It's character development time!


Chapter 20: Invitation of Crimson


Two days later, due to the worsening conditions of his injury, Commander Kasai was to be relieved of duty for the time being and transferred back the Sakura Empire mainland to recuperate. On the same day the order was decreed, a ship was seen approaching the naval base. The ship in question, while smaller than even a standard Destroyer, was very elaborate looking.

Rather than a ship, it was more of a shrine being built on top of a vessel for ease of moving around.

After the ship entered the dock, a group of six all dressed uniformly in black robe and a white mask over their face then stepped down from it. They are the Elite Priest Corp. Like how the Ironblood has Chief Vicker, Father of all Ship Girls, the Sakura Empire has the Priesthood Corp.

Members of the Priesthood Corp all hailed from families with long tradition of serving the gods that watched over the Sakura Empire since time immemorial. Owing to their rigorous training since birth, can tap into and understand the otherworldly knowledge of the Wisdom Cube without the need of complex deciphering machinery. Said otherworldly knowledge was what that enabled them to convert warships into Ship Girls and by further extension, created the Rigs.

However, unlike the Ironblood where science is the guiding compass of everything, for the Sakura Empire it is only a tool to achieve their goal, a means to an end. Instead, they placed heavy emphasis on spiritual practice. Because in this country dubbed as the Land of Fantasy, the occult is still at the very root of the people.

To the Sakura Empire, the very existence of Wisdom Cube is synonymous to a rebirth of sort, a second chance given to them by the gods. To them, the process of Ship Girl conversion as an inanimate object being possessed by a divine deity and receiving their blessing, whereas the creation of the Rigs is akin to the bestowal of supreme power. As such, rather than meticulous engineering, a large part of the creation of Ship Girls and their Rigs consisted of prayers and divination, asking the higher being for guidance.

Then, reigning at the top of the hierarchy is the High Priest Corp. Hailing from the most fabled family of priesthood, they are the most elites of elites. Not only the otherworldly knowledge of the Wisdom Cube, they can also commune directly with the gods that govern the land, just like the Shrine Maiden of the Sacred Sakura albeit to a lesser extent.

As a result, their words usually carry much weight within the Congress and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they hold most of the political power within the nation, second only if not rivaling even His Majesty the Emperor. And it is these elites of elites who takes care of all Armada-related matter.

The group of six in black robe and white mask then approached Akagi and Kaga who were already waiting for them with Commander Kasai currently sleeping on a stretcher.

"Thank you for noticing us immediately Akagi-dono, Kaga-dono. Then, we will be taking it from here." The on at the front of the group of six spoke from behind their mask as Kaga also did the same.

"Don't you worry, Commander-sama. Soon, you and Akagi will be united again." Bidding her farewell, Akagi looked with a melancholic expression as her Commander was taken away by complete strangers. The other Ship Girls who were also at the dock at that time all wore a downcast expression, especially among the Destroyer girls some had even started crying.

"Do not cry." Standing next to the Destroyer girls, Takao startled them when she pounded the tip of her scabbard on the ground but it was not out of ill intent nor malice.

"Commander knew the risk and consequence he was in for, and he chose to face it head-on regardless. What he displayed is the determination of a warrior. So in time like this, we must stay strong so he can have a peace of mind and recover."

Knowing that her sister means well, Atago still can't quite fathom the rough execution especially toward a bunch of little girls. Heaving a small sigh, she knelt down and wiped the tears rolling down the Destroyer girls' cheek.

"Commander is only going to be away for a while. He will be back before we know it and even better than ever when he does. So how about we all send him off with a smile?" caressed by Atago's gentle voice, the Destroyer girls all nodded and wiped their tears away. Taking in a deep breath, they then gave a big shout, wishing Commander Kasai quick recovery.


Onboard the ship.

With an elaborate outer appearance of a shrine, the interior of the ship was even more so but in a different sense.

After being brought onboard, the stretcher was then brought to the largest room under the deck. At first glance, the room looks like an intensive care unit with all the cutting-edge medical equipment manned by several white-robed priests. But upon closer inspection, the place is actually a part of the shrine above and there was even an altar for communing with the gods at the very end of the room.

"He sure is loved, huh. By the Ship Girls, that is." As Commander Kasai was transferred from the stretcher over to the bed in the center of the room, one of the black robe spoke up.

"It is only natural. After all, he is the Emissary chosen by the gods, the bridge between us and their divine realm. And soon, one day he will be the key to our ascension."

Finishing their small talk which forebodes nothing but bad omen, the six black robes then began chanting their prayer to the gods.


After the ship of the High Priest Corp had left the dock, while the Destroyer girls were dismissed, Akagi and Kaga had gathered all other senior Ship Girls to discuss the next course of action.

"With Commander-sama now gone, I and Kaga will take care of his duty as stand-in. We will carry out our mission and duty as per usual, and take turn holding class and taking care of the little ones. I expect you all to report back immediately should any problem even the smallest arise."

"As for our battle plan should another Siren Emergence occur, of course without Commander-sama we suffered quite a blow to our combat power, but that also applies to the Eagle Union. Our biggest concern should be the Grey Ghost. Long as we take her out, the Eagle Union is as good as a bird with its wings clipped."

"Well then, everyone. Please return to your post, and let's give our best for Commander-sama's sake."

As Akagi clapped her hands twice, all other Ship Girls presented then left and returned to their duty. When the sound of footsteps had completely ceased, Kaga then turned to her sister.

"Are you really sure about this, Akagi? The moment this plan is put into motion, we can never turn back."

"Of course, I have already made up my mind, and you should too." Akagi replied, and after a brief moment of silence, she continued.

"In the past, we were forced to forsake our mighty main batteries, our symbol and pride, with which we defended our nation, saved many lives and that number could have been more. But those ignorant fools of the Azur Lane and their lofty ideal of peace, because they feared us that they tried to put a rein on us."

"Ah, the three Naval Treaty, huh…"

"They said it was in order to 'prevent one another from achieving total supremacy', to 'strive for a balance of power', but all it brought was simply pain and agony. When the Siren came, we were completely unprepared. We were didn't even have time to familiarize ourselves with our new Rigs, we were caught off-guard and as a result we put up a most miserable of a retaliation." Akagi clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug deep into her palm to the point where they began to bleed.

"And what did those pigs of the Azur Lane do when we plead for help? Nothing! They left us to rot, left us to die while they comfortably enjoy their safety! Those accursed pigs who know nothing but run their filthy mouths and spout words with wings!" after letting out her feelings that have been bottled up for a long time, Akagi seemed to have calm down somewhat. But that was not the end. No, that was only the beginning of her descend into madness.

"Thinking back now, the Ironblood was actually very smart to not have signed those treaties. And after thinking back, I began to wonder. The Siren bring about death and destruction in their quake, but is everything really their fault?"

"No, the Siren's action is simply for their own interest. The fault here lies in the Azur Lane. Yes, it was those accursed pigs! If it wasn't for them and their sleep-talking of world peace, everything would have been different! If it wasn't for them, she would still be here right now!"seeing Akagi, with her nails dyed red with blood, began to claw at her face, Kaga could not take it anymore.

She quickly pulled Akagi's hands away before she could hurt herself anymore and pulled her into an embrace from behind.

"Ka…ga…"

"Don't worry, dear sister. No matter what your decision is, I will follow you to the bitter end. It's fine to turn your back against even the entire world, I will still be with you, and together we will return to Commander's side."

"Ah, yes…no matter what…we still have Commander-sama…"


Training ground.

"It is rare for you to willingly accept her being in charge, sister." Returning to their duty after that meeting, Takao posed the question to Atago.

"As much as I hate to admit it, that vixen and her sister are the ones who know how Commander works the best. While I of course will not tolerate her bossing me around and treating me as a gofer, for this time only perhaps I can let it slide." Atago replied calmly as she unsheathed her sword, same as Takao.

"Now isn't the time to squabble among ourselves. Even if they shall be our hateful arch nemesis, before that they are still our sisters. For Commander, I am prepared to shake hand with that vixen even if temporarily."


Grand Archive.

"Hey, sis, you think Commander will be okay?" sorting through the various books about strategy and art of war on the shelves, Zuikaku stopped her hands and asked.

"The High Priest Corp is the most elite of all elites within the nation. Not only spiritual practice which they are most known for, they also excelled at engineering and medical skill, everything required to save people. Don't worry, Commander is in good hands." Seated at the table, Shoukaku answered her little sister while going through the third scroll already among the large pile that she got stacked on the table.

"I know that. It's just that, the Armadas were built from the ground up to surpass us Ship Girls in every way, so seeing Commander like this it's kinda…off-putting? Unsettling? I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's a very unpleasant feeling."

"It's like only until I've seen him like this that I was reminded Commander is still a human." It was then that Shoukaku also had a temporary pause in her action.

That's right, even with their body altered through cybernetic surgeries in order to withstand the Wisdom Cube implementation, even when they can control their own Rigs and fight at the forefront, the Armadas, at the very root, are still human.

Warship or Ship Girl, once they're sunk there is only the cold and bottomless abyss waiting for them. Then if an Armada, a human even with most of their body replaced by machine, is sunk, where do they go?

"Zuikaku!"

"Y-yes!" hearing her sister calling out her name so suddenly and so loud, Zuikaku gave a jolt and nearly dropped the stack of books in her hands.

"It's no use worrying about things that we do not know. What we can do, however, is to improve ourselves and worry only about what is in front of us. So let's do just that for now, okay?"

"Y-yes, I'm sorry, sis." Knowing that she just brought up a sensitive and strange subject, Zuikaku quickly apologized and placed the stack of books down next to her seat across from Shoukaku.

"And one more thing."

"Still more!?"

"Those questions that you're wondering, once Commander is back let's have a nice long chat with him, okay? Commander is very wise and knowledgeable to I'm sure he will have an answer."

"R-right! Thanks, sis!" exchanging one last smile with each other, the two crane sisters then buried their nose in the books, studying about the art of war.

"Arrgh! This stuff is so confusing!"

And after only 10 minutes, Zuikaku was already giving up on trying to comprehend the words written in the book.


Even with Commander Kasai gone, thanks to the Ship Girls deciding to set aside their rivalry to join together and share his usual workload among themselves, the daily activities around the base continued to take place just like any other day.

Akagi and Kaga were in charge of dealing with official documents, Takao and Atago took turn holding training session and lecture for the Destroyer girls respectively, and Zuikaku and Shoukaku while not running commission devoted themselves to training and honing their skill.

Everything continued just like normal, until one night when the nine-tailed fox and the white crane had a rather peculiar conversation.

"You're still here, Zuikaku?" as Zuikaku was putting in extra hours training alone in the training ground, she was startled by Akagi's sudden appearance.

"Akagi-senpai?! Why are you here?" Zuikaku stuttered and lost focus of her fighters, nearly causing them to crash onto the ceiling.

"Oh? Am I not allowed to be here?"

"No! Of course not! It's just that, it's rare to see you here at this hour, especially considering how busy you and Kaga-senpai have been the past few days."

"My, aren't you a considerate junior?" Akagi snickered, which cause Zuikaku to be flustered even more.

Truthfully, Zuikaku was never good at dealing with Akagi. While she does indeed respect the latter as a senior and for her skill and tactician mind, something about Akagi just rub her feathers the wrong way.

"But, you're indeed right." Akagi spoke up, her words caused Zuikaku to drop her jaw agape.

"Eh?"

"Right now, I should be sorting through the mountain of documents, and here I am, talking with you. Without Commander-sama, it gets lonely around here, so I guess I just wanted to catch from fresh air while thinking about him, to alleviate somewhat my longing of his presence." Akagi said with a melancholic tone while looking out to the sea, her hair and nine tails billowed in the evening wind.

"Akagi-senpai…" Zuikaku let out those words subconsciously, then as Akagi turned to look at the sea, from the side and under the dim yellow light of the candles she noticed several scratches on Akagi's face.

"Akagi-senpai, was you injured?" only when Zuikaku mentioned that did Akagi noticed that there were claw marks on her face. She finally remembered her outburst of emotion the other day and brushed the issue aside.

"Anyway, there's actually something I wanted to discuss with you."

"Yes?"

From the pocket inside her kimono sleeve, Akagi pulled out a small red paper familiar, the same kind that she used to transform into fighters in battle.

"Just this morning, our scouting party caught wind of an Eagle Union convoy transporting supplies from one of their major outpost to their naval base. At the same time, they also intercepted a strange signal at the coordinate that I recorded into this familiar. On your next commission two days from now, I wanted you and Shoukaku to raid that convoy then scout out just what is this signal is about."

"So it's a mission then? Got it, me and sis will do our best!" receiving the red paper familiar, Zuikaku then left the training ground in high spirit and headed for the mess hall.

After the white crane had left and only the nine-tailed fox remained, out of nowhere a strong gust then blew into the training ground, snuffing out all the candles inside. But in the brief moment before the last glimmer of light was put out, a sinister grin could be seen plastered on the face of the nine-tailed fox.