroup-"

"Belay that order!"

Shigure's head twisted back towards Sagami Bay as she heard a certain repair ship's voice shoot down Nagato's order defiantly, only managing to utter two words while she saw Naka freeze up from the 8th Fleet-slash-12 Strike Group's arrival on the scene out of the corner of her eye.

"Akashi-san."

She heard Nagato ask about how Akashi seemed to have other ideas in mind when she was clearly there during Admiral Mako's briefing to know how the plan was supposed to flow.

"Akashi, what is the meaning of this?!

The Admiral has opened this window of opportunity for us to close in for the kill, we should-"

But Akashi's scathing reply pointed out how the left and right wings of the Abyssal armada were left untouched, and could still destroy them should the ship girls unwittingly turn the tables on themselves.

"And allow the left and right flanks of the Abyssal horde, untouched by our explosive surprise, fuck us over from the left and right?

We'll have played ourselves by then.

All Strike Groups, advance and lay down cover fire to make the weakened Abyssal vanguard retreat while carriers tend to their bombers and send out planes occasionally to keep the Abyssals retreating.

But advance slowly in a giant diamond formation and do not allow the left and right flanks to engage in a pincer attack, and just rip their bombers a new asshole with your Anti-Air fire if they do."

A period of radio silence ensued as she saw that Jintsuu, Abukuma, Akatsuki and Kuma, the ship girls of the 2nd Strike Group and were from her base, all recovered their bearings and fired up their boat slippers since the next phase of the plan definitely involved movement, and Nagato then sounded out as she grudgingly allowed Akashi to call the shots for now.

"Nagato to all ship girls.

Follow Akashi's instructions, and do not allow the Abyssals to our left and right flank us by sticking our necks out.

Keep the pressure on the devastated middle section and force them to retreat, but do not pursue and allow the enemy to easily pull off a pincer attack.

Be prepared to perform evasive maneuvers in case the Abyssals pulls off a surprise attack from any direction in order to cover their retreating forces, especially from the Flying Dutchman.

It's been suspiciously silent for a while now."

Abukuma snapped her fingers while she looked back at the silenced Torpedo Squadron, her trembling voice still possessing some semblance of control over her senses as she tersely ordered.

"Alright, you heard Nagato-san.

Diamond formation, and let's move up with the rest."

Everyone meekly followed suit and assumed the formation before sailing into the fray, but Shigure sailed beside Naka as the light cruiser nodded, muttering about one teaching in the Art of War.

"That makes sense.

'When you surround an enemy, leave an outlet free.

Do not press a desperate foe too hard.'

Haste to take advantage of a turn of the tide might lead to more trouble if one does not thoroughly consider the situation at hand.

And although the Abyssals are pressed into retreat whose route leads to the open ocean, they may resort to a pincer attack in their desperate attempt to accomplish their objectives and salvage the situation by inflicting casualties."

Shigure, thinking about the exact same quote which discouraged pressurizing the enemy into an inescapable corner and forcing them to mount a suicide attack which was fueled by desperation, snapped her head around to face Naka as she asked candidly.

"I never knew that you read the Art of War, Naka-san.

… No offense, of course.

Sorry."

But Naka shook her head, likely having received similar feedback from others in the past as Shigure cringed at how she assumed that just because Naka was an aspiring idol, she was unlikely to be an academic as Naka responded understandingly.

"No, I understand.

Because of our predetermined personalities upon being brought into this world, it might seem as if gaining knowledge regarding war tactics might not be of interest to someone like me, whose blatant interest in being an idol might seem… exaggerated, much like Sendai's love for night battles.

A lesson learned, I suppose."

Shigure nodded as she looked away awkwardly, not feeling as if she could meet Naka's gaze any time soon after making such an insulting assumption about her, flinching in surprise as she suddenly felt the ambient temperature jump several degrees, observing her fellow ship girls wince in unison as the explosion left behind a heated atmosphere due to its sheer intensity, Shigure starting to sweat as she saw large-caliber shells, fired from allied battleships, appear from behind her and rain down on the enemy which laid beyond ground zero and were nearly out of sight.

She heard Abukuma speak up as she likely heard orders come in from the Admiral or from Nagato, turning around to face them as she motioned with her right hand in a cutting motion in the direction of the Abyssal vanguard.

"Fire your torpedoes in a standard salvo in the direction of the Abyssals, but keep a salvo on hand for any nasty surprises!"

The Torpedo Squadron followed their orders as Shigure shot out two torpedoes from each launcher while she looked into the epicenter of the explosion, translucent smoke and the intense heat warping the air above the surface, and within it, Shigure spotted the silhouettes of a few Abyssals, wandering the burning ocean in a daze and were unresponsive to their approach while Nagato ordered.

"Torpedo Squadrons and the 9th Strike Group, scout ahead and clear the path for the carriers and battleships.

The left and right flanks are now retreating and regrouping with the devastated middle section, but be warned, they may turn to attack you at any moment.

We have our carrier and backup Strike Groups shortly behind you should that occur."

So their diamond formation was headed towards the retreating Abyssals who survived their surprise attack while the left and right flanks of the Abyssal armada were travelling parallel to their front lines in order to regroup with the middle section before retaliating, and the Flying Dutchman laid beyond them and was ready to lay down cover fire if needed.

Alright.

The ocean burned due to Abyssals spilling their guts, blood and fuel everywhere, the last of which was set aflame by the explosion as flaming puddles casually floated on the surface of the sea, the surviving Abyssals completely numb to the infernal pain caused by the flames that danced on their bodies as the explosion likely sent their minds reeling without any chance of immediate recovery, and Shigure wiped away the sweat which lined her brow and glossed the surface of her throat while she heard Abukuma speak up uneasily.

"Put them down."

Shigure, feeling her uniform stick to her skin due to the sweat on her body, pulled out her dinky little 12 Cm Single Gun Cannon in order to kill whatever remained of a Ri-Class heavy cruiser, but she saw that the Ri-Class's body was plagued with second and third-degree burns all over, hair burnt down to their roots and leaving her bald with a crown of flames on her head.

She exhaled smoke through her mouth and idly waved the bleeding arm stumps which were previously connected to her arm cannons in a feeble attempt to ward off the advance of the 'accursed enemy' in her stunned mind, her arms blown up by the gunpowder within the shells in her arm cannons but left the Abyssal relatively intact save for the flames plaguing her skin and dark bikini.

The flames steadily wore down the Ri-Class Abyssal as the walking corpse's bloodshot eyes rolled up, her own momentum doing her in as she stumbled over her own foot and collapsed lifelessly onto the ocean without her having to fire off a single shot, Shigure gulping uncomfortably at how effective the trap was at killing off Abyssals as everyone gave the sinking corpse a wide berth, fearing a rogue explosion going off in the heavy cruiser's body.

It was becoming as hot as a furnace in the area of ocean directly above where the naval mines were previously laid down on the ocean, and Jintsuu fired a medium-caliber round at a Wo-Class carrier, aimed at her center mass and sent the weakened Abyssal flying backwards, Abukuma walking up to the downed Abyssal carrier in order to put another shell into the Wo-Class's head, enforcing the double-tap rule whenever possible.

Bobbing naval mines were an uncommon sight around them despite many of them having been set off in the surprise attack, some of them not having detonated while on their upward trip since most of the descending Abyssals were wiped out spectacularly by them, and the weights which were supposed to hold them in place at a certain depth were dropped, allowing them to rise up to the surface in the first place in order to pull off the surprise attack as they bobbed around innocently like apples in an apple-bobbing game in spite of their lethal nature.

Whatever the case, they steered clear of the naval mines despite knowing that their ship girl signatures wouldn't set them off, and Shigure jumped at the sound of an explosion ringing out in the distance as an Abyssal was vaporized by blindly stumbling into an Anti-Abyssal naval mine, hoping in the back of her mind that none of her allies were hurt.

But as they sailed through the heated atmosphere of the ocean, Shigure spotted red circles filling her HUD and was displayed on the ocean before her as Eagle, Banshee and Birdman all shouted at the same time, but she only paid attention to a few crucial words,

"Missile,

Evade,

Inbound,

Retreat."

And the fact that there were two words blatantly displayed on her HUD,

"INBOUND MISSILE"

As she heard Abukuma shout in her signature high-pitched voice for all those in the Torpedo Squadron to hear,

"EVASIVE MANEUVERS!"

Before everything went to hell, the fleet dispersing before she spotted the bright-white exhaust of the missiles, easily identifying them even in the daytime as they betrayed the missile's presence like the phosphorescent tails of fireflies, Shigure starting to feel chills plague her entire body upon thinking back on the Battle of Mikura Jima Island, and how her comrades were killed and even sunk by these airborne projectiles.

But she had no time to think, her battle senses forcing her frozen limbs into action all while adrenaline coursed throughout and fueled her body, watching Jintsuu boost out of the way of a descending missile before it kissed the ocean and let loose a fireball, the shock-wave sending the Sendai-Class light cruiser and the observing Shiratsuyu-Class destroyer stumbling away.

She spotted several other fireballs descend on the strip of ocean to the left and right of her, right above the naval mine formation and likely setting off a few of the floating naval mines while the world shook once again, Shigure unfortunately spotting a few displays popping up on her HUD to update her of the 2nd and 3rd Strike Groups' status.

And while not all of these ship girls were from her naval base, their deaths still stung, even in the heat of battle.

'ERROR: SHIP GIRL VITALS NOT FOUND

AGANO-CLASS LIGHT CRUISER 138

"NOSHIRO"

STATUS: DECEASED'

'ERROR: SHIP GIRL VITALS NOT FOUND

AYANAMI-CLASS DESTROYER 070

"USHIO"

STATUS: DECEASED'

'ERROR: SHIP GIRL VITALS NOT FOUND

MUTSUKI-CLASS DESTROYER 235

"KISARAGI"

STATUS: DECEASED'

She saw several missiles get shot down either by Banshee, who shot down some of the missiles with their Gatling gun before they reached anywhere near the ship girls, or by the ship girls who possessed insane Anti-Air stats and peppered the incoming missiles with their Anti-Air turrets, their superhuman senses and reflexes as well as their top-of-the-line equipment coming in clutch as fireballs eclipsed the sun with the intensity of their heat and brightness.

Being thrown down onto the ocean once again, Shigure was glad that that the disaster at Mikura Jima Island allowed them to learn of and prepare for these missile barrages so that they wouldn't be caught flat-footed again and allow anyone to sink, wishing to check the condition of the deceased Ushio since she was from Yokosuka, and was a sister ship of her fleet-mate Ayanami.

But she swallowed the lump in her throat as she reminded herself that she wasn't a repair ship, and Akashi, who sailed on behind her, might be able to do something to stabilize her condition while she could only provide eye power with her lack of extensive medical knowledge, and she had to scout ahead and keep applying pressure on the retreating Abyssals with her torpedo salvos.

Focus.

She had to focus on her role.

Banshee suddenly spoke up over the radio for all to hear, as the next piece of news was critical to their success.

"Banshee here, the retreating Abyssal vanguard seems as if they're regrouping with the left and right flanks, and the relocated Flying Dutchman's sending out reinforcements in the form of more Abyssal signatures.

Quite a few enemy bombers and fighters are also located ahead of where the smokescreen was and where the ship girl vanguard is soon approaching, and you all are at a distance where shooting down the plane missiles are getting a little difficult for us due to the ship girl vanguard approaching danger close range.

Please advise."

Admiral Mako asked over the radio,

"Minerva here, Birdman, Eagle and Sparrow, can you all confirm Banshee's readings?"

Shigure followed Abukuma's raised fist as it was clenched to indicate the halting of movement, and she turned around to echo,

"Halt."

To the other members of her Squadron before looking back at the ocean before them, spotting enemy signatures on her radar to indicate the presence of pin pricks in the sky as she prepared whatever Anti-Air turrets she had on hand.

The carriers, who had recalled their previous wave of reconnaissance planes in order to refuel them, had sent out another wave of reconnaissance planes to scout ahead as Ryuujou spoke up about what laid before them.

"The Abyssals 're regrouping ahead a' us, that's fer sure.

And these are readings on the fringe of our radars, but ah think that the Abyssals sent by the Flying Dutchman are regrouping with the Abyssal vanguard an' the two flanks."

Shigure turning to see Nagato and Yamato strolling towards the front of the vanguard formation along with the 8th Fleet, everyone giving the approaching crowd of ship girls a wide berth out of respect and fear respectively as she saw Akashi giving her a simple glance while Akitsu Maru waved at her, Shigure respectfully bowing to the both of them in return.

And upon hearing the AC-130U gunship warn them about the activities of the Abyssals,

"Banshee to all, the Abyssals seem like they're sending out their planes to cover their asses, now that they're within sight of each other and are likely trying to gauge their losses."

Nagato ordered for another wave of bombers to interrupt the enemy while getting the jet fighters from before to back them up again,

"All bird carriers are to send out all available planes for the final push, do not let up on the pressure and allow them any breathing space.

Eagle and Sparrow, double back and retreat, but give the Abyssals hell on your way out.

11th and 13th Strike Groups, since the Abyssals have abandoned their pursuit of you, regroup and double time it back to our location in order to pull-off a three-pronged attack, where you'll attack the flanks of the Abyssal formation."

Shigure gulped at the lethality of the incoming aerial bombardment the Abyssals were going to face from all sides, Nagato continuing with her slew of orders for the JMSDF.

"All Mallard units, retreat.

You may be modern JMSDF destroyers and submarines, but we can't risk losing even one of you to the Flying Dutchman at this point in time."

She heard a chorus of Japanese and American voices respond stoically,

"Yes, Ma'am!"

And Shigure supposed this was Nagato's way of referencing Apocalypse, and how the JMSDF destroyers and submarines, despite being few in number, were still a relatively powerful naval force which would come in handy in the future, where vehicular units in the form of planes, helicopters and amphibious assault vehicles crafted for Apocalypse would be available for them to target.

Shigure turned to find that their ship girl armada, although remaining in their diamond formation, was now located considerably closer to each other than before, where they had to be located further away from the vanguard which was the 1st Strike Group to ensure that they didn't easily get bombarded by the Dutchman's missiles while staying at a reasonable distance to provide backup, which they did now with their wave of planes which threatened to blot out the sun.

It made her shiver at how much destructive power carriers could unleash as the planes flew ahead in droves and made contact with the enemy planes, bullets flying in the air while she heard a ship girl ask a reasonable question over the radio,

"So what are we supposed to do now, Nagato-san?"

But Akashi spoke up about what they were going to do next in order to rapidly close the distance and engage the Abyssals in close-quarters combat in order to conserve ammunition.

"Simple.

With our planes assaulting them from all directions, our battleships and carriers standing further behind to perform long-range bombardment in order to soften them up, it's now up to us to close the distance rapidly and wipe out whoever's left behind.

We'll Banzai Charge them."

This comment single-handedly silenced the entire armada and allowed the sounds of battle to replace the chirping cricket in times like these, everyone becoming deathly silent upon remembering their past military's catastrophic tactic of overwhelming their enemy through sheer numbers and only had death tolls reaching up to four digits and few victories to show for it, at least when facing off against the better-armed and better-trained Americans.

Nagato turned back to face the ship girl armada, seemingly unafraid of being hit by anything while she spoke with an authoritative, yet inspiring voice while Yamato and the 8th Fleet stood by her and backed her up with their intimidating presence.

"Do not hesitate!

Centuries of historians shall look back upon today, and what do you want them to see?!

A bunch of cowering maidens, or ladies of war who gave their all for the sake of victory?!"

She got everyone's attention with the start of her rousing speech, Shigure barely able to detect the planes of the 11th and 13th Strike Groups appearing on the fringe of her radar in order to provide aerial support and bombard the Abyssals' flanks, but Nagato ignored this as she continued.

"Admiral Mako has opened up a window of opportunity for us, where a large chunk of the enemy has been wiped out in one fell swoop and are forced into retreat because of our surprise attack.

And although the enemy is retreating, we cannot be sure that they won't mount a second offensive, and as Admiral Mako said before, 'There are no bad tactics, only the wrong situations or the wrong person in command'.

With our planes surrounding them from all sides, our weapons at the ready and our unyielding wills pushing us on while the enemy is in retreat, instead of senselessly throwing away our lives, this time, we shall instead push them out of our territory and emerge victorious!"

And although Nagato pointed towards the mainland in order to illustrate a point, everyone's attention was on her and was also on the lookout for any missiles, payloads, torpedoes or shells which could come flying in at anytime despite their planes trying to buy them more time, all while Nagato finished her speech with one hell of a mic-dropping monologue.

"Behind us are the humans, not just of Japan but also the world, whose fate rests on our shoulders.

Standing beside us are our comrades who fight, sweat and bleed alongside us!

And standing before us and impeding our path to victory are the Abyssals, who threaten everything which we hold dear!

So where else must we move but forward, into the fray?!

Once more unto the breach!

Charge!"

Nagato turned and charged towards the Abyssals by physically running towards the Abyssal horde while Yamato joined her, their allied bombers starting to drop their payloads en masse onto the Abyssal armada in order to distract them and soften them up for the ship girls to get in close, the 8th Fleet following up the brave as the insane followed their leader into a hail of shells, payloads and torpedoes while the bomber planes and jet fighters terrorized the Abyssals from the front and back respectively, hearing Akitsu Maru's untamed scream of,

"TENNO HEIKA BANZAI!"

As she wielded her katana, her pariah teammates all equally enthused about being the first ones to savor the taste of victory on the battlefield.

Shigure, emboldened by Nagato's rousing speech, letting the adrenaline of battle take over her sense of reasoning and having been desensitized to this 'against overwhelming odds' situation back in Leyte Gulf, was the first to follow in Nagato and Akashi's footsteps as the pitter-patter of her own demure boat slippers hitting the ocean accompanied the 8th Fleet's charge.

But as the JASDF and USAF jet fighters flew over their location after breaking up a large chunk of the enemy formations with their payloads which blossomed into fireballs of doom, she was relieved to hear the sound of others closely following behind her as the ship girl armada let out a passionate roar not just to induce fear and hesitation in their enemies, but to reaffirm each other's fighting spirit when pulling off risky attacks like this.

The sheer intensity of their combined wills, which was articulated through their spirited roar, managed to help everyone gain a second wind which propelled Shigure forward along with their spirited screams of,

"TENNO HEIKA BANZAI!"

Reality set in as her small body build and unremodeled state meant that other ship girls easily outran and outpaced her, but the enemy bombers dropped their payloads as often as they were shot down thanks to their own fighter planes covering their approach as well as their Anti-Air turrets firing a hail of bullets into the skies, Shigure evading flaming Abyssal bombers which dropped out of the sky like flies as well as large-caliber shells, both ship-girl-sized and life-sized, flying in their direction thanks to the humanoid Abyssal battleships and the Flying Dutchman respectively, the red circles showing up again on her HUD as the Dutchman tried to ward them off with its large-caliber cannons and missiles with Shigure's HUD displaying.

'MISSILE INBOUND'

But none of the ship girls around her were deterred in the least as they performed evasive maneuvers while unleashing everything they had, Shigure trembling partially from excitement and fright while the sea shook from their Zerg Rush causing a stampede and from the sheer amount of payloads and shells landing around them.

Shigure spotted the Abyssals panicking upon seeing swarms of Fairy-piloted dive bombers descend from above, ship girl battleships at the rear of the diamond formation raining death upon them with their large-caliber cannons while they pulled off a massive human wave attack with overwhelming cover fire backing up their advance, their screams resounding throughout the battlefield in order to echo in the minds of the retreating Abyssals.

"TENNO HEIKA BANZAI!

TENNO HEIKA BANZAI!"

"BANZAI!"

"BANZAI!"