You guys have waited so here is the next chapter.
Bullets smashed into their intended target, splintering wood flying everywhere with each impact. The atmosphere was a bit still chilly as usual but today's chill was colder due to the winds. Another bullet cut through the atmosphere and penetrated a wooden target before the victim fell over onto the snowy bank. Smoke trailed from the weapon fired thanks to the barrel being warmer compared to the air around it. Smiling at his handiwork, the Admiral pushed the cylinder out of his new weapon and disposed of the empty casings.
Yesterday had been quite a day with Ash arriving on the base and stating her intentions of being in this timeline. Roon was quite upset with her sudden arrival and the rest of their date being ruined thanks to more important matters coming up. What were those important matters? Well, the Pure Cube reacted and materialized an item instead of a shipgirl. Whatever his counterpart was thinking of when he put this cube together, Shikikan was both impressed and a bit confused.
The reward for forcing the Pure Cube to activate gave way to a personal suit of armor similar to the counterpart. If Ash's final order was to stop as many Sirens from winning in multiple timelines, then her Commander made sure to arm the respective leaders. Although, this armor seemed to be an extension of a prototype rigging system designed for human use instead of shipgirls. The small desire for Shikikan to fight alongside his subordinates was finally realized but...was it really the right choice?
His brothers fought on the front lines and met their death while he served the navy. So far, his leadership allowed for multiple victories when other admirals were barely lucky enough to survive. Would being on the front lines with the girls who were designed for war be a good idea? Maybe not...maybe so.
That's what led him to the target range. Usually reserved for the shipgirls to test out their new guns or to practice their aim, he found it a suitable place to fire the hand cannon. He expected it to kick like a mule and maybe break his arm judging by the specialized ammunition he had Akashi create. Rounds that can apparently kill a Siren if he struck their humanoid body but unable to pierce their rigging. Makes sense, they had flesh and bone like human beings but it did beg a simple question.
Why didn't standard arms kill them?
If the Admiral remembered correctly, there were many attempts to kill a Siren with what tech the nations had. Anything beneath a naval gun seemed to bounce off an energy field they created, thus making standard arms useless. Back to the weapon, the recoil of it was quite manageable although he still needed time to get used to. As far as he could tell, this weapon could no doubt be a nice self-defense weapon in case he came face to face with one of the Sirens.
Once he got rid of the casings, one by one, Shikikan pushed the cylinder flushed with the revolver and holstered it. No need to waste valuable ammunition willy nilly considering these were bullets specially designed and unable to be mass-produced. Imagine if these were to be mass-produced? That could end the war very quickly but at the same time...the average person was instantly a threat to a shipgirl. Could mankind responsibly hold such power if given to them?
No...Probably not. Someone out there would do some terrible things with munitions like these.
Pushing those thoughts away, Shikikan made his way back towards the administrative building for a very long conference. Considering yesterday, it would be impossible to keep Ash a secret without someone spotting her. Everyone would ask questions about the gun and then what about the armor once the officer began to test it himself? Better to get those questions knocked out before they were ever raised.
"Who is going to be my date for today? Royal Navy?" the man wondered with each footstep imprinted on the snow below him
Might as well be surprised once more when his date decides to show herself.
Shikikan now stood in a conference hall large enough to fit over five hundred people in seating alone. He remembered when it used to be a small conference room that held no more than fifty but those were the early years. A smile came to his face when he looked back at how green of an officer he was. A bumbling idiot who couldn't speak in public to save his life. But that's what happens when you send a man who barely turned twenty-one to a naval base full of shipgirls.
Now, here he was, preparing to unveil the recent events to a fleet that numbered past three hundred different women. The pressure was much stronger than it ever was before, yet, it didn't make the Admiral feeling nauseous. It only embolden him to get this news over with so he could move on and get to important matters.
Looking over a couple of note cards to help him stay on topic, he sighed to calm himself down. The doors to the conference room opened and the flood of shipgirls began. Now was the time to prepare himself. The officer walked over to the podium at the front of the conference room and took a slow breath to calm his nerves. Once all the girls had gathered into the room, the news began.
"As far as you know, we had a visitor some time ago that resembled one of our own. I can say that she has been spotted once more," he studied the reactions of the shipgirls before continuing, "She was spotted on this base."
The atmosphere became tense with murmurs flowing through the audience, some accusations of the defenses being too small to spot such a powerful shipgirl. The officer waited until the murmurs died down so he could have full control.
"I can assure you that Ash, as her designation, will not harm any of us so long as we do not provoke her to."
Enterprise rose from the corner of his eye, "How can you be so sure, Admiral? She tried to kill us during the Bermuda Triangle anomaly."
The Admiral gave a nod before clearing his throat, "Her reasons for that were for someone she cared about. She joins us now because of that person's dying wish."
Even though he couldn't spot Roon within the mass of shipgirls, Shikikan could definitely feel her gaze upon him. The gazes of all the shipgirls were on him, some curious while others got the hint.
He continued, "From what intelligence I gathered personally, she comes from a separate timeline that holds a dark fate for many of you. Humanity was at the point of extinction with very few to stand up against the Sirens. She...and her Commander were the last two heroes."
Silence followed as the hint was plainly dropped on top of the girls with many of them now understanding. That still didn't defuse the tension some of the shipgirls had against Ash.
"Where is that Commander now?" a voice broke through the silence
Shikikan recognized the voice, Elizabeth may have been a pain but she was not one to back down in raising a question, "Dead. Saved humanity but at the cost of his own life."
The metaphorical glass was smashed into dust as the shipgirls began murmuring once more. His words had caused a chain reaction of possibilities that could fall upon him. It was obvious that the women were discussing the possibility of their officer falling to a similar fate. A fate that a number of them would never want to experience.
"That is all, you are all dismissed,"
He didn't let them try to barrage him with questions. A full salvo alone would be a bit too much for him to bear with such a large crowd. If they asked him about each of their fates, Shikikan wasn't sure if he could handle trying to see those scenes in his head. They happened too fast for him to analyze and they didn't show the cause of death. Retreating to the back end of the room, he opened a back door to escape from that confined place.
Once the Admiral made it outside, he started walking towards Akashi's store so he could test out that armor for himself. Preferably, he would like a test run before he had his date to get to. He trudged through the snow as fast as he could and didn't look back to see if any of his girls were following him. The faster he got to Akashi's shop, the better.
There it was, marked in a steel black shade with white trimmings on the side. It was pretty modest of a suit of armor, taking a more human proportion rather than an entire exoskeleton or ornate rigging. The only differences the Admiral noticed compared to his counterpart were a couple of metal 'wings' that are connected to the back. Some form of emitters were tucked into these 'wings' and they posed no flight capabilities. At least from what Akashi was able to scan.
"This has to be some form of titanium plating," he observed, knocking his knuckles onto the surface to feel the cool metal echo the sound
More armored plating covered the chest to the head region with lighter armor beginning at the stomach area. The legs were heavily armored with the arms being medium in armor plating. The back was armored more than the arms but less than the chest. The feet had some materials normally seen on the shipgirls' shoes that allowed them to float on the water. Lastly, the helmet fully encased the helmet with a visor to protect the face from shrapnel.
"Looks like he really thought this through, but I wonder if he ever got to test it."
The scene of his counterpart's death came to his mind, "Unless the test was the very last thing he did before death."
Now how to open up this armor? It looked to be in one single piece with a frame underneath the external plates. The helmet came off easy but the rest of the armor was a bit of a mystery. Shikikan raised his hands and touched the chest plate of the armor where the cool metal nipped at his fingertips. Immediately, lights began to illuminate the armor before it split in half to where one could simply stand inside of it. Curiosity further pushed the officer to step into the open armor and place his arms where the open armored arms were.
Like a hydraulic system, the armor closed around his body in a tight but not uncomfortable seal. The only part of his body left open was his vulnerable head, which he looked into the helmet with conflicting thoughts. Once he put this armor on fully, he felt compelled to fight alongside the shipgirls he commanded for the past years. He didn't tell them about the armor nor his hidden desire to fight on the front lines with them.
A pang of guilt smacked his heart at the thought of how brave his brothers must have been while he chose the cowardly way. Sure, he kept humanity safe and was able to push the nations into a peaceful resolution so long as the Sirens were around, but he still sat behind a desk. His mother never liked the prospect of her sons and her husband going off to war, but they all did. She had to be there for everyone one of their funerals and that guilt only festered as the years passed.
"I'll make you all proud."
Slowly, the Admiral sealed his fate as he put the helmet on with the visor going over his vision of making the world a little smaller. The armor on his body latched onto the helmet to seal it in place lest it fell from his head for some reason. His vision suddenly expanded and lights danced in front of his eyes. An outline of the armor appeared temporarily to the right side of his vision while several sentences were suddenly typing themselves to his left.
Armor system analysis….online….
Armor strength...operational…
Power supply...Exceptional…
Welcome back Commander…
"It's Admiral now, but I'm beginning to miss that old rank," the officer chuckled as he began to experiment with the movement.
His arms were not restricted since the weight of the armor was dispersed along his body with the frame of it doing most of the work. Then he tried walking around, finding no restrictions to that movement either. Although, these little attachments on his back made it feel a bit off on his balance. He was going to need the assistance of the shipgirls to learn how to even float on the water considering he was left speechless on that fact.
Wouldn't want to drown himself on the very first practice run now, would he? The funny thought fled as he heard the door open to Akashi's workshop.
"Admiral? Are you here?" a female British voice was heard
Shikikan could have stayed silent and tried to take off the armor, but he already put it on, "Yes, I am here."
A few more moments and Hood walked to visible range. His vision was suddenly filled with her profile and her armaments out of nowhere.
"Can you shut that off?" he grumbled, finding the information he already knew quite annoying
Acknowledged...Shutting off systems
"Were you speaking to me, Admiral?" Hood questioned once she had seen him, finding his appearance curious if not a bit confusing
"No, no, I was talking out loud. Forgive my appearance, Christmas came very early," he replied, trying to think of how to get this armor off
Hood inspected the man from foot to helmet, her eye analyzing every detail, "Was this also a gift from the other timeline?"
"Obvious, isn't it?"
Disengaging systems…
The armor opened up, allowing the more athletic frame of the man get out. Shikikan took off the helmet and placed it back on the armor before turning back to the elegant woman in front of him. He flinched once he noticed she was frowning, a very rare sight from Hood unless she really was upset. Her eyes were piercing through his own, reading his every thought no matter how much-reinforced steel hid them.
"You aren't serious about joining us in actual battle, are you?" Hood questioned, his answer was obvious but she asked him anyway
The Admiral sighed in defeat, "It's a backup plan in case something goes south. I will rather be prepared for anything than being left at the mercy of the enemy."
This did little to satisfy the upset lady, "Admiral, with all due respect, humanity cannot afford to lose an officer of your caliber. Many of the girls here would lose their will to fight if you ever fell in battle."
"I never said I would be leading the vanguard myself. Only in a last-ditch effort will I even consider the option."
Hood shook her head, "Please understand I look out for your safety. I and those you put your trust into are simply making sure you survive."
"Then you wouldn't mind teaching me how to move on the ocean?" The Admiral replied back, earning a sigh from the battlecruiser
"You are a stubborn man, but, I might as well if you are so willing." She then began to giggle, "It looks like I must reteach the Admiral how to dance."
At the docks, Laffey sat on one of the wooden benches looking toward the sea despite the chilly weather around her. She wore a thick pink jacket with matching boots and gloves. Next to her was Javelin in her own winter attire and Z23. Ayanami did not join them due to the cold and all of them were enjoying a fresh batch of hot cocoa.
Plus, watching the Admiral learning how to simply move on the ocean with his recently acquired gear with Hood as his teacher was quite amusing to watch. Well, amusing except for Z23 who looked utterly embarrassed watching the poor officer look like a bumbling idiot. His first few attempts simply made him trip and fall underneath the ocean. Thankfully that armor kept most of the cold out or he was going to have hypothermia.
"This reminds me of the time when Shikikan first got here," Javelin spoke in a happy tone
Laffey sleepily nodded before taking another sip of her drink, "Admiral was very nervous."
"Ja, he couldn't speak to us on the first day without shutting down," Z23 agreed, looking away at such an embarrassing sight
A loud splash was heard with Hood giggling afterward before pulling the soaking man out of the ocean before he sunk. This was not like dancing in the ballroom, far from it. It was more like ice skating but with propulsion instead of motion. Shikikan never went ice skating in his life so one could imagine how confusing it was to get a grasp on the concept. He began to regret ever thinking of taking on a more active role in future sorties.
Rising out of the water and gripping tightly onto some solid ground, the man gasped, "How can any of you move like this when I can't move an inch!?"
Hood only smiled in return, "Keep in mind, this was your idea. I was against it initially so this is your fault, Admiral."
"Hood, I don't need British smugness right now,"
Shikikan stood back up, trying to steady his feet on the waters below his feet. It felt weird trying to stabilize himself on a surface that wasn't solid. He felt like he was slightly floating on air due to the buoyancy his gear was giving him. What was the logical explanation on how this system worked? Something extremely complicated that the officer had no time to understand at the moment.
Once he felt that he was stable enough, he tried to begin his movement by engaging his propulsion systems. The wing-like appendages raised a bit before he was suddenly sent flying forward at a great speed. No, this was not what he was going for at this moment. His fear made him almost try to stop himself but every time he did that, the officer fell face first into the ocean. So, learning from the last embarrassing attempts, he kept his legs close together and simply shifted the direction of his feet.
This got him to start turning instead of falling right over. Oh, so this is how the girls were able to turn but how could they turn sharply? With mind brainstorming, the Admiral then leaned in the same direction earning a sharper turn. Hood was clapping off to the side while she was flawlessly balanced on the ocean surface.
"Very good, you are starting to get the basic concepts," Hood complimented
"Yeah, I'm hoping this thing doesn't go any faster," the officer joked, but that would be his worst mistake
Thrusters engaged...100%
There was no time to react before the man was sent hurling through the seas, past the docks and towards the wider ocean. Hood and the destroyers had looks of horror before they took action. Hood wouldn't be able to catch up but the destroyers could. Rigging materialized before the three smaller girls took off after the Admiral. The man was trying to turn back in the direction of the base but his speed was making his turns very wide and off course.
"Goddammit! Shut off!"
The armor did not pay heed to the officer's orders while he desperately tried to change course or be lost out in blue expanse. Thankfully, the Starter Squad (minus Ayanami) had caught up to him and were looking for a solution.
"Javelin, grab the Admiral's left side and pull him to change his direction. I'll push his right side and Laffey…" Z23 began barking orders before she turned towards the bunny to find her asleep
"ZzzzzZ,"
"Laffey!" the bunny awoke momentarily and without orders, went in front of the speeding officer and tried to stop him
Despite the speed slamming into the smaller girl, she held her ground and began to push against the armored man. Z23 and Javelin used their combined strength to force the Admiral's direction to head back to port and with Laffey's attempt to slow him down, it was working. Well, it was mostly working, the speed of the officer was still coming too fast. They were running out of ocean as the docks were rapidly coming closer.
"Girls, aim me towards the beach, the sand will beach me and stop all my momentum. I can't stop this thing so let's not take out some of the docks," Shikikan ordered, bracing for the inevitable
Despite all their best efforts, it was clear that there was no stopping this crash. So, Z23 and Javelin pushed and pulled the armored man in the direction of the beach instead of the docks before letting go. Laffey swiveled out of the way as the officer braced for impact. The very moment his feet touched solid ground, his body was sent hurling in the air and slamming onto the soft sands. He bounced off the sandy beach several times before his momentum came to a halt before the main road on the naval base.
Pain coursed through his entire body, the armor having taken most of the impact but unable to stop all of it. Groaning, Shikikan pushed himself onto his back before pushing the helmet off of his head. Fresh air flooded his lungs while he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position.
"Admiral, are you alright?" Hood came running from the docks before kneeling down to inspect for any wounds
A small trail of blood began to fall from his forehead but the man was relatively unharmed, "I'm good...but I don't think I'm going to do that until I get the hang of this thing."
The destroyers arrived onto the beach before their rigging disappeared with the girls also checking up on the Admiral. The wing-like appendages were bent out of shape but overall, it was relatively fine.
"You didn't do half bad out there," Javelin said in a cheerful manner, attempting to lighten up the mood
Shikikan didn't reply, attempting to get onto his feet again before pain shot up his right leg, forcing him to kneel. His face scrunched up with Hood and Z23 immediately taking a side of him to take the weight off his leg. The armor opened up, allowing the man to get out, so he didn't weigh so much.
"Jav, Laf, get Akashi," he told the two destroyers
"We need to get you to Vestal, come along Zed," Hood spoke sternly, her smile fading
Shikikan expected for him to limp with the support of the battlecruiser and Ironblood but he quickly found himself off his feet. He looked shocked to find that Z23 was carrying him bridal style with her face blushing yet serious.
"I'm not doing this for any reason other than taking care of you," she spoke quickly before anyone could question
Hood, although taking the situation seriously, couldn't help but feel a bit jealous, "Ms. Nimi, as the Admiral's secretary, it is I who will be carrying him to Vestal."
"Nein! As his zukünftige Braut, I will carry him."
"Goddammit you two," Shikikan sighed with a sweatdrop, the old war tensions still fresh as ever
It would be a while before he even got to Vestal due to the two arguing women.
Here's your late Christmas present, I hope you all like it. A little more serious stuff for those of you who enjoy it. See you guys next time.
Next Chapter: Sweet Talk
