Chapter Four

I had the dream again.

I was almost getting used to that constant feeling of helplessness as I remained chained in place, unable to even lift a finger in the defence of my homeland. The once pristine and tranquil seas of my home were all too quickly consumed in a hellfire of hubris and rage. I didn't want to believe that it could all be taken away so quickly, that it could end in the blink of an eye, but in my heart I knew we had only ourselves to blame.

As smoke and ash began to fill my vision, I fell to my knees and simply allowed the crackling of my crumbling empire to wash over my spirit. The only thought that trickled through my consciousness, like the last tears of a tired warrior, was 'why?' Why did I have to be the one to witness this end? The shame alone was already suffocating me, but witnessing it night after night was just twisting the knife. If dreams were a window into the soul, what was my subconscious trying to tell me? I already knew that I needed to be stronger, that I had to be better; the simple fact that I was being replaced by Lady Yamato was proof enough of that. If these were the last thrashes of a dying ego about to reach the end of its delusions of grandeur, I wished it would get it over with quickly and leave me to my misery.

"Is this what you really want?" a familiar voice called out to me. I lifted my head to see a figure standing before me. Between the smoke and flames, I could only make out the barest of features, but through the flickering light I saw the face of my Nagato counterpart.

Despite my best efforts to ignore her, the silent, judging gaze soon drilled a hole through what little pride I had left. "What person would want this?" I bitterly snapped back.

"Then get up," she barked.

However, I had only to move my hands a few inches forward before I was loudly reminded that there were still heavy chains binding me, just as they did in every previous dream. "I… I can't. I'm not strong enough."

"Like hell you aren't!" she shouted before she leaned down to grab me by the sleeve. "You are Nagato of the Sakura Empire. The world does not set limits upon you—you act as you see fit, and dare the world to try and stop you! Now get up!"

Whether spurred on by wounded pride or her bizarre interpretation of an inspiring speech, I nonetheless gave it my all and pulled once more on the chains. As I grunted and strained, I heard the faint groans of yielding steel and the crackling of a concrete post giving way. I could feel the moment of freedom about to arrive, when the steel would finally shout 'enough' and release me. Yet in that very instant beforehand, I saw a flicker of light from the other Nagato. It was almost too fast for my senses to even perceive, and the only thing that came to mind was 'golden'.

But then the dream ended, and the horrors of a burning, ruined capital were replaced with the soft and warm embrace of my futon and bed sheets. The sunlight pouring in through a nearby window and the chirping birds that I could hear in the distance confirmed that I was, indeed, in the castle. That also meant the voice calling my name and the vigorous shaking came from none other than my younger sister.

"Come on, Nagato, get up," Mutsu said as she jostled me once more.

"Five more minutes," I murmured back. As far as I was concerned, I wasn't finished with last night so the morning had no right to intrude upon me.

Long since used to my sloth-like approach to the morning, Mutsu simply pulled the covers off in one swift motion. "You're going to be late for breakfast," she continued unabated. "Choshu's already waiting for us."

With a tired groan, I rolled over to look my all-too-cheery sister in the eyes. "Cho...shu?" I repeated. For a moment, I wondered if the answer was supposed to be obvious and that morning grogginess had robbed me of all my senses.

My confusion must've amused her as Mutsu just giggled. "Well, I can't keep calling both of you Nagato. That'll just get confusing."

It took a few seconds for my brain to put the puzzle pieces together: I was named after the Nagato province, which itself was once called Choshu. A simple distinction, although it would likely take time for everyone to get used to it. As I was unable to return to sleep thanks to Mutsu leaving with all of my covers, I had no choice but to start the new day. She was being dutiful, and I knew I shouldn't begrudge her for that, but there were still days where I wished that waking me up before nine o'clock was a crime punishable by firing squad.

It had been three days since the incident in the harbour and the arrival of our new guest. After some deliberation, it was agreed that knowledge of Nagato's presence and situation would be kept limited to a select few in the fleet. When Akagi and I met with the Admiralty the day afterwards for the formal debriefing, they were uncharacteristically accepting of our proposals, including my sudden abdication of the Flagship position in order to accompany Choshu to the Azur Lane base for further analysis. At first I thought it was strange for them to be so willing to turn to an ally in this situation, but after some consideration, I suspected they just wanted anything Siren-related to be kept as far away from them as possible. If this matter exploded into something disastrous, then all of the fallout would land on Azur Lane, and the blame could be laid squarely at my feet. It was a safe bet for them, and given the disaster of the Orochi Project, one could hardly fault them for being careful. I had expected some second-guessing considering our debriefing included the line 'we found a Nagato from an alternate timeline in our harbour.' At the same time, though, it didn't escape my notice that Akagi arrived at the meeting well ahead of me despite the fact we were supposed to be debriefed together. I didn't want to start suspecting her again, but I couldn't discount the possibility that my once-trusted advisor was again operating under my nose.

Since there was little value in ruminating over what Akagi may or may not be doing, I instead decided to focus on the important things—namely breakfast. By the time I got changed and freshened up, Mutsu and Choshu were already waiting for me at the table. A hearty meal of rice, vegetables, and fish had already been set out, and judging by the hungry stares of my counterpart, her patience was beginning to reach its limits.

"I guess mornings aren't something the two of you have in common," Mutsu joked, her eyes having drifted upwards to my still unkempt bedhead.

"We cannot all be as energetic in the morning as you are, dear sister," I replied as diplomatically as I could given the early hour and my empty stomach.

"That's not a healthy attitude for a leader to take," Choshu said with a chastising waggle of her finger in my general direction. "War won't wait for you to fix your hair. A leader needs to be decisive, from the very start of every day."

It was an odd criticism for her to make considering that her hair had been groomed thoroughly already, and the presence of a hairbrush next to my sister indicated as to how that came to be. Still, she had a point, and a sloven attitude was no way to be a flagship, or ex-flagship in my case.

"We are not at war," I reminded her, "nor am I the leader anymore."

I knew from the moment I spoke it was a paltry excuse, spurred more by wounded pride than sound reason.

"We're not fighting," Choshu corrected. "There's a difference, but I will concede that having the time and opportunity to enjoy a freshly-made breakfast is one such difference that I can get behind." She began to look more and more like a hungry predator, rubbing her hands together whilst baring her fangs at the spread of food before her. She had a bowl of hot miso soup already in her hands and it was just about at her lips when I loudly cleared my throat and shot her a disapproving glare.

"Are you not forgetting something?" I asked much in the same way a teacher reminded a student about their homework. "It would be remiss for one who wears the robes of a miko to not give proper thanks before a meal."

Judging from the icy glare she fired back, Choshu enjoyed that about as much as I enjoyed waking up at the crack of dawn. It was a cheap shot, I knew, but if she were going to criticize my leadership then her religious obligations were fair game in my opinion.

She didn't break eye contact for a second as she lowered her bowl. "Of course, how careless of me," she said with a smile that looked as though it had been forced at gunpoint. I decided not to press the issue any further. We each clasped our hands together and after a quick 'itadakimasu', we carried on with breakfast.

"So," I began between mouthfuls of rice, "how has your stay been thus far, Nag—I mean, Choshu? I hope our Sakura Empire measures up to the one that you are accustomed to." It was going to take me some time to get used to the new name.

Though she was my guest, the last couple of days had seen me as busy as always with fleet business, in particular going over the final details to ensure that the transfer of power over to Lady Yamato was as smooth as possible. That meant that the care of the new Nagato had to be left in Mutsu's hands, which thankfully was a task that she had been more than happy to oblige. Maybe it was the prospect of being 'the big sister' that left her so excited, but a part of me wondered if it was because, unlike me, this Nagato was able to make all the time in the world to spend with her.

"The faces might be different, but the soul is much the same," Choshu answered. "And thanks to the Choshu alias, I can move about freely without any fear of creating confusion. Or at least, I could if somebody would stop introducing me as their little sister."

We both shot a glance over to Mutsu, who simply responded with a cheery laugh, as if to declare, 'I'm having fun, and you can't stop me.' I don't think either of us had the heart to even try.

"I am surprised by the care-free nature of the people here," Choshu continued on. "Given what happened a few days ago, I would've thought there would be more vigilance. Yet the citizens here seem to behave as if nothing happened."

"Try not to confuse tranquility with complacency," I reassured her, taking a bit of pride in the fact. "Our people are able to relax because they know that they are protected by a fleet that is always prepared to meet the enemy head-on. Given that every fight could be our last, I think it is fair to allow my fellow kansen to enjoy their hard-earned peace however they see fit."

Choshu gave me a somewhat muted smile behind a raised tea cup. She remained polite despite an obvious tell that she didn't entirely agree with my answer. "Well, I do hope the peace lasts for you, especially with this 'alliance' of yours with Azur Lane."

I noted a hint of hesitancy in her voice, but my sister spoke up before I got the chance. "Do you not get along with the Azur Lane in your home?" she inquired.

"We rarely saw eye to eye on matters," Nagato answered in a diplomatic fashion. "If we had active Sirens to rally around as a common enemy, things might've been different, but… well, there's no point dwelling on the past."

"Have you ever… sank someone?" Mutsu asked, cautiously.

"You mean have I killed?" For a brief moment, Choshu looked almost offended by the question, but it only took a moment of looking at my sister's sympathetic eyes to soften her expression. With a tired sigh, she averted her gaze as though there was now something terribly interesting within her rice. "I've spilled my share of blood. I take it you haven't?"

Mutsu shook her head.

"That might be for the best," Choshu said as she offered a reassuring smile. "That sort of thing changes people… and not always for the better."

"Are things at least peaceful in your world now?" my sister asked, now wary of whatever the answer might be.

"For now, yes."

"With any luck, we'll be able to find a way to return you home soon," I said in a hasty attempt to steer the conversation away from grim talks of violence and war. Though we were kansen, a part of me didn't want to expose Mutsu to such a life. Whether that was because of my personal philosophy or just me being a protective big sister, I wasn't certain of the answer. "Perhaps it's different in your world, but I have found the people of Azur Lane to be good, decent folk. I hope that you will be able to work alongside them well, since I have little doubt we will encounter the Sirens once more."

"I'll be fine," Choshu answered, albeit in a rather unconvincing tone. After a quick sip of tea, she shot me a quizzical stare. "Have we even heard back from them yet?"

"I can answer that," a voice called out, as if heeding the call of the universe's whims.

Everyone at the table turned to the nearby doorway to see Mikasa sliding the door shut behind her. It was surprising to see a guest arriving so early in the day without any prior notice, or even an announcement. I had always relied on Kawakaze keeping a tab on who came in and out of the castle, but she was gone now that I was no longer entitled to a steward. More disconcerting to me, however, was the realization that I was in no condition to be playing host to such an esteemed visitor.

"L-Lady Mikasa!" I blurted out. My robes were wrinkled and had been hastily donned, and my hair was nothing short of a disheveled mess that was more akin to seaweed than anything belonging on a person's head. As I stood to greet, I frantically waved with a hand behind my back to my sister in the hopes that she'd pass me the hairbrush that was still next to her. "M-my apologies for being so unprepared. I had not expected anybody to visit so soon. I-I only look like this because I just got up, not because we were playing around or anything!"

Either by good nature or amusement, Mikasa just laughed off my concern as she approached the table. "I wasn't expecting to stop by so soon either, but the response from Azur Lane came in," she explained. In her hand was an envelope, which she made deliberate motions to wave about while she spoke. "Akagi asked me to deliver this to you personally right away."

"She did?" I remarked rhetorically as I accepted the missive. "I would have expected her to want to deliver it in person, given how involved she's been so far."

Mikasa could only offer a quick shrug. "She said she had other business to attend to, and that she'd meet with you later." Clearly, she had no more of an idea of our colleague's motives than I did. It was worrying, but I pushed those thoughts aside under the guise that I should show Akagi more trust.

"Let us see what Azur Lane has to say," I said as I opened up the envelope. "To our esteemed allies in the Sakura Empire, we have reviewed the information you have sent, and we welcome the opportunity for a joint venture in unraveling this mystery. Furthermore, we have in recent days detected Siren activity and unknown phenomena within our own territorial waters, and suspect that these events are linked to the events that you have experienced. We look forward to your arrival, whereupon we can discuss the matter in greater detail. Signed, USS Enterprise, CV-6."

Though I had little reason to doubt that Azur Lane would lend us their aid, I was nonetheless relieved for the positive response, and from Enterprise herself, no less. With the de facto leader of the Eagle Union fleet involved, then that meant this wouldn't be some curious side project, but something worthy of the full attention of the entire Azur Lane-Crimson Axis alliance. It was curious that they had been experiencing Siren activity and had not yet informed us of this, but it was possible that they had every intention to had our message not reached them first.

"I must admit, it's strange to hear Enterprise's name attached to something like that," Choshu opined. She was the only person in the room who seemed unenthused about the news. "But I guess your timeline's Grey Ghost is a bit more… diplomatic than mine."

To be honest, I had found the famed carrier to be a bit stiff and awkward in the limited conversations we had in the past. Unlike me, she had been a warrior far longer than a leader, so it was understandable that she was more accustomed to action than words. I heard that everyone in the Eagle Union looked up to her; a leader chosen by those who followed her, rather than one who was elevated by those even higher in authority. There was much I could learn from her, which made me look forward to our meeting even moreso.

"Enterprise is a capable leader, selected through a joint agreement between Azur Lane and the Crimson Axis," I reminded her. "I know this might be unusual from your perspective, but I hope you can give the people of Azur Lane a chance to show you that they are good people as well."

Choshu mulled over her response as she nibbled on some fish, as old and ingrained instincts battled with reason and circumstance.

"Come on, it'll be fun. They have a huge onsen at their base and everything," Mutsu said, throwing her support in. "And I heard the Eagle Union girls have ice cream available every day."

"I'm not sure—"

"Every. Day!" In her excitement, Mutsu had gotten right in Choshu's face. Despite the fact that this was to be a joint operation into a serious Siren-related matter, she viewed it with all the zeal of a summer holiday.

Even the battle-hardened Choshu had little defense against Mutsu's particular charm. She let out a resigned sigh. "I will try my best," she finally declared. "Just don't expect me to get all friendly with them. They're your allies, not mine. But if you're willing to trust them, then I will put my trust in you two."

Mutsu threw her arms up in victory. "Hurray! I'm going to go pack my bags right away!"

"Wait, you're coming, too?" I called out before my sister ran off to carry out her plans. "Mutsu, this isn't a vacation. This could get dangerous, and there will probably be a lot of work involved."

"You don't expect me to just sit and wait at home, do you?" Mutsu replied. She positioned herself behind my counterpart with both hands on the kansen's shoulders. "I'm a big sister now, too, so it's my duty to look after her. Plus, if I don't… who'll look after you? Now that I've got two sisters, I'm twice as busy as before."

It was hard to argue against that kind of logic, or rather the absence thereof. Though I had my misgivings, particularly in depriving the home port of our last remaining 'Big Seven' battleship, having Mutsu along would bring a small sense of comfort. Through the multitude of strategic and tactical reasons for her to accompany me, the one that stuck the most was the unsettling pang in the pit of my stomach when I thought about her being stuck home alone with neither myself or her new 'sister.'

"I suppose we could entrust shrine duties to Yamashiro and Fusou while we are away," I said in a veiled attempt to make it seem like I was considering the matter in which I had already decided upon. "Be sure to pack light, though; I would prefer to get underway as soon as possible. The Azur Lane base is well-supplied, so we can get most of what we'd need there."

"Should we pack a travel futon?" Mutsu asked. "They say sleeping in an unfamiliar bed is tricky."

"They will have bedding there."

Mikasa let out a chuckle. "Make sure you don't have too much fun while you're away," she said. "Are you sure you won't need an extra set of hands?"

"We will be fine on our own," I answered. At any other time, I would've begged for her to join us, but sadly there were more pressing needs than my own. "Lady Yamato will need your guidance and experience if she's to succeed as our new flagship. Plus, I am already depriving our home port of three battleships, to take away more might leave a vulnerability in our defenses."

Due to the commitment of forces to the Azur Lane base as part of our alliance, the defense fleet in the capital were already sparse enough. While the majority of the other navies had home ports relatively close to one another, ensuring some measure of mutual defense, our nearest ally was more than halfway across the Pacific Ocean. Even in the best circumstances, we couldn't rely upon the forces at Azur Lane's main base to be able to help us in time if the Sirens made another move near the capital.

"Once I've conferred with the Admiralty of Azur Lane's approval, we shall depart. I hope there are no objections?"

"I would've liked to stay a bit longer, but," Choshu began, but paused as she finished off the last of her rice, "no time like the present, eh?"

What should have been a quick preparation wound up taking the better part of the morning to finish. My meeting with the Admiralty, conferring with them of Azur Lane's response, had gone over smoothly, and I was surprised once again by how little resistance I met when I informed them that Mutsu would be participating in the operation as well. I began to wonder if they were just indulging me, or if they simply thought that little of the Nagato-class battleship now that they had Lady Yamato and her sister Musashi.

The meeting, though, was not where all the time had gone. By the time I returned home, Mutsu had barely even started getting her things organized. Apparently her definition of 'packing light' meant however much she could carry on her own, which when you had the strength of a battleship was a whole lot. It took nearly half an hour just to convince her that we didn't need to bring along a hug pillow, let alone a dozen of them. And no sooner was that conversation finished did she move onto picking out a swimsuit because, according to her, she couldn't show up at the Azur Lane base without a new swimsuit. I told her the navy-issued one-piece would be more than sufficient, but her reaction to that was worse than the time I tried to tell her that Santa wasn't real. 'Too embarrassing', she insisted. As if somehow wearing something more revealing than the standard one-piece was any less embarrassing.

To make matters worse, for whatever reason, Choshu didn't so much as lift a finger to help move things along. She just watched from the sidelines as my sister and I bickered, like she was listening to some sort of daytime radio drama. I was only able to convince Mutsu to finally relent on the swimsuit by promising her that I would take her shopping for one when we arrived at Azur Lane. I had no idea if they even sold such things there, but I figured if Akashi was running a shop there, then almost anything could be found. Eventually, after a considerable amount of time vetting every outfit she had, I succeeded in talking Mutsu down to a single suitcase.

Part of me wondered how she even managed to accumulate so much clothing. We hadn't gone out shopping that many times, and even some of the older-looking pieces were completely unfamiliar to me. Had I been that inattentive of my own sister that she managed to amass so much without my notice?

By the time the three of us were heading for the docks, it was already past noon. The plan was for Mutsu to serve as transport, as the damage that Choshu and I had sustained during our skirmish hadn't been completely repaired yet. It would always be a risk, sailing out without a full escort, but I felt I couldn't afford to ask any more of the fleet on my account.

The three of us arrived at the harbourfront with our luggage in tow. The weather at the port was calm and pleasant, with the warmth of the sun on our faces and the salty mist in the air crisp and refreshing. Mutsu kept several paces ahead of Choshu and I, spurred on by her excitement to venture out beyond the home port for the first time in quite some time. In truth, I shared some of that sentiment as well, but I thought it would be too childish to be skipping through the dockyard as she was. I might no longer be the flagship, but I still had a dignity to uphold.

"I'm getting tired just watching her," Choshu commented, smirking as she watched my sister bounce along. "She runs out of steam at some point, right?"

"Is your Mutsu like that as well?"

"Not in the least. Calm… composed… smart as hell, too. People used to say we were practically polar opposites."

I wanted to say that I would like to meet the other Mutsu, but not only was that an impossibility, but I worried that it might draw too much attention to her current circumstances. I didn't want to make her more homesick, after all. Still, the thought of someone polar opposite to the Choshu beside me was intriguing. Did that also include physical stature?

My train of thought got derailed to the telltale sound of an approaching carrier, whose sandals made an ubiquitous clip-clop on the stone paths of the harbourfront. Not hurried or erratic, but a steady, methodical pace that belonged only to one ship.

"Come to see us off, Akagi?" I asked before I turned to greet her.

When she bowed in greeting, I noticed that my colleague had something rather curious with her: a packed bag of her own. The reason should've been obvious, but I was surprised all the same when she spoke.

"Actually, I've come to join you," she said with her usual devilish smile. "After all, I'm still your most experienced kansen when it comes to dealing with Sirens."

While she made a valid point, it riled up my instincts, like there was a voice in the depths of my subconscious trying to alert me to something that the rest of me wasn't quite aware of. I wanted to trust her, but a part of me was already doubting the honesty of her intentions. If she had wanted to join us, she wouldn't have waited until the last second to invite herself along.

Unless she wanted to give me as little time as possible to think it over.

"Might I ask you why? It is not as though we will be unable to communicate once we arrive at Azur Lane," I answered. To accuse her outright of an ulterior motive would be a great offense to her honour, but I couldn't just let politeness make me into a welcome mat for her. "I could send for you once we know your expertise will be needed."

"My only wish is to protect and serve you, of course, as I always have," Akagi insisted.

"Except for the time when you lied to me in order to collaborate with the Sirens." As it was only the four of us, I was free to speak my mind, although I knew I walked a thin line between caution and paranoia. One wrong word would be like striking a sea mine for our friendship, assuming she ever saw me as one.

Her confident smile evaporated, twisted into something more sombre while trying to disguise the hint of annoyance twitching in her ears. "I… chose the path that I thought was best for the Empire," she explained, even though I had heard that line a dozen times before. "You may have chosen not to punish me because of Project Orochi, but that does not assuage me of the guilt," she stopped abruptly for a second and looked to the other Nagato for a moment. "I wish to make amends, and both of you may need my help. You're treading into a world that you are… less than familiar with."

"What do you mean?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A world of intrigue, of course," she answered. "Don't tell me you think just because we're allies with Azur Lane means that we'll be sharing everything with one another." She stepped in closer to me, with each clack of her sandals punctuating her words. "We must be careful with how we interact with them."

"So you're saying we can't trust them?"

"I'm saying we can't risk being played for fools."

"She has a point," Choshu chimed in. "You may be allies now, but things could change, and as the former flagship, you have been privy to sensitive information."

I was already at a disadvantage trying to argue against someone as silver-tongued as Akagi, but now that it was a two-on-one there was little chance I could dissuade them both without doing something reckless like trying to pull rank or throw a fit. And there was truth in her warnings: I've had my trust taken advantage of once before.

"Very well," I said with a defeated sigh. "Your counsel may prove invaluable, though I pray that will not be the case. But be warned!" I paused to direct an accusatory finger in her direction. "I am in charge of this venture, so you will follow my instructions to the letter. If I suspect you are in any way deceiving me, I will send you packing with all nine tails of yours tucked between your legs, understood?"

Alas, my attempt to be commanding and threatening was met only with a mirthful giggle. "Oh my, how terrifying," Akagi said as she tried in vain to suppress her laughter.

"Y-you think I am joking?" I stammered back in a desperate attempt to maintain my composure. So much for staying dignified.

"On the contrary, I know you mean every word," she reassured me, "but threats don't become you, Lady Nagato." As I wondered how I ever commanded any authority in this fleet, Akagi drew closer and took hold of me by the shoulders. "I know what I've done has hurt your trust in me, and for that I am truly sorry. I'm just asking for a chance to cleanse the shame I brought upon myself."

Now I knew I definitely couldn't turn her down. What kind of leader, or friend, would I be to deny her a chance to reclaim her honour? If I had felt she did not deserve a second chance, I wouldn't have spared her punishment in the first place.

I smiled back and clasped a hand over hers. "Far be it for me to hinder you on this path," I answered. "My apologies if anything I said caused offense. These last few days have been—"

"Stressful? That is understandable." Akagi flashed a warm and sincere smile, which melted any remaining doubts I had. "Oh, and before I forget, there was a message that the Admiralty asked for me to relay to you… in private, if that's not too much trouble."

"Of course," I said before I turned to Choshu. "Could you take Mutsu on ahead? Akagi and I will catch up with you. This shouldn't take too long." I waited until I was certain that the two of them were out of earshot before I continued on. "There is no message from the Admiralty, is there, Akagi?"

If she were surprised, she did an excellent job of hiding any hint of it, instead she just smiled and nodded. "We must be spending too much time together if you're becoming this adept at seeing through me."

"I spoke with the Admiralty already this morning, and if they did have a confidential message for me, they would've summoned me, not sent you as a runner," I explained with no shortage of pride in myself. Rarely did I get the opportunity to be one step ahead of her. "Not to mention, you've now twice held back from saying what you wanted to because Naga—I mean, Choshu was present—once just now, and the other time back when she first awoke. So what is your concern that you couldn't say in front of her?"

It must've been serious because her smile dropped like a depth charge. "When you told Mikasa and I about your fight with the other Nagato, you mentioned glowing, golden eyes."

"Do you know what that was? When her eyes glowed, she cut through my shells and rigging like they were just wisps of smoke."

"No, but I have seen it before, up close. Whatever it is, there is a connection with the Sirens, and I fear it may be a grave danger to us all."

Given how confident Akagi always was, for her to throw around the words 'grave danger' meant this was no wild theory or act of paranoia. I didn't want to think ill of Nagato, but judging by how my colleague said 'it' may be a threat rather than 'her', it seemed that intentions may be irrelevant. I made a note to keep a closer eye on Nagato in the future, as well as press for better details as to how she had summoned such strength during our skirmish. With the warning received, I gestured for us to continue along the path in order to catch up with Choshu and Mutsu, who were now so far ahead that I could barely see them.

"Was all that talk about 'world of intrigue' true, or was that just a convenient excuse for what was really worrying you," I asked out of idle curiosity.

I was relieved to hear my colleague laugh again, slipping back into her usual playfulness as easily as one slipped into fresh socks. "A little of both, if I'm to be honest," she explained. "I doubt we'll be in any risk of you spilling state secrets, but you are inexperienced when it comes to dealing with westerners. Staying on a western base and living amongst them could result in quite a shock for you. And don't get me started on the men."

"I have dealt with men before," I scoffed at her concern. "The Admiralty can be terse and ill-tempered at times, but we've always come to amicable terms."

"Oh, my dear, sweet Nagato," she answered in a perplexing tone, more amused than anything, and then patted me on the head all of a sudden. "The breadth of difference between the men of the Sakura Empire and those of the west is as wide as the ocean itself. They are a forceful and crude lot, barbaric even; enslaved to their whims and passions with little sense of restraint."

Akagi's warnings sounded more like the stories one told children in order to scare them into obedience than a tangible threat. "I am a battleship of the Sakura Empire. I will not be intimidated by such farcical tales."

My colleague's hand shifted to my shoulder as she pulled me in tight. "As a battleship, you could withstand almost anything this world could throw at you, but your heart is kind and pure, and it would be a tragedy to see it come to harm," she said with a most disconcerting smirk. "I met some last time I was in a neutral port. Do you want to know what they said to me?"

She leaned in close and whispered. No sooner did her words grace my ear was I huddled in a ball on the ground with my arms wrapped tight around my head, shrieking like a banshee all the while. What Akagi had uttered was so incomprehensibly dreadful that my brain almost shut down in complete revolt, as if not just to refuse what she said but all reality that gave birth to such a thing. My face was on fire; I thought my boilers would erupt at any second. The fact that Akagi could repeat something, nay even remember it at all, was a testament to her mental fortitude.

"H-he said… that?!" I exclaimed, looking to my colleague in abject horror. "Out loud? In public? To you? B-b-b-but it was s-s-so crude… so uncouth! I c-cannot even believe that any soul would dare utter something that… that lewd before another person."

"Do you want to hear the best parts?"

"No!" I screamed, more by instinct than conscious thought. I clasped my hands over my ears and tightened my posture further. "Speak no more of this, I beg of you. I-if what you say is true, then these westerners are an entirely different breed. They sound more like animals than people. I dare say nothing in the world could have prepared me for such obscenity."

If her aim had been to scare me, Akagi had well and truly succeeded. With diligence and care, she hefted me back to my feet and dusted some of the loose debris that my robes had picked off the stone walkways.

"I'm sorry to have been the one to break it to you, but it is best you know what to expect, so you can prepare your heart in advance," Akagi spoke in soft words of reassurance. I felt anything but, as the heat of my flustered face was still cooking my brain, preventing any sense of coherence.

"J-just… promise you'll protect me if any western men show up."

A part of me knew she was probably just teasing me. Surely if she had encountered somebody speaking to her without manners or respect, it would have resulted in the kind of incident that made international headlines. As there hadn't been any diplomatic crises involving men being strung up from any flagpoles, then she must have been exaggerating.

There was just no way it could be true. My mind just couldn't accept the idea that people spoke of their own genitals in such… colourful terms.

All of a sudden, I was having a lot of second thoughts about going to Azur Lane.