Chapter 12: Scorching Hot Arrivals and Ice Cold Feelings!


"Physical wounds will definitely bleed and may look painful but over time they heal by themselves and if you apply medicine, they will heal faster. What's troublesome are wounds of the heart. Nothing is harder to heal. They're a bit different from physical injuries. You can't apply medicine for one thing and sometimes, they never heal. There's only one cure for a wound of the heart. It's a bit bothersome and you can only receive it from someone else. What is it? Love." – Yashamaru, Naruto


A few days have passed since Shikikan's victory in the naval exercise against the four major kansen factions. Now feeling as if he was finally settling into his role as base commander, new challenges await as his journey continues.

'Dock yard and depot upgrades: check. Replies to commission requests: check. Training and patrol schedules: check. Dorm maintenance and upgrade requests: check. Briefing and recreational rooms refurbished…check. Canteen and base stores resupplied: check. Request from Akashi for gem 'inspection': ….Denied.' Currently, Shikikan was in the zone as he made his last checks on today's completed mountain of papers.

"Excellent work Master." Shikikan's secretary for today, Sheffield, complimented as she placed a cup of tea before him.

"Thank you, Sheffy." He replied as he gratefully took the tea.

"I'm impressed Master. To think you were actually capable of doing paperwork is astounding news." She questionably complimented, to which he could only chuckle awkwardly as he slowly sipped the soothing brew.

"By the way Sheffy, were you able to confirm with the newly arrived girls on if they've managed to fully settle in?"

"Yes Master, they –" Sheffield started to say.

"Yo, Commander!" A voice called out as the office door opened, revealing themselves to be none other than Cleveland and San Diego.

"We finished patrols and can confirm no strange activity anywhere around the base." Cleveland reported as she saluted with a large grin.

"Good work you two." He nodded as he got up and stretched, his arms aching from writing and sorting papers and his body stiff from sitting all day.

"A knock is considered good and common etiquette you two." Sheffield sighed.

"Heh, sorry about that, I always kind of forget when I'm coming in here." Cleveland chuckled shyly.

"Com~man~der! You were right! Walking around the base helped me get some new song ideas! Wanna hear?" San Diego invited as she happily twirled around the room and closer to him.

"Sure, but after I get something to eat." He agreed as he patted the carefree cruiser's head.

It was then that a knocking sound turned everyone's attention to the door.

"Shikikan, about t-." Takao started as she had started entering immediately after knocking.

"Waiting for a confirmation to come in is also considered proper etiquette…" Sheffield sighed again as she poured three cups of tea.

"M-my apologies, I was not expecting to see so many people in Shikikan's office at this time." Takao lowered her head.

"No worries, it's been a long day and I'm sure everyone's just tired and hungry." Shikikan smiled as he gestured for her to come in. "So did the training plan seem alright?"

"Hai!" Takao saluted. "The assault, escort, and advance raid scenarios you've created have already proven to be quite challenging."

"Raid scenarios?" Cleveland questioned.

"Allow me to explain." Sheffield jutted in as she brought everyone a cup of tea. "Thanks to Akashi, Master has dedicated quite a bit of time into observing the recordings from the exercise we had four days ago. In order to both further improve our abilities as kansen and to create a sense of camaraderie and synergy between the four factions, Master created countless training regimes for us.

"It is as she says." Takao confirmed as she sat down on the couch and sipped on the surprisingly pleasant tea. "Being among the first to test out the training scenarios, I can confirm everyone will benefit from these tough challenges."

"Sounds interesting, thanks Commander!" Cleveland grinned.

"No prob. Since I can't really fight on the front lines, I figured supporting everyone as much as I can from the sidelines is the least I can do."

"That is very good and all Master but running yourself ragged and losing sleep will not only inconvenience yourself but us as well. Please keep your health in mind, Master." Sheffield bluntly requested.

"Come to think of it, I do see some bags forming under your eyes Shikikan." Takao said as she was oblivious to how close she had leaned into his face.

"T-Takao? Y-you're a bit close…" Shikikan blushed.

It took Takao no longer than a split second to realize what he meant as she quickly backed away, blushing heavily. "A-apologies Shikikan, my eyesight isn't the best."

Just then the sound of a camera flashing was heard. "Ah, a good idea, finally! This will definitely make the front page!" A new voice was heard from the now open doorway revealing a neon blue haired fox girl vigorously writing down on a notepad. "Whoops, blew my cover….Later!" She sung before quickly dashing out.

"C-Chotto matte Aoba! You misunderstand!" Takao yelled as she chased after the mischievous newly arrived kansen.

"Aha….." Shikikan sweat dropped before turning to face Sheffield. "That reminds me, you were about to speak right Sheffy?"

"I'm pleased that you've managed to remember." She replied, earning an unsure chuckle from Shikikan as Cleveland and San Diego had apparently buried themselves into some of Shikikan's newly bought manga that lined the no longer empty bookshelf on the other side of the office.

"In addition to Aoba, Nagara, Leander, and Phoenix have comfortably settled into the base." Sheffield confirmed for the four new allies, who've all awoken in the dockyard over the past four days. "And judging from how all four of them were sent on an escort commission earlier today…" She continued as she gazed over to the doorway.

And as fate would have it…

"Shikikan? We're coming in." Nagara announced as she came in with Leander and Phoenix in tow.

"Good evening, Commander. The escort commission was a resounding success. Please take the rewards." Leander informed as she handed him a file listing said rewards.

"Great work you three. Were there any troubles?" He asked as he skimmed over the file.

"Nope, so hurry and send me out another commission Commander! My hand is calling out to me to seize victory!" Phoenix posed as she swung her arm up and pointed to the ceiling.

"Heh, well we do have a night commission for guarding an oil extraction project. How's that sound?"

"You can count on me Commander! I'll paint the east red in blood if any Sirens show up!" The energetic cruiser cheered.

"Alright then, I'll schedule you in with Helena, Z46, and Atago then." He said as he added her name to the commission response list.

"My, you would definitely get along well with my sister Achilles." Leander giggled.

"Wow! You finished all of that paperwork already? Well done, Commander." Nagara praised him as she playfully patted his head.

"Thanks Nagara." Shikikan said as he happily went along with the new cruiser's doting tendency. 'Quite the unique bunch of new faces, but I wouldn't have it any other way.' Shikikan smiled as he saw everyone happily getting along.

"I'm quite famished so I shall be taking my leave now. Have a good night Commander!" Leander smiled as she curtsied and walked out.

"Oh, me too! I'm going to need it for the night commission! Later Commander!" Phoenix grinned before following after her.

"Make sure you eat something too and don't stay up too late Shikikan!" Nagara added before she too left for the canteen.

"Whoa! Was there a party in Commander's office that I didn't hear about?" Looking up, Shikikan noticed that as the three of them were leaving, Hornet along with Saratoga, Shoukaku, and Zuikaku had swapped in.

"Hey Sara! Didja just come back from a commission too?" San Diego shouted as she looked up and noticed more familiar faces.

"Yeah! I was coming here to report to Commander b-wait.." Saratoga paused as she looked down towards what San Diego had in her hands. "Is that the first volume of Sailor Magica!?"

"Don't know, I just picked this one from over there because it looked pretty." San Diego giggled as she pointed to Commander's fully stocked manga bookshelf.

"My juustagram's been blowing up about this new series, but I haven't had any time to go buy it!" Saratoga said as she rushed over to read alongside San Diego.

"Hey Sara, did you forget we had a report to give?" Hornet called out to her fellow carrier but was left hanging as Saratoga was too busy gushing over the newest volume before her. "Guess, I'll just do it then." She smiled before turning to face Shikikan.

"The carrier training was a success Commander. I wasn't expecting it to be that hard, but I'm glad it was since I'll be able to catch up to Enty in no time!"

"I second that!" Zuikaku added. "Nothing beats the satisfaction of overcoming tough challenges and these training sessions will help do just that! I'm sure of it!"

"Glad to hear." Shikikan smiled as he finished his tea.

"Perhaps you can get some rest now Shikikan." Shoukaku spoke as she walked up close and stared into his tired eyes.

'Déjà vu..' Shikikan thought as he stared into her gorgeous deep blue eyes.

"Hmm? Shikikan, have you not been sleeping?" Zuikaku questioned.

"No, I have, but just not enough to call it healthy." He admitted before yawning.

"That's no good Shikikan. You need to rest, otherwise, you'll get sick and worry m-us." Shoukaku blushed a bit as she stutter.

"Agreed. I'll send out the papers to where they need to go, so go have dinner and sleep early tonight Master." Sheffield ordered.

"Have you not had dinner yet?" Shoukaku asked, a smile perking up when he nodded 'no'.

"Then come have dinner with Shoukaku-nee and me!" Zuikaku grinned as she grabbed him by the wrist and practically flew him like a kite out of the office.

"W-wait Zuikaku! We've got plenty of time!" Shikikan yelled to no avail.

"I guess I'll go after them." Shoukaku sighed. "I shall be taking my leave now. Oyasumi." She politely bowed to Sheffield and Hornet before leaving.

"So, were there any tensions between them, you, and your sister?" Sheffield asked moments after.

"Kinda…" Hornet replied as she nonchalantly put her hands behind her head. "There's definitely some sort of rivalry between Zuikaku and Sis, but nothing out of line."

"I suppose only time and Master's efforts will tell." Sheffield assumed.

"Yeah you might be right about that." Hornet agreed before grinning once more. "So, how'd you like being his secretary?"

"To be honest, when I first met him, I thought he would be unreliable, unconfident, and unable to properly command us." Sheffield bluntly admitted, earning an awkward laugh from Hornet.

"But…" She continued. "After that joint exercise battle and being his secretary, I'll admit he's more than meets the eyes. He's soft spoken, but he gets the job done, effectively and efficiently might I add, and he's an earnest hard worker." Sheffield said with a ghost of a smile on her face.

"Looks like someone's been smitten." Hornet teased.

"…I have no idea what you're talking about or whom you speak of for that matter." Sheffield said, her poker face right back on and as impenetrable as ever.

"Ahaha…" Hornet chuckled before turning her attention over to Cleveland. "What 'cha reading over there Clevie?"

"It's the new one Reno's juustagram has been blowing up about!" Cleveland grinned as she held up the manga.

"Oh, the superhero one about a guy being able to win any fight with a single punch, right?" Hornet guessed as she walked over.

"Yeah, and to be honest, I can see why she likes it so much! Wanna read it together?"

"Sure!" Hornet agreed and lied down next to Cleveland.

"Wanna join us Sheffy?" Cleveland offered.

"Thank you for the offer, but I've already taken a liking to this one." She politely declined as she reached out by the coffee table and picked up another manga.

"Which ones that?" Hornet inquired.

"This one's a love story revolving around an accomplished piano prodigy. Due to his tragic past, he suffered a mental breakdown that stopped him from wanting to play again, that is until he meets a talented violinist dead set on bringing him back." Sheffield spoke with uncharacteristically high enthusiasm, before quickly reverting back to her usual poker face. "In short, it's quite good thus far and I'm looking forward to reading more."

"I'll look into it, but I gotta say, Commander's definitely got a wide range of interests…" Hornet thought aloud, to which Sheffield and Cleveland nodded in agreement before all three of them happily returned back to their stories.

[Back with Shikikan]

"Um Shoukaku?"

"Hai Shikikan?"

"This is a lot of food…" Shikikan said as he had three plates worth of food before him.

"Don't worry Shikikan, Fusou and Yamashiro made plenty and the rest of the girls have already eaten, so don't feel the need to hold back. Shoukaku smiled sweetly as she brought a pair of chopsticks holding a piece of chicken to his mouth. "Your arms must be sore from writing all day, so allow me to offer my assistance."

"I appreciate the offer, but my arms are fin-"

"Ahh" She hummed sweetly as she brought the chopsticks closer.

"B-but everyone's wat-" He fruitlessly tried to protest.

"Ahh." Shoukaku hummed again, only this time a bit more demandingly.

"Ah" Shikikan said, quickly giving in.

"Oishi?" She happily asked.

Flustered from the giggles of other girls in the canteen, the Shikikan could only manage a small nod.

"Ehehe….you look so cute Shikikan." A drunken Hyuuga teased as she sat down next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Here have a drink!" She said before quickly emptying a sake cup into his mouth.

"Well aren't you a lucky guy Shikikan ahahaha!" Ise laughed heartily as she chimed in. "Ever since coming here, life's a lot more vivid and entertaining now. Cheers, Shikikan!" She added before downing a large bottle of sake.

"Shikikannnn…..Akashi is sleepy nyaaaa." The green-haired catgirl groaned as she hopped onto his lap, curled up, and quickly fell asleep.

"Hmm? Did you let Akashi drink?" Zuikaku asked Ise as she noticed a half full sake cup right by where Akashi was sitting.

"No, but she must've snuck one in when I wasn't looking, but it looks like it only took her a swig to call it quits ahaha!" Ise laughed.

"Milord! Here's some dess—waaa!" Yamashiro said before she tripped on her own leg and fell down, the sundae she was carrying flying out of her hands and straight into a knowing and awaiting Fusou's hands."

"Good thing I came out with you Yamashiro. Please do try to be more mindful of your surroundings." She sighed as she placed the bowl right in front of Shikikan.

"Hai….." Yamashiro said with swirls in her eyes.

"Are you alright Yamashiro?" Shikikan asked concerningly.

"Wa Milord! I mean no, wait yes I'm fine…sorry…." Yamashiro tried to speak before looking downcast for a split second until Shikikan decided to pat her head.

"No harm done, I'm just glad you're alright." He smiled warmly.

"Ehehe, arigato Milord!" She hummed as she quickly cheered up.

"Here you go Shikikan, say 'ahh'" Shoukaku happily requested as she reloaded her chopsticks with more food.

"Drink up Shikikan! The night's young!" Hyuuga cheered as she drunkenly waved the sake bottle in the air and clanged cups with her tipsy sister.

'Eh, might as well enjoy it…right?' He shrugged before giving into the Sakura Empire girls whims.

[Early next morning]

'Ugh..' Shikikan groaned as he accidentally rolled out of his bed. Looking around, he noticed that he was somehow in his room and saw that it was just past 6:00 AM. Thinking back, he remembered Takao coming into the canteen not too long after he gave in to the girls and dragging him back to his room, reminding him that he needed to get a good night's rest for once. Turning over, he noticed a tall glass of water sitting on his nightstand.

'I should thank Takao later.' He thought as he quickly clenched his dry throat and then decided to go back to sleep since he still had time before he needed to get back to work.

Closing his eyes, he slowly drifted back into a peaceful slumber, but when he opened his eyes again, he found himself no longer in his room, but in a grassy meadow divided up by multiple tranquil flowing streams. Confused, he looked around and noticed a huge cherry blossom tree in the near distance. Now intrigued, he walked closer to it, paling in comparison to how massive the tree was as petals endlessly fluttered around it.

'This is a dream…right?' He thought before he felt a few petals landed on his cheek. 'Apparently I had too much fun.' He joked as he actually felt the sensation of the petals in his hand as he picked it off his face.

"Hmm? Who might you be?" A gentle, feminine voice asked from behind him.

Surprised, he quickly turned around, but he saw no one there. "Oh great, now I'm hallucinating." He frowned.

"No need to feel perturbed, I can assure you that you are in no danger here. But, judging from what you just said, I can assume two things. The first being the more obvious one in that you have no idea how you came here or where 'here' even is." The voice spoke once more, but this time Shikikan couldn't pinpoint exactly where it was coming from.

"Yeah, I was in my room falling back asleep and then when I opened my eyes again, I ended up here somehow." He confessed to the unknown entity.

"I see, then that makes my second assumption seem more likely."

"Could I ask what that might be?" He asked curiously.

"That there is something greater at play here, or fate, if you will. May I ask for your name and affiliations?"

Taking a moment to think, Shikikan spoke. "Long story short, I've lost my memories of anything further than a month ago in addition to my name. But as for my affiliation, I'm the commander of a naval base."

" I see…well then, please allow me to refer to you as Shikikan. As for myself, please call me *****…..strange. It seems I'm unable to disclose that information." The voice pondered aloud.

Oddly enough, Shikikan's mind wandered back to a certain law regarding equivalent exchange that he read in one of the mangas he bought. Before he could dive deeper though, the voice spoke once more.

"Well anyway, since you are already here, would you like to chat?" The voice kindly offered as Shikikan decided 'why not?' and plopped down next to the tree.

Time seemed to have stopped as the two chatted away endlessly. Unknowingly and uncaringly, the Shikikan ended up telling the unknown voice everything that happened since he arrived on base. The voice seemingly enjoyed his tales and happily continued to listen, only to be stopped when a bright light beginning to shine through the domain.

"A shame, it would seem we must part ways…." The voice said, sounding a bit downcast.

"Will I ever speak with you again?" He asked.

"I can't say for sure, but I certainly hope so, you're quite an affable fellow after all. Although I would prefer to meet again in hopefully under less… surreal circumstances." The voice giggled.

"I hope so too. Speaking with you really puts my mind at ease." He smiled.

"Likewise, perhaps you really are the one…" The voice spoke, seemingly wandering off in thought.

"What do you mean?" He questioned.

"Forgive me, I was just contemplating some things. Farewell for now, Shikikan."

As the light began to become the only thing he could see, he heard the voice say one last thing.

"While the road ahead might seem perilous, I believe that is also what makes the journey worthwhile. May you be blessed with good tidings…Shikikan…-sama." With those last encouraging words, she bid him farewell as the light engulfed him.

Upon opening his eyes, he noticed a familiar ceiling. 'And just like that I'm back huh?' He guessed as he looked over to the clock once more.

'7:45 AM, might as well get up since 15 minutes will do me nothing.' He decided as he got up and out of bed. 'Strangely enough, after whatever 'that' was, I'm feeling pretty good.' He noticed as he did some morning stretches before getting ready for the day, feeling wide awake and raring to go.

After doing his morning routine and having a hearty breakfast of oatmeal, yogurt, and a fruit salad, he made his way downstairs to his office with a large mug of coffee in his hands. As he sat down, he saw a notification on his computer from Victoria requesting a video chat.

"Good morning Vice Admiral." He saluted and smiled once Victoria appeared.

"Did you miss the part where I said this would just be a casual chat?" Victoria sighed hearing him address her so unfamiliarly

"Nope and sorry about that." He chuckled lightly. " I just learned recently I can't help myself sometimes."

"I can see that, but well, I'm glad to see you're still doing alright. There haven't been any complaints or issues directed at you, but I still thought it be nice to check up on you regardless." She smiled warmly.

"Thank you for that." He smiled back. "Although, I did have a great teacher to thank for that."

Victoria laughed happily with a soft blush on her cheeks. "I'm glad to hear I didn't scare you away with those cram courses. But anyway, since I finally have some free time, I just wanted to congratulate you on your first naval exercise and victory to boot."

"Ah thank-wait what? How'd you know we had a naval exercise?" He asked wide-eyed and confused.

"Oh? Didn't Akashi tell you? I had to speak with her yesterday regarding some research work and the exercise came up as a topic. She ended up offering me a video recording of it when I asked about it. Greedy cat actually had me pay for it with gems too." Victoria sighed

"Heh, that does sound like Akashi alright." He chuckled.

"Yeah no kidding, but when I was watching it in the lounge room TV, a bunch of other officers ended up swinging by and saw it too. Word got out and soon enough, the entire division ended up watching it. And I gotta say, you're quite the celebrity over here, even being dubbed 'the devilish rookie'." Victoria laughed.

"I...I don't know how I feel about that title…" Shikikan laughed awkwardly.

"Don't worry, I'm sure it'll change sooner or later. But any before I head off, I do need to talk business with you." She said before her face turned a bit serious. "There's been some sightings of flashing lights and strange noises about 34 nautical miles east from where you are. We've sent some drones to investigate but they all went black before we could see anything. We're shorthanded right now, so High Command wants you to investigate and report back before the end of today."

'I really hope it's not what I think it is….' He worried. "Will do. I'll sortie with the girls there before noon."

"Thank you Shikikan." Victoria had a knowing look on her face but decided not to press on. "I should probably get going now, but don't hesitate to reach out to me. Work related or not. Keep up the good work and stay safe Shikikan." She smiled.

"Will do. See you later Victoria." He waved good-bye before the call ended. 'Come to think of it, she mentioned research work. Is Victoria part of Azur Lane R&D?' He wondered.

'Hmm..., wait what's that noise?' He questioned as he heard some noise coming from behind his door.

[A few minutes ago in front of Shikikan's office doors]

"Hmm? Might I ask what you ladies are doing with your heads pressed against Master's office doors so early in the morning?" Belfast inquired the group of eavesdroppers.

"Morning Bel!" Hornet casually greeted. "I have all of this extra energy and wanted to ask Commander if there were any good commissions I could go on."

"The dummkopf wanted a budget report on the Ironblood dorm upgrade expenses so here I am being the messenger." Hipper sighed as she waved a file in her hands.

"I see" Belfast smiled and nodded. "And what about you Miss Takao?" She glanced over to said heavy cruiser.

"Shikikan indulged himself quite a bit last night…and," Takao started to blush, "I just wanted to make sure he was alright…" She reddened.

"I-indulge!?" A flustered Hipper questioned loudly as she stared incredulously at Takao.

"H-huh? Ah! N-no! You misunderstand!" Takao panicked as she realized she chose her words poorly.

"I'm sure Miss Takao was just referring to liquor, am I correct?" Belfast calmly stepped in.

"H-hai! H-how could you think of something so l-lecherous? H-how shameless!" Takao squealed at Hipper.

"H-hah? How am I the shameless one when you're the one who said something so misleading!?" A red faced Hipper fought back.

Before either could continue arguing the door opened, revealing a puzzled Shikikan wondering what the fuss outside the door was.

"Um…is something wrong?" He asked.

"N-nothing!" Takao and Hipper both quickly lied.

"Apologies Master, did we disrupt your call?" Belfast bowed.

"Nope. I had just ended when I started to hear yelling. Did something happen?" He questioned.

"N-nothing you dummkopf!" Hipper quickly spoke. "J-just hurry up and take this document you wanted so badly already!" The tsundere nagged as she handed him the file.

Still feeling playful, he decided to tease her. "Aw thanks Hipper, but you didn't have to go out of your way to get this done so early in the morning."

"H-huh!? Who was going out of their way!? I just woke up early and thought I'd be productive! It's not like I did it for a baka dummkopf like you or anything!" Hipper said, showing off her prowess as the epitome of a tsundere.

"I'm honored to have such an honest and hard-working person like you, Hipper." He smiled as he patted her head.

"Hmph, it's about time you realized how grateful you should be." She scoffed, not seemingly putting in any effort to swat away his hand.

"Pft…" Hornet started as held back her laughter.

"Well I've got no other business here so I'm going to head back, so don't you dare slack off!" Hipper nagged albeit with a satisfied happy blush as she turned around and walked away.

"Nice job tsundere tamer." Hornet joked.

"Heh, thanks Hornet, but to be honest I half expected you to be one as well." He jokingly admitted.

"Sorry about that." Hornet cheerfully sung. "Just cause I'm a twin tailed blonde, doesn't mean I'm a tsundere, you know! After all, I'm not a stereotypical woman!" She proclaimed.

'I'm willing to bet Hipper would've raged if she heard that.' Shikikan thought as he glanced over to where Hipper headed off towards.

"Good morning Master. Have you partaken in breakfast yet?" Belfast greeted him warmly.

"Morning, and yeah, just a light one though." He smiled back.

"Very good, shall we begin today's work then?" Belfast curtsied. "Belfast, your maid and today's secretary, reporting for duty."

'Oh, Shikikan already has a secretary for the day…' Takao thought, not noticing a slightly downhearted expression apparent on her face, not to be unnoticed by Shikikan in particular.

"Hey Takao, I have to go out on a commission later, would you like to come with me?"

Upon hearing this, Takao brightened up immediately. "H-hai! It'll be my honor!"

"What type of commission is it?" Hornet asked.

"High Command has asked us to investigate some strange sights and noises to our east. They sent some drones earlier, but apparently they all went missing." He informed with a slight tone of nervousness.

All three of them quickly noticing the change in his voice, they exchanged glances with each other before silently agreeing to not pry into it…for now.

"Sounds interesting, let me in too!" Hornet requested.

"Sure why not? A fleet hasn't been decided yet after all." He decided before turning back to his office desk. "I'll decide on who to bring after I make a dent in the paperwork over here. But for now, please stand on standby for now. Perhaps a hearty breakfast be a good idea too."

"Yes sir!" Hornet and Takao saluted before heading off to the canteen.

"Alright, shall we start then Belfast?"

"With pleasure Master." She replied before the two made their way inside and got straight to work. Paperwork that is.

[Later in the canteen]

"Hey Takao, are you still worried?" Hornet questioned.

"Hai, if the Sirens really are at play here, then I really don't think Shikikan should go." Takao frowned.

"Yeah, but orders are order sadly." Hornet frowned before cheering right back up. "That said, it's up to us to prevent anything bad from happening!"

"Heh, agreed." Takao replied as Hornet's infectious smile easily got to her as well.

"Morning you two, mind if I sit?" Enterprise asked with a tray of breakfast in hand.

"Don't leave out Onee-san now!" Atago smiled with a comically large bowl of ramen on her tray.

"Mornin' Sis!" Hornet cheered as she pulled out a chair for her.

"How was the night commission Atago?" Takao asked, doing the same.

"A few mass-produced Siren ships probably scouting the area, but nothing really worth mentioning. But us girls on the commission did get to know each other a bit better. Itadakimasu." Atago said before digging in.

"Speaking of commissions, did you manage to convince Commander to give you an interesting one?" Enterprise questioned as she bit into her toast.

"Yeah, but.." Hornet started before she glanced over to Takao, who quickly understood why and nodded in reply.

"But?" Enterprise asked.

"Okay so basically High Command wants Commander himself to investigate some strange lights and noises that drones can't get to without getting shot down."

Hearing this both Atago and Enterprise both stopped taking another bite as they quickly realized what Hornet was implying.

"I'm going to speak with Commander." Enterprise started before Hornet grabbed her by her sleeve.

"I get how ya feel Sis, but eat first, unless you want Vestal to scold you for not eating properly again." Hornet half joked.

"Y-yeah, good idea." Enterprise shuttered as she sat back down. Vestal was one of the scariest people to anger, and that's saying something.

[Back with Shikikan]

"Master, you stopped working." Belfast remarked. "Are you alright?"

"S-sorry Belfast, I just had something on my mind." He said before getting back to the papers in front of him.

"Are you still troubled by what High Command has asked of you?"

Hearing her accurately guess his obvious concern, he looked up and smiled somberly at her.

"Master if I may, perhaps it would be for the best that you request not to be directly involved with this commission in particular." Belfast suggested.

"I would agree, but I'm willing to bet this is High Command's test to see if I'm right for the job, not that I can blame them though. Can't have someone unable to confront Sirens head on for such an important position after all." He reasoned.

"You're most likely correct, Master, but that being said, are you certain you will be fine?" Belfast asked worryingly.

"I…I really don't know, but I have to make that first step at some point, right?" He sighed heavily.

Belfast stared at him for moment, seemingly trying to make up her mind. "All of your points are valid and rational, but I'm still rather troubled, so I humbly request to participate on this commission, Master." She decided.

"Us too Commander." Another voice spoke as the door to the office opened, revealing not only Enterprise, Atago, Hornet, and Takao, but Eugen, Wales, and Shoukaku as well.

Belfast looked questionably at Takao and Hornet, where the former blushed and bowed apologetically, and the latter whistled while trying to avoid making eye contact.

"My apologies, I was not expecting this to be blown out of proportion." Takao started, with Hornet nodding vigorously.

"Nonsense, this is a rather urgent matter that needs to be taken seriously." Wales retorted. "Commander, do you really intend to take on this commission?"

Taking a deep breath, he steeled his resolve. "Yes, as per High Command's orders, I will be taking part directly on this commission, regardless of the potential threats there."

"Understood. Then, as unanimously decided by us faction representatives, we request that you take the necessary precautions and take two fleets of kansen with you." Wales stated.

"And don't think of trying to wiggle your way out of this Herr Kommandant. Our minds are made up and we refuse to take any chances." Eugen added, to which everyone nodded in agreement.

Silence passed through the office as Shikikan rested his head behind his folded hands on the desk.

"Shikikan?" Shoukaku started.

Looking up and bringing his hands down, Shikikan spoke. "I don't know what I'd do without you girls. Thank you." He smiled sincerely, causing the girls to blush various shades of red.

"Ara, you're such a tease Shikikan. Onee-san was ready to stand her ground until you gave in." Atago half joked.

"I believe it was because Master was trying his best not to show his tears." Belfast blurted out.

"…..I have no idea what you're talking about Bel." He deadpanned, leading everyone to giggle at his flustered self.

"W-well anyway, I'll decide on who else will be coming once I finish the rest of these papers." He said, trying to change the subject.

"Fret not Commander. Your deliverance has arrived." KGV spoke as she too appeared from the doorway, with Z23 and Illustrious in tow.

"We'll take care of the paperwork Herr Kommandant. Please begin your sortie preparations." Z23 spoke as she took the stack of papers away from him and brought them to the coffee table on the other side of the office.

"Indeed, the sooner this situation has been dealt with, the better." Illustrious added. "I would like to hurry and thank you over some tea and cake for the wonderful massage you gave me a few days ago after all." She giggled sweetly.

"W-wait, Illustrious you got another massage?" Wales questioned.

"Yes, my shoulders have always been quite stiff, but Milord's massages have done me wonders." She giggled as she stretched, unintentionally showing off her assets.

"That's not fair Shikikan, I haven't gotten a massage in the past two days." Shoukaku pouted.

"That's nothing! Enty and I haven't even gotten a second one yet!' Hornet chimed in.

"H-hornet!" Enterprise protested.

'….Wait, they're all getting massages?' Z23 pouted as she stared at everyone and their rather...bountiful assets.

"Don't worry Nimi, you're still growing." Eugen teased as she wrapped her arms suggestively around the petite destroyer.

"E-eugen! Stop!" Z23 protested as she struggled to get out of the cruiser's hold on her.

"I'm sure Herr Kommandant won't say no if you ask nicely." Eugen reasoned, smirking as Z23 stopped struggling just for a second upon hearing this.

'Yeah, there's no way I'd ever willingly give up seeing such peaceful, happy scenes.' Shikikan confirmed as he simply rested his head on one hand and smiled as he watched the lighthearted chaos around him unfold.

"I'm glad to see you've cheered up and are now enjoying the view Master, but there's still work to be done." Belfast reminded him, albeit with traces of smug satisfaction in her voice.

"R-right…"

A few hours later on the dockyard…..

"Why can't I go too!?" Saratoga complained.

"Sorry Sara, but someone needs to watch over the base while we're out." Enterprise replied, unsuccessful in consoling the unhappy carrier.

"Think of it this way Sara: I trust you the most to keep everyone and the base safe and sound while I'm out." Shikikan added.

"Well….when you put it that way…I guess I have no choice." A now happy Saratoga hummed at his high praise and thoughts of her.

"Thanks for being so understanding Sara." Shikikan smiled as he briefly head-patted the carrier.

"Shikikan nya! Your cruiser's all set to go! Everyone's waiting so hurry up nya!" Akashi yelled from the other end of the dock.

"On my way!" He yelled back before turning to face everyone seeing him off. "I'll be off now. Please look over each other and the base while I'm out."

"Don't worry about the base, I swear on my honor as a battleship that nothing will happen to it!" Ise proclaimed.

"Please be careful, Herr Kommandant." Spee requested, seemingly concerned.

"Will do, Spee, I'll bring back some souvenirs for everyone if I see anything good." He said, patting her head.

"As expected of my slave! But they better be worth mine and Spee's attention though! Got it?" Deutschland smirked.

"Heh, sure, I'll try my best." He chuckled before getting on his cruiser and sailing off.

As she watched him sail off into the distance, Unicorn spoke. "Big sister, will big brother be okay?

"Don't worry Unicorn, Belfast, Enterprise, and so many other strong kansen are with him. Come let's go have an early lunch before we get back to training." Illustrious smiled as she offered Unicorn her hand.

"Okay!" Unicorn cheered as she happily accepted and walked to the canteen hand-in-hand with her.

"Alright as the one in charge, I now give my first command: set up a huge prank for Commander in his office once he gets back!" Saratoga decreed.

"Yayyy! I'll go get that cannon!" San Diego cheered as she and Saratoga ran off.

"W-wait! Why do you need a cannon!? Come back!" Cleveland worried as she chased after the two.

[Back with Shikikan]

'On the first fleet, there's Enterprise as flagship with Wales and Hornet on the main fleet and Belfast, Helena, and Sheffield on the vanguard. For the second fleet, Shoukaku's leads the main fleet with Zuikaku and Eugen, Takao, and Atago are set for their vanguard.' Shikikan confirmed as he triple-checked everything again. "All their equipment have been upgraded and are fully loaded, and our air power is top-notch, but maybe I should've gotten either Ise or Hyuuga to come with? No, wait, if I did that then I'd feel even more worried about the base being attacked. Should I have asked Victoria for reinforcements to help guard the base? But, didn't she say they were short-staffed? But what if it rains today? The weather said it'll just be a cloudy day, but there's always a chance. Will the girls on base be able to make out approaching enemies through rain though?' Shikikan's mind was all over the place right now, and it started to show as he had been on the bow of the ship staring into space since they sortied.

"Hey earth to Commander." A voice called out as he saw a hand waving in front of his face.

"Hmm? Oh, hey Hornet, what's up?"

"Nothing really, you just turned into a statue and your fingers have been tapping away on that railing." Hornet replied.

Looking down, he noticed that his fingers were still tapping away. "Oh." He said before he finally managed to remember how to get his fingers to stop moving on their own.

"Are you going to be okay, Shikikan? Perhaps it be best if you lied down inside your quarters for the time being." Takao recommended with a worried expression.

Before he replied, he felt someone tug on his collar and drag him away from the bow. "Come along, Herr Kommandant, I know the perfect drink to help you unwind. And as luck would have it, I found everything I'll need in your cruiser's lounge area." Eugen smiled happily while dragging him inside.

"I-I don't know if liquor's going to do him any good…" Hornet sweat-dropped as he disappeared into his cruiser.

[Inside the cruiser in the lounge area]

"I don't know if liquor right now is a good idea Eugen…" He unknowingly said the same thing Hornet did. "Plus it's not even noon..."

"Just drink. This one's good for calming nerves. Trust me." Eugen shushed him as she poured whiskey, sweet vermouth, bitters, and ice into a cocktail shaker. After a few minutes of nothing but the sound of Eugen shaking the mixture filling the seemingly empty lounge, she poured it into two cocktail glasses and garnished both with a brandied cherry.

"They call this a Manhattan." She explained as she slid the glass before him. "Given the circumstances, I won't be mad if you don't finish it so at least take a sip or two and save the rest for later, after we successfully complete this mission."

"Prost, Herr Kommandant". She cheered as she clanged glasses with him and slowly enjoyed her creation.

'She already made it and it be rude to not at least try it...but I really shouldn't be drinking on the job, even though it does look really good….ah screw it!' He decided before taking a large sip, instantly feeling the burn in his throat from the strong concoction.

"Feeling better?"

"…Honestly, yeah." He replied, feeling the overwhelming stress, anxiety, and dread float away as he took another sip.

Enjoying the comfortable silence between the two of them, they took their time as they enjoyed their drinks. Once Eugen's glass was nearing empty, she spoke.

"Herr Kommandant, do you trust us?" Eugen asked with the most serious expression he's seen on her yet.

"Of course, I do! Even more so than I trust myself half the time!" He immediately replied with his honest thoughts and feelings.

A light blush formed on her cheeks as a smile emerged on her flawless visage. "Good, because I'm willing to bet that all the others trust you as much as I do." She confessed. "We won't ever let the Sirens near you, so stand tall and lead us."

'…When did I get this pathetic? I'm not even going to be the one on the frontlines and here I am quaking in my boots. The girls are relying on me to lead them to victory and keep them safe, so what am I doing stuck in the past? Get it together!' He harshly criticized himself before taking another large swig of his drink.

"Sorry you had to see me like that Eugen." He thanked the cruiser.

"I'm just glad to see you back to normal, but I am taking your cherry as payment for being your bartender." She winked before taking his brandied cherry and seductively biting into it all while staring amusingly into his eyes.

Mind going into the gutter at an alarming rate, he was about to complain about how she phrased that, however, he was interrupted when someone coughed from the lounge entrance. Looking, over Shikikan noticed five familiar figures approaching him and Eugen.

"Ara, so this is where you were Shikikan." Spoke Atago.

"Master, while I normally would have no complaints on you enjoying a drink before noon, please refrain from doing so when out on a mission." Belfast frowned.

"Belfast's right, Commander. Please save the other half of that drink for until after the mission is done." Enterprise added.

Shikikan was about to apologize, but Eugen had pressed her drink's cherry garnish on his lips, shushing him. "A few sips aren't going to cloud Herr Kommandant's judgments, plus he needed to relax, so I really don't see the problem here." Eugen defended.

"Yeah, Commander wasn't looking too hot a few minutes ago." Hornet chuckled awkwardly.

"She speaks the truth." Takao admitted.

"In any case, please settle for jasmine tea for the time being, Master." Belfast sighed.

"Will do, Belfast." He gratefully thanked the beautiful maid for her leniency before grabbing his glass and putting it into the nearby fridge.

"You do look a lot better now though Commander." Hornet commented.

"Heh, yeah, Eugen talked some sense into me." He admitted as he turned to face the cruiser in question.

"Anytime Herr Kommandant." Eugen winked.

When she said that though, Shikikan could feel multiple pairs of eyes staring into the back of his head and at Eugen for some strange reason. That said, Eugen either didn't seem to notice or paid no heed to them as she kept calmly smiling.

"W-well anyway, I should go check in with the girls on watch duty right about now, so if you all would please excuse me." He spun on his heels and half walked, half ran out the door.

They remained silent as they waited a few moments, up until they were sure he was out of hearing range.

"So, how long have you girls been listening in?" Eugen asked.

"Right when you poured those...Manhattans you called them?" Atago answered. "Was he really that wound up?"

"Yeah, but as you saw, he should be fine...for the timing being at least." Eugen replied before a smirk creeped up on her face. "So, did you girls want a drink too?"

"Miss Eugen, I'd strongly recommend being more wary of how much liquor you drink since it might impair the second fleet's capabilities." Belfast stated.

"As if a few drinks are enough to do anything to me." She retorted while stretching out her arms and yawning.

"You need not fret about the capabilities of the second fleet. I'll guarantee that no Siren will get past me." Takao declared.

"Sasuga Takao-chan. Onee-san will watch over Shikikan while he's in my loving embrace then." Atago giggled.

"Alert! Enemies spotted! I repeat enemies spotted! Please prepare for combat!" Helena announced via radio to everyone.

"Looks like those drinks will have to wait." Hornet joked as she and everyone else quickly ran out to the door.

[With the Shikikan]

'If you can't trust yourself, trust the girls to keep you safe. In return, make sure they don't get hurt!' Shikikan calmed himself down as he stepped into the cruiser's command room.

Taking one last deep breath, he turned on his comms and braced himself for whatever's about to happen. "How many enemies are you sensing Helena?" He asked the bluenette via radio.

"Two large mass-produced Siren fleets in the northeast and southeast! No signs of any Siren elites as of right now Commander!" Helena replied.

'I guess that counts as good news…' He thought before calling the flagship of main fleet 2. "Shoukaku, are you able to see what type of formation they're running?"

"Unfortunately, no, but they do seem to be trying to prevent us from reaching the island behind them by forming a circular wall around it.

'So there's something on the island they don't want us to see…' He assumed. "Both fleets: Get into a double line formation and prepare for combat!"

"Yes sir!"

"Main fleet 1! Focus on disabling the enemy battleships' cannons while main fleet 2 prioritizes gaining air space dominance and disrupting their carriers! Vanguard fleets! Prioritize busting a hole through their formation in front of us. From there, vanguard fleet 1 and Wales, focus your fire on the enemies in the northeast and vanguard fleet 2 in the southeast!" Shikikan decided as the girls quickly followed suit and enacted his plan of attack.

"Would it alright if I just sink the battleships?" Hornet asked.

"By all means, if you think you can, please do!"

"Sweet! I won't let you down!" Hornet grinned as she launched her planes out and swiftly blew up 2 battleships. "Did you see that Enty?" Hornet asked but noticed that Enterprise had blown up about 10 battleships and was busy already helping main fleet 2 gain air space dominance."

'You really are amazing Sis, but don't think I'll ever give up on catching up to you!' Hornet cheered herself on as she sent more planes out.

'I should be a safe distance away, but let's back up a bit further and keep a close lookout for any stray cannon fire or planes. That said, if this place is important enough to have this many mass-produced ships guarding it, why not just have a Siren elite here too then?' He thought as he had his Manjuu helmsmen reverse his cruiser back a bit further.

In the northeast, Belfast, Helena, and Sheffield easily blasted their way through the Siren mass fleet's hastily made formation.

"Master, we've broken through the formation. Shall we continue to clean up the filth?" Sheffield radioed.

"Yes, go along the northeastern shoreline of the island and clear them out while fleet 2 will go along the southeast. Be mindful of the remaining planes and it'll be our victory once both vanguard fleets meet on the other side of the island after coming full circle.

"As you command, Master." Sheffield acknowledged before signing off and going back to blasting holes through the Siren ships before her.

"Takao, were you able to hear that?" Shikikan asked.

"Hai! We've already begun clearing them out and will meet up with vanguard fleet 1 on the other side!"

"Understood, stay sharp out there." Turning off the radio, he briefly massaged his head. 'So far so good, but gotta stay sharp and calm until the end!' He reminded himself, but as he brought his head back up he saw light particles begin to gather on the shoreline of the island in front of him before two hazy, ethereal figures seemingly formed as the particles flowed around them. The figures were floating about towards the northeastern and southeastern ends of the island, seemingly staring at the combat around them before floating back to the center of the island and directly in front of his ship. Shikikan couldn't say for sure given how far away he was, but for some reason, he felt one set of eyes in particular staring directly at him. 'Maybe I should visit Vestal once I get back on base, because clearly I'm going insane.' He sighed as he rubbed his eyes.

"Hehehe…"

"Wha-!?" He exclaimed as he heard an unfamiliar, yet very intimidating laugh. Looking back up, the figures he thought he saw were no longer there. 'Does stress and anxiety lead to hallucinations, or am I really coming down with something?' He asked himself as he felt his forehead.

"Commander, we've cleared out the island's defenders and Helena has confirmed no more hostiles remaining." Enterprise informed.

"O-okay! Good work girls, I'll meet you girls on the island, so take a rest there while I sail in."

"You're sounding jittery Shikikan, so hurry and come to the island so Onee-san can comfort you in her embrace." Atago giggled sweetly.

"I'll have tea ready for your arrival, Master." Belfast added before she materialized her ship and stepped inside.

"Heh, sounds good. See you all in a few." He chuckled.

"Hehehe…."

'There it is again, that laugh again, but even scarier sounding than before! Who and where is it coming from!?' He pondered before shuttering and giving the order to sail up to the island's shorelines. Once close enough, he hopped onto his speedboat to where everyone was waiting. Upon arrival he saw that Belfast and Sheffield were serving cups of tea on silver platters to everyone.

"Excellent work Master." Belfast greeted as she handed him a cup of tea on an ornate saucer.

"Thank you, Belfast." He smiled back as he quickly began drinking the very soothing warm cup of jasmine tea.

"So it's confirmed we're clear of enemies for the time being?"

"Hai Shikikan, Zuikaku and I have been scouting around for awhile and have yet to pick up on anything." Shoukaku informed.

"I see…" He wondered as he stared off into the dense forest covering the center of the island. "Um, by the way, did any of you see those two strange moving lights?"

"Lights?" Hornet asked as she hummed in thought. "Nope, I guess I was a bit preoccupied making sure no Sirens got away."

"I didn't see anything either. Are you sure you didn't just imagine it?" Enterprise asked.

"Maybe?" He thought aloud. "If so, then that would help explain the laughter I was hearing too...".

Hearing this, the girls looked at each other in confusion and then at Eugen.

"Don't look at me, I drank the same drink he did and I'm feeling fine." Eugen stated.

"Pardon me Master." Belfast said as she approached him and placed a hand on his head. "You don't seem to have a fever. Are you feeling alright?"

"…Maybe it be best if you lied down for a bit Commander." Wales suggested.

"Onee-san's lap is always available for you Shikikan." Atago smiled.

"Sounds tempting and thank you everyone for your concern, but I think it would be better to just get this mission done ASAP. I'll visit Vestal as soon as we get back but for now, we should probably hurry and investigate the island to make sure I'm not going insane." he half joked.

"If you say so Commander…" Enterprise said sounding a bit unconvinced but decided not to dive in since his logic made sense.

"Alright everyone. Let's split up and search the island. Form groups and see if you could find anything inside the forest that looks out of place. Zuikaku, Shoukaku, Belfast, and Atago, please stand on guard out here while the rest of us go in and search the island."

"Hmm? Are you going in there too Shikikan?" Atago asked.

"Yeah, I figured a walk through the forest would be a good way to clear out my head." He replied.

"It'll be troublesome if you got lost in there, Master, so please allow me to come with." Sheffield stated.

"I'll come with you too Commander, better safe than sorry after all." Enterprise offered.

"I'm feeling safer already. Thanks, Sheffy, Enterprise." He smiled.

"An adventure through the forest? Count me in!" Hornet jumped in.

"W-wait but I kinda wanted to explore it too…." Zuikaku protested.

"Sorry, Zuikaku, I need you to keep a look out with your planes. I'll make it up to you later with a shrimp tempura dinner." He smiled sheepishly as he tried to console her.

"Really!? Alright leave the scouting to me Shikikan!" She quickly cheered up.

"Thanks for your understanding." He chuckled as he thought of how cutely innocent Zuikaku could be. "Eugen, Wales, Takao, and Helena. Could you four form a group and search the right half of the island? Enterprise, Sheffield, Hornet, and I will go left. If you can't find anything, meet up with us on the other side of the island and we'll go from there."

"Aww but walking through an uncharted forest with Shikikan sounds like such an interesting date." Atago whined.

"I agree, why don't you switch me over to your group, Herr Kommandant?" Eugen teased.

"I don't know if being with two others in a group can be called a date, Eugen..." Wales commented.

"I'm with Wales on that one." He chuckled. "What say you girls?" He asked as his group and Takao and Helena, only now noticing they all had various shades of reddened cheeks and were avoiding his gaze.

"Um….w-well anyway let's just hurry and get back to base!" He suggested, trying to break the awkward silence.

About twenty minutes into the forest, Shikikan's group found themselves surrounded by nothing but dense trees and bushes.

"Jeez, this forest is way too dense!" Hornet groaned as she had to bob and weave her way through the thicket

"Master, permission to clear a path?"

"Sorry Sheffy, but it will send a mixed message to the others if they start hearing gunfire and trees falling."

"Understood." She complied before an idea popped into her head. "Permission to scout ahead along the tree branches?"

"S-sure?" He stuttered as he was bewildered by the odd request.

Giving him a brief nod, she crouched down and sprung up high into the air and onto a nearby tree branch. From there she proceeded to jump from branch to branch as she moved ahead.

'Oh right…they can do superhuman things like that. Man, I'm jealous…' He deadpanned in his mind before he realized something. "Wait, I can kind of do the same thing!" He said aloud before turning on his rocket shoes and flying up towards the nearest tree branch.

"I totally forgot Akashi gave you those!" Hornet called out before jumping up onto a nearby branch with Enterprise following suit.

"Yeah same." He chuckled before taking a look around. "I think I see a clearing up ahead, let's go!" He announced before flying up high and straight towards the center of the island.

"Race ya there Sis!" Hornet grinned as she ran after him and Sheffield.

"Heh, fine." Enterprise gave in as she too gave chase.

Moving much faster now, Shikikan's team breezed through the thick forest and into the clearing Shikikan spotted.

"W-wow…"

Shikikan was stunned as he saw the tranquil scenery before him. The group had found themselves in a quiet meadow of lilies and in the center was a large tree with a seemingly infinite amount of white cherry blossoms blooming from it.

"This place is almost dreamlike…" Hornet said in awe.

"Yeah…if we weren't on a mission, I'd love to just lie down and relax here." Enterprise admitted.

"Same, but we've got a job to do sadly. Let's search around and see if there's anything Siren related here." He regrettably said as he and his group had split up to look around.

After about fifteen minutes of looking around the meadow, he couldn't seem to see anything of importance to the Sirens, until something sparkled in the corner of his eye.

"Hmm?" He hummed as he approached the tree. When he reached the base of the tree, he saw two sparkling objects buried in white cherry blossom petals. Kneeling down and brushing the petals away, he found two wisdom cubes, each with a single gorgeous flower growing next to it. The flower on the left had bright red spider-like umbel blooms while the flower on the right had six upward facing white petals with azure blue bands in the center.

"What gorgeous flowers…" He openly admired.

"Hehehe…"

'That voice again!' He jumped a bit as he looked around but saw no one other than his group members still searching around, seemingly not hearing the voices he heard.

"…-sama….."

"Hmm?" Kneeling back down, he looked back at the two wisdom cubes.

'Maybe…' He started before putting both his hands out to touch both cubes. And as soon as he touched them, he felt his energy being instantly sucked out from him.

"Wha-!" He started to shout before he felt himself collapsing onto his side.

'It's like all of my energy just left me…' He thought before the world went dark and he lost his consciousness.

The two cubes began to levitate, shaking vigorously as they floated past Shikikan and glowing bright enough to catch everyone else's attention.

"Commander!"/ "Master!" The girls yelled as they saw him down on the ground and two floating cubes glowing brighter and brighter.

"Aku zoku san!" A familiar voice followed by the sound of multiple trees crashing down were heard from behind them.

"What's going on!?" Takao yelled as she had just slashed her way through to where Shikikan's group was."

"What are those bright lights and where's Commander!?" Wales questioned as she appeared next. Not far behind her, were Eugen and Helena.

"Over there!" Helena pointed to the base of the tree.

"Wait, are those wisdom cubes!?" Eugen squinted to get a better look, but she and everyone else had to avert their eyes as the glow from the cubes were blinding.

Once the light faded, they looked up to see two distinct figures standing where the cubes were floating.

The one on the right had short white hair, fox ears, and nine large tails. Her eyes were a deep azure blue and donned an elegant white haori that was blue on the inside.

The one on the right was similar in that she also had fox ears and nine large tails, but her hair was long and darkish brown, her eyes were a deep crimson red, and her haori was black on the outside and red on the inside.

Realizing who they were, she called out to Enterprise. "Sis! They're…!"

"Yeah…the Sakura Empire's first carrier division." Enterprise replied, being very careful not to take her eyes off the two. 'Did they do something to Commander!?' She began to panic as she saw him lifeless on the ground.

"Akagi nee-sama." The short white-haired beauty smiled. "It would seem our fates have changed once more."

"Ee, that would appear to be the case, Kaga." Akagi smiled back as she gazed upon the kansen before her.

'Or maybe they didn't? Neither of them seems to have even noticed that he's there yet...' Enterprise thought before putting her guard back up as Akagi began to speak once more.

"Unfortunately, though, there are far too many eyesores here…shall we do some cleaning?" She said with a menacing grin as she materialized her fiery red carrier rigging.

"With pleasure, Akagi-nee sama." Kaga grinned widely as she too summoned her fiery blue rigging.

"W-wait! We're not here to fight!" Wales stepped forward trying to prevent any in-fighting.

"She speaks the truth." Takao added as she also stepped up.

"Ah, Takao, how long has it been?" Akagi greeted warmly.

"Lay down your arms Akagi, Kaga. Azur Lane and Crimson Axis have joined forces and the only enemies now are the Sirens." Takao said, her arm resting on the handle of her blade.

"She seems to be telling the truth, Nee-sama." Kaga said while glaring at Prinz Eugen.

"Ho? So you two finally decided to make your appearances?" Eugen smirked. "Mind filling us in on what exactly you two did to Herr Kommandant?"

Seeing how the two fox beauties were confused by her question, Eugen simply pointed behind them. Slowly looking back, they finally noticed that there was indeed someone there.

"Who is this?" Kaga questioned as she crouched down and moved Shikikan's hat out of the way.

Once Kaga did so, Akagi felt as if time had stopped as she immediately recognized his face from what she thought was just a strange dream not too long ago.

In said dream, she was surrounded by nothing but a cold, quiet darkness with no means of escape. As she lied still, waiting for what an eternity to pass by, a flash of light appeared, and she began to the hear the sounds of cannons firing and plane engines roaring through the sky. Looking upwards, she saw what seemed to be kansen fighting against mass-produced ships on an island. At first, she thought nothing of it, but her curiosity grew as she began to decipher the strategies the kansen were utilizing.

'Simple, yet efficient, but they all do seem very well coordinated.' She remarked. 'Who's leading them?' She pondered as she began to look around and eventually noticed a lone ship in the far distance. Leaning in, she somehow managed to get an inside look on who was inside, finding not just any human, but a human with the most striking visage and the most beautiful eyes she had ever laid eyes upon.

'Finally!' She thought since for the first time in what felt like forever, Akagi felt herself smiling from cheek to cheek and heard herself laughing with sheer joy as she continued watching the man trek through a forest and into a peaceful looking meadow. Walking forward, the man had stopped at the base of a large shikizakura tree and bent down to admire two flowers she knew all too well.

"What beautiful flowers…." She heard the man say before she found herself in the very same meadow the man was in.

Coming back to reality, Akagi began to pant heavily as her heart throbbed uncontrollably, almost as if it were threatening to burst open. She felt a rising warmth well up inside of her as her soul felt as if it were being released from the cold, lonely darkness she had come to know all too well.

"Nee-sama?" Kaga questioned as she saw heard Akagi walking up to kneel next to her and the man's head.

Reaching out, Akagi carefully brushed away some of his hair covering his closed eyes and traced her fingers down his cheek. "So precious, I can't help but want to look at your face forever." She spoke softly as she slowly leaned her head in closer.

Feeling a tingling sensation on his face, Shikikan's face twitched before he managed to open his eyes. The first thing he saw though was something he would've never expected.

When he had opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a pair of very close fiery crimson red eyes seemingly staring intensely into his very soul.

"Such wonderful eyes…. We finally meet at last Shikikan-sama. I am the glorious Akagi, the pride of the peerless First Carrier Division. With my famed air wing, I shall overcome any battle as long as you are with me. Yes, Shikikan-sama, as long as we are together..." She declared while caressing his cheeks and grinning in a way that was slightly unsettling to Shikikan.

"N-nice to meet you Akagi…" He nervously smiled back before turning his head and noticing there was another unfamiliar face.

Nodding her head at him, Kaga introduced herself. "I am Kaga, also from the First Carrier Division." She briefly introduced herself before looking behind her at the other kansen and then at the cloudy skies.

"Will I be able to find a worthy foe here?" She questioned aloud before turning back around to \stare intently at him, almost as if she were judging a showpiece in an art contest. After a few seconds, she nodded her head. "Very well. I'm yours. Perhaps this, too, is destiny."

'How am I supposed to respond to that?' He jokingly questioned in his mind. "I'm glad to meet you as well Kaga." He smiled.

"Commander! You're awake." Enterprise called out as she and everyone made there way to him.

"Master, are you alright? You collapsed onto the ground right before these two appeared." Sheffield added.

"I..I think so….I just remember losing all of my energy when I touched the cubes and then everything going black. How long was I out?"

"Less than five minutes, but you said you lost all of your energy?" A puzzled Hornet asked.

"Yeah, I don't really know either..." He honestly replied.

"I've never heard of anything like that before, maybe we should ask Akashi or High Command and see if they know anything." Enterprise suggested.

"Yeah, that probably would be for the best." He said as he tried getting up but ended up stumbling and accidentally grabbing onto two very soft and fluffy things.

"Ahh! Shikikan-sama!" Akagi moaned as Shikikan had unknowingly pulled on one of her tails.

"…." Kaga blushed as Shikikan had also grabbed onto one of her tails.

'So soft and fluffy…wait no!' He quickly shook his head out of the gutter. "S-sorry! It wasn't on purpose! I just tripped! I swear!" He pleaded as he released their tails.

"Not at all Shikikan-sama! If you so desire, I would not mind if you partake of me in front of all the others!" She loudly exclaimed, earning surprised blushes from everyone.

"A-akagi! Please have some decency!" Takao yelled as she began to remember how much alike Atago and Akagi could be at times.

"Master….please refrain from indecent and lewd acts in publics, lest I have to discipline you for subjecting your subordinates to exhibitionism." Sheffield threatened as she pulled out her guns.

"W-wait Sheffy! I swear it was just an accident!" He pleaded.

As he pleaded for his life, an undetected alien-like drone hovered high above the stratosphere.

"Subject Zero, the Anomaly, has managed to break through the guard and managed to successfully reawakened both Akagi and Kaga. Subject seems fatigued but is still capable of moving. Subject's wisdom cube affinity level now normalized." A small, pale girl spoke. "Congratulations Purifier, your earlier failure has provided us with some rather interesting new data."

"Tsk…As if that does anything for me after what Arbiter put me through…." Another taller pale girl wearing a serafuku shirt and booty shorts grumbled.

"You did, after all, let her favorite toy and our most useful lab rat get away." Snickered a third pale girl with wild overflowing hair.

"Oh, shut it…"

"Pay her no heed Purifier. I'm about to commence the next experiment for our favorite subject and could use your help." The small girl smirked.

"Now we're talking!" Purifier exclaimed excitedly as her eyes glowed bright yellow and a very unsettling grin was forming on her face. "Looks like I'll get to pay that lab rat back for all of the trouble he put me through earlier than I expected." She laughed maniacally as she left to begin her preparations.

"Tester, has the invasion force for that matter been completed yet?"

"Not yet, Observer, although production is approximately 96.9% completed and will be ready to be placed on standby come nightfall."

"Excellent." Observer remarked before turning back to the screen before her. "Do continue to provide us with high quality data, my most precious and adorable test subject….or is it Shikikan now?"


Wooh! Things are starting to look pretty serious for our Shikikan! As you can tell, things might get a bit darker in the coming chapter(s), so I might have to change the rating to 'M' depending on how I want to go about this. I don't if it'll matter, but remember to change the rating filter to 'all' just in case I do change it to 'M' since you might struggle in finding this story, let alone the next chapter.

Worst case scenario, I'll just leave it as 'T' rating when I post the next chapter. If someone says/complains that it should be listed as 'M', I'll do it in the next chapter after this upcoming one and post the update warning there haha.

That all said, thank you again for all of the support and advice y'all have been giving me and this story! I enjoy reading your comments and hope y'all will continue to enjoy this story as much as I still enjoy writing it!

Remember to fav/follow if you like the story and haven't already and I'll see y'all next time on Azur Lane fanfic: An Unsung Legend Chapter 13: "Unyielding Chaos"