08—Fluttering Ripples
Hours passed as she waited at the bridge.
She did what she could in scrounging up information about the ship, but she still found nothing.
She couldn't help but think that the ship was somehow alive and was hiding the things she needed most during her search.
Also, the sun had already risen up from the horizon, and she had yet to notice anything worthy of note outside. A strip of land, a ship, or even aircraft—nothing.
She didn't know how long she had been scoping the ocean around the fleet, but her mysterious companion seemed to have disappeared as well.
Fatigue caught up on her and she decided to rest at the nearest cabin available.
Perhaps she would wake up later with new developments at hand.
But her peaceful slumber was disrupted by a loud boom. She rushed back to the bridge and found that the fleet was under attack.
The destroyer she was on unleashed another thunderous broadside. Shells arced towards the flickering shadows below the horizon.
Warships.
She shook her head and balled her hands.
She had to do something.
At that moment, a fervent impulse took over her body.
Free from reservations, she jumped off the ship and steeled herself for the landing.
But as she broke through the water's surface, she was also subjected to a rude awakening.
She couldn't summon her armaments.
She struggled just to stay afloat against the waves from the ship and geysers from the opposing fleet's shells.
As she happened to glance up, she saw the ghostly figure throwing a buoy near her.
Using all her strength, she swam towards the ring and latched her arms onto it.
She shut her eyes as the sounds of cannon fire filled her ears.
Her body was numb from the ocean's cold embrace. She felt that she could slip away at any moment.
In this world, she seemed to be no different from an ordinary human girl.
It didn't make sense, but there was nothing she could do about it either.
Her consciousness dimmed further. She could only muster a bitter smile.
Pathetic.
She couldn't even save herself, and yet she was already yearning to help everybody else.
These unbearable feelings of guilt and helplessness…
She truly hated them.
Just before midnight, Urakaze and Kiso dropped by to check on them. The pair also told her that they would stay in the floor lobby, so she could easily call for them if she ever needed anything. Inazuma thought that they deserve to get some rest too, but they had to make do with the available options they have at the moment. As they left the room, Inazuma made sure to give them her heartfelt thank you for everything they've done so far.
As for the commander himself, he decided to stay with her and ended up sleeping with his head on the bedside. She wanted to get some sleep too, but she couldn't. She felt restless, drifting in and out of consciousness every now and then. She just couldn't shake off this slinking sensation in the back of her mind, constantly broadcasting its presence to get on her nerves.
She didn't want to concede just yet though.
She took a deep breath. She relaxed and closed her eyes.
She concentrated, containing her thoughts in a single box. Within this isolated space, she filled it with pleasant thoughts.
Wonderful memories.
Warm, happy experiences.
A-Akatsuki…
Then, everything was still.
The early hours of the morning went by peacefully, but she found herself wide awake just before daybreak. Whatever that was about, it successfully kicked her out her own dreamland again. She didn't feel like leaving the comforts of her bed just yet though, so she let her eyes wander around the room to pass time. Not more than a minute passed and she quickly got bored as the interior was rather bland and empty. In the end, her jaded gaze settled on the sleeping commander, observing his smallest movements.
At first glance, he seemed to be unperturbed and at peace as he slept, but the longer she stared at his face, there was something that didn't feel quite right. It was nagging her from the back of her mind and she couldn't guess what was causing such unease in the first place. Was she just imagining it? Regardless, she could only hope that she had helped in easing his worries earlier.
"T-That's right. I forgot to ask you about it. I know that I shouldn't be doing this, but…" She crawled next to him and reached out for his right hand. U-Um, excuse me…
Inazuma retracted her hand as the commander shifted a bit. Holding her breath, she pushed on and managed to get a hold of his sleeve. O-Okay, just lift it up like this and…
Her body froze the moment the door opened. She swallowed hard as she directed her gaze to the pair standing at the corridor. As the blonde fleet girl was about to speak, the smirking man held up his hand and made a quick salute.
"C-Commander Einrost, this isn't—!" The door quickly closed. "Hawawa!"
Before she could hop out of the bed, the door opened again. "Heh," the officer said. "Surprised, I bet?"
"E-Even Commander Einrost came all the way here?"
He nodded. "We're about to initiate the first phase of his master plan. Or are we already at the second part? Dunno much of it, really."
She glanced back at the commander. "Plan?"
"Wait, you don't know yet?"
Inazuma frowned. "Here he goes again."
"Don't sweat it. As far as I know, I'm the only person who was told about it. Well, and those factory fairies back in Auspice." Einrost shrugged. "He's surely an eccentric one when it comes to planning stuff."
"Can you tell me?"
"He'll disclose everything later. I'm sure he'll be able to explain it better too."
Arms crossed, the blonde fleet girl was staring at her all this time. "O-Oh, um, I'm sorry." Inazuma bowed down. "I didn't mean to ignore you."
She closed her eyes. "No, it's fine. I understand how crucial this moment is."
The destroyer sighed. "I-I'm relieved to hear that…"
"But allow me to introduce myself." With a fierce look on her face, the fleet girl saluted. "Aircraft Carrier Graf Zeppelin, reassigned to Section 12's Pathfinding Unit. It's a privilege to have this opportunity to work with you side by side, Miss Inazuma."
Panicking, she returned the gesture with a hasty salute. "U-Um… n-no, the pleasure's mine!" She shook her head. "Erm… you don't have to be so formal to a destroyer like me."
Cocking her head to the side, the aircraft carrier stared at Inazuma for a moment. "Hmm, it appears she is exactly what Murakumo told me about."
The secretary blinked. Wh-What's that supposed to mean?
Einrost approached the bedside, rubbing his chin as he stared at the commander. "Damn, he really sleeps like a log, huh?" He then turned his head to Inazuma. "What were you doing, by the way?"
She could feel her blood rushing to her cheeks. "A-Ah… I was just... um..."
As she failed to give him a convincing excuse, his lips formed a sly grin. "I never would've thought you're one of those types, you sneaky fox."
"Th-That's not true! I'm not doing anything bad!"
"And that's what all naughty girls say when caught red-handed." His hand hovered under his chin, rubbing it with his thumb. "Gee, I wonder what he would do when he finds out that his precious secretary is actually plotting naughty things to him in his sleep."
She grabbed his arm and began yanking it. All the heat that her body was generating felt like she just completely exhausted herself with Overdrive. "I-I-I'm not naughty! And please don't tell him!"
"Well, there's a chance that he might actually like that bad girl image, you know? Lots of guys are into that kind of shtick, me included."
"B-Bad girl image? I'm not like that at all!"
Graf Zeppelin wrapped her arm around Einrost's shoulder. "What are you do—" A fist rammed his waist. "Grk! W-Why did you hit me?!"
"I am merely abiding to your secretary's instructions."
"Th-That's just harassment!"
"Could you please stop screwing around? The meeting will be starting soon." Kiso made her presence known as she entered the room. Behind her was another girl wearing a hoodie. "Hmph, you don't have to be so embarrassed around us."
"I… I know. This is just too sudden." Taking a deep breath, she took off her hood and bowed. "L-Light Aircraft Carrier, Zuihou. Um… thank you very much for saving me that last time."
"A-Ah!" Inazuma uttered, wiping the sweat off her forehead with her sleeve. "You've recovered!"
Einrost nodded. "We brought her along with us since she had been pestering me for days."
"I already caused everyone a lot of trouble," Zuihou said, "so I would really appreciate it if you would allow me to join your fleet."
"Well, what did I tell you?"
Inazuma found herself being pressed to the corner as everyone was now looking at her. "Um… I'm not really the right person to consult about this, but you should be aware that there are certain procedures that you have to undergo first. Then, there are qualifying tests to—"
The light carrier took her hands, clasping them together. "P-Please! I'll do all of that, but just this once, let me help you guys!"
She averted her eyes. Zuihou's stare was just too painful to look at. "E-Erm… it's not that I'm against it or anything, but—"
"T-That's more than enough to me! I… I won't disappoint everyone!"
"Good for you, little miss," Einrost said.
Zuihou turned to the officer and gave him an enthusiastic nod. Inazuma could only force out a smile. Her face… it's not fair…
"Now that's settled. How about you wake up your prince with a sweet morning ki—" Another jab from the blonde carrier made him reel towards the countertop. "S-Stop that!"
"Just wake him up, Inazuma," Kiso said, turning around. "We'll be waiting at the nurse's station."
As the cruiser left the room, Inazuma approached the commander and gently shook him by the shoulders. "Commander? It's morning," she said. "You told me to wake you up, remember?"
No response.
"He must've been very tired," Zuihou said.
"Oh, I know!" Inazuma shook and clenched her hands. "I always try to give Hatsuyuki a massage whenever she feels sluggish in the morning. Maybe it'll help!"
She couldn't do much as he was still wearing his coat on, but she had to try.
Inazuma stretched her arms forward and cupped her hands on his left shoulder and pressed both thumbs downwards repeatedly. As she was done making a mental map of the points she needed to work on, she spaced out her hands and started applying pressure using the tip of her fingers and the base of her palms, working her way down to the trapezius.
Feeling a stiff spot, she rubbed the area first with her thumbs before giving it a squeeze. However, she overestimated her strength and kneaded a tad deeper near his shoulder blade, producing a dull popping sound.
The commander suddenly shot up, slamming her to the bedside. He pulled her right hand to her back and pushed his weight onto her with his forearm. "That hurt like hell! What are you trying to do?!"
Inazuma forced out her mag-ions to reduce the strain in her arm. "I-I'm sorry! I was just trying to wake you up!"
"Do that again and I'll tear your arm off."
"Y-Yes! I won't do it again!"
He plopped down on his chair, rubbing his shoulder. "Tch, I think I'm gonna cry," he mumbled.
Inazuma felt bad seeing his miserable face. "N-Not you too!"
"What are you on abou—" He looked up and noticed the others watching them. "Oh, you're here."
"Hey, be honest with me," Einrost said, rubbing his waist. "What happened here last night and you already had her giving you… intimate massages in the morning?"
As if he didn't hear anything, he turned his attention to the ponytailed carrier. "Zuihou, right? I've been expecting you."
Einrost sighed. "Hey, I was the one who brought her here."
"Y-Yes." Zuihou saluted. "Admi—Commander Yuu, I've been waiting for this chance to express my gratitude for saving me from the Abyssals. U-Uh… that's why… um…"
The commander's eyes were focused at her face, causing the carrier to buckle and hide behind Einrost. He looked back to Inazuma. "You two aren't related, are you?"
Inazuma sighed as she squinted at him. "She's an aircraft carrier."
Einrost pulled Zuihou to the front. "U-Um," the carrier said, "I maybe small compared to the standard carriers, but I'll do what I can to help everyone with my planes."
He raised an eyebrow. "What? I don't recall taking you in."
Zuihou grimaced. "W-Well... that's..."
"Pardon my intrusion," Graf Zeppelin said, "but isn't it about time for Commander Yuu to prepare for an upcoming assembly?"
"Yeah, I know." He stood up and walked towards the bathroom. Then, they heard the faucet running. "Anything new on your end?"
"Nothing much," Einrost replied. "I just did what you told me. And there's you going around on several media outlets lately. What was that about?"
A brief pause. "All I know is that they're stretching my patience to its limits. I couldn't care less about it."
I wonder about that... Inazuma eyed her jacket draped over a chair's backrest. "O-Oh, before I forget, sorry about the jacket."
He left the bathroom and picked up his terminal on the countertop. "Don't worry about it. You can fix it anyway, right?"
She took the jacket, putting it on. "Well… it might take a while for the fairies to reconstruct the damage."
"Alright, better get this done quick. I'll catch up to you guys later."
"Take care."
With a final tug on his coat, the commander finally exited the room. Inazuma turned to Einrost. "You're not going with them?"
"What do you mean? Certain business contracts aside, I'm not personally involved with the Navy." Einrost removed his coat and hung it on his shoulder. "How about we have some breakfast first? I'm starving."
They went to the ground floor and entered the hospital's canteen packed with people. As they lined up and ordered their meals from the counter, they learned that the compound's hospital was also available to the public at an event of an island-wide emergency or calamity. Considering the number of people they saw at the main lobby earlier, Inazuma could only imagine the extent of the destruction from yesterday's raid.
Avoiding the inquisitive stares of the other customers to Zuihou, they opted to eat at the dining space outside. The mag-ions leaking out of the carrier's body seemed to be making the other fleet girls uneasy, but there was nothing they could do about it for now.
Inazuma glanced at the vending machines for dessert. "Uh... I wanted to get something for Hatsuyuki and the others too, but I forgot the Navy had my account suspended."
"Those dickheads," Einrost said. "They haven't proven anything."
"Don't worry." Zuihou fished out a smart card from her hoodie's pocket. "We can use mine. Is that okay, Mister Einrost?"
"Oh, sure, you'll need a little cash to get you started anyway."
The two fleet girls stood up and stepped in front of the largest vending machine. "There's so many to choose from. Oh, they even have fruit rolls too!"
Inazuma tilted her head slightly. "Fruit rolls?"
"Yup, they have fruit chunks and lots of cream inside. You should try it."
Skimming at the selection, Inazuma suddenly gasped. "I was hoping that there's mango-flavored one!"
"Hmm… I think I'm in the mood for peach today!" Zuihou swiped the card on the panel. Her eyes widened as she looked at the screen. "T-This much?! I-I'm sorry... I can't take this much!"
"H-Huh? What's wrong, Zuihou?"
Einrost chuckled from his seat. "You're exaggerating."
Zuihou turned to the officer. "B-But I can't take two hundred thou—"
He waved his hand. "Nope. It's already on your account, so no backsies."
"Th-Then I'll just transfer it back to your account!"
"Well, if you do that, I'll just send it back again with the amount doubled. You want that?"
Zuihou heaved a sigh. "Th-Thank you." She faced the vending machine again and glanced at Inazuma. "U-Um, I'll leave it up to you on what snacks you wanna get."
"Really? Thank you very much!"
She handed her smart card to the secretary. "I think I saw some baked goodies beside the canteen's counter earlier, so maybe we should get a few of those too?"
"Okay, leave it to me!"
Inazuma went back to the canteen first and bought some fresh cookies and pastries, only to bump into two familiar faces waiting in the cashier line on her way back. The eyes of the olive-haired journalist widened as their gazes met for a moment. She gave Inazuma a warm smile.
"Oh, it's the Liberator's secretary. Wanna have breakfast with us?"
As she said that, everyone around them immediately distanced themselves from them. The line in front of them pushed themselves against each other in front of the meal counter. "U-Um, how did you know?" Inazuma whispered.
The journalist chuckled before lowering her voice. "Is that your disguise? You stick out like a sore thumb though."
"W-Well, it's not like I'm trying to..."
As she noticed Inazuma glancing at the hesitant yet curious onlookers, the journalist smiled again. "We've heard that the Council offered certain concessions to your commander and your unit following the raid from yesterday, so most of us here are wise enough to lay low for a while. I mean, it's the Liberator we're dealing with here."
"Concessions?"
She leaned towards the secretary, narrowing her eyes. As Inazuma flinched and took a step backwards, the journalist made a satisfied face. "Oh please, you have to do better than that if you want to fool me," she said. "With the help of your unit and his other companions, he basically saved this entire island from total annihilation."
Inazuma glanced to her left, noticing several Navy officers entering the canteen. That's the story they've given to the media? I'm glad that they're giving him credit for his efforts yesterday, but they've been framing him as the bad guy since we—
The olive-haired girl closed the distance between them once more with a swift stride. "It doesn't make any sense, right?"
Inazuma blinked as she found herself staring in the deep green eyes of the journalist. "H-Huh?"
"A sudden positive spin to the controversy that they themselves brought up to the public to begin with. You're curious about it too, right?"
"A-Am I that easy to read?"
She chuckled. "Apparently." She leaned towards Inazuma as she spoke in a hushed tone. "I'll let you in on a secret though: the Navy's top brass didn't intend to reveal his involvement in the raid. I think they were forced to share the information to the media to avoid making a big stink about it some time later."
"Um, why are you telling me this?"
"I'm just returning a favor for one of my insiders." She crossed her arms as she eyed the Navy officers ordering their meals at the food counter. "Sheesh, I'll never get to finish my documentary at this rate. Granted that it's my personal project of sorts, but still..."
Inazuma thought to herself for a moment, staring at the diamond-shaped badge that the journalist was wearing. It didn't stand out to her before as she just recently learned its significance from Shiranui. "A-Are you from the Nexus Archive?"
"Yep! Call me Cisa!" She extended her hand. "I'm sorry about the other day too. It's just what we do for a living."
Inazuma made a tense smile as she shook the journalist's hand. "I-It's okay. I'm not just used to receive that kind of attention, so I was really nervous about it."
"In that case, you don't have to be so anxious when it's just us around." She gestured towards the lavender-haired fleet girl behind her. "Akitsushima here is my adorable and reliable assistant."
Akitsushima made a quick bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Inazuma!" She held up the camera hanged around her neck and stole a picture of the secretary fleet girl. "Wah! I wasn't supposed to take a picture, right?"
"J-Jeez, don't scare her like that!"
She made another bow and fumbled on the interface of her camera. "S-Sorry about that! I'm going to erase it right no—"
Cisa made an annoyed expression as she yanked her assistant's right arm towards her. "No, keep it!" She then gave Inazuma an awkward smile. "She's still new to this whole shebang, so I hope you let her off the hook this time."
"B-But can you please delete the picture first?" Inazuma asked, growing more uncomfortable.
"W-Why?" She grabbed the camera and presented its screen. "See? You look adorable in it!"
As Inazuma was about to express her concerns about her pictures being taken without permission, she heard a familiar voice from the outdoor dining space's doorway. "Inazuma, what's the holdup? Zuihou's waiting for you."
She turned her head and saw Einrost beckoning to her. "S-Sorry, I have to go now."
Cisa glanced at the man in the suit and smiled another welcoming smile. "Aww, thank you for your time though. I hope we can talk again in the near future."
Inazuma excused herself from the pair with a bow and returned to Einrost and the others at the table. "Ugh, that girl," he said. "Just say no if she asks you for an interview or you'll never hear the end of it."
"Speaking from personal experience, I take it?" Graf Zeppelin chimed in before sipping a cup of coffee.
He sighed. "Y-You don't have to remind me."
With that out of the way, Inazuma and Zuihou spent the next few minutes in front of the vending machine to bolster their collection of yummy snacks. They divided the treats into four plastic bags afterwards, making sure each bag gets every snack.
Commander Yurie and the others arrived just as they were about to finish sorting the items. "Yo!" Maya said, glancing at their empty dishes. "Finished breakfast, huh?"
"Ah, Miss Maya," Inazuma replied. "How about you?"
"We had ours, but the food here seems better I bet."
Smirking, Yurie approached the coffee vending machine. "I think you've been spoiled too much."
Fumizuki ran towards her and grabbed her hands. "Inazuma! It feels like we haven't seen each other since forever!"
Inazuma giggled. "It's only been a day, silly!"
"Commander... isn't with you?" Hatsuyuki asked.
"Ah… he attended a meeting. He should be back soon." She held out one plastic bag. "We bought snacks!"
Fumizuki quickly took the bag and shoved her hand inside. "Thankies! Catch and—" She brought her hand up in the air. "Pull! Oh, what did I get?"
"Can I have some too?" Fusou asked, peeking inside the bag.
Inazuma nodded. "There's enough for everyone. Zuihou bought them for us."
"Wow," Prinz Eugen said. "Looks like we have a high roller among us now."
"N-No," Zuihou said. "It's Mister Einrost's money, so you should thank—"
Everyone sent their thanks to Zuihou regardless. Taken aback, the carrier pulled her hood over her face and latched on Inazuma from behind. She got even more embarrassed when Maya and the others finally recognized her.
"Oh, we should save some for Sendai and Jintsuu too," Fumizuki said.
"I'm worried about them," Fusou said. "I wonder if we can at least visit Jintsuu now."
"They haven't released her yet?" Yurie said, sitting beside Graf Zeppelin.
"Miss Minako told me she will be dismissed this afternoon," Inazuma replied. "I'm not sure how soon though."
"We have our own problems to deal with. The timing of these events is just too convenient."
"Nope," Einrost replied. "Nothing's too convenient if you're following Yuu around."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Inazuma felt a soft vibration from her terminal. "Oh, a transmission from Miss Minako." She pressed the screen to pick up the call. "Um, hello?"
"Can you proceed to the central building right now? We have plenty of work to do."
"Understood. I'll be right there." She turned to the others. "Sorry, I have to go."
"Aww, already?" Fumizuki said as she fished out a couple of snacks from the bag. "Take these."
"T-Thanks, but I don't need that many." She happened to look at Hatsuyuki, who seemed like she has something in her mind. "What's wrong, Hatsuyuki?"
Hatsuyuki hesitated, but eventually spoke. "I… was just wondering when I'll be able to get the chance to talk to him. He's very busy, so…"
"Then let's go together."
"I don't wanna get in his way."
"I'm sure it'll be okay!" Inazuma grabbed her hand and started walking. "Come on!"
Upon reaching the building, Minako and the others were waiting for them in the parking lot. "You're late," Maricelle said. "Are those legs just for show or what?"
"U-Um, sorry." She turned to Minako. "Do you need me for something, Commodore Minako?"
The Navy officer gestured at the commander. "No particular reason. He just wanted you to tag along."
She glanced at him. "W-Why?"
"You don't want to?" he asked.
"N-No! It's just that... it's not like you to call for me when you usually do your own thing."
"I thought you want the both of us to be on the same page."
Inazuma averted her eyes, directing her gaze to the ground. For some reason, her face felt warmer than usual. "A-Ah..."
Maricelle groaned. "Seriously, enough chitchat! I didn't agree to escort you guys just for that."
She slowly handed out her plastic bag. "U-Um, snacks…"
"Hmph, I'll take that."
Minako had an amused face as she signalled Shiranui. "Are we all set then?"
They boarded an armored jeep and made their way to the harbor in the south. From the brief exchanges of the two officers, Inazuma learned that there were still several abyssal movements within the island's waters. Fortunately for them, these units weren't organized, merely taking advantage of the fallout from the previous raid.
The Navy's primary concern at the moment was re-establishing Orion's defensive perimeter, including power and network restoration to every affected outpost on and around the island. After all, rehabilitation efforts would be all for naught if the island was subjected to another abyssal offensive, and who knows if they would be able to hold the line for the second time.
The Council had estimated that it would take at least two weeks to restore every critical structure in working condition. It seemed too generous of a timeframe at first, considering that Port Orion was one of the more advance naval bases in Caffelatte, but Inazuma also knew that the documented reports only reveal a fraction of the unforgiving reality they had to address:
Seeing the destruction around them in broad daylight was just heartrending. Civilians were milling about the ruins of their former homes, salvaging what they can within the smoky rubble. Business establishments and marketplaces were razed to the ground. The fields for crops and fruit-bearing trees were reduced to cinders.
While the minimal casualties were considered a success on the Navy's part, the real challenge had only just begun.
As they reached the battered harbor, the jeep turned left and headed straight to the depot. Everyone was wearing either hazard suits or gas masks, so Inazuma could only assume that the raid had caused some kind of contamination in the area. Once they made their stop at the farthest warehouse and left the vehicle, armed marines immediately took their positions, disengaging the safety mechanisms of their guns.
"Are they itching for a fight?" Maricelle pointed a half-eaten chocolate roll at the soldiers. "I'm not in the mood right now, but I'll end these idiots quick if that's what they want."
Minako sighed. "We've talked about this."
She walked up to the Navy officer. "Don't tell me what to do, or what's right and wrong. Don't stretch your chances, stuck-up bitch."
"Too noisy," Hatsuyuki mumbled.
Ignoring the abyssal destroyer, Minako turned to a truck filled with computers and other expensive-looking equipment. "Mica, are you there?" she called out.
One of the four individuals suddenly stood up from the computer station and looked in their direction. The person wearing a close-fitting body suit hopped off the truck and ran towards them. "S-Sorry!" she said. "I got caught up in there with all the data they've been sending our way!"
"You don't have to get so worked up," the commander replied. "We just got here."
The young woman in the suit took him in a tight embrace. "It's been a long time, hasn't it? I finally got to see you again in the flesh!" She broke free from the hug and leaned towards Maricelle. "And wow, you actually brought an Abyssal with you this time? Can I—"
"No, she'll kill you."
"Aww… worth the shot at least."
The abyssal destroyer walked up to the girl and poked her tinted visor. "Who's this maggot?"
"A mag-ion specialist in one of our research teams," Minako replied. "She's currently commissioned as an MAU technician for the marines' R&D section."
Mica let out a nervous laugh. "W-Well, I'm not as good as Kyrie though!"
"Do you have any new findings from the investigation team?"
"You won't believe it—the holding bay was converted into some kind of research facility!" She placed a hand on the side of her helmet, tapping it with her forefinger. "We tried to open up the place, but no dice. All but one cargo lifts are sealed off, and even if we cleared out all the debris, the control panel for that remaining lift went kaput in a power surge—probably from yesterday's attacks."
"A power surge, you say? I don't think that's enough to take down the whole system, especially for an unconventional facility like this one."
"Yeah, a single outcome can have multiple causes. The guys told me that most of the electronics they found were fried, like someone set off a localized EMP inside. I wanna tag along with you so I can see everything myself."
"I see," Minako said, looking at the commander. "You were right with your hunches all along."
"What is it?" he asked.
"This sector was temporarily closed due to an ongoing reconstruction of the buildings here." She turned her head to the remains of the warehouse. "The cargo we're looking for must have been taken in this particular holding bay."
"A… secret hideout?" Hatsuyuki said.
"I haven't gone inside," Mica said, "but the concentration of volatile mag-ions within the bay is quite high as well. Ringing any bells, Yuu?"
He nodded. "We'll find out when we see the place ourselves."
Mica ran to the side of the truck and removed the lid of a crate. She brought out two containers and set them on the ground. "Please suit up, you two."
"Is that really necessary?"
"What? It's not that hard to put on." She crossed her arms as she looked at Inazuma next. "They have yet to extract the fumes in certain sections of the holding bay, so the rest of you might want to wear gas masks just in case."
As their preparations were done, they moved through the wreckage to get to the inner parts of the warehouse. The stairwell at the back was free from rubble, presumably by the fleet girls and marines guarding it. Inazuma was expecting some kind of confrontation to happen as Minako approached one marine officer, but the two officers merely exchanged friendly greetings before discussing the situation in the depot with the other marines.
Two fleet girls emerged from the stairwell, carrying a body bag using a stretcher. "S-So, um, there are other people ahead of us here?" Inazuma asked.
"Admiral Asai's investigation team," the commander replied. "To be honest, I'm glad he quickly secured the place or it'll be a pain in the ass just for us to get into this depot."
"That's why I'm here, right?" Maricelle said. "They can't whine about it if they're de—"
Hearing a loud shutter sound, Inazuma quickly turned to its source. Mica stepped back as she shoved her phone's screen against her visor. "Maybe I should send a copy to my workplace and my net drive."
The abyssal destroyer snatched the device and crushed it under her foot. Mica collapsed to her knees and collected the remains of her phone. "U-Ugh, why did you have to do that?" she said, sobbing. "It's just a picture!"
Maricelle sneered. "Next time you'll think twice when pointing that junk at someone."
"I-I'm sorry, Yuu!" She sniffled. "I'm sorry!"
"Psh, what a crybaby. I wish I could see your face right now."
The commander crouched in front of her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, just get another one." He took her hands and examined the phone. "The important cards are intact at least."
"B-But this one's special since you helped me get this when I was short on cash."
"Like I said, it's fine."
"Y-You look angry though," Inazuma said.
Maricelle's face softened as she turned around and walked towards the stairs. "Whatever, I'll be going on ahead."
"Jerk," Hatsuyuki said. "Why is she friends with the commander?"
As the abyssal girl disappeared into the darkness, Minako turned and waved at them. "Looks like someone's excited. Let's go."
Armed with their flashlights, they caught up with Maricelle and continued their descent in the holding bay. The first and second levels were mostly wide open spaces for vehicles. These two levels were connected by a ramp, but there were also hydraulic lifts that could be used for hassle-free movement between floors. They also found the control center on the second floor, but just like Mica had told them, not a single lever or button worked.
Left with little to inspect, they proceeded to the third level where offices and other amenities were located. Unlike the upper levels, the encompassing haze was more apparent as they walked through the damaged, blood-soaked hallways. Coupled with the significant increase in mag-ion density, the place had become more oppressive. As if seeking for solace, Hatsuyuki pinched Inazuma's sleeve.
"I have to give whoever's behind this some credit," Minako said. "To think that they have been hiding all of these here is quite impressive."
"You don't sound like it though," Mica replied. "You've already seen this from miles away, I'm sure."
"I had my suspicions, but my foothold at the time was shaky and insubstantial. When I learned that Yuu took up an escort operation to Orion one day, I was immediately intrigued. I kept a close eye on him, hoping that I'll be able to obtain new information to further my investigations.
"And to the surprise of no one, I was right on the money once again." She glanced at the commander. "You truly never disappoint in that regard."
"And that's why you sent Yurie with me," he said. "Typical."
Minako smirked. "Hmhm, I can't wait to hear more from you in the future."
"U-Uh," Mica said, "you guys are working on the same goal, but do you really have to skirt around each other like that. It's scary."
The commander suddenly stopped in his tracks, leaning against the wall. "Kgh—!"
Inazuma began to panic. "Wh-What's wrong?"
"How are you feeling?" Minako asked.
"M-My chest feels… tight." He took a deep breath. "Just give me a minute or two."
"H-Huh?" Mica stepped in front of him. "D-Don't you have those pick-me-ups that you usually carry around?"
The commodore sighed. "That's the problem."
"W-Why? Please don't tell me that the two of you got into a fight again."
He bit his lip, clutching his right arm. "I'll be more than glad to shove those miracle formulas of hers down her throat and see if she likes it."
"Th-That's not something you would say to the only person who can formulate those drugs!" Mica gasped. "Wait, you're self-medicating, aren't you?"
"Y-Yeah."
"I guess some things just never change, huh? Maybe we should take you ba—"
"No, I'll bear with it."
Mica shook her head. "Just don't push yourself too hard, okay?"
"But how about you, Mica? How are you feeling?"
"Other than this annoying buzzing in my head, I'm okay." She looked down, tapping her body with her palms. "Maybe it's because I'm wearing my 'ol reliable suit?"
Inazuma looked at Mica. She's the same as Commander?
"We should hurry." All of them turned to Maricelle. "The mag-ions around him are resonating with his body, causing unnecessary strain to his system."
"B-But… he's not like us," Hatsuyuki said. "An ordinary human like him shouldn't be affected in the first place."
A bout of silence passed as Minako and Mica exchanged looks. The commander himself broke the standstill:
"The sooner we finish, the better. Let's continue."
Without another word, they resumed their exploration, making sure to check every room before moving on to the lower levels of the bay. Since the investigation unit had taken down the doors of previously inaccessible rooms, the search went smoothly for them.
While they didn't find anything noteworthy in these rooms, it did give them a rough estimate on the number of staff who worked there. Not more than half of the rooms were occupied with basic furniture or fancy-looking machinery, so it could mean that the research center wasn't operating at its fullest. Or perhaps a skeleton crew was all that was needed in keeping things in order there? The number of fatalities during the abyssal raid seemed to favor the latter though.
Their footsteps echoed as they moved down a wide set of stairs, leading them to the central laboratory facility. Inazuma peered down from the gallery and noticed another group on the eastern side of the lowest level. All of them looked up and saluted.
Minako glanced at the commander. "Captain Lynn's team is about to wrap things up on their end," she said. "Of course, they may have overlooked something vital that we need to examine ourselves."
They used the stairs on the leftmost side of the hall to get to the bottom floor, which was flooded up to their ankles. They spread out a little bit to cover more ground and Inazuma took notice of the bloodstains across the wall. Curious, she followed the splatters of red behind an enclosure until she reached an empty corner of the hall. Letting out a sigh of relief, she decided to get back to the others, but she nearly stumbled as she went around the wide post.
She gagged the second she pointed her flashlight downwards. Hatsuyuki followed and began to retch as well.
A human corpse. Or at least, it was what it looked like to her.
The body was mutilated beyond recognition. The meat from the stomach down to the thighs had turned into an inexplicable mush and goo on the floor. Everything above the torso was completely singed. Inazuma closed her eyes for a moment, clearing her thoughts out. She heard the others rushing towards them. "Inazuma, what happened?" the commander asked.
Hatsuyuki, without looking, indicated the body with her flashlight. "Disgusting," Maricelle said. "I might have to hold on the last few bars for later."
Mica crouched down next to the corpse, examining the charred remains closely. "Now I know why they want to secure the bodies as quickly as possible."
"Let me notify—" Minako checked her forearm terminal. "Oh, excuse me. I have to take this call first."
She stepped away from the group, walking to the central area of the hall. Shiranui accompanied her, but the destroyer turned her attention to a row of cylindrical glass tanks.
The commander stared down at the pile of flesh. "Did they actually find this place?" He shook his head. "I'll have to contact Serra later."
Maricelle chuckled. "Well, these humans got what they deserved," she said. "Not that I care about what really happened here."
Inazuma frowned. "Killing is one thing, but this is just too much. Enemy or not, no one should experience this kind of—"
"And look, an ignorant whelp who thinks being goody-goody will magically make everyone best buddies or something. Don't play dumb—it's obvious that they were bringing abyssal ships here to experiment on."
"B-But this senseless slaughter is just horrible and unnecessary!"
"Assuming things again, aren't we? Have you actually experienced being stuffed inside one of those pods and kept you heavily sedated for many months without any hope of escape? And if you somehow survived the initial tests administered by those bastards, the pain and torture you had to go through will break you apart. Well, I wouldn't expect someone like you to know."
"N-No… I didn't mean that..."
Maricelle pulled down her gas mask and took out a chocolate bar from the plastic bag hanging from her left elbow. "But oh, it's okay when it comes to us Abyssals since we're the bad guys, right? What a bunch of bull."
Inazuma shook her head. "I-I'm sure there has to be another way! Violence is just a convenient excuse for not trying!"
The abyssal destroyer began to laugh. "What a hypocrite. Care to tell me how many of us you've maimed and sunk so far?" Inazuma's eyes widened, dumbfounded. The abyssal princess leaned closer, tapping her cheek with the snack bar. "I'll make this simple for you since you always have a hard time understanding the most basic of things: you play your part, and I'll play mine."
"P-Part? What are you—"
"You're expected to defend your human masters from us, the detestable foil to the childish fantasy that you call peace." She peeled off the snack bar's topside with her teeth. "You always like to preach on and on about it, right? But in your case, you're already going around like some kind of big shot and yet you can't even save yourself."
"If we can settle our differences and understand each other, then there's need for us to fight in the first place!" Maricelle grabbed Inazuma by the neck, slamming her to the wall with her free hand. "I... I never wanted any of this!"
"Pretty pathetic thing to say for a warship. Maybe I'll do you a favor and knock some sense into that brain of yours."
"That's enough." The commander's firm voice made the two of them snap to attention. "Mari, let her go."
"Don't tell me you're siding with her."
"You've already made your point."
Maricelle retracted her hand and took a bite of the chocolate bar. "Tch, you've gone soft."
As if on cue, Minako returned to the group. "Jintsuu was finally discharged," she said. "I had Yurie and Haruna pick her up."
"Th-That's a relief," Inazuma said, rubbing her neck.
Minako paused as she eyed the destroyers. "Shall we continue?"
Mica stood up and stretched her arms. "I'm done here, so let's get cracking!"
They fanned out once more, wading through each section of the spacious hall. Inazuma felt like they were seeing an exhibit of sorts with all the devices and other contraptions scattered around them. She had seen some of these before and she couldn't help but feel more anxious. "Wh-What were they trying to accomplish here?"
Mica, who was picking up a water sample from a wide rectangular tank, turned her head slightly. "There has to be a specific reason, but curiosity alone warrants the need to know them better, don't you think? They just showed up out of nowhere two decades ago and made the world's oceans their home."
"You mean... the Abyssals?"
The technician nodded. "There are still plenty of questions that we're struggling to shed some light on." She suddenly turned around and pointed at Inazuma. "Our progress with you girls isn't that far from them too."
"B-But we have to draw a line somewhere, right?"
"Yeah, you made me think about it earlier." Mica brought the test tube to her face and shook its contents. "We're doing our own experiments back at our lab too, but we're content on studying carcasses. A live specimen would be ideal though, but the risks aren't just worth the trouble."
"Capturing one… is just asking for a disaster to come," Hatsuyuki said. "Aren't you scared?"
Mica laughed, securing the tube on a container stuffed in her waist bag. "We gotta do our share and help you guys somehow. Besides, we probably wouldn't reach this far if it weren't for the countless sacrifices made in the past."
Inazuma sighed. "Th-That's true."
"So, in a way, Mari was right about playing our roles to give each other a helping hand."
"I don't think she meant it that way," she mumbled.
As they got to the center of the hall, Minako motioned at them to enter a nearby room. Inside, bits of flesh and entrails were floating in the water. The left side of the wall was blackened as well.
"What do you think happened here?" Mica asked, picking up a few glass-like shards in the water.
Using his flashlight, the commander indicated the remains of a vertical tank at the back of the room. "The culprit's no mystery at least."
Minako approached the console beside the tank. "A princess? Interesting."
"Th-That's impossible!" Maricelle ran towards the tank. "Th-They were keeping a princess-class ship here too?"
"The pods we have seen so far only housed familiars, carrier planes, and other smaller abyssal life forms." The commodore knocked on the tank with the back of her fist. "This particular type of observation tank was designed to accommodate abyssal ships in the uppermost hierarchy."
The commander turned around, pointing at the heavy-duty compartment on the main hall. "That chamber over there is used to extract large amounts of mag-ions from the abyssal ships."
"An MCD?" Inazuma gasped. "S-She was deprived of mag-ions so that she wouldn't be able to escape?"
"More or less." He paused for a moment as he stared at the secretary's face. "I'm quite surprised that you knew what an MCD is."
Her eyes widened, hesitating. "W-Well, I've read about it once."
"Wow, I didn't know you're a techie, Inazuma!" Mica said.
Maricelle let out a low grumble. "This doesn't make any sense. How did they even capture her to begin with?" she asked.
"I was looking into that," Minako replied. "The cargo seemed to have originated from a naval base in Serenoir, but I'll inform everyone our findings as soon as we verified the remaining shipping records I have requested from third-party trackers. I'm afraid we can no longer trust our own channels for this case."
"What a bunch of incompetent fools." The abyssal destroyer smirked. "How does it feel to be betrayed by your comrades, haughty bitch?"
"I have no excuses for it. Ever since the death of Admiral Minamoto, the internal scuffles in our ranks have worsened over the years. Many tried to follow his footsteps, but most of them are misguided or far-reaching."
"Her father was a great man," Mica said, climbing up to the tank's platform. "He basically reformed the Naval Domain from the slumps! Despite all the controversies and screw-ups that we have had in the past, he always kept his head high and did the right thing without compromising anyone!"
Minako took a few steps forward, turning towards the commander. "If I were half as competent as he was, you probably wouldn't have to suffer as much as you did back then."
"We both lived through it anyway," he replied. "Now is what matters most."
As Mica was done acquiring various samples in the room, they decided to return to the main hall. But before they could leave the room, Shiranui called out to them from the other side. "W-Wait, not another step."
"It's not like you to get so flustered all of a sudden," Minako said.
"Is this your idea of a joke?" Maricelle said.
"Do you want them to die?" Shiranui pointed at the top of the door frame. "That's a sensor-triggered anti-personnel mine."
"Easy." Maricelle placed a hand on the side of the metal frame. A second afterwards, they heard a crackling sound from the mine. "Do they ever learn?"
"Shh," Mica said in a low voice. "W-We're being watched."
"Where?" the commander asked.
"Third level, near the entrance to this hall," she replied. "It was probably the person who put that mine—"
Maricelle summoned her arm cannon. "You backstabbing coward!"
A huge blast consumed the upper galleries, sending chunks of metal all over the place. Multiple explosions around the hall followed, engulfing the area with tall flames.
"Wh-What's going on?!" Mica shouted. "Hey, stop that!"
"Are you blind?! I only shot once!" the abyssal ship replied as her silhouette was consumed in the flames. "A-Argh, my hair! My snacks! I'm so going to kill those bastards later!"
"This is getting old real fast," the commander said, activating his suit's oxygen reserve.
Inazuma's heart raced as the fire crawled towards them. "W-Why are you so calm at a time like this?!"
He paused for a bit. "We're wearing hazard suits. We should be fine."
"U-Uh, about that," Mica said. "I gave you Type-Cs. That mag-ion enhanced napalm fire will roast you like festival turkey." She suddenly held her hands up as he stared at her with his arms crossed. "I didn't take into account that someone wanted to set us on fire, okay?"
"Hm, so they even deployed a signal jammer," Minako said. "How convenient."
The fire pushed them all the way to the back of the room, inching closer and closer. "W-W-What should we do?" Inazuma cried.
Maricelle rushed through the wall of fire, coughing. "W-Why are you just standing there?!"
"Us squishy humans won't survive this inferno," Mica said.
"Then what's the point of those suits?!"
"O-On second thought, I can probably withstand the heat if I have the time to adjust my—"
"Nobody cares about you!" The abyssal destroyer growled as she snatched Inazuma's arm. "And you, bring out that shield of yours!"
Panicking, Inazuma sent out her shield unit. "A-Ah, my shield's field projector has limited reach! I can't completely cover everyone with—"
"Shut up!" Maricelle grabbed her hand. "Everyone, huddle up around her!"
"W-Well," Minako said, "I appreciate that you're concerned about us, but we're not quite following what you're trying to do here."
"W-We're not gonna die… right?" Hatsuyuki asked.
Maricelle stared at Inazuma, her eyes flickered a bright purple. "Alright, time for you to prove that you're not as worthless as you look right now!"
"H-Huh? What are you—"
"Get your shit together, slowpoke! You don't want them to die, do you?"
Inazuma nodded and closed her eyes, focusing her thoughts on generating mag-ions throughout her body. Moments later, she felt Maricelle's mag-ions surging from her hand. She linked this energy along with her own and directed the flow into the shield's field projector.
"Not bad."
She opened her eyes again. Her field seemed to be repelling the scorching flames around them. When Maricelle waded forward, the flames withered and eventually disappeared. It seemed like they would be able to cut a path through the fire as long as she kept the field up.
"W-We can finally escape this death trap!" Mica said, hugging her from behind. "You're awesome, Inazuma!"
"We can't keep this up for too long," Maricelle said. "Hurry!"
They hurried into the fire and towards the stairs on the left side of the hall, only to find themselves cornered again. With the stairs destroyed from the previous explosions, they backtracked to the elevators and climbed up the hatch using the emergency ladder.
Most of the tension passed as they managed to return to the third level without any further accidents. "W-Where's Shiranui?" Inazuma asked.
Maricelle coughed as she propped herself up against the wall. "S-She got a lead on me and chased after the ballsy bastard."
"She's really on her game as always, huh?" Mica checked the contents of her waist bag. "Too bad for them—we all got what we needed anyway. Let's go back so that we can process and analyze these pronto."
"But why are they doing this?" Hatsuyuki asked.
"Motives aside, they sure are getting bolder recently," Minako said. "They must know that I'm here as well."
"W-Why are you praising them?" Inazuma blurted out.
"Well, I won't be surprised if they wanted an annoying woman like you out of the picture," Maricelle replied.
"No matter," the commodore said. "We will have our answers in due time."
After the incident in the holding bay, Inazuma and the others went back to the compound and spent the whole afternoon back in Minako's office. Naturally, they felt so restless now that they couldn't do anything but wait for new developments to show up, including the whereabouts of the culprit who tried to sabotage their investigation.
Unpleasant thoughts ran wild in Inazuma's head. The fact that there were certain individuals who would go in great lengths just to get rid of the commander made her even more fidgety. His seemingly composed and casual response about these threats didn't help her case in the slightest.
On top of it all, she had to juggle her growing anxiety with Hatsuyuki's dilemma. Even though they had their chances throughout the day, the black-haired destroyer couldn't croak a word out whenever the commander was around.
She couldn't blame her really. It took her many days of preparations to gather up the courage to speak to him, and even that one opportunity was a godsend for her.
Night finally came and they got together in the compound's eatery. Surprisingly, the staff had reserved an area for them, which covered half of the floor space. The other customers, navy officers and personnel included, made disgusted faces upon seeing the new arrivals. Some of them even left their meals without finishing them. But before they could leave the establishment, the manager called them out. "These dishes won't clean themselves up!"
One of them scoffed. "I already paid mine, you old dirtbag."
"Hey," Yurie said, "where are your manners? Too much of a tall order for you, huh?"
"Better mind your own business. I'd rather go back to your kindergarten peacekeeping society if I were you."
"I wish we could, but you guys can be so incompetent at times that we just don't have any other choice but to pick up your slack."
"You sure can spew out shit for a—"
The light cruiser Tatsuta stepped forward and brandished her polearm. "My, you seem to be a tough guy for a warrant officer, but I've never even heard of you before." She pressed the blunt side of her blade on his cheek, turning his head towards her. "Perhaps do you want to try your luck against me?"
"Y-You… you're one of her—"
Tatsuta tugged her weapon, making a shallow cut in his cheek. "Ah, ah! Did I order you to backtalk?" She pressed her body onto his, pushing him back to the counter. "All of you men act so proud and haughty, but it's only a cheap show to cover up your fragile, susceptible egos. Afraid to be looked down upon by everybody, fruitlessly scrambling for power to reassert your standing along with your peers—I find it very… pitiful."
"G-Get off me!"
"Quite in a bad mood, I see." Tatsuta procured an adhesive bandage and applied it over the cut. Smiling, she wiped the excess blood on his cheek. "Now the boo-boo's gone thanks to Big Sis Tatsuta. Aren't you glad?"
Her cooing voice made Inazuma shiver. It seemed to have to have a similar effect to everybody else. The helpless Navy officer was petrified, unable to utter another word.
"Well now." Tatsuta turned around, slamming the pole end of her weapon. "House rules for you adorable maggots are to be respected or I'll have each and every one of you gobble the leftovers in the mess hall for a week."
One of the cruiser's companions, the destroyer Kazagumo, grabbed her arm. "You're going overboard again!" She turned her head towards a blue-haired fleet girl. "H-Help me out here!"
The aircraft carrier Souryuu returned a smile. "I don't know. I like where this is going."
Her pitiful gaze turned to Inazuma and the others. She made small gestures with her other hand, but Inazuma only shook her head in response. The tension was thick as the standstill went on, but a loud growling sound suddenly erupted.
"O-Oh my." The cruiser's face turned red, placing her free hand on her cheek. "I got so caught up that I already forgot what I was going to order."
Kazagumo rolled her eyes. "Clam chowder. Verdant lasagna."
"And for dessert?"
"Chiffon cake."
"No, no!" Souryuu said. "I thought we're going to order the triple chocolate mousse again!"
"We'll settle that later." Tatsuta looked at the Navy men once more and gestured towards the doorway. "As for the rest of you, get out of my sight."
They scampered out of the eatery, cutting through Inazuma's group. Tatsuta shrugged as she recalled her polearm, smiling at the warrant officer. "Oh, what's wrong? If you want to dine with us, then—"
"C-Crazy bitch!"
He went off as well, never looking back. "What a lively place," Einrost said, laughing.
It was Yurie's turn to roll her eyes. "I'd rather eat in the woods if this was the norm here."
"What are those house rules?" Prinz Eugen asked. "I don't recall anything like that last time."
Souryuu held up a finger. "Those only apply to us. Nothing strict or crazy though."
"This place shouldn't be inside the compound in the first place," Kazagumo said, "but it got so popular that certain bigwigs decided to give them a special permit to operate here."
"Y-Yeah, they keep complaining that the grub in the mess isn't as good as the menu here, but they're looking for ways to get everything revoked."
The destroyer rubbed the back of her head. "This sort of thing happens once in a while, but I hope you guys don't think any less of us in the Navy."
"I understand," Yurie replied. "Some people can't just be bothered to follow even the simplest rules."
"Good thing that the folks here aren't picky with their customers," Einrost said. "Really appreciate that, Pops."
The manager waved a hand as he walked back to the kitchen. "Take your time, alright?"
And they sure did. Half an hour was spent bickering on which food they had to try out. Then they had to wait twice as long for the staff to get their orders out of the kitchen.
As the servers brought the appetizing dishes on their tables, Fumizuki suddenly stood up and waved at the doorway. "Commander, over here!"
All eyes went to the newcomers.
"So this is what they call a restaurant," Nerine said. "It's far from what I was expecting though."
"Don't really care," Maricelle said. "As long as the food's passable, I wo—Marvie, don't touch that!"
The abyssal demon released the crayfish in her hand, dropping it back to its fish tank. "She sure is a curious gal," Ryuujou said. "She's kinda like you, Tanikaze. Well, 'cept she has her breaks on where it matters."
"Urk, that's mean!" the destroyer replied.
The manager approached the group. "Hard to believe I lived this long to serve up some of my food for these girls. And here I thought I've seen it all…"
Minako smirked. "Well, the ocean is vast for a reason."
He glanced back at the remaining customers. "Hmph, can't complain since you're paying me, but make sure they don't break anything while you're here."
The commander sat at a table with the three abyssal ships. "Jintsuu, how are you holding up?" he asked.
The cruiser's eyes widened. "I… I'm fine now, thanks to everyone's support."
He kept a steady gaze on her for a moment. "I see."
"A-Ah, is there something wrong?"
"No, I was just worried. Glad to see you're doing well."
Jintsuu put a hand on her cheek. "I-Is that so? I'm glad to hear that."
Their dinner was rowdy as usual, but Inazuma was biding her time for her chance to snatch the commander away without drawing too much attention. As the main course was done, bickering between the girls erupted once more as they ordered their dessert dishes.
Well, thanks to that, she finally got an opening when the commander excused himself to the restroom. Together with Hatsuyuki, they asked a staff to let them access the dining space on the second floor, which was temporarily closed off due to renovations. As they sat down together at a table, Inazuma placed a hand on Hatsuyuki's shoulder. "Go on," she whispered.
"Inazuma, what's this about?" the commander asked.
"C-Commander, I want to apologize," Hatsuyuki said. "T-The other day… I did something horrible…"
"Apologize for what?"
"A-About the interview."
"Don't worry about it."
Hatsuyuki shook her head. "I did a bit of digging on the net and I found out that there were already existing rumors that you were involved in a few off-the-record operations in Serenoir and Mintrime peninsula. Ever since the interview was shown on TV, they're uncovering more and more information each day about your past."
"Nexus Archive?" When Hatsuyuki nodded, he made a smile. "Thought so, but why are you so worried?"
"A-Aren't you afraid?"
"I'm already an outlaw to begin with, but I'm surprised that the news networks haven't shown my pending criminal charges back at the mainland naval court."
Inazuma took a deep breath. "Th-Then the reason why you're here in Caffelatte..."
"The Peacekeepers aren't really finicky about my case," he replied, "so they took me in. Of course, I had help from Minako and the others too."
Under normal circumstances, no organization as big as the Maritime Peacekeepers would ever take the risk of accepting someone with criminal records from other territories and jurisdictions.
If it was the commander, his connections with the Abyssals and certain individuals in the Navy had probably tipped the scales to his favor. And taking into account the ever-present rivalry between the Naval Domain and the Peacekeepers, the commander's services would be considered a massive boon for the latter.
However, Inazuma couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to his situation than meets the eye.
"But it's strange that the Naval Domain didn't chase after you until this moment," Inazuma told him. "What do you think happened?"
"Honestly, I never bothered to know."
"I made the situation worse for you," Hatsuyuki said. "I'm really sorry."
"Don't be. Isn't it only natural for the law to chase and punish those who've committed crimes?"
Hatsuyuki finally put up an indignant face as she looked into the commander's eyes. "One Navy officer told me this story before I was interviewed... but I wanted to hear the truth from you. I-Is it true... that you killed those high-ranking Navy officials three years ago?"
The commander's eyes widened. He directed his gaze away from her. "I did."
"But I know what truly happened—Commodore Minako told me!" Hatsuyuki scrunched the hem of her skirt. "You did everything in a blind rage! You were never in control of—"
"No, I was perfectly aware of what was happening that time." He glanced at Inazuma. "More than that, I've capitalized on their deaths and made an example to protect myself. It was murder, clear as day."
"I-It was a set up to get rid of your unit! They saw that you and your friends have the power to expose their lies to the public, that's why—"
"Enough." As Hatsuyuki recoiled from his harsh tone, he sighed and leaned on the backrest. "My point is, even if they didn't get an interview from any of you, they would find a way regardless."
"But people are so judgmental," Hatsuyuki rubbed her teary eyes. "Even though you actually haven't done anything wrong… even though they don't even know you personally… they'll try to condemn and tear you apart because they can. People like that… I can't stand them."
"Folks like that will always find a reason to complain just for the sake of it. If you think that you're being selfish for telling the truth, I won't even know what I should call them." He wore a stern expression. "Look, I never needed your apology and you shouldn't feel bad about it either."
"C-Commander!" Inazuma glared at him as Hatsuyuki began sobbing. "Now's not the time!"
The commander went on. "For the most part, I don't care what the world thinks about me." He made a short pause. "And I think you should too. To a certain extent, at least."
Hatsuyuki slowly looked up. "H-Huh?"
"It's good that you're aware of the gravity and ramifications of your actions. On the other hand, giving it too much thought will only do you more harm than good."
"Y-Yeah," Inazuma replied. "Besides, the commander never really scolded us when—"
"T-That's exactly the reason why I'm scared." Hatsuyuki brought her feet on her seat and hugged her knees. "Other than Akatsuki, everybody else doesn't speak anything about my faults. I always find myself stuck in an awful loop, thinking all sorts of things. Like, if you guys are badmouthing me behind my back or if you are considering replacing me with someone more useful to the fleet."
Inazuma frowned. "We… never knew."
"But it's my fault for not speaking up about it. I know that you guys aren't that kind of people, but… I just can't help it. It's just one disappointment after another, huh?"
"D-Don't say that."
"Whenever I have those thoughts, the past keeps coming back to me." Hatsuyuki rubbed her eyes again. "A throwaway destroyer like me should've sunk that day."
"H-Hatsuyuki!" Inazuma grabbed her free hand, squeezing it. "That's enough, okay?"
The commander made a small smile. "The hypocrisy stings, but I'll make a special exception this one time: making mistakes is fine."
Hatsuyuki shook her head. "Y-You're just saying that to make me feel better. That… doesn't change anything."
"Don't stint your own growth like that, Hatsuyuki. You were never misguided—you just need a boost in confidence, that's all." He grimaced. "And… I don't want you to become like me."
"Th-Then what should I do?"
"I don't know the answer to that, but I can only ask you one favor."
"W-What is it?"
"Be strong for those who you call allies. You'll need their help as much as they'll need you." He shrugged. "Well, that's why fleets are called fleets, right?"
Hatsuyuki looked down. "Allies… friends... I don't know how to tell them apart from the rest."
"Still, that shouldn't stop you in putting your trust in someone else. If you can do that for someone like me, everything else will be a cake walk."
Inazuma nodded. "H-He's right. Even though he doesn't admit it, he also has friends that he can rely on when the times are tough and bleak."
His eyes narrowed. "For the last time, could you stop making up baseless assumptions out of nowhere?"
"Like Akatsuki, you can be a terrible liar at times."
"Your laughable, paper-thin excuses are on another level though."
"But you're just a sore loser who doesn't know when to give up."
"Okay, that's actually irritating coming from you, Miss Nosy Shortcake."
"Wh-What?" She shot up from her seat, slamming the table. "Th-That was a low blow! Take that back!"
Hatsuyuki laughed. "That's why I want to know the truth. There are still a lot of things I don't understand, but if I stick around a little longer, I can at least have the confidence to defend the commander from his detractors. I have to set things right somehow."
The commander was visibly conflicted. "You don't have to go that far."
"You shouldn't betray her expectations of you," Inazuma said.
"Hold on. You can't just—" She gave him a smile. "Why are you making that face?"
She made an eager face, eyes brimming with hope. "Commander has a plan to save Akatsuki and Murakumo! If we work together, we'll save our friends for sure!"
"Where did you—" He rubbed his forehead. "Damnit, Einrost."
Hatsuyuki nodded. "Me too... I'll do everything I can to help! I can't just keep running like this!"
"That's why you don't have to worry too much," Inazuma told him. "We got your back. All that's left is for you to give the orders."
He made a small smile. "Looks like we're all set for tomorrow then. I'll be counting on you two."
The two destroyers exchanged looks and smiled. "We'll do our best!"