Chapter 28: A Fight for Tomorrow
Outside the Sakura Inn, Zuikaku had been resting on the stone steps. The expression she had on was a vacant one as she remembered how her sister had been taken.
Tears trickled from her face and that was when she heard footsteps approaching her from behind.
"Zuikaku? I'm surprised you're still here." Nagato approached her calmly and sat down next to her on the steps.
"L-Lady Nagato! The steps are dirty and you're going to get your dress ruined."
A child-like smile appeared on the flagship's face. "You're sitting here. If it's good for you then it's good enough for me."
The crane was lost for words, and she shamefully looked down. "My outfit... it's already stained from my failures."
Nagato closed her eyes and a pause resided for a while until she spoke again. "We will get back your sister. With her leading the charge, that future is guaranteed."
Even though the flagship was trying to uplift her spirits, talking about the imitation carrier soured the crane to no end. With a quick and abrupt lift, she stood tall with her arms folded. "Why do you give her some much faith? So much trust?" She angrily fumed while trying to keep herself in check.
"Because that's what a flagship and leader must be like. I'm nothing without the others of the Sakura Empire. I put my trust in anyone when I know they risk themselves to save others. She has shown me that there is light in her actions even when she uses a rough hand to get things done."
Zuikaku expressed annoyance and incredulous on her face. "That rough hand is hell-bent on murdering Enterprise." Her shoulders suddenly slumped, finding the iron stance she exuded to be faltering. She found herself thinking how easy it was to stop calling Enterprise by her nickname. Did that mean she no longer loved her? If only it was that simple.
The small black-haired girl didn't notice the troubling thoughts from the carrier. "She is not without her faults and the hope I have for her to put down her revenge is something I strive for."
"Yeah, well that's never going to happen," dryly stated the crane.
Nagato hid her irritation from how stubborn the swordswoman was being. "I understand that merely saying someone is good is sometimes never enough. That person will have to see it for themselves." Her eyes powerfully gazed at the carrier, wanting her to be that witness and find something that she could accept the doppelganger for.
Once again, Zuikaku was like an unmovable fortress against a destructive force. Her stubbornness seemed to have no limits. "All I will see is my sister getting back to me."
"If you wish for that to come true, you need to work with her."
"Only out of necessity..."
That last comment was the final straw, and the flagship puffed her cheeks. "I really wish you would give her a chance. You as her partner carrier wasn't my first choice." She said those words and walked away.
Zuikaku looked stunned, feeling many things swirling inside her. "Pfft, as if my sister would have agreed." She paused sensing doubt in her heart and anger at the fact that Nagato thought she was weaker than her sister.
(The Next Day)
Darkness still loomed over the sky. It wouldn't be another hour or so until the first rays of the sun would grace the land of the rising sun.
Something had been different that predawn. For the reflected carrier that was Enterprise's twin, she awoke with her heart beating rapidly. The cold sweat that drenched her forced her to get up from the bed.
This wasn't an episode of restless sleep with a side order of nightmares; it was something different. She unsteadily walked to the bathroom, nearly tripping on herself. Exhaustion set in along with her pounding heart. Upon getting to the sink, she doused herself in cold water, feeling its cooling properties numbing her. Her heart was running a marathon and she gripped the edges of the sink, trying to bring her breathing back to a slower pace.
Droplets of water cascaded down her face, and her face showed a disheveled appearance. Bringing her hand close to her eyes, she inspected that her eyeballs appeared irritated in the mirror. "What's going on?" She touched her chest, feeling it pounding until it finally calmed down a few seconds later.
Seconds turned to minutes and the anomaly didn't happen again. Her heart pounded nominally yet, she could feel something had changed, something that was beyond her understanding.
A knock on the room door alerted her out of her thoughts that maybe it was a random panic attack and nothing more. Perhaps it was anxiety considering that today, everything was at stake and depended on her success.
"Alt, it's Takao!" The sound of the woman that had become one of her friends reached out to her, and she didn't hesitate to open the door.
The sight of her friend warmed her but the woman behind her canceled that feeling perfectly. "Good morning, Takao... and... I guess… morning to you, too." She said it with an unenthusiastic monotone to her voice.
The self-proclaimed older black-haired sister turned her head the other way. "Hmph!" Visible upset and anger oozed from the waist-length-haired woman.
Takao, her friend with the long ponytail, meekly smiled and shifted her eyes between them. "Sister, you promised that you were going to let bygones be bygones."
Atago opened one eye to acknowledge her sister. "I said no such thing! I said that if you were going on this mission then I would tolerate this... woman—only until the mission is done."
Takao sighed and sharply furrowed her brows toward her sister. "And if she asks you to carry an order? Please tell me you're going to do it."
Atago gave her a childish pout as if someone was holding her favorite toy hostage. "Then... so be it. If it's within reason." Her defeated words were like one that was forced to swallow her pride along with her hate.
Alt looked visibly annoyed, wishing that her friend didn't have a packaged deal mentality along with her. "This is bigger than the both of us, remember that," she coldly stated.
Atago looked offended and her animal ears stood up slightly. "You are the last person to remind me of that. I'll have you know that my sisters Maya and Choukai were badly damaged when they were intercepted by your sisters."
Alt gritted her teeth, yet it morphed into a shocked expression from what she heard. "Wait… y-your sisters? Takao, you have other sisters?!" That reveal was like torpedoes and sea mines double teaming her for massive damage.
"Atago! First, apologize for that insult. And second, yes, Alt, I have younger sisters. They were coming back from the Dragon Empery when they were attacked... by Sirens!" The last part was directed at her sister who flinched, almost looking like she wanted to cry.
The fluffy ears of the bitter sister lowered along with a sour pout. "Grr... whatever!"
"You never mentioned them," said Alt with somberness.
Takao paused briefly, contemplating the true reason for that. "While they may be my younger sisters, they are incredibly dependable and are always engaging in journeys around the world. They rarely stay for long when they are back home, so… I guess it makes me feel like a bad sister for never bringing them up." She had a melancholy tone to her words, most likely feeling the weight of their absence in her daily life now because of the Siren threat that put their lives in danger.
The white-haired woman let her mouth hang open, watching the sorrow in her friend's eyes. "I don't think that makes you a bad sister. As for you, Atago. Don't force yourself to apologize. Just know when the time comes, those sisters of mine you mentioned will get no mercy from me."
Despite the unwavering loyalty she exuded, one couldn't completely accept those words as positive declarations with how ominous they sounded.
At the Sakura inn, in another room on a different floor. Wales and Admiral Hipper were inside the bathroom.
When Wales had encouraged Hipper to get her wound checked, they waited until Eugen was placed into a private room after she was patched up. Regardless of the silver-haired Iron Blood no longer being in the danger red zone, she hadn't awakened and the scourge on her body had started to make her grunt in her sleep.
The two blondes had sneaked into the woman's room and had stayed by her side until they were made aware of the sortie request made by Nagato. Rather than doing nothing while time ate away at Eugen, they desired to take the fight to the Sirens.
After that, they found themselves in the Sakura Inn, sharing a room together.
It was now the present with it being predawn. In the bathroom, Wales was re-patching the bloody bandages of Admiral Hipper. "Hold still, I'm almost done." She checked the tightness of the bandages, ignoring the repeated vibrations of her phone that sat next to the bathtub near a small trash can of bloody bandages.
Hipper's face was red, showing how embarrassed and feeble she felt that she needed to rely on the royal blonde. She cursed Z23 for leaving her with the battleship. However, after her being mean to her, she guessed that this was her just dessert coming back to her. "Could you please get that? It's starting to annoy me," barked Hipper, trying to hide how much she appreciated the care of the blonde.
The royal's red eyes remained fixed on her work and her face remained composed. "It's Queen Elizabeth and Warspite, no doubt they are urgently wondering where I am in this grim time."
"And... aren't you going to tell them? They probably fear that you're having tea with the fishes somewhere in the abyss."
Despite the morbid joke from the Iron Blood, Wales chuckled softly, finding amusement in how much imaginative effort the other blonde had put into it. "If I did that, I would have to tell them why I'm in the Sakura Empire and that will reveal the mission entrusted to us by Nagato."
"Huh? Just lie to them, jeez."
Wales moaned in protest. "To lie to Her Majesty is an arduous task, one that I don't think I'm capable of. That woman, Alt. She's our flagship in this mission and if word that Sakura Empire allowed her off their land reached Azur Lane, things might get complicated. "
The heavy cruiser paused, understanding how much thought the other had been applying. "Yeah... you got a point there."
Wales smiled, while she grew close to finishing. "I know it in my heart that what Nagato said about this mission is the definitive game plan to combat this scourge. Eugen's life depends on getting that plant ingredient."
"You..." There was that bulletproof resolve that she had seen the day before yesterday. "…I know." She finished defeatedly
"There, all done," replied Wales. She admired her handiwork and removed the surgical gloves she wore during the applying of new bandages. With a silent stride, the royal blonde exited out of the bathroom yet before leaving, she could see murky soot flowing downward where Hipper's arm resided.
Calming classical music pulled Hipper from her focus pain brought on by the scourge, and she stepped out of the bathroom after she adjusted her right red shoulder sleeve.
"There's tea on the table with some delicious cookies. Please help yourself," said Wales as she was already sipping on a cup that she poured herself.
Hipper glanced at the table and saw that her cup was already poured. "Tsk, royal bastard just assumes I want tea."
"Well… it's a bit early for beer," softly smiled Wales with her eyes relaxedly closed while enjoying her tea.
"So…? Morning, nighttime, daylight savings—even Tuesday; it's all the same to me."
"Hmm, Eugen had something similar," fondly stated the Royal Navy ship.
Hipper gritted her teeth, seeing how foolish she was being. "Grr, gimmie that tea!"
Silence lingered between them while Hipper munched on cookies and Wales leaned on the table with her tea in hand. "It's getting worse..." The words of the royal blonde made Hipper sharply turn her head.
"Quiet you. If you think I'm staying behind on this mission then screw you." With the last cookie in hand, she began to sip on the tea. Upon taking in the liquid, Hipper found herself relaxing while the aroma happily invaded her nose. "Damn… you sure know how to make a mean tea," she quietly whispered to herself with a blush on her face.
Wales was just barely able to pick up on that gentle compliment. "I'm not. Just know that you can rely on my support, big sis."
Hipper sent her a death glare yet hardly elevated a fist toward her. "Gr... so has my sister even proposed to you yet for you to even call me that?" She asked out of general annoyed curiosity.
Wales looked taken aback before bringing back her smile. "Who says she needs to be the one to do it?"
"Pfft! So, both of you are hopeless."
That was the one that made her frown last longer. "It's just not the right time. Work is demanding and we already have a hard time trying to make time to see each other, but we both know, that's what we want."
The heavy cruiser harshly brought down her cup back on the table. "I just don't see that happening! Eugen would never go to the Royal Navy and..."
There was a sharp and focused gaze from the royal. A type of look that could decimate any obstacle in her way. "Then I would have to go to Iron Blood if I wish to have a future where we didn't have to be so far apart from each other all the time. It might be a bit of shellshock and I'll definitely feel like a fish out of water but if as long as I have the two of you, I think I'll manage." There was no hesitation in her voice, and Hipper couldn't decide if she should respect her or fear her strong will.
"What a love-sick fool."
"I guess I am, but I'm okay with that," said the blonde royal, once again internally pissing off Hipper.
Outside the Sakura Inn and somewhere near a cliff overlooking the ominously nighttime ocean, Zuikaku stood motionless like a statue. Her gaze looked straight, yet it was off in some other world. "Sister, I promise that I won't be weak this time."
The memory of her failing to keep her sister safe while the enemy danced circles around them as if their efforts to survive were merely a game to them haunted her. She remembered that horrible fog that blew in when the fighting started and how she couldn't see the identity of her enemy before getting bombarded by explosive shockwaves.
The only thing she could remember from the mysterious ship was that their rigging was massive and how they taunted her. "I will be taking what's most precious to you. If you want it back, then come find me in the stronghold. Oh… what's that? You don't know where that is? Well, that's too bad."
When she came too, the horrible distant shouts of her sister crying out for help in the distance was all she could remember as the fog exited out of the area like someone overstaying their welcome. What followed was the tender and kind grace of destiny when she blasted through the doors of Nagato's living quarters and told her what had happened. The rest worked itself out as Nagato told her that she received information on a Siren stronghold from Iron Blood and how she was forming a team to take on the stronghold. There was no room for doubts, her sister was at that stronghold and that mysterious figure knew she would find out. The only question left was why. Why would they go to the trouble of taking her sister?
Her gut feeling told her that the answer reeked of the woman she disliked. They wanted the shadow of the grey ghost to be part of the strike team against them.
It was still predawn when the members of Scourge Breaker, the name coined by Nagato, had united by the docks.
Clear tension was high all around with Zuikaku, Hipper, Wales, and Atago watching Alt carefully. It was worth noting that not all four of them had equal hatred for the flagship carrier. Wales's gaze was more of a mixture of caution and credulous hope.
The mission briefing was short, as the plan of attack was straightforward. The only problem was wondering if they had enough firepower.
"... so, are we all in perfect agreement? I'm sorry that I can't spare more mass-produced escorts ships on this one. The Sakura Empire is still striving on shifting back into those models after having the Siren-produced ships as our staples. I'll cut to the point, the mission is to eliminate the stronghold defenses, secure Shoukaku, and then locate the plant material. Once all of those are completed, immediate retreating is ordered. If the Siren Purifier joins the fight, aim to take her out quickly or else retreat if the mission happens to be completed."
"No problems with that," said Wales with her arms crossed and worry apparent on her face.
"Understood, Lady Nagato," said Takao, her hand on her chin and going through possible situations they might find themselves in.
"Yeah... got it," said Zuikaku, still looking upset from what she had been told yesterday by Nagato at the very end.
Hipper frowned and stomped the ground underneath her. "Grr… fine, but no retreating until we get that plant material. In fact, I don't mind seizing the whole island and stronghold if it comes to that. The main target should be the plant material."
That statement did not sit well with the crane as she glared at Hipper.
"I'm actually in agreement with the Iron Blood," calmly stated Alt, which didn't surprise Zuikaku. The shadow of Enterprise stood at the end of the dock with her arms crossed. She had been hearing everything but her gaze was looking at the various mass-produced ships that stood adjacent to them in the water. They weren't that many but it was enough to provide distractions, opportunities to strike, and cover fire.
"I didn't ask for your agreement!" Shouted the heavy cruiser, cutting Alt's attention and making her glance at her slightly.
"Yes, I agree too. Those Sirens need to pay. This has become too personal now," said Atago.
With each of them harboring a personal deep reason to be on this mission, they set out into the horizon. Time went on and the first rays of sun showered them with warmth.
None had spoken since they departed, and the time of silence was beginning to whine.
Zuikaku was the first to finally say something. "I'm going to be sending out a recon wave." The crane carrier launched a fleet of eight planes into the sky.
About a few seconds after that, her attention was captured when eight more planes zoomed behind her fleet. Seeing the exact planes of Enterprise filled her heart with anguish that she quickly set loose a look of scorn toward Alt. "What the hell are you doing?!"
The other carrier lowered her bow and indifferently shot a look at the crane. "What? This mission is a critical one and having another fleet to follow yours is the obvious choice. Especially, since it's going to be them that get taken out first."
The others grew unease, seeing the look of animosity clashing from the two carriers in their group.
"Will see who gets taken out first," retorted the young crane, spite rising within.
Takao quickly wedged herself between the two carriers and shot two stern looks at both. "Enough with this childish fighting! Lives are riding on this mission being successful. Zuikaku, maintain a level head, and Alt... could you tone down the harshness? I know you have the ability to be kind." Her words ended softly which always seemed to calm her friend.
"Her. Kind? Yeah, right," spat the member of the fifth carrier division.
The grip on Alt's bow tightened and her gaze grew deadly. "Whatever. Let's just get this mission over with." Despite her anger, there seemed to be temperance within that helped her keep her mind focused on the goal.
The heavy cruiser beamed at her friend. "Thank you, Alt."
There it was again, that name that everyone kept using when referring to the shadow of Enterprise. It only took so many times until it finally started to annoy Zuikaku. "Alt. Alt, Alt, and Alt. To think you all gave her a name. You can try to act all human but at the end of the day, you're just a Siren. I hope you all hear that, she's the enemy and this is all insane that we're even taking orders from her."
Wales and Hipper remained silent with reserved looks. Atago softened her expression, casually expressing silent agreement.
"That detail has not been lost on us, Miss Zuikaku." From behind them, a voice that seemed to have found its resolve resounded, pulling everyone's attention. It was Wales that spoke, confident and collected. Her ruby red eyes expressed her resolve that shimmered brightly as she moved up with Hipper. The Iron Blood wanted no part in this and continued to move up past them to take the front. "We are aware of what she is. However... I'll gladly take an unlikely ally in the night over a cold and heartless machine. And please, refrain from such slander to our flagship."
"Slander?!" Cried Zuikaku with an incredulous look on her face.
"I'll have to spell it out then. You call her the enemy, yet she's gladly joining us on combating against her allies, and she's been insightful on identifying what is afflicting those that we care for," she glanced at Hipper who, despite silently enduring a wave of pain, looked behind her to give the blonde the subtle of widened eyes that also hinted at a crimson blush. "Miss Zuikaku, we should be boosting our morale rather than bringing it down, just a thought," she said humbly.
"Zuikaku frowned and turned her head forward. "You Royals are all the same. I'll be moving back. Carriers shouldn't even be this close to each other," she coldly stated.
"Hmph, fine with me." Alt watched her veer away from them and placed herself between two mass-produced ships. Wales ended up replacing her previous position.
The carrier stared into space until she summoned the courage to acknowledge the piercing silent gaze of the blonde royal. "Wales... is that right?" She asked hesitantly.
The blonde noticed the sudden odd friendly tone yet decided on letting it pass, eager to make conversation. "Yes, HMS Prince of Wales of the Royal Navy, and this..." Her hand extended out, pointing to the Iron Blood.
Admiral Hipper, who had been sailing in front of them when Wales moved forward pivoted sharply. "Like hell I'll let you introduce me. Listen well and you better carve it into your mind. I am KMS Admiral Hipper of the Iron Blood, and I'm expecting you to do your part as our flagship."
The audaciousness from the Iron Blood had done little to scare Alt. "Hmph, noted." She turned back toward Wales, leaving Hipper irritated that she was casually disregarded. "Thanks for the assist back there. Call me whatever you prefer, it doesn't mean a damn to me."
Wales smiled, remembering how Eugen used to speak in a self-deprecating and harsh manner too to hide her feelings. That was a time before they had become lovers and were merely enemies. "Alt."
Her name caused her to bewilderedly glance at the blonde.
Wales continued. "While it's an odd name, that is what the people closest to you call you, and it's sensible to have an official name considering you are our flagship," stated the royal.
Beyond her control, Alt's face turned heatedly blushful, unable to argue and silently respect the woman for using her name. "I see. Wales, you're Eugen's partner, right?" She shouldn't poke around the proverbial hornet's nest, yet she needed to understand that situation.
"Yes, I'm here to seek justice for what they did to her."
"How long have you and Eugen been together?"
"Not too long. A couple of months or so if I remember correctly."
The carrier raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What the hell does that even mean?"
A smile grew on the blonde and she fondly reminisced. "We've been... seeing each other ever since the destruction of the Orochi warship. She saved me from a fatal attack, and it was then that I came to understand her. After that, our relationship evolved in secret. Sure, few people know about us but we... or Eugen, still has a bit of shyness when it comes to revealing it to others."
"Hmph, it didn't feel like that when she told me."
"I'm surprised, so she talked about me to you?" Asked Wales in an intrigued manner while also looking flattered with a happy grin.
Alt replayed the words the Iron Blood had told her before she kissed her, about how she shouldn't fall for her because she already fell for someone else. "More or less. It was more like a warning."
"Warning?! What do you mean?"
Alt gazed forward, feeling a clarity that made talking to the blonde worth it. "It's nothing. An unneeded warning. I bet she's a handful to deal with, so set her straight when you cure the scourge of hers."
Wales responded to the woman's words by smiling and nodding.
"Hurry up or will be leaving you both behind!" Shouted Hipper. They noticed that in their conversation, the others had passed them by at regular speed, and even the mass-produced ships no longer provided them with cover.
"Amazing, that wound hasn't slowed her down one bit," said Alt. She wanted to use her Siren eyes to see how far it had progressed but felt not up to the task of getting thrown into possibly opening that particular conversation with this royal shipgirl.
"Miss Alt... can I trust that you won't betray us?" She said it boldly, like one ripping a band-aid.
The doppelganger unsteadily glanced at her, almost internally laughing at a stupid question like that. Of course, they have only just met. "Nagato has already briefed you on my stance, I'm sure."
"I want to hear it from you." Her unwavering eyes forced Alt not to mince words with the royal.
"If our common enemy is the Sirens, then I'm the best and loyal ally you'll ever have."
A smile that expressed friendship and respect radiated from the blonde.
The air grew heavy, and their casual conversation lost momentum from the mental warning the two waves of planes were instilling. It had been a drastic shift that even Wales noticed the sharp look of dread on Alt's face who failed to hide it.
In front of her, Zuikaku took on a more concerned and serious face, understanding the dread the other carrier felt. They both looked at each other, knowing what the other had seen.
"Everyone, we're approaching their base soon, let's go over the plan one more time," ordered the flagship carrier.
Both Zuikaku and Alt slowed down, causing the others to give them worried looks.
"What's going on?" Asked Takao, seeing the unsettling looks from both Zuikaku and Alt.
The battle-worn archer looked around her to see the others and closed her eyes in shame. "My fleet... just vanished out of thin air," slowly uttered the purple-eyed carrier. She turned her head to Zuikaku, who hadn't said anything yet.
The crane recoiled, feeling that she was being placed with all the blame. "If you're looking at me to see if it was my fault then no! My fleet... is also gone."
"What was the last thing they saw?" Urgently demanded Wales.
Alt paused and gazed off into the direction they were heading. "Just their stronghold. A base composed of high brown walls made of rock and…"
"—It looked very gothic and sinister. Spikes protruded outward from the walls and moss grew all over as if that fortress had always been there," said the crane with crossed arms and worry.
As the flagship, she needed them all to stay calm and composed. "Everyone, we approach it slowly and..." Her words did not reach them as they were all looking past her at an ominous set of two figures in the distance that seem to have materialized from thin air.
Alt's eyes grew wide as the fortress that her planes had informed her to still be a ways away suddenly appeared as a distant landmark behind the two figures. "They moved the whole island closer to us?"
All the others tensed and readied their armaments. The mass-produced ships stood on standby for orders.
"Damn, they used dimension shift to catch us off guard. Pretty ballsy of them to use it for aggression instead of a retreat. Not much use saying it now, but they knew we were coming…" said Hipper.
"Dimension shift..." replied Alt with unease in her eyes.
The Iron Blood nodded. "Yeah, they must really want to clobber us if they are using this heavy tactic. It would have been better for them to use some cloaking or illusion to catch us off guard with their base."
In Alt's mind, she remembered what Akashi had said, how she could see through Siren illusions while others couldn't. If they did do that, she would have been able to tell if the fortress was truly there. "They anticipated I would lead this fight... and used a method I couldn't respond to."
Hipper then suddenly squinted to see one of the far-off figures. Unchecked rage permeated her being that made her forget her constant irritating pain. "That one of the left is the bitch that hit us!"
By that proclamation, Wales's entire arsenal mechanically moved to aim for the one on the left. The only thing in her mind was a deep focus to avenge the disgraceful defeat of her lover. Her barrels sounded off the harbinger of battle and she was the first to strike.
"I didn't say to fire!" Yelled Alt, she didn't need her Siren eyes to sense that these Sirens were different compared to previous ones that others had faced.
The figure on the left instantly vanished while the other, more reckless or perhaps confident, slapped the volleys of firepower away with just her hand.
Wales gasped and the others grew horrified by how effortlessly the Siren had slapped it away. While the royal's allies were left motionless by the feat, Wales's mind raced rapidly, desperately trying to make sense of where her target had gone. "Where did she go?"
Wales looked sharply around. In a split second, she felt the air around her part and by looking up, the image of the elusive one came crashing down on her like a nightmarish reaper.
The assassin-like attack from the elusive figure would have been a swift end but out of sheer adrenaline, luck, and Wales's battle experience, she veered just enough to the left to sustain only the sharpness of a jagged blade strike that manifested through the air.
She winced, feeling another type of pain aside from jagged metal slicing her arm. "The Siren scourge…" she painfully cried with rage infused in her voice. Her fear and anger allowed her to summon the speed of her saber despite the pain.
The figure disappeared again just as the saber blade swung at the space they had been at.
The air around the shipgirls grew dangerously calm as none could pinpoint where the elusive enemy resided.
Out of instincts, Alt activated her eyes, in the hopes to see something to her advantage. It wasn't her eyes this time that saved her but the speed of a katana blade interfering from beside her when the Siren's blade reappeared from her side.
Takao had moved with speed to match the Siren and the two exchanged a rivalry look. "Too predictable. Maybe next time don't try to aim for the obvious target in our group," she daringly stated with a half-attempted smirk as she pushed back against the attacker.
The elusive Siren expressed a face close to shock yet her dead eyes did not express that.
The Siren backflipped in midair and retreated toward her companion who had advanced with quick speed yet was still visible. They weren't in any way too close as there was still a decent distance between the two groups.
With the two closer and now motionless, the members of Scourge Breaker had a front-row view of their appearance.
The faster one had long seawater green hair and piercing teal eyes that lacked life in them.
The one that deflected Wales's attack, had dark short blue hair that reflected the darkest of oceans. Her piercing teal eyes rivaled her companion's own.
Both were dressed in skintight black suits and pieces of armor around their shoulders and legs. They looked like underwater gothic knights for a lack of a better description as they also had coral and seaweed infused into their aesthetic attire.
They both aimed their dead or hypnotic eyes at Alt, as If she was the only threat that mattered.
The one that deflected the volleys from Wales's attack spoke. "The lost sister. Surrender, our elder sisters demand it." Her tone was forceful and commanding, fitting a strong and silent type.
"Not a chance," said Alt with equal force.
The quick one, moved forward, her jagged blade humming with energy. "She refuses, do we proceed?" She spoke with a lifeless tone in her voice that started to make the others feel uneasy.
"Yes..." That was all the commanding one said. She lifted her hands and the air around her hands conformed into a new shape that imposed the once empty air. Now, a pair of spiked gauntlets that shined vibrantly red where the spikes resided gave off a dreadful air of unease to all the others.
"Ghh... how in the world are those two Sirens?" Wales proclaimed with disbelief in her eyes.
"Don't know and don't care. All I care is that I'm thrashing that green-haired one good," declared Hipper with a gloved iron grip that one could believe, it could go fist to fist with the deathly gauntlets.
The flagship carrier discreetly activated her Siren gaze away from the others and she peered through the information stream that composed these Sirens. "Unknown? Just like that Warden."
Zuikaku moved forward, her katana in her hands while glaring at the two Sirens. "Pfft, they might have neat tricks but It's obvious they are heavy cruisers. Let's see them endure or outrun a payload storm of damage!" The crane charged halfway between the two groups, her sword at the ready and her runway already loaded with her first wave of planes.
"This doesn't feel right!?" Yelled Alt with her hand stretched out.
Zuikaku's fearless and reckless smile failed to hide itself. "Oh, is that so? What's the matter? Can't fight your own kind?"
"That... doesn't even have anything to do with it." She gasped, when a shimmering light arched from behind the Sirens and started to fly toward Zuikaku.
"Miss Zuikaku, watch out!" The frantic shouts of Wales reached the crane, whose face no longer held the fearless look and was more like a deer caught in headlights.
The sea green-haired woman flashed a demented and half-suppressed smile, reveling in her enemy's despair, and finally showing an ounce of emotion.
From above, the radiating white light grew bigger the closer it got to Zuikaku. She lifted her katana and summoned a fighting stance for the imminent impact. But, it never connected. From behind her, a wave of six arrows glided wildly across the sky, connecting with the large light.
Zuikaku felt the force of it, almost falling backward. She wasn't the only one as the Siren duo had moved back as well. The gritted expression they showed said that they feared the power of the attack that countered their hidden trump card.
The crane's intense and scornful eyes pivoted behind her to see her unlikely savior, brandishing their bow.
There was a half-hearted attempt to hide a smug smile away from the shockwave affected Sakura carrier. In fairness, her smugness came more from feeling her accuracy and speed return to her due to her nearly restored arm.
"As if I even need your help! Go shoot some targets somewhere else!" The swordswoman yelled, close to it being petty. Her ego had been severely bruised, and she refused to admit that the other carrier saved her.
A scowl grew on Alt, and she indifferently cast her eyes toward the pending mystery enemy that shot that blast of white light. "You ungrateful... hmph, fine. Wales and Takao, take the front and show those heavy cruisers a real fight. That new enemy... is mine."
All the others cast their eyes in the distance, seeing the third Siren with rigging acknowledging her as a carrier. Her hair was dark gray with piercing teal eyes, and the same style of attire as the first two.
The sturdier Siren heavy cruiser cocked her head to her ally. "Chaser, leave the lost sister to Launcher and focus on interference." She then snapped her fingers and purple portals opened up from behind them that funneled red and black mass-produced Siren ships into reality.
The seawater green-haired Siren nodded. "Understood."
While the Sirens were organizing their attack, Wales and Takao nodded, ready to fight for the lives of their friends and allies.
Alt sized up the new targets that appeared and signaled for their mass-produced ships to meet that challenge.
The shipgirls watched as their ships got into position around them to join the fight. The eagerness in Wales increased and whatever pain she had been combating seemed to diminish for the moment. "You have high expectations of me. Very well, I have no intentions of having regrets later."
Liking the idea of fighting that fast Siren again, the black-haired heavy cruiser flashed a ready look. "On it, Alt. I'll keep you protected, and you do what you do best." Takao gave her a thumbs up and Alt blushed slightly.
To have people supporting her, felt different and her heart was still undecided on how she felt about that.
"Hey, what are we, a bunch of nobodies?!" Shouted Hipper with a steaming face of anger. Atago remained indifferent, hardly caring about the orders her flagship would want her to carry out.
The carrier glanced at them with a stern frown. "Even if I gave you both orders it's a feeble effort in the end," factually stated the carrier.
Hipper fumed yet she couldn't object to what she said, so all she did was stick her tongue out and cross her arms.
Atago noticed it first as another white light shot out from the enemy carrier. "Zuikaku look out!"
"Huh?!" Zuikaku was about to launch her fleet, seeing the second blinding light raining down on her but this time, Takao intercepted it with her blade. The intense energy pushed against the metal of her blade. If one would blink, they would miss Takao deflecting it into the sky like a baseball.
"Whoa..." That was Alt's reaction and emulated by the others too. When had her friend become stronger? She had always been strong, but she seemed more refined than ever.
Takao stood straight, both her body and spirit resonating like a pillar of strength. Her blade casually twirled to her side, its shape hardly damaged and its sharpness hungry. "Zuikaku, if I hear one more needless insult thrown at Alt, you're going to be suspended. That blast just now, if you had challenged it, that would have been your sinking death."
The crane feebly gulped, a cloud of frustration making her feel weak, especially in front of her ally.
Alt scoffed and shot a smoldering glare. "I don't care about her petty childish antics. Once her sister is rescued, I'll wash my hands of her. Now focus on the main issue."
Despite the insult from her hated partner, Zuikaku knew that the time for bickering had passed.
The members of Scourge Breaker quickly understood the dire tone of their flagship carrier. Behind the menacing Siren carrier, another carrier appeared. Her white hair made her resemble Kaga slightly and her radiating blue eyes did not help quell that.
"Great, two carriers..." groaned the archer.
Takao signaled to her sister as the two joined up. "Sister, for Maya and Choukai."
That got the blood moving in her sister's body. Quick as lightning, she too unsheathed her katana. "You Sirens need to learn not to pick on sweet angels like my sisters," she said with a smile to mask a darker intention about what she wanted to do to her enemies.
The Iron Blood was watching the two Sakura heavy cruisers about to engage the seawater green Siren. "Hey, she's mine! There's no way in hell that I'm going to be left out of that fight!"
A hand placed itself on her shoulder and Wales gave her an empathetic look. "As much as we want to avenge Eugen, in our current state, we won't be able to compete in a fight of speed." She uttered those words with bitter defeat and regret. However, she directed her gaze to the other Siren, and Hipper looked toward where Wales was looking.
"Grr, fine. I guess I'll help you out. Knowing you, the scourge is going to slow your ass way down, and you could use all the help you can get," she said in a superior tone of voice."
Wales smiled softly, knowing that the Iron Blood meant well, and understood the importance of this fight. Knowing that she had her lover's sister as support and back-up, she took a stance with her saber.
Feeling left out, Hipper merely crossed her arms and her mechanical red sharks that were part of her rigging began to crazily chomp toward the Siren Heavy cruiser.
The Siren heavy cruiser had not retorted or trash-talked, instead silently lifted her gauntlets up, showing defiance.
All their fights were about to begin, but back to the carriers. Alt stared at the rigging of the second carrier with hesitation. It looked too alien. Pieces of her rigging were floating around her like a gravitational pull to that of a planet. The piece that seemed to look like a runway, was underneath her like a surfboard. From a rough glance, she looked more geared toward being support rather than a proper carrier. Looks could be deceiving and every part of her being told her to take this fight seriously.
This fight that's coming up is a bit long, and I want to detail it and not rush it. So, I ended up splitting it from this chapter to make it the introduction. I don't have much to say other than it's going to be a rollercoaster of a time. Thank you for reading and let me know how things are going with the story.