Hey! After a long hiatus, I'm back with a bit more feeling to write. I apologize to those who waited patiently. I had some stress and woes from last year that pulled me out of writing along with a lot of other things. I feel ready to try and make up for lost time as finishing my stories is a goal of mine. I do have two stories that I'm working on, but this one is serious in terms of the narrative that I want to complete. Thank you all for the continued support even after I went on hiatus. Now sit back and enjoy.
Chapter 16: Not in Her Vocabulary
The sun emerged onto a new day, one that held potential too many. Be it an impulsive Sakura ship with a lot to prove or an elegant Royal Navy maiden that held her heart close out of fear that it might be shattered.
The rays of the sun showered upon two residents of Azur Lane, as they both were ready to greet the day. With both of them leaving the medical building, they exchanged a reserved expression that masqueraded itself as a smile.
The previous night, things had been illuminated that shook the consciousness of the white-haired Eagle Union.
(Flashback)
The aroma of the rich coffee filled the room with a relaxation that melted tense raw emotions that Enterprise and Belfast had been dealing with—mostly for Belfast since she harbored romantic emotions. On top of the current stress, the main problem of the pseudo-Eagle Union that had viciously torn into their lives lingered oppressively.
Enterprise lifted her cup gently from the bed with her functional arm. "Hmm…" she sounded out with a light blow, parting the heat away for a follow-up sip. "This was just what I needed, I can feel my whole body just melt away," she replied with a small smile.
Belfast giggled gracefully as she used a sip motion to cover her blush. She had it bad to the point that seeing the other white-haired ship acting happy was enough to melt her as well, but with different means other than coffee. "Oh my, my judgment call of us having coffee appears to have been on the mark. Please do not mock me, Miss Enterprise, for this childish response but… I'm happy when you're happy," she boldly declared, her eyesight powerfully staring at the Eagle Union like a lighthouse guiding a ship.
The wounded carrier unconsciously gripped her coffee tightly as a response to those sweet-filled words that vibrated to the core of her heart. For a brief second, she analyzed the response her body did with an unease expression that faded into another small smile. "N-not at all. I feel the same," she almost said it quietly like a mouse.
Belfast giggled as a response. "That's a huge relief, and it seems that we are both a bit childish at heart."
"I… I can't explain it, but you bring that out of me with your company. So, if I start acting like Unicorn and her friends, then it's up to you to be held responsible," she joked lightly.
"Ditto," remarked Belfast with a gentle smirk that also expressed her flirtatious side. One would say that she grew a backbone when it came to actualizing her feelings toward the Eagle Union carrier, and her current method was that of a game of battleship, hoping to hit something blindly in Enterprise's heart.
An intense blush dawned on Enterprise's face and to hide it, she quickly lifted her coffee cup to her lips. That was a mistake she quickly regretted as the hot liquid mercilessly attacked her mouth.
"E-Enterprise! Goodness, are you alright?"
"Khh….Y-yeah… I don't know why I did that." She lied to herself with the true reason being that she refused to allow her friend to see her with such a flustered face. But, she could not explain why with only coming to terms that it would be unsightly—it did… stir some warm sensation from her stomach to her upper legs.
Belfast shifted in her seat; now in total shame of herself for causing the total awkward silence that befell the room. Although she couldn't deny a part of her that reveled in the tug she received from her metaphorical fishing rod. She hoped that she didn't push hard enough to make it break, a thought that fearfully kept her in check. "Was everything all right with your earlier task?" She said in hopes that the conversation might revive the chatter.
Enterprise looked taken aback by the question but quickly erased it at the same time she cleaned her mouth with a napkin. "Y-yes, I know that earlier I sounded a little dire with the words but it really was nothing. It's been so long since I have spoken to my eagle and with all that's been happening, I wanted to have some alone time. I've always found myself able to process things better with my feathered friend."
Belfast smiled. "A close kinship with your eagle is truly a wonderful thing, especially when you're able to deeply process yourself as a person. I dare say that I'm somewhat jealous of that connection," calmly finished the maid with a sip of her coffee.
"Well… you have me, right?" Declared Enterprise. Her face quickly became red, wondering why she said it in such a way that incited these weird feelings.
A brief serious moment washed over Belfast's face that one could see displeasure in that fraction of a second. To her, those words were a symbol of defeat; one that she had no intention of allowing. Her smile came back instantly that the other recipient in the room hardly noticed the serious expression. "Miss Enterprise… I am quite flattered. So, you see me as family then?" She strongly gazed at the Eagle Union for her response.
"Well, I—I do—just like how the Royal Navy is your family," she quickly uttered.
"Hmm, that's too bad." Belfast boldly lifted herself from her chair and moved closer to the Eagle Union until she was sitting on the side of the bed.
"B-Belfast?"
"Miss Enterprise… while your words warm my heart, allow me to be a little selfish and say that… it's not enough."
"Huh? W-what are you saying?"
"Enterprise… you are someone that holds a high place in my heart; higher than my Royal Navy family and… perhaps… my Queen herself. You are that special to me." Shame and pride mixed dangerously inside her as she manifested what her heart was telling her into words.
Her words resonated with Enterprise. Words infused with emotions and wishes identical to the feeling tied to the words, 'you have me,' from earlier.
"I didn't know that you felt that way…"
"Neither did I until recently. I can't avoid that you are someone truly special to me," declared the maid while her waist and eyes leaned forward with focus.
Enterprise could not comprehend the intense emotions that poured from Belfast like rays from the sun warming her from head to toe. She was at a loss for words, with foreign feelings trying to decipher themselves as to why the maid looked so serious, and as to why she was also feeling that she needed to respond with equal force. However, she didn't know the correct way to express it. "Hmm, Bel… I feel the same…"
The maid's breath hitched and her heart slowed to a crawl. Was she finally able to get her feelings across? And was Enterprise finally seeing her as something more?
The wounded woman chuckled with subtle playfulness, mostly as a means to help herself dis-spell the nervousness that she felt. "I'm sorry, you got me startled when you placed me at such a high pedestal—even higher than your queen. Provocative claims like that might get you perplexed looks from others, but… I understand what you feel and I would do the same. Isn't that what family is? I—I do hold my sister highly above the others around me—as cruel as that might sound to some, but you are also there on that list, right? There is not a doubt in my mind that you are more than just a friend to me, Belfast. Umm… is there such a thing higher than someone you see as family?"
"W-well… well…" Belfast was at the precipice, yet she couldn't push herself further.
Enterprise coughed and gather her logic in her mind to help push away the foreign emotions. She then started counting with one hand. "There's acquaintances, friends, comrades, and family, right? You and I have been in harsh battles that push us higher than mere friends, but I can agree that comrade is still too… small a label for what you and I are."
"Too small?" Uttered Belfast in almost a trance.
"Yes, you're family, Belfast. I honestly don't know what's higher," said Enterprise with worried confusion. Even then, while her feelings were foreign, a part of her softly whispered that even that didn't seem the proper term, even though it was dangerously close to what these foreign feelings were pushing onto her. Perhaps she just didn't have the right term in her vocabulary.
Belfast's eyes cast downward in dejection as her exhaustion forced her to cease her pushing. "I see…" She raised herself silently from the bed and smoothed out her maid dress calmly. "It's late, you should rest now, or else that arm isn't going to heal soon." She began to move away from the bed.
"Huh? W-wait!"
The maid felt a handhold her firmly back, not with any force similar to someone being rough, but with the force of someone that did not want to be alone. "Please, you don't have to go." It was Enterprise's turn to display downcast eyes with a faintly embarrassed look. "Ugh… I hope that you don't laugh but, I like it when you're by my side. Because of this pain, my dreams have been turning into nightmares and the sleeping aid keeps me from waking up from it. But… to know that you're by my side puts me at ease."
As much as the maid had been emotionally thrown around like a ping pong ball, she could not remove herself from this heart-wrenching favor that came from the wounded woman. Her being there weighed heavy on her, yet she endured for the sake of her; the one she loved. She only hoped that she wouldn't break.
(End Flashback)
The pleasant wind blew softly toward them which caused them to relax for a brief moment. Afterward, they exchanged another look at each other.
"Thank you for being by my side last night," replied Enterprise with a kind smile.
The maid was still in a bad place, emotionally, even after the wounded woman fell asleep from an overdose of mutual chatter between them last night. It was for the best as that was the goal in the end, and she did get an ego boost from the flattering comment from the Eagle Union that her voice was relaxing; almost like music. "What's family for?" She replied automatically with a smile that did not reach her voice.
That question that sounded more like a bad remark caused Enterprise to slightly look away for a few seconds. The tone and inflection of the word 'family' that came from the lips of the maid made her feel unease. She questioned internally if she had done something wrong, or maybe she was imagining things and the words were nothing more than what was said. There was one thing that she knew for sure, and that was the sourness she felt by hearing that word. It was the same feeling that she felt last night where she could be satisfied with the term 'family', yet the prospect of finding a better word eluded her.
A young and loud voice soon filled the air around them. "Miss Enterprise!"
This pulled the two women out of their thoughts and back into reality. At their side glance, she spotted Unicorn with her hand waving at them, and her legs at full sprint.
"Unicorn, you shouldn't run like that, or else you might hurt yourself," declared the stern voice of Belfast.
"Y-yes, ma'am!" Compulsively responded the purple-haired girl. She now looked concerned as to what the maid could be dealing with as her tone didn't sound like her usual self. For the time being, she decided to brush over it since even Enterprise seemed distracted to notice the tone. "Were you both heading to the mess hall?" She eagerly spoke.
"That's right, Unicorn. Would you care to join us?" Asked the Eagle Union carrier.
"Yes, that would be lovely!" Happily said Unicorn. Her happy nature even extended to her U-chan who had raised its front legs high while being securely held by her.
"Enterprise! Wait up!" The medical ship, Vestal, swung the entrance doors open. Her eyes landed on the three ladies in front of her.
"Vestal? What's the matter?" Asked the Eagle Union carrier.
"I hate that this is so sudden but your treatment has been moved up, you will have to follow me," declared the medical ship.
"Moved up!?" Uttered Enterprise with a step back. "I haven't even had breakfast yet. And isn't it too early for another treatment like you said?"
Vestal blew a piece of hair that dangled in front of her eyes mostly from still being a bit out of breath, and from expecting backtalk from the carrier. "You do know that the warm cloche that is brought to you by the staff is not just for show, right? The food provided here is no different than that of the mess hall." She could see that Enterprise already looked troubled by something before informing her about the recent change. Feeling like she came on a bit strong and brash, she paused to recollect her words under a soother voice. A sigh passed her lips before she spoke again. "I'm afraid that after looking over the scans from your arm again this morning, I found some delicate nerves between your index finger and middle finger that might not be able to heal properly with time. There is a chance, but it's risky to allow that as it might ultimately change the way you pull your bowstring—not even counting the daily tasks that you use those fingers for. I'm sorry for not being as thorough as I thought I was during our session. I know that you wish to eat with the others, but if we do this small treatment now, we can reverse any potential damage that it could have on your hand. I promise you that you'll have time later without being interrupted," said Vestal with a small bow, understanding how much of an inconvenience the treatment was for the injured woman.
Enterprise quietly held onto her wounded arm with a long pause. A sharp pain cut through her most likely from the lacerations and burns that had not properly healed yet. She focused her attention on the area that Vestal mentioned and she could feel a strain that she hadn't known to be serious. If anything, she didn't think too much of it compared to the other sections of her arm that were understandably hurting every now and then. Her arm fell to her side from the fresh reminder of her current state. "Hmm… I guess I can't complain, or more like I don't want to. The sooner I'm back to full strength the better." She turned toward the other two with a reassuring smile. "Sorry, won't be able to make it for breakfast but how about brunch?"
"Yes! That would be also wonderful," declared Unicorn with an understanding smile.
Belfast, who had remained neutral during the whole breakfast proposal merely nodded with another smile that lacked any of the magic that she normally exuded.
It was now Belfast and Unicorn that remained outside the medical wing.
Unicorn exchanged happy smiles with her U-chan at the fun time they would be having later at brunch. "So, Miss Belfast, should we go get a small breakfast then?" She took a step back as the other Royal Navy ship had already started to walk long before the purple-haired girl started to talk. Unicorn looked stunned with a head tilted as she watched Belfast walk with her arms gracefully to her front.
The young light carrier looked down at her U-chan that flailed its arms around in the comfort of her embrace. "W-What? Y-Yes, it is rude for someone to walk away without informing the other but… that's not like her. Belfast is kind and polite to a fault. Could she be in anguish over something?" Belfast had always been a great comfort to her, and she saw this as her moment to help her in return.
A short while later, the aimless travel of the maid had led her to a dock where she gazed upon her reflection in the water. "Hmm, only family… why?" Her eyebrows scrunched with the torment of the label. "Am I the one who is mental to think that there is something else more between us?" Her reflection provided with no answer and merely the lost gaze of herself. "Maybe I should return home—I can make an excuse for some downtime to help me sort this all out. But… she needs me, unfortunately, not in the way that I want her to need me." Her sad eyes gazed again at her reflection. "You truly are pathetic. What a selfish luxury and an even heartless choice to do to a friend." Disregarding her gracefulness, she got ready to strike at her reflection with her heel.
"Miss Belfast!" Cried Unicorn as she approached the maid. The cries of the light carrier startled the maid that caused her to over-extend her leg. Unicorn then became a witness to a massive splash that almost got her wet as well.
A few minutes after that, a drenched maid from head to toe sat under the warm sunlight with a towel underneath her to prevent the sand from doing its share of damage. She silently turned her head left to see the dock platform that she had just fallen from.
Unicorn soon came back with another fresh towel. "Miss Belfast, could you ever forgive me for startling you like that? Here, use this to wipe your face," she said with a shy blush to her cheeks.
The wet maid silently accepted the towel to dry her face, neck, and hair. She seemed to be docile in terms of emotions with shock and displeasure about the act of falling into the water vacant. She looked up at the light carrier after squeezing water out of her hair. "No, it's… alright." She said in a soft and tired tone. "I deserved that abrupt dip in the sea. It did more good than bad for me."
"Huh? How so?" Asked the purple-haired girl.
Belfast shifted her gaze back at her and exhaled. "You're a bit too young to understand adult matters of the heart."
"Of the heart? Did someone make you feel bad?" Inquired Unicorn with a persistence that showed with the way her U-chan struggled due to the firm hug from the girl.
Belfast knew that nothing was going to stop Unicorn, so a bit of info wouldn't be the worst. "It's something like that, it's caused me to be locked inside my own thoughts trying to sort it all out."
"Oh, is that why you walked away after Enterprise had to leave for her treatment?"
"Huh? Wait, you were also there. Ugh… forgive me. You were there, but I was merely going through the motions and wasn't really all that there. I hope that I didn't give you the cold shoulder," she gave a smack to her forehead that perplexed the light carrier.
For unicorn, this was an oddity to see such disparity between the ideal image she had of Belfast compared to this woman that looked uncollected and uncalm. "Did you and Miss Enterprise had a fight?"
"It was more of a fight with myself, for trying to think that there was more between us," responded the maid. She tilted her head to allow water to pour out of her ear while at the same time, she tried to casually cover Unicorn's line of sight from seeing her do that. The maid could tell that question marks were appearing above the young girl's head. "Don't tell anyone but I'm upset with her for seeing me as just 'family' and nothing more—even after I said how I regarded her to someone special even above our majesty."
For someone young like Unicorn, even that claim was enough to enrapture her attention. "I—I don't understand! She told you that you were family to her. Personally, I consider her majesty and all the others from the Royal Navy as my family. How can there be something more?"
Belfast found the young naiveness from the purple-haired girl to be refreshing compared to how heavy she, herself, had been looking at things. "Well, I didn't expect you to understand. You're young and you will soon come to understand."
"Miss Belfast, please don't tease me! Let me help you out!"
"It would be hard to put it into words for someone like you." She then looked at the stuffed sentient toy that the girl had with her. "Here's a question. If you had to choose between U-chan or everyone else at the Royal Navy, who would you pick?" She said seriously.
"W-what kind of question is that?! I… I…"
"Don't answer. The outcome would still be horrible in the end. How about this… if you had two tickets for a lovely trip, who would you invite? U-chan or another?" Said the maid with a still breath.
"Huh? U-chan wouldn't need a ticket since he's so small and—"
"—I'm afraid that for this scenario, U-chan is considered its own person," replied the maid with unwavering interest.
Even U-chan gazed at the girl to hear what her conclusion would be.
Unicorn thought about it for a few seconds until she confidently stared at the maid. "U-chan."
"Why? If I may ask?" Said Belfast.
Unicorn then hugged her small companion. "Because he's my U-chan, my best friend and ally in arms. You could say that U-chan is a part of me that I can't live without," she said with a smile.
Belfast smiled as the light carrier's conviction was so pure and the closest thing for what she felt for the wounded woman.
"That's what I consider Enterprise to be for me. A part of me that I can't live without," she said with closed eyes.
"Oh… s—she's your U-chan…"
Belfast opened her eyes and smiled. "Hmm… in a way, yes. But even then, she's more than that."
"Oh, you gave me shivers from how sweet that was," said Unicorn. "U-chan is my special friend that's irreplaceable and you're telling me that Miss Enterprise goes beyond that? So… is it love?" Sheepishly replied the purple-haired girl, the unicorn tightly clutched to her chest.
Belfast widened her eyes in surprise. "My… it seems you know a bit about love then?"
"Hmm… not much. Only that it means that you care for someone, but it's odd because the ones that care for each other in that way are always acting very silly with each other. Does miss Enterprise act silly with you?" She could see that she had caused the maid to blush randomly, probably as a result that she didn't know how to respond. Regardless, she had more she wanted to say. "Does Miss Enterprise know that she is your U-chan—just like you are her U-chan?" A memory flashed in her mind at the time she ironically suggested that the white-haired eagle union should get a U-Chan for herself.
"W-well… Pardon, what did you just say about me being her U-chan?!" Belfast was at a loss, there was no way for her to give a clear answer to that as she had always failed to be direct with the injured woman and tell her about her true feelings.
"Miss Belfast, in my honest opinion, Enterprise cares a lot about you, and did it ever occur to you that maybe she doesn't understand love that much?"
That realization had hit the maid like a wave of siren canons. She had spent all this time in a stalemate trying to feel out if Enterprise shared the same feelings as her that she never paused to think that maybe the eagle union had no grasp on a deeper level of affection. Maybe the maid had stumbled on that conclusion earlier, and there was this self-created denial to help keep things as they were. "Goodness, am I that foolish of a person? She could hardly understand the bonds of friendship and here I am, expecting her to understand my intentions and wishing that she would be the one to confront me." She covered her hands around a surprised Unicorn's own. "Thank you greatly. Forgive me but I must leave and confront her with my resolve."
The purple-haired girl could see that a new spark had surged within the older woman's eyes. Even though she didn't fully understand, she could see that Belfast was no longer in a dark place.
(Sakura Empire)
At the coast of the Sakura Empire's shores, Hornet stopped her propulsion across the water with her previous drive that she had for her current activity fairly diminished. She paused to think how she ended up assisting in drill exercises for the younger ships in the fleet. Her eyes landed on Atago who was lecturing a group of little ones that had been running their drills haphazardly and without any structure to their actions.
A rush of water splashed on her legs from the rig of someone else that neared her, cooling them from the brutal heat of the sun. Takao smiled at her silently, acknowledging, that they both needed a breather.
"Thanks again for helping us out with the little ones," said Takao forwardly.
Hornet tipped her hat casually. "Nah, it wasn't a problem at all. I'll be honest, it's rather a weird drill exercise we have here."
"H-How so?" Said Takao, of course, she had a feeling she already understood where the Eagle Union was getting at.
Hornet smiled brightly, trying to let the other know that the mood shouldn't turn serious. "It's just… why do I get the feeling that this is more babysitting than actual combat experience. It looks like the little ones would rather play a game of chase instead of listening to proper drill executions."
"You got us there. This is more of a 'shortest straw' agreement that some of us in the Sakura Empire have agreed to. We have our regular drill exercises that everyone partakes in, but sometimes, we have the somewhat trouble makers that unweave the structure we have going. Please don't think lesser of them for their inability to concentrate or to grasp the seriousness of the drills—they're children after all. We value them like anyone else here and these smaller practice groups do make progress…"
When she said that, they both heard Atago shout in annoyance as she lost her footing and fell in the water. The chorus of happy children mockingly circled her.
A sweatdrop fell on the side of Takao. "… sometimes."
Hornet tried to hold back a laugh with her hand. "Say no more. Let's help out your sister before she really does sink."
While the three of them resumed trying to maintain a proper drill structure, a pair of ghostly yellow eyes watched them from afar; out of reach from their presence. "How conveniently foolish of them to be uselessly practicing those small brats. However, I can see that my opportunity is in sight, but how shall I go about it?" A wicked glee filled her face as she began to manipulate the water around her until shadowy creatures started to swim around her. "This will do nicely."
A few minutes later, Takao was the first one to sense something off in the air. In the corner of her eye, she spotted two of the little ones pushing themselves further from the recommended area they were using for practice. "Hey, where are you both going?! That's too far out!"
Atago then noticed that the group close to her were also pushing themselves outward as if their curiosity was peaked. "Oh, shoot not you all, too?!"
"Hey, go full speed after them! I'll stay with the remaining ones!" Shouted Hornet.
There was a slight hesitation with Takao who could still feel something insidious in the air. The little ones continued to travel further out which prompted her to discard those concerns for the immediate problem at hand.
Hornet grabbed the children under her care just in case that they might get the urge to scramble. "Hey, do you know why they suddenly ran off like that?" She brought out her sternly mature voice hoping that it might help get some serious answers from the little ones.
"Huh? Well… I heard them shouting about a cute-looking dolphin, but I like pretty birds," said one of the little ones.
"D… Dolphins…?" Questioned Hornet with dreaded confusion. A cold chill ran down her back as the hairs on her neck stood in attention. The next thing she knew, the sky turned eerily dark with reflective cracks appearing above her. "What the hell!?" She shouted in terror and disbelief.
"You said a bad word!" Remarked one of the little ones.
"W-what's going on!?" Fearfully said another one.
A warning alarm immediately sounded from the Sakura Empire. "It's an attack!" Shouted Hornet.
Hornet turned her back quickly as her finely honed instincts had warned her of the immediate incoming presence. Six rays of blinding yellow lasers fired toward her between one breath of hers. Her first response to the aggression was to shield the three small young girls under her care. Sadly, the defense she put up resulted in the damage of her rig and airstrip deck that was the main source of her battle ability. One of the lasers grazed her right arm at the same time that she twirled around with the girls wrapped around her. The violent eruptions of water around her made it hard to catch her breath and she ended up losing her sense of direction. Her ears perked up to the sound of a quickly approaching mass of metal coming from behind her. That helped her get her sense of direction back as the Sakura Empire had to be in front of her then. With her other arm, she pushed the girls away from her, giving them just enough space to avoid going down with her and possibly give them a fighting chance. "GO—Get help!"
A rough hand ensnared itself around the strands of her hair and pulled her down into the water. Her hat came flying off her just before water clouded her vision. Her counterattack was to make use of her legs with a few kicks, but any planning came to a halt when the attacker's other hand came down toward her face. Burning electricity flowed through her like fire in her veins as her vision darkened.
Her attacker was also shaking due to her own electrical attack, however, it was tolerable to her to some extend. Her crazed haggard breaths soon died down with a satisfied sigh. She looked up from the water with her glowing yellow eyes at the three that had already made a clean B-line back to the Sakura Empire. "Hmph…" she smirked humorously as not finding any reason to chase them. While it would have been quite enjoyable, she needed to stay on task.
Just then, a rush of glowing red fighter planes descended upon her. The pair of her yellow thruster engines propelled her out of the hot zone before they could strike her down with a bombardment tactic. Another wave quickly followed after the first set. Her smirk grew wide in anticipation of this attack. From all around her, black robotic dolphins launched themselves out of the water like torpedos, cutting down the second red line of planes.
The attacker's yellow eyes scornfully landed on Akagi, who was quickly approaching her and looking nowhere near done with her assault.
"Pfft... how troublesome that it would be you to intercept me first out of all these Sakura insects." She lifted an unconscious Hornet from the water and held her up to her like a shield.
Akagi's eyes widened and she immediately halted her advance. She was close, close enough to see the pathetic evil grin from the siren clear as day. A grin that spoke how proudly she was using such a cowardly tactic.
"Come on... no one has to die... at least right now," she said wickedly.
Akagi narrowed her eyes scornfully with a red-shaped plane held tightly in her hand. "What do you want with her?!"
"That's not your business. All you need to know is that If you want her to keep breathing then let me go." She lifted her right leg that looked like a long blade from the water and prepared herself to deliver a sinister blade kick at her unconscious captive.
Both of them knew that killing Hornet was the last thing they wanted to do, but this siren was like a cornered animal that would cut its losses if they needed to.
In the distance, Takao and Atago were heading their way, with both of them coming from different sides toward the attacker. At best, she had twenty seconds before they were in striking range.
Akagi thought pensively at the current situation. The siren refused to divulge the details of her plan, however, this was no spur-of-the-moment reaction. To want to capture Hornet, the sister of Enterprise, while a critical case was going on between that Eagle Union carrier and her doppelganger was a sound motive to her. Disgust and shame clouded her, and with a trembling hand, she let go of the red-shaped plane as it dropped into the water.
The siren sighed unknowingly and smiled. "Now that's a good girl, just like your sister," she heavily mocked before propelling away from the sight of the Sakura Empire woman. The black hulking mass of metal that accompanied her took her into the air like a black jet. She vanished into the distant sky with the mirror sea dissipating in her wake.
Both Atago and Takao reached the lone multi fox-tailed carrier with hopeless eyes at the now empty horizon.
"Hornet... no," exhaustedly uttered Takao.
Akagi silently retrieved Hornet's discarded hat, her hands holding it tightly with so much failure and torment.
Looks like things are taking a dark turn. A little bit of transparency, but I ended up dropping the mobile game of Azur lane a while back. I still like it for having amazing artwork and characters, but the gameplay felt too hands-off for me. It started to feel like an AFK game with needing small constant frequent inputs, so I couldn't really have it running in the background playing itself. It felt grindy and tiring—and that's coming from someone who enjoys a good gacha gameplay loop. I'm not sure if I ever stated this, but I am a big Fate Grand Order fan, and while I don't really have any ideas for a story at the moment, I wouldn't mind writing one if anyone is interested. I'll probably end up doing one down the road. Ah… enough of my rambling. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you all in the next.