Beyond the Curious Figments

by permafrost13

She was but a wayward soul among countless others, seeking purpose in a world drunk in power and discord. It was a simple innocent wish inscribed on a handwritten archive—a journey that wouldn't decide the fate of humanity. Rather, the fates of those who are most precious to her.

5. Fleeting Reverie

04—Fleeting Reverie

---

Almost caught in a dreamy trance, Inazuma couldn't help but gaze at the vivid red-orange scenery before her. Lazy streaks of grey clouds drifted in the skies as she listened to the cries of nearby seagulls and the droning of biplanes patrolling in the sector.

Another distortion, huh? I wonder...

A lone figure, which kept her attentiveness from slipping away, stood in the midst of this enthralling sight. It raised its weapon once more, dashing right towards her. She took in deep breaths and cleared her mind. She was ready.

Okay, let's do this one more time!

Inazuma clenched her teeth and fired her forearm turret at Murakumo's shadowy form, but her opponent was faster, dodging the shells with little effort.

Swerving to the right, Murakumo launched a torpedo that forced Inazuma to move from her spot. A turret extended out of her core structure and followed up with a couple of shots. Inazuma intercepted the shells with her mount plating, but this momentary distraction allowed Murakumo to close the distance between them.

Murakumo brought down her naginata while Inazuma reacted in time as she raised her arm up. Sparks flew as steel clashed with steel.

These rhythmic clangs went on over and over, neither of the two intending to miss a single beat. The tempo eventually grew at a quicker pace, approaching the inevitable climax.

"I have you now!"

Inazuma deflected another downward strike with her improvised shield, but Murakumo was relentless as she kept the pressure up, preventing Inazuma to escape. Each strike seemed to drain her energy as she did her best to fend off the assault. Despite this, her form didn't waver. She had to break through the other's momentum, fast.

Using all her strength, Inazuma pushed through the incoming strike, and it caught Murakumo by surprise. She disengaged and launched a concentrated shot over her shoulder, creating a wide torrent as it struck the space between them. She glided away while unloading all of her remaining torpedoes outwards. The torpedoes went off moments after their release, screening her position as she strafed to her left.

Her shoulders heaved up and down as she took the chance to refill her torpedo mounts. All seemed quiet for a moment, but Inazuma knew better. Sensing movement on her right, she reached out under her funnel and threw her anchor in that direction. Murakumo burst through the watery screen as she swerved slightly to her port with a cruel grin. At the same time, Inazuma shifted course to the opposite direction and activated her high-powered winch.

Murakumo gave chase and raised her weapon above her head. "Already out of ammo?"

"A little closer!"

"What are you—" A loud clang put a stop to Murakumo's progress. The anchor had lodged firmly on her backside, throwing her off balance.

Seizing this chance, Inazuma fired both of her gun mounts and the shells struck home. Fire and smoke quickly engulfed her opponent, but the tension from her anchor's chain disappeared. Murakumo sped out of the mass of black smoke and went for the kill. "You almost had me there, but that's not enough!"

Inazuma aimed her forearm turret at the approaching destroyer, but she hesitated and Murakumo capitalized on this with a sweep of her naginata. Another swipe disarmed Inazuma of her turret while the following attack caused her to stagger backwards. Murakumo pressed the blunt side of the blade on Inazuma's neck.

Disoriented, Inazuma collapsed to her knees. It was over.

"So close," Murakumo said, smiling. "You only needed to pull the trigger."

"I couldn't. And I've never shot someone in the head before."

"It's not like we're going all out here too. I won't get angry if you did. Probably."

"Um, I don't know about that..."

"Uhhh... okay, a little! But live exercises like this one is just as important as any other operation. One false step, and it's game over for you."

Inazuma slumped completely on the surface, but she managed a smile. "I guess that was clumsy of me. Sorry, Murakumo."

Murakumo pulled her weapon away. Using her free hand, she flicked a few strands of hair away from her face. "Then why did you hesitate? What if it caused you the lives of your comrades later on?"

"Uu... you're sounding like Akatsuki now."

"Sorry, can you repeat that?"

"Er, um, n-nothing!"

Murakumo recalled her naginata, vanishing in a faint blue light. She extended a hand. "But you're really an unorthodox fighter, aren't you?"

Inazuma gladly took it as she pulled herself to her feet. "I don't think I was ever one."

"But you're getting more and more creative every time we spar. That's why I look forward to these sessions."

"I have to thank Akatsuki for that."

"I practice with her a lot too—she's a tough cookie." She pointed at Inazuma's forearm. "By the way, that plating is meant to protect your torpedo launcher. Can't you get yourself a better shield?"

Inazuma looked at the battered plating. "I have one, but we left it back at the armory to implement some new configurations."

"Oh, that's good to hear. Keep that up." Murakumo pouted. "Unlike those two, you seem to know your priorities as a fleet girl. If only they can be half as responsible as you..."

"Good work, but save the chat for later," Einrost said over the comm link. "Climb aboard and unwind for a bit. We're calling it a day."

They both looked at the yacht in the distance. Murakumo nodded. "I'm parched. I could use some of that tropical fruit shake I had yesterday."

"You better hurry. We're down to the last few glasses here."

"Wait, didn't I tell you to save some for me?"

Murakumo accelerated away, showering Inazuma with a gigantic splash. She looked over her shoulder. "S-Sorry!"

Inazuma forced a smile before letting out a long sigh. She followed the speeding destroyer until they reached the yacht moored next to an islet. Using the ladder on the ship's port side, they climbed up to the main deck then towards the sun deck where everyone was lounging. Murakumo plopped on a deck chair as she grabbed a glass of fruit shake and brought it to her lips. "Post-workout relaxation is the best!"

Inazuma got her own glass as well. It was an orange-mango blend Akatsuki had specifically ordered from the kitchen staff. She made a mental note to thank them later for the highly refreshing, delectable drink. The sweet mellow flavor, combined with its tangy aftertaste, was simply divine.

Beside her, Commander Yurie had her arms crossed under her chest. "We're making some progress at least. This isn't so much of a bad idea after all."

"Hey, what did I say?" Einrost said. "They want us to help out with perimeter defense, so here we are. Yuu liked this arrangement too, so it all worked out."

"But it's pretty bold of you to take your personal yacht out here. If this is your way of sending old ships to the scrapyard, you can always consult me for the handover procedures."

"Don't think that's relevant when they can tear apart a state-of-the-art navy vessel in a blink of an eye."

"I'd settle for something smaller then."

"You want a boat that much? Hey, I can't promise you anything, but I'll try to look around if I have the time."

"The ever generous chief operations officer, huh? I'd feel bad if I just took your offer without offering anything in exchange, so how about I lend my services to you?"

"My, you have piqued my interest, milady." He cleared his throat. "Well then, what kind of services are we talking about here?"

Yurie moved in and landed a clean punch on his stomach. Wearing an irritated look, she faced Murakumo. "How do you work with this guy?"

"It's that one mystery I myself can't explain," the destroyer replied as she took a sip of her fruit shake. "I wouldn't dare to hazard a guess either, so that's probably why I made it a habit to give myself a pat in the back whenever it comes to mind every now and again."

Recovering from the blow, Einrost propped himself against the railguard. "D-Damn it, I haven't said anything!"

"Take some points from Yuu." Yurie brought out her personal terminal and tapped on its screen. "Maybe it'll help your case slightly."

Now that Yurie mentioned it, Inazuma hadn't seen the commander since she got on the deck. "Um, where did he go?" she asked.

"Missed him already, huh?" Einrost replied. "Top deck's lookout. He seemed busy talking to someone on the line earlier."

Inazuma gave her thanks and excused herself from the group. She climbed the stairs and saw the commander staring at the glistening waters. "Commander, um... hello."

"Need something?"

His reply was so brief that she started to hesitate whether it was a good time to bother him now. She shook her head as if to get rid of her uncertainties and bit the bullet. "Can I join you?"

"You don't need to ask."

"Ah, but..." As she directed her gaze down to her feet, she suddenly became conscious of her wet and tattered uniform. She concentrated and her uniform became good as new. "There!"

"I wish I could do that. Looks really convenient."

"I use quite a bit of energy when I do it though." Inazuma walked beside him and rested her arms on the railing. She closed her eyes as she drank her fruit shake. "The breeze sure is nice."

She cast back to an earlier time. The words of Commodore Minako echoed in her head once more:

Don't you want to learn more about him? Gather enough pieces and I assure that you'll be highly intrigued with the details you'll uncover.

But what details did she actually need to look out for from him? She didn't have the slightest clue as he was just simply unpredictable and inconsistent. Perhaps she needed to look into a deeper meaning behind his actions? Akatsuki told her not to fuss over it, but she couldn't get it out of her mind despite her best efforts.

Taking in the peaceful ambiance, they watched the skies darken as the sun slowly disappeared below the horizon. After a while, they saw two dots speeding towards the ship's stern. "That must be them," he said, yawning.

Inazuma squinted her eyes as she noticed Sendai waving her hand. She stretched her arm in the air and waved back. The pair of light cruisers made their approach and boarded the yacht. "Um, Commander, where did you send them this time?" she asked.

"I already told you, didn't I?"

Inazuma swallowed as he glanced at her. "U-Um... I know, but still..."

"Hey, can I ask you something? What are you up to with Akatsuki?"

"E-Erm... what do you mean?"

"Lately, she's pestering me a lot, always on my tail whenever I leave the office. Too many whats and whys in every other step I take." Inazuma winced as his eyes pierced through her. "If you have a problem with me, don't drag others into it."

"I-It's not like that at all!"

"Inazuma, do you think I'm a person that can be trusted?"

Then and there, Inazuma froze. It took all of her willpower to snap out of her stupor to give a convincing answer. "O-Of course!"

"I'm glad to hear that." He looked back to the darkening horizon. "Then again, trust is just as fickle as everything else—your opinion about me can easily change the next day. It's the same as anyone else really, and all it takes is a single mistake to break that trust."

"W-Well, you can be a jerk at times... but you're a trustworthy person, Commander. I think..."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

Inazuma barely noticed the cruisers standing by the stairs, giving them an awkward smile to welcome them. "Admi—commander, are we interrupting something?" Jintsuu asked.

"No, it's fine," he replied. "What happened back there?"

"We're not completely sure, but we felt like we were being followed. That's why—" She stopped, glancing at Inazuma who only tilted her head in response. "Um..."

"Go on. If there are Abyssal ships that got past through our patrols, we'll need to deal with them quickly."

"W-Well, after we switched off the line, we decided to change our current course and lure out whoever they were."

Sendai sat on the bench across them. "Nothing showed up though. Either they noticed or it was all in our heads—take your pick."

"Then, it's a good thing nothing happened," Inazuma said as she patted her chest. "I'm relieved."

The commander brought out his tablet terminal. "I'll notify the others later. Thank you."

Jintsuu rummaged inside her messenger bag and produced a cylinder container. "Katori wanted to give this to you just in case we can't go back to the island within schedule."

Upon receiving the item from the light cruiser, he began inspecting its surface from all angles. "She works fast."

Inazuma thought to herself for a moment. "Miss Katori from the medical bay's psychiatric department?" she said. "What's inside, Commander?"

He pressed a button near the container's lid, causing smaller glowing tubes to pop out. "These."

"Mag-ion cells? Do you need to power something with them?"

"Yeah... something like that."

She squinted her eyes. "Why do you sound so unsure?"

"Oh, right! Here ya go, Inazuma!" Sendai brought out a thin card case and handed to her. "I already gave Akatsuki hers, but it looks like she's still in a bad mood, huh?"

Inazuma sighed as she removed the card inside, holding it up between her fingers. "I hope they'll forget about it like always."

In a flash of bluish light, a shield-type MAU appeared on her left forearm. It was smaller and lighter compared to the prototype model she had tested in the armory. Another apparent difference was the cannon attachment only having a single barrel as opposed to the standard pair. There was also a small interface above the shield's arm slot, displaying ammunition count and the current user settings for the mag-ion field projector.

"So, how is it?" the commander asked. "Is it comfortable to hold?"

"Yup, it's light and it's easy to handle. Thank you."

"I still have a few ideas in mind, but we'll save them for another time."

"The modifications aren't cheap, Commander."

"I know, don't look at me like that."

Sendai rubbed the back of her head. "I got to wear it before going back, but it doesn't feel that sturdy to me." A naval gun materialized on her forearm. "Let's find out."

Inazuma gasped. "W-Wait—"

"Surprise attack!"

Her battle reflexes kicked in, saving her from the brunt of the blast. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself unscathed. "Th-that was close!"

The light cruiser whistled. "Woo! I sure can't wait to get one of those!"

They heard heavy footsteps climbing the stairs. Einrost appeared before them, catching his breath. "Hey, hey! Usage of firearms on board isn't allowed, remember?" he said. "Spare me the repair bills, please."

Murakumo's head poked out from the stairs. "How about we use the empty session hall—"

He rubbed his forehead with both of his hands. "Wh-What's wrong with you girls?!"

"Hmph, it's your fault not investing on a well dock."

"This is a yacht!"

"I'm sorry, Commander Einrost." Jintsuu coughed once and turned to Sendai. She raised an index finger in front of her. "Sendai, you won't be getting any Class 2 modules for the time being."

"B-But why?"

She poked Sendai's nose. "No buts. Do reckless things again or we'll reassign you to the afternoon shift for a week."

"N-No, not the afternoon shift! Anything but that!" Sendai curled herself on the bench. "No. I... I'll be out of my element. I can't let that happen... I'll be a good girl, so please..."

The commander had an uninterested expression on his face. "Scary."

Jintsuu turned around with a smile. "It's a handy approach when she gets too bothersome."

---

Night came. After an hour of downtime, everyone hurried to the dining room for dinner. Utensils clattered as they helped themselves with the dishes displayed on the long table. It was already the fourth night of their cruise, but the kitchen staff could really cook all sorts of good food. It wasn't all that surprising from Einrost's entourage though—they always seemed to be the best on what they do.

As soon as they finished stuffing their bellies to the brim, they went back to their respective stations while Yurie's fleet set off to patrol the immediate sea area. Maya brought with her some snacks and desserts to be shared with the other units in the sector. Those patrol units spend most of their days out in the sea, so they would definitely appreciate the goodies everyone picked from the kitchen pantry. They did have to wonder if Murakumo actually asked permission to raid the pantry's freezer for that matter.

Left with nothing to do at the moment, Inazuma brought the commander's terminal and walked out to the main deck. Unlike in a real Navy vessel where live drills, housekeeping, and other various duties were the norm, there weren't so much for them to do other than wait for updates from the bridge's staff. Most of her fellow fleet girls were at the recreation room, but she soon realized that a few of them had the same idea as hers: passing the time in the open areas of the ship to ease off and relax.

Making her second pass around the foredeck, she booted up the terminal and navigated through the system's menu. Like usual, she tapped on the fleet's equipment inventory and checked on the recent items that the commander had developed in the factory. "Carrier planes? Why would he—"

Something damp and cold touched her cheeks. The momentary fright caused her to nearly lose her grip on the device. She turned around, clutching the terminal against her chest. "D-Don't do that!"

The commander shook the carton of milk in his hand. "What are you doing out here? The others are playing that dancing game again."

"Ah, were you looking for me?" she asked, giving out his terminal. He pointed at her jacket instead. Inspecting the insides of the jacket, she found a hidden compartment large enough to house the device. She carefully slid the terminal into the slot.

"Not really. Just out for a walk."

Upon seeing him shiver, she then noticed the thick coat he was wearing. "Are you okay? It must be tough being sensitive to the cold."

"Yeah." He punched a straw on the milk carton before resting his arms on the railing. "I figured that I should get used to it, but that's just impossible for me."

"Hmm, I know!"

"What is it?"

"Give me your hand." Hesitantly, he brought his left hand closer to her. She took it between hers and began to concentrate. "There!"

He blinked as his mouth slowly open. "I feel... warm. What did you just do?"

Inazuma smiled. "Well, have you ever wondered why fleet girls can operate in extreme weather conditions?"

"Hmm, I've read about that bit. A fleet girl's multi-layered natural mag-ion field can be configured to shield her from external elements."

"That's correct!"

"At first, I just assumed that your extraordinary tolerance to pretty much everything has something to do with your unnatural constitution. Or maybe a combination of both?"

"A newborn fleet girl isn't any different from adult humans in terms of physical abilities, but she'll continue to grow stronger through constant usage of mag-ions."

"In other words, the body adapts to the power increase given by mag-ions. Well, that's a bit unfair, don't you think?"

She laughed softly. "Of course, there are limits to the level of strength that a fleet girl can achieve."

He nodded, smiling. "Being a fleet girl sure has its conveniences."

"You're really passionate about us fleet girls. Is that the reason why you joined the Peacekeepers?" He gave her a sharp look. Inazuma gulped. Eh? I just blurted it out, but... if that's the case, why did he have to be a fleet officer?

"Written accounts and other studies exhibited countless discrepancies pertaining to the true nature of your kind. More than a decade in and we're still looking for answers." He bit his lip, looking away. "The prospect of searching the unknown is already interesting on its own, but sometimes I can't help to think whether everything I did so far actually meant something or not."

"Do all of those things really matter to you?"

"They do. It's a promise I made to myself after all."

"That's weird, I thought you can only give promises to other people." Inazuma considered his words, nodding. "I see, so that counts as a promise too?"

"What promise?"

"Peace. I might not be able to do much, but I'll do everything I can to achieve that."

"I suspected as much. You're sounding like adventure novel protagonist right now."

"Eh... are you teasing me again?"

There was a brief flash of regret on his face. "But considering how things are at the moment, that might be... no, you should hold on to that promise of yours." He smiled. "I don't get to hear those words often. It's actually a little refreshing."

"I know that it won't be easy, but we're a team, right? You can also count on us to help you with your promise too."

"I'm sure you have plenty of other things to worry about. My problems are mine alone, Inazuma."

Inazuma stared at the ring on his finger. "You always say that."

"Finally found you two! Why are you—" Akatsuki gasped as she took a step backwards. "A-Ah... what..."

The pair exchanged looks and retracted their hands. "U-Um, I'm just keeping him warm," Inazuma said.

"I-Is that so?" Akatsuki crossed her arms as she approached them. "Don't get any weird ideas, Commander. The very least you can do is to show some tact."

He sighed. "I think you're the one having indecent thoughts in your head."

Akatsuki stopped beside Inazuma and propped herself against the railing. "Don't start on me. I already had enough with Hatsuyuki."

Inazuma frowned. "You're still fighting?"

"Until she stops talking behind my back and apologizes to me, she'll never hear the end of it."

"I've been thinking," the commander said, "did something happen the last time you went to the mainland?"

"Nothing important. I just did what I have to do there and left the moment they released my papers."

"Huh, you surely are in a hurry finalizing your transfer here."

Smiling, Akatsuki glanced at Inazuma. "It's only natural for someone like me to finish such matters in a timely fashion," she said. "But it looks like the rumors are true—everyone seems to be on edge when I got there. The internal friction between the Naval Domain's powers is only getting worse."

"That's unfortunate," Inazuma said.

"Hardly our problem now." Akatsuki brushed a few loose locks of hair over her face. "Though I do feel bad about the branches that got affected. Many fleet girls were displaced, but the higher-ups act like all this mess they made will clean itself up later."

"I'm not surprised," the commander said. "With the SRC and other fleet girl-related organizations out there, the Navy's expecting them to pick up their slack."

Akatsuki squinted her eyes, staring at the commander's quivering cowlick. "But... is it just me or the Navy is starting to distance itself from us?"

"Huh? Us?" Inazuma said.

"Yeah. If you think about it, most of the affected branches are forward bases and outposts for fleet girls."

"Have you forgotten why they had to restructure in the first place?" the commander asked, glancing upwards. "Their statements in the earlier months were vague, but we're slowly getting the whole picture, bit by bit."

"Hey, what do you know about this?" Akatsuki stepped closer to him. "Spill it."

He directed his gaze to the sea. "Roughly sixty percent of their annual expenditures goes to their Abyssal countermeasure operations, where you fleet girls are the centerpiece of that department. They're set to take a considerable slice of that budget to allocate it to somewhere else."

Akatsuki looked at her feet, wincing. "If you put it that way..."

"A-Akatsuki, are you okay?" Inazuma asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She raised her head, staring at the commander. "Any idea why?"

He simply shrugged. "How should I know? They might reveal the specifics in the following weeks, but we can only assume they're working on a major project that needs to be completed as quickly as possible."

"A major project, huh?" She put a hand under her chin. "MAU development is all the rage among the Conglomerate members and the military industry in the recent years, so I won't be surprised if the Navy is also working on something along that technology."

"Given a tight time frame, it would only make sense that they'll be more than willing to put more resources into the project. Anything to speed up the process and get the job done within their schedule is fair game."

"And they chose to compromise us, I know. But for someone who hates the Navy's guts, you know your way around with those details."

"On the contrary, whenever I take a breather at the lounge, I always end up sitting through those news specials about them. I'm getting sick of it."

"Then don't watch it? Ugh, I can't believe I praised you just now."

Inazuma smiled at the thought of it. "Hatsuyuki and Fumizuki always complain about the news too. Things are getting busier lately, huh?"

"But... why?" Akatsuki leaned on the railing next to Inazuma. "We are doing our best and yet..."

"We humans act all high and mighty for our own good." The commander paused as he sipped his drink. "If it weren't for that weird programming you fleet girls have in your heads, you could be working in tandem with the Abyssals long ago. Maybe you guys get to take the land portions of the world or whatever."

The destroyers traded looks. Akatsuki just shook her head. "That's some nonsensical alternate reality you have. Do you always make childish ideas in that head of yours?"

His expression didn't change. "Things have been very different since the past decade. With all the previous hardships your predecessors had endured, I'll be always grateful that you didn't turn on us."

"Why would we even consider that in the first place?"

"Yeah," Inazuma chimed in. "We'll never do that!"

He motioned his milk carton to the destroyer pair. "And that's the very same attitude we've exploited over the years. You girls are blinded with that deep-seated sense of duty, putting yourself below everything else."

His tone had more emotion and emphasis to it. Inazuma pursed her lips. "Calling it that sounds a bit too far."

"To be honest, who gave us the right to boss you guys around? You came into this world, willing to give your very lives to protect us, and we pay you back with nothing but contempt and indifference. We abuse your goodwill, knowing that you'll never point your guns at us."

Akatsuki grimaced. "Hmph, you don't have to say it like it's a bad thing."

"And if we assume those theories are true, fleet girls have more experience than most of us could ever hope for. Why is there a need for a human commander if you girls are competent enough to handle yourselves?"

"You're still hung up about that? Why do you care so much about what we think anyway?"

Inazuma nodded. "And it doesn't matter now, right? Everyone has been very supportive of us and I couldn't be happier with that."

The commander paused yet again, studying their expressions for a moment . He lowered his head and let out a deep sigh afterwards. "You're probably right. I'm just overthinking about pointless stuff again."

"That's just like you, Commander."

"Hmm... that said, you should learn a thing or two from them."

Akatsuki raised an eyebrow. "Learn from who now?"

"Nevermind."

Inazuma sighed. "There you go again."

"What I'm saying is, it's okay for you to become selfish once in a while—to think and decide of a future that you could call your own."

Akatsuki made an annoyed face as she placed both hands on her hips. "We're not robots, you know? You don't have to say it so bluntly." In a split second, her frown turned into a confident grin. "I, Akatsuki, have plenty of ambitions for me to realize life's full splendor!"

"I'm a bit interested to know... at the same time, I kinda don't."

She let out a short laugh. "You wouldn't be able to wrap your head around it anyway."

Out of nowhere, Einrost's voice broke out of Inazuma's earpiece. "Hey lovebirds, get in the bridge. Something's up."

Relaying the recent developments to Akatsuki, they hurried back to the yacht's bridge and found a crowd around the meeting table. In front of them was a large monitor displaying a live visual feed of the yacht's scanner systems. The navigation fairies were huddled together next to the laptop Yurie was using.

Absorbing the tense atmosphere of the room made Inazuma's heart race. She took a deep breath to help herself calm down. Akatsuki walked towards the other girls. "Contacts?"

"We have four," Yurie replied as she pointed at the monitor. From the overhead image of the scanner's maximum range, the map quickly zoomed into the area of engagement.

"That's all? Why did you need to call us here?" Murakumo asked.

"Hold on," Akatsuki said. "It's the Abyssals, right?"

"Their descriptions don't match the current roster," Yurie replied. "Well, that only applies to the three of them. The last one is a Ta-class battleship."

"The unidentified ones are indeed worthy of concern," Aster said with a tap of her cane. "And for some bizarre reason, they are also exhibiting familiar mag-ion signatures."

Freya, a navigation fairy from Einrost's unit, sat on top of a chocolate box and snapped her fingers. "We don't want to jump the gun on this one, but we'll have a better chance figuring it out when we get there. I'm curious myself."

"Can't even give us a wild guess?" Einrost asked. "You can sense their signatures far better than our machines."

"Still negative, skipper."

"So, what's the plan?" Murakumo asked.

"Maya and the others were already notified." Yurie glanced outside. "I got a bad feeling about this. Let's just hope they can handle it."

Inazuma took a deep breath. "Um, now I'm worried too..."

Murakumo placed a hand on her waist. "You know, when someone says something bad is gonna happen, it's more than likely that it will... huh?!"

A distress notification appeared on the screen. As Yurie rushed to a computer panel to answer the line, all eyes went to Murakumo.

The destroyer gritted her teeth as she balled up her hands. "Wh-What? Oh, come on!"

"I better get used to this," Hatsuyuki said.

"Hey, you haven't said anything since you got here," Einrost said as he tapped the commander's shoulder. "Something wrong?"

The commander didn't reply as he kept his eyes on the monitor. Soon enough, the red blips began to move southeast. Yurie tapped her headset as she took her eyes away from the panel. Her face was pale. "We need to intercept the enemy. They captured a few of our girls."

"So, they showed up again."

"This should be the same group behind the abductions in the last few days. And chances are, they're probably related to that one Abyssal ship we haven't caught yet. I have to pay them back for taking Yayoi from us."

The heavy cruiser Haguro, one of the bridge's system operators, turned around from her seat. "Umm... with the help of the fairies, we've managed to get a lock on the enemy fleet. But at the current speed they're taking, it won't be long before we lose sight of them again."

"This is our chance. What are we waiting for?" Murakumo summoned her spear. "Let's assemble a pursuit team and deploy ASAP."

"Alright," Einrost said, tapping his earpiece. "Hyuuga, all set?"

Hyuuga's voice blared from the monitor's speakers. "Commencing artillery strike—broadside!"

The crackle of energy from outside was even more intense, causing the whole ship to tremble. "Whoa, she doesn't beat around the bush," Kumano said.

"S-Sorry that I didn't warn everyone," Haguro said, glancing over her shoulder. "I just sent her the range calculations for the artillery attack."

"These enemies are unlike any of the other ones you've encountered so far," Yurie said. "Stay on your toes, everyone."

Everyone returned Yurie's determined expression, nodding in agreement. They would rescue their comrades for sure!

"Finally," Uzuki said. "Just you wait and I'll finally have my—"

Yurie reclined in her seat. "Uzuki, you're staying here."

"What?! There's no way I'm going to sit back and twiddle my thumbs here!"

"That's an order. Trust them on this one."

"B-But—"

"You'll have your chance later. You have my word, Uzuki."

Uzuki directed her glare to Murakumo. "You better not screw this up."

"Of course. I'll make them pay, triple the interest."

---

Hyuuga's batteries boomed for the second time as Inazuma and others sped through the waves at full speed. The blazing trails of the battleship's shells illuminated the cloudy skies, disappearing as they crossed the horizon. However, the weather decided not to cooperate with them as the subtle drizzle transformed into a total downpour. It was only a minor obstacle compared to the challenge that they would need to conquer later.

As they received report of the enemy group slowing down, muddy flares and fireballs came into view. The aerial squadrons Shoukaku and Chitose sent ahead of them conjured a storm in the midst of the heavy rain, but they only served as a distraction at best towards the opposite force. The enemies shot the planes down in quick succession, turning the preemptive assault into a shooting gallery.

But just then, another wave from Hyuuga's artillery strike whistled from above, raining on and around the enemy's position. A number of overwhelming bronze sparks consumed the area as the shells detonated on impact. It was their signal to move in and seize their victory.

A shimmering purple light appeared amidst the rising chaos. "Wait, what's that?" Nagara said.

Akatsuki veered to the left. "No—! Dodge!"

The violent streak of energy ripped through their formation, vaporizing the sea's surface as the beam traveled past them. Its projectile detonated seconds later, releasing a tremendous shock wave in its radius. Inazuma reclaimed her bearings just as quick and took her position with the others.

"We got their blindside!" Maya said. "Careful, these guys are tough!"

"I'll be the judge of that!" Murakumo signaled the rest to get ready.

Activating their searchlights, Akatsuki and Murakumo circled the enemy group. The strong light beams infuriated the Ta-class battleship, but the other two didn't seem to mind, not moving a limb from where they stood. Inazuma used this chance to take a good look on the unidentified Abyssal ships:

One Abyssal girl had two cylindrical pods on her back. Other than a light-caliber turret slung around her body, she was surprisingly unarmed. In contrast, the taller girl was the complete opposite. She had an enormous cannon strapped on her back, multiple turrets attached to her body, and a crystalline blade for an arm. Both of them had an attentive look on their faces, but nevertheless calm and relaxed.

Inazuma could feel something else about them. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

"W-Wait, only three?" Maya said.

The Ta-class battleship began to gloat. "Fools, all of you will die here!"

A sudden energy burst knocked everything outward, save for the Abyssal ships protected inside a mag-ion field. Inazuma and the rest slowly backed away from the surging power emanating below them. A shadowy blob swelled up from the depths, creating a small vortex in its wake.

"Crap, another one?!" Maya said. "And I thought losing sight of the other girl was a bad thing."

"Seriously," Murakumo said, "why didn't you report that they have backup?!"

"That thing came from underwater! Ask a submarine, dammit!"

More of the shadowy figure bulged out of the whirlpool. First, its head, then its body and two bloated arms. Its glossy skin oozed and dribbled as if it was made out of some mushy substance. And by Inazuma's estimate, it was about several stories high, with hands large enough to pluck out a warship's entire mast or funnel from its hull. It probed the area with its pale yellow eyes, slowly moving its head from right to left.

Maya was the first to speak up. "What the… those stories are actually true?!"

"Oh boy, this isn't good," Nagara said, keeping her naval gun close to her side.

"U-Umibozu?!" Akatsuki said. "But that's just some stupid urban legend!"

Murakumo scoffed. "Whatever it is, I've expected it to be more threatening than that. This will be easy if we work together and—"

The giant opened its mouth and bellowed. Grayish, ooze-like substance crawled all over its skin, swelling and forming clusters on its body. These throbbing clusters slowly gained shape. Explosive launchers, anti-air turrets, and cannons fitted the creature—some of the weapons barely sticking out of its body for them to work. Akatsuki's eyes widened. "Th-Those are... MAUs! What's the meaning of this?!"

"I don't understand—have they adopted modular technology into their bodies or something?" Einrost asked.

"Save the speculations for later!" Murakumo pointed her spear at the giant. "Light that thing up!"

Hatsuyuki raised her turret as she moved in. "Yup, better get used to it..."

Initiating the barrage, they split off as they pelted their target with their guns. The Umibozu creature retaliated with its extensive arsenal, showering everything with lead and explosives. Combined with the heavy rain and constant flash of gunfire from every direction, their surroundings escalated into a full-fledged war zone. Reinforcements in the form of carrier planes swooped from above, dropping their payloads onto the creature. Enveloped in a hellish blaze, it directed its anti-air guns to the sky and released a blanket of projectiles. The next wave of bombers was caught in the volley, thinning out their aerial support for the second time.

Leaving the two Abyssal girls in the sidelines, the Ta-class battleship threw herself into the fray. She went straight to Murakumo, nearly slicing her with a polearm. The two engaged in a fierce melee display as the others focused on whittling down the giant's defenses.

Meanwhile, Inazuma teamed up with Fusou and Sendai as they launched their shells from a safer distance. Fusou's concentrated salvos proved to have immediate effects on the creature, but she needed time to prepare between shots. The giant, seemed to be aware of that fact, made sure that she wouldn't be able to score another clean hit. Its turrets trailed the battleship's every move, screening her with walls of seawater. Despite the massive gap in firepower, the girls didn't let up as they traded shell after shell with the creature.

The punishment they were dishing out to the creature was phenomenal, but it showed no signs of weakness or vulnerability. It was a formidable fortress on its own and they had to reconsider their approach quick.

They thought of disabling the weapons of the creature, but they couldn't deal enough damage for the plan to work. Its thick mag-ion field was an excellent damper against their weapons. And similar to other Abyssal ships, the giant also had impressive regenerative properties. They could take a couple of turrets out of commission, but only for a short moment before its weapons reactivate again.

"This bastard's a literal bullet sponge!" Maya said.

"You won't be able to kill it," the commander said. "Everyone needs to pull out of that area. Now."

Most of them voiced their surprise over the radio. "I wouldn't peg you as a coward, Yuu," Yurie said. "What exactly is happening out there?"

"I thought they might stand a chance against it, but seeing the situation now limits us down to a few options. We're not prepared for this."

"Are you saying we should just run?"

"See that other girl inside the field? She is the automaton's operator—its lifeline. Unless you take her out, there will be no end to that battle."

"A-Alright! Maya, you know what to do!"

"Yeah, I heard that," Maya replied. "But we need to slow this thing down for an opening!"

"But is it really that simple?" Murakumo said. "If you have a plan, better tell us quick. We're in a bind here!"

The commander didn't respond.

"Y-You definitely know something that we don't," Yurie said, her voice starting to crack. "If we fail here, we might not get another chance!"

"All the more reason for us to cut our losses and retreat," he replied. "If this gets any worse—"

"That's not an option! A-Are you just going to turn your back on us like that?!"

"Forget it!" Akatsuki said.

Inazuma stopped for a moment, lowering her arms. "A-Akatsuki?! What are you saying?"

"I-If he doesn't want to help, fine! We'll find a way on our own!"

Akatsuki dashed towards the giant, with Hatsuyuki and Nagara following her tail.

"H-Hey, get back here!" Maya cried.

Akatsuki ignored the projectiles headed her way as she picked up speed. The giant let loose a deafening cannon fire, landing straight to the destroyer's path. She was swallowed up by the blast as seawater soared to the sky. "A-Akatsuki!" Inazuma cried.

"Initiate a suppression barrage! We need to get her out of there!"

Within the deluge, Inazuma felt an energy spike. An anchor broke out and latched into a turret sticking out of the Umibozu's chest. At the next moment, a purple spark zipped straight towards the creature and sliced off the turret's barrel. "Don't just stand there!" Akatsuki shouted. "Keep shooting!"

"Right," Maya said, "but no hard feelings if you got hit by a stray shell!"

Covered in a purple haze, Akatsuki jumped from one module to the next, destroying the weapons at point-blank range. This strategy seemed to work as the creature focused its attention on her, attempting to grab her with its massive hands.

She jumped off from her platform, throwing her anchor to the other side of the creature's body. However, the anchor didn't connect to the gun mount. As they had feared, the small slip-up allowed the creature to snag her easily.

"L-Let go!"

Maya and the others immediately responded with their own shelling, but the Umibozu was more than eager to crush the destroyer between its fingers.

Inazuma froze, terror consuming her from the inside. The voices calling out to her didn't reach her. At the next moment, she found herself tackled by Sendai as a huge torrent devoured the space where she previously stood. The light cruiser helped her to get on her feet, but Inazuma felt that her strength was being eaten away. Akatsuki's anguished screams was too much for her to bear.

The commander's voice broke her out of despair's grasp. "Shoot down its field generators first. See that thing between the turrets on its shoulder? A heavy-caliber gun should be able to punch through the field and destroy it for good."

"B-But wouldn't it just regenerate again?" Fusou asked.

"Reducing a module into scraps takes a longer time to recover. Sendai, soften up the target for her."

Sendai activated her searchlight. "Roger!"

Taking their cue, they forced themselves into the endless waterworks and attempted to take the generator out in a single hit. Through Sendai and Inazuma's diversion, Fusou was able to get close enough to release a devastating salvo with her main batteries. As they had anticipated, the explosion that followed made short work of the module.

The Umibozu's grip seemed to have slackened as Akatsuki stopped screaming. But before they could take further action, a bright gold surge crossed the field at blinding speed. A shrill crackling followed as a powerful energy signature struck the creature several times. The Umibozu's hand fell off, slowly disintegrating beneath the waves. Taken aback, Inazuma tried to trace the receding power and saw Hyuuga past the towering silhouette.

Not a moment was wasted as the battleship sheathed her katana and deployed her turrets' barrels. Her aura flickered with life once more, and she unleashed a series of alternating salvos, giving them the window they needed to pull Akatsuki out of harm's way. And once they were in the clear, Haguro and Jintsuu arrived just in time to rain down more shells at the enemy. Sendai followed the two cruisers as she directed her searchlight's beam on the giant's shoulder. Their synchronized movements led them to a much needed opening, their combined shelling neutralizing the second generator.

Having the tables turned on the creature, the fleet continued their unbridled assault. The Umibozu was still putting up a fight, but the effects of their attacks were getting more and more apparent. Chunks of steel flew all over the place, each blast eating away at its flesh.

Overwhelmed and exposed, the creature eventually slumped forward. Its flesh began to disintegrate, leaving a mechanical humanoid frame on the water. The skeletal structure had tissues connecting to a spherical chunk of flesh in its stomach area. Putting it simply, it was a dreadful yet curious sight.

"Phew," Nagara said, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, "that took way too long."

Maya sailed beside Inazuma. "No kidding."

"And the insides of our colossal monster is actually quite small," Kumano said. "How is that possible?"

"I dunno," Nagara replied. "But man, I really practiced my footsies a lot tonight!"

"Footsies? You must know that you could be killed in the slightest error you make."

"I know, I know! I did my best tonight even though I got tagged a few times."

Another explosion broke out just over the horizon and they heard Murakumo grumbling over the comm link. "I'm sorry," she said, speeing towards them. "She got away, but I made sure she won't be coming back for a while."

"Goodness, you look terrible!" Kumano said.

Maya looked over to the destroyer's steaming, tattered form. "You alright?"

Murakumo skidded to a stop, clutching her bleeding arm. "S-She gave me a good workout, I'll give her that. So, are we done here?"

"Looks like it. I thought that thing was supposed to be invincible or whatever."

"Too early to celebrate just yet," the commander said. "You have to destroy its core engine."

"What about them?" Murakumo asked. The other two Abyssals were still inside their mag-ion field.

"But I don't get this. What's their game?"

His voice was almost a whisper, but everyone heard it regardless. "What do you mean? Don't keep us in the dark like that."

"She's right," Yurie said. "We need to be on the same page if we want to succeed here."

"It should be obvious," he said. "We would've had a much harder time if those two Abyssal ships joined in. Why bother entertaining us a fight that they won't take seriously?"

"So they have another goal in mind?"

"Well, motives aside," Einrost said, "we should finish what we started and finish the job. Hyuuga?"

"Understood," Hyuuga replied. She fired her batteries, releasing a sizable blaze. Almost instantly, the searing blasts engulfed the skeletal remains, but Inazuma knew it would be too convenient if it were to end there.

A translucent dome protected it from the attack. Inside the field was the pod-carrying Abyssal girl, patting the core's surface. She glanced to her right and Hyuuga suddenly shouted, "Look out!"

The other Abyssal girl had finally made her move, rushing towards an unsuspecting Hatsuyuki. Akatsuki shoved her out of the blade's path, but the timely rescue cost her her right arm. She held her ground as a rapier materialized in her other hand. "N-Not this time!"

She plunged the blade into the enemy's chest. The taller girl staggered mid-swing and Akatsuki was quick to stab her the second time in the waist. With a stifled cry, the Abyssal girl countered with a point-blank shot from one of her waist turrets. Akatsuki was sent skipping on the water while the enemy went after Inazuma next.

Inazuma raised her left arm just in time to intercept the sideward slash, but the blade broke through the shield's field coating, deeply denting the upper half of her shield. The force of the blow made her lose her footing, knocking her away. Her world spun as she bounced and tumbled before stopping into a heap. When she looked up, the enemy was already upon her. Unable to turn her shoulder turret in time, she shut her eyes and braced herself for the inevitable.

But what followed next was a bright flash and a piercing clang, her body still unharmed. Still wincing, Inazuma opened her eyes and saw a tall figure in front of her.

Hyuuga had intercepted the enemy's blade with her katana. "Leave her to me. I trust you'll take care of the other girl." She returned her gaze to the girl before her. "And you shall be my opponent."

The Abyssal girl narrowed her eyes and responded with another downward slash. "Fine. I could use a challenge."

Inazuma quickly regrouped with Hatsuyuki to escort Akatsuki away from the ensuing battle, but a mag-ion spike turned their attention back to the skeletal frame. A figure suddenly bulged out of the throbbing core.

It was a girl.

"H-Help me… please…"

Her body was unnaturally pale. Her eyes were devoid of life and color. Purple veins bulged under her skin.

"A... A fleet girl?!" Yurie said.

"She's not one of our girls," Einrost said, "but that's still messed up—what did they do to her?"

"It's no different from us using mag-ion cells to power equipment," the commander said. "But instead of pouring mag-ions into special cell containers, she was stuffed inside the core to increase overall energy output. She's nothing more than a battery inside that automaton."

"They've been abducting fleet girls for that?!"

The fleet girl's cries were drowned into the pitch-black blurb as the core consumed her body. The Umibozu started to regain its glossy flesh and modules once more. Its size was smaller compared to its previous form, but it didn't look any less threatening. On its shoulder, a rectangular platform began to form.

Inazuma bit her lip. A flight deck?

Witnessing the horrific sight made her blood run cold. But this sensation was quickly replaced with an undeniable desire to end it once and for all. "Commander," she said, "we have to save her!"

"This situation is already beyond us. Leave—"

"Trust us, Commander. We can do this! Just tell us how!"

"That's beside the point, Inazuma. The risks are—"

"Does that mean that... you don't trust us all this time?"

"Ngh, this is a new low from you," Akatsuki said. "How disappointing."

He let out an exasperated grumble. "I keep telling you that the risks aren't worth the—wait, why are you two smiling?"

Einrost chuckled. "I don't really care about the details, but the outcome of this situation depends on you now."

"That is true," Yurie replied. "Your inaction could spark a greater disaster later on. I'm sure you wouldn't want that to happen."

"So now you're ganging up on me?" No one spoke for a moment as they waited for his answer. And when he did, Inazuma breathed out her pent-up anxiety. "There is one other way, but I can't guarantee your success with—"

"You've already made your point," Yurie said. "Just get on with it."

"You have to take out its operator first. Or at least distract it from reactivating the automaton."

Murakumo flexed her injured arm. "That girl, huh?"

"Dish out enough damage to the automaton and it'll enter in a self-repair state like it did earlier. The core engine will be vulnerable during that time—crack it open and you'll be able to get the fleet girl out of there. This will only work if you were able to sever the link between the operator and automaton."

"That's surprisingly straightforward. Beat her up, then we rescue the fleet girl."

"Don't overdo it," Einrost said. "You might hit those pods on her back."

"I know. Don't compare us to those amateurs in the Navy."

Armed with their newfound knowledge, everyone scrambled to their positions. Sendai, Nagara, and Murakumo went after the Abyssal operator, who defended herself with her portable turret and safety fields. Meanwhile, Hyuuga kept the other Abyssal girl at bay while the rest took on the Umibozu.

As for Inazuma, she made sure Akatsuki and Hatsuyuki were taken to a safer distance first before rejoining the fight.

But just as she was about to fire her turret, the Umibozu began to release some kind of aircraft from the slots of its flight deck. These aircraft turned out to be proximity pinwheel mines, which was designed by the Navy to repel enemy aircraft.

"We can't let those mines spread out!" Kumano cried.

"I know!" Maya replied. "Gimme a window so I can get a proper aim!"

"We have a quick fix for that," the commander said. "Inazuma, access your shield's console to deploy some decoy mines."

"C-Copy that!" Inazuma swerved around a huge water spout as she activated the shield's interface. "U-Um, wh-what should I do next?"

"Shoot the mines in the air. As many as you can."

She found the trigger mechanism next to the slot's hand guard and aimed her shield's cannon upwards. As she held down the trigger, cylindrical shells flew to the sky and released mechanical tufts outwards. The pinwheels homed in towards the tufts, detonating harmlessly in the air.

With that taken care of, they were back on the offensive as their shots chipped away at the creature's body. And just like before, it was a systematic yet simple process—they took out its field generators, then its weapons systems. After that, an all-out offensive to crush it completely before it recovers again.

"This is—" Hyuuga grunted as a clang reverberated in the background. "This girl is at least battleship level."

"Can you take her out?" Einrost asked.

"I cannot say for sure. She's holding back still."

"Having trouble with her?" Murakumo said. "We'll wrap this up quick, so save some for me."

As the Umibozu began to disintegrate, the other girls trained their guns on the smaller Abyssal girl. "Nagara, Kumano!" Maya shouted. "On my count!"

Concentrating their attacks on a single point, the Abyssal girl's field shattered into countless fragments. She raised her hand to deploy another field, but Murakumo already closed in with her naginata in hand.

The destroyer leaned to her right as a shell ran past her. She swung her weapon from below, disarming the Abyssal girl. Her follow up struck air as the enemy hopped to the side. Sendai had anticipated the maneuver as she rushed in and kicked the shorter girl from behind. The fleet girl inside the broken pod fell off.

Sendai scooped up the unconscious fleet girl and saluted at the skidding Abyssal girl. "She'll be a nice souvenir, thankyouverymuch!"

"For goodness sake, you could have destroyed the other pod!" Kumano said.

"Wait." Sendai snapped her energy-charged fingers. "All yours, sis!"

As if on cue, a small explosion erupted from the second pod. Jintsuu retrieved the captive fleet girl and skirted away from the still reeling Abyssal operator. Murakumo wasted no time launching her own shells as she approached the enemy once more.

She swung her naginata in a wide arc, cleaving the thick smoke cloud in half. A violent clash of energy exploded and Murakumo was sent flying away. She regained her balance in the air, creating a big splash as she landed near Kumano. "That girl's getting on my nerves!"

The Abyssal operator, standing on her feet once again, raised her hand and conjured a smaller field, but she didn't bother moving this time. "Giving up now?" Maya said, wagging two fingers to the left. "Be a good girl, throw that gun away, and maybe we'll go easy on you."

She smiled. "So... how good are you at dodging?"

"Quick enough to dodge your pathetic shots," Murakumo replied.

"Wonderful. We'll see about that."

"All you did is hide in those fields of yours. What could you possibly—"

"W-Wait a moment," Kumano said. "Something's amiss—the mag-ion levels have stabilized all of a sudden."

"Everyone," Aster said, "we have detected multiple airborne signatures. N-No, this is a—"

The Abyssal girl simply grinned. "Good luck."

Inazuma sensed an intense surge of energy from above, but it was too late.

A burst of bright orange overwhelmed her senses and she was sent back by the ensuing blast. She looked up to see more fireballs headed their way. Other than her shield, Inazuma quickly recalled her equipment and submerged underwater. An explosion directly above her made her reel further downward, pain jolting every limb of her body.

Another wave of shells struck the area. Then, another. Two full minutes of unbridled explosions passed.

She activated her emergency floater, quickly sending her back to the surface. She gasped for air and relaxed as her friends checked in through the comm link one by one. She let out a deep sigh when everyone was accounted for. Exhaustion was taking over her body, but it seemed like the danger already passed.

Yurie let out a sigh. "Too close. Pursuit teams are notified and are en route to the source of the artillery attack."

"Uhh, guys," Nagara said, "a little help here?"

"What's wrong?" Maya asked. "You sounded pretty upbeat just a minute ago."

"I lost half of my left arm, I can't feel my legs, and I'm having tunnel vision for some reason. Now you tell me!"

"Huh, you'll live," Murakumo replied.

"I-I'm literally sinking right now! Help!"

"Wait, she's serious," Kumano said.

Maya scoffed. "Shouting over the comms won't help you. Activate your floater and—"

"That's the problem. My floater's busted!"

"And that's just convenient. Hold on, we're coming."

Straining her senses, Inazuma deactivated her floater and searched for Nagara with the others. Fortunately, it didn't take them a minute to find the light cruiser struggling against the rising waves. She choked the moment she saw what Nagara had become.

Most of her core structure was already gone; her legs were riddled with shrapnel. Blood freely flowed down the curves of her face.

She was a bloodied mess. And yet, she cracked a smile as if none of those things were of any consequence. Leaning on her side was the same fleet girl from the automaton's core. She was unconscious, but she didn't seem to have any life-threatening injuries. Or at least nothing worse than the wounds Nagara suffered. The two of them were loaded on a spare floater. "You pea-brained idiot!" Maya said. "You could've died!"

"Someone had to. I don't want to come back empty-handed," Nagara said. "And for Yayoi's sake..."

"We do have to give her credit," Murakumo said. "Surprisingly gutsy of you to pull a stunt like that."

Yurie sighed again. "Good work, everyone."

---

They returned to headquarters the following day and Inazuma soon realized that their encounter with the unidentified enemies had spread throughout the branch. All the chatter confused her, but it suddenly made sense after hearing the stories of other patrol units in the meeting earlier.

From all the responding fleets involved in the recent attacks, they were the only unit who had a fighting chance against those unidentified Abyssal ships.

According from the earlier reports, the other unidentified enemies were more ruthless and efficient compared to those two Abyssal girls. They struck their unsuspecting targets quick and those who weren't taken were effectively neutralized. By the time trackers teams arrived, the trail was already cold for them to take the risk venturing further south.

As per the branch administration's suggestion, it was originally planned to contain the prior incidents within the parties involved to avoid unnecessary commotion, but the unexpected rise of enemy activity led them to completely scrap the idea. The lists on both sides were only getting bigger and they had to keep the branch's morale healthy in times like this. But it went without saying that the victims wanted payback and they would stop at nothing to apprehend the group behind the attacks.

In the close debriefing that followed, the commander shared further details about those unidentified Abyssal creatures and the nature of automatons. His disclosure was a breakthrough of its own, but if the commander knew how to deal with those enemies firsthand, why did he keep insisting that they should retreat and leave their captured comrades behind?

And to make things even more difficult, the Chief Officer didn't question where and how he got such invaluable information. Inazuma, along with Murakumo and Maya, kept exchanging confused looks as the session progressed. It was like they were being left out in the discussion while more unanswered questions were thrown into the pile. This frustrated Akatsuki who basically forced herself into the meeting, but learned nothing substantial about the commander himself. Skepticism filled the room, no doubt about it, but the dismissive attitude of the officers felt... scripted. Or were they holding back for some reason?

Inazuma couldn't make heads or tails of such a strange situation, but one thing was certain though: the commander was still leaving out a few important pieces. The fleet girl they rescued from the automaton could provide vital insight on the matter, but they had to wait for her to regain her strength before doing so.

All in all, it was a huge headache. Inazuma squeezed her eyelids twice and she found herself staring at a lavender-colored curtain. She turned her head slightly to the left and she noticed a concerned Akatsuki looking at her.

"Hey, spacing out again?" she asked.

"Um, sorry about that..."

"I thought it'd would be rude to interrupt you concentrating like that. What's bothering you this time?"

Inazuma lightly tapped her cheeks. "Um, it's about Commander..."

"That's all we talked about all day. You're just giving yourself a hard time."

"W-Well... do you still hate him?"

"No, I don't."

"Really?"

"I don't hate him because of the information he's keeping from us. I'm angry because he doesn't deem us trustworthy enough for it." Their eyes locked. "You have the right to be upset, you know?"

Inazuma looked down. "I'm not sure..."

"I want to trust him like you always tell me, but how am I supposed to do that when he's the one keeping everything to himself?"

The idle chatter from nearby partitions suddenly died. Inazuma couldn't blame them—she was at a loss for words as well. She would often voice her concerns whenever the commander did something without consulting her. But the situation now was different.

"Just where did he get that kind of intel? Our own intelligence staff is working day and night just to get some leads on those new Abyssal ships, but he just talked about them like it was already common knowledge."

Inazuma shook her head. "I just went with the flow that time, but he did surprise me when he finally gave us instructions."

Akatsuki paused, deep in thought. "I don't want to make shallow assumptions right now, but he's leaving us with a few options here."

"What do you mean?"

She raised an index finger. "Imagine someone who's keeping a lot of secrets they don't want others to know. A person like that will quickly cover their tracks at the slightest hint of apprehension." Resting both hands on her lap, she began to clench them. "Not him though—he's doing the exact opposite! It's like he wanted everyone to be suspicious of him!"

"I think we can only clear this up if we ask him directly about it."

"What makes you think that will work?"

"It wouldn't hurt to try."

Akatsuki shrugged as she forced a smile. "Yeah, I guess so."

Inazuma checked the room's wall clock. "Sorry, I should be going now. If you need something, send me a message, okay?"

"Don't worry." She raised her translucent, ghostly arm in the sling. "Be sure to get some sleep too."

"I will."

Wishing everyone a good night's sleep, she left the room without making a sound. Outside the rehabilitation quarters, she noticed Hatsuyuki standing at the end of the hallway. She came up to her side, but Hatsuyuki didn't give any form of acknowledgement as her eyes observed the serene waters outside. Inazuma did the same, clearing her mind as she took in the chilly breeze. After a while though, Hatsuyuki finally spoke.

"Is she sleeping now?"

"Um, probably. Are you worried about her?"

"She's annoying, but... I'm going to watch over her tonight."

"Really? That would be great."

"Commander's orders."

"But please... don't fight, okay?"

"I'll try... but I really wish she just used a repair serum earlier..."

"Well, that's Akatsuki for you."

Hatsuyuki paused as she lowered her head. "Inazuma, am I a... liability in our fleet?"

Inazuma was taken aback. "N-Not at all! Why would you even think of that?"

"You're too kind. Akatsuki always calls me a good-for-nothing slacker."

"Akatsuki's mood hasn't gotten any better since the other week. She has plenty of things on her plate right now, so I hope you can understand her."

"Yeah... but she's not far off from the truth."

"Don't say that. She might be harsh at times, but she means well."

Hatsuyuki narrowed her eyes, staring at her feet. "Do you think she actually cares about how I think or feel?"

Inazuma pursed her lips. "That's hard to say. She just wanted the best for our fleet. And more than everything else, she doesn't want anything bad happen to us."

"I'm still... having doubts. Seeing you guys work hard, it feels that I'm letting you all down. I want to do better, but I'm confused on where to go from here."

"I'm like that too. That feeling of uncertainty is always there, but I don't think it's a bad thing to have."

Hatsuyuki tilted her head slightly. "He said the same thing."

"E-Eh? Commander?"

"He said it was okay to feel helpless sometimes. I still don't get what he meant, but hearing him say that helped me calm down." She paused for a second. "Now... I think I'm starting to understand..."

"The commander has his share of uncertainties too."

"Yeah, I noticed..."

"Um, that's why we need to help each other more. You don't have to shoulder your problems alone. You can always us ask if something is bothering you."

"Maybe I shouldn't..."

Inazuma shook her head. "You don't have to hold back. I'm sure they would be happy to help."

"Okay, I... I'll try." Hatsuyuki looked at her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you here. You're going back to the office, right?"

"H-How did you know?"

"You're always busy."

Inazuma laughed. "No worries, I'm not in a hurry this time. See you later."

A couple of steps in and she heard Hatsuyuki spoke again. "Inazuma?"

"Yes?" she replied, turning around.

Hatsuyuki gave her a small smile. "Thank you."

Inazuma returned a wider smile. "Don't mention it. We're friends, right?"

---

When she got back to the office, the commander was nowhere to be found. She didn't have anything important to do as she already finished most of her paperwork on the trip back to Auspice, but she felt the need to do something regardless. Something worthwhile, at least. After a bit of deliberation, she settled on organizing their workspaces. Not much to work on this task though as both of them were organized and tidy with their office materials.

But she did find quite a few interesting items while she was doing a bit of cleaning: a cookbook, a pair of empty mag-ion cells, a video game case, and a couple of leaflets from the various establishments operating in the economic district. There were always something new to look at every other day for some reason.

Finishing her work, she decided to take a break and leave the office for some refreshments. As she turned around the corner, she bumped into Fumizuki, who was holding a yellow folder. "Ah, Manager!"

"Fumizuki, have you seen Commander? He hasn't returned to the office yet."

"Yup," she said, pointing down the hallway. "We passed each other just now... and oh! He wanted to pass these papers to you and—"

Inazuma grabbed Fumizuki's wrist and started walking. "S-Sorry, that can wait. Did he tell you where he's going?"

"He told me that he's going out for a bit." Fumizuki stopped in her tracks, prompting Inazuma to do the same. "What's wrong, Manager?"

"I... just wanted to talk to him. I'm worried about him."

"Yeah, he looks stressed out and it's bothering me too." Fumizuki had an eager look on her face as she nodded. "I'll help you, okay?"

"Thank you. Let's go!"

They exited from the executive wing's ground floor lobby and into the garden lounge. As they walked around, Lieutenant Harline noticed them and waved at Inazuma. "Oh, fancy meeting you here," she said as she approached the pair. "Out for a stroll?"

Inazuma glanced left and right. "Um, good evening. I'm really sorry, but we're in a hurry right now."

Her expression soured almost instantly. "So, you're after that commander of yours, I take it?"

She stopped as she looked up to the officer. "E-Eh? Did you know where he went?"

"I've told you several times that he's not an officer worthy of your talent." She pointed towards the armory compound's entrance. "And as always, he acted like I never called out to him."

"Erm, thank you very much. We'll be going now."

"This is weird," Kongou said, appearing from their left. "You two are usually together. It's that kind of quarrel, am I right?"

"Um... what now?"

"In the field of lovey-dovey relationships, I'm always right!"

"Huh? Lovey-dovey?"

The battleship leaned closer, grinning. "Oh, you don't have to let me spell it out for you."

Inazuma eventually caught on. "I-It's not like that!" She frowned while her cheeks felt hot. "I just want to talk and clarify a few details with him. I want to set things straight before it could cause further misunderstandings between—"

Harline and Kongou gasped and exchanged looks. The former's face lit up in a fiery rage. "You should have confided in us sooner. He'll pay for this dearly."

"Eh? What are you—"

"Wait a moment!" Kongou said. "We can't just jump to conclusions, Admiral! Give him the benefit of the doubt at least!"

The officer considered this for a moment. "It's decided: we will have to gather evidence to prove his treacherous ways. We might even catch him red-handed!"

"Ooh! A stakeout? Count me in!" The battleship's eyes lit up with determination as she raised a fist. "And we should start right now! The sooner we solve Inazuma's heartache, the better!"

Inazuma hopped in place. "Hawawa! Please listen to me!"

"I don't really get what's going on at this point," Fumizuki said, rubbing the back of her neck, "but I'll come along with you guys."

Harline took point as they entered the armory compound. She asked them to wait behind the small trees and bushes lining up the pathway while she surveyed the factory up close. About twenty minutes had passed before they saw the commander again and immediately followed suit. He disappeared through the west exit of the compound, leading them to an open garden overlooking the sea.

Inazuma held her breath as he suddenly stopped and turned around, scanning the surroundings with his eyes. The group scrambled to hide behind the shrubbery. "D-Did he notice?" Kongou whispered.

"Hope not," Harline replied.

He climbed down the steps and headed to the nearby convenience store. They sneaked at the side entrance and hid between the aisles, peeking around the corner as he moved around with a basket in hand. "Hold on," the officer said. "I find it strange he would go all the way here just to buy food items."

Fumizuki shook her head. "They sell a lot of yummy snacks in here, so it's not strange at all if you ask me."

"Now that's an interesting bit of info!" Kongou said. "Any recommendations?"

"Wait here." As Fumizuki handed her folder to Kongou, she left the aisle and ran towards the commander. "Hi, Commander!"

Stifling a cry, Harline grabbed the battleship's arm. "Wh-What is she doing?! She'll get us compromised!"

"A frontal assault!" Kongou clenched her free hand. "What a spunky girl!"

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Oh, just looking around," Fumizuki replied. "Well, my friend's asking for goodies that you can't find in our place. I wanna buy some for her."

He placed a hand on his waist as he thought to himself. "Since you already caught me here, we might as well buy some for you guys. Just keep it a secret to the others, alright?"

"Yay!" She took the basket from him and disappeared into the aisle beside them. "Let's go!"

The two spent the next ten minutes filling up the basket with all sorts of snacks. After paying for the things they bought, the commander quickly left the store. Fumizuki skipped to the group with a plastic bag, smiling. "We bought a lot!"

Harline put her hands on Fumizuki's shoulders. "You're staying close to us from now on."

"Why? He doesn't know we're following him anyway, so we're sa—"

"Can I help you?" a convenience store staff behind them asked. "We're having a three-day promo on local treats and—oh, is that you Fumizuki?"

"Hi, Naka!" Fumizuki took the folder again, shoving it inside the bag. "Sorry, we're in a stakeout mission right now."

"Sounds fun! Say my thanks to your commander, okay? A valued regular like him is always welcome here!"

"So, he does come here often," Harline said. "Why?"

"Um, to buy snacks?"

"Admiral, stop getting distracted!" Kongou pointed outside. "He's getting away!"

Harline's pigtails bounced wildly as she turned her head. "You're one to talk!"

The commander approached one of the cabs stationed in the parking lot. He pulled the passenger's door and entered the car. Harline glanced at Inazuma. "Where do you think he's going this time?"

"I don't know."

"This is why I should be your commander—I would never consider shady things, much less act them out, behind your back!"

Fumizuki raised her hand. "But what we're doing right now—"

"...is perfectly acceptable! Let's get a cab ourselves and catch up with him!"

More than a third of the hour was spent just for them to get past the harbor areas. Still congested as ever, with all the trailer trucks and the like around, but everything else was a breeze once they got out of those roads. The commander's cab pulled over to the shuttle area and he walked further in the economic district. They did the same, making sure to not lose sight of him.

From shadow to shadow, they watched his every step. And as he walked around the busy district, it was becoming apparent that he didn't have a particular destination in mind. He would often stop in front of a store for a minute before moving on to the next. "Seriously? Where is he going?!" Harline said. "We've been walking for an hour now!"

"Hush, Admiral!" Kongou said, opening a pack of chocolate croissant. "He might hear us!"

"Maybe he's window shopping?" Fumizuki pointed at the banner displayed on the opposite block. "There's a sale coming up next week."

"But you know," Harline said, "I haven't gotten the chance to visit this area since we arrived here. There are plenty of shops open around this hour too."

"Tourists alone are enough to keep everything up until the early hours, or so I heard." Kongou turned to her right and swallowed. "They're even having seasonal activities and events around here."

"Too bad that they have to postpone the festival." Fumizuki nibbled on a rice cake. "Shtupid abeeshals."

"By the way, do you have some change, Admiral? I have to get something to wash this down."

Harline grumbled as she reached into her pockets. "Ugh, buy me some iced co—wait, he's running! We might be close!"

"What's over there?"

"Um, the public marina," Inazuma replied. "Still, I have no idea why he would go there in the first place."

"Well, we're about to find out soon."

Passing through the opposite side of the district, the marina revealed itself to them from their vantage point; its complex walkways and platforms crawling towards the sea was always a sight to admire. Their railings had ornamental lanterns and plants affixed to them, giving off a subtle yet sophisticated tone to the area. Patrons moved to and from several establishments and attractions that scattered the place. It was a peaceful scenery, only slightly marred with the fact that it was also vulnerable to the dangers lurking beyond the horizon.

The commander didn't enter the marina and instead continued to walk along the shoreline. They followed him until they ended up in a small fishing pier not too far away. Inazuma heard a sigh from Harline as he stopped next to a rundown platform. He walked next to a lamppost and waited there, checking his phone every now and then.

The Navy officer motioned at them to take cover behind an upturned fishing boat. "This better be the last stop or I'll rush in and kick him into the water."

"Huh? What's that?" Fumizuki asked.

A figure was approaching from the sea. Upon reaching the shadowy parts of the pier, it ran to the spot where the commander stood and made a quick bow.

Kongou perked up. "Hm, I've seen her before because I sure can recognize those huge knockers! I think they call her Urakaze."

The Kagerou-class destroyer Urakaze. Inazuma only knew of one other Urakaze who sells food items in the headquarters' central lounge. She was one of the rarer faces in the base too.

The commander handed over his plastic bag, which the destroyer reluctantly took. They chatted for a while, with the blue-haired fleet girl occasionally gesturing towards the sea.

"Oh... did she dye her hair?" the battleship asked. "It looks lighter and glossier from her usual look. Even her eyes seem a bit off too."

Harline gritted her teeth. "Tch—that two-timer!"

"T-Two-timer?" Inazuma repeated.

"Huh? I thought you two are... you know... dating?"

"E-Eh?! Where did that come from? N-No, that's not true!"

"Whoa, really?" Kongou snatched Inazuma's right hand. "Explain this beautiful ring of yours. We've seen the records too, so you can't deny it!"

Inazuma looked down. "R-Records? It's just—"

"Come on. Everyone knows already, so why try to deny it?"

"E-Everyone?!"

"Still, you're too kind to be with someone like him," Harline said. "You shouldn't—"

"Cut it out, you guys," Fumizuki said as she stepped in between Inazuma and Kongou. "Stop bullying her or I'll tell Akatsuki!"

Harline and Kongou immediately zipped their mouths, exchanging nervous looks.

"W-Wait, where did they go?" Kongou asked as she pointed at the now empty pier.

Harline ran out of their hiding place, prompting everyone to do the same. "Impossible!" she said. "They were just chatting there a little while ago!"

The battleship let out an excited gasp. "They can teleport? Amazing!"

"Don't be ridiculous! You should have noticed the other fleet girl leaving!"

"But that's the weird part! Her signature just went off my radar!"

"Wh-What? Impossible!"

"But what if... they were never there to begin with?" Fumizuki stuck the tip of her tongue out. "Kidding."

Harline looked around. "Putting that part aside, it looks like we lost him for good this time." She crossed her arms and grumbled. "Take responsibility, Kongou."

"W-Why me?"

She sighed. "But he couldn't have gone far yet. We should hurry and—"

"Maybe I can help."

The four of them slowly turned around. Inazuma's heart jumped as she instinctively stepped back. "C-Commander?"

His eyes narrowed, staring at Harline. "What are you all doing here?"

"Well, I was just treating your girls to a late-night cafe in the area. Nothing suspicious or anything like that!"

"A cafe? All the way out here?"

"W-We caught sight of you going into these parts and we just followed. After all," Harline pulled Inazuma between them, "she's worried about you! You owe her an apology, you double-crossing bastard!"

The commander's glare was too painful to look at. "That's one pathetic excuse. Are you honestly expecting me to take the bite?"

Harline snarled at him. "What is it to you if we followed you here anyway? We can do whatever we want." She narrowed her eyes. "Don't you dare act like you have the authority over us."

To their surprise, he simply closed his eyes and smiled. "You're right, but you don't have to be that protective. I was just asking."

"A-Are you mocking me?!"

He glanced at Inazuma. "Don't be out for too long. Command might summon us again tomorrow."

"Y-Yeah, I know," Inazuma replied.

"I'll be going back now."

"Um, take care."

He turned around and started walking. No one uttered a single word as they watched him disappear in the distance.

"Shoot... now what?" Kongou asked, breaking the standstill.

"Hmph, this is a big waste of our time." Harline stretched her arms up to the cloudy night sky. "Let's hit that one cafe we saw earlier. My treat."