Chapter 21: Ironblood Arc
Returning back to his room after welcoming back the night sortie team, a very tired Shikikan found himself plopping back down onto his bed and immediately passing out. He slept soundly for who knows how long until he heard water running nearby.
'Zzz….' He quietly snored as he unconsciously chose to ignore it and remained in his very deep sleep. Unfortunately for him, he was disturbed once more sometime later when he felt his bed move around a bit.
'Hgnn…zzz…' He groaned a bit as he turned to one side on the bed. Upon doing so, he seemingly heard something, or more specifically, someone, say something before giggling. Before he could open his eyes, a sudden yet soft warmth began to envelop him from his front.
Pulled right back into dream land after feeling as though he was being hugged by a flowery scented cloud, he laid motionless in his bed as the sun slowly but surely continued to rise.
{Many hours later}
Beep! Beep! Beep!
"Ughhhh…." Shikikan mumbled as he shifted about to try and slam the off button on his alarm. Still very sleepy, he couldn't bring himself to open his eyes and fully turn around to turn off the increasingly annoying sound.
"Just five more minutes…." He tiredly groaned as he desperately swung his arm around, trying to find and hit the alarm without having to turn his whole body over.
"Hnnn…Turn it off already…" An unexpected and very erotic voice moaned sleepily.
Now wide eyed and sweating profusely, Shikikan slowly creaked his head to face the direction of the voice, or more specifically, towards the large bump under the blanket on the right side of his bed.
Forcing himself to gulp the massive lump in his throat and looking disturbingly pale blue in the face, his suddenly heavy and shaky hand reached over to lift up the blanket.
"Ahhhh-hhaaaaaa." The culprit tiredly yawned and stretched before noticing a very panicky looking Shikikan stare at her in disbelief. "Guten morgen, Herr Kommandant~."
"E-E-Eugen….w-what…w-why….how…huh…?" He intelligently replied.
"Pft…" Eugen laughed before smiling smugly at him. "You said you were really glad to see me back even though I was only gone for a little over a day, so I thought I'd give you some more of the attention you were looking for~."
"I-I said I was glad that everyone came…but that's not the issue right now! Why are you in my bed and in nothing but my dress shirt!?"
"Do you not like it?"
"…T-that's beside the point…"
"Hehe~. You're so cute when you're all flustered and shy. But like I said, I just felt like giving you some more attention is all. It's definitely not because you banned me from drinking myself to sleep as soon as I got back or anything." She replied as if it was common sense before her ever growing grin grew exponentially smugger.
"That said, you forgot to lock your door. When I came up here to play, but you had already gone back to sleep. So since I was already here, I helped myself to your shower and borrowed one of your shirts since they seemed comfier than my wet clothes and warmer than nothing at all. Hopefully you're not too disappointed with the latter decision Herr Kommandant hehe~."
Doing his damnedest to not look anywhere else but her face, he swiftly turned around to face the other way. "….If I let you drink will that mean you will hurry up and leave before I get court martialed?"
"Aww, how cruel of you to want to just send a girl in just a button up shirt back outside in the cold."
"Oi!" He yelled as he unconsciously turned right back around to face her.
"Hehe just kidding~. But back to your question." She said before proceeding to pretend to be deep in thought. "Hmm…perhaps, but your bed is surprisingly quite comfy and I'm feeling too tired to get out now." She yawned before opening her arms out to him. "So how about you come back in here and be my blanket warmer again?"
"As much as I want to…" He started to blurt out before realizing the implications and feeling Eugen's smug aura continue to grow. "I-I mean, I can't. Tirpitz said she wanted to speak with me about something important. What even is the time anyway?" He continued before searching for his phone.
'I thought I put it on my bedside counter?'
"According to your phone, it's only a quarter past 9." Eugen replied as she seemingly held his phone in her hand. "Here I'll text Tirpitz that something came up and to push the time back to noon."
"Wait, how do you know my phone's passcode!?"
"Oh, you don't remember? You got super wasted during our drinking session last week and started showing me some of the pictures you and the Eagle Union girls took around NY Harbor. You even told me the code in case it went to sleep while you went to the bathroom. How considerate of you, even though it wouldn't have gone to sleep if I was still scrolling through the pictures hehe."
'…Crap. Why don't I remember any of that!?' He cursed his drunken stupidity as Eugen continued to text on his phone.
"Hey Eugen, don't just text away on my…"
"And sent." She announced before his phone buzzed a second later. "Oh wow, she immediately replied and said, 'that's fine' and to 'take it easy on your day off'." She informed before tossing him his phone back and welcoming him back into the bed with open arms once more.
"Now that that's over, come back over here already. I'm getting cold in just this shirt~." She smiled sweetly as the top three buttons were undone and gave him a very heavenly view.
"J-just put the blanket over yourself. I have extras over there." He said before beginning to get up and go to the closet he pointed at. "I'll sleep on my office couch so…!"
"Oh no you don't~." Eugen denied before tugging on his arm and forcing him back into the bed.
"Hey, that—mmf!" He complained before being completely muffled as Eugen snaked both her arms around his head and pulled him into her half-exposed chest.
"Shhh~. Just relax Herr Kommandant. You've worked really hard, especially as of late, so it's okay to take it easy every now and then you know? If you overwork yourself too much... you ~ will ~ die." She gently sung into his ear as she started to softly stroke his hair and held him pressed against her soft physique. She wrapped one leg around his so as to further prevent him from escaping.
"…Eugen…wait…if someone sees us…" The tired and half-conscious Shikikan tried to reason before the cruiser's soft embrace completely put him out of commission again.
"It's fine. It's fine." She whispered sweetly into his ear. "I already asked Tirpitz to let everyone know to not bother you until noon since you are taking an off day today. So enough complaining and just surrender to being my personal heater already~."
The combination of her soft-spoken words, freshly showered and flowery scent, and exceedingly soft body hugging his head tightly into her generously exposed cleavage were all much more than enough to lull the tired man back into a deep slumber once more.
"…..Zzz…"
"Hehe… Sweet dreams, mein lieber Kommandant~" She softly whispered before gently kissing him on the forehead and falling asleep herself as she held him tightly in her soft embrace.
{Many hours later – outside of Shikikan's room}
Knock Knock
"Master? Are you awake? It's well past noon and it's not good for your health to stay in bed all day."
"Hmm….Just a minute Di-HUH!?" A startled Shikikan half yelled as he saw a pair of amused amber eyes up close and staring very intently at him.
"Finally awake I see. I didn't expect you to have such a cute sleeping face hehe~. Did you enjoy your exclusive Eugen pillow?"
"Master? Is someone there?"
"N-no, what makes you say that Dido?" He laughed nervously as he started to break down into a cold sweat.
"You seem to be having fun Herr Kommandant.' Eugen grinned as she was blatantly enjoying his current state.
"Shh!" He whispered quietly with a finger to his lips.
"…M-master! Could you have found a new maid and were discussing on where to abandon me!?" Dido shouted.
"Ho? Me a maid? Now there's an idea. What say you, Mas-ter? Hehe~."
"You're not helping Eugen!" He loudly whispered.
"Master, I'm coming in!" Dido announced as the door know began to turn.
"W-wait no!" Now in full panic mode, he threw the blanket over Eugen. "Say nothing and I'll get you that fancy cognac you wanted okay?"
He then rushed for the door, only to fail as he was only able to make it three-fourths of the way before Dido took a step in.
"O-oh, hey Dido! What brings you here?" He asked as he stopped right in front of her in hopes of blocking her view of the large bump in his bed behind him.
"W-well…Belfast sent me to go wake you up since she was busy attending to Her Highness, but more importantly!" She looked at him with teary eyes. "Master, you won't abandon me, will you? Can you promise not to? Can I place my faith in you, Master? You are trustworthy, are you not? Ahh... I hope it wasn't a mistake to place my faith in you. Oh, please don't abandon me Master!"
"C-calm down Dido! I have no intent on ever abandoning you!" He tried to comfort her by patting her head gently. "Take a deep breath okay? Breath in, breath out."
Following his instructions, the anxious doll-like beauty took some slow, deep breaths and eventually managed to calm down.
"M-my sincerest apologies for that embarrassing display, Master."
"It's fine, Dido. So long as you're okay I'm happy."
"Ahh, thank you for worrying about me Master~." She sung happily as she continued to enjoy his head pat. "By the way, Master, what is that lump on your bed? If you would like, I could make your bed for you." She pointed out and started walking over to said lump.
"O-oh, that won't be necessary!" He hastily grabbed her by the arm. "I was just about to go for a walk around the port and was wondering if anyone would be willing to come with me. What do you say?"
"I-it would be my utmost pleasure to walk by your side!" Dido exclaimed with ecstatic eyes. "Should I help you get ready?"
"N-no need! You can just wait downstairs and I'll be right there."
"As you wish, Master!" She bowed before closing the door and humming joyfully down the stairs.
"Phew…" He sighed in utter relief.
"Hehe, nice work." Eugen laughed as she got out from under the blanket. "I'll be expecting the cognac soon Herr Kommandant."
"Deal's a deal. But for now, try to get dressed and sneak out of here without someone seeing you okay? The last thing I need is another misunderstanding and Akagi chasing me all around the port again." He shuddered as he remembered the Sakura carrier hunting him down after spotting him under Sirius after she had tripped on a rock and was about to tumble down a hill. Trying to catch her, he ended up losing his balance as well and found himself at the bottom of the hill with Sirius lying pressed down on top of him.
"Sure, sure." She yawned before collapsing back onto his bed and scrolling through her phone. "I'll be on my way after you leave, so have fun on your date."
"It's not a…never mind." He sighed before heading to the bathroom and getting ready for the day.
'Hehe, who knew I could change so much after coming to this base. I hope you're ready to take responsibility for this Herr Kommandant~.' Eugen pondered as she looked affectionately at her newest photo, or more specifically a rather lewd photo of herself holding a fast asleep Shikikan in her arms. Rolling around in his bed and in his shirt, she couldn't help but let out a very happy squeal.
…..
After walking around the base with Dido and cheering her up, Shikikan found himself back in his office waiting for Tirpitz.
'Still have zero clue as to what she seemed so serious about. PR project related stuff maybe?' He pondered as he lounged on his couch reading his newest manga acquisition. 'That reminds me…I haven't heard any updates to that entropy experiment since last month. Maybe everyone got their hopes up too high?'
Too engrossed in his thoughts and manga, he didn't hear the knocks on the door or even the footsteps approaching him as he remained lying down on his office couch.
"To be so lost in written succor as to not even notice the presence of others. Should I be impressed or ashamed Herr Kommandant?"
From where he laid, he simply looked up to see a pair of faces looking down at him questionably.
"Oh, hey Zeppelin." He nonchalantly waved. "I was expecting Tirpitz to come by around this time, but what brings you here?"
"Nothing in particular. Twas fate that I bumped into Tirpitz on her way to you here."
"You sure?" Shikikan smiled smugly. "Because I could've sworn I heard someone pacing back and forth in front of my doorway for quite a while now. Could that have been you waiting for Tirpitz to come because you didn't want to come in alone?"
"Perish the thought." Graf Zeppelin stared coldly as she reached out and snatched the manga away from his hands. "Your hubris will be your demise."
"Hmmmm." He hummed as he got up off the couch and stood up. "What about you Tirpitz? Did you see her outside my door? Or did you really meet her on your way here and I'm just going crazy?"
Taking a glance over to a glaring Zeppelin, she decided to take a neutral approach. "….No comment."
"Heh." He chuckled as he noticed the carrier hiding her face behind the manga momentarily after the fact.
"That aside, apologies for the delay Herr Kommandant." Tirpitz started. "I found myself chatting with multiple Kansen from the other factions on my way here and losing track of time."
Upon hearing this, Shikikan couldn't help but smile.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Sorry, sorry. I can't help but feel relieved to hear that you're starting to get along with everyone. At first you seemed pretty distant, so hearing you begin to warm up to them is wonderful news."
"Warming up…?" She thought aloud at what he said before remembering what she had to do. "Never mind that Herr Kommandant. I need to speak with you on a certain topic."
"Is it about the PR project I'm guessing?" He asked to which she nodded silently.
"Do you want to join us Zep….?" Shikikan started to ask before noticing that she had apparently started reading the manga she confiscated from him earlier.
"Hmph, such childish endeavors. The protagonist is clearly infatuated with him, so why does she shy away whenever the other girls approach him as well?" She asked aloud as she kept reading intently.
"Pft…" Shikikan stifled a laugh so as to not feel the carrier's wrath. "That's the second volume, so you'd have to read the first one to really get it. Luckily I have it on the bookshelf behind you. Sit down and help yourself, Zeppelin."
"Hmm…seeing as how we are in a moment of fleeting peace, perhaps I will." She nodded before picking out the first volume, sitting down where Shikikan previously laid, and beginning to read away."
'Perhaps it's not just you that's warming up after all Tirpitz.' Shikikan smiled happily as he made his way over to his desk chair and sat down with Tirpitz opposite of him. "So, what's the news?"
"Allow me to be blunt." Tirpitz said before looking him directly in the eyes. "The Ironblood has completed our contribution to the PR project."
"Oh so….wait, really?" He asked in sheer surprise. "That's great news!"
"Ja. However, we've come into some…..issues." Tirpitz sighed.
'I really don't like the sound of this…' He groaned in his mind. "Like what?"
"For some reason, even though everything has been inspected and built thoroughly by the most elite Ironblood scientists and engineers, nothing, or no one, appears whenever they try to summon the finished PR Kansen."
"Hmm…I see..." Shikikan pondered. 'Bug in their programming maybe? Or is there something else that they're missing?'
"How about the entropy Akashi distributed to all the participating factions? Did that have no effect either?" He questioned.
"Nein. The reports stated that whenever they tried giving the wisdom cube more entropy, it would repeatedly slam itself against the glass towards the east rather violently."
"Just the east?" He tilted his head questionably as he was deep in thought before realizing something. "Wait…based on where the Ironblood is….wouldn't that mean it's slamming towards this direction?"
Upon seeing Tirpitz nod yes, he couldn't help but gulp as he felt a sudden shiver crawl up his spine and a sensation that something, or someone, was standing directly behind him.
"Something wrong Herr Kommandant?"
"N-no, it's nothing…I think?" He replied unsurely. "But moving on. What did the Ironblood decide the next course of action would be?"
Deciding not to question him about his reaction just now, she went along and replied. "Herr Kommandant, would you be willing to come back with us to the Ironblood? The scientists are surmising that you yourself might have to be present in order for this project to be considered a success."
"…I see…but what about them coming here with the wisdom cube in tow?" He asked.
"Considering how the cube has severely damaged multiple containments, what with its constant slamming into the walls, and had to be transferred into a specially designed containment unit, I'd say that would be far more difficult."
'Figures. But if this means turning the tides, then so be it.' He reasoned. "Alright. While I don't mind, I still need to speak with HQ and get their approval."
"Already done." Tirpitz quickly replied before the office doors swung open, revealing Z23 carrying a folder of papers.
"Tirpitz, I've brought the documentations you requested." Z23 announced as she made her way up to them. "I've received notice that Azur Lane HQ has been fully informed of the situation and that they've agreed to allow Herr Kommandant to head to Ironblood HQ immediately. Oh, and Herr Kommandant, you should be getting a video call with Miss Victoria momentarily."
As soon as the destroyer said that, his computer monitor ringed with a video call request from none other than the aforementioned Vice Admiral.
"…You girls are kind of freaking me out with how well you timed all of this out." He sweat dropped before accepting the call.
"Consider it our specialty as Ironblood Kansen." Z23 smiled triumphantly.
Back on the PC screen, Victoria appeared in full uniform. "Long time no see, Shikikan." She smiled warmly. "Hope you're doing okay."
"Hiya, Victoria. And yeah, everything's going pretty smoothly, even the paperwork."
"Hehe. I'm glad to hear you're getting used to it." She giggled happily before putting on her serious face. "But back to business Shikikan. I trust you've been informed of everything?"
"Yep. I'll let the others know I'll be away for a bit and designate a group to be in charge while I'm away."
"A group?"
"Yeah, a bunch of the girls one day came up and suggested that with the new incoming girls coming in the next couple of weeks, I should adapt and have more than just one secretary at a time. That way I wouldn't overwhelm both my secretary and myself with mountains of paperwork to do."
"That also would help prevent biases and favoritism, plus save me from having to cover for you again." Victoria teased. "Oh, and that reminds me, the higher ups who had been sending their own workloads over to you a while back have, without a doubt, learnt their lessons. Who knew all it would take would be threatening them to personally complete the R&D division's paperwork again hehe."
"I almost feel sorry for them, almost meaning not at all." Shikikan chuckled. "But yeah, I'm not entirely sure how I would be of help in turning this PR project into a success, but fingers crossed I guess."
"I have my hypotheses, but I'll save them for later. I have meetings with the various faction leaders planning to send their Kansen over to you in the coming weeks, so I'll be in touch regarding that stuff after you come back. But for now, safe travels and stay safe Shikikan!" Victoria waved happily before signing off.
'Well at least I'm not the only one working overtime.' Shikikan sighed in his mind before turning back to Tirpitz and Z23. "So shall we get to work?"
"Before that Herr Kommandant, we have one more request." Z23 stated.
"What's up?"
"Ihre Exzellenz has requested that you only bring Ironblood Kansen with you as your escort as you will be venturing in to one of the Ironblood's greatest R&D labs. That said, she would much rather prefer to not have too many peering eyes from outside there while we are busy with the PR project."
'Déjà vu much?' He silently remarked. 'Not that I don't get it or anything though. Well…..I guess that's fine since I won't be jumping into the middle of a battlefield again, but just to make sure…' He reasoned before knocking on his wooden desk for good measure.
Taking a few more seconds to ponder his decision, he finally opened his eyes, signaling that he had made up his mind. "Alright, I'll accept it, but I will need to make some preparations before we depart."
{Hours later – at the harbor}
Currently on the pier decks, Shikikan and the Ironblood Kansen were being seen off as they got everything loaded onto Shikikan's brand new ship. Unfortunately, one Kansen in particular was not so happy as to be left behind.
"Shikikan-sama! Why won't you let Akagi go with you!?"
"Sorry Akagi, but the Sakura Empire did specifically request that you two return back there for debriefing and the sort. You and Kaga haven't been back in a while right? Consider this your chance to see how things have changed since you left!" He tried cheering up the unhappy kitsune.
"But Shikikan-sama, I worry for your safety! I can't bear to even think of you being in pain, so please won't you reconsider?"
"Nee-sama please." Kaga interjected. "The Ironblood is not under attack nor is Shikikan going to be on the frontlines like at NY Harbor again. His safety shouldn't be an issue so long as the Ironblood stay vigilant and keep him safe."
"Hah? The last thing we need is this dummkopf wandering off somewhere in the Ironblood labs and making a mess of things. You better believe he'll be under constant surveillance!" Hipper huffed.
"I think what Miss Cutting Board here is trying to say is that he'll be under very good care." Eugen chimed in before looking at him and winking seductively.
"Why you-!" Akagi was about to start before Shikikan quickly intervened by pinching her ears. "Eek! S-shikikan-sama!?"
"Don't worry Akagi." He calmly smiled as he massaged her fluffy ears. "I'll only be gone for like two or three days, and like Kaga said, it's not a situation like NY Harbor. Please understand and get to the Sakura Empire safely to do whatever it is you have to do over there. I'll be waiting for you back here with open arms once you come back. Okay?"
"Shikikan-samaaaa~." She swooned as she snuggled up against him affectionately. "Akagi promises to do a good job and come back with the most luxurious of gifts, so please do stay safe until you are in Akagi's embrace once more!"
After reluctantly letting him go, she 'flipped' a switch and looked at Tirpitz, Zeppelin, and Eugen with a serious yet also threatening expression on her face. "Don't you dare let Shikikan-sama come back with so much as a scratch. See to your mission swiftly and bring him back safe and sound. Understood?"
"…As the Ironblood provisional leader, I can assure you that I will not allow Herr Kommandant to come under any harm's way. You have my word." Tirpitz nodded.
"Good." Akagi bluntly replied before 'switching' back off and looking at Shikikan lovingly once more. "Until we meet again my dearest Shikikan-sama!" She sung as she brought one tail up to gently stroke his face before twirling around and setting off with Kaga and company back to the Sakura Empire.
'Phew. Now that that's settled..' He sighed in relief before turning to the other girls seeing him off. "Keep the port safe girls. We'll try to be back as soon as possible so bear with the paperwork as best as you can until I come back."
"Servant! Should you not return in three days' time and fail to update us on any changes to the original plan, We shall see to it that a team be sent out to rescue you! That said, do try not to cause too much trouble." Elizabeth decreed.
"Much appreciated Elizabeth." He nodded thankfully.
"How many times do We have to tell you to address Us properly!?" She stomped her foot and pouted angrily at him.
"Now, now…" Warspite intervened with a plate of strawberry cake. "Have this cake Your Highness."
"Hhmph…." Elizabeth huffed before digging into the cake happily. "We are slightly amused and will pardon you this time servant. Do try not to wreak too much havoc in the Ironblood lands with your lack of manners."
"Heh. Thanks, I'll try." He chuckled a bit before turning over to Belfast.
"I still haven't been notified of when exactly the other factions are to arrive, but if they do so happen to come while I'm not here, would you mind welcoming them and showing them around the base?"
"Most certainly. I shall personally see to it." Belfast curtsied. "Safe travels, Master."
"Shikikan!" Atago yelled from afar as she and a few others ran to him on the pier.
"Atago? What's up?"
"Phew...Onee-san is glad she made it." She sighed in relief before presenting him with a basket of sorts. "I know you'll only be gone for a bit, but if you do start missing Onee-san, please do help yourself to the contents of this basket~."
"Oh than-say what now?" He deadpanned as he nervously opened the basket, only to reveal multiple provocative photos of the heavy cruiser in question alongside cookies and a knitted scarf."
"Also don't forget that Onee-san is just a click away on your phone! But just for good measure…" She started before walking up to him and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Here's one last good luck charm. Chu~." She said before pressing her lips against his cheek.
"A-atago!" Takao roared.
"Ehehe, gomenasai Takao-chan, but Onee-san can't help herself around Shikikan." She giggled before turning her attention back to him. "Did you enjoy Onee-san's lips? Or would you rather another one or two on the lips this time~?"
"Atago!" Takao jumped in an attempt to pry her off of him.
"Ehehe~. Just as planned." Atago giggled before twirling out of the way of the incoming Takao. Unable to stop, the pony-tailed heavy cruiser ended up switching places with her sister ship and was now pressed right up against Shikikan.
"S-Shikikan!? T-this isn't what it looks like!" Takao furiously blushed.
"I-it's fine…" An equally red Shikikan finally spoke up after being in a daze from Atago's antics. Coming back to his senses he placed a hand on top of Takao's head. "I'll be off now, so stay safe and don't push yourself too hard okay?"
"I-I'm not a child Shikikan!" Takao argued. "B-but….yes, I will. A-and you should also take care too okay?"
'This is the cutest I've ever seen her!' Shikikan and Atago thought.
"Herr Kommandant." A voice called out from behind before he felt a mechanical arm wrap around him and pry him away from everyone. "We should go soon. Deutschland and Hipper especially look unhappy." Spee remarked.
"R-right…" He sweat dropped at the sight of the two heavy cruisers glaring at him. "S-something wrong?"
"Wagging your tail for everyone other than me…..seems like I need to punish you…" Deutschland growled.
"Stupid, perverted dummkopf, we're on a mission you know? Stop flirting away and wasting our time!" Hipper snarled.
"Now, now you two." Eugen sauntered on in. "There's better ways to vent your jealousy you know~."
"WHO's JEALOUS!?" The two red-faced cruisers roared.
"Ahaha…." Shikikan laughed nervously.
…
Now with everyone on board his new ship, Shikikan and crew set sailed for the Ironblood homeland.
Turning around, he waved at everyone back at the base of the pier. "Take care everyone!"
"Bye Commander! Bring back a souvenir or two!" Javelin shouted.
"Don't worry about the base! It's in good hands with us after all!" Cleveland grinned before looking over to someone in particular. "Ain't that right?"
"Haha, yeah." Baltimore smiled as she too waved him off. "Laters Commander!"
"Farewell Commander! Do send word of when you arrive!" Illustrious called out.
"Don't forget to enjoy Onee-san's goodie bag!"
Now with Shikikan and the Ironblood Kansen long gone, the pier slowly got more and more quiet as everyone returned back to whatever they were doing prior to seeing Shikikan off. That said, there was one lone individual atop of a hill staring off to where Shikikan's ship sailed off to.
"Stay safe Commander." Enterprise said, still wishing that she could have gone with him.
"Fret not Miss Enterprise."
"Belfast?" The carrier asked as she noticed the maid appear behind her.
"Should he not return within the timeframe he gave us, I'm sure Her Majesty would be delighted to have you help lead the charge to his rescue." The maid smiled assuringly, before said smile turned devilishly smug. "Unless the reason as to why you are alone up here and sulking was because you were wishing that it was a shorter time frame in that you wouldn't have to be away from him for so long?"
"I-I was not! I just….never mind! There's paperwork to do right? I'll be there." Enterprise stuttered before speed walking down the hill.
'Hehe, how simply adorable.' Belfast smiled. 'If it's any condolence though, I too wished the same in all honesty.' The perfect maid thought as she took one last glance back towards where Shikikan's ship sailed off to before heading down the hill to tend to her previous duties once more.
{Back with Shikikan}
About six hours have passed since Shikikan and the Ironblood Kansen left the base. The sun was beginning to set as Shikikan's ship sailed along the rather calm sea.
"Seeing anything?"
"Nein."Z23 replied. "Something got you worried?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but I just can't help but shake the feeling that the sea is way too calm right now." Shikikan remarked as he kept a vigilant watch on his surroundings from the bow of the ship.
"Fret not Herr Kommandant." Tirpitz interjected as she appeared from behind the two. "You can trust Graf Zeppelin to not let anything get past her scout planes."
"And even if enemies do appear, you can trust us to keep you safe!" Z23 added.
"That said, stop your worrying already you dummkopf!" Hipper yelled. "We're stuck with you so stop thinking that you have to do everything alone! N-not that I mean that as if I was worried about you or anything!"
"Heh." Finally realizing that he is in highly skilled and capable hands, he managed to somewhat calm his growing anxieties as they continued venturing forth towards the Ironblood. "Thanks girls."
"Hey lowly animal! The great Deutschland is hungry and demands that you make yourself useful and get me a snack! Ahaha—ow!"
"….Sorry about that Herr Kommandant. What she meant to say was 'if it isn't too much trouble, could you bring some food for me please?'" Spee sighed as she lifted her mechanized fist off of Deutschland's head.
"I thought the Manjuus stocked the kitchen fridges and shelves before we left though?" He asked before he felt a tug on his sleeve.
"Herr Kommandant." Z46 started. "I recall Deutschland complaining about how the Royal Navy girls got to eat your homecooked dinner while she was out on a night sortie."
"That true Deutschland?" He smirked. "If I'm remembering it right, I'm pretty sure that you specifically requested to join that night sortie because Spee was going."
"S-silence! It is my duty as the older sister to watch over my precious little sister!" The heavy cruiser growled before her stomach followed suit.
"Pft…" Everyone stifled a laugh at her dismay.
"Well, it is dinner time right about now, so I don't blame you for being hungry. But since we are in the middle of a mission right now, it'll have to be something quick and light. That okay Deutschland?"
"T-that would be acceptable….but I want a real meal after we make it to port! Got it?" She heavily blushed.
"As you wish your Deutschlandy-ness." Shikikan teased as he over exaggeratingly bowed. Unfortunately for him, the moment he looked back up, he heard Zeppelin radio him.
"Herr Kommandant, there's a strange distortion occurring to our right."
Acting quickly, he radioed the Manjuu crew. "Stop the ship."
Now floating listlessly on the ocean, the Kansen gathered to where he was to see what happened.
"Why'd we stop?" Scharnhorst asked.
Looking over to where Zeppelin referred to, he pointed his finger outward. "Cuz of that."
To the far right of the ship was a strange spiraling, circular dome with dark clouds looming over it ominously.
"Seems like it's a Mirror Sea." Gneisenau hypothesized. "Shall we engage?"
"Forget the meal lowly animal! We have business to attend to now!" Deutschland grinned.
Brainstorming and weighing his options, he made his decision.
"Hmm….as far as I know, there haven't been any reports as to a Mirror Sea in these waters, so it must be new. Regardless, our mission is to get to the Ironblood territories, not launching an assault on a Mirror Sea." He reasoned. "That said, we will contact HQ and let them know about it once we make it to port."
"Understood." Tirpitz seemingly agreed. "Z23 if you will."
"Yes ma'am." The destroyer quickly replied as she started writing things down on a clipboard.
Nodding his head, Shikikan gave his orders. "We continue onward but stay on guard. Who knows what's to come?"
Ironically enough as soon as he said that, the Mirror Sea suddenly expanded rapidly outwards towards him and the Ironblood Kansen.
"Hah!?" Hipper squawked.
"Seriously!? Everyone brace yourselves!" He cursed his horrible luck as the Mirror Sea quickly expanded outwards and brought him and the girls inside.
Inside the Mirror Sea was quite the scene. The sky was stormy gray, and the waters were violently brewing about in every direction.
"Seems like we're going to be a bit behind schedule…" Eugen joked. "So….what now?"
'I don't think I've done anything to do deserve this much bad karma….' He groaned. "Zeppelin, any clue as to where the nearest exit is?"
"Nein." She shook her head. "Seems like we most likely are in the heart of the Mirror Sea. That said, I'm not detecting any enemies either."
"I'm not getting any radio signal either Herr Kommandant." Z23 added.
"Great…." He deadpanned. 'On one hand there are no enemies. On the other hand, they might be waiting in ambush. Staying here and wondering will get us nowhere, so best course of action would definitely be getting a move on and figuring out our surrounds.'
"What shall we do Herr Kommandant?" Tirpitz asked.
Looking sharply around and racking his brain, he finally noticed something off putting. "We head for that area over there." He pointed off towards the far right.
As the girls looked to where he pointed to, they noticed nothing but a far-off foggy area.
"Hah? What's going into a low visibility area going to do for us? If anything, we'll be more susceptible to an ambush!" Hipper yelled.
"True, but don't you think its strange that every other area besides there is clear as day? I'm not a weather expert, but something tells me that area is especially unnatural. And besides, it's not like we have any other leads." Shikikan reasoned.
"He does have a point…" Scharnhorst scratched her head. "I'd say let's go."
"The area over there is too foggy for me to see anything from above with my planes." Zeppelin added. "Seems like we must travel there afoot."
"…Alright fine. It's not like an ambush will matter in the face of the Ironblood anyway." Hipper sighed before the entire group made their way towards the fogged-up area.
As they traversed inwards, the fog was noticeable getting denser and denser.
"I can barely see my hands in front of my eyes in here!" Deutschland complained.
"Stop the ship for a second." Shikikan radioed the Manjuu crew right before the ship came to a halt.
"Something you see Herr Kommandant?" Spee asked.
"There's definitely something weird with how dense this fog suddenly got…" Shikikan thought aloud as he carefully scanned his surroundings. "Call me crazy, but I'm seeing that the fog in front of us and towards the left is a bit denser than that on the right."
"So onwards and to the left? Got it. Spee, Deutschland, come with me for a second." Eugen asked before the three went on ahead.
"Herr Kommandant? Is there something in particular that you are looking for in here?" Z46 asked.
"Possibly. Call it a hunch, but I get the sense that something is causing this fog, which would help explain how some parts in this area are more heavily fogged up than the others. If I'm right, this might help us find a way out and get back on track towards the Ironblood." He explained before his radio immediately buzzed right after he finished.
"Herr Kommandant! We found a strange glowing device that's emitting a lot of smoke!" Spee radioed.
"Bingo." Shikikan smirked as he head-patted Z46. "Go ahead and blow it up you three."
"Leave it the great Deutschland! Ahaha!" The cruiser laughed haughtily before the sounds of cannon fire rumbled Spee's end of the transmission. Soon afterwards, the fog quickly began to fade out of existence.
"Herr Kommandant! I'm seeing a line of mass-produced ships guarding what seems to be an exit point out of her towards our left!" Z23 called out.
"Perfect, now let's…" He started before a voice rang throughout the Mirror Sea.
"Greetings Ironblood Kansen and my dearest test subject~. I welcome you to this humble testing site."
Upon hearing the voice of Observer, Shikikan's mood immediately plummeted into the depths below as a dark scowl grew on his face.
"Oh my, such an unbecoming expression you have on." Observer's voice mocked, her physical form nowhere to be found.
"What can I say? Your voice is as grating as you are hideous. Thankfully you're at least aware of the latter and know better than to both speak and show yourself in public at the same time." Shikikan venomously spat.
…
"H-herr Kommandant?" A shocked and unnerved Z23 stuttered at Shikikan's sudden personality change as she and everyone else stood in battle-ready stances a short distance away from where he stood.
"Such hatred, how…quaint." Zeppelin added.
"Oh right, this is the first you all have seen him like this." Eugen casually remarked. "He'll be fine after we get out of here, so enjoy it while you can~."
…
"Such cruel words. It would seem like the longer you refuse to return back to where you belong, the more you forget who you belong to. Perhaps a more forceful approach is necessary?" Observer giggled sinisterly.
Feeling a migraine pounding away in his head, Shikikan couldn't help but find himself gritting his teeth in sheer annoyed rage. "The only thing necessary here is you either burning to a crisp or drowning into a bottomless abyss. So please, do me, no, the world a favor and pick one."
…
"…? Hipper? Deutschland?" Spee called out. "Why are both of your faces red?"
"H-hah!? W-who's red? I-I'm not!" Hipper huffed and crossed her arms but couldn't seem to bring herself to not take a few more glances back at Shikikan.
"S-spee! I-I have no idea what you're talking about, so drop this nonsense right now okay!?" The elder sister yelled as she too couldn't help but feel her face get warmer and warmer every time she looked at the cold, stern expression Shikikan currently had on.
…
"As much as I would love to continue this flirtatious banter with you, I'm quite the busy lady, so you'll have to excuse me while I attend to some other matters my dear test subject~." Observer mocked. "But don't fret, I have a present for you and the Kansen here. Hopefully you won't mind if it isn't properly wrapped~." She added before ending her voice broadcast.
Upon doing so, the entire Mirror Sea then began to distort around them, and the mass-produced ships began to activate and advance towards Shikikan and gang.
"The hell's that supposed to mean?" Hipper asked.
'Deep breaths man. Deep breaths.' Shikikan instructed himself as he tried to calm himself down. "All units, spread out and engage the enemy in a wide diamond formation. Disabling their carriers from launching anymore planes is priority #1 and their battleship batteries will be priority #2. Understood?"
"R-right!" Scharnhorst shook her head to refocus her attention. "You heard the man!"
'I was not expecting to witness that 'side' of him firsthand. I feel as though I should be concerned but why does another part of me say to take it as a treat?' Gneisenau thought before she too began to open fire on the incoming planes and ships.
"H-herr Kommandant?" A concerned Z23 called out to him as she quickly approached him. "Are you sure you're alright to command right now? I can ask Tirpitz to take over for you if you want to lay down."
'…One last breath…' He did as he instructed himself before replying to the destroyer. "I'll be fine, but the sooner we get out of here, the better I'd say. Thank you for caring Nimi, but you should hurry and join the others to clear out that blockade."
In Z23's head, she could swear she heard Eugen saying 'I told you so' in a very smug tone upon hearing this.
"That won't be necessary Herr Kommandant." Tirpitz radioed in. "The chances of an ambush fleet attacking you directly are quite likely, especially in this Mirror Sea, so I strongly urge you to allow Z23 to stay on guard with you back there."
"Ja! Please allow me to Herr Kommandant! I won't be able to relax unless I know for sure that you are okay!" Z23 begged before feeling Shikikan's hand pat her on the head.
"Thank you Nimi. Really." He said as he felt himself calming back down to normal thanks to the Kansen. Calling back into the radio, he gave his orders. "Make quick work of them and let's get a move on to the Ironblood!"
"All ships, open fire!" Eugen yelled as the Ironblood Kansen unleashed their reign of fire…into every other direction except where the mass-produced ships and planes were.
"H-huh?" Z23 asked dumbfoundedly.
"…..Uhh…so by 'them' I meant the Siren ships, not all the fish swimming around us." Shikikan deadpanned.
"I had my cannons trained for them and you know it!" Hipper yelled. "My shots just went haywire mid-flight!"
"Same for me, but they all suddenly went in the complete opposite direction." Tirpitz added.
"My planes nosedived into the water…" A befuddled Zeppelin commented as she was seemingly struggling in getting her planes to fly back up.
"Come on! Why…won't…you….go….where…I want…you to!?" Scharnhorst yelled as every single shot she fired went astray.
"Calm down Scharnhorst! You're wasting your ammo!" Gneisenau yelled.
"Then what do we do? Those ships are closing on us!" She yelled back before the area around the Ironblood Kansen began to explode with incoming cannon fire.
"What the hell is happening!?" Deutschland complained as she frantically dodged left and right.
"What do we do Herr Kommandant!? Nothing we do is working!" Z23 cried out to him.
When he didn't respond, she quickly turned her head to him and was about to yell for him again, but as she did so, she instantly went silent and knew not to interrupt him.
Shikikan's eyes were darting around and scanning the entire field at blazing speeds. Noting where every cannon shot went, where each plane was traveling towards, and overall, just calculating everything he could so that everyone could get out of this predicament in one piece.
"But don't fret, I have a present for you and the Kansen here. Hopefully you won't mind if it isn't properly wrapped~."
As those words rung in his mind, he felt himself clicking his tongue in annoyance upon realizing what Observer meant.
"Dammit, why didn't I figure it out sooner?" Shikikan cussed. "Attention all units! From this point onwards, I'm taking complete control over where you are firing!"
Looking at each other, the Ironblood girls nodded their heads in agreement before turning their attention back to him.
"I assume you have a solution or plan?" Tirpitz asked.
Nodding his head, he gave his first orders. "Tirpitz, I'll start with you. Aim your cannons for the battleship directly in front of you."
Doing so, he then gave his next orders to the Kansen battleship. "Now without changing the angle of your cannons, turn around and fire."
"HAH!?" Hipper squawked. "Have you lost your…!"
"Admiral Hipper." Shikikan sternly said as he put a single finger to his lips. "Shush. Just keep an eye on her back okay?"
"F-fine…" Hipper blushed before moving and standing between Tirpitz and the approaching ships.
Nodding to Tirpitz once more, he spoke. "Please, just trust me on this."
"…Understood." Tirpitz said as she decided to put her faith in him and turned her back towards the enemy. Taking a deep breath, she fired.
Boom!
As the cannon shots began to fly far off into the waters behind them, the shots Tirpitz fired suddenly flew into the entirely opposite direction and soon enough…crashed into the enemy battleship and sinking it!?
"W-WHAT!?" Everyone yelled as they were all visually dumbstruck from how the cannon fire acted almost like a boomerang.
"No time to explain! Zeppelin you're up next! Send a new squadron of fighters crashing into the waters! Now!"
With no time to lose, she launched her fighters straight into the water, only for them to veer straight up.
"…So that's what happening. How cumbersome." Graf Zeppelin announced as she proceeded to send the fighters into the sky and shoot down the incoming enemy planes.
"I see…how could I have failed to see something so simple as this?" Gneisenau sighed.
"What? What do you see? Come on already! Tell me what the hell is going on already!" Scharnhorst impatiently asked.
"Remember what Observer said about leaving us a gift?" Gneisenau started as she pushed her glasses up. "The 'gift' was that she turned the Mirror Sea into a literal mirror sea where everything is inverted."
"Oh! So I just got to copy Tirpitz and fire in the opposite direction? Got it!"
"Not so fast Scharnhorst." Shikikan called out. "The debuffs on you and Gneisenau are not like Tirpitz's. Your shots fly towards the left when you want them to go right and vice versa, while your straight shots go up instead of down over time. And Gneisenau, in addition to inverted controls, your shots don't follow physics and just continuously go on until it crashes into the Mirror Sea's walls."
"Ohhh! Got it!" Scharnhorst grinned before firing away and finally managing to bring down multiple incoming cruisers.
"Most impressive deduction work Herr Kommandant." Gneisenau complimented before she followed suit.
"Okay next is…"
"Already ahead of you Herr Kommandant!" Z23 and Eugen called out as they both seemingly instructed the others on how to proceed firing.
"Hahaha! Lowly animal! I shall praise you just this once so be grateful!" Deutschland grinned happily as she and everyone else sunk their targets one after the other.
"Herr Kommandant! Siren elites are emerging form all sides!" Z46 alerted.
'Ugh….We are so going to be late.' Shikikan groaned before putting on his game face and orchestrating the counterattack.
…
Once the group quickly whittled down the previously large armada into nothing but a sea of smoke of debris, the Mirror Sea began to break down and fade out of existence.
"Phew…" Z23 sighed in relief. "For a second there, I wasn't sure what was going to happen."
"Great work Herr Kommandant!" Spee cheered happily as she rushed up to him.
"Indeed. No one was noticeably injured and we're all free from the Mirror Sea. Truly excellent work Herr Kommandant." Tirpitz replied with a ghost of a smile.
"H-hmph! I guess you could say you did a good job." She slapped his arm before crossing her arms and looking away.
"Heh, thanks, but to be fair, having an outside view makes it a lot easier to see things." He chuckled shyly as he head-patted Spee and Z23.
"True, but I doubt I'd be able to have figured it out as fast as you did." Gneisenau smiled. "Could I ask you to share your observation patterns and strategies over some coffee later?"
"That'll have to wait until after we help ourselves to the bar inside to celebrate a job well done. Right Herr Kommandant?" Eugen purred as she clung to his arm.
"Eugen, we still have a job to do, you know?"
"I didn't hear you say 'no'~."
"…Well one drink shouldn't hurt.." He quickly gave in as a drink did sound pretty good, especially after having to confront Observer again.
"Um, Herr Kommandant, about that light meal you mentioned earlier…" Z46 shyly began.
"Heh. Sure thing, Fize." He ruffled the adorable destroyer's hair. "Anyone else want something?" He asked to which everyone, to some degree, agreed, either it be with a hand raised or a stomach growling.
Before walking back inside, he noticed something glimmering off to the starboard side of the ship he was walking along. "Hmm?"
"Herr Kommandant?" Tirpitz asked as she and everyone else watched him walk over to the side of the ship and look down.
"Is that a…Wisdom Cube?" He pointed down as the rest came over to look.
"Seems like it." Z23 confirmed. "I'll go get it." She added before jumping down and retrieving it from the debris it floated upon.
"Where'd it come from though?" He asked as he looked around.
"Perhaps the battle caused it to become dislodged from wherever it was underwater and resurface?" Tirpitz rationalized as Z23 jumped back up and handed it over to Shikikan.
"Are you about to do uh…that 'thing' you did back at NY Harbor with those two Wisdom cubes again?" Scharnhorst asked.
"To be honest…I still have no idea how that even happened." He replied earnestly as he held the cube in his hands and studied it. Even after a few seconds of holding it in his hands, the cube didn't seem to react to him. "Hmm, seems like nothing is happening. Maybe we should bring it with us to the Ironblood labs and see if we can transform it there?"
"Agreed. We could use all the help we can get, especially against the Sirens." Tirpitz remarked too which everyone agreed.
"Then it's settled. Onwards we go!" Shikikan commanded as the Manjuu crew did just that and propelled the ship back on track towards the Ironblood lands.
{At the Ironblood port city of Kiel}
"Where are they? The set meeting time was well over an hour ago."
"Well to be fair, they did call up and told us that they got caught up in a Mirror Sea and all. Oh wait, I get it! Hehe, there's a certain someone you want to meet now isn't there~?"
"W-what are you insinuating!?"
Waiting at the edge of the harbor were two standout beauties, one with jet black hair tied into very long twin tails and the other with long white hair tied up into a thick braid.
"First off all, I can't say I'm fond of being kept wa-hey!" The one with jet black hair started before her friend had jumped off the pier, activating her rigging and dashing forth towards an incoming ship.
"As carefree as ever." She sighed before chasing after her white-haired friend.
[A while back with Shikikan}
"Herr Kommandant, I can spot the Kiel port in the near distance. We will be there shortly." Z23 announced.
"Thanks, Nimi." Shikikan said as he was currently in the captain's quarters of the ship, or more precisely, looking at the wall of mounted weapons he had bought in NY City. 'Maybe I should bring a weapon? I don't think I'll actual need it, but better safe than sorry I guess? Question is though, which one?' He questioned as he gazed at his options.
"What are you two doing back here?" Z46 appeared with Spee, Deutschland, Hipper, and Zeppelin in tow.
"Herr Kommandant was thinking of bringing a weapon as a safety precaution, but now he's stuck trying to decide on which one he wants to bring." Z23 informed.
"What do you girls think?" He asked as he pointed to the wall where the aforementioned swords were mounted.
"Isn't it obvious? The biggest one is clearly the only correct choice!" Deutschland decreed.
"Hah? That oversized sword is definitely out of the question since that's pretty much asking for everyone's attention. Same with that halberd. We're here on a mission not a parade." Hipper argued.
"So that leaves either the smaller pair of swords or the larger pair." Spee said. "Personally, I think you would look cooler carrying the larger pair Herr Kommandant."
"But Herr Kommandant is only trying to keep himself safe, right?" Z46 reasoned. "Shouldn't the smaller pair suffice?"
"Possibly, Viersechs, but it depends on the user." Zeppelin jumped in before spotting the .500 magnum, the Nova, he had sitting on a nearby desk. "Will you be bringing that as well?"
"I planned to alongside either one of these pairs of swords yeah." He nodded.
"Then take the bigger ones. If you are opting to choose blades over guns, then that means you are in close quarters combat. That being the case, the bigger swords will give you more range and leeway against who or whatever it is that you are fighting." Zeppelin reasoned as she unmounted the broad swords, Divine Clarity and Absolute Chaos, and gave them to him. "Needless to say, you'll not be faced with any danger so long as you stay by my side."
"Sounds good to me." He quickly accepted as he sheathed both blades and attached them onto a black leather baldric he had hanging around his waist. Walking over to the desk, he holstered the Nova into his back pocket gun holster and stored extra magazines for it into his torso side holsters. Donning a navy-blue overcoat and concealing it, he was now fully suited up and feeling much safer and ready to venture forth into Crimson Axis territory.
"How do I look?" He asked jokingly.
"Imposing yet it is still you Herr Kommandant. It is hard to describe." Z46 admitted.
"Hopefully in a good way." He head-patted the adorable destroyer before offering her a hand. "Want to come with me and see how far off we are from the port?"
Nodding her head, she took his much larger hand and walked together with him out of the quarters with the others following them closely from behind.
As they made their way towards the bow of the ship, they immediately heard shouting on the other side of the door.
"Eugen! It's been so long!"
"Hehe, glad to see you too Heinrich."
"It's been a while hasn't it Strasser?" Tirpitz's voice was heard.
"Quite. I heard you had some trouble on the way here. Any injuries or damages you want to report?"
"Some people you girls know?" Shikikan asked before opening the door outside.
"Ja!" Z23 eagerly replied as she and everyone else walked out onto the bow of the ship.
Immediately, Shikikan spotted two new beauties happily chatting away with the Ironblood Kansen around them.
"Ah, Herr Kommandant. You've arrived. I'd like you to meet our allies: Prinz Heinrich and Peter Strasser." Tirpitz nodded as the two aforementioned figures quickly turned their attention towards him.
"Oh! Strasser! It's him! It's the guy from everywhere on the Internet and TV!" The one with silvery white hair cheered as she ran up to him with her sentient rigging. "Hello there, Herr Kommandant~! I'm the P-class armored ship, Prinz Heinrich. My little friend here is called Eisen... Hey, Eisen! Introduce yourself to Herr Kommandant normally..."
As soon as she said that, the rigging shot out, opened its jaw, and snatched away Shikikan's naval cap. It then proceeded to chew on it for a little bit before Heinrich intervened.
"Wait, how many times have I told you not to chew on others' clothes?!" She yelled as she pried the mangled-up cap away from its jaws. "Sorry about Herr Kommandant. Eisen's like me and is just excited to finally meet you is all! Oh, and here's your hat back!"
Looking down at the remnants of what was his hat, he decided against putting it back on. "You know, I wasn't really a fan of the hat anyway." He chuckled awkwardly before having a Manjuu take it away from him.
"Pleasure to meet you Prinz Heinrich." He smiled sincerely before looking towards her rigging. "You too Eisen."
"Oh! Most people are too afraid to even get close to him, so this is great news, now isn't it Eisen?" Heinrich cheered happily as the rigging hovered closer to him.
Slowly bringing his hand up, he managed to pat Eisen on its snout without his hand turning out like his hat.
"Aww! He likes you!" She giggled sweetly before taking a hold of his free hand. "This is your first time in the Ironblood right? Let me show you around!"
She offered before quickly tugging him off towards the side of the ship. "Hang on tight, we'll be there in a jiffy!"
"W-wait what! H-hold up Heinrich! I don't float like you girls do!" He panicked as the only thing between him and freezing cold seawater was the railing that Heinrich was planning to jump right on over.
"S-stop Heinrich! Herr Kommandant's not a Kansen remember! You can't just jump off with him into the water!" Z23 shouted as she tugged on her sleeves.
It was then the trio heard someone sighing tiredly. "Don't just rush on ahead and get people involved in your antics like this Heinrich." The black-haired beauty scolded as she pried Shikikan away from the heavy cruiser.
"As you can see Herr Kommandant, Heinrich likes to go at her own pace, so do be wary of getting sucked into it."
"Ahaha….t-thanks um….Strasser was it?"
"Ja. It is I, the never-completed Graf Zeppelin-class "Aircraft Carrier B," otherwise known as Peter Strasser. There is much for us to do and little time to do it... No time to waste. Let's begin." She announced. "With the delays caused by that Mirror Sea and the reports needed to be filed to record it, we are well over an hour behind schedule. Let us hurry back so that we can proceed to get back on track, Herr Kommandant."
"R-right." He nodded. 'Are we really that behind? Well, it's not like we wanted to enter a Mirror Sea or anything…'
"Strasser." Zeppelin simply called out.
"Ah Zeppelin." She nodded in reply. "It has been quite some time since we last met. Have you made any advances to destroying the world and your enemies?"
"…Uh Zeppelin?" Shikikan sweat-dropped. "Should I be concerned with what I just heard?"
"Nein…." She said before slightly looking away from him.
"Fret not. She is as much of an ally to your cause as she is to us as a fellow Ironblood Kansen." Strasser smiled. "But enough chit-chat, the scientists, engineers, and Ihre Exzellenz herself are all eager to finally see fruits of the PR project come into fruition now that you are here."
…
As the ship sailed right into the harbor and docked, Shikikan found himself gazing about in awe at the port city around him. All around he saw a very balanced combination of traditional Ironblood housing mixed with futuristic, steel covered buildings.
"Mhmm! Feels good to be back." Eugen stretched as she took in the sights. "What do you think Herr Kommandant? See why we wanted more of an Ironblood taste back on base?"
"Well, what I can say is that this place is really nice and vibrant! Be a shame to not have a look around later to be honest."
"We should have some time since the mission details did state that we have 3 days to complete it." Z23 said as she skimmed through a clipboard.
"Herr Kommandant. The Manjuus have finished docking and we are now set to head towards the research facility." Tirpitz announced.
"Sounds good." He nodded as he stretched out his neck, arms, back, and legs as he looked around surveyed city from atop the ship.
Now fully warmed up, he turned back to face the girls and spoke once more. "Well then, shall we begin with the second part of this mission?"
Feels so good to finally be back and post this! Thank you all so, so much for your continued patience and support with this fanfic!
Some notes:
- I'm very well aware that Strasser refers to us commanders as Officer in game, but with the way I have this story drawn out, I feel that it would be strange to have Shikikan be referred to as such. That said and if anything, I could change it to Offizier, the German (googled) translation for it if I get a majority of readers asking for me to change it.
- I'm thinking of doing average 10k word chapters henceforth since it seems to work for me better than 15k+ chapters. This means quicker (hopefully) chapter turnout rates!
- I've decided to at some point switch over to an M rating for this fanfic, but unsure of as to when specifically. You'll all be notified in advance so that you won't be confused if it disappears from T ratings, so don't worry!
That's all for me this chapter and do look forward to the next one!
Next time on An Unsung Legend: Chapter 22: Jet Black Fury
