Chapter 7: The Four Factions Assemble! (Part 3 of 3)

Hey y'all I'm back!

I found some time to fix some grammatical errors and added in new author notes in previous chapters that should make it better for both new readers and re-reading!

I've kept y'all waiting long enough, so have at it!


"Instead of judging others based on rumors and gossip articles, I must look and feel for myself. You cannot know anyone without coming face-to-face with them." - Haine Wittgenstein, The Royal Tutor


A few hours after leaving the canteen for the stacks of paper in his office, the Shikikan finally managed to sort it all and prep them for submission.

"And….done." He said as he signed and stamped off the last papers.

"Great work Shikikan! As for your reward for your hard work, come over here." Atago said as she took a seat on the couch and patted her lap. She had come after lunch and offered to be his secretary after finishing off about ten more tempura udon bowls once he had left. He was glad he did since she was a huge help in helping him get everything done twice as fast.

The Shikikan looked at her and then at her lap before putting the pieces together and a rising blush appearing on his face. "Um I don't know Atago…" He hesitated since he was alone in a room with a beautiful girl offering him her lap.

"Daijoubu Shikikan, everyone else is still busy doing their commissions you sent them out on and won't be back until later tonight. No need to be shy now, come rest your head on Onee-san's lap and let her clean your ears for you. I promise you that you'll love it ufufu." She said as she took out an ear pick with a cotton ball on the opposite end of the pick.

'….Of course I want to, but…..eh, who am I kidding? Hopefully no one comes in and sees.' The Shikikan surrendered his rather weak opposition before walking over and lying down on Atago's lap.

'So soft and she smells so nice..' He felt his entire being relaxing completely.

Atago skillfully began to clean his ears as she gently stroked his head.

"How does it feel Shikikan? Are you feeling itchy anywhere?" She spoke softly.

"….I think I'm gonna melt….." The Shikikan had turned into a blob as he very much enjoyed the ear cleaning and lap pillow reward.

"Ufufu, that's fine too." Atago giggled before gently blowing into his ear. "There all done, turn over so I can get your left side now Shikikan."

This feeling of absolute bliss was new to the Shikikan as he turned over as per her request.

"Feel free to fall asleep Shikikan. You've earned it. Onee-san will be with you always." Her voice was immensely soothing and hypnotic as he slowly began to fall into a deep sleep.

"Ara Shikikan, if you make such a cute face like that, Onee-san won't be able to resist pampering you more and more." She said as she patted the Shikikan's head as he slept in pure bliss on her lap.

A few hours later…

The Shikikan woke to realize that he fell asleep on Atago's lap. He looked up and noticed that she too was asleep. Trying his best to not wake her up, he carefully got up, gently moved her so that she was now lying down, and then grabbed a blanket, covering the sleeping beauty.

Realizing that the others will be back soon from the commissions, he decided to head out, but not before looking back at the seemingly still fast asleep Atago.

"Thanks for the great reward Atago. I feel as good as new thanks to you." He said with a grateful smile before gently closing the door.

Back in the room, Atago had a hand on her reddened, smiling face. "Ufufu Shikikan, you really are too cute."

The Shikikan made his way to the dockyard, where he found Akashi looking out into the setting sun.

"Hey Akashi, did you want to welcome back the others too?"

"Nya? Oh Shikikan! Hai nya, one of my jobs as a repair ship is to make sure everyone and their gear are all in good condition nya."

"Thanks for all your hard work Akashi." The Shikikan said as he patted the cat girl, who purred happily at the warm touch.

"How was your first day on the job Shikikan?"

"Lots of paperwork, but nothing I can't handle. Plus, Atago lent me a hand so I finished earlier than I expected, which is great since I'll be able to prepare for the welcome parties for the new and returning girls coming tonight and tomorrow."

"Nya? Did you appoint her as your secretary ship nya?"

"Yep, she offered and I'm glad she did, she's really efficient and knows all the ins and outs. I just hope I don't end up relying on her too much though ahaha…" He said while rubbing his head.

Two arms suddenly wrapped around his neck and a very soft sensation was pressed onto his back. "Ara Shikikan, Onee-san doesn't mind doting on you more you knowwww." Atago said as she gave him a quick surprise.

The Shikikan was beginning to blush wildly in her embrace. "A-Atago!? I thought you were still asleep." He stuttered.

"Onee-san can't seem to sleep very well without her Shikikan in her arms." She said with a loving smirk and deepening the hug, turning the Shikikan's face into a very dark shade of red.

Akashi turned away from the two when she noticed multiple figures in the distance coming towards them. "Shikikan, they're back nya!"

"Oi!" Javelin's voice called out to the three on the docks as she was frantically waving from the front of the group of returning girls.

"Welcome back everyone, how'd it all go?" Shikikan greeted them all as they landed on the docks.

"Escort mission was a success des. There was a Siren blockade but the new gear we got made quick work of them des." Ayanami walked up and gave her report.

"The rewards are en route and will be here by tomorrow." Z23 added.

"Excellent work girls." Shikikan said as he head-patted the two girls in front of him. Ayanami enjoyed it openly while Z23 seemed flustered but did not say or do anything against it.

"How about your group Eugen? Takao?"

"Nothing except small fry Siren ships on the patrol." Eugen yawned.

"Resource extraction was successful. No enemies dared to come forth either. That said, did Atago give you any trouble Shikikan?"

"Nope, in fact, she offered to be my secretary ship and helped me finish off that pile of papers in my office."

"I see….but still Atago, please get off the Shikikan. Your bothering him."

"Ara Takao-chan, you're free to come join me you know? No need to try to restrain yourself just because I'm here wink"

"H-how shameless!" Takao was only a bit flustered hearing her sister suggest such a thing.

"You're as innocent as ever Takao-chan ufufu." Atago couldn't help but continue to tease her straightforward sister.

"Ja, well don't mind if I do then." Eugen came up and wrapped her arms around his. "Won't you come have some drinks with me Shikikan?" Eugen' eyes had a hint of mischief, but also had a small sparkle of hope in them.

Even with a reddening face and rapidly increasing heartbeat, he managed a response. "S-sure, but later though, I want to set up welcome parties for the incoming girls tonight and tomorrow too."

"Oh! Are we having a party tomorrow Shikikan!?" Javelin asked with excitement in her sparkling eyes as she ran up to him.

"Yeah, I thought it be a good idea to have welcoming parties for each of the factions since they all are arriving at different times. They're all coming back from a long mission essentially, so it be a good chance for them to unwind and for me to get to know them all. But don't tell them though, it be better as a surprise after all."

"Yay sounds like so much fun! I can't wait! Anything I can do to help Shikikan?" Javelin was practically bursting with energy and excitement.

"Actually yeah, setting up is the easy part thanks to the Manjuus, but could I ask you all to let me know what the incoming girls like and dislike? This will be a good way to congratulate everyone on a job well done too after all."

The discussions were held in the Shikikan's office and he made mental notes of everyone's preferences. He gave his orders to the Manjuus so they could begin preparations and he gave the girls the go ahead to relax and rest up for the day.

'Alright the nap I took earlier today should really help me get everything done no problem. The Wisdom cube transformations are much faster now and the next two should be ready by tomorrow at noon. I wonder which faction they'll be from, since it would be unfair for them to miss out on their faction's welcoming party after all. Can't do anything about it now though, so I just have to improvise if I need to.' The Shikikan was currently carefully planning everything out.

Knock Knock. "Shikikan?"

"Come in!"

The door opened to reveal Ayanami.

"Shikikan, Ayanami was informed that the Sakura Empire girls will be arriving on time des. Is there anything else Ayanami can do to help des?"

"I think I'm all set, but I'm about to head to the canteen to begin dinner preparations if you want to come along."

The two made their way to the canteen, where Ayanami was mesmerized as she watched the Shikikan dance around the kitchen getting everything ready.

"Hey Ayanami, can you taste this and let me know if it's too salty?" He had a pair of chopsticks in his hands holding what seemed to be salmon.

Ayanami blushed a bit before opening her mouth and letting the Shikikan feed her. " Oishī des." Ayanami said with a happy smile.

'Her smile is so precious…' The Shikikan thought before shaking his head clear. "Good to hear, now all that's left are the tempuras…" The Shikikan went back to dancing elegantly around the kitchen.

"Shikikan, is there anything Ayanami can do to help….des?"

"Hmm…want to help me prepare the miso soup?" He asked before she came over to where he was.

"Could you cut up all of this tofu?" He asked her before going over to grab her a knife, but as he was turning back, he noticed Ayanami had manifested her rigging sword and was about to swing down.

"Bear witness to the true power of the 'Demon'".

"Ww-ait Ayanami!" He exclaimed, successfully stopping her from seemingly cutting not only the tofu, but the entire table with sword.

'Phew' he exhaled in relief before smiling and walking over to the confused Ayanami. He gave her the knife and went behind her before gently placing his hands on hers.

"Here take this knife and move it over to the tofu like this. Now just cut down swiftly here….and then here…and then horizontally…and done!"

Ayanami was blushing heavily from being so close to the Shikikan and basically holding hands.

Unknown to the two, by the doorway were the other girls from the starter squad.

"No fair Ayanami-chan! I wanted to cook with Shikikan too." Javelin pouted cutely.

"Ayanami, good job." Laffey said with a thumbs up and knowing smile.

"I don't think this was her plan Laffey..." Z23 guessed but had an adorable jealous pout on her face.

"Think you can handle the rest Ayanami?" The Shikikan asked.

"Hai des!" Afterwards, Ayanami had successfully cut up all the tofu and began boiling them in the large pot holding the miso soup broth.

Washing his hands, he came up to Ayanami and patted her head. "Great work Ayanami, you really helped me save some time there. Thank you."

Affinity Up!

Ayanami seemingly had flowers and song notes floating out of her head as he patted her head.

Alright everything's ready. Could you contact them and ask where they are Ayanami?"

"Hai des."

After stepping out to call, she came back a few minutes later.

"They see the lights on the base and will be here soon…des!"

"They're earlier then I expected, could I ask you to distract them somehow while I get everything plated and set?"

"How des?" Ayanami tilted her head

"Leave it to me Shikikan!" Javelin exclaimed in the doorway with a salute before rushing out.

"Wha!? Wait Javelin! Um, excuse us and sorry Shikikan!" Z23 bowed in apologetically before running after Javelin.

"….Laffey is not here….." Laffey 'sneaked' away.

"…..Maybe you should go with them and make sure they don't do anything too crazy ahahaa….."

"Hai…des" Ayanami was about to go past the double doors before turning around to the Shikikan. "Thank you for taking care of everyone Shikikan." She gave him a bright smile before bowing and going after her friends.

"Too cute…all of them really…" The Shikikan smiled warmly before assembling the Manjuus and getting everything ready on the double.

Out by the dockyards, the starter squad, Akashi, and Shiranui can be seen waiting for the incoming Sakura Empire ship girls making their way towards them.

"Any sign of them?" Yuubari asked as she joined up everyone else.

"Nop—wait! They're they are nya!" Akashi said as she spotted six figures making their way to them.

""Oi!"" Two girls were waving frantically upon seeing friendly faces awaiting them on the dockyard. The first was a tall beauty with long brown hair tied in a ponytail dressed in a short red dress under an elegant white garment. The other was a young girl with black hair and cat ears dressed in a black and red Sakura Empire shrine priestess attire.

"Zuikaku! Yamashiro! Nya? Oh! And Shoukaku, Fusou, Ise, and Hyuuga too nya!" Akashi exclaimed as she managed to make out the other four figures behind the two in the front.

Upon arriving at the docks, the six Sakura Empire girls jumped out of the water and walked towards the awaiting group, well except for one.

"Ayanami-chan! Akashi-chan!" One of them exclaimed before she began running to the two girls, but she unfortunately tripped over her own two feet and faceplanted on the dock.

"Yamashiro!" Ayanami and the rest of the awaiting girls ran over to the fallen klutzy, yet very cute, girl.

"Daijoubu?" Ayanami was the first to make it over to her.

"Owiiee. Sorry for worrying you all. I'm used to falling a lot ehehe…." She said with an airheaded smile and embarrassed flush.

"Mo, Yamashiro, you really should try to be more careful." The pale beauty dressed in similar attire to Yamashiro spoke up.

"Gomen, Fusou nee-sama! I got too excited teehee. But anyway Akashi-chan! Ayanami-chan!" Yamashiro said before squeezing them into a hug.

"Nya! Too t-tightt-nya!" Akashi was startled at the suddenness while Ayanami happily hugged her friend back.

"I'm glad to see everyone again." Yuubari spoke up as she walked towards the group of Sakura Empire girls.

"Ohhh! Yuubari-chan! You're here too!?" Yamashiro said before quickly dashing over to glomp her as well.

"Hai, I woke up yesterday thanks to Goshujin's efforts." Yuubari said with a bow to her fellow Sakura Empire ships.

"Good to see you again Yuubari! And the rest of you girls as well." Zuikaku said as she joined in on the hugs as well. "Speaking of the Shikikan, what's he like? Kawakaze told me and Shoukaku-nee that he's a good person, but Id be lying if I said I wasn't worried about the story they us about his past…"

"Daijoubu, Shikikan trusts us and Ayanami trusts Shikikan des. He's nice, treats us well, and works really hard des." Ayanami had a happy sincere smile on her face as spoke her honest feelings.

"Wow, if Ayanami says all that about the guy, he sure must be something. Let's hurry and go meet him Ise nee-san!" The silver haired girl with half her top exposed to reveal a cloth breast band underneath voiced her curiosity.

"Yeah, I feel the same, race ya there!" She said before beginning to dash away.

"No fair nee-san!" Hyuuga began the chase

""W-Wait!"" Javelin and Z23 said before looking at each other. The Shikikan entrusted them to stall for time while he finished setting up, but they really weren't sure as to how. They then looked to Laffey, who yawned lazily and seemingly in her own little world, and Ayanami, who much like them, was also at a loss.

"Look out nya!" Akashi said as she noticed a familiar blonde little girl in the way of the two speeding ship girls coming right for her.

"Mhm!" Eldridge was so startled that she began to generate electricity before accidentally sending out a shockwave at the two girls.

It was super effective!

The two girls were quickly shocked to a stop before they both dizzily fell off the dock into the water.

"Ise! Hyuuga!" Zuikaku screamed before she and everyone else went over to retrieve the two fallen girls.

After fishing them out, Eldridge came over to bow her head apologetically.

"I-its fine, it was our fault for not being careful, right Hyuuga?" Ise regained her consciousness from the sudden jolt she got.

"Y-yeah, sorry about startling you ehehee…" Hyuuga had a hand on the back of her head and an awkward smile on her face.

Ding!

The starter squad all received a text message on their phone simultaneously that informed them that the Shikikan just finished all the preparations and asking them to bring everyone to the Sakura Empire dorm.

"Yay! We did it-I mean the Shikikan is ready-I -I mean the Shikikan is awaiting everyone's arrival in the canteen! Ehehe…." Javelin was flustered at her inability to maintain a secret.

"Sigh, well anyway, let's hurry and head over so we don't leave Shikikan waiting." Z23 said before leading the group of girls to the Sakura Empire dorm. Upon arrival, the Manjuus can be seen waiting for them. They fluttered towards the group of girls before hopping up and down, seemingly telling them to follow them as they fluttered back to the dorm entrance. Going inside they followed the Manjuus to the dining area of the Sakura Empire dorm, where upon sliding open the door, the group of girls were bombarded with the fragrant and abundant Sakura Empire cuisine before them. The tables were completely filled with plates of grilled salmon, kaarage, fried pork and shrimp cutlets, shrimp and vegetable tempura, and many add-ons such as large pots of miso soup and steamed rice.

The newly arrived Sakura Empire girls were unable to speak as they were seemingly hypnotized by the hunger-inducing fragrance and display before them.

"S-Shoukaku-nee! Look at all the tempura!" Zuikaku said as she was floating towards the table.

"Ise-nee-san there's a crate full of sake over there!"

"Ohhh! I'm starting to like this Shikikan already ahahaaa."

"Shikikan sure did go all out with dinner tonight nyaa." Akashi commented as the starter squad all shook their heads in agreeance and their stomachs growling simultaneously.

At that moment, the side door opened up to reveal the Shikikan stepping out to greet them all.

"Hello everyone, welcome to Azur Lane base! I'm the Shikikan and I look forward to working with you all, but for now please go ahead and take a seat, unwind, and enjoy the food I made." He smiled before giving a small Sakura Empire style bow.

'Wow, they're all so pretty….' He thought as he looked at his new Sakura Empire ship girls before shaking his head in realization that he was unintentionally staring at them. The new girls didn't seem to notice, well except for one aircraft carrier that is.

"Ufufu, konbonwa Shikikan, I am Shoukaku, the flagship of the Fifth Carrier Division. Please take care of me from now on wink." She bowed before walking towards the Shikikan until her face was only a few inches away from his. Her sapphire colored eyes staring into his amethysts.

"I look forward to working with you, but umm, you're a bit close ahaha…" He sweat dropped as he was slowly beginning to blush from being so close to such a pretty girl.

Shoukaku's smile widened as her eyes sparkled with mischief and curiosity. "Gomenasai Shikikan, your eyes are just so dazzling that I couldn't help but want to get a closer look ufufu…"

"T-thank you, but I think your eyes are much prettier." He managed to say with only a slight stutter. Shoukaku had a light blush on her snow-white skin as she let out a small satisfied giggle.

[Affinity up!]

"Why thank you Shikikan. Please do look forward to the future achievements of the Sakura Empire's Fifth Carrier Division wink." She said before walking past him.

Shikikan took a quick deep breathe to gather himself before speaking up. "A-anyway, how about the rest of you? After we finish introductions, we can all dig in."

"Wa! It's the Lord, the real Lord! Umm...I am...uhh, I'm...Yamashiro! I'll be in your care!" She panicked a bit before bowing.

"Guess I'll go next. I am Sakura Empire Carrier Divisions' last elite, Zuikaku! However, I can only be at my best when I am with my sister Shoukaku, commander. Please take care of me from now on." She said with a bow and happy smile.

The rest of the new Sakura Empire girls followed suit.

"I'm the last battleship in the Sakura Empire Navy who fired a full salvo — Ise of the Ise-class battleships!"

"I'm the little sister of my stupid big sister —ahh, that doesn't mean that I'm the stupid little sister alright! Anyhow, I'm Hyuuga, I'll be in your care." She said before Ise laughed and had her in a headlock.

"Greetings Milord, Fusou has been waiting for a long time. This must be guidance from the gods – from now on, I'll be in your care." She said with a graceful bow.

"I'm glad to have you all under my command. It's really nice to have so many more reliable allies on base. Now with all the introductions out of the way, everyone, please go ahead and dig in." He said with a smile as he gestured to the long table stacked with food.

The girls each took a seat around the long table and started piling their plates. As they all took their first bite, silence befell the entire hall.

"W-what do you all think?" Shikikan asked. 'I didn't mess up somewhere right?' He started to worry about failing to make a good first impression.

"Sugoi! This is the juiciest karaage I've had!" Zuikaku began piling more kaarage and shrimp tempura on her plate.

'Milord! Did you really make all of this? Everything from the miso soup to the salmon is amazing!' Yamashiro had hearts bubbling out of her head as she ate.

"Phew, I was worried for a second there ahaha..and yeah I had some help from Ayanami and the Manjuus but I figured this would be a good way to make a good first impression with everyone."

"Colored me impressed then cuz everything's tasting great especially with this sake ahahaa" Ise said as she opened another bottle.

"N-nee-san don't hog around me whenever your drinking, I'm trying to eat more of the tempura before Zuikaku eats it all!" Hyuuga was struggling as Ise had her arms wrapped around her and as Zuikaku continued to happily devour all of the tempura.

"Thank you for going through all the trouble of preparing this banquet for us Milord." Fusou bowed.

"It was no trouble at all really, I'm just glad everything turned out okay." The Shikikan smiled as he saw everyone happily enjoying themselves.

"Care for a drink Shikikan?" Shoukaku had a bottle of sake and two cups in her hands.

"Sure, I could use a drink. Thank you." He said as Shoukaku poured him some sake.

The screen door then slid open to reveal the other shipgirls already on base.

"Oh just in time, come in and have some food and eat before it's all gone nya!" Akashi said as she waved everyone over.

"Takao-san! Atago-san!" Yamashiro and Zuikaku said before getting up to hug the aforementioned girls.

"Ara, Yamashiro-chan and Zuikaku!" Atago said as she hugged her long-time friends.

"It's been awhile you two, how are things?" Takao asked before the two moved over to hug her as well.

"Everything back home is same as usual, but just with a lot more anti-Siren barriers and defenses set up near the shorelines ahahaa.." Zuikaku started.

"No Sirens have appeared since the time we were still a part of Crimson Axis though." Ise said as she spoke up.

"Yeah it's been pretty peaceful, but Nagato and the others are beginning to worry about whether or not they are planning something big." Hyuuga added as she downed her cup of sake.

"That does sound quite worrisome…" Takao said as she began to feel a bit distressed from the lack of Siren activity.

"Yeah but enough of that for now, the Sakura Empire is fully prepared for anything the Sirens have to throw at us. Come join us you two." Shoukaku said as she tried to ease the tension.

"Shoukaku's right, we should focus on the present for now, especially since Milord prepared this wondrous banquet for all of us. Please do come in everyone." Fusou chimed in.

All of the girls on the island base were now gathered in the Sakura Empire dining hall now.

"I have to say, this Sakura Empire sake is pretty good. Whether or not it's better than Iron Blood bier though is another question ufufu.." Eugen said as she downed cup after cup with Ise and Hyuuga.

"S-shikikan, is it really okay for all of us to be here? I feel like I'm crashing a party in a way." Z23 asked feeling a bit guilty on intruding.

The Shikikan got up and patted her on the head as he flashed her an assuring smile. " Don't worry, this dinner and all-day tomorrow are all part of my plan to bring a sense of camaraderie among the four factions coming here. Plus, I always do end up making much more than I should so I'm glad you all came."

Z23's face was bright red as she tried to not give off the sense that she enjoyed the Shikikan's head pat before shaking her head and walking away with her face as flustered as ever.

"Milord! Milord! Come join Yamashiro and Fusou-nee sama over here!" Yamashiro said as she excitedly patted the seat between her and her sister.

The Shikikan complied as he walked over and took the seat.

"Here, have some tempura Milord!"

"And here's some tea as well Milord."

"Thank you" Shikikan said as they filled up the plate in front of him.

The night continued on as the girls caught up with each other as they enjoyed the night. After all the food was surprisingly finished, the younger girls decided to head to bed for the night while the older girls continued to chat and enjoy their drinks while basking in the cloudless, moonlit night. The Shikikan spent quite a bit of time chatting with all of the newly arrived girls before he decided he needed to prepare for the other incoming girls tomorrow.

"Well I should head on out and prepare for the other factions' arrivals tomorrow. Have a good night everyone and feel free to attend the other factions' welcoming parties tomorrow as well."

"Aww, I was hoping to get to know you a bit better over some sake and even play my flute for you Shikikan." Shoukaku seemed a bit tipsy as she had a red blush on her face in addition to a very cute pout as she swayed a bit as she spoke.

"Ahahaa, sorry about that Shoukaku, but I'd love to take you up on that offer some other time though."

"Want Onee-san to help you Shikikan?" Atago said as she came up to him and hugged his arm.

"I can help too if you don't mind me Milord." Fusou said as she walked up close to him.

The Shikikan could feel his face reddening being surrounded by beautiful Sakura Empire girls. "Thank you, girls, but it shouldn't take too long since I started all the prep work earlier today. Please go ahead and take this chance to relax and catch up. I'll see everyone tomorrow!" He said as he waved them goodbye as he stepped out.

"He's quite the hardworker..." Fusou started as soon as he left. "I had heard about his past from Nagato-san and was a bit worried about him, but he seems like a capable, kind commander."

"Yeah, One-I'm a bit worried that he might be pushing himself too much though…" Atago said as she placed a hand on her cheek.

"I wouldn't worry too much, he seems like a competent fella, well to me at least, right Hyuuga?" Ise said as she continued to add to the pile of empty sake bottles next to her

"Hicc. Yeah he'll be just fineeeee…..probably." Hyuuga was a bit more than just tipsy.

"Worrying's not going to help, so let's just take his word for it and continue this party." Prinz Eugen smirked as she enjoyed her umpteenth cup of sake.

"I do wonder how Shikikan would react to…our esteemed senpai, ney Zuikaku?" Shoukaku said before finishing another cup of sake.

"Ahaha…" Zuikaku sweatdropped.

"That said, I'll happily protect Shikikan from them ufufu." Shoukaku giggled.

"Ara, that won't be necessary, Onee-san won't let anyway bring harm to Shikikan." Atago challenged.

The tension in the room rose quite a bit as the aircraft carrier and heavy cruiser seemingly had sparks flying between them.

"Ho? How amusing." Eugen said pouring herself a drink as she decided to enjoy the 'show'.

{Back to the Shikikan]

A few hours ago, after he left the Sakura Empire dorm, the Shikikan headed straight to the canteen, where he saw all the Manjuus working hard on his recipes for tomorrow. Thanks to his miracle working assistants, he managed to complete prep work for what would be seemingly impossible for even an elite team of chefs before the clock struck midnight.

'Alright I should head to bed soonish. Javelin said the Royal Navy girls will arrive around nine tomorrow morning so I should be up around six and get everything ready by then. The Eagle Union girls will arrive a bit after lunch according to Laffey, and the wisdom cube transformation should be a bit before then so I should make some time to greet the new girls there as well. And finally, Iron Blood will arrive at around six tomorrow night so that'll give me ample time to prepare for their arrivals as well.' The Shikikan was marking everything down on a piece of paper in preparation for tomorrow's rather hectic schedule.

"Good work and thank you everyone. Go ahead and take a nice rest since we have a lot of work to do tomorrow." He said to his Manjuu sous chefs before saluting them and heading back to his room for the night.

'A lot has happened for my first day as Shikikan, but it didn't really feel like a full day at all. It sure is a lot different here than back with the Sirens.' The Shikikan thought as he was in his room looking out his bedroom window. "I'm glad to be alive despite all that's happened to me, but its almost surreal how different it feels here. I feel myself smiling a lot more and overall just feeling happier whenever I'm with the girls. They've all been so kind and have been working hard for so long now. I really need to do my best for their sake.' Taking a look at the full lit moon once more, he steeled his resolve before heading to bed.

Ring! Ring!

The sound of an alarm clock was going off in the Shikikan's office.

'It's almost as if I just closed my eyes a second ago. Guess that nap I took with Atago in the office was a lot more refreshing than I thought it be..' He thought as he remembered his time with her before shaking his head rapidly as he felt a rising blush on his face. After freshening up, he proceeded to the canteen and began his final prep work for the incoming Royal Navy girls. After about an hour, the door opened to reveal the starter squad up and about.

"Morning Shikikan! I received a message from Belfast saying that the Royal Navy will be here in about two hours! I can't wait to see them all again!"

"Thanks for letting me know Javelin. Can you do me a favor and try this and tell me what you think?" He said as he had a pair of chopsticks in his hands.

Javelin blushed a bit at the idea of being fed but complied as she walked up to him. "Mhm! This sausage is delicious!"

"Laffey doesn't want to try it too….probably." She said before receiving a small chuckle from the Shikikan before he fed her a piece too.

"Are you making breakfast for when they arrive Herr Kommandant?" Z23 asked.

"Yeah, I'm not too familiar with Royal Navy cuisine but hopefully they'll enjoy it ahaha.."

"C-can I try some t-too Shikikan?" Z23 blushed

"Ayanami too please…des."

"Of course, here" He said as he cut up the rest of the sausage and fed the two girls.

"Oishi des" Ayanami smiled.

"Your cooking really is amazing Shikikan. I'd be more surprised if they don't ask for seconds in all honesty."

"Thanks for the confidence booster Z23." He said as he rubbed her head, much to her embarrassment.

"B-baka, I'm not a child you know!" She pouted.

"Ahahaa, sorry about that I can't help but want to dote on you girls sometimes." He chuckled a bit as he rubbed the back of his head.

"B-baka…" Z23 couldn't retort as she not-so-secretly enjoyed his kind touch.

"Do you want any help…des?"

"I think I'm all set thanks to the Manjuus, but could you go around and tell everyone to meet up at the Royal Navy dorm's dining hall in two hours if they are interested in trying a Royal Navy breakfast?"

"Yes sir!" They saluted before heading out.

[With the incoming Royal Navy girls]

A ways away from the Azur Lane base, a group of Royal Navy girls can be seen advancing towards said base together.

"Miss Illustrious, Miss Wales, Miss King George V, we will be arriving on base in under two hours' time." A silver haired beauty said as she curtsied.

"Thank you, Belfast. I have to admit, I'm rather excited in finally meeting this Shikikan."

"Because of his supposed cooking prowess, I presume, my dear sister?" A short haired blonde girl in red royal navy attire teased.

"Yes and out of pure curiosity as well I suppose."

"You're as straightforward and honest as ever KGV ehehe." A white-haired beauty in an elegant white sundress giggled.

"I hope he's not scary or mean…" A young girl in a white dress holding a unicorn plush spoke up.

"Javelin seems to approve of him, but his past could be a problem. What say you Sheffy?" A bespectacled young white-haired girl asked.

"Javelin is a carefree klutz, but her intuition is surprisingly sharp. We'll just have to see for ourselves I suppose." A short haired girl with pale blonde hair that covered one of her eyes replied before advancing on ahead with the others in tow.

[Back with the Shikikan]

Almost two hours had passed in the blink of an eye as the Shikikan and Manjuu sous chefs added the finishing touches to everything in the Royal Navy dorm's dining hall.

"All right, with everything in place, all that's left are the Royal Navy girls themselves. Great work everyone. Please go ahead and take a break before beginning the Eagle Union welcoming party prep work." The Shikikan saluted the Manjuus as he walked out to the dockyard.

'Not going to lie, but after hearing from Javelin that some members of the royal family of the Royal Navy faction are arriving, I'm starting to feel a bit nervous.' He thought as he walked before hearing someone call out his name.

"Shikikan!" Yelled Javelin as she and the starter squad were running to catch up with him.

"Everyone's been informed, and the Royal Navy should arrive any minute! Are you heading to the docks too Shikikan?" Javelin asked as she was practically bubbling with excitement.

"Thank you, girls, shall we head to the docks and greet them together?" He smiled as they all nodded in agreement. He didn't notice but his nerves from earlier relaxed immediately upon meeting up with the starter squad girls.

A few moments later, the group made their way to the docks, where they immediately spotted multiple figures in the distance.

"Look there they are! Oiiiii!" Javelin shouted and waved.

"Seven in total huh?" Shikikan thought aloud.

"Feeling nervous Herr Kommandant?"

"A bit in all honesty. It took me a few minutes to calm down before introducing myself to everyone last night."

"Don't worry Shikikan, we're here for you." Ayanami said as she came up to him.

He smiled and felt himself calming down once more. "Thank you for that, really." He said as he patted her on the head.

The seven Royal Navy girls finally made it to the docks, where they were greeted to an ecstatic Javelin practically jumping to them.

"Ara, long time no see Javelin."

"I missed you and everyone else Illustrious!" Javelin said as she dove in for a hug.

The Shikikan took one more deep breath before walking up to the girls.

"I'm glad to see you've all arrived safely. Welcome to the Azur Lane base. A pleasure to meet everyone, I am the Shikikan here and I look forward to working with everyone." He sounded a bit stiff as he spoke, but he managed to speak clearly and added in a gentlemanly bow. He looked back up and noticed that they all, well except for one expressionless face, were smiling kindly at him. He quickly felt himself relaxing a bit. One of the taller girls with long flowing blonde hair, crimson red eyes, and dressed in formal and elegant Royal Navy attire then took a step forward.

"Lead Ship of the King George V Class Battleship, King George V, at your service" she spoke with a regal aura radiating from her.

The other girls followed suit.

"King George V-class battleship - Prince of Wales. Look forward to witnessing my true strengths Shikikan." She smiled with a nod.

"Greetings, Milord. Illustrious class aircraft carrier, Illustrious, reporting in. I pray that you will bring love and peace to this ocean, may the holy light be ever with you." She said as she gave a graceful curtsy.

"A pleasure to meet you, Master, I am Belfast, head maid of the Royal Navy. From this moment on, I shall dedicate my life to you." She said as she also gave an elegant curtsy.

"Edinburgh class light cruiser, Edinburgh. And yes, I am Belfast's older sister." She said that last part with urgency.

"Light cruiser Sheffield of the Royal Maids, here to serve you." She spoke with pure professionalism.

And then there was one left.

"Go on, don't be shy." Illustrious said as she encouraged the adorable little girl hiding behind her and her plushie.

"Ahh…and I am…Royal Navy's…Unicorn." She said before blushing heavily and hiding behind Illustrious and her plushie once more.

"I'm truly glad to have you all here. I hope you haven't eaten yet as I have taken the liberty to prepare a welcoming breakfast party' for everyone here." He said with a kindhearted smile.

"Ho? I've heard a lot about your cooking abilities from Javelin, Shikikan. I'm looking forward to seeing how right she was." King George V said as her eyes seemingly glittered with excitement.

"Go easy on the Shikikan KGV. Sorry Shikikan, putting it lightly, she's a bit of a food fanatic..." Wales sighed.

"But of course, my dear little sister, food and fighting are my two greatest hobbies." She said with great pride.

"Wait a minute, is this why you told us to put up with just tea and crumpets on our way here Bel!?" Edinburgh inquired.

"Ey!? But I made sure to keep the Shikikan's surprise a secret!" Javelin exclaimed.

"Don't worry Javelin, just call it a maid's intuition." She said as she had a finger to her lips as she winked.

"You truly do fit the title of head maid, Belfast." Illustrious giggled.

'I'm not sure why but I get feeling I should try to stay on Belfast's good side…' The Shikikan thought as he snuck a glance at Belfast, who apparently noticed and gave him a small knowing smile.

"A-anyway, please follow me everyone." The Shikikan said as he quickly switched gears and led the group to the Royal Navy dorm. Upon entering the dorm's dining hall, they were greeted with the smell of freshly cooked bacon, fried eggs, toasted bread, and numerous other breakfast aromas. Multiple tables were set up and adorned with numerous silverwares, tablecloths, and flowers.

Growl!

"…..Hungry." Laffey said as her stomach loudly growled.

"It smells wonderous!" Illustrious added as she looked around and breathed in.

"Please go ahead and have a seat everyone." Shikikan said as he waved everyone over to the tables.

"Master, shall I help?" Belfast asked.

"Thank you, but please go ahead and join everyone else. This is a welcoming party for the newly arrived Royal Navy girls after all."

"Thank you Master." She said with a smile and graceful bow before heading over to the other girls.

Once seated, the Shikikan and Manjuus brought out the food and began serving them out on fine china.

"I hope everyone enjoys my attempted version of a 'Full English breakfast'." He said as the plates were served. On each plate were fried eggs, freshly cooked sausages and bacon from scratch, roasted tomatoes and mushrooms, baked beans, and fresh out of the oven slices of buttered toast. To the side were cups of freshly brewed coffee and tea.

"Thank you for going to all of this trouble Shikikan."

"It was no trouble at all Prince of Wales, this might sound strange, but cooking is rather relaxing for me, so I do enjoy it quite a bit."

"I see, and just Wales will do Shikikan." She smiled.

"I wholeheartedly understand what you mean Shikikan, and please feel free to refer to me as KGV." Her elder sister added.

With exceedingly proper table etiquette, the Royal Navy girls, with the exception of a few, began to cut up their first bites of the plate. Moments after taking their first bites…

"Mhm! Shikikan! Your cooking really is the best!" Javelin announced with sheer happiness.

"Color me impresse-no, blown away Shikikan. I can't help but get the feeling that this will be the start of a great relationship between us." KGV had hearts fluttering around her head as she happily ate.

"Being part of the Royal family, I've always been blessed with wonderful gourmet food, but Shikikan's food has left me speechless."

"I agree, Wales, I can't remember the last time I've had such a delicious breakfast." Illustrious added.

"My sincerest apologies Master, I had prepared for the worst since Javelin has a tendency to over exaggerate...a lot." Sheffield bowed her head.

'Phew, it's like a load has been taken off my chest.' Shikikan sighed in relief.

"Um…S-Shikikan….c-can I call you Onii-chan?" Unicorn asked without hiding behind her plushie or Illustrious.

The Shikikan felt his heart skip a beat for a second from the immense force of cuteness that flung out of her. He took a second to regain himself before speaking.

"S-sure." He said with a happy smile.

The party went on as planned and the seemingly excessive amount of food made by the Shikikan was surprisingly gone by the end of it.

"I-I'm in heaven…" Edinburgh had a face of pure ecstasy after having her fill and some.

"Alright, I'm sure you girls are feeling tired from your long journey. We'll begin exercises and commissions tomorrow, so please go ahead and take a nice long rest for today. For now, though, please excuse me as I go prepare for the other arrivals. My office is always open to you girls so feel free come by whenever." Shikikan said before heading out.

"You were right Javelin, Onii-chan's a really nice person!"

"Right!? I knew I had a good intuition!" Javelin huffed.

"I was worried his past might be haunting him, but I'm relieved to see him shine." Illustrious added.

"He's proven to be a great cook and in time we'll see if the same can be said for his abilities as a commander." KGV said as she patted her lips with a tablecloth as she sat beside a literal mountain of finished plates.

"Your appetite always shocks me KGV…" Wales stared in awe.

[With Shikikan]

'Alright next up is the Eagle Union's arrival. Everything's completely set, but it looks like the Wisdom cube transformation is going to be done soon so let's head there first before firing up everything.' He thought as he made his way to the construction area of the dockyard. Upon arrival, he heard someone call his name.

"Shikikan?"

He turned to notice Eldridge sitting on a crate near the edge of the dock.

"Hi Eldridge, are you waiting for your Eagle Union friends?" He asked as he came over and patted her head.

"Yeah….excited." She said as she put her hands up asking for a hug.

"Me too," He said as he picked her up, "I can't wait to see what they're all like. By the way Eldridge, want to come with me to the construction area? Two more girls are about to appear soon."

"Kayyyyyy" She said as she cozied into the Shikikan's hugged as they walked over. Making their way inside, they noticed that the timers were about to hit zero.

"Perfect timing" He said before the two wisdom cubes on the panels began to glow before dispersing into particles and flowing towards one light cruiser and one aircraft carrier. The particles began to glow even brighter before two figures emerged where the two ships once stood. They were both young girls, one with pink hair tied into short twin tails and the other with red hair tied into long pig tails. They looked around a bit before they spotted the Shikikan and Eldridge.

"Oh! Eldridge!" The two girls exclaimed.

"Sara, Sandy!" Eldridge was emitting small sparks before jumping down and joining the other two for a group hug.

"Hm? You know them Eldridge?" The Shikikan asked as he walked over to the group.

"Yep, Eagle Union friends.." Eldridge said with an adorable smile. The other two took a look at the Shikikan before putting the pieces together.

"Hm? Oh! Yo~ Hello Shikikan! I am Lexington's— little sister Saratoga~ I mean Lexington-class aircraft carrier – Saratoga! Nice to meet you!"

"Hello~ I'm San Diego, the cruiser who earned the most battle stars in World War 2! Short introduction, checked! I'm just too clever!"

Both girls seemed quite energetic and carefree as they introduced themselves.

"Pleasure to meet you two, as you've guessed, I'm the Shikikan of the Azur Lane base. I'm looking forward to working with you two." He smiled.

Saratoga and San Diego walked up to him and were seemingly staring into his eyes.

"Hmm…" Saratoga hummed.

"..? Something wrong?" Shikikan asked.

"Hm? Oh! Sorry for staring Shikikan! There was just something about your eyes that I couldn't put my finger on. What about you Sandy?"

"Hm? I just thought his eyes were pretty eheheee."

Ring! Ring!

The Shikikan's phone buzzed to reveal a text from Laffey saying the Eagle Union girls are about half an hour out.

'Just in time for lunch too, nice.' Alright girls so a lot's going on, today especially, but in short, your fellow Eagle Union friends will be arriving shortly. I won't be able to greet the girls as they arrive, but could I ask you three to wait by the docks outside for them? After that, bring them to the Eagle Union dorm's backyard please. I have a surprise waiting for everyone there."

"Roger!" Saratoga and San Diego said while Eldridge put up a victory sign.

"Thank everyone, see you in a bit." He said before hurrying out.

"Do you know what's going on Eldridge?" Saratoga questioned.

"Yepp, but it's a secrettt." Eldridge said while cutely covering her mouth with her hands.

"Hurry up you two! Last one to the docks is a rotten egg!" San Diego said before she ran off.

"Hey! No fair! Let's go Eldridge!" Saratoga said before grabbing the little destroyer's hand and running after San Diego.

The three girls proceeded to make their way outside to the edge of the docks waiting for their friends' arrival. Half an hour passed by in the blink of an eye as the Eagle Union trio was happily catching up with each other.

"Oh! Look! I see them!" San Diego said as she noticed multiple figures in the distance coming towards them. She immediately then jumped down into the water and raced off towards the figures with Saratoga and Eldridge in tow.

"Hm? Is that..?" A certain bluenette started.

"Oh! San Diego! Saratoga! And Eldridge too!" A certain tomboy confirmed before getting tackled into a hug by San Diego.

"Woah! I'm glad to see you too Sandy!"

"Ehehe long time no see Clevebro!" Saratoga said as she caught up.

"Don't call me that!" Cleveland pouted.

"Hehe sorry, I couldn't help it." Saratoga teased as she stuck her tongue out while tilting her head to the side.

"As much of a prankster as ever sigh…but still it's good to see you again."

"Enterprise! Long time no see! Vestal, Hornet, and Helena too!"

"Hug." Eldridge said before glomping Enterprise.

"It's nice to see you too Eldridge." Enterprise said as she returned the hug.

"When did you two get here though? We didn't hear anything from Laffey about you two being here too." Vestal asked.

"Sandy and I woke up less than an hour ago over there." Saratoga said as she pointed to the construction area of the dockyard. "The Shikikan greeted us as soon as we did and asked us three to wait here and bring everyone to the Eagle Union dorm. " She continued to explain.

"Where's he now? Hearing Laffey's reports everyday about him has me dying out of curiosity!" Cleveland asked.

As soon as she asked, the eagle on Enterprise's shoulder flew up and began speeding towards the base.

"Where's Grim going Enty-nee?" Hornet asked as she watched the eagle fly off.

"Not sure, maybe he's telling us to follow him?"

"What are we waiting for then? Let's go!" San Diego was off.

"W-wait up Sandy!" The girls, unsure of where they were being led to, chased after the eagle flying towards the base.

[With Shikikan]

Our Shikikan was currently checking on everything in the Eagle Union dorm's backyard.

'Phew, alright that should about do it. I wonder how far out the incoming Eagle Union girls are.'

"Would you like some water, coffee, or tea Master?"

"Hmm, tea sounds pretty good right now, than-" Shikikan paused. 'Wait…wasn't it just me and the Manjuus back here?' He turned around to the voice and noticed that it was Belfast holding a tray with a fancy tea set.

"When'd you get here Belfast?" He asked since she seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Awhile ago, Master. You seemed hard at work so I thought you might be parched and took the liberty to fetch you some refreshments." She flashed him her signature smile that somehow radiated both kindness and smugness equivalently. She placed the tea set on the table and poured him a cup before bringing it to him on a small dish.

"Thanks for going to the trouble, Belfast." He smiled as he took the tea.

"It is a maid's duty to service her Master to the fullest. Is the tea to your liking?" She smiled.

"It's my first time having such high-quality tea. I don't think I can ever go back to bagged tea after having this ahaha." He smiled sheepishly.

"My apologies Master, but bagged tea does not count as real tea in my eyes. Also, if Master would like, I wouldn't mind serving you tea and snacks every day." She smiled smugly.

The Shikikan could feel his face heat up a bit. "T-that would be amazing, but I don't want to be a burden on you."

"Think nothing of the sort Master, it is but a maid's duty for her master." She said matter-of-factly.

Shikikan was about to retort but her steadfast smile made him silent. 'I really need to stay on her good side…'

"Thank you for your continued services Belfast." He bowed instead.

Belfast had to stifle a small chuckle upon seeing his reaction, much to his embarrassment.

"Smells good…"

The two turned around to see Laffey walking towards them with drool running down her mouth.

The Shikikan laughed a bit seeing how cute Laffey was. "Want to taste test some stuff for me Laffey?" He asked as he opened the large grill behind him revealing a massive assortment of hamburger patties, hot dogs, and assorted skewered meat and veggies. He took a skewer off the secondary rack and brought it to Laffey.

"Here try—"

'nom'

"..this" The Shikikan smiled as he patted Laffey's head as she pounced and 'nom'd' on the skewer in his hands.

'Caw!'

Out of nowhere, a large bald eagle came out of nowhere and landed on his hand that was patting Laffey. It seemed to be looking directly at him, much to his confusion.

"Ara" Belfast said as if she knew something the Shikikan didn't.

The Shikikan slowly brought his hand up so that it was at eye level with him. It was still staring curiously at him, as if judging him. The Shikikan brought his other hand up slowly and carefully brought out his index finger to the side of the mysterious eagle's beak. It looked at it, before friendly rubbing its head on it.

"You don't seem like a wild eagle. Did you get lost from your owner?" He asked before walking over to the grill and taking a small piece of meat off rack and offering it up to the bird. The bird immediately seized the meat and swallowed it whole before happily rubbing its head on his hand once more.

"Over here!" The Shikikan heard a familiar voice and the sound of multiple footsteps running towards him. He looked over and saw San Diego, Saratoga, Eldridge, and a bunch of unfamiliar girls coming over to the backyard.

"There he is! Oh Shikikan! Good job catching Grim!" Saratoga said as she ran up to him.

"Oh, so your name's Grim." He said as he took a finger to scratch under its beak.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen Grim get this friendly with someone so quickly before…"

The Shikikan looked up to the five unfamiliar girls who were looking at him interestingly.

"Um, hello, you girls must be the incoming Eagle Union girls. Sorry for not being able to greet you as soon as you came in. Nice to meet you all, I'm the Shikikan of this base." He smiled and saluted with his free hand. Grim then flew off and landed on a silver haired beauty's shoulder.

"Oh! So, you're the Shikikan! My name is Cleveland! Nice to finally meet you! She said with a big smile and salute.

The other girls followed her and introduced themselves as well.

"Hello~ I'm Hornet! Ah, there's no need to be formal; you can go ahead and call me Miss Hornet just kidding teehee."

"Greetings Commander, I'm Helena and recon is my strong suit. Please guide us towards victory."

"Yorktown-class 2nd carrier Enterprise reporting in. Thank you for catching Grim for me Shikikan." She said with a salute.

"And I'm repair ship Vestal, nice to meet you Shikikan!"

"And I'm San Diego!"

"Oi Sandy, you already introduced yourself you blockhead." Saratoga said jokingly.

"Oh right, whoop teehee." She said while rubbing the back of her head.

The Shikikan chuckled a bit seeing the display before him. "I'm glad to have you all here and with such good timing to boot. I'm sure you've already figured this out, but this is a welcoming party for your arrival in the form of a backyard barbeque. Enjoy!" He said as he gave the signal to the Manjuus to uncover the trays on the table to reveal premade cheeseburgers, hot dogs, stacked skewers, potato salad, french fries, garden salads, oxy colas, and so much more.

"There's plenty to go around and more on the grill so don't feel the need to hold back." He smiled.

"Food!" San Diego, Saratoga, Laffey, and Eldridge were off.

"Wow! You're much different than I thought you'd be Shikikan! Thanks for going to all of this for us!" Hornet said before bee-lining to the food.

"As carefree as ever…" Enterprise sighed.

"It's better than her being sad, Enterprise-chan." Vestal chastised.

"Heh, you're right Vestal." She smiled before following after her sister.

"Um Shikikan...?"

Cleveland and Helena seemed to be hesitating to say something on their minds.

"Um, I have a lot of little sisters and um, I…I mean we heard about your, um, past so if you need som—" Cleveland started before she felt a hand on her head. She looked up to see the Shikikan smiling warmly at her.

"Thanks Cleveland, it means a lot hearing that. But don't worry, I'm the happiest I've ever been since I woke up. I might not be 100% over it but having such reliable allies like yourself puts my mind at ease."

Cleveland reddened a bit before smiling brightly at him. She followed after her friends crowding around table full of food.

"Thank you for that Shikikan." Helena came up to him. "Cleveland was really worried about you ever since she heard about your past. That's the brightest I've seen her smile all week." Helena flashed him a small sincere smile.

"If anything, I should be thanking you, her, and everyone here. Seeing you all gather here to work with me and fight off those Sirens gives me a lot of determination to do my best and hope for the future." He started before also patting her on the head. "Plus, having someone as nice and caring as you on my side is a blessing."

'Affinity up!'

The bluenette was blushing heavily hearing him speak so highly of her.

"Oi Helena! Hurry up and come get some before Clevebro gets all the french fries!" Hornet yelled.

"Don't call me Clevebro!" She pouted rather cutely before grabbing more french fries.

"Go ahead and join them Helena." He smiled.

She smiled back before heading over to her friends.

"Those two must be best of friends." Shikikan thought out loud.

"Master, please refrain from making jealous remarks of your subordinates."

He turned around to notice Sheffield appear beside Belfast.

"Wait no I meant-"

"Don't worry Master, it was just a joke." She said with a perfect poker face.

The Shikikan sweat-dropped before gathering his thoughts. "I wonder if anyone else is coming."

As if on cue, he heard chatter and multiple footsteps coming his.

"Hm? Oh, Royal Navy's here!" Cleveland exclaimed.

"Looks like we made it just in time. It's been awhile since we've all last met." Wales said as she walked up.

"How do you do Enterprise?" Illustrious asked as she walked up.

"Long time no see, Illustrious." She responded with a nod and smile.

The two factions previously already on friendly terms caught up and mingled with each other as they enjoyed the barbeque party.

"Wow Shikikan! These burgers are great! I can't get enough of them!" Cleveland said in between bites.

"At least try to not have so much food on your face Cleve…" Helena said as she offered her a napkin.

"She's right though! These steaks are so juicy and perfectly cooked! Mhm!" Hornet said as she took another twelve-ounce steak and put it on her plate.

"So Enterprise-chan, between the Shikikan and me, who's cooking do you like better?" Vestal asked as she was enjoying her bowl of potato salad.

"…" Enterprise froze.

"Mo, Enterprise-chan, even though I'm just joking, you should be honest! Even I think the Shikikan's cooking is miles above mine."

"I think anyone would've had a had time answering that Vestal." Hornet intervened.

"Hm? You think so?" Vestal pondered.

"Herr KommandantI" The Shikikan turned around to notice Z23 and Ayanami walking to him.

"Hello you two, here for the welcoming party?" He asked.

"Hai des. The other Sakura Empire girls were up until morning and are still recovering from their partying des.

"Ja, Eugen too. Also, I'd like to report that a total of six Iron Blood fräulein will be arriving after sunset.

"Thank you for keeping me up to date. Go ahead and join everyone you two."

'Good to hear they were a no show because of hangovers instead of bad blood between the factions.' He sighed in relief.

"Your cooking skills are beyond anything I could've ever expected Shikikan. I can't seem to ever get enough." KGV said with a huge pile of food in front of her.

'There appetites never cease to amaze me. But seeing them all happy makes everything worth it.' He smiled as he looked at all of their smiling faces.

"More tea Master?" Belfast asked with a pot of tea in her hands.

"Yes, please and thank you."

"Master, I've brought some food from over there here if you'd like."

"Thank you, Sheffield."

"Think nothing of it, also please feel free to just call me 'Sheffy'. Saves a syllable."

The Shikikan was enjoying his chat with the two lovely maids before…

"Are you enjoying the Royal Navy Maid Corps' hospitality, Shikikan?" Enterprise smiled as she came up to him.

"In all honesty, I don't think I'll ever get used to this much attention ahaha." He smiled sheepishly.

"Greetings Miss Enterprise." Belfast curtsied.

"Long time no see Belfast." Enterprise nodded and smiled.

"Oh? Are you two friends?" Shikikan asked.

"Friends is putting it lightly teehee." Hornet said from afar.

"H-hornet!" Enterprise was a dark shade of red.

"Looks like I asked something I shouldn't have, sorry about that you two." The Shikikan bowed his head in apology.

"Wait no Shikikan there's a huge misunder-" Enterprise panicked with a large blush apparent on her face as everyone at the party was looking at them.

After a few seconds, the Shikikan and Belfast started to laugh at the usually cool and calm-minded Enterprise.

"Your maid's intuition is quite terrifying, Belfast." Shikikan said after regaining his composure.

"Wha!?" Enterprise was baffled.

"My apologies Miss Enterprise, I had Master partake in a little prank of mine to liven up the party a bit." She giggled.

"They sure got you good Enty-nee bwahahaa." Hornet had tears in her eyes. Everyone else was trying to stifle their giggles as well.

Enterprise pouted and crossed her arms in response.

"Sorry about that Enterprise, I couldn't say no to Belfast." He tried to console her a bit.

"Don't be, it was well played, and I fell for it." Enterprise responded with a smile.

The party continued on until the massive amount of food the Shikikan had made was devoured to the last morsel.

"Well it's been fun everyone, but I need to go get the final welcome party today ready for our incoming guests. Go ahead and take it easy for the rest of the day and do feel free to come stop by the Iron Blood dorm for the dinner party later if you'd like." The Shikikan said before he upped and left.

"He really is a nice guy." Saratoga spoke up.

"Toldya.." Laffey said before snuggling with Eldridge and San Diego under a tree and falling asleep.

"Yeah! I thought he'd be gloomy and unconfident, but he's the total opposite!" Hornet added.

"I thought so too, but I'm relieved to see him so chipper!" Cleveland said before polishing off her umpteenth burger.

"What do you think Enterprise-chan?" Vestal asked as they were off to the side together.

"He quickly got on Grim's good side and has an approachable kind personality. He treats us really well, almost as if we are normal humans. I think he'll be a good commander without a doubt." She gave her honest opinion.

"He's also able to smile and tease you despite all he went through." Vestal sung, bringing back Enterprise's blush.

[With Shikikan]

Hours had passed since he left the Eagle Union welcoming party. The Shikikan just finished getting everything ready for the final welcoming party of the day.

"Is there anything else I can do to help Herr Kommandant?" Z23 had arrived an hour ago and offered to help him get ready.

"Nope, that's everything that needed to be done. But any idea when they arrive?"

"Let me ask Eugen. She said she'd wait out by the docks for them and message me when they arrive."

"Sounds good. But hey Z23, what are your fellow Iron Blood friends like?"

"Umm.." She hesitated a bit. "Some of the Iron Blood members pride themselves in being strong and might come off as a bit arrogant and reckless. Others are the quieter type that don't really do much socialization outside. But! We all protect one another and won't ever run away from the enemy!" She tried to recover so not to negatively impact the Shikikan's view of Iron Blood.

"I see, hopefully we can all get along without too much trouble." He wished aloud.

Ring! Ring!

"Oh! Eugen said they landed on the docks and are walking here now!"

"Alright let's head on out." He said as he walked on out with Z23 in tow.

Moments later outside of the Iron Blood dorm, he saw Prinz Eugen and six other figures walking towards him and Z23.

"Herr Kommandant, these are my fellow Ironblood fräuleins." Eugen said as she waved an arm to them.

"Sigh, couldn't you have introduced us a bit better Eugen? So you're the Shikikan huh?" A short blonde girl with green eyes and a sharp tongue was taking a long look at the commander. This was due to two reasons. She heard his backstory from Eugen and Tirpitz and because she couldn't help but stare into his amethyst colored eyes.

"Ho? Did Herr Kommandant bewitch you with his magic eyes Hipper?" Eugen smirked.

"H-Huh!? Who would be bewitched by this dummkopf? A-anyway I'm Admiral Hipper, Eugen's big sister. Hhmpf!" She crossed her arms defiantly and looked away.

'That manga I read a while ago, she reminds a lot like her. 'Tsundere' was it?' Shikikan thought after feeling a sense of déjà vu.

"…Guess I'll go next. I'm Scharnhorst, I will stand until the last moment in any battle. This is my determination, as well as my pride. Leave all the fighting to me!" She announced.

"I'm Gneisenau, although not as headstrong as big sister, I'm still confident about my combat capabilities…"

A young girl with short white hair and a red streak looked at another girl with long black hair dressed in mostly black as if signaling something.

"I know, I know Spee. I'm number A ship of the Deutschland-class - Deutschland! Such a prestigious individual would not go into combat so easily, so naturally I don't have much battle results, it's spiritual leadership you know?"

The girl with short white hair spoke up next. "I am Ironblood navy's third ship of the Deutschland class Panzerschiff, Graf Spee."

The last to speak was a small girl with long gray hair and golden eyes. "Ironblood Navy Z-class destroyer 1936C class. My name is ... shame, I do not have a name yet. Just call me Z46 for now."

'What an interesting bunch' he thought before speaking. "Good evening everyone. I'm glad to see you've all arrived safe and sound. To welcome you all, I've prepared an Iron Blood themed dinner inside, please follow me."

The Iron Blood girls looked at each other in surprise and confusion before following after him to the dining hall where they were assaulted by the familiar smell of pork knuckles, pork and chicken schnitzel, bratwursts, potato salad, and freshly made pretzels.

"And to top it all off, I had the local Iron Blood brewery deliver five barrels of their bier. Please help yourselves."

"A feast befitting a noble such as I! Well done servant—Ow!" Deutschland was forced to a halt after being hit on the head by Scharnhorst. Deutschland was about to complain before realizing what she said. She and everyone else besides Z23 and Eugen looked at him worriedly.

"Um, is something wrong?" He was oblivious as to what was going on.

"Herr Kommandant." Z23 said while waving her hand down so she could whisper something to him.

"Hmm? …Ohhhhh, I see." It was now the newly arrived Iron Blood girls turn to be lost.

"While I appreciate the sentiments, please don't feel the need to step on eggshells with me. I might not be 100% over being a Siren prisoner and lab rat, but I've recovered enough to know you girls mean no harm." He smiled before continuing. "Heh, I mean this in the best way possible when I say this but even though your faction name is Iron Blood, you girls are quite nice and friendly. Thank you." He said with a small chuckle." There was a combination of blushes and sighs of relief among the girls hearing his words.

"You're such a worrywart Hipper. I told you he would be fine. Eugen said as she wrapped an arm around Hipper and poked her cheek.

"H-Huh!? Who was worried!? It's not like I wanted to make sure this dummkopf was okay or anything! H-hmpf." She said as she forced her way out of Eugen's embrace and crossed her arms while looking away from everyone. The phrase 'a complete tsundere' appeared in everyone's head upon hearing this.

"…Well enough of this, let's enjoy the food while it's still good!" Scharnhorst was the first to break the silence as she led the charge to the tables of food.

"A taste similar to that made back in the Iron Blood lands, and yet, no matter how much I consume, this feeling of desire does not vanish. Is this the temptation of gluttony?" Z46 was confused at how no matter how much she ate, she didn't feel herself getting full whatsoever as she continued to try all of the Shikikan's cooking."

"What a wonderful servant I've acquired ahaha! Providing your master with high quality food and drink….do remind to reward you later ahaha." Deutschland exclaimed as she piled her plate high with bratwursts and pretzels.

"You were right Eugen! Herr Kommandant! Your cooking and all this bier is perfect after a hard day's work, Prost!" Scharnhorst said as she clanged mugs with everyone including the Shikikan.

"Nya? Oh! Shikikan and everyone already started nya!" Everyone turned around to see Akashi, Yuubari, Ayanami, Laffey, and Javelin standing by the doorway.

"Come in everyone! There's still more than plenty!" Z23 waved them over.

"Hmm?" The Shikikan noticed that Graf Spee was struggling to hold utensils with her large mechanical arms. The Shikikan went around, pulled up a chair, and sat next to her. "Need some help?" He asked.

"? Oh, Herr Kommandant, sorry, these hands are only good for grasping victory in battle." She said as she dropped her fork once again.

"Hmm it does seem quite troublesome, hey Akashi, do you think you can do anything to help Graf Spee?" He called to the cat girl stuffing her face with pretzels.

"Nya?" She said as she walked over to Spee and began observing her hands. "Hai nya, with Yuubari's help it'll be a cinch, but it might cost a bit nya…"

"That's fine. Please do so as soon as possible."

"Herr Kommandant?" Graf Spee was surprised to hear what she heard him say. He was willing to devote time and resources for her without hesitation.

"Don't worry, Akashi's really smart and knows her way around repairs and remodeling. You'll have regular hands in no time." He smiled.

"But the resources-" She tried to protest.

"It's okay Graf Spee, a few resources mean nothing to me if it's for improving your life here." He interjected. "But for now, here." He said as he took her plate and brought a fork with a piece of schnitzel on it up to her mouth.

Graf Spee looked at the fork and then at him before blushing at the realization that he was offering to feed her. She looked at him and couldn't get a sense of any devious or sinister plot from him as he smiled at her. She reluctantly agreed as she ate the schnitzel.

"How is it?"

"It's the best." She said with a smile that surprised everyone with how it almost seemingly radiated happiness.

'Affinity up!'

"Jealous, are we?" Eugen asked as she caught Hipper staring as she drank, causing Hipper to start coughing on her drink before she began to nag her mischievous little sister.

The night proceeded on wards with all the food gone and surprisingly all five barrels of bier as well. The Shikikan himself had a bit much to drink as his vision was a bit blurry as he waved the girls good night and walked out back to his room.

'What a busy, yet fun day. With all four factions present here, I wonder what tomorrow will bring." He pondered as he prepared to take a well-deserved rest.

[Meanwhile in a distant part of the sea, inside a dark cold alien-like fortress]

"Arbiter, Purifier has been reborn…..again." A small pale girl with pure white skin and short white hair said.

"Good, bring her here so I can change that." The Empress was not in a good mood as she sat on her throne-like chair with a murderous glare in her eyes.

"I understand you're upset Purifier failed her guard duty of-him, but you've dismantled her over a hundred times now. I'm sure you've ingrained in her your wrath…"

"Quiet Observer 0, because of that useless idiot, I lost my favorite toy I spent so much time on…." She snarled as her aura was acting like a raging fire.

The door to the room swung open to reveal a very pale girl with long, wild white hair and glowing yellow eyes.

"This better be good Tester…" Arbiter growled.

"Excuse my presence, but I have some news you might like Arbiter."

"Being…?" Her eyes narrowed.

Tester put on an evil smile before continuing. "I have confirmation on his whereabouts."

Arbiter was silent for a moment before a very wicked smile appeared on her face as her eyes glowed brightly.

"Never mind on bringing Purifier here Observer 0, it looks like I'll have my favorite toy back here soon enough." She said as she got up and began walking to the door.

"Wait Arbiter" Observer 0 said as stepped forward and stood in front of Arbiter. "Have you forgotten? Our jobs are clear. We ourselves are not to do anything—"

"Out. Of. The. Way. NOW" Arbiter's rigging appeared behind her as all of her devastating firepower locked on the little girl in front of her.

"I really didn't want to have to use force, but it looks like I have no choice." Observer 0 sighed before she revealed her jellyfish like rigging.

"I should probably get out of here fast." Tester said before fleeing the scene as fast as she could.

The fight between the two Siren Elites led to a raging storm around the surrounding areas and unknown to the Shikikan, a storm was coming his way as well.


Glad to see people are liking my story so far! 50 favs and 70 follows woo! Let's see if we can hit a hundred for both! So don't forget to fav, follow, and comment if you like the story!

Apologies again for the extensive delay everyone! Life happened and I couldn't find much free time to write.

Thank you for your continued support and please do look forward to next time on Azur Lane fanfic: An Unsung Legend Chapter 8: The True Beginning!